People REALLY love Leo Tolstoy. Some of them disagree on who loves him more.
Nominated for:
Best Actress - Helen Mirren
Best Supporting Actor - Christopher Plummer
This movie plots out the final months in Tolstoy's life, in which his wife battles with his followers over who should obtain the copyrights to his life's work - his family or the people. Paul Giamati plays the creepy-but-sort-of-well-intentioned fanatic. James MacAvoy plays the nervous innocent who learns to love and all that other stuff.
None, however, are quite as magnificent as Helen Mirren.
I love Helen Mirren. And she is amazing in this film, just like she is amazing in everything she's ever done (check out her badass-ness in BBC's groundbreaking police drama Prime Suspect). Christopher Plummer put on a good performance as well, all though he was much better in The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, and probably should have gotten a nomination for that instead.
Overall, the first 45 minutes or so are extremely engaging, but unfortunately this movie swerves from its ironic, quirky beginnings into a blah period-piece melodrama. Still, I suppose it was better then some of the other crap on this list.
Eli
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
In The Loop
Politicians are all incompetent and/or insane.
Nominated for:
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
I hope this movie wins the one little award it was nominated for, since the whole thing is miles better then almost anything else on this list. There isn't really much more to say about this, except that it's solid.
Thoroughly entertaining and choc-full of British wit... A++
Eli
Nominated for:
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
I hope this movie wins the one little award it was nominated for, since the whole thing is miles better then almost anything else on this list. There isn't really much more to say about this, except that it's solid.
Thoroughly entertaining and choc-full of British wit... A++
Eli
An Education
A 16-year-old girl and her parents are seduced by a creepy dude with a lot of money. Girl learns school isn't really all that bad.
Nominated for:
Best Actress - Carey Mulligan
Writing Adapted Screenplay - Nick Hornby
Best Picture
I left the theater after seeing An Education perplexed, and a little grossed out, which was a shame, because I really wanted to like this movie.
The acting was fabulous. The dialog and story arc are quite lovely (as I would expect from my dear Nick Hornby). And the glamorous early 60's dresses that the ladies wear are fabulous, so why was I bored for most of this movie?
Ultimately, the film was just dull. The camera work was textbook generic, the lighting was uninspired, and the music was that shlocky, melodramatic orchestral crap meant to boss your emotions around (feel sad HERE, feel glad HERE). The editing was dull too, and this film could definitely have used a little bit of non-linear scrambling to add some intrigue.
All these things seem to have been ignored by the filmmakers, so why its received a Best Picture nomination is beyond me. I guess its worth watching if you want to convince your teen-aged daughter to stay in school and NOT get married to a handsome creep-o with lots of money. The movie doesn't really paint schooling in any kind of favorable light, which makes the moral of this tale something like - go to school and be alone for your life, or get married and be a bimbo.
Best picture? Nope. Best Writing? Nope. Best Actress? Possibly.
Maybe I would have enjoyed the movie more if Ben Folds (lyrics by Nick Hornby) had done the music...
Eli
Nominated for:
Best Actress - Carey Mulligan
Writing Adapted Screenplay - Nick Hornby
Best Picture
I left the theater after seeing An Education perplexed, and a little grossed out, which was a shame, because I really wanted to like this movie.
The acting was fabulous. The dialog and story arc are quite lovely (as I would expect from my dear Nick Hornby). And the glamorous early 60's dresses that the ladies wear are fabulous, so why was I bored for most of this movie?
Ultimately, the film was just dull. The camera work was textbook generic, the lighting was uninspired, and the music was that shlocky, melodramatic orchestral crap meant to boss your emotions around (feel sad HERE, feel glad HERE). The editing was dull too, and this film could definitely have used a little bit of non-linear scrambling to add some intrigue.
All these things seem to have been ignored by the filmmakers, so why its received a Best Picture nomination is beyond me. I guess its worth watching if you want to convince your teen-aged daughter to stay in school and NOT get married to a handsome creep-o with lots of money. The movie doesn't really paint schooling in any kind of favorable light, which makes the moral of this tale something like - go to school and be alone for your life, or get married and be a bimbo.
Best picture? Nope. Best Writing? Nope. Best Actress? Possibly.
