Mood:
chattyTopic: Art and Culture
I'll try not to make this diatribe long. The thing that usually ticks me off at this time of year is the AA nominations. Sure, sometimes they get it right, nominating Javier Bardem and Viggo Mortensen, as well as the Coen Brothers for "No Country For Old Men." NCOM was the BEST film of the year. Well acted and written, it was a dark view of contemporary life (although the film was set in 1980) about a battle of good vs. evil that ws slowly being won by the black hats. Tommy Lee Jones (always brilliant) is the wise old sage sheriff who is more appalled at what has happend to this country than he appears to be intyerested in finding the killer (Bardem).
The movie is twisty (you never know what's waiting around the corner) and dark dark dark. The ending is especially a jolt. It's unexpected, but dead on target given the theme of the film.
Now back to the other nominations. Tim Burton being overlooked for "Sweeney Todd" was a travesty. "Charlie Wilson's War" should have nailed a Best Director nod for Mike Nichols.
But any "Arts" institution that has honored Cher, Tatum, Eminem, 36 Mafia, Anna Paquin, Prince, Bon Jovi, Whoopi, Sofiya Coppola -- is beyond comprehension. Especially when you consider that Stanley Kubrick, Cary Grant, Richard Burton, John Garfield, Robert Mitchum, Alfred Hitchcock, David Lynch and Robert Altman have never won awards.
What can you say?
The biggest joke about the AA nominations this year is in the Film Editing category. Let's see how many top-notch film critics and industry people get this one. Roderick Jaynes was nominated in the Best FIlm Editing category. There is no Roderick Jaynes. This is a pseudonym for Joel and Ethan Coen. They edit their own films (and like to joke around a bit). You can look this up on IMDB.com.
By the way, can anyone tell me the difference between the Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing categories?
For anyone who cares, here's my list of the Best of 2007:
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
ZODIAC
EASTERN PROMISES
SWEENEY TODD
RATATOUILLE
SUNSHINE
SICKO
CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR
Many more to see including:
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
JUNO
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
ATONEMENT
BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD
MICHAEL CLAYTON
LIONS FOR LAMBS
BEE MOVIE
THE GOLDEN COMPASS
MARGOT AT THE WEDDING
3:10 TO YUMA
The Academy Awards have nothing to do with ART. Once in a great while they get it right, but it's a popularity contest, folks.
Posted by dgavron
at 3:09 PM EST
Updated: Wednesday, 23 January 2008 3:53 PM EST
