Oscar nominations ... ho-hum

Boy, I'd be hard-pressed to think of a more "who cares" year for Oscar nominations than this one.

Seems like the Academy voters just forgot about anything released before about November.

I don't get all the buzz for Gravity. I saw that one, and after you get over the initial "Wow" factor for its awesome visuals, it's not really much of a movie. The plot is implausible and the science is bad. But hey, it has Sandra Bullock and George Clooney so it must be good. Just don't get it.

Anybody have much passion for any of these?

I would like to see Dallas Buyers Club. The rest I can probably live without.

http://news.yahoo.com/39-american-hustle-39-39-gr … 33516.html


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  • I wasn't thrilled with Gravity. Sandra Bullock hypo ventilating through the whole movie was not my idea of excitement. George Clooney was in the movie for all of 10 minutes. I saw Her, last night and not sure what all the buzz was about that. 12 Years a Slave was a great movie, very hard to watch. Kind of liked Llewyn Davis, I think. Judy Dench was great in Philomena. Still wanna see American Hustle, Nebraska, and The Wolf of Wall Street. I'll catch Blue Jasmine on TV this week, it comes to On Demand. Surprised The Butler was forgotten.
    fenwaydav 01/19/2014 09:51 AM
  • Overall, it has not been a bad year artistically for the Cinema. I more often go to live theater where creativity is the quality of the ice cream and any surprising effect is the cherry on the top. With the advent and overuse of the polarized glass based 3D, computer-generated imagery (CGI), IMax, and surround sound movie producers depend more on the cherry than what it is sitting upon. However, looking back to the year of moving pictures there have been some: good stories, well crafted direction, and transcendent acting.

    The Coen brother’s film “Inside Llewyn Davis” was another one of their well thought out productions. In the story did the events really happen systemically changing Lewyn’s life, or was it a correction of a paradigm shift locking him in his current world? In either case he had little control over it. I was left in the dark like the theater with only the light from the closing credits. I enjoyed the movie much more days later.

    “Gravity” was all cherry... in IMAX 3D. If Sandra Bullock gave a good performance it was covered by the production. The narrative as presented was nothing I had not seen before expanding the time of it’s theme since the story of Jobe. (spoiler alert) Good and persistence win out.

    There was “Nebraska,” “Philomena,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” “12 Years a Slave,” and many more not nominated like “The Book Thief,” “The Hobit (part 2… did Peter Jackson really break it up for artistic reasons?), “The Butler,” “Blue Is the Warmest Colour,“ and on. I liked as many movies not nominated as nominated for different reasons to me.

    All said, I read about the nominations as a matter of curiosity. I have not seen the Oscar awards show in years. I don’t care what strangers think. I do care about what I think and the thoughts of those I know. The Academy is nothing more than a corporation trying to direct my support for specific products… like the hype for fashion trends and designer labeled clothes. Perhaps I would watch if it was a better TV variety show, not an old rehashed loaf of whitbread newly shrink-wrapped, and boldly announcing it as ''new and improved'.”
    MachineToole 01/18/2014 01:40 PM
  • I think Inside Llewyn Davies might reflect most of the Coen Brothers' movies (well.. Can't say for sure until I've actually watched the movie).. They're usually without a plot, some surreal events and focusing on dark humor and torturing their protagonists throughout the movie.. A great example would be A Serious Man.
    aliencubby 01/18/2014 01:25 PM
  • Damn, no wonder bearlyy both picked Portland, we both saw the same movie and had much the same reaction. Have to say I saw Dallas Buyers Club and 12 Years A Slave. Both are very good and deserving of the nomination for Best Movie. Saw the coming attractions for Gravity, reminded me of Star Trek, (yawn).
    jacker 01/18/2014 01:17 PM
  • Actually, two earlier "effects" movies that I liked much better than Gravity were World War Z (takes zombies places they've never been before with some unique effects) and Pacific Rim (great robot v. monster flick). I guess the people who vote on the Academy Awards didn't go see them, as they should have at least been considered in some of the technical categories.
    BearinFW 01/17/2014 03:51 PM
  • I thought Gravity was OK, a little boring for me. I don't understand all the hype about it. When we left the theater we weren't dying to see it again, we both just thought it was Ok. The ending was good though

    Spoiler: Don't watch if you don't want to see the ending of Gravity.


    Marc 01/17/2014 02:56 PM
  • I've been saying the same about Gravity. Strip away from the (fantastic) CGI, and it's pretty much plotless, with some obligatory masturbatory allegory about being adrift and without connection in life and stuff.

    I find it amusing when people compare it to 2001: A Space Odyssey and say they're in the same league (or better). Gravity will be forgotten soon - Or at least will fade into the background like Avatar did.

    As for the rest, I want to watch American Hustle (JLaw fan here, couldn't care less about Bale), 12 Years (Fassbender!), Her (Spike Jonze fan here).. As a Coen Brothers fan, I want to catch Inside Llewyn Davis.

    But I agree, pretty boring awards season this year. I started losing interest in Hanks' roles around the time of the terrible Dan Brown movies, so it's hard to take him seriously for me..
    aliencubby 01/17/2014 11:17 AM