WHY shouldn't it be the catalyst for the character development of an onlooker or the rapist? It is "rules" like this that makes much of US drama so inert.

Yeah, "Moonlight" is a fine (if flawed and somewhat over praised(or under criticized)) movie and it winning was no scandal, but it is one of those small movies that win because the cultural winds are in its favor just at the right time (kind of like "Kramer vs Kramer" hitched a ride on the 70s divorce trends and…

A few years ago (in a weak year admittedly; the best one was probably the one about a brother and sister starting an incestous relationship) the at best mediocre car chase movie (less accomplished than "Smokey and the bandit" for me) "Børning" won the norwegian academy awards for best picture. It was a massive…

Yeah, I waited for it myself, but it makes sense that there were none after that ending.

There are mexican kids presecuted by a big corporation crossing borders looking for a better place to live being chased by almost exclusively white people. Gets too obvious without quite earning it. After credit not a criticism, just observation.

He was somewhat liberal for the times, but the world has moved left on social issues. It was not that long ago gay marriage was voted down in California…

A 25 year younger Eastwood would be an interesting presidential choice. Based on his (for the time) generally socially liberal, economically conservative views he would probably prefer to let people live as they live as long as they stayed off the White House Lawn with a firm but non insane view on foreign policy.…

My tiny town in northern Norway will show "Silence" this friday and sunday. I have not been much of a fan of his stuff since the early 90s, so 2h40mins of this is something I am a bit wary of.

"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" is still his greatest film and best performance…

Starts pretty well. Gets very political and more than a little self important towards ending. Will turn off many viewers. Keen has a great look to her while angry or fighting. Bad guys with one exception seriously under powered. Good acting for genre. No post credits scene in my theatre. I give it a 7/10 (B).

I suddenly had a thought:
They could institute the Arquette test to see who gets in.
If you're as famous as:
Richmond Arquette: LOL no.
Alexis Arquette: No.
David Arquette: No?
Rosanna Arquette: Only just.
Patricia Arquette: Yes.

I had planned to watch a Norwegian documentary about an actress travelling through Russia to find inspiraton for playing Anna Karenina on stage last monday, but ended up watching panda videos on youtube. I think I chose wisely…

I knew of her only because of her sisters (though I have seen some of her movies, I may vaguely remember her role from The Wedding Singer); I would place both sisters ahead in "notoriety" with Rosanna behind Vaughn (who was an Oscar nominee himself) and Patricia ahead because of her win. I will after thinking about it…

There were LOTS of movie related deaths last year, and I would think AA would be way down on the list. If Robert Vaughn wasn't important enough Alexis Arquette surely wasn't. Being a trans activist shouldn't be enough in itself.

Oh for sure, but winning the Oscar will mean that people who would never have watched it now will, and this will definitely bring detractors as it is not a massively entertaining movie (my brother never watches dramas, he would probably hate Moonlight). It will probably be too subdued and internal for general…

I am torn. I also think La La Land is somewhat better while Moonlight is a perfectly acceptable winner, but I also think Moonlight has been let off relatively easy by critics this year and this win may make the gloves come off a bit. Moonlight plays with stereotypes and cliches and it mostly works, but not always. The…

Neon Demon (and Knight Of Cups) are definitely minority opinions, but they both got to me visually and intellectually in a way few other english language movie did this year. Handmaiden was the best looking movie of the year held back by having that Korean twistedness that can be offputting to many. The sex scenes…

The actually great ones that I am fine with winning:
1. La La Land
2. Moonlight
The very good ones where it wouldn't be a scandal if they won:
3. Hell Or High Water
4. Arrival
5. Manchester By The Sea
The ones with flaws that should keep them out of the running:
6. Lion (first part wildly better than second part)
7. Hacksaw…

I just watched it a few months ago, and while they didn't solve it the way I would have their way seemed to work as well (I almost paused the disc to be sure about it but it wasn't that important).

Definitely agree on your last point.