Oscar 2011: Who WILL Win

Here are my predictions.

• Motion Picture: "The King's Speech" (alt. "The Social Network")
• Director: Tom Hooper - "The King's Speech" (alt. David Fincher - "The Social Network")
• Actor: Colin Firth - "The King's Speech" (alt. James Franco - "127 Hours")
• Actress: Natalie Portman - "Black Swan" (alt. Annette Bening - "The Kids Are All Right")
• Supporting Actor: Christian Bale - "The Fighter" (alt. Geoffrey Rush - "The King's Speech")
• Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo - "The Fighter" (alt. Jacki Weaver - "Animal Kingdom")
• Best Adapted Screenplay: "The Social Network" (alt. "Toy Story 3")
• Best Original Screenplay: "The King's Speech" (alt. "Inception")
• Art Direction: "The King's Speech" (alt. "Inception")
• Cinematography: "True Grit" (alt. "Inception")
• Costume Design: "The King's Speech" (alt. "Alice in Wonderland")
• Film Editing: "The Social Network" (alt. "The King's Speech")
• Makeup: "The Wolfman" (alt. "Barney's Version")
• Original Score: "The King's Speech" (alt. "Inception")
• Original Song: "We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3" (alt. "If I Rise" from "127 Hours")
• Sound Editing: "Inception" (alt. "True Grit")
• Sound Mixing: "Inception" (alt. "True Grit")
• Visual Effects: "Inception" (alt. "Hereafter")
• Animated Feature Film: "Toy Story 3" (alt. "How to Train Your Dragon")
• Foreign Language Film: "In a Better World" (alt. "Biutiful")
• Documentary: "Exit through the Gift Shop" (alt. "Waste Land")
• Documentary Short: "Strangers No More" (alt. "Killing in the Name")
• Short Film (Animated): "Madagascar, a Journey Diary" (alt. "Day & Night")
• Short Film: "God of Love" (alt. "Na Wewe")

A lot of these seem like locks, but there are always at least one or two surprises. I feel more uncertain about many of my alternates than I do my actual picks. Tomorrow, I'll post how I did and finally, my top films of 2010. 

My tally:
"The King's Speech" - 7

"Inception" - 3

"The Fighter" - 2

"The Social Network" - 2

"Toy Story 3" - 2

"Black Swan" - 1

"Exit through the Gift Shop" - 1

"God of Love" - 1

"In a Better World" - 1

"Madagascar, a Journey Diary" - 1

"Strangers No More" - 1

"True Grit" - 1

"The Wolfman" - 1

Oscar 2011: Who SHOULD Win

Tonight, this long season finally comes to a close. Here are my picks for who I would like to win out of those nominated. There are plenty of awards I would hand out to people that aren't even nominated (Ben Mendelsohn in Animal Kingdom, for example). I'll post my predictions for who actually will win later today.

• Motion Picture: "The King's Speech" (or "Inception")

To further break this down, I'll rank them like Academy members do.

1. "The King's Speech"
2. "Inception"
3. "Winter's Bone"
4. "The Social Network"
5. "True Grit"
6. "The Fighter"
7. "127 Hours"
8. "Black Swan"
9. "Toy Story 3"
10. "The Kids Are All Right"

Looking at this list, I can't help but be struck by how much of a difference there is between my top ten films of the year and the Academy's top ten.

• Director: David Fincher - "The Social Network"
• Actor: Javier Bardem - "Biutiful" (or Colin Firth - "The King's Speech")
• Actress: Jennifer Lawrence - "Winter's Bone"
• Supporting Actor: Geoffrey Rush - "The King's Speech"
• Supporting Actress: Jacki Weaver - "Animal Kingdom"
• Best Adapted Screenplay: "The Social Network"
• Best Original Screenplay: "Another Year"
• Art Direction: "Inception"
• Cinematography: "Inception"
• Costume Design: "I Am Love"
• Film Editing: "127 Hours"
• Makeup: "The Way Back"
• Original Score: "How to Train Your Dragon" (or "Inception")
• Original Song: "Coming Home" from "Country Strong"
• Sound Editing: "Inception"
• Sound Mixing: "Inception"
• Visual Effects: "Inception"
• Animated Feature Film: "How to Train Your Dragon"
• Foreign Language Film: "Biutiful" (or "In a Better World")
• Documentary: "Exit Through the Gift Shop"
• Documentary Short: "Strangers No More"*
• Short Film (Animated): "Madagascar, a Journey Diary"*
• Short Film: "God of Love"*

I would compromise on a few of these. For instance, I would love to see James Franco take home a trophy as much as I would Colin Firth or Javier Bardem. I think Toy Story 3 is technically better than How to Train Your Dragon, but I see the latter as a more admirable underdog.

