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| Oscar statuette by Antoine Taveneaux (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons |
About ten years ago I started watching every film nominated for an oscar in the lead up to the awards ceremony. I've since stopped doing that (it would be 53 this year including the shorts), but I still try to watch all of the films nominated for categories that historically contain the films I most enjoy: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Screenplay, Cinematography, and Best Foreign Film. Unfortunately I haven't watched the Best Foreign Film nominations yet, and won't be watching any more before the ceremony. Here's my (apparently markedly different to the academy) opinion of the rest:
- Amour: I had high hopes for this, being a foreign film, which it unfortunately didn't live up to. I just never got around to caring about the characters, unlike Away From Her (2006) which it reminded me a lot of (though I haven't seen it recently). I also disliked the camera work (almost entirely stationary). Being up for Best Picture and Best Foreign Film, it will almost certainly win Best Foreign Film but probably nothing else.
- Argo: A little overly patriotic and a lot overly dramatic. Decent, but not spectacular. Very likely to win Best Picture, though I'd probably put it third.
- Beasts of the Southern Wild: I'm not ashamed to admit that I don't get what the beast sequences were about. I don't even care that I don't get them. This is probably my least favourite film this season. At least it was short.
- Django Unchained: I like Tarantino a lot, although I don't think this is one of his best films. I'd probably give it fourth place out of the Best Picture nominations, which doesn't sound great except that I consider the top four all good and the bottom five all terrible.
- Les Misérables: I like musicals in real life but hate musicals turned into films and this was no exception. I will say though that I'm a little surprised this wasn't nominated for cinematography, since I thought that was one of the few good things about the film (they had to find something to keep it interesting during all those songs).
- Life of Pi: Probably the second worst Best Picture nomination. I was expecting beauty a la Hero (2002) but it was not to be. I also really disliked the story. Note that what happens doesn't make the protagonist religious - he was super religious before the main events take place. Sadly it will probably win Best Cinematography though I would much prefer Skyfall or Anna Karenina to get it.
- Lincoln: It opens with an American flag in the middle of a war. Clearly I am going to like this film. Oh wait, blogger is missing the sarcasm font. At any rate Daniel Day-Lewis was good, so I don't mind that he'll win Best Actor. This will probably also get Steven Spielburg another Best Director win.
- Silver Linings Playbook: It's a "romantic comedy". Up for an Oscar. Whatever will they think of next? Given the competition, I'm going to make this the second best Best Picture nomination (since it was much more enjoyable to watch than every other nomination). Jennifer Lawrence was also good and should win Best Actress. I would like it to win Best Adapted Screenplay too but that will probably go to Argo.
- Zero Dark Thirty: You've probably worked out by now that I dislike patriotism and war in my movies which a movie about hunting Osama bin Laden has to have. Yet for some inexplicable reason, I'm going to say this is the number one Best Picture nomination this year. Not that it was particularly enjoyable or that I think it will win, but then, nobody thought The Hurt Locker (2008) would win either. I am a little surprised it's not also up for Directing.
- Anna Karenina: I hear some people complain that it puts style over substance which was, in my opinion, what made this film enjoyable. If you want substance there's enough other versions if the story already. I'm glad it's up for Best Cinematography and Production Design (I inadvertently also watched all of the films nominated for Production Design and I think this might get it).
- Skyfall: What can I say about a Bond flick. I didn't watch it because it was nominated. That said, the cinematography was pretty good.
- Moonrise Kingdom: It's cute, original, wacky and creepy. Hmm I think that makes it positive overall. Only up for Best Original Screenplay which makes sense, though the award will probably and hopefully go to Zero Dark Thirty or Django Unchained instead.
- Flight: Not a bad story, but then, so was almost everything else up for Best Original Screenplay. I don't think it'll win anything.
- Cloud Atlas: Oh, wait. It's not nominated for any Oscars. Not even film editing? Preposterous.
