February 12, 2002

5:53 AM

Oscar Nominations Let the bickering begin...
posted by ColdChef (86 comments total)

Let me be the first: Lord Of The Rings - Best Picture? What the hell are you people smoking? (Go Opie! Go Beautiful Mind!)

Anyway, does anyone know if this the first time two black actors (Will Smith, Denzel Washington) have been up for Best Actor?
posted by owillis at 5:59 AM on February 12, 2002

Tom Wilkinson, Judi Dench, Kate Winslet/Maggie Smith/Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent/Ben Kingsley/Ian McKellen all clearly and objectively deserve to win. Please god don't let that ham Russell Crowe get best actor again.
posted by Summer at 6:01 AM on February 12, 2002

Damn. Nothing for my favorite actor, Morgan Freeman. I'm glad Renée Zellweger got a nomination... and Halle Berry got one for Monsters Ball? I must have missed that one...

And why does sound editing only have two nominations?
posted by Keen at 6:06 AM on February 12, 2002

Let's give it to Marisa Tomei again. That way, we'll be rid of her for another decade.
posted by Optamystic at 6:06 AM on February 12, 2002

and Halle Berry got one for Monsters Ball? I must have missed that one...

Hasn't really been released nationwide yet, but it is really fantastic.
posted by ColdChef at 6:13 AM on February 12, 2002

renee zellwegger? what the fuck? at least bridget jones didn't get a best adapted screenplay nod, but for chrissakes, bridget blowjob sets feminism back a kabillion years. not that we can expect anything less from the academy, but still.

also: o gene hackman, where art thou?

that said, nice to see ghost world and royal tenenbaums up for screenplay, and lynch up for best director, though in all cases it will be an honour to be nominated, methinks.
posted by pxe2000 at 6:14 AM on February 12, 2002

Hey! You're right! Where the fuck is Gene Hackman?
posted by ColdChef at 6:21 AM on February 12, 2002

Let me be the first: Lord Of The Rings - Best Picture? What the hell are you people smoking?

Obviously the same stuff as me ;-)



Lord of The Rings is by far the best pic of the year (mainstream cinema anyway)
posted by twistedonion at 6:22 AM on February 12, 2002

owillis: yes, this is the first time two black actors have been nominated at the same time for Best Actor.
posted by arco at 6:22 AM on February 12, 2002

I thought Zellwegger did a great job packing on the pounds and saying "bollocks" and stuff, but her recieving a nomination over Naomi Watts for Mulholland Dr. is just...well, wrong.
posted by brittney at 6:25 AM on February 12, 2002

I am glad to see both LOTR and Moulin Rouge get hefty amounts of nominations!
posted by Lanternjmk at 6:28 AM on February 12, 2002

I'm glad Moulin Rouge got some recognition in the Oscars. Not everyone's taste, but it struck me as wildly original and inventive...

Halle Berry was amazing in Monsters Ball, which I just saw last weekend. Well deserved nomination.

Overrated peformance: Voight in Ali.... that was Oscar-worthy? Bleh...

Gosford Park sure got a lot of attention. I won't pre-judge it without seeing it, but it seems like it is this year's token period-costume drama nominee...
posted by mattpusateri at 6:29 AM on February 12, 2002

Great to see Memento getting noms for Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing, though a Best Director or even Best Picture nod would have been nice. It was also great that Ghost World and The Royal Tenenbaums were recognized.

Surprises: no Gene Hackman, and the noms for Ethan Hawke and Renee Zellwegger surprised me (you mean to tell me that there were no other performances better than these two this year? Bah...)

Why is Jennifer Connelly is the Supporting category? I think she won and/or was nominated in other awards this year for Lead.

Lord of the Rings is a very good film.

(And no major nominations for Pearl Harbor? I'm KIDDING.)
posted by sassone at 6:32 AM on February 12, 2002

In a perfect world, Amelie would be up for Best Picture and barely win over Mulholland Drive, Ghost World, Moulin Rouge, Memento and Gosford Park.

