And now, the dishy dishes from my Oscar Party, as photographed by my beautiful girlfriend:
The Black and White Cookie Side Two different colors, one great taste! Which is more than I can say for the film!
An Eclair My mother wasn't keen on my ideas for An Education: bananas and/or cherries. So, when we learned that one of the guests was bringing this bunch of eclairs -- which, by the way, are absolutely my favorite edible thing on all the Earth -- I knew this wonderful British film could still have a representation! Because they go to Paris!
Fantastic Mr. Punch My girlfriend offered this, a recipe from her cousin. It's champagne and some natural flavors: raspberries, oranges, blueberries, etc. This was the real big hit of the evening, and it was gone before Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin finished their opening dialogue.
The Hummus Locker I can't explain it, really.
Inglorious Saurkraut [sic, but maybe on purpose?] Sauerkraut balls, a recipe from Great-Aunt Dusty. Balls of sauerkraut which are then fried into deliciousness. They were easily the most popular food at the party.
Julie & Julia Simply Love This Pate Surely this is self-evident. Look how delighted Meryl and Amy look.
Precious Chicken Fingers I know what it sounds like. But she eats fried chicken, and chicken fingers were as close as we could get without completely destroying the family's diet. I also requested pig's feet, but most of the party vetoed this.
A Serious Latka [sic] Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay Third or fourth batch? Mom makes amazing "potato pancakes". Wish she loved the movie as much as I did.
Up with Jellybeans So, this recipe, jellybeans on toothpicks, came from a woman's magazine my mother was reading about Oscar treats. This led to my mother wanting to try it, which led to us hosting the Oscar party. So Mom and I came up with some appetizers, Dad made the posters, and my sister puts them on standees.
Up in the Air to Get Peanuts Like its namesake, this Oscar treat was not popular, but the party wouldn't have been complete without it.
Alas, we had no ideas when it came to Avatar, for after accidentally suggesting Hypnotiq, Mother then quickly nixed the idea. As for District 9, we just weren't going to commit to the expense of crawfish.
Any Oscar appetizers of your own you'd like to share?
I'm afraid I've been having a number of technical difficulties with the Hollmann Awards this year. I usually have them out before the Oscars, but between Internet problems, saving issues, and a Microsoft Word plagued by an odd virus, I'm going to have to do this a la 2007 Golden Globes - that is, just a list of nominees and winners. We'll let Judi and Maggie host next year, and hopefully I can get more of a jump on things then. My apologies to everyone.
BEST ENSEMBLE, awarded to the casting director(s)
5. Ellen Chenoweth and Rachel Tenner, A Serious Man
4. Celestia Fox, Easy Virtue
3. Justine Baddeley and Kim Davis, Whip It!
2. Sarah Crowe and Meredith Tucker, In the Loop
1. Simone Bar, Olivier Carbone, Jenny Jue and Johanna Ray, Inglourious Basterds
Bar is a German casting director whose other credits include The Reader and The White Ribbon. Olivier Carbone is a French casting director who also worked on La Vie en Rose.
Jenny Jue and Johanna Ray have worked together on the Funny Games remake, Repo! The Genetic Opera and Brian De Palma's The Black Dahlia.
BEST SOUND, awarded to whatever senior sound mixers and editors I managed to find
5. Craig Berkey, Johnna Chism and Greg Orloff, A Serious Man
4. Joseph Geisinger, Marti D. Humphrey, Chris M. Jacobson, Ryan Juggler, Paul N.J. Ottosson, Carin Rogers and Jussi Tegelman, Drag Me to Hell
3. Anna Behlmer, Peter J. Devlin, Andy Nelson, Alan Rankin and Mark Stoeckinger, Star Trek
2. Tony Lamberti, Michael Minkler, Mark Ulano and Wylie Stateman, Inglourious Basterds
1. Kristian Eidnes Andersen, Antichrist
I think the sound work in the film is incredible, and though more mixing was involved than editing, the overall effect is the same. Less really is more.
