The biggest movie event of the year happened on Sunday night. I was watching raptly; were you?
The Oscars exploded back onto the small screen to celebrate the acheivments on the big screen of the past year. Host Hugh Jackman was a good choice as a counter to the usual comedy man, like Billy Crystal or Jon Stewart. He did make some good jokes, including a guess as to why he wasn't nominated for Australia (because he's Australian). The highlight of his performance was definitely his opening number, in which he said since the country was in a recession, they had to cut back on sets and he made them all in his garage. So, on cardboard sets, he made hilarious songs about Slumdog Millionaire, Milk, Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, and The Dark Knight. My personal favorite was the Frost/Nixon bit, where he randomly grabbed Anne Hathaway from the audience to play Nixon in his skit. ("Frank Langella was sitting right next to me!") The second musical sequence, in which he celebrated the success of Mamma Mia! at the box office and the supposed return of the movie musical, was entirely unnecessary but a good energy-upper.
The format of this year was so clever, and yet so obvious, it makes me wonder why no one thought of it before. The evening was structured to tell a narrative about making a movie, starting with the screenplay awards, moving on to costumes and makeup, and finishing with post-production elements like music, visual effects, and sound. The major awards were sprinkled in between, with Director, Actress, Actor, and Best Picture being the last, suspenseful awards given.
Each acting award had five previous winners of that award take the stage, including last year's winners Tilda Swinton and Marion Cotillard. Each of the presenters addressed one nominee directly and praised their performance, at the end of which one of them opened the envelope and announced the winner. This was a good idea, but the praising went on uncomfortably long and was missing one vital element-the film clip. This is why some people watch the show, just to see film clips of the nominated films they did not see. While other categories used clips as normal, the four acting awards did not, leaving a sort of emptiness once the award was handed out. The producers did not think of the audience on that one.
Well, I still enjoyed the ceremony and hope that Hugh Jackman will return to host sometime in the future. Below are all the winners, complete with my commentary and comparison to my predictions. I got 15 out of 24 categories correct. Less than what I'd hoped for, but still more than half.
Best Picture
( ) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
( ) Frost/Nixon
( ) Milk
( ) The Reader
(x) Slumdog Millionaire
Correct. Slumdog came out the year's biggest film with ten nominations and an astonishing eight wins. This win marks the end of a long awards season that had this film in front for most of it. Over the next year, expect many romantic films set on game shows.
Best Director
( ) David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
( ) Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
( ) Gus Van Sant, Milk
( ) Stephen Daldry, The Reader
(x) Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Correct. The Best Picture and Director awards matched up this year, as they do maybe three-fourths of the time. Boyle deserves it for making the feel-good movie of the year and for it being his first nomination. Bet you didn't expect this from the guy who did 28 Days Later and Sunshine. Can't wait to see what he does next.
Best Actor
( ) Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
( ) Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
(x) Sean Penn, Milk
( ) Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
( ) Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Incorrect. I guessed Rourke would take it, but Penn was my personal preference, so I'm happy. Penn gave a beatiful acceptance speech about earning equal rights for gays which again makes me wonder who the hell voted for Proposition 8 in California. Although Rourke was extraordinary, Penn deserves it for bring Milk back to life. Milk won two awards, making it one of only four films to win multiple awards.
Best Actress
( ) Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
( ) Angelina Jolie, Changeling
( ) Melissa Leo, Frozen River
( ) Meryl Streep, Doubt
(x) Kate Winslet, The Reader
Correct. As predicted, the Academy gave Winslet her first Oscar after five previous losses. I didn't have a lot of love for that movie, but Winslet was still stunning in it. She deserves it just for being one of the greatest actresses alive. (She should have won for Titanic way back when!)
Best Supporting Actor
( ) Josh Brolin, Milk
( ) Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
( ) Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
(x) Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
( ) Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Correct. The Academy simply couldn't resist awarding Ledger for one of the most terrifying screen villains in history. I hate to say it, but the fact that he died actually helped his chances. This is only the second posthumous acting award in history, and it's got to be the first acting Oscar for a comic book movie. He completely deserved it; it's only a shame he didn't live to win it himself. The Dark Knight walked away with two Oscars; not bad for a sequel to a big superhero movie franchise.
Best Supporting Actress
( ) Amy Adams, Doubt
(x) Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
( ) Viola Davis, Doubt
( ) Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
( ) Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Incorrect. The Academy has lost their minds. I'll admit, I'm biased, I haven't seen the movie, and I don't like Cruz or Woody Allen. But her comic performance just doesn't seem to have the gusto needed for an Oscar. I would have been much happier with anyone else on the list.
Best Adapted Screenplay
( ) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
( ) Doubt
( ) Frost/Nixon
( ) The Reader
(x) Slumdog Millionaire
Correct. Slumdog won for writing to go along with Best Picture and Director. I don't know much about the book it originated from, but this film doesn't feel like it's adapted from anything. It feels completely original in every respect, even though it's essentially a formula film set in Mumbai. I'd be interested to see what this screenwriter does next.
Best Original Screenplay
( ) Frozen River
( ) Happy-Go-Lucky
( ) In Bruges
(x) Milk
( ) WALL-E
Correct. As the only Best Picture nominee of the bunch, Milk easily won this prize. Dustin Lance Black's acceptance speech was one of the highlights of the evening, as he promised all of his gay audience members that God loves them and soon they will have equal rights. A very impressive script from a first-time writer; hope he makes more like these in the future.
Best Original Score
( ) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
( ) Defiance
( ) Milk
(x) Slumdog Millionaire
( ) WALL-E
Correct. Slumdog's soundtrack's unique sound took this award away from the more traditional scores. If you haven't heard the soundtrack, I encourage you to check it out; it's a little taste of Bollywood.
Best Original Song
( ) "Down to Earth," WALL-E
(x) "Jai Ho," Slumdog Millionaire
( ) "O Saya," Slumdog Millionaire
Incorrect. Maybe I should have seen this one coming, but typically, multiple nominations here is bad luck. "Jai Ho" is completely in Hindi, and is a heavily choreographed dance sequence played out during the end credits that doesn't really make sense with the rest of the film. Regardless, it's almost impossible not to fall in love with it. Again, check out this song on the soundtrack if you haven't.
Best Film Editing
( ) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
( ) The Dark Knight
( ) Frost/Nixon
( ) Milk
(x) Slumdog Millionaire
Incorrect. This year's editing Oscar squared up with Best Picture as it often does. I still think The Dark Knight is more worthy, but since it didn't get nominated for the top spot, maybe its nomination is its victory. Slumdog's editing does help set the mood nicely.
Best Cinematography
( ) Changeling
( ) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
( ) The Dark Knight
( ) The Reader
(x) Slumdog Millionaire
Correct. Although I prefered The Dark Knight to win here, I correctly guessed that Slumdog's handheld camerawork would prevail. It puts the viewer right next to the action and adds to the excitement of already exciting scenes.
Best Makeup
(x) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
( ) The Dark Knight
( ) Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Correct. The makeup helped age Brad Pitt in reverse and Cate Blanchett and Taraji P. Henson forward. Although Hellboy's work is impressive, it was all just monsters, which is kind of easy to do, and The Dark Knight's makeup was really only for the Joker's face. Benjamin Button won three Oscars, an impressive feat considering Slumdog gobbled up every award in sight.
Best Costume Design
( ) Australia
( ) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
(x) The Duchess
( ) Milk
( ) Revolutionary Road
Correct. This award always goes to the biggest and most glamorous costumes, which this year's was a no-brainer. Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes looked very dashing in their Victorian-era garbs.
Best Art Direction
( ) Changeling
(x) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
( ) The Dark Knight
( ) The Duchess
( ) Revolutionary Road
Correct. Slumdog would have won here if it was nominated, but its exclusion granted mercy to Benjamin Button, allowing it to win one for its stellar scenes all over the world and all across time.
Best Visual Effects
(x) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
( ) The Dark Knight
( ) Iron Man
Correct. While I love the special effects in all the nominees, Benjamin Button got it for aging Brad Pitt in reverse. It gets extra points for putting the fantasy element seamlessly into a period drama where it didn't belong.
Best Sound Mixing
( ) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
( ) The Dark Knight
(x) Slumdog Millionaire
( ) WALL-E
( ) Wanted
Incorrect. A huge shocker for me, Slumdog stole the award away from WALL-E. The robot's beeps and boops were no match for the bustling business of Mumbai, apparently. Just goes to show that a strong film that everyone loves cannot be stopped in any category.
Best Sound Editing
(x) The Dark Knight
( ) Iron Man
( ) Slumdog Millionaire
( ) WALL-E
( ) Wanted
Incorrect. I spoke too soon; this is the only category in which Slumdog lost. (For Original Song, it lost to itself.) While I still think Ben Burtt deserved recognition for his work in WALL-E, it's nice to see that The Dark Knight was honored in the technical categories.