*I don't really have much of an opinion on the last three categories, as I haven't seen the films.

My tally:
"Inception" - 5 (7)
"The King's Speech" - 2 (3)
"Biutiful" - 2
"How to Train Your Dragon" - 2
"The Social Network" - 2
"Animal Kingdom" - 1
"Another Year" - 1
"Country Strong" - 1
"Exit Through the Gift Shop" - 1
"God of Love" - 1
"I Am Love" - 1
"Madagascar, a Journey Diary" - 1
"127 Hours" - 1
"Strangers No More" - 1
"The Way Back" - 1
"Winter's Bone" - 1
"In a Better World" - (1)

Oscar 2011: My Analysis and Ballot

In the few years since I've become a film snob (now more than ever), I seem to feel less of 'the magic' when I'm going to the cinema and more of a scholarly sense of observation. I miss the magic, for sure, but it's nice to have an eye for something and to be able to analyze it further than whether I like it or not.


The last few years have all seemed a bit dull at the time of writing up each of my Oscar commentaries. Looking back now, only the best films are those I take into account (however few they may be in certain years), and they don't seem dull at all. This year looks pretty good, I would surmise. Just glancing at my longlist for my ballot for Best Picture, I have 23 possible pictures. Hey, I'll take it!

Best Picture

• “Black Swan”
• “The Fighter”
• “Inception”
• “The Kids Are All Right”
• “The King's Speech”
• “127 Hours”
• “The Social Network”
• “Toy Story 3”
• “True Grit”
• “Winter's Bone"

I predicted all of these to make the top 10 before the announcement. I believe I was part of a smaller group calling for  Winter's Bone to upset The Town, but it paid off. The Town was a good film, but it's box office success was the primary reason for some pundits expecting for it to get some love. Fortunately, there is plenty of box office success among our nominees and The Town wasn't needed to show any muscle. Anyway, I don't feel it was as good as Ben Affleck's previously helmed film, Gone Baby Gone.

A few of these films, I would surely keep in my list; Inception, The King's Speech, The Social Network and Winter's Bone. A few films that were nominated for Best Foreign Language film last year (and thus ineligible this year) make the cut; Ajami, A Prophet and possibly The Secret in their Eyes. Animal Kingdom and The Way Back scored one nomination each, but they were two of my favorites of the year and are sure to get some nods from me. Biutiful, Lebanon and Shutter Island are three films that showcase exceptional direction and performances. Never Let Me Go sort of came and went as the bait-piece that didn't deliver. I think it did deliver, however, and will find itself in contention in a few categories here. Throw into the mix Another Year, Exit Through the Gift Shop, The Fighter, The Ghost Writer, How to Train Your Dragon, I Am Love, Let Me In, 127 Hours, True Grit and Toy Story 3. I'd say we have a strong group of diverse films in the running. Ultimately, True Grit and Biutiful battled it out for the final slot.

• "Ajami"
• "Animal Kingdom"
• "Another Year"
• "Inception"
• "The King's Speech"
• "A Prophet"
• "The Social Network"
• "True Grit"
• "The Way Back"
• "Winter's Bone"

Actor in a Leading Role

• Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”
• Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
• Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
• Colin Firth in “The King's Speech”
• James Franco in “127 Hours”

All of these guys were fantastic in each of these films. Robert Duvall in Get Low and Jim Sturgess in The Way Back both impressed me. Leonardo DiCaprio gave two of his career's best in Inception and Shutter Island. Tahar Rahim was incredible in A Prophet. Mark Wahlberg contributed just as much to The Fighter as each of the more lauded supporting cast. Geoffrey Rush was almost a co-lead in The King's Speech but since Colin Firth was actually 'the King,' we'll keep things the way they are, placement-wise. Michael Moshonov in Lost Islands was easily one of my favorites since seeing the film last January. In the end, it came really close between veterans Jeff Bridges and Robert Duvall fighting for that final spot in my list. Hard choice, but I went with Duvall. I'll probably always be happy when Bridges is nominated for anything, though.

