Public Address | Cafe | Muse: The Curmudgeon's Guide To The Oscars (In Five Easy Bullet Points) https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/ en-us Copyright (c) 2026 Public Address Kracklite https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250690#post250690 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250690#post250690 it was the best prune-and-simplify adaptation

Indeed. Oldman’s Smiley is not the Smiley I think of from the books and the BBC series, but it’s one I can believe in almost as much as le Carre's secular priest.

One thing that struck me about the film was that it was…

]]> Fri, 02 Mar 2012 22:56:14 +1300 Kracklite https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250689#post250689 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250689#post250689 +1

My thoughts too.

It's astonishing, isn't it, her potential range?

Seeing her in The Girl with the Azhdarcho Tattoo is a revelation. Lisbeth Salander could easily be a one-dimensional fanboy cartoon, but her performance, particularly her body language with her stiff, brisk walk, hood up, head down shows her…

]]> Fri, 02 Mar 2012 22:48:45 +1300 FletcherB https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250686#post250686 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250686#post250686 Nah, Rango is what it is. If the first quarter hour makes you feel like your eyes have been waterboarded it’s not going to get any better. Three attempts is more than a fair chance.

Also, to parphrase our host: Torturing your children by making them watch films they don’t…

]]> Fri, 02 Mar 2012 22:34:09 +1300 chris https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250598#post250598 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250598#post250598 So was Thor and Real Steel.

I was determined not to like Real Steel but it did it's thing: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Steel|"26-and-a-half total live-action robots that were made for this film. They all have hydraulic neck controls. Atom has RC [radio-controlled] hands as well".[15] According to Jackman, executive producer Spielberg "actually said…

]]> Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:50:17 +1300 Craig Ranapia https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250524#post250524 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250524#post250524 as did the screenwriters Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan.

I endorse that – it was the best prune-and-simplify adaptation I've been since Curtis Hanson and Brian Hegeland's Oscar-winning screenplay for L.A. Confidential. (I love James Ellroy, but a transcription of that book would be about fifty hours long, have a…

]]> Thu, 01 Mar 2012 09:31:58 +1300 Craig Ranapia https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250518#post250518 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250518#post250518 Apes was enjoyable, but I am curious what redeeming feature in Thor you picked up o

Kenneth Brannagh isn’t Michael Bay, basically. It ain’t the Elder Edda by any stretch of the imagination, but the story made sense and a more-than-decent cast weren’t treated as mere placeholders for the CGI.…

]]> Thu, 01 Mar 2012 08:19:38 +1300 Steve Parks https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250516#post250516 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250516#post250516 As well as concurring with Craig R’s acclaim for Oldman’s performance ... a brittle, brilliantly controlled and surprisingly sardonic take on Le Carre’s greatest creation–I also thought Brad Pitt deserved all the plaudits that came his way for both Tree of Life and Moneyball.

Yeah. From my non-comprehensive viewing of…

]]> Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:15:23 +1300 FletcherB https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250515#post250515 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250515#post250515 I have three times started to watch Rango, but can't get past 15 mins without switching it off.... and the kids don't like it either.

You (Craig) say you enjoyed all the animated nominees, and of course, it won. (I was shocked)

Does it get better after the start? Or…

]]> Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:05:55 +1300 BenWilson https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250514#post250514 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250514#post250514 Apes was enjoyable, but I am curious what redeeming feature in Thor you picked up on (other than the hotness of the main guy, my wife squeed shamelessly over). ]]> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:19:39 +1300 Craig Ranapia https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250512#post250512 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250512#post250512 More than any year I can recall, in 2011 I had incredible difficulty finding gems amid the hype.

Which is kind of sad, because 2011 was a pretty respectable year for the “loud, dumb but full o’ fun” popcorn flick – though we shall not mention __Transformers: Dark Side of…

]]> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:10:07 +1300 Matthew Littlewood https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250502#post250502 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250502#post250502 Tinker, Tailor...- apologies for the typo/Freudian slip :) ]]> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:56:51 +1300 Matthew Littlewood https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250500#post250500 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250500#post250500 Being John Malkovic, Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine) , while Good Night & Good Luck was a gorgeous-looking and well-acted, and… ]]> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:34:23 +1300 chris https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250496#post250496 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250496#post250496 Often quite uncomfortable to watch, but in all the right ways.

