Best Films of 2010

As 2010 draws to a close it is time for the obligatory top ten movie list. Without further ado I give you the best of year in movies.

10. Alice in Wonderland
How can you go wrong with Tim Burton directing and Johnny Depp playing the Mad Hatter? Not so much a remake as a re-imagining/sequel, this movie really delivered. Great performances by Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, and newcomer Mia Wasikowska as Alice made this a splendid trip down the rabbit hole. It didn't hurt that the art work was some of the most imaginative I have ever seen. If nothing else, you have to give Tim Burton credit for making some of the most visually astonishing films out there.

9. Secretariat
Despite being a fairly-predictable story, this really was a pleasant surprise. While the racing scenes are not bad to look at, they were not as impressive as Seabiscuit. But Secretariat, despite the title, was just as much if not more about Secretariat's owner Penny Chenery, who defied gender barriers in the horse racing world. Diane Lane really brought the spirit of Chenery to life in a stellar performance. And John Malkovich made for a very convincing Lucien Laurin.

8. Morning Glory
These days it seems the hardest things to come by at the multiplex are good comedies and good horror films. Well, Morning Glory was one of the sharpest comedies I have seen in some time. It was a really sharp, funny, and a great look at what life is like in the broadcasting world. Special credit to Rachel McAdams as the spunky protagonist and Harrison Ford as a crotchety old-school reporter.

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I
Harry Potter seems to be one of those rare cases like Lord of the Rings where the transition from page to screen has been fairly successful. No, the movies are never going to replace the books. But with the first part of the seventh film Harry Potter the franchise took another step in becoming one of the best film/book sagas of all time. Yes this installment was darker, a little slower, and an emotional roller coaster, but the same can be said of the books. I was already looking forward to part two but that ending made me all the more anxious.

6. How to Train Your Dragon
A film about literally how to train dragons could have been really corny and stupid, but thankfully it wasn't. Great animation and an inventive story about how misunderstood dragons are was one of the most enjoyable experiences of 2010.

5.Black Swan
Black Swan was exciting, creepy, dramatic, and... one of the most original films of 2010! A great performance by Natalie Portman carries this story about an obsessed ballet dancer. This was a return to form for it's director after the disaster that was "The Wrestler." This one belongs alongside "Requiem for a Dream." It's that good!

4. Toy Story 3
Pixar always seems to make at least one film on my ten best list every year. 2010 was no different. The Toy Story franchise is the rare exception to the rule of sequels usually being inferior. Quite the contrary. Toy Story was exciting and groundbreaking, Toy Story 2 was poignant, and Toy Story 3 was all of those things and more.

3. Green Zone
Even though the subject matter about falsified intelligence regarding WMDs in Iraq is not news anymore, Green Zone proved to be an exciting as well as highly-intelligent thriller. Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon who teamed up for the Bourne movies here deliver another winner.

2. Waiting for Superman
Few things are more important than a good education. Sadly the school system in the USA is in a real state of disrepair. If you don't believe me check out this documentary. And afterwords you'll have a whole new appreciation for teachers.

1. Inception
I know this film drove some people crazy because it was so complicated. I relished that. In a year with sequels, remakes, and just outright idiotic movies, this was the cream of the crop. If you want a movie that's imaginative, exciting, and has tour de force performances by the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page then this is the movie for you. Thank you Christopher Nolan for being one of the best and brightest directors in Hollywood. Inception somehow managed to be delightful and challenging all at the same time. Don't plan on watching this movie casually, you can't take your eyes off it or you will miss something important. No wasted screen time is to be found here.

In Review: Black Swan

Usually I have a hard time understanding why someone dislikes I movie that I love. "Black Swan" may be the exception to that rule. More on my disclaimer later. I found it completely engrossing and a return to form for its director Darren Aronofsky. I consider his "Requiem for a Dream" to be one of the most powerful examples of cinematic art while his last outing "The Wrestler" I found vapid and a complete waste of time and the talents involved.

