The Hot Blog

Confusing.
Why is there no Best Animated Film winner?
And why wasn't there a list of the Best Foreign Film nominees?

take another click... both added on the mcn page now...

Thanks, Dave.
Kind of surprising that "I've Loved You" beat heavyweights like
the Cannes-adored "Gomorrah" and "It" toons "Persepolis." and "Bashir."
With the numbing similarity of so many of these awards show winners, I'd almost welcome a Harvey-orchestrated "Reader" upset on Oscar night right about now.
(And anyone attempting to milk faux suspense out of February 22nd by saying that Ledger isn't a lock has clearly been taking a few too many hits off Bill Condon's hash pipe. Snooze.)

Movieman, I've Loved You So Long also had Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay nominations, so not really.

yay, 'in burges'!

boo, slumdog millionaire, slumdog millionaire, slumdog millionaire, slumdong millionaire, slumlong millionaire. my ass.

oh i missed one out: slumdog millionaire

....it could've been the (Hometown Favorite) Kristin Scott Thomas factor, too, Kam.
Yeah, it's a very good movie (one which I actually prefer to--gasp! shudder!--"Waltz w/Bashir"), but I think there's something more to its win that mere excellence.
And isn't that the case with just about every award winner?

Amen, Leahnz.
I've had a love/hate relationship with "Slumdog Millionaire" since watching Grand Poobah Ebert smack that NY Post doofus over the head with his newspaper at the TIFF "SM" screening last September.
I've seen it several times now, and each time my reaction has been the same: admiration for/delight at Boyle's bravura visual style tempered by (mild) nausea at its ever-so-condescending neo-colonialist purview.
.....sort of like David Lean directing a world music video for MTV. (Wait: does MTV still play music vids?)

(oops, 'in bruges', that's what happens when i get cocky and type fast and don't bother to proof-read. the slumdog typos were semi-intentional, i saw them but left it)

'I've seen it several times now, and each time my reaction has been the same: admiration for/delight at Boyle's bravura visual style tempered by (mild) nausea at its ever-so-condescending neo-colonialist purview.
.....sort of like David Lean directing a world music video for MTV. (Wait: does MTV still play music vids?)'

i think that is an excellent assessment, movieman. it think slumdog is a beautifully-filmed, colourful, cliche-ridden fairytale, way over-hyped and praised; it's a good movie but i don't find it particularly moving or riveting or spellbinding or magical like others seem to (i wish i did). and i don't think it's particularly well-written, so all the screenwriting kudos mystifies me. sound, yes! cinematography, ok, i can live with that, the photography is dynamic; the rest is just over-reaching imho.

I agree with both of you re: Slumdog as well, except that I don't think it even qualifies as a 'good movie'.

"Wait: does MTV still play music vids?"

The last time I checked, MTV was playing parts of music videos and then telling the audience to go to Rhapsody.com to download the complete songs. Nevermind that they played the same partial video from The Fray twice in a twenty minute interval, I guess. Umm, why not just play the whole video anyway?

Yeah, that's what I thought, Hallick.
I guess they need all that extra air-time for repeats of "Bromance."
(And can someone tell me in what universe Brody Frigging Jenner is a celebrity deserving of his own reality show? Help me out, Lex!)

Things might suprise you in two weeks. I get a strong sense of SHOCKINGITUS coming in two weeks. In honour of the west coast peeps; I will be recording the event and watching TDK while it's on. Aww the magic of the DVR!

"Things might suprise you in two weeks. I get a strong sense of SHOCKINGITUS coming in two weeks."

I don't know about that. Which of the other nominees right now have more juice than a dead eel coated in rubber?

Hal: I just think more academy members may be more in line with Mr. Murphy, then the peeps Mr. Poland knows. Again; it's a hunch, that I have at the moment. The folks are still getting saddled with a shitty DVD of Mumbai. No matter if it wins or not.

Come on. Does anyone really care what the British think?

And i'd be all for a Reader win. It was the best film i saw last year. I still stand by my earlier picks for Oscars which were

Slumdog
Danny Boyle
Rourke
Winslet
Ledger
Adams

but i dont know how i didn't pick Cruz

Slumdog
Danny Boyle
Rourke
Winslet
Ledger
Cruz

I'd pick Reader on merit, but Slumdog has all that mainstream media nipple twisting.

Anghus: you really loved the reader that much?

The following joke is sponsored by Schnucks. Schnucks... not schmucks... Schnucks: WE GOT TASTEY DONUTS!

Are you a 55 year-old jewish man named Howard?

I don't think TDK is getting a single tech award. Sound for Slum, Sound Mixing for WALL-E. Cinematography for Slum. Heath is the film's lone representation at the end of the evening.

"The folks are still getting saddled with a shitty DVD of Mumbai."

The folks seem to like getting saddled with a "shitty DVD of Mumbai". Look at them trot and canter and gallop to the ballot box with glee.

Hal: they could always drop a THREE DISC/BD like No Country are doing in a couple of weeks. So it's possible in 2010. Fox will release the AWARDS EDITION of Mumbai (Yes; they are slowly ceasing to go to the theatre) on THREE-DISC DVD/BD. WOO!!!! Packaged media rules!

Kris: I would take that bet.

Yes, IOIOIOIO, i really did like the Reader. I had no expectations going in, other than the buzz i had heard about Winslet beforehand and the revelations in the second act.

I like that it was a movie about atrocity without ever having to show the atrocity. The movie i respected the most about the holocaust was Life is Beautiful because it was about trying to protect someone innocent from the atrocities of the world.

The Reader was about someone having to deal with those atrocities through a conenction to someone who had done some horrible things. There's such honesty in Winslet's character, a detachment to it all. She did her job. She didn't view her actions as wrong. There was no malice there, just the kind of malignancy that exists in those who only know how to follow.

We've seen so many films on the subject that are about hope and survival. I liked seeing a movie about the brutal struggle of compassion and forgiveness. By far the most challenging movie i saw all year. I think it's easily the best film among the nominees.

Anghus: that was easily the best defense of The Reader I have ever read. Seeing as I think Life is Beautiful may be only half a ring above that holocaust clown movie Jerry Lewis wanted to make. I may disagree with you in the long run, but you deserve dap for your impassioned defense.

Late to the fray, as usual--but I just have to say I don't get the enthusiasm for "In Bruges". I thought the writing, action and emotions were all a lot more convincing--and entertaining--when they called it "I Went Down".
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126344/

Yeah anghus almost makes me want to see The Reader now, especially since he and I seem to be the only people left who'll admit to liking Life is Beautiful. I can't help but think that a large percentage of that film's haters simply misunderstand Benigni's intention, which anghus sums up nicely.

Josephine, that's funny. The first movie I thought of when I heard about In Bruges was... er, Nuns on the Run. I guess I had Doubt on my mind that day too.

yancy,

I'm with you and anghus on Life is Beautiful. I liked that film quite a lot. Not quite with anghus on The Reader love, but appreciate the thoughtfully written defense.

Josephine: In Bruges is a good movie about limbo. It also features one of the rare scenes of what falling off of a high building does to a person. So it has that going for it, and that's enough.

Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)

URL:
Remember me? YesNo

Comments: