200 Movies, 1 Woman, 1 Blog

The Artist, 2011, France/Belgium

The theme for this year’s Academy Awards is undoubtedly nostalgia and broken dreams.  Like Hugo, The Artist examines life after silent cinema falls out of vogue.

George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a popular silent film actor.  When he meets Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), she is an extra with a talent for dance.  Peppy is strongly infatuated with George, and their chemistry is obvious, despite the fact that George is married.  He gives her some advice on how to make it in the business and they part ways.  As “talkies” become popular, Peppy finds a niche for herself, and becomes a huge star.  This rise comes just as George’s star begins to fall.  A silent film star simply cannot make it in the world of talkies, and he becomes depressed and withdrawn from the world.

I really loved the film.  As an almost completely silent film, it was a beautiful homage to the classic silent films.  Director and writer Michel Hazanavicius even shot the film using 1.33:1 ratio, which meant that the picture was square instead of rectangular.  It was an interesting approach, and I found myself wondering how it would look on today’s widescreen television sets.

Starring in a silent film requires a very different set of skills than starring in a “talkie” does.  Actors must exaggerate their movements and use vivid facial expressions.  Dancing ability is important, as well.  Dujardin and Bejo were outstanding.  Their chemistry onscreen was strong, and their relationship was ultimately very touching.  I’m glad Dujardin won the Oscar for Best Actor.

James Cromwell has a supporting role in the film as Clifton, the valet.  It’s not a huge role, but his presence is significant.  I love Cromwell’s work, and he was delightful to watch.  Another shining star is Uggie, who played the dog.  He stole the show, and was the source of much of the humour in the film.  There was even a campaign called “Consider Uggie” in an attempt to get Uggie some official recognition for his role.  It didn’t end up working, but most of the audience must respect his work, and the sheer amount of love and training he has received.  His owner, Omar Von Muller should be very proud of Uggie.

In a silent film, music is more important than ever.  It helps to set the tone of a scene, and allows the filmmaker to tell their story.  Ludovic Bource composed an amazing score.  In a year full of amazing film scores, it’s easy to see why he won.  He set the tone for the film, and helped tell a beautiful story.

There are many completely silent moments in The Artist.  It was strange to watch these moments, as I’m so accustomed to films where there isn’t a moment of “dead air”.  As I sat in the theatre with my popcorn, I felt very self-conscious about eating during the silent moments, as I was terrified of disturbing the small audience in the theatre.  I got the sense that everyone else felt the same way, as any chewing or ruffling stopped during the silent moments.  It was as if we were all glued to the screen, waiting eagerly for the music to begin again.

Hugo and The Artist take place in a similar time period and are both about cinema, more specifically, the loss of one’s livelihood upon the rise of the talkies.  Hugo told its story using contemporary special effects, whereas The Artist almost seemed to go back in time to tell the story using technology that was available during the time period.  Both storytelling methods were successful for each story, and it is easy for me to lump The Artist with my other favourites of 2011.  I fear it may not be in theatres here for another week, so I implore you to see it this week!

The Oscars were last night, and I thought it was a well done, if slightly dry show. Billy Crystal was a good host (his opening montage was hilarious), and he played it very safe, which is what the Academy seemed to want. However, he’s being panned, which is a little surprising to me. He’s certainly better than James Franco and Anne Hathaway were (although I’d be a better host than they were!).

I think the problem was the same problem the Oscars have been having for the last few years: they’ve been too predictable. There has been no controversial choices, and the major award winners have been very clear ahead of time. The only “surprise” this year was that Meryl Streep won Best Actress instead of Viola Davis (Davis, should have won, in my opinion). It’s difficult to move away from that predictability because it’s often pretty clear who will win if you’ve paid attention to the award shows before the Oscars. There have been more contentious years in the past, and hopefully we get another more contentious year soon. It always makes for a more exciting show. I like not “knowing” who is going to win an award.

