American Beauty is one of those films someone tells you over and over again to see, but you never listen because you're too busy or just don't care. Then, one day, you come across it, watch it, and realize how shockingly good it is. You want to call up the person who told you to watch it, but you can't remember who it was and feel awful for ignoring them in the first place.
So yeah, American Beauty is wonderful. I know I have a tendency to over-adulate, but American Beauty is the real deal. It won five Oscars back in 2000, including Best Picture, and Best Actor (Kevin Spacey). The film launched the career of director Sam Mendes, who won an Oscar for his work and has since brought us Road to Perdition and Jarhead.
American Beauty follows Lester Burnham (Spacey), your typical office drone running into a mid-life crisis. Lester begins to change his entire lifestyle; smoking pot, buying a vintage car, and working out to impress his high-school age daughter's gorgeous best friend Angela (Mena Suvari, American Pie), who he has fallen in love with. This of course, causes him to grow distant from his unfaithful, WASPy wife (Annette Bening, Running With Scissors) and his daughter Jane. Jane has her own important subplot, being semi-stalked by her new next-door neighbor Ricky, who has severe emotional issues caused by his hard-ass Marine father (Chris Cooper).
From the plot summary, you can tell that the characterizations are not particularly new, but they all work due to the strength of the performances. Among his classic roles in Se7en and The Usual Suspects, Kevin Spacey does his best work as Lester. His infatuation with Angela could have been a creepy, Humbert Humbert-Lolita type relationship, but seeing Lester's light up when he sees her for the first time brings everyone back to their first childhood crush. Audiences can't help but feel inspired by the intense exercise regimen Lester adopts, which is similar to the rings one would jump through to attain true love.
Annette Bening also gives a career performance, bringing life to a role that could have descended in to self-parody. Her breakdown into tears after she fails to sell a house (she's a real estate agent) sums up her character without a spoken word. Chris Cooper is one of those actors that's excellent in his every role, bringing vulnerability and depth to a despicable, bigoted Marine Colonel.
Part of the film's brilliance is its willingness to show all life philosophies in a balanced light. Even though Lester is the clear protagonist, the film frowns upon his new free-wheeling attitude as much as it celebrates it. American Beauty never preaches that everyone should become as lackadaisical as Lester in order to "live life to the fullest." It shows the two extremes : apathy and egotism (Lester) versus rigidity and responsibility (the Colonel),allowing the audience to come to their own conclusions on how to live their life.
Sam Mendes doesn't dumb the film down for his viewers. When we are first introduced to Lester's wife Carolyn, he narrates, "See the way the handle on those pruning shears matches her gardening clogs? That's not an accident." Those two sentences say everything we need to know about Carolyn through subtle, witty dialogue. American Beauty is filled with like-minded moments, which rely on delivery and facial expressions to convey characterizations and emotions.
Our generation is more likely to have seen Not Another Teen Movie, so you'll be familiar with the character of Ricky. Ricky is an off-beat kid who films with hand-held camera, chiefly objects that remind him of death and spirituality. One of his recordings is the famous scene involving a plastic bag floating around in the wind, which causes him to choke up with the immortal line, "Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it..." Sure it sounds idiotic, but it works in the context of the film. Ricky's unpredictable behavior leads him to constantly defy the viewer's expectations. You'll find him to be either infuriating or fascinating.
I won't bother you with the incredible cinematography and all that, but just pay attention to the way Mendes frames shots and his use of the color red (especially in the roses) and you'll find a greater appreciation for the movie.
The film closes with a beautiful cover of The Beatles' "Because" by Eliot Smith. This is kind of out of place, but it was perfect.
Watch American Beauty whenever you get the chance. It's an American classic.
***** out of *****
"For you Brad, I have five minutes!"
Sunday, March 29, 2009
American Beauty Review
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Oscar Short Films - Live Action
So you know those short films that get Oscars each year? They actually exist. And for the first time in my life, I was able to see all of them before the awards ceremony on Sunday. A theater in Ann Arbor played the Animated and Live Action short films in sequence for about a 4 hour event total. First, I'll tell you about the Live Action films:
There were five films nominated this year, all from foreign countries.
Auf Der Strecke (On the Line)
A middle-aged department store security guard is in love with a woman who works in the bookstore. He pretty much stalks her, always watching her from the security cameras. They take the same train back to their home, hence the title. One night, a tragedy finally gives Rolf the guard a chance to be with his love, but he is forced to make a fateful decision. It's only 30 minutes, so it is a concise emotional drama that never has a chance to get boring. Characters have a chance to be fully fleshed out.
