Electric, So Frightfully Hectic

It’s that time of year again: Oscar Blitz!

As I wrote last year, even if I haven’t gotten out to see many films in the theaters, I never miss the Oscars.

And the nominations for Best Picture are…

The Artist

The Descendants

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

The Tree of Life

War Horse

You can see a full ballot list for printing at Oscar.com.

I’ve gotten a bit of a head start on my blitz, having seen The Artist a couple weeks ago with La Javanaise, and having just Netflixed The Help and Midnight in Paris, with Moneyball in the DVR right now and The Tree of Life at the top of my queue.

In my mind, The Artist leads the pack. It was great fun, with plenty of nods to cinéphiles throughout. As a film historian, I’m happy for the success of any movie that gets people to see a black and white picture, nevermind a virtually silent one at that. Plus, you know I have to root for the French one.

That’s not to say I didn’t like The Help. I thought it was a very strong adaptation of a good book. And certainly its acting nominations are well deserved.

As for Midnight in Paris, let’s just say I have no idea why people like this movie. Sure, Paris looks gorgeous in the opening montage, but other than that I felt it was complete fluff. And not the good kind that goes with peanut butter. The kind that meanders with no real point. Yes, Paris in the rain does beat any other city in the rain, but it’s still rain.

Of course, I have yet to see Hugo, which I could root for based on the subject matter alone. I thought the book was just okay, but I can see where it would make a gorgeous film. And if there is anyone who can pay proper tribute to the genius that was Georges Méliès, it’s Scorsese. Silent films and film history are really front and center this year, aren’t they?

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is this year’s 127 Hours as it would have to be Citizen Kane before I’d pay to see a film about that day, especially with Tom Hanks. And I really have no interest in War Horse, but I’m willing to be convinced otherwise if people think it’s good. I haven’t really heard much about it.

Films that received multiple nominations but didn’t get a Best Picture nod include Albert Nobbs, Bridesmaids (which I actually saw in the theater), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the last Harry Potter (which I recently Netflixed), The Iron Lady, My Week with Marilyn, A Separation, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and Transformers. I’m not particularly interested in any of them except for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but I’ll probably try to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and A Separation as well. I will not see Transformers.

One-offs include Drive, The Ides of March, Jane Eyre, Margin Call, Rise of Planet of the Apes, and W.E. I can recommend both Jane Eyre and Margin Call and will probably Netflix at least the first two, both of which I meant to see in theaters. As I have done previously, I will see both short programs (assuming they once again play in a local theater).

In the meantime, any Oscar contenders you recommend? What are you going to see between now and February 26th?

Sly Wit 2012

Happy New Year!

As always, I welcome the New Year with open arms and lots of plans and projects.

Barring any 2012 doomsday scenarios coming to fruition, here’s what you can expect to see at Sly Wit this year.

Books:

Clearly you all have opinions on these and I will be posting what I think of your favorites throughout the year as part of the 2012 Readers’ Choice Challenge. Encouragement as I tackle some of the longer ones is always appreciated!

I will also be trying to keep the book salon alive as many members move on to bigger and better things following the near dissolution of my former office by The Man. Appropriately enough, this month’s theme is “Go West, Young Man!” for which I chose to read The Grapes of Wrath.

Performing Arts:

Ballet 101 posts will probably dominate the spring as I enjoy a subscription to the San Francisco Ballet for the first time. Sadly, I don’t foresee the ballet of the Opéra de Paris in my future this year, but you never know what the fates may bring.

Opera won’t be completely absent, as I have tickets to The Lamplighters’ upcoming productions of The Gondoliers and The Pirates of Penzance singalong as well as Nixon in China at the San Francisco Opera in June. I’m also hoping to see Ensemble Parallèle’s The Great Gatsby in February.

Of course, assuming La Maratonista is willing, I’m planning to renew my subscription for the San Francisco Opera’s 2012-2013 season. To combat my opera withdrawal symptoms, I’ve been listening to a number of classic recordings and, before our next subscription starts, I’m hoping to write up some more systematic Opera 101 posts that go through the history of this art form, starting with the Baroque era and continuing to the present day.

