More 2014 Oscar Nominees: Nebraska, Blue Jasmine, The Hunt

1/25/14 Nebraska, nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography 2013

In Nebraska, like August: Osage County, family relationships, especially the parent and child relationship is at the center of the story; the landscape and countryside are also characters in the story. Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) is the somewhat addled, alcoholic/drunk patriarch who believes that he was won a million dollars and wants go from Billings, Montana, to Lincoln, Nebraska, to claim his prize. Since he can't drive, he tries at various times to walk, although the highway patrol and his wife, Kate (June Squibb) and kids, David and Ross (Will Forte and Bob Odenkirk) are not exactly supportive of this Quixotic adventure. Eventually, David decides this might be a good chance to spend some quality time with his dad, and against Kate's wishes, they head off on a road trip. Woody is somewhat of a curmudgeon and resents the loss of his freedom as well as his family denying his opportunity to claim his prize. Woody suffers some misadventures during the trip (including losing his dentures along the train tracks, which is a very funny scene). David and Woody take a detour back to Woody and Kate's hometown of Hawthorne, and Kate and Ross come down for an impromptu family reunion. That visit raises the ghosts that Woody and Kate long since left behind, including Woody's family, of whom Kate does not think very highly; Woody's old business partner, Ed Pegram, played by Stacey Keach; and Woody tells them all that he is on his way to collect a million dollars. None of this is done with any bravado or bragging, just a plain fact (which is Woody's style for everything). There is a great scene where David and Ross believe they are reclaiming an air compressor that Woody lent to Ed Pegram over 30 years ago; I thought that was pure comedic genius and timing. Of course, at some point, Woody has to accept that he has not won the million dollars, but you will have to see that and the other familial exchanges for yourself. In August: Osage County it's the mother-daughter relationship that gets focus and in Nebraska it's the father-son relationship and it's an interesting contrast - August: Osage County has yelling, a lot of dialogue and 'explosive' interactions (hot if you will, like Oklahoma in the summer); Nebraska is quieter, with Woody being very frugal in his words and his actions, while David and his other family members doing most of the talking, but still restrained in most of their actions and interactions (cool like autumn or winter in Wyoming or Nebraska). Bruce Dern is great as Woody, almost stereotypically stoic like his fictional Swedish ancestors. Dern is in a pool of great actors for the Best Actor Oscar, including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matthew McConaughey and Leonardo DiCaprio, so I think it's going to be close. June Squibb was achingly familiar to the women sitting next to me (don't get me wrong, I could have done without their chatter, but it was interesting to hear the parallels in their own lives with the Grants; I think this is probably true for many of my Minnesotan/Wisconsin/Dakotan friends); Kate was feisty, cantankerous, resentful and yet very protective of Woody (I guess it's one of those, I can be angry and resentful at my husband, but you cannot moments). June Squibb had some great lines, and she has a speech where she just goes off on her in-laws and I wanted to applaud; so she not only had great lines, but delivered them convincingly. She's nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category, and that one, I think is locked up by Lupita Nyong'o. Alexander Payne directed Nebraska and he chose to film Nebraska in black and white and I think it fits the film perfectly. There is something that will resonate with everyone, especially the parent-child arc, but as I said, I think there is something that is very uniquely Midwestern to the story that struck a chord for this transplanted Minnesotan. Nebraska has a bittersweet quality that is tempered by the humor. You should totally see this movie (big screen is great, but I think you'd okay if you have to wait for DVD).

1/25/14 Blue Jasmine, nominated for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, 2013

I think my next project may be to watch all of Woody Allen's films and do my analysis and categorization of them because he does seem to have certain themes for his movies; this isn't scientific but to me a movie like Bullets Over Broadway is a more obvious comedy, but something like Blue Jasmine or Cassandra's Dream or Matchpoint have almost a Greek tragedy component (Blue Jasmine is probably more comedy than the other two just mentioned); the protagonist 'gets' what is coming to them. Jasmine (Cate Blanchett nominated as Best Actress) is the ex-wife of Hal, a Bernie Madoff-type character, played by Alec Baldwin, who has lost every trace of her posh lifestyle, except the feeling that she should still have all of those luxuries. This narcissistic trait grates on her sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins nominated for Best Supporting Actress), who lost a great deal of money by trusting it to Hal, and has always struggled. Blanchett plays Jasmine with no sense of irony or humor, which makes it funny to watch her cluelessness among her friends and family, and total strangers. Poor Ginger has her own problems, including divorcing her husband, played surprisingly well by Andrew Dice Clay, and then relationship problems with her new boyfriend, Chili, oh, and her sister won't move out. Hawkins is good and can definitely hold her own with Blanchett (to see Hawkins in a starring role check out Happy-Go-Lucky). Woody Allen has written over 70 movies and I think he still has something to say; I like his movies like Blue Jasmine more than Midnight in Paris, that could have been because of Owen Wilson (not a fan) or the story with the ups and downs in Jasmine's life.

1/26/13 The Hunt, nominated for Best Foreign Film, 2013

Oh, this one will grab you and not let go until it's over. The film database I keep in my head is failing me in terms of other similar films but I know they are there. Anyway, The Hunt stars Mads Mikkelsen who was also in Denmark's entry last year, A Royal Affair, as Lucas, an aid at the local kindergarten. The young daughter of his best friend accuses Lucas of behaving inappropriately with her after he upsets her. The little girl who is perhaps six has no idea of what her statement means in the grown-up world and the firestorm she is about to set off in her village. I don't know if it's fair to say that if this happened in Copenhagen or another large European city it would have been handled differently, but in a small village where everyone knows everyone else, it creates a maelstrom that Lucas cannot escape, even though he knows he didn't do anything wrong. And I think that may be part of what makes the movie so tense and suspenseful is that as the viewer you know that Lucas didn't do anything and all you can do is watch the events unfold, hoping that everyone in the village is as insightful as you are. Unfortunately, that isn't the case, and most of his friends distance themselves. In the midst of this, Lucas reconnects with his teenage son, Marcus, who has had to spend most of his time with Lucas's ex-wife. Marcus stands by his father's side and they build a strong bond. The ending is worthy of Hitchcock (man, I hope I'm referencing the right filmmaker) and it caught me by surprise. I'm not going to lie, it was hard to watch the witch hunt, and it's amazing at how fast everyone turned on Lucas. But it is a great performance by Mikkelsen (who should have been nominated for his performance even if it would have added to an already crowded field). One other thing - apparently they don't wear blaze orange in Denmark when hunting.

