2012 Oscar Winners

Well that's the show folks! Here's the full list of winners. Analysis coming soon!

Best Cinematography: Hugo
Best Art Direction: Hugo
Best Costume Design: The Artist
Best Makeup: The Iron Lady
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
Best Documentary Feature: Undefeated
Best Sound Editing: Hugo
Best Sound Mixing: Hugo
Best Visual Effects: Hugo
Best Animated Feature: Rango
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Best Original Score: The Artist
Best Original Song: 'Man or Muppet', "The Muppets"
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay: Midnight in Paris
Best Live Action Short: The Shore
Best Documentary Short: Saving Face
Best Animated Short: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Best Director: Michel Hazanvicius, "The Artist"
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Best Picture: The Artist

Oscar Predictions 2012

The night is finally here! No more analysis, just picks and enjoying the ceremony. Here now are my picks in all categories, plus alternates. Enjoy the ceremony, tonight at 8:30 EST. on ABC!

Best Picture:
The Artist
Alt. Hugo

Best Director:
Michel Hazanvicius, The Artist
Alt. Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Best Actor:
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Alt. George Clooney, The Descendants

Best Actress:
Viola Davis, The Help
Alt. Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Best Supporting Actor:
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Alt. Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Best Supporting Actress:
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Alt. Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids

Best Animated Feature:
Rango
Alt. Chico & Rita

Best Art Direction:
Hugo
Alt. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Best Cinematography:
The Artist
Alt. The Tree of Life

Best Costume Design:
The Artist
Alt. Hugo

Best Documentary Feature:
If a Tree Falls
Alt. Paradise Lost 3

Best Documentary Short:
God is the Bigger Elvis
Alt. Incident in New Baghdad

Best Film Editing:
The Artist
Alt. Hugo

Best Foreign Language Film:
A Separation
Alt. In Darkness

Best Makeup:
The Iron Lady
Alt. Albert Nobbs

Best Original Score:
The Artist
Alt. War Horse

Best Original Song:
"Man or Muppet"
Alt. Real in Rio

Best Animated Short Film:
A Morning Stroll
Alt. La Luna

Best Live Action Short Film:
Pentecost
Alt. Raju

Best Sound Editing
Hugo
Alt. Drive

Best Sound Mixing
Hugo
Alt. Moneyball

Best Visual Effects:
Hugo
Alt. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Descendants
Alt. Moneyball

Best Original Screenply:
Midnight in Paris
Alt. The Artist

The Best Movies of 2011

The Oscars are almost upon us. 2011 has come and gone in a flash. 2012 is almost two months old. It's amazing how fast the time can go by. It seems like it wasn't too long ago, I was sitting here agonizing over what films were going to end up on my 2010 list behind The Social Network, and here we are a year later, giving out more lists, disagreeing on what stood out, and who will take home the gold on Oscar night.

I personally found 2011 to be a pretty solid year in movies. Many have disagreed with that statement, and big box-office draws were down this year, yes, but I think the overall quality of films was much more significant than in 2010. Oddly enough, I had an easier time creating my best of list for the past year, only mulling on where to put a few films. To me, there was something for everyone this year.

Comedies really shined this year, with the likes of Bridesmaids, Crazy, Stupid, Love, and even Horrible Bosses giving us unforgettable laugh-out-loud moments, and terrific characters.

Action movies were at their peak in 2011, with Marvel coming on strong with Captain America and Thor paving the way for The Avengers this summer. X-Men: First Class also impressed, breathing new life into the dying franchise. And, Harry Potter went out in style, with one of the most thrilling movies of the summer.

David Cronenberg returned to the director's chair with A Dangerous Method; Tom Cruise showed us there's still life in Ethan Hunt with Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. The Muppets gained new fans, young and old. Rooney Mara dazzled as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Warrior became the Rocky for the MMA generation.

