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.

Veterans Day 2015

Veteran's Day comes around and I think of a couple of things, I guess. The first is, obviously, to think about the men and women who have served our country in the armed forces, and the few that I have known personally. I also think about World War I, the war to end all wars, which led to Armistice Day, later Veteran's Day, being designated. And then I think of Doc. I had the pleasure of working with Doc in his 4th career, after a career in the Navy (two tours in Vietnam as a medic); a nursing career; a records management career; and lastly, a career as my sparring partner and mentor. Doc was from a family of 17 who grew up on a farm in Wisconsin and regularly dispensed folksy wisdom as he tried to educate and cajole the 'kids' in the Records Center (my Records Center, as I like to refer to it). Anyway, I always think of Doc because he was born on Veteran's Day and left a great impression on so many of us.

So, in honor (which sounds so pretentious) I'm going to recap some of the military-themed movies I've reviewed over the past few years.

Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1  won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short for 2014 and I couldn't agree more. The film focuses on the crisis center that responds to calls for help from veterans and their families. It's a powerful reminder that even those these men and women are more than 'willing' to fight and defend our country, they are not always able to cope with civilian life after their experiences. It's as much a look at the veterans calling in as it is a look at the responders, many of whom are veterans. This should be required viewing for any congressman/senator looking to cut funding for veterans' services.

The Invisible War  was nominated for Best Documentary in 2012, and I believe it should have won. It takes a hard, unflinching look at sexual assault in the military. There is still so much work to be done in Congress (you know, when they're finished being asshats) and it may be a good time to watch this film and contact your Representative and Senators to ask them to support legislation from Senator Kirsten Gillebrand of New York.

All Quiet on the Western Front  won Best Director and Best Production (Picture) in 1930. It's set during World War I and shows the conditions of trench warfare. Some older movies are tough to watch because the production quality is not what we're used to with our 21st century technology, but I think it's very good and overall the movie is worth watching.

Unbroken is a bio-pic about Louie Zamperini, an Olympic runner and World War II veteran and a survivor of Japanese prison camps. Zamperini was an amazing survivor, having to dig deep in his mental, emotional and physical reserves. Zamperini is opposite The Bird a sadistic camp sergeant who has made it his mission to destroy Zamperini. There is also a book of the same name, and I think they complement each other nicely, the book goes into more detail about Louie's life after he gets out of the camps and it's almost as difficult as it was during the war. It's just a different kind of difficult. I recommend watching the movie and reading the book.

Fury was not an Oscar-nominee, and I did think it should have been recognized for it's sound editing and effects. Fury focuses on tank warfare during World War II, and I don't think there are many movies that have done that. Tanks are similar to submarines in that they are self-contained fighting units, but they can also be fiery tombs under the wrong conditions. When used in movies, they also create a sense of claustrophobia and tension which is good for storytelling. My brother and I liked the movie; it was pretty action-packed from the beginning, taking a break to pursue a different storyline, but then back to the action.

Other movies to check out:
Mrs. Minver  - set during WWII, starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon
The Best Years of Our Lives  - set during WWII, this movie won seven Oscars and is a look at three WWII veterans as they try to fit into society after the war, starring Myrna Loy, Fredric March and Harold Russell, who was the first non-actor to win a competitive Oscar (Best Supporting Actor)
American Sniper - set during the war in Afghanistan and based on the life of Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL and sniper.

 

A Farewell to Arms and a Saturday night

6/29/13 A Farewell to Arms, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, 1932

