What the Oscars got wrong
So we can't all have been happy with the Oscars this year. What ****** you off?
My irks go back to the nominations. Particularly in best picture. Where is The Wrestler? It's a complete disgrace that this movie wasn't nominated.
And was the Academy so starved for a big contender this year that BENJAMIN BUTTON was the big leader among categories? I'm okay with this now, considering it didn't win any major category. And Frost/Nixon?? REALLY? This for best picture, AND best director. You have to admit it: It was a really weak year. Even The Dark Knight and The Visitor deserved a spot more than Frost/Nixon, Button, or even The Reader.
For winners, I'm okay with Slumdog for best picture, simply because of the real-world repurcussions it's had - the celebrations in India and the attention being given to the Mumbai slums and child slavery. Ultimately I was okay if it was this or Milk, so long as it wasn't Benjamin Button, which was a very fun overlong contemporary fantasy film, but other than that, it was just a prettied-up Forrest Gump without the charm or character! And I sound like I'm really praising Forrest Gump here, but I'm no fan of Forrest Gump!
Best Actor - Sean Penn did amazing as Harvey Milk. There's no denying it. He also didn't need another Oscar. And he also didn't so much as chip the iceberg that Mickey Rourke practically encased himself in for The Wrestler. The guy ripped himself open for everyone to see in this film. Mickey Rourke's life story, distilled into a blisteringly sad, 90-minute film about a washed up pro wrestler. No actor will likely ever do a movie more tailor-made for them than Mickey Rourke is for this movie. And every bit of his experience shows. You don't need to know his life story to get anything out of The Wrestler - but you will benefit from what he brings to it. One of the best performances I've seen in YEARS. Will be the highest point in his career. And, many have said, the best film Darren Aronofsky has made (granted, he's only made 4 films, but they're all doozies).
The Best Director category is a joke. They don't know how to give this out. The nominees almost always, always match the Best Picture category. I loved seeing Danny Boyle win it. But this category is just meaningless. I would have loved to see Charlie Kaufman nominated. Nobody liked "Synecdoche, New York", but his vision was so unique, and the way he made this film - from deep inside the character's mind - is a novel approach, and made for an incredible experience.
Any other rambling post-Oscar thoughts on 2008's great (or lack of great) films?
Edit: I should mention that I've never put stock into The Oscars - they're an industry back-pat, a complete joke, but they're always a blast to talk about, and I love oscar season because it gets people watching movies and talking about the year's films.