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Movie Review: The American

George Clooney plays the mysterious Jack (or Edward, depending on who speaks to him), a troubled assassin yearning to escape the violence of his profession in The American. His past is left shadowed in ambiguity, while his present serves as the focus of sustained minimalism from director Anton Corbijn, which ultimately transforms The American into a well-executed European arthouse thriller. Jack travels to a quiet Italian village in order to hide from the enigmatic Swedish assassins who want to kill him. He is supposed to lay low and keep out of sight, but his talents remain in very high demand as he agrees to build a rifle for the furtively seductive Mathilde (Thekla Reuten). While Jack constructs Mathilde’s weapon, he falls in love with a prostitute (Violante Placido) and connects with a priest (Paolo Bonacelli). These relationships provide Jack with an idyllic vision of happiness and peace. And as the film develops, Jack must find a way to overcome the demons of his past in order to embrace his dimmed plight at redemption.

This is Corbijn’s second feature film, his first being the critically-acclaimed drama Control, a biography of Ian Curtis who was the lead singer of the band Joy Division. Just like with Control, Corbijn’s directorial style is meant to serve the dark complexities of the narrative’s main protagonist. He does not overt to flashy editing techniques or ostentatious camera angles, which would suggest a hint of arrogance and unbridled imperiousness on his part. Rather, Corbijn succeeds at constraining the narrative to his own visual liking, requiring the audience to exude a great deal of patience in letting the story unfold.

With The American, every shot is executed with a meticulous attention to detail and precision, the kind of work that is reminiscent of the great auteurs like Hitchcock and Coppola. The crane and wide-angle shots of towns and landscapes suggest the confided feelings of isolation and restriction. The POV shots of Jack, along with an extensive use of the close-up, illustrate not only a heightened sense of paranoia and alertness, but also a character who’s emotionally drained and reluctant to open his heart. Even focusing extensively on the prostitute’s pleasured reactions during sex says something about Jack’s search for a connection. Every shot has a purpose in The American as Corbijn and cinematographer Martin Ruhe weave a tapestry of personal anguish and controlled suspense.

Clooney lies at the center of this artful tale of woe and successfully disappears into his character. The charming wit of his past performances is nowhere to be found as Clooney abandons his romantic sensibilities to discover a character embittered by his loneliness and consumed by his devotion to order and routine. Yet strangely enough, Jack is the same kind of character that Clooney has played since he won his Oscar for Syriana, a character so enraptured by the demands of his job that it overrides the passionate side of his humanity. Bob Barnes, Michael Clayton, Ryan Bingham, and now Jack; all are characters that have lost themselves to their profession and are left trying to restore whatever goodness remains in their hearts.

Clooney is able to channel the paranoia and sinful nature of Jack, invoking Gene Hackman in The Conversation by using subtle facial expressions to illustrate a vast internal conflict. Yet the film, and the performance as a whole, is able to work because it is in the hands of a very talented director. Corbijn’s superior understanding of the camera and his conscientious application of tone will no doubt benefit him as he creates more films. I dare you to watch the final scene of The American and not feel your heart break into 1,000 pieces. It won’t be because of Clooney’s acting. Rather, it will be because of how impeccably constructed it is and how Corbijn has succeeded in crafting a masterpiece.

Lenny’s Grade: A


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Movie Reviews are coming

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Movie Review: Avatar

Avatar is the grand cinematic experience we have all been waiting for. It is a film that weaves a delicate balance between an extraordinary visual presentation and a genuinely intriguing love story. Director James Cameron succeeds once again at being the master of showmanship, taking full advantage of his newly invented technology to weave a massive portrait of spurting colors and exuding visual sensations. Yet the reason why Avatar works so well is due to the simple effectiveness of its cliched plot devices. While it is true that the film is hampered by the repetitive nature of its love story, its integrity is not compromised because Cameron does an excellent job at developing his characters. The plight of Sam Worthington to transcend beyond his paralytic state and become a ruggedly handsome 10-ft smurf is surprisingly fascinating because of the redemptive arc his story is built around. The desire of Zoe Saldana to save the Na'vi from military annihilation, while also falling in love with Worthington, is alluring because of Cameron's painstaking devotion to illustrate every aspect of the world of Pandora. Avatar can best be described as Cameron's passion project; an intense spectacle layered in existential undertones and pantheistic mythology. It is a film dependent upon the ambitions of its director, a man who in twelve years time may have transformed himself from a vainglorious "King of the World" into a preeminent "God of the Cinema".

To say that Cameron has crossed into the sacred plateau of cinematic divinity would appear to be an absurd exaggeration of the truth. Cameron is a filmmaker who has always emphasized style over substance with his body of work. His success has been warranted on his ability to impress audiences with extraordinary visuals while sacrificing the fundamental principles of good screenwriting in the process. Yet with his last two films, Cameron has taken huge strides towards incorporating character development into his stylistic repertoire. The soul of Titanic rested in the loving embraces of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, which in turn made the film's final hour a true work of art. Cameron taps into similar elements with Avatar, using Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana as vehicles to drive home the epic scope of his cinematic painting. While their romance adds a compelling layer to what is essentially Cameron's artistic revolution, it does not dominate the forefront of the picture simply because it doesn't have to. Avatar is a film completely and irrevocably subordinate to its spectrum of imagination and global allegory. As a result, Worthington and Saldana exist as designated tour guides, working together to illustrate the subliminal nuances of Cameron's hauntingly beautiful world.

It is obvious that Cameron's Pandora is meant to draw comparisons to the scattered realms of our own earthly domain, thereby inviting the audience to absorb the allegorical structure at play in the film. The digital cinematography of Mauro Fiore exposes the deepest and darkest attributes of Pandora to the point where the audience is taken aback by Cameron's meticulous attention to detail. A vast combination of low-angle, wide-angle, and horizontal panning shots emphasize the majestic landscapes and untainted natural beauty working in harmony with the primal instincts of the Na'vi culture. There is no part of Pandora left unexplored in Avatar. Cameron focuses his camera on every single aspect of the alien planet, illustrating the uniqueness of every creature stemming from the exotic plant life to the horrifying jungle beasts. Simultaneously, Cameron also examines the intricacies of a tribal civilization, highlighting their devotion to the perfection of nature and the universe. From the flowing rhythm of the Na'vi language to their enduring chants of worship encapsulated in a solemn blue light, Cameron fledges out a culture rooted in the unilateral synchronization of all things. In essence, Avatar is Cameron's love ode to the unparalleled beauty of our natural environment. As a result, the film is able to offer a stark contrast between the pantheistic worship of the Na'vi and the corrupting military imperialism of our own civilization.

Cameron symbolizes our need for military supremacy through the impassioned viciousness of Col. Quaritch (played by Stephen Lang) and the blazing capitalist ardor of Parker Selfridge (played by Giovanni Ribisi). Their unbridled enthusiasm towards conquering the Na'vi tribe and excavating their natural resources is also indicative of their sheer ignorance with regard to the preservation of life on Pandora. Their interests are centered around ideological dominance and economic profit rather than a pursuit of knowledge and scientific research. As a result, their ability to coexist with the Na'vi can only be prevalent if the Na'vi submits to their will. Cameron and Fiore make visual suggestions throughout the entire film, shooting the military locales in bleak, gray colors and layering every frame with extraordinary amounts of destructive technology i.e. military helicopters and motion-controlled robots. The conversations between soldiers and scientists are shot in a tightly constricted manner, as if to make the audience aware of the escalating tension slowly developing throughout the course of the film. By the time Worthington and Saldana consummate their love in the heart of Cameron’s jungle paradise, Quaritch’s head and Selfridge’s patience are ready to explode amidst the sound of guns blazing and the fury of devastating war. It is at this point where Avatar abandons its romantic sensibilities to transform itself into a blistering tempest of chaos and pandaemonium. The last 30-45 minutes of the film ring in a hallowed symphony of unrestrained visual magnificence due in large part to Cameron’s ambitious elucidation of a conflict between eco-military prominence and the sacrosanct devotion to the beauty of nature.

