Movie Reviews from the Dark

Greetings again from the darkness.  Well the 84^th Academy Awards came and went with very few surprises, a plodding pace, and (mostly) safe show from Billy Crystal, back for his 9^th time as host. The ceremony began with the expected video montage/mash-up/spoof with Crystal appearing in key scenes from the year’s top films … including a hospital bed kiss from George Clooney (as his character from The Descendants).  That opening would have been fine, but then we were subjected to another Crystal tradition – the musical medley of all nine Best Picture nominations. Additionally, the opening provided the first of at least three cracks about the removal of Kodak’s naming rights to the theatre (“Ch. 11 Theatre”).

Two things became clear as the evening progressed: there was a concerted effort to “sell” the magic of movies, and the shuffled order of awards did not work so well.  The “talking head” shots played throughout had numerous actors (and moms) talking about the impact of movies on their lives; an obvious reaction to the down year at the box office in 2011.  The funniest part of these interludes was the multiple appearances by Adam Sandler the day after he received a record 11 Razzies nominations. He has made plenty of big box office movies, but has never been what you would call an Oscar favorite.

 The Artist and Hugo were the top winners of the evening with 5 Oscars each.  As expected, the black & white silent film won the biggies: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor.  The wins for Hugo were more technical: cinematography, sound, visual effects.  There were only a couple of winners that could be termed a surprise, and what many thought would be the closest race (Best Actress) went to 17 time nominee, and now 3 time winner, Meryl Streep, for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.  As for my personal pre-Oscar predictions, I got 18 of 24 categories correct.

In no particular order, here are some of my random observations and thoughts:

Christopher Plummer became the oldest Oscar winner at age 82 (for Beginners), and I wish he had pulled out a guitar and sang “Edelweiss”

Meryl Streep is an amazing actress … maybe the best ever …but her acceptance speeches are wretched.

Did anyone ever imagine that P Diddy (producer of Undefeated) would win an Oscar before Viola Davis or Glenn Close?

The Academy Awards technical team could not, given 3 hours, fix the audio problem on the stage microphones?

Chris Rock was very funny talking about voice acting. Now that is comedy talent.  He should be hosting.

Emma Stone brought energy and goofiness to an evening in need of life-support. Were she and Ben Stiller riffing on James Franco and Anne Hathaway or was that just my imagination?

Iran, Pakistan and France were all winners.  There has to be a punchline there somewhere.

The Scorcese drinking game has gone viral thanks to Rose Byrne and Melissa McCarthy.

The Worst Precedent: allowing Sacha Baron Cohen to walk the red carpet as the character from his upcoming movie.  At future Oscar ceremonies, should we expect super heroes, cartoon characters and movie dogs … maybe studio-sponsored gowns?

Christopher Guest’s band of comedy misfits was pretty funny in the “Focus Group” bit revolving around The Wizard of Oz and flying monkeys.

Cirque du Soleil performers are incredibly talented and athletic … much more daring than Angelina Jolie’s exposed right leg.

You know how you can tell things aren’t all bad … Flight of the Conchords got some recognition!  Congratulations to Bret McKenzie for his “Man or Muppet” Oscar.

Winner I would have liked to have seen: God is the Bigger Elvis for Short Documentary. That would have given actress-turned-nun Dolores Hart her moment on stage

Interesting red carpet moment: Prince Albert of Monaco attended as a guest of Disney.  He is the son of Grace Kelly, who died 30 years ago.

Most Inspirational: breast cancer survivors Robin Roberts and Giuliana Rancic were working the red carpet for ABC and E! Network, respectively.

 This year’s Academy Awards will receive some of the same criticism it receives every year.  However, it should be remembered that, at its core, this is an awards ceremony.  That means announcing nominees, handing out trophies, and giving the winners a chance to say thanks.  Some of those winners are as humble and touched as Octavia Spencer, and that’s good enough for me.  So whether you love or hate the Oscars, don’t confuse that with the magic of the movies.  It seemed appropriate to end on a sales pitch for movies!

