Well, since I haven't posted in a week, I figured I'd jot down some quick thoughts on the Oscars, and the ONE nominated movie I actually saw - Juno.
Juno was good, but not much more than that, certainly not a life changing experience as many have seemed to want to elevate it to. It's joined Lost in Translation and Little Miss Sunshine as being the indie-movie-that's-good-but-ultimately-is-hated-due-to-the-hype for this year. It doesn't help that almost all of the other nominees are indies as well. You can almost feel the coming animosity for Diablo Cody's next movie. If it doesn't literally give critics orgasms in their seats, she'll be forever labelled as a one-trick-former-stripper.
The biggest complaint about the movie is that, "no real teenager talks the way Juno does." Well shit, as a friend (who is a high school teacher) and I agreed last night. If you really made a movie featuring "real high schooler" dialogue, you'd want to shoot yourself in the head, cause they talk like morons. Movies aren't real, all they do is give you the illusion of realism, now if they can't get you to suspend your disbelief, that may either be the movie's fault or yours. There was a similar argument made by some returning Iraq War Vets about how a lot of the movies being made about the current war feature Soldiers either doing horrible things in Iraq, or having trouble adjusting to returning home. They argue that this is simply not the case the majority of the people who saw action over there. That's all well and good, but no one's going to go see a movie about a guy (or gal) who goes over there, does their duty and comes home and goes back to normal. Much in the same way I don't want to see a cop movie that focuses on the mundanity that is normal cop-life. Real life is dramatic, but not movie-dramatic. I don't understand why a lot of people can't get past that.
Anyway, on to my Oscar picks:
Best Picture: No Country For Old Men - with no clear favorite this year, I think this could be the Coen Brother's year to take a victory lap and get a "career" Oscar. Not that A) from all accounts this pic doesn't deserve it on its own merits and B) they don't deserve a "career" Oscar anyway.
Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis - DDL is like the late-90's/early-00's Atlanta Braves of Best Actor Nominees, I always pick him because odds are that he's gonna win the NL East.
Actress: Julie Christie - Just a hunch.
Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem - Always go for the guy who was a really cool villain, unless one of the Noms is a comedy.
Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton - Apparently she sweat a lot in this role. I guess I'll find out if it ever comes off "very long wait" on my Netflix queue.
Director: Joel & Ethan Cohen - Continuing the victory lap.
Adapted Screenplay: P.T. Anderson - To make up for not giving him Director, he gets this.
Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody - Cause everyone will want her to say something outrageous on stage. Please note, post this evening there will be an incredible back-lash against her.
Animated Film: Ratatouille - Simply cause this was the best movie I saw in 2007. I wouldn't mind if Persepolis won, since the book was so good. Too bad it didn't play in the burb's.
That's all I got time for. Oh yeah, I figure Transformers will sweep the effects categories since it looks to be the only bog explosion movie out there this year, and Michael Bay likes the explosions:
Anyhoo, enjoy the Oscars.
1 comment:
Interesting, and funny, analysis.
Diablo Cody is the new Callie Khouri.
I loved Juno, but I saw it before it came out and before I knew a single thing about it. So, in that respect, it was totally fresh and Ellen Page was 10,000 times cooler than I ever was or will be.
But yes, I keep waiting for DC backlash in the same way I am waiting for Obama backlash.
ps. I want Hal Holbrook to win, but I know he won't.
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