"Black Swan" centers around a ballerina named Nina (Natalie Portman) who lives to dance and nothing more. She is completely consumed by her craft. The plot? Nina's ballet company is putting on a production of Swan Lake and she wants to be the swan queen. The problem is that the director (Vincent Cassel) doesn't think she can pull off the role. He doesn't buy her as both the black swan and the white swan. Perhaps I should back it up and explain in a nutshell the plot of Swan Lake. A princess is turned into a swan and can only be turned back into a human by the love of a prince. But the prince is seduced by the black swan so the white swan kills herself.

What unfolds in "Black Swan" is life imitating art. What's holding Nina back, at least according to the director, is that she doesn't lose herself in her dancing. She is technically splendid but struggles at making it look effortless. As the story unfolds, we see Nina go from a talented, driven dancer to an ultra-competitive psychotic dancer.

"Black Swan" takes us into the physical and psychological demands of being a professional dancer. The dance company is a team to be sure, but the animosity is on full display. The central example is the rivalry between Nina and Lily (Mila Kunis). Lily just fits right in with the company and Nina feels threatened by her natural talent. When Nina is cast as the swan queen the gloves are off. Nina starts to lose it in a variety of ways. Nina's struggle to completely nail her part is a descent into complete psychosis. Just like in "Requiem for a Dream," Aronofsky shows here how to convey on film a person's descent into madness. The way Nina starts to lose touch with reality is reminiscent of how Aronofsky showed the reality of people on drugs in "Requiem."

It's fascinating to see how the main character in "Black Swan" experiences the plot of Swan Lake in real life. The story had me on the edge of my seat and not bored for one second. Not too many movies can do that lately it seems.

The movie is a triumph, especially for it's star, Natalie Portman. With "Black Swan" she has finally been given the star vehicle she has more than earned. It's only fair for the actress who gave credibility to the Star Wars prequels because, let's be honest, the acting was not the strong point of those movies. She could easily have phoned it in because she was in Star Wars after all and everyone would be more interested in the special effects. Instead she used it as learning experience and she got noticed. Then came "Garden State," one of the last great romantic comedies, "V for Vendetta," and now "Black Swan." In addition to pulling off the dialogue she also had to be a convincing dancer. Boy is she ever! Without that the movie would have sunk. This is her best performance to date and I do believe it will garner her a well-deserved Oscar nomination. Hopefully she makes many more movies because she is one of the finest actresses in Hollywood.

It must also be mentioned that the rest of the cast is stellar as well, especially Mila Kunis as her rival Lily and Barbra Hershey as her controlling mother. Kudos all around!

Now, back to my disclaimer. I for one loved "Black Swan," but I will completely understand if some people hate it. If you're not into ballet and all the work it takes to be in that profession, you will be bored. The other thing that may turn people off is the intense psychological and physical torture Nina goes through and the way her psychosis manifests itself. People may find it over the top, but I did not. If I were to summarize this movie in one sentence I would describe it as a cross between "The Turning Point" and "Jacob's Ladder." For me this was one of the best films of 2010. I urge you to see it and make your own conclusions.

Side note: The more movies about dance I see the more I appreciate what it takes to be a great dancer. If this movie gets you more interested in dancing I would recommend checking out "The Company," one of Robert Altman's last films about a ballet company and all the work that goes into putting on a show.

Movies That Inspired Us

In the life of every film goer there is a movie that changes how they look at and think about movies. My question for you readers is: what was that movie for you and why? Let me tell you about the movie that changed me forever. Are you ready for this?...

Photo courtesy of: http://www.geekshow.us/wp/wp-content/uploads/image/Raiders_01.jpg

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" was the movie that made a dramatic impact on me. I hear some people saying, "huh?" Yes, you read that correctly. True, I do consider "Casablanca" the greatest movie of all time, but I never would have appreciated it had I not been enthralled by the saga of Indiana Jones.

You know how when you're a kid you can watch things repetitively to the point of obsession? I did that with this movie. My family had a VHS copy (remember VHS?) and I watched it again and again to the point where I wore it out. So why? What was it about this classic blockbuster from the 1980s that made me return to it again and again? There are many reasons.

First, it contained action sequences like I had never seen before. The first time I saw Indiana Jones running from the boulder in the temple, I was hooked. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The image remained firmly in my mind and I still think back fondly on the first time I saw it.

