Global Glimpses: A Secret in their Eyes & The White Ribbon

Living in DC, I'm fortunate enough to take in the screenings of the foreign films at the National Geographic headquarters. This is the third year I've gone, and I caught two of the movies: The Secret in their Eyes (Argentina) and The White Ribbon (Germany).

The Secret in their Eyes

This Argentinian film is about Benjamin Esposito, a man writing a novel about a brutal rape and murder case that was closed 25 years earlier. Interspersed with the main story is the unrequited love between the man and his boss, Irene. The movie explores the meaning of justice and what it means in the corrupt Argentinian system of the time.

The movie was enjoyable to watch, but I expected a bit more from it. Rather than a complex story, it was basically a police procedural with a little added social commentary. Certain moments stretch the limits of plausibility, especially an interrogation scene. While the movie ends on a strong note, it gets there much too quickly, jumping around all kinds of plot points to get there. There is another reading of the film that makes it a bit more interesting, but I think the filmmakers could have done more with the ending. The lead actors in the film were all excellent, and there is an absolutely riveting tracking shot midway through the movie showing an exciting chase. Overall, an engaging and interesting movie, but not a great one.

Grade: B

The White Ribbon

Here's the great one. The White Ribbon is a story of a German town in 1913, told in stunning black-and-white, and telling a riveting and disturbing story. While the movie was fairly long, I wasn't bored the whole way through.

The movie concerns a set of violent acts that come upon this town. As the movie goes along, we get to know many of the citizens of the small town. Some, such as the young schoolteacher and the nanny to the baron, are full of youth and goodness. Others, particularly the doctor and pastor, are full of character flaws which infect the town.

Many of the main characters in this town are the children, and I've never seen a better group of child actors. Much of the point of the movie is how the behavior and values of the adults are transferred on to the children in this town. As I said, this movie takes place in 1913 in Germany, so travel 25 years into the future and imagine what place in history these children will take..... That said, I don't think director Michael Haneke is making a simplistic morality tale. He makes you think about what children take from their surroundings and when innocence ends. In typical Haneke fashion (he made the brilliant but ambiguous Cache in 2005), The White Ribbon does not end with easy resolution. As a great director and provocateur, he forces us to draw our own conclusions about many of the events of the film. In a traditional film, you get the answer and leave it at the movie theater door. In The White Ribbon, you are guaranteed to talk about it for long afterward. I'm a bit disappointed I already published my Top 10 list, because The White Ribbon would easily make the Top 5.

Grade: A

I'm really struggling with my thoughts on what will win the Foreign Language Oscar. In the past few years, many critically-acclaimed films that are slightly offbeat (Pan's Labyrinth, Waltz with Bashir) have been pushed aside for more traditional narratives. Will they recognize the filmmaking qualities of The White Ribbon despite its unconventional narrative? The enjoyable narrative of A Secret in their Eyes despite its somewhat lightweight familiarity? Or perhaps the widely acclaimed crime drama A Prophet despite its violence? I can see them going any way this year.

Best Performances of 2009: Actor and Actress

Following up with my own movie awards, here are my top 5 lead Actors and Actresses. Unlike the supporting categories, there is no overlap among the nominees, perhaps because almost all of these performances dominate their movie in a way that make other performances seem supporting.

Best Actor

Almost Made It:

Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

Soulemayne Sy Svane, Goodbye Solo

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart: As you know (if you've seen it), Bridges gives an astonishingly good,

lived-in, from the soul performance as Bad Blake, a washed-up country singer you can't help but

like despite his many issues. I also give Bridges bonus points for doing a great job singing in the movie.

George Clooney, Up in the Air: A quintessential Clooney role, but in my mind this is the best he's

been. Ryan Bingham starts the movie full of confidence and swagger, but Clooney allows the

cracks to slowly show themselves throughout the film.

Joaquin Phoenix, Two Lovers: If Phoenix is really done with acting (which I hope isn't true), his performance as Leonard in this movie stands as the height of his acting talent. As an aimless and

suicidal young man still living with his Orthodox Jewish parents, he shows us the internal pull of being pulled between two women, one representing his parent's hopes for him (Vinessa Shaw), and another a glamorous but dangerous alternative (Gwyneth Paltrow). This movie came and went, but Phoenix's performance is one to savor.

Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker: For a good half of the movie, the audience does not know a lot

about Sergeant William James except for his recklessness. With more action than dialogue, Renner allows us to see into him until, in the final heartbreaking scenes of the movie, we feel we fully understand his psyche.

Sam Rockwell, Moon: Rockwell, as Sam Bell, is more or less the only actor in this film, and he carries the movie beautifully. Without giving away too much of the movie, I'll say that Rockwell

must play very different emotions, and he does so with great skill and emotion.

My favorite: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

Runner-up: Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Best Actress

Almost made it:

Amy Adams, Sunshine Cleaning

Penelope Cruz, Broken Embraces

Abbie Cornish, Bright Star: Cornish's quiet but forceful performance as Fanny Brawne, who falls

in love with poet John Keats, is the soul of this film. Rarely have I seen an actress portray the emotions of falling in love so perceptively.

Carey Mulligan, An Education: As Jenny, the young British girl eager to grow up, Mulligan absolutely carries this movie. While portraying a highly intelligent woman, Mulligan also allows

her character's girlish emotions and naivete come through at crucial points in the performance. She's been compared to Audrey Hepburn, and I think it's absolutely appropriate.

Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Sidibe's performance in the title role takes us through many

moments of hardship and a few moments of hard-fought triumph. Sidibe speaks as if it hurts, and she makes sure we know that Precious' words come from a deep place.

Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia: What could have been a caricature becomes a full-throated, human

performance in the hands of our greatest actress. Streep makes you smile with joy at every moment when Julia Child is on the screen.

Tilda Swinton, Julia: This Julia is 100 degrees removed from Julia Child. An alcoholic, amoral,

train wreck of a woman who kidnaps a young boy for the money. Swinton doesn't play this role with any nod towards audience sympathy, but by the end of the movie she has gained a little anyway, simply by showing us the humanity and reckless desperation of her character.

