This has been quite an exciting Oscar year, and here are my final choices for what will (and should) win. I'm doing it a bit different this year, ranking each category in order of preference and then below writing what should win. This is a particularly tough year to predict, and excitedly so, so don't put down too much money on my pics.
I'll do the below-the-line categories today and the big ones tomorrow!
Without further ado....
Cinematography
Life of Pi
Anna Karenina
Lincoln
Skyfall
Django Unchained
Will Win: Life of Pi
Runner-Up: Skyfall
A really beautiful bunch of nominees, and each nominee has indelible images I remember fondly. In the end, I think there is no denying the gorgeous vistas, and stunning use of 3D, in Life of Pi. It will probably win too, although there’s a small chance they could finally award Roger Deakins for his work on Skyfall.
Costume Design
Anna Karenina
Lincoln
Les Miserables
Haven’t Seen
Snow White and the Huntsman
Mirror Mirror
Will Win: Anna Karenina
Runner-Up: Les Miserables
No contest here. Every costume in Anna Karenina is gorgeous and has a major part in portraying the emotions of the story. I’m almost sure it will win, too.
Art Direction
Lincoln
Anna Karenina
Life of Pi
Les Miserables
Haven’t Seen
The Hobbit
Will Win: Anna Karenina
Runner-Up: Les Miserables
All of these movies had really strong art direction, but in different ways. Lincoln’s is understated and serves the movie well. Anna Karenina’s sets are a huge part of the story. Life of Pi is beautiful, and tied to the special effects. Les Miserables is well put-together, but also a tad artificial feeling. This really feels like a category where anything except The Hobbit could win. I’m ultimately picking Anna Karenina, because it’s beautiful period decor is the type of thing that usually wins.
Editing
Argo
Silver Linings Playbook
Life of Pi
Zero Dark Thirty
Lincoln
Will Win: Argo
Runner-Up: Zero Dark Thirty
All of these are really well-edited movies. I’m especially glad they included Silver Linings, since editing is so important to a well-paced comedy. Argo gets my vote, and will most likely win, because the tight editing keeps the audience glued to their seats for the entire movie.
Makeup
Les Miserables
Haven’t Seen
Hitchcock
The Hobbit
Will Win: Les Miserables
Runner-Up: Hitchcock
The Academy typically likes real people movies, which is why it’s really surprising Lincoln was left off. That bodes well for Hitchcock, but I think the Academy may reward Les Miserables here, for the way it showed the poverty of its characters through the bad teeth and skin.
Score
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Anna Karenina
Skyfall
Argo
Will Win: Life of Pi
Runner-Up: Argo
When I think back to what I remember from the scores, Life of Pi , Lincoln, and Anna Karenina definitely stand out. While Argo is scored by the great Alexandre Desplat, I don’t think it’s one of his best. I think Pi will and should win, although the very famous John Williams also has a shot for his Lincoln score.
Original Song
“Skyfall” from Skyfall
“Pi’s Lullaby” from Life of Pi
“Before My Time” from Chasing Ice
“Everybody Needs a Best Friend” from Ted
“Suddenly” from Les Mis
Will Win: Skyfall
Runner-Up: Les Miserables
No one can touch Adele’s great Bond song this year, although I was actually pleasantly surprised by Scarlett Johannson’s (!) track from Chasing Ice. That new Les Miserables number was an obvious ploy for an extra nomination, and really pretty terrible.
Sound Editing
Life of Pi
Django Unchained
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty
Argo
Will Win: Skyfall
Runner Up: Life of Pi
Probably the toughest pick of the night, as this could literally go to any of these movies. If Argo wins Best Picture, it will need some awards to go with the big one. This is one place where it could triumph, although I’m ultimately picking Skyfall because I think they’ll want to give such a well-regarded megahit something in these technical categories.
Sound Mixing
Life of Pi
Skyfall
Les Miserables
Argo
Lincoln
Will Win: Les Miserables
Runner Up: Skyfall
These sound categories are the categories where I feel the least knowledgeable. I know musicals tend to win here, so I’m predicting Les Mis, especially because of all the press about the live singing.
Visual Effects
Life of Pi
Prometheus
The Avengers
Haven’t Seen
The Hobbit
Snow White and the Huntsman
Will Win: Life of Pi
Runner-Up: The Avengers
One of the surest things (and deservedly so), is Life of Pi for the shipwreck and the amazing animals, particularly Richard Parker the tiger.
Live Action Short
Haven’t Seen Any
Asad
Buzhazi Boys
Curfew
Death of a Shadow
Henry
Will Win: Curfew (I’ve heard it’s the best)
Runner-Up: Asad
Animated Film
Frankenweenie
Paranorman
Brave
Haven’t Seen
Wreck-It Ralph
The Pirates!: Band of Misfits
Will Win: Brave
Runner-Up: Wreck-It Ralph
Of the 3 I’ve seen, I much prefer the horror-tinged Frankenweenie and Paranorman to the traditional fairy tale with a twist Brave, but I think the Pixar brand may ultimately guide Brave to a win. If not, it will probably be the popular Wreck-It Ralph.
Animated Short
Adam and Dog
Paperman
Fresh Guacamole
Head Over Heels
Haven’t Seen
Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare”
Will Win: Paperman
Runner-Up: Adam and Dog
These are almost all available online, and worth a look! Adam and Dog is a particularly beautiful look at the Genesis story from a canine point of view, while Paperman is charming and played before Wreck-It Ralph. I’m betting lots of people saw it, so it will probably win.
Documentary
Searching for Sugar Man
The Invisible War
How to Survive a Plague
Five Broken Cameras
Haven't SeenThe Gatekeepers
Will Win: Searching for Sugar Man
Runner-Up: The Gatekeepers
I haven’t seen The Gatekeepers yet, but the other 4 make a strong lineup. While Searching for Sugar Man doesn’t have the political import of the other nominees, it’s an incredibly fascinating and moving story of fate and renaissance. That’s why it should (and almost certainly will) win.
Documentary Short
Haven’t Seen
Inocente
Kings’ Point
Mondays at Racine
Open Heart
Redemption
Will Win: Inocente
Runner-Up: Mondays at Racine
I haven’t seen any of these, but I’ve heard it’s between Inocente, about a homeless immigrant teen and her amazing artwork, and Mondays at Racine, about a beauty salon for women undergoing chemotherapy.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Sunday, February 3, 2013
The Last of the Best Picture Nominees: Amour, Django Unchained and Zero Dark Thirty
My duty of seeing all 9 Oscar nominees before the big night is done (with no last minute running out to the theaters) with my viewings of Amour, Django Unchained, and Zero Dark Thirty. As I was thinking about how to tie these disparate films together, it struck me that they are all about revenge. One is about an individual's revenge both for himself and historical atrocities, one about a country's revenge for an act of terrorism, and one about the ultimate "revenge" that all of our bodies will eventually take on us simply because we are human
Amour
My personal most exciting element of Oscar nomination morning was the 5 nominations for Austrian director Michael Haneke's Amour (Picture, Actress, Director, Original Screenplay, Foreign Film). It's very rare for foreign film to make it in to Best Picture, and for Haneke to beat Affleck and Bigelow to a director's spot is astonishing. With great focus, Amour traces the abrupt physical and mental decline of a French woman (Emmanuelle Riva) and its affect on her devoted husband (Jean-Louis Tritignant). Besides an opening scene at an orchestra concert, Amour never leaves the book-lined, comfortable Parisian apartment of the central couple. They have a few visitors (most notably their grown daughter played by Isabelle Huppert), and most of the movie simply traces their duties, conversations, and interactions as they face Anne's inevitable decline.
