The Top Ten of 2009

There was an interesting thing that happened as I was watching movies in 2009. Overall, I feel like there were a lot of good movies. Very few times did I leave a theater disappointed or let down. But there were even fewer times when I walked out truly wowed. Last year, I was blown away by instant classics like WALL-E and Rachel Getting Married. The year before, there were two masterpieces with No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood. I don't think I saw any films last year on par with those four. This, more than anything, is what caused me to take such a long time working on my ten best list. How do you quantify a bunch of films that you essentially like about the same? I worked unreasonably hard on this (really, why is this even an issue in my life?), and think I came up with a satisfactory list that could probably be rearranged at some point in the future. Here's the list:

1. The Hurt Locker
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

Point Break filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow created the best film of her career in this taught Iraq drama. Hurt Locker follows three soldiers in the Army's bomb squad unit. It's the epitome of a high stress workplace, and can only be lead by the most skilled and most emotionally stable technicians. Staff Sgt. William James (Jeremy Renner) is the perfect man for the job; he is able to walk into the most dangerous situations and perform with stunning efficiency. Better yet, he has an addiction to the adrenaline, and its this seeming death wish that causes his partner Sgt. JT Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) to label him as "reckless". Lead by two spectacular performances from Renner and Mackie, Bigelow's film deals with tension better than any non-horror film I've ever seen. Every bomb disablement, every situation, continues to add to the stomach-turning anxiety. It's an anti-war film unlike any I've ever seen, and it's the closest any 2009 film came to that "great" category.

2. 500 Days of Summer
Directed by Marc Webb

Kind of a hipster Annie Hall or a level-headed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. 500 Days is such a self-referential delight that it seems to take these kinds of comparisons with a wry smile. Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a hopeless romantic, and when he meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel), he's convinced that she is the one. Only problem, Summer refuses to believe in love and is only interested taking Tom along for a good time. Tom plays along with the charade as long as he gets to spend time with Summer, but as time moves along, and he and Summer get closer, he expects her to return the same romantic feeling. Summer responds with disastrous indifference. This is a decade filled with interesting spins on the romantic comedy, and 500 Days is one of the most original voices within this sub-genre. The film has everything: comedy, tragedy, animation, and even a musical number set to Hall & Oats' "You Make My Dreams Come True". With a brilliant performance from Gordon-Levitt, 500 Days of Summer is a bittersweet, handsomely told tale about contemporary love that actually feels real. Few movie love stories do.

3. Julia
Directed by Erick Zonca

Much like The Wrestler last year, Julia is a film that's brilliance stems from one sole source: it's lead performance. In The Wrestler, it was Mickey Rourke, and in Julia, we are greeted with a career-best performance from Tilda Swinton. Swinton plays the title character, Julia, an alcoholic whose debts run deep and friends run thin. When she meets Elena (Kate del Castillo) at one of her AA meetings, she agrees to help the woman kidnap her son back from a meddling grandfather. Julia takes matters into her own hands when she kidnaps Elena's son herself and holds him for her own ransom. The already scatter-brained plan falls off the deep end as Julia continues to make the worst possible decisions in high-stress situations. Sure, the probability of some of the moments in the script can be questioned, but Swinton walks into the role with total sincerity, and created one of the most interesting film characters that I've ever seen.

4. Avatar
Directed by James Cameron

I find myself in an interesting position lately, where I find myself having to defend my positive feelings toward what is--box office wise--the most popular film of all time. No doubt, a film as large as Avatar is bound to get a thunderous backlash, but I've held firm: when I walked out of Avatar, I knew I had just watched something that I'd never seen before. So, is it just a special effects fireworks show with a simple screenplay? I give it a little more credit. The film, about a handicapped marine (Sam Worthington) who becomes involved within a primitive culture named Na'vi, has been said to rip off several films including Dances With Wolves and Fern Gully. But here's my personal feelings: how can you judge a film like Avatar by focusing on the film's single weakest point? It's screenplay. People forget that Avatar is probably the single greatest technical achievement in movie history, and while the story is near forgettable, the film isn't.

5. Inglourious Basterds
Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino

I had been waiting to see Tarantino's Basterds for close to seven years. It was a project that had been on-and-off since BEFORE the Kill Bill films. That said, I feel Inglourious Basterds came as close to meeting expectations as it could (nothing could've been the masterpiece I wanted when I walked into that theater). A spaghetti western/revenge film set in Nazi-occupied France, Basterds plays fast and loose with the facts of the time, and is probably the most fun I've ever had urinating on history. Tarantino's screenplay holds some of the best dialogue that he has ever written (which is saying something), which includes two scenes of twenty-plus minutes of people just talking--where the tension is thick enough to cut with a knife. The film also has stunning performances, including Melanie Laurent as Shoshanna, a young, Jewish Frenchwoman who seeks revenge on the Nazi who massacred her family. That Nazi is "Jew hunter" Hans Landa, played in a virtuoso performance by Christoph Waltz. In work that will certainly win Waltz an Oscar, he displays a smorgasbord of nuance and subtle menace.

6. The Messenger
Directed by Oren Moverman

There are war films about the battlefield, and then there are war films about the mental battle back home. The Messenger is one of the latter. After becoming an Army hero, Sgt. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) is sent home and told to finish his tour as a Casualty Notification officer--basically, he notifies the next-of-kin when their loved ones have died overseas. He is coached by the veteran CNO Ct. Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), but is never prepared to face the immense grief with each notification he gives. Lead by the two stunning performances from Foster and Harrelson, The Messenger is a stunning debut from filmmaker Oren Moverman. It displays the unmitigated destruction war can bring on the home soil better than any film since Coming Home. There is a weariness in the way the story is told, but the film itself never becomes dreary. The slow mental crumbling of Stone and Montgomery are showed with brash realism, allowing the two actors to take full advantage of some very chewy scenes.