Maybe I would have enjoyed the movie more if Ben Folds (lyrics by Nick Hornby) had done the music...
Eli
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Lovely Bones
A Young Girl gets murdered. Then gets stuck in a limbo land plagued by CGI. Then a lot of things happens that don't make much sense.
Nominated for:
Best Supporting Actor - Stanely Tucci
Ok so the good news is that my initial concerns about this movie adaptation (that Peter Jackson would create a revenge thriller instead of a story about grief and loss) proved to be false. The bad news is that Peter Jackson had no flipping clue WHAT this story was about, so he created... something... drenched in CGI beyond-this-world limbo nonsense about a murderer (Stanely Tucci's role).
The book is not great to begin with, from a literary perspective, but the author does a phenomenal job of creating believable character with visceral emotions. The most compelling element to the book, however, is the young (and dead) girl's narration. However, in the film version, most of the girl's narration is about the murderer (not about being a 14-year-old girl), and the murderer's emotions, and the murderer's motivations (warning: massive rant up ahead).
By making the murderer the focus of the film, the otherwise introspective story about growth, and sadness, and emotional pain, becomes a voyeuristic spectacle on par with Crime Porn shows like CSI, Criminal Minds, Law & Order SVU... According to stories like these, women are always victims of man's all-powerful lust for sexualized violence. Women are helpless, and the more helpless they seem, the more tragic and perverse the crime. On top of it all, audiences are invited to observe, and delight, in all this horror. I'm beyond sick of watching murder presented as mindless entertainment, and that's what comes across the strongest in this movie. All the other characters EXCEPT the murderer himself get lost in this Creepy-Killer-Show/CGI-heaven, which is a shame, because if the focus had been on any of the other potentially wonderful characters, this movie may have turned out alright.
Best Supporting Actor? No. Tucci was miles better in Julie & Julia, playing a normal, intelligent human being. But you don't see any nods going his way for that, do you?
There is one good thing, though, about this crap-sack, and that's Brian Eno's score.
Eli
Nominated for:
Best Supporting Actor - Stanely Tucci
Ok so the good news is that my initial concerns about this movie adaptation (that Peter Jackson would create a revenge thriller instead of a story about grief and loss) proved to be false. The bad news is that Peter Jackson had no flipping clue WHAT this story was about, so he created... something... drenched in CGI beyond-this-world limbo nonsense about a murderer (Stanely Tucci's role).
The book is not great to begin with, from a literary perspective, but the author does a phenomenal job of creating believable character with visceral emotions. The most compelling element to the book, however, is the young (and dead) girl's narration. However, in the film version, most of the girl's narration is about the murderer (not about being a 14-year-old girl), and the murderer's emotions, and the murderer's motivations (warning: massive rant up ahead).
By making the murderer the focus of the film, the otherwise introspective story about growth, and sadness, and emotional pain, becomes a voyeuristic spectacle on par with Crime Porn shows like CSI, Criminal Minds, Law & Order SVU... According to stories like these, women are always victims of man's all-powerful lust for sexualized violence. Women are helpless, and the more helpless they seem, the more tragic and perverse the crime. On top of it all, audiences are invited to observe, and delight, in all this horror. I'm beyond sick of watching murder presented as mindless entertainment, and that's what comes across the strongest in this movie. All the other characters EXCEPT the murderer himself get lost in this Creepy-Killer-Show/CGI-heaven, which is a shame, because if the focus had been on any of the other potentially wonderful characters, this movie may have turned out alright.
Best Supporting Actor? No. Tucci was miles better in Julie & Julia, playing a normal, intelligent human being. But you don't see any nods going his way for that, do you?
There is one good thing, though, about this crap-sack, and that's Brian Eno's score.
Eli
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
A teenage boy plays with his magic wand. A lot.
Nominated for:
Cinematography - Bruno Delbonnel
This movie is entertaining, but the book is better.
In terms of cinematography, I suppose it deserves some credit. I fact, I think the look of this movie is what made it actually bearable, aside all the Harry Potter geeky-goodness.
This version, however, is mind-blowing.
Eli
Nominated for:
Cinematography - Bruno Delbonnel
This movie is entertaining, but the book is better.
