This will be a long post since I don't really want to split it up into two parts. Luckily, only the next one will be 10 movies until we get down into the 1930s, but that's a long way away.
2010 Best Picture
The King's Speech
This is Oscar bait at its finest. A movie that is overly sentimental for the sole sake of being sentimental. The movie tries hard to distance itself emotionally from the viewer only to come back at points and really hit the viewer over the head with insincere tosh. I actually enjoyed the historical aspects of the film and Firth is deserving of his Oscar but the movie is too complacent and formulaic about a royal family I'm not emotionally engineered to. The relationship between Bertie and Lionel doesn't feel realistic and we are left with a movie that plays it safe knowing it just needs to satiate the appetite of the Academy voters since that is its sole purpose. While it's not as terrible as I make it seem, it irritates me that this movie could have been so much more than a glorified puff piece on British royalty nostalgia and more of a serious film with an important message to say.
Black Swan
The movie demands more than Portman is able to give. As I said in my review of her, she is quite capable as the White Swan but suffers as the Black Swan. The movie itself is similar in that it tries to be more than it really is. There have been numerous retellings of the Swan Lake ballet in film and many try to come up with some new take on an old story. Black Swan fails at saying or showing anything different and therefore lacks the real emotional punch it's going for. The actual dancing is a treat to watch and Mila Kunis' character is perfect. And not to say this is a terrible movie or anything, I just feel like the Black Swan scenes could have been handled better and acted better and that ultimately leaves this film lacking.
The Fighter
This movie has such a compelling story and superb actors, there's really no doubt it deserves to be a Best Picture nominee. The tale of two brothers who are boxers, one washed up and the other trying to make it, offers up a great combination of drama and sports movie. The struggles between the family members and the struggle of Bale's character to overcome his addiction are riveting to watch and really cement this movie as a must watch. At times the characters can come off as being a bit over the top in their performances but I think this really adds to the realism of this outgoing and loud family we are being shown. What does annoy me is the usual boxing match trope you find in lots of boxing movies, whoever we are rooting for gets wailed on for a few rounds before finding some sort of energy to knock the other guy out. In a movie that is so good with its dramatic elements, the failure of the sports side to be truly innovative and buck cliches leaves a little to be desired. With that said it is still one of my favorites of the year.
Inception
Christopher Nolan's dream within a dream within a dream idea is dazzling if a little lacking in depth and emotion. The sights and sounds of the special effects are great fun to witness and really makes you feel immersed in the different worlds/dreams presented. There's definitely no dull parts visually and I hesitate to say there were any in the story either. A lot of critics complained that the story was confusing and complicated and while I don't exactly disagree (it wasn't hard to follow, though), its strength comes in making the viewer challenge what they see and think. It also comes across heavy-handed with lots of expository dialogue telling us what's going on and feels loaded down with its own weight of seriousness. But taking the movie at face value and realizing that it's just really a cool movie with a unique idea, one realizes that you don't need to be attached emotionally and can simply watch from afar....as if watching a dream.
The Kids Are All Right
Ugh, I don't see why this was a movie worthy of an Oscar nomination. I like that the expansion from 5 movies to 10 allows for movies that wouldn't normally be nominated to get a chance. But this shouldn't have been one of those movies. It's episodic and at times feels like a TV movie (or heck even a show). The lesbian angle can only carry it so far and the acting for the most part isn't as good as others would lead you to believe. The story, and especially the relationships, rang hollow and under served the characters badly. I did like some of the subtle humor throughout the movie as well as Mark Ruffalo's performance, even if it could have been better. But overall, this just isn't a movie I liked.
127 Hours
I think this just an OK movie. It's got a very interesting subject, but I don't think Danny Boyle (director) is able to put it all together in a way that fits the subject. The movie to me has a weird look to it, almost like it's overexposed. While I don't claim to know all that much about cinematography, the look of this film grates on me. It has a TV movie feel at times to me and while Franco does all he can to save it from becoming just that, there's not much for him to work with. I don't think the flashbacks are really compelling enough and Franco isn't able to carry the film on his own. For what should be a very inspiring and gut-wrenching tale, it lacks the tension, emotion and depth needed to be more than just an exercise in directing for Boyle.
The Social Network
The more I think about this film the more I love it. My initial reaction after watching this remarkable film was that it was good but forgettable. Except that after I dismissed it, the movie kept creeping back into my mind and I kept thinking about the characters, the music, the story, the dialogue. I love Jesse Eisenberg's condescending, anti-social portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg and the emotion (or lack thereof) and subtlety with which he acts is amazing, brilliant, and perfect. The dialogue is so rapid-fire and so very obviously of Aaron Sorkin's mind and is a perfect fit for a movie that digs into this generations cultural psyche. I love that you can see Zuckerberg's inability to connect with people essentially form the idea of Facebook as a way to connect with people on your own terms. The supporting characters are fantastic, the minimalist music sets the tone wonderfully, and the direction is so spot on I fail to see why this movie didn't win Best Picture.
Toy Story 3
I'm not sure if this was a stand alone movie, that it would get as much love and an Oscar nom like it has. It's a decent little end to the trilogy and got its obvious Best Animated Feature Oscar (over the more deserving How To Train Your Dragon). Like the other movies in the Toy Story arc, it likes to tug on the heartstrings, although I feel that's when the movie is at its worse. Pixar loves to add in the sappy moments but instead of letting things develop on their own, they often force you in to an emotion under the guise that it makes for a more touching film. That's a big pet peeve in movies for me. Let me form my own emotions and feelings towards characters and scenes and stop force feeding me what you think I should be feeling. I think TS3 is waaay better than 2, but not nearly as good as 1 and the prior movies probably make people react to this movie differently than if the others hadn't existed. Meaning, the nostalgia for the Toy Story franchise makes this movie better than it really is. I feel this nomination was more of a nod to the Toy Story franchise than to how good of a film this one really is.
True Grit
I love that the Coens are never the same from movie to movie. Their more faithful adaptation of the book has some wonderful acting, if at times a bit stilted, and beautiful cinematography. Although the landscape looks great on film, the action sequences are a bit lacking and the movie as a whole is kinda dull. There's no real sense of danger or tension or anything that might keep the viewer on the edge of their seat. And once we meet Hailee Steinfeld's father's killer, we are pretty underwhelmed and a little aggravated that we invested the time in going along with finding this weak man who was built up as someone much stronger and more intimidating. But that's probably more of a failure of the book than the movie so I give the Coens the benefit of the doubt. It's still an enjoyable film and the Coens are great at creating memorable characters as they have here.