Haneke has often been labeled a cold and clinical director, and it's true there is nothing warm and cuddly here. In Amour, however, Haneke's gaze is squarely on the love of the couple at the center, never looking away at what love and devotion for another person in their final moments means, and by extension what it will mean for all of us. There's no doubt watching Amour is a wrenching experience, and I for one wept through at least half of the movie. It's just that profound and gripping. Haneke is especially good at writing and editing scenes, so that we move abruptly through time, sometimes seeing a few moments later and sometimes seeing Anne after a considerable decline. The performances of the lead actors cannot be lauded enough. Emmanuelle Riva has a small chance at wrestling a Best Actress award from Jennifer Lawrence, and Tritignant is every bit her equal in what is the more active and prominent role in the film. So many movies float away as mere memories a few days after you see them, and yet I have a feeling that I will remember the emotions of Amour throughout my life.
Grade: A
Django Unchained
As film directors go, I'm not as much of a Quentin Tarantino fanboy as your average internet film blogger. I was intrigued by the premise of Django Unchained, but word of its length (close to 3 hours) and extreme violence dampened by enthusiasm a bit. Thankfully, I spent 3 highly enjoyable hours with a movie that is witty, gripping, fun, troubling, and perhaps the most morally serious film made by Tarantino.
Django Unchained tells the story of Django (Jamie Foxx) who teams up with bounty hunter Dr. Schultz (Christoph Waltz) to find the men who tortured him in slavery and, most significantly, his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), who has been sold to the vicious and smooth-talking Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). If you know Tarantino movies (specifically Django's spiritual heir Inglorius Bastards), you know where this movie is going. Witty dialogue will be mixed with violence, movie history will be slyly referenced, and vengeance will most definitely come. What I found most fascinating and invigorating about this movie was how Tarantino takes the horror of slavery, but also mocks the cultural and film legacy of films of the noble south. When blood splatters (and boy does it) over the plantation estate of Calvin Candie, I immediately thought of the plantation Tara from Gone with the Wind. It's a subversive kick to see the disdain with which Tarantino treats his southern characters and the whole blight of slavery.
The cast is great from top to bottom. My best-in-show goes to Samuel L. Jackson as Stephen, a house slave who has moved to the side of his oppressor. It's a brilliant, scary performance and it definitely deserved an Oscar nomination. Flaws? It goes on a bit long (especially during an extended dinner scene), and while I understand and mostly respect Tarantino's use of violence in the film, there are a couple scenes where less could have been more. All in all it's a must-see movie, my favorite Tarantino movie since Pulp Fiction.
Grade: A-
Zero Dark Thirty
Another movie about revenge, but its style is a million miles removed from Django Unchained. Director Kathryn Bigelow tells the story of the hunt for Osama Bin Laden slowly and soberly, following leads that go nowhere until Bin Laden's whereabouts finally come into focus. The central character of the film is Maya (Jessica Chastain), a CIA agent who is entirely obsessed with finding Bin Laden.
After being heralded by numerous critics groups (including the New York Film Critics) and flat-out loving Bigelow's last movie, the Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker, I had very high hopes for Zero Dark Thirty. In the end, I think it is well-made, interesting, engaging, but perhaps a little vacant at its core. Whereas in The Hurt Locker we really got into the characters of the soldiers in Iraq, I never felt that I knew Maya as a character. Jessica Chastain is a terrific actress with an amazing career ahead of her, but I didn't find her as engaging here as I did in last year's The Help, Take Shelter, or The Tree of Life. Where the movie is undoubtably great is in its last 45 minutes. Bigelow stages the killing of Bin Laden in a way that makes it easy to follow for the audience, yet also shows the moments that are disconcerting. There is also a great last shot in the movie that gives us some insight into Maya.
I feel I can't review ZDT without addressing its intense torture controversy. As Bigelow herself has said, depiction of torture does not imply agreement. The question is, I think, does the movie look at torture seriously? Absolutely. The scenes of torture are actually shot in a way that causes the viewer to feel the same revulsion Maya does when first encountering the torture. If you were a viewer who thinks torture is completely warranted, I actually think the scenes would shake your confidence a bit. Bigelow is not an emotionally manipulative filmmaker, and I think she shows great restraint in not telling audiences exactly what to think. I respect her for that, and yet I wish the movie moved me more. Many viewers and critics I respect greatly adored this movie, but it didn't rise to the level of greatness for me.
Grade: B
AmourMy personal most exciting element of Oscar nomination morning was the 5 nominations for Austrian director Michael Haneke's Amour (Picture, Actress, Director, Original Screenplay, Foreign Film). It's very rare for foreign film to make it in to Best Picture, and for Haneke to beat Affleck and Bigelow to a director's spot is astonishing. With great focus, Amour traces the abrupt physical and mental decline of a French woman (Emmanuelle Riva) and its affect on her devoted husband (Jean-Louis Tritignant). Besides an opening scene at an orchestra concert, Amour never leaves the book-lined, comfortable Parisian apartment of the central couple. They have a few visitors (most notably their grown daughter played by Isabelle Huppert), and most of the movie simply traces their duties, conversations, and interactions as they face Anne's inevitable decline.
Haneke has often been labeled a cold and clinical director, and it's true there is nothing warm and cuddly here. In Amour, however, Haneke's gaze is squarely on the love of the couple at the center, never looking away at what love and devotion for another person in their final moments means, and by extension what it will mean for all of us. There's no doubt watching Amour is a wrenching experience, and I for one wept through at least half of the movie. It's just that profound and gripping. Haneke is especially good at writing and editing scenes, so that we move abruptly through time, sometimes seeing a few moments later and sometimes seeing Anne after a considerable decline. The performances of the lead actors cannot be lauded enough. Emmanuelle Riva has a small chance at wrestling a Best Actress award from Jennifer Lawrence, and Tritignant is every bit her equal in what is the more active and prominent role in the film. So many movies float away as mere memories a few days after you see them, and yet I have a feeling that I will remember the emotions of Amour throughout my life.
