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The season is winding down this week. The slow President’s Day holiday yesterday seemed to be more of a harbinger than a lull in the excitement. This time next week, we’ll probably be over the fallout of the circuit and on to debating the contenders we’re likely to see a year from now.
It’s a vicious, beautiful, sad, interesting circle.
But before the 81st Annual Academy Awards telecast puts a bow on the festivities Sunday night, it seems a decent enough time to reflect. And not to be too negative, but this became one of the most irritating seasons I’ve ever covered, both in the lack of excitement to the dichotomy that circumstance presented for me (given that my favorite film of the year has lead the field throughout).
With that in mind, I fully expect this piece to grate the nerves of more than a few readers. Then again, I’m sure plenty of these views are shared by a handful as well, but whatever the case, a list of pet peeves began to stack up early on in the season. I thought it reasonable to collect them here, so feast your eyes (or roll them), this is what got under my skin this year.
10. The Academy’s music branch
This is an annoyance that will likely never be soothed, but the Academy’s music branch once again proved how broken it is this year. First it decided Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard’s score for “The Dark Knight” was ineligible for a nomination before rescinding that decision at Zimmer’s pleading request (most of us knew very well that wouldn’t ultimately matter, though). Then the branch and its unnecessarily complicated song voting process, together with it’s clip-viewing process, shut Bruce Springsteen out of a category he deserved to win. I’m beginning to think there’s no hope.
9. Sweden choosing “Everlasting Moments” over “Let the Right One In”
(Apparently Academy rules kept the Swedes’ hands tied behind their backs, but I still bet they’d have gone with the safer choice.) “Everlasting Moments” is a delightful little film that many of us in the media thought might actually have a shot at winning the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Oscar. Maybe the Swedes were thinking along similar lines when then submitted the film on behalf of their country — but to ignore one of the most innovative and excitingly creative cinematic experiences of the year? “Let the Right One In” consistently popped up on list after list of the year’s best foreign films, so dare I say it, it may have squeaked through to a nod, despite the subject matter.
8. The closing track of “Gran Torino”
Thankfully, Clint Eastwood’s growling, painful ditty “Gran Torino” didn’t make it as a Best Original Song contender, but that didn’t do much to remove the red mark that still remains on my forehead from when I smacked it during the closing credits of his film. I say, again, what the hell was he thinking singing on this thing? Surely I wasn’t the only one who thought it was an embarrassing punctuation point on an already dubious cinematic venture? On it’s own, the song is fine. Jamie Callum would have been okay on his own. But that deathly howl at the beginning just ruins it till the end. I hope it’s out of his system.
7. “Rachel Getting Married”
I haven’t said much about Jonathan Demme’s “Reachel Getting Married,” beyond a brief review when the film was playing at Toronto. Mostly I just sat back and watched a critical fraternity cream itself over a film that was passable but hardly groundbreaking on any level, one containing a pair of performances (Hathaway and DeWitt) that deserved commendation but within a screenplay laughably unrealistic (despite claims to the contrary). Oh yeah, and Debra Winger was terrible. Stop fooling yourselves otherwise. Nice that I’m not alone on most of this, but really, how did this become such a critical darling?
6. “Button” sniping
I touched on this briefly earlier in the month, but while most of this list was in place by the time the Oscar nominations were announced, this little annoyance crept up on me during the second phase of the season. Everyone likes to gangs up on SOMETHING when it comes to this stuff. Bandwagon mentality is difficult to shake, whether in praise or disdain of a contender. So it wasn’t necessarily a shock that so many people took it out on “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” The sad thing is most of the griping held little water beyond a few valid if shallow “Forrest Gump” comparisons and the reasoned views were few and far between.
5. No love for Cate Blanchett
It’s funny that there are two “Button” examples on this list, since I was hardly a hard core fan of the film, but this one was big for me. I thought Cate Blanchett’s performance was probably her best work to date, yet beyond a BFCA nomination, no one else seemed to feel the same way. We all have our little disappointments when it comes to the Oscar season, this contender or that consistently getting the shaft. I was just shocked that Blanchett was so universally snubbed since her performance is arguably the most accomplished of a film that landed 13 nominations across the Academy board. What gives?
4. The inevitable “Slumdog” backlash
This should really be called “the inevitable Fox Searchlight” backlash at this point, since both “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Juno” were met with similar belly-aching about a supposedly trite narrative. There MAY have been an argument for those two films (though I loved both), but “Slumdog Millionaire” is a remarkable piece of cinema that easily deflected most of the pot-shots. There was even a nasty smear mixed in there somewhere, dragging the child actors into the fray with irresponsible reckless abandon. But the film survived will likely (and rightly) win the honor of Best Picture of the year, whether you like it or not.
