Congrats for Surviving "Oscar Apocalypse 2011"

Sunday night came and went, and the sun shined this morning (well, in some parts of the country, but not here). The King's Speech dominated the Oscars, and we're all still here. We survived what I liked to think many felt was the "Oscar Apocalypse". If you've been following this blog in the short time it's been live, you realize that I have a strong distaste for the sheer lack of appreciation towards The King's Speech and the pure hatred at its collection of accolades. It's a very nice film, and I was not surprised when Steven Spielberg called its name as Best Picture last night. I will say, however, the show itself was...odd, for lack of a better word. It had some terrific highlights, some head-scratching moments, and other times where things were just plain dull. I'm hoping to cover all of that in this post. On an interesting personal and side note, last night marked the third year in a row that my number one film did not win Best Picture. Since the year 2000 that has only happened once (2006's The Departed).

First, my predicitons: I chose correctly on 19 of 24 categories. With alternates I was correct on 21 of 24 categories; a pretty solid effort I'd say. My only wrong prediction in the major categories was David Fincher receiving Best Director over Tom Hooper, which I found to be very much an incorrect honor on the Academy's part. Where I have my issues with the backlash over The King's Speech as Best Picture, I strongly stand by the thought that Fincher deserved to be recognized for his work on The Social Network. Fincher is a terrific filmmaker, creating such previous works as Fight Club, Se7en, and Zodiac. His work has been a staple in Hollywood since the latter half of the 1990's, and The Social Network is arguably his best work behind the camera. Out of the five nominees, he should have been recognized. This is despite my thinking that Christopher Nolan gave the best directing performance of the year for Inception.

Other than that there weren't any sort of major upsets the entire night. When Alice in Wonderland won for Art Direction early on, it was clear to me that it would also win for Costume Design. However, it's hard for me to come to the realization that Alice in Wonderland is one of the five films with multiple Oscar wins from last night, and other, better films like 127 Hours, True Grit, and The Kids Are All Right walked away empty handed.

Something I thought was interesting was that the night mirrored the Oscar season almost to perfection. As the night rolled along The Social Network picked up three awards without breaking a sweat, Original Score, Editing, and Adapted Screenplay. In both Score and Editing, it beat out its major opponent, The King's Speech. At this point as well, King's Speech only had one Oscar, for Original Screenplay. It almost looked as if The Social Network would win Director and Picture, and would walk away the big winner of the night. But then Kathryn Bigelow sucked any life The Social Network had left when she called out Hooper's name for Best Director. At that point, everyone knew the race was over. It was very much like The Social Network's early dominance over the critics and the Golden Globes, and The King's Speech's late charge with DGA, PGA and SAG awards.

Inception was another big winner last night, getting four technical Oscars, two for Sound, one for Cinematography, and one for Visual Effects. It tied The King's Speech for the most Oscars, and in many ways to me, was the Academy's way of apologizing for the snub of Christopher Nolan's Best Director nomination. It could also be though, that Inception deserved those four Oscars, and was more of a stake as to how much Nolan's vision needed to be recognized.

We then arrive at The King's Speech. It won four Oscars, all in major categories: Best Picture, Director, Leading Actor, and Original Screenplay. Its wins for Picture and Director has sent many into a frenzy, calling it one of the worst choices ever, slandering the Academy, and Tom Hooper personally. To be blunt, this is uncalled for and ridiculous. The King's Speech is a good film; a crowd pleaser. In a year where the Academy members had to sit through countless difficult-to-watch and depressing films (Toy Story 3, Winter's Bone, Black Swan, Biutiful, 127 Hours, and Inside Job, just to name a few), it was probably very refreshing to finally see a movie that makes us feel good about life, and we don't have to look away while viewing it. Yes, the film is very formulaic, but it also is entertaining to watch. I'm not one to say that it is, or will ever be considered, the best film to be released in 2010, but I can understand why the Academy thought so highly of the film.

As for The Social Network, well, let's be straight. It's not the most amazing piece of film ever created. All this talk of it being a generation definer is just silly in my estimation. We can't know what will be the film that defines our generation the moment it is released. To be perfectly honest, if a film about a man who screws his best friend out of a company, and winds up alone for the rest of his life (or so is portrayed) defines our generation, then we're a pretty shitty group. Also, "generation definer" doesn't exactly translate to Oscar gold. The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off defined the eighties; how many Oscars did they win? None. In fact, neither had a single nomination. If it were up to me, I'd say Catfish does a better job of showing what it means to live in this era. Using social networks to connect with people, texting conversations, and using GPS machines to get to destinations, Catfish shows more of what it means to live in the 21st Century, and the consequences because of it.

Finally, we come to the ceremony itself, which I found a bit bland. Anne Hathaway had a tremendous spark as co-host, and is someone I would not mind seeing host again. However, as great of an actor I think he is, James Franco didn't do so well. Whether it be nerves, a lack of sleep (he's divided his time between getting two PhD's, preparing for the ceremonies, and promoting 127 Hours...seriously, when does this guy sleep?), or just that he was feeling "groovy", he didn't work. Also, the show seemed too timid to let Hathaway and Franco do anything drastic or out of the ordinary, aside from Franco's appearance in drag, which ended too quickly to really mean much of anything. I think that next year, if the Oscars want their younger demographic, they should stick with Hathaway, but let her do more. She's a talented singer, performer and actress, let her show off her skills. Also, subtract Franco and add......Justin Timberlake. He's got the charm, everyone in Hollywood loves him, he's always funny on Saturday Night Live, and the dude's a pretty good singer. I think Hathaway and Timberlake would draw in a huge young demographic, while being classy enough to keep older audiences tuned in.

