“Respect the Cock” – Magnolia
Like many, I had hoped Ms. Bigelow’s Oscar for “The Hurt Locker” would be transformative, and that soon female directors would be accepted as equal to men, and, crucially, hired as equals. But that hasn’t happened. In 2009, when “The Hurt Locker” was released, women made up 7 percent of the directors on the top 250 domestic grossing films, according to an annual report by the researcher Martha M. Lauzen. As of early December, by my count, only 19 women — 7.6 percent — were directors on the top 250 grossing features released this year. “Selma” may increase that percentage, as might another big-studio release, Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken,” about the Olympic runner and war prisoner Louis Zamperini.
It will take more than these two filmmakers to disrupt the industry’s sexism, which has long shut women out from directing movies and, increasingly, shuts them out on screen, too. Notably, Ms. DuVernay and Ms. Jolie, having made movies about women, have now made the leap to bigger stakes with stories centered on men. I hope their movies burn up the box office, but I also hope they return to movies about women. We need those stories, and these days, female directors are often the only ones interested in them. Gender equality is an undeniable imperative. But it’s also essential to the future of the movies: This American art became great with stories about men and women, not just a superhero and some token chick.
–Manohla Dargis
I try to avoid using the word misogynist because it, like racist, is too blunt, too much of a trigger word to have any real impact. Dargis uses sexism here because it is an acknowledged thing by now, an undeniable truth. The American Film Institute’s list effectively removed the only two Best Picture contenders that would offer Best Actress in addition to Best Actor. One, Theory of Everything, was ineligible for being a British production, and the other was, you guessed it, Gone Girl. There is still Emily Blunt for Into the Woods but she’s not currently a frontrunner. Maybe that will change if they like the movie enough.
How have I seen that low frequency misogyny play itself out this year? Let me count the ways.
1. If women like it, there must be something un-cool about it
The dismissal of Selma because it had Oprah involved, or the dismissal of Gillian Flynn’s “airport” novel is what drives that kind of thinking: if women are interested in it, something must be wrong with it. Women, then, compound the problem by the need for all women in film to be portrayed as “good” characters. The center of the film, many women believe, is a woman’s happiness. How many movies about men can you think of where their happiness is a serious enough of a subject for a whole film?
Gillian Flynn flipped that notion on its head completely — toying with the concept of being “safe” and “happy” — she is out to win at all costs. Why is one of the most interesting characters of the year in film being completely dismissed by the critics?
2. Experienced actresses looking for challenging work worthy of their accomplishments are not sexy enough
The creeping desire to award anyone BUT Julianne Moore, Reese Witherspoon or Hilary Swank plays itself out on twitter with each critics announcement. Did Marion Cotillard beat back Julianne Moore? She did? Yay! Even Mark Harris — who admittedly is on a one-man crusade to debunk the way the consensus is formed every year — decided to take on the scant Best Actress category, of all things, lamenting the lack of fresh faces, shall we say, to take their place. He names Jenny Slate the wonderful new star of Obvious Child.
Suddenly there’s rallying around Obvious Child, even though it didn’t manage a single score of 100 on Metacritic and earned mostly polite, semi-appreciative reviews, is of interest because it offers SOME alternative to the veteran actresses placed in the top spots. The level of difficulty for actresses nearing and over 40 to find films about them, let alone decent parts, is shrinking. No disrespect to Ms. Slate, who no doubt will receive and should receive a Golden Globe nomination, but she’s not quite ready to knock out one of the vets. Of course, we must RESPECT THE COCK so perhaps the younger, the better?
I really love that Obvious Child is out there. I love that it was made and that young women can watch this and find in Jenny Slate a funny, vibrant, vulgar heroine. The most depressing thing about Obvious Child is how the critics dismissed it while embracing Juno, which was about a young woman having the baby and giving it up for adoption as opposed to having the abortion. Obvious Child should have brought up debate about this issue but — of course — it never got liftoff. If it rises in this race with an original screenplay nod or Best Actress? More power to them. But how cool would it be if we were also talking about a Best Picture nod? But we aren’t, BLANCHE. We aren’t. Because it’s 2014 and we must, say it with me now, RESPECT THE COCK.
It’s so great that there are so many different ways cock is served up in this year’s race, isn’t it? Why, just look at all of the variation on AFI’s list! No pesky Gone Girl to mush things up so that we have a delicious giant bowl full of you know what.
Foxcatcher – obsessive, isolated, lonely failure millionaire and his desire to control his male wrestlers. He’s a murderer, a child, an awful human being. Completely unlikable. No need to be likable. No need to be attractive. No need to be “cute.” Because it’s about men and men of sorts are fascinating. Bennett Miller’s film is indeed one of the best of the year but let’s not kid ourselves, shall we? Mr. Miller only makes movies about men. So far.
Nightcrawler – creepy Jake Gyllenhaal inserting himself into news while manipulating Renee Russo into being impressed with him. Awful, gross, murderous sociopath. No need to be attractive or cute. Even his sidekick is a dude. The Russo part earns him major clout, though, because that’s a side dish male voters can feel somewhat dignified in having on their list of best because she’s older, she’s harsh, she’s Faye Dunaway in Network. The one lament: no nude scene and how cool would that have been? Nightcrawler, like Foxcatcher, a great surprise, with a wonderful central male performance. It’s too bad that Dan Gilroy didn’t put a woman in that part though.
Oh, what’s that? Oh right, I forgot. Only men are allowed to be psychopaths this year. No women need apply. We need women to help set our men straight! How can we tell our stories if women try to actually have their own narrative arc. Birdman — aging actor trying to make good in unflattering role. Women flutter around him but his story matters more than anyone else’s. No need to be attractive or likable. Daughter tells him whatup while hitting on his co-star. Birdman is top to bottom a fascinating film, one of the year’s best by far but ask yourself why the Birdman couldn’t be a woman? Oh right, they don’t make superheroes with women. Duh!
The Imitation Game — gay genius invents computers and eventually helps win the war. Much has been made about how his sexuality was covered up. But that didn’t matter because films about men are always allowed much leeway when it comes to complications like that. For the record, I don’t think it should matter. Again, this film earns major points for having a female math genius in it too. In the end, she does what all we women get to do in the 2015 Best Picture race: prop up our hero so he can DO HIS JOB.
Selma — fantastic film about Martin Luther King, Jr. A story worth telling about a hero worth remembering. Civil rights are about all of our rights. It is made by a woman, proving that women do care about things other than what goes inside and comes out of their vagina. You’ll get no sarcasm from me about this story and in fact, because she’s such an intelligent, thoughtful filmmaker, DuVernay has filled Selma with memorable female characters and never lets the film devolve into a story about one man.