My favorite (in a very tough choice): Carey Mulligan, An Eduation

Runner-up: Tilda Swinton, Julia

Best Performances of 2009: Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress

Now that I've done my Top 10 list for the year, here are my thoughts on the best performances of the year, or my ideal Oscar nominees.

I'll start with the supporting characters. While I can't argue with Christoph Waltz and Mo'Nique hogging all the awards, there is a wealth of supporting talent. Three movies in particular (An Education, Inglorious Basterds, and Up in the Air) claim six of the ten supporting spots.

Best Supporting Actor

Almost Made It:

Peter Capaldi, In the Loop

Stanley Tucci, Julie & Julia

Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker: Jeremy Renner has been getting most of the acting

attention for The Hurt Locker, but Mackie is just as pivotal in his role as Sergeant Sanborn, the more stable, but no less conflicted, member of the bomb-disposal unit.

Fred Melamed, A Serious Man: His role as Cy Ableman is fairly small, but his scenes are probably the funniest of the movie. His smarmy performance perfectly captures the

indignity the main character feels when his wife leaves him for this man.

Peter Saarsgard, An Education: Saarsgard has probably the trickiest role in this film as David, the seducer of young Jenny. He has to walk a fine

line between charming and questionable, or the movie won't work. He does it perfectly, and makes a great counterpoint to Carey Mulligan's performance.

Paul Schneider, Bright Star: I've admired Schneider's supporting performances in Lars and the Real Girl, The Assasination of Jesse James..., and Away We Go. I hardly recognized him here

in his role as Charles Armitage Brown, the best friend of John Keats who attempts to keep Keats from his love Fanny Brawne. He creates a boorish character who nonetheless creates some audience sympathy with his obvious care for Keats.

Christoph Waltz, Inglorius Basterds: In his tri-lingual performance as Hans Landa, Waltz creates one of the most memorable villians of recent years. His interrogation

scene in the beginning of the movie is one of the most tense and gradually disturbing scenes I've see in a long while.

My favorite: Christoph Waltz, Inglorius Basterds

Runner-Up: Fred Melamed, A Serious Man

Best Supporting Actress

Almost Made It:

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart

Diane Kruger, Inglorius Basterds

Mo'Nique, Precious: Her performance as Mary, the abusive mother from hell, is astonishing.

Yes we hate her, but Mo'Nique also allows flashes of her character's warped thinking that allow us to understand what led her to her life.

Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air: I've already blogged about this

performance, so check out my thoughts. Impeccable.

Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air: As Natalie Keener, the counterpoint to George Clooney's Ryan Bingham, Kendrick is perfect at showing a young go-getter who comes to learn a

few new lessons about life, and becomes more human in the process.

Melanie Laurent, Inglorious Basterds: If Waltz's Hans Landa is the evil in the movie, Laurent's Shoshanna is the good. As a movie theater owner who plans a

comeuppance for the Nazis, Laurent is the pivotal ingredient in many of the best scenes in the movie. Running from the farmhouse, "waiting for the cream," and, of course, her gorgeous face on the movie screen. For all the love that Inglorious Basterds got from the Academy, I'm very surprised Laurent didn't get much recognition.

Rosamund Pike, An Education: As Helen, a friend of David, Pike is the portal to a new

world for Jenny. Easy to dismiss as vapid early in the movie, Pike adds complexity to her role as the movie continues.

My favorite: Mo'Nique (Precious)

Runner-Up: Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air)

Reviews: Crazy Heart, The Hangover, Humpday, Summer Hours

I've spent DC's recent "snopocalypse" catching up on some 2009 films, some better than others....

Crazy Heart (2009)

Jeff Bridges is on his way to a Best Actor for this one, and it's easy to see why. He is in almost every frame of the movie, and his performance is perfect. He's Bad Blake, a washed-up (albeit talented) country music singer who has jettisoned human connection for one-night stands and alcohol. He begins to see a different path when he meets a young music reporter (Maggie Gyllenhaal).

For anyone who saw The Wrestler, the outlines of this movie will be VERY familiar. While The Wrestler connected more viscerally with the viewer's emotions, this movie is much more pleasant to watch. Maybe I just like music a bit more than professional wrestling. While there is a good share of heartache, there are also some really sweet moments and the music is terrific. I had a bit of a plausability problem with the age difference in the central relationship, but Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal are good enough actors to make me believe.

Grade: B+

For your viewering pleasure, here's the central song from the movie:

The Hangover (2009)

After winning the Best Comedy award at the Golden Globes, I have to say that I was fairly disappointed in this movie. While it's buddy-comedy and guy-talk dialogue bring to mind the films of Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up), this movie doesn't have the sweetness of the characters in this movie. There are some really funny moments (Mike Tyson's scenes being my favorites), but also some really weak scenes (tasers, Chinese gangsters). The cast is pretty good, and great in the case of Zach Galifianikis as the dim-witted brother-in-law. His lines were almost always hilarious. I wish the movie was just written with a bit more wit.

Grade: C+

Humpday (2009)

A prime example of the new "mumblecore" astehetic, low-budget, talky indie movies that focus on personal relationships. While I was a bit down on Medicine for Melancholy, I liked this one a lot. It's about two friends who decide to go ahead and perform in an explicit art project together. While the movie sounds titillating, it's a lot more "naked" about the emotions of the characters than about their actions. The three main actors are great, and the movie is simultaneously awkward and fascinating to watch. Definitely recommended.

Grade: B+

Summer Hours (2009)

This French movie is about three adult children arguing over their mother's estate, filled with artistic treasures. Do they keep the estate for their children to enjoy, or do they sell it for the money? That's pretty much the plot of this very French film. The movie is abou

t modernization, globalization, and what families lose in the process. It starts beautifully, giving the viewer 30 minutes where we understand both the beauty of the estate and the relationships of the mother and her children. The middle of the movie is a bit of a let-down, as the characters talk of their plans for the villa. The ending of this movie is both heartbreaking and beautiful, as the grandchildren have a last hurrah at the estate. Lots to think about, but I wish it had gone a little deeper in the relationships in the film.

Grade: B

Top 10 of 2009

Introducing...... Ben's Talking Pictures "Best of 2009"

While I have not come close to seeing everything of note from the year, I think I've seen enough to make a good stab at a Top 10 list, followed by some of my own movie awards. To start, here is a list of the movies I've seen this year, grouped alphabetically by grade.

