Oscar Picks '09

My picks for the main 5 categories (these are not based on Oscar predictions, but my own general opinion):

Best Picture:

Avatar

Up in the Air

The Messenger

A Single Man

A Serious Man

Invictus

Where the Wild Things Are

The Hurt Locker

An Education

Inglorious Basterds

Best Actor: 

Colin Firth - A Single Man

Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart

Morgan Freeman - Invictus

Ben Foster - The Messenger

George Clooney - Up in the Air

Best Actress:

Emily Blunt - The Young Victoria

Meryl Streep - Julie and Julia

Helen Mirren - The Last Station

Carey Mulligan - An Education

Arta Dobroshi - Lorna's Silence

Best Supporting Actor:

Woody Harrelson - The Messenger

Matt Damon - Invictus

Christoph Waltz - Inglorious Basterds

Alfred Molina - An Education

Brian Geraghty - The Hurt Locker

Best Supporting Actress:

Julianne Moore - A Single Man

Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air

Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air

Zoe Saldana - Avatar

Melanie Laurent - Inglorious Basterds

Luminescent 'Pandora:' A World 14 Years in the Making

'Avatar'

Review: 5/5

Over a decade ago, writer/director/FX mastermind James Cameron proposed a highly ambitious undertaking: a $400 million film about an ex-marine sent to a distant planet to help humans harvest 'Unobtanium,' a lucrative, jagged crystal. Studio execs scoffed, and with good reason: Cameron wanted to shoot the epic narrative in 3D, and with motion capture as opposed to animation. Fourteen years ago, 'Avatar' was an overly audacious visual composition. Today, Cameron's magnum opus stands complete as a monolithic visual achievement in the 21st century, infusing an extraordinary neon radiance into the stagnant collection of stale aestheticism that's been plaguing the film industry for some time. And that's not to say attention to story detail was abandoned. In fact, this high-concept ode to pantheism and environmental panic is founded in the classic 'hero-narrative' structure, pitting crippled ex-marine Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) against a warmongering human entity - a timely American allegory with virtuoso technical execution. 

Understanding many 'blockbuster' filmmakers' propensity for roaring action sequences, it may be a bit of a surprise to some that, while Cameron has infused his melodrama with a thoroughly extensive, action-drenched third act, it's not without motivation. At it's heart, 'Avatar' is an examination of humans' propensity for infinite freedom, inspiring Worthington's 'Sully' to make profound moral modifications. It's a melodramatic opus worthy of each mesmerizing battle, all of which soar with an explosive visual and emotional intensity: it's everything we go to the movies for.

If there is one area that lacks an 'A+' mark, it's the individual performances, which are often times overly histrionic to the point of satire. But this is a minor criticism of a film that will be exalted as a defining cinematic landmark in this generation. It's an incomparable visual odyssey, a humbling, grand-scale work of cinema magic, and is this year's best picture.

'Globes' Honor Vengeful Jews, War Dramas, Technological Breakthroughs, and Jason Reitman

Not much respect is given to the Foreign Press. Somehow by considering musicals and comedies in a separate category altogether, the general value of films released within the year are eclipsed by a horde of what seem to be unnecessary nominations (Nine, Rob Marshall's newest musical is currently being lambasted by critics everywhere and yet is nominated for various awards). So did the Press get it right this year? In my opinion, yes. 

Below is a list of the nominees for this year's Golden Globe Awards:

BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA

• Avatar
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Precious
• Up in the Air

(films snubbed: The Messenger, A Serious Man, Where the Wild Things Are, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Up, An Education, Star Trek)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA

• Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
• Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Helen Mirren, The Last Station
• Carey Mulligan, An Education
• Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

(actresses snubbed: Arta Dobroshi, Melanie Laurent)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA

• Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• George Clooney, Up in the Air
• Colin Firth, A Single Man
• Morgan Freeman, Invictus
• Tobey Maguire, Brothers

(actors snubbed: Ben Foster, Sharlto Copley, Johnny Depp, Jeremy Renner, Nicolas Cage, Max Records)

BEST MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• (500) Days of Summer
• The Hangover
• It’s Complicated
• Julie & Julia
• Nine

(this is pretty accurate)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
• Marion Cotillard, Nine
• Julia Roberts, Duplicity
• Meryl Streep, It’s Complicated
• Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

(actresses snubbed: Zooey Deschanel)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• Matt Damon, The Informant!
• Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine
• Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
• Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

(actors snubbed: Bradley Cooper, Ryan Reynolds, Jesse Eisenberg, Sacha Baron Cohen, Adam Sandler)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
• Coraline
• Fantastic Mr. Fox
• The Princess and the Frog
• Up

(looks good)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

• Baaria (Italy)
• Broken Embraces (Spain)
• The Maid (Chile)
• A Prophet (France)
• The White Ribbon (Germany)

(films snubbed: Lorna's Silence, Let the Right One In, Coco Before Chanel, The Damned United, An Education)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