3. Any screenwriting accolades for “Doubt”
I say again — WHAT SCREENWRITING? This agitated me all year long, right up to the damned Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. My key point of criticism against “Doubt” has always been that it isn’t cinematic in the slightest. A few dutch angles from Roger Deakins doesn’t cut it. It is, quite simply, a play on film, and to reward that with adaptation honors is an affront to screenwriting and, indeed, screenwriters. (Can you tell I’ve had my hand at it?) There was a part of me that thought, you know, the writers aren’t going to go for this like the rest. But even the WGA and AMPAS writers branch fell prey.
2. Attack of the fanboys: “The Dark Knight” and “WALL-E”
This came dangerously close to my #1 spot for a bevy of reasons. Anytime the populist contingent has a contender in play, things get really nasty. Go back to the “Lord of the Rings” years for some truly troublesome examples. I don’t consider myself a “‘Dark Knight’ fanboy” because after all, I wrote an even-handed review of the film. But I guess that is the side I fell on this year, so being in the trenches, it was nasty. From BOTH sides. It’s sad, really, that it even had to be “this” side versus “that” side in the mind of so many, but in the end — with delicious irony — neither side made it across the finish line.
1. Bitching about “category fraud”
Man did this get out of hand this year. Maybe it’s simply because I disagreed with most of the arguments, but the constant whining about “category fraud” — Who coined that term? Rogers? I know I own “lone director” but I think this one stems from The Film Experience — was like a gnat buzzing around my ears all…year…long. Seriously, Kate Winslet in “The Reader” — it was a friggin’ supporting performance. Dev Patel in “Slumdog Millionaire” — supporting performance; even if the CHARACTER was the lead, three actors were responsible. But this happens every year and I’m sure certain parties are gearing up for next season.
Have your say. What bugged the hell out of you this year? Get it out, come on…
59 responses so far
1 2-17-2009 at 9:48 am
mike said...
Sweden could not pick Let The Right One In this year as their film, it came out too late there. The deadline was Spet 08, it came out in Oct 08…
http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/rules/rule14.html
According to IMDB and wikipedia (prob off the same source) it was released (theatrically) in Sweden on Oct 24…
We should not fault Sweden for this, but maybe the Academy rules. I am not sure if Sweden will pick this next year since a lot of the buzz will be gone from it.
2 2-17-2009 at 10:12 am
Matthew said...
The interesting thing about Benjamin Button is that arguments on both sides of the conversation – the film is good vs. the film is bad – fall short of being impressive. People can’t reasonably say it’s a great movie, nor can they reasonably say it’s the worst movie ever made. Which brings me to why I don’t like it – it’s the epitome of mediocrity. The film, which seems to be trying to say something heartwarming/breaking, falls short in those regards, but not completely short. It’s touching and says something, but only kind of. That’s partially where my madness about that film is: the mediocrity and shallowness of it all. The performances are also lacklustre. Brad Pitt in this film, as David Denby (my most hated critic) says, can’t seem to “dramatize thought”. Which is weird because he was perfectly capable last year in Assassination. (I’m a big fan of Pitt, so to see this was kind of disappointing).
My real problems mostly stem from the editing and the script. The Hurricane Katrina thing is an extremely contrived framing device for the film, and all of the dialogue is super quaint and false-seeming to me – even in the heightened surreality of that world. The editing is some of the worst I’ve seen, never letting a shot breathe, quickly going from shot to shot, and never letting the details settle in. This would be fine in some other movie, but here “details” are one of the themes of the movie, or rather moments. And yet the editor seemed to just jump and jump and jump, never letting the viewer properly observe what’s going on and not matching thematically with the film at all. I had similar issues with the script, it just jumped and jumped and jumped feeling very episodic and not in a good way.
The Forrest Gump comparisons, though valid, aren’t really my cup of tea. I find problems in the shallowness and contrivance of the film and script, the lacklustre performances, and most of all the editing.
Oh and about “Doubt,” I don’t fully understand the “filmed play” thing. I mean, it would be worse if they actually did that “fourth row-centre” thing. I enjoyed the film, although I completely agree that it doesn’t deserve any screenwriting awards, though certainly not for the same reasons as you. I found the metaphors to be lacking any sort of subtlety, and that was my main problem. Shanley just was like, “get it? Cat and mouse? Get it? It’s like the characters! Get it?” That was my problem with it mostly. I’ve gone on too long. Blah blah.
3 2-17-2009 at 10:12 am
Matthew said...
Wow that was way more than I expected. Sorry about that.
4 2-17-2009 at 10:14 am
Kristopher Tapley said...