Yes, some of these grades have changed since I first saw the movie. I've been reflecting a lot on the elusive quality of "rewatchability." Do I want to watch the movie again?? If the answer is no, I can't really justify giving it a B+ (For example, Avatar, which has been downgraded). There are also a couple movies I've upgraded since I've first seen them. They have grown and expanded in my minds, and I've found it easy to upgrade their minor faults. Here's what I've seen from 2009 (41 films!).

A (Must-Sees)

Goodbye Solo, The Hurt Locker , A Serious Man, Up in the Air

A- (Highly Recomended)

Bright Star, Coraline, District 9, An Education, Moon, Precious

B+ (Recommended)

Broken Embraces, Crazy Heart, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Humpday, In the Loop, Sugar, Two Lovers, Up, Where the Wild Things Are

B (Recommended with Reservations)

Avatar, Drag Me to Hell, Duplicity, Every Little Step, I Love You Man, Inglorious Basterds, Julia, Star Trek, Summer Hours

B- (Probably Worth a View)

Adventureland, Away We Go, (500) Days of Summer, The Garden, Invictus, Julie & Julia, Lorna's Silence

C+ (Questionable)

The Hangover, Sin Nombre, Sunshine Cleaning

C (Don't Bother)

Medicine for Melancholy, Whip It

As you'll probably notice, I didn't give any grades lower than a C, and I have quite a large clump in the B/B+ range. I think this is for a couple of reasons. I love movies, but not all movies. If I did see Old Dogs or All About Steve or Transformers, you'd probably see some Ds and Fs in my list. They would have also taken many hours from my life. I tend to see movies that interest me, and I tend to, for the most part, enjoy these movies, even those that I find major faults with. So, without further ado, here are my thoughts on the Best of the Year:

The Best Movies of 2009

Runners-Up (I wish I had the room for....):

Broken Embraces: Pedro Almodvar's melodrama is full of the trademark beauty and style that we've come to expect from the master. Penelope Cruz remains a wonderful muse for the director. While this is not my favorite Almodvar, I really enjoyed the movie the whole way through.

In the Loop: This satire is the funniest comedy of the year. Profane, perceptive, and very quotable. I'd love to watch it again. You may not love the characters, but you'll definitely laugh.

Up: The first 10 minutes alone are a work of genius. If the rest of the movie doesn't quite live up to them (or, in my opinion, to Wall-E or Ratatouille), it's still another undeniable success from Pixar, and I salute it's animated place in the Best Picture race.

10. Bright Star: Avatar be damned. For my money, 19th century England as shown by director Jane Campion and her team was the most beautiful world of the year. Some might call the story slow, but it's filled with passion, beauty, and boasts a wonderful perfomance by Abbie Cornish at its center.

9. District 9: A movie I went into not knowing much about, and I'm glad. This South African sci-fi film is fast-paced, disturbing, and haunting. An allegory that doesn't hit you over the head.

8. Moon: Proof number 2 that a gripping sci-fi film does not need a $500 million dollar budget, it needs great ideas and a great story. This one stars (almost solely) Sam Rockwell as a man on a strange mission to (you guessed it) the Moon. Gripping the whole way through.

7. Coraline: 2009 was a great year for "kids" movies that played just as well (if not better) to adults, and this was my favorite. While I appreciate the uplift of Pixar, it was also nice to see a movie about childhood that plays with the subconscious fears of children. This is about a preteen thrust into an alternate universe. The visual world that Henry Selick creates is absolutely astonishing.

6. Precious: Precious has been controversial, and I think that's because it's hit a nerve. While I won't deny there are a few moments of excess in the film I wish would have been curbed, this is strong, visceral, in-your-face filmmaking that packs a serious punch. Mo'nique and Gabourey Sidibe deliver performances straight from the soul in this domestic drama about a young woman's struggle for survival.

5. An Education: Newcomer Carey Mulligan absolutely shines as a young British woman in the 1960s who learns lessons about life and love. Mulligan isn't the only draw, though. A Nick Hornby script, terrific supporting cast, and a brisk pace, and an almost perfect tone make this perhaps the most enjoyable of this year's films.

4. Goodbye Solo: Undoubtably the least-seen movie on my list. Director Ramin Bahrani made my last year's list with Chop Shop. This one is even better. It's about an unlikely friendship between a Senegalese cab driver and an elderly Southern man at the end of his life. See it now. If you have Netflix, it's even on Watch Now!

3. Up in the Air: The rare proof that, at times, Hollywood can still make grown-up movies full of smart dialogue, social commentary, and great acting. George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick could not be better in this film, and they all create fully relatable (albeit flawed) human beings.

2. The Hurt Locker: What can I add to the most heralded movie of the year? A great action film, a great suspense film, and a great war movie. The direction (by Kathryn Bigelow) and the acting (particulalry by Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie) are brilliant. A movie for the ages.

1. A Serious Man: Has a movie ever laid out a vision so dark while being so hilariously funny? This movie is the Coen Brothers at their absolute finest. They've mined their own midwestern Jewish childhood to explore serious existential themes. Absolute brilliance.

I hope you enjoyed the list! Agree? Disagree? Have it in the comments!

Reviews: Bright Star, Lorna's Silence, Whip It

A Woman's World

Due to the critical success of Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), the awards/box office success of Sandra Bullock, and the prominence of films like Precious and An Education in the Oscar race, 2009 has been widely touted as a step forward for women.

I've recently caught up with three 2009 films that focus on women, 2 of which are my women directors. While these 3 films got almost no Oscar attention (despite one costume nod), what do they have to add to this conversation?

Bright Star (2009)

Director Jane Campion's Bright Star tells the story of the romance between Romantic poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, his neighbor who falls quickly in love with both this young artist and his poetry. This movie is nothing if not a poem of its own. It's filled with images that suggest poetry and metaphor. Some of my favorites include Fanny and John communicating through a wall, Fanny and her young sister creating a roomful of butterflies, and John Keats lying in the top of a tree. Along with these gorgeously photographed images is a beautiful score and the best costumes I've seen in a long time. The costumes aren't superfluous either. Designing clothes is young Fanny's artistic endeavor, and the movie takes it seriously as the way she contributes beauty to the world.