**** out of *****
New Boy
In this short film, an African boy joins an elementary school in Ireland. The movie is an excellent portrayal of friendship and adolescent behavior. Anybody who went to grade school will smile at the interaction between the boy, Joesph, and his classmates. We've all had memories of dealing with the new kid, the nerdy attention seekers, and bullies that will resurface during this film. Interwoven with the classroom scenes are flashbacks to Joesph's harrowing past, which is too interesting and unexpected to spoil. New Boy will linger in your mind long after it is over. Try to find it somewhere online. A must-see.
***** out of *****
The Pig
This short film features an elderly Danish man named Asbjorn who is admitted into a hospital for surgery in his buttocks. After complications arise, Asbjorn begins to question his mortality. He finds solace in a painting of a pig on the wall opposite his hospital bed. One morning, Asbjorn awakens to find the painting missing (for a reason I will not disclose) and begins a crusade to reclaim this beloved painting. The Pig is cleverly constructed, dealing with sensitive matters about race and religion in a very humorous fashion. I was laughing constantly. This was my favorite film of the bunch, but New Boy was close.
***** out of *****
Manon the Asphalt
I wish I didn't have to explain the plot of this film. I had no idea what to expect in this film, so when events transpired, I was pleasantly surprised. This movie is a great way to spend 15 minutes of your time, so if you want to be spoiler-free, stop reading now.
The title works in two ways: the main character is named Manon and she lies dying on the road after a traffic accident. And of course, there's the idea that there is a "Man on the Asphalt." Anyways, as Manon lays dying she narrates her predicted reactions of her friends in family. You'll start thinking about everyone you care about as Manon thinks about everyone she is going to leave behind. If you've lost someone in an accident, this film is particularly poignant.
**** out of *****
Spielzeugland (Toyland)
I'm going to try to run through this film without sounding anti-Semitic. I'm sick of movies that exploit the Holocaust. It was the most horrific tragedy in history, and by throwing movie after movie at it, we are reducing it to a film genre. Seriously, after the masterpiece that is Schindler's List, there should have been no more Holocaust films. Instead, this year, we got The Reader, Defiance, and at least 3 others off the top of my head.
Toyland is just a retread of The Boy With the Striped Pajamas, which was released earlier this year. They both deal with friendship between a German boy and a Jewish boy, except Boy was actually trying to show the psychology of a Nazi family. Toyland just plays with the emotions of the audience. There was no reason to make this movie, except to win an Oscar. Just like Crash. I hated every minute of Toyland and I hate the fact that it won the Oscar. I hated its disgustingly heart-pulling ending and narrative frame. In fact, I'm going to recommend people to watch Toyland to see how pathetic it is. No more Holocaust films, por favor.
no stars. zero out of *****.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Live Blogging the Oscars
I'm going to post my reactions to the Academy Awards tonight as they happen. How exciting!
12:01 - It was a good Oscars overall, no real surprises. But I can deal with that. I'm only pissed that Kate Winslet won. I'll have full reactions posted tomorrow.
11:58 - Slumdog Millionaire wins Best Picture. My favorite director (Spielberg) gets to hand the award to my favorite movie ever. How poetic. They brought the whole cast and crew on stage. It was a touching moment, especially with young Jamal and Salim there smiling their faces off.
11:47 - Spielberg presents one final Best Picture montage. Enough!
11:45 - Sean Penn is the man. Best Actor for "Milk". Totally deserved it and called out Prop 2 during his speech. "I'm proud to live in a country where an elegant man can become president." Word.
11:36 - And now I'm sad. Kate Winslet wins Best Actress. How lame is that? I swear she said "F- You, Academy" by mistake.
11:23 - Danny Boyle get Best Director. He bizarrely jumps up and down, and mentions that he promised he would jump like tigger if he won. I'm very happy.
11:15 - The Death Montage. Paul Newman, Bernie Mac, and Sydney Pollack will especially be missed.
11:07 - "Departures" from Japan wins Foreign Language Film. That's a surprise for sure. I'm sure it's good.
11:02 - A.R. Rahman wins TWO Oscars. What is the world coming to? One for Original Score in "Slumdog" and Best Song for "Jai Ho", which was the song and dance number at the end of the movie.
10:57 - Zac Efron and Alicia Keys keep saying A.R.'s name with a "ch". It is bothering me. I never thought I would see John Legend and A.R. Rahman singing a duet, which they did at the end of the compilation of Best Song nominees. Otherwise, the sequence was disappointing since M.I.A. was busy doing other things. Like giving birth. Pssh.
10:42 - Jerry Lewis is being given a humanitarian award. I'm embarrassed to say I don't really know who he is. He's a comedian who has done a lot of good for kids with muscular dystrophy. Oh, I know now. He was in the original "Nutty Professor".
10:35 - "Slumdog" also wins Editing proper. The movie did have some insane, hyperactive editing that gave it a whole lot of energy. Good job, Chris Dickens. I love the way Will Smith says "Slumdog Millionaire".
