Oscarwatch 2012: Moneyball and The Artist
Jan. 28th, 2012 09:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
apocalypsosSo I didn't exactly do my reactions to this year's Oscar nominations, which were mostly a few WTFs combined with some FUCK YEAHs, but I've officially started in on this year's Oscarwatch. I have to watch eighteen movies total to see all of the Best Picture, Director, and acting nominees, and I've got two down so far.
*
Oh, my God, I loved this movie. It's such a fluffy wonderful piece of romantic nostalgia, and it was so wonderfully acted and made that after a while the fact that it was a silent film passed me by. I know that since it's a silent black-and-white French film it seems like it should be the epitome of everything cheesy and "artsy" that people just don't like about award nominees, but it's fabulous. I was so thrilled when I saw it got a Best Score nomination as well, because the score with a silent film is really another character and it worked so well with the movie.
Jean Dujardin -- he's not going to win, I don't think (I haven't seen TTSS yet, but I have a sneaking feeling a Gary Oldman "career" Oscar may be shaping up), but I thought he was absolutely perfect as George. He's hopelessly charming, he's engaging, he's got a magnetic presence, and I have to say that when he finally says, "With pleasure," I totally melted, both swoon-wise and in giggles. Aw, he thought nobody would want to hear that voice? Oh, honey, you can talk to me in that accent anytime you want.
Also, that film canister? Aw. AWWWWWW. I was so sure it was his movie, and then. THEN. :D
Berenice Bejo was also amazing. She looks like they plucked her right out of that time period and dropped her into the film. That scene with the coat on the hanger? If I didn't already love the character by that point, I did after that.
Also, Uggie! He's totally going to show up at the Oscars, and I'm going to love every minute of it.
*
I love a good sports movie, and this was SUCH a good sports movie. I have this thing where I feel like I should be embarrassed because I like watching Brad Pitt in movies, but I really do think he's a great actor. (And great dad, and humanitarian, and by all accounts a sweetheart from what I hear, in spite of the whole "did he or didn't he cheat on Jennifer Aniston?" thing, which I can't bring myself to care about because I kind of hate her. In semi-related news, have you heard that gossip about Angelina treating George Clooney's current girlfriend like shit? I can't find that shocking when the man goes through girlfriends like I go through notebooks. Anyway.)
Oh, and we now live in a world where Jonah Hill is an Oscar nominee. Jonah fucking Hill. Now, I love Jonah Hill, he seems like a sweetie, and he's wonderful in the movie. But if you had told me at any other point in his career that he'd be an Oscar nominee, I would have laughed my ass off. And really, his chances aren't half-bad. Nick Nolte doesn't have a chance in hell because even with screeners no one will see that movie, Kenneth Branagh is not the one with My Week With Marilyn doing the best impression of a dead celebrity, and I don't think it'll go to Max von Sydow. Quite frankly, I think Jonah's biggest competition is Christopher Plummer for "Beginners" -- he only got his first nomination two years ago (and he lost to Christoph Waltz), he's eighty-two, and he won the Golden Globe for the same category. I think Jonah Hill is the dark horse behind Christopher Plummer, although the Academy isn't exactly known for surprising us anymore. (Then again, I think even Jonah Hill would agree that if Christopher Plummer finally wins an Oscar, it's worth not being surprised in this category.)
*
Aaaaaaand now I get to watch The Help. Or as I like to call it, Thank You, White Lady, For This Civil Rights Movement.
(For the record, part of what pisses me off about that movie -- aside from the obvious -- is that I love every actress is in it, and YET.)
*
Oh, my God, I loved this movie. It's such a fluffy wonderful piece of romantic nostalgia, and it was so wonderfully acted and made that after a while the fact that it was a silent film passed me by. I know that since it's a silent black-and-white French film it seems like it should be the epitome of everything cheesy and "artsy" that people just don't like about award nominees, but it's fabulous. I was so thrilled when I saw it got a Best Score nomination as well, because the score with a silent film is really another character and it worked so well with the movie.
Jean Dujardin -- he's not going to win, I don't think (I haven't seen TTSS yet, but I have a sneaking feeling a Gary Oldman "career" Oscar may be shaping up), but I thought he was absolutely perfect as George. He's hopelessly charming, he's engaging, he's got a magnetic presence, and I have to say that when he finally says, "With pleasure," I totally melted, both swoon-wise and in giggles. Aw, he thought nobody would want to hear that voice? Oh, honey, you can talk to me in that accent anytime you want.
Also, that film canister? Aw. AWWWWWW. I was so sure it was his movie, and then. THEN. :D
Berenice Bejo was also amazing. She looks like they plucked her right out of that time period and dropped her into the film. That scene with the coat on the hanger? If I didn't already love the character by that point, I did after that.
Also, Uggie! He's totally going to show up at the Oscars, and I'm going to love every minute of it.
*
I love a good sports movie, and this was SUCH a good sports movie. I have this thing where I feel like I should be embarrassed because I like watching Brad Pitt in movies, but I really do think he's a great actor. (And great dad, and humanitarian, and by all accounts a sweetheart from what I hear, in spite of the whole "did he or didn't he cheat on Jennifer Aniston?" thing, which I can't bring myself to care about because I kind of hate her. In semi-related news, have you heard that gossip about Angelina treating George Clooney's current girlfriend like shit? I can't find that shocking when the man goes through girlfriends like I go through notebooks. Anyway.)
Oh, and we now live in a world where Jonah Hill is an Oscar nominee. Jonah fucking Hill. Now, I love Jonah Hill, he seems like a sweetie, and he's wonderful in the movie. But if you had told me at any other point in his career that he'd be an Oscar nominee, I would have laughed my ass off. And really, his chances aren't half-bad. Nick Nolte doesn't have a chance in hell because even with screeners no one will see that movie, Kenneth Branagh is not the one with My Week With Marilyn doing the best impression of a dead celebrity, and I don't think it'll go to Max von Sydow. Quite frankly, I think Jonah's biggest competition is Christopher Plummer for "Beginners" -- he only got his first nomination two years ago (and he lost to Christoph Waltz), he's eighty-two, and he won the Golden Globe for the same category. I think Jonah Hill is the dark horse behind Christopher Plummer, although the Academy isn't exactly known for surprising us anymore. (Then again, I think even Jonah Hill would agree that if Christopher Plummer finally wins an Oscar, it's worth not being surprised in this category.)
*
Aaaaaaand now I get to watch The Help. Or as I like to call it, Thank You, White Lady, For This Civil Rights Movement.
(For the record, part of what pisses me off about that movie -- aside from the obvious -- is that I love every actress is in it, and YET.)
