3D horror film = teh awesome

I'm a sucker for awesome stuff, and this seems awesome. Sure it looks like the generic, run-of-the-mill, out to get your money no-good horror film that gets released every January. But kids, there is a twist, and it's in the title.

3-D ooga booga makes it all better. If the 3-D film in question is Final Destination (with a score by Brian Tyler), all the better. But we'll be waiting a while for that one, and this can bridle our hot-tempered interests until then. 

I'm going, are you? 

Good Grief AFI

Finally released, here is AFI's selection for the ten best American films of the year.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Frozen River
Gran Torino
Iron Man
Milk
WALL-E
Wendy and Lucy
The Wrestler

Not an entirely bad list (with the scorching exception of Iron Man and The Dark Knight, but I realize full well that I'm in the minority there). I'm also particularly keen on the fact that they're not turning a blind eye to the indies, some smaller (Frozen River) and some larger (The Wrestler) in scale. It's actually a fairly diverse meld. You've got blockbuster 4-quadrant fair there (Iron Man, TDK), smart indie cinema, an animated film, and engrossing Oscar-baity quality movies. 

I may not agree with their choices, but it's a heck of a list if you're looking for a taste of what 08 had to offer. In fact, my favorite film of the year made the list, which is very infrequent. 

My second and third favorites didn't, but I can live with that.

I only wish that AFI had included the other (*cough*superior*cough*) Robert Downey Jr. film of the year...

--DM

Jeff Wells, you have another friend

What can I say? Gran Torino was absolute awesome, head to toe. I'm not the biggest admirer of Eastwood as a director, but man does that guy kick some serious ass period. 

This film just proves that point to the t, as he makes one of the best crafted films of the years while being small and intimate at the same time. It's funny, touching, and eternal, a truly feel good film that makes you look back on your own life. It may not be the best film of the year, but it will always be one of the finest for me. There's something irresistable about the hard-shelled Kowalski who really is a capstone to Eastwood's lifetime achievements. He's a tough-as-nails character with  a hidden heart (maybe not of gold), and when the transformation becomes apparent to the audience, there's rarely anything better than that. It's a good, old-fashioned, story that doesn't pull any punches when it comes to telling the story, but still manages to pack a nice emotional punch in there. Think Million Dollar Baby, except you don't wish that you'd never seen it. At least that's how I felt, but some people clearly like being depressed. You may find this film disappointing. 

Just last post I was saying how my top ten was bound to remain unchanged. I was wrong. 

I've been bad...

Bad, in the sense, that I've been slow with updates. Sorry.
I'm sure anyone reading knows all of the big news, but I'll post the biggies again.

The LA Critics gave Wall-E best picture, which was suprising to say the least. I'm sure that robots everywhere are rejoicing for this leap in humanity (or androidanity, rather). Good stuff, I'm proud of the pick. Not my favorite of the year, but it's up there.

Second up, the New York Critics gave Milk best picture. Broadcast Critics are not really even worth the blog space because of some blatant exclusions (read: Revolutionary Road, one of the best films of the year - no doubt).

The Golden Globes were quite a shocker, in several ways for me. To be honest, my time/space continuum was punctured these past few days, and that's putting it mildly. Finals tend to drive us studious folk insane, temporarily of course. Which, oddly enough, pertains to Milk.

I'm going off on a severe tangent here. Milk was snubbed by the Golden Globes, only time will tell if it was an impeccably principled decision by the HFPA (sticking by the fact they thought the film wasn't up to snuff at the risk of being called out on a possible anti-gay bias), or simply foolish. I'm quite content with the choices.

In fact, all five nominess for Best Picture make my top 10, and it's likely to stay that way. So, kudos to them, this is the first time in a very long time. Best Picture for comedy/musical is a different beast entirely, one I cannot tame with words alone. When Mamma Mia begins competing, you know there's trouble amok. Now look, I know the film has its fans, I know some people will take their love for ABBA and start preaching to the Martians. The film has also made about a billion dollars (a hyperbolism, but not an incredibly excessive one). So be it, but the fact remains, I couldn't find one redeeming thing about the film and I know I am not alone.

Not to make things more scrambled, but I think Nico Muhly is awesome. This is the man who did the music for The Reader, for what it's worth. Great score.

Here are the nominations for the Globes, just to summarize.

Best Picture (Drama)
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Frost/Nixon”
“The Reader”
“Revolutionary Road”
“Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Picture (Comedy/Musical)
“Burn After Reading”
“Happy-Go-Lucky”
“In Bruges”
“Mamma Mia!”
“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

Best Actor (Drama)
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Revolutionary Road”
Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”
Sean Penn, “Milk”
Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Micky Rourke, “The Wrestler”

Best Actor (Comedy/Musical)
Javier Bardem, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Colin Farrell, “In Bruges”
James Franco, “Pineapple Express”
Brendan Gleeson, “In Bruges”
Dustin Hoffman, “Last Chance Harvey”

Best Actress (Drama)
Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”
Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”
Meryl Streep, “Doubt”
Kristin Scott Thomas, “I’ve Loved You So Long”
Kate Winslet, “Revolutionary Road”

Best Actress (Comedy/Musical)
Rebecca Hall, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky”
Frances McDormand, “Burn After Reading”
Meryl Streep, “Mamma Mia!”
Emma Thompson, “Last Chance Harvey”