10:32 - "The Dark Knight" wins Sound Editing and "Slumdog" wins Sound Mixing. An Indian guy gets the Mixing award. And he thanks India! He has a nice jacket on.
10:26 - "Benjamin Button" deservedly wins the award for Visual Effects.
10:16 - "Man on Wire" wins the award and some guy runs up on stage. I don't know why. Oh, he was the guy that tightroped between the Twin Towers, who the movie was based off.
10:15 - For some reason, they picked Bill Maher to present the documentary award.
10:11 - Heath Ledger wins. His mother, father, and sister give a speech.
10:01 - Supporting Actor is next...I'm curious to see what will happen. The presenters are Alan Arkin, Kevin Kline, Joel Grey(??), Christopher Walken, and Cuba Gooding Jr.
9:58 - Hugh Jackman, Beyonce, Zac Efron, the girl from HSM, and finally the chick and guy from "Mamma Mia" were in long musical number that was a mix of songs from "Grease", "Moulin Rouge", "West Side Story", and of course "Mamma Mia". It wasn't very good, though it could have been. Apparently, it was choreographed by "Moulin Rouge" director Baz Luhrmann.
9:48 - The winner is the freaking Holocaust short film, Toyland. Seriously watch this sentimental piece of crap and tear your hear out. I knew it was going to win, but I didn't pick it on principle.
9:45 - James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Janusz Kaminski (Cinematographer for Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan) are in a pretty funny video. Franco and Rogen play their characters from "Pineapple Express". Now they are going to present the Live Action Short Award.
9:35 - Anthony Dod Mantle wins Cinematography for "Slumdog".
9:31 - Ben Stiller is wearing a Joaquin Phoenix beard to present Cinematography. And he's acting like Joaquin during Letterman.
9:28 - It was just a montage of romance in 2008 movies. Nice but forgettable.
9:25 - Oo la la. The guy from Twilight is presenting.
9:23 - "Benjamin Button" wins Makeup. I guess I underestimated voters. I thought they were smart enough to know that it was ALL VISUAL EFFECTS. Hellboy was a real task.
9:20 - As predicted, "The Duchess" wins Costume Design.
9:17 - "Button" wins Art Direction. I really hate it when two people win an award and one guy talks the whole time. I feel so bad for the other person who just kind of stands awkwardly, wanting to say something.
9:14 - Whoa! I forgot to predict Documentary feature and Documentary Short Subject! It’s going to be Man on Wire and The Conscience of Nhem En, respectively.
9:10 - "La Maison en Petits Cubes" wins the Animated Short Film award. I'm on a roll... The winner just said "Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto" and he's Japanese. Good god, that was funny.
9:06 - Best animated film goes to "Wall E". 2-4. No surprise.
9:05 - Jack Black and Jennifer Anniston present a montage of the Animated movies of 2008, which is set to the song "Attack of the 60-foot Lesbian Octopus" by Does it Offend You Yeah? The irony!
9:01 - The winner is Simon Beaufoy, for Slumdog! The sweep begins...
8:59 - Tina Fey and Steve Martin are presenting another award, for Adapted Screenplay. This is strange, as they usually go later.
8:57 - The Original Screenplay goes to Dustin Lance Black for "Milk". O for 2, but it was a really good script. And he gives a shout out to the LGBT community.
8:54 - Steve Martin and Tina Fey are funny presenters. What's new.
8:49 - Cruz said something in Spanish in her speech. I didn't pick up on most of it, but otherwise it was a nice, heartfelt speech.
8:47 - And the Oscar goes to Penelope Cruz. I'm happy, but I'm also 0 for 1.
8:43 - They brought on four past winners to present the supporting actress award. Interesting decision. And they are reflecting on each performance nominated this year. This is too boring. Aren't the Oscars long enough?
8:40 - Hugh Jackman is supposedly contractually obligated to mention Brad and Angelina at least five times tonight.
8:38 - Quite possibly the best Oscar opening of all time. Hilarious spectacle with cool song and dance sequences.
8:34 - The Oscars are making fun of the fact that "The Dark Knight" was snubbed. They are good sports.
8:33 - He's a good singer. Watch this on youtube tomorrow. This is a great performance.
8:32 - Hugh Jackman is kind of funny. "Next year I'm starring in a film called New Zealand".
8:28 - As a reminder, here are my predictions.
8:24 - Signs the economy is not in recession: "Madea Goes to Jail" made $41 million this weekend.
8:12 - Zac Efron just complimented Dev Patel. Respect.
8:10 - The Slumdog crew! All the kids made it. It's so cute. Youngest Jamal is wearing a tux. Amazing.
8:04 - Why are they interviewing Sarah Jessica Parker? Was she nominated? Not bloody likely.
8:03 - Great. More red carpet nonsense. At least Tim Gunn from Project Runway is there for his impeccable analysis.
