Yearly Archives: 2012

Horrible Decisions: The Ten Best Movies That Weren’t Nominated For Best Picture

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As I get older, I feel that I get more and more pessimistic about award ceremonies, especially the Oscars. Unlike sports-related competitions, the Oscars are not about which movie is best, but rather which movie had the most lavish ad campaign. The recent revelation that Academy voters are none too diverse certainly did not help. To think that some of the most revered movies of all time weren’t even nominated. They are the bold outsiders. Some were completely overlooked, others were just too damn “hip.” Many on the proceeding list would be chosen by many, and a few I exclusively would have chosen had I been a voter. I present with you the ten best movies that deserved a Best Picture nomination, arranged by year of release:


Singin’ in the Rain (1952)


“Singin’ in the Rain” is more than just an old-fashioned Hollywood musical: it is about the movies themselves. Think of it as “The Artist” without the Act Three problems. As someone who puts musical just slightly above romantic comedies starring Ashton Kutcher, it is hard not to fall under the spell of “Singin’ in the Rain,” from “Good Morning” to the titular musical number. “Singin’ in the Rain” is about why movies needed sound, and it’s also about why we need the movies in general. The Oscars have a reputation for awarding musicals that became stale with time, so why didn’t it nominate one that has become an everlasting part of popular culture?


Rear Window (1954)


Most of Hitchcock’s best movies were dissed by the Oscars. Even “Psycho” and “Vertigo” didn’t make the Best Picture shortlist. His “Rear Window” is his most entertaining, most satisfying movie. “Rear Window” is the master in his absolute element. It crams as many stories as it can into one movie without actually cramming them in. “Rear Window” is suspenseful in any scene, even if it is just a couple seen fighting through a window, and not Grace Kelly running from the murderer. On top of that, it displays Hitchcock’s genius black comedy. In the scene in which a husband and wife have difficulty moving a mattress into their apartment, Hitchcock switched the headsets feeding instructions to the two actors, so they would move in the wrong directions, and create a brief sigh of slapstick relief. Oscar winners should be influential in any year, and I can’t even count the amount of sitcoms who have knocked off this plot.

The Searchers (1956)


It seems unbelievable that John Ford’s greatest movie didn’t get a single Oscar nomination, and the winner for Best Picture that year was “Around the World in 80 Days” (which was later remade into a movie with Jackie Chan). For the time, “The Searchers” was a change of pace from the typical Western, and Oscars are all about tradition and stability rather than change. Monument Valley has never looked this stunning, and John Wayne never felt as racist and as human in any other role of his career. “The Searchers” would not only fo on to inspire future westerns. Without it, there would be no “Taxi Driver,” “Saving Private Ryan,” or even “Star Wars.” “The Searchers” figured out that the western hero (or in this case, anti-hero) can exist in anytime, in any place, but will always remain an outsider.


Touch of Evil (1958)


Yet another masterpiece that went totally unnoticed by the Academy. “Touch of Evil” will leave you in a speechless state of thrill from the moment the camera first pans through a busy street, to a bomb going off. You know it’s going to happen, but the best part is that you don’t know when. “Touch of Evil” contains some of Orson Welles’s best work as both an actor and a director, and it was the last truly great film noir of the classic era. Its greatness cannot be dampened by the fact that it includes Charlton Heston playing a Mexican.


Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)


It is actually understandable why “Once Upon a Time in the West” was a flop when it first came out. Paramount chopped down its epic running time for its US release, and American audiences were not treated to the masterpiece they deserved to see. I will argue that “Once Upon a Time in the West” is better than any western either John Ford or Howard Hawks ever made. Its opening conveys so much without saying a single word. For its regard for silence, sweeping score, and the pure scope of it all, “Once Upon a Time in the West” will be one of the greatest movie viewing experiences you’ll ever have. It even has Henry Fonda, doing a flawless job going against-type, ruthlessly shooting a child in the face. Tom Joad, no more.