Television and Film:

I’m still debating giving up cable, but I have to wait until at least the end of January since there is no way I am missing Season Two of Downtown Abbey on PBS. And, of course, The Voice will be starting up again soon. But there’s not much else I’m excited about going forward besides Season Two of Sherlock, which can’t come soon enough.

Aside from the Oscars, I don’t often talk about film here. (That in and of itself might not seem odd, unless you know that my training is as a historian of French culture with a specialization in the film industry and my doctoral dissertation was on the reception of American films in postwar France.) I’m hoping to rectify that with a new Film 101 series looking at various genres I want to explore again without having to view them through an academic lens. Right now, I’m thinking of three of my favorites: film noir, screwball comedies, and westerns; however, inspired by David Smay’s series at HiLobrow, I may also take on horror, a genre I don’t know at all.

But before I begin that project, I will spend the month of January rewatching my favorite director of all time, a man who incorporated all those genres into his work (okay, maybe not westerns), Alfred Hitchcock. A colleague recently asked for recommendations of his films and, having lately read John Buchan’s The 39 Steps and Josephine Tey’s A Shilling for Candles (which became Young and Innocent), I decided he was due for a serious review.

I hope you join me for these and other random musings!

The Gods Must Be Crazy

In a strange set of coincidences, I spent much of yesterday immersed in the recent economic crisis.

I started the day off with a viewing of Inside Job, this year’s winner of the Oscar for best documentary. It was well done, but it left a bad taste in my mouth that not even the incredible catfish at farmer brown could eliminate. [Note to self: Stop being intimidated by catfish, it can be delicious.]

Barring a few minor annoyances, it’s a film well worth seeing, whether you feel you understand a lot or a little about Wall Street’s role in the economic crisis. But it did provoke a bit of a crisis of conscience regarding my own employer, and it really made me want to pursue moving my money more seriously.

A lot of what the film covers is not necessarily new or surprising, but seeing it all laid out together was enough to make one sick. Some of the things that were surprising to me include how recently Wall Street salaries spiraled out of control, how many people did in fact warn of the dangers to the economic system, the complicity of the academic establishment and its incredible lack of disclosure (especially given what the FTC expects me to disclose as an amateur blogger), and (for the Buffistas out there) the quantities of hookers and blow involved.

Geoffrey Nolan, Juliana Egley, Carl Lucania, Brian Markley

In the evening, I was able to enjoy a much more comic take on the world of bankers, derivatives, and the Greek economic collapse, namely, No Nude Men Productions’ presentation of Hermes, a new play by Bennett Fisher, directed by Tore Ingersoll-Thorp. While I was there primarily to see the fabulous Juliana Egley as Anne, the entire cast was strong, especially Brian Markley as Brian. Admittedly, much of the philosophical speechifying of the gods Hermes and Hestia went over my head (through no fault of the actors), but I thoroughly enjoyed the more down-to-earth interactions of the businessmen, which often recalled the discussions about the “process” in The Spanish Prisoner.

If you are looking for a fun night out in support of local theater, or simply an excuse for dinner at farmer brown, I highly recommend it. The play runs Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m. until March 26th at the Exit Stage Left (156 Eddy Street) in San Francisco. Very affordable tickets can be purchased here.

Oscar Blitz 5: Who Sees Short Shorts?

For the second year in a row, I’ve had the good fortune to make the live-action and animated short film nominees part of my Oscar blitz. Both sets of five nominated films are currently playing at theaters around the country and I highly encourage you to seek them out. You can see the complete list of theaters here. The films will also be released through iTunes on February 22, 2011.