Best Supporting Actor
Tom Cruise, “Tropic Thunder”
Robert Downey Jr., “Tropic Thunder”
Ralph Fiennes, “The Duchess”
Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”
Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, “Doubt”
Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Viola Davis, “Doubt”
Marisa Tomei, “The Wrestler”
Kate Winslet, “The Reader”

Best Director
Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Stephen Daldry, “The Reader”
David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Ron Howard, “Frost/Nixon”
Sam Mendes, “Revolutionary Road”

Best Original Score
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Defiance”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Screenplay
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Doubt”
“Frost/Nixon”
“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Foreign Film
“The Baader Meinhof Complex”
“Everlasting Moments”
“Gomorrah”
“I’ve Loved You So Long”
“Waltz with Bashir”

Best Animated Feature
“Bolt”
“Kung Fu Panda”
“WALL-E”

Best Original Score
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“Changeling”
“Defiance”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Original Song
“I Thought I Lost You” from “Bolt”
“Once in a Lifetime” from “Cadillac Records”
“Gran Torino” from “Gran Torino”
“Down to Earth” from “WALL-E”
“The Wrestler” from “The Wrestler”


The exclusion of Thomas Newman from best score is, quite frankly, a travesty tantamount to scalping a cuddly (vicious) panda. It's bad. Naughty. With a capital N. The nod for best song makes it somewhat better, but not a whole lot more.
Kudos on the best animated picture choices though, although I guess this just was a good year for CGI cartoons.

My goodness, where have all the 2D cartoons left. Is that really just kaput? Are we done with that?
I'm not sure what it means, but I can't help but feel sad. Maybe it's time had come though, who knows?

Moving on (I'm on a streak here), my thoughts on the ten nominated pictures.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Not enough words in the English language to describe how epic and gorgeous the film is. 

I'm not sure it's brilliant, but with each day I'm starting to think it is. Those TV spots are sure doing a good job of swaying me to that side of the spectrum. Rock on, I say. 

Frost/Nixon

Solid adult-fare, perhaps the most confident work Howard has done, and it shows. Terrific acting, tightly paced, and with a kicking payoff, this film is all but guaranteed to make a splash of some size. 

The Reader

Provocative, but imperfect, this film won't do bad, and I attribute that to its elusive staying power. 

Revolutionary Road

Beautiful film about the dangers of self-loathing. I didn't hit me, but that's all the film is about. 

Self-hate is a serious problem, one that really submerged deep within the soul, and every step of the way, these characters broil in a very discomforting and unsupportive environment. 

The fifties were the end of the era of superficiality, reflected in all the demonstrations was the fact that people were coming out from the under this demonizing spell. The film captures it all too well, and oh so subtly. 

Slumdog Millionaire

Good film, I'm not in love, but only tentatively. 

Burn After Reading

A film about morons that made me feel "moronical." I'm ok with it though, Brad Pitt was gold. 

It is difficult for me to throw this film anything more than that. It was very anti-climatic and lacked a certain substantive sense that made the film feel cheap. 

Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges

No comment yet. 

Mamma Mia!

I feel my thoughts on the matter were adequately disclosed earlier. Hint: pseudo-technicolor barf. 

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Boring and tepid Allen at his worst. Creepy sexuality done without a hint of passion, and slow motion. Lots of slow motion. I miss the old Woody Allen, the guy who made films like Radio Days. Before you dismiss me as just some rabid Allen fan who can't come to terms with him leaving New York, well -- maybe you're right, but I can look at things objectively. His films, as of late, do absolutely nothing for me. They lack inspired dialogue, intelligent actors, and, most of all, a sense of creativity. It seems that he's rehashing the works of other directors who have done that same film much better than Allen can ever have hoped to. It worked with Stardust Memories so many years ago, not so much with his latest batch. 

For what it's worth, here's my top ten at the moment (unfixed, and unlikely to change).

1) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2) Revolutionary Road
3) Two Lovers
4) Wall-E
5) Frost/Nixon
6) Doubt
7) Snow Angels
8) Slumdog Millionaire
9) Tropic Thunder
10) The Reader

The exclusion of several hot-ticket films is intentional, not a gap in my viewing slate per se. 

All right, hope your winter is warming up to be awesome in one way or another. 

--DM

Coming-of-Youth story

My my, Benjamin Button, how big ears you have.

...

WTF

To derail off the tracks for a moment here, I want to mention a fascinating little tidbit about Frost/Nixon and Doubt.
Both have a lot going for them, talented performers, based on reputable stage pieces, and a formidable amount of buzz.
Therein lies the rub, perhaps, they are a little too similar. The consensus has been growing, and somewhat firmly reached on Awards Daily, that the two are going head-to-head for the Oscar nod. No one is talking big money here (as in the top golden statuette), but nom. Milk seems to be in a category all of its own, whereas there seems to be a wave of supporters for Revolutionary Road flooding various shores.

This is where I get back to my main point. Benjamin Button is glorious, a total cinematic Joie de Vivre, so beautifully romantic and epic. The music, the production design, the seamless effects, the ambitious story, the grand direction and witty writing.

It is a superlative fairy tale for the ages, and I cannot believe how much I was in this contorted little world for several hours.
Magnificent in every sense, I felt deeply saddened that I had to leave the theater, finishing the story unfold, as wonderfully as it did.

