Oscar: Post-Mortem

Yet another Oscar season has come to a close, and, as expected, The King's Speech came out the victor. However, there wasn't so much a sweep for the film as many had expected, with it taking four Oscars out of its twelve nominations. It won for Best Picture, Best Director for Tom Hooper, Best Actor for Colin Firth and Best Original Screenplay for David Seidler. The only one of those I take umbrage with is Hooper, who only did serviceable work on a film that, to me, was also mostly overdirected. Fincher was a true craftsman, but alas, his Oscar day will come in the future. The other Oscar wins for actors Natalie Portman, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo were expected.

The only surprises that came in the night were in the technical categories, where Inception not only took the technical effects Oscars, but also cinematography for Wally Pfister. I am glad for him, because he should have won among those nominees, but part of me is sad that Roger Deakins remains Oscar-less still. But Pfister's win pushed Inception to tie for the most wins of the evening with four. Second place was The Social Network, which won for Adapted Screenplay, Editing and a surprise win for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's score. Another little surprise was Alice in Wonderland taking both Art Direction and Costume Design. I'm happy for Colleen Atwood, but am disappointed that the busy and downright ugly art direction of that film was honored over Inception and The King's Speech. That's not good.

Anne Hathaway and James Franco were okay, but not great hosts to be honest. Hathaway carried virtually the entire show while Franco only read his lines with a goofy grin. The only noteworthy thing he did was come out in a dress (No, Roger, he's not gay). Hathaway had some nice moments, and I'd actually be interested in seeing what she could do on a solo mission. Next time, I'd hope Franco just takes the role as a nominee and leaves the hosting to someone who can actually do it well.

And with that, another Oscar season is over. Below are the complete list of winners. Some I liked, others not so much, but that goes with every Oscar season. That's all until it starts all over again in about two weeks.

Best Picture: The King's Speech

Best Director: Tom Hooper - The King's Speech

Best Actor: Colin Firth - The King's Speech

Best Actress: Natalie Portman - Black Swan

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale - The Fighter

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo - The Fighter

Best Original Screenplay: David Seidler - The King's Speech

Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin - The Social Network

Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3

Best Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland

Best Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland

Best Cinematography: Inception

Best Film Editing: The Social Network

Best Original Score: The Social Network

Best Original Song: "We Belong Together" - Toy Story 3

Best Makeup: The Wolfman

Best Sound Mixing: Inception

Best Sound Editing: Inception

Best Visual Effects: Inception

Best Documentary Feature: Inside Job

Best Foreign Language Film: In a Better World

Best Live Action Short: God of Love

Best Animated Short: The Lost Thing

Best Documentary Short: Strangers No More

Final Oscar Predictions: The Rest...

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Will Win: Toy Story 3

Should Win: Toy Story 3

-Pixar is looking to take this award for the fourth consecutive year. How to Train Your Dragon could pull off a big upset, but considering Toy Story 3 has a Best Picture nomination, this win seems like a safe bet.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Will Win: The King’s Speech

Should Win: The Kids Are All Right

-The sweep headed for The King’s Speech is looking to be very present here, particularly with a warm recipient like David Seidler. I personally responded more so to Lisa Cholodenko’s warm family dramedy (I would even go for Nolan to make up for the Best Director snub), but that’s a distant choice in the Academy’s eyes.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Will Win: The Social Network

Should Win: The Social Network

-This looks to be the only category where The Social Network is locked and loaded to win, and the film is too good to go home completely empty handed. The most honored script of the year will deservedly take this award.

