Having attended some Guild and Academy screenings I think I know why Green Book won Best Picture

I was one of the ones upset by Green Book winning Best Picture, but after a discussion with Hubert Vigilla I calmed down and remembered that I shouldn’t have been surprised that something other than Roma and some of the others won because I attended some Academy/Guild screenings in December and I overheard the discussions among the members so I knew what was probably going to happen.

Before you ask, no I am neither an Academy member nor a member of any Guild. I was at the screenings because I was allowed to go because of coverage/interview consideration.

The discussions of the films was to say the least interesting. Much of the talk was centered on how Roma was viewed. While everyone loved the film on a technical level there were deep divides and heated discussions as to whether the film was any good. About half the crowd at one screening loved the film and the other half found it to dull and boring and trying too hard to win awards. Those that didn’t like it complained it had been done before. It was funny to see a couple of seeming longtime friends disagree as to was right about the film. The one thing that everyone agreed on was that it would probably win Best Foreign Language Film, with the naysayers saying that was where arty films like that belonged.

Outside of the Roma discussion the talk about the films was all over the place with a great deal of discussion of Mary Queen of Scots being much better than the critics had made it out to be. (From the discussion it was very weird not to see it get any nominations). And while there was no talk about Green Book, I never heard it mentioned once in any screening I attended, all of the better Oscar nominees were also either not mentioned or down played in favor of some other more middle of the road film. The taste of the films for the largely middle age or older Academy audience was more mainstream than you would think.

The same goes for the Guild screening I attended. That screening had an audience of ages across the board and the taste was still middle of the road. And I should point out that after attending the screening there was never any doubt about Rami Malik and Bohemian Rhapsody being loved in Hollywood because most people who were there had seen the film before and wanted to see it again because they loved the film and because they were in awe of Malik’s performance.

Having attended some special screenings with Oscar and Guild voters I kind of completely understand why the films that win do. Honestly outside of the technical level where the art of filmmaking is clearly seen, the voters are not grand movie lovers with refined taste, but rather the same schlubs as you and me, loving the occasional highbrow piece of work but really preferring the more crown pleasing middle of the road stuff. They want to be entertained like everyone else. They want to vote for the films that please them and not ones that are going to move the bar just to move the bar.

Why did Green Book win Best Picture? Because, for better or worse, it was simply enjoyed more by the voters than the likes of Roma.

Oscar Round Up: LION, FENCES and MOANA

LION
True story of young boy in India who ends up separated from his family. Adopted by a couple in Australia he grows up happy but wanting to find out where he came from.

I'm kind of mixed on the film. Well acted and well made, the film never fully grew on me. It's not that it's a bad film, more that I had the sense the filmmakers never fully trusted it's source material. I could feel dragging me along at times, particularly by the use of a score that seems omnipresent. I could feel the heart strings being tugged by their hands.

There are a couple of moments where the film reduced me to a blubbering mess, but that would have happened anyway since I am a sucker for stories about finding family. At the same time I have the sense it's the same moments that moved me were the one's that moved the Academy to nominate it for Best Picture- but ultimately three moments are not enough to make an Oscar winner.

FENCES
Denzel Washington delivers a killer adaption of August Wilson's award winning play. He has given us a film with some of the best performances you'll likely to see in any film. I can not imagine a better film of the play...

...and that is the film's one flaw, it is very much tied to Wilson's play. Of course it's understandable considering the source, but at the same time the steady stream of words seem out of place with the real world of the film. Very few people speak as they do in a Wilson play. His are the more often the words of our hearts, not the ones we say in life. If you've seen other works by Wilson you can feel the rhythms of his words.

Director Denzel Washington needs to be praised for recording the towering performances in the film. They are shattering pieces of work and make the film a must see.