The acting never struck me square in the jaw, but I appreciate that on a different dimension altogether. I was never cognizant of that particular aspect because everything sprung to life so vividly. I think, in a film like this, not noticing the acting says loads more about the fine quality of acting witnessed here than anything. Brad Pitt's stunning transformation is bound to having female audience members gasping in their seats, but more importantly, one grows to really love this acutely off-kilter character.

Maybe it is a testament to Pitt as an actor, but I seem to really care for most of the characters he brings life to, and I think there is a lot more to this guy than meets the eye.

In any case, the film is an absolute marvel, being very smart in covering this enormous scope of time and not doing what Gump did. Certainly, the whole point of Gump was his influence and the film's premise almost wholly relied upon particular historical events. What we have here is much more charming and genuine, a character aging backwards. It is such a complex premise, but it is deftly designed. Button's metamorphosis from a quiet unassured being into a wise and laconic young man is very detailed and organic, always staying true to Button's fascinating persona.

More than anything, it is too early for me to tell really, but I feel like the film makes you open your eyes to the beauty of life and all the wonder that we inexplicably turn a blind eye to every day. Benjamin Button is a pragmatic dreamer, and his paradoxical nature and lushly comforting world-view indefinitely rubs off on each and every audience member.
I feel different, and it is more than I could ask for from any film.

I have a gripe, it is small. I thought it would hurt the film, and less than a few hours has passed, but I couldn't even recall it.
I had to, literally, ask myself whether I had any outstanding complaints. I am not a fan of the narrative framing device Fincher uses, I think it needlessly breaks up segments. Perhaps "needless" is the wrong word to employ here, it is somewhat necessary as a branching tool, but I just wish it was more exciting. What happened is that I kept waiting anxiously while we put the film back into the camera, waiting for Button's story to continue unfold. Maybe this was Fincher's intention, and so be it.
The fact of the matter is, it doesn't bother me nearly enough to stop the film from being my favorite of the year.
I sincerely laud the filmmakers, well done.

--DM

RDJ for the win!

I really wish this man all the luck in the world. I hope he gets some award recognition for his startling turn as an Australian in Tropic Thunder earlier this year. Let's just say Hugh Jackman has some competition on his hands...

An Awards Update - National Board of Review

Revolutionary Road was snubbed (clearly), and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button did not get enough. Ultimately, I feel it will bear very little impact on how the major awards tend to go down this season. Though it is worth mentioning, most winners of Best Picture for NBR tend to go on to get an Oscar nod for Best Picture. 

NBR's top ten is particularly baffling. Here is the list:

Best Film: “Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Director: David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Best Actor: Clint Eastwood, “Gran Torino”
Best Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”
Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, “Milk”
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Best Foreign Film: “Mongol”
Best Documentary: “Man on Wire”
Best Animated Feature: “WALL-E”
Best Ensemble Cast: “Doubt”
Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: Dev Patel, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: Viola Davis, “Doubt”
Best Directorial Debut: Courtney Hunt, “Frozer River”
Best Original Screenplay: Nick Schenk, “Gran Torino”
Best Adapted Screenplay (tie): Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire” and Eric Roth, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

The top ten (in alphabetical order):
“Burn After Reading”
“Changeling”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Defiance”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Gran Torino”
“Milk”
“WALL-E”
“The Wrestler”

Top five foreign films (in alphabetical order):
“Edge of Heaven”
“Let the Right One In”
“Roman de Gare”
“A Secret”
“Waltz with Bashir”

Top five documentary films (in alphabetical order):
“American Teen”
“The Betrayal”
“Dear Zachary”
“Encounters at the End of the World”
“Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired”

Top Ten Independent Films
“Frozen River”
“In Bruges”
“In Search of a Midnight Kiss”
“Mr. Foe”
“Rachel Getting Married”
“Snow Angels”
“Son of Rambow”
“Wendy and Lucy”
“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
“The Visitor”

William K. Everson Film History Award: Molly Haskell, Andrew Sarris
Spotlight Award: Melissa Leo, “Frozen River,” Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”
The BVLGARI Award for NPR Freedom of Expression: “Trumbo”

Why this murderous disdain for Revolutionary Road? Is The Dark Knight really better? Is Changeling?

One can never predict what lunacy will prevail next...

-- DM

Awards talk - First week of December

1. Danny Boyle's latest, Slumdog Millionaire, just kicked arse at the British Independent Film Awards. 

2. Bloggers and critics are beginning to speculate on the hard eight...hard seven....hard something when it comes to the final best picture circle. It really isn't as hard as one might think, most films are out of the race by now. Awards ceremonies tend to be all prestige and critical consideration, so they really aren't very difficult to "get right." Lots of films crashed and burned (either $$$ wise or critical reception wise), so those are out. That's a whole bunch of them. 

The Hard 9 - In:

The Dark Knight

The Reader

Gran Torino

Revolutionary Road

Doubt

Milk

Frost/Nixon

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Slumdog Millionaire

Australia is outsies, for a whole bunch of reasons. The Dark Knight is one people are leaving off because it seems to be the dark horse right now, and they're probably right. I never thought The Dark Knight would get anywhere near Best Picture, and I hope I remain correct. The rest is just going to be a crap-shoot right now, but Gran Torino doesn't seem highly likely. 

Benjamin Button and Revolutionary Road seem to be the only two locked in for a nomination. Slumdog Millionaire is getting to that point. 