Best Animated Feature
( ) Bolt
( ) Kung Fu Panda
(x) WALL-E
Correct. This was one of the surest things this year, and a highlight of the night was Jack Black (the star of Kung Fu Panda) presenting the award. Black joked that he bet all his money on Pixar before the ceremony; lucky for him, the film sailed to victory.
Best Foreign Language Film
( ) The Baader Meinhof Complex
( ) The Class
(x) Departures
( ) Revanche
( ) Waltz with Bashir
Incorrect. This was one of the big surprises of the evening; it seemed to clearly be between The Class and Waltz. Surprise winner Departures was a huge hit in Japan, but isn't even available in the United States.
Best Documentary Feature
( ) The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
( ) Encounters at the End of the World
( ) The Garden
(x) Man on Wire
( ) Trouble the Water
Correct. Man on Wire was clearly the favorite and easily walked to the winner's circle. Possibly the highlight of the evening came right after the acceptance speeches, in which Philippe Petit- the man on wire himself- grabbed the producer's Oscar and balanced it on his face for a few seconds. Like the stunt he pulled in the film, there was no reason for this, it was just so he could say he did it. It became the iconic image of the evening and will be remembered for a long time to come.
Best Live Action Short Film
( ) Auf der Strecke (On the Line)
( ) Manon on the Asphalt
( ) New Boy
( ) The Pig
(x) Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Correct. The Holocaust-themed film won the prize, as predicted.
Best Animated Short Film
(x) La Maison en Petits Cubes
( ) Lavatory Lovestory
( ) Oktapodi
( ) Presto
( ) This Way Up
Incorrect. The Japanese short stole the award away from Pixar's wonderful Presto. Like the foreign language film, this short is not available in the United States. Why does the Academy vote for films they likely have not seen?
Best Documentary Short
( ) The Conscience of Nhem En
( ) The Final Inch
(x) Smile Pinki
( ) The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306
Incorrect. Smile Pinki, about a child with a cleft lip getting surgery, won the award that no one cares about.
Thanks for reading, and thank you Hugh Jackman for bringing the Oscars up from last year's low!
Jai ho!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Oscar Winners Predictions
The Academy Awards ceremony will be broadcast on ABC live on Sunday, February 22nd at 7:00 pm. Lots of rumors have been circulating around about the ceremony, that the awards given out will be structured to tell a story, that the presenters are being kept secret, that Hugh Jackman (he's the host, in case you don't know) will lead a large song and dance number. No one really knows what to expect from the ceremony, but from my point of view, it doesn't really matter because I think not many people will watch. The viewers may increase to see if Heath Ledger will receive a posthumous Oscar (only the second in history), but the nominees leave little else for the general public. I, of course, will be watching religiously as always, as I have seen most of the nominated films and am very interested to see who will take home the gold.
These are my winners predictions. I'll list out all the categories again, tell who I think deserves to win, and then who I think will win. My opinion is not worth very much as I am not a professional critic, but this may show that I don't always side with the Academy on their decisions. Feel free to leave comments if you agree or disagree; I'll do another post after the ceremony to see how close I was.
Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: Slumdog Millionaire
Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire
The film that started out the season as the underdog has now become the Lord of the Rings of this year, winning every major award so far. It is pretty much in the bag right now, although I sense that Milk may be making a comeback. Slumdog totally deserves the win, as it is by far the most entertaining of the five, and is exceptionally well-made to boot. Jai ho!
Best Director
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant, Milk
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Who will win: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
The Director and Best Picture wins will square up this year, as they frequently do, and it will rightfully go to the man who made the film of his career. Gus Van Sant is also a worthy choice, and could possibly score an upset win. Ron Howard and Stephen Daldry don't have much of a chance; David Fincher made a semi-epic film, but it didn't really turn out the way he envisioned it.
Best Actor
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Who should win: Sean Penn, Milk
Who will win: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
This race has Penn and Rourke neck-in-neck and I can see either of them winning. I loved both movies and both performances, but have to prefer Penn for bringing a real person back to life for the whole world to see. The Academy, however, will side with Rourke for his role that brought his career back on track. Plus, this is Rourke's first nomination, and Penn already won in this category six years ago. Langella was also good as Richard Nixon, but his performance seems a little too caricature for me. And I loved Jenkins in The Visitor, and he was such a long-shot to be nominated, that the nomination is a victory in itself, especially in such great company. If you ask me, Pitt didn't even deserve a nomination here; Benjamin Button is way too quiet and uninteresting a character.
Best Actress
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Who should win: Meryl Streep, Doubt
Who will win: Kate Winslet, The Reader
This is Winslet's sixth nomination. She is a goddess, and she deserves an Oscar. No, she needs an Oscar. And the Academy will deliver it to her this year. I'm just not excited about her winning for this film. It was a powerful performance, but the film left many things to be desired. Like, a point. Streep was remarkable as a nun who accuses a priest of molesting a child, and late in the film, the audience has to question the character's sanity. But, she has two Oscars and Winslet has none. Hathaway is also a worthy first-time nominee, but there hasn't been a whole lot of love for the film itself. She will get another chance to win later. Jolie and Leo have lost a lot of heat because it's been a while since their films came out.
Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Who should win: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Who will win: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Ledger's performance as the Joker was utterly terrifying and will go down in history as one of the best screen villains of all time. Yes, all of the other nominees were good (Hoffman was extraordinary), but Ledger brought us something we've never seen before; his performance is on a whole different level than the others. An upset win is possible, at this point Brolin seems to be getting a lot of love, but that would seem like an insult to Ledger's memory.
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Who should win: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Who will win: Viola Davis, Doubt
This race is the most wide-open this year, mostly because Kate Winslet was nominated for lead Actress instead of here. My personal choice is Tomei because she brought a whole new light to the film that was mostly advertised as a vehicle for Mickey Rourke. I loved Adams in Doubt, but her performance is too restrained to warrant a win. Cruz didn't even deserve the nomination, and while Henson was one of the best things in that film, she doesn't have any particularly strong scenes. Davis has a pretty small role, but has been lauded for packing a hell of a punch in such little screen time. I think the Academy will give the Oscar to her, if it doesn't lose its mind and give it to Cruz.
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: Slumdog Millionaire
Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire
I'm torn on my personal favorite; I admired how Frost/Nixon turned a series of television interviews into an entertaining film, via a play. Doubt was also seamlessly adapted from a play, and Curious Case turned a short story into a very ambitious epic film project. But Slumdog turned a formula film into something totally unique and opened up a world most Americans have never seen. The Academy will give it the Oscar to go along with its Best Picture win, although a Curious Case upset is possible.
Best Original Screenplay
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
WALL-E
Who should win: WALL-E
Who will win: Milk
The screenwriter for Milk toiled for years to capture the spirit of Harvey Milk and to tell his story accurately, and he will get his well-deserved first Oscar. However, my vote is for WALL-E, the most original animated film I've ever seen, and one of Pixar's best. They should give it this Oscar since they won't nominate animated films for Best Picture. The other three nominees are standard indie films and don't have much of a chance.
Best Original Score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Who should win: Slumdog Millionaire
Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog's score is incredible, and unlike anything else America has heard before. It brings a taste of Bollywood into Hollywood and will be rewarded. While WALL-E's score is exceptional for an animated film and Curious Case's score is beautiful, Slumdog has the unique factor on its side.
Best Original Song
"Down to Earth," WALL-E
"Jai Ho," Slumdog Millionaire
"O Saya," Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: "O Saya," Slumdog Millionaire
Who will win: "Down to Earth," WALL-E
I remember I had a huge smile on my face when I saw Slumdog and the song "O Saya" started, opening up a chase sequence at the beginning of the film. It definitely gets the unique vote: it combines traditional Indian music and percussion with M.I.A.'s fast and frenzied raps. "Jai Ho," the closing credits song that also served as a huge dance number, has a better shot as it's completely in Hindi and more traditional, but multiple nominations in this category usually backfire, and I think the very worthy "Down to Earth" will give Peter Gabriel an Oscar for his closing-credits song.
Best Film Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: The Dark Knight
Who will win: The Dark Knight
Curious Case really needed a trim and had a lame framing device that wasn't needed. Frost/Nixon's editing was good, but doesn't really bring anything special to the table. Milk splendidly blended its drama with real news and video footage from the time. Slumdog was filled with flashbacks that didn't hinder the story, but progressed it and matched the energy perfectly. It could win to match with Best Picture, but I think the award will go to the very worthy Dark Knight, as it had to swtich between several different locations and brought the suspense level up to almost unbearable heights. It will win here as penance for not being nominated for Best Picture.
