12/20/14, The Candidate, Best Original Screenplay 1972
This should have been included in the last entry, but I've been swimming in movies and forgot it, but it's here now. Even though The Candidate was written over forty years ago, things in politics really haven't changed all that much, or sadly, at all. Bill McKay (Robert Redford) is 'the candidate', a Californian lawyer representing populist causes who is tapped by Marvin Lucas (Peter Boyle) to be the Democratic candidate in a senatorial race that is expected to be dominated by the Republican candidate. It's easy for movies that are so locked into a time frame like this one (or the loathed Shampoo) to be seen as out of date and very hard to watch, however, I think this does hold up very well. Perhaps if politics were different, it would be a different story, but aside from the technology updates and the sexist attitudes, the issues are the same: the environment, race relations, employment. I enjoyed it; Redford is understated (although, I think that tends to be his MO) and Boyle is terrific as the hard-assed campaign manager/politico.
12/25/14 Into the Woods, not yet nominated, 2014
I have tried to anticipate potential Oscar nominees based on Golden Globe nominations and a variety of articles. Odds are this and the other movies below will be nominated for something, so at least I'll be ahead of the game come Oscar night. Anyway, my friends and I made our traditional trek to the movies on Christmas Day, and there were not a lot of things that really grabbed our attention or that we agreed on, but we did decide to see Into the Woods, which could potentially receive Oscar nominations for costume, set design, sound editing, and maybe a nomination for Meryl Streep. Into the Woods is based on the musical by Stephen Sondheim and is a melding of different fairy tales, linking the stories of Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and Cinderella. Meryl Streep is the witch who casts a variety of spells that are the catalyst for the dramas in the musical. There are some big names in the cast, Streep; Anna Kendrick as Cinderella, Christine Baranski as her evil stepmother, Chris Pine as the Prince, James Corden as The Baker and Emily Blunt as the Baker's Wife, Johnny Depp as the Wolf; and then some not so big names (or ones that may not be as familiar), like Daniel Huttlestone as Jack (his mother is played by Tracey Ullman, who some might consider a big name from several years ago) and Lilla Crawford as Little Red Riding Hood. I wasn't really familiar with the story of Into the Woods until the movie previews came out, and I wasn't in a huge hurry to see it. But, we did see it and it was pretty good; I tend to run tepid on musicals as a rule, so 'pretty good' might be 'excellent' for others. Visually it is very appealing; musically, eh, there are some good songs, but I can't remember any of them, I think it was just too much. I will say that even though the movie is about fairy tales, there were some scary moments if I was a little kid. A little girl was actually crying. Dear parents - maybe you need to do some research before you bring your children to the movies (also see Unbroken).
12/26/14 Unbroken, not yet nominated 2014
Unbroken seems to be getting as much attention for the director, Angelina Jolie, as for its subject, Louie Zamperini. Louie Zamperini was a real person, a World War II hero and Olympic runner, and an incredible man. Unbroken is based on the book of the same name by Laura Hillenbrand (she also wrote about Seabiscuit, which was the basis for that film). Unbroken is told using flashbacks, usually as Louis (Jack O'Connell) is facing a challenge; we see him running under the tutelage of his older brother, Pete or running in the Berlin Olympics. Flashbacks can backfire if they are not done well, but it works here because you can sense that Louis is drawing on these past events for his strength. Louis is a bombardier in the Pacific theater, and he and his crew narrowly dodge a dangerous crash landing in the ocean; however, they are less lucky when they crash on a rescue mission. He and two of the crew, including the pilot, Phil Phillips, float in the life boat for over 40 days. Zamperini and Phillips survive that experience, only to be picked up by the Japanese and taken to prisoner of war camps. The movie focuses on the relationship between Zamperini and the camp sergeant, known as The Bird (who was a real person). The Bird has a sadistic streak that seems to know no bounds, and fixates on Louis, it seems because he was an Olympic athlete or possibly because Zamperini made the mistake of looking at Bird in the eye. It was hard to watch, but I was compelled to look and see how Zamperini handled the beatings and the abuse. Personally, when I ram my toe into a table, it hurts like hell and I curse, so when I see someone take the physical abuse that Zamperini did, it's hard not be amazed, impressed and awed at his resilience. Zamperini eventually makes it home. I thought the movie was for the most part well done, although I occasionally had issues with the transition from one scene to another. I didn't think they always flowed so well. I think that's okay in a book, but in a movie, I think transitions make things less choppy and are important. I liked Jack O'Connell as Zamperini; I don't really know a lot about Zamperini (the book is on order from the library), so I thought O'Connell portrayed Zamperini with appropriate restraint and quiet intensity. I would have preferred less time focused on the ocean scenes; it seemed like overkill to me, when the time could have been spent telling another part of the story. The screenplay was primarily written by Joel and Ethan Coen, and I was surprised that this was not more widely talked about, since they are Oscar winners themselves. I think the movie covers a topic that is not as well-known as other World War II stories. It's a movie worth seeing, and it may even be worth taking your children to so they can learn about Louis Zamperini, HOWEVER, please watch it first, and perhaps wait until it's on DVD so you can watch it at home. I was amused by the parents who chose to bring their young children to the theater and were treated to a trailer for Fifty Shades of Gray. I can hear it now "Daddy, why is that woman tied up?" Serves you right.
12/26/14 Taken 2, not nominated 2012
I saw Taken and Taken 3 is coming out soon, so I thought I should see Taken 2. Aside from some nice scenes of Istanbul, Taken 2 isn't really very different from the original, and I don't anticipate that Taken 3 will have any surprises. The only surprise will be if there is a Taken 4. Don't get me wrong, I like a good action flick, and I'm a big Liam Neeson fan, and he does seem to be the action hero of the past few years, but there aren't a lot of plot twists here. It was good Saturday afternoon entertainment that did not require too much of brain, and it was free from the library.
12/26/14 This is Where I Leave You, not yet nominated 2014
This is Where I Leave You probably won't be nominated, but it was pretty good entertainment. It stars Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, Adam Driver and Corey Stoll as siblings of the Altman family, with Jane Fonda as their mother who is also a psychologist. The family reunites to sit shiva, which is the period of mourning after a death in Jewish family, for their father. I think (and clearly it's not an original thought) that funerals bring out the best and worst in families and a lot of dirty laundry that is hidden for years. The Altman's have their fair share of that. Many of us can probably relate to sibling rivalries, even when we're supposed to be too old for that crap. There are some funny moments, how could there not be when you have Tina Fey and Jason Bateman in a movie. I will say, though, that Bateman seems to play the same type of character in his movies, or at least he has the same delivery (although I love his deadpan delivery, I wonder if there's anything else). This was another movie that didn't tax my brain, but gave me a few laughs, and only cost me a dollar from the library.
12/27/14 Big Eyes, not yet nominated, 2014
I don't normally run out to see Tim Burton movies, even though I end up liking many of them, but with Amy Adams in the lead role of Margaret Keane in a biographical film, my interest was piqued. Margaret Keane painted pictures of children known as "Big Eyes" in the 1950s and 1960s. Dick Nolan (Danny Huston), a columnist for a San Francisco paper, provides minimal narration that gives some framework to the story. Margaret Ulbrich meets Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz) who immediately (to me) gives off an oily, slimy kind of vibe, and when he starts claiming Margaret's work as his own, it's more than a vibe. Walter convinces Margaret that nobody would buy her pictures because she's a woman, and being a woman of that era, pre-feminism and women's liberation, she believed him. Eventually, Margaret finds the strength to leave him and takes her daughter to Hawaii to start a new life. The climax of the movie is the courtroom scene as Margaret sues Walter for slander. Burton is working with a different cast in this film; he is known for his many movies with Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp, as well as using incredible visuals (Alice in Wonderland). The visual effects in the movie are a little more subtle and gently used, it's seen in the eyes during one particular scene; the paintings themselves are all the visual effects that are needed. Adams is also subdued as Margaret, overpowered by the magnetism of Waltz as Walter; Margaret's power and voice come through in her love for painting. Waltz, known for his brutal (but Oscar-winning) roles in Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained, takes on the challenge of Walter Keane, a fraud of the highest magnitude, barely hiding his controlling and manipulative tendencies. The song at the end of the film by Lana Del Rey "Big Eyes" has been mentioned as a possible nominee for Best Song. I liked it, but admittedly, I cannot recall songs from other films I have seen, and only get the whole idea after the nominees are announced. Both Waltz and Adams are nominated for Golden Globes, but in the Comedy/Musical category, and this is where the Golden Globes confuse me: while the movie has some humorous bits, I don't think it's anywhere near a comedy or a musical. I don't think the acting fields are as crowded as they were last year, but I'm not sure if Adams or Waltz will get nominated for an Oscar. I enjoyed the movie, but Adams is one of my favorite actresses because of her versatility; and Waltz is definitely an actor to pay attention to after two Oscar wins.
