The First Batch of Oscar Predictions

[Sarge 2.0]

The thing about Doubt is, it's just people talking for about two hours. Granted it's Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams talking, but they play a priest and two nuns. So some people are bound to like it, some people aren't. I still haven't seen it, but I'm intrigued by it for sure. Especially 'cause I'm a Hoffman fan.

Slumdog is definitely worth your time. Especially if you like Danny Boyle.

 

[Dark Donnie]

From the trailer it looks about as appealing too me as sandpapering my nads, but I will check it out so we can debate it come Oscar time.

I plan on seeing it this week so i'll let you know what I think as well.

 

[Hunter Rider]

The thing about Doubt is, it's just people talking for about two hours. Granted it's Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams talking, but they play a priest and two nuns. So some people are bound to like it, some people aren't. I still haven't seen it, but I'm intrigued by it for sure. Especially 'cause I'm a Hoffman fan.

Slumdog is definitely worth your time. Especially if you like Danny Boyle.

It's based on a stage play and it seems like the director has kind of just directly transplanted it too the movie screen.

I don't much, but i always try to check out movies that get a lot of good reviews.

I plan on seeing it this week so i'll let you know what I think as well.

t: Cool, we have similar tastes so i'll be interested too see how you found it.

 

[cerealkiller182]

The thing about Doubt is, it's just people talking for about two hours. Granted it's Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams talking, but they play a priest and two nuns. So some people are bound to like it, some people aren't. I still haven't seen it, but I'm intrigued by it for sure. Especially 'cause I'm a Hoffman fan.

Slumdog is definitely worth your time. Especially if you like Danny Boyle.

The thing about Doubt (i didnt mean to start the same way as you) is it is very character driven so expect nods for the actors, and the dialog and theater pedigree with lead to screenplay nod. I dont expect director or picture nominations mostly because it is just people talking for 2 hours

 

[Prison Mike]

I really want to see Slumdog Millionaire. I suppose it's not coming out on dvd anytime soon?

 

[The Chris]

Right now on rottentomatoes it's going like this

Doubt is 64% with an average rating of 6.5 (Know it's only 14 reviews, but look at the films I'm predicting and try to remember where they started)
Benjamin Button's at 88% with a 7/10
Revolutionary Road is at 90% with a 7.3 avg.
The Reader is 67% with a 6.5
Gran Torino is at 63% with a 6.2 avg.

Right now I'm changing one slot of my predictions, it's now

The Dark Knight (94%/8.5)
Slumdog Millionaire (92%/8.1)
Benjamin Button (88%/7.0)
Milk (93%/7.9)
Frost/Nixon (91%/7.6)

You know what's funny, the one with the highest ratings is the one with probably the least chance of a nomination (let alone a win).

Like I said earlier I'm definitely checking out Slumdog, Button, and Milk. I think in the end Dark Knight will still be my favorite film of 2008 for a number of reasons. 1 it's the only film I've ever seen to leave me completely speechless and shocked as it went off (usually I'm going crazy with happiness, but here I was completely numb), 2 my favorite filmmaker out of the 4 directed it (the order would be Nolan, Fincher, Boyle, and Van Sant/think they're all terrific but I just love Nolan's strictly old fashioned storytelling focus, and the way so many storylines and dialogues take place at once in montage format in TDK), 3 it gives me my favorite type of film (the best of both worlds/Big with small ambitions), 4 Ledger (Penn looks awesome, so does the Slumdog lead, but Ledger's my all time favorite performance, and number 5. It's Batman.

 

[Galactus]

Right now on rottentomatoes it's going like this

Doubt is 64% with an average rating of 6.5 (Know it's only 14 reviews, but look at the films I'm predicting and try to remember where they started)
Benjamin Button's at 88% with a 7/10
Revolutionary Road is at 90% with a 7.3 avg.
The Reader is 67% with a 6.5
Gran Torino is at 63% with a 6.2 avg.

Right now I'm changing one slot of my predictions, it's now

The Dark Knight (94%/8.5)
Slumdog Millionaire (92%/8.1)
Benjamin Button (88%/7.0)
Milk (93%/7.9)
Frost/Nixon (91%/7.6)

You know what's funny, the one with the highest ratings is the one with probably the least chance of a nomination (let alone a win).

Like I said earlier I'm definitely checking out Slumdog, Button, and Milk. I think in the end Dark Knight will still be my favorite film of 2008 for a number of reasons. 1 it's the only film I've ever seen to leave me completely speechless and shocked as it went off (usually I'm going crazy with happiness, but here I was completely numb), 2 my favorite filmmaker out of the 4 directed it (the order would be Nolan, Fincher, Boyle, and Van Sant/think they're all terrific but I just love Nolan's strictly old fashioned storytelling focus, and the way so many storylines and dialogues take place at once in montage format in TDK), 3 it gives me my favorite type of film (the best of both worlds/Big with small ambitions), 4 Ledger (Penn looks awesome, so does the Slumdog lead, but Ledger's my all time favorite performance, and number 5. It's Batman.

