Friday
Nov222013
Reader Questions for The Podcast
Friday, November 22, 2013 at 3:46PM Got any questions you'd like answered on this weekend's special holiday edition Podcast? If so, let us know.
tagged reader requests
reader requests
Reader Comments (32)
Which of the foreign language submissions has the crew seen? The Hunt seemed like a likely winner early in the year, but its buzz seems to have died down, at least for now. What do you guys think is the frontrunner right now?
I feel as though Michael Fassbender's front-runner status in the Supporting Actor has been brushed aside because he has quite publicly refused to do campaigning for the part. It's to the point I have come across people not putting him in the conversation while Leto and Hanks are hotly debated and Abdi is not to be underestimated. There is also the fact people also believe Nyong'o and Ejiofor will win their categories so a third acting Oscar seems unfathomable for 12 Years A Slave.
So why is Fassbender for 12 Years A Slave not a lock like I personally believe he is in terms of performance? Is it him not playing politics? Is it the Oscar politics that may like 12 Years a Slave but not enough to reward it potentially 3 acting Oscars? Is it him not playing a sympathetic character who does not get a classic movie comeuppance? Or, is it simply just people just believing that the supporting actor category is more of a toss-up with an abundance of quality performances?
Will Jennifer Lawrence have the kind of stretch that Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock have had or is she being set up for a burnout before she hits 30.
OT: I wanna see a yes, no, maybe for the trailer of Nymphomaniac
Regarding ScarJo in Her and awards consideration:
1) Why would this performance be considered supporting and not lead when it's arguably as large and significant a role (the title one in fact) as the one that won Best Actress this past February?
2) Why should this performance be compared, in terms of its awards feasability, to ones like Andy Serkis' Gollum, Eddie Murphy's Donkey, Robin Williams' Genie, or any of Marni Nixon's ghost singing gigs? In each of those cases, the character portrayed was a combination of various elements, but the character of Samantha consists of nothing but ScarJo's voice; it is not "half a performance," but rather a fully realized characterization as written and conceived. It's not the same as what is normally called a "voice performance," i.e., a mere voice-over, no matter how skillful. If awards bodies deny ScarJo consideration, they are not paying attention but reacting in some knee-jerk fashion.
What is your response to the registered domain names for the Batman/Superman sequel?
Paul you certainly have an opinion. {Julia Roberts' grin}
I don't have a question but a request: Joe shave your beard.
Second the discussion on that Nymphomaniac trailer! I specially would love you to briefly talk about Uma Thurman. I think she looks terrific as well as Gainsbourg, naturally.
And can we talk more about Paulina Garcia and why she deserves to be considered within the top 5 performances by a female actor this year? That performance was sheer excellence.
With the Wild ride J-Law has been on since Winter's Bone do you think after THG ends how long will she continue to be important to the culture or even as she gets older do you see Lawrence being put up on stage with many of our greatest working actresses?
I think it's easy to differentiate a bad performance from a good performance, and then even a good performance from a great one. But amongst a plethora of great performances this year (especially from actresses) how do you decide which is the best out of all the great ones? How can u take 2 great performances and then decide which one is greatER?
I know it's not a stellar year for Oscar-type supporting actor performance, but do you think it's actually been a weak year for the category?
Does Bruce Dern, who I believe is the No. 2 guy for BA, have less of a shot at a nom because he doesn't have that Oscary scene most folks need?
Just saw Nebraska. My second favorite film so far this year.
I would like to know your thoughts about "Her" and its Oscar chances (specially Scarlett Johansson's Oscar chances: does she deserve the buzz for this performance? what's so special about her?)
August: Osage County!!!!!- the good, the bad, and the ugly!
Jones- I know Charlotte is probably the central character for the movie but Uma's whole role has me intrigued and wondering. That scream she lets out when her segment seems to be about her lashing out on her cheating husband just looks like real pain that she has not really shown after that exact thing happened with her and Ethan Hawke. Like I remember at a Kill Bill premiere she personally kicked out a random Z-list celebrity whose claim to fame was being a homewrecker. And considering it's LVT, I find her in some ways reliving it to be a 50/50 of misery and catharsis.
Paul, not to be mean, but I'm totally against ScarJo for a nom. It's called a motion "picture." I believe the visual is crucial to giving a fully realized film performance. But I respect your opinion.
Golden Globe contenders for Best Actor and Best Actress in the Comedy/Musical department... There are interesting names/performances in the run for nods in both categories, what do you think? Will the Globes go for big stars (like Depp and Jolie for "The Tourist") or talent will be a factor in this year's choices?
