Academy Awards 2010

[cubanmiamiboy]

I think she deserved the 'Morning Glory' one as well (although I haven't looked up who the competition was)

Australian-born actress May Robson (with her sole nomination) as Apple Annie in Lady for a Day and Diana Wynyard (with her sole nomination) as the wife/mother Jane Marryot in Cavalcade (she was the only member of the cast to be award-nominated) .

[dirac]

vagansmom writes:

Re Up in the Air: I saw this movie right at the time when all the hype was out about it. I read one review after another that were practically gushing in their reverence. I simply don't get it. I think that Hollywood and critics are all smitten with George Clooney to the point where they believe that anything he does is worthy of the gods. I have lots of respect for Clooney myself, but this was just a grade B movie. It had all the trappings, but none of the essence of a great movie.

Up in the Air was overrated a bit, but that may be because serious mainstream movies for and with adults are thinner on the ground than they used to be. I wouldn't call it a Grade B film, though (that's The Blind Side).

I regret to say that I did think Clooney was phoning it in this time.

[cubanmiamiboy]

I loved "The Last Station". Mirren was SUPERB as Tolstoy's wife, Countess Sofya Tolstoya... Can't even IMAGINE Bullock topping that...

[miliosr]

I'm known for taking unpopular stances on this board so here goes: I thought Bullock's win was well-earned. She had to alternate between comedy and drama, which is not easy to do. In the hands of the wrong actress, the role could have been cringe-inducing. But she brought just the right amount of tartness to the part to keep the cloying sentimentality at bay.

[dirac]

I'm known for taking unpopular stances on this board so here goes: I thought Bullock's win was well-earned. She had to alternate between comedy and drama, which is not easy to do. In the hands of the wrong actress, the role could have been cringe-inducing. But she brought just the right amount of tartness to the part to keep the cloying sentimentality at bay.

I agree for the most part. I thought she did as well as anyone could have with the material on hand and given the competition in the category this year it’s not an outrageous choice by any means, although in a better season I might feel differently. (For me the role was still cringe-inducing but it was no fault of Bullock’s.) They don’t give out Oscars for romcoms like While You Were Sleeping, where she was wonderful, so if she can get one this way it's okay by me.

[4mrdncr]

Sorry, didn't know exactly where to put this... (It's a little OT)

I haven't seen The Hurt Locker yet, not playing anywhere near, so have to wait for video or maybe mom's Netflix account to get it. But anyways...

Does anyone remember a BBC series from ('70's / '80's ?) called "Danger UXB"? It was on PBS' Masterpiece Theatre. Of course UXB stood for 'unexploded bomb' (maybe because the general public wouldn't know what 'ordanance' was?) The series was about a WWII bomb-disposal squad, headed by a Royal Engineer, played by Anthony Andrews. The government thought the engineers would be the best to deal with the problem during/after the Blitz, but of course they had limited training or knowledge, technique was a matter of trial and error, and the German bomb detonators and designs kept changing. So even though every episode seemed to have the edge-of-your-seat diffusing sequence, because of the above, each case was different and affected the officers, rankers, and British public differently. I particularly remember an episode in which they tried 'dry ice' to freeze the detonator so it could be removed safely, and another episode about "butterfly bombs" which were of particular danger to children who might think they were an interesting toy, with tragic consequences. (spoiler) In a later episode, our hero, himself, was severely affected by a late discovery under a dock. BTW: Alistair Cooke was great as the host, because he had lived through the time in question and remembered many details which helped us non-Brits understand the action and consequences.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Bullock's award reminded me of Robert's "Erin Brockovich"...when I just went like ..."Oh, really...?"

[papeetepatrick]

Bullock's award reminded me of Robert's "Erin Brockovich"...when I just went like ..."Oh, really...?"

That's more the way I felt about Kidman's award. I thought she was the least interesting thing in 'The Hours', and both Streep and esp. Moore were both much better. I don't really think Julia Roberts is such a great actress, but I did think she was very good in 'Erin Brokovich', which is conventional, but enjoyable, pulp, sort of 'Norma Rae Revisited'.

[SandyMcKean]

I haven't seen The Hurt Locker yet, not playing anywhere near, so have to wait for video or maybe mom's Netflix account to get it.

I know you can get it at Netflix since I got it from Netflix (in Blu-ray) on 1/12/10. So it's out on DVD now. I presume it can be had at any large DVD rental store as well (of course, after Sunday, all copies are likely checked out ).

[cubanmiamiboy]

Bullock's award reminded me of Robert's "Erin Brockovich"...when I just went like ..."Oh, really...?"

That's more the way I felt about Kidman's award. I thought she was the least interesting thing in 'The Hours', and both Streep and esp. Moore were both much better. I don't really think Julia Roberts is such a great actress, but I did think she was very good in 'Erin Brokovich', which is conventional, but enjoyable, pulp, sort of 'Norma Rae Revisited'.

Oh Patrick... Moore DEFINITELY topped Kidman there-(whom I can't EVER seem to "get". A totally watered down performance, prosthetic nose and everything...)

[papeetepatrick]

Cristian, I can't even believe that nose, it was so obviously awful. But, I too, never have found Kidman effective in anything I've seen her in, although she's a lovely person, and generous. I once saw her on Oprah talking about how happy she was that her fellow Australian Naomi Watts, so great in "mulholland drive', was getting this big career. Actors are nicer about each other than they were in the Old-Glamour Days, in which you weren't supposed to mention one to the other, and they certainly weren't going to publicize their 'colleagues'. That could be a plus, but it might also mean they aren't being selfish enough to be as glamorous as they need to be

[dirac]

I know you can get it at Netflix since I got it from Netflix (in Blu-ray) on 1/12/10. So it's out on DVD now. I presume it can be had at any large DVD rental store as well (of course, after Sunday, all copies are likely checked out

There were still copies of The Hurt Locker on the shelves at my local Blockbuster as of Tuesday, which I continue to patronize. ( I appreciate having a place to browse, although Netflix is great to have around. Hang in there, Blockbuster. )

[dirac]

That's more the way I felt about Kidman's award. I thought she was the least interesting thing in 'The Hours', and both Streep and esp. Moore were both much better. I don't really think Julia Roberts is such a great actress, but I did think she was very good in 'Erin Brokovich', which is conventional, but enjoyable, pulp, sort of 'Norma Rae Revisited'.

