The Hurt Locker (2009)

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Achievement in Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing

Man, I just can't stress this enough. War is a very strange thing. The people who fight in them are strange people. I hope everyone sees this movie. If you have a family member in combat right now, if you know someone who's come back, if you just want to get an idea of what it's like, watch this movie.

I don't know if it's a "near-perfect movie" like some critics have called it, but it definitely showcased the mindset of your average soldier. The second-guessing, the depression, the constant state of paranoia, fantasies of fratricide... Oh, yeah, everyone has those.

Jeremy Renner was kind of a surprise for me. I started watching the movie thinking "This guy gets a Best Actor nomination for what? Acting like a normal person?" Then I remembered, no one over there is normal. Some people crack, some people lash out, some people withdraw, and some just have a "fuck it, we're all gonna die anyway" approach. Those last ones are generally more cheerful to be around, as long as you realize they're going to get you killed eventually.

Better Off Ted fans, keep your eyes open for Lem as one of the soldiers in the suicide vest scene!

So, yeah, overall, a pretty good movie. I'll never watch it again, but then, I'd never watch most of the war genre. I had to buy it because Netflix failed me once more, but it's not a total waste since I'll be mailing it to my cousin.

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Nominated for: Best Motion Picture, Achievement in Directing, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Achievement in Cinematography, Achievement in Film Editing, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing

I was quite surprised by how much I liked this movie. Netflix completely failed me by having zero available copies for well over two months, so I had to buy it. This is always a risky proposition with Tarantino films. It should come as no shock that I am not a card-carrying fan. Don't get me wrong. I liked Four Rooms and Kill Bill vol. 2. I like him better when he's collaborating, though.

He's like a super-strong cologne: overpowering in large doses but tolerable in a diluted form.

I do think the movie could have done with a few head's-up, though. Like, "hey, there are a LOT of subtitles." It's not that I hate subtitles, quite the contrary, I just wasn't expecting them from Tarantino. FYI #2: Don't get attached to anyone. Seriously. Almost everybody dies. Don't even learn their names.

I think that's about it. I don't necessarily believe that this movie deserves all the nominations that it got. It damn sure shouldn't be up for Best Picture. I think that's a sop to Tarantino's ego, not that it needs the inflating from the interviews I've seen.

Il Divo (2009)

Nominated for: Best Makeup

  I saw this movie almost three days ago and I'm still trying to decide why I didn't like it. If I break it down into its component parts: story, cinematography, soundtrack, characters; everything seems great. But all together, it seemed to be missing something.

Maybe I misunderstood or just didn't grasp the complexity of the labyrinthine tangles of Italian politics? Guy is elected Prime Minister and head of his party 7 times, amassing controversy for the hirelings he surrounds himself with, and is embroiled in scandal involving the kidnapping and assassination of his former political rival as well as possible mob ties.

...

Yep, I think I got it.

My inability to like this movie is all the more frustrating because everything about it is extremely well-done. The music, the lighting, the scenery, all beautiful. It irritates me that this movie was so good technically and yet failed to reach me in any way.

Honestly, after mulling over every part, scrutinizing it like a beetle pinned to a board, I have come to the decision that I didn't like how vacillating the director was with the main character. The movie presents all these accusations about Guilio Andreotti, linking him to the deaths of some journalist all the way up to the hanging of Roberto Calvi but stops just short of making any kind of judgment one way or another. Tortured anti-hero or velvet-gloved villain? Both points are defensible. Pick one! It's like the director was worried about being sued for slander or, worse, being shot by the Christian Democrats.

I don't know. Maybe you'll like it. It's on Netflix and it's worth a look. Personally, I think they pussed out.

