91st Oscars: Picture

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Big Magilla
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Re: 91st Oscars: Picture

Post by Big Magilla »

I wasn't looking for Gaga's necklace, but I did notice it - didn't know it was the Tiffany diamond until I read about it afterward.

In further reference to Reza's question, I just remembered that a lot of older people know Gaga from her duets with Tony Bennett.
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Re: 91st Oscars: Picture

Post by Franz Ferdinand »

Big Magilla wrote:The women were also impressed by the $30 million Tiffany diamond necklace she wore, the Tiffany diamond having been last seen in a photo shoot Audrey Hepburn did for Breakfast at Tiffany's.
I know this has been the main talking point today about for a lot of women I know. "Green Book, what's that? By the way, did you see Gaga's necklace??"
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Re: 91st Oscars: Picture

Post by Big Magilla »

Yes, some of them are familiar with her through their kids and grandkids while others only discovered her in A Star Is Born.

I think they connect with the story of A Star Is Born, not just because it is familiar, but because it reflects their values in that it's about a strong woman whose worth isn't acknowledged until a man discovers it first and then she becomes devoted to the man through thick and thin. It reminds them of themselves. Gaga's clinging to Bradley Cooper through awards season only strengthens their belief. The women were also impressed by the $30 million Tiffany diamond necklace she wore, the Tiffany diamond having been last seen in a photo shoot Audrey Hepburn did for Breakfast at Tiffany's.
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Re: 91st Oscars: Picture

Post by Reza »

Big Magilla wrote:Trust me, I know a lot of people in their 60s and 70s who think the highlight of this year's Oscars was Lady Gaga.
I'm actually quite surprised to read this because I would think that the opposite was true. Do generally people in their 60s and 70s even know who Lady Gaga is?
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Re: 91st Oscars: Picture

Post by Reza »

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Re: 91st Oscars: Picture

Post by Big Magilla »

Sabin wrote:
Big Magilla wrote
Simplistic and wrong. That group voted for A Star Is Born. :wink:
No, because that implies that A Star is Born actually got votes and we both know that didn't happen.
Yes, because that group isn't as large as you think it is.

Trust me, I know a lot of people in their 60s and 70s who think the highlight of this year's Oscars was Lady Gaga. And, yes, many of them voted for Trump, though just as many did not.

Most older voters appreciate both Green Book and Spike Lee even if Spike Lee hates Green Book.
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Re: 91st Oscars: Picture

Post by Sabin »

Big Magilla wrote
Simplistic and wrong. That group voted for A Star Is Born. :wink:
No, because that implies that A Star is Born actually got votes and we both know that didn't happen.
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Re: 91st Oscars: Picture

Post by Big Magilla »

Sabin wrote:
taki15 wrote
I think that's his point. That "Green Book" will be remember for the wrong reasons (as one of the worst winners in Oscar history).
Yes. But let's be honest, Green Book does speak to our time today. It speaks to a huge swath of Americans who are resistant to change, looking to yesteryear, and don't want to ask how they are the problem.
Simplistic and wrong. That group voted for A Star Is Born. :wink:
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Re: 91st Oscars: Picture

Post by Sabin »

MaxWilder wrote
I think Sabin kinda liked Green Book. Correct me if I’m wrong.
I just re-read my original post. My estimation of it has fallen a bit. I don't hate it but I still don't like it. It's quite professionally made and some of the acting is fun. My biggest problem with it is the script. It's a movie about friendship, how two people change and come together, but it doesn't really dramatize the change or get messy. It just sort of happens. The fact that it draws a false equivalency between the two (Lip's racist and Shirley's... out-of-touch-ism?) doesn't work from a story perspective and it's a bit offensive. By offensive, I'm not talking about outrage. I mean, really, what do you take us for? Who are you trying to flatter here?

