Sharing my love of all things Oscar. I see all the movies with nominations so you don't have to - and I do my best to research and help pick the winners. Subscribe, share your comments, and feel free to share with others. Follow me on Twitter @JodiBee.
ERNEST AND CELESTINE Animated Feature Film - Benjamin Renner and Didier Brunner Ernest and Celestine, on its face, is about the unlikely friendship between a bear named Ernest and a sweet little mouse named Celestine. They find that they need to help each other along the way - him, in his quest for food and shelter and her in her quest to become a dentist. But, their respective mouse and bear communities have fears and prejudices about the other that are seemingly impenetrable. Ernest and Celestine commit theft together, and they escape to Ernest's home in the woods. When they are caught (she by the bears and he by the mice), they discover that each community is more invested in their prejudices than in seeing them as individuals. On its face, Ernest and Celestine is just a super adorable animated film. But when you take time to look at the underlying point of the story, it takes on a level of importance that I wouldn't have expected before I saw it. I have talked in other blogs about how this Oscars journey where I see every nominated film uncovers a hidden gem that I would never have seen without this process. Ernest and Celestine IS that gem, and I can't believe it took until the second to last film on the list for me to find it. I loved this film, and I'm pleased to share that it will be coming out again soon, dubbed totally in English by a cast of powerhouse American actors, so it will get more attention. However, I highly recommend seeing it in its original French before you see the English version. I promise you'll be glad you did! Haven't seen the film? Watch the Ernest and Celestine Movie Trailer
THE GREAT BEAUTY Foreign Language Film - Italy Did you ever sit through 2 hours of a movie and wonder what the heck just happened in the story you just watched? I have, it was called The Great Beauty. It took over an hour for me to even figure out the plot. The basic premise is that an aging writer in Rome looks back on his life and wonders if it was a series of opportunities wasted, how he missed out on the great love and beauty of his life, why he never wrote a second novel after much acclaim for the first, and if his decadent lifestyle has any meaning. Scenes are set against the backdrop of avant garde performance art pieces, which seem to question life and its absurdity. There are also heavy religious symbols, including a Mother Theresa-esque character, who is presumably there to provide a juxtaposition between crazy excess and over the top self-deprivation. I know some people love these kinds of "arty" movies (The Great Beauty won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film), but I find them gratuitous, overly complex, and mostly exhausting. I find no evidence that absurdity is a higher form of intellect, and The Great Beauty only seemed pretentious in its circus atmosphere. You have to work way too hard to get the point. However, I do have to give a shout out to the spectacular costumes and the absolutely beautiful soundtrack. The production design was also wonderful and captivating, and with Rome for a backdrop, the setting was gorgeous. Better than seeing the film, go to Rome, listen to some beautiful music, and go shopping on the Piazza Navona - it will have been time much better spent. Haven't seen the film? Watch The Great Beauty Movie Trailer
OMAR Foreign Language Film - Reported by the Academy as the submission from "Palestine" Omar tells the story of a young member of a terrorist group living in the West Bank who, with his two friends Tarik and Amjad, go in the middle of the night to a base for the Israeli Defense Forces and shoot and kill a soldier from their concealed spot in the woods. Omar is caught by the IDF and while imprisoned, is tricked into implicating himself for being an accomplice to the crime. Meanwhile, he is in love with Nadia, Tarik's sister, and he dreams of marrying her and starting a life together, so he agrees to act as a double agent for the army as they try to round up Tarik, who is the head of the terrorist group in order to gain his release from prison. He remains loyal to the group and immediately reveals what the army wants him to do, but the group figures out that there is indeed an informant in the mix. He also discovers that he has a rival for Nadia's affections in Amjad, who would equally do anything to win her, and to get Tarik's approval for marriage. I am incredulous at this film's nomination, first and foremost because of the major holes in the story. Before I even address the propaganda in the film, it is impossible to miss that there are so many big, implausible, illogical plot points for which we are asked to suspend disbelief that it is difficult to understand how this became an Oscar nominee. It is just a cartoon of a film in which all Israelis are the caricature equivalents of Dastardly Dan tying the innocent damsel to the train tracks, and all Palestinians are simple people trying to live their lives in peace, even when they are planning murders of IDF soldiers. We are asked to disregard the fact that Omar, himself, volunteers to act as sniper without a single thought when Amjad, the shooter, is agonizing about pulling the trigger. We are asked to applaud Omar that he never betrays his cause and will set up an ambush to murder the extraction team who wants to arrest the leader of the terrorist group (Tarik) who orders the times and places of murders of Israelis. The movie hopes that we will miss the fact that when Omar is imprisoned, that he is provided a lawyer for free, that the Israelis acknowledge that they need evidence to charge and hold him, and that let's face it, were the situation reversed, there would be no justice system for captured Israelis, merely executions. And, the biggest problem of all, we are asked to draw a moral equivalence between being used as an operative for the Israeli army in order to capture known terrorist leaders and murdering a person in the dead of night. This is too big of a leap for me to make, and in the end, all I had for this film was stunned and angry silence. Let's hope that smart people are not so easily manipulated. Haven't seen the film? Watch the Omar Movie Trailer
