Topic Of The Day: Diversity At The Oscars

Hello, Bloggers, welcome to another episode of my Topic Of The Day. Today's Topic will be about the Oscars and how I am all for seeing more diverse faces, especially after this year. Let's take a look:

This year was a good year for Hispanics as Alfonso Cuaron became the first Mexican to win Best Director and one of his frequent collaborators Emmanuel Lubezki won Best Cinematography. Plus, Mexican-born Kenyan Lupita Nyong'o won Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years A Slave, showing that it was not only a good year for Hispanics but Blacks as well. Not only did Nyong'o take home a trophy for her film, but so did Steve McQueen, who became the first Black person to win Best Picture and we saw Barkhad Abdi receive a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his debut role in Captain Phillips. To me, that is quite amazing that the Academy branched out in terms of who they handed out trophies to, especially to Blacks and Hispanics since both races have enormous audiences.

This almost reminds me of the 79th Academy Awards, coincidentally the first show that Ellen DeGeneres hosted. That show was another good one for Hispanics as the Mexican film Pan's Labyrinth won 3 Oscars out of 6 nominations. There was also the film Babel, which scored 1 win for Argentine-born Gustavo Santaolalla, and 6 other nominations, including Best Director and Best Supporting Actress for Mexican-born Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and Adriana Barraza, respectively. In her category, Barraza was even nominated alongside her Babel co-star Rinko Kikuchi from Japan. While Alfonso Cuaron and Emmanuel Lubezki won at this year's Oscar, they also received nominations at the 79th Oscars for the film Children of Men: Cinematography for Lubezki and Film Editing for Cuaron. Plus, Spaniard Penelope Cruz managed to score a Best Actress nomination for the Spanish film Volver. Another fun fact is the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories each had two black actors: Forest Whitaker and Will Smith in the Lead category and Eddie Murphy and Beninese-born Djimon Hounsou in the Supporting category. Forest Whitaker ended up winning. To me, this is just absolutely fascinating, all the people in different film professions from different parts of the world being recognized by the Academy. Again, I love that. Oh, and the Clint Eastwood-directed Japanese language film Letters from Iwo Jima was a Best Picture nominee. Wow!

Also, while the 79th Academy Awards boded quite well for Hispanics among other races, the 76th Academy Awards were dominated by New Zealand, thanks to the smashing success of those behind a "little" film that was filmed out in New Zealand called Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Plus, New Zealander Keisha Castle-Hughes received a Best Actress nomination for Whale Rider. In that category, however, the winner would be the first South African to win an Oscar in a major category: Charlize Theron for Monster. There would be other nations represented as well with the Supporting Actor category having a Puerto Rican (Benicio Del Toro), Beninese (Djimon Hounsou), and Japanese actor (Ken Watanabe). Plus, the Supporting Actress category had the first Middle Eastern to be nominated for an Oscar: Shohreh Aghdashloo for House of Sand and Fog. 

Of course, I am not saying the Oscars should always look like a Benetton ad or anything like that. I am just pointing out that it is wonderful to not just see American films or just Caucasian people in the film profession get recognized by the American Academy, as demonstrated by this year and the other years I just pointed out. Plus, I am also sort of saying that by some of the winners this year, a certain progress might be being made.

So, that was my Topic Of The Day on how I love seeing more diversity shown at the Oscars. If you agree with me or disagree, please feel free to write your thoughts in the comments section. However, if you disagree, please be courteous and not racist. Thanks for reading!

Retro Review: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

                               

                           
                                 I'd Come Along For The Ride With These 'Kids'

                Whenever I say that a film is the "whole package", I mean that it has brilliant direction, writing, and acting. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid not only has that, but a brilliantly written story that despite the fact that it is an older film and is a Western, still is a story for the ages.

                     Story:
        Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid follows the story of two outlaws named Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the "Sundance Kid" (Robert Redford). Both men are on the run from the law and head over to Bolivia to try and escape after they attempt a train robbery. Coming along for the ride is Sundance's lover Etta (Katharine Ross).

                   Ups:
                One thing I absolutely LOVED was the chemistry between Newman and Redford. I liked watching these two actors play off each other and brilliantly pull off their such colorful characters. It was neat watching them go on an adventure and made me feel like I was being taken along for the ride. That is one  thing I like about movies, when the main characters take the audience on their physical or emotional journey. I also thought the way the two main characters were developed was very fascinating. Butch is essentially the "brains" of the duo as he fights using tactic and the Kid likes to engage in gunfights. I even thought the scenes between Newman, Redford, and Katharine Ross were also very nice and added a lighter touch to the film.

