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Best Picture Calendar: December
Oscars Remade
Which Films from This Summer Could Have Got a Best Picture Nomination?
Oscars Remade
Which Films from This Summer Could Have Got a Best Picture Nomination?
First Reactions to, "The Master"
The 2012 Campaign season has yet to fully begin, however with the first public screening of Paul Thomas Anderson's contender, "The Master" having just taken place, reactions are hitting the web. As we did with War Horse, we will gather all the twitter reactions onto this page and track how the film has been received by the public. The screening was a surprise one, revealed to those who had just watched a screening of The Shining in Santa Monica. As the film has Harvey Weinstein behind it (Who captained The Artist to victory last awards season) and the likes of Paul Thomas Anderson, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Joaquin Phoenix involved, this is a major contender. Below are a list of all the Twitter reactions which we will update as soon as new reactions are uploaded. Be sure to come back to The Campaign soon, as I will be doing an article on the contenders so far and continuing with Oscars Remade. If you were one of the lucky few to see this film feel free to give us your more in-depth written thoughts on the film and its Oscar chances, in the Your Say section.
Jeff Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere has a detailed reaction from one of his sources that you can check out in full here
Some extracts:
"There are three or four scenes between Phoenix and Hoffman that are barn burners. It also containts the best work Amy Adams has ever done.
"Phoenix WILL win Best Actor unless Daniel Day Lewis blows us away with [his]Lincoln performance. This is Raging Bull territory for him.
[But] not audience friendly AT ALL. An ambiguous ending and not one likable character.
On 70mm:
Victor Escobar @AlmostVictor
If you guys can, see The Master in 70 mm. Looked gorgeous and its the way P.T Anderson wants you to see it.
Regarding who is the lead actor and who is the supporting actor:
Victor Escobar @AlmostVictor
@TheDaltonator Was thinking about that during the movie. I'd say they're both leads.
Victor Escobar @AlmostVictor
@TheDaltonator If it were me, I'd put them both in the Best Actor category but if one them is getting the supporting nod, its Hoffman.
Other Oscar Chances:
Victor Escobar @AlmostVictor
@prfessorbigsock 2hrs 10 min. Will get nods for Picture. Good chance of winning original screenplay and acting awards.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman's Performance:
Victor Escobar @AlmostVictor
@MattMustin @scottEweinberg No doubt about it. I've yet to see one bad PSH performance but this one may be his best.
Victor Escobar @AlmostVictor
@scottEweinberg Very much. Hoffman's performance lives up to the hype.
Reactions to the Film:
Victor Escobar @AlmostVictor
@scottEweinberg Of course! Don't want to say more than a few words about it but it is an all around excellent film.
Andrew P. Alderete @aaldere1
The Master was amazing. Oscars all over this one.
Michael Gallagher @TotallySketch
Just saw "The Master". A movie has never made me feel quite like this one did. I can't describe it or even rate it. I am speechless.
Matthew Roth @Super_Matts
THE MASTER is...interesting...I'll be thinking about it for days#THEMASTER70MM J Phoenix and P S Hoffman are out of this world
michael whittle @michaelwhittle
Possibly the best film watching experience I've ever had.#THEMASTER70MM
michael whittle @michaelwhittle
PTA's best. Not a doubt in my mind.
Jeff Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere has a detailed reaction from one of his sources that you can check out in full here
Some extracts:
"There are three or four scenes between Phoenix and Hoffman that are barn burners. It also containts the best work Amy Adams has ever done.
"Phoenix WILL win Best Actor unless Daniel Day Lewis blows us away with [his]Lincoln performance. This is Raging Bull territory for him.
[But] not audience friendly AT ALL. An ambiguous ending and not one likable character.
On 70mm:
Victor Escobar @AlmostVictor
If you guys can, see The Master in 70 mm. Looked gorgeous and its the way P.T Anderson wants you to see it.
Regarding who is the lead actor and who is the supporting actor:
Victor Escobar @AlmostVictor
@TheDaltonator Was thinking about that during the movie. I'd say they're both leads.
Victor Escobar @AlmostVictor
@TheDaltonator If it were me, I'd put them both in the Best Actor category but if one them is getting the supporting nod, its Hoffman.
Other Oscar Chances:
Victor Escobar @AlmostVictor
@prfessorbigsock 2hrs 10 min. Will get nods for Picture. Good chance of winning original screenplay and acting awards.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman's Performance:
Victor Escobar @AlmostVictor
@MattMustin @scottEweinberg No doubt about it. I've yet to see one bad PSH performance but this one may be his best.
Victor Escobar @AlmostVictor
@scottEweinberg Very much. Hoffman's performance lives up to the hype.
Reactions to the Film:
Victor Escobar @AlmostVictor
@scottEweinberg Of course! Don't want to say more than a few words about it but it is an all around excellent film.
Andrew P. Alderete @aaldere1
The Master was amazing. Oscars all over this one.
Michael Gallagher @TotallySketch
Just saw "The Master". A movie has never made me feel quite like this one did. I can't describe it or even rate it. I am speechless.
Matthew Roth @Super_Matts
THE MASTER is...interesting...I'll be thinking about it for days#THEMASTER70MM J Phoenix and P S Hoffman are out of this world
michael whittle @michaelwhittle
Possibly the best film watching experience I've ever had.#THEMASTER70MM
michael whittle @michaelwhittle
PTA's best. Not a doubt in my mind.
It's Black and White and All Over
Another year in Oscar has history has passed and once again the winners will be looked back on as unworthy and the show not remembered, business as usual. Out of the 24 categories I predicted 17 of them correctly on my Empireonline sweepstake. The biggest disappointments of the night for me were visual effects, as not only did the groundbreaking work on Rise of the Planet of the Apes get ignored, but it lost to Hugo, something I predicted would happen from the day of the nominations to the day before the show, where I lost my nerve and made the mistake of actually predicting the best nominee. Best Actress was another category I am angry not to have predicted correctly, as the SAG awards only came through in predicting Actor, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress. Finally when initially predicting the shorts I blindly went with The Shore, before putting thought into it and switching to Tuba Atlantic (Mainly due to it being predicted by respected Oscar pundits) of course The Shore won and the lesson I have learnt is that when it comes to the shorts, go blind, more satisfying if they win and if you fail to predict them nobody cares because well...they’re the shorts. Another gripe was Hugo winning both sound categories, mainly as again, I had not predicted it and was tempted a few days before the show to change my prediction of War Horse taking both categories. I stuck to my guns in the wrong categories this year.
During many thought processes during this awards season, I pondered the idea of The Artist and Hugo winning six awards each, they ended up winning five each. I wish I had followed that thought through to my predictions as it did turn out to be a very good night for those two films (Albeit better for The Artist with its, slightly, more high profile wins of Best Picture, Director and Actor) I don’t want to be one of those people who hates The Artist because it’s cool but like The King’s Speech this will be looked back upon as one of their worst ever decisions and years in general when you look at the nominees. It was also disappointing to see Moneyball go home empty handed and while I am a fan of The Descendants (Wouldn’t have minded if it won Best Picture) it did not deserve Adapted Screenplay over the denser, trickier work done on Moneyball and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
The best win of the night was by far Original Song going to Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords fame, for Man or Muppet. I’ve had an interesting journey with that category this awards season. Had a bet with a friend that Life’s a Happy Song would WIN Best Original Song, let alone get nominated. Little did I know, that the Original Song category would only have two instead of its usual five nominees. Salt was rubbed into these wounds when neither of these songs were to be performed, depriving us of a moment of genuine warmth and amusement through the form of a Muppets performance...something that is clearly forbidden at the Oscars. Kermit and Ms. Piggy introducing Cirque De Soleil is not enough...should be the other way around for starters. Really though, it’s been a bad year that when thinking of what my favourite win was, I had to consult the winners list again. My favourite moment wasn’t even part of the show, Sacha Baron Cohen pouring the ashes of Kim Jong Il on Ryan Seacrest. As for Billy Crystal, he was fine but like the rest of the show, we’ve seen it all before.
