Sunday, March 05, 2006
Should Win -- Best Picture
Everything I read keeps tell me that the Oscars are not really about art or the best movies. (for an example, check out David Edelstein at his new home in New York Magazine.) Instead, the oscars are more like a pop cultural moment. Thus, I think the best picture winner should not be the best made movie of the 5 nominees (maybe that is what director is for, who knows) but rather for the movie most people are talking about, that had the biggest impact on our culture. I will ignore for the moment that this is actually a circular argument for a moment because the most talked about movie is actually the one that most people think will win the oscar. So that in 10 years when we think of the best picture winner of a given year, it can be like "yeah, that is what everyone was talking about that year." For example, Forrest Gump, remember all the lame box of chocolate jokes? or even Titanic, I hated that movie, but I do remember cutting school for the first time to see it because it was supposed to be so big.
With that in mind, here is my list.
5. Good Night and Good Luck -- I really liked this movie. But it was too small or something. It was a movie I enjoyed, but not the kind of movie I would argue about.
4. Munich -- Definately a large movie, and also the kind of movie I would talk about. But for some reason, nobody is. Maybe because the movie does all the talking for you, it does not leave anything for you to argue about in the end. The most argument worthy part of the movie is the fact that Speilberg ends the movie with a shot of the two towers and whether he is trying to say something there. But no one is discussing it. Plus, as a movie, it dragged at the end
3. Capote -- also, kind of small. But here is the thing with Capote, I think it will get bigger in time. I saw Amadeus at some point in high school, and I hated it, but my image of Mozart was very much informed by that movie. For a whole generation of us who do not remember Truman Capote from the talk show circuit, I think Philip Seymor Hoffman will become him.
2. Crash -- ok, so this movie is a giant cliche. But isn't there something kind of brave for a director to be like "this is how i see race in a LA, and whether you think it is horrible or not, I don't care, but feel free to discuss." He does not really answer the questions for you. And while these are old questions and Haggis does not answer them subtly, these are issues that have not been resolved. They are actually still out there. At the end of the day, I think Crash is bigger than its flaws.
1. Brokeback Mountain -- Well, if I am choosing on biggest cultural impact, no else was going to win. I went and saw improv last night and they did a Brokeback parody and then they tried to do ones for other movies, but Brokeback was the only one they could remember. Plus, I have had several people threaten to hurl insults at me if I said I did not like the movie. See it is divides. That is a movie with cultural impact.
With that in mind, here is my list.
5. Good Night and Good Luck -- I really liked this movie. But it was too small or something. It was a movie I enjoyed, but not the kind of movie I would argue about.
4. Munich -- Definately a large movie, and also the kind of movie I would talk about. But for some reason, nobody is. Maybe because the movie does all the talking for you, it does not leave anything for you to argue about in the end. The most argument worthy part of the movie is the fact that Speilberg ends the movie with a shot of the two towers and whether he is trying to say something there. But no one is discussing it. Plus, as a movie, it dragged at the end
3. Capote -- also, kind of small. But here is the thing with Capote, I think it will get bigger in time. I saw Amadeus at some point in high school, and I hated it, but my image of Mozart was very much informed by that movie. For a whole generation of us who do not remember Truman Capote from the talk show circuit, I think Philip Seymor Hoffman will become him.
2. Crash -- ok, so this movie is a giant cliche. But isn't there something kind of brave for a director to be like "this is how i see race in a LA, and whether you think it is horrible or not, I don't care, but feel free to discuss." He does not really answer the questions for you. And while these are old questions and Haggis does not answer them subtly, these are issues that have not been resolved. They are actually still out there. At the end of the day, I think Crash is bigger than its flaws.
1. Brokeback Mountain -- Well, if I am choosing on biggest cultural impact, no else was going to win. I went and saw improv last night and they did a Brokeback parody and then they tried to do ones for other movies, but Brokeback was the only one they could remember. Plus, I have had several people threaten to hurl insults at me if I said I did not like the movie. See it is divides. That is a movie with cultural impact.
# posted by Julia @ 11:36 AM 