BEST ART DIRECTION

Will Win: The King’s Speech

Should Win: Inception

-The period visual spectacle of The King’s Speech, plus its Best Picture momentum, will give it an edge here, though Alice in Wonderland can remain a spoiler, since every Burton film nominated here has won in the past. However, I’m personally fond of the sleek, contemporary design of Inception for the win here.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Will Win: The King’s Speech

Should Win: The King’s Speech

-Like Art Direction, The King’s Speech should take this one for the momentum and the spectacle, but Alice in Wonderland could also remain a potential spoiler. This time, though, I would agree with the selection of the front-runner.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Will Win: True Grit

Should Win: Inception

-It’s a travesty that legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins has been nominated nine times for an Oscar and has never won once. I expect True Grit to be the “career” prize for him. Of the nominees, I’d go with the dazzling ambition of Inception, which could pull off an upset, but had Rodrigo Prieto’s gorgeous work on Biutiful been recognized, I’d have voted for it.

BEST EDITING

Will Win: The Social Network

Should Win: The Social Network

-There’s another battle between The Social Network and The King’s Speech. Considering the former has the editors’ guild award, I’m going with it’s tight control for the win. Of the nominees, I agree it should be victorious. Even still, it’s atrocious that Inception was snubbed here, because it is the obvious winner in this category for me.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Will Win: The King’s Speech

Should Win: Inception

-The two Best Picture frontrunners are battling it out, and either The King’s Speech or The Social Network could end up winning. However, Reznor just has one Oscar nomination, while Alexandre Desplat is sitting with four. I think he’ll benefit from the sweep, which is sad considering it’s one of his more lazier scores. Still, my preference is with Hans “BRRRWWWAAA” Zimmer.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Will Win: “We Belong Together” - Toy Story 3

Should Win: “We Belong Together” - Toy Story 3

-It was a weak field for this category, with the only one I liked being the catchy toe-tapper from Randy Newman. I think the Academy will agree, though be on the lookout for Alan Menken to possibly come in and grab a ninth Oscar for his mantle.

BEST MAKEUP

Will Win: The Wolfman

Should Win: The Wolfman

-I could conceivably see any of these nominees winning this award. I go with The Wolfman because veteran Rick Baker is behind it, and that pulls the film out into the light. I suppose I’d agree, but I still was thoroughly impressed by the accomplishments of Alice in Wonderland, critics be damned.

BEST SOUND MIXING

Will Win: Inception

Should Win: Inception

-Last year, I totally crapped out on both the sound categories. I’m hoping to redeem myself this time. Inception will walk away mostly empty handed, but the effects technicals are where I expect it to perform well. I see a well deserved win here.

BEST SOUND EDITING

Will Win: Inception

Should Win: Inception

-Same thing as the Sound Mixing category, and I’m looking for similar results.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Will Win: Inception

Should Win: Inception

-Crazy things can happen in this category (i.e. The Golden Compass over Transformers and Pirates 3), but Inception’s blend of practical and CG-effects looks like a pretty safe bet, as it should be.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Will Win: In a Better World

-I’ve only seen two out of the five films nominated: Biutiful and Dogtooth. I think Iñarritú’s film is too heavy for the Academy at large to go for, and Dogtooth is...well, it’s a miracle that film was even nominated. Going by the buzz on the street, it sounds like Denmark’s submission has the best chance. However, this category always likes to throw surprises, so your guess is as good as mine.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Will Win: Inside Job

Should Win: Exit Though the Gift Shop

-Charles Ferguson’s very detailed account of the financial meltdown has impressed a lot of people, and since this is his second trip back after previously being nominated for No End in Sight, I think he’ll take this one. However, I’m hoping for a miracle to be thrown the way of Banksy’s film. It deserved a Best Picture nomination, and is certainly the most entertaining film of the bunch.

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

Will Win: The Gruffalo

Should Win: Day & Night

-When it comes to the shorts, I’ve yet to correctly predict any one of them. Still, I try anyway. I think the whimsy and all-star voice cast behind The Gruffalo will take the cake. Though I would vote for Pixar’s popular short, and that’s not even because it’s the only one people have seen.

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

Will Win: The Crush

Should Win: The Confession

-Most people are predicting Na Wewe, a Belgium short about civil unrest in Burundi. It’s very emotional, but I can’t shake the feeling that the fancy and charm of The Crush might take it. It probably won’t, but my gut is saying there’s something calling attention to it. Of the nominees, I’d vote for The Confession, which is beautifully shot, marvelously directed and very well acted.

