Could “Avatar” Win Best Picture?

By Brett Hogan

 

Last week, the trailer for James Cameron’s sci-fi experiment “Avatar” debuted. While initially unimpressed with the teaser, I began to wonder: Could this film win best picture? 

 

Buzz has been generating for this movie for years. Years. The technology to make this movie didn’t exist when Cameron conceived it, so he invented it. When is the last time you heard of a director spearheading the invention of anything? The casting started in 2005. Most movies these days, even epics, are done in half that time. I could go on. 

 

The most important thing to take away from all of this is that people are saying this will be the future of movies. Now, I don’t agree with the idea that CGI will become more prevalent than it already is. But I do believe that this will set the bar miles higher for sci-fi. I mean, that is what Titanic did. And that won some awards if memory serves.

 

I’ll bet you’re asking yourself, how can you even suggest that a film like this will win Best Picture when the initial trailer was nothing better than visual stimulation? Well, there are a couple of reasons. First, the Academy has expanded Best Picture to ten films. This doesn’t guarantee anything other than improved chances for most films on the cusp.

 

Second, after last year’s Oscars debacle, which saw the best film of the year, “The Dark Knight,” not only get shafted in awards but nominations as well, the Academy is pulling out all the stops to appease those with the loudest voices in the film industry, the fanboys. Now, the Academy probably didn’t lose anything because of that other than some viewers of the award show. Perhaps if people are again outraged with the winners or nominees, the heads of the Academy would lose their jobs. So this is all about the Academy protecting itself, which is not so outrageous.  

 

 

Third, there is an economic motive here. I’ve heard this film will cost $190 million, not counting the R&D costs associated with Cameron’s inventions or the cost of getting 3-D cameras into every theater in the country. The Academy will do everything in its power to get people into the seats and make this the next “Titanic” or “The Dark Knight.” But the Academy doesn’t have much power, besides nominating and awarding, so they will slap the “Nominated for Best Picture” moniker onto every commercial and print ad to get the people who didn’t believe the critics to relent and see this movie.

 

Of course, all of this is pure conjecture, and no revolutionary film (Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, etc.) has ever won the Best Picture category because it changed the game. Except maybe Titanic. But still, could this movie actually win? My answer is no but a nomination is certain and who knows what could happen from there. We’ll know more come February 2010.

'...Gangster' an American Classic?

By AJ (yes I'm Back)

Ridley Scott's American Gangster is the type of film that immediately draws comparisons to films like Scarface orBlow. Much like these two films, Gangster depicts the rise and fall of Frank Lucas, a notorious Harlem drug kingpin. However, what sets this film apart is the fact that Scott breaks from the conventions of the typical gangster film by making us root for both sides. This is only helped by the fact that both Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe turn in powerhouse performances as Lucas and Richie Roberts, the man who eventually brought him to justice.

Lucas, much like Tony Montana and George Jung (Blow) is an anti-hero. Sure, he's a cold blooded killer and a drug dealer, but we as the audience want to see him succeed. Lucas is a man of the people. He takes his family to church every Sunday, he loves his wife, and he gives back to the community. Lucas is a symbol of change and a source of inspiration to those in his immediate circle. He's a self made man who refused to let race determine his place in society.

Ritchie, despite being one of the few clean cops in his department, is anything but a model citizen. Caught in the midst of a custody battle, Ritchie throws himself into his work in order to escape his personal life. This creates an interesting dichotomy between the two leads. We admire Lucas, though he is obviously on the wrong side of the law while we pity Roberts for his personal troubles. The film's antagonists are the forces that oppose both main characters from within their own circles. Lucas faces pressure from his drug competition (including both the Italian mafia and men within his own operation) while Ritchie must battle the immense corruption within the narcotics division of the NYPD.

Perhaps my only complaint is that, aside from the end, the two leads have very little screen time together. Otherwise, the acting is superb, and the supporting cast does a wonderful job of complimenting Crowe and Washington in two of the strongest performances of the year so far. While American Gangster may not be remembered as the gangster epic that Scarface was, at least it inspired Jay-Z to come out of retirement. 8/10 SaltyStix