Best Picture Nominees: 1917, Parasite, Jojo Rabbit, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

1/19/20 1917, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects, 2019

National World War I Museum and Memorial, Kansas City, MO

1917 sure did get a lot of nominations, but nothing for the actors. I've seen that before, of course I can't remember when, but what does that say about the movie? Is it really the best picture? I don't know. Not for me. It was very good, great effects and the cinematography is spectacular. 1917 is set in northern France near the end of World War I. Lance Corporal Thomas Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) is given an unenviable, and almost impossible, task of crossing through no-man's land and German territory to warn another regiment. Blake is selected because his brother is in the other regiment; his friend Lance Corporal William Schofield (George MacKay) was the victim of dumb luck. Director Sam Mendes and the production designers do a phenomenal job of recreating the horrible trenches that were such a huge factor in World War I. I really don't want to give away too much of the plot (that's pretty much the company line for the other movies below). I think it was a really good decision to not cast well-known actors in the two main roles, it would have been too distracting; there were cameos by Benedict Cumberbatch and Colin Firth, and I kind of think they were a little distracting. Roger Deakins filmed the movie beautifully and with quite a bit of effort to make it look like one continuous shot. If you're still able to catch the film in the theater, I hope you can see it; some movies should be seen on the big screen and this is definitely one of those. I think it will win a lot of awards, but I don't think it's best picture.

Exhibit of Trench Warfare, National World War I Museum and Memorial, Kansas City, MO

1/25/20 Parasite, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature Film, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, 2019

South Korean film Parasite wins the award for the most misleading title. Yes, I do know why it's titled that NOW, but I didn't before I watched it, and the name was one of the reasons I didn't want to see it. Stereotypically, a movie called "Parasite" would be a horror movie, something with an invasive species or something. In case you're wondering, that doesn't happen. What does happen is a story unfolds about class wars, envy, deceit mixed with satire. Don't be put off because it's in Korean, or it has a creepy title, it is an original idea with original characters. Co-written and directed by Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer), Parasite has social commentary mixed with some biting sarcasm and a little bit of suspense. We first meet the Kim family, a down-on-their-luck clan, living in cramped basement quarters and leaching off the wi-fi signal of their neighbors and trying many different scams to earn money. When son, Kim Ki-woo, gets a job as an English tutor for Park Da-Hye, the daughter of the wealthy Park family, Ki-woo sees possibilities for his family to improve their situation. And that's all you'll get from me. This is another film that has been nominated for Best Picture, but no actor nominations, which I don't understand, maybe because it was really an ensemble piece with eight 'leads' (well, maybe 6), but there could have been at least a supporting nod for Lee Jeung-eun as the housekeeper. I really liked Parasite, it wasn't a remake, a sequel, a reboot or based on real events (as far as I know); I know I keep harping on the originality, but it was so fresh. I would be willing to bet that an American version will be out in the next five years. I think it will win Best International Feature Film; I haven't seen any of the other nominees, so this is going on past awards and a gut feeling. This is out now on DVD or streaming, so check it out.

Seoul, S. Korea

1/25/20 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, 2019

Sigh. 161 minutes, everyone I know has commented on how long The Irishman is, but nobody has complained about the length of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but they were both too long. I liked half the premise, a visit to old Hollywood and the shows of the 1950s and 1960s, a washed up actor, Rick Dalton, (Leonardo DiCaprio) trying to be relevant again. I also thought it was an interesting twist to include his stuntman/driver/gopher, Cliff Booth, (Brad Pitt) in the mix, creating the buddy movie element. Parallel to Rick and Cliff trying to find work is the introduction of the Manson Family and Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), Roman Polanski and friends; eventually they all intersect. Eh. DiCaprio and Pitt were both nominated for Oscars, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively, but I didn't see anything in DiCaprio's performance (compared to his own past performances and other 2019 nominees) that deserved an Oscar nod. I thought Pitt's performance was worthy of the nomination, I thought he was more fun to watch and had better scenes. I think the Best Actor is probably going to go Joaquin Phoenix, but I'm not sure about Best Supporting Actor.

