And 10 nominations too, for that matter. I know it really is a cliche to say "Oh, well it's an honor just to be nominated", but god, it's true.
I'm talking about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which was one of my favourite films of 2008 and one that has apparently lost much respect because of that bombastic cheesy mess known as the Oscars, and I don't quite understand why.
Before I continue, let me just say that I'm not one of the fanboys who is going to bitch and moan about Benjamin Button not winning OVER 9000 Oscars. It was, in my opinion, a beautifully orchestrated and moving film, but it did not deserve over 9000 Oscars. But it deserved what it received - not because it deserves to be ridiculed for not winning the apparently "more important" Oscars, but because it deserved to win awards for the very things that made it a quality film in the first place.
The Oscars are, at best, fairly overblown and pompous. This was clearly evident in last night's excessive attempts to bring back the good old fashioned Hollywood glamour. The ritualistic sense of pageantry - who's wearing what on the red carpet, who arrives with whom, who makes the schmaltziest acceptance speech, etc etc - ensures that it is the one film event that is sure to be watched by millions. Most of the millions are people who aren't aware of formal film criticism and techniques and who, more often than not, haven't seen most of the films nominated. Therefore, they aren't in a place to appreciate the finer details of what goes in to making a film a film, like the aforementioned technical aspects. I realize there are exceptions to this rule, that there are average moviegoers who appreciate cinematography and editing and so forth, I would sound pretentious if I did not admit it. But judging by box office trends, the average moviegoer does not make a beeline for Oscar nominated films when they go to the cinema.
Anyway, before I get ridiculously off-topic like I usually do, why is it shameful that Benjamin Button won technical awards? I know Best Actor/Actress/Picture awards are obviously the most publicized awards at the Oscars, but is it just because more people are sure to recognize actor names and discuss the latest celebrity news around the water cooler? Last time I checked, actors and actresses do not make a movie. It is the sum of the total parts of everyone who works toward making it a success, and this includes the cinematographer, the art director, the film editor, the makeup artist, the key grip, even the guy who gets Brad Pitt coffee in the morning. And hell, is it really that bad to enjoy a movie because it looks lovely? Is someone shallow for appreciating a beautifully composed shot or set?
So no, it probably wasn't amazing enough to warrant a Best Picture Award, or a Best Actor Award (I like Brad Pitt but he was not at his best here, but that's another story). But the art direction was lovely, and the makeup, and the visual effects, and those are the awards it won. And if you think it deserved more than that, that's entirely your opinion, and your opinion is not invalid. But the Oscars is not about your opinion, it's about the opinion of people in the industry. And that should mean little in influencing your opinion, because if you love a movie, you love it because it spoke to you, regardless of what awards or critical acclaim is bestowed upon it.
Hell, my favourite movie ever is The Big Lebowski. Not an Oscar in sight, but I'm not bothered by that in the slightest.
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