2013 Nominees including The Book Thief, Inside Llewyn Davis and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

This entry covers some more 2013 nominees and one Palme d'Or winner.

4/7/14 The Book Thief, nominated for Best Original Score, 2013

To be honest, I almost forgot I had watched this movie. It's a good thing I have my tracking spreadsheets (a day without spreadsheets is like a a day without sunshine). The Book Thief is based on the book of the same name and it is set in Germany during the Second World War. It stars Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson  as a German couple, the Hubermann's, who take in a young girl, Liesel, played by Sophie Nelisse. Liesel struggles with kids her age because she cannot read, but she is very tough and can hold her own. Emily Watson's Rosa is very hard and appears very cruel; Rush is Rosa's tender-hearted husband, Hans. Hans works with Liesel and helps her to learn to read and she becomes 'The Book Thief' of the title. Liesel also becomes friends with Rudy, although a little reluctantly, and they take on the neighborhood bully together. Live gets a little more complicated and challenging for the Hubermann's as they take in Max Vandenburg, a Jewish refugee hiding from being deported. The movie is narrated by Death, and I have to say that pretty much turned me off; I don't know, I get it, it's an interesting narrative tool, but I didn't like it. I have watched a lot of World War II movies involving holocaust plot lines, so this was different in that it didn't focus on the concentration camps, but a German town and the citizenry, including the Jews. I really don't know how I feel about the movie; I think I will say it's definitely worth a watch, but I don't think I will be reading the book. John Williams was nominated for an Oscar for his score which was really good, but it was up against Gravity and probably didn't have a chance. I love Geoffrey Rush and I think that Emily Watson is an extremely versatile actress who has taken on so many different roles, some that are not flattering or glamorous. The young actress who played Liesel, Sophie Nelisse, will probably be seen a lot in the future.

4/19/14 Inside Llewyn Davis, nominated for Best Sound Mixing and Best Cinematography, 2013

Inside Llewyn Davis is the latest effort from the Joel and Ethan Coen (Minnesota's own) and it is their homage to the Greenwich folk scene in 1961 (very intentionally set before Bob Dylan [another Minnesotan] came into the picture). Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) used to be part of a duo, but is now trying to make it as a solo act. Llewyn couch surfs before it became part of the 21st century vocabulary, going from apartment to apartment, uptown to downtown, trying not to wear out his welcome. We follow Llewyn as he encounters friends, family and various music characters. There's really not much of a story and usually that can be annoying to me, but I was so much more interested in the music, that it didn't bother me. The Coens also create these vignettes that kept my interest, it's almost like the different scenes would have held up as individual short films, tied together by Llewyn and the music (and the cat, but you'll have to see that for yourself). John Goodman, in one of his many appearances in a Coen Brothers movie, is great as a know-it-all obnoxious jazz musician who gives Llewyn a hard time for being a folkie. For some reason I really enjoy films about this period of folk music (I love Christopher Guest's A Mighty Wind) and T-Bone Burnett and Marcus Mumford create a great sound. Folk music doesn't get any play on MTV (although to be fair, music in general doesn't get much play on MTV anymore), but this is a great folk video compilation; the actors perform the songs; one of my favorite moments was when Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan and Stark Sands sing "500 Miles". Many Coen Brothers movies have been nominated for Best Cinematography Oscars (usually with the legendary Roger Deakins who was unavailable for this film) and Inside Llewyn Davis was no exception; this time, Bruno Delbonnel was nominated. The movie was wonderfully shot, using shadows of the Gaslight Club and the gray light of the winter sky to great effect, but lost both awards (Sound Mixing) to Gravity. At some point, I would like to have a Coen Brothers movie marathon (maybe over a really long weekend) to do some compare and contrast reviews among their filmography. Maybe 2017?

4/19/14 Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, nominated for Best Original Song, 2013

Nelson Mandela must be recognized as one of the most important civil rights icons of the 20th century, with Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., so perhaps it was a fitting ending to his incredible life that the movie based on his life was released a week before his death at 95. It would be unrealistic to think any movie could cover all of the events of his life in any great detail, and since Mandela was on Robben Island for over 25 years, the film used certain focal points for the scenes as well as showing Mandela's family, including the activities and the increasing politicization of his wife, Winnie Mandela. I think in some way, this is why I feel conflicted about this movie, not that I hated it, I didn't, but I wanted more. I think the story could have been given more depth and been allowed to develop more if it was done as a mini-series, something over 8-10 episodes. The history of South Africa, just going back 100 years to 1900-1902 and The Boer War, is complex and full of conflict (perhaps in one of those cosmic coincidences, Gandhi was an attorney in South Africa in the late 1890s through the early 1900s using non-violent civil disobedience to fight for Indian civil rights); and I think having that historical context adds to the understanding of the events in the movie. Idris Elba did an incredible job as Mandela (although sometimes I was creeped out at how much he sounded like Mandela) and Naomie Harris (Miss Moneypenney in Skyfall) as Winnie Mandela showed the evolution of Winnie from a partner of Nelson and prisoner subjected to torture and humiliation to a rival of Nelson's desire for a peaceful transition to equality in South Africa. I liked that the movie did show what Winnie was subjected to by the authorities, because that was not talked about as much int he news (at least not in the US), and her experience (I believe) was critical to the actions she took and that she supported, or at least did not actively discourage (the acts of violence and 'necklacing' putting tires around people and setting them on fire). These scenes highlight the complexity of her relationship with Nelson and how their relationship deteriorated. I remember when Mandela was still on Robben Island and the boycotts against South Africa and apartheid and the changes that began slowly but quickly gained momentum. It occurred to me watching this that there are people who don't know the history or don't remember it, so in that regard, this two-hour film can serve as a primer to the anti-apartheid movement. "No Ordinary Love" written and performed by U2 is played at the end of the movie and was nominated for Best Original Song. The song won the Golden Globe in the same category, but lost to Frozen's "Let It Go". I liked both songs, but in my opinion, "Let It Go" was a major point of the movie and really embodied the character and her strength, the fact that it continues to be popular (the movie and the song) gives the win to "Let It Go". I did really like U2's acoustic performance of "No Ordinary Love" at the Oscars.


4/5/14 Blue is the Warmest Colour, winner of Palme d'Or at Cannes 2013

There was so much buzz around this movie when it was shown at Cannes and the director (Abdellatif Kechiche) and two lead actresses (Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux) were all awarded the Palme d'Or and it was being talked about as as Academy Award film, but it was not nominated. Adele is a high school student dealing with the usual teenage stuff, including boys (or girls); Emma is a little older and studying art in college and has a girlfriend. Adele is the protagonist and we experience the story through her eyes. She has a brief relationship with a young man in her class, but it's not really what she wants, and she encounters Emma on the street and then later at a bar. They eventually connect and become a couple and move in together. The sex scenes were very explicit, so just be warned (it received an NC-17 rating in the US), and there were times it seemed gratuitous, don't misunderstand me, I think some scenes were necessary to depict the level of intimacy that they shared and the intensity of their relationship, I'm just glad I wasn't watching with my mom. There seems to be an inequality between the two young women, Emma seems very mature, certain in the direction she wants her life and career to go and her commitment to Adele; Adele is young and not as sophisticated as Emma and she doesn't have any great expectations of her life, even though Emma has tried to encourage her in her writing, and Adele cares about Emma, but may not be ready for a lifetime together. The movie is three hours long and I struggled through the first third, but I grew to care and be interested in these two women. The fallout of Adele's immaturity and infidelity was extremely difficult to watch and I the pain of Adele and Emma was palpable to me. The movie doesn't end with the break up of the relationship, it goes into Adele's life after Emma, whom she clearly misses. I had to reflect a lot about this movie afterward, was it worth the hype or was it overblown? Did it have to be three hours long? Was it too much? I also needed to get some of the critiques that I read (damn it) out of my head. I did like the movie, it was a little slow starting. It helps to think of the movie in three acts. It was important to set up Adele's character and her insecurity and what she was lacking in her world and how Emma totally broke through and pulled her into a different universe and also how she changed after the breakup. Both actresses were amazing, and considering that Adele Exarchopoulos, at 20 years old, was in almost every single scene, I cannot imagine how intense the experience was. I think one or both of them should have been nominated for an Oscar, but it received many other nominations around the world. It was worth the hype, just be patient.