I have not hidden my lack of understanding regarding the Gary Cooper mystique, and after watching A Farewell to Arms, I still don't get it. Although to be fair, once you add Hemingway into the equation, the odds go way down for me to like anything. Maybe my problem is more with Hemingway, but I had my chance with critiquing Papa in high school, so on to the next thing. A Farewell to Arms is set in Italy, and Gary Cooper plays Frederic Henry, and ambulance drive and Helen Hayes as Nurse Catherine Barkley. Frederic and Catherine fall in love after just one evening together. Adolphe Menjou is Major Rinaldi, Frederic's well-meaning, but clueless and interfering friend, who is a doctor at the hospital where Catherine works. Catherine and Frederic are separated by Rinaldi, who does not approve of their relationship, not knowing that Catherine is pregnant. I tried to watch the movie with an open mind, but it was so hard, Catherine starts off as a seemingly independent-minded woman, but she loses that when she is smitten by Frederic's charms, she then becomes needy and lacking common-sense. The only person who seems to have any brains is Ferguson, a fellow nurse, who knows exactly what is going to happen to Catherine at the hands of Frederic. Frederic, to his credit, tries to find Catherine and goes to great lengths, rowing in the rain and dark and deserting his ambulance company, but he just seems clueless. One of the huge problems with this film may be connected to the transfer to DVD, but the sound was horrible (ironic, in that it won an Oscar for Best Sound) and I had to turn the volume on the television to 48 (normal for my bat-like hearing is 20-23), it was like watching tv with my mom. There were no subtitles, so I missed small bits of dialog. The movie also won for Best Cinematography, and there was some some nice use of shadow and light, for what that's worth. The movie was only 87 minutes long, but it seemed like days. It was a milestone though - only 725 movies left on the Academy list through 2012. Small victories.

Recap - Movies I could watch over and over (and have)

There are people who can watch movies over and over and over, I am usually not that person. Even before I started this project, with over 700 on the list, there are few movies I need or want to see more than once. However, the movies listed below are the exceptions to my self-imposed rule.

The Wizard of Oz, Best Original Score, Best Song, 1939

No question, 1939 was a fabulous year for movies: Gone with the Wind, Wuthering Heights, Beau Geste, and The Wizard of Oz to name just a few. The Wizard of Oz used to be an annual movie event for my family (this is before cable, where it's probably shown several times a year). Apparently I used to sit transfixed for the whole movie, barely moving. It has everything a great movie should have: great characters, music, a story that kids can totally relate to, scary scenes, and flying monkeys. I've lost track of how many times I've seen it, but I did have the opportunity to see it on the big screen, and that was the best viewing ever. I'm sure most of you have seen it, but if for some reason you have avoided it, you should check it out. Judy Garland (native of Grand Rapids, Minnesota) was Dorothy, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow (winner for Best Song) is such a part of the American psyche, it is almost imperative to hear it in its original context. Ray Bolger, Jack Haley and Bert Lahr (as Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion) are forever in my memory. And, lastly, Cleveland native, Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch scared the hell out of my younger self. The film was nominated for several of the visual awards as well, but lost out to Gone with the Wind. That would have been a really tough vote to make, because they are both visual masterpieces, especially in hindsight, looking over 70 years ago and the lack of computer aided effects.

Bridge on the River Kwai, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay, Best Music - Score, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, 1957

This movie is a must see for film buffs and those interested in World War II. The movie is set during World War II in the Pacific theater in Thailand in a Japanese prison camp with mostly British soldiers. Alec Guinness (winner of Best Actor) is Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson, whose firm grip on the protections and rules in the Geneva Convention get him in trouble with the camp commandant. The prisoners are forced to work on a railroad bridge. Some prisoners try to escape, and one, an American, Shears (played by William Holden) There are a lot of things happening in this movie with the relationships between the colonel and his men, the colonel and the commandant, Shears and military command. Guinness is chilling as Nicholson and he is riveting until the very last scene. Most Americans, perhaps just most people today, are not familiar with the war efforts in countries like Burma and Thailand, so, while the movie is not 100% historical, there were camps in that part of the world at that time and the conditions incredibly harsh and brutal. Seeing this movie made me interested in learning more about it. Alec Guinness (perhaps best known to modern audiences as Obi Wan Kenobi from Star Wars or PBS audiences as George Smiley the Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy series) was one of the most amazing actors. I will watch any of his movies just to see him, luckily, many of them are Oscar winners. Bridge was directed by the legendary David Lean (Dr. Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, Passage to India); this movie, and those listed above, are not short, 90 minute flicks. You have to make time for them. Lean sets the stage and tells a story, and unlike many movies that I lambaste for being too long and self-indulgent, Lean uses the time to bring the audience into the narrative.