Grade: A
Django Unchained
As film directors go, I'm not as much of a Quentin Tarantino fanboy as your average internet film blogger. I was intrigued by the premise of Django Unchained, but word of its length (close to 3 hours) and extreme violence dampened by enthusiasm a bit. Thankfully, I spent 3 highly enjoyable hours with a movie that is witty, gripping, fun, troubling, and perhaps the most morally serious film made by Tarantino.Django Unchained tells the story of Django (Jamie Foxx) who teams up with bounty hunter Dr. Schultz (Christoph Waltz) to find the men who tortured him in slavery and, most significantly, his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), who has been sold to the vicious and smooth-talking Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). If you know Tarantino movies (specifically Django's spiritual heir Inglorius Bastards), you know where this movie is going. Witty dialogue will be mixed with violence, movie history will be slyly referenced, and vengeance will most definitely come. What I found most fascinating and invigorating about this movie was how Tarantino takes the horror of slavery, but also mocks the cultural and film legacy of films of the noble south. When blood splatters (and boy does it) over the plantation estate of Calvin Candie, I immediately thought of the plantation Tara from Gone with the Wind. It's a subversive kick to see the disdain with which Tarantino treats his southern characters and the whole blight of slavery.
The cast is great from top to bottom. My best-in-show goes to Samuel L. Jackson as Stephen, a house slave who has moved to the side of his oppressor. It's a brilliant, scary performance and it definitely deserved an Oscar nomination. Flaws? It goes on a bit long (especially during an extended dinner scene), and while I understand and mostly respect Tarantino's use of violence in the film, there are a couple scenes where less could have been more. All in all it's a must-see movie, my favorite Tarantino movie since Pulp Fiction.
Grade: A-
Zero Dark Thirty
Another movie about revenge, but its style is a million miles removed from Django Unchained. Director Kathryn Bigelow tells the story of the hunt for Osama Bin Laden slowly and soberly, following leads that go nowhere until Bin Laden's whereabouts finally come into focus. The central character of the film is Maya (Jessica Chastain), a CIA agent who is entirely obsessed with finding Bin Laden.After being heralded by numerous critics groups (including the New York Film Critics) and flat-out loving Bigelow's last movie, the Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker, I had very high hopes for Zero Dark Thirty. In the end, I think it is well-made, interesting, engaging, but perhaps a little vacant at its core. Whereas in The Hurt Locker we really got into the characters of the soldiers in Iraq, I never felt that I knew Maya as a character. Jessica Chastain is a terrific actress with an amazing career ahead of her, but I didn't find her as engaging here as I did in last year's The Help, Take Shelter, or The Tree of Life. Where the movie is undoubtably great is in its last 45 minutes. Bigelow stages the killing of Bin Laden in a way that makes it easy to follow for the audience, yet also shows the moments that are disconcerting. There is also a great last shot in the movie that gives us some insight into Maya.
I feel I can't review ZDT without addressing its intense torture controversy. As Bigelow herself has said, depiction of torture does not imply agreement. The question is, I think, does the movie look at torture seriously? Absolutely. The scenes of torture are actually shot in a way that causes the viewer to feel the same revulsion Maya does when first encountering the torture. If you were a viewer who thinks torture is completely warranted, I actually think the scenes would shake your confidence a bit. Bigelow is not an emotionally manipulative filmmaker, and I think she shows great restraint in not telling audiences exactly what to think. I respect her for that, and yet I wish the movie moved me more. Many viewers and critics I respect greatly adored this movie, but it didn't rise to the level of greatness for me.
Grade: B
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Nominations!
And here they are! An exciting nomination morning with a few big surprises and a lot that's of interest. The oldest and the youngest Best Actress nominees ever, the first foreign film in quite some time in the Best Picture lineup, and some notable snubs for Ben Affleck and Kathryn Bigelow. While I honestly had some issues with Beasts of the Southern Wild, it did amazingly well for a micro-budget indie, and I don't begrudge it any of its nominations. Maybe it's even time for a rewatch.
This year, I went 37/44, or 84%, in the major categories that I predicted. I was spot on in Supporting Actor and Adapted Screenplay, and only missed 2 in Director (along with every other pundit). The last two years I did 87%, but I'm actually happy the awards were a bit more predictable this year.
Picture
Amour
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Les Miserables
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty
8/9. I was correct that there would be 9 nominees, although Amour got in instead of Moonrise Kingdom. I do wish Moonrise had been able to make it. Such a fun and charming movie. I have to catch up on Amour, Django, and ZDT before Oscar night.
Will Win: Lincoln. It seems pretty obvious.
Dark Horse: Silver Linings Playbook. It did VERY well today.
Actor
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day Lewis, Lincoln
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight
4/5. I thought they would go with John Hawkes for The Sessions and not Joaquin. SO GLAD Joaquin made it. Love or hate The Master, Joaquin is incredible. Not a bad lineup at all.
Will Win: Day Lewis
Dark Horse: Jackman?? I don't see anyone else taking this.
Actress
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Quevenzhane Wallis, Beast of the Southern Wild
4/5. I picked Marion Cotillard in Rust and Bone over Wallis. What a cool lineup-the oldest actress ever nominated (Wallis of course) and the oldest (Riva).
Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence
Dark Horse: Emmanuelle Riva. Amour also did very well today, and I hear she's simply incredible.
Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin, Argo
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Robert de Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
5/5. Pretty proud of my predicting in this category. This category is ALL former winners-which I believe is a first in any category in Oscar history.
Will Win: Tommy Lee Jones
Dark Horse: Philip Seymour Hoffman
Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
4/5. I picked Ann Dowd for Compliance, and didn't even have Weaver on my runners-up list (an oversight, I know). That means someone from Silver Linings is in every single acting category.
Will Win: Anne Hathaway
Dark Horse: Sally Field
Director
Michael Haneke, Amour
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Benh Zeitlan, Beasts of the Southern Wild
3/5. Like most, I totally botched this category. They shockingly left our Hollywood golden boy Ben Afflect (Argo) and critically lauded Kathryn Bigelow (ZDT) for the Austrian auteur (Haneke) and a rookie (Zeitlan). What an interesting lineup.
Will Win: Steven Spielberg
Dark Horse: Ang Lee
Original Screenplay
Amour
Django Unchained
Flight
Moonrise Kingdom
Zero Dark Thirty
4/5. They went with Flight over The Master. Guess they just liked the acting in The Master, as it got nods for its 3 stars.
Will Win: Zero Dark Thiry
Dark Horse: Amour (or Django?) This seems competitive to me.
Adapted Screenplay
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
5/5. A perfect category for me.
Will Win: Lincoln
Dark Horse: Silver Linings Playbook
This year, I went 37/44, or 84%, in the major categories that I predicted. I was spot on in Supporting Actor and Adapted Screenplay, and only missed 2 in Director (along with every other pundit). The last two years I did 87%, but I'm actually happy the awards were a bit more predictable this year.
Picture
Amour
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Les Miserables
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty
8/9. I was correct that there would be 9 nominees, although Amour got in instead of Moonrise Kingdom. I do wish Moonrise had been able to make it. Such a fun and charming movie. I have to catch up on Amour, Django, and ZDT before Oscar night.
Will Win: Lincoln. It seems pretty obvious.