7. A Serious Man
Written and Directed by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

Oh, those pesky little Coen Brothers. Burn After Reading was considered to be a sign that they may be taking it easy after the masterpiece No Country For Old Men, but then they came out with this stunning film. A Serious Man is about Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a college professor who has a litany of troubles throughout his life, including: a student trying to bribe him for a better grade, a son who acts up in school and smokes marijuana, a troubled brother who won't move off of his couch, and a wife who is leaving him for a close family friend. The world is falling in on Larry, and he does his best to seek philosophical help for everything that's troubling him. He can't find solace in anything; not in his family, not in his synagogue, and not in his attractive next door neighbor. A Single Man is said to be more personal then most of the Coens' films, and it is certainly their most existential. Searching through themes like the meaning of life and the power of spirituality and chance, A Serious Man is a stunning portrait of a spiritual crisis and a dastardly condemnation of trying to find meaning in mundane events.

8. Bright Star
Written and Directed by Jane Campion

In a true return to form, Jane Campion's Bright Star is her best film since 1993's The Piano. In the stuffy genre of Victorian-period drama, Campion crafted a story bursting with passion while still keeping hold of its chastity. It is the story of Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish), a seamstress who is excellent at keeping hold of her emotions. When she is introduced to the young poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw), their love grows quickly. Obstacles disrupt their relationship, including John's poverty, Fanny's career options, and John's friend Charles (Paul Schneider) who insists that a successful poet cannot be distracted by anything as fleeting as love. We all know the tragedy of John Keats, which makes Bright Star that much more melancholy. It's a pretty unique experience: a tragic love story that never manages to feel tragic. Campion's beautiful direction allows the film to be awash in color and vibrancy. With stunning performances from Cornish, Whishaw, and Schneider, Bright Star is one of the great unsung films of 2009 and one of the best.

9. An Education
Directed by Lone Scherfig

In a fair world, Carey Mulligan's performance in An Education would make her one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Time may show whether that happens or not, but what we do know now is this: her performance in this film is something beyond special. Watching her wonderful work as the dangerously naive teenager Jenny, I discovered what it must have felt like to see Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire or Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. It obviously helps that the performance is the centerpiece of a terrifically crafted film. When Jenny meets David (Peter Sarsgaard), a charming playboy who's twice her age, she allows him to take her out of her isolated world of studying and prudence. As the truth about David slowly reveals itself, Jenny learns about growing up the hard way. There is nothing original or surprising in this screenplay, but that is not the point. It's a wonderful study of maturation at various ages and told with delicacy and grace.

10. Where The Wild Things Are
Directed by Spike Jonze

Time will tell whether or not it was a good idea to give Spike Jonze a hundred million dollars to make Wild Things, but early figures show that it probably wasn't the most prudent choice. It's difficult to really form an opinion on a film like this, except to be specific and clear: this is something special and something that will stick with you long after you've finished it. Based on the classic children's book by Maurice Sendak, we are introduced to Max (Max Records), an unruly child who throws a tantrum and escapes to a fantastical world filled emotionally conflicted creatures. Sure, this is probably not the standard plot for a film aimed at children, but it does make for a very effective movie experience. The voice talents of James Gandolfini, Lauren Ambrose, Catherine O'Hara, and Chris Cooper are used to flesh out the wild things, and spectacular face capture special effects add to their liveliness. With the addition of a music score by Carter Burwell and Karen O., Where The Wild Things Are is a fascinating piece of audacious filmmaking and something that should be remembered for years to come.

TIED FOR 11TH PLACE

Up In The Air was a very timely, effective film about personal connection; Anvil! The Story of Anvil was a surprisingly heartbreaking documentary on lifetime rockers; Precious was the film of the moment (three months ago) and holds some of the most powerful filmmaking of the year--as well as some stunning work from Mo'Nique; Up continued the excellent tradition of the Pixar studios; Whip It! was a super-fun, girl-oriented roller derby film that was not afraid to embrace its own estrogen; Moon was one of the best science fiction of the decades, with career work from Sam Rockwell; and Fantastic Mr. Fox was a great middle-finger toward animation and narrative purists, and a return to form for Wes Anderson.

A Week of Reflection: The Oscar Nominations

So, we've had a week now to mow over all of the films nominated for this year's Academy Awards. I've been avoiding most commentary on the subject. Not only because of my self-imposed sabbatical, but because for the first time in a long time, I hadn't seen all the films nominated for Best Picture. I guess that's bound to happen when they expand the field to ten--a decision I am still adamantly against, and this year's BP ballot only strengthens that feeling. But, since last Tuesday's announcement, I have gone out of my way to go see The Blind Side and District 9, and can give full analysis.

BEST PICTURE

Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up In The Air

This actually isn't a bad list at all. But it is sullied by its inclusion of The Blind Side (which is not nearly as racist as I expected, but ten times dumber). The Academy hoped that the ten-wide ballot would include a few more commercially successful films, and they got what they wanted, at the cost of their integrity. If any Academy member says The Blind Side deserves to be on a plain anywhere with The Hurt Locker or A Serious Man, they're simply lying to avoid the shame. I was giddy though to see them throw a bone toward An Education, which seemed to be getting swallowed by the big December releases. I wasn't in love with Up In The Air or Precious, but their nominations don't bother me, if only because they were so expected.

When the high notes on your film are things like "not as racist as expected", you may have a problem...

