Sunday, February 26, 2012

OSCARS! or In the Nick of Time!

Good morning Oblog readers!
Well, with a Hurculean effort I managed to finally see FIVE of the best picture nominees… FIVE! That…doesn’t sound as impressive as it did in my head. But consider that I had to watch one of those in 3D. Ugh. Let’s get that out of the way: not being shown anywhere in 2D where I live, I chanced Hugo in 3D, and wow, was I right in hating the medium. (Here comes the rant…) It forces the viewer to concentrate so hard on the different levels of focus that the amount of attention and focus said viewer can focus on the story unfolding in front of them is diminished. For this reason, and for the headache that followed, I couldn’t love Hugo as much as I might have, though it was, otherwise, a sweet and pretty touching story.
The Help was a great story, well told and VERY well acted, and while I would have liked more
praise going towards the marvellous Allison Janney and the exquisite Thomas Newman, I agree with its nomination here.
Same with The Descendants, although I’m not sure I would call it Clooney’s best ever performance. It was a great script, and some standout performances, especially by Shailene Woodley, but will I remember it in ten years?
War Horse made me bawl like a little bebbe, because the next worst thing than dogs dying on
screen is horses dying on screen. I loved the structure of the vignettes and the quality of the light the cinematographer used. I actually thought this movie was better than the critics purported. I heard people say things like “it doesn’t do anything new,” but what does that even MEAN? Does every Spielberg movie have to have dinosaurs in it to deserve accolades? Sucks for him.
Anyway, this brings us to the last film: The Artist. I just…loved. It. Utterly, utterly charming and beautiful, with a great premise and fascinating execution. And the leads were incredible. While the whole silence thing can be a little confronting to begin with, it is completely worth hanging in there. Plus, I mean, have you heard about this dog? There was one moment where I could almost
hear his voice, I swear.
Anyway, these are the best pic nominees about which I feel I have a bit of authority. For the rest, it’s back to the old standby: winging it.

Best Motion Picture of the Year
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse
The Artist has been winning EVERYTHING, which doesn’t always indicate a lock, but in this case the hype is justified, and Hollywood really seems to be embracing this non-conventional film. Hugo is probably the next runner up, although my dislike of 3D may have something to do with my lack of enthusiasm. Extremely Loud… is way too much of a surprise to everyone (and not in a good way) to do any big damage, and Midnight in Paris is going to be recognised in the writing category. Hugo is a great fable, and well-created, but there’s just something about The ArtistThe Help is a dark horse, and depends on the Academy’s mood at the time. The Descendants is also putting up a good fight, but I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for a little good old-fashioned storytelling.
Who SHOULD win: The Artist
Who WILL win: The Artist

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Demián Bichir for A Better Life
George Clooney for The Descendants
Jean Dujardin for The Artist
Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt for Moneyball
A lot of critics are calling Clooney’s role in The Descendants his career best, which is kind of offensive, given his age—sorry, Mr Clooney, that’s as good as you’re going to get. Dujardin has the SAG award in his pocket, which is a good indicator for the Oscars, and this would mark the first time a French actor has won this award, which could be either good or bad for his chances. Gary Oldman has his first nomination, and boy howdy, he does well, but I think the film and his performance came out too late in the USA for the required buzz to generate. All reports indicate that Brad Pitt is doing great work in Moneyball, but as I haven’t seen it, I’ll have to take their word for it. I know absolutely nothing about Demian Bichir, so…sorry about that. I’m going with Dujardin, because his performance demanded more of him, I think. Once the words are taken away there is only the actor, his face and his performance, and his was fantastic.
Who SHOULD win: Jean Dujardin for The Artist
Who WILL win: Jean Dujardin for The Artist

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis for The Help
Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn
A good year for female roles, this year. The competition here is between Davis, Streep and
Williams, and it’s kind of difficult to see which way the tide is turning. At the moment, I believe Davis is getting the most hype, and she gave a very good performance, so that’s ok. The fact that Streep’s performance was the best thing about her movie might be working against her, but she pulled off Margaret Thatcher with the kind of aplomb and talent we have come to expect of her. Part of me would really like her to get this, just because she’s so darn good at what she does. Michelle Williams is my pick for best performance this year—while I SO do not agree with the people who say she was a dead ringer for Monroe (she just ISN’T. Deal.) she does get her mannerisms, physicality and vulnerability down pat. My senses waver hourly between Davis and Streep…

Who SHOULD win: Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn
Who WILL win: Viola Davis, The Help

