9/13/19 Reversal of Fortune, Best Actor, 1990
I remember when the Claus von Bulow case was in the news. It was very titillating, the life of the ridiculously wealthy. This was before the internet and 24 hour gossip cycles. I vaguely remember when the movie Reversal of Fortune was released, perhaps I was no longer interested. I honestly don't recall it making that big of an impression, much less being an Oscar nominated film. Glenn Close is Sunny von Bulow who really doesn't do too much in the film and Jeremy Irons won an Oscar for his portrayal of Claus von Bulow, the pompous and snooty husband of the inert Sunny. Ron Silver is famous (or infamous) defense attorney Alan Dershowitz. Claus von Bulow is accused of attempting to murder Sunny by injecting her with an overdose of insulin. von Bulow's haughty demeanor doesn't endear him to anyone, but Dershowitz takes the case to fund his other pro bono work. I am a big fan of trial dramas/mysteries/biographies, but I didn't find this suspenseful or even well acted. I was surprised to learn that Irons beat out Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves, Richard Harris in The Field and Robert DeNiro in Awakenings. I was looking forward to seeing this film, but was pretty disappointed.
9/18/19 Die Hard, National Film Registry, 1988
Until I watched Die Hard this past fall, I had never, ever seen a Die Hard film in its entirety, or even any significant portions. Honest. Most people are probably familiar with the basic premise, but in the event you are not, Bruce Willis is John McClane, a New York City police officer who is in Los Angeles to try and reunite with his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedalia). Holly is an executive who works in a swanky skyscraper. McClane arrives in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve (thus apparently cementing the film's place in the pantheon of Christmas films), at the same time terrorists, led by the inimitable Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber. Bad timing for McClane, but lucky for his wife and the attendees of the company Christmas party; oh, and bad timing for Gruber and company. McClane takes on around eight henchman equipped with automatic weapons and explosives, and no surprise, he comes out the winner (really, this is not a spoiler). He and Gruber play a game of chess as McClane tries to race the clock before Gruber accomplishes his goal of stealing over $640 million dollars in bearer bonds and destroying the skyscraper. Willis/McClane fights his way, with his gun and his smart-ass mouth, taunting Gruber, but also trying to convince the LAPD that he's not one of the bad guys. I did like Willis' performance, but Rickman steals the show (not an original thought on my part) by being the cold blooded, restrained, intellectual, mysterious bad guy. It foreshadows a little bit his role as Snape in the Harry Potter series. I liked the movie, and I'm glad I finally saw it so I can keep with any offhand references to it, but I didn't love it. I don't feel the need to watch it over and over. But, that's just me.
10/3/19 Joker, not yet nominated, 2019
I honestly do not know how to write this, because I know the vast majority of people who have seen Joker have loved it, including my brother, who was very disappointed in my response. Honestly, I had no desire to even see the movie, much less on opening night. Joaquin Phoenix is Arthur Fleck/Joker, who attempts to make a living playing a clown and aspires to stand up comedy, but he faces ridicule from his fellow clowns and abuse from kids on the street. Arthur takes care of his mother Penny (Frances Conroy) who used to work for industrialist Thomas Wayne. Arthur seems to have some mental issues that confuse fiction and reality. Robert DeNiro is Murray Franklin, a late night talk show host in the vein of Johnny Carson; Arthur fantasizes being on the Murray Franklin show and doing his stand up routine. Arthur also has feelings for his neighbor, Sophie (Zazie Beetz), and we are led to believe they have a romantic relationship. Gradually, Arthur is pushed to his breaking point by discovering the truth about his childhood and his mother's actions; his mistreatment by his fellow clowns; and ultimately, his failure on the Murray Franklin show. Even though the film is set in Gotham, and Thomas Wayne looms large in the background, there are only a few threads to link Joker to the future Batman. Phoenix is totally committed to Fleck, and there is no question his performance will be nominated for an Oscar (or, I guess it would be a huge surprise if he was not nominated), but I just didn't care. That was the only way I could explain it to my brother, I didn't care. What I saw was a man who was beaten, downtrodden, humiliated and he took his revenge by killing people and reveling in the violence. Meh.
10/13/19 Tender Mercies, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, 1983
Sometimes a movie doesn't need special effects, action scenes or over the top sex scenes. Tender Mercies is one of those movies. Written by Horton Foote (To Kill a Mockingbird), directed by Bruce Beresford (Breaker Morant, Driving Miss Daisy) and starring Robert Duvall, it takes the viewer on a quietly emotional journey that took me by surprise. Duvall is Mac Sledge, a washed up alcoholic country singer who finds a refuge with Rosa Lee (Tess Harper) and her son, Sonny. Rosa is a widow whose husband was killed in Vietnam. She lets Mac stay on her property in exchange for working on it. Mac has his demons, a failed marriage and hostile relationship to a popular country singer, Dixie (Betty Buckley), an uneven relationship with his daughter Sue Anne (Ellen Barkin) and his status as a has-been in the music world. Sonny battles the bullies at school over not having a dad (apparently the sacrifice of dying for your country wasn't enough for them) and Rosa tries to keep her gas station/motel going. Even though you kind of know that Mac and Rosa are going to get together, it's subtle and it just kind of happens, no big fireworks. Mac and Rosa get married; Mac and Sonny develop a close bond and Mac gets 're-discovered' by a local band. Duvall does his own singing in the film. Of course, you can't have all of these wonderful things happen without something to counterbalance it, so there is a tragedy, but even the tragedy is handled with reserve and restraint. It's like Mac and Rosa just absorb disappointment and sadness like body blows, but keep moving on, leaning on each other and their strong bonds and their faith. Duvall is terrifically understated and you really believe the chemistry between him and Tess Harper (who should have been nominated as Best Supporting Actress). I had no expectations of the movie, not being very familiar with it at all, but I really enjoyed it and if you're tired of CGI and/or superhero movies or just want to watch a human story, find Tender Mercies on Netflix or from the library.
10/19/19 Spider-Man: Far From Home, 2019, not yet nominated
Eh. Spider-Man: Far From Home is set after the Avengers' universe-splitting Endgame and the death of Iron Man (I'm so sorry if you haven't seen it yet, but seriously?) and Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is back at school. He and his classmates are off to Europe where they run into The Elementals and Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). Honestly, I really didn't care. I wanted to, but I couldn't. I did like that Happy, Iron Man's bodyguard/chauffeur, makes more than a cameo. I never bought Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, I liked Andrew Garfield and Toby Maguire (until Spider-Man 3, ugh). The movie was good, not great, and I would say you should see it if you're a megafan of the MCU or Spidey, but if you're ambivalent, give it a pass.
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Showing posts with label legal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label legal. Show all posts
Focusing on the National Film Registry and the AFI list with Hitchock and 12 Angry Men
7/1/15 12 Angry Men, 1957, AFI #87, National Film Registry
I've mentioned a couple times here that I don't watch too many movies more than once, but I have watched 12 Angry Men several times and I find something to keep my attention each time. 12 Angry Men was directed by Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon, Network) and starred several big named actors, or soon to be big name actors including Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Warden and Jack Klugman. Most of the movie is set in a jury room where the twelve men are deciding the fate of an 18 year old young man; the room is claustrophobic and the heat is overbearing. It seems at first that it's an easy decision - guilty, but juror number 8 (Henry Fonda) wants the men to take more than a cursory glance at the evidence and discuss it before they sentence the defendant to a death sentence. He runs into resistance by the other jurors who want to leave for their evening plans or just get out of the jury room. If you have not seen the movie, I really don't want to give too much away because the way Juror 8 lays out his arguments and just tries to ask probing questions is the best part of the film. Wikipedia refers to it as a film on consensus building, but I also think it's an example of critical thinking, looking beyond the surface of things, challenging the popular opinion. The performances are taut, you really can feel the tension and the heat and smell the cigarette smoke. The men are angry, and it's interesting to hear how fears or prejudices come out. The movie was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Writing of an Adapted Screenplay, but lost to Bridge on the River Kwai (another movie I have watched a few times). 12 Angry Men is currently on the AFI list of the best 100 films as well as being added to the National Film Registry.
7/2/15 Tangled, nominated for Best Song, 2010
7/4/15 The Princess and the Frog, nominated Best Animated Film, Best Original Song, 2008
Tangled is an animated version of the Rapunzel fairy tale; it may be an exact version, I don't know, it's not one of the fairy tales with which I am most familiar, and I wasn't very enthralled. Honestly, I was bored. I feel kind of bad for saying that, as I love to find movies that are great for kids, especially girls. Rapunzel is a strong character, and she eventually becomes independent from her mother (who really isn't her mother), but meh, I would skip it. Unlike The Princess and the Frog which worked on several different levels: the music, by Randy Newman, provides a great taste of the New Orleans sound; the peripheral characters add humor; and a poignant, but not overly sappy storyline. The Princess and the Frog is set in 1920s New Orleans, and Tiana is a young girl who aspires to open the restaurant her father had always wanted. Unfortunately, she doesn't have the money to buy the building, and as Mardi Gras is set to unfold, there's a little voodoo and magic going on, and Tiana is turned into a frog. Prince Naveen, a visiting dignitary also falls under the spell of Dr. Facilier, a witch doctor, and he is turned into a frog as well. Tiana and Prince Naveen set off on their quest to undo the spell, and that's where they meet some great bayou characters, including Louis, an alligator and Ray, a Cajun firefly. If you have to pick, and of course you don't, I would pick The Princess and the Frog because it's a better, more interesting story; a fabulous soundtrack, and I liked Tiana as a role model for girls (willing to work hard to make her dream come true, but also ready to take a risk, like going through the bayou as a frog).
