To me,"The Aviator",it´s the very best film of 2004 ( and the movie that will get the Academy Award for "Best Picture" ). It´s a excellent,exciting,fascinating epic. The usual masterful direction by mr Scorsese,superb Cinematography by the excellent Robert Richardson,very good and very interesting screenplay by John "Gladiator" Logan,wonderful music score by Howard "Lord of the Rings" Shore,appropriate editing by Thelma Shoonmaker,magnificent Casting and Cast ( Excellent Leo Di Caprio,wonderful Cate Blanchet,superior Alan Alda,as usual,etc... ),lovely Art Direction,etc... This picture it´s a real triumph,and,surely,deserves all the praise and all the acollades. Well done,again mr Scorsese !... It´s Oscar time !...

[Nancy]

What other 2004 movies have you seen?

I have to agree. Aviator is wonderful, certainly the best I saw last year. That awful train movie at Xmas and that really awful thing with Angelina Jolie (Sky Pilots of whatever). National Treasure was OK, but it was just another Disney chase movie. Passion of Mel Gibson was pornopgraphy. 'Ray' was OK but it was too long and I was bored.

Aviator was great, I loved it.

Originally posted by Nancy
What other 2004 movies have you seen?

"Finding Neverland" :- A witty,wonderful,lovely,funny,inspiring film.Excellent direction by Marc Forster,charismatic,funny,sexy,romantic performance by Johnny Depp,excellent,witty screenplay by David Magee,good editing,lovely Art Direction,enjoyable music score. " Million Dollar Baby" :- The "old Master Touch" in mr Eastwood magnificent Direction,powerful,charismatic,poignant performance by Hillary Swank,good screenplay,good editing. "Sideways" :- Terrific,funny,witty screenplay,excellent,inovative,clever Direction by Alexander Payne,great,funny performances by the leading actors,appropriate editing. "Ray" :- A experimented,smart Direction by Taylor Hackford,the very best male actor performance of the year by Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles,wonderful Music,very good Cinematography,good editing,lovely Art Direction.A excellent Bio movie. Those,alongside with "The Aviator" ( to me,the Best of the Best ),were/are the 5 very Best Pictures of 2004.

Originally posted by Nancy
What other 2004 movies have you seen?

Of course,there were/are other good and/or very good films in 2004 :- "Eternal sunshine of the Spotless Mind" :- Superb,inovative,original screenplay by Charlie Kaufman,great performances by all the Cast ( especially Jim Carrey,Kate Winslet,Tom Wilkinson ),good editing,excellent Music Score by Jon Brion ( nominated for the "Best Score" Grammy ). "Hotel Rwanda" :- Strong,moving,poignant performance by Don Cheadle,solid Direction. "Being Julia" :- Superb,charismatic,sexy,funny performance by mrs Annette ( ) Benning who,to me,will get this year the Oscar for Best Actress ,good screenplay,beautiful Art Direction. "Closer" :- The usual masterful Direction by Mike Nichols,great Cast/Performances,good screenplay. "Beyond the Sea" :- The usual solid,charismatic performance by Kevin Spacey,nice music,excellent Cinematography by "my fellow man" mr Eduardo Serra,awesome Art Direction. "De-Lovely" :-Great Production Vallues.The usual great acting of the genius Kevin Kline,Cole Porter´s wonderful Music,lovely "Hollywood Golden Age" reconstitution,wonderful Art Direction and Costumes. "Lemony Snickets...":- Genial performances by Jim Carrey and Meryl ( ) Streep ( the sequences betweem them are terrific,hilarious and really memorable !... ),excellent Visual Effects,very interesting Art Direction. "The Sea Inside" :- Strong,moving performance of Javier Bardem,interesting story/screenplay. "The MotorCycles Diaries" :- Interesting,compelling."SpiderMan 2" :- Excellent Studio Blockbuster movie,excellent Tobey Maguire,sexy and sweet Kirstenn Dust,very good Visual and Sound Effects,good editing. "Kinsey" :- Interesting screenplay,good emsemble acting. "The Panthom of the Opera" :- Wonderful Andrew Loydd Webber Music performed beautifuly by the lovely Emmy Rossum and Patrick "the nest Big thing in Hollywood " Wilson,awesome Production vallues/Art Direction,appropriate editing,very nice costumes. "Meet the Fockers" :- Superior,sublime,Historic Cast ( Robert De Niro,Dustin Hoffman,Barbra Streisand,Blythe Danner all together in the same movie !... ),funny screenplay.

Originally posted by philsands
I have to agree. Aviator is wonderful, certainly the best

Aviator was great, I loved it.

Indeed.

I always admired Martin Scorsese work with the exception of one.
He's like by the Hollywood establishment for his craft and it was only a matter of time before he was recognized by them.
Mr. Eastwood seems to be an insider with the L.A. bunch due to the theme's of some of his recent films and he too has gotten recognition.
Nice to be inside that "Golden Circle" of powerful and politically conscious Hollywood people...........................Joe..

[Marty]

with this piece, will finally get the directorial award he should have received for Raging Bull & The Last Temptation Of Christ. Whether this particular film is in the same league as those particular masterpieces is yet to be seen, it doesn't get it's release here until next week.

I feel terrible that I have not seen the new ' Manchurian Candidate' yet.
I tried and missed it. I'll see it soon.

