OSCAR
SYMPOSIUM
with
your host Nathaniel
and six very special guests
February 2008
Our Seven Participants
day one / day two / day three
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DENNIS: (cont'd) This was back in the 80s and early 90s, when that was the only source of information and one would have to wait till mid-morning or late afternoon, or sometimes even the next day, until someone pubished a complete list. But I'm 15-20 years older now (confession: I'll be 48 this year) and the old man's life, combined with raising two daughters and working two jobs makes me value my rest too much these days to let Oscar impinge on my precious sleep. And there really is no practical reason to get my ass up these days anyway, as we have all the pertinent facts at our fingeritps thanks to the Internets anyway as soon as we get up, brush the crust out of the eyes and log on. That said, I was up so late logging Oscar nomination predictions this year that I ended up shutting down a mere two hours before Kathy Bates and began reeling off the lucky nominees anyway.
I don't know from the Wicked Witch or Glinda or any of those other Technicolor icons (besides, I just finished watching The Band Wagon on TCM so I've got a more delightful icon-- Cyd Charrisse-- overtaking my brain waves.) But I am still somewhat dazed by the thought that the two front-runners-- No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood -- are actually worthy movies for that position. Personally, if No Country does as well as I hope, I'll be happier on Oscar night than any time since Unforgiven took the top prize.
Okay, the in-laws are calling me to breakfast/lunch, and I can't stand typing on this tiny computer any longer (How do people blog on Blackberries and the like?!) I shall return, and typing faster and much more coherently next time. And I will offer a question and an answer: Is the anyone in our group backing anyone besides Daniel Day-Lewis for Best Actor? My answer: Yes. Me. I saw Michael Clayton a second time last Saturday night, and not that Day-Lewis is anything less than brilliant, but I came away more convinced than ever that Clooney is the real deal.
NICK: Dennis, I'm whispering rudely to the side while other people are still going around the table introducing themselves, both to say hello, and to tell you that I at least *thought* about endorsing Tommy Lee Jones over Daniel Day-Lewis for Best Actor, and sometimes I still think about it. Daniel is his own personal china syndrome, mostly in ways the movie needs, although with a camera and a director and an ensemble willing to track, to *genuflect* before his every move; there's plenty to be said by contrast for Tommy Lee Jones nailing the diametrically opposite task of holding an entire movie together that is otherwise such a sad slew of discombobulated and undigested parts. So, I almost talked myself into voting against Daniel. But not quite. Although Tommy Lee's nomination reminded me of how thrilling it was to hear Edward Norton's name called out in '98: no indication at all, save those crazy Satellites, that anyone was going to remember either one of them, and yet, suddenly, there they were, deserving as anyone could be.
Now, if Benicio Del Toro were in the derby, or if AMPAS voters had swiveled their naked gold heads five degrees to the side and noticed, "Wow, there's an even GREATER and more difficult performance waiting to be honored in Away from Her than Julie Christie's!".... then we'd have a real battle. Or, I would. But, as is, Daniel's milkshake really does bring all the boys to the yawd, and I'm right there with 'em. Insert your own yellow brick road metaphor for groupthink and glimmering predestination
...unless we DO have another dissenter in our midst? (The tacit Gordon Pinsent plug is sure to get Tim gabbing in no time, at least.)
NATHANIEL: Milkshakes... milkshakes. And here I am gently gumming some milquetoast. I still haven't decided who to vote for yet! (Super Tuesday -- same thing, but that's another topic)
My own best actor list includes Daniel Day-Lewis, Viggo Mortenson and Del Toro, just mentioned. Believe it or not, they're fairly evenly matched in my mind. I understand that DDL is a genius. No argument. Every time I so much as think about his baptism scene... everytime I even think about thinking about it, in fact, I want to hand him every prize that exists. The amount of things he juggles in that scene astound me. There's only one actor out there that had a single scene to rival it this year and that'd be the Cannes winner Do-yeon Jeon from Secret Sunshine (but of course her film doesn't even have distribution yet so... moving on) But it's the rest of the film that has me undecided about who wins my vote. Love the film. Love Daniel Day-Lewis. But as Nick suggests, everything is there to service him. And you know, I really think that amazing film would have been even better if it weren't just Paul Dano who slapped him around a bit if you know what I mean.
Do you know what I mean?
Maybe Boyd and Tim will when they show up late, chattering away from across the pond.
BOYD: Hello esteemed Oscar lovers!
Those damn milkshakes indeed. I've still got no idea what everyone is on about -- There Will Be Blood is the single Best Picture nominee that hasn't made it to Europe yet. It will have its European premiere at the Berlin Film Festival that starts on Thursday (I just came back from the Rotterdam Film Festival that ended today and am at home now, quickly washing my socks so they'll be dry and done when I go to Berlin on Wednesday).