In this dumbed-down world that gave us last year's big winner Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind will sweep the night, and Amelie will probably even lose Best Foreign Language Film to the military story No Man's Land.
posted by Ben Grimm at 6:34 AM on February 12, 2002

I'm really happy to see In The Bedroom get so many big nominations (Best Actor, Best Actress). It was probably still the best film that I saw last year (while most enjoyable would still probably go to LOTR for sheer visual force). Tom Wilkinson, Sissy Spacek, and everyone else in that film were so spot-on perfect in their roles. Quite an amazing 'little' film.
posted by almostcool at 6:34 AM on February 12, 2002

I'm glad Moulin Rouge got some recognition in the Oscars. Not everyone's taste, but it struck me as wildly original and inventive...
Let's not go there again...
I loved it, too, but it's a very divisive movie.
posted by ColdChef at 6:36 AM on February 12, 2002

The ads I've seen portray Gosford Park as a comedy. And it is an Altman film, so it's no Merchant/Ivory, I would bet.

I just realized that the only movies I've actually seen here are eith fantasy(LOTR, HP), animated(Monster's Inc), or both (Shrek). I have to get out more.
posted by sauril at 6:40 AM on February 12, 2002

I almost made it through the year without seeing any of these things, but I had to watch a cartoon with a kid.
posted by pracowity at 6:40 AM on February 12, 2002

other big shocker:

and waking life was not nominated for best animated film...why?

(i'm not a big fan of the movie, but i thought since it was an "adult" cartoon that didn't pander to audiences the way, say, heavy metal did, it would at least get nominated.)
posted by pxe2000 at 6:44 AM on February 12, 2002

I found in Gosford Park an incredible movie. Snappy dialog, masterful direction.

I think Moulin Rouge was tripe. Maybe it deserves a nod for editing, but Best Picture? Sorry, that wasn't even the best picture the day it came out.
posted by rocketman at 6:46 AM on February 12, 2002

I think that Mulholland Drive drive being snubbed for best film after the amount of critical praise it got is a shame, and I also think that Naomi Watts deserves a nomination for best actress many times more than any of those actresses, especially Nicole Kidman. At least Lynch got the nod for best director, but he'll never win it.

I think it's great that Lagaan got nominated for Best Foreign Film, I think it's the first Bollywood film ever selected, and it says something about the recognition of the largest film market in the world. I learned how to play cricket by watching Lagaan because of the hour-plus cricket match in the movie.

Memento getting a nomination for Best Editing is the best call of the entire Oscars, though, since without its editing the film wouldn't be much - it shows you how much editing impacts a film.

Royal Tenenbaums should've gotten a nomination for Art Direction though, no film created such an original environment; all the films that did get selected, although executed well, were all based on cliches and expected ideals (Amelie, Harry Potter, LOTR, Moulin Rouge).
posted by panopticon at 6:46 AM on February 12, 2002

Is anyone else surprised that The Others didn't get ANY nominations? I thought that was a fantastic movie - at least, the screenplay/direction/acting should have had a nod.

Am I going to get flamed now?
posted by MeetMegan at 6:48 AM on February 12, 2002

The Others wasn't Best Picture material, but Nicole deserved a Best Actress nomination for it before that crappy other film she did.
posted by rocketman at 6:52 AM on February 12, 2002

pxe, i only wish that Waking Life was half as good as Heavy Metal.

And I'm still annoyed that part of the plot of Royal Tenenbaums is a shameless ripoff of From The Mixed Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Amelie will win best foreign film for sure. It's still running in a west hollywood theater that doesn't usually hold movies for more than a week.
posted by bingo at 6:54 AM on February 12, 2002

Royal Tenenbaums should've gotten a nomination for Art Direction though, no film created such an original environment

While I didn't like the movie overall (I like actors to act instead of being monotone and morose), I'd have to agree with you on that. It just had a unique look to it.

(Months have passed and I still don't get the Lord of The Rings thing. It's like Titanic all over again.)
posted by owillis at 6:56 AM on February 12, 2002

I'll probably get hunted down for this, but... Lord of the Rings was a mediocre movie at best, and does not deserve to be remembered by the Oscars. (Just remember, Star Wars was a GrEAt M00ViE!! and didn't win Best Picture.) The effects were spotty, the characters were cartoons, and the story was hijacked from a Classic Novel. Forgiving all that (and I have no problem with this) I'm still surprised the mainstream audiences haven't thrown a fit over the whole "What do you mean To Be Continued?" -- if they give it best picture, do they have to give it to the next two, as well?
posted by fnirt at 7:04 AM on February 12, 2002

If more people had gone to see Donnie Darko, the Academy wouldn't have ignored what was probably the best film of the year.