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
5. John DJ DesJardin, Jessica Norman, Peter G. Travers and Joel Whist, Watchmen
4. Matt Aitken, Robert Habros, Dan Kaufman and Peter Muyzers, District 9
3. Peter Brooke, Michael Eames, Sonny Gerasinowicz, Daniel Jeannette and Peter Stubbs, Where the Wild Things Are
2. Volker Engel, Mike Vezina and Marc Weigert, 2012
Richard Baneham, Joe Letteri, Andrew R. Jones and Stephen Rosenbaum, Avatar
But really, who else?
BEST...I DON'T KNOW, PRACTICAL VISUALS? This is awarded to the production designer, art director and, where credited, set decorator.
5. Dan Bishop (PD), Ian Phillips (AD) and Amy Wells (SD), A Single Man
4. Tony Noble (PD) and Hideki Arichi (AD), Moon
3. Nelson Lowry (PD) and Francesca Maxwell (AD), Fantastic Mr. Fox
2. Henry Selick (PD), Phil Brotherton (AD), Bo Henry (AD) and Tom Proost (AD), Coraline
1. Nathan Crowley (PD), Patrick Lumb (AD), William Ladd Skinner (AD) and Rosemary Brandenburg (SD), Public Enemies
Echoing the art deco style of the period, Crowley and crew got every detail, down to the little price tags on the shops. When they needed to trade in shine for dust, it was perfect.
BEST MAKEUP
5. Thomas Foldberg and Morten Jacobsen, Antichrist
4. Sarah Monzani, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
3. Nick Dudman and Amanda Knight, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
2. Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow, Star Trek
1. Joe Dunckley, David Meng, Frances Richardson, Sarah Rubano, Richard Taylor and Leon Von Solms, District 9
Taking body horror to a new level, we got to see Weekus transform in the most grotesquely realistic manner. From nails falling out to a prawn claw replacing his hand, the effect was astounding.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
5. Charlotte Walter, Easy Virtue
4. Hope Hanafin, (500) Days of Summer
3. Anna B. Sheppard, Inglourious Basterds
2. Janet Patterson, Bright Star
1. Colleen Atwood, Public Enemies
What a gorgeous fucking film. This is really the only movie where you actually notice the duds on the men...ok, the first for me, anyway. I would seriously wear anything there. And the women? Gorgeous. Don't you love the ropey look of Marion's poor red dress, compared to the fur finery of when she's dating Dillinger? Such exquisite detail.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
5. Back to Tennessee, Hannah Montana: The Movie
4. Dig a Little Deeper, The Princess and the Frog
3. Never Knew I Needed, The Princess and the Frog
2. Possibility, The Twilight Saga: New Moon
1. Through the Trees, Jennifer's Body
Works as both a genuinely great "boo-hoo" song, and as a satire on such music. How does it do it?
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
5. Alexandre Desplat, Fantastic Mr. Fox
4. Elliot Goldenthal, Public Enemies
3. Alexandre Desplat, The Twilight Saga: New Moon
2. Alexandre Desplat, Julie & Julia
1. Abel Korzeniowski, A Single Man
I admit, I like my music big. Abel, I hope you don't mind if I say the music here reminded me of Philip Glass's work in The Hours, which I find to be the greatest score ever. The beauty of it is just so...unbelievable. Korzeniowski effortlessly evokes the 1960s. Highlights include "Swimming", "Snow" and "Drowning".