12/27/14 Hello, Dolly! Best Art Direction, Best Music, Score of a Musical Picture, Best Sound, 1969
Why are musicals so damn long? Honestly. Okay, now that's out of the way. Hello, Dolly! is based on the Broadway musical and stars Barbra Sreisand as Dolly Levi, a matchmaker in 19th century New York. One of her more difficult clients is shop owner Horace Vandergelder, played by curmudgeonly Walter Matthau. There are actually about three subplots going on, and I do not have the energy to try and untangle them, but they involve mistaken identities, rebellious love, lots of singing and dancing. I think one of the subplots was kind of throwaway and could have been cut out and nobody would have noticed. I did enjoy many of the dancing scenes, especially a great number in a restaurant where the waiters have a wonderfully choreographed dance with serving trays and brooms. None of the songs truly stick out, except for probably "Hello, Dolly!" because I was familiar with that before I ever saw the movie. The great Gene Kelly directed, but did not choreograph, although I felt there was some of his influence because of the athleticism involved. I would hate to dissuade you from seeing this, it certainly won't do any harm, but if you're looking for a musical that you don't see on television very often, I would recommend Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
12/31/14 Foxcatcher, not yet nominated 2014
I was really excited to see Foxcatcher starring Steve Carell as John Du Pont, Channing Tatum as Mark Schultz and Mark Ruffalo as his older brother, Dave Schultz. After finishing Mark Schultz's autobiography, Foxcatcher: The True Story of My Brother's Murder, which I hated, I was less excited, but still wanted to see it. First, I will totally admit that Steve Carell undergoes an incredible transformation into a weasel-like John du Pont, there is no denying that. Secondly, Ruffalo and Tatum also transform and take on the bow-legged stride of men who have been wrestling their whole lives. However, I do not think the movie lives up to all the hype, the trailer for the film provided more suspense and tension than the whole film; perhaps I spoiled it by reading the book, but I don't think it should matter if it's a good movie. I mentioned in Unbroken that I like good transitions between scenes, and I don't think that happens here either; the difference for me is that I was rooting for Zamperini and I could have cared less about Mark Schultz or John du Pont (even though this is all brought about because of Dave's murder, he's really not in the film as much as Mark - or the book for that matter). I think the transitions were important in this story because it seemed too jumpy, and I was wondering why something was happening, although I didn't wonder too hard because I had read the book, but if you didn't read the book, you might be a little confused. Dave Schultz seemed like a great guy, he loved his family, loved wrestling and teaching, and perhaps there was jealousy on Mark's part (or maybe not perhaps at all). Mark, from his book and the movie, seemed like a whiny, lost kid, looking for something, feeling like he was owed something, self-serving, and I wanted the book and the movie to end. I've seen Ruffalo in a few movies and I didn't think this was that great of a performance, it wasn't horrible, I just don't think he was given a lot to work with: walk bow-legged, grab Tatum and whisper in his ear.. That's it. I think Jack O'Connell in Unbroken had more to work with and do as an actor and would deserve a nomination over any of the cast of Foxcatcher. Vanessa Redgrave makes an appearance as du Pont's mother, and I think it was to show that du Pont had some mother issues, but otherwise, her talents were wasted. Maybe I'm so harsh because I was really disappointed and had wanted something more, and the fact that people are putting this on the top of their Best Movies list - are you kidding? If this movie had come out last year, I don't think it would have even been mentioned.