Winter's Bone
About a 17-year-old girl trying to figure out where her father is so he can go to court so the family he's left won't get evicted in the Missouri Ozarks. It's a nice slice of life look at poor red necks essentially and there's only a few moments when the story doesn't work. As I said in my acting reviews for this movie, there are times when the script lets down Jennifer Lawrence's character but those are few and the acting in this movie is one of its better qualities. The tone and pacing of this movie are done well and there's never a time when I was wishing for the next scene to hurry up and arrive. But other than Lawrence's performance, the movie fails to really stick with you after you've finished watching it and after you've seen it once there's no real reason to come back to it. Nice to see the Academy reward an indie film that was released in the summer with a nod here.
I feel the Academy got it wrong this year. It took the Oscar bait and rewarded mediocrity instead of going with a movie that I feel will be looked at in years to come as a classic and generational movie in The Social Network. Overall, I'd say this year seems a little lacking in movies that should really be nominated for Best Picture. I hope that next year will be strong like 2009 was. And so that completes my first full year of reviews, which feels good. The writing has gotten a bit easier as I've gone along and hopefully it stops taking me hours to write these things!
Oscar Winner: The King's Speech
My Winner: The Social Network
The Fighter
Inception
True Grit
Winter's Bone
The King's Speech
127 Hours
Black Swan
Toy Story 3
The Kids Are All Right
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Leading Actor 2010
The final acting group of 2010. The best for last? We'll see.
2010 Best Actor
Colin Firth - The King's Speech
I like Colin Firth. He's personable, easily likeable, and charming. In this underwhelming Oscar-bait film, he's all of those things. As the stuttering Duke of York and eventual King George VI, Firth's character tries many different remedies and doctors to get rid of his impediment. Firth portrays the stuttering in a very real manner and not in a comical way as some have before him. While the stuttering is essentially the main point of the film, his relationship with Geoffrey Rush's character is a big part of it as well. As I've already gone over Rush's performance, I believe Firth offers up the better of the two and by a wide margin. You really believe his reluctance at first in dealing with Rush, his trepidation in becoming King, and his acceptance of his duty to his country, family and self. His performance is delicate and nuanced and not over the top like Rush and this makes him the best part of The King's Speech.
Javier Bardem - Biutiful
[May 26, 2012] The film has been likened to a poem and it certainly has a visual flair. It's intense and Bardem rises and exceeds what is expected of him. He plays Uxbal, a facilitator of illegal activity in Spain who after being diagnosed with terminal cancer his life and world crumbles to pieces. This is the performance Bardem can hang his hat on, one that defines his entire career. Where his role in No Country... was a classic villain that will be remembered forever, this depressing, exposed, vulnerable piece is what acting is all about. Rightfully earning him a Spanish Oscar (or Goya as it is), Bardem delivers a knockout, powerhouse performance that cements his place as one of the best actors around today. As his death becomes inevitable, Bardem transitions from being a quiet, stoic, strong man in the beginning to one who questions if what he is doing is the right thing, especially as a father. It's a tremendous display of acting ability and I can't wait to see what else he does.
Jeff Bridges - True Grit
In his sixth Oscar nomination, Bridges plays Rooster Cogburn, a U.S. Marshall hired by a little girl to find her father's killer. It's a little similar to his winning performance the previous year in that he plays a sort of washed up, alcoholic old man with a twang. You can tell the Coens loved listening to him talk as the dialogue he has is admittedly fun to hear as it's almost tinged with tobacco. The performance seems effortless as their isn't a whole lot for Bridges' character to do but lead Steinfeld's character around and occasionally shoot people. I have yet to see John Wayne's winning performance for this same character but something tells me Bridges' version is the better of the two. Bridges immerses himself in the role and you can't think he is anything but perfect for it. I do think that Bridges could have been better, at times it feels lazy and whenever Steinfeld is on screen with him she usually steals the scene. Maybe that's just a veteran actor giving a newcomer the chance to shine, though. Overall, a good enough performance that will be remembered as one of his best.
Jesse Eisenberg- The Social Network
The more I think about this movie, the more I like it. The same can be said for Eisenberg's role as Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook. A lot of the credit can go to Aaron Sorkin's great script, but without Eisenberg's ability to create such a memorable character from it, it would go nowhere. His mile-a-minute delivery of the lines go very well with his intense work ethic and usual disregard for what anyone else has to say. He's obviously not a people person and his sarcasm can be too much for most people to recognize. Eisenberg plays this version of Zuckerberg perfectly and is completely believable. He always looks like he's lost in thought or writing code in his head when he's not talking to someone and his demeanor and look fit the character so well. I don't think Eisenberg ever smiles in the movie and these little nuances of the character make the performance such a treat to watch.
James Franco - 127 Hours
This movie captures Franco as well as any of the stoner movies he's in, if you ask me. He just seems like the character he portrays. In that regard, it's almost too easy of a performance and I'm not sure it's much of a stretch for him. I will say that he does a great job of carrying the movie since he occupies most of its screen time and that can be very difficult to do. I can't help but not feel for Aron Ralston's predicament since he brought it upon himself. But it is interesting to watch the range of emotions that Franco goes through while he is trapped. I think it suffers from the direction and the way the film is shot, though, and Franco isn't able to overcome that to make this a truly great performance. It's decent but there is only so much he can do with what he is given. Definitely a better performance than his Oscar hosting job, though!
It's always fun when you look at the nominees of these acting groups and see interesting things like four of the five having their first name start with a J. In future groups there will be two or three with the same first name and other oddities which I'll of course point out. This was a strong group and I'm glad when I get to watch them all (or in this case most of them) and not hate any of them. I do think Firth winning is fine as the academy doesn't really reward roles like Eisenberg's kind of villain/anti-hero mash up. Franco and Bridges are kind of middle of the road for me but deserving. I just think Eisenberg creates and embodies a memorable character while Firth acts as the King of England, so the choice is an easy one for me. It is a bit more difficult to rank these as I'm sure I could find reasons to flip flop Bridges and Franco and who knows when I throw Bardem into the mix. [And when I do throw him into the mix he definitely could be my winner for this year. I place him a hair under Eisenberg but with the realization that in 2 months Bardem's performance may jump into that top spot for me.]
Oscar Winner: Colin Firth - The King's Speech
My Winner: Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network
Javier Bardem
Colin Firth
Jeff Bridges
James Franco
2010 Best Actor
Colin Firth - The King's Speech
I like Colin Firth. He's personable, easily likeable, and charming. In this underwhelming Oscar-bait film, he's all of those things. As the stuttering Duke of York and eventual King George VI, Firth's character tries many different remedies and doctors to get rid of his impediment. Firth portrays the stuttering in a very real manner and not in a comical way as some have before him. While the stuttering is essentially the main point of the film, his relationship with Geoffrey Rush's character is a big part of it as well. As I've already gone over Rush's performance, I believe Firth offers up the better of the two and by a wide margin. You really believe his reluctance at first in dealing with Rush, his trepidation in becoming King, and his acceptance of his duty to his country, family and self. His performance is delicate and nuanced and not over the top like Rush and this makes him the best part of The King's Speech.
