THE 86th ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS
 

Please post your reviews and comments here. For the complete list of 2013 nominees, visit: http://oscar.go.com/nominees

Best Picture Nominees
 

Best Actor and Actress Nominees
 

Supporting Actor and Actress Nominees
 

Cinematography, Costume Design, Directing Nominees
 

I haven't seen the movie, but I don't see Clooney nominated, so I'm curious as to your point about him not being "featured in the film that much." What does him not being in the film much have to do with this film's nominations?

So far, I've seen August: Osage County--yep. great movie. Acting was brilliant all round.

American Hustle--really liked it!

Also, saw Inside Llewyn Davis--meh.


This weekend, we plan on seeing one more--either Nebraska, Her, or The Wolf of Wall Street.

I found this year's film selections really strong. :)

I saw August: Osage County as well. Strong stuff from writer Tracy Letts. But from an Academy-political standpoint, I don't think they'll win. And personally, as much as I like and appreciate the performances of some of my favorite actors in this movie...it was a depressing film to watch based on subject matter (IMBO)

Yep. Super depressing. Made my family look like The Waltons.

I have to gear up to see 12 Years a Slave. I don't think I can see it the theatre and will wait for DVD. I can watch family or personal drama/anguish/dysfunction no problem, but massive injustice and inhumanity on a social/political scale is hard for me to watch.

It's hard to take, I understand. Hollywood brings realism as far as realism goes. I appreciate your comment, Soon. I try to look at performances only, but the film industry has taken us into the depths of stories.

To answer your question on Gravity, Hollywood gives audiences a "buildup" and casts major stars in the genres we like: Action, romance, comedies etc. I anticipated a great story, performances and beginning and an end in this film. It didn't happen. George Clooney is featured very little. The plot is slight with Sandra Bullock, literally hanging in mid-air. All I can say, is that there's not much more to this film that deserves 10 nominations.

On the other hand, Bob Redford and so many other film makers have turned in incredible work and yet, are overlooked. I'm tired of those in control—who have questionable judgement— in the film industry. Politics, money, influence are heavily figured in voting with biases. This is my observation and opinion after following the film industry for years.
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Thanks for answering my question. I just think that who cares that he's not featured very much, as Bullock's character (from what I understand) is supposed to be the focus.

Happy Oscar Watching!

I agree with you about this film!

I could not, do not, understand the hoopla about it.

Boring in a word, so boring.

Great special effects but not much more than that.

:moonstars:

Loved, loved American Hustle.

Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale were so good!

Enjoyed The Wolf of Wall Street but a really long movie.

Leo is a terrific actor.

The Wolf of Wall Street
 

Best Direction by Martin Scorsese, writing from Terence Hill, acting from Leo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill. It's an obnoxious, edgy, hard-core movie about Wall Street. It's not my favorite. But on the flip side, it was produced by my favorite collaborative team of Martin Scorsese and Terence Hill who wrote and produced the chic and violent "Boardwalk Empire" for HBO. Brilliant? Yes, but it's over the top. (My favorite about Wall Street is Oliver Stone's Wall Street2 with Michael Douglas.) This is a no-holds barred film from the Scorsese-Hill collaboration about hard-core sex, drugs, and financial manipulation.

I'm not a DiCaprio fan other than his performance in J. Edgar. It's interesting to note that Scorsese has brought together talent that are locked horns in Hollywood. For one thing, it's a known fact that Mark Wahlberg and Leo DiCaprio are enemies in real life. Yet, Wahlberg is the executive producer for Boardwalk Empire along with Scorsese. Scorsese has produced The Wolf of Wall Street with DiCaprio without any fences against his power and influence. What can I say? He's a formidable, influential producer and director.

I don't know whether The Wolf of Wall Street deserves Best Picture. The writing by Terence Hill and direction by Martin Scorsese are great, but I'm not a fan of Leo DiCaprio in the title role.

Possibly interesting, possibly true" fact":
"American Hustle" and "Her" are both produced by Megan Ellison, the fabulously wealthy "bi",daughter of Larry Ellison (Oracle ).