Second, I had never seen anything so exciting in my life from beginning to end. To borrow a cliche, the movie had me at hello. Even as a kid of nine I was not bored once during this movie. It was so brilliantly written, acted, directed, etc. After the boulder sequence I was on the edge of my seat to see what would happen next. I never thought it would get better after that. But then... there was the escape from the Well of the Souls and of course the truck chase.

Third, and this is going to sound trite, but it had one of the coolest heroes on screen. I had never seen or heard of Harrison Ford before, but little did I know between this and "Star Wars" that he was going to be one of the actors I would be appreciating for years to come. The whole movie sinks if the lead character is dull. No chance of that here. Indiana Jones is heroic, but not perfect. He's always in just a little bit over his head, but he's also smart, likable, and not bad to look at. As an aside: my dad bought a fedora when I was a kid. I used to wear it around the house and look for things that looked like artifacts so I could pretend I was Indy. But I digress...

Fourth, how could you not love Karen Allen? Marion was a great female lead. Smart, tough, sexy, she had it all. She stood toe-to-toe with Indy for toughness but then she could also be a great romantic leading lady.

Fifth, script: need I say more? The number of lines I quote from "Raiders"... well let's just say there are a lot of them. My favorite? "Asps, very dangerous. You go first."

Finally, it was the movie that made me appreciate all the hard work that went into movies. Shortly after seeing it for the first time I saw a documentary on the stunts of "Raiders." I couldn't believe people did such a thing for a living. People actually get paid to nearly get themselves killed working on films? And all the work that went into those special effects, such as the aforementioned boulder sequence and the scene at the end with the Ark and those melting faces of Nazis. Plus, I played the cassette tape of the soundtrack over and over. This was the first step in appreciating the genius that was John Williams.

In closing I would like to thank Steven Spielberg for bringing movies into my life. You're throw-back to Saturday matinee serials made me realize what I wanted to do with my life and that was become a film critic. And of course thank you to Harrison Ford for being my first movie crush.

In Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

For many including myself, 12:01 A.M. on the 19th of November was a day that had marked on the calendar for months. Yes, Harry, Ron, Hermoine, and company are back for the first part of the last of the Potter films.

I am pleased to say this is the best Potter film yet, and that is saying something since this franchise has been great all the way through (even "Order of the Phoenix," which gets better with repeat viewings). If you're a fan of the books and the movies you won't be disappointed. However, this film actually makes it easy to follow if you are new to the series. Director Yates seems to have taken criticisms to heart, particularly the ones he received for "Order of the Phoenix." He has clearly learned from his mistakes as this "Half-Blood Prince" and "Deathly Hallows Part 1" is better paced and more coherent. But what about the story?

Well, what must be said first is that this is also the darkest of all the films. Harry, Ron, and Hermoine are no longer at Hogwarts. It's just not safe anymore. Instead, they are off in the woods looking for horcruxes: items that Lord Voldemort put parts of his soul into so he would live forever. In order to defeat Voldemort they must not only find the horcruxes, but destroy them.

Most of the screen time belongs to Harry, Ron, and Hermoine. There is a brief scene at the beginning where we see that Voldemort and the death eaters have taken over the ministry of magic. There is also lots of social and political commentary, including the creation by the corrupt ministry of a mudblood registration system (for newbies, mudblood is a foul name for muggle-borns).

There is plenty of action to be sure; you will not be bored. But this chapter of the Potter saga is very actor and character driven. It's hard to believe these movies have been coming out for nine years. If Harry, Ron, and Hermoine hadn't been cast perfectly none of this would work. But luckily they got it right, as evidenced but how these young actors have grown up before our eyes. The scene where Hermoine has to erase her parents' memories of her is heartbreaking and much of the reason for that is because Emma Watson can convey so much with just facial expression and body language.

Fair warning: bring Kleenex! Major characters do meet their ends in very emotional scenes. And the ending will make you begging for it to be July already so we can see the epic conclusion. Bottom line: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 more than lives up to the hype and is (to borrow a cliche) magical. Dark and somber, but still magical. See it!