But this isn't a perfect world....
posted by eraserhed at 7:04 AM on February 12, 2002

Where's Billy Bob Thornton? I mean, in the Coen film especially (but in Monster's Ball, too) he did some amazing, amazing stuff. But anyway the Academy doesn' like subtle performances that much, doesn't it?

Tom Wilkinson, Judi Dench, Kate Winslet/Maggie Smith/Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent/Ben Kingsley/Ian McKellen all clearly and objectively deserve to win
All Brit's aren't they, Summer? I loved Broadbent in Moulin Rouge but the year's strongest acting clearle came from Americans (Spacek, Thornthon, Washington, Hackman, etc)
posted by matteo at 7:09 AM on February 12, 2002

I make ignoring the Oscars an annual event. So predictable, so formulaic. I'm always disappointed with the outcomes, though I try to remain ignorant of them.

I'm not surprised to see the obligitory nods to the 'lifetime achievers' Altman and Lynch; each of them have made a favorite of mine; The Player and of course Blue Velvet. Love them both but Gosford Park was rehashed Upstairs Downstairs for the same aging generation. I won't start in on Mulholland Drive other than to say to David: keep saving those failed pilots, Mr Lynch, I'm sure you'll find a plot in there somewhere (just don't leave it on the cutting room floor, please).

One nomination for Momento.

BAH!
posted by glennie at 7:12 AM on February 12, 2002

The general sentiment seems to be that Gosford Park is Altman back on form, and that alone has to be worthy of attention, leaving aside the top-quality screenplay and excellent performances.

Otherwise, I'm disappointed (though not surprised) that Ghost World didn't get more recognition, *very* surprised that Moulin Rouge! didn't get more (Best Film, IMHO), and A Beautiful Mind opens here this coming weekend, so I'll reserve judgement. Fellowship was certainly a spectacle, but if it were up to me, I'd like to see it not sweeping any boards - diversity keeps things interesting.
posted by jonpollard at 7:14 AM on February 12, 2002

pxe, I agree: where is Gene Hackman? *weeps*
posted by jojo at 7:15 AM on February 12, 2002

Obviously Moulin Rouge is a love it or hate it film. Personally, I loved it. I thought it was one of the most unusual films I've ever seen, but one with a strong heart and emotion.
posted by Lanternjmk at 7:17 AM on February 12, 2002

Also, actually two nominations for Memento (Best Film Editing and Best Original Screenplay), but even so, I second that BAH!, glennie
posted by jonpollard at 7:18 AM on February 12, 2002

Too many bloody kiwis (Crowe, Lord of the Rings).
posted by dydecker at 7:18 AM on February 12, 2002

Lord Of The Rings - Best Picture? What the hell are you people smoking?

"Your love of the halflings weed has clouded your mind!" Heh. No complaints here. I've never been to a movie where people cheer and stamp and scream when a baddie gets offed. Thrilling, top-notch performances, and made with such true love! I love it, though I do think that editing was its weakest point. Loved Moulin Rouge too. I told myself that I didn't care if "my" movies were nominated, but man... what a great day to be a girly geek.

The only bits that pinch are: No Gene Hackman. Tenenbaums should have gotten a bit more. And... Sean Penn? Ick.
posted by kittyb at 7:19 AM on February 12, 2002

Well, I had been hoping to see John Cameron Mitchell get a Best Actor Nod for Hedwig and the Angry Inch. I thought at the very least that film would have gotten a nod for Best Adapted Screenplay, Make-up, or Costumes. "Internationally ignored," as usual.
posted by CreequeAlley at 7:29 AM on February 12, 2002

given the annual oscar tradition of having whoopi goldberg wear the nominated costumes, i think we can give thanks in some perverse way that hedwig was not nominated in that area...and i say this as a fan of the film.
posted by pxe2000 at 7:33 AM on February 12, 2002

It's a shame Moulin Rouge didn't get recognized for its music. The composer/orchestrator did an amazing job weaving songs together and creating a musical style to go with the film's visuals.
posted by neuroshred at 7:36 AM on February 12, 2002

I agree that it's terrible that Memento didn't get more nominations. To me, it was the most interesting and best put-together film of the year. One wonders if, at the beginning of the year, before all of the fallout had had a chance to take over, if people the academy would have given them more nominations. I think surely they would have. I think this is an example of a movie that was doomed not to be recognized at the Oscars--for what that's worth--simply because of the timing of its release.

