The Critics Choice Movie Awards started dumping awards outside the theater before most of us tuned in, an hour before the broadcast officially began. Among the honors swept under the red carpet was a significant tie.
Best Cinematography (tie):
- Emmanuel Lubezki , The Tree of Life
- Janusz Kaminski, War Horse
That combination might have made for one of the more exciting moments in a ceremony, but instead we got to see 5 minutes of this disrespectful crap.
Other pre-show throwaway awards:
- Best Art Direction: Dante Ferretti, Hugo
- Best Editing: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
But who really cares about those, right? Some hack at VH1 decided movie-lovers aren’t interested in those outstanding achievements, and unless we hear otherwise from the Broadcast Film Critics we can assume they agree.
One thing for me, now, it’s clear:
the most probable winner of best cinematography is The Tree of Life.
Why? It’s simple, if War Horse got the critics but doesn’t got it the ASC nomination, so, there is no other movie for the win. The Tree of Life it’s the guy to be defeated.
“I don’t pretend to be an expert on film but i do have common sense and there are certain rules that should be followed in making a film.”
Who says? There’s a rulebook circulating around about what a director can and can not do when making his/her film? I understand that you don’t like “The Tree of Life” because it didn’t follow “the rules,” but that’s one reason why a lot of us like it… because it didn’t follow the tired, formulaic, old-school “rules.”
Once again I’m reminded of what Jodie Foster said in an interview about art and movie-making: “95% of people want to stick with the status quo (in other words, follow “the rules.”) It’s the other 5% that push the art form forward.”
As a viewer, Scott/dancer4life, you’re in that 95%. And as a director, Malick is in the 5%. It’s no wonder you don’t appreciate his movies and, quite frankly, seem a little threatened by him.
As a film lover, I find categories like cinematography and editing just as important, but when viewers complain each year that the award shows are too long/too boring, we can’t then complain when they hand out the awards average people at home don’t care about before the show.
I am reminded of the Golden Globes, when Ricky Gervais introduced two actors and said, “They’re lovely to look at, which is great, because they’re presenting the award for Foreign Language film, a category that nobody in America cares about.”
I mean as I said before, there are only 9 films in my Top 100 that were not certified fresh (mostly comedies and critics are weird when it comes to that genre) so I know a good film when I see it.
And I think I have pretty good taste ..not highbrow artsy fartsy sort of fare but not mainstream trash either.
Paddy, I don’t pretend to be an expert on film but i do have common sense and there are certain rules that should be followed in making a film. BTW A few years ago I couldn’t even tell you the names of the directors and actors involved in my favorites…but it has become something that I’ve developed a passion and when I am passionate about something I absorb information like a sponge. In my childhood I could give you names of all the MLB players, the coaches, statistics, history of the sport, etc. I think I’m getting to a similar point with film now as well lol.
Also, it’s widely known that most theaters would rather save money than use the proper equipment for optimal visuals. Ebert has been on this topic for years.
For a film as visually important as The Tree of Life, one would hope the theaters followed the instructions of the filmmaker.
Oh… thanks for correcting. You’d think such a seemingly online savvy group would have announced their awards in less of a clusterfuck.
Scott, it’s time to stop parading your self-declared intelligence about here. You may think that you’re extremely knowledgeable about film, but your ignorance to worldwide cinematic output and your juvenile response to The Tree of Life suggests the opposite. You may think that you’re an excellent researcher, but I (and many others here, I’m sure) was aware of those details which you have recently mentioned. Furthermore, there’s no problem with requesting that your film be viewed in optimal conditions; your reaction to that does not help your case. And you may think that you’re highly intelligent, but your insistence on reiterating this notion, in collaboration with your grammatical errors, volatility, arrogance and immature appreciation of film convince me that you are far from it.
You know the guy who’s always bragging about his sexual prowess? He almost always turns out to be impotent one with the tiny dick.
In regards to the BFCA. Anybody else think that if their was ten nominees this year Bridesmaids would be IN?
It is just killing at these precursors. Just beat a legit contender for best comedy. SAG PGA WGA. Suprising stuff.
My guess is if they had the same rules as last year it may be
The Artist
Hugo
The Descendants
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Moneyball
Bridesmaids
War Horse
Idea of March
Last spot is questionable. Maybe Extremely Loud, TTSS, TOL, Drive?
