Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
I love how Kathryn Bigelow is totally gracious about all the "first woman" and "ex-wife" business that comes with the Oscar media circus, but is smart and confident enough to sidestep it simultaneously. She never brings it up herself (and don't be fooled: it would help her win if she fully embraced it) but just acknowledges it with a smile and moves on. Film Experience contributor Jose wrote up his frustration with this media reduction on his blog Movies Kick Ass. David Poland recently sounded off about it, too.
I concur with both of them but the reason I've mentioned the Cameron/Bigelow marriage so often is because I'm entitled to. When I was a baby cinephile I was a fan of both of them while they were married... So, I get a waiver. I'm allowed to bring it up because I have no sensationalistic agenda, just nostalgia. Like Demi Moore and Bruce Willis after them, I find super friendly divorced couples totally fascinating.
Anyway, speaking of gracious: Anthony Mackie.And he has a right to sour grapes if he wanted it given the actual Supporting Actor shortlist. Here's my alternative ballot... (and yes, I will finish my personal awards soon. I'll start again tomorrow. I'm usually finished before Oscar but Sundance threw off my timetable this year)
Posts
15 comments:
Anthony Mackie was awesome and wonderful on The Today Show when they announced the nominees. And that is the only time that I can ever imagine using "awesome and wonderful" and "The Today Show in the same sentence.
They are all entirely gracious and wonderful. People like that should win Oscars.
~Steven
loved this moment. THL FTW!
I actually think your nom for Mackie in supporting actor category is a pretty good example of category fraud. He's great in the movie, but if Blanchett was leading in "Notes on a Scandal", then he's leading here as well.
Actually that might be the reason he got snubbed (see: Maria Bello in "A History of Violence")
I've seen that video three times. It has yet to get old.
And Steven, no. Isn't that exactly the kind of biased thinking that ends up making later-regretted choices? People end up mistaking the Oscars for Best Personalities Awards, or Career Awards. It should just *always* be based on the work alone.
I would go straight for Kathryn Bigelow.
No, that's not what I meant. Well, I guess that's what I said, but not necessarily what I meant. I'm a big supporter of rewarding those who deserve it. (As much as the Slumdog team was charming last year, they did not deserve it... the SAG Ensemble Award? Dev Patel over David Kross at BFCA? No way.) It would just be nice if those who deserve it were nice and humble as these three are. In this case, they are deserving. So yes, I do stand by my previous statement: "People like that should win Oscars." I should add, "...specifically those people."
~Steven
On a random note, it's nice to hear someone praise David Kross. I really like him in that movie, and quite a few of his line readings were flat-out wonderful.
Well, if Anthony Mackie has too much personal character and graciousness to be bitter about his unforgivable snub in favor Matt-fucking-Damon, then I'll gladly be bitter for him.
I don't think Mackie in supporting is fraud, but I do think it's a tough call. I think you may be on to something about split votes being the reason he was snubbed. But the thing is, he's so unfamous that awards groups would usually have no trouble putting him in supporting even if it WERE outright fraud. So I think if they'd really wanted to nominate him, they would have. There were just a lot of career honors noms going on in that category this year... tough time for a new guy to catch a break.
The film is really about the squadron, the three of them, and they can't all be leads. So Jeremy Renner, the leader, gets the lead categorization. The other two are supporting. It's not like the movie is JUST about the relationship between Renner and Mackie; Geraghty is part of the group, too. It just happens to be that Mackie is massively better than Geraghty in the film.
It was weird though how the narrative ID shifted away from Mackie and toward Renner once he comes in, but once Renner grabs hold of the film, he never lets it go, and by the end, Mackie really isn't the protagonist anymore.
Oh and I'd go straight for Kathryn too.
I bet the four of them all had wild orgies at night during that shoot...
and thus... THE SEXY LOCKER.
but seriously. I think Mackie might be a lead too... but i was viewing it as kind of ag Great Gatbsy situation where the "lead" inititally (Mackie in this case) is really just your eyes and it's not about him -- you're just seeing it through him.
plus, i was trying to ease up on my obsessiveness on "fraud" this year (I made a personal vow to only go there if it's something that makes me want to vomit it's so crazy stupid ... like Jamie Foxx as "supporting" in Collateral. It still hurts my head from the stupidity)
all that sad I absolutely would be shocked if even one person put him down as a lead on their ballots among Oscar voters. Even before the days of annual egregious fraud, that performance would have been deemed supporting. Not famous enough and there's someone else with an even bigger role.
it's just that not enough people voted for him. Which sucks. I think Damon is a brilliant actor but that role was just so dull. I think Tucci is a fine actor but that performance was just ... no.
sucky category. which is why it'll be a piece of cake for Waltz to win.
Gracious is the word. Hope Bigelow wins at least. Kickass movie.
I think I would fuck the hell out of this people...including Matt and Meredith ! Seriously, these two are aging well, right ?
Post a Comment