And the winner wasn’t … Brokeback Mountain!

What a coincidence! We meet again in another heavy handed, character defining moment!,
originally uploaded by Bergkamp13.

This is not a lament or even diatribe – wait, maybe it is, over Brokeback Mountain being snubbed for best picture. Though I wonder how can you be voted best director of a film that wasn’t best picture. “You sir did a bang up job on that film of yours. But the other guy, who didn’t do such a bang up job as you, made a better movie.” Think about it for a few minutes and you can feel the pressure forcing your skull to fracture.

To reiterate my feelings on Crash: Convoluted, heavy-handed and, as was recently pointed out to me, a movie where every female character is only defined but her relationship to her husband or lover. I got a headache from being constantly pounded on my oversized skull by Paul Haggis’s message. Did you get it yet? WHAM! . Did you get it yet? WHAM! Please, someone pass me my Advil. (Advil, official sponsor of Mr. Bitter. Tylenol is for pussies!) Watch Crash, if you must, then watch another message film from last year, The Constant Gardener. Compare the acting, direction and story telling ability of these two directors and then tell me with a straight face Crash is a better film. I dare you. Ok, here’s an assignment for you. Rent the American film Bob Roberts starring that guy from Bull Durham … Tim Robbins about a politician scheming his way to the White House. Then rent or buy or whatever House of Cards, a British mini series about a MP scheming his way to the prime ministers office. Again, compare the acting, direction and writing. What’s the difference? A little thing called subtlety. Yeah I barely remember it myself. But I’ll tell you House of Cards and Constant Gardener stuck with me longer than their American cousins.

To tell the truth, I can’t remember who won best picture last year. And the Oscars have no baring whatsoever on the choices I make on spending my entertainment budget. If I actually had a separate, entertainment budget I’d planned out and written down somewhere. They only reason I might remember Crash winning this year is because I wrote this blog. Ultimately I think the hype around Crash has more to do with what people want to believe about themselves and racism in society than the actual quality of the film.