I also really liked La La Land.
Facile cliches are not an excuse for being an asshole.
I don’t think it is the best movie of the last 20 years, but I do think it’s the best movie musical in the past 30 years (maybe even longer).
Of course, I think the best movie musical ever made is Singing in the Rain, which says a lot about where my biases lie.
I don’t think your opinion of Singin in the Rain is any way controversial.
In late, just wanted to discuss (if it has already I apologize, quick scan of the thread revealed nada)…
Is it me, or, examining the Best Picture nominees of this millenium, has it become much less common for a blockbuster best-selling picture to win? Gladiator appears to be the last one which was both a massive commercial as well as critical success; before that we had the likes of Shakespeare In Love, Titanic, Braveheart, and Forrest Gump, but unless I missed something nothing like those has won in 22 years now.
Now, if you wish to argue that none of those actually deserved it, I won’t disagree at all, and such is on-topic for my query. Maybe the voting bloc and its considerations and standards has significantly changed? Or is that kind of picture which wins over both sides of the aisle now pretty much extinct, thanks mainly to all the superhero movies?
I’m not sure how you’re defining blockbuster, but The King’s Speech made $424M worldwide, Slumdog Millionaire $378M, Green Book $322M, and Parasite $263M. Those are pretty healthy.
I think it is (a usual) a combination of factors. Rather than think of the Academy as a “voting bloc”, consider who they are: individuals who have invested themselves in the movie business, who have seen it from the inside and the outside, and who are proud of their work.
They want to nominate and vote for Best Picture candidates that represent their industry’s “best”, whether that is artistry, craftsmanship, entertainment, or even business impact.
Add in the availability of a wide range of movies through streaming, which means that by the time the nominations are in, many have seen the winners from Cannes, Telluride, etc., leading to a broader range of nominees seen by a larger fraction of the voters.
And then fold in the cookie cutter nature of the blockbusters that dominate the box office returns. However skillfully made, they operate within constraints dictated by the need to appeal to and excite the broadest range of audiences. This leads to a sense of “sameness” to many of these blockbusters and a narrative templating. While they are lucrative, they are not necessarily what the Academy voters think of first when they are thinking “best”.
I don’t think there won’t ever be a blockbuster winner of Best Picture, but it will need to combine the best aspects of blockbusters with the risk taking of independents. (Imagine EEAAO , but with a Marvel budget and promotion)
“Return of the King” was 3 years after Gladiator, but 2003 does appear to be the last time the winner was also one of, if not the #1, top grossing films of the year. I think it does have a lot to do with the huge rise of superhero films that have dominated the market since the late 2000s.
Just checked, and 2003 was the last time a top-10 box office hit won Best Picture. Since then 3 winners ended up in the Top 20 (The Departed, Slumdog Millionaire and The King’s Speech).
The disparity is more apparent in the last decade. Since 2013, only 3 Best Picture winners have ended up in the Top 50 at the box office (EEAAO #26, Green Book #36, and Shape of Water #46). Granted, neither the 2020 or 2021 winners had much a theatrical run due to the pandemic.(CODA didn’t get a US release at all, going straight to streaming)
CODA got a US release. I saw it in a theater.
You like perfect movies?
Yes, and isn’t that still a prerequisite to being eligible for an Oscar?
Yes, it has to run at least seven days in at least one of six designated cities.
The theatrical release rule was waived for 2020 and 2021 releases. Instead, the movies had to be made available on the Academy’s internal streaming service within 60 days of release. For 2022,they reinstated the one-week paid theatrical admission rule. It used to be in the Los Angeles area only, but starting in 2022 it expanded to 6 specified cities.
With the exception of Rocky Balboa, which to me brings back a lot of the charm of the first film. Great character study, with Rocky now running a restaurant in his later years.