OVP: Best Sound Mixing (2012)
The Nominees Were...
Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson, and Simon Hayes, Les Miserables
Ron Bartlett, D.M. Hemphill, and Drew Kunin, Life of Pi
My Thoughts: As you may be able to tell by now, I'm getting a lot of posts out in the next few days, and most of them will be pre-scheduled, as I'm switching cable providers (so long Comcast!) and as that wasn't a strong experience for me before, I figured I needed to get as many posts in as possible in the meantime in case I have a similar experience with my new provider. Also, I know that 2012's OVP has been a teensy bit of a bust as far as continued momentum (we have been releasing these for over a month), but I have featured on my birthday resolutions list (I do them at New Year's and at my birthday, as it keeps things fresh, and the birthday one is a lot longer) several posts about OVP and blogging more, so we'll be seeing a lot more of each other in the next few months.
But you want to discuss Sound Mixing, and so do I. Sound Mixing and Editing are obviously very different beasts, though Oscar rarely differentiates between the two, as usually they are almost carbon copies of each other. In 2012, however, we had three match-ups between the two categories, with several films only hitting in one or the other categories.
The first of these films was Lincoln, which likely was a near miss for SEE (cannon fire and guns and what not), but was a quick hit here. This is also oddly one of Andy Nelson's two nominations in 2012, as the technical categories allow multiple nominations for the same person, even if the acting categories do not. The movie's sound is, like most of the movie, quite sturdy. I love the pin-drop way the sound hushes whenever Day-Lewis is delivering a soliloquy or the way the congressional arguments sound realistically like multiple men are actually saying different things, and not like a "rabble rabble" (South Park joke!) that most such circumstances entail. The film doesn't have any "wow" moments, sound-wise, but it is never below handsome and strong, and there's certainly something to be said for that.
Nelson's other nomination came in the other film that didn't receive a corresponding Oscar nomination for Sound Effects Editing, and likely wasn't even in contention for the category, Les Miserables. The film gains most, if not all, of its nomination from the fact that it's a musical. Musicals have always fared well in this category, for obvious reasons-musicals enjoy tons of sounds, and the melding of voices. Of particular note with Les Miserables was the decision of the director and sound team to make the actors sing live, rather than on a prerecorded track.
This gives us some truly haunting moments-I love the way that Hathaway's "I Dreamed a Dream" feels so gut-wrenching, and Redmayne's beautifully-timed tenor soars far more when it's allowed a few waivers and pushes of his vocal range. The problem is of course that Jackman and Crowe, as I've mentioned before, don't do well with the live singing-Crowe's voice, even with its limited range, likely would have been strengthened with a bit of music studio magic, and Jackman's occasionally tinny or pitchy flourishes with his voice almost certainly would have been better as a result. So I'd say this is a wash, and since nothing else in the movie is particularly splendid, is something of a miss as far as nominations go.
Argo, a movie that depletes a bit after initial viewing (it's still a strong film, though), does not have the sound work to merit inclusion here. The movie does have a great sound pacing in the final scenes, aiding in the suspense and the pin-drop harrowing final scenes, but the rest of the film is pretty standard. For those that quibble, remember how much of the movie takes place in Hollywood, where the Arkin/Goodman/Affleck scenes have nothing special in their sound catalog to merit inclusion here.
Skyfall, of course, we've already established does its job quite well when it comes to sound, though this doesn't quite hit the same heights as the sound editors (it's close though). The two balance each other well, as I've noted before, but the sound work is always good, never quite great. The movie's best asset is the way that it interjects Newman's score with such precision to heighten or sustain moods. It also keeps Bardem's and Dench's speeches completely without music, giving us less indication of how Bond's adventure will continue, and whom he'll have to lose in order to find a path to success. These choices are smart, but they're small, and only occasionally rise above the excellence that we've come to know from the 007 franchise in recent years.
Our final nominee is Life of Pi, and I know what you're thinking-here is another go at this poor Ang Lee film, but that's where you're wrong. I do deeply admire the sound work that occurs in Life of Pi, just not necessarily the sound editing work. The film does a great job of continually using noises and sound cues to show the passage of time and to gives us a sense of the occasional monotony and the routine that invades Pi's life (think of the frequent lapping of the waves, the routine murmurs of Richard Parker). The movie also knows how to find beauty in the glorious scene with the whale, and the lantern scenes-it's not just the cinematographer that is drawing you in, but the lushness of the sound work as well.
But you want to discuss Sound Mixing, and so do I. Sound Mixing and Editing are obviously very different beasts, though Oscar rarely differentiates between the two, as usually they are almost carbon copies of each other. In 2012, however, we had three match-ups between the two categories, with several films only hitting in one or the other categories.
