2017 Oscar recap: doughnuts and Red Vines for everyone

Four minutes until kickoff...I mean the Oscars. I probably should have taken a nap today, but I just enjoyed the day with some friends and matzo ball soup, talked about some of my favorite movies, and just waited until 7:30. I think it's going to be interesting tonight for sure.

Justin Timberlake is singing through the aisles. I have to plead ignorance about the song, but I think it might be from The Trolls, but I am not 100%. I'm fairly certain I could dance like that if I really tried. I do not recall an opening like this before, that was kind of nice and uplifting, hell Jackie Chan was moving it, from the balcony. So, when is Justin going to host? He is kind of a like a Swiss Army knife.

Jimmy Kimmel is doing his opening schtick; this could be good. He's taking shots at Matt Damon, which is their thin, attacking The Great Wall movie (probably won't be on the list). Jimmy just called out Meryl Streep and her record 20 Oscar nominations and asked for a round of applause for her.

First category of the night for Best Supporting Actor; I think this should go to Dev Patel in Lion, but we'll see. Alicia Vikander is presenting; she's delightful. I just like Dev Patel's hair. Shallow, I know. I haven't seen Nocturnal Animals because I thought it would scare me. But I do like Michael Shannon (who has been in some really good, but generally small films, except for Superman, which leaps to mind at the moment). Mahershala Ali just won for Moonlight. I'm not upset about that; he was really good, and he was a really nice drug dealer in Moonlight, which is a weird thing to say.

The commercials are almost as hyped as they were for the Super Bowl. Not sure what that means; but they're not your usual toilet paper and chips commercials.

Next award is Costume and Makeup and Hairstyling with Kate McKinnon and Jason Bateman. Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling, Star Trek Beyond, A Man Called Ove, Suicide Squad. Hmm. Suicide Squad; well it sure wasn't going to win for writing or acting.

Costume is next; Allied (haven't seen); Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; Florence Foster Jenkins; Jackie; La La Land. Fantastic Beasts just won; I did enjoy the costumes and production design for sure, just thought the movie was TOOOOO long.

Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae from Hidden Figures are presenting Best Documentary, but they are bringing on Katherine Johnson, the REAL PERSON from Hidden Figures, she looks great. Damn, that is pretty awesome and she gets a standing ovation. I don't even know who I want to win, the ones I saw were so good. Fire at Sea and I am not your negro I have not seen; Life, Animated featuring Owen Suskind; OJ: Made in America and 13th. OJ: Made in America just won; not a bad choice, any of the movies would be worthy, they were all great. I think everyone needs to see all of these documentaries. Kimmel just made a joke about OJ and an extra slice of baloney, and it didn't go over great, but he does handle uncomfortable moments with aplomb.

I think some entertainment is up next; Lin-Manuel Miranda with the song from Moana, which I didn't see. I could have gone to the sing-a-long edition, but I don't think that would have gone well for anyone. Dwayne Johnson just introduced the song. I totally missed the actress's name, but damn, she can sing (I feel a little off my game tonight).

Little bags of Junior Mints and Red Vines are falling on the audience; I suppose popcorn would have been too messy.

Sound Editing and Sound Mixing are next. Sound Editing: Arrival, Deep Water Horizon, Hacksaw Ridge, La La Land, Sully are the nominees. Ugh, Arrival just won. Really? Disagree; I thought Hacksaw Ridge or Deep Water Horizon should have won. Sound mixing, more Arrival, Hacksaw Ridge, La La Land, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story; 13 Hours. Hacksaw Ridge, just won. Awesome; Kevin O'Connell has been nominated 20 times before but never won. He just gave a great speech, thanking his mom.

Vince Vaughn is presenting the winners of the Governor's Award for Lifetime Achievement (well, they were already presented, but he's telling us about it). Lynn Stalmaster, casting director; Ann V. Coates, film editor; Frederick Wiseman, documentary filmmaker and Jackie Chan, actor and director.

Best Supporting Actress is up next and I am pulling for Viola Davis or Octavia Spencer, but I think Viola should win. Oh, a montage of past winners; I love montages. Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) is presenting; he has a great hat. "Opposing without hatred", I like that. Viola Davis in Fences; Naomie Harris in Moonlighting; Nicole Kidman in Lion; Octavia Spencer in Hidden Figures; Michelle Williams in Manchester by the Sea. And the winner is Viola Davis!!! I just screamed. Oh my god. She so deserves it. I am so happy. Shit, you'd think I had something to do with it. I love her. I loved her speech. She is sitting near Emma Stone, and they were co-stars in The Help.

We are almost 90 minutes into the Oscars and I feel like we've only had five awards. I think that extrapolates out to five hours or something. I'm not sure, it's not like I'm a mathematician or anything.

There's a little segment on the actors and actresses that inspired the actors and actresses. Oh, I guess it's just going to be a little here and there. Charlize Theron and Shirley MacLaine just walked out (guess who inspired whom). They are presenting the Best Foreign Language Film, of which I have only seen one, A Man Called Ove. I think The Salesman is the odds on favorite. It just won. It's an Iranian film; Asghar Farhadi the director declined to try and come into the U.S. Anousheh Ansari is accepting for him and is reading his speech. I'm getting goosebumps. Great speech.

Dev Patel is speaking about Jim Foley. Sting is going to perform "The Empty Chair" the song from Jim: The James Foley Story which is a documentary on the war correspondent who was executed by ISIL. It's a very powerful documentary, and the song gave me chills. It's a very understated song, but tremendous words, some based on a letter he sent to his family before he was executed. See the movie.

A group of unsuspecting tourists are about to walk into the Oscars. They have no idea. This could go all kinds of ways. But, now we're going to the Animated films. These are the Animated Short Film, which my friend and I detested. I think the Pixar film will win: Piper. The winner is Piper. Well, that was a total no brainer. I'm not sure about the Animated Feature, I liked the ones I saw, but I don't have a clear cut pick. Zootopia just won. I had my first guest column for the review of Zootopia because I couldn't see it as fast as I wanted to.

Oh, the couple from Fifty Shades of Grey are presenting for Productin Design (I may give up the blog if I have to watch Fifty Shades Darker). Arrival, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (awesome), Hail Caesar! (okay, not great), La La Land, Passengers (not seen). The Oscar goes to La La Land. Not a shock; there were some great sets in that film. How do you compare La La Land to Fantastic Beasts? I don't know. Glad I don't vote. The speech is going at a glacial pace. He's going to get played off. And here comes the music.

The prank is starting. These people have no idea they have just walked into the Oscars. One guy is waving. The smart phones are out. They are having a blast. The actors seem to be enjoying it also. Awesome. Denzel Washington gets into it now. Jimmy is taking the group down the front row, and he just dissed Matt Damon again. Mahershala is sharing his Oscar. Meryl is getting hugs. It's bogging down a little, Jimmy is hurrying them off. This was almost as good as Ellen's selfie. Oscar's mean tweets are coming up at some point. That could be fun.

A lot of commercials, introductions and speeches about understanding and accepting foreigners, strangers, immigrants, people different than you. I don't mind. It's not hateful, it's celebrating all of us. This little bit is about how movies help us to escape, but the people talking are from China, France, Italy, because movies are universal. Citizen Kane, The Graduate, The Big Lebowski, Cinema Paradiso, Modern Times. Classics in any language.

The award for Best Visual Effects: Deepwater Horizon, Doctor Strange (SO GOOD), The Jungle Book, Kubo and the Two Strings, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. I don't know, this could go to any of them. The Jungle Book wins. I really enjoyed that; a lot more than I thought I would. A great family movie, with a few scary bits, but I think kids will love it if they have never seen it before.

Seth Rogen pays tribute to Back to the Future and Michael J. Fox. They come on stage; Seth has on some interesting kicks. Michael J. Fox is still pretty charming and fricking funny. They also have a DeLorean on stage. They are presenting for Best Film Editing. Arrival, Hacksaw Ridge, Hell or High Water, La La Land, Moonlight. Hacksaw Ridge wins. That was a great film, tough to watch if you don't really like war movies, blood and guts, but really good.

Kimmel is talking to Sunny Pawar from Lion. He is so cute (I don't usually like children, so that's a big statement form me). Jimmy is lifting Sunny up like Lion King. We still have the live action and documentary shorts, the screenplay awards, best actor/actress, picture, song, and direction to go. Not too many, and yet, it's 9:40 central time, and I should be in bed.

