And the Oscar® Goes To…
Story. Last night’s Oscar® Awards proves that sometimes story wins out.
Over politics, over pet causes (text 1-800-Dolphins), over poor judgment on a producer’s part (even though Nicolas Chartier was banned from the ceremonies, his film took him a lion’s share of awards), and even over longevity (sorry, Meryl).
Since the day I saw it, I have stated that Avatar, like the rich young ruler, lacks one thing.Story. Say what you want, but boil the film down to its essence and it’s a computer graphic extravaganza. The story is all in the visuals, for which the creators were richly rewarded last night.
Also richly rewarded: the power of story and the people who brought them to life. Sandra Bullock for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side. Jeff Bridges for his portrayal of a down and out alcoholic singer in Crazy Heart. Mo’Nique for her commanding performance as the mother you want to hate in Precious, and Christopher Waltz, as a Nazi officer in Inglorious Basterds.
Congratulations to the Academy for some great awards, and to those whose everyday ordinary lives inspire us to greater action.
There is a story there just not a very good one. Most of the movie focuses on visual with a political message and then near the end the story pops up for a bit and it’s over. Not very convincing performances by the actors either except the main female Avatar woman. A forgettable story with forgettable characters. I have been watching a lof of Christian films recently and it seems even in Christian festivals and awards technical beats story most of the time. I don’t know if it’s because we copy Hollywood or we are obsessed with being as good as Hollywood. I’ve noticed though that the Christian movies that do better at the box office seem to be the ones with a good solid story.
March 10th, 2010 at 8:31 am