Best Picture Opinions: 2000’s

It’s been a while since I’ve written. I’ve spent much of the last year focusing on other projects. But after listening to a Rewatchables podcast for the fantastic, Inside Man, I got an itch to write. My one reader said she’s really excited about it.

The discussion on the podcast turned to the 2006/2007 Oscars and how Inside Man wasn’t recognized. It isn’t new to bitch about the Oscars on the internet. I don’t know if this post will cover any new ground. I can’t recall exactly where he said it, but Bill Simmons has often talked about the “5 Year Oscars”, noting that we shouldn’t really be awarding these movies until 5 years later, when we have a better grasp of which movies have lasted in the zeitgeist, and which movies will continue to last.

I thought we’d do this exercise by decade, with this post covering: 2000 – 2009.

A few ground rules that I’m making up as I write this:

1. In terms of the number of “revised” nominations, I will stay within the confines of the Oscars for that year. For 2000 – 2008, that means I will nominate 5 movies since that what was allowed at the Oscars. 2009 is eligible for 5-10 nominations.
2. For each year, I will save a spot for one Oscar-bait-y, “important”, awards-y movie, because I don’t know if the academy will ever do away at least one nomination in that vein (vein? vain? we’ll say vein).
3. For each year, I will save one spot (more like 8) for a genre movie. That is to say, I’ll include a movie that isn’t characterized as a non-specific drama, which is what normally gets nominated. These movies have been criminally underrepresented over the years. Basically the exact opposite of rule #2.
4. For both the actual nominations and my nominations, I will list the winner on top and then the other movies will be in alphabetical order. So the numerical listing isn’t a ranking.
5. I haven’t seen most of the actual nominations. Not so much a rule as an FYI. So, keep that in mind.

Okay, let’s get to it. SPOILERS to follow.

2000

Actual Nominees

1. Gladiator (the winner, fawk yeah!)
2. Chocolat
3. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
4. Erin Brockovich
5. Traffic

Gladiator rules! I saw it when I was 13 and have been a lifer ever since. It’s not a historically great movie or even a notable Best Picture winner, but few movies do spectacle as well as Gladiator. I look at it as a modernized version of Ben-Hur, but more badass, and none of the Jesus stuff, and also lopping off an hour or so of the run time.

Chocolat, uh, well, I’ve never seen it. The best thing I can say about Chocolat is that there’s a funny reference to it in the movie I Love You, Man. That movie became irrelevant in 2001.

Crouching Tiger was a stylish kung fu movie from a great director that was definitely a bit of a phenomenon when it came out. I own it on DVD. I haven’t watched it since 2001.

Erin Brockovich, I haven’t seen it in ages, but it was an Oscar turn for one of the biggest movie stars in the business. Also, it was awards catnip: a biopic of an underdog woman taking on a major corporation on behalf of a disenfranchised group. All based on a true story. It’s directed by Soderbergh, which makes me inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt, but it hasn’t necessarily held up as a great choice. Better than fucking Chocolat.

Traffic was Soderbergh’s other nominated movie from 2000, an insanely rare feat for a director (nominated for 2 movies in the same year). I haven’t seen it since it came out. It’s kind of like a better version of Crash in that there’s a bunch of stars in it with interweaving storylines. But, I haven’t thought about this movie in ages, or ever.

My Nominees:

Gladiator (keep it as the winner)

Almost Famous

Remember the Titans

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Gladiator rules, so keep that as is.

Crouching Tiger is a unique enough vision from an auteur director that I can at least appreciate. It also probably qualifies as my genre selection as an elevated kung fu movie.

Almost Famous won Best Original Screenplay and received a few acting nominations. It doesn’t feel highly dramatic, but it doesn’t really fall into any other genres. It’s just an awesome movie about a particular time period, particularly the music of that time period, and it’s always engrossing and has great acting and characters.

Remember the Titans could qualify as a genre movie, but it’s also kind of a perfect replacement for Erin Brockovich. Think about it: movie star-led biopic of the “true story” about an underdog taking on a major institution (racism) on behalf of a disenfranchised group. The story may be completely white-washed, the truth may be exaggerated, but if the movie was made by Paramount and not Disney, there’s a chance this would’ve received a few looks at the time.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?, I mean, I don’t know if it even cracks my top 5 favorite Coen Brothers movies, but it’s a highly enjoyable movie based on a classic piece of literature brought to us from auteur directors. It was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, so there’s already some clout there.

Also considered: Erin Brockovich, American Psycho, Requiem for a Dream, Unbreakable, What Women Want (a legitimately inventive movie premise!)

2001

Actual Nominees:

1. A Beautiful Mind (winner)
2. Gosford Park
3. In the Bedroom
4. The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring
5. Moulin Rouge!

So, not really my favorite year. I haven’t seen too many of the nominated movies. A Beautiful Mind has aged pretty poorly, at least as a Best Picture winner, historically. It’s typical Ron Howard fare, which I’m using as a pejorative here, but really means a movie that is technically well-executed (which I don’t take for granted), but maybe isn’t that interesting or doesn’t have anything particularly good to say. Add to that, it’s another white-washed biopic where a lot of the story is left out. For example, John Nash has been cited as an anti-semite and adulterer, but that was of course left out of the movie. Some of his philandering was with young men, and while no one should ever hold homosexuality or bisexuality against him, there is no mention of this in the movie because, of course, it complicates the story that he’s just a misunderstood, mentally ill genius who made it through with the love of his perfect wife. So, bleh.

Gosford Park, I haven’t seen, but have actually seen it held in high regard as a social criticism, murder mystery and one of the best career entries from historically great director, Robert Altman.

In the Bedroom, I also haven’t seen, but I know it is a drama with excellent performances from very good actors. Still, no one really talks about it today.

Lord of the Rings, definitely a phenomenon, and the first entry in a well-made epic trilogy.

Moulin Rouge!, ehhh, I remember the song being big. Otherwise, I never saw it and don’t know if anyone cares about it.

My nominees:

1. Memento (winner!)
2. Gosford Park
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings
4. Mulholland Drive (or Black Hawk Down)
5. Shrek

Memento is fantastic. Nominated for Original Screenplay, and that’s it. The story is a strong entry for thriller/neo-noir, but the execution is what makes this movie an all-time great. Wonderfully inventive and completely ground-breaking. I give it the top prize.

Gosford Park has my respect without having seen it. People love Downton Abbey, Gosford Park predates what people love about that show, but adds a murder mystery and a social critique. Respect.

Lord of the Rings was a big deal at the time. The Hobbit has likely burned up some of that currency, but I keep it in out of respect for that.

Mulholland Drive/Black Hawk Down. Quite often, there is a nominee for Best Director whose movie was not nominated for Best Picture. However, 2001 was the only year since 2000 where there were two Best Director nominees whose movies weren’t nominated for Best Picture. It’s possible that this is a rarity that goes back even further, but I don’t feel like doing the research. The point is that both Mulholland Drive and Black Hawk Down were nominated for Best Director, but not Best Picture, and also, that this is the only time in the last twenty years (at least) where this has happened. I’ve seen each movie exactly once, and a long time ago, so I don’t know if I could pound the table for one over the other. However, the fact that both come from nominated directors, and are still being watched today says something. If BHD was about WWI, WWII or Vietnam, it probably gets nominated. The fact is people aren’t that into the war in Somalia. MD was probably too mind-fucky, and likely couldn’t have been nominated alongside Memento. But still. A unique, well-executed movie, from an original director, with a story about the movie industry, could’ve easily garnered a nomination.

Shrek, who doesn’t love Shrek? It was rumored that it was up for a Best Picture nomination and that the Academy potentially created the inaugural Best Animated Feature category just so that they wouldn’t have to nominate Shrek for the big awards. It was nominated for Adapted Screenplay as well, a sign that the pacing, execution, characters and dialogue were all on point. The movie is a bonafide classic.

Also considered: Training Day, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Blow, Ocean’s Eleven, Zoolander

2002

1. Chicago (winner, ugh)
2. Gangs of New York
3. The Hours
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
5. The Pianist

Another year that’s kind of…bleh. Chicago wins. Nobody cares. Nobody talks about Chicago. It’s quite forgettable.

Gangs of New York, well, I mean, I love Scorsese. If I had a holy trinity of directors where I would watch any movie they made even if it sounded dumb, he’s in it. But for me this isn’t in my top 12 of his catalog. That doesn’t mean it isn’t good or well-made, just not a movie I’m excited to see was nominated.

The Hours, never seen it. Never made an effort to. I remember the narrative that Nicole Kidman “finally” won her Oscar. Considering she’s still churning out excellent work today, twenty years later, this isn’t a performance people talk about.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, similar to 2001 and, spoiler, 2003, it’s an expertly-made entry in an epic trilogy that was definitely a cultural phenomenon.

The Pianist. Never seen it. I’ve heard it’s very good. Polanski is a terrific filmmaker. The tough thing here is it’s difficult for me to disassociate this movie with one of the great hypocrisies in Hollywood. Roman Polanski won the directing Oscar for this movie and received a standing ovation from a crowd that has publicly spoken out against other people who have not done things as terrible as what Polanski did. I find the hypocrisy hard to stomach. Doesn’t mean the movie isn’t good.

My Nominees:

1. Catch Me if you Can (winner!)
2. Adaptation
3. 25th Hour
4. Gangs of New York
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The Academy loves Spielberg movies. I mean seriously, they’ve nominated The Post, Bridge of Spies, and War Horse for Best Picture in the 2010’s. I actually enjoyed Bridge of Spies, but it wasn’t anything exceptional. The point is, I have no issues giving the grand prize to an underrated, highly entertaining, well-acted, adventure in Catch Me if you Can. In a year like this, it’s crazy to me that this movie was only nominated for Supporting Actor and Original Score. This movie holds up and is basically a joyride every time you watch it.

Adaptation is meta, highly unique, and intricate. The performances are strong and although the Academy was always too stiff to ever award a movie like this, it is of a higher artistic quality than many of the movies nominated in many years of awards.

25th Hour has a loaded cast and a gritty, heartbreaking story. It’s one of the best entries from a historically important director who didn’t do the stuff Polanski did…so there’s that.

Gangs of New York is a good, if not great entry from one of the greatest directors of all-time. I’ll keep it around.

LOTR, same logic as last year, a well-made entry into a highly popular trilogy of movies.

Also in consideration: About a Boy, Insomnia

2003

Actual Nominations:

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (winner)
2. Lost in Translation
3. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
4. Mystic River
5. Seabiscuit

So, LOTR finally wins after being nominated for the third year in a row. Not my favorite movie trilogy, but I get it and can’t argue with the filmmaking.

Lost in Translation was a solid entry. It definitely feels like the type of movie we don’t get to see anymore. Just a solid adult drama.

I’ve never seen Master and Commander, but I’ve heard good things. Peter Weir is an underrated director. You get a brash Russell Crowe performance. To use the Simmons rule, I don’t know if anyone is still talking about this movie now, or really since 2004, but I think it’s a better nominee than some others we’ve seen.

Mystic River, ehhh, I mean I shouldn’t complain too hard since it’s the type of movie I really like and wish would be nominated more often; that “type” being a gritty murder mystery. I feel like the Academy was eating whatever Eastwood was serving at this point in time. The performances are strong and I think most of the movie is really solid. The ending is kinda weak, like the actual ‘who’ of the whodunnit.

Seabiscuit, never seen it, so I hate to judge, but this strikes me as a horrible nomination. I’ve never heard anyone mention Seabiscuit in a positive light, if at all. Highly forgettable.

My nominations

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (winner)
2. City of God
3. Lost in Translation
4. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
5. Memories of Murder

LOTR, I’m fine with them keeping the award if only because I don’t have the strongest feelings toward any of the other nominees, and they

I’ve only seen City of God once and it was a while ago, but I remember liking it quite a bit. Of note, the director of City of God was nominated, but the movie was left off the Best Picture list. It was also nominated for Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, and Film Editing. So…the writing, editing, cinematography and directing were among the 5 best movies of the year, but somehow the movie itself was not? To be fair, if you have a chance to nominate Seabiscuit, you take it.

Lost in Translation, again, solid entry. Adult drama with strong acting.

Master and Commander is an elevated genre entry for Action-Adventure, as it was nominated for Directing, Sound Mixing, Art Direction, Make-up, Editing, Visual Effects and Costume Design. It won for Sound Editing and Cinematography. Sounds like a highly-regarded nominee to me.

Memories of Murder is an earlier masterpiece from future Oscar winner, Bong-joon Ho. A terrific serial killer movie that has some humor, but also looks at the toll cases like this take on psyches of the officers working on them as well as the systemic issues within a police department. Just a really strong drama entry from a director that wasn’t known in America at the time.

2004

Actual Nominations:

1. Million Dollar Baby (winner)
2. The Aviator
3. Finding Neverland
4. Ray
5. Sideways

Million Dollar Baby gets a lot of mixed feedback. Some think it’s one of the worst winners, others appreciate the acting and character work. Again, this was at a time where Eastwood was basically getting nominated for every movie he made. I can at least respect the acting and the way the characters complement each other in the writing.

The Aviator, haven’t seen it, but it’s a supposedly strong entry from Scorsese. It could qualify as the Oscar-baity biopic about a man with ties to Hollywood.

Finding Neverland, fuck you. I’ve never seen it. I’ve never heard anyone mention it. Ever.

Ray, typical Oscar biopic stuff. Good acting and of course the Ray Charles music is terrific. But ultimately very “whatever”.

Sideways, a really strong character drama that may not fall within the Simmons rule of still being relevant, but holds up as an excellent adult drama.

My nominations:

1. Collateral (winner)
2. The Aviator
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
4. Million Dollar Baby
5. Sideways

So…Collateral. The interesting thing here is that Sideways and Collateral actually have a lot in common, and would potentially take votes away from each other. Both movies are well-written character studies of fearful men who are unhappy with their lives, that are stuck at the whims of another, more assertive man. Both movies are awesome. I lean more toward Collateral as a grittier, crime-thriller entry, but I can appreciate the quiet and more comedic restraint of Sideways.

Similar to Gangs of New York, The Aviator is a strong entry from a top director. It’s also Oscar-baity, so that’s good for the Academy.

I’ve only seen Eternal Sunshine once, and it was a while ago. But, I am inclined to reward cleverly constructed movies that are reaching for something other than the typical biopic of a famous person or person fighting on behalf of a disenfranchised group. It won for Best Original Screenplay, an acknowledgement of the originality and execution, but not acknowledgment enough as far as I’m concerned.

Million Dollar Baby is a solid, if an unspectacular winner of the ultimate prize. The acting holds up and the story is interesting.

Also in consideration: Team America: World Police (I am soooo serial. But actually, it’s a uniquely artistic endeavor with a legitimate satirical message)

2005

Actual Nominations:

1. Crash (winner)
2. Brokeback Mountain
3. Capote
4. Good Night, and Good Luck
5. Munich

What else is there to say about Crash winning that hasn’t already been said?

Brokeback is a very good movie and was definitely a cultural reference point when it came out. I don’t know if it’s in the zeitgeist as much now, as the conversation around those Oscars tends to be more anti-Crash rather than about how good Brokeback was. Still, good movie. Strong acting.

Capote, saw it so long ago. No one talks about it. The movie garnered the late Philip Seymour Hoffman his Oscar, but if you look back at his splendid career, there are so many other movies that would be called to mind before Capote.

Good Night, and Good Luck is not really spoken about now. I haven’t seen it, and I want to respect this movie; I like the lead, David Strathairn, quite a bit. Again, it was an “important” biopic about a figure in the news.

And finally, Munich. I remember liking Munich, though, again, it’s another movie that people aren’t talking about fifteen years later. Spielberg, as mentioned before, is well-liked by the Academy.

My nominations:

1. Brokeback Mountain (winner)
2. The 40 Year-Old Virgin
3. Good Night, and Good Luck
4. Match Point
5. Munich

We right the wrong of these Oscars by appropriately awarding Brokeback Mountain.

I’ve written about The 40 Year-Old Virgin as an Oscar contender before. It’s a well-written romantic movie that is a little heavier on the comedy than is typical. The jokes are obviously more sophomoric than typical Oscars-fare, but they need to get off their high horses.