Lawrence of Arabia, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, 1962

It's probably not an accident that this is another Oscar-winning David Lean film, which coincidentally also has Alec Guinness, this time in a supporting role. I think the first time I saw this was on the big screen in a re-release of the original director's cut. T.E. Lawrence was a real person who served in the British military during the First World War in the Middle East. Peter O'Toole plays Lawrence, and once you watch the movie, you will never forget those eyes. They are piercing, observing, mesmerizing, and aloof. O'Toole seems almost otherworldly as Lawrence becomes part of the Arab world. Anthony Quinn and Omar Sharif have supporting roles, and Sharif, in particular, is incredible to watch (he was also in Dr. Zhivago). This movie is as vast as the Arabian desert, at almost four hours long, it has great action as Lawrence and his 'army' fight the Turks (in World War I, the Ottoman Empire/Turkey was on the side of Germany and Austria-Hungary), and beautiful scenes of the desert. The score, by the inimitable Maurice Jarre helps tell the story, especially during the may periods of little or no dialog. I have read different things over the years about Lawrence and this movie. There are complaints that Lean did not cast Arabs in the main Arab roles (both Quinn and Guinness play leaders in the Arab world), and the O'Toole was not at all like Lawrence, and I could probably go on. But I won't because it is an amazing movie, perhaps not amazing history, but that is for another time. And while I will concede the movie is not a strict historical application, I think it does shed light on the complexities of what is going on in the Middle East today. I think that is the best thing an historical/biographical movie can do, make the viewer want to learn more (so, while people were focusing on the inaccuracies in Lincoln, they may have missed the point that people were discussing things that aren't discussed any more).

Cool Hand Luke, Best Supporting Actor, 1967

I don't know if I can really explain why this movie is so good and why I can watch it over and over, except two words 'Paul Newman'. Newman was nominated as Best Actor and lost to Rod Steiger in In the Heat of the Night; Steiger was good, no question, but I'm bitter, even 45 years later. Newman IS Luke, and he brings the defiance he showed in Hud and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Luke's relationship with George Kennedy (Best Supporting Actor winner) as Dragline starts out rocky but the bigger man eventually realizes that Luke is a worthy opponent, but a better ally. Luke's relationship with the Captain, Strother Martin, is not quite so cordial and results in one of the best lines EVER in filmdom, (right up there with Rhett Butler's 'Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn') 'What we've got here is failure to communicate'. Luke may be a prisoner, but he's a lovable scoundrel with a twinkle in his eye and a seemingly unbreakable spirit, even when he his put in the hot box. I root for Luke to escape every time, cheering him on to evade the bloodhounds on his trail. The thing I love about Newman is when he was on, he was on, you didn't see an actor, you saw him AS that person, whether he was Cool Hand Luke or Fast Eddy Felton.

Creature Comforts, Best Animated Short, 1989

I laugh so hard every time I see this short, in fact, I loved it so much, I actually bought it - on VHS. Creature Comforts tells the animals' side of the story of living in a zoo. It was done by Nick Ardman, the same genius who brought us Wallace and Gromit (there may be a whole post devoted to them since they have won several Oscars). The animals are interviewed on what it's like living in the zoo; some of them like it, some of them do not. My favorite is the jaguar from Brazil, although I love them all. The funniest are usually the observations of the baby animals. My only complaint is sometimes I cannot understand the words and my VHS does not have subtitles. But, that just gives me an excuse to watch it again; perhaps today. My version is on a collection of shorts, but I saw it first on a big screen as an opener to another movie. I don't know how Ardman's mind works, but I hope he keeps making shorts. They tried to make Creature Comforts into a weekly television series and it didn't work; I'm not sure why.

I get asked a lot where I get the movies to watch. I use Netflix, although I am so cheap I refuse to increase my subscription; I also use RedBox for more recent releases, especially if I get codes for free movies, the theater, of course, but mostly I use the Galaxie branch of the Dakota County Library System. Most of the older movies are free, even rentals are only $1.00. You can't beat it. Public libraries are the best community investments; they provide opportunities for education, community meeting places, many free resources including computer access. I love that my library has a line every Sunday before it opens. I love seeing kids dragging their parents inside to go get their favorite books or videos, and I love seeing a variety of cultures using the library. People keep saying libraries are obsolete. Call me naive, but I don't think they are. Support your local library.