               Another thing I liked was how the action scenes were directed. Even though there isn't a whole lot of action scenes, whenever they do happen, they are explosive. Especially the final shootout at the very end of the film where (*possible spoiler alert*) a bunch of Bolivian troopers are waiting for the two heroes outside armed with guns and right after that, the scene cuts to Butch and the Kid talking about their possible next destination. So, I did really like the action scenes as well as the scenes where Butch and the Kid try to make a pit stop but the same posse of troopers keep pursuing them as the film progresses. In my opinion, those scenes really add to the cat-and-mouse feel the film has. Not only is Butch Cassidy a "cat-and-mouse" film, but it also works as a Western and fits the era the film was released in, the 60's, as it demonstrates the audience rooting for two young outlaws fighting the government or a higher power. If anyone besides myself wants to figure out how to create a multi-dimensional story, I would say take a quick look at this film and take a few notes because this is not only brilliantly directed and has tremendous performances from its leading men, but it is also a writer's movie.

             Downs:
            One minor nitpick is at times, I did feel it dragged. Only at small points, not most of the film. Besides that, nothing else.

            Consensus:
           Overall, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is an essential piece of filmmaking that is not only the "whole package" (Brilliant directing, acting, screenwriting), but offers a multi-dimensional story that despite being an old Western, has a timeless quality. I would put this HIGH on your watch list as it is a classic that has been on many Greatest Films list and it is definitely not hard to see why. I would even say give it a watch just to see Newman and Redford be awesome as well as for the beautiful setting, the tremendous directing and to learn how to write a script. Butch Cassidy is just perfection.

Grade: A+

     

Retro Review: Mystic River (2003)

                                              This 'River' Runs Quite An Intense Yet Soft Wave
                     They say it is a script that carries a film, but if there is anything that I have learned over the course of my film-reviewing experience, a film's band of actors can help carry a film even the story is problematic. I felt the story is somewhat complicated here, but the outstanding actors help Mystic River create a strong tidal wave.
       
                       Story:
                  Mystic River follows the story of three former childhood friends: ex-con Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn), cop Sean Devine (Kevin Bacon), and sex abuse victim Dave Boyle (Tim Robbins). The three estranged men find themselves colliding after the murder of Jimmy's eldest daughter. From there is when things really begin to go from bad to worse as Dave becomes a suspect, Sean tries to crack the case and Jimmy is out for revenge.

                  Ups:
                 First off, I thought the acting was spectacular. Tim Robbins is amazing and like a walking enigma as Dave. By the looks he gives from his eyes, you start to think he is a victim, but in scenes when he implodes, you start to think otherwise. Kevin Bacon gives a rather unassuming performance and both he and Laurence Fishburne, who plays his police comrade, pull off quite a good "good cop, bad cop" dynamic, with Bacon being the good cop. Sean Penn is also quite good even though, I'll be honest, I thought his performance was a bit sporadic. But one performance I really liked was Marcia Gay Harden as Dave's confused wife Celeste. Harden's performance was quite expressive in her silence and I give the Academy major kudos for recognizing a more quiet, observant performance and not just awarding her fellow nominated co-stars, Penn and Robbins. But overall, I thought the acting was quite amazing, even from Laura Linney, who had a smaller role as Jimmy's wife Annabeth. It doesn't surprise me that Clint Eastwood directed these brilliant performances since he is an actor himself. Plus, the way he directs it allows the heavy use of shadows that fit the film's shady tone, thanks also in part to the brilliant cinematographer Tom Stern. In my personal opinion, it worked a bit better here than it did in Million Dollar Baby. 

                I also liked how the film takes us into the point of view of those involved in the crime. We get a glimpse of the families, the suspects, and the cops as well. We even catch a glimpse of the daughter's boyfriend and how he handles the situation. So, I loved how the story wasn't one-sided and we see how everyone goes through the horrific crime.

              Downs:
             My biggest pet peeve with this film has to be the ending. At the very end, it starts to become Shakespearean and to me, it just came completely out of left field. I actually had problems with the ending as a whole. I don't want to give anything away because I hate to do that. But I'll just say it could have delved into the idea of how we tend to let vengeance get the best of us out of the natural flow of the story, but it was a missed opportunity. Other than that, I have no other real complaints.