My one regret is that I missed seeing The Artist in theatres. It was the big winner of the night, and I had longed to see it, but I was busy when it was playing here and I missed it! I felt like I lost something as I watched the ceremony, because I could not judge the quality of the “big winner” of the night. I hope it is re-released here or released on DVD soon.

The sound quality was problematic throughout the show, as well. I couldn’t hear a word Crystal was singing during his song and dance piece, which is a shame, because it was probably very funny. The microphones were too quiet at times, and even cut out at times, too. This is completely unacceptable for an event of that caliber.

The host

The Academy is trying to reach a younger audience, and, to be honest, Crystal won’t bring in the younger audience. Many young people aren’t sure of who he is. But a host that appeals to a younger demographic isn’t enough to bring in a younger audience. People need to be interested in movies in order to tune in. I think trying to pander to a youthful audience is a mistake. Pander to the people who are sitting there watching the Oscars every year. In other words: seek out the film fans. Many young film fans watched the ceremony. I’m in the demographic they’re desperately trying to reach and I’ve faithfully watched the Oscars every year for at least a decade. It’s one of the biggest days of the year for me.

I was happy to hear they were going to “play it safe” this year, because I knew that Crystal was funny, and had tons of experience hosting the Oscars. Next year, I think they should go with a single comedian as host format once again. May I suggest Tina Fey? She’s likable and absolutely hilarious.

A Suggestion

I also think they still need to cut back on the number of Best Picture nominees. I preferred it when there were five nominees. That reduces the number of mediocre or bad nominees in the bunch. Let’s face it: we all knew that Extremely Loud & Incredible Close was not going to win Best Picture.

What did you think of the show last night?

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, 2011, France/UK/Germany

The best part of this movie were the performances.  Gary Oldman received his first Academy Award nomination for his role, and he deserves it.  While I would have preferred to see him get a nomination for some of his earlier work, I’m just glad to see him finally get recognized by the Academy.

George Smiley (Oldman) was forced into retirement following an incident in Hungary involving Jim Predeaux (Mark Strong).  He is asked to return to British Intelligence (“The Circus”) to investigate a mole.  He is assisted in his investigation by Peter (Benedict Cumberbatch).  The suspects are narrowed down to five top members of British Intelligences, “Tinker” (Toby Jones), “Tailor” (Colin Firth), “Soldier” (Ciarán Hinds), “Poorman” (David Dencik), and “Beggarman” (Oldman).

Admittedly, the movie was a bit slow.  I also had some difficulty keeping all of the characters straight.  Each character referred to other characters by their last name or by their code name, so it was always a bit confusing.  It made the plot quite hard to follow, but I did manage to figure everything out by the end.  The second half of the movie was superior to the first half.  From what I’ve heard, it’s easier to keep track of the plot if you’ve read the book.  I didn’t read the book prior to seeing the movie, so I may have to buy a copy of the book. Has anyone read the book?

Oldman was excellent, but I have to give credit to all of the actors in the movie.  There was a huge amount of talent in this movie.  I really love watching an ensemble cast full of talented actors, because it’s such a joy to see gifted actors working together. Firth was very good, as well. I’ve seen Cumberbatch in a number of supporting roles in the last few years, and he’s always been very memorable to me. He’s a great actor and he always does a lot with limited screen time. I’m sure he will be a household name in a year or two.

I did enjoy the tone of the movie.  There was tension and intrigue surrounding the main mystery of the film.  I had no idea how it would end before it ended, and, despite the slow pace, I remained interested until the very end.  The Cold War era is a very interesting time period, and I do enjoy seeing films that cover the political issues of that era.

The Tree of Life, 2011, USA

I have  a great deal of respect for this film, but I did not enjoy it. Perhaps I’m wrong in this belief, but I feel that an enjoyable film is one that you savour, and not one that you endure. I felt every moment of this film, and I went away from it without feeling any emotional connection to it. I felt very disconnected from it.

