I've been avoiding writing about this year's Oscar race, mostly because its been extremely boring up to this point. However, I suppose I can't avoid it forever.
Today, the Writers Guild of America announced their nominations:
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Babel
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen
Stranger Than Fiction
United 93
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
The Departed
The Devil Wears Prada
Little Children
Thank You for Smoking
There were a few interesting surprises in there. The inclusion of Borat was a surprise, if only because it was mostly improvised. There is a precident, since Bowling For Columbine got nominated here. It could be that screenplay is where the Academy honors Cohen, since the buzz and predictors are sadly leaning away from him getting nominated in for Actor.
Additionally, I was surprised by the inclusion of Stranger Than Fiction and Prada. Fiction has been a complete nonfactor in the race so far, but I was glad to see it get included. Prada hasn't gotten much attention either, outside of Streep's performace, however I was hoping for Children of Men to get in here.
These awards mark the fourth guild nomination for Departed, Sunshine, and Babel (who were also nodded at the PGA, DGA, and the ensemble category of SAG) in what is essentially the Best Picture category. Its the third nod for The Queen (snubbed by SAG) and missing is Dreamgirls (with nods from everyone else). As a result it is, at this point, extremely foolish to predict anything besides those five films. It is sad, but true. While I like these films to varying extents, this kind of single-mindedness has made for a boring Oscar season. I also find it hard to believe that these are the only five films released in 2006 that are worthy of attention. What about Children of Men? Or Pan's Labyrinth? Or United 93? Or Little Children? Or The Prestige?
I'm not mad simply because I want there to be a race. A lot of these smaller films need the attention that comes with these awards to get box office and to spread so more people get the opportunity to see them. Additionally, precursor awards should operate as a series of suggestions to the Academy. Instead, its become a race to see who can most accurately predict the Oscars. Granted, the guilds are not trying to predict the Oscars, instead they are the most accurate because they are simply a poll of professionals working in the fields they vote on, and not a group of critics or journalists. However its indicitive of a larger problem. Looking at the critics groups winners, its nearly impossible to find an acting award for someone who is not Helen Mirren or Forrest Whittaker.
So the bad news, at this point your nominees for Best Picture are Babel, The Departed, Dreamgirls, Little Miss Sunshine and The Queen.
The good news, however, is that that is an excellent line-up without a truly weak film in the bunch. There isn't any of the trite, manipulative Million Dollar Baby-type films that usually sneak in. And even my least favorite film of the group, which is probably Dreamgirls, is a lot of fun to watch. The race may not be as much fun as it was four or five years ago, when there were more films in the derby, even at this point, but the other advantage is that the actual race for the winner is going to be extremely close. There is no film that I would count out at this point, except maybe The Queen. Round One is over, but Round Two is just beginning.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Charlie Kaufman!!!
Easily one of my most anticipated movies right now is Synecdoche, New York, the newest film from Charlie Kaufman. Not only is Kaufman writing it, he's directing it, too. As of today, it has a cast as well. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is starring as a director who "decides to put on a play in a gigantic warehouse with an immaculate recreation of a city in New York for its stage." It also stars Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, and Tilda Swinton.
Read more, along with news about what Spike Jonze is up to, here
Read more, along with news about what Spike Jonze is up to, here
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Why January 22/February 7 Can't Come Fast Enough
On January 22, Heroes returns after what was, in my opinion, the most compelling cliffhanger of the winter (if you haven't seen that episode yet, I wouldn't watch the clip below)
And on February 7, we get more Lost (although hopefully we don't get more lost).
I'll probably have an article up soonish about why the next 16 episodes will be crucial for Lost's creative direction and another with some sort of crackpot theory about where Heroes is going.
And on February 7, we get more Lost (although hopefully we don't get more lost).
I'll probably have an article up soonish about why the next 16 episodes will be crucial for Lost's creative direction and another with some sort of crackpot theory about where Heroes is going.
Dreamgirls Redux
Adam brought up some interesting points in his response to my Dreamgirls review that have made me think more about the film.
The point about Jamie Foxx's character is a good one, and I think I would see it if I were more familiar with the stage show. All I have to go off of is the movie and I think a combination of Jamie Foxx's less than stellar performance and the fact that all the characters were a little underwritten in the film makes me ultimately think that the movie version of Curtis lacked the subtlety and depth of the stage version. Perhaps if Condon had given more than just a cursory nod to the social conditions driving the upheaval of the 60s and 70s. Or perhaps if he given Curtis more compelling action earlier in the film. Or maybe he just needed a better actor in the role. Whatever the reason, Curtis just didn't work for me.