1/26/13 Frances Ha, not nominated, 2013

Ok, I just watched this because Greta Gerwig was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress for Frances Ha and I wanted to see if she should have been nominated for an Oscar. And...no. I haven't had a painful movie in a while, so maybe I was due, but man alive I hated this movie. What a bunch of nothing; I don't mind slices of life without any clear end in mind, but this seemed ridiculous. I didn't even think it was very funny and the acting was amateurish at best; I think the point was to make it seem like the conversation and action was natural and improvised, but it just wasn't very good. I think people get 'ground-breaking' and 'pretentious' mixed up and I think that's the case here. Where I think Nebraska and August: Osage County can apply to a cross-section of movie-goers and almost anyone can say 'oh my gosh that happened to me', I don't think that is true here; I think it pertains to a small segment of the population, and if their lives are as meaningless as those in the film, who wants to see that. Rant over.

Lost Horizon, Cat Ballou, Suspicion and the Great Dictator

It was an eclectic movie watching weekend last week and I'm just getting around to writing about the movies. This was a break from my run at the 2014 Oscar nominees, and a nice change of pace.

1/20/2014 Lost Horizon, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing 1937

Lost Horizon is an interesting film in so many ways: it is about a 'Utopian' community in the Tibetan Himalayas, released in the years before World War II made its way across Europe, but there were hostilities in Asia as Japan was beginning to flex its muscle in war with China; the version that the public can view today is a restored version, made up of film footage as well as the soundtrack; it was directed by Frank Capra after Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and before Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, two very idealistic and 'American' films. Robert Conway (Ronald Coleman), a British diplomat, is in charge of getting British citizens out of the city of Baskul as the city falls. The plane Conway and the others escape on gets hijacked and eventually crashes in the Himalayas; strangely, they are met and rescued and taken to an idyllic compound, Shangri-La. Conway's fellow travelers include his younger brother, George; a paleontologist, Lovett (Edward Everett Horton, whose name may not sound familiar, but his face and voice will ring bells); Barnard, a conman (Thomas Mitchell who was Scarlett O'Hara's father in Gone with the Wind); and Gloria Stone, a woman of questionable background who is very ill. The group is met by the spokesman for Shangri-La, Chang (H.B. Warner who appeared in a few Capra movies) who at best answers his visitors questions with vague responses and at worst, brushes them off with a smile and nod. Conway finds a connection with Chang and greatly enjoys the peace and quiet of Shangri-La and he becomes intrigued with a young girl, Sondra, played by Jane Wyatt (Spock's mother). Even as Conway is become more enamored of the peaceful village, his brother is anxious to get back to England as are the others, but over time, all except George want to stay and become a part of the community, Lovett wants to teach and Barnard has dreams of running modern plumbing. Chang tells Conway the story of Shangri-La and how it was founded over 200 years ago by the High Lama, who was originally a priest. Conway eventually meets the High Lama and learns of the his plans to make Conway his successor. Conway is told by Chang and the High Lama that people can live to a very old age in Shangri-La because of the lifestyle and the absence of stress, greed, violence, etc.  There are parts of the movie that sound like a treatise on socialism. Capra, who has no qualms about being heavy-handed on occasion, doesn't spare us his politics here either. There were times I found it hard to take, I found George to be whiny and overacted, and perhaps I am jaded, but I thought there was a Star Trek episode that was similar to this storyline. I did like listening to Ronald Coleman speak, he had a wonderful voice. The sets that made up Shangri-La, the massive rooms and parapets were really incredible and Stephen Goosson won an Oscar for them. There are pieces of film that could not be found and restored, so they incorporated still photos. It still isn't restored to the original length of 210 minutes, and for that I have to say, thank you, 132 minutes was quite long enough. It was a good movie, but not 3 hours good. If you're a Capra aficionado or a film history buff, then you should definitely see it.

1/20/14 Suspicion, Best Actress 1941

Damn you, Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock really made some good movies but never won an Oscar for Best Director. He kind of sucks you in, with a little bit of comedy, then some mystery, maybe a little moody music. He had me very off-balance with Suspicion, I was so ready for something to happen, and every time I thought it would, it didn't. Joan Fontaine won the Best Actress Oscar for her role as Lina McLaidlaw, the plain daughter of fairly well-off parents, played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Dame May Witty. Lina is swept off her feet by the rapscallion, Johnnie Aysgarth (Cary Grant). Needless to say, Lina's parents are not overly thrilled by this relationship, even less thrilled after they get married. There are some indications that Johnnie is after Lina for her money and that is the little niggling thought that you have through the whole movie. Cary Grant is so smooth, he is fun to watch, even when he is being less than honest, you still want to like him, you can't help it. That's kind of how Lina feels. Hitchcock knows how to use tension, tightening it up with a camera angle, loosening it with a little levity, and then damned if he doesn't push you close to the edge again.I really enjoyed watching this movie. I didn't see any of the other movies for the Best Actress nominees, so I don't have any opinion on if Joan Fontaine deserved to win, but she was up against her sister, Olivia de Havilland, which I'm sure did not help their relationship. I cannot think of another year where two siblings were up against each other for the same award. 

1/21/14 Cat Ballou, Best Actor, 1965

Cat Ballou was recommended by a co-worker, not realizing that it would actually cross another movie off of the list, I was going to watch it as an interlude between my other movies. Who knew? What a happy accident. I don't think a movie like this could be made today, we're too 'sophisticated' or jaded or something, but it was fun as heck to watch. Cat Ballou stars Lee Marvin (in his Oscar-winning role) as Kid Shelleen and Tim Strawn, Jane Fonda as 'Cat' Ballou, and Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye as type of musical Greek chorus. Well, this movie is either going to be terrible or it's going to make you laugh. I laughed. Cat Ballou was trained as a teacher and heads back home to Wolf City, Wyoming only to find her father struggling against progress and a land developer. Tim Strawn (Lee Marvin) is a hired gun who is supposed to scare off Cat's father. Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye stroll through various scenes providing a musical narrative with a little commentary mix in. I thought they were one of the highlights of the movie. Jane Fonda plays the straight lady to the other characters around her, including an uncle/nephew cattle-rustling duo, an Indian who is practically ostracized by everyone in Wolf City except for Cat's father and Cat (Cat's father is convinced Jackson Two Bear is Jewish and one of the Lost Tribes of Israel) and to Kid Shelleen (also Lee Marvin). To combat Tim Strawn, Cat and her friends bring in Kid Shelleen, a hero in dime novels, who has a slight drinking problem. There are assorted capers that Cat and her gang go on in the attempt to hurt and impede the land developers, including a train robbery. There are elements in the movie that remind me of The Great Race with Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Natalie Wood, there's a big fight that breaks out at a community dance, serious characters in comedic situations. 1965 was quite a year for actors, with Richard Burton, Laurence Olivier and Rod Steiger also all nominated for Best Actor. 

