Oscar 2013 - Best Picture

I think I start to get tired doing this "coverage" and I also don't really like how it gets out (I'm mostly referring to the writing because the prediction rate is anyways going down), so I'm wondering if I should cut the talking completely and limit only to posting clips next year. If not skipping completely the "event". In any case, the subject today are not my endless laments, but the nominations for best picture. Let's see ...

"Amour" is Haneke's movie about which I've written when discussing direction. An Austrian production, with a French cast and a German director. The result is indeed very European as feeling, strongly anchored in everyday life. A grim and slow drama, hard to digest. Especially if you had some relatives that went on the other side slowly when they got old, and if you don't it has all the chances to make you anxious about how it would be. But it is a drama told in a way that makes me except it from my own rule that I see a movie mainly to take me out from reality. And that's because, despite the appearance what's below is not that dark.

"Argo" is one of the two title fighting for the Oscar this year, and I think (I actually hope against the other one) that it will get it. I wrote enough on other categories, so I won't replay. But it must be said that it's a rare movie. Rare due to the fact that you don't have many subjects with a real basis, but so out of reality that look like fiction. And even more, with a happy-end. So, it must be appreciated that somebody thought to use the material for the scree. Maybe others will start to look for some stories like that too.

"Beasts of the Southern Wild" is the American way to tell a drama. Not that rough as the European one above, and dressed in a story told by a little girl in a monologue, and taking it a bit further from the real tension. And it's ok, I've always liked that version :) I already said before that I prefer a movie as "escape" and not "drive me back to hell", at least not completely ;).

"Django Unchained" comes apparently as a sequel to an "alternate history", but not that alternate, after "Inglorious Basterds". Or at least that's the rumour, that Tarantino would like to continue the series with something else beside prematurely ending WW2 and freeing a black slave that ends up dealing the law in the middle of the cotton plantations. I hope that the rumor has a basis and I wait to see what "supporting" role will Christoph Waltz get.

"Les Miserables" is probably the most lame adaptation of the novel that I've seen. Well, I said it. I'm sorry but I can't be objective here. 1. I don't like the genre 2. I said myself to be open to it, but it still was hilarious to see Hugo's novel in singing from one end to the other. The only dramatic part was Russell Crowe trying to find his voice. I could say that from a certain point of view the movie was entertaining in the comic sense. But this sort of misses the scope. For who wants an adaptation that's something different I fully recommend the French version from '95 directed by Claude Lelouch and which got a Golden Globe. That really deserves your time.

"Life of Pi" is the movie that should get the Oscar but I don't think we'll have that surprise. I've finished what I had to say about it in the December entry, and also on the other categories. Probably I would have the chance to find something else if I would see it again. For sure there must be another metaphor hidden somewhere in the tiger's fur which I didn't get yet :) And that makes a clear difference from the rest of the nominees. And it's not because the rest don't have tigers in the cast ;)

"Lincoln" is the other title fighting "Argo" for the Oscar. I don't have anything against Spielberg. My childhood was positively marked from what he made :) But, with all the respect, I totally disregard with "Lincoln" as best movie. It's an ok biopic, but it doesn't have anything special as a movie (Daniel-Day Lewis actually had better roles than here), and it's killed by the amount of cliche. For real = I still can't get out of my head that after the assassination we still get another patriotic speech from the crowd gathered around the corpse. No comment.

"Silver Linings Playbook" is the comedy present here this year. If I look behind though and I see "The Descendants", "A Serious Man", "Juno", "Little Miss Sunshine" and the list could go on ... well, this is decent as light romance, but I don't have to ask myself why it's highly overrated and doesn't belong here - because it just doesn't.

"Zero Dark Thirty" alphabetically ends the list. Maybe if there weren't for the controversies about the practices of CIA this movie would have had better chances. On the other, hand if it would have been politically correct probably wouldn't have been as good as it is, and also not get much success on the public. This doesn't mean that's a masterpiece, but clearly at least for me is above "The Hurt Locker" ( as a movie, for the historic accuracy I'll be reserved :) ).

That's pretty much about this year's Oscars. As in the other years I hope I didn't bore to much :) Next week, back to the regular movie entry ;)