In Defense of the Academy Awards

This year there was an interesting addition to the short film packages in theaters: winners from last year's Oscars spoke at length about their process, what it was like winning an Oscar, and what it meant.  The winner for Best Live Action Short last year made an interesting observation: when he was nominated, he was elated, and thought this was the best moment of his life.  But a month later, at the ceremony, all he could think was he better win the damn thing.

In the 24 hours since the ceremony has ended, I've been reading a lot of various ops about Seth MacFarlane's hosting job (which seems to be getting a lot of hate) and how racist the Academy has become awarding the two white people from Django (Tarantino and Waltz) and not even recognizing the African-American cast, or sexist for not nominating Bigelow for a direction (even though she WON three years ago).  Then there are those complaining about the apparent snubs of Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty, which were both frontrunners at one time or another.  To everyone complaining, I would just like to say: get over yourself.

The Oscars are of course highly flawed and mostly predictable (hell, I got 18 right, and some of my friends did better).  If the Oscars were the only awards show in town, I wonder what would have really won.  If we didn't have Golden Globes and Guild awards to fill the time in January and February leading up to the big show.  The Oscars are informed by the Guilds, but this year the Oscar nominations were announced two weeks earlier then usual, before most of the guilds had announced their nominations, and the Academy had to think for itself.

What happened?  Well, they only shared two directing nominations with the DGA (which is usually a helpful indicator, but this year was useless), and nominated Beasts of the Southern Wild for a whole slew of stuff which wasn't really seen anywhere else.  That was surprising and unexpected.  And then Affleck was snubbed and the pity party began.  I wonder if Argo would have won if the guilds hadn't handed Argo all their awards first.

Yes, the Oscars are flawed.  But so what.  Nothing's perfect.  What I really want to touch on is MacFarlane.  I thought he did a fine job as host: the Shatner opening went on way too long, but MacFarlane delivered his jokes, no matter how offensive they seemed, and smiled whether they landed or not.  But no one is ever satisfied.  MacFarlane was too offensive and rude, singing about boobs and making jokes about Daniel Day-Lewis being so into his role that he would try and free Don Cheadle.  Boo-fucking-hoo.  Last year, Billy Crystal was host, and I liked him too.  But gosh, apparently he was too boring and safe, not taking any risks and just rolling with the program.

Hosting is difficult, and I don't like every host.  Martin & Baldwin and Hathaway & Franco marked two of the worst years for the ceremony ever because they had no shared chemistry.  The pairing can work, but only if the hosts are someone like Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.  And while I'm not saying we shouldn't judge our Oscar hosts, I'm thinking maybe we are more critical of them then just about anything else.  

Though of course then there's the question of the winners.  A lot of people complain because the Oscars don't choose what me and my friends liked.  Apparently they're out of touch and don't like rewarding the big money makers anymore.  I'd say that problem is more of a Hollywood issue then an Oscar issue; if Hollywood would put out more great, popular material like they once did, then maybe the box office and Oscar divide would be less vast.  The top 5 grossing movies of 2012 were, in order, The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, The Hunger Games, Skyfall, and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.  In 2011 they were Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Transformers, Dark of the Moon, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part I, The Hangover Part II, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.  We all have our opinions (I love Skyfall), but each set of 5 are probably not all the best 5 of the year.  Especially 2011, holy crap was that a bad year.

What really matters is your opinion.  Hell, its great when your favorite is nominated and even better if it wins, but how often does Best Picture line up with your best of the year?  Last time I did was in 2007.  But I still enjoy the show and I enjoy the filmmakers getting the chance to stand in the spotlight and say a few words.  The Oscars are the only American broadcast show that honor many technical achievements, such as Editing, Cinematography, and Sound Design.  They also honor Short Films, shining a light on works that we would otherwise might not ever hear of.  I care who wins because I make predictions and enter into a contest with my friends, and when my picks aren't right, I'm disappointed.  But only fleetingly.  Once the show is over and I have my tally, I'm content.  I make it a game.