BEST DIRECTOR

Kathryn Bigelow, THE HURT LOCKER
James Cameron, AVATAR
Lee Daniels, PRECIOUS
Jason Reitman, UP IN THE AIR
Quentin Tarantino, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

This has been a two-man (or woman, considering James Cameron's new haircut) race for a long time now. Bigelow directed the best film of the year and Cameron directed the biggest. It's actually an intriguing showdown, particularly because of the two's personal connection (which you can read about on TMZ, not here). I guess I understand the Avatar backlash (no film that makes $2 billion is going to leave unscathed in the world of cruel internet movie dweebs), but it's hard not to credit Cameron with creating something most of us have never seen before. That said, I'm still on Team Bigelow, and find her work on Hurt Locker to be a brilliant balance of character, action, tension, and message. More of Bigelow's work effects us between the ears, as opposed to Cameron who only effects our eyes. As for Daniels, Reitman, and Tarantino: all good work gentlemen, but you don't stand a chance.

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

I'm glad the Academy showed some mercy and decided to give little-known Jeremy Renner a nomination for his brilliant work in The Hurt Locker. That said, he, Clooney, Freeman, and Firth all have front row seats for Jeff Bridges' lifetime achievement ceremony. Not that Bridges isn't good in Crazy Heart, it's just that everything about it smacks of "Hey, I've paid my dues. If I sing a few songs and throw in some alcoholism, will you give me that damn Oscar already?". Fair enough, the dude abides. No objections, except for Freeman, who is obviously getting nominated for the role and not the performance. If this were an award for merit, Freeman would be nowhere to be seen.

BEST ACTRESS

Sandra Bullock, THE BLIND SIDE
Helen Mirren, THE LAST STATION
Carey Mulligan, AN EDUCATION
Gabourey Sidibe, PRECIOUS
Meryl Streep, JULIE & JULIA

This shortlist, on the other hand, is abominable. Where is Abbie Cornish's brilliant subtlety in Bright Star? Ellen Page's wonderful, ensemble-leading, rollerskating work in Whip It? And what excuse can you give me for excluding Tilda Swinton's career-defining work in Julia? Only Carey Mulligan gave a performance of any real substance (I don't totally mind Sidibe's nomination, because its a startling debut, but I don't think I'm saying anything controversial when I say she's a bit stiff). Streep is now getting points for mediocre work, and while Bullock is the single thing about The Blind Side that isn't unbearable, it's still second-rate. As for Helen Mirren's work in The Last Station, I will get back to that later.

It's okay, Tilda. At least I know how good 'Julia' is...

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Matt Damon, INVICTUS
Woody Harrelson, THE MESSENGER
Christopher Plummer, THE LAST STATION
Stanley Tucci, THE LOVELY BONES
Christoph Waltz, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

I guess it's too much to ask, when they included Jeremy Renner, that they also include The Hurt Locker's Anthony Mackie. Those two performances work off each other so well, it's so hard to think that one is getting recognized and the other isn't. But alas, we're left with this mish-mash of unadulterated brilliance and exhausting blandness. Matt Damon does little to nothing in Invictus. Stanley Tucci's work in The Lovely Bones isn't even the best thing he's done this year (am I the only one who found him much more enjoyable as the rock of encouragement in Julie & Julia?). Harrelson and Waltz were both great in their films, and rightfully so, they're the two biggest contenders for the win--though I think Waltz has all but won this Oscar already. Then there's 80-year-old Christopher Plummer, getting his first Oscar nomination for The Last Station. Didn't I say I wanted to wait before talking about this film? More about it later.

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

Holy Maggie Gyllenhaal! Probably the most legitimate surprise of the major nominations, particularly since it's a case of a great performance of a horribly written character. The Academy chose Cruz to represent the abominable Nine, though Marion Cotillard is much better. Both of them pushed out my beloved Julianne Moore, who I'm sure had less of a shot at a nomination (for A Single Man) than most of us thought (I was leading all of the wishful thinkers). The two Up In The Air girls got there much-deserved nominations, as well as Mo'Nique, who seems to have a tight grip on that front-runner status. What a surprise. Another category that has been all but decided.

Do you think they'll even have those Oscar morning jitters? Probably not...

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Mark Boal, THE HURT LOCKER
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, A SERIOUS MAN
Alessandro Comen & Oren Moverman, THE MESSENGER
Bob Peterson, UP
Quentin Tarantino, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell, DISTRICT 9
Geoffrey Fletcher, PRECIOUS
Nick Hornby, AN EDUCATION
Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, UP IN THE AIR
A Shitload of People, IN THE LOOP

What happened to my beloved 500 Days of Summer? At the last moment, everyone decided they didn't like the script. Not that I could pick a nominee there that could be replaced--all very good films and good scripts. Even Adapted Screenplay had the pleasant addition of the hilarious, witty In The Loop. No real complaints here.

So what do we have? A bunch of predictable actor's categories, but all the other major awards (Director, Screenplay, Picture) are very much up in the air (good god, forgive that pun). Which brings me to me long-awaited feelings on The Last Station. Why on Earth have you refused to let any of the regular viewing public watch you? We are well into February, and its only playing in LA and New York. This is unacceptable, and quite frankly, reprehensible. That the Academy awarded this behavior makes me entirely frustrated. How can you nominate a film no one has seen?

Interested in getting nominated for Oscars without people seeing your film? Contact the producers of 'The Last Station'...

Trailer Watch: Fish Tank

The word on Fish Tank is that it is already the best film of 2010 (not that there's been much competition). It won a Special Jury Prize at Cannes, and director Andrea Arnold has already won an Academy Award for her short film Wasp. First-time actress Katie Jarvis is getting beyond fabulous notes for her performance as an angsty teen. Also, the cast has Michael Fassbender (who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors after his recent performances in Hunger and Inglourious Basterds). Yeah, there seems to be a lot to get excited about. With the monotony of the recent Oscar nominations (more on that later), I'm already looking forward to the great films of 2010. Fish Tank seems like it may deliver.

........And We're Back!

