Dispatches from an Artistic Director

NaFF Films Nab Independent Spirit Nominations

2009-12-01T12:19:00.006-06:00

2009 Opening Night Presentation, (500) Days of Summer is nominated for Best Picture. Additionally the film was nominated for Best Screenplay and Joseph Gordon-Levitt was nominated for Best Actor. Audience Award Winner That Evening Sun picked up two nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Mia Wasikowska - note: she'll be playing Alice in Tim Burton's upcoming Alice in Wonderland) and Best Supporting Actor (Ray McKinnon). Finally, Dia Sokol - whose directorial debut Sorry, Thanks made its Southeast US Premiere at the fest, is nominated for the Piaget Producers Award for two of her other films Beeswax and Nights & Weekends

If there's a surprise snub in all of this its the fact that Film Independent was aware enough of That Evening Sun to nominate two of its actors but they failed to nominated Hal Holbrook in a career-capping performance that some think may bring him an Oscar nomination.

Still, all in all a pretty good showing for NaFF's class of 2009.

Oscars Announce Short List of 15 for Best Documentary Consideration

2009-11-18T21:32:00.004-06:00

The Academy has announced the short list of 15 films selected to contend for Best Documentary at the 2010 Oscars. Two of the fifteen films - Garbage Dreams and Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders - are on the list! Those who attended the 2009 NaFF got an early look at two great documentaries.

Our best wishes to the filmmakers and fingers, toes, legs, and elbows are all crossed that come nomination day, they will find themselves on that even shorter list.

As We Near the End of the Decade...2000

2009-11-10T09:31:00.012-06:00

Now seems as good a time as any to start reliving the decade that was the Aughts. There were up years and down years. There was, of course, the attacks of 9/11/01 and the two still-unfinished wars to follow - and those events have shaped not only the decade's politics, but its films as well. But, before all those things happened, we entered the century with hope. We were riding a (soon-to-burst) tech bubble. The internet could do just about anything, couldn't it? This was a time before Facebook, YouTube, and even MySpace was yet to become yesterday's news.

It was 2000 - and here are my Ten Favorite Films from that years.

#10 - Best in Show

Christopher Guest had just finished building his gigantic cult following with Waiting for Guffman a couple of years before, so there were many people salivating for what would come next. What came next was the subtle, sly, funny-as-hell Best in Show, a movie that just keeps getting funnier over time (and has helped dog shows improve their television ratings). Nearly all of the cast from Guffman return and the now-famous Jane Lynch and Jennifer Coolidge join the crew of varying dog owners, all striving to win Best in Show at what is clearly a parody of the Westminster Kennel Club show. Everyone is great, but Fred Willard steals the show as the clueless color commentator with lines like: "I went to one of those obedience places once... it was all going well until they spilled hot candle wax on my private parts." Wouldn't you just love to hear that on a live television show? Anywho - as we go along reviewing the decade, you'll note that the #10 slot each year will tend to be reserved for a film that I continue to enjoy years down the road. Best in Show is a perfect example.

#9 - Beau Travail

One does not often get the chance to see a female French director's adaptation of a Herman Melville story set in the West African enclave of Djibouti, so when one is given the chance, one should take it. So I thought when Claire Denis' enigmatic offering arrived in 2000. Based on 'Billy Budd', Denis' film is a visual stunning examination of the French Foreign Legion, an all-male society - its rituals, its pecking orders, and the cruel punishments levied upon those who break its ranks. Clearly Denis appreciates and respects the physicality of the life of a soldier. The daily routines and workouts are filmed in an almost elegiac manner. The story (what there is of it, plot is not the top priority here) takes off when private Sentain (Gregoire Colin) saves the life of a fellow soldier after his helicopter crashes into the Gulf of Aden. Instead of praise, Sergeant Galoup (Denis Levant) doubts his charges benevolence and begins to punish and persecute him for standing out. What ensues is a game of wills. But Denis doesn't fall into the traditional traps of a thriller - there's no good (indeed, Sentain only did what he did out of sense of duty, not out of kindness) or evil (Galoup merely wants to maintain order and if Sentain gets too much praise, he could upset the order of command). It's a mysterious film with a mysterious ending. One that I can't get out of my head nearly a decade later.