This movie belongs to Abbie Cornish as Fanny Brawne. In a movie with, it might be said, a rather slight plot, her emotional transformation takes center stage. She begins the movie young, sarcastic, and hostile to poetry. As she falls in love with John, we can see her entire being opening up. Ben Whishaw (one of the Bob Dylans in I'm Not There) is also very good as Keats, although his performance does not require as much transformation. I also loved Paul Schneider in his supporting role as Charles Brown, Keats' poet friend who is possessive of his friend's artistic integrity in the face of love.

As in her landmark film The Piano (1993), Campion has the courage to tell her tale firmly from the female perspective. She also uses every aspect of the film to suggest the emotional undercurrent. If you require a movie with a lot of plot or high drama, this is probably not one for you to see. It took me perhaps the first 20 minutes or so to really get into the mood and style of the story. Looking back, though, the emotional content of the movie comes through clearly, and I would love to watch its images and story again.

Grade: A-



Lorna's Silence (2009)

The Dardenne brothers, from Belgium, specialize in a hyper-realistic style of movie about those who live on the margins in modern-day Europe. Lorna's Silence follows this pattern. The movie details the life of Lorna, an Albanian woman living in Belgium who wants to open her own snack bar. With the help of local mobsters, she agrees to marry a Belgian drug addict to get citizenship. Then, in turn, she can marry a Russian who wants his own citizenship.

The first half of the movie follows Lorna's relationship with Claudy, the drug addict. What starts as a business transaction morphs into something else, a way for her to help someone in need. This section of the movie is quite good. I fully bought the developing relationship between the two and wanted to follow these two wherever they would go.

The film takes a turn towards another direction about halfway through. I found this turn to significantly decrease my engagement in the movie. That said, the movie does recover for a very powerful ending that is can be construed as both a triumph for Lorna and incredibly sad. The movie is worth seeing, but if you are looking for a good introduction to the Dardenne brothers, I recommend their movie La Promesse (1996). I saw it more than 10 years ago, and I can still remember its power.

Grade: B-

Whip It(2009)

The directorial debut of....wait for it.... Drew Barrymore is an exercise in girl power. And really, there's not better place for girl power than in the world of roller derby. Ellen Page plays Bliss, a Texas teenager whose mom (Marcia Gay Harden) wants her to win beauty pageants. On a trip to Austin, she discovers roller derby, fakes her age, and signs up.

The movie is very similar to other movies you've seen where young people follow their passions against the will of their parents (Bend it Like Beckham specifically comes to mind). From the first half hour, you could probably predict about 3/4 of what is to come in the movie. Nonetheless, the actors do their best to enliven the precedings. Page is good, and I especially liked Marcia Gay Harden as her mother. She is able to bring some sympathy to a role that would be easy to caricature. I also liked Kristen Wigg as a motherly figure on the roller derby team, and Juliette Lewis as a rival roller girl (put her in more movies please!). The movie is marred by one of the most inane love stories I've seen in a long time, complete with a terrible love scene set in a pool.

Should you see it? If you go in with low expectations, there are some fun moments and the cast gives it their best shot. But there are also a lot more movies that are more worth your time. Sorry Drew, but based on this film, a great director you are not.

Grade: C

In honor of Super Bowl Sunday.....

Here is a great video from Slate. It imagines various filmmakers directing the Superbowl. My favorite? Tough choice but I'll go with Wes Anderson. Which is yours?

Nominations Announced!

Oscar Nominations Announced!

Oscar Nomination day is kind of like Christmas morning for me. I can hardly stand the anticipation. This year was even tougher. The nominations were announced at 8:38 EST, almost the exact time I am collecting my lovely 8- and 9-year-olds to begin my day teaching third grade. So unless I could find a way to turn the nominations into some kind of educational experience, I couldn't watch them live. Since I wasn't seeing them live, I decided to wait until I was home with my wife to watch them on YouTube to simulate the live experience. It was tough, but I did it. Here are the nominations in the main categories, along with how my predictions went.


Best Picture
“Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
“The Blind Side” Nominees to be determined
“District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
“An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
“The Hurt Locker” Nominees to be determined
“Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
“A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
“Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
“Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

How I did: 9/10. I only missed The Blind Side and put in Invictus instead.

All right. The big surprise here is definitely The Blind Side being included. It's also the only one of the nominations I haven't seen. Does this mean I have to see it?? It probably took the spot of Invictus, which I'm definitely not sad to have miss.

I am very excited to see A Serious Man and District 9 make the final cut. The big question is probably whether it was worth it to expand the field to 10. The reason they did it is, presumably, due to the snubs of The Dark Knight and Wall-E last year, in order to ensure that more "profitable" movies are included to draw a bigger audience to the broadcast.. I think it's safe to say the following movies would not have made the Top 5: The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, A Serious Man, and Up. With Avatar, The Blind Side, Inglorious Basterds and Up included, there are definitely some big hits in this year's race. So the producers of the awards show are probably happy today. As for film fans, , I think it is interesting to have a more diverse line-up (despite now having to live with The Blind Side being a Best Picture nominee).

Best Director
“Avatar” James Cameron
“The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
“Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
“Up in the Air” Jason Reitman

How I did: 5/5.

These would have been your 5 best picture nominees. All in all, not a bad bunch, and a little more diverse than usual. Let's hope Kathryn can go all the way to that winner's podium and place in history!

Actress
Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

How I did: 5/5.

Pretty easy to call category. It's a race between Sandra and Meryl. Based on the Best Picture nom for The Blind Side, it looks like Sandra pay have pulled ahead.

Actor
Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

How I did: 5/5

Another pretty easy category to call. I'm so happy Renner found his way to this group. For the win, it definitely looks like it's Bridges' to lose (and he probably won't).

Supporting Actress
Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

How I did: 3/5

A tough category, and I made the wrong calls. Penelope survived the Nine backlash and Maggie rode the Jeff Bridges gravy train. The race is now over. Your Oscar winner: Mo'Nique.

