Oscars

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Marvel Movie News

Kevin Smith Loses It Over ‘Spider-Man: No Way’ Home Oscars Snub

Kevin Smith loses it – and drops lots of f-bombs – over his feelings that the Oscars snubbed Spider-Man: No Way Home for Best Picture. On Wednesday, Kevin Smith mentioned the Oscar nominations (full list here) on his Fatman Beyond podcast and couldn’t believe that Spider-Man: No Way Home didn’t get nominated for Best Picture.

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Marvel Movie News

Spider-Man, Dune, Shang-Chi Up For Oscars

The Oscar Awards 2022 nominations have been released which includes the likes of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Dune, Shang-Chi, and more. Netflix’s The Power of the Dog leads the way with 12 nominations, and WB’s Dune has 10 nominations including Best Visual Effects along with Spider-Man: No Way Home, Shang-Chi, Ryan Reynolds’ Free Guy, and

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Movie News

Oscars Suffer Lowest Ratings Ever

No surprise at all as it’s learned the Oscars held last night saw its lowest ratings ever as millions and millions of people tuned out of the show that was filled with Hollywood celebrities lecturing the fanbase. The Oscars saw a whopping drop off of 13.75 million viewers from last year’s show, which means Sunday’s

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Marvel Movie News

No Oscar For Chadwick Boseman; Joaquin Phoenix Steals The Show

The 93rd annual Academy Awards took place tonight where Twitter is ablaze that Chadwick Boseman didn’t win an award, and Joaquin Phoenix happened to steal the show at the end. You can check out the winners’ list below. Regarding Chadwick Boseman, known for playing Marvel’s Black Panther, the actor died last year of cancer and

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Movie News

2021 Oscars Nominations Include Chadwick Boseman, Tenet More

The list of 2021 Oscars Nominations has been released which includes the late Chadwick Boseman, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, and Disney’s Mulan. Check out the full list below. Up for Best Picture includes The Father, Judas and the Black Messiah, Mank Minari, Nomadland, Promising Young Woman, Sound of Metal, and The Trial of the Chicago 7.

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Movie News

WB Submits Wonder Woman 1984 For Oscars Consideration

We all needed a good laugh today and we can thank Warner Bros. for that who has submitted Wonder Woman 1984 for Oscars consideration. Warner Bros. has updated its wbawards.com “WB Awards 2020 For Your Consideration” website with a listing for Wonder Woman 1984 where it seeks nominations in all categories for the Oscars. Maybe

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Movie News Reviews

2016 Oscars Results, Recap & Opinions

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Holy Oscar Fallout 2016!

By Lawrence Napoli

(Editor’s note: the article was written live as the Oscars happened)

 

As the red carpet nonsense starts to simmer down, I’m thinking about a couple of things.  First, is it beyond a foregone conclusion that Leo takes home his first Oscar?  It does seem it would take an act of God to prevent this from occurring seeing how he has as much hype to win as any other “favored” star in the past.  Second, what is Chris Rock going to do or say: Is he going to play it safe – corporate and PC – or is he going to set the show on fire?  Third, what kind of surprises are we going to experience during the show (please let there be an appearance by Deadpool)?  I hope the show producers do more than simply speed things along, but find an entertaining twist without using musical interludes as a crutch.  Fourth, will there be more disdain for the rise of comic book/special effect driven adventure films, or will there be a deeper appreciation for the ones that really pull out all the stops?  Blockbusters deliver the magical spectacle to audiences as well as any other heavy handed drama.  I understand the argument for over-saturation, but purists should shut their mouths when it comes to scoffing at and mocking these films.  There’s nothing wrong with bringing more attention to smaller, indie productions that have bare bones budgets and make their films as much about “the art” as possible, but make no mistake, The Academy Awards is a show that is much more about money and politics in Hollywood and studios that own winners have big pay days to cash in on.  We’ll leave post show analysis to the end and hopefully we will be treated to a good one; on with the show.

[Side note: Holy crap!  It’s Louis Gossett Jr. prior to the show! He had a great message regarding diversity that was short, sweet and poignant and probably going to be ignored by the majority of people on the planet.]

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Opening Monologue by Chris Rock: All race; all the time.  Major props go out to Chris for not shying away from the issue and going straight for the jugular and never letting it settle for the entire speech.  He had a great observation regarding the racism of Hollywood as “Sorority Racism.”  Sure we like you, but you’re not a Kappa.  This is perhaps the most accurate description of Hollywood racism (and let’s be honest, Corporate racism) and you’ll probably be hearing this repeated on social media, but probably not the mainstream.  He may have gone a bit far with that bit regarding the “In Memoriam” sequence of black people being shot on their way to the Oscars, though.  Let’s just say that Ellen would have about zero percent chance at addressing the elephant in the room, but Chris Rock was pretty calm and collected the whole time, and he kept at it and didn’t give it a chance to dissipate.  

Really Charlize, writers are the backbone of the industry?  Two words: my ass (also written by a writer).  If that were really true, they’d be getting paid much more and we’d be getting higher quality stories. 

Best Original Screenplay:  SpotlightTom McCarthy and Josh Singer are our first candidates to ignore the thank you scroll at the bottom of the screen who get played off stage cutting off their speeches. 

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Best Adapted Screenplay: (Good awkward comedy between Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling) The Big ShortAdam McKay and Charles Randolph also get played off stage by the orchestra.  I predict that the Academy will attempt to damage control the lack of diversity among its nominees by putting corporate big money in as much bad light as possible.  This means that The Big Short will probably win best picture.

Oh My.  Chris Rock certainly has the racism angle playing strong with the “funny” media promos featuring black people that didn’t make the cut for The Martian, The Danish Girl and Joy with help from Whoopi Goldberg and Tracy Morgan.

Sarah Silverman making fun of James Bond.  One word: Yikes!

Sam Smith performing “The Writing’s on the Wal”l theme from Spectre was nice, but certainly not an example of his best vocal work live or recorded.  I felt he forced it a little bit as opposed to being smooth and legato.

Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl.  Seeing her performance in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. didn’t exactly pave the way for her victory here.  The effort she made in Ex Machina was certainly more telling.  Ultimately, it was a great performance in a period piece for a British actress that brought home the gold for this relative newcomer.  Well done Alicia.  2015 was an incredibly busy year for you.   

Best Costume Design:  Jenny Beavan for Mad Max: Fury Road.  WOW!  This was a legitimate surprise for me.  Usually this award goes directly to one of the annual period pieces, but to go to an action film was pretty bold. 

Best Production Design: Colin Gibson and Lisa Thompson for Mad Max: Fury Road.  

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The Joker (Jared Leto) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) present for best makeup.  Appropriate.

Best Makeup: Vanderwalt, Wardega and Martin for Mad Max: Fury Road.  They probably should have seated these folks a bit closer to the stage than the nosebleeds.

Best Cinematography:  Emmanuel Lubezki forThe Revenant.  There was never any doubt.  No film in 2015 did more with its framing than this.  The cinematography made the harsh environment of this film as imposing a character as any other in this story.

Best Film Editing:  Margaret Sixel for Mad Max: Fury Road.  The George Miller juggernaut continues to roll, and it’s only picking up steam.  Thank you again orchestra for another awkward play off.

[Black History Month Presentation thanking Jack Black for his contributions was a tactical jab at Will Smith for his personal boycott of the Oscars.  This being the second moment Chris Rock put the finger on the Smith household is more than likely going to start a Twitter war.  The Smith’s are likely to be righteously pissed come the morning.]

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Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Captain America (Chris Evans) present Best Sound Editing: which goes to Mark Mangini and David White for Mad Max: Fury Road.  Ah, cursing blotted out by the satellite delay.  Well done sound editors!  More love for George Miller!

Best Sound Mixing:  Jenkins, Rudloff and Osmo for Mad Max: Fury Road.  Thanks to Australians!  I’m starting to get upset with the show’s director and orchestra for not giving the film production nerds a chance to say anything.

Best Visual Effects:  Whitehurst, Norris, Adington and Bennett for Ex Machina.  Hey, let’s give it up for a film not named Mad Max: Fury Road for winning something in a while.  I don’t mind the extra kick to the groin The Force Awakens gets for its continued snubbing for the tech categories.  Star Wars doesn’t need awards as cash is king in this business, and Episode 7 has plenty last I checked.

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[C-3P0, R2-D2 and BB-8 make an appearance to give some love to John Williams.  Sorry guys, you still haven’t won anything tonight.]  

[Chris Rock fleecing his daughters to sell Girl Scout cookies continues the strange live interaction with the audience moment recent Oscar shows have adopted.] 

Best Animated Short:  Gabriel Osorio and Pato Escala forBear Story.  First Oscar for the country of Chile, well done folks!

Best Animated Feature Film:  Pete Docter and Jonas Rivera for Inside Out.  Once again, the winner for the Disney/Pixar category is another Disney/Pixar film.  Yawn.

[Kevin Hart bringing more attention to Chris Rock’s agenda and even more cursing blotted out by the satellite delay.]

Best Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance for Bridge of Spies.  Well, a Steven Spielberg film had to go home with something, even if it’s another period piece, even if it’s using another backdrop for war.  No disrespect for Mr. Rylance, but this was a disappointment for me as I felt that either Christian Bale or Mark Ruffalo had this one in the bag.  Oh well.   

Best Documentary Short Film:  Louis C.K. found a way to lighten up an otherwise dull presentation due to its heavy subject matter.  I agree that this award can genuinely change the lives for the winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy for A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness

Best Documentary Feature:  Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees for Amy.  Not a surprise here.  Amy was critically acclaimed at every turn and in every film festival it was presented in.  This was the equivalent of a Michael Moore documentary competing against the field.

A nice speech made by the president of the Academy regarding a more positive angle on the race issue in Hollywood, but despite the total combined political power in the entire auditorium, I feel this speech needs to be shared with the CEO’s and board of directors of every major studio and media conglomerate because they are the true gatekeepers.

In Memoriam was, once again, a classy remembrance of talented stars gone, but not forgotten.

Best Live Action Short Film:  Benjamin Cleary and Serena Armitage for Stutterer

Best Foreign Language Film:  Lazlo Nemes for Son of Saul

Best Original Score:  Ennio Morricone for The Hateful Eight.  There was lots of love from Quincy Jones and much love for Tarantino and Harvey Weinstein in Ennio’s speech.  Thank goodness they gave him time to have his short speech translated.

Best Original Song:  Jimmy Napes and Sam Smith for Spectre – The Writing’s on the Wall.  Well, if they gave one to Adele for doing a James Bond theme song they have to give one to Sam Smith for doing the same.  Was anyone surprised here?  Seriously, anyone?