#8 - The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg

I'm not Jewish, nor am I a baseball fan, so it's testimony to Aviva Kempner's film that I count The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg - a documentary about a Jewish baseball player and champion slugger - among my favorite films of the decade. I'll readily admit, I had no idea who Greenberg was going in. And if you don't know who he is, here's a short intro: Greenberg, a Hall-of-famer, began his career in the midst of the Depression. Proudly Jewish (if not terribly observant), Greenberg challenged a nation filled with anti-Semitism (some from his fellow players and fans of the Detroit Tigers, for whom he played) and stereotypes. He would twice win MVP and threatened to break Babe Ruth's single-season home run record. The movie is great for introducing you to the man and giving you the context in which his achievements occurred. Perhaps the most revealing moment: his final year in the majors was 1947, the year Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. The fact that there is archival footage of the two of them on the diamond together is something to celebrate. Said Robinson of Greenberg: "He gave me encouragement, Mr. Greenberg is class. It stands out all over him." A man worthy of celebrating, a film worthy of him.

#7 - The Wind Will Carry Us

At the end of Abbas Kiarostami's quiet rumination on the simple life, a grizzled old doctor tells the protagonist (an engineer far from his urban home), "Observing nature is better than playing backgammon or doing nothing." He then defines death as the moment "you close your eyes on the beauty of the world." Indeed, after watching Kiarostami's films from this period (including the 1997 gem A Taste of Cherry), you feel as if you are alive and that your eyes are open. That said, some may find themselves lulled to sleep by Kiarostami's pacing. I however find that the pacing is exactly the point the doctor is making. Slow down and appreciate what surrounds you. Our protagonist - the engineer - is part of a team sent to the remote village of Siah Dareh to observe the mourning rituals of the community. But since, the woman expected to die isn't yet dead, he interacts with the villagers and instead of observing death, he learns how to live. Honestly, it couldn't be more simple. But it's from that simplicity that beauty blooms.

# 6 - Requiem for a Dream

Darren Aronofsky's fever dream of a movie is one of the darkest portraits of addiction ever put on screen. The next year, Jennifer Connelly would win an Oscar for A Beautiful Mind (blech) by saying things like, "I need to believe that something extraordinary is possible" (again, blech). She should have won for her work here. Which only proves that Oscar voters would rather here treacly inspirational lines what watch you do lines (and then there's that final scene which I can't bring myself to describe other than it involves a large plasticine phallys). Anyway, the imagery is intoxicating. The acting is astonishing (Ellen Burstyn also should have won), the score by Kronos Quartet is unforgettable, and you really feel like you need a shower when it's over. Seriously, this movie would probably do more to prevent kids from doing drugs than DARE. I've never gone back to watch it because it's so dark and yet, I can recall nearly every scene and image. A remarkable feat.

#5 - Dancer in the Dark

Everyone's favorite pixie, Bjork, stars as the 2000 version of a woman to be punished by the world. In this case, she's a single mother going blind, who endures terrible things in an attempt to save enough money for her son to get surgery that will prevent him from suffering her fate. But oh, what things she must suffer (don't they all in a Lars von Trier film?). So, to escape the cruelty of the world around her, she dreams that life is a 1930's era musical. With music and lyrics by BJork (it was a Best Original Song nomination that brought her to the Oscars in the now infamous swan dress), the film is an astonishing accomplishment. The same scene can induce cringes of pain followed almost immediately by rapturous joy. It's half Dogme; and half Warner Bros. If you haven't experienced it, you must. There's certainly been nothing quite like it before or after - although you might notice the influence of this film on Lee Daniels' upcoming Precious.

