National Society of Film Critics Honors ‘Blood’
Made up of the top movie critics from around the country, The National Society of Film Critics followed the lead of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association by choosing Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood the Best Picture of 2007. Other awards for Blood include Anderson for Best Director, Daniel Day-Lewis for Best Actor and Robert Elswit for Best Cinematography.
Full results with vote totals after the jump….
Best Picture
1. There Will Be Blood (48) – Paul Thomas Anderson
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (28) – Julian Schnabel
3. No Country for Old Men (27) – Joel and Ethan Coen
Best Foreign-Language Film
1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (57) – Cristian Mungiu
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (42) – Julian Schnabel
3. Persepolis (18) – Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
Best Director
1. Paul Thomas Anderson (47) – There Will Be Blood
2. Joel and Ethan Coen (29) – No Country for Old Men
2. Julian Schnabel (29) – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Best Non-Fiction Film
1. No End in Sight (43) – Charles Ferguson
2. Sicko (20) – Michael Moore
3. Terror’s Advocate (18) – Barbet Schroeder
Best Actor
1.Daniel Day-Lewis (66) – There Will Be Blood
2. Frank Langella (34) — Starting Out in the Evening
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman (21) — The Savages, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Best Supporting Actor
1. Casey Affleck (37) - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
2. Javier Bardem (30) – No Country for Old Men
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman (29) – Charlie Wilson’s War
Best Actress
1. Julie Christie (53) – Away from Her
2. Marion Cotillard (50) – La Vie en Rose
3. Anamaria Marinca (28) – 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Best Supporting Actress
1. Cate Blanchett (42) – I’m Not There
2. Amy Ryan (29) – Gone Baby Gone and Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
3. Tilda Swinton (23) – Michael Clayton
Best Screenplay
1. Tamara Jenkins (28) – The Savages
2. Paul Thomas Anderson (19) – There Will Be Blood
3. Ronald Harwood (17) – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Best Cinematography
1. There Will Be Blood (51) – Robert Elswit
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (40) – Janusz Kaminski
3. No Country for Old Men (33) – Roger Deakins
Filed under: Awards
Related Posts: - Film Critics Ring In: LA, NY Online, Boston, and D.C.
- Name Those Nominees: How You Voted
- And the Nominees are…
- Elswit wins ASC for ‘Blood’, Coens Grab DGA for ‘Country’
- The DGA Nominees…
This makes me very happy. :-)
Look at the difference in the numbers! The numbers are close between the runner-ups, but the winners are way out ahead. TWBB has nearly twice the votes as Diving Bell and No Country (so glad to see both those films acknowledged though for picture and director, even if they didn’t win - but look how close their scores are!). Twice the votes for DDL as the first runner-up, Frank Langella (though I’m glad to see him and PSH get recognition).
I’m also happy for Casey Affleck. I wonder if he’s going to upset Javi.
I’m surprised that Diving Bell beat No Country for 2nd place and Schnabel tied second with the Coens.
Also surprised at how Blood dominated.
And no screeenplay love for Juno.
And finally a little attention for PSH even if he didn’t actually win anything. At least he’s on the radar.
Interesting lineup of contenders and winners. They sure loved There Will Be Blood. They also seemed to really, really like No Country for Old Men and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
Like you say, though, Alison, the margin between There Will Be Blood, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis and their respective opponents is rather startling. In this way, the film dominated.
I can honestly say with a great deal of certainty that I do not see how Casey Affleck upsets Javier Bardem come Oscar night. For one thing, Casey was in a film very few people saw. Cinematographers will love The Assassination of Jesse James by the Cowared Robert Ford, but Casey needs actors to see his film and they’re probably busy seeing their friend George Clooney in Michael Clayton or No Country for Old Men.
Besides, Bardem is seen as “due.” He’s been nominated for Best Actor twice, for Before Night Falls and The Sea Inside. He and the Coens have created perhaps the most memorable and fascinating villain the cinema has seen in quite a long time. I say, he takes it without too much of a sweat.
After this, though, look out for Tom Wilkinson next time he gives a strong performance. They’ll see *him* as “due.” And on and on it goes… ;-)
Yeah, I still like JB’s chances for the win, and as much as I liked Affleck, I’d be happy with that.