BEST EDITING
5. Roderick Jaynes, A Serious Man
4. Sally Menke, Inglourious Basterds
3. Alan Edward Bell, (500) Days of Summer
2. James Cameron, John Refoua and Stephen Rifkin, Avatar
1. Alexander Hall, The Messenger
You know, too few of these awards are given to editors of films that rely on long takes. But really, the editor cuts for dramatic emphasis, unless he needs to cut around the bullshit. So, why cut all around the place if all you need to make your point is a single long take? That's what makes sense for this movie.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
5. Robert Richardson, Inglourious Basterds
4. Greig Fraser, Bright Star
3. Eduard Grau, A Single Man
2. Anthony Dod Mantle, Antichrist
1. Dion Beebe, Nine
The only truly cinematic aspect of the film. The use of the projector in "I Can't Make This Movie", the spotlights in "My Husband Makes Movies", the dreamy effect of "Guarda la Luna", the black-and-white "Take It All". All brilliant.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
5. Nora Ephron, Julie & Julia
4. Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
3. Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
2. Dave Eggers and Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are
1. Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach, Fantastic Mr. Fox
It's clever and it's funny. Little nuances, like Mrs. Fox's "tarty" background, truly develop the characters, instead of merely serving as a throwaway joke.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
5. Jane Campion, Bright Star
4. Scott Neustatder and Michael H. Weber, (500) Days of Summer
3. Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
2. James Cameron, Avatar
1. Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, A Serious Man
Probably my favorite Coen Brothers movie.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
5. Stanley Tucci, Julie & Julia
4. Fred Melamed, A Serious Man
3. Colin Firth, Easy Virtue
2. Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
1. Peter Capaldi, In the Loop
I mean, this scene alone. That snap as he says, "Now fuck off." Has swearing ever seemed this natural?
BEST ACTOR
5. Ben Foster, The Messenger
4. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
3. Colin Firth, A Single Man
2. Johnny Depp, Public Enemies
SPOILER ALERT
1. Sam Rockwell, Moon
A one-man show that it is impressive in it understatedness.
BEST ACTRESS
5. Zoe Saldana, Avatar
4. Carey Mulligan, An Education
3. Abbie Cornish, Bright Star
2. Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
1. Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
Such a raw performance. That a first-timer can give this kind of performance is staggering.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
5. Marion Cotillard, Public Enemies
4. Julianne Moore, A Single Man
3. Kristin Scott Thomas, Easy Virtue
2. Samantha Morton, The Messenger
1. Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
An unbelievable performance from the great comedienne. Just try to wrap your head around this.
BEST DIRECTOR
5. Jane Campion, Bright Star
4. Marc Webb, (500) Days of Summer
3. Michael Mann, Public Enemies
2. James Cameron, Avatar
1. Oren Moverman, The Messenger
BEST PICTURE
5. (500) Days of Summer - Mason Novick/Jessica Tuchinsky/Mark Waters/Steven J. Wolfe
4. Fantastic Mr. Fox - Allison Abbate/Wes Anderson/Jeremy Dawson/Scott Rudin
3. Public Enemies - Michael Mann/Kevin Misher
2. Avatar - James Cameron/Jon Landau
1. The Messenger - Mark Gordon/Lawrence Inglee/Zach Miller
A strong debut from a first-timer.
[UPDATED: Producers nominated for Best Picture, as of 1/13/2017]
8:38 AM is such a specific time to do this. I've been up since 8:00AM, after finally trying to get some sleep at 6:30. I'll probably go straight to bed after this, but come on! It's like Christmas morning, Happy Birthday and Easter baskets rolled into one! Hell, last year I was almost late to class on account of this, but it was awesome when my roommate and I came in with the news.
Hey, Ben Lyons! I wanted to get to know someone that's not you! He just said Meryl Streep will get nominated for The Blind Side, alongside Sandra Bullock for....then he look shame-faced, but rather than correct himself, they plow right on with the talk, talk, talk. Hey, Ben Lyons! I want to take a 2x4 to your head!