Selma Hayek and David Oyewelo are presenting the documentary short subjects and live action shorts. Two of my favorite categories. The documentary shorts are so powerful and most are available online. Please check them out. Extremis should make you write a health care directive, 4.1 miles, Joe's Violin, Watani: My Homeland, The White Helmets. The Oscar goes to The White Helmets. Should be interesting because one of the team was banned from the U.S. The movie is on Netflix. The White Helmets have saved over 82,000 lives in Syria. The live action shorts were a lot better than the animated shorts. The topics and stories are timely and well done. Ennemie Interiuers, The Lady and the TGV, Silent Night, Sing, Timecode. Sing wins. I think my friend and I picked that one. She just texted me, let's see. Yes! They were all good, though, and we had a tough time picking a favorite. Hopefully you can see them in the theaters or online. Sing is very uplifting and we get schooled by a bunch of kids :).

The Science and Technology Awards presented earlier in February. John Cho and Leslie Mann are presenting. These awards are more about the science and equipment used in filmmaking. This is the funniest presentation for this section I have seen. "Film scientists" make all the magic happen.

I think we have a little over an hour to go. That's my professional assessment. It has occurred to me that I haven't really discussed my outfit for the evening. Blue/black lounge pants with a t-shirt with a collage of Marvel Superheroes. I think two years ago, I wore a Green Lantern t-shirt and last year was probably by Superman t-shirt that my brother made me buy. There is no Chanel/Lagerfeld scandal here, just DC versus Marvel. That's it.

Javier Bardem is paying tribute to Meryl Streep and her role in Bridges of Madison County (which I loathed, but there you go). I think she should speak in a Spanish accent. Best Cinematography is next; I forgot about that category. Arrival (lord), La La Land, Lion, Moonlight, Silence (not seen that yet). The winner is...La La Land. It was a beautifully shot film. He's at risk of being played off. He made it.

They haven't done the In Memoriam section yet. But first, Mean Tweets. These are pretty funny, especially when read by the celebrities. It makes the Tweeter look mean and small. I think that should be a regular feature.

Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are presenting the two nominated songs from La La Land. John Legend, also producer of the film, is singing the songs. They didn't do it for me in the film and they didn't do it for me here. Sorry.

Samuel L. Jackson is presenting Best Original Score: Lion, Jackie, Passengers, La La Land, Moonlight. The Oscar goes to La La Land. I don't think that is a surprise, but I was paying attention to the scores for Moonlight and Lion and I thought they were pretty good as well.

Scarlett Johanssen is presenting for Best Original Song. I don't know. "Audition - Fools Who Dream" La La Land, "Can't Stop the Feeling" Trolls (I did like the performance tonight), "Empty Chair" Jim: The James Foley Story; Moana "How Far I'll Go". The Oscar goes to "City of Stars" La La Land.

The In Memoriam section is coming. Ugh, this makes me cry. Sara Bareilles is singing Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now". Oh, Gene Wilder. Anton Yelchin who died in a freak accident. Mary Tyler Moore who became Minneapolis's own Mary Tyler Moore, and of course, Prince. People probably forgot that Nancy Reagan was an actress. Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher side by side. I hate that people get so irate about who is missed. Sadly, so many people die, and if you included all of them, the section could be an hour. That was a great performance.

We have to be getting close, don't we? I feel like a kid on a long road trip. "Are we there yet? I have to pee." Another jab by Kimmel at Matt Damon, this time using We Bought a Zoo (not one of Matt's bigger hits) as a weapon.

Best Original Screenplay presented by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon (introduced as "Guest"). Affleck is giving him a hard time now. Every time Damon speaks he gets the played off music (Kimmel conducting). Hell or High Water, La La Land, The Lobster (very different and interesting), Manchester by the Sea (depressing), 20th Century Women (I wanted to leave). The Oscar goes to ugh, Manchester by the Sea. UGH.

Amy Adams is presenting Best Adapted Screenplay: Arrival (noooo), Fences (yes), Hidden

Figures, Lion, Moonlight. Oh my. Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney win for Moonlight. I would have loved for Fences to win for August Wilson. Great speeches by these guys.

Cookies and doughnuts are being dropped from the ceiling. Kimmel promised us the big awards are up next. I think my original estimate of another hour, was an hour ago, so I was wrong. It's now 10:30 central time, I'm thinking 11:15 at the earliest. God, I hope I can catch my bus tomorrow. 6:02 comes fast.

Halle Berry is presenting for Best Director. Denis Villeneuve - Arrival, Mel Gibson - Hacksaw Ridge, La La Land, Kenneth Lonergan - Manchester by the Sea, Barry Jenkins - Moonlight. The Oscar goes to Damien Chazielle for La La Land; he is the youngest to win Best Director.

Oh good grief, another set of commercials. I know they have to pay for this stuff, but seriously.

The Best Actor is next with Brie Larson (Room) presenting: Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea, Andrew Garfield - Hacksaw Ridge (powerful performance), Ryan Gosling - La La Land, Denzel Washington - Fences, Viggo Mortenson - Captain Fantastic (rent this movie). Ugh, Casey Affleck won. Disagree.

Leonardo DiCaprio will be presenting Best Actress to one of the following: Meryl Streep - Florence Foster Jenkins, Natalie Portman - Jackie, Emma Stone - La La Land, Isabelle Huppert - Elle (I have not seen this, but I love her), Ruth Negga - Loving (I haven't seen this either, but I think it would be great if she won). Emma Stone wins for La La Land. It was kind of a weird category this year; I didn't think anyone was really super strong; I think Viola Davis could have won, but that's a done deal now. I do love Emma Stone, but I just don't think this role or the performance were that groundbreaking. She did give a nice speech.

Best Picture is next and then we're done. I have no idea, it could go to La La Land, but then Manchester by the Sea has made a late night run, but some oddsmakers were saying Hidden Figures would win, but Moonlight has won three (?) awards tonight as well. I have a stiff neck. I should have taken tomorrow off.

Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway (Bonnie and Clyde, blech) are presenting for Best Film. Arrival, Moonlight, Lion, Hacksaw Ridge, Fences, Hidden Figures, Hell or High Water, Manchester by the Sea, La La Land. La La Land is the winner. Disagree again.

Oh my god. I have never seen this before. I guess Moonlight really won after La La Land people began giving speeches. Warren Beatty was being too cute or needed to wear his glasses; but it seems like there was a mix up in the envelopes. So Moonlight wins. Wow, glad I didn't turn it off. Surreal.

UPDATE 2/27/16: By now you have probably heard what happened with the Best Picture award; the presenters were given the wrong envelope (there are two of each category in case one of the accountants is late or something happens). It was embarrassing, but Warren Beatty stepped up to  explain what happened, and the La La Land team were gracious in handing it over to the Moonlight team so they could have their moment on stage. Live television.

That's it from the heartland. Some of us have a day job to go to tomorrow. See ya next year.

The last of the Best Picture nominees: Fences, Hacksaw Ridge, Moonlight, Lion, Manchester by the Sea

2/19/17 Fences, nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, 2016

August Wilson wrote his Pulitzer Prize-winning play Fences in 1985 while living in St. Paul, Minnesota. A little over thirty years later, the movie, based on his screenplay was brought to life by Denzel Washington as a director and actor, playing Troy Maxson, and Viola Davis, his wife, Rose. The story is set in 1950s Pittsburgh, where Troy is a garbage collector and Rose stays home and cooks and takes care of their son, Cory. Troy and Bono, his oldest friend, collect their pay packets on Friday, buy a bottle of gin and share it in Troy's backyard. We learn that Troy likes spending time down at the local bar where he is flirting with Alberta (whom we never see), and also that Troy played ball in the Negro Leagues, and is resentful of not being given a chance to play, even though baseball is now integrated. Rose says it's because he's too old, Troy says it's because he's black. In addition to caring for his wife and son, his older brother Gabriel (Mykelti Williamson) has been severely brain-damaged during the war and now has a steel plate in his head and can be found wandering the streets of the neighborhood selling fruits and vegetables and blowing his trumpet. This is the 1950s and the understanding and treatment of brain injuries is very limited, but his family does the best they can, and he clearly loves them all. Troy carries around a harmful combination of anger, guilt and resentment, and will lash out at his sons and Rose at the least provocation. This combination of feelings alienates his son Cory, causing him to leave home; carry on an affair with no regard for Rose, even though he mentions she is the best thing to happen to him; seems offended that Rose is hurt at the affair; and break off his friendship with Bono. You might feel like you know what's going to happen, it doesn't matter, because don't know how it's going to happen exactly or what will be said. The performances by the entire cast is incredible; the love and attention they give the characters is joyful. These are roles that most of the cast played before in 2010 on stage. The story is an American story, and it reminded me a lot of Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, which was written at the end of the 1940s, so it shares the post-war feel with Fences, as well as a leading male character who is utterly disappointed in his life, and seems to blame those around him. It has a long suffering female character, and two sons who cannot see eye to eye with their father. I honestly hated Denzel Washington for those two hours; I also tried to understand his behavior, just as Rose did. There is a scene towards the end of the movie where they are arguing after Troy tells Rose about his affair, and he's yelling about his stale, boring life and she yells right back at him, telling him she's been right with him, and I just loved her for that. She stood up for herself, and didn't give him that easy out for his actions. I silently cheered her. For me, I loved the movie for the story as much as I did the actors and what they did with August Wilson's story. I think Viola Davis should have been nominated for Best Actress, but I am wondering if that was a strategic point for the studio, and they didn't want her to go up against Meryl Streep again. I'm not sure I agree, because her role was a lead in my mind and I don't think Streep's Florence Foster Jenkins is Oscar worthy, but I suppose you don't want to take the chance. I'm pulling for Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) and Viola Davis.

