Final Oscar Predictions: Best Actress

Will Win: Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side

Even after Bullock won the SAG Award, I was still hoping that the “Bullock vs. Streep” battle could still have plenty of steam left in the Oscar races. It still is tight between the two, but given the fact that The Blind Side managed a surprise Best Picture nomination, I think that speaks volumes to the amount of love the Academy has just not for her, but the film in general. Plus, she’s a nice personality, very popular, and grateful all the way. I feel this is her Erin Brockovich moment, and her time in the sun will come. I would also say that even if you didn’t like the film or her in it (myself included), you have to admit that seeing Bullock go from dark horse Oscar contender to full out Best Actress frontrunner is a pretty amazing story.

Should Win: Gabourey Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

You can keep “Team Sandra” and “Team Meryl”; I’m with “Team Gabby”! Sidibe manages to bring such emotion and depth to a character that I had no means to connect with. She brings humor and an uplifting attitude to a character that must endure the hardest of hardships imaginable. And to those who say she only played herself, look at her performance in this film and then look at her in interviews. This is a completely different person in each, and the fact that she not only could transform herself into this different person with a first time try, but that it would be as successful as it was, is an incredible accomplishment. She won’t get the award, but she truly deserves it, in my opinion.

Final Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actor

Will Win: Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

They might as well rename this category as Best Villain in a Motion Picture, because the past two winners in this category (three if you want to stretch Alan Arkin) have gone to a memorable antagonist. It looks like Waltz is set to continue the trend here, as best-in-show reviews and a general sweep of all the major precursor awards have indicated thus far. I’d still be on the lookout for veteran Christopher Plummer to play on his seniority and grab one MAJOR upset (like Arkin or James Coburn), but the safe bet really is Waltz.

Should Win: Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

Among all of the imperfections I found in Quentin Tarantino’s often tedious and meandering film, there was one spot that went unblemished. Waltz is the main reason why I continue to be drawn to this film despite my lukewarm feeling to it as a whole. Waltz’s charm and tense intimidation gives life to what could have been a flat character. For every moment he is on screen, there is an excitement that fills the frame. He is the best thing in a movie that I grew restless with, and would be excited for him to take the award like it is predicted.

Final Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actress

Will Win: Mo’Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

There are many people who remember a time when there was a question as to whether or not Mo’Nique could take this due to rumors she wasn’t campaigning hard enough and seeming like she didn’t want the award. Well, those days are long gone. She has been gracious at every award show she’s attended, and has truly let the performance speak for itself. This is a situation where people are awarding her not because she asked for it, but because the performance deserves it, and she should continue that streak all the way to the end.

Should Win: Mo’Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

If you came to me as far back as two years ago and said that a co-lead from Soul Plane would be in a position to become an Oscar winner, and that I would agree that person deserved to win, I would have called you crazy. And I would have sought to have you committed if that person was Mo’Nique. But I have to say that her performance is incredible: agonizingly cruel yet subversively sympathetic, she creates a character that will be remembered for her monstrosity that played well with a complex core that showed itself in true passion at the film’s end. I never thought I’d want to hear the phrase, “Academy Award Winner Mo’Nique” ever in my life, but so the day has come.

Review: Shutter Island

Shutter Down

I was so ready to leave the rather mediocre year of 2009 behind, and get onto the new one ahead. I looked at the onslaught of new releases and was so ready to see many new movies being released. This one caught my eye particularly because it was supposed to be released in early October of last year. Unfortunately, the studio didn’t have enough money for an Oscar campaign, so they pulled it and dumped it in the barren wasteland of February. I didn’t like it, but at least it gave me something to look forward to early in the year, and with so many great elements going into the film, I surely thought that this talented group of people would have to work mighty hard to make this movie be anything but magnificent. Well, the lesson to be learned here is never doubt anything, as this film certainly isn’t terrible, but it is well below the level of quality I expected from this masterful cast and crew.

Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, who also wrote the source material for Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone, the story revolves around US Marshall Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio), who is sent to investigate the disappearance of a mental patient on a tucked away institution on a far-away island. Mark Ruffalo accompanies him as his fresh new partner, and the pair begin their investigation, which comes across some seedy characters including the hospital’s top physician Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), the deputy warden (John Carroll Lynch), the chief warden (Ted Levine), another dubious, German doctor (Max von Sydow), as well as able body character actors like Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson and Jackie Earle Haley as other members of the hospital’s ward.

We all know that Martin Scorsese is a genius of filmmaking, and his talent is one that is unmatched by a large majority. Scorsese also knows how to work well in many genres, particularly the pulpy mystery like this one is. There are a lot of moments where Scorsese does do a fine job at creating an eerie mood of suspense and dread, and uses many of the technical elements to his advantage. However, it still feels like many times Scorsese can’t quite figure out what pitch to set the film at, and what we get is a pretty unbearable first twenty minutes when the over-the-top, grandiose setting seems to overpower the narrative and a last act that moves at a crawl and is bogged down by countless mono-a-mono explanatory conversations. These moments work rather well in the book, but have a difficult time translating to the screen.