• Javier Bardem in "Biutiful"
• Robert Duvall in "Get Low"
• Colin Firth in "The King's Speech"
• James Franco in "127 Hours"
• Tahar Rahim in "A Prophet"

Actor in a Supporting Role

• Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
• John Hawkes in “Winter's Bone”
• Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
• Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
• Geoffrey Rush in “The King's Speech”

Thrilled for John Hawkes and Mark Ruffalo for both finally getting their first nominations. Jeremy Renner benefitted from the Academy wanting to bestow a nomination on The Town. He was good, but wasn't best in show (or even the best male performance) for me. I would have nominated Jon Hamm first. There were a lot of un-rewarded performances in this category that I loved this year. Let's add the guys from Inception in here, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ken Watanabe (who does so much acting with just his face). Tom Hardy was best in show. Niels Arestrup and Ben Mendelsohn from A Prophet and Animal Kingdom, respectively, are two of my favorite 'bad guys' in recent years. Animal Kingdom, in fact, was also loaded with a few great supporting roles from Sullivan Stapleton, Joel Edgerton and Guy Pearce. Ed Harris and Colin Farrell each brought completely different things to the table in The Way Back. Farrell was definitely showier and, I feel, the better of the two. Andrew Garfield pulled double-duty in two great supporting roles this year, for Never Let Me Go and The Social Network. Armie Hammer also impressed me the second time I watched The Social Network (not so much the first time, though). Ibrahim Frege as Malek in Ajami deserves some notice, as does Oshri Cohen and Ashraf Barhom in their more limited roles in Lebanon. Christian Bale, John Hawkes and Tom Hardy are fighting it out for the last spot.

• Christian Bale in "The Fighter"
• Colin Farrell in "The Way Back"
• John Hawkes in "Winter's Bone"
• Ben Mendelsohn in "Animal Kingdom"
• Geoffrey Rush in "The King's Speech"

Actress in a Leading Role

• Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
• Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
• Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter's Bone”
• Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
• Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”

This category might see the most changes between the real nominees and my nominees. First off, True Grit is Hailee Steinfeld's film and she should be in this category. I did not see Rabbit Hole or Blue Valentine, but I really enjoy when both Nicole Kidman and Michelle Williams put forward good performances. Tilda Swinton was very good in I Am Love, a film in which I didn't expect to grow on me but apparently has. Carey Mulligan was the huge heart of Never Let Me Go. In my book, it is two years, two lead actress nominations for her. Yes, Easy A was a teen comedy, but Emma Stone is already a force to be reckoned with. Noomi Rapace in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Naomi Watts in Fair Game are both worth mentioning. I went with Emma Stone over Tilda Swinton for the last slot and my final group is very young!

• Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter's Bone"
• Carey Mulligan in "Never Let Me Go"
• Natalie Portman in "Black Swan"
• Emma Stone in "Easy A"
• Hailee Steinfeld in "True Grit"

Actress in a Supporting Role

• Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
• Helena Bonham Carter in “The King's Speech”
• Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
• Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
• Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”

You probably already know who my favorite is in this category, since I've been pushing for a Jacki Weaver nomination since last August. Melissa Leo is another one of my favorites and both her and Amy Adams are great in The Fighter. Lesley Manville gives one of the most heart-wrenching performances ever in Another Year. Kristin Scott Thomas and Anne-Marie Duff were the two best things about Nowhere Boy. Marion Cotillard chalks up another great performance in Inception. Aside from the CGI tsunami in Hereafter, Bryce Dallas Howard was my favorite part. Keira Knightley gave us her most mature role to date in Never Let Me Go. Olivia William's jaw-clinch in the final scene of The Ghost Writer alone is worthy of a nomination. Maricel Alvarez has gotten zero notice for her work in Biutiful, but she is very good.

• Anne-Marie Duff in "Nowhere Boy"
• Melissa Leo in "The Fighter"
• Lesley Manville in "Another Year"
• Jacki Weaver in "Animal Kingdom"
• Olivia Williams in "The Ghost Writer"

Directing

• “Black Swan” Darren Aronofsky
• “The Fighter” David O. Russell
• “The King's Speech” Tom Hooper
• “The Social Network” David Fincher
• “True Grit” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

I'm a bit sad that Christopher Nolan was shut out again. I see Inception as more of a director's film than a writer's film, and since he did both, the writing nomination makes less sense than a directing would. However, I know it was just a case of David O. Russell and the Coen brothers giving us more prestigious films. Nolan can call up Spielberg and talk about being shut out because of directing good movies that happen to be blockbusters. Peter Weir adds another great film to his already stunning resume with The Way Back. Jacques Audiard made a film that I think will be studied for generations and David Michod gave us a stunning debut with Animal Kingdom. Tom Hooper, with whom I was not familiar before The King's Speech, used some old-school techniques masterfully. David Fincher didn't give us his career best, but even his second, third and fourth best efforts are better than the efforts of most directors during any given year.