While it would appear that the end of the awards season marks the momentary end of The Campaign that is far from the truth. Ironically this section will be even more productive after the conclusion of what it was meant to be covering. While Best Picture: Calendar duties were fulfilled (A feature which could potentially become a year long fixture here at The Campaign) there are still plenty of Oscars Remade coming your way, starting of course, with this year’s results.
What did you think of this year’s Oscars? Were you happy with the winners? What was your favourite win and moment of the night? What did you think of Billy Crystal? Who would you like to host next year’s Oscars? (My vote goes to Kevin Spacey) Give us all your Oscar related thoughts in the Your Say section.
By Movie Parliament Prime Minister,
Michael Dalton
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Arnaud Trouve
Dear Michael, here are my thoughts about this year's Oscars:
First, I must say I'm extremely happy about "The Artist"'s wins: the joy in France is insane, it's unbelievable to see a national production win Best Picture. On a personal note, I'm amazed that this triumph happens the first year I'm collaborating on a foreign website (yours), thanks again for inviting me here.
To be honest, "The Artist" may not be the Best Picture of the year (I would have preferred "The Tree of Life" or "Drive" or "A Separation") but it remains one of the most joyful, refreshing and NOT awards-baity film of 2011. By that, I mean that it's really sincere, and definitely not "made for Oscars" like some might say, since the Weinsteins distributed it in the US. Its success seems obvious now that the film has become such an awards juggernaut, but I remember back in May when I first read about the film in the Cannes line-up : "great, another film from the OSS team, this could become a new French box-office hit." And that's it. No one thought it would go this far, not even the Cannes committee, who put it in Competition at the last minute.
"The Artist" truly was a passion project for the director: he wanted to work again with his wife (Bérénice Bejo) and with actor Dujardin after the two "OSS 117" films. His passion for American cinema goes back to 1993 when he worked for Canal+ and co-directed "La Classe Américaine": this year, Warner Bros wanted to celebrate their anniversary and allowed the French team of Canal+ to use their impressive catalog, in order to create some sort of "hommage". Little did they know the humour of Hazanavicius who asked famous actors and friends to dub the scenes, and created a giant spoof of "Citizen Kane", called "La Classe Américaine" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0321715/). The film gained a cult following and is now one of me and my friends' most quoted flick.
In a nutshell, "The Artist" may be the weirdest choice ever made by the Academy (a Black & White silent film ? in 2011 ??), but I think it's one that will be looked back with joy, years from now.
About the ceremony: I think Billy Crystal did a fine job, I would have him host any year instead of, let's say, Chris Rock. My overall prediction score is about the same as you, Michael: I'm stunned by the Apes getting snubbed in VFX, but a Hugo victory in this category nicely echoes the Méliès hommage in the film. Yay for Best Actress ! Viola Davis may have won in Supporting, if only she had switched categories with Bérénice Bejo. I hate those category frauds.
I did not expect Hugo to win in both Sound categories: the film is now one of the biggest "technical Oscars" winner ever, behind the 3 epics (Ben Hur, Titanic, Return of the King). Adapted Screenplay is tricky: I wouldn't have minded a Moneyball of Tinker Tailor win, both well-deserved, but The Descendants had such strong support (cf Payne nomination in Directing). I'm OK with this win, I enjoyed the film a lot (but Best Picture ? Really, Michael ??) Finally, congrats on the Muppets: dear Academy, please nominate more than 2 songs and let's have them be performed on stage instead of having Cirque Du Soleil, or those nice but sappy "celebrity interviewed about their love for movies" montages.
Other than that, it was a nice show that I enjoyed watching (especially without all the commercial breaks). The 2011 Campaign is now officially over !
Arnaud
During many thought processes during this awards season, I pondered the idea of The Artist and Hugo winning six awards each, they ended up winning five each. I wish I had followed that thought through to my predictions as it did turn out to be a very good night for those two films (Albeit better for The Artist with its, slightly, more high profile wins of Best Picture, Director and Actor) I don’t want to be one of those people who hates The Artist because it’s cool but like The King’s Speech this will be looked back upon as one of their worst ever decisions and years in general when you look at the nominees. It was also disappointing to see Moneyball go home empty handed and while I am a fan of The Descendants (Wouldn’t have minded if it won Best Picture) it did not deserve Adapted Screenplay over the denser, trickier work done on Moneyball and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
The best win of the night was by far Original Song going to Bret McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords fame, for Man or Muppet. I’ve had an interesting journey with that category this awards season. Had a bet with a friend that Life’s a Happy Song would WIN Best Original Song, let alone get nominated. Little did I know, that the Original Song category would only have two instead of its usual five nominees. Salt was rubbed into these wounds when neither of these songs were to be performed, depriving us of a moment of genuine warmth and amusement through the form of a Muppets performance...something that is clearly forbidden at the Oscars. Kermit and Ms. Piggy introducing Cirque De Soleil is not enough...should be the other way around for starters. Really though, it’s been a bad year that when thinking of what my favourite win was, I had to consult the winners list again. My favourite moment wasn’t even part of the show, Sacha Baron Cohen pouring the ashes of Kim Jong Il on Ryan Seacrest. As for Billy Crystal, he was fine but like the rest of the show, we’ve seen it all before.
While it would appear that the end of the awards season marks the momentary end of The Campaign that is far from the truth. Ironically this section will be even more productive after the conclusion of what it was meant to be covering. While Best Picture: Calendar duties were fulfilled (A feature which could potentially become a year long fixture here at The Campaign) there are still plenty of Oscars Remade coming your way, starting of course, with this year’s results.
What did you think of this year’s Oscars? Were you happy with the winners? What was your favourite win and moment of the night? What did you think of Billy Crystal? Who would you like to host next year’s Oscars? (My vote goes to Kevin Spacey) Give us all your Oscar related thoughts in the Your Say section.
By Movie Parliament Prime Minister,
Michael Dalton
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Arnaud Trouve
Dear Michael, here are my thoughts about this year's Oscars:
First, I must say I'm extremely happy about "The Artist"'s wins: the joy in France is insane, it's unbelievable to see a national production win Best Picture. On a personal note, I'm amazed that this triumph happens the first year I'm collaborating on a foreign website (yours), thanks again for inviting me here.
To be honest, "The Artist" may not be the Best Picture of the year (I would have preferred "The Tree of Life" or "Drive" or "A Separation") but it remains one of the most joyful, refreshing and NOT awards-baity film of 2011. By that, I mean that it's really sincere, and definitely not "made for Oscars" like some might say, since the Weinsteins distributed it in the US. Its success seems obvious now that the film has become such an awards juggernaut, but I remember back in May when I first read about the film in the Cannes line-up : "great, another film from the OSS team, this could become a new French box-office hit." And that's it. No one thought it would go this far, not even the Cannes committee, who put it in Competition at the last minute.
"The Artist" truly was a passion project for the director: he wanted to work again with his wife (Bérénice Bejo) and with actor Dujardin after the two "OSS 117" films. His passion for American cinema goes back to 1993 when he worked for Canal+ and co-directed "La Classe Américaine": this year, Warner Bros wanted to celebrate their anniversary and allowed the French team of Canal+ to use their impressive catalog, in order to create some sort of "hommage". Little did they know the humour of Hazanavicius who asked famous actors and friends to dub the scenes, and created a giant spoof of "Citizen Kane", called "La Classe Américaine" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0321715/). The film gained a cult following and is now one of me and my friends' most quoted flick.
In a nutshell, "The Artist" may be the weirdest choice ever made by the Academy (a Black & White silent film ? in 2011 ??), but I think it's one that will be looked back with joy, years from now.
About the ceremony: I think Billy Crystal did a fine job, I would have him host any year instead of, let's say, Chris Rock. My overall prediction score is about the same as you, Michael: I'm stunned by the Apes getting snubbed in VFX, but a Hugo victory in this category nicely echoes the Méliès hommage in the film. Yay for Best Actress ! Viola Davis may have won in Supporting, if only she had switched categories with Bérénice Bejo. I hate those category frauds.
