Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Jamie Didn't Make it to War Horse

Okay folks, we are now in the final week before the Oscars and I almost made it to all 9 best picture nominees, but not quite.  As the title of this post indicates, War Horse didn’t quite happen, and given my schedule for the rest of the week, it isn’t going to.  It’s this year’s Black Swan, which I am defining as the best picture nominee I didn't make it to before the Oscar ceremony.  Since they don’t actually let me vote, I think it’ll be okay.  Instead I’ll rank the rest of the list, which I must say I felt was a little weak this year.
1)      Hugo
2)      Midnight in Paris
Hugo & Midnight in Paris are very nearly tied, far above all the others, and not at all weak.  Hugo earns my number one vote due largely to the brilliant visuals and the number of tears cried. The emphasis on visuals makes sense as it is based on a book that relies on just that, however that doesn't always translate to film and it certainly did here.  Each shot was perfect -well done Marty (it's okay if I call him Marty, right? I like to think that it's okay, just let me have this one), and how can you not vote for a movie that pays homage to the art of creating movies and respecting the artists before you.  Midnight in Paris is so wonderfully “Woody Allen” from the very first lines we hear Owen Wilson speak over the credits.  If this was 20 years ago, you know we’d be seeing Allen play the lead, but Wilson fills in brilliantly.  I feel like the movie almost cheats its way into my heart, using the fabulous background of Paris and bringing to life classic authors and artists from the past.  I left feeling like I too had just grabbed drinks with Hemingway and danced with Zelda.
3)      Moneyball
4)      The Help
I made a point to read both of these books before seeing the movie, and I’m glad I did, although it may have impacted my opinion of these two solid, but not amazing films.  As is usually the case, the books are much better.  Only baseball nerds like me are likely to think that about Moneyball, as there are definitely some dryer moments in the book that only those of us who live to follow everything that Nate Silver writes will get excited about. They had to cut a bunch of stuff out of the book to give it a coherent narrative, and I feel that took a little away from my interest in the story (specifically the very exciting details leading up to the draft in the book).  It was still very intriguing with great performances by Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and the always flawless Phillip Seymour Hoffman. No one (except my mother, interestingly enough) talks about his performance as manager Art Howe, but it was, in my opinion, the best in the film.  The Help was an inspiring film that is put on another level (the Oscar level) by the brilliant performances.  I was less impressed by Jessica Chastain (although after seeing Tree of Life, I feel this was a nomination for her year as a whole, more on that below), not because of her, but because of how much Celia’s storyline was gutted.  However, Viola Davis & Octavia Spencer were perfectly cast and turned in phenomenal performances.  Scene stealer award goes to the always excellent Sissy Spacek, whose brief screen time was a wonderful addition.
5)      Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
I am ranking this higher than a lot of people, and way higher than I expected I would when the list of nominees was first announced.  I think that while some films on this list (The Artist) suffered for my high expectations, this film benefited from my lowered expectations. That said, I don’t know that I would put this on the best picture list if it wasn’t for the lead performance by Thomas Horn.  I don’t know where this kid came from and I haven’t looked up what else he has been in, but his performance was riveting and absolutely the thing that made this film.  Slight spoiler, I also think this film was made (for me) by the twist that Sandra Bullock’s (who also turned in a very good performance) character turned out to not be a horrible mother, but an amazing one.
6)      The Descendants
Another one where I read the book first, however I didn’t love this book the way I loved the other two, so I was able to watch the film with a little less criticism from that angle.  Now is a good time to point out what should be obvious, that this list is purely my opinion, which includes not only quality of filmmaking, but whether or not I “liked” the film. As I read the book, I instantly saw why George Clooney was cast in this roll, it was, to me, a strikingly similar character to the one he played in Up in the Air.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to see Clooney turn in a significantly different performance, and yet just as good.  I think this is a well-made film with solid acting (I’ll get on the Shailene Woodley should have been nominated bandwagon here), I just didn’t enjoy it as much as the others.
7)      The Artist
I am probably going to cinephile hell for this.  I think my expectations were too high.  I mean, I enjoyed this film, I did.  It truly felt like I was watching an old movie (and I saw it at the Harvard Exit, one of my favorite theatres in Seattle for its excellent ambiance) and after a slow start I was fully engaged in what was happening.  But I was expecting movie magic after all the hype and I was a little disappointed. It was a great tribute to film, but certainly not the best picture of the year to me.  If I want to watch a movie about the transition from silent films to talkies, I’ll stick with Singin’ in the Rain.
8)      Tree of Life
I am either not spiritual or intelligent enough to get this movie.  I found it slow and boring (I even fast forwarded the DVD a few times, while nothing was happening).  Jessica Chastain gave a very solid performance, which I think may have factored into her getting nominated for a much more engaging film, ditto Brad Pitt.  It seemed like a waste of Sean Penn’s immense talents to have him wander around.  But again, perhaps I just didn’t get it.


