This afternoon, I read Andrew Sullivan’s comments about today’s Oscar nominations. I was a little surprised that he mentioned a point that I didn’t even think of when I read the list. Consider:
OSCAR SANITY: Kudos to the academy for ignoring the execrable “Fahrenheit 9/11” and the pornographic “Passion.” Right-wing and left-wing ideologues will be disappointed. But what do they know about art?
I didn’t even think about Fahrenheit 9/11 or The Passion of the Christ. I reviewed the former here and I still haven’t seen the latter. In due time, I guess. Either way, I agree with the sentiment about Fahrenheit 9/11. I haven’t seen any of the movies nominated for Best Picture, but I know they’re all better than Michael Moore’s important documentary marginal film two-hour crapfest. Maybe we can all just step back and understand that Hollywood may be full of liberals (debatable), but it doesn’t value ideology over art dollars quality. We’re all appropriately underwhelmed by that revelation, right?
For what it’s worth, the real focus should be on the Adapted screenplay category. That’s where the real movie of the year is located. Yes, you know which movie I’m talking about. THE movie of the year:
Before Sunset (Warner Independent Pictures)
Screenplay by Richard Linklater & Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke
Story by Richard Linklater & Kim Krizan
Buy it today. Seriously. Go. Now.
Although those two films did represent flashpoints in this year’s ideological battles, the exclusion of those two titles as Oscar nominees means different things for each film. Clearly there are a smaller number of documentaries that get significant exposure. Farenheit 911’s failure to receive a nomination is newsworthy, regardless of one’s political leanings. The Passion of the Christ was competing with a much great number of films, so its exclusion is not as hard to comprehend. I realize you didn’t imply this, but Sullivan implies that there is no room for ideology in art, which is absurd. Everything is political in varying degrees. On another point, I disagree that Moore’s film was a crapfest. It had its strengths and weaknesses, but it contained a great deal of truth that its hundreds of thousands of viewers would probably not have ever learned of without that film, which renders it a very successful and effective documentary. Best –
Yes, you did spend 8 bucks to see a loser.
And it was called Before Sunset.
DON’T BELIEVE HIM, ROLLINGDOUGHNUT READERS! IT’S A CRAPFEST!
And now would you please edit that extraneous comma out of my last comment.
The anger that stems from Ethan Hawke’s emaciated ass makes me forget all rules of proper mechanics!
Damn you, Ethan Hawke, and your noncommittal facial hair!
And now would you please ADD a comma after “Ethan Hawke” in the last line of my last comment.
God damn it.
I heart Before Sunrise/Before Sunset.
I didn’t quote this in my review of “Fahrenheit 9/11”, but I agree with the overall sentiment. From http://www.bigempire.com/filthy/fahrenheit911.html comes the best review quote possible: “I hate Bush, but I have better reasons than this.” Although I don’t hate President Bush (only the mistakes he’s making), that sentiment is an excellent summary of my basic problem with “Fahrenheit 9/11”.
Wow, A little controversary. I love it. Danielle wind you up and let you “rock and roll” You go girl!!!