Oscar 2013 - Film Editing

Besides sound and cinematography, the film editing is one of the categories where I actually like to make a prediction and talk extensively over it. I don't really have the necessary disposition this year and I've already rambled enough in my previous post, so we'll see what comes up. Besides that, the configuration for 2013 is not that complicated ...

"Argo" is the first nomination here. For me it's the best editing in the list. As main argument, as I was saying in a previous entry, the story is not extremely alert (except the ending) but this aspect is "hidden" behind the editing which doesn't let you feel any unnecessary length. On top of this I would also add the opening scene, very nicely done (we have a sequence of alternating drawn storyboards with real footage setting the start context). Although sufficiently short to pass maybe unnoticed and not more impressive probably than a documentary sequence, the effect of immersion in the movie atmosphere is excellent = if it didn't catch you already after this, I don't know what can get your attention besides the ending. Still, it seems that the awards favorite for this category is another movie, at the other end of the list. Which movie is not far at all from what we have here, but we'll talk later about it. I stay pro "Argo" anyway ...

"Life of Pi" sits well in any technical department, but the editing is sort of eclipsed by the cinematography and VFX. Ironically, this is favored by the editing :) But let me leave more experienced people to explain how stuff is done ...

"Lincoln" has the same editor as most of Spielberg's movies, namely Michael Kahn. And if we add a third name - Janusz Kaminski, for cinematography, it becomes obvious why pretty much every Spielberg movie have a quite similar "flow", especially on the visual side, that got better in time up to a level that doesn't ever get below good. From good to best there is still some space though :P ...

"Silver Linings Playbook" appears again on a category where I'm a bit surprised by the nomination (let me keep in mind though that we're talking about Oscar .. = the stuff here is decent, not necessarily the best). Well .. the movie "flows" ok. A few words from the editor are available in the clip below. Still, due to the nature of the genre, a comedy is clearly not favored here in front of dramas, or of movies with more action ...

"Zero Dark Thirty" is on the other side of the list, as I was saying in the beginning. With a subject that we can say it's in the same subgenre - dramatizing of a story based on a secret operation that went on in the Orient involving CIA. Well, compared to "Argo" the story of finding Bin Laden has something different that matters pretty much here - the lengths of several years in real time. But the movies do not differ that much considering the rhythm of the story flow. And guess what .. we have the same editor (William Goldenberg). Who like I said has big chances here. To be fair, I have to admit that the editing is quite as good as "Argo". But I can still stay objective - pro "Argo" - based on the fact that there the editing helps the script ( a main passage, quite long that must be cut properly to keep you focused ), here is somehow the opposite or at least not like that ( variation of several shorter phases from a several years long story ).