• "Inception" Christopher Nolan
• "The King's Speech" Tom Hooper
• "A Prophet" Jacques Audiard
• "The Social Network" David Fincher
• "The Way Back" Peter Weir

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• “127 Hours”
• “The Social Network”
• “Toy Story 3” 
• “True Grit” 
• “Winter's Bone”

Each of these are exceptional screenplays. I might substitute in Never Let Me Go but I don't know what I would take out, so I'll just leave it as is. The Way Back is one of the better adapted screenplays of the year. How to Train Your Dragon features a screenplay on par with Toy Story 3.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• “Another Year”
• “The Fighter” 
• “Inception”
• “The Kids Are All Right” 
• “The King's Speech” 

Mike Leigh creates the best dialogue of any screenwriter working right now. His work is so real and easygoing, even when dealing with heavy emotions. His work in Another Year is stunning. The dialogue in Inception is mostly exposition, yes, but Nolan carefully crafted each of these levels and unique worlds for each. Foreign favorites Ajami, Animal Kingdom and A Prophet are all worthy of nominations.

• "Animal Kingdom"
• "Another Year"
• "Inception"
• "The King's Speech"
• "A Prophet"

Foreign Language Film

• “Biutiful” Mexico
• “Dogtooth” Greece
• “In a Better World” Denmark
• “Incendies” Canada
• “Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)” Algeria

Of these nominees, I've only seen Biutiful and Dogtooth. In a Better World looks incredible, certainly. Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) is a sequel to Days of Glory (Indigene), a previous nominee in the category and a film which I liked very much. I haven't heard very good things about Incendies, but it could just depend on the viewer. I did see Israel's submission, The Human Resources Manager and thought it was not nearly as in-your-face but every bit as good as Dogtooth.

Animated Feature Film

• “How to Train Your Dragon” 
• “The Illusionist” 
• “Toy Story 3” 

I can't decide which film I like more, How to Train Your Dragon or Toy Story 3. Thrilled to see Sylvain Chomet nominated again for The Illusionist. Great set of films this year.

Art Direction

• “Alice in Wonderland” 
• “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” 
• “Inception” 
• “The King's Speech” 
• “True Grit” 

Good nominees. Obvious others include TRON Legacy and the cold modernism of The Ghost Writer. I might add contemporaries such as Animal Kingdom, A Prophet and one that people might not think of, Lebanon. Every frame of Lebanon, except the first and last, take place inside an army tank. The Illusionist and Shutter Island are worthy contenders as well.

• "Alice in Wonderland"
• "Inception"
• "The King's Speech"
• "Lebanon"
• "TRON Legacy"

Cinematography

• “Black Swan” 
• “Inception” 
• “The King's Speech” 
• “The Social Network” 
• “True Grit” 

Nothing upsetting here, but I might consider a few changes. The Way Back, Biutiful and 127 Hours are all very strong. A Prophet and Animal Kingdom both possess a unique individuality to their cinematographies. 

• "Animal Kingdom"
• "Black Swan"
• "Inception"
• "The King's Speech"
• "The Way Back"

Costume Design

• “Alice in Wonderland” 
• “I Am Love” 
• “The King's Speech” 
• “The Tempest” 
• “True Grit” 

Perhaps the most contemporary group of nominees ever in a single year. Inception and The Fighter have both been unjustly ignored in this arena. Agora and Robin Hood were nice, but we've seen all of that before.

• "The Fighter"
• "I Am Love"
• "Inception"
• "The King's Speech"
• "True Grit"

Film Editing

• “Black Swan”
• “The Fighter” 
• “The King's Speech” 
• “127 Hours”
• “The Social Network”

127 Hours editing really captures Danny Boyle's energy. The editing in Ajami really assists the broken narrative line and was put together very carefully.

• "Ajami"
• "The Fighter"
• "Inception"
• "The King's Speech"
• "127 Hours"

Makeup

• “Barney's Version”
• “The Way Back”
• “The Wolfman”

I've heard that the aging work in Barney's Version is very good, but I did not see the film. I am impressed with the transformative work seen in trashing up the characters in The Fighter. Inception and Shutter Island have some good work on display too.

• "The Fighter"
• "The Way Back"
• "The Wolfman"

Music (Original Score)

• “How to Train Your Dragon”
• “Inception”
• “The King's Speech”
• “127 Hours” 
• “The Social Network” 

I love each of these scores. The only two I would also liked to have seen nominated are Daft Punk's score for TRON Legacy and Rachel Portman's score for Never Let Me Go. The music in I Am Love is very good but did not qualify.