#4 - You Can Count on Me

Ken Lonergan, a renowned playwright and screenwriter, directed (so far) only one film - this 2000 gem starring Laura Linney (nominated for an Academy Award for the role) and Mark Ruffalo (should have been nominated for an Academy Award for this role). The story is simple: Linney is Sam, a struggling single mother trying to make ends meet when her prodigal brother Terry returns to their small New York town. You immediately get the sense that she loves him, but that she knows trouble follows him. She doesn't mind caring for him, but now her little boy is old enough to be influenced by his uncle, so she's wary. The siblings lost their parents in their teenage years to a car accident, so their bond is different from others; and that bond is so palpable that you can practically reach out and tough. The performance here are that remarkable. Lonergan is a master at dialogue, keeping it natural, never going over the top (he wouldn't write, "I need to believe in something extraordinary" - blech). In a scene near the film's end, Terry says to Sam: "Remember what we used to tell each other when we were kids?" Sam responds, "Yeah." And that's it. We're not privy to it, and that's fine (well, it's likely right there in the title, sure). Because that's how people talk to one another. And this whole movie is actually about how people live, act, breathe, behave and live. The characters become friends and while the film is not a tear-jerker in the traditional sense, you're sad at the end simply to see them go. If you've not revisited them or if you've never called them up, do so. You'll thank yourself and you'll thank a higher power for the incredible work of Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo.

#5 - George Washington

If you saw Pineapple Express last year, then you might be surprised that this 2000 film is by the same director, David Gordon Greene. This film burst onto the scene in 2000 at the Toronto Film Festival and was later released in New York, LA, and few other choice locations. Those who were able to catch it fell in love with it. I had to wait, finally catching it on video (the store nearest my home only had it on VHS, oddly) a couple years later. Boy howdy, am I glad I did. I have to borrow from my friend Roger Ebert here when he says:

"There is a summer in your life which is the last time boys and girls can be friends until they grow up. The summer when adolescence has arrived, but has not insisted on itself. When the stir of arriving sexuality still makes you feel hopeful instead of restless and troubled. When you feel powerful instead of unsure. That is the summer "George Washington" is about, and all it is about. Everything else in the film is just what happened to happen that summer.

This is such a lovely film. You give yourself to its voluptuous languor. You hang around with these kids from the poor side of town while they kill time and share their pipe dreams. A tragedy happens, but the movie is not about the tragedy. It is about the discovery that tragedies can happen."

It's hard for me to come up with any other way to put it. Tim Orr's cinematography is some of the finest I've seen in a film of this type. The cast of non-professionals are all perfect for their parts. It's simply a rare breed of a film. Criterion has since released a collectors' edition on DVD. If you've not seen this one, get thee hence. It's a perfect rainy afternoon movie.

#2 - Yi Yi (A One and a Two)

Even typing the title of Edward Yang's masterpiece, I get a little wistful. There's little other way to describe it other than to call it a family epic. But don't get too caught up in the term "epic". That implies grand scenery or glorious battles. There's plenty to look in Edward Yang's urban elegy, but the battles are interior. At the opening of the film, we attend a wedding with the Jian family - a fairly typical Taipei family. But like all typical families, they're struggling to keep things together. The patriarch, NJ, is dealing with work setbacks and the stirred up feelings of running into his high school girlfriend. His wife, Min-min, feels guilty over her mother's stroke and falls into depression. Their teenage daughter, Ting-ting, is torn between her growingly-troubled best friend and an attraction to a scrawny kid named Fatty. Finally, the youngest of the Jian clan, Yang-yang, is a curious eight-year-old who serves as the cypher for the audience. A lot of what is seen is from his point-of-view. And what a character Yang-yang is (is it coincidence that he's named for the director? I think not). He tells his dad, "I can't see what you see and you can't see what I see. So how can I know what you see?" To remedy that situation, he begins taking pictures of the backs of people's heads and giving them to them. Because what can't you see more than the back of your head? That's a perfect reflection of the way children think. And that's what makes this a perfect film. Every character thinks, acts, and screws up just like a human being. When the movie came to an end (three hours later), I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I was weeping. And yet, it's not a terribly sad ending by any means. It's simply so beautiful that it's practically overwhelming. Sadly, Edward Yang has left us. He died in 2007 at the age of 59. Yi Yi was his final gift to us. And I'm so grateful.

So, what could be better than this Taiwanese masterpiece? How about another Taiwanese masterpiece?

