My three immediate reactions to the Golden Globes nominations that were announced this morning were:

1. I'm relieved that The Dark Knight didn't receive best picture nomination as I didn't think the movie as a whole deserved it.

2. I'm disappointed that Heath Ledger didn't get nominated for Best Actor and instead had to settle (in heaven) for Best Supporting Actor. I thought Mr. Ledger carried the movie and that his performance was wasn't a supporting character at all, but a major foil to Batman.

3. I'm continued put off by the animated categories and felt that Wall-E should be considered for Best Picture. The distinction between live and animated films are crumbling rapidly.

i agree with you entirely. additionally, milk got robbed hugely. that film is 10 times more prolific and engaging than brokeback, which were nominated quite a bit and won best picture.

I saw "Revolutionary Road" last Thursday at a private screener and I am pleased to see that this well-acting and unique film has garnered Golden Globe nominations in the categories of Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Actress. Everyone check it out.

quote:

flappylips Participant
Posted 22 December 2008 10:42 AM
I saw "Revolutionary Road" last Thursday at a private screener and I am pleased to see that this well-acting and unique film has garnered Golden Globe nominations in the categories of Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Actress. Everyone check it out.

I just watched a trailer for Revoluationary Road and what struck me was the timing of this period movie (circa 1950s). Considering what this Country (USA) is presently going through now, it is odd for me to see in this movie what perhaps many people would actually be eager to search out and to conform to with the movie's portrayal of security and stability of the times as opposed to the chaotic uncertainty of freedom of later years that these two lead characters are apparently searching for. The movie's premise seems to be moving in the opposite direction called for in today's contemporary financial crisis and only if it had been perhaps released ten years ago, it might have been more timely and appropriate as a wake up call to rattle the American establishment of the late nineties and early twenty-first century. Perhaps if this movie could have been experienced earlier and embraced its message back then, we might have avoided what is occurring around us today. Initially, until I see the movie, it seems like a great movie, but a little too late to be cherished by the audiences of today.

The movie is based on a novel written in 1961. I think you miss the point of the film. The film is not about hating the suburbs or running away from a stable home life. It is about giving up one's dreams for something that has no real value. I do agree that if Americans had examined their lives more maybe we would have averted this current financial meltdown. But this current meltdown has nothing to do with the 'average Joe from Kokomo.' It this the direct result of greedy thieves and the corporate industrial complex of the US government. As US citizens our only mistake was believing the lies.

Did any of you guys see "Last Chance Harvey"? I saw it during the Xmas holiday and am befuddled how this milquetoast of a movie got Golden Globe nominations. "Revolutionary Road" got nominations and deserved it.

This year's 2008 Golden Globes kept to its three hour format with few musical interruptions rushing recipients off the stage, the strange and mysterious loss of the Golden Globes announcer in the latter part of the Ceremony and some great camera work with close up of many of the nominees as they were being announced. I watched the entire Awards Ceremony with interest. The Ceremony was both thrilling and frustrating. I responded to most of the Award selections positively, though I'm still doubtful about best picture and best director.

Best Actress in Musical or Comedy - Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky. I haven't see the movie, but the brief scenes during the Awards Ceremony appeared to be deliciously hilarious. Personally, I was hoping for Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia. I thought her performance here and especially in Devil Wears Prada (2006) were finally naunced with small acting gems of facial quirks and other fabulously talent flourishes. Yet, seeing Sally in the brief scenes felt so consistently Golden Globe-natured, I can fully understand how Sally would deserve her Award.

Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy - Colin Farrellin In Bruges. I had wanted to see this movie when it came out earlier last year, but never did. I'm happy to see Colin Ferrell receive tis award, though I haven' had a chance to see any of the other movies. In Bruges has the quaint comedic feel of British humor.

Best Actress in a Drama - Kate Winslet in Revolutionary RoadI'm happy to see Kate win this Award along with her Best Supporting Actress Award. This was a strong field of nominees. I'm exspecially glad to see Anne Hathaway and Angelina Jolie getting attention.

Best Actor in a Drama - Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. Mickey deserved this Award. He's been to hell and back. He caught my attenion in "Angel Heart (1987). From what I've seen of this movie, his performance was right on the mark, literally hard hitting.

