2008 Oscar discussion thread-

[lavenderdiva]

Anyone seen any of this year's nominated movies? Do you have any predictions?

Mr. ld and I have seen 'Atonement', which reminded me a lot of movies past, and how wonderful the story line, cinematography, and acting were. We've also seen the quirky and great 'No Country For Old Men'. Daniel Day Lewis gives a tour-de-force performance in 'There Will Be Blood'. We saw 'The Savages', and came away with mixed feelings. The critics have really lauded this movie, but we came away with a :shrug: feeling. The performances were good- I always love Philip Seymour Hoffman, but to me, his performance in 'Charlie Wilson's War' was far superior.

Johnny Depp in 'Sweeney Todd' was good, but I don't think he will win tonight. I think it will be hard to beat Daniel Day Lewis. IMHO, he's got that category sewn-up.

I have no idea who will win Best Actress. The only performances I saw in that category were Cate Blanchett's in 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age', and Laura Linney's in 'The Savages'. I think some of the other nominated performances may have been better, but I didn't see them.

I have a feeling 'No Country For Old Men' will win in both Best Picture, and Best Director.

[CBHagman]

1. Of the Best Picture nominees, I've only seen "Juno."

I read Atonement in anticipation of seeing the movie, but I still haven't seen it, nor have I seen any of the others. At this point, I'm kicking myself for missing La Vie en Rose, but there's always Netflix.

Given the grim nature of many of the films, I just haven't been able to set myself in the right frame of mind for a little Oscar nominee viewing. I admire Daniel Day-Lewis a great deal and actually took myself out alone to see The Gangs of New York after that was completely stiffed at the awards ceremony a few years back. The guy makes so few films, it seems a shame to miss any.

But I got out my copy of A Room with a View, another great and watchable Oscar-nominated and -winning movie, and worth every minute. Everyone is good, but it's a special pleasure to see Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, and Denholm Elliott in action, and of course to see Rupert Graves, Helena Bonham Carter, Simon Callow, and Day-Lewis co-starring.

I like Laura Linney, perhaps I can still catch The Savages at an independent theater in my area. I also want to see the John Adams series featuring her as Abigail (opposite Paul Giamatti as John!).

[Longhorn]

2. I had seen a lot more nominated movies than I thought.

The only Best Picture nominee I've seen was Michael Clayton last night on Movies on Demand. I've seen Enchanted, Bourne Ultimatum, Once, and The Golden Compass. I just finished Atonement last week but haven't seen the movie. By the way, you've got to see Once, if you haven't already. It's really outstanding!

It was nice to see so many newcomers get Oscars. The awards seemed to be spread around a lot. And what an international bunch of winners and nominees!

Jon Stewart did a great job and I thought the writing and production numbers were entertaining. I really enjoyed the show! :hi:

[lavenderdiva]

4. what was 'Once' about? I haven't heard about that one.....

I enjoyed the show as well. There weren't any real surprises. I loved Diablo Cody's acceptance speech; I hadn't realized she was a former stripper.

[CBHagman]

5. "Once," which I still haven't seen...

...concerns an Irish musician (Glen Hansard, who appeared in The Commitments years back) who meets a young immigrant (Marketa Irglova) who is his musical and romantic match. Apparently the film was shot on the most minuscule of budgets and cast with actors of almost no experience -- and everyone says it's phenomenal.

On edit: You should be able to rent or buy the DVD.

[Longhorn]

6. It's about a couple of lonely people (the couple that sang tonight)

meeting each other and, along with some other musicians, recording a demo album. It's very simple and real with lots of music like the song that won. Except for a liberal dose of the "F" word (in an Irish accent :)) it could be shown on television: no violence or sex or action scenes. Our daughter brought it to our attention and we all watched it on Christmas. Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglov are not actors and didn't know each other before they made the movie but I read that there's a relationship brewing. Apparently, everyone thinks the movie is biographical. They've been in Austin several times, including attending showings at Alamo Drafthouse.

I really like Netflix. You can get a pretty cheap plan -- say, $4.95 a month. We're out in the country so Blockbuster isn't very convenient for us.

[lavenderdiva]

3. my boss read 'Atonement' first, and then went to see the movie

and was disappointed. I saw the movie without reading the book, and loved it. I think that happens a lot with books. I was so glad that 'No Country For Old Men' won Best Picture, and Best Director; I love the Coen Brothers. I didn't realize that this was their fourth win.

I also didn't realize that Daniel Day Lewis had only made 12 movies; and been nominated for 3-4 of those! That's a pretty high ratio! He's phenomenally talented, IMO. I loved his performance in 'My Left Foot'.

I didn't see 'La Vie En Rose' either; but am going to see if Blockbuster has it. We've not tried Netflix yet.... :hi: