[NE] Nomination Elim Game ('79- OSCARGUY)

[dws1982]

Is there even any way to know which of these reviews linked on Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes were even written in 1995? And what percentage of the reviews published at the time are even posted on those sites?

[The Original BJ]

OscarGuy, I have to agree with dws and FilmFan on this one. The Bridges of Madison County is a wonderful movie, beautifully photographed, lovingly scored, and with a great performance by Meryl Streep. I don't really think the book-end sequences quite work, but the bulk of the film is a rich, sensitive romance that deserved many more Oscar nods than it received (and I think in today's era, with Eastwood's stature as a truly great filmmaker solidified in public consciousness, it would get them).

I'm not sure what baffles me more -- ridiculing Bridges even though you haven't seen it, or declaring that you never will see it. Do you really think it would be that much of a waste of your time? ???

[FilmFan720]

I'll take rotten tomatoes over Metacritic. RT merely counts plus and negative. Metacritic tries to quantify opinion, and it ends up disastrous. Shouldn't the fact that the two are 20% apart on the film proof that they are ridiculous?

[FilmFan720]

Can we take all the categories to 5 please? These 2 and 3 film categories are dumb enough.

[OscarGuy]

No. Nor will I ever. Though, looking at critical reception, I can see that my impressions are not far off as it averages a 66 from MetaCritic and those who liked it on rotten tomatoes only marginally liked it.

Further proof that metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes are flawed, and pretty useless. You cannot quantify film criticism.

Why can't you? Are you saying a critical concensus can't possibly be right if it disagrees with your personal perceptions? That's ridiculous. It perfectly counters the presumed fact that Bridges as a critical success in 1995 when it wasn't. The critics were mixed at best. Just because you don't agree with them doesn't make them wrong in their opinion.

[Big Magilla]

It's called hedging one's bet. :O

[OscarGuy]

You can add to Visual Effects Magilla. And it's a good thing, I'd have to kick your butt from here to Timbuktu if you took away Babe's most deserved Visual Effects nod.

[FilmFan720]

No. Nor will I ever. Though, looking at critical reception, I can see that my impressions are not far off as it averages a 66 from MetaCritic and those who liked it on rotten tomatoes only marginally liked it.

Further proof that metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes are flawed, and pretty useless. You cannot quantify film criticism.

And Wes, you cannot use Rotten Tomatoes as your argument when it has an 87% rating there.



Edited By FilmFan720 on 1208294462

[OscarGuy]

And no, Oscar Guy, I don't think that Bridges would be seen the same way as Chocolat is; Chocolat was Miramax Oscar-bait, while Bridges was a well-received--critically and commerically--film by a recent winner.

Don't bash what you haven't seen. And don't base your "opinion" on what the people at metacritic or Rotten Tomatoes think.

My mistake. Chocolat only scored TWO points lower than Bridges on MetaCritic. That makes it an infinitely better film. Hell, Paul Haggis' train wreck Crash scored a 69, 3 points higher than Bridges.

So, you can't claim Bridges was a critical success. It wasn't.

Commercial, I'll give you. It made $71 M, which in the 90s was a decent, respectable total.

Ooh. Cahiers. Well, there's a the win-all for Best of Anything. They are entitled to their opinion, but I don't even know what other films they listed for the 1990s, so there's no way for me to guage their tastes.

However, I don't have to see a film to know I won't like it. I have been fooled by bad advertising before (Bridge to Terabithia), but Bridges of Madison County's limited potential is confirmed by critics, so I don't think my opinion is entirely invalid. After all, you don't have to see Prom Night to know you're going to hate it. You don't have to see The Kite Runner to know you're not going to like it. The point is, we all know our own tastes and quite frankly, this one isn't one of mine.

[Big Magilla]

Group 1 - Picture, Acting, Directing - I'll preserve Susan Sarandon in Dead Man Walking, the only performance by an actress playing a nun to ever win an Oscar

Group 2 - Writing, Music, Editing, Cinematography - I'll replace Appollo 13's screenplay with Dead Man Walking (Tim Robbins)

Group 3 - Art Direction, Costumes, Makeup, Sound, Sound & Visual Effects - If we can add one to make it 3 in visual effects, I'd like to add A Little Princess - if not, I'd like to replace Babe With A Little Princess.

I want A Little Princess to at least be acknowledged somewhere. If we had more than one restore per year I'd like to restore Princess' art direction and Emma Thompson's best actress nodx on my next move. I'd also be happy with a supporting actress nod for Eleanor Bron for Princess, most happily over Kathleen Quinlan.

[dws1982]

The Bridges of Madison County is a lovely film, taking a so-so book and really finding a depth and beauty to it.

From the excerpts I've read, so-so is a generous description.

The movie is beautiful, though--probably second only to Unforgiven as far as my favorite Eastwood films are concerned, so much more than the harlequin romance it could've been, and, in the hands of a lesser director, would've been. It's a romance for grown-ups, and a deeply personal Eastwood film to boot. And no, Oscar Guy, I don't think that Bridges would be seen the same way as Chocolat is; Chocolat was Miramax Oscar-bait, while Bridges was a well-received--critically and commerically--film by a recent winner. And its stature has only grown with time--when Cahiers du Cinema published their top ten films of the 90's, Bridges tied for number one.

Don't bash what you haven't seen. And don't base your "opinion" on what the people at metacritic or Rotten Tomatoes think.



Edited By dws1982 on 1208294053

[OscarGuy]

No. Nor will I ever. Though, looking at critical reception, I can see that my impressions are not far off as it averages a 66 from MetaCritic and those who liked it on rotten tomatoes only marginally liked it.

[FilmFan720]

Are you kidding Wes? The Bridges of Madison County is a lovely film, taking a so-so book and really finding a depth and beauty to it. I think it is one of Eastwood's greatest achievements...have you seen it?

[OscarGuy]

I've corrected it.

And boy...The Bridges of Madison County? Wow. I just mean Wow...if that choice had been made when the Oscars were announced, it would have been ridiculed the way Chocolat or similar films have been ridiculed since. You Eastwood nuts are almost worse than the Coens nuts.

[Penelope]

Wes, on the results page, you've listed yourself as rescuing "Moonlight" from Sabrina rather choosing "GoldenEye" to replace "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman."