This year wasn't represented very well at the Oscars, but it has some gems. I made images for all of the categories this week. Note: You can click on the images to enlarge them.
I still need to see films like Europa Europa, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, After Dark, My Sweet, Jacob's Ladder, Mo' Better Blues, Avalon, Cyrano de Bergerac, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Field, Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, King of New York, I, The Worst of All, Men Don't Leave, Postcards from the Edge, Henry & June, To Sleep with Anger, Mermaids, Predator 2, Texasville, Days of Thunder, The Two Jakes, White Palace, Presumed Innocent, Cry-Baby, Hamlet, Flatliners, Darkman, and Tremors.
I've had Longtime Companion in my Netflix queue forever and I've yet to watch it, but you putting it in here makes me think I should hurry up and do so.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good movie, but Davison and the song at the end of the film were the highlights for me.
DeleteYAY!!! We share so much from this year! The Oscar dropped the ball here, but it is pretty clear that the best films from this year are films that Oscar would NEVER touch.
ReplyDeleteHaha, that's very true. For instance, only 3 of my winning films won Oscars.
DeleteI don't think I've ever heard of Close-Up. You've definitely got me intrigued. As for what i have seen, I'd definitely go with GoodFellas for my Best Pic, Pesci and Bates for Best Supporting. Really glad you gave a nom to Miller's Crossing, though. It's such a wonderful film. Great job, as always.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Oh, you should check out Close-Up, which is a documentary (with some reenacted scenes featuring the real people) about a man who impersonated an Iranian filmmaker. Goodfellas is a wonderful choice for those awards. I'm glad I was able to reward the Coens in Screenplay, since it's currently the only win I give them.
DeleteAgree Close-Up is a great film. 1990 was an interesting year for independent cinema, besides Wong Kar Wei and Whit Stillman, there was the emergence of Hal Hartley-1989's "The Unbelieveable Truth" was his debut feature and released in 1990 in US, as well as 1990's "Trust"(possibly Hartley's best film) which was shown at Toronto and later released in US in 91.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you like Close-Up too, Chris. I'd put it in my top 25 of all time now. Hal Hartley's films have escaped me. I'll have to check those out.
DeleteMan I still need to see La Femme Nikita! There are so many knock offs, I really should see the original. Ahah, that's a scary photo of Joel Coen. So did he direct Miller's Crossing himself without his brother then?
ReplyDeleteNikita is one of Luc Besson's best films. You should definitely check it out. Joel Coen is the only *credited* director of Miller's Crossing. For years, Ethan Coen went uncredited (like he did for Fargo), so I only nominate Joel Coen for Director.
DeleteGoodfellas is my favorite, but I need to give Close-Up another watch. Really spirited choice for actor as well, haven’t seen that one in years. Laura Dern ROCKS in Wild at Heart. Love that Dick Tracy has a few noms as well.
ReplyDeleteClose-Up was a complete surprise, and I'd put it in my top 25 films of all time. Goodfellas, which I love, doesn't even make my top 100. I prefer Casino, though you know how much I love Scorsese.
DeleteMy acting winners might be my favorite group of performances to win in the same year. I saw Miami Blues shortly after I posted this, and I HAD to go with Baldwin instead of Irons. He does so many interesting things in that role. Dern's performance is probably one of my favorite lead performances ever. It should be iconic! Dick Tracy is a fun flick, and I love the look of it.
A very thin year although there are several films I haven't seen and while it was popular and I liked some of the acting I didn't care for Goodfellas.
ReplyDeletePicture:
Back to the Future III
Edward Scissorhands-Winner
The Grifters
Longtime Companion
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
I love Companion the most out of these films and Back to the Future III is the rare end of a trilogy that reinvigorates its franchise so delightfully but the stylished Scissorhands is both amusing and poignant.
Director:
Pedro Almodovar-Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
Tim Burton-Edward Scissorhands
Stephen Frears-The Grifters-Winner
Norman Rene-Longtime Companion
Robert Zemekis-Back to the Future III
Frears an expert at looking under the surface of seamy subjects turns his eye on a group of low characters and with the assist of two excellent actresses makes them fascinating.
Actor:
Alec Baldwin-Miami Blues
Johnny Depp-Edward Scissorhands-Winner
Marco Hofschneider-Europa Europa
Jeremy Irons-Reversal of Fortune
Ray Liotta-Goodfellas
A highly competitive category. Irons really is wonderful in Reversal and his win is deserved, Baldwin has seldom been better and Hofschneider digs deeply into a difficult role but Depp in this most fruitful period of his career before he became a paycheck actor makes Edward a complex deeply sympatheic character.
Actress:
Kathy Bates-Misery
Anjelica Huston-The Grifters-Winner
Julia Roberts-Pretty Woman
Wynona Ryder-Edward Scissorhands
Tracy Ullman-I Love You to Death
I didn't care for Misery but Kathy Bates really puts herself and the audience through the wringer creating a very troubled woman. However Anjelica Huston is at her absolute best as the morally flexible Lilly presenting someone who in less talented hands would seem simply a monster but she finds many conflicts within her. Her final scenes are both chilling and heartbreaking.
Supporting Actor:
Alan Bates-Hamlet
Bruce Davison-Longtime Companion-Winner
Bob Hoskins-Mermaids
Christopher Lloyd-Back to the Future III
Joe Pesci-Goodfellas
Lloyd's third return to the Doc Brown well is impressive since he manages to still find new facets in the character and Pesci is fine in Goodfellas. It's Davison though who gives a beautiful multi layered performance, his big scene is impressive but it's the small touches he adds throughout the film that really sells the character.
Supporting Actress:
Annette Bening-The Grifters-Winner
Helena Bonham Carter-Hamlet
Whoopi Goldberg-Ghost
Madeline Kahn-Betsy's Wedding
Dianne Wiest-Edward Scissorhands
The great Madeline Kahn rises far about the middling material of Betsy's Wedding and Whoopi is wonderful fun in Ghost, maybe not Oscar worthy but memorable. Wiest and HBC add luster to their films but Bening's is not only the most fully fleshed out supporting role of the year it's also the one that is most strongly performed.
I liked a lot from this year, but it was pretty weak. Though, I also have several films to see, especially Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! and Europa Europa.
DeleteSurprised Burton didn't win Director, but I like that split. Great to see Baldwin get a nomination, and I love your acting winners. Though Depp and Huston just missed my lineups, I do give them multiple wins. ;)
Nice that Dances With Wolves doesn't have a strong showing here. Wasn't such a fan of it. I mean, it's a well-intended movie, but my god, was it boring.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I don't hate Dances With Wolves, but it's not very memorable, especially compared to something like Goodfellas.
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