8:00 - In other news, "Slumdog" has now grossed $98 million. Not bad for a movie that's half in Hindi with no big stars.
7:59 - I'm listening to "E-Pro" by Beck to pump me up. Only one minute left!
7:56 – Hey it’s Nathan Fillion! He’s in the new ABC show Castle. Looks decent.
7:51 - The day is finally here. I'm at home, on my couch. I just ate some great Indian food. And now I'm going to watch the Oscars.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Bona-Fide Oscar Predictions
The Academy Awards are on Sunday. I will be live-blogging them. But for now, these are my predictions for each category. If I get at least 83% correct, I'll be pleased. Along with what film I think will win, I will mention what film should win in my opinion. Enjoy. Actor in a Leading Role
Should Win: Sean Penn
Will Win: Mickey Rourke
Brad Pitt is a great actor (see Snatch , Seven ) but he didn't do anything in this movie. There were better performances that should have been acknowledged. Jenkins has been around for awhile and was great, but the film is too little to win. Frank Langella was the early favorite, but judging from other awards this season, the race is between Rourke and Penn. In Milk , think that Penn gave the greatest performance of his career. But he already won in 2003 for Mystic River, and voters might think that he doesn't need another award. Plus, everyone is a sucker for a comeback story, which makes Rourke the favorite. I won't mind if he wins, since his acceptance speech would to rock. Actress in a Leading Role
Should Win: Anne Hathaway
Will Win: Melissa Leo
I only saw Doubt , and Streep gave yet another one of her stern old woman performances. Jolie has no chance. Anne Hathaway had a lot of momentum as the awards season began, but she kind of fell off the map. I'd like her to win, as she did the impossible feat of shedding her Disney princess image and has become a legitimate actress (well, most of the time). Leo was supposed to be great in her independent film, but the clear favorite is Kate Winslet. I love her body of work, but I hate The Reader as mentioned before and refuse to acknowledge that it might win such a prestigious award. This is Winslet's sixth nomination, but it would be sad if her career is defined by this movie. Thus, I'm going to pick Melissa Leo to win since if she does pull off the upset, I'll look really smart. Actor in a Supporting Role
Should Win: Heath Ledger
Will Win: Heath Ledger
This category is depressing. Heath Ledger owned in The Dark Knight , and everyone with a rational mind knows that he's going to win on merit and not because he passed away. I know I'm going to have tears in my eyes when his family goes up on stage to accept. It's also sad because in any other year, Hoffman, Brolin, and Downey Jr. could have easily won the award. This is pretty much the strongest category in the awards, even though we all know the victor. Actress in a Supporting Role
Should Win: Penelope Cruz
Will Win: Tajari P. Henson
This is the toughest category to call this year. All the previous awards (Golden Globes, SAG) were won by Kate Winslet, who had entered her role in The Reader in this category. So unlike the previous categories, there's no known leader. Marisa Tomei already won this award for My Cousin Vinny, which many people thought she didn't deserve. Voters may give her another one to justify Tomei's acting talents. Either Doubt co-star could also win, but I feel like the two women will split the vote and end up empty-handed. Davis was only in two scenes in that movie, but the were intensely gripping. Lots of pundits are giving the award to Cruz, and I agree that she deserves the Oscar. However, Henson gave the best performance in Button and will probably win. It would be too embarrassing for the industry if such a high prestige movie was to be shut out of every major category. Best Director
Should Win: Danny Boyle
Will Win: Danny Boyle
Forget the fact that three people on this list don't deserve to be here (Howard, Van Sant, and Daldry) because of the snub of one Christopher Nolan. Boyle is going to win, hands down. He filmed on location in the slums of Bombay with a cast of unknown child actors and Bollywood b-list actors. It's hard to believe how he pulled of some of the shot in that movie- the opening chase and the train sequence come to mind. I feel bad for Fincher, who I typically adore. Seven and Fight Club are two of my favorite movies. Again, like Winslet, I just feel like this was the worst movie he's made and he shouldn't get acclaimed for lousy work. Art Direction
Should Win: Benjamin Button
Will Win: Benjamin Button
Sorry, but I don't have time to type out each name. I feel bad, because it makes it seem like they don't matter. But they do. Anyways, I've never discounted Button's technical bravura. The film managed to realistically recreate sets from nearly an entire century, from the train station to the tugboat to the streets of New York. The rest of the movies were good, but they only had to focus on a single time period. Which isn't good enough this year. Cinematography
Should Win: The Dark Knight
Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
This category is a toss-up between Slumdog, Button, and Dark Knight. All three films made good use of lighting to reflect the emotions of their characters and to influence the mood of the audience. I prefer Batman, which used overpowering darkness to convey an unsettling sense of dread throughout the movie. I'd be happy if either of these three movies win, but it would be cool to see The Dark Knight as revenge for its disappearance in the major awards. It seems like Slumdog is going to win, with its incredible depiction of both India's beauty and its unpleasantness. Adapted Screenplay