Best Director:  Alejandro G. Iñárritu for The Revenant.  Why was J.J. presenting for this category when Alejandro won last year.  Oh yeah, because he can’t present it to himself and as soon as I saw J.J., I knew, it was Alejandro’s time once again.  Once again, an awful orchestral playoff to knock out his acceptance speech, but he stuck it through to finish strong despite the distraction.  Stop doing it!

Best Actress:  Brie Larson for Room.  Another actress who had political momentum leading into this evening as well as strong showings in festivals took home the gold.  She actually kept her acceptance speech very short and very sweet. 

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Best Actor:  Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant.  Finally.  It’s been a long time coming for the king of the world.  Leo pulled out all the stops on this one because it was full of raw emotion despite the fact it wasn’t a very talky role.  Pretty excellent as far as acceptance speeches go and whether or not you agree with his politics, you cannot argue with Leo’s sincerity. 

Best Picture:  Spotlight.  Wow.  Holy cow!  No pun intended.  In an evening of politics, the filmmakers here call out Pope Francis. It appears as though the Left has heard the Right in the news these past few months and a ton of crazy rhetoric has not gone un-countered.  Hollywood drew its line in the sand regarding race, the environment, the church and the corporate conglomerate.  I’m not so surprised that this film won more than the fact it won with very little build up individually prior to this evening.  With Mad Max taking so many artistic and tech categories, it could have taken the grand prize.  Leo and Alejandro’s wins for two major categories could have done the same.  Everyone (other than the rich) hated Wall Street for the housing market disaster so there was a lot of talk for The Big Short.  Still, congratulations to the victors, and we will soon see the various responses to what has occurred this evening.

In Conclusion:  Another Academy Award show has come and gone and there was a solid mix of expected outcomes as well as surprises.  Chris Rock took early command of the show and kept hammering at the race angle all evening long.  Mad Max: Fury Road was more than a dark horse as the sheer number of categories it won had to have made it the second or third most important film of 2015.  Leo can finally return to his magical mountain of mystical fairy virgins with his golden trophy.  How about that big old goose egg for Star Wars?  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Straight Outta Compton was woefully snubbed because it featured some damn fine acting by a cast of relative newcomers, and it was a very entertaining film overall. 

I will say this in regards to diversity in Hollywood.  Chris Rock made it very clear that more diversity means more roles, opportunities and recognition for black actors.  Well, it really means more than that because the Oscars aren’t the BET awards that he invited everyone in the audience to attend next year.  Yes, Hollywood IS “Sorority Racist,” but it needs equally strong recognition for Asians, Hispanics and far more cultures and ethnicities, too.  As I said earlier in this overview, the studio heads need to lead on this issue.  Unfortunately, IF the rumor is true regarding Hollywood coveting the Chinese market over all others, and IF the rumor is true that Chinese audiences don’t want to see black people in films they see, then no amount of socially responsible discussions and debates is going to amount to a hill of beans because white, yellow or black are colors that are irrelevant when compared to the color of green.

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Movie News Reviews

2015 Oscars: Results, Recap & Opinions

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Oscar Fallout and Recap 2015

(Hold on to your butts!)

Welcome one and all to Oscar Night 2015 when the Academy Awards will be doled out by Doogie Howser M.D. in an attempt to surpass Ellen’s “internet breaking” effort of last year.  As with every Oscar award season, perception, conjecture, and theories abound when it comes to who will actually win.  There are a few foregone conclusions, there are some tight races, but I can posit with some certainty that we will have at least one major surprise and plenty of controversy (I’m looking at you John Travolta!).

The Red Carpet Observations

1) Does it matter who Kevin Hart brings with him anywhere?  All women tower over him.

2) Boyhood’s director Richard Linklater and supporting actor Ethan Hawke get early featured love by interviewers, and Hawke shows much more excitement and charisma than his director.  Perhaps Linklater is bracing for disappointment?

3) Dakota Johnson and mommy dearest, Melanie Griffith, are shown video footage of her years ago as a little girl at the Oscars in what I’m sure was #50shadesofawkward.  Thanks for the reminder of young innocence turn softcore porn, Mr. red carpet coverage man.  Lara Spencer’s follow up to push Melanie into watching 50 Shades of Grey made it even worse.  Is there some kind of bounty on Johnson and Griffith tonight?

4) Andy Samberg got invited to the Oscars?  I guess he can thank Adam Sandler for the invite?

5) Did everyone remember how Steve Carell was nominated for best leading actor for Foxcatcher?

6) Marion Cotillard is a beautiful woman, but she wasn’t wearing a beautiful dress.  #plainjane

7) Michael Keaton and Birdman director Alejandro Iñárritu seem to have a bit more positive energy about being present.  Too bad Keaton is dwarfed by Lara Spencer.

8) Rosamund Pike looks killer in that hot red dress of hers! 

9) Nice guy Eddie Redmayne admits to bringing the wretched British weather over to LA.  I appreciate the honesty.

10) I really like Anna Kendrick’s dress, but really, her look overall because despite her youth, she tends to give off a much more seasoned class to public appearances like this.

11) Lady Gaga fake holding an Oscar – yeah right.  Well, maybe I shouldn’t mock her seeing how they gave Cher an Oscar.  #anythingispossible  BTW, does she plan on doing some dishes tonight with those rubber gloves?

12) Jimmy Kimmel is dressing down for the Oscars.  #mailingitin

13) Wow!  What kind of future-alternative dress is Naomi Watts wearing?  I guess I like it, but wouldn’t figure her to rock that kind of look.

14) Chris Pratt’s a cool dude, but there’s no way anyone should be rebooting Indiana Jones for any reason.

15) Reese Witherspoon wants more questions asked to her on the red carpet other than the designer she’s wearing.  I respect that.  But, that goes away if Legally Blonde 3 is ever announced.  

16) Jennifer Lopez wearing a remix of the only kind of dress she knows how to wear: plunging v-neck down to her belly button.  #pass

17) What did Scarlett Johansson do to her hair???

18) Adam Levine still needs a shave.  You know, I heard Gillette is the best a man can get.

19) Taya Kyle is present at the Oscars representing Chris and American Sniper.  She’s still not sharing any proceeds of her husband’s book with the families of fallen service men and women like Chris had reportedly requested prior to his death.  #anymorelawsuitsagainstthekyleestate?

20) Faith Hill and Tim McGraw don’t look like Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.

21) Kerry Washington looks really cute tonight.  We need to see her in some more movies so hopefully Scandal won’t Black Snake Moan her from the rest of Hollywood.

22) Robin Roberts making an embarrassing moment with Captain America himself Chris Evans regarding his date wasn’t horrible, but never presume anything regarding the relationship between stars and their +1’s at these events.

23) Patricia Arquette seems a frumpy hot mess.  Didn’t she learn anything from Jack?  You gotta wear sunglasses if you do a line before sitting through the Oscars.

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And Now, the Show …

Oooo, Neil Patrick Harris starting off right away referencing the “white-washing” of this year’s nominations before launching into his introductory song and dance.  His impromptu duet with Anna Kendrick as Cinderella was a nice little surprise, but Jack Black’s interruption representing the cynicism of Hollywood wasn’t as satisfying.  I get that they were going for the magic vs. mud, but as far as opening musical numbers go, Hugh Jackman’s remains the gold standard.  Also, Anna Kendrick is a much stronger singer than Neil, so it was good, but not great.

Best Supporting ActorJ.K. Simmons for Whiplash – First award of the night is not a surprise by any means.  He was the hot choice for this category and I really liked his acceptance speech even if he kind of threw his own kids under the bus a bit.  Also, I liked Neil Patrick Harris’ State Farm Commercial reference to this victory.

Liam Neeson’s aside regarding the nominated films this evening and their separation from the blockbusters like comic book films irked me a tad.  I understand that he didn’t necessarily write the lines, but he did agree to read them, and it was somewhat hypocritical seeing how American Sniper was one of this past year’s big studio blockbusters.  Excellence achieved in blockbusters is no less prolific than those “worthy” of recognition by the Academy because people don’t just go to see those cinematic adventures because they’re fanboys and girls.  They go because those films are great fun, well, at least the good blockbusters are.

Chris Pine and J-Lo present best costume design.  You must hand it to this show for always being able to pair some of the most random duos. 

Best Costume DesignMilena Canonero for The Grand Budapest Hotel – Another disciple of Wes Anderson’s reaping the rewards of art house film proximity.  This was the year for indie films and Wes Anderson is a marquee champion of the little guys.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling– Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier for The Grand Budapest Hotel – The only thing that you could bank on in this category was that it wasn’t going to Guardians of the Galaxy for every reason I mentioned above.

Best Foreign Language FilmPoland’s Ida – This victory was obviously a surprise for the winner, but he sure didn’t run out of people to thank as he went well over his wrap up time and kept going, and going, and going, and going …

Tegan and Sara and The Lonely Island perform Everything is Awesome.  This might have been a highlight of the show for some viewers out there, but I would have preferred the song exactly how it was performed from the movie, minus The Lonely Island.

Best Live Action Short Film– Mat Kirkby and James Lucas for The Phone Call – Foreigners will have their moment on Oscar night!  Orchestra be damned!

Best Documentary Short Film– Ellen Goosenberg Kent and Dana Perry for Crisis Hotline – An interesting black, pom pom dress selection for one of these ladies.  It DOES take a lot of balls to wear it!  I respect them for being aware of very brief time to speak their acceptance.

Neil Patrick Harris may be in need of a little life preserver with his joke tie-in with David Oyelowo.  David’s reaction may have salvaged it, but a tidal wave of meh seems to be rising at this point in the show … and to get the energy back up, he shows back up on stage in tightywhiteys with what I presume is a well placed sock.  Yes, acting IS a noble profession.  Thank you, Neil.  

Best Sound Mixing– Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins and Thomas Curley for Whiplash – Even more indie love for perhaps the most indie film amongst all of this year’s nominees.  This may go down as the most awkward acceptance 

Best Sound Editing– Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman for American Sniper – This is certainly my first surprise of the evening because the indies were really putting the petal to the metal.  Winning a category like this might be an indicator for bigger victories for American Sniper because having “Academy Award winner for best Sound Editing” as the only label on the cover of this movie when it releases on retail would be awkward.

Best Supporting Actress– Patricia Arquette for Boyhood – Not a surprise here as she was getting the love for this win well before NPH (Neil Patrick Harris) started rehearsing for the Oscar show.  Patricia had some important things to say about wage equality for women.  I’m pretty sure what the world, not just this country, needs is wage elevation for the poor. 