Great Movies Challenge

I was browsing through the Criterion Collection's website today and was trying to use their titles as a starting point to put together a list of essential films for film buffs to see. There were so many choices I thought: there has to be a better way. Then it hit me: why not start with Roger Ebert's "Great Movie" movies? As of this moment I have made a momentous decision: to see every single one, even the ones I have already seen. As of today there are 329 titles. I will blog about ever single title. If you would like to join in on this quest, please comment below. I'm sure it could lead to some great discussion. I will be creating a totally separate blog for this, so stay tuned! I hope many of you will join in!

In Review: Inception

Most movies with midnight screenings these days seem to be almost all sequels. Don't get me wrong, some are worth it. The Harry Potter movies have been worth it. Also, "Lord of the Rings" and a few others. While great movies in their own rights, both were part of franchises. Great? Yes. But been there done that. Does anyone have original ideas anymore? Actually, yes. Ladies and gentleman, for your consideration, I offer Christopher Nolan's "Inception."

At last, here is a movie that is not a sequel, remake, retread, etc. Every frame of this movie is original. It's uncharted territory from beginning to end. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

The plot: well... that's a little hard to explain, but in a good way. It's one of the most intellectually demanding movies I have ever seen. If you see these movie more than once you still may not totally understand everything. Don't let that keep you away from the theater. I have never been so glad to be perplexed by a movie in all my life.

The plot is a labyrinth, but I will attempt to explain. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an "extractor": a person with the ability to go into people's dreams and get vital information. In a sense, he is a dream/thought thief. This make him in demand in the world of corporate espionage, for better or worse. Well, mostly worse. He wants to get home and put some of the trouble this career choice has caused him behind. In order to do that he must do one last job. In order to do it he will have to pull off the rare art of "inception." Rather than merely going into people's dreams, inception is the ability to go into someone's dream and plant an idea making them think it is actually their idea. It gets more complicated from there, but that's it in a nutshell. I am still digesting the complexity of the storyline myself. Anyone who claims to understand this movie completely is full of it. What then follows is Cobb assembling a team for the "dream heist" for lack of a better term, including an "architect" who has to design the look and feel of the dreams (making a mental maze more or less).

If I try to explain the whole plot I will never finish writing. Suffice it to say I do not recommend getting up to go to the concession stand during this movie. If you miss one detail you may be lost permanently. Sit back and prepare to be engrossed. Unlike most of the summer movies out there, this one demands that you bring your thinking cap.

"Inception" cements director Christopher Nolan as one of the great directors of his generation. From his mind-bending film "Memento" to "The Prestige," Nolan has proven to be one of the most innovative minds working in Hollywood. I hope he has a lot of films left in him, because each one has been a total surprise and a breath of fresh air. If you want a movie with action, suspense, and an intellectually demanding screenplay, this is the movie for you. It's only July, but I think I may have just seen the best movie of the year. SEE IT!

In Review: Invictus

Many times great movies get lost in the holiday shuffle. A case in point is Clint Eastwood's "Invictus." It had the misfortune of being released near James Cameron's blockbuster "Avatar." It got mostly positive reviews but didn't do much at the box office. But don't let the ticket sales fool you. This is one of the great hidden gems of 2009.

"Invictus" is one part underdog sports movie and one part history lesson. It's the story of Nelson Mandela (played beautifully by Morgan Freeman) came to lead post-Apartheid South Africa and how the country's rugby team played a big part in the country's reconciliation. As the movie opens, Mandela is being released from prison after 27 years. After being elected president, he has to take on the task of bringing black and white South African's together. He decides to use the national rugby team, the Springboks, as the catalyst for reconciliation.

At the beginning of the film there is a vote held where the people want to get rid of the Springboks name and colors because to many it represents Apartheid. Mandela argues the team name and colors should be kept. He argues that the name and colors are part of history, for better or for worse, and the country needs to acknowledge that. Mandela wins that battle, but eventually has many more.

The Springboks still exist in name and with the same colors, but they are mediocre. Mandela decides to meet with the team captain, Francois Pienaar. The meeting set the stage for South Africa's eventual victory in the 1995 rugby world cup.