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Will Win: Strangers No More

-Always one of the most difficult categories to predict. I’m guessing that the tale of mixing ethnicities in an Israeli elementary school might take the edge and win. However, I’m nowhere near certain, and it’s really a shot in the dark.

Final Oscar Predictions: Best Picture

Will Win: The King’s Speech

It’s amazing. If you had asked me only a month ago who was going to win this award, I would have told you unequivocally that it was going to be The Social Network. However, after the major guild awards started to announce, there was a quick turnabout and support behind The King’s Speech. A former front-runner can survive one major precursor upset, but not all of them. The King’s Speech has shown itself as the one to beat. It may have missed the critical support, but the industry has spoken volumes to how much they love the film, and the industry is who votes for the Oscars. Make no mistake, The King’s Speech shall be crowned the royal victor.

Should Win: The Social Network

I wish this race was what is was before the guilds started taking over. I liked it when The Social Network was looking like the one that was going to win, because I agreed that sentiment. It’s smartly written, handsomely directed and incredibly acted. Among a limited sea of good movies that came out last year, this was the one that stood head and shoulders above the rest. It’s not the best film ever made, but it is certainly the one that engaged me the most than any other film of its year.

Final Oscar Predictions: Best Director

Will Win: David Fincher - The Social Network

For the past few years, this has been a relatively easy category to predict. However, recent events have made it more difficult. Fincher had been on a roll with the critics’ prizes, including the Golden Globe. Then the DGA messed things up by giving it to Tom Hooper, who hadn’t received one major directing prize prior. It’s close between the two, but I’m swaying toward Fincher now because Hooper couldn’t even win Best Director from the BAFTAs. That, coupled with the industry support Fincher has, makes me think he’ll take it in the end.

Should Win: David Fincher - The Social Network

Even though I’m predicting Fincher, he’s nowhere near the lock that he used to be, and is still fighting hard to win this award. I sincerely hope that Fincher can pull it out because I think he should. His direction may not be as flashy as something like Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button or even Zodiac, but it’s nevertheless an example of his controlled and calculated thinking that let’s the film work a certain kind of magic. It’s a tight race between him and Hooper, and I’m really hoping that Fincher can remind enough people why he was the front-runner in the first place.

Final Oscar Predictions: Best Actor

Will Win: Colin Firth - The King’s Speech

Often times, people don’t win the Oscar they deserve but for the one that is a representation of what they should have won for. Last year, Firth delivered a great performance in A Single Man, and was probably the runner-up to Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart. Ironically, Firth and Bridges are back, but now the tables have turned. Firth is, without a doubt, going to win this award. He delivers a fantastic performance and has been charming in all of his acceptance speeches. His film is probably going to pay off big, and he’s cashing in on it. I’m not even going to entertain the idea of an upset; Firth is the winner.

Should Win: James Franco - 127 Hours

This is perhaps the best category of nominees, as I would have no problem with any of these men taking the award. In another photo-finish, my vote in the end would be for Franco, as he delivered probably my favorite performance this year. It’s a tough job, as he carries virtually the entire film on his shoulders, and there is not one moment where he slips. He fills this role with an incredible reality, and he dives into a character that shares such close proximity to his audience. But he never gives up, and his dedication is incredible. If he hadn’t taken the job of hosting the Oscars, he might have even been a stronger threat against Firth. However, no one is unseating the king this year.

Final Oscar Predictions: Best Actress

Will Win: Natalie Portman - Black Swan

There’s very little wiggle room in this category. Portman has been out, front and center as the formidable frontrunner in this category. Nearly every Best Actress award under the sun has gone to her. You might look towards Annette Bening as a potential spoiler, and I do consider it a possibility that she could end up being the surprise winner. However, Bening’s lost too many opportunities to steal away the momentum from her main competitor, so the safe bet here is definitely Portman, and is looking to be the only win for her film.