2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)


Oscar voters had no interest in taking a trip into another dimension. Their loss. “2001: A Space Odyssey” is essential viewing not just for any film buff, but for any human being. Stanley Kubrick probably knew that this movie wouldn’t answer the question of what the meaning of life is in one simple word. I like to think that Kubrick truly knew and hid it in any frame of this movie, and after a certain number of viewings, maybe it can be found. But until that happens, let the jaw dropping visuals unfold before you. After the credits roll and the star baby has faded, you might cry, you might throw a fit, or you could do anything else in between. Best Picture seems to be about the movies with mass appeal. It’s about time to pick a nominee that not everyone can get behind.


Easy Rider (1969)


Understandably, the Academy wasn’t too pleased with a movie about hippies taking over. The motorcycle riding outlaws of “Easy Rider” was the New Wave coming in to save Hollywood from a crumbling studio system. The rednecks, meanwhile, were the cranky old voters, minus the shotguns. “Easy Rider” proved that filmmakers no longer needed the system; all they needed was a story, a camera, and maybe a good weed hookup. This movie broke ground in so many ways, perhaps most memorably for its soundtrack, which started off with Steppenwolf’s attention-grabbing “Born to Be Wild.” The messy, handheld camerawork actually adds to the movie. Never has imperfection seemed so perfect. But most importantly of all, “Easy Rider” includes a very high Jack Nicholson talking about aliens. It is just as good as it sounds.


Animal House (1978)


This might not be the pick you were expecting, but “Animal House” really deserved the love. Unfortunately, Best Picture is never kind to comedy but had this one been nominated, it would have set a great precedent. Think of some of the funniest things in the movie. Could you ever watch them and not laugh? The most important question here may be as to why John Belushi himself didn’t get a nomination. The dining hall scene, in which he takes at least one of every food item (and takes bites of some, and leaves them behind), is the model for quiet, subtle comic brilliance. Comedies suffer when they are over-analyzed, so just watch this clip and you’ll understand:


Do the Right Thing (1989)


Hollywood loves message movies, but for some reason they only enjoy the preachy ones. “Crash” won in 2005 for informing the world that racism is bad, and it makes a few rich white people living in L.A. feel sad. Sixteen years earlier, Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” was released amidst a storm of controversy. It earned ecstatic praise from critics, but it barely made a ripple at the Oscars. To this day, it remains the most provocative, daring, and funny movie about racism that I have ever seen. The best part about it is that it is not necessarily about racism, but a movie about situations in which race may or may not have been the ultimate cause of them. Of course, the Oscars want definitive answers, not ambiguous ones. And especially not ones with this much energy pumping through them.


Children of Men (2006)


Some movies that earn respect over time might take over two decades to do so. “Children of Men” elevated itself in just a few years. “Children of Men” is the most realistic portrayal of a dystopian future ever to be put on film. It strikes so many emotional chords and in the end, it is a movie about life, not death. It also has some cinematography that is downright groundbreaking, with the camera moving at the nonstop and unpredictable pace that mankind’s fate is headed in. The world may very likely be approaching the future “Children of Men.” But until now “Children of Men” is your’s for the darkest futuristic road movie you’ll get to see.

And a Few More: Night of the Hunter, Pan’s Labyrinth, Kill Bill (1&2), Rosemary’s Baby, The Wild Bunch, Being John Malkovich, Fight Club, Magnolia, Blade Runner

Horrible Decisions: The Ten Best Movies That Didn’t Win Best Picture

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Every once in a while, I ponder why the Oscars even exist, and why I should care. Sure, they have no monumental impact on the world, but for me, the Oscars are a little like Super Bowl, just a little less dramatic. Voters have a bad habit of picking the wrong winner, year after year. Sometimes, the real winner is obvious. Other times, people won’t realize it until 50 years later. Click after the jump for my list of the ten best movies that should have won Best Picture (sorted by year of release):

Citizen Kane (1941)

“Citizen Kane” may not be my favorite movie of all time. However, the claim that it is the greatest movie ever made is completely warranted. There is something about revolutionary movies that causes the Academy to not reward them Best Picture. Instead, “How Green Was My Valley” won that year, giving people the only possible reason to ever hate John Ford. To this day, Orson Welles’s experiments with the camera, and his radically non-linear story-telling, are as fresh today as they were in 1941. Without “Citizen Kane,” the most revered filmmakers of our time would not have made some of their best work. The snub of “Citizen Kane” set the unfortunate precedent for voters to choose safe, comfortable stories over those that actually had an impact on the artform or were actually, well, good. It really is time for the Academy to stop letting old white people choose all of the winners.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

“I don’t have to show you any stinking badges.” It’s hard to believe this classic was passed over for Best Picture, especially when John Huston took the Best Director trophy for this film. “Hamlet” ended up being the winner in 1948. No disrespect to the Bard or Laurence Olivier, but “Hamlet” adaptations seem to come and go every few years. “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” is something that could never be repeated. Sure, that beheading at the end looks really fake, but Humphrey Bogart gave one of the best, most despicable performances of his career. Maybe the Academy just couldn’t deal with a protagonist this reprehensible. 

A Clockwork Orange (1971)


“The French Connection” took home the gold in 1971. It was certainly a daring choice back then, and the car chase scene still goes pretty unmatched. However, that movie has lost some of its luster in the sea of cop thrillers that have been made ever since. Over 40 years later, “A Clockwork Orange” is as intriguing and audacious as it was the day it first came out. It would still create a stir if it was released today. The Academy never honors movies like “A Clockwork Orange,” but they would be a lot cooler if they did.


Taxi Driver/All the Presiden’t Men/Network (1976)


Some people called 1939 the banner year for movies. The real banner year was 1976. That year’s Best Picture winner, “Rocky,” is a classic in many ways. It’s a nice movie, it’s about the underdog overcoming the odds. I like that idea, I always root for the underdog. However, when the Best Picture category also includes Martin Scorsese’s unflinching masterpiece “Taxi Driver,” the seamless political thriller “All the President’s Men,” and the still relevant to this day satire of “Network,” you’ll realize that you were rooting for the wrong underdog.


Apocalypse Now (1979)


1979 was the rare year that the Academy chose a small, socially aware drama over a big epic for Best Picture. “Kramer vs. Kramer” was the first movie to handle divorce so honestly. The big catch is that it beat “Apocalypse Now.” “Kramer vs. Kramer” is a very good movie, but “Apocalypse Now” is the kind of magnum opus that only comes around every once in a while. Upon its initial release, Francis Ford Coppola’s meditative take on Vietnam was not regarded as the masterpiece it is today. The film was likely still recovering from all of the bad press revolving around its infamously disastrous shoot. Claims of the film’s greatness are undisputed today. With the passing of time always changing perception, perhaps an award like Best Picture is pretty useless. How do we know what will be the true Best Picture years down the road?

Raging Bull (1980)

Hailed by many as one of the greatest movies of all time, “Raging Bull” probably suffered from boxing movie fatigue at the time (thanks for that one, “Rocky”). There is no way that anyone could not admire this movie. Everything from its boxing sequences, which are as violent as they are beautiful, and the performance by Robert De Niro, a monster in everyman’s clothes, is a cinematic achievement. “Ordinary People” might have won the gold, but only “Raging Bull” would end up on most critics’ lists of the best movies ever made.

Goodfellas (1990)


I have not seen “Dances With Wolves,” so I cannot make fun of it as much as I would like to. One day, my cousin described a movie starring Kevin Costner as “reeking of Costner.” I’d like to think “Dances With Wolves” is the same way. But I digress. 1990 saw a safe, politically correct big frontier movie sweep the Oscars while Martin Scorsese’s shocking, hilarious, and radically different “Goodfellas” took a backseat. Scorsese’s mob classic got the last laugh though: when’s the last time you saw someone incessantly quoting “Dances With Wolves”?