Into the Woods — this is really the only film that features women on a level playing field with men. But it still mainly centers around the Baker. Still, Into the Woods is, at least, kind of sort of representative of the even amount of men and women available for storytelling.
Unbroken — by the same token, Angelina Jolie has made a film about a subject that interests her. It’s about another war hero who suffers and survives at the hands of Japanese soldiers then goes on to serve God and live to a ripe old age. Not a great movie but okay fine. Why complain about this film being on the list when so few women get these chances. We’re still talking about a dude, though. Here’s hoping Angie finds the time and interest to tell stories of heroic females too — there are lots of those.
American Sniper — about an American sniper who had to kill hundreds to protect Marines during the Iraq war and came back afflicted with PTSD. It paints Chris Kyle as a war hero who fought for his country, sans irony. Like Unbroken and a couple of other titles on this list, this is getting a pass before the critics and audiences get a crack at it but from the looks of things this is one of your Best Picture frontrunners. Eastwood is such an old timer who has paid his dues and then some, even making Changeling with Angelina Jolie, quietly one of the best films about a woman the Oscar race has seen lately (naturally, it was just as quietly dismissed). No one can say Eastwood only makes films about men. He doesn’t.
Whiplash — a young man coming of age at the mercy of an older man who teaches him how to become a great artist. As good as this movie is, it firms up the notion, especially by an up and coming filmmaker, that men’s stories are the only stories that matter.
Interstellar — man flies to space to save humanity. Two women help him do that.
Boyhood — a young man comes of age while being raised by his resourceful mother alongside his sister. We’ve discussed it before but “girlhood” would have made a great film. After all, who even explores that territory anymore? And you know, if it was called Girlhood do you think, in a million years, it would be winning this many critics awards? Maybe. Maybe not. But either way, despite the fantastic performance of Patricia Arquette, who is really the heart and soul of this film, at the end of the day, it’s his story. Maybe it’s the story of the 900 film critics who will name it Best Picture this year. And maybe it’s also the story of Academy voters.
It’s HIS story. It’s HISTORY.
RESPECT THE COCK.
My aim here is not to diss this exceptional film but to remind you all that women are people too. Women’s stories matter. Girl’s stories, the truth of them, matter.
The critics want you to believe that the only stories worth rewarding or paying attention to have men at their center doing great things, doing terrible things, doing big things, and small things. The industry will also try to tell you that the only films worth rewarding are about men. But audiences have proved them wrong. They proved a woman could write a hard R movie, stir debate that drives the box office. They proved that blockbusters don’t have to only star men but they can star women of all ages and all types — smart, dumb, pretty, tough, scary, sad, funny, tragic — and still make lots of money. In the end, no one is really going to care when the Academy does not nominate Gone Girl. Pundits aren’t going to care because they can say they were right all along. Despite what the gatekeepers thought of it, and despite what Academy members will think of it, they will exercise the power they have to not select the film. But the big story of 2015 will still be how many people turned out to see Gone Girl and how many people returned to see it again. Maybe they don’t give awards for that kindcof filmmaking anymore but from where I sit, maybe that’s a big enough win.
But what about the directors, you will say. Two women in the race! Shouldn’t you be happy about that? Indeed, should such a thing occur it will be nice bit of history in the making. As far as Ava DuVernay, it’s all good and well that critics praised her film — and that Manohla Dargis wrote a wonderful article about DuVernay’s history. She has come too far to simply be given the condescending awards by the NBR and the Los Angeles Film Critics’s New Generation award, which was given to Martin Scorsese for Taxi Driver, his first major film after Mean Streets. And to Spike Lee for his first film, She’s Gotta Have it. DuVernay is on her third feature, operates her own film movement and distribution company, and is 42 years old. New Generation award might have been more appropriate for DuVernay on Middle of Nowhere but they didn’t even seem to notice that film. They could have given it, appropriately, to Chris Rock. To give it to DuVernay? Almost better to not have given it at all. I could be overreacting. It wouldn’t be the first time.
So forgive me if I’m a tad skeptical about how this whole “two women” thing is going to play out. We’ll see. In the meantime, that doesn’t excuse the unanimous rejection of films that are about women — chief among them, Gone Girl. But also The Homesman, Wild, Mommy and yes, Obvious Child.
But we have a silly Oscar competition to get through so let’s choke on a few dicks, shall we?
So Best Picture will likely something like this:
Probably
Boyhood
Birdman
Imitation Game
Interstellar
Selma
Unbroken
Whiplash
Foxcatcher
The Theory of Everything
The films that aren’t on that list that should be:
1. Gone Girl
2. Mr. Turner
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel
4. Inherent Vice
5. The Homesman
Only two of these spring from the female narrative. And only one of them caught the zeitgeist and lit it on fire.
When I step away from the Oscar race I hear echoes of change. Sarah Koenig’s wild success with the Serial Podcast, carried fully by her brilliant writing. When I look at the bestsellers in fiction I see so many women — authors and lead characters. I watch my daughter reject 80% of what Hollywood puts out but specifically, the Oscar movies because she and her friends are way too smart to fall into the trap of thinking it’s THAT much of a man’s world. Hilary Clinton and Elisabeth Warren are rising fast in the ranks. Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan sit on the Supreme Court of the United States, and Patti Fucking Smith is still singing and writing music. All of that is erased when it comes to cinematic storytellers and those who shape the tastes of the awards industry. It’s only getting worse, though this is the worst I’ve ever seen it.
Here are but a few examples of films about women that hovered around the awards race but ultimately got, so far anyway, the shaft by critics:
Maps to the Stars
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby
Mommy
Tracks
The Homesman
Wild
Miss Julie
Lucy
Obvious Child
Cake
Belle
Beyond the Lights
Some are good, some are less time, some are great, some aren’t — hey, just like AFI’s list and soon to be Oscar’s.
The global box office favors male-driven effects-driven movies, just like the critics and the industry voters. If women want to keep up they will have to make those kinds of movies. Or maybe enough women will step up and start talking about the vanishing gone girls in this year’s Oscar race.
The world isn’t going to change any time soon. People will still eat at McDonald’s no matter what it’s doing to the planet. And they’ll still prefer movies that star men even though half the world is filled with women. Does anyone really think either DuVernay or Jolie would be considered contenders if their movies were about women? No way. Respect. The. Cock.
![2025 Oscars: Can a Late-Breaker Still Win Best Picture? [POLL]](https://www.awardsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/gladiator-350x250.jpg)
I have major problems with this article, but the fact remains that women who make up 52 percent of the population only make up 30 percent of speaking parts in movies and only 15 percent of protagonists so I’m thanksful she’s devoting time to a conversation absolutely no white male film blogger cares to write about regularly. Also Gone Girl is getting a Best Pic nom.
