Best Picture Oscar Nominees - 2010

[mitch]

Movies like this, Snatch, LS&2SB, etc end up shocking me when I find out how many members of the cast of Band of Brothers were Brits.

Stephen Graham played Mike Ranney.
Everyone knows that Damien Lewis (Dick Winters) is British.
But so were the actors playing Liebgott, Sgt. Martin (Soap from LS&2SB), Lt. Welch, Cpl Blythe, Popeye Wynn, Babe Heffron, and Sgt Talbert.

Next on your tour of obscure British films, Peeker, is "Green Street Hooligans". Friggin' awesome movie about the street fighting gangs that follow Randy Lerner level footballl teams.

[motherscratcher]

If you're going to the video store, pick up a copy of This Is England or White Lightnin'.

Another excellent suggestion. 'This is England' was tremendous. I always thought, because of a geocentric worldview, that Stephen Graham was an American actor. Dude's in gangster movies and plays Capone in Boardwalk Empire fer crissakes and he LOOKS like many of my wife's relatives .

The dude's as British as the Queen.

Awesome flick.

And those who can stream Netflix can watch it as soon as you want. Worth a view for sure.

Wait, Capone from Boardwalk Empire is a fuckin' Limey?

Huh

He played Tommy in Snatch. Jason Staham's little sidekick,

Holy shit, that's right.

Damn, 2001 version of me would never forget something like that.

[jclvd_23]

Movies like this, Snatch, LS&2SB, etc end up shocking me when I find out how many members of the cast of Band of Brothers were Brits.

Stephen Graham played Mike Ranney.
Everyone knows that Damien Lewis (Dick Winters) is British.
But so were the actors playing Liebgott, Sgt. Martin (Soap from LS&2SB), Lt. Welch, Cpl Blythe, Popeye Wynn, Babe Heffron, and Sgt Talbert.

Next on your tour of obscure British films, Peeker, is "Green Street Hooligans". Friggin' awesome movie about the street fighting gangs that follow Randy Lerner level footballl teams.

Agreed, loved Green Street Hooligans. Nothing like watching Frodo busting someone in the chops.

[e0y2e3]

So in the last week it has been established that mother cannot figure out even the most basics about technology and that he has early onset alzheimers.

[pup]

So in the last week it has been established that mother cannot figure out even the most basics about technology and that he has early onset alzheimers.

So, maybe he has this technology thing all figured out, but then forgets?

[HoodooMan]

Yeah it is, it includes Inception (which should win best screenplay) as the worst acted and worst ending for a nominee ever.

You're at least forgetting Crash, Titanic, and the fact that Tom Cruise was] in A Few Good Men.

[e0y2e3]

Yeah it is, it includes Inception (which should win best screenplay) as the worst acted and worst ending for a nominee ever.

You're at least forgetting Crash, Titanic, and the fact that Tom Cruise was] in A Few Good Men.

I WAS EXAGGERATING TO MAKE A POINT. THAT POINT BEING THAT THE ACTING IN INCEPTION IS SHIT AND SHOULD BE JUDGED CLOSE TO SHIT LIKE AVATAR, TITANIC, CRASH AND TOM CRUISE


PS: glad you like 28 day Peeker. I don't recommend the sequel.

[motherscratcher]

So in the last week it has been established that mother cannot figure out even the most basics about technology and that he has early onset alzheimers.

Painfully accurate.

[peeker643]

Yeah it is, it includes Inception (which should win best screenplay) as the worst acted and worst ending for a nominee ever.

You're at least forgetting Crash, Titanic, and the fact that Tom Cruise was] in A Few Good Men.

I WAS EXAGGERATING TO MAKE A POINT. THAT POINT BEING THAT THE ACTING IN INCEPTION IS SHIT AND SHOULD BE JUDGED CLOSE TO SHIT LIKE AVATAR, TITANIC, CRASH AND TOM CRUISE


PS: glad you like 28 day Peeker. I don't recommend the sequel.

