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I'm going to try to address some of the many snub comments/questions in one bulk posting. Here goes: American Gangster: I think a lot of people just don't know what to make or do with it. It's a big, fairly mainstream entertainment with a morally ambiguous antihero, and it's a bit on the slick side. Denzel has had his Oscar glory recently (and has two awards), and his performance might have reminded some too much of Training Day. I will still steadfastly defend it, and him. The guy's got charisma and screen presence to burn. Eddie Vedder: He got caught up in the surprising indifference to Into the Wild. His songs were the highlight of the film for me. I wonder if there's some Sean Penn hating afoot.... Ryan Gosling: I wasn't a big Lars fan; I could never get over the nagging feeling that everyone in it was slightly daft. I liked Half Nelson a lot more. In any case, he's going to be around for years, and he'll he part of the Oscar conversation for as long as he wants to be. |
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Comments
Posted by K. Bowen @ 10:48 AM Wed, Jan 23, 2008
American Gangster does nothing new with the Gangland-saga-as-twisted-American-Dream storyline. Ridley Scott never fails to do in four shots what it should do in one or two.
Best Original Song is a mess. It makes the Grammys look progressive. Do that many people really listen to the Enchanted soundtrack on their iPods? And arethese the same people who are watching Norbit and thinking, "Geez, that's great makeup."
Posted by Kip Mooney @ 11:18 AM Wed, Jan 23, 2008
I think the problem with 'American Gangster' (well, it's not really a problem to you and me, but perhaps to an Oscar voter) is that it's great ENTERTAINMENT. There's nothing particularly groundbreaking or daring about it, but it's a completely satisfying movie-going experience. Everybody loved 'The Bourne Ultimatum,' this year as well, but it has the same problem: it's more than a "movie," but not quite a "film."