Putting two recent articles together, there *are* films about women being made and you don’t have to look to obscure Cannes entries to find them. They’re being made in Hollywood and could be a part of the Oscar conversation, but pundits have disregarded them. Our Oscar community is so focused on the likely Best Picture contenders that we shaft any film that’s out of the ordinary and then complain about the state of things. We’ve made our bed and now…
It even happens to the best of us. In an article from Halloween, Sasha listed her favorite movies as:
“Gone Girl, Boyhood, The Theory of Everything, Birdman, Foxcatcher, The Imitation Game, Mommy, Whiplash, The Homesman, Mr. Turner, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Maps to the Stars, Leviathan, Interstellar, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, to name a few.”
These are essentially the Oscar contenders (especially at that time) plus two or three extras!
I’m as guilty of narrowing the field as anyone, arguing on boards that X movie is “too weird” or Y is opening too early. What we really need though is a movement that desires less to be accurate prognosticators and more to be promoters of films that make these Oscars that we love more reflective of actual quality. If we don’t consider the Under the Skins, Le Week-Ends, The Homesmans, Eleanor Rigbys, [insert underseen film here] of the world, then why would the Academy?
Mr Tibbs, I don’t even know where to begin.
there’s this, I guess:
“obviously”? There’s a term for male writers who are unable to create good female characters: They’re known as “shitty writers.”
I have to say, that at this point, I can see only 4 films with realistic chances of winning Best Picture…
Boyhood
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Boyhood is in the lead, but it’s the kind of film that can fail in the last minute (“Sideways” as a precedent of critic darling that failed at the big guns)
The Imitation Game is the weakest of the 4 candidates, probably. Against it, the traditional homophobia in voters, when big awards were decided (ask “Brokeback Mountain” or “Milk”). Plus, it depends too much on Cumberbatch’s aprecciation.
That means, that if they get tired of “Boyhood”, they may end looking to either “Selma” or “The Theory of Everything”, and it may be decided, in the end, by who they prefer to see vindicated on stage, at the big moment of the night: Stephen Hawking or MLK.
Things are about to start getting really dirty.
“I love reading Sasha’s pieces. They are impassioned. They mean something. But I think its okay to disagree, at times.”
… and to discuss about them.
I think it’s great that Sasha advocates for women in front and behind the camera. Because she’s right about the male centered film industry. But she has some blind spots. When some of her (and my) favourite directors (the Coens, Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson) make a movie that revolves around men we hear (rightfully) a lot about the greatness of their work, but no complains. I can’t recall reading an article that Hugo should have had a girl as a protagonist (or maybe there was one and I missed it).
I love Sasha’s writing but I’ll admit her points of view can be wildly inconsistent. Sometimes that’s okay, our view of the industry can change daily like our love or hate for a particular movie.
“we miss the days when the state of Hollywood wasn’t so dismal, and we hope we’re not alone in wishing the state of Hollywood can change if enough voices moan about it.”
Wishful thinking Ryan ! …… those days never existed but in your dreams : “puzzle of a downfall child” , “the beguiled” and “the searchers” never scored a single nod at the Oscars, , the list of the gems overlooked by the academy is endless….. but hopefully “Fame” and “Airport” were rewarded…..
We bemoan because we’re not ready to surrender to the “new normal.” We bemoan because we still give a fuck.
There is no “new normal” but in your head, Hollywood always played the same part since the beginning….. and that won’t change…..the difference between me and you is that i don’t give a damn about the idea of winning ( 11 Oscars for Titanic ? ….. who cares ? …. The Sweet hereafter was better, and so was Boogie Nights, to name some)…
Sasha has never told me that I think and vote with my genitals. Possibly Sasha means only some men do that sometimes?
No kidding ? and how many women do it sometimes ? ……. Please let me know, I’m interested.
Sasha does not want nor does she expect Gone Girl to win Best Picture either, and anyone who can think that at this point is just being willfully ignorant.
On the contrary she badly wants GG to win BP, but she’s knows it won’t happen …… may I add that Gone Girl is also my favorite movie so far …with Boyhood ?….
Sasha and anyone else is able to advocate for movies that feature women WITHOUT needing or wanting or expecting those movies to win Best Picture.
Sasha is constantly advocating for Ava Duvernay’s work, and don’t get me wrong, I’m okay with that : this is what Awards Daily is made for : advocate.
Oh, I forgot the XMen. A movie that entirely hinges on whether a woman kills a man who has it coming. When she decides not to, the entire future is saved. And the only person with the power to send Hugh Jackman back in time… is a woman. Jennifer Lawrence, who’s pretty much the biggest star alive toda, and Ellen Page, who we all wish would come back, star in this one.
Well, how are the general public and studio tentpoles doing?
GURDIANS OF THE GALAXY–One of our Dirty fivesome is female. The villain’s henchperson is female. intergalactic president is female. Still, hero is a guy.
CAPTAIN AMERICA–The second lead is female, continuing Scarlett johansen’s run of good roles this decade.
HUNGER GAMES—Hero is female. Rebel leader is female. Heroic news reporter is female.
MALEFICENT–Wronged powerful woman seeks vengeance on man who gained power by wronging her. Transformed by love for her daughter.
DIVERGENT–Teenage girl seeks to find herself as a warrior when society has no place for her. Villain is female. Heroine’s role model is her mother.
TE FAULT IN OUR STARS–Girl fights cancer. Her mom grows as a character by learning to love herself and not be defined by her love for her daughter.
EDGE OF TOMORROW–Warrior woman helps lead doofus save the world.
THE LEGO MOVIE–Badass girl helps doofus save the world.
NEIGHBORS– Adult couple become juvenile battling idiot fraternity.
300-the showstopping badguy is female.
NOAH–Noah’s wife and adopted daughter help him build an ark, then try to stop him from killing adopted daughter’s child.
(you mentioned LUCY and GONE GIRL.)
These roles were played by Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Glenn Close, Scarlett Johansen, Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Shailene Woodley, Kate Winslet, Ashley Judd, Laura Dern, Emily Blunt, Elizabeth Banks, Rose Byrne, Eva Green, Jennifer Connelly, and Emily Watson.. Big stars, respected actresses. Sometimes the lead, sometimes the co-lead, sometimes the baddie. Some great movies, some good movies, some OK movies. All roles worthy of their time.
In other words, those of us in middle America went to see plenty of women this year. If none of these movies or performances are in the Oscar discussion, maybe the pundits should stop pushing only the movies that go to festivals and try something that went to the Cineplex.
Is anyone from AD interested in the SAG noms being announced just a moment ago? Or is it all about cock this and cock that?