Best Comedy or Musical - Vicky Cristina Barcelona. I know it's unfair to have doubts about a movie I haven't seen, but because I personally enjoyed Mamma Mia! so much, I had hoped it would have won no matter. Mamma Mia! in mind mind was the definitive musical for this baby boomer generation and incorporated with success the contemporary musical innovations and richness of this past decades musical hits from Chicago (2002) and Moulin Rouge (2001) and even Across the Universe (2007).

Best Film Drama Slumdog Millionaire. I haven't see it but I'm skeptical about this Award recipient and something feels like this is a politically correct, feel-good choice instead of the qualitatively best choice. This entire field was strong and any of the other nominees appeard to be equally or even more deserving of this Award from a cinematic standpoint. Just the brief from Slumdog Millionaire of the prolonged telephone rings seemed manipulative and phony as there has never been in real life more than one ring from actual real life show in the United States.

I am so pleased to see that Kate Winslet won for "Revolutionary Road." She and DiCaprio give stellar performances. Kudos! Kudos!

quote:

Originally posted by tabuno:
Best Film Drama Slumdog Millionaire. I haven't see it but I'm skeptical about this Award recipient and something feels like this is a politically correct, feel-good choice instead of the qualitatively best choice. This entire field was strong and any of the other nominees appeard to be equally or even more deserving of this Award from a cinematic standpoint. Just the brief from Slumdog Millionaire of the prolonged telephone rings seemed manipulative and phony as there has never been in real life more than one ring from actual real life show in the United States.

I haven't seen it yet, but all the people I know who've seen it, say it's spectacular. Based on the trailer, it looks awesome to me.

The only nominee I did see was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which was only spectacular in its ability to be incredibly boring. So, at least that didn't win.

quote:

EricG75
"Forum Moderator"
Super Bad-Ass Jedi
Posted 16 January 2009 07:53 AM

quote:
Originally posted by tabuno:
Best Film Drama Slumdog Millionaire. I haven't see it but I'm skeptical about this Award recipient and something feels like this is a politically correct, feel-good choice instead of the qualitatively best choice. This entire field was strong and any of the other nominees appeard to be equally or even more deserving of this Award from a cinematic standpoint. Just the brief from Slumdog Millionaire of the prolonged telephone rings seemed manipulative and phony as there has never been in real life more than one ring from actual real life show in the United States.


I haven't seen it yet, but all the people I know who've seen it, say it's spectacular. Based on the trailer, it looks awesome to me.

The only nominee I did see was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which was only spectacular in its ability to be incredibly boring. So, at least that didn't win.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was nothing but compelling and captivating for me personally, I was never bored and both my wife and I were surprised by how fast the time went by (something my wife rarely experiences at the movies). There were so fabulous scenes about relational experiences that touched deeply from my own past and my own hopes and imaginary dreams and regrets, but also inspirational words about living and dying. One of my top ten movies of the year.

quote:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was nothing but compelling and captivating for me personally, I was never bored and both my wife and I were surprised by how fast the time went by (something my wife rarely experiences at the movies). There were so fabulous scenes about relational experiences that touched deeply from my own past and my own hopes and imaginary dreams and regrets, but also inspirational words about living and dying. One of my top ten movies of the year.

The thing about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is that if you took away the gimmick of having him age in reverse, there would have been literally nothing remarkable about the story. It's a story about two kids who grow up, fall in love, grow old and die, while falling in and out of love with each other.

With the premise of a man aging in reverse, I think there could've been an endless number of interesting avenues explored in the story, but they focused on suprisingly few.

I kept wondering what that movie would've looked like had it been written by a screenwriter with some talent, like Charlie Kaufman.

The cinematography and special effects were very good, but that script was awful. I'd say it's the easily the least interesting thing David Fincher has directed.

quote:

EricG75 "Forum Moderator"
Super Bad-Ass Jedi
Posted 16 January 2009 04:57 PM

quote:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was nothing but compelling and captivating for me personally, I was never bored and both my wife and I were surprised by how fast the time went by (something my wife rarely experiences at the movies). There were so fabulous scenes about relational experiences that touched deeply from my own past and my own hopes and imaginary dreams and regrets, but also inspirational words about living and dying. One of my top ten movies of the year.


The thing about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is that if you took away the gimmick of having him age in reverse, there would have been literally nothing remarkable about the story. It's a story about two kids who grow up, fall in love, grow old and die, while falling in and out of love with each other.