Oh! I completely forgot to talk about the makeup job in this movie. That is what it's nominated for, after all. Ummm...., okay, I can't lie. I didn't notice a lick of makeup which means either that it was very very good or the Academy people were on mescaline and thought they were nominating the music group.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Nominated for: Achievement in Cinematography

  I am quite generally a hateful person so it should come as no surprise that I am not a Harry Potter fan. I hated Twilight too, but that's a story for a different post. I do not dress up and go to conventions, I have never read any of the books, nor bought any of their shameless market tie-in games, candy, or other merchandise. This is because I am an adult, not a ten-year-old.

I have, however, seen all of the movies, albeit reluctantly. I didn't like movies 1-4. I thought they were juvenile and FAR too happy and colorful for my taste. The one just before this one sucked a bit less and I was pleased to see this is the trend they are following. There is at least one major death (if you don't know who, you've been living under a freakin' rock) and a couple decent fights.

The cinematography is crap, though. The whole movie looks like it was shot through a lens filled with swamp water. Maybe in the theater events looked clearer, but I have a great LCD TV and it looked murky as shit where I was sitting. If this movie wins this category over Avatar, I will know the JK Rowling mafia got to the Academy.

An Education (2010)

Nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actress, Adapted Screenplay

   I wasn't expecting to like this movie. The synopsis provided by the ticket selling site didn't include the words "explosions", "gore", or "high-velocity impact" so my initial interest was below optimal.

Within the first few minutes, however, I found myself completely charmed. It may have been the fresh-faced Carey Mulligan, which would explain her inclusion in the Best Actress nominations. It may have been Alfred Molina, who is adorable as her beleaguered father. It may simply have been the British accents. Everything sounds more charming with a British accent.

How much of the witty dialogue is original and how much is shoehorned in, I wouldn't know. I didn't read the source novel. However, the adaptation was handled by Nick Hornby who did the infinitely watchable High Fidelity. A properly cynical viewer will know the inevitable outcome of young-girl-meets-rich-handsome-worldly-older-man but instead of being bored by it, the material is presented so well as to make said cynic wince ruefully as Jenny runs headlong into the solid brick and mortar of reality.

The acting is fantastic by all concerned, every character realized in a lifelike fashion. In any other year, with no Avatar or The Hurt Locker, I would say it was a shoe-in for Best Picture. Now, I'd say it was a long-shot.

Bright Star (2009)

Nominated for: Achievement in Costume Design

  I have never been partial to love stories for the sake of love stories. I find them trite, saccharine, and highly manipulative as well as unforgivably contrary to reality. It is a deeply held opinion that might even be hereditary. My mother told me how she was castigated by her peers for laughing during a tender moment in the movie Love Story. There are none so vicious as a pack of teen-aged girls and it's a wonder she escaped with her life.

If you are the type of person who enjoys this type of stilted period drama, if you liked (or didn't sleep through) Sense and Sensibility, if you didn't require the addition of zombies and ninjas to tolerate Pride and Prejudice, then you'll probably really enjoy this movie. It is based off the letters written back and forth between Romantic poet John Keats and his muse/mooney-eyed object of affection Fanny Brawne.

Since we've now established my utter loathing of movies of this nature, I will say the costumes were gorgeous. I'm not (again) a fan of the empire-waist phenomenon of the post-Napoleanic age, but the colors and the fabrics were a feast for the eyes, even if the script dulled the mind. I think its only real contender for the Oscar is going to be The Young Victoria, which I have not been able to see since I have been stuck in three feet of snow.

My one piece of unequivocal praise has to be for Ben Whishaw, who is shaping up to be a damn fine actor. I couldn't place his face but the name stuck out to me for some reason in the opening credits and, after the film finished rolling, I went to my own collection and pulled out a strange, brightly-petaled, hot-(art)house flower of a movie called Perfume: Story of a Murderer. You would not know that was the same actor in both movies. I love it when I get a surprise like that. So, bravo to Ben Whishaw for being the only watchable living thing in Bright Star. And go back to killing people so I can enjoy you.

