Oscarbation: With a Week to Go Here Is the State of the Race

the golden god! well he is a god that we bow to this time of the year. hell i want one!!! this year for the first time in a long time there appears to be a race on in more than one category. some films and performances have gone up, some down, then up and down again. it's been a topsy kind of turvy award season. and to tell the truth i like it. before all the damn critics awards the oscar ruled. every oscar night presented surprises. not all good surprises admittedly but there was a good deal of suspense. it was a time when people at oscar parties voted for who they wanted to win and not who will win because the critics ordained it. well this year there appears, hopefully, to be some backlash to the critics. and that is a good thing. oscar voters are not critics. they are lovers of film and the film industry. i love film. good film. i don't need a film to be canonized by critics or their groups. i firmly believe last year that the academy bowed to the critics with 'the hurt locker'. in truth i know no one, not one person, who thought it was the best film of the year. different maybe but in no way the best.  so perhaps this year the critic's darling will not win and the best picture of the year will win. you know where i'm going. but that's for next time. today is just about...

...the state of the race

best picture

until mid january 'the social network' (the commoner) appeared to be the lock. but the tide began to shift and after winning the pga and the dga guild awards 'the king's speech' (the royal) began to edge up and seems to have overcome the momentum of the facebook film. either would be worthy but i'm going full steam ahead with the royal one. and then there is 'the fighter' which seems to have gained last minute word of mouth. it certainly is most worthy as an also ran but not quite the top spot victory. the race is on with 'the king's speech' in secratariat formation. onward britannia!


best director


it's tom hooper (royal) vs david fincher (commoner).
i believe fincher gets the oscar here as 'the king' walks away with the top prize. however hooper won the dga. it's a horse race to the finish but at this point fincher by a nose. personally i'd go chris nolan for 'inception' but for some god forsaken reason he did not score a nomination. fincher gets it as the commoner cannot be ignored as 'the king's speech' proved.


actor


it's a done deal. anyone other than colin firth would be a sham and the major upset of the season. enough said!


actress


first it was benning. then portman. now it's dead heat on the oscar merry-go -round. do they go benning for a lifetime achievement as they did last year with jeff brigges over colin firth or do they go performance and justly award natalie portman? i'm thinking they are smarter than we think. but then again who will the elders vote for? the long standing joke is dolores hope. will she 'get' portman? and then if she does on the other hand won't the dirty old men like jerry lewis and ernest borgine go for the younger sexier (don't forget the lesbian kiss...these old straight geezers love that!) portman. it's portman by a nose at this point but benning's husband, warren beatty, has influence and friends and then more friends. clear a space on your mantle natalie.


supporting actress


a month ago this was melissa leo's ('the fighter') to lose. a self promotion blunder gone awry knocked her down a peg or three. she is in contention with co-star amy adams also. split votes i believe. actually i say ms. adams gave the better performance of the two. ms. leo was just too 'methody' for me. over acting, over the top...thus me thinks for ms. leo it is just over. then there is helena bonham carter for 'the king's speech'. is this her time? it's been 13 years since 'the wings of the dove' brought her to international attention. she has worked ever since commanding attention in everything she appears in. she is now in the front runner for best film. adams and leo split. voters going down ballot sweep her in with picture and mr. firth. it is bonham carter's award to lose now and she would be royally worthy.


supporting actor


only a  royal sweep gets geoffrey rush his second oscar. it would be deserving indeed. but this category is still owned by christian bale as it should be. the only wonderful thing that could really happen would be a tie. trust me...it will not happen.






this is the state of the race. i keep up with it. i read everything i can on it. it's the gay super bowl for gods sake. yes gods not god's. 


later this week i'll give my final thoughts including tech awards most all of which i'd give 'inception'. but i wonder if most academy members know the difference between visual effects and cinematography? i wonder. if yes 'inception' gets it. if not it's a toss up between the royal and the commoner again. thus we end where we began.

'Hereafter': VFX Shot Breakdowns

since 'hereafter' is arriving on video in march, the 14th,  i thought it might be cool to spotlight how the tsunami was shot. i generally hate these things because i think they kill the whole fantasy of film but hey i needed something to blog today.

i do recommend this film if you haven't seen it.

Catching Up on 2010 Films

'secretariat' i'm sorry to say i missed on the 'big' screen'. knowing the ending did not diminish it at all. that's due the expert direction and editing. diane lane is wonderful once again. ***1/2 stars.

'twelve' is the darker side of 'gossip girl'. it's just a drug crazed teen horror story. forget about it. the onlt redeeming thing in it was chace crawford and because of him alone it gets *1/2 stars.