THE MISSING PICTURE Foreign Language Film - Cambodia The Missing Picture documents the reign of the Khmer Rouge, and the atrocities committed by them under their ruthless dictator, Pol Pot. The systematic murder of intellectuals followed by the "re-education" of the Cambodian people is carefully and methodically portrayed through the use of hand created clay figurines, with a background of bits of video footage from the time. Most photo and video evidence has been destroyed, including individuals' own histories, since they were required to release any personal items from the moment that the Khmer Rouge rounded the people up and sent them to labor camps. The film is an astounding accomplishment both in storytelling and in the incredible feat of staging hundreds (thousands?) of clay figurines in the settings. They are truly magnificent and that accomplishment alone makes the film mind boggling. The story of the violence and brutality is told through the eyes of one survivor, his journey, and his family, and it is impossible to shake off once the film is completed. When one is able to connect with clay figurines as representations of people, you know there is a powerful story there. It is not easy to sit through if you have even the slightest sense of humanity, but it is likely the most important of the foreign films nominated this year. The question for the Academy voters is likely to be what prevented The Missing Picture from making the top 5 list of the full length documentary nominees, as it easily competes with this year's crop. However, what a relief to know that this film will get recognition and attention through the foreign film category, at least. It will be interesting to observe how a documentary competes with original screenplays written to be entertainment, rather than the review of real life events. Either way, The Missing Picture is an outstanding and moving film - one that is truly not to be missed. Haven't seen the film? Watch The Missing Picture Movie Trailer
THE HUNT Foreign Language Film - Denmark If you read my review of the Broken Circle Breakdown, you already know why the foreign films tend to be an outstanding group, having been submitted by their respective countries as the best ones to be produced from the entire crop of movies to appear in theaters that year. Denmark has a very strong entertainment industry, and has had many nominees make the top 5 list for the Oscars. This year's "The Hunt" is no exception. The movie tells the story of Lucas, wrongly accused of child sexual abuse because of one little girl's lie. (We know throughout the film that he is innocent, not a spoiler.) Though the little girl immediately admits the lie to her parents, everyone has already been told that children never lie and also that out of shame, once they have revealed abuse they have a tendency to recant. So when she admits what she did, everyone is already convinced that this is just the regular pattern that children who have been abused follow, and don't believe the truth. Soon after, other children in the kindergarten also claim abuse, after having been coached by their appropriately concerned parents. It is a small town in Denmark, so naturally the entire town turns against Lucas. They vilify him, beat him, and interfere with his attempts to get custody of his son, who is living in another town with his estranged ex-wife. The tension in the film comes from two places - how can one prove that one hasn't done something, and how can we blame the town for following the diagnosis of the experts, who are convinced that the children have been abused? There was a knot in my stomach for most of the movie. Wanting to see justice, watching the needless breakdown of lifelong relationships among Lucas and his childhood friends, understanding the parents' desire to protect their children and their fury in learning that they couldn't - all of these elements made for an outstanding film. Haven't seen the film? Watch The Hunt Movie Trailer
DIRTY WARS Documentary Feature - Richard Rowley and Jeremy Scahill The Joint Special Operation Command is the focus of an investigation being conducted by Jeremy Scahill, war correspondent. In the film, we learn that the JSOC is a division of the American military that conducts its work in secret and apparently, without limitations or oversight. The film is a condemnation of this kind of work, and especially when it follows the murders of members of a family of bystanders who seemingly have no connection to terror activities. From what we can tell, the work seems amoral, without reason and too secretive to have integrity. The notion of a "kill list" which not only includes foreigners but Americans, as well, is almost too cinematic to be real. There are several former military talking heads in the film who confirm that the JSOC does indeed have a wide berth in which they are allowed to operate and make secret decisions, and it isn't clear whether those choices are taken to any sort of military chain of command, including the Commander-in-Chief. (spoiler alert - neither Democrats nor Republicans have the moral high ground here - these operations have been taking place for decades covering Presidents from both sides of the aisle, so please save your commentary along these political lines for someone else's, or your own, blog) It would be simplistic to condemn these actions and fall down the rabbit hole with Scahill as though there isn't a very real war on terrorism abroad, particularly in the countries where the majority of the operations have been carried out. This film is important because of this dilemma - we know that there are people who are targeting America and Americans, we know that there are terrorists in the world, and we know that not everyone being targeted is indeed a terrorist. So we must try to figure out what's moral, what's important, and what's legitimate use of force, and we must do that while we know full well that we can't ever know what the decision-makers know without levels of government clearance that most of us will never have. For me, the documentary failed to acknowledge that there are things that we don't know, and that some of those things are critical for evaluating the actions of the JSOC, but it is hard to escape the eerie sense that there are people who are over empowered to do what they like, potentially without justification or rationality. Haven't seen the film? Watch the Dirty Wars Movie Trailer
CUTIE AND THE BOXER Documentary Feature - Zachary Heinzerling and Lydia Dean Pilcher Cutie and the Boxer asks a number of fundamental questions about marriage, art, and life and what success looks like in all three. Is there only room for one genius in each relationship; a gardner and a flower but never two flowers? Cutie is the artistic doppelgänger to her artist, the wife of the pair (Noriko), who tames her narcissistic, formerly alcoholic cartoon husband, Bullie (the inspiration for the character drawn from her real-life husband, Ushio) in art, if not in life. One can see the resentment that comes after a life of giving up one's voice in order to accommodate the dreams of her partner. But there is love there too, and respect for his talent, and we see the devastation that such narcissism and alcoholism can wreak on a family, including their now adult - and seemingly alcoholic - son. We are at the moment in time where both artists appear to be on the brink of flourishing, and we see Noriko begin to find and embrace her own voice, both as a person and as an artist, while Ushio is fighting to save what little career he has left, reviving his unique style of "boxing art" for what is likely his final show. I expected to like this film so much more than I did. In places where it was trying to be methodical, it was excruciatingly slow. In places where it was trying to be touching, it translated as ironic. In places where we are meant to be uplifted, we are sadly, turned off. Perhaps there is too much bitterness and not enough love left for us to care about this couple, though the filmmakers do attempt to show the brief moments of affection they have left for each other. Unfortunately, it's just not enough to make the film great. Haven't seen the film? Watch the Cutie and the Boxer Movie Trailer
DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECTS Cavedigger - Jeffrey Karoff Facing Fear - Jason Cohen Karama Has No Walls - Sara Ishaq The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall Once again, I'm taking all of the shorts in a category and talking about them together, mostly because all together, there are 15 short subject films, and there simply aren't enough days between the nomination announcements and the Oscars to take them individually. (There are exactly 57 films with nominations!) The short docs this year were a powerful bunch, with only one which told an important story, just not told very well. CAVEDIGGER Ah, to see art everywhere. Cavedigger is the story of Ra Paulette, the inventor of art in the form of hand-carved, hand shoveled, hand-everything-ed caves in the mountain formations in New Mexico. Much like Michaelangelo who allowed the image to emerge from the stone, Ra allows the cave to emerge from the hill. Like all artists for hire, there is the troubling challenge of patron input into the art, particularly as timelines and budgets become meaningless in the pursuit of the perfect cave and sponsors are no longer willing to allow Ra to get to the perfect conclusion. Ra's vision is to create his magnum opus cave - the work to end all works which will take a decade to complete, and which is a piece just for his legacy and not for hire, leaving his wife to shoulder the burden of sustaining their household. This film is beyond worth it, if only to see his magnificent and mind-boggling creations, and if the cave is to be his magnum opus, the film is at least a minimus opus, a true tribute to his brilliance. Cavedigger Movie Trailer
FACING FEAR Imagine being the victim of a violent, hate-filled attack only to discover over a decade later that you are working with your attacker. Imagine being a former neo-Nazi who perpetrated a homophobic, mob crime only to discover that your victim works where you volunteer, doing what you can to make amends for your horrible deeds. This is the exact tale that Facing Fear follows, and all of it ironically (coincidentally? inevitably?) taking place within the walls of the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. The film is difficult, it is inspiring, and it requires to ask ourselves the true meaning of forgiveness - how to forgive and how to be forgiven. Facing Fear Movie Trailer
KARAMA HAS NO WALLS Much like its full length feature doppelgänger "The Square," Karama Has No Walls tackles the difficult subject of the grassroots uprising in Yemen. This was the least fleshed out of the five short subject docs, with the point being unclear. It follows the young believers who want to change their circumstances and their government, and the violent attacks by thugs and actors from the state who have no hesitation in maiming and killing anyone, including young children. Still, at the end of the film, we are still left asking what kind of change is actually in store for a country with no good leadership options, and where dictator is more likely followed by dictator, not likely by democracy. Karama Has No Walls Movie Trailer
THE LADY IN NUMBER 6: MUSIC SAVED MY LIFE This is the powerful and uplifting story of a 109 year old Holocaust survivor (the oldest on record) whose passion for music and brilliant piano playing has been the backdrop to her life story. The film is literally filled with wisdom - whether she is cautioning us that hate brings only hate, reminding us that human relationships are the only thing that matter, or encouraging us by reinforcing that when you love something you must work at it. The Lady in Number 6 Movie Trailer
PRISON TERMINAL: THE LAST DAYS OF PRIVATE JACK HALL Terminally ill prison inmates are the subjects of this film, in particular we follow Jack Hall, an inmate near the end of his life. Jack is serving a life sentence for the murder of his late son's drug dealer. He is a former, much decorated military hero, and his life is slowly slipping from him. In Iowa, the prison system set up a hospice care unit that is staffed by professionals and by specially trained inmates, themselves kidnappers and murderers. But the lovely part about this film is watching these caregivers become people that they never knew they could be. They become tender, loving, respectful, and vigilant partners in the sick inmate's death journey. These are the true heroes of this film - we are not asked to discard their terrible historic acts, but we are warmed by each act of personal kindness. Prison Terminal Movie Trailer
THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN This foreign film nominee from Belgium is a heart-wrencher. It is the story of a Belgian bluegrass singer who falls in love with a carefree, much tattooed woman, and their seven year relationship. With flashbacks and flash forwards, we meet them as their 7 year old daughter is dying from cancer, and follow the aftermath as they struggle to recapture their lives together. They each try to find their own paths to recovery, struggling with religion and politics and just simply the crazy-making reality of life after burying a child. Along with the beautiful story and the brilliant acting, is a glowing tribute to bluegrass music. What Inside Llewyn Davis did for folk music this year, The Broken Circle Breakdown does for country and bluegrass. There is a catharsis in the music in so many places during the film that I started to crave more and more of it. I happen to love this genre of music, but seeing it through the loving eyes of non-Americans makes it new and gives us a fresh listen, like meeting old friends in a foreign country. The film was very personal for me, having had a sibling who had childhood cancer and having experienced some of what happened in the film in my own life (though fortunately, my brother lived through it). But even without the deeply personal connection, the movie is a straight up tear-jerker, and was particularly moving at the end of the story. This film exemplifies the gift of the foreign film category at the Oscars. The rules for submitting a foreign film for consideration in this category are different than for domestic films. (If you want to read all the technical details, you can do so here.) Basically, a jury from each country decides what movie to submit, so it's a bit like taking the Oscar winner for Best Picture and submitting it as the competitor from the United States. All of this means that if you see all 5 foreign films, it's a bit like watching 5 Best Picture winners, and The Broken Circle Breakdown really deserves its place among the five. Haven't seen the film? Watch The Broken Circle Breakdown Movie Trailer