Dark Horse: Silver Linings Playbook. It did VERY well today.
Actor
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day Lewis, Lincoln
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight
4/5. I thought they would go with John Hawkes for The Sessions and not Joaquin. SO GLAD Joaquin made it. Love or hate The Master, Joaquin is incredible. Not a bad lineup at all.
Will Win: Day Lewis
Dark Horse: Jackman?? I don't see anyone else taking this.
Actress
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Quevenzhane Wallis, Beast of the Southern Wild
4/5. I picked Marion Cotillard in Rust and Bone over Wallis. What a cool lineup-the oldest actress ever nominated (Wallis of course) and the oldest (Riva).
Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence
Dark Horse: Emmanuelle Riva. Amour also did very well today, and I hear she's simply incredible.
Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin, Argo
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Robert de Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
5/5. Pretty proud of my predicting in this category. This category is ALL former winners-which I believe is a first in any category in Oscar history.
Will Win: Tommy Lee Jones
Dark Horse: Philip Seymour Hoffman
Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook
4/5. I picked Ann Dowd for Compliance, and didn't even have Weaver on my runners-up list (an oversight, I know). That means someone from Silver Linings is in every single acting category.
Will Win: Anne Hathaway
Dark Horse: Sally Field
Director
Michael Haneke, Amour
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Benh Zeitlan, Beasts of the Southern Wild
3/5. Like most, I totally botched this category. They shockingly left our Hollywood golden boy Ben Afflect (Argo) and critically lauded Kathryn Bigelow (ZDT) for the Austrian auteur (Haneke) and a rookie (Zeitlan). What an interesting lineup.
Will Win: Steven Spielberg
Dark Horse: Ang Lee
Original Screenplay
Amour
Django Unchained
Flight
Moonrise Kingdom
Zero Dark Thirty
4/5. They went with Flight over The Master. Guess they just liked the acting in The Master, as it got nods for its 3 stars.
Will Win: Zero Dark Thiry
Dark Horse: Amour (or Django?) This seems competitive to me.
Adapted Screenplay
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
5/5. A perfect category for me.
Will Win: Lincoln
Dark Horse: Silver Linings Playbook
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Final Nomination Predictions
Picture
Lincoln
Argo
Zero Dark Thirty
Les MiserablesSilver Linings Playbook
Life of Pi
Django Unchained
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Moonrise Kingdom
Possibilities
Amour
Skyfall
The Master
The one year we had the strange between 5-and-10 rules (last year), gave us 9 nominees, so I'm going with that again. The top 6 through Life of Pi are solid, but after that a lot could happen. We shall see.
Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Denzel Washington, Flight
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Possibilities
Joaquin Phoneix, The Master
Jean Louis-Trintignant, Amour
Ben Affleck, Argo
This is a fierce 6-man race. Since this category has a history of leaving out my favorite male performance of the year (Michael Fassbender in Shame, Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine), I'm guessing they'll leave out Joaquin, but I really hope not.
Actress
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark ThirtyNaomi Watts, The Impossible
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
Possibilites
Quevenzhane Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea
I'm really not sure what to expect from this category. Will they really nominate two French actresses? Will they make history and go with the youngest ever nominee with Wallis? We shall see.
Supporting Actor
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Alan Arkin, ArgoRobert de Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Possibilities
Javier Bardem, Skyfall
Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike
Eddie Redmayne, Les Miserables
Samuel L. Jackson, Django Unchained
That fifth spot is a doozy-any of the possibilities could almost as easily get in as Waltz, but Django does seem to have some heat right now.
Supporting Actress
Anne Hathaway, Les MiserablesSally Field, Lincoln
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Amy Adams, The Master
Ann Dowd, Compliance
Possibilities
Maggie Smith, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy
Judi Dench, Skyfall
Samantha Barks, Les Miserables
Another confusing blur for the last spot. I've heard Dowd has been campaigning hard...
Director
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Ben Affleck, Argo
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Possibilities
Tom Hooper, Les Miserables
Michael Haneke, Amour
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom
Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
I really hope Hooper gets left out for his oddly directed movie. I didn't hate Les Mis, but its direction certainly wasn't its strength.
Original Screenplay
Zero Dark Thirty
Moonrise Kingdom
Django Unchained
Amour
The Master
Possibilites
Looper
Flight
Middle of Nowhere
Adapted Screenplay
Lincoln
Argo
Silver Linings Playbook
Life of Pi
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Possibilities
Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Sessions
Les Miserables
Anna Karenina
I won't bore you with the tech categories. Let's see how things shake out tomorrow at 5:30 am PST!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
I Dreamed a Dream of Oscar Films
And now we come to November-December of the year, when all the studios crank out their big Oscar contenders and hope voters fall in love with them. I've caught up with many of the contenders, and they've all been worthwhile viewings. Here are some brief thoughts...
Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina is quite possibly my favorite book, so I was both excited and nervous to see how a 2-hour film would condense this epic story. What director Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice) did was innovative, astonishing, and about 90% successful. Instead of going for the typical period scope and bombast, he brought the action in, staging most of the action in an old theater. This gives the movie a theatricality similar to Moulin Rogue that will probably work better for some viewers than others. Keira Knightley certainly puts her own spin on Anna, and Jude Law is a terrific and sympathetic Karenin. As in the book, much of the emotional pull comes from the love story of Kitty and Lenin, and I do wish they had a bit more screen time. The movie didn't conform to my impressions of the novel, but it did something a bit more important, gave me a good spin on the novel.
Grade: A-
I Am His Mistress
Anna Karenina
— MOVIECLIPS.com
Les Miserables
In my mind, Les Miserables is kind of the definition of a mixed bag, with moments of incredible beauty and power mixed in with some really clunky mistakes. First the good. Anne Hathaway is as amazing as you've heard as the doomed Fantine, and she will be winning the Supporting Actress Oscar. Her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" is a highlight of the film. Hugh Jackman is good as well, but the revelation to me was Eddie Redmayne, who has a beautiful voice as well as strong acting skills. I can't believe he hasn't been more in the Supporting Actor conversation. Now for my qualms.... Director Tom Hooper shoots everything in close-up, which becomes a bit tiring after a while and loses a sense of sweep and scope in the movie. Russell Crowe is actually a better singer than I feared, but he seemed to be concentrating so hard on his notes that he forgot to work on the acting skills of Javert. His scenes and songs are big momentum-stoppers in the movie. My other issues I think have to do with the source material itself. Condensing a 1000 page book into a musical certainly causes emotional shortcuts that can seem almost laughable, such as when Valjean goes from seeing Marius once to singing "He's like the son I might have known." In the end, I didn't cry once during the movie, and a Les Mis that doesn't make me cry can't be counted as wholly successful. Definitely worth seeing to see if it moves you, and to see some great performances, but I'm praying very hard it isn't crowned Best Picture on Oscar night.