Filed under the 'it's a small world in films' category, the man who created Lee Marvin's nose, John Chambers, was part of the team featured in Argo. 

1/25/14 The Great Dictator, nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Writing, Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Score, 1940

This is Charlie Chaplin's first full talking movie (there was some sound in Modern Times) because he thought sound in films would be a passing phase. People are probably somewhat familiar with the movie through various clips that may get shown during montages or anthologies: Chaplin plays a dual role, Adenoid Hynkel, a dictator of fictitious Tomainia, and his doppelganger, known as A Jewish Barber. Hynkel is starting to implement his anti-Jewish laws, marking businesses with 'JEW' on their windows, harassing Jews and embarking on his campaign to rule the world. Chaplin's character, the Jewish Barber, looks a lot like the Little Tramp, except he does speak and he's a little bolder. There are actually books and articles on whether the Barber is the Tramp, and what would be the motivation for either case, that's how embedded into the social psyche Chaplin was at the time. The movie is drama-comedy, with a very serious topic being handled with comedic touches, and with Chaplin basically giving Hitler the finger and big old raspberry at the same time. The more I watch Chaplin, the more impressed I am and I want people to know what a great director and actor he was; watching him move, whether he is dancing with a globe, trying to escape soldiers, it's balletic, it's so fluid. I'm not sure I can accurately describe it, but it's amazing. If you take The Great Dictator out of it's time frame and if it's possible to watch it without thinking about the events at the time, it's a great movie, but if you watch it with an understanding of the historical, political and cinematic events, it's even more amazing. Chaplin so believed in this movie and the importance of somehow sticking it to Hitler that he funded the movie himself. This was his most successful movie. The DVD from library had a disk of special features and included a documentary from Turner Classic Movies on The Great Dictator and its place in history at the time with commentary from his son Sydney, Sidney Lumet, a gentleman from Hitler's inner circle among others. I would think this would be a great tool to use in a modern history class, the importance of cinema in history and a look at a film contemporaneous to the events at the time. Chaplin has said that if he knew about what was happening in the concentration camps and the extent of the atrocities, he would not have made the movie. Some of those being interviewed commented that he did more good for the war effort with his movie, and that laughter is often more important to survival than just being physically strong (and some of those interviewees were Jewish).

I recently finished Chaplin's autobiography and he writes extensively about The Great Dictator and his political views which got him in a lot of hot water in the United States. It took me a while to finish, but learning more about his methods and his various inspirations helped me to appreciate his films and creative genius even more. I am probably due to re-watch Chaplin starring Robert Downey Jr. 

2014 Oscar-nominees: August: Osage County, The Lone Ranger, 20 Feet from Stardom, The Croods

Aside from a few detours, I am really going to try to focus on the recently announced Oscar nominees. This weekend has been quite successful in that regard. So, here we go.

1/18/14 The Croods, Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film, 2013

The Croods tells the story of a family of cavemen trying to survive when their neighbors have perished due to encounters with very large reptiles, freak accidents, etc. Their precarious existence is guarded by the over-protective patriarch, Grug (Nicholas Cage); Grug and his daughter, Eep (Emma Stone), battle over the Grug's rules, with Eep longing for a little freedom outside of the cave. Eep finds an ally in Guy (Ryan Reynolds) who invents things, like fire, and explores the vast surroundings, which not surprisingly, causes friction among the Crood family (which includes Catherine Keener as Grug's wife, Ugga and Cloris Leachman as Ugga's mother, Gran). The Croods was okay, I'm not sure what got it nominated for Best Animated Feature, story-wise it didn't seem to break new ground; visually, it was very appealing, and originally was showing in 3-D. I didn't really care until there was about 20 minutes left, and then it mildly interested me. I didn't find myself having great belly laughs, or thinking that the word play was extra witty or clever.

1/18/14 The Lone Ranger, Nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Visual Effects

I'm gonna say, I watched The Lone Ranger and I didn't hate it. Was it great? No. But there were some funny moments and great action; it wasn't any worse than 2 Guns. Johnny Depp is Tonto and Armie Hammer is The Lone Ranger (aka John Reid). The men team up after a rough first encounter and much against John Reid's wishes. Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner) killed John's brother, Dan Reid, Texas Ranger. Tom Wilkinson is the other bad guy, Latham Cole, a greedy railroad bigwig. Tonto and the Lone Ranger (notice who is first in this pairing?) each have their own hang-ups and guilt trips and they must overcome issues from the past as they try to move on in the present. Honestly, when I watch Armie Hammer I have to try and remember where I have seen him (Mirror, Mirror and The Social Network), I don't know if that's good or bad, it just is. Johnny Depp, on the other hand, sticks in my mind, even if I can't remember the movie. He brings the same quirkiness to Tonto that he brought to Jack Sparrow, and delivers some great lines that did make me laugh out loud (that did not happen at all during the The Croods). I was ready to write the movie off, like a lot of people did, but I decided to just watch it and see what happened. I will say the movie could have been edited down by about 15 minutes and maybe some tweaks to the story, but it was a decent action-comedy. Back to Johnny Depp, I did enjoy him as Tonto, but he is such a big presence that you kind of forget the other actors; I mentioned Jack Sparrow, but for the life of me, unless I look it up, I cannot think of the other characters from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise (I never cared that much to begin with). I really thought the movie should have been called Tonto. Helena Bonham Carter is a madam and I'm not sure why she is even here (it's a relatively small role), unless it was the obligatory part in a movie with Johnny Depp (please don't misunderstand, I love Helena Bonham Carter, it's just why here?). The movie is nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling and Best Visual Effects. There are only three movies in the Makeup category, and one of the nominees is Bad Grandpa. I'm not sure how The Hobbit and some other movies didn't get nominated, but I'm not sure about this one. As for the Visual Effects, it is up against Iron Man 3, The Hobbit and Gravity among others. If you skipped The Lone Ranger because of the bad reviews, I would say, check it out.