Should Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Even though the source material is reportedly nothing like the movie, Simon Beaufoy will win. It is written. Original Screenplay
Should Win: In Bruges
Will Win: In Bruges
This is my genius pick of the night. Everyone has their money on Milk. I'm sticking with Colin Farrel and Ralph Fiennes. In Bruges was beloved by all who saw it, and it will win the only Oscar it was nominated for. If this actually happens, I will scream from the top of my roof. Costume Design
Should Win: Benjamin Button
Will Win: The Duchess
Again, I'm a big fan of Button's incredible technical work, and it should win for accurately reproducing costumes from several distinct time periods. But the Academy loves those medieval period dramas in this category, so it'll go to The Duchess Editing
Should Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Neither Button nor Milk had particularly memorable editing. Frost/Niixon was fast-paced and intense, but it wasn't very inventive. The Dark Knight had some excellently cut sequences, but nothing could match the insane energy created by splicing frames together in Slumdog . Makeup
Should Win: Hellboy 2
Will Win: Hellboy 2
Did anyone else see that wonderfully bizarre underground market scene? If yes, you know why Hellboy is going to win. Also, Button was mostly CGI and the Joker was really the only one with makeup in his movie. Foreign Language Film
Should Win: Waltz With Bashir
Will Win: The Class
Bashir is an documentary that is animated in the style of A Scanner Darkly. I'm going to watch it in a few weeks, and it looks sweet. However, voters generally don't like war and animation ( Bashir is about the Israeli-Palestinian War) so they'll go with The Class , which won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Best Picture
Should Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
It is a really good film. Everyone likes it. And it has won every major picture award. There is no stopping the Slumdog train. Jai Ho! Visual Effects
Should Win: Benjamin Button
Will Win: Benjamin Button
No contest. Making Brad Pitt look like an old baby man for most of the movie was the greatest technical feat of the year. Animated Film
Should Win: Wall E
Will Win: Wall E
I heard it's really good. I'm going to watch in the next few days, don't worry. Original Song
Should Win: "O Saya"
Will Win: "Jai Ho"
Both songs from Slumdog are pretty remarkable. I prefer the first, with it's core-shattering drums and MIA's rapping. I'd be cool with "Jai Ho" winning too, and it will, with its upbeat tempo and catchy refrain. Original Score
Should Win: A.R. Rahman
Will Win: A.R. Rahman
I've been listening to this guy since I was 8 years old. I may cry if he gets the award. What a great step for Indian culture in America. Thanks for enjoying it, honkies. Live Action Short Film
Should Win: The Pig
Will Win: The Pig
I was actually able to see all the short films for this year's Oscars. I meant to have them reviewed beforehand, but I kind of forgot. I'll have them done very soon. The Pig is heartfelt and witty, easily the most entertaining short. But Toyland is about kids and the Holocaust, so of course it's going to win. But I'm crusading against Holocaust films this year, so I'm going to predict that The Pig will win. Animated Short Film
Should Win: La Maison en Petits Cubes
Will Win: La Maison en Petits Cubes
Those of you who saw Wall E in theaters have seen Presto, which was attached to it. It was fun yet frivolous, just like the rest of the category except for La Maison. It was a mature, gorgeous animation about an old man living in an underwater world who revisits memories from when the world was proper and dry. Good stuff. Check it out on the youtube or something. Sound Mixing
Should Win: The Dark Knight
Will Win: Wall E
I don't know what this category means. I feel like the cute robot will win. Sound Editing
Should Win: The Dark Knight
Will Win: The Dark Knight
Again, this category is just unnecessary. So Batman's going to win it.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Oscar Night to be Dominated by Short Indian Men
Now that I've had some time to digest the Oscar nominations, I'm not as angry as I was Thursday morning. I was mostly annoyed by the fact that The Dark Knight was knocked out of the big awards by a Nazi pedophilia flick, The Reader . But all is well, because of this glorious man:
Famed Bollywood composer A.R. Rahman, seen above with his majestic hair, was nominated for three Oscars. Most notably, he was recognized for his work in Slumdog Millionaire . P Diddy's magic must have rubbed of on the diminutive Indian when they hugged at the Golden Globes (1:45 below). On top of that, Rahman won two out of the three nominations for Best Original Song. Both "Jai Ho" and "O Saya" are competing for the Oscar. Yes, that means we are going to see M.I.A. and Sukhwinder Singh perform songs in Hindi at the Oscars. Tell your friends.
Here are some other interesting things about the 2009 nominees:
This movie gashed my otherwise kick-ass Oscar Predictions (all of which you can see here)
1) Kate Winslet was nominated for Best Actress for this picture, not Supporting Actress as I (and everyone else) thought.