Saw that there was a sequel and saw that very few recommend it. That's fine. I liked how it left it.

Go with Trainspotting tonight after watching the last of the LotR with the kids as well as 'This is England' last night.

Probably unpopular given the acclaim the trilogy got, but if I had to look at the anguished and pained slow-motion faces of Elijah Wood or Liv Tyler one more time I would have shot myself in the face.

I liked the story and the battle scenes for the most part, but I hated Elijah Wood and the increasingly fatter Liv Tyler more and more with each passing minute of each movie.

I wondered why a one-time hot chick like Liv was wearing more flowing robes and shit on her arms that hid her body but it was clearly because she was approaching Liz Taylor size by the last movie.

By the end I felt bad for her. They shot her basically from the chin up. Embarrassing. Was she pregnant when they shot them? Is she heavy still?

[e0y2e3]

LOTR is whatever/nice to me, but I will say that your analysis of Liv Tyler's weight fluctuations during filming may have been my favorite LOTR review ever.

Outstanding.

BTW: my comments up-thread on Zombieland were just because I do think it is about as good of a "popcorn" flick as I can remember. Not in the same realm as 28 days though in terms of style and "type."

[peeker643]

Looked it up. Those three movies were shot over a 15 month period and she was under orders from Peter Jackson to remain at 126lbs from start to finish.

There were financial penalties if she did not. The articles don't say she was fined but there is NO WAY she was the same weight at the end of that 15 months as she was at the beginning. I'm talking at at least 20-25 lbs.

Anyway, like I said, I'd never watch it again but it was worth sitting through once. It says a lot when I was really hoping Gollum would just behead Elijah Wood and the fat kid and simply slide the ring and chain over the shoulders.

ETA:

Soldiers walking the top of any hill and giving up their silhouettes deserve death. Never have I seen so many kings, warriors and leaders of men prancing about hill tops and running their horses on ridges.

Effing idiots. You don't do that stupid shit when you're hunting unarmed deer.

[motherscratcher]

Watched Inception last night. Thought it was great. Best idea for a movie in a long time and very well executed.

I'm not sure what e0ybert's problem was with the acting. I wasn't distracted by particularly poor acting. DiCaprio, Page, Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, and Watannabe are all good actors, so I'm not sure why or how they would all get together in an otherwise great movie and decide to all of a sudden suck at acting. Compare it to the Matrix if you want (and I like the Matrix too) but Reeves is no DiCaprio. I did only see it once though so I may have not paid attention to the acting so much the first time through.

As far as the end goes, I'm with e0y. I could see that ambiguousness coming. It didn't bother me. I thought it was far more important that Cobb didn't even bother to pay attention to see if the top fell. I'm in the camp that thinks it fell and reality is reality. I'm not convinced it really matters all that much.

I also don't know why e0y is so bent that the end left the door open for a sequel. I don't know why the ambiguous end leaves that possibility any more than if the top fell/stayed steady. They could have a sequel either way.

I'm not opposed to a sequel either. I don't need one, but if it's well done, like Aliens, what's the problem?

Anyway, great movie.

[RickNashEquilibrium]

LOTR is whatever/nice to me, but I will say that your analysis of Liv Tyler's weight fluctuations during filming may have been my favorite LOTR review ever.

Outstanding.

BTW: my comments up-thread on Zombieland were just because I do think it is about as good of a "popcorn" flick as I can remember. Not in the same realm as 28 days though in terms of style and "type."

The Bill Murray cameo is worth the price of admission.

On Inception, I thought it was brilliant and that Tom Hardy as Eames was easily the most well played part. Truth be told, I watch movies so I don't have to think too hard or stress myself on the reasons/deeper meanings/implied shit like whether the top fell or not. I watch movies to be entertained and entertained I was with Inception.

Also have to mention Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Arthur) is turning into a GREAT actor. 500 Days of Summer would have been fantastic if not for that anemic, no talent stiff Zooey Deschanel. She is awful and should step right in front of Peek the next time he watches LoTR with the kids.