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill for Moneyball
Nick Nolte for Warrior
Christopher Plummer for Beginners
Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Right, so I’m only 2/5 in this category, but even I know that Christopher Plummer has this one in the bag. I did see Beginners, actually, and while it wasn’t the broad comedy the poster suggested it was, it was an interesting look into a young man’s attempts to live his life. Plummer is good, very good, and I do sort of love him, but I was possibly a little more impressed by Branagh’s take on Olivier. Such suppressed frustration and rage hidden beneath Good English Manners and a Desire to Sleep with the Leading Lady, with an overriding sense of worth and talent to round it off. I don’t think Branagh will get it, and in fact von Sydow and Nolte are closer bets if anyone is going to upset Plummer’s race. PS, I can’t quite accept that Hill is now an Oscar nominee. Ugh.
Who SHOULD win: Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn
Who WILL win: Christopher Plummer for Beginners

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Bérénice Bejo for The Artist
Jessica Chastain for The Help
Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer for The Help
I’ve loved Melissa McCarthy ever since Gilmore Girls, and I haven’t seen Bridesmaids, but having had some of her role described to me I’m just not sure about her here. Ah well. Bejo was lovely in The Artist, and can’t really be discounted, even though she's clearly a lead, not a support, but Spencer pretty much has this one wrapped up. While Chastain really impressed me in The Help, the indicators show that this is Spencer’s to lose.

Who SHOULD win: Jessica Chastain, The Help
Who WILL win: Octavia Spencer, The Help

Best Achievement in Directing
Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris
Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life
Alexander Payne for The Descendants
Martin Scorsese for Hugo
Interesting group. Malick has been receiving a bunch of critical acclaim for his film, but I think he’s always going to be a bit out there for the Academy, not in the same sense as Brokeback Mountain, but more in the We Know it’s Great, But We’re Not Sure We Understand It sense. Apparently Midnight… is Woody Allen’s best work in a while, and the Academy loves Alexander Payne, but I think it’s between Scorsese and Hazanavicius. Scorsese got the Globe, but Hazanavicius got the DGA award. Hmm. It may be no surprise to those who have read this far, but I’m going for The Artist.
Who SHOULD win: Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Who WILL win: Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
The Artist: Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids: Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo
Margin Call: J.C. Chandor
Midnight in Paris: Woody Allen
A Separation: Asghar Farhadi
This belongs to Woody Allen, I think, because he won’t win the Director award, and also because, you know, it’s a great script, and when Woody is on form, he’s REALLY on form. The Artist has a great directorial, as opposed to dialogue-heavy script, and the fact that A Separation is here
means it’s really deserving—they don’t tend to hand out nominations to foreign films lightly.
Who SHOULD win: Woody Allen, for Midnight in Paris
Who WILL win: Woody Allen, for Midnight in Paris

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
The Descendants: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Hugo: John Logan
The Ides of March: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon
Moneyball: Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan
Clooney and Heslov make a great writing team, and I couldn’t love Aaron Sorkin more, but I suspect this will be a win for The Descendants. It is a touching, subtle and nuanced script, so I salute it. Tinker Tailor has a great script, based on what is apparently a great book, and otherwise Hugo is a charming tale (it’s hard to put that in print without sounding condescending), so it’s not all over. We’ll see what the Fat Lady does.
Who SHOULD win: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash for The Descendants
Who WILL win: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash for The Descendants

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango
I’ve seen exactly one of these, and while I’m still wondering where the HECK The Adventures of Tintin is (I mean…SERIOUSLY? It’s all because they don’t know what to do with computer animation, not feeling comfortable placing it in the live action categories (more on that later) and somehow not sure it’s still animation…I mean, KIDS could make this decision) I’m pretty confident in Rango getting this. It was a surprisingly funny movie, really well voiced and with some of the ugliest animated animals you’ve ever seen. Meanwhile, Pixar completely stuffed up with the lacklustre Cars 2, the mediocrity of which could have been foreseen by anyone who saw Cars, although I know a bunch of kids who loved both of them, so who’s to judge? Unfortunately, the Academy is. So long, Pixar. If not Rango, then one of the random top two films. (Side note: I have had to convince far too many people of the fact that just because it’s a kid’s movie, no, the Muppets are not cartoons. Come on, people. Plug in.)
Who SHOULD win: Rango
Who WILL win: Rango

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Bullhead (Belgium)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)
I’m afraid I’m following my usual crappy track with watching foreign films, so all I have to report here is what I’ve heard. And so, I bring you, A Separation.
Who SHOULD win: A Separation
Who WILL win: A Separation

Best Achievement in Cinematography
The Artist: Guillaume Schiffman
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Jeff Cronenweth
Hugo: Robert Richardson
The Tree of Life: Emmanuel Lubezki
War Horse: Janusz Kaminski
I know I’m talking a lot about giving awards to console people for losing other awards, but…well that’s just the way things are. And so, The Tree of Life may just win something here, having done well at the Cinematographer’s Guild Awards. Meanwhile, the light Kaminski used in War Horse was beautiful—starting off gentle and golden in the fields of Devon, moving to the gloom of war and back to the never-the-same blood-red sunset of the end. Just lovely. The Artist had fantastic technique, using a film speed that would give them the slightly jerky, quick quality of black and white films of the 20s and 30s. And some people really seem to like Hugo, and if I hadn’t been fighting the third dimension I might have been able to marvel more at that. Um…
Who SHOULD win: The Artist
Who WILL win: The Tree of Life