            Consensus:
           Overall, Mystic River is an incredibly well-acted yet problematic story that in the end just had me "lost at sea". I would say this is definitely worth a watch for the acting and the brilliant direction by Clint Eastwood. It is far from a waste of time, yet it probably would've been a lot better if not for the film's complicated ending.

Grade: B

Retro Review: The Thing (1982)

                             

                          What A Spectacular 'Thing' It Is To Have A Monster Movie Built on Atmosphere 

                        I have said in previous reviews how much I cherish practical effects on film. The Thing really makes me appreciate my love for practical effects as it features realistic-looking aliens that blend in smoothly with a film that has an atmosphere that is as chilling as the film's cold setting.
 
                        Story:
                   The Thing follows the story of an expedition team in Antarctica led by a man named MacReady (Kurt Russell). Together, they discover a special alien organism that has the ability to genetically replicate whatever it touches. Eventually, as this special alien life form is released, the explorers become increasingly paranoid once they become unsure of who is the Thing or not.

                    Ups:
                  The thing that I loved the most about The Thing was how it relies on the use of practical effects rather than CGI. Of course, CGI wasn't really utilized back when the film was made, but still. As I've mentioned before, I prefer practical over CG because I find practical effects to look more realistic and the different aliens created for the film have distinctive designs done amazingly by Rob Bottin (The Howling, Legend) and I loved that.

                  Not only did I feel The Thing was such a unique monster movie, but also works as a classic "whodunit" thriller. Part of the reason this film creates such a chill is because you are unsure of who has become the Thing. As the film progresses and everyone becomes more paranoid, each one of them becomes suspicious of each other as they are held up together inside their camp amidst the snowy weather. Even at the very end, you are left wondering what will happen with whoever is left. It doesn't end on a bad note, but it doesn't necessarily end on a happy note either. I actually thought that was very neat. Most horror films either have a "The Worst Was Over" or "You Thought The Worst Was Over" type ending, but here you are just left wondering "Is The Worst Over?". I just loved how even though the monster isn't hidden in the shadows, the film is just shrouded in mystery.

                 Downs:
                Nothing.

                 Consensus:
                Overall, The Thing is an incredible and atmospheric exercise in sci-fi terror. If you love horror or sci-fi, I would put this HIGH on your watch list. In my opinion, this is an essential film for the horror genre. Also, if you are looking to get into film and do visual or makeup effects, look no further because this film really shows the wonders of practical effects. The nightmarish atmosphere and aliens certainly make one amazing "thing".

Grade: A

Retro Review: Million Dollar Baby (2004)

           

           
                  A Well-Crafted Film With A Story That I Wouldn't Say Smells Like A 'Million' Bucks
         
           I don't usually mind whenever someone tells a story that has been done before. That is why whenever a biopic or AIDS movie or whatever comes out around awards season, I'm like whatever, just as long as the people behind the film add a new twist to it. Million Dollar Baby kind of does that, but by the end, does it in a way that leans a bit towards cheap sentiment.

                 Story:
                 Million Dollar Baby follows the story of a boxing trainer named Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) who has struggled to form a bond with his estranged daughter and whose only friend is a former boxer named Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman). Suddenly, a waitress named Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) comes into Frankie's gym and eventually life determined to become a boxing champ, a dream that nobody sees but her.

                Ups:
               One thing that I did really like was the cinematography. I liked how the cinematographer, Tom Stern, incorporates use of black and white by shining them on the characters. There is one scene that I thought was amazingly shot where Frankie is healing Maggie's wounds and Maggie is put in the shadows, which was a bit of foreshadowing in my opinion for the events that would follow in the film. I especially liked Clint Eastwood's direction. I even thought the actors were brilliant.

                Downs:
               While I liked the brilliant direction and cinematography, my biggest issue with this film has to be the story. Not only do I feel the story of an underdog rising to the top has already been done, but by the end when a "big thing" happens to Maggie that I won't give away for those that haven't seen it and don't know the ending, I found it to be so emotionally manipulative. Although, to be fair, the filmmakers were probably looking to go in a direction different than what people were expecting and I give them credit for that, but still, it didn't strike a chord with me the way it has with others who saw the film.

               Also, while the actors were brilliant, I feel like it isn't anything they haven't done before. Eastwood is playing the gruff man. Morgan Freeman plays the wise confidante that is the *gasp* narrator and Hilary Swank plays a character that reminded me of her role in The Next Karate Kid. Like I said, the actors do a wonderful job with what they're given, it's just the roles they played weren't too much of a stretch for them, in my opinion.

