Your OSCAR picks!!

So I've now seen all the Best Picture noms. One can never guess what the academy members will do but...

FENCES:I love Denzel and Viola. Would see them in anything. But this was too talky, too stagy, too long and I just wanted to tell the Denzel character to STFU. Some of the acting was amateurish (hey! let's put on a play!") and although I love Mykeli Williamson ("Bubba shrimp...") I didn't like his character at all. Stephen Henderson (who is in two of these movies) is an actor I really like but he held back too much in this film.

HELL OR HIGH WATER: I saw this when it first came out many months ago and liked it a lot. Bridges is laconic as hell but I don't think of his performance as acting. Nice plot and good acting all around, with the above proviso. Everything about this movie is good looking.

HIDDEN FIGURES: Saw this yesterday. Another movie where injustice is addressed with ultimate uplift. Formulaic. Predictable. Good for kids in civics class. (Does anyone teach Civics anymore?) Great to see those three actresses do their thing, though. I'd recommend it for that alone.

LA LA LAND: Count me in the minority, but I actively disliked this film. I don't like Broadway or Hollywood musicals all that much (Sondheim? Blech...) The two stars were mediocre singers and dancers and none of it made any sense. Maybe it's just me but I left the theater angry.

LION: I loved this movie although it, too, is a feel-good uplift movie. The first half, where the child gets lost, is gorgeous and the child actor is just phenomenal. You can't take your eyes off him It's a wonderful, true story and you get swept up in the emotions, the scenery and the Indian (and Australian) culture and vistas. The end will bring tears to your eyes.

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA: I'm not a big Affleck fan but everyone was excellent in this film. The story unfolded gradually, beautifully but depressingly. All the characters grow, change, communicate in their own difficult way and ultimately, despite the pall of sadness over everything, this movie is a great success. I liked it more and more as I thought about it after.

MOONLIGHT: This is what film-making should be: Subtle, emotional, complex stories with complex characters and no obvious resolutions of any kind but real struggles to connect and grow and maintain emotional and social equilibrium. The acting is phenomenal all across the board. Nothing, and no one, in the movie is as you'd expect. I'm looking forward to seeing this (and maybe Manchester) again. Mahershala Ali (who is also in two of these films) should definitely win.

ARRIVAL: Saw this last night on Amazon so not on a huge theater screen. I'd have rather seen it in a theater but I wasn't sure I'd get to it in time. This film hit themes covered by many other movies, particularly "Close Encounters" which, by coincidence, I watched after
Arrival ended. Close Encounters is a true original, it's style, it's effects and its big, big heart made a lasting impression on me the first (5) time[s] I saw it. The alien reveal effects in Arrival were directly suggestive of the appearance of the ETs in Close Encounters.

Arrival covers lots of similar territory as many! other space travel and alien encounter films but takes on language as its subject. None of it was at all believable and several unbelievable leaps were made from not having a clue what the aliens were saying to having actual conversations. The "design" of the aliens' language was very cool. Amy Adams is too laid
back; and unexcitable in the face of the greatest scientific and global event in history. And the genius required to break the code of the aliens' language seems way above her pay grade.
I liked the idea of it and in spite of the above, I found it very entertaining if very,
very derivative. Particularly in light of the 7 new planetoids.

HACKSAW RIDGE: Mel Gibson's WWII battlefield epic about Desmond Doss,
the conscientious objector who saved dozens lives at Okinawa. Masterful
movie making, indeed. Technically pretty fantastic but I couldn't get
Mel out of my mind, that self-righteous, anti-Semitic prick. For a story
about a non-violent religious man and the strength of his beliefs, it
was extremely graphic. Blood and guts everywhere. In the end, the movie
was all technique and no soul, no heart. If you like bloody WWII
pictures, add a star. If you like Vince Vaughan and think he's funny,
take off a star. Maybe Mel, that sanctimonious a$hole, wanted it to be a Saving Private Ryan thing. It was not.

My friend with whom I saw it had seen it before and he raved and raved
about it beforehand. Afterward, he asked, knowing I had seen 8 of the
other Best Pic noms, how close to the top I placed it. "Number one?
Two?" I had to say maybe 5 or six. And I was being kind.

My pick for Best Picture? Moonlight. But I think Manchester will get it.

Mr T -- I completely agree with you about Moonlight. And La La Land. I hated that movie. It was all I could do not to run screaming from the theater after the first 10 minutes.

Edited to add: But I love Sondheim, which you know.