Should Win: Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine

This is a very good category, but of these nominees, I’d have to say that Williams just manages to take the cake for me. Her role in the film is very tricky, and doesn’t allow for many of the emotional benders that Gosling is afforded (who is also very good, by the way). She’s absolutely devastating in a very complex role, and she handles many layers very well. She was a bit of a surprise nominee, and that never translates to surprise winners. However, her performance is incredibly real and genuine, and in my book, she’s the victor.

Final Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actor

Will Win: Christian Bale - The Fighter

Unlike the other supporting acting category, this one is all but sewn up. Bale has been the force to be reckoned with in this category, and he’s taken pretty much every important precursor, like the Critics’ Choice, Golden Globe and SAG Award. It’s a showy enough performance that grabs the attention of a lot of people. If The King’s Speech fever starts to sweep through the Academy, then BAFTA-winner Geoffrey Rush could possibly sneak in, and I consider that a strong possibility. However, the safe bet is Bale, and I think he’ll probably win.

Should Win: Christian Bale - The Fighter

Bale has been a very reliable actor for many years, and like so many other great actors, it’s been amazing that he’s never been nominated before. In this role, he feels incredibly genuine and packs a very emotional punch. There’s hardly a false note in his performance, and he completely embodies this character, like he always is capable of doing. I will stress, however, that Andrew Garfield was my personal pick for this category for his grounded and intriguing performance for The Social Network. However, he is not nominated and my second place victor is.

Final Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actress

Will Win: Haliee Steinfeld - True Grit

This is the only major category that is completely in flux. I think any one of these women could potentially take this award, and I would not be surprised at any result, which is at complete opposite to how this category went down last year. Right now, Melissa Leo has the momentum, taking nearly all of the major precursors. However, I can’t help but look at those ten nominations for True Grit, and think about the overwhelming support that little Hailee Steinfeld has. It also helps that it’s a lead performance in a supporting category, and coupled with potential vote splitting between Leo and he co-star Amy Adams, that could give an edge to Steinfled. Leo is still the front-runner, but I’m going with a Steinfeld upset.

Should Win: Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit

I’m a little torn in this category. I’m thrilled that Jacki Weaver made it in, and even declared her the winner in my own personal choices. However, Steinfeld also gives a superior performance to Weaver, and should win over her, but her performance for me cannot be classified as supporting. If I’m judging by the performances alone, I have to go with Steinfeld, who held her own against the big boys and kept up the emotional center of the film. It’s the best performance in this category, but she shouldn’t be here. So, the best performance is Steinfeld. But the best supporting actress is Weaver.

New Review: The Eagle

Roman Holiday

It can be tough in the early months of the new year. I’m of course mainly speaking on the movie-going front, as from about January through April, the hits are spare; few and far between the duds that represent why this period is so often referred to as the “dumping” period. It’s usually why I tend not to see too many films during this period, but I try my best anyway. In the lead up to the Academy Awards, I caught this film, which I believed had a pretty good pedigree to be successful. The results don’t really come together very well, but I do think there’s enough here to make this one of the year’s first entertaining recommendations.

It’s second century AD, with the Roman empire sweeping vast across the land. Here it lands in Britain, currently occupying the Scottish territories. Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) is the son of the commander who was part of the infamous Ninth Legion, the platoon that lost the golden eagle that stood as a symbol of Roman dominance. Aquila, seeking to clear his father’s reputation, eventually goes out to look for the idol. He takes along his journey a slave, Esca (Jamie Bell), who’s a native of the land and could potentially help Marcus with the customs. But there’s a justified animosity between the two, eventually leading to an understanding about the two of them.

This is a movie that seems to strive for a type of filmmaking that blends the modern and nostalgic. It’s action scenes and shallow plot are reminiscent of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, while the heavy tone is a throwback to the robed dramas of Hollywood’s heyday. Kevin Macdonald isn’t as accomplished a filmmaker as Scott, but he does create some really tense action scenes that are equally impressive as some of the quieter emotional moments. However, he still cannot save a very odd and inconsistent pace of the film, and much of its momentum cannot be held. There’s a slow burn to get the film going, and whenever a good piece of cinema starts to reveal itself, the pace starts to crawl again. It’s a delicate juggling act that the filmmakers never really get a handle on.