In terms of cinematography, I suppose it deserves some credit. I fact, I think the look of this movie is what made it actually bearable, aside all the Harry Potter geeky-goodness.
This version, however, is mind-blowing.
Eli
Sunday, February 14, 2010
District 9
A rascists corporate shmuck in Johanasburg, South Africa gets what’s coming to him… and then a whole lot more. Teaches us that Aliens are humans too, except with cooler weapons.
Nominated for:
Best Picture
Writing Adapted Screenplay - Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
Also Nominated for:
Film Editing
Visual Effects
This clever little social commentary packs a ton of information into each frame. I kind of wish the whole thing hadn’t turned into a sci-fi action flic by the end but what can you expect from something with Peter Jackson’s name attached to it?
Aside from the obvious commentary on the ever-present racism of South Africa, I think the best thing about this movie is the main character and his thoroughly un-likeable personality. He is a whiny, wimpy, weasel in a tie, and he makes you want to reach into the screen and smack his annoying little face. He’s not an anti-hero, he’s a NON-hero. Except he still comes off as sympathetic, which is not easy to pull off and that deserves a round of applause.
Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay? I don't think so, especially since it dropped the social commentary angle about 3/4 of the way through and went instead for an alien-weapon shoot-em-up.
Here is the original short film, if you're interested.
Eli
Nominated for:
Best Picture
Writing Adapted Screenplay - Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
Also Nominated for:
Film Editing
Visual Effects
This clever little social commentary packs a ton of information into each frame. I kind of wish the whole thing hadn’t turned into a sci-fi action flic by the end but what can you expect from something with Peter Jackson’s name attached to it?
Aside from the obvious commentary on the ever-present racism of South Africa, I think the best thing about this movie is the main character and his thoroughly un-likeable personality. He is a whiny, wimpy, weasel in a tie, and he makes you want to reach into the screen and smack his annoying little face. He’s not an anti-hero, he’s a NON-hero. Except he still comes off as sympathetic, which is not easy to pull off and that deserves a round of applause.
Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay? I don't think so, especially since it dropped the social commentary angle about 3/4 of the way through and went instead for an alien-weapon shoot-em-up.
Here is the original short film, if you're interested.
Eli
Thursday, February 11, 2010
UP
A grumpy old man ties a lot of helium balloons to his house and pursues life-long dreams of adventure. Picks up along the way a fat, annoying child, a loud bird of unknown origins and a dumb dog obsessed with squirrels. Learns to let go of stuff.
Nominated for:
Best Picture
Writing Original Screenplay - Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy
Also nominated for:
Best Animated Feature
Music Original Score
Sound Editing
Some moments in this latest from Pixar are touching. Some are annoying. This is a good children’s picture that also deals with some adult themes. The comedy is mostly slapstick, and the writing is forced. Most of the movie I was thinking “ok I see why they have to make that obvious for children, but I’m not a child”. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the fat kid fell off the house mid-air, and the bird got eaten by the creepy dogs with voice boxes.
UP may be at the top of the kid flicks list, but I’ll be just fine if I never have to watch it again.
Best Picture? Certainly not, especially since its also nominated for Best Animated Feature. If any animated movie released last year should get a best feature nod its Fantastic Mr. Fox. Best writing? No way. Pixar has done better – this movie was sloppy.
This interviewer talks really frickin' fast.
Eli
Nominated for:
Best Picture
Writing Original Screenplay - Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy
Also nominated for:
Best Animated Feature
Music Original Score
Sound Editing
Some moments in this latest from Pixar are touching. Some are annoying. This is a good children’s picture that also deals with some adult themes. The comedy is mostly slapstick, and the writing is forced. Most of the movie I was thinking “ok I see why they have to make that obvious for children, but I’m not a child”. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the fat kid fell off the house mid-air, and the bird got eaten by the creepy dogs with voice boxes.
UP may be at the top of the kid flicks list, but I’ll be just fine if I never have to watch it again.
Best Picture? Certainly not, especially since its also nominated for Best Animated Feature. If any animated movie released last year should get a best feature nod its Fantastic Mr. Fox. Best writing? No way. Pixar has done better – this movie was sloppy.