3. To borrow from Awards Daily, here are the Satellite Award Nominees, as off-kilter as they may be. 

Best Motion Picture, Drama

“The Reader”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“Revolutionary Road”
“Frost/Nixon”
“Milk”
“Frozen River”

Best Director

Thomas McCarthy, “The Visitor”
Ron Howard, “Frost/Nixon”
Gus Van Sant, “Milk”
Christopher Nolan, “The Dark Knight”
Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Stephen Daldry, “The Reader”

Best Actress In A Motion Picture, Drama

Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”
Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”
Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”
Kristin Scott Thomas, “I’ve Loved You So Long”
Meryl Streep, “Doubt”
Kate Winslet, “The Reader”

Best Actor In A Motion Picture, Drama

Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”
Mark Ruffalo, “What Doesn’t Kill You”
Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”
Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Revolutionary Road”
Sean Penn, “Milk”

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

“Happy-Go-Lucky”
“Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”
“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
“Tropic Thunder”
“In Bruges”
“Choke”

Best Actress In A Motion Picture, Comedy Or Musical

Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky”
Meryl Streep, “Mamma Mia!”
Lisa Kudrow, “Kabluey”
Kat Dennings, “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”
Catherine Deneuve, “A Christmas Tale”
Debra Messing, “Nothing Like the Holidays”

Best Actor In A Motion Picture, Comedy Or Musical

Ricky Gervais, “Ghost Town”
Sam Rockwell, “Choke”
Josh Brolin, “W.”
Michael Cera, “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist”
Brendan Gleeson, “In Bruges”
Mark Ruffalo, “The Brothers Bloom”

Best Actress In A Supporting Role

Rosemarie DeWitt, “Rachel Getting Married”
Penelope Cruz, “Elegy”
Anjelica Huston, “Choke”
Sophie Okonedo, “The Secret Life of Bees”
Emma Thompson, “Brideshead Revisited”
Viola Davis, “Doubt”
Beyonce Knowles, “Cadillac Records”

Best Actor In A Supporting Role

Michael Shannon, “Revolutionary Road”
Robert Downey, Jr., “Tropic Thunder”
Rade Sherbedgia, “Fugitive Pieces”
James Franco, “Milk”
Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”
Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”

Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language Film

“Let the Right One In,” Sweden
“The Class,” France
“Sangre de mi Sangre,” Mexico
“Reprise,” Norway
“Gomorrah,” Italy
“Caramel,” Lebanon/France

Best Motion Picture, Animated Or Mixed Media

“The Tale of Despereaux”
“Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!”
“WALL-E”
“Bolt”
“Waltz With Bashir”
“The Sky Crawlers”

Best Motion Picture, Documentary

“Man on Wire”
“Pray the Devil Back to Hell”
“Encounters at the End of the World”
“Religulous”
“Anita O’Day - The Life of a Jazz Singer”
“Waltz With Bashir”

Best Screenplay, Original

Philip Roth, “Elegy”
Thomas McCarthy, “The Visitor”
Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Courtney Hunt, “Frozen River”
Baz Luhrmann, Stuart Beattie, Ronald Harwood and Richard Flanagan, “Australia”
Dustin Lance Black, “Milk”

Best Screenplay, Adapted

John Patrick Shanley, “Doubt”
Peter Morgan, “Frost/Nixon”
David Hare, “The Reader”
Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Justin Haythe, “Revolutionary Road”

Best Original Score

David Arnold, “Quantum of Solace”
Thomas Newman, “WALL-E”
John Powell, “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!”
A.R. Rahman, “Slumdog Millionaire”
David Hirschfelder, “Australia”
Danny Elfman, “Milk”

Best Original Song

“Another Way to Die,” “Quantum of Solace”
“If the World,” “Body of Lies”
“Down to Earth,” “WALL-E”
“By the Boab Tree,” “Australia”
“Jai Ho,” “Slumdog Millionaire”
“The Wrestler,” “The Wrestler”

Best Cinematography

Jess Hall, “Brideshead Revisited”
Gyula Pados, “The Duchess”
Mandy Walker, “Australia”
Tim Orr, “Snow Angels”
Tom Stern, “Changeling”
Claudio Miranda, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Best Visual Effects

“Quantum of Solace”
“Iron Man”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Day the Earth Stood Still”
“Australia”

Best Film Editing

“Quantum of Solace”
“Iron Man”
“The Dark Knight”
“Australia”
“Slumdog Millionaire”
“Frost/Nixon”

Best Sound (Mixing & Editing)

“Quantum of Solace”
“Iron Man”
“The Dark Knight”
“Australia”
“WALL-E”
“The Day the Earth Stood Still”

Best Art Direction & Production Design

“Australia”
“Brideshead Revisited”
“The Duchess”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“City of Ember”
“Revolutionary Road”

Best Costume Design

“The Duchess”
“Brideshead Revisited”
“Australia”
“Sex And The City”
“City of Ember”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Auteur Award

Baz Luhrmann

TOP 10 FILMS OF 2008 - [ listed alphabetically ]

BALLAST
CHANGELING
DOUBT
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
FROZEN RIVER
MILK
THE READER
REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Twisted Angles

In Doubt, there is one peculiar aspect I thought I would highlight. The cinematography is very sharp and beautiful, but on occasion, director Shanley somehow ended up using some very bizarre set-ups. It gave the film kind of a shifted look, one I can't really describe. 

The effect was not lost on me, but I was just a little taken aback by how unconventional they were. 

