2010 Awards and Critic Lists Discussion Thread

[baby doll]

I'm not a big fan of them, but at least Crash and Slumdog Millionaire were at least trying to be ambitious in their own way. And in the case of Slumdog, at least it was showing you people/places that normally don't get lodged in the multiplex. The King's Speech was like an OK-ish BBC production you would see on PBS on a Sunday night. And that sure as hell shouldn't be THE BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR.

I haven't seen The King's Speech, but The Departed was awfully mediocre and Slumdog Millionaire was just awful. (A movie about poverty in India having a "feel-good" ending, in which the hero and his girlfriend get to keep their eyes and win a lot of money, is pretty offensive to say the least.) But more importantly, since when have the Oscars actually picked the best movie of the year? As one reviewer put it, these awards are like trying to order a pizza for more than two people. Sure, I can live with Casablanca, The Godfather, Annie Hall, and Schindler's List (the cinematic equivalent of vegetarian pizza), but I still prefer The Magnificent Ambersons, Red Psalm, Cet obscur objet du désir, and The Puppet Master (which all have a bit of meat on them). Even if The Social Network were to win, it's no Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.

[Ezee E]

babydoll, you so crazy.

I really don't see what could be offensive about Slumdog Millionaire. Should it have had a "feel-bad" ending so as to not offend you? I don't get it.

[baby doll]

babydoll, you so crazy.

I really don't see what could be offensive about Slumdog Millionaire. Should it have had a "feel-bad" ending so as to not offend you? I don't get it.

The movie starts out as an inventory of third world horrors (abject squalor, religious violence, orphaned children, beggar masters, police brutality), but then we're supposed to forget all of that, as if India's booming economy has magically fixed all its social problems (talk about a fairy tale); at one point we're told that there are condos were there used to be slums, as if there were no more slums in India. The film takes incredibly complex social problems and then simplifies them so the movie can have its bland feel good finale. The plot of the movie is essentially: Boy loves girl, boy needs money to provide for girl (why doesn't she get a call centre job?), boy wins game show, everybody jai hos happily ever after.

[soitgoes...]

But more importantly, since when have the Oscars actually picked the best movie of the year? As one reviewer put it, these awards are like trying to order a pizza for more than two people. Sure, I can live with Casablanca, The Godfather, Annie Hall, and Schindler's List (the cinematic equivalent of vegetarian pizza), but I still prefer The Magnificent Ambersons, Red Psalm, Cet obscur objet du désir, and The Puppet Master (which all have a bit of meat on them). Even if The Social Network were to win, it's no Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.

The Academy Awards is still an American event. It will choose the American productions first, followed by the rest of the English speaking world. I'm pretty sure most national award shows are like this. The Japanese Academy Awards always chooses a Japanese film. The César Awards hooks up French films. The BAFTA's actually does the best at being cross-national, but it still favors it's own over others.

The point being that the best film of the year isn't likely to be chosen for an Oscar unless that film is an American production. Right off the bat hundreds of films are out of contention. The only way for a foreign film to gain enough attention from the voters is if it has a decent run in the States (Life Is Beautiful, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon). Really the whole thing is silly, because when has the best film of the year been an unanimous decision? As with your pizza analogy, just because you think Red Psalm is the bee's knees doesn't mean that it's the best film for me (I find it incredibly dull).

[baby doll]

just because you think Red Psalm is the bee's knees doesn't mean that it's the best film for me (I find it incredibly dull).

Well that's just wrong.

[Watashi]

I'm no fan of Slumdog, but the whole movie is suppose to be a fairy tale. Did anyone actually think it was giving an indepth look at Indian poverty and politics?

[soitgoes...]

Well that's just wrong.

Nice discussion.

[baby doll]

I'm no fan of Slumdog, but the whole movie is suppose to be a fairy tale. Did anyone actually think it was giving an indepth look at Indian poverty and politics?

I think the problem is that the film wants to have it both ways. It explicitly claims to represent "the real India," but at the same time, it wants to be a modern fairy tale.

[baby doll]

Nice discussion.

Considering what Jancsó is doing with mise en scène and sound, if you find that boring, I can only conclude that you're just not trying very hard.