Peter Travers claims that the film was “shot with a poet’s eye”. This is probably the most accurate description of the film I’ve read. The cinematography is truly beautiful. But, may I suggest that the film is like imagism poetry? This poetry makes heavy use of image and metaphor to tell its story. Unfortunately, imagism is far from my favourite genre of poetry. It’s a genre I appreciate, but not one that I actively seek out.

The Tree of Life consists of a series of images and moments, and the audience must put them together to determine the meaning of the film. Much of the story takes place in the 1950s. Mr. O’Brien (Brad Pitt) and Mrs. O’Brien (Jessica Chastain) are raising three young boys. Mr. O’Brien is strict and bitter, while Mrs. O’Brien is light and carefree. They’re representations of nature and grace, respectively, and the conflict between the two. In the present, Jack (Sean Penn) has been heavily affected by the way both his parents raised him, and by a significant incident that occurred as he was growing up. I got the sense that the entire film was from Jack’s perspective, and that the scenes in the 1950s were his memories.

There was a beautiful sequence about a half an hour into the film depicting the birth of the universe. This was one of my favourite sequences in the entire film. It was beautifully shot. My only thoughts were that it was awkwardly integrated into the film. As in…it wasn’t really integrated at all. But that was consistent throughout the entire film. It was very scattered, which is consistent with my idea that the film was from Jack’s perspective. Memories are not linear; instead, they are scattered. They’re not reliable indications of how events really occurred, because they are coloured through time and reflection.

Chastain received a nomination for her work in The Help, but I’d argue she was more worthy of a nomination for her work in The Tree of Life. She gave an excellent performance.  Pitt played a character very different from any I’ve seen him play before, and I appreciated his performance, as well.

I believe The Tree of Life is worth seeing, and that it is an important film. That being said, I do not ever want to see it again. I’m sure I would have found more enjoyment in the film if I had an emotional connection to it. I felt nothing as I watched it, but this seems like the type of film you either connect with or you don’t.

The Descendants, 2011, USA

I LOVED this movie. I’m hoping it’s a serious contender for Best Picture at the Oscars, because it’s one of the best films I’ve seen all year. I’m hearing that George Clooney will likely win Best Actor, which he absolutely deserves.

When his wife, Elizabeth slips into a coma following an accident, Matt (Clooney) must learn how to be an active parent to his two daughters, Scottie (Amara Miller) and Alexandra (Shailene Woodley). Alexandra is estranged from her mother, and reveals to Matt that Elizabeth had been having an affair. Matt decides to find the other man in order to get some answers, and journeys all over Hawaii with his family in order to do so.

While the premise of the movie is rather sad, it was actually very funny. The humour is very biting and sarcastic. But it’s also quite tragic and very touching. Alexandra and Matt seem to bond over their search for this man who was sleeping with Elizabeth, and I can scarcely think of a more bizarre way for father and daughter to bond. It made for an excellent film, though.

Clooney is being raved for his performance and he deserves every accolade. To be honest, I’ve often refrained from giving Clooney the recognition he deserves. I’m not sure why. He’s had an excellent career, and he’s a gifted actor. I suppose, when I think of him as an actor, I think of him in his less challenging roles, which really isn’t fair. In this film, he gives a very subtle performance. But it is rich and complex. He perfectly portrays a man aching with grief, who is struggling with an awful discovery at the worst possible time. His attempt to find peace with the situation is heartbreakingly beautiful.

The other characters are well developed too. Even Alexandra’s boyfriend, Sid (Nick Krause) has a few surprisingly deep moments. He’s also the product of much of the humour of the film.

Alexander Payne’s last film, Sideways is a movie that I thoroughly despised when I saw it. I was slightly worried when I first learned that it was a Payne film, but the trailer was so charming that I had to see it. I have the feeling I saw Sideways too early in my life. I was 14 and unable to comprehend a midlife crisis. As an adult, I’m better equipped to emotionally process the complexities of adulthood.

