Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

Posted: **Fri Jun 12, 2009 7:23 pm**

I don't know the source material, but for me the major difference between this and The Departed is that Scorsese is no longer the major Oscar story he was three years ago. When The Departed came out, there was such grumbling for him to win his Oscar, and such pressure to put everything he did in the race, that it glided through despite not being "Best Picture material" and garnered a career Oscar pair for Scorsese. There isn't that grumbling for him to win number 2 (especially 3 years later) and if he is going to contend it needs to be a powerful powerhouse (a la Saving Private Ryan for Spielberg)...

Posted: **Fri Jun 12, 2009 4:58 pm**

Thank you Mister Tee for not revealing any spoilers.

So you are saying SHUTTER ISLAND the movie is doomed because of week ending in the book, or because the overall tone of the story is just too pulp-y?

If it is the former, I can only hope Marty made the appropriate changes. If it is the latter, I would point to JAWS, THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, and THE DEPARTED. Of course, those examples were thrown around to prove THE DARK KNIGHT was going to be nominated for best picture, and we all know how that turned out.

You could be right about the Academy's view of something so lightweight. It is hard these days to figure out what they like.

Posted: **Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:20 pm**

rolo, I'll agree with you that Mystic River turned out a more best picure-level film than I'd have guessed from redaing the book, but again I don't think that works as a good analogy for Shutter Island. I thought Mystic on the page was neither an inventive enough narrative to qualify as strong thriller (the way Gone baby Gone was) nor complex enough to make it into the big boys' world of grown-up novels. Some had the same problem with the film, and I may have, as well, had I not already processed my reservations about the material. What Eastwood did that elevated the story, for me, was, first, getting an extraordinary array of exceptional performances, and, second, finding thematic resonace in the tribalism that lay behind the actions of most of the characters.

It's certainly possible Scorsese can match Mystic on the matter of revving up performances, given the high-quality cast he's recruited. But I can't see him finding a way to push the Shutter Island material much beyond the shallow penny-dreadful it is on the page. I'm doing my best not to reveal the story's ending, but it's so hokey it truly made me groan. I simply can't imagine a film with that aspect making a serious run at a best picture nomination, Marty or no.

Posted: **Fri Jun 12, 2009 10:55 am**

Big Magilla wrote:I don't know what to make of all the hype. I cant tell from the trailer whether it's an Oscar worthy film or not, but it does look like an interesting film with both Mortimer (yes, she's in the trailer) and Jackie Earle Haley, yet again almost unrecognizable, possibly coming into the mix.

I probably need to watch it again, but I didn't see anything of Mark Ruffalo in the trailer.

That is what I love about the trailer. From 6 of the actors you have 11 Oscar nominations plus 1 win, and then you have several actors who always seemed destined for a nomination some day. Yet, the trailer does not do the usual prestige cast roll-call that you see so often. All it cares about is giving you something creepy and cool looking.

However, what the Academy will judge is whether the actual movie is concerned with more than just being creepy and cool looking. As long as Scorsese does not get lost in the excess of CAPE FEAR, I think we could find Best Picture nomination material here. Luckily, we only have to wait until October rathter than the usual December or January.

Edited By rolotomasi99 on 1244822217

Posted: **Fri Jun 12, 2009 4:40 am**

I don't know what to make of all the hype. I cant tell from the trailer whether it's an Oscar worthy film or not, but it does look like an interesting film with both Mortimer (yes, she's in the trailer) and Jackie Earle Haley, yet again almost unrecognizable, possibly coming into the mix.

I probably need to watch it again, but I didn't see anything of Mark Ruffalo in the trailer.

Posted: **Fri Jun 12, 2009 1:58 am**

Gee, all that was missing was the dun-dun-DAH! after Leo's "...for the criminally insane".

flipp525 wrote:True, although I don't see why any of those reasons would preclude it from being recognized in the acting categories. Emily Mortimer, especially seems to be a pretty good candidate in support just based on the nature of her character.

