2012 Oscar nominations are out

[Roy Tucker]

Ahhhh. I use the Oscar nominees as a checklist of movies I ought to see. Sometimes when left up to my own devices, I'll be lazy and just pick some escapist fare or I'll cave to the spousal unit and go see a chick flick. Nothing wrong with mainstram movies and I like them a lot and nothing precludes Oscar nominees from being big budget flicks. But life is often crazy busy and I just want to be entertained and not have to have a film degree to understand what's happening.

But then, I watch something like Midnight in Paris or The Descendents or Tree of Life and I kick myself in the butt saying "don't be so lazy". These are excellent movies and you don't need to be a film critic or a rocket scientist to get them and understand them and really enjoy them with the added benefit of your mind was taken outside of its old staid boundaries and challenged a bit.

I will confess that it took me 3 times to watch Tree of Life and start to "get it". We tried it as a Friday "movie and pizza" night and I was just too tired to get into it. Second time I got interrupted by something and finally I watched it yesterday on a quiet Sunday afternoon where I had time to stretch out a bit and time and patience to allow it to unfold before I passed judgement on it.

[nmculbreth]

I've heard this argument before and I couldn't disagree more. The Oscars are there to reward the elite movies. Those type of movies typically don't have a broad appeal except in a minority of cases. People want to complain that big box office movies aren't rewarded, but in most cases that isn't what the academy is looking for. If you see a film is nominated for an Oscar and use that as the basis for not watching a movie, then why are you watching the Oscars?

I suppose it depends on your definition of elite.

While I appreciate the Academy's willingness to consider small budget, art-house films, I think by doing so you're often left with a bunch of winners that are largely forgotten a few years later. Will anyone remember The Artist in five years? What about The King's Speech?

I mean Shakespeare in Love won the Oscar, but looking back would anyone say it was a better or more important movie than Saving Private Ryan?

[bucksfan2]

I've heard this argument before and I couldn't disagree more. The Oscars are there to reward the elite movies. Those type of movies typically don't have a broad appeal except in a minority of cases. People want to complain that big box office movies aren't rewarded, but in most cases that isn't what the academy is looking for. If you see a film is nominated for an Oscar and use that as the basis for not watching a movie, then why are you watching the Oscars?

I don't watch them. I watched Billy Crystal's opening act and then that was it. Its just hard not to hear about the Oscars and the Academy in everyday life. Its just an opinion I have.

[Redsfaithful]

I mean Shakespeare in Love won the Oscar, but looking back would anyone say it was a better or more important movie than Saving Private Ryan?

To make the argument, I think Saving Private Ryan was more of a technical achievement, in many ways. The story was formulaic and the focus wasn't primarily on the acting.

I think once you realize that the Oscars reward movies that focus more on the actors involved than technical wizardry you get a little less perplexed about the results. Not a hard and fast rule, but I think it's more often than not true.

Have to remember also that there are many non-American voters. An American WWII movie isn't in their wheelhouse quite as much.

Also important to remember the whole thing is subjective, this is an industry event that people only care about because it's the movies.

[Chip R]

IMO there is a huge disconnect between the Academy and movie goers.

If there wasn't, Adam Sandler would have a closetful of Oscars.

[Caveat Emperor]

Eh, I still prefer Mel Brooks' "Silent Movie."

[bucksfan2]

If there wasn't, Adam Sandler would have a closetful of Oscars.

Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison I am fine with

I don't have an issue with well done movies winning Oscar's. I can understand good acting even when I think the movie is blah. To be honest Moneyball was up for the Best Picture when the movie put my wife to sleep and if I hadn't read the book and loved baseball I would have been snoring with her.

Just last year I saw The Kings Speech, Inception, The Fighter, The Kids are Alright, The Social Network, and True Grit and off the ones I saw I thought The Kings Speech was the worst of them. Very good acting but the movie paled in comparison to The Fighter if you ask me. I guess what I look for in a movie is completely different than what the Academy deems apt. I just don't understand why they don't listen to me

[Newport Red]

If there wasn't, Adam Sandler would have a closetful of Oscars.

Oh, he'll have plenty of awards.

http://articles.boston.com/2012-02-2...-screen-couple

[Razor Shines]

But then, I watch something like Midnight in Paris or The Descendents or Tree of Life and I kick myself in the butt saying "don't be so lazy". These are excellent movies and you don't need to be a film critic or a rocket scientist to get them and understand them and really enjoy them with the added benefit of your mind was taken outside of its old staid boundaries and challenged a bit.

I will confess that it took me 3 times to watch Tree of Life and start to "get it". We tried it as a Friday "movie and pizza" night and I was just too tired to get into it. Second time I got interrupted by something and finally I watched it yesterday on a quiet Sunday afternoon where I had time to stretch out a bit and time and patience to allow it to unfold before I passed judgement on it.

Funny you mentioned those two movies specifically. I thought they were both piles of garbage. My wife gave up on Midnight in Paris before I did and I still want to fight Terrance Mallick (I really think the idea of a director or actor being perceived to have really screwed up a movie so bad that movie goers start physical altercations with said actor/director is funny. Because they so badly wanted to like the movie).

We like art house or "indie" movies but those two...maybe my expectations were too high, I was really looking forward to seeing both of them, especially Tree of Life. I didn't give it three tries like you did and the fact that you posted that makes me want to give it another go, we'll see.

[Sweetstop]

yikes. at least you didn't say "heaping" piles of garbage, razor shines.

(i've thumbed-up both of these pics here before....esp. love "midnight in paris")


to each his own...

[Roy Tucker]

Funny you mentioned those two movies specifically. I thought they were both piles of garbage. My wife gave up on Midnight in Paris before I did and I still want to fight Terrance Mallick (I really think the idea of a director or actor being perceived to have really screwed up a movie so bad that movie goers start physical altercations with said actor/director is funny. Because they so badly wanted to like the movie).

We like art house or "indie" movies but those two...maybe my expectations were too high, I was really looking forward to seeing both of them, especially Tree of Life. I didn't give it three tries like you did and the fact that you posted that makes me want to give it another go, we'll see.

Midnight in Paris hooked me right off the bat with its opening scenes of a summertime Paris. And my suspension of disbelief kicked right in and I accepted the premise of the movie without question. And I thought the whole thing unfolded like a fairy tale and was just a lovely movie. Owen Wilson was Woodie Allen. Nothing epic or stunning.

Tree of Life is more of a work of art than any standard Hollywood tell a story. I can't say I'd recommend it to anyone unless they knew what they were getting into. I could have done without the creation of the earth and all that. And it took a lot of work to patch together what the narrative was. But each little scene and memory was a cinematic marvel and it reminded me so much of my long-gone youth. You have to be patient and check your expectations at the door and just allow what is on the screen to take you over and then checkpoint where your head is when its over.

I blather.

Like sweetstop said, to each their own. Opinions are like belly buttons, everyone has one.

[OldRightHander]

I don't use the Oscars as much of an indication of anything for me, but more often than not I find myself enjoying a lot of movies that don't win much. Occasionally I'll enjoy one that wins big, but that doesn't happen as often as it used to.