Oscar Nominations

[essence_of_soy]

Disappointed/surprised:


John Hawkes- I thought he was the only one that could even remotely challenge DDL for Best Actor
Bradley Cooper- He was really good, but Oscar worthy - better than Hawkes?

I've not seen Silver Linings Playbook or Lincoln. But I loved THE SESSIONS, and loathed THE MASTER. Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffmann wanted to make me gouge my eyes out.

[essence_of_soy]

I thought "The Master" was more than a little off. I thought it was a LOT off. It was, by far, my least favorite movie from this past year. I wanted my money and time back. If I had been watching it on DVD, I don't think I would have made it through because it just didn't hold my interest and was really meandering. The problem went beyond being heavy. It just didn't make much sense to me. There are some very good actors who starred in that movie, but I didn't feel like I had a very good understanding of their characters and motives in this movie. The portrayal of a "tortured soul" doesn't do much for me on its own. The material and direction may not be the actors' fault, but I don't think they did enough to save the movie for any of them to be worthy of an Oscar.

You and me both. Three great actors totally wasted in a self-indulgent mess.

[essence_of_soy]

Where to start:

I haven't seen 'Lincoln' or 'Zero Dark Thirty' but 'Argo' was my favorite film this year. I'm sad to see Affleck didn't get a director nom. It does also seem strange that Bigelow didn't get nominated for ZDT, the way that it's being swooned over.

I don't know about others, but 'Les Mis' has been promoted sooo much that I'm almost sick of it without having seen it, so I have no emotions about whether it was snubbed or not in the Director category.

Like others, I think 'Silver Linings Playbook' is getting a little too much love from the Academy. I saw it a couple of months ago. It was IMO "decent" and was indeed something more than a rom-com w/ extenuating circumstances. But, it was not worthy of a best picture nom! Jennifer Lawrence was the best part of the film and she is kind of an 'it girl' right now. She probably deserved a nom, but Bradley Cooper and the rest of the nominations weren't merited. I forgot about the film soon after seeing it.

'Django Unchained' was a revelation to me. I saw it over the holidays and it started an unexpected conversation about slavery between my partner and myself. I honestly didn't think I would like it (I disliked 'Inglorious Basterds'), but it stuck in my jaded mind.

I didn't see 'Life of Pi', and the previews didn't really interest me. But maybe it will be excellent.

Nice to see Sally Field (last nom in the 80s) and Helen Hunt (last nom in the 90s) re-emerge as nominees!!

I saw 'The Master' and the nominations for Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams are spot-on, especially Joaquin's portrayal of a tortured soul made me downright squeamish. The actual film though was a little heavy ...It was like watching a Kira Ivanova LP. You kind of had to watch because the components that were 'on' were really good, but parts made you squirm, and other parts were boring / disinteresting - something was a little off generally speaking

Naomi Watts should win for 'The Impossible'. I saw it last weekend and she had to play a woman in a state of perpetual pain, so what could be more Oscar-worthy??

Loved Argo and your comparison of THE MASTER to a Kira Ivanova long program.

[screech]

I don't get the comment about RDJ owning Hollywood, either. He is certainly doing well with the Marvel franchise movies but he isn't running Hollywood or the "it" man as far as I can tell. I know Reese Witherspoon was heavily campaigning for Naomi Watts as well and I would think she would have more clout being a recent Best Actress winner.

What makes RDJ "own" Hollywood so much these days? I know he's always been beloved even when he was strung out on drugs, and I know he's clean now and happily married, and he's done well with the Iron Man franchise, and he's a great actor, but what makes him have so much clout exactly? Just curious.

I wonder how voters were "nudged" to vote for Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight? Too bad they weren't so "nudged" when Heath should have won for his role in Brokeback Mountain in 2005, easily over Philip Seymour Hoffman's very good, but miscast impersonation of Truman Capote, in Capote. As to the Best Picture selection that same year ... what a car wreck! :

In a word, money. He's basically guaranteed money for any studio. Which means producers, scriptwriters, other actors, directors - anyone making movies. And many of those people are voting members of the Academy. People will now bend over backwards for RDJ because he's good for them, their careers and their wallets.

I wasn't told exactly how they were 'nudged', but only that they were. She didn't vote for Heath though, despite the nudging.

[michiruwater]

This reminds me of the fact that Jen Lawrence's mom stole her Oscar ballot last year

[Vash01]

I've not seen Silver Linings Playbook or Lincoln. But I loved THE SESSIONS, and loathed THE MASTER. Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffmann wanted to make me gouge my eyes out.

The sessions moved me emotionally more than any other movie so far (I have not seen The Impossible yet).

Thanks for the warning about The Master. I will avoid it.

[aftershocks]

In a word, money. He's basically guaranteed money for any studio. Which means producers, scriptwriters, other actors, directors - anyone making movies. And many of those people are voting members of the Academy. People will now bend over backwards for RDJ because he's good for them, their careers and their wallets.

I wasn't told exactly how they were 'nudged', but only that they were. She didn't vote for Heath though, despite the nudging.

Interesting re "guaranteed money." Couldn't that be said about a number of top actors though (including Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, altho' they likely haven't been as successful in their projects making as much big money as RDJ's movies have been making recently). Perhaps it's a combination of RDJ's charming personality, he's fun and funny to be around, his smarts, his admirable survival, his well-connected wife, his ability to network, and his big box-office draw, especially with Sherlock Holmes and The Iron Man franchise. Generally, he's had the luck of the draw in picking the right movies to become involved in, which is an important factor in making money at the box office.

Oh, that "nudging," sounds like an extra super-sized version of politiking. As you've noted, people will likely in the end still vote for who they want to vote for anyway.

[olympic]

Update - I saw Zero Dark Thirty last night. My impression:

Overall, a great if not perfect job (But then, when is a movie ever 'perfect'?). It's rather long but perhaps necessarily so for Kathryn Bigelow to tell us the whole story. While I've only seen 2 movies of hers ('The Hurt Locker' and now 'ZDF'), she seem to have a cold, clinical directing style but then she catches you by surprise w/ emotionally jarring scenes. The best part of the movie is probably the last hour. The first 1/2 - 2/3 of the movie are more akin to a documentary.

As a 'documentary', one flaw for me personally is that I didn't feel involved w/ any of the characters. But, the subject matter maybe isn't really about that ... And I also was a bit uncomfortable w/ the movie's suggestion that torture works. It wasn't questioned in the film.

Jessica Chastain's character takes you on a journey of change in a rather subtle, subdued way. Jessica manages to do that for her character. (I still think Naomi Watts outdid her this year)

[cruisin]

And I also was a bit uncomfortable w/ the movie's suggestion that torture works. It wasn't questioned in the film.

I understand why you feel that way. And in a less non-fiction film, I would agree. But, for this movie, they really had to present it as fact and not editorialize. I think the film making people uncomfortable accomplishes the idea that torture is wrong without stating it outright. Though I have not seen it, that's just my uninformed opinion.

[Vash01]

I understand why you feel that way. And in a less non-fiction film, I would agree. But, for this movie, they really had to present it as fact and not editorialize. I think the film making people uncomfortable accomplishes the idea that torture is wrong without stating it outright. Though I have not seen it, that's just my uninformed opinion.

Excellent observation!

[manhn]

Seth McFarlane is hosting the Oscars? He's quite handsome but it seems like a weird choice. I don't see it working.

[michiruwater]

They've been trying to attract a younger audience for years, and people my age adore Family Guy, for the most part. Made perfect sense to me.