Documentary Feature - Joshua Oppenheimer and Sygne Byrge Sorensen The Act of Killing is unlike any other documentary I have ever seen. In it, the executioners from the massacre of over 1,000,000 communists in Indonesia are asked to recreate their acts in a film portraying what they had done. At the start of the documentary, we understand that these murderers have not only never been punished for their crimes, they are lauded by the people of Indonesia, and they are quite proud of what they did. They happily recreate the best ways to decapitate a person, and lament white pants in a recreation of one of the acts, because of its inauthenticity. The film portrays not only acts of killing, but the acting of killing, and thereby earns its title. So the executioners band together as community heroes to make a film portraying what they did. In the occasional moment of self-awareness, a current leader of the party warns that the reenactments not be too blood-thirsty, because that would be bad for their image. He reenforces that the agenda of murdering all communists around the globe is righteous, but that the appearance of the murders is what counts. It doesn't matter what it was, only how it looks. There are moments in this film that are bone chilling - the proud boasting about rapes of women and children and the eager demonstrations of the most violent of killings are only two examples of scenes that are hard to view and absorb. And then there is the palpable shift as the murderers portray the victims of their violence. They flinch. They start asking themselves if their acts were unpunished sins. They begin to see communists as people and themselves as demons. Experiencing their acts through their victims eyes begin to make a mark, and we see slight shifts that give us hope. It is hard to say what impact this film will have on the citizens of Indonesia, but it is hard to imagine that it won't have some further impact on its subjects. It's not easy to watch, not by a mile, but it is important to see this cautionary tale of mass murder and its long term impact. (as if we needed one) As for the Oscars, it's hard to say if it will win, especially now that documentary voting is on the honor system. It's a hard movie to watch, and it's long with some meandering parts that make me wonder if Academy voters will make it all the way through to its important climactic ending. If it wins (or if The Square wins, which I consider to be the most deserving), we will certainly know that they did their jobs. Haven't seen the film? Watch The Act of Killing Movie Trailer
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET Best Picture - Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joey McFarland, and Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Producers Actor in a Leading Role - Leonardo DiCaprio Actor in a Supporting Role - Jonah Hill Directing - Martin Scorsese Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Terence Winter Ok, I admit that I've been deeply dreading this review, because who wants to say that they enjoyed a film in which a morally bankrupt criminal displays the most abhorrent behaviors? Jordan Belfort, the notorious bilker and schemer and his partners who do the same all without a blink of an eye are the very people who stirred up class warfare in American society. These are the very steal from the middle class and give to the rich wall streeters who embody the worst in what excess and privilege can engender in people. But, unfortunately, the movie is as intoxicating as the drugs they take must be. There is much controversy in the film because it's basically a three-hour orgy of misogyny, swearing, and debauchery, and to some it could feel like a tribute to all of those things. I think the film is more complicated than that, because watching people lose their humanity is deeply personal, and the truth is that the actors in the film seem to comprehend that in their performances. (I could live without Jonah Hill's strange New York accent, but other than that, well played by both him and Leonardo DiCaprio, especially.) It is masterfully directed, and though I do love Scorsese films, I don't approach them without a scrutinizing eye. In this case, it is clear that the camera is used in a way to either pull in close so that we can develop a sense of connection with the characters, or pulled back just far enough so that we are lured into ruthlessly and harshly judging them. Scorsese is at his best in this film, and despite the frenzied tone of many of the scenes, it is clear that he is not directing without a strong plan. There is no Wolf of Wall Street without the brilliantly crafted screenplay. The writing is certainly graphic, and has garnered much attention for the most uses of the f word in a single movie. I was not distracted by that triviality, because the use of the language is not gratuitous. It is used purposefully and to create an atmosphere that we, who work in jobs where those euphemisms would not be acceptable, can begin to understand. I have no idea if this portrayal of wall street risk-takers is authentic, but it certainly feels authentic, which I suppose is the mark of truly good writing. This is another film that would never make the top 5 Best Picture nominees in the old days. There are much better, much more important movies out this year. Having said that, it is clear once you see it where the hype is coming from, and why it is genuinely deserved. Haven't seen the film? Watch The Wolf of Wall Street Movie Trailer
20 FEET FROM STARDOM Documentary Feature - Morgan Neville, Gil Friesen, and Caitrin Rogers For the first time in history, the camera pulls in close to the talented artists who help make songs into a wall of sound - the backup singers. It is a whole new look on the music industry, as some of the top backup singers in the business talk about their lives, their aspirations, and their amazing experiences with the most famous and well known musicians and producers in history. Contrary to what I would have believed, not all backup singers aspire to take center stage. Some do, and we get to listen to them and see their journeys as well - Sheryl Crow being the most famous among those who walked from the back microphones to the center one, but also Darlene Love who is famous for her song, "He's a Rebel," but who Phil Spector famously shafted in the building of her own career. The list of people included in this film (both backup and famous alike) reads like a Stradivarius plays. What an incredible movie! If you see it only to listen to the incredible soundtrack of live music, it's a completely worthwhile endeavor. Judith Hill, who had that iconic moment in Michael Jackson's final film, This Is It, is featured. She has amassed a huge fan base (partly due to her appearance on The Voice) and she is now working very intentionally to establish her own solo career, with the occasional backup gig when the likes of Elton John ask her. 20 Feet From Stardom has a pretty good chance of capturing the award, only because about half the time the full length documentary winner is the most fun or uplifting story, and most of the time the winner is the most well known among the five, which this is. We'll see how the rule changes (described in my entry for The Square) affect the outcome in the category, but win or lose, this film was outstanding.
