MetaChat is an informal place for MeFites to touch base and post, discuss and
chatter about topics that may not belong on MetaFilter. Questions? Check the FAQ. Please note: This is important.
I think several things. First, there are a lot of good movies and performances to catch up on. Second, I'm delighted that Moneyball got a best picture nod. That is one of the best baseball movies I've ever seen, the only one that really is as good as Eight Men Out. Also happy to see Pitt, who did a great job in that movie, and Rooney Mara, who was impressive in Girl With a Dragon Tattoo, get nominations.
I think they're bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit. I'm so angry about [name] and [title]. Oh, and [other name] was totally ripped off.
I mean, I don't know what any of them are, that's just how I feel and—more importantly—what I'm picking up from the prevailing sentiment. You know, every year. "So and so was slighted!" "Whoseyamajigger is so undeserving!" etc.
Moneyball is the only BP nomination that I've seen, and I really enjoyed it. There are a few there that I want to check out (haven't seen Midnight in Paris yet, also want to see A Separation), but most of the movies I have on my list to see (Shame, take Shelter, a few more) didn't get any nominations.
Moneyball was the only BP nom that I've seen too. And not because I don't have the time or inclination to see movies. I just didn't have an interest in the others. The Artist is one that I feel obliged to see, but the subject matter doesn't interest me at all. Overall I feel like 2011 was a mediocre year for movies.
There are great performances in so many movies that sucked! E.g. Meryl in The Iron Lady. Does that mean you don't have to be a team player when you're an actor?
My own brief reviews: Loved A Separation, hated Drive, disappointed in the much hyped Midnight in Paris.
I thought it was a mediocre year. Moneyball was good, though I wish it had stayed to the actual story. Thought Bridesmaids was pretty terrible. If that's being held up as a years best perhaps the year was even less than mediocre.
As a general toon-head who pays the most attention to the Animated Features nominations, I was shocked and amused that Pixar's "Cars 2" didn't make the final list but "Kung Fu Panda 2" did. (Not to mention "Shrek" spin-off "Puss In Boots").
I'm a little bummed Shailene Woodley didn't get a nomination (there was buzz), only because I think it would be funny for someone in "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" to also be an Oscar-nominated (or winning!) actress.
I've seen Hugo and it was really enjoyable, but I dunno about Oscar-worthy. Bridesmaids was really good (so funny!) and I'm glad that McCarthy got nominated. I read The Descendants and it was a good book and I'll probably rent the film because hey, it's George Clooney!
Aw, I really liked the Descendents. I've also seen The Artist (really awesome) and Moneyball (pretty great). I have no interest in the other best picture nominees and in fact have a visceral hatred for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close based on the book and the trailers.
I didn't find most of Bridesmaids terribly funny, deborah (e.g. that gross vomiting-in-the-bridal-salon sequence) but must admit when it hit the funny bone, it hit it hard. But aren't comedies usually doomed to be bridesmaids themselves at the Oscars? I can't remember the last time I saw a comedy win much.
I am usually a big Clooney fan, and he was appropriately cast, but I didn't buy him in that role. People are all "oh, he cried" -- not much, dude. The rest of the movie wasn't bad.
We enjoyed The Artist, but I didn't consider it Best Picture caliber. The more I thought about it, though (and saw the two OSS 117 movies they'd done to pay for it), the more I loved Jean Dujardin and his white, white teeth. (And his sassy left eyebrow.)
We are big fans of Christopher Plummer in Beginnings (which otherwise suffered from earnest but unpolished first-film writing).
Meryl? Really? Am I going to have to see this movie?
A friend of ours hosts a huge party as a fundraiser for various local causes, so we make a point of going to see everything. We have a nice indie theater that shows the short films, too, whcih is great. But dangit, I have a show this year, and the first day of tech week is that day from 10-10. Ouch!
I really wanted to see Martha Marcy May Marlene (and We Need to Talk about Kevin), but both lasted about two weeks in the theatre in my neighborhood, so I missed them. I was mildly interested in A Separation, but otherwise, none of those movies were on my radar.
I felt like Bérénice Bejo was a lead, not a supporting player. She was just so perfect that it was hard to take one's eyes off of here when she was onscreen.
Wait, which one of youse gave me The Descendants? It was on my Kindle wish list, which someone ended up gifting me. Fess up, you, you, you, PERSON! Damn my Amazon wishlist for not telling me who gave me the book!
Thanks, anyhoots. It was one of you, it had to have been - thanks! Looking forward to reading it.
Turns out the guy nominated for art direction (for The Artist) is a high school classmate of mine. I knew him some after high school, as we went to different colleges but both stayed in LA for a bit.
photo by splunge
photo by TheophileEscargot
photo by Kronos_to_Earth
photo by ethylene
