It reminds me of all the people calling Last Days an attempt to whore money off of Cobain. Yeah, that's why he isn't mentioned in any promotion aside interviews, and the final credit while any other diretor would put "BASED ON KURT COBAIN" everywhere.

I know DV, I know.

On the same token of "whoring"....what about WALK THE LINE? A really nice film, but still, doesn't that term still technically allowable for that movie?

Well, WALK THE LINE was in fact based on Johnny Cash's life, while LAST DAYS is vaguely based Kurt Cobain.

It was the only one out of the 5 I'd seen, but I thought it was very good. Sure, prehaps the concept has been done before, but compared to some that have won in the recent past (LOTR, Sideways)Crash definately deserved it. It was not whiney melodramatic crap, it was simply the tales of people's lives. It was done well, and was refreshingly diffrent than the rest of the films that were released last year.

I know you're not asking me, but I'd say yes.

Not that that's necessarily what Lavinia is saying - altho I think it is - but, "yes" I'd agree with that statement for pretty much the same reasons she gave.

I don't see how you can say that without having seen either one and forming your own opinion.

I haven't seen either myself, so I have absolutely no idea whatsoever which one - if either - should have won since all of the criteria used in judging is 100% subjective.

Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. Either the answer or the fact that you sought out only my post to reply to.

:rolleyes:

Apple

It merited a response.

The first part I was more agreeing with Lavinia than responding to what you said.

The second part, I was really wondering.

For anyone who cares, we have our own voting at the Film board. Here were my picks.

Best Film
Broken Flowers (Jim Jarmusch)
Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog)
Last Days (Gus Van Sant)
Match Point (Woody Allen)
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (Martin Scorsese)

Best Director
Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers)
Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man)
Gus Van Sant (Last Days)
Woody Allen (Match Point)
Martin Scorsese (No Direction Home: Bob Dylan)

Best Male Performance
Bill Murray (Broken Flowers)
Jake Gyllenhaal (Jarhead)
Michael Pitt (Last Days)
George Clooney (Syriana)
Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line)

Best Female Performance
Frances Conroy (Broken Flowers)
Jessica Lange (Broken Flowers)
Scarlett Johansson (Match Point)
Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line)

Best Original Screenplay
Broken Flowers (Jim Jarmusch)
Match Point (Woody Allen)

Best Adapted Screenplay
Batman Begins
Jarhead
Sin City
Syriana
War of the Worlds

Best Cinematography
Broken Flowers
Grizzly Man
Jarhead
Last Days
Syriana

Best Experiment
Grizzly Man Interesting look at how one filmmaker praises the beauty of another man's amateur filming.
Last Days Van Sant's amazing character study where most of the greatness is subtle rather than explained.

thanks Plaw. This means a lot to me.

correct

I think it can be a major reason.

Did you see the thread I posted about a week ago? I did something similar.

Winners in bold.

Best Picture
- "Brokeback Mountain"
- "Layer Cake"
- "The Weatherman"
- "Capote"
- "Broken Flowers"

Best Actor
- Jake Gyllenhaal in "Brokeback Mountain"
- Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain"
- Nicolas Cage in "The Weatherman"
- Phillip Seymour Hoffman in "Capote"
- Bill Murray in "Broken Flowers"

Best Actress
?

Best Supporting Actor
- Colm Meaney in "Layer Cake"
- Michael Caine in "The Weatherman"
- Clifton Collins Jr. in "Capote"
- George Clooney in "Syriana"
- Benicio Del Toro in "Sin City"

Best Supporting Actress
- Michelle Williams in "Brokeback Mountain"
- Hope Davis in "The Weatherman"
- Sharon Stone in "Broken Flowers"
- Catherine Keener in "The 40 Year Old Virgin"
- Anne Hathaway in "Brokeback Mountain"

Best Director
- Ang Lee for "Brokeback Mountain"
- Matthew Vaughn for "Layer Cake"
- Gore Verbinski for "The Weatherman"
- Bennet Miller for "Capote"
- Jim Jaramusch for "Broken Flowers"

Layer Cake was first released in 2004.

Lav, I'm going to watch BBM this weekend, don't know when I'll be able to see the Crash, but have you seen Crash by any chance?

I still think Academy really liked BBM with 8 nominations, giving nods to the movies most people haven't seen based on political/social motives. They are more than ready for these themes. If you look at the awards, you see that the screenplay for both movies won, one of them being original screen play, the other adapted from a book. However with a best director award against a best editing award, I really couldn't say which one would win the best picture. I guess the brevity won the reward. Or Maybe Academy gave the final nod to Crash only because of the present atmosphere in the US and the tensions in the past years.

I'm not sure what this movie is about, but I've to tell you, it is not a good feeling being a Middle-Eastern/Arab right now in the US. Living in the South for a while, I've seen the discrimination against African American is also well and alive. Some people literally move out of a neighborhood because some African Americans have just moved in. Even African Americans try to stick together, like in the Church, they try to sit in a few rows up in the balcony or in the back and most of them don't feel like mixing in the crowd, doing discrimination against themselves or others(?).

This might be the problem only in an almost small town like Birmingham AL., but it is far from being a solved issue everywhere. I think, they felt that this would give this movie a chance to be seen by more people, while BBM is already a controversial movie and will be seen by many people with 8 nominations and three wins.

Just my two baseless cents.

good, I'm looking forward to your comments! Even if I think you'll find it...how could I say? too romantic....well, sort of... Just assuming, uh?


not seen it yet. But sure I'll do it ASAP. I'm anxious to see the film which snatched BBM best picture oscar! :p
Now, seriously. I see where you come from, Afi. I'm glad if this movie -- Crash -- is going to be watched by a larger audience after getting a BP oscar. Racism all of sort is far from being won, and definitely not only in USA, so any occasion to meditate about it, is to be entirely welcomed, really. But I don't like these considerations -- right and noble as they are -- might have been more important than merely evaluating the quality, the beauty and the greatness of a movie. After all, it is cinema we are talking about.

Today I'm a little more relaxed on the whole story. I know BBM is a splendid piece of cinema. It deeply touched my heart and I'm grateful. I've been moved. Thousands people have been moved all around the world and more and more thousands will be moved in the future. After all, this is the best achievement a movie can get.

I don't review many movies that I watch, but I'll make sure to let you know what I thought of it.

Of course, I only guessed about those considerations. I can't say for sure until I watch them both.

I remember I wasn't pleased with Million Dollar Baby winning last year, but after watching all the nominated movies, I think Academy simply chose the best picture without any considerations, if you know what I mean.

I don't remember which were the other nominees last year. Oh, wait, maybe The Aviator. Which was a bit of a disappointement for me. And I'm gonna watch Sideways soon so I don't know. Sure Million dollar baby was good, very good. Not a milestone in movie history though.
Ok, oh and as for BBM I don't need a formal review, Afi. Just your thoughts. Your usual brilliant insightful thoughts.

Yeah, about considerations, I meant for the director of the Aviator.

I have a feeling you are bribing me with this compliment so that I give it a good review...

You think I'm smarter than I actually am, but....ok, if it's going to work.....(I doubt it is)

I know I am a bit late on this post but I was very happy that Crash won. I can't believe it, and I was in shock myslef, but it really was a very deep and compelling movie.
'I have a huge crush on Clooney and am very happy for him as well.
I still don't get it about Best Song...how could that happen?

I couldn't refrain from linking everybody to this.

A post Oscar tribute to BBM