Well, yeah. It's not just the one-scene thing (though it obviously palys a role)...even in that one scene she didn't exactly blow me away. I don't get the overwhelming praise. Wasn't Doubt's strongest performance, definitely. Not even 2nd-strongest, IMO.

I understand when a one-scene performance is nominated if it's really very memorable, but this...I dunno...

Yeah, I've been saying this for months.

I just saw the film. With the exams over, my Oscar season has just started.

So we have to look forward to your

Slumdog Is Slummy Thread
Curious Case Is A Waste Thread
The Reader Isn't Worth Reading Thread
Frost/Nixon Is Chilly Thread

can't wait.

Slumdog ain't gonna be released here till mid-;arch, so you can wait for quite some time...


I just got free passes for Milk and The Wrestler, though, back-to-back. Pretty cool.

Rourke Wrestles The Competition!

yeah, her one scene was good, but I thought even in that scene, Streep was a bit stronger than her. Her nomination is far from the most undeserved I've ever seen, but she shouldn't be there.

I have seen three of the five nominated performances in that category so far and Davis was the worst out of the three.

Seeing Benjamin Button on Tuesday...

She stood out because she elevated the film beyond the quasi-farcical tone it had going, and was the impetus for the final confrontation scene. And snot bubbles always = Oscar nom. I thought she was very good and much more deserving than, say Taraji P. Henson...but a ways behind Tomei & Cruz.

I don't think it compares to Ruby Dee's nom (let alone her actually winning).

Hmm, now that I think of it, yeah, for me it compares to Ruby Dee.

It brought the film out of the farcical tone...and to be frank, that was the tone I actually enjoyed, so her scene didn't do much to me. She had a couple of good lines, indeed and the delivery was good....but it didn't leave any lasting impression on me. William Hurt in A History of Violence was more memorable (though he didn't deserve the nom either).

I agree it's overrated but if there is one person who doesn't deserve the nod, it's Taraji P Henson. Sorry, I actually fell in love with her from Hustle and Flow but she and Pitt were just swept up in the Button train. Pitt would be the second most undeserving nom this year and again, he's one of my favorites.

How do you FUCK that up?

I thought she knocked her one scene out of the park. She made it seem like Streep was hardly even there, which isn't an easy thing to do. Even with just 12 minutes of screen time, her role sticks out more to me than those of Streep, Hoffman, and Adams, all of which I really liked.

As far as one-scene nominations go, she's far superior to Ruby Dee (who probably got in based entirely on the scene where she slaps Denzel) last year.

i think she got in as more of a lifetime achievement award than anything else... she just wasn't famous enough to win the actual Lifetime Achievement Award.

That single line is better than Davis' entire scene.

Her acting was fine - - she just showed up in the wrong movie...

Yet another of my observations as I have been piling up Oscar contenders during the last few days:


I liked Benjamin Button, I won't deny that. Hell, I actually liked Taraji P. Henson's turn more than probably anyone else here...but Brad Pitt got a nom for what? Blank staring? Because the best performance of his character was the CGI and the make-up, but not the actor Brad Pitt. Pitt is a solid actor, mind you, but this is not nearly one of his best performances and while I still haven't seen all of 2008's films, I have already seen some actors who were far better and were snubbed for a nom (Colin Farrell? Michael Sheen? Hell, even RDJ in Iron Man?!)

At the last minute, I took him out of my predicitions. It's really a thankless role. There's no meat to the role which is surprising for a character that is leading the most extraordinary life. He's aging backwards! Where's the anger or sense of wonder? Conflict?

I think he only got in because he's in nearly every frame of a major Oscar film.

Anger - blank stare

Wonder - blank stare...blink...blank stare

Anguish - blank stare

It's not a showy role, but I thought he did fine.

So you liked Frost/Nixon as well?

Yeah, I agree on Pitt. I don't feel he added anything to the role.

I agree about the blank stares. but you know what was worse than the blank stares? when he spoke.

it was just a flat out bad performance. his supporting role in Burn was significantly better.

It's one of the worst nominations of the decade for me. Seriously just wait until you see Leo in Revolutionary Road. How anybody could mark down Pitt over that performance is beyond me, they're just not in the same league of emoting and demand.

I saw it the day after. Thought the same thing.