Is this movie formulaic? Yes, but don't let that keep you away. While it does follow a similar underdog sports team plot line it does it with a lot of style and great acting. While the movie was marketed mostly as a sports film, the story of Mandela overcoming all the obstacles after taking office are equally, if not more so, compelling. Consider the scene at the beginning where Mandela's black body guard is skeptical of the fact that Mandela has hired white body guards. Mandela argues that reconciliation and forgiveness starts in his office. There is also an incredibly moving scene where the rugby team visit's Mandela's prison cell.

The acting here is top notch. Freeman nails Mandela to a T. Matt Damon gives one of the most beautifully understated performances of his career as Pienaar. This movie is further proof that in the Matt Damon/Ben Affleck relationship Matt Damon wears the pants in the family. His performance is not showy but earnest and believable.

This film is an interesting choice for Eastwood to direct. Over the past several years between "Mystic River," "Gran Torino," and "Unforgiven," he has proven himself time and again not just as a superb actor but an extreme gifted director.

It is also worth noting that the soundtrack to this movie is worth a listen, especially the vocals done by the acapella group Overtone. If you want a films that will enthrall and inspire you by all means rent "Invictus."

Down with Horror Remakes!

It's official: Hollywood has run out of ideas when it comes to horror films. How do I know this? Last weekend a remake of "Nightmare on Elm Street" came out. What's worse, it was the number one movie at the box office. Great, now Hollywood will keep releasing these pale imitations of classic films because they know it will make money. In all fairness, I have not seen the new "Nightmare." I decided that with no Robert Englund it just wasn't worth the money. For me he is and always will be Freddy.

All my opinions about the new "Nightmare" aside, what concerns me more is the sheer volume of remakes appearing at my local multiplex. It seems the horror genre just happens to spawn more remakes than other genres. In the last several years we have had remakes of the following: "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Halloween," "Friday the 13th," "The Hills Have Eyes," "Last House on the Left," "Dawn of the Dead," and back in the 1990s there was the disgrace that was the shot-by shot remake of "Psycho." Enough already! Come up with something original and leave the classics alone.

I know what you're thinking; I'm a neurotic purist. I don't deny that. It doesn't just bother me that these classics are being re-made for a new generation of film-goers. It bothers me that these movies are re-made without the imagination or intelligence of the originals (the exception is "Friday the 13th" because it was a bad movie to start with... but I digress).

The worst offender for my money is the remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." The original had a gritty documentary-style look to it, it kind of reminded me of "Legend of Boggy Creek" and "The Blair Witch Project" (all three being sort of pseudo-documentaries). It was grizzly, but inventive. It also had lots of imagination, and I thought it was neat to see a horror film shot in the harsh daylight. The re-make just tripled the gore-factor, non-existent acting, and really no characters to care about or real story to tell. Roger Ebert was right when he compared it to a carnival geek show. It was as if the director was daring me to stomach it. Now I am not opposed to violence as evidenced by the fact that I love horror movies. If there is reason for the blood and guts then by all means, bring it on! But don't throw it out there just for shock factor. Back it up with a decent script and good acting. "Scream" was gory as can be, but it had a clever script to go with it. The same can be said of the original "Nightmare on Elm Street."

It should also be noted that while the original "Halloween" from 1978 is considered the movie that invented slasher movies, the blood in it is minimal. Lots of people get killed, but most of it is off-camera. The movie relies more on suspenseful scares than all and out gore. Too this day that movie makes me shiver because of its sheer imagination and ability to scare me with realistic situations.

And another thing: QUIT MAKING THE STUPID "SAW" SEQUELS!" The first one was kind of affective, but the second one went purely for gory scares (exhibit A: the female character who gets shoved into the pool of dirty needles). The first movie should have been called "Saw: a Shameless Knock-off of David Fincher's 'Se7en.''

Thankfully there was one glimmer of hope last year: "Paranormal Activity." I slept with the lights on afterwords, something I never do. The filmmakers didn't even need gratuitous violence to do it.