• "How to Train Your Dragon"
• "Inception"
• "The King's Speech"
• "Never Let Me Go"
• "TRON Legacy"

Music (Original Song)

• “Coming Home” from “Country Strong”
• “I See the Light” from “Tangled”
• “If I Rise” from “127 Hours”
• “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3"

I'm fine with these nominees, although it certainly isn't the most exciting group and the public as a whole doesn't know a single one of these songs well enough to automatically associate it with it's film. I would only add "Me and Tennessee" from Country Strong.

• "Coming Home" from "Country Strong"
• "I See the Light" from "Tangled"
• "If I Rise" from "127 Hours"
• "Me and Tennessee" from "Country Strong"
• "We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3"

Sound Editing

• “Inception” 
• “Toy Story 3”
• “TRON Legacy”
• “True Grit”
• “Unstoppable”

This is surely one of the areas in which 127 Hours excels, as well as How to Train Your Dragon and Lebanon.

• "Inception"
• "127 Hours"
• "Lebanon"
• "TRON Legacy"
• "True Grit"

Sound Mixing

• “Inception”
• “The King's Speech” 
• “Salt” 
• “The Social Network”
• “True Grit”

Admittedly, I'm still learning about this category as well. I know the difference between the two sound categories, but I'm still keeping an ear out (Ha!) for what makes a film strong in this field. All of these nominees seem worthy and I'm glad Salt made it in particular. However, in my limited knowledge, TRON Legacy, The Way Back, Lebanon and Animal Kingdom might have more to offer here. 

• "Animal Kingdom"
• "Inception"
• "TRON Legacy"
• "True Grit"
• "The Way Back"

Visual Effects

• “Alice in Wonderland”
• “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1”
• “Hereafter”
• “Inception”
• “Iron Man 2”

Sure, young Jeff Bridges didn't look very good in TRON Legacy, but the rest of the film was stunning. It should be in here. I predicted Hereafter to make it in, and it rightfully did. I would substitute TRON Legacy and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World in over things we have already seen in Iron Man 2 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.

• "Alice in Wonderland"
• "Hereafter"
• "Inception"
• "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World"
• "TRON Legacy"

Documentary (Feature)

• "Exit through the Gift Shop"
• "Gasland"
• "Inside Job"
• "Restrepo"
• "Waste Land"

I've only actually seen Exit through the Gift Shop and if any of these is better, I would be surprised.


My nomination totals:
11 - Inception
10 - The King's Speech
6 - Animal Kingdom
6 - True Grit
6 - The Way Back
5 - The Fighter
5 - 127 Hours
5 - TRON Legacy
4 - A Prophet
4 - Winter's Bone
3 - Another Year
3 - The Social Network
3 - Toy Story 3
2 - Ajami
2 - Alice in Wonderland
2 - Biutiful
2 - Black Swan
2 - Country Strong
2 - How to Train Your Dragon
2 - Lebanon
2 - Never Let Me Go
1 - Dogtooth
1 - Easy A
1 - Get Low
1 - The Ghost Writer
1 - Hereafter
1 - I Am Love
1 - The Illusionist
1 - In A Better World
1 - Incendies
1 - Nowhere Boy
1 - Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)
1 - Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
1 - Tangled
1 - The Wolfman

"Get Low" with Georgia cinema

Although Get Low was released just this summer, I remember two years back, reading an announcement in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution calling for as many extras as possible to show up at Picket's Mill (a historic site near Acworth, Georgia) in their best Depression-era clothing. I thought about attending. I was even willing to skip my classes (not really a stretch for me anyway). Unfortunately, I had just taken most of my Depression-era clothes to the dry-cleaners and they weren't going to be ready for a few more days.

Whether I am privy to the filmmaking or not (usually not), I often like to support movies that are filmed locally. I saw Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd at the cinema (mistake) and I'll probably see the remake of Footloose (impending mistake), since I have already made a 'set visit.'

While it is always wonderful seeing familiar surroundings on the big screen, it is often not worth the price of the movie ticket. This time, my local pride didn't turn out to be a waste of money. Get Low was worth every penny, regardless of my geographic sentiments.

The film tells the tale of a crazy old man (Robert Duvall) living in seclusion outside a small town full of people who spread all sorts of rumors about him. Of course, there is one person in town (Lucas Black) who sees a heart of gold deep down inside the crazy old man. There is even a person in town (Sissy Spacek) who knew the old crazy before he was old and crazy. Then, you have the struggling business owner (Bill Murray) who, being a yankee outsider, has nothing to lose by cozying up to the town crazy. When the old crazy sees his days coming to an end, he decides to invite everyone to come tell stories about him at his funeral... while he is alive... at his funeral.