Well then I fault the Academy rules, mike. It’s an irritation regardless of what forced the country to go with one okay film over and outright masterwork.
5 2-17-2009 at 10:17 am
Jeremy said...
I recognize I’m falling into your own #2 peeve here, but my primary complaint remains the existence of the Best Animated Feature category. Had the category not existed, it isn’t certain that “Wall-E” would have received a coveted Best Picture nomination, but at least it would have had a legitimate chance. As it is, the latest Pixar masterpiece was never in the running.
What’s particularly irksome is that the Academy acknowledged the movie’s greatness with a screenplay nomination. Here’s the question: If there had been a separate category called Best Original Screenplay for an Animated Film, would “Wall-E” still have received a standard screenplay nomination? I highly doubt it.
6 2-17-2009 at 10:19 am
James D. said...
Why would foreign countries get exciting when the domestic choices never are?
There is backlash against Slumdog Millionaire because it isn’t a very good movie. It is the Juno of this season, but at least a year ago the Academy had the sense to avoid it, even if they skipped over There Will Be Blood and ignored The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford entirely.
Rachel Getting Married was better than all of the Best Picture nominees except Milk.
And what was good about Blanchett’s role? You really think she is better here than in I’m Not There?
The rest I agree with. Doubt especially.
7 2-17-2009 at 10:22 am
Kristopher Tapley said...
As noted over and over again, this backlash has nothing to do with quality because unlike “A Beautiful Mind” and “Crash,” “Slumdog Millionaire” was one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year. People just got tired of the awards, which is fair enough. But it’ll pass…
And yes, Blanchett’s impression in I’m not there isn’t half the filled in performance she gives in “Button.”
8 2-17-2009 at 10:22 am
Alex said...
Your comments on Doubt & Rachel Getting Married are pathetic. But I guess everyone is entitled to an opinion.
The category is Best Adapted Screenplay not The Most Work it Took to Adapt a Book/Play into a Movie. You award the SCREENPLAY, not the adaptation process (or how many lines you had to change). And, at the end of the day, unlike The Reader for example who is a simplistic confusing without any heart screenplay, Doubt has a great screenplay with a simple plot that works and the sharpest dialogue.
9 2-17-2009 at 10:31 am
James D. said...
As far as what annoyed me, I would have to comment on Synecdoche, New York.
I understand why tiny independent films like Shotgun Stories and Chop Shop did not even register, but Synecdoche is a landmark movie with a famous cast.
Another thing that annoyed me was Revolutionary Road in general. How did someone sit through this film?
10 2-17-2009 at 10:39 am
Kristopher Tapley said...
Alex: “Pathetic” isn’t much of a come back, certainly not an educated one. If you’d like to discuss something there are better ways to do it than standing in a corner, pointing and shouting like you have Tourette’s.
Anyway, regarding your “Doubt” comments, which are at least an attempt at discourse, I never said the adaptation has to have a lot of alteration to be considered. But what is insulting is to take a play, film it without a shred of cinematic virtue and receive awards and accolades for that process.
I’m with you on Synecdoche, James. Obviously not on “Revolutionary Road.?
11 2-17-2009 at 10:40 am
Gomez said...
My list in short:
-TDK fanboys whining
-Wall-E fanboys whining
-The praise on Milk. Sure it’s “important” but it’s also just a generic biopic with the only memorable aspect being Sean Penn
-People whining about predicitablity. ANYONE on this website or others like it are following the awards season MUCH closer than any normal people. Of course you’re going to be annoyed!
12 2-17-2009 at 11:10 am
Alex said...
funny reply :) don’t we just love calling names.
people should stop blaming Debra Winger. it’s not her, it’s the writing of her scenes (it’s like Jenny Lumet totally hated her or something). She did the perfect she could with the character and it’s a fabulous balance, her being at one pole, and Anne on another. The mom is the mystery factor and the most intriguing character and it’s excellent that she was played so distant and cold harted just to keep those question marks going. Her hard scenes (like the slapping one) – too underwritten (probably because it was wrongfully placed right after another big fighting scene).
I don’t agree on Doubt (shockingly). I think the story is strong enough, suspensful enough, with the right length in time, balanced enough so that it would make a great movie for cinema.
Other than that, I don’t consider any strict definition for what’s cinematic. I don’t think it matters if it’s filmed in a box or called Dogville. And I don’t think it’s the same like being in a theatre, starting from the pace of the film and going to the face, the expressions, the acting of the performers.
13 2-17-2009 at 11:16 am
Nathaniel R said...