Pulp Fiction (1994)


1994 was the year that “Forrest Gump” won basically every award in its path. It is certainly a hard movie to dislike. However, that year also included “Pulp Fiction.” One movie was a heartwarming story about a mentally challenged man overcoming the odds and finding love. The other revived the career of John Travolta, re-wrote every rule of writing a screenplay, and inspired a million knockoffs that could never match it. The battle between “Forrest Gump” and “Pulp Fiction” is the classic battle between the safety of traditional Hollywood, and the radical change of New Hollywood. “Forrest Gump” might have won the Oscar, but more people have a “Pulp Fiction” poster hung up on their wall.

Choosing one scene to represent this movie is nearly impossible. This one makes me happiest.


Fargo (1996)


There is no way a movie like “Fargo” could ever win Best Picture. Yet, it could. Sure, its totally snarky. Sure, its intensely violent. Sure, a guy ends up in a wood chipper. But in the end, it has one of the most moving and affirming touches of life you’ll get to see in a movie, shared in such a brief moment. Movies like this should be winning Best Picture more often.



The Social Network (2010)


And the final, most recent, perhaps most infuriating case of Old Hollywood pretending they can stop New Hollywood with a naked golden man. “The King’s Speech” is a fantastic movie that tells a moving story and has some pitch perfect performances. But it wasn’t “The Social Network,” which became the first movie to so accurately pin the Internet Age. “The Social Network” itself is about a group of guys who fought the system and toar down age-old institutions. That is probably what the Academy was so afraid of, and why they passed up another movie that is already being hailed as a modern masterpiece. Hell, many other choices would have been better than “The King’s Speech” that year. Might I remind you that “Black Swan” was also nominated.

And a Few More: L.A. Confidential (beaten by “Titanic”), “Inglourious Basterds” (beaten by “The Hurt Locker”), “Saving Private Ryan” (beaten by “Shakespeare in Love”) 

Morning Madness: Nicolas Cage’s 100 Greatest Movie Quotes

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I took this video, like most of the videos I post, from FilmDrunk. The first thing I can think is, I guess this video had to get made? It is the 100 greatest movie quotes from Nicolas Cage.

Cage is known sometimes for being a great actor who takes great rolls (“Adaptation,” “Raising Arizona”) and other times the complete opposite (“The Wicker Man”). He also seems to belong to the acting camp that believes that shouting a line will make it better. For whatever reason, my favorite quote here is, “What’s in the bag? A shark or something?”

No more words are necessary, time to watch for yourself:

The Reel Deal Interviews: Sarah Koskoff

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Sarah Koskoff (far left) with the rest of the cast and crew of “Hello I Must Be Going” during opening night at Sundance.

Movies set in a filmmaker’s hometown can evoke feelings of pain, longing, or joyful nostalgia. Perhaps it all started when George Lucas set “American Graffiti” in Modesto, California at the end of the summer of 1962. All of the people, places, and music felt so heartfelt and familiar that it only could have come out of one’s memory. Richard Linklater did the same thing to 1976 with “Dazed & Confused.” Even the fictional town of David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet” is based off the small town in Washington that he grew up in.

Months ago, I heard the news that a movie would be filming in my hometown of Westport. That movie was called “Hello I Must Be Going” and months later, it became a hit of the Sundance Film Festival. “Hello I Must Be Going” is directed by Todd Louiso, based on a script by his wife Sarah Koskoff.

Koskoff grew up in Westport and is an alumni of Staples High School. This is her debut feature length script, after years as an actress in various productions. I caught up with Sarah, and got some insight into her motivations as a writer, growing up in Westport, and the many challenges that went into getting this movie made. Yes, one of them was a natural disaster:

1. Congratulations for the success at Sundance. How would you sum up the entire experience? 
Thanks!  It was really thrilling to share the film with audiences and to be a part of such a vital community.  At times it was also overwhelming and chaotic, honestly.  But overall, it was inspiring and invigorating. 
2. Tell us a little about your background. Where did you go to college? What got you into movies in the first place?
I studied Literature and Anthropology at Sarah Lawrence College.  After that, I moved to LA and started working as an actor in film and television.  I got lucky early on with jobs and an agent, and the sporadic well-paying work gave me a lot of free time.  I started writing plays.  I had no interest in screen writing at the time, but I got to the end of what I felt I could do in Los Angeles as a playwright. I wrote Hello I Must Be Going just to try out the form.  And I loved it.  It felt very natural.  
3. Hello I Must Be Going is your debut feature film screenplay. What inspired you to tell this story? Have you written any other screenplays in the past?
My husband is a film director.  I thought it would be fun to do something on a small scale, together, to get back to the heart of the work — to remember what we both loved about it.  I had the intention of writing about a relationship between an older woman and a younger guy.  But I wanted it to be from her perspective, and I wanted it to start out as a sexual relationship and really grow into something more.  I didn’t have any grandiose intentions in writing it.  I just wanted to tell a story about personal transformation, and to see if I could track that transformation moment-to-moment.   
4. This film was shot in your hometown of Westport, CT [all of it, I'm guessing?]. How do you feel the town reflected your story and characters? Do you think it could’ve taken place anywhere else?
It didn’t have to take place in Westport, but I wanted to film it there, so I set it there!  It was really a very practical thing.  I know the town so well, and I know so many people, I just felt it would be so much easier than going to a new place.  We ended up shooting a lot of it in South Norwalk and Fairfield.  But everyone was incredibly helpful.  In terms of the story — the characters are very defined by their status in a specific way, that Westport lends itself to.  They’re trapped by it, really.  They’re so identified with appearance that they can’t access a deeper level of happiness — an experiential happiness.  At this point the film and Westport are really inextricably linked. 
5. How did growing up in Westport impact you as a writer?
I actually went to elementary school in Wilton, and those long, long walks in the woods, they definitely gave me space to think.  I still call on that space to write. 
6. Your husband, Todd Louiso, directed the movie. What was it like collaborating with him? Did it make it easier for the entirety of your original vision to make it into the final product?
It was great collaborating with Todd.  We actually met on an acting job — we were both acting in a television pilot.  And we’ve worked together a lot over the years.  This was the first time I was the writer and he was the director, but it was an easy transition.  And, yes, I have a lot of say with him, and I had a LOT of say with the project.  It’s uncommon as a screenwriter to have a say. 
7. Did any movies in particular inspire you when writing Hello I Must Be Going? If so, how? 
Originally I was thinking about the films of Eric Rohmer, the French director.  His films are about the smallest events, so much subtlety and character detail.  But as I got more invested, and after going through the Sundance Screenwriting Lab, I wanted to challenge myself to make bigger choices.  So, I went back to films I love by Woody Allen and Mike Leigh and even Bergman’s films — simple stories with a lot of vulnerability and humor.  And, yes, there is humor in Bergman’s films!  
8. What was the most challenging part of getting this movie made?
The most challenging part was the shoot itself.  We had 20 days!  It was extremely hard on the actors, especially Melanie Lynskey. 
The character she plays is in every singly scene and has to go through so many emotional ups and downs–a real challenge for an actor in any circumstances.  But in 20 days it really pushes the limits.  She was a amazing about it, (and she is amazing in the film) but it was really hard to see her go through all that–and to feel responsible for it.  On top of that Hurricane Irene hit Westport toward the end of the shoot.  We lost locations and a day of filming…it was a lot.  But I have to say it really gave the whole experience a kind of urgency and reality that I think shows up on screen.  We all had to stay very awake!
9. Where do you do your best writing? In other words, what place gives you the most inspiration and motivation as a writer?
I live in Los Angeles, and I’ve found it to be a great place to write.  But mostly for me it’s about time and quiet.  
10. Do you have any future projects in mind? What lies ahead for you?
I have quite a few scripts I’m working on at once.  I’m looking for some time.  And some quiet.  
A still image from “Hello I Must Be Going” taken from the Sundance catalogue. 