Did you guys sleep through your alarm? The SAG noms! Jennifer Aniston and Naomi Watts, WTF? Great to see Jake Gyllenhall make it in.
“Last year she didn’t advocate for Gravity or Philomena (she liked 12YAS), in 2013 for Beasts or Amour (she liked Lincoln), in 2012 for the Help (she liked Hugo), in 2011 for Winter’s Bone or Black Swan (she liked the Social Network.), in 2010 for An Education, Precious or the Blind Side (she liked the Hurt Locker) etc… So, please, save us the nonsense.”
Some of that is kinda sorta true.
Yes, she liked Gravity, and yes she appreciated Bullock, but really … It was all about 12YAS and the idea of Gravity or Alfonso “the visual effects director REALLY directed the film” Cuaron winning the Oscars made her upset.
I dont remember Sasha saying much about Philomena, at all. And I remember her talking about Beasts quite a bit, but not Amour (pretty sure she preferred hot, young, fuckable (horrible term) Chastain in ZD30 winning to Emmanuelle Riva).
I love reading Sasha’s pieces. They are impassioned. They mean something. But I think its okay to disagree, at times.
SAG Tally (incl. Stunt Ensemble)
4: Birdman
3: Boyhood, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything
2: Foxcatcher
1: Cake, Fury, Get On Up, Gone Girl, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Hobbit, Into The Woods, The Judge, Nightcrawler, Still Alice, St. Vincent, Unbroken, Wild, Whiplash, X-Men: Days of Future Past
any link to SAG announcement?
Is there a SAG post that I can’t see? Help! Help! It’s like on already.
Wasn’t like half the AFI voting body women, including Kasi Lemmons?
In any case it´s a real shame that Theory of Everything is being considered. It is no where near as good as Imitation Game. Both are conventional, but Imitation Game was much more interesting that the long suffering wife flick. I was surprised how much I liked Imitation Game. I hope it stays in the race and Theory of Everything is pushed out, but I´m sure those damn Golden Globe Awards will nominate TOE. I hope they recognize Beyond the Lights in their musical category. I still think it’s an atrocity that Sasha has not seen the film. Until she does, her writing about women and film will a diminished effect.
The three best films I’ve seen this year directed by women. (have not seen Unbroken of Selma)
Beyond the Lights (Minnie Driver has been shamelessly overlooked as I´m sure Sasha would agree if she´d see the picture.
The Girl Who Walks Home Alone at Night
Babadook
The Oscar nominations for Best Picture might be
Birdman
Boyhood
Gone Girl
Imitation Game
Interstellar
Nightcrawler
Selma
Foxcatcher
Whiplash
Into the Woods
And sadly looking at this list, Sasha is correct about male domination. Ryan could you dig up some statistics on women vs. men in terms of wanting to be filmmakers? I´m wondering if there are just less women who want to be director´s of film.
JPNS Viewer, the term “gobbledygook” means nonsense talk or gibberish. I think that’s what they might have meant since “babble” pretty much means the same thing. People sometimes use the word “gook” as guck which is usually some substance that’s sticky that you don’t know what it is. Example: “I put my bag down on the table and when I picked it up there was some gook on it. Yuck. Now I’ll have to wash it.” I know I grew up in Massachusetts, home of the dastardly Marky Mark, but I didn’t know that was a racial slur until I was probably 16 or 17 years old. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/guck
Yeaaahhh, Bitchfight! Let me fetch the popcorn, it’s the perfect entertainment while waiting for the SAG announcement.
Benutty, you took the words out of my mind.
I agree that there is a sexism problem in movies (give or take a Katniss and Jolie), which is all the more striking given that it is not as present in literature, music, or art in general. However, when sexism is brought up in the context of blatant advocacy for a movie (Gone Girl) it cheapens the argument and it hurts honest and useful discussion and progress. If Sasha was consistent in her support of stories of women and/or by women then it would all be fine, but the truth is that she advocates for what she likes and then uses whatever argument from her (quite limited and repetitive) list like: white old men voting, fuckability, they didn’t see it, etc. and yes, sexism.
Last year she didn’t advocate for Gravity or Philomena (she liked 12YAS), in 2013 for Beasts or Amour (she liked Lincoln), in 2012 for the Help (she liked Hugo), in 2011 for Winter’s Bone or Black Swan (she liked the Social Network.), in 2010 for An Education, Precious or the Blind Side (she liked the Hurt Locker) etc… So, please, save us the nonsense.
My (non-sexist, non-racist, non-white domination) predictions are:
Boyhood
Birdman
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Selma
Whiplash
Foxcatcher
The Theory of Everything
Into the Woods
RESPECT THE COexistence of different opinions and don’t insult others’ tastes and preferences.
So suddenly Guy Lodge is a bad guy for referring to ‘Girlhood’? I think his point is perfectly pertinent, though it’s worth mentioning that ‘Girlhood’ is the English language title of the movie. It’s not hard to imagine some savvy marketing guy coming up with that title knowing it would be an easier sell riding the ‘Boyhood’ coattails…
Is Guy being patronizing? Really? And Sasha is not? Telling female directors that they should only make movies about women? Telling guys that they think (and vote) with their genitals?? Please…
Thank you Sasha! You are the only one who calls out the OLE boys club that is Hollywood and the Film critics!
I feel like relegating the success and/or championing of “young” talents like Jenny Slate and (39 year old ) Marion Cottilard to men and their dicks is insulting to these women. Can’t people marvel at some great performance this year by capable women in roles ABOUT women without you scoffing at them. Isn’t this what we want… a glut of great choices for Best Actress to be showcased so the same people don’t keep winning. I find THAT boring and insulting. Julianne Moore will quite easily win the Oscar, but she didn’t give the only great performance this year.
This piece was so apeshit I’m not even going to write anything bad about it, imperfect as it may be. We need more voices as angry and direct as you defending women’s side, Sasha.
As for how I think the race is looking right now:
LOCKS
1. Boyhood — barring an industry switcheroo, this looks more and more like it’s going to win.
2. Birdman — the only other film that would get nominated in any scenario whatsoever.
ALMOST LOCKED
3. Gone Girl — I know part of the point of this article is that Gone Girl may just have lost its place among the nine or ten, but I still think it’s too big to ignore, AFI aside.
4. Selma — chances are it’ll be a massive success with critics when it goes wide, and once that happens, a nomination is pretty much inevitable.
5. The Theory of Everything — its strong emotional appeal will make it a sure thing with the five-slot ballot.
NO SURE THINGS, BUT SAFER THAN THE OTHERS
6. Whiplash — pretty much the only one in the race that hasn’t generated any backlash yet.
7. Interstellar — call me crazy, but I think this one is getting enough #1 and #2 votes to make it in more-or-less safely.