People, stop taking the Oscar picks so personally.  You know what you like.  You know what the best film of the year was for you.  Are you really so insecure that you're going to get upset if a bunch of old racist, sexist white guys don't pick yours to win (or even nominate it)?  I love movies, and I'm grateful that there is one show a year that takes the time to honor the masters of their craft, that pays tribute to cinema's rich history.  The Oscars can take themselves too seriously and thats why I appreciated MacFarlane.  He was relaxed and called attention to the spectacle.  The alternative is the MTV Movie Awards, which named Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 as movie of the year.

The 85th Annual Academy Awards

Another year has come and gone, and I had my best ever year in Oscar predictions!  Hooray, especially when I feared this year would be my worst in a while.

The show itself ran over 35 minutes thanks to tons of musical performances.  This year was a tribute to the musicals, and boy did we get our share.  Performers from Chicago (2002), Dreamgirls (2006), and Les Miserables (2012) belted out the showstopping tunes, though there are better movie musicals they could have used.  Where was Singin' in the Rain (1952), arguably the best movie musical of all time?  I know that movie was shunned, but the Oscars usually have no shame parading classics, even if they didn't reward them at the time.

MacFarlane was a capable host, and a fantastic singer.  Always sporting a smile, it was hard not to like him, even if it felt like he was reaching at times.  His opening bit with Shatner was a bit odd, but the Boobs song was bold and inspired, and he kept the energy going throughout the night, even singing a closing song over the end credits after Best Picture.  Helped bring some closure to the show, which usually just randomly ends.

There was also a tribute to Bond, which I loved of course, and a member of my alma mater represented on the Oscar stage handing out statues.  Jennifer Lawrence did a face plant, and Russell Crowe sang live (though he wasn't that bad).  The show ran long, so my only advice would be to try and bring it back to 3 hours like last year.  For instance, Shirley Bassey could have sung Goldfinger under the Bond montage and Babs could've sung The Way We Were under the In Memoriam instead of singing it after the fact.  Little things like that would have saved about 5 minutes.

But I digress.  Here now are my predictions matched with what won.

Original Screenplay
Prediction: Amour
Winner: Django Unchained

Adapted Screenplay
Prediction/Winner: Argo

Visual Effects
Prediction/Winner: Life of Pi

Sound Mixing
Prediction/Winner: Les Miserables

Sound Editing
Prediction: Life of Pi
Winners: Zero Dark Thirty and Skyfall

Live Action Short Film
Prediction/Winner: Curfew

Animated Short Film
Prediction/Winner: Paperman

Production Design
Prediction: Anna Karenina
Winner: Lincoln

Original Song
Prediction/Winner: "Skyfall" from Skyfall

Original Score
Prediction/Winner: Life of Pi

Makeup and Hairstyling
Prediction/Winner: Les Miserables

Foreign Language Film
Prediction/Winner: Amour

Film Editing
Prediction/Winner: Argo

Documentary Short
Prediction: Open Heart
Winner: Inocente

Documentary Feature
Prediction/Winner: Searching for Sugar Man

Directing
Prediction/Winner: Life of Pi

Costume Design
Prediction/Winner: Anna Karenina

Cinematography
Prediction/Winner: Life of Pi

Animated Feature
Prediction: Wreck-It Ralph
Winner: Brave

Supporting Actress
Prediction/Winner: Anne Hathaway in "Les Miserables"

Leading Actress
Prediction/Winner: Jennifer Lawrence in "Silver Linings Playbook"

Supporting Actor
Prediction: Robert DeNiro in "Silver Linings Playbook"
Winner: Christoph Waltz in "Django Unchained"

Leading Actor
Prediction/Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis in "Lincoln"

Best Picture
Prediction/Winner: Argo

That's all!  Next year I'll try and do even better!

Top 10 of 2012

Last year I didn't make a top 10.  This was due to a few reasons: first, my final semester of college and two-month tour of Europe deprived me of any free time with which to actually see films.  Second, my funds were low due to my Eurotrip and moving to Los Angeles.  Finally, 2011 wasn't a very inspired year for film, and the top 10 I had fashioned at that point was somewhat disappointing to me.  Most of 2011's films are best left ignored.