Those who qualm about Cameron’s ineptitude when it comes to screenwriting are justified by his use of corny dialogue and hackneyed plot contrivances. For some reason, phrases like “That’s what I’m talking about, bitch” and “It’s already pissed off” just don’t seem to resonate when cataloguing a reaction to one of Pandora’s creatures. A film of this magnitude should not resort to pedestrian levels of screenwriting in order to drive the narrative towards its inevitable conclusion. If there is anything to complain about Avatar, it remains buried underneath the pages of its screenplay. With that being said, the audience is compensated for Cameron’s shortcomings with perhaps his best work as a filmmaker. All of the technical aspects of this film are meant to serve the power of the narrative. As a result, they are all able to transcend the realm of cinematic achievement because they are instrumental towards the creation of a different world. The production design of Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg successfully captures the subtle idiosyncrasies of a celestial wonderland; a territory characterized by a vibrant radiance in constant interaction with creatures of deceptive peril. The sound design and visual effects bring those creatures and the Na’vi tribe to breathtaking life through the development of original noises and movements, all of which are meant to draw out the physical and emotional tendencies of everything living on Pandora. The score of James Horner revels in the epic grandeur of its story with spectacular orchestral numbers and mellifluous choral sequences, all of which come together in a cataclysmic exhibition of staggering aural harmony. For these reasons, Avatar takes its place as one of the year’s crowning achievements in filmmaking. Yet it also succeeds at becoming the iconic global experience James Cameron dreamed about while sleeping in the royal bed chamber meant for a king.

Lenny’s Grade: A

My Reaction to the 2010 Oscar Nominations

At long last, we have come to the end of the precursor season with the announcement of the 2010 Oscar nominations. I build myself up to this moment each year, anxiously awaiting the news of which films received nominations for the coveted Best Picture trophy. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences represents the pinnacle of the very best in film. It provides the definitive statement regarding films for a particular year and can legitimize those that deserve to be called classics. Yet like most rewarding bodies throughout the world, the Academy is not without its flaws. There is no doubt that the nominations for a given category are governed by consistent advertising and aggressive marketing campaigns. Those who can work around the politics of receiving an Oscar nomination usually stand the best chance of receiving an invitation to the Kodak Theater in late February or early March. And by all accounts, the Academy Awards can be seen as a glorified popularity contest. Yet there are some cases where either the film itself or certain performances stand out above all the studio spending and the incessant brown-nosing. It is in these situations where the Oscars can be considered an excellent source for honoring the very best in cinema. However, these moments of cinematic worship rarely occur and oftentimes we are left scrounging through the list of Oscar nominations looking for something to scratch our heads over. With that being said, the expansion of the Best Picture nominees to a field of ten this year gave the Academy a prime opportunity to honor the very best that cinema had to offer. They had a chance to perhaps restore some pride after their brutal ignorance of The Dark Knight and WALL-E in the Best Picture category last year. And of course, they blew it. How did they blow it? By including two films that quite frankly do not deserve to be called Best Picture nominees; two films that illustrate the Academy's need to avoid public scrutiny and to draw higher ratings for their beloved Oscar telecast. The names of those two films: The Blind Side and District 9.

To say that The Blind Side is now a nominee for Best Picture of 2009 leaves a disgustingly bitter taste in my mouth to the point where I might have to induce myself to vomit. Okay so perhaps I exaggerated myself a bit there. But even its supporters have to agree that The Blind Side is not one of the ten best films of the year. At most, the film is a small inspirational effort that has swept viewers off their feet on its way to grossing over $200 million at the box-office. It is a film that appeals to the masses; a film that speaks to the desires of the public rather than the critical necessities of appreciating cinema. People have brought into the performances of Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron, with most even shedding tears over the story of Michael Oher. It is a film that has affected a great many people in a very bewildering way. And now it has the undeserved honor of being called a Best Picture nominee. This is the kind of film that deserves to be a CBS Movie of the Week as opposed to a perennial Oscar nominee. To say that it has elevated itself into such sacred territory represents everything that is wrong with the Academy and why it is so flawed as an organization. Those who voted for The Blind Side as one of the ten best films should be ashamed of themselves not just for their ignorant ludicrousness, but also for the fact that they have pretty much guaranteed a Best Actress Oscar for Sandra Bullock. And in this humble blogger's opinion, Bullock should not win that award because her performance is average at best. Yet the Best Picture nomination has done wonders for Bullock's Oscar chances, especially since she has already collected the Golden Globe and the SAG. As a result, I think it's fair to say that The Blind Side will not go home empty-handed come Oscar night.

I'm not as angry about the fact that District 9 is nominated for Best Picture because truth be told, it is a well-made genre film. Director Neill Blomkamp created a fascinating blend of intense action and science fiction, using both as the basis for providing insightful commentary on apartheid. Yet for me, it is nothing more than a fast-paced summer action film masquerading as an important cinematic achievement. And for that reason, I hesitate in terms of naming it one of the ten best films of the year. I do praise its nominations for Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, and Visual Effects. These are all very well-deserved as District 9 was one of the more intelligent and sophisticated science fiction endeavors of the last decade. It was very well-edited and provided a nice flow to the handheld photography instituted by Blomkamp to enforce the documentary look of the film. And the visual effects were certainly integral to the success of the film as well. I also feel that District 9 deserved nominations in the sound categories, where it was unfortunately snubbed, and for its production design as well. Like I said, it was a well-made genre film that deserved accolades for its technical prowess. Yet it certainly is not worthy of being named the Best Picture of 2009.

In terms of the big dogs, Avatar and The Hurt Locker tied for the most nominations with 9 a piece. Yet as I argued in previous articles regarding the two films, The Hurt Locker is the perennial favorite to win Best Picture on Oscar night because of its victories with the Producers Guild and the Directors Guild of America. As I've said before, Avatar does have multiple Golden Globe wins to its credit and remains the most captivating film of the year in a visual sense. There is also the noticeable distinction of how it is now the highest-grossing movie of all time domestically. It is similar to The Blind Side in that audiences have flocked to the theaters to see it on multiple occasions. Its story is epic and traditional in that it provides an austere balance between action and romance, which is something audiences around the world have responded to very well. There is no doubt that Avatar is the film of the year simply because everyone has seen it and no one can stop talking about it. However, The Hurt Locker is about to seen by everyone because it is known worldwide as the film that tied with Avatar for the most Oscar nominations. People will now look to video stores and Netflix to catch a glimpse of Kathryn Bigelow's intelligent and uncompromising study of the Iraq War. And when all is said and done, the relentless surge to experience The Hurt Locker on DVD will only add fuel to its already strong Oscar campaign and will no doubt assure it of an easy Best Picture win in March.

I was glad to see the Academy nominate A Serious Man for Best Picture because in this humble blogger's opinion, it is the best film of the year so far. I was disappointed to see Sherlock Holmes recognized in multiple categories because in spite of Downey Jr's devotion to the part, the film as a whole was incredibly dreadful. I was also disappointed with how Inglourious Basterds was snubbed for Art Direction and Costume Design, which was certainly one of the weirder announcements yesterday morning. The production and costume design for that film add vitality and credibility to the mise-en-scene that Tarantino is playing with. Both play integral roles in the unfolding of Tarantino's revenge fantasy and the film richly deserved nominations in both categories. Sadly, Inglourious Basterds had to settle for only 8 Oscar nominations and now sits behind Avatar and The Hurt Locker in the race for Best Picture. Yet I am very happy that Up became the second animated film in motion picture history to be nominated for Best Picture, a truly well-deserved honor to say the least. It's not going to win because that would be too big a leap for the Academy to handle. However, don't be surprised if it pulls off victories in the Original Screenplay and Original Score categories. With all that being said, here are my early predictions for this year's Oscar winners...

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow = The Hurt Locker

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges = Crazy Heart

Best Actress: Sandra Bullock = The Blind Side

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz = Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique = Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner = Up in the Air

Best Original Screenplay: Mark Boal = The Hurt Locker

Best Cinematography: Avatar

Best Film Editing: The Hurt Locker

Best Original Score: Up

Best Art Direction: Avatar

Best Costume Design: The Young Victoria

Best Sound Mixing: Avatar

Best Sound Editing: Avatar

Best Visual Effects: Avatar

Best Makeup: Star Trek

Best Original Song: "The Weary Kind" = Crazy Heart

Best Foreign Language Film: The White Ribbon

Best Animated Feature: Up

Best Documentary Feature: The Cove

Best Documentary Short Subject: The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant

Best Animated Short Film: A Matter of Loaf and Death

Best Live Action Short Film: The Door

More Oscar updates to follow over the next month...stay tuned.