 Greetings again from the darkness.  It’s Oscar time again!  Ballots for the 84th Academy Awards were due today.  The only real question remaining is just how many gold statues The Artist will win.  It has ten nominations and some are predicting it could win as many as nine!  Me??? I mostly scratch my head at this fascinating juggernaut that appears to be unstoppable.  Don’t get me wrong, I found the movie to be quite entertaining and, being a cinephile, I appreciated the historical nod to early Hollywood … just wouldn’t be my choice as the Best Picture of the year. 
 
Every year, there are at least a couple of surprise winners, but unfortunately it doesn’t appear that The Help edging out The Artist will be one of them.  You will have to uncover those shockers in the lesser categories.
 
This week we learned that Academy voters average 62 years of age and are over 95% Caucasian.  That can be valuable data as you are filling out your Oscar ballots.  And in keeping with that theme, Billy Crystal is back as host of the ceremony and there will be a performance from Cirque du Soleil.  This is Academy’s response to the controversy surrounding the original team of host Eddie Murphy and director Brett Ratner. 
 
As is my tradition, you will find both my PREDICTION and my PREFERENCE for each of the 24 categories.  While there are a couple of “no brainer” picks this year, there are enough “two horse races” that I expect a final score of 17 or 18 would win most office contests.  When in doubt, pick The Artist!

BEST PICTURE

  PREDICTION: THE ARTIST.  One of the no-brainers I mentioned … it would be a shock if The Help could pull an upset.  The Descendants was an early favorite, but even Hawaii pales in comparison to the black & white artistry.

PREFERENCE: THE TREE OF LIFE.  The favorite movie for me and many critics.  It was the most moving cinematic experience of the year, but too divisive to actually win the award.

BEST DIRECTOR

 PREDICTION: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist.  The only chance for an upset comes from Martin Scorcese for Hugo, and his visionary use of 3D in an entirely new genre. 

PREFERENCE: Martin Scorcese

BEST ACTOR

 PREDICTION: Jean Dujardin, The Artist.  George Clooney (The Descendants) was the odds-on favorite until the juggernaut known as The Artist got rolling.  A win for Clooney would now be considered an upset.

PREFERENCE: Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The consummate actor for so many years, his nuanced performance had me mesmerized during this intricate film.

BEST ACTRESS

 PREDICTION: Viola Davis, The Help.  She was the foundation of the film and never once over-played a scene.  Meryl Streep was stunning as Margaret Thatcher, but once again will probably have her performance taken for granted.

PREFERENCE: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady.  While I loved Viola Davis’ performance as part of an impressive ensemble, Streep was the epitome of a leading lady carrying a film and making it better than it would have been.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

 PREDICTION: Christopher Plummer, Beginners.  This is another of the no-brainers, and one of my favorite performances in one of my favorite movies of the year. Some think Max von Sydow can win for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, but the movie was just not well received.  Either would be the oldest Oscar winner in history.

PREFERENCE: Christopher Plummer, Beginners.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

 PREDICTION: Octavia Spencer, The Help. The number one no-brainer of the night. Her performance was funny, painful and insightful, and brought depth to what could have been a mess in less capable hands.

PREFERENCE: Octavia Spencer, The Help.

ANIMATED FEATURE

 PREDICTION: Rango.  The most complex and entertaining and oddball animated film of the year.

PREFERENCE: Rango.

DOCUMENTARY

PREDICTION: UNDEFEATED.  One of the toughest categories to call this year and the only one where all five nominees have a chance.

PREFERENCE: PINA. More tribute than documentary, it’s a fascinating look at the brilliant choreographer through the eyes and performances of her dance company.

BEST SCORE

PREDICTION: THE ARTIST. Hey, there were (almost) no words, so the music was vital … at least that’s the argument.  And I can’t wait to hear Kim Novak’s reaction should it win!

PREFERENCE: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.  Haunting, jazzy mood music in a film with almost as little dialogue as the juggernaut.

BEST SONG

 PREDICTION: “MAN OR MUPPET”, The Muppets, Bret McKenzie.  There are only two nominees so everyone has a 50-50 chance!