1/18/14 20 Feet From Stardom, Nominated for Best Feature Documentary, 2013

Well, you all now I love me a good documentary, and you make that a music documentary, I am so happy. I saw previews of 20 Feet from Stardom and couldn't wait to see it, but I'm not sure if it came to the Twin Cities or came and I missed it, but it's on Netflix now. 20 Feet from Stardom tells the stories of backup singers over the last 50 years or so, focusing on four singers, Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Judith Hill and Lisa Fischer; Love and Clayton have roots in the early days of rock, with Phil Spector, The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles and others. Lisa Fischer has sung with The Rolling Stones, Sting, Luther Vandross and Tina Turner. Judith Hill was recently on The Voice and is trying to establish herself as a lead singer. There are many other singers interviewed and showcased as well. The movie introduces us to these singers, who have been on some of the biggest selling records in history (or at least in their time) and let's the back up singers, as well as the people with whom they have sung (Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Austin, Sting) speak to how influential they have been, but also the dream of being a solo act. It becomes evident that not everyone is cut out for the lead microphone, they may lack the ego or the timing is bad, and they are more comfortable singing back up. There are male and female singers interviewed, but in the main film, the focus is on the female singers of the 1960s and 1970s; there are some good clips in the extra features which I recommend that you watch. I think it was easier to construct a story by narrowing the focus, because otherwise, this movie could have been three hours long (one of the few times I would not object to a three hour long movie). It was interesting to hear, from the big name singers as well as producers and arrangers, that in some cases, the backup singers has more training or more flexibility in the types of music they could sing, and may be better singers than some of the newer names of today; the process of auto-tuning was derisively mentioned. This is the first documentary of the nominees that I have seen, so I cannot say if it should win, but I suppose it's fair to say it's my favorite as of now. I would recommend Standing in the Shadows of Motown which is about the house band of Motown Records, the Funk Brothers; it has some incredible music and great interviews and insight into the history of Motown. It won a Grammy. There is also a documentary coming out, partially funded by a Kickstarter campaign, called The Wrecking Crew which is about studio musicians from the West Coast.

1/19/14 August: Osage County, Nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, 2013

Family gatherings always seem to bring out the worst in us, maybe it's the stress of being all together and memories and hurt feelings being raised to the surface. There are a lot of universal truths in August: Osage County told with pointedly hurtful and occasionally insightful and funny dialogue. The patriarch of the Weston family, Beverly Weston (Sam Shepard) disappears and is eventually found drowned. This is the triggering event to bring his family together. Violet (Meryl Streep) is Beverly's drug-addicted viper of a wife, who doesn't bother with societal niceties, with her family or with strangers, Vi is also suffering from mouth cancer which does not seem to slow down her cigarette habit. Their daughters Barbara (Julia Roberts), Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) and Karen (Juliette Lewis) all have their own challenges with their mother as well as with one another. Margo Martindale is Mattie Faye, Violet's sister and Chris Cooper is Charlie, Mattie Faye's good-natured husband who must often wonder how he married into this hell on earth. The movie is based on Tracy Lett's original play and he wrote the screenplay. The dialogue is rich and packs a punch and is very colorful. Osage County is in Oklahoma, and it's as much of a character in the movie as any of the players; with the heat, wide open spaces, the potential for drought, emotional and climatological. Barbara is the oldest and there seems to be the biggest rift between Barb and Vi, possibly because Vi claims that Barbara was her father's favorite and she just left the family. Ivy is the sister who somehow got stuck in Oklahoma. Vi is constantly on Ivy about her appearance and lack of a man in her life. Ivy manages to hide her resentment as she hides other things from her family; in fact, there are a lot of secrets in the Weston family, and they all start coming out after the funeral. I think this is one of those things that resonates with a lot of viewers, it did for me anyway, although the secrets I'm thinking of are nothing like what comes out in the movie. Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts are really great together, and both have been nominated for an Oscar (I am typically not a Julia Roberts fan, I don't line up to see a movie because she is in it, but she kicks some ass in this movie; this may be the fifth or sixth Meryl Streep film I've reviewed in the past month). There are a lot of scenes that seem so exhausting, very much like real life. Julianne Nicholson as Ivy was touching and heartbreaking, and I wondered what happened to her after the movie ended (Nicholson was Detective Wheeler in Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and she was good in that as well, so it's nice to see her in a longer vehicle). Vi goes between being a hateful woman to someone you might just pity; we get the sense that her life was extremely hard and not full of love, and she didn't know how to love her children either, and the chickens are coming home to roost. August: Osage County was initially predicted to be nominated for a lot of Oscars, but only came away with the two actress nominations; this was due to the plethora of great movies this year (in my opinion), because I really think it should have been nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, perhaps Best Supporting Actor for Chris Cooper (who's portrayal of Charlie was not what I expected) and possibly Best Original Song for the song at the end of the film. To me August: Osage County was a fair representation of how many families interact with one another, and I like how Letts' screenplay doesn't sugarcoat anything (you can argue that it's a little over the top, I mean, they use the F-bomb almost as much as Martin Scorsese, and things are definitely added for effect, I wouldn't rule out anything when it comes to families) and things are not necessarily tied up with a nice bow. The cast is superb, but is it just me, or does Dermot Mulroney creep you out too?

Cate Blanchett seems to be the favorite for Best Actress for Blue Jasmine and Roberts has some competition from Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle and Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave (my choice is Lupita).

Lone Survivor, Laura, The Song of Bernadette and The Eleanor Roosevelt Story

Believe it or not, I was supposed to see more movies this weekend, but I hit the wall.I was probably pushing my luck anyway, because I would give all four movies thumbs up, and with number five, whatever that might have been, probably would have disappointed me. Anyway, I had to watch the Golden Globes on Sunday (okay, I didn't have to) but I wanted to see if there were any movies I missed (as in unaware of), so it was good to update my Netflix queue. On to the reviews.

Blogger's Note: Damn, I hate writer's block. You just look at the screen and nothing comes, nothing, nada, zip, zilch. I really wanted to get the reviews posted before today, but I couldn't. So, I'm going to try again. Also, the Oscar nominations were announced today, and I'm happy to say I have seen a good number of the 'mainstream' nominations, and I even called one of the movies I will be reviewing, but I'm publishing after the fact, but I hope you believe me. More on that later. So, let's try this again:

Blogger's Note 2: Wow, I am losing it. I don't usually go back to a blog to edit, but I find myself doing it a little more frequently. In this case it is to add some information to the Lone Survivor review, like the names of the other characters. I was remiss in doing that last night, so I am correcting that now (in my defense, it was after 9:30 which is my bedtime).