8. The Imitation Game — I still think its place is FAR from solidified, but, judging by the critics’ awards so far, it’s getting in by default.
FIGHTING ON NEARLY EQUAL TERMS
9. The Grand Budapest Hotel — it has been extremely favored by hindsight, so why not.
10. Foxcatcher — has been losing a lot of steam but voters could still remember it.
11. Mr. Turner — it’ll get plenty of attention from the tech branches, so who’s to say it can’t sneak in?
12. Into the Woods — we’ll have to wait and see how well it actually goes over, but for now it looks like a perfectly reasonable possibility.
13. American Sniper — I don’t personally think it stands much of a chance in the long run but who knows, it’s still Eastwood.
LONGER SHOTS
14. Nightcrawler — if the Academy decides to go out of left field, this is the obvious choice.
15. The LEGO Movie — this wasn’t even a long shot just two weeks ago, but with the amount of attention it’s been getting, I won’t be the one to rule it out.
16. A Most Violent Year — it’ll definitely be part of the race, so long as people see it.
I really wish that critics’ acknowledgement of Under the Skin, Snowpiercer, Ida etc. would translate to any meaningful Oscar attention, but I don’t see them getting into any big races. And unless things *really* change, I think Unbroken is dead on arrival.
The Oscar academy is male dominated, and a particular demographic to boot, so their prizes reflect that. It reflects the reality of the film industry. Why gripe about gender themes in the Oscars? It’s a non-governmental organization, which happens to enjoy super publicity and powerful market clout. There are other award platforms where diverse genres are attended to.
I think it’s really weird how you’re responding to Harris’ desire to widen the race – he’s specifically going for actresses who gave excellent, overlooked performances in little-seen films this year who are also not firmly established in awards culture. These actresses have a hard time getting recognition! Sure, no one’s arguing that older actresses in general don’t have a hell of a time finding work, but it’s madness to imply that somehow JULIANNE MOORE, specifically, is struggling to find roles. You’re not exactly advocating for Ann Dowd here. Furthermore, you focus on Jenny Slate, but are you forgetting, say, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who Harris also mentioned? Are you really going to try and claim that multiple Oscar nominee Julianne Moore is at a disadvantage against this newcomer black actress because she’s older?
As for the rest of the piece, it’s hard to disagree with you. It’s mind-boggling that middle-of-the-road tripe like The Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game and Interstellar are all strong contenders for Oscars, but the much better Under the Skin, Obvious Child, Ida, The Babadook, etc, are total dark horses.
How come whenever someone (Sasha, this is HER site after all) posts an article, the first thing to do is nitpick it to death and take any of breath of life out of it? Reminds me of the people who must point out the countless flaws to a movie as their reason for disliking it and indirectly making others like it less.
Why not discuss the topic at hand? That would be a more robust discussion. If you need to bring up inconsistencies the author may have made, at least offer some context other than “Gotcha!”
Maybe it’s the educator in me, but I am tired of the countless nitpicky posts that completely miss the original discussion.
Knee play, either you are new to this site…
here everything is manipulated/attacked/ presented as they fit to someone’s opinion.
that’s pretty neat how you start off talking about the site and then open it up to encompass the way writers have been writing all around the whole world throughout recorded history.
Wow.. Someone is really freakin out… Give Cottilard a break
Nightcrawler – creepy Jake Gyllenhaal inserting himself into news while manipulating Renee Russo into being impressed with him. Awful, gross, murderous sociopath. No need to be attractive or cute.
No need to be attractive or cute. No need for cute. Not with so much raw magnetic steamy sociopath hotness going for you.
okay, after reading this, now i feel shame of being male
I’m fairly certain Into the Woods will make Best Pix cut, not so sure about Gone Girl.
Man if I had a nickel for every time someone pulled this Affirmative Action crap around here. Not to mention jumping between “the year of the woman” and “those grouchy white men with their dicks hanging out” points again. Yeesh
Tell us more about how you feel, non-grouchy white man. Your ‘nickel’ aphorism is so unique and enthralling. Golly, you’re fascinating.
So Sasha’s upset that more women aren’t getting the chance to play psychopaths?
I’m not sure if this is ironic or not but…you notice how the majority of the comments on this article are men?
Man…one month the article is “Men dominate the box office in a male dominated industry” then it’s “Box Office and the year of the woman” then it’s “Weak year for women” then it’s “Men all day long.” Is there ever a time when you’re not finger-wagging? If Jenny Slate gets some Oscar love then good for fucking her, that’s amazing, it’s truly amazing. Stop demeaning others if your favorite isn’t front and center. Oh and guess what? Pike, playing a female psychopath, stands the highest chance of an Oscar nomination more so than the male psychopaths, Steve Carell and Jake Gyllenhaal. So if Pike gets nominated I hope you go back and say, “Looks like the industry does accept female psychopaths after all.” Because Kathy Bates won, Gloria Swanson almost won, Charlize Theron won Natalie Portman won, Glenn Close almost won for Fatal Attraction, Sissy Space (Carrie), Louise Fletcher (definitely a bad guy). It’s not unheard of. It feels like you’re just fabricating an issue to vent that Flynn didn’t win best screenplay from an early critics group or something. I know the overall message but sometimes this all just comes out of nowhere.
Don’t know why Boyhood is listed twice. Probably because its that strong at this point.
My updated Best Pic predix:
THE FINAL 9:
Birdman
Boyhood
Boyhood
Gone Girl
The Imitation Game
Interstellar
Into The Woods
Selma
The Theory Of Everything
Whiplash
NEXT IN LINE:
10. Mr. Turner
11. American Sniper
12. Foxcatcher
13. The Grand Budapest Hotel
14. Unbroken
15. A Most Violent Year
16. Nightcrawler
17. Wild
18. Inherent Vice
19. Still Alice
20. Two Days, One Night
I was in a room full of voters who are collectively in multiple guilds and nobody is talking about either BOYHOOD nor FOXCATCHER, period, except how tedious they both were. Interstellar is being pulverized for its sound mix — nobody could understand the dialogue and/or the obfuscation in the story. So that’s out. Many of us are scratching our heads at the critics “best of” picks this year. Just an fyi… don’t underestimate the voters. Many of us are not impressed by a film taking 12 years to make (that’s been done before by the “UP” movies and most films if you talk about script-to-screen anyway, big deal) and we did see the films starring women such as TRACKS, LUCY and THE HOMESMAN and haven’t forgotten about them. They may not be perfect movies, but all of the actresses in them did amazing jobs and I expect they have a good chance of being nominated. Nobody is talking about Hilary Swank in THE HOMESMAN, nor Jennifer Connolly or Essie Davis… but many of us are fans of what they did in NOAH and THE BABADOOK. I also wouldn’t rule out the underdog movies about vicious sociopaths as they are getting a lot of chatter. Gyllenhaal really is good in NIGHTCRAWLER and WHIPLASH is a favorite as well. The female supporting roles in those films are at least interesting — neither Rene Russo’s character in NIGHTCRAWLER nor the girlfriend played by Melissa Benoist in WHIPLASH are “standard” stand-by-your-man types. Both actively question the intentions of their male protagonists and are not passive characters. Kirsten Dunst is also good in THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY. And Keira Knightly in THE IMITATION GAME (about the only good thing about that boring stiff-of-a-movie). Scarlett Johansson and Charlotte Gainsbourg kick ass in LUCY and NYPHOMANIAC respectively. What about Emmanuel Seigner in Polanski’s VENUS IN FUR, probably her best role. She gets total revenge. Nobody is talking about these movies. Why not? So there are choices. It’s just are people going to make that decision for themselves or are they going to vote for some lame “mother/wife/shrew” character(s) just because critics pick the lamest, dullest movie(s) as “best of” the year? Don’t know. But I hope not!