PREFERENCE: “Man or Muppet”, The Muppets, Bret McKenzie.  Are you kidding?  One of the “Flight of the Conchords” could win an Oscar?  That is so awesome!

CINEMATOGRAPHY

PREDICTION: Guillaume Schiffman, The Artist.  Getting more attention than (in my opinion) the far superior work by Emmanuel Lubezki in The Tree of Life

PREFERENCE: Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life

ART DIRECTION

PREDICTION: HUGO, Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo.  However it could be a victim of The Artist juggernaut

PREFERENCE: Hugo, Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo (a husband and wife team)

COSTUME DESIGN

PREDICTION: Mark Bridges, The Artist.  Outside shot for Hugo.

PREFERENCE: Michael O’Connor, Jane Eyre.  Underrated film with realistic costumes

FILM EDITING

PREDICTION: Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist.  This award usually goes to the Best Picture winner, though Thelma Schoonmaker is probably more deserving for Hugo.

PREFERENCE: Thelma Schoonmaker, Hugo

DOCUMENTARY SHORT

PREDICTION: GOD IS BIGGER THAN ELVIS.  Interesting story of the actress-turned-nun who gave Elvis his first on screen kiss.  Another tough category to predict, and it could go to The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom.

PREFERENCE: God is Bigger Than Elvis. 

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

PREDICTION: THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR MORRIS LESSMORE.  Horrible title, great little film.  Close competition from A Morning Stroll

PREFERENCE: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore.  I really didn’t want to type it again, but it was clearly the best to me.

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

PREDICTION: PENTECOST.  Funny usually wins this category.

PREFERENCE: The Shore. Beautifully shot with a terrific script and top notch acting

MAKE-UP

 PREDICTION: The Iron Lady.  This could be the chance for the Academy to recognize the splendor of the Harry Potter franchise.

PREFERENCE: The Iron Lady.  Old person make-up that actually worked.

SOUND EDITING

PREDICTION: Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty, Hugo.  Could be a nod to Spielberg’s War Horse.

PREFERENCE: Hugo

SOUND MIXING

PREDICTION: Tom Fleishman and John Midgley, Hugo.  Could be a nod to Spielberg’s War Horse

PREFERENCE: Hugo

VISUAL EFFECTS

 PREDICTION: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.  With Hugo, it is the most deserving … but another category where Harry Potter could get rewarded.

PREFERENCE: Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but I would be happy with Hugo as well

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

PREDICTION: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris.  Great dialogue in spite of Owen Wilson.  The Hemingway stuff alone is worth the price of admission.  Competition from The Artist, of course.

PREFERENCE: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

PREDICTION: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, The Descendants. Competition from Academy favorite Aaron Sorkin for Moneyball

PREFERENCE: The Descendants

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

 PREDICTION: A SEPARATION.  One of the best films of the year … too bad I saw it after my “Best of” list was published.  In Darkness could surprise.

PREFERENCE: A Separation

If you missed my “Best of 2011”, here is the link:

https://moviereviewsfromthedark.wordpress.com/annual-bests-2/best-of-2011/

As predicted, my Oscar predictions were predictably shaky this year … predictably shaky except for the predictions that were predictably easy to predict.

 Let’s begin with the hosting team of James Franco and Anne Hathaway.  These two gorgeous young people were supposed to have a positive impact on the 18-29 age demographic.  However, with the overall viewer numbers down from last year, I am not sure they possess the star power necessary to draw in the younger voters.  Mr. Franco should probably be grateful the numbers were down.  He was flat out horrible.  A pretty face, but boring nonetheless.

Anne Hathaway, on the other hand, was an energizer bunny onstage.  She really gave it her all.  Unfortunately, she just wasn’t capable of carrying the load at an event this size.  She is incredibly talented, but must have felt stranded … given the disappearing act of Franco and the actual last minute duet cancelation by Hugh Jackman.  How did he get to keep his front row seat after that stunt?

 Much ado about Franco’s pace these days what with acting, producing and attending film school.  Maybe he used this event to fine-tune his character should a sequel to Pineapple Express get made.  Whatever the reason, he contributed almost nothing and appeared disinterested and foggy through most of the evening.  To make it even more painful, the Academy included such classic hosts from the past as Billy Crystal, Alec Baldwin and even Bob Hope!