2/23/17 Hacksaw Ridge, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing, 2016

I love documentaries, and the next best thing to a documentary (when they're done well) is a biographical film or something based on real events. I was not a fan of Mel Gibson's Passion, but I have liked other movies he directed, so I tried to approach this with an open mind. Hacksaw Ridge tells the true story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield, nominated for Best Actor), a Seventh Day Adventist conscientious objector who was determined to join the Army as part of the medical corps. The movie spends a good amount of time, maybe half the movie (?) providing us with the appropriate amount of background information on Doss on his pacifism and the lengths he would go to in order to stay true to his beliefs, even missing his own wedding because he refused to hold a gun, much less shoot one. His commanding officers and fellow soldiers try to get rid of Doss, challenging his mental faculties, but his father, a World War I veteran, surprisingly comes to his rescue. After training, his infantry company is sent to the Pacific theater and to Okinawa. Gibson has plenty of experience staging war scenes, granted mostly pre-20th century, but still, the battle scenes are intense, and to my non-combatant eye, accurate and realistic. The results are not necessarily a secret, you can look Doss up online, and learn that he received the Medal of Honor for his heroics, but to try and explain them here does the movie a disservice, I think. You really have to watch it for yourself; it's gruesome, but it has to be less so than in real life. Doss's courage and inner strength to do what he did is simply amazing; don't turn the DVD off too soon, because there are interviews with Doss, his brother and one of the men he rescued. I didn't expect to like Hacksaw Ridge as much as I did, but if you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. Garfield was very good, conveying this strength that is belied by his slight stature, and bringing this American hero to life; Gibson is back in top form, and he is in the top three in my mind.

2/24/17 Moonlight, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, 2016

I'm not really sure how to describe Moonlight; it's a movie told in three parts in three different time periods, featuring the main character, Chiron; his mother, Paula; his surrogate mother, Teresa; and his unlikely mentor, Juan. Chiron is a young, black man, growing up in a pretty tough neighborhood in Miami, getting teased and beaten up by the other boys for being gay, even though he doesn't really know what that means. He is discovered by Juan (Mahershala Ali in his Oscar-nominated role) hiding in a boarded up house; refusing to speak, he goes with Juan to get some food and then Juan takes him home to meet his girlfriend, Teresa (Janelle Monae), who takes a shine to the young boy. Juan takes Chiron home where his mother (Naomie Harris, nominated for Best Supporting Actress) has been worried, but she isn't grateful to Juan at all; we find out why a little later. Chiron's only friend, Kevin, tries to get Chiron (or 'Little' as he is called) to fight back against the bullies. Chiron is really on his own, except for his new found safe haven with Teresa and Juan, but this only serves to anger his mother. The second part has Chiron in high school, and his mother's drug problems are worse as is the teasing and bullying he receives in school. Kevin meets up with Chiron in the hallway as Chiron is trying to avoid the bullies, and Kevin is in detention for allegedly having sex with a girl in school. The look on Chiron's face gave away his feelings for Kevin; later that night, Kevin and Chiron meet up on the beach and share a moment of closeness that Chiron has not shared with anyone before, and he allows himself a moment of vulnerability. I cringed as the next day as Chiron was badly beaten by his nemesis Terrel and his friends, and he was unable to defend himself. Chiron avenges himself, but at the cost of his freedom. The last part of the movie introduces a grown up Chiron, who looks eerily like Juan, driving the same car (I think) with the same crown ornament on the dashboard. If you didn't know it, you would not recognize Chiron: he's buff and tough, not the scared little kid we met earlier. His mom is now in a rehab center and tries to apologize; it's still a tense relationship, and Chiron seems very much alone. Out of the blue, he gets a call from Kevin, and he's not sure what he wants, but he drives back to Florida (Chiron is living in Atlanta) to meet his old friend. Kevin is pretty surprised at how Chiron has changed. They go back to Kevin's apartment where Chiron, in one of his very few expository moments, tells Kevin that nobody has touched him the way Kevin did that night so long ago. I got the sense that Kevin felt the same way about Chiron. The movie ends and I wonder what happened to the two of them. Would they be together, or go their separate ways? Would Chiron finally find happiness and love? The movie turns stereotypes on their head; Juan, who is a drug dealer, becomes the male role model for Chiron, and with Teresa, they try to give him stability and love and guidance. Gay, black men are stereotypically played very effeminately and flamboyant, and Chiron is neither of those. Moonlight is a story that hasn't been told (at least not in any mainstream fashion) and it was told with a lot of love and care. The three actors who played Chiron were all wonderful, and did most of their communicating with body language and facial expressions, because they really didn't speak that much. That's tough to do, but I think they were up to the task. It's not a happy film, but it's not angry or totally sad either, but somehow strangely affirming in how Chiron beats the odds to survive and be stronger than anyone could have anticipated. The name 'Chiron' sounded familiar, so I looked it up, and Chiron was the eldest and the wisest of the Centaurs, and he was a mentor to heroes of the myths, like Jason of the Argonauts. I don't know if there is any connection to what becomes of our Chiron, or the hopes his mother may have had for him when he was born. This was a 'small' movie that has had a huge impact; I'm not sure of its odds for any of the awards, but I'm sure we're going to hear more from the director and screenwriter, Barry Jenkins, and the young men who were Chiron: Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes.

2/24/17 Manchester by the Sea, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, 2016

The only thing I could think of before I saw this movie was that a co-worker took her 80 year old mother to see this on Christmas...and it was not the Yuletide experience in the reclining movie theater seats she had hoped. This didn't encourage me in the least; then when I saw some of the more negative reviews, I moved even slower. But, I watched it. I don't get the hype on this. It's a good movie, but I didn't think it was great. I found it hard to care too much about any of the characters (that may make me a cold-hearted cynic to some). Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck in an Oscar-nominated role) is a morose loner, who is named by his older brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler), as guardian of his teenaged nephew, Patrick (Lucas Hedges, nominated as Best Supporting Actor). Flashbacks are used to show us what happened to put Lee in his current state of misery. It is definitely tragic, and he cannot put it behind him. Even though Lee and Patrick used to be close when Patrick was much younger, time, their mutual sadness and adolescence make their reunion challenging. Patrick is a bit of an asshole, and I would wager that he was one when his dad was alive. Lee was previously married, but since the tragedy, he and his wife, Randi (Michelle Williams in her Oscar-nominated Best Supporting Actress role) have barely spoken, but Randi reaches out to Lee and tries to talk with him and help him to move on, but Lee isn't interested. In some ways, the characters of Troy Maxson and Lee Chandler are similar; they are men who carry their pain and disappointment deep inside and have cut themselves off from the people who care about them. The difference for me in liking/loving/not caring between the two films is I care about the people around Troy; I cared and cheered for Rose and for Cory; I didn't care a whole lot about Patrick, and we don't really get to know about Joe and his marriage; and I did care about Randi, but not enough to make me love this movie. Casey Affleck may be the front-runner for the Best Oscar, but I would vote for Denzel Washington or Andrew Garfield, or Ryan Gosling.

