Best Picture nominees:
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby *
Ray
Sideways
***
The Aviator - The story of Howard Hughes. Several hammy portrayals, including diCaprio as Howard Hughes, a nutty recluse; Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn (for which she won the Oscar), and a large cast.
Finding Neverland - The story of J.M. Barrie (the author of Peter Pan) and the fantastic life he led in giving a good upbringing to the children of his platonic friend Silvia Llewellyn Davies. Standout performance of Freddie Highmore (now playing Norman Bates on Bates Motel).
Million Dollar Baby - Outstanding performance by Hilary Swank as the ill-fated boxer trained by Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood. Probably the best movie directed by Clint Eastwood and a good soundtrack by him as well, but not nominated.
Ray - The story of Ray Charles, with a tour-de-force acting performance by Jamie Foxx, who wins the Best Actor award.
Sideways - Comedic film about two men who go on a weeklong wine-tasting binge in Santa Ynez. Funny, but not really a Best Picture.
***
My rankings of the Best Picture nominees:
1. Million Dollar Baby
2. The Aviator
3. Finding Neverland
4. Sideways
5. Ray
Monday, July 25, 2016
2008
Best Picture Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
***
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Film was based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but almost a 3-hour film. Reminded me of Forrest Gump which goes on and on. Breakout for Taraji P. Henson, who mostly jumped to TV's Empire.
Frost/Nixon - The story of the big interview with Nixon by British journalist David Frost, based on a play. Anthony Hopkins hams up the whole thing with his special American accent.
Milk - Special tour-de-force for Sean Penn (again) as Harvey Milk, a murdered (gay) supervisor from San Francisco. This won an Oscar for Penn and Best Screenplay, but wasn't quite as good as Brokeback Mountain a few years ago.
The Reader - A little seen movie about a illiterate woman who had prisoners at Auschwitz read to her and then later carries on an affair with a German teenager who also reads to her, and then her trial and the aftermath. I enjoyed the early scenes in this movie, and the second half isn't nearly as good, but Kate Winslet does a good job.
Slumdog Millionaire - I loved this movie because it combined game shows, Bollywood, and a classic love story (and wasn't in Hindi). I was surprised that it won Best Picture, because it wasn't your typical epic or director's pet project or lifetime award, just a fun movie.
***
My ranking of the Best Picture nominees:
1. Slumdog Millionaire
2. The Reader
3. Milk
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5. Frost/Nixon
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
***
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Film was based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, but almost a 3-hour film. Reminded me of Forrest Gump which goes on and on. Breakout for Taraji P. Henson, who mostly jumped to TV's Empire.
Frost/Nixon - The story of the big interview with Nixon by British journalist David Frost, based on a play. Anthony Hopkins hams up the whole thing with his special American accent.
Milk - Special tour-de-force for Sean Penn (again) as Harvey Milk, a murdered (gay) supervisor from San Francisco. This won an Oscar for Penn and Best Screenplay, but wasn't quite as good as Brokeback Mountain a few years ago.
The Reader - A little seen movie about a illiterate woman who had prisoners at Auschwitz read to her and then later carries on an affair with a German teenager who also reads to her, and then her trial and the aftermath. I enjoyed the early scenes in this movie, and the second half isn't nearly as good, but Kate Winslet does a good job.
Slumdog Millionaire - I loved this movie because it combined game shows, Bollywood, and a classic love story (and wasn't in Hindi). I was surprised that it won Best Picture, because it wasn't your typical epic or director's pet project or lifetime award, just a fun movie.
***
My ranking of the Best Picture nominees:
1. Slumdog Millionaire
2. The Reader
3. Milk
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5. Frost/Nixon
2003
Best Picture Nominees:
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King *
Lost in Translation
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Mystic River
Seabiscuit
***
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - Finally! While I still like the first picture the best, the final picture in the trilogy gets the Best Picture win. Again, this follows the Awards' way of rewarding movies for perceived slights or the culmination of a career.