I don’t know if we created those terms but we’re certainly known for them (for better or worse)
as for category fraud. my constant harping on it comes from a beautiful noble place ;) which is this: I want character actors to have a chance at Oscars… not just movie stars) I think they deserve the respect. So even if it reads like a buzzing (g)NAT I do not care. the more people join in the complaints the more embarrassed they will eventually get the next time they try to pull a ‘Jamie Foxx is a supporting actor in Collateral!’ laugh riot.
But anyway YOU CRAZY about Rachel Getting Married. Best film of the year. I’m confident that more and more people will think so as the years go by and we get a little distance.
if i had a #1 pet peeve it might be that the directors’ branch has dropped hte ball in a big way. They should be looking out for people like Demme who are making films their own and in a beautiful complicated inimitable way and not rewarding people for finally giving up their identity (Fincher) or for doing adequate work on material that might have sizzled in far more interesting ways under a stronger director (i’m talking to you Ron Howard!)
14 2-17-2009 at 11:35 am
Derek said...
Category fraud IS an issue, though, Kris. It’s blatant pandering to the Academy, trying to get someone in wherever they have the best chance – not where they belong. It’s happened before, it’s happened this year, and it’ll happen again next year – and each time, it’s certainly deserving to bitch about it.
15 2-17-2009 at 11:40 am
Kristopher Tapley said...
Aw, it wasn’t aimed at you Nat. I swear! I just know you’re big on the category fraud debate and many times, I’m right there with you on it. This year I just wasn’t buying, and a lot of people, I suppose yourself included, were selling.
Derek: See, essentially, what I just wrote. In general, I tend to agree. This year it didn’t compute.
16 2-17-2009 at 11:50 am
Drew said...
The Milk backlash.
It’s the film’s importance that make it deserve all the awards. How can people argue it’s important but not Oscar worthy? It’s a more worthy biopic to tell than say, Truman Capote. Great performance but not an important story to tell. Milk is extremely relevant and deserves the accolades for bringing gay rights issues to public awareness while at the same time honouring an important historical figure.
17 2-17-2009 at 11:55 am
JAB said...
- I’m baffled that they nominated Pitt and Henson but not Blanchett, she has the best performance of that movie.
- Rachel Getting Married took it’s indieness to an unnecessary level. it’s writing…i hated that there were constantly people playing music around the house, and who has a wedding like that where the guests aren’t completely confused by all the bizarreness?! I’m so glad Demme didn’t get a directing nod, because so many parts of it were a mess, like that ten minute reception montage monstrosity. However the writing for the characters proved to be redeeming for the rest of the writing, and the acting saves it. Hathaway, DeWitt, and Irwin are all fantastic, and i can’t agree with your assessment of Winger.
18 2-17-2009 at 12:04 pm
caleb roth said...
Ok, but what about PSH in Doubt? That was a HUGE category fraud, wasn’t it?
19 2-17-2009 at 12:11 pm
Jake said...
I disagree with your statement on Gran Torino. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and the ending song, while ridiculous, put the cherry on top of the cake. The song is funny, and so was the movie.
20 2-17-2009 at 12:21 pm
McAllister said...
I am right there with you on 3,4,5,6,7,9,10. #8… Yeah, he sounds pretty horrible, but I’ll let Clint do what he wants. #2… I think they both are probably deserving of BP nods but I’m not really affected much by all the fanboy backlash. #1… I understand campaigning and how if you stand a better shot in this category when this one makes more sense, the studio will campaign you there… but I still don’t like it. But oh well. Happens every year it seems.
21 2-17-2009 at 12:24 pm
McGuff said...
Kris, you liked Juno? I thought we disagreed on that one. Although I must say that it does not fare as well for me on multiple viewings. Still one of my favorite ’07 cinema experiences, though.
22 2-17-2009 at 12:33 pm
NYLA said...
What about the deification of Heath Ledger? That would take up spots 1 – 5 for me.
23 2-17-2009 at 12:40 pm
Kristopher Tapley said...
I liked “Juno” and I agree that it doesn’t age well. But at the time, I loved it and I don’t think it’s anyone’s task to project how a film will be perceived years down the road. It’s all about how it affects you then and there and time is its own judge. So yeah, at the time, it was my #4 film of the year, ahead of “There Will Be Blood” (much to the astonishment of many). Today, those numbers would probably be swapped.
24 2-17-2009 at 12:43 pm
Mr. Harmonica said...
Well, considering I’ve seen the kind of”laughably” unrealistic situations of Rachel Getting Married played out in front of me, maybe you shouldn’t judge things you know nothing about, Kris.
25 2-17-2009 at 12:46 pm
KING 1 said...