7/3/15 North by Northwest, 1959 #55 AFI, National Film Registry
7/4/15 Rear Window 1954 #42 AFI, National Film Registry
Is it just me or does anyone else wonder why Alfred Hitchcock never won a Best Director Oscar? Or how only one of his films Rebecca (a favorite book and film) won for Best Picture? I think this is a valid question because when you look at the list of the Best 100 Films by the American Film Institute, there are only four directors on the list with four or more films, and three are deceased: Billy Wilder, Stanley Kubrick, and Hitchcock; Steven Spielberg is the only director with five films on the list. So again, I ask, how is that Hitchcock never won a Best Director Oscar? Ok, well, it's not going to happen now, but it's something to think about. North by Northwest reminded me a little of Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much with James Stewart and Doris Day, with mistaken identity, a dashing leading man and a beautiful leading lady; in North by Northwest that would be Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. In North by Northwest, Cary Grant is mistaken for a spy/man of intrigue and is targeted by James Mason (I can never listen to James Mason without thinking of Eddie Izzard doing James Mason as God). The movie is often identified by the great clip of Grant trying to outrun a very low flying plane. He also climbs Mount Rushmore. I really enjoyed the story and the suspense, and Grant as Roger Thornhill is so very dashing, and you think he is out of his depth, but he manages to hold his own against Mason and Martin Landau. The pacing of the movie and the action kept me interested, and I would watch it again and totally recommend it.
Can you guess what's coming next? Rear Window is another Hitchcock film that is cited as one of the greatest films ever made (obviously, it's #42 on the list), and in comparison to North by Northwest which takes you from New York City, to a sleeper car, to Chicago to South Dakota, you may experience a bit of claustrophobia but then you get to breath the fresh air of the Great Plains, Rear Window made me feel closed in and you only (or primarily) get the perspective of wheelchair-bound L.B. "Jeff" Jeffers (James Stewart). Jeffers is an internationally known photographer who is stuck in his apartment during a New York City heatwave, where he is tended to by his nurse Stella (played by Thelma Ritter) and his girlfriend, Lisa (Grace Kelly). Jeffers has very little to do but look out his apartment window and look into the lives of his neighbors; he gives them all names and makes up stories to go with what he sees, until one day, his story-telling takes a turn into reality. I think the technique to limit what the audience sees and hears to what the main character sees and hears is very interesting and a novel idea, but it was also frustrating (and as I write this, I'm thinking, perhaps that was the intention...). I just couldn't get into it, and as for the suspense, I didn't find it as suspenseful as The Man Who Knew Too Much. I have found, and previously commented, that Hitchcock often has strong women characters, but I don't think that Lisa would rate up there in the top five (I love Grace Kelly and she was wonderful when she was paired with Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief, but she was wasted here).
I've mentioned a couple times here that I don't watch too many movies more than once, but I have watched 12 Angry Men several times and I find something to keep my attention each time. 12 Angry Men was directed by Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon, Network) and starred several big named actors, or soon to be big name actors including Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Warden and Jack Klugman. Most of the movie is set in a jury room where the twelve men are deciding the fate of an 18 year old young man; the room is claustrophobic and the heat is overbearing. It seems at first that it's an easy decision - guilty, but juror number 8 (Henry Fonda) wants the men to take more than a cursory glance at the evidence and discuss it before they sentence the defendant to a death sentence. He runs into resistance by the other jurors who want to leave for their evening plans or just get out of the jury room. If you have not seen the movie, I really don't want to give too much away because the way Juror 8 lays out his arguments and just tries to ask probing questions is the best part of the film. Wikipedia refers to it as a film on consensus building, but I also think it's an example of critical thinking, looking beyond the surface of things, challenging the popular opinion. The performances are taut, you really can feel the tension and the heat and smell the cigarette smoke. The men are angry, and it's interesting to hear how fears or prejudices come out. The movie was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Writing of an Adapted Screenplay, but lost to Bridge on the River Kwai (another movie I have watched a few times). 12 Angry Men is currently on the AFI list of the best 100 films as well as being added to the National Film Registry.
7/2/15 Tangled, nominated for Best Song, 2010
7/4/15 The Princess and the Frog, nominated Best Animated Film, Best Original Song, 2008
Tangled is an animated version of the Rapunzel fairy tale; it may be an exact version, I don't know, it's not one of the fairy tales with which I am most familiar, and I wasn't very enthralled. Honestly, I was bored. I feel kind of bad for saying that, as I love to find movies that are great for kids, especially girls. Rapunzel is a strong character, and she eventually becomes independent from her mother (who really isn't her mother), but meh, I would skip it. Unlike The Princess and the Frog which worked on several different levels: the music, by Randy Newman, provides a great taste of the New Orleans sound; the peripheral characters add humor; and a poignant, but not overly sappy storyline. The Princess and the Frog is set in 1920s New Orleans, and Tiana is a young girl who aspires to open the restaurant her father had always wanted. Unfortunately, she doesn't have the money to buy the building, and as Mardi Gras is set to unfold, there's a little voodoo and magic going on, and Tiana is turned into a frog. Prince Naveen, a visiting dignitary also falls under the spell of Dr. Facilier, a witch doctor, and he is turned into a frog as well. Tiana and Prince Naveen set off on their quest to undo the spell, and that's where they meet some great bayou characters, including Louis, an alligator and Ray, a Cajun firefly. If you have to pick, and of course you don't, I would pick The Princess and the Frog because it's a better, more interesting story; a fabulous soundtrack, and I liked Tiana as a role model for girls (willing to work hard to make her dream come true, but also ready to take a risk, like going through the bayou as a frog).
7/3/15 North by Northwest, 1959 #55 AFI, National Film Registry
7/4/15 Rear Window 1954 #42 AFI, National Film Registry
Is it just me or does anyone else wonder why Alfred Hitchcock never won a Best Director Oscar? Or how only one of his films Rebecca (a favorite book and film) won for Best Picture? I think this is a valid question because when you look at the list of the Best 100 Films by the American Film Institute, there are only four directors on the list with four or more films, and three are deceased: Billy Wilder, Stanley Kubrick, and Hitchcock; Steven Spielberg is the only director with five films on the list. So again, I ask, how is that Hitchcock never won a Best Director Oscar? Ok, well, it's not going to happen now, but it's something to think about. North by Northwest reminded me a little of Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much with James Stewart and Doris Day, with mistaken identity, a dashing leading man and a beautiful leading lady; in North by Northwest that would be Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. In North by Northwest, Cary Grant is mistaken for a spy/man of intrigue and is targeted by James Mason (I can never listen to James Mason without thinking of Eddie Izzard doing James Mason as God). The movie is often identified by the great clip of Grant trying to outrun a very low flying plane. He also climbs Mount Rushmore. I really enjoyed the story and the suspense, and Grant as Roger Thornhill is so very dashing, and you think he is out of his depth, but he manages to hold his own against Mason and Martin Landau. The pacing of the movie and the action kept me interested, and I would watch it again and totally recommend it.
Can you guess what's coming next? Rear Window is another Hitchcock film that is cited as one of the greatest films ever made (obviously, it's #42 on the list), and in comparison to North by Northwest which takes you from New York City, to a sleeper car, to Chicago to South Dakota, you may experience a bit of claustrophobia but then you get to breath the fresh air of the Great Plains, Rear Window made me feel closed in and you only (or primarily) get the perspective of wheelchair-bound L.B. "Jeff" Jeffers (James Stewart). Jeffers is an internationally known photographer who is stuck in his apartment during a New York City heatwave, where he is tended to by his nurse Stella (played by Thelma Ritter) and his girlfriend, Lisa (Grace Kelly). Jeffers has very little to do but look out his apartment window and look into the lives of his neighbors; he gives them all names and makes up stories to go with what he sees, until one day, his story-telling takes a turn into reality. I think the technique to limit what the audience sees and hears to what the main character sees and hears is very interesting and a novel idea, but it was also frustrating (and as I write this, I'm thinking, perhaps that was the intention...). I just couldn't get into it, and as for the suspense, I didn't find it as suspenseful as The Man Who Knew Too Much. I have found, and previously commented, that Hitchcock often has strong women characters, but I don't think that Lisa would rate up there in the top five (I love Grace Kelly and she was wonderful when she was paired with Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief, but she was wasted here).
2015 nominees - The Imitation Game, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Judge and more
A little less than two weeks to go and I have 21 movies to watch. I'm hoping to get a few more done in the next week. Wish me luck.
1/31/15 The Imitation Game, nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, 2014
If you're counting, The Imitation Game is nominated for 8 awards this year, right up there with Birdman. I was reading a little bit about the movie as I do after I watch it and there is some criticism about different historical aspects of the film. I will say the same thing here that I said about Selma, sometimes things are done in a film to make the narrative flow better or film better or able to fit into a 2 to 2 1/2 hour time frame. I am just going to review the movie and let you make up your own mind (I will probably be doing the same thing when I see American Sniper this weekend).