And honestly--was A Beautiful Mind really that good? I liked it too, but come on, man .
posted by Hildago at 7:48 AM on February 12, 2002

The Spaniard, Denzel, the Fresh Prince, Spicoli, and Tom Wilkinson (who?) are just lucky that Adam Sandler took a year off. That's all I'm saying.
posted by uftheory at 7:49 AM on February 12, 2002

panopticon: from what I've heard, Memento's backwards structure was indicated in the script, so it might not deserve the editing award after all. Yet another example of how hard it is to figure out whether films have good editing or not without knowing details of the production (and post).

But, of course, doing a story backwards like that still requires effective editing from a comprehension point of view.
posted by D at 7:59 AM on February 12, 2002

Write-in Candidate:

Gene Hackman in "The Royal Tenenbaums"

Justice will prevail!!!
posted by rev- at 8:01 AM on February 12, 2002

if russell crowe wins again, i don't know what i'm going to do. pleeeease. anyone but him.
posted by o2b at 8:02 AM on February 12, 2002

I also started filing my teeth at the lack of acknowledgement of Memento, especially when I see the already-mentioned love-it-or-hate-it (and boy did I hate it . . . oh god did I hate it) Moulin Rouge cleaning up. Guy Pearce turned in a very nuanced performance, and shoulda got at least a nod.

Lord Of The Rings - Best Picture? What the hell are you people smoking?

Nothing, but I like to pretend I'm inhaling the fumes of the burning remnants of every copy of Moulin Rouge. If anyone can tell me what on earth was wrong with LotR, I'm happy to listen.

Skot's flameworthy $.02: Sexy Beast was an awful, overrated movie, despite the actors' best efforts.

It's nice that the academy made a point out of seeing Iris, which was seen by about four other people in the country.
posted by Skot at 8:04 AM on February 12, 2002

I'll be boycotting the awards this year. My reason? No Hackman.
posted by brand-gnu at 8:06 AM on February 12, 2002

"A Beautiful Mind" should have been in the best original screenplay - it bore not even a passing resemblence to the book. Ron Howard probably didn't even read it.
posted by plaino at 8:23 AM on February 12, 2002

Don't talk to me about Gene Hackman.
posted by websavvy at 8:31 AM on February 12, 2002

I'm pleased to see Gosford Park there, which I enjoyed a great deal (Maggie Smith steals the show, though), and have no objection to LOTR, which at least isn't Gladiator. McKellen won't win unless the Academy decides to do a Dench rerun, however.
posted by thomas j wise at 8:38 AM on February 12, 2002

If anyone can tell me what on earth was wrong with LotR, I'm happy to listen

Too long. Bad acting. For starters. My perception is so many people who were readers of the book want it to be good and aren't seperating them. This year's Titanic Award for Irrational Sentiment, I say.

...Gene Hackman
You'll find no bigger fan of Hackman's work than me, but I honestly don't think he deserved a nom for Tennenbaum. I don't think any of the actors in that deserve much recognition because the director had them all so restrained and boringly tight-lipped.
posted by owillis at 8:42 AM on February 12, 2002

I find the Musical Score category to be an incredible joke.

Who would you rather give best musical score to? Randy Newman for his saccharine effort on Monsters Inc., or his far more talented cousin Thomas Newman, who did the score for Pay It Forward and, in the past, for American Beauty.

And where was Hedwig and the Angry Inch? Obviously, poor Hedwig can't compete against the towering glory of the Harry Potter soundtrack, with tunes like, um... and music like, uh.. well, I know there was a soundtrack there somewhere...