Match Point was nominated for Original Screenplay, and comes from the mind of a highly recognized auteur. It’s a well-structured story that’s a lot more re-watchable than Capote, and much better than Crash.

Munich and Good Night and Good Luck, we can keep around as more typical Oscar fare that are pretty good.

Also in consideration: Batman Begins, A History of Violence, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

2006

Actual Nominations:

1. The Departed (winner)
2. Babel
3. Letters From Iwo Jima
4. Little Miss Sunshine
5. The Queen

At last, we get to the reason for this blog post! Scorsese finally wins his long overdue directing Oscar for The Departed, a fun crime thriller that is still enjoyable to watch, but was somewhat resented as being the movie he actually won for. Obviously, as fans or purists, we want to see someone win for their best work, or our favorite work, it only seems fair. Scorsese coulda’ shoulda’ won for Taxi Driver, Raging Bull or Goodfellas beforehand. But, in a crappy Oscar year, with few memorable, still relevant nominees, Scorsese and The Departed deservedly won in 2006.

Babel, no one talks much about. It’s an earlier work for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, who would become an Oscar darling ten years later. I haven’t seen this movie. I probably never will. It doesn’t mean it’s bad. It just means it’s easily replaceable on this list.

Letters From Iwo Jima, I haven’t seen it, and it seems to be another somewhat forgettable movie that is forgotten once the Oscars were over. It’s another nomination for Clint Eastwood during this decade. However, I will say that reading about it, this was actually a cool idea; shot as a companion piece to Flags of Our Fathers, both movies came out in 2006, and Letters explores Iwo Jima from the perspective of the Japanese soldiers, while Flags is from the American soldiers’ perspective. Having said that, no one is really saying much about LFIJ in 2021.

Little Miss Sunshine isn’t spoken about much today, but I actually do remember enjoying the movie quite a bit. I think it speaks to the lack of Oscar-bait from the year that it was even nominated. It may not be a seminal comedy, but definitely a nice nomination.

The Queen just isn’t my thing. That doesn’t mean it’s bad or poorly made. It’s just like the umpteenth biopic about European royalty. Enough! At least with nominating these movies. They can keep making them for all I care, and obviously they recruit talented actors, but how many nominations will keep going to people playing an English Duke or Queen, in a movie that may be well-made, but is not one that’ll be talked about ever again after the Oscars?

My Nominations:

1. Children of Men (winner)
2. The Departed
3. Inside Man
4. Little Miss Sunshine
5. The Prestige

It was a difficult choice, but ultimately, Children of Men is my pick for Best Picture. Superficially, COM is arguably the best movie in the highly decorated catalog of Alfonso Cuaron. It was officially nominated for Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, and Editing – three signs that it was considered one of the best-made movies of the year. I think it probably missed out on a Best Picture (and Director) nomination because of the genre; Children of Men straddles a few of them, notably sci-fi, thriller, and action – three genres that often go unrecognized at the Oscars. As noted with other genre movies, COM is an elevated entry. How many sci-fi thrillers get nominated in three key categories?

The Departed, still enjoyable. Still talked about. It may rank below Goodfellas and Taxi Driver, but it was still one of the five best movies of 2006.

Has a heist movie ever been nominated for any Oscars? Maybe the Sound Mixing/Editing categories. I guess The Sting was about conmen, so I don’t want to say ‘no’ unequivocally, but heist movies are really not a preferred sub-genre. Maybe it’s because they’re not often high quality movies. Inside Man, however, is a fantastic movie made by a previously nominated filmmaker and featured two stars that had already won multiple Oscars. It keeps the audience guessing and is very cleverly constructed. I know there wasn’t any European royalty in a puffy costume and white wig, but just a quality film that holds up as the best bank robbery movie of this century.

I kept Little Miss Sunshine around because even though no one talks about it much anymore, it does hold up as humorous, there are strong performances from Oscar-nominated actors and it’s rare for a comedy to get nominated, so I appreciate that.

