Oscars 2014

Let's talk Oscars.

Best Picture -
I was unable to see Nebraska, Philomena, and Dallas Buyers Club and I skipped Captain Phillips (frankly, I've no idea what it's even doing in this category) and Gravity (didn't fancy watching Sandy B float off into space for 90 minutes).
American Hustle: This film was a lot of fun to watch, thanks to the impeccable acting across the cast and that David O. Russell sense of humor that was so successful in last year's Silver Linings Playbook. The overall story isn't terribly compelling; it's all about the characters, so the actors shine even brighter. I don't look for this film to be the winner in this category (nor do I think it should be), but look for at least one of the 4 nominated actors (Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence) to take home a statuette.
Her: It may just be because I'm in the target demographic for this movie, but I adored it, especially the way the imagery and music emphasized the emotions of the moment. I found it painfully beautiful. There's a sad, empty feeling throughout, but it was one of my favorite things about the movie. Added to its realism, in my opinion. I caught myself repeatedly thinking about the film for days after I left the theater, considering different aspects of its message, which, to me, is a mark of greatness. I keep going back to one scene in particular, which depicts Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) trudging through a snowy forest alone, literally and figuratively struggling across the screen. For some reason that image really struck me... My complete adoration aside, this film hasn't played well with a variety of audiences, so its chances of victory in any big categories is incredibly unlikely. If it wins anything it'll be for screenplay or music, because both are highly original.
12 Years a Slave: For me, this is the film of the year. It's emotionally devastating and inspiring, a testament to the human spirit. The acting is phenomenal from everyone, especially, of course, Chiwetel Ejiofor. The combination of Steve McQueen's direction and his longtime DP, Sean Bobbitt's cinematography is breathtaking. Their work over the past five years has become some of my favorite contemporary filmmaking. They aren't afraid to play with camera angle and movement and framing, which is both interesting and refreshing. Unlike the majority of modern filmmakers, McQueen isn't afraid of silence and the immense power it can have. Plus, the film checks two-thirds of the boxes Academy voters love: a timeless, period film made by Brits (it's only missing being a film about film, but Solomon Northup was a musician and an author, so it is, in a way, still about an artist). Based on the awards season to this point, I look to this film or Gravity to win Best Picture. Honestly, though, I'll consider any awards this film wins as a personal victory and totally deserved.
The Wolf of Wall Street: Now anyone who knows me, knows that the Scorsese/DiCaprio pairing may in fact be my favorite team of all time. With that said, I may be a bit biased in my review of The Wolf of Wall Street, but I had a blast at this movie. It's not the best film these two powerhouses have made together, nor is it my favorite, but it's still better than 90% of the films released in 2013. It is, as with all of their films, uniquely epic, and I loved every second of it. Even so, it's doubtful that this film takes home many awards. The categories are too deeply stacked with talent. Scorsese will lose to Cuaron or McQueen and Best Actor is almost certainly going to Matthew McConaughey and his dramatic award-magnet weight loss. I would, of course, always love to see either one of my guys win, I just don't see it happening this year.
So, to recap, my prediction is either Gravity or 12 Years a Slave to win Best Picture, but I'm hoping for the latter.

Blue Jasmine

Blue Jasmine is this year's offering from illustrious and profuse director Woody Allen and it's one of his best in the past five years, in my opinion, second only to Midnight in Paris. For those of you who didn't love that film, however, this will more likely fit the bill. Where that film was fantastical and charming, this one is real and personal.
Cate Blanchett's performance is the perfect blend of big and subtly pointed as the film centers around her nervous breakdown. She gets excellent support from Alec Baldwin, as her smooth, crooked husband and Sally Hawkins, as her hard-working, but unconfident sister. Andrew Dice Clay, Bobby Cannavale, and Louis C.K. also have delightful supporting roles (although there's been some backlash on Dice Clay and Cannavale playing San Francisco natives while retaining their distinct New York dialects).
The other brilliant part of this movie is the way Allen integrates the music into the storytelling, especially "Blue Moon." The song itself is mentioned several times, but Allen manages to so deftly use the music itself and the lyrics to play an integral part in the narrative. It's truly magical that after so many films, he can still leave me marveling at his skill.
If you're into the whole "Oscar race," like I am, make sure Blue Jasmine is on your list of films to see this year. It's a gem.