Supporting Actor
Matt Damon in “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

How I did: 4/5. I picked Anthony Mackie and not Christopher Plummer (my first runner-up). As I said, it was probably wishful thinking.

This category is also now over. Your winner: Christoph Waltz.

Adapted Screenplay
“District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
“An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
“In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
“Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

How I did: 4/5. I picked Crazy Heart instead of In the Loop.

I'm very excited about the nomination for In the Loop. A very funny screenplay.

Original Screenplay
“The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
“Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino
“The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
“A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy

How I did: 4/5. I picked (500) Days of Summer instead of The Messenger.

Haven't seen The Messenger, but I'm sure glad (500) Days of Summer didn't get a nomination for its overrated screenplay.

How I did overall: 39/45. 87%. Not too bad, right? The only category where I predicted less than 4 was Supporting Actress.

My Favorite Category: Adapted Screenplay. I really really like all 5 movies (District 9, An Education, In the Loop, Precious, Up in the Air)

Things that were in question that made me happy:
-In the Loop for Best Adapted Screenplay
-District 9 and A Serious Man getting Best Picture nominations
-Invictus not getting a Best Picture nomination

Things that were in question that did not make me happy:
-The Blind Side for Best Picture. Granted, I haven't seen it. But I saw the preview and feel like I already have.
-Matt Damon for Supporting Actor. He was fine, but definitely not nomination-worthy.



If you'd like to see the whole list, go right here.

Oscar Nominee Predictions

All right, here goes my best shots at the main Oscar categories..... I've divided each list into three categories: "Sure Things," "Looking Good," and "Questionable." Within each group, I've tried to put the movies in order of likelihood.

Picture

Sure Things
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Up in the Air
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
Looking Good
An Education
Up
Questionable
A Serious Man
Invictus
District 9

Runners-Up
Crazy Heart
Star Trek
The Blind Side
Nine
The Messenger
The Hangover
Julie & Julia

This new 10-wide field is killing me. The Top 5 are a cinch this year. After that, things get murky. So many questions. Invictus has been losing steam, but I'm predicting there is just enough Eastwood love for it to get in. District 9 has been gaining strength, but is the Academy ready to nominate 2 (or even 3 with Star Trek) sci-fi films in a year? Also, could Nine still recover from its critical dismissal? Could Sandra Bullock possibly carry her bit hit The Blind Side to a nomination? We shall see on Oscar morning. I definitely think there is a surprise or two lurking in this category.

Actor

Sure Things
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air

Looking Good
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus

Runners-Up
Viggo Mortenson, The Road
Tobey Maguire, Brothers
Matt Damon, The Informant

This category seems the easiest to predict. If any of those five are not named, it will be a huge shocker.

Actress

Sure Things
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Questionable
Helen Mirren, The Last Station

Runner-Up
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria

Really there is no one outside of these six I can imagine making it. I almost put Blunt in for the fifth slot, but the Academy does seem to love Helen Mirren.

Supporting Actor

Sure Things
Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Questionable
Stanely Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Matt Damon, Invictus
Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker

Runners-Up
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Alfred Molina, An Education
Christian McKay, Me and Orson Welles
Stanley Tucci, Julie & Julia
Alec Baldwin, It's Complicated

This is definitely the hardest race to predict. Putting Anthony Mackie in the fifth slot could be wishful thinking on my part. Since The Hurt Locker has a ton of momentum, though, I think it's entirely possible he will get in. I would not be surprised to see any of these gentlemen on the list come Tuesday.

Supporting Actress

Sure Things
Mo'Nique, Precious
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air

Questionable
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Melanie Laurent, Inglorious Basterds

Runners-Up
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Diane Kruger, Inglorious Basterds
Samantha Morton, The Messenger
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Marion Cotillard, Nine

Another category where I can't decide. The top 3 are easy. After that is extremely tricky..... Julianne Moore often gets nominations, so I'm guessing she'll get in. My last choice is Melanie Laurent, probably the most risky of my predictions. While she has not had much support from early awards this season, and there is some category confusion on her role (Actress or Supporting Actress?), Inglorious Basterds has been doing well and she is a very memorable part of it. I'm thinking she just might pull it off. But once again, I could see any of these 10 on the list.

Director

Sure Things
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds

Looking Good
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Lee Daniels, Precious

Runners-Up
Neil Blomkamp, District 9
Joel & Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
Lone Scherfig, An Education
Michael Haneke, The White Ribbon
Clint Eastwood, Invictus

I'm felling pretty confident about these five. The only one I can really see getting switched out is Lee Daniels.

Original Screenplay

Sure Things
Inglorious Basterds
The Hurt Locker

Looking Good
Up
A Serious Man
(500) Days of Summer

Runners-Up
The Hangover
Avatar
It's Complicated

This category also seems pretty set, but Original Screenplay has a history of putting in unexpected choices.

Adapted Screenplay

Sure Things
Up in the Air
Precious
An Education

Questionable
District 9
Crazy Heart

Runners-Up
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Julie & Julia
In the Loop
A Single Man
Invictus

Beyond the obvious top 3, this is a tough category to call. Will they go quirky indie (District 9, Mr. Fox, In the Loop), more traditional indie (Crazy Heart, A Single Man) or mainstream (Julie & Julia, Invictus)?

Overall Nominations

While I could bore you with Sound Effects Editing or Best Original Score, my expertise wears a little thin on the technical categories. I will make some guesses as to how many nominations I expect some of the top contenders to get:

Avatar: 10 (Picture, Director, Cinematography, Art Direction, Editing, Score, Song, Visual Effects, Sound Effects, Sound Effects Editing)

The Hurt Locker: 9 (Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Original Screenplay, Editing, Cinematography, Sound, Sound Editing)

Inglorious Basterds: 9 (Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costume Design, Editing)

Up in the Air: 7 (Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Editing)

Precious: 6 (Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Editing)

Tune in Tuesday to see how I did!

Top 10 Retrospective: 2002

Top 10 Retrospective: 2002

It's been a while since my decade rewind of Top 10 lists (see the blog sidebar for previous editions), so here is another installment, from a year in cinema I really love.

