Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Benjamin Button Runaway Lead in Oscar Race
Yeah I think Downey's gonna get it based on that as well. I rather liked Downey in Tropic Thunder, but considering that the voting pool is made up of over 1200 actors, I think he was nominated for everything he's done since Weird Science. Well, okay, maybe Heart and Soul. On Jan 23, 2009, at 12:03 PM, B. Smith wrote: I think Downey's nomination is more for his cumulative work this year. His work was good in Tropic Thunder(cringe inducing but good) but not really that much better than other comedic performances I saw last year. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, keithbjohn...@... wrote: Interesting picks. Anyone seen Benjamin Button? Is it worth an Oscar nomination? I've heard mixed reviews, knew some people who said it was good, but certainly i've not heard buzz on this level. Slumdog Millionaire certainly is worth the nomination, in my opinion. However, as always, I'm struck by this whole ridiculous end-of-year loading, where films released at the end of the year get the lion's share of nominations. For example, The Visitor is a fantastic movie, even earning a nod for its lead actor, but not chosen for Best Picture, which is odd. I don't understand the exact workings of the system, but it's really silly how the best films are held for year-end. Why can't Academy voters make picks throughout the year? I also wonder about the focus on so-called star power sometimes. Angelina Jolie, for example, does a good job in Changeling, but it's not what I'd call Oscar quality. And while so much talk is on Jolie and Winslet and the usual suspects, of greater note to me are the selections of two black women for Best Supporting roles: Viola Davis in Doubt, and Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. And also really noteworthy--and hardly mentioned-- is the come-from -nowhere nod to Melissa Leo for Best Actress in Frozen River. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I've heard really great things about her performance, and I know she's a great actress (she played detective Kay Howard on Homicide). Yet all the news and entertainment shows I read today only focused on the same old stars. One entertainment show I watched even completely omitted Leo's name when they were reading the nominations! Oh--and is Robert Downey, Jr. worth it for Tropic Thunder? * `Button' rules Oscars, Batman's a bridesmaid By DAVID GERMAIN AP Movie Writer BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the Academy Awards heavyweight with 13 nominations, yet the shadow of Batman loomed large with the absence of The Dark Knight in the best- picture race. An epic romance that earned a best-actor nomination for Brad Pitt and a directing spot for David Fincher, Benjamin Button was joined in the best-picture category Thursday by the Richard Nixon tale Frost/Nixon, the chronicle of gay-rights leader Harvey Milk in Milk, the Holocaust-themed drama The Reader and the rags-to- riches crowd-pleaser Slumdog Millionaire. The Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight had picked up so much momentum from honors by Hollywood trade unions that awards watchers generally thought it would land a best-picture nomination. Benjamin Button producer Frank Marshall said it was a bit of a surprise that his movie would not be competing with The Dark Knight for the top prize. The fact that `The Dark Knight' did so well at the box office was probably a good thing and maybe a not-so-good thing, Marshall said. People tend to think films as successful as that are not well made, but certainly, `Dark Knight' is exceptionally well made. As expected, Dark Knight co-star Heath Ledger earned a supporting- actor nomination on the one-year anniversary of his death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. If Ledger wins, he would become only the second actor to receive an Oscar posthumously, following Peter Finch, the best-actor recipient for 1976's Network. Josh Brolin, competing against Ledger with a supporting-actor nomination for Milk, said the acclaim for Ledger was bittersweet. It's too bad, because every time I think of Heath, I'm split down the middle, Brolin said. I think of his performance. I think of the work that he's done, and then the fact that this tragedy happened. It's an uncomfortable situation, for sure, but it makes sense to me, because I thought he did a bang-out job. The Dark Knight picked up seven other nominations for technical achievement, among them cinematography and visual effects. Yet it missed out on other major categories, including directing and screenplay. The directors and writers guilds both had nominated The Dark Knight for their top honors, while the Producers Guild of America nominated it for the year's best film. Benjamin Button leads a bold batch of best-picture candidates, among them Golden Globes champ Slumdog Millionaire, which came in second at the Oscars with 10 nominations. Based on an F. Scott Fitzgerald
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Benjamin Button Runaway Lead in Oscar Race
You really think they're rewarding him for past performances, given that most of those were pre-burnout? Also, why cringe inducing? The racial aspect? Finally, this idea of combining comedic and dramatic performances in one award never made sense to me. The whole acting process is split broadly into comedy and drama. Other award systems separate comedy and drama. Why doesn't the Academy create Best Comedic Actor/Actress, and Best Dramatic Actor/Actress categories? Every year you hear all the talk about how comedic movies and actors suffer by comparison to weepy dramas. Again, i just don't get it... -- Original message -- From: B. Smith daikaij...@yahoo.com I think Downey's nomination is more for his cumulative work this year. His work was good in Tropic Thunder(cringe inducing but good) but not really that much better than other comedic performances I saw last year. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, keithbjohn...