2) The Dark Knight was axed in favor of this film in three categories: Best Picture, Director, and Adapted Screenplay. Picture I understand, but Christopher Nolan is a maestro and orchestrated some pretty amazing action sequences.
3) The categories I actually thought The Reader would be nominated for, it wasn't (Art Direction and Costumes). However, it was nominated for Cinematography.
4) If not for this movie, my picks for Adapted Screenplay and Cinematography would have been perfect.
As one can see, my vendetta against this movie is justified.
I was pretty sure that the old guy would pull off another Best Picture nomination and especially one for Best Actor. After all, this was rumored to be Clint Eastwood's last performance. Instead the Gran Torino was completely shut out. Is this karmic payback for offending me so deeply? I'd like to think so.
Last year's Oscar presentation was the least watched ever, when No Country for Old Men took home the big prize. The voters had a chance to demolish ratings records this year, if only they would have nominated The Dark Knight for the prestige awards. It was only the second highest grossing movie in American history. The highest? Titanic . Which, coincidentally, provided the most-watched Oscar telecast the year it won Best Picture.
Instead the Academy threw in Frost/Nixon and The Reader . I don't know a single person that watched either of those movies. Milk wasn't a huge hit either. The only bonafide blockbuster was Benjamin Button , but it doesn't have the rabid following Batman would have brought to the ceremony. Everyone and their uncle knows that Slumdog Millionaire is going to win Best Picture, and it's filled with unknown Indian actors. One could argue that its presence would bring it lots of international viewers, but Indians don't seem to like it too much.
1)I was all over that Original Screenplay nomination for In Bruges
2)I got all the nominations for three categories right: Editing, Makeup, and Visual Effects. It's a start.
3)The two Original Song nominations for Slumdog , as I predicted. I knew "O Saya" was too good to pass up.
Overall, I was pleased with the Oscar nominations. Were you?
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Live Blogging the Oscar Nominations
8:28 am: Yes, in fact, I did wake up this early just to watch the telecast of the Oscar nominations. I'm kind of in a panic right now because I can't find it anywhere.
8:30 am: Ok, I found it on Fox News, but I'd rather watch it on an entertainment channel.
8:31 am: Did you get the joke? Because Fox News is entertainment. It's ok, I suck at writing this early.
8:35 am: Hooray, it's playing on E!
8:38 am: Idi Amin himself is here to assist the Academy president with the announcements.
8:39 am: I think I just missed the nominations for Best Supporting Actress. I'm really tired.
8:39 am: Dev Patel didn't get a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. It's ok, I always thought he was kind of overrated. RDJ my man did though for Tropic Thunder.
8:40 am: Mellisa Leo? Who the hell is that? And why is she nominated for Best Actress? Seriously, has anyone ever heard of this woman?
8:41 am: Kate Winslet did get nominated for Best Actress. But for The Reader. Not Revolutionary Road. Pay attention, aspiring actors. Holocaust movies are gold mines.
8:41 am: Go Richard Jenkins. Best Actor for The Visitor. Did I call that? Yes, I did.
41: Best Director is crap. Where art thou Christopher Nolan? Stephen Daldry can go to hell. Nobody watched your pathetic little film, The Reader. The Dark Knight made like a billion dollars and was superbly directed.
41: In Bruges for Best Original Screenplay bitches! I called that shit. My mood can only be described as a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration.
41: I think I was perfect on Adapted Screenplay...no wait I wasn't. The Reader foiled The Dark Knight yet again.
42: 3/5 for Foreign Language. Not bad for not having seen a single one of these films.
42: Too bad for Wall E. It just got Best Animated Feature, so it won't get a Best Pic now.
42: Alright Best Picture time...If I don't see The Dark Knight I'm going to destroy something.
43: Benjamin...expected. Frost/Nixon? C'mon people. Milk...deserving.The Reader? Goddammit. And then Slumdog. No Batman. I have just ripped up a piece of paper. Did you actually think I was going to break my computer?
44: Well, that was it. I seriously got up at 8:30 just to see 15 minutes worth of nonsense. Now I am sleepy and pissed off. I'm pretty much going to boycott The Reader for ruining everything. The Dark Knight owned and should have been recognized. Instead, we get stuck with another movie about Nazis, this time with lots of sex. They didn't even go through the technical categories. Now I'll have to scour the internet for those. But now I'm going back to sleep.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Growly McRacist - Gran Torino Review
Clint Eastwood's new feature, Gran Torino is beloved by critics and audiences alike. It has made almost $80 million in the past few weeks and most Oscar Watchers (including me!) think that it's going to win a Best Picture nomination.