Best Achievement in Editing
The Artist: Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants: Kevin Tent
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
Hugo: Thelma Schoonmaker
Moneyball: Christopher Tellefsen
The Academy has a history of really liking action movie editing, so there’s a possibility that Tattoo will get this. I acknowledge that Hugo would have had a big job editing around and sliding in and out of CGI and live shots. I love Thelma, but I’m pulling for The Artist here. Flawless.
Who SHOULD win: The Artist
Who WILL win: The Artist

Best Achievement in Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
War Horse
Hurrah for Harry Potter! Having said that, I think Hugo might have this, although you can’t really ever discount the power of a period film like War Horse. But sets like Hugo’s bookshop and the inner workings of the clock towers are just so detailed and warm and encompassing. I still love The Artist.
Who SHOULD win: Hugo
Who WILL win: Hugo

Best Achievement in Costume Design
Anonymous: Lisy Christl
The Artist: Mark Bridges
Hugo: Sandy Powell
Jane Eyre: Michael O'Connor
W.E.: Arianne Phillips
I wonder if Sandy Powell is just over the whole Oscar thing. Last time she used her speech to
direct people’s attention to all the contemporary films whose costume designers are artists and yet go unrecognised due to corset-shortage (Her quote: “Um…I already have two of these…”). Unfortunately, no one at the academy was listening, and so here we are. The costumes in Hugo were great, and Powell is a power player in this category (as opposed to the Sound Mixing category, where she is a dismal failure). The Artist had some fantastic pieces, and really set the mood and ambience of Hollywood’s early years. Unsurprisingly, I am not pulling for a film by
Madonna.

Who SHOULD win: The Artist
Who WILL win: Hugo

Best Achievement in Makeup
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
The Iron Lady
Meryl Streep becomes Margaret Thatcher and then OLD Margaret Thatcher. Glenn Close becomes a man. And Ciaran Hinds becomes someone who looks enough like Dumbledore to have been his brother. Which doesn’t sound as impressive as it really is, and in fact it used incredible advances in makeup. And so despite the trend seeming to go with The Iron Lady, I’m voting for Harry.
Who SHOULD win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Who WILL win: Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
The Adventures of Tintin: John Williams
The Artist: Ludovic Bource
Hugo: Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: Alberto Iglesias
War Horse: John Williams
As the Academy continues to snub Thomas Newman... The score for Tinker Tailor was evocative and uncomfortable and tense, and completely fit the movie, and Williams and Shore are established BIG score composers (War Horse was especially good, and didn’t overpower the movie, like some of Williams’ big scores have done). The Artist was heavily influenced by the silent movie scores of early Hollywood, and was for the most part the only sound and pseudo-dialogue. If Williams hadn’t split his own vote I might have thought he’d finally get another one.
Who SHOULD win: Ludovic Bource for The Artist
Who WILL win: Ludovic Bource for The Artist

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
The Muppets: Bret McKenzie("Man or Muppet")
Rio: Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, Siedah Garrett("Real in Rio")
I can’t believe these are the ONLY two songs they could come up with. But being a fan of Conchords and also, obviously, Muppets, I’m going to give it to them. Meanwhile, PLEASE Google the fake Randy Newman original song for We Need To Talk About Kevin. It is gold. Pure, solid gold.
Who SHOULD win: “Man or Muppet” by Bret McKenzie, from The Muppets
Who WILL win: “Man or Muppet” by Bret McKenzie, from The Muppets

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
I’ve only seen Hugo and War Horse, I’m afraid, but I did note the use of sound in the latter, at least, which was very effective. I’m giving it to Hugo because of its plethora of nominations, and because I think it will get the following award.
Who SHOULD win: War Horse
Who WILL win: Hugo

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
Hugo has the best chance here, but I can never predict how they’re going to treat action movies
like Transformers and Tattoo—I thought Black Hawk Down had rubbish sound, and look what happened there? I think the matching of sound to the many computer-generated images will tip
the scales in Hugo’s favour.
Who SHOULD win: Hugo
Who WILL win: Hugo

