2015 Academy Award Nominations

[rushmore223]

I know a lot of people who have seen Selma and didn't care a lot for it. And unless a black woman deserve it, then she shouldn't be nominated just because of her color or sex. People get snubbed every year and like I said before, the Oscars are just becoming another award show for Independent films. There are a ton of movies put out every year and only 5 get nominated and 1 wins. It's always going to be controversial.

It's funny you say that, because years ago people complained that the Oscar's only awarded hit movies, now I guess it has made a 180 and some are still not happy.

As far as the lack of diversity in the Oscar's, I think if there is a finger to be pointed, it shouldnt be at the awards show, but at the industry in general over the lack of good roles for people of varying color and ethnicity, as well as gender and age. A good example off the top of my head would be Exodus, Christian Bale playing an Egyptian?! But, casting white people for nearly everything has been something Hollywood has been guilty of for a very long time. I remember Katherine Hepburn played an Asian Woman in a movie called Dragon Seed in 1944, that one sticks out because I couldnt stop laughing at it when I saw it on Television.

 

[Nintenjoe]

It doesn't really matter to me who or what movie wins most of the awards but JK Simmons has to win for Whiplash. He has to.

 

[RIDDICK]

Best Visuals should go to either CATWS or DPotA.

 

[The Ween]

It's funny you say that, because years ago people complained that the Oscar's only awarded hit movies, now I guess it has made a 180 and some are still not happy.

Maybe those hit movies deserved it at the time. What I hate is when most of the nominees are films released in November & December.

As far as the lack of diversity in the Oscar's, I think if there is a finger to be pointed, it shouldnt be at the awards show, but at the industry in general over the lack of good roles for people of varying color and ethnicity, as well as gender and age. A good example off the top of my head would be Exodus, Christian Bale playing an Egyptian?! But, casting white people for nearly everything has been something Hollywood has been guilty of for a very long time. I remember Katherine Hepburn played an Asian Woman in a movie called Dragon Seed in 1944, that one sticks out because I couldnt stop laughing at it when I saw it on Television.

Directors and producers will always cast who they feel is best for the part and/or who will fill the seats. There is bad casting all the time. On the other side of the spectrum is Will Smith in Wild, Wild West. He was the "big thing" at the time and he was getting all kinds of roles, some of which he shouldn't have gotten.

There are all kinds of roles of Americans that are being cast by non-Americans. That's just the way it is.

I just don't want there to be a forced quota.

 

[Morgul Matt]

I know a lot of people who have seen Selma and didn't care a lot for it. And unless a black woman deserve it, then she shouldn't be nominated just because of her color or sex. People get snubbed every year and like I said before, the Oscars are just becoming another award show for Independent films. There are a ton of movies put out every year and only 5 get nominated and 1 wins. It's always going to be controversial.

Well, Selma is critically rated higher than any of the other movies in the Best Picture category so that opening statement just doesn't make a whole lot of sense, to me.

 

[CallMeTheDoctor]

I disliked Selma.

Not out of racist mentality, but more so inaccuracies in some instances. I also feel it is pushed due to the fact people feel cheated of lack of AA titles. 12 years was a powerful film, and did need that nomination last year, but Selma seems too forced to me.

 

[Morgul Matt]

I disliked Selma.

Not out of racist mentality, but more so inaccuracies in some instances. I also feel it is pushed due to the fact people feel cheated of lack of AA titles. 12 years was a powerful film, and did need that nomination last year, but Selma seems too forced to me.

Inaccuracies in Hollywood tales of real life people & events are a constant so I find it odd that people seem to be singling out this film for such an overwhelmingly common occurrence.

 

[Khev]

I didn't enjoy Birdman as much as The Grand Budapest Hotel or The Imitation Game but I love Keaton and Stone and think it would be great if they got acting recognition. Their performances were fantastic.

 

[rushmore223]

Directors and producers will always cast who they feel is best for the part and/or who will fill the seats. There is bad casting all the time. On the other side of the spectrum is Will Smith in Wild, Wild West. He was the "big thing" at the time and he was getting all kinds of roles, some of which he shouldn't have gotten.

There are all kinds of roles of Americans that are being cast by non-Americans. That's just the way it is.

I just don't want there to be a forced quota.

I'm not talking about quotas, just a dirth of good parts written for a mix of people. How many actresses disappear from films once they reach 30 or 35? More than most realize, simply because Hollywood doesnt want anything to do with women outside a certain age range. there are exceptions of course, Meryl Streep, Judi Dench, etc...

Also, the reason most films nominated are released in November and december is a strategy by the studios, they release their "best" films at that time in an effort to remain fresh in the voters mind. Every once in a while a film manages to get nominated despite being released much earlier, like Grand Budapest this year and Silence of the Lambs (a February release!) back in the early 90's. But those are very unusual.

 

[The Ween]

I'm not talking about quotas, just a dirth of good parts written for a mix of people. How many actresses disappear from films once they reach 30 or 35? More than most realize, simply because Hollywood doesnt want anything to do with women outside a certain age range. there are exceptions of course, Meryl Streep, Judi Dench, etc...

Also, the reason most films nominated are released in November and december is a strategy by the studios, they release their "best" films at that time in an effort to remain fresh in the voters mind. Every once in a while a film manages to get nominated despite being released much earlier, like Grand Budapest this year and Silence of the Lambs (a February release!) back in the early 90's. But those are very unusual.

If Silence of the Lambs was released now, it wouldn't have gotten nominated. Times have changed.

Jodie Foster. Now there's a lady that gets some good roles. Some of the problems are that the same actresses (and actors) are getting the choice roles.

I swear Samual L. Jackson is asked to be in just about everything!

