Okay, Oscar fans: I know it’s very early in the season, but I do find it interesting that we’ve had two pre-Oscar award announcements and both groups (the National Board of Review and the Washington, D.C., Film Critics Association) named Up in the Air as their Best Picture. Please tell me we’re not in for a clean sweep like Slumdog Millionaire pulled off last year. Don’t get me wrong: I’m a huge Air booster and it’s without question one of the best films I’ve seen this year. I just can’t bear the thought of another predictable awards season. And something tells me the Up in the Air team wouldn’t mind if some other movies started sharing the wealth, since it’s often difficult to remain the frontrunner all season long (just ask anyone involved with Brokeback Mountain). So when will the tide turn a bit? With this weekend’s New York or Los Angeles critics lists? With the Globe nominations next Tuesday? Until then, here’s the rest of my OscarWatch interview with Air director Jason Reitman, where we discuss how film is different from Walter Kirn’s novel, why he cast Anna Kendrick, and the magic of Up in the Air cameo provider Young M.C.
I liked “Up in the Air”…it had good acting, good writing, good directing…but that’s the problem. It was just good – not GREAT. I think it will deservedly get nominated but I don’t think it should win. I thought “Precious” and “(500) Days of Summer” were far superior films.
I don’t know about Precious, but I agree with you on (500) Days of Summer. That was definitely one of the best films of the year. So quirky and different and very original.
I am Indian and I even thought it was over rated!!
Or it could be this year’s Bugsy. Who knows? The new Oscar format could do all sorts of crazy things.
I don’t think the 10 Best Picture nominees is going to change much other than give us 3 to 4 films that we can easily say that “they have no chance in hell at winning.”
Slumdog Millionaire was on the most overrated films I have ever seen. I still cant believe it won sooo many awards. I havent seen Up in the air yet but for some reason, the trailers always scream “Jerry Maquire” to me..
Slumdog Millionaire was NOT overrated. It deserved every award it got. It’s sad that some people are incapable of opening up their minds to new experiences and culture.
No, I agree that it is highly overrated. No way it deserved all the awards it got. People just became lazy and voted for it. No one will care about it in 10 years.
Yes, it was overrated. That’s not to say it was bad. It was still pretty good. But all the “buzz” over-inflated expectations incredibly. Look back in five years and see if people still feel the same about it.
I agree that it was outstanding. It really gave people a sense of what it is to grow up poor, in India. It also had wonderful writing, cinematography, and acting.
Slumdog was 2008′s Shakespeare in Love. A few years from now everyone will look back and say to themselves “What were we thinking?”
oh please ive watched enough foreign films to appreciate different cultures- I am not close minded when it comes to the films I watch… I saw Slumdog Millionaire and I found the story was Dickens-lite… filled with characters I didnt care about with an unneccessary MTV-style hectic camera. oh yea, the predictable ending and a stupid dance to make you walk out of the theater with a fake smile on your face… obviously, people bought it since it did so well- i just didnt.
I also agree. Overrated! I can’t believe people were so duped.
Lol, I agree with Janitor.
I’ve seen plenty of foreign films, have opened myself to plenty of different cultures, even ones within the US that are complete opposite of the background I grew up in. Slumdog Millionaire is just poor storytelling with one-dimensional characters and a lifeless love story that is built entirely on a kid letting another kid out of the rain one night. And all of the sudden them being together is destiny. Give me a break.
Up in the Air actually deserves a lot of the praise it’s getting.
NOT Overrated, don’t blame the film because the majority of people fell in love with it and you didn’t.
I agree with Paige, now that she mentioned it. It looks like Jerry Maguire in an airport.
I think it’s kind of the “in” film at the moment and “the” film to be into, but I haven’t seen anything about it that merits a Best Picture win.
And the 10-picture race this year could make things a little crazy. A movie would theoretically win it all with, what, 20.5% of the vote?
Actually, no! Make that 10.5% of the vote!
No, this wouldn’t happen. They revised the rules with preferential balloting (each voter ranks all ten nominees), so that in each round of scoring, the lowest vote-getter will be removed and have its votes reallotted until one film has a majority (51%) of the votes. I could it explain it more clearly, but it’ll bore you (and me) to tears.
The process is a little crazy.
Ok, as someone who has actually seen the film, and NOT just trailers, I can attest its not Jerry Maguire in an airport. The movie makes you laugh & also makes you think, and I guess cry a little as well. It runs the gamut of emotions, all the while telling the story of a man looking to open himself up to a life, that he otherwise had normally cut himself off from. Ina twist, the movie mostly takes place, among many airports, but primarily in Omaha, Nebraska & even in Wisconsin. Its a very ‘in the now’ movie, but at the same time, I also don’t feel that people that have recently lost their jobs will be willing to say that the film is good or great, since they’re still kind of stinging from being let go. However, I can say this, after witnessing a few choice lines from Anna in NEW MOON & then seeing her in UP IN THE AIR…Kristin Stweart has gotta be UBER-jealous of not only her acting abilities, but I am sure Anna Kendrick will be a break out star, as Jason Reitman predicts in the above video. Kind of funny how, after all the numerous TWILIGHT & NEW MOON articles littering EW.com lately, that no one has mentioned that Anna appears in both films…and here’s hoping that UP IN THE AIR makes as much as NEW MOON. And FYI…First Young MC gets a boost on GLEE earlier this season and now he appears in UP IN THE AIR! You’d think he’d have prepped a new disc to kind of ride out this new wave of popularity!
