Kathryn Bigelow is well deserving of a Best Director nod and "Hurt Locker" deserves a Best Picture acknowledgment. "Up in the Air" is a smart, well written movie for grown-ups, a screenplay nod makes sense, but it just doesn't have enough going on for Best Pic or Director. Bigelow's film had much more going on than Reitman's. Reitman's films are small, Bigelows was large. Awards should not go to quaint films, but rather to films that are daring. Reitman played it safe and got predictable but pleasant results. Bigelow took big risks - no George Clooney, a war we are really tired of hearing about, and she made an extremely compelling film without being over dramatic or sentimental. In the words of Spike Lee "the girl's gotta have it"
@MyNameIsChris: I'm not voting for either one, just making an argument that while I like the Reitman film, it doesn't seem to rise to the level of "Best" of directing or picture, while i believe that "Hurt Locker" at least deserves to be considered. Personally, I go for the campy violence and bending of history in "Inglorious Basterds". It was big, it was definitely cinematic on a grand scale, and it did not bow down to the pretentious conventions so loved by Academy voters.
Hang on. Just a second.
Sandra Bullock was nominated for .... 'The Proposal'? As in the widely-panned, under-watched, over-publicised, poorly-written, appalling-put-together 'The Proposal'?
Just want to check that there's not a movie with the same title starring Bullock at her peak before I chuck a hissy fit.
Seriously, I have NO IDEA what 'Avatar' is about. I got excited because I thought it was a live action version of 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' (which is supposedly also in the works), but I was wrong. With all this hype and millions of commercials and ads, I feel like I should have figured it out. All I've figured out is there are blue people. Who live in the jungle.
@Apollonia: I learned from Hoda and Kathie Lee yesterday that it's also a love story and a "woman's movie." Whatever, it sounds like an awesome scifi epic, and I plan to see it. This early award buzz seems to bode well that it's going to be pretty good.
I hate the HFPA. I hate the strange comedy musical/drama split, particularly because it leads to a slew of ridiculous nominations. The Proposal? Really? Its Complicated? Ugh.
Your top 5 drama nominations are likely contenders on the new 10 deep Oscar shortlist with Up in the Air looking like the early front runner (a lot of critic association love this weekend; and that is a good indicator as to where Oscar is leaning.) But out of the comedy shortlist? Meh. Yet I'm tending to think Nine might get shut out of the race since lately these Christmas releases haven't been getting the kind of Oscar love that they used to. I may very well eat my words in a month or two, but the early buzz is not good.
Then again, with 10 nominations? Who the hell knows.
Two GLARING omissions: Abbie Cornish for Best Actress (Bright Star) and Viggo Mortensen for Best Actor (The Road). Particularly Mortensen, which is possibly the best acting performance in a film I have ever seen, period.
I'm sorry but Sandra Bullock getting nominated for both The Proposal and The Blind Side. Julie & Julia for best picture? Seriously?! I'm all for nominating/recognizing more women in the entertainment industry but not at the expense of actual merit. This is bogus.
@nyc-caribbean-ragazza: To be fair, almost all awards shows now are fairly commercially oriented (Grammys, anyone? And I think the Oscars are almost as bad.)
@tankearae: I don't know why I'm so irritated by this. I mean I know the HFPA has always been this way...sigh...at least I get to watch Ricky Gervais host this dog and pony show. Silver lining.
@librariesare4lovers: why is everyone hating on Sandy Bullock? Did any of you see the Proposal? it was freaking hilarious and really enjoyable!
I get your point about the GGs being commercial, but it was absolutely one of the best comedies of the year and I am happy she is getting recognition for it.
Many people complain that the Oscars are not as commercial as they "should" be. They say the ratings are down because the average American hasn't heard of movies like There Will Be Blood, The Butterfly and the Bell Jar, etc.
I disagree. It's not the filmmakers fault big studios are not making as many movies that are commercial AND well made/award winning/critically acclaimed like they used to.
That the Best Picture was expanded to ten pictures this year is a joke. Back in the 30s there were actually more than 10 movies that you could put in that category. This is just an attempt to bump up ratings.
