File under: Death to OscarAuthor: Elliot
Hay Aub,
I've never actually thought to ask myself what films should have been nominated before, versus simply complaining about the predictably quotidian picks made by the Academy. It's a question that, unfortunately, for myself, leaves much to be desired from 2008, and our fine reader will understand why in a second. First, an acknowledgment: I completely agree with you on the Push-for-sweep-2009-if-2008-is-our-only-frame-of-reference argument. You can't go wrong with Dakota Fanning, unless of course she's being raped; a curious situation for a different discussion. And Jonas Bros & Co. or whatever hot mess that'll turn out to be just might be '09's Man on Wire, (that hurt to type).
However, I don't think I could have been more disinterested with the selection of '08 even if Michael Bay had released a few more of his juicy pics. There were myriad choices, but most either tried to be too realistic only to become genuine parody (see: Revolutionary Road), were so fantastical that you simply couldn't suspend your disbelief (The Dark Knight), or were sardonically indentured to their own sanctimony rendering them unwatchable (The Reader, Slumdog Millionaire [more smug than sanctimonious, but it still fits] and to a lesser extent, Doubt).
I'm deliciously curious about your pics in this category as I'm certain that our opinions on this matter will not likely converge, but without further a dieu, my list of preferred best picture nominees (in no particular order) w/ brief explanations:
-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: As we've discussed, this movie was quite the piece of trash. However, if Forrest Gump can win BP and still not be as good as this it deserves to be in the pool. You can't deny the star power of Pitt (who may yet emerge as the actor of a generation) and Blanchett (the only genuine heir apparent to Meryl Streep), nor the near super-power abilities of director extraordinaire David Fincher. The Academy is often times all about redemption of past mistakes, and completely snubbing Zodiac was near criminal so that angle could be worked as well.
-The Dark Knight: This was a difficult choice for me because after seeing it a few times I decisively concluded that it was all smoke, mirrors, shoddy cinematography and a great marketing campaign. However, over $500 billion dollars in box-office revenue is enough to convince me that it deserves the spot, sight unseen. Fawning fan boys would have returned to the fold of Oscars participation, and the Academy could have made an unprecedented move toward accessibility instead of its notorious yet unfounded elitism.
-Man on Wire (Elliot's personal choice for the win): Has anybody attempted not to love this movie? A story not simply about daring feats but of an inspiring and passionate determination for personal fulfillment too easily brushed off as recreational and secondary.
-Milk: Yet another chance for the Academy to redeem itself from its shameful pick for Crash a few years back instead of the exponentially superior Brokeback Mountain. I had a lot of problems with this movie as well, I just didn't see what everyone else saw I suppose, but in a year where poverty porn ruled the Oscars our only basis for comparison has this one looking like this decade's Amadeus.
-The Wrestler: Why did this movie only get two major nominations, one of which subsequently lost to an inferior performance? It has every element necessary for a best picture nomination: beautiful and raw script, depth of acting unlike any of its competition (as long as you didn't pay much attention to Evan Rachel Wood, but nobody does anyway), one of the most talented directors in the business, then throw in the storyline about a last chance for glory usually deemed Oscar pay dirt.... yet it gets snubbed. This is, unquestionably, dear reader, in the top three of the biggest disappointments from this year's nominations.
I'd like to give a few shout-outs while I'm at it, for films that didn't make my top list either because I didn't see them (but have a good feeling that, sight unseen, they would make it) or they simply didn't make the cut. Better luck next year:
Wendy and Lucy; Synecdoche, New York; The House Bunny; Ballast; Step Up 2: The Streets; and so on and so forth.
-Elliot
Hay Aub,
I've never actually thought to ask myself what films should have been nominated before, versus simply complaining about the predictably quotidian picks made by the Academy. It's a question that, unfortunately, for myself, leaves much to be desired from 2008, and our fine reader will understand why in a second. First, an acknowledgment: I completely agree with you on the Push-for-sweep-2009-if-2008-is-our-only-frame-of-reference argument. You can't go wrong with Dakota Fanning, unless of course she's being raped; a curious situation for a different discussion. And Jonas Bros & Co. or whatever hot mess that'll turn out to be just might be '09's Man on Wire, (that hurt to type).
However, I don't think I could have been more disinterested with the selection of '08 even if Michael Bay had released a few more of his juicy pics. There were myriad choices, but most either tried to be too realistic only to become genuine parody (see: Revolutionary Road), were so fantastical that you simply couldn't suspend your disbelief (The Dark Knight), or were sardonically indentured to their own sanctimony rendering them unwatchable (The Reader, Slumdog Millionaire [more smug than sanctimonious, but it still fits] and to a lesser extent, Doubt).
I'm deliciously curious about your pics in this category as I'm certain that our opinions on this matter will not likely converge, but without further a dieu, my list of preferred best picture nominees (in no particular order) w/ brief explanations:
-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: As we've discussed, this movie was quite the piece of trash. However, if Forrest Gump can win BP and still not be as good as this it deserves to be in the pool. You can't deny the star power of Pitt (who may yet emerge as the actor of a generation) and Blanchett (the only genuine heir apparent to Meryl Streep), nor the near super-power abilities of director extraordinaire David Fincher. The Academy is often times all about redemption of past mistakes, and completely snubbing Zodiac was near criminal so that angle could be worked as well.
-The Dark Knight: This was a difficult choice for me because after seeing it a few times I decisively concluded that it was all smoke, mirrors, shoddy cinematography and a great marketing campaign. However, over $500 billion dollars in box-office revenue is enough to convince me that it deserves the spot, sight unseen. Fawning fan boys would have returned to the fold of Oscars participation, and the Academy could have made an unprecedented move toward accessibility instead of its notorious yet unfounded elitism.
-Man on Wire (Elliot's personal choice for the win): Has anybody attempted not to love this movie? A story not simply about daring feats but of an inspiring and passionate determination for personal fulfillment too easily brushed off as recreational and secondary.
-Milk: Yet another chance for the Academy to redeem itself from its shameful pick for Crash a few years back instead of the exponentially superior Brokeback Mountain. I had a lot of problems with this movie as well, I just didn't see what everyone else saw I suppose, but in a year where poverty porn ruled the Oscars our only basis for comparison has this one looking like this decade's Amadeus.
-The Wrestler: Why did this movie only get two major nominations, one of which subsequently lost to an inferior performance? It has every element necessary for a best picture nomination: beautiful and raw script, depth of acting unlike any of its competition (as long as you didn't pay much attention to Evan Rachel Wood, but nobody does anyway), one of the most talented directors in the business, then throw in the storyline about a last chance for glory usually deemed Oscar pay dirt.... yet it gets snubbed. This is, unquestionably, dear reader, in the top three of the biggest disappointments from this year's nominations.
I'd like to give a few shout-outs while I'm at it, for films that didn't make my top list either because I didn't see them (but have a good feeling that, sight unseen, they would make it) or they simply didn't make the cut. Better luck next year:
Wendy and Lucy; Synecdoche, New York; The House Bunny; Ballast; Step Up 2: The Streets; and so on and so forth.
-Elliot
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