War - where boys become men: All Quiet on the Western Front

5/27/13, All Quiet on the Western Front, Best Production, Best Director, 1930

On Memorial Day this year it seemed appropriate to watch a war movie that in its essence is an anti-war movie. All Quiet on the Western Front was based on the book of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque. The movie was made twelve years after the 'war to end all wars' and is told from the German point of view, although aside from occasional bits of German songs, the soldiers could be from either side, which I think lends to its universal tone. The movie begins in a high school classroom with the teacher exalting the virtues and glory of joining the army to fight for the Fatherland. As often happens, the promised glory and  triumph prove to be elusive and mostly fantasy. But that's for later. A few of the classmates join up together and start on their adventure, going through drills with a ghastly drill sergeant, eventually being sent to France. The shine starts to come off the penny when they get to their company and there is no food. The story follows the boys as they fight in the trenches, watch their friends get wounded and killed. One of the soldiers, Paul Baumer, goes home on leave after being wounded, and feels like a stranger. His father and his father's friends (who possibly saw military service but no war action) are busy trying to plan out the next moves for the army, take Paris, take Flanders, etc., like they were playing a game of Risk, while Paul sits there, incredulous, that they are so excited about more war. In the film, Paul does not share his wounds or what he has seen with his family. He revisits his old school and his former teacher who welcomes him back like a hero; this same teacher influenced Paul and his friends to join the war and he continues to espouse his pro-war feelings to his students. He asks Paul to tell them how wonderful it is, but Paul cannot. For his honesty, he is looked on as a coward; he decides to end his leave early and return to his brothers in arms.  Paul returns to his company to find new, green recruits who have nothing to eat but sawdust. Based on the timeline I could put together from some of the things said, it's around 1917/1918, the war is almost at its end in the film (it's mentioned that Paul has served four years and enlisted in the early days).

The movie was made 83 years ago, but I think it holds up pretty well, sure sometimes the acting is a little wooden, and if it was made today, it probably would have been a lot more bloody and explicit, but it conveys a pretty timeless message through the eyes and experience of Paul Baumer. It won for Best Production (pre-Best Picture) and Best Director, and it was before many of the current categories existed (supporting actor, editing, effects, etc.), but I was surprised that Lew Ayres who played Baumer and Louis Wolheim who played Paul's mentor and friend, Katczinsky, weren't nominated; I thought Wolheim really deserved to be considered.

World War I, with its trench warfare tactics, gassing (although not shown in this movie) and the new technology known as the airplane, and the millions of soldiers (not to mention civilians) who were killed, influenced everything from literature, medicine and societal norms.

Variety is the Spice of Life

My movie selections for this past weekend did not yield the results I expected, which is another indication that I should stop trying to plan anything and just watch the movies. Of course, I do intentionally try to watch different genres and eras so the movies don't overlap too much, otherwise I'm afraid everything will blend together. Well, I had another weekend filled with great variety and diversity, and a couple of surprises. I hope some of these reviews or streams of consciousness prompt you to check out some of these movies, especially some of the ones that may be less familiar to you.
Shine, 1/19/13 Best Actor, 1996Geoffrey Rush won the Best Actor this year, and he did a great job as David Helfgott, an Australian pianist who suffered at the hands of his domineering and controlling father, eventually succumbing to a mental breakdown and being diagnosed as having schizoaffective disorder. I wanted to love this movie and have chills watching it. I had chills because it was -4 outside, but not because of the movie. I don’t know why, it’s a true story (always a plus for me); the actor who played the younger Helfgott (Noah Taylor) was as good as Rush and should have been nominated for an Oscar; Armin Mueller-Stahl, who played the abusive father; and it had great music. So, what’s the problem? I connected much more to the younger Helfgott, but just didn’t connect with the older man. I didn’t like the ending either, although perhaps it seemed like a good place to stop, with the death of Helfgott’s father. His father was his teacher, his tormentor and in many ways, his jailer. He exhibits typical abusive behavior, building David up, then tearing him down, saying he’s not good enough, and even beating him on occasion. David, and his father, are obsessed with Rachmaninoff’s 3rd Concerto, which is known for being a very complex and challenging piece (disclosure: I did not know this, I had to look it up) and after one successful performance in London where he is studying, David collapses and has a nervous breakdown. The story follows him back to Australia as he makes his way in a time where little is really known or understood about mental illness. People try to befriend him, but sometimes his behaviors and quirks are off-putting and push people away. He eventually meets his future wife, Gillian, and begins to revive his music career. Billy Bob Thornton was also nominated this year for his role in Slingblade, and in my opinion, he should have won, or at least I liked that movie a lot more, which had wonderfully rich supporting characters.