Anyway, The Imitation Game focuses on the British efforts during the Second World War to decrypt "Enigma" the code used by the Germans. There were many people who worked on code-breaking during the war, but Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) may be the most well-known. The movie uses a two-fold flashback format (I just invented that term), starting in the 1950s, after the war, going back to the Second World War and then back to when Alan was in school. I think it's effective, giving a good framework for the narrative. Turing was a mathematical genius, portrayed as socially awkward as a child and adult; he was also homosexual, which in England was a crime. One criticism about the movie was that Turing's homosexuality was hidden or perhaps close to being written out of the story. I appreciated the way Turing's homosexuality was at the edges of the plot, I thought it added to the tension of the coding process as well as the mystery I felt the director was trying to add. If people watch the movie, and don't know he was gay, it gets revealed slowly; if you watch the movie and do know he's gay, then I think it's still taut because you wait to see how others find out. It also lets the code-breaking be part of the story. The film opens in 1950s Manchester where Turing is living and that is where he has an encounter with the police and we begin to learn about Turing and his time at public school (private school in America) which was torturous. His one lifeline was a friendship he formed with a classmate. Turing applies to join the team of code-breakers, but isn't very impressed with the team he has, so he asks to bring on some new blood via a crossword puzzle. One of the new recruits is Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley in an Oscar-nominated role), who by virtue of being a woman is also a bit of an outcast because she is not able to work with the men directly (it would be unseemly; I think this was mainly due to her parents' conservatism). Joan and Alan become friends and she tries to help translate for him when he has difficulties with his co-workers. The team is under a lot of pressure to crack Engima because Germany was winning the war. Cumberbatch is tremendous; he is a chameleon, last year he was in 12 Years a Slave and The Fifth Estate (as Julian Assange), two very different characters, and now a third (many more really, but math isn't my strong suit). He really humanizes this man who was a mathematical genius, social outcast by virtue of being gay and more than a little awkward, but also passionate about breaking the code. Hopefully, like Selma, The Theory of Everything and American Sniper, people will watch The Imitation Game and learn more about the subject at hand: World War II, code-breaking, mathematics and Alan Turing (in this case). It's been tough to pick my favorite movie; I think I either loved them or loathed them, but this is definitely at the top of the list.
1/31/15 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, nominated Best Visual Effects, 2014
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is set years in the future after Rise of the Planet of the Apes with the only recurring characters being some of the apes, including Caesar (played by Andy Serkis). Humans have been killed off by a deadly virus and are in quarantined off areas. A group of humans goes into an area dominated by apes in order to get the power going again. Malcolm (Jason Clarke) is the leader of this small group, but Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) is the leader of the humans back at the compound. Malcolm is not interested in any confrontation with the apes and tries to form a relationship with Caesar. Caesar is a very knowing leader, understanding the real politick of letting the humans accomplish their task or face all out war. Unfortunately, some of his cadre do not agree with his thinking, including Koba, who leads a treasonous attack on Caesar and those loyal to whom and blames it on the humans. I grew up on the original Planet of the Ape film series and the television series, and I think I like how the newer films have not tried to redo the originals, but have used them as a trellis to build their stories. I think I wrote in my review of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, if I even wrote one, that I would prefer the apes over the people. I enjoyed the movie, it had good action and a good story (the ape-centric story, not human). It's nominated in the Visual Effects category and it's up against Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America 2, X-Men and Interstellar, and those are pretty heavy duty effects movies. Several people over the years have tried to make the argument that actors like Andy Serkis, who wear the body sensors and then their features are computer enhanced, but the actors actually act, should be eligible for Oscar nominations. Serkis was also Golum from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. It hasn't happened, but it should and at some point Serkis is going to have to be recognized for his contributions to this performance style.
1/31/15 The Judge, nominated Best Supporting Actor 2014
I wanted to see The Judge when it came out in the theaters, but at almost two and a half hours, I just couldn't do it. But, I was going to see it even if it wasn't nominated for an Oscar, however, Robert Duvall snagged a nomination for his role as Judge Joseph Palmer, a tough judge and a tougher father. His strict hand pushed his middle son away, Hank Palmer (Robert Downey, Jr.), a brash defense attorney, who hasn't been home in years. Hank only returns for the funeral of his mother, but is unexpectedly detained when his father is accused of murder. The story is as much about the relationship between the Palmer family (older brother Glen is played by Vincent D'Onofrio and youngest brother Dale is played by Jeremy Strong) as it is about the trial of Judge Palmer. There's a subplot involving Samantha Powell (Vera Farmiga), Hank's ex-girlfriend, that was annoying to me. I think it was the corn pone accent that Farmiga used (the movie is set in a small Indiana town); I don't know if it was an authentic accent, but it did not fit, or maybe it was the blonde hair or the tattoo, something didn't work for me. Duvall was great as the hard-ass judge, still trying to control his adult sons and himself as he undergoes chemo treatment for cancer. As I was writing, I started thinking of another Duvall role where he played the martinet father and Marine as the titled role in The Great Santini. I think Duvall has a chance at the Oscar (certainly over Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke). Overall, I liked the movie, it was nice to see Robert Downey, Jr. do something besides Iron Man (I love Iron Man, but still, it's good to change it up), and he and Duvall go toe to toe. I would love to see D'Onofrio in more roles, he is so great.
2/1/15 How to Train Your Dragon 2, nominated Best Animated Feature, 2014
I remember watching the first How to Train Your Dragon and thinking it was okay, I guess it didn't move my needle the way it did for some people, so I wasn't all that rushed to see the sequel. Curse my list! It wasn't bad, and there were parts where I enjoyed it, but eh, not necessary. Hiccup is back and quite the dragon master. He meets his mother, who left him and his father when he was a baby. I don't know, honestly, I really didn't care enough to pay too much attention. The thing that I kept focusing on was that both Hiccup's parents have Scottish accents and yet Hiccup has none. That bothered me. I'm not sure why this made it and The Lego Movie did not; I thought the The Lego Movie was more creative in its universe and mixing in the human element as well as the story and dialog. I didn't think HTTYD was that inventive. Go see Boxtrolls.
2/1/15 Begin Again, nominated Best Original Song, 2014
Begin Again is a light, no-brainer romantic comedy with a pop music soundtrack. There is nothing wrong with that; I know some people think I'm a snob, and I suppose I am sometimes, but this was a great break after some of the heavy movies I had been watching. Keira Knightley (as Gretta James) and Mark Ruffalo (as Dan Mulligan) star as a songwriter and music producer, respectively. Adam Levine plays Dave Kohl, Gretta's ex-boyfriend. Dave and Gretta go to New York for Dave's burgeoning music career where they become estranged (probably not unpredictably) and Gretta feels homesick. At an open mic night, Gretta is invited by her friend, Steve (James Corden) to sing a song, which she does. This catches Dan's attention and they begin a collaboration. The set up in the movie is a little less direct than that recap just was. The two decide to collaborate on a record using the sounds of the city as well as some non-traditional musicians, or perhaps unexpected is a better word (?). Honestly, those were my favorite parts of the movie; it reminded me of music videos from the 1980s (oh my god, I can't believe I just went down that road; what's next AARP membership?). Gretta has her relationship with Dave and Dan has his complex relationship with his daughter (Hailee Steinfeld) and ex-wife (Catherine Keener). I thought Keira Knightley was pretty good as a singer, I guess she had not sung on stage before. Begin Again was directed by John Carney who also directed Once (a movie about which I am ambivalent at best). "Lost Stars" is nominated for Best Original Song (I wonder if Adam Levine will sing on the Oscars).
2/7/15 Boyhood nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, 2014
WHY??????? Why did this have to be nominated? If you have read the blog, you may recall that I was not a big fan of Linklater's trilogy Before the End of Time cannot come soon enough, or something like that. Well, I'll be danged, he came up with another movie that everyone loves, except me. If you have not read or heard anything about the movie, the big draw is the fact that it was filmed over twelve years, so we see the characters age as the actors age. Yep. People getting older - they made a movie. The movie starts with Mason (Eller Coltrane) aged 6, lying on the grass waiting for his mother, Olivia (Patricia Arquette). At home, we also meet Mason's older sister, Samantha (Lorelei Linklater) and learn that Olivia is divorced from the kids' father, Mason Sr. (Ethan Hawke). We follow the family through Olivia's bad marriage decisions (she's three for three), Olivia going back to school to eventually become a college instructor (or professor, I'm not sure) and Mason and Samantha's journeys as the family gets uprooted several times (I will say, having moved once when I was younger, I think I'm still scarred) and Mason's first loves and difficulties with authority. I did not care, I didn't think any of the characters were likable or admirable, and having been a petulant teenager (some would say petulant adult), I know kids aren't cute and precocious all the time and life isn't a bowl of cherries. I did not need an almost three hour movie to tell me that. I don't mind real life being reflected back at me, and I don't mind high-minded art, but I abhor pretentiousness. My pick for Best Supporting Actress is Laura Dern (Wild)and Best Supporting Actor as I mentioned above is Robert Duvall in The Judge, although Birdman may be the night's big winner.
1/31/15 The Imitation Game, nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, 2014
If you're counting, The Imitation Game is nominated for 8 awards this year, right up there with Birdman. I was reading a little bit about the movie as I do after I watch it and there is some criticism about different historical aspects of the film. I will say the same thing here that I said about Selma, sometimes things are done in a film to make the narrative flow better or film better or able to fit into a 2 to 2 1/2 hour time frame. I am just going to review the movie and let you make up your own mind (I will probably be doing the same thing when I see American Sniper this weekend).