Lost in Translation - Sofia Coppola's semi-autobiographical quirky movie about aging movie star Bill Murray making whiskey ads in Japan. Murray should have won Best Actor here, but (see above) lost out to Sean Penn.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of The World - This movie was based upon three novels following a Royal Navy ship and its crew. It was a great historical epic and I'm sad that no sequels were made, because I enjoy a good rollicking period piece on a ship.
Mystic River - A movie that I was not interested in seeing. Following Boston boys from childhood to adulthood and criminality. I feel it was on the lists solely because it was a Clint Eastwood movie.
Seabiscuit - The story of a successful race horse who beat War Admiral (winner of the Triple Crown) in the late 30s. Seabiscuit had good heritage but was not seen as a winner, though won many races. An enjoyable movie, but probably not Best Picture material.
***
My rankings of the Best Picture nominees:
1. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
2. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
3. Lost in Translation
4. Seabiscuit
5. Mystic River
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King *
Lost in Translation
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Mystic River
Seabiscuit
***
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King - Finally! While I still like the first picture the best, the final picture in the trilogy gets the Best Picture win. Again, this follows the Awards' way of rewarding movies for perceived slights or the culmination of a career.
Lost in Translation - Sofia Coppola's semi-autobiographical quirky movie about aging movie star Bill Murray making whiskey ads in Japan. Murray should have won Best Actor here, but (see above) lost out to Sean Penn.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of The World - This movie was based upon three novels following a Royal Navy ship and its crew. It was a great historical epic and I'm sad that no sequels were made, because I enjoy a good rollicking period piece on a ship.
Mystic River - A movie that I was not interested in seeing. Following Boston boys from childhood to adulthood and criminality. I feel it was on the lists solely because it was a Clint Eastwood movie.
Seabiscuit - The story of a successful race horse who beat War Admiral (winner of the Triple Crown) in the late 30s. Seabiscuit had good heritage but was not seen as a winner, though won many races. An enjoyable movie, but probably not Best Picture material.
***
My rankings of the Best Picture nominees:
1. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
2. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
3. Lost in Translation
4. Seabiscuit
5. Mystic River
2002
Best Picture Nominees:
Chicago *
Gangs of New York
The Hours
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Pianist
***
Chicago - This is based on the 1975 musical with an all-star cast. This was also a true musical but with movie stars who can sing as opposed to an updated version of the stage show.
Gangs of New York - An historical epic about the gangs of New York, with extremely hammy performances by Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo diCaprio. Fortunately, it did not win any Academy Awards.
The Hours - Based on a novel of the same name, this movie follows three ladies in different times of history reading Mrs. Dalloway. Well-acted by big name actresses, but largely forgettable years later.
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - Just one year later, the second film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Few multi-film series end up being released so quickly between each other and have such success. This is probably my least favorite of the three, but still love all the movies in this entire series. This was the highest grossing movie of 2002, probably because there was no Harry Potter film this year.
The Pianist - This is the story of a Jewish pianist from Poland who survives World War II mostly by hiding and through special favors. It was directed by Roman Polanski (who, regrettably won Best Director), who has been hiding out in Europe for 40 years after serving just 42 days after raping a 13-year old. Other than meeting my "obligations," I avoid Roman Polanski movies as I do not like to support rapists.
***
My rankings of the Best Picture nominees:
1. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2. Chicago
3. The Hours
4. The Pianist
5. Gangs of New York
Chicago *
Gangs of New York
The Hours
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Pianist
***
Chicago - This is based on the 1975 musical with an all-star cast. This was also a true musical but with movie stars who can sing as opposed to an updated version of the stage show.
Gangs of New York - An historical epic about the gangs of New York, with extremely hammy performances by Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo diCaprio. Fortunately, it did not win any Academy Awards.
The Hours - Based on a novel of the same name, this movie follows three ladies in different times of history reading Mrs. Dalloway. Well-acted by big name actresses, but largely forgettable years later.
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - Just one year later, the second film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Few multi-film series end up being released so quickly between each other and have such success. This is probably my least favorite of the three, but still love all the movies in this entire series. This was the highest grossing movie of 2002, probably because there was no Harry Potter film this year.