Anyway, this night is not about the hosts … it’s about one thing: how well or shabby do the ladies dress!  Yes, I am kidding.  Of course, it’s about the movies and the movie stars and the filmmakers.  No need to list the winners, but let’s talk some specifics:

Mothers received more frequent shout-outs than what is typical.  That’s a nice change of pace from the agents, publicists and producers.  Really, the only mother missing was the one that Melissa Leo didn’t tack on to her F-Bomb!  That’s a first for the Academy Awards’ stage, and really inexcusable … even if she did win for playing a tough ole’ broad from Lowell, Mass.

 Even the weaker sex got some recognition.  Original Screenplay winner David Seidler (The King’s Speech) had the line of the night when he said his Father had predicted he would be “a late bloomer”.  Mr. Seidler is the oldest winner of this particular award.  His story is even more interesting once you know that he struggled with a severe stutter when he was younger.

Even Grandmother’s got in on it … during the opening, James Franco’s grandmother stood up and gushed about seeing Marky Mark.

 What little defense I can offer Melissa Leo is that she had to deal with  94 year old presenter Kirk Douglas, who was obviously relishing his moment back in the spotlight.

Other than the cheesy promo to a boxing website, Christian Bale’s speech was remarkably heartfelt and even touching, as he reached out to his loving wife for her support.  Hopefully he shaves that beard before Batman starts filming next month.

Expected winners Colin Firth and Natalie Portman gave very classy acceptance speeches.  Note to future winners: when in doubt, copy one of these two speeches.

David Fincher (The Social Network) looked like he was in a horrible mood all night, but it was really nice to see the overlooked Christopher Nolan get so much praise and admiration from the technical award winners for Inception.

Second best line of the night was when Live Action Short surprise winner Luke Metheny bounded onstage and proclaimed “I guess I should have gotten a haricut”.

 Other than Franco’s lack of effort, the most amazing thing to me was listening to the four non-descript nominated Best Songs.  Luckily for us, Randy Newman won his second Oscar in 20 (yes TWENTY) nominations, so we were treated to 90 seconds of this man’s comically self-deprecating genius.

Overall, it was a pretty uneventful ceremony with almost zero “Wow” factor, and no shockers amongst the winners … probably a fitting end to the 2010 film year.  And I am guessing no one is happier to see Awards season come to an end than the VERY pregnant Natalie Portman.  She will probably be wearing sweats with her feet propped up for quite awhile!

 OK, so one quick note on the attire – I was very happy to see that most everyone dressed very well.  This has always been a glamorous event and it’s a shame when a few just don’t get it.  Heck, even Helena Bonham Carter almost blended in (and her shoes matched)!  Youngsters, Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) and Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) were especially radiant and seem to have that magical combination of grace, personality, looks and talent … stardom awaits!

A quick tally of the winners:

 The King’s Speech – 4 wins (including Best Picture)

Inception – 4 wins (including Cinematography)

The Social Network – 3 wins (including Trent Reznor’s score)

2 wins each – Toy Story 3, The Fighter, Alice in Wonderland

It always seems awkward closing out the previous year’s films in February or March, but it’s time to kick 2011 in gear.  Get thyself to a theatre!!

Greetings again from the darkness.  Since I jumped on the soapbox in my intro for last year’s Oscar Predictions, I shall remain firmly planted on the ground for this year’s edition.  I do love movies and I have a real affinity for the Academy Awards … despite the fact that many/most winners will not be aligned with my personal preference.  No matter – it’s a glamorous event dedicated to an art form I appreciate.

With Anne Hathaway and James Franco entrusted to host the show, I believe it is the first time that a Lead Actor nominee will serve as host in the same year as their nomination.  It will be interesting to see what they do with Mr. Franco (127 Hours) during the presentation of his category.  These two young actors are immensely and diversely talented, and should bring a refreshing edge to the show.