As for Lord of the Rings, Sir Ian McKellen doesn't deserve to win for his performance as Gandalf as much as he deserved to win for Gods and Monsters, but I'm rooting for him anyway. I was quite happy to hear that Sir Ian will be the Grand Marshall for the San Francisco Gay Pride Parade. That's something that anyone can celebrate.
posted by insomnia_lj at 8:43 AM on February 12, 2002

Go. See. Amelie. Now.

Enough said.
posted by yarf at 8:49 AM on February 12, 2002

I was glad to see Amélie get five nominations, but a little sad that Ghost World only got one. I just saw In The Bedroom last night and, while I did enjoy it, it's overrated. It could have been paced better and the ending was pretty obvious. One of my friends made the observation that it was like a Lifetime movie, and that's a pretty apt description.

It's a big shame that Hedwig and the Angry Inch didn't get nominations for music.
posted by MegoSteve at 8:55 AM on February 12, 2002

I loved Moulin Rouge personally, but Kidman for best actress in that film? Nope. She was good, but nothing Oscar-worthy...
posted by mattpusateri at 9:05 AM on February 12, 2002

I think I'm the only person on Earth who didn't like Memento. What's so great about that film? Pearce's performance isn't exactly convincing, the story is all about a dumb plot device, and there's nothing really visually compelling or interesting about the movie. It's lauded all around for its seeming cleverness, but it lacks heart, there's no emotional engagement. It's like Pi with guns and tattoos. It could have been great, but is really just a mediocre Big Art Film.

Bo. Ring.
posted by swift at 9:11 AM on February 12, 2002

Mattpusateri, I'm right there with you. All I want to know is how Ewan McGregor, who clearly out-sang and out-charmed Kidman, didn't get a nomination.
posted by arielmeadow at 9:19 AM on February 12, 2002

The San Francisco Chronicle had an interesting article on Oscar's history of ignoring black actors.

I think this is less due to racism in the Academy than it's due to the fact that there typically aren't many good parts for black actors and actresses due to racism in the American movie industry in general. It's hard to have good performances when there aren't any good parts.

And the Academy is more tasteless than racist. The Chronicle article mentions Al Pacino winning the 1992 Best Actor Oscar for Scent of a Woman over Denzel Washington's excellent work in Malcolm X. First of all, Al Pacino's hammy performance in the sentimental, sappy Scent of a Woman is the kind of crap Oscar voters eat up with a spoon (Beautiful Mind, meet Oscar). Second, Malcolm X is a great film, but it's way too political and controversial for the Academy. Third, it's the movie industry, and a lot of it comes down to how well the movies do at the box office (Oscar, Beautiful Mind), and in 1992 more people saw The Mighty Ducks than saw Malcolm X.
posted by kirkaracha at 9:38 AM on February 12, 2002

I am surprised that I don't see John Cameron Mitchell nominated for anything (he wrote, directed, and starred in the lead role) for Hedwig and The Angry Inch. There is no one else on earth who could have played that role so well, which required quite a range of acting and singing.

Of course not seeing Hackman (tenenbaums) for Actor, or Billy Bob Thorton (man who wasn't there) for actor, or waking life for anything is sad too.
posted by mathowie at 9:47 AM on February 12, 2002

and in 1992 more people saw The Mighty Ducks than saw Malcolm X.
You can't expect such a difficult film, a very sympathetic portrayal of a very controversial historical figure (who by the way was very militantly Muslim and anti-white), to make more money than a mellow kid's movie marketed by Disney. Usually, good films earn much less than bad popcorn movies.
posted by matteo at 10:16 AM on February 12, 2002

Lord of The Rings is by far the best pic of the year (mainstream cinema anyway)

Only if you read the book. Those of us who haven't will find the characters as extremely under developed as the plot. Don't even get me started on the lack of an ending.

I am sure it is a great book (many people have said as much), but a book shouldn't be required reading for a film.
posted by terrapin at 10:35 AM on February 12, 2002

You're probably right about the fact that those of us who have read LOTR (I gotta get used to that yet) are probably filling in a lot of the gaps with our imaginations. For example, the relationships between Frodo and his hobbit friends was practically non-existent in the movie and I had to draw from my memory of the book.