7th Heaven, Best Actress, 1927/1928

This is the second movie from this Academy Awards presentation that I have watched (Wings being the first), and while it is also set in Paris during the First World War, it is very different. Janet Gaynor plays Diane and Charles Farrell plays her initially reluctant rescuer, Chico. Gaynor won the Best Actress for this year (she also won it for two other movies because the award was originally awarded for the work of the artist for that year), and I think she was wonderful in the role of Diane. Her character evolves from a meek, frightened girl who is treated as a servant by her drunk sister into a strong, tough and determined young woman who refuses to believe that her husband was killed in the war. Chico starts his life as a sewer worker, but gets a job above-ground as a street sweeper, and in the hierarchy of municipal jobs, it’s a huge step up for him. He is a really optimistic guy, always looking up. He often refers to himself as ‘a very remarkable fellow’, and he is. After Diane’s sister, Nana, beats her in the street, Chico steps in to protect Diane, but attracts attention from the police, telling the police that Diane is his wife and so begins their unconventional relationship. Chico asks Diane to stay at his flat because if the police stop by and find that he doesn’t have a wife, he will be in trouble. So, she stays (Chico gallantly sleeps out on the balcony) and, sprinkle some magical movie fairy dust, and they eventually fall in love, although Chico refuses to actually say those words. Religion is a theme that runs throughout the movie, because Chico says several times that he does not believe in God (I think there is an indication that Chico and his fellow street sweeper are Communists with the Russian Revolution a few years off, if my timetable estimate is correct), but Diane does and her belief seems to carry her through the movie, and to Chico’s heart. I think they have one of the most romantic cinematic relationships. They don’t have time to get married before Chico goes off to war, so they get married in his apartment, exchanging their own vows, and religious medals as tokens of their love. Chico cannot say ‘I love you’, so he makes his own saying ‘Chico.Diane.Heaven’; the two of them repeat this several times before he leaves, but they promise each other that every day at 11:00 am they will say these words. They do this religiously (pun sort of intended) and it is how they ‘know’ the other is alive. I would never have watched this movie if it wasn’t for this task I set for myself, but it falls into the category of ‘happy accident’; I know a lot of people won’t watch it because it’s 85 years old has no spoken dialogue, may seem a little melodramatic, and doesn’t have any great CGI or animatronic special effects, but if you want to see something different, give this a try. After a while you forget that you can’t hear them talk because you get caught up in the story and the characters.

Pan’s Labyrinth, 1/21/13, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup 2006