              Consensus:
             Overall, Million Dollar Baby is an incredibly well-acted and directed yet slightly contrived film. It has its high points, but it really doesn't throw a hard punch. I would say give it a watch for the actors being amazing and who knows, you might feel differently about the ending than I did. I found it to be a bit calculated but everybody's viewing experience is different. See if it is a knockout or is the type of film to watch only in Round 1.

Grade: B-

Anatomy Of A Performance: Naomi Watts in Mulholland Dr. (2001)

Hello, Bloggers, welcome to another episode of Anatomy Of A Performance, where I take a performance and try to dissect the internalities behind them and hopefully allow viewers to get a closer look at them when watching the film. For today, I will look into a performance that in my mind got horrifically snubbed by the Oscars, Naomi Watts in Mulholland Dr. Let's take a look:

Now, for those of you who have seen the film, you know that in the first half, Watts plays a very sunny character, Betty Elms, who is very optimistic about a future in Hollywood. But I will first go into the actress' bridge from Betty to Diane, a more rainy character.

             In this scene, the camera just focuses on Betty and the man she is practicing a scene with in her audition. Even though her character is just saying lines, the way Watts delivers them makes it feel like there is an underlying fury and sensuality within Betty as it is an actress playing a character playing a character and saying her lines as if she really means them. It then becomes a performance within a performance. Notice how at the very end of the clip, Betty's voice then suddenly shifts to a much lighter tone. It is almost like Betty herself couldn't believe how she pulled off her lines.

     
          But this scene is where Betty really begins to be more grounded in reality. The woman singing is doing I believe a Spanish version of the song "Crying" by Roy Orbison. The song itself is about love and crying over someone who doesn't return the singer's love. (*Spoiler Alert*) This is an indication of the character of Diane and how she longs for a woman, Camilla, who doesn't feel the same way about her. But the performance of the singer forces tears from Betty and Diane's story indicates that what happens in this scene is Betty realizing what she is experiencing isn't real and that Camilla doesn't love her the same way as she does. So, Watts is really showing us what is going through Betty's mind without having to say a single word.

Next, I will get into the character of Diane, who as I mentioned, is much more rainy than the character of Betty. I can't really find any videos of the character of Diane, so I am just going to have to settle for pictures.

                 If you notice Diane's appearance, she doesn't seem as polished as Betty is. Diane's voice is also much deeper.

                    Those of you who have seen the film and remember the scene from this picture above, you know that in that scene, a certain type of news is announced that Diane doesn't take too well, which I don't want to give away for those that haven't seen it. But take a look at the expression on Diane' face. With a tear flowing from her left eye and a slight snarl from her open mouth, Watts showcases her character's rather boiling rage and in my opinion, does it without really playing up the melodrama. As you can see by her eyes, you can definitely get the sense that Diane wants to do something awful and you either sympathize with her or just go "crap".

                    The way I see it, it seems like it is two different actresses playing the different main roles. We see two different performances yet also a performance-within-a-performance, hence the bridge Watts got through from Betty to Diane. It is performances like those that are just interesting to dissect and show what kind of commitment an actor brings to a role that doesn't just involve just some kind of drastic physical transformation.

So, that was my quick analysis of Naomi Watts' stunning dual portrayal in Mulholland Dr. If you have the same insight to this performance as I do or looked at it differently, please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. Just on a side note, since I discussed just female performances, my next AOAP will be on a male performance, which I won't reveal until that next AOAP comes. Until then, thanks for reading!

                     

 

Oscars 2015 Forecast

Hello, Bloggers, since we got through the first half of 2014 and that brings us slightly closer to Oscar season in the near future with the festivals approaching in the coming months, I figured I'd run down the potential Oscar hopefuls that came out in the first year as well as what is being released in the coming months:

I'll start off by discussing what has already been released. When The Grand Budapest Hotel first came out, it was immediately pegged to be an Oscar contender. In my opinion, if that were to happen, I would bet on a Screenplay nomination and maybe Production Design if nothing else in the major categories. Usually, films that come out early in the year or in the first half are apparently not released according to Academy voters. I honestly would love to see a Wes Anderson film get a PD nomination since his films are so colorful and amazing to look at. Another film being campaigned for the Oscar circuit is Noah, which could have some marginal success if its controversy doesn't hurt it. I would imagine not just because films like this are ALWAYS going to get hit with controversy. But like I said, we'll have to see if the film's early release date will hurt its chances. I personally am not too crazy about its potential Oscar march because I didn't really like the film that much, but I digress.