Also- weren’t you championing the role of women in interstellar after its release? Why the 180?
Just because a movie doesn’t star a woman doesn’t make it anti-woman, although we are in a rough year for strong women. I absolutely understand your points. But going deeper into certain films would make this discussion more interesting and less RESPECT THE DICKish.
I saw Unbroken last night and the first thing I thought after the movie was “Any women in that movie at all??”
I guess the mom and the sisters who are in it for like 2 minutes and that one cute blonde who smiles at him after he wins a race, but really that movie is the biggest sausage fest of the year. It also felt like a mixtape of a bunch of other, better movies. A little bit of Life Of Pi, a bit of 12 Years A Slave, a bit of Forrest Gump, a bit of Rescue Dawn, etc. Deakins provides a few wow shots and Jack O’Connell is serviceable (but much, much better in STARRED UP), but otherwise there really is nothing to see there. Not a bad movie, but it feels like eating at a “Cuban” restaurant in Los Angeles. They’ll do some sort of approximation of the real thing, but you KNOW that if you went to eat at the real joints in Miami (or Havana if you can somehow swing that) it would be 1,000 times better.
“Do you think The Piano would have won if Schindler’s List wasn’t around? That’s an Oscar question I always wonder.”
Yes, it would have won, I think. As you pointed out, The Piano won two acting awards and original screenplay. Without Schindler’s List on the ballot, it would have most likely won best director as well, possibly picked up a tech award or two, and then gone on to win BP.
So many dick and cock mentions… Were I gay, I’d be horny!
All joking aside, I think the fact that DuVernay and Jolie chose male-centric stories to tell show that they are artists first, feminists second. They want to tell a story that appeals to them intellectually and emotionally, whether the protagonist is a man or a woman. They dobviously don’t feel forced to bow to the feminist rally. I bet my sweet, fatty ass that they’d actually be angry to see another woman telling them what to do.
I’m not trying to criticize you personally, Sasha. I don’t like to stick my nose into a subject that is most important to women, but this time it’s hard to agree with you.
Your dismissal of Mark Harris’s shout-out to Jenny Slate is misleading and does a disservice to her work. So Mark Harris is in the wrong for mentioning her when critics (of which Mark Harris is not one) didn’t give the film a 100 on Metacritic? She’s only getting called out because she’s young and hot? Jenny Slate would probably appreciate the compliment but I doubt Mark Harris has the hots for her. I’m sure his husband would back me up on that.
More broadly, I really don’t understand your beef against that article of his… I think the two of you agree about the paltry state of women’s roles in film and yet you’re picking fights with allies. No disrespect to you, but it just doesnt make sense.
So it shouldn’t be about when a female will make a move about a female. Look at the achievement to make a movie PERIOD! however big, funny, sad, about a man it shouldn’t matter – it’s stories being made.
Do you think The Piano would have won if Schindler’s List wasn’t around? That’s an Oscar question I always wonder.
You wouldn’t think knowing today’s voters but it won 3 Oscars and the other nominees didn’t cash in except for The Fugitive.
The irony dismissing Jolie and her work with Unbroken. This script has sat for almost 50yrs, no on wanted to tackle it, it was too big!!! Jolie with her one movie under her belt, as director, championed Universal to trust her to make it – because no one can say she half-asses anything. She TACKLED it, and this great man got to see his life turned into a movie before he died.
Perhaps I missed when Sasha was championing 12 Years a Slave for the win near the end. I stand corrected.
@ ALFREDO
You missed my point. Yes, Imitation Game and Theory of Everything got mediocre reviews and are real Oscar contenders. I’m not disputing that at all. But the fact that they’re in the race has nothing to do with the critics. Those two movies haven’t been winning much in terms of critics’ prizes.
Tracks was a very good, female centric film, with a fine lead performance, but sadly no one noticed.
What I find most frustrating is how we always look at it as a weak year of actresses just because what we call “an oscar-type film” is basically a film about white british guys in their early to mid 30s. Best Picture to me is always a little irrelevant and I hate how we view the best actress race in terms of it. For example, I never felt like anyone was really THAT passionate about The King’s Speech. It was great, but no one really cares about it now. It was just “an oscar movie”. I haven’t heard a single person that doesn’t follow the oscar race closely say one thing about The Kings Speech or the Artist since they’ve won. We need better stories about women, so instead of pretending like Gone Girl is the perfect feminist movie, we actually have a real feminist movie to root for. We need better stories about women, but we also need to pay more attention to the great movies about women that maybe aren’t “the oscar films”. Katniss is the strongest franchise character I can think of, and Jennifer Lawrence is incredible in it (better than she was in Silver Linings Playbook in my opinion). I don’t give a fuck that Ida is too foreign to be a best picture contender, what an incredible film with two incredible female performances. The way we view “the oscar movie” makes it harder for films about women to get made. Everyone is going to TV because smart stories about women aren’t considered “the oscar movies” or the blockbusters. Hell, Frances McDormand had to go to TV to get a true lead in a film. Why can’t we, as people who love film, bring more attention the films that are between. Sorry I just ranted a lot.
The main problem with this piece (and there are many) is its ignorance of any in-depth analysis of the role that women play in each and every film mentioned. As an example, Interstellar: “Two women help him do that.” That coming from the same writer that immediately after seeing Interstellar was passionately arguing for how that film is actually about those two women. I guess that argument doesn’t serve the purpose of this new argument so let’s just dismiss the film entirely, right?
I still can’t get over the refusal to acknowledge that Gone Girl (and The Homesman, too, for that matter) is as much about the male gender as it is the female. But THAT doesn’t serve the argument’s purpose either so let’s just ignore it!!!!
