95th Annual Academy Awards

THIS.

I've been pretty bored of Steven post the great one-two-punch of Minority Report and CMIYC...

...yet Fabelman's utterly wrecked me when it needed to. The whole convergence of Sammy editing the camping footage and piecing it all together was his best scene since the opening to Saving Private Ryan.

 

I do admire structure for sure but, like, there's a world of difference between what Tony Gilroy does on top of that brilliant structuring and what the writers of Maverick did. Rian Johnson's hit and miss for me but there's also so much more colour and wit and, at his best, depth to his screenplays.

Again, Maverick is a good script! But its not particularly exceptional in terms of dialogue, characterization, thematic depth etc. I really admire good, efficient blockbuster screenwriting especially when so much of it is just awful but I don't admire it anywhere near as much as I admire something like The Banshees of Inisherin to use another example from this past year.

 

Top Gun Maverick I think was a fine movie. Just not anywhere near what I would call a Best Picture movie.

 

I'm not gonna argue that BANSHEES isn't easily the better screenplay. And McDonough is one of those freaks who just dives in without knowing the ending.

 

The Bourne Legacy and his first draft of The Bourne Ultimatum make me question this notion for Gilroy.

The Bourne Legacy was an awful script and movie. Nearly ruined the franchise for me. Introduced a lot of ideas that made no sense. Not to mention, they never revisited these characters again.

 

Fair points. It has been a while since I saw Maverick way back last summer. There just wasn't anything about the script that really stuck with me. It absolutely does what needs done and does that very well, but I never remember feeling "Wow, this is a good script." For me, a brilliant blockbuster script this year would be Peele's script for Nope.

Structure is key to a good story, but with examples like Gilroy and Johnson, they make innovative use of their structures in a way that makes their scripts feel fresh and exciting. Maverick for me felt by-the-numbers. Which is fine, at the end of the day, it's a good script and I won't begrudge it success. It's just surprising to see it there.

I certainly enjoyed it, but didn't think it was the earthshaking masterpiece a lot of people called it as. It's teetering on the bottom of my personal Top Ten. But it absolutely has a special place for me, though, because it approaches art and filmmaking in a way that's deeply personal, rather than the usual corny blind inspiration we come to expect from these movies. Spielberg really lays bear some personal issues (that for me are EXTREMELY relatable) and shows that, while movies helped him escape and grow, it wasn't purely good, and left him with questions he still doesn't have answers for.

So I get why people love it so much. Spielberg's third win should have been last year for WSS. But I can't deny that the mirror scene of him watching the destruction of his family through an imaginary film lens is going to stick with me for a long time. It's such a haunting feeling to know that one of your heroes grew into his career from seeing the world like you, while also being slightly horrifying to see it play out.

 

In absolute fairness Ke was retired from acting by that point when Ready Player One happened. The only thing that drove Ke to want to act again was after seeing Crazy Rich Asians.

 

Yes because God forbid someone makes it through without kissing all the right asses.

 

Oh who cares, just let her have the nomination. The award is gonna go to Blanchett or Yeoh anyway.

 

Which is all well and good, crack down on it for the future but let the nomination stand for now.

 

No.

This must be a variety of different women.


or Clayface.

 

Added a poll, but only had enough choices for 4 categories.

 

I don’t follow the horse race enough but my guesses.

Blanchett seems a lock for Actress.

I think EEAAO and Banshee split the difference between best pic and best director.

Butler seems to have the momentum for Elvis but I can see Colin taking it.

Ke seems a lock for Supporting (I hope) but I can see Brendan winning based on how votes get split.

 

I definitely want Blanchett for Best Actress and Ke for Supporting Actor. I think Bassett will get Supporting Actress. Best Actor is more of a toss up for me. I could see Butler, Fraser, or Farrell getting it.

This is what I think will happen (not necessarily I agree):

Best Picture - EEAAO
Best Director - Spielberg
Best Actor - Austin Butler
Best Actress - Cate Blanchett
Best Supporting Actor - Ke Huy Quan
Best Supporting Actress - Angela Bassett

 

Think Triangle of Sadness wins best film

Best director Spielberg

The rest i really dont know

 

I watched Tár last night. It’s on Peacock for those who subscribe. It was fantastic. Blanchett really owned this movie. It’s a bit monologue heavy but it’s all captivating.

 

I think the solution should be let it go this year and then have 6/7 nominees in all acting (even directing?) categories going forward. That would be the fairest solution and it wouldn't be like such a decision wouldn't be long overdue? We have this issue every year, even long before diversity came into the fold.

On a separate but related note, the abuse Andrea and Ana De Armas have been getting over their nominations has been absolutely disgusting. Really sickening stuff. And then you have people like Grace Randolph talking about not understanding privilege. Lol

 

...first time the orchestra hit in the theater scared me, so wonderful.