comment #1

actionman says ...

watched my disc during lunch...cool movie, cool performance.

comment #2

Higgy Hackford says ...

Fine film. Stunt performance. Fine for what it was but nothing to get excited about.

comment #3

JaySmire says ...

I think the practice of sending out a condensed highlight reel of a film to try and win votes is disgusting. It's like admitting "yeah...we know the film's a snoozer, but Cate's good in it so we'll just show you the Cate parts." That's horrid and just one of many reasons to not vote for this performance.

comment #4

Dellamorte says ...

I say this loving I'm Not There, and her brilliant performance in it, but don't you think it'd be sorta insulting for an actress of Cate Blanchett's stature to have two supporting actress Oscars? She'd then become the Femme Walter Brennan. If Ryan wins, it's not in spite of Cate, but likely that they're waiting for her to have a good lead to give Blanchett her second.

comment #5

Zimmergirl says ...

...you got it Dellamorte. This soon after a win? Doubtful. Ruby Dee.

comment #6

actionman says ...

The film is hardly a "snooze."

The Weinsteins knew that for the most part, the only Academy recognition that I'm Not There was likely to get would be for Blanchett's performance. They wisely decided to back that assumption and have been doing their thing ever since to get Blanchett another award.

The movie is great and her performance is more than a "stunt" -- she became Dylan for those 45 minutes or so that she was on screen and she was positively electric in her role.

Amy Ryan will win though...or Ruby Dee (sentimental vote...)

comment #7

Luke Y. Thompson says ...

I'm really curious about this, so I'll throw it out to the other blog readers/commenters...

Are there any people out there who couldn't care less about either Bob Dylan or Todd Haynes that adored I'M NOT THERE?

I put myself in that category. Objectively, I believe it's a skillful piece of film-making, but the movie simply isn't for me. I appreciate it without loving it in any way.

comment #8

Luke Y. Thompson says ...

Conversely, I should probably add that I actively disliked Ben Affleck until I saw GONE BABY GONE.

comment #9

Dellamorte says ...

I don't know how you love music or movies and haven't been wowed by either Dylan or Haynes at this point.

comment #10

p.Vice says ...

This is the Weinsteins deliberately sabotaging Blanchett's chances at winning. "Cate Blanchett's so great in this movie you don't even have to watch it all the way through!" WHAT? Who the hell is going to vote for a movie the fucking producing company doesn't even like enough to try and get you to watch in its entirety?

Sad, considering it paves the way for Amy Ryan's pandering white trash vaudville routine to win.

comment #11

Luke Y. Thompson says ...

I don't know how you love music or movies and haven't been wowed by either Dylan or Haynes at this point.

Reactions to art are subjective. I'm amazed at anyone who loves music yet doesn't like Guns N Roses or Metallica, yet there are plenty of such people.

However, I totally understand if someone who dislikes, say, Talking Heads, can't stand STOP MAKING SENSE. I like 'em, but I'd get it.

But as a non-Dylan fan, I watched I'M NOT THERE and thought it painted Dylan as a pretentious a-hole I don't wanna know. A well-done film for sure, but I'd really like to know if loving the movie depends on loving Dylan.

comment #12

jse33 says ...

Supporting Actress is a tough category to choose. Ryan, Blanchett, or Dee could win this one. I have to wonder. Blanchett just won Supporting Actress a couple years ago for playing a real person. Are they going to award her the same prize again for playing another real person? This is someone who's going to be nominated a few more times. I was set on Ryan, but have this feeling Ruby Dee will take the win. It is Black History Month...

comment #13

actionman says ...

"Sad, considering it paves the way for Amy Ryan's pandering white trash vaudville routine to win."

you never stop entertaining me.

comment #14

rocco says ...

This is a mistake in my opinion, akin to having OJ try on the glove...let the "legend" of Cate's performance drive votes her way because once people see it they'll be disappointed it doesn't live up to the hype. Jeff likes to say it's not hard to play a cartoonish drug addict like Amy Ryan's character...I say it's not hard to play an aloof misanthrope with a wig and a cigarette as a prop. I never once stopped believing I was looking at Cate Blanchett with a strapon. To me there have been much better embodiments or "channeling the spirit" performances in recent performances...Jim Carrey in 'Man in the Moon,' for one...but then, he has no breasts...

comment #15

Sean says ...

I love Bob Dylan, therefore I'd already seen 'Don't Look Back' and 'No Direction Home', therefore I found 'I'm Not There' to be insightless and boring.

I did not see 'Across the Universe', but I can't imagine the fabled Eddie Izzard "Mr. Kite" scene is any more embarrassingly literal than the "Ballad of a Thin Man" scene. Or that 'Visions of Johanna' is actually just about a girl named Louise.

I didn't really get a sense that anybody involved in the movie considered Dylan to be a human being in any way, so none of the pseudo-Dylans ever came across as human beings.

And I thought Christian Bale did the best Dylan impression, he just didn't look like him.

comment #16

Sean says ...

The sad thing is, though, I think this "highlight reel" thing will get her more votes. It's actually not a bad idea for a supporting category, especially when you're dealing with a character who is completely unconnected to any other character in the movie.

I mean, should people have to sit through all of 'American Gangster' just to make sure that Ruby Dee doesn't re-appear (I'm assuming she doesn't, I didn't see it)?

comment #17

ArchiveGuy says ...

Honestly, I think Swinton's a genuine dark horse. Blanchett's a repeater in a YMMV film, Ryan disappears from GBG for the entire 2nd half (until the final scene), and Dee's got limited traction in a category that's largely abandoned sentiment.

But Swinton has some golden, truly memorable moments and MC builds to the final confrontation with her, so she's going to resonate as a more crucial part of her movie than the others will in theirs.

Long shot? Yeah, but I wouldn't rule her out...

comment #18

Sean says ...

Scrolling through the lists, I can't help but notice that no category has ever had a black person win two years in a row, so I don't feel good about Ruby Dee's chances.