Food, Inc. (2009)

Nominated for: Best Documentary Feature

I am not generally a big fan of documentaries. This is the second film I have seen nominated in this category and I have to say, this is one part of the race that is heating up for me. The Cove was good but it was good on somewhat of an emotional level. It went for a visceral response with the precision of a laser-guided missile.

Food, Inc. takes a much more cerebral approach. It presents well-reasoned, articulate arguments designed to, if not sway, at least provoke thoughts regarding the conglomerations that control food production and supply in this country.

In the first 10 minutes, I made a snap judgment (I'm judgey like that) that I would not like the message of this film. I grew up on a farm with chickens, pigs, and cattle. Do NOT come to me and bitch about how cruel it is to the chickens that we eat them. I do not give a damn how a chicken feels. It's a chicken. That being said, I could not refute from personal experience any of the data presented. And it didn't linger on the ethical considerations of poultry emotions.

I'm not an expert; I have said that many times. I don't know what the criteria for a "good" documentary vs an "adequate" one is, but I would imagine that a film that makes you think, that makes you reconsider a previously-held notion, or at least presents new facts for consideration would be more effective than one that just pushes a pre-set emotional response button. But, hell, what do I know? I liked both of them. It presents a dilemma because I honestly don't know who to root for.

On an side note: I apologize for the delay in posting this. I haven't been able to get mail regularly the last week or so. Maybe you've heard that the DC Metro area has been hammered by the fist of an angry snow-god. There is over two feet of the stuff piled beneath my windows and more just started coming down. I'll do my best to get stuff out to you, whoever you are.

The Cove (2009)

Nominated for: Best Documentary Feature

  Have you ever been to a water park and seen a dolphin show where they flip impossibly high in the air and do tricks? Have you ever been swimming with dolphins at a resort? Do you view dolphins as adorably funny, intelligent marvels of the sea?

Cherish those thoughts.

This is a very hard movie to watch if you have ever liked dolphins or if you're soft-hearted toward animals in general. There is graphic depiction of dolphins being slaughtered, including truly eerie audio of them in distress. As such, it's difficult to judge this movie on purely cinematographic merits. (Is that a word? I'm gonna say that's a word. SpellCheck didn't freak, so I think I'm good.)

Seriously, I'm listening to the happiest music I can find right now. (Bowling for Soup's "Sorry for Partyin'" album)

I'm not going to go on a left-wing PETA-inspired tear-filled rant about "We have to save the dolphins cuz they're beautiful!!!" That's your decision. I'm not here to advance agendas for anybody, just to review the movie.

It's a good movie. The operation to get cameras into this very restricted location is carried out like a SEAL mission. There are military-grade thermal cameras on lookout, divers sneaking into the water to plant cameras, hi-def cameras hidden in fake rocks. Whether you agree with their message or not, the Oceanic Preservation Society did a helluva job not getting arrested. So, yeah, even though I will NEVER watch this movie again, I wouldn't take it back.

I hope it wins.

Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008)

Nominated for: Best Animated Short Film

This is a cute little animated film from Nick Park. It's not my favorite WandG film, that would be Curse of the Were-Rabbit, but this one is no slouch.

Fans of the characters will know exactly what to expect. Wallace still can't get up in the mornings and Gromit is still the MacGuyver of dogs. This time, they own a windmill-powered bakery in a town where 12 other bakers have been murdered. It's only a half hour long, so any further attempts to explain will likely just give away everything.

I couldn't find any of the other entries in this category so I can't really speculate as to Loaf's chances at the Oscar, but Nick Park has done well in the past and I would put his odds at better than average.

Paris 36 (2009)

Nominated for: Best Original Song "Loin de Paname"  

I watched Paris 36 last night as the first of my Oscar nominations. I seriously doubt this was ever released to the States or, if it was, outside of Los Angeles. Which is a shame, since it's a good film.