Javier Bardem - Biutiful
[May 26, 2012] The film has been likened to a poem and it certainly has a visual flair. It's intense and Bardem rises and exceeds what is expected of him. He plays Uxbal, a facilitator of illegal activity in Spain who after being diagnosed with terminal cancer his life and world crumbles to pieces. This is the performance Bardem can hang his hat on, one that defines his entire career. Where his role in No Country... was a classic villain that will be remembered forever, this depressing, exposed, vulnerable piece is what acting is all about. Rightfully earning him a Spanish Oscar (or Goya as it is), Bardem delivers a knockout, powerhouse performance that cements his place as one of the best actors around today. As his death becomes inevitable, Bardem transitions from being a quiet, stoic, strong man in the beginning to one who questions if what he is doing is the right thing, especially as a father. It's a tremendous display of acting ability and I can't wait to see what else he does.
Jeff Bridges - True Grit
In his sixth Oscar nomination, Bridges plays Rooster Cogburn, a U.S. Marshall hired by a little girl to find her father's killer. It's a little similar to his winning performance the previous year in that he plays a sort of washed up, alcoholic old man with a twang. You can tell the Coens loved listening to him talk as the dialogue he has is admittedly fun to hear as it's almost tinged with tobacco. The performance seems effortless as their isn't a whole lot for Bridges' character to do but lead Steinfeld's character around and occasionally shoot people. I have yet to see John Wayne's winning performance for this same character but something tells me Bridges' version is the better of the two. Bridges immerses himself in the role and you can't think he is anything but perfect for it. I do think that Bridges could have been better, at times it feels lazy and whenever Steinfeld is on screen with him she usually steals the scene. Maybe that's just a veteran actor giving a newcomer the chance to shine, though. Overall, a good enough performance that will be remembered as one of his best.
Jesse Eisenberg- The Social Network
The more I think about this movie, the more I like it. The same can be said for Eisenberg's role as Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook. A lot of the credit can go to Aaron Sorkin's great script, but without Eisenberg's ability to create such a memorable character from it, it would go nowhere. His mile-a-minute delivery of the lines go very well with his intense work ethic and usual disregard for what anyone else has to say. He's obviously not a people person and his sarcasm can be too much for most people to recognize. Eisenberg plays this version of Zuckerberg perfectly and is completely believable. He always looks like he's lost in thought or writing code in his head when he's not talking to someone and his demeanor and look fit the character so well. I don't think Eisenberg ever smiles in the movie and these little nuances of the character make the performance such a treat to watch.
James Franco - 127 Hours
This movie captures Franco as well as any of the stoner movies he's in, if you ask me. He just seems like the character he portrays. In that regard, it's almost too easy of a performance and I'm not sure it's much of a stretch for him. I will say that he does a great job of carrying the movie since he occupies most of its screen time and that can be very difficult to do. I can't help but not feel for Aron Ralston's predicament since he brought it upon himself. But it is interesting to watch the range of emotions that Franco goes through while he is trapped. I think it suffers from the direction and the way the film is shot, though, and Franco isn't able to overcome that to make this a truly great performance. It's decent but there is only so much he can do with what he is given. Definitely a better performance than his Oscar hosting job, though!
It's always fun when you look at the nominees of these acting groups and see interesting things like four of the five having their first name start with a J. In future groups there will be two or three with the same first name and other oddities which I'll of course point out. This was a strong group and I'm glad when I get to watch them all (or in this case most of them) and not hate any of them. I do think Firth winning is fine as the academy doesn't really reward roles like Eisenberg's kind of villain/anti-hero mash up. Franco and Bridges are kind of middle of the road for me but deserving. I just think Eisenberg creates and embodies a memorable character while Firth acts as the King of England, so the choice is an easy one for me. It is a bit more difficult to rank these as I'm sure I could find reasons to flip flop Bridges and Franco and who knows when I throw Bardem into the mix. [And when I do throw him into the mix he definitely could be my winner for this year. I place him a hair under Eisenberg but with the realization that in 2 months Bardem's performance may jump into that top spot for me.]
Oscar Winner: Colin Firth - The King's Speech
My Winner: Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network
Javier Bardem
Colin Firth
Jeff Bridges
James Franco
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Leading Actress 2010
Now I get into the major awards.
2010 Best Actress
Natalie Portman - Black Swan
This award was basically known at the beginning of the awards season and there was little wonder about it come Oscar night. In Portman's second Oscar nomination, she plays Nina, a fragile ballerina chosen for the lead in Swan Lake. Portman is limited by her acting ability in this movie in my opinion. She ably plays the role of the White Swan and outside of the play the fragile, childish Nina. This performance is what Portman is known in her career for and she's honed her acting ability for this type of character, So when this movie works, it's no wonder it works when she is playing the White Swan. When Portman needs to transform from the puerile and immature White Swan/Nina into the sexual, tempting, and wildly refined Black Swan, she fails. And she fails because Portman isn't capable of giving a believable performance of changing from one to the other. The Black Swan still feels awkward and the performance as a whole is unbalanced. Though the point the director seems to be going for is that Nina is becoming more unbalanced as she loses control of her inhibitions and embraces the dark side of the Black Swan, Portman is unable to sell it as a real breakdown and therefore her Black Swan comes off feeling vapid.
Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right
I don't understand why this performance was nominated. Again, all I can think of is that the Academy is rewarding her past (this is her 4th nomination) and wanted to seem with the times for nominating a lesbian character. I didn't like this movie very much and Bening's performance comes off as very pedestrian. The lesbian couple come off as a statement that yes! gays can have normal lives and be just like normal people, too! The character lacks any real depth, though Bening does try, and it feels more like a caricature than anything else. The hurt when her partner cheats on her with a man doesn't feel real and she all too quickly forgives her after a rather insipid speech claiming she was sorry as if she had stated she hated her cooking or something instead. The entire movie was a letdown for me and Bening did nothing to try and change that fact in her performance.
Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole
I'll say that I didn't hate this performance. I fully expected something that wasn't deserving because the Academy loves going back to the well for nominations (Kidman's third nomination). Kidman's character is very interesting, if a little weird to me, but I think that's the point since it shows her conflicting outside persona/inside turmoil. She plays a mother who has recently lost a son to a car accident but on the outside carries a tough demeanor that tries to show she's not as hurt as she really is. You can tell there is a lot going on inside of her head and the conflict of trying to get over her loss but not wanting to forget is compelling. My problem is that the two sides of Kidman's character don't seem to be that major of a conflict to begin with. The two ultimately stay separate and their is no real revelation on how they can coexist, they are presented and she and her husband simply move on. Their is no payoff for investing in caring about Kidman's character.
Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone
A first time nominee, I really enjoyed Lawrence's performance in this film. She plays Ree, a teen shouldering too much responsibility with a sick mother and an absent father with two younger siblings to take care of in the backwoods of Missouri. She really shines when she's doing the mundane task of teaching her siblings how to survive either skinning squirrels or watching her cook supper. She faces her problems head on and with a resolve that no doubt comes from growing up quicker than she wanted and dealing with the rough life of rural Missouri. At times the script makes her come off a lot tougher or grown up than she really is or should be and Lawrence has trouble at these points of making it seem real. But other times when you get the faint glimpses of Ree cracking under the weight of her responsibilities or see her breakdown at the end of the movie, you feel moved by her actions and completely convinced in her character. For a newer actress, this is remarkable and I'm interested in where she goes from here.
Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine
This was my favorite performance of the year. The movie is depressing and heartbreaking and Williams' character Cindy is phenomenal. In the beginning I was glad that she was rescued in a way from a bad relationship by Ryan Gosling's character and I was taken by the romance between the two. The story weaves it's way between the two falling in love and the aftermath of them after things have grown stale. The juxtaposition of Williams' innocence and enthusiasm in the beginning and her animosity and lack of caring at the end speak to the wonderful ability and ease of her acting. She's at her best when the two try to rekindle the passion and love they had during a stay at a seedy motel but the spark fails to ignite and you can see the hesitation she has but also the longing for what once was clashing inside of her. Her second Oscar nomination should have been her first Oscar win, in my opinion.
Not as strong as the Supporting Actress group, but Williams and Lawrence are really good so it almost balances out. I can understand the win by Portman because the Academy likes to reward performances everyone seems to love, but I'm not so sure that in 10 years or 20 years we'll look back and say that she gave the best performance out of this group. Maybe I'm wrong in thinking that but only time will tell. I am interested in what Portman, Lawrence, Williams all do from this point on. So many actresses go downhill after being nominated and especially after winning so it will definitely be interesting to watch.
Oscar Winner: Natalie Portman - Black Swan
My Winner: Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine
Jennifer Lawrence
Natalie Portman
Nicole Kidman
Annette Bening
2010 Best Actress
Natalie Portman - Black Swan
This award was basically known at the beginning of the awards season and there was little wonder about it come Oscar night. In Portman's second Oscar nomination, she plays Nina, a fragile ballerina chosen for the lead in Swan Lake. Portman is limited by her acting ability in this movie in my opinion. She ably plays the role of the White Swan and outside of the play the fragile, childish Nina. This performance is what Portman is known in her career for and she's honed her acting ability for this type of character, So when this movie works, it's no wonder it works when she is playing the White Swan. When Portman needs to transform from the puerile and immature White Swan/Nina into the sexual, tempting, and wildly refined Black Swan, she fails. And she fails because Portman isn't capable of giving a believable performance of changing from one to the other. The Black Swan still feels awkward and the performance as a whole is unbalanced. Though the point the director seems to be going for is that Nina is becoming more unbalanced as she loses control of her inhibitions and embraces the dark side of the Black Swan, Portman is unable to sell it as a real breakdown and therefore her Black Swan comes off feeling vapid.
Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right
I don't understand why this performance was nominated. Again, all I can think of is that the Academy is rewarding her past (this is her 4th nomination) and wanted to seem with the times for nominating a lesbian character. I didn't like this movie very much and Bening's performance comes off as very pedestrian. The lesbian couple come off as a statement that yes! gays can have normal lives and be just like normal people, too! The character lacks any real depth, though Bening does try, and it feels more like a caricature than anything else. The hurt when her partner cheats on her with a man doesn't feel real and she all too quickly forgives her after a rather insipid speech claiming she was sorry as if she had stated she hated her cooking or something instead. The entire movie was a letdown for me and Bening did nothing to try and change that fact in her performance.
Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole
I'll say that I didn't hate this performance. I fully expected something that wasn't deserving because the Academy loves going back to the well for nominations (Kidman's third nomination). Kidman's character is very interesting, if a little weird to me, but I think that's the point since it shows her conflicting outside persona/inside turmoil. She plays a mother who has recently lost a son to a car accident but on the outside carries a tough demeanor that tries to show she's not as hurt as she really is. You can tell there is a lot going on inside of her head and the conflict of trying to get over her loss but not wanting to forget is compelling. My problem is that the two sides of Kidman's character don't seem to be that major of a conflict to begin with. The two ultimately stay separate and their is no real revelation on how they can coexist, they are presented and she and her husband simply move on. Their is no payoff for investing in caring about Kidman's character.
Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone
A first time nominee, I really enjoyed Lawrence's performance in this film. She plays Ree, a teen shouldering too much responsibility with a sick mother and an absent father with two younger siblings to take care of in the backwoods of Missouri. She really shines when she's doing the mundane task of teaching her siblings how to survive either skinning squirrels or watching her cook supper. She faces her problems head on and with a resolve that no doubt comes from growing up quicker than she wanted and dealing with the rough life of rural Missouri. At times the script makes her come off a lot tougher or grown up than she really is or should be and Lawrence has trouble at these points of making it seem real. But other times when you get the faint glimpses of Ree cracking under the weight of her responsibilities or see her breakdown at the end of the movie, you feel moved by her actions and completely convinced in her character. For a newer actress, this is remarkable and I'm interested in where she goes from here.
Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine
This was my favorite performance of the year. The movie is depressing and heartbreaking and Williams' character Cindy is phenomenal. In the beginning I was glad that she was rescued in a way from a bad relationship by Ryan Gosling's character and I was taken by the romance between the two. The story weaves it's way between the two falling in love and the aftermath of them after things have grown stale. The juxtaposition of Williams' innocence and enthusiasm in the beginning and her animosity and lack of caring at the end speak to the wonderful ability and ease of her acting. She's at her best when the two try to rekindle the passion and love they had during a stay at a seedy motel but the spark fails to ignite and you can see the hesitation she has but also the longing for what once was clashing inside of her. Her second Oscar nomination should have been her first Oscar win, in my opinion.
Not as strong as the Supporting Actress group, but Williams and Lawrence are really good so it almost balances out. I can understand the win by Portman because the Academy likes to reward performances everyone seems to love, but I'm not so sure that in 10 years or 20 years we'll look back and say that she gave the best performance out of this group. Maybe I'm wrong in thinking that but only time will tell. I am interested in what Portman, Lawrence, Williams all do from this point on. So many actresses go downhill after being nominated and especially after winning so it will definitely be interesting to watch.
Oscar Winner: Natalie Portman - Black Swan
My Winner: Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine
Jennifer Lawrence
Natalie Portman
Nicole Kidman
Annette Bening
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Supporting Actor 2010
So the goal for the blog is to attempt at least one year per week and if I can't make that for whatever reason then I'll settle for half a year per week. This way I'm not still trying finish this thing in 2027. On to the Best Supporting Actors...
