bnm

x

I honestly don't much care about the Oscars.
So many mediocre and on occasion even outright bad movies have been honored that whatever little meaning those little statues once might have held has long evaporated.

I'm surprised to see that several critics and movie journalists called 2017 an especially great year for movies. I saw a handful of movies I liked, but I'm not sure I saw many that I will still think especially fondly of in ten years time.

I guess if I care about one category, it's cinematography. It's a disgrace that Deakins has never won, but surely this time should be the occasion upon which he turns a nomination into an actual award.

Get Out's 4 noms are interesting, particularly Best Picture.

I wonder if any people of colour will be nominated or indeed even win this year? It was a big issue in other years anyhow.

Well Jordan Peele is nominated in the "Best Director" category.

As well as Daniel Kaluuya in the "Best Actor in a Leading Role" category.

I think both are outsiders to actually win the statue though.

In the year of #MeToo, I think there is a good chance that Greta Gerwig gets the "Best Director" award.

Denzel Washington has a nom too.

x

Erica Ambler wrote:

Salomé wrote:

In the year of #MeToo, I think there is a good chance that Greta Gerwig gets the "Best Director" award.

Greta deserves it for best name alone, I reckon.

BTW, I see your 'best films' list has nothing directed by a woman, Sabs. Rewrite with 50% female directors by tomorrow.

Which list are you referring to?

I think I've posted several versions of that over the years, both on this forum and on its predecessor.

I haven't seen "Lady Bird" so I have on idea how worthy Greta Gerwig is.

x

Personally good to see Plummer nominated again. Apparently this makes him now the oldest actor ever nominated, besting Gloria Stuart's record.

Hoping Oldman wins though he's up against some stiff competition. Not that I'll get to see the thing as always.

Erica Ambler wrote:

Salomé wrote:

Which list are you referring to?

This one. But I was being jocular.

Aah yes. I think if I redid that list today, "Lore" might replace "Compliance" as my 2012 pick, which would include at least one female director in the form of Cate Shortland.



"'Walkabout' in Nazi Germany" really is a much better film than it has any business being.

Some odd nominations. Interesting that both Hanks and Spielberg didn't get nominated. Good to see the token black actors nominated too. 

Dunkirk's surprisingly well represented. What a joke. Best Production Design? You mean the film that mostly took place on a beach?

x

Still too many white people for my liking. Anyone paler than a cup of mocha should be banned from appearing in movies.

Erica Ambler wrote:

FieldsMan wrote:

Dunkirk's surprisingly well represented. What a joke. Best Production Design? You mean the film that mostly took place on a beach?

Nolan went to great lengths to re-enact the battle using real warplanes, a French destroyer and a flotilla of the original Ramsgate boats. For anyone who knows history, it was an extraordinary accomplishment.

For a period piece, accuracy is expected, isn't it? Perhaps I'm looking for a little more imagination.

x

I won't fault "Fury" for technical accuracy when it came to showing the advantages of German versus American armour, but the skirmishes felt video game-y to me (not least of all the final act where Brad Pitt and friends mowed down half the Third Reich).

Erica Ambler wrote:

FieldsMan wrote:

For a period piece, accuracy is expected, isn't it?

Expected but rarely delivered - I still laugh at Braveheart's Battle of Stirling Bridge minus bridge. A recent warfilm that went to great lengths to get details right was Fury:

I'm not an expert on armour battles myself, but I know at least one historian who did not deem those scenes to be historically accurate.
I don't recall the exact details of his argument, but I'll ask him about it again next time I see him.

x

Ryan Seacrest is in #MeToo's* crosshairs this evening.

Should be an interesting red carpet show, delayed by 30 seconds in case of any confrontations.

Seacrest was been accused by a former stylist of sexual harassment from 2007-13. Apparently, it was such horrible treatment she decided to put up with it for 6 years.   E! had the matter investigated, by the way, by outside counsel, and found insufficient evidence to support the "survivor's" claims. Seacrest still remains guilty.


*#donate #PayPal #Visa #Mastercard

Roger Deakins finally won and Jordan Peele got a well-deserved Oscar for his original screenplay.
Otherwise, a fairly forgettable edition.

Roger Deakins winning was certainly the highlight. 

All the acting favourites won. 

Frances McDormand's speech disappointed. 

Don't think Jordan Peele deserved best original screenplay. Thought Lady Bird or Three Billboards were more deserving. Haven't seen the other nominees. 

Jimmy Kimmel was rather pedestrian. And spineless.

I haven't seen "Lady Bird", but in terms of the writing, "Three Billboards outside of Ebbing, Missouri" is by far Martin McDonagh's poorest effort.

Roger Deakins. Finally!

Boycotted it when I saw the Trump-hating turd who was presenting it.