Runners-Up: Adaptation, Chicago, Lovely and Amazing, Russian Ark

10. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: For my money, the best of the three LOTR movies. It didn't waste any time setting up or finishing up a story. It takes you straight in, introduces Gollum as a major character, and has some of the best battle sequences ever put on film.

9. Rabbit-Proof-Fence: A beautiful, heartbreaking, and life affirming true story about Aboriginal children who were taken away from their parents, and how they find their way home.

8. The Pianist: Roman Polanski's sober, gripping, and unsentimental story of one Jewish man's survival through the horrors of Nazi-occupied Poland. It's all the more powerful because of the simplicity of the story. Adrien Brody unexpectedly won the Oscar for his terrific performance.

7. About a Boy: A straight-up feel-good movie that does everything right. Hugh Grant gives his best performance as a playboy who finds his life tangled with a boy and his hippie single mom (the always wonderful Toni Colette). Also boasts one of the best movie soundtracks ever (by Badly Drawn Boy).

6. 25th Hour: Spike Lee's mournful look at the last free hours of a drug dealer about to go to prison. It's about New York, 9/11, choices, and personal freedom. One of Spike Lee's best.

5. Monsoon Wedding: Another movie that's just a whole lot of fun. This tale of an Indian arranged marriage includes a little something for everyone. Like Rachel Getting Married, I really wished I was at this wedding.



4. About Schmidt: Jack Nicholson tones down his shtick and gives a beautifully understated performance as a widower traveling to his daughter's wedding. This movie says a lot about mortality and regret, and it has equal amounts of humor and heartbreak.



3. Y Tu Mama Tambien: Director Alfonso Cuaron takes the basic outline of an American teen sex comedy, mixes it with French New Wave style, and adds just enough commentary about social class. It's about an older woman who accompanies two teenage boys on a trip to the beach. It's about so much more though.....



2. Talk to Her: When I saw this movie first, I liked it but couldn't quite wrap my head around all the emotional undercurrents. Since then, I watched it many more times and it's grown into one of my favorite movies. Director Pedro Almodovar's best movie. I love it's themes of fate, friendship, and obsession. Bonus points for using modern dance for some of the most memorable opening and closing scenes I've ever seen. The whole thing is absolutely exquisite.



1. Far From Heaven: Like Talk to Her, I've seen this movie many times and love it more each time. Director Todd Haynes has created an homage to 50s-melodrama that is able to weave in a modern take on race and sexuality. What's amazing is how he accomplishes this without ever stopping to the level of parody. He takes these characters, and old movies, completely seriously. Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid, Patricia Clarkson, and Dennis Haysbert all fit the period perfectly. I could watch this over and over for the entire artistic perfection of every element of this movie.


Sum-Up: I think 2002 is a great (and underrated) year in the decade for film. So many of my personal favorites are on this list. Ranking them was a tough job, and I heartily recommend every movie on this list.

2009 Reviews: Broken Embraces, In the Loop, Medicine for Melancholy, & Moon

Broken Embraces, In the Loop, Medicine for Melancholy, & Moon

I've fallen a bit behind on my 2009 views, so here are some quick takes on some recent movies.

Broken Embraces

Pedro Almodovar's latest movie is definitely for the cinephiles. It's filled with references to both his own work (especially Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) and the films of Hitchcock (Vertigo, Notorious). The story is his usual mix of humor and melodrama, and it's highly entertaining the whole way through. One of the reasons Almodovar seems to have made this movie is to showcase the beauty and talent of Penelope Cruz, his frequent muse. She is wonderful in the movie, and he films her in an endless montage of arresting images. While the movie is great fun, I didn't feel the same emotional investment I feel with his best work (Talk to Her, All About My Mother).

Grade: B+

In the Loop

This very funny satire imagines the political fallout from an offhand remark by a minor British politician. His comment sets off a cross-Atlantic war over whether to go to war in an unnamed Middle Eastern country. The movie is a spinoff from a British TV series, and it does still have a kind of TV vibe to it. It calls to mind both the British version of The Office and a more profane Christopher Guest movie. My favorites in the terrific cast were Peter Capaldi as the Prime Minister's media director and Mimi Kennedy as a Hillary Clinton-like Assistant Secretary of State. While not many of the characters are not exactly likable, they are all really funny. Watching this movie is definitely the most I've laughed at a movie in a while.

Grade: B+



Medicine for Melancholy

This low-budget independent movie is a sort of African-American, California version of Before Sunrise. It's about two young hipsters who have a one-night stand and spend the next day walking around San Francisco and talking about stuff. Wyatt Cenac (Micah) is very engaging, while I had more mixed feelings on Tracey Heggins, who plays the more bourgeois Jo. I liked the talking in this movie. A lot of this movie is about race and gentrification, and the characters have interesting perspectives. Not as insightful as Before Sunrise/Before Sunset, but interesting. Unfortunately, this movie relies too-heavily on scenes without talking. Walking, biking, riding on carousels, dancing. Since the movie is not very attractive to look at (it's shot in a sort of fusion between black and white and color that draws on the strengths of neither) these scenes grow redundant. An interesting start for director Barry Jenkins, and I hope he makes some
improvements on his next movie.

Grade: C

Moon

After District 9, this is example number 2 that the most important element of great science fiction is story and script, not special effects. The less I say about this movie, the better. Much of the pleasure of the movie is figuring out what is going on and letting the mind-twisting elements of the story take you along. It's about Sam, a man who has been living alone harvesting energy from the moon. Sam Rockwell is pretty much the only significant actor in the movie (perhaps excepting the voice of Kevin Spacey as a talking computer), and he has to pull off all kinds of emotions. This movie was shot for only $5 million, and it looks great. It's easily one of the best underseen movies of the year. Please remedy that and see it!

Grade: A-

Golden Globes Live Blog

Welcome readers. I'll be writing a few comments here and there as I watch the Globes....

Check my post below for my predictions.

8:05: Ricky Gervais! High hopes for this host. Oooh, already some talk about The Office "jumping the shark." Can't say I disagree.....

8:06-Supporting Actress: Mo'nique for Precious! No surprise here. A very moving speech. 1/1 on my predix so far!

8:22-Animated Feature. Up, as expected. 2/2 for predix. What a strong year for "kids" movies- Coraline, Up, Fantastic Mr. Fox (which I still have to see!), Harry Potter, Where the Wild Things Are.