I agree that Beyonce nailed "Listen" but by that point it was too little too late.
Ultimately, however, it was the lack of non-musical development that caused me to grade Dreamgirls so harshly. Even the characters I liked were underwitten, and the film ultimately felt like one well put together song after another. I think that is the cause of the other problems I had with the film, and its the reason I ultimately graded it low.
The point about Jamie Foxx's character is a good one, and I think I would see it if I were more familiar with the stage show. All I have to go off of is the movie and I think a combination of Jamie Foxx's less than stellar performance and the fact that all the characters were a little underwritten in the film makes me ultimately think that the movie version of Curtis lacked the subtlety and depth of the stage version. Perhaps if Condon had given more than just a cursory nod to the social conditions driving the upheaval of the 60s and 70s. Or perhaps if he given Curtis more compelling action earlier in the film. Or maybe he just needed a better actor in the role. Whatever the reason, Curtis just didn't work for me.
I agree that Beyonce nailed "Listen" but by that point it was too little too late.
Ultimately, however, it was the lack of non-musical development that caused me to grade Dreamgirls so harshly. Even the characters I liked were underwitten, and the film ultimately felt like one well put together song after another. I think that is the cause of the other problems I had with the film, and its the reason I ultimately graded it low.
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Alternate Titles
For those who don't know, the title of this blog is a reference to Legends of the Hidden Temple, a landmark moment in television history. However, it was not the only contender for the title of this blog. A prize to anyone that identify what each of these is a reference to:
God Help You If You Use Voice-Over
Where Is My Supersuit!
Go-Go Gadget Blog
Manos: The Blog of Fate
The Blog Hutch
No Touching
Blogs With Low Self-Esteem
God Help You If You Use Voice-Over
Where Is My Supersuit!
Go-Go Gadget Blog
Manos: The Blog of Fate
The Blog Hutch
No Touching
Blogs With Low Self-Esteem
MyTube
Welcome to what I hope will become another regular segment, where I look at some of the most entertaining footage on YouTube. Without further ado, I give you MyTube:
First, at last comes the glorious footage of Tigger bitchslapping a visitor to Disney World.
Steve Jobs continues to take over the world. Here is Phase 2, the iPhone
A very special New Year's wish from Umphrey's McGee
(If you're confused, that video is an homage to this one, from last month's Justin Timberlake-hosted SNL, which has become this year's Lazy Sunday):
And finally...a Japanese game show:
First, at last comes the glorious footage of Tigger bitchslapping a visitor to Disney World.
Steve Jobs continues to take over the world. Here is Phase 2, the iPhone
A very special New Year's wish from Umphrey's McGee
(If you're confused, that video is an homage to this one, from last month's Justin Timberlake-hosted SNL, which has become this year's Lazy Sunday):
And finally...a Japanese game show:
Little Children
I'm going to need some time to fully digest this film, and probably a second viewing, but my gut opinion is that Little Children was amazing. The film is a sharp commentary on suburban life and our modern culture. Think of it as Desperate Housewives if Desperate Housewives were literate, intelligent, well-directed, and well-acted.
My rough interpretation at this point is about how those in the suburbs have formed a society of little children. Certainly the characters in the film are. They act on their insticts, without thinking through the ramifications of their actions. Its similar to how Kate Winslet's daughter, Lucy, refuses to ride in the car seat. She has no thought of the danger, only that restricting herself is uncomfortable. In this way, all four of the most important characters of the film (Sarah, Brad, Larry, and Ronald) cause severe damage to themselves and others because they are little children, thinking only of themselves and what they want. I see Little Children as a coming of age movie about a bunch of 30 and 40 year olds.
However, the film can be enjoyed on a completely different level, as an acting extravaganza. Kate Winslet, who is my favorite actor working right now, invests Sarah with a huge sense of melancholy and regret. It is a deep and fulfilling performance. Jackie Earle Haley, as Ronald, has the toughest job in the film, he has to make you feel sympathy for a child molester. Haley succeeds by subtly underplaying Ronald, and infusing him with a complex cocktail of emotions ranging from guilt to anger to sorrow. Finally, Patrick Wilson hasn't gotten a lot of notice for his performance, but it was subtle and charming.