1/11/14 The Song of Bernadette, Best Actress, Best Art Direction - Interior Decoration, B&W, Best Cinematography, B&W, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, 1943

I had heard of The Song of Bernadette before, but had never seen it, I don't even think I'd seen a little clip, and it's probably one I would have overlooked if it wasn't for this list (the list giveth and the list taketh away). Well, I am very glad I saw it. The Song of Bernadette is a dramatization of the life of Saint Bernadette Soubirous who is associated with the miracle at Lourdes. Jennifer Jones stars as the young Bernadette in her first major film role, and she won the Oscar for Best Actress. The only movie that I have seen from that year was For Whom the Bell Tolls with Ingrid Bergman. You may remember that review - I hated that movie. Jones is wonderful, she embodies a patience and serenity that was captivating. I was actually surprised that I enjoyed the movie so much, but I did. Bernadette suffers from asthma and misses a lot of school and her family struggles to eke out a living, but after Bernadette sees a vision of 'The Lady', things begin to change. As is often the case, many people believed Bernadette and her visions and what she told them, there were many others who were skeptical and vigorously opposed to her; typically it is the established church and those in political power. Bernadette patiently answers their questions, criticisms and accusations of blasphemy with grace. To highlight the antagonism between Bernadette and the authorities, the 'bad guys' are played with a very heavy handed. Vincent Price plays Prosecutor Dutour who is one of Bernadette's opponents. He is very smooth and condescends to the simple country girl, but she does not bite and maintains her peace. The story is set in Lourdes, France, in the mid-1800s, and it is interesting to see the attitudes of the time, especially those of the 'skeptics' who base their opinions on the science of the time, and the rational mind versus those who believe who don't need any intellectual validation. I don't think a lot has changed between the 1850s to the 1940s when the movie was made to the 21st century, we still have the same debates faith versus fact, medicine versus prayer, the old order versus non-traditional. The movie won a few other awards, including Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Music. If you're looking for a good family movie, especially in time for the upcoming springtime holidays, I would recommend The Song of Bernadette, and I would like to think you don't have to be Catholic to enjoy it (I'm not and I enjoyed it, so there). It's certainly different from The Ten Commandments or Jesus of Nazareth.

1/11/14 Laura, Best Black & White Cinematography, 1944 National Film Registry

Laura was directed by Otto Preminger (Porgy and Bess, Advise and Consent, Anatomy of a Murder) and stars Gene Tierney as the enigmatic protagonist, Laura, Clifton Webb as her admirer, mentor, friend, Waldo Lydecker (what a great name), Dana Andrews as Detective Mark McPherson and Vincent Price as Shelby Carpenter (two Vincent Price movies on one day, what are the odds?). Dame Judith Anderson also appears in the film,she appeared in another mystery with Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine, Rebecca. The movie opens with columnist Waldo Lydecker narrating and telling us about Laura and how he met her, and introducing us to the characters in Laura's life. There are some interesting twists and turns, and at first I thought it was a Hitchcock film. Laura is found killed in her apartment and Detective McPherson begins interviewing the various suspects, including Shelby, Laura's fiance. I actually thought the movie was going to go in another direction and be a little more suspenseful, and maybe I'm just jaded. I don't know if other people are like me, but when I'm watching a mystery, I do not want to figure it out, I want to be surprised and outsmarted, not 'tricked', but outwitted by good writing (if you like mysteries, you probably know what I mean, don't concoct and manipulate the facts so you can have an ending, but write a good story and good characters), anyway, I digress. Anyway, if you like classic movies, film noir, if you will, and old Hollywood, I would suggest watching Laura, Gene Tierney was one of the Hollywood starlets of the time, appearing in many other Oscar-nominated movies, and Clifton Webb is a treat (he is very dapper and appeared in the Mr. Belvedere films, The Razor's Edge again with Tierney, and others), and Vincent Price who plays a character totally different to Prosecutor Dutour from The Song of Bernadette and very different from the horror films he is known to many audiences.

1/12/12 The Eleanor Roosevelt Story, Best Documentary, 1965

Younger generations may think that all First Ladies have been as active and involved in the affairs of the country, like Hilary Clinton, Michelle Obama and Laura Bush, but that has not always been true. But that was true with Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of four-term president, Franklin Roosevelt. The Eleanor Roosevelt Story traces Eleanor's life from her upbringing in a family with very high expectations to her marriage to the young Roosevelt, an ambitious up and comer for the Democrats to the wheelchair-bound progressive, reformer during the Depression and second World War. Yes, that is quite a list, but she was quite a woman. I don't think we are at a point in American history (or world history) yet, where a woman leading worldwide initiatives should be taken for granted, there is still a long way to go, so when you look at what Eleanor Roosevelt did over 70 years ago, it is even more amazing. She traveled around the country during the Depression, meeting with Americans all over, trying to find out what they needed, lending her voice to causes, even when it was unpopular, especially when it was unpopular, and that was quite a feat. During World War II, she continued her travels, to different countries, visiting soldiers, Allies, telling jokes, stories and representing her husband's policies. The Republicans at the time were very unkind, although at that time, there was still such a thing as civil discourse. One of the things that was included in the documentary was her work on the United Nations (the League of Nations had essentially collapsed under its own weight in the 1930s) and the way she handled the challenges from different countries, especially the USSR, seemed very graceful; she had an understanding of how to deal with people, even when they disagreed. It could be courteous and yet strong and determined. Yes, Virginia, there was a time of public civility. We don't talk enough about Eleanor Roosevelt, and that's a damned shame. She really is an inspiration and role-model, a woman who overcame the preconceptions about what being a woman of society in the early 1900s meant (be pretty - she wasn't, do as you're told - she didn't, limit your ideas to china patterns and how you can support your husband - she supported her husband, but I don't think that's what her family had in mind) to a trailblazer, independent thinker and an inspiration to many. There were parts of the documentary my mind wandered, especially in the beginning, but those early years were very formative for her, so I probably should have paid better attention (oops).

1/12/14 Lone Survivor, nominated Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, 2013

And here we are: after I saw it, I said to several people, Lone Survivor will probably be nominated for the sound awards and possibly visual effects or makeup, and dang if I wasn't correct on the sound awards. It's not like I'm omniscient, because if I was, I would use my powers in a little different way, but that's for another time. It's just that war movies or movies with a lot of explosions seem to get nominated a lot because it takes a lot to make sure the sound is synced with the action, otherwise it probably turns into a really bad comedy. So, enough kudos for me.

