Best Picture Nominees

[Marianne81]

For the very first time I have seen more than two of the yearly Best Picture Oscar Nominees, and so I think I can make a pretty objective opinion about what deserves to win. I have seen 4 out of the 5 up for the award.

The nominees I've seen are:
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Lost In Translation
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Seabiscuit

This is the first time in I don't know how long where I actually think the right films have been nominated. My favorite of these is Return of the King, but I also think it is the film that truly deserves it. While the others are all good films, ROTK just seems to be on an entirely different level. The others are great films. ROTK is a BRILLAINT film. I haven't seen Mystic River but cannot imagine it topping ROTK. Now whether it wins is another story. The Academy hasn't in my opinion always been right, especially in recent years awarding Shakespeare in Love over Saving Private Ryan. I thought both were excellent but Ryan was better. Of course this is just my opinion.

I'm not going to get my hopes up, but if ROTK does not win I will be very sad. In the grand scheme of things I suppose it's not that important, but it would be wonderful if Lord of the Rings finally gets the recognition it so deserves.

I would like to hear other peoples thoughts on this.

Marianne

[pinkrenata]

I, personally, am rooting for Lost In Translation.

[subzero]

I would close Lord of the Rings, some strange reason, I really don't get whats the HUGE hype about Lost in Translation, besides making fun of japanese people and having a platonic friend, what so great about it?

I am surprised that Last Samurai was not nominated, I thought that was a far better film than Master and Commander.. but thats just my 2 cents

[Luke]

I've seen Return of the King and Lost in Translation, and I'm wholeheartedly rooting for Lost in Translation, but I'll settle for a Bill Murray Oscar.

Return of the King was noticeably better than The Two Towers, but I found it was still plagued by a lot of the things that made me underwhelmed about the first two movies. I suppose it's likely the Academy will reward that now, though.

Lost in Translation was incredibly evocative. So little happened, and yet it was so intimate and effective at portraying its characters and tensions in life that may go unspoken. It's the type of film that really sticks with you long after you've seen it.

[Sulley]

I've only seen TROTK and Lost In Translation, but I plan to see all five nominees before the 29.

I personally do see the hype for Translation, which Luke put very well into words, but I feel that would benefit from a second viewing (for me at least). I do, however, feel TROTK deserves it more. This is the year for TLOTR I believe, and I really feel it was THE best picture of the year. I can't decide who I want to win the Acting Oscar more, Murray or Depp.

I look forward mostly to Mystic River. Almost saw it yesterday but ended up seeing something else. I'm a bit frustrated about it, but that is one I definitely plan on seeing.

[Paka]

Of the five nominees, I've seen all but Master & Commander. Like Sulley, I really need to give Lost in Translation another viewing, because the one time I've seen it thus far, I came away with no comprehension of why the film was so hyped. I understood the themes and the message of the film well enough, but it just left me cold overall. Nothing about the film really moved me - unless it's the film's simplicity that's supposed to be so spectacular. O_o

Kind of the same thing with Mystic River. What is it about this film that's supposed to be so great? I'm not saying it's bad - it was definitely well-made - but what is the big deal? I felt like a long episode of CSI with some soap-like melodrama thrown in. For all their travails, I felt no sympathy for any of the characters whatsoever. The ending was outrageously confusing, and the film's main theme music was annoying and ill-fitting (it was oddly "chipper" for such a bleak film). The only slightly interesting part was the climax; which, like CSI, had all the revolutions and answers revealed in one fell swoop, and was pretty tense and violent. Maybe I need to read the book... 'cause hell knows the characters weren't very well-developed in the film. *gag*

These two films may have simply been "over-hyped" for me, 'cause by the time I saw them, I'd heard so much praise that I was expecting the sun and the moon. And when I only got stars, I was disappointed.

Seabiscuit's a great film (I've got the Collector's Edition dvd), but it's got that waft of "Oscar fodder" on it - like it was made chiefly with the Academy Awards in mind. Same thing with Master & Commander, although I haven't seen it yet. Not really eager to see it, either - since the P.C. pricks in Hollywood changed the book's American enemies to French ones - topical modification, anyone? I mean, God forbid that the infallible, all-powerful Americans ever be portrayed as bad guys...

And while I love the LotR trilogy, I do think that RotK, by itself, isn't the best... movie... EVER. But, like many Hollywood insiders have speculated, this will be the year that Peter Jackson and the Lord of the Rings project in general will be awarded - by giving the big wins (picture, director, etc.) to the last chapter. The Oscars are just as much about politics, and about the voting members making a statement, as it is about the actual best film/actor/director, etc. of the year. RotK's awards will be symbolic for the whole trilogy. And they definitely deserve it.