While last year I was more impressed by the animated offerings, this year I felt that the live-action shorts represented a better collection. I liked elements of all five, but the standouts for me were The Confession, the story of two English schoolboys warily approaching their first confession, The Crush, about another young schoolboy (Irish, this time) who has a crush on his teacher and what he does about it, and Na Wewe, a surprisingly humorous look at a terrifying roadside incident during the Hutu/Tutsi conflict in Burundi in the 1990s. The Crush was adorable, but I think my personal vote would probably go to Na Wewe; however, I could see any of the five nominees potentially winning.

As for the animated shorts, the first two on the program were utterly forgettable while the final Pixar film, Day & Night, was cute but shallow. I could see The Gruffalo winning, because it’s very polished with big-name narration, but the real gem of this collection is the Australian film The Lost Thing: visually appealing, stylistically interesting, and a terrific combination of whimsy and nostalgia. There is no doubt in my mind that this should be the winner. Finally, as happened last year, the animation program included a few additional films. One of them, The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger by Bill Plympton, was absolutely hilarious and a must-see.

Oscar Blitz 4: This Time It’s Personal*

These past two weeks have seen me check off a number of films on my Oscar blitz list, all family dramas of (it turns out) escalating violence.

The first was The Kids Are All Right. I thought it was rather boring. If the central couple had been heterosexual, no one would have paid it any attention. Some might say that was the point, but that doesn’t make it a good film. An important one, maybe, but not one worthy of four Oscar nominations. I do think that Annette Bening gave a good performance though, and I would be perfectly fine with her winning.

Winter’s Bone takes the family drama up to the next level. It wasn’t a perfect film, but it was well done, with a real sense of place and foreboding. The atmosphere reminded me a great deal of Frozen River with Melissa Leo. Jennifer Lawrence is incredible as the oldest child of a more-than-deadbeat dad and invalid mother doing whatever she can to keep her family together and on their land. John Hawkes is strong (and creepy) as her uncle, but it’s Lawrence who keeps the film grounded. Even though I haven’t yet seen Rabbit Hole or Blue Valentine, I’m pretty sure that, if I were an Academy member, I would vote for her for Best Actress. I definitely recommend this one.

I’m still not sure what I think about Animal Kingdom. It was extremely disturbing and violent, but, at the same time, I found it fascinating. I think it was the dialogue; it felt very real. Like Winter’s Bone, it also focused on a not-quite adult trying to find his way in a world that is falling apart around him, but the star turn is definitely Jacki Weaver as the grandmother. Chilling. This film is worth watching for her alone.

On a lighter note, I also watched the street-art documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, which was great fun, although I’m still not sure how much of it was true.

Next up, The Social Network!

* Best tagline ever for one of the worst movies ever, Jaws: The Revenge, which also produced one of the best actor quotes ever, from Michael Caine: “I have never seen it, but by all accounts it is terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built, and it is terrific!”

Oscar Blitz 3: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

And the nominations for Best Picture are…

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The Kids Are All Right

The King's Speech

127 Hours

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

True Grit

Winter's Bone

You can see a full ballot list for printing at Oscar.com.

The Good?  Completely predictable (and so I’ve done pretty well covering everything with my Oscar blitz).

The Bad?  Completely predictable (Come on, Academy, throw us a bone, everyone likes a few surprises).

The Ugly?  This continues to be the existence of an Animated Feature category and the rules for submission in the Foreign Film category.

So, it looks like if I want to cover the rest of the categories that matter to me (acting, directing, cinematography, editing, writing, art direction, and costumes), I need to see Animal Kingdom (which is already in my Netflix queue with The Social Network and Winter's Bone), Another Year, Biutiful, Blue Valentine, I Am Love, Rabbit Hole, and The Tempest. I think I’m still going to save Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows until both parts are out.

Except Another Year, none of those new additions are particularly appealing. I’d love to hear from anyone who can convince me otherwise.


Addendum: I have to laugh that Salt actually received a nomination (Sound Mixing)!