Kris,
I agree with most of your list, but, like many others here, I disagree about your assessment of “Rachel”. It was a moving, sad, realistic, raw, and ultimately rewarding experience for me, and surely one of the best movies of the 2008 year. I don’t wonder why critics loved it, since I can see why, but instead wonder how it could have been snubbed in so many categories – Director, SCREENPLAY, Dewitt, Winger, Iwrin, and picture (that is just my opinion).
And no one can argue that Hathaway gave one of the best performances this year – one that wholly deserves the nomination it recieved, but that unfortunately will be over-looked this year for more mediocre work like Streep’s over-the-top nun (I do think Winselt was utterly heart-breaking in The Reader though, just not as good as Hathaway)
Wish you could have seen what I saw Kris
26 2-17-2009 at 12:56 pm
trent said...
Drew: I think it’s possible to acknowledge that a film is relevant and historically significant without it being a terribly innovative, original, or, to be honest, GOOD film. That is how I, and apparently many others, feel about Milk.
So as for your Capote comparison, while I agree that Milk is more immediately pertinent to today’s political climate, I still think that Capote is a better movie, in that it raises questions about art and ethics that go way beyond the typical biographical homage. I wanted to love Milk for its content and themes, but I just don’t think it’s a spectacular example of filmmaking.
My pet peeve: any claims that Kate Winslet was better in the Reader than in Rev. Road. And the fact that Melissa Leo has no chance in her category, despite being the best of the nominees.
27 2-17-2009 at 1:12 pm
Marshall said...
My pet peeves:
1. Wall-E
I know that I am in the vast minority, but I did not like Wall-E. I found it boring and way too political for my tastes. It was interesting for a few minutes to marvel at the animation, and I respect it as a technical marvel and nothing more. Watching it win all these awards has been painful for me.
2. “The Dark Knight”…OK, maybe not so much
Every major guild sounded off in favor of “The Dark Knight,” I thought that were was no possible way that the Oscars could deny it Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay. I had completely discounted its lack of Globes and SAG love. I truly believe this to be the last straw. The Academy Awards are now truly meaningless to the mainstream moviegoer.
3. Viola Davis
Had I not heard about her before I saw “Doubt,” I would not have thought twice about her performance. Instead, I thought Amy Adams was the actress that really deserves to be rewarded. (Although I will say, I watched the scene again on YouTube and it is slowly growing on me.)
4. Robert Downey, Jr.
I hated “Tropic Thunder.” It was not funny at all. It makes me mad that Robert Downey, Jr. is nominated for this piece of crap because he gave an infinitely better performance in “Iron Man.” His nomination is for his body of work in 2008, and this is where it best fits.
5. Best Original Screenplay
Honestly, this is the most random lineup ever. The only script that I think deserves to be there is “Milk.” I have already expressed my loathing of “Wall-E,” and “In Bruges” was a mildly entertaining movie that was only successful in managing to incorporate the f-bomb into every sentence. I have only read parts of the other two, but this category has thrown everyone for a loop all year. Maybe because this is a category that loves to reward truly original ideas, and 2008 produced very few.
6. Absence of Cate Blanchett
I have to agree with you, Kris. Blanchett’s work was one of her best, and it was heartbreaking and stunning. She is, in my mind, the emotional heart behind the movie, and her constant snubbing this year has been painful.
7. Absence of Rosemarie DeWitt
I was not a huge “Rachel Getting Married” fan, but I loved Hathaway and DeWitt’s performances. I did not understand how DeWitt was constantly neglected throughout the season (well actually I do, she split votes with Debra Winger). She was so genuine and powerful, and her relationship with Hathaway was very believable.
8. Best Song
This category produced one terrible Peter Gabriel song, and two songs from “Slumdog” that are catchy but have no meaning because they are not in English. Instead, Bruce Springsteen’s beautiful song is left on the outside looking in.
9. Frost/Nixon
I liked Frost/Nixon, don’t get me wrong. But I didn’t love it. And no one did. So how did it manage to get nominated for everything? It was one movie that people could agree on, because the critics were often divided on movies such as “Button” or “The Reader.”
10. Backlash of “Changeling”
Perhaps the most surprising turn of this Oscar season was the critic’s ripping of “Changeling” to shreds. It has Clint Eastwood and Angelina Jolie. It was a true story (not based on a true story), and the screenplay successfully wound together two compelling stories. And yet, they bashed it and practically eliminated it from contention before the season even started. This was one of my favorite movies of 2008, surprisingly. I had it in my head when I saw it that it was going to suck because of the critics, but I absolutely adored it.
28 2-17-2009 at 1:25 pm
The InSneider said...
Kris, a good story is a good story, whether it’s on stage or on film. Sorry you didn’t like Doubt but it was EASILY one of the best scripts of the year. Every word, every sentence had meaning. And RGM was a hell of a movie too, and while I didn’t really like Debra Winger either, her 5 minutes of screentime didn’t really take away from the overall experience, which at first I really wasn’t into, but eventually came to love and respect.