I felt as if the entire show was very choppy. It did run on time, lasting just a shade over three hours, but too many of the bits seemed cut short to seem relevant. Billy Crystal's appearance to honor Bob Hope was a terrific idea, but it seemed so short to me that I questioned the point of it. I was happy that the show went back to clips for each actor nominated along with a few words from the presenter, however. It was a nice touch and I hope the show continues with that. I must say though, when the show presented all ten Best Picture nominees at the end of the night, and had them dubbed by the speech from the end of The King's Speech, I found it quite tacky. It was as if the show was saying "bow to the king". If the montage would have had audio clips from each film I would have been okay with it, but this just seemed distasteful, and a slap in the face with the other nine nominees.

The show could have used polish, but some parts of it stood out really well. The opening montage with Franco and Hathaway stands out, and there were several great speeches (Hooper's tribute to his mother was especially moving), and not so great ones (try not dropping F-bombs in the future Melissa Leo). But now, it's time to close the book on the 2010 Oscar season, and look forward to next years awards. This has been a memorable year in film, and here's to hoping next year is just as good.

I also want to take the chance to thank everyone who's been supporting the blog so far. In this short time it has been up I've recieved some great feedback from several of you, and it's nice to know you're out there reading. I hope that 2011 will give me more opportunites to provide insight into the awards season, and some great pieces to begin.

Final Oscar Predicitions: 2011 Edition

It's finally here. After months of analysis, lobbying, and campaigning, Oscar night is here. We've gone through countless awards shows to get to this night, but there's truly nothing like the Oscars. This is the type of year where there isn't a dominant film, in my opinion at least. I feel that, tonight, many films (I'd say four or five) will go home with multiple Oscars. None will take home more than six. That's the best way to honor this year. There are plenty of very good films that deserve recognition for their various achievements, and I think that's what we'll see tonight. Here now are my final predictions, with alternate picks. No analysis, just my selections. Enjoy the show tonight, and check back tomorrow for my thoughts on the ceremony.




Best Picture: The King's Speech
alt. The Social Network

Best Director: David Fincher, The Social Network
alt. Tom Hooper, The King's Speech

Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King's Speech
alt. James Franco, 127 Hours

Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
alt. Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
alt. Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
alt. Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
alt. Toy Story 3

Best Original Screenplay: The King's Speech
alt. Inception

Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
alt. How To Train Your Dragon

Best Documentary Feature: Inside Job
alt. Exit Through the Gift Shop

Best Art Direction: The King's Speech
alt. Inception

Best Cinematography: True Grit
alt. Inception

Best Visual Effects: Inception
alt. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I

Best Film Editing: The Social Network
alt. 127 Hours

Best Costume Design: The King's Speech
alt. I Am Love

Best Makeup: The Wolfman
alt. The Way Back

Best Foreign Language Film: In A Better World
alt. Biutiful

Best Original Score: The Social Network
alt. Inception

Best Original Song: "We Belong Together" Toy Story 3
alt. "If I Rise" 127 Hours

Best Sound Editing: Inception
alt. Tron: Legacy

Best Sound Mixing: Inception
alt. Salt

Best Animated Short Film: The Gruffalo
alt. Day & Night

Best Live Action Short Film: God of Love
alt. The Confession

Best Documentary Short: Strangers No More
alt. Poster Girl

Oscars 2011: What My Ballot Would Look Like

We're less than 30 hours away from the big awards ceremony tomorrow night. All of the ballots are in, so at this point, the Oscar season is all but over. No more campaigns, no more lobbying, no more analysis. It's just a matter of waiting for the envelops to be open.

I was hoping to be able to have more in depth analysis of the awards before tomorrow night, with essays and such, but my ineffective timing in starting the blog, and the annoyance of school work and actual work has made it difficult. I'm hoping that this time next year I'll be able to have delivered some great insight into the awards.

For today, however, I wanted to post what my Oscar ballot would look like, if I in fact had the honor of having one. Please note this is not my predictions for tomorrow night, but how I would vote based on what is nominated, and what I saw from 2010. Comments are provided for the bigger categories. I won't bother listing each nominee in every category, but instead just list my vote. Enjoy!

Best Actor: Javier Bardem, Biutiful
Where films were overall down this year, one are where they really shined was in acting. All of the performances nominated this year are well deserving, and there are even some that didn't get nominated that deserved recognition as well. My pick for best actor is perhaps a bit of a shock, but Bardem gives such a moving performance in this Innaritu picture that I simply could not get it out of my head. He says so much throughout the film by just his expressions. There is so much emotion happening with this character, and Bardem is able to bring it all to the surface.

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
This was a difficult one for me to decide on, as John Hawkes is just as great in Winter's Bone. However, it's hard to ignore just how in tune Bale becomes with the washed up fighter Dicky Eklund. His Boston accent is pitch perfect. Easily his greatest scene is his viewing of the documentary, and his revelation at what the filmmakers were actually there for. Such powerful performance.

Best Actress: Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
The best part of this indie gem, and a performance that did not have one false note. Although Natalie Portman is deserving as well (and in the better film in my opinion), Bening gives such a moving and real performance as Nic, the control-obsessed mother of her family. Her methods may not be always right, but her means are, evidenced in the film's final few scenes.

