85th Annual Academy Awards: The Review

Another Oscar year come and gone, and it was a fantastic one. So many good films, many of which I saw beforehand, and a few I was introduced to because of the nominations. Overall, in the films I predicted, I had a success rate of 7/19. Terrible! I didn't expect Waltz to win so soon after his previous win, also in a Tarantino film. I also didn't expect Tarantino himself to win. I should've predicted Life of Pi for cinematography. The Lincoln win for production design was also a surprise. Overall, though, the major awards were safe. Ang Lee deservedly won, I think, for best director. Argo came as no real surprise. Neither did the acting awards, including Lawrence. McFarlane was a surprisingly funny host. The guy is funny in his actual work, but the oscars have a way of un-funnying people, and somehow he was able to keep his style and still make it work. Even smaller touches, like when he said Streep needs no introduction, and then immediately walked off stage. Overall, a very successful host, although opinion on him seems to be split. The Kirk segment was also excellent. And his song about nudity in film? Hilarious. A good night overall, with some decent speeches: Ang Lee, Day-Lewis. The countdown to the 86th oscars begins!

Oscar Watch: My Picks

It's the eve of Oscar Sunday, and for the first time in my personal Oscar viewing history, I've seen the vast majority of nominees. Actually, the only ones I have not seen are the short films, foreign film, and the documentaries. And I only heard two of the songs, without seeing the films. And a lot of this was due to the fact that many movies were nominated multple times (especially Silver Linings Playbook for making it to every acting category). But not even that; a lot of the films chosen this year were just plain good. I saw a bunch before nominations even came out, just because I wanted to: Flight, Lincoln, Django Unchained, Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Skyfall, Argo, The Avengers, Prometheus, Brave, Wreck-It Ralph and The Hobbit number among the films I saw prior to nominations. Leaving me time usually spent on catching up with the best pics to round out nearly every other category. And with that, here's my educated opinion on my picks, and who I think will win (only an opinion!), at the 85th annual Academy Awards this year:

BEST PICTURE
My pick: It's a bias, but I choose Les Miserables. It takes skill to adapt a beloved musical for the big screen. They could have gone all big and showy like Chicago, but instead they used the film medium to bring a spotlight on the characters, focus on the emotion behind the music, and let the strength of the story carry the film. It's a beautifully made film, and would be my pick. A close second would be Lincoln, for capturing, almost as if in a photograph, the time period of Lincoln's last days. It loses a few points for a lackluster last few scenes, however.

My prediction: Argo. It's sweeping all the smaller awards this year. And, as many have said, if AMPAS doesn't choose it, it'll seem out of touch. Does it deserve the top prize? No. But will it get it? I think it's likely.

BEST ACTOR
My pick: It's a tie between Hugh Jackman and Daniel Day-Lewis. If I had to pick one, I'd have to side with Day-Lewis. Jackman portrayed Jean Valjean with such emotional weight, both just the acting and the songs. But I need to put my bias aside to give credit to Day-Lewis, who embodied Lincoln so well, I feel like I know the man. I don't think any president before has been so skillfully and thoroughly portrayed on screen. It's top class acting.

My prediction: Day-Lewis for the third time, I think.

BEST ACTRESS
My pick: This is such a wide open category. I think Naomi Watts did a stellar job in The Impossible, and I'd give my pick to her. Lawrence was very good in Silver Linings Playbook, but the emotion, the pain, and suffering Watts portrayed was so well done. Riva and Chastain were also very good, though, and Wallis.... well, she was very good in what I felt was a poor film.

My prediction: I honestly don't know, but if I had to choose, I think Lawrence has the most support.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
My pick: Tommy Lee Jones. I loved his performance in Lincoln, the true abolitionist. Mixing a good amount of empathy and humor, Jones's portrayal of Stevens was a joy to watch. Arkin was good, but the role itself wasn't too meaty. Waltz was fantastic as usual, and also rather nuanced as well, but Jones still won out for me. De Niro was good as well, but again, not as memorable to me. And Hoffman was, like Wallis, a good performance in what I felt was a bad film.

My prediction: I feel Argo bandwagon may be handing the award to Arkin.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
My pick: Field, Hunt, and Weaver were very good in their roles. I didn't think Adams was given much to work with in her film, in terms of range and depth. But none of these roles compare to Hathaway in Les Miserables. Her performance of I Dreamed a Dream alone was enough to warrant this award, I think. There's such regret and sadness and desperation in that performance, it's rather incredible. Beautiful, beautiful performance.

My prediction: Hathaway will take this easy, I think.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
My pick: This one's a bit tough for me. I love Pixar, but Brave wasn't their best, despite some fantastic moments and characters. Wreck-It Ralph was so nostalgic and a joy to watch, but it felt a bit like the Toy Story train of storytelling, and thus not completely original. I wasn't a huge fan of Paranorman or Frankenweenie. I was thoroughly surprised by the creativity and heart of The Pirates: Band of Misfits, and that's my pick.