This interviewer talks really frickin' fast.
Eli
The Hurt Locker
Dude disarms a lot of bombs. Finds it stressful.
Nominated for:
Best Actor - Jeremy Renner
Cinematography - Barry Ackroyd
Directing - Kathryn Bigelow
Best Picture
Writing Original Screenplay - Mark Boal
Also nominated for:
Film Editing - Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
Music Original Score - Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
Sound Editing - Paul N.J. Ottosson
Sound Mixing - Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
This movie is solid. I wasn't sure while I was watching it, but its got its meaty claws hooked into my brain. I'm haunted.
There is barely a narrative in this film, and its brilliant. Its relentless. Its banal and its horrifying simultaneously, and I'm not really sure how that works.
I doubt this movie will win as many awards as it should, but I would be totally ok if it picked up the award for directing, cinematography, and original screenplay. And since it probably won't, I'll settle instead for directing. Bigelow needs to stick it to the man... Particularly this man.
Eli
Nominated for:
Best Actor - Jeremy Renner
Cinematography - Barry Ackroyd
Directing - Kathryn Bigelow
Best Picture
Writing Original Screenplay - Mark Boal
Also nominated for:
Film Editing - Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
Music Original Score - Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
Sound Editing - Paul N.J. Ottosson
Sound Mixing - Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
This movie is solid. I wasn't sure while I was watching it, but its got its meaty claws hooked into my brain. I'm haunted.
There is barely a narrative in this film, and its brilliant. Its relentless. Its banal and its horrifying simultaneously, and I'm not really sure how that works.
I doubt this movie will win as many awards as it should, but I would be totally ok if it picked up the award for directing, cinematography, and original screenplay. And since it probably won't, I'll settle instead for directing. Bigelow needs to stick it to the man... Particularly this man.
Eli
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Up in the Air
Some dude flies on A LOT of airplanes. Realizes he is lonely and that firing people kinda sucks.
Nominated for:
Writing Adapted Screenplay - Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Best Picture
Directing - Jason Reitman
Best Supporting Actress - Vera Farmig and Anna Kendrick
Best Actor – George Clooney
This is a solid movie. If I could watch George Clooney till the end of the world, life would be just grand.
Jason Reitman handles job lose in Corporate America with just the right amount of humour and sincerity. This film is miles more mature then anything we’ve seen from him so far. The self-imposed isolation of the protagonist almost bleeds off the screen, and I can’t remember the last time I saw George Clooney look so vulnerable. This movie kind of broke my heart a little… in a good way.
So far, this film has my approval for all of its nominations (except maybe the double supporting actress nod). I say so far, because I have yet to view most of the competition, but this film had so much poise and class that it should get as much attention as humanly possible.
Here's a live performance of the title song.
Eli
Nominated for:
Writing Adapted Screenplay - Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Best Picture
Directing - Jason Reitman
Best Supporting Actress - Vera Farmig and Anna Kendrick
Best Actor – George Clooney
This is a solid movie. If I could watch George Clooney till the end of the world, life would be just grand.
Jason Reitman handles job lose in Corporate America with just the right amount of humour and sincerity. This film is miles more mature then anything we’ve seen from him so far. The self-imposed isolation of the protagonist almost bleeds off the screen, and I can’t remember the last time I saw George Clooney look so vulnerable. This movie kind of broke my heart a little… in a good way.
So far, this film has my approval for all of its nominations (except maybe the double supporting actress nod). I say so far, because I have yet to view most of the competition, but this film had so much poise and class that it should get as much attention as humanly possible.
Here's a live performance of the title song.
Eli
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Blind Side
White people learn that Black people can be fixed if you spend enough money on them... as long as they’re Christian.
Nominated for:
Best Actress - Sandra Bullock
Best Picture
I learned the following from watching this movie:
- It’s ok to take strange homeless kids into your home as long as they are really dumb, so they won’t know what to steal.
- If you are a homeless kid, you should only get into a stranger’s car if they are rich and white and Christian. And Republican.
- Christian private schools have no problem taking on charity case students who are way below grade point average, as long as they write grammatically-incorrect-but-heartfelt essays about respecting authority like a good little soldier.
