tick, tick... BOOM! - 2 nominations

 

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Andrew Garfield

Best Achievement in Film Editing Myron Kerstein Andrew Weisblum

We have arrived at MY FAVORITE MOVIE OF THE YEAR.  Let me remind you that it is almost impossible for me to rank order movies from best to worst, I'm generally entertained by most films so saying something is awesome is not a rarity, and the way my brain works, picking one favorite thing in any genre (favorite food, favorite movie, favorite Disneyland ride, etc.) almost never happens.  With tick, tick... BOOM! this was the easiest decision of the year.

First, some context.  It happens that my family has an association with the Larson family, and I share this only to say that I spent the better part of 2001 listening to the original cast recording any time I was in my car.  I know all the songs by heart even though I had never actually seen the show staged.  Those of you who listen to my podcast "2 Movie Jews" will know that this was my most highly anticipated film of the year.

Then, our national treasure Lin Manuel Miranda released this beauty into the wild on Netflix, and my heart exploded.  Andrew Garfield was magnificent (and ps, he LEARNED TO SING for this film... SAY WHAT???) and though I missed a few of the original songs from the show, LMM managed to give a wink and a nod to the song cuts that just didn't work for the movie narrative. 

Attention must be paid.  There is a song in the show called "Sunday" that is a humorous revamping of a serious song from Sunday in the Park with George (another famous musical for you non-musical types).  I watched this scene multiple times, with Miranda having recruited a who's who of Broadway for this fantasy scene (Chita Rivera! Joel Grey! Bernadette Peters! And more!). If you're a musical theater fan, you'll spend half the scene shouting out names of people you recognize.

But it's important to know that the plot is about a man about to turn 30 and examining his life, his work, if he will ever be successful.  The movie is basically a biopic (with surely liberties having been taken) as Jonathan Larsen struggles his way to becoming the writer of one of the most beloved musicals in history, Rent.  There is a lovely tribute to Larsen's mentor, Stephen Sondheim, which frankly Bradley Whitford played so convincingly that I almost thought it was Sondheim himself for just a quick moment.  Larsen tragically died the night before Rent opened, and I can't think of a more fitting homage to his talent than this film.  Watch it, then watch it 10 more times.  You'll be glad you did.

Silence - 1 nomination

Cinematography - Rodrigo Prieto

Silence is the story of 17th century Catholic priests who come to Japan to find their mentor, who they learn has renounced his faith, taken a wife, and is living as a Japanese citizen.  Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver play these men who, upon their arrival in Japan, discover small groups of converted Japanese Catholics who must live in secret in order to practice their new religion, which has been outlawed by the Japanese government.  Christians who are discovered are tortured and put to brutal deaths.

Silence is truly the right name for this film.  There is a lot of quiet and space for the story to be told. We can see the struggles of these idealistic Priests who at once believe that they are saving souls and see the terrible brutality that befalls those who are discovered.  The movie is beautiful looking and the landscapes, the sheer variety of lighting challenges which range from open spaces to fire lit to inside cages - these are major accomplishments for a cinematographer.  

But unfortunately, the film is much too slow and could have been edited down by at least a half hour, probably more.  I once heard a Director being interviewed and he said that every scene in a film must move the storyline forward and add a piece of information to the story that we haven't already been shown.  Scenes that don't contribute to that end are times when Directors fall in love with those scenes and don't give them the objective evaluation they need.  This Director described this fatal flaw as vanity.  There is no question that Martin Scorcese is among the best of the best when it comes to directing, but I think he fell in love with too many scenes in this movie that just didn't accomplish their task.  If you miss Silence, you won't be missing much, which is hard for me to say because all of the component parts should work - an interesting piece of history, strong cast, strong director, strong team.  But the whole when put together is too flawed to bother.

Hacksaw Ridge - 6 nominations

Best Picture - Bill Mechanic and David Permut
Actor in a Leading Role - Andrew Garfield
Directing - Mel Gibson
Film Editing - John Gilbert
Sound Editing - Robert Mackenzie and Andy Wright
Sound Mixing - Kevin O'Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace

This might be the hardest review I've ever had to write in my history with the Oscars and particularly this blog.  To review the film in a vacuum would simply deny that Mel Gibson has a hateful background (if you don't believe me, look up "Mel Gibson rant" on you tube, see how much you can make it through) having spewed vile language on his ex-girlfriend, at the police (about Jews), and in so many directions that one would expect Hollywood to have abandoned him without any chance for a comeback.  Stephen Colbert nobly gave Gibson space on his late night show to express any regrets about his behavior in the past, and Gibson replied that he has no regrets.  And I believe him. To separate the man from his work is a difficult chore for me, and I struggle to understand how those who work with him accomplish that task.  

It is true that Gibson chooses worthy projects (for the most part) and that he is a very good Director.  He understands storytelling, so if I were reviewing the film with no context, I would have no trouble endorsing Hacksaw Ridge, even if it does get a little "preachy" from a religious perspective.  It's hard to reconcile a main character (and real person, Army Medic Desmond Doss) who has committed his life to peace and only to actions that uplift, knowing that Gibson himself couldn't measure up to a man like Doss in any way.

On to the film... Hacksaw Ridge is the story of a man who voluntarily joins the army as a religious man so that he can serve as an army medic, but who is also a committed pacifist.  He refuses to touch any weapon, and this creates a sense of mistrust and a total disconnection with his fellow soldiers. Vince Vaughan has a small but standout role as Sergeant Howell, who can't endorse a soldier who refuses to fight, and in fact, the army tries to get Doss to take a discharge.  But he is committed to his work as a medic, and over time, he must convince his fellow soldiers that he will not shirk his duty to them, even if he can't engage is war making himself.  Andrew Garfield plays the role ably, though I'm not convinced that it warrants a lead actor nomination.  Honestly, I was rooting for Hugh Grant to be nominated for Florence Foster Jenkins, and this nomination is the one that I would swap for Grant.

As I explained in the Arrival review, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing nominations are very common for war/action films, though I sometimes had trouble making out the dialogue over the action.  This is central to the sound mixer's job, and to my ear, there were parts of the film that weren't perfect sonically.

But to be clear, Hacksaw Ridge is both a sweet film and an exciting one to watch.  If you can get past the real world shadow cast onto it, you may enjoy the watch.