the 2011 Oscars
 

So all the ranting and raving has started over King's Speech winning Best Director and Best picture over Social Network. I've heard already on one board that the academy should be abolished because they're all "Old farts" that wouldnt know a film on todays relevant soceity if it hit them in the face. I dont know I saw both movies and loved them both and I'm not outraged that one won over the other. Comments and thoughs on this years awards and reciepients?

I just wish Helena Bonham Carter would have finally won.

I definitely approve of the following winners though:

Christian Bale *drool*
Colin Firth *drool*
The King's Speech (Black Swan was brilliant too)

I'm about to make a sweeping generalisation and apologies if it offends... but there is no way that a British film about royalty that, if nominated, would ever not win at least one Oscar - regardless of quality. It was obvious.

While I happen to think The King's Speech is excellent, it's a repeat of The Queen all over again. I like Helen Mirren and there's no doubting her talent but that film is in my opinion flawed, to say the least. Last night's Oscars have just pandered to the particularly American/Academy obsession with British aristocracy. I know this does not apply to everyone but when it does it's predictably ridiculous and does not paint those involved in a flattering light at all.

I can rarely understand the thinking behind the Oscar winners, but I was delighted that Christian Bale won, he was superb and the film was one of my favourites of the year. Colin Firth was great in the King's Speech but his performance in 'A Single Man' was way better in my opinion. I wish he'd won an Oscar for that role instead.

Ahhhh, the dreaded Oscar voting. It's so common for people not to win for the roles they "should" have but to then be rewarded, almost for being overlooked before. Two main examples I can think of right now are Denzel Washington who should have won for Malcolm X but finally got it for the very random Training Day and Nicole Kidman who should have won for Moulin Rouge! but then won for The Hours.

The show, IMO, was a hot mes.

James Franco looked like a stoned zombie. He looked so bored. (But then again, so was I.) Anne Hathaway was trying way too hard, and she came across stilted. Part of this was because she was overcompensating for Franco's indifference.

Melissa Leo? OMG, what a train wreck, as was that whole segment. Kirk Douglas. :( I sort of wish Helena Bonham Carter would have won. I actually thought her performance in TKS was quite warm and subtle.

Good for Bale and Firth. I have no problem with either of them winning.

Best Song - yikes. I cannot stand Randy Newman, though his speech was entertaining. The sad thing is his song was the best of the nominees, and that's not saying much. Gwyneth's performance was awful. But yaye for Trent Reznor!

I have no issue with TKS's win. I loved the film.

Javier Bardem was absolutely robbed of the Best Actor Oscar. I've seen both The King's Speech and Biutiful and while Firth did an incredible job, Javier was acting on a whole new level.

That being said, The King's Speech deserved best film and best directing, rightfully so. But in terms of acting, you need to see Javier in Biutiful to understand what I'm talking about.

Completely agreed. A Single Man was simply beautifully made, and Colin Firth's extremely emotional take of the role still shined above the incredible cinematography and storyline. Again, another reason Javier got gypped... he did to Beautiful what Colin did to A Single Man.

I gotta say, I think her performance was better in The Hours. That could be because that is one of my favorite films of all time, haha.

^^ Kidman is my favorite "current" actress. I think she was slightly better in The Hours than in Moulin Rouge (though both are among my favorite films). I always go back and forth between Nicole in The Hours and Julianne Moore in Far From Heaven that year. Both are stunning.

I do agree with you that there is a tendency for Americans to perceive the British as being somehow more refined and intellectually superior (I don't know how/why they came to this conclusion! :p), especially when it comes to the aristocracy. But I think The King's Speech phenomenon has more to do with the American's love for old fashioned triumphing-against-the-odds stories moreso than it being just another voluble English movie.

Not for nothing, there was a skit on Saturday Night Live a couple of weeks ago, actually more of a mock movie trailer, which was a send-up of one of those typical Guy Ritchie-type gangster movies. The joke (and the only joke) was that the English accents were so cockney and thick (they didn't pronounce any consonants at all!) that it required English subtitles. :lol: It was a stupid premise but it was pretty funny, if I do say so myself.

Oh I do love The Hours and there's no denying Kidman does some great work in the film but I think both Streep and Moore are better in it.

I have a chapter all about Kidman's career in the phD which I'm in the middle of redrafting for publication actually and by far the easiest bit to write was the Moulin Rouge era.

My favourite Kidman role is To Die For (1995). For anyone who hasn;t seen it, it is amazing! She wasn;t hugely successfl at this point but as an actress I think it really is her best work, followed by Moulin Rouge! and The Others.

By the way Dani, for some reason I think you especially might like To Die For. Dunno why, just a vibe I get I suppose...

Oh and yes, Far From Heaven is an excellent film!

Agreed--loved it. Have you read the book?
I've always thought the director wanted to give Streep some Oscar bait in that role. Her big breakdown in the kitchen was another character's in the book.