@... wrote: Interesting picks. Anyone seen Benjamin Button? Is it worth an Oscar nomination? I've heard mixed reviews, knew some people who said it was good, but certainly i've not heard buzz on this level. Slumdog Millionaire certainly is worth the nomination, in my opinion. However, as always, I'm struck by this whole ridiculous end-of-year loading, where films released at the end of the year get the lion's share of nominations. For example, The Visitor is a fantastic movie, even earning a nod for its lead actor, but not chosen for Best Picture, which is odd. I don't understand the exact workings of the system, but it's really silly how the best films are held for year-end. Why can't Academy voters make picks throughout the year? I also wonder about the focus on so-called star power sometimes. Angelina Jolie, for example, does a good job in Changeling, but it's not what I'd call Oscar quality. And while so much talk is on Jolie and Winslet and the usual suspects, of greater note to me are the selections of two black women for Best Supporting roles: Viola Davis in Doubt, and Taraji P. Henson in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. And also really noteworthy--and hardly mentioned-- is the come-from -nowhere nod to Melissa Leo for Best Actress in Frozen River. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I've heard really great things about her performance, and I know she's a great actress (she played detective Kay Howard on Homicide). Yet all the news and entertainment shows I read today only focused on the same old stars. One entertainment show I watched even completely omitted Leo's name when they were reading the nominations! Oh--and is Robert Downey, Jr. worth it for Tropic Thunder? * `Button' rules Oscars, Batman's a bridesmaid By DAVID GERMAIN AP Movie Writer BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the Academy Awards heavyweight with 13 nominations, yet the shadow of Batman loomed large with the absence of The Dark Knight in the best- picture race. An epic romance that earned a best-actor nomination for Brad Pitt and a directing spot for David Fincher, Benjamin Button was joined in the best-picture category Thursday by the Richard Nixon tale Frost/Nixon, the chronicle of gay-rights leader Harvey Milk in Milk, the Holocaust-themed drama The Reader and the rags-to- riches crowd-pleaser Slumdog Millionaire. The Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight had picked up so much momentum from honors by Hollywood trade unions that awards watchers generally thought it would land a best-picture nomination. Benjamin Button producer Frank Marshall said it was a bit of a surprise that his movie would not be competing with The Dark Knight for the top prize. The fact that `The Dark Knight' did so well at the box office was probably a good thing and maybe a not-so-good thing, Marshall said. People tend to think films as successful as that are not well made, but certainly, `Dark Knight' is exceptionally well made. As expected, Dark Knight co-star Heath Ledger earned a supporting- actor nomination on the one-year anniversary of his death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. If Ledger wins, he would become only the second actor to receive an Oscar posthumously, following Peter Finch, the best-actor recipient for 1976's Network. Josh Brolin, competing against Ledger with a supporting-actor nomination for Milk, said the acclaim for Ledger was bittersweet. It's too bad, because every time I think of Heath, I'm split down the middle, Brolin said. I think of his performance. I think of the work that he's done, and then the fact that this tragedy happened. It's an uncomfortable situation, for sure, but it makes sense to me, because I thought he did a bang-out job. The Dark Knight picked up seven other nominations for
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Benjamin Button Runaway Lead in Oscar Race
I guess that star power wins out. Like I said, i was appalled to see a local entertainment show where the anchors went on and on about Brad and Angelina, etc., and completely ignored Melissa Leo, to the point of not even reading her name as one of the nominees. -- Original message -- From: marian_changling md_moor...@yahoo.com I've seen it. It was filmed locally so I am biased: I loved the film, but it doesn't touch the heart as Slumdog Millionaire does. Some of the themes in BB are repeated more than once, but perhaps that is necessary for american viewers. (At least Hollywood thinks so). Even though some reviewers did not like the frame story, I think that it worked. The cinematography was absolutely gorgeous. Nothing beat that. The reverse aging process was wonderful. What fails is the slimness of storyline. However, it definitely deserved a nomination. I would say that you're right: The Visitor deserved a nomination. It is probably a better drama than BB. --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, keithbjohn...@... wrote: Interesting picks. Anyone seen Benjamin Button? Is it worth an Oscar nomination? I've heard mixed reviews, knew some people who said it was good, but certainly i've not heard buzz on this level. Slumdog Millionaire certainly is worth the nomination, in my opinion. ---BeginMessage--- I've seen it. It was filmed locally so I am biased: I loved the film, but it doesn't touch the heart as Slumdog Millionaire does. Some of the themes in BB are repeated more than once, but perhaps that is necessary for american viewers. (At least Hollywood thinks so). Even though some reviewers did not like the frame story, I think that it worked. The cinematography was absolutely gorgeous. Nothing beat that. The reverse aging process was wonderful. What fails is the slimness of storyline. However, it definitely deserved a nomination. I would say that you're right: The Visitor deserved a nomination. It is probably a better drama than BB. --- In scifino...@yahoogroups.com, KeithBJohnson@... wrote: Interesting picks. Anyone seen Benjamin Button? Is it worth an Oscar nomination? I've heard mixed reviews, knew some people who said it was good, but certainly i've not heard buzz on this level. Slumdog Millionaire certainly is worth the nomination, in my opinion. ---End Message---