Finally, The Prestige. I mean, they like English period dramas, right? Again, it’s a sci-fi/thriller, not the most awards-friendly combination. Christopher Nolan would later be nominated for a sci-fi blockbuster (Inception), a WWII movie (Dunkirk), and received much acclaim for a gritty comic book reboot. However, there’s an argument that the smaller, more understated Prestige is either his best or in his top three movies. A windy thriller with strong characters, construction and acting. The costumes and effects are on point. They managed to hide something right in front of the audiences’ face for the whole movie, which probably speaks to good editing. Just a miss by the Academy.

It was a maligned Oscar year, and yet, 2006 has a Mount Rushmore of Children of Men-The Departed-Inside Man-The Prestige – which stacks up against any movie year.

Also considered: Casino Royale, Stranger Than Fiction

2007

Actual Nominations:

1. No Country For Old Men (winner)
2. Atonement
3. Juno
4. Michael Clayton
5. There Will Be Blood

2007 was a juggernaut year. It was like 1976, or better yet, the 1961-62 NBA MVP race. That year, Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50 points and 25 rebounds per game. Oscar Robertson averaged a 30-point triple double every game (!). And then there was Bill Russell, who averaged nearly 19 points, 24 rebounds, and was the best defensive player in the league, while leading the Celtics to another championship. How do you pick a winner there? It’s three transcendent superstars, in their primes, turning in their best seasons, and only one can be chosen for the award.

That NBA example was a lot like the 2007 Oscars. We had No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood, two alpha dog, brawnier movies that unfortunately had to be pitted against each other. Then there was Michael Clayton; a bit more understated, not quite as attention-grabbing as the other two, but an absolute beast of a movie that could’ve won Best Picture in any other year of the decade. Frankly, I think all three of these movies would’ve comfortably won Best Picture any other year in the decade. But voters had to pick one. No Country won out; the right choice as far as I’m concerned, but it’d be hard for me to argue if either of the other two movies had won.

Atonement, blah, just not my thing. No one says anything about it now.

Juno was big at the time. It was a charming comedy about teen pregnancy. Still, I don’t know how many people are going back to rewatch Juno in 2021.

My nominations:

1. No Country For Old Men (winner, fawk yeah!)
2. Gone Baby Gone
3. Michael Clayton
4. There Will Be Blood
5. Zodiac

Look, if they nominated Mystic River, it isn’t crazy that they’d nominate Gone Baby Gone. Same author. Same tone. Bawwwwston. Same bloodline of being directed by a handsome movie star. I think this movie was better than Mystic River. More grounded, better acting, and a more twisty story.

Zodiac, to me, is one of the three best serial killer movies ever, and it’s picked up a cult following since its release. There’s certainly less conventional enjoyment: it’s longer, slower, with no real resolution as compared to other serial killer movies/TV shows. However, the movie does a masterful job of creating mood. The viewer is on edge the entire time, even in the quiet moments that don’t seem like they’ll include the Zodiac killer. It feels reminiscent of how it must’ve felt to be living in the San Francisco area while the real killer was active and at large. In addition to feeling on edge, there are moments of high suspense that serve as a masterclass for thrilling filmmaking. Just criminally underrated and overlooked at the Oscars.

Also in consideration: Ratatouille, Superbad.

2008

Actual Nominations:

1. Slumdog Millionaire (winner)
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. Frost/Nixon
4. Milk
5. The Reader

Slumdog Millionaire was very charming. It really hasn’t been relevant at all since 2009, but I remember enjoying it when I watched it. Not a notable winner, but one who built a narrative and captured the moment.

Benjamin Button, I saw this in theaters, I haven’t had much desire to rewatch until recently, when I figured that any David Fincher movie is probably worth another viewing.

Frost/Nixon, I remember thinking it was decent enough, but I haven’t thought about it or heard about it since ’08.

I actually remember liking Milk quite a bit. It is technically an Oscar-baity biopic about an underdog fighting for a disenfranchised group. But, it was very good. The performances were really strong, led by Sean Penn, of course, who probably warranted this Oscar more than the first one for Mystic River.

The Reader, bleh, like Ricky Gervais said, “Do a Holocaust movie and you’ll win awards.” Kate Winslet was great as always, but it’s fairly typical Oscar fare.