Is she even in the trailer?

Posted: **Thu Jun 11, 2009 5:26 pm**

I am biased too; I really want to see this flick. Award consideration be damned, I know I will enjoy this.

Posted: **Thu Jun 11, 2009 4:36 pm**

Mister Tee wrote:This is fundamentally unserious, even trivial material (and I speak as mostly a fan of Lehane's). It may become a box-office success, but it would be a huge stretch for it to figure in the Oscar race.

That trailer makes me want to see this film but I predict my reaction will be the same. I will probably enjoy it as much as any 2009 release I see but Oscar material...not so much.

Posted: **Thu Jun 11, 2009 3:24 pm**

Mister Tee wrote:
flipp525 wrote:True, although I don't see why any of those reasons would preclude it from being recognized in the acting categories. Emily Mortimer, especially seems to be a pretty good candidate in support just based on the nature of her character.
Sure -- there's always a chance of a showy, Edward Norton in Primal Fear-ish performance getting a nod. I'm just trying to warn off all the people (as at Sasha's or Tapley's sites) who seem to be expecting a prime best picture candidate.

Well, maybe it is just because I think Scorsese is our greatest living director, but I trust that he knows what he is doing. I read Mystic River and would not have thought as great a film as what Eastwood ended up with would have been possible. Jaws was just a subplot heavy summer read, and a great film was made from that. If anyone has the ability to take a lesser work and turn it into a great film, it would be Scorsese.

That being said, the preview reminded me a little too much of Scorsese's CAPE FEAR which I feel is one of his few truly bad films. I am hoping the trailer is just playing up the more over the top elements, but the film itself is a little more restrained (not relying so heavily on scary sound effects and spooky lighting).

Still, we are almost half-way through the year, and I can tell you I do not have that many solid predictions for Best Picture. SHUTTER ISLAND looks like it could grab nominations for cinematography, editing, set, score, and possibly sound. Throw in an acting award or two, plus screenplay and director. Best Picture looks very possible.

Then again, like I said in the beginning, I am biased.

Posted: **Thu Jun 11, 2009 3:00 pm**

Looks like fun.

Posted: **Thu Jun 11, 2009 2:07 pm**

flipp525 wrote:True, although I don't see why any of those reasons would preclude it from being recognized in the acting categories. Emily Mortimer, especially seems to be a pretty good candidate in support just based on the nature of her character.

Sure -- there's always a chance of a showy, Edward Norton in Primal Fear-ish performance getting a nod. I'm just trying to warn off all the people (as at Sasha's or Tapley's sites) who seem to be expecting a prime best picture candidate.

Posted: **Thu Jun 11, 2009 1:28 pm**

True, although I don't see why any of those reasons would preclude it from being recognized in the acting categories. Emily Mortimer, especially seems to be a pretty good candidate in support just based on the nature of her character.

Posted: **Thu Jun 11, 2009 1:07 pm**

I wouldn't make too much of the "well, The Departed wasn't a typical Oscar movie, either" analogy. The Departed wasn't, to be sure, at The Reader-levels of High Mmoral Seriousness, but it was an emotionally complex, taut crime drama that wasn't light years away from previous winners like The French Connection or Silence of the Lambs.

Shutter Island, at least in print, is a pot-boiler. I'd be very surprised if most people here don't have the "oh, no -- not THAT twist again" reaction I did. This is fundamentally unserious, even trivial material (and I speak as mostly a fan of Lehane's). It may become a box-office success, but it would be a huge stretch for it to figure in the Oscar race.

Posted: **Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:18 am**

This trailer makes it seem like Scorsese has made a horror film. It definitely looks cinematically amazing.

As someone said at another blog, it has the same "This is not an Oscar film *wink, wink*" feel of The Departed trailer.

I definitely have it on my early predix list.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdumGs1qoXM