Best Supporting Actress: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
The Coen brothers were skeptical that they could even find a pre-teen girl to play the role of Mattie Ross, then in stepped Steinfeld. In her debut role, Steinfeld shares the screen with acting greats such as Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and Josh Brolin. She holds her own against them all, and steals most every scene. Her charm can't be understated, and to be honest, I still do not understand why she is nominated in Supporting Actress. Her character is the center of the film's story, and she is in almost every scene of the film. She should be in lead actress. Perhaps the Academy placed her here figuring she'd have the better shot at winning the award. It wouldn't be a shock, or the first time it's happened.

Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
This is a no brainier.

Best Art Direction: Inception
Although Alice in Wonderland had some very imaginative set pieces, Inception was able to pull off the "less is more" look. So many times I was engaged in various scenes just by the way they looked. The opening shoot out is a great example.

Best Cinematography: True Grit
Again, a lock for me. Deakins did such a terrific job being the Coen Brother's eyes for their western retelling.

Best Costume Design: The Kings Speech

Best Director: David Fincher, The Social Network
Unfortunately, Christopher Nolan, who was my favorite director credit of the year, was not nominated. However, Fincher is just as deserving. He does a terrific job of letting this be the character-driven story that it is, while still able to mesmerize us with interesting angles and character reactions that complete the film.
 
Best Documentary: Inside Job
The most important film of the year. One that needs to be recognized so that more people will see and understand its impact on society.

Best Film Editing: 127 Hours
Lately, Best Editing has come to mean, "most cuts". In that case, this is The Social Network's to lose. However, 127 Hours does a terrific job of drawing us into Ralston's story, and keeping us engaged for just over 90 minutes. The highlight of the film is without a doubt the amputation scene.

Best Foreign Language Film: Biutiful
This gets my vote by default, as it is the only film I saw out of the five nominated. I feel that will be the case with plenty of voters, as the star power of Javier Bardem will drive many to see this before the other films. However, that does not mean it is undeserving of the award. This is a powerfully emotional film, driven by Bardem's brilliant performance.

Best Makeup: The Wolfman
Ugh. I hate to vote for this, but it's makeup was the only redeeming factor.

Best Original Score: The Social Network
What drives The Social Network to be the gripping drama that it is, besides its script and casting, is the terrific score. It is extremely haunting, especially in its opening moments, as Zuckerberg jogs through Harvard.

Best Original Song: "We Belong Together", Toy Story 3
Randy Newman won back in 1996 for "You've Got A Friend in Me" from the original Toy Story. What better way to honor the series than hand it it's second award of the night for a terrific parallel to Newman's original classic?

Best Sound Editing: Inception
Best Sound Mixing: Inception
Inception is the best technical film of the year, and so it makes sense to award it many of the technical awards that it is up for, no?

Best Visual Effects: Inception
Again, it had the best eye candy of the year. It's hard to argue against the street raising scene. Or the water collapse. Or...basically any scene.

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
Aaron Sorkin creates a masterfully executed script. So much happens in this film that two views are needed just to appreciate anything that you missed the first time around.

Best Original Screenplay: The Kids Are All Right
Lisa Cholodenko's script tackles so many issues of today's society, and brings rich characters to life in an amazing way. Such an unforgettable film, that begins with the script.

Best Picture: The Social Network
Although not a life changing film, or even perhaps the generation defining film, The Social Network is the best film in a somewhat weak year. We may look back on this year a decade from now and realize that, in fact, The Social Network was the generation definer that so many have made it out to be, but for now, it's just a great film about how no one is immune to the idea of power.

There you have it, my Oscar ballot, if I had one. Check back tomorrow for my final Oscar picks, and watch the Oscars tomorrow night!

The 11 Best Scenes of 2010

Day three of Oscar week. I know it seems like this blog is just becoming a "best of" site, but I assure you that more interesting and insightful posts will be coming after Sunday night. I always enjoy wrapping up the year in film and thought this was a great time to do it.

Hopefully you enjoyed and/or agreed with my best of list yesterday. Now it's time to get into the real grit of awards, and to start, I want to highlight something that I find fascinating that awards don't concentrate enough on, the best scenes of the year. Sometimes, there can be just one scene that transcends a film from being good, to great. Other times it may just be a really great shot that wowed me when I was viewing the film.

I decided to go with eleven shots for this segment simply because top ten this and top ten that can get pretty redundant after awhile; so why not mix things up a bit? Some of these entries may be a bit surprising, but I like to think that even in lesser films, that there is something redeeming about them, which is the case with my 11 and 10 picks. They are by far the weakest films to appear on this list, but their two scenes really struck me as being quite good.

Some of these shots are screen captures from my DVD's, and their quality may not be that good.All of the shots, however, come from the scenes discussed.

Oh, and P.S., this post contains heavy spoilers for several of the films discussed. Don't read my comments if you have not already seen the film.

Let's get to it then.

11) The Book of Eli: Shadow Fight

All too often, fight scenes in films today go for quick editing and gross out violence (see: Repo Men). However, The Book of Eli's opening fight scene is so simplistic, and yet such a terrific foreshadow to the big twist at the end. Showing the battle from a distance, and the blood spurting against the backdrop, make this the most effective fight scene I saw all year.

10) Kick-Ass: Strobe Light

Unfortunately, this isn't the greatest photo in the world, but if you've seen Kick-Ass, then I'm sure you know this scene, and it's impact on the story. What I love about this shot is the amount of color going on, and how they are all highlighted, instead of washed away in the strobe lights blue color. It gives our eyes so much to focus on in only a matter of seconds. Notice too, how both deaths here are represented with red. Big Daddy, of course, on fire, and the goon wearing the red mask. Also too, the poise of Hit-Girl as she aims her shot, and the utter terror of Kick-Ass, not knowing what the hell is going on.