Speaking of ratings at Rottentomatoes; with Let the Right One In having 98% at that site I wish that Sweden would have chosen that movie as a contender for Best Foreign Movie

 

[The Chris]

Speaking of ratings at Rottentomatoes; with Let the Right One In having 98% at that site I wish that Sweden would have chosen that movie as a contender for Best Foreign Movie

Why didn't they? I hear it's amazing.

 

[Whoa]

The Dark Knight won't win any of it's nominations. These are mercy nominations since the fan boys are practically out for blood if it does not get nominated

 

[kane9321]

best picture.....changeling/ TDK
best female actress...angleina jolie
best male actor...mickey rourke
best supporting actor... heath ledger

 

[scifiwolf]

kane9321, I'm sorry to say, but Changeling doesn't have a prayer of winning, or even being nominated. Too many better movies came out this year to even consider it.

 

[Sarge 2.0]

Speaking of ratings at Rottentomatoes; with Let the Right One In having 98% at that site I wish that Sweden would have chosen that movie as a contender for Best Foreign Movie

They didn't? Jeez, it was certainly the best foreign film I've seen this year.

Hell, it was one of the best movies I've seen this year period.

 

[kane9321]

kane9321, I'm sorry to say, but Changeling doesn't have a prayer of winning, or even being nominated. Too many better movies came out this year to even consider it.

you think so?

changeling was brilliant

 

[Galactus]

They didn't? Jeez, it was certainly the best foreign film I've seen this year.

Hell, it was one of the best movies I've seen this year period.

Maybe they thought a vampire movie never would have a chance...

 

[Galactus]

Ebert & Wells' Best Films Of 2008
By Garth Franklin
Monday, December 8th 2008 7:18am
Famed film critic Roger Ebert has released his twenty best films of 2008 list on his official site with some expected titles and the odd surprise. Most notably the films aren't in a particular order which is a surprise. Anyway here's his list:

Ballast, The Band’s Visit, Che, Chop Shop, The Dark Knight, Doubt, The Fall, Frost/Nixon, Frozen River, Happy-Go-Lucky, Iron Man, Milk, Rachel Getting Married, The Reader, Revolutionary Road, Shotgun Stories, Slumdog Millionaire, Synecdoche New York, W. and Wall-E.

Meanwhile Hollywood Elsewhere columnist Jeff Wells has published his list (though he's catching up on some last minute screenings and so may make amendments). At present though he's picked "Che" as the best film of 2008 with "Man on Wire" and "Revolutionary Road" as runners-up.

Other films he deems best of the best include The Visitor, WALL*E, Doubt, Three Monkeys, Slumdog Millionaire, Nothing But The Truth, The Dark Knight, Stranded: I've Come From A Plane That Crashed on the Mountains, Milk, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, The Wrestler and W.

 

[Commodore Schmidlapp]

I just watched Man on Wire last week, an amazing doc for sure.

 

[Laderlappen]

Why didn't they? I hear it's amazing.

Speaking as a swede I dont get it either. First of all, we're never making any great movies anymore. Second, I've never even heard of the other movie.

 

[Sarge 2.0]

Maybe they thought a vampire movie never would have a chance...

Of course it's directed with a level of artistry and elegance that transcends its genre. Like TDK. I never said TDK was a bad film, just that it wasn't the best film of the year. Hell, it's still my favorite film of the year.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Wow, Ebert liked shotgun stories! I thought it was well directed and the actors did very good (Michael Shannon is a real underused actor) but the story just kinda dragged. there was some really great scenes, but really dull scenes as well.

 

[Crook]

I know there was early word that Frost/Nixon wouldn't live up to it's Oscar hype, and may not even get nominated at all. Well, just saw it tonight and I must say I will be most surprised if it doesn't get nominated in the Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor category. Fantastic film.

 

[Sarge 2.0]

It looks excellent. Did Frank Langella live up to the hype?

 

[Crook]

It looks excellent. Did Frank Langella live up to the hype?

Yup, definitely did. He was absolutely magnetic as Nixon. I had never liked the guy (Nixon came off as a smug bastard), however Frank really showed emotional layers of a man that truly did feel guilt and regret, but his pride ultimately got the best of him.

I still have to see Rourke's performance, but right now Langella and Penn are neck-and-neck for taking the award, imo.

 

[The Chris]

Looks Like TDK's score is eligible again.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2008/12/alert-the-acade.html

 

[Cinemaman]

I know. The academy can't just except that the best film of 2008 is a comic book film. t: Seriously, these traditional oscar films are getting boring and predictable. That's why the ratings are so low. People are sick of these films getting nominated. And TDK is just that gust of fresh air to move forward with change. If LOTR can do it, whay can't TDK?

I really hope you're right. I have seen Slumdog Millionaire trailer and it didn't impress me at all. Yet, I have to see it before judging. And so far, TDK has the highest rating on RT.

 

[Doctor Jones]

People who say fanboys are delusional for wanting to win Oscars are dillusional themselves. The can't see this is a great film and won't accept a comic book film to be nominated. They'll think it's embaressing. Or there are other films more deserving? Not really. They're all the same Oscar bait. Obvious choices. TDK is very deserving. It's a film we can hold above our heads like Watchmen and say, this is what it's all about.