You can say that again!, Yes, Christopher Plummer was beautiful in the Beginners, his performance seemed to be the breath of fresh air that kept that film airborne. LGBT characters were quite well represented with the Albert Nobb's pair…

]]> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:12:11 +1300 Craig Ranapia https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250493#post250493 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250493#post250493 That Tom Cullen and Weekend weren’t nominated is a crime.

Christopher Plummer got a consolation Oscar (and a well-deserved one) for his charming but slight turn in the charming but slight Beginners, but yes Weekend was damn good. Often quite uncomfortable to watch, but in all the right ways.

]]> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:30:59 +1300 chris https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250492#post250492 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250492#post250492 There is so much of him in the film–actor, director, producer.

Compared to Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Goodnight, and Goodluck, Ides of March felt like an episode of Red Shoe Diaries, tentatively.

]]> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:24:46 +1300 chris https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250490#post250490 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250490#post250490 The Best Man.

Nice!

There was a twitchy thing Clooney did when confronted in that darkened kitchen that killed his character for me (if not his entire canon).

I don't care, neither do you but just in case you need something to curmudgeon over

That Tom Cullen and Weekend weren't…

]]> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:05:10 +1300 Sara Bee https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250408#post250408 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250408#post250408 the new Audrey... ]]> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 11:20:23 +1300 Craig Ranapia https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250380#post250380 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250380#post250380 Seen Ides of March yet, Craig? I was impressed but I suspect you don’t like George C like I do.

No I don't, purely on aesthetic grounds – he's a very good, if limited, actor.but as a writer/director here he just didn't manage to breath much life or energy into…

]]> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:05:34 +1300 Geoff Lealand https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250376#post250376 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250376#post250376 Ides of March yet, Craig? I was impressed but I suspect you don't like George C like I do. There is so much of him in the film--actor, director, producer. ]]> Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:22:19 +1300 Jackie Clark https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250350#post250350 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250350#post250350 only, for the acceptance speeches. All of the ones I saw this year were courtesy of… ]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 19:11:29 +1300 Craig Ranapia https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250343#post250343 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250343#post250343 But Broadbent is carving out a nice niche for himself playing the put-upon husband of aging batty English women.

Or in Longford, playing an aging batty peer with a put-upon but elegantly exasperated wife, played by Lindsay Duncan. (She also did a rather nice Thatcher in a 2009 tele-film which…

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:42:21 +1300 Sofie Bribiesca https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250341#post250341 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250341#post250341 Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:33:07 +1300 Rob Hosking https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250338#post250338 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250338#post250338 I suspect Daniel Day Lewis will have more to do in Spielberg’s Lincoln biopic than dispense ghost chips to his drunken senile old bat of a wife.


Well at least he can wheel out the ol' Gettysburg address, or a few of his jokes.

Poor old Denis T/Jim Broadbent didn't…

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 18:08:07 +1300 Sofie Bribiesca https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250336#post250336 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250336#post250336 ghost chips to his drunken senile old bat of a wife.

Oh bless ;)

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:35:52 +1300 Craig Ranapia https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250303#post250303 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250303#post250303 It was more that the film was unbalanced, with Streep/Thatcher overwhelming the other performers, who were mostly reduced to uttering feeder lines.

It's not even that that bothered me, but what's the point of a bio-pic of a politician where nobody involved takes the politics at all seriously? Somehow, I…

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:17:30 +1300 Sofie Bribiesca https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250301#post250301 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250301#post250301 Cameron looks hot!( taken from Craigs link above) ]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:11:10 +1300 BenWilson https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250285#post250285 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250285#post250285 Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:24:15 +1300 Steve Parks https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250269#post250269 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250269#post250269 Sorry to say it, I can’t find movies seriously important.
Nothing to be sorry about.

Maybe she doesn’t either….
I assumed not.

