8 Comments

First, thanks for an interesting blog about a human activity that is not corrupt, and second, thanks for an insiders look at how movies are nominated. We love going to the movies, but haven’t as yet seen any of the films you reviewed. Perhaps we’ll reconsider “Aviator” even though DiCaprio as Howard Hughes looks like a kid wearing his father’s clothes.

Collateral turned out to be the only movie I saw inside a theater last year. It featured sharp-as-a-tack writing, stunning after dark cinematography (I love this LA), finely etched performances and wonderfully tense pacing. All in all a very satisfying film experience. I wish it well.

At the risk of committing a sacrilege, does anyone other than I consider Martin Scorsese the most overrated filmmaker of his time? His films are almost always overlong (waaay overlong–at times I wonder if he uses the services of an editor at all) and often tedious and deadly dull. To be sure, he has made some great films (Taxi Driver and Mean Streets are gems and I confess a guilty pleasure in The Age of Innocence), but I frankly do not understand why the body of his work is held in such high esteem. I have heard many good things about Aviator, however. Will be interested to see if it lives up to its hype.

Thanks for the post. Always enjoy the movie talk.

Collateral was a wonderful movie: both actors pulled off great performances, and the film was stylish.

Now, I will take in the Hughes movie. I was going to miss it because I agree with ‘erp’ that De Caprio looks like a child. However, I DO know that he is a very good actor, and it is nice to know that he did a good job in this one.

And I still wanna know: can you analyze exactly why Oceans 12 was such a truly lousy film. The actors are much better than average, the money was spent in great gobs. So what happened?

Roger,

I really enjoy your reviews, and for those films you have reviewed that I have been able to see, you’ve hit each nail on the head. And I’m always grateful when I’m steered away from a loser. Ars longa, vita brevis, and all that.

And please answer heather’s question about Ocean’s Twelve…

Jamie Irons

I haven’t seen Ocean’s Twelve, but it seems not to have been successful. Of course, the cause is almost always the screnplay, the most important and diffuclt part of most films. The old Hollywood saying goes, “If it ain’t on the page, it ain’t on the stage.”

Roger

You wrote:

Of course, the cause [of a film's failure] is almost always the screenplay, the most important and difficult part of most films….

That’s what I like in the practitioner (of any art), Roger, a wise, and wholly justified, appreciation of why his particular role in his field is of supreme importance.

And for that reason, I have always contended (and it goes without saying I am right) that psychiatry is “the most important and difficult part” of the field of medicine…

Jamie Irons

Roger, have to agree on your picks of pix. Saw Spanglish and saw nothing funny about it. I will say that Million Dollar Baby was one of the best of year, IMHO.

Oh, and if you get kicked out of the Academy, don’t worry. You can come over to the Valley and watch the ones we’re sent for viewing. Wouldn’t want you to have to now start saving for the theater.

Oh, you will have to bring the beer and pizza.

Philip Henslowe: Mr. Fennyman, allow me to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster.

Hugh Fennyman: So what do we do?

Philip Henslowe: Nothing. Strangely enough, it all turns out well.

Hugh Fennyman: How?

Philip Henslowe: I don’t know. It’s a mystery.

The same applies, thankfully, to at least some movies. As examples, check out this and the very entertaining commentary by Barry Sonnenfeld and Tommy Lee Jones on the first Men In Black DVD. The biggest “Whoa!” moment in The Trilogy was, according to Peter Jackson, an accident. They didn’t film Orlando Bloom mounting the horse he was suddenly riding.

My favorite movie rating system is a variation on the four star model: good — good, but flawed — bad, but watchable — bad. That about sums it up.