Best Visual Effects– Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher for Interstellar – I honestly thought this was going to Dawn of the Planet of the Apes just for the Andy Serkis factor, but Chris Nolan’s overlooked space adventure comes away with a little hardware.

Anna Kendrick and Kevin Hart actually made a very cool pairing to present an award.  And yes, Anna IS bigger than Kevin.

Best Animated Short– Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed for Feast – This animated short really was a neat, entertaining tale of a pet’s perspective of its master’s relationship gone wrong.  Thank you Dipson theatres for letting me see it before learning about it for the first time during the Oscars.

Best Animated Feature– Don Hall, Chris Williams and Roy Conli for Big Hero Six – Was anyone surprised at Fall Out Boy’s big comeback platform taking this category?  The country of Japan sure wasn’t as this film enjoyed a 6 week reign as #1 at the box office.  There was plenty of love for the Mickey Mouse corporation in this acceptance speech.

Best Production Design– Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock for The Grand Budapest Hotel – Yet another slam dunk for the art house, Wes Anderson and style over substance. 

Best Cinematography– Emmanuel Lubezki for Birdman – Finally, one of the so-called considered favorites of the evening actually wins an award.  When you have practically zero cuts in your film, all you have is framing and camera work and that’s all cinematography baby!

“In Memoriam” sequence presented by Meryl Streep.  This is always a difficult moment during the show which is important for its recognition, but I’ve never understood why anyone in the live audience would applaud for some of the bigger or more popular names as if their passing was more tragic than any other.  They are dead.  They have not won an award.  So please, take this moment to be somber and respectful and keep your inner fan boy or girl in its seatbelt.

Best Film Editing– Tom Cross for Whiplash – The little film that could keeps racking up the victories.  If there wasn’t full on confirmation of indie love tonight by now, we are officially there now.

Terrence Howard’s presentation of Whiplash, The Imitation Game and Selma is the first live train wreck of the evening.  Travolta may be in the clear.  Could it have been drugs, alcohol, overacting, or perhaps he actually was THAT emotionally moved by the films he was talking about?  Terrence is a good actor, but he’s not that good.  Maybe he’s still pissed about being replaced by Don Cheadle as Rhodie’s War Machine?

Best Documentary Feature– Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy and Dirk Wilutzky for Citizenfour – A documentary about shadow government and praise for Edward Snowden in Hollywood?  Good thing I discovered it existed in the first place tonight.  #wherearethedocumentaryscreenings

NPH may have completely redeemed himself with the “Benedict Cumberbatch is what you get when you ask Travolta to pronounce Ben Affleck.”  And THEN Idina Menzel presents best song WITH John Travolta and the two have awkward fun at each other’s expense.  I wouldn’t exactly call it one of Tosh’s “web redemptions,” but it comes really close.

Best Song– “Glory” John Stephens (John Legend) and Lonnie Lynn for Selma – First of all, who knew Common’s real name was Lonnie Lynn?  Common and Legend make a great acceptance speech regarding social justice.  We ARE an over-incarcerated country, so whenever I hear stories about American money (private or government) being exported for ANY charity reason, I ask why can’t that money stay to help people HERE in THIS country: the homeless, the poor, the disenfranchised, the uneducated, the hungry. 

Lady Gaga performing My Favorite Things and other songs from The Sound of Music does the legacy of Julie Andrews proud.  She produced a clean operatic voice for every ballad and kept it classy the whole way.  I must say this was a big surprise, but an even BIGGER surprise was Julie Andrews herself coming on stage to congratulate her.  As powerful as the performance of “Glory” was, this moment was easily the warmest and most emotional of the evening.

Best Original ScoreAlexandre Desplat for The Grand Budapest Hotel – Wes Anderson acolytes know how to suckle from the power teet as this fine little hotel continues to rack up the gold left and right.  I personally would have liked to see this award go to Hans Zimmer for Interstellar because even if the audience got confused by the plot or the theoretical science, there’s no denying the emotion of his score.  The Academy sees it otherwise.

Best Original Screenplay– Alejandro Iñárritu and company for Birdman – I’d like to note how the director thanked his cast entirely by first name, except for “Mr. Norton.”  Hollywood likes a shiny mirror put up in front of itself; even if it isn’t pretty; even if it isn’t nice.

Best Adapted Screenplay– Graham Moore for The Imitation Game – This is a HUGE shocker!  And historians are rolling up their sleeves right now as this script was maligned for its historical inaccuracies.  I feel bad that Graham wanted to kill himself when he was younger, but if he wanted to make Alan Turing’s story about his sexuality, then he should have done exactly that from the first frame of the film and NOT slide it in at the very end as a footnote.

Best Director– Alejandro Iñárritu for Birdman – Major score #2 for Iñárritu.  With two major victories in the bag, is Birdman set up for a clean sweep the rest of the way?  This kind of film needs a director on cue and on his cast at all times because quite frankly, they were on, at all times.

Best Actor– Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything – Eddie is gleefully enjoyed to accept this award and regardless of whatever politics were at work, or whoever’s “time it was,” no one could deny the power of his performance in this film.  It was transformative.  It was undeniable.  I almost thought Birdman’s momentum was going to carry Michael Keaton through to the other side, but Redmayne was both the unstoppable force and the immoveable object. 

Best Actress– Julianne Moore for Still Alice – One classy lady gives an equally graceful and humble acceptance speech.  She’s had an amazing career and gave an amazing performance in this film.  People had been talking up her victory for weeks

Best PictureBirdman – And that’s all she wrote!  Check out my review right here if you possibly needed any additional reason to check this movie out.  It was fun, artsy, had social commentary and Michael Keaton maybe having real life super powers?  No one can be told.  You have to see it for yourself.

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Conclusion

Another successful evening of Hollywood showing the world how awesome it is all wrapped up and I must say that I was more surprised than not at the results.  I was surprised that The Grand Budapest Hotel and Whiplash won as many awards as they did, but I am absolutely stunned that pre-Oscar night darlings Boyhood and American Sniper took home only 1 award each!  Equally snubbed was Selma, but apparently the real reason for that was untimely logistics during the submission and campaigning process for the production.  Birdman deserved ultimate victory as it took a number of major categories, and it was just plain great in every aspect of filmmaking.  As for the Oscar show itself, yes it’s a LONG show, but Neil Patrick Harris did an adequate job as host with several moments of peaks and valleys throughout.  I wouldn’t say he surpassed Ellen in any regard, but I also wouldn’t say he is undeserving of a second opportunity next year or any other in the future.  I don’t disagree with any of the victors save for the firestorm that may culminate over The Theory of Everything’s victory for best adapted screenplay. 

As I’ve said in my reviews leading up to this night, this past year was an “indie” year and with that, “indie love” was certainly represented at the Academy Awards.  Despite this year being a down year in terms of tickets sold and money made, I felt this year’s nominees were superior to last year’s overall.  This coming year will be a big time comeback for Hollywood as The Avengers and Star Wars will almost exclusively make all the difference.  

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Movie News Reviews

Review: Birdman (2014)

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The Perpetual Pissing Contest between Cinema and Stage

[Continuing Our 2015 Academy Award Roundup

A Film Review of Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

 

Writer, director, producer, Alejandro González Iñárritu has taken it upon himself to make some social commentary regarding the entertainment industry as it pertains to the acting slice of the pie and oh my, he’s got some interesting observations to make.  For anyone who has been on the ground floor regarding this current renaissance of comic book blockbuster adaptations, for those who are down with the theater (Broadway or otherwise), for those who follow the entertainment industry and for anyone with even a modest interest in the status of “celebrity,” Birdman has got the goods for an eye-opening adventure.  Fans of both the cinema and stage will have layers upon layers of subtext and context to smile, weep and chuckle upon as the story unveils before our eyes.  Birdman is a film undeserving of its own mundane title for it easily suggests a limited scope to the vision of its production.  I assure you all that viewers who side with big money glam and those that prefer small indie art can build a bridge with a film like this.  It is easily one of this past year’s best in every conceivable aspect of the filmmaking process and as of right now has surpassed American Sniper as my favorite to win best picture this year.

Birdman’s story follows former blockbuster superhero actor Riggan Thomson and his attempt to get back into the biz by way of his own, single-handed financing, directing and starring in a stage adaptation Raymond Carver’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.  However, the audience is taken on a much more surreal journey into Riggan’s mind, ego and distorted sense of self worth as the telekinetic powers of his former “Birdman” persona appear to be playing havoc with the production.  What’s most entertaining about this film is the seamless integration of all the action and drama of every scene thanks to a virtual non-existence of cuts.  Everything is happening here and now and in this very instant.  This film’s composition (cinematography, lighting and setting) establishes an intimate, mise en scène reality upon reality; perspective upon perspective; viewer’s physical placement within the film’s frame of what is actually happening during the setup, rehearsal and debut of this Broadway show.  Riggan’s supernaturalism collides with his costars’ personal agendas which reflect the harsh realities of the acting profession and is all consumed by our society which commands infinitely more power than we, ourselves realize in our ability to interact “socially” via the internet.  While all this is happening, the audience is also getting an introductory course on the unspoken animosity between stage and screen actors, the nature of prima donnas, the influence of critics, the difficulties of production, and the personal toll of the less disciplined who choose to get into this profession in the first place.   

Despite the very interesting use of special effects as well as the placement of these moments during the film, Birdman is primarily a dialogue, driven drama and must therefore have a cast willing to lift that kind of load.  Just about every character in this film is either a struggling actor or producer, yet ironically, this entire cast has first-hand experience in mega budget production films: Michael Keaton (Batman 1989), Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-Man 2012), Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover Trilogy ’09-’13), Naomi Watts (King Kong 2005), Andrea Riseborough (Oblivion 2013) and Edward Norton (The Incredible Hulk 2008).  Please note the number of comic book blockbuster adaptations on this list.  The names of this cast, independent of its fine performance, is a comedic slap in the face to stage actors due to the roles they fill in Birdman and the fact that despite differences in performances, preparation and processes between stage and screen acting, they are more similar than either side would ever admit.  Thus, this production is heavily sided with the cinema, and that’s perfectly all right seeing how it is far more interested in deconstructing Hollywood than Broadway.  This is further evidenced by the heavy use of steadi-cam shots to deliver screen perspectives that piggy back Michael Keaton as he walks through the St. James theater and park right in front of Emma Stone’s face when she’s going on about how old and irrelevant her father is.  This intimate proximity is an experience the theater can never produce, and it is a style that film actors are comfortable with which aids in the delivery of exceptional individual performances for the cast of Birdman.