Oscar Wrap-Up

The 82nd Academy Awards proved to be a big night for the little movie that could. "The Hurt Locker," a gritty movie about a bomb disposal unit in Iraq, was nominated for nine Oscars and took home six, including Best Picture. The film's director, Kathryn Bigelow, became the first woman to ever win an Oscar. If you were like me and supported this little film, it was a good night for the awards themselves. Mostly.

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are talented actors, but their shtick grew tiresome in a hurry. Even their opening was trite and dull. I'm not sure how to solve this problem of who hosts the Oscars, but after last night I know for sure having two hosts just makes it worse. Maybe next year it should be hosted by Ben Stiller. He was the best presenter of the evening and seemed to be one of the few people having a good time.

And another thing: enough already with the interpretive dance numbers! Look, I respect dancers as athletes and the dancers last night themselves were fine. However, the dance numbers at the Oscars never make any sense. Really, when you saw "The Hurt Locker" were you thinking "gee, that's music I can really dance to?"

The "in memoriam" segment was curiously missing Farrah Fawcett. James Taylor's performance during the segment was decent, but something about that segment is always a little off to me.

While much of the scripted parts were dull and the telecast went on way too long, there were a few bright spots. Mo'Nique's acceptance speech for best supporting actress in "Precious" was honest and heartfelt. The same can be said of Jeff Bridges. The veteran actor and five-time Oscar nominee won for his performance in "Crazy Heart." He took time to thank his parents for getting him into such a "groovy profession." This statement should comes as no surprise. After all, he was "the Dude." As someone noted on The Huffington Post: "and the Dude abides."

For me the other highlight was Bigelow and all the wins for "The Hurt Locker" which proved you don't have to spend a ton of money to be a great film. All you need is a gripping story, great acting, and a camera. How ironic that it beat out the biggest box office hit of all time and against it's director's ex-husband no less. I actually was at the point Sunday where I would have been emotionally anguished had Bigelow not won. Thankfully she did.

I should also say this: I don't understand all the hate for "Avatar" as of late. Yes, the story has been done before, most notably in "Dances With Wolves." It was predictable yes, but it was very well done stylistically. Credit James Cameron for being a technological pioneer once again. And it should also be noted that even if you have all the technology in the world, it's a waste if no one is acting to go with the visual splendor/technology. Sam Worthing and Sigourney Weaver in particular deserve kudos.

Finally, it's not an Oscar ceremony without a fashion critique. Well, I'm no fashionista, but most of the dresses were dreadful, especially Zoe Saldana's. The only people that new how to dress were Meryly Streep, Kathryn Bigelow, and Mo'Nique. I don't break-down the men because they all wear basically the same thing. Bottom line: future attendees should go to the few actresses I mentioned, especially Streep who looked stunning in classic white.

That's it for my Oscar recap. Here's hoping more people will go out and rent "The Hurt Locker" and that next year's telecast is more lively.

Oscar Predictions: How Did I Do?

Now that the Oscars have come and gone, let's see how I did with my predictions.

Best Picture:

I picked: "The Hurt Locker"

Won: "The Hurt Locker

Best Actor:

I picked: Jeff Bridges

Won: Jeff Bridges

Supporting Actor:

I picked: Christoph Waltz

Won: Christoph Waltz

Best Actress:

I picked: Sandra Bullock

Won: Sandra Bullock

Best Supporting Actress:

I picked: Mo'Nique

Won: Mo'Nique

Best Animated Feature:

I picked: "Up"

Won: "Up"

Art Direction:

I picked: "Avatar"

Won: "Avatar"

Cinematography:

I picked: "Avatar"

Won: "Avatar"

Costume Design:

I picked: "Coco Before Chanel"

Won: "The Young Victoria"

Best Director:

I picked: "Kathryn Bigelow"

Won: "Kathryn Bigelow"

Documentary Feature:

I picked: "The Cove"

Won: "The Cove"

Film Editing:

I picked: "The Hurt Locker"

Won: "The Hurt Locker"

Foreign Language Film:

I picked: "The White Ribbon"

Won: "The Secret in Their Eyes"

Makeup:

I picked: "Star Trek"

Won: "Star Trek"

Original Score:

I picked: "Up"