Now onto the Cannes Film Festival, which usually is an indicator for the Foreign Language category. The Palme D'Or went to Winter Sleep, which is a foreign film that I'd imagine might be Turkey's selection for Best Foreign Language Film. But Best Director went to Bennett Miller for the upcoming Foxcatcher. This film was originally set to be in last year's Oscar march, but was postponed to move away from the crowd. But it might be an Oscar player because it not only won the prestigious directing prize at Cannes, but it is based on a true story and has two actors reinventing themselves (Steve Carell, Channing Tatum). The International Cinephile Society, which recognizes indie films or mainstream films with artistic merit, even had their own special awards for films screened at Cannes and gave Best Actor to Channing Tatum. Whether he will be campaigned in Lead or Supporting remains to be seen. But Best Actor at the actual Cannes festival was handed out to Timothy Spall for Mr. Turner, which is directed by Oscar darling Mike Leigh (Vera Drake, Happy-Go-Lucky) and Best Actress was handed out to Julianne Moore for Maps to the Stars. That film doesn't have an official release date here in the states as of now, but if it does, Moore could march her way to the Oscars which would really create an overdue narrative since she is already 0-4. That actually brings me to my next point.

This year, we are seeing plenty of actresses in contention that have either not won before or have not won and are overdue. The list includes not just Julianne Moore, but the 0-2 Viola Davis, who came very close to winning Best Actress for The Help, for the upcoming James Brown biopic Get On Up. Also, there is the 0-5 Amy Adams for the Weinstein-geared biopic Big Eyes, where she co-stars with Christoph Waltz and is directed by Tim Burton. But Adams is not the only actress that has Weinstein at her corner, as the 0-3 Michelle Williams is in possible contention for the WWII love story Suite Francaise, set in Nazi-occupied France. Plus, the 0-2 Jessica Chastain looks to have another banner year like her breakout year in 2011 with 4 films set for release: Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Miss Julie, Interstellar, and A Most Violent Year. But how about an actress that has won before? Reese Witherspoon is looking to have more of a comeback year to recapture her former Oscar glory with about four "Oscar" films set for release at the end of this year: biopic Wild, The Good Lie, Inherent Vice by prestigious director Paul Thomas Anderson, and Gone Girl, which she is producing. We even have actresses that have never been nominated, like Rosamund Pike for Gone Girl and Emily Blunt for the musical Into The Woods, which is directed by Rob Marshall and also stars the perennially nominated Meryl Streep AND Johnny Depp. That film could either go the way of the Best Picture-winning Chicago or Nine, which did "meh" in the awards circuit.

But Suite Francaise isn't the only WWII film in contention this year. We could be seeing a husband vs. wife battle as Brad Pitt has the WWII actioner Fury and Angelina Jolie is directing Unbroken, which stars potential breakout star Jack O'Connell as a former Olympian who was a prisoner of war in WWII. Plus, Weinstein has another WWII film up his sleeve with the Benedict Cumberbatch-starring The Imitation Game, which is about a man named Alan Turing who helped the Allies win WWII by figuring out the Nazi's enigma code but was persecuted for his homosexuality. I would imagine the Academy might eat this one up if it's any good.

But what about directors who are looking for another round at scoring Oscar gold? David Fincher came awfully close a few years ago to winning Best Director for The Social Network, just like how Christopher Nolan came awfully close to being nominated that same year for Inception. But they might just have another go with David Fincher directing Gone Girl and Christopher Nolan directing Interstellar. Coincidentally, each one stars a former Hollywood joke turned serious Hollywood player, with Gone Girl starring Ben Affleck and Interstellar starring Matthew McConaughey. Now for either of these two directors, I'm really crossing my fingers that they score Oscar gold. Same with Paul Thomas Anderson, who has Inherent Vice set for release later this year.

As of right now, I would say the frontrunners in this Oscar race are Gone Girl, Inherent Vice, and Foxcatcher. I would say Interstellar because of how sci-fi is slowly but surely entering its way into the Academy's wheelhouse, but I don't like to be TOO sure.

So, that is my quick Oscar forecast for the latter part of this year. If you feel that there is any film that should be entered in the Oscar conversation, like how I feel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes should, then please feel free to write your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for reading!