Selecting Ed Norton to play the antagonizing golden child of the stage, Mike, was just about the biggest no brainer this side of casting Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man.  Norton is a fine actor that brings an experienced touch to a character type that today’s pop culture may or may not have confused for his personality in real life.  The fact that his character has specific issues reconciling his stage and true life behavior is equally unsurprising, yet quite satisfying.  Playing an actor that doesn’t “play” well with others in a production is yet another ironic link to the fact that he was removed from the potential cast of The Avengers as continuing the role of Bruce Banner/Hulk for true reasons that you and I will probably never know.  Mike isn’t a character completely devoid of sympathy as he tries to make sincere observations of life to the naive Sam, which is somewhat invalidated by his sexual interest in her.  Mike’s sole concern is the artistic integrity of the stage which may be a front to protect the adoration and ego boost he receives from the theatrical community by being the maverick he’s come to relish.

Zach Galifianakis as Jake the producer does not fill this film’s role as the solitary generator of comedic energy, but he does a fantastic job at doing so.  As with Norton’s prima donna, Jake is somewhat of a stereotypical producer whose undefined responsibilities and uniformed status presents a member of the production team that clearly has authority, but is also disconnected from the visceral evolution of the production at hand.  Representing the money invested and potential profits made or lost by reviews will never present the most sympathetic character for an audience, but it is Zach’s comedic timing and facial expressions that soften the blow.  Jake is an easier character to identify with because most of us aren’t experienced in artistic production, so it’s easy to be completely confused by actors when they are knee deep in their “process.”

Emma Stone plays Sam Thomson, Riggan’s daughter and yet again stereotypes are hard at work in presenting a character the audience has seen before in real life.  Being the daughter of a blockbuster actor may have yielded minimal bonding with dad, but plenty of cash to get into fun and trouble with; so much so, that it lands her in rehab.  Where oh where have we ever heard of such tragedy that has befallen the sons and daughters of celebrities whose only real challenge in life is living under mommy or daddy’s shadow?  Sam is a troubled girl in search of guidance and Emma’s ability to pierce the frame with her giant eyes signify moments to the audience when her character is being sincere as opposed to just mailing it in with a middle finger.

Unsung heroine Amy Ryan as Riggan’s ex wife Sylvia easily delivers the most dramatic performance by a supporting cast member in this film.  Representing the one character that is completely removed from the acting/entertainment profession, her interests are simple: the welfare of her daughter as well as her flaky ex-husband.  She relates to the rest of us “normies” best because it might seem like no big deal for a former hot shot actor to refinance a home to pay for a pet project, but that’s a big time red flag for people who worry about paying for food, rent, utilities, etc.  Sylvia seems like a character with almost saintly levels of patience as she is desperate to anchor Riggan to reality, despite his emotional issues.  What I like best about Amy’s performance is the fresh perspective she gives to this “theater scene” with her kind demeanor and practical attitude. 

Michael Keaton may not be the only man alive that could have pulled off this part, but he certainly did so phenomenally in Birdman.  So let’s quickly examine some past Batmen just for comparative giggles.  Adam West is too old and too successful at being a current spoof of his former self.  Val Kilmer is certainly removed enough from the current film scene to develop the irrelevant angle, but would require some significant P-90x to get back into “washed-up” physical shape.  George Clooney is bigger than any possible role cast in an indie or indie-esque film at this point in his life; so he’s out.  Christian Bale has more than enough acting chops for the indie scene, but the content of this film would perhaps be a bit too harsh for the sensitivities of his past work, especially when being critical of acting and actors is the order of the day.  What makes Michael Keaton an ideal choice for Riggan Thomson, formerly “Birdman,” is NOT any conceivable personal baggage he may or may not be dragging into it, but his entire filmography and in particularly the range of his past work.  Keaton has done action, comedy and drama and his work has been solid (please forget Multiplicity) and it takes that kind of balance to be able to approach this burnt out, actor role in a manner that almost crosses the shameless threshold.  He fires up enough anger for his fight with Ed Norton, he plays back every funny beat he picks up on and he can stare down others as well as himself when his character is most vulnerable, pathetic and empowered.

Birdmanis an entertaining cinematic adventure, layered with meaning, filled with great performances and most importantly, is self-reflecting of Hollywood (and Hollywood loves that).  Politics always play a role in the Academy process and until the entire system of lobbying or campaigning for films to be recognized in this way is removed or the consuming public gets more transparency regarding the voting process (reveal the counts in every category), politics will be as influential as the base quality of the product.  Michael Keaton has one heck of an acting legacy and adding an Academy Award to his accolades would be a hell of a thing, but best actor is still going to Eddie RedmayneBirdman is my pick for best film not because I enjoy blockbusters or comic book adaptations, but because it’s just that damn good and that damn fun!

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Movie News Reviews

Review: The Imitation Game (2014)

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Facsimile of History

[Continuing our 2015 Academy Award Roundup]

A Film Review of The Imitation Game

 

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen to another World War II dramatic period piece because 1) why not? 2) it is always difficult to ignore during award season and 3) The number of brilliant individuals whose singular contributions to this highly romanticized global conflict is seemingly endless as their tales continue to enter the mainstream.  I have an admitted fatigue with WW II films because they’ve become just as predictable as zombie films, are more concerned with glorifying heroism (and violence) than anything else and between movies, TV and video games; I’m just sick and tired of seeing Nazis in any capacity.  Enter The Imitation Game, a film that tells a story of British mathematician Alan Turing who invented a machine that broke Nazi Germany’s Enigma codes which was instrumental in turning the tide in the Allies’ favor in the European Theatre.  Unlike American Sniper, this is not a war film that takes the audience to the front lines, but rather gives us a glimpse into the technical and strategic think tanks that have essentially made the evolution of war infinitely more efficient in its brutality than the use of sticks and stones.  Expect lots of dialogue, a minimum of action and a healthy regimen of expert acting.

One more thing to expect is a significant amount of criticism regarding the “facts” of this film and the manner in which they are portrayed.  Quite frankly, historians are foaming at the mouth to bite into the multitude of inaccuracies made for the purpose of enhanced drama and I am shocked, SHOCKED, to learn of this scandalous situation.  Actually, I am not.  I would like to think that those who frequent the cinema often enough would be aware of the truth regarding “reel” history, but for those who accept everything they see and hear as the absolute truth, let me make this abundantly clear.  Film adaptations (Hollywood or otherwise) are works of fiction.  They are not documentaries which are indeed works of non-fiction and should therefore be viewed as entertainment first and secondly, as an invitation to research actual recorded history should the story peak one’s interest. 

Although The Imitation Game credits biographer Andrew Hodges’ book “Alan Turing: The Enigma” as the basis for its screen story, this film has no interest in simply recreating a series of bullet points in Turing’s life.  Even if the creative license at work by director Morten Tyldum and screenwriter Graham Moore has been stretched beyond acceptable limits, it is still a work of fiction.  Perhaps critics are frustrated that the possible slander of Turing’s legacy, as suggested by moments in the film, is the lasting impression that will be absorbed into the global culture’s zeitgeist.   My suggestion is that if this film’s offenses are that outrageous, and then address the situation with a documentary that calls out the inaccuracies by concerning itself with being educational about the facts.  Sniping at it from the academic pulpit without something more productive behind the criticism will be met with apathy and that’s usually the way any controversy regarding the entertainment industry’s mucking up of history plays out.

Thus, accepting this screen story as fiction, The Imitation Game gradually unveils its true message through a series of flashbacks in Alan Turing’s life that most frequently visits his active Enigma work at Bletchley Park.  Brought up to be a intellectual from boyhood, Turing’s apparent weakness as a human being turns out to be social interaction and as often as this story highlights the tragic effects of his personality quirks, it also provides moments of genuine comedy which forced me to laugh out loud in the theatre on more than one occasion.  The interesting aspect of this story is that although it is primarily concerned with the human effort put into cracking Enigma, it does have secondary and tertiary agendas at work.  As the story progresses, we realize that it has much more to do with Turing’s personal life, the moments that shaped it and the possible reasons for his rabid desire to do what most deemed impossible outside of surviving and ultimately winning the war against Nazi Germany. 

The story’s perspective also flashes forward periodically to Turing’s life post WW II and the police investigation regarding his personal affairs.  These moments are amongst the most contentious for the historians and a bit for me due to the aforementioned third agenda regarding sexuality that seemed to come out of nowhere.  The final moments of this film are literally spelled out for the audience via superimposed text which explains the aftermath of Turing’s death.  Because the previous ¾ of the film had not been actively pursuing this angle in Turing’s life beyond mild hinting, this dénouement felt a bit awkward in how it was shoehorned in considering the seriousness of its message.  This last minute curveball dilutes the message of tolerance and I wonder if this film would have been better served had these moments were cut all together.  Tolerating Alan Turing as a character was framed within the concept of him being an intellectual elitist and an impersonal narcissist.  His redemption was a genuine ignorance of other people’s feelings and opinions and the effort he made to bridge the gap of understanding (much like the effort that was not reciprocated to him by British society at the time). 

This film is an entirely dialogue driven drama and one of its weaknesses is its ability to connect the film’s most interesting moments (anything involving Turing at Bletchley) to the devastation of WW II.  There are a couple of action scenes that show subs, ships and tanks at various fronts, but they are very short vignettes to remind the viewer that a war is in fact going on, but it isn’t lasting and not particularly satisfying for action junkies.  There is also one scene that shows Turing himself riding a bicycle through a recently bombed part of a city, but again this plays the role of one of those “reminder” scenes.  Playing the balancing game between action and dialogue scenes is never an easy task, but at the end of the day, the editor can only mix in whatever footage has been captured (or CG generated) in the first place.  In the case of this film the only reliable change in tempo or scenery throughout are the flashes to the different points in Turing’s life. 

An excellent cast was assembled to support the protagonist in this story as contributions from Mark Strong, Charles Dance, Matthew Goode and Keira Knightley deliver respectable performances, but such is to be expected from these veterans.  This film (like American Sniper and The Theory of Everything) is one that ultimately boils down to one performance and its singular journey; namely Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing.  If you missed him in Star Trek Into Darkness or the Sherlock TV series, The Imitation Game is an excellent opportunity to see this actor produce an absolute tour de force when it comes to dramatic acting for the silver screen.  As an introvert, Turing isn’t a particularly interesting character, but then he is forced to work with his colleagues and Cumberbatch revs up his awkward charm and sharp comedic timing.  The regal nature of his baritone voice easily establishes and maintains Turing’s intellectual domination in every scene.  However, where Cumberbatch truly shines is in every scene where Turing meets with heartbreaking failure, frustration or defeat.  Cumberbatch takes every ounce of negative energy to heart and channels his reaction so personally that the audience feels it in every tear he sheds.  Those believing Benedict Cumberbatch to be nothing more than a character actor with robotic tendencies are in for a rude awakening upon the screening of this film.

