Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

flipp525 wrote:

The Original BJ wrote:

Okri wrote:Gotta admit I do think the politics of Three Billboards oscillates between problematic and thought provoking but given the tenor of the conversation here I'm not really wanting to delve.

I certainly imagine your thoughts would be thought-provoking and welcome, so please don’t feel like you can’t be a part of the discussion even if you are less enthusiastic about the movie than some of us. (I would actually love to hear takes that are critical that don’t stoop to accusing anyone who likes the movie as being part of a cult, as in a tweet thread going around today.)

I was just accused of being a Trump supporter by someone on Facebook for expressing enthusiasm for the film and its win last night. Several people are comparing it to Crash if you can even believe that.

The level of reactions to anything that happened at the ceremony on social media is absolutely insane. People are losing their minds and it's really telling of what's going on in your country

The Original BJ wrote:

Okri wrote:Gotta admit I do think the politics of Three Billboards oscillates between problematic and thought provoking but given the tenor of the conversation here I'm not really wanting to delve.

I certainly imagine your thoughts would be thought-provoking and welcome, so please don’t feel like you can’t be a part of the discussion even if you are less enthusiastic about the movie than some of us. (I would actually love to hear takes that are critical that don’t stoop to accusing anyone who likes the movie as being part of a cult, as in a tweet thread going around today.)

I was just accused of being a Trump supporter by someone on Facebook for expressing enthusiasm for the film and its win last night. Several people are comparing it to Crash if you can even believe that.

Okri wrote:Gotta admit I do think the politics of Three Billboards oscillates between problematic and thought provoking but given the tenor of the conversation here I'm not really wanting to delve.

I certainly imagine your thoughts would be thought-provoking and welcome, so please don’t feel like you can’t be a part of the discussion even if you are less enthusiastic about the movie than some of us. (I would actually love to hear takes that are critical that don’t stoop to accusing anyone who likes the movie as being part of a cult, as in a tweet thread going around today.)

Gotta admit I do think the politics of Three Billboards oscillates between problematic and thought provoking but given the tenor of the conversation here I'm not really wanting to delve. And I do want to see the film a second time to see if my opinion changes.

Big Magilla wrote:Good for Three Billboards; Lady Bird, McDormand, Rockwell, Ronan and del Toro.

I know I will have to see I, Tonya at some point, but I'm in no rush, and nothing in the Franco exhibition entices me to even sample The Disaster Artist.

If its any consolation The Disaster Artist is Citizen Kane compared to the five other Franco directed films I've see. It's very watchable even though it's all rather one-note. Rather disappointing that Daniel Kaluuya did win that award as he was easily the most deserving of the nominated actors, though I've yet to see Hugh Jackman's performance but based on all his past efforts I really couldn't see him being better than Kaluuya. Franco was a respectable second choice though.

The Original BJ wrote:[I don't feel like my place (as a white man) is to say "it's not."

Don't worrry. In a normal world - which I'm afraid America isn't part of anymore - you CAN and you have every right too.

The Original BJ wrote: Then again, we're also in a political era where every award winner has to be politicized to the strongest degree -- my social media feed is full of black people outraged Get Out lost Best Picture, gay people outraged Call Me By Your Name lost Best Picture, women outraged Lady Bird lost Best Screenplay (and Greta wasn't nominated for Director). I admit I sometimes struggle to even know what the most "woke" take in any scenario is supposed to be -- if Get Out had won, should I be outraged that they just couldn't give the top prize to a film by a woman? Sometimes it seems discussion of the actual merits of these works -- a pretty impressive roster of movies, I think -- is completely irrelevant, and the slight preference of one movie over another in any given category can put you on the "wrong" side of the most superficially drawn battlefields.

Again - don't worry. You live in an important but definitely crazy country full of nice but crazy people, and slowly but finally you are starting to realize it, Original B.J. I just realized it some time before you.

The Original BJ wrote:One thing I WILL say, though...and I preface this by saying I'm not a hater of I, Tonya, and don't think the movie absolves its protagonist of what she did to the degree its greatest detractors do. But I'm not sure the movie's team is sending the right message by parading Tonya Harding around at these award shows like Temple Grandin, as if she were a heroic figure who finally had her side of the story told. She definitely was culpable to a certain degree for what happened to Nancy Kerrigan -- a 100% innocent victim who was violently assaulted -- and I don't think this redemption tour is necessarily the right read of the room at this moment.

Two movies I dreaded having to see this year were Battle of the Sexes and I. Tonya because of the vile characters they portray.

I finally saw Battle of the Sexes on Blu-ray last week - my review publishes on CinemaSight tomorrow. I came away from it with a renewed appreciation of Emma Stone, who is goodness personified (in a good way) as Billie Jean King. I liked her much better here than in her over-hyped Oscar winning performance in La La Land. Steve Carell, on the other hand, brought back all the horrid memories I tried to suppress of Bobby Riggs. The trailer for I, Tonya does the same thing for my memory of Tonya Harding. I'm in no hurry to sit through two hours, or whatever the running time is, of her and her obnoxious family.