Gran Torino follows Walt Kowalski, a Korean War vet and retired Ford factory worker living out his retirement in the beautiful ghettos of Detroit. The movie opens at the funeral of Walt's wife. Estranged from his two sons, all he has left now is his dog and his mint condition 1972 Gran Torino. Like every stereotypical old man, Walt refuses to accept the lifestyles of new generations. He hates the fact that his neighborhood is being taken over by minorities, most of them coming from the Southeast-Asian Hmong culture. He also hates "kids these days" who wear inappropriate clothing and behave disrespectfully. Of course, an incident forces Walt to befriend his neighbors, eventually becoming a role model for a teenage boy. Yeah, I'm purposefully being vague. I hate saying more than I have to. Believe me, interesting things do happen, especially with the local gang culture.
How was it? Click the link to find out...
I needed to divide this review into two parts. First, I'll run through the good parts of Gran Torino and why people should check it out. Then, I'll explain why I will always hate this movie.
There's nothing about Gran Torino that's particularly original. It has a straightforward plot with familiar characterizations. But there's something about the charisma of Clint Eastwood which makes the entire film engaging. He's an out of control racist, which make his interactions with the Hmong neighbors uncomfortably hilarious. Even at the ripe age of 78, Clint Eastwood's still a total hard-ass. When he threatens people, there's no doubt in your mind that he is willing to shoot someone in the face. The best parts in the movie involve the growth of the friendship between Walt and his neighbor Thao. Walt essentially becomes a father figure to him, guiding him to maturity and teaching him how to score with women. You have to give respect to Eastwood for casting actual Hmong people in the lead roles. He could have easily picked Asian actors of other ethnicity, and few people would have complained. It's nice to see genuine authenticity in film for a change. Lastly, having Detroit as the setting is perfect. The ridiculously bad economic conditions of the city reflects the helplessness and struggles of the characters.
If I had seen Gran Torino on my computer, or on DVD at home, I would have loved it. But I didn't. I saw it at a theater in Ann Arbor. The town's pretty diverse, but the room was filled with white people. After all, Eastwood has some pretty vocal opponents in the African American community (Clint Eastwood: Spike Lee Should "Shut His Face").
Well, Walt says a lot of racist things in Gran Torino . His racial slurs towards African-Americans and especially Asian-Americans are nonstop, and often pretty inventive. A few include: "spooks", "zipperhead", "gook", "dragon lady", "egg roll", "Click Clack, Ding Dong, and Charlie Chan", "swamp rats", "chink", "fishheads", and "slopes". I'm getting disgusted just typing these up. What Nick Schenk, screenwriter of Gran Torino ? Couldn't use the n-word? Oh no, that would be crossing the line. Yeah, go with calling them "spooks". No one will raise a fuss over that.
I respect Clint Eastwood enough to know that he didn't throw in all these slurs for entertainment. But people in the audience would roar with laughter whenever he used them. Not quiet chuckles, I'm talking hearty belly laughs. At first, I was laughing too, but it was more of the "is this really happening?" variety. After a while, I felt sick. People were taking Walt's creative slurs as humor. As laughter burst out after a Hmong kid was called a "gook" for the umpteenth time, I honestly felt like everyone was also laughing at me.
Again, I feel terrible about hating the movie. I understand the real reasons behind Walt's remarks, and why Eastwood chose to include them. As Krym said, "He's only hiding behind his racism". Which is totally true, and makes Walt into an even stronger character. I would have appreciated all these subtleties more if I was with a different audience. Sorry if you were expecting a more legit review of this movie, but I had to address these issues that are very important to me. Seeing my fellow Asians get torn apart by Eastwood, and on top of that, having the audience laugh at these dialogues really bothered me.
One more thing: The kid's name is Thao, but Eastwood always calls him "Toad". I mean, how hard is it to say "Thao"? It's one syllable for God's sake.
So if you're Caucasian and reading this, you'll like the movie. Not because I think you're a racist, but because I don't feel like the slurs will affect you. It truly is a well made movie. Everyone else, if you see it, I'd like to hear your opinions.
That is all. I'm not giving it a score because
1) I haven't figured my scoring system yet and
2) I don't know what to think about this movie
Ok last thing: I love how the screenwriter (yes, you Nick Schenk) chose the minority group in focus to be of Asian descent, when it could have just as easily been blacks or hispanics. I have a feeling that this movie would find a LOT more controversy if Clint Eastwood threw around slurs towards those ethnic groups. Way to target Asians, you dick.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Oscar Nominations Predictions!
These are predictions for what films are going to be nominated for Oscars. The actual nominations will be announced in a week, on the 22nd of January. A lot of these picks are conventional wisdom, but I'm going to give it a go anyways. And no, I won't be predicting the categories like sound mixing. I'd love to but I don't have the time. For some awards, like cinematography, I'll give a quick brief on what each means. Even I had no idea what Art Direction was until a few weeks ago.