29 2-17-2009 at 1:27 pm
The InSneider said...
Re: Marshall — Changeling SUCKED. Deal with it. The first half of that movie was LAUGHABLY DREADFUL.
30 2-17-2009 at 1:38 pm
Gomez said...
This category produced one terrible Peter Gabriel song, and two songs from “Slumdog” that are catchy but have no meaning because they are not in English. Instead, Bruce Springsteen’s beautiful song is left on the outside looking in.
While I agree the song category obviously sucked, those are some lame criticisms. “O…Saya” is in English, and it’s not that hard to look up an English translation of “Jai Ho” If you took the two minutes it would take to Googel them up and read them, you’d see it fits perfectly with the movie.
31 2-17-2009 at 1:43 pm
Robert Hamer said...
More snide, haughty complaints about other people’s opinions while doing exactly what you’re comdemning. Typical.
32 2-17-2009 at 1:47 pm
N8 said...
I have to disagree with your #1: Winslet and Patel were LEADS.
But you hit the nail right on the head with #3. HUGELY overrated script.
33 2-17-2009 at 1:48 pm
Bart Smith said...
That you don’t consider yourself a DARK KNIGHT fanboy just makes you that much more of a DARK KNIGHT fanboy.
34 2-17-2009 at 1:53 pm
Guy Lodge said...
I’ve probably spoken (and whinged, and ranted) enough on these pages about Sally Hawkins over the months, but it remains the one snub of the season that really pains me personally.
They had a chance to give her a potentially career-altering nod for a truly unique performance, but she misses out because the likes of Meryl Streep and Jolie/Eastwood (I use the slash because I don’t think she would have got in without him) had pre-ordained, immovable spots on the ballot. Not fair in any way.
The BAFTA snub was, if anything, even worse, but then BAFTA deserves a pet peeve spot of its own for how spectacularly they dropped the ball with their nominations. (Mamma fuckin’ Mia? Grrr…)
Otherwise, I side with Nat in deploring the stultifying lack of imagination from the directors’ branch this year. Of course, Demme wouldn’t be my own pick, but there are any number of names — Leigh, Aronofsky, Garrone, Allen, Nolan, McQueen etc — that I’d rather see there than Daldry or Howard. Epic fail.
I agree with you 100% about the “Doubt” screenplay, Kris, but then I think pretty much the whole Adapted Screenplay category is a bust this year. Why can’t they take the same risks there that they do in the Original category?
Finally, and this really isn’t an Oscar peeve since the film (mercifully) didn’t figure in the end, but the fact that “Gran Torino” was even a contender this year baffles me. The critical praise lavished on this truly dismal effort was the most perplexing “emperor’s new clothes” moment of the year for me.
Whew. That feels better.
35 2-17-2009 at 2:17 pm
Al said...
TRUE, SALLY HAWKINS WAS NOT nominated for an Oscar (AND BAFTA), worst snub of the year, these Awards are a disappointment.
36 2-17-2009 at 3:04 pm
Bryan said...
Cate Blanchett’s absence.
Kate Winslet’s nomination for the wrong film.
Revolutionary Road overlooked.
Milk and Rachel Getting Married getting more praise than they deserve. They are both good movies (in many number of ways) and both are in my top ten, but neither is the best of the year.
Mickey Rourke stealing Aronofsky’s thunder (but that doesn’t upset me that much because Rourke stole it like nobody’s business).
That SAG award for Slumdog. Really?
37 2-17-2009 at 3:07 pm
Kate said...
While the snubbing of Hawkins and Kristin Scott Thomas pierced the heart, I was able to heal just a little with Melisso Leo’s nomination. And come Sunday, I will be starting at the screen, with bated breath, like a fool, when they call out Winslet.
38 2-17-2009 at 3:50 pm
Chad said...
Everything about the award season is frustrating. Even looking past the fact that most of the films that get attention don’t deserve it.
I tuned out about a month ago and now I’m tuning back in to find that nothing has changed. Why do the Oscars happen in late February again? Don’t the producers think that if they had the show in the first week of January when nobody knew what was a contender and nobody had seen all of these people already give a handful of acceptance speeches, that the ratings would improve? Probably not since the whole circus would just move up with it. Until then, the “biggest movie event of the year” will always feel like a re-run.
39 2-17-2009 at 4:33 pm
Douglas said...
1. “The Dark Knight”.
Better than “Slumdog Millionaire”? Questionable.
Better than “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”? Probably.
Better than “Frost/Nixon”? In my opinion, yes.
