The March of Oscar

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 The English Patient (1996 US) its Wednesday and my favorite day of the week. Why? Because its #WTFWednesday. A day to celebrate filmmaker, studio and academy WTF choices. I would love to tell you what this film is about but I can't. I tried to watch it twice and couldn't get through it. Something about a dude who was in a plane crash and lost his memory IDK. Back in the day everyone I knew was talking about how effed up this choice was for best picture. I decided to be fair and watch it before I judge it. Just couldn't do it. It was so slow and long and pretentious. I only made it half way. When the trailer of a film says its a cinematic triumph, run. Now the word is Tour de force. Also run. I take issue with there being lines of demarcation in the film world. On one side is the Every Person and the other side is the ivory tower elites with the Academy working in the Ivory tower camp. My issue is branding a film like this as true art and the rest of you and your peasant art can go fornicate with the cake we never gave you. Now keep in mind this beat out Fargo, one of the most influential films ever made. This brings into question "what is art and who is it for?" Yes I know that sounds pretty arty farty right there but its a real question in the movie universe. I heard the term "Oscar bait" and now I cant unhear that. Hell even Martin Scorsese weighed in recently calling super hero films stupid and not real art. I'm paraphrasing because I don't remember exactly what he said. But I do remember him getting his ass handed to him after that. Let me be clear though that liking this film is OK. If it brought a pleasant response, Cool!!. But liking Spiderman is equally OK. Now to the controversy. Claims have been made against the character that Ralph Fiennes played that the real Count De Almasy was a Nazi in Egypt doing Nazi stuff as Nazis do. The claim continues that this story was an effort to launder the man's reputation as well as his family's. As I've said before that fictional filmmakers are not obliged to create an historically accurate film. But is there a line and if so where is it and who fact checks?  The existential questions about this film give me a goddamn headache.  But I will say this, ART is for EVERYONE!!! Find it for rent on most streaming and on Hulu. Please Like Share and Subscribe.

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