Lone Survivor is based on the book of the same name by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson that depicts the events surrounding the unsuccessful SEAL mission in Afghanistan to track down a Taliban leader. Lately, there have been several shows or segments on a variety of networks about Luttrell and his comrades (he was the Lone Survivor) and the story is so amazing, that I really wanted to see it (Luttrell is played by Mark Wahlberg in the film), I want to read the book as well. Lone Survivor was directed by actor/director Peter Berg (actor in Chicago Hope, directed Friday Night Lights, Battleship) and also featured Emile Hirsch (Danny Dietz), Taylor Kitsch (Michael Murphy), Eric Bana (Erik Kristensen) and Ben Foster (Matthew Axelson). The movie pretty much grabs you by the throat from the beginning by showing footage of real-life SEALS going through their training, ringing out and graduating from the program; if you didn't have any idea how intense the training is, these few minutes give you a pretty good glimpse. The intensity takes a break as we get introduced to the team, but it picks back up again as the team preps for the mission. There are bits of humor and funny stuff as the SEALs tease and haze one of the newcomers (Luttrell makes a few appearances in the movie as one of the SEALs), but also glimpses of the planning that goes into one of these missions. Even though the outcome of the movie/real life has been shared and is common knowledge, I was still caught up in the story and the action, and there is a lot of action. Some of the scenes are so frenetic and crazy, I felt like I was in it, as the team falls down a steep cliff made up of sharp rocks, I felt myself recoil (as if my ass would ever do that). One of my issues, and this happens to me during military/war movies, is the tactical piece, when the characters start their 'military-speak', and I have no idea what the heck is going on; I am spatially-challenges, so I struggle when the characters plan their attacks, giving directions and stuff. It hurts my head. That's my own issue, but, it's frustrating. The other thing is, for this movie (and a few others I can think of), some of the characters all look the same (dark hair and scruffy), it took me a while to figure out who Taylor Kitsch and Emile Hirsch were (again, I'm sure that's my problem, and I had it in Lincoln as well, annoying). I saw this movie with one-third of my movie-going family as we were screening it for the fourteen-year old, and my friend and I both walked out feeling overwhelmed, exhausted and amazed at what those guys went through. So, should you see it? Well, yes, you should. But, it is very intense and to me, because I knew it was real and based on true events (even if they were modified for film), made it even more intense and emotional. The four men who played the real soldiers were very believable and while the acting wasn't Oscar-worthy, it was still good and didn't detract from the story, and there is a humanity that they bring (sometimes the story and intent is good, but the acting is not up to par). The swearing: oh yes, there is swearing, this ain't a tea party, and the f-bomb is dropped with stunning regularity, although probably not as much as in The Wolf of Wall Street, and if Wahlberg said 'oh darn, I think we're in trouble' you probably wouldn't believe it. The violence: I hope I can convey my thoughts on this so it makes sense. A Quentin Tarantino movie, like Django Unchained had more blood and violence than Lone Survivor, but when you watch Tarantino, even if the movie has elements of history in it, it is so overdone that you don't really take it seriously; you just think, ah, red dye number 5; it's almost satirical. In a movie like Lone Survivor, there was definitely blood, but when someone was shot through the head, it was just a splurt of blood, not like a melon exploding, so it wasn't really gory, but it was more realistic, and in that way, it was more troubling. There is a scene where one of the Taliban leaders is cutting off the head of an Afghani who was accused of helping the Americans; you don't see the actual decapitation, i.e., the head being cut off, but you see the chopping action; again, to me, that is more upsetting because you're left to your imagination. One of the things my friend and I discussed was would this be less upsetting if you watched on television; after the movie and upon consideration, I think if you were to watch it with your teenager, I would say the small screen might be the ticket; the other thing is, if you are watching it on DVD, you could pause and take a break or discuss, and you wouldn't be so surrounded by the action. There are a lot of movies out there this time of year, but I am so glad I saw this one.

Flashback: Wallace & Gromit, Argo, Iron Lady, The Help, and more

It's been a while since I've done any kind of anthology or flashback and it seems like a good time before this year's Oscar nominations are released.

Wallace & Gromit in The Wrong Trousers, Best Animated Short Film, 1993 and A Close Shave, Best Animated Short, 1995

I love Wallace & Gromit, Wallace is like Mr. Magoo meets Rube Goldberg, and Gromit is his trusty sidekick who always seems to make everything okay, no matter how much Wallace screws it up. In The Wrong Trousers, want-to-be inventor, Wallace, creates a pair of robotic trousers that can take Gromit for a walk. Things are turned topsy-turvy when a criminal penguin rents a room from Wallace. That's really all I'm going to tell you, and it's all you need to check out the video (both are available on a single DVD from the library). A Close Shave has our intrepid duo and a new window washing enterprise, but they fall into the path of sheep wranglers, very dangerous wranglers, at that. Gromit performs some very impressive aviation maneuvers to save the sheep. All of this is funny and fun to watch, made even more so when you realize the work it takes to make the stop-motion animation happen; on the DVD I had there some behind the scenes footage with Nick Park and how he creates. There is a lot to entertain kids, but adults will enjoy these as well. I'm not responsible if you start grinning maniacally and crave cheese.

Zero Dark Thirty, Best Sound Editing, 2012

If you have not seen this movie, you should add it to your list. I remember when my friend and I watched it in the theater, we were just speechless when it ended. Kathryn Bigelow does a great job of pacing the film and taking you on the ups and downs of the main protagonist, CIA Agent Maya, played by Jessica Chastain. If you have not seen the movie a very high level recap, without giving anything away, is that this follows Maya on her very single-minded quest to find Osama bin Laden and the mission that was based on her analysis. Chastain was compelling to watch, as she goes from naive agent to driven and obsessed and not afraid to throw around a  few f-bombs to her bosses. She was nominated for Best Actress and lost out to Jennifer Lawrence; Chastain got my unofficial vote, I thought her character had a lot more work to do in the film since a lot of characters came in and out of the film, versus Lawrence working closely with the other actors. They were both great, though. There are scenes early on of torture, and they are hard to watch, and that's where we meet Maya. There are probably more than a few literary licenses taken, and I think I have mentioned before, unless it's a documentary, some things probably need to be changed to simplify filming or smooth out the story-telling process, and I don't have a problem with that unless we're led to believe it's 100% accurate; so there were criticisms of the movie. I say, watch it and judge for yourself. Jessica Chastain is going to be one of those actresses that we see a lot of in the future (Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Adams are two others who jump to mind).

