Hurra!

[selenak]

It's a rare thing that live tv makes me shout with joy, but it did when The Lives of Others won for best foreign language. That was my movie of 2006, and I love it to bits, as I have rambled on quite a bit in this journal before. And I was so afraid that with all the Pan's Labyrinth hype, it would not get a vote. So very happy!

The rest of the results are pleasing, too, though poor Peter O'Toole, not getting it for an eighth time. When Coppola, Spielberg and Lucas all came out as presenters, I knew Scorsese would win - no way they'd choose the 70s trio and not give it to him. Mind you, while I liked The Departed I think Letters from Iwo Jima is the better movie, but Eastwood has won twice in the recent past (and once against Scorsese when Marty should have won, for Aviator), and I've got a soft spot for the Italian motormouth, so that balanced each other out.

Also? Graham King lauding Leonardo de Caprio to the skies was a) deserved and b) a great thing to do.

Back to work now.

Comments

[g_shadowslayer]

I'm so glad to see Scorsese finally win. Haven't seen this film yet, but my gods, the poor guy's been overdue for ages... The Unholy Trio, there, though, that made me laugh :)

I do feel for Peter though -- I wanted him to win. Forrest's been amazing, though, and it was a really close race... I was especially glad to see Helen Mirren get it. So glad to see "older" actresses getting 'best actress' nods instead of just supporting!

[selenak.livejournal.com]

but my gods, the poor guy's been overdue for ages

Yes indeed, and it must have felt like a personal bitchslap every time they ignored him, given that he was attending every time. The Unholy Trio was adorable.*g*

I was especially glad to see Helen Mirren get it. So glad to see "older" actresses getting 'best actress' nods instead of just supporting!

Oh yes! And not in a "wiping the hero/heroine's brow" role, either! It's been so annoying, the age divide and actresses over 40 basically being ignored for main parts with a very few exceptions, and I really hope this is the sign of a trend. Re: Helen Mirren, in a recent interview she reminiscences about how she felt when she was offered the part of D.I. Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect - she was so glad and relieved because it was finally a woman her own age, for which she didn't have to look younger or older, and no one's mother!

[astridv.livejournal.com]

I just heard that 'Das Leben der Anderen' got an Oscar. We managed to miss that on when it was showing and were about to rent the DVD (not least because you rec'd it here a lot *g*). But 'Oscar' usually means that a movie will be back in the theatres for at least a week, so I get a chance of seeing it in the proper setting. I'm much looking forward to it.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

You'll like it, I promise. And hey, I bet in Bavaria at least most cities will have a cinema featuring it again. After all, he singled us out in his thank you speech!

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

I was also very happy at that win, because maybe the movie will get a theatrical release here (often happens with best Foreign Film winners that skipped a smaller market in the first place). I was also very happy with all the Leo- love. But in that sad fangirl way, my favorite part was Robert Downey, Jr. in his Iron Man beard (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v331/karabair/?action=view&current=tony.jpg).

[selenak.livejournal.com]

See, I didn't even know Robert Downey as cast as Iron Man.*g* But hey, he was excellent as Chaplin (though the movie itself, sadly, wasn't), so I'm sure he can do Tony, too.

Here's hoping for a Lives of Others release in your neighbourhood!

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

I was trying not to get too optimistic about the movie actually being made, but the evidence seems to be pointing that way -- at least, I'm taking that picture as a sign. . .

[claudiagray.livejournal.com]

Although I liked "The Aviator" much more than not -- it was an odd movie, but what was good in it was so very good that the poor didn't really matter -- Scorcese made a couple of choices that displeased me. Most notable was the color-shifting of the film, which at first made me think something was wrong with the print; only later did I find out it was supposed to reflect early color cinematography, which (a) in my viewing experience of early color films, did not look like that, (b) just did not serve the film at all, and (c) flew over the heads of ANYONE who hadn't read about it in a story or press packet. A friend of mine who works full-time in a film archive didn't get it, and neither did anyone she worked with.

However, I really did enjoy the subversion of the biopic convention -- the early scenes where everyone thinks the subject is crazy, then say he's a genius after he finds success, served a totally different purpose in "The Aviator," because Hughes is crazy, and his wealth/good looks/commercial instincts blind others to that for a little while. I also thought the world of Dicaprio's performance, which was that perfect golden boy, but just a little bit off -- until he somehow vanished within Hughes, and didn't seem to resemble himself at all. It was really masterful work.

Uh, I just like to talk about "The Aviator," both good and bad. So now I've rambled abit -- sorry!

[selenak.livejournal.com]

The subversion of the classic biopic narrative is what I focused on in my review (http://selenak.livejournal.com/134315.html), too, and I like to talk about the film as well - see you there (at the review)?

[astridv.livejournal.com]

You'll like it, I promise.

You weren't wrong. I just watched it (on a large screen as I'd hoped). I had high expectations and they were surpassed. That shows again that you don't need a sky-high budget and fancy FX... what this movie has instead is a brilliant script and believable performers.

And now I can finally read your review from ages ago in full. :)

[selenak.livejournal.com]

*dances the dance of shared fannishness*

What I hoped you'd say. Such a brilliant movie!