Sorry to be gone for so long, my pretties, but I have returned. I haven't written here in close to two months, so it seems I have a lot of catching up to do. I'll do my best!

Sabbatical

I will be taking a leave of absence from 'A Blogwork Orange'. If any updates are made (when it does return, it will probably be moved to a different blog site), you will find out here first. It's rather strange to stop in the middle of the awards season (my favorite time to write), but suffice it's to say: I'm no longer enjoying myself. When the time comes, and I begin to miss it, I will be writing again. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you come again soon.

Au revoir!

Invictus (***)

INVICTUS
Produced and Directed by Clint Eastwood

***

There are some people who, just by name alone, conjure up the thought: "That guy's life would make a terrific money." Even if you don't know anything about them as a person, just their name conjures up such an aura that creates visions of dramatic (or more precisely, cinematic) proportions. Jim Morrison, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Hitler are just a few of those names--some of them have had their own movie, some have not. Nelson Mandela is one of those people. Clint Eastwood's film Invictus is a story about Mandella, but not necessarily the kind you would expect.

The film begins as Mandella (Morgan Freeman) has begun his service as the newly elected president of South Africa, shortly after Apartheid. It is a moment of great cheer for most of the country's population, but for some of the more prejudiced (or white) population, Mandella is seen as a threat, sure to overrun the country with angry zealots looking to act out their vengeance. Mandella has no interest in that, though, and is only interested in heading a more peaceful nation. He insists that the white employees of the previous administration stay, and even hires white bodyguards. This raises a lot of eyebrows even from his closest followers.

As Mandella rises as a politician, the country's national rugby team is failing quickly. Captained by Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), the team is shackled by low moral, short on motivation, and while becoming drenched in numerous losses, they are heckled endlessly by public television analysts. Simply stated, they are an international laughing stock. Even when trying to stay level-headed, Pienaar has become undeniably frustrated with the team's mediocrity. As Mandella notices the team's downfall, he decides to have tea with Pienaar and asks him a simple favor: try to have the team win the 1995 World Cup.

It seems like an unfathomably tall order, and one Pienaar finds hard to take seriously. The team begins a hellish workout regiment in order to train. Despite trying to lead an apartheid-torn country, Mandella always finds the time to check in on the team from time to time. With Mandella's endorsement giving them a new-found confidence, the team starts to win. As the all-white team begins to climb it's way into the World Cup standings, the country begins to band together behind their scrappy, imperfect team. Known as the 'Springboks' by most black South Africans, the whole country becomes enraptured with this team, no matter the color.

I'm an American sports fan, which means I know absolutely nothing about Rugby. It seems a bit haphazard and dangerous, with men piling on top of each other and tackling with ferociousness. Kind of like American football, without the helmets and shoulder pads. That said, Invictus is still one of the greatest sport films I've ever seen. I find most sports movies callow and unmotivated. For the most part, they know that their sport will have its own audience, and fall back on sports cliche to tell the story. Invictus showcases sports in an enlightening way, showing that it is not the sporting event itself that is meaningful, but what that event does for the people who are watching.

It would have been easy to make a film about Mandella's thirty-year imprisonment and think that would have been enough to properly display Mandella's story. Instead, Eastwood takes a different view. He shows Mandella as a leader, someone whose impeccable intelligence lent itself appropriately toward diplomacy. Rounding out his spectacular decade as a filmmaker (Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Letters From Iwo Jima, Changeling, Gran Torino)*, Eastwood has made what is probably his most generalized, populist film. Even though Mandella is lionized to an impossible level (a subplot detailing his estranged family does little to sway our sympathy), we still don't mind watching Mandella in this story, because we're not forced to worship him.

It's certain that Morgan Freeman looks a lot like Nelson Mandella in this film, but I'll admit that my ignorance on the man makes it nearly impossible for me to judge how well he nails the political icon. Freeman brings as much delicacy and cadence to this role as he does to all his roles, and its obvious that Freeman sees this as the role of a lifetime. As the Springboks' captain, Damon does a good job of showing South Africa's swaying allegiances. Raised by prejudiced white parents, Peinaar had to take risks believing in his new leader, and Damon manifests those conflicting emotions well.

I'm glad that Eastwood decided to tell this story, and not something more obvious. It's a real sports movie, and by that I mean it really tells a sports story, and not a movie about a bunch people playing that sport. Maybe that's why I was able to forgive it's imminent predictability. Nothing will surprise you, and some of the dialogue screams of "Please put me in the trailer! I can sell the hell out of this movie!" Just watching the trailer would cause film producers to hide all of their Oscars, though I don't how much of a chance it has now. You'll feel god walking out of this film, and if you don't know any better, you'll probably be inspired as well.

*Did I just conveniently skip over Blood Work and Space Cowboys when talking about Clint's 2000's filmography? Yes, I did...

Nat'l Board of Review is Looking Up

The National Board of Review prides itself on being the first awards service to grace the Fall Movie Season. You have to wonder about an organization that honors the best films of a given year when there are still four weeks left in that respective year. That said, this is the first award that can be considered a "big deal", Oscar-wise. After all, last year's NBR winner (Slumdog Millionaire) went on to win the Best Picture trophy. Here were there choices this year:

BEST PICTURE: Up In The Air
BEST DIRECTOR: Clint Eastwood, Invictus
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, A Serious Man
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up In The Air

Top 10 Films of the Year
(Well, Top 11 if you count Up In The Air):

500 Days of Summer
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Star Trek
Up
Where The Wild Things Are

Hmmm... No Precious is a bit of a surprise, and they certainly love Invictus more than other people seem to. The Messenger and Star Trek are also surprising, I guess, but the NBR always likes to be the first awards body to make an audience go "Wha???".