The Pianist - This is the story of a Jewish pianist from Poland who survives World War II mostly by hiding and through special favors. It was directed by Roman Polanski (who, regrettably won Best Director), who has been hiding out in Europe for 40 years after serving just 42 days after raping a 13-year old. Other than meeting my "obligations," I avoid Roman Polanski movies as I do not like to support rapists.
***
My rankings of the Best Picture nominees:
1. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2. Chicago
3. The Hours
4. The Pianist
5. Gangs of New York
2001
Best Picture Nominees:
A Beautiful Mind *
Gosford Park
In the Bedroom
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Moulin Rouge!
***
A Beautiful Mind - A fictionalized account of Mathematician John Nash, who was brilliant but suffered from schizophrenia. Total Oscar fodder, but I still enjoyed the movie.
Gosford Park - A large ensemble film directed by Robert Altman and a precursor to Downton Abbey (written by Julian Fellowes). Reminiscent of Upstairs, Downstairs, and also a murder mystery. Years later, I enjoyed both of the above series because I like the dichotomy of the upstairs and downstairs separate class systems.
In the Bedroom - A dramatic film about family relationships and how those relationships ruin lives. Hard to watch, but well-acted.
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring - As a HUGE fantasy/sci-fi fan, I am biased when one of these films is nominated for Best Picture. This is the first of three films. A great story, amazing special effects, and was the 2nd highest grossing picture of the year (behind the first Harry Potter movie).
Moulin Rouge! - At the time, I was not overly fond of this movie, because it meshed modern times (and modern music) with the era portrayed in the picture. The movie has grown on me over time, because of the way they mash-up music and update the 1952 movie.
***
My ranking of the Best Picture nominees:
1. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
2. Moulin Rouge!
3. A Beautiful Mind
4. Gosford Park
5. In the Bedroom
A Beautiful Mind *
Gosford Park
In the Bedroom
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
Moulin Rouge!
***
A Beautiful Mind - A fictionalized account of Mathematician John Nash, who was brilliant but suffered from schizophrenia. Total Oscar fodder, but I still enjoyed the movie.
Gosford Park - A large ensemble film directed by Robert Altman and a precursor to Downton Abbey (written by Julian Fellowes). Reminiscent of Upstairs, Downstairs, and also a murder mystery. Years later, I enjoyed both of the above series because I like the dichotomy of the upstairs and downstairs separate class systems.
In the Bedroom - A dramatic film about family relationships and how those relationships ruin lives. Hard to watch, but well-acted.
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring - As a HUGE fantasy/sci-fi fan, I am biased when one of these films is nominated for Best Picture. This is the first of three films. A great story, amazing special effects, and was the 2nd highest grossing picture of the year (behind the first Harry Potter movie).
Moulin Rouge! - At the time, I was not overly fond of this movie, because it meshed modern times (and modern music) with the era portrayed in the picture. The movie has grown on me over time, because of the way they mash-up music and update the 1952 movie.
***
My ranking of the Best Picture nominees:
1. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
2. Moulin Rouge!
3. A Beautiful Mind
4. Gosford Park
5. In the Bedroom
2000
Best Picture nominees:
Chocolat
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Erin Brockovich
Gladiator *
Traffic
***
Chocolat - A charming, if not wide-ranging comedic movie with Johnny Depp (before he went bonkers with the whole Pirates of the Caribbean series) and Juliette Binoche as a chocolatier who changes lives with her chocolate arts. Being allergic to chocolate, I found the picture cloying.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - A Chinese-language martial arts film with cool special effects and a good romantic story. Went on to become the largest grossing foreign film (at the time).
Erin Brockovich - A tour-de-force for Julia Roberts in her portrayal of the real-life Erin Brockovich, who battled for people in Central California who were being poisoned by PG&E dumping of chemicals. Another example of a David vs. Goliath film, where David is a tough-as-nails lady.
Gladiator - The story of a Roman general who is sentenced to death, captured by slavers, and works his way up by winning matches in the gladiator arena, eventually changing the system. Lead actor Russell Crowe won Best Actor in his own tour-de-force.
