The Oscars, 2007 edition

[sandik]

A link to the Academy's list

oscar nominations

[dirac]

Thanks, sandik. I'm not sure what happened to my original post, but this is what I intended to put up:

Oscar nominations are out:

Article.

Going into nominations day, the best-picture competition looked unusually wide open, with no consensus on a favorite. With Golden Globe musical winner ''Dreamgirls'' out of the running, the race could come down to Golden Globe drama winner ''Babel'' and ''The Departed,'' though ''The Queen'' could be a dark-horse contender as well.

List of nominees.

Couldn’t be happier for Ryan Gosling.

[fadedhour]

I'm excited about Lubezki's nomination for cinematography. I always enjoy his work (especially inThe New World).

[dirac]

'Children of Men' has some truly stunning sequences. It would be nice if it and he received some acknowledgment, but I'm afraid he probably won't win.

[fadedhour]

Agreed. A friend of mine was saying that Pan's Labyrinth received several of the nominations Children of Men might've got in a different year. And actually, a lot of my friends have seen Pan's Labyrinth but not many have seen Children of Men (vice versa for me).

[dirac]

Agreed. A friend of mine was saying that Pan's Labyrinth received several of the nominations Children of Men might've got in a different year. And actually, a lot of my friends have seen Pan's Labyrinth but not many have seen Children of Men (vice versa for me).

That's true - 'Pan's Labyrinth' is getting excellent promotional support and it showed up quickly in my local cineplex and is still running. 'Children of Men' was there for a couple of weeks. I think, however, that 'Babel' really took the place that 'Children of Men' might have had.

Maybe some of the reviews, even the good ones, kept people away too. It sure didn't sound like a lot of fun.

Also, welcome to the forum, fadedhour.

[fadedhour]

I think, however, that 'Babel' really took the place that 'Children of Men' might have had.

I was surprised at its nomination, since everyone I know who has seen it disliked it. I've been kind of avoiding it myself, though I'll see it eventually. I haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth yet, either, but hopefully I will this weekend.

And Little Miss Sunshine - I liked it - but I can think of a few films more deserving of Best Picture.

Maybe some of the reviews, even the good ones, kept people away too. It sure didn't sound like a lot of fun.

Hmm - that's probably true. I was lucky enough to go to an advance screening, knowing almost nothing about it beforehand, which is usually good with movies - in my experience, anyway.

Also, welcome to the forum, fadedhour.

Thank you!

[carbro]

Also, welcome to the forum, fadedhour.

Thank you!

We have a Welcome Page, FH . I invite you to stop by and tell us a bit about yourself.

[fadedhour]

We have a Welcome Page, FH . I invite you to stop by and tell us a bit about yourself.

Oh, I have

[Old Fashioned]

I think, however, that 'Babel' really took the place that 'Children of Men' might have had.

I was surprised at its nomination, since everyone I know who has seen it disliked it. I've been kind of avoiding it myself, though I'll see it eventually. I haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth yet, either, but hopefully I will this weekend.

And Little Miss Sunshine - I liked it - but I can think of a few films more deserving of Best Picture.

Ditto on Little Miss Sunshine.

Babel had to be one of the most painful movie watching experiences for me. I was tempted to leave the theater at times but I trudged through it til the end. I can handle blood and violence, but something about that film struck a nerve. I saw Children of Men and feel it is more deserving of the nomination. There isn't a single film I want to root for in the Best Picture category. I haven't seen The Departed and The Queen and don't really care to (I've seen Infernal Affairs and The Queen just seems a bore). Letters from Iwo Jima is good, but as far as war films go, I didn't think it represented a great departure from the status quo. A bit too idealized, IMO.

It's unfortunate my two favorite films of the year have to compete against each other in the Foreign Language Film category (at least Apocalypto and Iwo Jima are not included). For anyone who has not yet done so, please see The Lives of Others if it is playing near you. I'm no good at reviewing, but the film is a subtle study in human emotions and relationships. The few people in the theater with me last night were transfixed in their seats long after the credits started rolling and a few even managed to clap. I'm predicting that Pan's Labyrinth will leave with the Oscar (the other favorite), but please don't let Lives go unnoticed.

[dirac]

I think, however, that 'Babel' really took the place that 'Children of Men' might have had.

I was surprised at its nomination, since everyone I know who has seen it disliked it. I've been kind of avoiding it myself, though I'll see it eventually. I haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth yet, either, but hopefully I will this weekend.

And Little Miss Sunshine - I liked it - but I can think of a few films more deserving of Best Picture.

Ditto on Little Miss Sunshine.

