The Official Review Thread of 2011

[Reza]

They're both blonde.

They're both named Jessica.

Now you have convinced me. Jessica Chastain will win.

Hey let's not fuck with Big "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" Magilla!!

[ITALIANO]

They're both blonde.

They're both named Jessica.

Now you have convinced me. Jessica Chastain will win.

[Big Magilla]

There are several things the two Jessica have in common:

One, were both came out of obscurity in the year of their first nomination(s).

They were both nominated for a deft comedic performance.

They both gave more than one acclaimed performance in the year of their first nomination(s). Lange was a rare double nominee whereas Chastain won numerous precursors for her multiple roles.

They are both nominated alongside other nominated performances which were initially thought to be the more awards-baity.

They're both blonde.

They're both named Jessica.

[flipp525]

I don't see any similarity. Jessica Lange was also nominated as Best Actress, Chastain isn't. And also, I mean, stranger things have happened, I know, but Spencer has such a big, pivotal role in The Help that I honestly doubt that fans of the movie will choose an actress in a much smaller, less important role over her. (Non-fans will vote for any of the other three). For several reasons, if it had to happen, it should have happened at the Globes, and we know that it didn't.

Correct me if I am wrong but I think Magilla mentioned Jessica Lange as a comparison because Lange (the pretty starlet) was up against Teri Garr (the plain Jane) for Tootsie in 1982 just like Jessica Chastain (the pretty starlet) is up against Octavia Spencer (the plain Jane) in The Help. Although I don't think Garr had any chance of winning that year while Spencer has a very strong chance.

This comparison DOESN'T WORK. Chastain won't win over Spencer. And, if anything, she's the Teri Garr in the original argument (which is, like I said, weak to begin with).

I actually quite enjoyed The Help. It's not groundbreaking filmmaking, but it does the novel justice and the performances are wonderful. Viola Davis' character, Abilene, while stripped of much of the interiority that makes her such a centerpiece of the novel, *does* happen to have a certain nobility to her. Is this also the reason that Mo'Nique won an Oscar a couple years ago and not the strength and ferocity of her performance? I'm not sure what singling Davis out as a "noble problem" of the film is doing for anyone (besides, perhaps, getting you off for the moment). For me, the weak link is Emma Stone's Skeeter. The actress felt, at times, anachronistic for the period in which the film is set.

This fascination that Octavia Spencer win would be attributed to "white guilt" is interesting, however, I think, non-applicable in this case. It's a crowd-pleasing performance and it also happens to be a good performance. The fact that Spencer herself has been a dependable working-man actress for years should be part of her awards narrative (her cameo in Being John Malkovich, I still maintain, is one of the most pitch-perfect I've seen and alerted me to her talents years ago).

[ITALIANO]

Although I don't think Garr had any chance of winning that year while Spencer has a very strong chance.

Which isn't exctly a minor detail. Chastain winning over Spencer would be more or less like Garr winning over Lange.

[Reza]

I don't see any similarity. Jessica Lange was also nominated as Best Actress, Chastain isn't. And also, I mean, stranger things have happened, I know, but Spencer has such a big, pivotal role in The Help that I honestly doubt that fans of the movie will choose an actress in a much smaller, less important role over her. (Non-fans will vote for any of the other three). For several reasons, if it had to happen, it should have happened at the Globes, and we know that it didn't.

Correct me if I am wrong but I think Magilla mentioned Jessica Lange as a comparison because Lange (the pretty starlet) was up against Teri Garr (the plain Jane) for Tootsie in 1982 just like Jessica Chastain (the pretty starlet) is up against Octavia Spencer (the plain Jane) in The Help. Although I don't think Garr had any chance of winning that year while Spencer has a very strong chance.

[ITALIANO]

When I saw the film it took me a while to figure out which character Chastain was playing. Initially I thought she was another character, but the one she was playing was the one that I thought had the best arc in the film and eventually figured out that that must be her. The performance is alone good enough to win an Oscar. Combined with her other work this year, I can't see anyone else winning.

Aah so it's gonna be a Jennifer Connelley / Mira Sorvino kinda year.

No, more like a Jessica Lange in Tootsie kind of year.

I don't see any similarity. Jessica Lange was also nominated as Best Actress, Chastain isn't. And also, I mean, stranger things have happened, I know, but Spencer has such a big, pivotal role in The Help that I honestly doubt that fans of the movie will choose an actress in a much smaller, less important role over her. (Non-fans will vote for any of the other three). For several reasons, if it had to happen, it should have happened at the Globes, and we know that it didn't.

[Reza]

Craig does his normal work but cannot get the Scandinavian accent done properly and when you can hear it it's a bit too forced and sudden.

I read somewhere that Craig intentionally did not use a Swedish accent in the part. But not sure if it was Fincher's idea or Craig's.

[ksrymy]

Just got around to seeing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and I am very impressed. It is much better than the Swedish version where everyone looks twice as old as the characters they portray.

