Awards Season 2009

[cdnchris]

On that note I never thought I'd see the day where Fisher Stevens would be up there accepting an Oscar.

[foofighters7]

She meant that she didn't make the rounds promoting herself after the nomination like the other nominees, and there was no campaign on her behalf. But she still won.

Don't buy that in the least. That very well could be true, but I don't buy it.

Well, it is true, so it looks like you've reached a stalemate with reality at this point. Your move.

You are so hilarious. Just because you claim something is true doesn't QUITE make it so young mfunk.

what is this-
http://www.awardsdaily.com/FYC/gallery/ ... hp?id=1911" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also, did I miss it or did she not thank her Director either? I might have missed it if she did.

I was under the impression she had her own late night show. Could be a reason she didn't do other shows to promote it.

You tell me.

[triodelover]

You are so hilarious. Just because you claim something is true doesn't QUITE make it so young mfunk.

You're pretty funny yourself. Just because you claim something isn't true, doesn't make that so, either. Those are just two quick links. Google for more. Her lack of doing the traditional meet 'n' greet stops with the press was widely reported. Quite a few folks thought it would hurt her chances.

[HelenLawson]

Basically, Mo'Nique was saying FU to Jeff Wells over at Hollywood-Elsewhere. Can't fault her for that.

[mfunk9786]

I just want to know what you have against Mo'nique's performance if you haven't seen the film. It's exhausting to hear your ridiculous opinions that have no basis on which to form them.

[tavernier]

At least Bullock has a sense of humor.

[geoffcowgill]

Remember the days when they used to show an actual clip of an actor's performance, or, heaven forbid, a best picture nominee, rather than little mini-trailers that give no indication of a film's or performance's quality, just a general idea of its premise?

And remember the days when they gave out awards for Best Cinematography and bothered to show, at the very least, a friggin' STILL of the film so you would have some basic idea of what the movie looked like? Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I don't think a split second of Delbonnel's work on the Harry Potter movie was seen in the entire telecast, and The White Ribbon wouldn't have been either if it hadn't been up for Foreign Language Film.

And was there any Cronenberg in the hamfisted horror movie montage tribute?

Boo.

[domino harvey]

Best reaction to Mo'nique winning:

[James]

Best thing about Oscars 2010?: Seeing Michael Haneke on the red carpet.

[NilbogSavant]

Best reaction to Mo'nique winning:

I wish there was a reaction shot of Sam Jackson watching Precious.

[Matt]

She's basically a director for hire doing TV shows and random movies, what exactly is it that defines her career?

In addition to directing, she also produced her last two features. If she's a director-for-hire, how nice of her to hire herself. And she's directed maybe 5 hours of episodic television in 17 years. Many directors work in television between projects; in addition to denying her abilities, do you also want to begrudge her a living?

I haven't seen many of her films, and I don't particularly like the ones I've seen, but I don't even think I would need to to be able to discern a common set of concerns and themes among them. She's certainly no worse a director or less deserving than a lot of the men who have won the award.

[Polybius]

And she's directed maybe 5 hours of episodic television in 17 years.

Including three exceptionally intense episodes of Homicide. From the tone of that original putdown you would think she was busy working on Two and a Half Men.

[Fiery Angel]

She's basically a director for hire doing TV shows and random movies, what exactly is it that defines her career?

In addition to directing, she also produced her last two features. If she's a director-for-hire, how nice of her to hire herself. And she's directed maybe 5 hours of episodic television in 17 years. Many directors work in television between projects; in addition to denying her abilities, do you also want to begrudge her a living?

I haven't seen many of her films, and I don't particularly like the ones I've seen, but I don't even think I would need to to be able to discern a common set of concerns and themes among them. She's certainly no worse a director or less deserving than a lot of the men who have won the award.

Zot! sounds like an Avatard upset that Cameron lost to his more talented ex.

