Avatar

It is time, my friends, to talk about the behemoth that is Avatar. When I first went to see it, I had pretty low expectations. I was not one of the massive multitude who were so excited they painted themselves blue and bought the merchandise BEFOREHAND. I just went with my family over the holidays and tried to keep an open mind. And I was pleasantly surprised. The effects WERE stunning, the visuals WERE breathtaking; in short, Avatar was everything it had promised in the commercials. It did NOT promised, however, to have a great screenplay, an original plot, or stellar acting. The only thing that set this movie apart from others for me was its visual effects. Therefore, I do not think that it deserves to win Best Picture. For me, Best Picture means the most well-rounded, polished, and "full" movie. A movie that has all the pieces assembled in such a way as to leave me wanting nothing after leaving the theater. An Education was that movie. Inglourious Basterds was that movie. Precious was that movie. Avatar was not that movie.

I do have to hand it to James Cameron, though. That must have been a b*tch to direct. And thus, he deserves the Best Director Oscar. It was a HUGE undertaking and he did VERY well with it. I do think he should be recognized for his hard work in this respect. Did he make an Oscar worthy film? Not by my standards. Did he work his butt off and give us something that was groundbreaking and awesome? Yes. So he should be recognized.

That is my opinion about Avatar. Take it or leave it. In my book Best Picture is not just the one with the best visual effects or the one that was shot in 3-D. It is far more than that.

Two for One Special in Honor of Watching Them ALL!

I rounded off my Oscar nominated movie watching spree with In The Loop and The Last Station. I wish I had watched them in reverse order because one was so funny, and the other was so sad!

In The Loop unfortunately has a lot of really good writing running against it. An Education was brilliant, Up in the Air, candid and heartwarming, Precious, powerful and hardhitting, and District 9, innovative and real. It was hilarious; it's true, but the schtick got old fast. It's often that way with British comedy I find. I feel like the whole movie was made up of one liners. Some characters made me imagine the writers holed up in their offices coming up with the most insane thing they could find for this ridiculous man to say. Therefore, the only times he got a laugh from me was when he threw in a pop culture reference that was priceless. His dialogue got old fast. For me, I don't think it will be enough to snag the Oscar. Maybe I just can't handle British humor in such large doses (don't get me wrong, I love a good Monty Python skit any day), but either way, I think the Adapted Screenplay Oscar should go to An Education or Precious. Sorry, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche!

The Last Station was both a good thing for me to see and an unfortunate thing for me to see. It was good because I saw some of the best acting I've seen all year, and it was bad because I will now start throwing things if Sandra Bullock walks away from the Oscars with a golden statuette. I'm sorry, I love her, but it HAS to go to Helen Mirren. It just has to. Words can't describe the raw emotion that she exuded. Every line held vast meaning. Every word gave us a glimpse into her soul. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. As for Christopher Plummer, even though his performance was admirable in many ways, I really think there's very little chance of his walking away with a golden man. It must go to Cristoph Waltz. I feel like everyone who has seen his work as Hans Landa can attest to that. It was nice to watch such a venerable actor work with such charged work as Tolstoy! I enjoyed every minute of the movie. I mean, his LIFE was a Russian tragedy! It started out great, and then came the family drama that did not relent until the very last minute. A powerful movie to sit through, the kind where you feel drained at the end from investing so much emotional energy into it!