2012, on the other hand, was a fantastic reawakening of the art of film for me.  Hollywood put out some of its best content in years, and the indie films were just as strong.  A lot of films built up hype and delivered, and there were very few let downs this year with quite a few surprises.  I define a 2012 release as any film that receives a domestic US release between Jan. 1 - Dec. 31st, 2012.  But lets not mince any more words.  Here, now, are my top 10 films of the year 2012.

#10.  Life of Pi, 127 min.  PG

I was fairly skeptical about Ang Lee's newest film, Life of Pi, mainly because his recent slew of features (Lust, Caution; Taking Woodstock) sufficiently underwhelmed me.  So I was pleasantly surprised when his latest film turned out to be one of his best.  The story of a young boy nicknamed Pi who becomes stranded on a life boat with a man-eating tiger is both harrowing and inspirational as he survives for months in the open ocean.  The movie's true achievement is in the tiger, named Richard Parker, who is mostly a CGI creation but develops a personality of his own.  The movie doesn't kid around; this tiger is dangerous, and elevates the film from a guy in a lifeboat by himself to a haunting survival tale.  The ending inspires a lot of debate as it somewhat undermines everything you've seen, but still, Life of Pi is a sumptuous, visual feast.

#9.  The Cabin in the Woods, 95 min.  R

I've recently given up researching upcoming movies because a lot of the time you spoil the surprise and whats going to happen.  So when I heard about Cabin in the Woods, and that by revealing the story you spoil the fun, I decided to not listen to anything regarding this film.  But if you haven't seen it yet, too bad.  Much like Scream (1996) the movie is a dissection of the horror genre, and poses the question Why do we enjoy watching young people die?  We slowly watch as five college students visit the eponymous cabin, only to end up in their own zombie slasher film.  Turns out they're participating in an age old ritual to please a horrifying demon that resides beneath.  Where the film really delivers is in the climax; just when you think they've gone as far as they will go, they go the extra step you were hoping for.  It's a violent film, but also glorious, and in the end, do we really want to go on living just to appease angry demon gods?


#8.  Silver Linings Playbook, 122 min.  R

This offbeat family dramedy from David O. Russell was another pleasant surprise, coming out of Toronto with the audience award.  Bradley Cooper stars as a recently released mental patient who believes he can repair his damaged marriage.  He meets-cute with another social misfit played by Jennifer Lawrence, and together they heal each other.  The summary doesn't sound like much, but with a cast that includes Robert DeNiro, Jacki Weaver, and a restrained Chris Tucker, Russell delivers a tour-de-force of acting that elevates the material to a level it shouldn't be at.  True, the ending is somewhat clichéd, but the real revelation here as that these characters are happy being mediocre.  At their dance competition they only need to score a 5/10, and are happy with that result much to the confusion of their competitors.  Maybe we've become accustomed to being mediocre, but regardless, Silver Linings Playbook is an entertaining and fascinating look into the lives of these unbalanced individuals.

#7.  Zero Dark Thirty, 157 min.  R

Zero Dark Thirty is the unfortunate victim of too much hype; in the months leading up to its release, early reviews and pundits were singing the praises and predicting this would take home the big gold come Oscar night.  I'll be surprised if it wins anything at this point, but that speaks more the politics surrounding this film then the actual film itself.  While I do not consider it an amazing achievement, its still a damn fine thriller and procedural.  Director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal were already developing this film when Osama Bin Laden was assassinated, and they quickly rewrote the ending to incorporate the event.  Jessica Chastain gives a fantastic lead performance as Maya, the CIA operative which the film credits as producing the information that to Bin Laden's whereabouts.  The film's depiction of torture has been a hot issue surrounding the film since its release, but the film has no political agenda other then to show these events.  People need to stop complaining about the film not taking a stance, because guess what, you should think for yourselves.  And whether you like it or not, torture happened.  Zero Dark Thirty can't change that fact.  Whether it worked or not is another issue.


#6.  Amour, 127 min.  PG-13

As far as Michael Haneke films go, this one is pretty straightforward, though it still ends in Haneke's signature fashion of open-endedness.  Jean-Louis Trintignant plays Georges, whose wife Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) slowly loses control of her mental facilities and begins to slip away.  It's the subject of many a Hallmark movie, but Haneke uses a tender hand as we witness Georges' never ending dedication to his wife, even as she becomes less recognizable as herself.  True love stands up to one final test, one couples vow to each other all over the world, and that is to care for each other in health and in sickness.  It's a tough and heartbreaking film to watch because its the future for all of us, if we are so unlucky to live that long.


