Clooney Mourns Lack of Cinematic Masterpieces
Filed under: George Clooney
Even the crankiest critics were singing the praises of 2007. I had an unusually easy time assembling a year-end list of ten great films, and wound up with a rich list of runners-up besides. I'd say that I saw at least three masterpieces, with the jury still out on a few more. George Clooney was a big part of all that with his intelligent thriller Michael Clayton, but that's not quite good enough for the Oscar-winner. In an interview with Radio Times (posted on BBC), he complained that Hollywood is "no longer making masterpieces."Clooney names his golden age of cinema as 1964 to 1976, when, "you could find 10 films a year that were masterpieces." Sadly, Clooney didn't name his ten masterpieces per year for these years. I'd love to see that list. I'd have trouble coming up with ten for 1965, but I'd definitely agree that 1974 was a superior year. Clooney also denied rumors about plans for an "ER" reunion, but he wasn't all gray skies and rain clouds. He turned on some of his aw-shucks charm and talked about his good fortune, rather than talent, that has made his career. "Had I not got the Thursday night ten o'clock slot at ER, if they'd put us on Friday night, then I wouldn't have a film career," he said. "That's luck, not my own genius, though I like to think it was."










Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-05-2008 @ 10:24PM
Mr. R said...
The list of masterpiece movies made since 1976 is endless and I am sure readers will add plenty. Just off the top of my head: If Full Metal Jaqcuet is not a masterpiece, I don't know what is. Pulp Fiction, come on! Don't even get me started...
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2-05-2008 @ 11:14PM
chad moulder said...
I completely concur...movies seem to be getting dumber and dumber, and personally I don't think I can sit through too many sequels...
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2-05-2008 @ 11:29PM
sanjr1 said...
Granted there were many masterpieces made between 64-76, But 10 each of those years?? I'm sure Clooney could give out 10 titles for each but remember kiddies...These are his opinions only. Just because he says they're masterpieces don't necessarily make it so. Opinions are like a--holes, We all have em'.
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2-06-2008 @ 7:36AM
eugene said...
Preach on George! We need more movies like Peacemaker and From Dusk Till. Or maybe, we have a bunch of young film makers and actors who are paying their dues... just like a certain someone did a few years ago.
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2-06-2008 @ 8:33AM
techstar25 said...
The same trend is true about the music recording industry as well. The 60's and 70's were pure gold for all genres of music. However, at some point it's no longer about art, and it becomes clear that it is a business and people need to make money doing it. So as long as kids are paying to see "Meet the Spartans", then that's what we are going to get. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, because in this technological age, pretty much anybody can record their own album or film their own movie, and get their art out to people. So all is not lost.
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2-06-2008 @ 10:16AM
MosquitoControl said...
Eugene - he did not say every movie needs to be a masterpiece.
And not every actor is a young actor paying his dues.
Where are the masterpieces from actors whose dues have been paid?
Or directors?
Or new directors being given a chance?
And Mr.R, he did not say there are no masterpieces, just significantly fewer.
Is this wrong? Look at every single area of entertainment: it's all been reduced to the lowest common denominator, and in doing so it's all lost its appeal (which is funny, because this happens as they try to get the widest appeal.)
Music? Record labels spew out what they hope will be a hit then drop the artist. You need to move away from majors to get anything half decent.
Movies? Studios are looking for movies that will bring in big cash the first two weekends. Little else.
Video Games? Peaking in some areas, declining in others. The move away from the PC and to the console has lead to steps backwards, but that's what happens. I don't think it's part of the trend so much as consoles are just a few years (at least) behind where PCs were. They'll catch up.
Books? Don't get me started.
TV is really the only thing significantly better in quality now than in the past.
But it's all a cycle. Movies are better now than in the 90s. Things are changing.
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2-06-2008 @ 10:22AM
YouFaceTheTick said...
I agree with him but felt his last film - Michael Clayton - was dull, pedestrian, by-the-numbers and lacking in any originality. It's the very definition of a meh movie.
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2-06-2008 @ 2:11PM
eugene said...
one, it's a lot easier to be critical before time has had a chance to clear away the dross.
two, it takes balls to be critical of other people for not making "masterpieces" when you yourself churn out fluff vanity works like ocean's 11, 12 and 13.
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2-06-2008 @ 6:11PM
Jordan said...
yeah i know for sure i saw three masterpieces in 2007 alone (there will be blood, no country, assassination of jesse james) which is a very, very rare thing...in 2006 i only saw one. seems to me that if clooney is so upset about the lack of good movies he should do something about it, like not direct some frivolous football romantic comedy and maybe make something of substance, for once. he's on the right track with michael clayton, but maybe next time try to add some semblance of life to the film.
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