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Tag Archives: Ang Lee

Oscars 2013: a disappointing showering of love for Affleck’s Argo

220px-85th_Academy_Awards_PosterOf the acting awards I can support all 4 (Jennifer Lawrence for SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, Daniel Day Lewis for LINCOLN, Anne Hathaway for LES MISERABLES and Christoph Waltz for DJANGO UNCHAINED), plus Ang Lee for directing LIFE OF PI – but I was very disappointed with the Academy for showering Ben Affleck with love for ARGO (best picture).

It was a good movie, but simply not as a great as any of the others that were nominated – how about any of those 5 above + ZERO DARK THIRTY, for a start? We’ve seen the Academy dole out gongs ‘retroactively’ for snubs of prior superior work (e.g. Martin Scorcese finally winning for THE DEPARTED), but Ben Affleck’s previous movies don’t qualify there. Or maybe the insular delusion of “Hollywood saves the day” was just too tempting not to vote for (more cynically, maybe they thought that every extra viewer who sees the film because it won, and can be brainwashed as to Hollywood’s social value, is worth compromising the integrity of the award). Either way, badly played Academy voters, badly played.

 
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Posted by on February 24, 2013 in Film Reviews, Passive Media

 

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Life of Pi (2012, dir. Ang Lee): cements Lee as one of the most versatile directors of our generation

220px-Life_of_Pi_2012_PosterTriumphant adaptation of the Man Booker Prize winning novel, Life of Pi works both for kids as a high seas survival adventure (plus Bengal tiger), and for adults, a meditation on the porous boundary between faith and imagination. e.g. Miss 3yo’s verdict: “It was better than Diego!” Certain to attract a host of Oscar noms, including the majors and the technicals (for the 3D effects).

Cements Ang Lee as one of the most versatile directors of our generation, capable of taking on even ‘unfilmable’ challenges, such as the Watchowski’s creditable take on Cloud Atlas earlier this year. I wonder if he’s on the shortlist for SW7-9? 🙂

 
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Posted by on November 25, 2012 in Film Reviews, Passive Media

 

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