My prediction: The popularity of Wreck-It Ralph makes me think it'll get the award.

CINEMATOGRAPHY
My pick: This is a tough one. All the nominated films had such beautiful cinematography, and were quite scenic films. Except Lincoln, but the lighting and camerawork there displayed the dark times of Lincoln's days, the crowded hectic nature of politics and Congress, and more. Django had some beautiful scenes, and Anna Karenina's style was unique. Life of Pi was just uniquely filmed as well. And Skyfall, well I'm biased, but the contrast between the crazy action scenes and the quieter, more reflective ones was so nice. I'm going to go with my bias and choose Skyfall.

My prediction: A tough one, but given that Skyfall one the ASC award, let's hope it gets the Oscar as well.

COSTUME DESIGN
My pick: I loved Les Miserables costumes, how they fit the times. Likewise for Lincoln. Not much to comment on the snow white films, I wasn't overly impressed. But my pick would be Anna Karenina, because the beauty of the dresses in that time really lended itself to the style of filming, and stuck out in my mind as being one of the most vibrant parts of the film.

My prediction: I feel that, if AMPAS chooses to give Argo the top prize, they'll leave some smaller ones for Lincoln. So, let's go with Lincoln.

DIRECTING
My pick: Lincoln, hands down. You can feel the effort, the passion, that went into this film. Russell, Lee, and Haneke were suitably nominated, as they all tacked films dealing with some tough material: depression, faith, and loss, respectively. Let's not talk about Zeitlin, because I thought Beasts was just so subpar. But Lincoln felt like such a strongly directed film, with such care.

My prediction: If it may not nab the top prize, I think Spielberg will be awarded for Lincoln.

FILM EDITING
My pick: I find this a tough category to judge. Part of knowing the best editing is seeing what was left out, what other takes were available, and so on. That being said, I think Argo was the most tightly edited of the bunch. A few of the others, namely Zero Dark Thirty, felt a bit slow-paced at points. Argo, however, kept me invested the entire time from what I recall, and the scenes where they finally escape were harrowing despite knowing the outcome; I think the editor likely had a large role to play in that.

My prediction: I think it'll go to Argo or Zero Dark Thirty. Let's just go with Zero Dark.

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
My pick: Les Miserables. If nothing else, the subtle aging for Jean Valjean was so well done. The others were simply decent. I wasn't impressed by The Hobbit, and Hitchcock probably got nominated for Hopkins's transformation.

My prediction: Les Miserables, I think it'll nab a few lower awards if Lincoln isn't nominated.

MUSIC: ORIGINAL SCORE
My pick: The most memorable scores were Anna Karenina and Skyfall to me. As a Bond fan, I'd love to see Skyfall nab both categories, so that's my prediction.

My prediction: I feel like AMPAS may want to reward Williams one more time for Lincoln.

MUSIC: ORIGINAL SONG
My pick: Skyfall! What a fantastic Bond song, subtle homage, catchy, classic.

My prediction: Skyfall! It's the strong favorite from what I gather.

PRODUCTION DESIGN
My pick: Anna Karenina. The staging of the story as a lavish stage production, breaking the fourth barrier almost, was just so unique and so beautiful. I think it completely deserves the award.

My prediction: I feel like it'll go to a more popular film this year, like Les Miserables. Not wholly unwarranted, the film looked beautiful.

SOUND EDITING
My pick: Tough, but Zero Dark Thirty's raid scene wins me over. The sound and the silence just worked so well. It's a winner in my book.

My prediction: I'm not sure if it'll be the Argo bandwagon, but I'll go with that.

SOUND MIXING
My pick: Les Miserables mixed the music and sounds well, especially things like the rain with On My Own. I'll play bias and go with that.

My prediction: Hard to judge. I feel like it'll be Argo.

VISUAL EFFECTS
My pick: The Avengers, of course. That last battle scene. Enough said.

My prediction: I think they'll reward Life of Pi for its gorgeous visuals. Fair enough, I think Avengers was such a stellar visual feat, but I loved the almost poetic visual nature of Life of Pi.

WRITING: ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
My pick: Life of Pi was adapted so well to the big screen. An excellent book became an excellent film. And it's a tough book to adapt, I'd imagine.

My prediction: I think AMPAS will reward Lincoln.

WRITING: ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
My pick: Tarantino's dialogue and characters win me over for Django. As usual, he shows his skill in dialogue and crafting such unique, memorable characters. Flight was also stellar, showcasing the pitfalls of alcoholism.

My prediction: This is a tough one. I'm not sure, so I'll venture a blind pick: Zero Dark Thirty, for tackling a tough subject.