Sometimes I think the Oscars should go back to being a dinner, not televised/or on AMC or something. Of course that will never happen with all the attention paid to the Red Carpet and the dresses.
@nyc-caribbean-ragazza: Even more than to bump up ratings for the broadcast, it's a scheme for the studios to make more money being able to hype five extra flicks as best picture nominees.
Look, are you trying to kill me, Timberlake? It's bad enough Krasinski's with that strumpet... let's keep the alluding to them having sex to a minimum, mmm?
Justin, know how sometimes E! News or Entertainment Tonight will do a story on you and run old footage from that year at the VMAs when you were with Brittany and you guys wore those matching denim outfits and it makes you cringe and wonder 'WTF was I thinking'? Heads up, in about 3 years you're gonna have the same reaction whenever you see pics of yourself wearing these glasses.
Why am I so against James Cameron and Avatar? Am I taking Kathryn Bigelow's side in a divorce that happened many years ago? Because you know Cameron has an ego the size of the iceberg that hit the Titanic.
Oh damn, I am taking her side. I wanted to see The Hurt Locker, but it never got here. I think it's on DVD next month. Plus, as a bonus, it doesn't have weird blue cat people. Now, if Avatar had actual cats running around, that would be full of win.
@lalaland13: I shouldn't judge it before I see it but I think Avatar looks horrible! For the amount of $$$ spent to crate it I expect more than craptastic CGI faerie people. I think if he wanted to use that animation he should have animated the whole thing or he should have used that money for Hell Boy level makeup.
@librariesare4lovers: I was hoping the critics would pile on the haterade, but so far they seem wowed by the graphics, even if the writing is crappy. Rotten Tomatoes has it at 86 percent with 57 reviews in.
As much as I love NPH, I'm backing John Lithgow in Dexter. He was absolutely phenomenal in that role. For such a recognizable face, he completely disappeared into the character and just did wonders with dialogue that would have sounded cartoonish from a lesser actor. He was just incredible, genuinely frightening.
@IndignationCoordinator: Me too!! Lithgow was magnificant. I can't get over it, even though I've always admired him and shouldn't have been surprised. And if Michael C. Hall doesn't finally get some awards this year, I'm going to blow up. My one complaint - where the hell is Jennifer Carpenter's nomination? She had a lot of emotional scenes this year that she knocked out of the park. She made me cry a few times.
@IndignationCoordinator: I agree with you 100% per cent! Initially, I didn't think I would buy him as being Trinity, but now whenever I see him, I still get a bit spooked.
I think the last time someone played a serial killer that well was Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter.
@IndignationCoordinator: Yes, definitely! And this is one of the reasons that supporting categories should be split into genre like everything else. Jennifer Carpenter should have been nominated for this season, as well.
@bluewine: @ice cream for breakfast: @alixana: Jennifer Carpenter was great this season. She deserved a nomination. But I must say, as the acting gets better and better on that show, the writing is going a little downhill. Too many Ghost-of-Harry scenes spelling out the obvious. The acting absolutely saves the show from being a ridiculous cheesefest.
@IndignationCoordinator: I will never be able to watch a 3rd Rock from the Sun rerun again without expecting Dick Solomon to call someone a cunt. Or sing venus. Or something else creepy.
@alixana: Jennifer Carpenter is seriously underrated. The scene where she returns to the parking lot where Lundy was killed? I about lost my shit along with her. The scene was so ugly and inelegant, which is exactly the kind of raw grief one would expect when confronted with the reality of the loss of your lover.
I'm really surprised Sandra Bullock got two (two!) nominations. Really? I love the woman and all, but I think there have been far better performances this year.
I hope this doesn't come across as bitchy or anything, but I hate when the term "a good year for women" is used every time women get recognized, even if their performances are mediocre. What about the women that deserved nominations who were snubbed (Diane Kruger and Melanie Laurent, anyone?)? I understand where the sentiment is coming from since women over 40 pretty much get no work in Hollywood, but those double nominations seem weak to me considering a lot of fine actress were looked over for two who are only nominated because of their name.