BEST ACTOR: (tie) George Clooney, Up In The Air
AND Morgan Freeman, Invictus
BEST ACTRESS: Carey Mulligan, An Education
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Anna Kendrick, Up In The Air
BEST ENSEMBLE: It's Complicated
BEST BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR: Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
BEST BREAKTHROUGH ACTRESS: Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

No Mo'Nique for Best Supporting Actress is a little bit of a shocker (but Kendrick was so good also, so I can't really complain), and the only attention they gave Precous at all was Sidibe's win for "Breakthrough Actress". Will The Messenger have as big of an awards' presence as the NBR seems to think it will? I don't think so, but that's what these early awards circles are about: leading us astray.

So here's what we know now: Up In The Air is now a serious contender for Best Picture, and so is Clooney for Best Actor. I still think Precious will hold on through this, but this wasn't a good start. I was excited that Carey Mulligan got some recognition (though it only cements that Tilda Swinton's work in Julia will get ignored), and I hope she won't get abandoned at the last moment like Sally Hawkins was last year (for her greatness in Happy-Go-Lucky). Glad the awards season is started!

Trailer Watch: The Last Station

This is the latest arrival of the Oscar hopefuls and possesses a tremendous cast of actors (Plummer, Giamatti, McAvoy, and Mirren). Michael Hoffman's latest film seems a bit stuffy on the surface, but if early word and this trailer seem to suggest that there is a lot more here. It seems funny and sexy, even without a performer that is either funny or sexy. I'm excited about it, and it could be a very serious player come January and February.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (***)

FANTASTIC MR. FOX
Directed by Wes Anderson

***

Wes Anderson has never made a film I have disliked. He's been working since 1996's Bottle Rocket, and has made six films overall. Each film has been touched with the same flavor of detachment, smugness, and a golden ear for classic rock. Many film lovers have become perturbed by Anderson's seemingly stunted creativity, stating that all of his films have become to similar in style and theme. With Fantastic Mr. Fox, we are given Anderson's first stab at animated filmmaking, and many see it as Anderson's opportunity to outgrow the similar nature of all his films. But Anderson's got another trick up his sleeve.

Mr. Fox (George Clooney) is a world-class chicken thief, but when Mrs. Fox (Meryl Streep) declares to him that she's pregnant with their first child, Fox decides to give up his dangerous lifestyle for something a little more practical. Two years later (twelve fox years), Fox has reinvented himself as a columnist for his local newspaper and has a teenage son named Ash (Jason Schwartzman). The Fox family lives comfortably in their foxhole, but Fox refuses to live in poverty. Despite the imploring of his lawyer, Badger (Bill Murray), Fox decides to move his family to an uptown tree.

Fox enjoys the prestige of his tree, and he's particularly happy when his nephew Kristofferson (Eric Anderson) comes to stay with them for a while. Kristofferson is a world class athlete, practices yoga and meditation, and has all of the qualities that Fox needs in a son. Fox's love for Kristofferson only creates a bigger divide between him and Ash, who was unfortunately born without all of the gifts Fox and Kristofferson were blessed with. When Fox and his possum friend Kylie (Wally Wolodarsky) decide to re-enter the chicken-stealing business, he brings Kristofferson along for the ride, further enraging Ash.

Fox begins barking up the wrong tree, though, when he decides to steal from the three notorious farmers Boggis, Bunce, and Bean, who inspired this children's rhyme: "Boggis, Bunce, and Bean/ One fat, one short, one lean/ These horrible crooks/ So different in looks/ Were none the less equally mean". The three, particularly the cold-blooded Bean (Michael Gambon), plan furiously to kill the nefarious Fox. They use everything from bulldozers and dynamite, and before long, the entire animal society is threatened by the three men. With everyone looking to him for answers, Fox must find a way to outsmart smart these farmers once and for all.

The biggest trick that Wes Anderson pulls here is that he isn't pulling any tricks at all. There is nothing about Fantastic Mr. Fox that separates it from The Darjeeling Limited thematically or The Royal Tenenbaums stylistically--other than the animation, of course. It contains all of the dry, sardonic dialogue we've come to know from Anderson's films (he co-wrote the screenplay with Noah Baumbach), and while following the plot elements of the original novel by Roald Dahl pretty closely, there is really none of the essence that Dahl had in his book.

I don't know if Anderson is a fan of Roald Dahl (I know I am, but that's a story for another day), but he certainly isn't interested in recreating Dahl's vision. If anything, he's interested of telling Dahl's story in his own vision--which I'm sure will rub some people the wrong way. The biggest grenades that Anderson's critics usually lob is that he has not evolved his style, and Fantastic Mr. Fox is certainly an act of stubbornness in which Anderson so fully embraces the lackadaisical nature of his previous films. He's drawing a line in the sand here and we have to choose to follow along or just move on.

That said, it's a very quaint, funny movie. The dialogue runs sharp and ironic, and nothing ever seems out of place. It moves briskly, and has plenty of tension when it needs it. The characters of Ash and Kylie give the film its strongest laughs, while Kristofferson and Mrs. Fox give it some true heart. The food pillaging scenes are shot with great adventure in mind, and using his usual staple of British Invasion pop songs in the background, everything has an air of nostalgia and grooviness simultaneously. Essentially, you'll like this movie for the same reasons you liked every other Wes Anderson movie.

I said I've never disliked a Wes Anderson movie, and I stand by that statement. I will admit, though, that I probably enjoyed Fantastic Mr. Fox the least out of the six. It's a bit inconsequential in nature, and at times seems at odds with its own genre (children's films). There are moments of self-reflective mocking, pointing the finger at its own wholesome nature. The violent nature of the animals and "cuss words" are dealt with curiously. This film is the closest thing Anderson has ever come to an identity crisis. It must really mean something when you're least impressive film is not much worse than your most impressive. In Anderson's case, they've all been exceptional, so he's got that going for him.