I did not expect Hugo to win in both Sound categories: the film is now one of the biggest "technical Oscars" winner ever, behind the 3 epics (Ben Hur, Titanic, Return of the King). Adapted Screenplay is tricky: I wouldn't have minded a Moneyball of Tinker Tailor win, both well-deserved, but The Descendants had such strong support (cf Payne nomination in Directing). I'm OK with this win, I enjoyed the film a lot (but Best Picture ? Really, Michael ??) Finally, congrats on the Muppets: dear Academy, please nominate more than 2 songs and let's have them be performed on stage instead of having Cirque Du Soleil, or those nice but sappy "celebrity interviewed about their love for movies" montages.
Other than that, it was a nice show that I enjoyed watching (especially without all the commercial breaks). The 2011 Campaign is now officially over !
Arnaud
The Top Five Best...and the Top Five Worst, Best Picture Winners
With the Oscars tonight/this morning (Why not join in the Movie Parliament Oscars Prediction Contest here) and due to request, I (Movie Parliament Prime Minister, Michael Dalton) have decided to give you my best and worst, Best Picture winners. Lets start with the best...a list hard to make due to the fact the Oscars never actually award the best. It is important to note for both these lists that I am only going to name Winners that I have seen, therefore although it is one of the worst Best Picture wins of all time, Forrest Gump is not on this list because well, I haven't seen it...I know...I know...I also haven't seen Crash so don't expect me to join the hating bandwagon on that film either.
1. The Silence of the Lambs
It was a horror film, winning Best Picture at the Oscars...not a sentence that has been written often.
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
It was a fantasy film, winning Best Picture at the Oscars...not a sentence that has been written often. It is the kind of film not usually recognized at the pretentious Oscars and a wonderful way to cap a landmark achievement in the history of filmmaking.
3. Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood's best. A dark film with no easy answers that subverts the comforting conventions of a Hollywood genre. A film this bleak, violent, intellectual and well good, winning Best Picture when the Oscars were (arguably) stuffier than they were (Until this and last year) today is something. Read my full analysis/review of Unforgiven here
4. American Beauty
Now considered overrated as it became a victim of the typical Oscar winning backlash. American Beauty is still a great film and was a worthy winner when you consider the films it was up against. For all these films whether a best, Best Picture winner or a worst, Best Picture winner, I am considering it based on the films they were up against.
5. Slumdog Millionaire
Another film which is now considered uncool to like due to it deservedly winning the Best Picture Oscar. Just think though, how many times has a low budget, almost straight to DVD, Indian set, a quarter not in the English language film with a scene where children get tortured won Best Picture at the Oscars? I know those are very specific criteria but...the point still stands
And now the fun part, the worst, Best Picture Winners
1. The King's Speech
In a year where Black Swan, The Social Network and Inception were nominated...The King's Speech winning the Oscar will go down in history as one of their worst choices ever. It may not be a popular opinion now but its true, The King's Speech is nowhere near the cinematic experience that Black Swan and Inception are and will not age as well as The Social Network. Heck, even the overrated Toy Story 3 would have made a better winner than this, enjoyable and well acted yet incredibly ordinary and un-cinematic film.
2. Shakespeare in Love
This film beat Saving Private Ryan...enough said.
3. Titanic
Yes it was a huge financial and technological achievement but...it's rubbish. Deserved to win nothing outside of technical awards.
4. Rocky
Another hugely overrated film that beat masterpieces. Taxi Driver or All The President's Men (Maybe I can say Network as well when I finally watch it) were much more deserving of the award than this film which, if you take away that famous tune, is really a bland, mediocre, bore. Maybe I wasn't in the right 'mood' when I saw Rocky but no amount of re-watches is going to convince me that it was a worthy winner over those two previously mentioned films. Particularly Taxi Driver.
5. Million Dollar Baby
An extremely average film by a filmmaker (Clint Eastwood) who has done so much better and should not be rewarded for such mediocrity. It also beat The Aviator, a film that while not being the best Martin Scorsese has had to offer, contained a superb performance from Leonardo Dicaprio and was easily the best of the five films nominated.
What say you? Do I agree with my five favourite and five least favourite Best Picture wins? Give me yours in the Your Say section and enter our predict the Oscars contest here.
1. The Silence of the Lambs
It was a horror film, winning Best Picture at the Oscars...not a sentence that has been written often.
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
It was a fantasy film, winning Best Picture at the Oscars...not a sentence that has been written often. It is the kind of film not usually recognized at the pretentious Oscars and a wonderful way to cap a landmark achievement in the history of filmmaking.
3. Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood's best. A dark film with no easy answers that subverts the comforting conventions of a Hollywood genre. A film this bleak, violent, intellectual and well good, winning Best Picture when the Oscars were (arguably) stuffier than they were (Until this and last year) today is something. Read my full analysis/review of Unforgiven here
4. American Beauty
Now considered overrated as it became a victim of the typical Oscar winning backlash. American Beauty is still a great film and was a worthy winner when you consider the films it was up against. For all these films whether a best, Best Picture winner or a worst, Best Picture winner, I am considering it based on the films they were up against.
5. Slumdog Millionaire
Another film which is now considered uncool to like due to it deservedly winning the Best Picture Oscar. Just think though, how many times has a low budget, almost straight to DVD, Indian set, a quarter not in the English language film with a scene where children get tortured won Best Picture at the Oscars? I know those are very specific criteria but...the point still stands
And now the fun part, the worst, Best Picture Winners
1. The King's Speech
In a year where Black Swan, The Social Network and Inception were nominated...The King's Speech winning the Oscar will go down in history as one of their worst choices ever. It may not be a popular opinion now but its true, The King's Speech is nowhere near the cinematic experience that Black Swan and Inception are and will not age as well as The Social Network. Heck, even the overrated Toy Story 3 would have made a better winner than this, enjoyable and well acted yet incredibly ordinary and un-cinematic film.
2. Shakespeare in Love
This film beat Saving Private Ryan...enough said.
3. Titanic
Yes it was a huge financial and technological achievement but...it's rubbish. Deserved to win nothing outside of technical awards.
4. Rocky
Another hugely overrated film that beat masterpieces. Taxi Driver or All The President's Men (Maybe I can say Network as well when I finally watch it) were much more deserving of the award than this film which, if you take away that famous tune, is really a bland, mediocre, bore. Maybe I wasn't in the right 'mood' when I saw Rocky but no amount of re-watches is going to convince me that it was a worthy winner over those two previously mentioned films. Particularly Taxi Driver.
5. Million Dollar Baby
An extremely average film by a filmmaker (Clint Eastwood) who has done so much better and should not be rewarded for such mediocrity. It also beat The Aviator, a film that while not being the best Martin Scorsese has had to offer, contained a superb performance from Leonardo Dicaprio and was easily the best of the five films nominated.
What say you? Do I agree with my five favourite and five least favourite Best Picture wins? Give me yours in the Your Say section and enter our predict the Oscars contest here.
Where We Stand
PGA (The Artist), DGA (The Artist) and SAG (The Help) have spoken...The Artist has won the Oscar for Best Picture. While the latter half of that statement is not official yet, by the end of this month it will be. With wins at the PGA and DGA, The Artist looks set to complete its fairy-tale story and Harvey Weinstein continue his dominance over the Oscars. Hugo despite leading the nominations was dead in my eyes when it had no acting nominations compared to The Aritst's two. A significant observation as actors are the largest voting branch in the Academy. Hugo could yet dominate the technical categories and most awards on the night will likely be a toss up between it and The Artist, however as afar as the big two, The Artist seems to have it sealed. The only big talking point remaining in the race comes in the Best Actor field...George Clooney or Jean Dujardin? I was firmly in the camp that Clooney would take it for The Descendants, however Dujardin winning SAG changes that race and I now think it is Dujardin's to loose. Betting against SAG is a dangerous thing to do (As everybody who predicted that Albert Brooks and Shailene Woodley would get nominated will tell you) If either of the two are going to win the Bafta it's more likely to be Dujardin than Clooney and both have a Golden Globe. Sean Penn only won the SAG in the build up to the Oscars in 08 and he took the gold despite Mickey Rourke taking the Globe, Bafta and having the comeback story. As far as the winners go, my predictions as of right now are:
Picture: The Artist
Director: Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Actor: Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Actress: Viola Davis (The Help) SAG win knocked any Streep revival down
Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer (Beginners) Although don't rule out Von Sydow for Extremely Loud, he has a similar aged based narrative to Plummer but unlike Christopher is in a Best Picture nominee
Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Original Screenplay: Midnight in Paris (The Artist could take it though, Best Picture tends to pick up a Screenplay award)
Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants (Want Moneyball to win however, which it still could)
Art Direction: Hugo (Perhaps the only award this film should have in the bag)
Cinematography: Hugo, The Tree of Life, The Artist or War Horse all have a shot with this one...probably the most competitive category, was thinking The Tree of Life but now I'm going to predict Hugo
Costume Design: Hugo
Editing: The Artist (Another award the Picture winner usually takes)
Makeup: The Iron Lady
Original Score: The Artist
Original Song: The Muppets
Sound Editing & Mixing: War Horse for the war scenes, however Hugo could also win just due to its technical nature and its frontrunner status.