It's set in 1936 Paris, the Rue de Fauberg. The Chansonia is a falling-down vaudeville stage owned by the neighborhood loan shark/real estate agent. Three friends, Pigoil, Emile, and Jacky, along with a beautiful and mysterious young ingenue try to revamp the old Grande Dame back into the powerhouse she used to be.

It actually reminded me a lot of Moulin Rouge, except you know, it was actually in French. And someone does get shot at the end. (But I won't tell you who!)

When I saw that one of the characters' hunger for fame led him to opening for the French Fascists, I thought "This movie is a shoe-in. The Academy loves them some WWII references." Then I remembered that it's up for Best Song, not Best Picture. And it's up against two Disney songs plus one of the best songs from the otherwise dull Nine. So I don't think it'll be carrying home gold, but it's a good film nonetheless. If you liked Moulin Rouge but the Baz Luhrman-ness of it got on your nerves, this is a good pick for you.

The Nominations are in!

Okay, as promised, the Oscar nominations were released today. Discounting all repeat entries (I'm not watching Avatar 9 times), there are 58 movies up for awards. That's a lot. I took the liberty of loading my Netflix with as many as I could locate (which was depressingly few) and will be making a game attempt to find others. Several were either just released or are still in theaters so hopefully I can catch a few (like Pokemon!).

You'll forgive me if this post gets a little spacey. I have just had two wisdom teeth pulled out and my face feels like a grenade has gone off inside. I will get as much as I can before the drugs kick in.

Nominations I have seen

Avatar-- already reviewed

Up-- great animated film, even if it takes you through an entire life cycle before the story actually begins.

Julie & Julia-- Meryl Streep is outstanding, Amy Adams is just so-so.

Nine-- already reviewed

Coraline-- excellent, very trippy, Teri Hatcher is super-creepy as the voice of the not-mother.

Fantastic Mr. Fox-- the soundtrack sounded like it had been ripped straight from my iPod. Very Wes Anderson.

Sherlock Holmes-- already reviewed

Star Trek-- drop everything you are doing and see this movie. Fantastic.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen-- complete shit. Its entry on this list, indeed, in the judges consideration, is an insult.

There are 13 in my Queue right now and 8 that I hope to find in the theaters so keep an eye out for them in the coming days!

If anybody has any suggestions or knows how to find the following Nominees, shoot me an e-mail. I would really appreciate it.

The Messenger

The Last Station

The Secret of Kells

Ajami

El Secreto de Sus Ojos

The Milk of Sorrow

Un Prophete

The White Ribbon

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country

The Most Dangerous Man in America

Which Way Home

China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province

The Door

The Last Campaign of Booth Gardner

The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant

Music by Prudence

Rabbit a la Berlin

French Roast

Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty

The Lady and the Reaper

Logorama -- (Ed. note)  I did actually catch this one online but now I can't remember where.  Totally deserved the win, though.

Instead of Abracadabra

Kavi

Miracle Fish

The New Tenants

***UPDATE***

Just saw that An Education is just now being released to theaters so there's a chance I could get to that one. Precious is still in select theaters so maybe I can catch it, but if not, it's coming out on DVD in March. No word on the rest.

Ambitious new plan

The Oscar season is upon us. I look forward to this every year. In fact, it's one of the only things I like about winter (other than Christmas. I love Christmas.)

Tomorrow at 5:30 EST, the 82nd Annual Academy Award nominations will be read. Every year, I promise myself I will see at least all of the Best Picture nominations, if not all the other categories. Every year, I completely fail at this task. (But really, who saw The Reader? No one, that's who.)

But not this year!

This year, my friends, I make a daring and bold pledge. I will print the nominations in their entirety, put as many as I am able into my Netflix queue, and review them all before the ceremony on March 7th.

I don't expect to have a 100% success rate. I'm sure millions of other people want to see these films and have the exact same idea. But I will do as many as I can. So, starting tomorrow, look here for the complete list of nominations. I'll even put a little Oscar countdown at the bottom of each relevant post.