12 YEARS A SLAVE Actor in a Leading Role - Chiwetel Ejiofor Actor in a Supporting Role - Michael Fassbender Actress in a Supporting Role - Lupita Nyong'o Best Picture - Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Steve McQueen, and Anthony Katagas, Producers Costume Design - Patricia Norris Directing - Steve McQueen Film Editing - Joe Walker Production Design - Adam Stockhausen (Production Design), Alice Baker (Set Decoration) Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - John Ridley I think I have been waiting for 34 reviews to talk about this profoundly important movie by Steve McQueen. Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejoifor) is a free man and musician in the north in the 1800's who is abducted along with other free people to be shipped south and sold as slaves. He ultimately reaches plantation owner and slave abuser (Michael Fassbender) where he sees the most terrible cruelty a person can perpetrate on other human beings. At this plantation, there is a subplot in which the owner's favorite slave and victim is one of the women workers (Lupita Nyong'o), who also suffers terribly at the hands of Fassbender's jealous and cruel wife. The plot is not unlike other films and epics about slavery, except that this version is so superb, it is hard to imagine that it didn't get nominations in every possible category, including its well-deserved writing recognition (it is adapted from the book that Solomon Northup himself wrote, after he was freed). We are drawn in by the extraordinary performances - particularly by Ejiofor who brilliantly demonstrates the kind of dignity that can only come from within, and from holding fast to the belief that freedom is only slightly less in one's mind than it is in one's reality. There is a moment in the film where an abused slave has died and is being buried by his peers, and this is the moment where we see Solomon Northup take all of the anger and bitterness he has been holding in and begin to let it all out. It is also the single point in the film where he seems to accept his position as a member of the slave community, while at the same time managing to demonstrate the free will that all human beings deserve. It is an overwhelming performance that must not go unnoticed. While I'm on the subject of acting, Lupita Nyong'o can't be overlooked. Her desperation is palpable - we feel her oppression in our own bones. She is such a strong character and Nyongo's portrayal of this person who has no exit from her misery is possibly unrivaled. She is delicate and she is strong all at the same time. As I've said before, the artists associated with period pieces are given a true gift in that they are able to create masterpieces in costume, set design and production design. These artists are no exception and they have risen to the occasion in this film. I've saved the best for last - Steve McQueen was single minded in his quest to have this film made, and it is clear when you watch it that he knew what his plan for the direction was before he even shot the first scene. Each movement is methodical, each scene moves the story forward. The Director is ultimately responsible for every decision on a set, and McQueen's soul is left for us to see all over the screen. He, and this film, are deserving of any recognition they receive, and even the recognition they don't. It was the most important story among the Best Picture nominees and I can't say enough about it. If you have any humanity at all, it's a very difficult film to sit through. But sit through it, we must. Haven't seen the film? (What? Stop reading and get to the theater right now.) Watch the 12 Years a Slave Movie Trailer (and then go see it immediately)
STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS Visual Effects - Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Ben Grossmann, and Burt Dalton Star Trek: Into Darkness is the second in the series of throwback films where we get to see our beloved Star Trek (Original Series) characters as younger adults getting their start in their space careers. As always, there are ethical dilemmas, lots of fighting and explosions, and plenty of fun surprises that I wouldn't dare ruin with my review. The film begins with James T. Kirk in the unenviable position of having to choose between the prime directive of non-interference in extra-terrestrial societies and saving the life of his friend, Spock. You can probably guess which he chooses, and how that choice teaches him and his crew the importance and challenge of the good of the many vs. the good of the one. This is a theme that arises over and over in the Star Trek world - how to evaluate the life of a single person against the good of the community. I'm a fan of the Star Trek films in general (I haven't seen nearly all of them, but have seen a fair few), and this J.J. Abrams conception of the Star Trek films brings me back to what I originally loved about the series. It's as much the lessons and insights behind the action that make the stories incredible, and this one was no exception. They certainly brought in as many twists and turns as they could think of into one pretty solid film. The funny part is that for the first three-quarters of the movie, I kept wondering where the spectacular visual effects were that made this film worthy of an Oscar nomination. However, in the last quarter of the film, the answer arrived. If the word "spectacular" is derived from spectacle, then that word is only too fitting for what happens when the visual effects really start to kick in. Some would wonder why a nomination for effects when most of the movie relies more on storytelling than the visual effects medium. But the effects are done so convincingly and with such aplomb that the movie finishes leaving little doubt. And, I applaud the decision to save the best for last. If a movie relies solely on visual effects to engage the viewer, then the story can't be very good. And a space movie with no visual effects makes no sense. With Star Trek: Into Darkness, J.J. Abrams finds a great balance that makes the movie fun and totally worth it. Haven't seen the film? Watch the Star Trek: Into Darkness Movie Trailer
THE SQUARE Documentary Feature - Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer We have arrived at our first full length documentary feature. The documentaries are a particular favorite of mine, and the topics this year are diverse and take us around the world to true stories that make us think, make us cry, and hopefully make us act. One interesting thing about the full length documentary category is that in the past, all members of the Academy were eligible to vote for the winner among the nominees, but only if they have seen all 5 of the films. This restriction doesn't apply to all of the Oscar categories. This year, Academy members got a box with all the screeners for all the documentaries, shorts, and foreign films, and so this category has shifted to the honor system, like the others. The Square documents the rise of the movement for change in Egypt, starting around 2011, when a group of young, idealist, change makers took over Tahrir Square to oust the then-President Hosni Mubarak. You can feel all of the hope and all of the expectation and all of what could be converging in that one place when people come together to demand a better life. But that hope is dashed as the military takes over only to be succeeded by the election of the Muslim Brotherhood, who quickly seizes power and moves to replace one dictatorship with another. The conversation then moves from the ousting of dictators to the question of secular versus religious rule, and can people coexist if a government requires either secularism or religiosity as the only way of life to allow its citizens who do not align with the ruling party to live without oppression. All of this is made very personal through the eyes of the grassroots movement's leaders - some of whom are secular (like the former lead actor in the movie The Kite Runner) and at least one of whom is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, but who displays some independent thinking along the way, but makes clear that he is expected to act under the orders of the Brotherhood, whether or not he agrees with them. The film ends with the same uncertainty that Egypt is mired in right now, with the ousting of Mohammed Morsi as the new President cum dictator, and the situation is far from peaceful. We are left asking ourselves what this "Arab Spring" has really accomplished. Is it simply the trading of oppression of religious Muslims with the oppression of secular Muslims? Modern women were active in the overturning of the government, what is their future in Egypt, as the religious reigns are tightened? Is there hope for secularism in Egypt with the only organized faction being the Muslim Brotherhood? Can idealists find the practicality to understand and engage in politics? One thing is sure, for everyday Egyptians, there are simply no easy answers, but they are not ready to give up. As one of the characters stated so well, until they stand for something rather than simply against the government, it will be hard for them to lead, and to grasp enough political power to affect real change. Hope will just not be enough. Haven't seen the film? Watch The Square Movie Trailer