Visual Effects: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Although Hugo could upset)
Animated Feature Film: Rango
Documentary Feature: Hell and Back Again
Foreign Language Feature: A Separation
So post nominations Hugo went up then down. The Artist went up then went even higher. The Descendants went down and The Help went up. Clooney has a fight on his hands and Supporting Actor has a potential upset card in the case of Von Sydow.
What do you think? Do you agree that The Artist has it in the bag? What do you think of my current winner predictions? What do you think has been the biggest turning point post nominations? Give us your predictions and thoughts in the Your Say section.
Picture: The Artist
Director: Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Actor: Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Actress: Viola Davis (The Help) SAG win knocked any Streep revival down
Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer (Beginners) Although don't rule out Von Sydow for Extremely Loud, he has a similar aged based narrative to Plummer but unlike Christopher is in a Best Picture nominee
Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Original Screenplay: Midnight in Paris (The Artist could take it though, Best Picture tends to pick up a Screenplay award)
Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants (Want Moneyball to win however, which it still could)
Art Direction: Hugo (Perhaps the only award this film should have in the bag)
Cinematography: Hugo, The Tree of Life, The Artist or War Horse all have a shot with this one...probably the most competitive category, was thinking The Tree of Life but now I'm going to predict Hugo
Costume Design: Hugo
Editing: The Artist (Another award the Picture winner usually takes)
Makeup: The Iron Lady
Original Score: The Artist
Original Song: The Muppets
Sound Editing & Mixing: War Horse for the war scenes, however Hugo could also win just due to its technical nature and its frontrunner status.
Visual Effects: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Although Hugo could upset)
Animated Feature Film: Rango
Documentary Feature: Hell and Back Again
Foreign Language Feature: A Separation
So post nominations Hugo went up then down. The Artist went up then went even higher. The Descendants went down and The Help went up. Clooney has a fight on his hands and Supporting Actor has a potential upset card in the case of Von Sydow.
What do you think? Do you agree that The Artist has it in the bag? What do you think of my current winner predictions? What do you think has been the biggest turning point post nominations? Give us your predictions and thoughts in the Your Say section.
Why it Should: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Welcome to the first installment of Why it Should” a new feature here at “The Campaign” where I will put forth the case for why films unlikely to get much Oscar attention should in fact win Best Picture. The first film to receive this incredibly influential support is the summer surprise, Rise of the Planet of the Apes. A film that deserves to win Best Picture due to its current social relevance, its technological achievements, which could change the future of film and film performance, as well as the positive examples and lessons, it would set to and teach the film industry.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the film, which more than any other, defines and reflects 2011. With the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street, 2011 has been a year of revolution, a year where people have fought back against oppression, greed and exploitation. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is about apes revolting against such things, it is a film, which captures and displays the spirit of 2011. When awarding the Best Picture of the year, it is arguable that the Oscars should act as a time capsule, in the sense that with each choice they make, they are bottling that year, saying that whichever film they award is a representation of their thoughts on that year. Now I know the award is “Best” and not merely “Picture of the Year” however under the latter title, it would be hard to argue that Rise of the Planet of the Apes would not be a worthy winner. The Oscars have been criticized for being out of touch, however in awarding Rise of the Planet of the Apes they would be rewarding the film of the year, recognizing a film, that can serve as an inspiration or memory inducement for anybody who wishes to or has stood up tall, and said no.
In Rise of the Apes, Rupert Wyatt and Weta achieved something that would make the masters of technical filmmaking proud. With its set pieces, Rise of the Apes took motion capture out of the soundstages and onto the soil. This is a technology which can allow actors to play whoever they want and filmmakers to create whichever characters they want and with this film, Wyatt has opened peoples eyes to the possibility of motion capture, not merely through it being visually stylish like in Steven Spielberg’s lazy Tintin, but in grounding it with a solid base, a base of storytelling and character which proves that this is not a special effect, but a storytelling tool. With this film a standard has been set for this technology, a bar has been raised, this is a landmark picture for motion capture and if it takes off the way the big boys of the industry want it to, then it could be a landmark for filmmaking itself.
As mentioned in my review of the film, while motion capture was not invented by Rise of the Apes, just how the mobile phone was not invented by Apple, through its usage of the technology, Rise of the Apes and Apple both revolutionized and redefined the technologies they were dealing with, creating a new landscape for the industry it inhabited. While this achievement may not be recognized with a Best Picture Oscar (Although more likely with a Visual Effects Oscar) it will be interesting to note how many future filmmakers, when dealing with motion capture will cite Rise of the Apes as an inspiration. Just how when looking back Rise of the Apes will be seen as the film that define the social spirit of the year, it may be looked back upon as technologically and craft wise, perhaps even storytelling wise depending where motion capture goes, the most influential film of its year in terms of changing the very art of filmmaking. Whether this change happens or not, there is no denying that through its usage of groundbreaking technology as a means to telling a story and portraying a character, Rise of the Apes deserves all the ape sanctuary cookies in the world.
I believe that with an Oscar, an example should be set to the industry. The film that wins Best Picture should be a shining light to the rest as to the kind of films we want to see more of. Last year if Inception had (Rightly) won the Oscar for Best Picture, I would have hoped that the example set and lesson learnt was that intelligent, inventive summer blockbusters can be critically and commercially successful, lets make more of them. A similar outcome would occur if Rise of the Planet of the Apes were to win the Best Picture Oscar. For one it would end the notion that the Oscars ignore genre cinema and could perhaps lead to a renaissance for science fiction films, were those who finance, make and see them take them more seriously. It would say that preboots need not be poorly done, for the cash tent poles but instead character driven, envelope-pushing pieces about something. Of course Hollywood would learn the wrong lesson and instead start milking all their franchises to death, hopefully though a little bit more artistically.
In choosing Rupert Wyatt an interesting choice was made by the powers that be. He was supposedly not the first choice but the fact that he was chosen and was so successful should have already sent a message to the industry. Younger directors like Wyatt who have only made one small film, deserve the right to play with Hollywood’s toys and tell stories, a Best Picture Oscar for a film directed by Rupert Wyatt should inspire studios to look beyond their normal port of call for directors and instead start giving chances to outside the bubble, creative, ambitious filmmakers who otherwise would be shut out. More respect for genre films, a signal for more intelligent summer blockbusters and more chances for younger filmmakers could all be the lessons to be learnt by the industry from a Rise of the Planet of the Apes Oscar win.
Overall Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the film of 2011 in the sense that it is the one which best reflects the social spirit and the year’s defining events. It has broken new ground technologically which could serve as a guiding light for a shift in the very art of filmmaking itself. It would set an example that intelligent genre pictures can be both respected and more abundantly made by the industry, whilst also opening the door for otherwise unconsidered directors. It is for these reasons that I believe Rise of the Planet of the Apes would make a fantastic Best Picture winners, sure it may not be the “best” film of the year but it is the one that defines the year more than The Social Network ever had a claim to doing a year prior and that people try and push onto Moneyball this year. It has the potential to be hugely influential in shifting the very ground of filmmaking, perhaps even more so than Avatar two years prior. Finally a Best Picture victory could also go someway to making the summer movie season one that need not be populated by the Transformers 3’s of this world but more intelligent genre pictures which seek to tell a story, leaving controlled, engaging bombast to a nicely paced, emotionally satisfying and cathartic climax.