Excellent summary. I must admit - I'm feeling a little award ceremony fatigue by this point. I just hope La La Land doesn't get Best Picture. Moonlight is next on my list. I've only seen 3 of these so far.

Of note: La La Land didn't even get nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (Best Picture, essentially) for the SAG awards. Winner was Hidden Figures, which I didn't agree with (although I loved the movie). Moonlight was nominated, along with HF, Manchester, Captain Fantastic and Fences.

http://www.vox.com/culture/2017/2/22/14685936/oscars-2017-la-la-land-best-picture-prediction

Great graphic. Thanks! Glad to see Arrival won for best adapted film for the Writers Guild award. I loved that movie.

angelak said:

Great graphic. Thanks! Glad to see Arrival won for best adapted film for the Writers Guild award. I loved that movie.

Angela, you're the first person I've heard say that about Arrival. Based on your reco, I'd go see it but I don't know how I'll get to see it before Sunday. It's only playing at Lincoln Center. Maybe get there Saturday afternoon.

jamie said:

Excellent summary. I must admit - I'm feeling a little award ceremony fatigue by this point. I just hope La La Land doesn't get Best Picture. Moonlight is next on my list. I've only seen 3 of these so far.

I haven't watched the the other awards shows. I save myself for the Oscars.

I highly recommend Moonlight, as above, Jamie. Try to see it.

I'm a bit of a sci-fi nerd.

I absolutely loved Arrival. But I loved La La Land so may not be a good barometer for you.

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

angelak said:

Great graphic. Thanks! Glad to see Arrival won for best adapted film for the Writers Guild award. I loved that movie.

Angela, you're the first person I've heard say that about Arrival. Based on your reco, I'd go see it but I don't know how I'll get to see it before Sunday. It's only playing at Lincoln Center. Maybe get there Saturday afternoon.

HACKSAW RIDGE: Mel Gibson's WWII battlefield epic about Desmond Doss, the conscientious objector who saved dozens lives at Okinawa. Masterful movie making, indeed. Technically pretty fantastic but I couldn't get Mel out of my mind, that self-righteous, anti-Semitic prick. For a story about a non-violent religious man and the strength of his beliefs, it was extremely graphic. Blood and guts everywhere. In the end, the movie was all technique and no soul, no heart. If you like bloody WWII pictures, add a star. If you like Vince Vaughan and think he's funny, take off a star.

Maybe Mel, that sanctimonious a$$hole, wanted it to be a Saving Private Ryan thing. It was not.

My friend with whom I saw it had seen it before and he raved and raved about it beforehand. Afterward, he asked, knowing I had seen 8 of the other Best Pic noms, how close to the top I placed it. "Number one? Two?" I had to say maybe 5 or six. And I was being kind.

I skipped it because I wasn't sure I could stomach the graphic violence.

How do you feel about Sondheim?

eliz said:

I absolutely loved Arrival. But I loved La La Land so may not be a good barometer for you.

Eight down and one to go.

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:

angelak said:

Great graphic. Thanks! Glad to see Arrival won for best adapted film for the Writers Guild award. I loved that movie.

Angela, you're the first person I've heard say that about Arrival. Based on your reco, I'd go see it but I don't know how I'll get to see it before Sunday. It's only playing at Lincoln Center. Maybe get there Saturday afternoon.

It's on demand on FiOS.

Arrival trailer. Just because I need to see good. ness. goodness.

"And the Oscar Winners Will Be ..." from this morning's NYTimes.

I finally saw all Best Picture nominees and ranked them in order of my enjoyment as follows: (from best to worst)

1. LION - Great Story
2. LA LA LAND - Classic Old Time Hollywood throwback
3. HIDDEN FIGURES - Great Story
4. HACKSAW RIDGE - Great Story
5. FENCES - I'm sure this was an amazing play, but I didn't see it as a great movie
6. HELL OR HIGH WATER - Meh
7. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA - Great Acting, but otherwise Meh
8. MOONLIGHT - Meh
9. ARRIVAL - Huh?

I think that LA LA LAND will win, though

michaelgoldberg said:

I finally saw all Best Picture nominees and ranked them in order of my enjoyment as follows: (from best to worst)

1. LION - Great Story
2. LA LA LAND - Classic Old Time Hollywood throwback
3. HIDDEN FIGURES - Great Story
4. HACKSAW RIDGE - Great Story
5. FENCES - I'm sure this was an amazing play, but I didn't see it as a great movie
6. HELL OR HIGH WATER - Meh
7. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA - Great Acting, but otherwise Meh
8. MOONLIGHT - Meh
9. ARRIVAL - Huh?