1/26/20 Jojo Rabbit, nominated Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, 2019

Jojo Rabbit is one of my favorite movies of this year because of its originality (with a nod to Mel Brooks), humor, satire, tenderness and the three young actors. Jojo Rabbit is set in the later years of World War II, and ten year-old Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) has regular conversations with his imaginary friend Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi, who also wrote and directed) and is eager to join the Hitler Youth with his pal, Yorki (Archie Yates). His patient mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) gently chides Jojo about his dedication to the Fuhrer, while protecting him from a dangerous secret involving a young girl, Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) hidden in the house. I'm not really sure I can describe more of the story without giving away some of the surprises I had while watching it. I enjoyed watching looking at the world through Jojo's eyes, even as horrible as it could be during a war, as he endured heartbreak, love and small victories, and learned to shed his devotion to Hitler. Also in another terrific supporting role is Sam Rockwell as Captain Klenzendorf; seemingly devoted to the cause because he has to be, not necessarily because he is a rabid believer. He shows Jojo kindness and protection that Adolf can't give. As far as the nominations go, I don't understand thinking a movie is Best Picture, but you don't nominate the director of the movie? I'm not sure how it's going to do against the other nominees, but I know who I'll be rooting for. And I can't wait to see Davis and Yates in more films. I would say if you have not seen Jojo Rabbit, do yourself a favor and watch it. I may watch it again after the awards.

Long time gone, but I'm back - Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, Henry Fonda, Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett

It's been a while. Writer's block sucks. This is going to be quick and dirty, and I hope to get back on track.

6/20/18 Now, Voyager, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, 1942

Bette Davis stars as the ugly duckling turned swan, Charlotte Vale, in this film that also features Claude Rains and Paul Heinreid. Charlotte is dominated by her mother and matriarch of the Vale family (Gladys Cooper); she is bullied so much so that she is sent to a sanitarium under the treatment of Dr. Jaquith (Claude Rains). Charlotte blossoms and discovers her own personality and strength. Davis was nominated for Best Actress, but Greer Garson won for her role as Kay Miniver in Mrs. Miniver; Katharine Hepburn was nominated as Tess Harding in Woman of the Year, and Joan Fontaine in Rebecca as The Second Mrs. DeWinter. I enjoyed the film and watching Charlotte's transformation. There was something about the film that seemed relevant today, over seventy five years later.

6/21/18 The Adventures of Robin Hood, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, 1938

The Adventures of Robin Hood is a fun movie; Errol Flynn seems to be enjoying his role as Robin Hood, teasing and basically giving Prince John (Claude Rains) and Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone) a very hard time until King Richard returns to England from the Crusades. The movie has swashbuckling action, humor, a love story featuring Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland) and Robin, and an Oscar-winning score. The fabulous Technicolor is still eye-popping (even on my twenty year old television), I can't imagine what it was like on a big screen when most films were still in black and white (Now Voyager was released four years after this was in black and white). If you're looking for a fun movie for a weekend at the cabin, I would recommend this one.

6/23/18 One Survivor Remembers, Best Documentary Short, National Film Registry, 1995

As we lose Holocaust survivors to age, it becomes more and more important to remember their stories and what those stories mean to us, especially in the upside down world we're living in these days. Survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein narrates her story and the story of her family, who perished in the camps. Her experience is one of destruction and death, but also resilience, strength and love. The film is available on YouTube (and hopefully in the link below) and her acceptance speech at the Academy Awards show is included and it is well worth watching.

6/23/18 The Anderson Platoon, Best Documentary Feature, 1967

In the 21st century, with the 24-hour news cycles and smartphone videos coming from every corner of the world, it may be hard to imagine a time when it wasn't quite as common for a film crew to be embedded with a platoon that is in combat. French director Pierre Schoendoerffer was with the American 1st Cavalry Division in South Vietnam, specifically a platoon led by West Point graduate, Lieutenant Joseph Anderson. The film takes us into the jungle and combat, we also get brief biographies on the soldiers, and updates on injuries and mortalities. The Vietnam War was controversial and divisive, but the film really focuses on the soldiers, the young men, barely into their twenties, who are far from home, and trying to survive.

