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Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 12:49 pm
by flipp525
Akash wrote:Calling herself a "stranger" for lack of a better metaphor and delivering lines like "New York, where buildings sprout up like chromosomes on the DNA of our streets." What the fudge?
Even the character herself finds that line ridiculous, if you'll recall.
I didn't think it was the most groundbreaking piece of filmmaking I've seen this year. Honestly though, the situations she came across wouldn't necessarily have been that difficult to find in New York City, especially if you were specifically out looking for them, as Erica progressively was (except for maybe the convenience store murder/robbery). I enjoyed the movie and derived a certain amount of satisfaction from its vigilante aspect. And, frankly, I do think that Foster dug a little deeper below the surface of this character and created a performance that elevates the entire film. Your mileage may vary, of course, but we rarely agree on much anyway, Akash, so it's all good.
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Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:38 am
by Akash
Flipp, I so have to disagree. Did we see the same movie? Foster is fine and all (I mean she's one of our best actresses - she'd be good in anything) but this movie stinks like a bag of dead turtles! The only honest moments are early in the film when Foster and Naveen Andrews are together - their interaction is sweet and genuine.
But the rest of this thing - yech! The premise is bizarre (how did she keep finding these crimes?) and the dialogue is ridiculous. Calling herself a "stranger" for lack of a better metaphor and delivering lines like "New York, where buildings sprout up like chromosomes on the DNA of our streets." What the fudge? That's worse than any purple line in The Hours. Easily one of the worst films I've seen all year.
Hmm, which means come to think of it, may actually make it a strong contender for a few Oscars. Actress and Screenplay? Why not? These are the same people who nominated Babel after all.
Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 10:40 am
by flipp525
Mister Tee wrote:As for The Brave One...I said in the Round 3 thread I wondered if this were a serious work or Death Wish in a skirt, and this review leaves the question still open. Does he mean Foster's work makes a standard genre piece a bit more interesting than it might have been (like Panic Room), or that her performance genuinely goes somewhere unexpected and interesting (a la, at peak, Fonda in Klute)? I'll need to see more reviews to get a handle on this.
I think the latter, Tee. There were times, especially in the latter half of the film, when Foster's character seemed to completely venture outside of herself to become someone else in an interesting, sometimes vulnerable, sometimes frightening way, even to the character herself. One scene in particular that struck me was when she went into "mother" mode in the car with the young prostitute. The way she coddled her as a set-piece to the live peep show she was expected to perform for the john while at the same time ascertaining the condition of the girl was a fine tight rope of a scene that Foster pulled off wonderfully. Also, the way Erica was haunted by the person she was becoming came off quite believably.
And lastly, I have to completely disagree with Damien about 2004's Best Actress roster, which I felt was one of the strongest this decade. In addition to the five nominees, most of whom are great, all of whom are good, we had wonderful work by Julie Delpy, Uma Thurman, and a double-whammy by Nicole Kidman. I don't think anyone thought that group would crack the Oscar lineup, but for me it was pretty difficult to wittle it down to five that year.
I couldn't agree with you more, BJ. Kidman's performance in Birth continues to astound me. I would've nominated her that year for the scene at the opera alone. Just a fascinating character transformation that gets better every time you see it. And Julie Delpy's last scene in Before Sunset is one of the bright spots of 2004. A very strong year for actresses all in all.
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Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2007 8:47 am
by Akash
We get it Jodie, you're gay.
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:32 am
by OscarGuy
Looking through the reviews at RT, it's clear that the movie isn't going to go very far, but Jodie Foster may still be a contender, but with a far weaker chance than before based on the film's underwhelming critical support.
Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:25 am
by Penelope
Damien wrote:The Original BJ wrote:In addition to the five nominees, most of whom are great, all of whom are good, we had wonderful work by . . . Uma Thurman.
No one in the Academy would want to honor the biggest slut of all time, a woman who threw away husband and children for a few nights of hot monkey sex. ANd then repeated the formula incessantly.
Unless she nearly dies of pneumonia and has a tracheotomy to save her life....
Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:57 am
by VanHelsing
It's time for Jodie to shine again...
Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 1:41 am
by Damien
The Original BJ wrote:In addition to the five nominees, most of whom are great, all of whom are good, we had wonderful work by . . . Uma Thurman.
No one in the Academy would want to honor the biggest slut of all time, a woman who threw away husband and children for a few nights of hot monkey sex. ANd then repeated the formula incessantly.
Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 12:54 am
by The Original BJ
Okay, lots to discuss here.
First, I see nothing preventing Julie Christie's nomination. (I didn't think Away From Her was viewed as a flop at all -- I saw the film in a packed house that loved it, and many people I know from all walks of life have seen or are eager to see the film.) The film will be catnip to older voters, many of whom will surely get around to seeing it after those great reviews (and Christie's icon status.) She's so good, too, that I think she could contend for the win more than forty years after her first.
Second, I also see very little preventing Marion Cotillard's nomination. (And this is a performance I'm not that crazy about.) Sure, her film is subtitled, but this isn't exactly inaccessible avant-garde fare: voters who responded to the hollow bio boringness of films like Ray will swoon over Cotillard, who matches the lip-synching ticks of Jamie Foxx with the tremendous physical transformation of Charlize Theron. In other words, her role is Oscar-bait with a capital O, and thus, she certainly won't face the typical hurdle for subtitled perfs -- that they aren't thought of in terms of trophies.
(Also, both Christie and Cotillard's chances are affected by the "bird in the hand" rule -- we KNOW their roles are Oscar-bait and their reviews excellent. The year MAY turn out to have a slew of terrific roles for leading ladies, but that's all speculation at this point, and I wouldn't bet on any of them before these two slam-dunks, IMO.)
Third, I don't rate Angelina Jolie a very strong contender at all. Her film DID flop, and she didn't receive nearly as personal notices as Christie and Cotillard. I would never count her out completely, but I don't rate her chances all that highly, unless the year is very weak.
And lastly, I have to completely disagree with Damien about 2004's Best Actress roster, which I felt was one of the strongest this decade. In addition to the five nominees, most of whom are great, all of whom are good, we had wonderful work by Julie Delpy, Uma Thurman, and a double-whammy by Nicole Kidman. I don't think anyone thought that group would crack the Oscar lineup, but for me it was pretty difficult to wittle it down to five that year.
Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:29 pm
by Penelope
There are three other foreign actresses that I'd like to see talked up for Oscar consideration this year--Julie Delpy (2 Days in Paris), Isabelle Huppert (Nue Propriété) and Carice van Houton (Black Book)--but it's not happening. Sigh.
Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 4:50 pm
by Damien
Big Magilla wrote:There's an exception to every rule.
That was also an unusually weak year for actresses. As I recall, there was hardly anyone else left to nominate.
Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 4:21 pm
by OscarGuy
Big Magilla wrote:There's an exception to every rule.
The more important thing is that it's a RECENT example.
And I don't know the figures, but I believe French women have an easier time than other nationalities at nominations...
Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 4:00 pm
by Big Magilla
There's an exception to every rule.
Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 1:56 pm
by OscarGuy
And what of Catalina Sandino Moreno?
Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 1:49 pm
by Big Magilla
The DVD release of Away From Her is in two weeks. Expect a lot of people, HFPA, SAG and AMPAS members in particular, who wouldn't care to spend an evening out at such a "depressing" movie to catch up with it in the privacy of their own homes and watch out! I don't know if Christie will win, but she will certainly be nominated. As for Cotillard, she remains a possibility but Oscar nods for performances in foreign language films are usually reserved for major stars. It depends on ehat the rest of the year brings. So far it's been pretty tepid.