I did write in my initial review that I'm fine with movies like Green Book existing, I just don't want them anywhere near the Oscar stage. What I wish I wrote was "I wish they were better." I'm fine with a movie like Green Book existing at least if it's a better, more incisive film. Unfortunately, a more incisive Green Book might not end up on the stage.
taki15 wrote
I think that's his point. That "Green Book" will be remember for the wrong reasons (as one of the worst winners in Oscar history).
Yes. But let's be honest, Green Book does speak to our time today. It speaks to a huge swath of Americans who are resistant to change, looking to yesteryear, and don't want to ask how they are the problem. They might not be Trump supporters or out-racists, but a lot closer to the white moderates that disappointed MLK. It is almost the living embodiment of this stumbling block. But Green Book can no longer simply exist now. Instead, it exists entirely in juxtaposition to its Oscar win, which will continue for years and years to come. Just as how Shakespeare in Love's win is now forever ignominiously associated with Harvey Weinstein. Just how Crash's win is all about homophobia and a too-hermetic industry. And considering how nothing REALLY got robbed here, I'd rather they honor a lightning rod than something immediately forgotten like The Shape of Water or Spotlight.
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Re: 91st Oscars: Picture

Post by Big Magilla »

I wasn't sure of anything in the Best Picture race, but my best guess was that it wouldn't be Roma which had two things going against it. One, that it would easily win Best Foreign Film which would have been considered honor enough, although at some point a foreign language film probably will win both. The bigger case it against it, though, was Netflix.

Bohemian Rhapsody had two things going against it as well. It was considered lightweight, and there was no way they were going to give a Best Picture Oscar to a film which had Bryan Singer's name attached to it as one of the producers.

Black Panther was well liked, but suffered the stigma of being a comic book adaptation. A Star Is Born was initially well like but suffered from being the fourth or fifth (counting What Price Hollywood) version of a tale as old as talking movies. Vice was loathed more than it was liked.

That left it between Green Book, BlackKklansman and The Favourite, probably in that order, all of which I could see getting strong second or third place support on Roma ballots. I gave the edge to Green Book because of the unrelenting Twitter war against it that infuriated people who liked the film and didn't like being told how they should have reacted to it. It got their back up.
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Re: 91st Oscars: Picture

Post by nightwingnova »

Well, we got two big surprises to entertain us.
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Re: 91st Oscars: Picture

Post by Bog »

This voting system (purposely?) rewards being neither loved nor loathed, am I correct?

I am not completely adept at how it works, but the winners definitely seem to be very compromise choices the likes of which all branches voting would achieve after several tiered elimination voting rounds.
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Re: 91st Oscars: Picture

Post by HarryGoldfarb »

I miscalculated my prediction of BR winning BP by a hair: In a year where the Academy was so centered on being popular as their way to stay relevant, I doubted all the way Roma or for that matter The Favourite and BlacKkKlansman really had a chance. I thought Black Panther was way out there to factor in, but BR checked strong elements on top of its popularity, specially the biographic aspect of it. But I should have known better since for the last years winning screenplay has been more important than winning director in order to achieve a BP win. How could a film without not only a Best Director nod but also without a Best Screenplay citation could prevail in the end? The preferencial ballot was my answer... but now I see all this reasoning applied for Green Book the better... maybe since I still haven’t seen the film it flew off my radar.

Last year I was expecting TBOE,M to pull an Argo-like victory so I kept telling myself “nowadays it’s not that important to receive a Best Director nod” but when things didn’t go as I expected I thought Argo was truly just an anomaly. So when Green Book failed to get a kind of expected (unlike BR) Best Director nomination, I simply put the film out of my predictions.

I seriously doubt this film would have preveiled with the old system... as Spotlight (and maybe some other recent winners) Green Book most definitely benefited from some 2nd and 3rd positions in the ballots.
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Re: 91st Oscars: Picture

Post by MaxWilder »

taki15 wrote:
MaxWilder wrote:
Sabin wrote:What I like about Green Book winning is at least it won't be forgotten. The Shape of Water, Spotlight, The Artist, The King's Speech... these movies are gone, distant memories before the night is even over. Green Book will stick in craws for years. Good.
9/11 won’t be forgotten either. That’s a virtue in itself?
I think that's his point. That "Green Book" will be remember for the wrong reasons (as one of the worst winners in Oscar history).
I think Sabin kinda liked Green Book. Correct me if I’m wrong.
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Re: 91st Oscars: Picture

Post by Precious Doll »

taki15 wrote:IMHO, Green Book's win reeks of play-it-safe mentality. Let's reward a film about racism, but not one that might scare away older, more conservative viewers like Black Klansman.
And despite all the talk it seems like the virulent anti-Netflix campaign was pretty effective at the end.
Ironically, if we tallied up our Oscar ballots for Best Film I bet the winner we be out of BlacKkKlansman, The Favourite & Roma. Speaks volumes of just were the Academy taste or one could say 'lack of taste' lies.

We can comfort ourselves despite disagreements that the members of the board in general have better taste in cinema than the Academy.
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