This conversation is reminding me of how much I loved LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE the 2 times I saw it in the theatre. I might just put the DVD on now.
The first time I saw it, I was laughing so hard I was crying durig the climax. (Supafreak.)
I saw all of last year's nominated films, save for CRASH (I've tried...I just can't get into it...I think it's the Joshua Logan Bali Hai lighting encasing Los Angeles). I've seen all of this year's nominated films thus far, save for IWO JIMA.
I think LMS, THE QUEEN and BABEL are all superior to GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK, CAPOTE, MUNICH and the much-loved BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (THE DEPARTED...not a great film, but I still thought it was pulpy fun...and it's always good seeing a college friend make good). I thought GN&GL was pretty good, but, for some reason felt slight to me. CAPOTE was like watching two sloths f*ck, BM was...well...I won't rehash that here...and MUNICH was...actually, I liked MUNICH the best out of them all. LMS is absolute divine human comedy, THE QUEEN is a compelling character portrait that held my interest constantly and BABEL is pretty f*cking spectacular (just saw it last night).
Oh, I disagree 100%.
I just rewatched CAPOTE the other evening. What a brilliant film. So much more than just a story there. Everything about it is compelling, fine, and perfect. I grow fonder of it with every viewing.
And I've tried with CRASH, too. I've watched it several times since last year. The same two scenes that moved me last year move me this year, but everything else just makes me laugh.
Well...I actually liked many of the components of CAPOTE; the screenplay, the cinematography and, especially, the performances. I just felt the pacing was deadly slow for me.
I really wish I could make it through CRASH.
I put it on the other night after I finished CAPOTE. I tried. I really did.
There were several times when I just started laughing. I couldn't take it. It's just absurd.
And the LIGHTING!
I keep expecting Juanita Hall to show up and offer her daughter to Matt Dillon.
HAHAHHAAH.
I think the most laughable line in the entire movie is the part where Thandie Newton says to Terrence Howard:
ameron: It's about time you realise what it's like to be black.
Christine: Oh, and you're talking about being black? The closest you ever came to being black, Cameron, was watching the Cosby Show.
Cameron: Well, at least I didn't watch it with the rest of the equestrian team.
And the ensuing scene. It's high camp.
I guess I should have seen LMS in a theatre, because I thought it was just ridiculous. Sure, there were moments I laughed hard at--but I mostly was just annoyed. That's what hype can do to a film.
And Babel was excellent in many ways--except at entertaining me. I am, however, thrilled that Barraza and Rinko got nominated.
The Queen was lovely, but just that.
The Departed was good, but a titch MASTURBATORY.
Haven't seen Iwo Jima.
However, considering my fondness for last year's films, I'm not surprised I have such a different opinion than you guys.
I was obsessed with last year's films. Just not CRASH.
I love comments like "The films aren't weak this year, but it was a weak year for film."
Huh??
And "I can't believe there are people who haven't seen Little Miss Sunshine."
Well... It's made about $59 million. Impressive for an Indy film, but hardly a big hit these days. There are plenty of people around who haven't even heard of it.
The more nominated films I see from 2006, the more I'm baffled by the choices. They are well-crafted, but highly pedestrian. They are forgettable. They are flawed. They have been done before. They have been done better.
Weak? You bet.
I think ten years from now (or even 10 weeks from now), people will look at this roster and say, "What the hell were they thinking?"
Sadly, the only movie I have seen in the "Best Picture" is LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, which I thought was great . . . but, "Best Picture" quality? Eh, I don't really think so.
"I can't believe there are people who haven't seen Little Miss Sunshine."
What a bizarre comment.
I'm not exactly sure what is pedestrian about Babel. I thought it was beautifully shot and had across-the-board stellar performances. I truly thought I was going to hate the film for silly reasons, and I'm glad I popped that screener in. Just terrific, and very moving.
And as an comic exploration of the dark side of the obsession with winning and being the best, you can't get better than LMS. Perhaps seeing it on the big screen made it seem more important. But it still made me think a great deal of the toll the so-called American Dream has taken on the American family. And the homos are the ones who are destroying families?? I think not! And as for The Queen, I thought it worked both as a fascinating character study and a broader look at a generation. Queen Elizabeth II is of the time that gave us the idea of The Greatest Generation. As we move further away from stoicism into emotionalism, what, then, is the place for these people in the world? I thought it was terrific. The Departed. Eh. But I don't have an affinity to Scorcese's work...and I did still find it entertaining.
