My task of watching and reviewing the 10 Oscar Best Picture nominees is almost complete as last night I watched The Fighter. Now all that is left to see is Winter's Bone.
Having watched both the Critic's Choice Awards and the Golden Globe Awards where Christian Bale took home the award for Best Supporting Actor at both shows, I was anxious to see whether or not I agreed with the verdict. Boy do I ever. Bale's acting was tremendous. The Fighter is a story of second chances, third chances, fourth chances, twenty seventh chances...Dicky Eklund (Bale) is a once great boxer from Massachusetts who is known at the Pride of Lowell for having gone toe-to-toe against Sugar Ray Leonard in '78. It's Dicky who gets his younger half-brother, Micky (Marky Mark Wahlberg) interested in boxing, because, as many younger siblings do, Micky wants to do everything that his hero, his brother, does. Despite Dicky having a debilitating crack cocaine addiction, Micky and his family (9 total siblings - 7 girls!) always support him, maybe too much. It's not until his umpteenth arrest and incarceration that Micky realizes he may need to distance himself from his brother in order to have a shot at making it big. With the help of his father and girlfriend (a fantastic Amy Adams -- she can portray a tough chick and a wide-eyed princess) Micky finally starts to live up to his potential.
Overall, The Fighter was a good film. It's not my favorite of the Oscar nominated films, but I absolutely can see its merit. Christian Bale deserves the Best Supporting Actor nomination and I kind of believe that he deserved to be nominated for Best Leading Actor, but I suppose Marky Mark was the main actor of the film.
Updated Ranking
1. Black Swan
2. The Kids Are All Right
3. Inception
4. The King's Speech
5. True Grit
6. 127 Hours
7. Toy Story 3
8. The Fighter
9. The Social Network
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Crimes and Misdemeanors
The first Woody Allen film I ever remember seeing was "What's New Pussycat". I couldn't have been older than 8 years old and my mother wanted to show it to me as she hadn't seen it since the '60s but remembered it being hilarious. That was my introduction to Woody Allen. 14 years later and many Woody Allen movies under my belt, I happened upon one on Netflix instant stream I hadn't seen before called "Crimes and Misdemeanors".
If ever "What's New Pussycat" had an antithesis, it would be "Crimes and Misdemeanors". The slapstick over the top comedy of the former is met in the latter with tragedy not only in the form of unrequited love and a failed career but also in the form of a very serious crime, hence the title. There are two plots that run the length of the film without ever interacting until the very last scene. In one, Judah, an aging optometrist (Martin Landau), is 2 years into an extramarital relationship that is getting out of control as the woman he is cheating on his wife with (Anjelica Huston) is essentially blackmailing him into leaving his wife of many many years. Judah must choose between wrecking his home life by telling his wife and family about the affair or doing something about the other woman. This plot is very Bergmanesque (I know, I know oy with the pretentious liberal arts thing) in that it is filled with all the big existential questions: What is religion? Is there a God? Can morality exist in a world devoid of a system of ethical rules?
The second plot is much lighter, I suppose. Woody Allen portrays a documentary filmmaker stuck in a marriage to a woman he is no longer in love with and with whom he hasn't slept since April 20th of last year ("I remember because it was Hitler's birthday"). He is charged with producing a film about his successful TV producer brother-in-law (Alan Alda, oh how I love you) when he'd much rather be putting together a documentary about an astounding philosophy professor. Lester is one of those Hollywood types who thinks only in dollars and cents and whose catchphrase: "If it bends, it's comedy. If it breaks, it's not" he repeats relentlessly to the point that I didn't even know what it meant anymore by the end of the film. Allen and Alda's characters couldn't be more opposite. Allen's Cliff constantly mocks Alda's superficial Lester, but when it comes down to it, he really envies him for his celebrity and all that it brings him. A light plot in the beginning ends sadly as Lester bests Cliff in a way that really counts.
Filmed in '89, "Crimes and Misdemeanors" carries a lot of similar tones as Allen's later film, "Match Point", but still manages to retain a comedic element that was definitely not present in "Match Point". It surprised me that I didn't like "Crimes and Misdemeanors" as much as I thought I would. I think that can be attributed in part to the cast. It was particularly off-putting to see the normally independent, eloquent, albeit older Anjelica Huston portray a psychotically desperate young woman who has no qualms about breaking up a decades-old marriage, because she is obsessed with her adulterous significant other.
"We're all faced throughout our lives with agonizing decisions, moral choices. Some are on a grand scale, most of these choices are on lesser points. But we define ourselves by the choices we have made. We are, in fact, the sum total of our choices. Events unfold so unpredictably, so unfairly, human happiness does not seem to be included in the design of creation. It is only we, with our capacity to love that give meaning to the indifferent universe. And yet, most human beings seem to have the ability to keep trying and even try to find joy from simple things, like their family, their work, and from the hope that future generations might understand more."
I love Woody Allen, but "Crimes and Misdemeanors" just isn't one of my favorites, although it did have some redeeming qualities. Maybe it will grow on me with age, because it certainly seems geared toward a relatively older audience. I'm sticking with "Annie Hall", "Hannah and Her Sisters", "Match Point", "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" for now. A good project would be to watch all of Allen's films when I have the time!
If ever "What's New Pussycat" had an antithesis, it would be "Crimes and Misdemeanors". The slapstick over the top comedy of the former is met in the latter with tragedy not only in the form of unrequited love and a failed career but also in the form of a very serious crime, hence the title. There are two plots that run the length of the film without ever interacting until the very last scene. In one, Judah, an aging optometrist (Martin Landau), is 2 years into an extramarital relationship that is getting out of control as the woman he is cheating on his wife with (Anjelica Huston) is essentially blackmailing him into leaving his wife of many many years. Judah must choose between wrecking his home life by telling his wife and family about the affair or doing something about the other woman. This plot is very Bergmanesque (I know, I know oy with the pretentious liberal arts thing) in that it is filled with all the big existential questions: What is religion? Is there a God? Can morality exist in a world devoid of a system of ethical rules?
The second plot is much lighter, I suppose. Woody Allen portrays a documentary filmmaker stuck in a marriage to a woman he is no longer in love with and with whom he hasn't slept since April 20th of last year ("I remember because it was Hitler's birthday"). He is charged with producing a film about his successful TV producer brother-in-law (Alan Alda, oh how I love you) when he'd much rather be putting together a documentary about an astounding philosophy professor. Lester is one of those Hollywood types who thinks only in dollars and cents and whose catchphrase: "If it bends, it's comedy. If it breaks, it's not" he repeats relentlessly to the point that I didn't even know what it meant anymore by the end of the film. Allen and Alda's characters couldn't be more opposite. Allen's Cliff constantly mocks Alda's superficial Lester, but when it comes down to it, he really envies him for his celebrity and all that it brings him. A light plot in the beginning ends sadly as Lester bests Cliff in a way that really counts.
Filmed in '89, "Crimes and Misdemeanors" carries a lot of similar tones as Allen's later film, "Match Point", but still manages to retain a comedic element that was definitely not present in "Match Point". It surprised me that I didn't like "Crimes and Misdemeanors" as much as I thought I would. I think that can be attributed in part to the cast. It was particularly off-putting to see the normally independent, eloquent, albeit older Anjelica Huston portray a psychotically desperate young woman who has no qualms about breaking up a decades-old marriage, because she is obsessed with her adulterous significant other.
"We're all faced throughout our lives with agonizing decisions, moral choices. Some are on a grand scale, most of these choices are on lesser points. But we define ourselves by the choices we have made. We are, in fact, the sum total of our choices. Events unfold so unpredictably, so unfairly, human happiness does not seem to be included in the design of creation. It is only we, with our capacity to love that give meaning to the indifferent universe. And yet, most human beings seem to have the ability to keep trying and even try to find joy from simple things, like their family, their work, and from the hope that future generations might understand more."
I love Woody Allen, but "Crimes and Misdemeanors" just isn't one of my favorites, although it did have some redeeming qualities. Maybe it will grow on me with age, because it certainly seems geared toward a relatively older audience. I'm sticking with "Annie Hall", "Hannah and Her Sisters", "Match Point", "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" for now. A good project would be to watch all of Allen's films when I have the time!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Peter and Vandy
I took a break from my Oscar-nominated films to watch a film on my instant stream queue that was only available until the 9th called "Peter and Vandy". Holy moly what an amazing find! It's movies like these that slip through the cracks, but when you happen to see them you feel as though you've gotten the wind knocked out of you. The acting, the story, the setting, the cinematography, the soundtrack, my word the soundtrack!
If "(500) Days of Summer" met "Memento" and the two gave birth to a child, it would be a tragic yet totally hip love story named "Peter and Vandy". The film is told out of chronological order, thus you really must pay attention to details such as a bouquet of flowers, clothing that the actors are wearing, and a picnic basket at one point to deduct the exact moment in the relationship, as opposed to "(500) Days of Summer" in which numbers flash on the screen letting the audience know the exact point in the relationship.
Peter (Jason Ritter) is a neurotic, adorably awkward contempo hipster who hits it off with disarmingly confident Vandy (Jess Weixler) and somehow musters up the courage to ask her out on a date. I won't go into details from there, because frankly it gets a little confusing, but suffice it to say that both actors do a beyond outstanding job. One fight scene in particular was so realistic that I found myself clenching my jaw at the tension and wanting to leave as silently as possible as if I were actually in the room with them!
A third actor in the film was the bloody amazing soundtrack. My goodness was the music good. When the flickering gritty urban imagery of New York at night combined with the sounds of Animal Collective's "Fireworks" --> goosebumps. Songs by Frightened Rabbit, The National, Menomena, and Patrick Wolf were also featured and they were all mind-blowing in their specific scenes.
It's under-the-radar movies like "Peter and Vandy", "Broken English", "2 Days in Paris", "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset" that I wish were recognized more often. But then again, I cannot pretend that the pretentious liberal arts student in me selfishly doesn't like to find and keep these kinds movies all to myself and only tell those I deem worthy enough about.
If "(500) Days of Summer" met "Memento" and the two gave birth to a child, it would be a tragic yet totally hip love story named "Peter and Vandy". The film is told out of chronological order, thus you really must pay attention to details such as a bouquet of flowers, clothing that the actors are wearing, and a picnic basket at one point to deduct the exact moment in the relationship, as opposed to "(500) Days of Summer" in which numbers flash on the screen letting the audience know the exact point in the relationship.
Peter (Jason Ritter) is a neurotic, adorably awkward contempo hipster who hits it off with disarmingly confident Vandy (Jess Weixler) and somehow musters up the courage to ask her out on a date. I won't go into details from there, because frankly it gets a little confusing, but suffice it to say that both actors do a beyond outstanding job. One fight scene in particular was so realistic that I found myself clenching my jaw at the tension and wanting to leave as silently as possible as if I were actually in the room with them!
A third actor in the film was the bloody amazing soundtrack. My goodness was the music good. When the flickering gritty urban imagery of New York at night combined with the sounds of Animal Collective's "Fireworks" --> goosebumps. Songs by Frightened Rabbit, The National, Menomena, and Patrick Wolf were also featured and they were all mind-blowing in their specific scenes.
It's under-the-radar movies like "Peter and Vandy", "Broken English", "2 Days in Paris", "Before Sunrise" and "Before Sunset" that I wish were recognized more often. But then again, I cannot pretend that the pretentious liberal arts student in me selfishly doesn't like to find and keep these kinds movies all to myself and only tell those I deem worthy enough about.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Kids Are All Right
There's something about "The Kids Are All Right" that none of the other best picture noms, the ones that I've seen at least, has and that is contemporary relevance. Maybe it's the fact that it takes place in California that made the film more relatable for me. Being from California, you tend to see or even know "non-traditional" families more often than you would in say, the Midwest or the South.
As in any "traditional" (man + woman) marriage and family, marriage between Nic (Annette Benning being phenomenal as usual) and Jules (Julianne Moore being almost even more phenomenal than Benning) and their two children Joni (named after Joni Mitchell, naturally) and Laser (so rad) is no picnic, at least not during the summer before Joni goes to college. Being 2 women, Nic and Jules can't have children the good ole fashioned way and so they go to a sperm bank and pick and choose the sperm from a candidate who is studying International Relations in college at the time. Nic and Jules each bear one child from the candidate's sperm.