Of course, this story is pleasant enough by itself, but the movie really shines when we start to learn why he shut himself off from others for forty years and what emotional damage has resulted. A good cast was needed to bring all of this to life, and a good cast was delivered.

No one is going to ignore a group that includes Robert Duvall (six Oscar nominations, 1 win), Sissy Spacek (6 Oscar nominations, 1 win) and Bill Murray (one Oscar nomination). I suppose Bill Murray will appeal more to younger audiences than the other two, but Duvall and Spacek have both proved to still be worthy of the 'household name' moniker. These three are in top form here and while Oscar buzz exists for all three, Duvall stands the best chance of a nomination. Spacek could find herself in the Best Supporting Actress race if the usually crowded category doesn't see more worthy entrants soon (personally, Jacki Weaver is still the one to beat). Bill Murray will likely be forgotten as the studio will see more of a need to push for Duvall's nomination, but I don't feel that Murray is even the most deserving Supporting Actor nominee anyway. I would give that distinction to Bill Cobbs, who plays an old pastor friend who knows the answer to why Duvall isolated himself.

This is the first meaty role for Cobbs in quite a while. The actor is used to smaller character parts and television roles (and that Peter Cetera Heineken commercial). I think he delivers more depth to his performance than any other supporting player. Unfortunately, I must be alone in my opinion, as Cobbs has gone by relatively unnoticed so far.

Lucas Black puts up a good performance as well. With already a good set of films under his belt, he is on his way to a sturdy career. Besides, it is impossible for me not to be a fan of his, with that unwavering Southern accent (we need more of these in Hollywood) and the fact that he looks a bit like the missing link between me and my brother.

Oscar winning composer Jan A.P. Kaczmarek put together a nice score, with the help of Jerry Douglas and The Steeldrivers. Alison Krauss also offers up a song over the credits. I would easily recommend this soundtrack.

The cinematography isn't the best I've seen this year, but you can tell there was an artful eye behind the lens. The beautiful Georgia scenery doesn't hurt either, and it serves as an extremely appropriate substitute for Tennessee (where the film takes place). The costumes are good enough to be in contention for the Oscar, which only makes me regret not showing up in my Great Depression suit.

Aaron Schneider has made an impressive directorial debut with Get Low, seeing as his film finds a nice balance between aesthetics and performances. I'm happy the film has found the audience it deserves.

Jacki Weaver, Queen of the "Animal Kingdom"

I've got it pretty good here in Atlanta. My home is both a city that I love and the cultural capital of the South. We don't usually get first week openings for art films... those are pretty much exclusively for New York and Los Angeles. It is not even that common that we get second week openings either... go to Chicago, San Francisco or Boston for those. But Atlanta still gets the art films. I am thankful for that. I have no problem waiting three weeks to see something that if I lived elsewhere, I might never get a chance to see in the cinema.

I saw the trailer for Animal Kingdom a couple of months ago at home, one day when I was in the mood to just watch some movie trailers. I headed over to Apple's trailer collection and watched several trailers for films which either had titles or posters that struck my fancy. Animal Kingdom had both. And the trailer was even better.

Immediately, Jacki Weaver stands out in the trailer. First off, she the only female shown to have any lines (there are a couple more in the film, but the roles aren't nearly as large). Secondly, she looks supremely menacing.

A few weeks into the film's US release, it hit Atlanta. I went to see it the day it came out here and it met every one of my high expectations head-on. Animal Kingdom is akin to Israel's Ajami, minus the broken narrative structure and with a singular focus on one family. Funny that I liken it to Ajami, seeing as these two films are both among my top three for the year so far.

I imagine the Australian Film Institute Awards will have a field day with Animal Kingdom. The film is marvelously paced. Every bit its two hours moves with swift but meaningful pace, thanks to a strong screenplay and an exceptional ensemble. Newcomer James Frenchville carries the film from the first frame. A stone-faced exterior eventually gives way to show his vulnerability and, ultimately, his shrewdness. Frecheville is very solid in the film, but veteran Aussie actors Weaver, Ben Mendelsohn, Sullivan Stapleton and Guy Pearce walk away with more of the audience's attention.