Captain America: Winter Soldier

I have been asked by a couple of my faithful readers about my process. I may have touched on it once or twice, but scattered throughout 150 entries, those references may be hard to find. Starting off, the origin story of the blog goes back to a viewing of Gone with the Wind in a theater on a big screen and the subsequent conversation with my friend about how many great movies came out that year (1939) and how many awards Gone with the Wind was nominated for (13) and won (10, including two honorary awards), and then one thing led to another and I decided to try and watch ALL of the Academy Award-winning films for every category. Unfortunately for me, that brilliant idea did not coincide with the idea to write everything down, which probably came about 6 months later. In order to keep this manageable and so that I could finish before 2020, I made my own rule that I did not have to re-watch any movie I had already seen as long as I could write a reasonable review, or at least something that captured my feelings about the movie. Of course, I can re-watch any movie if I want to, and I have done that a few times. As time as gone on, and realizing that any new movie has the potential to be nominated for an Oscar (witness Bad Grandpa), I decided to review any movie that I may see so I could review it in a more timely manner instead of waiting up to 11 months to see if it would be nominated; and then since I was on a role, I also started including some of the TV shows I have watched on DVD. So, I suppose if I stayed focused, I could be a lot closer to the end of the list, but then I would also never leave my house and have the pasty complexion of Casper the Ghost. When I am watching a movie, I try not to do too much prep work, although I will make note of what it was nominated for (usually, sometimes I forget), who the actors were and maybe a high level storyline if it's hard to follow. I try very hard not to read too much into any analysis or critiques; most of the time I rely on my friend, Wikipedia for one-stop shopping, and so I can link to other articles, especially as they relate to the actors, directors or writers, or the historical setting, especially if it's a documentary. A lot of the time, I will wait until the movie is over and I am writing, but since I seem to have adult-onset ADD, I need to do something while watching. I don't take notes when watching and I don't write while I'm watching; mindless web-surfing is one thing, trying to write while watching is a totally different ballgame. In most cases I will wait a day (or sometimes longer) before writing, especially if I have watched a LOT of movies. I like to have time to process, maybe find some link between the movies, and make sure they don't blend together. Sometimes I do start writing in my head and come up with some great lines, but by the time I'm ready to write, I have forgotten them, or they ended up not fitting into everything else in the post. I like writing and sometimes the posts come quite easily, other times, I struggle; I have found the struggle may be because I didn't like the movie, or worse, didn't care; apathy is a killer. It can actually take a couple of hours to write a post, even if it doesn't seem like it did. I have enjoyed the process, going on two years, it has been the source of some great conversations, and most people watch movies in some form. I try to be honest in my reviews about whether I liked the movie or not, even if it's called a classic; they are my opinions and I am pretty clear about not being a fan of overly long movies, pretentious films (the two often go together), movies that don't hold up over time (Shampoo), and self-indulgent movies. When I write, I try very hard not to give away the plot, so it doesn't ruin the movie for you; if it's really old or giving away plot points won't ruin the movie experience, then I may drop something in; but it may feel like I just stop the review. I'm working on my transitions. So, that's the facts, Jack. On to the reviews.

Well, this may be a little embarrassing, but I feel like I watched a movie but cannot remember what it was; I mean, could I really be current on what I've watched and what I've reviewed? I don't know, I hope it doesn't bite me in the ass.