82nd Oscar Nominations

Here are the nominees for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards

Best Picture

Avatar

The Blind Side

District 9

An Education

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

A Serious Man

Up

Up in the Air

Best Director

James Cameron = Avatar

Kathryn Bigelow = The Hurt Locker

Quentin Tarantino = Inglourious Basterds

Lee Daniels = Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Jason Reitman = Up in the Air

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges = Crazy Heart

George Clooney = Up in the Air

Colin Firth = A Single Man

Morgan Freeman = Invictus

Jeremy Renner = The Hurt Locker

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock = The Blind Side

Helen Mirren = The Last Station

Carey Mulligan = An Education

Gabourey Sidibe = Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Meryl Streep = Julie & Julia

Best Supporting Actor

Matt Damon = Invictus

Woody Harrelson = The Messenger

Christopher Plummer = The Last Station

Stanley Tucci = The Lovely Bones

Christoph Waltz = Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz = Nine

Vera Farmiga = Up in the Air

Maggie Gyllenhaal = Crazy Heart

Anna Kendrick = Up in the Air

Mo'Nique = Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Best Adapted Screenplay

District 9

An Education

In the Loop

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Up in the Air

Best Original Screenplay

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

The Messenger

A Serious Man

Up

Best Cinematography

Avatar

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

The White Ribbon

Best Film Editing

Avatar

District 9

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Best Original Score

Avatar

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Hurt Locker

Sherlock Holmes

Up

Best Art Direction

Avatar

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Nine

Sherlock Holmes

The Young Victoria

Best Costume Design

Bright Star

Coco before Chanel

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Nine

The Young Victoria

Best Sound Mixing

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Star Trek

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Best Sound Editing

Avatar

The Hurt Locker

Inglourious Basterds

Star Trek

Up

Best Visual Effects

Avatar

District 9

Star Trek

Best Makeup

Il Divo

Star Trek

The Young Victoria

Best Original Song

"Almost There" = The Princess and the Frog

"Down in New Orleans" = The Princess and the Frog

"Loin de Paname" = Paris 36

"Take it All" = Nine

"The Weary Kind" = Crazy Heart

Best Foreign Language Film

Ajami

El Secreto de Sus Ojos

The Milk of Sorrow

Un Prophete

The White Ribbon

Best Animated Feature

Coraline

Fantastic Mr. Fox

The Princess and the Frog

The Secret of Kells

Up

Best Documentary Feature

Burma VJ

The Cove

Food, Inc.

The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers

Which Way Home

Best Documentary Short Subject

China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province

The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner

The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant

Music by Prudence

Rabbit a la Berlin

Best Animated Short Film

French Roast

Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty

The Lady and the Reaper

Logorama

A Matter of Loaf and Death

Best Live Action Short Film

The Door

Instead of Abracadabra

Kavi

Miracle Fish

The New Tenants

Reaction coming tomorrow...

Avatar and the Actors

The following video is a Newsweek roundtable discussion comprising recently Oscar-nominated actors. Moderated by David Ansen, the actors were asked how they felt about motion-capture technology and its role in developing the future of cinema. As everyone knows, motion-capture technology was the primary tool utilized by James Cameron in the filming of Avatar. Cameron was able to draw out physically authentic performances from actors like Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana by harnessing his newly-developed technology and supplanting the actors' bodies and surroundings with outstanding visual effects. As the following video will illustrate, the actors are very hesitant about this technology, even going so far as to saying it eliminates the nuances of acting and hinders the art of crafting a fully-fledged performance. Morgan Freeman is very outspoken about this matter and is very critical of Avatar in terms of the quality of its acting. Jeff Bridges provides a dissenting opinion by arguing how motion-capture technology forces the actors to evolve their craft to the point where they have to rely on their imagination to generate authenticity. It is a fascinating discussion that illustrates the problems Avatar encounters when presented to the actors, which may have a potentially damaging impact on its Oscar chances. Have a look...

KATHRYN BIGELOW WINS DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA AWARD!!!

The Directors Guild of America made history this past weekend because for the first time ever, they presented their highest honor to a woman. Kathryn Bigelow defeated the likes of James Cameron and Quentin Tarantino to emerge triumphant on Saturday night, establishing herself as the frontrunner to win the Oscar for Best Director. Bigelow's win also signified another guild victory for her film The Hurt Locker, which has no doubt emerged as the critical darling of this year's awards season. The fact that the film did not win the Best Picture Golden Globe represents only a minor stumble in what has otherwise been a very successful Oscar season. Its wins with the Producers Guild and the Directors Guild have no doubt made it the favorite to win the Best Picture Oscar come March. And to be quite honest, it doesn't make any sense.

This awards season was set up so that we could see James Cameron walk away with award after award after award. Many were expecting to see the same kind of love and appreciation for Avatar as they did when Titanic was released twelve years ago. And even though the film has received an onslaught of nominations from various guilds across the nation, it has not turned those nominations into victories so far. Avatar only has Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Director to its credit. It does not have anything else. It sits alone atop the box-office pedestal, slowly journeying towards the mountain on its way to becoming the highest-grossing film of all time. And even though it is very tempting to pronounce Avatar dead in terms of capturing the Best Picture and Best Director prizes at the Oscars, it cannot be written off yet. Avatar is still the favorite to collect awards from virtually every single technical guild in the nation i.e. the cinematographers, the editors, the sound designers, the visual effects artists, and the film musicians. These are vital components that will no doubt put a thorn in the side of The Hurt Locker and Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar campaign. One thing that will also be very detrimental to The Hurt Locker is the fact that everyone has seen Avatar and no one has seen The Hurt Locker. People will be tuning in on Oscar night wondering if Avatar will be named the Best Picture of 2009, which means that they will expecting it to triumph over any obstacle in its path. And it will be very tempting for the powers that be in the Academy to acquiesce to the demands of the viewing public. So as of right now, the Best Picture race is far from over between Avatar and The Hurt Locker. Yet because of the latter's PGA and DGA wins over the last few weeks, it is fair to say that The Hurt Locker has a comfortable lead in this year's Best Picture race.

If the Oscars were handed out right now, these would be the winners...

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow = The Hurt Locker

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges = Crazy Heart

Best Actress: Sandra Bullock = The Blind Side

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz = Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique = Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner = Up in the Air

Best Original Screenplay: Mark Boal = The Hurt Locker

Best Cinematography: Avatar

Best Film Editing: The Hurt Locker

Best Original Score: Up

Best Art Direction: Avatar

Best Costume Design: Inglourious Basterds

Best Sound Mixing: Avatar

Best Sound Editing: Avatar

Best Visual Effects: Avatar

Best Makeup: District 9

Best Original Song: "The Weary Kind" = Crazy Heart

Best Foreign Language Film: The White Ribbon

Best Animated Feature: Up

Best Documentary Feature: The Cove

Movie Review: Up in the Air

Up in the Air is a film that taps into the unexplored realms of middle-class America during this particular economic crisis. Jason Reitman's sensitive expose is unflinching in terms of showcasing the disintegration of the common American worker. He uses his camera to create a searing portrait of loss and personal hardship, incorporating real people into the film to emphasize the metaphorical significance of the character of Ryan Bingham (played by George Clooney). Using Bingham as a vessel to elicit sympathy for the downtrodden American laborer, Up in the Air provides testimony to the enduring power of relationships and how sometimes we need the comfort of loved ones to overcome the devastating burdens of professional deterioration. As a parallel, the film also comments on the destructive capabilities of isolation; how separating ourselves from the ones we love often leaves us feeling misguided and confused. We humans are built to love; we are meant to feel compassion for others and must adhere to the rules and responsibilities of our moral convictions. What Reitman shows us with the character of Ryan Bingham is the antithesis of that. Bingham flies cross-country on a regular basis, firing people because their bosses don't have the guts to do it themselves. He uses comfort as a tactic to become the best at what he does. And for the first three quarters of the film, Bingham is like an unfeeling shadow passing through without any kind of emotional nuances. He shuns himself from feeling any remorse, pushing himself away from family and friends in favor of joining the exclusive 10 million mile club. To him, the club is more important than generating lifelong bonds and preserving a legacy in the hearts of loved ones. Bingham is obviously a flawed character and Reitman uses the film as a canvas to illuminate his possible salvation. In the end, Reitman shows how Bingham's hope remains buried underneath the crusted soil of a flagellating economy and a misconceived notion of happiness through loneliness.

