The Oscars!

[Richard B]

Originally Posted by chiliD

Exactly HOW difficult (and a stretch of the imagination) is it to play a real life person?

Very difficult. Especially if you're playing a character as quirky as Truman Capote. To be spot on in capturing the essence of someone take after take, scene after scene. Watching Hoffman in Capote had me feeling as though I was watching archive footage of Capote. He was very good, it is very hard to do what he did and he very much deserved the Oscar. Certainly more than H. Ledger.

As an actor, playing your own character creation is easier to do for the most part, not saying it is not difficult, but it's much harder to stay in character playing a known figure than your own character creation.

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

See, I think WTL could have won as well and it certainly was not an edgy film when compared to the others. Then again, I am not all about edgy films - this coming from the one who was elated with Titantic won becuase I loved it

regarding Titanic, how the hell did Kim Basinger win over Gloria Stewart?

[wondergirl9847]

I would imagine it would be extremely difficult to play a real person versus a character because you have an entire canvas with an original character. You can pretty much do what you want and make them however YOU see them. With a real person who lived and people are familiar with, you have to stay true to that person's speech patterns, mannerisms, quirks, etc. Also, NOT come off like a loon in being a charicature. I've not seen BBM or Capote (or ANY of the movies nom'ed. LOL), but that's JMO.

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

See, I think WTL could have won as well and it certainly was not an edgy film when compared to the others. Then again, I am not all about edgy films - this coming from the one who was elated with Titantic won becuase I loved it

No, and I understand that. But if the point of the academy was to give the Oscar to a politically edgy/relevant film, then that point should have been made with BBM not Crash. What a tired film that was. I'm sorry, I just thought that movie was weak.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

No, and I understand that. But if the point of the academy was to give the Oscar to a politically edgy/relevant film, then that point should have been made with BBM not Crash. What a tired film that was. I'm sorry, I just thought that movie was weak.

Oops - I missed your point

I thought Crash was okay, but not great. I also thought The Constant Gardner was glacier like to watch, though I found it interesting.

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I also thought The Constant Gardner was glacier like to watch, though I found it interesting.

I agree, but I LOOOOOOVE Ralph Fiennes! That man can do no wrong in my book.

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by Richard B

As an actor, playing your own character creation is easier to do for the most part, not saying it is not difficult, but it's much harder to stay in character playing a known figure than your own character creation.

Well, yes...but, 99.99% of the characters on the screen aren't really the actors doing their OWN character creation. They're STILL attempting to create the character vision of the director or writer, correct? Unless the actor himself wrote the screenplay or the adapted work, or is also the director, that is.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

I agree, but I LOOOOOOVE Ralph Fiennes! That man can do no wrong in my book.

Do you rewind, pause, and frame advance the nude stair scene in Red Dragon

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Do you rewind, pause, and frame advance the nude stair scene in Red Dragon

child I have. oh my.

[DavidMn]

Speaking of Gloria Stuart, she was who's next door neighbor in the 90's?

[Rickypt]

Originally Posted by madformac

Yes it's interesting that racism was the safest option for an academy that has seen only 14 African-American nominations for best actor in it's entire history and an academy that only took 74 years to award best actress to an African-American nominee.

Kind of weakens George Clooney's speech a bit.

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by chiliD

Well, yes...but, 99.99% of the characters on the screen aren't really the actors doing their OWN character creation. They're STILL attempting to create the character vision of the director or writer, correct?

Well sure, but the actor still devises and creates their own method for portraying a character whether that character is historical or not. I don't think you could've easily replaced PSH with just any actor and gotten the same brilliant, nuanced performance, no way, no how.

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by Rickypt

Kind of weakens George Clooney's speech a bit.

doesn't it. he seems quite fake to me anyway.

I love when a "hearthrob/hunk/whatever" attempts to be prolific and intelligent.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by Rickypt

Kind of weakens George Clooney's speech a bit.

Well, not really. I mean when considered in the historical context of the world, I'd say that though not stellar, it is not that bad and all signs indicate it got better as the world got better. I mean is there any question that the world and the Academy as a subset of that are far less racist (and even homophobic) than they were 15-20 years ago So, I think Clooney correctly asserted that.

On edit - I am in no way saying eveything is peachy keen these days. It is not and there is room for vast improvement. I am just saying things have gotten better and I think Hollywood has had a hand in that improvement because it greatly influences pop culture and society as a whole.

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Do you rewind, pause, and frame advance the nude stair scene in Red Dragon

Oh my god, he was so hot in that movie, and I hate admitting that because he was a lunatic psycho killer, but geezus that man is gorgeous.