Birdman (2014)

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

It's simple then: Don't watch.

The movie or the Oscars?

Unfortunately I enjoy both. But Birdman winning best picture was poppycock.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by Numbah One

Just silly that this movie won best picture.

It was OK, but it's best achievement was the slick editing, and it wasn't even nominated for that.

Typical elitist Hollywood snob garbage.

Interstellar, Boyhood, Gone Girl and St. Vincent were all better films than Birdshit.

But it was a FIIIILM! About ACTINNNNNG! And ACTOOOOOORS!!!! GIVE IT THE GOLD MOTHER****ER! AND LET SEAN PENN DO THE GIVING!

Disgusting.

The writing was on the wall back with Shakespeare in Love.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

The writing was on the wall back with Shakespeare in Love.

DING DING DING

**** the Oscars.

[Silock]

Look, Birdman wasn't my favorite film of the year. Not even close. But I totally get WHY it won. It's fresh and original. I didn't personally identify with it, because I'm not an actor, screenwriter, performer or creative. It was a film for "those" people. And I think if I had the eye to look at it that way, I would probably have liked it a whole lot more. And I DID like it; I just didn't LOVE it.

I thought Foxcatcher was a better film. Yes, it was slow. It was deliberate storytelling, and I think making it a faster paced film would have ****ed the whole vibe up. I thought it had better acting than Birdman, too, from everyone in a starring role. BUT, I get why it didn't get nominated. Hell, I thought Whiplash was better, too, but that's because I identified with it more as a musician. I get why it didn't win, too.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Silock

Look, Birdman wasn't my favorite film of the year. Not even close. But I totally get WHY it won. It's fresh and original. I didn't personally identify with it, because I'm not an actor, screenwriter, performer or creative. It was a film for "those" people. And I think if I had the eye to look at it that way, I would probably have liked it a whole lot more. And I DID like it; I just didn't LOVE it.

I thought Foxcatcher was a better film. Yes, it was slow. It was deliberate storytelling, and I think making it a faster paced film would have ****ed the whole vibe up. I thought it had better acting than Birdman, too, from everyone in a starring role. BUT, I get why it didn't get nominated. Hell, I thought Whiplash was better, too, but that's because I identified with it more as a musician. I get why it didn't win, too.

If Birdman didn't have the apparent stigma of being about showbusiness then it would be hailed as the kind of movie that doesn't tend to win the big one. It is, as you say, fresh & original. It's got its own frenetic energy. It's meta. It's darkly comic. Its choice to score only using jazz drums is unique. This win feels like the Academy going out of their collective comfort zone in many ways.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

If Birdman didn't have the apparent stigma of being about showbusiness then it would be hailed as the kind of movie that doesn't tend to win the big one. It is, as you say, fresh & original. It's got its own frenetic energy. It's meta. It's darkly comic. Its choice to score only using jazz drums is unique. This win feels like the Academy going out of their collective comfort zone in many ways.

What's ironic is that I frequently read in this forum that "Hollywood has run out of ideas", which of course, is utter nonsense.

Then when a film like Birdman, which is definitely different, original and creative, those same people say "Hey, American Sniper was the best movie! Hollywood, you suck!".

[Hammock Parties]

Best one-sentence review of Birdman:

A masturbatory exercise in self-delusion, a movie about movies that's also about how terrible the movies are today, and when is anybody going to make great art?

[Hammock Parties]

No one is saying Birdman isn't a good film. It's excellent.

Don't think it was the best film of the year by any stretch, though. I think it's pretty forgettable, too. The average person can't really connect with any of those characters. I know I didn't give a shit about any of the shitty people in that movie.

And if it didn't have it's cute LOOK MA NO CUTS gimmick, it wouldn't be worth shit.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Numbah One

No one is saying Birdman isn't a good film. It's excellent.

Don't think it was the best film of the year by any stretch, though. I think it's pretty forgettable, too. The average person can't really connect with any of those characters. I know I didn't give a shit about any of the shitty people in that movie.

And if it didn't have it's cute LOOK MA NO CUTS gimmick, it wouldn't be worth shit.

Once again, this isn't the People's Choice Awards.

The votes are cast by people that live and work in the movie business and as such, their perspectives are different.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

their perspectives are different.

Darth Vader betrayed and murdered your father!

[Nzoner]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

The votes are cast by people that live and work in the movie business and as such, their perspectives are different.

I get this but still I gave up on the Oscars back in 2000 when Julia Roberts won for Erin Brockovitch over Ellen Burstyn in Requiem For A Dream.

[DaneMcCloud]

Originally Posted by Nzoner

I get this but still I gave up on the Oscars back in 2000 when Julia Roberts won for Erin Brockovitch over Ellen Burstyn in Requiem For A Dream.

Yeah, some things are definitely inexplicable. How about Gladiator winning Best Film but Ridley Scott losing Best Director to Steven Soderbergh, who directed Traffic?

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Numbah One

No one is saying Birdman isn't a good film. It's excellent.

Don't think it was the best film of the year by any stretch, though. I think it's pretty forgettable, too. The average person can't really connect with any of those characters. I know I didn't give a shit about any of the shitty people in that movie.

And if it didn't have it's cute LOOK MA NO CUTS gimmick, it wouldn't be worth shit.

Both excellent and forgettable? Hm.

Anyway, I don't have a need to, like, make you have a different opinion on the film. I can totally see how someone who
A.) doesn't have theater or film experience as an actor or crew person, or B.) to a lesser extent someone creative in general,
would find less to connect with in Birdman. I however do have lots of theatrical experience and my adoration of the movie is in large part due to my being able to connect with it in that way.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Both excellent and forgettable? Hm.

Yes. For instance, Star Wars is an example of a completely unforgettable movie. I have no idea what won the Oscar that year. Nobody gives a shit.

I however do have lots of theatrical experience and my adoration of the movie is in large part due to my being able to connect with it in that way.

Yes. It's a niche film.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Numbah One

Yes. For instance, Star Wars is an example of a completely unforgettable movie. I have no idea what won the Oscar that year. Nobody gives a shit.



Yes. It's a niche film.

I looked it up, because I didn't remember either. Turns out everyone reading this thread has heard of the movie, fairly well regarded as a classic, that beat Star Wars for Best Picture that year: Annie Hall.

Nobody forgets that Woody Allan's best-known film exists, but it does seem really easy to forget that it won Best Picture, when, and which films it beat.