Grade: B-
Life of Pi
I'll start with a flat-out rave. The middle section of Ang Lee's Life of Pi, where a young man and a tiger struggle for survival on a lifeboat, is among the best adventure stories ever told on film. The cinematic artistry and special effects are astonishing, and we are with the characters every step of the way. It's a great thing that this section is about 70% (?) of the movie, because what bookends this section is certainly not up to its level. Lee decides to surround the whole magical story with a clunky framing device involving a writer interviewing the older Pi. While it exists in the book, I think this is a case where some parts of the book should have been discarded, as they don't quite work on the screen and cause the movie to lose a bit of the magic. But when it comes to that middle section, thinking back on it weeks later I'm still amazed and moved.
Grade: B+
Lincoln
Throughout the summer and fall, I've seen so many movies I've really really liked that haven't tripped that "masterpiece" button for me. Immediately after Lincoln, I knew I had seen a "masterpiece," the best movie I've seen in 2012. Steven Spielberg makes one of his best movies ever in this depiction of Lincoln's passing of the 13th Amendment. I'm a big fan of biopics that don't try to cram in a whole life, and this one stays tight and focused, and thus in the end actually says more about Lincoln's life. Playwright Tony Kushner write a remarkable screenplay that manages to be profound, suspenseful, and delightfully talky all at the same time. The enormous, accomplished ensemble is amazing, particularly Daniel Day-Lewis (my vote for our greatest working actor) as Lincoln and an incredible Tommy Lee Jones as abolitionist firebrand Thaddeus Stevens. An great movie that has a strong possibility of becoming a true American classic.
Grade: A
Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Linings Playbook is an off-kilter, goofy, rambling, and completely delightful romantic comedy with great performances by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. It took me a few minutes to figure out the rhythm of the movie, but once I fell into its sway I was won over. Cooper and Lawrence play two mentally-damaged characters who connect to find some happiness in their life. Just as he turned a sports movie into something much quirkier and interesting in The Fighter, here director David O. Russell turns a movie full of indie-comedy elements into something really fresh and refreshing. I would love to watch it again now.
Grade: A-
What Meds Are You On?
Silver Linings Playbook
— MOVIECLIPS.com
Skyfall
Not being a huge James Bond fan (I'm more of a Bourne man myself when it comes to action movies), I wasn't chomping at the bit to see Skyfall, but the close-to-ecstatic reviews and huge pedigree (director Sam Mendes, Javier Bardem) made me see it and I'm glad I did. While I still think some of the James Bond tropes are more laughable than entertaining (I'm thinking of you, scene with Asian villains and a lethal komodo dragon), this movie is chock full of great set-pieces, including an amazing opening and a highly stylized chase in a modern tower. Daniel Craig and Judi Dench also make a terrific pair, since in this movie M is just about as important as Bond. While the movie is probably about 20 minutes too long, it's undeniably entertaining and a worthy addition to the franchise.
Grade: B
Take the Shot
Skyfall
— MOVIECLIPS.com
Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina is quite possibly my favorite book, so I was both excited and nervous to see how a 2-hour film would condense this epic story. What director Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice) did was innovative, astonishing, and about 90% successful. Instead of going for the typical period scope and bombast, he brought the action in, staging most of the action in an old theater. This gives the movie a theatricality similar to Moulin Rogue that will probably work better for some viewers than others. Keira Knightley certainly puts her own spin on Anna, and Jude Law is a terrific and sympathetic Karenin. As in the book, much of the emotional pull comes from the love story of Kitty and Lenin, and I do wish they had a bit more screen time. The movie didn't conform to my impressions of the novel, but it did something a bit more important, gave me a good spin on the novel.
Grade: A-
I Am His Mistress
Anna Karenina
— MOVIECLIPS.com
Les Miserables
In my mind, Les Miserables is kind of the definition of a mixed bag, with moments of incredible beauty and power mixed in with some really clunky mistakes. First the good. Anne Hathaway is as amazing as you've heard as the doomed Fantine, and she will be winning the Supporting Actress Oscar. Her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" is a highlight of the film. Hugh Jackman is good as well, but the revelation to me was Eddie Redmayne, who has a beautiful voice as well as strong acting skills. I can't believe he hasn't been more in the Supporting Actor conversation. Now for my qualms.... Director Tom Hooper shoots everything in close-up, which becomes a bit tiring after a while and loses a sense of sweep and scope in the movie. Russell Crowe is actually a better singer than I feared, but he seemed to be concentrating so hard on his notes that he forgot to work on the acting skills of Javert. His scenes and songs are big momentum-stoppers in the movie. My other issues I think have to do with the source material itself. Condensing a 1000 page book into a musical certainly causes emotional shortcuts that can seem almost laughable, such as when Valjean goes from seeing Marius once to singing "He's like the son I might have known." In the end, I didn't cry once during the movie, and a Les Mis that doesn't make me cry can't be counted as wholly successful. Definitely worth seeing to see if it moves you, and to see some great performances, but I'm praying very hard it isn't crowned Best Picture on Oscar night.
Grade: B-
Life of Pi
I'll start with a flat-out rave. The middle section of Ang Lee's Life of Pi, where a young man and a tiger struggle for survival on a lifeboat, is among the best adventure stories ever told on film. The cinematic artistry and special effects are astonishing, and we are with the characters every step of the way. It's a great thing that this section is about 70% (?) of the movie, because what bookends this section is certainly not up to its level. Lee decides to surround the whole magical story with a clunky framing device involving a writer interviewing the older Pi. While it exists in the book, I think this is a case where some parts of the book should have been discarded, as they don't quite work on the screen and cause the movie to lose a bit of the magic. But when it comes to that middle section, thinking back on it weeks later I'm still amazed and moved.
Grade: B+
Lincoln
Throughout the summer and fall, I've seen so many movies I've really really liked that haven't tripped that "masterpiece" button for me. Immediately after Lincoln, I knew I had seen a "masterpiece," the best movie I've seen in 2012. Steven Spielberg makes one of his best movies ever in this depiction of Lincoln's passing of the 13th Amendment. I'm a big fan of biopics that don't try to cram in a whole life, and this one stays tight and focused, and thus in the end actually says more about Lincoln's life. Playwright Tony Kushner write a remarkable screenplay that manages to be profound, suspenseful, and delightfully talky all at the same time. The enormous, accomplished ensemble is amazing, particularly Daniel Day-Lewis (my vote for our greatest working actor) as Lincoln and an incredible Tommy Lee Jones as abolitionist firebrand Thaddeus Stevens. An great movie that has a strong possibility of becoming a true American classic.
Grade: A
Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Linings Playbook is an off-kilter, goofy, rambling, and completely delightful romantic comedy with great performances by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. It took me a few minutes to figure out the rhythm of the movie, but once I fell into its sway I was won over. Cooper and Lawrence play two mentally-damaged characters who connect to find some happiness in their life. Just as he turned a sports movie into something much quirkier and interesting in The Fighter, here director David O. Russell turns a movie full of indie-comedy elements into something really fresh and refreshing. I would love to watch it again now.