As for the other movies of 2010, The Girl With.... was good, The Secret in Their Eyes was outstanding, though maybe somewhat dry for folks who don't watch many foreign flicks. My nod has to go to Inception. Simply an innovative, fresh concept and was as good the 2nd time as it was the 1st.

BTW - Didn't think as highly of The Town as others. Don't get me wrong, good action and Jeremy Renner played his role very well, but the concept was too over the top for me. Almost cheesy in a way. To each his own I suppose.

[motherscratcher]

... that anemic, no talent stiff Zooey Deschanel. She is awful and should step right in front of Peek the next time he watches LoTR with the kids.

You take that back. You take that back THIS SECOND!

[peeker643]

Netflix streamers and others interested in the military genre: Restrepo

Documentary: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1559549/

Korengal Valley, the deadliest place on earth, where the US actually pulled out in April 2010.

Don't know if it's nominated this year or not (Sebastian Junger, the guy who wrote the book 'Perfect Storm' directed this and wrote a book called 'War' that expands on Restapo)

FMB- think you'll appreciate it.

Jumped out of my chair 5 minutes in. Long periods of watching these kids get through the tedium in an exposed, deadly and remote OP and then moments of chaos, and adrenaline, relief and despair.

I had no idea what to expect and it was simply excellent IMO.

[mitch]

Don't know if it's nominated this year or not (Sebastian Junger, the guy who wrote the book 'Perfect Storm' directed this and wrote a book called 'War' that expands on Restapo)

Restrepo is up for Best Documentary.

[peeker643]

Don't know if it's nominated this year or not (Sebastian Junger, the guy who wrote the book 'Perfect Storm' directed this and wrote a book called 'War' that expands on Restapo)

Restrepo is up for Best Documentary.

You see it Mitch?

I know it's sure a great inducement to buy 'War' on the Kindle.

http://amzn.to/gMme5c

[Cerebral_DownTime]

Restrepo is as good as Film/TV gets.

I give it 5 Draculas.

[RedDawg53]

Finally saw Social Network last night. Amazing movie with fantastic acting, directing, and writing. David Fincher is a good director. I see this film winning Best Picture.

[e0y2e3]

Inception acting 101:

1) Gordon-Levitt is awesome/fantastic in movies like 500 Day of Summer. He crushes that shit. Gordon-Levitt flying through hall-ways playing a bad ass while looking like a 16 year old with a Puerto Rican mustache is the worst thing I have ever seen. Completely wrong movie for him and he totally drug down all drama by pretending to be a bad ass.

2) I love Juno, one of my favorite movies ever, but Page was as miscast for this role as Gordon-Levitt. She was soulless, bland, uninteresting and worsely, unconvincing.

3) Leo...... bitch please. He has played the exact same character in every movie for five years. He plays that role well but I am sick and tired of not being able to differentiate Leo in the movie I am watching from Leo in Catch Me If You Can.

4) The arab guy driving the van was a hilarious joke that I am convinced Nolan put in there just to make us laugh (when we weren't laughing at Gordan-Levitt the "bad ass")

5) The ending sucked.

Movie should easily win beast screenplay, because the concept is genius, but best picture nominee my ass.

[e0y2e3]

Oh and I am in love with Zooey RickyNash. I hope you die a very horrific death, she is amazing.

[hermanfontenot]

Inception was at least a half-hour too long. And I don't know about the acting being straight-up bad, but it was definitely pedestrian. Of course, when you put pedestrian actors in a movie, generally you get pedestrian acting.

Oh, and Lock Stock > Snatch.

[e0y2e3]

Netflix streamers and others interested in the military genre: Restrepo

Documentary: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1559549/

Korengal Valley, the deadliest place on earth, where the US actually pulled out in April 2010.

Don't know if it's nominated this year or not (Sebastian Junger, the guy who wrote the book 'Perfect Storm' directed this and wrote a book called 'War' that expands on Restapo)

FMB- think you'll appreciate it.

