The Oscars

[ivyblossom]

I'm excited about the Oscars this year only because I intend to watch them with my friend treehavn, who has never gotten to see them live before. But otherwise, slim pickin's for films this year, eh?

All these nominations for Cold Mountain! What, someone liked that film? I didn't see a single good review of Cold Mountain. I just heard a lot of complaints about the over the top accents. If you cop an outrageous accent you get a nomination, is that it? I mean, I'm glad Johnny Depp is getting some recognition, because he's a great actor, but note that he only gets any attention when he cops an outrageous accent.

Here's where my real problem is: Seabiscuit. What really gets me is that SEABISCUIT is not only nominated for best film, but also for EDITING. Presumably for NOT DOING IT, because editing was severely lacking in this film. I liked the film, I did; Tobey Maguire was great and all that. And I was routing for the horse. But the film takes 45 minutes to start, gives us way too much backstory on all the characters (can we get shots of them all being born, learning to walk, tie their shoes, and eat spagetti with a fork too while we're at it?) and then they do this laughable thing with voiceover narrative history lessons. Like, make a decision, be a film or be a documentary, that voiceover dragged me out of the story every damn time.

I have no quarrels with ROTK being there. Not one.

Comments

[little-needle.livejournal.com]

I have no quarrels with ROTK being there. Not one.

Fuck. Yes. >:)

[layha.livejournal.com]

Can I just take this one step further and state, for the record, that I did not like Seabiscuit one single iota?

KTHX, that's all.

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

*Thank* you for your comment about the insanity of nominating Seabiscuit for editing. In the end, I liked the film, too, but I swear I spent the first 45 minutes muttering "Okay, I got it...get on with the story!"

[luciusmalfoy.livejournal.com]

I'm all for Master and Commander. That was the best movie I've seen in AGES.

I'm surprised anyone went to see Cold Mountain. Fuck, it looked like crap.

[treehavn.livejournal.com]

Yes, when I came out of the cinema I was quite sorry for Peter Weir that it had come out in the same year as RoTK. Otherwise I think it would have gotten more attention, and more awards.
Cold Mountain = looks utterly gash.

[adolfa.livejournal.com]

Seabiscuit was also nominated for best costumes, which is pretty odd, considering the costumes were, what, a jockey uniform and some tattered thrift store clothes? Not that I didn't enjoy the movie, but o.O? The costumes were nothing special or even notable.

And on the topic of Cold Mountain - I'm honestly surprised there are this many people that hate it! ;_; Then again, I may be biased, since it did eat my soul and all. Still.

[phineasjones.livejournal.com]

What really gets me is that SEABISCUIT is not only nominated for best film, but also for EDITING.

amen, sister.

[innerslytherin]

You know, speaking as a Civil War historian (which I am, if amateur), I have to say that Cold Mountain was technically good in many things. It did accurately portray the setting. I mean, no, not everyone lived like that, but as far as the characters and stuff--that was pretty accurate. I thought Renee Zellweiger did a good job with her character. And Nicole and Jude were pretty good, too.

What sucked was the story. I never read the book, I resisted because I knew I would hate the fact that the character was a deserter, because that just ticks me off. But I went to the movie under duress, and hated it. Charles Frazier used emotional blackmail, and that is the biggest thing in the world that I hate in an author. The syntax can be poor, the writing stream-of-consciousness, the dialogue written without quotes---I'll forgive all that, as long as there's no emotional blackmail.

I hate being forced to feel a certain way. It really makes me angry.


(oops, sorry! Didn't mean to rant on your journal!)

But yeah, slim pickings indeed. Here's hoping ROTK gets the one it deserves.

[treehavn.livejournal.com]

I saw Seabiscuit just the other day, in fact. And...yeh. I think I commented to someone that, yes, it was a good film, but not the sort you'd watch if you want to be entertained. It just happens, and if you are in the right mood with the right patience then you enjoy it.
The action sequences with Tobey Maguire bobbing up and down on a stuffed horse head made me laugh out loud, mind.

I keep thinking I should go watch Cold Mountain because of all the press attention it's getting, but then I think "A Beautiful Mind and the urge goes away. Also, while I'm racking up the comment length with films that get all the hype but which aren't spectacular - Mystic River. I read the book, I wanted to see the film. Yes, it was good. Sean Penn was quite excellent, as always. Tim Robbins completely ruined it, in my opinion, through hysterics covering as acting. It was long and weighty and worthy. Hmmm. Master and Commander rocks, not just because the slashiness is so close to the surface you could scrape it off with a spoon. I'd like to see City of God win lots of awards, because it's one of the best films to come out last year.

I'm glad Samantha Morton got recognised again, though, because she is my movie-star girlfriend. Okay, I'm spent. Must go make tea now.

[xturtle.livejournal.com]

I had a very bad experience with Mystic River -- I was on a crappy first date, and each scene just kept going on and on. I'm convinced the movie could have been at least half an hour shorter without shortchanging the story. And Tim Robbins made me squirm. Overall, I can't fathom what all the hype was about.

Also, hi Ivy. I don't delurk very often, but always enjoy reading what you have to say.

CJ

[pipsqueaky.livejournal.com]

God, I felt the EXACT same way about Seabiscuit. In the end, it was an okay film, but the first hour was just torture. They kept switching back and forth between all the different characters' stories with no rhyme or reason to any of it, and I got lost and couldn't tell who was who. Plus, the little kid dying in the car accident? Cheap. So very, very cheap.

Didn't see Cold Mountain, and am now grateful for it.

[noblerot.livejournal.com]

Hated Mystic River. HATED IT. So of course it'll sweep the awards. Just you wait.

[windsor.livejournal.com]

I have no quarrels with ROTK being there. Not one.

:D!!! <3 That movie deserves to win. Oh, man.