BEST ACTOR COMEDY-MUSICAL contenders:
* Bruce Dern ("Nebraska")
* Joaquin Phoenix ("Her")
* Joseph Gordon-Levitt ("Don Jon")
* Ben Stiller ("etc Walter Mitty")
* Leonardo DiCaprio ("The Wolf of Wall Street")
* Oscar Isaac ("Inside Llewyn Davis")
* James Gandolfini ("Enough Said")
* super stars ("Las Vegas")
ACTRESSES COMEDY-MUSICAL contenders
* Meryl Streep ("August: Osage County")
* Greta Gerwig ("Frances Ha")
* Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("Enough Said")
* Sandra Bullock ("The Heat")
* Melissa McCarthy ("The Heat")
* Scarlett Johansson ("Don Jon")
* Emma Watson ("The Bling Ring")
* Julia Roberts (???) ("August: Osage County")
* Julie Delpy ("Before Midnight")
Campaign or not to campaign? We all agree that it should be just about the performance, but that's impossible these days. Do folks like Joaquin Phoenix, Michael Fassbender and Mo'Nique have it right, or are they the equivalent of late adopters? Is their refusal to campaign a campaign in itself, because it draws attention to an idealized form of artistic integrity? And what of other performers who need that boost or else the media/system will never pay attention to them, like Barkhad Abdi, or someone who needs some form of cachet in Hollywood to boost their chances for a long career, like Lupita Nyong'o, who I hope doesn't go the path of many a talented actress of colour before her.
I'd love to hear the gang's take on the issues from Glenn's article about The Best Man Holiday. You guys are so articulate and fun even when discussing tough topics like race in film.
I loved your guys' take on older movies you'd been watching in the past few weeks. So my question is along those lines:
What's the last film nominated for Best Picture that you haven't seen?
and/or
What's the last nominated performance you haven't seen?
I'm not nathaniel, but the trailer for the new lars von trier... err, he might be turning into a parody of himself. and I'm really afraid of him depicting "a woman's sexual life from age 5 to 50" or something, which OF COURSE it's no happy thing judging by the trailer.
Do you think the academy should clear up the lead/support debate by getting clear rules.
/3rtful -- it's Movember. The last time anyone can ask anyone to shave.
everyone -- thanks for the questions. keep em coming.
@ Mark
If the actors branch agreed to guidelines to destroy category fraud, it wouldn't change two lead movies of the same sex being nominated together, someone will miss out Julianne Moore, and the caste system would return and Sup Actor / Actress will be seen as once and for all the lesser prize, the ghetto acting category. And a lot more anonymous to Hollywood people will win the dreaded Oscar curse of being an award season wonder and have their future careers in the lesser mediums of film and television. The lesser mediums that actually enable grown women to work in quality productions and minority can receive recognition as equals to their white peers Audra McDonald (5 Tony Awards), Alfre Woodard (4 Emmy Awards (Streep-level multiple nominee), 2 SAG Awards, 1 Golden Globe) -- I think the Academy enjoys placing Anthony Hopkins as Best Actor with less than 20 minutes of screen time, or Jessica Lange as Sup Actress for less than 30 minutes of screen time, or Frances McDormand as Best Actress for coming into her movie nearly sixty minutes in and her movie runs just under a hundred. It is a slippery slope and will make the whole process unbearable than keeping things in their current condition.
If you are looking for a fun question: Which 3 actors/actresses would you like to open Christmas presents with and what would be your personal gift to each of them? (A gift doesn't have to be a literal thing, it can be something like Oscar Buzz)
At the very least, I would like to see a discussion of why film/Oscar bloggers -- including this site -- actually GO ALONG with and endorse the category fraud by repeating the lies that Matthew McConaughey is Supporting in "Mud" or Daniel Brühl is Supporting in "Rush" or Jake Gyllenhaal is Supporting in "Prisoners." It absolutely has to stop, and a good place would be for the bloggers to take account of themselves and not be accessories to the crime.
Joseph -- wow. THIS SITE? I have been one of the sole sane loud voices in the losing battle against category fraud for 10+ years.
So why do you have all three actors I just cited listed in your predicted list? At the very least, you should include a boldface caveat that these actors shouldn't seriously be considered in this category because they're NOT supporting. And every effing day calling out the studios for this cheating. And telling other bloggers to do the same.
I'm serious. It pisses me off that McConaughey could get in for "Mud" or Gyllenhaal is mentioned as a possibility for "Prisoners," when both films feature genuine supporting performances that are FAR, FAR more deserving of nominations: Sam Shepard in "Mud" and Paul Dano in "Prisoners."
Can we have a loving tribute for Kasi Lemmons because we hope Black Nativity is as good as Eve's Bayou and Talk To Me?
Following news that there's a It´s a wonderful life in the making... re-cast a Christmas classic with current moviestars.
Joseph -- i'm just going to assume you haven't been reading long because I have spoken about this so often that i've had (many) readers complain that I should let it go already. and i also mention it on the charts quite a lot. But at the end of the day the charts are punditry so it would be weird to pretend that these category frauds weren't regularly successful.
Overarching question to you actressexuals.
I wasn't conscious during the early years of the Julia Roberts after Pretty Woman.
Is Jennifer Lawrence's seismic rise to the top of the world similar to Julia, or is it its own beast of a different kind?