Best films/performances not to win Oscar...

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

Rocky shouldn't have won in 1976.

if only they knew what was to follow

Casino?

Always thought it was a better film than Goodfellas and don't think it even got a nomination - for anything.

^^^^^^^

i suppose they were afraid it might be seen as a homage to Hitler??

super_furry wrote: »

Casino?

Always thought it was a better film than Goodfellas and don't think it even got a nomination - for anything.

Sharon stone was nominated for best actress for casino

Elliott S wrote: »

Or just not liking it? I like it but it's OTT and low on nuance. Its entertaining but hard to take too seriously. Sometimes people engage their brain when criticising something. I'm sure you've criticised films. Would you like people telling you are wrong in that criticism or have ulterior motives?

Look, first of all, not everything has to have 'nuance' ffs. That perfectly sums one of the main reasons why, imo, people look down their noses at Scarface. As they are so used to talking out their jaxxy day in day out about how much nuance films have and thinking they are clever for doing so. Not saying that films which have lots of nuance are bad, far from it, love many of them, but it's the idea that films must have nuance which is very bloody grating.

Look how scenes in Scarface stand out in their own right. There must be 20 of them which as soon as you mention them, people would not only know the scene in question, but also know much of the dialogue too. That does not happen with bad films.

As for being ott. It's not. It just has an operatic nature. Freedom Town was a real place. Over 100,000 Cuban refugees did actually pour into Florida and many were kept below the Freeways in cities made of tents. Many of them went on to become kingpins in the drug trade in Miami. Oliver Stone spent a long time researching the film. Cocaine was everywhere and he was addicted to it himself just before writing it (went off it to write the screenplay) He lived in Miami during that period and went to Bolivia also. People often say Scarface has dated, as if that was insult but that's like looking at images of ''tend city' at the time (how Freedom Town was known) and saying that they had dated. Of course they have, but how is that a bad thing exactly. Of course it's not, well not of capturing a time period is in any important at least.

I can actually remember when it became quite fashionable to sneer at Scarface began and it was right when it's popularity peaked in the mid 90's. Pacino has actually spoke about this in a positive sense and he said that it was rappers that first embraced the film and all of sudden posters were everywhere. There was no hating on Scarface before that point. Then all of sudden quotes from the film where everywhere and people just got jaded of it. It hit saturation point and has remained so, unfortunately, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that it is a great fcuking movie, with great dialouge, great characters, great story and a great ending. I don't expect everyone to love the film, of course not, but there is no way that is any justification for anyone not liking it. Nor for thinking that Pacino didn't deserve an Oscar nom, at the very least.

fryup wrote: »

i don't know if it was the same year, maybe a year apart...it does drag on a bit in parts but the battle scenes are ace

Particularly the assault on the bunkers.

But for the image of that movie that most sticks in my mind is the grassy hills before the attack starts...the way the grass runs with the wind, and shadows pass over the landscape...I can almost feel the breeze, and that feeling of the sun on my face after a cloud passes. In fact, I'm off to look at that bit again on Netflix...

In terms of telling a linear story, SPR was a better movie, I think, although it does have problems when you look a bit deeper. TTRL, however , is beautiful to look at...although it can also seem confusing, disjointed and pretentious.

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

Al says that Scarface is his favorite of all the movies he has made and what he feels was his best performance also.

I'd agree with that...for the simple reason that Tony Montana seems to be the the one character that's least like him. One thing AP's characters always seem to be is cool...in one way or another. Not something you could accuse Tony of.

I thought Di Caprio should have gotten one for The Wolf of Wall Street.

timthumbni wrote: »

Personally I thought Ralph fiennes owned that film. I think his character was if nothing the main character and could easily have won the best actor role. He was sublime. A genuinely scary and loathsome character but what an actor.

I totally agree.

This is the Oscar snub I always come back to when this question comes up because it's the most baffling one for me. It sticks in my craw more than any other because of who won the Oscar over him that year - Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive. I mean, seriously. Jones shouldn't even have been nominated, let alone won! I genuinely have no idea what thought process went on in the voters minds that year. It was just a truly bizarre choice.

Olivia Colman in Tyrannosaur. The film is a tough watch but she is extraordinary in it. Much better than the somewhat over-the-top Oscar winning performance by Meryl Streep playing Thatcher in the same year.

The Oscars is more of a popularity contest than an actual recognition of talent.