Have you seen the Weinstein Company's Oscar campaign ads for "The King's Speech"? The canny tagline goes straight for the heart: "Some Movies You See. Others You Feel." That sums up the case for the picture right there. So, don't be bothered feeling that maybe it's not all that much of a movie -- the acting's swell and it gave you a lump in your throat, didn't it? After the Directors Guild and Producer's Guild awards, it could become "Shakespeare in Love 2010."
So, what if other Oscar ads were even more straightforward? Here are a few ideas from If the Best Picture nominee posters told the truth at TheShiznit.co.uk:
Wait a minute. That scene wasn't in the movie, was it?
13 Comments
The Fighter poster says "The Wrestler with boxing," when all I could think during "Black Swan" was that it was "The Wrestler with ballet."
That's exactly what I was going to say. Black Swan is far more similar to The Wrestler than The Fighter is. I can only assume it's the similarities of the titles that led them to make that comparison, because the actual movies bear little in common.
Hah! I like how they couldn't really think of a mocking spin on True Grit...that movie's untouchable! I would say The Kids Are All Right should be "Lesbians Are Just Like You" or something like that rather than "Lesbians Have Issues." The Inception poster is also accurate...but that's true of most movies.
"Lesbians vs Mark Ruffalo's Beard"
Judging from the posters you chose to post and comment on, I'm guessing that you weren't a fan of 127 Hours, Winter's Bone and The King's Speech. I haven't seen TKS, but I personally found the other two to be pretty dead, especially 127 Hours. Not really sure what Boyle was going for, considering he must have been on auto pilot when filming the hallucinations and flashback sequences.
Not that it matters, but "Winter's Bone" has been in my top ten for the year on all the critics poll ballots I've done. Haven't seen "127 Hours." And, as I say, I like "The King's Speech" for the performances and the emotions it evokes, but it doesn't excite me very much as a movie.
I felt the same way about The King's Speech the first time I saw it (i.e., a very enjoyable movie that would have been unremarkable with a different cast), but when I went back with my wife and a couple of friends I was more impressed by some of the decisions and small visual flourishes. The red light visible only as an intermittent pink tinge to Colin Firth's face, the way he's framed as a small, contained figure against that chaotic greenish wall, etc.
That said, I've always thought writing and performances are as important as cinematography and editing, so I never really gave it low marks for filmmaking based on its relatively straightforward visual style.
And *that* said, even appreciating it more, it certainly doesn't deserve to win Best Picture over the likes of The Social Network, or, for that matter, Toy Story 3...
Those are hilarious. I would also suggest (among older but well-regarded films) "Return of the King: It Never Seems To End".
And TOY STORY 3 should be re-titled "It's a Pixar Movie. What Else Do You Need to Know?"
This reminds me of a funny (in parts) Dudley Moore movie called "Crazy People" where an ad agency guy has a nervous breakdown and goes to a mental hospital. Meanwhile his last batch of crazy ad ideas get published by accident. They become wildly successful and then the ad agency tries to get him to make more, which he does with the help of his fellow inmates - examples:
Volvo - they're boxy, but good!
Jaguar. Buy one of these and girls whose names you don't even know, will blow you!
Things like that. Truth in advertising - it's an oxymoron.
There are a few nice ones in there, but there are also some lousy obvious ones. "Better Stoned" is just about as lazy as you can get. "Inception had some surreal stuff in it, so let's make a drug joke! Because sober people can't appreciate surreal art!"
My take on True Grit would be WE REMADE THIS BECAUSE...UM, BECAUSE...
I did enjoy it well enough, but I'd have a tough time arguing why it needed to be (re)made.
Also, as others pointed out, some of these are really weak. The Fighter is nothing like The Wrestler. And Lesbian Sex for Black Swan? How lazy.
and what I was thinking watching black swan: "Hey, this reminds me of the Wrestler, wait its kind of more like Pi, actually requiem had the same theme, now that I think about it, the fountain...wait a minute aronofsky..."
Leave a comment