#1 - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Yeah...2000 was a hell of year for Taiwanese cinema. Along with Edward Yang's quiet family epic, came this true epic of Martial Arts mastery that still sends shivers down my spine and almost makes me believe that if I just concentrate enough, I could start running across the rooftops of my neighborhood or flying through the bamboo in my neighbor's back yard. Few films have been as transcendent as Ang Lee's rapturous ode to chaste love and the ability to wield a sword and kick some ass. The fight scenes between Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi are stunners. The cinematography is a glory - almost every shot seems to be a thank you to God, Mother Nature, or Chinese architecture. Tan Dun's score is still a stunner to this day. This is easily one of the few films that I could watch on an endless loop. There are films that I'm a total geek for (Heathers comes to mind); and there are films whose artistry I appreciate. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is one of the few movies where the two feelings collide. No foreign language film has come near it's remarkable $128,000,000 box office take; and I doubt one ever will again. The film was a zeitgeist that others attempted to capture and never quite could (both Hero and The House of Flying Daggers were great, but could never quite live up to their predecessor).

2000 was a great year for movies, producing a great number of classics and the second-tier of good films was quite hefty as well. Other films I enjoyed from 2000 include: Before Night Falls, Billy Elliot, Chicken Run, Chuck & Buck, Nurse Betty, O Brother Where Art Thou?, and Traffic.

Over the coming weeks, I'll recap my Top 10 of each year of the decade, culminating with the Top 10 of 2009 and then a final list of my best of the decade.

What are some of your favorites from 2000?

Toronto is Getting Really Busy

2009-09-16T19:18:00.003-05:00

Normally at this point, things would be slowing down with me. But, things are reversing course. Today was insane. Had a meeting with The Weinstein Company that was quite successful, I can't divulge the news yet, but I will at the appropriate moment.

In the meantime, I've seen some great movies over the past couple of days.

I'll give you details in the coming days. But suffice it for the moment that Jason Reitman's Up in the Air is definitely a big-time Oscar contender.

More from Toronto

2009-09-14T06:55:00.002-05:00

Sunday was the aftermath of the great bathroom flood of Ought Nine. So, I had to spend the first part of the day repacking 10 days worth of clothing and replacing damaged supplies (nothing too significant). Plus, had a couple of meetings - so only two movies to report on.

A Brand New Life - Ounie Lecomte - South Korea / France

Based partially on her own experiences, Ounie Lecomte's directorial debut is a beautifully realized story of loss and growth in childhood. Set in 1975, A Brand New Life introduces us to Jinhee, a young girl who loves her widowed father very much. Her father buys her a new dress and tells her it's time to take a trip. She's unaware that the trip is to an orphanage and that she will stay there until she finds a new family. Where many films could have collapsed into stark territory or turned their lead character into a saintly force fighting the demons of darkness and depression, Lecomte instead opts for realism and real emotions. Young Jinhee doesn't adapt easily at first - she fights the authority of the directors and lashes out at her peers. Eventually, she is taken under the wing of an older Sookhee, who teaches her the necessary things to do to impress potential parents. At first, Jinhee will have nothing to do with it, because she's sure her daddy is coming back to get her...but eventually, she learns the territory. Like absolute best deserts, this film is simple, sweet, and actually a little good for you. It never cloys or attempts to be overly cute. It's just an honest story about lifes massive shifts and how we has human beings adjust. Quite lovely.

Eccentricities of a Blonde-Haired Girl - Manoel de Oliveira - Portugal

Oliveira remains a mystery to most American movie-goers. I'm hardly an expert, having seen only four or five of his many works (his first came out in 1931 and at 101 years old, his latest is due out next year). This slight comedy of morals is a nice, if curious, addition to his oeuvre (when you've been making movies for nearly 80 years, you get to have your own oeuvre in my book - hell, it's practically a canon at this point!). Once again, a very simple tale of a young accountant who becomes infatuated with the blonde who lives in the apartment across the street from his office and the drastic effects it has on him. While set in present day, Oliveira's characters and actors seem to be in a film from the early part of the 20th Century, which adds to the charms of this dryly witty little film (it runs a scant 63 minutes). With such short length, it seems a bit of a lark, and it comes across that way. P&I crowd seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. It's light on its feet and fun for the more astute crowds (I don't see The Hills demographic getting into this one...)

Ran into Harmony Korine. I'm seeing his film Trash Humpers on Thursday. More meetings today along with a great selection of films.

More tomorrow!

Let me know if there's anything on the Toronto schedule you'd like me to see and I'll try to add it in before the end of the festival and let you know my thoughts...