18 years later Joni and Laser are curious to meet the man who makes up half of their gene pool. Enter Paul (Mark Ruffalo), perfectly cast as the scruffy, uncoordinated but still outdoorsy, DIY, owner of a "local foods" restaurant and organic co-op garden (ah California I miss thee). The three hit it off, Paul gets introduced to the "Moms" and everything is great for a time. Then life comes in, as it always does. With too much time being spent around Paul by the children and Jules, aspiring landscape artist who is working on making Paul's garden "fecund", Nic gets jealous and the family life begins to deteriorate from there. The question being, "How involved should a sperm donor who got paid $60 a pop for his services once upon a time, be involved in the lives of his biological offspring?"
Throughout the film there are many tantrums thrown by the 18-year old being stifled by her parents, fights between spouses, extreme lacks of communication between the spouses, parents scolding children, etc. The point being that, hey the lesbian married couple both as spouses and parents have just as many problems as any other family. Whodathunk?! People are people. Marriage is difficult regardless of [whatever].
"Marriage is hard... Just two people slogging through the shit, year after year, getting older, changing. It's a fucking marathon, okay? So, sometimes, you know, you're together for so long, that you just... You stop seeing the other person. You just see weird projections of your own junk. Instead of talking to each other, you go off the rails and act grubby and make stupid choices... You know if I read more Russian novels, then..."
I won't use a blogger to go off on a LGBTQIA rights tangent, because, let's face it, ranting on a movie reviewing blog I use as a distraction probably only read by my facebook friends and a handful of others is just absurd. Suffice it to say that The Kids Are All Right is, in my very humble opinion, the only Oscar Best Picture nominee that deals with something so relevant in 21st American society. I have yet to see The Fighter or Winter's Bone, but I'll get around to that this week sometime. Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right has quickly shot up to my number 2 spot due to its portrayal of a modern American family.
Updated Ranking:
1. Black Swan
2. The Kids Are All Right
3. Inception
4. The King's Speech
5. True Grit
6. 127 Hours
7. Toy Story 3
8. The Social Network
As in any "traditional" (man + woman) marriage and family, marriage between Nic (Annette Benning being phenomenal as usual) and Jules (Julianne Moore being almost even more phenomenal than Benning) and their two children Joni (named after Joni Mitchell, naturally) and Laser (so rad) is no picnic, at least not during the summer before Joni goes to college. Being 2 women, Nic and Jules can't have children the good ole fashioned way and so they go to a sperm bank and pick and choose the sperm from a candidate who is studying International Relations in college at the time. Nic and Jules each bear one child from the candidate's sperm.
18 years later Joni and Laser are curious to meet the man who makes up half of their gene pool. Enter Paul (Mark Ruffalo), perfectly cast as the scruffy, uncoordinated but still outdoorsy, DIY, owner of a "local foods" restaurant and organic co-op garden (ah California I miss thee). The three hit it off, Paul gets introduced to the "Moms" and everything is great for a time. Then life comes in, as it always does. With too much time being spent around Paul by the children and Jules, aspiring landscape artist who is working on making Paul's garden "fecund", Nic gets jealous and the family life begins to deteriorate from there. The question being, "How involved should a sperm donor who got paid $60 a pop for his services once upon a time, be involved in the lives of his biological offspring?"
Throughout the film there are many tantrums thrown by the 18-year old being stifled by her parents, fights between spouses, extreme lacks of communication between the spouses, parents scolding children, etc. The point being that, hey the lesbian married couple both as spouses and parents have just as many problems as any other family. Whodathunk?! People are people. Marriage is difficult regardless of [whatever].
"Marriage is hard... Just two people slogging through the shit, year after year, getting older, changing. It's a fucking marathon, okay? So, sometimes, you know, you're together for so long, that you just... You stop seeing the other person. You just see weird projections of your own junk. Instead of talking to each other, you go off the rails and act grubby and make stupid choices... You know if I read more Russian novels, then..."
I won't use a blogger to go off on a LGBTQIA rights tangent, because, let's face it, ranting on a movie reviewing blog I use as a distraction probably only read by my facebook friends and a handful of others is just absurd. Suffice it to say that The Kids Are All Right is, in my very humble opinion, the only Oscar Best Picture nominee that deals with something so relevant in 21st American society. I have yet to see The Fighter or Winter's Bone, but I'll get around to that this week sometime. Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right has quickly shot up to my number 2 spot due to its portrayal of a modern American family.
Updated Ranking:
1. Black Swan
2. The Kids Are All Right
3. Inception
4. The King's Speech
5. True Grit
6. 127 Hours
7. Toy Story 3
8. The Social Network
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