6/30/18 The Bad and the Beautiful, Best Supporting Actress, Best Art Direction (B&W), Best Cinematography (B&W), Best Costume Design (B&W), Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay, National Film Registry, 1952

I feel like I should have loved this movie, but I didn't. It was fine, I liked it, but it seemed derivative, a lot of Citizen Kane and a little bit of Ace in the Hole (also starring Kirk Douglas). Douglas is Jonathan Shields, a producer/studio head, who has no qualms about using people to advance his career, even if it hurts others. Three of these 'others' are gathered together, and in flashbacks, we learn how Shields cheated, betrayed or hurt them. Gloria Grahame won the Best Supporting Actress for her role as the Southern belle wife of one of the people that Shields hurt; she was on screen for less than twenty five minutes, and I personally think it should have gone to Jean Hagen as Lina Lamont in Singin' in the Rain. Watching the film was timely because a few weeks earlier I watched Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, starring Annette Bening as Grahame. I think your life will continue on if you don't watch this, but if you do watch it, I don't think it's the worst thing in the world, either.

6/30/18 Ocean's 8, not yet nominated 2018

I don't have any great analysis on Ocean's 8 starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and a cast of very talented actresses. It was a fun, smart, fast paced eist movie, along the lines of the other "Ocean's" movies. I would actually watch it again, which I don't say very often about any movie. Will it be nominated? Very possibly not, but I don't care. It's probably going to be out on video/streaming soon, and it would be great for a movie night (pretty much for the whole family). 

7/8/18 Jezebel, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, National Film Registry, 1938

It took me a while to get into Jezebel, starring Bette Davis as spoiled Southern belle Julie Marsden. I don't know, perhaps I was distracted. It was really towards the end that I appreciated what the movie was about. It also stars Henry Fonda as Julie's frustrated beau. It is 1850s New Orleans and Julie is headstrong and not afraid to defy conventions, and while that may be admired today, it causes her and her family embarrassment. Watching Davis in Now, Voyager and then Jezebel, you can see her range and why she is considered such a great actress; two very different characters, although they are united by their ultimate strength. It's not a movie to watch if you're looking for laughs or an escape from the world, but it is worth watching.

7/8/18 Dodsworth, Best Art Direction, National Film Registry, 1936

I had never heard of Dodsworth before, and I hadn't read anything about it before I watched it, so I had no idea what it was about. I would consider it a pleasant surprise. William Wyler directed Walter Huston, Ruth Chatterton and Mary Astor in this look at marriage in the first half of the twentieth century. In some ways, it takes a very common occurrence, the husband (Huston as Sam Dodsworth) retires and decides he wants to do all those things he and his wife (Chatterton as Fran Dodsworth) didn't have time for, and then they both find out (although Fran might have known all along) that they don't necessarily want the same things, and Fran is a little freer in finding other companions. I was rooting for Sam all the way, even as he struck up a friendship with Edith Cortright (Mary Astor) and found his bliss in Italy. I truly was not certain how the movie would end, and I'm not going to tell you, but if you want to try a movie off the beaten path (have you ever heard of Dodsworth?) pick it up from the library or Netflix.

Documentaries, short and long form: Robert Kennedy, the Iraq War, Dark Horse, Public Education

You may have noticed an increase in the number of documentaries reviewed recently. I suppose it's like when people crave vegetables (that rarely happens to me, but I've heard about it); I just wanted something MORE in my film watching, and the fictional films were proving to be more miss than hit. So, using MELSA's Interlibrary Loan program (man, I love that), I have been binge watching documentaries. The downside to that is I feel like I've had my heart broken, even when I look for some glimmer of hope. 