Grade: A-
What Meds Are You On?
Silver Linings Playbook
— MOVIECLIPS.com
Skyfall
Not being a huge James Bond fan (I'm more of a Bourne man myself when it comes to action movies), I wasn't chomping at the bit to see Skyfall, but the close-to-ecstatic reviews and huge pedigree (director Sam Mendes, Javier Bardem) made me see it and I'm glad I did. While I still think some of the James Bond tropes are more laughable than entertaining (I'm thinking of you, scene with Asian villains and a lethal komodo dragon), this movie is chock full of great set-pieces, including an amazing opening and a highly stylized chase in a modern tower. Daniel Craig and Judi Dench also make a terrific pair, since in this movie M is just about as important as Bond. While the movie is probably about 20 minutes too long, it's undeniably entertaining and a worthy addition to the franchise.
Grade: B
Take the Shot
Skyfall
— MOVIECLIPS.com
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Recent Screenings
I've been woefully absent from the blog lately, but have definitely seen some interesting movies of 2012. Here are some (very) quick thoughts on what I've been catching up with.
The Master
It may be the best movie I've seen so far this year, but you may (depending on your tolerance for ambiguity) also hate it. A movie that compels and repels at the same time, giving us hypnotic images and gorgeous cinematography in the service of some alienating characters. Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman give brilliant performances in Paul Thomas Anderson's epic that plumbs the depth of a damaged psyche and his relationship with a cult leader. What Anderson is saying about American society I am still deciphering and debating, but it has definitely stuck with me.
Grade: A-
Argo
A wonderfully paced, completely engaging, nailbitingly tense look at one small aspect of the Iranian hostage crisis. The two hours zip by, and Ben Affleck (who made the very good crime films Gone Baby Gone and The Town) takes a step up in ambition and scope. A really good movie-my only qualm is its overdramitization in some of its final moments. I fully expect this to be a major Oscar player.
Grade: A-
Looper
A time-travel movie that manages to be wholly original in the service of an action-packed and thought-provoking story. All three lead actors (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt) are great, and it ends with quite an original twist. I could have done with a bit more nerdy time-travel stuff and less action, but perhaps that's just me.
Grade: B/B+
The Dark Knight Rises
Does a lot of what Nolan's Batman movies have done best-great action pieces, good backstory, and a compelling cast. I also loved Anne Hathaway, who brought a sense of fun to her role as Selina Kyle (AKA Catwoman). At times, though, I wish Nolan would give in a bit more to the playfulness of superhero movies instead of making everything so crushingly dark and self-serious. It also has a lead villain (Bane) who suffers quite a bit in the charisma department. Certainly not as strong as The Dark Knight, but a worthy end to the trilogy.
Grade: B
The Bourne Legacy
Matt Damon's gone, but Jeremy Renner does a great job of taking over and adding another chapter of the tense, brainy (for action films), and fast-paced Bourne movies. Rachel Weisz is also great as Renner's partner in fleeing from nefarious agents. I saw this a couple of months ago and honestly don't remember all the ins and outs of the plot, but it was a lot of fun to watch.
Grade: B
The Sessions
This Sundance-hit is about a disabled man in an iron lung (John Hawkes) who sets out to experience sex for the first time with a "sex surrogate" (Helen Hunt). Despite the topic, the movie actually manages to be quite sweet and almost tasteful. It also goes about every place you would expect it to, and doesn't give many surprises. I enjoyed it, but kept wishing these two great performances were in a movie that was a little tougher or more complex. You'll definitely see both Hawkes' and Hunt's names on Oscar nomination morning.
Grade: B/B-
Safety Not Guaranteed
Like Looper, also about time travel... and that's where the similarities end. An indie comedy that doesn't push the quirkiness too far. Modest to the extreme, but fun to watch and I really liked Aubrey Plaza (April from Parks and Recreation) in her deadpan role that allowed her flashes of heart.
Grade: B-
The Avengers
The megahit of the summer has a great cast having lots of fun with their roles. My favorites were Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. I liked it and its sense of fun, but like many action movies, I eventually got tired of the chase scenes.
Grade: B-
The Campaign
Saw this when I did a summer double screening. Definitely some funny bits, but it felt too long even at less than 90 minutes. Zach Galifanikis actually outdoes Will Ferrel in funny moments. Worth a look on DVD if you are fans of the actors.
Grade: C+
The Master
It may be the best movie I've seen so far this year, but you may (depending on your tolerance for ambiguity) also hate it. A movie that compels and repels at the same time, giving us hypnotic images and gorgeous cinematography in the service of some alienating characters. Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman give brilliant performances in Paul Thomas Anderson's epic that plumbs the depth of a damaged psyche and his relationship with a cult leader. What Anderson is saying about American society I am still deciphering and debating, but it has definitely stuck with me. Grade: A-
Argo
A wonderfully paced, completely engaging, nailbitingly tense look at one small aspect of the Iranian hostage crisis. The two hours zip by, and Ben Affleck (who made the very good crime films Gone Baby Gone and The Town) takes a step up in ambition and scope. A really good movie-my only qualm is its overdramitization in some of its final moments. I fully expect this to be a major Oscar player.
Grade: A-
Looper
A time-travel movie that manages to be wholly original in the service of an action-packed and thought-provoking story. All three lead actors (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt) are great, and it ends with quite an original twist. I could have done with a bit more nerdy time-travel stuff and less action, but perhaps that's just me.
Grade: B/B+
The Dark Knight Rises
Does a lot of what Nolan's Batman movies have done best-great action pieces, good backstory, and a compelling cast. I also loved Anne Hathaway, who brought a sense of fun to her role as Selina Kyle (AKA Catwoman). At times, though, I wish Nolan would give in a bit more to the playfulness of superhero movies instead of making everything so crushingly dark and self-serious. It also has a lead villain (Bane) who suffers quite a bit in the charisma department. Certainly not as strong as The Dark Knight, but a worthy end to the trilogy.
Grade: B
The Bourne Legacy
Matt Damon's gone, but Jeremy Renner does a great job of taking over and adding another chapter of the tense, brainy (for action films), and fast-paced Bourne movies. Rachel Weisz is also great as Renner's partner in fleeing from nefarious agents. I saw this a couple of months ago and honestly don't remember all the ins and outs of the plot, but it was a lot of fun to watch.
Grade: B
The Sessions
This Sundance-hit is about a disabled man in an iron lung (John Hawkes) who sets out to experience sex for the first time with a "sex surrogate" (Helen Hunt). Despite the topic, the movie actually manages to be quite sweet and almost tasteful. It also goes about every place you would expect it to, and doesn't give many surprises. I enjoyed it, but kept wishing these two great performances were in a movie that was a little tougher or more complex. You'll definitely see both Hawkes' and Hunt's names on Oscar nomination morning.
Grade: B/B-
Safety Not Guaranteed
Like Looper, also about time travel... and that's where the similarities end. An indie comedy that doesn't push the quirkiness too far. Modest to the extreme, but fun to watch and I really liked Aubrey Plaza (April from Parks and Recreation) in her deadpan role that allowed her flashes of heart.