Anyway, The Imitation Game focuses on the British efforts during the Second World War to decrypt "Enigma" the code used by the Germans. There were many people who worked on code-breaking during the war, but Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) may be the most well-known. The movie uses a two-fold flashback format (I just invented that term), starting in the 1950s, after the war, going back to the Second World War and then back to when Alan was in school. I think it's effective, giving a good framework for the narrative. Turing was a mathematical genius, portrayed as socially awkward as a child and adult; he was also homosexual, which in England was a crime. One criticism about the movie was that Turing's homosexuality was hidden or perhaps close to being written out of the story. I appreciated the way Turing's homosexuality was at the edges of the plot, I thought it added to the tension of the coding process as well as the mystery I felt the director was trying to add. If people watch the movie, and don't know he was gay, it gets revealed slowly; if you watch the movie and do know he's gay, then I think it's still taut because you wait to see how others find out. It also lets the code-breaking be part of the story. The film opens in 1950s Manchester where Turing is living and that is where he has an encounter with the police and we begin to learn about Turing and his time at public school (private school in America) which was torturous. His one lifeline was a friendship he formed with a classmate. Turing applies to join the team of code-breakers, but isn't very impressed with the team he has, so he asks to bring on some new blood via a crossword puzzle. One of the new recruits is Joan Clarke (Keira Knightley in an Oscar-nominated role), who by virtue of being a woman is also a bit of an outcast because she is not able to work with the men directly (it would be unseemly; I think this was mainly due to her parents' conservatism). Joan and Alan become friends and she tries to help translate for him when he has difficulties with his co-workers. The team is under a lot of pressure to crack Engima because Germany was winning the war. Cumberbatch is tremendous; he is a chameleon, last year he was in 12 Years a Slave and The Fifth Estate (as Julian Assange), two very different characters, and now a third (many more really, but math isn't my strong suit). He really humanizes this man who was a mathematical genius, social outcast by virtue of being gay and more than a little awkward, but also passionate about breaking the code. Hopefully, like Selma, The Theory of Everything and American Sniper, people will watch The Imitation Game and learn more about the subject at hand: World War II, code-breaking, mathematics and Alan Turing (in this case). It's been tough to pick my favorite movie; I think I either loved them or loathed them, but this is definitely at the top of the list.
1/31/15 Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, nominated Best Visual Effects, 2014
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is set years in the future after Rise of the Planet of the Apes with the only recurring characters being some of the apes, including Caesar (played by Andy Serkis). Humans have been killed off by a deadly virus and are in quarantined off areas. A group of humans goes into an area dominated by apes in order to get the power going again. Malcolm (Jason Clarke) is the leader of this small group, but Dreyfus (Gary Oldman) is the leader of the humans back at the compound. Malcolm is not interested in any confrontation with the apes and tries to form a relationship with Caesar. Caesar is a very knowing leader, understanding the real politick of letting the humans accomplish their task or face all out war. Unfortunately, some of his cadre do not agree with his thinking, including Koba, who leads a treasonous attack on Caesar and those loyal to whom and blames it on the humans. I grew up on the original Planet of the Ape film series and the television series, and I think I like how the newer films have not tried to redo the originals, but have used them as a trellis to build their stories. I think I wrote in my review of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, if I even wrote one, that I would prefer the apes over the people. I enjoyed the movie, it had good action and a good story (the ape-centric story, not human). It's nominated in the Visual Effects category and it's up against Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America 2, X-Men and Interstellar, and those are pretty heavy duty effects movies. Several people over the years have tried to make the argument that actors like Andy Serkis, who wear the body sensors and then their features are computer enhanced, but the actors actually act, should be eligible for Oscar nominations. Serkis was also Golum from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. It hasn't happened, but it should and at some point Serkis is going to have to be recognized for his contributions to this performance style.
1/31/15 The Judge, nominated Best Supporting Actor 2014
I wanted to see The Judge when it came out in the theaters, but at almost two and a half hours, I just couldn't do it. But, I was going to see it even if it wasn't nominated for an Oscar, however, Robert Duvall snagged a nomination for his role as Judge Joseph Palmer, a tough judge and a tougher father. His strict hand pushed his middle son away, Hank Palmer (Robert Downey, Jr.), a brash defense attorney, who hasn't been home in years. Hank only returns for the funeral of his mother, but is unexpectedly detained when his father is accused of murder. The story is as much about the relationship between the Palmer family (older brother Glen is played by Vincent D'Onofrio and youngest brother Dale is played by Jeremy Strong) as it is about the trial of Judge Palmer. There's a subplot involving Samantha Powell (Vera Farmiga), Hank's ex-girlfriend, that was annoying to me. I think it was the corn pone accent that Farmiga used (the movie is set in a small Indiana town); I don't know if it was an authentic accent, but it did not fit, or maybe it was the blonde hair or the tattoo, something didn't work for me. Duvall was great as the hard-ass judge, still trying to control his adult sons and himself as he undergoes chemo treatment for cancer. As I was writing, I started thinking of another Duvall role where he played the martinet father and Marine as the titled role in The Great Santini. I think Duvall has a chance at the Oscar (certainly over Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke). Overall, I liked the movie, it was nice to see Robert Downey, Jr. do something besides Iron Man (I love Iron Man, but still, it's good to change it up), and he and Duvall go toe to toe. I would love to see D'Onofrio in more roles, he is so great.
2/1/15 How to Train Your Dragon 2, nominated Best Animated Feature, 2014
I remember watching the first How to Train Your Dragon and thinking it was okay, I guess it didn't move my needle the way it did for some people, so I wasn't all that rushed to see the sequel. Curse my list! It wasn't bad, and there were parts where I enjoyed it, but eh, not necessary. Hiccup is back and quite the dragon master. He meets his mother, who left him and his father when he was a baby. I don't know, honestly, I really didn't care enough to pay too much attention. The thing that I kept focusing on was that both Hiccup's parents have Scottish accents and yet Hiccup has none. That bothered me. I'm not sure why this made it and The Lego Movie did not; I thought the The Lego Movie was more creative in its universe and mixing in the human element as well as the story and dialog. I didn't think HTTYD was that inventive. Go see Boxtrolls.
2/1/15 Begin Again, nominated Best Original Song, 2014
Begin Again is a light, no-brainer romantic comedy with a pop music soundtrack. There is nothing wrong with that; I know some people think I'm a snob, and I suppose I am sometimes, but this was a great break after some of the heavy movies I had been watching. Keira Knightley (as Gretta James) and Mark Ruffalo (as Dan Mulligan) star as a songwriter and music producer, respectively. Adam Levine plays Dave Kohl, Gretta's ex-boyfriend. Dave and Gretta go to New York for Dave's burgeoning music career where they become estranged (probably not unpredictably) and Gretta feels homesick. At an open mic night, Gretta is invited by her friend, Steve (James Corden) to sing a song, which she does. This catches Dan's attention and they begin a collaboration. The set up in the movie is a little less direct than that recap just was. The two decide to collaborate on a record using the sounds of the city as well as some non-traditional musicians, or perhaps unexpected is a better word (?). Honestly, those were my favorite parts of the movie; it reminded me of music videos from the 1980s (oh my god, I can't believe I just went down that road; what's next AARP membership?). Gretta has her relationship with Dave and Dan has his complex relationship with his daughter (Hailee Steinfeld) and ex-wife (Catherine Keener). I thought Keira Knightley was pretty good as a singer, I guess she had not sung on stage before. Begin Again was directed by John Carney who also directed Once (a movie about which I am ambivalent at best). "Lost Stars" is nominated for Best Original Song (I wonder if Adam Levine will sing on the Oscars).
2/7/15 Boyhood nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, 2014
WHY??????? Why did this have to be nominated? If you have read the blog, you may recall that I was not a big fan of Linklater's trilogy Before the End of Time cannot come soon enough, or something like that. Well, I'll be danged, he came up with another movie that everyone loves, except me. If you have not read or heard anything about the movie, the big draw is the fact that it was filmed over twelve years, so we see the characters age as the actors age. Yep. People getting older - they made a movie. The movie starts with Mason (Eller Coltrane) aged 6, lying on the grass waiting for his mother, Olivia (Patricia Arquette). At home, we also meet Mason's older sister, Samantha (Lorelei Linklater) and learn that Olivia is divorced from the kids' father, Mason Sr. (Ethan Hawke). We follow the family through Olivia's bad marriage decisions (she's three for three), Olivia going back to school to eventually become a college instructor (or professor, I'm not sure) and Mason and Samantha's journeys as the family gets uprooted several times (I will say, having moved once when I was younger, I think I'm still scarred) and Mason's first loves and difficulties with authority. I did not care, I didn't think any of the characters were likable or admirable, and having been a petulant teenager (some would say petulant adult), I know kids aren't cute and precocious all the time and life isn't a bowl of cherries. I did not need an almost three hour movie to tell me that. I don't mind real life being reflected back at me, and I don't mind high-minded art, but I abhor pretentiousness. My pick for Best Supporting Actress is Laura Dern (Wild)and Best Supporting Actor as I mentioned above is Robert Duvall in The Judge, although Birdman may be the night's big winner.