12/21/16 I am a Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School, Best Documentary, 1993

I always hope that when I watch an older documentary that whatever the 'issue' that is being addressed, by the time I watch the film, it's been 'fixed' or 'improved'. I don't think that is unreasonable, especially when the film is about the education of children in the inner city. I mean, that has to get better, right? I am a Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School takes a closeup look at the Stanton Elementary School in North Philadelphia in the early 1990s. North Philadelphia is mostly black, mostly poor, and made up of children from single parent homes, fighting drugs and gangs on every corner. The principal is Dr. Deanna Burney, a white woman, with a passion for 'her kids' and education, equitable education for inner city kids, who often get so much less funding than their suburban, white counterparts. Dr. Burney walks through the playground, calling out to the kids by name, asking about their families, how they're feeling, are they going to do good work, etc. The movie focuses on a few of the children, their interaction with Dr. Burney, and the interaction with the parents. School can be hard enough, but when you add hunger, potentially violent conditions, a single parent doing their best to work and take care of their children, but falling short, attention and behavior issues, plus inadequate funding, it's a Sisyphean task. Dr. Burney and her staff do their best to educate the kids between and among the distractions, but it is so hard. We watch as parents breakdown as they struggle to get the children to understand that school may be the difference between breaking the cycle of poverty and drugs and just giving up due to desperation. Teachers are frustrated with having to be disciplinarians instead of educators. I watched the film and saw such potential that would probably go untapped because the children and the teachers just didn't have the resources. It makes me very angry, because it seems like some of the issues could be addressed so easily. I did find my little light of hope because you could see the love that most of the staff had for the children, and the love that was given back. The DVD didn't have any special features to show us where the kids or teachers are today, but I did see that one of the young girls went to college and was opening her own business. The filmmakers filmed over the course of the school year, and you feel that they understand and know the children and teachers, and are personally invested in the school and the people. I think this is a must watch for educators, new and veteran, and really anyone interested in education issues in our country.

12/22/16 Poster Girl, nominated for Best Documentary Short, 2010

12/22/16 Iraq Paper Scissors, Documentary, 2010

America has got to do better by its veterans. Period. After watching documentaries like The Invisible War, and now Poster Girl and Iraq Paper Scissors, I believe that even more strongly. Poster Girl and Iraq Paper Scissors are companion pieces by the same director, Sara Neeson, and they both tell the story of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Robynn Murray is the focus of Poster Girl; Murray, a former sergeant in the Army, suffers from physical ailments from her service, but also, and harder to quantify, are the emotional and mental injuries she has. The problem with PTSD is you can't see it on an x-ray or MRI, maybe they're faking. But it's real, and we watch as Robynn struggles with life after the military, trying to get benefits from the Veterans' Administration, navigate the bureaucracy, and trying to cope with her angry outbursts. Robynn finds help from other veterans and art therapy. She finds a group called the Combat Paper Project which turns the veterans' uniforms and manuals into paper and then into art. The whole process, from cutting up their uniforms, to making the paper and then their art, and sharing the art with their comrades as well as family, friends and others just interested in the project is cathartic and allows the vets, including Robynn, to begin healing. They find their voices and an outlet for their anger, anger at the military, the government for not listening or helping, and their anger at themselves for participating in the brutality of war. Many of the soldiers we meet in Iraq Paper Scissors, including Robynn, joined the military when they were kids, 18, 19 or 20, and they come back as adults who have seen and done too much, some things they can't even put into words. But they can put into art. Poster Girl lets us focus on the story of one person, and Iraq Paper Scissors introduces us to the Combat Paper Project and the men and women who participate. We hear their stories and feel their pain, but also their hope and rebirth as they address their demons head on, leaning on each other, really the only other people who can understand their experiences. The Combat Paper Project teams with Warrior Writers, another veterans group, that focuses on the written word. Twenty two veterans commit suicide every day. EVERY DAY. That's not acceptable, it should never be acceptable. These projects, and others like them that are growing around the country, can help pull vets back from the brink. There is also a suicide hotline specifically for veterans. These men and women answered their country's call; it's our turn to be there for them. As one of the veterans said, 'We don't want you to stand behind us, we want you beside us. We want your empathy.'