But for people like me who have read the trilogy about 10 times, the movie really met a lot of our expectations. The scenery was spectacular, Ian McKellen was amazing, and most of our favorite moments were not looked over. And the elves! They looked exactly like I'd imagined.

(but terrapin, I do agree that it's not the best picture of the year. It's the royal tenenbaums. :))
posted by jojo at 10:49 AM on February 12, 2002

mathowie -- John Cameron Mitchell was great, but Steven Trask wrote all the kick-ass music in Hedwig. He definitely deserved a nomination.
posted by brand-gnu at 10:50 AM on February 12, 2002

oh, and terrapin, as far as the lack of the ending-- well there wasn't supposed to be one. There are two more movies to come.
posted by jojo at 10:51 AM on February 12, 2002

crap. that's Stephen Trask, with a 'ph,' as in 'Phish' and 'Phat.'
posted by brand-gnu at 10:52 AM on February 12, 2002

It's funny when people complain that popularity contests aren't fair.
posted by websavvy at 10:56 AM on February 12, 2002

Happy about Moulin Rouge (although I don't understand the Kidman nominated/MacGregor not nominated thing) because I loved it. Wished that Memento had gotten more nominations.

Definitely was hoping for at least SOME nominations for Hedwig. I can't believe there weren't any. Which goes to show that apparently when Dustin Hoffman wears a dress it's great art, but when John Cameron Mitchell does it isn't. ???? An amazing performance by JCM; if you haven't seen it yet, check it out.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Oscars. And if I have to watch Russell Crowe scowl his way through another ceremony. . . oh maybe he'll actually smile this time because Steve Martin won't be there to make fun of him. What a shame.
posted by witchstone at 10:57 AM on February 12, 2002

oh, and terrapin, as far as the lack of the ending-- well there wasn't supposed to be one. There are two more movies to come.

I realise this ;) Which is why I said "Don't even get me started on the lack of an ending." This response was to the idea that a movie that hasn't ended yet can be given the Best Picture award ;)
posted by terrapin at 11:00 AM on February 12, 2002

I see I see.
posted by jojo at 11:10 AM on February 12, 2002

Steven Trask wrote all the kick-ass music in Hedwig. He definitely deserved a nomination.
Unfortunately, Trask's chances for a nomination were pretty slim. None of Hedwig's (the character, not the film itself) songs were eligible, because they weren't written directly for the film. He did write some other incidental songs for the film, but none were really featured in the film, aside from a brief snippet here and there. Mitchell was still robbed though.
posted by CreequeAlley at 11:15 AM on February 12, 2002

good films earn much less than bad popcorn movies

That was basically my point. Still, a really good movie that does good business (Unforgiven made $101 million and won Best Picture in 1992) is going to have a better chance of winning than a great movie that doesn't clean up at the box office (Malcolm X made $48 million).

[Malcolm X] was very militantly Muslim and anti-white

It's been a while since I've seen the movie, so I don't remember if it portrays him differently, but this is an incomplete perception of Malcolm X if you've read his autobiography. He was much less militant and divisive after his pilgrimage to Mecca.
posted by kirkaracha at 12:29 PM on February 12, 2002

CreequeAlley -- Thanks for the info. I'm only slightly less miffed now.
posted by brand-gnu at 12:34 PM on February 12, 2002

Let me be the first: Lord Of The Rings - Best Picture? What the hell are you people smoking?

Well, it was filmed in New Zealand, so...
posted by holloway at 2:17 PM on February 12, 2002

Some kind of laughing weed, eh holloway?
posted by obiwanwasabi at 3:38 PM on February 12, 2002

Weed?
posted by holloway at 4:07 PM on February 12, 2002

What's up with all the Tenenbaums hate? They were supposed to be morose and quiet. It's called subtlety, people. Not hamming it up like many on the noms.
And am I the only one who thought that Sissy Spacek was:
a). in a supporting role
b). not that good anyway

And Hedwig definitely should have gotten a nod (at least for wicked little town). After south park I thought the academy might open up to good things. Not sting and paul mccartney.
posted by dig_duggler at 4:11 PM on February 12, 2002

OK, time for me to chime in:

Bitching:

A Beautiful Mind was awful tripe from a total hack director.