With the premise of a man aging in reverse, I think there could've been an endless number of interesting avenues explored in the story, but they focused on suprisingly few.

I kept wondering what that movie would've looked like had it been written by a screenwriter with some talent, like Charlie Kaufman.

The cinematography and special effects were very good, but that script was awful. I'd say it's the easily the least interesting thing David Fincher has directed.

[quote]

You may be looking for too much and expect too much to appreciate the simple and more directly meaningful expressions of creative performances. Lost in Translation (2003) (ranks as my top twenty movie) was on its surface a relatively straight forward plot of an actor who is bored, comes to Japan to do just some commercial and meets a young lady and simply befriends her and that's about it. But from this simple plot came an experiential and visercal experience that made a huge impact and transported me into another world, place, and time.

It's not so much about the "gimmick" but the entire context and the immersion of the simple expericnes that makes for an engrossing movie, such as the Curious Case of Benjamin Button. This gimmick worked well and continued throughout the entire movie to embrace the issues of life and death, topics that are increasing relevant in today's society. The life of this man, his exposure to old folks with fascinating odd and touching stories, the death of a pastor, the affair, the war, these were all powerful experiences for me. The war sequence was particularly amazing as it exposed like Jarhead (2005) the unexplored, much less publicized incidental events that occurred during the war. Oddly enough there were hints of the outstanding courage, duty-bound bravery in Benjaminthat apparently occurred during the Civil War that isn't as much expressed in contemporary war movies nowadays and thus I would argue may actually be a superior war scene than most movies we've seen to date.

I'm not necessarily talking about plot, but even the conflicts and themes expressed in the story. It's all presented in a very ordinary way.

I'm saying, if you didn't have a character that aged in reverse, there would be nothing original or remarkable about the story. It would be any other epic romance, like The Notebook or something.

As for the war scene, I'm not sure what you found so awesome about it. It was one quick scene that only served to get Benjamin off the tugboat and back to New Orleans. It was WWII, by the way, not the Civil War.

I love Lost in Translation. It's a very different movie, and it's actually a really good example of how to make a great movie that isn't plot driven. But there, I think Sofia Coppolla's script deals with a much more complex set of themes and conflicts. It's also a really interesting travelogue of Tokyo. I'd rank Lost in Translation as one of the best films of the decade. It wipes the floor with Benjamin Button.

Benjamin Button, like Crash, is for me one of those movies so obviously terrible that I feel I can judge a person's character based on if they find any redeeming characteristics in it. I'm embarrassed for anyone who finds it profound.

quote:

theelfpat
Know-It-All
Posted 20 January 2009 10:08 AM

Benjamin Button, like Crash, is for me one of those movies so obviously terrible that I feel I can judge a person's character based on if they find any redeeming characteristics in it. I'm embarrassed for anyone who finds it profound.

At least both of us are consistent if not opposite in our opinions. Crash (2005, released in 2004) was my second favorite movie of 2005 while Benjamin Button was my fourth favorite film of this year. So based on this information please describe, if you are so disposed, my character.

I thought Crash was pretty good. Preachy maybe, but it was still a well crafted and well-acted movie.

Everyone thought Brokeback Mountain was robbed for the Oscar, but I have to admit I found that movie a bit of a snore too.

For 2005, I'd take A History Of Violence over either.

quote:

EricG75
"Forum Moderator"
Super Bad-Ass Jedi
Posted 20 January 2009 01:32 PM
I thought Crash was pretty good. Preachy maybe, but it was still a well crafted and well-acted movie.

Everyone thought Brokeback Mountain was robbed for the Oscar, but I have to admit I found that movie a bit of a snore too.

For 2005, I'd take A History Of Violence over either.

-----
Use all your well-learned politesse or I'll lay your soul to waste.

Crash DID have a social/cultural message and "preachy" could be one way of looking at it. From a diversity perspective, for some of us, it wasn't so much "preachy" as an important message to the rest of American society that racism isn't dead. But depending on how you view racism, Crash could have been viewed as overdone, enough already, heard about it or it could have been viewed as liberalist garbage and poor little us wanting to take over America.

History of Violence barely missed out on my top ten movie list. The year 2005 was a strong year of good movies and it was difficult to cut A History of Violence from my list. I have really liked Maria Bello since The Cooler (2003). The movie was richly dense and hard-hitting.