OT: I just saw a advanced screening to True Grit

thisishogwarts

I won't review it until either tomorrow or Wendsday, since I got ALOT of homework. But let me say a few things:

1. Jeff Bridges > John Wayne
2. Haille Stienfeld was FREAKING INCREDIBLE! She held the movie on her small shoulders and she gave one of the emotional performance this year or maybe the last few years. To me, the next big child actor star. WOW!
3. The cinematoraphy by Roger Deakins is just overwhelming. I'm sorry, Serra, I loved DH2 cinematography, but the final shot of the film will go down as one of the best of all time.
4. The score by Carter Burwell is freaking tragic. Starts off so inocent, but it grows like the relationships in the film. And the end: holy crap, it took my breath away.
5. The Coen brothers will be nominated for Oscars, both for adapted screenplay (one of the best remakes in a LONG, LONG time, maybe since King Kong) and for directing.

And finally:

6. Matt Damon was hysterical, but also had this crazy side to him. Loved him.

Rank the cast:

Stienfeld


Bridges
Damon
Brolin

Oscar noms:

-Best Picture
-Best Directors: The Coen Brothers
-Best Adapted Screenplay
-Best Actor in a leading role: Jeff Bridges
-Best Actor in a supporting role: Matt Damon
-Best Actress in a leading role: Haille Steinfeld*
-Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins*
-Best Art Direction
-Best Costume Design
-Best Original Score
-Best Editing

2 Wins, 11 Noms.

Have to see this again. But WOW, might be the best Coen brother film to date.

LyanIsAGirl

god...i am so jealous !!!!!!!!!!!

Bane

If it's better than No Country for Old Men, I'm gonna love this.

Hess

You can see just in the trailer Hailee Steinfeld did an excelent work. I'm reeaally looking forward to this, considering No Country for Old Men it's in my top 10.

Hess

I don't know why but I'd like Hailee to win.

thisishogwarts

My friend is a projectionist in Providence, RI, and he knows someone who had a free screening pass to True Grit today at 3:30 EST, so I rushed from school to home, did half of my homework, watched it, and then I came back.

But yes, IMO its at the same emotional level that No Country set up. And I must also comment that this movie better win cinematography. I mean, I REALLY REALLY want Serra to win, but Deakins is SO DAMN overdue its not funny. No win for No Country? YOU KIDDING ME ACADEMY?

Hess

97% on rotten tomatoes... not bad lol

thisishogwarts

Mine is a followed:

-Inception
-True Grit
-Deathly Hallows 7
-127 Hours
-Black Swan

thisishogwarts

I thought the camera work during the dancing scenes were phenominal, and the lighting in many of the scenes helped ilumify that the world is dark and desolate. Nina might be the start of a dance, The Swan Lake, but she feel's so alone. Its perfect tone.

Bane

I just don't see how The Social Network can be nominated for cinematography. It did nothing unique at all, it's just more fucking Oscar bait so of COURSE it has stand-out cinematography *eyeroll*

*note: I am not tearing apart The Social Network, I'm just saying that simply because it's Oscar bait makes the Academy/critics feel as though everything about the film excels-- while it's well shot, well, a lot of films are well-shot. It was nothing unusually stand out.

thisishogwarts

The film looks great, darth, imo. But yes, It does feel like another Fincher film.

However, you should just watch True Grit. Roger Deakins Nomniation #9 and hopefully win #1, here we go!

Bane

The film looks great, darth, imo. But yes, It does feel like another Fincher film.

However, you should just watch True Grit. Roger Deakins Nomniation #9 and hopefully win #1, here we go!

Never said it didn't look great, but to me a film should be nominated for best cinematography when the actual cinematography does interesting and unique things. I can count a bucketload of moments in Harry Potter, but nothing comes to mind for The Social Network.

aaron

Looks great. But I won't have the time to see it.

Bane

Wow. I'm really disappointed in True Grit's story. It just sort of played out in the most predictable fashion possible and seemed to be missing an entire act. Also, the cinematography wasn't up to Coen standard, No Country for Old Men was sooooo much better than this. It wasn't bad, but all this praise is ridiculous IMO.

Black Swan was so much better in every single way. Mindblowing cinematography and performance for Portman, and the storyline actually felt complete.

Hess

I'm dying to see True Grit, damn it.

blackvenom

I'm dying to see True Grit as well.

Concerning the Cinematography nominees.
The favourites are:

Black Swan (it has a lot of nods and most wins right now)
True Grit (overdue director of photography and seems beautifully photographed in the trailers)
Inception
Deathly Hallows (Eduardo Freaking Serra. Seriously he was snubbed for 'Unbreakable', 'Defiance', 'Blood Diamond' and 'What Dreams May Come True' and he's quite overdue for a nomination. 3-4 nominations for Cinematography is a positive sign as well)
127 Hours (it's typical Danny Boyle cinematography. Lush and beautiful, but I'm getting tired of his style. He's got a couple of nominations for Cinematography already. The film will probably fill the last spot).

ALSO IN CONSIDERATION:

Shutter Island (It's not as good as Black Swan, True Grit, Deathly Hallows and Inception's cinematography but this should definitely take the last spot. The fact that it was released 10 months ago and the fact that Richardson has already won his Oscars is bad sign for the film. To be honest with you, I don't want to see this film take Potter's place. Serra's landscape scenes alone deserve recognition)

The King's Speech (It has few nominations though it doesn't have much chance. I thought it was beautifully photographed. There were some nice interior and exterior sequences (the park or the snow scenes) but it doesn't reach the level of the first 4).

The Social Network. I'm surprised this film has got few nominations. It's the Oscar bait thing that helps it, but it doesn't deserve it at all. Beautiful color palettes and lighting, but that's it.


P.S. Don't forget that they nominated Half-Blood Prince last year. And the film got zero nominations before. But they recognized it, as they should have. Now with Serra, a well-known professional, twice nominated for an Oscar, snubbed for few beautifully-looking films, there are chances. :-)

Bane

LC, all the things you say is true, but I'm big on storytelling and I just didn't think it had a compelling or powerful third act at all. It just seemed like something was missing entirely. Right about at the point where Mattie goes down to the river to get water is where the script just completely fell apart, and it never recovered. No Country for Old Men had a really ambiguous third act, but I felt that in the end, it all made sense and gave you something (a lot of things) to think about. This movie just sort of quickly resolves the revenge plot and meanders about.

Bane

And Burwell's score was pretty good, but it mostly just had one repeating theme and not much else. Far, far from the best score of the year. Deathly Hallows, How to Train Your Dragon, Inception, Black Swan, and a number of others had far superior scores if you ask me.

Bane

That's ridiculous at how that and Black Swan and a few others were disqualified, considering how much original work went into them.