Go see 'um - 2018 Oscars best pic picks

[smo]

3 out of this year's 5 academy awards (aka Oscars) best pic nominations are made by non-US filmmakers. I've seen 2 of these: "3 billboards outside Ebbing, MO" (made by an Irish-Brit) and "I,Tonya," (made by Aussies); plus one US-made nomination, "Lady Bird." 

All excellent movies. The last one, coming from a young us filmmaker (but already seasoned actress) named Greta Gerwig,is a straight forward, coming of age story, pretty much auto-biographical about her growing up in Sacramento: rebellious child/teen, losing virginity, getting in prestigious university, end of story. By the number, nothing special as far as subject goes,  but for the fact that it proves that good, honest-to-god movie-making doesn't have to rely on other-worldly special effects or Meryl Streep. (I guess same can be said for Chinese *fast* food, un-complicated but great-tasting if you just do it right.)

 

However the other two are something else. Both depict american life somewhere in the midwest, the unglossed, rather hardscrabble kind - far removed from west coast/east coast glamor shall we say. And both have a story arc unusual for what we are used to be fed nowadays from Hollywood movies that are not sequels. In short they both don't begin or end by way of beginning, middle and end. One jumps in at the end of the "story" ("I,Tonya";) the other gets off, I kid you not, in the middle ("3 billboards...")

 

This last one is the most interesting because it was an original script (as opposed to adapting a true event/book), and it uses what in Hitchockian terms is called a McGuffin: a murder mystery is presented not so much as something to be solved, but like a carrot to keep the audience watching while...something else unfolds (reminding me of the old adage: "Life is what happens while you're busy making plans.") I hope I'm not giving too much of a spoiler here, but go see them when they come to town, a true breath of fresh cinematic air!

 

[As for the other two noms, I shall be polite and say nothing....]

Edited January 29, 2018 by smo

[thaibeachlovers]

Sounds like they might be worth watching.

I've always found Oscar winners in the past to ignore the really good movies that I saw, in favour of something made by Streep, like when they gave it to Out of Africa, which I wasn't impressed with at all.

The best movies used to be small budget affairs, but unfortunately it's almost impossible for them to get financing as the producers only want crap like Transformers to make them rich.

My pick for the Oscars would be The Big Sick, which despite an unfortunate title has won a whole pile of awards.

It's nominated for best screenplay but I doubt it'll win.

[xylophone]

I watched "Three billboards outside – – –" and thought it was excellent, with some great acting all through it.

I also watched "Lady Bird" although I was tempted to switch it off a little way into it because it just seemed to be a little "light" for my liking, however I stuck with it and was pleased that I did because it was an entertaining and very likeable movie.

The "Shape of Water" was okay, however didn't do a lot for me in the long run.

As for "Dunkirk", again a good movie but I felt it was let down by the directors "inability" to show that there were 300,000 troops waiting to get evacuated (looked more like the sort of crowd you would get on Brighton beach on a weekend) and the same goes with the number of boats which were depicted. Surely these days with CGI this could have been improved upon?

I did enjoy one which was nominated, called "Get Out" because I really didn't see it coming, a worthwhile watch, so I won't spoil it.

Someone mentioned Meryl Streep, and I did watch "The Post" and also thought that was a very good movie with some good acting by the lead lady.

I don't know if "Molly's Game" was nominated, however that is also worth a watch.

However for me the Oscar for best actor would have to go to Gary Oldman for his portrayal as Churchill in "Darkest Hour", another film well worth a watch, but may not get its just rewards due to the fact it is very British and almost introspective.

[thaibeachlovers]

6 hours ago, xylophone said:

I watched "Three billboards outside – – –" and thought it was excellent, with some great acting all through it.

I also watched "Lady Bird" although I was tempted to switch it off a little way into it because it just seemed to be a little "light" for my liking, however I stuck with it and was pleased that I did because it was an entertaining and very likeable movie.

The "Shape of Water" was okay, however didn't do a lot for me in the long run.

As for "Dunkirk", again a good movie but I felt it was let down by the directors "inability" to show that there were 300,000 troops waiting to get evacuated (looked more like the sort of crowd you would get on Brighton beach on a weekend) and the same goes with the number of boats which were depicted. Surely these days with CGI this could have been improved upon?

I did enjoy one which was nominated, called "Get Out" because I really didn't see it coming, a worthwhile watch, so I won't spoil it.

Someone mentioned Meryl Streep, and I did watch "The Post" and also thought that was a very good movie with some good acting by the lead lady.

I don't know if "Molly's Game" was nominated, however that is also worth a watch.

However for me the Oscar for best actor would have to go to Gary Oldman for his portrayal as Churchill in "Darkest Hour", another film well worth a watch, but may not get its just rewards due to the fact it is very British and almost introspective.

Never got to see darkest hour as they didn't show it in the mall I use. Disappointing as I went there special to see it and they had been advertising it. Have to get the DVD now.

[Justfine]

Oscar movies are normally boring crap.

[Justfine]

Meryl Streep - guaranteed yawn.

[canuckamuck]

The only reason to watch the Oscars is to observe the irony of these pharmaceutically and surgically enhanced millionaire, narcissists, moralizing to the mortals from Olympus.  This year it is particularly delightful because they have turned the knives inward and they are quite heady with the taste of their own blood. Best freak show of the year.

Edited February 6, 2018 by canuckamuck

[Justfine]

4 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

The only reason to watch the Oscars is to observe the irony of these pharmaceutically and surgically enhanced millionaire, narcissists, moralizing to the mortals from Olympus.  This year it is particularly delightful because they have turned the knives inward and they are quite heady with the taste of their own blood. Best freak show of the year.

Inward on men.