Weinstein is back. (As are comments…sorry for the delay there.)
The short reply is the easy reply: the Academy has embarrassed itself this day. Seven nominations across the tech branches and a tip of the hat for Heath Ledger will be the Oscar legacy of “The Dark Knight.” The director — shunned. The writers — shunned. The film as a Best Picture nominee, pulling this crusty membership out of irrelevance? A pipe dream.
And I saw it coming. I saw this sense of rigid stupidity and ignorance coming, but I just…I didn’t have the heart to predict against the grain. I bought into the hype. I thought the Academy could be a fresh organization. Clearly, it cannot. And it proves as much year after year after year.
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” was the lead nomination hog with 13 mentions. Likely Best Picture winner “Slumdog Millionaire” was not far behind with 10, two of those nominations coming in the Best Original Song category.
Yes, the music branch proved to be a bunch of bumbling fools yet again, ignoring a solid track from a gifted rocker just like they did last year. You read it right: the Boss got the shaft.
“Milk” matched “The Dark Knight”‘s number of eight and, of course, found its way to Best Picture contention. But it also popped up surprisingly in the costume design field. Meanwhile, some singular thinking were to be had — like “Frozen River” and “In Bruges” finding recognition for their respective original screenplays (though at the unfortunate expense of Woody Allen). Or Michael Shannon, the lone acting nominee for “Revolutionary Road,” and a hell of a deserving bid. Hearing his name brought the broadest smile to my face.
And in an act of defiance against a supporting category campaign, the Academy recognized Kate Winslet as a lead in “The Reader,” which cock-blocked her performance in “Road.”
This all brings us to the elephant in the room: “The Reader” was the film to steal the Bat’s thunder, not “Gran Torino” like I expected, not “WALL-E” as others had hoped. And I think we all knew it was coming once Stephen Daldry’s name was called. A pornographic account of a sympathetic Nazi, rushed through post-production and ultimately a sloppy piece of drama, rightly abandoned by its initial producer at a crucial time on the basis of principle on one hand, politics on the other — this is one of the Academy’s five Best Pictures of the year.
These people should have their cards taken away. This member-for-life shit has to go because you end up with crotchety fools that have no idea what good cinema is, let alone a care about how their organization’s choices will be looked upon in the future. Years from now, “The Reader” will be a blip on the map of film obscurity. “The Dark Knight” will live on in infamy as one of the year’s titans, both a popular blockbuster and a critically acclaimed work of art.
What an absolute tragedy.
(More, plus the nods, after the jump.)
Anyway, looking back across the field, I have a few more notes. I was tipped off to the possibility of “Wanted” being a player in the sound fields last night but I disavowed it quickly enough. But here it is, a nominee for both sound editing and sound mixing. It also looks like I was correct in guessing “Slumdog” would be a nominee in both fields as well.
“Bolt” — a film you all know I love — managed to scoot “Waltz with Bashir” out of the animated field, something I’m sure relatively few saw coming. I can’t say I disagree with the call on one hand, but on the other, “Bashir” was an exceptional piece of worth deserving of a nomination here. If something had to go, why not “Kung Fu Panda?”
Tom Stern is finally an Oscar nominee, scoring for his beautiful work in “Changeling,” while “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” tickled the fancy of the makeup branch. Still, I don’t know how you watch “Synecdoche, New York” and ignore the work.
Annnnddd…that’s about it. Nothing truly left-field was in the cards. Although I guess Clint Eastwood failing to make the lead actor cut is a bit unexpected. But I’m looking back over the “Dark Knight”-peppered list of nominations and nothing is sticking out to me, so I guess I’ll just leave it at that.
I’m pissed. You’re pissed. So it goes. It’s not the first time…it won’t be the last.