Giant (1956)

Those of you who are, like me, a bit obsessive about film, have surely seen (or at least been told you should see) the 1956 film Giant, based on the classic American novel by Edna Ferber and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean. Sitting down to watch this film, like sitting down to watch Gone with the Wind, is no easy undertaking. Giant is 3 hours and 20 minutes, as my father says, "of just movie time." I finally dedicated the necessary time to watching this "giant" movie (I make no apology for that pun) a week ago. I was underwhelmed, which I'm fairly certain is never the aim of any 3+ hour movie.
I'll start with the good things. James Dean is utterly magnificent as Jett Rink, a poor cowboy just trying to make his way under the shadow of the incredibly wealthy Benedict family. That this was his last role before his untimely death makes his performance all the more heartbreaking as his life slowly spins out of control. The story of Jett Rink is the classic example of "be careful what you wish for because you just might get it." In fact, he's far and away the most fascinating character in the film and comparatively, we barely see him. He pops up every now and again to act as a sort of catalyst to the action of the film, which leads me to one of the biggest problems I have with Giant.
The story of Jett Rink is pushed to the side in favor of an extended chronicle of the marriage of Leslie and Jordan "Bick" Benedict (Taylor and Hudson). The film spends ages showing their domestic  life over more than twenty-five years and quite frankly, most of it is downright dull. They represent the stereotypical North vs South mentality, which at certain moments, creates interesting tension, but for the most part, there's no point in watching them throw parties or fight over what their four year old son's career will be, while somewhere off-screen, an actual epic saga of the pitfalls of the American dream is taking place with Jett Rink at the center.
Also, there's no real central theme to the film. As I mentioned before, there are some interesting moments of turmoil between the two main characters, such as Leslie's fiery rant against the sexism of her husband and his pals and the two ending scenes in which Bick confronts his own racism and endeavors to correct it. Unfortunately, these are few and far between. If I had made this movie, Jett Rink would've been the main character and Leslie & Jordan would've been the supporting characters (they're still important to his story, especially Leslie). This way I could do away with massive portions of basically filler material that take the audience through time without really offering much to the story.
Giant is ultimately a story about Texas, which I suppose accounts somewhat for its length and attempt at a vast, epic tone, yet it falls short of even being convincing as a chronicle of the Lone Star State. In the end, my advice to you is this: if you still feel the need to spend almost 3.5 hours of your life watching this film (and if you love James Dean, it's almost worth it), I suggest also watching Baz Luhrmann's Australia (although not in one sitting) to see what a true love letter to a time and place looks like.

Man of Steel

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE MAN OF STEEL. DO NOT PROCEED PAST THIS POINT IF YOU ARE TRYING TO AVOID SPOILERS. WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM.
Ok, readers, it's time to talk Superman. I've had a lot of mixed emotions about Man of Steel since it was announced a few years back. First, I was worried about making a new Superman movie so soon after the debacle that was Superman Returns. Then, I was skeptical about casting Henry Cavill, a Brit, as an American icon. See, DC Comics (and Superman fans), really, really needed this movie to be great. Marvel is flourishing in the film industry with Spider-man, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and Avengers movies, plus the SHIELD tv series. DC, on the other hand, has been struggling to reach that level for years. And I'll be honest, I've been a DC fan for as long as I can remember. In fact, Superman has always been my favorite. Yet, they just haven't been able to quite get a Superman movie right since the Christopher Reeve era and on top of all the other DC disappointments over the last 20 years or so, we loyal fans needed a win. Unfortunately, we'll have to keep waiting.
The most disappointing thing about Man of Steel is that it's great until it isn't. The attention to detail is obvious in everything from costumes to VFX to casting and it's all good. Very good, actually. Until the end. (HERE COME THOSE SPOILERS I MENTIONED) Near the end of the film is Superman's epic battle with the infamous General Zod and at its conclusion, Superman kills him. Now, I can justify a lot in the name of poetic license and creative freedom and all that. Honestly. But there are some things that are just outside the suspension of belief and that is one of them. Like I said, I've been a Superman fan for as long as I can remember and Superman doesn't kill anyone, ever, to the point that sometimes you wish he would. I spent countless hours yelling at him for it on Smallville. But the point is, he never does. Because as human as he is, he's also not. He's better. Superman is humanity's inspiration. He pushes us to be better than our base instincts. He has issues, but he's not dark, brooding Bruce Wayne. He's Kansas farm-bred, Clark Kent, the mild-mannered reporter. He's a little corny and that's ok. He leads by example.
I don't know how this incredibly important plot point managed to get the go ahead from EVERYONE to make it to the screen, but it is not ok. Is it too much to ask for a good Superman movie? How will the announced Justice League movie fare after this disaster? As Craig Ferguson is fond of saying, I look forward to your letters.

World War Z

After some small excitement at the movie theater yesterday (smoke sensors went off. false alarm. we blamed the zombies.), I saw the incredibly expensive to make summer blockbuster World War Z. I'm not a zombie fanatic, like some, but I have nothing particularly against them either, and I was intrigued to see this Max Brooks (son of the legendary Mel Brooks) novel turned into a film. Plus, there was a lot of speculation on what exactly this movie would look like after all that time and money. So for me, this one was not to be missed and I have to say, I rather enjoyed it.
It's a fun, suspenseful summer thriller. It doesn't look overproduced, so kudos to the VFX artists and engineers (and the makeup artists) on that one. And, full disclosure, how bad could two hours of watching Brad Pitt run around really be? The answer: not bad at all.
It's more of a tense nail-biter than a gore fest (The zombies are the fast, semi-intelligent kind, rather than the slow, brain-eating kind.), so I found it entertaining. Director Marc Forster's pacing is spot-on, too. The movie doesn't go on too long or spend too much time on exposition, making it perfect for some light summer afternoon fun. Action fans will be familiar with Forster's work on Quantum of Solace (and if you liked that film and World War Z, I highly recommend his lesser known movie Stay. very, very good.).
So if you like Brad Pitt and you don't mind zombies, go see World War Z. It's the best summer action movie I've seen so far.
[PS Fun Fact: look for Matthew Fox in a no-name bit part.]

