Well the 84th Annual Academy Awards aired last night. It was a great show. Billy Crystal hosted for the 9th time and was great as usual. Not really any true surprises winner wise from the show, but none the less still entertaining. Here are the winners in the order they were announced last night.
Best Cinematography: Robert Richardson, "Hugo"
Best Art Direction: Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schavo, "Hugo"
Best Costume Design: Mark Bridges, "The Artist"
Best Makeup: Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland, "The Iron Lady"
Best Foreign Language Film: "A Separation"
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
Best Editing: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Best Sound Editing: Phillip Stockton and Eugene Gearty, "Hugo"
Best Sound Mixing: Tom Fleischman and John Midgley, "Hugo"
Best Documentary: "Undefeated"
Best Animated Feature: "Rango"
Best Visual Effects: "Hugo"
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Best Original Score: Ludovic Bource, "The Artist"
Best Original Song: Bret McKenzie, "Man or Muppet"
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, "The Descendants"
Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
Best Live Action Short: "The Shore"
Best Documentary Short: "Saving Face"
Best Animated Short: "The Fantastic Flying Books Of Mr. Morris Lessmore"
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Best Picture: "The Artist"
As you can see The Artist was the big winner, taking most of the major awards. My predictions of the major awards didn't go so well as I only went 2/6, but hey you can't win them all. I guess if I had been able to see The Artist in time for last night's show I may have been able to make more accurate predictions. Thus the importance of seeing all best picture nominees. Oh well. Here's the best video I could find showing Crystal's opening monologue skit from the show. It's hilarious, but the volume is a little low in the video so you'll probably need to turn it up a bit.
I know the Oscars are ongoing right now, but that's okay because my predictions are for awards that don't happen until the end of the show. So I only was able to watch 6 of the 9 Best Picture nominees this year, but whatever I can still make guesses. Plus, by the way the best picture category is quite sub par this year. The films are good, but nothing blows you away like The King's Speech did last year. Anyways, to the predictions.
Best Picture: The Descendants
Best Actor: George Clooney - The Descendants
Best Actress: Viola Davis - The Help
Best Director: Alexander Payne - The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Jim Rash, and Nat Faxon - The Descendants
The Descendants will be the big winner obviously if I end up being correct. Remember, these are who I think will win, not necessarily who I want to win. Let's hope I'm right! Enjoy the show!
UPDATE: So I went 2 for 2 on the screenplay awards, but unfortunately missed all of the others. I really wanted Viola Davis to win and thought she should've, though I'm sure Meryl Streep, who did win, did a great job in The Iron Lady. As for the other awards they all went to The Artist. I will be posting a full work up of the winners shortly!
Whether you've seen the trailer to The Descendants already or not, on the surface it looks like a good movie. It's set in Hawaii, directed and co-written by already two time (and now three) Oscar nominee Alexander Payne and stars George Clooney. Sounds like a good recipe for success, and I'm glad to say the recipe works. Though like many real recipes it could have used a little tweaking here and there to just be that little bit better. Okay, don't worry I'm done with the recipe analogy.
The Descendents is just like Alexander Payne's other works (Sideways, About Schmidt) in that it's a dramedy. In case some readers out there aren't familiar with that term that's a dramatic comedy. Though set in Hawaii, where many like to think of as paradise, is far from that for Matt King (Clooney). King is a real estate lawyer and the sole trustee of a family trust that controls 25,000 acres of land on Kauai and is set to expire in 7 years. Him and his many relatives, who are descended from some of the first white settlers of Hawaii, as well as Hawaiian royalty, must make a huge decision on whether to sell the land or not and if so, then who to as it could have a huge impact on many fronts.
As if this were not enough for King to be going through, his wife is in a coma after a boating accident. Now he must figure out how to deal with an ailing wife and 10 and 17-year-old daughters. This proves to be even more difficult as he is in his own words "the back-up parent." Think his plate can't get any fuller? Well it can, as he learns that his wife had been cheating on him. From here King goes on a journey to find out who his wife's love was, while along the way trying to connect with his children along the way.
As with many good movies, it all begins with the story. This one is no original as it is based off of the novel of the same name by Kaui Hart Hemmings. However, though I haven't read the book, from my point of view Payne and his two fellow co-writers have done a great job at adapting it. I'm not the only one as the Academy has nominated the three men for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. Payne is also recognized with an Oscar nomination for his work behind the camera and he rightfully should be. He creates some incredible and beautiful shots of the landscape in Hawaii, but more importantly throughout the movie he is able to shoot and portray the many different emotions and reactions the characters have to their circumstances. Some of these scenes come through with such honesty that it allows the viewer to connect and relate with the characters and what they're going through.
Now in front of the camera the real applause must go to George Clooney. As many other critics have praised I believe this to be one of Clooney's best performances. Overall, it's a character I find it must be difficult to play with all that's going on in his life. Yet, Clooney seems to be on point as his portrayal of King throughout is one that is real and for lack of a better term, just seems to make sense with everything he does. Having already taken home a Golden Globe for his performance, I think he has a good shot of walking away with the Oscar for Best Actor. With that I don't want to shy away from the great performance by Shailene Woodley (The O.C.) who plays Alexandra King, Matt's eldest daughter. She is great as a troubled older teen trying to make sense of all that is happening in her life. It makes sense she was rewarded with a Golden Globe nomination and that there was some talk of a possible Oscar nomination for her performance.