I've seen 61 films from 2011; here now are my favorites. I'll begin, just like last year, with seven films that just missed the cut of being on my top ten, and then I'll move on to the ten films that defined 2011, and made it great. I must note that, sadly, I have yet to see the highly touted Iranian film A Separation, which will not be released in Cleveland until this Friday, and that is far past the deadline I set for my top ten. Perhaps I'll revisit this list once I see it, or maybe I'll include it on my 2012 list. Either way, here are my favorites from 2011. Enjoy.

Bridesmaids

Directed by Paul Feig
Written by Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo
Produced by Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, and Clayton Townsend

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Written by Dan Fogelman
Produced by Steve Carrell and Denise Di Novi

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Directed by David Fincher
Written by Steven Zaillian
Produced by Ceán Chaffin, Scott Rudin, and Søren Stærmose

The Ides of March

Directed by George Clooney
Written by George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon
Produced by George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Brian Oliver

Margin Call

Written and Directed by J.C. Chandor
Produced by Robert Ogden Barnum, Neal Dodson, and Corey Moosa

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Directed by Thomas Alfredson
Written by Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan
Produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, and Robyn Slovo

Young Adult

Directed by Jason Reitman
Written by Diablo Cody
Produced by Jason Reitman, Diablo Cody and Charlize Theron

And now, the top ten:

10) 50/50

Directed by Jonathan Levine
Written by Will Reiser
Produced by Evan Goldberg, Ben Karlin, and Seth Rogen

50/50 is able to do something that would almost seem impossible: take the dramatic story of fighting cancer, and create comedy around it. Reiser's semi-autobiographical script is so well written and thought out that, with better performances from the supporting cast, would have ended up higher on my list. It's a shame no one knew how to market this film.

9) The Descendants

Directed by Alexander Payne
Written by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Produced by Alexander Payne, Jim Burke, and Jim Taylor

Payne's newest film may be about a death, but it is more about how those around the death handle it. It questions just how well we can know someone in our life. Yet, most importantly, it's about how families, even the most dysfunctional, can come together during a crisis.

8) The Help

Written and Directed by Tate Taylor
Produced by Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan, Brunson Green

It's rare to find an adaptation that captures its characters this well. The Help may cover its racial tensions up a little too much, and try to solve and understand decades of racial inequality, but the film is driven by the terrific performances, particularly from Viola Davis.

7) Hugo

Directed by Martin Scorsese
Written by John Logan
Produced by Graham King, Timothy Headington and Martin Scorsese

The original novel made for such stunning images that it would have been hard to mess this film up. Yet Scorsese is able to take the original material to a level not usually seen in a "kid" movie. Terrific performances from the entire cast, and the visuals are some of the best of the year.

6)  Midnight in Paris 

Written and Directed by Woody Allen
Produced by Lefty Aronson, and Stephen Tenenbaum

The less you know about Midnight in Paris before seeing it, the better. Reading about all the nuances and tidbits that went into this film make each viewing of it reveal something new that wasn't noticed before. Although lacking the depth of some of Allen's early work, this is still a smart, highly enjoyable film. 

5) The Tree of Life

Written and Directed by Terrence Malick
Produced by Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Dede Gardner, and Grant Hill

To call The Tree of Life Malick's most ambitious film is an understatement. Encompassing all life in the universe, Malick is able to show that our lives may not be so important in the grand design. The amount of Christian symbolism throughout the film is staggering, yet never weighs the film down into being a "worship" film.

4) Shame

Directed by Steve McQueen
Written by Abi Morgan and Steve McQueen
Produced by Iain Canning and Emile Sherman

We've seen movies about addiction before. What makes Shame standout is the terrific direction from McQueen. Other directors would choose to go overboard with shot selections and camera angles, trying to draw the audience into the addiction. McQueen instead chooses easy shots, letting Michael Fassbender's acting do the showing. 

3) Drive

Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn
Written by Hossein Amini
Produced by Michel Litvak, John Palermo, and Marc Platt

Taking the prize as the "coolest" film of the year, Refn doesn't do anything remotely new with Drive, yet he's able to create one of the finest "superhero" movies in years. The character study behind The Driver is something that may be analyzed for years. Carried by the best score of the year, the movie is terribly polarizing, but one hell of a ride. 

