Oscar Week: The Big Awards
Best Director
Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain) Steven Speilberg (Munich) Bennett Miller (Capote) Paul Haggis (Crash) George Clooney (Good Night, and Good Luck)
Here is a category which features one of the all time greats going against relatively new movie directors, sans Ang Lee (Paul Haggis is an accomplished screen & television writer). Speilbergs Munich like all of his films is very well done, beautifully shot and edited flawlessy. However, I just don’t think he brought out enough in the characters to make me really care about them and that is what a director needs to do, much like he did in saving Private Ryan where you were screaming at Cpl. Upham to kill the German but you knew he wouldn’t. Bennett Miller’s first major motion picture Capote was nothing spectacular, but a great performance was given by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. If not for that performance the movie would have been ordinary at best, especially because of the lack of depth of anyone else in the movie. Paul Haggis did a great job directing Crash, and in any other year he would probably win this award. He really showed all point of the story well, some of that comes from also being the writer he understood the message he wanted to send. But again I keep coming back to these two movies, and now their two directors. Ang Lee was his usually brilliant self in directing Brokeback Mountain. He put forth such detail in the confusing lives of these two men who were trying to fight back the desires they were having. He used is unbelievable scenery as well and really had a great pace to the movie. George Clooney in only his second time out as a director really put his stamp on this movie. His character exploration in this movie is what is so stunning. He brings us inside that room and those few extraordinary men who wanted to challenge the status quo. The depth of Straitharne’s Edward R. Murrow was incredible even in a short film. It is a great achievement in Directing by Clooney. MY PICK: George Clooney PREDICTION: Brokeback Mountain
Best Picture
Brokeback Mountain, Good Night, and Good Luck, Capote, Crash, Munich
Well most of what needed to be said was said above. Here we have a perfect 5 for 5, the five directors pictures were all nominated for Best Picture; that is somewhat of a rarity. But as has been stated, I think it is really a two horse race. Brokeback Mountain was just an amazing movie, no matter what type of mind frame or prejudices one might go into the movie with, you are an idiot if you don’t think it was a brilliantly made movie and terrifically acted in as well. MY PICK: Brokeback Mountain PREDICTION: Brokeback Mountain.
Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain) Steven Speilberg (Munich) Bennett Miller (Capote) Paul Haggis (Crash) George Clooney (Good Night, and Good Luck)
Here is a category which features one of the all time greats going against relatively new movie directors, sans Ang Lee (Paul Haggis is an accomplished screen & television writer). Speilbergs Munich like all of his films is very well done, beautifully shot and edited flawlessy. However, I just don’t think he brought out enough in the characters to make me really care about them and that is what a director needs to do, much like he did in saving Private Ryan where you were screaming at Cpl. Upham to kill the German but you knew he wouldn’t. Bennett Miller’s first major motion picture Capote was nothing spectacular, but a great performance was given by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. If not for that performance the movie would have been ordinary at best, especially because of the lack of depth of anyone else in the movie. Paul Haggis did a great job directing Crash, and in any other year he would probably win this award. He really showed all point of the story well, some of that comes from also being the writer he understood the message he wanted to send. But again I keep coming back to these two movies, and now their two directors. Ang Lee was his usually brilliant self in directing Brokeback Mountain. He put forth such detail in the confusing lives of these two men who were trying to fight back the desires they were having. He used is unbelievable scenery as well and really had a great pace to the movie. George Clooney in only his second time out as a director really put his stamp on this movie. His character exploration in this movie is what is so stunning. He brings us inside that room and those few extraordinary men who wanted to challenge the status quo. The depth of Straitharne’s Edward R. Murrow was incredible even in a short film. It is a great achievement in Directing by Clooney. MY PICK: George Clooney PREDICTION: Brokeback Mountain
Best Picture
Brokeback Mountain, Good Night, and Good Luck, Capote, Crash, Munich
Well most of what needed to be said was said above. Here we have a perfect 5 for 5, the five directors pictures were all nominated for Best Picture; that is somewhat of a rarity. But as has been stated, I think it is really a two horse race. Brokeback Mountain was just an amazing movie, no matter what type of mind frame or prejudices one might go into the movie with, you are an idiot if you don’t think it was a brilliantly made movie and terrifically acted in as well. MY PICK: Brokeback Mountain PREDICTION: Brokeback Mountain.
1 Comments:
Oh Brother of mine. I think you forgot to point out one difference between the two awards. In the Academy voting procedure, basically people only get to vote inthe categories they participate in (actors in acting, directors in directing, and so forth) yet the one category (actually 2 now) are the Best picture categories (best animated feature is the other). Due to this fact movies directed by an otherwise famous actor have a better shot of getting the nod because as we all know, every actor out there really "wants to direct someday". The overwhelming number of actors in the academy make up a major swing portion in the vote for best picture. With this in mind I think you and many others are missing the desire people are going to have to want to recognize George Clooney with something for "Good Night, & Good Luck". The topical character of the piece as well will impact the voting. The crrent censorship and government wire-tapping debates, like it or not, will impact the desire to see this movie win. Ipersonally hope it goes to Brokeback Mountian, but I would not be surprised to see "Good Night, & Good Luck win for best picture, while Brokeback wins director.
As always
Your Other brother, Kyle
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