2010 Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale - The Fighter
Hands down the easiest choice for a winner this year. To me, Bale's performance was completely believable. It was more than just weight loss and big hand movements (uh, what?) as I read from some critics. Bale nails the look, the voice, the mannerisms of a washed up boxer addicted to drugs. Bale admitted that he acted loud at times on purpose, which was many critics' problem with the performance, but the character was a loud, manic-y, boxer come drug addict and it fit perfectly. Some of my favorite scenes are so subtle like when a family member comes to get him from a crack house and he panics and tries to flee out a window dropping into a dumpster. The half drugged out and panicked look mixed with desperation was entirely believable and Bale was easily the best part of the movie for me. The transformation form the beginning of the movie where Dicky (Bale's character) is using his brother Micky to hold on to his delusions of fame to eventually becoming a proud brother glad to be helping Micky train is great fun to watch. Interestingly, this was the first time one movie took both of the supporting awards since Hannah and Her Sisters in 1986.
John Hawkes - Winter's Bone
After watching this movie and thinking back on Hawke's performance, what immediately sprang to mind for me was good but not great. That feels a little harsh because he's a terrific character actor and in this movie he fits. He's got the look of a redneck, trailer trash type and almost blends into the background like one of the other no-name actors in the movie. His portrayal of the menacing, meth addict uncle of the main character starts out with you really despising him as he fails to help her. But by the end of the movie he's undergone a change into a more sentimental and paternalistic person, which doesn't feel entirely believable and seems more the product of the script moving the story along than with his acting. Nice to see the Academy reward a decent performance from a smaller movie, too.
Jeremy Renner - The Town
I'm not exactly sure why Renner was nominated here. The only thing I can think of is that there was no other performance good enough and Renner got in based off being nominated for Best Actor the year prior. The Town is a fun crime movie to watch once you get past the lame Affleck love story part. Renner's character, Jem, is sadistic, twisted, wild and the best part of the movie but easily replaceable with any capable actor. Not to say Renner mailed it in, because he puts on a decent performance. His character just doesn't get enough attention to be able to fleshed out. Too much time is spent on Affleck and the (pretty awesome) action scenes at the expense of developing Jem into anything more than the wild, hard-ass he is. It seems the writers thought about trying to give the character some depth but everything else about the movie got in the way.
Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right
I actually liked this performance even though I thought this movie was pretty terrible. As a matter of fact, I think Ruffalo kept this movie from being completely awful. Paul, the unknowing sperm donor of a lesbian couple meets the couple's kids when they call him requesting to see him. Paul is a hip, goofy, free-loving man essentially comfortable in his life. The realization that he fathered two kids kick starts his paternal instincts as he decides to get to know his new progeny. This develops into an affair with one of the lesbian moms and Paul fools himself into thinking he's in love and wants to start a family with her. The whole thing is insincere and comes off as if he just wants to keep banging the mom and will try to convince himself in any way he can think of. It really feels as if this is the kind of thing Paul has been doing all his life, confusing love with sex. It's a believable performance (I keep harping on this but it really is the mark of a good performance to me) and the anticipation and happiness that he's a father clashes with the inner turmoil of continuing his old ways of sleeping around and being independent. At the end of the movie you can tell Paul wants to be dedicated to his new kids, he's just not good at it yet.
Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech
I totally understand why Rush's performance was nominated. It's loud and boisterous and funny and total Oscar bait. A lot of critics expected and wanted this performance to win but I just don't understand why. It's completely unbelievable to me. I have a hard time believing that Rush would be able to act and talk the way he did with the King of England. Not to mention the two acted way too chummy for an Australian speech guy and the King. I thought the character was too slick for lack of a better word. He's super witty and convincing and basically manipulates the King to his liking. I was able to connect more with Colin Firth's character than I was with Rush's character which made the relationship between the two seem fake and insincere. Really anytime Rush was onscreen I was irritated and waiting for him to leave or hoping Firth would save the scene.
Overall, I think the Supporting Actress group was way better than the men this year. Not very many strong performances in my opinion. Although I'm glad the Academy got it right in giving Bale the much deserved win. As I go back in years, I'll be interested in seeing which of the Supporting categories has the more consistently strong nominees. My guess is the women are the weaker of the two only because I know so many women get nominated based off previous Oscar experience and with very little actual screen time.
Oscar Winner: Christian Bale - The Fighter
My Winner: Christian Bale - The Fighter
John Hawkes
Mark Ruffalo
Jeremy Renner
Geoffrey Rush
2010 Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale - The Fighter
Hands down the easiest choice for a winner this year. To me, Bale's performance was completely believable. It was more than just weight loss and big hand movements (uh, what?) as I read from some critics. Bale nails the look, the voice, the mannerisms of a washed up boxer addicted to drugs. Bale admitted that he acted loud at times on purpose, which was many critics' problem with the performance, but the character was a loud, manic-y, boxer come drug addict and it fit perfectly. Some of my favorite scenes are so subtle like when a family member comes to get him from a crack house and he panics and tries to flee out a window dropping into a dumpster. The half drugged out and panicked look mixed with desperation was entirely believable and Bale was easily the best part of the movie for me. The transformation form the beginning of the movie where Dicky (Bale's character) is using his brother Micky to hold on to his delusions of fame to eventually becoming a proud brother glad to be helping Micky train is great fun to watch. Interestingly, this was the first time one movie took both of the supporting awards since Hannah and Her Sisters in 1986.
John Hawkes - Winter's Bone
After watching this movie and thinking back on Hawke's performance, what immediately sprang to mind for me was good but not great. That feels a little harsh because he's a terrific character actor and in this movie he fits. He's got the look of a redneck, trailer trash type and almost blends into the background like one of the other no-name actors in the movie. His portrayal of the menacing, meth addict uncle of the main character starts out with you really despising him as he fails to help her. But by the end of the movie he's undergone a change into a more sentimental and paternalistic person, which doesn't feel entirely believable and seems more the product of the script moving the story along than with his acting. Nice to see the Academy reward a decent performance from a smaller movie, too.
Jeremy Renner - The Town
I'm not exactly sure why Renner was nominated here. The only thing I can think of is that there was no other performance good enough and Renner got in based off being nominated for Best Actor the year prior. The Town is a fun crime movie to watch once you get past the lame Affleck love story part. Renner's character, Jem, is sadistic, twisted, wild and the best part of the movie but easily replaceable with any capable actor. Not to say Renner mailed it in, because he puts on a decent performance. His character just doesn't get enough attention to be able to fleshed out. Too much time is spent on Affleck and the (pretty awesome) action scenes at the expense of developing Jem into anything more than the wild, hard-ass he is. It seems the writers thought about trying to give the character some depth but everything else about the movie got in the way.
Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right
I actually liked this performance even though I thought this movie was pretty terrible. As a matter of fact, I think Ruffalo kept this movie from being completely awful. Paul, the unknowing sperm donor of a lesbian couple meets the couple's kids when they call him requesting to see him. Paul is a hip, goofy, free-loving man essentially comfortable in his life. The realization that he fathered two kids kick starts his paternal instincts as he decides to get to know his new progeny. This develops into an affair with one of the lesbian moms and Paul fools himself into thinking he's in love and wants to start a family with her. The whole thing is insincere and comes off as if he just wants to keep banging the mom and will try to convince himself in any way he can think of. It really feels as if this is the kind of thing Paul has been doing all his life, confusing love with sex. It's a believable performance (I keep harping on this but it really is the mark of a good performance to me) and the anticipation and happiness that he's a father clashes with the inner turmoil of continuing his old ways of sleeping around and being independent. At the end of the movie you can tell Paul wants to be dedicated to his new kids, he's just not good at it yet.
Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech
I totally understand why Rush's performance was nominated. It's loud and boisterous and funny and total Oscar bait. A lot of critics expected and wanted this performance to win but I just don't understand why. It's completely unbelievable to me. I have a hard time believing that Rush would be able to act and talk the way he did with the King of England. Not to mention the two acted way too chummy for an Australian speech guy and the King. I thought the character was too slick for lack of a better word. He's super witty and convincing and basically manipulates the King to his liking. I was able to connect more with Colin Firth's character than I was with Rush's character which made the relationship between the two seem fake and insincere. Really anytime Rush was onscreen I was irritated and waiting for him to leave or hoping Firth would save the scene.
Overall, I think the Supporting Actress group was way better than the men this year. Not very many strong performances in my opinion. Although I'm glad the Academy got it right in giving Bale the much deserved win. As I go back in years, I'll be interested in seeing which of the Supporting categories has the more consistently strong nominees. My guess is the women are the weaker of the two only because I know so many women get nominated based off previous Oscar experience and with very little actual screen time.
Oscar Winner: Christian Bale - The Fighter
My Winner: Christian Bale - The Fighter
John Hawkes
Mark Ruffalo
Jeremy Renner
Geoffrey Rush
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Here We Go
Again I don't profess to be a great reviewer but I sincerely hope my opinion of these performances and movies can stir up some debate, whether on this blog or in your own mind. With that said, here we go....
2010 Best Supporting Actress
Melissa Leo - The Fighter
Melissa Leo's character in this movie is the kind that Academy voters love to nominate and reward. She uglified herself and was an overbearing, villain-like mother. I see similarities between her character and Jacki Weaver's character from Animal Kingdom, who was also nominated in this category. She is the head of the family in the same way she manages Mark Walhberg's Micky until he breaks away from her grip. The reason Melissa Leo's character works for me is that I hated her. Not that her performance was bad, but that Leo was convincing enough that I wish she would have let up on Micky. The scenes between her and Amy Adams' character are great to watch because of the barely contained contempt that often boils over whenever the two are in the same room. Leo really shines when she goes from playing the loving mother while trying to manipulate her sons to spewing bitterness when one of them or Amy Adams' character rebuffs her. In these moments you see how driven Leo's Alice is by her dreams of fame and money. This was Leo's second Oscar nomination and I'm not sure if people remember her win more for her acting or because of her crazy acceptance speech and self promoting campaign run up to the ceremony.
Amy Adams - The Fighter
This was the third Oscar nomination for Adams, as she is quickly becoming an Oscar darling (albeit a bridesmaid). When her character, Charlene, was first introduced, I wasn't sure if she would become more than just a pretty love interest for Micky. But eventually that pretty face became a sexy bitch and asserted herself as the dominant woman in Micky's life, much to the chagrin of his mother. In the end, she almost becomes like Leo's character in trying to manipulate Micky into doing what she thinks is right for him. The conflict between Leo and Adams' characters in this film was a nice subplot to watch. Both had control over him for periods of time before he decided to do things his own way. I thought Adams' departure from her usual sweet and naive roles worked really well here as she was able to pull off the tough and somewhat caustic boxer's girlfriend with relative ease. The characters of The Fighter are definitely the strong point of the film and both Leo and Adams showcase their talent here. I find it really interesting that this is the 7th time in the last 11 Best Supporting Actress groups where two nominees come from the same movie, and this is the second time for Adams.
Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech
I'd say this is my least favorite nominee in this group only because it feels like her performance got swept in with the other nominees from The King's Speech and her performance is just OK to me. I feel she does the job asked of her in this film ably and that's no knock on her. I just feel she was overshadowed (and rightfully so) by Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush in her portrayal as the doting, eventual Queen Mother. I did like that she appeared the most royal of all the actors in this film. She can be somewhat stuffy and walks around with the air of royalty and makes it seem natural. And she's great at expressing emotion through just her looks. So there's no doubt HBC is a great actress, I just don't find her great in this movie. Whenever she leaves the scene, I almost instantly forget about her, which speaks to how well Firth and Rush command this movie and how her real role is to shepherd Firth between major scenes. This was her second Oscar nomination and I think as much a nod to her role in the The King's Speech as it was a nod to her career so far.
Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit
How's this for a debut movie? Steinfeld does a tremendous job as Mattie Ross, a 14-year-old girl looking to avenge her father's death. I still don't know how Steinfeld was nominated for Supporting instead of the lead role, since this movie is essentially all about her. At times Steinfeld feels stiff, but those times are few and far between and she really carries this film. She has the look of a Western girl who has been brought up with a father who was out leading a rough life. She's great at talking grown men into doing what she wants and getting what she wants out of them. She balances dogged determinism with her young naivete well and it blends into a tough western personality that some grown men wouldn't even have. And Steinfeld is able to pull this off in just her first movie, a credit to her and the Coen brothers.
Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom
It always amazes me when I see nominations that don't have a lot of screen time. While Weaver has plenty of screen time, it feels like she's not in the film much. Short screen time is a rant for a couple of nominees coming up so I'll save that for now. In saying all this, it's not as if I dislike Weaver's role or character. Like Melissa Leo's character she's a sort of ugly, overbearing, evil mother. Janine "Smurf" Cody is the mother of a Melbourne, Australia crime family. In the beginning she's seemingly sweet and innocent and just glad to have her sons around. But as the movie goes on, the depth of her character is revealed and she becomes a sort of den mother to her sons' pride of lions, quietly moving behind the scenes and showing up when her cubs need her input. She stays mostly out of sight until she thinks her grandson is involved with the police and then wants him gone in a cold, calculated but affectionate way since it means protecting her sons. When her grandson shows back up, she welcomes him home with no ill will, though you can almost see the gears turning in her head on how to use him. Weaver plays this character perfectly, seamlessly moving from cold to sweet to creepy, sometimes achieving more than one at the same time.