2014 Oscar Night proving that Gravity is more than just theoretical
Prologue:
This is taking it right down to the wire, but it just adds to the excitement, right? As of this afternoon, I have seen 57 of the 72 nominees. I'm not sure I can put together a good review(s) in the next 51 minutes, so I'd rather not try. I will say that I watched the five nominated animated shorts today and my personal favorite is Mr. Hublot from France and Luxembourg; if that doesn't win, I hope that Room on the Broom does. I also saw the nominated documentary Cutie and the Boxer and while I found it interesting, I thought it would have been better as a documentary short film, and I don't think it will win. Star Trek: Into the Darkness was 20 minutes longer than it needed to be, in my opinion, and not my favorite movie ever. It was nominated in the visual effects category and if it wasn't for Gravity this year, it might win. It is visually impressive and has some great action; there is a reason it wasn't nominated for any acting awards.
Predictions:
This is more for fun since I have had a few people ask me. I won't do all the categories, but here are a few of my picks:
Best Picture: Twelve Years a Slave (I think the only thing that can beat it is Gravity)
Best Director: Steve McQueen (again, I think Alfonso Cuaron - Gravity is the only other movie that could pull it out)
Best Actor: I think it's between Matthew McConaughey and Leonardo DiCaprio, but I think Chiwetel Ejiofor should be getting talked about a lot more (I pick McConaughey)
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club
Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyongo'o - Twelve Years a Slave, she was amazing in this role
I am now ready for the festivities to start. Just a warning, I will whine if it goes too long because I need to go to work tomorrow morning.
The countdown: four minutes to go.
And...we're off. Already it's less tense than the fiasco last year. No silly song and dance number (yet).
Best Supporting Actor is the first category. Jared Leto wins for Dallas Buyers Club. It was a great performance and a really great movie.
Jim Carrey is presenting for something. I'm not sure what yet; he's doing a Bruce Dern impression. He is pretty funny when he isn't obnoxious. Okay, so he wasn't actually presenting, but just did a bit on animated heroes. AND THAT'S why the Oscars go so long.
Pharrell Williams is performing "Happy" from Despicable Me in that ridiculous hat. The song is infectious, though. He even got Meryl Streep shaking it. That might have been my favorite part of the movie.
The award for costume design is next, being presented by Samuel L. Jackson and Naomi Watts. I think The Great Gatsby will win. And I was right. Two for two. The movie was terribly long and not very good, but it really looked good. I think I blogged about it, but for the life of me, I don't know where it is. Visually, it is incredible, full of color. Nice short speech.
Makeup and hairstyling is next. No commercials. Bad Grandpa winning would justify me seeing it in the theater. Dallas Buyers Club wins again. I think it was the transformation of Jared Leto (primarily), but Matthew McConaughey also did not look like Matthew McConaughey at all.
Harrison Ford is presenting the first three nominees for Best Picture: American Hustle, Dallas Buyers Club and The Wolf of Wall Street (still haven't seen that one, but it's like 10 hours long).
Kim Novak and Matthew McConaughey are presenting for the Best Animated Short, which I just saw today. Mr. Hublot was my pick and it just won. They were all pretty good though and hopefully you can catch them in the theater. Now the Best Animated Feature film.....I think it's going to be one of the ones I have not seen yet. Frozen won; I'm surprised, but not surprised. I really thought The Wind Rises would win. Maybe Frozen will stay in the theaters a little longer so I can see it in the theater.
So now Sally Field is doing a tribute to the real, everyday heroes that have been portrayed in film. That's great, but there are still a lot of categories to go, so let's get to them please.
Visual Effects is the next category. I've seen everything except Gravity. Let's see who wins. I pick Gravity, just based on the buzz. Gravity wins. I think that was kind of a no-brainer.
Karen O is performing the song from Her, "The Moon Song", another one of the 'big' movies I haven't seen yet. Karen O performed a mind-blowing version of "The Immigrant Song" for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Ooh, the short films are next. I love them. Best Live Action Short Films are next. This is a tough call. I think Helium will win. And...Helium wins. Best Documentary Short Films are up. This is even harder than the Live Action category. I hope The Lady in Number 6 wins. And it just did. God bless Alice Herz Sommer. Please find some of her videos on youtube or see this movie. You will not regret it.
I have seen most of the documentary films, except for The Square; they are an interesting collection, that's for sure. My personal favorite is Twenty Feet from Stardom, which just won. Twenty Feet from Stardom is about the back up singers that make pop and rock music hum. Darlene Love is on stage, finally getting her moment in the spotlight and she breaks into song, and gets a standing ovation. She only recognized the female back up singers, but there are some male back up singers that are in the documentary as well in the special features.
Kevin Spacey is talking about the Governor's Award recipients, including Angela Lansbury (who has done so much more than Murder, She Wrote); Steve Martin; Piero Tosi who is a costume designer; the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award to Angelina Jolie. The Governor's Awards were held a few months ago.
Best Foreign Film is up now and I have only seen one. Those are pretty tough. They're on my NetFlix list. The only one I saw is The Hunt, which was pretty good and a well-told story. The Great Beauty, from Italy, won. I saw a brief clip of that, but I have no idea what it's about. I think the director just thanked Diego Maradona who is a football/soccer player. Maybe I didn't hear that quite right.
Tyler Perry is introducing three more of the Best Picture nominees, Nebraska, Her, and Gravity. I don't think Nebraska will win any of the major awards, but it would be so cool if it did. There are still fourteen awards to go. Ellen just walked out in a bright white suit and introduced Brad Pitt. Brad is introducing U2 to sing "No Ordinary Love" from the film Long Walk to Freedom. I haven't seen the film or heard the song yet. I don't know if the original version is acoustic, but that's how they're doing it tonight. Larry Mullen is rocking it on the drums. I think this one will probably win, more because of the power of Mandela than it being the best song from a film (it's a good song, but I think "Happy" should win).
Ellen is walking through the audience and now trying to take a group photo including Meryl Streep, Julie Roberts, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and a bunch more. They are going to try to get it re-tweeted. Much funnier and less mean-spirited show than last year.
Sound awards are next, with Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Charlize Theron presenting, a little hitch in the cue cards (or the technical equivalent). Sound Mixing is first, then Sound Editing. Gravity wins for Sound Mixing. Sound Editing is the only nomination for All is Lost. Gravity wins again.
Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained and Inglorious Basterds), he practically ran out on stage, is presenting for Best Supporting Actress. My pick has been Lupita Nyongo'o since I saw 12 Years a Slave. Julia Roberts was really good in August: Osage County and Sally Hawkins in Blue Jasmine. Lupita Nyongo'o just won. Amazing, and she gets a hug from Liza Minnelli and gets a standing ovation. I think everyone was pulling for her, she's been so fun to watch on all the awards this year. It looked like Benedict Cumberbatch has tears in his eyes (he was also in the film). The theme from "Willy Wonka" is playing as she leaves the stage.
Ellen actually ordered pizza and is delivering it through the audience. There isn't going to be enough for everyone.
Amy Adams (love her) and Bill Murray (mostly love him) are presenting the Best Cinematography award; my pick is The Grandmaster but it will probably be Gravity again. And Billy Murray sneaks in a tribute to Harold Ramis who passed away this week. Guess who? Gravity. Damn, I kind of wish I had squeezed that in with all my frantic movie viewing the past months.
Film editing is the next category (my snarky favorite category because some movies are still too damn long). I picked Captain Phillips because I do feel that the editing really kept the guessing, especially at the end. Oh hell, it's Gravity again. Why bother? Alfonso Cuaron got cut off, but I'm sure he'll get another chance at some point tonight.
Oh, there is a tribute to The Wizard of Oz tonight by Whoopi Goldberg; it's the 75th anniversary of one of my childhood touchstones. There's a story to tell, but I'll save it for my memoir. Judy Garland's 'kids' are in the audience: Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, and Joey Luft. Pink is singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". I love this movie. Might be time to see it again. Nice job. Judy would have been proud.
Nine awards to go (not to be a killjoy or anything) and it's 9:40 central time; tomorrow morning is going to come too soon.
Ellen just comes out as Glinda the Good Witch. Awesome.
I'm going to go on a limb and say that Gravity will win for Production Design. Just a guess. The other possibility is The Great Gatsby. Sonofabitch. It was The Great Gatsby.
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs - terrific movie and performance) is introducing the In Memoriam segment. Bette Midler singing "The Wind Beneath My Wings" after the montage. In a strange way, I like this part the best because it reminds me of contributions of people that sometimes have been forgotten or overlooked by newer audiences.
And Goldie Hawn is now introducing the last group of Best Picture nominees, Philomena, Captain Phillips, and 12 Years a Slave. These are some good movies, and good books, too.
John Travolta introducing Idina Menzel ("Wicked"), but I didn't understand what he said at all. She is singing the song from Frozen, "Let it Go". Man, she's got a set of pipes. I heard her sing in "Chess", but wow, she's incredible. With someone like her who can actually sing, how come there are so many crap performances out there with people who can't sing worth beans? Just a random question.
The Original Score is being presented by Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel, I'm not sure what is happening. If Jamie is ad-libbing or what. I picked Gravity just because that seems to be the trend. And Gravity wins. Saving Mr. Banks was nominated, and I feel that film kind of got the shaft, but I think that may be because Mary Poppins is one of my favorite movies. I haven't seen The Book Thief which was also nominated. It's on the list though.
Now we finally come to the Original Song; who will win since Gravity isn't nominated? dun-dun-dun: "Let It Go" from Frozen, I did not see that coming, and yet after Idina's performance, totally deserved.
I am getting a cramp in my fingers. My left hand is starting to turn into a claw. Six more awards. This is not going to be over before 11:00. Ellen, I love you, but please wrap this up. I really should have taken tomorrow off.
