tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380946854105905251.post2429400730797530047..comments2024-03-05T02:32:55.943-08:00Comments on AlmostSideways.com: 2010's Mid-Decade Report: Oscar-less Best Picture NomineesAlmostSideways.com Staffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08672858658801711392noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380946854105905251.post-3625679825105536262015-07-10T15:04:11.384-07:002015-07-10T15:04:11.384-07:00I love the idea for the article. It was interestin...I love the idea for the article. It was interesting, but some of your logic is a little off. First, you are unfair to The Tree of Life. Just because it is weird doesn't mean that it isn't a great film. It's director was nominated and that really says something. It wasn't exactly Mulholland Dr. or something that was clearly a director showcase...and I don't think there was any way that Lynch's film would wind up in the top 10 in 2001 anyway. Plus, Tree of Life took the Cannes Film Festival, which is rare for an Oscar Best Picture nominee. Other than Amour taking advantage of the new rules, the last film to get in after winning the Palm d'Or was The Pianist. I guess you can say that stat proves your point, but it is expanding the horizons of the category. The internationally appealing films are getting a chance. It is all how you look at it I guess, but saying if there were only five nominees that it would have never gotten in is a stretch. The other branches of the Academy just didn't like it as much, when it clearly should have gotten nominations for Pitt, McCracken, Sound, and Score. It is just one of those strange cases...which totally suits Mr. Malick.<br /><br />Another thing that this brings up is your lack of faith in the Sundance winners. Beasts of the Southern Wild was a huge indie hit and Winter's Bone rocked every film festival that had the pleasure of seeing it. Both were completely solid B-grade nominations.<br /><br />Good call on giving Extremely Loud and Incredibly Annoying an F. You were too nice to War Horse, though. Geisha is a decent comparison, but at least that movie was clearly great at a lot of things. War Horse had no standout features. It was just good enough at a handful of things...or just good at having an iconic director. That nomination is an atrocity. D-.<br /><br />And let me just say that 2010 was one of the weirdest years for the category. Basically all of the non-director nominated films had a legit argument for being the 5th nomination under the previous rules. Clearly The Social Network, The King's Speech, The Fighter, and True Grit were in. Black Swan had the box office and the Director nom, but that nom seems like a classic pat-on-the-back to the director, much like Mulholland Dr., Being John Malkovich, and United 93. Black Swan was probably like 7th in the voting. The other films had much more historical backing for their Best Picture case. Inception had the monster box office, Nolan, and a huge cast. The Kids Are All Right would have been the seemingly annual indie comedy inclusion. Toy Story 3 was the best reviewed movie of the year and is the 3rd in the trilogy that never really got major Oscar attention. Winter's Bone could have been the Precious-type nomination in that it was a tough indie female-starring film that really tore up audiences. The only one that doesn't fit is 127 Hours, whose spot should have gone to The Town. If I had to bet, I'd say that The Kids Are All Right would have been the 5th.<br /><br />And one more thing...they never said that blockbusters and widely-appealing movies were the reason for the change. They said animated, blockbusters, foreign, and documentaries would all have a much better chance. So far all of those have happened except a doc...so for me...it's working.Todd Plucknetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10682024154899135277noreply@blogger.com