The nominees:
Best Picture
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Milk”
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Director
David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Ron Howard, “Frost/Nixon”
Gus Van Sant, “Milk”
Stephen Daldry, “The Reader”
Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Actor
Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”
Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”
Sean Penn, “Milk”
Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”
Best Actress
Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”
Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”
Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”
Meryl Streep, “Doubt”
Kate Winslet, “The Reader”
Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin, “Milk”
Robert Downey Jr., “Tropic Thunder”
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”
Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”
Michael Shannon, “Revolutionary Road”
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, “Doubt”
Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Viola Davis, “Doubt”
Taraji P. Henson, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Marisa Tomei, “The Wrestler”
Best Adapted Screenplay
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Doubt”
“Frost/Nixon”
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Original Screenplay
“Frozen River”
“Happy-Go-Lucky”
“In Bruges”
“Milk”
“WALL-E”
Best Animated Feature Film
“Bolt”
“Kung Fu Panda”
“WALL-E”
Best Foreign Language Film
“The Baader Meinhof Complex”
“The Class”
“Depatures”
“Revanche”
“Waltz with Bashir”
Best Art Direction
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Duchess”
“Revolutionary Road”
Best Cinematography
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Costume Design
“Australia”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Duchess”
“Milk”
“Revolutionary Road”
Best Film Editing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Milk”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Makeup
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”
Best Music (Original Score)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Defiance”
“Milk”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“WALL-E”
Best Music (Original Song)
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“WALL-E”
Best Sound Editing
“The Dark Knight”
“Iron Man”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“WALL-E”
“Wanted”
Best Sound Mixing
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“WALL-E”
“Wanted”
Best Visual Effects
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Iron Man”
Best Documentary (Feature)
“The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)”
“Encounters at the End of the World”
“The Garden”
“Man on Wire”
“Trouble the Water”
Best Documentary (Short Subject)
“The Conscience of Nhem En”
“The Final Inch”
“Smile Pinki”
“The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 306”
Best Short Film (Animated)
“La Maison de Petits Cubes”
“Lavatory – Lovestory”
“Oktapodi”
“Presto”
“This Way Up”
Best Short Film (Live Action)
“Auf der Strecke (On the Line)”
“Manon on the Asphault”
“New Boy”
“The Pig”
“Spielzeugland (Toyland)”
Comments
121 responses to “81st annual Oscar nominations announced, ‘Button’ leads with 13, ‘Dark Knight’ snubbed in Best Pic”
I’m a Dark Knight fanboy just as much as the next guy, but people need to relax on all the fire and brimstone upon The Reader.
I mean wasn’t The Reader one of the films that people were championing to upset The Five? And look it did. Don’t make it apologize for replacing The Dark Knight instead of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, or Milk. And who’s to say IT was the #5 film. It could’ve easily been Frost/Nixon as well.
And look the Dark Knight has a hefty 8 nominations and will win a few of them. Calm down.
Michael,
It’s either the crusty, old, and out of touch members or the corrupt members. As the Joker would say, “You choose.”
BTW TDK also maintained and even strengthed in the hearts of many for 6 months. I wonder what people will think of some of the BP nominees come 6 months time.
Patrick W., I agree with you about “The Reader.”
I’ve wondered all along if “The Dark Knight” would have had all the hype it’s gotten if Heath Ledger hadn’t died. It’s not really all that great of a film.
“Doubt” getting four acting nominations rather surprised me; I’d figured that Amy Adams would have been left out. Is four acting nominations for the same film a record?
so much for high Oscar ratings
“Doubt getting four acting nominations rather surprised me; I’d figured that Amy Adams would have been left out. Is four acting nominations for the same film a record?”
“The Godfather” received four acting nominations. Brando won for lead, while Pacino, Duvall, and Caan were all nominated for supporting (but lost to Joel Grey for “Cabaret”). I believe there have been others, but that’s the first that comes to mind.
What a big bad day………. Personally Im writing a email to academy memebers expressing my dissapointment and telling them I wont follow the brodcast this year. How in this world is possible that the second most embraced film by critic was snubbed?
I ask you everyone to email or feelings to these blind academy members.
Once again, the most important film of the year was considered not enough good for a chance for being recognized as the best film of the year.