Jumped out of my chair 5 minutes in. Long periods of watching these kids get through the tedium in an exposed, deadly and remote OP and then moments of chaos, and adrenaline, relief and despair.

I had no idea what to expect and it was simply excellent IMO.

Honestly, glad you loved it but I just don't do real military movie stuff. Hated Saving Private Ryan and won't ever watch another military anything. Nothing to do with the film itself, but the concept matter just crushes my soul into tiny little lost pieces. Same reason I refused to finish All Quiet on The Western Front in 8th grade. Love those that serve for us, but their reality (one I was very very close to joining at one point) but I cannot stomach sitting back and reading or watching it. It ruins and crushes the tiny amount of faith I have left in humanity.

[motherscratcher]

Netflix streamers and others interested in the military genre: Restrepo

Documentary: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1559549/

Korengal Valley, the deadliest place on earth, where the US actually pulled out in April 2010.

Don't know if it's nominated this year or not (Sebastian Junger, the guy who wrote the book 'Perfect Storm' directed this and wrote a book called 'War' that expands on Restapo)

FMB- think you'll appreciate it.

Jumped out of my chair 5 minutes in. Long periods of watching these kids get through the tedium in an exposed, deadly and remote OP and then moments of chaos, and adrenaline, relief and despair.

I had no idea what to expect and it was simply excellent IMO.

Honestly, glad you loved it but I just don't do real military movie stuff. Hated Saving Private Ryan and won't ever watch another military anything. Nothing to do with the film itself, but the concept matter just crushes my soul into tiny little lost pieces. Same reason I refused to finish All Quiet on The Western Front in 8th grade. Love those that serve for us, but their reality (one I was very very close to joining at one point) but I cannot stomach sitting back and reading or watching it. It ruins and crushes the tiny amount of faith I have left in humanity.

I feel the same way watching the Cavs.

[peeker643]

Honestly, glad you loved it but I just don't do real military movie stuff. Hated Saving Private Ryan and won't ever watch another military anything. Nothing to do with the film itself, but the concept matter just crushes my soul into tiny little lost pieces. Same reason I refused to finish All Quiet on The Western Front in 8th grade. Love those that serve for us, but their reality (one I was very very close to joining at one point) but I cannot stomach sitting back and reading or watching it. It ruins and crushes the tiny amount of faith I have left in humanity.

I get ya. I do.

And I was seconds away from signing on as well a year out of BGSU but ultimately couldn't ask my new wife to be alone and/or to move place to place. And I've said here and elsewhere that not serving will always be my biggest regret.

But I honestly think films like Restrepo should be required viewing for a populace that really has very little appreciation for the kids that keep this country safe by either defending it here or by chasing the human waste deeper into their holes so they can't take the initiative abroad.

People take it for granted and that's horrible.

I don't know, maybe it's my own guilt for not serving that makes these films more impactful for me personally. I just know that after being young and dumb and assuming I was above having to serve as a kid because school was an option that I have an appreciation for what the kids and their parents go through and a good kick in the balls that a movie like that gives is important to me.

[jerryroche]

^^^^ What he said. With a bullet.

[peeker643]

Movies like this, Snatch, LS&2SB, etc end up shocking me when I find out how many members of the cast of Band of Brothers were Brits.

Stephen Graham played Mike Ranney.
Everyone knows that Damien Lewis (Dick Winters) is British.
But so were the actors playing Liebgott, Sgt. Martin (Soap from LS&2SB), Lt. Welch, Cpl Blythe, Popeye Wynn, Babe Heffron, and Sgt Talbert.

Next on your tour of obscure British films, Peeker, is "Green Street Hooligans". Friggin' awesome movie about the street fighting gangs that follow Randy Lerner level footballl teams.

Trainspotting was excellent. I think my favorite part in a movie of great dialogue may have been when Tommy's dumped by Liz and wants to walk to the mountains. Mark's two minute melt down regarding all things scottish had me laughing at 130am to the point I missed three more minutes of the movie and had to go back to watch that again.