SAVING MR. BANKS Music (Original Score) - Thomas Newman Saving Mr. Banks is the story of how Walt Disney convinced the misanthropic and Britishly uptight author of Mary Poppins (PL Travers) to allow Disney Studios to turn her beloved book into a movie. The film flashes back regularly to her childhood in Australia with a loving but alcoholic father and a troubled mother. The film is at once sad, funny, and touching, and it was somehow irresistible to watch this favorite childhood movie come to life. In addition, Emma Thompson is devilishly difficult, and manages to be distasteful as a character in her great lack of common social skills and also sympathetic as her childhood story comes to life. As a great fan of Mary Poppins (the Disney movie), the way that the music is woven into the film is brilliant. It's more than hearing the songs again as though they are being written in front of us, though that is fun to watch. What makes the music remarkable is that the original music from that movie is integrated into the orchestrations for this film. It makes the entire score lovely and visceral - and you can't help feeling something that touches your soul. This is one of the few original score nominations this year that I wholeheartedly endorse. I saw Saving Mr. Banks twice, and I deeply enjoyed it both times. It's a movie that works on every level, the performances are authentic and the story gives us satisfying insights into how the character of Mary Poppins was born (both as a movie and as a book). It was truly the delight of a spoonful of a sugar combined with flying a kite up to the highest height. Haven't seen the film? Watch the Saving Mr. Banks Movie Trailer
PRISONERS Cinematography - Roger A. Deakins Prisoners is the story of two families whose daughters have been kidnapped on Thanksgiving Day. A suspect emerges but is ultimately released from police custody for lack of evidence. One of the fathers (Hugh Jackman) is convinced of the suspect's guilt, so he kidnaps the young man and sets up a site where he tries to torture the truth out of him. There are lots of twists and turns along the way, and still somehow Prisoners manages to be a pretty bad film. Despite the powerhouse cast, there are so many holes in the storyline that it becomes exasperating to watch. Accepting the lack of sense in each story error is almost impossible, so the movie becomes either annoying or completely boring. Despite this, the cinematography nomination is understandable given how much shooting was done in tunnels, small spaces, underground, and inside dark buildings. The art of lighting and shooting these kinds of spaces convincingly is not easy, so it is not uncommon for movies like this one to receive a nomination in this category. Unfortunately, the cinematography doesn't make watching the film worth it. Haven't seen the film? Watch the Prisoners Movie Trailer
PHILOMENA Actress in a Leading Role - Judi Dench Best Picture - Gabrielle Tana, Steve Coogan and Tracey Seaward, Producers Music (Original Score) - Alexandre Desplat Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope The day I went to see Philomena, as I was getting settled in my seat, a woman in the row in front of me leaned back and said, "this is my second time seeing this movie. You won't believe the places it will take you and if you like it, please tell as many people about it as possible." She didn't have an accent so she probably wasn't Steve Coogan's (producer, writer, actor) mother. Philomena recounts the tragic story of young, unwed, Catholic mothers who go to live in a convent and whose children are adopted out primarily to rich Americans, while they live and work in hard conditions. It is unclear whether this adoption process is against their will, but to some degree, it appears so. Fifty years after Philomena's child's birth, she shares her history with her daughter who enlists a journalist to help Philomena find her long lost son. Together, they take on the convent for leads (they get nothing) so they fly to the US and they pursue any nugget of information that they uncover, some of which leads them closer to her child. Unlike classic tales in which the victim finds a rescuer who takes over and saves her, Philomena never loses her newly developed sense of empowerment, and owns her choices each step of the way. Her journalist partner in crime becomes more enraged as they discover cruel choices that the nuns made along the way, but Philomena won't engage in the anger and even finds forgiveness and peace. (To find out if she finds and meets her son, you'll have to see the movie - I'm committed to a no spoilers policy for this blog.) I left the film inspired by this tale for so many reasons - was it the forgiveness the lead character was able to find despite terrible injustice? Was it watching a woman find her voice as she releases a lifelong sense of shame? Was it the redemption of a hardened journalist too self-important for human interest and human justice stories? Was it an unshakable commitment to a person's faith, no matter what they faced along the way? I don't know. I could probably list another ten themes that are done so well in the film that made seeing the film well worth it. I've seen every performance in the Best Actress category, and Judi Dench deserves it, hands down (I don't think she will win, but she should). Her performance is nuanced, touching, and important. She plays the broad spectrum of emotions and does it superbly. Philomena is only nominated for a Best Picture Oscar because of the expanded list of nine. Were we back in the days of 5, I doubt that it would have made the cut. It's a great film, but not necessarily an important film. But, to the people who survived this kind of shaming and injustice, and to the people who want a rich understanding of what can be perpetuated in the name of righteousness, there is little question that this film makes its impact. The writing is wonderful, and all of the elements work together to make an incredible story. Haven't seen the film? Watch the Philomena Movie Trailer
MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM Music (Original Song) - "Ordinary Love" - Music by Paul Hewson, Dave Evans, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen; Lyric by Paul Hewson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is a surprising film in that it manages to laud the human rights struggle led by Nelson Mandela without portraying the man as a saint. It shows his greatness and his flaws, and the real challenges that those who were left at home continued to face while he was locked behind bars. I'm not sure that a biopic will ever truly do justice to any individual. When you google Mandela the man, you see not only his triumphs but also his dalliances with people and causes that we may or may not support. Right or wrong, Mandela (the film) shows some of these human failings, if not the political ones. But there is one element of the man that goes undisputed and that I consider to be Mandela's greatest achievement. After decades living under apartheid and being oppressed and beaten simply for being black, Mandela convinces a nation weary and bruised and eager for justice to use power for its true purpose - for leadership, for changing lives, for modernizing the country, and not simply for revenge. It is easy to see how anyone who continued to endure the systemic racism under Apartheid laws would be clamoring to teach those who had oppressed them what it is like to have the tables turned once they have been ousted from their perches. No, said Mandela the man, and no, said Mandela the leader. The goal of the fight was to eliminate injustice, not to perpetrate it on a different enemy. The song from this film captures it beautifully and is a strong contender for the win. I'm disappointed that this film did not get more nominations, particularly for Idris Elba who portrayed Mandela. By the end of the film, if you closed your eyes, you could hear the real Mandela's voice. It was a transformation that only the finest actor could accomplish and I genuinely feel that this was a terrible oversight in favor of lesser performances. (I'm looking at you, Christian Bale.) The same can be said for supporting actress, Naomie Harris, who played Winnie Mandela. (I'm looking at you, Meryl Streep.) These were not straightforward roles to play, and what they both had to endure to become their characters is worthy of top recognition. It is a disgrace that neither was nominated, particularly when you look at some of the performances in what would have been their categories. Frankly, I could name multiple categories for which Mandela would be worthy of nomination, and I'm merely relieved that it didn't go completely unnoticed by the Academy, even if it is just for its powerful song. (Click to see the youtube video accompanied by a slide show of the real Mandela's life.)
