Yes, This Will Be On the Test

Writing, Reading, Laughing

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Eenie Meenie Miney No Way

I challenge you to pick the BEST picture below.








I've just asked the impossible. It feels like a crime to place Monet, Rivera, Kandinsky, Matisse, Dali, Van Gogh, or Parrish in first place and leave the rest of these masterpieces to be also rans.

There is no such thing as THE BEST in art. 

This week the Academy Awards will choose a best picture. The concept boggles my mind. 

How do you choose between:

Going back in a time machine to watch LINCOLN shape our nation.

A beloved musical combined with the grit of the original novel in LES MISERABLES.

The heart pumping escape wrapped in a Hollywood lie in ARGO.

The triumph of the human spirit over mental illness in SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK. 

A shameless reality that exists a breath away from our comfortable lives in BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD.

The transcendental journey in THE LIFE OF PI.

I regret I haven't seen ZERO DARK THIRTY, AMOUR, or DJANGO UNCHAINED, but I have no doubt each would leave its indelible imprint on me.

A masterpiece is a masterpiece. We are all the better for them.


31 comments:

  1. For me, it’s Monet and Les Miz, hands down. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I actually haven't seen any of the nominated movies yet. I want to see Les Miz, but I want to see it at home so I don't bawl in public! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish I'd bought Kleenex stock before Les Miz came out.

      Delete
  3. There is no best...just personal preference. I admire quality work even though I might not be a big fan. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. What an excellent comparison! I haven't seen either of these movies yet, but they all look so good. I have a feeling Argo, Lincoln, and Playbook will be my favorites. Just a guess, though.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yes picking the best is difficult when all are the best.
    By the way I liked the movie "Lincoln" Simply superb.

    ReplyDelete
  6. So true. I loved the Beasts of the Southern Wild. I wished it had won more, but there were so many good movies there.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Starry Night is my favorite painting, so I can choose in this case! Thanks for giving me some beauty this Monday morning.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yes, it's impossible to choose when it comes to art. I don't really watch the Oscars either. While I understand the concept of having awards, I've never much enjoyed the rating process. One man's junk is another man's treasure. I suppose it's why I don't understand the point of bad reviews, either. Everything about art is subjective.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I do like the first painting the best. And I know what you mean. How do you pick the best. But I think of it more like a chance to recognize storytelling (albeit glitzy and commercialized) I'll always watch the Oscars and it always inspires me to create. For that, i adore it!

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautifully said! Best is just a matter of opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I haven't seen anything of them, but I do want to see Silver Linings Playbook and Les Miserable. I was thrilled that Jennifer won best actress. Even more so after she tripped on her dress and handled the situation well.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I agree! Greatness can come in so many different forms. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. I regret to say I haven't seen any of them. But you're right, how do you pick the best? It's like saying strawberries are better than peaches, but to me they are so different yet equally delicious. The artwork as well. How do you pick?

    Heather

    ReplyDelete
  15. I KNOW!!!!!! The Academies are just bizarre. I do like how they bring to light some movies that I might have missed though.

    Love the selection of art you picked! (Parrish has been a long time fav). And great minds think a like, I posted on art today too. Sort of.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Good point, Leslie. I've been saying this for years. Art is art...there is no "Best." As for the artwork, I'm a huge fan of the Impressionists, but I am an art lover through and through. I'm also a movie nut, as you know. I never understood how they can choose ONE movie as the BEST FILM. Like you said, they are all inspiring in their own ways. FYI, I've seen Django Unchained five times! That movie really left an impression on me. As did Argo. I haven't seen Les Mis or Life of Pi...next on my watch list.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I still need to see the nominated movies, but it can be a tough pick for sure. The Monet is my fave. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  18. love this post! And those paintings are just breathtaking. I still haven't watched some oscar winning films. Although I did love Life of Pi!
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. So many purdy peekchures!

    ;)

    I take your point, but since art is subjective, I think it is possible to pick between different examples of it. It doesn't diminish one masterpiece to prefer another :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Maybe favorite would be more accurate (or fair) than best. I haven't seen any of the nominated movies this year. Being a working mom with a dream takes its toll.

    ReplyDelete
  21. You are so right about masterpieces! All creative contributions to our world are of value and even if we don't "like" them or "relate" to them, we must be grateful they exist.

    I really loved what you had to say here today.

    ReplyDelete
  22. This year was such a hard pick! I totally don't know how anyone can say one of these films is "better" than another, but admittedly a nomination is pretty spectacular these days too. Still, I'm pretty partial to some Rivera and Argo :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Great point, Leslie! Such a subjective process...

    ReplyDelete
  24. I guess that's why there are so many movies and books out there, because there are so many varied tastes. But each has it's own merit. :D Besides, Anne Hathaway won so I was happy. *skips away*

    ReplyDelete
  25. AMEN to that! Isn't it wonderful, all the art around us?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Art is wonderful. It really awes me, tugs at something I wish I could write about with more feeling and precision. Perhaps I'll succeed one day.

    ReplyDelete
  27. I love this post! Really good point you make about appreciating the uniqueness of each masterpiece.

    ReplyDelete