Precious (***)

PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE
Directed by Lee Daniels

***

There are some films that are so bleak that they'll make your head spin. They pile on the most harrowing aspects of life, and create a world so horrible that it barely seems like reality. Is Precious one of those films? Almost. But more times than not, it is able to keep its head above water and let in moments of sunshine. Precious has a heavy load of hype atop of it, which makes it hard to watch objectively, but it is certainly one of the most powerful films of 2009--even if I'm not sure if it's one of the best.

Clarice 'Precious' Jones (newcomer Gabourey Sidibe) is morbidly obese, illiterate, and pregnant with her second child--both given to her by her faceless, incestuous father. She lives with her mother Mary (Mo'Nique), who is sad sack of bitterness and violence. Mary beats her, makes her cook all the food, and advises her to quit school so she can pick up some more welfare money. Few movie characters are more emotionally and physically abusive than Mary, and she has numbed Precious to the point that violence has becomes passe.

When her school learns of her new pregnancy, they kick her out and tell her to attend the alternative school "Each One, Teach One". There, she meets her new teacher Ms. Blue Rain (Paula Patton) and an assortment of degenerate young women hoping to get their GED. They learn to read, they learn to be civil, but probably most important, they develop friendships. In addition to her new classes, she is forced to meet with a social worker Ms. Weiss (Mariah Carey--yeah, that Mariah Carey), and explain what has happened in her life and how it has effected her poor student work.

When Mary learns of Precious' new school and newfound ambition, she is instantly antagonistic towards it, explaining that Precious is too dumb to expect anything from herself. She should just go on Welfare, Mary says. After the birth of her second child, Precious begins to see the brighter aspects of life after befriending her classmates and a friendly nurse named John (Lenny Kravitz--yeah, that Lenny Kravitz). Precious realizes that she must try her hardest to rid herself of her painful past and try to start anew. To do this, she has to do her best to separate herself from the monstrous Mary. This is something that is much harder than it looks.

I mentioned earlier that Precious is a film that is so harrowing that it barely fits reality. Actually, there are a great many fantasy sequences throughout. The only way Precious can overcome her violent situation is to escape toward vibrant fantasies that embody all of her biggest dreams: to be a superstar, date a light-skinned man, star in a hip-hop music video. These moments comprise some of the very best moments in the film, but also draw upon its harrowing nature. The character of Precious is dealing with such a litany of psychological issues, that even a two-hour film can't properly explain it.

Perhaps Precious' biggest flaw is that director Lee Daniels (producer of Monster's Ball) tries a little too hard to visualize all of Precious' pain. Not only does this lead to rather sad movie, but it also lends to various sequences of over-direction. There is a mixture of flashbacks, surrealism, and musical intervention that clash so often, and I'm not totally sure how effective it is. Any visual motif used more than moderation can become distracting, and Daniels certainly runs his motifs into the ground.

It should be said, though, that Daniels does an astonishing job directing his cast. Dealing with mostly first-timers and non-actors, the actors involved create a world tragedy, while never falling deeply into melodrama. Patton and Carey are exceptional as the two women who choose to right Precious' ship, neither relying on obvious acting, just simply reacting as the events unfold. In her first film, Gabourey Sidibe is given a hell of a responsibility, and she doesn't totally hit it out of the park. As the performance has settled with me, though, I've realized that there couldn't have been a better way to show Precious' total numbness. With a angry glare glued to her bloated face, Sidibe wraps Precious in a sheet of self-loathing neurosis, and she does a good job of doing so.

The show-stopper is comedienne Mo'Nique as the vile, repulsive Mary. Mary hates Precious for "stealing her man", and makes Precious wait on her like a slave: cooking her food, even lying to social workers in order to get more Welfare money. When Precious' therapy leads to their Welfare getting cut off, Mary's ticking time bomb of contention bursts into a mushroom cloud of hatred and violence. In the film's single greatest scene, a defeated Mary tries to explain her horrid behavior to Precious and Ms. Weiss. I won't give away any more details of that particular moment, other than this: it may single-handedly win Mo'Nique a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award.

Precious is certainly the most talked-about film this year. It's being endorsed by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, and has gotten serious Best Picture buzz. Much like Slumdog Millionaire last year, this makes it nearly impossible to walk in theater with the appropriate expectations. Everything has doubled (or even tripled) since this movie premiered at Sundance this January and everyone was calling it a sleeper pick for the Fall. I don't know, this movie just didn't blow me away. It didn't wreak me emotionally, leave me wanting more. It's a very good film, just not a great one.

Note: This film was originally named 'Push' after the novel it was based on. But when that horrific film of the same name came out earlier this year, Lee Daniels decided to change the name to 'Precious' to avoid confusion. Can't we make a law that forces us to forget all films as horrible as February's 'Push'? Seems strange that 'Precious' would have to conform for that piece of crap.

Trailer Watch: Crazy Heart

Is Jeff Bridges on the way to his very first Oscar? Too early to say, still, but it could be his time. This trailer certainly promotes the movie as 2009's version of The Wrestler, but Bridges is not carrying a load of "should've had a better career than I have had" baggage (the way Mickey Rourke was last year). No, Bridges has been just as good as we expected him to be, and a lot of times even better. Now, he's in a rather bait-y vehicle, starring as a grizzled country singer seeking redemption. Seems like the perfect equation for an Academy Award, since there's no gay performances up for anything. (Oh wait, forgot about Colin Firth...)

For Your Consideration: Tilda Swinton in 'Julia'

Using my nifty Netflix instant account, I was able to see the Tilda Swinton film Julia. My initial reaction was shock (with how good it was), then there was reflection (about how good it was), and eventually glee (with discovering a movie that was so good). After all that hyperbole, I will make this one confession: I did not enjoy the movie itself, as much as I loved Swinton's spectacular performance.