Roberts was fine in Erin Brockovich. She did have the advantage of a better script to work with than Bullock (and a better director, Steven Soderbergh). I would certainly disagree strongly with the characterization of Erin Brockovich or Norma Rae as pulp. Norma Rae in particular is a very good film and stands the test of time well. It also had a fine part for Ron Leibman, who could go over the top but was just right here. There is a kinship between the two movies, and at the time EB was referred to as Roberts' NR - in both instances an actor associated with lighter roles plays a working class heroine and wins and Oscar.

Kidman was excellent in The Hours. The role was a little small – I don’t think she was onscreen longer than thirty minutes, and Streep’s character really carries the main part of the movie – but she was very good. I think her main rival for Best Actress that year was considered to be Renee Zellweger for Chicago, a much worse choice. But then I thought the best performance in The Hours came from Jeff Daniels anyway. Kidman gave a terrible speech that year, though.

Does anyone remember a BBC series from ('70's / '80's ?) called "Danger UXB"?

Sorry, 4mrdncr, I remember the name, but that’s all. It sounds great from your description, though.

Thanks for contributing, everyone!

[papeetepatrick]

I would certainly disagree strongly with the characterization of Erin Brockovich or Norma Rae as pulp. Norma Rae in particular is a very good film and stands the test of time well.

I don't use the word 'pulp' disparagingly, but even sometimes referring to good fictional materials as pulp. I probably shouldn't use it this way routinely and everywhere, though, because I see it's not widely accepted that way. I know someone who says Shakespears is 'good pulp', that's further than I am able to go. I also think the stories both of these films were telling were important, but rather that the conventional storytelling movie is just pretty predictable. By my definition, I'd even call 'Kinsey' pulp, and maybe even 'History of Violence', although I thought the first was a good and the second a brilliant film. Now, as for 'Inglourious Basterds', I think that is total pulp in every sense, not just including the ways in which Tarantino wanted it to be. I think all of his movies are pulp, and 'Pulp Fiction' popularized the term in a way it had never enjoyed before. Both of the 'Kill Bill' movies are total pulp, in the bad sense IMO. I have very little respect for this director, although its quirkiness has found a following. Btw, the Auchincloss novels like 'World of Profit' are a form of pulp by this definition too, and I've just put holds on a bunch of the later ones I've never read. However, I think you are right to point this out, because I don't think this use of pulp that I use for a lot of fiction (it's true I'd never use if for DeLillo, Didion, Faulkner, Hemingway, etc) is going to be understood as being used for many very fine works which are very entertaining and maybe even tell an important story Ias did Brockovich and Norma Rae), but that are just pretty much straightforward narrative fictions, filmed or written--good and even almost-great, but not quite masterpieces.

Now that you've coined that phrase'body of work award', I suspect Tom Cruise will get one of those at one point, such things are inevitable (nobody would have ever dreamed how far Clint Eastwood would go from the old Rawhide days.). Although Robert Mitchum never got proper homage paid at all, as far as I know. Also, the awards ceremonies themselves are always hierarchical. It's ridiculous 'Mulholland Drive' wasn't nominated if the Academy was adventurous at all, and it isn't (nor really supposed to be; it's the Establishment you're getting, and that's really what it's supposed to be.). And Naomi Watts got only a Golden Globe nomination. Hadn't paid enough dues yet. I do agree that sometimes the Best Picture really is the best, as in 'No Country for Old Men'. God know 'All About Eve' is as good as anything ever made in Hollywood, and it certainly won it.

Edited to add: I just looked up the other best actress nominees when Nicole got hers, and Julianne Moore was nominated for 'Far from Heaven'. I thought Cristian was talking about her role in the hours, which I guess is a more supporting role. Hard to believe Renee Zellweger was paid any attention to in 'Chicago', I thought she was truly terrible, absolutely could not dance. Yeah, Moore in 'Far from Heaven' would have been my choice, I thought she was great in that, but so what. Kidman's Oscar that year might have been a 'body of work' Oscar, it was 'her time', as with Bridges, maybe, but I haven't seen Bridges's winning perf.

[SandyMcKean]

I appreciate having a place to browse, although Netflix is great to have around. Hang in there, Blockbuster.

I actually find it easier to "browse" at Netflix. I can spot a movie, click to read critic reviews, perhaps get interested in what other movies that director has done (another quick click), get a quick bio on someone. I'd call my browsing experience at Netflix "multi-dimensional".....but it's true I have to have some idea where to start, I can't just walk up and down the aisles (altho Netflix does have webpages where you can go to the equivalent of a genre section and literally browse titles).

[dirac]

I find the internet is great for looking for things you already think you want, but while browsing in person I often come across items I never thought about. Also, Blockbuster is keeping some of the locals gainfully employed, which I appreciate in these hard times - my area has been especially hard hit. There's room for both.

Now, as for 'Inglourious Basterds', I think that is total pulp in every sense, not just including the ways in which Tarantino wanted it to be.

I don't think pulp is bad in and of itself, and indeed of the movies that actually had a shot at Best Picture this year I would have chosen Inglourious Basterds after Avatar, although as I mentioned on the thread for the movie I had problems with it.