The Close of an Era

Doubt is a film about many things...intolerance, bigotry, and doubt. At its core, it deals with emotions of a near primordial level. Doubt is a character in the film, and a driving force that never unveils the truth behind a character. 

What I like about the film is that it is a moral morass, never spelling anything out. It's a clever device that left me hanging on every word, but in the end, what stops this film from being amazing is that it doesn't fire on all cylinders. It doesn't go all the way with the themes I mentioned at the start of this posting. I do not want to say that I felt willy-nilly after the screening, but it is true, the film doesn't end up being nearly as insightful as it sets out to be. 

What makes the aforementioned more than bearable is this trifecta: performances, cinematography, and writing. 

Those three aspects are truly at the top of the game, and it's a marvel to watch. 

Hearing those great actors utter the terrific lines from Shanley only to be shot by Deakins...what more could you want? Well, you could want some more, but it's more than enough to tide you by. 

Of the strong contenders this year, I've seen many worse. Philip Seymour Hoffman delivers a very stirring performance that follows the viewer further into ambiguity, and Meryl Streep is great as usual. I feel that last bit is totally extraneous...when is Streep ever less than stellar?

Amy Adams is charming in this role. If I thought buttons were cute, I'd almost certainly say she was as cute as a button.

Viola Davis is good, but almost everyone (if not everyone period) is good in the film. Her performance is quite brief, but subtle and displaying genuine distress. Everything is good, but why have the critics singled her out for all the praise? It isn't really that Earth-shattering, but what do I care?

What I found quite fascinating about the film was how it was in a way the book end to this odd era, the two leads being sort of diametrically opposed in their ideals and the such. 

Interestingly enough, when one force demolishes the other, it is unexpected and manages to say something about our society now. Is new always better? Is old archaic for a reason? 

Lasting thoughts: impeccable performances, lacking some vital panache. 

--DM

Kris Tapley blinds The Reader

This is not devastating, but it's close. I was looking forward to this one so very much, I could have sworn it would be a brilliant and enduring work. I am not even sure why. It's not that I adore The Hours or anything, but it just looked like it could be good.
The FOX review made it seem like that was the path it was on, but maybe not. The reason why I am upset is that Kris and I generally seem to agree about films, it seems. Drat. At least Nico Muhly, an up-and-comer composer who is certainly one to watch, has completed a great score. There is that...

Stephen Daldry’s “The Reader” has begun it’s big Oscar season reveal after behind-the-scenes drama has defined the film for a number of months. Dare I say it — given the circumstances — but the effort feels rushed. It’s an oddly disorienting narrative that takes some time settling into an emotional groove, but when it does, it packs affecting punch.

The weird thing is it feels like the last 123 minutes have transported me back to the mid-1990s. This is a film that recalls the heyday of Harvey Weinstein’s grip on this time of year, perhaps in atmosphere more than quality. It should be no surprise, then, that Anthony Minghella is one of the producers attached. There are echoes of his work throughout, and really, Daldry might be the only filmmaker with the right doses of prestige and dramatic flavor to take up Minghella’s mantle.

I’ll get into more later, but I have to mention Nico Muhly’s exemplary score and exquisite photography from Chris Menges and Roger Deakins, both credited. Stand-out particulars.

--DM

Opening of Australia

To warm your cockles before the holiday weekend, I give you (actually Fox gives you) the opening for Australia. 

I strongly believe that your reaction to this will determine whether you should actually go see it...but that's just me. 

As usual, try to see this in full size on trailer addict. Ah, the woes of the inhibiting blog.

--DM

Whatever Works works

So apparently, unbeknownst to me, the plot for Allen's latest has emerged.
Jeffrey Wells puts it nicely:

"[The] plot of Woody Allen's Whatever Works is about a May-December relationship (marriage?) between Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood, and her mother, played by Patricia Clarkson, somehow persuading a Manhattan-residing British actor, played by Henry Cavill, to try and seduce Wood in order to break up her marriage to David, whom Clarkson feels is too old for her daughter."

I am genuinely stoked. Finally, a return to New York for the Allen? I've sorely missed that, and I've had enough of his European ventures. I know some people like that, but I think anybody can do that. His New York films have oft been imitated, but none have come close (in my opinion) to the dynamic spirit of his attempts. Something like Radio Days will always stay near and dear to my heart, whereas Match Point will likely fade entirely from my memory in several years.

Bring it on I say!

Early scores to listen to...

These are literally flooding the web. Well, all right, maybe not literally.

Desplat's score to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button:

http://warnerbros2008.warnerbros.com/bafta/#/movies/thecuriouscaseofbenjaminbutton/score/score1

Newman's score to Revolutionary Road (people say this works in Internet Explorer):
http://www.vantageguilds.com/ParamountVantage.html?n=2&m=REVOLUTIONARY%20ROAD

Howard's Defiance:
http://www.vantageguilds.com/ParamountVantage.html?n=1&m=DEFIANCE

I think 'Road' and 'Button' are the two hot ones to look out for in the score category. 

However, it would be prudent to keep an eye on Wall•E, Milk, The Duchess, and perhaps even Frost/Nixon. 

--DM

Frost/Nixon leaves my frosty...

But I don't mean it in a bad way. 

I really enjoyed Frost/Nixon and I loved how it wasn't really a political film. By focusing on characters, it gets the most out of the potential for writing, acting, and even directing. 