Even though some of the things McDormand and Rockwell's characters do in Three Billboards, are highly questionable, the ferocity of their performances is such that you appreciate what they bring to the table as actors regardless of their characters' shortcomings. If the film had an actual ending, it would probably be my runaway choice for Best Picture, but as it stands, it's one of four, the others being Lady Bird, Call Me By Your Name and The Shape of Water, that I would be perfectly happy to see win the Oscar.

Mister Tee wrote:There's a very weird thing going on with Three Billboards -- many of us here love it, and it was clearly popular with HFPA (not to mention Barbra Streisand). But there's a faction on Twitter that's maligning it as racist, insulting to women, and the second coming of Crash. I think we're getting near the point where lefty Twitter is judging art purely through politics (missing the art almost entirely), and it could make things ugly. Remember: last year, a sweet musical about two young lovers in LA was somehow turned into the living embodiment of white privilege; I shudder to think what the next several weeks will look like.

It'll be interesting to see how all this plays out, and it's definitely something I've thought a lot about, particularly given that Three Billboards is my favorite of this year's movies. I have to admit I never really know how to respond when a person of color says "I find this movie racially problematic," or a woman says "this is a troubling depiction of a woman" because I don't feel like my place (as a white man) is to say "it's not." And I very much do think we all should be examining the politics of art, because that's a crucial way that messages are disseminated. But my problem in this case is that I simply don't find the politics problematic -- I don't, for instance, think Rockwell's character is forgiven for beating up the black man before the film starts, or that he is morally redeemed by the end of the film just because he tries to do something right (after a slew of bad things happen to him that would cause many an asshole to rethink their life priorities). Nor do I think the film endorses McDormand's character's violent behavior either, or suggests that she represents how a woman fighting against a patriarchal system SHOULD behave. One of the things I most like about the movie is that I'm not sure how I feel about the characters at various points in its running time; I get that we're in a political era where many on the left are simply uninterested in, say, examining the humanity of a racist cop, but I just don't see how characterizing people as entirely good or entirely evil makes for compelling storytelling at all. (I feel like the version of this story some people want -- a noble Mildred who is never rude, never vulgar, and never violent fighting against a virulently racist police department that does nothing but obstruct her out of their own cruelty, with Mildred emerging triumphant over the police and getting her daughter's murderer locked up -- is a version that is thoroughly uninteresting to me.)

Then again, we're also in a political era where every award winner has to be politicized to the strongest degree -- my social media feed is full of black people outraged Get Out lost Best Picture, gay people outraged Call Me By Your Name lost Best Picture, women outraged Lady Bird lost Best Screenplay (and Greta wasn't nominated for Director). I admit I sometimes struggle to even know what the most "woke" take in any scenario is supposed to be -- if Get Out had won, should I be outraged that they just couldn't give the top prize to a film by a woman? Sometimes it seems discussion of the actual merits of these works -- a pretty impressive roster of movies, I think -- is completely irrelevant, and the slight preference of one movie over another in any given category can put you on the "wrong" side of the most superficially drawn battlefields.

One thing I WILL say, though...and I preface this by saying I'm not a hater of I, Tonya, and don't think the movie absolves its protagonist of what she did to the degree its greatest detractors do. But I'm not sure the movie's team is sending the right message by parading Tonya Harding around at these award shows like Temple Grandin, as if she were a heroic figure who finally had her side of the story told. She definitely was culpable to a certain degree for what happened to Nancy Kerrigan -- a 100% innocent victim who was violently assaulted -- and I don't think this redemption tour is necessarily the right read of the room at this moment.

Sabin wrote:Issue resolved.

Good. Thank you for taking charge.

I was pretty much over-the-moon from the first movie award, to Rockwell, ending the feared prospect of a season-long sweep for Dafoe. I'd probably have been satisfied with just that...but then, an hour later or so later, Janney interrupted Metcalf's potential sweep as well, and I couldn't believe my good fortune. Bear in mind: I'd be just as unhappy to see Rockwell and Janney maraud their ways through BFCA/SAG/BAFTA. I don't think we have to worry about that: the Broadcasters will almost surely echo the critical push for Dafoe/Metcalf, and who knows what SAG/BAFTA will do. (Maybe one of them will actually go for a third person!) What i want is for things to split all along the way, so people have to make gut calls in March, not just ratify the dreary consensus.

It's questionable if best actress, which for the moment is the most wide open category, can retain that status, or if it might find itself compressed and made obvious. For right now, of course, we have two popular winners, and the prospect of Sally Hawkins winning somewhere along the line as well (as soon as Thursday -- which would be great -- or at least by BAFTA time). But I don't know: that applause for McDormand was pretty vehement -- such Globe displays have oft-times in the past presaged Academy runs. We'll have to see how that plays out.