Such a big common thing among those “pseudoexperts” at members academy mob.
Don’t tell me to calm down! For THE DARK KNIGHT is the greatest achievement in cinema since it’s very birth. Comparing THE DARK KNIGHT to the rest of those feeble nominated films is like comparing an aquarium to a blue sheet of construction paper. I just cannot take anymore of this. AAHHHH!
It’s been a few years since we’ve seen a few films get so many nominations. Last year we had “No Country” and “Blood” leading with 8 apiece.
This year, we have:
Ben Button – 13
Slumdog Millionaire – 10
Milk – 8
Dark Knight – 8
WALL-E – 6
Frost/Nixon – 5
Reader – 5
Doubt – 5
Rev Road – 3
Changeling – 3
And a bunch with 2 – Wrestler, Duchess, Iron Man, Wanted (?!), Frozen River
So, there was definite love from the techs for “Dark Knight” and “Wall-E”. Why didn’t they name it their Best Picture? Why didn’t they vote it as their Number 1? We can guess that instead, they voted for the true tech sweeper: Benjamin Button. “The Reader” must have been named as the favourites for the English voters, which as we all know, makes up a significant portion of the Academy.
I think it’s wrong to say that it’s the older generation that results in the embarrassments for the Academy. Remember, this is the same generation that was part of the New Hollywood in the 60’s and 70’s. You know, bloody works such as “Bonnie and Clyde”. Hell, look at this: “Milk” has 8 nominations. So is it the old croneys of the Academy? Maybe not.
Maybe, just maybe, people didn’t vote “The Dark Knight” as their number 1 choice because:
a) They thought it was garanteed/”other people will vote for it” i.e. Dreamgirls
b) It was their number 2/3 behind Ben Button and Slumdog i.e. the Tech voters
In one breath, we want to blame the crotchety old Academy for not nominated the hyper-modern “The Dark Knight” or “Wall-E”. But then again, they didn’t nominate either of Eastwood’s films, “Doubt”, or “Revolutionary Road”… all of them more Oscar bait than “The Reader”.
And I thought my jokes were bad…
I feel a need to post a list of the things I’m PLEASED about:
1) Richard Jenkins. I haven’t seen it, but I love that the “little guy” made it in. Over Clint, for that matter.
2) They resisted the power of The Clint. And I’m a Clint fan.
3) IN BRUGES got nommed! That’s f-ing great.
4) I liked The Reader a lot. It made my top 10.
5) Kate Winslet in LEAD for The Reader, just like I asked. Now for the win. Or maybe just give it to Meryl so ppl don’t hate on Kate.
6) BOLT in Animated! Thank you, ye gods…
7) Melissa Leo. Same rationale as Richard Jenkins.
8) RDJ for Tropic Thunder. Tell me this isn’t the hippest move they’ve made since, well, Heath Ledge as The Joker.
9) A.R. Rahman truly gets his due. Both songs deserve it. Plus the score.
So there you go, a few things to smile about after the initial fury has subsided. At least for me.
Delighted that The Dark Knight missed out on eth undeserved noms many were hoping for/predicting.
Disappointed that The Reader was the beneficiary though. Anything else would have been much better.
Get over it.
Michael Rogers said…
The oscar nominations aren’t an individuals top 5 list, how can a film that grossed over $500 million in the US alone and score a metacritic rating of 80+ (higher than more than a couple of BP WINNERS of new millenium) not get nominated?
– – –
I don’t get that. Doesn’t academy members vote for 5 films? Why would I put down my no. 7 of the year (The Dark Knight) instead of my no. 5 of the year (Milk) just because TDK made much more money. That makes no sense at all.
Well obviously there are snubs, but I am glad with the Ben Button love.
First Eddie Vedder last year and now Bruce, I REALLY don’t get that.