In the end a group of people can never agree on the “best” that will always be down to personal opinion. What can be agreed upon however is the way in which Rise of the Planet of the Apes has the social relevance more than The Social Network did last year (Which campaigned heavily based on that belief) and is more of a technical achievement on an emotional and story-telling level than Avatar was two years ago. Those two elements in isolation couldn’t take The Social Network or Avatar to a Best Picture win despite the critical support behind one and the commercial support behind another, however perhaps with a combination of the two; Caesar can mount an Oscar campaign. If only he could do to the Oscar voters what he did to the apes, or convince Harvey Weinstein to ditch The Artist and throw his support behind the ape revolution...
What do you think of my arguments? Do you agree that Rise of the Planet of the Apes would be a deserving Best Picture winner? Provide additional arguments or counter-arguments in the Your Say section.
By Movie Parliament Prime Minister,
Michael Dalton
Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the film, which more than any other, defines and reflects 2011. With the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street, 2011 has been a year of revolution, a year where people have fought back against oppression, greed and exploitation. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is about apes revolting against such things, it is a film, which captures and displays the spirit of 2011. When awarding the Best Picture of the year, it is arguable that the Oscars should act as a time capsule, in the sense that with each choice they make, they are bottling that year, saying that whichever film they award is a representation of their thoughts on that year. Now I know the award is “Best” and not merely “Picture of the Year” however under the latter title, it would be hard to argue that Rise of the Planet of the Apes would not be a worthy winner. The Oscars have been criticized for being out of touch, however in awarding Rise of the Planet of the Apes they would be rewarding the film of the year, recognizing a film, that can serve as an inspiration or memory inducement for anybody who wishes to or has stood up tall, and said no.
In Rise of the Apes, Rupert Wyatt and Weta achieved something that would make the masters of technical filmmaking proud. With its set pieces, Rise of the Apes took motion capture out of the soundstages and onto the soil. This is a technology which can allow actors to play whoever they want and filmmakers to create whichever characters they want and with this film, Wyatt has opened peoples eyes to the possibility of motion capture, not merely through it being visually stylish like in Steven Spielberg’s lazy Tintin, but in grounding it with a solid base, a base of storytelling and character which proves that this is not a special effect, but a storytelling tool. With this film a standard has been set for this technology, a bar has been raised, this is a landmark picture for motion capture and if it takes off the way the big boys of the industry want it to, then it could be a landmark for filmmaking itself.
As mentioned in my review of the film, while motion capture was not invented by Rise of the Apes, just how the mobile phone was not invented by Apple, through its usage of the technology, Rise of the Apes and Apple both revolutionized and redefined the technologies they were dealing with, creating a new landscape for the industry it inhabited. While this achievement may not be recognized with a Best Picture Oscar (Although more likely with a Visual Effects Oscar) it will be interesting to note how many future filmmakers, when dealing with motion capture will cite Rise of the Apes as an inspiration. Just how when looking back Rise of the Apes will be seen as the film that define the social spirit of the year, it may be looked back upon as technologically and craft wise, perhaps even storytelling wise depending where motion capture goes, the most influential film of its year in terms of changing the very art of filmmaking. Whether this change happens or not, there is no denying that through its usage of groundbreaking technology as a means to telling a story and portraying a character, Rise of the Apes deserves all the ape sanctuary cookies in the world.
I believe that with an Oscar, an example should be set to the industry. The film that wins Best Picture should be a shining light to the rest as to the kind of films we want to see more of. Last year if Inception had (Rightly) won the Oscar for Best Picture, I would have hoped that the example set and lesson learnt was that intelligent, inventive summer blockbusters can be critically and commercially successful, lets make more of them. A similar outcome would occur if Rise of the Planet of the Apes were to win the Best Picture Oscar. For one it would end the notion that the Oscars ignore genre cinema and could perhaps lead to a renaissance for science fiction films, were those who finance, make and see them take them more seriously. It would say that preboots need not be poorly done, for the cash tent poles but instead character driven, envelope-pushing pieces about something. Of course Hollywood would learn the wrong lesson and instead start milking all their franchises to death, hopefully though a little bit more artistically.
In choosing Rupert Wyatt an interesting choice was made by the powers that be. He was supposedly not the first choice but the fact that he was chosen and was so successful should have already sent a message to the industry. Younger directors like Wyatt who have only made one small film, deserve the right to play with Hollywood’s toys and tell stories, a Best Picture Oscar for a film directed by Rupert Wyatt should inspire studios to look beyond their normal port of call for directors and instead start giving chances to outside the bubble, creative, ambitious filmmakers who otherwise would be shut out. More respect for genre films, a signal for more intelligent summer blockbusters and more chances for younger filmmakers could all be the lessons to be learnt by the industry from a Rise of the Planet of the Apes Oscar win.
Overall Rise of the Planet of the Apes is the film of 2011 in the sense that it is the one which best reflects the social spirit and the year’s defining events. It has broken new ground technologically which could serve as a guiding light for a shift in the very art of filmmaking itself. It would set an example that intelligent genre pictures can be both respected and more abundantly made by the industry, whilst also opening the door for otherwise unconsidered directors. It is for these reasons that I believe Rise of the Planet of the Apes would make a fantastic Best Picture winners, sure it may not be the “best” film of the year but it is the one that defines the year more than The Social Network ever had a claim to doing a year prior and that people try and push onto Moneyball this year. It has the potential to be hugely influential in shifting the very ground of filmmaking, perhaps even more so than Avatar two years prior. Finally a Best Picture victory could also go someway to making the summer movie season one that need not be populated by the Transformers 3’s of this world but more intelligent genre pictures which seek to tell a story, leaving controlled, engaging bombast to a nicely paced, emotionally satisfying and cathartic climax.
In the end a group of people can never agree on the “best” that will always be down to personal opinion. What can be agreed upon however is the way in which Rise of the Planet of the Apes has the social relevance more than The Social Network did last year (Which campaigned heavily based on that belief) and is more of a technical achievement on an emotional and story-telling level than Avatar was two years ago. Those two elements in isolation couldn’t take The Social Network or Avatar to a Best Picture win despite the critical support behind one and the commercial support behind another, however perhaps with a combination of the two; Caesar can mount an Oscar campaign. If only he could do to the Oscar voters what he did to the apes, or convince Harvey Weinstein to ditch The Artist and throw his support behind the ape revolution...
What do you think of my arguments? Do you agree that Rise of the Planet of the Apes would be a deserving Best Picture winner? Provide additional arguments or counter-arguments in the Your Say section.
By Movie Parliament Prime Minister,
Michael Dalton
War Horse's First Battle
War Horse has begun its Oscar campaign with a handful of preview screenings in U.S. cities. Going straight to the people and building up word of mouth seems like a smart strategy and it does seem like a story and a film which will get more of a buzz out of audience members than critics. Has the tactic payed off however? While not all the screenings are over, first opinions are starting to trickle in over Twitter and we will compile all the early buzz right here, to see if War Horse does have the audience, tearjerker quality that many Oscar predictors (Including myself) believe could propel it to a Best Picture victory.
MetalTodd Todd- Would def recommend War Horse to anyone who asks. Great movie, well worth the 2:20, never felt like it though. Very evenly paced.
raeofdawn dawn taylor- An advanced screening tonight of Spielberg's 'War Horse'. Exceptional, truly. Do see it. Walked out of cinema into the falling snow. Lovely!
TheFilmStage Jordan Raup- Best Picture confirmed! RT @NYGIRLNGEORGIA Just left special screening of "War Horse" It actually was a good movie. Kept my interest
dalurae__ Dalurae Jin- Raves all over after the 1st screening of WAR HORSE. But first reactions tend to be more favorable. Still can't wait
UPDATED (Thanks to Film Stage)
emailjnm: I’ll be giving a full review early tomorrow (I need to let this brilliant film sink in a bit more), but I am DEFINITELY giving it 5/5. Actually, I’ll go farther than that. This was a masterpiece. This should be one of the top 2-3 during Oscar season. All the hype we were hoping for was well-deserved. Outside of the first 30 minutes being a tad “eh,” the rest of the film is the best I’ve seen of Spielberg in years. Some of the greatest scenes I’ve seen in his career. I’m going to go as far as to say that it’s my second favorite Spielberg film after “Schindler’s List.” First chance you get, go see it. There should be quite a few ore screenings leading up to its late December release. A+++!!