- If you are a good person and work hard, God will bless you with a lot of money, and no psychological problems whatsoever.
- All black people are dumb and/or drug dealers.
- If your mother is a crack whore, just close your eyes while “bad stuff” happens, and eventually you’ll turn out alright.
This movie is pure schlock. I probably would have vomited all over myself during this viewing if I hadn’t been so goddamned bored (20 minutes in, I was checking my watch). The writing is terrible, worse then that Paul Haggis crap.
Don’t ever watch this movie. In fact, all you’d need to watch is the trailer, since its a lot more exciting. Sandra Bullock can do, and has done, much better. Everyone else involved in this movie should go jump off a bridge.
Best Actress? NO.
Best Picture? Please.
Sandra Bullock in her glory days.
Nominated for:
Best Actress - Sandra Bullock
Best Picture
I learned the following from watching this movie:
- It’s ok to take strange homeless kids into your home as long as they are really dumb, so they won’t know what to steal.
- If you are a homeless kid, you should only get into a stranger’s car if they are rich and white and Christian. And Republican.
- Christian private schools have no problem taking on charity case students who are way below grade point average, as long as they write grammatically-incorrect-but-heartfelt essays about respecting authority like a good little soldier.
- If you are a good person and work hard, God will bless you with a lot of money, and no psychological problems whatsoever.
- All black people are dumb and/or drug dealers.
- If your mother is a crack whore, just close your eyes while “bad stuff” happens, and eventually you’ll turn out alright.
This movie is pure schlock. I probably would have vomited all over myself during this viewing if I hadn’t been so goddamned bored (20 minutes in, I was checking my watch). The writing is terrible, worse then that Paul Haggis crap.
Don’t ever watch this movie. In fact, all you’d need to watch is the trailer, since its a lot more exciting. Sandra Bullock can do, and has done, much better. Everyone else involved in this movie should go jump off a bridge.
Best Actress? NO.
Best Picture? Please.
Sandra Bullock in her glory days.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Inglourious Basterds
A lot of muscular Jews slaughter Hitler & Friends. Some women try to help out – and get killed.
Nominated for:
Best Supporting Actor – Christoph Waltz
Cinematography - Robert Richardson
Directing - Quentin Tarantino
Best Original Writing - Quentin Tarantino
Best Picture
Also nominated for:
Sound Editing
Sound Mixing
Film Editing
There are many enjoyable parts to this movie. Most sequences are well crafted, choc-full of nail-biting suspense and Tarantino’s trademark dialog. A feast for the eyes. A pioneer in the revenge genre. Christophe Waltz is a stellar psychopath. And you gotta give props to a movie that plots out Hitler’s fictional murder.
Here’s the problem. I’m all for a slow-burn storyline, but Tarantino has this nasty habit of blathering on about nothing relevant to his story just for the sake of proving how cool and clever and super non-dweeby he is. Which is bad. Which means he doesn’t know how to tun to someone and say “Gee, have I gone too far with this bit here?” Maybe he’s surrounded himself with too many Yes men, Speilberg-style. Regardless, there are way too many irrelevant sidebars in this movie, and that's all on Tarantino's giant ego.
Case-in-point – let’s take a look at the scene with “Winston Churchill” and Mike Meyers. The majority of this segment has nothing to do with the plot, and any relevant information that is revealed could have been relayed in about 10 other ways without affecting the story line, except to shorten this movie’s ghastly length by about 10 minutes. The only reason to keep such pointless frivolities is because the filmmaker thinks they are "wicked-cool" and "awesome", which annoys me.
Another case-in-point – the sequence towards the beginning of the movie in which we are introduced to The Bear Jew and his war-weary baseball bat. Why are we forced to spend so much time setting up this awful baseball bat business only to NEVER SEE IT AGAIN throughout the rest of the movie?! The sequence itself was extremely well constructed, which frustrates me more then anything. When all these beautiful, disturbing parts just vanish within the film, I have to ask myself, what was the point of putting that whole bit together if it was only going to be thrown away? And "because its wicked cool and awesome" is not an answer to that question.
