Oscars 2012

[Johann]

Something tells me The Descendants will win big. I haven't seen it, but scuttlebutt for this one is big.

I can't believe The Adventures of TinTin was left out of the Best Animated Feature category, especially after winning at the Golden Globes!
Boggles the brain.

I haven't seen any best picture nominees except The Tree of Life. Here's hoping Malick wins Best Director.
He deserves that one at the very least.
All in all I'm not sure this was a stand-out year for movies.
Lars von Trier and Terrence Malick were the only bringers of serious cinematic fruit to my mind.
And Trier is ignored again by the Academy. Who knew?
They figure that just because he won't go to America to accept a statuette they can just plain ignore him.
He's a Modern Titan to me. Ignore him at your own peril.

Yes, lots of safe choices for the Oscars this year. No films that changed the game.

[tabuno]

I shared Johann's disbelief that The Adventures of Tin Tin didn't get nominated for Best Animated Feature Film, especially with having five nominees. The distinguishing feature about this British-skewed backdrop is that it has a old-fashioned enhanced by contemporary means, somewhat I would imagine The Artist (which I haven't seen) may have benefitted from. Tin Tin almost seems too old fashioned, too archaic and was perhaps too well put together that it looked too simple and too pedestrian. In other words, the movie was too good.

I am very glad that Extremely Loud and Incredible Close was recognized by the Oscar because I feel that it is among the top films of the year - especially for its well-balanced and creative handling of an important subject matter and difficult topic to bring to the screen successfully. I am wondering if the problem was the courageous decision to produce this movie and that the critics and public just aren't ready for it yet. Hopefully time will be the true gauge of what I consider this superb film.

[Chris Knipp]

The many loyal fans of EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE (including you, tabuno) are vindicated, because the Academy recognizes it, despite the lack of a critical consensus in its favor. Vulture includes it in its Worst Movies of the Year feature , however. I would never go that far, because I acknowledge that it's a well-made film, with a good cast, even if I don't like the screenplay and probably wouldn't like the source novel either.

TINTIN probably should have gotten an animation nomination. I believe its use of motion capture was an advance, so it was not so old fashioned.

Other disappointments or lacks are that THE ARTIST did not get more nominations for its technical and acting work, and Albert Brooks, who was expected to get a nomination for Supporting Actor in the snubbed DRIVE, was passed over, and tweeted ""I got ROBBED. I don't mean the Oscars, I mean literally. My pants and shoes have been stolen. And to the Academy: 'You don't like me. You really don't like me.'"' Richard Brody of the NYer, who was among various bloggers and movie writers who commented on the nom pros and nom cons, was quite disappointed, as I am, that the grwoudswell of critical opinion for MARGARET got it no nomination at all. He commented

The biggest surprise in the major categories is the well-deserved nomination of Demián Bichir for Best Actor for his role in Chris Weitz’s “A Better Life

He calls A BETTER LIFE "a passionate, meticulously realistic drama ," but I frankly found it lackluster and it didn't make a lasting impression on me. I like Bechir better in "Weed." Brody wanted BRIDESMAIDS to get more. He notes (which explains my not seeing them) that most of the Best Foreign nominations "came in from the blue," with super short qualifying showings so nobody has seen them. BEGINNERS was expected but left out (not my beef)

I agree (with you, Johann) that Lars von Trier should not be shut out of the Oscars, and the omission of any mention of MELANCHOLIA is glaring. But the awards season is when you find out who's been charming the judges and who's been ignoring or offending them. Von Trier has traditionally done very well at Cannes, which is more sophisticated and more international than the Academy Awards. But this year at Cannes -- after a favorable reception of MELANCHOLIA -- he was later declared persona non grata for a statement at a public interview that was considered offensive. And it wasn't the kind of comportment that endears directors to the Academy.

I would consider the nomination of blockbusters and CGI-laden actioners irrelevant; that's why I put them in a separate list this year. However they are more entertaining than some of the Oscar nominated films that are viewed as entertaining.

[Chris Knipp]

A writer on Word & Film had this to say:

It’s a scandalous year at the Oscars. Despite being recognized as one of the year’s best films by … pretty much everyone, Lars Von Trier’s “Melancholia” earned zero nominations, not even for Kirsten Dunst’s bravura performance as a clinically depressed newlywed with a penchant for global cataclysm. Meanwhile, two actors who we typically associate with ridiculous comedies — Jonah Hill (“Moneyball”) and Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids”) — both got the nod. And once again, Glenn Close and Meryl Streep will fight to the death over that Best Actress statuette.

Business as usual?

I would bet against TREE OF LIFE, and am prepared to be disappointed this year in the Best Picture category. Still it is not such a terrible year when some seemingly mainstream movies like MONEYBALL, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, MONEYBALL, AND THE DESCENDANTS are all very good, and can attract Oscar nominations too.

P.s. I was surprised and disappointed that Amy Goodman on Democracy Now!, who has been broadcasting from Sundance this week, made no mention on the show of the sudden death of Bingham Ray, the SFFS's new director.

[tabuno]

It's great to hear Chris mention the "glaring" omission of Melancholia, a movie I haven't seen yet but is on my must see list (one of the reasons I haven't posted my ten movies of the year list yet).

[Chris Knipp]

I have seen it twice, once in a press screening in San Francisco and at the New York Film Festival. It was impressive both times. It's possible still to see TREE OF LIFE and MELANCHOLIA in theaters in NYC now. MELANCHOLIA can be seen also in 8 other cities, TREE OF LIFE in one other.

[tabuno]

This year is perhaps the first time that I feel content and excited about the Best Picture category and the Oscar nominations. I look foward to this year's run-up to the announcements, though I still don't understand the attention given to The Descendants and (understandably) Warhorse.