'the american' is a bore. everything about it sucked. really! 0 stars. yup zero!

 a look at the early life of john lennon is a pleasant surprise. i watch everything kristen scott thomas is in so naturally i rented this. it is so much more than ms. scott thomas. a really good performance by aaron johnson centers the film which relates the factual tug-of-war between his aunt (scott thomas) who raised him and his mother (anne-marie duff is terrific) who let him go and the formation of the future beetles. i really recommend this movie. ***stars.

america the beautiful? not so much. no surprise to me. the true story about the lies and cover up of one one's death to promote the illegal war. 

a tense but sober look at a 12 year old vampire. however it is anything but childish. ***stars

Oscarbation: And the Nominees for Best Score Are

'The Fighter' ****stars

i went kicking and screaming to see this film. not literally but you knew that. and damn damn damn what a helluva surprise. for me anyway. this is a great film and just places with the other great films this year. it's about a fighter, two really, but it is so much more. it's the relationships, difficult relationships, amongst a truly dysfunctional set of people. the boxing out of the rink is as powerful as the boxing in the rink. it's psychological boxing and often more brutal.

as the award season progresses kudos keep going to melissa leo, amy adams  and christian bale and deservedly so. but why the hell is marl wahlberg never mentioned. his character is the heart and soul of this film. he is the center of the film. mr. wahlberg grows with every role he takes on. 

bravo to all the actors and to everyone connected to this film. run to see this now. that's the best i can say.

The Best of Film 2010: Let the Arguements Begin

 yes it was a good year for film lovers. my personal tastes vary and there was a lot to satisfy my movie going pleasure. i can't limit my 'best of' to ten. the following are just representing the treasure trove of movies that more than satisfied in 2010.

these films affected me in different ways. some are brilliant pieces of film making. a couple just made me smile. two made me shudder in a good way. one specifically dazzled my eyes and ears. some made me cry or a least shed a few tears. some made me think well after the film ended. but after all is said and done they all satisfied and touched me in one way or another. 

(argue amongst yourselves. my work is done)

1. the king's speech
simply the all around best. acting, directing, screenplay and characters you care for. give colin the oscar now.

2. Inception

a feast for the eyes and ears. what direction and editing are all about.

3. Black Swan

a psycho sexual feast. i just happen to love films that blur the line between reality and fantasy. a better descent into maddness has not been served up before. give natalie the oscar now.

4. Shutter Island

a mystery to die for. another film that blurs the line between what is real and maybe not so real.

5. Agora

does history repeat itself? see for yourself.

and the rest in no particular order



The Town

ben affleck triumphs in his sophmore directorial effort. why the hell is blake lively not getting supporting kudos?

 127 Hours

the film some are afraid to see. has no one ever heard of great editing. a triumph in cinema fotography

 City Island

a slice of life gem. andy garcia has never been better.

 Hereafter

no pronouncements or denouncements. just a call for thoughtful dialogue. clint eastwood amazes yet again.

 Fair Game

the truth can prevail.

 The Social Network

amazing on most levels. a bit overwritten and yet surprisingly underdeveloped characterization. the characters btw are some of the most despicable people i've ever spent two hours with.

 Remember Me

an indie with heart. robert pattinson is more than a vampire heart throb. he has the wounded soul of a montgomery clift.

 Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

i really did not want to see this film. i was more than pleasantly surprised.

 Letters to Juliet

a romcom for all ages. vanessa redgrave shines.

 Twilight Eclipse

the best of the trilogy. you may say well hell that's not saying much. well maybe not to you but it is to me.

 The Fighter

i went kicking and screaming. i was wrong. christian bale is worth the admission price.

 The Tillman Story

oh america the beautiful...not so much.

 Hiachi: A Dog's Tale

why the hell this little gem went straight to dvd i'll never know. if you ever loved a pet or had a pet love you this is a must.

All Good Things' ***stars

a love story, a crime story, the tale of a madman. good production values and better acting raise it above what might have been a lifetime movie of the week. it keep me engrossed and that's enough for me.

two thoughts: i can understand why ryan gosling's star is on the ascendant but can't understand why kirstens dunst's star has dimmed. she is beautiful, talented and charming. it's time for her to be noticed again.

lily rabe, daughter of jill clayburgh, in a supporting role is a scene stealer but no jill clayburgh.