Best supporting Actor and Best Actress are the only two races that are even close here, although I doubt these numbers will reflect Oscar voting it is curious. One thing Affleck has going for him is that his film came out early enough that the public has probably forgotten the critical drubbing it received, so he stands to make a late impression via Oscar screeners. And you know how the Academy likes to support the up-and-comers via the Supporting category, so who knows? And unless Phillip Seymour Hoffman gets multiple nominations, he could easily steal the supporting award for Charlie Wilson’s War or the Savages. The Academy loves to reward winners over and over again, especially likable actors with talent. And he worked his ass off this year.
I don’t know Craig…doesn’t this feel a little like the critics are leaving No Country behind in favor of the newer film? It’s a little unsettling.
I definitely get the sense that TWBB is the flavor of the minute in terms of critics. Whether that means anything or not as far as hardware goes, I don’t know.
I will say the folks at Paramount Vantage did as good a job as they possibly could to position TWBB for Oscars. They got the ball rolling with that little surprise sneak at FantasticFest or whatever it’s called. Then they kind of teased it along building buzz before releasing it in only 2 theaters and now it’s slowly coming out just as Oscar ballots are floating around.
In the interim, they had a whole bunch of screenings for the different guilds. PTA and DDL came to town for Q&As but it was all done pretty quietly outside of the typical media radar. There was never this early Dreamgirls-like buzz and hype that could’ve led to disappointment.
Quite the stealth campaign.
Yeah, as long as the assumption that critical support will yield Academy support wasn’t misguided. I do think it’s dangerous to release a film so late in so few theaters and expect a groundswell of support. Sure, the movie could benefit from being fresh in peoples’ minds when voting time comes around but it still needs to get nominated first.
We shall see.
First of all, I don’t know jack.
Second of all, some folks are comparing this to the year of Aviator/Million Dollar Baby. Their thinking is that for a while Aviator was sort of the critical darling and Marty was due, blah blah blah, then in late December Million Dollar Baby snuck in, hit big at the right time and walked off with the Oscar.
I think there can be awards fatigue and I wonder if NCfOM peaked too soon. I think it will still be nominated, but the bloom is kind of off the rose. TWBB is the new kid in town and if the timing is right, it could work to its advantage. Mind you, I’m not talking about critics or audiences, I’m talking about voters. As far as I can tell, large chunks of the voting pool saw the movie in November and December before it was released.
But let me circle back to my first point. I don’t know jack.
I don’t know jack either. And people are pointing to Aviator/Million Dollar Baby and Brokeback Mountain/Crash as far as BP. But I really think that the Brokeback Mountain/Crash thing was a special situation, and I don’t think this year can be compared to that.
Of course, because Daniel Day-Lewis is considered a frontrunner right now everyone is comparing this year to DDL/Nicholson/Brody. Again, a completely different situation in my opinion, and many people are uninformed about what truly happened that year.
But we shall see in a few weeks. Right now they’re predicting the BFCA’s over at AD. Right now I have a headache from it all.
At least we can admit we don’t know jack, Alison.
I wish I didn’t know Coppola’s Jack.
I think Atonement has, thus far, kind of failed to generate the kind of buzz and interest, and or made a big wave with moviegoers. It seemed like the natural rival to the Coen film but now I wonder if perhaps Anderson’s film has overtaken that spot and Atonement is falling.
There is the chance that Atonement misses altogether, like Cold Mountain or Dreamgirls. Due to preferential balloting, this is more likely than it might sound.
“I wish I didn’t know Coppola’s Jack.” ahahah.
I’m with you regarding Atonement deep down in my secret heart of hearts. The SAG snub might not mean anything and there’s still time for it to catch fire….but it just seems to be kind of laying there.
I need some alternative to NCfOM though to continue to keep the Oscar Gods off guard. Clayton maybe.
I agree, Craig. If it’s a horse race, then Atonement seems to be having trouble staying with the pack. It wants everyone to look at how pretty it is, instead, haha.
I agree with you, that *something* will make itself the alternative to No Country for Old Men.