But by no means does Up in the Air rely strictly on its dramatic prowess to highlight the complexities of Bingham's wandering soul. It uses the perfect blend of comedy to illustrate fascinating character traits throughout the course of the film. This leads to the development of relationships and forces Bingham's philosophies to twist on their axles. Such transitions occur in Bingham's encounters with Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. With the latter, the audience is meant to understand the difference between old-school traditions and new-wave ambitions within the job market. The escalating rise in technology, combined with the impeccable resumes of the Ivy League intelligentsia, invalidate the fundamental principles of loyalty and convention that come with employment. Companies hire those who project an image of success through appearance. Potential employees highlight their qualifications with a sassy outfit and sharp insight into the future. In showcasing the vivacity of an exuberant young college girl, Kendrick masters the part with a quiet confidence and grace. She is vibrant, energetic, and a refreshing source of comic relief that plays off Clooney's tranquil sense of levelheadedness. The crisp dialogue between the two not only provides a witty analysis of the introspective dichotomies between a man and a woman, but also seeks to expose and delineate the hypocrisy of Ryan Bingham. Kendrick's Natalie believes in the heartfelt potential of relationships to the point where she takes a job just to be closer to her boyfriend. For her, success is measured on the basis of hard-working professionalism and strict devotion to her relationship. She falls for the naivete of living happily-ever-after and projects genuine heartbreak when her visions of love are compromised. While Kendrick's Natalie is the comedic heart of Up in the Air, she is also the voice of reason and a beacon of sentimentalism for Bingham. The quick cut of her moving along the escalator towards the end of the film illustrates how important she was to him as a friend. She provides him with a chance to view the goodness within himself; an opportunity to cast aside the chains of limitation and shine a light on the darkest corners of his incorrigible heart.

Bingham opens himself to the dynamic personality of Alex Goran (played by Vera Farmiga). She is another frequent flyer who at first is nothing but a romantic entanglement for Bingham. They meet in various cities for erotic trysts the likes of which are meant to induce a temporary escapism from their daily routines. There are no attachments in this relationship. There are only impermanent moments of passion minus the nagging complications of falling in love. Yet the irony that remains hidden from both characters is that they are perfect for each other. And therein lies the catalyst for Bingham to develop a connection with another human being. Farmiga is perfectly cast as Alex, bringing together an equal level of sexiness and intelligence to the role. The high-angle shot of Clooney that comes right after she walks to the bed illustrates how Bingham has been hooked like a fish. His desire to want to keep seeing her is not only a cultivation of lust, but also a product of subdued emotional undercurrents involved in caring about another person. Their relationship develops onscreen through intimate close-ups and sparkling conversations. Both Bingham and Alex discover they have plenty of things in common, with Clooney and Farmiga playing it as smooth as Bogart and Bacall. The key moment in the entire film is when Bingham and Alex assign themselves to comfort the broken-hearted Natalie after her boyfriend dumps her via text message, which is a cardinal sin when it comes to ending relationships. Farmiga's acting in this particular scene is brilliant to say the least from her subtle delivery of lines to her unobtrusive bodily shifts and facial movements. It provides excellent substance for the emotional punch that occurs near the end of the film, when Clooney shows up at Farmiga's doorstep. He stands there hoping to encounter the definitive happy moment in his life. The chemistry between Clooney and Farmiga is so effective and so natural that by the time the audience reaches this moment, we have become totally invested in the lives of these two characters. As a result, the audience hopes to witness the redemption of Ryan Bingham and yearns to watch George Clooney ultimately end up with the girl of his dreams.

Yet Up in the Air is so much more than a romantic comedy dependent on redemption. This is due in large part to the nimbleness of its screenplay. Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner have crafted a superior adaptation of Walter Kirn's novel, plunging directly into the seams of these characters and examining their places in a fluctuating corporate society. Reitman's sensitive direction of the material, combined with his astute commitment to detail, have allowed Up in the Air to transcend the limits of its genre. As a result, it emerges as a tragi-comedy centered around a serene performance by George Clooney. There are moments when his imperturbable delivery of lines and genuine awareness of comedic timing serve him well, particularly in his encounters with Farmiga and Kendrick. Yet it is in the moments of isolation, where Bingham is forced to re-examine himself as a person, that the performance takes on a whole new level. When Reitman turns the camera loose on Clooney's face, there are moments of thoughtful poignancy and extraordinary depth that truly add insight to the character of Ryan Bingham. Clooney is fearless and unafraid to establish a transition between Bingham's ignorant playfulness at the beginning of the film and his austere trepidation towards the end of the film. Clooney's performance is layered to the point where we see Bingham emerging as a different person by the end of the film. The final shot becomes a metaphor not only for the fear and uncertainty of the unemployed, but also for the fear and uncertainty hidden within Bingham's heart. In the end, Up in the Air soars to breathtaking heights five miles above the earth, encouraging us to remember the important things in our lives and to always cherish the relationships we have created for ourselves. For people living in angst and confusion, Up in the Air is a triumph.

Lenny's Grade: A

HURT LOCKER WINS PRODUCERS GUILD AWARD!!!

That's right, folks. The Hurt Locker triumphs with the producers and manages to steal one away from Avatar. There were many people within the industry who felt that this would be a cakewalk for James Cameron and Jon Landau. Avatar is a big-budget action movie with mass critical and audience appeal. It has generated the most box-office revenue of any of the possible Best Picture nominees and has an outside chance of becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time. Its production values are second-to-none and more often than not, the Producers Guild likes to reward the films of the moment. I'm talking about the films that rely heavily on their production values to generate respect and admiration throughout the film industry. And while Avatar certainly has a larger share of supporters than detractors, it is very surprising to see it miss with the producers in this particular situation. With that being said, The Hurt Locker has taken a giant step forward in the Best Picture race. Coming off the threshold of an Avatar victory at the Golden Globes last weekend, there were many people who were doubting whether or not The Hurt Locker had a chance to compete with the popularity of James Cameron's ambitious endeavor. Its victory with the producers illustrates a steady amount of support for the film among the various guilds. It is a film that is well-acted, well-directed, well-written, and illustrates a very intriguing commentary on the Iraqi War. It may be that time in Hollywood where the powers that be have decided to finally reward films that tackle such a controversial subject. The Hurt Locker not only showcases the deadly environment through which American soldiers encounter violence and bloodshed on a daily basis, but it also shows us the addictive power of war and how there are some men who find their higher calling hidden beneath all the chaos and destruction. This is a film that could eventually be recognized as a modern classic; a film that might ultimately stand the test of time and prove to be one of the greatest films ever made. In spite of the popularity of Avatar, The Hurt Locker is a resonating force that cannot be ignored. And I have a gut feeling that it will not be ignored come Oscar time. Avatar has the advantage of being the most technically sound film of the year and as a result, it will most likely clean up with all of the technical awards. But in terms of sheer impact and vitality, combined with its influence and sharp analysis of the Iraqi War, The Hurt Locker stands the best chance of ultimately being recognized as the definitive film of 2009. The producers have recognized this and have rewarded it justly. We shall see if the directors do the same next week with Kathryn Bigelow.

2009 Screen Actors Guild Award Winners

The Screen Actors Guild Awards tend to reflect a detailed hypothesis of how the acting branch will vote during the Oscar season. Coinciding with the Golden Globes, the winners of the Screen Actors Guild awards usually stand a favorable chance of winning Oscars for acting come February or March. Of course, there have been exceptions to the rule i.e. Johnny Depp winning Best Actor for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl but losing the Oscar to Sean Penn for Mystic River in 2003. There were no surprises at the SAG awards this year as virtually every single favorite took home the award and strengthened their Oscar campaigns even further. Here were the winners of this year's Screen Actors Guild awards...

