Having seen only two of this year's Best Picture nominees, I can't offer superlatives. I saw American Sniper and gave my thoughts here. Last night, I watched Richard Linklater's Boyhood and in my opinion, it's the better picture.
I like most of Linklater's movies - perhaps because he is my age and he knows the 1970's Zeitgeist and beyond from my perspective. I've liked his movies ever since Dazed And Confused -- a vastly underrated movie in my opinion.
Boyhood uses Linklater's original lapsed-time cinematography which is an art form unto itself. I liked it in his Before...trilogy and I like it in Boyhood. Of course, it portends there being a subsequent film called Manhood. :0
Boyhood is really a movie for people who had kids during that time period. The back talk scenes are priceless as are the moments when parents and child really do connect. And there is something very alluring about Patricia Arquette which made me realize that Nicholas Cage is a fortunate man.
My Oscar predictions: Either American Sniper or Boyhood for Best Picture. I'd be happy with either.
40 comments:
I dunno.
I had kids at that time. The Boy was a kid at the time. We liked it and all, but doesn't strike us as Best Picture.
My review.
My blog hero likes a crap movie?
Total BS.
I'm reeling. REEELING.
OK - the movie was horrible and boring. It's only saving grace was Patricia A. She is not a stellar actress, but she is easy and pleasant to watch.
I predict Boyhood will win because it's vapid. Pot smoking, pot brownie, kid-to teen time trick with a real boy!, plenty of GWB /Republican bashing and a nice dose of "if you don't support Obama you're a red-necked confederate flag flying racist."
Which at this point, is beyond stale.
I'll be watching PBS tonight and drinking enough wine to pass out early. I avoid the self-congratulatory parade of wealthy leftists handing out golden cow statues-- on an annual basis.
Prediction: They will do what they can to skewer Rudy G and Scott Walker tonight. Watch. Perhaps even a free Hillary campaign spot, too. So it begins.
Pot smoking, pot brownie, kid-to teen time trick with a real boy!, plenty of GWB /Republican bashing and a nice dose of "if you don't support Obama you're a red-necked confederate flag flying racist."
Wait! You don't think that was caricature instead of Linklater's character?
Prediction: They will do what they can to skewer Rudy G and Scott Walker tonight. Watch. Perhaps even a free Hillary campaign spot, too. So it begins.
I will be watching. For that.
Sorry we disagree about "Boyhood," April. At least we have Roxy Music.
Thanks for the link Blake. Did you write anything more comprehensive about the year in toto? I'd like to front page it here.
I haven't seen any of the nominees.
Wait! You don't think that was caricature instead of Linklater's character?
That specific caricature is/was reality. I, you, and others were characterized as JUST that. If you were not on board with Obama, you were a racist. That theme hasn't died, either. Just read the NY Times, circa today.
I'd like my 3 hours back. I wish I wasn't even commenting on it. Really.
The movie had its saving graces on the margins, I suppose, but I have no idea why it would be considered worthy of a golden statue?
Then again, I think the whole "yet another Hollywood award ceremony show" is culturally ridiculous and I reject the paradigm completely. Our culture is so geared towards sacred golden cow worship, it bothers me deeply. It extends to politics, and that bothers me even more. We are ready to throw our democracy, - our constitutional republic away all for a popularity contest.
and if that picture is up for an award, it says a lot about the movie industry. It's in the toilet.
I will not be watching this Hollywood carpets that celebrates Hollywood crapola.
It's crap.
Instead I wii enjoy a Limey double feature of "Downton Abbey" and "Grantchester!"
At least someone is finally going to kill ISIS.
Should have read Hollywood Crapfest.
Damn autocorrect.
Oh and one more thing. It's crap.
In fairness, I thought before sunset and after sunset and under the sunset and after the morning sunrise were all pretty good. Much better than Boyhood.
Better yet. They just put the "The. Quiet Man" on Netfix.
Why waste your time on commie drivel when you can see perfection?
You and me both, Troop. Downton Abbey rocks. I love me some British pomposity soap-opera.
I rarely state any adoration for actors but I do like Maggie Smith.
The Oscars had damn-well better not pre-empt my "Downton Abbey" (9 PM PST).
I too adore Maggie Smith. She has something the other female actresses lack in the series. Troop knows what I'm talking about.
Trooper York said...
Should have read Hollywood Crapfest.
It always turns into a carpfest which is sort of a hybrid between crapfest and carpets.
One more section of boyhood that provided irritation:
When Patricia's character married the ex-combat guy and he stated something like "We were nice to the enemy and we didn't get killed... the other troops were mean to the enemy and they did get killed." Right.
The essence of liberal appeasement thinking. If only we appease ____[Hitler], he will surely be nice to us. He will spare us!
Yes, but the combat husband had a loser argument and was a loser character in the movie.
It's not a given that Linklater was calling all combat soldiers losers.
Anyways, maybe we'll find out tonight at the awards speeches if he wins.
Michael Apted beat Richard Linklater to it by fifty years. Anyone ever see the 7 Up movies? Apted filmed and interviewed a diverse group of children at age seven. He subsequently interviewed them every seven years. I believe his subjects are into their fifties now. We see the full arc of their lives. The lives don't turn out as you would expect. Very few lives do. It's a very haunting series of films..........The most enjoyable movie I saw this year was Guardians of the Galaxy.
Along with my wife the other night I saw The Master (2012). I wish I were qualified to say that it is a work of pure cinematic genius, but I am not so qualified.
The movie is not so much a story about various people living their lives as as it is an explanation of the more disturbing processes of a single emblematic mind.