I don't think there has ever been a movie character as wrong-headed, stubborn, or irresponsible as Julia (played by Swinton). If there has been, then I probably walked out of the theater in frustration. Falling down a slippery slope of kidnapping, extortion, and even murder, the story within Julia moves so quickly (well, as quickly as a film can move in 143 minutes) that we almost forgive her incredibly dumb decisions. She lacks forethought and empathy, but for some reason she is riveting and audiences won't be able to stop watching.

Swinton is a great actress, we all know. But with Julia, she is submerging into her truly transgressive core. In films like Orlando and Female Perversions, she took full advantage of her androgynous allure and vulnerability on screen. Even in Michael Clayton (for which she won the Oscar), she shows how unafraid she is to look unflattering. Yet, there is something incredibly enticing about her when she's on the screen, and Julia may very well be her greatest achievement. Her character is an alcoholic, sleeps with men precariously, has debts owed to various people, and decides in one moment to kidnap her neighbor's son. So why do we want to watch this woman for more than two hours? Because Swinton commits fully to this troubled woman and makes her tragic. As she digs herself deeper and deeper, we know that there is no way she'll be able to escape her situation, but we always hope that she'll find a way.

'Julia' is yet another Swinton performance that makes you rethink her position on the Great Actress Pantheon (yeah, I think about these kinds of things...)

The film was from 2008, but distribution problems prevented the film from being released before earlier this year. Because of that, most people have yet to see Julia—though those who have mention Swinton just as glowingly as I do. In a fair world, Swinton would be getting some serious Best Actress traction (and other than Carey Mulligan, Swinton is the only other actress who I would nominate today), but I don’t think she’ll be able to overcome the strong influence of veteran actresses like Meryl Streep (for Julie & Julia) and Helen Mirren (for The Last Station), or subvert the growing buzz for the newcomers Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe (for Precious).

So, I guess all I can say is this: watch the film. It’s a stunning piece of work by a filmmaker who I’m not familiar with (Erick Zonca) but has a concrete vision. Also, you get to see what I think could be the seminal performance from one of today’s best actors. FYC: Tilda Swinton in Julia.

An Education (****)

AN EDUCATION
Directed by Lone Scherfig

****

Within the film An Education, there is a performance of spectacular grace and beauty. That performance comes from Carey Mulligan in her first starring role. It's the kind of performance that will make her a movie star, if we're all lucky enough. Of course, I'm not saying anything new. People have been praising Mulligan for her performance in this film since it premiered at the early film festivals like Cannes. What hasn't been said enough, though, is how fantastic the film is on the whole. Based on a screenplay by the superb novelist Nick Hornby, An Education is one of the best films of the year.

Set during the budding years of the 60's, the film is about Jenny (Mulligan) a sixteen-year-old school girl whose charm is only surpassed by her unbound work ethic which allows her to achieve exceptional grades in all her classes. Of course, this is something she has to do because her meddling father Jack (Alfred Molina) will accept nothing less than Jenny getting into Oxford. Jack makes sure that she does everything she needs to do to achieve: makes her study instead of listen to music, makes her take up the cello as a hobby, and even dismisses possible boyfriends who seem like nothing more than "wandering Jews".

Coming home from cello practice, Jenny gets caught in the rain and is approached by a much older man who offers to give her a ride home. This man is David (Peter Sarsgaard), and he takes an almost immediate liking to Jenny. He asks her if she would like to accompany him to a classical music concert, but she knows that her father will never allow it. David arrives at Jenny's home, and within a matter of minutes, he begins to throw his indelible charm at Jack. Not only does he get permission to take Jenny to the concert, but even gets permission to keep her well past her curfew.

Jenny meets David's posh friends: Danny (Dominic Cooper) and Helen (Rosamund Pike) and they have a wondrous night on the town. They smoke, listen to jazz, and eat good food at fancy restaurants. For the first time, Jenny is experiencing life outside of her textbooks and she's become intoxicated with it. She becomes intoxicated with David as well, even though he is nearly twenty years older than her. When rumors of her "new boyfriend" begin to reach the ears of administrators at her all-girl boarding school, she is warned about the consequences of her actions. Jenny must decide between the conservative, safe path of books and universities or the dream life with David.

Hornby has always been a gifted writer (High Fidelity remains one of my all-time favorite novels), but this is probably his most polished effort solely as a screen writer. An Education is a much more entertaining film than its trailers seem to display. It goes beyond the ho-hum coming of age tale most audiences will expect, and instead is a fiercely emotional, legitimately funny story about the many lessons life can teach us. It never mulls around in sentiment or melodrama. It trusts in its characters and their personalities just enough that the audience falls in love with them--even if they are scoundrels (or turn out to be scoundrels).

This is the first film I've ever seen by Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig (though she has a film on her IMDb page--Wilber Wants To Kill Himself--which seems intriguing based on title alone) and what I believe is her first English language film. I appreciate the modesty with which Scherfig tells the story, never allowing the camera to get in the way. Not to say that the film isn't filled with visually stunning shots and exceptional work by cinematographer John de Borman. Visual work this subtle and unobtrusive very rarely gets acknowledged, but it's the prudence behind the camerawork which makes it so perfect for this film.

The film contains what is probably the greatest ensemble of performances so far this year. As Jack, Jenny's micromanaging father, Alfred Molina is allowed to express himself in histrionics at times, but always gives Jack that small glimmer of self-awareness that always redeems him. As the less-than-genius but glamorous Helen, Rosamund Pike is quite brilliant. Witty but simple, judgmental but sweet, Pike gives a performance which is just as star-making as Mulligan's. Emma Thompson and Olivia Williams both give small but effective performances as administrators at Jenny's school, both showcasing adverse reactions to Jenny's budding rebellion. As David, Sarsgaard is quite good as well, even if his accent isn't exactly stellar*.