Best Ensemble: Inglourious Basterds

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges = Crazy Heart

Best Actress: Sandra Bullock = The Blind Side

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz = Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique = Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Best Stunt Ensemble: Star Trek

WHAT THIS MEANS

Forget about the Stunt Ensemble award. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Oscars because the Oscars do not reward the stuntmen in feature films. If anything, it perhaps shows how Star Trek could be a thorn in the side of Avatar when it comes to dispensing the technical awards but even that is stretching it by a mile. Instead, one should turn their attention to the five other awards handed out on Saturday night, beginning with the Ensemble Award. Up until this moment, Inglourious Basterds was not making a statement in terms of the Best Picture race. What with The Hurt Locker taking home virtually every single critics' prize this season and Avatar taking home the Golden Globe for Best Drama, it would appear as if the voters were once again ignoring Quentin Tarantino's brand of auteur cinema. Yet this win on Saturday night shows how Inglourious Basterds is very popular with the actors. Tarantino himself was quoted in saying how the film was very hard to cast and that he "loved to see them getting these awards in unison." Support for the film was shown within the nominations as Diane Kruger picked up a surprise nomination in the Supporting Actress category. Personally, I would have nominated Melanie Laurent for her searingly complex performance as femme fatale Shoshanna but I also believe that any one of its main European stars could have received a nomination for the film. Inglourious Basterds has therefore become the beneficiary of a slight nudge in the Best Picture race. But even though the award for Best Ensemble Cast is well-deserved and certainly evident of support within the industry, I don't think the victory carries enough merit to catapult the film into the role of frontrunner. I still think it's a two-horse race between The Hurt Locker and Avatar, though it would be a nice surprise if Basterds shocks us all.

Sandra Bullock took a huge step in the Oscar race last weekend with an upset victory over Meryl Streep. But once again, I am inclined to believe that voters are following their hearts rather than their minds on this one. Many of those actors have worked with Bullock over the years and have a sincere respect for her body of work. They can't honestly believe that The Blind Side is a film worthy of honoring her creative talents. Or can they? To the surprise of many this season, audiences have fallen in love with The Blind Side. They are viewing it as an inspirational true story carried on the wings of an endearing performance from Bullock. Now I am obviously in the minority on this one, believing that The Blind Side is a Hallmark movie thinly disguised as a heartening piece of studio cinema. Yet in spite of my emphatic disgust with the choice of Bullock as the year's Best Actress, she is cleaning up as of late and is really making a statement in this year's Oscar race. Yet perhaps the only reason SAG did not dispose its highest honor on Meryl Streep is because they gave her the award last year for Doubt. I'm inclined to consider that as a very serious option and am convinced that this Best Actress race is far from over. I wish that there was some love for Gabourey Sidibe or Carey Mulligan in this race. But the voters are going with their hearts this year. And their hearts are telling them to either vote for Bullock or for Streep.

Oh...Jeff Bridges...Christoph Waltz....Mo'Nique...what do they all have in common? All of them have taken home numerous critics prizes. All of them have taken home the Golden Globe award. All of them have taken home the Screen Actors Guild award. And all of them will win on Oscar night. You can take that to the bank. You can bet any amount of money you want on those three names. All of them will win on Oscar night. Mark it down right now. It'll be the easiest money you ever made.

2009 Golden Globe Award Winners

Here are the winners of the 2009 Golden Globe Awards

Best Motion Picture (Drama): Avatar

Best Motion Picture (Musical/Comedy): The Hangover

Best Actor-Motion Picture (Drama): Jeff Bridges = Crazy Heart

Best Actress-Motion Picture (Drama): Sandra Bullock = The Blind Side

Best Actor-Motion Picture (Musical/Comedy): Robert Downey Jr. = Sherlock Holmes

Best Actress-Motion Picture (Musical/Comedy): Meryl Streep = Julie & Julia

Best Supporting Actor (Motion Picture): Christoph Waltz = Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress (Motion Picture): Mo'Nique = Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Best Director (Motion Picture): James Cameron = Avatar

Best Screenplay (Motion Picture): Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner = Up in the Air

Best Original Score (Motion Picture): Michael Giacchino = Up

Best Original Song (Motion Picture): "The Weary Kind" = Crazy Heart

Best Animated Feature Film: Up

Best Foreign Language Film: The White Ribbon

WHAT THIS MEANS

This again solidifies my theory of the Oscar race being a duel between Avatar and The Hurt Locker. According to press releases before the Golden Globes were announced on Sunday, there were rumors circulating about how the Hollywood Foreign Press loved Avatar but were unimpressed with The Hurt Locker. It is clear now that those rumors were true based on the fact that Avatar and James Cameron took home the two biggest awards of the evening. One would assume that because The Hurt Locker did not win any Golden Globes on Sunday, Avatar is now the favorite to win the Best Picture Oscar. Normally, that would be true. But in this particular case, one cannot designate Avatar as the favorite on Oscar night. And here's why...

The Academy does not like science fiction films. It is very rare for that particular genre of film to receive a nomination much less win Best Picture. Here's a terrific example: 2001: A Space Odyssey, arguably the greatest science fiction film ever made, received 4 Oscar nominations including one for Best Director. Yet it did not receive the coveted Best Picture nomination because the majority of the Academy is comprised of actors. And since the technical aspects of a science fiction film tend to stand out more upon further analysis and judgment, the actors tend to shun them in terms of overall quality. While Avatar is without question the best film of the year technically, it will be very hard to convince the actors to buy into the idea of motion capture and CGI performances.

Secondly, the Hollywood Foreign Press is no longer considered the definitive authority on Oscar prognostication. While it is favorable that a film takes home the Golden Globe for Best Picture on its way to an Oscar victory, the Hollywood Foreign Press and the Academy have different tastes when it comes to selecting the best in film. The Golden Globes yearn to accommodate the celebrities and make their telecast more of a party than a ceremony. In a sense, the Academy is also trying to eliminate public scrutiny by expanding the field of nominees to ten and hopefully choosing a film that everybody thinks deserves to win Best Picture. What is the film of the moment? Avatar. People are flocking in droves to see it in theaters. The critics have an unfounded love and respect for what James Cameron as accomplished. To reward it would be consenting to popular demand and hopefully drawing in higher ratings for the awards telecast. While Avatar is a solid film from start to finish, which I will get into when I write my review of it, does it really deserve to win Best Picture? While the Hollywood Foreign Press seems to think so, I'm not sure that their opinion will carry Avatar to the finish line and James Cameron back to the podium, especially when Cameron went so far as to mention Kathryn Bigelow in his speech, assuming that she would win the Globe for Best Director. We haven't seen the last of The Hurt Locker. Expect it to walk away with something on Oscar night.

Jeff Bridges, Christoph Waltz, Mo'Nique are three guaranteed winners on Oscar night. Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep is the other duel to watch out for. The SAG awards are being announced this weekend. Whoever takes home that award will go a long way in establishing themselves as the frontrunner for the Best Actress Oscar. The question will be if the Academy will want to reward Bullock on the basis of her career and for a performance that doesn't stand out at all. Or will they choose to bestow another honor on the great Meryl Streep? I'm inclined to go for the latter if only because I wasn't impressed with Bullock's performance and Streep is good in almost everything that she does. It will be interesting to see who takes home the SAG on Saturday night.

I must admit that the coolest moment of the night was watching The Hangover win a Best Picture award. But to prove how irrelevant the Globes are in terms of forecasting the Oscars, just look at who won for Best Actor (Musical/Comedy). There is no doubt in my mind that Robert Downey Jr. is one of the best actors working today. Yet his performance in Sherlock Holmes is not worthy of any recognition, much less a Golden Globe award. Downey Jr. only won it because of his celebrity rather than the quality of his performance. I hope that doesn't transcend over to the Best Actress race with Sandra Bullock. Consider Up in the Air dead in terms of winning the Best Picture Oscar. Look for Crazy Heart and Up to figure well in winning multiple Oscars this year. If the Oscars were held tonight, here is what the winners would look like...

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow = The Hurt Locker

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges = Crazy Heart

Best Actress: Meryl Streep = Julie & Julia

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz = Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique = Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner = Up in the Air

Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino = Inglourious Basterds

Best Cinematography: The Hurt Locker

Best Film Editing: Avatar

Best Original Score: Up

Best Original Song: "The Weary Kind" = Crazy Heart

Best Art Direction: Avatar

Best Costume Design: Inglourious Basterds

Best Sound Mixing: Avatar

Best Sound Editing: Avatar

Best Visual Effects: Avatar

Best Makeup: District 9

Best Foreign Language Film: The White Ribbon

Best Animated Feature: Up

Best Documentary Feature: The Cove

2009 Broadcast Film Critics Awards

The Broadcast Film Critics and the Hollywood Foreign Press announced their winners of the best in film for 2009. These are two of the most important precursors in the entire Oscar race, perhaps even the most important. The winners of these awards are pretty much guaranteed Oscar nominations and stand an awesome chance of actually winning on Oscar night. With that being said, here are the winners of the Critics' Choice Awards...