The writing awards presented by Robert DeNiro and Penelope Cruz; first is the Best Adapted Screenplay, and my pick is 12 Years a Slave but Philomena could win too, and I'd be happy. 12 Years a Slave won. I am trying to find the book and I believe it's available online but I would like to actually read the hard copy. As I mentioned, Philomena is a book and it actually tells a different side of the story than the movie does, so it's well worth reading. For the original screenplay I picked Dallas Buyers Club, and since Gravity isn't nominated, it's possible. Nope, Her by Spike Jonze won. Before Midnight was also nominated and I had every intention of watching that this weekend, but it didn't happen. I felt bad, and then I remembered, I hated the two earlier movies in this trilogy and got over my angst pretty fast. I hope this is the last one, although as my friend and I were joking, they could do 'Before Daylight Savings Time' and variations on that theme.
Angelina Jolie and Sidney Poitier get a standing ovation as they present Best Director. He is wonderful, if you have not seen him in To Sir, With Love, The Heat of the Night, Guess Who is Coming to Dinner and so many others, you really should try. Best Director I have as Steve McQueen, but Alfonso Cuaron wins for....Gravity. He had a great acceptance speech, I think from either the Golden Globes or SAG awards.
(sigh) Daniel Day-Lewis is presenting Best Actress, and he's doing it as himself, not as Abraham Lincoln, although that would be kind of cool. I think Cate Blanchett is going to win for Blue Jasmine based on the previous awards; Meryl Streep was powerful as Violet in August: Osage County, but I don't think this will be her fourth Oscar, and I think Judi Dench is in a category with some great actresses in great roles this year. Sandra Bullock is nominated for Gravity, but strangely there hasn't been a lot of chatter around that. Cate Blanchett wins. I did like Blue Jasmine and she captured the essence of a narcissistic clueless woman of 21st century financial greed. Great speech from Cate on the power of women in cinema, but it's late and I want to go to bed.
Three hours and counting. Jennifer Lawrence will present the Best Actor award. Christian Bale should win for the risks he took with his hair, but I don't think that's going to happen. It's Leo or Matthew, I think. Chiwetel Ejiofor is great in 12 Years a Slave and if you can, try and see Kinky Boots. And Matthew McConaughey wins. He reminds me of someone every time I see him, but for the life of me I cannot put my finger on it. Very cool speech.
Ok, so we are now waiting for the Best Picture. Gravity? 12 Years a Slave? or a dark horse? I guess Will Smith, from that blockbuster, Razzy Winner, After Earth is presenting the award. The timing is ironic, I think. YES!! 12 Years a Slave wins for Best Picture! Super awesome! Wonderful. Steve McQueen didn't win Best Director. I think we'll see more from him.
That's it. We made it. Three and a half hours later, 72 films. See you next year.
This is taking it right down to the wire, but it just adds to the excitement, right? As of this afternoon, I have seen 57 of the 72 nominees. I'm not sure I can put together a good review(s) in the next 51 minutes, so I'd rather not try. I will say that I watched the five nominated animated shorts today and my personal favorite is Mr. Hublot from France and Luxembourg; if that doesn't win, I hope that Room on the Broom does. I also saw the nominated documentary Cutie and the Boxer and while I found it interesting, I thought it would have been better as a documentary short film, and I don't think it will win. Star Trek: Into the Darkness was 20 minutes longer than it needed to be, in my opinion, and not my favorite movie ever. It was nominated in the visual effects category and if it wasn't for Gravity this year, it might win. It is visually impressive and has some great action; there is a reason it wasn't nominated for any acting awards.
Predictions:
This is more for fun since I have had a few people ask me. I won't do all the categories, but here are a few of my picks:
Best Picture: Twelve Years a Slave (I think the only thing that can beat it is Gravity)
Best Director: Steve McQueen (again, I think Alfonso Cuaron - Gravity is the only other movie that could pull it out)
Best Actor: I think it's between Matthew McConaughey and Leonardo DiCaprio, but I think Chiwetel Ejiofor should be getting talked about a lot more (I pick McConaughey)
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club
Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyongo'o - Twelve Years a Slave, she was amazing in this role
I am now ready for the festivities to start. Just a warning, I will whine if it goes too long because I need to go to work tomorrow morning.
The countdown: four minutes to go.
And...we're off. Already it's less tense than the fiasco last year. No silly song and dance number (yet).
Best Supporting Actor is the first category. Jared Leto wins for Dallas Buyers Club. It was a great performance and a really great movie.
Jim Carrey is presenting for something. I'm not sure what yet; he's doing a Bruce Dern impression. He is pretty funny when he isn't obnoxious. Okay, so he wasn't actually presenting, but just did a bit on animated heroes. AND THAT'S why the Oscars go so long.
Pharrell Williams is performing "Happy" from Despicable Me in that ridiculous hat. The song is infectious, though. He even got Meryl Streep shaking it. That might have been my favorite part of the movie.
The award for costume design is next, being presented by Samuel L. Jackson and Naomi Watts. I think The Great Gatsby will win. And I was right. Two for two. The movie was terribly long and not very good, but it really looked good. I think I blogged about it, but for the life of me, I don't know where it is. Visually, it is incredible, full of color. Nice short speech.
Makeup and hairstyling is next. No commercials. Bad Grandpa winning would justify me seeing it in the theater. Dallas Buyers Club wins again. I think it was the transformation of Jared Leto (primarily), but Matthew McConaughey also did not look like Matthew McConaughey at all.
Harrison Ford is presenting the first three nominees for Best Picture: American Hustle, Dallas Buyers Club and The Wolf of Wall Street (still haven't seen that one, but it's like 10 hours long).
Kim Novak and Matthew McConaughey are presenting for the Best Animated Short, which I just saw today. Mr. Hublot was my pick and it just won. They were all pretty good though and hopefully you can catch them in the theater. Now the Best Animated Feature film.....I think it's going to be one of the ones I have not seen yet. Frozen won; I'm surprised, but not surprised. I really thought The Wind Rises would win. Maybe Frozen will stay in the theaters a little longer so I can see it in the theater.
So now Sally Field is doing a tribute to the real, everyday heroes that have been portrayed in film. That's great, but there are still a lot of categories to go, so let's get to them please.
Visual Effects is the next category. I've seen everything except Gravity. Let's see who wins. I pick Gravity, just based on the buzz. Gravity wins. I think that was kind of a no-brainer.
Karen O is performing the song from Her, "The Moon Song", another one of the 'big' movies I haven't seen yet. Karen O performed a mind-blowing version of "The Immigrant Song" for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Ooh, the short films are next. I love them. Best Live Action Short Films are next. This is a tough call. I think Helium will win. And...Helium wins. Best Documentary Short Films are up. This is even harder than the Live Action category. I hope The Lady in Number 6 wins. And it just did. God bless Alice Herz Sommer. Please find some of her videos on youtube or see this movie. You will not regret it.
I have seen most of the documentary films, except for The Square; they are an interesting collection, that's for sure. My personal favorite is Twenty Feet from Stardom, which just won. Twenty Feet from Stardom is about the back up singers that make pop and rock music hum. Darlene Love is on stage, finally getting her moment in the spotlight and she breaks into song, and gets a standing ovation. She only recognized the female back up singers, but there are some male back up singers that are in the documentary as well in the special features.
Kevin Spacey is talking about the Governor's Award recipients, including Angela Lansbury (who has done so much more than Murder, She Wrote); Steve Martin; Piero Tosi who is a costume designer; the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award to Angelina Jolie. The Governor's Awards were held a few months ago.
Best Foreign Film is up now and I have only seen one. Those are pretty tough. They're on my NetFlix list. The only one I saw is The Hunt, which was pretty good and a well-told story. The Great Beauty, from Italy, won. I saw a brief clip of that, but I have no idea what it's about. I think the director just thanked Diego Maradona who is a football/soccer player. Maybe I didn't hear that quite right.
Tyler Perry is introducing three more of the Best Picture nominees, Nebraska, Her, and Gravity. I don't think Nebraska will win any of the major awards, but it would be so cool if it did. There are still fourteen awards to go. Ellen just walked out in a bright white suit and introduced Brad Pitt. Brad is introducing U2 to sing "No Ordinary Love" from the film Long Walk to Freedom. I haven't seen the film or heard the song yet. I don't know if the original version is acoustic, but that's how they're doing it tonight. Larry Mullen is rocking it on the drums. I think this one will probably win, more because of the power of Mandela than it being the best song from a film (it's a good song, but I think "Happy" should win).
Ellen is walking through the audience and now trying to take a group photo including Meryl Streep, Julie Roberts, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and a bunch more. They are going to try to get it re-tweeted. Much funnier and less mean-spirited show than last year.
Sound awards are next, with Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Charlize Theron presenting, a little hitch in the cue cards (or the technical equivalent). Sound Mixing is first, then Sound Editing. Gravity wins for Sound Mixing. Sound Editing is the only nomination for All is Lost. Gravity wins again.
Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained and Inglorious Basterds), he practically ran out on stage, is presenting for Best Supporting Actress. My pick has been Lupita Nyongo'o since I saw 12 Years a Slave. Julia Roberts was really good in August: Osage County and Sally Hawkins in Blue Jasmine. Lupita Nyongo'o just won. Amazing, and she gets a hug from Liza Minnelli and gets a standing ovation. I think everyone was pulling for her, she's been so fun to watch on all the awards this year. It looked like Benedict Cumberbatch has tears in his eyes (he was also in the film). The theme from "Willy Wonka" is playing as she leaves the stage.
