getting acclaim but seems like it has a terribly obvious, well-worn narrative arc. Really, the cynical businessman is going to learn life lessons about the cost of self-isolation? We've certainly never seen that before; sign me up.
overrated and a bit conventional, but Clooney, Farmiga and Kandrick are fantastic. Hope the movie will not win Best Picture and though King George is sexy and glamorous and sensitive, Colin Firth in A Single Man is far better in a truly challenging role.
A topic I and many would rather be brought up after Christmas since we can actually have seen it by then unlike people that happen to be within reasonable distance of the 15 screens it's currently being played on. [/bitter rant]
...yet another movie that gains nothing from waiting until December to release. Farmiga and Kendrick could have established themselves in the race back in October; how can they hope to get traction now?
very very good. I was so lucky to see it opening weekend. It was a packed house and the whole audience was into it the whole way. No real weak spots. I can see it winning best picture.
...absolutely fantastic...really had no expectations when seeing it and was completely blown away. and i disagree with those who find it "conventional"...i did NOT see that ending coming. a terrific film with career-best performances from Clooney, Farmiga, and Kendrick.
1) ...a movie that I liked, but that upset me in its treatment of Vera Farmiga's character. I won't discuss it here, though, because it seems like there are a lot of people posting/reading who haven't seen it yet.
oddly getting a lot of acclaim in the US. I thought it was good, not great. Lovely to see strong female performances, while I never tire of seeing Clooney does his hang dog/Michael Clayton shtick. Not quite sure where all the hoopla is coming form though?
...a bit of a fast fade, I'm afraid. Six weeks on, I remember little about it apart from the fact that I quite enjoyed it -- and that Vera Farmiga gives hands-down the most impressive performance in it.
Overrated,has George Clooney playing himself and A Twilighter who should not be getting awards and nods like the NBR over more deserved performances (cough,cough Mo'nique,Julianne Moore)
a love child of Billy Wilder and Frank Capra, beautifully paced with a sadness and humor infused that captivated the viewer. It is a film only a master behind the camera could muster up. I have such high hopes for Jason Reitman.
I just wanna say that (and maybe it's not the place, or whatever) I find unacceptable for a critic to say a movie is "overrated". A film critic should review a movie regardless of its impact on people or media or the exposure it gets. They should watch it without considering the actors and director's and writer's previous work, for all they are watching is that movie, not everything that preceded it. So a movie can be good, or bad or whatever, but you can't recommend it based on what everyone else is saying. I know it happens a lot, but it shouldn't. People (and critics) should be more objective.
...actually deserving of the best picture oscar it's going to win. My favorite film so far this year, though that could change with more reflection/viewings.
I LOVED Vera Farmiga's character. The ending made me want to watch the whole film again (and I will at some point). I agree that she was best in show even though Clooney gave the best performance of his life.
To those who think it's not going to win... what exactly do you think will beat it? Precious? The Hurt Locker? Avatar? Nine? I'm not feeling it.
Though it won't win many oscars, it will easily earn the most globe noms in the drama category and will most likely bag that award. And it's already clinched the first two critics' awards. I see it in remaining in the driver's seat all season.
For my globe predictions and analysis, see here. My blog was dead for a long time, but now it lives!
Gonna steal way too many awards from the Hurt Locker. Damn them for not releasing it later. It's CLEARLY the Best Picture. EVERY other movie, outside maybe Up, has had its detractors come around fast and furious (i.e. Nine, The Lovely Bones, Avatar, Amelia, etc.).
I saw it at Telluride and was really entertained and moved by the ending, which I thought was perfect. It's not in my top five so far this year, but seeing it again (which I plan on doing soon) may change that... in any event, I'd be happy to see it win Best Picture (although I kind of doubt that that will happen) because it's not what they typically go for, and I definitely having nothing but respect for everybody involved.
@CLOVER -- i get where you're coming from but none of us watch movies in a vacuum including critics so i think it's kind of disingenuous when people claim (not that many people claim it) that they do.
@CLEMENT -- NOOOOoooooooo. Don't encourage Hollywood to release everything at Christmas time! That's so bad for the movies. The Hurt Locker was such a relief during the summer. I'm so glad good movies sometimes open then.
Nathaniel, I wasn't referring to you specifically, it's just that a lot of critics are content by saying that a movie is worse than expected, or better than expected, when, basically, this expectations should not be there in the first place.
Let's take a look at what happened last year. Everyone ended up hating Slumdog Millionaire, because of all the hype and awards, but let's say Slumdog had opened in 10 theaters in here and had had a poor box office run. Maybe it'd become a cult film and people would be saying it was underrated and it would have a lot more support. Maybe people would even be claiming it was Oscar material, and it should've been nominated for Best Picture. And maybe the people that would say that are the same that were bashing the film a year ago...