Grade: B-
The Avengers
The megahit of the summer has a great cast having lots of fun with their roles. My favorites were Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. I liked it and its sense of fun, but like many action movies, I eventually got tired of the chase scenes.
Grade: B-
The Campaign
Saw this when I did a summer double screening. Definitely some funny bits, but it felt too long even at less than 90 minutes. Zach Galifanikis actually outdoes Will Ferrel in funny moments. Worth a look on DVD if you are fans of the actors.
Grade: C+
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Vertigo: Watching Sight and Sound's Greatest Films
Every 10 years, since 1952, the British film magazine Sight and Sound polls
critics and directors on the "Greatest Films" ever made.
For cinema fanatics (and list fanatics) such as myself, it's a major event.
My wife Emily and I are planning on watching the top 10, 1 by 1, and
having a conversation about them here on the blog. We'll start with
#1, Vertigo, and move on down the list.
1. Vertigo (Hitchcock)
2. Citizen Kane (Welles)
3. Tokyo Story (Ozu)
4. The Rules of the Game (Renoir)
5. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (Murnau)
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick)
7. The Searchers (Ford)
8. Man with a Movie Camera (Vertov)
9. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Dreyer)
10. 8 1/2 (Fellini)
We hope you enjoy!
Ben:
Vertigo
is only the third film to hold the top spot on
the list.
Bicycle Thieves held it in 1952 and Citizen Kane had a long run on
the
top spot. from 1962-2002. Vertigo first appeared on the list in 1982
at
#7, moved to #4 in 1992, and to #2 by 2002. It was a bit of a
shock to
see Citizen Kane off the top, but I guess this was probably
the least
surprising film to topple Kane.
Vertigo is a film by one of just about
everyone's favorite directors,
Alfred Hitchcock, and is his only film to ever make
the top 10 list.
It came out in 1958 and was considered something of a box
office
failure. It starts James Stewart as a man hired to follow another
man's
wife (Kim Novak), who seems to be entranced by a dead woman. To
say much
more would ruin the many pleasures of discovery in the movie.
I hadn't
seen this movie in probably 15 years, and it was quite an
amazing experience to
watch it again. The themes in this movie seem
so modern, and so
influential, that its hard to believe what Hitchcock
could do in 1958.
Emily, I guess I'll ask you a few questions to get us started:
-Why do you think critics are gaga for this film?
-What was your favorite shot or sequence in the film?
-Is Scottie (played by the usually lovable James Stewart) one of the most twisted protagonists in film history?
Emily:
This was my first time seeing Vertigo, and I have to say it was
pretty entrancing. The twists, turns, eeriness, darkness, and
obsessiveness -all juxtaposed with the striking backdrop of sunny San Francisco -really drew me in, and probably the critics too. It's interesting
to know this was originally considered only a marginal success, given
how well it's known today.
My favorite sequences were the really spooky moments. Can I say
two? The first was when Scottie and Madeleine are in Muir Woods, looking
at the tree rings on the redwoods. Madeleine flips into Carlota mode, showing Scottie when she was born and... when she died. Chilling.
And kudos to Hitchcock for taking advantage of this gorgeous setting.
The
second is when the remade-as-Madeline Judy emerges from the
bathroom in a haze, in her pulled back blonde hair and gray suit. The way
it's shot gives it this great ghostly feel.
While I am definitely no film historian, so can't say whether
Scottie is the most twisted character in film history, I'd have to think
he's probably right up there! It's like being obsessed with the past and dead women is contagious - first in the case of Madeleine, then in
the
case of Scottie. And it leads him to say and do some pretty bizarre things.
So let me ask you:
-Why the change in momentum in this film's critical acclaim?
-What directorial elements did you appreciate most?
Ben:
Ah, yes. I also appreciate the spooky moments, and I also
love how they're also infused with romanticism. I especially love a
couple scenes. First, where Scottie follows Madeline down a
downtown alley and spies on her as she browses a dazzling array of flowers.
So
beautiful and heady. I also love the 360 degree camera
angle when they embrace and it switches between their current locale and
the mission.
The change in criticism came for a couple of reasons. I
think the themes of this movie were a little disturbing for early
audiences, who didn't flock to this movie as much as his "fun" movies
like Rear Window or North by Northwest.
Also, during most of his career, Hitchcock was considered
talented and popular, but also somewhat of a genre filmmaker. It took
some of the European critics to elevate him to his much deserved masterful
status. What they loved about him was his command of the craft and psychological undertones, and this movie fits this to a T.
As a side note, it only shows how great he is that Vertigo is probably my
3rd or 4th favorite movie of his. I love Rear Window and Psycho
even more.
What directorial choices did I like most? I love the
technicolor and the amazing score by Bernard Hermann. I also love how much
he uses visuals to tell the story. We'll be getting to some silent
films later in our viewings, but I think he really took a lot of
visual storytelling from past films into Vertigo. There are
several sequences where words don't happen for quite a while and we are
simply transfixed by the score, the visuals, and Kim Novak's hair
twist....
It just makes me want to watch the whole thing again.
I also love how it influenced one of my other favorite movies,
David Lynch's Mulholland Drive. The mystery, the doubles, the
changing of style, and the twisted romanticism. It's all there so
beautifully in both films.
Any closing thoughts?
Emily:
Yeah, it definitely makes me want to watch Mulholland Drive again (another great movie!), and take notice of the influences. Another blog conversation for another time?
A couple final thoughts. First, I wanted to mention was that there were several points where I thought Scottie's misogyny and the
general portrayal of women was kind of over the top, and wasn't sure if
this was a product of the time or Hitchcock's own views. But then some
of the unpredictable turns in the storyline end up adding complexity
to the question of who holds the power. What's your feminist critique?
Then finally, I would just want to add for those who have never
seen Vertigo before, go put it in your queue! It was truly a riveting watch, and a film I'd highly recommend seeing.
Ben:
Yes, the misogyny was over the top, but I think the movie is
fully aware of that. Scottie's obsession with recreating a
certain type of woman is creepy and crazy. I also think the most
accessible and sympathetic character in the movie is Scottie's friend (and
admirer) Midge, played by Barbara Bel Geddes. She definitely seems
like a modern, independent woman. And yet, Hitchcock definitely
had a thing for cool, icy, blondes, and put them through all sorts of
travails in his movies. I think a reason critics obsess over this
movie so much is the psychological underpinnings that give us a peek into
Hitchock's own psyche.
So yes, go see it!
Next
Up (Probably in October): Just a little movie called Citizen Kane!
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The Movies of 2012 (So Far)
Since it's been a bit since I've blogged, I thought I'd start by catching up on the 2012 releases I've seen so far. There are definitely some movies well-worth catching, several of which feature great performances by young actors. So, in order of preference....