But please can we not ignore the irony of Sasha writing “RESPECT THE COCK” right before going in on how Gone Girl, a movie that has FAMOUSLY AND RATHER CHEAPLY SHOWN US ACTUAL COCK, was left off lists bc it’s a female story.
Good grief
in terms of the remarks about Jenny Slate, that scene where she schedules her abortion is REALLY tough and she really blew me away with that scene. Also comedy acting is difficult and I’d say she gave one of the funniest performances of the year as well. And your description of Selma kinda sounds how I view Birdman (though Emma Stone’s relationship with Edward Norton kind of drove me crazy). Riseborough, Watts, Ryan, and Stone all had really juicy roles.
But in general, Sasha there is so much I agree with here and I love how you point out how mediocre films about men will get a pass before mediocre films about women. (also another example i think of is how we look at wild vs. dallas buyers club), but I really have trouble getting behind Fincher and Gone Girl because it keeps about 80% of Nick’s story and about 30% of Amy’s story. It flattens Amy a bit. With the Cool girl monologue, Fincher made it look like amy is blaming women for the cool girl rather than men’s expectations by making the montage Amy looking critically at women she’s driving by. In the book I really liked Amy (or found her interesting at least) and even though she does a lot of horrible things, I understood where Gillian Flynn was going and what made Amy the way she was, In the movie, I couldn’t help but feel like they had done her a disservice. They only really kept one scene that makes Nick look bad (him not getting a job and being mean to her in New York) and Amy look truly vulnerable. What really upset me was how most people I know (quite a lot of them, your average theater goer) coming away from the movie thinking “what a crazy bitch”. I loved her monologue towards the end about being “that cunt”, and I think what was so brilliant about the book was how Flynn was able to point out misogyny and really ground the “that cunt” character. The movie was Ben Affleck. And I wonder if the box office would’ve been as strong if it WASN”T a famous book. If we’re looking at the history of box office, most people are probably gonna be thinking about galaxy and hunger games. Hey, one of them is about a female. Is that an argument that means anything when it comes to looking at women in film, fuck no.
I have to add, that I wonder if Gone Girl, Foxcatcher and Nightcrawler couldn’t be damaging each other… it’s difficult to see the 3 of them, getting in.
So, one or even two of them would make room for some other film. “Interstellar” may be getting enough #1 spots, maybe not. If I had to bet how it will result in the end, I’d bet (if 9) for Boyhood, Birdman, The Theory of Everything, Selma, The Imitation Game, Whiplash, Gone Girl, Foxcatcher and Interstellar (also, because of the passionate Nolan lovers – don’t count me among them).
Man if I had a nickel for every time someone pulled this Affirmative Action crap around here. Not to mention jumping between “the year of the woman” and “those grouchy white men with their dicks hanging out” points again. Yeesh
“It’s also funny that Sasha is championing Gone Girl as a such a transcendent feminist film, when actually Affleck’s character probably has more screen time, right?”
To me, Affleck is the main protagonist of GG. No doubt about it. It’s about his anxieties and his insecurities first and foremost. Pike is more like an afterthought (a very brutal one at that). Patricia Arquette is, arguably, just as big a part of Boyhood as Pike is of GG, as far as I can tell. Or is that dead wrong? (maybe my selective memory don’t serve me well?)
I really don’t see what good comes from trying to decide which film in this years’ crop of movies have the most feminist perspective. Boyhood definitely sides with the mother (though in all fairness, ‘side with’ is the wrong way to describe what this magnificent piece of art does). GG? That’s about a female psychopath, whose insanity is so obvious that it’s impossible NOT to feel disengaged from her (and even bored by her). Is that a more feminist approach to storytelling than a realist, finely wrought representation like the one of the mother in Boyhood?
On The Lego Movie, I have the sense that has a similar situation as films like “Babe”, “Hairspray”… passionate lovers (including myself, but that has nothing to do with my opinion, honestly) and people that just see it as a kids film, or even a marketing stunt. Question being, if it has enough passionate lovers that would like to expand beyond the Animated Feature ghetto. The fact is showing on top 10 lists, scoring screenplay recognition… leads me to think that, more than a longshot, it has already reached the Dark Horse status. I still doubt (and REALLY doubt) it’ll get in, on Best Picture. Original Screenplay, Song and both Sound cathegories, are possible, even likely at this point, though. So far, I see a lot of ballots could get the film in their top 5, but how many would dare to write down #1? Tricky.
By the way, my #1 isn’t either Lego nor Snowpiercer… is such a different film: “Stranger by the Lake”. And plenty of films yet to see, so I have no idea how the definitive list will turn out in the end. 🙂
In my opinion all are part of the same shit, all the pundits put as a knocks mediocre films like Imitiation Game and the Theory of Everything , Why? Because they are Oscar Movies instead to go for they liked, for that reason great films as 2001 or Blade Runner , The Dark Knight, Interstellar or Gone Girl they are never going to win, because the people that can change the conversation in this moment they are talking about wich movie is going to take the last placeNight crawler or Gone Girl or Interstellar, all of the are great and they can be outside why, for the stupid predjuice of the stupid Oscar movie and for that reason very good movie but lesse are nominated. You can be brave but instead of that you are cowards, nobody put outside of their list a Imitiation Game or Unbroken but the put out Interstellar, Nightcrawler or Gone Girl.
Jerry Maguire had rigth we live in a cynical world.
Knee play, either you are new to this site or dont know how to read between the lines (sometimes there is even no need for that though). 12 Years a Slave and its director were both quite favorite here just because of that same old history making deal…wait until Ava D. Gets the nomination and then we will be served daily pieces about “history making”.
In this article, again there is a brief mention about two female directors being in the race and who gets a full paragraph??? Yeah! here everything is manipulated/attacked/ presented as they fit to someone’s opinion. So i learned not to take it too seriously. Big ego, narcissism, “i know the best, how dare they dont agree with me” attitude, etc etc…just enjoy the ride!
“Here’s hoping Angie finds the time and interest to tell stories of heroic females too — there are lots of those.”
Not going to happen soon. Jolie’s next directorial venture is a biopic of Richard Leakey, Africa. He’s a hero of hers (and mine) but I wonder why she didn’t choose Wangari Maathai as the subject instead – Kenyan environmentalist, political activist, Nobel Prize winner…and a woman.
She may be overreaching her grasp, but at least she’s avoiding the romcom cycle.
“As I recall, she didn’t have a clear favorite last year and was rooting for Gravity, 12 Years a Slave and Wolf of Wall Street in equal measures.”