Ah, here we go! New Presidente Tom Sherak and the beautiful Hollmann Award Nominated Actress Anne Hathaway.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS Penelope Cruz, Nine Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air Mo'Nique, Precious
SUPPORTING ACTOR Matt Damon, Invictus Woody Harrelson, The Messenger Christopher Plummer, The Last Station Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
ACTRESS Sanrda Bullock, The Blind Side Helen Mirren, The Last Station Carey Mulligan, An Education Gabourey Sidibe, Precious Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
ACTOR Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart George Clooney, Up in the Air Colin Firth, A Single Man Morgan Freeman, Invictus Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
DIRECTOR Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker James Cameron, Avatar Lee Daniels, Precious Jason Reitman, Up in the Air Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds Camon & Moverman, The Messenger The Coen Bros, A Serious Man Docter, Peterson & McCarthy, Up
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Blomkamp & Tatchell, District 9 Hornby, An Education Armstrong, Blackwell, Ianucci & Roche, IN THE LOOP Fletcher, Precious Reitman & Turner, Up in the Air
FOREIGN Ajami El Secreto de sus ojos The Milk of Siorrow Un Prophete White Ribbon
ANIMATED Coraline Fantastic Mr. Fox Princess & the FRog Secret of Kell Up
BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR Avatar The Blind Side District 9 An Education The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds Precious A Serious Man Up Up in the Air
Holy fuck, Maggie Gyllenhaal is an Oscar nominee! I didn't think that Cruz nom was really gonna happen. District 9 nominated for Picture, which is cool; The Blind Side also, which is....huhn? But Invictus is left out, thank the Lord. Up and A Serious Man made it, too. In the Loop and The Messenger getting screenplay noms is one of the best things to happen this year! I like that lineup for Adapted Screenplay! Secret of the Kells, which barely got a release and which no one has heard of, gets that Animated Feature spot over Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
The other nominees, via the Oscar official site:
ART DIRECTION Avatar The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Nine Sherlock Holmes The Young Victoria
CINEMATOGRAPHY Barry Ackroyd, The Hurt Locker Christian Berger, The White Ribbon Bruno Delbonnel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Mauro Fiore, Avatar Robert Richardson, Inglourious Basterds
COSTUME Bright Star Coco Before Chanel The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Nine The Young Victoria
DOC FEATURE Burma VJ The Cove Food, Inc. The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers Which Way Home
DOC SHORT China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of the Sichuan Province The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant Music by Prudence Rabbit a la Berlin
EDITING Avatar District 9 The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds Precious
MAKEUP Il Divo Star Trek The Young Victoria
SCORE Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders, The Hurt Locker Alexandre Desplat, Fantastic Mr. Fox Michael Giacchino, Up James Horner, Avatar Hans Zimmer, Sherlock Holmes
SONG "Almost There" from The Princess and the Frog "Down in New Orleans" from The Princess and the Frog "Loin de Paname" from Paris 36 (!!!) "Take It All" from Nine (!!!!) "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart
ANIMATED SHORT French Roast Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty The Lady and the Reaper Logorama A Matter of Loaf and Death
LIVE ACTION SHORT The Door Instead of Abracadabra Kavi Miracle Fish The New Tenants
SOUND EDITING Avatar The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds Star Trek Up
SOUND MIXING Avatar The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds Star Trek Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
VFX Avatar District 9 Star Trek
So little love for Star Trek, actually. Just four tech noms. Strange. Paris 36 and "Take It All" came from nowhere. And I am VERY upset with the full snub at (500) Days of Summer. Not even original screenplay? Disappointing.
I am so sorry for the lateness of this, but I am a mere college student with neither Blackberry nor iPhone to assist me in these endeavors. BUT - be that as it may, I am still around to tell you what many of you have probably already heard: the nominees for the Writers Guild Association Awards.
Now, keep in mind that the WAG declared a great number of screenplays ineligible due to registration problems, paperwork stuff, bullshit. This means that many of the year's front-runners, scripts that will surely be represented at the Oscars, did not even qualify for a shortlist: Inglourious Basterds, An Education, A Single Man, The Road, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Up, etc. So what we have here is...well, a surprise, certainly.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker James Cameron, Avatar Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, A Serious Man Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber, (500) Days of Summer Josh Lucas & Scott Moore, The Hangover Well, obviously the pleasant surprise here is The Hangover, which is hilarious. Avatar got in despite people citing the screenplay as its weakest element (still haven't seen it, though -- will the buzz kill my ability to judge it properly?). The Hurt Locker will win this and the Oscar. How happy am I to see two of my Top Five entries here? Very effin' happy.
