things look beautiful when they're away from you
Now for my much more analytical post on this year's Academy Awards nominations.
Y'know, it's funny that I keep seeing people around LJ ranging from ambivalent to completely apathetic about these nominations. Where in my mind [and I know I'm not the only one], this is the best selection of films in years.
Yeah, I know. 2005 was a shitty year for the film industry. Lots and lots of shitty films charging a fucking $10.75, yeah, I know it, and I've paid it. A lot. Because there have also been some brilliant pieces of art.
The Constant Gardener. I mean, have you seen this movie? It's everything I ever want in a film, really. Amazing performances by a brilliantly cast ensemble. A plot that twists and bends, and not just for twisting's sake. Intense, important current politics. Foreign nations [because seriously, they're like zombies for me...they make everything better!], heartbreaking romance, intrigue, and cinematography that's so good, it makes me shout, "Oh my god, this cinematography is BRILLIANT!" in the middle of a sex scene.
Capote. I just can't even describe how blown away I was by this film. And the performances, god, Phil Hoffman. No words. And Catherine Keener, and the completely ignored, brilliant Clifton Collins Jr., who plays Perry Smith, one of the murderers of In Cold Blood. It's a portrait of human sympathy, or lack thereof. We're not asked to sympathise with violent killers, we're asked to sympathise with a self-centred, hypocritical man who is fascinated by them and might just in fact sympathise with one of them. It's such a fascinating story, and oh boy, is it hard-hitting.
And then there's Crash. I haven't seen it yet, but even though I've read several people on my FList write of how much they hated it, what I've mostly noticed is how much it's gotten people talking. Munich I still haven't seen, but good lord, it's Kushner, and it's Spielberg in the way he should be, and it's Eric freaking Bana. Good Night, and Good Luck I've happily discovered is still playing in Manhattan, and so am off to see it this weekend, because I can't believe I missed it. From what I can grasp without seeing it, it seems to be such an *important* film, about what I consider to be the real American values. Walk the Line set in motion what I had first felt in Vanity Fair, and made me actually like Reese Witherspoon. She's just so damn GOOD as June Carter, and vibrant and very much her own character. Walk the Line itself just made me want to listen to Johnny Cash all day, not to mention the fact that it was brilliant in execution. I saw it with my cousins, and my uncle's a bigger music nerd than I am. He was talking about how the guitars they used were accurate for each year, and the amps and the microphones, and I was blown away by this film even in sheer technicality. Transamerica I'm still trying to see, but I heart Felicity Huffman to little tiny pieces, so there's no way I won't appreciate it. I am still left with the utter strength and honour of George Clooney's character in Syriana, and all the intricate politics that may have been fictionalised but are still very, very present. And then there's Brokeback Mountain. We've all discussed it. Whether or not it deserves 8 awards, that film is a labour of love on all parts.
If people haven't seen these films because 2005 has discouraged them to go to the theatres, that's a shame.
The Constant Gardener was gipped, gipped, GIPPED. The loss of a nod for Best Picture I am furious about, but I can grudgingly accept that because everything was just so damn close this year. But the direction? The cinematography? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Do I need to mention again the fact that I shouted gleefully about the cinematography during a sex scene? And I know I'm in the minority here, but I think Ralph Fiennes' performance was equally as stunning as Rachel Weisz'.
That was the first thing I noticed after the initial squee over Jake Gyllenhaal's nomination. Now, I know there's some squabble over Jake being in the Supporting category, but I'm just not sure I care all that much. It all comes down to Academy politics anyhow, and since Jake's team wanted an Oscar nod for him, they submitted him as a Supporting. Not that I think he's going to win --though I wouldn't be surprised at an upset-- but an Oscar's an Oscar, when it comes down to it.
There's also Jarhead. Or should I say, the lack thereof. Peter Sarsgaard was hands down amazing. Sam Mendes, people. Sam MENDES? You don't nominate the Mendes? Personally I think it was just a matter of timing. The film wasn't released during the right Oscar months, and wasn't a sleeper like Crash or a big political piece like Good Night. Anyway. The Mendes, I salute you.