9) A Prophet: Happy One Year



Malik awakens, we assume it's the next day, until he sits up and we notice a considerable change in his appearance. His hair is longer, he looks poorly slept. Then appears Reyeb, speaking for the first time since Malik murdered him, singing him "Happy birthday" but instead singing "Happy One Year", for the first anniversary of his incarceration. Reyeb blows out the light, and is gone. It is such a simple scene, yet is a powerful set up for Malik's rise to power in the prison, and a great foreshadow for his onging visuals of Reyeb. 

8) Winter's Bone: Showdown

Easily the scene with the most amount of tension on the list, and also the highlight of Winter's Bone. John Hawkes gives a pitch perfect performance as Teardrop, and this scene is his finest. Debra Granik is able to craft so much drama between Teardrop and the officer, and at this point in the film, we're not really sure what Teardrop is capable of doing. This shot in particular, when we see Teardrop holding the rifle, makes you lean just a little bit more forward in your seat, not sure what is going to happen next. When the officer leaves, but insists that Teardrop didn't stare him down, we know better. 

7) Shutter Island: Execution

Scorsese's Shutter Island did not, unfortunately, live up to its steep expectations, but one of its lasting qualities was the effective cinematography throughout the film. This scene in particular, is its finest. The long take dolly shot lets the viewer settle into the shock of the executions, then settle in more as the horror continues long after it should be necessary. It's such a necessary and effective flashback for DiCaprio's character, to see this kind of horror through his eyes. 

6) Black Swan: Transformation

One of the things that makes Black Swan so effective is how it borders the thin line between horror and thriller. As Nina slowly becomes intoxicated by her own inner Black Swan, she becomes more and more unstable. This scene, taking place immediately after Nina assumes she has murdered Lily, is her literal and figurative transformation to the dark side that Thomas wanted her so desperately to bring out. When it's finally over, and her feathers are fully exposed, it is only when we see from the audience's perspective that the figurative transformation was just a hallucination.

5) Inception: First Kick

 

Inception's opening action scene gives the audience that "What the hell is going on?" feel, but in the best way possible. The scene explains most, if not all of the concepts of Nolan's world, without explaining it to us, but instead showing us it in action. The collapse of the dream with the flood, pictured above, is my favorite shot of the year. If only the film decided to show us how this world worked, instead of telling us later on, the film would have been nearly flawless.

4) The Ghost Writer: "Beginnings"

 

As if The Ghost Writer wasn't gripping enough in the two hours prior to its final scene, its heightened finale makes for the most shocking ending of the year. As the Ghost (Ewan McGregor) realizes the secret and leaves the convention, manuscript in hand, we assume he is off to the tell the world of his revelation. As he leaves off screen for a taxi, we hear a car speed up, a thump, and then, the papers, flying everywhere, consuming the screen. An assumption that the Ghost has been murdered, so that his revelation is not known. Such a brilliant, and shocking, ending. 

3) The Social Network: The Breakup

 

The opening scene to my number 1 film sets up the entire film perfectly on so many different levels. You have first, the dialogue, exchanged at such a rapid and crisp pace, that multiple viewings are required just to keep up with everything that is said. Second, are the lines about people who row crew and members of final clubs. Both of these groups are "targets", so to speak, of Mark's throughout the film. It could be stated that he plots to screw the Winklevoss' and Saverin due to this scene, and Erica's comments on both groups. Erica's final line, about Mark being an asshole only comes full circle at the end, when Marilyn, delivering the film's final line, states, "You're not an asshole Mark. You're just trying so hard to be." And like that, he's all alone.

2) 127 Hours: The Fall

While watching 127 Hours, we already know the "happy" ending that will be coming. Yet, director Danny Boyle does a terrific job of keeping us on the edge of our seat. The film's opening is the perfect example. We know that, eventually, Aron Ralston will fall into the cave, and the rock will pin his arm to the rock wall behind it, stumping his movement. When it does come, about fifteen minutes into the film, Boyle shoots it very calmly at first, giving the frame both Ralston and the rock below him, then jumps to rapid editing as Ralston falls, and the rock with him. Once he's down, the camera emphasizes the shock on Ralston's face, As he continues to stare at the rock, the title card appears on screen. Whoa.

1) Toy Story 3: "So long, Partner"

All too often do animated films try to bring in senses of emotion, and fail at really making audiences feel for the characters. Pixar, however, has been able to do it correctly. Who can forget the tear jerking "life" sequence from last year's Up? This year, Pixar truly outdid themselves for the finale to Toy Story 3. It's such a well crafted ending, and all trilogy endings should take note. Not only is this Andy's final goodbye to his toys, but also ours. These characters have touched our lives for the past fifteen years, and while the moment is indeed intended for those of us that have been here since the original Toy Story, it still packs quite the punch. Notice how, in the frame above, there's the passing of the torch, so to speak. Woody has always been Andy's number one toy, and so it should be no surprise that he's the final toy Andy gives to Bonnie. It shows us that there's something really tragic about being an adult, but at the same time, that we all will always have a little kid in us.

The Best Films of 2010

I'm not really sure how to pin 2010 for movies. It was a year that showed flashes of brilliance, no doubt, but I don't think I'm wrong by saying this was an overall weak year for top-tier movies. There were plenty of very good films to keep us occupied, spread out throughout the year as well, but there was a definite decline on great films, or as I call them, “Modern Marvels”. Each film this year had flaws that I found hard to ignore. There were several films though, that, on multiple viewings, helped cover up those flaws by showing me new elements that I had not seen at first. I was able to find only one film this year that I considered a “Modern Marvel”, and it is my number one of the year.