2) The Artist

Written and Directed by Michel Hazanavicius
Produced by Thomas Langmann

I've always loved movies that take the nostalgic route of creativity. The Artist is able to create through honoring the silent films it appreciates in almost every scene. Yet the film's enduring message is that true art should never be afraid of embracing new forms and ideas. 

1) Moneyball

Directed by Bennett Miller
Written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin
Produced by Michael De Luca, Rachel Horovitz, and Brad Pitt

Maybe it's my love for baseball. Maybe it's because no other film has been able to capture statistical analysis in sports, and make it so easy to understand. There's a million reasons I love Moneyball, but the one that stands out the most is the fact that the movie humanizes the sport. Even though stats drive its longevity, this is still a game people love, and romanticize over.


So there you have it. Agree or disagree? Be sure to check back all week for various end of the year and Oscar shenanigans!

The Vow Review

It's difficult to hate a movie about such nice people. That's the way I felt throughout much of The Vow, starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum. Being 2012's early date-night go-to choice, The Vow brings in all the familiar love themes and ideas, while also creating characters (even the bad ones) that are difficult to find flaws in, for most of the movie at least. Paige (McAdams), an art student in Chicago, loses her memory in a car accident one night. She wakes up to discover a husband (Tatum) she doesn't know, and a life she hasn't dreamed about since she was in high school. In her mind, she still lives with her parents and is engaged to Jeremy (Scott Speedman). She tries going back to her life with her husband Leo, but can't shake the fact that she feels she needs to be at home with her parents. Leo struggles with convincing her otherwise. Tears are shed. Inanimate objects are thrown and punched. People argue, and find each other.

To say that The Vow borrows a lot from movies like The Notebook is a far understatement. However, the film tries its hardest to shy away from the conventions of love stories; yet it finds itself magnetizing to these themes towards its final act. Many of the characters, although their motivations do not match that of Leo's, find themselves becoming the bare minimum of their characters as the film reaches its conclusion. Despite it being an easy way to create the conclusion the film is looking for, it makes for a frustrating final few moments, when the way the characters were written is whisked away at the betterment of the overall story.

I couldn't help also but shake the thought that this is the type of film that would be difficult happening in today's society to two people in their 20's. Yes, the film is "inspired" by true events, but in this age of technology and social media, it seems far-fetched that a young girl wouldn't have a Facebook or Twitter account that she could access to view the years of her life that she can't remember. I can imagine Mark Zuckerberg watching this movie screaming, "You see why I created Timeline, people?!"

I must say that I was impressed with the performances of the cast, particularly Channing Tatum. Despite taking movies that have labeled him as nothing more than a pretty face, here Tatum shows some real range in his acting chops, yet also solidifies himself as a romantic comedy heartthrob for years. McAdams, always up for a romance movie, does a fine job as the amnesiac. 

So, The Vow may not be a timeless love movie that will forever be a Valentine's Day staple, but it is hardly the type of junk Hollywood has been recently shelling out in order to make a few bucks from guys looking for something to do with their girlfriends for a date-night. In short, the movie is tolerable. While not grounded in total reality, The Vow makes for a mostly enjoyable two hours. 

B-/C+

The Worst Movies of 2011

Once again, it's time to wonder why I love movies so much. Every year there's a batch of films that make me question the upper management in Hollywood, who hear these movie pitches and think, "That sounds great! Film it". I suppose, just like anything else, there needs to be a balance of good and bad. For every Social Network, there's a Jonah Hex, and on it goes. It makes us appreciate the good films that much more, and long for them every time we have to sit through one of these awful cinema events.

"Honorable" Mention - Colombiana - Oliver Megaton

No doubt Zoe Saldana is perfect for an action film like this, and she does a pretty good job at creating her character, but the film around her suffers from sloppy filmmaking, and twists we can see coming before we even think they'll be coming. The film is all brawn, and no brains.