I don't know, it's something that doesn't relly have a solution, but I'd hate if it happens to Up in the Air this year.
Ok, well I have to start out with a disclaimer: I was really taken aback by the direction it went in over the last twenty minutes, mostly because I thought I had completely figured out what kind of movie it was going to be (i.e. former scumbag finds the right Farmiga, gets a Capra-esque ending etc.)
I loved that the movie ultimately didn't let him off the hook (hey, look at what you're missing out on...but first you have to pay your dues), and that was a really refreshing twist... in theory.
Somehow the transition didn't feel organic. I really had a "what? huh" moment for about two days after, just because I couldn't figure out why it didn't work onscreen. It just didn't feel like part of the same movie as everything else. And since it caught me so off guard I'm really looking forward to seeing it again so I can keep an eye out for how Reitman forecasts it, or where he stumbles in making a successful integration.
The one example I can think of right now is when Farmiga is giving her pep talk to Kendrick in the hotel lobby, and in retrospect when she tells her not to marry someone who makes less money, it's clear she's talking about her husband.
But other than that, the ending ultimately felt tagged-on the way it was executed (which is a shame, since it could've been awesome). Unfortunately I'm not one for deep analysis after one viewing, so it's definitely a gut feeling. And part of me is hoping that now that I know how everything turns out I'll be able to watch it from a new perspective and appreciate it more...but the first impression is pretty hard to shake at this point.
As I said - highly overrated but Farmiga was great (and only she was great). Clooney played yet another himself. :P And Kendrick... Well, she was OK but nothing special.
the big hollywood retelling of THE BUSINESS OF STRANGERS with Stockard Channing, Julia Stiles and Fred Weller. Ok, I jest, but remember that flick? I really liked that quirky little movie.
...a more "mature" film than Thank You For Smoking and Juno, but not as much fun as either. It's smart and solid and has great performances across the board, but (like An Education) was not as exciting to me as A Serious Man, A Single Man, Precious, The Hurt Locker, The Messenger, Star Trek, District 9, Where the Wild Things Are, Bright Star and Broken Embraces, to name a few (ten, to be exact).
getting acclaim but seems like it has a terribly obvious, well-worn narrative arc. Really, the cynical businessman is going to learn life lessons about the cost of self-isolation? We've certainly never seen that before; sign me up.
ReplyDeleteAh well, maybe it'll be worth it for Kendrick.
...future Best Picture winner.
ReplyDeletea great movie but not the best picture of the year.
ReplyDeleteon my "To Do" list, I swear.
ReplyDeleteoverrated and a bit conventional, but Clooney, Farmiga and Kandrick are fantastic. Hope the movie will not win Best Picture and though King George is sexy and glamorous and sensitive, Colin Firth in A Single Man is far better in a truly challenging role.
ReplyDeletethe best made obvious Oscar bait in a while.
ReplyDeleteA topic I and many would rather be brought up after Christmas since we can actually have seen it by then unlike people that happen to be within reasonable distance of the 15 screens it's currently being played on. [/bitter rant]
ReplyDelete...good not great.
ReplyDelete...a film that falls apart narratively in the end a little bit.
...really well-acted.
...a film with an amazing score.
...nowhere even close to my area. We're still waiting for Precious.
ReplyDeletegetting very soon a very strong backlash, with "overrated" shouting and these things.
ReplyDeleteI see a new Sideways, no matter how great it is (like Sideways was great).
Who will be the first major critic to label it overrated?
ReplyDeleteWhat did Manohla think about it?
A film that I hope to see this week or the next.
ReplyDelete...a whole bunch of cold snowy weather that makes me wish I were in Miami.
ReplyDeleteThis is the kind of movie that I can salivate only by thinking of Ed Gonzalez's review.
ReplyDelete...yet another movie that gains nothing from waiting until December to release. Farmiga and Kendrick could have established themselves in the race back in October; how can they hope to get traction now?
ReplyDeleteout of topic: glad you finally watched Sin Nombre...it's still one of my faves of the year. the train sequences are stunning.
ReplyDeletei will be keeping my eye on fukunaga. he's tackling Jane Eyre next.
-jason
very very good. I was so lucky to see it opening weekend. It was a packed house and the whole audience was into it the whole way. No real weak spots. I can see it winning best picture.
ReplyDelete...absolutely fantastic...really had no expectations when seeing it and was completely blown away. and i disagree with those who find it "conventional"...i did NOT see that ending coming. a terrific film with career-best performances from Clooney, Farmiga, and Kendrick.