I do have a question, if Rahman has 2 noms for best song, are those 2 songs not included in his score? If that is the case then his score really isn’t that good IMO, the songs for Best Song are really the strongest in the score I think and without them I do not really feel the in the music that well. Sure it works in the film with the fast movement and editing, but on its own I feel it is mediocre (kind of like bad club/dance music). That is especially the case if his O… Saya and Jai Ho are not included in the Score. Like the Original Song category, are they supposed to choose the song within its context on the film or as a standalone piece as well?
Any clarifications would be appreciated.
So, Kate Winslet was a lead in THE READER. We can all agree now?
So what I’m trying to say is that if not enough membes had TDK in their top 5 – then it doesn’t get nominated. It’s wuite simple. But it doesn’t mean that people hate it and think less of it. We don’t know if it was no. 6.
@ Michael W.
I understand the confusion. However what I meant is that it is not one individuals list, it is nearly 6000 individuals top 5 lists. So you would think that a film that has all the positives that I pointed out would get nominated.
Hence I do make sense, thank you.
“… all of them more Oscar bait than “The Readerâ€.”
@Andrew,
NOTHING is more Oscar bait than The Reader!
you. You just couldn’t let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You are truly incorruptible, aren’t you? Huh? You won’t kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won’t kill you because you’re just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.
I was considering writing to my congresshero about putting up a statue of THE DARK KNIGHT in my local townsquare. Oh, it will be ever so gorgeous to look out my window and see all the wee ones gather near the statue to pray. Goodness me. I must get started on it, posthaste.. for THE DARK KNIGHT needs it!
I sense much anger in this board.
I haven’t seen the Reader yet, so I’m going to have to try to ignore the ill will towards it.
I think it would have been easier to be angry if it was Gran Torino. The Academy ends up paying the price. Without a 100 mil grosser (pending Benjamin Button) once again, mainstream audiences will continue to be alienated by the ceremonies. Hugh Jackman can’t help the ratings either. He hasn’t exactly done wonders for the Tony’s numbers.
I thought that if they had gotten TDK and WALL-E both in, it would help little.
When they finally turn this corner, it will be too late.
I look at it this way:
We got a good 5 years without the Weinstein Machine shoving something like this down our throats. There were no unequivocal masterpieces this year. WB missed an opportunity. so did the academy. We as an audience didn’t. I will remember the midnight screening of TDK for the rest of my life.
That’s one think Harvey can’t take away from me.
I too want to defend The Reader. Anyone who says it’s a film about the holocaust or Nazi sympathy is so far off, it’s a joke. The film’s message is perhaps too subtle for its own good, but it’s not a ‘holocaust’ movie, and if you think it is, I’ve got to wonder about your film analysis skills.
I think The Reader and The Dark Knight both deserved nominations. So, why is everyone hating on The Reader? There were four other films The Dark Knight could’ve bumped out. So why not hate on the undeserving Frost/Nixon or The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?
I’m baffled over The Dark Knight snub — of course I understand that the Weinstein Co. are masters at this game (they invented the game as it is, for that matter), but hasn’t WB put a great deal of campaigning behind the Knight? Not being there, I only see the banner ads and the FYC scans, but those were aplenty!
No, I’m inclined to believe this wasn’t a campain thing, it was a generational thing. The PGA, the WGA and the DGA have shown thamselves to be much more on the pulse of moviemaking; the Academy is just what its name says. A bunch of old men, who probably just shrugged of the possibility of a guy with pointy ears or a little trash compactor or Mickey Rourke or a film not many understood or a film shot with handycams or a violent foreign film making the top five.
So they went for the Reader! Frost/Nixon! I can’t judge those films, but I have a feeling they’re less than topical.
So there. One of the most exciting years has just turned into the most boring awards race ever. If only one of the abovementioned films had been nominated, it would’ve been enough to breathe some life into the decrepit corpse that is the Oscars. But that corpse seems to be perfectly happy laying there in the corner, rotting away in full display.
I know I’m not going to watch come February. And why should anyone? It’s irrelevant, it’s lame and it’s painfully more obvious than ever that those five aren’t the five best films this year. Not in the States, and definitely not in the world.