But still, I would say that while the beginning and end are at major fault, there are some things in the middle, right after the first trippy dream sequence Daniels has featuring his recently departed wife (Michelle Williams). There’s quite good use of Robert Richardson’s stylish, theatrical lighting to create an uneasy mood, and the suspense can be featured quite well. Unfortunately, there are many moments where the tone switches drastically, and we linger on many scenes that either don’t seem necessary or overindulge too much on audience misdirection that could have been toned down. A side note is this film has some of the worst uses of green screen backgrounds.

Now, the ending is something that affects this movie, so I will talk about it, but I will also include the spoiler warning. So, WARNING!!! SPOILER ALERT!!! THERE’S A SPOILER COMING UP IN BOLD LETTERS SO YOU CAN’T MISS IT!!! ALRIGHT, YOU’VE BEN WARNED THERE’S A SPOILER WARNING!!!!

The final reveal is a rather weak twist, one I thought was pretty weak even in the book, but the novel never let the audience catch on that quickly. The film tries to plant hints that can either be interpreted as Daniels is grieving for the lives loss at a death camp he liberated during World War II or his dead children at the hands of his wife whom he killed and caused him to be in the institution all the time. However, the use of the death camp was an absolute minimum in the book while the film exploits the images in excess. Also, the final scene that shows what really happened goes on for far too long, especially after we’ve had many characters explaining what already happened (not to mention the supposedly drowned little girl can clearly be seen to be moving on the lawn).

As is usually the case, the cast is the last thing to go wrong, and the performers are good here, even though DiCaprio feels as if he’s just rehashing his Depahhted accent. Ruffalo, Kingsley, Haley, Clarkson, Sydow, all are terrific actors, but they feel wasted in such a plodding film that never gives them great moments to shine. The film is so concentrated on the mood, tone, and concealing of that big twist that it never takes the time to let the actors breathe life into this material. This is truly a wasted ensemble.

Scorsese is capable of creating pulpy mystery/suspense films, and a very good example would be his remake of Cape Fear, which I thought was actually superior to the original. But that had complex characters circling around a plot that wasn’t devoted to the last act. That’s the issue with this film; it’s too focused on misdirection and never lets intellectual thought and reason seep in. As much as it saddens me, this is not a great Scorsese film and becomes yet another disappointment in the new decade. The next film that I had high hopes for is Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, and I really hope that one can at least live up to some of its hype. **1/2 / ****; GRADE: C+

Review: The Wolfman

Howling Wolf

I find it hard to believe myself that I made it nearly a month and a half into 2010 without seeing a new film. Much of my time at the beginning of this new decade was spent playing catch up to some late release 2009 films that were just making their way into Chicago. I know that I meant to get to films like The Book of Eli, Daybreakers, The Edge of Darkness, and a number of other films, but they all went by the wayside while I indulged in seeking out films like The Last Station and repeated viewings of Avatar. But I finally get to one, and this was also a film that I had been looking forward to seeing, despite the production being plagued with problems. Well the long wait for a 2010 release is over. Unfortunately, the wait for a good film for the new year is still on, as this film is arguably one of this early year's greatest disappointments.

Benicio Del Toro, certainly looking the part, is the wolfman himself, Lawrence Talbot, a Shakespearean actor who returns to his ancestral home in response to the death of his brother. He reunites with his estranged father (Anthony Hopkins) and starts a connection with his brother's fiancee (Emily Blunt). While digging up information about his brother's death, he is bitten by the wolf, which of course leads to him becoming a werewolf himself. Hugo Weaving also steps in as Detective Aberline (yes, that Aberline) who is determined to solve the mystery of these brutal killings.

I am a big fan of the original film, and while I wasn't expecting this to be a carbon copy of the original, I was expecting a film to have some kind of cohesiveness while paying some kind of homage to the original film. Director Joe Johnston and writers Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self do provide some interesting character moments and a few sparse, well played action sequences. However, most of the time spent in this film is given to a cluttered mess of conflicting tones and themes. Most of the action that happens lacks energy and overindulges in a bloody, gory scene (seriously folks, this is one violent film). The weak story, cluttered with flat characters, is joined by distracting editing, dark lighting, a bombastic score from Danny Elfman, and a showdown climax that is just ridiculous.

This cast is very talented, but they do nothing in this film. Literally. It feels like everyone just showed up to their costume fitting, went right to the set and read their lines from cue-cards. Del Toro phones in a bland performance that never once capitalizes on the emotional and psychological complexities that a werewolf story can provide. This is one of his worst performances. Hopkins also goes bland here, while also going in and out of a cockney accent. Blunt is virtually wasted in a nothing performance and Weaving, while providing a few good moments with his character, mostly seems like he's doing Agent Smith with an English accent.

