2017 Academy Award Nominations Thread (1 Viewer)

[bujaki]

Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea are my top choices, in that order, for best American movies of the year. I've seen all the nominees. I will admit that La3 is better than Hidden Figures or Lion. The one thing I don't understand is all this adulation that Emma Stone is getting over her role. If you want to see a master class in acting, go see Isabelle Huppert in Elle, and then let's discuss real acting.

 

[TravisR]

...is better than Hidden Figures or Lion.

Yeah, I don't want to knock either of those movies because I did like them but I thought Loving, Midnight Special, Nocturnal Animals and 20th Century Women were all much better.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yeah, I don't want to knock either of those movies because I did like them but I thought Loving, Midnight Special, Nocturnal Animals and 20th Century Women were all much better.

Why the knock on Hidden Figures? Perhaps trying to tell the story about three different people instead of focusing on just one?

 

[PMF]

Has anyone seen Meryl Streep in "Florence Foster Jenkins"?
If so, where would you stand on her winning and, furthermore, what are your predictions for how the Academy may lean.

As for my earlier rough-drafted Post on Hepburn vs. Streep?
The bottom line comparisons concerning their greatness and acting styles were all but futile.
Its Apples and Oranges; except when addressing their brilliance and uniqueness.
The comparisons being drawn here are ultimately rooted in the Academy's past records for their nominations and wins for each of these actresses.
So, let's look at some of the Academy's records.

Katharine Hepburn holds the Best Actress record with 4 wins.
Ingrid Bergman and Meryl Streep are in a second place tie; winning 3 Oscars each (2 for Best Actress and 1 for Best Supporting).
Meryl Streep, on the other hand, holds the record for Nominations.
Streep has 20; Hepburn had 12.
So for those of you who have seen "Florence Foster Jenkins" and want to make an assessment on where the Academy might take this, keep the following in mind:
Hepburn won her final three Oscars for films made at the age of 60, 61 and 75.
Streep, after a 29-year wait, finally won her 3rd Oscar for "The Iron Lady" at the age of 63;
and three additional nominations have followed since.

Is this the year that the Academy will give Meryl Streep that needed ascension to rival Katharine Hepburn's long-standing record?
Or is it still too soon?

 

[Tino]

Streep has no chance. It will be either Huppert or Portman. Stone has an outside chance.

 

[Tino]

Why the knock on Hidden Figures? Perhaps trying to tell the story about three different people instead of focusing on just one?

I don't get the knock either. In my opinion it was better acted and more engaging than Moonlight.

 

[PMF]

Streep has no chance. It will be either Huppert or Portman. Stone has an outside chance.

Isabelle would be a refreshing choice.

 

[TravisR]

Why the knock on Hidden Figures? Perhaps trying to tell the story about three different people instead of focusing on just one?

Like I said, I'm not knocking Hidden Figures, I just thought the movies I said and even a few others were better. That aside, I hope everyone reading this sees Hidden Figures because it's crowd pleasing entertainment which has a much needed message of unity.

 

[bujaki]

Hidden Figures would have been much better had it focused on the main character. We see her as a child prodigy accepted an institution of higher learning, then suddenly she's a widow with children working at NASA as a computer. What happened during those lost years? It was during Jim Crow after all. How were her talents quashed? How did she get to NASA? The story needed to be told and I'm glad that it is a success, but it is not Best Picture material.

 

[bujaki]

I don't get the knock either. In my opinion it was better acted and more engaging than Moonlight.

If you were not impressed by Ali's acting in the first act Moonlight as he tries so hard to be a father figure to Chiron, and yet tragically fails; if you were not impressed by the acting in the third act and were not moved by the final gesture of reconciliation between Chiron and his mother after decades of love/hate; if you were not impressed by the acting and the tenderness at the end of the third act when the two men finally realize that love can bring redemption to a seemingly wasted life; then La La Land is the right movie for you.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Everybody has an opinion!

 

[Tino]

If you were not impressed by Ali's acting in the first act Moonlight as he tries so hard to be a father figure to Chiron, and yet tragically fails; if you were not impressed by the acting in the third act and were not moved by the final gesture of reconciliation between Chiron and his mother after decades of love/hate; if you were not impressed by the acting and the tenderness at the end of the third act when the two men finally realize that love can bring redemption to a seemingly wasted life; then La La Land is the right movie for you.

As I mentioned, I thought Ali was tremendous. And also Naomie Harris. The reconciliation was sweet. The rest was really heavy handed and didn't work for me. Didn't really like the Chiron character so it makes sense. Sorry. [emoji53]

(Btw this whole post is a bit insulting to me even tho I know that's not what you intended Bujaki). I'm [emoji41]

 

[Robert Crawford]

As I mentioned, I thought Ali was tremendous. And also Naomie Harris. The reconciliation was sweet. The rest was really heavy handed and didn't work for me. Didn't really like the Chiron character so it makes sense. Sorry. [emoji53]

You shouldn't be sorry for having a different opinion.

 

[TJPC]

Streep was hilarious and touching in Florence Foster Jenkins. She almost completely disappears into the part. It is a fascinating absorbing movie that is very funny at the same time.

 

[Tino]

You shouldn't be sorry for having a different opinion.

I'm not.

And just because I love LA La Land doesn't preclude me from liking films "like" Moonlight. A great film is a great film no matter what the subject matter is. I just don't think Moonlight was a great film (and I know I'm in the minority as some are with La La Land).

 

[bujaki]

Florence Foster Jenkins is a well-made film. Streep is very good in it. She is a classically trained singer, so for her to learn to sing like Foster Jenkins was no small feat. She had to unlearn all her previous training and that's very hard.
However, if you want to see a better take on the Foster Jenkins "legend," then seek out the French film Marguerite. It is poetry whereas Streep's film is prose.

 

[B-ROLL]

Kubo's not CGI.

Actually it's stop-motion with CGI etc added

(some story spoilers in the link below)
http://io9.gizmodo.com/kubo-and-the-two-strings-mixes-stop-motion-and-technolo-1782837158

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I think Amy Adams should have been nominated instead of Streep, but she's acting royalty so there you have it.

I'm pretty sure what happened here is that Adams' two performances cancelled each other out and Streep came up the middle.

 

[PMF]

It would take another lifetime - and maybe then some - for anyone to ever witness, again, the likes of 20 acting nominations.
As I've said, look at the careers of the legendary Katharine Hepburn and Jack Nicholson; both who are tied at holding the second record of 12 nominations. Meryl will more than likely double their score within these next few years. Yah, some may be getting tired of Ms. Streep's ascension with the Academy; but that ain't her fault.

So, I wonder if bujaki praise for Florence Foster Jenkins also warrants his hopes for Meryl Streep winning on this given year?
If not, who does he think will win?

 

[Matt Hough]

I think most pundits believe it's between Stone and Portman with Huppert the potential spoiling dark horse.