Last year, there was kind of a sense of denial going in. I’ll admit, I had it. I just didn’t think The Departed would take home Best Picture. And yet, I couldn’t find the film that could take it down. Letters from Iwo Jima? It was lucky to be nominated. Babel? Um… no, especially a year after Crash. The Queen? Nope, too small (”Masterpiece Theatre,” it was routinely called). Little Miss Sunshine probably had the best shot, but its lack of “essential nominations,” like Editing and Director seemed to doom it. So, in the end, it was what it appeared to be–The Departed went all the way without much hassle. Kind of like the opposite of the previous year where the presumptive winner, Brokeback Mountain, was completely upset.
I think there are similarities between where the Coens are and Scorsese was, despite they being younger. I think many Academy members think Anderson can wait and his film is just too insular and strange to award. Are we just being in denial about No Country for Old Men being the unstoppable juggernaut it seems to be in many ways? Or are there a lot of rational reasons to see it as vulnerable?
The only thing anyone seems to be able to agree on is that No Country the one lock to be nominated. Aside from that, it’s a six-way dogfight for the other spots.
No Country will have to fight for its win, though, I think, whereas The Departed seemed to win more by default last year than through some kind of bitter fight in the voting.
I’m very optimistic about No Country, but, like you, I just hesitate to call anything so soon, especially after the Brokeback Mountain/Crash fiasco. So right now I see everything as vulnerable.
But I agree that the closest thing to a ‘Scorsese’ situation this year is the Coens.
“I just didn’t think The Departed would take home Best Picture. And yet, I couldn’t find the film that could take it down.”
This is pretty much the same thinking with my response to No Country. Deep down I want it so bad, my sorry history of Oscar disappointment tells me it will never happen. But this is largely an emotional response.
Hopefully, like last year, that one movie will never emerge and Oscar will swoon for the Coens.
Shh. Craig, you shouldn’t admit that. You have to confuse the Oscar gods.
Part of my own confidence that No Country will win is that beside Atonement I can’t see anything else taking it down. Pierre’s research showed that only Braveheart has ever gone on to win BP without a single SAG nom. That’s a very strong trend for Atonement to buck particularly when faced with a fellow candidate as strong as No Country – the overall critics favorite, NYFCC win, GG and Critics Choice noms, and SAG cast and 2 supporting actor noms. It’s likely to be nominated for BP, director, supporting actor(s), editor, cinematography, adapted screenplay, sound or sound editing and perhaps more.
This film is accomplished across the board – including admired acting, is much loved, inspires passion, has good box office, and features directors who have a canon that includes much admired films. It’s also brings some of McCarthy’s stature as one of America’s greatest living writers with it.
The only potential challenger I see is Into the Wild. But it probably needs a DGA nom to solidify genuine contender status.
As Bette argued over at AD, most winners are not that big a surprise. The Crash/Brokeback upset seemed a sad reflection of factors beyond those usually taken into account when casting votes. Maybe the history of Oscar BP outcomes only look flakier in more distant retrospect as the reputation of some losing films grow with time. For instance, Dances with Wolves was probably not seen by Oscar watchers at the time to be such a surprising outcome.
Hmmm…
I probably dated Jack. But I’m a little hazy on a few of the details…
I agree with many of the things you boys are saying. But we’re right at the beginning of the time where the smoke gets cleared away completely. In the next few weeks we’ll get the essential story. And then some.
What you’ve stated about Atonement makes perfect sense. I just hope that you’re wrong. LOL But even if it misses BP, it should still clean up in tech noms & I’m SURE that it will get at least one acting citation (one of the Brionys at least & possibly Keira).
It’s a dog’s breakfast to be sure - & such a rich year that it makes it highly confusing.
But that’s what makes it fun…
Make them hurry up with the smoke clearing please, Serena. I grow impatient and weary.
Whoever wins, someone will be rapturous. And if the winner is Atonement I’ll be particularly happy for you, Serena. And I’d feel content that one of the very best films in an outstanding year ultimately took the prize.
Hi, all. Just wanted to link everyone over to Nathaniel’s post on the DGA event that he attended for TWBB. Scorsese apparently interviewed PTA afterward and there was discussion of the influence of ‘Giant’ on PTA.
Also, he hasn’t posted his review of the film yet, but I think he liked it. Or at least appreciated it. :-)
http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/2008/01/giant-100-times-better-than-i.html#links
Thank you, sartre. You have the soul & wit of a true gentleman.