Argo, Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, 2012

I saw this movie with my little brother and it was so funny because he did not believe that it was real, and like several movies lately, I actually remember when this happened. And while I enjoyed seeing silly, animated, kids' movies with him, it was nice to see a grown-up movie that we could talk about after it was over (and I didn't fall asleep which used to irritate him). Argo dramatizes the story of CIA operative Tony Mendez and the successful extraction of six Americans stuck in Iran during the Iranian Revolution. Much-maligned Ben Affleck directed and starred as Mendez and whatever you think about Ben Affleck if you've seen Gigli or Daredevil, should be erased from the movie watching part of your brain. His direction is balanced, suspenseful, restrained where necessary, and as Mendez, he plays it cool, but with authority. The basic premise (not giving anything away here) is to get the Americans out of Iran he needs a cover story, so he and John Goodman as John Chambers, a Hollywood insider, come up with the idea to make a movie in Iran, and they need to scope out some locations, etc. They go to great lengths to substantiate the story so it will withstand any scrutiny. Goodman teams up with Alan Arkin as Lester Siegel, a producer, to form the creative brains, and they provide a lot of the comic relief, and have great chemistry together. The actors who play the six Americans demonstrate palpable claustrophobia representing their circumstances. Until almost the very last moment, you don't know what's going to happen, even though the outcome is public record. 2012 was a great year for movies, and if you have not seen Argo, add that to your list. If I didn't have so many movies to review and watch, I would watch it again. Watching Ben Affleck made me think he might be able to pull off Batman.

The Iron Lady, Best Actress, Best Makeup, 2011

I should probably track how many movies I have watched with Meryl Streep in the past few months, it's probably been a lot, and I have really liked most of them. Even so many months after watching The Iron Lady I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I really wanted to like it, but there was something that just kept bugging me. I think it was the use of the dream/memory sequences; I think I really wanted a biographical movie, not the biography mixed with dreams. I also did not think that this was the Best Actress performance; I was hoping for Viola Davis in The Help or Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs, two powerful performances. The Iron Lady of the title refers to Margaret Thatcher, the first, and so far, only female Prime Minister of Great Britain (and still one of the few female leaders even in the 21st century). Her conservative politics were polarizing and she was an incredibly strong personality, and you liked her or you didn't; in the US, she was closely associated with President Reagan. The movie uses flashbacks and the aforementioned dream sequences (or hallucinations). I don't know, it's okay, I guess, but check out the other movies first.

The Help, Best Supporting Actress, 2011

The Help made me laugh, made me cry and pissed me off. In other words, the complete movie experience. It was an ensemble piece if there ever was one, a great cast, including Octavia Spencer who won the Best Supporting Actress, Viola Davis (nominated for Best Actress), Jessica Chastain (Best Supporting Actress), Emma Stone, Allison Janney (who is chameleon-like in the roles she plays) and more. The movie is set in the south in the early 1960s in the early days of the Civil Rights movement, and focuses on the relationship between the black maids and the white families that hire them, and the tension that often bubbles just under the surface. Viola Davis is Aibileen and one of the main characters, her friend, Minny (Octavia Jackson) who hasn't learned quite how to edit herself (and thank goodness for that) and their friendship with Skeeter (Emma Stone) a white young lady who has known these women, but only through their 'working' relationship. Skeeter sets out to change that and tell the maids' stories. The journey to that point is Act I if you will, and the resulting furor from the publication of the stories is Act II. Viola Davis handles the various situations that are tossed at her with a strong, quiet dignity, she does not like to let anyone too close, but she is a loyal and true friend. If you have not seen this movie, yeah, you know the drill, add it to your list.  Here's one of those interesting connections: Viola Davis and Meryl Streep were antagonists in Doubt.

Black Swan, Best Actress, 2010

Natalie Portman won for Best Actress in Black Swan for her role as the prima ballerina in the Swan Lake. I can't really tell you more than that because the movie creeped me out; I didn't want to watch in the first place except for this damned list. I really liked Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler with Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei, but this was not even similar. I was really weirded out and couldn't sleep after watching it. If that makes me a wimp, so be it. If you like 'psychological thrillers' have at it; if you have a weak constitution, skip it.

I think that's enough for now. There are more movies I want to write about before the awards, so check back.

The Age of Innocence, The Deer Hunter and Schindler's List - It really wasn't as depressing as it sounds

As I prepare to write these blogs, I often look at the selection of movies and ask myself what was I thinking. Then I sit silently waiting for me to answer. I told a friend of mine what I watched and I could see him shaking his head through the email 'What a depressing New Year's at your house'. It was a teeny bit less than gleeful, but not all that much different from a normal day.

12/29/13 The Age of Innocence, Best Costume Design, 1993

The costumes were nice.....

Oh, you probably want a little more than that, but I have to say, I wasn't all that inspired to write a lot more, but since you stopped by, I'll try. The Age of Innocence is set in late 19th century New York City and stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder and the narrative talents of Joanne Woodward. It's a story of a man who has to choose to do what society expects of versus what his heart desires. Yep, that's it. I don't have to have a movie with lots of explosions or plot twists, I like a movie that slowly unfolds, but please, for the love of Alfred Hitchcock, please make SOMETHING happen. It's beautifully filmed and as mentioned above, the costumes are pretty. Martin Scorsese directed, and it is different from The Departed and Goodfellas, that's for sure. Do yourself a favor and check out Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility instead.