Ellen actually ordered pizza and is delivering it through the audience. There isn't going to be enough for everyone.
Amy Adams (love her) and Bill Murray (mostly love him) are presenting the Best Cinematography award; my pick is The Grandmaster but it will probably be Gravity again. And Billy Murray sneaks in a tribute to Harold Ramis who passed away this week. Guess who? Gravity. Damn, I kind of wish I had squeezed that in with all my frantic movie viewing the past months.
Film editing is the next category (my snarky favorite category because some movies are still too damn long). I picked Captain Phillips because I do feel that the editing really kept the guessing, especially at the end. Oh hell, it's Gravity again. Why bother? Alfonso Cuaron got cut off, but I'm sure he'll get another chance at some point tonight.
Oh, there is a tribute to The Wizard of Oz tonight by Whoopi Goldberg; it's the 75th anniversary of one of my childhood touchstones. There's a story to tell, but I'll save it for my memoir. Judy Garland's 'kids' are in the audience: Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, and Joey Luft. Pink is singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". I love this movie. Might be time to see it again. Nice job. Judy would have been proud.
Nine awards to go (not to be a killjoy or anything) and it's 9:40 central time; tomorrow morning is going to come too soon.
Ellen just comes out as Glinda the Good Witch. Awesome.
I'm going to go on a limb and say that Gravity will win for Production Design. Just a guess. The other possibility is The Great Gatsby. Sonofabitch. It was The Great Gatsby.
Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs - terrific movie and performance) is introducing the In Memoriam segment. Bette Midler singing "The Wind Beneath My Wings" after the montage. In a strange way, I like this part the best because it reminds me of contributions of people that sometimes have been forgotten or overlooked by newer audiences.
And Goldie Hawn is now introducing the last group of Best Picture nominees, Philomena, Captain Phillips, and 12 Years a Slave. These are some good movies, and good books, too.
John Travolta introducing Idina Menzel ("Wicked"), but I didn't understand what he said at all. She is singing the song from Frozen, "Let it Go". Man, she's got a set of pipes. I heard her sing in "Chess", but wow, she's incredible. With someone like her who can actually sing, how come there are so many crap performances out there with people who can't sing worth beans? Just a random question.
The Original Score is being presented by Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel, I'm not sure what is happening. If Jamie is ad-libbing or what. I picked Gravity just because that seems to be the trend. And Gravity wins. Saving Mr. Banks was nominated, and I feel that film kind of got the shaft, but I think that may be because Mary Poppins is one of my favorite movies. I haven't seen The Book Thief which was also nominated. It's on the list though.
Now we finally come to the Original Song; who will win since Gravity isn't nominated? dun-dun-dun: "Let It Go" from Frozen, I did not see that coming, and yet after Idina's performance, totally deserved.
I am getting a cramp in my fingers. My left hand is starting to turn into a claw. Six more awards. This is not going to be over before 11:00. Ellen, I love you, but please wrap this up. I really should have taken tomorrow off.
The writing awards presented by Robert DeNiro and Penelope Cruz; first is the Best Adapted Screenplay, and my pick is 12 Years a Slave but Philomena could win too, and I'd be happy. 12 Years a Slave won. I am trying to find the book and I believe it's available online but I would like to actually read the hard copy. As I mentioned, Philomena is a book and it actually tells a different side of the story than the movie does, so it's well worth reading. For the original screenplay I picked Dallas Buyers Club, and since Gravity isn't nominated, it's possible. Nope, Her by Spike Jonze won. Before Midnight was also nominated and I had every intention of watching that this weekend, but it didn't happen. I felt bad, and then I remembered, I hated the two earlier movies in this trilogy and got over my angst pretty fast. I hope this is the last one, although as my friend and I were joking, they could do 'Before Daylight Savings Time' and variations on that theme.
Angelina Jolie and Sidney Poitier get a standing ovation as they present Best Director. He is wonderful, if you have not seen him in To Sir, With Love, The Heat of the Night, Guess Who is Coming to Dinner and so many others, you really should try. Best Director I have as Steve McQueen, but Alfonso Cuaron wins for....Gravity. He had a great acceptance speech, I think from either the Golden Globes or SAG awards.
(sigh) Daniel Day-Lewis is presenting Best Actress, and he's doing it as himself, not as Abraham Lincoln, although that would be kind of cool. I think Cate Blanchett is going to win for Blue Jasmine based on the previous awards; Meryl Streep was powerful as Violet in August: Osage County, but I don't think this will be her fourth Oscar, and I think Judi Dench is in a category with some great actresses in great roles this year. Sandra Bullock is nominated for Gravity, but strangely there hasn't been a lot of chatter around that. Cate Blanchett wins. I did like Blue Jasmine and she captured the essence of a narcissistic clueless woman of 21st century financial greed. Great speech from Cate on the power of women in cinema, but it's late and I want to go to bed.
Three hours and counting. Jennifer Lawrence will present the Best Actor award. Christian Bale should win for the risks he took with his hair, but I don't think that's going to happen. It's Leo or Matthew, I think. Chiwetel Ejiofor is great in 12 Years a Slave and if you can, try and see Kinky Boots. And Matthew McConaughey wins. He reminds me of someone every time I see him, but for the life of me I cannot put my finger on it. Very cool speech.
Ok, so we are now waiting for the Best Picture. Gravity? 12 Years a Slave? or a dark horse? I guess Will Smith, from that blockbuster, Razzy Winner, After Earth is presenting the award. The timing is ironic, I think. YES!! 12 Years a Slave wins for Best Picture! Super awesome! Wonderful. Steve McQueen didn't win Best Director. I think we'll see more from him.
That's it. We made it. Three and a half hours later, 72 films. See you next year.
Welcome to Harvard and The Paper Chase
8/3/13, The Paper Chase, Best Supporting Actor, 1973
It's not easy coming with a catchy title for the every new blog entry; I think it would be boring just to name the movie, but I have to admit, absolutely nothing came to mind for this one. Well, not nothing, but I wasn't sure if my reference would be so obscure as to mean nothing. Anyway, that lack of inspiration may sum up my feelings for The Paper Chase. I vaguely remember my dad watching the short-lived television series that was inspired by the movie, and I remember John Houseman being in it, but other than that, I didn't know who was in the movie. The first year of Harvard Law School is the setting for The Paper Chase, and it follows James Hart (pretty much just called 'Hart', never James) played by Timothy Bottoms (last seen in The Last Picture Show from 1971) with some crazy ass hair. John Houseman plays Professor Kingsfield, winning the Best Supporting Actor award for being a demanding task master, supposedly a proponent of the Socratic method. I had a philosophy professor in college who reminded me a little of Kingsfield, mainly in the way he scared the bejeezus out of me, and whom I only appreciated after the class was over and I escaped alive. Kingsfield has a daughter, Susan, (played by Lindsay Wagner) who lives in town and falls into a relationship with Hart, that in my opinion, that is doomed for failure. Kingsfield is tough on everyone, but he definitely is really hard on Hart, so the story becomes the evolution of this relationship, and Hart's need to get inside Kingsfield's head. There isn't anything really dramatic that happens, it just kind of moves along. Kingsfield is in almost every scene, even if he isn't physically present his aura is always there, he is always being talked about by the students, by Hart and Susan. Houseman was terrific, and probably created one of the most memorable characters in film from a not very memorable movie. I will also say I found the ending of the movie terribly unsatisfying, kind of like when you really look forward to eating something and it's not half as delicious as the picture makes it look.
I have 714 movies left to go. It's going much slower than I originally hoped, but I shall muddle on for the good of all.
It's not easy coming with a catchy title for the every new blog entry; I think it would be boring just to name the movie, but I have to admit, absolutely nothing came to mind for this one. Well, not nothing, but I wasn't sure if my reference would be so obscure as to mean nothing. Anyway, that lack of inspiration may sum up my feelings for The Paper Chase. I vaguely remember my dad watching the short-lived television series that was inspired by the movie, and I remember John Houseman being in it, but other than that, I didn't know who was in the movie. The first year of Harvard Law School is the setting for The Paper Chase, and it follows James Hart (pretty much just called 'Hart', never James) played by Timothy Bottoms (last seen in The Last Picture Show from 1971) with some crazy ass hair. John Houseman plays Professor Kingsfield, winning the Best Supporting Actor award for being a demanding task master, supposedly a proponent of the Socratic method. I had a philosophy professor in college who reminded me a little of Kingsfield, mainly in the way he scared the bejeezus out of me, and whom I only appreciated after the class was over and I escaped alive. Kingsfield has a daughter, Susan, (played by Lindsay Wagner) who lives in town and falls into a relationship with Hart, that in my opinion, that is doomed for failure. Kingsfield is tough on everyone, but he definitely is really hard on Hart, so the story becomes the evolution of this relationship, and Hart's need to get inside Kingsfield's head. There isn't anything really dramatic that happens, it just kind of moves along. Kingsfield is in almost every scene, even if he isn't physically present his aura is always there, he is always being talked about by the students, by Hart and Susan. Houseman was terrific, and probably created one of the most memorable characters in film from a not very memorable movie. I will also say I found the ending of the movie terribly unsatisfying, kind of like when you really look forward to eating something and it's not half as delicious as the picture makes it look.
I have 714 movies left to go. It's going much slower than I originally hoped, but I shall muddle on for the good of all.