1/2/31/14 Thunderball, Best Visual Effects, 1965
There are movies you watch where you should know going in that you have to suspend any sense of reality, otherwise you will drive yourself nuts. James Bond movies are like that, especially the earlier ones which can seem campy fifty years later. But that's okay, especially on New Year's Eve when you don't want to watch anything too serious or mind-blowing. It has become a New Year's Eve tradition to head up to my friends' house and watch a movie, sometimes TWO. Tonight none of us were in the mood for something too heavy, and I would have been okay watching a non-Oscar related movie just so I could relax those 'critic' muscles that have been overworked lately. Thunderball was a good compromise, because like I said, you don't really have to worry about the plot, and it knocks another film off THE LIST. We settled in a for a romping good time with Sean Connery's Scottish charm, a beautiful setting in Nassau, Bahamas; some fun tools from Q, including an underwater breathing apparatus, a decked out Aston Martin, a jet pack; a very cool underwater battle complete with spear guns; oh, and a dangerous woman; and sharks, don't forget the sharks. Whew. Bond is on the trail of the SPECTRE agents who stole atomic bombs from a NATO mission, and follows the trail, which includes a beautiful young lady, to Nassau. Bond and his CIA counterparts search the waters around the island and eventually, about seventy-five minutes later find the bombs and then engage in the previously mentioned underwater battle. That was actually kind of amusing and the three of us were entertained by the seemingly unlimited number of men fighting and the availability of the spear guns. The Visual Effects award was in its early years in the 1960s, in fact, there was only another film in competition for the award, and that was The Greatest Story Ever Told, compared to the last few years where there have been five competitors. But the lack of nominees does not take away from some of the things that were done in Thunderball by John Stears (Stears also created some of the most endearing icons in film, including R2-D2, C-3P0, and other Star Wars items). If you're looking for a fun movie over the winter, grab a Bond, any Bond and don't think too hard.
1/1/15 Wild, not yet nominated, 2014
There is a lot of talk about Reese Witherspoon being nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role as Cheryl Strayed in Wild, and I can totally agree with that. Wild is Cheryl Strayed's story about her trek along the Pacific Crest Trail in a search to silence her demons and find herself (the book is waiting for me at the library). Wild was directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, who directed last year's powerful Dallas Buyer's Club, and he and Witherspoon take a similar path with a flawed human being, seeking redemption by going way out of her comfort zone. Strayed hiked over a thousand miles on the Pacific Coast trail, encountering helpful strangers and a few scary ones, a natural world that was beautiful and magnificent, but could also be frightening. She had a lot of time with her own thoughts, time to go over her past actions and forgive herself. Cheryl wasn't necessarily the most likable person before she set out on this journey; she was a drug user, slept with men for drugs; cheated on her husband; but through the flashbacks used and from Cheryl's words in the present, you get some idea as to why she has done what she did (not explicitly, but from inference), and it helped me relate to her pain and anger. I only mention this because it was some of this background that was missing from Foxcatcher, and as a viewer, you didn't understand Mark's anger or motivation, and maybe that's what left me cold. Anyway, I would love to think I could hike a thousand miles, but I'm fairly certain I could not, unless I was staying in a Hilton or Marriott at night, so I was very moved by her accomplishment, especially because it seems very few women at that time made that hike alone. Witherspoon brings it in this movie; she has a few scenes with others, including her mother (Laura Dern) and her ex-husband, Paul (Thomas Sadoski), but for the majority of the film, it's just her and mother nature, sometimes unforgiving, always incredible. It reminded me a little of All is Lost with Robert Redford from last year, just a person and nature. I was rooting for Cheryl as she reached the end of her journey, and I like that there were real photos from Cheryl's trip in 1995; the movie even used the same t-shirts (probably not the exact same since it's twenty years ago, but maybe). I'm excited to read the book and hopefully find some things that were not included in the movie.