As much as I like Keira, I'm still sniggering a bit at what she will now be referred to as, "Oscar nominated actress, Keira Knightley." I mean, she's a twenty-year-old! She has time to get nominated! This really wasn't that good of a year for large quantities of quality lead female performances. Not that any year is. *mumbles something about the misogyny of the film industry*
I'm thinking Were-rabbit's going to win, because as much as Hayao Miyazaki's an Academy darling, everyone and their brother knows and loves Wallace and Gromit.
As for score, I really loved Gustavo Santaolalla's, and Alberto Iglesias' was fabulous indeed. Mostly I just don't want John Williams to win. Like everyone, I'm confused by the 3 songs nominated. Though believe it will be priceless when whichever actor chosen presents the song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp". Actually, I hope Jon Stewart does.
I want RotS to lose the makeup award, because as much as I like certain parts of the film, George Lucas needs to learn that everyone hates him and he needs to stop. Speaking of that, I also hope War of the Worlds loses everything. I never said I was a nice person! So in the visual effects, I'm going to have to go with King Kong, because the blue screens in Narnia were a bit, say, obvious. Though not at all times.
I never got to see Enron or Murderball, but as it is I think March of the Penguins is a shoo-in, as it was the critical and box office hit of the summer.
I'm actually kind of happy that Batman Begins was nominated for best cinematography, because that was glorious. Though I WOULD have thrown that nomination out in an instant, for, say, THE CONSTANT GARDENER!
Direction should have gone to Fernando Meirelles, hands down. As the nominations stand, I'd like to see any of the films win. As for screenplays, Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana are probably going to win for Adapted, though I would love to see Jeffrey Caine get it for Constant Gardener, or Kushner for Munich, because he's TONY KUSHNER. Syriana was a fabulously intricate script, but I'm assuming Paul Haggis is going to win for original? I don't know. That's what I've been hearing. Though I wouldn't be surprised by an upset by Squid & Whale.
I guess, in conclusion, I still really need and want to see: Crash, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Good Night, and Good Luck, Hustle and Flow, A History of Violence, Junebug, Match Point, Mrs. Henderson Presents, Murderball, Munich, The New World, The Squid and the Whale, and Transamerica. Oh, my poor wallet.
Y'know, it's funny that I keep seeing people around LJ ranging from ambivalent to completely apathetic about these nominations. Where in my mind [and I know I'm not the only one], this is the best selection of films in years.
Yeah, I know. 2005 was a shitty year for the film industry. Lots and lots of shitty films charging a fucking $10.75, yeah, I know it, and I've paid it. A lot. Because there have also been some brilliant pieces of art.
The Constant Gardener. I mean, have you seen this movie? It's everything I ever want in a film, really. Amazing performances by a brilliantly cast ensemble. A plot that twists and bends, and not just for twisting's sake. Intense, important current politics. Foreign nations [because seriously, they're like zombies for me...they make everything better!], heartbreaking romance, intrigue, and cinematography that's so good, it makes me shout, "Oh my god, this cinematography is BRILLIANT!" in the middle of a sex scene.
Capote. I just can't even describe how blown away I was by this film. And the performances, god, Phil Hoffman. No words. And Catherine Keener, and the completely ignored, brilliant Clifton Collins Jr., who plays Perry Smith, one of the murderers of In Cold Blood. It's a portrait of human sympathy, or lack thereof. We're not asked to sympathise with violent killers, we're asked to sympathise with a self-centred, hypocritical man who is fascinated by them and might just in fact sympathise with one of them. It's such a fascinating story, and oh boy, is it hard-hitting.