Racially-oriented Stories and Films
 

Two come to mind in the way of fine performances:

The Butler (Forrest Whittaker and Oprah Winfrey's efforts to bring a true story of courage to light— snubbed by the Academy) I viewed this film in the summer and found it historically and artistically interesting and valuable as an account of the Civil Rights movement in the US.)

My other vote for Best Actor:
Up and comer : Chiwetel Ejiofor

I have seen this young man's performances in the series Dancing on The Edge for BBC and 12 Years a Slave. Fine actor.

Hollywood attempts to do many things in film making: It "kings" technology"; rules and influences social thinking; and cashes in on its efforts. It isn't the system that was once in existence under the old "studio system"...to entertain with a profit at the box office. Hollywood is a powerful influence globally and socially which garners billions of dollars annually. It can serve good or bad depending on its targets and objectives. I feel there are politics involved in a complicated and sophisticated industry. To be nominated for an Oscar guarantees a tremendous boost in salaries. Also, I've read where nominees "campaign" for votes to assure salaries and future roles. This is a treadmill. At the summit of political, artistic endeavors is Oscar...worth more than his weight in gold.

August: Osage County
 

I love Ellen!
 

I can't wait to see what everyone is wearing!!!!




Oh and Ellen, I :hk2: Ellen

I loved Gravity. It was beautiful from beginning to end. I loved the long silences. Wasn't bored for a minute. I have never seen anything like it. It intentionally didn't have much of a story. In fact, it got faulted by some critics for the unnecessary melodrama of Sandra Bullock's back story -- her daughter. I agree with that. It was completely unnecessary.

I loved that there was so little bullshit. No romance. The space cowboy was a hero, but he couldn't save the day. The film did not pander. I liked it a lot.

Robert Redford
 

Do you think it is a better film than American Hustle?

Or is it politics?

I heart Ellen
 

I think it's always politics. Think of how many times people like Stephen Spielberg have been passed over. I don't know why that is, except that there's real control in an industry worth billions. Film making isn't that simple; people answer to major corporations and to investors who look for billions in returns. There's canvassing and campaigning that goes into this and you wonder about fairness. George Clooney came out this past year in criticism of (I believe heads of Sony Pictures, don't quote me here...I don't have the story in front me) who controls what kind of movies are being made. Corporations have a major say, and that's scary to me to think of their weight on film making. As for The Wolf of Wall Street, the collaborative team of Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter (Boardwalk Empire) and the influence of Leo DiCaprio in the title...I just feel it'll win. I could be wrong, but these are big men with big influence and backed with big money, you know? I am a huge fan Terence Winters' work, but this flick is rough.
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I don't like either movie to be honest. In fact, I don't like most of the nominated movies. I appreciate the meticulous recreation of the 70s in American Hustle...from sculpted wall-paper to frosted figurines to 4-inch polyester knotched lapels and dropped collars to music by America and Chicago. I grew up in the 70s and this movie brought back things I haven't seen in years. But I'm tired of in-your-face movies that are brutal and aggressive. I have had a steady diet of that all year. And I take breaks with series like Downton Abbey, documentaries, some comedies, family films and classic movies.

The nominated films this year are over the top gritty or have such serious subject matter which seems to be the bent this year, as opposed to good a mix of films. When you consider that AIDS, the brutality of slavery, disaster, cancer, family dysfunction, con games etc. and a hearty party of mix of raunch and drugs dominate this year's films, you haven t wonder if there is another precedent being set. This bothers me; I wonder what powers that be are making what kind of statement.

Films overlooked include The Butler, Saving Mr. Banks, and All is Lost (Redford is great in this film about an aged man pitted against the sea.) It almost reminded of Old Man and The Sea with Spencer Tracy.

I won't watch the Oscars; I'm not a fan of the nominated movies.. I do think that art direction, costume design and direction in these movies are impeccable and deserve consideration.

I would love it if Bruce Dern won. He's been around forever and deserves an Oscar for Nebraska. I don't think he'll win...but we're losing our classic actors and I think the Academy should look at his work and the 50 or so years he's put in with supporting roles. This is a big nomination for him and I hope he wins.

Thoughts
 

Every year I wait with great anticipation when a POC is nominated, I'd love to see Hollywood, the movie industry give more POC more strong roles in movies other than your stereotypical roles of:

Maids

Servants

Slaves

Oppressed group


Druggies


There are so many movies that could and should be made with POC in main character roles, pretty silly to keep hoping but it sure would make for a better, more cultured experience.