Despite some people feeling this would be a bad movie from the get-go, I was really looking forward to it. However, those involved wasted an opportunity to create a moody, stylish Wolfman film for the new age and instead made a film that's light on scares, entertainment and intelligence. The cast is talented but useless, and the execution takes all the wrong turns. Hopefully next week's newest 2010 release, Shutter Island, won't be as big a disappointment as this was. *1/2 / ****; GRADE: C-

Review: The Last Station

Bore and Peace

As much as I try, there’s always a couple of films I fail to see before the announcement of the Oscar nominations. Generally, I try to see all the potential Best Picture nominees, as well as the acting nominees as well. Even though Maggie Gyllenhaal was a surprise to some, I had seen her due to Jeff Bridges’s work in Crazy Heart. This film boasts two nominees for Helen Mirren and Christopher Plummer. Unfortunately the film didn’t reach Chicago until after the Oscar announcement. But now it’s out and I have seen it, and while there are some admirable things about it, the film eventually loses steam by the end and concludes with rather disappointing results.

It is near the end of the road for famed Russian author Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer), and many members of his political movement towards peace and equality are urging him to change his will to renounce his material possessions and give the copyright laws on his works to public domain. The movement’s plans are undermined by Tolstoy’s wife, Sofya (Helen Mirren), who wants her husband’s possessions to stay within the family. Tolstoy’s good friend Vladmir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) sends out an ambitious activist named Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy) to spy on the dysfunctional family and report back on progress.

I think the start of this film feels is rather strong. Writer-director Michael Hoffman does a credible job at setting up the look and texture of the world, as well as establishing the political atmosphere of the time, as well as the stakes that come with it. There’s a world of subtle suggestion that allows the world to completely take over. But the film doesn’t hold onto that for long, and eventually slips into a muddled pace that runs on a worn out plot. That is coupled with some soap opera histrionics that tend to clash with the more quiet moments the film established earlier. By the time the end comes, it feels like a long journey that dragged itself to the end, which is a shame considering the delicate care the first half of this film managed to keep.

As I’ve already mentioned, Mirren and Plummer have received nominations from the Academy, but I would say that neither of them really deserve it. These performances do show their great range and talent as actors, and they also manage to work well off of eachother. However, there are often too many scenes of Plummer becoming a little too subdued in his reclusive character, while Mirren overindulges far too often of on giant explosions of energy, which I’ve always found counter-productive in a career whose best work has been in restrained films like Gosford Park and The Queen. Honestly, the best performer here is McAvoy. I would say this is his best role of his career, and he manages to showcase all the right emotions to all the right ways. He feels like the most grounded and realistic character in the film, and he is the greatest asset for it.

The direction isn’t terrible, the production and costume designs are great, the score has a timeless sense that fits perfectly, and the acting for the most part is pretty good. There are things I like in this movie, but ultimately it doesn’t carry it all the way through. It squanders a good first half hour with a meandering, muddled second half that gets diluted further by histrionics. Fortunately, I don’t see Mirren or Plummer winning, but at least I fulfilled by duty for this picture. The only one left is to see Woody Harrelson in The Messenger. **1/2 / ****; GRADE: B-

Reaction to the Oscar Nominees

It’s amazing that even in a year of ten nominees, the Oscars can still manage to throw one film or omission into the mix that still manages to piss you off royally. These are some of the nominations and a few thoughts I have on the nominees.

Best Picture

Avatar

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

-I can say I feel pretty good about this category except for one film. I got 9 out of ten, but that one I missed is one I’m guessing a lot of people missed. The Blind Side came out of nowhere and showed up here, completely undeserving in my humble opinion. If they wanted a populist film, why not go with Star Trek? They do this to me every year.

Best Director

James Cameron - Avatar

Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker

Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

Lee Daniels - Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Jason Reitman - Up in the Air

-With all those recent roundtables of these five, I should have known that Daniels would have made it in, and I’m fine with that. No major complaints about these nominees, though I can’t stress enough how sad I am that Spike Jonze couldn’t have gotten more attention.

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart

George Clooney - Up in the Air

Colin Firth - A Single Man

Morgan Freeman - Invictus

Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

-A predictable roundup that was pretty much expected by everybody.

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side

Helen Mirren - The Last Station

Carey Mulligan - An Education

Gabourey Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

-Another predictable roundup, but with The Blind Side making a surprise Best Picture nominee, this solidifies Sandra Bullock as the Oscar frontrunner (boo!)