Seen from here, the Oscars are great but not the hoopla that the North Americans make it out to be -- no offence and my sincerest apologies to all of you. A win from one of the three big festivals (Berlin, Cannes or Venice) garners about as much media frenzy. Even when obscure titles like last year's Chinese/Mongolian Berlinale winner Tuya's Marriage takes home the gold, there are always always adventurous arthouse distributors that will pick them up for release in most countries.
It is only now, with the studios insisting more and more on similar release dates abroad for their US products, that the Oscar game is starting to become interesting for your average European film lover. Even five years ago, it was not uncommon for 80% of the nominees to have held off their European releases in hope of a nomination and/or win which could be touted upon its release here in March, April or May. (I still remember when Cold Mountain was basically snubbed and I couldn't have an opinion on it until April, the agony!) This year, the only big film that hasn't made it here is There Will Be Milkshakes.
Apart from the possibility to have seen some of the nominees and so give everyone the possibility to root for their favourite, there is of course nothing like patriotism in getting people interested, and this year's a great year for Europeans at the Oscars: Atonement's got seven nominations, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly has got four and La Vie en Rose has got three. And the frontrunners in all acting categories except for Best Supporting Actress are Europeans too and that category has Swinton and Ronan as possible upsets. So the ratings in the US may be blah (especially if the strike continues), but Europeans will be more interested than most years!
KIM: Dennis, I appreciate you for backing Clooney since it appears everyone is DD Lewis crazy, but Lewis deserves the accolades (we can get to Juno later…). As for any idea the film was built around him, I don’t care if it was arguably built around him or not. So was Naked with David Thewlis – whatever makes the movie brilliant. And Lewis’ performance didn’t overshadow the movie and its complicated themes. I feel like my praise for DD Lewis can verge on (underscore verge) effusive, but he inspires this in me (and I might be one of the only people who actually likes The Crucible: “I am JOHHHHN PROCTORRR!”)
With Lewis, and There Will be Blood in particular, I think of that oft told story about Laurence Olivier working with the intensely method Dustin Hoffman on Marathon Man– the whole: “Try acting…it’s much easier.” Lewis embraces both of these philosophies, which is rare. A cross between actors like Olivier and Hoffman (only better), he’s larger than life, borderline stagey (but to me he never become a ham), and yet, in character so much that he’s willing to alienate everyone around by becoming Plainview. He understands the subtle act of looking at a baby on a train while affecting that voice or going through something like five different emotions during that brilliant baptism scene. He understands what the camera needs to see (or not see) but he also satisfies all those theatergoers in the back of the auditorium. Watch him in The Ballad of Jack and Rose and then Gangs of New York and you see this understanding and difference. He’s simultaneously conspicuous and mysterious.
I know some who believe he overacts. I don’t agree and I don’t think it’s that simple. And it reminds me of yet another anecdote (from the Eyes Wide Shut DVD -- and apologies if I don’t have it down exactly) but it was when after Spielberg had told Kubrick that he thought Nicholson was too “Kabuki” in The Shining (I am so sick of writers using the term “Kabuki,” by the way). Anyway, Kubrick asked Spielberg who his favorite actor was and Spielberg replied Henry Fonda. Kubrick then said his favorite actor was James Cagney and then something to the affect of-- so that’s where we differ....that’s why you don’t get it.
I love Henry Fonda, and I love the powerful subtly of Josh Brolin in No Country (again, WHY not nominated?) but obviously we need the ones who can holler “Top of the World Ma!” In the case of Lewis (who is superior to Nicholson in The Shining) he can rage and holler and boom or he can simply stare quietly at the screen – in either case he’s riveting. In There Will Be Blood Lewis goes above and beyond the call of duty, he takes it to the edge, he’s not easily likable, he’s totally unique. Going against what Olivier said, this isn’t easier. How many actors could play this part? I can’t think of anyone. He deserves to win.
Effusive enough?
SASHA: Yes, indeed Boyd, thanks for reminding us how the Europeans and other foreign entries are, for the most part, kicking our American ass. On the other hand, we still have There Will Be Blood to wave around and surely it's got more prestige and arty flare than all of yours put together! In other words, you may be winning the fight but we're still winning the war! Do I sound defensive? Do I look like I'm negotiating?!
Seriously, though, I've long been an admirer of Day Lewis, and though I can appreciate his great work in Blood I find that it is such a big performance that it not only dominates the movie but it dominates the year - I prefer his quieter work and I disagree with Kim - I thought it was quite hammy, but in a good way (how do you not see that last scene and not think it's hammy?).
I also find myself unable to breathe when contemplating his sexuality, something that is only addressed in the film in so much that drilling the ground is a metaphor for sex...
NEXT PAGE
in which Dennis waxes rhapsodic about Michael "fixer" Clayton, Sasha and Nick ponder the drainage of sexuality from both Blood and Sweeney Todd and Tim takes us Away From Gordon Pinsent