4/6/14, Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Everyone should have Captain America on their desk

What can I say? I loved it. Loved, loved loved it. My brother asked if I loved it because it was really good or because it was filmed in Cleveland. Um, I don't care. Yes, it was so fun to look for the 'Cleveland' in every shot (if you ask nicely, I'll tell you); yes it was SO cool to see my former employer, The Western Reserve Historical Society mentioned in the credits, but it was also SO cool to see Cap back in action, with his new friend, the Falcon and his old Avengers cohort, The Black Widow (there has been chatter about a standalone Black Widow movie, and I hope they do it; I'd see it). I'll give you a high level recap since it's only in its first week of release. Cap is back and helping S.H.I.E.L.D. carry out various missions, some which may be aboveboard and others, perhaps not. He is still adjusting to the 21st century, but his commitment to freedom and protecting Americans has not wavered. There are some references to The Avengers and other characters in the Marvel universe throughout the movie. Nick Fury leads S.H.I.E.L.D. and has occasional conflicts with Captain America over the missions and the goal of S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm going to stop here with the story because I don't want to ruin anything. What I will say is there is plenty of action and usually, that's all I want in a super hero movie, don't give me no story! But, the story worked here, I didn't think it got too bogged down; I liked that it tied things together but also opened things up for all kinds of sequels. So, a good mix of action and story in my opinion. There were a lot of children in the audience, not my favorite (I mean under 8 years old); the movie is two hours and fifteen minutes, not including the 20 minutes of trailers, I'm not sure 5 year olds can sit or be quiet that long; there is violence, not as graphic as some movies, but perhaps you should screen that before subjecting your child to it. Also, you do not know what will be in the trailers (sex, more violence, language); again, maybe wait or screen them. Just a thought. Looking forward to Avengers 2: The Age of Ultron, and whatever else is coming.

4/9/14: Post script: I remember what movie I forgot, Blue is the Warmest Color. I'll get that next time, just wanted to let you know in case it kept you up last night.

Back to the list with Bogey, Bacall, Grant and Temple

THE LIST looms ever larger, but I feel like I am ready to get back to it, I have 649 left to watch and 908 to blog. Well, when you put it like that, it doesn't seem like that much, does it?

3/30/14 Key Largo, Best Supporting Actress, 1948

Bogey, Bacall, Robinson and Huston, with a splash of Barrymore - sounds like a recipe for a great afternoon. Key Largo is one of those thrillers that was very popular in the 1940s, baddies, beautiful women and a reluctant hero. Directed by John Huston, the movie is set in post-war America, in the Florida Keys during hurricane season with some gangsters thrown in for good measure. Lauren Bacall is Nora Temple, daughter-in-law of James Temple, played by Lionel Barrymore and the widow of Temple's son, George, who was killed during the war. Humphrey Bogart is Major Frank McCloud, a jack of all trades and George's superior officer who came down to Key Largo to see the Temples. Staying at the vacant motel is a group of shady characters, led by Edward G. Robinson. The Temples and McCloud are virtually held hostage by Johnny Rocco and crew as a hurricane rages outside. Add into the mix are local Seminole Indians who are looking for shelter at the motel and two of whom are being looked for by the sheriff (Jay Silverheels, better known as Tonto is one of the Indians). Claire Trevor won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress as Gaye Dawn, a lounge singer and alcoholic girlfriend of Johnny. Her scene where she sings so she can get a drink was pretty powerful. I really liked this movie, you kind of think you know what's going to happen, but not really, and even when you do, you still want to see how Bogey and Robinson are going to handle it. Lauren Bacall was stunning; interesting to think what she would be like as a star of the 21st century. I liked Bogey here as well, he was strong, but understated.