Now for my disclaimer: Over the past 21 years, I have quite an impressive track record of predicting the winners.  However, this year, I am at a loss as to who and what are the real front-runners in some of the big categories.  The “warm-up” awards events have varied widely and provide very little hint as to what Academy voters have decided.  Below, I have recapped the main categories and offered up my predictions as well as my preferences.  I have (mostly) resisted the urge to comment if my true preference did not even receive a nomination (aka, snub).  So following are my best guesses …. Let me know yours! (I apologize for the formatting issues)

BEST PICTURE – It would be no shocker if the evening turned into a sweep for either The King’s Speech or The Social Network.  Since I am hanging my hat on the stuttering King, my sterling record will be trashed if the Facebook movie gets on a roll.

PREDICTION: The King’s Speech – very well made historical and personal drama

PREFERENCE: Toy Story 3 – no chance of a win in this category, but it deserves to be here and was my favorite movie of 2010.

BEST DIRECTOR

PREDICTION:  David Fincher (The Social Network) –I am predicting an Oscar rarity: Best Director will not have directed the Best Picture.

PREFERENCE: Darren Aronfsky (Black Swan) – since Christopher Nolan was snubbed, my meaningless vote would go to the creative force behind my number 2 movie of 2010

BEST ACTOR

PREDICTION and PREFERENCE: Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) – not the strongest year for this category but Mr. Firth is deservedly a heavy favorite.

BEST ACTRESS

PREDICTION: Natalie Portman (Black Swan) – Annette Bening could slip in, but I hope not.  Last year was bad enough when media darling Sandra Bullock stole the prize from the great Meryl Streep. 

PREFERENCE:  Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) – no chance to win, but easily my favorite lead actress performance of 2010.  Plus, she knows how to properly prepare squirrel stew!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

PREDICTION: Christian Bale (The Fighter) – very close race between he and Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech).  Not sure Mr. Rush received enough credit for providing much of the interest and entertainment value for his movie.

PREFERENCE: John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone) – Bale and Rush were superb, but Mr. Hawkes was incredible as the mysterious uncle who was both friend and foe.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – my favorite category this year!

PREDICTION: Melissa Leo  (The Fighter) – it could be argued that Amy Adams gave a better performance, but Ms. Leo’s character best exemplified Micky Ward’s plight.

PREFERENCE: I struggle with this because Hailee Steinfeld was remarkable in True Grit, but I consider it to be a Lead role.  As for true supporting expertise, Jacki Weaver in the little seen Animal Kingdom was the most frightening onscreen mother since Faye Dunaway wielded a coat hanger!

ANIMATED FEATURE

PREDICTION and PREFERENCE: Toy Story 3.  All three nominations are strong, but TS3 is the best movie of the year, animated or not. 

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

PREDICTION: In a Better World (Denmark) – seems to be the lead horse by winning some early awards.

PREFERENCE:  This is a very frustrating category for me this year since I have only seen Biutiful (Mexico). As often occurs, most of the films in this category will obtain limited U.S. distribution later this year.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

PREDICTION: The King’s Speech by David Seidler

PREFERENCE: Inception by Christopher Nolan

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

PREDICTION: The Social Network – by Aaron Sorkin (slam dunk)

PREFERENCE: Toy Story 3 – actually an original story with familiar characters

CINEMATOGRAPHY

PREDICTION: True Grit, Roger Deakins – a mild upset

PREFERENCE: Black Swan, Matthew Libatique – the onstage dancing was brilliantly shot

COSTUME DESIGN

PREDICTION: The King’s Speech

PREFERENCE: I Am Love – the fabrics and colors compliment the setting

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

PREDICTION and PREFERENCE: Day & Night – not winning would be due to Pixar backlash

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

PREDICTION: Wish 143

PREFERENCE: The Crush

ORIGINAL SCORE

PREDICTION: The Social Network – Trent Reznor onstage at the Oscars!

PREFERENCE: Inception – startling piece by Hans Zimmer

ORIGINAL SONG

PREDICTION and PREFERENCE: “We Belong Together” (Toy Story 3) Dear Academy: please don’t subject us to Gwyneth Paltrow singing that dang Country Strong song.