Better than “Milk”? In my opinion, definitely.
Better than “The Reader”? No Doubt.
2. Kristen Scott Thomas.
What the hell was the Academy thinking? How could you not see the brilliance in this performance? She deserved to be nominated, and she deserved to win. End of story.
3. Bruce Springsteen.
The song “The Wrestler” is a masterpiece with haunting and beautiful lyrics which, along with the guitar, match the film perfectly. And again – what the hell was the Academy thinking?
4. Cate Blanchett.
Cate was mesmerising. I didn’t really care for any of the other characters in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”. That shows alot. Completely deserving of a nomination.
5. Colin Farrell.
An extremely underrated performance in an extremely underrated film. I think Colin gave an Oscar worthy performance perhaps more deserving of a nomination than Brad Pitt or maybe Richard Jenkins.
6. “The Wrestler”.
Completely deserving of a Best Picture and Director nomination. It’s a masterpiece, yet all it gets is a couple of acting nods which, don’t get me wrong, are completely deserving.
7. Mickey Rourke vs. Sean Penn.
Both completely deserving of the Oscar win, but there can only be one. And Sean Penn may have given the performance of his lifetime but there is just something magical about Mickey Rourke’s performance. More and more people are jumping on the вЂcomeback king’ bandwagon and I hope to god he wins. Not that it really matters but Sean Penn already has his Oscar, and this is Mickey’s best chance at winning one. This is the category that I will be bitting my fingernails at. If I hear Sean Penn’s name read out I think I will die inside a little, but then again it was a brilliant performance. Mickey Rourke all the way.
8. Marisa Tomei.
An extremely underrated performance and, in my opinion, the best within this year’s supporting actress category. I seem to remember Marisa being the frontrunner a couple of months ago but she eventually (and unfortunately) lost steam.
9. Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard.
Everything Kris said.
10. Kate Winslet.
Why couldn’t they have put her in the supporting actress category? It would’ve at least opened up a space in the leading actress category maybe even for her other performance in “Revolutionary Road”. However there were other deserving performances that missed out because of this mishap.
40 2-17-2009 at 4:41 pm
xoxo said...
what bugged the hell out of me this year?
it’s you kris tapley acting as if you know everything about film and acting when you’re nothing but a fanboy for certain types of movies and certain actresses…
so, shoot me…
41 2-17-2009 at 5:27 pm
Kristopher Tapley said...
That’s a weird statement, xoxo. What actresses? What “types” of movies? As if I know everything about film? That’s a big chip you apparently need to unload from your shoulder. If it bugs you so much, the net is big: go somewhere else? I don’t pretend to please everyone and I damn sure don’t set out to do so.
42 2-17-2009 at 6:08 pm
Beau said...
‘The Reader’ managing critical acclaim when it is, in fact, a perfect example of cinematic mediocrity and subpar construction. Sloppy editing, contrived screenplay, all showcasing what is one of Kate Winslet’s weakest constructions. The woman is incapable of delivering a bad performance, but due to the shitstorm surrounding her and the production (Minghella and Pollack’s passing, Rudin taking his name off the final product, Harvey Weinstein rearing his ugly head), it would’ve been asking far too much.
Seriously.
Where did you people find something noteworthy in this clusterfuck?
43 2-17-2009 at 6:15 pm
Andrew said...
Two words… Revolutionary. Road.
44 2-17-2009 at 6:25 pm
Alex-not the troll said...
Blanchett deserves Jolie’s nomination, but last year I guess Jolie deserved Blanchett’s Best Actress nomination.
It’s a mystery why Pitt was nominated – I’d sooner vote for Andy Serkis.
45 2-17-2009 at 6:26 pm
Joel said...
I’m sorry but the snubbing of Dark Knight is inexplicable. COMPLETELY. It’s a ground-breaking film.
Also, some people on here doubting Heath’s Oscar chances, calling it overrated and such. It’s not. Sorry.
46 2-17-2009 at 6:37 pm
Hans said...
Well, the only reason I doubt Heath’s Oscar chances is due to the Academy’s repeated inability to, for lack of a better phrase, let the right one in.
47 2-17-2009 at 7:12 pm
Leighton said...
I completely agree w/ your #1. I think it’s really bugged the heck out of everyone. Winslet’s performance is supporting b/c the story, inherently, is not about here, it’s about the guy. And when you have three actors playing one character in different stages, each one of those has to be labeled supporting. He doesn’t dominate the film, therefore he’s supporting.
Then they go and have to screw up who’s nominated in what and then who wins and such, has really been sad. Hope this doesn’t become a regular thing.
48 2-17-2009 at 7:19 pm
George said...