LONE SURVIVOR Sound Mixing - Andy Koyama, Beau Borders and David Brownlow Sound Editing - Wylie Stateman Lone Survivor is the true story of Marcus Latrell and his seal team whose assignment it was to go out and kill or capture a notorious Taliban leader. They find themselves discovered by a shepherd and two teenagers, and that begins a disastrous firefight against a couple hundred Taliban terrorists. Over time, each of Marcus' team members is killed, as well as two helicopters worth of soldiers coming to save the stranded team. Marcus is discovered by members of the village who risk their own lives to honor an ancient practice of hospitality and honor where a person in need becomes your responsibility if you find him. Lone Survivor is a well developed story, and is apparently very true to the actual events that transpired, down to the landscape in which the fight transpired. It's hard not to hold one's breath throughout the film, both because of the incredible circumstances and because of the risk the soldiers continue to face throughout the film. It reminded me a little bit of the movie Apollo 13, where we know the outcome and nonetheless we are still sitting on the edges of our seats the entire film. It is not an easy movie to watch, but it is outstanding. Both of Lone Survivor's nominations are classic Sound Mixing and Sound Editing choices. Action films with lots of explosions and guns and hysteria are perfect candidates for these nominations. (For further explanation of both categories, see my posts for All is Lost for Sound Editing and Captain Phillips for Sound Mixing.) They are both perfectly executed in this film, and very deserving of recognition. I'm only sorry that there weren't additional nominations for this film - it was a likely contender for several categories, and probably came in just short on several accounts. The acting was superb, the music was wonderful, and the screenplay was well executed. Lone Survivor is well worth the time. One last note: I am not easily lured into patriotism for patriotism's sake, and though I love being an American citizen, I am not the kind who is enthralled by the lengths our military must go, especially when people's lives are put at great risk. But this film made me very proud of our American soldiers, who do what they do bravely and with great loyalty to our country. I recommend the film highly. Watch The Lone Survivor Movie Trailer
THE LONE RANGER Makeup and Hairstyling - Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny Visual Effects - Tim Alexander, Gary Brozenich, Edson Williams and John Frazier The Lone Ranger might be the easiest of all the films with nominations to describe and review because I'm going to cut right to the chase. We all basically know the story, and this movie is the Lone Ranger (Armie Hammer) and his Native American sidekick Tonto's (Johnny Depp) origin story. Together, they ride the desert chasing a bad guy until they discover that his evil ways may just be a part of a larger, more corrupt, injustice. Sounds like a great legend story, right? Yeah, not this time. It sucked. It sucked so so badly. After watching the first hour and a half, I almost gave up when I realized that there was another full hour to go. But given how little had happened at that point showcasing either visual effects or makeup and hairstyling, I thought perhaps if I hung in there, I'd have a deeper (any?) understanding of how this film got two nominations. For OSCARS. I'm pretty sure the makeup rode the coattails of the hairstyling for the nomination because at least some of that was quite interesting, but keeping Johnny Depp looking like a Native American the entire movie probably took some effort. (Don't ask me why they couldn't find a single Native American actor to play the part, but that's a question for another time.) The visual effects were fine and there were some cool ones with train explosions, but I would hardly call this film a visual effects achievement. I'm again going to note that the Makeup and Hairstyling category has some pretty weak competitors this year. With only three nominees, one would think that they could identify a couple of better options that do more than make an interesting design on one person's face or age a young person to look old - both of which have been done in zillions of movies for dozens of years. When you put the visual effects up against any of the other nominees, it's almost an insult to the category that this film is included in the list. All in all, a true disappointment both as a movie and as a two-Oscar nominee. Haven't seen the film? Watch The Lone Ranger Movie Trailer
ANIMATED SHORT FILMS FERAL - Daniel Sousa and Dan Golden GET A HORSE! - Lauren MacMullan and Dorothy McKim MR. HUBLOT - Laurent Witz and Alexandre Espigares POSSESSIONS - Shuhei Morita ROOM ON THE BROOM - Max Lang and Jan Lachauer This year's crop of Animated Short films was not as strong as in prior years, and there was probably only one that I would recommend as not to be missed. Thankfully, that one is a Disney film, so you have a pretty good chance of seeing it before one of their upcoming full length animated features. The thing about the animated shorts is that they are rarely what we are used to when we think of animated stories. The winners are not often children's stories, they are more often sentimental or ethereal and beautifully animated. The Nominees Feral is the story of a wild child living in the woods who is rescued by an adult who brings him to the city, cleans him up and tries to mainstream him. You can take the child out of the woods, but you can't take the woods out of the child. The animation is not the brightly colored kind, it's the more muted version where the faces are just non-specific shadows. There is at least one of this style of animation each year. This film was a sleeper for me. Feral Movie Trailer
Get a Horse! was the best of the lot. It was an incredibly creative take in which the black and white versions of our favorite Disney characters and scenarios are punched through the screen to the future where they are featured in color with modern technology. They cross back and forth and it's both adorable and incredibly innovative. Get a Horse! Trailer
Mr. Hublot was a high concept animated film set far in the future. An OCD man spots a robot dog on the street and takes him into his home. As he cares for the robot, the dog gets larger and larger so that he takes up most of the apartment space, and Mr. Hublot has to decide what to do as his solitary lifestyle is lovingly taken up by his companion. The thing about this film is that it is high concept and the story is fine, but the animation is incredible. It truly demonstrates the value of animation, where a set decorator and production designer would have a heck of a time accomplishing what this team of animators could with their imaginations and their computers. Mr. Hublot Movie Trailer
Possessions was a truly interesting film. A Japanese Mr. Fixit is traveling through a storm and he encounters the bringing to life of a Japanese legend where tools that are around for more than 100 years get up to all sorts of shenanigans. As he goes from room to room, he calmly embraces the objects and tenderly repairs all broken parts, overcoming the obstacles one by one. This film was the other animated film that I very much enjoyed, and if you're a recycling fanatic, you'll love watching a person who doesn't give up on things just because they are old.