DOCUMENTARY

PREDICTION AND PREFERENCE – This is a very strong category full of work that deserves to win.  The only thing that would eclipse Trent Reznor onstage at the Oscars would be an appearance by the reclusive Banksy should his film Exit Through the Gift Shop win.  If I must predict a winner, I’ll go with Restrepo, but it could be that Academy voters are just as intrigued by Bansky as I am.

If you would like to see my Best of 2010 list:

https://moviereviewsfromthedark.wordpress.com/annual-bests-2/best-of-2010/

If you would like to see my recap of the Nominated Shorts:

https://moviereviewsfromthedark.wordpress.com/2011/02/13/oscar-nominate…-animated-2010/

Greetings again from the darkness.  Announcement Day for the Oscars is always fun!  Arguing about who got a nom that they didn’t deserve? Who was snubbed?  Were politics involved? (Yes, always).  Pleasant Surprises? Disappointments?  All that makes for indigestion-inducing lunchtime banter … and the ceremony (the 83rd) is still 33 days away! So below are just a few of my observations and reactions to today’s announcements … these are NOT my predictions.  At the end, there are two links.  One to my Best of 2010 list, and the other to a full list of nominations.  
 
1. BEST PICTURE: thrilled to see Winter’s Bone get a nom (4 in total).  It’s a  shame more people didn’t see this little film (box office less than $7 million) during it’s theatrical run. It’s very compelling and features two of the best performances of the year.  Toy Story 3 (my favorite film of the year) got nominated for both Best Picture and Best Animated Feature … and it deserves both.  Other than that, I just don’t have much to say about this category as it was pretty easy to predict (except for Winter’s Bone vs. The Town).  Not a year for great movies, but there were plenty of good ones!
 
2. DIRECTOR: OK, this one actually bothers me.  How does Christopher Nolan (pictured) get snubbed AGAIN?  I certainly understand how some people don’t like his movie Inception, but it was nominated for Best Picture and it, more than any other film on the list, is clearly a director’s film.  Mr. Nolan is an amazing filmmaker who has somehow ended up on the “naughty” list for Academy voters.  With ten Best Pic nominees and only five Best Director nominees, there will always be some terrific directors who are left out.  Nolan should not have been one.  If you ask me who should have been left off for Nolan, my answer is David O. Russell for The Fighter.  It is a terrific movie, but we all know this has been Mark Wahlberg’s pet project for almost a decade.
 
3. LEAD ACTOR: Two rarities here: a Lead Actor nomination for a non-English speaking role (Javier Bardem) and back-to-back years (Jeff Bridges).  Bardem’s film Biutiful will just start gaining release this upcoming weekend, and Bridges was terrific in the Rooster Cogburn role that won John Wayne his only Oscar.  While this is not a list of my predictions, it seems pretty clear that Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) is the lead horse in this race.  I had hoped Robert Duvall (Get Low) might sneak in, but the buzz of The Social Network got Jesse Eisenberg some recognition. It will also be interesting to see how they handle James Franco’s (127 Hours) nomination since he is also one of this year’s co-hosts!
 
4. LEAD ACTRESS: Was relieved that Julianne Moore did not get a nomination.  I thought both she and Annette Bening overacted in their roles as lesbian parents in The Kids Are All Right.  Ms. Bening did get a nom and may get the win (vs Natalie Portman) since she has been wrongfully overlooked in the past. The other three nominees were all fantastic, but in movies very few people actually saw.   Jennifer Lawrence (pictured, Winter’s Bone) is my breakout star of the year.
 
5. SUPPORTING ACTOR AND ACTRESS:  Along with Jennifer Lawrence, three of my six favorite performances this year all belong to women in this category – Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), and Jacki Weaver (pictured Animal Kingdom).   My other two favorite performances are also noted in this category for the men – Christian Bale (The Fighter) and John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone).  I would not have picked Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech), but it is her best work since A Room with a View.
 
6. FILM EDITING.  I know … you don’t realy care about this category, but I must mention the major snub of Inception (Lee Smith).  Whether you like the film or not, there is no argument to how well it is edited.  Not only should have been nominated, but should have been the clear front runner.  Bah.
 