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow = The Hurt Locker

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges = Crazy Heart

Best Actress: (TIE) Sandra Bullock = The Blind Side, Meryl Streep = Julie & Julia

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz = Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique = Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner = Up in the Air

Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino = Inglourious Basterds

Best Cinematography: Avatar

Best Film Editing: Avatar

Best Original Score: Up

Best Original Song: "The Weary Kind" = Crazy Heart

Best Art Direction: Avatar

Best Costume Design: Avatar

Best Sound: Avatar

Best Visual Effects: Avatar

Best Makeup: District 9

Best Animated Feature: Up

Best Foreign Language Film: Broken Embraces

Best Acting Ensemble: Inglourious Basterds

Best Young Actor/Actress: Saoirse Ronan = The Lovely Bones

Best Action Movie: Avatar

Best Comedy Movie: The Hangover

Best Documentary Feature: The Cove

WHAT THIS MEANS

It is now a two-horse race between Avatar and The Hurt Locker. Forget the last five categories mentioned above, for those mean absolutely nothing in terms of Oscar prognostication. Avatar took home six awards on Friday night, but failed to take home the big awards of Best Picture and Best Director. Those two awards went to The Hurt Locker and Kathryn Bigelow respectively. What does that tell us? Avatar is appreciated as more of a visual extravaganza rather than an emotional drama. While James Cameron does an amazing job of incorporating a thematically resonating story with an ambitious visual presentation, there are many people in the industry who are skeptical of its accomplishments in both the acting and writing departments. This is why we did not see Avatar take away more of the critics' prizes during this Oscar season. Viewers tend to reward the emotional drama bearing the strongest connection to our current socioeconomic climate. And The Hurt Locker is a film that does exactly that. I believe that this is a year where Oscar takes a progressive step in the right direction. But rather than naming an epic sci-fi film as its Best Picture of 2009, it could be that the voters hand that honor to The Hurt Locker while also dispensing their first directing award to a woman in Kathryn Bigelow. It will be very interesting to see how this race unfolds down the stretch and what the nominations will look like on February 2nd.

The other two-horse race will be in the Best Actress category between Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep. Everyone knows my thoughts on ties. But in case you don't, let me refresh your memory...I HATE TIES!!!!! I think it's absolutely ridiculous when a voting body can't come to a decision on a winner. Pick a winner, stick with that winner, and let the audience judge however they may. It isn't supposed to be that challenging. The other thing that bothers me are the two performances that tied. I don't have much of a problem with Meryl Streep. She is, after all, the goddess of acting. But Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side? Wake up guys. The only reason Bullock is being rewarded for this performance is because of her underlying body of work. The performance is sub-par at best, as highlighted in my review of The Blind Side last week. There are two better performances among the nominees that the critics could have chosen: Carey Mulligan for An Education and Gabourey Sidibe for Precious. Both of those actresses are richly deserving of an award, as opposed to Bullock who is lucky to even get a nomination in my opinion. Despite my hatred for this particular choice, the Best Actress Oscar will either be given to Sandra Bullock or Meryl Streep. And I hope to God they make the wiser choice and worship at the feet of the goddess.

Other than that, nothing too surprising to come from these awards. Jeff Bridges, Christoph Waltz, and Mo'Nique have their awards sewn up and ready for the taking. Up could be the beneficiary of multiple awards come Oscar night. And Quentin Tarantino will have a hefty battle in the Original Screenplay category. But as of right now, consider the Best Picture race to be a duel between Avatar and The Hurt Locker.

Movie Review: The Blind Side

The Blind Side opens up showcasing the night Lawrence Taylor crippled Joe Theismann's knee and ended his football career. As told by the vocal stylings of Sandra Bullock, the film presses the argument of an NFL team's need to protect the quarterback from his blind side. For those who are unfamiliar, the blind side is the area outside the quarterback's vision. It renders him susceptible to an oncoming pass rush and oftentimes results in vicious hits and annihilating sacks. How does a team protect the quarterback's blind side? By drafting and/or trading for thunderous herds of 300-pound elephants to anchor their offensive line. While Taylor's hit on Theismann sets the tone for the rest of the movie, it also serves as a metaphor for the unpredictable events that can occur in our lives. I know that's some very heavy stuff to deal with considering how broad the metaphor is. In order to narrow it down a bit, director John Lee Hancock has decided to focus on the life of Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher.

The Blind Side argues that Oher's life is the definition of unpredictability. Born and raised in the slums and urban ghettoes of Memphis, Tennessee, Oher received little education and constructive criticism as a child. For the better part of his life, he was a drifter among the masses. He would come and go as he pleased and render in the unparalleled emptiness of his hopeless existence. There was no love in Michael Oher's life, no trace of compassion, no hint of a future. That is until he ran into Leigh Anne Tuohy while walking a dark street corner on his way to the school gym. Tuohy saved Oher from his wretchedness and despair, offering him shelter from the darkness of his life. Oher would play football at Briarcrest Christian School, emerging as one of the best offensive tackles in the nation. He would eventually play under Phillip Fullmer for the Tennessee Volunteers and will start at offensive tackle when the Baltimore Ravens visit the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday. The point is that Oher was given a chance to show the unlimited potential of what he could accomplish. The encouragement and love he received from the Tuohy family makes for a striking endeavor of cinematic grace. But even though The Blind Side attempts to compel audiences to fall for its inspirational story of hope and triumph, it ultimately fails to move beyond its predictable Hallmark conclusion, relying on the compelling performances of Bullock and Quinton Aaron to steer its way home.

Bullock's performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy is flashy and bombastic in that it represents an antithesis of personalities. Her character is very different from the character of Michael Oher, who is the ultimate personification of a gentle giant. Tuohy is the prima donna ballerina for the Memphis ballet, which is to say she is the commanding leader of her family and the aging, opulent debutantes of upper-class society. Her confidence is exerted through her repetition of one simple phrase, "Alright then." These two words highlight the dominance of her personality, illustrating her determination and desire to fulfill whatever goals she sets out for herself. What Bullock offers to the role of Tuohy is a quiet charm and poise that remains understated throughout the course of the film. There is an elegance to her character that serves her motivation and ignites her passion. We see this in her interactions with Michael Oher and how she plays the motherly figure in his life, how simple facial expressions can say a thousand words about what she's thinking regarding his future. However, Bullock doesn't underplay the character so much as she overplays the character. And in the end, Hancock has chosen to go for style over substance. Those quiet moments of solitude and contemplation, which illustrate the complexity of the Tuohy character, are subjugated by moments of confrontation and vocal expression. Scenes where Bullock marches on the field during football practice or threatens a hoodlum living in the projects are meant to incite a positive reaction to the character. And because these scenes dominate the film, the audience sees more of an extroverted Leigh Anne Tuohy as opposed to an introspective Leigh Anne Tuohy. In a sense, Hancock has deprived the audience a chance to see the full range of Bullock's performance, one that would have provided a unique balance between the lighter elements of the Tuohy character and the darker elements hidden underneath her fiery Southern accent and beautiful smile.

Quinton Aaron's performance as Michael Oher is sensitive and touching. He is able to exhibit a wide range of emotions that ultimately illustrate the complexity of his character. Simple hand movements across his legs are meant to highlight tense situations. It is in these moments where we are able to understand Oher's pain and inner conflict. Unlike Bullock, Aaron doesn't overplay the part of Michael Oher. Rather, he chooses to dissolve himself into the role, providing one of the few performances that goes for substance rather than style. There are many scenes in the film that could be considered melodramatic, particularly when Tuohy first invites Oher to her house or when Oher reunites with his brother in a restaurant. But there are also many scenes that avoid such a fate because of the delicate enthusiasm that Aaron brings to the screen. The scene where Oher is involved in a car accident is made more powerful by Aaron constantly rubbing his hands on his face. It is a supremely external moment that heightens the drama at work and refuses to be overbearing. It is moments like these where The Blind Side shows the potential to become something more than a Hallmark Movie of the Week. Yet because of Hancock's inability to consistently focus on these moments with the camera, the film suffers immensely and ultimately sinks into the realm of bathetic schmaltz.