2/25/17 Lion, nominated Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, 2016

I am so glad I ended my quest to see all of the Best Picture nominees with Lion. I did cry a little, but it was ultimately uplifting and ended on a high note. Lion is based on the true story of Saroo Brierley and his journey from Khandwa to Calcutta (Kolkata) India, over 1500 kilometers to Tasmania and back to Khandwa. It's a long journey in terms of distance, but also emotionally. The movie starts out in 1986 with five year old Saroo (played by the incredibly adorable Sunny Pawar who won everyone over at the Golden Globes) stealing coal with his older brother, Guddu. They steal coal to sell it back in their village. The family is extremely poor and struggles to get by with what the boys' mother earns collecting rocks and what Guddu might earn at odd jobs. Saroo is devoted to his big brother and wants to go with him on his next job, which involves late nights and trains; the two boys are separated, and Saroo is left on his own, falling asleep on a train ride that takes him to Kolkata where a different language and huge metropolis await him. Through machinations that I'm sure I don't totally understand, it's determined that Saroo can be adopted by an Australian couple, John and Sue Brierley (David Wenham and Nicole Kidman in an Oscar-nominated performance). The film jumps ahead about 20 years and Saroo is now played by Dev Patel, and he is on his way to study hospitality management where he meets other students from India and he feels self-conscious about being from India, but not feeling Indian, and shares that he was adopted. This begins his quest to figure out where he was from; he was so young, he didn't know his surname or what his village's name was (he kept saying a name, but nobody knew what or where it was) and he wasn't exactly sure how he got to Kolkata. The Internet and Google Earth play a huge role in helping him trace the possible routes. As Saroo becomes almost obsessed with finding his Indian family, his relationship with his American girlfriend, Lucy (Rooney Mara) and his family suffer. He is very reluctant to tell his parents about his quest because he is afraid of hurting them and appearing ungrateful, but he finally tells his mother and she gives her blessing and insight into why she and her husband chose adoption to add to their family. Saroo makes the trip home and that's really where the tears flowed. You'll have to watch this one to see how it turns out. I really loved this movie, which I cannot say about half of the Best Picture nominees. My pick is Dev Patel for Best Supporting Actor. I don't think it will win Best Picture, but I would be happy if it did. It is in English, Hindi and Bengali, but don't let this deter you. The subtitles were easy to read (at least on the mega movie screen) and it's so worth it. India is a vast country, filled with contradictions of epic proportions, and I know people like to characterize it in a negative way, but it's a place I'd like to visit again. I was reminded of another 'adoption' movie from a few years ago starring Judi Dench, Philomena, where the reunion didn't go as planned, but nevertheless it was an emotional journey based on a true story.

2/25/17 Jim: The James Foley Story, nominated Best Song, 2016

James Foley was a war correspondent take hostage by ISIL in 2012 and whose execution was videotaped and shown on television and the Internet. The documentary, made by his friend Brian will Oakes, tells us up front that the documentary is about Jim and shows war footage, but will not be showing his execution. What Oakes does show is home movie/video footage, interviews with his three brothers, sister, parents and the men with whom he was held captive. Foley was originally a teacher, but he felt he was missing something and decided to be a journalist, focusing on conflicts and war. The interviews with his family and fellow independent journalists give us a deeper look into what James was like, but also what it is like reporting from war-torn countries, the danger faced by the reporters as they bring us the stories from the front lines. Foley was taken hostage in Libya, but was eventually released; the turn in Syria didn't end so well. A few of the men held captive with him relate the deprivations and torture they experienced, and how James helped them all get through it. I think it has become very easy for us to expect our 24 hour news coverage without a lot of thought about how we get it, the risks that the reporters and photographers take to get us the news from war zones like Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan, even closer to home and the domestic unrest we've seen in Ferguson, Chicago or Baltimore. The documentary is nominated for Best Song "The Empty Chair" by J. Ralph and Sting, so that's why I watched it, but it really is a very powerful documentary by HBO.

This wraps up the reviews before the Oscars. I have 16 movies to go, and I expect most of those to appear in the next month or so.

A recap of the reviews for this year's nominees

For your easy access, below are the movies that have been reviewed and their links:

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Hail Caesar!

Star Trek Beyond

Suicide Squad

Doctor Strange

Zootopia

Hidden Figures

20th Century Women, Florence Foster Jenkins, Jackie, Captain Fantastic

The Jungle Book, Deepwater Horizon, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, Rogue One

Animated and Live Action Shorts

Documentary Shorts

Hell or High Water, The Lobster, Kubo, Arrival, Sully, La La Land, A Man Called Ove

If I do this right, I will have seen all of the Best Picture nominations before Sunday, which I have not done before. There are some movies that I know I will not get to until after Sunday:

Elle
Loving
Nocturnal Animals
Moana
My Life as a Zucchini
The Red Turtle
Fire at Sea
I Am Not Your Negro
Land of Mine
The Salesman
Toni Erdmann
Tanna
Passengers
Allied
Silence
Trolls (possibly by Sunday)

Check Monday for my play by play of the Academy Awards...I watch so you don't have to.

Best pictures, original screenplays: Hell or High Water, Kubo, La La Land, Arrival, Ove, The Lobster

2/9/17 Hell or High Water, nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, 2016

Who doesn't dream of getting back at someone or something, like an institution, when you perceive you have been screwed over? In Hell or High Water, that's what Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner (Ben Foster) try to do on behalf of their mother as they begin robbing the bank that had her reverse mortgage. The brothers commit these robberies (this is not a spoiler, it's pretty evident from the trailers) and they are pursued by a soon-to-be-retired Texas Ranger, Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and his partner, Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham). There's really no mystery here, and I didn't think it was really a "thriller"; it was a brother movie. The relationship with Toby and Tanner is complicated, Tanner feeling a responsibility and obligation to save the family farm for Toby's sons after spending years in jail. Honestly, I was more interested in the relationship between Marcus and Alberto; Marcus makes comments that most people would consider politically incorrect in the least and very offensive and racist at the worst, but Alberto just laughs at him, and gives it right back to him. It's a joking and brotherly relationship, and you get the feeling they have known each other for too long. Bridges was really good, in a very understated, but good old boy way. He's nominated as Best Supporting Actor, and he was good, but I have not yet seen the other nominees, but a few other movies are getting some additional buzz. I'll keep you posted.

2/11/17 The Lobster, nominated for Best Original Screenplay, 2016

When I mention this movie to my friends, they have never heard of it, and to be honest, I had never heard of it until it showed up on my Oscar list. These one-off nominations can be a mixed bag; sometimes I think I found a gem, other times I don't know why I bother. For The Lobster, I'm kind of in the middle of the road, but the more I think about it, the more I think it was definitely an original screenplay. The movie is set in a dystopian society where being single, or a 'loner' I not only frowned upon, it can get you turned into your favorite animal; David's preferred animal is a lobster. Colin Farrell is David, a recently singled man who is now in a hotel, hoping to find another partner, and soon. Checking into the hotel is similar to checking into a low security prison, strip down to your underwear, turn in all of your property, etc. There are very strict rules, and not following them could be hazardous to your health. Many of the characters aren't given names, but referred to by a predominant characteristic, like Heartless Woman, Nosebleed Woman, Lisping Man (John C. Reilly), etc. The guests have 45 days to find a partner; every day loners hunt other loners with tranquilizer guns, and for every loner tranquilized, the hunter gets to stay an extra day. If you do meet someone and it's determined you are suited, you move to the couples' side of the hotel, and then eventually one of the yachts. After an ill-fated relationship with Heartless Woman, David had to escape, and he makes it to the woods where he meets the leader of the Loners (Lea Seydoux from Blue is the Warmest Color) as well as the narrator, Short-Sighted Woman (Rachel Weisz). Just as the hotel had strict rules, being in the pack of Loners comes with a set of restrictions, including no sexual relationships. David and Short-Sighted Woman find a commonality in their short-sightedness and begin a covert relationship. Love is hard. I was so skeptical when I started to watch this, but I did find myself interested in the story and how it would play out; there are definitely twists and unexpected turns. Yorgos Lanthimos and Efthimis Fillippou wrote the screenplay and Lanthimos directed (he directed Oscar-nominated film Dogtooth); and it has an international cast. I like Colin Farrell and I really liked that he didn't play a tough guy, or a sexy guy; he's an architect, with a little belly, a little shy, and he doesn't have to hide his Irish accent. If you are looking for a different type of movie, something that is rehashed from a television series or a remake of another film, give this one a try. I'm not sure if it has much of a chance for the Oscar going up against La La Land and Hell and High Water.

2/10/17 Kubo and the Two Strings, nominated Best Animated Film, Best Visual Effects, 2016

I have been staring at this movie title for a week and for some reason, I am having a really hard time writing a review, or at least something more than two sentences. I did like this movie and the story and the voice actors (Charlize Theron as the mother/Monkey and Matthew McConaughey as Beetle/Hanzo, Ralph Fiennes as Raiden the Moon King), as well as the animation. The movie was done by Laika, the same production team that did one of my favorite animated films of the past few years, The Boxtrolls, as well as ParaNorman and Coraline. Kubo lives with his mother, isolated from the local village; Kubo and his mother have magical powers; in fact, the movie is filled with magic, and maybe that's why I'm finding it hard to review - telling you too much may ruin the surprise. It has action, suspense, music, danger, and young boy who has to be very brave. This isn't the most in-depth review, but I commend the movie for your viewing.

2/19/17 Note: In the midst of all of these Oscar-nominated movies, several of which I have not yet reviewed, I watched Jack Reacher: Never Go Back as a rental from the library. I don't have the time or energy to do really, but if you're looking for a Tom Cruise action movie, this will do until the next Mission Impossible comes out.