Baby scene was ghastly as were the DT scenes.

Terrific movie though. No idea how I'd never seen it before. LS2SB next on the agenda.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

I thought Elijah Wood was kinda weak in Green Street Hooligans. It's a cool movie on that really scary sub culture though.

Cass is another good movie on hooligans, it's about an adopted Jamaican kid growing up in England who becomes one of the most notorious hooligans in the country.

[JCoz]

Watched Inception last night. Thought it was great. Best idea for a movie in a long time and very well executed.

I'm not sure what e0ybert's problem was with the acting. I wasn't distracted by particularly poor acting. DiCaprio, Page, Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, and Watannabe are all good actors, so I'm not sure why or how they would all get together in an otherwise great movie and decide to all of a sudden suck at acting. Compare it to the Matrix if you want (and I like the Matrix too) but Reeves is no DiCaprio. I did only see it once though so I may have not paid attention to the acting so much the first time through.

As far as the end goes, I'm with e0y. I could see that ambiguousness coming. It didn't bother me. I thought it was far more important that Cobb didn't even bother to pay attention to see if the top fell. I'm in the camp that thinks it fell and reality is reality. I'm not convinced it really matters all that much.

I also don't know why e0y is so bent that the end left the door open for a sequel. I don't know why the ambiguous end leaves that possibility any more than if the top fell/stayed steady. They could have a sequel either way.

I'm not opposed to a sequel either. I don't need one, but if it's well done, like Aliens, what's the problem?

Anyway, great movie.

I agree that I dont see the bad acting currently, what I was saying was that I liked the concepts so much it doesn't matter.

I liked the Matrix and didn't see the bad acting until years later. Of course I was quite a bit younger then, but the point is that I was too into that movie to bitch about the acting.

Maybe one day I'll feel differently about the acting, but it wont matter, I'll like inception.

No sequel please.

[JCoz]

Movies like this, Snatch, LS&2SB, etc end up shocking me when I find out how many members of the cast of Band of Brothers were Brits.

Stephen Graham played Mike Ranney.
Everyone knows that Damien Lewis (Dick Winters) is British.
But so were the actors playing Liebgott, Sgt. Martin (Soap from LS&2SB), Lt. Welch, Cpl Blythe, Popeye Wynn, Babe Heffron, and Sgt Talbert.

Next on your tour of obscure British films, Peeker, is "Green Street Hooligans". Friggin' awesome movie about the street fighting gangs that follow Randy Lerner level footballl teams.

Trainspotting was excellent. I think my favorite part in a movie of great dialogue may have been when Tommy's dumped by Liz and wants to walk to the mountains. Mark's two minute melt down regarding all things scottish had me laughing at 130am to the point I missed three more minutes of the movie and had to go back to watch that again.

Baby scene was ghastly as were the DT scenes.

Terrific movie though. No idea how I'd never seen it before. LS2SB next on the agenda.

Great scene. Love the scene in the park where sick boy and rent are going back and forth to.

For a vegetarian, Rents, you're a fuckin' evil shot!

[RickNashEquilibrium]

I agree that I dont see the bad acting currently, what I was saying was that I liked the concepts so much it doesn't matter.

I liked the Matrix and didn't see the bad acting until years later. Of course I was quite a bit younger then, but the point is that I was too into that movie to bitch about the acting.

Maybe one day I'll feel differently about the acting, but it wont matter, I'll like inception.

No sequel please.

This is exactly where I am at with Inception. Sometimes mediocore/bad acting can kill a movie for me, but Inception isn't one of them.

As for the Zooey Deschanel fanboys out there, are you infatuated with her because of looks/emo persona or something else? I don't understand how it can be acting because most of the time, its unwatchable. Like, she played the odd, even hilarious roommate of Sara Jessica Parker in "Failure to Launch", but most of the time shes this disconnected character who consistently has this look of "duh" on her face. Seriously EY, for a guy who seems to be in tune with movies and knows the subjects he is passionate about, your fandom of her thoroughly blows my mind.