@cwrite: Saw an advance screening of War Horse tonight. Very intense but very good.
@PensNucksDenver: The movie was FANTASTIC! War Horse was awesome. A must-see.
@gandgmediagroup: Just saw ADVANCE SCREENING of STEVEN Spielberg’s, WAR HORSE. This is a must see movie based in WW1. Great story of boy and his horse
UPDATE: Ryan Hoffman, who is an Oscar analyst, has given his opinions on the film direct to Movie Parliament through the Your Say section.
He says:
I saw it tonight and I am an Oscar analyst. It has the backing and pedigree to get nominees but it has absolutely no shot at winning anything.The first act is a disaster, like 0 out of 100 disaster, the second act is about a 50, and the third is about an 80 but rests solely on sentimentality and Spielberg war scenes.
The movie’s main problem is its source material which I don’t believe adapts all that well to the screen and their are two stories that are just plain unneeded to tell the tale they are trying tell.
NordlingAICN Alan Cerny WAR HORSE is magnificent.
FilmRot James B War Horse was only slightly better than Saving Private Ryan. This Spielberg kid has a bright future with these moving pictures, methinks.
TravisBlock Mr.Travis Final thought on "War Horse" (For tonight) - It's a fairy tale. Anyone expecting a grim & gritty war flick should go somewhere else.
So thoughts regarding the film seem to be favorable as of now (However as pointed out above first reactions from a special preview screening for a heavily buzzed film tend to be) However there are some contrasting opinions regarding the score of John Williams.
aaroncthomas Aaron Thomas- BORED by John Williams' score for War Horse. Oddly enough, I think his work on Tinitin is interesting. Do we predict dual Oscar noms? Ugh.
Matthew_Lucas Matthew Lucas- New John Williams music. I'm in heaven. WAR HORSE is a gorgeous, classic Williams score. I've missed this.
@Matthew_Lucas (OST impressions only):New John Williams music. I’m in heaven. WAR HORSE is a gorgeous, classic Williams score. I’ve missed this. John Williams will get his 47th Oscar nomination for WAR HORSE, no question. Maybe a 48th for TINTIN. Whoa. There’s a brief moment in “No Man’s Land” where Williams goes all PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN on us. OMG…the solo piano version of the main theme in “Remembering Emilie, and Finale” is breaking my heart. WAR HORSE first impression – Lacks the usual Williams concert suite of the main theme, but the overall score is a fantastic return to form. As Williams’ first dramatic score in 6 years, it is a godsend to fans, and one of the maestro’s finest in years. The final track, “Homecoming,” is a breathtaking 8 minute summation of the score’s themes. Tremendous Williams material.
Be sure to keep checking this page as it will be update with the latest opinions from Twitter, Facebook, IMDB and YouTube as we try and determine whether War Horse wins its first battle and whether it is the Best Picture contender we think it could be. The film is definitely out of the opening gates and looks in good shape to get past the first hurdle, however as we know...it is a long race.
If you have seen War Horse or have opinions about this year's Oscar race let us know in the Your Say section.
Below is an embed for YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann's review of War Horse. You can (And must) subscribe to Stuckmann's Channel by clicking here and you can read my thoughts on (As well as watch) his short film, "Don't Let Him Get Away" here. Be sure to keep checking this page as more opinions trickle in from the various screenings.
By Movie Parliament Prime Minister,
Michael Dalton
MetalTodd Todd- Would def recommend War Horse to anyone who asks. Great movie, well worth the 2:20, never felt like it though. Very evenly paced.
raeofdawn dawn taylor- An advanced screening tonight of Spielberg's 'War Horse'. Exceptional, truly. Do see it. Walked out of cinema into the falling snow. Lovely!
TheFilmStage Jordan Raup- Best Picture confirmed! RT @NYGIRLNGEORGIA Just left special screening of "War Horse" It actually was a good movie. Kept my interest
dalurae__ Dalurae Jin- Raves all over after the 1st screening of WAR HORSE. But first reactions tend to be more favorable. Still can't wait
UPDATED (Thanks to Film Stage)
emailjnm: I’ll be giving a full review early tomorrow (I need to let this brilliant film sink in a bit more), but I am DEFINITELY giving it 5/5. Actually, I’ll go farther than that. This was a masterpiece. This should be one of the top 2-3 during Oscar season. All the hype we were hoping for was well-deserved. Outside of the first 30 minutes being a tad “eh,” the rest of the film is the best I’ve seen of Spielberg in years. Some of the greatest scenes I’ve seen in his career. I’m going to go as far as to say that it’s my second favorite Spielberg film after “Schindler’s List.” First chance you get, go see it. There should be quite a few ore screenings leading up to its late December release. A+++!!
@cwrite: Saw an advance screening of War Horse tonight. Very intense but very good.
@PensNucksDenver: The movie was FANTASTIC! War Horse was awesome. A must-see.
@gandgmediagroup: Just saw ADVANCE SCREENING of STEVEN Spielberg’s, WAR HORSE. This is a must see movie based in WW1. Great story of boy and his horse
UPDATE: Ryan Hoffman, who is an Oscar analyst, has given his opinions on the film direct to Movie Parliament through the Your Say section.
He says:
I saw it tonight and I am an Oscar analyst. It has the backing and pedigree to get nominees but it has absolutely no shot at winning anything.The first act is a disaster, like 0 out of 100 disaster, the second act is about a 50, and the third is about an 80 but rests solely on sentimentality and Spielberg war scenes.
The movie’s main problem is its source material which I don’t believe adapts all that well to the screen and their are two stories that are just plain unneeded to tell the tale they are trying tell.
NordlingAICN Alan Cerny WAR HORSE is magnificent.
FilmRot James B War Horse was only slightly better than Saving Private Ryan. This Spielberg kid has a bright future with these moving pictures, methinks.
TravisBlock Mr.Travis Final thought on "War Horse" (For tonight) - It's a fairy tale. Anyone expecting a grim & gritty war flick should go somewhere else.
So thoughts regarding the film seem to be favorable as of now (However as pointed out above first reactions from a special preview screening for a heavily buzzed film tend to be) However there are some contrasting opinions regarding the score of John Williams.
aaroncthomas Aaron Thomas- BORED by John Williams' score for War Horse. Oddly enough, I think his work on Tinitin is interesting. Do we predict dual Oscar noms? Ugh.
Matthew_Lucas Matthew Lucas- New John Williams music. I'm in heaven. WAR HORSE is a gorgeous, classic Williams score. I've missed this.
@Matthew_Lucas (OST impressions only):New John Williams music. I’m in heaven. WAR HORSE is a gorgeous, classic Williams score. I’ve missed this. John Williams will get his 47th Oscar nomination for WAR HORSE, no question. Maybe a 48th for TINTIN. Whoa. There’s a brief moment in “No Man’s Land” where Williams goes all PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN on us. OMG…the solo piano version of the main theme in “Remembering Emilie, and Finale” is breaking my heart. WAR HORSE first impression – Lacks the usual Williams concert suite of the main theme, but the overall score is a fantastic return to form. As Williams’ first dramatic score in 6 years, it is a godsend to fans, and one of the maestro’s finest in years. The final track, “Homecoming,” is a breathtaking 8 minute summation of the score’s themes. Tremendous Williams material.
Be sure to keep checking this page as it will be update with the latest opinions from Twitter, Facebook, IMDB and YouTube as we try and determine whether War Horse wins its first battle and whether it is the Best Picture contender we think it could be. The film is definitely out of the opening gates and looks in good shape to get past the first hurdle, however as we know...it is a long race.
If you have seen War Horse or have opinions about this year's Oscar race let us know in the Your Say section.
Below is an embed for YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann's review of War Horse. You can (And must) subscribe to Stuckmann's Channel by clicking here and you can read my thoughts on (As well as watch) his short film, "Don't Let Him Get Away" here. Be sure to keep checking this page as more opinions trickle in from the various screenings.
By Movie Parliament Prime Minister,
Michael Dalton
What About "Margin Call"?