Perhaps now would be a good time to mention that I found it impossible to watch Amy Adams' acting without feeling this weirdly inarticulable, desperate and anxiety-ridden need to have her want me in the most profoundly sexual way humanly possible.
William said...
Michael Apted beat Richard Linklater to it by fifty years.
Point taken. But documentary and drama are distinct genera.
Drew Carey tweets:
"Glad that Better Call Saul, Walking Dead, and The Jinx all have original episodes tonight so I don't have to watch Hollywood blow itself
hehe
Snow day ramblings. Forgive me.
Her husbands all descended into alcoholism and madness while she stayed cool. The ex-husband father ended up looking like not such a bad deal because he was a good father. He stayed interested in his own kids. A good thing to be sure, but he was the only likable male character and he was a GWB hating/Obama adoring schumcuk.
After the residue is spun out,. that's all that is left. The turd droppings of hollywad agenda propaganda. But then perhaps I'm too sensitive and I should get over it?
In any case, I liked Guardians of the Galaxy (thanks Synova!) It was fun and silly entertainment. w/ zero right/left politics. The minute Hollywood interjects their leftwing spin, I get pissed. I'm looking at you fascist your own child marrying weirdo Woody Allen.
+ a talking racoon who was not a total dick.
American Sniper winning?? WTF you smokin' dude? I would love to gamble against you.
Saw a piece on local news. Since the Oscars have been televised God has been thanked 19 times and Spielberg 41 times.
I just saw Mr.Turner. Is it included in the films nominated for best picture? It should be. And the actor who plays Turner, Tim Spalls, should be up for best lead actor as well. Most important, there's a very realistic scene in which Turner quick shtups the maid. For that alone it's worth the price of admission.
ndspinelli said...
American Sniper winning?? WTF you smokin' dude? I would love to gamble against you.
If the game s rigged, Selma will sweep.
I'm many years behind, going through a survey of romantic comedy DVDs, following an idea of Stanley Cavell's.
Most are formula without any insights about sexual difference, and variously entertaining.
Two pretty good ones are The Proposal, and Two Weeks Notice, both with Sandra Bullock.
Also Notting Hill with Julia Roberts.
Hugh Grant turns up a lot as the male lead in the good ones, I think taking the male comfort with humor compared to the just-as-smart woman he's opposite, as the insight.
Bullock has a probably natural talk-over-the-male way that's entertaining and plays well with a good male lead.
That's out of about 150 DVDs, so I've saved you a lot of money.
Other male-female difference favorites: Get Smart with Anne Hathaway, which is mostly a tribute and a parody of the TV series and James Bond respectively, but the writers get in a few insights about sexual difference.
The important one being that competent women in a man's field do it grimly where the guy is at home with it.
That tails into Vicki Hearne's insight that women can do anything men can do but it won't hold their interest, probably.
The story itself is a little of a mess but has a couple of great points.
Another was Anne Hathaway in Love and Other Drugs, less insightful and more if you want to get the crazy girl, you have to hang in there. It has the only sex scenes on film that have ever worked. They do this by being played as comedy. This probably is the only way it can happen for essential reasons, if you want to think about it.
Reflecting on last year's crop of movies, I'm glad I caught Edge of Tomorrow and am indifferent to the remaining field that wilted before my eyes.
Interstellar should garner a Razzie in Sound Editing alone.
I only saw Budapest Hotel and loved it.
tits.
I saw Virunga on Netflix and loved it.
I love animals.
tits.
"Who are you wearing?"
"I'm wearing Michael Kors."
Actress walks by with the man, Michael Kors, strapped to her back instead of a dress.
That's the joke, so you don't have to look.
Properly, "Whose design are you wearing tonight and only tonight for you can never wear this dress again?"
There are some nice photos of red carpet women over at EBL's blog.
I have not seen Boyhood (it is on the Netflix queue). I did see Imitation Game which was very good but not as good as American Sniper.
This is a good take on all the nominated movies. I'm a fan of Michael Keaton so I'll make an effort to see Birdman.
The phone call won for short film. It was very good I recommend it
I went to bed before the "Oscars" fandango finished. Impossibly long and 95% boring. I'd make an exception for the surprise bit by Lady Gaga Gaga ... she does have stage presence and a voice. Who knew?
That "American Sniper" didn't win "Best Picture" was no surprise, but a mistake none the less. People clamor for truth and when presented the cognoscenti ignore it. The theater goers voted it best by their dollars, simple as that. Hollywood is good at critiquing content, but would hardly say or admit that the box office is what counts. It was, as a commenter here (Allen S on another thread germane to the movie) said, v-e-r-y accurately, the story of a man's personal experiences, not a war movie per se. Don't think so? Pull on that uniform, go through the levels of training, and give it a try, then tell me your experience is not unique to you. One reason veterans do not tell salacious "war stories" is because they recognize the individuality of each experience...so they merely relate the few humorous anecdotes....like when I spoke of some kids and ad hoc baseball.
In short, taken Allen S's word for it. He is right and knows it and has no need to defend the position.
I want to apologize for my snark. I adore Chickl and think very highly of him even if we don't share the same taste in movies.
Bonus for mr. Linklater: he didn't fill his movie with unnecessary humping. I appreciated that.
Bonus for mr. Linklater: he didn't fill his movie with unnecessary humping. I appreciated that.
They always play sex scenes wrong. They try to make it passionate, and it isn't. You're exchanging orgasms, which you do by yourself pretty much. It can be done considerately but it's not passionate.
The exception would be if you're making a baby, where the act acquires togetherness that it once had.
The erotic is tied to that ungraspable future.
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