and the nominees are....

[noddin0ff]

The nominees for best picture are

Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
Munich
Good Night and Good Luck

Interesting bunch. Now I need to go rent Crash...

[Kam]

The nominees for best picture are

Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
Munich
Good Night and Good Luck

Interesting bunch. Now I need to go rent Crash...

i woulda replaced capote with the new world. capote is a movie with a great performance in it, not a great movie (albeit still a very good one though imo). the new world is a great movie. just my 2cents. although i havent seen match point yet, and i've heard woody's been shafted, and then there's a history of violence, which was another awesome movie. this was a tough year i'd say with a lot of good movies at the top.

[ForeverAutumn]

The nominees for best picture are

Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
Munich
Good Night and Good Luck

Interesting bunch. Now I need to go rent Crash...

Gee, I've only seen Capote. I need to get my ass to a theatre (or a few theatres).

[ericl]

Good Night and Good Luck? I thought that it was decent to pretty good, but oscar worthy? That's a surprise. The only other on that list I've seen is Crash. Great movie. I need to check out the others.

I'm excited to hear that you liked New World, Kam. The preview I saw looked great, but obviously you can never tell how good a film will be by watching the preview. That preview is the first I'd heard about it..

[dean_martin]

I know Crash has gotten several thumbs up here, but did anyone notice similarities between this film and Grand Canyon from 1992? As I was watching Crash, it felt almost uncomfortably familiar. I haven't seen Grand Canyon in a long time. It uses a similar device to tell its story - the lives of strangers intertwine by coincidence or fate - and if I remember correctly some of the themes like class and race are similar.

Also, comparing from memory which is dangerous in my case, I thought the way the characters crossed paths in Grand Canyon was more natural, but seemed forced in some places in Crash.

I liked Crash, but I've had a difficult time acknowledging it as original. Maybe it was just the use of that particular story-telling method that jumped out at me and the respective subject matter of the two films aren't similar.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen any of the other nominees.

[Worf101]

Gee, I've only seen Capote. I need to get my ass to a theatre (or a few theatres).

You was ordered to movie boot camp a month ago.... you haven't reported yet? Somebody call da M.P.'s!

Da Worfster

[Worf101]

I know Crash has gotten several thumbs up here, but did anyone notice similarities between this film and Grand Canyon from 1992? As I was watching Crash, it felt almost uncomfortably familiar. I haven't seen Grand Canyon in a long time. It uses a similar device to tell its story - the lives of strangers intertwine by coincidence or fate - and if I remember correctly some of the themes like class and race are similar.

Also, comparing from memory which is dangerous in my case, I thought the way the characters crossed paths in Grand Canyon was more natural, but seemed forced in some places in Crash.

I liked Crash, but I've had a difficult time acknowledging it as original. Maybe it was just the use of that particular story-telling method that jumped out at me and the respective subject matter of the two films aren't similar.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen any of the other nominees.

I found "Grand Canyon" to be the most patronizing piece of crap I'd seen in years. The emotional gulf between those two movies is literally grand canyon wide. Maybe it's because in G.C. the racial divide is looked at from the side of the White Male, as usual. In Crash it's the other way round. It meant more to me cause I've been pulled over D.W.B (driving while black) more times than I can remember. Nothing can describe that feeling of helplessness and impotence when the cops are ****ing with you and you know and they know that there's not one blessed thing you can do about it and your life or death is literally in their hands....

Da Wrorfster

[Kam]

actually Crash is eerily similar to a movie called "11:14" which came out in 2003 but was buried and never seen by anybody. i have it on my netflix queeuue and will report back soon on it. but its premise is... "The events leading up to an 11:14 PM car crash, from five very different perspectives."
also the movie Amores Perros is very similar and also revolves around a car crash too.

[dean_martin]

I found "Grand Canyon" to be the most patronizing piece of crap I'd seen in years. The emotional gulf between those two movies is literally grand canyon wide. Maybe it's because in G.C. the racial divide is looked at from the side of the White Male, as usual. In Crash it's the other way round. It meant more to me cause I've been pulled over D.W.B (driving while black) more times than I can remember. Nothing can describe that feeling of helplessness and impotence when the cops are ****ing with you and you know and they know that there's not one blessed thing you can do about it and your life or death is literally in their hands....

Da Wrorfster

The different pov obviously makes a difference. I guess what did jump out at me was the familiar device used to show certain situations and my familiarity stemmed from Grand Canyon. I agree that the situations shown in Crash were much more intense and true to life.

Of course I've never been pulled over for DWB, Worf, but my lily white arse has been pulled over for driving in a predominantly black neighborhood after dark by white cops. They assumed I was looking for drugs. I'm certainly not implying it was a life or death situation. Also, it's a situation I'm able to avoid for the most part, i.e., I can choose where to drive.