7. SCREENPLAY : only oddity is that Black Swan was not nominated, and in it’s place was Mike Leigh’s Another Year.  The rest of the nominations followed the Best Picture list.
 
8. DOCUMENTARY: some will argue that Waiting for Superman should have been nominated.  I believe that argument is based on the importance of the topic, rather than the quality of the film.  Very cool that Exit Through the Gift Shop scored a nomination.  Banksy.
 
9. VISUAL EFFECTS: the third biggest snub belongs to Tron: Legacy.  The tidal wave opening scene in Hereafter was amazing, but the entire Tron film was a study in spectacular special effects.  I believe the Academy voters took it’s brilliant production for granted.
 
Sure there are some minor quibbles, but for the most part, this year’s nominations were pretty easy to predict.  That said, the eventual winners might not be so clear cut.  I will post my Oscar predictions as we get closer to the ceremony.  In the meantime, let me know what you think.  Did your favorite get snubbed?  Did one you hated get nominated?  This is much more fun to complain about than your job!!

Oscar Nominations: http://oscar.go.com/nominations

Best of 2010: https://moviereviewsfromthedark.wordpress.com/annual-bests-2/best-of-2010/

(3-8-10) Greetings again from the darkness.  Yes, I watched every moment of last night’s Academy Awards presentation.  Mostly because that’s what I do every year at this time.  However, this year, there was a bit of anticipation as we had been led to believe that this year’s show would be something unique – a break from the past!

So imagine my surprise when the show opened with a musical number from Neil Patrick Harris!  Not taking anything away from Mr. Harris, but this felt oddly familiar to the opening from past years.  Then the co-hosts, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, came out for their duo-logue.  Together, they “worked the room” poking and prodding the key nominees.  Some of it worked and some of it didn’t.  The two best jokes came from Mr. Martin.  He linked Precious to his first movie The Jerk, stating they both got their start as poor black kids.  Even better was his exchange with Christoph Waltz who played a Jew hunter in Inglorious Basterds.  Martin congratulated Waltz for the mother lode as he encouraged him to look around the room.  Pretty funny.

There were some terrific moments and some very odd ones … plus a couple of just painful ones.  Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win Best Director, and she received it from Barbra Streisand, who always felt she had been slighted for direction of Yentl.  But did they really need to accompany Ms. Bigelow with Helen Reddy‘s “I am Woman”?  The John Hughes tribute was very well done, but it begged the question of why now and why him?  So many Hollywood legends have passed away and they have traditionally been recognized with only a photo or two during a montage on the show.  Personally, I like this idea very much, but question why Mr. Hughes is worthy, while so many others have not been.  The standing ovation for Lauren Bacall and Roger Corman seemed to underscore my point.  Hollywood types long to acknowledge the greats among themselves.  Too bad they weren’t allowed onstage.

The Horror Film clips were most welcome, but again it seemed odd, as the Academy historically ignores this genre (Silence of the Lambs, The Exorcist are two exceptions).  Speaking of horror, how about the “Kanye West-type” moment during the Documentary Short presentation?  The producer jumped on stage and interrupted the director’s thank you speech with a wild, raucous, rambling mess of words.  My guess is there is more to this story.

I did find it funny that during Mo’Nique‘s acceptance speech, a quick cut to Samuel L. Jackson in the audience perfectly captured his rolling of the eyes.  Much less funny was the less-than-entertaining interpretative dance number for the Original Score nominations.  Not sure I am smart enough to connect the 1980’s robot dance moves with the musical score of Up. Maybe I was alone in this disconnect?  Can’t let it go without making sure everyone knows Sandra Bullock won her first Oscar the day after she was awarded the Razzie for her work in All About Steve.  She becomes the first to win Best and Worst in the same year.

My Oscar predictions were very solid (especially in the key categories), but not perfect.

Correct predictions: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Original Screenplay, Adapted Screenplay, Animated Film, Score and Song.