I’m so excited to see Albert Nobbs. It looks delightful, and this film is a passion project of Glenn Close’s, so one can be sure that a lot of love went into the making of it. I think Close has a good chance of an Oscar nomination – or even an Oscar win.

The next few months in film are sure to be exciting. I’m anticipating a lot of time spent in the theatre over the next two months!

The Fighter, 2010, USA

My goal was to watch all of the Oscar nominated movies before the Oscars, but this one was one of the few that I missed. I’m not a boxing fan, so I just didn’t feel the need to rush out to see it. I think boxing is a nasty, violent sport…but this movie wasn’t JUST about boxing. It’s about relationships.

Micky (Mark Wahlberg) is a wannabe boxer being trained by his brother, Dicky (Christian Bale). Dicky has a drug problem and is painfully unreliable. But his onetime success in the boxing ring means Micky relies on Dicky’s talents even though he’s being held back by Dicky’s personal issues. Both Micky and Dicky come from a dysfunctional family run by Alice (Melissa Leo), who acts as Micky’s manager. Alice is angry when Micky enters into a relationship with Charlene (Amy Adams) because Charlene starts to tell Micky that he deserves better than what he gets from his family.

This film is based on the lives of Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund. Both men had a working-class upbringing in Massachusetts, where Wahlberg is from. This project came about because of Wahlberg. He has tremendous respect for both men and worked really hard to bring their lives to the big screen. In the film he plays the “straight man” to all of the supporting characters and as a result of that, he did not receive an Oscar nomination. But his movie did get a Best Picture nomination.

Christian Bale and Melissa Leo both received Oscars for Best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively. Within the first five minutes, I could see why Bale won. He was amazing and uncomfortable to watch. I’m not sure if I liked Leo’s performance, though. I feel she did a great job, but I was quite fond of Adams (who also received a nomination), and I loved Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone (edit: I’m a dope. Lawrence was nominated for Best Actress). What does everyone else think?

The boxing scenes were difficult to watch (especially because of my aforementioned dislike of the sport). I knew that they were often unsimulated, so the actors were actually taking punches. I imagine it would have been quite painful to shoot. I really appreciated the cinematography because it would be extremely difficult to shoot a boxing match. It’d also be hard on the actors because they’d have to be punched over and over again, and move and react in the exact same way in order to maintain continuity. The scenes looked fantastic.

This movie didn’t quite feel like the “typical” Oscar-nominated movie. It’s about family and looks at some very difficult issues, but it isn’t really a “feel bad” movie. And, despite all of the dysfunction, it looks at the strength of family and love. Check it out if you’re feeling like something inspiring.

***

I’m still working on my current project. I’ve had a very busy week, and haven’t had much time to watch movies in the evenings. I went with my parents to rent movies this afternoon and because I’m not the sort of person to not watch a rental that comes into the house, I haven’t had much time to watch the Lord of the Rings movies. But I am still doing it!

Sunday night’s Oscar telecast kind of sucked. Which is a shame because Oscar night is my favourite television night of the year. But, in an attempt to reach a younger audience, the Oscars have kind of lost their way. I don’t like it. And it seems like most other people don’t like it as well. Therefore, I am creating a list of suggestions for next year’s show. Academy, if you’d like to implement them, I’d love two tickets to the show!

You made a poor choice, sir.

Cut the Best Picture nominees

10 nominees is far too many. As we all know, there are usually two “frontrunners” in the Best Picture race anyway. Sure “it’s an honour to be nominated”, but we all know that most of the movies in the category have zero chance of winning. Therefore, increasing it to 10 dilutes the honour of receiving a nomination. And it makes it hard for film fans to catch all of the nominees.

Go back to 5. Yes, the biggest blockbusters may not be nominated, but people are silly to watch in the hopes of one movie receiving one award.

Stop trying to change your audience!

Don’t resort to gimmicks to try to get the younger demographic. I’m in the young demographic and I freaking hate it! Seeing James Franco in a dress just doesn’t feel like the Oscars – it’s just embarrassing.