I must also admit I had the most difficult time creating my top 10 list. So many films showed enough goodness to be on the list, that as many as eight slots shuffled around to different films throughout the past few weeks. Because of that I've decided to include a list of films that just missed my cut. However, the ten that did make it are there because they have stayed in my mind long after viewing. That to me, is the most important aspect of a film's significance; if you're talking about it days, weeks, or even months after a viewing because of something that astounded you or made you think, then you know it's a very good film.

Okay, I've rambled on enough. 68 films later and I've narrowed it down to 17 that are worthy of recognition. Here now are my honorable mentions, in alphabetical order. All of these are admirable films that deserve your time, and attention.

Animal Kingdom

Written and Directed by David Michôd
Produced by Liz Watts

The Fighter

Written by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson
Directed by David O. Russell
Produced by David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, Mark Wahlberg

Fish Tank

Written and Directed by Andrea Arnold
Produced by Kees Kasander



Inside Job

Written by Chad Beck, Adam Bolt
Directed and Produced by Charles Ferguson



A Prophet

Written by Thomas Bidegain, Jacques Audiard
Directed by Jacques Audiard
Produced by Lauranne Bourrachot, Martine Cassinelli, Marco Cherqui



Somewhere

Written and Directed by Sofia Coppola
Produced by G. Mac Brown, Roman Coppola, Sofia Coppola

Winter's Bone

Written by Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini
Directed by Debra Granik
Produced by Alix Madigan, Anne Rosellini

And now, on to the top ten:

10) Greenberg

Written and Directed by Noah Baumbach
Produced by Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Rudin

I had all but written off Ben Stiller as an important factor in modern era comedy. Then came this little gem. Stiller completely embodies the title character, who I would compare in many ways to Jesse Eisenberg's Mark Zuckerberg from The Social Network. He is such a complex character to understand, and yet, in his final, exposing moments, he's one of the most simplistic characters of the year. Such a joy to watch a second time.

9) The Kids Are All Right

Written by Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg
Directed by Lisa Cholodenko
Produced by Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Celine Rattray

The indie hit of the year has some of the most enduring characters of 2010. Cholodenko's script doesn't have a lot of controversy, but it creates a set of characters that feel as real as they can be. Anchored by Annette Bening's brilliant performance, the take on the modern family will stay with you long after it's over.

8) Catfish

Written by Yaniv Schulman
Directed by Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Produced by Andrew Jarecki, Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman, Marc Smerling

Is it a real documentary, or completely fabricated? Can we really believe people could become this obsessive? How can everything happen so perfectly for it to be "true"? Despite all of these questions, (and more), Catfish is still one of the most gripping films of the year. Real or not, it is such a cautionary tale for social networking, and a film you can't turn away from, no matter how shocked you become.

7) Blue Valentine

Written by Derek Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne, Joey Curtis
Directed by Derek Cianfrance
Produced by Lynette Howell, Alex Orlovsky, Jamie Patricof

We've seen stories of love found and love lost many times before, but Cianfrance's feature film debut is one of the most real accounts in recent memory. The passion these two characters show for each other, paralleled with their hatred, makes for an all too powerful ending of emotions. What is the best part of this film is the simpleness at which Cianfrance directs. His camera doesn't move much, making the story and characters all the more important.

6) Inception

Written and Directed by Christopher Nolan
Produced by Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan

It's incredible to think that Inception could be Christopher Nolan's best film, given his repertoire. If anything, it is easily his most original, and the most ambitious film of the year. Nolan is able to create an entire world, and while the film sometimes takes too long to explain how it all works, once it gets into its second half, it is almost pitch perfect.

5) Toy Story 3

Written by Michael Arndt
Directed by Lee Unkrich
Produced by Darla K. Anderson

Pixar can do no wrong. Toy Story 3 wraps what one could argue has been the finest trilogy of all time. Like so many Pixar films, it is able to relate to both adults and children. Tackling so many different themes and real-life issues, it is such a heartfelt finale. The ending wraps the series so perfectly, and shows us that there's just something so damn tragic about growing up.

4) 127 Hours

Written by Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy
Directed by Danny Boyle
Produced by Danny Boyle, Christian Colson, John Smithson

I wasn't exactly excited for this film when I first saw the trailer. I wasn't quite sure how it could relate to audiences, or if it could sustain itself for 90 minutes with seemingly only one character on screen. That all changed the first time I saw it. From the jaw dropping title card, to the cringe worthy amputation, 127 Hours hardly falters, and keeps the story going, with intelligent flashbacks, and visuals that are more appreciated on multiple viewings.

3) Black Swan

Written by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John J. McLaughlin
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
Produced by Scott Franklin, Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver

Aronofsky's fifth feature film is his most terrifying, but to me, is his most polished. It's exciting to see a good director finally begin to find what works for him. Aronofsky began it with The Wrestler, and continues here with Black Swan. Although not quite on the auteur level as other greats like Scorsese or the Coen Brothers, Aronofsky is getting close. Between him and Nolan, I have a feeling this will be one hell of a decade for directors.

2) The Ghost Writer

Written by Robert Harris, Roman Polanski
Directed by Roman Polanski
Produced by Robert Benmussa, Roman Polanski, Alain Sarde

Polanski's film went very much under the radar. It came and went from theaters in mid-March, and didn't have much exposure, albeit because of Polanski's personal issues. However, The Ghost Writer is a terrific thriller and one of Polanski's very best films. He keeps his camera very subtle, yet is able to incorporate all of his styles that we've begun to know and appreciate. The twists towards its finale are shocking, and when we assume it's over, it gives us one last moment of shock, awe, and utter amazement.