2/18/17 Sully, Best Sound Editing, 2016

I remember watching the Miracle on the Hudson at work, and thinking how cold it must be. I may have also thought "hmm, I bet they make a movie out of this." I have to say that this Clint Eastwood-directed film, starring Tom Hanks as Chesley Sullenberger did not quite capture the drama; it seemed very choppy, using flashbacks and inserting bits of conversation with Sully and his wife, Lorraine (the very underused, in this film, Laura Linney), who had a lot of dialogue that was essentially "What? What? I can't hear you?" "What do you mean?". I thought the last 30-40 minutes were the best, the incident (birds flying into the engines); the landing on the Hudson and the presentation of simulations during the NTSB hearing. There isn't a lot of tension or suspense, unless you have no idea about what happened, but even so, you know most people survive because that's presented early in the film. Oh, and then there were 5-7 minutes spent in Sully's youth where we see him flying. Not one of Eastwood's best efforts. I'm really not sure why or how it was nominated for Sound Editing, but I'm thinking Deepwater Horizon or Hacksaw Ridge, or La La Land will take the Oscar.

2/18/17 La La Land, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, 2016

La La Land is the critics' favorite, it seems, and I'm not prepared to rain on everyone's parade...well...I enjoy Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, but I'm hot and cold on musicals, so I didn't run out to see it. Even now, after having a lunchtime discussion about it, I'm less sure how I feel. I think what makes this so different and original, and I do think it was original, is that we don't get a lot of original musicals (or even quasi-musicals), they come from Broadway or they're remakes, and I think it hit the spot for a lot of people. Damien Chazelle (who wrote and directed Whiplash) wrote and directed La La Land and infused it with his sense and sensibility of jazz. Ryan Gosling is Sebastian a jazz musician/fan/historian who is trying to make a living in Los Angeles playing his kind of jazz, but often finds himself in the position of playing below his standards for practical reasons. Emma Stone is Mia, a struggling actress/barista, who is close to giving up her dream. The two meet and have a rough start, but after another chance meeting where Seb is forced to play the hits of the 1980s like "I Ran" by A Flock of Seagulls. They fall in love and are each other's biggest fans, supporting one another in their different endeavors, until it gets a little more complicated and stressful, and then, you know, they figure it out, or not. Divulging much more might ruin it if you haven't seen it yet. I liked this more than I did Arrival, but not as much as I did Fences; Gosling and Stone were tremendous, dancing, singing, and Gosling playing jazz piano, but I wasn't moved the way I was by Denzel Washington in Fences. The production design and costume design were both top-notch, and Chazelle and his team paid homage to Hollywood. Take this review for what it's worth, my opinion. It's good, delightful, and original, and it will shock the odds making world if it doesn't win most of its nominations. Hidden Figures and Fences (reviewed soon) are my two picks.


2/18/17 Arrival, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, 2016

I didn't race out to see Arrival when it was released; I probably would have waited for DVD, if I saw it at all. When it landed on The List, I knew I was going to have to watch it. Science fiction is not one of my favorite genres, and I rarely see sci-fi in the theaters. I was really underwhelmed with Arrival (and I really love Amy Adams); I thought for a science fiction film, the effects were pretty lackluster. It had an interesting premise: communicating with extra-terrestrial beings who use symbology instead of words, written or spoken; but it was the element of time travel that really lost me. Amy Adams plays Louise Banks, a linguist who seems to be fluent in every language known to man; Jeremy Renner is Ian Donnelly, a theoretical physicist; Forest Whitaker is Army Colonel Weber; and Michael Stuhlbarg is a government agent (if you think you have been seeing Stuhlbarg all over, you have: Dr. Strange, Trumbo, Steve Jobs, Transparent). These strange pods land in several countries around the globe, and while the countries intend to share information, they seem to have different methods of gathering and analyzing their information; are the pods there to help or harm the world? Due to some misunderstanding and misinterpretation, the world is led to the brink of disaster. I didn't care. I thought this is something my dad would have liked; he would have read the short story; and when I said I didn't like it, he would have given me a few examples of what I missed. The movie was directed by Denis Villeneuve, who also directed Sicario, which coincidentally I didn't like either. He and his cinematographer are fond of very dark sets, low lighting (I get it: they were in a windowless enclosure, but it's not fun to watch), I am not sure how this gets a nod for Best Production Design. If you're a fan of sci-fi, you are probably disagreeing with me, and that's fine. I'm happy to leave it to you.

2/18/17 A Man Called Ove, nominated Best Foreign Film, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, 2016

A Man Called Ove combines bittersweet drama with injections of humor, some dark, some life-affirming; reminiscent of one of my favorite films from last Oscar season The 100-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, and what a coincidence, it's also nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling by the same team, Eva von Bahr and Love Larson. Ove is recently widowed, and still reeling from the loss of his beloved wife, Sonja, and between failed suicide attempts, he harangues neighbors for violations of the neighborhood code. On one such day, he meets Parvaneh, who is Iranian, her husband Patrick and their two young children, and he is less than impressed when they run over his mailbox. Parvaneh tries to make amends and to make friends, but Ove is prickly and not interested in getting to know them. The movie is essentially about how Parvaneh breaks through Ove's tough exterior, but also takes us into Ove's past, and his close relationship with his father and his marriage to Sonja. While Ove has always been a rule-follower, but to him, he's trying to do the right thing, like his father. Over time, Parvaneh and Ove form a bond, almost father/daughter, in fact, her little girls call him 'grandfather'. Ove chooses the world of the living, and you have to think his wife would have been proud. The movie is based on the book of the same name, which I have not yet read, but I recommend the movie. This is where I tell you not to be turned off by a foreign film that you have to read; the story carries you and you will probably forget you are 'reading'. I haven't seen the other foreign films, but have heard really good things about the German film, Toni Erdmann. It's up against Suicide Squad and Star Trek Beyond for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and I have to go with Star Trek Beyond for this one.

Nominated documentaries of 2016

Life, Animated, nominated Best Documentary, 2016

Life, Animated is about Owen Suskind and his family and how they have learned to cope and communicate with each other despite the challenges presented by Owen's autism. Owen's father, Ron Suskind, a journalist, wrote a book about it and then it was subsequently made into a documentary. Roger Ross Williams (Music by Prudence) directed this charming and uplifting and very insightful documentary; and the Suskind family was very open in sharing their experiences and their concerns about Owen's future. Owen is 23 years old when the film starts, but home movies take us back to when Owen and his older brother, Walter, were little, before and after Owen developed autism. Owen essentially stopped speaking when he was three years old, and remained very uncommunicative until his father discovered that he could communicate by using Disney characters and dialog. Owen uses Disney films to express his feelings and to relate with the world; he will speak dialog or reference characters. Disney helps him open up, and at his school he starts the Disney Club, so his friends, who also relate to Disney can share their experiences and what the films mean to them. Owen is getting ready to graduate from his school and move into independent living in a community with other young people with autism, including his girlfriend. It's about an hour away from his parents, and he'll be on his own to look for a job, make his meals (he has counselors who help him with these living skills). Williams interviews Owen, and his parents and his brother. They all speak very honestly, with Owen and with the director. His older brother Walter feels a great responsibility for taking care of Owen as his parents get older; it's not resentful, but it can be overwhelming. Williams doesn't focus on that; he shows the brothers playing miniature golf and Walter trying to have a conversation with Owen about his relationship with his girlfriend, Emily. Owen is a very talented artist, and he creates his own cartoon/story based on sidekicks (as in the sidekicks from Disney and some of his own creations), because that's what he feels he is. There is so much more, but I don't want to spoil it. I will just say, you should watch it, if you have kids or don't, if you know someone on the autism spectrum or not; it's just a wonderful human interest story. It's the 'lightest' of the nominees, and depending on what the voters are looking for this year (which has been a weird year), it could go to Life, Animated or to OJ: Made in America (watching now) or the other three (which I have not seen as of this writing).

OJ: Made in America, nominated Best Documentary, 2016

I sat down to watch OJ: Made in America thinking I would watch an episode at a time, spreading it out over a week because how could I sit and watch over seven hours of OJ Simpson? Well, if I could have physically sat and watched all five episodes in one night, I absolutely would have done so. It was that captivating and enthralling. I made the mistake of thinking it would be only about his trial for the murder of his wife, Nicole and her friend, Ron Goldman. That was the connecting theme, but the documentary was so much more than that. It looked at OJ's life from his days at junior college as a football phenom all the way through to his incredible fall from grace after the civil trial about the murder of Nicole and Ron to the memorabilia debacle in Las Vegas. One of the people interviewed (I cannot remember who) said his was the American story: the rise and fall of an American hero. If you're a regular reader here you know how I start to squirm if a movie goes over two hours; no squirming here after watching three hours at a time, I just wanted more. The director/producers from ESPN talk to friends, teammates, adversaries, business partners as well as using archival footage to paint a very well-rounded portrait of the man we know as "The Juice". It's a complicated picture of a man who seemed to be very aware of his charisma and charm, who loved the glitter and spotlight that he found in Los Angeles, and yet could be incredibly self-centered. Interviewers include former detective Mark Furhman, whose inflammatory language and denial of it played a huge role in the fate of the trial; Marcia Clark, Bill Hodgman and Gil Garcetti of the District Attorney's office (Christopher Darden declined); and Fred Goldman, Ron Goldman's father. Simpson's story is told within the context of race relations in America, specifically in Los Angeles; it provides a history which may or may not be familiar to those watching. Some of the crimes committed against the black community (yes, that's what they were) I was aware of, but others, I had no idea. Sadly, it's almost like we have not moved on from those times at all. I recommend watching this, with the caveat that there are some very grisly crime scene photos and adult language.