I really don’t know where to start with this movie, it took me a little while to get sucked in, but by the end of it, I was marking it down as a movie I would watch again (once I get through the next 770+ movies on my list). It’s described as a ‘dark fantasy’, and that is pretty accurate. It was directed by Guillermo del Toro, and after watching this, I would have liked to see his take on The Hobbit, which he was supposed to direct. It is set in 1940s Spain, with the fight between the right-wing Francoists and the left-wing guerrillas as the setting. Ofelia and her pregnant mother go out to the country where her step-father, Vidal, is a captain in the military and in charge of tracking down the guerrillas/Maquis. Right away you just know this is not going to go well, he is one of the meanest, vile characters I’ve seen in a while and there is nothing to like about him. Her mother is very sick from the pregnancy, and Vidal is more concerned about his legacy than his wife. Mercedes is a local from the village who serves as a housekeeper/cook for the captain and grows very fond of Ofelia and her mother. Ofelia loves her books and stories and ‘discovers’ a hidden world ‘guarded’ by a magical faun. The faun believes Ofelia to be the lost princess of the magical kingdom and sets before her three tasks to complete. The relationship between Ofelia and the faun is fraught with complexity, the faun as a loyal subject, but also an instructor, a bully, a disciplinarian, and Ofelia a frightened little girl, with a sense of adventure and eventually, incredible courage. The actress who played Ofelia, Ivana Baquero, was wonderful in such an intense role; Mercedes, Maribel Verdu, was really strong and proved she was not a woman to be messed with, as Vidal found out. I liked that there was very little that was predictable about the story, you really have to hang in there until the end, and even at that point, you still may not be sure what happened. The movie won for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Makeup and I found it to be one of the most visually interesting movies I have seen in a while. The use of shadows and color is very captivating, kind of what I would expect from the winner of Best Cinematography; it captured the mood and the different environments in which the characters live. The sets of the Otherworld were rich in detail and imagination. For the makeup, they had me at the faun (played by Doug Jones who was also the Silver Surfer) and the creature with eyes in his hands (yes, you read that right), which was very creepy, and also played by Doug Jones. The movie was nominated for three other awards, including Best Foreign Film, but lost out to The Lives of Others, which was a very intense movie based on real events, and perhaps that’s why it won (which isn’t to say it’s a bad thing, it was an excellent movie, just very different from Pan’s Labyrinth). There were certain times in the movie where I thought this would be a great movie for teenagers and a nice introduction to foreign films, since the main character is a young teenager, perhaps even 10 or 11, but then there were some very intense scenes, so I am on the fence about that. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre; don’t let the fact that it’s in Spanish turn you off, once you get into the movie, you might not even notice it’s in Spanish.

Before the 'Oscar' was 'Oscar'

Wings, 9/9/12, Most Outstanding Production, Best Effects – Engineering Effects 1927/1928

I have seen little snippets of silent movies over the years, usually the more comedic ones, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Keystone Cops, etc., or the really melodramatic, exaggerated drama – doe-eyed women hoping Dudley Doright will rescue her. I wasn’t sure what to expect with Wings, but I really thought it was important to see this movie (and others from this early period) sooner than later. It was awarded the award for 'Most Outstanding Production' (now known as 'Best Picture'). I was a history major, after all. And after watching The Artist, I wanted to see what an original silent movie was like. I have to say that watching many of these movies has been a wonderful experience. Again, my complaint has more to do with the length of the movie, really 141 minutes? Ugh. It would have been shorter if they cut out the relationship silliness with Clara Bow (she might have agreed as she acknowledged this was a man’s film). I listened to Wings with a newer score that was put together (I think for the most recent release in 2012). That really helped capture the mood and feeling of the action, and I honestly didn’t miss the dialog once I got into the story. There were intertitles to convey some of the interactions, but if you pay attention, you know what is happening. The story is basically about two young men heading off to fight in World War I in Europe as aviators. They start off as rivals, coming from the same hometown and loving the same girl, but become the best of friends. There are some wonderful flying scenes, and I don’t know how they did that over 80 years ago, no CGI, less sophisticated technology, but they did and it’s awesome. I have watched a lot of war movies and seen many combat scenes, and I think these scenes definitely hold their own. If this wasn’t World War I, it could have been World War II, Korea, Iraq; in this instance, it’s not the geography that is as important as the relationship between David and Jack. The end of the movie, or maybe it’s really the penultimate sequence (there’s more love story stuff at the very end) has a dramatic twist that was well-done. Clara Bow was the original ‘It’ girl and was quite the star in her day. I don’t know if she’s in any more of the movies on my list, but I think she is worth checking out; Richard Arlen (David) was originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, he was wonderfully understated in his role, and I could easily see Steve McQueen or William Holden playing that part; Buddy Rogers (Jack) was fun to watch, and you could see him grow up from a young adult to a man (although the very obvious grey around his temples was a little much). If you like The Artist, I would totally recommend this movie; if you didn’t like The Artist, I still recommend it, but understand if you’re a little leery of a movie that’s almost two and a half hours long with only a soundtrack to move it along.