As for LS2SB, all time classic and as EY put it, its Snatch before Snatch was Snatch i.e. Americanized. Engaging from start to finish.

[e0y2e3]

I honestly can't tell you why I am in love with Zooey Deschanel. It's not acting, she's not that unbelievably attractive, I dunno there is just something about her that makes her alluring enough I would drop just about any chick I've ever dated in a heart beat for one shot with her.

I won't argue or defend her from a film basis.

[Erie Warrior]

Cass is another good movie on hooligans

I'd recommend City of God if you like Green Street.

Watched Ghost Writer last night. It was ok, worth $5 OnDemand.

[peeker643]

I thought Elijah Wood was kinda weak in Green Street Hooligans. It's a cool movie on that really scary sub culture though.

Agreed. Thought the movie was really good but it was hard to get past Elijah Wood as a bad-ass.

[peeker643]

I honestly can't tell you why I am in love with Zooey Deschanel. It's not acting, she's not that unbelievably attractive, I dunno there is just something about her that makes her alluring enough I would drop just about any chick I've ever dated in a heart beat for one shot with her.

I won't argue or defend her from a film basis.

I agree with all of this fwiw.

[peeker643]

My issue on the acting in Inception is that none of the people/actors are irreplaceable in my opinion.

Ellen Paige owned Juno. She was excellent.

But replace her Inception with just about anyone and nothing is lost. I feel that way for the pretty much the entire cast.

I enjoyed the movie but not from a "Damn, they owned that role and I can't imagine it with anyone else" standpoint.

Just my $0.02

[JCoz]

So I watched The Social Network yesterday.....having a hard time understanding why this gets the rave reviews it has.

It was an alright movie, I just didn't see anything extremely distinguishable about it.

Kind of had me asking, where's the beef?

[JCoz]

My issue on the acting in Inception is that none of the people/actors are irreplaceable in my opinion.

Ellen Paige owned Juno. She was excellent.

But replace her Inception with just about anyone and nothing is lost. I feel that way for the pretty much the entire cast.

I enjoyed the movie but not from a "Damn, they owned that role and I can't imagine it with anyone else" standpoint.

Just my $0.02

That's an interesting look into your perspective....

I'm starting to think I just under value individual acting performances in general compared to some.

Guess its not what I watch movies for.

I could liken it to lyrics in songs for myself. Good/powerful lyrics are fine but I dont listen to music for the words, and the best lyrics in the world can't save a song from shitty music.

Some of my favorite songs for 10+ years I still dont know the lyrics to.

I think I may view movies in a similar fashion regarding individual acting performances.

[peeker643]

My issue on the acting in Inception is that none of the people/actors are irreplaceable in my opinion.

Ellen Paige owned Juno. She was excellent.

But replace her Inception with just about anyone and nothing is lost. I feel that way for the pretty much the entire cast.

I enjoyed the movie but not from a "Damn, they owned that role and I can't imagine it with anyone else" standpoint.

Just my $0.02

That's an interesting look into your perspective....

I'm starting to think I just under value individual acting performances in general compared to some.

Guess its not what I watch movies for.

I could liken it to lyrics in songs for myself. Good/powerful lyrics are fine but I dont listen to music for the words, and the best lyrics in the world can't save a song from shitty music.

Some of my favorite songs for 10+ years I still dont know the lyrics to.

I think I may view movies in a similar fashion.

First, I agree with you on Social Network. Thought it was okay.

On the acting/music analogy I simply can't imagine anyone other than Springsteen doing Born to Run or anyone other than Dave Grohl doing 'My Hero'. I know people have but it loses something for me. Same with Sully Erna and Godsmack or James Hetfield doing Enter Sandman.

It could be done, has been done. But I'm not a fan. Much like Tom Hanks owns Forrest Gump and I can't imagine anyone doing it better (same with Paige in 'Juno' or Pacino as Michael Corleone).

Doesn't mean I'm right, just how I look at it.