The Blind Side

I saw this a while ago, but it is still fresh in my mind. The Blind Side surprised me. I thought it would be a fluffy feel-good film about people being nice to each other and learning acceptance. It was far more complicated than that; not in plot (the plot was, essentially, a feel-good film about people being nice to each other and learning acceptance). The emotions were real. They weren't fake. They showed every side of the characters. I felt I knew this family and who they were. I did not roll my eyes at their generosity; I was genuinely touched by it. I don't think this film was hard-hitting or original enough to win Best Picture. I am not even one hundred percent sure that it would be nominated if we were still using the (better) five film system. But I do think that Sandra Bullock did one of the best performances of her career flawlessly and effortlessly and deserves to win. Not because she has had it coming for years (although I'm sure that is why most academy members will vote for her), but because when I looked at this woman, I did not see Sandra Bullock; I saw Mrs. Leigh Anne Touhy. It is very difficult for an actress of her renown to get so lost in a character, but she pulled it off; especially when the character is not quite so different from herself. Meryl Streep has had her turn in the spotlight (several turns, actually), and so has Helen Mirren. Both Gabourey Sidibe and Carey Mulligan are young, and in the Academy's mind, have time to do other spectacular performances that can be recognized. I think Bullock may just walk away with it. And that would be fine with me (although, I wouldn't complain if it went to Carey Mulligan).

A Serious Man

When it comes to the Coen brothers' films, it is either love or hate with me. A Serious Man leaned toward the latter with me. I just didn't care about any of the characters. I didn't feel any sympathy for any of them. They either annoyed me, confused me, or made me grimace. The movie was well done, to be sure, but I just didn't gain anything from it. It didn't seem to have a message except for... don't go looking to your faith for answers because you will only get more muddled. I'm told it is a modern day adaptation of the story of Job, God testing him by putting him through all this crap. I don't care what it's an adaptation of, it still just... didn't make sense to me. It's always the same: Raising Arizona, hated it (although I tend to hate anything with Nicolas Cage); Fargo, loved it; O, Brother, Where Art Thou?, hated it; No Country For Old Men, loved it. And so it goes. It was just my turn to hate one of their movies, I suppose. There's no chance of it winning best picture. It was too quiet of a film. I really don't think it will swipe Original Screenplay, either. I think that will go to either The Hurt Locker or Inglourious Basterds. So... it may have been nominated, and to be sure, the Coen Brothers are sophisticated film makers, but overall, I couldn't appreciate that movie. The most I have to say for it is it got a good grasp of the time period and the mentality of people living in the early 70's. That is all.

A Single Man

I thoroughly enjoyed A Single Man. I enjoyed it almost as much as An Education. It was very carefully done and it was truthful without being sentimental. Set during the witch hunt for commies, it shows a gay man dealing with the loss of his lover. It was reminiscent of a Greek tragedy not in the subject matter, but in the fact that the main action all took place within a day (not counting various flashbacks). We get such a small glimpse into this man's life, and yet, through Colin Firth's wonderfully truthful and raw performance, we feel we've known him so much longer. The film was pretty heartbreaking; it is during a time when so many people had to keep their lives a secret. People were either hiding or hunting. Nicholas Hoult, the actor playing Kenny, a student of George's (Colin Firth's character), is, first of all, absolutely gorgeous and did an excellent job playing the perceptive, open boy. I enjoyed all the performances in this movie. Julianne Moore was spectacular as the alcoholic childhood friend of George's. It was actually her portrayal of a woman who just wants to be wanted again that affected me the most. Overall, a very well acted movie, and the cinematography was absolutely beautiful. The movie captured the feel of the 60's and I was swept away with the tense, yet free-falling feeling of the whole film. As for Oscar wins, Colin Firth may be the only man who could steal the Oscar from Jeff Bridges, in my humble opinion. It had a beautiful score, but was not nominated. Julianne Moore missed out on the nom for supporting actress, which is a shame. I'm surprised the film didn't get more attention, but it was quietly done overall, which I appreciated. I could go into it without expectations, which tend to wreck an experience. Two thumbs up from me, though, if it means anything. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Precious