This week saw the limited release of Margin Call in the U.S. A film with a cast that includes Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons and Stanley Tucci and is about the night before an economic crisis (Sound familiar?). The film recently got a Best Ensemble nomination at the Gotham Awards however it seems to have stirred up relatively little Oscar buzz, the question I ask is why not? Given the Occupy Wall Street protests that currently dominate headlines and streets not just in the U.S. but around the world, Margin Call has an arguably more legitimate claim to be a "Zeitgeist Movie" than The Social Network did last year. The film also has an incredibly well respected cast filled with Oscar nominees and winners (Spacey, Irons, Tucci) which suggests that it is a film which will be seen by Academy voters due to their respect for and perhaps friendship with the actors involved. Given its Gotham awards nod why is this film not being considered as a possible SAG contender? Plus given that it is his first screenplay and the dialogue heavy nature of it (According to reviews) why isn't J.C. Chandor part of the original screenplay conversation? With the supporting actor category also being supposedly weak could Spacey or Irons make a play for a nomination?
As far as the critics are concerned the film actually has a higher Rotten Tomatoes score than Clooney's The Ides of March (85% to 83%) and it is not outside the realm of possibility that certain critics groups could fly the flag for Margin Call by perhaps including it in their top tens or nominations. Perhaps J.C. Chandor will get some best first feature nominations and wins. The film has the cast, zeitgeist and reviews...does it have the box office? The film currently stands at 1.2 million US dollars worldwide and just fell short of breaking into the top sixteen opening weekend in the U.S. While these numbers do not sound big at all the film is on a limited release and if it can build strong word of mouth and slowly but surely build its box office it could get to a respectable figure. Given that the film has all these elements for it in regards to the Oscar race why is there no conversation about it amongst the Oscar bloggers and the Oscar conversation. Yes there has perhaps been no campaign yet launched by the studio however if I had any influence I would try and start one.
One of the film's supposed flaws is that it feels televisual, this however will help the film when it plays on screeners. The fact that the film is "small" and under-discussed may actually help the film appeal to voters, they will feel like they discovered it. Kevin Spacey is a charming chap (Who has won TWO Oscars), why not have him host a screening of the film to Academy members? The writers and the actors are the ones most likely to get this film a nomination as from what the reviews and promotional material are suggesting it is not what you would call an "Art movie" it does not look like or is being called a movie that emphasizes the craft of filmmaking but instead one that places dialogue and performances at centre stage. If they can get WGA and SAG nominations, they can create some serious momentum and a need amongst academy members to see Margin Call.
Overall Margin Call is a film that ticks all the right boxes to be a serious Oscar contender yet is not being discussed as one. Whether we get a campaign or not will probably depend on how it does on the box office, without seeing the film and merely reading the reviews and watching the trailer I thought this was a film which should be receiving an Oscar push, maybe it is and I have spoken to soon, or maybe despite the positive reviews and the cast involved it just isn't good enough but observing from a purely Oscar perspective, Margin Call is currently the most underrated contender of the season.
Check out the trailer to Margin Call below and give us your thoughts on its Oscar potential in the Your Say section.
By Movie Parliament Prime Minister,
Michael Dalton
As far as the critics are concerned the film actually has a higher Rotten Tomatoes score than Clooney's The Ides of March (85% to 83%) and it is not outside the realm of possibility that certain critics groups could fly the flag for Margin Call by perhaps including it in their top tens or nominations. Perhaps J.C. Chandor will get some best first feature nominations and wins. The film has the cast, zeitgeist and reviews...does it have the box office? The film currently stands at 1.2 million US dollars worldwide and just fell short of breaking into the top sixteen opening weekend in the U.S. While these numbers do not sound big at all the film is on a limited release and if it can build strong word of mouth and slowly but surely build its box office it could get to a respectable figure. Given that the film has all these elements for it in regards to the Oscar race why is there no conversation about it amongst the Oscar bloggers and the Oscar conversation. Yes there has perhaps been no campaign yet launched by the studio however if I had any influence I would try and start one.
One of the film's supposed flaws is that it feels televisual, this however will help the film when it plays on screeners. The fact that the film is "small" and under-discussed may actually help the film appeal to voters, they will feel like they discovered it. Kevin Spacey is a charming chap (Who has won TWO Oscars), why not have him host a screening of the film to Academy members? The writers and the actors are the ones most likely to get this film a nomination as from what the reviews and promotional material are suggesting it is not what you would call an "Art movie" it does not look like or is being called a movie that emphasizes the craft of filmmaking but instead one that places dialogue and performances at centre stage. If they can get WGA and SAG nominations, they can create some serious momentum and a need amongst academy members to see Margin Call.
Overall Margin Call is a film that ticks all the right boxes to be a serious Oscar contender yet is not being discussed as one. Whether we get a campaign or not will probably depend on how it does on the box office, without seeing the film and merely reading the reviews and watching the trailer I thought this was a film which should be receiving an Oscar push, maybe it is and I have spoken to soon, or maybe despite the positive reviews and the cast involved it just isn't good enough but observing from a purely Oscar perspective, Margin Call is currently the most underrated contender of the season.
Check out the trailer to Margin Call below and give us your thoughts on its Oscar potential in the Your Say section.
By Movie Parliament Prime Minister,
Michael Dalton
Your Say
Brenda Provence says "I WATCHED MARGIN CALL ON VOD SINCE IT'S NOT IN MY CITY AT THIS TIME.WILL SEE IT AGAIN WHEN IT IS.I LOVED IT.I WAS TOTALLY ABSORBED BY THE CONTENT AND THE MARVELOUS PERFORMANCES.ALL OF THE PERFORMANCES!THE STILLNESS OF THE MOVIE IS SO WONDERFUL AND SCARY AT THE SAME TIME.YES IT DESERVES TO BE NOMINATED FOR THE ABOVE AND FOR THE COLLECTIVE EFFORT OF A NEW PRODUCTION COMPANY BTD AND DIRECTOR!!!!!"
The British Contingent Question
Every year when analyzing the Oscar race, awards pundits like to throw around the term, “The British Contingent” referring to the British voters in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Films which are commonly associated with British Contingent backing in recent years, have included last year’s winner The King’s Speech, An Education, Slumdog Millionaire, Atonement and The Queen. However what film from this year will receive this so called British Contingent backing? And are they always backing a British film?
The Hurt Locker swept the Baftas and subsequently swept the Oscars, The Hurt Locker is an American produced, directed, written and starring film yet it clearly had the support of the British contingent given that it swept their awards show. Therefore in searching for this year’s Brit ticket, perhaps we should be casting the net wider than films, which are produced, directed, written by and starring Brits. While they awarded Atonement and The Queen, the Baftas have called the last three Oscars with sweeps for The King’s Speech, The Hurt Locker and Slumdog Millionaire. Therefore finding this year’s “British Contingent” film may not only be important in predicting a Best Picture nomination but also a Best Picture win.
The obvious favourite is Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy a film that is currently dominating the U.K. box office and has a best of British cast, which includes Gary Oldman (A favourite I reckon for the Best Actor Bafta), Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones and John Hurt. The film does indeed have British producers and screenwriters but a Swede sitting in the director’s chair. Unlike King’s Speech (Tom Hooper) and Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle) Tinker, Tailor is a not a British film when it comes to who is calling the shots and steering the ship. While everything else about it is British, Tomas Alfredson stops it from being an all-British affair like King’s Speech and Slumdog Millionaire. However given its cast and box office this must be seen as the current British Contingent favourite and perhaps therefore, what pushes Tomas Alfredson into a Best Director nomination at the Oscars.
The favourite for the Oscar amongst most Oscar pundits as this point is the unseen War Horse and for good reason. The film not only looks like it is soaked in Oscar bait, ticking all the boxes but it also looks stunning. While an American may be behind the helm in the form of Steven Spielberg, you could argue that War Horse is just as British as Tinker, Tailor and equally viable for British Contingent support. Take a glance at the cast Peter Mullan, Tom Hiddleston, Emily Watson, Jeremy Irvine, Benedict Cumberbatch and David Thewlis…that is another all British cast. Plus the film is based on a British book, adapted by British screenwriters. Is it possible that this is the year in which this British Contingent dominates the Oscar race by having multiple horses to get behind? (Pun well and truly intended) War Horse and Tinker, Tailor are films that are equally British and may dominate this year’s Baftas. While in previous years the British Contingent have only been granted one baby by the pundits and the Academy (King’s Speech, An Education although they may have been backing Hurt Locker, Slumdog, Atonement) this year they have two strong contenders, both of which are British everywhere but the director’s chair.