While many of my friends do watch the Oscars, many more don’t. An appreciation of the types of movies nominated at the Oscars is something that takes time. Not every 21-year-old is going to “get it”. But give them a few years and they are likely to start appreciating the movies that are nominated, and, as a result, start appreciating the Oscars. Don’t alienate your fan base in an attempt to reach a demographic that just isn’t interested yet.

Hire a comedian

I like James Franco and I like Anne Hathaway. But neither one of them are comedians. They don’t have the necessary mindset needed to come up with jokes on the fly. Therefore, they are heavily dependent on joke writers. And when their jokes receive a cold response, they don’t know how to get the audience back on their side. Conan O’Brien is very good at this. If he tells a bad joke, he’ll often make fun of the joke – or himself. It’s very funny, and often I like it when his jokes bomb because his banter can be funnier than his successful jokes.

While we’re at it, let’s do away with the two host formula. I dislike double monologues. They come across as cheesy, insincere and lame. Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin are very funny men. But they were terrible when they hosted the Oscars together.

As the resident Conan fangirl, I’m sure you all won’t be surprised when I say that he’s my pick to host next year. Who is your pick?

To be fair, I watch the show regardless of who hosts. If they pick Jay Leno to host next year…well, I’ll have a decision to make. I’ve sworn never to watch a program he’s on, but I love the Oscars, so I might make a (very reluctant) exception. While they may get a few extra viewers if someone like Jon Stewart hosts, generally most people tune in for the awards and not the host. Franco and Hathaway may have brought in a few extra young viewers who like them, but I doubt they’d tune in for the entire show unless they had a prior interest in film.

My history with the Oscars

I’ve been watching the Oscars yearly for about eight years now. I really started watching them when Johnny Depp got nominated for his first Oscar. I’ve talked about being a huge Depp fan and how it introduced me to the world of film. So it makes sense that my introduction to Depp and watching the Oscars regularly happened at about the same time.

Before that I’d always watch pieces of the Oscars but never the entire broadcast. Nowadays, missing the Oscars is inconceivable. When they are on, my arse is in the seat and I am paying attention. So, regardless of whether the Academy takes my advice, they will still have a loyal viewer. Just…try not to screw up too badly next year, m’kay?

During the Golden Globes I liveblogged and live tweeted. It was fun, but a little too busy. This time, I’m just going to live tweet. I’ve set up a Tweet Wally so you will be able to follow along, even if you don’t have Twitter.

Have fun tonight, everyone!

Another night, another Heath Ledger movie that makes me emotional. I’m watching Brokeback Mountain right now. I’ve been longing to watch this movie for months because I haven’t seen it since just after Ledger died. I just never got around to watching it again. I own over 100 movies on DVD and that, coupled with the fact that I also need to watch movies I haven’t seen repeatedly, means that I just never got around to watching it again. One of the major downsides to owning so many movies is that I can never watch my favourites as often as I’d like to. And that it took me 5 minutes to find the DVD.

I saw it in theatres when it first came out and I thought it was wonderful. It’s such a shame it didn’t win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. I believe that homophobia is to blame for that. Instead of awarding a movie about a same-sex relationship, they awarded a movie about racism (Crash) in an attempt to preserve their reputation of being a progressive body of individuals. But Crash won’t be remembered…Brokeback Mountain will be.

What I love about the movie is the fact that it appears to be a simple love story, but it really isn’t. It’s complicated, emotional and very deep. It looks at issues like commitment, family responsibilities, and the difficulty of being true to who you are in a society that won’t accept you. Ledger and Jack Gyllenhaal make every moment powerful. They are both tremendous actors. The cinematography and score are fantastic as well.

If you haven’t seen this beautiful movie, please check it out as soon as possible. As much as I love Ledger’s Joker, Ennis is probably my favourite character of his. He created such a deep, moving character. The fact that he portrayed these two very different characters speaks volumes of the talent that he had.