• Penélope Cruz, Nine
• Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
• Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
• Mo’Nique, Precious
• Julianne Moore, A Single Man

(actresses snubbed: Natalie Portman, Maggie Gyllenhaal)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

• Matt Damon, Invictus
• Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
• Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
• Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
• Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

(actors snubbed: Richard Kind, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, James Gandolfini, Brad Pitt)

BEST DIRECTOR

• Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
• James Cameron, Avatar
• Clint Eastwood, Invictus
• Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

(directors snubbed: Spike Jonze, J.J. Abrams, Michael Mann, Marc Webb, Wes Anderson, Robert Zemeckis)

BEST SCREENPLAY

• Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9
• Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
• Nancy Meyers, It’s Complicated
• Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

(screenplays snubbed: Lorna's Silence, Invictus, Up, Public Enemies, Funny People)

Suffice it to say, themes of post-war survival, economic stability, underdog glorification, and environmental concern (see: Avatar) are wholly relevant in a year dominated by recession and socio-political commentary. Will the Oscars offer a different outlook? Perhaps, but this year's 'Globe' nominations, I'd say, are an accurate prediction of what's to come in February.

'Fox' is 'Fantastic'

'The Fantastic Mr. Fox'

Review: 5/5

Wes Anderson should have made an animated film years ago. His penchant for carefully drawn, introspective caricatures is all the more fascinating with a camera that self-reflexively dollies left and right, up and down, in a calculated whimsy that is an exquisite fit in the animation realm. The fact that Anderson chose to use an archaic, stop-motion style of animation that seems entirely out of place given Pixar's ridiculous monopoly on all things cartoon, should be a credit to the auteur's innate directorial sensibilities. He's a well-regarded eccentric, and is one of the best working American directors today... oh, and have I mentioned his new 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' is the most exuberant of all his work? 

The plot and essential themes are those that are familiar to Anderson, given his wholehearted embrace of 'outsider' protagonists who often find themselves alienated from respected social cliques. They also maintain an unusual desire to execute grandiose, hair-brained undertakings that always go awry. 'Fox' is no different. Mr. Fox, voiced by George Clooney, finds himself aging faster than he would have liked, and convinces an Opossum friend of his to burglar a few of the nearest entrepreneurs, Boggis, Buntz, and Bean. Of course, things don't go as planned, and hilarity ensues... I don't mean that in a sarcastic way. I'm being completely literal. It's hilarious.

With original music by Alexandre Desplat (a perfect compliment to Anderson's decidedly idiosyncratic world), glowing cinematography by Tristan Oliver, proficient stop-motion animation, and, of course, a perfectly formatted script that caters to all things divinely atypical, and with a fitting sense of unity and togetherness, 'Fox' is one of the best films of the year. Animated or otherwise.

Economic Stability Still 'Up in the Air'

'Up in the Air'

Review: 5/5

In film school we're asked consistently to analyze films not only formally and aesthetically, but as a representation of contemporary ethnology. How is the film a response or reflection of current societal norms? Does that or does that not enhance the credibility and value of the film in question? Jason Reitman's 'Up in the Air' answers these aforementioned questions, specifically mirroring the disposition of a unified nation confronted with domestic catastrophe. With a tragically comic tone, and brought to mortality by Reitman's expert writing and direction, the film renders compassionate performances from everyone involved, from Zach Galifianakis to George Clooney.

In a narrative almost intentionally written for this era in U.S. history, Clooney's Ryan Bingham plays a selfish businessman who prefers stereotyping to racism. He's lovably detestable as the film's performance centerpiece, whose job it is to terminate employees when their own employers cowardly opt out of the sordid situation. Oh, and he has an unusual affinity for airline food and four star hotels; a faux-reclusive whose insecurities are not restricted only to personal relationships. He intentionally isolates himself, as his job requires that he make no real, human connection. That is, until he meets Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga) who describes herself as Bingham with a vagina.

Bingham's life is that of a corporate gypsy, afraid to accept a reality that may sometimes offer emotional anguish, and instead preferring a sterile existence enriched by the all-encompassing, desolate whites, blues, and blacks that are adroitly observed by cinematographer Eric Steelberg. The soundtrack by Rolfe Kent adds a somber sentimentality to Bingham's odyssey, audibly mirroring the film's narrative arc that affectionately studies one man's disconnection from a world seemingly on the verge of collapse.

Inform the NOK, and Do Not Offer Hugs

'The Messenger'

Review: 4.5/5

Who would imagine the job of the U.S. Army casualty notification officer would consist of so many rules and regulations? Don't touch the NOK (next of kin), don't inform anybody else except the NOK, be on duty 24 hours a day, and beware of the beeper; it's the high-pitched ring of grief delivery. Writer and director Oren Moverman understands these statutes having served in the Israeli Army earlier in his life, and wholly details the heart-wrenching duty the film's primary characters face on a daily basis. These characters, played impeccably by Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson in Oscar-worthy performances, are devoted to their job, and often do it well despite their rabid insecurities and overwhelming anxiety (Harrelson's Tony Stone is a recovering alcoholic who rarely sleeps, and Foster's Will Montgomery suffers from an extreme case of PTSD and survivor guilt). 