Wow. Stephen Daldry has made only 3 films and he’s been a Best Director nominee for all 3. Is this some kind of record?
“A pornographic account of a sympathetic Nazi, rushed through post-production and ultimately a sloppy piece of drama, rightly abandoned by its initial producer at a crucial time on the basis of principle on one hand, politics on the other — this is one of the Academy’s five Best Pictures of the year.”
Kris, while I agree that there were better films this year than The Reader (The Fall, Synecdoche, NY, Rachel Getting Married, TDK, Snow Angels all come to mind), it’s not a terrible film by any stretch. Calling it a “porno” is short-sighted. And I don’t know about you, but I found ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about Winselt’s character in the film to be sympathetic. It’s a challening film, one that provokes thought, and it was extremely well crafted, written, acted, and directed.
Mike has a good point actually. O Saya and Jai Ho are indeed part of the score, to my understanding. I think the confusion is there because Rahman’s score is so stylistically different than typical Hollywood scores. He actually writes songs, in addition to “score” music.
So thinking about it, it’s like John Williams could have been nominated for the Schindler’s List score as well as having the theme be nommed as a piece on its own. Or can instrumentals even be nommed as original songs?
I still don’t get the hype about “The Dark Knight”.
The only two things the Academy should really be ashamed about is the snub of Sally Hawkins in Best Actress and The Dark Knight in Best Score.
Finally, it’s here! I’ve been waiting for it all day! Here’s my take.
The Best:
1. Richard Jenkins. I admit, I was barely hanging on to this longshot, but the Academy knows how to pull off a pleasant surprise.
2. Score and two songs for A.R. Rahman? What a red letter day for the guy!
3. Doubt getting acting nods for all its four leads. It’s not unprecedented, but whatever you say about the rest of the movie, it was a great actors’ showcase. Rooting for Streep and Davis.
4. Slumdog Millionaire having 10 nods. Yes, Mr. Boyle, it is written. Or at least I hope.
5. Michael Shannon. Just when I thought they were going to shelve him, the Academy brings him back. Again, another nice surprise. Sorry for the rest of Revolutionary Road, though.
6. Melissa Leo hanging in there. Same rationale as #s 1 and 5. You’ve got to admire someone who manages to keep her place in the unpredictable awards circuit.
7. Heath Ledger. It’s been going on for almost a year, but this I have to say: This one really is written.
8. Gran Torino not making it. (Because not every Clint Eastwood-directed movie is a masterpiece.) You’d half-expect the Academy to bow down to Clint, but then it veers off and leaves the movie in the dust. Well.
9. Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder. Way to go, dude. Seriously, that brought a grin to my face I didn’t even know I had on.
10. Defiance sneaking into its category. Now if they could only nominate Liev Schreiber for something.
The Worst:
1. The Dark Knight snub. I’m no fangirl, but I thought the film elevated the standards for its genre, and should be rewarded for doing just that. After all, aren’t the Oscars given to recognize the achievements in film?Also, why the snub for Christopher Nolan? He did a great job with the movie, Christian Bale’s annoying growling aside.
2. Sally Hawkins. Were those critics’ awards a consolation prize? She could have easily taken Angelina’s spot, I’m sorry to say.
3. Boring Best Picture and Director races. I’m sorry, but I was hoping they’d shake it up.
4. Three songs for Original Song? Wasn’t Bruce Springsteen supposed to be in here somewhere? Oh, and you could have made the show more watchable by nominating a High School Musical song somewhere. Just saying.
5. Best Animated Feature. Why even bother? In terms of content alone, I know I’d go for Wall-E. The least the Academy could have done is give the film some competition. Like, I don’t know, Waltz with Bashir?
The Baffling.
1. The Reader. Wow. I haven’t seen it, but it obviously seems to be a love it or hate it movie. Won’t comment on that. What I do want to comment on is this: Harvey Weinstein must be feeling really smug right now. I mean, I won’t be surprised if I see the guy interviewed with a smile super-glued to his face.