3/30/14 The Bishop's Wife, Best Sound, 1947

I don't know if movie goers these days realize what a treasure and talent Cary Grant was, dapper, sophisticated and pretty damn funny. Grant plays Dudley, an angel sent to help Bishop Brougham, played by the equally dashing and debonair David Niven. The Bishop has been so preoccupied with building his cathedral he is neglecting his wife, Julia, played by the gorgeous Loretta Young, his daughter and the essence of what made him a bishop. Dudley creates a little mischief, but also shows Julia a little fun by taking her skating and showering her with attention. Along the way, Dudley meets a professor who is skeptical of organized religion and makes him a believer. That all might sound really heavy, but I assure you, it is not. I probably should have mentioned that the movie is set during Christmas time, and as I was watching it, for the life of me I could not understand why this movie does not get played more during the holiday season. It is perfect for that time of year. The movie won for Best Sound, and was nominated for several other awards, including Best Picture; I couldn't tell you if the sound was great or not, but I really enjoyed the movie. The location scenes were filmed in Minneapolis, and I think the snowball fight scene was filmed in Loring Park. Honestly, it's hard to tell, but that's what Wikipedia tells me, so it must be true. This is a totally family friendly movie and when this whole list thing is over, I would definitely watch it again.

4/4/14 The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer, Best Original Screenplay, 1947

Cary Grant, Shirley Temple and Myrna Loy what delightful trifecta. Richard Nugent (Grant) is a playboy artist who has a penchant for getting into trouble, and Margaret Turner (Loy) is a judge who isn't afraid to call shenanigans when she sees them, and, wait for it, Shirley Temple as Susan Turner is a teenager who has fallen for Nugent (but I mean, who doesn't fall for Grant? Wilma Flintstone fell for his animated persona), much to Margaret's dismay. Nugent gets in trouble because Susan gets access to his apartment, falls asleep and is caught when Margaret and Tommy Chamberlain, assistant district attorney (Rudy Vallee) burst into Nugent's apartment and think that he is doing something unseemly. In an attempt at reverse psychology, the Judge and her pals convince Nugent to 'date' Susan in the hopes that she gets tired or bored of him and goes back to her high school boyfriend. I don't think this movie would be made today, it would be too creepy, there is an innocence that comes with the 1940s that would not play well in 2014. Do you get tired of me saying how wonderful Grant is? Sorry, not stopping now. He's not afraid to be physically funny, flopping around, almost balletic, but he can also just raise an eyebrow or tilt his head and imply sarcasm or irony or whatever the scene calls for. Myrna Loy matches him and plays a great straight woman. This may sound really stupid or archaic, but I did not think about female judges in the 1940s, I mean, women just got the right to vote less than 25 years earlier. But hey, we'll take progress where we can. And let's talk about Shirley Temple - most people are familiar with her from her films when she was five or six, but not too many people (me included) think of her acting in her teens. She definitely kept some of her facial expressions, kind of the dip the head, lifting it up with a big smile. She kept pace with Loy and Grant, and was totally believable as an obnoxious and lovestruck teenager. Sidney Sheldon won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay; Sheldon later wrote for "I Dream of Jeannie" and "Hart to Hart", and there were moments during the film that I thought The Bachelor & The Bobbysoxer would make a fun 1950s era sitcom. If you're not offended by the ridiculously short basketball shorts (I kind of was, but got over it) and you can keep your mind out of the gutter and 21st century creepiness, I think you will really enjoy the movie. It's fun, it keeps moving, it's from an innocent time where movies weren't punctuated with the f-bomb when dialog failed (that could be said about the other two films as well).

Speaking of the f-bomb, I just finished season one of "Girls" and I'm really not sure what to do next. There were honestly parts that were laugh out loud funny, clever and true to conversations I have had with friends; however, most of the scenes were so far out of my ken, it was a struggle to finish. Here is where I'm conflicted: it has been documented that women are unequally represented in films and television and writers, producers and directors, and Lena Dunham is all three. There is no question she is talented and has a voice, I don't know if it speaks to me or for me. That's okay, I may not be the target demographic. When the series starts, Lena's character, Hannah, gets financially cut off from her parents, which forces the self-involved Hannah to deal more with the reality of getting a job and other things. My favorite character (if I have to have one) is her sort of boyfriend, Adam, who will call Hannah on her bullshit, and is artistic and a little odd. I'm not rushing to put a hold on Season 2 from the library like I was for Season 2 of "Veep" which is waiting for me as we speak. I'm glad I saw it, and it does have some really good music, but I have 649 movies to watch, so it's not like I'll be bored.