Yes, it's awards season again. The season where Maureen rants about who gets nominated and who doesn't and what idiots everyone who has the power to make such decisions are.
I've barely glanced at the nominations, but this year my biggest beef/disappointment is the total absence of INTO THE WILD in the nominations, except for an original song and score nomination for Eddie Vedder. At least there's that. If that doesn't win original score, I don't know... But actually, the other movie who's score I noticed (and also got a score nom) was ATONEMENT. You might remember I talked about how the film used a typewriter sound as a percussion instrument rather effectively when I blogged about ATONEMENT at the film festival.
BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
AMERICAN GANGSTER
Imagine Entertainment/Scott Free Productions; Universal Pictures
ATONEMENT
Working Title Productions; Focus Features
EASTERN PROMISES
Kudos Pictures – UK Serendipity Point Films – Canada A UK/Canada Co-Production; Focus Features
THE GREAT DEBATERS
Harpo Films; The Weinstein Company/MGM
MICHAEL CLAYTON
Clayton Productions LLC; Warner Bros. Pictures
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production; Miramax/Paramount Vantage
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
A Joanne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production; Paramount Vantage and Miramax Films
I've seen 5 of these 7 films. Well, all five that have been released to the theatres. And all 5 were good films. Although for me, MICHAEL CLAYTON was more about performances than great storytelling... so I'm not sure if I agree with that nom 100%. As for the two I haven't seen, I must say I am VERY excited about THERE WILL BE BLOOD. Daniel Day Lewis in a Western written and directed by PT Anderson???? WOW.
On the other hand... THE GREAT DEBATERS... Well, it has potential, I guess. But also has the potential to be a sappy, predictable feel-good piece of schlock. (Oprah's company is the producer? Maureen shudders.)
I am excited about EASTERN PROMISES getting nominated (it won't win) mostly because David Cronenberg deserves the recognition and it's nice to see a Canadian film on the list, even if there wasn't much Canadian about that film. (BTW. It says a UK/Canada co-production, but Serendipity Films is very Canadian, (Robert Lantos's company) even if it happens to have a UK subsidiary.)
Speaking of films being Canadian or not, and I will talk about the comedies and musicals tomorrow... But JUNO. GREAT film. Loved it. Will see it again when it opens for sure. This is a movie that's totally Canadian, but actually NOT officially Canadian. But the director is Canadian and the two main actors are Canadian, it was filmed in Canada, and it has a very Canadian film feel to it. Even the director said this when he introduced it at the festival this year. But it was financed in the US, so it's a US film. Go figure.
Which film do I hope wins? This may sound bizarre, but I'm hoping for the yet to be released THERE WILL BE BLOOD. Mostly because I want it to be amazing.
But INTO THE WILD should have been on the list.
2 comments:
I think I've pretty much given up on any film awards. Not only have I not seen any of the films nominated for the awards on your list, but i have no INTEREST in seeing any of them. (JUNO, however, I can't wait for, even though it's only got a limited run at one art house cinema in my area!)
It's the same with the Oscar for the past few years. In a lot of cases, the films being awarded weren't even SHOWN in wide release. there is a real disconnect theses days between art that is for the public and art that is for the industry insiders. You mentioned that you'd seen most of these films at film festivals. When the films getting the awards aren't films that most people get to see, how relevant are the awards?
I agree with what you're saying in principal... but of the 5 here that have been released, didn't they all get major distribution? I think American Gangster certainly made a lot of money and Atonement is all over the place right now. And Michael Clayton, too... Didn't it? It was certainly on a lot of screens in Toronto. Eastern Promises I'm not so sure in the US. But ironically, it's the most commercial of the bunch. A film noir gangster film (featuring the most amazing fight scene ever filmed, in which Viggo Mortenson is totally nude. I saw this film twice. :-) I'm going to see Atonement again, too... And I saw No Country for Old Men twice, too.
The TIFF doesn't just feature obscure films -- which is why it's so popular as a film festival. Yes, 4 of the 7 best picture noms were screened at the TIFF, but it doesn't mean they're obscure movies... I don't think so, anyway.
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