The film may not be perfect. At times the narration overexplains things we can see clearly and the Madame Bovary scene overlabors its point. However, none of that takes away from the fact that Todd Field has made a worthy successor to In the Bedroom and a film that I will likely be going over in my mind for a while.
A-
My rough interpretation at this point is about how those in the suburbs have formed a society of little children. Certainly the characters in the film are. They act on their insticts, without thinking through the ramifications of their actions. Its similar to how Kate Winslet's daughter, Lucy, refuses to ride in the car seat. She has no thought of the danger, only that restricting herself is uncomfortable. In this way, all four of the most important characters of the film (Sarah, Brad, Larry, and Ronald) cause severe damage to themselves and others because they are little children, thinking only of themselves and what they want. I see Little Children as a coming of age movie about a bunch of 30 and 40 year olds.
However, the film can be enjoyed on a completely different level, as an acting extravaganza. Kate Winslet, who is my favorite actor working right now, invests Sarah with a huge sense of melancholy and regret. It is a deep and fulfilling performance. Jackie Earle Haley, as Ronald, has the toughest job in the film, he has to make you feel sympathy for a child molester. Haley succeeds by subtly underplaying Ronald, and infusing him with a complex cocktail of emotions ranging from guilt to anger to sorrow. Finally, Patrick Wilson hasn't gotten a lot of notice for his performance, but it was subtle and charming.
The film may not be perfect. At times the narration overexplains things we can see clearly and the Madame Bovary scene overlabors its point. However, none of that takes away from the fact that Todd Field has made a worthy successor to In the Bedroom and a film that I will likely be going over in my mind for a while.
A-
See It Now 1/9/2007
We return to our regularly scheduled program today or tomorrow (hopefully) with my thoughts on Little Children, but now what I hope becomes a regular feature, a round up of news stories:
Joe Biden is the first official candidate for President. So be the first to catch that Biden magic.
BP, Exxon, and Shell are about to hit the oil jackpot. The Iraqi Parliament is looking at passing a law (which coincidently "the US government has been involved in drawing up") that would allow major oil companies to drill for crude oil in Iraq for the first time in around 35 years. But remember, we're not there for the oil, we're there because Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction... or something.
Meanwhile, The Surge is coming, so get ready. At least 20,000 troops will be added to Iraq in Bush's attempt to save his legacy, despite the fact that no one supports a troop increase, NOT EVEN THE TROOPS. Oh, and whatever you do, don't call it an an escalation because adding more soldiers to a war zone for an undetermined period of time is not an escalation.
On a similar note, this is just disgusting. A new low, even for someone as slimy as Joe Lieberman. I originally had a big rant written, but this isn’t really even worth dignifying with a response.
Finally, the wonderful thing about Tiggers is that they know what to do when they meet some punk kid. Screw A Tigger Movie, let's try to get him a part in The Departed.
Joe Biden is the first official candidate for President. So be the first to catch that Biden magic.
BP, Exxon, and Shell are about to hit the oil jackpot. The Iraqi Parliament is looking at passing a law (which coincidently "the US government has been involved in drawing up") that would allow major oil companies to drill for crude oil in Iraq for the first time in around 35 years. But remember, we're not there for the oil, we're there because Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction... or something.
Meanwhile, The Surge is coming, so get ready. At least 20,000 troops will be added to Iraq in Bush's attempt to save his legacy, despite the fact that no one supports a troop increase, NOT EVEN THE TROOPS. Oh, and whatever you do, don't call it an an escalation because adding more soldiers to a war zone for an undetermined period of time is not an escalation.
On a similar note, this is just disgusting. A new low, even for someone as slimy as Joe Lieberman. I originally had a big rant written, but this isn’t really even worth dignifying with a response.
Finally, the wonderful thing about Tiggers is that they know what to do when they meet some punk kid. Screw A Tigger Movie, let's try to get him a part in The Departed.
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Children of Men
2006 managed to produce two fantastic dystopian science fictions. First came V For Vendetta, an excellent action movie and a sharp critique of our current political climate. And then, as the year came to an end, we got another film with an excellent look into a dark future. However, what makes Children of Men different from V For Vendetta is Alfonso Cuaron's brilliant vision, as well as how personal his film is.
