Monday

Red carpet revelry

Everyone who knows me, knows that I am an Oscars fanatic. Back in the good old days I used to see them all, but the last few years we have been relegated to what we could see on video, usually slim pickings. This year, though, we are have hit pay dirt. By Oscars time there are only a few that won't be out, unfortunately one of those is There Will Be Blood, a probable winner. Luckily, Chad and chose well in our Christmastime while Liv was with the sitter choices and saw No Country For Old Men and Juno. This week we are renting any remaining films that we can cram in, a movie a night. We are committed, we are dedicated, we are never going to make it. This will not stop us from becoming fiercely competitive about our Oscar picks as we fight over the computer all week to see who the internets thinks is going to win Best Sound Editing and BEst Live Action Short Film.

So far we have seen La Vie En Rose, which Chad fell asleep watching, not once, but twice. Seriously, he woke up tried to continue, and feel asleep again. I love foriegn cinema, always have. I love the French language and have seen many, many softcore porn flicks that are considered cinema by the French. Yet, with a few exceptions, French films are like red wine
(or Taco Bell), I go everytime expecting a different result, but end up on the bathroom floor with nothing but regret.

Gone Baby Gone worked out considerably better last night. I love noir and I think this is the next place noir is going. I had a few nitpicky problems with the film, but I was surprised to find a lot of them presented in the deleted scenes section of the DVD and overall I think the right choices were made. It felt authentic and it is always satisfying to have a film with an uncomfortable ending.

Tonight will be Away From Her and The Assasination of Jesse James is in the stack for tomorrow.

3 comments:

daimon said...

Saw a screening of all the nominated short animated films this weekend. Haven't seen the live shorts yet, although the archives is screening them free next weekend. Also screening every documentary nominee this week.

For your pool - if I had a vote in the animated short category, I'd give it to Peter and the Wolf. But I think the winner will be the French CGI one, translated title Even Pigeons go to Heaven.

Anonymous said...

Away from Her is kind of lame, but Julie Christie is really good. It's like a better-than-average Lifetime movie, and the main man in it is really, really annoying.

In films not nominated but still damn good, have you seen Once? Saw it last Friday and loved it.

Liz Allman said...

I cried almost all the way through Away From Her, but I will do a post about that later. I really want to see Once, but it is in the B tier right now. I might be able to convince Chad to do an all night marathon on Saturday and squeeze it in. It is nominated for Best Song I think.