Green Book

[ad hoc]

Saw this last night. The set up of this film - unlikely pairing of completely different people end up on road trip and end up learning from each other - has been done to death, but somehow this still managed to overcome the genre. The acting is utterly superb. You'd never believe that Viggo Mortensen wasn't in fact an Italian from Brooklyn. And then at the end I realised it was directed by one of the Farrelly brothers (I confess if I had know that before, i might have avoided it - luckily it's not the flimsy played for laughs stuff that you might expect from such a director). Anyway, I'd highly recommend it. If Mortensen doesn't get the oscar for this, then whoever does has to be worth watching.

[Ray de Galles]

Yeah, saw it tonight too and really enjoyed it. However sentimental and cliched the central theme is (and of course it is "inspired by a true story" ) it is played so well that you can't help but go along with it. Mortensen and Ali are both wonderful, note perfect performances (no pun intended) that combine beautifully.

I actually think Farrelly's background in comedy really helps the film, there's a great vein of humour in the writing and direction though it shows a lightness of touch his previous work (which I wasn't a fan of) lacked.

It was the last of this years Oscar Best Picture nominees I had to see and now I have to try and work out my favourite (no, that pun wasn't intended either) in that category and the other ones where I've seen most of the major contenders.

[San Bernardhinault]

I saw it a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed it much more than I expected, and more than I should have. I felt like I should have been irritated because it has some aspects of "white saviour" story. But, for reasons I can't work out, I didn't really object that much. That said, it did feel like a classic Oscar-nominated film about racism in America, putting it all comfortably far enough in the past that nobody needs to think too hard about themselves or modern society.

I caught by last "Best Picture" picture the other day, too - A Star Is Born - and still don't really know which one I think is best. They all seem either flawed or pretty shallow.

[ad hoc]

Just looked up the best picture nominations and aside from my surprise that there are 8 rather than 5, I also realise that unusually I've seen 6 of them (not seen The Favourite and not even heard of Vice). Of those 6 it's no contest, Roma is in a completely different league from the others, as enjoyable as they are.

I genuinely cannot believe that Bohemian Rhapsody is on the shortlist.

[Ray de Galles]

Yes, that is certainly the outlier on the list. I found it flimsily enjoyable enough but it's got all the depth and characterisation of a sketch show three minute parody.

'Roma' is the only one I didn't see at the cinema so I don't know if it really had a level playing field. I really enjoyed it though that kind of crept up on me, you gradually realised quite a way in how much you cared about the characters even though the real "drama" all came quite late on. I'm not sure I can quite join in with the praise of it as a masterpiece and 'film of the year' but that may come with time, I only saw it 36 hours ago.

[Bored Of Education]

Funnily enough, I saw it about the same time and agree with you about it gradually sucking you into its world. I think that it should win a fair few of the awards - certainly Best Cinematography - but haven't seen the rest, apart form Bohemian Rhapsody, so can't compare. Anyway, I have started a stand alone Oscars thread for such talk.