[e0y2e3]

City of God is about as wonderful a film as you'll find.

And I'm not going to call Inception a terrible movie my only issue is with people putting it up there as best of the year (same way I felt about Avatar last year and The Dark Knight before that).

[JCoz]

City of God is about as wonderful a film as you'll find.

And I'm not going to call Inception a terrible movie my only issue is with people putting it up there as best of the year (same way I felt about Avatar last year and The Dark Knight before that).

Has to fit into that group better than The Social Network IYAM.

[jerryroche]

I honestly can't tell you why I am in love with Zooey Deschanel. It's not acting, she's not that unbelievably attractive, I dunno there is just something about her that makes her alluring enough I would drop just about any chick I've ever dated in a heart beat for one shot with her. I won't argue or defend her from a film basis.

It's the eyes. As blue and as deep as the ocean.

deschanel-zooey_584.jpg (28.59 KiB) Viewed 1243 times

[swerb]

City of God is about as wonderful a film as you'll find.

And I'm not going to call Inception a terrible movie my only issue is with people putting it up there as best of the year (same way I felt about Avatar last year and The Dark Knight before that).

Yeah ... someone in here turned me on to City of God. That was an amazing film.

Gonna finally watch Inception this week ...

[motherscratcher]

I honestly can't tell you why I am in love with Zooey Deschanel. It's not acting, she's not that unbelievably attractive, I dunno there is just something about her that makes her alluring enough I would drop just about any chick I've ever dated in a heart beat for one shot with her.

I won't argue or defend her from a film basis.

I agree with all of this fwiw.

Me too FWIW.

I think I can tell you exactly when it happened for me. At the end of Almost Famous when she ran into William at the airport and gave her little hip shake/head tilt thing. I had to find out who the hell that girl was immediately.

[motherscratcher]

My issue on the acting in Inception is that none of the people/actors are irreplaceable in my opinion.

Ellen Paige owned Juno. She was excellent.

But replace her Inception with just about anyone and nothing is lost. I feel that way for the pretty much the entire cast.

I enjoyed the movie but not from a "Damn, they owned that role and I can't imagine it with anyone else" standpoint.

Just my $0.02

You are right on, but I think you are missing the point. Just because they are interchangable and other actors can play that role doesn't mean they acted poorly (and I know you didn't say that exactly). But it's not really about the characters in Inception; or the Matrix for that matter. That's why most people (CDT excepted) would say that Reeves is a terrible actor but they still like the movie. It's about the idea.

Ellen Page was great in Juno because the movie and the story allowed her to be. It's about the characters. There's nothing particularly compelling about a high school girl who gets knocked up, in and of itself. It's about how the characters think/feel/act. Not so much for inception.

In Iception, there probably isn't an actor alive who could be cast who would have people leave the thaeter talking about what a great performance he gave. They are always going to be talking about the incredible story. Sure, someone could ruin it by being terrible, I guess, but they'd have to be pretty bad if Keanu couldn't ruin the Matrix.

None of these actors are even close to being that bad in this movie, or ever. Not DiCaprio, not Page, and certainly not Gordon Levitt. I mean, if e0ybert's problem with Joe is that he wasn't believable as a bad ass who is fighting a guy who represents another guy's subconscious, in a zero gravity hallway, in a dream within a dream...well, I don't know what to say. Who the fuck did he want? Vin Deisel? I have no idea why JGL is any less likely to put up a decent fight in that out-of-this-world situation than any other actor.

I've rambled long enough and probably didn't hit my point exactly.

[e0y2e3]

Leo failed badly to convey this deep "pain" that was supposed to drive the movie. Again just struck me as a performance from a guy who is just cashing checks and playing the same character right now. He's got Tom Cruise disease.

Page was bland and boring. Maybe someone else could have played the character better, maybe the story was just written so shitty that there was no bringing life to that character.

Gordan-Levitt looked like a 16 year old trying to fight off hordes off bad guys and trying to play a bad ass. You don't need to be an action hero to play that role, but you can't come off as 16 (incomplete facial hair and all).

