Lincoln, or Les Miserables?

[scotrace]

Both pictures are about eras that are outside our focus, but in both cases, the presentation of their era is quite striking. Film has come a long way - when it wants to be good, and when the budget is nearly limitless.

I saw each picture twice. Thank goodness I don't have to decide on who gets the Oscars. I am biased, so would give the BP nod to Lincoln, even though Les Mis boasted a serious innovation in live recording of the songs as they were performed. I look for a raft of musical remakes in this style, not many of them good.
Yet, Les Mis had weak performances - Lincoln, not one.

Who gets best actor? Actress? These two films should sweep things up, but wow. Daniel Day-Lewis or Hugh Jackman?

 

[Doctor Strange]

Fearless predictions: Lincoln - Best Picture; Daniel Day-Lewis - Best Actor; Jessica Chastain (or maybe Sally Field - they REALLY like her!) - Best Actress; Tommy Lee Jones - Best Supporting Actor; Anne Hathaway - Best Supporting Actress; Steven Spielberg - Best Director.

I don't think Les Miz will be successful enough to spawn a lot of new musicals... but if it reteams Jackman and Hathaway for a remake of Carousel - Jackman has owned the film rights for several years - it'll be worth it!

Addendum as more nominations are announced: I can't imagine that Lincoln won't also win for Best Adapted Screenplay - Kushner's script is brilliant. John Williams' score and Kaminski's cinematography seem likely too. Perhaps a Lincoln sweep?

 

[Edward]

Do either pertain to a particularly fashionable cause in Hollywood at present? That does often seem to be able to tip the balance - hence Tom Hanks (in ,yes, a fine performance) winning Best Actor for Philadelphia over Liam Neeson in Schindler's List. Or is there a perception that any of the people involved missed out at an earlier stage (see Judi Dench's Oscar for her several minutes of cameo in Shakespeare in Love after popular opinion had it that she was robbed when she didn't win Best Actress for Mrs Brown). Or are there any other factors (see Peter Jackson's Rings Oscar, which we all knew was coming, being effectively on hold until he delivered the third part)?

I'm afraid I'm mystified as to how the Oscar has such a cachet, when really it's as pompous, overblown and ultimately irrelevant as any of the other myriad awards ceremonies out there. Well.... I'm sure were I to turn professional actor I would love to win one, given what it clearly does for earning potetential(!), but otherwise....

 

[esteban68]

both!

 

[Scotus]

Well, I'd give it to _Moonrise Kingdom_, but seeing that wasn't nominated, I'd probably go with Lincoln. _Les Miserables_ had too many weak singing performances for me, including poor Russell Crowe, trying his best to sound like a musical actor (and failing), and Anne Hathaway crying her way through _I Dreamed a Dream_. Please, go back to dubbing!

 

[vitanola]

Les Mis boasted a serious innovation in live recording of the songs as they were performed.

"Serious innovation"?

REALLY?

That's the way that all of the musical features and shorts were done back in the days of Phonofilm, Movietone, and the Vitaphone! Tends to make aperformance a bit stagebound.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=haZZD--VYM0

note particularly the orchestra out of the line of sight. Oddly enough, this was filmed after the advent of dubbong, and Belle Mann dubs the voice for the lovely Miss Alice White.