Tatum actually shows potential here as a promising actor, though his career has been a very uneven one as well. He doesn’t show quite enough depth to make this character fully fleshed-out, but he makes enough of an effort to to make him believable at least in the amount of complexity the film has to offer. Bell comes of quite impressive, as no challenge to him, though he isn’t given quite enough range to get the best out of his character. Same goes for Donald Sutherland who sleepwalks through the role of Marcus’s uncle. There’s a few reliable character actors here and there, but they’re generally just window dressing.

The film has a lot of pacing issues, is shallow when it comes to the depth of the acting, features some poor plot developments, and as a side note comes very close to the line of exploiting child endangerment. Still, most of it comes together to make a film that, if nothing else, accomplishes the simple task of being entertaining. The action is taut, the acting is capable enough, and I think at the end of the day, you’ll have a good time with it. Nowhere near a masterpiece, but in the vast dumping ground wasteland, you could certainly do worse.

B

Oldies Spin: Following

Following

It’s a general joy for many cinefiles to look back the early work of a beloved filmmaker. It’s nice to see where that person’s humble beginnings were and to see how their talent first showed and played to an audience and eventually grew into the refined sense that we see today. In this case, it is Christopher Nolan, a filmmaker who by no means if infallible, but is certainly a man I trust with some risky decisions because I’ve witnessed time and time again them pay off. I’m a fan of this filmmaker; some might even go so far as to call me a fanboy, which is a title I don’t even shy away from. Even still, this was the only film is Nolan’s catalogue that I had not seen. Having finally caught it, I can see the strands of DNA that I recognize in his later films. And like many of those later works, I enjoyed this one very much as well.

This is a very low-budget, guerilla filmmaking style that centers around an unnamed young man (Jeremy Theobald), a London loner who has an obsession with following random people on the street. One man he follows makes him and confronts him. The man is Cobb (Alex Haw), and he’s a thief, of sorts. He breaks into people’s houses more for the fun of distorting their lives rather than monetary gain, and he draws the young stranger into a complicated web of deceit, fortune and a twisty end to it all.

If you’re a fan of Christopher Nolan, then you’ll certainly see how this can be an early start for him. Even though it’s a lot less polished than his more recent films, there’s still the essence of his ideology. The script still likes to play with the timeline, an ambition he’s been departing from lately, and there’s a lot of playful entertainment value to his style. He even includes the patented Nolan uniform: a clean cut suit to show the world that you don’t have to be a distinguished gentlemen to dress like one. Even though he’s often the victim of usual low-budget filmmaking, as clearly evident by his only barely visible job as DP, he still manages to make it all work, culminating in a pretty solid debut.

If there’s one major point to take the film down, it’s in the acting, particularly the lead. For some reason, Nolan has had a habit of having his lead be the least interesting character, but the actor he chooses usually knows how to make it work. That’s not the case this time, as Theobald is far too reactionary and bland to make an impact. Haw is a little better, but his charm might be just do to the fact that he’s playing a character with the same name and similar occupation as DiCaprio’s in Inception, and seeing the genesis of the character is helping the performance.

It’s actually a little strange to watch the film because since Nolan has become such an established player, it almost feels like a low-rent rip-off of his later work. Still, that’s not uncommon (look at where Tarantino has been then look at Reservoir Dogs). This isn’t a flawless masterpiece; hardly any Nolan film is. And there are limits to how ambitious it could be with the budget and circumstances. However, that doesn’t matter, and probably presented the challenge to make an even better film. This is still a great gem in the Nolan crown: it’s smart, witty, entertaining, and at barely over seventy minutes, quite quick. If you’re a fan of his, then I’m guessing you’ll appreciate this freshman effort as well.

B+