Overall, I thought this a creative story with many different pieces to it that bring in many different human elements. It's entertaining to watch it unwind and see the different characters deal with these elements in real ways. The setting of Hawaii is an added bonus as it creates some great backgrounds and scenery. Though I did like the movie, I was not fully taken with it as many other critics were. Though it dives right into it's plot lines, I felt like it was still a bit slow to taking off per say and really grabbing me. It was also a bit heavier than I expected going in, and thought there would be just a bit more laughs than there ended up being. With that said it is still deserving of the 5 Oscar nominations it has received, including Best Picture.
I give this movie 3 out of 4 stars and a thumbs up. This movie is still in theaters now, though unless you want to go see it before the Oscars it is not one I say must be seen in theaters. If you're willing to wait for it on DVD then I don't see the harm. Enjoy!
Editor's Note: My next review will be on the Best Picture nominated film War Horse directed by Steven Spielberg. Also here is a pictures of the land they use as the land King owns on Kauai. In the movie King and his family stand just feet from where I took these pictures. It is real privately owned land on Kauai that you can get to on a ATV tour on a private ranch. I highly recommend doing so if you ever visit.
Nostalgia. It's quite something when you think about it. How something, such as a memory, object, or even a perception of something from the past can make you miss and want that time to happen again so badly. Think of a happy moment in your own life about anything at all. Does it make you happy? Do you wish you could perhaps live that moment again to feel that original happiness the moment brought you? If you could, would you? In Midnight In Paris, a man is given the opportunity to do just that as the undeniable yearning for the past we all get now and then over whatever it may be is the film's major theme.
Midnight In Paris centers around Gil, played by Owen Wilson (How Do You Know?). Gil is a successful screenwriter, who is at a bit of a mid-life crisis as he tries to transition from screenwriting to novel writing. Or as he puts it, write something of actual artistic value. He is enamored with the era of the 1920s and the artists from it, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Gertrude Stein.
The film begins with Gil and his fiancee Inez, played by Rachel McAdams, vacationing in Paris with her wealthy, conservative parents. While there they run into Inez's friend Paul (Michael Sheen of Frost/Nixon) and his wife. They spend some time together and while Inez adores him, Gil can't stand another minute of his company (Who can blame him? Paul is a pseudo-intellectual. Barf). To break off from their new found friends Gil decides to walk home one night. As he wanders the streets of Paris an old car drives up next to him at midnight and the people in it, all dressed in '20s clothing, invite to come along. Gil accepts and they go to a bar where it doesn't take long for him to notice that he has all of a sudden traveled back to the '20s. He is surrounded by the people and artist's he idolizes. From here Gil is off on a search of self discovery as he continues to visit the past and write his book.
This movie has the potential to really connect to certain viewers, while perhaps shunning others. Fans of history (such as myself), or perhaps old writers and artists like Gil, will surely be intrigued and delighted by the constant cameos and drop ins of all the old well known artists that appear throughout the movie. I, myself highly enjoyed it, though I must admit I didn't know of everyone that popped up. Though I was constantly Googling names to learn about who I didn't know and I think that's another great affect this movie can have. You may not know all of the historical figures, but if you're interested than I can safely bet you'll probably be trying learn who they are.
A huge piece to making this movie good goes to the acting of Owen Wilson. His enthusiasm and sincerity he brings to Gil's character is perfect in reflecting how excited he is to meet the people he idolizes, while also how confusing and complicating it's making the rest of his life. His Golden Globe nomination was well deserved, and in perhaps a lighter year with not so many strong candidates he could have scored an Oscar nod as well. But, if he had I don't think many critics would be saying anything against it.
Rachel McAdams as always is charming and delightful in playing Inez, who though loves Gil, is just not on the same page with him in much of anything. Marion Cotillard (Inception) is wonderful as Adriana, a mistress of Picasso who begins to fall for Gil. Sheen is also perfect as Paul, who is just a tool. Though brief, the cameo roles are great as we get to see Kathy Bates (Revolutionary Road) play Gertrude Stein, and Adrien Brody as Salvador Dali, both of which just seem to fit perfectly.
This review cannot be complete without mentioning Woody Allen. The great writer/director has done it again with this movie. The story idea is very fresh and original, not to mention well written and funny. Being shot on location in Paris makes it that much better as it really helps the audience get in with the feel of the city and connect with the characters more. It's no surprise this movie is up for 4 Oscars, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Director for Allen, as well as the biggie, Best Picture.
Overall, I have to give this movie 3.5 out of 4 stars and a thumbs up. I believe it is a story many can enjoy, but can see others not connecting with it and thus not enjoying it as much. However, I recommend you all see it first before you judge. This movie is out on DVD and Blu-Ray now and is also available at your local Redbox. Enjoy!
Editor's Note: My next movie will be on the Best Picture nominee The Descendants starring George Clooney and directed by Alexander Payne.