Won: "Up"

Original Song:

I picked: "The Weary Kind"

Won: "The Weary Kind"

Animated Short:

I picked: "A Matter of Loaf and Death"

Won: "Logorama"

Live Action Short:

I picked: "Instead of Abracadabra"

Won: "The New Tenants"

Sound Editing:

I picked: "Avatar"

Won: "The Hurt Locker"

Sound Mixing:

I picked: "Star Trek"

Won: "The Hurt Locker"

Visual Effects:

I picked: "Avatar"

Won: "Avatar"

Adapted Screenplay:

I picked: "Up in the Air"

Won: "Precious"

Original Screenplay:

I picked: "Inglorious Bastards"

Won: "The Hurt Locker"

My crystal ball went 15/24 for 62.5%!

2010 Oscar Predictions

The Oscars will be handed out this Sunday. Here are my predictions for Oscar night 2010:

Best Picture:

· “Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers

· “The Blind Side” Gil Netter, Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson, Producers

· “District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers

· “An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers

· “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Nicolas Chartier and Greg Shapiro, Producers

· “Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer

· “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers

· “A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers

· “Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer

· “Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Should win: "The Hurt Locker"

Will win: "The Hurt Locker

A few months ago "Avatar" seemed to be the front-runner. But slowly "The Hurt Locker" has been sweeping many of the awards leading up to the Oscars. I would love to see "District 9" pull off an upset of epic proportions, but "The Hurt Locker" will win and it is also a worthy winner.

Best Actor:

Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”

George Clooney in “Up in the Air”

Colin Firth in “A Single Man”

Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”

Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”

Should win: Jeff Bridges

Will win: Jeff Bridges

All are worthy nominees, but this is the year of Bridges. It's not just an award for "Crazy Heart," but for his body of work, which I think is still underrated.

Supporting Actor:

Matt Damon in “Invictus”'

Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”

Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”

Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”

Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”

Should win: Christoph Waltz

Will win: Christoph Waltz

This award is his to lose.

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”

Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”

Carey Mulligan in “An Education”

Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”

Should win: Meryl Streep

Will win: Sandra Bullock

Bullock has won all the awards leading up to this, so it seems like this is her year. However, I think Streep should win for her charming portrayal of Julia Child. Streep has re-invented herself in the last few years in the comedy genre after spending so many years in heavy dramas. Other actresses should hope to have such a second act in their careers.

Supporting Actress:

Penélope Cruz in “Nine”

Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”

Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”

Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”

Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”

Should win: Mo'Nique

Will win: Mo'Nique

The Oscars have this habit of rewarding supporting actors that play villains. 'Nuff said.

Animated Feature:

Coraline

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Princess and the Frog

The Secret of Kells

Up

Should win: Up

Will win: Up

The Pixar people have yet to make a bad movie. Up touched a chord with audiences and critics alike. It will win and it should win for it's beautiful look and beautiful storytelling.

Best Director:

James Cameron, 'Avatar'
Kathryn Bigelow, 'The Hurt Locker'
Quentin Tarantino, 'Inglourious Basterds'
Lee Daniels, 'Precious'
Jason Reitman, 'Up in the Air'

Should win: Kathryn Bigelow

Will win: Kathryn Bigelow

All credit in the world to James Cameron for "Avatar." He has changed how movies are made once again and given us a splendid movie. However, Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" managed to do the impossible: make a film set in Iraq that wasn't political. For that, the fact that it affected me more than any film last year, and that no woman has ever won this award, it's hers.

Best Original Screenplay

'The Hurt Locker'

'Inglourious Basterds'
'The Messenger'
'A Serious Man'
'Up'

Should win: "Up"

Will win: "Inglourious Basterds"

Best Adapted Screenplay:

'District 9'
''An Education'
'In the Loop'
'Precious'
'Up in the Air'

Should win: "District 9"

Will win: "Up in the Air"

Best Foreign Language Film:

"Ajami," Israel

"El Secreto de Sus Ojos," Argentina

"The Milk of Sorrow," Peru

"Un Prophete," France

"The White Ribbon," Germany

Will win: "The White Ribbon"

Art Direction:

"Avatar"