But I won't kid you, this film is the undeniable showcase for Carey Mulligan. In a premiere performance, Mulligan's beauty and charm hearkens back to the performances from Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly in the late 50's. Perhaps it's better that Mulligan was twenty-two when playing the sixteen-year-old Jenny, because that transformation (that education, if you will) feels so organic. We feel for Jenny even in her moments of most naivete. Watching Mulligan in An Education is like watching the beginning of something that is sure to be great. Like seeing Brando in Streetcar or Meryl Streep in The Deer Hunter. I will be shocked if she isn't given an Oscar nomination (and I'll be disappointed if she doesn't win it all).

I loved the practicality in this movie (which may be a round-about way of saying I simply love this movie). Hornby and Scherfig were a perfect combination it seems, and their collaboration lead to something not only beautiful but invigorating and impactful. Some could say that An Education is drab (that's what I thought when I saw the trailer), but its the meticulous nature with which the story evolves that makes it so entertaining. Sometimes the lessons we learn in life are hard, but they will not always be disparaging. I feel that most people will take the lesson Jenny learns in this film, if it required the same curriculum.

*I can't decide which was worse: Ewan McGregor trying to be American in "Men Who Stare At Goats" or Sarsgaard trying to be English in this film. In both cases, the accents are so bad that you eventually just shrug your shoulders and give up. Not worth getting worked up over those types of details.

The Men Who Stare At Goats (***)

THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS
Directed by Grant Heslov

***

What do you think when you hear about a film with a title like The Men Who Stare At Goats? Certain things can be assumed: it will be well humored (probably silly), it will possess an ensemble cast (mostly men, of course), and it will probably be unlike most films that you've ever seen. Grant Heslov's latest film checks all of the items on this presumptive, make-believe checklist, but it's what the film does that isn't expected that makes it exceptional. An unforeseen human story and a spectacular cast helps the film rise above its goofy title, and creates one of the funniest movies of the year.

When journalist Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) meets with an eccentric man named Gus Lancy (Stephen Root), he hears stories about reading the future and killing hamsters using your mind. Bob dismisses Gus and his tales of Jedi warriors, and is more worried about details in his home life: his wife is leaving him for his one-armed editor and he has lost that fire that once inspired his journalism. In an arbitrary attempt to impress his ex-wife, Bob goes into war-ravaged Iraq in hopes of finding a gripping story to write about. Instead, he finds Lyn Cassady (George Clooney).

Bob remembered Lyn's name when Gus Lacey was talking about the best Jedi warrior. Lyn has a reputation: he can crash computers with his mind, burst clouds in the sky, and once murdered a goat just by staring at it. Bob decides to follow Lyn on his latest Jedi mission, which includes driving through the dessert and getting kidnapped by Iraqi criminals. Facing fierce characters and constant danger, Bob finds the adventure he was looking for only to decide he'd rather not be there. Tagging along with Lyn, Bob finds the perfect story in the perfect disaster.

Bob and Lyn's journey is inter-spliced with flashbacks detailing the US Army's First Earth Battalion, where Lyn was trained in his Jedi ways. A military division created to promote passive, sometimes paranormal actions in the battlefield, it was lead by Bill Django (Jeff Bridges) who preferred to have the men in his division meditate, collect flowers, and dance during training. Lyn was the main prodigy within this experimental division, but the jealous Larry Hooper (Kevin Spacey) was always on his tail. After Larry botched an attempted experiment with LSD, Django was fired and the First Earth Battalion was disbanded.

The film begins with the caption: "More of this is true than you would believe". I'm still a bit skeptical, but I don't think that really matters. The film is directed by Grant Heslov, a filmmaker (and character actor) who has worked many times with Goats' main star George Clooney. Heslov was the co-writer and producer on Good Night, and Good Luck and the producer on Leatherheads. Now, he is directing his own feature, studio film and has called on his buddy to help him out. These stories of friends helping friends in Hollywood always makes me feel fuzzy inside, especially when they produce such quality films.

Does the film stumble over its final act? It most certainly does. But the film's final moments only cement a whimsical exuberance that exists throughout the entire film. It's hard to take a film like Goats, which possesses such unrestrained playfulness, and resolve it with something that doesn't feel contrived. Heslov instead chooses to take that playfulness and push it even further by the film's end (which includes a deliciously hilarious closing line by Spacey which I will not reveal here), and I'm not sure whether or not that's a bad thing. But I enjoyed it, so take that and make what you will of it.

The film's cast is probably its strength. Clooney--who is in the middle of a busy season which will later include Up In the Air and Fantastic Mr. Fox--is certainly funny as Lyn Cassady, but what's surprising is how strongly Lyn becomes the heart of the movie, and we never even realize it till the end. As neurotic journalist Bob Wilton, Ewan McGregor gives his best performance in several years (and it includes several layers of irony, since the actor behind Obi Wan seems increasingly skeptical of Jedi warriors). Both Bridges and Spacey are great in supporting roles, particularly Spacey who gives his first meaningful film performance since his Oscar-winning work in American Beauty (I should probably be honest and admit that I loved him in K-Pax, but that's not the most popular opinion).

The Men Who Stare At Goats inspired a lot more laughs than I thought it would. It felt a lot like Three Kings to me (for obvious reasons), but it's not nearly as profound. I'm not sure this movie was meant to be profound, though it does have some identity issues. Jeff Bridges reinventing The Dude seems to suggest straight comedy, but there were moments where there was actual social commentary (though never fully exploited). All these questions/doubts, are nitpicky in nature, and don't matter in the large scope of things. Because this is a good movie, and those are pretty hard to come by most of the time.