Looks possible to me.
I don’t think you’re in the right frame of mind to do homework Scott.
Why don’t you put on HP, have a five knuckle shuffle and call it a night…
*if
Now of you’ll excuse me I’ve got engineering hw to finish.
*undeserved
Call it trolling if you want…it’s not, but I wouldn’t be bashing if it if wasn’t receiving such lavious praise and I was being attacked for having an oppising viewpoint and seeing right through its gimmicky pretence.
You mayb be an excellent researcher, but most of us here know this shit anyway…organically.
Bert Reynolds bashed PT Anderson to the press about Boogie Nights…
They’re actors. One of Sean favourite films is Austin Powers. They have talent, doesn’t mean they have taste.
*and when false statements are made I will correct
Just stop replying to Scott/Dancer4Life. His only aim is to make us feel bad. THAT’s the very definition of troll. Serves them best if they’re ignored.
We can wait for a few years for him to grow up, and we can start discussing about films in a more mature way with him.
No Craig but when you attack I defend…and best not to attack cause I’m an excellent researcher.
I liked the show. But then I always do. It’s a kick-off to the telecast season. Happy for most of the winners, except for Clooney (ughhhh). I wish voters would stop being a bit lazy; although, I guess it’s subjective. I thought that everyone in his category gave a better performance.
On ‘The Tree of Life’. I won’t pretend to know everything that was going on in the film. All I know is: I thought it was beautiful, well-acted, but murky. Too much of it didn’t register, and I tried to ride it’s ethereal, elegaic wave. Couldn’t.
And this from Daniel Radcliffe on David Yates direction…
David was absolutely marvelous, we got on splendidly. In fact, David and I are in talks to expand the franchise into a Wizardly Theme Park. How marvelous. Spot of billboards, what…
Do you just spend all day googling terrence malick to find things to bash him about?
Sorry I’m done
*of
*into
*remove and, add I have
Alright, I’m done, but I hope you guys have come out if the coma Malick put you onto and and finally enlightened you on how ridiculous this is so called masterpiece of a “film” is. His own actors ever agree.
Yeah, it was pretty weird…they waited until the last five minutes of the ceremony to let us know who won in about 8 categories including Best Doc and it was weird because during the Martin Scorsese presentation, Leo DiCaprio said something about the George Harrison movie being in the doc category but it wasn’t very clear that it had actually won.
And if you really want to talk about pretentious, read this…
Terrence Malick wrote a letter of instruction to every projectionist showing The Tree of Life. His requests were:1. Project the film in 1.85:1 aspect ratio.2. Set the fader on Dolby and DTS systems to 7.5 or 7.7 (higher than the standard setting of 7).3. With no opening credits,he asks that the “lights down cue is well before the opening frame of reel 1.4. Projection lamps should be at “Proper standard (5400 Kelvin)” and that the “foot Lambert level is at Standard 14.”
ABSOLUTELY FUCKING RIDICULOUS…A FILM SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE VIEWED IN A CERTAIN UNDER SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES!
Good God, that is worse then 3D…
He’s not a recluse numbnuts – in Hollywood terms yes, he’s not vocal. He has a life outside films. He’s married women, divorced women, met more women and married them, cut hair in Paris, rang Kubrick up before the shoot of TTRL about optical devices. Malick is not a career filmmaker.
* sorry about the numbnuts
* as you do
Scott, what does it even matter? He’s a shy and private kind of guy; what’s wrong with that?
Or do you take a similar attitude towards people dissimilar to yourself and you do towards films which don’t adhere to your lowbrow standards?
You are the only person asking…..
Ok I’m done
Though I may have tuned out at some point Teri. I fell asleep and had to rewind to watch the rest of it the next day, which proved to be no better then the hour and a half that put me to sleep.
“Malick is the most notorious recluse in cinema, a man of secretive working methods, absurdly extended absences (20 years elapsed between his second and third movies), and a genuine disdain for any kind of publicity or press engagement. Not even when The Tree of Life won the Palme d’Or at Cannes two months ago was he drawn out of hiding, despite being in Cannes at the time.”
Then the question would nit be getting asked so much Craig (rolleyes)
Scott & Craig: STOP IT!
Rather than change yor name, would you prefer, when we call you out, to use dance4life instead?