My Nominations:

1. The Dark Knight (winner)
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. In Bruges
4. Milk
5. Tropic Thunder

It was rumored that the reason for Best Picture expansion in 2009 was because the Academy wanted to nominate The Dark Knight in ’08, but just couldn’t fit it in the top 5. I won’t be expanding the category in this exercise, but I will right the wrong by including the TDK in place of one of the forgettable nominees included in its place. In line with how we’ve mentioned “elevated” genre movies, TDK was nominated for Supporting Actor, Sound Editing & Mixing, Art Direction, Cinematography, Makeup, Editing, and Visual Effects. Not your standard superhero fare.

Benjamin Button is only here because 1) I love David Fincher 2) There were ground-breaking visual effects, so it is a movie that pushed things forward.

In Bruges is a highly enjoyable dark comedy shot in beautiful Bruges. It’s another low-key adult drama that doesn’t feel like it really gets made anymore. The well-told story was nominated for Original Screenplay, and though that was the only nomination, it is an indication of its merit among the 2008 movies. I said in the past that sometimes the screenplay nominees are actually more telling about which movies were great in a given year than the Best Picture nominations. The acting was strong with a good ensemble cast. In Bruges was one of the best five of the year.

I remember liking Milk. I haven’t seen it since ’08, but I remember it being very compelling with very good acting. It serves as our “typical Oscar-fare” nomination.

I’ve written about Tropic Thunder before. It’s a wonderful satire of Hollywood and the movie industry. And as I said before, I think this movie would’ve garnered more acclaim if the auteur behind it was a tall, strapping movie star like Clint Eastwood or Warren Beatty. Ben Stiller is a handsome and successful guy, but I think he is primarily associated with goofy comedies like Zoolander and Heavyweights, which may have led voters to latch onto the goofier comedic aspects of Tropic Thunder, rather than the smarter satirical components. It’s one of the best comedies of this century that I believe can satisfy a wide range of tastes. There’s silliness, wit, satire, sight gags and so on. It doesn’t just cow-tow to one type of comedy.

2009

Actual Nominations:

1. The Hurt Locker (winner)
2. Avatar
3. The Blind Side
4. District 9
5. An Education
6. Inglourious Basterds
7. Precious
8. A Serious Man
9. Up
10. Up In the Air

In the first year of Best Picture expansion, the Academy decided to go full tilt and use all ten slots. The Hurt Locker won, and is a legitimately good movie. I don’t know what consideration it gets in the all-time war films discussion, or where it ranks historically among Best Picture winners, but it holds up as a strong movie today.

Avatar was a huge hit at the time. What can I say? James Cameron is a master world-builder. He’s great not just at creating these futuristic worlds, but making us care about them in the present. I don’t love this movie, and don’t plan to rewatch it, or see any of the sequels, but it was a filmmaking achievement.

The Blind Side, fuck you.

District 9, never saw it, not really interested in it, is completely forgotten now. Doesn’t mean it was bad, just means it really hasn’t held the public’s interest.

Similar situation for An Education and Precious.

Inglourious Basterds is…an all-time great movie. The acting, the story, the score, all just outstanding.

A Serious Man is a highly philosophical entry from the Coen Brothers, and arguably their signature movie. There are real questions posed about the meaning(less-ness) of life. Of course, it has strong lower-key performances and their trademark dark humor.

I haven’t seen Up, but people love it. The movie is definitely still talked about and appreciated today.

I enjoy Up in the Air. I don’t know if I’d call it an all-time great, but there are good performances, quippy writing and a unique lens for the story. Although there have been stories about traveling businessmen, I don’t think they’ve touched nearly on the isolation as this movie did.

Nominating ten movies doesn’t leave many movies to swap in as replacements, and frankly I don’t have any. My edits will be shrinking the list of nominees.

My nominations:

1. Inglourious Basterds (winner)
2. Avatar
3. The Hurt Locker
4. A Serious Man
5. Up
6. Up in the Air

Not that it matters, but Quentin Tarantino will probably get his directing Oscar for a far lesser work than Inglourious Basterds, which I expect to remain an indelible modern classic that becomes a mainstay in the war-thriller-spy categories. It is the most outstanding of these movies and, to me, one of the five best movies of the decade.