That said, I won't be surprised to see The Artist walk away with the grand prize, but I'm holding out hope for Hugo.  More likely we'll see The Artist take best picture, Scorsese take best director, Woody Allen win for best original screenplay, and Aaron Sorkin for adapted screenplay.  Spread the love around this year.  More predictions: George Clooney for Best Actor (unless it goes to Jean Dujardin), and Viola Davis will win for Best Actress (and if she doesn't, Meryl Streep will feel terrible and say so during her acceptance speech).  Christopher Plummer will take Best Supporting Actor (cause Captain Von Trapp needs an Oscar), Octavia Spencer for Best Supporting Actress (I cannot imagine a better Minnie), and the Muppets will take Best Song.  Of course, I could be completely wrong.  I mean, I haven't even listened to that song from Rio.

Books read: 12

Coming soon: Sarah delves into the shady underworld of the Bellingham bar scene, and compares it to her favorite film noir flicks.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Kacey Discusses Unseen Characters....

Many times a day I imagine my life is a sitcom and pause for laughter. Sometimes it comes and sometimes it doesn’t. *pauses*

There are many different types of highly entertaining sitcoms and Jamie and I, being experts in television, could discuss what makes a good sitcom for a long while. One day I plan to write a sitcom based around my family…so stay tuned for that… but for now this blog will have to do. One ingredient that some, but not all, sitcoms have is the all-imsportant unseen character.

 Let’s review some…

Cheers (sitcom royalty) had Vera, Norm’s wife. She was popular topic of conversation for Norm, however never actually came to the bar.

Frasier kept the tradition of its originator (Cheers) and had Niles’ wife Maris stay hidden from view at all times, all though she was a driving force in Niles’ life.

Will and Grace had the great Stanley Walker whom the audience imagined as being the largest man ever from Karen’s description.

Friends had the Ugly Naked Guy, and while he wasn’t referenced every episode and eventually left, provided lots of jokes, while leaving lots to the imaginations.

A few honorable mentions:

Tino from My So-Called Life. Not a sitcom, but he was a classic often mentioned, never seen character that managed to always have some sort of “connection” for the main characters. Even if Tino wasn't the guy, he always knew a guy.

Howard’s Mom (Big Bang Theory)- She’s not totally hidden because we hear her so often, she’s simply kept out of view, again leaving the audience only to visualize someone to go with the voice. And what a voice it is.

Wilson from Home Improvement - while not completely hidden, they did keep him behind the fence for the majority of the series. Even when Tim & Jill went over to his house for dinner, the audience only saw Wilson from behind various household items.

Okay, now you’re wondering “why on earth did you bring this up Kacey?” And I bring it up because as you may have noticed this blog is about 3 sisters, but only two of use every post. Sarah is always around, she’s just off-screen at the moment. We're certain she'll be posting soon and you certainly wouldn't want to miss that. The appearance, or even near appearance of an otherwise unseen character is the stuff of ratings gold.

Coming soon: Sarah analyzes the importance of dreams through the Buffy season 4 finale, Restless