Few WW II films have shown less combat scenes during its runtime than The Imitation Game, but fewer have shown the little people behind the scenes that developed the technology, research and strategy that was clearly the difference between victory and defeat.  The code breakers at Bletchley may not have spilled blood on the battlefield, laid waste to an enemy platoon with a machine gun or piloted a single bomber into the heart of the enemy stronghold, but their efforts and Turing’s in particular, saved England.  Despite some of the historical inaccuracies, I found this film to be entertaining enough at telling aspects of Turing’s life.  The production could certainly have benefitted from more focus in its narrative, but it remains to be seen how much the audience will care when Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance resonates so profoundly.  However, when you factor in the historic faux pas and the multitude of hidden messages that are heavily back loaded towards the film’s final act, I couldn’t say that this film has a realistic chance at winning Best Picture.  It is a good film that deserves the viewer’s consideration for the outstanding performance of Benedict Cumberbatch.

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Movie News Reviews

Review: The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

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Yet, Another Wes Anderson Film

[Continuing our 2015 Academy Award Roundup]

A Film Review of The Grand Budapest Hotel

 

Hollywood is rife with reboots, remakes, adaptations and re-imaginations and despite some of these projects still making enough profit across the board to continue justifying that business model, audiences have all but fully accepted that originality in La La Land is dead.  This lack of originality cannot be said of Wes Anderson and his movies as this particular writer/director has effectively invented his own sub-genre of filmmaking that I would best describe as folk-comedy.  Of course, one only needs to watch but one Wes Anderson film to understand his style and eccentricity because it is carbon copied without fail in all of his pictures.  There isn’t a lot of action, there is plenty of narration, and there are whimsical selections of background music as well as a number of select Hollywood A-Listers that are apparently at Anderson’s beck and call whenever he’s written a new film.  Wes Anderson has made a career at crafting his own films, telling his own stories and essentially answers to no one and that’s the kind of autonomy most filmmakers in Hollywood secretly covet, yet are unwilling to make the compromises required to attain it.  The Grand Budapest Hotel is a Hollywood-ish production with the heart of an Indie, but viewers beware: Wes Anderson films are acquired tastes so if your idea of comedy is Will Ferrell, please look elsewhere.

The story of The Grand Budapest follows the exploits of Gustave H, the charming, womanizing concierge of the hotel whose dedication to his post would rival a clergyman’s.  He mentors and befriends the hotel’s lobby boy, Zero and the two proceed to get entangled in a murder mystery (of sorts) of an insanely wealthy and elderly woman whom Gustave was involved with sexually.  Mind you, this whole story is also being told as a flashback from the perspective of an elderly Zero who happens to be the current owner of the hotel in what is established as the present time of the film.  What starts off as a fairly mundane drama morphs into an absurd “whodunit” featuring some improbable twists of fate to further heighten the ridiculous series of events that appears to set Gustave up as the primary culprit.  This screen story isn’t some overdressed metaphor regarding today’s society nor is it some ambiguous commentary regarding the past.  There is no hidden agenda.  It is a simple, somewhat hilarious adventure that is about friendship and the special extended family that is the circle of premium hotels and their staffs.  This is a film that ultimately relies on telling the story to the audience through narration and dialogue as opposed to showing with action.  Prepare yourselves for this fact in addition to the eccentric formality of its delivery, further enhancing the overall absurdity which is never acknowledged by the film’s characters.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is not a film one could easily argue for as being “seminal” and if that is the case, one could also easily ask why this film is even in the final 8.  What I said in my review of Boyhood regarding this year’s Indie love applies to this film as well.  Big studio losses yield smaller films’ gain and although Wes Anderson films retain the spirit of true independence, there are a number of factors that clearly elevate their status to established studio productions.  A $30 million dollar budget, distribution through Fox Searchlight and a cast that includes Ray Fiennes, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Ed Norton, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson and even Owen Wilson – well, let’s just say that any Indie film would kill to have any one of these individuals, budget or distribution as part of its production.  Beyond these factors, The Grand Budapest Hotel belongs with the other nominees thanks to exceptional set design, cinematography, performances and ability to entertain.  Even if the scope of the film in question doesn’t have monumental questions about life to challenge, it doesn’t mean that simpler ideas cannot have an equally moving effect on the audience.

I mentioned earlier how the audience is in on the absurdity of this series of unfortunate events despite the ignorance of all its characters.  That’s where Wes Anderson’s sense of comedy originates, but the fact that his cast plays these events as seriously as a WW II drama (or thereabouts) is what allows the sophisticated banter throughout to not be misconstrued as a dainty passing of mere poop jokes.   Fully engaged and interested performances are had by all (including the previously mentioned A-Listers) which is essential to a Wes Anderson film.  Without this level of dedication, his movies become sub-pedestrian.  Unfortunately, the volume of big names afford little opportunity for most of them to shine within this narrative as Gustave and Zero hog most of the screen time. 

Tony Revolori generates a fine performance as the eager to learn and underappreciated lobby boy, Zero.  The audience certainly is introduced to the world of The Grand Budapest through his eyes as we learn what being a true professional in the hotel business is all about, along with some helpful tips to navigate some of the other tumultuous waters in life.  His character certainly starts off being very sheepish in relation to Gustave, but his character grows and the audience can appreciate his evolution into that of a peer.  The key to Revolori’s performance is maintaining a certain level of innocence about Zero, despite his experiences and moments of self incrimination.  After all, a lobby boy must know and learn at the same time so innocence in the face of intimidation is something we can all identify with.

This film, however, is all about Ray Fiennes and his quest for Oscar vindication.  Well, perhaps that’s being a tad overzealous because if Voldemort wanted such praise, he would command it via the cruciatus curse.  Seriously though, Fiennes approaches the role of Gustave with the same level of professionalism he applied at the Royal National Theatre.  Although this character isn’t nearly as appalling as a Nazi War criminal or as intriguing as a Count desiring to be euthanized (both roles he was nominated for in Schindler’s List and The English Patient respectively), Gustave allows Fiennes an opportunity to fully engage his own, personal charm.  Gustave’s arrogance isn’t too domineering, his attention to detail isn’t too obsessive and his appetite for wealthy hags isn’t too disgusting.  They are all just enough before crossing the line into the realm of the anti-hero with the help of one other area of motivation: his religious care and dedication for the hotel establishment in his charge.  Love for one’s job or profession engenders dignity and exemplary self-worth and this elevated demeanor is masterfully maintained throughout by Fiennes and it generates a healthy amount of charisma about him.  Gustave may have invited the negative attention he receives for sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong, but the audience cannot help but sympathize for him because he really doesn’t deserve it. 

Every scene in a Wes Anderson film is like a rectangle of framed art with live motion within.  Characters are constantly looking through the screen and at its audience.  Close ups are very intimate.  These scenes leave the infusion of meaning and beauty entirely in the eyes of the viewer.  This is the style of The Grand Budapest Hotel and although this film is entertaining enough featuring some excellent performances, I don’t expect this film to be a serious contender on Oscar night.  Ray Fiennes certainly has better odds at winning that elusive Oscar gold, but with very serious competition in the best leading male category from the likes of Bradley Cooper and Benedict Cumberbatch, it’s far too difficult to predict. 

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Movie News Reviews

Review: Boyhood (2014)

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Growing Up Is Hard To Do

A Film Review of Boyhood

 

Greetings readers!  Hopefully you all had a good holiday season, but this is a new year and that means the Hollywood Award circuit is in full effect.  The Academy released its Oscar nominees few days ago to what seems like an absolute love fest for Indie films.  The bigger films starring bigger stars are low on this past year’s totem which can mean whatever you want it to mean, but when you look at the dollars and cents, it means 2014 was an off year for Hollywood.  According to boxofficemojo.com 2014’s domestic take saw 5.2% less gross than 2013 and about the same percentage was down from the number of tickets sold.  To be honest it’s not all about the money either.  There was no “absolute must-see for everyone;” no true juggernaut that people should be aware of.  So why not make it a year for the Indies to regain some prominence?  8 Films are nominated for Best Picture, and I will be reviewing them all for you right here at Cosmic Book News.  I’ve already done one for American Sniper, up next is Richard Linklater’s experimental drama Boyhood.

Right away, if you note some sort of a stomach turning sensation with the term “experimental” being connected to a movie then rest easy; it’s a natural response.  Thankfully this isn’t a film where the experiment at work isn’t self indulgence, hyper abstract imagery, elusive content or a mind-numbing thematic onslaught.  Linklater directs the same cast over the course of 12 years in blocks of real time to capture his characters’ evolution, but also the physical growth of his cast to further enhance the realism.  The narrative features a (surprise, surprise) coming of age tale of a young boy and his family amidst a bevy real life problems such as divorce, geographic displacement, alcoholism, bullying, peer pressure and parents trying their best to stay connected to their kids despite it all.  Although this film is billed as charting new territory in the depiction of childhood, it also happens to be a calculated examination that pays much credence to the perspective of parents.  Having also been written by Linklater, a personal touch of constant self reflection is apparent for most characters in every scene.  The pacing is deliberate to present some of the most sincere vignettes of family life caught on camera despite the film being a fictional narrative.  Like real life, this film isn’t always beautiful.  In fact, it’s mostly ugly and awkward, but at least it doesn’t look bad on the screen.  Worry not about home video style, handheld camera juggling.  The cinematography is smooth, classic and dramatic.  It prevents the dialogue from stealing the entire story, thus turning Boyhood into a really elaborate audio book. 

12 years is a long time to keep a film in production for, even at a part time rate.  Linklater and co. probably amassed a healthy amount of footage over that time period and this brings us to the first hurdle for the audience.  This film has a runtime of 165 minutes and you will feel that time pass all too well.  There are several moments in the plot where it felt like the drama would turn to heighten the danger as well as the tempo, but it never happens.  Perhaps this was done to mimic mundane life too closely.  There’s no question that a multitude of traps exist in life that can easily get small kids into big trouble, but to paraphrase Star Lord, if the kid really isn’t a complete dick (thank you parents), chances are they will veer from that kind of trouble.  The lack of any defined or constant threat to any protagonist will defang any plot and the reality of Boyhood as a cinematic journey is that it reaches a certain level of intimacy and intrigue early on and then plateaus. 

