I am a movie buff, and I have been following the Oscars for at least twenty years. Like all democratic votes, sometimes we agree with the results, and sometimes we don't. In my opinion, some years Oscar has gotten it right, and other years it really missed the boat. So for the next few posts, here are my picks for "Best Picture of the Year" and how they square up with the Academy's vote:
2008:
Oscar's Pick - Slumdog Millionaire
Jeff's Pick - The Dark Knight
Don't get me wrong...Slumdog is a great film. But The Dark Knight brought powerful performances, philosophical insight, incredible cinematography, emotional depth, and cultural relevance to the popular superhero story. And it wasn't even nominated for Best Picture! Shame on you, Academy!
2007:
Oscar's Pick - No Country for Old Men
Jeff's Pick - No Country for Old Men
Oscar got it right, even though it had some stiff competition from There Will Be Blood. For my thoughts on this particular movie, check out my post earlier on this blog.
2006:
Oscar's Pick - The Departed
Jeff's Pick - Pan's Labyrinth
The Academy went sentimental and gave overdue kudos to veteran Martin Scorsese as an apology for overlooking his brilliant work in Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Gangs of new York, and The Aviator. However, choosing not on sentiment but actual cinematic achievement, I think they should have picked the (again, not even nominated) Pan's Labyrinth, an aesthetically brilliant and emotionally touching fantasy by Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro.
2005:
Oscar's Pick - Crash
Jeff's Pick - Crash
A brilliant script, fueled by intense performance (many of which deserved to be nominated), and addressing a very sensitive topic of racism with honesty, integrity, and even humor...I literally cheered when Jack Nicholson read the envelope!
2004:
Oscar's Pick - Million Dollar Baby
Jeff's Pick - Hotel Rwanda
Okay, Clint Eastwood is a great director, and Million Dollar Baby was a good movie. But yet again, the Academy didn't even nominate Hotel Rwanda, which was a movie bigger in scope and a much more profound message. Don Cheadle and Sophie Okenado give amazing performances.
2003:
Oscar's Pick - Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Jeff's Pick - Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Peter Jackson did as good a job as anyone could in bringing Tolkien's masterpiece to the screen. It's just a brilliant film.
2002:
Oscar's Pick - Chicago
Jeff's Pick - The Pianist
I don't think Chicago can hold a candle to some of the great film musicals of the past, some of which did not win Best Picture. Now, don't get me wrong: I have no personal respect at all for Roman Polanski and think he should stay in prison. But hell, he's made some great films (Rosemary's Baby and Chinatown, just to name two favorites). And The Pianist deals with the Holocaust in an honest, artistically humble, and historically precise way...rather than overtly sentimentalizing it like Spielberg did in Schindler's List. It is truly a masterpiece by a great director.
2001:
Oscar's Pick - A Beautiful Mind
Jeff's Pick - Gosford Park
I enjoyed A Beautiful Mind and think Russell Crowe deserved to win the Oscar for this performance, rather than for his bravado turn in Gladiator. But for my mind, Gosford Park combines a lucid theme, an incredible ensemble cast, a profound script, and magnificent artistry...all brought together by the beautiful mind of a humble but powerful director: Robert Altman. A favorite to watch with my wife!
2000:
Oscar's Pick - Gladiator
Jeff's Pick - Traffic
Gladiator was a visual spectacle...and a testosterone-packed guy film...and that's about the extent of it. Traffic probes the reality of drug trafficking and its effect on all segments of American society, and it is a sobering critique of the superficial means often used to address it (and other deep problems). It features another incredible ensemble cast, including riveting performances by Michael Douglas, Benicio Del Toro, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
More to come...
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