[soitgoes...]

Considering what Jancsó is doing with mise en scène and sound, if you find that boring, I can only conclude that you're just not trying very hard.

You sidestep the entire point of my post in order to tell me I'm not trying hard because my opinion doesn't jive with yours. Fuck you.

[Pop Trash]

I think the problem is that the film wants to have it both ways. It explicitly claims to represent "the real India," but at the same time, it wants to be a modern fairy tale.

Yeah, I think Boyle was consciously (or maybe not-so-consciously) trying to merge Satyajit Ray style social realism with a Bollywood ending and maybe a Bollywood fairy tale plot. Needless to say, it didn't jive with some people. I also found the script (fairy tale or not) to be rather ludicrously schematic.

That said, at least it was often alive, and many of the scenes with the kids were pretty fantastic if you separate them off from the rest of the film. The King's Speech just feels embalmed.

[baby doll]

You sidestep the entire point of my post in order to tell me I'm not trying hard because my opinion doesn't jive with yours. Fuck you.

Well, I can't disagree when you say that the Academy Awards is an event for the American film industry, or that there's no such thing as the best movie of the year in an objective sense (that's the point what I was originally trying to get at), so what else is there to talk about? Besides, you haven't said anything to back up your claim that Jancsó's film is dull.

[baby doll]

Yeah, I think Boyle was consciously (or maybe not-so-consciously) trying to merge Satyajit Ray style social realism with a Bollywood ending and maybe a Bollywood fairy tale plot. Needless to say, it didn't jive with some people. I also found the script (fairy tale or not) to be rather ludicrously schematic.

That said, at least it was often alive, and many of the scenes with the kids were pretty fantastic if you separate them off from the rest of the film. The King's Speech just feels embalmed.

Stylistically, the film is about as far from Satyajit Ray as it's possible to get. My suspicion is that Boyle's conscious model was City of God.

[soitgoes...]

Well, I can't disagree when you say that the Academy Awards is an event for the American film industry, or that there's no such thing as the best movie of the year in an objective sense (that's the point what I was originally trying to get at), so what else is there to talk about? Besides, you haven't said anything to back up your claim that Jancsó's film is dull.

Well this is the 2010 Awards and Critics Lists Discussion Thread so I'm not sure an analysis of a film that was made almost 40 years ago would be best made here.

Mise en scène and sound don't make great films on their own. I can appreciate Jancsó's technical craft in the Red Psalm (though I find his wide-screen b&w look much more aesthetically pleasing), but I'm sorry to say that his quasi-musical socialist film did nothing for me. I don't know how to "back up my claim that Jancsó's film is dull," other than to say that I was bored by it. I'm unaware of a way of proving boredom. I'm sure you have been bored by a film that is classified as being great. Would you then say that you weren't trying hard enough? Or are you above that? To claim that I'm not trying is ridiculous and insulting. I have watched three Jancsó films since, and enjoyed them all to varying degrees, with one being among the best films I've seen.

[chrisnu]

While I can understand wanting to recognize Another Year in some category, this would make the most sense to be nominated in an ensemble acting category, not original screenplay. It would probably be my pick to win such a category this year.

[baby doll]

Well this is the 2010 Awards and Critics Lists Discussion Thread so I'm not sure an analysis of a film that was made almost 40 years ago would be best made here.

Mise en scène and sound don't make great films on their own. I can appreciate Jancsó's technical craft in the Red Psalm (though I find his wide-screen b&w look much more aesthetically pleasing), but I'm sorry to say that his quasi-musical socialist film did nothing for me. I don't know how to "back up my claim that Jancsó's film is dull," other than to say that I was bored by it. I'm unaware of a way of proving boredom. I'm sure you have been bored by a film that is classified as being great. Would you then say that you weren't trying hard enough? Or are you above that? To claim that I'm not trying is ridiculous and insulting. I have watched three Jancsó films since, and enjoyed them all to varying degrees, with one being among the best films I've seen.

It's one thing to say, for instance, that I was bored by The Leopard because it's stately to a fault, and despite repeated viewings, I've never been able to engage it, as opposed to just saying I was bored by it and leaving it at that.