The various family crisis that are depicted in Boyhood never shows the audience any full and raw emotional outburst from anyone in the cast which further adds to the film’s overall monotone pacing handicap.  The reason for this is that the story is actually being narrated to the audience through passive observations by the main character: Mason Jr. played by Ellar Coltrane.  Right now, young master Coltrane is receiving much Hollywood love as his contributions are being hailed as “a breakthrough performance” and that would be correct if that description simply meant having a feature role in a film nobody saw coming.  His performance exists, but is exceptional in no way other than having one of those “different” Hollywood looks that is neither overly pretty nor unattractive to justify him being there in the first place. 

One of two explanations can account for this.  First, Linklater specifically directed Coltrane to just pretend his scenes and remember his lines (which is fine for him as a young child, but doesn’t fly at all when he gets older) or two, Coltrane doesn’t really have it; i.e. the screen presence, the charisma, the “it” factor.  Either way, Mason Jr. is our main character and he literally grows up for the audience onscreen from childhood to adolescence to young adulthood and the only thing he delivers is … the air of indifference.  Unless a child is being fed mescaline, there is no way any realistic coming of age tale can feature the absolute absence of anger, bliss or any other possible emotion between the two.  There is far too much neutered “whatever” attitude from Coltrane at every age that I simply stopped believing him as an actual participant in his own journey.  There are far too many opportunities for Coltrane to unleash some very real angst as his character is put through more than enough trials to justify a clear path to becoming a sociopath.  All things being equal, Mason is a pretty damn decent kid despite the circumstances and it actually feels weird.  The only rationalization the audience has for Mason Jr.’s relative sainthood is the imperfect, yet sincere and constant parenting at work during his life.

Anyone can notice the effect of a veteran actor that’s engaged with his or her character in just about any kind of film.  Such an effect is even more noticeable when veterans are matched up with complete novices as is the case between the adult and child cast members of Boyhood.  Not enough credit can be given to both Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke for their work as the mother and father in this production for it is every scene they share with their children (Mason and Samantha) that completely blows away every other.  These scenes make this film worth watching, period.  Any actor will tell you that a performance is based on a give and take relationship with fellow cast members.  Neither Arquette nor Hawke get much of anything from either Coltrane or Lorelei Linklater (Samantha) which requires them to “be the parent” for the film’s content as well as its context, but at least they take full advantage of their heavy lifting in each scene.  Arquette as the mom is the disciplinarian so there is a certain stern responsibility that goes into her character, but she accomplishes this without becoming a dictator which is thanks to her tempered balance with maternal concern.  This sincere balance is capable of masking both kids’ “deer in the headlights” demeanor as genuine moments of learning their lessons.  Hawke as the every other weekend father is the cool jokester who wants to befriend his kids as much as he wants to dish out legitimate street smarts.  His tact lulls the kids into pleasant comfort while still finding several moments to deliver important messages that transcend his own cavalier attitude and lifestyle. 

Boyhood is an exceptional family film despite being rated R for language and adult situations, but even those never get graphic (no nudity) or violent (no onscreen striking).  The content of the scenarios and the parenting dialogue take great pains to reproduce realistic situations that today’s families have to deal with.  Watching this can be as rewarding to children with the appropriate adult supervision as it obviously will be for adults.  The real trick is keeping everyone in the family in front of the screen before the credits roll because it is a slow moving picture.  If you are up to the challenge, you will be rewarded with an education into the modern family featuring a unique, real life development of its cast that is seamless in its transition between ages.  Perhaps this unique experiment regarding its production will be enough to win Oscar gold as the Best Picture, but limitations regarding its pacing and performances couldn’t make its chances better than any other for the win.  

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Movie News Reviews

Review: American Sniper (2015)

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War.  War Never Changes.

It is Now; Always Has Been and Always Will Be Hell.

A Film Review of American Sniper

 

American Sniper, directed by Clint Eastwood, is a work of fiction despite being based on true events as described by the “American Sniper” himself, Chris Kyle, in his autobiography.  Characters will be treated as characters in this review, and any commentary regarding individuals does not refer to their real life counterparts.  The very real issues regarding modern warfare and society will be commented upon and taken as seriously as the film itself presents them.  I have not read Kyle’s autobiography so I will not comment on screenwriter Jason Hall’s reported “loose” adaptation of a book about someone else’s personal observations of their own life.  This film uses the iconic status of Chris Kyle as the deadliest sniper in American history to make some important commentary regarding any war’s effect on any soldier (even exceptional ones) and their families.  No soldier is immune from the harmful touch of war; not even “The Legend.”

The concept of “the hero” is as important to military recruiters as it is to movie makers as this film certainly lays the groundwork early for establishing Kyle as a gifted warrior for the sake of good (the sheep dog) and continues to build his “Achillean” altruism at various moments describing how he transitioned from civilian to soldier.  Hawks will love how this story makes the motivation for the soldier and potential soldier simple and uncompromising.  Someone sees something on the news or reads something online and it becomes personal, so much so that anger inspires vengeance and that leads to enlistment.  Such is the case for Kyle as his journey to weaponize himself in SEAL training is insanely difficult, but despite the adversity, he stares it down with another signature of the classic hero: a never give up, never surrender code of conduct.  But this screen story doesn’t sell out completely by romanticizing Kyle as the golden calf that belongs on everyone’s altar of American glory.  Every sequence where “The Legend,” Chris Kyle, aces terrorists in Iraq is followed up by “Lesser than the Legend,” Chris Kyle as he struggles to keep it together back home in between tours.  He’s despondent, disinterested, paranoid and losing every personal connection he has to his family.  This is the kind of balance that Doves would appreciate because as simple as the motives and rationale may be for going to war, the psychological fallout of such an experience is layered with complexity.  Kyle isn’t the sharp, charismatic, collected and concerned warrior/brother he was in Iraq.  He’s a man that has seen and done horrific things and slapping labels like “patriotism” and “freedom” to cover it up becomes a less and less effective means of compartmentalizing.

Still, this film favors the heroic Chris Kyle overall because it isn’t concerned with being critical of war as much as it is about being critical about how war changes soldiers.  It’s a shame that Eastwood did not take a more significant moment to make some commentary regarding an important part in the process of a soldier returning to civilian life whether it is permanent or in between multiple tours: psychological debriefing.  Every soldier goes through this process to some extent when coming home and most people don’t know much about it.  Soldiers who obviously needed more critical attention and therapy are the ones who come back and beat their wives, shoot their friends or commit suicide.  If we are to take this country’s less than stellar record regarding the physical care of its veterans as a measuring stick, one can presume that the resources available for helping soldiers work out the psychological hell they went through is equally lacking.  Chris Kyle is clearly depicted as a soldier who would have greatly benefited from more thorough debriefing, but this classic hero is capable of willful, self-healing as he gives back by helping other wounded and maimed warriors of the VA.  Please note: This is not an easy, sure-fire fix that works for every soldier.

Despite this film being a drama, it shows off a number of expertly shot and visually satisfying action segments.  The film begins with a number of tension building sniper sequences where Kyle stalks his prey through a magnified scope which are quite adept at allowing the audience to identify with Kyle’s inner turmoil over taking human life, especially for the first time.  However, the audience will not be kept in the bell tower for the duration of the film as Kyle gets down and dirty on the ground floor with Marines charged with clearing buildings, one of the most dangerous jobs for soldiers in an urban warfare environment.  Gunplay sequences are procedural, but acute, demonstrative and indicative of films more strictly devoted to explosions and body counts.  I won’t go so far as to say this film could teach the likes of Black Hawk Down a few lessons, but it certainly gets across the lethality of Navy SEALs as well as the contemporary American soldier in general.

Most of the cast puts forth very adequate performances to support the main character’s evolution and journey.  Sienna Miller as Taya delivers every wife of a soldier’s worst nightmare regarding the safety and return of their husbands from the brink of disaster.  However, this film makes no mistake regarding the singularity of its focus and it is all about Chris Kyle, or rather Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle.  Cooper undergoes a significant physical transformation favoring a wider and buffer frame than the trim and defined body type he regularly sports.  He assimilates a Texan accent with acceptable fluency and does not break for the film’s duration.  As physical as Cooper is in his embodiment of Chris Kyle, it is his facial expressions that sell his performance.  The audience shares in Kyle’s horror at watching the Towers fall on the news.  We grate our teeth in his determination to become a SEAL.  We hold our breaths before he pulls the trigger.  And we are completely lost when he is unable to reconnect to anything real in his civilian life.  Bradley Cooper is an actor who has developed a reputation for really getting into and emotionally selling out his characters with consistency, reliability and superiority.  His interpretation of Chris Kyle is no different.  Whether “The Legend” is as close to “the reality” this film presents, Cooper’s Chris Kyle is a sympathetic character whose devotion to his personal mission of protecting his brothers in arms is as admirable as his complete disregard for his own family stateside is deplorable.  This is where Cooper’s acumen really shines through because he’s as devoted to showing a man being disintegrated by war as he is at producing G.I. Joe.  Bradley Cooper is every bit as classic as any other Hollywood leading man in history and his performance in American Sniper is a continued testament to that fact.

Clint Eastwood may be turning 85 years old this year, but his ability to direct a poignant and entertaining film is defying the physics of father time.  I have enjoyed a number of the films he has directed, but this is easily my favorite.  It’s got intellectual meat, visual eye candy and cultural significance.  All these things combined make it the clear cut leader for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, right?  Hold the phone.  There’s still a ton of Indie love for the rest of the nominees and in an off year for Hollywood, it might be too much of a taboo for a big budget studio film to walk away with the gold, especially when most of the contenders in every category is being maligned for what one could describe as a vanilla sky of alternatives.  American Sniper is not an easy film to watch because no matter how romanticized war can be, it’s still hell and this film has a number of absolutely gut-wrenching moments.  A number of films this year are worthy of my personal recommendation, but few are as accessible as this one.  Regardless of where your personal politics regarding the state of current American warfare stand, everyone can come together to acknowledge its brutal nature as well as its human cost.

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Movie News Reviews

Movie Review: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Crazy Good

A Film Review of Silver Linings Playbook

By: Lawrence Napoli

This film was released in theaters December 25th of last year, and we are currently a week removed from the Academy Awards where Jennifer Lawrence officially, beyond any shadow of a doubt, was established as a serious, marquee actress who may be young and attractive, but has legitimate acting chops.  Ms. Lawrence is the reigning best actress in a leading role for her part in Silver Linings Playbook, but I was surprised to see that this film still had multiple show times at the Regal Cinemas down the street.  Films that come away with multiple Oscars do tend to get an extended run at theaters so in the post holiday months of lesser interesting releases, the timing was right to see the evidence.  Spoiler alert: Little Miss Hunger Games deserved her Oscar gold as the film is a dialog driven drama that doesn’t have a lot of action or effects to produce entertainment through spectacle.  This is an actor’s film and Ms. Lawrence joins a robust cast that brings a multitude of raw emotions to the forefront that is very entertaining, thoughtful and worthy of your hard earned dollars.