David Lynch hasn't made a good movie since, well, ever. I like his movies, but they don't really hold together very well, especially his last three.

Lord of the Rings is a mess and only works if you read the books several times. And the cinematography nomination should actually go to the CG boxes that practically made the entire film- The only intersting visuals in LOTR were computer animations; If anything, it should be in the animated feature category.

As far as creative visual effects, I thought A.I. was much more inventive than LOTR.

Ian McKellen is a hammy old queen and Russel Crowe relies on his 5 o'clock shadow and blank stares to do his acting; Jon Voight is always overrated. Memento seemed to subscribe to the 'dude, tell the story backwards, cool!' philosophy of 'editing'. Amelie represented everything I hate about 'foreign' films. I thought it ice cold and irritating.

Praise:

In the Bedroom has to take best picture, I though it wonderful. Gosford Park was also very good, and this is coming from someone who hates Victorian/Edwardian costume pictures, which it wasn't really. Moulin Rouge was also very good, also for editing, as was Black Hawk Down, which had terrific editing as well (and which far outstripped the dreadful Pearl Harbor in sound editing). I haven't seen Monster's Ball, but I heard good things about it. I also agree that Kidman was terrific in Moulin Rouge, but even better in The Others, which I thought was a great scare flick.
posted by evanizer at 4:17 PM on February 12, 2002

David Lynch hasn't made a good movie since, well, ever.

While the Academy dolts tend to agree with you, eight out of ten critics do not.

Nor do I.
posted by brittney at 5:42 PM on February 12, 2002

Swift: I think I'm the only person on Earth who didn't like Memento.

Rejoice, swift, you are not alone. Memento is your average gimmick movie bound to appeal to under-cultured moviemaker-wannabes.

I think I'm flamebaiting here, but it needs to be said over and over again: Memento is a dull experiment.
posted by qbert72 at 5:49 PM on February 12, 2002

Let me clear something up before I get burnt to a crisp: I do not think Lynch is a hack. I think, for instance, that Twin Peaks was one of the best shows ever on television in its initial season. Lynch's form of anti narrative works very well in the medium of television, where there is lots of temporal space to spread out and characters have a chance to grow and evolve over a much longer period of time. I think Lynch has a lot in common with someone like Richard Foreman; both seem interested in atmosphere and theme and variation more than the kind of narrative that best suits a standard length motion picture. I love most of Lynch's films for this reason, and several friends and I speak to each other in a language peppered with Lynch quotes.

That said, I do not think, using the general set of criteria upon which I judge standard films, that Lynch's films are really successful. I feel that, especially lately, Lynch relies much too heavily upon a sort of self-caricature and that, much like LOTR, it becomes difficult to appreciate his films outside of the confines of his body of work. They become Lynch-y for Lynchiness' sake, and I find that difficult to admire. This is simply an opinion. I tend to be someone who tries to make distinctions between enjoyable and great art, and these priorities may matter squat to someone else. Such is the nature of aesthetic judgement.

I also think the greatest filmmaker that will ever live was Stanley Kubrick, so take what I say with a grain or two of salt.

And yes, Memento stunk.
posted by evanizer at 6:03 PM on February 12, 2002

Sigh, no Delroy Lindo in Heist. Hackman wasn't bad there neither.

I think there was a strong correlation between "getting" Mulholland Drive and liking it. It's no wonder it's undernominated; it's just too difficult for the Academy.

And hey, Spacek was definitely a lead of In The Bedroom. Two-thirds of the movie is about her murderous influence over her husband.
posted by maschnitz at 6:09 PM on February 12, 2002

...it's just too difficult for the Academy.

"difficult" = disjointed, muddled and artsy

sorry, but I don't think difficult is a good thing. Do you like a math test that is "too difficult"? ;-P

That said, I think many members of the AMPAS are total rubes who don't even watch all the tapes sent to them. I know a couple of people who are Academy voters, and they take the task seriously. But they say that many other members don't; they vote based on alliances/friendships and rivalries rather than on 'merit'. Sort of like Survivor Hollywood.
posted by evanizer at 6:21 PM on February 12, 2002

I hated Memento too. It's a one-gimick movie. By the third or fourth time supporting characters told the hero "yes, you told me this five minutes ago, get on with it," i was nodding in sympathy.