So overall I'd say this is a very strong group of actresses. I think Best Supporting Actress is the hardest category for me to critique and review because the nominees can be so wildly divergent. Some nominees are only on screen for a few minutes, others carry a film, and some are weak to begin with. 2010, however, is strong and I can see the reasons each of these women were nominated. I'm OK with Melissa Leo winning, but if I were an Academy voter, I would have gone with either Adams or Steinfeld in this one. I think both of them move me more than Leo did, with the slight edge to Steinfeld for carrying True Grit.
Oscar Winner: Melissa Leo - The Fighter
My Winner: Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit
Amy Adams
Melissa Leo
Jacki Weaver
Helena Bonham Carter
2010 Best Supporting Actress
Melissa Leo - The Fighter
Melissa Leo's character in this movie is the kind that Academy voters love to nominate and reward. She uglified herself and was an overbearing, villain-like mother. I see similarities between her character and Jacki Weaver's character from Animal Kingdom, who was also nominated in this category. She is the head of the family in the same way she manages Mark Walhberg's Micky until he breaks away from her grip. The reason Melissa Leo's character works for me is that I hated her. Not that her performance was bad, but that Leo was convincing enough that I wish she would have let up on Micky. The scenes between her and Amy Adams' character are great to watch because of the barely contained contempt that often boils over whenever the two are in the same room. Leo really shines when she goes from playing the loving mother while trying to manipulate her sons to spewing bitterness when one of them or Amy Adams' character rebuffs her. In these moments you see how driven Leo's Alice is by her dreams of fame and money. This was Leo's second Oscar nomination and I'm not sure if people remember her win more for her acting or because of her crazy acceptance speech and self promoting campaign run up to the ceremony.
Amy Adams - The Fighter
This was the third Oscar nomination for Adams, as she is quickly becoming an Oscar darling (albeit a bridesmaid). When her character, Charlene, was first introduced, I wasn't sure if she would become more than just a pretty love interest for Micky. But eventually that pretty face became a sexy bitch and asserted herself as the dominant woman in Micky's life, much to the chagrin of his mother. In the end, she almost becomes like Leo's character in trying to manipulate Micky into doing what she thinks is right for him. The conflict between Leo and Adams' characters in this film was a nice subplot to watch. Both had control over him for periods of time before he decided to do things his own way. I thought Adams' departure from her usual sweet and naive roles worked really well here as she was able to pull off the tough and somewhat caustic boxer's girlfriend with relative ease. The characters of The Fighter are definitely the strong point of the film and both Leo and Adams showcase their talent here. I find it really interesting that this is the 7th time in the last 11 Best Supporting Actress groups where two nominees come from the same movie, and this is the second time for Adams.
Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech
I'd say this is my least favorite nominee in this group only because it feels like her performance got swept in with the other nominees from The King's Speech and her performance is just OK to me. I feel she does the job asked of her in this film ably and that's no knock on her. I just feel she was overshadowed (and rightfully so) by Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush in her portrayal as the doting, eventual Queen Mother. I did like that she appeared the most royal of all the actors in this film. She can be somewhat stuffy and walks around with the air of royalty and makes it seem natural. And she's great at expressing emotion through just her looks. So there's no doubt HBC is a great actress, I just don't find her great in this movie. Whenever she leaves the scene, I almost instantly forget about her, which speaks to how well Firth and Rush command this movie and how her real role is to shepherd Firth between major scenes. This was her second Oscar nomination and I think as much a nod to her role in the The King's Speech as it was a nod to her career so far.
Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit
How's this for a debut movie? Steinfeld does a tremendous job as Mattie Ross, a 14-year-old girl looking to avenge her father's death. I still don't know how Steinfeld was nominated for Supporting instead of the lead role, since this movie is essentially all about her. At times Steinfeld feels stiff, but those times are few and far between and she really carries this film. She has the look of a Western girl who has been brought up with a father who was out leading a rough life. She's great at talking grown men into doing what she wants and getting what she wants out of them. She balances dogged determinism with her young naivete well and it blends into a tough western personality that some grown men wouldn't even have. And Steinfeld is able to pull this off in just her first movie, a credit to her and the Coen brothers.
Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom
It always amazes me when I see nominations that don't have a lot of screen time. While Weaver has plenty of screen time, it feels like she's not in the film much. Short screen time is a rant for a couple of nominees coming up so I'll save that for now. In saying all this, it's not as if I dislike Weaver's role or character. Like Melissa Leo's character she's a sort of ugly, overbearing, evil mother. Janine "Smurf" Cody is the mother of a Melbourne, Australia crime family. In the beginning she's seemingly sweet and innocent and just glad to have her sons around. But as the movie goes on, the depth of her character is revealed and she becomes a sort of den mother to her sons' pride of lions, quietly moving behind the scenes and showing up when her cubs need her input. She stays mostly out of sight until she thinks her grandson is involved with the police and then wants him gone in a cold, calculated but affectionate way since it means protecting her sons. When her grandson shows back up, she welcomes him home with no ill will, though you can almost see the gears turning in her head on how to use him. Weaver plays this character perfectly, seamlessly moving from cold to sweet to creepy, sometimes achieving more than one at the same time.
So overall I'd say this is a very strong group of actresses. I think Best Supporting Actress is the hardest category for me to critique and review because the nominees can be so wildly divergent. Some nominees are only on screen for a few minutes, others carry a film, and some are weak to begin with. 2010, however, is strong and I can see the reasons each of these women were nominated. I'm OK with Melissa Leo winning, but if I were an Academy voter, I would have gone with either Adams or Steinfeld in this one. I think both of them move me more than Leo did, with the slight edge to Steinfeld for carrying True Grit.
Oscar Winner: Melissa Leo - The Fighter
My Winner: Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit
Amy Adams
Melissa Leo
Jacki Weaver
Helena Bonham Carter
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
An Introduction (sort of)
I feel as if I should start from the beginning. But first, some confessions. I have never taken a film class, a journalism class, or any class that could even be misconstrued as giving me some basis with which to write this blog. I just love movies and have a somewhat weird fascination with lists and award winning things (movies, books, music, etc.). I admit I'm not a strong writer and am absolutely terrible at reviewing things, at least when put on the spot. But I do hope this project will allow me to find a comfortable writing voice and carve out a reviewing niche I can call my own.
The idea of this blog is simple: review and comment on every Oscar winning and nominated film in the categories of Best Picture, Best Actor and Actress, and Best Supporting Actor and Actress. Only in the last few weeks have I realized just how massive this project will likely be. For some silly reason, I thought this would be a unique idea and had visions of book deals, movie offers, guest TV appearances! And then with my mind made up I thought to Google and see if anyone had beaten me to the punch. Sure enough there are plenty of blogs out there devoted to the Oscars with their own projects of reviewing all of a certain category or multiple categories and all done way better than anything I could ever hope to do. Looking through all these blogs by people with degrees in English, Film Studies, Psychology, and sometimes more than one of these degrees at that, almost killed this thing before it even began. How could I even pretend I had something new or interesting to bring to an already overcrowded table? That is when I was reminded that I'm doing this project for my own enjoyment first and foremost. I don't have to compete with anyone, I just have to watch movies and write what I think about them and hope someone out there actually takes the time to read even a sentence of it.