Oscar Watch: "Mirror Mirror"

Mirror Mirror
Nominated for: Best Costume Design

The second major film to tackle Snow White this year, and it's quite a lame one. It's filled with pretty subpar humor, uninspiring characters, a lackluster villain, and that's about it. The costumes are decent enough, especially the Queen's wardrobe. Otherwise, this movie was a total bomb, and tough to believe it got the greenlight, let alone Julia Roberts, Nathan Lane, and Sean Bean (who actually did the reverse of his usual roles, and came "back" to life at the end!). Les Miserables and Lincoln and Anna Karenina had much better costume design, in my opinion.

Oscar Watch: "Frankenweenie"

Frankenweenie
Nominated for: Best Animated Film

Frankenweenie is a take of sorts on the classic Frankenstein tale, with a boy bringing his dog back to life, and others emulating it and causing trouble that the boy helps fix. It felt very Burton-esque in style and substance. Overall I thought it was decent, but I was also rather tired while watching it. Still, it was a well-made film but not the best of the year.

Oscar Watch: "Paranorman"

Paranorman
Nominated for: best animated film

I nice little horror tribute of an animated film, Paranorman involves zombies, witches, and all that good stuff. I thought the animation was unique, intentionally not realistic. The story was solid and interesting enough. Part of your enjoyment probably depends on how into horror you are, I'm not but I caught a few references, like the halloween theme, or the Jason reference. It's not Pixar or Disney level, and maybe equivalent to a Dreamworks. Best animated film? Nope, but a nice one.

Oscar Watch: "Hitchcock"

Hitchcock
Nominated for: Best Makeup

Yet another treat thanks to AMPAS that I may not have seen otherwise. I didn't know exactly what this film would entail, by it delved deeply into the making of Psycho. I didn't realize what a struggle making this picture was, considering how famous Hitchcock is for it. Hopkins acted very well, although not having seen Hitchcock himself, I can't assess how realistic it was. Likewise for makeup, I'm assuming it got nominated just because of Hopkins's makeup. But I loved the behind-the-scenes Hollywood stuff, the nitty gritty of making the film. It really was a very enjoyable film. I liked how his wife Alma also played such a central role. It's a shame the man never won an Oscar.

Oscar Watch: "The Pirates: Band of Misfits"

The Pirates: Band of Misfits
Nominated for: Best Animated Film

I thought it was a dodo! Sometimes Oscar surprises you with good choices, and this is an prime example. This movie looked pretty lame from the trailers. But in reality, it's a wonderfully animated, heartfelt, unique animated film. Different from Pixar and Disney. Very enjoyable to watch. Loved the story, the characters, humor, plot. Really a fun watch. I hope it gets some recognition at the oscars this year. Really a joy of a film. I didn't think I'd like the animation, but it really works, and works well. The humor, especially Mr. Bobo, was so on point. And I never expected to see Charles Darwin. Nice! Definitely glad I saw it. Almost makes up for sitting through the painful beasts of the southern wild.

Oscar Watch: "Snow White and the Huntsman"

Snow White and the Huntsman
Nominated for: Best Visual Effects

This film was rather dull, a slow and boring take on Snow White. The story involved the evil queen's attempts to get her, her successful poisoning via apple, and how the huntsman originally sent to kill her ended up saving her with a kiss. The visual effects were decent, some were very nice, like the shrapnel monster they fought at the end. But nothing overly impressive or noteworthy, I thought. Surprised it was nominated. Overall a rather dull affair. 

Oscar Watch: "Anna Karenina"

Anna Karenina
Nominated for: Original Score, Cinematography, Production Design, Costume Design

Anna Karenina is based on the work of the same name by Leo Tolstoy. I can't claim to know the story beforehand, but the story as presented here was very straightforward. Anna (Kiera Knightley) falls in love, lives with her lover, and her life is ruined by her social status and paranoia. Joe Wright, who directed Knightley in other period pieces, did something unique here. The movie is presented almost as a mix of a play and a film. Characters walk from a regular room into behind-the-scenes area above the stage. Characters watch a play, and then find themselves in the scene. It's a lot of style, which made the film interesting to watch. The acting was good as well, especially Knightley and Jude Law. The story wasn't intensely exciting, but it was a unique film. I can see why it was nominated for all of the above. The score was memorable, at least the main theme is. Cinematography was very nice here, with the aforementioned use of staging. And the production and costume design go hand-in-hand with that. An enjoyable watch.