Valentine’s Day: The Best Romantic Romance Movies

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1. Harold and Maude


A person committing suicide is never funny. A person who keeps trying to kill themselves in the most elaborate ways (hanging, burning, etc.) is dark comedy gold. “Harold and Maude” has always been a cult classic, and it was once called “the greatest love story of our time” in “There’s Something About Mary.” This may be the only time that won’t feel at all creeped out by two people 70 years apart falling in love. This is one of the few movies about romance that doesn’t feel shallow. “Harold and Maude” is that good, and you can never go wrong with a soundtrack filled with Cat Stevens.



2. When Harry Met Sally…


We can thank Rob Reiner for setting the bar high, and then setting the template for 20 years of horrible romantic comedies. “When Harry Met Sally…” does it right for so many reasons. Maybe that’s because it turned a rom-com hater into a believer, at least for its 96 minute running time. Maybe it’s because it never tries to create some implausible, cosmic true love to bring the characters together. Rather, it shows love as something that takes time. Mainly, “When Harry Met Sally…” hasn’t aged a day. Any references involving the 80s have only become funnier.



3. Punch-Drunk Love


Finally, a movie about love that isn’t about people who need to be together, but rather people who make each other happy. As deeply troubled and neurotic Barry Egan, Adam Sandler gives the best performance of his career. Despite shying away from all of the romantic cliches that typically define this holiday, this is a model story about love. Perhaps love isn’t about a card, a box of chocolates, and a lavish dinner. Maybe it’s just about playing the harmonium for your lover and telling them the truth, even if the truth involves you getting into trouble with a phone sex hotline.

Valentine’s Day: The Best Anti-Romantic Romance Movies

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SPOILER ALERT: This post vaguely reveals the endings to the movies listed below. This is not to discourage you from reading, but I advise that you proceed with cautions. Although at this point, it’s hard not to know the ending of “The Graduate.”  


1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind


Some common themes on this list are couples who act cutesy and people making big decisions without putting much thought into them. After breaking up, Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) get the memories of their relationship erased, only to realize there was something there that was worth remembering. It’s peculiar that movies about love going wrong have the most to say about love in general. Being treated to Joel and Clementine’s relationship crumbling from the top to bottom is just as devastating as it sounds.The ending leaves a bittersweet feeling: they are finally getting back together again, but they are also subject to hate each other again as in their previous relationships. The question of whether or not the two of them are meant to be together, or if they constantly breakup because they truly hate each other, haunts me to this day.



2. Annie Hall


Sure, Alvy (Woody Allen) and Annie (Diane Keaton) have fun together and they both enjoy playing with live lobsters and making fun of Truman Capote lookalikes, but they are far from soul mates. Alvy is New York (close-minded, uptight) and Annie is Los Angeles (free-spirited, unpredictable). “Annie Hall” contains some of the grandest romantic moments in the movies (Alvy and Annie in front of the Brooklyn Bridge), yet in its ending, it reduces relationships to a need, and not a desire. Nonetheless, this is one of the most enjoyable instances of a failed relationship you’ll ever be a part of.



3. The Graduate


Ben Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) sweeps in and saves Elaine (Katharine Ross) on the day of her wedding to tall, blonde, and handsome Carl. The shot of them sitting on the back of the bus together, laughing and smiling over what they have just done, could bring the hopeless romantic in all of us to tears. But then, reality, unhappiness, and ambiguity quickly set in. Maybe these two were acting on impulse and not calls of fate. Maybe they are making the same mistakes their parents once made, which they both wanted to escape from. The uncertainty of the future lies ahead for them, one likely filled with Vietnam War protests and occasional acid flashbacks.

4. (500) Days of Summer


Sure, Tom’s (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) belief in true love is reaffirmed in the end when he meets Autumn, but the path to getting there is filled with doubt. Watching Tom be misled into a relationship with Summer (Zooey Deschanel) is as painful as it is funny. While Tom goes on a tirade against greeting cards and pop music, there is no need to start protesting Hallmark or plan a mass burning of Smiths records. Rather, try not to fall in love with someone because they also think “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” is a good song. A lot of people like The Smiths.