8:35- Actor (TV Drama): Michael C. Hall (Dexter). I think I should watch Dexter. Everyone seems to love it. Didn't realize he had cancer. How sad.

8:42. Why can Harrison Ford hardly breathe or smile? Not looking good.

8:46-Best Song: "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart. Don't know these well, but this one sounds pretty good. I neglected to make a prediction in this category.

8:48- Score: Up. 2/3 for predix know, but I'm glad. This score is very charming and much better than Avatar's.

9:02-Actress Comedy/Musical: Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia. Nice speech-what a class act.

9:16- Actress Miniseries/TV Movie: Drew Barrymore in Grey Gardens. Her dress looks like there is a hedgehog on her shoulder.

9:24-Screenplay: Up in the Air. 3/4 for predix. Great screenplay and great choice. What the hell was It's Complicated doing getting nominated in this category?

9:35- Foreign Film. The White Ribbon. 3/5 now. Oh well. I can't WAIT to see this movie when it comes out. If you haven't seen Michael Haneke's Cache, see it now. It's great.

9:39- Drama Series. Mad Men! I love this show.

9:48- Supporting Actress-TV. Chloe Sevigny (Big Love). The most fascinating of the three wives on the show. Good pic.

9:50- Supporting Actor. Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds). Like Mo'nique, he is on the road to a well-deserved Oscar. 4/6.

10:04- Martin Scorsese. Damn that man has made some great movies. My favorite? Taxi Driver, with Goodfellas a close second.

10:14- Ricky Gervais making fun of Mel Gibson's alcoholism..... what a great moment.

10:16- James Cameron (Avatar). Damn. I really wanted this to be Kathryn Bigelow (Cameron's ex-wife!). I fully applaud James for so much of Avatar and it was an enjoyable movie. But really, isn't part of being a director tweaking the script?? It could have been so much better. 4/7

10:19- Best TV Comedy. Glee dethrones 30 Rock. I have yet to see Glee, so I'll withhold comment.

10:27- Best Comedy/Musical. The Hangover! A bit of a surprise. Didn't see this yet, but am excited to. This brings me to 4/8 for my predix.

10:36- Actress/Drama. Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side). Ugh. Over Carey and Gabourey? Although it does bring my record up to 5/9.

10:40- Actor-Musical/Comedy. Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes). Was not expecting that one.... The Hangover, Sherlock Holmes, Avatar, and The Blind Side as big winners. It looks like the Globes are going for the big box office winners. 5/10. My record is pretty pathetic.

10:47- Actor/Drama. Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart). He's definitely the frontrunner for Oscar.

10:56- Picture/Drama. Avatar. As predicted. My final tally for my predictions is 6/11. Some surprises were interesting (Hangover, score for Up) while others I wish had gone another way (James Cameron).

Overall, not one of the best Globes ceremonies I've seen. From an Oscar perspective, the big winners tonight were Avatar, Jeff Bridges, and Sandra Bullock. And possibly The Hangover. Could it possibly make it in the Top 10?

Golden Globe Predictions

Tonight are the Golden Globes, the most-watched awards ceremony after the Oscars. The ceremony tends to have a much more loose vibe than the Oscars, and I think a good speech at these awards can really help some winners in their search for Oscar.

I'll be live-blogging during the ceremony, but here are my predictions and preferences for the film awards (I'll leave the TV awards to someone else- I'm basically pulling for Mad Men and 30 Rock in every possible category).

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire
Up in the Air

Will Win: Avatar

Should Win: The Hurt Locker

Best Director – Motion Picture
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up In The Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Will Win: Bigelow

Should Win: Bigelow

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell – District 9
Mark Boal – The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds
Nancy Meyers – It’s Complicated
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, Up In The Air

Will Win: Up in the Air

Should Win: Up in the Air

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Will Win: Sandra Bullock (pains me to say it, but there is my prediction)

Should Win: Carey Mulligan

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up In The Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers

Will Win: Bridges

Should Win: Clooney (although I've only seen Clooney and Freeman's performances)

Best Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
(500) Days Of Summer

The Hangover

It’s Complicated

Julie & Julia
Nine


Will Win: Toughest call, but I'm gonna say Nine. Even with its bad reviews, the Globes love their musicals. In 1996, Evita beat Fargo for this award.... I can actually see this going to any of these except It's Complicated though.

Should Win: Of the two I've seen (Julie & Julia, (500) Days), I'll say Julie & Julia.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
Sandra Bullock – The Proposal
Marion Cotillard – Nine
Julia Roberts – Duplicity
Meryl Streep – It’s Complicated
Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia

Will Win: Streep (J&J)

Should Win: Streep (J&J)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
Matt Damon, The Informant!
Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days Of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

Will Win: Damon

Should Win: Stuhlbarg (although I've only seen Stuhlbarg and Gordon-Levitt)

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Penélope Cruz – Nine
Vera Farmiga – Up In The Air
Anna Kendrick – Up In The Air
Mo’nique – Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire
Julianne Moore – A Single Man

Will Win: Mo'nique

Should Win: As much as I love me some Vera Farmiga, I've gotta give it to Mo'nique.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Matt Damon – Invictus
Woody Harrelson – The Messenger
Christopher Plummer – The Last Station
Stanley Tucci – The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds

Will Win: Waltz

Should Win: Waltz (I've only seen Waltz and Damon)

Best Animated Feature Film
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Princess And The Frog
Up

Will Win: Up

Should Win: Coraline

Best Foreign Language Film
Baaria (Italy)
Broken Embraces (Spain)
The Maid (La Nana) (Chile)
A Prophet (Un Prophete) (France)

The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band – Eine Deutsche Kindergeschichte) (Germany)


Will Win: A Prophet

Should Win: I've only seen Broken Embraces, and I liked it.

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Michael Giacchino – Up
Marvin Hamlisch – The Informant!
James Horner – Avatar
Abel Korzeniowski – A Single Man
Karen O and Carter Burwell – Where The Wild Things Are

Will Win: Avatar
Should Win: Where the Wild Things Are

Class of 2009 Supporting Actress Blogathon: Vera Farmiga

2009 Supporting Actress Blogathon: Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air



SPOILER WARNING: Please don't read if you haven't seen Up in the Air.