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Are you talkin’ to me?

David O. Russell is the writer/director of this film that deals with the difficulty of lesser mental disorders, and by “lesser” I mean anything that isn’t schizophrenia, multiple personality or Charles Manson-bag-of-cats-crazy.  I’m talking about bi polar disorder, depression, post traumatic stress and diagnosed conditions of that ilk that don’t require the individual to be institutionalized to be treated.  The approach Russell takes to the tenor of this story is much lighter than One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but is no less difficult to handle, especially from those affected by the collateral damage of a suffering individual.  In fact, the story begins in a fairly heavy-handed manner to the point where I wondered how the humorous trailers that promoted this film would be integrated at all.  Until it was and the balance between gravity and levity is maintained throughout which keeps the pacing up without feeling like it’s a dead sprint to the finish line thanks to moments of reflection. 

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Taking a time out to teach white people rhythm.

I found it interesting how Russell related the struggles of Pat (Bradley Cooper) and his family to the city of Philadelphia and its love/hate relationship to its various sports franchises.  Individuals and the connection they feel with “their team” could very easily be described as a subtle psychosis that may lead to bad behavior and this leads to some very fun comic moments in the film which explores the ritual of the fan and its relation to team success.  The connection between the people of Philadelphia and its teams is undeniable and that history of disappointment and despair is a significant correlation with Pat’s personal struggle which introduces a familiarity to the audience and an easy opportunity to feel sympathy for everyone.  Regardless of someone’s race, profession, position and mental stability, sports can bring people equilibrium in Philadelphia, but not necessarily passivity.  As with Pat, the animosity and potential explosiveness always remains, but finding a means to deal with those emotions via positive outlook, exercise and positive relationships is the order of the day and carries a hopeful message throughout the entire story.

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I am not a crazy football fan!

The one weakness of this film happens to be the concept of character.  The primary reason for this is that virtually every character is exposed for having some semblance of psychosis to them regardless of their perceived stability.  Again, this leads to some funny moments, but also lumps everyone in the same boat which has an androgynous effect on the cast.  For instance, the primary relationship between Bradley Cooper’s Pat and Jennifer Lawrence’s Tiffany is the engine for the whole movie, but they are both victims of stressful circumstance left volatile as a result of relationships ended under extreme duress.  Sure, this leads the audience to identify this as an ironic “match made in heaven,” but also gives us a relationship between two characters that are too similar.  Yes, every character deals with their feelings in different ways, but everyone releases their negative energy with violent outbursts.  Perhaps it takes “crazy” to know “crazy,” but I would have liked a bit more separation.

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If I scream louder than you does that make me a better actor?

This, however, does not take anything away from the exceptional performance by the entire cast.  Every acting category for Oscar gold is represented by an actor from this film.   Chris Tucker, back from a 5 year hiatus from Hollywood since Rush Hour 3, lends a novel contribution to a fairly white-washed cast.  He doesn’t come close to approaching his comic genius of Friday or Rush Hour, but shades of his deliver are felt whenever he pops up on screen and they always inspire a smile.  Jackie Weaver plays Dolores, the mother of the family who is clearly at her wit’s end when it comes to holding her family together and while her performance is very admirable, could easily be summarized by varying displays of “deer in the headlights.”  Her performance is heartfelt, but debatable when it comes to her Oscar nomination.  Most of you will remember John Ortiz from Fast & Furious, but his role as Ronnie is easily the most hysterical because he opens up to “crazy” Pat whenever he appears and he reveals himself to be a bit crazier as he shifts from successful family man to stress-induced-life-crushing-his-soul-man seamlessly.   Anupam Kher brings some stability as Pat’s psychologist Cliff Patel, but his transition from respectable doctor to raucous Philadelphia Eagle fan is amazing.  And I cannot forget Robert De Niro as the father, Pat Sr. whose Oscar nominated performance in a supporting role was a perfect balance of drama and comedy and has a very touching moment when he attempts to connect with his son when the frustration of his ailment reaches its peak.

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These are not throw-away moments.

Bradley Cooper may not have won for best actor, but he is more than deserving of his nomination the effort he put forth in Silver Linings Playbook.  His second collaboration with Robert De Niro required Cooper to run the entire gambit of human emotion, but he is required to be loud, obnoxious and aggressive for most of the movie.  However, it is when his character makes a connection with his love interest, where Cooper’s ability to pull back and relay subtle moments of humility and self reflection where his true skill is on display.  I did not particularly care for his Oscar clip showing one of his aggressive rants as evidence of his proficiency, but it gave the Academy Awards, as a show, a nice change of pace.  Bradley Cooper is a fine leading man who will be considered for future dramatic roles, but I feel he needs a specific role to inspire a great performance similar to what Ray did for Jaime Fox’s career.  Cooper may become a “great” actor one day, but he’s not quite there yet and there’s a difference between great actors and great performances.

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Crazy, sexy, chemistry.

Jennifer Lawrence; ‘nuff said.  What else can be said of this young actress who seems to be doing it all right in her career thus far?  Despite her excellent performance in this film, I still maintain her nomination for Winter’s Bone as a complete and utter fluke, but what she gives in Silver Linings Playbook is the furthest from.  Again, her character is mirrored by Bradley Cooper’s in many ways, but there is something to her particular gaze on screen.  It is difficult to describe, but I feel her character’s eyes like daggers, but she balances this piercing effect with inept frustration and defeated depression.  Yes, she still looks and seems far too young for Bradley Cooper in this film (especially at the end in her Dancing With the Stars outfit), but this sentiment is negotiable.  What sold her performance as Oscar worthy was not the collective of scenes she shared with Cooper, but her extended scene of contention with Robert De Niro and she does not back down for a single moment.  Lawrence matches De Niro’s aggression and feeds off the energy they share in the moment.  Any other 20-something actress would have probably been intimidated into a lesser performance.

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She’s the real deal.

Silver Linings Playbook is many things as a film.  It is a good drama.  It features fine performances.  It has some thoughtful social commentary.  It is a great “date night” movie.  But it is also breaks the mold when it comes to prototypical film demographics.  Having seen this film in the theaters two nights ago, I was stunned to see the seats filled at 80% capacity.  I was also impressed by the makeup of the crowd as well.  Certainly there was a healthy compliment of middle agers and seniors, but there was an equally significant showing of younger/teen women in the audience and that is 100% attributed to Jennifer Lawrence.  As she progresses in her career, I predict she will have this similar kind of barrier breaking effect that will draw more men to her romantic comedies and more women to her action films (X-Men: First Class/Hunger Games).  This is perhaps the greatest value in attaching Jennifer Lawrence to your cast.  Silver Linings Playbook is truly worth checking out.  You will be entertained and you will be impressed.

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Movie News Reviews

2013 Oscars: Results, Opinions & Fallout

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Oscar Fallout 2013

What the hell just happened?

By: Lawrence Napoli

 

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What can I say?  Oscar night is a magical night.  It’s my Super Bowl night and I was really anticipating the results of this evening because the films up for contention were much more interesting from top to bottom than last year.  I was also intrigued to see how Seth MacFarlane would host such a gala event and his selection makes a lot of sense, right?  He’s been celebrated for being the ring master behind Family Guy that has delivered countless laughs that poke fun at anything and everything, but particularly, the “ridiculousness” of American pop culture.  In a way, his selection is quite ironic because The Academy Awards represent a hallmark in Americana that he wouldn’t mind completely ripping into for its elitism, shallowness, and plasticized prima facie.  However, this stage represents an opportunity for his irreverent comedy to keep this show fresh and significant to the movie patrons of the future.  Considering the extra attention this evening is receiving for the political films that are the frontrunners this evening, I fully expect a Brian Griffin moment from Seth where he makes an observation that is neither too hilarious, nor too poignant and everyone pauses for consideration.  That being said, Seth will either soar with the eagles or crash and burn and melt and leave a really bad smell afterwards.  How did it turn out?  Read on Cosmic Book News faithful, read on.

[Red carpet observation: What was the deal with all the white girls getting the memo regarding the requirement to show up with equally white dresses?  Noteworthy exceptions to this were Jennifer Anniston, Catherine Zeta Jones and Nicole Kidman.]

 

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Opening Ceremony

I really appreciated Seth’s rip on The Artist right off the bat.  It also didn’t take long for Seth to get a few “ooo” moments for the jokes he made: Chris Brown/RhiannaAnd then Captain Kirk appears?  Ok so, it led into Seth’s first musical number (pre-recorded, but pretty funny about all the women we saw the boobs of), but the little dance number between Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron was unexpected, but completely adorable.  Then Daniel Radcliffe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth perform a short rendition of “High Hopes.”  Obviously Harry Potter has Broadway skills, but who knew Robin could sing, too?  This led to a skit of MacFarlane hitting on Sally Field in a “Flying Nun” costume.  Meh.

 

Octavia Spencer presents Best Supporting Actor – Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained

Big surprise #1.  I really was not expecting this and I’m pretty sure no one else did either, but I guess someone has to continue feeding the Taratino machine that sweet sustenance of credibility.  Shame on me, I didn’t see Django Unchained yet, but I’ve heard nothing but mixed reviews concerning it.  That’s not a knock on Christoph Waltz who is deserving of such recognition based on the excellence he displayed in Inglorious Basterds.  Still, this may be a sign to come that Lincoln the pre-show favorite to win it all, might be snubbed all together.   

 

Paul Rudd and Melissa McCarthy present Best Animated Short Film – Paperman (John Kahrs).

What is it with comedians being earmarked for animated presentations?  What is it with them totally flubbing what they have to say in the process?  Rudd and McCarthy should have just played it straight because Paperman was one of the best animated shorts I’ve ever seen because it was quite touching in its simplicity and inspiring in its fantasy.

 

Best Animated Feature Film – Brave

What a surprise.  Disney Pixar takes the category made for Disney Pixar films.  Yawn.  Moving on.

 

The Avengers Assemble!  And they present Best Cinematography – Life of Pi (Claudio Miranda)

Please do take a box office bow, gentlemen.  But where are the mighty Thor and the seductive Black Widow?  Excellent live chemistry was displayed by the group in attendance led by Tony Stark himself.  I just wished they could have been given more time to do their thing.  Guess I’ll just have to wait for The Avengers 2.  Good for Life of Pi, but the cinematography had better look great when the whole film is practically CGI.

