It Continues...Back now after an unforeseen delay due to a multitude of things - the most exciting being kidney stones - we've just got time to talk about tonight's impending Oscars before normal services resume tomorrow (with the long-gestating review of The Sound of Music). First, I'd like to take a look at the nominations for Best Picture - nothing in depth of course, the briefest of reviews. Then, since it's apparently in vogue to try and foretell how the Academy will vote, I shall relate my opinions instead (not as esteemed as the Academy, of course, however there are plenty of places you can read about their predicted opinion - this is the only place you can read about my actual opinion). And so, without further ado--
Well, actually, I'll ado a bit more first. I just wanted to say that I've been going to AMC's Best Picture Showcase (where you get a chance to see all of the nominated films) since 2008, and it's one of the events I look forward to most each year. Not only is a an opportunity to see an acclaimed collection of movies (with a similarly great assortment of people), it's really an opportunity for folks to see a bunch of movies that they might not normally see (either through indifference, lack of time, or the like). For my own part, I can't think of a better way to spend a chilly day in February (well, technically two now. If you think it sounds even vaguely appealing, I strongly recommend you check it out - you won't regret it. Now onward!First let's look at the nominations for Best Picture:
"I don't remember the film either. But I remember the feeling. That I was ashamed of crying, but that telling him the story made all my feelings and tears come back, almost more powerfully than when I was actually watching the film, and that I just couldn't stop."
For me, at least, this film was the one that was most impressive and surprising. Great acting all around; long, lingering shots; works well artistically, emotionally, and sub-textually. It's criminal that Jean-Lousi Trintignant wasn't nominated as best actor for Georges as he heroically shoulders the film's massive emotional burden and carries it the distance on his own. Powerful stuff. Be prepared to feel. Perhaps a little overlong but it works with the material. Not necessarily a movie I would want to see again but one that will be with me for a long time. I doubt it will win but it probably should: 4/5
Argo (2012):"This is the best bad idea we have, sir... by far."
Drama, suspense, humor... Ben Affleck! What more could you ask for? This well-made historical thriller of one of the most audacious rescues ever mounted by the CIA (well, at least that we know of) will have you thinking, laughing, and on the edge of your seat the whole time. Great writing, pacing, and secondary casting (Alan Arkin gets all the credit but John Goodman and Brian Cranston deserve mention as well, as does Victor Garber, though his role is fairly understated). No lasting message, not going to change the world, but it sure is a lot of fun. It also gave everyone a great opportunity to say 'Argo fuck yourself' for, like, a month: 3.5/5
"Everybody loses the thing that made them. It's even how it's supposed to be in nature. The brave men stay and watch it happen, they don't run."
A truly special tale about a group of people that live by their own rules, struggling to survive and live their lives in the face of natural disaster as told from the most unique perspective imaginable - a young girl. Quvenzhané Wallis might be noteworthy for being the youngest-ever Oscar nominee at 9, however it's essential to remember she was 6 when the film was shot, and had never acted before. It does all the things The Village (2004) tried to do but does them right by leaving things ambiguous and not hitting us over the head with it. This charming film about freedom, strength, and - above all - community is a thing of whimsy and beauty due to its unique point of view: 3.5/5
"I'm just a little more used to Americans than he is."
Django Unchained is, above all else, not a revenge film but a Quentin Tarantino film. It's gratuitous as hell. It's also a western. And it's a blast. Great performances all around, particularly Leonardo DiCaprio as Calvin Candie and Samuel L. Jackson as his villainous house slave, Stephen. Though underutilized of late, Christoph Waltz is brilliant once again as the German bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz - in fact, I think I'm going to pass a law that no one is allowed to use Waltz unless they write for him as well as Tarantino does. Which reminds me, I read a great article once about the German premier of Inglorious Basterds in 2009. The filmmakers didn't know how the German people would respond - they loved it. They cheered each and every time a Nazi died. In my experience Django is just the same in the US. Overall, it's not Tarantino's best film (which is a topic for another day, I promise) but it certainly up there. Resplendent with his trademark dialogue, Tarantino's latest film is a roller coaster of justice, subterfuge, racism, and of course revenge: 3.5/4
"Take my hand and lead me to salvation. Take my love for love is everlasting. And remember, the truth that once was spoken, to love another person is to see the face of God."