Maybe, initially, she did, Knee Play. But in phase two of the race, Sasha made it pretty clear that she was all about 12YAS for the win (not that it matters much, but when you say that another commenter got it all wrong, someone should take it upon them to correct you back!;))
“Don’t the critics have to pick the best from what they’re offered just like everyone else? ”
No they don’t.
“Should “Lucy” receive raves because it has a female lead? No. It got mediocre reviews because it’s a mediocre film.”
Interesting…because films like The Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game have been getting mediocre reviews yet are seen as frontrunners for the Best Picture award and no one seems to be angry about it. Why? Because it has strong lead performances by men? I agree with Sasha, if the films had been made about women figures in history getting the same type of reviews they would be nowhere near Best Picture Oscar contention.
@ GERARDO
You got your facts all wrong. I distinctly remember Sasha praising Gravity over and over for that very reason. As I recall, she didn’t have a clear favorite last year and was rooting for Gravity, 12 Years a Slave and Wolf of Wall Street in equal measures.
Gone Girl being overlooked by many of these critics groups is upsetting because it was one of the best films of the year. It deserves as much, if not more, than some of the movies that have been getting cited this year *cough*TheTheoryofEverything*cough*
I understand that we have to fight for women’s position in the film industry, but also hope one day we’ll be discussing at Awards Daily quality of the movies, their message or technical aspects, not the fact whether or not a main character has a penis (or cock, if you like this kind of language in a serious article).
It’s also funny that Sasha is championing Gone Girl as a such a transcendent feminist film, when actually Affleck’s character probably has more screentime, right?
The last year was Gravity great movie with a great center female character, and you didn´t notice all the time you support 12 years slave, then what is your complain? If David Fincher has directed Gravity you would have list as the best movie of the year. As I see it´s the same shit.
People will still eat at McDonald’s no matter what it’s doing to the planet.
They screwed up their fries so I haven’t been there in a while. I also must be kookier than I thought because I found both Michael Keaton and Jake Gyllenhaal attractive in those roles. I don’t care if they’re crazy people.
About GONE GIRL, I don’t know why it’s losing steam. I think it’s a really well made movie. But then again I haven’t understood what the Academy have been doing for the past few years. I think it’s just that they vote for what they think they’re supposed to vote for. This year hasn’t happened yet though so who knows? They could do something different but probably not. INTERSTELLAR is my favorite of the year thus far. But it didn’t even have a chance to get rolling. It seems like Nolan movies have a built-in unfanbase. They just wait to pounce. But I don’t care. I know what it is. It’s an instant classic. Five years from now everyone will admit that and pretend they loved it all along.
You know I don’t see the sexisms and racisms that you always pick up on. But then again I don’t live in LA. I’m not around Hollywood people. I watch the movies from normal America where most people get along and women are usually in charge. So maybe that clouds my view. So what I see is laziness. I see sheep. I see jealousy. I see people who have no clue what’s going on so they go for the simplest thing that requires the least amount of effort. We’ll see how it plays out.
Um, isn’t this like pretty much every year at the Academy Awards? It’s just returning to form after two interesting years — 2013 (Zero Dark Thirty, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Amour) and 2012 (Gravity, Her, Philomena) — which were aberrations.
“The critics want you to believe that the only stories worth rewarding or paying attention to have men at their center doing great things, doing terrible things, doing big things, and small things.”
Who are these critics? Don’t the critics have to pick the best from what they’re offered just like everyone else? Should “Lucy” receive raves because it has a female lead? No. It got mediocre reviews because it’s a mediocre film. “Under the Skin” starred the same actress and got great reviews. Why? Because it’s a great movie. I really don’t think critics are as sexist as you like to paint them. They have to judge a film based on its merits like everyone else. But despite that and the constant crass and unnecessary expletives, I agree with your point. All I could think about while walking out of “Boyhood” was, “That would’ve been so much more interesting (to me at least) and groundbreaking if it had been ‘Girlhood’.”
“Jake made me tremble in fear, Pike made me laugh at how ridiculous her character was.”
Pike’s character was so transparently mad from the very first minute of the movie that the credibility of the story surrounding her is completely undermined (and that’s just one of many problems with the script). With Nightcrawler on the other hand, I definitely had not figured out what Lou Bloom was aiming for in that final car crash scene. He was creepy BUT satisfyingly hard to figure out all the way through, which makes for much more compelling drama.
I really don’t know what to say about this article in general, so maybe I should just say nothing?
But all of this just because AFI denied Gone Girl a spot on its top 10 (or 11, as it turned out)?? So is Phoenix a bastion of feminist strength because GG got 8 noms from the critics’ groups there? Did that redress the situation for you?
I know this piece of writing should be taken with a grain of salt. The sarcasm is plenty detectable. I don’t think though, with all due respect, that you can find a fresh perspective on this theme, Sasha, no matter how many times you write ‘cock’ or ‘dick’.
Theory of Everything had one conversation between two women…. about 30 seconds. good scene.
Jesus, I’d say you’re underestimating American Sniper, which is in the top 10 at this point, and overestimating The Lego Movie… Replace that with Into the Woods, and you’re more or less on point.
@ RETURNED GIRL
completely agree. it actually hurts her overall point with the exaggeration, sloppy writing and arguments.
Well the fact is that Nightcrawler happens to be many times better movie than that hilarious and almost laughable Gone Girl. So the reason if a male psychopath seems to be getting the attention is a) Jake’s performance exceeds that of Pike and b) the movie itself is near perfect.
Jake made me tremble in fear, Pike made me laugh at how ridiculous her character was. Typical bestseller character.
P.S. Scorsese won that award for Taxi Driver, which is and must’ve been considered at that time his first big impressive film. Although he had two good films behind him. Mean Streets and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
DuVernay technically is lucky to win new generation award for Selma. It’s also her first big impressive film. Middle of Nowhere wasn’t even half as great as Scorsese’s work.
Looks good…I agree completely. Oh except about the Lego movie – probably not getting in.
Lol, I got Whiplash 2ice! Don’t know how I put this instead of Nightcrawler. 8. is Nightcrawler.
I’d remove Interstellar and Unbroken from the “likely” noms.
This is how I feel, the race is flowing right now. But the top 9, would be my bets. Films 10-12, the ones that wouldn’t really surprise me to get in, and remove any of the 6-9…
completely locked:
1. Boyhood
almost locked:
2. The Theory of Everything
3. Selma
4. Birdman
really likely:
5. The Imitation Game
6. Whiplash
on the edge:
7. Gone Girl
8. Whiplash
9. Foxcatcher
dark horses:
10. The Lego Movie
11. The Grand Budapest Hotel
12. American Sniper
longshots:
13. Interstellar
14. Wild
15. A Most Violent Year
16. Mr. Turner
17. Inherent Vice
18. Snowpiercer