Best Picture
The first three are locks. Gran Torino is gaining a lot of support, especially because of the $30 million it made over the weekend. Frost/Nixon is a popular choice, but I feel like it's losing steam. The Dark Knight could easily be replaced by that or Doubt, but a man can hope.
Best Actor
I see Brad Pitt getting bumped off in favor for Jenkins. The Oscars always throw in an under-appreciated actor just to recognize them for a good performance (see Ryan Gosling for Half Nelson and Viggo Mortensen for Eastern Promises ). Plus, Pitt didn't do much besides look old and sad. And later, young and sad.
Best Actress
The first four are locks. I picked Scott Thomas over Angelina Jolie (Changeling), who got love for A Mighty Heart last year. Her film, in French, is about a woman with a painful secret that returns to her sister after a fifteen year absence. Happy-Go-Lucky is a British film about a schoolteacher who always remains optimistic and happy, no matter what her predicament is.
Best Director
Once again, I have Frost/Nixon going down in favor of Clint Eastwood.
Best Supporting Actor
Downey Jr. is a wild card but he's going to get the final slot for a few reasons. First, Heath Ledger is going to win anyways so it doesn't really matter who's nominated. Second, the Academy Awards needs the ratings boost. Lastly, he's awesome and totally deserves the recognition.
Best Supporting Actress
All of these are pretty solid, little competition here. The only question is, will Kate Winslet be eligible for a supporting role? She had a major part in The Reader , but she's trying this category to avoid competition with herself in the Best Actress race. She made it into the supporting category at the Golden Globes, but who knows with the Oscars.
Original Screenplay
In Bruges is a long shot, I know. I have hope, especially since it's been gaining popularity since the Golden Globes and BAFTAs. This category is insanely wide open. The only sure thing is Milk .
Adapted Screenplay
No real surprises among this bunch. The sources of these screenplays: Two Broadway plays, an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story, a little-known novel, and a comic book character.
Cinematography
The cinematographer works with the lighting of each scene. It may not seem like a big deal, but a film's lighting often influences the audience's mood. For example, a lot of The Dark Knight is shot with low-key lighting in order for us to feel as somber as the characters in the movie.
Art Direction
Art direction is really made up of both the art director and set design. They construct the sets, choose locales, create props, basically everything in the background of the film. This award usually goes to period pieces which require re-creating the look and feel of decades long past. I know the first three seem repetitive, but they are technically dominating movies. The Reader is the compulsory Holocaust-era movie, and Revolutionary Road follows Mad Men-style 50's production design.
Costume Design
This category also features epic dramas set in the past, as it would require a lot of ingenuity to recreate the everyday clothing of their settings.
Makeup
Benjamin Button for all the old-person makeup, Hellboy (which I'm watching as I type this) for its amazing, creative creatures, and The Dark Knight for making Heath Ledger unrecognizable as The Joker.
Editing
Eh.
Visual Effects
I feel like listing my favorite effects shot from each movie here.
Benjamin Button : What else but the beautiful battle with the submarine?
Iron Man : When Tony Stark's armor goes too far into the atmosphere. His armor freezes, and he slowly plummets back to earth.
Dark Knight : Two words: Truck Flip.
Original Score
Hanz Zimmer is just a sweet name. But props to my boy A.R. I never thought I'd see him here. For those that don't know, Rahman is probably the most famous composer in India. He does the soundtracks for lots and lots of popular Bollywood films. And to Oscar presenters - when you say his name, it's pronounced Rehman, not Ramen like the delicious noodles.
Original Song
Clint Eastwood returns to his Paint Your Wagon days (remember that Boy Meets World episode?) and sings once more. Seriously, yeah, he sings the song "Gran Torino". Bruce Springsteen was commissioned to write the depressing-as-hell theme for The Wrestler . Two songs from Slumdog is probably unlikely, but they're equally deserving. "O Saya" is the drum-heavy song in the very beginning when the boys are being chased by the police. "Jai Ho" is the song during the credits dance sequence. Here's hoping both get nominated so we can see the performances during the ceremony. A.R. Rahman and M.I.A. on stage together would be pretty incredible.
Animated Film
Kung Fu Panda was the shit. If it wasn't for that cute little robot, it might have had a chance to win.
Foreign Language Film
Bashir is the frontrunner, an animated documentary in the style of A Scanner Darkly . It's about an Israeli soldier who fought in the first Lebanon War. His memory of that period seems to be missing, so he interviews fellow soldiers and friends to remember what happened during the war. The Class is a French film about a teacher and his students in a run-down Parisian school. The Turkish production 3 Monkeys has a politician accidentally killing a pedestrian and asking a servant to take the fall in exchange for a substantial reward. Everlasting Moments is a Swedish movie in which a poor woman wins a camera in a contest, changing her life forever. Lastly the German film with the really long title is about the Red Army Faction, a German terrorist organization that did assassinations and bombings and such in the '60s and '70s.
Should be fun.