The Worst Films of 2010 in Film: Let the Arguements Begin

for me the worst of the year are films that aspired to be the best. or at least damn good. they are films that starred or were directed by known talents or new talents. they all have one thing in common...they are awful. an awful waste of time.

i will grant that three of these have wound up on some 'best of 2010' lists and have even won some critic's awards. well we are all entitled to our own opinion. these ten films, (tomorrow i'll give the absolute worst) represent my opinion. and for the record i am right!.

so is alphabetical order #2 thru #10 are:


 

a major waste of talent. good cops, bad cops, corrupt cops. it's been done too many times before. simply put it is awful.

what a bitch! break up via snail mail with a guy in iraq. great move. amanda seyfried's character was the most despicable on screen this year. and that's pretty amazing considering the amoral hateful characters in the much better 'the social network'. only channing tatum survives this piece of garbage.

bore bore bore. this slot was going to be held by the deadly dull 'cairo time'. it was a toss up. 'eat pray love' won. or lost depending on your perspective.

some think it's great. it's getting respect from some critic groups. i think it's crap. i'm sorry i do. i think polanski is brilliant. a faux tale trying to excuse tony blair's complicity with the never ending iraq war. this film seemed as never ending. who cares? and who the hell thought kim cattrall could actually be taken seriously in a dramatic role? her zombie like performance made a bad film worse.

the kids are not all right. the two mothers are not alright. they all turn out to be miserable human beings who wind up manipulating the emotions of a biological father, sperm donor,  minding his own business until they come along again. mark ruffalo is the only redeeming character in this film getting the shaft from a self centered dysfunctional family. all families are dysfunctional. this group takes it to new and slimier heights.

simply put it's a mess. jake get someone to read scripts for you. between this and 'love and other drugs' you are killing your career.

the newest installment of ugly americans abroad. it killed a franchise that was already on life support after the first film. and enough of kim cattral already.

an all star mess as most all star movies are.

stereotypes in the most boring film of the year. the critics love it. or think they should to prove they are not elitists. if you are addicted to sleeping pills and want to break the habit watch this every night instead. but it may be coma producing.


tomorrow: the worst film of 2010.

'Eat Pray Love' or 'Kvetch Kvetch Kvetch' Rates *star

it took me awhile to catch up with this one and i still did not wait long enough. bore bore bore. this movie started and proceeded to nowhere but took 2hours and 20 minutes to get there. julia roberts is ever charming and generally accessible on film but not this time. her performance is as removed and remote. she even made eating in rome look boring and dull. that in itself s a major fete but not the presumed desired end result. skip it. go out for a good italian meal as the one in this film is rancid.

Oscarbation: '127 Hours' Is One of the Years Best

another film that will make my best of 2010. james franco is amazing. danny boyle directs this brilliant film. the grand canyon has never looked better. it's still in theaters so catch it on the big screen where the cinematography really needs to be seen.

Mash-Up 2010

two more 2010 year end mash-ups worth taking a look at

2010: the Cinescape

a film in review by matt shapiro

'The Town' Releases Today on Blu Ray and DVD

the golden globes decided to ignore 'the town' except for a nod to jeremy renner in the supporting male category. you should not ignore it. when i first saw it i wondered if it would catch on. many film critic organizations got it right and it made more ten best lists than i thought it might. this is a nice surprise. it also appears to be getting rewarded in the ensemble acting category where that distinction applies. the credit for this goes to ben allleck. there is not a weak acting moment in this film.

mr. affleck also gave rebecca hall and blake lively their best roles to date. especially ms. lively. for those of you who only know her as serena on 'gossip girl', where she is actually wonderful, you ain't seen nothing yet. as the meth addicted krista she shines. and it seems that only the san diego film critics and i noticed. blake gives one of the best supporting performances of 2010. is it because of 'gossip girl' that she can't really be taken that seriously. have we forgotten that two time oscar winner sally field appeared in 'gidget' and 'the flying nun' before major film roles?

you owe it to yourself to see this film. this is just a reminder. i'll bet the farm it makes one of the ten nominations come oscar time. i'll bet the same farm the oscars ignore blake lively. they've made bigger mistakes in the past but don't get me started.

'THE TOWN' IS ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF 2010

blake as krista

 with director affleck

Filmography 2010: 270 Films in 6 Minutes

'Social Network' Appears to be the Juggernaut to Beat

based on the critics picks anyhow. but will the majority of oscar voters pick a well written, directed, edited and acted film about some of the most despicable people EVER for best picture. they might; i hope they might not. it will make my best of 2010 but not THE best of 2010. spending two hours with this group was almost as bad as being a guest when 'rachel getting married' got married. i said almost!

but hell i'm the guy who still can't figure out 'the hurt locker' over 'avatar', 'up in the air', 'precious' and 'the blind side' last year.