I did mangage to see The Aviator and Finding Neverland ( the same day as it happens).
I am glad Leo DiCaprio is getting recognition for his hard work in this movie.
I actually liked Neverland better than the Aviator though.
I got emotionally involved with the characters in 'Finding Neverland'...that never seems to happen to me in a Scorsese picture

Excellent !!...11 Oscar Nominations for "The Aviator" :- Best Picture,Best Director,Best Actor in a Leading Role,Best Original Screenplay,Best Film Editing, Best Actor in a Supporting Role,Best Actress in a Supporting Role,Best Cinematography,Best Art Direction,Best Costume Design,Best Sound !... Yes !... http://www.oscar.org http://www.oscar.com

[Ace917]

Not too many surprises on the list, although I was surprised to see "Hotel Rwanda" missing from the list of Best Picture nominees. It should have been there in place of "Sideways," but as I said earlier, "Sideways" is the kind of film the Academy likes to recognize.

The only sure bet I see on the whole list is Jamie Foxx's performance in "Ray." Lots of outstanding work last year in all the categories.

Originally posted by Ace917
Not too many surprises on the list, although I was surprised to see "Hotel Rwanda" missing from the list of Best Picture nominees.

I,for one,was not ."Hotel Rwanda" it´s a very good film,the very best MGM released in years...,with a excellent performance by Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo,a very good Screenplay,a good Direction,but this movie has some flaws,namely in it´s Editing,and even in some of his Direction choices/options... "Ray" it´s a better film as a Motion Picture in it´s entire "structure". It has a better Direction ( the experienced Taylor Hackford ),with more exuberant Production values,a ( much ) better Editing ( also nominated for a Oscar ),a better Cinematography,a better Art Direction,etc...

Originally posted by Ace917
"Sideways" is the kind of film the Academy likes to recognize.

"Sideways" will get,easily,the Oscar for "Best Adapted Screenplay",because it´s screenplay it is very well written :- It´s Funny,witty,clever.

Originally posted by Ace917
Lots of outstanding work last year in all the categories.

Indeed.

Originally posted by Ace917
The only sure bet I see on the whole list is Jamie Foxx's performance in "Ray."

You can add other "sure" bets :- Best Picture for "The Aviator",Best Director for Martin Scorsese,Best Cinematography for "The Aviator" ( Robert Richardson ),Best Editing for "The Aviator",Best Actress in a Leading Role for Annette Bening for "Being Julia",Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Cate Blanchet for "The Aviator",Best Original Screenplay for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" ( Charlie Kaufman ),Best Visual Effects and Sound Effects for "Spiderman 2",Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Morgan Freeman for "A Million Dollar Baby".

[Library Bob]

First of all, I haven't seen "Aviator" yet, although I want to. Anything Scorcese does is worthy of attention (even, God help me, "Gangs of New York"), Di Caprio is leaving his matinee idol days behind to finally be accepted as a serious actor (His best, IMHO: "The Basketball Diaries," "Gilbert Grape," and "Total Eclipse"), and Kate Blanchett is supposed to have done a dynamite job as Kate Hepburn (Rahlly, she did). Am looking forward to seeing it.

What I am astounded at are a couple of glaring omissions. As with the Golden Globes, the second-biggest money-maker of 2004, Mel Gibson's controversial "The Passion of the Christ," has been snubbed almost completely. Yes, it got nominated, deservedly, for score and cinematography, but why was James Caviezel not even nominated, for heaven's sake, for Best Actor. I don't know of one person, even if they didn't like the film itself, who didn't describe his performance as Jesus as one of the most moving of the year. That "Passion" wasn't nominated for Best Picture is rather more understandable. Gibson's ultra-conservative socio-political views and devout Catholicism have made him a lot of enemies in predominantly liberal Hollywood, successful or no.

On the other end of the socio-political spectrum, Michael Moore was shut out right across the board for "Fahrenheit 911." My best guess on this is that all his tub-thumping backfired on him, plus there are probably quite a few in the Academy still smarting from his speech/rant of two years ago when he won for "Bowling for Columbine."

[Ace917]

You can add other "sure" bets :- Best Picture for "The Aviator"...

If "The Aviator" wins more than a handful of secondary Oscars, I'll have to reappraise my criteria for Hollywood successes. I have a feeling that the whole flow is running on Scorsese's coat-tails, and I don't mean that to discredit him... he's surely a brilliant director. diCaprio did not convince me in the title role, and Kate Blanchett overdid hers, altho she had her moments. The special effects were good but not great.

I simply do not see the appeal in this movie. It was a good biopic in a year of some truly fantastic ones.


(an aviator)

Originally posted by Library Bob
the second-biggest money-maker of 2004, Mel Gibson's controversial "The Passion of the Christ," has been snubbed almost completely. Yes, it got nominated, deservedly, for score and cinematography

Yes,indeed.This because the better things on that movie are precisely it´s Cinematography ( Awesome lighting by Caleb Deschanel ), it´s Music Score ( Haunting,fascinating score by John Debney ),and,of course,the Make-Up ( also nominated ). I like very much Mel Gibson ( His terrific Epic movie "Braveheart" it´s one of my favourite films of all time ),but,his Direction in "The Passion of Christ" was not the most appropriate.

Originally posted by Library Bob
First of all, I haven't seen "Aviator" yet, although I want to.

"The Aviator" it´s the very best film of 2004 :- Everything in this ( exciting,fascinating ) movie it´s terrific !... :- Terrific Direction,Terrific Cast and Casting,very good Screenplay,awesome Cinematography,excellent Editing,lovely Art Direction,good Music Score,etc...

I hope paljoey1957 read this thread/post.