Obviously, we've been aware of the problem you describe for a long time. I was convinced by Crash's display of these instances of intimidation, harassment and the resulting fear and humiliation and also convinced that they are not isolated events which to me means that it was simply effective storytelling. So, I'm wondering, in real life, what, if anything, is being done about it?

P.S. - I have been whacked on the head and mugged which triggered similar feelings and emotions.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I found "Grand Canyon" to be the most patronizing piece of crap I'd seen in years. The emotional gulf between those two movies is literally grand canyon wide. Maybe it's because in G.C. the racial divide is looked at from the side of the White Male, as usual. In Crash it's the other way round. It meant more to me cause I've been pulled over D.W.B (driving while black) more times than I can remember. Nothing can describe that feeling of helplessness and impotence when the cops are ****ing with you and you know and they know that there's not one blessed thing you can do about it and your life or death is literally in their hands....

Da Wrorfster

Gotta agree with you bad tempered klingon type. I couldn't relate to GC like I could relate to Crash. I have also been pulled over for D.W.L (driving while latin) in Beverly Hills so often that I just took my drivers liscense, registration, and proof of insurance as soon as I hit the city limit. It made me sick to my stomach I would get so angry. I hope Crash does well. Last time I got stopped, I wonder what the cop was thinking when I said "don't hit me, don't hit me!!!"

[Worf101]

The different pov obviously makes a difference. I guess what did jump out at me was the familiar device used to show certain situations and my familiarity stemmed from Grand Canyon. I agree that the situations shown in Crash were much more intense and true to life.

Of course I've never been pulled over for DWB, Worf, but my lily white arse has been pulled over for driving in a predominantly black neighborhood after dark by white cops. They assumed I was looking for drugs. I'm certainly not implying it was a life or death situation. Also, it's a situation I'm able to avoid for the most part, i.e., I can choose where to drive.

Obviously, we've been aware of the problem you describe for a long time. I was convinced by Crash's display of these instances of intimidation, harassment and the resulting fear and humiliation and also convinced that they are not isolated events which to me means that it was simply effective storytelling. So, I'm wondering, in real life, what, if anything, is being done about it?

P.S. - I have been whacked on the head and mugged which triggered similar feelings and emotions.

Didn't really say what I said as a "black white" thing... it's a power/powerlessness thing. I could just as well been a Jew in Moscow or Berlin or any poor person anywhere. Oppression is a two way street. I'm sure there's countries out there where I'd catch chit just for being an American or an ex G.I. Hope you didn't take my comment as a put down, just sharing my experience. And certainly Sir T.T. shows that it's not just a problem for the Black People either, anybody can be jacked... but when there's a badge and a gun involved it's just on a whole nother level.

Da Worfster

Da Worfster

[ForeverAutumn]

You was ordered to movie boot camp a month ago.... you haven't reported yet? Somebody call da M.P.'s!

Da Worfster

M.P.'s = Movie Police?

[RGA]

Brokeback Mountain (On the slate this week)
Capote B (Great performance but a semi-lackluster film)
Crash A-
Munich A (My Choice as best picture and will be in my top 100 all time)
Good Night and Good Luck B+ (Very good topical film about an event but we don't get any very well drawn characters beyond Murrow and not much out of the studio). The jazz singing transitions were repetitive and uninteresting). I respect the film's message and George Clooney for making this film -- indeed, I wish it were longer and meatier).

The Constant Gardener A- (should have been nominated here but oh well)

I'd be happy to see either Crash or Munich win best picture out of the four I've seen.

Crash is a very different film than Grand Canyon but I also veyr much liked Grand Canyon. Yes Grand Canyon is taken from a largely white perspective but since when is that a crime? Grand Canyon is preachy in spots but it was also made at a different period of time playing to sensibilities of a different target audience. That film was about stereotyping from a white upper class perspective while Crash is about racism from every class and every cultural group. It took me a few views of Grand Canyon in order to get into it.

[JohnMichael]

Brokeback Mountain is one very powerful movie. Regardless of sexual orientation it is one of the best tragic love stories. Two people fall in love and much of society and their own histories create barriers that keep them from fully celebrating their love. I do not know how this movie could have been any better except maybe with a happy ending. Riding off into the sunset perhaps.

[dean_martin]

Hope you didn't take my comment as a put down, just sharing my experience.
Da Worfster

Da Worfster

Hey Worf, I've been out of touch for the past 2 1/2 to 3 weeks. I just found your post and no I didn't take your comment as a put down. I like this place because of the many different experiences shared. I don't mind being enlightened.