Flawed? Absolutely. You hit the nail on the head. We’re getting somewhere…
I like that he reached for the stars and could only manage 6 ft in the air.
Recluse? Look the word up dumbass. He’s making fucking movies.
*sorry about the dumbass
“Oh, but the one that takes the cake for being completely pointless and stupid is where he breaks in to a neighbors house and steals a dress and floats it down the river. It’s disjointed and there are no repercussions or explanation as why would he actually do this. The kid was kinda a nutjob…”
Man, you really didn’t understand the picture at all. This was a very straight-forward scene in it. As someone said just before, Scott, you saw the film, but you didn’t SEE it. I don’t think you’re as smart as you try to make us believe.
From now on, Scott, I won’t read ANY comment from you about The Tree of Life. You shouldn’t bash something you don’t get, you’re not worth it. I’m gonna just keep my fingers in my ears and go lalalalalala every time you post about this picture. That’s a promise, you earned one pair of eyes less for your words.
Anyone have a problem with me changing my screename to dancer4life? I’m starting to dislike my name constantly being called out…
Or say that it isn’t even a film….
Scott, the difference between you and most people is when something isn’t your type of deal(you like performance arts or whatever)and doesn’t fit their personal taste they don’t bash it for months and say things like “has no place in theaters” “pretentious” call the director a “hack” and question the intellect of people who do like it.
They just simply acknowlege that it may not be for them and move on. Like I did. I don’t like TOL either.
Explains why he is a recluse whose “films” are so flawed then. :p
Another thing Scott – which may or may not put into perspective for you…
You live in a world where you’re embarrassed for making a typo on this site…Malick lives in a world where typo’s are inevitable and embraced.
oops, that funny my smartphone autoreplaced Malick with malicious, lol
As I’ve been trying to say, I suppose I have a strong preference for the performing arts, of which there is very little in a Malicious film. Even Pitt had limited screentime. Now there are some exceptions where I’ve enjoyed a film that is more purely visuals set accompanied by music, organic sounds, etc. (ie Days of Heaven…not terrific but worth a watch) but I would still prefer that this compliment the performing arts and the story, rather than encompass the entire being of the film.
Scott you have not SEEN the Tree of Life – it may have been in front of you with your eyeballs in the general direction of the screen.
Also, retarded is not the correct nomenclature…the word you’re looking for is sublime.
I second everything Craig Z said.
I also find if so laughable that Scott believes he just proved something about Tree of Life as if it isn’t subjective…
Where did this kid get such an ego? He has now replaced Afrika and that Matt guy as the most obnoxious person on here.(also that guy who keeps refering to all actresses over fifty as “old lady _______ but he rarely comes around. Before he was amusing in his own stupid sort of way(except the homophobic slurs and the use of the R word” but my god that ego.
Jesse, your friend is a dummy. Most of WH is told without dialogue, so that’s even more of a reason why the cinematography was important
Scott really throws around the word hypocrite doesn’t he? He clearly doesn’t understand the meaning.
Reminds me of Ron Burgandy “When in Rome”
The first year in a realllllyyyyy long time that I have not been excited about any movie. The first year in a realllyyyy long time that I didn’t spend every month in the theater. Long stretches of time when I didn’t go to the movie. This year was a dud as far as I’m concerned. Nothing exciting,or excited me, nothing new, most retreads or sequels or prequels. A couple of gems in the Artist and the Help, but beyond that — sorry, but Clooney needs to take a rest and go away for awhile. He’s in every movie every year at awards time. Could care less what movie won best picture, best song, etc. And I suspect the majority of TV viewers will feel the same come Oscar time. I predict – low viewership.
Ryan Adams says:
January 13, 2012 at 2:58 am
Stop hanging out in museums that bore you. Your dismissive know-it-all demeanor is inherently insulting. Cut it out. Go find something you can cling to and praise for a change.
I don’t go to museums or art galleries (which is where something like this “film” belongs instead of the silverscreen) I do however enjoy the arts of music, dance, and theatre/film as it should be done. I think it’s pretty obvious that something I have clung to and like to praise are classics films, particularly Hitchcock. But that’s not really relevant today, is it?
“something I have clung to and like to praise are classics films, particularly Hitchcock. But that’s not really relevant today, is it?”
No, Hitchcock is not relevant in a topic about the cinematography of War Horse and The Tree of Life.