Toronto Saturday

2009-09-13T09:28:00.002-05:00

Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire - Lee Daniels - USA

When you see precious, it's kinda hard to believe that Lee Daniels is basically known for that movie where Helen Mirren had an affair with Cuba Gooding, Jr. Okay, most of you probably don't remember that movie and Lee Daniels is probably the better for it. So, let's pretend he's starting out with Precious. Were it the case, it would be an incredible start, because it is an incredible movie. It is imperfect - Daniels makes some stylistic choices that take me out of the movie - but man can he handle actors. 17-year-old newcomer Gabby Sibide is heartbreaking and so right for the difficult part that it's hard to imagine Sapphire didn't have her in mind while writing the novel. Her face carries emotions in a way many polished actresses only wish they could. The few moments in the film where she experiences joy would brighten the entire theater (and we were in one of Toronto's dingier theaters for this Press & Industry screening). Mo'Nique, who won Best Actress at Sundance for her work here, is definitely on her way to an Oscar nomination. There is no doubt at all. None. Book it. She is utterly phenomenal as Precious's abusive mother. Her Oscar clip (God, I hope they bring those back) is a scene in the social worker's office. Despite all the evil that she has committed on screen against her daughter, she leaves nary a dry eye in the house. The best compliment to Mr. Daniels' ability to work with actors - folks, you won't believe it: even Mariah Carey is good! And that is probably the only time you'll ever see those words come from my keypad. If you've read the descriptions of Precious, you've probably heard about its bleakness. At the beginning of the film, we find out that Precious, at the age of 16, is pregnant with her second child as a result of her father's rape. This is hardly the setting for comedy. What is most amazing is that in this bleak and abusive landscape, Daniels leaves a glimmer of hope and moments of honest-to-God joy. This is a film that should be required viewing.

The Ape - Jesper Ganslandt - Sweden

Were it possible, I managed to follow Precious with a movie in a circumstance even more bleak (man, I can pick 'em). In Jesper Ganslandt (Falkenberg Farewell) a man awakens on his bathroom floor, his face and clothes streaked with blood. In a panic, he promptly washes the blood away and strips off his bloodied clothes. He bears no wounds. He then pops the Blue Tooth in his ear and bicycles to the auto repair shop, picks up his car and heads off to his job as a driving instructor. Obviously, the man has done something terrible - but what? The remaining 80 minutes or so is simply following the man (Olle Sarri - he was in Lukas Moodyson's brilliant 2000 film Together and he is very good here) as the clues slowly begin to reveal themselves as to what happened and as he descends further into a personal hell. Audience responses ranged from walking out in disgust to other claiming it to be sheer brilliance. I land somewhere between. I wasn't disgusted by it at all; but I wasn't completely enamored with it. The premise is interesting and it does make for a tense ride. However, there are a couple of plot holes that result from the structural set up and it can get a bit repetitive for my tastes. It does a good job of maintaining one's interest, though. I'd give it a mild recommendation.

The Trotsky - Jacob Tierney - Canada

Thank God for Canadian teenagers who think they are the reincarnation of Leon Trotsky. After the darkness of most everything I'd seen up to that point, it was a nice break to sit back and enjoy a goof-ball comedy. Everyone knows that high school is incredibly political; not everyone has used it as a jumping off point for an examination of a budding communist who, based on his predecessor's life, attempts to turn the Student Union into a...well, a Student UNION. Starring Jay Baruchel (he was the lead actor in Judd Apatow's briefly lived Fox series "Undeclared"), The Trotsky is an enjoyable goof on high school, communist ideology (no it doesn't completely poke fun at it, but it does poke fun at the naivete with which many young people enter into it), parental relations - and Canada. The only problem the film may have is that it is SOOOOOO Canadian that I don't know if it can have a life outside Canada. Jokes that had the locals in stitches (they make fun of a host of eTalk; Ontario gets an elbow to the rib; as do French Canadians) went right past my head. Okay, the French Canadian jokes didn't. I've been coming to Toronto long enough to know a few French Canadian jokes. Anyway, while nowhere near a masterpiece, The Trotsky is at least a pleasant diversion, if a little overly simplistic.

