After all the awards Argo has won, could George feel in competition with Ben Affleck?

How is George ever going to compete with Ben Affleck ? Will he do better with the Monuments Men ???

Atalante wrote: How is George ever going to compete with Ben Affleck ? Will he do better with the Monuments Men ???

I'm sure George is genuinely happy for Ben.

As to The Monuments Men I also wondered if all these accolades for Ben would make George put extra pressure on himself to make the best film that he can. But I don't think he actually considers himself competing with Ben. I think he would be competing with his own past directing works -- focusing on improving what he has done with films like Good Luck and Good Night, Confessions, Leatherheads, etc.

yep

True Lorna.
The fact that he "gave" the film to Ben Affleck shows his
continuing generosity to his peers IMO.

Monuments Men has a great cast , a pretty good director , l hope a good script, an l can already see him with the oscar in his hands and the acceptance speech in his pocket. So lets hope for the best ladies.

I've just split the above posts from another thread.

I think George feels both ways about Argo. I'm sure he's genuinely happy for Ben because after all, it was George who gave it to Ben so to speak, and nurtured the film as a producer.

I can also think he may be wondering to himself what would have happened had he directed it himself. As far as we know, Ben made significant changes to the film which have landed him all these awards. I do wonder whether George even briefly questioned his own abilities in the wake of this because it seems unlikely Argo would have received such accolades if George had directed it the way he'd planned to.

However, that said, George is proving himself to be a good director too. I think he's proved that several times already.

Knowing that George is competitive, I think he may be hoping to do as well with Monuments Men as Ben did with Argo, but I also think that's a pretty normal human reaction.

I do not think there is any competion with Ben. I feel George is happy that Argo has won so many awards and he also is happy for Ben. He might be a little envious but he has had his share of his awards. He produced Argo and he might win an award for this also. Anyway, I feel George is very busy now in berlin trying to get the shots he nees for the next movie and his mind is on this film, and who knows next year might be up for academy award nomination. Yeah! You go George, bg

And you also have to consider that Argo is a "hollywood film" in that, it elevates the work they do to seem a little more important in this light. It is afterall a film about a producer rescuing some hostages from a terrifying situation...what's not to like, especially if you're involved in Hollywood?

I think that George is very comfortable in his own skin and his talent has already been proven, so I think if he feels anything in particular, he's happy for Ben and proud of their partnership in this film.

Absolutely agree, but I'm sure there'll be a million jokes between them about it, and many a wind up

Oh no doubt of that! Wouldn't be George, if there wasn't!

I'm happy for Ben, think he's a interesting directer and happy he has been able to restart his career. George and Grant did him a favor by hiring him for Argo. I liked the film, but honestly am surprised at all the awards considering what the competition is, think this is the insider fav and Lighterside said it best.

I agree with everyone here but I also think he must feel a little twinge that it isn't him. As Katie said that is just human nature. I am glad for BA but as I have mentioned before I am not sure he would have gotten some of the accolades if he hadn't been snubbed. The pressure is on for the Oscars as much as they are the favorite they still might not win.


Either way all the awards it has won helps Ben and George and Grant because they will be able to continue to make the films they want.

silly girl wrote:Either way all the awards it has won helps Ben and George and Grant because they will be able to continue to make the films they want.

Absolutely true and I think that's what they are probably the most appreciative of in this whole venture...that they will be able to continue to make the films they want to see made and that's worth it's weight in gold!

I think he must be thrilled with the success but he's human (I know some of you think he's super human so apologies!) and it would have to hurt just a bit to know you'd passed on the movie that is winning all the awards this year to make a movie that was generally panned by the critics and did not do as well at the box office (Ides).

Argo, in my opinion is a really good movie--much better than Ides, better written and a better story. But, I have to agree with Lighter. Part of the reason Argo is as successful as it is at the Awards shows is because it elevates Hollywood to hero status, validating what they do. And, as Sillygirl said, getting the snub from Oscar hasn't hurt either!

As far as Ides, I have to admit, I was bored. I wanted more George and it was predictable. It also did what so many movies do now...start with a bang and then basically end with a whimper...or, not even end at all. So many movies start out great then fizzle at the end. To me, that's what happened with Ides. Argo, while not a classic or epic, was really well written with a good beginning, middle and end.

I am not sure he would have gotten some of the accolades if he hadn't been snubbed.

IMO
no one can say
Silly

George will be happy if Argo wins the Oscar because he is the producer and earn money, but the manufacturer is not important in a film on an artistic level but only at the economic level!

I think that George & Grant are proud of Ben. If you look at some of the pics of the awards that George was still here for, you can see that he looks at Ben with pride when he wins. I think that is the kind of person he is.

Yes George is proud of Ben Affleck and his direction of the film .

lelacorb wrote:George will be happy if Argo wins the Oscar because he is the producer and earn money, but the manufacturer is not important in a film on an artistic level but only at the economic level!

"Artistic level" is one hard thing to judge. One country (Netherland)tried it, promised to buy paintings if paintor could not sell them otherwise. Result was that many people found their "artistic side" and started painting. Program ended pretty fast.