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Here comes another rant. Andy Serkis is pretty much known as the go-to-guy for motion capture
acting. It was bad enough they didn’t really consider Gollum, but we can look past that because it was so new. Here, however, he’s put in a really touching performance (far more likeable than any of the other actors), and because technology has enhanced his image the Academy doesn’t know what to do with him. The SAG awards gave him an acting nomination. It’s not just the effect. End of rant. So. Let’s face it, I’d love Harry Potter to win just about everything. And it’s difficult to ignore dancing fighting robots. But then there’s the aforementioned Serkis and those damned,
dirty apes…
Who SHOULD win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Who WILL win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Best Documentary, Features
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated
Oh who knows? WHO? It’s time to play Fun With Titles! Is anyone else amused by the acronym ELF?
Who SHOULD win: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (because lord knows, what that poem needed was two sequels…)
Who WILL win: Undefeated

Best Documentary, Short Subjects
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
Saving Face, I have just discovered, is about the lives of women who are victims of acid attacks in Pakistan, which are apparently not that rare. Jeebus. Tsunami is, unfortunately, pretty much what it says on the tin. Not happy chaps here in Documentary land.

Who SHOULD win: God is the Bigger Elvis
Who WILL win: Saving Face

Best Short Film, Animated
Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life
A little firmer ground here. La Luna is Pixar’s offering, and they’re just awesome, although not
outright winners in this category, if history is anything to go by. A Morning Stroll contains both a chicken and a zombie, which is always reason enough for me, but the best title and best story line
(involving a magical tale of worlds within books) goes to The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore.
Who SHOULD win: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore
Who WILL win: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore

Best Short Film, Live Action
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic
Is it too much to hope that The Shore is Jersey-related? Yes? But it has Ciaran Hinds in it!
Dumbledore’s brother! Still, Tuba Atlantic has my vote here. Why? Because it’s about a man who, in his final days, finds as many creative ways as possible to kill the seagulls that swarm over his house. Seriously.
Who SHOULD win: Tuba Atlantic
Who WILL win: The Shore

Well, in the words of Shakespeare (or was it Bugs Bunny?) that's all folks! Happy tipping!

Oscars! Now with 100% more Billy!

It's that time of year again, but better! The pictures are fantastic, Billy Crystal is hosting again and I've finally managed to write these OBlogs. So here goes!
Best performance by an animal in a motion picture
Hundreds! Thousands! There were…okay, there were about five, but still! Look at all the animal parts in the movies this year!

Uggie, in The Artist: Oh my, what an adorable creature. Not only is he wicked smart, but he was saved from a trip to the pound by a trainer who then put him in this movie. Best moment: he part where Uggie begs his owner not to kill himself…I swear I could almost hear him pleading. Wah.
Joey, in War Horse: Gosh, and here I’ve used up my “Wah” in the previous entry. Could not. Stop. Crying. Best moment: the frantic race through the trenches, only to end up covered in barbed wire in No Man’s Land. Oh gosh, I’ve got something in my eye…
Arthur, in Beginners: Poor little bugger’s owner died, leaving him a bit confused and VERY neurotic, to the point that he just could NOT be left alone in the house. Best moment: having a heart to heart with Ewan McGregor about how he needs to learn to talk.
Koko, in Red Dog: How much did everyone just want to own a red dog after this? He certainly put up with a heck of a lot of red dust makeup, but Koko’s expressions were what sold him in this film, and what had everyone invested in his fate. Best moment: his entrance, sitting in the middle of nowhere, waiting for a lift.
And the Oscar Beanie goes to…Uggie, because he seemed to be really acting.
Best performance by an inanimate object
The key, Hugo: which brought together such disparate people and gave life to an automaton.
Chocolate pie, The Help: because you’ll never look at one in the same way again.
The chess pieces, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: because of the way they moved around the board
The Boer War pennant, War Horse: because I AM NOT CRYING, that’s why!
And the Oscar Beanie goes to…Mini’s chocolate pie. Because never has the appearance of a pastry meant so much.

Best form of transport in a motion picture
Motorcycle, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: certainly a cool way to get around, but then my memory is that it doesn’t turn out to be particularly safe…
Apparition, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2: quick, neat, but with the possibility of splinching if you’re not paying attention.
Horse, War Horse: an excellent way to start out, but what about at the end of the day, when you
just can’t feel your bum?
Private car, The Artist and The Iron Lady: probably best in the first instance, because in one case you are being driven by the farmer guy from Babe, and in the other you are being followed by angry, angry mobs.
And the Oscar Beanie goes to… Apparition. It’s the fact that it’s instantaneous, and I hate traffic. I promise I’ll pay attention!

Best one-liner
“Perfect! Can you give me one more?” From The Artist
“Elizabeth is dying. Wait... Fuck you! And she's dying.” From The Descendants
“Fried chicken just tend to make you feel better about life.” From The Help
“Marilyn, my darling, you are an angel and I kiss the hem of your garment but why can't you get here on time for the love of FUCK?” From My Week With Marilyn
And the Oscar Beanie goes to…The Artist. A little goes a long way.