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
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).
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
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