This raises the under discussed fact that the British don’t have a director to rally behind this year who is one of their own. This is the year where American and European directors seem to lead the way with Spielberg, Clooney, Eastwood, Fincher, Malick, Alfredson and Hazanavicius but hang on…what about Stephen Daldry?
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, why can’t they be the British Contingent picks? In Extremely Loud, this contingent has the only British director they can truly get behind this Oscar season, Paul Greengrass got a Bafta win for United 93, why can’t Stephen Daldry get one for this? The fact that Daldry is the only British director with a serious horse in the Oscar race means that Extremely Loud has one big reason for being the British Contingent ticket. The Europeans, actors and writers will back Tinker, Tailor, the U.S. alone will see War Horse through and while the same could be said about Extremely Loud it is the only film in which the Brits can say it was a film directed by a Brit. The director is the auteur of the film business, the director is the one who people within and outside the industry look up to and admire and will the Brits back their director in an otherwise mainly American film? Or will they back their casts in mainly British films lead by foreign directors?
I mention Tintin due to its writers and its cast. Joe Cornish, Edgar Wright and Steven Moffat writing a script together is a British screenwriting dream team. Cornish has a good chance of a Bafta nomination in the Carl Foreman category this year for Attack the Block, while Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead scored multiple Bafta nominations and Steven Moffat…he is writing the best show on British TV right now. Plus again look at the cast, Jamie Bell (Bafta winner), Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Daniel Craig (Bafta nominee), Andy Serkis (Bafta nominee), Toby Jones and Mackenzie Crook (The Office) a film with that much British talent on and behind the screen cannot be dismissed. Let’s also not forget Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two as a British Contingent pick…British director, cast and original source material.
The possibility that the British Contingent may back something not British is something that is frequently ignored. What films that are not British at all could receive their backing this year? The Artist perhaps if it charms them as much as it charmed people in Cannes and the U.S.? Maybe J. Edgar will play really well (Let us not forget The Aviator’s fourteen nominations) The likeliest non British, British contingent pick in my opinion is David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The Baftas gave Fincher their Director award over Brit Tom Hooper last year and gave the original Swedish film a Foreign Language Bafta and Noomi Ropace an Actress nomination. However while the British contingent turned to a non British product to back in The Hurt Locker a few years ago that was mainly down to a lack of viable British contenders that year. This year however they are spoilt for choice and must decide whether to back British casts and writers (Tinker, Tailor, Tintin and War Horse) or British directors (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two)
The question is not what is the Brits film going to be this year? That implies that a film is yet to be identified when on the contrary they are spoilt for choice, the real question is which film will the Brits pick? Or in more dramatic terms, which filmmaking craft do they value the most?
By Movie Parliament Prime Minister,
Michael Dalton
Which film do you think the British Contingent will back? Do you agree with my thoughts? Give us all your Oscar thoughts in the Your Say section.
The Hurt Locker swept the Baftas and subsequently swept the Oscars, The Hurt Locker is an American produced, directed, written and starring film yet it clearly had the support of the British contingent given that it swept their awards show. Therefore in searching for this year’s Brit ticket, perhaps we should be casting the net wider than films, which are produced, directed, written by and starring Brits. While they awarded Atonement and The Queen, the Baftas have called the last three Oscars with sweeps for The King’s Speech, The Hurt Locker and Slumdog Millionaire. Therefore finding this year’s “British Contingent” film may not only be important in predicting a Best Picture nomination but also a Best Picture win.
The obvious favourite is Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy a film that is currently dominating the U.K. box office and has a best of British cast, which includes Gary Oldman (A favourite I reckon for the Best Actor Bafta), Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones and John Hurt. The film does indeed have British producers and screenwriters but a Swede sitting in the director’s chair. Unlike King’s Speech (Tom Hooper) and Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle) Tinker, Tailor is a not a British film when it comes to who is calling the shots and steering the ship. While everything else about it is British, Tomas Alfredson stops it from being an all-British affair like King’s Speech and Slumdog Millionaire. However given its cast and box office this must be seen as the current British Contingent favourite and perhaps therefore, what pushes Tomas Alfredson into a Best Director nomination at the Oscars.
The favourite for the Oscar amongst most Oscar pundits as this point is the unseen War Horse and for good reason. The film not only looks like it is soaked in Oscar bait, ticking all the boxes but it also looks stunning. While an American may be behind the helm in the form of Steven Spielberg, you could argue that War Horse is just as British as Tinker, Tailor and equally viable for British Contingent support. Take a glance at the cast Peter Mullan, Tom Hiddleston, Emily Watson, Jeremy Irvine, Benedict Cumberbatch and David Thewlis…that is another all British cast. Plus the film is based on a British book, adapted by British screenwriters. Is it possible that this is the year in which this British Contingent dominates the Oscar race by having multiple horses to get behind? (Pun well and truly intended) War Horse and Tinker, Tailor are films that are equally British and may dominate this year’s Baftas. While in previous years the British Contingent have only been granted one baby by the pundits and the Academy (King’s Speech, An Education although they may have been backing Hurt Locker, Slumdog, Atonement) this year they have two strong contenders, both of which are British everywhere but the director’s chair.
This raises the under discussed fact that the British don’t have a director to rally behind this year who is one of their own. This is the year where American and European directors seem to lead the way with Spielberg, Clooney, Eastwood, Fincher, Malick, Alfredson and Hazanavicius but hang on…what about Stephen Daldry?
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, why can’t they be the British Contingent picks? In Extremely Loud, this contingent has the only British director they can truly get behind this Oscar season, Paul Greengrass got a Bafta win for United 93, why can’t Stephen Daldry get one for this? The fact that Daldry is the only British director with a serious horse in the Oscar race means that Extremely Loud has one big reason for being the British Contingent ticket. The Europeans, actors and writers will back Tinker, Tailor, the U.S. alone will see War Horse through and while the same could be said about Extremely Loud it is the only film in which the Brits can say it was a film directed by a Brit. The director is the auteur of the film business, the director is the one who people within and outside the industry look up to and admire and will the Brits back their director in an otherwise mainly American film? Or will they back their casts in mainly British films lead by foreign directors?
I mention Tintin due to its writers and its cast. Joe Cornish, Edgar Wright and Steven Moffat writing a script together is a British screenwriting dream team. Cornish has a good chance of a Bafta nomination in the Carl Foreman category this year for Attack the Block, while Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead scored multiple Bafta nominations and Steven Moffat…he is writing the best show on British TV right now. Plus again look at the cast, Jamie Bell (Bafta winner), Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Daniel Craig (Bafta nominee), Andy Serkis (Bafta nominee), Toby Jones and Mackenzie Crook (The Office) a film with that much British talent on and behind the screen cannot be dismissed. Let’s also not forget Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two as a British Contingent pick…British director, cast and original source material.
The possibility that the British Contingent may back something not British is something that is frequently ignored. What films that are not British at all could receive their backing this year? The Artist perhaps if it charms them as much as it charmed people in Cannes and the U.S.? Maybe J. Edgar will play really well (Let us not forget The Aviator’s fourteen nominations) The likeliest non British, British contingent pick in my opinion is David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The Baftas gave Fincher their Director award over Brit Tom Hooper last year and gave the original Swedish film a Foreign Language Bafta and Noomi Ropace an Actress nomination. However while the British contingent turned to a non British product to back in The Hurt Locker a few years ago that was mainly down to a lack of viable British contenders that year. This year however they are spoilt for choice and must decide whether to back British casts and writers (Tinker, Tailor, Tintin and War Horse) or British directors (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two)
The question is not what is the Brits film going to be this year? That implies that a film is yet to be identified when on the contrary they are spoilt for choice, the real question is which film will the Brits pick? Or in more dramatic terms, which filmmaking craft do they value the most?
By Movie Parliament Prime Minister,
Michael Dalton
Which film do you think the British Contingent will back? Do you agree with my thoughts? Give us all your Oscar thoughts in the Your Say section.