But you knew that all ready…
Are you backing TWBB, sartre? When I finally see it next weekend, I’ll actually have an opinion.
Until then, I’m at a loss…
Thanks for the link, Alison.
Looking forward to what you think of TWbB Serena, it’s my favorite film of the year and I’ll be rapturous if it manages a nomination. I believe it’s too art house, dark, and different to actually win.
I agree with that assessment, sartre. But, as Sasha and many others have said, TWBB may help No Country since it “makes it look like Capra”.
Despite the film’s divisiveness, however, I would say that Day-Lewis will certainly get a nomination.
I think he’s the clear favorite to win. Clooney has won far fewer precursors at this stage. I may be naive but I’m guessing that the actors will take this opportunity to celebrate their craft being so well showcased by a towering performance. And the outstanding Oscar campaign has further promoted his chances.
I would be very happy if DDL got his second Oscar for this, but I’m not ready to call it certain yet. There can always be surprises. A dark horse could emerge or any number of things can happen.
That said, you’re absolutely right. It was a towering performance. Like you, I appreciate actors who can bring intellectual nuances and emotional rawness to a role, and he certainly does in this and all of his performances.
The uncertainty sure keeps us interested. If someone is going to beat him then I’d like it to be Viggo. One of the very best actors around. He’s one of my favorites.
Agreed, sartre. I’ll be happy if Viggo just gets nominated finally. He’s a fantastic actor and he really outdid himself in Eastern Promises.
So far he’s been getting a lot of notice in the precursors and I really hope that will at least translate into an Oscar nomination for him. And I would be very happy if he won.
I think the SAG nomination was a big boost for his Oscar nom chances. You couldn’t find a less showy actor. His performances are so quiet yet for those looking -> nuanced and deep. He is a fascinating man in general. Painter, poet, and photographer. Humble and generous.
I love Viggo. He is indeed an interesting man and I love that he has many dfferent interests and hobbies. DDL is very similar in that respect. A lot of people seem to hold it against him that he took time off to be a cobbler in Italy. But I think it’s awesome that he experienced an alternate voaction and another way of living. He puts himself so intensely into his roles I can see where he might have needed a break for a little while also.
I’m curious, what is your opinion of Daniel Day-Lewis in general? While I think his performances are very intense, I don’t consider him to be overly showy. He can be extremely subtle where it’s called for. And I feel that in the places where he DOES push the envelope in TWBB it IS called for. It fits the situation and the character.
You seem to know a lot about the industry and the acting craft, so I would be interested in hearing your opinion.
Pierre de Plume is your man on acting Alison. He trained at the Stella Adler studio of acting. And unlike many people who have learned and developed a craft he is very good at explaining it in clear terms. I’ll see if I can induce him to come to this thread and offer comments on DDL and VM.
I’m just a film fan but I’m used to reading people and thinking about what makes them tick because of my training as a clinical psychologist. I guess I naturally bring those perspectives to my experience of acting and writing. Hence I’m more likely than some to get hung-up on what I take to be fuzzy or inconsistent characterization.
But I agree with everything you say about DDL the person and actor. I hold both he and Viggo in high regard. Off the top of my head, other actors I’d currently place in the higher levels are Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christian Bale, and Johnny Depp (maybe less range but superb at what he does). I’m not sure he is such an admirable human being but I also admire my fellow Kiwi Russell Crowe. Of the younger generation, I”m enjoying the growth in performance of Ryan Gosling, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Ben Wishaw, and Casey Affleck. What about you, who are your other favorites?
That’s right, sartre. I remember now that you’re a clinical psychologist. You said that in a comment where you broke down the flaws of Tom Wilkinson’s characterization in Michael Clayton and the inconsistencies of his behavior as a manic-depressive. :-)
You may not have the inside track on the craft of acting but you no doubt have an incisive sense of what motivates people, and that is a big part of acting.