Best Supporting Actor

Matt Damon - Invictus

Woody Harrelson - The Messenger

Christopher Plummer - The Last Station

Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

-All the wishing in the world couldn’t keep Matt Damon from getting nominated for an extremely bland performance in an otherwise bland movie. Doesn’t really matter, though, because Waltz is going to take it, as he should.

Best Supporting Actress

Penélope Cruz - Nine

Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air

Maggie Gyllenhaal - Crazy Heart

Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air

Mo’Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

-Cruz making it in is a “meh” response for me, but Gyllenhaal making the cut was a nice surprise. Recently re-watching Crazy Heart gave me a feeling that she might get in, and it’s rather nice to see. Doesn’t really matter, though, because Mo’Nique is going to take it, as she should.

Best Original Screenplay

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

The Messenger

A Serious Man

Up

-The only major beef I have here is (500) Days of Summer missing its only chance at a nomination. A great film that deserved to win here, personally for me, is a great injustice, especially when the mediocre scripts to The Hurt Locker and Up are there in its place.

Best Adapted Screenplay

District 9

An Education

In the Loop

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Up in the Air

-That fifth spot was always in flux, and I am thrilled that it went to In the Loop. My one longshot shout-out that actually got a nomination.

Best Animated Feature

Coraline

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Princess and the Frog

The Secret of Kells

Up

-Anyone else notice how quiet the room was when The Secret of Kells was mentioned? That’s just because no one knew what the hell this movie was about. Me neither.

That’s it for now. A full list of the nominations is available here.

Shout Out to the Longshots

With the Oscar nominations being announced tomorrow morning, it’s time to do my usual list of films and performances for the top eight categories that I wish will get nominated but have little to no chance at all to being called. But I love them so much that I have to make one last shout out to the longshots.

Best Picture: (500) Days of Summer

A purely delightful film that always had me smiling and appreciating its unique storytelling. Director Marc Webb showcases a strong showing of talent in the creation of this film, and the performances from Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are marvelous. A screenplay nomination seems assured, but I would be very delighted if the film is recognized on the whole.

Best Director: Spike Jonze - Where the Wild Things Are

Nearly all the credit for this wildly inventive, surprisingly emotional journey taken throughout the film is deserved to Jonze. I was absolutely amazed at how Jonze was able to take admittedly thin material and create a world that was so rich in emotion and complexity. Too few have been singing praises for Jonze’s work, which is a shame, because his achievement with this film is precisely what great filmmakers are able to do.

Best Actor: Sam Rockwell - Moon

Joseph Gordon-Levitt was also a performance that I loved and wish would get nominated, but the one guy that everyone seems to love, rightfully so, is Rockwell. One-man-shows on film are difficult to pull off successfully, but Rockwell manages it in a performance that strikes the right amount of energy and emotion to not feel gimmicky. Too bad his minimal campaign, along with five solid picks for Best Actor slots already, means he’ll probably be left out. But it would be a great success story if he managed to unexpectedly sneak in.

Best Actress: Maya Rudolph - Away We Go

Not everyone responded so warmly to this film as I did, and I recognize some issues with it. Even still, her performance is the key for anything in this film working at all. After seeing her comedic run on SNL, I was completely amazed at how well she was able to translate so much emotion by conveying so little in her performance. By the end, she was the one guiding reason to see this film, wonderfully balancing humor and pathos.

Best Supporting Actor: Alden Ehrenreich - Tetro

I could go with either him or Peter Capaldi from In the Loop, but since this is about the longshots, Ehrenreich is a longer one than Capaldi. Which is a shame, since about five people actually saw Tetro in theatres and missed out on a great breakthrough performance from an actor who delivered a complex character on all the right notes. Fortunately, this is a great start to his resumé, but I wished more could have enjoyed it like I did.

Best Supporting Actress: Bailee Madison - Brothers

I admit that Brothers isn’t without its issues, but the performance from little Madison, who plays Magurie’s eldest daughter, was so good it’s almost scary. She manages to outact nearly everyone in her scenes, and her performance would rival even some pretty good adult ones out there. I see a long, great career for her, and the best showcase for it is here.

Best Original Screenplay: Bright Star

I’m not going to say much since this longshot is actually impossible (the Academy incorrectly declared it an adapted work, so it can only seek contention in the Adapted Screenplay category). I just want to say that true fans know this is an original work and how the stylish flare of Jane Campion should be recognized in this category.

Best Adapted Screenplay: In the Loop

Peter Capaldi is hilarious in his deliveries, but it’s also the screenplay as a whole that makes the film work so well. Every line is delivered in a quick bout and the situations that are set up demand an intellectual ear that will keep you laughing all the way through. It’s one of those films that’s easy to slip through the cracks, but a great team of writers allows the pace and energy to always remain at the right spot.

That’s it until tomorrow morning. Can’t wait to see who the actual nominees will be!