And so here I am writing.
I can trace the beginning of this blog and my love affair with movies back to the summer between 6th and 7th grades. The American Film Institute released their Top 100 Movies list in 1998 and I happened to grab a sheet with the list from a local Hollywood Video store. I went through the list and unsurprisingly had watched very few on the list, maybe around 20 or so. And that was with counting movies I'd seen large parts of like The Silence of the Lambs but not actually the entire thing. So I convinced my parents to rent two movies every few days in hopes of finishing the list that summer. The first couple movies I remember getting were Casablanca and Singin' in the Rain and honestly I have no idea why I picked those first. But I was hooked and kept watching movies and even bought a magazine that profiled all the movies which I sadly don't have anymore. Eventually the summer came to an end and I wasn't even close to finished so the list got put aside as a lot of things I took a strong interest in around that time did. The following summer I decided to watch all the James Bond movies and actually finished that project (no blogging, though). So those two events pretty much started me down the path of actually enjoying and appreciating movies instead of just watching and forgetting them. I paid attention to the Oscars here and there but didn't really get back into movies until my first deployment to Iraq. My parents sent me tons and tons of movies that I'd watch which exposed me to all kinds of documentaries, B movies, straight to DVD stinkers, indie flicks, and the regular big budget and Oscar films. This continued when I went on my deployment to Afghanistan and again watched a ridiculous amount of movies. When I got back, I didn't have much to do so I began trying to watch all of the Best Picture nominees for 2008. Some I couldn't find online so I moved on to actor and actress and watched a few going back in years. Eventually I stopped this, too, (hopefully a pattern I will break!) and got on with living but still obsessed with reading everything Oscar related. Now flash forward to only a few weeks ago and I decided to make a spreadsheet of the 5 categories I could appreciate and highlighted those movies I have seen and those I haven't.
Which leads me into explaining how this thing will work (don't worry, I'm almost done). I plan on reviewing each year starting with the most recent and working my way back. It would be great to start with the 1st awards, but seeing as some of those movies are lost or partial prints or I would have to fly to UCLA and make an appointment with the library there, I figured starting with movies I could actually watch would be best and keep me from giving up after a week. So my next post will hopefully be on one of the 5 categories from the most recent ceremony with my complete reviews of those movies/performances and comments about the selections and whatever else I can think of. I'll pick my favorite of those nominated and we'll see if I share the same view as the Academy. Comments are enthusiastically welcomed and hopefully once I've started getting some years under my belt, I can elbow my way into the overcrowded table that is the blogosphere and actually have people reading this thing.
The idea of this blog is simple: review and comment on every Oscar winning and nominated film in the categories of Best Picture, Best Actor and Actress, and Best Supporting Actor and Actress. Only in the last few weeks have I realized just how massive this project will likely be. For some silly reason, I thought this would be a unique idea and had visions of book deals, movie offers, guest TV appearances! And then with my mind made up I thought to Google and see if anyone had beaten me to the punch. Sure enough there are plenty of blogs out there devoted to the Oscars with their own projects of reviewing all of a certain category or multiple categories and all done way better than anything I could ever hope to do. Looking through all these blogs by people with degrees in English, Film Studies, Psychology, and sometimes more than one of these degrees at that, almost killed this thing before it even began. How could I even pretend I had something new or interesting to bring to an already overcrowded table? That is when I was reminded that I'm doing this project for my own enjoyment first and foremost. I don't have to compete with anyone, I just have to watch movies and write what I think about them and hope someone out there actually takes the time to read even a sentence of it.
And so here I am writing.
I can trace the beginning of this blog and my love affair with movies back to the summer between 6th and 7th grades. The American Film Institute released their Top 100 Movies list in 1998 and I happened to grab a sheet with the list from a local Hollywood Video store. I went through the list and unsurprisingly had watched very few on the list, maybe around 20 or so. And that was with counting movies I'd seen large parts of like The Silence of the Lambs but not actually the entire thing. So I convinced my parents to rent two movies every few days in hopes of finishing the list that summer. The first couple movies I remember getting were Casablanca and Singin' in the Rain and honestly I have no idea why I picked those first. But I was hooked and kept watching movies and even bought a magazine that profiled all the movies which I sadly don't have anymore. Eventually the summer came to an end and I wasn't even close to finished so the list got put aside as a lot of things I took a strong interest in around that time did. The following summer I decided to watch all the James Bond movies and actually finished that project (no blogging, though). So those two events pretty much started me down the path of actually enjoying and appreciating movies instead of just watching and forgetting them. I paid attention to the Oscars here and there but didn't really get back into movies until my first deployment to Iraq. My parents sent me tons and tons of movies that I'd watch which exposed me to all kinds of documentaries, B movies, straight to DVD stinkers, indie flicks, and the regular big budget and Oscar films. This continued when I went on my deployment to Afghanistan and again watched a ridiculous amount of movies. When I got back, I didn't have much to do so I began trying to watch all of the Best Picture nominees for 2008. Some I couldn't find online so I moved on to actor and actress and watched a few going back in years. Eventually I stopped this, too, (hopefully a pattern I will break!) and got on with living but still obsessed with reading everything Oscar related. Now flash forward to only a few weeks ago and I decided to make a spreadsheet of the 5 categories I could appreciate and highlighted those movies I have seen and those I haven't.
Which leads me into explaining how this thing will work (don't worry, I'm almost done). I plan on reviewing each year starting with the most recent and working my way back. It would be great to start with the 1st awards, but seeing as some of those movies are lost or partial prints or I would have to fly to UCLA and make an appointment with the library there, I figured starting with movies I could actually watch would be best and keep me from giving up after a week. So my next post will hopefully be on one of the 5 categories from the most recent ceremony with my complete reviews of those movies/performances and comments about the selections and whatever else I can think of. I'll pick my favorite of those nominated and we'll see if I share the same view as the Academy. Comments are enthusiastically welcomed and hopefully once I've started getting some years under my belt, I can elbow my way into the overcrowded table that is the blogosphere and actually have people reading this thing.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
ballyhoo n. -
| 1. | a clamorous and vigorous attempt to win customers or advance any cause; blatant advertising or publicity. |
| 2. | clamor or outcry. |
| 3. | a halfbeak, Hemiramphus brasiliensis, inhabiting both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. |
| Nope, this blog won't be about the fish. Just poor reviews of great movies. I really like this sentence from wikipedia: The term Ballyhoo is used to indicate that one is using any means necessary to inflate an object or idea to a status to which it does not rise. Probably a good description of what this blog will be. I imagine this project will take a very long time to complete, if I ever complete it. I'll write more on how I'll shape this blog and what kind of format can be expected later. |
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