Can someone explain to me the obsession over Juno?  I honestly don't understand it and really want to.  Yes, Ellen Page (as an actor and her character) is very likeable, but other than that, I don't see what all the fuss is about.  I thought it was ok, but Jennifer Garner's character was only non-creepy at the end, her husband was a total skeeze, and Michael Cera played the same guy as he did in Superbad.  Did I miss something that would have made it more important?  Why is it getting so much acclaim?  It's cute for what it is, but it didn't leave me feeling anything.  Maybe there was too much hype before I saw it.  Can someone please fill me in?

I've seen Juno and Michael Clayton...and I liked them both. Ultimately, Michael Clayton was a better film though. Juno was very cute, saracastic, funny and feel-good film but I don't think it has a snowball's chance in hell of winning.

Michael Clayton probably won't win either (I haven't seen There Will Be Blood yet, but from all accounts it looks like it is the favourite right now). However, the film was a fascinating study of modern-day corporate greed, environmental ignorance and had some seriously riveting acting in it. Standouts for me were Tilda Swinton (who I have since gotten this weird crush on), and Tom Wilkinson who I'm convinced is fantastic in anything he does.

I really do want to see Atonement and There Will Be Blood though...have heard good things about both. No Country For Old Men doesn't interest me at all for some reason.

~Renée

there will be blood and no country for old men......

daniel day lewis should win. hands down.  what a crazy movie.  nothing like it.

 no country for old men...that is intense as well.  

juno is fun.  I don't see it winning but i would see that one again.

 oh and the diving bell the and the butterfly. Best directing! 

 

now i'm excited to go see 'be kind and rewind'  :)

I have to say that even though I watch the Oscars each year, I'm really excited about this years nominees, in particular There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men. Both of these movies were filmed around my hometown area last summer, so I'm a bit subjective ;)

I saw No Country For Old Men and even though I was a bit bias towards this movie, Javier Bardem just sold the movie. He did an amazing job...quite scary. And I've always been a fan of Daniel Day-Lewis. He totally becomes the characters he plays and There Will Be Blood is no exception.

I plan on seeing Juno because the wit and sense of humor seem right up my ally. Plus seeing Michael Cera and Jason Bateman on screen is great...I was a HUGE fan of Arrested Development! Hail the Bluths! But I don't think I can be bothered with Michael Clayton. It just sounds like a lot of other movies in the past about big corporations being corrupt.

The Best Pic noms I've seen:

There will be Blood: By the end of the movie I wanted to slit my throat. And I wondered why I even bothered to see it, knowing the subject matter. ( I think I was interested in seeing Daniel Day Lewis) Its not as if we don't see this in the world on a regular basis (Enron, Bush, Cheney, Conrad Black blah blah blah...) And there's no redemption. Definately the most depressing movie I've seen in awhile.

Micheal Clayton: This is a slightly up market bog standard thriller with corrupt lawyers. Something we have on TV every day of the week. The sort of movie that keeps your attention during the 2 hours its playing, and entirely forgettable after.

Atonement: Sigh...this was a formulaic period piece with the usual WW2 backdrop and beautiful Edwardian(?) costume and landscapes. Lovely to feast the eyes on, but little substance. And Keira Knightley was definately a minus. I've realised that she can't act. The one sex scene between her and James MacAvoy was laughable. Not an ounce of chemistry.

Juno: I admit I'm biased. I've liked Ellen Page since her small role in Marion Bridge. Even with the hype, I wasn't disappointed. Its a film that's reveberated on all sorts of levels for me. Its a heartwarming, heart opening film. Its sardonic humour is priceless. But what's particularly special about this movie is its portrayal of teen life that rings true. I want this one to win.

(Decided not to see the Coen brothers flick. Don't want to pay to see how violent and crass human beings can be. I know already)

It seems to be the overriding opinion that only "serious" films should be seriously considered for academy awards.. Historically performances and movies that depict dark, adult content are the ones that walk out of the Kodak theatre with the accolades.

 But should a film be overlooked for an academy award because it's not dramatic enough?  Films based on humor, and uplifting, feelgood storylines are rarely critically acclaimed.  It is great to see a movie like Juno receiving the attention it has so far.. and whether or not it is the best film, its pithy and sharp content and heartwarming sentiments are refreshing.

So, purely for the sake of putting a smile on a lot of people's faces (and no doubt a grimace on some of the cinematic purists') I am hoping Juno sneaks in for the win on Sunday night.

I don't think Juno is one of the best pictures of the year, it's just that it's got good writing and acting and the Academy probably said, "We might as well give it a Best Picture nod".

I didn't care for Atonement or There Will Be Blood, but Michael Clayton is a definite must-see. I loved it.

I read screenplays like some read books. And as an exercise of comparison, I recently read Juno and Little Miss Sunshine. LMS won an Oscar. Yet, compared to Juno, it's simplistic and over-rated. Juno is a technical  and beautifully crafted script. The movie is so well made that if you read it before you see the movie, you actually get a better sense of how well written it is because of its flawless translation to screen.  It left little for re-interpretation, the scenes work well, and there is a cause and effect in every scene. 

It's gaining buzz as a dark horse because it's the only feel good movie out of the bunch. Who knows....it might actually stand a chance.

And yes, Ellen seems to be like Juno, but whether or not she was playing a version of herself, is irrelevent. She made Juno the outcast kid you either were, hung out with, or secretly wanted to know better.

though it doesn't stand a chance at winning (i wish!) what i appreciated about Juno was the skill by which it was crafted. not only is the writing superb and completely relevant and reaching with youth ... but Ellen Page took a movie that could have been grouped in with the cheesy, cute comedies and created a character that was capable of being onthefloorlaughing funny and extremely heartwarming and heartbreaking. Ellen Page portrayed an intelligent young woman who is capable of making mistakes but does so without turning to selfpity...

hopefully the nomination will bring more comedic movies and performances like this one to the fore front of oscar attention some day

.. what ever people consider to be normal, it never is ..

I've noticed that in practically all the blog entries about Oscar-nominated films, there seems to be very blatant dislike for "There Will Be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men," and I don't really get it. Yes, there are no female characters in "There Will Be Blood" and very few "No Country" but they both still have great stories and human aspects to relate to, and as a bisexual, biracial woman, I still found plenty to love, even if these characters weren't exactly like me.

Since i'm a fan of award season i made it my mission to watch these movies and i managed to find all online but only watched Juno, Micheal Clayton and No Country for Old Men. I skipped Atonement cuz it just seems depressing kind of like Titanic and i'm not a fan of Kiera Knightley. I find her annoying. And 20 minutes into There Will Be Blood i was bored to death even though i happen to think Daniel day Lewis is a good performer. Of thoese i saw i happen to like Micheal Clayton the best, not to say Juno wasn't good or i didn't enjoy it, it's just not my type of movie. And i actually liked NCFOM. Since critics are betting on No Country or There will be blood winning i'm gonna root for No country.