Oscar Watch: "Moonrise Kingdom"

Moonrise Kingdom
Nominated for: Best Original Screenplay

Moonrise Kingdom feels like Wes Anderson from the start. The narrative style, the framing, the oddly incongruent elements that somehow from some sort of whole. It's what makes this movie unique. Like that odd poem that tickles your mind a bit. This movie is a bit odd, a bit eccentric, but in the end, rather heartfelt. The acting was decent enough, but nothing spectacular. Part of that is due to Anderson's characters, who aren't particularly realistic, because they live in this surreal sort of world. The writing was unique, and it sort of carried the story along. I liked the editing a lot, as well. It really helped tell the story. Overall the writing was decent, but the narrative structure was unique, and I think it's a decent nomination. Call me biased, but I still think Skyfall or The Avengers should've been considered in these kinds of categories as well, for what they accomplished. But AMPAS does what it does, and that's the fun of the game, seeing what they're up to. And with this, I've completed all the majors for, I believe, the first time: director, picture, acting, supporting acting, and both screenplays! Nice. One day, I aspire to see every film in every category!

Oscar Watch: "The Master"

The Master
Nominated for: Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress

The Master is the story of a troubled vet who falls for a cult leader. Joaqin Phoenix, who plays the veteran, is lost after the war, and takes to the charisma of Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who goes around the country convincing people of his power to change their lives. The movie doesn't really go far from there. Honestly, I didn't think it was all that fantastic. It did focus on the power of a cult, and how people can buy into a charismatic leader. But I didn't feel a connection to any character. The acting was very good. Hoffman, no surprise, was able to play his character well. Phoenix, too, was totally lost in the role, and I totally bought his performance. I wasn't as impressed with Adams's performance, only because she didn't seem to offer much to the film. Overall, I wasn't too impressed by this film, and I guess neither was AMPAS outside of the acting.

Marvel Watch: More Hulk?

Rumors are abound about the future of marvel's slate, past Avengers 2. It's assumed, by this point, that A2 will feature Thanos primarily, with Guardians of the Galaxy and maybe even Iron Man 3 leading up to it. This focus on cosmic marvel is stellar and really a joy to anticipate. I love the cosmic marvel comics so far, particularly Annihilation, and I'm excited for where they're going with this.

But the latest rumors are that Hulk will be a major part of phase 3. Namely the argubaly biggest modern Hulk comics to date, Planet Hulk and World War Hulk. I watched Planet Hulk and read World War Hulk, and they're both fantastic stories. PH would be a more gladatorial-type film, different from marvel's slate thus far. And if rumors are true, and Avengers 3 is really World War Hulk, that could be exciting as well. Either that, or something along the lines of Civil War or Secret Invasion, although I don't think marvel will keep venturing cosmic.

I think it's an interesting rumor, and could pan out to be interesting. The Illuminati would likely feature heavily here. And it may be a more personal type of story, them facing one of their own. Marvel's really playing their cards smart here, picking and choosing wisely from the comics. Can't wait!

Oscar Watch: "The Impossible"

The Impossible
Nominated for: Best Actress (Naomi Watts)

The Impossible is a difficult film to watch at times. It details the life of a family during a vacation to Thailand, and the ensuing difficulties they faced after the tsunami hit. It's a story of struggle, and some parts are so well-done, it's heartbreaking. By making the family the emotional core of the story, and a lens through which to see this tragedy, it finds a very heartfelt, tender focus.

The actual tsunami hitting the resort itself was painful to watch. Just seeing the impact of that destruction, the power of the water, people, buildings, and trees being swept away; it was very well done. The subsequent struggle of the father (Ewan McGregor, in good form) trying to find his wife and son, or of Naomi Watts struggle to stay alive for her family, is what kept me invested in the film.

Watts's acting was very good. She portrayed the loss and hurt very well. Looking at the competition she's up against, I think Riva and Lawrence hold the most competition. They both portrayed depth to their characters, in different ways. Let's not talk about Wallis, who was good in a terrible film, in my opinion. And Chastain was good, but her role wasn't as emotionally robust as the others. I think Watts may have a good chance, if they go based on acting itself. But, it being the oscars, who knows what they're gonna do.

Anyway, this was a good movie, and filmed so well by focusing on the family through this tragedy. An interesting side note, that they cast these actors, as the original family was Spanish. But it seems they needed funding by casting more international actors, plus it helped transcend ethnicity and making it more of a universal struggle. Good film. 

Sentinels and Space-bound Iron Man?

Some news tidbits today. First, the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past will feature both Sentinels and more focus on Kitty Pryde. As long as they go with the basis of the comics, I think it'll be a film to behold. It's really neat that they're taking almost two different franchises (the old and new X films) and putting them together. I can't wait, seriously.

Second, there's a rumor about that Iron Man will venture into space at the end of Iron Man 3, hinting heavily at him joining the Guardians of the Galaxy film. I'd be a bit more surprised if this isn't already ongoing in Marvel NOW!, as Tony just left for space, and we know it's likely that he'll be involved in at least the first issue of Guardians of the Galaxy. It's a smart move for Marvel, to help sell GOTG, arguably the riskiest film they've planned to date.