Best Cinematography
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: The Dark Knight
Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire
The Dark Knight deserves to win for its sweeping city shots and action sequences filmed in IMAX. But Slumdog will add on to its growing list of wins for its energetic camerawork that places the viewer on the streets of Mumbai.
Best Makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Who should win: tie between The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Dark Knight
Who will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I'm torn between the first two nominees. Curious Case skillfully aged Brad Pitt in reverse, as well as aged all its other characters the correct way. The Dark Knight made Heath Ledger unrecognizable and was a vital part of his performance. The Academy will side with the former because it is much more glamorous. Sorry, Hellboy, but the fact that this is the film's only nomination pretty much sends its chances straight down to...you know.
Best Costume Design
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road
Who should win: Milk
Who will win: The Duchess
All of the costumes are good, and add to the story and the believability. My vote is for Milk because the costumes make the viewer believe it's the 70's but don't draw attention to themselves. The Academy likes period pieces though, so Victorian England-set Duchess will win.
Best Art Direction
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road
Who should win: Changeling
Who will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Clint Eastwood wouldn't have been able to make Changeling at all if his movie didn't look exactly like Los Angeles in the 20's, and it was very convincing as such. But, as the sole Best Picture nominee in the bunch, Curious Case will pick up the win for its many different locales across decades.
Best Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Who should win: three-way tie
Who will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I am truly torn here and cannot decide on a favorite. The Dark Knight is the least showy of the bunch, as Christopher Nolan prides himself on not using a lot of visual effects, but Two-Face looked very real, as did the helicopter crash and everything else that was a visual effect but we didn't even realize it. In Iron Man, I couldn't tell which shots of the suit were real and which were computer-generated. Very believable and cool, to boot. Curious Case, along with the makeup, helped age Benjamin Button in reverse and made it look real. The Academy will be unlike me and decide on the last, because it's a non-blockbuster.
Best Sound Mixing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted
Who should win: WALL-E
Who will win: WALL-E
I read that The Dark Knight would actually win both sound awards. While that would be awesome and proof that the Academy didn't totally ignore it, I disagree. Ben Burtt had to create all of the sounds for WALL-E from scratch, ending up with practically half the finished product being due to just his work.
Best Sound Editing
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted
Who should win: WALL-E
Who will win: WALL-E
These two awards usually match up. If WALL-E wins Sound Mixing, it'll win here as well. Although the same prediction goes for The Dark Knight.
Best Animated Feature
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E
Who should win: WALL-E
Who will win: WALL-E
Bolt and Kung Fu Panda are cool films, but don't even come close to Pixar and its latest masterpiece. If WALL-E doesn't win, the LAPD will launch a full-scale investigation into the Academy voting system.
Best Foreign Language Film
The Baader Meinhof Complex
The Class
Departures
Revanche
Waltz with Bashir
Who should win: ?
Who will win: Waltz with Bashir
I haven't seen any of these films, so I don't have an opinion. Waltz seems to be the favorite in America, and will take it home if The Class doesn't pull an upset.
Best Documentary Feature
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water
Who should win: ?
Who will win: Man on Wire
I've only seen Man on Wire, so my opinion would be biased, but I still think that film will win as it is by far the most famous and the most liked, if not the most relevant. (If the Academy does choose relevance, then Trouble the Water will win, but that is unlikely.)
Best Live Action Short Film
Auf der Strecke (On the Line)
Manon on the Asphalt
New Boy
The Pig
Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Who should win: ?
Who will win: Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Sorry, I still don't know anything about these nominees, but I read that Toyland is about the Holocaust.
Best Animated Short Film
La Maison en Petits Cubes
Lavatory Lovestory
Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up
Who should win: Presto
Who will win: Presto
I've only seen Presto, so I'll admit that my opinion is biased. But it's hard to imagine a more worthy candidate for the Oscar than the manic Pixar film, a companion to WALL-E. None of the other films were mass-released in theaters, and it is best known with voters, so they will award it. It's been a while since Pixar has won here.
Best Documentary Short
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Smile Pinki
The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306
Who should win: ?
Who will win: The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306
Sorry, haven't seen any of these either. I read The Witness is about a man who witnesses Martin Luther King, Jr. getting assassinated from his hotel room; sounds very interesting. Why are there always only four nominees?
Also, Jerry Lewis will receive an honorary Oscar for his legendary comedy roles and his help with raising money for dementia. Expect a humorous acceptance speech.
That's everything. Be sure to watch the show this Sunday night!
These are my winners predictions. I'll list out all the categories again, tell who I think deserves to win, and then who I think will win. My opinion is not worth very much as I am not a professional critic, but this may show that I don't always side with the Academy on their decisions. Feel free to leave comments if you agree or disagree; I'll do another post after the ceremony to see how close I was.
Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: Slumdog Millionaire
Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire
The film that started out the season as the underdog has now become the Lord of the Rings of this year, winning every major award so far. It is pretty much in the bag right now, although I sense that Milk may be making a comeback. Slumdog totally deserves the win, as it is by far the most entertaining of the five, and is exceptionally well-made to boot. Jai ho!
Best Director
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant, Milk
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Who will win: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
The Director and Best Picture wins will square up this year, as they frequently do, and it will rightfully go to the man who made the film of his career. Gus Van Sant is also a worthy choice, and could possibly score an upset win. Ron Howard and Stephen Daldry don't have much of a chance; David Fincher made a semi-epic film, but it didn't really turn out the way he envisioned it.
Best Actor
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Who should win: Sean Penn, Milk
Who will win: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
This race has Penn and Rourke neck-in-neck and I can see either of them winning. I loved both movies and both performances, but have to prefer Penn for bringing a real person back to life for the whole world to see. The Academy, however, will side with Rourke for his role that brought his career back on track. Plus, this is Rourke's first nomination, and Penn already won in this category six years ago. Langella was also good as Richard Nixon, but his performance seems a little too caricature for me. And I loved Jenkins in The Visitor, and he was such a long-shot to be nominated, that the nomination is a victory in itself, especially in such great company. If you ask me, Pitt didn't even deserve a nomination here; Benjamin Button is way too quiet and uninteresting a character.
Best Actress
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Who should win: Meryl Streep, Doubt
Who will win: Kate Winslet, The Reader
This is Winslet's sixth nomination. She is a goddess, and she deserves an Oscar. No, she needs an Oscar. And the Academy will deliver it to her this year. I'm just not excited about her winning for this film. It was a powerful performance, but the film left many things to be desired. Like, a point. Streep was remarkable as a nun who accuses a priest of molesting a child, and late in the film, the audience has to question the character's sanity. But, she has two Oscars and Winslet has none. Hathaway is also a worthy first-time nominee, but there hasn't been a whole lot of love for the film itself. She will get another chance to win later. Jolie and Leo have lost a lot of heat because it's been a while since their films came out.
Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Who should win: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Who will win: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Ledger's performance as the Joker was utterly terrifying and will go down in history as one of the best screen villains of all time. Yes, all of the other nominees were good (Hoffman was extraordinary), but Ledger brought us something we've never seen before; his performance is on a whole different level than the others. An upset win is possible, at this point Brolin seems to be getting a lot of love, but that would seem like an insult to Ledger's memory.
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Who should win: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Who will win: Viola Davis, Doubt
This race is the most wide-open this year, mostly because Kate Winslet was nominated for lead Actress instead of here. My personal choice is Tomei because she brought a whole new light to the film that was mostly advertised as a vehicle for Mickey Rourke. I loved Adams in Doubt, but her performance is too restrained to warrant a win. Cruz didn't even deserve the nomination, and while Henson was one of the best things in that film, she doesn't have any particularly strong scenes. Davis has a pretty small role, but has been lauded for packing a hell of a punch in such little screen time. I think the Academy will give the Oscar to her, if it doesn't lose its mind and give it to Cruz.
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: Slumdog Millionaire
Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire
I'm torn on my personal favorite; I admired how Frost/Nixon turned a series of television interviews into an entertaining film, via a play. Doubt was also seamlessly adapted from a play, and Curious Case turned a short story into a very ambitious epic film project. But Slumdog turned a formula film into something totally unique and opened up a world most Americans have never seen. The Academy will give it the Oscar to go along with its Best Picture win, although a Curious Case upset is possible.
Best Original Screenplay
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
WALL-E
Who should win: WALL-E
Who will win: Milk
The screenwriter for Milk toiled for years to capture the spirit of Harvey Milk and to tell his story accurately, and he will get his well-deserved first Oscar. However, my vote is for WALL-E, the most original animated film I've ever seen, and one of Pixar's best. They should give it this Oscar since they won't nominate animated films for Best Picture. The other three nominees are standard indie films and don't have much of a chance.
