The nominee for best surprise
Daniel RadoshWondering what movies we decided on last weekend?
Well, first of all, Gina finally got me to Brokeback. I have to admit it was better than I expected. Not a masterpiece. Not groundbreaking. But as Jake said, good old-fashioned filmmaking. Heath Ledger deserves his nomination, no doubt, though I got a little sick of the whole stoic, silent shtick. Yes, it was right for the character, but it kind of alienated me. I guess I'm not straight enough to appreciate gay cowboys.
As for my pick, well, after the tepid recommendations from you all, we decided to just hang out with friends instead. As it happened, we ended up watching a movie from their Netflix pile, and whadda ya know: it got a couple of surprising and well-deserved Oscar nods. The movie is Hustle & Flow and it totally kicks ass. And while it's great that Terrence Howard was nominated for Best Actor, the real thrill is that one billion viewers are going to get to hear the nominated song: It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp.
Oh yeah, our friend has industry connections and lent us a screener of Walk the Line, which we watched the next night. Great performances, boring movie. And while Joaquin and Reese are credible singers (she better overall; he more true to the original), I kept wanting to hear Johnny and June. Singing It's Hard Out For a Pimp.
Worst nomination: Kiera Knightley, who practically ruined an otherwise charming adaptation of Pride and Prejudice with her incessant giggling. Elizabeth Bennet has to have some gravitas, dammit, or the story doesn't make any sense.