We have very similar taste in actors. I love DDL and Viggo, both as actors and as the fascinating people that they are. Philip Seymour Hoffman is phenomenal and he did absolutely amazing work this year. Yes, he was the one with all the witty, sarcastic lines in CWW; but a lesser actor wouldn’t have pulled it off so well or they would have made it too campy. His delivery was right on target. His work in The Savages and Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead was terrific. I’m glad he got at least one award this year for his body of work in 2007. I hope AMPAS remembers him, but as has been pointed out he may be a victim of vote-splitting among those three great performances that cancels him out completely.
Christian Bale is one of the most under-appreciated actors working today. He’s just amazing and I think people take him for granted. I’m glad that he at least got some nods from a couple of groups, like the BAFTA’s and the London Critics, but it’s still far too few in my opinion.
I like Johnny Depp as well. I’ve rarely been disappointed in a performance of his (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory being one exception), and I like the way he brings unique and interesting aspects to the characters that he plays. And I have a lot of respect for the fact that he is willing to step out of his comfort zone and challenge himself. I’m not sure if I would say that he has less range than DDL, PSH or Christian Bale. While it’s true that he usually plays quirky characters, he has also played more straightforward roles very well. He was wonderful as Donnie Brasco, a performance and film that was severely underrated and overlooked. His portrayal of J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland was quite a departure from roles like Ed Wood and Captain Jack.
And poor Russell Crowe. I happen to think he’s awesome. It’s unfortunate that he’s had such off-screen issues, but I’m hoping he’ll work through them. People are really down on him, but it’s important to remember that many before him have gone through the same thing. Mickey Rourke, anyone? Even the beloved Johnny Depp was a real jerk at one time and did some dumb things (and he readily admits this himself). But he managed to turn himself around and get past that. I have high hopes for Russell Crowe that he can do the same. Either way he turned in two wonderful performances this year and I hope to see much more of that.
As for the younger generation, I’m keeping my eye on Joseph Gordon-Levitt as well. I loved The Lookout and he was terrific in it. He’s very talented and I expect that he will be a force to contend with down the road. Same with Casey Affleck. I do like Ryan Gosling as well.
Can I freshen up your guys’ drinks? Perhaps you’d care for some more hors d’oeuvres? Is the tastefully chosen music (Stan Getz w/Joao Gilberto) to your liking? Dinner will be served shortly. :)
Stan Getz with Joao Gilberto is always to my liking, Craig. In fact, any Brazilian music would be to my liking. :-)
Only the best here at the Living in Cinema After Dark cocktail party.
Alexander, Javier certainly is due for an award, but the tragedy of The Sea Inside is that he was not nominated for that film.
Alison — feel free to toss me your comments or questions on acting.
Although Day-Lewis has achieved greatness this year in TWBB, part of me would be very pleased to see Viggo win this year.
Although Philip Seymour has convinced me he’s got what it takes, his Capote didn’t do much for me.
Craig — where’s my drink! I’ve been waiting for 15 minutes!
Your Manhattan sir. Sorry for the delay. The bartender had to run out to get some more good bourbon. That Sartre character really knows how to put it away.
Pierre, you’re right! Wow, I can’t believe Bardem wasn’t nominated for The Sea Inside. I distinctly remember him being nominated for the Golden Globe, though. After checking it out on my own, I see I was right on that but wrong in thinking he had been Oscar-nominated. Too bad.
Pierre, your thoughts on acting are overwhelmingly billowing and arresting. Your writing on the art of acting is a pleasure to read.
sartre and Alison, you two have certainly enumerated a solid list of actors who are deserving of praise. I concur wholly, Alison, about Johnny Depp; lately he’s been playing “weird” roles (even Finding Neverland’s J.M. Barrie is “weird,” though suitably restrained) but as Donnie Brasco (fantastic performance, brilliant Al Pacino performance–I’d submit it as his Last Great Performance, at least for now–and highly accomplished filmmaking, woefully underrated movie)proved if/when he wants to go back to playing that kind of role he will be abundantly capable of doing so. (When he wins his Oscar, it will be for playing such a part, I believe.)
Russell Crowe, as a few bloggers have commented, reminded me why I liked him in the first place in 3:10 to Yuma (the subtle things he does in this film are in particular quite commendable, I thought) and American Gangster. I’d kind of cooled off on him for a long time but he enjoyed something of a “comeback year,” in my eyes, with two solid, subtle turns that were at least a little (and some may argue a lot) better than the films they appeared in.
