Mess Off With Your Damn Ass-Kissing Academy Award Grab!

Alright. That's it. I've had it with hollywood biopics. Seriously, about half the films coming out these days are either biopics or remakes. Or sequels. And it's kind of depressing...nay, it's incredibly depressing.

Don't get me wrong. I love a well-done, interesting 'based on a real life' movie as much as the next guy (Milk was one of my favorite films of 2008, for instance), but it's become a bit outrageous just how calculated these films have become in terms of Oscar preparation and star-power. I mean, think about it for a second - how many actors/actresses have won best actor awards for playing a real life person just in the last ten years alone? The mind boggles. OK, now - try and think of ones who have won that didn't play a character based on someone in real life? Depressing indeed.

Just off the top of my head this year alone we have Julie and Julia, Coco Before Chanel, Che, The Informant, The Great Buck Howard, Public Enemies, Hunger, Notorious, and to a certain extent Watchmen.

What i prefer is a character that is wholly new and vibrant. Someone you've never seen before...someone unique and fresh and exciting. Anyway, it's just so prevalent that when I see new films arising, like Amelia, I just can't get excited regardless of the subject matter. I honestly can't help but think these types of films are made and conceived with the idea that it'll be an Oscar shoe-in and that's the sole motivation for plunking these tripe biopics in our laps every fall/winter without fail...but maybe I'm just being my usual pessimistic self...er...let's just wait and see who's nominated for this year, though, and make our judgement then. I hope I'm proven wrong.

*sigh*


Since 2000:

Best Actress Oscar Winner
Julia Roberts - Erin Brokovich
Nicole Kidman - The Hours
Charlize Theron - Monster
Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line
Helen Mirren - The Queen
Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose

Best Actor Oscar Winner
Adrien Brody - The Pianist
Jamie Foxx - Ray
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland
Sean Penn - Milk

That's over half the best actor/actress awards given to biopics...