2011 Documentary Nominees
2011 Best Documentary Feature Nominees
Just a weather update since my last post - the weather has not improved and parts of the greater metropolitan Twin Cities have seen up to 12" of snow - in MAY. So, that gives me one last good excuse to stay inside and watch more movies.
Anyway, back on the movie watching wagon. Last month I posted my thoughts (actually, my feelings) about the 2011 winner of Best Documentary Feature, Undefeated. I hope you have added this to your watch list. Here are the rest of the nominees for 2011. It's quite a variety and they all elicited different reactions.
Hell and Back Again follows Nathan Harris and his wife, Ashley, as he returns from the war in Afghanistan with severe physical injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. It's not pretty and at times hard to watch, but I think it's important, especially as the dialogue continues in this country about how to help the men and women who serve our country when they return home. Nathan is very determined, but I was also struck by his wife's strength and her support of him.
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front mostly made me angry. Angry at what is happening to our forests and natural resources, and angry at people who think that destroying property is an okay way to stage a protest, and angrier that they seemed to think they shouldn't be punished when they got caught. Talk about going through the looking glass. The movie focuses on Daniel McGowan, his evolution into an environmental zealot, and his fellow members in the world of eco-terrorism. There is some discussion around the use of the word terrorism in the film, so it is not my word, but what the government called it. I don't think you can dispute that there is some very serious destruction of our forests, mountain ranges and other natural resources; I think you'd have to be very naive or in denial. The members of the Earth Liberation Front did not think that peaceful protests or any other non-violent, non-destructive protest methods were working, or were too slow, so they took to vandalism, arson and sabotage. The means justify the ends. After I watched this movie, I watched How to Survive a Plague, about the fight to find a cure for AIDS, and was amazed at the fact that people were dying, but the activists stuck to protests (some very loud and aggressive) and trying to crash the government's party, and had some success.They didn't commit arson. Perhaps times changes, perhaps the 21st century would not be as friendly to the AIDS activists. You may not agree with everything in the movie, maybe you'll get upset as well, but it tells a story that is not often told, and it is pretty fair-handed, I think, in that it tells both sides of the story, and you can make up your own mind about ELF and its goals and the logging industry.
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is the third (most likely final) installment in a compelling story of murder, prejudices and the legal system. I strongly recommend watching the first two movies (Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations) to get the full picture, although this film does a good job of recapping the case. This film follows up with Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin as they are in the 18th year of imprisonment after being convicted of the murder of three young boys in West Memphis in 1994. Echols was sentenced to death. There are a lot of twists and turns. There were accusations of Satanism; the stepfather of one of the murdered boys was at one time the most aggressive accuser, certain of their guilt, but as time passed, and other evidence was found, he became one of their most vocal supporters (it was very cool to see that transformation), actors (Johnny Depp) and musicians (Eddie Vedder, Dixie Chicks) put their support behind the 'West Memphis Three'. There are interviews with Misskelley, Echols and Baldwin, as well as contemporary footage from the trials and news coverage. This is a real-life mystery, which is not quite solved, but it will keep your attention.
Pina made me wish for that hour and forty-three minutes back, at about 10 minutes into the movie. I probably wouldn't have been so ticked off if this was in the Foreign Film category (it was also nominated there) instead of the Documentary category. If you like dance, this may be for you, becasue it was certainly not for me. I like Riverdance, not people putting pieces of veal in their toe shoes and dancing around, or shoveling dirt on other dancers. To me, that's like putting urine in a jar and calling it art. Pina of the title was a dancer and choreographer, who apparently inspired the members of her company to do amazing things. I would have liked to know more about her, and that might have helped me to appreciate the dance and the film more. I just felt it was self-indulgent of the director, Wim Wenders.
Just a weather update since my last post - the weather has not improved and parts of the greater metropolitan Twin Cities have seen up to 12" of snow - in MAY. So, that gives me one last good excuse to stay inside and watch more movies.
Anyway, back on the movie watching wagon. Last month I posted my thoughts (actually, my feelings) about the 2011 winner of Best Documentary Feature, Undefeated. I hope you have added this to your watch list. Here are the rest of the nominees for 2011. It's quite a variety and they all elicited different reactions.
Hell and Back Again follows Nathan Harris and his wife, Ashley, as he returns from the war in Afghanistan with severe physical injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. It's not pretty and at times hard to watch, but I think it's important, especially as the dialogue continues in this country about how to help the men and women who serve our country when they return home. Nathan is very determined, but I was also struck by his wife's strength and her support of him.
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front mostly made me angry. Angry at what is happening to our forests and natural resources, and angry at people who think that destroying property is an okay way to stage a protest, and angrier that they seemed to think they shouldn't be punished when they got caught. Talk about going through the looking glass. The movie focuses on Daniel McGowan, his evolution into an environmental zealot, and his fellow members in the world of eco-terrorism. There is some discussion around the use of the word terrorism in the film, so it is not my word, but what the government called it. I don't think you can dispute that there is some very serious destruction of our forests, mountain ranges and other natural resources; I think you'd have to be very naive or in denial. The members of the Earth Liberation Front did not think that peaceful protests or any other non-violent, non-destructive protest methods were working, or were too slow, so they took to vandalism, arson and sabotage. The means justify the ends. After I watched this movie, I watched How to Survive a Plague, about the fight to find a cure for AIDS, and was amazed at the fact that people were dying, but the activists stuck to protests (some very loud and aggressive) and trying to crash the government's party, and had some success.They didn't commit arson. Perhaps times changes, perhaps the 21st century would not be as friendly to the AIDS activists. You may not agree with everything in the movie, maybe you'll get upset as well, but it tells a story that is not often told, and it is pretty fair-handed, I think, in that it tells both sides of the story, and you can make up your own mind about ELF and its goals and the logging industry.
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory is the third (most likely final) installment in a compelling story of murder, prejudices and the legal system. I strongly recommend watching the first two movies (Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations) to get the full picture, although this film does a good job of recapping the case. This film follows up with Jessie Misskelley, Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin as they are in the 18th year of imprisonment after being convicted of the murder of three young boys in West Memphis in 1994. Echols was sentenced to death. There are a lot of twists and turns. There were accusations of Satanism; the stepfather of one of the murdered boys was at one time the most aggressive accuser, certain of their guilt, but as time passed, and other evidence was found, he became one of their most vocal supporters (it was very cool to see that transformation), actors (Johnny Depp) and musicians (Eddie Vedder, Dixie Chicks) put their support behind the 'West Memphis Three'. There are interviews with Misskelley, Echols and Baldwin, as well as contemporary footage from the trials and news coverage. This is a real-life mystery, which is not quite solved, but it will keep your attention.
Pina made me wish for that hour and forty-three minutes back, at about 10 minutes into the movie. I probably wouldn't have been so ticked off if this was in the Foreign Film category (it was also nominated there) instead of the Documentary category. If you like dance, this may be for you, becasue it was certainly not for me. I like Riverdance, not people putting pieces of veal in their toe shoes and dancing around, or shoveling dirt on other dancers. To me, that's like putting urine in a jar and calling it art. Pina of the title was a dancer and choreographer, who apparently inspired the members of her company to do amazing things. I would have liked to know more about her, and that might have helped me to appreciate the dance and the film more. I just felt it was self-indulgent of the director, Wim Wenders.
Perry Mason, southern-fried
My Cousin Vinny 12/29/12, Best Supporting Actress, 1992
It took me twenty years to watch this movie. Silly me. It uses the fish out of water premise by dropping two New York City friends into the South, Alabama actually, and having them charged with murder. Enter Cousin Vinny, played by Joe Pesci, a lawyer who has never tried a case and is terribly unfamiliar with trial procedure. Fred Gwynne (beloved Herman Munster) plays the judge who is offended by Vinny’s disregard or lack of knowledge of proper etiquette, which leads to some of the movie’s best exchanges. Vinny appears to be severely overmatched by the District Attorney and his own ineptitude, until he miraculously finds his inner Perry Mason and starts to turn things around. The one person who believes in him the whole way, and bails him out when necessary, is his fiancee Mona Lisa (Lisa)Vito, played by Marisa Tomei who won for Best Supporting Actress. Lisa wants very much to help Vinny, but he’s determined to do it all on his own, until he finally realizes she has found a key piece of evidence. That’s all I’m going to tell you because watching the story unfold was one of the best parts of the movie. There are so many fun threads that run through the movie: Vinny and Lisa’s challenge in finding a quiet place to sleep; the sparring between the Judge and Vinny; big city versus small southern town. As I write this, it occurs to me that the two ‘utes’ (one of whom is Ralph Macchio of Karate Kid fame) who started this whole thing are almost peripheral to Vinny’s storyline. I only saw two of the other films that were nominated with a Best Supporting actress, Howard’s End and Enchanted April, and I remember very little, except those films, and the others nominated, were very serious and somber. Perhaps that’s why Tomei’s performance stood out so much, because it wasn't overtly comical or slapstick and certainly not dour, but funny and endearing. She and Pesci had great chemistry, and her scene toward the end of the movie probably sealed the deal. There is quite a lot of swearing in the movie (don’t get me wrong, I swear all the time), but I think that’s why it got the ‘R’ instead of ‘PG-13’, but other than that, I think it’s more watchable than some of the nighttime television that we have these days. If you haven’t seen it in a while, it’s definitely worth watching again, and if you haven’t seen it at all, you should.
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