The first of these films was Lincoln, which likely was a near miss for SEE (cannon fire and guns and what not), but was a quick hit here. This is also oddly one of Andy Nelson's two nominations in 2012, as the technical categories allow multiple nominations for the same person, even if the acting categories do not. The movie's sound is, like most of the movie, quite sturdy. I love the pin-drop way the sound hushes whenever Day-Lewis is delivering a soliloquy or the way the congressional arguments sound realistically like multiple men are actually saying different things, and not like a "rabble rabble" (South Park joke!) that most such circumstances entail. The film doesn't have any "wow" moments, sound-wise, but it is never below handsome and strong, and there's certainly something to be said for that.
Nelson's other nomination came in the other film that didn't receive a corresponding Oscar nomination for Sound Effects Editing, and likely wasn't even in contention for the category, Les Miserables. The film gains most, if not all, of its nomination from the fact that it's a musical. Musicals have always fared well in this category, for obvious reasons-musicals enjoy tons of sounds, and the melding of voices. Of particular note with Les Miserables was the decision of the director and sound team to make the actors sing live, rather than on a prerecorded track.
This gives us some truly haunting moments-I love the way that Hathaway's "I Dreamed a Dream" feels so gut-wrenching, and Redmayne's beautifully-timed tenor soars far more when it's allowed a few waivers and pushes of his vocal range. The problem is of course that Jackman and Crowe, as I've mentioned before, don't do well with the live singing-Crowe's voice, even with its limited range, likely would have been strengthened with a bit of music studio magic, and Jackman's occasionally tinny or pitchy flourishes with his voice almost certainly would have been better as a result. So I'd say this is a wash, and since nothing else in the movie is particularly splendid, is something of a miss as far as nominations go.
Argo, a movie that depletes a bit after initial viewing (it's still a strong film, though), does not have the sound work to merit inclusion here. The movie does have a great sound pacing in the final scenes, aiding in the suspense and the pin-drop harrowing final scenes, but the rest of the film is pretty standard. For those that quibble, remember how much of the movie takes place in Hollywood, where the Arkin/Goodman/Affleck scenes have nothing special in their sound catalog to merit inclusion here.
Skyfall, of course, we've already established does its job quite well when it comes to sound, though this doesn't quite hit the same heights as the sound editors (it's close though). The two balance each other well, as I've noted before, but the sound work is always good, never quite great. The movie's best asset is the way that it interjects Newman's score with such precision to heighten or sustain moods. It also keeps Bardem's and Dench's speeches completely without music, giving us less indication of how Bond's adventure will continue, and whom he'll have to lose in order to find a path to success. These choices are smart, but they're small, and only occasionally rise above the excellence that we've come to know from the 007 franchise in recent years.
Our final nominee is Life of Pi, and I know what you're thinking-here is another go at this poor Ang Lee film, but that's where you're wrong. I do deeply admire the sound work that occurs in Life of Pi, just not necessarily the sound editing work. The film does a great job of continually using noises and sound cues to show the passage of time and to gives us a sense of the occasional monotony and the routine that invades Pi's life (think of the frequent lapping of the waves, the routine murmurs of Richard Parker). The movie also knows how to find beauty in the glorious scene with the whale, and the lantern scenes-it's not just the cinematographer that is drawing you in, but the lushness of the sound work as well.
Other Precursor Contenders: The Cinema Audio Society Awards divide their nominations into live action and animated, so we are given a few extra films to consider in the running. For Live Action, Les Miz was triumphant, but the C.A.S. skipped Life of Pi and Argo in favor of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and Zero Dark Thirty. For the animated films, we're left with a few of the usual suspects (Frankenweenie, Wreck-It Ralph, and the victorious Brave), while also choosing the megabucks that came to The Lorax and the just miss with the Oscars Rise of the Guardians. BAFTA also skipped Argo and didn't have time for Lincoln, instead favoring Django Unchained and The Hobbit, while continuing Les Miz's streak with the wins. Overall, I have to assume that Zero Dark Thirty and The Hobbit were probably battling it out for the final nomination here, with the former's Sound Editing nomination pushing it into the probable sixth place.
Films I Would Have Nominated: What was AMPAS thinking skipping the brilliant switches between silent and loud in Zero Dark Thirty to give Argo another nomination? The work being done in Zero Dark Thirty is so good I almost won't bring up that Brave and The Dark Knight Rises probably both should be amongst the nominees as well.
Oscar’s Choice: Oscar chose to go with Les Miserables and their love of musicals, over Skyfall, which was probably second considering ZDT wasn't there.
My Choice: Without ZDT to consider, this is between Skyfall, Life of Pi, and Lincoln, and after considering all three, my heart is telling me Lincoln deserved this most, followed by Life of Pi, Skyfall, Les Miz, and finally Argo.
And what are your thoughts? Do you feel as outraged as I that they skipped over Zero Dark Thirty? Would you have chosen the subtle work of Lincoln, or did you prefer the oceanic wonder of Life of Pi or the soaring voices of Les Miz? And what was your favorite Sound Mixing of 2012? The comments await!
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