The only disappointment, on my end, was Oldman winning, very likely making his Oscar win a fait accompli, barring miracle. It would have been better (for the fun of the race) if Chalamet had won here, but there was only a fairly slim chance he could make it a contest anyway, and, if there's going to be one race ended early, this might as well be it. (I"ll just have to make it that part of the Oscars where I pretend I'm somewhere else.)

There's a very weird thing going on with Three Billboards -- many of us here love it, and it was clearly popular with HFPA (not to mention Barbra Streisand). But there's a faction on Twitter that's maligning it as racist, insulting to women, and the second coming of Crash. I think we're getting near the point where lefty Twitter is judging art purely through politics (missing the art almost entirely), and it could make things ugly. Remember: last year, a sweet musical about two young lovers in LA was somehow turned into the living embodiment of white privilege; I shudder to think what the next several weeks will look like.

I think, by the way, that best picture -- which in this era of the preferential ballot is probably always subject to surprise -- remains largely up in the air. I wouldn't be surprised if the Broadcasters have a different winner from either of tonight's top choices.

As for the other awards -- I guess I should have expected it, but bringing Tommy Wiseau onstage was truly surreal, and the fact he tried to grab the mic to speak was an over the moon moment.

Guillermo del Toro gave a very touching speech, and seems to me to have an excellent shot at winning the Oscar, however the best picture category goes.

Best song...yeah. It would seem to indicate Remember Me is no juggernaut, suggesting The Mystery of Love has a shot with AMPAS.

Most people online seemed to think Oprah killed. I have to say, my feeling about her most of the time is that I think her heart's in the right place, but somehow I don't connect to the way she says things...and tonight was fully in line with that usual feeling.

Seth Meyers opened with a couple of good jokes, but seemed to disappear as soon as his monologue was over. It makes one more appreciative of how present Jimmy Kimmel was at last year's Oscars.

My first reactions are mostly ones of disappointment - The Shape of Water and Three Billboards.. are probably my least favourite films currently in the best picture race and they emerged as the night's big winners. Glad for Ronan. Really thought that Chalamet would win - BJ nailed how Oldman switched from "needing this to keeping his candidacy alive" to all of a sudden feeling like a steam-roller.

Good for Three Billboards; Lady Bird, McDormand, Rockwell, Ronan and del Toro.

I know I will have to see I, Tonya at some point, but I'm in no rush, and nothing in the Franco exhibition entices me to even sample The Disaster Artist.

Well, I was definitely right that #MeToo wasn't going to go unacknowledged -- I think those of you who aren't in this industry every day perhaps just aren't aware of how momentous this moment has been for Hollywood -- but even I was surprised by just how much that conversation dominated the evening. (It certainly helped that so many of the winners -- Big Little Lies, The Handmaid's Tale, Three Billboards dealt with the subject matter in some way).

The big story overall would simply have to be that the Golden Globes aren't the critics, and if you bet on the dominant critics' winners you lost big time, with so many of the victors -- Three Billboards, Oldman, McDormand Rockwell, Janney, McDonagh -- winning their first major prizes of the season. And in my opinion, it was a pretty stellar roster of winners -- save for Gary Oldman, I was happy to cheer for just about all the major victors.

The question now is...how do all of these curve balls affect the races? I'd say both supporting categories are now solid fights, with both early frontrunners (Dafoe/Metcalf) still very possible SAG winners. (To be honest, though I think Dafoe is perfectly solid in his role, I was actually pretty happy to see him lose, if only to validate my feeling that at some point his victory streak had to come to an end). The Best Actress battle could settle into McDormand vs. Ronan, with Sally Hawkins (who I think wins the BAFTA) still a very possible spoiler; SAG could give someone an edge, but it could be (like Christie/Cotillard/Page) a brawl until the end.

What's weird about the Best Actor race is that it seemed going into the evening that this was a must-win for Oldman to keep his candidacy alive, and yet the moment he prevailed, it suddenly didn't feel like he was running on fumes any more. It doesn't seem that hard to see him picking up SAG and BAFTA and becoming the unstoppable Oscar front-runner many of us thought he'd be.

As for Picture/Director...who knows? Three different films won the two Best Picture prizes and Director, with two that were shut out completely (Dunkirk and Get Out) still seeming like very possible players in one or both of those categories. I'd say the movie that was most hurt by tonight is The Post, which is about as Globe-y as they come -- the early evening joke about how the film would clean up everything simply based on pedigree didn't even remotely come to fruition.

I was slightly disappointed by the Foreign Language Film outcome -- I thought A Fantastic Woman, The Square, and Loveless were all much more ambitious and compelling pieces of work than In the Fade, though I guess I was grateful we were spared Angelina Jolie (which I wouldn't have put past this group).

Oh, and I don't think I've mentioned this here before, but I've known Sterling K. Brown for a LONG time, for over a decade before his big breakthrough with People vs. O.J., so to see him become such a staple at these award shows over the past couple years has been a great thrill. Couldn't have happened to a nicer or more hard-working guy.

Issue resolved.