Resources:
Facts about PTSD
Warrior Writers
Combat Paper Project
Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-TALK
National Call Center for Homeless Veterans 1-877-4AID-VET 

12/23/16 Robert Kennedy Remembered, Best Live Action Short, 1968

Directed by Charles Guggenheim (who directed 11 Oscar nominated documentaries, winning four times), this all-too brief film relies on footage of Robert 'Bobby' Kennedy, and not direct interviews with him or any family. The film was put together after Kennedy's assassination in 1968; it was narrated by Richard Burton. The footage includes news footage as well as home movies from the Kennedys. Bobby Kennedy was John Kennedy's younger brother, who served as JFK's confidante, and the U.S. Attorney General. I knew a little about Robert Kennedy, but not as much as I probably should, and it was really interesting to learn more about his passion for civil rights and his strong sense of right and wrong and duty to his country, and the world. Listening to some of his speeches, it is easy to see how people were so moved by him. When you hear people like the Kennedys and Martin Luther King, who inspire without inciting, you realize how far we have come, in the wrong direction. The film is not an exhausting examination of Kennedy, but it is a wonderful primer on him, and a glimpse into the America of the mid to late 1960s. The discussion of race relations is one of those sad moments (for me) when I realize that we have not advanced as much as we should have, and in some parts of the country, we have taken backwards steps. We need Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy more than ever.

12/23/16 Dark Horse, 2016 not yet nominated 

Who doesn't like a good horse tale? Who doesn't like a good horse tale told with a Welsh accent? Exactly...nobody. Dark Horse is about Dream Alliance and the people who loved him. In a small Welsh mining town, Janet Vokes came up with the idea to create a syndicate to breed and race a horse. She teamed up with Howard Davies, an accountant by profession, to start the syndicate by asking people in the town to join, paying ten pounds a week for care and training of the yet unborn horse. The documentary tells the story from the beginning: the acquisition of Dream's mother, his birth, training, and first races. We meet members from the syndicate as they tell their story directly to the camera, we hear how racing, in the United Kingdom like in the U.S., is considered a sport for the elite, and that they were looked down on by the racing establishment as well as the sporting press. In some ways, they may have relished the role of the outsiders, but other times, the lack of respect seemed to grate on them; they just weren't taken seriously. At least, not until Dream started to win. Of course, it wouldn't be a compelling story without a bump in the road, and since the movie is fairly new, I really don't want to ruin anything. It isn't ruining it, however, to say that the members of the syndicate were more than just owners, they really love Dream Alliance, and he became a point of pride for the townspeople, whether they were owners or not. I read online, somewhere, that Dark Horse may be a contender for Best Documentary; it has the elements that people like, so we'll see. It's a wonderful story, and we get a few views of the beautiful Welsh countryside, and gorgeous horses. You really can't go wrong.

12/23/16 Kon-Tiki, Best Documentary, 1950

In today's world of 500 television channels and dozens of adventure reality shows, the idea of a group of men building a raft and sailing across the Pacific would fit right it. Kon-Tiki is the documentary of Thor Heyerdahl and his international crew who, in 1947, sailed from Peru to Polynesia in the Pacific, on a handmade raft of balsa wood logs, and no engine. This was before satellites or Go-Pro cameras, they had a 16mm camera and a regular camera. Heyerdahl was trying to prove his theories about human migration patterns and what could have been possible with limited technology. It is pretty amazing that there were no major disasters or incidents in the three plus months of the journey, but since this was filmed by the actual crew, if there storms or rough weather (Heyerdahl alludes to one rough patch where they lost their parrot), the crew couldn't be expected to actually film, they would be working to keep sailing. If you have an adventurous spirit, like sailing, or want to see a real reality show, you should try and find this (interlibrary loan, it's not available on Netflix), and also watch the 2012 dramatized version which was nominated for Best Foreign Film. Heyerdahl was a man of big ideas who was pretty determined and fearless when it came to trying them out in the real world; there are not too many real adventurers any more (there are debates about his scientific conclusions which I am not qualified to evaluate, but the adventure was real).