I loved Up in the Air. It deserves every award it receives.
Slumdog Millionaire was HORRIBLY overrated. I’m just sooo sick of the Oscar nominations/winners being so predictable. Stop telling Academy members who to vote for. The Academy should really re-haul their system to prevent any influence from other critics circles or studio campaigns. I wanna see who the Academy ACTUALLY wants to win sometime.
I have not seen ‘Up in the Air’ yet although glowing reviews from film critics I respect make me highly curious just how good the film is. It may just be our cinematic zeitgeist but will not stand the test of time. I don’t like award sweeps from a single film as though there were no other great cinematic achievements other than the usual 10-12 films that will dominate the nominations. The NY Film Critics usually throws a curve ball in their selection so I won’t be surprised if it will award ‘Precious’ or more left of center choices like ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’, ‘A Serious Man’ or even the underrated ‘Humpday’. The LA Film Critics usually have great choices too (Vera Farmiga for ‘Down to the Bone’ or Luminita Gheorghiu for ‘The Death of Mr Lazarescu for acting prizes). I have a feeling the LAFC will go for ‘The Hurt Locker’ and the NYCFC will vote for ‘Me and Orson Welles’.
As for me, the three best films that I like this year are: ‘Tetro’, ‘Lorna’s Silence’ and ‘Seraphine’. Hope some love will come their way come Oscar time (not that I believe in Oscar winners — more on how the mileage from an Oscar nomination will compel people to watch these underrated gems, like last year’s ‘Frozen River’).
I hope A Serious Man does not win anything. It was truly one of the most boring and humorless movies I have seen all year.
I’m actually thinking both NY and LA might go for The Hurt Locker. I actually think this is the one film from earlier in the year that could make a comeback in a big way. I also always felt that Kathryn Bigelow would be a great choice as the first female to win Best Director. Plus, this film could do very well in some of the technical categories.
I don’t bother with the Oscars anymore since Shakespeare in Love won Best Picture instead of Saving Private Ryan.
wow, I thought I was the only one who still cared about that. Though I still watch the Oscars every year and have been a fan of many Best Picture winners over the years, that was a travesty when Shakespeare won. I actually boycotted Miramax for a few years in meager protest of it! Silly, I know. But I am looking forward to Up in the Air and I loved Slumdog, so not all hype is overdone.
While I agree Saving Private Ryan should have won, I wish people wouldn’t dismiss Shakespeare In Love as entirely undeserving. It’s an excellent movie, I think it should have won were it not up against Ryan.
There’s worse moments in Oscar history…like when Crash won Best Picture (liked the film but too many of the connections between characters felt very forced) instead of Brokeback Mountain.
I loved Shakespeare in Love. I was glad it won the Oscar for Best Picture. It had a much better story than the predicatable one in Saving Private Ryan, which let’s face it–its only assets were the special effects.
Agreed. Shakespeare in Love is one of my all-time favorites. It was much more original than, what, another stupid war movie?
The only stupid Award ceremony that didn’t think Brokeback was the best picture was the Acedemy. It’s almost an honor not to be chosen Best Picture by the Oscar voters. I think Up in the Air is going to be hard to beat, though. It’s not a great movie by any means but it’s certainly a hard film to hate.
If by that you mean “well done but overrated and blatantly Oscar pandering movie that beats an animated film that is far and away more deserving” then yes.
I think its chance at BP is still up in the air
good one
I hate when I hear people complain about oscars being predictable. The reason why the same movie keeps winning awards is because most people think it’s great. Isn’t that the whole point of giving awards. Also when people complain about predictability then we have stupid surprises like Shakespeare over Private Ryan and Crash over Brokeback Mountain. Vote for your favorite movie and performance, it’s that easy.
Maybe people are confusing Up In Air with Up! which should be a strong contender in non cartoon categories!!! Including Best PIc
Get rid of every word after Up and I would agree.
George Clooney can take a crap in a movie and they will give him an oscar for it and rave reviews. This guy is OVERRATED!!! The only “Up” related movie that should be oscar nominated is “Up.” Up should win best picture of the year. Or District 9. Come on academy. Juno SUCKED this director stinks!
Chill dude. Clooney is very good, just not everyone’s cup of tea (please see Syriana and Michael Clayton. Both are excellent). I’ll agree that Juno was overhyped but its still VERY good. District 9 has false buzz: admirable, but as a film it doesn’t hold up really well
George Clooney has crapped in a movie & I heard this film called MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS, but alas, I certainly have not seen it…maybe he’ll get nominated for that film as well….SIGH…