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Scott Cooper, Crazy Heart, from the novel by Thomas Cobb Nora Ephron, Julie & Julia, from the memoir by Julie Powell and My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire, from the novel Push by Sapphire Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci, Star Trek, from the television series created by Gene Roddenberry Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air, from the novel by Walter Kirn While Up in the Air and Precious were easy to see coming, it is a pleasant surprise to see Julie & Julia and Star Trek in the mix (haven't seen Crazy Heart, so cannot gauge excitement properly). Up in the Air will most likely win this, though secretly (well, not anymore now) I hope Julie & Julia pulls an upset. Alas, 'tis but a fancy of mine.
Of course, Fantastic Mr. Fox was ineligible, but no Public Enemies? Really? Not even a Bright Star?
When the Oscars come, The Hangover and Avatar will leave to allow Inglourious Basterds and Up in. An Education will get in instead of Star Trek for sure...but I could see the other four making it as well.
And finally, after much delay and suspense, my Top Ten Films of 2009. These are the movies what made me happy that I spend as much time at the movies as I do. It's no coincidence that I experienced all of these in a movie theater -- it is, after all, the way films were meant to be experienced. I've struggled with my Top Three, having changed and rearranged it multiple times. Hell, my ranking of those three could change between now and now-oh-one. But I'm going to commit myself.
My Top Ten Films of 2009:
10. JENNIFER'S BODY For nailing the insecurity of adolescence. For using horror to explore eating disorders, perceptions of beauty, and teen sexuality. For the subtle looks between Needy (Amanda Seyfried) and Jennifer (Megan Fox). For proving Diablo Cody earned that Oscar. For "Through the Trees", one of the best songs written for a movie ever.
9. EASY VIRTUE For bringing classic wit to a modern screen. For its gorgeous production values. For making every character real human beings instead of comic caricatures. For revealing Jessica Biel's gifts as an actress. For making "Car Wash" and "Sex Bomb" into 1920s foxtrots.
8. UP IN THE AIR For knocking the wind out of me with its finale. For making George Clooney vulnerable. For fine supporting turns from Vera Farmiga and Amy Morton. For delighting and upsetting me simultaneously. For a surprisingly great score.
7. THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG For bringing Disney magic back into my life. For the incredible voice cast. For fantastic songs like "Dig a Little Deeper". For the sheer beauty of 2D animation. For an ending that got me misty-eyed.
6. JULIE & JULIA (Number Nine on 25 Most Anticipated) For making something delightful and fun out of an atrocious book (the titular one, not Julia Child's memoir). For the costumes. For Alexandre Desplat's score. For the chemistry between Stanley Tucci and Meryl Streep. For being worth three viewings.
5. BRIGHT STAR For engaging performances by its ensemble. For the sexless yet sexy passion between Fanny (Abbie Cornish) and John Keats (Ben Whishaw). For Greig Fraser's breathtaking cinematography. For Jane Campion's light yet ever-present touch. For haunting me with its beauty.
4. A SERIOUS MAN For finding the absurd in the awful. For its use of Jefferson Airplane. For the Rabbi scenes. For an ensemble firing on all cylinders.For "accept the mystery".
3. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER (Number Ten on 25 Most Anticipated) For giving me just what I need at the time I saw it. For a realistic portrayal of a modern relationship. For that dance number. For using wardrobe and set dressing to accentuate Zooey Deschanel's eyes. For being a romantic-comedy that didn't condescend to the audience.
2. FANTASTIC MR. FOX For dancing foxes. For Wes Anderson finding the perfect medium for his style. For that wonderfully offbeat sense of style. For making a kid's movie into a caper comedy for adults. For being a cussing great movie.
1. PUBLIC ENEMIES For Colleen Atwood's costumes. For Johnny Depp's haunted performance. For turning a mainstream genre into cinematic art. For Elliot Goldenthal's period-perfect score. For that devastating final scene. For playing with the facts to give us a gripping story. For just being the best at what it did.