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of those novels that everyone is told to read, usually for school, meaning spending hours dissecting every line for symbolism, so it can be easy to forget (or entirely miss) why the book is such a classic. It's the story of ambition, love, mystery, but more than that, of a time and a place, capturing in so few words, the true essence of a mere moment so poetically. There's no one better to capture that essence than the master of grand spectacle himself, director Baz Luhrmann.
This film is uptempo and opulent, every shot meticulously framed, like an Impressionist painting. Everything glimmers, from wardrobe to set decoration, evoking that very American form of optimism. I could go on and on, but the point is that, without doubt, the film is a visual masterpiece.
The acting, too, is splendid. Carey Mulligan is dewy and careworn all at once, all fluttering curtains and flowing curves, like spring with a hint of frost. In other words, utterly ravishing in the most heartbreaking way. I found Tobey Maguire (except for one brief instant of Spider-man 3 flashback) to be charmingly naive as Nick Carraway. Then there's Leonardo DiCaprio. Admittedly, he is possibly my favorite actor of our generation, and not just because of those piercing blue eyes, but I have it on good authority that it's not just me. He is truly magnificent as Jay Gatsby. He is the heart and soul, the epitome of the American dream, the perfect irresistible imagination with an unending sense of hope. As the kids say, he is just everything. Enough of my gushing, though.
Surprisingly, I did not find the use of hip-hop music to be entirely off-putting. At times, I thought it worked quite well. The one moment that seems to have bothered everyone I've talked to is the car pumping some Jay-Z that Nick & Gatsby pass on the bridge into Manhattan. Luhrmann justifies it by pointing out that hip-hop is something like the jazz of our time, but that doesn't make rap-loving flappers any less jarring.
The other departure from the novel, the decision to have Nick tell the story to a psychiatrist, is a choice I go back and forth on. I can see justifications for and against it. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. It's the one niggling detail that is keeping me from pronouncing this as the movie of the year. As late-night host and comedian Craig Ferguson is fond of saying, I look forward to your letters.

Iron Man 3

First thing you need to know about Iron Man 3 is that it is infinitely superior to Iron Man 2, in every way. In fact, Iron Man 3 is just downright entertaining, from the beginning voice-over to the tag after the end credits. Tony Stark has come a long way since we first saw him giving drunken speeches in Las Vegas and Robert Downey, Jr. inhabits the character in such a comfortable way that brings home Stark's emotional intensity in this film. Pepper Potts, too, is fiercer than she's ever been (& Gwyneth Paltrow, who's just been named People Magazine's World's Most Beautiful Woman, may have done something no one else has yet been able to--inspire me to work out). Don Cheadle is back as Colonel Rhodes for his second Iron Man installment, and while I always enjoy his work, he just doesn't bring quite the same dry sarcasm to the role as Terrence Howard did in the first movie.
As for the new faces to the franchise, Ben Kingsley, Guy Pearce, and Rebecca Hall all play their parts magnificently. Kingsley especially is given the opportunity to really shine as anti-American terrorist The Mandarin. (If you're unfamiliar with Rebecca Hall, who doesn't get nearly enough screen time as Dr. Maya Hansen, go to your local video store and rent The Town. You're welcome.) I was also pleased that Jarvis, Stark's magnificent computer system voiced by Paul Bettany (who is marvelous), had a much bigger role in this film than in the previous two. Stark also meets a young boy in small town Tennessee who has no southern accent, but is still adorably precocious and steals almost every scene he shares with Downey, which is quite a feat.
The only glitch, if you'll pardon that joke, in the story is the overly complex and yet glaringly simplified baddies that Aldrich Killian (what a name!) creates. They come to be through a highly advanced neuro/biochemical science experiment, that thankfully they don't spend too much time explaining (I understood enough to know it wouldn't end well), but the side effects of this technology don't seem to make much sense and they're borderline bizarre (fire-breathing? really?). Maybe I don't get it because I've never read a comic book, but I preferred the straightforward greed of Obadiah in the first one. These Extremis patients do cause some exciting explosions, though, so perhaps we're not meant to look beyond that.
All things considered, Iron Man 3 is an excellent summer blockbuster and a good way to kick off the trifecta of films scheduled for release in the first three weeks of May (Iron Man 3, The Great Gatsby, & Star Trek: Into Darkness). Next up for Marvel fans is Thor: The Dark World, which hits theaters this November.