Of the younger generation, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is fast becoming my favorite. His dynamism and methodology seemed finely tuned; I thought he was tremendous in Brick and The Lookout.
Ryan Gosling has failed to excite me. I see many of the attributes and qualities others do, and yet he always seems to be acting. I can’t shake the image that the wheels are visible, turning before my eyes and his boyish countenance only exacerbates the issue with me for some reason. He even has to play all of his quirks and mannerisms in such inoffensive boilerplate, popcorn-y films as Fracture, taking me out of the picture every time he overdoes it (which is fairly often). Half Nelson was all right. Lars and the Real Girl was finally where I had to draw the line personally. I felt like I was watching a young Dustin Hoffman playing his Rain Man part, except made outrageously bizarre.
I realize I just created an eternal enemy in Glimmer, but, oh well, I just had to say it.
Pierre, what did you think of Philip Seymour Hoffman in Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead? Having seen all three films of his in 2007, Before the Devil… twice, I think it’s his best performance of the year and probably his best performance ever, though I know that is a tough one to call. I know some have called the character’s twisted, reckless, nihilistic turn towards the homicidal in the final act to be outlandish, I thought it was as good a way for the film to proceed as any and Hoffman made it frighteningly and palpably believable.
Alexander darling, I agree entirely concerning your remarks re: Russell Crowe. Except for the cooling off part. LOL There was no lack of heat for me. EVER. He had a wonderful year & he did fantastic work in two films. One of those movies I regard highly. The other…not so much.
Shame you missed the boat on Mr. Gosling. He really excites me…LMAO
But seriously,,,Although I do love looking at him I think he’s tremendously gifted. I own Half Nelson & Fracture & I feel strongly that he was superb in both.
One of the BIGGEST thrills of my life last January was waking up to the news that, not only was Peter O’Toole up for his eighth BA nomination, but Ryan had also been nodded for HN. It was a little indie flick with decent BO (all things considered) & excellent reviews. But I knew he would have an almost imposssible uphill battle. He was a young Canadian guy who was not particularly well known. I strongly suspected that insufficient amounts of Academy members had seen it. (Despite screeners.) BA was just as crowded last year as any other.
That was one ecstatic morn for me.
I’ll give you Lars & The Real GIrl. No question. I hated that film beyond measure. Along with Evening & Lady Chatterley, those were the bottom of the barrel for me in the exceptional year that was 2007. Ryan was the best thing in it. But that’s not saying much. I would much rather have him be one of the final five when he’s deserving & IMO there are much better candidates this time out. I think he’ll end up at the podium sooner rather than later anyway.
Not to worry. I’m sure Glimmer will survive. He is as entitled to his POV as anyone else is here. He is free to adore L&TRG & to loathe Atonement & Juno, two films that I loved.
Everybody’s got their thing. It’s all good. It’s just like comparing apples & toyotas…
Serena, I can understand being excited (perhaps not in the way you mean, haha) about Ryan Gosling for Half Nelson. Besides, 2006 was such a weak year, and even weak for Best Actor (which normally is not weak), and like I said, I thought Gosling was actually all right (okay, he was probably better than “all right”) in that film. I think he has a lot of potential to become a truly fine actor in the near future, but he needs to be put on a leash or something by a heavyweight director. Then again, we almost had that with The Lovely Bones and at the last minute it didn’t come together.
Good call on Lady Chatterley as well, Serena. I found that film to be astonishingly “un-sexy,” and fairly tedious as well. A rather poor adaptation. Never saw Evening, though. I’m a guy which means I saw 300, and I can report it reeked.
I’m sure all of us here did better than most people, though. I still find it almost unfathomable that in a year as great as 2007, so many people paid to see Wild Hogs or some of the awful summer movies that came out. I’d rather stay home and catch up on my list of 250 Essential Film Noirs or the TheyShootPictures list of the 1,000 greatest films than watch that.
Hey Pierre, nice to hear from you again!
(in quiet voice) I liked Lars…
Thanks, Pierre!