So does this geeky little Basterds deserve an award for Best Picture? Absolutely not. Cinematography? ‘Tis nomination worthy. Best Original Writing? No. Best Supporting Actor? Possibly, but the actress Melanie Laurent was miles better. Best Picture? Over my dead body.
Tarantino, partner up with someone who can reign in that ridiculous imagination of yours with some proper storytelling skills, then we’ll talk.
Also, in case you are under any delusions (and I’m sure you are), you aren’t black, or a hip hop artist. Put down that goddamned popped collar and take off your sunglasses.
Eli
Nominated for:
Best Supporting Actor – Christoph Waltz
Cinematography - Robert Richardson
Directing - Quentin Tarantino
Best Original Writing - Quentin Tarantino
Best Picture
Also nominated for:
Sound Editing
Sound Mixing
Film Editing
There are many enjoyable parts to this movie. Most sequences are well crafted, choc-full of nail-biting suspense and Tarantino’s trademark dialog. A feast for the eyes. A pioneer in the revenge genre. Christophe Waltz is a stellar psychopath. And you gotta give props to a movie that plots out Hitler’s fictional murder.
Here’s the problem. I’m all for a slow-burn storyline, but Tarantino has this nasty habit of blathering on about nothing relevant to his story just for the sake of proving how cool and clever and super non-dweeby he is. Which is bad. Which means he doesn’t know how to tun to someone and say “Gee, have I gone too far with this bit here?” Maybe he’s surrounded himself with too many Yes men, Speilberg-style. Regardless, there are way too many irrelevant sidebars in this movie, and that's all on Tarantino's giant ego.
Case-in-point – let’s take a look at the scene with “Winston Churchill” and Mike Meyers. The majority of this segment has nothing to do with the plot, and any relevant information that is revealed could have been relayed in about 10 other ways without affecting the story line, except to shorten this movie’s ghastly length by about 10 minutes. The only reason to keep such pointless frivolities is because the filmmaker thinks they are "wicked-cool" and "awesome", which annoys me.
Another case-in-point – the sequence towards the beginning of the movie in which we are introduced to The Bear Jew and his war-weary baseball bat. Why are we forced to spend so much time setting up this awful baseball bat business only to NEVER SEE IT AGAIN throughout the rest of the movie?! The sequence itself was extremely well constructed, which frustrates me more then anything. When all these beautiful, disturbing parts just vanish within the film, I have to ask myself, what was the point of putting that whole bit together if it was only going to be thrown away? And "because its wicked cool and awesome" is not an answer to that question.
So does this geeky little Basterds deserve an award for Best Picture? Absolutely not. Cinematography? ‘Tis nomination worthy. Best Original Writing? No. Best Supporting Actor? Possibly, but the actress Melanie Laurent was miles better. Best Picture? Over my dead body.
Tarantino, partner up with someone who can reign in that ridiculous imagination of yours with some proper storytelling skills, then we’ll talk.
Also, in case you are under any delusions (and I’m sure you are), you aren’t black, or a hip hop artist. Put down that goddamned popped collar and take off your sunglasses.
Eli
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
And the nominees are... oh shit.
Jesus, what have I done? Why are there so many? WHY ARE THERE SO MANY?!?!?!
So I've already seen the following:
Julie & Julia (Best Actress)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Cinematography)
District 9 (Best Picture, Writing Adapted)
Up (Best Picture, Writing Original)
Inglourious Basterds (Best Supporting Actor, Cinematography, Directing, Best Picture, Writing Original)
Which means that between now and March 7th, I will need to watch the following:
1. Crazy Heart (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress)
2. Up in the Air (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress x2, Directing, Best Picture, Writing Adapted)
3. A Single Man (Best Actor)
4. Invictus (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor)
5. The Hurt Locker (Best Actor, Cinematography, Directing, Best Picture, Writing Original)
6. The Messenger (Best Supporting Actor, Writing Original)
7. The Last Station (Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress)
8. The Lovely Bones (Best Supporting Actor)
9. The Blind Side (Best Actress, Best Picture)
10. An Education (Best Actress, Best Picture, Writing Adapted)
11. Precious (Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Directing, Best Picture, Writing Adapted)
12. Nine (Best Supporting Actress)
13. Avatar (Cinematography, Directing, Best Picture)
14. The White Ribbon (Cinematography)
15. A Serious Man (Best Picture, Writing Original)
16. In the Loop (Writing Adapted)
Not including the actual day of the Oscars, this gives me 32 days to watch 16 movies and write 21 reviews. And of the 16 movies that I will need to see, three have inspired rage upon sight-of-trailer. (The Blind Side actually induced retching...)