We all can paint, and write and make movies. Cameras are cheap and excellent technology, you can shoot and shoot and shoot. At the end of the day you have like 70 hours material to edit. Doesn´t much help you if you do not have a plan, a plot or idea. Who are you going to sell your painting, book or homemade movie? No one, but you still would like to call yourself artist.

So one definition for the artist would be that he can sell the product.
(many sell after they are deceaced, not knowing they made it)

When you are famous and you already have all the resources then you can make "indie movie" the kind you like and get little audience for it too.

As a producer of this film, George has done stellar work. He identified and acquired the property, got it financed, chose the right director, and then gave his director the leeway and authority to make the right choices for the production. Not all producers can do that, especially the last. So I think he has the right to be proud of himself and of Ben, and has shown it. I think he exemplifies the collaborative requirements of making a good movie.

That said, I also think he'd rather be recognized and awarded as a director (or writer/director), but wants the long-term financial benefits of being a producer. It's probably a big part of what allows him to support his causes on a consistent basis.

...Speaking totally uninformed, of course. He might be a big effing crybaby, for all I know.

I appreciate your posts, Way2Old4Dis. Always informative, insightful and entertaining. Thanks!

Way2Old4Dis wrote:As a producer of this film, George has done stellar work. He identified and acquired the property, got it financed, chose the right director, and then gave his director the leeway and authority to make the right choices for the production. Not all producers can do that, especially the last. So I think he has the right to be proud of himself and of Ben, and has shown it. I think he exemplifies the collaborative requirements of making a good movie.

That said, I also think he'd rather be recognized and awarded as a director (or writer/director), but wants the long-term financial benefits of being a producer. It's probably a big part of what allows him to support his causes on a consistent basis.

...Speaking totally uninformed, of course. He might be a big effing crybaby, for all I know.

Brahahahahaha! Funny!

Have to agree with your views on O'Russell, Way2. He comes across to me as a very intense indiviidual - and I have to admit to being drawn to his intriguing footwear on the red carpet - but maybe there was a reason for that.

Let's hope he hasn't passed any of his anger issues on to his son, who needs all the support his family can give

Lakin460 wrote:I appreciate your posts, Way2Old4Dis. Always informative, insightful and entertaining. Thanks!

Very kind of you to say. Thank you.

Lakin460 wrote:I appreciate your posts, Way2Old4Dis. Always informative, insightful and entertaining. Thanks!

Very kind of you to say. Thank you.

Don't know why this double-posted. Sorry.

Leave out his son who has nothing to do with that.
What a nasty thing to say!

Dior wrote:Leave out his son who has nothing to do with that.
What a nasty thing to say!

Dior, his current film is based on his son. I think that's what the statement that PartyAnimal-Not meant.

Actually, the movie is based on a book written by someone else entirely, so the screenplay is adapted by Russell but not based on his son. True, he does have a son with mental health issues (the son played the camera-wielding teen neighbor in the movie), but the movie isn't about the Russells. And Russell has no qualms about letting the world know about his son and his problems, so it hardly seems out of place for someone to offer well-meaning commentary about him in a public discussion forum.

Thanks Way2. I knew there was involvement with his son, but I haven't seen the film, nor followed it. Thanks for the clarification.

Sorry, to me it is beyond any good taste to speculate if he had "passed any of his anger issues on to his son" in a public discussion forum.
Just imagine you were his son!

I don't intend to get into a back-and-forth over this, but if I were his son and felt hurt by public discussion of my issues, I'd start by telling my father to stop parading them in every interview about the movie.

Chaq'un a son gout...
Btw, do you know the saying: The opposite of "good" is "well meant"?
A un de ces quatre!

French for, "I may have overreacted but I refuse to admit it" ...?

Anyway...

An Oscar nom for Affleck would have made for interesting competition. I personally think Spielberg deserves it; it's a lot harder to direct a dialogue-heavy film about the effort to pass a landmark law and make it as intense and engaging as he did, than it is to direct a story with built-in action and visual effects. JMHO. And I wonder if, had he not produced 'Argo,' Clooney would think the same, having done ' GN&GL.'

"I don't intend to get into a back-and-forth over this...."

Thank you very much, Way2 and Melbert.

I don't appreciate O'Russell using his son's condition of massive mood swings to promote his film either. Unless of course, his son is perfectly happy for his father to do so, and we may never know that.
But that is why I felt free to comment. I'm sorry if it upset some.

I gather he's been on Entertainment Today with Robert De Niro talking about it again today.

Do I get that right, his father does pathetic things in public and that's why you feel free to speculate about the son's mental health and bring it up in a public discussion which had nothing to do with the son?

Ahem...cough..cough..sounds logical.

But I don't want another discussion, you apologized, that's ok.

Well we all know where Georgieporgie is staying, so don't forget to send him a Valentine's Card saying he should do a way better job with the Monuments Men, just having a cast with big names ain't gonna do it, a fluffy story ain't gonna do it either, silly jokes ain't gonna do it, making looney faces ain't gonna do it, ... and so on, ... so he better get his facts straight on this one !