13th, nominated Best Documentary, 2016

I was telling a co-worker today about 13th, they documentary directed by Ava DuVernay, the director of Selma, and I found myself getting agitated. 13th refers to the 13th Amendment of the Constitution, specifically this statement: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. The movie looks at the evolution of prisons and imprisonment since the 'end' of slavery and what was free labor provided by millions of slaves. Imprisonments of blacks increased because the need for labor had not decreased at all. DuVernay provides us with a wide array of interviews, from professors of history, sociology, economics to former inmates of the justice system to attorneys specializing in representing those who are vulnerable and susceptible to the faults in the system, and politicians (Angela Davis, Newt Gingrich, Bryan Stevenson, Van Jones, Cory Booker, Henry Louis Gates among just a few). She packs a lot of information in just 100 minutes. Over 150 years of racism, institutionalized and politicized racism, is explained and examined; how black men were portrayed as animals and dangers to white society, and those portrayals and the resulting fears justified imprisonment and subsequent brutal treatments. It was infuriating to hear, from the mouth of Lee Atwater, advisor to Ronald Reagan, the strategy to demonize blacks in order to frighten whites and drive them to the Republican Party, even though he knew he was lying. I suppose lying is par for the course in politics, but the consequences of Atwater's lies, as well as Richard Nixon's strategies and other Republican operatives, continue through today, and with tearing the country apart as the result. The film also examines the privatization of prisons, that is running prisons for profit, using prison labor as a means to increase profits for companies. I thought the film was very well done; our history is even more relevant than ever; watched in tandem with OJ: Made in America, the viewer gets a pretty thorough overview of the issue of race in America. It might make you uncomfortable, and it should; it made me uncomfortable and angry. If we, as a country, are going to truly come together, we need to acknowledge the past and the impacts that it has had on our collective being. I passionately recommend 13th (streaming on Netflix) and OJ: Made in America, as well as these two books: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Initiative eji.org and A Lesson Before Dying by Earnest Gaines, which is fiction, but representative of the criminal justice system in the first half of the century.

2017 Nominated Documentary Short Subjects

This is my 300th entry. The girl's got staying power.

Documentary Shorts at the Riverview Theater, Minneapolis, 2/14/17

If I had to pick my favorite category of the Oscars, I think it has to be the documentary shorts. There are always two or three (or more) that are so well done, inspiring, heartbreaking, enlightening, that I practically bully people to go see them (I like to think of it as 'encouraging', but I suppose it depends on your perspective). This year, I was crying pretty much from the first 10 minutes of the first film until the end of the last film. I think that's why I like going alone; I don't need anyone to see me sobbing like the Cleveland Indians just lost the seventh game of the World Series in the last inning of the game. Human beings are incredibly resilient, and given the chance, I think most of them do the right or good thing, and that is so evident in the following films.

Joe's Violin - Joseph Feingold survived a Soviet prison camp in Siberia during the Second World War and afterward, while in a refugee camp in Germany awaiting transport to the United States, he bought a violin with a carton of cigarettes. Little did he know that over sixty years later the violin would be bringing joy to a whole new generation. Through an instrument donation program in New York City, Joseph donated his violin and it wound up at the Bronx Global Learning Institute for Girls Charter School and with Brianna Perez, a 12 year old student chosen because of her passion for playing. There are three segments to the movie: Joseph's story, Brianna's story and the story of them together. Brianna and her fellow students are all eager to meet Joseph because to them he is a hero. When Brianna and Joseph meet, it was the most beautiful moment; she played a piece by Grieg that Joseph's mother sent to him while he was at the Russian camp; his mother and youngest brother died in Treblinka. Beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. Looking at Joseph and the young girls at the school, many of whom come from immigrant or refugee families, that is the best of America. The movie can be viewed online here: http://www.joesviolin.com/watch-now. PBS will also be showing it at some time.

Extremis - End of life discussions are incredibly difficult when people are healthy; who thinks of extreme measures like life extending tracheotomies when you're running around and enjoying life? This Netflix production looks at those very moments that are so important and can be so painful for a family to make, especially when they don't know what the patient wants to do. The movie was filmed in the Intensive Care Unit of Highland Hospital in Oakland, California, and we look over the shoulder of Doctor Jessica Zitter who has to have those conversations several times a day. Dr. Zitter meets with patients and their families to lay out the treatment options, if any, and what the expected prognosis is; unfortunately, the prognosis may only be another month or two. She does this with care and kindness, trying not to impose her own beliefs on to the families, like when she really doesn't think that extra intervention will add to a quality of life, and yield no cure. She has several moments where she looks utterly exhausted and defeated, but she keeps going. It probably sounds weird to say this is a great documentary; but it is, and a powerful one. It certainly points out the importance of creating a health care directive, if for no other reason than to ease the burden on family members who may be wracked with guilt about making the wrong decision. This is available on Netflix streaming.

4.1 Miles - This collection of documentaries contains more 'heroes' than I recall seeing in previous collections. In 4.1 Miles, the heroes are the captain and his crew who run a Coast Guard boat in the waters around the Island of Lesbos, rescuing refugees fleeing from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan through Turkey. The waters can be rough, the boats overfull of panicking and frightened people, and the ship's crew is stressed and overworked. It would be easy for the captain (I apologize I cannot remember his name and I cannot find it) and his crew to be angry or resentful of these people who endanger their lives, but they're not. They do get scared because they are responsible for all of these people, including very young children; they get angry because it seems the Greek government and the rest of the world don't care and aren't providing enough assistance; they get sad and upset because some that they are trying to rescue, die. But they don't give up; you see the whole island pulling together.

Watani: My Homeland - I cried, I laughed, I cried and I cheered. This is another documentary about the Civil War in Syria, this time focusing on a family whose father is a Commander in the Free Syrian Army. Abu Ali and his wife, Hala, are devoted to each other and their four children, Hammoudi, Helen, Farah and Sarah, and they are likewise devoted to their parents. They live in Aleppo, or rather survive there as they hope the bombs miss their current apartment and that Abu Ali comes back from his missions. One day Abu Ali is betrayed by his men to ISIL, and the family waits anxiously for his return, now less safe without Abu Ali. Hala doesn't want to leave, but the attacks are getting worse, and the children are more frightened. When Germany announces they will take 20,000 refugees, Hala decides they need to apply; they know nothing about Germany except it's not getting bombed. The film follows them as they journey from Syria to Turkey to Germany, landing in a small, medieval village (according to an informational video they watched, population is dwindling at a rapid rate as old people die every day - this was one of the lighter moments as we, the audience knew the video was mild propaganda, but the children did not). Their new world is 180 degrees different than their old lives, and the children get acclimated fairly quickly, learning German and making new friends. Hala carries this great sadness, as well as a load of guilt for leaving Syria in case Abu Ali is alive, and for leaving her homeland. She denounces ISIL for their perversion of Islam and destruction of her country. In a way she reminded me of my mom, a person who has suffered tremendously, but yet has a strength and fortitude that is unexpected, all for her children and her husband. The two youngest children provide the laughs, speaking their minds and seeing the world through their young perspective. I think everyone should watch this movie, especially if you have a fear of the refugees, or if you don't believe how perilous the situation is or you think these people are a threat. I suppose you might not change your mind, but I hope you do. They didn't want to leave 'their Syria', Hammoudi talks about returning to Syria one day to rebuild his country. They just want a chance to live and be safe. I hope the family is thriving in Germany.

The White Helmets - This is another Netflix production, and another film with a cast of heroes. The White Helmets are civilians who act as first responders throughout Syria, attempting to rescue their friends, neighbors and families who may be buried under rubble after the bombings. A few of the White Helmets give us their stories and why they have joined; they come from all walks of life, have young children and could be staying at home with them, but they all this incredible sense of devotion to this very dangerous task. We see them on various rescue missions, with mixed successes. The men are sent to a training facility in Turkey to learn new rescue techniques, using different types of equipment and getting a brief respite from the bombardments, but not from the stress and worry about their families. Even as the men strengthen their bonds with each other, after their exercises, they watch television coverage of the destruction from the Russians, the Syrian Army and ISIL; one of the men's brothers is killed while he's away. You feel their hopelessness at being so far away, but they also know they are learning techniques that may save lives. Like Halal and her family, the men in the White Helmets love their country and hope one day for peace.

I cannot even pick a winner. They all deserve to have their stories told.