MOANA
Princess has travel across the forbidden ocean to return the heart of a goddess to save her island. The plot makes no sense, the songs are weak and so much is lifted from other Disney films, Broadway and Off Broadway (start with how the opening and other bits sound like Once on this Island) that if you look to closely you can see the blender that put it all together.  Coming together, despite the off the shelf feel, thanks to great characters and stunning set pieces this is a thoroughly enjoyable film- though what it's doing in the Oscar mix eludes me since it not quite that good. Definitely worth a look

Oscar Shorts- JOE'S VIOLIN, 4.1 MILES and EXTREMIS

JOE'S VIOLIN
Joseph Feingold is a Holocaust survivor who donated the violin oe got in a refugee camp to WQXR's instrument drive. It ends up in the hand hands of ten year old Brianna from the Bronx. The daughter on immigrants she is delighted to get the instrument. This is a nice little film about how music can bridge generations.  Its a warm and fuzzy feel good film. (It can be viewed here)

4.1 MILES
Crushing documentary about a Greek Coast Guard captain rescuing drowning refugees.  Graphically depicts  the plight of everyone concerned-this is not for the squeamish. An amazing film- one of the best films I've seen so far in 2017. It should required viewing for any legislator looking to stop refugees from coming to this country. I got nothing beyond that but to say  this is an absolute must see. (It can be viewed here) I am not sure if this film or WHITE HELMETS should get the award.

EXTREMIS
The film follows doctors in a hospital as they care for patients in life threatening positions where the decision has to be made about whether to remove the machines keeping them alive or not. A moving film that makes us come face to face with the choices that we all may have to make somewhere down the road either for ourselves or our loved one (or both).  This is a very good film and while I was moved by the film I was also kept a little distant from what was happening.  That doesn't mean it's a bad film, hell it is rightly in the running for an Oscar, but when compared to 4.1 MILES or WHITE HELMETS it didn't quite make me cry. (Available on Netflix)

The Oscar Documentary Short List has been announced

Earlier today the reduced list of eligible documentaries for this year’s Oscar was released and it cut the total number of films down to 15. I think those of us at Unseen have seen all but 2 of the films and we’ve reviewed 6 of the films (click on the titles for our reviews).

It’s largely a good list with only the Pussy Riot film being a head scratcher for me, since it’s not even close to the other films on the list I’ve seen. Because of the Oscar rules the list doesn’t include many of the documentaries I would put on my short list from this year(Many of the films from DOC NYC for example). That said, any speculation as to what is going to end up on the final list is utterly pointless since the winner will be The Act of Killing (assuming the Academy doesn’t leave it off). The Act of Killing is far and away the best of this bunch.

For those curious about the 15 films on the short list here’s the semifinalists:

The semi-semi-finalists are, in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:
“The Act of Killing,” Final Cut for Real
“The Armstrong Lie,” The Kennedy/Marshall Company
“Blackfish,” Our Turn Productions
“The Crash Reel,” KP Rides Again
“Cutie and the Boxer,” Ex Lion Tamer and Cine Mosaic
“Dirty Wars,” Civic Bakery
“First Cousin Once Removed,” Experiments in Time, Light & Motion
“God Loves Uganda,” Full Credit Productions
“Life According to Sam,” Fine Films
“Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer,” Roast Beef Productions
“The Square,” Noujaim Films and Maktube Productions
“Stories We Tell,” National Film Board of Canada
“Tim’s Vermeer,” High Delft Pictures
“20 Feet from Stardom,” Gil Friesen Productions and Tremolo Productions
“Which Way Is the Front Line from Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington,” Tripoli Street

Unseen's Reviews of the Oscar nominated films

Here are links to all of the Oscar nominated films that we've reviewed over the past year. And when I say films I mean films, I haven't linked to any of the actors, actresses, writing, ect award nominated films, just features, animated features, foreign films and documentary nominees.

I'll add more links as we see more films (for example a brief review of Wreck it Ralph runs Sunday night).

Click on the title to see the review.

Amour
Life of Pi
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Argo


Para Norman and Frankenweenie

Pirates Band of Misfits
I appear only to have mentioned Brave in passing, specifically that I liked it but didn't love it.
And as I said above a Wreck It Ralph review comes Sunday

Kon-tiki
No
War Witch


Searching  for Sugar Man
Invisible War
Gatekeepers
How to Survive a Plague