2007 Oscars thread - reviews/discussion/predictions/etc

[El Diablo]

Alright, Oscars coming up. Mainly I just wanted to write about Babel, and decided that an Oscar thread might be an even better idea.

I posted about Little Miss Sunshine after seeing the preview. I was sure I would love it and wasn't disappointed. However, I would not put it in the Best Picture category. Hard to explain exactly, because there's nothing I didn't like about this movie, I just feel like I've come to expect something a little more "substantial" from Best Pictures.

The Departed - I liked this movie, but also don't think it's Best Picture material. Just wasn't consistently well done throughout. I give it a thumbs up, but not a huge one. I felt like because he's Scorsese, he got to do some stuff that was I dunno, sort of indulgent, in terms of being a little too "artiste" in nature. Just some shots, some scenes, etc. I felt were like "look at me, I am a great Director." It also felt to me like he made a 3.5h cut that got cut down to 2.5h, as it felt kinda choppy. I bet a newer director would have been forced to make like a 2.5h cut that got trimmed down to 2h, which would have made a great movie. So many awesome elements, some really good acting, and really good story. I wanted to love this movie, but just liked it. Just wasn't cranked together to be really tight and a great movie.

Babel - OK, finally saw this yesterday. I am a big fan of Guillermo Arriaga's style. I loved Amores Perros, that is one of my favorite movies. 21 Grams I liked, but didn't think was nearly as good as Amores Perros. I thought Babel was going to be right up my alley. Babel involved some themes that I felt would be perfect for him to weave together, plus would be really compelling. However, unfortunately, I just didn't like it. First off, the handycam or steadycam or whatever it's called just got annoying. Too much shaky crap. Again, I like that done well, just didnt work here imo. More importantly, the story lines just didn't seem to have any thematic rhyme or reason to be tied together. There are three connected story lines, one in US/Mexico, one in Japan, one in Morocco. The Japan one especially seemed totally out of place here. And quite a bit of the casting felt off to me. Overall, I felt there was a lot of potential here. But it ended up in a lot of disconnected scenes that didn't really stitch together into a compelling film.

Haven't seen The Queen or Letters From Iwo Jima yet.

[tdarko]

El D,

For me, I don't know how tightly wound the story line in Japan really had to be, obviously the gun tied it together but we can agree this is loose. This movie, just like his other movies have moments in them that are about more than what is said and a progressive plot but moments of vulnerability and beauty in landscape.

The Japanese story was actually my favorite. The moment the disco went silent and we are put into her world (I forgot her name and am lazy right now--don't feel like looking it up) I got this eerie feeling, I felt kind of scared and thought about this handicap happening to me. There aren't many times I feel vulnerable in movies yet I did for this scene. The scene where she is naked was a scene with more vulnerability except shown to her and you can see it beaming from her, many directors attempt this kind of stuff but few are bold enough to pull it off like this.

The story lines tied together but I will agree with you in that it wasn't your typical well sewn story. What I liked is the common themes of the three such as being lost, whether it is lost on the edge of a border with your life soon to be decided or lost in a country of an unknown language or a lost soul trying to cope from a mother's death.

I am also a sucker for movies with a lot of scenery and uses the landscape as a large part of the movie.

FWIW, I thought it was better than 21 Grams (which I really liked) and not as good Amores Perros (which I loved).

[lippy]

I completely agree about LMS. It was a fantastic movie; hilarious, heartwarming, creative and genius, but it just isn't the Year's Best Picture.

[Zeno]

Notes on a Scandal - I saw this film recently. I am not good at giving movie reviews so I'll be short. The movie had very good performances by all in my opinion - especially the lead characters. This film has a disturbing and disquieting edge that sticks about after you leave the theater. Sometimes cruel manipulation is done with banal ease. Intelligence breeds deeds most foul and calculated while ignorance blunders into cruel deeds almost blindly and with frivolity. Overall this is a very worthy movie to see - take notes.

I also saw The Departed and I think Notes on a Scandal is a better-done movie, story line is tighter and progresses well within the framework of the characters. I would nod toward Notes on a Scandal in the Oscar race if it concerned me at all, which it doesn’t.

I have not seen any of the other top movies in the running this year.

-Zeno

[fish2plus2]

I cant commment because I havent seen many of the movies, however Apocalypto's costumes were amazing - this movie could have really been something special if the dialouge/storyline/direction wasnt so horrible.

Amores Perros is one of my favorite films also, I thought 21 grams had very good performances but the story was sort of boring. I thought the most powerful scene in Babel was between Brad Pitt and the bus driver, when he wouldnt accept money at the end. I thought that the other two storylines were very weak compared to Morocco. Overall, I thought the movie was OK, but not best picture material.

I have no idea how a film like Little Miss Sunshine gets in the best picture category. Totally shocked that it is getting so much attention.

Departed was another OK movie, it was enjoyable, Dicaprio was amazing, but I wouldnt consider it best picture material. It will be pretty comical if Scorcese wins for this picture, after having lost for Good Fellas, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver, and Gangs of New York. Plus, the movie was a remake, if that matters at all - I think it should. Departed would have been better if there were more scenes like the one were Decaprio beats the guys up in the restaurant to Rolling Stone rock music.

To be honest, its hard to get excited about the Oscars, considering how horrible the selections and winners are year after year.

[Osprey]

I hope Forrest Whitaker wins. He made me sympathize with a murderous dictator in a flawed movie, and I love him from Ghost Dog.

[fish2plus2]

Ghost Dog was such a boring film.

[Your Mom]

Agree with you on LMS and Babel. Babel was okay, but not that great. I didn't see any standout acting performances in that movie. LMS was okay, not great. Decent goofy movie, nothing more.

[UMTerp]

Here's a pretty cool list of 2006 movies that this website compiles each year. They take like hundreds of critics' Top Ten lists, and assign points to them (10 for 1st down to 1 for 10th). I figure this thread is as good as any for it. Worth checking out:

http://moviecitynews.com/awards/2007...s/00_index.htm

Current Critics' 2006 Top Ten:

1. United 93 - 917.5
2. The Queen - 887
3. The Departed - 867
4. Letters from Iwo Jima - 571
5. Pan's Labyrinth - 569.5
6. Borat(!) - 495.5
7. Little Miss Sunshine - 469
8. Babel - 381.5
9. Little Children - 365
10. Children of Men - 343.5
** Best Picture Nominees in Bold **

Looks like a pretty fair list. (If you click the link, about 200 movies are rated.)

And another FYI, both Babel and The Prestige (which I recommend) are available to buy on DVD as of today.

[Claunchy]

Did the academy just not want to touch United 93 because of its subject matter or something?

I thought it was clearly one of the five best movies this year, and quite possibly the best.