[Ezee E]

I think Boyle has even mentioned City of God as an inspiration. It's certainly there.

But he also mentioned, along with whoever the screenwriter was, that they were going for a more universal story. The structure is certainly there. Boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets her back.

The movie never shys away from the slums though. Nothing magically disappears. The poverty is shown throughout the whole movie. Please.

---

And regarding the Oscars, the most I can hope for is that a few actors/actresses get recognition that I want, and that there's some funny stuff during the show. I don't take in to account the winners too much. Although I will check out the nominated movies. Typically, I may not agree, but I usually like them.

Percentage wise, I like the movies a lot more that win then those that do not.

[soitgoes...]

It's one thing to say, for instance, that I was bored by The Leopard because it's stately to a fault, and despite repeated viewings, I've never been able to engage it, as opposed to just saying I was bored by it and leaving it at that.

It's boring because I don't care a lick about a Hungarian peasant revolt set to music. I've stated such before a couple of times. Jancsó goes from films in which he doesn't really take a stand one way or another to a film where he's decidedly for the worker. Jancsó made films that dealt with issues where logic would state that he would have taken a stance, but chose not to, such as The Red and the White where he ignored the Communist-Tsarist angle, and focused instead on the people regardless of politics. That is far more interesting to me then what he gave in Red Psalm.

[baby doll]

It's boring because I don't care a lick about a Hungarian peasant revolt set to music. I've stated such before a couple of times. Jancsó goes from films in which he doesn't really take a stand one way or another to a film where he's decidedly for the worker. Jancsó made films that dealt with issues where logic would state that he would have taken a stance, but chose not to, such as The Red and the White where he ignored the Communist-Tsarist angle, and focused instead on the people regardless of politics. That is far more interesting to me then what he gave in Red Psalm.

The Red and the White is certainly a great movie, but I don't think you can completely divorce it from politics, even if Jancsó is equally critical of both sides. Incidentally, apart from one or two characters in Red Psalm who come close to caricature (I'm thinking particularly of the priest and the soldier who talks about about Hungarians being "frank, chivalrous and patriotic"), I don't think the non-peasant characters come off all that bad. In fact, one of film's most sympathetic figures (at least in my view) is the cadet who's ordered to kill one of the peasants but really wants to join in the dancing, but can't really do it anymore than he can bring himself to kill the guitar player.

[soitgoes...]

I Am Love deserves an Oscar nomination, but probably not for costume design. I guess the outfits are nice, Swinton's especially, but art design, editing, sound, direction, cinematography, score and actress are all more deserving here.

[RoadtoPerdition]

The King's Speech seems to be gaining Oscar steam after the SAG win and with it being Ebert's pick to win. I haven't seen it, but I have a hard time picturing it as the Best Picture with The Social Network having swept pretty much every award up to this point.

Okay, so I have now seen The King's Speech and am informed enough to say that I still can't see it winning Best Picture nor should it. It was good; the acting was strong and the writing was above average, but by no means can it be considered the Best Picture of 2010. I will be disappointed if this does win (for the record, to me, The Social Network, Inception, and Black Swan all deserve Best Picture more than The King's Speech).

[Adam]

The Skandies!

Picture - Dogtooth
Director - David Fincher
Actress - Jennifer Lawrence
Actor - Jesse Eisenberg
Supporting Actor - John Hawkes
Supporting Actress - Olivia Williams
Screenplay - Aaron Sorkin
Best Scene - Pappoulia Flashdances

[Spinal]

Actress - Jennifer Lawrence

Wow. No.

[DavidSeven]

The Skandies!

Picture - Dogtooth
Director - David Fincher
Actress - Jennifer Lawrence
Actor - Jesse Eisenberg
Supporting Actor - John Hawkes
Supporting Actress - Olivia Williams
Screenplay - Aaron Sorkin
Best Scene - Pappoulia Flashdances

Total case of voting for "best actors in the movies we like the most" syndrome.

[Boner M]

TBH I think Eisenberg's performance is my favorite male lead of the year, with the possible exception of Ryan Reynolds.