Hancock's directorial choices in this film compromise the validity of its serious emotional drama. Instead of focusing on those moments of great trepidation with Tuohy and Oher, Hancock presents us with a series of comedic montages featuring Nick Saban, Lou Holtz, Tommy Tuberville, and all the SEC coaches who recruited Oher out of high school. There are also montages when Oher is playing football with Briarcrest and when he is training with S.J., the adorable little son of Leigh Anne Tuohy. Hancock avoids the immense detail of the emotionally affecting scenes in favor of showcasing how cute S.J. looks when working with Oher or how attractive Leigh Anne finds Coach Saban. And while that indeed does add a touch of comedic prowess to the film, it ultimately renders The Blind Side hopeless for any serious consideration into the dramatic soiree. This film is drawing the crowds for its inspirational true story. Yet the truth is that most of those crowds are in it for the football rather than a tug at the heartstrings. In the end, The Blind Side may have the box-office clout to merit some awards consideration. Yet it is blindsided by the sheer brute force of monotony and cornball sentimentalism the likes of which not even Michael Oher could stop at the line of scrimmage.

Lenny's Grade: C+

2009 American Society of Cinematographers Nominees

Here are the nominees for the 2009 American Society of Cinematographers Awards, an important Oscar precursor that honors the very best in film cinematography...

Barry Ackroyd = The Hurt Locker

Dion Beebe = Nine

Christian Berger = The White Ribbon

Mauro Fiore = Avatar

Robert Richardson = Inglourious Basterds

WHAT THIS MEANS

Avatar and The Hurt Locker continue to shine with the guilds, especially Avatar. Many predicted The Hurt Locker would show up in this category. The cinematography of Barry Ackroyd is astonishing and really instrumental in telling the story of William James. There were not many who predicted Mauro Fiore would be nominated for his digital photography of Pandora, James Cameron's naturalistic fantasy world in Avatar. However, Fiore richly deserves his nomination because Avatar is certainly a beautiful film to look at. That is what the American Society of Cinematographers tend to honor. They want to reward films that express a keen visual style; a uniqueness complacent to the vision of the filmmaker and pleasing to the eye of the audience. Avatar does all of those things as Fiore and James Cameron pull us into the world of Pandora, illustrating an environment of unquestionable beauty torn apart by the savagery of military expansionism. While many would expect this race to be a duel between Avatar and The Hurt Locker, don't count out Inglourious Basterds as the dark horse candidate. Robert Richardson's cinematography is gorgeous to say the least, rich with color and consumed with the passion and vigor one would expect from a Quentin Tarantino film. Inglourious Basterds can send shock waves through the cinematic world with a Best Picture (Drama) victory at the Golden Globes. But we'll know its for real if it starts taking home guild awards as well. A cinematography award would go a long way towards boosting this film's Oscar chances. I think it comes close in the voting pool, stealing votes away from Avatar and The Hurt Locker. The same logic also applies to Nine and The White Ribbon. While Dion Beebe and Christian Berger produced some of the more vibrant camerawork in 2009, they don't stand a chance against the Best Picture frontrunners. Expect Avatar or The Hurt Locker to take this award, with the winner taking a huge step towards ensuring their supremacy on Oscar night.

2009 Writers Guild of America Nominees

These awards are somewhat skewered by the ineligibility of Inglourious Basterds, District 9, Up, An Education, A Single Man, and The Road. However, they are still very good indicators of what could be nominated come Oscar time. Here are the nominees for this year's WGA Awards

Best Adapted Screenplay

Crazy Heart

Julie & Julia

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Star Trek

Up in the Air

Best Original Screenplay

(500) Days of Summer

Avatar

The Hangover

The Hurt Locker

A Serious Man

WHAT THIS MEANS

As I said above, these nominations are practically rendered meaningless due to the ineligibility of the aforementioned films. However, one cannot ignore the power of the WGA as a surefire indicator of the crop of potential Oscar nominees. Don't read too much into the appearance of Star Trek and The Hangover on this list. While both are extremely well-written films, both would have missed the cut had An Education and Inglourious Basterds been eligible. Their glory is in the nomination and nothing more. The appearance of Crazy Heart in the adapted screenplay should be taken into consideration. The film has now received nominations from both the USC Scripters and the Writers Guild, which basically means it is all but assured of a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars. This attention from both organizations illustrates a healthy respect for the film, which up until now was only interpreted as a vehicle for Jeff Bridges' first Oscar win. Appearances on numerous Top Ten lists, combined with these two nominations, have fueled the fire for Crazy Heart. I look at it as an underdog contender in the Best Picture race and wouldn't be surprised if it appeared as one of the ten nominees come Oscar time. The appearance of Avatar in the Best Original Screenplay category is only meant to cement its status as one of the frontrunners during this Oscar season. There are many critics who would argue that the writing is the weakest part of James Cameron's blockbuster epic. In fact, the problem for worldwide audiences is the choice of dialogue Cameron employs during key scenes in the film. Some say it hinders the quality of the film overall, whereas others dismiss it as a tiny quibble with what is otherwise a masterful work of art. The WGA responded to the film favorably because they responded to Cameron's creative imagination and his devotion to the story. They rewarded Cameron based on his meticulous attention to detail and his impeccable sense of creative structure. In essence, they honored Avatar to give Cameron an ego booster. Right now, Avatar is an unstoppable force with the guilds. It is garnering nominations from virtually every critical organization out there. And above all else, the people love it. Those are two terrific ingredients for a film focused on a Best Picture campaign. In the Adapted Screenplay race, I think it's a battle between Precious and Up in the Air. Both films have been consistent throughout this awards season and are certainly regarded as two of the year's best films. However, I think the edge belongs to Up in the Air, which is part screwball comedy, part emotional drama. It has the George Clooney factor attached to its hip. It pulls the heartstrings in ways you can't imagine. Precious is a moving film as well, but I think audiences are responding more so to Up in the Air because it focuses on America's current economic climate. With regards to the Original Screenplay category, The Hurt Locker has been taking every major critics' award so far. It is regarded as the definitive Iraqi war film and a monumental achievement for director Kathryn Bigelow. But everyone is forgetting how it is a profoundly complex character drama anchored on the intensity of Mark Boal's screenplay. Boal not only takes us into the heart and soul of Iraq, but also into the heart and soul of SSGT William James (played by Jeremy Renner). And what we find are thoughts and feelings that truly illustrate the addictive nature of war and the diseased trick it plays on the human spirit. Mark Boal will garner well-deserved recognition from the WGA for pending The Hurt Locker. Yet one wonders what would happen if he were going up against Quentin Tarantino and Inglourious Basterds. I personally think William James has nothing on The Bear Jew. But that's just me. Look for The Hurt Locker and Up in the Air to emerge victorious with the Writers Guild this year. But do not overlook Avatar or Inglourious Basterds in this Oscar race.

