Hmmm…
Why is Variety – in the form of two leading bloggers on the .com page – selling the absurd notion that The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is chasing Slummy’s tail closely?
It is my considered opinion that both Frost/Nixon and Milk have much stronger constituencies than Button at this point.
Is it really as simple as “the movie with the most nominations must be #2?”
While Bart is selling Benjamin Button coming up from behind, Thompson is selling Milk splitting Slummy and the alleged #2, Button.
Are we really this desperate to create a race (and perhaps, sell more ads) when we all have a very good sense of where things really are?
And what kind of crap is this? “This year the directors to a remarkable degree, have
Don’t know much about history, Don’t know much BIOlogy, don’t know much about the French I took…
But I do know that I DO VOTE, and I’ll be going for Fincher and Button whenever that damn ballot shows up.
That’s supposed to be a secret, Don.
But score one for The Button.
I would agree Van Sant overtaking Boyle has a much better shot than Fincher (granted, still highly unlikely). We will know shortly.
Button reminds of The Aviator in a way. A “Big Prestige” period-movie, many nominations, could make a big shock on Awards night. In the end, just wasn’t all that well-liked, though it did win some technical awards.
Best Supporting Actor aside, I do think the other three acting race have all the potential for upsets. I don’t think Cruz is a lock and neither is Penn. Could be quite a surprising evening.
An Academy voter is supposed to keep his votes secret? In perpetuity? Really?
jeffmcm- he’s funnin!
Aw shucks.
Actually, I was funnin’ and offering the fact… according to Academy rules, members are not supposed to offer their voting info to the media or in any way promote any particular movie by saying they are voting for it in the media.
This rule is broken hourly, but it is the rule. I’m sure Don’s membership is safe.
Maybe Don doesn’t consider this blog ‘the media’.
Slummy? Really? Time to call someone from Mumbai, and get them all riled up at Heat. No wonder those folks hate that title. It creates shitty abbreviation of the title. Oh yeah: AO Scott made the best point as to why Slumdog will have a hard time winning. Not as hard a time as winning as the greatest director alive known as FINCHER, but a hard time nonetheless.
Did MCN review any of the 5 eco films in competition at Sundance: Crude, Dirt!, Earth Days, No Impact Man, The End of the Line?
all i can say is if the pretty-to-look-at but ultimately empty and soulless ‘button’ wins the ‘best pic’ oscar while fincher’s meticulously constructed and executed, atmospheric, well-acted and character driven, so-evocative-of-time-and-place ‘zodiac’ didn’t even get a nomination, there is something seriously askew in the order of the universe and we have indeed slipped into the the bizarro world
So who is Robert Wise supporting this year?…
He’s busy fighting mercenary forces in Belize. It’s a pretty hit and miss situation, but he will pull it off. HE’S FUCKING ROBERT WISE!
Leah: You might think I am a scumbag, I’m not, I’m not, but that’s a great point. It could be seen as a LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD because this is Fincher’s second (?) nomination? The dude needs it now. Before he pulls a Hitchcock on the Academy.
Guys, Robert Wise died about 3 1/2 years ago.
Godard is still kicking, though, not to mention Bertolucci, Scorsese, Coppola, etc.
I would’ve said that Milk could challenge Slumdog but it won the fuckin’ SAG ensemble prize!! Jesus christ. The love for that movie is ridiculous. It did not have the best acting ensemble of the year. Hell, it didn’t even have one single performance that I’d cite as a “in a weak year maybe I’d nominate them” pick.
Countdown to Frieda Pinto being the love interest in a Will Smith movie? Over-under on her third-billed Bond Girl potential? Even money on a midrange supporting career popping up 10th billed and cast as a luminous but downtrodden Latina in B-level American indies?
All I know is that guy who played the smarmy gameshow host gave the best performance, but every time I see him at one of these awards shows, he’s all hopping around and mugging for the cameras and looking like an If They Made It child of Nathan Lane and Oliver Reed. Like, *settle down*, dude.
i don’t think you’re a scumbag, io, but perhaps a bit challenged in the anger management area
and i agree about ‘slumdog’, it’s a good movie but the best cast of the year? thin
ot, but i can’t help myself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBlev8r_iCo
I keep getting it in my head that Richard Jenkins could upset. Penn won not so long ago, and Mickey does himself no favors with the canine worship and other wacky behavior. I say this without having yet seen Milk or The Wrestler. So, you know, grain of salt.
I’m well aware that Robert Wise is dead. I was making a specific reference to something from when he was alive. But, you know, being ironic about it.
Then never mind.