Incorrect predictions: Foreign Language Film (this was a shocker), Cinematographer, Costume, both Shorts

So, another year in the books.  Don’t worry, next year’s show will be much different from this years.  If you believe that, you will also believe that James Cameron is really upset for not winning one of the top two awards for Avatar. My guess is that he is quite satisfied in knowing that it is approaching $3 BILLION in worldwide box office.  Wow!

(3-2-10) Greetings again from the darkness.  As the great writer Stephen King said, people who “love” movies tend to “like” watching the Academy Awards presentations; and people who love watching the Oscars, tend to like watching movies.  Well, as usual, I am a bit different.  Of course, I LOVE movies … but watching the Oscars is an annual tradition for me – one that I can’t imagine skipping. 

My attraction to the event goes back to my childhood when this gathering of Hollywood’s elite presented a rare glimpse into the world of glamour and celebrity.   These days we know WAY TOO MUCH about most actors and the industry of celebrity has somehow eclipsed the art of moviemaking.  Even though much of the TV presentation is now committed to the ridiculous red carpet interviews centering around fashion, there remains something magical about watching the actors as real people (or as close as they get).

Below, I have recapped the main categories and offered up my predictions as well as my preferences.  I have resisted the urge to comment if my true preference did not even receive a nomination!  In reality, I expect very few surprises in the main categories, but then again …

BEST PICTURE – While I am not a fan of going back to the days of TEN nominations, I do understand the reasoning.

PREDICTION: The Hurt Locker – not many of us saw this during its theatrical, but it is an incredibly intense viewing experience.

PREFERENCE: An Education– no chance of a win, but it was my favorite film of 2009

BEST DIRECTOR

PREDICTION: Kathryn Bigelow – the former Mrs. James Cameron seems to be a shoe-in after winning the Director’s Guild Award for The Hurt Locker

PREFERENCE: James Cameron – Realizing Avatar didn’t require traditional directing, this industry changing film should bring a reward to its creative force (in my opinion)

BEST ACTOR

PREDICTION and PREFERENCE: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart) – great performance by a great actor who, unbelievably, has never walked away with an Oscar.  This will be his first.

BEST ACTRESS

PREDICTION: Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side).  Sometimes an actor steps outside of the type of role they are best known for and the industry overreacts.  Try and imagine Ms. Bullock playing ANY role that Meryl Streep has ever played.

PREFERENCE:  Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia).  I am not a huge fan of this film, but Ms. Streep’s performance was so much deeper than an impersonation of Julia Child.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

PREDICTION and PREFERENCE: Christoph Waltz.  This may be the only recognition that Inglourious Basterds gets all evening, though I hope it takes a writing award as well.  Mr. Waltz was tremendous and is very deserving.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

PREDICTION and PREFERENCE: Mo’Nique.  Her performance in Precious terrified me.  This is the one sure bet for the evening.

ANIMATED FEATURE

PREDICTION and PREFERENCE: Up.  One of the rare animated features that deserved (and received) a Best Picture nomination.  There is some sentiment for Fantastic Mr. Fox, but Up has a tremendous story and terrific presentation.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

PREDICTION and PREFERENCE: The White Ribbon.  Unfortunately, I did not get to see a couple of this year’s nominations, but this German entry would be deserving most years.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY (my favorite category)

PREDICTION: Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker)

PREFERENCE: Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds).  Not just deserving, but watching him give a speech always livens up any event!

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

PREDICTION: Geoffrey Flethcher (Precious).

PREFERENCE: Nick Hornby (An Education)

CINEMATOGRAPHY

PREDICTION: Avatar

PREFERENCE: The Hurt Locker

COSTUME DESIGN

PREDICTION: Nine

PREFERENCE: The Young Victoria

ANIMATED SHORT FILM (see my comments on the blog)

PREDICTION: A Matter of Loaf and Death

PREFERENCE: Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM (see my comments on the blog)

PREDICTION: The Door

PREFERENCE: Instead of Abracadabra

ORIGINAL SCORE

PREDICTION: Avatar

PREFERENCE: Up

ORIGINAL SONG

PREDICTION and PREFERENCE: “The Weary Kind” (Crazy Heart).  Gotta love T Bone Burnett!