5. Blue Valentine


Most of these movies end with the main character meeting someone who they at least think they will spend the rest of their lives with. If you were looking for a movie that could diagnose you with chronic depression, than look no further. “Blue Valentine” is about a marriage completely falling apart in grueling detail. Any movie that could make you want to punch Ryan Gosling in the face must be well made because seriously, nobody hates Ryan Gosling.* “Blue Valentine” is ultimately a cautionary tale, and its greatest lesson is that you should never marry anyone just because they can play your favorite song on the ukulele.

*This is not an assumption
Thanks to friend of The Reel Deal Josh Fisher for the “Blue Valentine” suggestion.

Another Wes Anderson Montage to Brighten Your Day

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Here I am, after a long day of Rush recruitment, trapped in the “dungeon” of Bird Library. This is supposed to be a distraction free zone, that is until you find a new video like this one.

A little while back, I posted a supercut of Wes Anderson closeups. Now, someone has gone to the trouble of compiling another one of the director’s trademarks: the slow-motion shot. The makers of this video (Slacktory) took an unconventional approach and set this montage to Ja Rule music. While Anderson’s movies typically consist of 60s pop music, this music choice works surprisingly well, and synchs almost perfectly against most of the shots.

This is what I love about YouTube: it allows users to not only analyze movies they like, but retell them in a way that even the best filmmaker might never have thought of. Here’s hoping this video is not breaking too many copyright laws. Watch it below:

I found out about this video on Filmdrunk.

The Oscars: Who Should Win

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Best Picture: War Horse 
Not because it feels like a Best Picture winner, because movies made solely for the purpose of winning Best Picture are just as bad as movies made solely for profit. “War Horse” simply struck a cord that no other movie this year did. Its combination of sight and sound is unparalleled; its story is the stuff that makes a classic possible. Few movies can come with a large set of flaws, yet still come out as my favorite movie of the year. Spielberg realizes, like few others do, the power of moments of pure cinema.



Best Director: Terrence Malick
If you put Terrence Malick’s name into just about any search engine, only one picture will consistently pop up of him.* In it, he looks more like a guy who has gone bird watching for two decades (which he actually did). Make no mistake, this is one of the greatest living directors. Part of the intrigue of a Terrence Malick movie has always been the director’s intensely private life. However, he always intended that so the viewer would focus on the movie itself, so that is exactly what we are going to do right now. I still don’t totally understand “The Tree of Life,” but it is the kind of movie that is intended to be as dumbfounding as life itself so often is. The movie brings a sense of wonder to the creation of the universe, and an intimacy in its portrayal of family. And of course, it looks stunning too; as if each frame is another painting.



Best Actor: George Clooney
I have always liked Clooney’s acting. However, he never really stuck out to me until recently. In “The Descendants,” he didn’t go through the physical change that he did in his Oscar winning turn in “Syriana,” but he discovered new emotional range as an actor. In “The Descendants,” he looked less like a movie star and more like an ordinary working family man who has been warn out by both. He continues to impress me with his wide range of performances, and he truly earns the comparisons he receives as a modern day Cary Grant. Like Grant, despite having a huge public persona to live up to, he would still do anything to make a role as funny or dramatic as possible.^



Best Actress: Rooney Mara
Nice girl Erica Albright took a turn for her role in “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.” She created both the strongest, and most vulnerable, character onscreen this year. Lisabeth Salander was already a popular character, but Mara cemented her as one of the great feminine heros of our time. She took a physical and emotional transformation that is nothing short of brave. Bravery is usually the last thing that comes to mind when I think of actors, but Mara truly understands what it means to embody a character, and take a walk in their shoes for a day.



Best Supporting Actor: Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill has been a favorite of mine since his brief scene-stealing performance in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” His comedic chops transferred over well this year in “Moneyball.” He gives such a great dramatic turn because, in a way, he still acted as if he was a comedy. Peter Brand might have just been a more grown up version of himself in “Superbad.” I hope Jonah Hill continues to take comedic roles, but his newfound dramatic talents are worth continuing to explore.