Let's talk about Jacki Weaver. Weaver plays the mother of four sons who are involved in a variety of crimes... bank robbery, drugs, murder. When Frenchville's character, J, calls her after his mother dies of a heroin overdose, she resumes her grandmotherly duties after having been absent from his life for many years. While her boys take care of her, you never feel as though she is helpless. In return, she dotes on them with long kisses on the mouth. I know... right? These kisses might seem incestuous, but aren't. They are simply how she casts her spell.

"All of her four children had different fathers. They were violent criminals. She has consorted with criminals all of her life and has made a living out of the proceeds of criminal behavior — that is why she condones and encourages the boys. I think she's a woman without a conscience, a sociopath." - Jacki Weaver, Los Angeles Times interview

Maintaining a confident presence amidst all of the havoc that arises; when we finally see her break down... mascara running from those unflinching and devilish eyes... we are perhaps even less sympathetic than we were before. And after we see her choose between one of her sons and her grandson, we know that she is the one who has been in charge all along.

Even with her standing out in the trailer, I didn't expect her performance to be this good. In this day and age, Oscar-watching is a tremendously popular internet hobby. Buzz is generated for performances months before they are seen. Animal Kingdom won the World Cinema Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival, but I had yet to hear much about it. When you come across a performance that jumps out and strangles you, and you hadn't already been told to expect it, it seems all the more powerful. She plays Janine "Smurf" Cody with an unwavering intensity... both in the character's disturbing nature and in the consistency of the performance.

I hope Sony Pictures Classics stays on top of the game and puts on a good campaign for her. While it seems that the Best Supporting Actress category is one of the easier groups in which to find inclusion when the film isn't exactly up to par, it helps that Animal Kingdom is a very good film. Other nominations would be well-deserved, but are very unlikely for an Australian film with such limited distribution.

This is director David Michôd's first feature film. He wrote Weaver's part specifically for her and thank goodness for that. Whether or not the film attains any Oscar nominations come January, Michôd can at least take comfort in his first film being a job well done.

Atlanta Film Festival 2010: What I'm attending

While 2010 marks only my fourth time attending, the Atlanta Film Festival has been going, and growing, since 1977. Three years ago, I saw La vie en Rose and was blown away by Marion Cotillard's performance. Several months later, I blogged about it and was correct in what I had predicted. Two years ago, I decided to see another French film at the festival, Hors de prix (Priceless). The film is a modern take on Breakfast at Tiffany's starring Audrey Tautou and while it was fun to watch, it wasn't quite to the same level as what I had seen the year before. Last year, I was able to check out two films. I had already been anticipating (500) Days of Summer well before I found out it was screening at the festival, so it was a no-brainer. That Evening Sun was a film I chose to see based on its chilling trailer and star, Hal Holbrook. If you look back at my Oscar ballot, you will see that I doled out seven nominations between the two films and then went on to list That Evening Sun as my #11 film of the year and (500) Days of Summer as my #3 of the year.

The point I am trying to make is that, typically, the films I have seen at the Atlanta Film Festival have made an impact on me.

This year, I have tickets to see four films. One is a locally shot zombie comedy and three are festival darlings. I could potentially see a fifth film as well.



Pushin' Up Daisies was shot in and around Athens, Georgia. While I'm a bit tired of my generation's obsession with zombies and zombie movies, this looks pretty funny. It's about a crew shooting a documentary about flowers when a bunch of zombies show up. They aren't dangerous, but they get in the way of the shoot. It looks pretty hilarious and I'm excited about it opening up my time at the festival.




The Things We Carry is the second film I'll be attending. The fantastic title stood out so much to me that it was the first film I looked into after they posted the list of films screening this year. The film looks to be a bit emotionally heavy, which is not a bad thing. It is about a woman reconnecting with her sister and drug-addicted mother. It won seven awards at the Wild Rose Independent Film Festival and also showed at Boston Film Festival and Hollywood Film Festival.



Winter's Bone is the film I am most excited about seeing this year. This film won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance this year and did well at Berlin too. It is already getting Oscar buzz much like An Education and Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire did last year (and we know how that turned out). Set in the Ozarks, Jennifer Lawrence's character has to find her meth-addicted dad and keep her family together. I'm expecting this one to be very good.




Cold Weather has gotten a lot of good buzz after it screened at SXSW earlier this year. The film is a bit of a mystery to me... which is good, as the film is a mystery film. I have a good feeling about this one. It looks like it could be a bit like Primer, and that can only be a good thing. This will be the last film I see at the festival this year, so I'm hoping to go out on a high note!




Dear Lemon Lima is potentially another film I will see at the festival. Stylistically, it looks a bit like a cross between Napoleon Dynamite and Juno (which I have heard others say as well). It is about a teenage girl in Alaska coming to terms with her heritage during her most awkward years. I like that Melissa Leo and Beth Grant, two of the best character actresses around, are in the supporting cast. I hope I'm able to catch this one.