Babel had to be one of the most painful movie watching experiences for me. I was tempted to leave the theater at times but I trudged through it til the end. I can handle blood and violence, but something about that film struck a nerve. I saw Children of Men and feel it is more deserving of the nomination. There isn't a single film I want to root for in the Best Picture category. I haven't seen The Departed and The Queen and don't really care to (I've seen Infernal Affairs and The Queen just seems a bore). Letters from Iwo Jima is good, but as far as war films go, I didn't think it represented a great departure from the status quo. A bit too idealized, IMO.

It's unfortunate my two favorite films of the year have to compete against each other in the Foreign Language Film category (at least Apocalypto and Iwo Jima are not included). For anyone who has not yet done so, please see The Lives of Others if it is playing near you. I'm no good at reviewing, but the film is a subtle study in human emotions and relationships. The few people in the theater with me last night were transfixed in their seats long after the credits started rolling and a few even managed to clap. I'm predicting that Pan's Labyrinth will leave with the Oscar (the other favorite), but please don't let Lives go unnoticed.

The Lives of Others hasn’t made it to my area yet, but I plan to see it as soon as it does. I agree, Pan’s Labyrinth has to be considered the favorite, but the Academy has made some unlikely choices in this category and can be hard to predict. I don't think it will vanish unnoticed, though.

The Departed is in some ways a step back for Martin Scorsese, but I liked it and it’s an interesting contrast to Infernal Affairs. Like you I have no great stake in the winner this year, but I wouldn't cry if The Departed won. (The two pictures are very different, but I don’t think one is necessarily superior to the other, although I concede that’s a minority opinion.)

I haven’t seen Letters from Iwo Jima yet, but based upon my previous experience with Clint Eastwood movies your estimate sounds about right.

I admit to having gone out of my way to avoid Little Miss Sunshine, although I expect to see it eventually.

As for being no good at reviewing, you're doing just fine.

[fadedhour]

I thought The Queen would be boring, too, but I really enjoyed it. I wouldn't be too enthusiastic about it winning best picture, but I did like it. Good acting, good writing.

I also really liked Letters from Iwo Jima. Maybe because it's the sort of film I'd usually consciously avoid that it was able to surprise me. Lots of good acting there, and I loved that it was in Japanese.

I want to see The Lives of Others, but I don't think it's here yet. The only one of the foreign language films I've seen was After the Wedding, and I highly recommend it. Mads Mikkelsen, who is always good, was in it, and I'm increasingly becoming a fan of the director, Susanne Bier. It ended up being moving--very emotional--in ways I didn't expect. I've only seen a few Danish films, but I'm looking forward to seeing more. I don't think After the Wedding has a chance at the Oscars because of Pan's Labyrinth--but I'll have to see Pan's Labyrinth before I make a judgment on that.

Oh, and I must be one of the only people out there who hasn't seen The Departed yet (and I adore Scorsese). I'm going to try and see it before the Oscars, though.

[mmded]

I would like to put in a recommendation for Deepa Mehta's Water in the Best Foreign film category. She is a Canadian filmaker and Water is one of a trilogy, the others being Earth and Fire. They are all very thought provoking and memorable.

[Anthony_NYC]

Dirac, you should catch "Little Miss Sunshine." Any movie with Toni Collette is worth seeing, and I think Greg Kinnear is a much better actor than people give him credit for. I'm kind of surprised it's up for Best Picture--it's not THAT good--but it's a fun little comedy.

I just saw "The Lives of Others" this past weekend, and enjoyed the really touching performances from the leads, especially Martina Gedeck's. Like Old Fashioned said, it's a good character study, and also just an interesting look at the East German way of life. (I saw it with two friends who grew up there.) In my case the theater was sold out, and it received lots of applause at the end. I wish the final "the fabric of our lives" portion had been cut, but good old hard-line tragedies just aren't the fashion nowadays, I guess.

[Petra]

I saw "Little Miss Sunshine" on DVD. It's rather slight for a Best Picture nomination and a lot less subversive than I expected.

[ami1436]

mmded,

I'd love to hear more of your thoughts on Water... Personally, I loved Earth (but perhaps for purely personal reasons), and was okay with Fire.

Pan's Labyrinth is a beautiful film, although there were scenes that I could not handle....

[Old Fashioned]

I just saw "The Lives of Others" this past weekend, and enjoyed the really touching performances from the leads, especially Martina Gedeck's. Like Old Fashioned said, it's a good character study, and also just an interesting look at the East German way of life. (I saw it with two friends who grew up there.) In my case the theater was sold out, and it received lots of applause at the end. I wish the final "the fabric of our lives" portion had been cut, but good old hard-line tragedies just aren't the fashion nowadays, I guess.