1) The Social Network

Written by Aaron Sorkin
Directed by David Fincher
Produced by Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca, Ceán Chaffin

At first I had my reservations about the film. There are some nagging complaints I have (writing on a window? Running through snow in sandals? Really?) Yet, it's hard to ignore the greatness that Sorkin achieves with his script, and Eisenberg and Garfield together as Facebook co-founders Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin. Just watch Eisenberg's eyes as Saverin tells him, "Lawyer up, asshole", he says so much with his body language. He's upset, mad, and at the same time, frightened. Frightened that he's just lost his one friend, and will be alone for the rest of his life. It's the most powerful moment of the year, made so by crisp dialogue, smooth direction, and perfect acting. Despite complaints that this isn't the "real" account of the Facebook founding, it makes for one hell of a film.


So there you have it, my best films of 2010. Feel free to comment with your own list, and if you agree or disagree with mine. Each of these 17 films are well deserving of a view, and most of them (11 actually) are available on DVD. Seek them out.

Kings and Networks

If you've been following the Oscar race this year, you may or may not have notice the sudden shift in the balance of power of the coveted Best Picture and Best Director Oscars for the Sunday. When the race kicked off, it was as if The Social Network was being called the greatest thing to happen to mankind since Jesus resurrected Lazarus. Every critic, EVERY critic, named it the best film of the year. Some went as far to say it is the best picture of the decade, and a generation definer. Honestly, these last two are quite the stretch, because to me, you can't really tell what is going to "define" a generation until some time has passed. Also, we're only one year into the decade, so to say that nothing else is going to be better for the next nine years is not only far fetched, but disappointing as well; what could we look forward to then? The film coasted through the Golden Globes, taking home four honors, including Best Drama and Best Director, and only losing in two categories (Actor and Supporting Actor), which it really didn't stand a chance in to begin with.

Then came The King's Speech comeback. The film took top honors at the Screen Actors Guild, the Producers Guild, The BAFTA Awards (the British equivalent to the Oscars), and the most shocking, the Directors Guild. All of this hardware bolted The King's Speech above The Social Network as the Oscar favorite. But, in the weeks since the change, there has been plenty of backlash toward Speech. People comparing it to Crash, How Green Was My Valley, and Driving Miss Daisy as terrible Best Picture selections. Because of this, rumors are beginning to circulate that many voters are now turning back to The Social Network for Best Picture, making for one of the closest Best Picture races we've had in years, which will make the lesser categories preceding Best Picture all the more interesting.

To be perfectly honest, I don't understand the backlash of The King's Speech. Yes, it is formulaic and predictable, but it is also arguably the most uplifting film of the year, and one of the most enjoyable to watch. It is anchored by terrific performances, it has snazzy dialogue, nothing too offensive, and overall, you feel good about life when you finish watching it. Why does it surprise anyone that this could win Best Picture? You think of The Social Network, you think of that terrific opening scene, the dramatic score, the Citizen Kane like ending yes, but it is also not exactly the feel good movie of the year.

There's no question that The Social Network is the better film, but The King's Speech is the one that identifies with people better. It is a good film about someone overcoming their problem and persevering. It should be no surprise that The King's Speech has a very legitimate shot to win. What upsets me is the backlash to the film itself. If anything, it should be directed towards the Academy. Ironically enough, The King's Speech has a higher aggregate score on Metacritic (a site that pools critic reviews together and tallies up reviews for a consensus review) than recent Best Picture winners like Slumdog Millionaire, Crash, Million Dollar Baby, and Traffic. It's just a case of a very good film coming out the same year as a film that is widely praised, and getting flack because of it.

If The King's Speech does win on Sunday, my estimation is that it will be a quick and painful backlash, but as the years go on, many will reconsider their "hatred" and see that, while The Social Network may be more deserving, The King's Speech is nowhere near a terrible choice.

Oscar Week!

It's Oscar Week! The big show airs this Sunday, February 27, at 8 p.m. on ABC. The show will be hosted by the lovely (and beautiful) Anne Hathaway, and charming James Franco. I don't know about you, but I am always excited for the awards show, even when it is a lock who and what will win (although this year is much different in my opinion). Because of that, and with the timing of me just starting the blog, I figure this would be a good week to wrap up 2010 and look on toward 2011 in film. So here now is a rundown of what you can expect this week:

Monday: My thoughts on this years Oscar race

Tuesday: My best films of 2010, including top ten and honorable mentions

Wednesday: My ten favorite scenes/shots of 2010

Thursday: My Awards Day 1 - The Oscar Categories

Friday: My Awards Day 2 - Other Categories

Saturday: What my Oscar Ballot would look like

Sunday: My final Oscar Predictions

Monday (2/28): Recap on the big night

Tuesday (3/1): My most anticipated films of 2011

So okay, it goes a little bit more than a week, but I think the Oscars deserve that, no? Anyway, I am just finishing up my thoughts on the Oscar race, so I shall be posting it shortly. Stay tuned!

Movie Review: Unknown

A lot of feature films lately have dealt with identity. Many of them have dealt with losing it in an isolating way, where the main character tries to regain what they've lost somehow. Unknown tries to take this familiar theme, and add a little bit of Hitchcock to make things interesting. While it is intriguing in spurts, overall, the movie falls flat.