I am also pleased that Rooney Mara was able to make Lisbeth Salander real. Noomi Rapace was too butch for the role. Now, would I nominate Mara?: no, but I am more than happy to accept the fact that the Salander character is represented with an Oscar nomination. She's taken the place in popular adult fiction that Kay Scarpetta and Robert Langdon formerly occupied. Lisbeth is a completely complex character and, even though there's quite a bit lost in translation from Larsson's novel to the big screen, Mara is able to make Salander likeable and sexy. My biggest question is what scene they will choose to show when Mara's name is announced at the ceremony. She will look dull in any non-rape scene (where her acting is at its peak) and those who haven't seen the film will wonder why she was even nominated.

Craig does his normal work but cannot get the Scandinavian accent done properly and when you can hear it it's a bit too forced and sudden.

This is the film Christopher Plummer should be nominated for but the Academy obviously latches onto the edgy, homosexual, geriatric role since that's what the Academy wants to represent in a winning role. Plummer is far more tender and realistic as Martin Vanger than he ever was as Hal in Beginners. Dragon Tattoo is also a far better film. He's mysterious, he's tender, he's curious and far better in this with considerably less screen time.

This film also fully deserves its editing nomination especially due to its brief cutscenes. A quick shot of the motorcycle stationary after she's riding it and directly before she's inside for example. It makes the production value greater and is very well done.

I was also really unimpressed with Reznor and Ross's score and am glad they were not nominated. It was really subpar and the music never played a big part in the film. It didn't heighten drama at all or affect the movie in the slightest.

Also, kudos on the people in charge of the opening credits. That's what the James Bond creditmen aspire to make.

I really enjoyed this film and, I don't mean to sound like a broken record here but, it totally deserves The Help's spot in the Best Picture category.

[Reza]

When I saw the film it took me a while to figure out which character Chastain was playing. Initially I thought she was another character, but the one she was playing was the one that I thought had the best arc in the film and eventually figured out that that must be her. The performance is alone good enough to win an Oscar. Combined with her other work this year, I can't see anyone else winning.

Aah so it's gonna be a Jennifer Connelley / Mira Sorvino kinda year.

No, more like a Jessica Lange in Tootsie kind of year.

Same thing - upcoming young and pretty starlet wins big. Unfortunately not many become huge stars like Lange or Streep. Although it would be interesting to see what happens with Jessica Chastain's career. By the way I also had no clue which of those actresses was Chastain while watching The Help. I kept thinking it was the actress who was doing the interviews (and, as I write, for the life of me can't recall the name of this actress either). I finally realised it had to be the blonde bimbo after the miscarriage scene. I did re-confirm from the net after the film ended. If Chastain wins, watch the media try to bring her down for defeating Octavia Spencer.

[ksrymy]

No, more like a Jessica Lange in Tootsie kind of year.

Amen.

[Big Magilla]

When I saw the film it took me a while to figure out which character Chastain was playing. Initially I thought she was another character, but the one she was playing was the one that I thought had the best arc in the film and eventually figured out that that must be her. The performance is alone good enough to win an Oscar. Combined with her other work this year, I can't see anyone else winning.

Aah so it's gonna be a Jennifer Connelley / Mira Sorvino kinda year.

No, more like a Jessica Lange in Tootsie kind of year.

[ksrymy]

Chastain's miscarriage scene alone is better than any other nominee's work.

[Reza]

When I saw the film it took me a while to figure out which character Chastain was playing. Initially I thought she was another character, but the one she was playing was the one that I thought had the best arc in the film and eventually figured out that that must be her. The performance is alone good enough to win an Oscar. Combined with her other work this year, I can't see anyone else winning.

Aah so it's gonna be a Jennifer Connelley / Mira Sorvino kinda year.

[Big Magilla]

Davis' role may be a cliche but it's not a made up one. Noble, nurturing black maids did/do? exist. They are a direct descendant of the noble black house slave. Just as the daughters and granddaughters of black slaves were grateful for a step up and Hattie Mcdaniel was grateful for being able to play a maid instead of being one, Davis and the black actresses of her generation are grateful that there are so many more options for them nowadays. The characteer is a throwback to an earlier time and Davis plays it well. Whether it is a star part or a supporting one was pretty much decided when Davis was campaigned as lead. Anyone who has a problem with that is free to vote for someone else.

Spencer's role is pretty much a writer's invention. If a black maid in the South at the time dared to do what she did in her big scene she could have been lynched. In no way, shape or form would she tell the white harridan what she did. Good performance but not quite as good as Chastain's.

When I saw the film it took me a while to figure out which character Chastain was playing. Initially I thought she was another character, but the one she was playing was the one that I thought had the best arc in the film and eventually figured out that that must be her. The performance is alone good enough to win an Oscar. Combined with her other work this year, I can't see anyone else winning.