My wallet and debit card have already started picketing in protest. My Soul may join them as well.
Here goes nothing...
Eli
So I've already seen the following:
Julie & Julia (Best Actress)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Cinematography)
District 9 (Best Picture, Writing Adapted)
Up (Best Picture, Writing Original)
Inglourious Basterds (Best Supporting Actor, Cinematography, Directing, Best Picture, Writing Original)
Which means that between now and March 7th, I will need to watch the following:
1. Crazy Heart (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress)
2. Up in the Air (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress x2, Directing, Best Picture, Writing Adapted)
3. A Single Man (Best Actor)
4. Invictus (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor)
5. The Hurt Locker (Best Actor, Cinematography, Directing, Best Picture, Writing Original)
6. The Messenger (Best Supporting Actor, Writing Original)
7. The Last Station (Best Supporting Actor, Best Actress)
8. The Lovely Bones (Best Supporting Actor)
9. The Blind Side (Best Actress, Best Picture)
10. An Education (Best Actress, Best Picture, Writing Adapted)
11. Precious (Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Directing, Best Picture, Writing Adapted)
12. Nine (Best Supporting Actress)
13. Avatar (Cinematography, Directing, Best Picture)
14. The White Ribbon (Cinematography)
15. A Serious Man (Best Picture, Writing Original)
16. In the Loop (Writing Adapted)
Not including the actual day of the Oscars, this gives me 32 days to watch 16 movies and write 21 reviews. And of the 16 movies that I will need to see, three have inspired rage upon sight-of-trailer. (The Blind Side actually induced retching...)
My wallet and debit card have already started picketing in protest. My Soul may join them as well.
Here goes nothing...
Eli
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Oscar Pledge
At 8:30am tomorrow morning, the nomination for this year's Academy Awards will be announced.
Oh yes. Stand witness as the best movies from last year are snubbed in favour of flashy, splashy, melodrama! Bend your mind around the ridiculous clothing that passes for fashion! Bask in the almighty ego of James Cameron!
Lucky for you, dear readers, Masochism is my middle name (not really), and so, for your enjoyment, I pledge to watch all of the films nominated for the following awards:
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor and Supporting Actor
Best Actress and Supporting Actress
Best Original Screenplay
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography
I'd also like to get in Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Documentary, Best Animated Feature, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Editing, but lets not get ahead of ourselves here.
I'll stick to The Oscar Pledge and report back dutifully on the various merits and detriments of the films in question. I may go broke, and I may become bloated from popcorn consumption, but all this is of little consequence, since I will finally have obtained enough information to confidently cry from the rooftops "I HATE THE OSCARS! DEATH TO AWARD CEREMONIES ONCE AND FOR ALL! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Such a noble quest, no?
Stay tuned for updates. Wish me luck!
Eli
Oh yes. Stand witness as the best movies from last year are snubbed in favour of flashy, splashy, melodrama! Bend your mind around the ridiculous clothing that passes for fashion! Bask in the almighty ego of James Cameron!
Lucky for you, dear readers, Masochism is my middle name (not really), and so, for your enjoyment, I pledge to watch all of the films nominated for the following awards:
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor and Supporting Actor
Best Actress and Supporting Actress
Best Original Screenplay
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography
I'd also like to get in Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Documentary, Best Animated Feature, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Editing, but lets not get ahead of ourselves here.
I'll stick to The Oscar Pledge and report back dutifully on the various merits and detriments of the films in question. I may go broke, and I may become bloated from popcorn consumption, but all this is of little consequence, since I will finally have obtained enough information to confidently cry from the rooftops "I HATE THE OSCARS! DEATH TO AWARD CEREMONIES ONCE AND FOR ALL! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Such a noble quest, no?
Stay tuned for updates. Wish me luck!
Eli
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