The last of the 5 Best Picture nominee years ever and it is plainly obvious while watching all these films so far that this category definitely deserved and needed to be expanded. So many films that should have been nominated like Doubt, The Dark Knight and Wall-E were never given the chance to be a Best Picture nominee even though they deserved it. This also finally ends 2008 for me and I can't be any happier! I feel like I've spent years on these couple of categories and I am absolutely ready to move on to 2007. However, before I do that I am going to review the 2011 nominees while they are still fresh in my mind from their initial viewings so as to better capture the zeitgeist. Hopefully I can have at least one category done before the actual Oscar ceremony later this month. Fingers crossed, although I'm terrible at getting this done in a timely manner!
2008 Best Picture
Slumdog Millionaire
This film rightfully won Best Cinematography as it is simply gorgeous to look at. The story follows young Jamal as he answers questions on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? with flashbacks explaining how he was able to answer the questions. It's a simple structure that has been used before but is used here to great effect.It's a wonder how Dev Patel wasn't able to secure a Best Actor nod because I would have easily put him ahead of Brad Pitt. I don't understand the backlash for this film after it won, besides Milk what other nominated film could have been deemed the best? When Jamal and Latika meet again after many years apart, it's a very emotional moment and you can't help but root for Jamal to get his girl. It's not done in a cheesy, forced, or overly cliche way. It's a simple, universal love story that can be understood by anyone. It's a solid movie and one that I can keep coming back to and watching without ever getting sick of it, it only grows in how much I like it and dare I say that it is an instant classic that will only multiply in stature.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Right from the start, let's just get the fact that this is a very long and mostly dull movie out of the way. With that said, why does an obvious Oscar bait film with many distinguished actors fail to deliver on a simple premise? Probably because the premise was so simple to begin with and the idea of this film was left to be filled in with details later. Brad Pitt's character is born old and progresses through the early Twentieth Century while getting younger. This happens in a kind of vignette style with a young girl named Daisy who grows older in the normal way. The two connect almost immediately but their situations prevent them from interacting like they want and their lives weave in and out essentially saying that no matter what age you are, life will still have its problems. Benjamin Button doesn't say much more than that in its 3 hours and thus makes for a very tedious watch. The tone of the film is rather cold and ultimately uninteresting when the meaning rings hollow and could have been summed up in a much shorter time frame and a less self important way. The movie looks amazing and the technical aspects deserve a lot of praise, unfortunately these things outshine the story and characters.
Frost/Nixon
This film is at it's absolute best when Michael Sheen and Frank Langella's characters are facing off with each other, just talking for the interviews. You can see that the story came from the stage during these times and that they probably did really well, too. One can't look away during the rapport the two characters have established and continued to build from stage to big screen. Watching these two giants play off one another is a real treat for the viewer. I do feel the faux documentary parts cheapen an otherwise strong movie and takes away from the very real tension that builds throughout the interviews. There is some fine acting from the supporting cast but the two leads far and away make this movie work. If it had been just the two main characters, the whole premise still would have hit with the intensity that Frost/Nixon sometimes captures. The idea that the two are putting their reputations on the line in order to gain further acceptance by the public and others who doubt their sincerity makes for a film that can really hit home for the general public. Even on re-watch, this film remains as powerful as it is watching it for the first time, a remarkable accomplishment.
Milk
Milk is a movie that made me feel good as a person after watching it. And those movies are truly rare these days. However, the majority of this film really played out like a very well done sports movie. It had all the uplifting moments and the occasional overacting that plagues those types of films. The characters in Milk are definitely the shining moments. Penn and Brolin, and to a lesser degree, Hirsch and Franco, really set the tone of the film through their acting and really engage the viewer into investing their time to get to know the characters presented. What I personally liked about Milk was that the director made sure to let characters grow organically and let the audience make their own connections before he gently tugged on the heartstrings. Even though the pacing was a bit slow, the director let the audience feel what they wanted by the end of the film and didn't force any agenda which is key for socially and politically divisive films such as Milk.
The Reader
The first half of this film is mostly a film more into being a German sex film so to speak that it really hampers it from sticking out on it's own merits. We see way too much of Kate Winslet in the nude to take whatever it says about German guilt from then on into a real serious consideration. Once the first third of the film passes, we finally get what makes The Reader truly special as a film. We see the Michael character years later confronting his former mistress as she testifies on the Holocaust witness stand. He is devastated and this affects his personal relationships which is hinted throughout the film when Ralph Fiennes character (Michael when he is older) has an inability to connect with those around him including his daughter. So what should be an incredible treatise on German guilt because of WWII and how it influenced subsequent generations, turns into how one man was unable to cope with how his past indiscretions shaped his life. I can't say I'm a fan of how Stephen Daldry wants the audience to accept Hanna Schmitz's character as something more than a Nazi SS leader. It's a very middle-serious film that wants to be more important than it really is.
I am really glad that the Academy expanded the amount of nominees for Best Picture after this year. Both Benjamin Button and The Reader were lacking in real Best Picture qualities that I went over in my opening. So many other movies this year probably should have supplanted these two because they were so underwhelming. However, Milk and Slumdog Millionaire were definite highlights of this year and were rightfully rewarded. I contend that Slumdog is an instant classic that should be loved for all time. It's interesting to note that the buzz for Slumdog really started at the Toronto Film Festival and picked up steam when it started winning the Guild awards. It's interesting to me that a film that premiered at a festival that is so soon after the Academy Awards was able to take home the top prize nearly a year later. Anyway, 2008 was a year where I didn't exactly despise all the nominees but I know that there were more deserving films that could have taken their places.
Oscar Winner: Slumdog Millionaire
My Winner: Slumdog Millionaire
Milk
Frost/Nixon
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Reader
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