A few thoughts about.....The Oscars (2009) (1 Viewer)

[Michael Elliott]

The more I'm reading the more I'm becoming SHOCKED that Winslet won at all. I'm really shocked at how much negative press the movie and actress are getting. I'm glad it didn't kill her Oscar chances but somehow I bet many wishes she had been nominated for RR instead. It's a shame because I really loved the film and her performance in it.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Anybody like me that that saw The Reader would not argue
that Winslet deserved the Best Actress award.

I saw both The Reader and Revolutionary Road. Winslet
was remarkable in both, but the edge had to be given to The Reader
as ultimately, it was the more powerful performance.

Winslet absolutely deserved all the praise she has gotten this year.
It's so uncommon for an actress to have two critically acclaimed
performances within the same year.

 

[Henry Gale]

I agree with most of what Ron had to say, except I knew going in Hugh would be a strong host.
The use of 5 former winners during the presentations was powerful and emotional, I'd really like to see that done in the future.
Mickey got his big night Saturday at the Film Independent Awards. He got to cuss and be his usual boorish self for 5 or 6 minutes.
I was dissapointed by some of the comments in this thread, and that was probably after Michael took out the trash.

 

[ErichH]

I agree, it was good. My fav was Taraji Henson, but no problem with Winslet.

Great to see Finch getting some long over due attention.
There were one or 2 categories where I though Button was snubbed. The broadcast was indeed better this year.

 

[TravisR]

Since she's so damn good, I'm basically splitting hairs but I thought she was better in Revolutionary Road than in The Reader. The Reader was focused on the Michael character and the Hanna (Winslet's) character just intersected with his life. Whereas in Revolutionary Road, she was a lead in the movie and had more of a spotlight to shine in.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Sorry I missed this the first time through but the other members answered correctly with Kubrick. It's not like a Kubrick or Newman is born everyday so those two would certainly deserve a special mention. Perhaps Brando too but he pissed way too many people off. I'll bet Spielberg and Scorsese will get one when they pass.

 

[Michael Reuben]

I'll take that bet. Here's why.

As I recall, Spielberg was the principal mover and shaker behind the Kubrick tribute -- which makes sense, because it would take somebody with his clout to make something special like that come to pass. I'm sure one of the justifications offered for it was that Kubrick received nothing from the Academy during his lifetime other than a visual effects award for 2001 -- nothing for directing or producing, not even an honorary or lifetime achievement award like the Thalberg Award that was finally bestowed on Hitchcock in 1968.

Spielberg and Scorsese, by contrast, have received ample laurels while alive, and they can still receive more. So did Newman. At their passing, no one will feel that they were underappreciated or unacknowledged.

I think the Kubrick tribute will prove to be a true one-off that Spielberg felt he owed to an old friend, and that only a living person of Spielberg's stature could have made happen. Except in very unusual circumstances, the dead will usually get short shrift from the living at awards ceremonies for one simple reason: They're dead.

 

[todd s]

On O'Reilly they brought up a interesting thing. When Anniston was presenting they kept cutting to the Jolie & Pitt. Were they expecting them to make faces or start making out? :rolleyes

 

[Citizen87645]

I made the case that they cut to Jolie because she also was a voice on "Kung Fu Panda" with Jack Black. But my argument fell apart when they did it again!

I haven't read the backlash about "The Reader" but one of my friends had read the novel and was not impressed with it, so felt no compelling reason to see the film.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Unless there are new criticisms I haven't heard, the attacks on The Reader started with the first reviews. I understand them, but I don't agree with them. A large part of what makes the film so memorable an experience is that, while Winslet's performance keeps you connected to Hanna, everything that Lena Olin's character says near the end of the film is absolutely true. It's an emotional dissonance the Fiennes character can't resolve, and I think some viewers object to the fact that the film doesn't resolve it for the audience either.

 

[Ken Chan]

I liked the way the production awards were ordered and grouped. I have mixed feelings about the five-on-five times four for the actors. But both changes made me think: are they going to do this again next year?

The first change makes things a bit too predictable. And with the second change, it will be harder and harder to find five previous winners every year that haven't done it before. Eventually, you may have people drawing straws to see who gets stuck with repeat duty. And then, they'll just have to stop, and you'll have all these nominees that "don't rate" personal attention.

It might work out if the producers for this one have already opted out of doing 2010, so the next ones can do something completely different.

 

[Citizen87645]

I did a marathon viewing on Saturday, watching Frost/Nixon, Benjamin Button and The Reader. The Reader is the only one of the three I'm still turning over in my head, which is usually a positive sign.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Here's an excerpt from Manohla Dargis' review in the New York Times (12/10/08). I think she missed Lena Olin's scene:

 

[Holadem]

Funny; I came away with the exact opposite reaction.

--
H

 

[Citizen87645]

Yeah, I can't say I agree with either of those reviews.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Me neither. Between them, though, I suspect they cover the waterfront on criticisms of the film. I doubt anyone's come up with much that's new.

I read Dargis for entertainment. She's formidably erudite, but she's a perfect example of a critic who lives in such rarefied air that she's lost all touch with real movie-going.

 

[Citizen87645]

I also get that impression from reviews in The Village Voice.

 

[Holadem]

Yeah. it's been years since I read Hoberman (don't even know if he is still there anymore) but I remember him being uh... brutal to read. My goodness.

--
H

 

[ZacharyTait]

I didn't realize it till I was watching the show, but for the first time since I really started watching movies (1994), none of the Best Picture finalists were in my Top 5. Slumdog was my favorite of the 5, but it isn't in my Top 5.

 

[Shad R]

I must be the only one who thought The Reader was uninvolving and boring. I didn't care about anyone's fate in that movie, and I saw the ending from a mile away. I'm SHOCKED that this movie got nominated for anything. Best Director?? It was point and shoot and say your lines. There was nothing unique or interesting about it. Gran Torino and Dark Knight on the other hand got SHAFTED for the best director. I agree with the other best picture nominations, though, and Slumdog deserved all those wins since my two favorites(above mentioned movies) didn't get nominated.