I don’t see how The Dark Knight is a groundbreaking film. Better than the Reader? Definitely. Groundbreaking? Not so much.
49 2-18-2009 at 1:16 am
Kevin said...
Replace no. 7 with Vicky Cristina Barcelona – a poorly written film with characters you can’t empathise with and only redeemed somewhat by a loud, showy performance by Penelope Cruz. Ridiculously over-praised.
50 2-18-2009 at 4:44 am
Scott said...
I have to agree with xoxo’s comments, even if they were somewhat inelegantly expressed. My biggest pet peeve this year was your work (give or take a few well-judged pieces), or more pertinently, your attitude.
I enjoy John’s and especially Guy’s contributions to this site, which is what keeps me coming back. And while I’ve noticed a recent improvement in the quality of your writing Kris, you still communicate with a singular kind of arrogance and condescension toward your core readership (and your peers) unseen in almost any other web pundit. Quite often your message is trapped beneath an impenetrable coating of bombast and superiority. It’s a head-scratcher.
By all means deliver your opinions aggressively when your passion dictates it – after all, that’s what establishes your critical voice – but please try to find the class with which to do it. If you could only enrich your contributions this way, instead of alienating readers and undermining your own arguments to boot, this site would be a less abrasive and more complete creation.
51 2-18-2009 at 5:44 am
xoxo said...
thank you scot. you said it better than i could have. but if you notice from mr. kris tapley’s reply, i’m being told to scram from these premises…too bad, i like the other contributors.
52 2-18-2009 at 6:14 am
Amanda said...
I Wish THE DARK KNIGHT HAD BEEN NOMINATED FOR BEST PICTURE .
Other than that , I Have no peeves .
One peeve I have just gotten : unnecessary hate of a brilliant writer like Kris .
STOP THE HATING , SERIOUSLY !
He is the best thing about the entire Oscar season . , far better than Ryan Adams & Tom O Neill .
I don’t care about others , but I want to thank Kris for making my Oscar Experience this year enjoyable by writing some great articles .
Keep up the good work , don’t let a few haters get to you .
53 2-18-2009 at 9:54 am
Alex said...
I would like to express my apology to Kristopher for the first sentence from my first message yesterday. Sorry.
54 2-18-2009 at 10:40 am
Kristopher Tapley said...
Frankly I have no idea what any of that means, Scott. Perhaps it’s simply a case of a few misjudging tone in a medium like the net, because for every complaint I get there seem to be plenty who have a fine time here at the site, so color me confused. Without at least the sliver of an example, what are we to consider this other than a mere conflict of personalities?
xoxo, you’re not being told to scram, but really, I don’t go around complaining about the content of other sites if I don’t like it. I just look elsewhere. Film is a passionate art so I don’t expect I’ll be tapering that passion any time soon. Just giving you a heads up, that’s all…
Alex, no need to apologize.
55 2-18-2009 at 5:25 pm
Glenn said...
“I liked “Juno” and I agree that it doesn’t age well. But at the time, I loved it and I don’t think it’s anyone’s task to project how a film will be perceived years down the road. It’s all about how it affects you then and there and time is its own judge.”
And let us never hear ever again about how films should be voted on based on how they’ll be seen in 50 years. Not necessarily from you, but just in general.
56 2-18-2009 at 6:58 pm
Maria said...
I don’t agree with you in some of your point (Cate Blanchet was OK in Button but I think she has had better performances) but I enjoyed your article very much.
57 2-18-2009 at 7:57 pm
Marshall said...
I think I might have to add another pet peeve to my list.
11. Condescending Oscar Bloggers
Mainly Re The InSnider – What is with the Oscar bloggers being so rude to people that comment on their articles? Countless times this Oscar season, I have posted a comment only to be ripped to shreds by the author. Enough already. If you did not want people to disagree with you, keep your opinions to yourself and off the Internet.
58 3-05-2009 at 8:38 pm
Andrew2 said...
totally agree with the other Andrew.
No. 1. revolutionary road being overlooked for picture, actor, actress, director etc. A far better film than Button or Frost/Nixon or The Reader
No. 2 the incessant whining from Dark Night and Wall-E fans
No. 3 the incessant whining from Button defenders- many people hated the movie, get over it
No. 4. Slumdog-hating which grew as the films awards tally grew. Annoying
Some other points- how is Milk original when there is an extensive documentary already?? Why is Jai Ho not worthy because it is not in English?? Love Cate but hated her in Button. Why didnt David Kross get any acting nods anywhere for The Reader- he was the best thing about what I thought was a mediocre film
59 3-06-2009 at 11:23 am
Kristopher Tapley said...
Incessant whining from Button fans? Non-existent! Or at best, virtually drowned out by the haters.