And now the National Board of Review chimes in with its Top Ten...well, Top Eleven really. The NBR gives a Best Picture prize in addition to their Ten of the Year, which is bizarre, but I guess they can do what they want, right?
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jason Reitman/Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Great novel. I hope their adaptation does it justice. It helps that I have a lot of faith in Reitman, who is two-for-two as far as I'm concerned.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Ethan Coen/Joel Coen, A Serious Man
Yes! Keep those awards rolling in! A Serious Man is surely the best Coen Brothers movie since The Big Lebowski, maybe ever.
SPOTLIGHT AWARD FOR DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
Duncan Jones, Moon
Oren Moverman, The Messenger
Marc Webb, (500) Days of Summer
Jeez, do I really need to see The Messenger? The world seems to demand it. Congrats, of course, to Jones and Webb. I've met Webb, a well-spoken and down-to-earth kind of guy, so more power to him!
BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Amen to that.
BREAKTHROUGH ACTRESS
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
As expected. She's going to sweep these, I bet. It's like when Directorial Debut awards in 2007 were exclusively Ben Affleck/Sarah Polley; this category is going to be Sidibe/Carey Mulligan.
BEST ENSEMBLE
It's Complicated
Well. Way to get me even more excited, NBR.
BEST DIRECTOR
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Cool, cool. I mean, perfectly harmless. The movie's not out yet, so I really can't judge.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Curious: they misspelled Zombieland. Is this movie going to come to Tally? Or will I have to catch it in SoFla over Christmas?
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
And yet, all I can do is think of her in New Moon. I know what sins against cinema I'm committing in admitting that.
BEST ACTOR
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
As far as actors go, this is probably the safest tie ever. Still: I need to see the films.
BEST ACTRESS
Carey Mulligan, An Education
I don't know if she's my pick (not yet), but I will whole-heartedly support any award thrown at her.
BEST FILM Up in the Air In limited release tomorrow. Limited does not mean my city, though. Poop.
TOP TEN
(500) Days of Summer
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Star Trek Up
Where the Wild Things Are
OK, so I haven't seen Invictus or The Messenger. But otherwise....pretty cool Top Ten. Star Trek was on mine until Fantastic Mr. Fox came into my life. Inglourious Basterds, A Serious Man and (500) Days of Summer are on mine (so far). Where the Wild Things Are and An Education came pretty close in mine. The Hurt Locker is a solid film. The odd man out here is Up, which I like OK. I mean, you know, it's decent, kinda, I guess. This is big for The Messenger though, which looks like it may be the little indie that could for this year. Precious, meanwhile, is M.I.A. How curious.
Ah, but I forgot to list the Golden Satellites' choices for the Top Ten Films of 2009! They are, in alphabetical order:
(500) Days of Summer I'm glad it's not just giddiness from seeing this with Marc Webb and Geoffrey Gilmore: the movie really is that great. Hopefully, it will continue to get screenplay honors, but a nod for Joseph Gordon-Levitt -- or even Best Picture -- would not be unwelcome.
Bright Star Again, something I got to see because of one professor's connection to Apparition. Beautiful piece of work, and I'm glad the Golden Satellites have recognized it.
An Education Yes, undoubtedly among the best that the first eleven months of 2009 had to offer. Carey Mulligan is transplendent.
The Hurt Locker So far, still good. One of those movies that I wish was on DVD right now. Definitely approve.
Inglourious Basterds Oh, yeah, I enjoyed it. But I still feel a movie that doesn't lose me even though I missed seven minutes near the end is a movie with too much fat. But I guess until it leaves my own Top Ten, I have no room to complain.
Nine In theaters December 18.
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire Hm...Great movie, but I have to do some thinking before I declare among my Top Ten of Right Now.
A Serious Man Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! The Coen Brothers' best film, in my opinion, leaps and bounds above No Country for Old Men, The Big Lebowksi and Fargo. The only question: Why aren't more people talking about supporting actor Fred Melamed?