The Kid With a Bike
I'm a huge fan of the Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. In all their movies, such as L'Enfant (The Child) and La Promesse, they present real moral quandaries in the context of working-class European settings far removed from the stops of tourists. The Kid With a Bike is about Cyril, a 12-year-old living in a state run facility after his dad abandons him. While searching for his father (and his beloved bike), he meets Samantha, a neighbor who he befriends and ends up staying with on the weekends. What follows is a beautiful journey of falls and redemptions. Young Thomas Doret is astonishing in one of the best child performances I've seen, and Cecile de France matches him as an ordinary woman with a remarkable soul.
Grade: A-
Take This Waltz
A movie that I've thought about just about every day in the last two weeks since I've seen it. It's about Margot (Michelle Williams), a young Canadian woman married to Lou (Seth Rogen) who begins an intense and confusing flirtation with her neighbor Daniel (Luke Kirby). To tell anymore of the plot would ruin much of the movie's depth. The director is the young Sarah Polley, who also directed the excellent Alzheimers-drama Away From Her. In Take This Waltz, she plumbs the emotions of thirtyish characters to make them just as searing. This certainly isn't a movie for everyone. Characters will make decisions you hate and it leaves the viewer with no easy answers. It's also unfortunately marred by a few too many nail on the head dialogue moments. The cast is excellent, particularly Michelle Williams in another remarkable performance. She's easily one of the best actresses currently working. When you've seen it, I'd love to discuss!
Grade: A-
Moonrise Kingdom
Director Wes Anderson and I have had a complicated relationship. I fell in love with his distinctive style and emotions in Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. I was then intensely annoyed with the 100-steps-too-cute The Life Acquatic with Steve Zissou and left cold (or at least tepid) by The Darjeeling Limited. So, I went into Moonrise Kingdom with trepidation as it looked like it might be too cute by half. I was pleasantly surprised by how funny, well acted, and consistently delightful it was. Yes, it includes all of Anderson's trademark quirks, but here they served the story quite well. It's almost a Romeo and Juliet story as two young teens, an orphan and a girl stuck in an unhappy family make their way into the New England wilderness. There are jokes a plenty but also some real emotion. It's easily the best he's been since The Royal Tenenbaums.
Grade: B+ (or maybe A-)
Beasts of the Southern Wild
With a first-time director, an amazing lead performance by a then 6-year-old, and a visual style all its own, Beasts of the Southern Wild was a Sundance hit and probably the buzziest independent film of the summer. It's a movie I don't want to say too much about. Think Huck Finn, connections to Hurricane Katrina, and a large dose of magical realism. It's vibrant, colorful, loud, action packed, and undeniably emotional. I expect it will keep building audiences and become an indie hit and will probably play in the Oscar race. And yet, something about it didn't feel quite right to me. As much love and care went into crafting the community in the film, I think it carries a whiff of sentimental condescension towards its characters and sometimes flirts with the "noble savage" archetype. It's a tribute to the amazing, the young Quevenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry, that they are able to create such indelible characters as to make the audience look past this. So, while I'm only giving it a B, it's definitely a movie you should see and you very well might love.
Grade: B
And, some very quick thoughts.....
The Grey
A survival drama starring Liam Neeson. It's about men in a plane crash who have to survive Alaska and a pack of wolves. Spare, tense, and some great Alaska scenery. Gets a little redundant, but also well made.
Grade: B-
Jeff, Who Lives at Home
I saw this movie only a couple weeks ago, and I pretty much already forgot it. Really innocuous and inconsequential, although I do really like Jason Segal.
Grade: C
The Kid With a Bike
I'm a huge fan of the Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. In all their movies, such as L'Enfant (The Child) and La Promesse, they present real moral quandaries in the context of working-class European settings far removed from the stops of tourists. The Kid With a Bike is about Cyril, a 12-year-old living in a state run facility after his dad abandons him. While searching for his father (and his beloved bike), he meets Samantha, a neighbor who he befriends and ends up staying with on the weekends. What follows is a beautiful journey of falls and redemptions. Young Thomas Doret is astonishing in one of the best child performances I've seen, and Cecile de France matches him as an ordinary woman with a remarkable soul.Grade: A-
Take This Waltz
A movie that I've thought about just about every day in the last two weeks since I've seen it. It's about Margot (Michelle Williams), a young Canadian woman married to Lou (Seth Rogen) who begins an intense and confusing flirtation with her neighbor Daniel (Luke Kirby). To tell anymore of the plot would ruin much of the movie's depth. The director is the young Sarah Polley, who also directed the excellent Alzheimers-drama Away From Her. In Take This Waltz, she plumbs the emotions of thirtyish characters to make them just as searing. This certainly isn't a movie for everyone. Characters will make decisions you hate and it leaves the viewer with no easy answers. It's also unfortunately marred by a few too many nail on the head dialogue moments. The cast is excellent, particularly Michelle Williams in another remarkable performance. She's easily one of the best actresses currently working. When you've seen it, I'd love to discuss!
Grade: A-
Moonrise Kingdom
Director Wes Anderson and I have had a complicated relationship. I fell in love with his distinctive style and emotions in Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. I was then intensely annoyed with the 100-steps-too-cute The Life Acquatic with Steve Zissou and left cold (or at least tepid) by The Darjeeling Limited. So, I went into Moonrise Kingdom with trepidation as it looked like it might be too cute by half. I was pleasantly surprised by how funny, well acted, and consistently delightful it was. Yes, it includes all of Anderson's trademark quirks, but here they served the story quite well. It's almost a Romeo and Juliet story as two young teens, an orphan and a girl stuck in an unhappy family make their way into the New England wilderness. There are jokes a plenty but also some real emotion. It's easily the best he's been since The Royal Tenenbaums.
Grade: B+ (or maybe A-)
Beasts of the Southern Wild
With a first-time director, an amazing lead performance by a then 6-year-old, and a visual style all its own, Beasts of the Southern Wild was a Sundance hit and probably the buzziest independent film of the summer. It's a movie I don't want to say too much about. Think Huck Finn, connections to Hurricane Katrina, and a large dose of magical realism. It's vibrant, colorful, loud, action packed, and undeniably emotional. I expect it will keep building audiences and become an indie hit and will probably play in the Oscar race. And yet, something about it didn't feel quite right to me. As much love and care went into crafting the community in the film, I think it carries a whiff of sentimental condescension towards its characters and sometimes flirts with the "noble savage" archetype. It's a tribute to the amazing, the young Quevenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry, that they are able to create such indelible characters as to make the audience look past this. So, while I'm only giving it a B, it's definitely a movie you should see and you very well might love.
Grade: B
And, some very quick thoughts.....
The Grey
A survival drama starring Liam Neeson. It's about men in a plane crash who have to survive Alaska and a pack of wolves. Spare, tense, and some great Alaska scenery. Gets a little redundant, but also well made.
Grade: B-
Jeff, Who Lives at Home
I saw this movie only a couple weeks ago, and I pretty much already forgot it. Really innocuous and inconsequential, although I do really like Jason Segal.
Grade: C
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