In a Silly Sequel, All Hail Breaks Loose!

Well, Old Betsy 2 won an oscar for best costume design.  I have to admit I was impressed with the costumes in this picture.  However, it was just one of many things done well in a movie that went so wrong. . . .

One friend referred to the Oscars as being nothing but "politics".  With nominations like this and the one for Norbit, I feel she's right.  It doesn't matter how well someone performed or how great a make-up job was if it's in a movie that's bad.  You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

....does the Academy like her THIS much?

You're right, Nadir007, this isn't the worst film, especially in a year where we have way too many to choose from.  I'm just bowled over by how many good things turned out so, so wrong.  And I'm incredulous that Cate Blanchett was nominated for an Oscar for this awful sequel.

I have to defend this film a bit. It was merely poor. Well, poor to really quite bad. A 1.5 out of 5 stars. A 3 out of 10. Not a 0 out of 5 stars. Those films are special and should be cherished. This is really nowhere near "the worst movie ever made", anyone who says words to that effect should really take a moment to remember the competition for total awfulness is very VERY intense.

Costumes and makeup will/have been get/got nominations and they were very good costumes and makeup. Can't say that aspect rocks my world but the effort is to be appreciated. For goodness sake, when someone turns out to be competent or talented don't disrespect them because other people in the production are horribly misguided directors or incompetent screenplay writers.

The seasoned actors, Blanchett, Owen, Rush and Morton (an undervalued actress) were all doing their best, often REALLY trying (and it was), but it's obvious they didn't really have any cohesive direction (in the sense of 'a Director') in much the same way Natalie Portman in the Regrettable Star Wars Episodes ended up like a talking plank of wood largely because George Lucas couldn't direct his way out of heavy traffic. I can't help feeling Clive Owen gave up pretty early on - he seemed to be playing Robin Hood for all anyone knows.

So, 5 points for effort, minus several million for 1) mangling history and turning interesting events, magically, into boring ones, 2) the most  embarrassingly nationalistic parochial jingoistic Anglo-centric perspective of said history ever conceived by... er... an Indian (?!?), 3) making the Spanish humorously like Klingons, 4) having a story that makes very little sense and makes you wonder why they bothered, 5) did I mention a black and white view on history that's both annoying and really dull? and 6) throwing away the collective talents of numerous nominally very (very) good actors.

Disappointing but not really in the same league as Norbit or I am Legend (which seems to have, so far, escaped being called the dog of a film it is... must do something about that... Most Derivative Motion Picture award? Most Pompous Title But That's The Least Of Your Problems? Most Boring Horror/Suspense Film (after the 1960s)? The Help Help The People From 28 Days Later Are Suing Us award? The Most Money Spent For So Little Effect award? The Was That A Zombie Or Has Gollum Turned Up award for Derivative Live Action Character CGI Effects? It hurts us my precious!)

Oddly, Liz the Golden Age is doing quite well on IMDB with a 6.7 or so out of 10 rating. I guess people can have low expectations.

Even SAG (although SAG made some really good choices this year). My three favorite movies that I've seen in 2007 all got nominated for Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast: No Country for Old Men, 3:10 to Yuma, and American Gangster. And kudos to SAG for nominating Viggo Mortensen as Best Actor for Eastern Promises, and Tommy Lee Jones for Best Supporting Actor for No Country For Old Men. ( I think Jones was just as great as Bardem was in that film). 

 

For this reason, if Blanchett's on the Razzie Nominating Ballot, I'm voting for her!     

Originally posted by Sanndman228715 Golden Globes nominated her for the same two awards today. If she also ends up a Razzie contender, she may pull a James Coco (Nominated for an Oscar and a Razzie for the SAME performance).

 

They must have slept really well when they [ahem!] reviewed E:TGA.  

Originally posted by Sanndman228715 Cate Blanchett got nominated today by the Broadcast Film Critics for Best Supporting Actress for I'm Not There (Which everyone knew was coming), and also for Best Actress for Elizabeth: The Golden Age ( Which I'm sure no one saw coming), usually I agree with The Broadcast critics (The other nominees looked fine to me), but this is a bit of a head scratcher, to say the least.