ReplyDelete1) ...a movie that I liked, but that upset me in its treatment of Vera Farmiga's character. I won't discuss it here, though, because it seems like there are a lot of people posting/reading who haven't seen it yet.
ReplyDelete...totally on my schedule for tomorrow afternoon, I swear.
ReplyDeletea movie I'm looking forward to seeing this weekend!
ReplyDeleteoddly getting a lot of acclaim in the US. I thought it was good, not great. Lovely to see strong female performances, while I never tire of seeing Clooney does his hang dog/Michael Clayton shtick.
ReplyDeleteNot quite sure where all the hoopla is coming form though?
...a bit of a fast fade, I'm afraid. Six weeks on, I remember little about it apart from the fact that I quite enjoyed it -- and that Vera Farmiga gives hands-down the most impressive performance in it.
ReplyDelete... okay, funny at times.
ReplyDelete... not as great as a lot of people are saying.
... being hyped up partially because it's directed by the same guy who did "Juno."
... going to get nominated for Best picture.
... not going to win.
... the first film I watched Vera Farmiga and enjoyed her performance.
... not a showcase of Clooney's best work.
... a let down if you expect greatness from newcomber Anna Kendricks.
Overrated,has George Clooney playing himself and A Twilighter who should not be getting awards and nods like the NBR over more deserved performances (cough,cough Mo'nique,Julianne Moore)
ReplyDeletea love child of Billy Wilder and Frank Capra, beautifully paced with a sadness and humor infused that captivated the viewer. It is a film only a master behind the camera could muster up. I have such high hopes for Jason Reitman.
ReplyDeletebased on a forgettable book that i threw away 8 years ago.
ReplyDelete...about to get spoiled for me if I keep reading this?
ReplyDeleteAgree with James. I would stake my life on it.
ReplyDelete...the film that shows us how good Reitman really is.
ReplyDeleteI just wanna say that (and maybe it's not the place, or whatever) I find unacceptable for a critic to say a movie is "overrated". A film critic should review a movie regardless of its impact on people or media or the exposure it gets. They should watch it without considering the actors and director's and writer's previous work, for all they are watching is that movie, not everything that preceded it.
ReplyDeleteSo a movie can be good, or bad or whatever, but you can't recommend it based on what everyone else is saying. I know it happens a lot, but it shouldn't. People (and critics) should be more objective.
...going to make Reitman a record holder.
ReplyDelete(I haven't seen it yet)
enjoyable, but overrated, albeit less overrated than Precious.
ReplyDelete...actually deserving of the best picture oscar it's going to win. My favorite film so far this year, though that could change with more reflection/viewings.
ReplyDeleteI LOVED Vera Farmiga's character. The ending made me want to watch the whole film again (and I will at some point). I agree that she was best in show even though Clooney gave the best performance of his life.
To those who think it's not going to win... what exactly do you think will beat it? Precious? The Hurt Locker? Avatar? Nine? I'm not feeling it.
Though it won't win many oscars, it will easily earn the most globe noms in the drama category and will most likely bag that award. And it's already clinched the first two critics' awards. I see it in remaining in the driver's seat all season.
For my globe predictions and analysis, see here. My blog was dead for a long time, but now it lives!
lifted by some great theoretical ideas, but fails to make them convincing in their execution
ReplyDeleteVera Farmiga is giving a performance that is probably not showy enough for Oscar but is still one of her, and the year's best.
Agree with trent though...very problematic!! (and not just cause I'm in love with her all the time)
ReplyDeleteGonna steal way too many awards from the Hurt Locker. Damn them for not releasing it later. It's CLEARLY the Best Picture. EVERY other movie, outside maybe Up, has had its detractors come around fast and furious (i.e. Nine, The Lovely Bones, Avatar, Amelia, etc.).
ReplyDeleteCome on Bigelow!!!!
...the next movie I'm going to see in the theater, if all goes according to plan.
ReplyDeleteevery film critics and blogger orgasm of the year
ReplyDelete...not yet open in my area. =(
ReplyDeletepretentious...
ReplyDelete...not the movie I'm waiting for Nathaniel to review. I'm dying to read about the movie with "B+?" next to it on the sidebar...
ReplyDeletefabulous.
ReplyDeleteI saw it at Telluride and was really entertained and moved by the ending, which I thought was perfect. It's not in my top five so far this year, but seeing it again (which I plan on doing soon) may change that... in any event, I'd be happy to see it win Best Picture (although I kind of doubt that that will happen) because it's not what they typically go for, and I definitely having nothing but respect for everybody involved.
... going to be the best Best Picture winner of this decade.