2. Where is Angelina Jolie’s steam coming from? I’m really interested because I haven’t seen Changeling. Don’t blame me–it just began its theatrical run in my time zone.
3. No big risks taken whatsoever. Well, maybe except for The Reader, but that’s a highly debatable subject that I won’t get into since I haven’t seen it yet. Good luck on the ratings, Academy.
4. Where is the list of presenters? I’d love to get excited about something aside from the actual award-giving.
5. The Academy’s consistent insistence on disappointing its viewers.
There you have it. Hope everyone’s wishes are granted in some shape and form, and if you ever find yourself frustrated, just remember: it’s the Academy. It’s bound to make you scratch your head at some point.
Silencio,
Yes that is def a part of my question, to me it would seem odd that a score can feature songs and they can be treated as separate entities and also together as 1 larger piece.
One could see those 2 “songs” being a score tracks really, becuase, they are almost like chanting (is that wrong to say). Then I guess could be thought of as a score, but then it goes to the question are instrumentals considering songs in the Academy’s eyes?
I’m not going to rant about TDK not getting nominated because too many people are already doing that, but why didn’t Standard Operating Procedure get nominated for Documentary? It is probably the third biggest snub of the day.
I Posted this on another article, but it has a better home here:
If we really look at Academy Award history, there have only been two movies previously nominated for Best Picture that have dealt, at length, with the Holocaust: 1961’s JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG and 1993’s SCHINDLER’S LIST. It’s not like they do this every year (yeah, I know…docs and foreign films…but those are different categories).
I knew, way early on, that TDK wouldn’t make it in the top five. No superhero movie has but, more importantly, no SEQUEL ever has without its predecessor (read: GOING MY WAY, GODFATHER and LOTR) being nominated first. It’s just never going to happen….EVER.
I think it’s so funny, the sour grapes that the Batfans are inevitably going to have regarding the “snubbing†of TDK. Schadenfruede laffs, really. But the fact is that, while well-produced and featuring an incredible supporting performance, the film just wasn’t on the level of other blockbusters that have made the top five list (i.e. The Godfather, Jaws, Star Wars, ET, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Forrest Gump, Titanic, The Lord of the Rings:ROTK). Whether or not you like all those films I just mentioned, they were all solidly written and acted. Their stories made sense and their action didn’t peter out once the best performance in the film left the screen (which are my main complaints against TDK). Still, after seeing TDK a second time, I don’t get what’s going on in the final third of the movie. It’s just a mess. I think the shoe-horning of the Two-Face story into the mix is the film’s main detriment.
Anyway, this is all elementary now. I think it shows great restraint on the part of the Academy to ignore the hype and go with the smaller, more serious movie. I find it mystifying, frankly, that fans think their Batmovie deserves awards as well as a billion dollars. Isn’t giving the Oscar to Ledger (who clearly is going to win and clearly deserves it) enough of an award legacy for TDK?
And the contention that the lack of major noms for TDK signifies a fault in the Academy regarding lifetime memberships, as Kris puts forth, is ageism pure and simple. I’m assuming Kris is between 30 and 35, if not younger. It seems that ALL people this age have problems with ANYONE who is older. The older they are, the stupider they are. The fact is, this is often quite the opposite. Lemme let you in on something: Older people know MORE; they’ve seen it all; you can actually LEARN something from them. Yeah, sometimes they go for lame-o tea-party movies like CHOCOLAT and NICHOLAS AND ALEXANDRA. But sometimes they really DO know what they’re talking about. I don’t see the 80-year-olds who still vote just drooling into a cup all day. They got to where they are because they earned it…and I don’t care whether or not you find the movies they did boring. Maybe it’s YOU who have the problem.