Two weeks ago I saw three movies: Precious, A Single Man, and A Serious Man. It's taken me forever to find time to write about them. But one at a time! Today's movie: Precious. First of all, this was much more depressing than I thought it would be. I knew the basic plot line, including the horrific elements of it, before I saw it, but I never expected such intense performances from Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'nique. Were it not for the truthful, powerful, and heartbreaking performances that these two women gave, the movie would not be the same. It would have been far weaker. Again, as with so many of the movies nominated this year, I appreciated the honesty. I also loved the Cinematography, for which it was not nominated. It may have the best Editing out of all the movies nominated. The film moved seamlessly from one scene to another, not feeling choppy, as with The Hurt Locker and, at times, Inglourious Basterds. The screenplay was fantastic. No lines felt out of place or hackneyed. Perhaps it will win that if picture/director are not honored. As for Best Actress, I don't think they will give it to Gabourey Sidibe. She is young, and the Academy tends to honor younger actors with simply the nomination, trusting that they will grow to produce work that is worthy of an Oscar. As for Mo'nique, she might just steal it from Maggie Gyllenhaal. It was a more difficult role, to be sure, and she put her soul into it. She had me feeling sorry for her and being disgusted with her at the same time. That is hard to do! So I may just have to start cheering for her, no matter how talented Gyllenhaal was in her role. It is so tough this year to choose from the acting categories! I feel like the movies were lightweights, but the actors in them really blew me away.

Crazy Heart

Two nights ago, I travelled far uptown with my friend Casey to see Crazy Heart. I was very excited about seeing this film because I am a fan of Jeff Bridge's easy acting style and a bigger fan of Maggie Gyllenhaal's understated performances (excluding her bizarre turn as a new agey mom in Away We Go; that was just weird). It was everything I'd hoped for. It was sort of like The Wrestler, but with a musician and a more hopeful ending. Through all the awful experiences Bad Blake has in the film, Jeff Bridges still manages to remain likable and the viewer empathizes with him. So by the time the end comes around you forget what an emotional roller coaster it has been for him and actually believe that he will be all right. I especially liked that there wasn't a magical, happy ending. As much as we like to believe in happy endings, it's time the movie industry realized that they very rarely occur.

Crazy Heart is nominated for Best Original Song and I think it stands a good chance in that category. I haven't seen The Princess and the Frog, but I think this heartfelt, beautiful, and easy tune might just steal it away from the upbeat genius that is a Disney song. The only song that might stand in its way is Take It All from NINE, but if the Academy has any sense they will grant it to a movie whose collection of songs were all satisfactory as opposed to one of the maybe three songs that were more than mediocre in NINE.

I think Jeff Bridges may come away with the Oscar this year. Morgan Freeman is no doubt spectacular in Invictus, like he is in every movie, but I don't know if that's enough to beat out the unbelievable role that is Bad Blake. George Clooney's turn as an isolated man spending the majority of his life on the road is not hard-hitting enough to win, surprising though his performance was. Jeremy Renner did not impress me in The Hurt Locker, as I said before. The only question is Colin Firth in A Single Man, which I have yet to see. That may be the deciding role. Both Jeff Bridges and Colin Firth have done excellent work in the past, but neither of them have managed to score an Oscar (Colin Firth has never even been nominated!) The only thing that may give Bridges the edge is the fact that he has already been nominated four times for an Oscar. His time may finally have come and the best part is that this part is worthy of an Oscar. Sometimes stars win one simply because they are due even if their performance is not as spectacular as the stuff of past winners.

That leaves Maggie Gyllenhaal. Can she beat out the ladies of Up In the Air who both turned out surprisingly truthful, nuanced performances? Can she beat out the overwhelming force that is Mo'nique in Precious and the delightful yet touching portrayal of Daniel Day-Lewis' mistress by Penelope Cruz? Only time will tell. But I personally am cheering her on. Her performance was real and every line she spoke fit perfectly into the story. Understated and true to life as always, if the Academy has any sense, it will be Maggie Gyllenhaal who walks away with the Golden Man.

Bright Star

It's late and I'm tired so I'll keep this short.

Bright Star was a lovely, yet thoroughly predictable love story. Because I'm a classic romantic and a sucker for traditional love stories (ones without sexting, one night stands, and whiney teenagers) I enjoyed it a lot. Acting performances were up to snuff but not Oscar material (no one was nominated) and the movie was too small of scale to merit a place in the top 10. However, the costumes were absolutely magnificent and Bright Star stands a chance in the Costume Design Award category. I was more surprised it wasn't nominated for cinematography. Some of the shots of the inside of the house in summer were breathtaking; you could feel the wind and taste the sunlight streaming through the window. Overall, a very well-made film, something I've come to expect from Jane Campion. I just don't know if it will pull off the costume win going up again The Young Victoria and, especially, Coco Before Chanel.