And then there's Crash. I haven't seen it yet, but even though I've read several people on my FList write of how much they hated it, what I've mostly noticed is how much it's gotten people talking. Munich I still haven't seen, but good lord, it's Kushner, and it's Spielberg in the way he should be, and it's Eric freaking Bana. Good Night, and Good Luck I've happily discovered is still playing in Manhattan, and so am off to see it this weekend, because I can't believe I missed it. From what I can grasp without seeing it, it seems to be such an *important* film, about what I consider to be the real American values. Walk the Line set in motion what I had first felt in Vanity Fair, and made me actually like Reese Witherspoon. She's just so damn GOOD as June Carter, and vibrant and very much her own character. Walk the Line itself just made me want to listen to Johnny Cash all day, not to mention the fact that it was brilliant in execution. I saw it with my cousins, and my uncle's a bigger music nerd than I am. He was talking about how the guitars they used were accurate for each year, and the amps and the microphones, and I was blown away by this film even in sheer technicality. Transamerica I'm still trying to see, but I heart Felicity Huffman to little tiny pieces, so there's no way I won't appreciate it. I am still left with the utter strength and honour of George Clooney's character in Syriana, and all the intricate politics that may have been fictionalised but are still very, very present. And then there's Brokeback Mountain. We've all discussed it. Whether or not it deserves 8 awards, that film is a labour of love on all parts.
If people haven't seen these films because 2005 has discouraged them to go to the theatres, that's a shame.
The Constant Gardener was gipped, gipped, GIPPED. The loss of a nod for Best Picture I am furious about, but I can grudgingly accept that because everything was just so damn close this year. But the direction? The cinematography? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Do I need to mention again the fact that I shouted gleefully about the cinematography during a sex scene? And I know I'm in the minority here, but I think Ralph Fiennes' performance was equally as stunning as Rachel Weisz'.
That was the first thing I noticed after the initial squee over Jake Gyllenhaal's nomination. Now, I know there's some squabble over Jake being in the Supporting category, but I'm just not sure I care all that much. It all comes down to Academy politics anyhow, and since Jake's team wanted an Oscar nod for him, they submitted him as a Supporting. Not that I think he's going to win --though I wouldn't be surprised at an upset-- but an Oscar's an Oscar, when it comes down to it.
There's also Jarhead. Or should I say, the lack thereof. Peter Sarsgaard was hands down amazing. Sam Mendes, people. Sam MENDES? You don't nominate the Mendes? Personally I think it was just a matter of timing. The film wasn't released during the right Oscar months, and wasn't a sleeper like Crash or a big political piece like Good Night. Anyway. The Mendes, I salute you.
As much as I like Keira, I'm still sniggering a bit at what she will now be referred to as, "Oscar nominated actress, Keira Knightley." I mean, she's a twenty-year-old! She has time to get nominated! This really wasn't that good of a year for large quantities of quality lead female performances. Not that any year is. *mumbles something about the misogyny of the film industry*
I'm thinking Were-rabbit's going to win, because as much as Hayao Miyazaki's an Academy darling, everyone and their brother knows and loves Wallace and Gromit.
As for score, I really loved Gustavo Santaolalla's, and Alberto Iglesias' was fabulous indeed. Mostly I just don't want John Williams to win. Like everyone, I'm confused by the 3 songs nominated. Though believe it will be priceless when whichever actor chosen presents the song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp". Actually, I hope Jon Stewart does.
I want RotS to lose the makeup award, because as much as I like certain parts of the film, George Lucas needs to learn that everyone hates him and he needs to stop. Speaking of that, I also hope War of the Worlds loses everything. I never said I was a nice person! So in the visual effects, I'm going to have to go with King Kong, because the blue screens in Narnia were a bit, say, obvious. Though not at all times.
I never got to see Enron or Murderball, but as it is I think March of the Penguins is a shoo-in, as it was the critical and box office hit of the summer.
I'm actually kind of happy that Batman Begins was nominated for best cinematography, because that was glorious. Though I WOULD have thrown that nomination out in an instant, for, say, THE CONSTANT GARDENER!
Direction should have gone to Fernando Meirelles, hands down. As the nominations stand, I'd like to see any of the films win. As for screenplays, Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana are probably going to win for Adapted, though I would love to see Jeffrey Caine get it for Constant Gardener, or Kushner for Munich, because he's TONY KUSHNER. Syriana was a fabulously intricate script, but I'm assuming Paul Haggis is going to win for original? I don't know. That's what I've been hearing. Though I wouldn't be surprised by an upset by Squid & Whale.
I guess, in conclusion, I still really need and want to see: Crash, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Good Night, and Good Luck, Hustle and Flow, A History of Violence, Junebug, Match Point, Mrs. Henderson Presents, Murderball, Munich, The New World, The Squid and the Whale, and Transamerica. Oh, my poor wallet.