To elaborate, Montgomery is a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant who's just recently returned to the states and is considered by many of his peers to be a 'hero' for his service in Iraq. He's partnered with Tony Stone as a rookie member of the Army's Casualty Notification service. Preferring to woo his former girlfriend (Jena Malone, also great), Montgomery frowns at the idea of "grief counseling" until he finds an unusual connection with Olivia (Samantha Morton), a poor widow with a young son. What unfolds is an abnormally upsetting, quietly humorous portrayal of grown men without any family, who build a kind of understated brotherhood out of diffidence and subdued depression. Don't expect any buddy-film cliches here. This one aims for the jugular.

Shot by Bobby Bukowski with a verite'-like grittiness comparable to a heavily sedated ' Jason Bourne' adventure, the film is rendered with a visual sense of authenticity, reminding the spectator that this job is all too real. Moverman knows this, and shows a genuine empathy for his despondent subjects in one of the year's best films.

Simply Put: Great 'Education'

'An Education'

Review: 4.5/5

'An Education,' based on a memoir by Lynn Barber, may appear to be a simple tale of adolescent egotism and ill-placed complacency. Is it? Yes. But with virtuoso direction courtesy of Lone Scherfig, expert cinematography by John de Borman, and an Oscar worthy performance from Carey Mulligan as the film's naive protagonist, 'Education' becomes a quietly iconic, modestly leveled tour-de-force.   

Taking place in Southwest London in the 60s, the film follows teenage Jenny Miller (Carey Mulligan) as she obediently attends private school, and studies Latin as per her father's incessant demands. Why so diligent? Her family, mainly her father (played in another Oscar-worthy performance by Alfred Molina) wants her to attend Oxford, and doggedly pushes her, sometimes against her will. This is all well and good until David Goldman (Peter Sarsgaard) a charismatic, dapper thirty-something charms the young girl taking her to exclusive night clubs, chic restaurants, and Paris (yes, Paris). 

If the formula sounds a bit routine, then maybe it is. If not for the overall formal and technical execution, it could have very well been a mediocre film at best. Instead, cinematographer de Borman exercises a formal depth and erudition, casting the obscure London town in a dual hybrid of stark pastel exteriors and deep gold and blue interiors, which coalesce to mirror a kind of binary state of mind, riddled with the delightful contradictions that are the bases for teenage angst: it's a winning formula on both scales. As is the nearly flawless direction by Scherfig, who directs with a thorough knowledge of her characters and the monotonous world they inhabit (Goldman's attitude towards redemption is brilliantly conveyed as an inhabitant of such tedium). In fact, the same tedium Jenny is struggling to escape. Not to worry. She'll learn her lesson.

Overly Grim 'Precious:' Underdog Story Borders on Ridiculousness

'Precious: Based on the novel PUSH by Sapphire'

Review: 2.5/5

The opening credit sequence in Lee Daniels' 'Precious' is presented over a black screen, scribbled illiterately in what seems to be orange crayon. This brief, maudlin preface whimpers piteously across the screen, blatantly reflecting Claireece 'Precious' Jones' ignorant, subjective view of a lower-class U.S. society, populated by stereotypical caricatures that parade across the screen, gratuitously pleading for spectators' empathy. I recognize that we're in a time of recession, and underdog narratives should be quite the apt societal appeal, but the unnecessary, borderline obscene histrionics that dominate Precious' world reminds the audience that things sure could be worse. Daniels doesn't once ask the audience to admire Precious' dogged persistence, but instead asserts vehemently that you pity the girl and the ludicrous plausibility of nearly every obstacle she encounters.

Consider an early scene during which Precious' evil mother, played by Mo'Nique, rifles a glass bottle at her daughter in the den of their less-than-modest apartment, and screams cruel platitudes in a rant that is overly scripted and probably more articulate than it should be, given the distinctly bleak world that Daniels wholeheartedly invites the spectator into. This early scene firmly establishes the 'evil mother' caricature who's so relentlessly overbearing that her actions and dialogue become progressively absurd and unmotivated. It's seemingly a one-note performance, and Mo'Nique ups the ante with a complete embrace of all things malicious. Her own spectrum of human emotion remains absent throughout the film (until the film's climax, which itself renders a narcissistic, evil Mo'Nique who finally offers some insight into her evil-doing. And how does she do this? By screaming, ranting, and crying, with the malevolence meter cranked to 11). And all the spectator can do is feel sorry for Precious, as she is the target of her mother's misplaced anger (and let's not forget Precious' dreams, which are visited in a flashback-like aesthetic, and boast aggressively poor construction and execution). 

In all likelihood this film will be nominated for an abundance of Oscars given its subject matter and the overtly topical goings-on. Is it the best film of the year? In my opinion: absolutely not.