Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'Paul Haggis'.
-
I feel like I just watched the love child of "Do the Right Thing" and "Pulp Fiction." On hallucinogens, because for whatever reason, I could *swear* I remember the story line about Sgt. John Ryan (Matt Dillon) helping his father (Bruce Kirby) off the toilet, but that's forty minutes into the movie, and I remember *nothing* else up to that point; yet, I remember this scene so vividly that ... how could I *not* have seen this film before? This scene isn't exactly a highlight that they'd put on YouTube. "Crash" would make a fine episode of a television series; to win an award signifying "Best Motion Picture" of the entire year? Boy, that's a real stretch - it is hit-you-over-your-head obvious (not the plot; the presentation), in a terribly condescending way. All these different train wrecks have departed towns such as "Meanville," "Nastyland," etc., and they're each taking the express lane to "Luv Station." Meh, like I said - a fine television episode; not best picture material by any means. Although I love the message of this film, it resonates the same with me as Bob Dylan winning the Nobel Prize for Literature - just as some serious author or poet who spent a lifetime honing their craft got cheated out of a literary award, a more serious, less contrived film got cheated out of the Academy Award for Best Picture - that's not to say that Dylan is "bad" at literature, or that Crash is a "bad" movie; just that neither perform - *in these particular categories* - at these (theoretically) most prestigious levels of accolades. An interesting sidenote: Although "Crash" was released in 2004, it didn't qualify for the 2005 Academy Awards because it didn't play for at least one week in Los Angeles. Aug 12, 2015 - "Paul Haggis: Crash Didn't Deserve Best Picture Oscar" by Ben Child on theguardian.com
- 2 replies
-
- Drama
- 2004
-
(and 46 more)
Tagged with:
- Drama
- 2004
- Crash
- Bob Yari
- Academy Award - Best Picture
- Paul Haggis
- Don Cheadle
- Mark R. Harris
- Bobby Moresco
- Academy Award - Best Original Screenplay
- Cathy Schulman
- Paul Yari
- Sandra Bullock
- Matt Dillon
- Jennifer Esposito
- Brendan Fraser
- Terrence Howard
- Chris LudaChris Bridges
- Thandie Newton
- Michael Peña
- Ryan Phillipe
- Larenz Tate
- Shaun Toub
- Bahar Soomekh
- Ashlyn Sanchez
- Karina Arroyave
- Loretta Devine
- Beverly Todd
- William Fichtner
- Keith David
- Daniel Dae Kim
- Nona Gaye
- Bruce Kirby
- Tony Danza
- Kathleen York
- Sylva Kelegian
- Marina Sirtis
- Mark Isham
- J. Michael Muro
- Hughes Winborne
- Academy Award - Best Film Editing
- Bob Yari Productions
- DEJ Productions
- Blackfriars Bridge
- Harris Company
- ApolloProScreen Productions
- Bulls Eye Entertainment
- Lionsgate Films
-
Not only have I never seen "Million Dollar Baby," I know nothing about it other than that it's a boxing movie directed by and starring Clint Eastwood and Hillary Swank, and won a Best Picture award - I didn't even know Morgan Freeman was in it until five minutes ago. This falls within that "post-Karen, pre-DR period" where I went a long time without seeing any movies. I spent many years, decades ago, being a student of film, but I let it slip because I got busy with other aspects of life - although I have a lot of catching up to do, it's coming back very, very quickly. Well, for once, I watched the entire film without writing any of the review during the movie - that's because it was so damned good that I didn't want to pry myself away from the film. This movie is a masterpiece, and not only must it surely be Clint Eastwood's finest directorial effort, but Eastwood also *composed the score*! I think that right now, he can take his place as the most important - or legendary - figure in all of Hollywood: He is our generation's version of the stereotypical Hollywood legend. "Million Dollar Baby" goes on my Top 10 List, or Top 20 List, or Top 5 List, or whatever number happens to resonate with me on a particular day. It's not a "boxing movie" any more than "Unforgiven" is a "western." I'm forcing myself to look at this without looking at any awards, but I do know it won Best Picture. I could also see it winning Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and numerous others - in fact, I'd be surprised if it didn't. How much did this movie affect me? I want to hurry up and finish writing this review so I can see an interview with Hillary Swank about the film, just to know she's okay. *** SPOILER ALERT *** Going into the plot would be redundant and pointless. Just allow me to say that "Million Dollar Baby" is one of the finest films I've ever seen, and that it should be among the pantheon of all-time Hollywood greats. How can Clint Eastwood keep getting better-and-better as he keeps getting older-and-older? I enjoyed "Gran Torino," but that was at a whole other level. Note, however, that both films involve Eastwood coming to terms with religion, atoning for past sins, giving up his life for others, and presenting Catholic Priests - not as characters to be mocked, but as supportive figures, which he badly needs. It's as if Eastwood realizes he's approaching the end of life, and he's displaying all his foibles for us on the big screen. Make *sure* to see "Million Dollar Baby" at least once in your life; just do *not* be prepared to come away feeling the way you did after you saw "Rocky." This is one of the best films I've ever seen, but it's also one of the most depressing films I've ever seen, and it's not a "boxing" film per se. I have one question: When Maggie (Hillary Swank) fought for the title, why wasn't she awarded the bout? How is it possible that she wasn't? It would have been *so* much easier to take the ending had she only known that she was, ever so briefly, the champion of the world - which she rightly was.
- 5 replies
-
- Drama
- Sports Drama
-
(and 19 more)
Tagged with:
- Drama
- Sports Drama
- 2004
- Million Dollar Baby
- Academy Award - Best Picture
- Clint Eastwood
- Academy Award - Best Director
- Albert S. Ruddy
- Tom Rosenberg
- Paul Haggis
- F.X. Toole
- Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner
- Hilary Swank
- Academy Award - Best Actress
- Morgan Freeman
- Academy Award - Best Supporting Actor
- Tom Stern
- Joel Cox
- Lakeshore Entertainment
- Malpaso Productions
- Warner Bros. Pictures