Traffic - In a year of wide-ranging epics, another wide-ranging epic about drug trafficking in the US, from the fields to the dealers to the kingpins. This is based on a British miniseries, which is substantially longer and better.
***
This year was an example of films that I was not terribly jazzed about. None of these five movies are ones that I get really excited about seeing again.
My ranking of the Best Picture nominees:
1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
2. Erin Brockovich
3. Gladiator
4. Traffic
5. Chocolat
Chocolat
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Erin Brockovich
Gladiator *
Traffic
***
Chocolat - A charming, if not wide-ranging comedic movie with Johnny Depp (before he went bonkers with the whole Pirates of the Caribbean series) and Juliette Binoche as a chocolatier who changes lives with her chocolate arts. Being allergic to chocolate, I found the picture cloying.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - A Chinese-language martial arts film with cool special effects and a good romantic story. Went on to become the largest grossing foreign film (at the time).
Erin Brockovich - A tour-de-force for Julia Roberts in her portrayal of the real-life Erin Brockovich, who battled for people in Central California who were being poisoned by PG&E dumping of chemicals. Another example of a David vs. Goliath film, where David is a tough-as-nails lady.
Gladiator - The story of a Roman general who is sentenced to death, captured by slavers, and works his way up by winning matches in the gladiator arena, eventually changing the system. Lead actor Russell Crowe won Best Actor in his own tour-de-force.
Traffic - In a year of wide-ranging epics, another wide-ranging epic about drug trafficking in the US, from the fields to the dealers to the kingpins. This is based on a British miniseries, which is substantially longer and better.
***
This year was an example of films that I was not terribly jazzed about. None of these five movies are ones that I get really excited about seeing again.
My ranking of the Best Picture nominees:
1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
2. Erin Brockovich
3. Gladiator
4. Traffic
5. Chocolat
Thursday, March 5, 2015
1999
Best Picture Nominees:
American Beauty *
The Cider House Rules
The Green Mile
The Insider
The Sixth Sense
***
American Beauty - An interesting, if wide ranging story about dissatisfaction with middle-class life... but another excellent performance from Kevin Spacey, who did win the Best Actor Oscar.
The Cider House Rules - A very mainstream adaptation of a John Irving novel (because they can often be odd). Michael Caine is a stand-out here and the story more inspirational than bizarro.
The Green Mile - An excellent adaptation of a Stephen King serial novella written by the same screenwriter as The Shawshank Redemption. Lots of great acting performances, especially by Michael Clark Duncan.
The Insider - This is based upon the takedown of Big Tobacco (that they knew they were killing people but still "recruiting them" to buy cigarettes). A good story, especially when I have seen the transition of smoking being socially acceptable to frowned upon.
The Sixth Sense - M. Night Shymalan's 'twist'ed mystery about a young boy who "sees dead people." This was a movie that could take multiple viewings to understand exactly what was going on.
***
My rankings of the Best Picture Nominees:
1. The Green Mile
2. The Sixth Sense
3. American Beauty
4. The Insider
5. The Cider House Rules
American Beauty *
The Cider House Rules
The Green Mile
The Insider
The Sixth Sense
***
American Beauty - An interesting, if wide ranging story about dissatisfaction with middle-class life... but another excellent performance from Kevin Spacey, who did win the Best Actor Oscar.
The Cider House Rules - A very mainstream adaptation of a John Irving novel (because they can often be odd). Michael Caine is a stand-out here and the story more inspirational than bizarro.
The Green Mile - An excellent adaptation of a Stephen King serial novella written by the same screenwriter as The Shawshank Redemption. Lots of great acting performances, especially by Michael Clark Duncan.
The Insider - This is based upon the takedown of Big Tobacco (that they knew they were killing people but still "recruiting them" to buy cigarettes). A good story, especially when I have seen the transition of smoking being socially acceptable to frowned upon.
The Sixth Sense - M. Night Shymalan's 'twist'ed mystery about a young boy who "sees dead people." This was a movie that could take multiple viewings to understand exactly what was going on.
***
My rankings of the Best Picture Nominees:
1. The Green Mile
2. The Sixth Sense
3. American Beauty
4. The Insider
5. The Cider House Rules
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