I think that LA LA LAND will win, though

Great exercise, Michael, here are mine in enjoyment order (my comments are above):

All this time I thought there were 10 Best Pic noms, but there are only 9. I think Manchester or LaLa will win.

1. MOONLIGHT

2. LION

3. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

4. ARRIVAL

5. HELL OR HIGH WATER

6. HIDDEN FIGURES

7. HACKSAW RIDGE

8. FENCES

9. LA LA LAND

(ARRIVAL Didn't see it yet. Will fold it into the grid after I see it.)

Are any of this year's nominated films available on demand yet?

On Amazon you can rent - Hell or High Water - Moonlight - Arrival - Manchester By the Sea and Hacksaw Ridge.

Thanks! Mr. Mommy and I have some catching up to do before Sunday.

ARRIVAL: Saw this last night on Amazon so not on a huge theater screen. I'd have rather seen it in a theater but I wasn't sure I'd get to it in time. This film hit themes covered by many other movies, particularly "Close Encounters" which, by coincidence, I watched after Arrival ended. Close Encounters is a true original, it's style, it's effects and its big, big heart made a lasting impression on me the first (5) time[s] I saw it. The alien reveal effects in Arrival were directly suggestive of the appearance of the ETs in Close Encounters.

Arrival covers lots of similar territory as many! other space travel and alien encounter films but takes on language as its subject. None of it was at all believable and several terrific leaps were made from not having a clue what the aliens were saying to having actual conversations. The "design" of the aliens' language was very cool. Amy Adams is too laid back; and unexcitable in the face of the greatest scientific and global event in history. And the genius required to break the code of the aliens' language seems way above her pay grade.

I liked the idea of it and in spite of the above, I found it very entertaining if very, very derivative. Particularly in light of the 7 new planetoids.

(See my revised grid above.)

^^ Laid back? I thought she was comatose.

You should put your movie reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, Mr. T. They're really good. For the movies in your list that I saw, you were spot on. I loved Arrival, but I know it's not to everyone's taste. My fingers are crossed for Moonlight.

I also really liked the score for Arrival. What did you think of it?

Out of these - Moonlight was the clear winner. I thought La La and Manchester were a bit overrated.

Here's a funny piece by Michael Musto in the Village Voice about the Oscars and his predictions. If you're not familiar with Musto, you'll get a kick out of it.

angelak said:

You should put your movie reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, Mr. T. They're really good. For the movies in your list that I saw, you were spot on. I loved Arrival, but I know it's not to everyone's taste. My fingers are crossed for Moonlight.

Thanks.

The_Soulful_Mr_T said:


HIDDEN FIGURES: Saw this yesterday. Another movie where injustice is addressed with ultimate uplift. Formulaic. Predictable. Good for kids in civics class. (Does anyone teach Civics anymore?) Great to see those three actresses do their thing, though. I'd recommend it for that alone.

LA LA LAND: Count me in the minority, but I actively disliked this film. I don't like Broadway or Hollywood musicals all that much (Sondheim? Blech...) The two stars were mediocre singers and dancers and none of it made any sense. Maybe it's just me but I left the theater angry.


LION: I loved this movie although it, too, is a feel-good uplift movie. The first half, where the child gets lost, is gorgeous and the child actor is just phenomenal. You can't take your eyes off him It's a wonderful, true story and you get swept up in the emotions, the scenery and the Indian (and Australian) culture and vistas. The end will bring tears to your eyes.


MANCHESTER BY THE SEA: I'm not a big Affleck fan but everyone was excellent in this film. The story unfolded gradually, beautifully but depressingly. All the characters grow, change, communicate in their own difficult way and ultimately, despite the pall of sadness over everything, this movie is a great success. I liked it more and more as I thought about it after.


MOONLIGHT: This is what film-making should be: Subtle, emotional, complex stories with complex characters and no obvious resolutions of any kind but real struggles to connect and grow and maintain emotional and social equilibrium. The acting is phenomenal all across the board. Nothing, and no one, in the movie is as you'd expect. I'm looking forward to seeing this (and maybe Manchester) again. Mahershala Ali (who is also in two of these films) should definitely win.

My pick for Best Picture? Moonlight. But I think Manchester will get it.

I saw those films and agree with you to a great extent. I saw La La last night and it was OK.

I really liked Manchester a lot. It is probably my favorite, very close with Moonlight, but my bet for Best Picture is either La La or Moonlight. The voting is political. They will vote La La if the vote is about themselves and they will vote Moonlight if it's about making up for their prior ignoring of Black oriented films.