The Hurt Locker wins it?

[oldtimer]

Excellent points jim. Having never seen the movie you are referring to but in the same vein I have always felt that Blood Simple has been under appreciated and contains the same compelling elements of style and I assume at least as much substance. As for the oscars, the academy is an in house organization (much like an industry specific chamber of commerce. The awards and ceremony is a publicity event and fund raiser for said organization, nothing more. The public are gullible if they believe anything more of it, and the entertainment press is simply in on it because they leech on the combination of the industry and the target market of the gullible public.

[Amy]

Definitely watch it again Gary. I felt so so about the film the first time through. Like most of their films, they look simple and even sound simple (their intentional lack of constant music), but there are layers and layers of detail and subtlety which most modern films lack. I love the subtle sound effects that are captured indoors and out, the wind swirling around, and the creek of a wood floor. The Coen bros. make every attempt to place you in the scene. And the scene with the assassin and the gas station owner is priceless... Friendo

Totally agree with everything you just said. They are brilliant, and No Country is brilliant. I saw "A Serious Man" a couple weeks ago (up for best picture this year), and thought it was fantastic as well, but not as good. It certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea...another person I saw it with said as the credits rolled, "There's 2 hours of my life I'll never get back."

To each their own!

[Islander]

As for the oscars, the academy is an in house organization (much like an industry specific chamber of commerce. The awards and ceremony is a publicity event and fund raiser for said organization, nothing more.

The event did sometimes seem like a party for a group of rich people to compliment each other. "You're great! No, you're great! Hey, we're both great! And rich, too!"

And why wasn't Zombieland nominated for anything? []

[Islander]

Have you seen Avatar?

You can't really get past the fact that Avatar looks like nothing else before it. It looks original and the 3D is more than glitz. This is what 3D has always strived to be and as a 3D fan this is huge achievement. That being said I'd give the special effects an A+ but the storyline a C.

I'd agree with all of that, although I might give the story a B- or a C+. The screenplay is not great literature, but it is entertaining and doesn't aspire to be more than that. As for the visuals, the 3D is understated if anything and it just adds to the movie, it doesn't carry it. This isn't House of Wax or Bwana Devil.

Cameron's vision of Pandora is both enchanting and easily the equal of the scenery in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's a relatively believable wonderland, since many of the plants are based on ocean life on Earth, as any diver would have noticed at once. As well, the animals look realistic and plausible and move smoothly in ways that don't obviously violate every law of physics, as is typical in so many sci-fi/fantasy films.

Avatar is still playing in theatres nearly three months after its initial release, long after every other Oscar-nominated film came and went, so it's clear that many people really enjoyed it, and I've heard lots have seen it more than once.

[oldtimer]

As for the oscars, the academy is an in house organization (much like an industry specific chamber of commerce. The awards and ceremony is a publicity event and fund raiser for said organization, nothing more.

The event did sometimes seem like a party for a group of rich people to compliment each other. "You're great! No, you're great! Hey, we're both great! And rich, too!"

And why wasn't Zombieland nominated for anything?

Zombieland is even an insider movie, unlike the deserving in its year Team America-World Police, which was too anti academy to get consideration.

[tigerwoodKhorns]

No Country for Old Men and Hurt Loker are both amazing movies. No Country did not use music to create suspense, just raw footage that was directed in such a manner that I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Very well done, the characters were well acted and the direction was amazing. (the scene where the dog is about to get him and he has to dry his bullets - I love this movie). The gun shot scenes seemed s real with just the sound of bullets hitting near the main character.

Hurt Locker - from the beginning, the first scene was so powerful. It started like Star Wars where you are thrown right into the action. The direction made it seem like it was shot as a documentary and you are in the action, kind of Terrintino style. The scene where the gunner was handed a drink, I felt like my throat as dry. This movie just drew you in, powerful piece of art. When they considered sooting the captain, the film made you agree even though you knew it was wrong. The direction was so good. For example, the cereal scene, it made you feel the anxiety that this guy had trying to pick cereal, and somehow understand that he cannot function in the regular world. Such a simple scene was so well done and the mark of a great director.

I have to say that I really like independant and foreign films because they have to be good to keep you interested. This year, An Education was very good. I cannot stand the usual Hollywood cookie cutter crap.

[Islander]

I have to say that I really like independant and foreign films because they have to be good to keep you interested. This year, An Education was very good. I cannot stand the usual Hollywood cookie cutter crap.

Years ago, my favourite directors were Juzo Itami from Japan and Pedro Almodovar from Spain, because they both made great movies. Although their films were rarely screened here, you could rent most of them and buy some of them. Antonio Banderas, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz all got their careers started in Almodovar movies.

Some foreign movies are made to a formula, just like lots of Hollywood movies, but if it's a formula that's unfamiliar to you, the films seem really fresh and inspired, just because you don't see what's coming next.

[jacksonbart]

I just like the name Llewelyn

[seti]

I just like the name Llewelyn

A good Welsch name

[Rivernuggets]

And the scene with the assassin and the gas station owner is priceless... Friendo

Hell yes! I've watched that scene so many times. VERY good movie. One instance where the Coen Bros put you in the scene is when Josh Brolin is beng chased by that pickup truck in the first 1/2 hour or so. Most directors would flip back and forth between Brolin and the driver/passengers. By keeping the focus on Brolin, we have no idea who his pursuers are, and our imaginations take it from there.

I really liked The Hurt Locker. Not many modern war movies are more suspense than action, like that one. Had no idea what it was about until watching, and I think that helped its impact on me.

And whoever mentioned Blade Runner and Contact earlier, spot on.

[Rivernuggets]

Ahem, triple. Going for a record!