Alexander, I dig the way your mind works…
*raises eyebrow*
Nice to see a kindred spirit that loathed Lady Chatterley - & ONE of the things that bothers me the most is that the novel is a classic. How they could make that kind of onion dip out of such a beautiful book is beyond me. If I see a French film then I’m generally expecting a quality motion picture. I’m rarely wrong. But not this time…
I’m witnessing some very positive critical reaction for this monstrosity from people I adore (Manohla Dargis, Kenneth Turan & Andrew Sarris). I’m beginning to wonder if they saw the same movie as I did. Good to know that someone I respect had the same reaction.
As for those multitudes shuffling off to bad movies…
There is nothing we can do for them. Seriously. I’m hardly an elitist. I love a great, well made action film/popcorn movie/summer blockbuster (both Kill Bills, 2006’s Casino Royale, the original Die Hard, the very first Batman) as much as the next chick.
But people have taste, discernment & knowledge of film history…or they do not. These are the same people that would pay to see lame sequels or crap like The Fast & The Furious. Every generation has people like that. There’s nothing that can be done. No amount of conversation or reeducation will make a dent.
Did you see the Oscars the year Chris Rock hosted? Did you get a load of the people that said White Chicks was their favourite film of the year? There we go…
But you & I (& all of the people that visit LiC) know better, Alexander. That’s what truly counts…
Craig, I don’t mind that you liked Lars. You’re entitled. You are - & will always be - our fearless leader at this lovely place.
It is your blog, honey. You are the founding father…
I almost saw Chatterly at the LA Film Festival, but something told me to stay away.
Is it just me or is Manohla off her game this year? Normally she’s one of my favorites, but even when I agree with her this year, her writing hasn’t seemed to have had the same zing to it.
Craig…
To be honest, I don’t read Manohla often enough to tell. But when I do read her I love her forthrightness, her wit & the unapologetic stances she takes. She’s pretty passionate about the stuff that she admires…& even when I don’t agree with someone that’s a quality that I greatly admire.
The goddess Pauline was somewhat like that. Even if she tore down a person or film that I adored, I couldn’t be angry or take it to heart. She always explained exactly why she had a particular opinion…& somehow it always made sense. So while you may not agree, there was an intellectual process behind the reasoning that you could respect. I guess (& I don’t mean this to come across as a smart ass remark or bitchy) it’s the difference between having a difference of opinion with an intelligent person & someone who is not.
Manohla reminds me a lot of Pauline for these exact reasons. But there seems to be a small critical groundswell for Lady Chatterley that I was completely unaware of. Beats the hell out of me. It’s not the least bit sexual, sensual or sexy (kinda like drying day old dishes IMO) & it lies there on the screen. Like a black hole.
Someone (one of the NY critics) was even saying that he supported a BA nom for Marina Hinds in LC. GOOD LORD… She does not nothing compelling or the slightest bit interesting with that character. Neither she nor the male lead are terribly attractive with or without their clothing. Have to say it. If it’s going to be a highly watchable barn burner type love fest BOTH those people had better look damn good buck naked.
Let’s say it just didn’t happen for me….
What’s the point of an unsexy Lady Chatterly?
LMAO
I have not the slightest clue, my darling…
We now interrupt this thread with an announcement for those of you not keeping up:
The BFCA has rewarded BP to No Country for Old Men, Director to the Coens, Supporting Actor to Javier Bardem, Lead Actor to Daniel Day-Lewis and Original Score to Johnny Greenwood!
Okay, you may now go back to your regularly scheduled discussion. :-)
I’ve gotta say, I don’t put much stock in the BFCA, but I can’t argue with their picks. If someone held a gun to my head and asked me who was going to win Oscars, those would probably be my first picks. You didn’t mention Diving Bell! You’re slipping…
:-)
I raved about Diving Bell over at AD. Though I know you liked it, I figured you’d care much more about the NCfOM and TWBB news. :-)
By the way, I loved your BFCA Extra Credit choices:
Disappointment - Neither Persepolis nor Ratatouille for Best Animated
Shocker - There Will Be Blood wins Best Pic
Best. Thing. Ever. - Clooney gets drunk and bites off Michael Medved’s ear. Gets off with a misdemeanor. Next year wins special award.
LMAO at your “Best. Thing. Ever.”
You have to admit that would’ve been awesome. I would’ve traded a NCfOM victory for that.
It definitely would have been entertaining.