It's amazingly like a sports game between these two iconic figures, one of the characters calls it  a "duel," to which the other disagrees, wrongfully so. 

In any case, sorry for the SparkNotes version here, I just fell ill the other day (I guess) and am feeling pretty torrid with this flue. I just wanted to give it my full reccomendation. 

Top 5 of the year, so far:

1) Revolutionary Road

2) Two Lovers

3) Wall•E

4) Frost/Nixon 

5) Slumdog Millionaire

Arrested Development is unarrested

Allegedly, a deal to make a film version of Arrested Development has been brokered (or very close to, at least) between Fox Searchlight and one Ron Howard. 

I, for one, am totally pumped. It was one of the greatest shows of all time (no hyperbole here!), and it very much deserves the chance to finish the right way. I think a movie is certainly such a way...

I am guessing it will be quite epic in scope, but perhaps not size. Will they finally uncensor the foul mouths of the Bluths? One can only hope not, part of that is what made the show so biting and funny. I'm not even sure why that is. 

In any case, we have that. 

I can either see Twilight or Bolt. I want to see neither; is that a disease? I sure hope not. 

--DM 

Fascinating Digital Projection Problems

Anne Thompson reports that there is something off-kilter about the digital projections as of late, she says they are causing "headaches" (only indirectly though).

First there was the story of the Landmark Cinema digital screening of the Spanish-language Che without any subtitles at all. Critics prepared to screen the movie were sent home when the projectionist couldn't solve the problem. Then there was a Aidikoff Wilshire Screening Room digital screening of English-language Doubt, which started off with Che's Spanish subtitles. (There had been a Che screening prior.) The projectionist stopped the film and after about three minutes started over again without the offending subtitles.

UPDATE: Thursday night Paramount screened The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at two venues. The SAG screening at the Arclight went smoothly. The "print" at the DGA, which the studio had spent eight hours testing on Thursday afternoon, was missing a color. Magenta. The film was green. And eventually, after about 20 minutes, because the cinematographer and sound mixer called producer Frank Marshall, the projection was shut down. Paramount technicians tried to reboot the hard drive, but couldn't fix the problem. Those of us who sat in the room saw them come close to a full-color projection, but something was wrong with the projector, a Paramount publicist said server, according to Marshall. "On the right setting it was wrong, and on the wrong setting it was right," he wrote in an email. "Welcome to digital."

David Fincher, the original perfectionist, must not have been happy. Marshall and partner Kathleen Kennedy, who had been working on this movie for some 18 years, were distressed; the screening was packed with key critics, press and industry Academy members. Other screenings are scheduled for Saturday. "This would not have happened to Stanley Kubrick," said one wag.

That is very intense, sort of. I could have been at that SAG screening, ahhh. Now I am a little disheartened. Still, I had no clue that the serious screenings had just started. That is a little goofy indeed, but not that there is anything wrong with that. 

Also, apparently, Paramount has decided to show the twenty or so minutes of Star Trek that were screened to the press in New York right here in LA! At the paramount lot, no less, which is pretty damn cool. The footage is rumored to be quite spectacular, and I cannot wait. 

Here is the inordinately misleading (and somehow incongruently related) trailer for The Wrestler:

Nathaniel R's thoughts on Revolutionary Road

"Rough start and overscored. Lively acting throughout."

As much as I really love the film for now - undisputed favorite of the year so far - I can't help but agree with that statement.

He's really nailed the films problems, and the film truly does get off to a wobbly start. The opening is dynamic enough, so I really have no idea why. I guess it just lacks propulsion, and as humans, we like to see sh*t blow up and the film lacks that edge for a little.

I don't think it's a big deal. I just hope others can overlook it.

The score - now, I have a profound appreciation for Thomas Newman and his music, I happen to love the score to Revolutionary Road. It's the type of score he does very well, but it's not a departure for him. Wall•E was. I think I prefer the music in Revolutionary Road, but maybe not. They are both pungent and memorable scores. The problem with Revolutionary Road is that it is in fact overscored. I tried to sugar coat that fact, but clearly I am not alone.

I don't blame Thomas Newman, I can't blame him. Not even if I wanted to.

Sam Mendes likely should have excised some bits here and there, and it would have been a more effective score. It really should have been sparse, minimal in both content and placing.

As it stands, it seems to get a little repetetive. This is what Todd McCarthy wrote, and it's not a repetetive score.

It just seems to be because score is excessive, at least for a film like this.

Truly, a stark contrast to Towelhead, which had a longer running time than Revolutionary Road I believe (or very close to, at least), and that film had about fifteen minutes of score - which is remarkable!

--DM

The Skinny on Australia

I liked Australia to an extent. It's definitely an event film, the likes of which have not been seen this year (unless you count The Dark Knight, which I don't). The film is gorgeous to watch and bomastic, and yet also undeniably tepid.

There is something very stale and trite about this whole affair, which is understandable since it is riffing on the trite and stale. Though for some reason, I can pop in my old VHS of The African Queen and still be amazed each time, and yet Australia just doesn't do it for me. Jackman and Kidman have good chemistry together, but they're both privy to sudden inexplicable acting changes throughout the film. In this sense, the film is classic surreal Luhrmann, though in no way, shape, or form does it even approach the awesome wackiness of Moulin Rouge! For the most part the film works fine until it suddenly shifts gears and we're in a different film altogether.

Basically, strong enough first two acts; tremendously lacking third.