Finally we reach Room on the Broom. Every now and then, there has been a nominee which brings to life a children's book with a power cast producing the voice overs. That's what Room on the Broom is this year, with Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins voicing the bird, and Simon Pegg and Gillian Anderson both participating, as well. The problem with these and movies like The Gruffalo (nominated in 2010 and produced by the same team that made this one) is that they take a long time (30+ minutes) and even as a child when you are listening to your parent read the book to you, it doesn't last 30 minutes. It is interesting at the outset, but just lasts too long for an animated short film to remain interesting, especially with a child's story. The animation is well done and the actors are fun to listen to, but it's mediocre at best. Room on the Broom Movie Trailer
In the end, it wasn't the strongest crop of films this year. In fact, two of the "highly commended" films shown at the screening were far superior to some of those which made the final list of nominees. Both "The Blue Umbrella" and "The Missing Scarf" were wonderful and creative films that I felt deserved one of the top 5 spots. So come on Academy, where's my ballot?
LIVE ACTION SHORTS AQUEL NO ERA YO (THAT WASN'T ME) - Esteban Crespo AVANT QUE DE TOUT PERDRE (JUST BEFORE LOSING EVERYTHING) - Xavier Legrand and Alexandre Gavras HELIUM - Anders Walter and Kim Magnusson PITAAKO MUN KAIKKI HOITAA? (DO I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING?) - Selma Vilhunen and Kirsikka Saari THE VOORMAN PROBLEM - Mark Gill and Baldwin Li I'm taking the short films together by category for a couple of reasons. First, you can't go see them individually. Second, there aren't enough days in between nomination announcements and Oscar broadcast to post one review a day if I don't take all three categories of shorts and do them each all together. Third, it allows me to draw comparisons between them. Fourth, they have been put together with commentary in between each from film makers who spoke eloquently about the benefit of short film producing, and I want to share some of that here. There is much to be said for making short films. They have very small budgets, so the filmmaker has very little noise to cloud his/her vision. They require discipline - the filmmaker must have a clear message to communicate and a tight plan for its delivery. There can't be a lot of side and subplots, there is no time for that, so the dialogue is often crisp, the action clear, and the direction has to be focused. When short films are done well, there is little middle ground for the audience to get lost in; you either like the story or you don't. And, they are a great training ground for young filmmakers because you can make them and move on to the next go, if they are complete failures. First, the film from Spain, Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me). It is the story in which the exploitation of African child soldiers and their plight is examined. We see how the humanity is actively drained from their souls, and we feel the fear of two foreign doctors and their driver as they are captured and threatened with execution. This film was the best of a very strong list this year. It seems that child soldiers is a very popular theme among the live action short film producers since there is one addressing this subject among the nominees almost every year, although I have yet to see one of these films win. Last year, I thought the film "Asad" (about Somali child soldiers) was the best of the bunch, but it did not win. But there is so much humanity in this one that it might finally be the year when child soldiers get the recognition they need to make this tragedy a priority in our world. Aquel No Era Yo Movie Trailer
Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything) is a nominee from France/Luxembourg in which we see a woman and her children escaping an abusive husband. She goes to her workplace for assistance and refuge, and we see the variety of reactions from her co-workers. I was alternately moved and disgusted, but it led me to ask myself, how would I act in this same situation? How would anyone? The palpable fear in this film is different from the first, but I was on the edge of my seat the entire film. Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything) Movie Trailer
Helium hit me in the gut. It is the story of a dying child in the hospital and the custodian who befriends him, helping him not to be afraid of death. The custodian weaves a lengthy tale with the child of a magical land filled with balloons, people who love him, and wonderful peaceful homes once you get there. This story from Denmark had me in tears. Helium Movie Trailer
Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have To Do Everything?) is the tribute to every working mom in the world. Running late to a wedding, the mom leaps out of bed and launches into getting everyone ready to go. She loses the wedding gift under the piles of mess and in each moment improvises one solution to each new problem. I laughed so hard at the end of this film, I was grateful that it was subtitled as I would have definitely missed the last few lines. This short film out of Finland was a welcome relief to the heavy subjects of the other nominees. Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?) Movie Trailer
Finally, The Voorman Problem. Another funny one from our friends in Britain in which a supposedly insane prisoner maintains that he is a god and he has gotten the other prisoners to believe in him. A psychiatrist is brought in and sets before him a series of questions which are intended as litmus tests to prove that he is not, in fact, god. But the hilarity comes when we discover that this prisoner is hard to debate than expected. The Voorman Problem Movie Trailer
The short films take about 2 hours to view all together, plus the commentary from the movie makers in between. Each year, it is one of my favorite experiences and I highly recommend that if you haven't been making it out to see them (assuming they come to your town), that you go this year. It was a particularly good crop of films, and there wasn't a single bad one in the group. It's a whole different kind of movie making, and if you're like me and you love movies because of the stories they tell, short films are among the greatest tribute to pure storytelling. Don't miss them!
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