The Hurt Locker

Last night I watched The Hurt Locker with my friend Liana and I have come to two very upsetting conclusions.

1. It is not a hard-hitting enough film to win Best Picture. It was supremely well-crafted and original, but it is far too much of an underdog to actually be in the running.

2. Kathryn Bigelow will most likely not win Best Director. I hate to say it, but James Cameron might take it. As much as I hate to admit it, directing Avatar was a massive undertaking. It doesn't matter how corny the screenplay was or how unoriginal the plot was; any way you look at it, it was a huge job and he did very well with it. The Academy doesn't like Quentin Tarantino, so I doubt he'll win an Oscar for Director. Maybe Screenplay, but not Director. I have yet to see Precious, so I will reserve my judgement on Lee Daniels. The only person who could come from behind and snag it is Jason Reitman, for Up in the Air, but my gut feeling says that Cameron will steal it from the potential first female director to win an Oscar.

My favorite thing about The Hurt Locker was that it was not a "war movie". It was an in-depth look at a specific unit (bomb disarmament) within in the army, and more importantly, a psychological profile of the soldiers who make up that unit. I also appreciated the screenplay, which, although not as intricate as, say, Inglourious Basterd's was, was real nonetheless. I believed that everything the characters said would really have come out of their mouths. It didn't sound written. That is something I have come to appreciate more and more. The actors were mostly unknowns, which was a good choice. Well-known actors can steal too much attention in an independent film such as this. However, I don't think that Jeremy Renner will steal the Oscar for Best Actor. Although he created a complete character with a clearly defined goal, I never quite understood why he was the way he was. He came across as an adrenaline junkie: mission accomplished. But that's not enough. I never was clued in as to how or why he became this way. His acting didn't go that deep. A powerful performance for sure. But not quite Oscar winning material. The editing was a little choppy, so I don't think it will win that. But the cinematography was varied in its uses and effective overall. I don't know how it will stand up to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, though. (That was sarcasm).

Overall, a movie worth watching. I appreciated it and am glad I watched it. In fact, I think I may watch it again. But not before I watch Bright Star tonight, which, even though it is only nominated for Costume Design, should be a wonderful film.

Jump Start.

So I'm restarting the blog in honor of Oscar Season! The noms came out two night ago, just in time for me to realize that I didn't have to go see It's Complicated and waste two hours of my life as well as a good portion of my patience and sanity. Oh, well. What can you do?

So far, I've seen 7 out of the 10 Best Picture nominees. I still have to see A Serious Man, Precious, and An Education. For Best Actor I have to see A Single Man, Invictus, and Crazy Heart. For Best Actress, The Last Station. I'll see Bright Star just because I heard it was good, and Coraline because we own it at home. Lastly, Coco Before Chanel because the costumes are sure to be superb and I love Audrey Tautou. And maybe In the Loop? I'll so some research to see if it's worth it.

FIRSTLY, some updates:

I'm back at school and doing well. Starting my second semester of my new Freshman Year!!! Good grades and perfect attendance last semester; the year is off to a good start. I have friends, I have normality, and mostly, I just have a ton of hope that from now on my life will be on track. Lyme is under control and I finally feel like I don't have to keep looking over my shoulder for it to sneak up on me. I'm about to start an indoor soccer tournament in March. I have a job at the NYU Phonathon TOMORROW. I'm very happy with where I am right now. And I haven't been able to say that in a long time. So here's hoping that my sentiments will stay toward the positive for a long time. I think I've earned it. :)

Once I've seen all my movies (11 more) I can comment on whom I THINK will win, and whom I WANT to win. In between I will chat about the movies I've already seen. Let the race to the golden man begin!