Look. So what that TDK has an 18-wheeler flipping over headfirst and some not-so-clear things to say about the present state of the world (is the Joker supposed to represent the terrorists? If so, the film displays a remarkably simple-minded worldview). So is this supposed to impress us old fusty fuddie-duddies? (for the record, I’m 42). Why??? Look, give me any one of the blockbusters mentioned above any day over TDK. I don’t have problems with it because it made a lot of money; it’s not even that it’s a superhero film (a genre I find boring, frankly); it’s that it simply wasn’t worthy of a Best Picture nod. I would have preferred to see THE WRESTLER in there, but I understand the numbers regarding these things–Aronofsky’s film is not really a technical showcase, so not a lot of non-Actor Acad members voted for it. (very surprised by the Springsteen snub, but that guy already has an Oscar anyway).
In closing, I think all Batfans should take a serious look at themselves. Your movie is loved worldwide. It got 8 Oscar noms. It made a billion dollars. What more do you want? The fact that the film fails to recieve a Best Picture nod, and thus sparks you to rage, actually says a lot more about you than it does about the Academy. It says that, despite it all, you have the sneaking suspicion that you have narrow–maybe even bad–taste.
Anyway: HAPPY ABOUT Wall-E love, Rourke and Tomei love, Amy Adams, Mike Leigh, In Bruges, MIA nommed for Best Song (how cutting edge is that?), Menges and Deakins for Cinematography, Richard Jenkins, and Melissa Leo / Courteney Hunt.
SAD ABOUT: the lack of even one nomination for WENDY AND LUCY, SYNECDOCHE NY or THE FALL. Too bad, but I’ve come to expect this sort of disappointment from the Academy. All three of these movies–and THE WRESTLER–are possibly just too adventurous for the Academy. But aging has taught me not to complain, and not to be surprised by disappointment–only to take joy in these great movies themselves.
I agree with actionman. What is sympathetic about Winslet’s character in ‘The Reader’? Initially Kris it was you yourself that said she probably wouldn’t get nominated on grounds that the character was distant and icy, I seem to recall.
Are we going back on that then?
Stop hating on ‘The Reader’ unnecessarily just because your favourite was overlooked.
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Hurra for THE READER!
STEPHEN DALDRY is the best director ever!
love Kate Winslet!
love all Daldry’s movies!
Good for it!
I think that the only overvaluated movie here es Slumdog Millionaire, and it’s an certainty will be the winner of the night. Must be in its position The Dark Knight.
Sally Hawkins as I do not understand, won almost all the critics awards, but no big prize, only mysteries. This is unprecedented because both SAG, BAFTA, OSCAR not recognized his work and I do not think that the nomination for original screenplay for his film is a consolation, because this is so much injustice .
compensation?
Angelina snub now nominated last year, Kate Winslet never won win now, Melissa Leo should be nominated by 21 deg. ??
Batman fanboy/dan/Jackass: A charade like that is difficult to pull off when I can, uh, see your IP address.
actionman: The book is hardly infused with that much eroticism. Porn. And the character as sympathetic, by that I mean the portrayal of a Nazi as illiterate, she didn’t know what she was doing, we should forgive her, oh how sad, she…well I won’t give away the ending. Sympathetic.
“STEPHEN DALDRY is the best director ever!”
Not to be rude, Blackbird, but how many movies have you seen to make a statement like that?
“The Godfather, Jaws, Star Wars, ET, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Forrest Gump, Titanic, The Lord of the Rings:ROTK”
Forrest Gump and Titanic aren’t even close…barely watchable, at this point. The Empire Strikes Back is the only Star Wars film that approaches some semblance of artistic greatness, and it was snubbed. Jaws and Raiders are fun, but lack emotional and thematic depth. The last sections of Return of the King were taken to task easily as much, if not more, than TDK, by critics and the general public.
I still can’t believe you brought up Forrest Gump…ugh. Talk about a film that goes on forty minutes too long, into increasingly treacly territory.
Anyways, no one’s all that surprised by the TDK snub. And though Kris might be going a bit overboard in criticizing The Reader, it’s not like many of the reviews for it out there don’t support his view. Heck, compared to Manohla Dargis in the New York Times, Kris used the kid gloves.
Truly disappointing list for the most part. The only things I am glad about is Milk getting nominated for picture, director, screenplay, actor and supporting actor. I think it will surely win original screenplay.