It should kill at the box office though, and satisfy a fair amount of people. No harm, no foul. Just nothing amazing either.

I sort of wish I wasn't late for Benjamin Button. Oh well, there's always the weekend.

Have a good pre-Turkey day week.

--DM

Thomas Newman, man for all genres

Fantastic article by Jon Burlingame, for those looking to gain a little insight into this top five composer.

http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=awardcentral&jump=features&id=eoomusic09&articleid=VR1117996020

Slumdog Millionaire is too violent?

I was talking to a few guild members the other day, and apparently the screenings aren't going to hot.
They say elderly viewers are fleeing in packs, citing it is as the most violent film they have been privy to in a long time.

I think that's a bit of an overreaction, but some people don't like violence.

Okay.

So the question is, what problems will this cause when it comes down to voting?

It's no mystery that there are many Academy voters of the same ilk as the people I talked too. If that's really the case, not boding too well. The Envelope says that Slumdog Millionaire is the talk of the town, and likely to be a huge success.

Clearly, this is conflicting data. Great or too violent?

Personally, I think the film will do quite well during the awards and at the box office. It's got enough mainstream appeal and buzz behind it to get a fairly wide audience. However, it doesn't seem to be going on track to explode as big as Juno.

Looking forward to visiting Australia

The reviews are in, and a good chunk of them are mixed -- but in the best possible way!

People seem to be talking about how epic and flamboyant the film is, even if there are (clearly visible) flaws.
It sounds like a truly passionate work, and I look forward to catching it out tomorrow. Expect thoughts then.

My favorite Todd McCarthy puts it nicely: "like a Rolls-Royce on a rocky country road."

Sounds good to me.

Twilight is even more mixed, but of the worse kind. Some say it's pretty dreck-y, half-lived (no pun intended) adaptation of Stephenie (yes, with three Es!) Meyer's oh so popular novel that just lacks the cinematic pizzaz that should have been there.
It seems that director Hardwicke did not capture the teen spirit, as she did once before with Thirteen.
For what it's worth, Jeffrey Wells didn't think it sucked. My guess is as good as yours.

Running on borrowed time

Australia is allegedly 155 minutes. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is ~ 160.

Does this really matter?

No, I guess not, but these are the two epic films of the year.

Only one can pass through the gates of hit-dom, which one are you counting on?

The Envelope also brought up an interesting article on the new James Bond film. Apparently, they're running For Your Consideration ads in top categories, including Best Picture.

Um...hello?

I know there is no harm whatsoever in running these ads, but a Bond film has never gotten anywhere near there.
Why in the world should Quantum of Solace?

I just think it's sort of funny is all.

--DM

Australia, my love, my everything

Claire Sutherland LURVED Australia (or should I say loved? not a jab at the Australins in any way).
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,26278,24668203-7485,00.html

See that ".au" there? Leaves me a little nervous. A little. Not too much. Seriously.

HE SET himself an enormous challenge, but Baz Luhrmann has pulled off an incredible film in Australia.

Shoehorning two complete films into one package, Australia sees Nicole Kidman as Lady Sarah Ashley, a privileged aristocrat drawn to the outback to sell her late husband's failing cattle station.

But she's soon drawn to the landscape, a little Aboriginal boy called Nullah, played startlingly by newcomer Brandon Walters, and a taciturn drover (Hugh Jackman) who reluctantly helps her save her property.

The film begins with surprising slapstick and trademark Luhrmann over-the-top humour - a scene featuring Jackman giving himself a bath with a bucket is pure beefcake and proud of it - but settles into a compelling and moving tale which traverses war, race relations, class and the Stolen Generation.

It's a movie with a message, but Luhrmann provides the audience with no shortage of thrills, from a cliff hanger cattle stampede to the bombing of Darwin.

Kidman and Jackman are perfect together, Jackman's broad speaking drover a perfect foil to Kidman's snooty English rose.

Australia is full of familiar faces, from David Gulpilil to David Wenham, Bryan Brown to Ben Mendelsohn, but not so familiar places, to many Australians anyway.

Australia features some of the most beautiful photography ever seen in an Australian film, from the Bungle Bungles in the Kimberley to the Northern Territory in the midst of the wet season.

A love letter to the Australian landscape and our history, Australia has international blockbuster written all over it.

 



--DM

Docu-what-ery? For shame

This is the list of the 15 documentaries that have made it into the final round:

At the Death House Door
The Betrayal
Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh
Encounters at the End of the World (Werner Herzog alert)
Fuel
The Garden
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
I.O.U.S.A.
In a Dream
Made in America
the great Man on Wire
Pray the Devil Back to Hell
Standard Operating Procedure (Errol Morris alert)
They Killed Sister Dorothy
Trouble the Water

I'll preface any or all analysis here by stating that I have not seen any of the films mentioned.
Sue me.

However, I did see one that isn't on the list (Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired), and quite frankly, I thought it was superb. It was a very sharp and intense examination of the Polanski case, and I think it documented the case, while adding a hint of humanity to Polanski as a human being, quite well.

It didn't make the cut.

If those fifteen selected films are better than that one, color me surprised. Very surprised, indeed. Somehow, though, I don't think that will be the case.

I whole-heartedly agree with Jeffrey Wells here. He himself has seen, to my knowledge, one of the films and says in no indirect words that the Polanski doc should have made the cut because it was better.