The Best Films of 2009

Honorable mentions:
Julie & Julia, Bronson, Il Divo, Away We Go, The Road, State of Play, Brothers, The Baader Meinhof Complex, Adventureland, Watchmen

25. Entre les murs (The Class) - An 2008 Oscar nominated foreign language film that is filled with personality and beautifully written characters.

24. The Blind Side - While lacking in much artistry, this film has a lot of heart and is anchored by Sandra Bullock at her best.

23. Bright Star - Not exactly fast-paced... but extremely lush. The cast is excellent, but the true stars are the beautiful costumes, cinematography and music.

22. Duplicity - A very smart screenplay is made a lot more accessible by the fun cast.

21. The Boys are Back - Don't let the lame name keep you from seeing this. A beautiful color palette and a great performance from Clive Owen make this worth a watch. I'm a sucker for melancholy bereavement movies.

20. The Informant! - Absolutely one of the best screenplays of the year. Matt Damon is the best he's ever been. Hilarious.

19. Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire - Very hard to watch, but this movie is layered with a ton of emotional depth. A great lead performance by Gabourey Sidibe and a super-strong supporting cast.

18. Up - While I prefer Ratatouille and even Wall-e, this movie is beautiful. Perhaps the most emotionally weighty animated film ever made.

17. Public Enemies - Michael Mann is an excellent filmmaker.

16. Where the Wild Things Are - I love when films have their own sense of style, and this one certainly does. A rich adaptation.

15. District 9 - Sharlto Copley completely owns this film. A surprising summer hit with a lot of technical merit.

14. Up in the Air - Not as deep as I wanted, but there is no denying the achievement of both the cast and the filmmakers. Really well put together and very relevant.

13. In the Loop - Probably the funniest movie of the year. The screenplay is so crude, but it is undeniably clever.

12. Avatar - The most successful movie ever, the most ambitious movie ever, an undeniable technical marvel. I loved it... but lets not make it more than it is.

11. That Evening Sun - I saw this at the Atlanta Film Festival last April and was hooked immediately. Hal Holbrook was robbed of his second Oscar nomination and the supporting cast should have scored some nods too. A truly gritty Southern film with a lot of soul.

10. Moon

In a strong year for sci-fi film, Moon stands out, thanks to an incredible performance from Sam Rockwell and a haunting visual vibe reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

09. Gomorra

Not much is explained to you, but you are taught a lot about the modern Italian mafia in this razor-sharp film. It is unnerving how real Gomorra feels.

08. Crazy Heart

Not an overly complex film, but Crazy Heart is full of charm. Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal are wonderful and the music is fantastic. This was one of the best times I've had in the theater lately.

07. Inglourious Basterds

Quentin Tarantino put his eccentric, gory sensibility aside... well, partially... and made Inglourious Basterds a classy film that is supremely entertaining. A score full of old Ennio Morricone standards doesn't hurt matters.

06. Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wes Anderson's aesthetic transfers just as easily to animated film. A superb screenplay, voice-cast and art direction make Fantastic Mr. Fox easily the best animated film of the year.

05. Star Trek

Leave it to J.J. Abrams to not only reboot a tired, old franchise... but to make it into one of the best popcorn movies ever and one of the absolute best films of the year. Star Trek got everything right.

04. The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker is both visually and emotionally engrossing. Kathryn Bigelow's hand is all over this sharp war film. Great cinematography is highlighted by great editing.

03. (500) Days of Summer

As if seeing this at the Atlanta Film Festival and having my one true love in it weren't enough to make me crazy over this film, (500) Days of Summer is also really fresh, funny, innovative and... well... great. This film will follow around my generation much like Annie Hall did to its.

02. A Serious Man

The Coen Brothers once again prove themselves to be masters of dark comedy. A Serious Man is layered and almost poetic in how well it flows. This film has one of the best ensembles of the year to execute one of the best original screenplays of the year.

01. An Education

While the complexities of An Education might not be as obvious as those in other films this year, they are definitely present in Carey Mulligan's stunning performance, as well as in the performances of Peter Saarsgard, Alfred Molina, Cara Seymour, Rosamund Pike, Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams and Emma Thompson. This film boasts one of the best ensemble casts in recent memory. Nick Hornby's screenplay is really great and Lone Scherfig and her crew really created a lavish look at early 1960s London. The soundtrack, costumes, set design and cinematography are all top notch.