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:46:40 +1300 Steve Parks https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250268#post250268 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250268#post250268 The Oscars are a vaguely interesting example of marketing films to a very specific demographic ie the Academy voters (94% white, 77% male, median age of 62)

Hmm, not unlike the US Congress, then. About 85 percent are male, most of whom are white, and the median age is 60.…

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:42:13 +1300 Rob Hosking https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250267#post250267 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250267#post250267 FWIW I thought the problem with the Iron Lady wasn't Streep's performance – she did stray into caricature at times (the way she walked was very like the Spitting Image version of Thatcher) but The Lady herself became something of a self caricature over time.

It was more that the…

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:41:25 +1300 Sofie Bribiesca https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250266#post250266 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250266#post250266 Diaz, really? I don’t find her that sexy.

She wasn't worst dressed. I think she has a very hot bod, considering she does none of the dieting,exercise fads. She surfs and does a bit of sport. Pretty sexy if you can get it, in my book anyhow. Sorry to say…

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:39:02 +1300 Steve Parks https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250265#post250265 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250265#post250265 Diaz, really? I don't find her that sexy. Probably doesn't help that she's a poor actress and generally chooses rubbish movies.

But I also liked The Descendants okay. It was probably the best of a mediocre to bad bunch. Not that I have high expectations of the Academy's judgment, but…

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:31:47 +1300 Sofie Bribiesca https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250260#post250260 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250260#post250260 I don’t care what anyone was wearing.
Neither do I, but for Kate whatserface to suggest that Cameron Diaz was worst dressed (Kate in her Victorian tablecloth of a top) needs fucking glasses. Diaz could be in pyjamas and still look sexy.
Plus I liked The Descendants, and probably because…

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:09:10 +1300 Steve Barnes https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250249#post250249 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250249#post250249 Thank you Steven –

My pleasure, ;-)

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:24:27 +1300 Craig Ranapia https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250247#post250247 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250247#post250247 Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:18:59 +1300 Steve Barnes https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250244#post250244 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250244#post250244 2) Meryl Street won for a typically mannered (and over-rated) impersonation of Margaret Thatcher in the crapulous The Iron Lady.
A rather brick and tile performance I thought myself.
Here's number 25..

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:06:11 +1300 tim https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250240#post250240 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250240#post250240 The Oscars are a vaguely interesting example of marketing films to a very specific demographic ie the Academy voters (94% white, 77% male, median age of 62)

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/academy/la-et-unmasking-oscar-academy-project-html,0,7473284.htmlstory

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:49:15 +1300 BenWilson https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250225#post250225 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250225#post250225 I was going to skip over this post because I hate the Oscars, which is seldom a useful contribution on a thread about it. But since that is actually the theme of the post, I'm going to agree.

I probably wouldn't dislike them so much if there were some films…

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:44:29 +1300 Rich of Observationz https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250204#post250204 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250204#post250204 I think in the future we'll have region-coded Oscars. If you live in market A, the version you receive will contain several wins for people from your home state. Market B will have slightly different results to favour their state.

Consistency will be enforced through ubiquitous content aware firewalling.

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:48:40 +1300 Craig Ranapia https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250201#post250201 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250201#post250201 I'm not greatly invested in cinematic film, except on a grokking-the-zeitgeist level. But I do love the way you write about it, Craig.

Is that a subtle hint to post more. Aww, bless. Don't know if you're going to thank me for what's coming up...

]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 07:42:33 +1300 linger https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250196#post250196 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250196#post250196 analogue being a pretentious, self-absorbed prickSo that’s what it’s called when some character is talking through their ass. ]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 01:51:30 +1300 Russell Brown https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250193#post250193 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250193#post250193 Mon, 27 Feb 2012 23:59:16 +1300 3410 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250191#post250191 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250191#post250191 [Bret McKenzie]'s an Oscar laureate for Best Original Song. Congratulations!

Indeed. Jolly well done! It'll be an interesting next few years. :)

]]> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 22:45:04 +1300 Geoff Lealand https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250188#post250188 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250188#post250188 Mon, 27 Feb 2012 22:22:22 +1300 Public Address https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250187#post250187 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/muse-the-curmudgeons-guide-to-the-oscars/?p=250187#post250187 Discussion from blog post.

]]> Mon, 27 Feb 2012 22:22:22 +1300