In any case, the Herzog and Morris ones should be the two big kahunas in the race, but that still remains to be seen. Most renown director ≠ best film. Sometimes even the latter is, apparently, not enough to get into the academy race. But hey, what's new?

--DM

Todd McCarthy's 'Revolutionary' Review

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117939047.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&nid=2854

My thoughts mirror his, but I think I liked it a tad bit more than he did.

"['Revolutionary Road'] is constantly engrossing, as it successfully engages the Wheelers' yearning to rescue themselves from their decorous, socially acceptable oblivion, just as it clearly defines how the 'trap' is stronger than they are. The rows, tender moments and downtime in between are fully inhabited and powerfully charged by DiCaprio and Winslet. For his part, DiCaprio often achieves the kind of double register the film as a whole less consistently captures, as he indicates Frank's thought process in the split second before he decides what to say. At certain moments, the conjoined cerebral and emotional aspects of his characterization summon the spirit of Jack Nicholson's breakthrough performances around the time of 'Five Easy Pieces.'"

--DM

Lackluster scores

Film scores, that is.

Let's face it, this category is almost always a giant crapshoot.
This year, it's a little more controlled. Not that many great scores accompanying the hot films.

Some go even spartan, or very close to (e.g. The Wrestler).

This is going to be an interesting race.

I think, personally, that this will be Thomas Newman's year. The academy will not have any excuse...except maybe Desplat for Benjamin Button. That's a mighty fine score too.

All you film score enthusiasts can find a taste of Revolutionary Road's eloquent score here:
http://www.revolutionaryroadmovie.com/

Also, there are a few clips of the film under the Yates section there.

STAR TREK trailer out...

and it looks so good.

Stupid Quantum of Solace screening deprived me of the chance to see this baby on the big screen.
Oh well, I'll live.

Here it is, in 360px. :/

I say go check out elsewhere (full screen, not foolscreen), but here it is anyway:

Rushing to see this and that

Australia vs. Benjamin Button

Both are screening this Thursday. Both epics. Both over 2 and a half hours. Both have stars...real stars.

But Baz or David?

I think I'm going to have to go with Benjamin Button, but it's making me so curious -- all this hoo-hah (OLD TIMER WORD ALERT) about Australia. What's the ending? What is it?

Now there's all this buzz that the ending hasn't been changed and Fox is trying to defend themselves from being antagonized.

Um...okay. That's all fine and dandy, but when are we going to see a film? The premiere is around a week before the film debuts, and that is kind of insane. The press screenings have been on the outs, as I'm not even sure anyone has actually seen the film.

I'm curious. Genuinely curious. Is it an epic mess or just an epic?

Only time will tell, but I'm rooting for latter. I want the film to be good. I want Fox to have a great film on their hands.
What kind of sick jerk would be if I wanted anything else, right? Right?

In any case, that is just one example. This season, as pointed out by the folks over at In Contention, has been marked by a spuriously genuine attempt to get films out there, without actually getting them out there.

Guild screenings are preceding press screenings, which is pretty rare. Either the studios are worried about false bad word being leaked out, or their films really suck.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is such a film, and it seems to be polarizing audiences. Some say that grown men are weeping (I'm not altogether confident that this is a good thing), while others write that it is a flawed piece of work that is only technically masterful and just superficial otherwise.

I don't know, but it sure looks like a masterpiece to me, and I'm not biased. I don't think I am.

In any case, these are puzzling times. Candidates can be good, and yet dissipate with the wind too. Look at Doubt and Frost/Nixon. Good films, seemingly, with positive, albeit not glowing, reception by the critics. It doesn't seem like anyone is talking about them anymore. Too soon or too late? Same with Milk.

It also seems that The Wrestler has kind of scurried off the horizon, now that the big contenders seem to be coming into their own.

These next few weeks are going to be crucial to keep the buzz aloof, or else films will start taking over. This is the true rat race, to make into the five guns last standing. Then it's damage control.

But NOW is really essential.

--DM

The buzz on Revolutionary Road...

Apparently, SAG members gave it an enthusiastic response, and the such.

That's pretty good news for Mendes and Co., I guess, but they don't even need the buzz at this point. Hear that? They don't even need it. The film is a departure for Mendes in just about every single way, don't be fooled by the superficial candy coat of suburbia all the nay'sayers will try to warn you of. "Oh noes, Mendes is doing another film about the woes of suburbia, when will he grow up?"

Come on.

The film is so much more than that. The layered and colorful performances really make the film, complemented exorbitantly well by the lush cinematography provided by Roger Deakins and the haunting score by Thomas Newman.

Press reviews should be flooding the blog gates, so to speak, in the next few days. I'm excited. Genuinely excited.
The way things are now, I wouldn't be surprised to see this snag the top award...at many ceremonies.

However, I've yet to see many of the other top contenders at the moment.

11-26: Australia, Milk

12-5: Frost/Nixon

12-10: The Reader

12-12: Doubt

12-19: The Wrestler, Gran Torino, Seven Pounds, Nothing But the Truth

12-26: Valkyrie, Last Chance Harvey, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Revolutionary Road

Personally, only Benjamin Button seems to pose any kind of a challenge at this point.


Here's a parting thought: the marketing for Revolutionary Road has, personally, been a little underwhelming. I don't think it's really capturing the essence of the film, but then again, I don't blame them. It's a tough film to market, but I think it'll find an audience regardless.



--DM