Best Original Score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Who should win: Slumdog Millionaire
Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Slumdog's score is incredible, and unlike anything else America has heard before. It brings a taste of Bollywood into Hollywood and will be rewarded. While WALL-E's score is exceptional for an animated film and Curious Case's score is beautiful, Slumdog has the unique factor on its side.
Best Original Song
"Down to Earth," WALL-E
"Jai Ho," Slumdog Millionaire
"O Saya," Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: "O Saya," Slumdog Millionaire
Who will win: "Down to Earth," WALL-E
I remember I had a huge smile on my face when I saw Slumdog and the song "O Saya" started, opening up a chase sequence at the beginning of the film. It definitely gets the unique vote: it combines traditional Indian music and percussion with M.I.A.'s fast and frenzied raps. "Jai Ho," the closing credits song that also served as a huge dance number, has a better shot as it's completely in Hindi and more traditional, but multiple nominations in this category usually backfire, and I think the very worthy "Down to Earth" will give Peter Gabriel an Oscar for his closing-credits song.
Best Film Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: The Dark Knight
Who will win: The Dark Knight
Curious Case really needed a trim and had a lame framing device that wasn't needed. Frost/Nixon's editing was good, but doesn't really bring anything special to the table. Milk splendidly blended its drama with real news and video footage from the time. Slumdog was filled with flashbacks that didn't hinder the story, but progressed it and matched the energy perfectly. It could win to match with Best Picture, but I think the award will go to the very worthy Dark Knight, as it had to swtich between several different locations and brought the suspense level up to almost unbearable heights. It will win here as penance for not being nominated for Best Picture.
Best Cinematography
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: The Dark Knight
Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire
The Dark Knight deserves to win for its sweeping city shots and action sequences filmed in IMAX. But Slumdog will add on to its growing list of wins for its energetic camerawork that places the viewer on the streets of Mumbai.
Best Makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Who should win: tie between The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Dark Knight
Who will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I'm torn between the first two nominees. Curious Case skillfully aged Brad Pitt in reverse, as well as aged all its other characters the correct way. The Dark Knight made Heath Ledger unrecognizable and was a vital part of his performance. The Academy will side with the former because it is much more glamorous. Sorry, Hellboy, but the fact that this is the film's only nomination pretty much sends its chances straight down to...you know.
Best Costume Design
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road
Who should win: Milk
Who will win: The Duchess
All of the costumes are good, and add to the story and the believability. My vote is for Milk because the costumes make the viewer believe it's the 70's but don't draw attention to themselves. The Academy likes period pieces though, so Victorian England-set Duchess will win.
Best Art Direction
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road
Who should win: Changeling
Who will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Clint Eastwood wouldn't have been able to make Changeling at all if his movie didn't look exactly like Los Angeles in the 20's, and it was very convincing as such. But, as the sole Best Picture nominee in the bunch, Curious Case will pick up the win for its many different locales across decades.
Best Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Who should win: three-way tie
Who will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I am truly torn here and cannot decide on a favorite. The Dark Knight is the least showy of the bunch, as Christopher Nolan prides himself on not using a lot of visual effects, but Two-Face looked very real, as did the helicopter crash and everything else that was a visual effect but we didn't even realize it. In Iron Man, I couldn't tell which shots of the suit were real and which were computer-generated. Very believable and cool, to boot. Curious Case, along with the makeup, helped age Benjamin Button in reverse and made it look real. The Academy will be unlike me and decide on the last, because it's a non-blockbuster.
Best Sound Mixing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted
Who should win: WALL-E
Who will win: WALL-E
I read that The Dark Knight would actually win both sound awards. While that would be awesome and proof that the Academy didn't totally ignore it, I disagree. Ben Burtt had to create all of the sounds for WALL-E from scratch, ending up with practically half the finished product being due to just his work.
Best Sound Editing
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted
Who should win: WALL-E
Who will win: WALL-E
These two awards usually match up. If WALL-E wins Sound Mixing, it'll win here as well. Although the same prediction goes for The Dark Knight.
Best Animated Feature
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E
Who should win: WALL-E
Who will win: WALL-E
Bolt and Kung Fu Panda are cool films, but don't even come close to Pixar and its latest masterpiece. If WALL-E doesn't win, the LAPD will launch a full-scale investigation into the Academy voting system.
Best Foreign Language Film
The Baader Meinhof Complex
The Class
Departures
Revanche
Waltz with Bashir
Who should win: ?
Who will win: Waltz with Bashir
I haven't seen any of these films, so I don't have an opinion. Waltz seems to be the favorite in America, and will take it home if The Class doesn't pull an upset.
Best Documentary Feature
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water
Who should win: ?
Who will win: Man on Wire
I've only seen Man on Wire, so my opinion would be biased, but I still think that film will win as it is by far the most famous and the most liked, if not the most relevant. (If the Academy does choose relevance, then Trouble the Water will win, but that is unlikely.)
Best Live Action Short Film
Auf der Strecke (On the Line)
Manon on the Asphalt
New Boy
The Pig
Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Who should win: ?
Who will win: Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Sorry, I still don't know anything about these nominees, but I read that Toyland is about the Holocaust.
Best Animated Short Film
La Maison en Petits Cubes
Lavatory Lovestory
Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up
Who should win: Presto
Who will win: Presto
I've only seen Presto, so I'll admit that my opinion is biased. But it's hard to imagine a more worthy candidate for the Oscar than the manic Pixar film, a companion to WALL-E. None of the other films were mass-released in theaters, and it is best known with voters, so they will award it. It's been a while since Pixar has won here.
Best Documentary Short
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Smile Pinki
The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306
Who should win: ?
Who will win: The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306
Sorry, haven't seen any of these either. I read The Witness is about a man who witnesses Martin Luther King, Jr. getting assassinated from his hotel room; sounds very interesting. Why are there always only four nominees?
Also, Jerry Lewis will receive an honorary Oscar for his legendary comedy roles and his help with raising money for dementia. Expect a humorous acceptance speech.
That's everything. Be sure to watch the show this Sunday night!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Revolutionary Road ***
Revolutionary Road
*** out of ****
Undoubtedly countless people were eagerly awaiting the return of America's most famous screen couple: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. The two's first time together was in Titanic, which ended up being the biggest film of all time. They waited twelve years to work together again, and they made sure that the film they decided to do was as different from Titanic as possible. However, in Revolutionary Road, something does hit an iceberg and sinks.
DiCaprio is Frank, and Winslet is April. The setting is sometime in the 1950's. In the first scene, the two meet at a party and instantly connect. The very next scene is years later, after they got married and had kids and moved into the suburbs. They are no longer a happy couple. Frank has a boring job that he hates and admits that he doesn't even understand what he does. April is miserable as a stay-home mom. They bicker constantly and grow farther and farther apart. To ease the tension, April suggests they embrace the dream they had before they got married and move to Paris. Frank loves the idea and the two start packing to move. For about two months, they are in a state of euphoria, where they are the happiest they've been in years, or at least pretending they are happy. They explain to their kids that they'll be taking a boat to travel across the ocean. But, an unintended pregnancy and a big promotion for Frank suspend their plans permanently, sending them immediately back into the funk they were in before. Soon, both of them are engaged in adultery and talking about abortion.
By far the best part of the film is John Givings, played by character actor Michael Shannon. His mother Helen sold the couple their house and stops by almost everyday to pay a visit. Kathy Bates plays Helen as the stereotypical '50s old lady, always finding the positive and striving to keep everyone happy. She is embarassed by her son John, who was a successful mathematician until he went insane and was put in a mental institution. She convinces April to meet John so that he might become well. John pokes his nose into their business and asks probing questions, ultimately revealing precious truths these characters don't want said aloud. Shannon plays the character as such an uninhibited psychopath that he actually strangely reminds me of Heath Ledger's Joker. He does the most he can with his limited screen time and makes himself the most memorable part of the movie.
Revolutionary Road is a very dark film that has many glaring flaws. DiCaprio, usually a very entertaining actor to watch, gives an unusually mixed performance that sometimes feels stiff and reminds the audience that he's reading from the script. Strangely, the kids are largely absent from the film, appearing in only a few scenes when they should have been closer to the focus. The beautiful score and lighthearted costumes and sets mask the ugly nature of the plot. Instead of starting out as a happy couple and then descending into madness, they start off more or less as miserable as they end up. When there is a very tense and emotional fight before the title is even shown, there is something tragically wrong with the pacing of the film.