"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus"

"Nine"

"Sherlock Holmes"

"The Young Victoria"

Will win: "Avatar"

Cinematography:

"Avatar"

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

"The Hurt Locker"

"Inglourious Basterds"

"The White Ribbon"

Will win: "Avatar"

Costume Design:

· “Bright Star” Janet Patterson

· “Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier

· “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme

· “Nine” Colleen Atwood

· “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell

Will win: “Coco before Chanel”

Documentary Feature:

· “Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller

· “The Cove” Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens

· “Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein

· “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith

· “Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa

Will win: "The Cove"

Documentary (short subject)

· “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill

· “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher

· “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert

· “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett

· “Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

Will win: “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant”

Film Editing:

· “Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron

· “District 9” Julian Clarke

· “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis

· “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke

· “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz

Will win: "The Hurt Locker"

Makeup:

· “Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano

· “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow

· “The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

Will win: "Star Trek"

Music (original score):

· “Avatar” James Horner

· “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat

· “The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders

· “Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer

· “Up” Michael Giacchino

Will win: "Up"

Music (original song)

· “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

· “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

· “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas

· “Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston

· “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Will win: "The Weary Kind"

Best Animated Short:

· “French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert

· “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell

· “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia

· “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin

· “A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park

Will win: "A Matter of Load and Death"

Live Action Short:

· “The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn

· “Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström

· “Kavi” Gregg Helvey

· “Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey

· “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

Will win: “Instead of Abracadabra”

Sound editing:

· “Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

· “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson

· “Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman

· “Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin

· “Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myer

Will win: "Avatar"

Sound mixing:

· “Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson

· “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett

· “Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano

· “Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin

· “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

Will win: "Star Trek"

Visual Effects:

· “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones

· “District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken

· “Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

Will win: "Avatar"

In Review: Crazy Heart

"Crazy Heart" at face value sounds like it would be a boring, cliched, unwatchable movie. Why would anyone want to see a movie about a broken-down country singer who also happens to be an alcoholic, kind of a tool, and hits bottom? This material is not new, but the movie is definitely worth seeing. Why? It's material you've seen yes, but this time it's elevated by great acting.

Bad Blake, the washed-up country singer, is played by Jeff Bridges in a performance that at this point seems destined to get him a long-deserved Oscar. With his greasy hair, ratty clothes, and seen-it-all body language, Bridges really makes you believe that he is this character. At the beginning of them film Blake is at a career low and playing at a bowling alley of all places. He's living on the laurels of his past greatness and can't write songs anymore.

Then someone changes his life in ways we don't expect. She is Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a writer who comes to interview him one night. She gets him to open-up and be honest about things he likely hasn't been in a long time. At this point you might expect that she magically changes his life overnight and they live happily ever-after. You'd be wrong. It takes a lot of twists and turns and Blake realizing he needs to get sober before things finally turn around. Even then Gyllenhaal's character doesn't "stand by her man." Her character is refreshingly honest about her concerns for Blake and the concerns she has about the affect of Blake's behavior on her son Buddy. There is also a point in the movie where Blake tries to connect with his son he hasn't spoken to in twenty years. Again, this does not turn out the way we expect.

The other interesting part of this movie is the relationship between Blake and Tommy Sweet (Colin Farrell). Blake was Sweet's mentor and taught him practically everything he knows about music. Now sweet is a star, Blake is fading, and Blake is naturally resentful. What makes this fascinating is that Sweet never forgets what Blake taught him and still values his mentor right up until the end of the movie. Bridges and Farrell really hit the right notes (no pun intended) which are tricky in this part of the movie.

What makes "Crazy Heart" all the more remarkable is that it was done by a first-time director: Scott Cooper. This certainly doesn't feel like a rookie debut by any stretch of the imagination. To think this movie almost never got a theatrical release (at one point it almost went right to cable). Thankfully Fox Searchlight picked it up, screened it for critics who gave it a good reception, and now Jeff Bridges is poised to be rewarded for not just this performance but a great body of work. Oh, and even if you don't like country music, it has some pretty good songs. At this point it goes without saying but: see this movie!