The Stoning of Soraya M. I don't think this even came out in Tallahassee. Anyone know how I can get hold of a copy?
As October waned, I made the effort to see some 2009 releases when not working on other people's films. And I did it! But first, some news:
Because of my actual Film School activities and some last minute rigmarole concerning ticketing, I was unable to attend the Ian McKellen thing. That will teach me to brag prematurely. The absolute worse part? I overheard this conversation at Borders two days later:
MAN: I saw Ian McKellen speak the other day at the theatre school. WOMAN: Who? MAN: You know, the guy from Harry Potter? WOMAN: Oh, yeah... MAN: Yeah, he was interesting. He sure could talk, though. After two hours, I was like, "Come on, already."
You, sir, did not deserve to see Ian McKellen, and not just because you think he's Michael Gambon. You got tired of watching him speak. You can take whatever Armistead Maupin book you picked out and shove it up your ass, for while you may be able to read, you are certainly illiterate in the realm of theatre and all that is holy. Shithead.
And now the reviews:
17 AGAIN
So, Matthew Perry's life is going down the tubes, and Brian Doyle Murray magics him into his younger self, who happens to be Zac Efron. Now he gets to help his kids...in HIGH SCHOOL. I remember laughing out loud and finding it perfectly charming. Yet I cannot really remember the movie itself. Zefron and Perry do a surprisingly good job of playing different ages of the same man, so that was neat. Zefron got Perry's mannerisms down to a T. And I liked the romance between Zefron and Leslie Mann -- that they sold it as uncreepily as they did says a lot about their abilities as actors. Other than that, and an odd date scene between Lt. Dangle and Jan Levinson-Gould...meh.
SAW VI
Holy crap, is this really the first movie I saw in theaters since Jennifer's Body? A good way to end October, surely. It's probably the smartest in the series since Saw II (which I love), and even gets to be relevant by taking on the Vice President of a Health Insurance Company! The challenges in this game are actually pretty suspenseful, and I cared a LOT about what happened to the characters this time around. It was nice to finally care again. The editing was also a lot less ADD this time around. Great fun, if you're into it. But if you don't like Saw to begin with, you won't see this anyway. That's OK, but you'll be missing some great entertainment.
A SERIOUS MAN
Some movies get better and better upon reflection. This is one of those. True, I only just saw it Sunday night, but even now, I'm thinking it's probably one of the best movies of the year. It's basic plot: Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg) goes through a week of crises in a mostly Jewish community in 1967 Minnesota. You would think a movie that basically tells you God doesn't care and religion won't help would be a downer. Ok, it is in a way, but it is uproariously funny at the same time. The Coen Brothers may have won their Oscar in 2007, but this film is their true masterpiece. Stuhlbarg's performance should be generating more discussion, but for me, it was all about Fred Melamed as Sy Ableman, a pompous intellectual whose eloquent phraseology is hilarious in its pretentiousness. A gem of a comedy -- but DARK.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
Despite the pacing issues -- the middle portion is QUITE padded -- I really enjoyed Where the Wild Things Are. I wasn't ready to be hurled into the darker, more complicated second half of the film, but I liked that it took me there. There's some real genius in the expansion of Maurice Sendak's universe, as written by Spike Jonze (also director) and Dave Eggers (who co-wrote the disappointing Away We Go earlier this year). Some deep, disturbing shit goes down in this movie, and it hits hard. Catherine Keener's teeny tiny role as the mom is great (as always), but let us not forget the Wild Things. Although they are not in the costumes, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Chris Cooper, etc., bring a lot to their table in their performances. And of course, Max Records, playing Max (appropriately enough), is just as talented as he is adorable. Can't wait for this kid to get more work.
Ack, but that Karen O score! Distracting, cacophonous, irritating! Yes, yes, it is appropriately "wild", but it was not my cuppa, thank you very much. Such a shame; "Maps" is my second favorite song of all of ever.