Speaking of delusional memories, did I actually read above that someone thought Royal Tenenbaums was "subtle"? Anderson might as well have had subtitles in every scene, explaining to you why his choices are so brilliant. His holding back from doing so is about as subtle as that movie got.

But evanizer, I really want to hear why Beautiful Mind was "awful tripe." It may not have been Casablanca, but "awful tripe" is a category I reserve for stuff like Tomcats. And Ron Howard may not be Kubrick, but his movies are generally competently done, if a bit saccharine. "Hack" is a word I reserve for people like Michael Bay.
posted by bingo at 6:38 PM on February 12, 2002

evanizer: It's a puzzle movie. Lynch was trying to be difficult and disjointed. The joy in the movie is the way the movie were filtered through this woman's very confused mind. It was a good matching of medium and message.

Also, I didn't think it was "too difficult," just difficult. Maybe "challenging" is a better word. But then again, I feel like I defend Mulholland Drive to everyone, so maybe I'm wrong by acclaim :->.

Agreed on the Survivor Hollywood thing. It almost seems silly to waste emotional energy on the awards, since it's all Hollywood realpolitik anyway. A lot of times big movies win because they created jobs and the voters like jobs.
posted by maschnitz at 6:48 PM on February 12, 2002

Happy to see In the Bedroom nominated in the major categories. Excellent, authentic portrayal of grief by Wilkinson and Spacek. He sure did a nice job of hiding his Brit accent as well.

Regarding Altman and Gosford Park, I need only mention Dr T. and the Women. One of the most shrill, annoying, horribly directed and acted films I had ever seen. After suffering through that I vowed never to pay to see an Altman film again. The nomination is a merely nod to an old Hollywood lefty.
posted by scottfree at 7:03 PM on February 12, 2002

While I agree that Lynch works best in television, we have only one true example of this (the phenomenal "Twin Peaks") because of the medium's very confines.

Would Mulholland Dr. have been more well-received had it appearead episodically on network television? Probably.

Would Lynch have had to compromise said vision in order to work within that medium? Most assuredly.

Rather than accusing Lynch of being too Lynchian, I admire him most of all for his unyeilding vision. He is one of few living American auteurs.

That said, let your smile be your umbrella. :)
posted by brittney at 10:30 PM on February 12, 2002

Hedwig was one of the best movies of the year. Songs, acting, direction. Inventive, smart, and pop. It was too queer for the straight-laced academy. Too bad Miramax didn't release it so they could buy a nomination. Perhaps if Gwennie had played Hedwig...Of course she hasn't got the chops.

There is Oscar edgy and then there is real world edgy. The Academy has never rewarded films that don't play in the malls. I am glad DVD exists. Over time Hedwig will find its audience. It is truly one of the best musicals ever- a modern day Singing in the Rain and as good as Rocky Horror.

Personally, I am glad Ian was nominated. His talent managed to shine through all the makeup, hair and costume, to show he truely is one of the best actors alive. Considering his "competition" in supporting roles he may well win. But its never about what its about. And comparing performances is silly.

Honesly there weren't that many great films or great performaces this year. I loved Lantana. It was one of the better movies but doesn't have the marketing power of some of the films on the list. Though it may be a 2002 film too, not sure.
posted by TeejNSF at 8:17 AM on February 13, 2002

And hey, Spacek was definitely a lead of In The Bedroom. Two-thirds of the movie is about her murderous influence over her husband
Her presence was felt, but her screen presence was not. She was good, (not nearly as good as Wilkinson-that was amazing), but really wasn't on screen that much. Reminds me of a William H. Macy, Frances McDormand scenario.
Speaking of delusional memories, did I actually read above that someone thought Royal Tenenbaums was "subtle"? Anderson might as well have had subtitles in every scene, explaining to you why his choices are so brilliant. His holding back from doing so is about as subtle as that movie got.
Please reread the post. Subtle acting. There were a bit of subtle choices as well in the movie, but I admit it was overblown in many aspects, which either you love or hate. Pagota's pants rule.
posted by dig_duggler at 8:34 AM on February 13, 2002