12/31/13 The Wolverine, probably won't be nominated for anything, 2013

Carrying on a New Year's tradition from last year, I went to watch a movie at a friend's house and ate too much pizza and was home before 11:00. Do you remember when it was a big deal to stay up late on New Year's and ring it in with Johnny Carson? Then you got old and it's all you can do to stay up until 9:00? Yep, I'm there. In fact, I only went to my friend's house last year after she promised they would not be staying up until midnight. I think there's something wrong with me. Anyway, we watched The Wolverine and well, we didn't hate it. There was actually a lot going on in the story, and it seemed a little unfocused at times, or kind of like when you make an ice cream sundae and put too many toppings on with too many flavors of ice cream and your tastebuds are like "What the heck is going on?". But, I did like the take on The Wolverine's story which focused on his time in Japan (if you watch any of the animated Wolverine, there are several episodes that take place in Japan); I also liked the introduction of Yukio who was a great (female) foil to Wolverine. I haven't checked, but I hope she makes an appearance in the upcoming X-Men movie; the actress, Tao Okamoto was very good. I also liked Mariko, who, I believe plays Logan's love interest in the animated series); she was not helpless or frail, just needed some back up. The actress who played Viper was terrible. I'm sorry, but I cannot sugarcoat it. I don't think it's going to be nominated for any Oscars, even sound editing or effects, but I figure better safe than sorry. Is there anyone else on the planet who can play Wolverine beside Hugh Jackman? I think not. If you like the super hero genre or seeing Hugh Jackman without a shirt, or just like a good action movie, you should check it out. It was fun to watch and there is a scene that hints at X-Men: Days of Future Past.

1/1/14 The Deer Hunter, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, 1978 #53 on AFI

The Deer Hunter is an incredibly intense three hours and I recommend that if you plan to watch it, just prepare yourself. It tells the story of a group of friends in a small Pennsylvania steel town, focusing on three of the men who went to Vietnam and are forever changed by their experience. The first part of the movie shows the guys working in a steel mill then horsing around at the local bar, and then one of them getting married (John Savage as Steven). The wedding and reception scene show the family ties the men have to one another. They share a Russian heritage and the wedding takes place in a real Russian Orthodox church in Cleveland, Ohio; several scenes were filmed in Cleveland and in other parts of Ohio. Mike (Robert DeNiro), Steven, and Nick (Christopher Walken who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor) join three other friends for one last deer hunt before they go off to Vietnam. John Cazale plays Stanley and this was Cazale's last role before he died of cancer; John (George Dzundza) and Axel (George Aspegren) round out the group. The scene jumps to Vietnam where Nick, Steve and Mike meet up and are eventually captured. The following scenes are probably some of the most intense you can watch. The prisoners are forced to play Russian Roulette against each other and Mike, who is clearly the leader in the group of friends, acts as cheerleader, coach and sergeant as he encourages Steven to be be brave and pull the trigger. Mike and Nick face off against each other, with Mike exhorting Nick. Mike has a plan and due to his bravado and guts, he makes it happen (I say bravado because I would imagine that Mike had to put on a strong front for his friends as well as the Viet Cong). The three friends escape and they all take different paths to freedom, and they lose track of one another. The last act shows the homecoming of Mike, a hero, who is very uncomfortable with being treated like one. Mike is welcomed home by Angela (Meryl Streep) who was engaged to Nick, but they comfort each other because Nick is missing.

There is almost as much myth surrounding the making of The Deer Hunter as there is around the movie itself. There is some great acting here with some of the best actors of the late 20th century, and the story is compelling, especially when you consider that in 1978 the Vietnam war was barely over (1975) and another Vietnam-era movie, Coming Home, was also nominated for several awards that same year. My issue, which is not original, either for me or for the movie, is that it could use some more editing; I think there were some scenes that did not add anything to the movie by being so long; I would have liked to have learned more about Steven, although he is clearly secondary to the relationship between Mike and Nick. My other issue are the scenes of the deer hunting (there is one in the beginning and one at the end) and that is only because the movie is set in western Pennsylvania, known for its coal country and steel mills, and to my knowledge, there are no mountains even close to the size of what is shown in the movie, and that's because those scenes were filmed in Washington state. It might be a small detail, especially if you're not familiar with that part of the country, but it bothered me. Anyway, this movie has become such a part of our cultural lexicon and is on so many lists for best films (#53 on the American Film Institute list of 100 best films) and it does show Christopher Walken and Robert DeNiro in amazing performances, it is a must see.

1/1/14 Schindler's List, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, 1993, #8 on AFI

I saw Schindler's List when it was originally released in theaters 20 years ago, and the thing I most remember is the absolute silence when it was over. We were all so overwhelmed. That is one of the great things about seeing movies in a theater mostly with people you don't know, you can share a communal experience, like exhilaration at the end of the last Harry Potter movie or collective emotional exhaustion like after Schindler's List or Boys Don't Cry. Schindler's List has been on television at least once or twice in the intervening two decades but I have not been able to watch it, it was just too hard (and it's 3 1/2 hours long). I don't know why I felt like I needed to watch it again at this time, but I am glad I did. Liam Neeson, in an Oscar-nominated role, plays Oskar Schindler, a member of the Nazi party, an unabashed capitalist and seeming womanizer turned humanitarian and Righteous Gentile. Ben Kingsley plays his trusted bookkeeper and 'adviser', Itzhak Stern. Ralph Fiennes gives a sublime performance as Amon Goeth, the sadistic camp commandant; Fiennes was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar (this was the year of Philadelphia with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington). At first, Schindler embarks on a money-making enterprise to manufacture enamelware to sell to the German Army and he needs laborers; Stern helps him find workers among the Jews in the ghetto and destined for concentration camps. Eventually, Schindler finds a new motivation for his work - to save the Jews. Along the way, he bribes, cajoles and argues with different Nazi officials to keep his 'essential' workers; he even forms a strange, utilitarian bond with Goeth. Steven Spielberg directed Schindler's List and layers the symbolism using music, cinematography (especially the use of black and white film with subtle and limited use of color) in addition to the actions of the characters. The music is so powerful and it really is one of those scores that is inextricably linked to the film. The wonderful John Williams composed the score and Itzhak Perlman is the featured player; the music alone will make you weep. This movie is special and should be required watching for everyone over 16 because it tells a true story, and while it can be very graphic, it uses those images sparingly (I think the mini-series The Holocaust is much more graphic and over a longer period of time, over 6 hours of viewing); and there are not a lot of stories about those who risked so much to save strangers (Schindler did not know the people he saved until they began working for him); and there were people throughout Poland, Hungary, France and other countries who did this. I was fine watching the movie until the last scene which features the real life survivors and Schindler's widow placing stones on his grave, he is buried in Jerusalem. Placing stones on headstones is a Jewish tradition. I lost it; my heart of stone couldn't hold out anymore. As an aside, and if you would like to see Ralph Fiennes on the other side of the fence, so to speak, I highly recommend Sunshine in which he plays three characters from the same family of Hungarian-Jews; it is a semi-autobiographical film by Istvan Szabo, and one of the characters is in a concentration camp. I came across the movie by accident, but I am glad I did.