But amazing performances from the entire cast (especially Winslet and Shannon), impeccable direction by Sam Mendes, and some very emotional scenes raise the movie above the mess it could have easily become. I think the reunion of the two biggest stars in the world could have been a slightly happier occasion, but one guesses that the filmmakers were not interested in showing the happiness of suburban life; quite the opposite, actually. (Also, I find it funny that this is the movie in which DiCaprio and Winslet DIDN'T get on the big boat, and yet bad things happened anyway.)
I would recommend this movie to people who like dramas and fans of the stars.
You can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z6kDo1OFzE
*** out of ****
Undoubtedly countless people were eagerly awaiting the return of America's most famous screen couple: Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. The two's first time together was in Titanic, which ended up being the biggest film of all time. They waited twelve years to work together again, and they made sure that the film they decided to do was as different from Titanic as possible. However, in Revolutionary Road, something does hit an iceberg and sinks.
DiCaprio is Frank, and Winslet is April. The setting is sometime in the 1950's. In the first scene, the two meet at a party and instantly connect. The very next scene is years later, after they got married and had kids and moved into the suburbs. They are no longer a happy couple. Frank has a boring job that he hates and admits that he doesn't even understand what he does. April is miserable as a stay-home mom. They bicker constantly and grow farther and farther apart. To ease the tension, April suggests they embrace the dream they had before they got married and move to Paris. Frank loves the idea and the two start packing to move. For about two months, they are in a state of euphoria, where they are the happiest they've been in years, or at least pretending they are happy. They explain to their kids that they'll be taking a boat to travel across the ocean. But, an unintended pregnancy and a big promotion for Frank suspend their plans permanently, sending them immediately back into the funk they were in before. Soon, both of them are engaged in adultery and talking about abortion.
By far the best part of the film is John Givings, played by character actor Michael Shannon. His mother Helen sold the couple their house and stops by almost everyday to pay a visit. Kathy Bates plays Helen as the stereotypical '50s old lady, always finding the positive and striving to keep everyone happy. She is embarassed by her son John, who was a successful mathematician until he went insane and was put in a mental institution. She convinces April to meet John so that he might become well. John pokes his nose into their business and asks probing questions, ultimately revealing precious truths these characters don't want said aloud. Shannon plays the character as such an uninhibited psychopath that he actually strangely reminds me of Heath Ledger's Joker. He does the most he can with his limited screen time and makes himself the most memorable part of the movie.
Revolutionary Road is a very dark film that has many glaring flaws. DiCaprio, usually a very entertaining actor to watch, gives an unusually mixed performance that sometimes feels stiff and reminds the audience that he's reading from the script. Strangely, the kids are largely absent from the film, appearing in only a few scenes when they should have been closer to the focus. The beautiful score and lighthearted costumes and sets mask the ugly nature of the plot. Instead of starting out as a happy couple and then descending into madness, they start off more or less as miserable as they end up. When there is a very tense and emotional fight before the title is even shown, there is something tragically wrong with the pacing of the film.
But amazing performances from the entire cast (especially Winslet and Shannon), impeccable direction by Sam Mendes, and some very emotional scenes raise the movie above the mess it could have easily become. I think the reunion of the two biggest stars in the world could have been a slightly happier occasion, but one guesses that the filmmakers were not interested in showing the happiness of suburban life; quite the opposite, actually. (Also, I find it funny that this is the movie in which DiCaprio and Winslet DIDN'T get on the big boat, and yet bad things happened anyway.)
I would recommend this movie to people who like dramas and fans of the stars.
You can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z6kDo1OFzE
Friday, January 30, 2009
The Wrestler ***1/2
The Wrestler
***1/2 out of ****
If someone had told you they were making a serious dramatic movie about professional wrestling, what would you imagine it to be like? I would imagine that it wouldn't be very good, as wrestling in movies should be limited to comedies. But leave it to auteur Darren Aronofsky to change my mind, as he has created a masterpiece about a laughable subject, and revived the dead career of his star Mickey Rourke in the process. The Wrestler plays out like a 2000's version of Rocky, with wrestling replacing boxing and a has-been replacing the underdog.
Rourke is Randy, real name Robin, stage name The Ram. Whatever you call him, he's a loser. He's a professional wrestler who was a huge celebrity in the 80's but has now lost all his fans and money. His daughter, played with biting ferocity by Evan Rachel Wood, hates him and cut him out of her life long ago. He hangs out at a strip club and has a slightly creepy realtionship with Cassidy, an aging stripper. Cassidy serves as our Adrian, although there are obvious changes between the two characters. But like Rocky kept going into the local pet store to tell jokes to Adrian, Randy goes out of his way to impress Cassidy, telling her stories of epic matches and paying her extra for personal lap dances. Cassidy is played to perfection by Marisa Tomei, who gets naked for most of her screen time but manages to do all of her acting through her face as she struggles to accept this customer as someone she may care about.
After a particularly brutal match, Randy has a heart attack and collapses in the locker room. This prompts him to retire from wrestling, at least for a little while, and starts working full time at the local supermarket. It is surprising to see him interact with people, as he has all the charm and prescence of a celebrity as he talks with compelte strangers behind the meat counter. But when someone recognizes him as The Ram from the 80s, he loses control and starts yelling, causing a huge scene.
The wrestling matches are the highlight of the film, not because they're great action sequences or similar to climactic boxing matches, but because of how bad they are. The wrestling looks very fake, because, of course, it is. We see that all of the fights are heavily choreographed beforehand and the winner chosen far in advance. The shaky camerawork helps to make the film look like a documentary, as the wrestlers who pretend to hate each other in the ring actually are very good friends who trust each other not to hurt them. There's even a joke made about how gay they all look.
This film is truly haunting because it feels so real. Randy loathes everything about himself, yet can't seem to break away from the nasty brute he knows he is deep down. In the ring is the only place where he feels alive and has purpose. Even Cassidy is seen getting rejected by younger men, and the strange hurt on her face lets us know that she and Randy are cut from the same cloth, yearning to leave but unable to. This is an exceptional film that will find its place in history next to the Italian Stallion.
I would recommend this film to people who like dramas, violent sports movies, and of course, wrestling.
You can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61-GFxjTyV0
***1/2 out of ****
If someone had told you they were making a serious dramatic movie about professional wrestling, what would you imagine it to be like? I would imagine that it wouldn't be very good, as wrestling in movies should be limited to comedies. But leave it to auteur Darren Aronofsky to change my mind, as he has created a masterpiece about a laughable subject, and revived the dead career of his star Mickey Rourke in the process. The Wrestler plays out like a 2000's version of Rocky, with wrestling replacing boxing and a has-been replacing the underdog.
Rourke is Randy, real name Robin, stage name The Ram. Whatever you call him, he's a loser. He's a professional wrestler who was a huge celebrity in the 80's but has now lost all his fans and money. His daughter, played with biting ferocity by Evan Rachel Wood, hates him and cut him out of her life long ago. He hangs out at a strip club and has a slightly creepy realtionship with Cassidy, an aging stripper. Cassidy serves as our Adrian, although there are obvious changes between the two characters. But like Rocky kept going into the local pet store to tell jokes to Adrian, Randy goes out of his way to impress Cassidy, telling her stories of epic matches and paying her extra for personal lap dances. Cassidy is played to perfection by Marisa Tomei, who gets naked for most of her screen time but manages to do all of her acting through her face as she struggles to accept this customer as someone she may care about.
After a particularly brutal match, Randy has a heart attack and collapses in the locker room. This prompts him to retire from wrestling, at least for a little while, and starts working full time at the local supermarket. It is surprising to see him interact with people, as he has all the charm and prescence of a celebrity as he talks with compelte strangers behind the meat counter. But when someone recognizes him as The Ram from the 80s, he loses control and starts yelling, causing a huge scene.
The wrestling matches are the highlight of the film, not because they're great action sequences or similar to climactic boxing matches, but because of how bad they are. The wrestling looks very fake, because, of course, it is. We see that all of the fights are heavily choreographed beforehand and the winner chosen far in advance. The shaky camerawork helps to make the film look like a documentary, as the wrestlers who pretend to hate each other in the ring actually are very good friends who trust each other not to hurt them. There's even a joke made about how gay they all look.
This film is truly haunting because it feels so real. Randy loathes everything about himself, yet can't seem to break away from the nasty brute he knows he is deep down. In the ring is the only place where he feels alive and has purpose. Even Cassidy is seen getting rejected by younger men, and the strange hurt on her face lets us know that she and Randy are cut from the same cloth, yearning to leave but unable to. This is an exceptional film that will find its place in history next to the Italian Stallion.
I would recommend this film to people who like dramas, violent sports movies, and of course, wrestling.
You can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61-GFxjTyV0
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Oscar Nominations, Part Two
Ah yes, Oscar season is here once more.
The nominations were announced early Thursday morning and by lunchtime, the whole world knew that Batman had been defeated. But they also found out that Oscar got it right on a few other notes.