#5.  Looper, 119 min.  R

Time travel thrillers are always open to plot holes, and if you start looking into Looper, you'll notice them.  But that doesn't stop this film from being one of the most exciting sci-fi adventures in years, with a story that spends the first hour setting up a dystopic future, and then the second hour on a farm.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Joe, who earns his income assassinating targets from the future.  One day his target is Bruce Willis, who he recognizes as his older self, and botches the job.  To say anymore would give away all the fun, but I've seen it twice and the film still holds your attention every time.  Writer/director Rian Johnson has constructed a fascinating universe, and I eagerly anticipate his next release.


#4.  Holy Motors, 115 min.  NR

I don't even know where to begin with this one.  It's such an inspired piece of cinema mania that constantly reinvents itself, and I know I'll be buying it as soon as its released on DVD.  Denis Lavant gives the best performance of the year as M. Oscar, a man who rides around in a limo, adopts different disguises, and then goes out and acts wild.  He starts as a beggar woman, then becomes a motion capture artist, a troll, a teenager girl's father, and several other bizarre roles.  Eva Mendes is also in this in her strangest role to date (pictured above), but I wouldn't dare spoil anything for you.  It's film that has to be experienced, and I look forward to sharing it with all my friends.


#3.  Argo, 120 min.  R

Ben Affleck has become one of Hollywood's finest directors.  What he crafts is not necessarily high art, but its damn fine popcorn entertainment and thats just as hard to do.  Argo is the retelling of the Iran hostage crisis, as six fugitive American diplomats hole up in the Canadian Prime Minister's house during the overthrow of the Shah.  Ben Affleck miscasts himself as Tony Mendez (the real guy was hispanic), the CIA operative who comes up with the absurd plan of making a fake movie to get the hostages out.  True the film isn't an accurate depiction of what happened, and there's a failed subplot involving Affleck's son, but the film balances comedy with drama, and ratchets up the tension in a finale so fierce that the audience lets out a collective sigh of relief when its all over.  Affleck may take creative liberties, but hey, its Hollywood, that's what they do, so quit whining.


#2.  Moonrise Kingdom, 94 min.  PG-13

Wes Anderson's latest is a charming tale of two young lovers who escape their homes to find their own bit of paradise, which ensues in an island-wide hunt for the youngsters led by Bruce Willis and Edward Norton.  With a cast that also includes Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, and Tilda Swinton, this is classic Anderson, with his odd pans and stylized staging.  The two young actors, Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, are fantastic, and the movie playfully yet beautifully illustrates young love.  It all builds to an absurd climax, but by that time you're totally willing to go wherever the film will take you.  Wes Anderson's quirky nature can get on the nerves of a few, but for me, it works to the film's advantage in a sweet adage to when love was simple.


#1.  Skyfall, 143 min.  PG-13

Skyfall is something of a miracle.  Coming off the very disappointing Quantum of Solace (2008), and surviving the bankruptcy of MGM, director Sam Mendes had to pull out all the stops.  And what he manages here is a Bond film that shakes up the formula while staying true to it.  The villain, Silva (Javier Bardem) isn't out for world domination but rather has a personal vendetta to fill.  There is no classic Bond girl, though Bérénice Marlohe fills the role of the doomed woman who falls for Bond.  It's a film that recognizes Bond as a relic, yet still an important force in our ever-changing, scarier world.  It's the best looking Bond, with Roger Deakins as director of photography, has the best Bond song in years sung by Adele, and features fantastic performances from Bardem and Judi Dench (as M).  Not to mention chase scenes that deliver and final battle that takes place in a most unexpected location.  For Bond nerds, this film is a godsend, and everyone else is lucky to be along for the ride.


Other odds and ends:

Best Director: Sam Mendes for Skyfall
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence fo Silver Linings Playbook
Best Actor: Denis Lavant for Holy Motors
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway for Les Miserables
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem for Skyfall

Most Overrated Film: Lincoln
Worst Film of 2012: Prometheus