2009 Directors Guild of America Nominees

Here are the nominees for the Directors Guild of America Awards

Kathryn Bigelow = The Hurt Locker

James Cameron = Avatar

Lee Daniels = Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Jason Reitman = Up in the Air

Quentin Tarantino = Inglourious Basterds

WHAT THIS MEANS

Of the ten films that will be nominated for Best Picture this year, these are the five that will have the best shot at winning the award. Here are some statistics for you. In the 60-year history of the DGA, only one film has gone on to win Best Picture without a previous Directors Guild nomination (Driving Miss Daisy in 1989). But that's not all. In the 60-year history of the DGA, only 11 films have gone on to win Best Picture without winning the DGA award. So it's fair to say that whichever film wins this award will have the best chance at winning the Best Picture Academy Award in March. There is nothing really unconventional about the DGA selections this year. Notice the absence of Clint Eastwood for Invictus, which means that the power of the Clint is not in full force this year. Also notice the absence of District 9, a film that had been gaining a lot of momentum before the DGA announcements this morning. Working in its favor are nominations from the Producers Guild and the USC Scripter Award. However, without nominations from the Golden Globes and the Broadcast Film Critics Association, along with its WGA ineligibility, District 9 will be hard-pressed at becoming a Best Picture nominee this year. My how the tables have turned in the last few days for that film. My sentiments for that film were made clear in the last post so it goes without saying that my suspicions have been confirmed. As to who will win the DGA this year, I'm finding it very hard not to predict Kathryn Bigelow for the victory. She has been cleaning up with all of the critics' groups throughout the awards season. The Hurt Locker is a well-respected and well-regarded film in the industry. If the DGA wants to make history this year, they will give it to Kathryn Bigelow. But as I've been saying and continue to say throughout the course of the season, James Cameron and Quentin Tarantino are the wild cards in this race. It's interesting to note that Tarantino is not a card-carrying member of the DGA, which says a lot about how loved Inglourious Basterds truly is. Yet because he is also not a card-carrying member of the WGA, his screenplay for Inglourious Basterds is considered ineligible for that award. This is funny because it is Tarantino's screenplay that stands the best chance at winning an Oscar right now. But we shall see what Golden Globe and Broadcast voters have to say in the coming weeks. As for Avatar, it is sitting pretty right now. It's been consistent among the guilds so far and will most likely continue its positive trend in the coming weeks. Again, a lot will be determined when the Golden Globe and Broadcast Film Critics announce their winners for 2009. But as for right now, Avatar is waiting in the wings for its grand recognition. Up in the Air is in the thick of the race as well, but I feel like it doesn't have as much momentum as Avatar or Inglourious Basterds. And Precious is just going along for the ride right now. If I had to predict my Oscar winners right now, this is what they would look like...

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow = The Hurt Locker

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges = Crazy Heart

Best Actress: Meryl Streep = Julie & Julia

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz = Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique = Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner = Up in the Air

Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino = Inglourious Basterds

Best Cinematography: The Hurt Locker

Best Film Editing: The Hurt Locker

Best Original Score: Avatar

Best Art Direction: Inglourious Basterds

Best Costume Design: Inglourious Basterds

Best Sound Mixing: Avatar

Best Sound Editing: Avatar

Best Visual Effects: Avatar

Best Makeup: District 9

Best Original Song: "The Weary Kind" = Crazy Heart

Best Animated Feature Film: Up

Best Foreign Language Film: A Prophet

Best Documentary Feature: The Cove

That's right. It will be an even split of awards between The Hurt Locker, Avatar, and Inglourious Basterds. At least that's what I think would happen if the Oscars were held right now. But there's still a lot of awards to hand out before the Oscars in March. So stay tuned and we shall see what happens.

Movie Review: The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Vampires and Werewolves. What is usually the source of nightmares is now the object of adolescent affection. The oozing of blood. The howling at the moonlight. This is the stuff where teenage lust is born. Oh yes, audiences have been sinking their teeth into The Twilight Saga: New Moon with a mouth-watering desire to cast their eyes on Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. All are eager to see which gorgeous Adonis of a man will capture the heart of Bella Swan a.k.a. Kristen Stewart. But one need not watch the Twilight films to know that Ms. Stewart is going out with Mr. Pattinson in real life. As a result, one need not sit through 2 1/2 hours of some of the most wretched cinema ever produced to know that Bella chooses Edward not just in the fantasy world, but also in the real world. It's like a dream come true for most people, a preservation of the natural order of things because Bella's true soulmate is indeed Edward Cullen. Or is it? This is the question that fuels the plot of New Moon, the intriguing dilemma of choosing overprotective Edward or shirtless Jacob. It plagues the heart of poor Bella Swan, leaving her all kinds of crazy and confused. Hell, she even gets on a motorcycle and crashes it into a rock. Why? Because the spectral Edward keeps warning her not to do anything risky. You see folks, that is true heartbreak right there. Forget the storybook romances of princesses kissing frogs. All you need is Bella Swan jumping off cliffs and crashing motorcycles to understand the dynamic complexity of a broken heart. Give me a break. The Twilight Saga: New Moon is not interested in showing us how humans expand and deflate on the shoulders of love. It is not even interested in showing us cool vampire and werewolf fights. It is only interested in accommodating the salacious desires of Twilight fans, crooning and wailing in agony over the sheer lack of body fat inherent on the big screen.

New Moon bears all the drama and all the cheesiness of a Lifetime TV Movie. To say that it is a brand of cinema is a gross misinterpretation of the concept. New Moon represents everything that is wrong with cinema today, the kind of cinema that paints society and human emotion as a humorous caricature. There is no passion or feeling to these characters, no remorse or genuine trepidation from any of the actors playing them. There are times in the film when Stewart, Pattinson, and Lautner are clearly acting, which is to say they are relaying words on a page without any kind of depth or substance. And the trouble with New Moon is that these moments of clear acting occur in the most pivotal situations. Phrases like "You're my only reason to stay alive", "Bella, you give me everything by just breathing", and "Jake, you're sorta beautiful" compromise the validity of the acting. One can sense the agitation and hidden disgust on the part of the actors to sell the reality of the Twilight world. Such poor salesmanship can be attributed to the inadequacies of dreadful prose. The dialogue in this film hinders the actors from fully expressing the desires of their characters. It puts a strain on them to sell the three-way romance that anchors the core of the New Moon plotline. In order to preserve the suspension of disbelief, one must adhere to the cinematic logic presented onscreen. For this to happen, the actors must tap into the fundamental values of their characters, allowing for the audience to generate some kind of emotion. The writing is supposed to complement the actors, providing them with structure and discipline as they create a portrait of their characters. With New Moon, the source material by Stephanie Meyer is a distasteful piece of literary garbage. As a result, the filmmakers are left to scrounge and claw through the trash bin, locating pieces of edible goodies in order to quell the appetites of a devoted fanbase. In turn, this forces New Moon to become nothing more than a unsavory bag of Hershey kisses.

But boy, there are enough Hershey kisses in this film to make the audience scream to high heaven. There's more than enough eye candy to make the audience go "ooo" and "ahh". Yet all of that eye candy leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. It's like eating one of those Every Flavor Beans from Harry Potter, you know the kind that make you want to vomit everywhere. Imagine what this film could have been if Taylor Lautner had kept his shirt on. Imagine if the filmmakers had chosen to stray from the source material in order to develop a more profound commentary on romance. You could still keep the characters, for those are intangibles in adapting literature for the screen. But you could change their little idiosyncrasies; the particular nuances that define who they are and what they choose to do. Wouldn't that make for a great movie? Of course it would. But New Moon is not interested in being a great movie. If Taylor Lautner isn't half-naked, there is no movie. If Robert Pattinson isn't longing for Kristen Stewart and vice-versa, there is no movie. If Bella isn't jumping off cliffs, crashing motorcycles, or sitting in her room as the camera pans around showing her insufferable depression, then there is no movie. The point I'm making is that New Moon is not a movie without these superficial intangibles. The filmmakers are interested in giving us two things: a massive jug of Wine to go with an enormous chunk of Cheese. And the popularity of this film suggests that audiences are okay with that. They view New Moon as more of an escapist melodrama than a serious piece of filmmaking. But if audiences want more escapist melodrama and less serious filmmaking, while also satisfying their craving for vampire sex and blood, then just tune into True Blood on HBO. True Blood knows how to balance the cliched artificiality of the vampire stories by developing its characters and exploring the complex labyrinth of their sexual appetites. New Moon wants to be slick and sexy, hip and energetic. But it doesn't have the testicular fortitude to push these characters to the brink of their sexual appetites. The closest they ever come is when Jake almost kisses Bella, which certainly isn't enough to satisfy our libidos. It doesn't have the stamina to unleash hell all over those Alaskan woods and fine Italian courts. The closest they ever come is when Edward protects Bella from the blazing red eyes of Dakota Fanning and the lascivious aspirations of vampire king Michael Sheen, which isn't enough to satisfy our blood lust. What is New Moon but an extension of the first Twilight only with werewolves? What is New Moon but a PG-13 edition of True Blood? What is New Moon? It is a chance for fans to wet themselves on the bosoms of Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson. Nothing more, nothing less, and a waste of valuable time.

And if I had to choose a team, I would choose Team Jacob only because there is no rhyme or reason behind Bella's attraction to Edward. Her attraction to Jacob is real and it is authentic, whereas her attraction to Edward is absolutely befuddling and mind-numbingly repulsive.

Lenny's Grade: D-