Here are the technical nominations this year.
Best Original Score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
I bought the entire Slumdog Millionaire album, so am ecstatic to see it here. People who haven't seen the film can't even imagine: it combines traditional Indian music with modern pop rhythms for a very energetic sound throughout. (Those who saw Pineapple Express and were disappointed to not hear "Paper Planes" by M.I.A. will be happy to find it here.) I also have a couple tracks from WALL-E, and it is definitely better than regular cartoon music, as it is brimming with emotion and character. The other three nominees are typical dramatic fare. Defiance's score slightly resembles the score of Schindler's List.
Best Original Song
"Down to Earth," WALL-E
"Jai Ho," Slumdog Millionaire
"O...Saya," Slumdog Millionaire
As I said before, I have all three of these songs in my iTunes and am absolutely thrilled that they are going to be performed live at the ceremony. My prediction is for "Down to Earth," since for some odd reason, whenever a film has multiple nominations in this category, it tends to lose.
Best Film Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Oddly, the same five movies as my Best Picture predictions, and a haunting reminder of what could have been. This category usually coincides with the winner for Best Picture, but The Bourne Ultimatum took home this surprising and well-deserved Oscar last year. So, my money is on The Dark Knight, as penance for not giving it the top spot.
Best Cinematography
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Part of me is surprised Cloverfield isn't nominated here, since that film depended entirely on unique camerawork, but it did come out last January, so it's gone from voters' minds, I guess. I remembered something strange: three years ago, Batman Begins received only one nomination, for Cinematography. So it's only natural that The Dark Knight is nominated here. My guess is that since it didn't get a Best Picture nomination, the Academy is going to give it as many awards as possible in other categories, so I'm going to guess Dark Knight to win here too.
Best Makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Hellboy's only nomination, undoubtedly for Ron Perlman's makeup, which is much improved from the first film. The Dark Knight's makeup is mostly Heath Ledger's creepy clown face as the Joker, which made him completely unrecognizable. For Benjamin Button, however, the makeup made Brad Pitt age in reverse, from a child in an old man's body to an old man in a teenager's body. Cate Blanchett also aged several decades for her role. I can see any of these three winning here.
Best Costume Design
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road
These are interesting picks: Australia's costumes are from the '40s of the title country, Revolutionary's costumes evoke the '50s, and Milk shows the '70s. The Duchess is Victorian England and Benjamin Button is the South from the '20s to present day. Usually the most glamorous of the costumes win, so my money's on The Duchess.
Best Art Direction
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road
I view this category as very similar to Costume Design, since the two have to be consistent to make the setting believable. Three of the nominees are the same. Changeling shows Los Angeles in the '20s, while The Dark Knight brings Gotham to life from Chicago. I'm unsure who will win here; all of them are very artsy looking.
Best Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Iron Man vs. Batman vs. Reverse Aging Man. It's nice to see that Iron Man wasn't completely ignored by the Academy, with two nominations. All of these films have amazing and very believable special effects. But for now, I'm thinking it will go to Benjamin Button because it put Oscar-quality special effects in a non-blockbuster.
Best Sound Mixing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted
I honestly don't know why they insist on giving out two Oscars for sound, and I still don't really know the difference between the two. Usually they both go to the same film anyway. It's awesome that The Dark Knight is nominated here, but legendary sound designer Ben Burtt created all of the robotic sounds from WALL-E from scratch. When you watch the final film, he basically made half of the finished product himself. He will win this award easy.
Best Sound Editing
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted
Ditto, WALL-E. Did I mention Ben Burtt was also the voice of WALL-E, before he put it into a computer and roboticized it?
Best Animated Feature
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E
Bolt and Kung Fu Panda are really cool films, but neither of them even comes close to WALL-E. Pixar has proven once again that they're at the top of the world, and Oscar will reward them duly once again. My only complaint is that it couldn't be a Best Picture contender.
Best Foreign Language Film
The Baader Meinhof Complex
The Class
Departures
Revanche
Waltz with Bashir
I wish I knew more about these films. I know The Class won the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, which is a huge award. Waltz with Bashir is animated, and a sort-of documentary, so it could win simply for being so unique.
Best Documentary Feature
The Betrayal
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water
Man on Wire seems to be the favorite to win here, despite its simplistic story. Trouble the Water is about the effects of Hurricane Katrina, and it could possibly win because of its relevance.
Best Documentary Short
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Smile Pinki
The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306
Sorry, I don't know anything about any of these nominees. Where can you even see short documentaries? On TV?
Best Live Action Short Film
Auf der Strecke (On the Line)
Manon on the Asphalt
New Boy
The Pig
Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Nada.
Best Animated Short Film
La Maison en Petits Cubes
Lavatory Lovestory
Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up
Presto is the manic Pixar film that was shown in theatres before WALL-E. It's Looney Tunes-esque and incredibly hilarious, and I hope it wins along with its feature-length counterpart. I don't know anything about any of the other nominees.
That's all of them! Later I will post my winners predictions for all the categories, once the buzz starts rolling and I know more about all of the nominees.
Go to www.apple.com/trailers for movie trailers of all the feature films mentioned here.
The ceremony will be live on Sunday, February 22nd at 7:00 pm on ABC.
The nominations were announced early Thursday morning and by lunchtime, the whole world knew that Batman had been defeated. But they also found out that Oscar got it right on a few other notes.
Here are the technical nominations this year.
Best Original Score
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
I bought the entire Slumdog Millionaire album, so am ecstatic to see it here. People who haven't seen the film can't even imagine: it combines traditional Indian music with modern pop rhythms for a very energetic sound throughout. (Those who saw Pineapple Express and were disappointed to not hear "Paper Planes" by M.I.A. will be happy to find it here.) I also have a couple tracks from WALL-E, and it is definitely better than regular cartoon music, as it is brimming with emotion and character. The other three nominees are typical dramatic fare. Defiance's score slightly resembles the score of Schindler's List.
Best Original Song
"Down to Earth," WALL-E
"Jai Ho," Slumdog Millionaire
"O...Saya," Slumdog Millionaire
As I said before, I have all three of these songs in my iTunes and am absolutely thrilled that they are going to be performed live at the ceremony. My prediction is for "Down to Earth," since for some odd reason, whenever a film has multiple nominations in this category, it tends to lose.
Best Film Editing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Oddly, the same five movies as my Best Picture predictions, and a haunting reminder of what could have been. This category usually coincides with the winner for Best Picture, but The Bourne Ultimatum took home this surprising and well-deserved Oscar last year. So, my money is on The Dark Knight, as penance for not giving it the top spot.
Best Cinematography
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Part of me is surprised Cloverfield isn't nominated here, since that film depended entirely on unique camerawork, but it did come out last January, so it's gone from voters' minds, I guess. I remembered something strange: three years ago, Batman Begins received only one nomination, for Cinematography. So it's only natural that The Dark Knight is nominated here. My guess is that since it didn't get a Best Picture nomination, the Academy is going to give it as many awards as possible in other categories, so I'm going to guess Dark Knight to win here too.
Best Makeup
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Hellboy's only nomination, undoubtedly for Ron Perlman's makeup, which is much improved from the first film. The Dark Knight's makeup is mostly Heath Ledger's creepy clown face as the Joker, which made him completely unrecognizable. For Benjamin Button, however, the makeup made Brad Pitt age in reverse, from a child in an old man's body to an old man in a teenager's body. Cate Blanchett also aged several decades for her role. I can see any of these three winning here.
Best Costume Design
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road
These are interesting picks: Australia's costumes are from the '40s of the title country, Revolutionary's costumes evoke the '50s, and Milk shows the '70s. The Duchess is Victorian England and Benjamin Button is the South from the '20s to present day. Usually the most glamorous of the costumes win, so my money's on The Duchess.
Best Art Direction
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road
I view this category as very similar to Costume Design, since the two have to be consistent to make the setting believable. Three of the nominees are the same. Changeling shows Los Angeles in the '20s, while The Dark Knight brings Gotham to life from Chicago. I'm unsure who will win here; all of them are very artsy looking.
Best Visual Effects
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Iron Man vs. Batman vs. Reverse Aging Man. It's nice to see that Iron Man wasn't completely ignored by the Academy, with two nominations. All of these films have amazing and very believable special effects. But for now, I'm thinking it will go to Benjamin Button because it put Oscar-quality special effects in a non-blockbuster.
Best Sound Mixing
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted
I honestly don't know why they insist on giving out two Oscars for sound, and I still don't really know the difference between the two. Usually they both go to the same film anyway. It's awesome that The Dark Knight is nominated here, but legendary sound designer Ben Burtt created all of the robotic sounds from WALL-E from scratch. When you watch the final film, he basically made half of the finished product himself. He will win this award easy.