Sorry, but it'll be a good year for women in Hollywood when they can be recognized for talent and not for box-office draw. But, it is Hollywood AND the Golden Globes, so I shouldn't be this rant-y.
@beautiful_dirty_rich: Completely co-signed. There was nothing award-worthy about any part of the Proposal. And Melanie Laurent made Shoshanna my hero of the year, it's criminal that she was ignored first in the advertising for the movie, and now in the awards game.
@alixana: the fact that I have never heard of either Melanie Laurent or Shosanna is why they didn't get any noms.
Seriously. I live in NY and see a lot of movies and I've never heard of her/it. GG is a commercial awards show for the most part. You can't award movies/actors that no one sees.
@TheGuvnah: Oh, Shoshannah was Melanie Laurent's character's name, I probably didn't make that clear enough to anyone who hasn't seen Inglourious Basterds. The advertisements pretty much ignored that there was anyone except Brad Pitt in the movie, even though he was really a minor character.
@TheGuvnah: To be fair you did imply that no one has seen or heard of Inglorious Basterds...a film by one of the biggest directors of the decade. And your whole 'I live in NY, I see a lof of movies, blah blah blah' speel was also a tad pompous.
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Sandra Bullock was nominated for .... 'The Proposal'? As in the widely-panned, under-watched, over-publicised, poorly-written, appalling-put-together 'The Proposal'?
Just want to check that there's not a movie with the same title starring Bullock at her peak before I chuck a hissy fit.
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Your top 5 drama nominations are likely contenders on the new 10 deep Oscar shortlist with Up in the Air looking like the early front runner (a lot of critic association love this weekend; and that is a good indicator as to where Oscar is leaning.) But out of the comedy shortlist? Meh. Yet I'm tending to think Nine might get shut out of the race since lately these Christmas releases haven't been getting the kind of Oscar love that they used to. I may very well eat my words in a month or two, but the early buzz is not good.
Then again, with 10 nominations? Who the hell knows.
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I get your point about the GGs being commercial, but it was absolutely one of the best comedies of the year and I am happy she is getting recognition for it.
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Many people complain that the Oscars are not as commercial as they "should" be. They say the ratings are down because the average American hasn't heard of movies like There Will Be Blood, The Butterfly and the Bell Jar, etc.
I disagree. It's not the filmmakers fault big studios are not making as many movies that are commercial AND well made/award winning/critically acclaimed like they used to.
That the Best Picture was expanded to ten pictures this year is a joke. Back in the 30s there were actually more than 10 movies that you could put in that category. This is just an attempt to bump up ratings.
Sometimes I think the Oscars should go back to being a dinner, not televised/or on AMC or something. Of course that will never happen with all the attention paid to the Red Carpet and the dresses.
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Oh damn, I am taking her side. I wanted to see The Hurt Locker, but it never got here. I think it's on DVD next month. Plus, as a bonus, it doesn't have weird blue cat people. Now, if Avatar had actual cats running around, that would be full of win.
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I think the last time someone played a serial killer that well was Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter.
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God, Lithgow as Arthur was....awesome.
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In fact, if Dexter does not win every category it's up for, I will throw a fit.
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I hope this doesn't come across as bitchy or anything, but I hate when the term "a good year for women" is used every time women get recognized, even if their performances are mediocre. What about the women that deserved nominations who were snubbed (Diane Kruger and Melanie Laurent, anyone?)? I understand where the sentiment is coming from since women over 40 pretty much get no work in Hollywood, but those double nominations seem weak to me considering a lot of fine actress were looked over for two who are only nominated because of their name.
Sorry, but it'll be a good year for women in Hollywood when they can be recognized for talent and not for box-office draw. But, it is Hollywood AND the Golden Globes, so I shouldn't be this rant-y.
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Seriously. I live in NY and see a lot of movies and I've never heard of her/it. GG is a commercial awards show for the most part. You can't award movies/actors that no one sees.
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