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I’m still catching up on RSS feeds after a week away, but as movie blog talk increasingly moves towards Oscar prognostication (because what else are we gonna talk about between now and Sundance –– Bride Wars?), I’m noticing a sort of two-headed theme emerge in the last week of the year. One the one hand: While Slumdog Millionaire, Milk and Benjamin Button all have their fans, no one seems crazy enough about the front-runners for the final two best picture slots (Frost/Nixon, Doubt and, um … Revolutionary Road? Maybe?) to label any of them as a lock; on the other: this year, to be contrarian seems to be equivalent to being populist.
Factors A + B first resulted in a mostly-online push for a Best Picture nomination for The Dark Knight. It might have seemed laughable before the movie opened (a comic-book cape flick blockbuster annointed for all time as one of the five best films of the year? Please!), but the campaign has gathered so much steam that the film’s worthiness is now a non-issue; in fact, it’s currently comfortably lodged within the top five on the Gurus of Gold predictions chart at Movie City News.
If it worked once, maybe it could work again. And thus, we find bloggers like Kris Tapley and Jessica Coen putting their weight behind a Wall-E Best Picture nod; AJ Schnack arguing that Man on Wire, one of the most popular and crowd-pleasing documentaries in years (not to mention the best reviewed film in any genre of this year) deserves the same; and, most interesting to me, David Carr arguing that Iron Man is more deserving of the Best Picture slot that may have already been ceded to The Dark Knight.
I still haven’t seen Wall-E (I know, I know), but I could definitely get behind an Oscar fight between Iron Man and Man on Wire. Both films would have made my 2008 top 20 for sure, and either would be a less embarrassing film to laud than Benjamin Button.
So what say you? What popular successes do you deem more worthy of a Best Picture nod than this year’s crop of humdrum prestige pictures?
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It’s “Poultrygeist” or nothing. Plus, Lloyd Kaufman for Best Director. This film might be his masterpiece.
I wanted to champion a film that is more in the indie side that I thought was brilliant. Courtney Hunt’s film, “Frozen River.” Also, Martin McDonaugh’s “In Bruges”.
I want to see those up for Best Picture.
Go see WALL-E, you’ll be backing it in no time.
the dark knight should get nominated
Well, if I had to fill the last slot, it would be with Man on Wire or Rachel Getting Married. If I could slide out one of the three locks that you mention, I would add both. but at that point I might as well just kill the whole thing and insert my dream lineup, right?
That said, on a practical level, I think Wall-E is the most likely upset-er for the fifth slot. I’m not a huge Wall-E fan, but that seems to be where the critical support lies for a surprise.
I think Iron Man was a great Robert Downey performance wrapped in a so-so summer movie. But then why doesn’t someone start a Downey for Best Actor campaign? It would make much more sense. He made that film. I’d rather see that than some consolation supporting nod for Tropic Thunder.
My pick: “Let the right one in”
was really annoyed by The Dark Knight’s constant state of climax, the million and one twists and turns. Although I loved that sound before each Joker attack, liked the final “choice” with the boats, the constant annoying twists just ruined the film for me in the end. It is just unnatural to have so many climaxes in one film. On the human body, if a man has an erection for more than a certain number of hours, he is supposed to go the emergency room. There is supposed to be an ebb and flow to a story. I don’t mind experimentation, but…ugh. The final boat “choice” between right and wrong, sacrifice for the greater good and personal survival would have hit home harder if the film didn’t have a trillion plot twists before it. After a while i was so desensitized, i honestly didn’t give a crap anymore. I get it, you are a smart action movie.
Liked Iron man, nice ending, love Robert Downey Junior, campy parts, but good.
didn’t like Wall-E as a whole, the first part of the film is very lovable. In fact, I’m convinced that the first part of the movie is why there are so many Oscar advocates for it. But the second part is where it dwindles in unoriginal, “fun-family-film” stuff mediocrity. or Meh’s.