DISQUS

ANGRYBROOMSTICK · 9 months ago

Agree with most points... you are spot on about SLUMDOG being the feel-good winner of this year... No Country and There Will be Blood, are quite frankly, GLOOMY and dark... but so is TDK!

I don't think most people here (or on Slash Film) are familiar with any other foreign films besides Waltz with Bashir, either. Blame it on ourselves.

I agree, this year's format was well done, entertaining, and delightful. and I thought you guys were joking about being on a boat?!?!?!?!

PaulSileo · 9 months ago

Cole never jokes about being on a boat, but he does joke about being in the Gulf of Mexico.

TheGreenMalice · 9 months ago

The Gulf is the place to be.

Zack · 9 months ago

Excellent write up, probably the best I've read.

Homero · 9 months ago

14) That because Crash wasn't the best picture of the year and everyone but AMPAS acknowledged that over and over again. If the film doesn't win at least Director, Editing and Screenplay, it wasn't the best picture, simple as that.

5) I saw most of the films that made the short list and I've gotta say, The Class was superior than the rest, so much that if there wasn't a foreign film award, The Class would've knocked out Frost/Nixon for Best Picture.

4) Hell Yes

1) It didn't deserve Sound Editing, but it definitely deserved Cinematography and Directing...what a shame.

JMoney · 9 months ago

Bon Cop Bad Cop?

flameyheadgear · 9 months ago

That one and 'Flowers and Garnet' are next on my list. Oh, and 'Cube'. I can't believe I haven't seen that one, I like all the weird stuff.

Speaking of weird, have you seen 'My Winnipeg'?

Sam_isusingan_ · 9 months ago

I think the new format worked because it showed how being nominated was actually an honour. Everyone talks about how its an honour to be nominated etc etc, but this is the first year where the awards have actually taken the time to explain why they were nominated. It was nice to see.

None of it was really surprising, but it never really is. I think when the academy talked about taking chances this year, or whatever the soundbyte was, they were talking about putting a lot of the winners in seats that weren't at the end of their rows, or near the front of the theater.

Andy · 9 months ago

Mickey Rourke is the human Kung Fu Panda? Your logic makes no sense. Rourke won both the Golden Globe and the BAFTA for Best Actor over Sean Penn, while the only major award that KFP won over WALL-E was the Annie, which everyone thought was rigged because Dreamworks was a bigger financial sponsor than Pixar. Mickey Rourke had a really decent shot of winning the Oscar.

Mark Frost · 9 months ago

Do you seriously think Sean Penn's performance was better than Rourke's? The fact that you call Sean Penn a "true great" in comparison to Mickey is an insult to the man's amazing work in that movie. The man got snubbed by the homo-loving communist people of the Academy; Sean basically said it himself.

JMoney · 9 months ago

have you actually watched Milk?

I mean no disrespect to Mickey Rourke because I loved The Wrestler, but why should the guy win an award for basically putting his own demons on the screen? Sean Penn's performance was better because he became his character for that 2 hours.

Mark Frost · 9 months ago

Have you actually seen The Wrestler? The fact is Mickey's performance was powerfully dramatic and while Penn also did an amazing job, you can't snub a man because he's personally similar to his character. It's about who was better in the end and Mickey was better.

JMoney · 9 months ago

I guess that really is the absurdity of giving awards for artistic performances, it's all subjective. Neither of us are wrong, really

Toby · 9 months ago

I watched the Wrestler but haven't seen Milk, but I think Sean likely gave an incredible performance as well.

RobertFure · 9 months ago

I still submit that both 3:10 to Yuma and Benjamin Button have better scores than Slumdog Millionaire.

PaulSileo · 9 months ago

I learned that I can't watch television and my computer screen at the same time. Good thing Neil was keeping us updated, or I wouldn't have even known who won.

Stacia · 9 months ago

Re: 9. The Slumdog Millionaire Score is the Best Score of the Past Five Years.

The "There Will Be Blood" soundtrack last year was also phenomenal and unforgettable, for me anyway.

Aleric · 9 months ago

I agree on 3:10 to Yuma, Havent seen benjamin Button and don't plan on it.

I have two words to say to oscar.........Gran Torino.

ERoBB · 9 months ago

To your first point, WTF is wrong with you? One movie wins too many awards and you think its cheap?

Cole_Abaius · 9 months ago

To your first question, nothing. To your second, it just feels unfulfilling when one film takes all of the majors to me. One film trumping all others in those categories seems unlikely to me. But that's the point. It also feels unfulfilling to some when several films split the major awards.

Voltron · 9 months ago

so how did it go with the two brunettes, if i may ask?