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They also present Best Visual Effects – Life of Pi (Bill Westenhofer and co.)

I’m sure glad they brought The Avengers on the stage to be completely ignored by The Academy.  I get the distinct impression that something very weird is happening and that weirdness could be Life of Pi winning a heck of a lot more than it was projected.  Cue the orchestra for its first awkward play-off for a long running acceptance speech.  The Jaws theme completely drowned out Westenhofer just in time for the camera to cut to Nicole Kidman who frowned in disapproval for the classless move.  Still, everyone should have a go to “wrap up” comment to avoid being cut off.

 

Jennifer Aniston and Channing Tatum present Best Costume Design – Anna Karenina (Jacqueline Durran)   

Jen welcomes Chan to the waxed actors club.  Didn’t really need to know that one, but I’m glad a period piece won this award because they’re made to do exactly that.

 

Best Makeup and HairstylingLes Misérables (Lisa Westcot and Julie Dartnell)

Production value was big, big, business for Les Miz.  Costumes in that film were very well done and I expect Oscar gold in production design for this film as well.

 

Halle Berry presents the 50th Anniversary of James Bond

A nice little video montage of Bond’s greatest moments on film was nice, but nothing a freshman in college couldn’t compile on Final Cut Pro.  But then Shirley Bassey comes out of the floor to sing the Goldfinger theme quite masterfully; so much so that her rendition surpasses the original in every, single way.  You go girl!  Standing O: deserved!  Hopefully we get more of this with Adele waiting in the wings to do the Skyfall theme.

 

Kerry Washington and Jaime Fox present Best Live Action Short Film – Curfew (Shawn Christensen). 

I understand the need to thank The Academy for supporting the more obscure categories such as this, but it would be better if The Academy showed some real love to this category by making some comprehensive programs for those interested to actually see these little nuggets of gold.

 

Best Documentary Short – Inocente (Sean and Andrea Fine). 

So, the subject of this documentary was homeless last week and so shame on Hollywood for not getting artists like her seen and heard?  How about shame on humanity for allowing atrocity like hunger and homelessness to exist anywhere!  Look, I’m happy they won, but let’s have some solutions before pointing fingers.

 

Ben Affleck thanks Seth for the constant ribbing and presents Best Documentary Feature – Searching for Sugar Man (Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chin).

I’m glad that the one documentary that didn’t cover absolutely depressing material won, but I really hate the Jaws theme being used (AGAIN) to play people off their speeches.  It’s starting to get annoying.

[Best MacFarlane joke of the night so far: “The cast of Prometheus tells us, what the hell was going on there?”]

 

Jennifer Garner and Jessica Chastain present Best Foreign Language Film – Amour (Austria).

Yay Austria, but then Seth MacFarlane thanks the orchestra and there’s a moment where everyone thought he was joking about it as they played behind his presentation.  One word: awkward.

 

Catherine Zeta Jones performs All That Jazz

If her singing was, in fact, live singing, then color me impressed.  If she was just lip syncing it, oh well, everyone’s doing it and I’m less impressed.  Still, she had to record it at some point.

 

Jennifer Hudson sings a number from Dream Girls

This number certainly sounded live because we could all hear her breaths as she swung the mic dramatically away from her mouth.  Jennifer’s a professional singer and she won an Academy Award for acting as a singer in this movie, so it better be live because it certainly kicked all sorts of ass.

 

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The cast of Les Misérables performs together.

I really enjoyed the staging of this musical number which incorporated everyone’s entrance (and I mean EVERYONE) as they rallied around One Day More.  Yeah, yeah, Russell Crowe still did his thing, but they sounded great as a collective.  Screw you Adam Lambert.  If you thought they were so terrible, get all your friends together and make your own musical adaptation. 

 

Mark Walhberg and Ted present Best Sound Mixing – Les Misérables (Andy Nelson and co.). 

I guess Ted had to do all the comic heavy lifting because Marky Mark was having none of it.  It makes all the sense in the world that a film requiring the balance between sound, dialogue, sound effects and background music would win this award.  No other film had such a heavy sound mixing burden.

 

Best Sound Editing – WTF?  (No BS, but a tie?)  Zero Dark Thirty and Skyfall.

I can’t remember a tie for an Oscar in recent memory and it only ever happened twice before: once in 1932 for the best actor and a second time in 1968 for best actress.  And now it’s a third . . . for best sound editing? 

 

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Christopher Plummer presents Best Supporting Actress – Anne Hathaway

Sitting next to her Les Miz costar, Hugh Jackman, Anne makes a nice gesture acknowledging every other nominee as well as the Wolverine himself.  She got so much hype for winning this award, but it was hype well deserved because it was an amazing performance. 

 

Sandra Bullock presents Best Film Editing – Argo (William Goldenberg)

It took a while for Argo to make any kind of splash but here it is.  And speaking of firsts, people winning their first awards seems to be the theme of the evening.  This doesn’t look good for the likes of Daniel Day Lewis.

 

Adele performs Skyfall

So we all know this song will win the Oscar later on in the evening right?  I’d just like to make note of the fact that Adele sings so well in that voice when she’s as British as the day is long.  Regardless, it was another inspired performance by a “true” singer which is actually better than the recorded version for the film.

 

Daniel Radcliffe and Kristen Stewart present Best Production Design – Lincoln (Rick Carter and Jim Erikson).

Another Oscar frontrunner picks up its first award and although this film did not involve any fantastic settings or highly stylize set pieces, the effectiveness of the production design was no less impactful.  By the way, if Stewart injured herself some way, why is she determined to hobble around like the walking dead (pun intended)?  Her constant grimacing was kind of annoying, so let’s get her some assistance and I don’t just mean from the Actor’s Studio. 

 

George Clooney presents In Memoriam

The obvious somber moment of the evening plays out like normal, but then opens up to Barbara Streisand singing Memories as only she can.  All that can be said is that she gave us all a beautiful and heartfelt performance.  Streisand is the epitome of dignity and class.

 

Some of the cast of Chicago present Best Musical Score – Life of Pi (Mychael Danna).

Chalk up another for the Ang Lee’s production, but it is unfortunate that no one on his cast or crew can pronounce his name correctly.  Pi is seems unstoppable at this point.

 

Best Original Song – Adele’s Skyfall

Good for Adele, but once again, no surprise here.  Anyone else signing this song, however, doesn’t bring the attention required to take home the victory. 

 

Charlize Theron and Dustin Hoffman present Best Adapted Screenplay – Argo (Chris Terrio).

Argo’s writer makes the first political statement of the evening giving a nod to nonviolent means of solving international problems.  Perhaps that message will get across to the US government, but it is not this day.

 

Best Original Screenplay – Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino).

Nice leather tie Q.  It was an interesting move to thank the power of his characters for his writing.  Although I will say that this year’s films were certainly better overall than last year’s, but I’m not necessarily thinking that this year was, in fact, the year for the writers.  Battleship and John Carter still happened this past year.  What about them?

 

Michael Douglas and Jane Fonda present Best Director – Ang Lee (Life of Pi).

Yes!  More redemption for the terrible Hulk.  With so many awards going Pi’s way, this really wasn’t a surprise.  Thanking Taiwan is interesting in that it’s dangerously close to thanking our good buddies in China who are having a blast hacking our databases for industrial espionage, crushing our economy with slave labor and probably prepping for WW III.  How much money do you think Lee’s production paid his two crews in India and Taiwan?

 

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Jean Dujardin presents Best Actress – Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook).

Holy *ucking sh*t!  Don’t get me wrong, I love Jennifer, but wow.  She had the hype, she had The Hunger Games and she has the whole of Hollywood eating out of the palm of her hand.  She is talented, she is capable, but she better not screw up the good fortune she’s found early on in her career.  Many actors have long careers with zero recognition and honorary Oscars do not count.  Christopher Plummer taught me that.  Good for you Jennifer, but you still have two more Hunger Games to muddle through.

 

Meryl Streep presents Best Actor – Daniel Day Lewis.

About damn time!  The most deserving winner for the most perfect category: this man became Abraham Lincoln.  No one else can claim this level of immersion.  Daniel offered up the best acceptance speech of the evening with a good dose of comedy.  Cheers Daniel!  Keep making and taking incredible roles.  

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Jack Nicholson presents Michele Obama who both present Best Picture – Argo (Ben Affleck and co.).

Ben’s co-producers took a specific time out to thank and re-thank Ben Affleck for his directing contributions to the film as a final “stick it” to The Academy.  Argo is deserving of this victory because of the story.  Please refer to my review concerning the historical accuracy of the actual event, but I don’t care if it was or wasn’t.  I want to be entertained and if the story is compelling enough, I will do research to find the “real” real story.   

 

The Host?

Let’s make this quick.  Seth did not sink or swim.  He did not exactly impress, but he did a respectable job.  All of his jokes simply took jabs at anyone in attendance and I was expecting some evolution of that strategy during the show.  It wasn’t terrible, but it got boring at times.  He did not succumb to the temptation of breaking into Family Guy voices at all.  That’s saying something, I guess.

 

The Big Loser

Zero Dark Thirty.  This movie should have gone home with absolutely nothing because sharing a tie for best sound editing, of all categories, seems like a door prize.  James Bond took home more Oscars than Kathryn Bigelow’s production this year.

 

The Big Winner

This was a little more difficult to arbitrarily designate, but it has to be Argo.  Certainly Life of Pi won a lot and for a while, it looked like it could go all the way.  But, the controversy of Argo as a production makes for a better story, right?  If it were nominated for more categories, it probably would have taken home more gold.  I’m just glad Affleck didn’t bust into his kegger acceptance speech from Good Will Hunting.  He came close, but pulled it back.

 

The Wrap Up

There were some twists and turns, some surprises and “no duh’s,” but overall I think this was a successful Academy Awards.  It’s still too long and there’s no way to address this issue without seriously thinking about cutting categories that get live presentations during the show or perhaps losing the musical performances.  I’d prefer the former because the performances really do add quality entertainment value.  At the same time, I really hate the orchestra playing people off with Jaws.  How about adding an “enhanced experience” for people to follow at home on their computers, tablets or smart phones to experience some of the trimmed fat in future shows?  

Did your favorites win?  Does The Academy have a clue?  Do you just want Jennifer Lawrence’s phone number?  Hollywood can still make amazing films when it wants to, so hopefully we can see better films at the theatres and when that happens, I hope to see you at the movies.

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