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Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:58 pm
by Bog
This is one of the things each year I love the most and find the most fascinating about this board. I think Slumdog Millionaire is the most overrated film since A Beautiful Mind, while Penelope and Okri almost love it and are satisfied with the recent and future outcomes. Zahveed and Wes love The Dark Knight and it nearly drives Penelope and Reza insane that it exists. Eric is actually excited about an option in the running for Oscar and Damien curses its name purely for its animation. My favorite film of the year (so far) is Let the Right One In and BJ and Okri vote it the most overrated film of the entire year.
We hardly agree on any particular movies individually much of the time, but the intellectual discussion that we can have no matter how much one of us hates the Dark Knight and loves Slumdog Millionaire is what makes this board superior to all others.
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:25 pm
by Penelope
It seems to be, BJ; also, I suspect some critics are supporting it as opposition to Twilight.
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:25 pm
by Zahveed
The Original BJ wrote:I finally saw Let the Right One In, and it got my vote. All of those foreign film prizes are even more baffling than the sweep for Man on Wire (although perhaps it could be a release issue -- was this vampire movie one of the more widely distributed foreign flicks this year? It's telling it won most of the smaller critics groups' awards, but none of the big ones.)
I think of all the foreign films, that's the only one I remember seeing listed as showing in Oklahoma City.
Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:21 pm
by The Original BJ
I finally saw Let the Right One In, and it got my vote. All of those foreign film prizes are even more baffling than the sweep for Man on Wire (although perhaps it could be a release issue -- was this vampire movie one of the more widely distributed foreign flicks this year? It's telling it won most of the smaller critics groups' awards, but none of the big ones.)
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:05 pm
by Okri
I voted for Let the Right One In.
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 8:01 pm
by barrybrooks8
I found it joyless, and I found the subject "Man" a pretentious jerk.
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 4:26 pm
by Zahveed
I voted for Slumdog Millionaire. It is entertaining enough for what it's worth, but it's not the best of anything and doesn't really deserve everything under the sun. It's more like a watered down, uplifting City of God than the story I was hoping for. I became more interested in the Millionaire questions than what happens to the guy.
On another note: I watched Man on Wire and really enjoyed it. It may be an overrated documentary, (I've only watched one this year so I wouldn't know), but I don't think it's the most overrated film of the bunch.
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 1:26 pm
by barrybrooks8
I voted for Man On Wire, with Wall-E in second. Man on Wire had nothing of interest.
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:08 am
by OscarGuy
I'm on board the Benjamin Button train.
And, rolo, if you haven't seen Slumdog Millionaire, then you might not want to have voted yet. I don't know if you'll like it. You may, but no Overrated vote should be participated in until one see's one of the most highly rated films of the year.
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 11:04 am
by Zahveed
flipp525 wrote:Unlike others on this board, I enjoyed the film and thought it was a substantive treatise on the ephemeral nature of life. Lived backwards or forwards, a life lived with regret feels shorter.
I'm also hoping for a surprise Cate Blanchett nomination. This was some of her best work.
Thanks Flipp. It's about time someone else appreciated this film.
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:53 am
by Reza
flipp525 wrote:I'm also hoping for a surprise Cate Blanchett nomination. This was some of her best work.
From your mouth to God's ears. Blanchett was the only character that kept me watching.
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:52 am
by rolotomasi99
OscarGuy wrote:I think you're projecting, rolo. Benjamin Button has barely been a factor in critics awards.
i was going off of what mike kelly posted a little while ago in another thread. his calculations put the film as the fourth most recongized film of the year. plus, i frequent awardsdaily and they are freakin' in love with the film.
via mike kelly:
With a tip of the hat to Sijmen's Experiment, here's my precursor tally as it stands before the guild awards. It is not exhaustive and I simply give 3 points to any win and 1 point to a nomination or runner-up award. There were 27 precursors used and were given equal weight.
PICTURE
1. Slumdog Millionaire - 42 Points
2. WALL-E - 17
3. Milk - 16
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 14
5. The Dark Knight - 14
6. Frost/Nixon - 9
DIRECTOR
1. Danny Boyle - 50 Points
2. Gus van Sant - 11
3. Christopher Nolan - 10
4. David Fincher - 9
5. Ron Howard - 8
6. Tie: Andrew Stanton and Mike Leigh - 6
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:30 am
by flipp525
Am I the only one not enjoying (and not really even getting) the incessant Forrest Gump-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button comparison/connection? Sure, if you boil things down to their most basic elements, both stories feature somwhat cipher-like characters going through the course of American history, but it just about ends right there. "Inert", "lifeless", "cold" -- I would've been annoyed had they decided to make this film a heartwarming tale of a lovable man with a freakish disorder shoehorned into various real-life historical events in American history (look! Benjamin meets James Dean in an alley! Look! Benjamin came up with the phrase "Life's a Beach"!). In fact, it would've been somewhat ridiculous. David Fincher was the perfect director to take on this story.
Unlike others on this board, I enjoyed the film and thought it was a substantive treatise on the ephemeral nature of life. Lived backwards or forwards, a life lived with regret feels shorter.
I'm also hoping for a surprise Cate Blanchett nomination. This was some of her best work.
Edited By flipp525 on 1231428732
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:08 am
by OscarGuy
I think you're projecting, rolo. Benjamin Button has barely been a factor in critics awards. Here's what it's gotten.
Picture, St. Louis Critics
Director, National Board of Review
Supporting Actress: Henson, Austin Critics
Adapted Screenplay, National Board of Review
Original Score, Phoenix Critics
Cinematography, Phoenix & Las Vegas Critics
Art Direction, D.C. & San Diego & Las Vegas Critics
Costume Design, Las Vegas Critics
It may have gotten lots of nominations, but its winner take is quite anemic. Four top-line awards and the rest technicals.
Edited By OscarGuy on 1231428801
Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 10:02 am
by rolotomasi99
my pick for most overrated film this year:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
gorgeously made but emotionally inert. since most critics were divided against the movie either being magical or cold, i would not say it was overrated if it had not won so many critics awards. the day i think a ron howard film is better than a david fincher film is a scary day indeed. fincher was just all wrong for this project.
honorable mention film not listed:
IRON MAN
yes, downey, jr. was great. he clearly makes a much better leading man and superhero than christian bale, but the story was pretty lame. an even greater sin was the action scenes were not very compelling. i wonder if THE DARK KNIGHT had come out before IRON MAN would the critics would have been so in love with the latter film. to me though, it did not even reach the heights of past great comic book films like X-MEN 2 and SPIDER-MAN 2.
films i have seen:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
MILK
WALL-E
films i plan to see:
RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
HAPPY GO LUCKY
THE WRESTLER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
films i will probably not see:
MAN ON WIRE
Edited By rolotomasi99 on 1231427177