"Babel" bandwagon?
The Envelope's Tom O'Neil hasn't joined the Babel club (he's a confirmed Departed supporter), but in an article called "Babel Rising" he says he's hearing more and more that Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's film will take the Best Picture Oscar.
"I don't understand why everybody's saying the best picture race is between The Departed and Little Miss Sunshine," an Oscar voter "fumed" to O'Neil the other day. "I voted for Babel and I know a lot of other academy members who did, too!"
"Over the past week, while chatting with lots of academy members and other Hollywood insiders, I've kept track of all of the alleged votes I've heard about," Tom explains. "Practically everybody in town does the same thing, too, and they eagerly share their tallies with you in intense Oscar huddles that occur at Seven-Elevens, at the Starbucks, at Ralph's supermarket, at the endless stream of award shows (oh, will these guild kudos galas ever end?).
"The problem is [that you] don't know who to believe because they all have their own movies they're secretly rooting for -- films they have loyalties to, via work or personal connections -- and they're probably tipping the scales for their own choice when they tattle to you. The surprising thing that keeps popping up consistently: how strong the vote is for Babel.
"Beware: as tantalizing as it may seem to jump now onto an imagined Babel bandwagon, remember this: it may be a phantom bandwagon created in a town populated with professional fibbers. Babel has won no guild awards. If it had, that would point to obvious industry support, considering that nearly all Oscar voters belong to the showbiz guilds (but not vice versa -- the guilds have thousands of additional members). In a separate posting, I will explain why I'm sticking with Departed for best pic."
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 18, 2007 at 9:47 AM
comment #1
Josh Massey
says ...
At first, I thought that was a still from an early '70s Burt Reynolds flick.
Posted by Josh Massey
at February 18, 2007 10:31 AM
comment #2
ltlewis3
says ...
Talk to someone else and he will say that everyone he knows voted for Iwo Jima or Departed. Theoretically, a film only needs 20% plus one vote to win. That's why they don't engraved them until the envelope is opened.
Happy Mardi Gras, one and all.
Posted by ltlewis3
at February 18, 2007 11:22 AM
comment #3
T. S. Idiot
says ...
I finally saw Babel last night, on DVD, and see how, as, unfortunately, with Crash, it's something Oscars voters can feel proud of themselves for endorsing. Bombard them with random images, ideas, and, more importantly, feelings, and they also feel proud of themselves for their intelligence in putting it all together: We are all alone. We are all lost. We are all wandering aimlessly in the desert. We are all . . . .
Posted by T. S. Idiot
at February 18, 2007 12:24 PM
comment #4
Geoff
says ...
In no way am I a Babel supporter. None of my friends are raving about it, they just like it. I'm glad this is the end of his "life is morose and full of death" trilogy. The Departed, Children of Men, United 93, Pan's Labrynth and even Little Children have given me some great film discussions.
Posted by Geoff
at February 18, 2007 2:47 PM
comment #5
Undercover Brother
says ...
If the Academy really wants to create even more apathy than usual for their awards, giving it to "Babel" is the trick. It's a movie that no amount of critical acclaim has created interest in. In 4 months of release and constant hounding on behalf of the industry, it's done only $33 million. I am not equating success as some measure of quality, I'm simply pointing out that no one wants to actually sit and watch this thing. Essentailly, it's cough syrup cinema syndrome. Good for you but no one wants to drink it. If it wins, no one will seek it out. It would be winning because of it's noble intentions and acceptable levels of critical approval. In ten years it would be a Trivial Pursuit question no one can answer and only draws blank stares when the answer is revealed. "What the Hell is Babel?"
Posted by Undercover Brother
at February 18, 2007 10:34 PM
comment #6
d manhattan
says ...
That still is not from the actual movie, but from the Taschen book, right?
Posted by d manhattan
at February 19, 2007 8:27 AM