As someone who spends a lot of time around 'theatre types', I know that movie musicals aren't generally well regarded. And, for a while at least (since the 1960s) they hadn't been well regarded in Hollywood either. However, as a film person - and a musical person - I love that the movie musical is making a comeback. I love a good musical and high production value plus actual locations makes it even better. Key, though, is finding a good cast, which is tough because, on one hand, you want good singers but, on the other hand, there's a marked difference between acting for theatre and acting for film (then again, Samantha Barks heart-breaking performance as Éponine arguably stole the show). Unfortunately, in most cases, commercial interests usually win out and, looking at cast, one wouldn't be blamed for thinking that's what happened here. However, despite walking this tightrope between two worlds, what we get is still good. Quite good in fact. Admittedly, the singing isn't perfect, but much of it is good and overall I'd say it's good enough - and don't forget, as opposed to 99% of other musicals, the songs were recorded live rather than during post production. In the end, what it really comes down to is personal taste - I know Russell Crowe got a bad rap from some, but he was probably my favorite character. Unless you've got an ear for such things, really all it manifests as is a line that's hard to understand from time to time, but I'd say the final product more than makes up for it. And, of course, Anne Hathaway was superb. But now I'm getting off on a tangent. Let's just say Les Misérables is a story of injustice, redemption, equality, love, sacrifice, and God: 3.5/5
"I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye."
What more can I say about Life of Pi than it was most likely the most visually impressive film I've ever seen? Well perhaps I could add that it has a great story, was written brilliantly, and... uh... there's a tiger! The film's quite impressive and makes excellent use of the 3-D technology. It employs various tricks (such as superimposing characters over the anamorphic letter-boxing to further make certain elements literally pop off the screen). My only real complaint is the film's ending was a little on the nose for me personally and the filmmaker's desire to explain every little thing, rather than leaving a thing or two for the audience to figure out, felt somewhat unnecessary/patronizing. Regardless, Life of Pi is a stunning, well-told tale told from a unique Indian perspective that almost any movie fan will enjoy: 3.5/5
Lincoln (2012):"The greatest measure of the Nineteenth Century. Passed by corruption, aided and abetted by the purest man in America."
Lincoln is a historical drama, well crafted and starring the actual Abraham Lincoln! Well, not exactly, but close enough. Seriously, Daniel Day-Lewis is so good in the role, it's worth the price of admission alone. Even better, the rest of the movie is great too, besides the joy of watching DDL roll around as Lincoln for two-and-a-half hours telling his charming stories, the supporting cast is tremendous. Whereas one might expect the film to be about the American Civil War, it's actually about politics - specifically President Lincoln's attempts to pass the 13th Amendment and what it took to get the bill through the divided House of Representatives before the end of the war. What follows is a thorough and often humorous look at this turbulent time in American history and what it took to finally ensure equality for all: 3.5/5
"The only way to beat my crazy was by doing something even crazier."
I don't know if it's a coincidence of just a thing with David O. Russell films, but I always want to like them yet they always fall somewhat flat. I like Jennifer Lawrence, I like Bradly Cooper, I like De Niro (well who doesn't?) I usually like romantic comedies (well arguably this is more in the post-modern 'comedy of romance' sub-genre) but it just didn't do anything for me. The film had great, quirky characters, solid acting, and was competently executed, yet the plot was fairly straightforward with no surprises. Yes, there was a twist, but I saw it coming a mile away so it didn't do anything for me. I was hoping Silver Linings Playbook would be this year's Up In The Air (2009), which I adored, but alas it wasn't. I felt the same in 2010 with The Fighter: there were some good, nuanced performances and some entertaining characters but it was nothing I hadn't seen before. In fact, The Wrestler (2009) had done it better just a year ago. I think it's still worth a watch, if you like any of those involved, as it's good enough, but if you're not sure I wouldn't go out of the way: 3/5
"Quite frankly, I didn't even want to use you guys, with your dip and velcro and all your gear bullshit. I wanted to drop a bomb. But people didn't believe in this lead enough to drop a bomb. So they're using you guys as canaries. And, in theory, if bin Laden isn't there, you can sneak away and no one will be the wiser. But bin Laden is there. And you're going to kill him for me."