Try to find something to talk about besides how much you hate the things many of the rest of us admire. I’m asking you to stop trolling discussions where all you do is drop in to toss empty insults around.
Actually Shashwat, I’ve proved how fucking retarded the film (if you can even call it that) is.
Excuse me, I have to make an amendment to what I said…I forgot the most senseless part of the film actually was almost entirely wasted Sean Penn.
His role essentially consisted of making a call in an elevator on his bro’s birthday, staring off into space reflecting back, waling through caverns and desert, and in the very end passing through an archway that brings him onto a beach. For fuck sakes, Malick sure knows how to waste talent…
Scott, you just proved that you haven’t understood a thing about tree of life 🙂
yikes, my grammar and spelling get horrible this time of the night…
But then so what the father (Brad Pitt’s character)…he says he loves his son yet tries to jump across the table and strangle him in one scene, lol. Orders his sons to call his father instead of Dad, beats the wife for undermining his discipline, etc
Oh, but the one that takes the cake for being completely pointless and stupid is where he breaks in to a neighbors house and steals a dress and floats it down the river. It’s disjointed and there are no repercussions or explanation as why would he actually do this. The kid was kinda a nutjob…
Here’s an example of a scene. The main boy (can’t recall his name) is out walking in the woods with his brother and he’s got a gun and tempts his bro to put his finger over the end, shoots it, his brother runs off crying, and then we have a long awkward silence back in the bedroom until he finally tells his brother that he’s sorry, kissing his on the arm and giving him a piece of wood saying he can hit him back if he wants. All this being intercut with somewhat inaudible whispers of bible quotations and whatnot.
Yes, go ahead and ask me questions about it if you don’t believe me. Like details I couldn’t get just from googling.
Scott, Nobody wants to see if you can pass a pop quiz about “details” such as what color shoes a character wore in Tree of Life or what vegetable they had for dinner. We trust that you know how sit still long enough to look at a movie.
The kind of questions you might answer to verify you actually let yourself see and absorb anything you were looking at would be essay questions. And no, god no, please don’t try that either.
You don’t care for this film, and I’m weary of hearing you snort about it.
Talk about something you like for a day or two, can you, please? Thanks.
Stop hanging out in museums that bore you. Your dismissive know-it-all demeanor is inherently insulting. Cut it out. Go find something you can cling to and praise for a change.
Scott, did you actually watch the Tree of Life? I’m beginning to think not.
That’s hypocritical considering the visuals in Tree of Life overwhelm everything, so much so to where that’s about all it is, images and whispers.
“the callow lunkhead demographic.”
I’ll have to remember that one.
After War Horse, I was trying to temper my underwhelmed response by remarking on how lovely the film looked. My friend, more critical, said that when the cinematography overwhelms everything else, you’ve got a big problem. In a traditional narrative film, he’s right, and War Horse is about as traditional as it gets. Still, it’s by no means a bad picture and I wouldn’t mind seeing it pick up some visual nods.
Wasn’t aware of the Tree of Life parody skit though…that’s awesome! Ok, they’re cool again.
Thanks Scott, for the harsh reminder that VH1 understands how to entertain the callow lunkhead demographic.
Ah damn, fuck that…I thought the BFCA was showing some good taste after snubbing Potter. Guess not…
I don’t know if he would but I have no doubt that Mayer could have made that happen if he felt like it.
….. and Kate Winslet for some reason
My corrupted mind only thought of dirty uses when you said that :/
Awwwww…. don’t make the poor fifth place guy make a speech 🙁
“aww…don’t make the poor fifth place guy make a speech”
that situation came up on Twitter yesterday.
1932. Wallace Beery (in The Champ) was allegedly furious that Frederick March won (for Jekyll and Hyde).
So Louis B Mayer allegedly “made sure” there was a tie — March and Beery both won.
There were only 3 Best Actor nominees that year! So imagine the humiliation for lone loser Alfred Lunt (as The Guardsman).
Okay, so I love War Horse, but Kaminski doesn’t even belong in the same PLANE as Luzbecki.
Or use it as a paper weight, door stop, back scratcher etc
I don’t even want to think about all the ways an Oscar has been used.
I’d rather win the chocolate than the wooden one. At least you can eat the 5th place statue.
ha, you’re right. swap those.
Then the 5th place winner has the option of setting his Oscar on fire.