I think the fact that it's been out on DVD for a month or two might have something to do with the "I can't believe there are people who haven't seen Little Miss Sunshine" comment...Unless everyone's taken Namo's advice to heart and it waiting for a special screening to come around.
Yes, but it's a movie. Not everyone in the world sees every movie immediately, even on DVD.
Regarding the "everybody's seen it" comment...
Just to put it in perspective, I remember when "E.T." was released and became a worldwide top box office smash. And Spielberg was interviewed about that on TV and said that it only took three airings of The Cosby Show to equal more of a viewing audience than the entire worldwide population that saw E.T.
The old saying used to be:
Movies make you rich
TV makes you famous
Theatre gives you clout (which I'm not sure is even true anymore!)
In almost every year past I'd seen a good three or even four of the movies nominated before the noms. came out. Usually something drew me to the movies BEFORE nominations -- this year, the only one I've seen was LMS. None of the other movies interested me at all (I've only recently become interested in The Departed, and then only because of the awards -- honestly, I HATED Gangs of NY, so I'm very iffy on another "heavily praised" Scorcese film at this point). Reading through this board, I have to ask - has ANYONE seen all five movies? If the movies weren't nominated, would anyone have WANTED to see all five? Throw in a Dreamgirls and Borat and it'd be a MUCH more interesting race with MUCH more interesting and popular movies.
The Oscars are in danger of becoming obsolete with nominations like these -- all five films TOGETHER probably didn't gross as much as Cars or hell, even something like Taledega Nights (not that I'm arguing that as best movie by any stretch) did by itself. While I don't think the awards should be dictated by popularity, there IS something to be said for if people on the whole WANT to see the movies to begin with (rather than being told "THIS IS A GOOD MOVIE" - and then having most people bored to tears by it).
Based on that, I'm rooting for LMS the whole way -- will it win? probably not. The award will go to something far more pretentious and far more obscure.
Or maybe I'm just pissed Dreamgirls didn't get nominated.
I think LMS, THE QUEEN and BABEL are all superior to GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK, CAPOTE, MUNICH and the much-loved BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
I think LMS, The Queen, Babel, GN&GL, Munich, and Capote are all on the same, wonderful level.
But, for me, nothing - and I do mean nothing - tops Brokeback. Not even my #1 of the year, The Departed.
"But, for me, nothing - and I do mean nothing - tops Brokeback."
No pun intended, I'm sure.
I kinda walked into that one, didn't I? But, no, I'm serious.
More like backed into it.
My intense dislike for BM is well documented on this board. And I've tried to give it a second chance on cable. I even read that short story. And I still couldn't care less about anyone or anything in that movie.
"there IS something to be said for if people on the whole WANT to see the movies to begin with (rather than being told "THIS IS A GOOD MOVIE" - and then having most people bored to tears by it)."
jasonf --- You are so right.
You should read the LA Times article offering possible explanations about why Dreamgirls wasn't nominated.
One of the comments made by an anonymous Academy member suggested that they don't like to be told what to vote for.
So, what that means is they go out seeking "undiscovered gems" year after year, as if they were archeologists on an Indiana Jones-style dig. Look what I found! I found it first!!! I found the good one! I'm going to tell YOU what to like, not vice-versa.
It's the opposite of hype. They try to find the "Little Film That Could" and hit you over the head with their gold statues to make you watch it.
This doesn't happen every year. But movies like Titanic and The Lord of the Rings are the exceptions to this bizzare trend. God forbid they (and the critics as well) like something that EVERYBODY wants to see.
I find it, and this yearly behavior, very predictable.
I've also come to believe that it's equally boring and irritating going for the anti-hype movies, year after year. If four people saw the movie, there's usually a reason. Not always... but usually.
And I don't like to be told what to "vote" for, or go see, either. Something that hasn't occurred to them, I'm sure.
And I still couldn't care less about anyone or anything in that movie.
Ouch. Sorry to hear that. For me, it's the best film since Return of the King, and one of the few great films of the new millennium.
More like backed into it.
Ba-dum-tish...
Updated On: 1/25/07 at 11:12 AM
I just hope the backlash doesn't affect my girl Jenny any (dots). *tee-hee*
Videos