Best Supporting Actress: Melissa McCarthy
Maybe I’m biased because this is the only performance I’ve seen in this category. Screw that, Melissa McCarthy should win an Oscar. Megan may be too sexually overt and a little bit crazy, but its the confidence that McCarthy instills in her performance is what makes her such a funny and memorable character. She is not someone we ridicule for her antics, but rather someone we commend for being who she is. Many critics hailed “Bridesmaids” as the most groundbreaking thing for women since they gained the right to vote. That is a gross overstatement; but comedies that can’t figure out to make a good female character should just look right here.



Best Original Screenplay: Midnight in Paris
“Midnight in Paris” was not merely Woody Allen’s best movie in years, it was one of his best movies, period. I don’t normally believe in fate, but I believe this is the role that Owen Wilson was put on this Earth to play, because he delivered each line of brilliant dialogue with the same neurotic sarcasm that Allen would have, but with his own unique twist. The script also included a plot that broke the space time continuum, and so rightfully didn’t explain why or how this could happen. What “Midnight in Paris” realizes that few other movies do is that oftentimes the more you try and explain the unexplainable, the less sense it will make. Allen understands in this kind of movie that it is more important why the characters are there, not why it exists in the first place. Blending fantasy and reality has never been this funny.



Best Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants
I thought “The Descendants” was a tad overrated. A very good movie, but not the masterpiece many have hailed it as. Also, it will be hard for another Alexander Payne movie (yes, even “Sideways”) to hold a candle to “Election” in my eyes. Nonetheless, “The Descendants” had one of the year’s best written movies, and it certainly is the most mature of all of Payne’s works. It is just as good as any Coen Brothers movie in its close attention to the beauty and humor of regional colloquialisms. The poster image for this movie has been Clooney running down the street in nothing but boat shoes. But truly the most unforgettable image from this movie comes at the end, as Matt King and his two daughters sit on the couch and watch TV, just trying to be a normal family again. I can picture that scene being written out on a script so eloquently, and so quietly moving.

*Malick can also be seen in a brief cameo in “Badlands.”
^I would especially check out Grant’s performances in “North By Northwest” and “Arsenic and Old Lace.”

For Groundhog Day: Watch Groundhog Day

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If I’m doing something really wrong with my life, then this post will be gone tomorrow and I will be doomed to rewrite it every single day for the rest of my life. Today, is Groundhog Day, a silly little holiday that got a whole new meaning with the release of “Groundhog Day” in 1993.

Just about every person who has brought up today’s holiday has also included some reference to this movie. That is because “Groundhog Day” has officially moved into the spectrum of cinematic classic. When a ten-year-old version of me watched “Groundhog Day” for the first time, little did I know that this Bill Murray comedy would be named by some as one of the best movies ever made, and used by our military as a codeword in Iraq. “Groundhog Day” was not maligned upon its initial release, but it was certainly undervalued. Rarely does a movie such a universally likable quality: movie buffs will admire the model character development, comedy junkies will marvel at Bill Murray’s ingenious deadpan, and those with philosophical minds will admire its attempt to answer age-old quandaries about fate and the possibility of living the same life over and over again.

Phil Connors (Murray) didn’t want to spend February 2 in Punxsutawney for the rest of his life (though he eventually learned to think otherwise). However, “Groundhog Day” is a movie I could watch on repeat and still find something new to appreciate, and something old to continue to enjoy. “Groundhog Day” is not something that should be thought about on Groundhog Day alone; it is a movie for everyday and any day of the year.

Supercut of the Day: Wes Anderson From Above

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If you’re one of those people who likes to place Wes Anderson in the category of pretentious, overly artistic filmmakers, then watch this supercut and think again. In its succinct running time, it shows Anderson’s painstaking attention to every detail within a given frame. This is what sets him apart as a filmmaker.

Wes Anderson // FROM ABOVE from kogonada on Vimeo.

Supercuts are one of the Internet’s finest contributions to the world of art. What are some of your favorite supercuts? Share them in the comments.