Children of Men takes place twenty years in the future, when humanity is no longer able to reproduce. Its a fantastic idea, and while it may seem a little far-fetched, the film makes it completely believable. The result of this is that we have essentially fallen apart as a race. Horrible things have happened all over the world, leaving Britain as the sole place where human society still exists. However, it doesn't matter. From the second the film starts, you can feel the hopelessness of every person living in the world. Clive Owen's Theo exemplifies this hopelessness. Theo has personally lost a child to the flu right before the infertility struck. And you can see in Owen's eyes how meaningless he finds everything.
Out of that meaninglessness comes hope, in the form of Kee, who has gotten pregnant. Unlike V, Theo is not fighting to bring down England's tyranical government (and the government of Children of Men is definitely tyrannical), he is fighting for hope. While the entire race may hinge on whether he can get Kee out of the country, he also can't let anybody know what he is doing, if he has any chance of his mission succeeding. As a result, the story is much more personal than V For Vendetta.
Director Alfonso Cuaron shoots the film with long, handheld takes, adding to the realism of the film, and drawing us closer to Theo. He crafts a picture of the future than seems frighteningly plausible. Ultimately the film succeeds because it is grounded in the personal. In that way, it joins the pantheon of great science fiction, and I highly recommend it.
A-
Children of Men takes place twenty years in the future, when humanity is no longer able to reproduce. Its a fantastic idea, and while it may seem a little far-fetched, the film makes it completely believable. The result of this is that we have essentially fallen apart as a race. Horrible things have happened all over the world, leaving Britain as the sole place where human society still exists. However, it doesn't matter. From the second the film starts, you can feel the hopelessness of every person living in the world. Clive Owen's Theo exemplifies this hopelessness. Theo has personally lost a child to the flu right before the infertility struck. And you can see in Owen's eyes how meaningless he finds everything.
Out of that meaninglessness comes hope, in the form of Kee, who has gotten pregnant. Unlike V, Theo is not fighting to bring down England's tyranical government (and the government of Children of Men is definitely tyrannical), he is fighting for hope. While the entire race may hinge on whether he can get Kee out of the country, he also can't let anybody know what he is doing, if he has any chance of his mission succeeding. As a result, the story is much more personal than V For Vendetta.
Director Alfonso Cuaron shoots the film with long, handheld takes, adding to the realism of the film, and drawing us closer to Theo. He crafts a picture of the future than seems frighteningly plausible. Ultimately the film succeeds because it is grounded in the personal. In that way, it joins the pantheon of great science fiction, and I highly recommend it.
A-
The Holiday
It might be bold to admit to watching this movie with only my third post, but I have to be honest.
There really isn't that much to say. Winslet and Black were entertaining, Diaz and Law were not and ultimately it was just slightly better than the average romantic comedy.
C-
There really isn't that much to say. Winslet and Black were entertaining, Diaz and Law were not and ultimately it was just slightly better than the average romantic comedy.
C-
Dreamgirls
So, I begin with the first film I saw in 2007, Dreamgirls.
The musical is a tricky storytelling medium to bring to film. Most musicals, especially recently, have failed to garner critical success, commercial success, or, in most cases, both. In my opinion, the main reason for this is that most musicals tend to be loaded with songs instead of focusing on the story and the characters. Music is an excellent way of emoting and showing feeling in an entertaining way, but it doesn't mean anything if there aren't characters we can invest in, or a story that is compelling. For example, think about action movies. The reason why Casino Royale worked, while Die Another Day didn't was because Casino Royale used action sequences to suppliment character and plot development. The movie is all about Bond and Vesper and the story. Now think about Die Another Day and try to remember the plot or anything interesting about the characters. Its the same way with musicals, they can be good, but only if the characters and story are there.
Which brings me to Dreamgirls, a film I was very excited to see, but that didn't live up to my hopes because it was a series of songs without a developing plot or characters to tie them together. Ostensibly, the film is about the Dreams, a Motown-style girl group who hit it big, but fall apart when one of them takes over. However, director Bill Condon is not particularly interested in telling that story. Instead, we get a series of extremely well-shot and well-performed songs, but no substance behind them.