[Jeff]

What's not to like about Bigelow? She has a particular talent for directing technically flawless kinetic action setpieces without disorienting the viewer. That's more than you can say about Tony (or Ridley) Scott, Michael Bay, or even the otherwise brilliant Chris Nolan. She's had mostly mediocre scripts to work with, but Blue Steel, Point Break, Strange Days, and especially Near Dark each have their own small following because of what she was able to do with those scripts. It wasn't until she got Boal's Hurt Locker script that she really had a chance to show her stuff. The fact that she comes across as very humble, yet smart and confident doesn't hurt either. She's got a Master's in film theory and criticism from Columbia. If she wasn't 25 years older than me...

[colinr0380]

And if you wanted to be sniffy about 'auteur' directors doing TV work how about director of the best foreign language film Juan José Campanella? House, Law & Order (Special Victims Unit and Criminal Intent series), Strangers With Candy, Ed, Dragnet and 30 Rock.

Bigelow's movies haven't been 'random' - they've all focused on groups of characters under stress and the tension between authority and instinct whether that's the young recruit to the ancient and ruthless vampire gang ending up destroying them; cops and criminals in the matched pair of Point Break and Blue Steel; the submariners in K-19 (which although based on a true story also contains echoes of Chernobyl and the Kursk); or Strange Days, which is perhaps her most interesting (albeit of course dated!) film tackling race, the divide between the sexes (with the more competent, down to earth women set against the flaky, virtual world obsessed living in/living out their fantasies men), the effect of 'entertainment' on 'reality' (not just the experiential clips, but the way that the murdered rappers (likely alluding to Rodney King) have a greater hold over people's emotions than the police or army ever could, and the way that the Juliette Lewis singer character still has a hold over Fiennes despite the ending of their relationship) and the difference between experts and novices in their various fields.

I agree with Jeff - she is certainly a better and more coherent action director than most today. Though I often find myself unable to fully endorse her films due to an often painfully earnest yet shallow, unconfrontational and uncontroversial 'message' often expressed and the need to mythologise her characters too much by turning them into simple heroes and villains - but then again, that's the kind of attitude that can often help the work to attract a more general audience.

[HistoryProf]

Leave it to a "HistoryProf" to bring this forum to a new nadir of crudeness:

so why does this bitch get to ramble on for five minutes, but the director of best foreign film gets cut off after 60 seconds?

fuck fuck fuck. Nice white christian lady saves the poor black kid from himself. nice.

oh fuck, I forgot about Sandra Bullock and Blind Side after the Precious/Avatar assault of suck. Jesus this really is the worst year ever.

why don't they just start tossing their salads already! this is taking FOREVER.

These fuckers with cutting off the winners need to be kicked in the throat. you can show fucking interpretive dance for 10 minutes, but not give them 90 seconds on the biggest day of their careers?!??!?

*pukes*

it fucking better not. that flick pisses me off the more it wins.

We do not call women--with the exception of Beatrice Welles--"bitches" on this forum. Whether or not you're actually a professor, at least act like you're out of high school.

oh come on now. I'll apologize for the first one, that was uncalled for - but a heat of the moment type thing - but i'm hardly the only one who was saying anything like the others. numerous other posters were as equally dismayed and using similar language. It's not like I was single-handedly ruining the discussion - that WAS the discussion/reaction. My apologies for all the sarcasm...but don't go cherry picking here.

[Tom Hagen]

She's certainly no worse a director or less deserving than a lot of the men who have won the award.

[HistoryProf]

Monique just said "Aks" in her Q&A backstage. Truly oscar worthy.

Added to Matt's spot-on criticism above. This offensive little nugget also deserves special mention because awards, you know, have little if anything to do with the actual performance given.

no, what was offensive is how she was basically mocking the whole thing, preceding the "ax" was "I'm a comedian that won an oscar!" with a bunch of laughing...the entire spiel coupled with her invoking Hattie McDaniel was offensive TO ME. She readily admits she's not an actress, and I'm tired of awards being given for make-up and physical hyperbole (See: Charlize Theron for another prime example). playing monsters in human form shouldn't be an in to oscar nominations, as I've always heard from the best actors out there that it's the EASIEST thing to do (and the most fun).