Another film I was unfortunately ambivalent about. It was fine but not great. Looking at my notes, all I see is a list of questions: "performances?" for example. But there are really no performances I have anything to say about. There was adequate character development, but not enough to make it good. Much like The Hurt Locker (2008), there was some history in it but nothing we didn't already know about, and the semi interesting parts were too short. In fact, the whole movie was, in a word, adequate, and in the company of these other films, that's a shame. Before Osama Bin Laden was killed, this film was originally going to be about the battle of Tora Bora, a battle we lost and failed to find Bin Laden - and that movie might have been better because I feel like the filmmakers would have actually had something they wanted to say. Much like Hurt Locker, I felt like the film's message was more of an afterthought to everything else, which is why it's not satisfying. In the end, if you're interested in terrorism and the combat thereof, I'd recommend Homeland, it does everything this movie does and more, and way better: 3/5
Alright, I'm now running out of time so I'm going to rock through these other categories real quick:
Best Picture: Nothing is a stand-out to me like some previous years but there are a lot of good films. If I had to pick, I'd say Amour has the most to say and does so in the best way (see above). However, I think Argo will win.
Leading Actor: To me, this is a no-brainer and that Daniel Day-Lewis the obvious choice. I still wish that Jean-Lousi Trintignant was nominated but would have gone with DDL anyway, so it's alright. Denzel and Joaquin Phoenix both had similar roles and were good in them, but those movies themselves were not good.
Supporting Actor: I'm gonna have to go with Christoph Waltz here. Yes, he wasn't as good as in Basterds but in a field where I'm just as happy to see anyone win, he's the one that amuses me the most. In fact, he was so good in Basterds, I think they should just give him an award every year for the hell of it.
Leading Actress: Admittedly, I haven't seen The Impossible, so I can't say how Naomi Watts was, but I adored her in King Kong. Either way, from what I've seen, I'd have to unquestionably give this award to Quvenzhané Wallis. Granted, I don't have faith in the Academy regarding recognizing the performances of children since they robbed Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit (2010) but I can still hope...
Suporting Actress: Anne Hathaway hands down, for I Dreamed a Dream alone.
Animated Feature: Of the ones I've seen, I liked Brave the best. Wreck-It Ralph was also good but I think it might have been too niche for the Academy.
Cinematography: Life of Pi
Costume Design: Les Misérables
Directing: Django, again not QT's best but I'm always rooting for him to win Director. Plus, my main Directing criteria is authorship and who could have made Django besides Tarantino? But, as he's not nominated, I'll extend those sentiments to Ang Lee for his singular vision in Life of Pi.
Editing: Argo
Foreign Language: Hopefully, this is where Amour will finally get it's recognition. Even if it doesn't win Best Picture, as the only foreign language film nominated for that, it should therefore be the best of those, yes?
Makeup and Hairstyling: Les Misérables. The devil is, as always, in the details: fingernails... teeth! Stellar work.*
Original Score: I really wanted to pick one, but nothing stood out this year... Maybe Lincoln 'cause John Williams?
Original Song: Sure, we'll give it to Skyfall. Nice to get back to an old-school Bond song.
Production Design: Another tough one. Out of my three finalists, I'll go with Les Misérables because everything in that movie was beautiful (and terrible, when it needed to be).
Best Animated Short: Paper Boy: thought it was pretty generic and overly cutesy, yet to no end, it had no message. Apparently if you don't take responsibility for your own shit, some paper airplanes will roll in and help you out... But I'm sure it's gonna win nonetheless.*
Visual Effects: Life of Pi
Adapted Screenplay: Beasts of the Southern Wild
Original Screenplay: Django Unchained
Have fun!
* Because I believe in the inviolability of the Oscar Picks Post, I wanted to highlight the fact that I added these few after the Awards had already started. However, I have witnesses who will attest to the fact that I had already made up my mind before the ceremony started.
