On movies of the decade and Oscar's obsoleteness

[gk]

What's most striking about all these Top Movies of the Decade is how few won Best Picture, Best Director, or were even nominated in those categories by the Academy.

Slate has a compiled list of top moves of the 00's here: www.slate.com/id/2238714/

Going down the list, we see:
(1) Eternal Sunshine - Not nominated for Best Picture or Best Director
(2) There Will be Blood - Nominated for Best Picture and Best Director, didn't win
(3) 4 Months, 3 Weeks ... - Not nominated for Best Picture or Best Director
(4) No Country - Ok so this won both
(5) Spirited away - Neither
(6) Mullholland Drive - Nominated for Director (didn't win), not nominated for Picture
(7) Memento - Neither. Nothing.
(8) Before Sunset - Nothing.
(9) Brokeback - Nominated for both, won best director, lost best Picture.
(10) Pan's Labyrynth - Neither (although in fairness, this, Spirited, and 4 Months were all nominated - and I think all won - best Foreign Film).

I could keep going, but I'm at work.

Point being, of the top 10 consensus films of the decade, only one won best picture. Eight were NOT EVEN CONSIDERED ONE OF THE TOP 5 FILMS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE YEAR BY THE ACADEMY.

I used to say that the Oscars had about as much validity as the MLB MVP awards, but that's grossly overstating the Academy's cinematic expertise.

[mayor]

Actually, "4 Months" wasn't even nominated for best foreign film.

[fatmenace]

Wow. I enjoyed Sunshine, but best of the decade? I don't know about that.

[gk]

Dec 21, 2009 13:00:30 GMT -6 mayor said:

Actually, "4 Months" wasn't even nominated for best foreign film.

Wow. I guess I just assumed. That's as egregious as any of these Best Picture snubs.