2012 Academy Awards

[Lucky Jim]

I guess I won't go to the movies with Lucky Jim or TonySoprano any time soon!

I think the difference in my opinion of American Beauty was that I wasn't looking at it as an "important social criticism." I was looking at it as entertainment. It took feelings that most middle-aged men have occasionally and played them out to an extreme. And that produced some very funny scenes, and some conversations/confrontations between the Kevin Spacey character and his wife and daughter that are sort of absurd but yet not that far off from what most men in that situation imagine could occur if they said what they were thinking.

As to Michael Clayton, one of the fundamental premises of the movie is that, years into a big case, a senior lawyer in charge of the case at a top law firm is having a moral dilemma because he has found a document in his client's files very harmful to his client's defense and he has this urge to secretly provide it to the opposing party to "do what's right." But in the real legal world, there would be no dilemma at all, because a lawyer is required under the rules to turn over all relevant documents in his client's possession to the other side, and in my experience litigating at a big law firm for 30 years, that happens every day. But crash -- there goes your movie. I can see how that wouldn't have bothered a non-lawyer like TonySoprano who probably knows little about litigation rules, but you, Lucky Jim? Anyway, beyond that, I thought it was a decent,enjoyable potboiler but not Academy Award material except for Tilda Swinton's performance.

I didn't see the dilemma in the same light you did. There was no moral dilemma for the firm in turning over the documents. The firm didn't know about the documents.. Instead, there was a mentally unbalanced lawyer who discovered a document that was hidden by the company (something that I find believable, in my experience litigating at a big law firm for 5 years - though have not experienced myself), that pointed to a willful disregard for public health. He disclosed the information, he just did it all wrong because he was off his meds. And then was killed.

That he didn't follow his obligations under Rule 26 wasn't a hang-up for me, because, well, he had elevated himself (in bipolar grandiosity) to the level of myth/legend. He was Shiva, God of Death. He identified with the fantasty literature of Clayton's son. And, last but not least, he also stripped naked in the middle of a deposition.

The fact is, the "evil" corporation was probably fortunate that he was off his meds at the time, otherwise it would have simply been produced as a matter of course. That he had broken up, and was internalizing/taking personally the entire thing, actually protected the company, which is why killing him could solve the problem. This loss of perspective is re-enforced by his fixation on a single plaintiff (amid an entire class action).

All of that seemed pretty clear to me. In the end, the firm came off okay, except spiritually. The below conversation is telling, fantastic, and dead-on accurate, to me. It also supports my above characterization:

Michael Clayton: What if Arthur was onto something?
Marty Bach: What do you mean? Onto what?
Michael Clayton: U North. What if he wasn't crazy, what if he was right?
Marty Bach: Right about what? We're on the wrong side?
Michael Clayton: Wrong side, wrong way. Anything. All of it.
Marty Bach: This is news? This case reeked from day one. Fifteen years in I gotta tell you how we pay the rent?
Michael Clayton: But what would they do, what would they do if he went public?
Marty Bach: What would they do? Are you ****ing soft? They're doing it!

[TonySoprano]

I guess I won't go to the movies with Lucky Jim or TonySoprano any time soon!

Since in the past you've indicated your appreciation for romantic comedies, you won't have to worry about saving me a seat at the theater.

[Frobby]

Since in the past you've indicated your appreciation for romantic comedies, you won't have to worry about saving me a seat at the theater.

Hey, my tastes are rangy enough. I like a good mob flick as well as the next guy.

[TGO]

I didn't see the dilemma in the same light you did. There was no moral dilemma for the firm in turning over the documents. The firm didn't know about the documents.. Instead, there was a mentally unbalanced lawyer who discovered a document that was hidden by the company (something that I find believable, in my experiencing litigating at a big law firm for 5 years - though have not experienced myself), that pointed to a willful disregard for public health. He disclosed the information, he just did it all wrong because he was off his meds. And then was killed.

Yeah, all of this, plus let's not forget that the company claimed it lost a whole bunch of documents in a warehouse fire. Yes, the rules state pretty clearly that if you find a document you have to disclose it, but if you found a document under those circumstances wouldn't you think for at least a minute about whether the people in charge of your client are sociopaths?

[Lucky Jim]

Yeah, all of this, plus let's not forget that the company claimed it lost a whole bunch of documents in a warehouse fire. Yes, the rules state pretty clearly that if you find a document you have to disclose it, but if you found a document under those circumstances wouldn't you think for at least a minute about whether the people in charge of your client are sociopaths?

I did forget about that.

[Objectivity]

All of those are notable snubs, but for me the worst pick was going with Adrien Brody over DDL as Bill The Butcher in Gangs of New York.

Gotta disagree with you here. Brody may now be an underwhelming actor, but in that role he gave the performance by which all other Academy Award acting accolades should be measured.

That same year I would have given Rob Marshall best director over Polanski and The Pianist best picture over Chicago.

[backwardsk]

Has anybody seen any of the Documentary candidates? I'd like to see Paradise Lost 3 and Undefeated.

[Tank]

I heard project nim, the arbor, and the interrupters were the best docs and weren't even nominated. Must've been a strong year.

[Don Quixote]

Nice montage.

[weams]

He gets it.

https://twitter.com/#!/kevinspacey

He's very good though. Just maybe not that movie so much.

I saw him on Broadway

.

Eve was great too.

[Floater]

I'd do anything for a night with Jessica Chastain. Just to stare at her face. She has that rare kind of beauty.

[Tank]

She is very nice to look at, and a great actress to boot! Quickly becoming one of my favorites.

[Jimbo81]

James Earl Jones

Enough said...congrats!

[Floater]

Only surprise in the big 5 awards was Streep, I was fully expecting Davis, but its still very well deserved.

[ledzepp8]

The Artist wins 5 awards, including director, actor, and picture and no one is going to remember it in a year...hell probably 6 months.