International Rescue Committee: https://www.rescue.org/
The White Helmets: http://www.whitehelmets.org/en
Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation: http://www.mhopus.org/

Annual day out: animated and live action shorts at the Uptown Theatre

Once the Oscars are announced, I look forward to seeing the shorts collections. This past weekend my friend and I went to Uptown to take in the animated and live action shorts. You never can tell how the day is going to go; we are always surprised. We look forward to little nuggets, an unexpected gem. On this particular day, we started with the animated shorts (I think this is pretty standard). The theater wasn't very crowded, which is fine by me. I think I have mentioned this before, but just because the films are animated, does not mean that they are suitable for children.

2/12/17 Animated Shorts, 2016

Borrowed Time - The short is set in the Wild West, with the two protagonists, a father and son sheriff team, driving a wagon way too fast (I honestly don't recall if they were being chased); anyway, the wagon hits a rock, and the horses go one way, the wagon another and the father a third - over a cliff. He's hanging on by his fingertips and relies on his son to pull him up. They use the rifle as a means to lift up the father, but unfortunately, the gun is loaded and someone's finger is on the trigger. Yeah, this is where I'm thinking a warning to parents might have been helpful. Anyway, the son spends his life trying to overcome his guilt. Pretty heavy and deep, but neither of us liked this one.

Pearl gets a little more of a thumbs up; another parent/child theme, this time set in the late 20th century with a father and his young daughter. Dad is a traveling musician, mainly playing for change, later playing with his little girl. They have a great time, traveling and singing together, but it's a hard, nomadic life, and eventually dad gives up his dream and settles down to give his daughter some stability. They experience the highs and lows of most parental relationships: rule breaking, silent treatments, letting go. The daughter goes on to have her own musical career, with more success than her dad, but she does get the chance to share it with him. It was a little melancholy, but ultimately uplifting.

Piper is another Pixar entry; you may have seen this if you saw Finding Dory. I don't think there was anything groundbreaking about the animation (high quality as always from Pixar). The story was about sandpipers, a baby one especially, who had to learn to get her own food. It was the piper versus the oncoming waves, and that was pretty funny and cute, watching the piper overcome her fear of the wave and what lies beneath. Normally, this would not have been my favorite, but given the others in the field, my friend and I decided this may have been the best one.

Blind Vaysha - There is no doubt that the more we dislike a film, the more we discuss it; we discussed this one a lot. Within just a few seconds, I picked up on the Russian vibe; the drawings definitely had the feeling of Russian folk art; it turns out it was based on a Russian story. Vaysha technically isn't blind; she can see, but out of her left eye she can only see the past and out of her right eye she can only see the future. This leads to all kinds of philosophical questions and issues; like sometimes she can see way in the past, like the time of dinosaurs, and then way into the future, like the apocalypse. She has several suitors as she gets older; but she can only see them as little boys and old men, which makes her choose nobody. My astute observation (if I do say so), was that even though she couldn't see them for who they were, she could listen to them, get to know and possibly love them, but she didn't. She really was blind in that regard. The narrator then asks us to close one eye, then the other and imagine what it would be like. Bleh.

Pear Cider and Cigarettes - The theater gave a couple of warnings to parents that this film had adult themes: nudity, drugs, swearing, sexual references, and yet there were still a couple parents who waited until fifteen minutes in (it was a mind numbing 35 minutes) to get up and leave? Really? After the second or third "F*ck" and half-naked women. I wasn't so much bothered by the animation style, I actually kind of liked it. What I didn't like, or stopped caring about was the main character, Techno Stypes, childhood friend of the narrator (writer and director), Robert Valley. Techno loves to live life, to the point where he takes risks and is reckless with money and ultimately, his health. The thing is, the story seemed to spend about 20 minutes telling and showing us how reckless and self-destructive he was. As my friend and I were discussing this, we didn't need to be beat over the head, we got it. It was just this repetitive, groundhog day feeling. He drinks, he's told not to drink, he drinks, he gets sick, etc., etc. I'm sorry if it sounds heartless, but I didn't care. I just wanted it to be over.

My pick is that Piper will win, because, well, Pixar.

I have to say that after that collection of mostly downers, I was ready to go home. I was exhausted and couldn't handle two more hours of depressing films. But, my friend was quite optimistic and I felt better after a little lunch and a brisk walk around Uptown, and we were ready to go. There were a bit more people and very few, if any, kids under 15.

2/12/17 Live Action Shorts

Sing (Hungary) - I'm not sure they could have started off with a better film. Sing is about a young girl, Zsofi, going to her new school, and joining the very successful chorus. Zsofi is quickly befriended by Liza, one of the popular kids at school (I am not going to lie; based on the films from earlier in the day, I thought Liza was going to beat up or tease Zsofi; I know, negative Nelly). After her first session with the choir, the teacher, Miss Erika, asks Zsofi to stay after; she tells Zsofi not to sing, just mime the words, and not to tell anyone. Eventually Liza figures out that Zsofi isn't singing, and Zsofi breaks down telling her why. Liza also discovers that several of the children aren't singing, and being rightfully indignant and protective of her friends, she tries to quit the choir if the other children aren't allowed to sing. I hope you excuse me for giving the rest away, but most of you probably won't see this, and if you do, hopefully you still enjoy the moment. Liza and Zsofi come up with a plan and get all of the choir members to agree. The day of the big contest, Miss Erika's big day, the choir steps up on the risers, looking sharp in their uniforms, and...they all mime the words to the song. It was beautiful. I loved that the 'popular' kids stood by their friends, that the students became the teachers, and that it was a peaceful overthrow of the regime. If this was the only 'good' film we saw in the collection, it was a great one.

Silent Nights (Denmark) is set in Denmark and Ghana, and is a story that is familiar in Europe and North America: refugees and immigrant workers leaving Africa and Asia to find a better life. Inger begins volunteering at the local Salvation Army over the Christmas holidays, providing shelter and meals to homeless immigrants when she meets Kwame, who is from Ghana. They get off to a rough start, but eventually become friends, and a little more. Inger's mother is a drunk and doesn't have many kind things to say about the immigrants or Inger's choice to volunteer; Kwame has a family back in Ghana who count on him to send money back home to care for his three children. The film does not shy away from the racism that exists, even in Denmark which is often held up as a shining example of tolerance and social welfare (Denmark is one of my favorite places to visit). If anything, I think the film shows that some things are not as straightforward was we would like them to be; complexities arise that make casting judgement a difficult, if not a very unfair thing to do. I think it also challenges our prejudices, because, in another moment of honesty, I thought Kwame was going to assault Inger. As it turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong, and I'm glad of that.

Timecode (Spain) - This one took a little bit of time to figure out what was happening, and even after it was over, we could only surmise what the end really was. Luna and Diego are security guards in a parking ramp; Luna works during the day and Diego works at night. They don't really seem to interact with each other as they pass each other in their booth. One day the manager calls Luna and asks her to check something on the security camera video, and she notices Diego dancing in front of the camera; she looks through other footage and finds him dancing throughout the parking garage. She records her own moves and leaves him a sticky note with a timecode and camera to check. These exchanges continue for several days. It is fun and funny to watch (and a not too subtle reminder to check where the cameras are). Then one day, Diego doesn't leave a note, and a short time later, there are new guards. The audience was laughing and clapping when it was over.

Ennemis Interieurs (France) - Sadly, this movie is reflective of what is happening around the world regarding Muslims in non-Muslim countries. Ennemis Interieurs translates to "Enemies within" and in this case refers to Muslims who are living in France, but are under suspicion of committing acts of terrorism; specifically, the men being investigated are from former French colonies like Algeria. The man being interrogated was born in Algeria, but he considers himself more French than anything, but his interrogator challenges his loyalty and his father's loyalty: did they support Algeria during the war in 1954? Did he attend a mosque? Did he visit Algeria? Le Demandeur (as he is referred to) tries to maintain his composure, tries to explain his desire to meet people to talk and visit, to be a part of a community, and also that he isn't that religious at all, but he goes to the mosque for that sense of community. The interrogator doesn't believe him, and threatens him with being denied his application for citizenship, and possibly prison again. As in Silent Nights, the situation and the ultimate resolution are not necessarily clear cut or simple. The film is set in the 1990s, but obviously it could be applicable to today. We look at our neighbors with suspicion and don't trust those who are different from us, even if they have lived beside us for years. This is not an easy film to watch, and it shouldn't be. It should generate discussion.