Oscar Blitz, Part Deux

This past week, in my continued effort to catch up on Oscar contenders, I managed to see The King’s Speech, True Grit, and The Fighter, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. Although there’s a special place in my heart for good westerns, and I would probably most want to rewatch True Grit, I found The Fighter to be the most compelling of the three, both for its storyline and performances.

I am not a fan of Christian Bale, but his performance here is incredible and definitely Oscar-worthy (not that the Oscars are necessarily reflections of worth or merit). And Melissa Leo was completely unrecognizable to me as his mother. In fact, all of the acting was spot on, to the point where the film was hard to watch in places; not just because of the boxing (which is always hard for me), but rather because of the raw portrayal of family dynamics and social issues. Don't skip this film because you think it's just about boxing.

The performances in The King’s Speech were very good, but, except for Colin Firth, I didn’t really lose myself in them like I did with The Fighter. I was very conscious that it was Helena Bonham Carter playing the Queen Mum, Geoffrey Rush playing the therapist, etc. I’d say the same was true for the two male leads in True Grit. On the other hand, Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross blew me away. I agree heartily with those who have said she would be perfect to play Katniss in the upcoming film of The Hunger Games.

For a bit of fluff amongst all this seriousness, I also netflixed the recent spy thriller Salt, where the title character is basically a female (but not “feminine”) Jason Bourne. It was a pure adrenaline rush that I liked far more than it may have deserved and really only served to increase my inexplicable girl crush on Angelina Jolie. (Just go with it. It’s something I can’t explain. Much like my love for Keanu Reeves, it’s a mystery probably “best left unsolved.”) If you like action movies, seeing a woman kicking serious ass, and are willing to completely suspend your disbelief, I definitely recommend it.

It'll Turn into an Oscar Blitz

There’s little I love more than the Oscars. It’s the one dinner party I can be counted on to throw every year, complete with betting pool. Even while living in Paris, I continued the tradition through a variety of strategies—one year having my cousin hook up a cable descrambler and staying up all night to watch live, and another year hosting a party the following night while holding a news embargo throughout the day. One of the great fringe benefits about now living on the West Coast is being able to have people over without being up until all hours of the night.

I generally try to see all the nominations in the major categories, but, as time goes on and I go out to fewer and fewer movies, my annual Oscar blitz becomes more and more difficult, especially now that the ceremony is a month earlier than it used to be. This year, I saw more foreign films in the theaters than usual, but not much else, although I did manage to catch both Leonardo DiCaprio movies (I swear that was not intentional). While Shutter Island is unlikely to get any nominations, at the very least, Inception should garner nods in art direction and music.

So that means netflixing The Social Network, The Kids Are All Right, and Winter’s Bone, and getting out to see The Fighter, The King’s Speech, True Grit, Blue Valentine, and eventually maybe Rabbit Hole. I’m boycotting 127 Hours on principle since I generally can’t watch any bodily incisions whatsoever, let alone one performed at the bottom of a canyon (which is why you’ll never hear me talk about any television shows set in hospitals, or those involving the initials C, S, or I).

This weekend I saw The Town and Black Swan. I enjoyed one a lot more than I thought I would and the other a lot less. The Town was a fun, if unexceptional, little film. I continue to be impressed by Jeremy Renner as well as Ben Affleck’s turn to directing—it will be interesting to see where he goes with it. Black Swan was a bit of a mess. The performances were great, but the story had more holes than the bodies in The Town. Of course, from the moment we were hit over the head with the “story” of the ballet, and that story was wrong, I knew it was going to be a difficult ride. And that was before all the self-mutilation. Not even Tchaikovsky can make up for that.

While I love Swan Lake as much as anyone, if you really want to watch a movie based around one of Tchaikovsky’s most technically demanding works to perform, I’d suggest instead the feel-good French film of the year (how often do I get to say that?), The Concert, based around the sublime Violin Concerto in D major and starring the equally sublime Mélanie Laurent, last seen on this side of the pond in Quentin Tarentino’s Inglourious Basterds.

In the meantime, any Oscar contenders you recommend? What are you going to see between now and February 27th?