Again maybe it was the acting, maybe it was just the writing combined with the acting but beyond a great concept the movie feels terribly bland and is emphasized with a terribly predictable ending.

It's the same realm as Avatar, which was nice and pretty and nothing more, Inception was a great idea and nothing more.

[motherscratcher]

Leo failed badly to convey this deep "pain" that was supposed to drive the movie. Again just struck me as a performance from a guy who is just cashing checks and playing the same character right now. He's got Tom Cruise disease.

You're right about that I guess. I don't know how I could argue otherwise. I do think there is a difference between a guy failing to convey the character's pain and a guy who's just cashing checks. I think that's unfair. As far as playing the same character, I think that's a result of his success. It happens more often than not with our best/most popular actors. The list of good actors who eventually seem to play the same character is long and distinguished...like my johnson.


Page was bland and boring. Maybe someone else could have played the character better, maybe the story was just written so shitty that there was no bringing life to that character.

I guess. I've only seen it the one time so I didn't notice it. I get the feeling that I'm less likely than you to notice those things in general.

Gordan-Levitt looked like a 16 year old trying to fight off hordes off bad guys and trying to play a bad ass. You don't need to be an action hero to play that role, but you can't come off as 16 (incomplete facial hair and all).

Again, the fight scenes didn't strike me as strange at all. I don't know how a young and skinny guy like Levitt would be incapable in a fight. I've know plenty of little skinny badasses. Maybe he's just wirey.

Again maybe it was the acting, maybe it was just the writing combined with the acting but beyond a great concept the movie feels terribly bland and is emphasized with a terribly predictable ending.

It's the same realm as Avatar, which was nice and pretty and nothing more, Inception was a great idea and nothing more.

Maybe we just think about this different ways. I think this was a good/great movie, even with the flaws that you mention. If the characters and acting where what you wanted the movie would be absolutely transcendant. I think that's a lot to ask of a movie and falling short of transcendance isn't a fair think to critisize in my view.

Agree that the ending was predicable, although once again, it didn't bother me as much as you because it seemed to fit.

And please don't compare it to Avatar. Avatar sucked. I couldn't wait for that steaming pile to end. This would be better than Avatar even if Paul Walker was the lead supported by Freddie Prinze Jr and Miley Cyrus.

[hiko]

My 2 cents on Inception, which I just watched last week: Big premise, lots of suspension of disbelief, lots of "Uh, whatever" plot twists ("What happens if we're killed when we're so heavily sedated?" "Oh, you go into this Limbo thing I just made up!"), not a fan of a Dream Architect - the movie would've been much cooler had they actually gone into the world of people's actual dreams (those dreams were freakin' boring) instead of these dream worlds inhabited by people that were apparently the "subconscience" but really just bad ripoffs of Mr. Anderson.

With the concept, that movie should've been so much more than what it was, rather than some dream-within-a-dream-within-a-dream episode of A-Team.

Shit, the more I think about it, the more I think it was crap. I feel like Jean Girard after all y'all told me that Inception won the award for "Best Movie Ever Made".

Bravo for trying a film like that, bravo for some of the visuals, but that was the worst film that director ever made.

[hiko]

Oh, and this has abolutely nothing to do with Oscar Nominees (and rightly so), but Salt was freakin' terrible. It was like the producers asked "What would the Bourne Identity be like if Jason Bourne was a female and the premise was completely ridiculous and the plot sucked and the movie sucked at every level?"

An hour and a half of my life, gone.

[peeker643]

Watched LS&2SB the other night. Good but I liked Snatch better myself.

For kicks I also watched There Will be Blood last night as I'd never seen it and I grabbed it when I grabbed City of God.

Unreal job Danial Day-Lewis. Incredible acting. Movie dragged in a few spots but I really enjoyed that overall.

City of God tonight but I'm dreading it. I hate subtitles and trying to concentrate on readng while I'm watching what's going on. Not to mention I fear it's going to mess with my goddamn headaches.