The film follows a Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson), a man who travels with his wife Liz (January Jones) to Berlin for an environmental convention. Shortly after they arrive, Harris is in a taxi cab accident, causing him to slip into a coma. When he awakes and tracks down his wife (who, strangely, hasn't been looking for him), she does not know who he is. On top of that, he confronts her while she is at a party with another man claiming to be Martin Harris. Martin, confused and alone, sets out to find out what exactly is happening to him and his wife, with the help from the woman who drove the taxi during his accident, Gina (Diane Kruger), and private investigator Ernst (Bruno Ganz).

That's about all I can (or should) say about the film's plot. This is really the type of film that if you want to see it, it's best to know as little about it as possible. However, despite this, the film falters on plenty of different levels. Many people have claimed Unknown to simply be Taken: Part 2. Which, in many ways, it is. But it should be noted that Unknown is more of a thriller than an action flick. Harris is trying to find his identity, which takes more putting puzzle pieces together than kicking ass to get to the conclusion.

"Im sorry no one knows you." "Yeah, me too."

Unkown falters once it deviates from its thriller like plot into more of an action flick for the final act. While it was inevitable that the film was going to take this turn, there was hope that it wouldn't. The first two acts, despite their flaws, were intriguing and kept the audience interested to see exactly how the film would reach its conclusion. When it does come to the third act, and Harris finds out the truth, it is disappointingly dull, to be honest. I was hoping the filmmakers would be able to create a conclusion that would be at once interesting and somewhat original. Instead, its no different than plenty of films we've seen in the past.

With that being said, many of the actors look like they didn't want to be here. January Jones looks bored in many of her scenes, hoping to cash her paycheck and move back to Mad Men, where she knows she shines. Neeson, however, does his best. He tries to keep things as serious and dramatic as he can, which doesn't turn into a good thing all the time. Too many of his lines are eye-roll inducing, and his facial scrunches and ticks are laughable. There are also many questions that arise throughout the film that I really can't get into in a basic review. Questions about the intelligence of security officers, and hotel security in general, to say the least.

While Unknown could have been an intriguing thriller, it suffers from trying to be what it's not, an action film. Neeson tries hard to make the film work, but a silly script and uninspired third act weigh the film down too much for it to be anything worth recommending.

Grade: C

The Worst Films of 2010

It's that time of year again: time for me to reconsider my love of movies thanks to a few craptastic features. Out of all the films I saw in 2010, this was the group that easily stood out as the worst of the year. Some of these are here because they are comedies that are just downright not funny, some are here because their acting borders on horrifying, others because of their “action” sequences, and others because they tried too hard to be dramatic, or thrilling.

So here they are, the worst of the worst, the crème de la crap, the...okay, sorry, I'll shut up. Here's the list:

“Honorable” Mention: Death at a Funeral – Neil LaBute

Though not necessarily terrible, this American remake is far inferior to the witty British original. I had hopes for this one, with its great cast of comedic actors, but no one is given the chance to shine in the paint-by-numbers script. The film's resolution ending comes too suddenly, with me not believing that any of the characters learned anything from their time together in order to change like they do.

10. The Killer Inside Me – Michael Winterbottom

 

Winterbottom's modern film noir suffers from an awful story and even worse acting. Despite Casey Affleck's fine performance, the other characters try too hard to capture the essence of classics like Double Indemnity or The Third Man, and suffer greatly. The violence is too gratuitous for its own good, and the plot becomes too predictable by the midpoint, which is death for a mystery thriller.

9. Brooklyn's Finest – Antoine Fuqua

Fuqua's follow up to the excellent Training Day and decent Shooter is a complete dud. The film begins with arguably the biggest cliché in crime films, and continues downward from there. The characters are one dimensional, and none of them bring anything new to the crime genre. The final shot is arguably the most laughable of the year.

8. The Wolfman – Joe Johnston

It's hard for me to call this movie an Oscar nominee (and, probably soon, an Oscar winner). This horror film is in the genre for all the wrong reasons, not because it's scenes will make you jump out of your skin, but because watching two CGI werewolves fighting each other will make you cover your eyes and beg for it to stop. Did anyone not see the “twist” coming in its first twenty minutes?

7. The Bounty Hunter – Andy Tennant

Oh Jen, what's wrong with you? You used to be so funny on Friends, so adorable, so...cool. Now, you're starring in terrible movies year after year. I do feel bad for you, and really hope you turn it around soon. As for you Gerard, wtf dude? You're an action star, stick to that. You're pretty good at it, too. So stop taking these stupid romantic comedy roles. Please. I'm only telling you for your own good.

6. Faster – George Tillman Jr.

So, were the writers afraid that Dwayne Johnson couldn't read? Because I think he has about fifteen lines in the entire movie. I thought this was just going to be a kind of fun, kind of dumb action movie. Not terrible, not good. Instead its a slow burn that just never wants to end, and never wants 'The Rock' to talk, just shoot people.

5. MacGruber – Jorma Taccone

When will Saturday Night Live learn that their not that funny sketches make even worse movies? This is pretty much what you'd expect it to be, an hour and a half SNL sketch, when the source material isn't that funny to begin with. The movie tries to make up for it with dirty humor, but they just come off as unfunny and cringe inducing. This is one action “hero” I wanted to die at the end, just so I didn't have to see him again.

4. Repo Men – Miguel Sapochnik

I don't like it when bad action movies think their audience is just as dumb as they are. I really don't like when movies use what could be a good gimmick in a terrible way. And I hate when a movie has gross out violence without a justifiable reason. Repo Men accomplishes all of this, and was the one movie I was tempted to walk out of halfway through.

3. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time – Mike Newell

I had hopes for this. I like the cast, Newell is a decent director, but oh where did it go wrong? Maybe it was the laughable voice over to begin and end the film. Maybe it was the too often seen daddy issues. Maybe it was the fact that Ben Kinglsey makes for the weakest villain of the year. Maybe it's the fact that, at one point, Alfred Molina says, “Did you know that ostriches have suicidal tendencies?” He was being serious, at least I think so.

2. Jonah Hex – Jimmy Hayward

I feel bad for Josh Brolin. He tries so hard to be a badass as the title character. But the script just won't let him. Also, what exactly happened to Megan Fox's torso? There's just nothing there. I'm really worried about her, someone should really give her stomach back. I also loved how John Malkovich didn't bother to learn any sort of an accent at all for the movie. It looks like he basically showed up, put on the costume, read the lines, collected the check, and left. Gotta love good ole' Johnny M.

1. The Last Airbender – M. Night Shyamalan

Well, I'll give Shyamalan one thing, he's consistent....consistently bad! OH! I know, not that funny, but this movie is, unintentionally so. This is the second time in three years that Mr. I've Made One Decent Movie and 800 Shitty Ones has made my pick for the worst film of the year (2008's The Happening was easily the worst of the decade). There's really not much I can say about this. The script is bad, the action scenes are worse, and the hint at the sequel at the end is the icing on the cake. Avoid at all cost. If you've already seen it, I'm sorry.

Well, there you have it, my worst for the year. Don't worry, my top ten, and runners up, are coming this week, so be sure to check back for those. Until then, be sure to avoid these eleven films.

Real Life Stories: “So, are they a band, or something?”

This is a story I've shared with some of my close friends, but now I'm finally able to share it with anyone who is interested to read it. Oh and yes, this did actually happen.

As you may or may not know, I used to work as a library page, before getting a promotion. It wasn't exactly the most glamorous job in the world (basically, you're paid minimum wage to shelve materials your entire shift. It can get pretty redundant really quickly), but what made it really interesting and new every day for me was my interactions with the patrons of the library. Since pages are in the shelves most of the time, patrons normally ask us for the location of a book before going to a reference librarian, or if we have a book or movie, etc. I always found this the best part of the job, because I was my own reference librarian, able to suggest cool movies or books to a patron if they were interested in my suggestions. Also, I could dress casually, jeans and a t-shirt being acceptable.

Because of all this there were patrons who would ask a “dumb” question or didn't know an author or movie if I suggested it, but none of them compared to one patron and a certain group she had never heard of.

It was a Saturday morning, I wasn't exactly in the mood to wake up early to head into work, and was fairly tired. I threw on a t-shirt and jeans without really realizing what I decided to wear, and headed to work. About forty five minutes after we opened, I was shelving CD's when a young girl, about 20 years old I'd say, came up to me and said, “Hey, cool shirt.” I looked down and realized I had on my black “The Beatles” t-shirt, like the one pictured below.

My initial thought was, “Huh. A cute girl who likes The Beatles? Cool.” I looked up and said, “Thanks. Yeah I like it.” She nodded. “I really like its design. Like, the low 't' is cool.” I chuckled a bit and said, “Um, yeah, I guess? That's how it's always been though.” I went back to shelving the CD's and the girl started looking through a few of them, and after a minute of silence she turned to me and said, “So, are they a band, or something?” At this point I almost fainted, but instead burst with laughter at what I thought was a good joke, but the girl just stared at me like I was crazy, when that role was actually reversed in my mind. When she didn't say anything, my laughing slowly subsided and I said, almost out of breath, “You've really never heard of them?” She shook her head. “No. Sorry. What kind of music is it?” I could feel my hands slowly begin to squeeze the few CD's that they were holding. I managed to stutter out, “They're...a rock...band.” I managed to control my breathing while the girl said, “Oh, cool. Are they still making music?”

At this point, my confusion and sheer terror turned simply into anger and frustration. I looked at her and said, “Well, no. One of the members died a few years ago from lung cancer, and another got shot back in 1980.” The girl clasped her hands to her mouth. “Oh goodness, that's awful!” I nodded. “You've really never heard of them?” The girl shook her head. I motioned her with my hand to follow me, and I immediately took her to where their CD's would be. Thankfully we had three of their best, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Abbey Road, and Revolver. I almost shoved the CD's into her hands as I said to her, “Take these home and listen to them right now. Seriously. You won't regret it.” The girl said she had a few other things she needed to do, but I insisted that she listen to them as soon as she got the chance.

I'm not really quite sure what to say about this story. I suppose there really isn't much to say. Now, I know that there are plenty of people out there who may not enjoy The Beatles as much as I do, but at least you've heard of them. I am really baffled by the fact that someone not that much younger than me had never even heard of the most popular band of all time, and I really worry about their relevance in the future.

I've read several articles recently that said contestants on this season of American Idol had never heard a song by the Fab Four. I am shocked that as the years have gone on, fewer and fewer people are listening to the most influential band of all time, or even hearing of them. The Beatles changed music forever. Every artist, and I do mean every artist, takes from The Beatles. I think that, even if you don't like their music, you at least should know who they are and what impact they had on music, and the world in general.

This is the kind of story I'll remember for the rest of my life, and will never get tired of telling people it as the years go on. I'm hoping that this girl was one of a very few minority, and that she's reading up on them, or, better yet, finding other great rock bands to listen to.