I've finally seen them all and my vote goes to Chicago.
I don't think Gangs of NY or LOTR's should even have been nominated. Not in the same league. Far From Heaven and Frida or Catch Me if You Can were better IMO
I have only seen The Hours (today) and Lord of the Rings.
I thought The Hours was a marvellous tour de force.
So this is one of those weird movies that Oprah talks about and then my wife drags me to (at least there weren't subtitles). I knew I was in trouble when before the opening credits were done the story had already jumped back and forth from 1941, 2001, 1951 and 1932 two or three times each.
It was mesmerizing. So, all you literary types help me out here, OK? To me, this was about Life and Death, about how sometimes Life is Death and Death, Life. In the end, all of the characters chose Life. Except that sometimes that meant Death. Is that it?
for the character of Richard, his quality of life was very bad so he felt he was making an improvement by dying. For Mrs. Brown, her quality of life was bad so she either had to change it or die, because living the way she was was like death to her.
I think to fully appreciate this movie, read Mrs. Dalloway and then read The Hours. Unless you really hate to read, then don't bother, but it was very cool how he (michael cunningham, the author of The Hours) interwined the character in the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" with the author, Virginia Woolf, and the reader of the book, Mrs. Brown, along with modern day woman nicknamed "Mrs. Dalloway" played by Meryl Streep.
I think it could win best adapted Screenplay, although that category is chock full this year as well.
Personally I am torn between the Hours and the Pianist. Both movies bowled me over. I also enjoyed Chicago - saw it twice. It was a fun movie. But the hours had so much depth - once I was able to figure things out! I did not even recognize Nicole Kidman as Virginia Wolfe! The Pianist was also very moving and very real. Adrien Brody gave an excellent and sensitive performance. Chicago will likely garner the most Oscars - it's one of those "run away" movies that Hollywood likes.
Far From Heaven was also a great movie that dealt with some pretty heavy issues. Wonderful performances from Julinne M. and Denis Quaid.
This year is so strong that I think than everybody has their first choice of what they want to win Best Picture, but if Chicago gets it, then people wouldn't really disappointed. That hasn't happened since I don't know when.
I also thought Far From Heaven should have been nominated over Gangs of New York.
Jules, I have one more question about Mrs. Dalloway. I did read the book (the Virginia Wolfe original, not The Hours) quite a while ago. I thought that I understood what the author was getting at.
But why is this book regarded by many critics as a "feminist" work? I didn't see anything in it that championed women's rights or anything of the sort(?)
Not Jules here, Mathman, but the main reasons "Mrs. Dalloway" is considered a feminist work are the lesbian relationship with Sally Seton (or at least the desire for one), the theme of relationships between men and women vs. women and women, and the theme of individual desire overwhelmed by societal demands.
Rgirl