Once again, I'm pleased to be a part of StinkyLulu's Supporting Actress love. Today is the Class of 2009 Supporting Actress Blogathon, where bloggers across the web ruminate on "actressing at the edges" that moved them this year. Please head over to StinkyLulu's site later today and see what other bloggers have to say. I toyed with a few different actresses to write about (Melanie Laurent in Inglorious Basterds, Rosamund Pike in An Education), but in the end by heart belonged to Vera Farmiga. I absolutely loved her in 2006's The Departed, and she truly takes another leap forward this year in Up in the Air.

One of the main things that make Up in the Air a great movie is the way it treats its female characters. While the movie is clearly "about" Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), both love interest Alex (Vera Farmiga) and protege Natalie (Anna Kendrick) exist as fully formed characters with their own lives and motivations.

We first meet Alex (as Ryan does) in a hotel bar, and their first scene is a hilarious sequence of comparing corporate perks filled with sexual innuendo. Farmiga matches Clooney line for line, scene for scene, and even tops him. As they embark on their affair, Alex assures Ryan that their affair is casual and no-strings attached ("Just think of me as you with a vagina.") Farmiga fills these initial scenes with delightful banter and a grown-up sexuality.

For my money, Farmiga's best scene comes when the three main characters (Ryan, Alex, and Natalie) meet up and the two women talk about what they are looking for in a man. Young Natalie has a plethora of demands she puts out. "Older" Alex has resigned herself and is basically looking for someone who is good enough. This scene only grows in power with later information.

Then comes the second half of the movie (Once again: SPOILER ALERT). Ryan takes Alex to his sister's wedding, and Farmiga brings new notes to the performance. These two are sweet and soulful and seem to actually be falling in love. Farmiga plays the role just right, showing her initial hesistation and then enjoyment of the weekend.

Then comes the killer. Ryan decides he needs to find Alex, goes to her house in Chicago, and hears her husband and children in the background. She closes the door and this is (presumably) the last time they see one another, although there is another phone call. The look on her face is absolutely heartbreaking. In the end, Alex is the one who has won Ryan over, but she's also the one who has decided to play by the rules.

It's a testament to Farmiga's performance that the viewer ends the movie having sympathy for Alex and, at least for me, holding no grudges. If her performance wasn't pitch-perfect, she could have come across as a heartless. Instead, the viewer inevitably remembers the earlier scene, where Farmiga talks about what she wants in a man. Clearly, she has made compromises in her life. They're sad, but there they are and she is honest about them. She doesn't exist as a device to solely fill the need for Clooney's romantic redemption.

So the character of Alex needs to be incredibly sexy, extremely witty, mysterious, and able to show vulnerability at a few key moments. Farmiga was the absolute perfect choice for this role. As a thought experiment, try imagining Up in the Air with Jennifer Aniston or Sandra Bullock in the role of Alex. It's easy (but oh so awful) to imagine, and the relationship would have had so many fewer layers. Be thankful we had a master in the role, and a performance for the ages.

Looking Back at the Aughts..... Lost in Translation and Happy-Go-Lucky

As the decade comes to a close, there have been a plethora of critics coming up with "Best of the Decade" list. While I'm tempted to do the same, I also came to a realization. There are many films I remember fondly that I'd love to see again and see how they hold up. There are other films that I liked but did not love and deserve another chance. And (believe it or not) there are still a few prominent films from the decade that I missed. I hoped to spend much of the beginning of this year watching/rewatching movies from the past decade. Sometime this summer, check back for my totally arbitrary (but deeply felt) best of the decade list. I'm also accepting any and all suggestions for movies that I should consider!

Here are thoughts on a couple movies I recently rewatched and brought me great enjoyment:

Lost in Translation (2003)

I've probably seen this movie and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind more than any other films of the decade. There is so much I love about this film, I hardly know where to begin. I love the performances. Bill Murray gives one of the performances of the decade as a washed-up film star sick of life and now doing crappy Japanese commercials to make some quick cash. Only a great comedic actor could simultaneously bring such humor and heartbreak to the surface. While 18-year-old Scarlett Johannson never reached the heights of this performance as Charlotte again, she was a perfect fit for this role. World-weary before her time, she is just as lost as Bob.

What I may love most is the mood of this film. It perfectly encapsulates the ennui felt by the character. It's also an interesting meditation on the inherent pleasures and loneliness of being a stranger in a foreign country. Japan is really the third major character in this film, and director Sofia Coppola shows us many sides of the country.

When I think of this movie I think of my favorite scenes: Charlotte and Bob's night out singing karaoke, Charlotte's visit to the countryside, and, of course, the sublime ending. A truly great film of the decade.

Grade: A

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)

I saw director Mike Leigh's movie last year, and I admired it a lot for its message and its performances, particularly the lead one by Sally Hawkins in (to my mind) one of the most egregious Oscar snubs in years. She won just about every critics award and then was passed over by Oscar. Still, I wasn't in love with the movie as a whole. It was pleasant and fun, but it didn't fully hit me.

Watching it again, I kind of fell in love with the movies, and I'm now embarrassed it was only a runner-up on my2008 top 10 list. If I redid it, it would easily make it to number 6. Happy-Go-Lucky tells the story of Poppy, an inescapably cheerful British schoolteacher who lives a full life and attempts to bring joy to all around her. She also is taking driving lessons from Scott, a racist and bitter man whose worldview is utterly opposed to Poppy's. And there is pretty much the entire plot of the movie.

What gives me so much joy about the movie is the individual scenes and moments. Sally Hawkins is unafraid to make her character pass the line of annoying, yet you still can't help but love her. She brings her incredibly specific personality to every scene. Every other actor also feels completely organic in their role. I especially liked Alexis Zegerman in her role as Poppy's longtime roommate.

Could it have been a bit better? Perhaps. I would have liked a little more encounter with the darker side of life, if only because Poppy's final scene with Scott is so incredibly powerful. For a movie that is so light in its plot and light on its plot, though, it actually gives you a lot to think about. Just thinking about Poppy now, I'm smiling.

Grade: A-