Le Femme et Le TGV (Switzerland) was the perfect way to end the afternoon. Elise (Jane Birkin) is an elderly woman who lives alone right next to the train tracks and every day, like clockwork, she gets out her Swiss flag and waves at the TGV as it races by. One day she finds a note from the train driver who thanks her for waving and giving him something to look forward to on his daily travels. They begin corresponding; she using the post and he, Bruno, throwing letters and cheese out of the train. Meanwhile, Elise's very busy son is trying to convince his mother to move into an old age home, on her birthday no less. Sadly, the TGV is getting rerouted and Bruno will move on, but her relationship with Bruno gets Elise back into life, instead of holding onto the past. This one I am not going to reveal to you. The scenery is breathtaking; I have never been to Switzerland, and they picked a gorgeous village, with mountains and rivers and a beautiful bridge. The movie is poignant, but tender and funny, and most of all, life affirming. According to the notes at the end, this was based on a true story. I think this could be expanded and made into a feature, only if Jane Birkin plays Elise.

My friend and I tried to figure out which one would win; I think it depends on what 'message' the Academy voters want to send. I enjoyed them all and think any of them deserve the win. If I had to pick, I am going to say Silent Nights, but if you ask me tomorrow, I could change my mind.

Looking for an adrenaline boost? Deepwater Horizon, Jungle Book, Rogue One, 13 Hours

1/29/17 Deepwater Horizon, nominated Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects, 2016

Holy shit. That's all I have to say. To think that 'only' eleven people were killed when the Deepwater Horizon essentially exploded probably sounds callous, but honestly, the fact that so many people did escape and survive is unbelievable. Peter Berg's film starts off with ominous foreboding, with the crew who is supposed to do some concrete testing leaving before that happens, and BP executives complaining about being over budget and behind schedule. You might think you were watching something like Towering Inferno or Earthquake, a fictionalized disaster film with a few heroes saving the day...except, it was true and it happened. Mark Wahlberg as Mike Williams and Kurt Russell as James Harrell, called Mr. Jimmy by his crew are the good guys and John Malkovich as Donald Vidrine and Brad Leland as Robert Kaluza from British Petroleum are cast very clearly as the bad guys. Vidrine is pushing to get the rig ready to drill, and Mr. Jimmy (and most of his crew) are not sure everything is safe. They run a few tests, but don't get the anticipated red flags, and begin the process. Things go badly almost immediately, and even though I knew the outcome, it was mind-blowing to watch as events unfolded (I'm sure there was some dramatization, but I have no doubt there was extreme chaos and havoc being wreaked), and unreal how these guys (almost all guys except for Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez)) still tried to stop the pumps, help each other, get the lifeboats, etc. etc. From an action movie standpoint, I was on the edge of my seat. Mark Wahlberg plays certain roles very well, the action guy with a big heart, and he does that here. That's not a knock or anything, I was certainly rooting for him. I love Kurt Russell (most specifically his hair, but that's for another time) and he does not disappoint here as Mr. Jimmy, who knows his crew, knows the task at hand and totally understands that BP's managers are motivated by the money and not the safety of the crew on the rig; he does everything he can to forestall the operation to guarantee the well-being of everyone. Fleytas stands out as the only woman (that we see) on the rig, but she is entrusted as the rig navigation officer (I don't know how those rigs work, but this one seemed HUGE and full of so many moving parts and components). On more than one occasion, I wanted to punch John Malkovich's character in the mouth, which may have been the reaction he wanted. There is a domestic component with Kate Hudson playing Felicia Williams, Mike's wife; Mike and Felicia are Skyping when the explosions start. It may have happened in real life, but I think it interrupted the flow of the movie and wasn't entirely necessary. The Deepwater Horizon disaster happened in 2010, but the effects are still being felt in the Gulf. The movie is definitely worth your time.

2/3/17 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, nominated Best Sound Mixing, 2016

This is another historical event that played out in front of my eyes; I remember watching the television in the lunchroom at work and not wanting to believe it, and also remembering there was so much confusion and unreliable news reports. Similar to Deepwater Horizon, we see the events behind the news stories. In 2012, Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens visited a diplomatic compound (not an official embassy) in Benghazi, Libya, on the anniversary of 9/11. Meanwhile, a controversial film was released on the Internet which inflamed already tense and aggressive feelings towards Americans. These aggressions were taken out on the compound and a 'hidden' CIA outpost. There are conflicting reports on what happened and what was said, and I have no concrete information, and because these events had repercussive effects on the most recent election, I'm not qualified to comment. As a movie/story, it was a look into the men (mostly men?) who served in the US military and then return to the Middle East as contractors, with all of the risk, but none of the benefits or recognition. As in Deepwater Horizon, we have a 'villain' in the guise of the CIA chief at the outpost, who is adamant the group not reveal themselves to the locals, even if their assistance is needed urgently by the ambassador's team at the diplomatic compound. I'm not a huge fan of director Michael Bay; I'm not sure he would know restraint if it tapped him on the shoulder, but he does give the viewer a sense of being under siege with the soldiers.

2/4/17 The Jungle Book, nominated for Best Visual Effects, 2016

I loved this movie. It surprises me to say that considering I wasn't even going to watch it until it turned up on the list. Jon Favreau did a tremendous job with this live action/CGI take on Rudyard Kipling's stories and obviously the Walt Disney film of The Jungle Book. It combines action, humor, and some music (although honestly, I hardly noticed the music) with some very well-known voices including Bill Murray as Baloo the Bea; Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, a black panther; Lupita Nyong'o as Raksha, a wolf; Idris Elba as Shere Khan the tiger, Mowgli's nemesis; Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, the hypnotic python; Christopher Walken as King Louie, a giant ape (which would have been extinct); and Giancarlo Esposito as Akela, the leader of the wolf pack. The big unknown is the young actor who plays Mowgli, Neel Seethi. This has everything that the classic animated film (and practically every classic Disney film) has, which is anthropomorphic animals that interact with each other, speak with one another, and in this case, speak to the young human among them. Mowgli was found by Bagheera when he was a baby and brought him to Akela and Raksha. Mowgli grows up along with his wolf brothers and sisters and learns the wolf ways, and the ways of the jungle from Bagheera. Things are fine until Shere Khan comes to the community watering hole and threatens Mowgli and his wolf family. This sets Mowgli on his journey as he leaves his wolf family to go back to the human world; as he travels, he meets Kaa the python, and narrowly escapes her clutches, as well as Baloo who is played so perfectly by Bill Murray; and eventually King Louie, king of the monkeys. The screen time with Baloo and Mowgli is hilarious, as Baloo tricks Mowgli into getting his honey from some very angry bees. As much as I loved the visual aspects of the movie, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the characters and the story and dialog. The voice actors were perfectly cast (well, I did struggle a little with Walken's East Coast accent); Elba was suitably menacing, while Kingsley was almost like Obi-Wan Kenobi; I didn't recognize Nyong'o as the voice sounded like a much older actress, but she was wonderfully strong in the face of Shere Khan. Neel Seethi is really amazing for such a young actor, acting with puppet figures and making it very believable. I would say the movie is child friendly, but with many Disney films, there are a few dark elements that might be scary for really young children, but I think kids will enjoy Mowgli's adventures with the animals.

2/5/17 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, nominated Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects, 2016

You know that feeling you get when you realize the movie you're watching isn't as bad as you thought it was going to be, and even better, that it's actually pretty good and you're enjoying it? Yeah, that feeling. That's how I felt about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Rogue One can be viewed as a standalone movie, but it has definite ties to the Star Wars saga. Felicity Jones is Jyn Erso, daughter of Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) a research scientist and a key player in developing the Death Star. Diego Luna is Cassian Andor a captain in the Rebel Alliance. There are no Wookies, but there is a wise-cracking droid, K-2S0, who was reprogrammed by the Rebel Alliance; his exchanges with Jyn and Cassian were some of my favorite moments onscreen. Forest Whitaker is Saw Gerrera, a radical in the Rebel movement and guardian of Jyn when she was a young girl. I honestly think this whole story line could have been eliminated and no harm would have been done to the rest of the plot. I like Whitaker, but he seemed a bit over the top in this role. Boiled down to the most basic plot: the Rebel Alliance is fighting the Imperial Forces and are under threat of an incredible world destroying weapon; Jyn, Cassian and a small cadre of Rebel soldiers take on the job of trying to find the plans of the Death Star. Lord Vader makes a few appearances and is more menacing than I remember. We also get brief glimpses of the beloved C3P0 and R2D2. Once the movie passed the point of Saw Gerrera, I felt the pace picked up and we could get down to brass tacks. My favorite two characters (after K-2S0) were Chirrut Imwe, a blind warrior who seemed a lot like a Jedi to me, and his friend and foil, Baze Malbus; their bickering could not hide their deep friendship and loyalty to one another. The action and effects were spectacular; and I enjoyed the nod to the past films, and trying to figure out how it would all tie together. Even the score tipped its hat to John Williams, while using original music created for this film. I'm glad I saw this on the big screen; I might have even liked it in 3D. This is the front-runner (in my mind) to win the Best Visual Effects Oscar, right up there with Dr. Strange. I'm not sure where it will fall with the Sound Mixing award.