Look up actor Ulrich Muhe's biography on wikipedia. I wonder if the film was partially based on his life.

[dirac]

Dirac, you should catch "Little Miss Sunshine." Any movie with Toni Collette is worth seeing, and I think Greg Kinnear is a much better actor than people give him credit for. I'm kind of surprised it's up for Best Picture--it's not THAT good--but it's a fun little comedy.

I just saw "The Lives of Others" this past weekend, and enjoyed the really touching performances from the leads, especially Martina Gedeck's. Like Old Fashioned said, it's a good character study, and also just an interesting look at the East German way of life. (I saw it with two friends who grew up there.) In my case the theater was sold out, and it received lots of applause at the end. I wish the final "the fabric of our lives" portion had been cut, but good old hard-line tragedies just aren't the fashion nowadays, I guess.

I will see LMS –thanks for the prod. I’m afraid my comment sounded unduly snippy. (The hoopla made me a tad suspicious.)

I really like Kinnear, too, even in Auto Focus, which I thought was misjudged in approach, and he’s been the saving grace in more than one ‘romantic comedy.’ It sounds like a very good part for him, too.

mmded, I too would like to hear more of your thoughts on 'Water' and the other parts of the trilogy. I missed it when it came out but it's on my list.

[fadedhour]

I really like Kinnear, too, even in Auto Focus, which I thought was misjudged in approach

Oh, I'd been thinking of seeing that, but all the negative reviews made me reconsider. Maybe I'll give it a try, though.

[dirac]

Kinnear isn’t quite up to the demands of the last part of the film and Bob Crane as a performer had a certain knowingness Kinnear couldn’t or didn’t reproduce, but he’s still really good (so are Willem Dafoe and Kurt Fuller).

The movie itself might have been better if it had been made with a little humor, which Paul Schrader isn't known for, and less head-shaking, but it was okay. (It helps to have watched a lot of Hogan's Heroes, which I admit I did in my time.)

[Helene]

I saw "Little Miss Sunshine" on DVD. It's rather slight for a Best Picture nomination and a lot less subversive than I expected.

That's it! I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Little Miss Sunshine was the first of five movies I saw on the two long flights. (The others were Babel, Borat, The Hours, and Walk the Line.)

I did, though, love the scene in the diner where our heroine orders ice cream with her waffles.

[dirac]

Pan's Labyrinth is a beautiful film, although there were scenes that I could not handle....

Indeed.

I was also impressed by the way even the most monstrous character is still a recognizable person, not a cartoon.

[dirac]

Anthony_NYC writes:

I just saw "The Lives of Others" this past weekend, and enjoyed the really touching performances from the leads, especially Martina Gedeck's. Like Old Fashioned said, it's a good character study, and also just an interesting look at the East German way of life. (I saw it with two friends who grew up there.) In my case the theater was sold out, and it received lots of applause at the end. I wish the final "the fabric of our lives" portion had been cut, but good old hard-line tragedies just aren't the fashion nowadays, I guess.

Saw the movie yesterday. I was on the fence about the conclusion and finally decided, presiding-judge style, that “I’ll allow it.” It was in keeping with a certain sentimental thread running through the film and in a way it was fitting. It’s true, I expected the movie to end at that certain tragic point, yet there’s a need to follow through. I’ll say this – you come out of the theatre with the feeling that you’ve really seen something. The reaction at the end of the show I saw was similar to that reported by Old Fashioned – people remained quiet in their seats and nobody got up quickly, there was silence, and then a really big hand.

[fadedhour]

The movie itself might have been better if it had been made with a little humor, which Paul Schrader isn't known for, and less head-shaking, but it was okay. (It helps to have watched a lot of Hogan's Heroes, which I admit I did in my time.)

I watched a fair amount of Hogan's Heroes when I was younger, for some reason, so this can be another part of my childhood that's corrupted. Hurrah!

I think people should applaud more at films. OK, the people you're applauding aren't there to see it, but still! Sometimes I think the audience just needs a little prompting.

On the other hand, if applause isn't necessary, then leave it be. Like with standing ovations--it bothers me that almost every performance of any sort I attend gets one. It seems to undermine the ones given to truly deserving performances.

[richard53dog]

On the other hand, if applause isn't necessary, then leave it be. Like with standing ovations--it bothers me that almost every performance of any sort I attend gets one. It seems to undermine the ones given to truly deserving performances.

This ticks me off too. Every school play, every live performance of any genre all seem to get automatic

standing ovations (ASO).

It's like a currency that is completely worthless. How do you honor the truly fine performance? Pretty difficult!