She is great in To Die For. Her best performance, I believe, is Dogville. She has had some misfires recently, but I think she is wonderful.

Dogville does have a great performance but man, it's bleak. I own it but really don't have much desire to watch it often. I love a good dark film but it's a bit much even for me!

She has a history of misfires... by far her worst, worst film is Far And Away... euuchhh!! "My spooons, my spoooons..." Oh, what I wanted to do with her damn spoons! Haha. More recently I think The Stepford Wives and Bewitched are her worst. No, Nicole, no! I loved Australia though and Margot At The Weedding is a good, quirky little movie.

I agree - she was fantastic in Dogville - one of my top 3 favourite films ever.

Bah, I'm still bitter that Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson didn't win for The Remains of the Day. :p

Piss on Tom Hanks.

Well, Streep can't do anything wrong. She is literally perfect, invincible.

The book has been sitting on my shelf for months.... I really need to read it.

The thing is, Meryl doesn't even NEED Oscar bait. She's won her fair share already, and her prestige as an actress isn't defined by her awards. She's just internationally accepted to be one of the most talented actors of our time.

(I have a major major Meryl crush, if no one can tell).

Same here. I'm really interested in how she'll portray Margaret Thatcher...

If you are talking about the book The Hours. You HAVE to read it. I loved it!!!

You're not the only one with a major Meryl crush :wavey:

Oh, you must read The Hours. You will love it.

As for Meryl, she's terrific; one of the few actors who can successfully portray both comedic and dramatic roles.

Streep is a goddess. The accents, the talent, the cheekbones...

And you should definitely read the Hours, but if you haven't already, you should read some Woolf first--it makes it so much more interesting when you can see Cunningham crafting Woolfian images. I loved Mrs. Dalloway and To The Lighthouse.

Dani - there's a very interesting passage in The Hours that specifically mentions Streep... it's incredibly foresighted!

No mention of Death Becomes Her for a Meryl moment? I love it!

Again - there's a large case study of Streep in the phD. It goes from Streep to Kidman....

Heaven. I'd also recommend Orlando just because you have to recommend Orlando.

I never found Kidman enjoyable, comfortable, or convincing on screen... until her last two movies: Rabbit Hole and Just Go With It. Clearly, Keith Urban is having a good effect on her. She's no Naomi Watts, but she's at least convincing, moving, and charming now. I wish she had won the Oscar of the nominees. (Though Annette should have been nominated for and won for Mother and Child.)

As for Meryl Streep, I thought she was good in the 70s, awful in the 80s but she got better in the 90s and has finally hit her stride in the 00s. The Manchurian Candidate, Prairie Home Companion, Lions for Lambs are all extraordinary. And, yet, still, she remains a poor man's Vanessa Redgrave.

???? Two words: Mamma Mia :distress:

Awww come on.... it's fun! At least she's having an absolute ball making it, which comes across on screen. I also really like It's Complicated with Meryl and Alec Baldwin.

BTW, anyone else skeptical of Natalie Portman's win? Yes, she was great, but I would have preferred Annette Benning. I think straight crazy is a lot less challenging to portray than what AB did.

Actually, Orlando is next on my list. I'm reading The Edwardians by Vita Sackville-West right now, and thought it would be fun to follow it with what what I've heard described as Woolf's love letter to VSW.


Agreed or both counts. Now that her legacy as a serious actor is secure, Meryl's free to have fun. Glad she's taking advantage of it! Mamma Mia was a kick.

who wouldn't have fun - just getting to look at both Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth for days in a row would be fun!:laugh:

i actually like Meryl better in roles like the one she had in "It's complicated" or the movie with De Niro years ago. i think she overacts in her most lauded roles.

back to the actual winners this year - anybody else happy to see Colin Firth finally getting his due? i loved him since Valmont (come to think of it, Annette Benning was in that one, too!), and although he had some duds in the meantime (plus acting as his own caricature in Bridget Jones movies), i finally saw King's Speech last weekend and thought he was great in that one. it's kinda weird that now all of the sudden everybody knows who he is... and so nice to see the guy who had his share of ups and downs and is therefore able to actually be self-deprecating and appreciative of everything coming his way now - instead of feeling entitled or completely messed up like many celebrities with successes earlier in life seem to be...

Check my first post. I've loved him for quite awhile. And not just because I and a huge crush when he was in Pride and Prejudice. :p

I agree with all of the above, and would just like to add that they NEVER should have selected co-hosts for The Oscars and moreover, they NEVER should have chosen those two as hosts. I thought Anne was trying very hard bless her heart, but she is NOT a good choice for this caliber of show. I think James Franco is adorable, but Oscar host he is not. The whole show was just one awkward pause after another. It was frightening.

And I used to like Melissa Leo, but now I think she's just kind of crazy, right? What was was the deal with her soliciting votes for her Oscar nod on the internet?

Gwyneth looked sooo uncomfortable up there singing in front of her film star peers. She sounded okay, but she looked a bit terrified.