SAG Awards/Oscars
 

SAG Awards, just announced, could be early indicators in Oscar races.

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-...040234319.html

The real Wolf of Wall Street; how close is the movie?

Jordan Belfort, the real Wolf of Wall Street, talks with Entertainment Tonight about his biography played by Oscar nominee Leo DiCaprio. Interesting piece on the man who bilked investors out of millions. http://www.cbs.com/shows/cbs_this_morning/video/

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/...pse3fce034.png

Nominee Cate Blanchett
 

My vote for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Woody Allen finally wrote a script I like in Blue Jasmine, the subtle parallel of the downfall of Ruth and Bernie Madoff. Blanchett plays a woman in deep denial and humiliation as she falls from Park Avenue grace and down the ladder because of her bilking-swindler husband, played by Alec Baldwin.

Cate Blanchett seems to have done it all and, I think, deserves it all recalling her roles as Blanche DuBois (A Street Car Named Desire), Queen Elizabeth, Katharine Hepburn in (The Aviator), and now a woman striving to shore up some dignity after being thrown under the bus.

She's a terrific character actor in leading roles with her high cheek bones, wide smile and handsome square face—even playing Bob Dylan. I'll offer this great interview with Leslie Stahl before the Oscars air on March 2. If you haven't seen this, and you're a fan of movies, enjoy and cast your own votes here.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cate-blanchett-talks-blue-jasmine-and-oscar-nominated-role-on-60-minutes/

The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life.
 

Here are my picks:
Best picture: 12 years a slave
Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejofor (who I've liked since "dirty pretty things"
Best actress: cate blanchette
Best supporting actor: Jared Leto
Best supporting actress: Lupita Nyong'o
Director: Steve mcQueen
Editing: American hustle
Foreign language film: the great beauty (but "in bloom" and "wadjda" should have been nominated)

Nebraska
 

Nebraska

is shot on location in the fields and on the back roads of the state where I lived for more than 30 years. The scenery is all too familiar to me, though the writers have added the fictional town of Hawthorne which doesn't exist.

Da D's

Is Nebraska my kind of movie because I lived there? Or because it felt as though I'd flown back? Not at all. I've mentioned that I've had steady diet, all year, of films that either depict depression, dysfuntion, dispair, dissolution or danger. Well, Nebraska is just plain dull and drab. But the film has a redeeming quality in Dern—Bruce Dern— who plays a booze-addled drunk in search of his jackpot winnings in...Nebraska.

The Academy hasn't awarded Bruce Dern an Oscar for his lifetime achievements. And he hasn't been nominated since 1979 for Coming Home. I think it's time because of his longevity and his performance , and he is my second choice for Best Actor.

I grew up watching Bruce Dern. And, if you're my age, you'll remember him as a psychopath, sociopath, criminal or just plain dirty as dirty gets in more memorable films such as Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte, The Cowboys, Black Sunday, Marnie by Alfred Hitchcock, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, and Diggstown, to name a few. He is a character actor in the ranks of nasty guys Jack Palance, and psycho Richard Widmark in his early years. Nobody played 'em better. I think Dern deserves consideration coming onto the screen in his late 70s in a leading role. When I watched him, I wondered if director Alexander Payne literally pulled him out of retirement in a wheel chair. A far departure from his early years.

June Squibb

Nebraska is drab with exaggerated caricatures of hicks in the sticks.(Stacy Keach, who I hardly recognized, cast as one of them.) I didn't know any people as dull when I lived in Nebraska and it grated on my nerves to watch this slow, slanted movie about uninteresting people, shot in black and white.


On the flip side...

the super nice thing about Nebraska is that it features senior citizens by the dozens and the best is 85 year-old Oscar-nominated supporting actress June Squibb. She is a scene stealer as Dern's feisty wife, and she is my second choice for the supporting actress Oscar. I have never seen anyone as natural in a role since Shirley Booth's Oscar, Tony and Golden Globe-winning role as Lola Delaney in Come Back Little Sheba. There is no camera in front of June Squibb...



Just my take on Nebraska. Have fun at the movies.

Jimmy Fallon's Pros and Cons