Re: Oscar Prediction Thread

Heh I just realized I can't use semi-colons on this board.

- Kurtis

John, you forgot to put "Crash" on your list of comedies that have won Best Picture. Unintentional comedy still counts, right?

I don't really agree that creating a fictional character makes a performance any more difficult. In fact, my pick for Best Supporting Actor this year would be Ben Sliney as Ben Sliney in "United 93." I thought he was phenomenal. I actually went home after watching the movie to look up "that guy" because he delivered one of the best performances I had seen in years.

However, I do agree that biopics encourage actors (for obvious and valid reasons) to substitue mimesis for actual performance. EVeryone ooh'd and ah'd over how Jamie Foox was "just like" Ray Charles or how Charlize Theron simply "became" Aileen Wournhous, but I've never understood why that impresses people so much, but I think it falls under the category of "the Academy likes it big and loud."

I actually liked Joaquin Phoenix's take on Johnny Cash in large part because he didn't appear to be trying to imitate the Man in Black, but to offer his own take on the role. Likewise, I thought Helen Mirren was great as QE2 because she approached it as much more than simply an exercise in imitation.

Of course, we all know the best biopic performance of all-time is John Wayne as Genghis Khan...

Also, I agree with Kurtis that Emmanuel Lubezki deserves to win. Children of Men isn't necessarily his best work, but it's still very good and he's one of the best younger cinematographers in the biz right now.

"bloody sunday", "the bourne supremacy", and "united 93" represent a stunning career trajectory. paul greengrass is the future of cinema.

scorsese has already run out of things to say. he should get a lifetime de-merit award for "gangs of new york", "the aviator", and "the departed".

So have you officially given up on Spielberg now, Eddie?

it's funny that you ask that question now, chris. since graduating from chapman, i've lowered my assessment of spielberg. warren is right in championing spielberg's tremendous technical proficiency and artistry, but when a guy keeps making movies about little boys/young men trying to find their parents or a moral compass, he's telling you that he's been on autopilot since day one.

i've also been repudiating my other movie father figure, ang lee. because of "crouching tiger", every big-name or commercial chinese director has made a bloated martial-arts wank-fest to chase box-office dollars and oscar glory. this isn't directly ang lee's fault, but lee's success is to be blamed for why the world hasn't taken more notice of movies like...well, "the world".

[Post edited by posters5 on Feb 26, 2007]

John, in late response, I agree to some degree with comedies deserving more nominations. Yet, Shakespeare in Love...I can't illustrate how much of a disgrace I feel that was in winning Best Picture. On thate note, I don't really respect the Academy...year after year, making mostly the wrong choices. This year, no win in best foreign film for Pan's Labyrinth really got me, especially after it won all the others...so they were saying it was the best in all these categories, above the the other's, but then it doesn't win overall best. Stupid, just stupid.

I think Marty won on a sympathy vote. The man has clearly had better pictures than "The Departed", and I'm not saying "The Departed" is bad, I'm just saying the guy has had better films.

And no nominations for "Jackass II"? The awards sucked this year!