ReplyDelete...is most likely this year's best picture winner.
ReplyDeletei wasn't quite getting the prerelease praise. since the reviews and awards have been trickling in, i can definitely see UP IN THE AIR as the winner.
but what else will it win, besides best adapted screenplay and maybe best director?
pure american (intelligent) positivism.
ReplyDelete@CLOVER -- i get where you're coming from but none of us watch movies in a vacuum including critics so i think it's kind of disingenuous when people claim (not that many people claim it) that they do.
ReplyDelete@CLEMENT -- NOOOOoooooooo. Don't encourage Hollywood to release everything at Christmas time! That's so bad for the movies. The Hurt Locker was such a relief during the summer. I'm so glad good movies sometimes open then.
@IAN -- interesting take. I want to hear more.
an excellent dramedy that's easily one of the years best films.
ReplyDelete*...but not so much because of Mr. Clooney--who's fine in the film but hardly worthy of a 3rd Oscar nomination let alone win.
ReplyDeleteunsettling.
ReplyDeleteNathaniel, I wasn't referring to you specifically, it's just that a lot of critics are content by saying that a movie is worse than expected, or better than expected, when, basically, this expectations should not be there in the first place.
ReplyDeleteLet's take a look at what happened last year. Everyone ended up hating Slumdog Millionaire, because of all the hype and awards, but let's say Slumdog had opened in 10 theaters in here and had had a poor box office run. Maybe it'd become a cult film and people would be saying it was underrated and it would have a lot more support. Maybe people would even be claiming it was Oscar material, and it should've been nominated for Best Picture. And maybe the people that would say that are the same that were bashing the film a year ago...
I don't know, it's something that doesn't relly have a solution, but I'd hate if it happens to Up in the Air this year.
... too slow to be released nationwide so I can go finally see it!
ReplyDeletea solid film, if over-praised.
ReplyDelete...hopefully enough of a romantic comedy that I can finally dupe my mom into seeing a potential Best Picture nominee with me.
ReplyDelete::SPOILERS:::
ReplyDeleteOk, well I have to start out with a disclaimer: I was really taken aback by the direction it went in over the last twenty minutes, mostly because I thought I had completely figured out what kind of movie it was going to be (i.e. former scumbag finds the right Farmiga, gets a Capra-esque ending etc.)
I loved that the movie ultimately didn't let him off the hook (hey, look at what you're missing out on...but first you have to pay your dues), and that was a really refreshing twist... in theory.
Somehow the transition didn't feel organic. I really had a "what? huh" moment for about two days after, just because I couldn't figure out why it didn't work onscreen. It just didn't feel like part of the same movie as everything else. And since it caught me so off guard I'm really looking forward to seeing it again so I can keep an eye out for how Reitman forecasts it, or where he stumbles in making a successful integration.
The one example I can think of right now is when Farmiga is giving her pep talk to Kendrick in the hotel lobby, and in retrospect when she tells her not to marry someone who makes less money, it's clear she's talking about her husband.
But other than that, the ending ultimately felt tagged-on the way it was executed (which is a shame, since it could've been awesome). Unfortunately I'm not one for deep analysis after one viewing, so it's definitely a gut feeling. And part of me is hoping that now that I know how everything turns out I'll be able to watch it from a new perspective and appreciate it more...but the first impression is pretty hard to shake at this point.
Oh, and the disclaimer was supposed to be: I can't really back up my arguments so well at this point/need more time to process (watch again)
ReplyDeletehighly overrated and does not deserve any Academy Awards.
ReplyDelete...the best picture of 2009.
ReplyDeleteAs I said - highly overrated but Farmiga was great (and only she was great). Clooney played yet another himself. :P And Kendrick... Well, she was OK but nothing special.
ReplyDeletethe big hollywood retelling of THE BUSINESS OF STRANGERS with Stockard Channing, Julia Stiles and Fred Weller. Ok, I jest, but remember that flick? I really liked that quirky little movie.
ReplyDelete...a more "mature" film than Thank You For Smoking and Juno, but not as much fun as either. It's smart and solid and has great performances across the board, but (like An Education) was not as exciting to me as A Serious Man, A Single Man, Precious, The Hurt Locker, The Messenger, Star Trek, District 9, Where the Wild Things Are, Bright Star and Broken Embraces, to name a few (ten, to be exact).
ReplyDeletea very Hollywood-like movie. It also shows that yes, Vera Farmiga's agent is not a total asshole.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNathaniel, here you have Women Film Critics Circle Awards:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.moviecitynews.com/awards/2010/critics_awards/wfcc.html
a great film that doesn't deserve the backlash it's going to receive.
ReplyDelete