The film begins entertainingly enough, focusing mainly on James Early (Eddie Murphy) and Effie White (Jennifer Hudson). Murphy gives the film's best performance, capturing both Early's charisma and manic nature early in the film, while also doing a great job of showing him as tired and desperate later. Hudson also does a great job with her character, and she has the film's emotional highlight, "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going"
The problem is that this highlight comes way too early, half-way through the film, leaving nowhere to go but down. After that the song the film rather abruptly shifts focus to Jamie Foxx's cardboard character (he's the evil, controlling manager!) and Beyonce Knowles' bland diva. By moving away from the two most interesting and well-acted characters to two extremely bland ones, Condon severely damaged the film and the result is that the second half is a tedious presentation of songs that feels more like the variety show that Foxx's character puts on than an actual movie. Additionally, because the film ditches Hudson so early, her character ends up feeling underdeveloped. The film was never going to recover from "And I'm Telling You," but it didn't have to curl up and die after it.
In the end, I thought Dreamgirls contained a few songs and excellent performances from Murphy and Hudson , but the second half was just too painful for me to fully recommed this movie.
C+
The musical is a tricky storytelling medium to bring to film. Most musicals, especially recently, have failed to garner critical success, commercial success, or, in most cases, both. In my opinion, the main reason for this is that most musicals tend to be loaded with songs instead of focusing on the story and the characters. Music is an excellent way of emoting and showing feeling in an entertaining way, but it doesn't mean anything if there aren't characters we can invest in, or a story that is compelling. For example, think about action movies. The reason why Casino Royale worked, while Die Another Day didn't was because Casino Royale used action sequences to suppliment character and plot development. The movie is all about Bond and Vesper and the story. Now think about Die Another Day and try to remember the plot or anything interesting about the characters. Its the same way with musicals, they can be good, but only if the characters and story are there.
Which brings me to Dreamgirls, a film I was very excited to see, but that didn't live up to my hopes because it was a series of songs without a developing plot or characters to tie them together. Ostensibly, the film is about the Dreams, a Motown-style girl group who hit it big, but fall apart when one of them takes over. However, director Bill Condon is not particularly interested in telling that story. Instead, we get a series of extremely well-shot and well-performed songs, but no substance behind them.
The film begins entertainingly enough, focusing mainly on James Early (Eddie Murphy) and Effie White (Jennifer Hudson). Murphy gives the film's best performance, capturing both Early's charisma and manic nature early in the film, while also doing a great job of showing him as tired and desperate later. Hudson also does a great job with her character, and she has the film's emotional highlight, "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going"
The problem is that this highlight comes way too early, half-way through the film, leaving nowhere to go but down. After that the song the film rather abruptly shifts focus to Jamie Foxx's cardboard character (he's the evil, controlling manager!) and Beyonce Knowles' bland diva. By moving away from the two most interesting and well-acted characters to two extremely bland ones, Condon severely damaged the film and the result is that the second half is a tedious presentation of songs that feels more like the variety show that Foxx's character puts on than an actual movie. Additionally, because the film ditches Hudson so early, her character ends up feeling underdeveloped. The film was never going to recover from "And I'm Telling You," but it didn't have to curl up and die after it.
In the end, I thought Dreamgirls contained a few songs and excellent performances from Murphy and Hudson , but the second half was just too painful for me to fully recommed this movie.
C+
Welcome!
So, welcome to my blog. The story is that every year, one of my New Years' Resolutions is always to keep a screening log of every movie I see that year (the other is always to read more non-required books). And each year, I usually abandon it by about February. So this year I'm going to try this experiment in a much more public setting, in the hopes that this will make me stick to it more. So, basically, every movie I see this year will have a post, along with my thoughts about it and some kind of grade.
That said, I'm also going to use this space for my musings on a variety of subjects. So, while the primary focus will be on movies, I'll also try to talk about other things, like books or TV or maybe even politics if I'm especially angry on any given day.
Finally, I'd like for this to be interactive, so please be sure to comment on the posts. The great thing about blogs is that they can be more of a conversation than a one-sided lecture.
So, with that said, enjoy my blog, here's hoping it will still be around in February
That said, I'm also going to use this space for my musings on a variety of subjects. So, while the primary focus will be on movies, I'll also try to talk about other things, like books or TV or maybe even politics if I'm especially angry on any given day.
Finally, I'd like for this to be interactive, so please be sure to comment on the posts. The great thing about blogs is that they can be more of a conversation than a one-sided lecture.
So, with that said, enjoy my blog, here's hoping it will still be around in February
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