The tree of life skit was disrespectful but whaddya gonna do.
On a side note im extremely happy for davis and spencer. Its their time hopefully the SAG, GG and finally Oscar are still to come
Oh my god! Imagine how many second place awards Meryl Streep would have!
……..Or Marty 🙁
Meryl and Sandra, that was fun.
Every year Meryl ties with another actress she can make out with her rival onstage
Gold and Silver awards is the greatest idea ever!
Just thought of something Ryan. If your sensitive bout Tree of Life it’s probably a good thing for you that it wasn’t nominated at the Globes. If you thought those guys tonight were mean imagine if Ricky Gervais decides he has something against the Tree of Life….. He is a lot less likely to make fun of a movie that isn’t nominated.
That being said. I am so happy Gervais is hosting. That guy is so funny. A lot of those guys in hollywood need a few shots taken at them. I don’t get it when people get mad at him. Like he shouldn’t make fun of them because they are rich beautiful and successfull. They spend and entire month giving each other statues every year. They will survive being mocked for my amusement. [end rant]
I like Ricky. Teasing a roomful of pretty millionaires is fine with me.
I’m ok with jokes about anything. Only gets tiresome if they’re not funny.
Hand out 5 Oscars per category
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Wood
Chocolate
Glad I TiVoed it so I can skip the crappy jokes. And that band was awful. I felt bad for those in attendance who had to endure that. It was great to see and hear Marty! Only wished Streep won as well. Hopefully at GG Sunday!
I also want to say that even though Plummer may have given the best speech of the night I really want Brooks to win the Globe cause I bet he would kill it. Plummer is gonna win everything else anyways so we will not be at a shortage of awesome Plummer speeches this year. Just want some variety.
I wish there would be more ties. I wish there were gold and silver Oscars so we could have a 6-hour show with twice the number of winner, double the speeches.
Take one thing back. Spencer’s first speech wasn’t very good. Second was better.
For sure the timing of that part was horrible no matter what movie they had been parodying.
That band was pretty bad too.
Enjoyed the whole Marty tribute too. Especially Bob Dylon, the two skits I mentioned, Patton Oswalt and all the acceptance speeches. Overall a bad show but I’m looking for a silver lining.
Absolutely. The tribute to Scorsese was worth enduring all the rest.
That’s VH1 for ya.
Also, kinda OT… I’ve compiled a thread of all of the winners of the major categories of 35 of this years’ Critic’s Awards Groups on IMDb. 35 different groups, if memory serves:
http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000005/thread/193484692
They took jabs at The Descendants and and some other drama that I didn’t even understand….
Honestly, I can only keep one eye on the TV when I’m trying to tweet and update the site and come play in the comments. So I missed the other jabs. After a while we learn to tune things out, don’t we?
I wouldn’t have ever mentioned the Drunk Tree silliness if they had given proper respect to the cinematographers.
Status Update: Ryan is touchy! ha, grr.
Fair enough….. But I still didn’t find it terribly disrespectful.(any movie that takes itself that seriously I feel has it coming) I found the skit merely stupid. They didnt even lampoon any particular aspect, just that a tree is the title “character”
They should have gone after other movies too…….. and actually have been funny
I do see what you’re saying, Craig Z.
No secret I’m sensitive about this movie.
I’d rather be oversensitive than insensitive.
Bothers me that they dragged the Tree in to waste our time during the grand finale of the show.
This was the worst award show I have ever seen. The production was hideous. The actors survived, thankfully, but what a trashy, low-brow, cringe-worthy event. I won’t be watching it again.
I didn’t find that part disrespectful, just unfunny. Tree of Life shouldn’t be above parody.
That was just stupid though.
I know many on here probably fould it juvenile(film snobs can be uptight) but I found the opening MoCap stuff and the horse skit funny.
Tree of Life shouldn’t be above parody.
I don’t think anything is above parody.
But what other movies did they parody last night?
(I missed the opening — so ok, they teased a lot of other movies too. Maybe I’d feel differently if they kept all the nonsense confined to the stupid joke reel. The Tree of Life skit was inserted during the last 15 minutes of the ‘ceremony’.)
I’m not surprised they wouldn’t show the more interesting wins of the night. I’m glad War Horse and ToL shared cinematography. I’m having a tough time picking between them myself.
These awards were just about as pathetic as People’s Choice.