Not happy AT ALL about TDK getting snubbed. After all the critical and financial success they actually didn’t nominate it. They just lost millions of viewers on February 22nd.
Kris, as I remember it, the book had just as much eroticism if not more. It’s just more graphic when it’s shown.
I didn’t find The Reader to be conventional at all. It’s one of the most complicated movies I’ve seen in a long time. There is hardly a resolution and there are messy relationships mixed with horrid crimes. The movie is neither sympathetic nor redemptive. I personally loved the movie and am glad that it was recognized this morning. In fact, I wish it were nominated in more categories, including supporting actor (twice), supporting actress, original score, and art direction. Bravo to Daldry, Winslet, Hare, et al. Well deserved.
Slumdog continues to be overrated. Now there’s a movie that I didn’t get. The movie was fine, but seriously, was that the best of the year? What’s “feel-good” about it? You could see that ending a mile away (the title gives it away), but I didn’t “feel good.” I guess I wasn’t entranced by the “ethnic” vibe of the movie… I am, after all, an Asian-American. I don’t fawn over anything just because it’s exotic. (See also: Babel)
The only Best Picture nominee I’ve yet to see is Frost/Nixon, and right now, my vote would go for The Reader by a mile. Milk is also a worthy nominee. The other two are just fine, but WALL-E and The Dark Knight were light years better than those two.
~Steven
Also, Kris, it seems that you mostly have problems with the plot of The Reader, which is no fault of the filmmakers. The film was an amazingly faithful adaptation. Therefore, it seems that all of your rantings are aimed at Bernhard Schlink. And just ask him if we should feel sympathetic towards a former Nazi guard.
The overarching theme of both the book and film is guilt and how to deal with that guilt. Who’s to blame? Michael feels guilty for loving an older woman. He feels guilty for loving a Nazi. He feels guilty for loving her even after knowing her crimes. He feels guilty that his countrymen have done these horrific crimes. Hanna’s faults lie in her inability to grasp with the guilt, and in turn, she is self-destructive in every way. Sympathetic? No. The film is complicated and thought provoking.
~Steven
Steven: If you knew Scott Rudin’s vision of this thing (which some of us are privy to), you’d maybe be singing a different tune. My issues aren’t with the plot. There was a lot more subtlety to be conveyed and a rushed post-production schedule did away with that.
I don’t call it “pornography” arbitrarily. There is no emotion base for the intimacy, at least in this version of the film. There were much deeper levels to reach and Harvey Moneyfingers has never been accused of fragility with his products.
That’s all I’m saying. I like the plot just fine. But in this form, the sympathy we’re meant to feel toward this woman feels totally manipulative and ultimately false.
Mr. F: RE: S.O.P., it was rather bad timing since “Taxi to the Dark Side” is such a similar film. Plus, Morris never gets his due respect.
I don’t know about you guys, but I’m more disappointed with the inclusion of Howard and F/N than I am with Daldry and The Reader.
How puzzling that the vitriol over TDK is being directed at The Reader?? How do you know The Reader came 5th and TDK 6th?? TDK may have come even lower down. Get a grip.
And roll on Slumdog steamtrain- Patel missing out a small disappointment but 3 noms for Rahman makes up for it
And I thought my jokes were bad.
Hell now I know what this all is:
It’s the alternate ending where the ferries did get blown up and the town had no people ready to believe in good. Chaos.
I still disagree with you about ‘The Reader’ Kris. It had all the subtlety I needed, neither too much nor too little. And the graphic sex scenes were necessary for me, not because they were trying to suggest intimacy (for me that was implicit in David Kross’s performance), but rather because we need to see the intensity of Hanna’s effect on Michael. And her control. Not intimacy. I still think ‘pornographic’ is one of the most absurd things I’ve read for absolutely ages.
And whatever Scott Rudin’s vision of the film was, that’s not the film that transpired. I’m sure any number of people would have adapted the book differently, but it’s besides the point.