 

[DiFabio]

I didn't enjoy Birdman as much as The Grand Budapest Hotel or The Imitation Game but I love Keaton and Stone and think it would be great if they got acting recognition. Their performances were fantastic.

So,

Spoiler

How did you interpret the end. Did Riggan fly away for you? Was he all over the pavement below the hospital window? Did he die on stage after shooting himself in the head?

 

[Khev]

Spoiler

I sincerely *hope* we weren't supposed to believe that he literally gained the power of flight. That would be absurd given the raw and realistic tone of the rest of the movie, even with his outlandish hallucinations. So I'll say no on him taking flight. I don't think he died on stage either. Again I don't think the film really did the ground work to end with an "afterlife" sequence. Which leaves him falling to his death and imagining in his last moments that he took flight to the delight of his daughter or else he climbed up some sort of fire escape and was waving to the throng gathered below. I'm leaning toward him finishing what he attempted on stage after coming to the conclusion that he only "means something" if he's doing something self-destructive and viral. I think he jumped.

How did you take it?

 

[DiFabio]

Spoiler

I sincerely *hope* we weren't supposed to believe that he literally gained the power of flight. That would be absurd given the raw and realistic tone of the rest of the movie, even with his outlandish hallucinations. So I'll say no on him taking flight. I don't think he died on stage either. Again I don't think the film really did the ground work to end with an "afterlife" sequence. Which leaves him falling to his death and imagining in his last moments that he took flight to the delight of his daughter or else he climbed up some sort of fire escape and was waving to the throng gathered below. I'm leaning toward him finishing what he attempted on stage after coming to the conclusion that he only "means something" if he's doing something self-destructive and viral. I think he jumped.

How did you take it?

Spoiler

First time I saw it, I thought he died on stage. That was the only time the continuous shot breaks. We see Icarus falling from the sky, the beach and the jelly fish that prevented him from killing himself the first time. I took that as signifying his death. The final sequence at the hospital all seemed too good to be true. He got rave reviews (her hyperbolic statements seem like some crazy praise he'd make up in his head). His wife is back with him, his daughter loves him, everyone is interested in Riggan again.

When I saw it again, I figured by shooting himself, he successfully got rid of Birdman by shooting his nose off and spilling real blood on the stage. Everything that happened in the hospital room, happened for real. Then once he goes into the bathroom takes off his mask, the repressed Birdman persona is back and he knows that he can never really be rid of it. So he figures he might as well go out on a high note. The symphony cue music starts to play and he decides to "fly" like he tried to do previously. His daughter comes into the room and recognizes and admires the greatness that he sees in himself. He symbolically rises.

In reality, I think he's either a crumpled heap on a stage floor that's slowly bleeding out as he does on stage, hence the visions and applause (notice the curtain doesn't close like it had previously) < OR > he survived, ends up in the hospital after praise for his performance and jumps out the window, to his death.

In the end, I don't think it matters because Riggan succeeds in what he was trying to achieve.

 

[CallMeTheDoctor]

Inaccuracies in Hollywood tales of real life people & events are a constant so I find it odd that people seem to be singling out this film for such an overwhelmingly common occurrence.

Yeah that is true. I can see the ignorance for sure. I naturally keep all that in mind, as I hope to eventually get into the cinematic field. To me, like I had stated, was Selma wasn't appealing to me. I also largely believe that it is pushed upon other agendas. Just like that Mandela film that came out a while back.

I don't mind much really as I really enjoyed Grand Budapest and would choose that over some of the other nominations.

 

[Khev]

Spoiler

In the end, I don't think it matters because Riggan succeeds in what he was trying to achieve.

Spoiler

I think those are valid interpretations (though the "ridding himself of Birdman by shooting himself" is a little too "Fight Club" for my tastes.) I know that the hospital scene does seem a bit "perfect" but I do think that the film prepared us for that with the positive response to him being locked outside in his underwear. And as you seemed to note it was SO perfect that I think he might have realized that if the play really did go on for years and years there is no way he could ever replicate that moment even one more time, let alone hundreds. So he savored his accomplishment and decided that there was nowhere to go but down (literally) from there.

Interesting observation about the continuous shot ending with the gunshot. I hadn't realized that.

I was fascinated by how much the film overlapped with reality with Keaton referencing last wearing the cowl in "1992" and how not just him but two of the main supporting actors were also superhero movie alumni. It felt like the cinematic version of that eternal staircase painting. I'll almost worried about the possibility of Keaton winning the Oscar and deciding, on stage in front of millions of people, that he'll go out on a high note....

 

[DiFabio]

Spoiler

I loved that whole suspense and build up from the time he puts on the wig and loads the gun, to walking down the corridors and finally going out on stage. You can see Mike is startled when he realizes it's a real gun.

I don't know if it would have hurt people's love for the film, but I wouldn't have minded if it ended right there.


What did you think of Riggan's exchange with the critic lady and his response to labels and criticism?

 

[Khev]

Spoiler

What did you think of Riggan's exchange with the critic lady and his response to labels and criticism?

Spoiler

I don't remember the exact dialogue but I pretty much agreed with what he said (since I think it does apply to how many critics really are) and thought it was an ominous sign that he left his autographed napkin on the bar.

I find it hard to "enjoy" films about people who self-destruct, especially if it's for shallow or selfish reasons, but looking back on it I do have to say that it was really well done. I might even give it one more watch to see how it plays a second time.

 

[a-dev]

Bah, open-ended films annoy me.

 

[Khev]

You didn't like the first Total Recall?

 

[a-dev]

You didn't like the first Total Recall?

Bah, open ended films that aren't classic Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi actioners annoy me.