10) J. Edgar - Clint Eastwood

Oh, how far the mighty can fall. It's amazing how an icon of Hollywood (Eastwood), can make such an awful film about one of the most intriguing subjects in American history. The movie is boring from the first scene, and never manages to get even remotely interesting. While DiCaprio gives a fine enough portrayal, poor makeup, harsh lighting, and banal direction shroud the performance.

9) The Mechanic - Simon West

While The Mechanic has one or two decent shots, for an action movie, its pretty boring. Weighted down by a poor script and set pieces that leave a lot to be desired, the movie is one that is forgettable the moment it ends, and that isn't what you want in any movie, let alone one that has to rely so heavily on action.

8) The Hangover Part II - Todd Phillips

I just recently re-watched the first Hangover, and I must say, it diminished my thoughts on Part II even more. I initially did not like the sequel for the obvious reason that it was basically a retelling of the first Hangover. After thinking about it, and viewing the first one again, I realize that Part II tries far too hard to outdo the original, with the same story. What has me cringe even more, is there considering a third film. Couldn't we have just left it at the hilarious original and be done with it?

7) Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Michael Bay

In all fairness, it's not as bad as Revenge of the Fallen, although let's be honest, nothing is as bad as Revenge of the Fallen. Yet, Bay finishes the trilogy on another sour note. The ending, which one would think would wrap the trilogy nicely, just sort of stops. The big fight ends, and the credits roll. Um, what? And to think, I actually kind of enjoyed the first Transformers movie.

6) The Dilemma - Ron Howard

Honestly, what is Ron Howard thinking here? Before the film's release he tried to justify taking it by stating that he wants to work in almost all genres of film, and thought this script was a good one. Well, somewhere between the script getting published and the film getting produced, something went terribly wrong. Which is a shame, considering the cast involved.

5) The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I - Bill Condon

I guess I'll never understand how a vampire (who, you know, according to his internal organs and such, is dead) is able to conceive a baby, when it wouldn't be possible for him to have a working...well, you get the idea. Not to mention that werewolves are apparently telepathic, and teenage girls can (spoiler alert!) survive a lot of nasty bites to there *ahem* region after they give birth to a vampire baby. Also, that said baby can get one of said telepathic werewolves to fall in love with her the moment after her birth. Which does not resemble pedophilia at all.

4) New Year's Eve - Garry Marshall

There is far too much commercialism in this film. There's far too many people and too many storylines to really care about any of them. Also, the kids, who I am assuming are to be about 13-15 years old, are far too made up and forced to look over 18, just for the sake of it. Abigail Breslin, the star from Little Miss Sunshine, always looks as if the crew were trying to cover up the fact that she's not exactly 75 pounds like other teen stars.

3) Abduction - John Singleton

There's nothing remotely interesting in this Taylor Lautner vehicle. The movie is an obvious attempt to gain Lautner non-female fans by upping the action and minimizing the shirtless scenes. Yet, the problem is, the movie is long and boring, and Lautner simply cannot act. I don't say this out of spite, but out of fact. There's no question he can handle an action scene here or there, and does some of the stunts himself pretty well, but he can barely walk in a scene without making it look awkward.

2) Bad Teacher - Jake Kasdan

The film plays like a bad SNL skit that they never bother pulling from their show. There is no real plot in the film, and, while in a comedy that's funny that can be overlooked, here, the jokes fall flat. All of them. Jason Segel is about the only highlight of the film, yet he looks bored and uninspired throughout.

1) Hall Pass - Peter and Bobby Farrelly

Where to even begin. Offensive, brash, and downright not funny, the Farrelly Brothers have made one hell of a stinker here. Falling from brilliance like There's Something About Mary, the Farrelly's have made a film that I found really just offensive, to women, to comedy, and to humanity in general. Avoid at all costs.

That does it for the worst of the year. Check back next week for my top ten, and a few other end of the year lists, and lead up to the Oscars.