Best Sound Editing
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted
Ditto, WALL-E. Did I mention Ben Burtt was also the voice of WALL-E, before he put it into a computer and roboticized it?
Best Animated Feature
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E
Bolt and Kung Fu Panda are really cool films, but neither of them even comes close to WALL-E. Pixar has proven once again that they're at the top of the world, and Oscar will reward them duly once again. My only complaint is that it couldn't be a Best Picture contender.
Best Foreign Language Film
The Baader Meinhof Complex
The Class
Departures
Revanche
Waltz with Bashir
I wish I knew more about these films. I know The Class won the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, which is a huge award. Waltz with Bashir is animated, and a sort-of documentary, so it could win simply for being so unique.
Best Documentary Feature
The Betrayal
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water
Man on Wire seems to be the favorite to win here, despite its simplistic story. Trouble the Water is about the effects of Hurricane Katrina, and it could possibly win because of its relevance.
Best Documentary Short
The Conscience of Nhem En
The Final Inch
Smile Pinki
The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306
Sorry, I don't know anything about any of these nominees. Where can you even see short documentaries? On TV?
Best Live Action Short Film
Auf der Strecke (On the Line)
Manon on the Asphalt
New Boy
The Pig
Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Nada.
Best Animated Short Film
La Maison en Petits Cubes
Lavatory Lovestory
Oktapodi
Presto
This Way Up
Presto is the manic Pixar film that was shown in theatres before WALL-E. It's Looney Tunes-esque and incredibly hilarious, and I hope it wins along with its feature-length counterpart. I don't know anything about any of the other nominees.
That's all of them! Later I will post my winners predictions for all the categories, once the buzz starts rolling and I know more about all of the nominees.
Go to www.apple.com/trailers for movie trailers of all the feature films mentioned here.
The ceremony will be live on Sunday, February 22nd at 7:00 pm on ABC.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Oscar Nominations, Part One
As most of you know, the nominations for the Academy Awards were announced this morning, and I was one of the few non-professional people watching it live on TV. By now, most people have heard the nominations and are talking about it, so it's my turn to speak my piece.
First of all, I want to express my extreme displeasure that The Dark Knight was not nominated for Best Picture or Director. I was aware that such nominations would be long shots and difficult to acheive, but the Academy made a profound mistake in ignoring it. Ten years down the line, people will not remember The Reader or Frost/Nixon, but they will remember-and will still be watching- The Dark Knight. It is a profound film that was not only an exceptional action story, but changed the entire genre of superhero movies. The general public will be very angry and I expect some people will boycott the Oscars this year because of it. But, I'm not one to complain, so I will say no more of it.
Even though I'm mad about that, it is the Oscars, and there are still lots of reasons to celebrate. Despite its Best Picture snub, I am PSYCHED that The Dark Knight managed to get eight nominations, including Best Supporting Actor- Heath Ledger. I am PSYCHED that Slumdog Millionaire got ten nominations, as it totally deserves them all. I am PSYCHED that WALL-E got six nominations, including Best Animated Feature. I am PSYCHED that Richard Jenkins got his first nomination. I am PSYCHED that Amy Adams got nominated for Doubt. I am PSYCHED that Kate Winslet got nominated, and in a surprising turn too! I am PSYCHED about the Best Original Song category, which has the opening and closing songs from Slumdog Millionaire, and the closing song from WALL-E, all of which I already had in my iTunes library. I am PSYCHED that Presto got nominated for Best Animated Short Film. I am PSYCHED that one film- Benjamin Button- got thirteen nominations and has a chance to break the record for most awards ever won.
Today marks the start of my one-month high as I officially begin my obsession with the Oscars, and it won't go away until after the ceremony is over.
Now I'll present the nominations in all the major categories to compare them to my predictions. This is not my winners predictions. (That will come later.) This is just to see how close I was, and my thoughts on the results. (I didn't get all five nominations right in any category!) If I have a prediction for the winner, I'll give it, but at this point, it's not worth much, and will probably change later.
Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Four out of five correct. Obviously, I put in The Dark Knight instead of The Reader, and I think most people were surprised by its inclusion here. I knew Dark Knight was the most vulnerable of my predictions, but if I had to replace it, I would have said Doubt or Revolutionary Road, not The Reader. At this point, Slumdog Millionaire seems set to win, and with Batman gone, I hope it does.
Best Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant, Milk
Four out of five correct. Well, I was right that Director and Best Picture would square up, I just had the wrong movie. Obviously, I put in The Dark Knight's Christopher Nolan instead of Daldry. Experts said that even if Dark Knight didn't get in the Best Picture race, Nolan was a shoo-in here. I didn't agree with that, but it did give me hope. Hope...gone. At this point, my money's on Boyle.
Best Actor
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Four out of five correct. I put in Clint Eastwood for Gran Torino instead of Pitt. Benjamin Button was a very quiet character, and also a very easy part to play, so I thought the Academy would give it to the much louder, and the much more entertaining Eastwood. Oh, well. They redeemed themselves by giving Jenkins a nomination, my personal favorite here. At this point, I'd say it's between Penn and Rourke for the win.
Best Actress
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Three out of five correct. Like I said in a previous note, I'm always surprised by this category. I was right about them nominating an actress for an indie film no one's seen; but I said Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky and Kristin Scott Thomas for I've Loved You So Long, when they actually gave it to Leo for Frozen River. (Who the hell is she?) I actually did think Winslet would get nominated for The Reader, but for Supporting Actress. Her entire performance is in flashback, which would have given her the supporting nomination, but the fact that she's the female lead and that it's an amazing performance (and apparently better than her turn in Revolutionary Road, which failed to get nominated) got her an upgrade. At this point, it's all up in the air for the winner. I'm thinking somewhere between Hathaway, Streep, and Winslet.
Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Four out of five correct. I said David Kross for The Reader instead of Shannon, and honestly, I don't think anyone knew who would take that last spot. I left Revolutionary Road off of my predictions altogether, which I see now was a mistake. I applaud the Academy for nominating Ledger posthumously, and for a popcorn movie, and he is currently set to win, although a Hoffman upset win isn't unthinkable.
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Four out of five correct. Technically, I guessed all the nominees, it's just that Kate Winslet got a lead Actress nomination instead of here. Tomei took the spot she occupied on my list. Adams' nomination puts Doubt at four acting nominations (and five with its screenplay nomination), and not in the Best Picture race. It's one of the very few films to do that, but I'm happy this exceptional cast all got nominated. At this point, the race is completely open, and I can see any of the nominees potentially winning.
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Four out of five correct. I was right in that all Best Picture nominees got a screenplay nomination, so I put down The Dark Knight instead of The Reader. I'm thinking Slumdog Millionaire is the favorite to win here.
Best Original Screenplay
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
WALL-E
Two out of five correct. (Yikes!) In my predictions, I said that I might be way off. Instead of Frozen River, Happy-Go-Lucky, and In Bruges, I said Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Visitor, and The Wrestler. I think I'm happier with these results, especially having two comedies nominated. I again applaud the Academy for nominating WALL-E here. I'm thinking Milk will take home the award, since first-time screenwriter Dustin Lance Black worked for years on it, interviewing the real Harvey Milk's friends and beating out several other scripts.
That's it for now. My next entry will feature all the other nominations, which I consider the technical awards, and my thoughts on them.
Go to www.apple.com/trailers for movie trailers of all the films mentioned here.
First of all, I want to express my extreme displeasure that The Dark Knight was not nominated for Best Picture or Director. I was aware that such nominations would be long shots and difficult to acheive, but the Academy made a profound mistake in ignoring it. Ten years down the line, people will not remember The Reader or Frost/Nixon, but they will remember-and will still be watching- The Dark Knight. It is a profound film that was not only an exceptional action story, but changed the entire genre of superhero movies. The general public will be very angry and I expect some people will boycott the Oscars this year because of it. But, I'm not one to complain, so I will say no more of it.
Even though I'm mad about that, it is the Oscars, and there are still lots of reasons to celebrate. Despite its Best Picture snub, I am PSYCHED that The Dark Knight managed to get eight nominations, including Best Supporting Actor- Heath Ledger. I am PSYCHED that Slumdog Millionaire got ten nominations, as it totally deserves them all. I am PSYCHED that WALL-E got six nominations, including Best Animated Feature. I am PSYCHED that Richard Jenkins got his first nomination. I am PSYCHED that Amy Adams got nominated for Doubt. I am PSYCHED that Kate Winslet got nominated, and in a surprising turn too! I am PSYCHED about the Best Original Song category, which has the opening and closing songs from Slumdog Millionaire, and the closing song from WALL-E, all of which I already had in my iTunes library. I am PSYCHED that Presto got nominated for Best Animated Short Film. I am PSYCHED that one film- Benjamin Button- got thirteen nominations and has a chance to break the record for most awards ever won.