ERoBB · 9 months ago

No. The Dark Knight was a much better film than The Reader and Frost/Nixon. Both fine films, but the only possible knock on The Dark Knight is its a superhero movie, and the Academy clearly isnt ready for that. Its no justification that it probably wouldnt have won, thats retarded.

RANDOM MAN · 9 months ago

I must be a retard for asking this but what was the falling in love with Steve Martin thing about?

RobertFure · 9 months ago

At one point Steve Martin just looked at Tina Fey and said "Don't fall in love with me." And it was funny.

MrDeath · 9 months ago

I won't lie, I'm still REALLY bitter about The Wrestler not getting anything. But I can deal with Slumdog getting what it got. Good for Boyle and Co.

SUNand3Stars · 9 months ago

I'm with you on that...I really wanted Rourke to win....

Foster · 9 months ago

Next to Best Director, Best Score is one of the more noticable snubs for TDK. And while we're on snubs, while TDK probably wouldnt have won Best Picture if it were nominated, but it was still much better than at least 3 of the actual Best Picture nominees. So if 3 films are decent to good but still got nominated for Best Picture, and TDK is better than those 3 films, then logically that makes TDK worthy of a Best Picture nomination. I just find it fun when I hear people say "TDK isnt worthy of a Best Picture nomination, but the films that were worse than it rightfully got recognized".

SUNand3Stars · 9 months ago

I learned that 'The Reader' can be funny when high...

JMoney · 9 months ago

no, not yet, heard its decent though. cube is a strange one for sure. i also want to see that movie where jay baruchal plays a mortician.

flameyheadgear · 9 months ago

'Just Buried'! I've heard only good things about it.

Too much to see, too much to see...

flameyheadgear · 9 months ago

I worked the Toronto International Film Festival last year (and will this year) and I was absolutely APPALLED by how little I know about foreign cinema. I was fortunate enough to see a few films (none were nominated) from France, Poland, and Australia, and I have been *seriously* missing out.

(Sidenote: Even more appalling (and I'm rectifying this) is how little I knew (relatively, mind you) about films made in my own country (Canada). I've watched quite a few, but not nearly enough. I am ashamed, I am being rehabilitated, and I realize that they're a hell of a lot better than I thought, and getting even better than that.)

Back on track. Thank you, Cole.

Craig · 9 months ago

Slumdog may not be The Departed, but it's def better than No Country For Old Men. that movie was so overrated and won because it was a decent movie in a terrible movie year. It was slow, boring, and uniteresting at times, Slumdog is a movie to remember for a long time, No country is not.

FILM FREEK · 9 months ago

I'm from India, and for some reason, the newspapers are abuzz with the "oscar glory" that slumdog has bought to Indian shores.
Kind of ironic, considering it is an Indo-British film at best, I would most definetly agree with your point on the music score though, A.R. Rahman is too great a genius to have been kept away from the global spotlight.
P.S. Spike Lee used "chaiyyya chaiyya" - another Rahman song in the opening and closing credits of the "Inside Man"

790 · 9 months ago

This review was in itself an original take on reviews of the Oscars,,, very well done Cole!

Slumdogs soundtrack I agree was amazing.
Steve Martin was hilarious, " Don't love me Cole!"

I agree with some here that Rourke should have won Best Actor and The Wrestler should have also been up for Best Picture. That being typed you have to realise that gay rights are a hot topic right now in Los Angeles and in the Industry. Sean Penn had the perfect Gay Storm working for him.

I'm really happy Rourke went out with a great Spirit Award speech !!! Let's all be thankful for that.

The 15th thing we should have learned from the Oscars, Jack Black doesn't take any shit from Jennifer Aniston. There were a ton of inside jokes there if you know what he's referring to,,,

790 · 9 months ago

@Mark Frost,,,
Thr Wrestler was better than MILK in that it had more heart (no pun), not to mention a deeper emotional base story. Combine that with the great soundtrack and moving ending I agree the Wrestler is superior. But not totally because of Mickey. The writting has to be acknowledged in this film. The writing n the Wrestler was phenomenal.

The acting between Penn and Rourke was equally great , however Penn has more of a political edge than Rourke within the Academy at this time.

I think we can all agree that 2008 was the best year in movies so far this decade.

Cheers everyone!!!

Kevin_Carr · 8 months ago

I learned that Danny Boyle is really a leprechaun.

Babbalicious · 8 months ago

Am I the only person who saw Slumdog Millionair and didnt think it was amazing. This movie is going to be in the walmart $5 bin within 2 years of dvd release. I saw Milk and The Wrestler and they were by far better movies in just about every way. I guess my opinion means little but the Oscars suck so much. Milk should have won best picture. MR should have won best actor. Slumdog was ok at very best.