She knows she hit the jackpot....but do you really want Paten Oswalt, Doug Stanhope, etc winning oscars and making fun of them the rest of their lives? Paten did a great job in Big Fan, but he'd be the first to laugh at you for saying it was a great piece of acting.

[HistoryProf]

Best reaction to Mo'nique winning:

I guess we'll have to get ready for Sam getting skewered for being racist.....

[domino harvey]

Clooney's being called a racist for not standing for Mo'Nique's win. More like he's a True American Hero

[HistoryProf]

Here is the explanation of the "aunt lydia"/kanye moment...pretty interesting that it was because of a feud between the two.

notable:

...when we won, he raced up there to accept the award. And his mother took her cane and blocked me. So I couldn't get up there very fast.

[rs98762001]

If she wasn't 25 years older than me...

That didn't stop Mark Boal...

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

Compared to Sandy Powell's acceptance speech, Mo'Nique seemed rather restrained. Not to piss on Powell's parade as I love her work and know she deserved that Oscar, but her haughty little moment really rubbed me the wrong way. Granted, she dedicated her Oscar to other designers on contemporary and independent films, but it felt like an afterthought. Unless I totally misread Powell and she's actually a rather sweet lady.

[TomReagan]

Monique just said "Aks" in her Q&A backstage. Truly oscar worthy.

Added to Matt's spot-on criticism above. This offensive little nugget also deserves special mention because awards, you know, have little if anything to do with the actual performance given.

no, what was offensive is how she was basically mocking the whole thing, preceding the "ax" was "I'm a comedian that won an oscar!" with a bunch of laughing...the entire spiel coupled with her invoking Hattie McDaniel was offensive TO ME. She readily admits she's not an actress, and I'm tired of awards being given for make-up and physical hyperbole (See: Charlize Theron for another prime example). playing monsters in human form shouldn't be an in to oscar nominations, as I've always heard from the best actors out there that it's the EASIEST thing to do (and the most fun).

She knows she hit the jackpot....but do you really want Paten Oswalt, Doug Stanhope, etc winning oscars and making fun of them the rest of their lives? Paten did a great job in Big Fan, but he'd be the first to laugh at you for saying it was a great piece of acting.

If you are seriously suggesting that you have an inherent issue with outsized performances winning awards, I would humbly suggest that you stop engaging awards shows.

Even if she chooses to label herself as a comedian, the fact remains that she played a part in a film and can therefore be considered an actor, eligible for all the scorn and hosannas that performance elicits. (As to this particular performance, it would appear that some major critics' associations -- New York, Los Angeles, National Society, etc. -- as well as many other awards bodies certainly thought it was worthy of adulation.)

(On a side note, I really do not care all that much as to who wins awards such as the Oscars -- not to diminish either their history or the role they can play in changing the course of someone’s career, but as I get older I find that they seldom intersect with my particular tastes and are, to put it mildly, not always the best indicators of what I deem true quality. Still, it's nice when someone you fancy wins, but I do not think these sorts of things really warrant a high degree of stock.)

Finally, I still find your particular choice of "aks" as a basis of criticism to be offensive and your subsequent straw man argument to be, well, silly. I suspect you knew exactly what you were hoping to convey, and you should know that some will find it distasteful. Just calling out the bullshit as I see it.

Would Brando or George C. Scott also receive your scorn for what can be considered a "mocking" gesture toward the Academy?

[HistoryProf]

I know you are trying to insinuate race into this, but it doesn't fly. I abhor texting language as much as I do "street" crap like "ax" - I see it on a daily basis in papers and it certainly isn't anything that's defined by color. If you insist on it being a racial thing, maybe you can just lump me in with Bill Cosby and his distaste for the rampant lack of respect on the part of young people for the English language.

If Brando or George C. Scott ever said asked 'why you ain't talkin about them?' then I'd most certainly criticize them for it. I would also criticize them if they were pompous a-holes who pretended like the award didn't matter before the ceremony and mocked it after getting one. That's my opinion, of courses, and you are free to yours...but don't call me a racist for it. I don't think she deserved it for a lot of reasons, but race is not one of them.