Lady Bird Should Win, But Won't

[IMPress Polly]

Well the winner was The Shape of Water! Although it was among the two front-runners, I hadn't expected it to actually emerge the victor, being as Three Billboards had won the top awards at the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, and the British Academy Awards. Three Billboards is a great movie, no doubt, but as explained in the OP, I liked other feminist commentaries a little bit better and am quite glad that one of those others emerged the victor at the Oscars last night. I still wish it had been the one that was actually directed by a woman (which was, incidentally, the most critically acclaimed film of the year), Lady Bird, which, of course, as I predicted, won nothing whatsoever, but oh well. I'll keep dreaming of a day when there will be genuinely equal opportunities for artistic recognition.

This was the first time since 2004's Million-Dollar Baby that a female-led movie has won Best Picture, and that's kind of significant unto itself, I believe; reflective of the cultural moment we're in right now.

(Incidentally, for my personal taste, The Shape of Water was my fourth-favorite movie of 2017, after 1) the documentary Fear Us Women, 2) Lady Bird, and 3) Star Wars: The Last Jedi.)

[Cletus]

What difference does it make whether it was directed by a man or a woman?

A movie is either good or it is not good. The sex, race, religion or ethnicity of the director shouldn't matter one whit.

[IMPress Polly]

Cletus wrote:
What difference does it make whether it was directed by a man or a woman?

Frankly, I find that women understand women best and accordingly tend to tell our own stories the best, with the greatest amount of accuracy and the fewest compromises. To that end, it is an absurdity to me that no movie that is both centrally about a female human being and also directed by a woman has ever won Best Picture. As if men typically understand us better than we do and know our interests better than we do.

[Mister D]

What difference does it make whether it was directed by a man or a woman?

A movie is either good or it is not good. The sex, race, religion or ethnicity of the director shouldn't matter one whit.

Sadly, Polly views the world through the prisms of sex, race, religion and ethnicity.

[Cletus]

Sadly, Polly views the world through the prisms of sex, race, religion and ethnicity.

Indeed.

[pragmatic]

Sadly, Polly views the world through the prisms of sex, race, religion and ethnicity.

As we all do to a degree.....

[pragmatic]

Well the winner was The Shape of Water! Although it was among the two front-runners, I hadn't expected it to actually emerge the victor, being as Three Billboards had won the top awards at the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, and the British Academy Awards. Three Billboards is a great movie, no doubt, but as explained in the OP, I liked other feminist commentaries a little bit better and am quite glad that one of those others emerged the victor at the Oscars last night. I still wish it had been the one that was actually directed by a woman (which was, incidentally, the most critically acclaimed film of the year), Lady Bird, which, of course, as I predicted, won nothing whatsoever, but oh well. I'll keep dreaming of a day when there will be genuinely equal opportunities for artistic recognition.

This was the first time since 2004's Million-Dollar Baby that a female-led movie has won Best Picture, and that's kind of significant unto itself, I believe; reflective of the cultural moment we're in right now.

(Incidentally, for my personal taste, The Shape of Water was my fourth-favorite movie of 2017, after 1) the documentary Fear Us Women, 2) Lady Bird, and 3) Star Wars: The Last Jedi.)

Huge fan of Del Toro. Pan's Labyrinth was phenomenal. The Hellboy series is pretty great too.

Have not seen Shape of Water yet. Soon.

[Mister D]

As we all do to a degree.....

We all have biases and presuppositions but Polly reduces us to them.

[IMPress Polly]

pragmatic wrote:
Huge fan of Del Toro. Pan's Labyrinth was phenomenal. The Hellboy series is pretty great too.

Have not seen Shape of Water yet. Soon.

The Shape of Water is the first film of his I've seen, but it's outstanding! Can't recommend it enough!

[Max Rockatansky]

Looking forward to seeing all of the movies. All are on my Netflix DVD que except Dunkirk and Get Out which I've already seen. "Mudbound" is on our Netflix streaming playlist, so will watch it with the wife at some point.