Today marks the start of my one-month high as I officially begin my obsession with the Oscars, and it won't go away until after the ceremony is over.
Now I'll present the nominations in all the major categories to compare them to my predictions. This is not my winners predictions. (That will come later.) This is just to see how close I was, and my thoughts on the results. (I didn't get all five nominations right in any category!) If I have a prediction for the winner, I'll give it, but at this point, it's not worth much, and will probably change later.
Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Four out of five correct. Obviously, I put in The Dark Knight instead of The Reader, and I think most people were surprised by its inclusion here. I knew Dark Knight was the most vulnerable of my predictions, but if I had to replace it, I would have said Doubt or Revolutionary Road, not The Reader. At this point, Slumdog Millionaire seems set to win, and with Batman gone, I hope it does.
Best Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant, Milk
Four out of five correct. Well, I was right that Director and Best Picture would square up, I just had the wrong movie. Obviously, I put in The Dark Knight's Christopher Nolan instead of Daldry. Experts said that even if Dark Knight didn't get in the Best Picture race, Nolan was a shoo-in here. I didn't agree with that, but it did give me hope. Hope...gone. At this point, my money's on Boyle.
Best Actor
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Four out of five correct. I put in Clint Eastwood for Gran Torino instead of Pitt. Benjamin Button was a very quiet character, and also a very easy part to play, so I thought the Academy would give it to the much louder, and the much more entertaining Eastwood. Oh, well. They redeemed themselves by giving Jenkins a nomination, my personal favorite here. At this point, I'd say it's between Penn and Rourke for the win.
Best Actress
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Three out of five correct. Like I said in a previous note, I'm always surprised by this category. I was right about them nominating an actress for an indie film no one's seen; but I said Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky and Kristin Scott Thomas for I've Loved You So Long, when they actually gave it to Leo for Frozen River. (Who the hell is she?) I actually did think Winslet would get nominated for The Reader, but for Supporting Actress. Her entire performance is in flashback, which would have given her the supporting nomination, but the fact that she's the female lead and that it's an amazing performance (and apparently better than her turn in Revolutionary Road, which failed to get nominated) got her an upgrade. At this point, it's all up in the air for the winner. I'm thinking somewhere between Hathaway, Streep, and Winslet.
Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road
Four out of five correct. I said David Kross for The Reader instead of Shannon, and honestly, I don't think anyone knew who would take that last spot. I left Revolutionary Road off of my predictions altogether, which I see now was a mistake. I applaud the Academy for nominating Ledger posthumously, and for a popcorn movie, and he is currently set to win, although a Hoffman upset win isn't unthinkable.
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Four out of five correct. Technically, I guessed all the nominees, it's just that Kate Winslet got a lead Actress nomination instead of here. Tomei took the spot she occupied on my list. Adams' nomination puts Doubt at four acting nominations (and five with its screenplay nomination), and not in the Best Picture race. It's one of the very few films to do that, but I'm happy this exceptional cast all got nominated. At this point, the race is completely open, and I can see any of the nominees potentially winning.
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Four out of five correct. I was right in that all Best Picture nominees got a screenplay nomination, so I put down The Dark Knight instead of The Reader. I'm thinking Slumdog Millionaire is the favorite to win here.
Best Original Screenplay
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
WALL-E
Two out of five correct. (Yikes!) In my predictions, I said that I might be way off. Instead of Frozen River, Happy-Go-Lucky, and In Bruges, I said Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Visitor, and The Wrestler. I think I'm happier with these results, especially having two comedies nominated. I again applaud the Academy for nominating WALL-E here. I'm thinking Milk will take home the award, since first-time screenwriter Dustin Lance Black worked for years on it, interviewing the real Harvey Milk's friends and beating out several other scripts.
That's it for now. My next entry will feature all the other nominations, which I consider the technical awards, and my thoughts on them.
Go to www.apple.com/trailers for movie trailers of all the films mentioned here.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Defiance **
Defiance
** out of ****
You can count on Edward Zwick to deliver a solid action/drama period piece. Usually. It seems he's made so many that he thinks it's easy. Defiance can be at times exciting, violent, even heartbreaking. What the movie has in it is good; it's what the movie lacks that makes it less than great.
Daniel Craig is probably the best part of the movie. He is clearly taking roles very different from James Bond to try to avoid being typecast, and I think it's working. He sports a very un-Bond-like red leather coat and a Yiddish accent, and plays the character at first out for revenge, then heartbroken and trying to be a firm leader.
Craig is Tuvia Bielski, and Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell play his younger brothers Zus and Asael, respectively. As the movie opens, the Nazis are sweeping through Belurussia killing or taking away all the Jewish people. The parents of the three brothers are killed, and they later receive news of their wives' and even childrens' deaths. They immediately run into the woods to hide and come across many other people doing the same thing. At first they are reluctant to stay with them all, but soon they recruit many more people to join them, even breaking into a ghetto and evacuating everyone out of there and into the woods. There, they build their own homes and create a community where everyone works and helps out everybody else when needed. Tuvia, at first seen as a great leader the likes of Jesus Christ, soon gets sick and his reluctance to kill other people makes his leadership questioned. At the beginning of the movie, he finds the man who killed his parents, storms into his house during their dinner, and kills him and his two sons. After that, he fights back but doesn't want to kill anymore.
The film opens and the action starts very abruptly. By the time Tuvia shoots his parents' killer, the film has been going for maybe ten minutes and we have to assume he is some sort of soldier who kills people all the time. We never get to know any of the characters, and the relationship between the brothers is revealed later on. Tuvia and Zus do not like each other, and Zus eventually leaves to join the Soviet army. But the audience is not given a good reason why he does this; the two just start fighting randomly.
The film does seem to have more virtues than faults: it has some moving scenes, several good performances, and some violent and exciting action scenes, especially the climactic bomb raid, chase and battle in the woods. But when the movie is over, the viewer reflects back and realizes that for all of the important and weighty topics the film covered, it offered nothing new about the Holocaust, war, or even brotherhood. Hollywood's recent slew of Holocaust films doesn't help, and this one will simply fade away with all the rest.
I would recommend this film to people who like war movies, and fans of Daniel Craig.
You can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYZ2oYDSKHA
** out of ****
You can count on Edward Zwick to deliver a solid action/drama period piece. Usually. It seems he's made so many that he thinks it's easy. Defiance can be at times exciting, violent, even heartbreaking. What the movie has in it is good; it's what the movie lacks that makes it less than great.
Daniel Craig is probably the best part of the movie. He is clearly taking roles very different from James Bond to try to avoid being typecast, and I think it's working. He sports a very un-Bond-like red leather coat and a Yiddish accent, and plays the character at first out for revenge, then heartbroken and trying to be a firm leader.
Craig is Tuvia Bielski, and Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell play his younger brothers Zus and Asael, respectively. As the movie opens, the Nazis are sweeping through Belurussia killing or taking away all the Jewish people. The parents of the three brothers are killed, and they later receive news of their wives' and even childrens' deaths. They immediately run into the woods to hide and come across many other people doing the same thing. At first they are reluctant to stay with them all, but soon they recruit many more people to join them, even breaking into a ghetto and evacuating everyone out of there and into the woods. There, they build their own homes and create a community where everyone works and helps out everybody else when needed. Tuvia, at first seen as a great leader the likes of Jesus Christ, soon gets sick and his reluctance to kill other people makes his leadership questioned. At the beginning of the movie, he finds the man who killed his parents, storms into his house during their dinner, and kills him and his two sons. After that, he fights back but doesn't want to kill anymore.
The film opens and the action starts very abruptly. By the time Tuvia shoots his parents' killer, the film has been going for maybe ten minutes and we have to assume he is some sort of soldier who kills people all the time. We never get to know any of the characters, and the relationship between the brothers is revealed later on. Tuvia and Zus do not like each other, and Zus eventually leaves to join the Soviet army. But the audience is not given a good reason why he does this; the two just start fighting randomly.
The film does seem to have more virtues than faults: it has some moving scenes, several good performances, and some violent and exciting action scenes, especially the climactic bomb raid, chase and battle in the woods. But when the movie is over, the viewer reflects back and realizes that for all of the important and weighty topics the film covered, it offered nothing new about the Holocaust, war, or even brotherhood. Hollywood's recent slew of Holocaust films doesn't help, and this one will simply fade away with all the rest.
I would recommend this film to people who like war movies, and fans of Daniel Craig.
You can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYZ2oYDSKHA
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