Face (Visage) - Tsai Ming-liang - Taiwan/France

Umm...You know that scene in Poltergeist, when the oldest daughter gets home from a date or something and the house is really going ape-shit and she screams in desperation and fear: "WHAT'S HAPPENING?" At about the 40 minute mark of Tsia Ming-liang's Face (Visage), that's about as close as I can possibly get to describing how I felt. And then, there were two hours left. I will try to break down the goings-on as best as I can understand them. In Face, a Taiwanese movie director (Lee Kang-sheng - in basically every Tsai movie) is directing a French film in Paris based on the story of Salome. In his real life, his mother, back in Taiwan has passed away and he must return to mourn her and tie up loose ends - like the fact that her body refuses to move on to the next world. Fanny Ardant is his French producer on the Salome film, and she travels to Taiwan with him to make sure he gets back to the complete his project. There's some singing, some dancing, and some utterly stunning visuals (it's never less than interesting to look at, even in the multiple moments when there's next to nothing on screen), multiple references to Francois Truffaut, Orson Welles, and Fellini, and Matthieu Almeric - possibly my favorite French actor - arrives for a quick bit of fellatio with Lee (literally, that's the only thing he does in the entire film).

It's quite impossible to say I hated the film. I can certainly say I didn't love it. But Tsai seems to have started spiraling out there. While always strange and narratively challenging, his previous works (What Time is it There?, Goodbye Dragon Inn, The River, The Hole) were centered and usually came with wonderfully satisfying conclusions. More recently with Face and his previous work The Wayward Clouds, he seems to have lost that center, leaving us no reference point for the absurdity. Tsai has a bit of a cult following and I think they will enjoy trying to fit the pieces of this mind-bending puzzle together, others will find it frustrating to no end. I've basically decided to sit back and let the visuals please the eye and move on. I may revisit it to see if there's anything I missed - this is probably NOT the best choice for the capper after four movies consecutively.

In other news: ran into NaFF juror Elvis Mitchell, we'll be meeting later this week. Ran into Variety reporter Joe Leydon who has covered NaFF and helped out at the fest and festival volunteer extraordinaire Zan Bruckner on there way to Robert Duvall's World Premiere of his new film Get Low. And when we got back to the hotel after a late dinner, we found our room completely flooded and most of our toiletries ruined! Hoo-ray!

So, tomorrow will be a light day as we recover, move to a new room, take meetings, and then later in the afternoon, catch a couple of movies.

For those who haven't already heard, from Venice:

Golden Lion to: Lebanon directed by Samuel Moaz (I'll be seeing that Wednesday morning).

Best Actor to Colin Firth for Tom Ford's A Single Man, the story of a gay college professor trying to put his life back together after the death of his partner.

Best Actress went to Ksenia Rappoport for The Double Hour.

For more on the Venice Awards...

BUZZ: Early word from many is that their favorite movie so far is the Jason Reitman comedy Up in the Air. After good reviews at is premiere in Telluride, Reitman looks to be on his way to Awards-season glory and it seems likely that his stars - George Clooney and Vera Farmiga - are as well. I may get to check it out Wednesday, so I'll let you know what I think.

Toronto is Underway

2009-09-11T18:52:00.000-05:00

Getting settled in took a bit longer than expected on Thursday (flying to Miami from Nashville to get to Toronto is a bit draining), so didn't get to catch any Thursday screenings, but got underway after a good night's rest today.

Samson & Delilah - Warwick Thornton - Australia

This Aboriginal tale is a bleak film about present-day circumstances for the original settlers of Australia. Filled with some beautiful cinematography, some devastating moments of violence and despair, and some unique use of music and sound, it certainly marks a huge step forward for Aboriginal filmmaking in Australia, but it's challengingly slow pace will limits its appeal to those accustomed to slower movies.

The White Ribbon - Michael Haneke - Austria

Michael Haneke has become one of my favorite working directors - in part, because he refuses to give into his audiences' whims. There is little in his films that doesn't challenge viewers to dig deeper. One must almost lean closer to the screen to see past the action to what is really happening. The White Ribbon is no exception. It's bleak and beautiful. The black-and-white cinematography is a marvel and the acting perfection. Like his masterpiece, Cache, it's dense and ambiguous. It frequently misleads you into seeking answers to questions he isn't really asking. The ending left many at the press & industry screening asking one another how they interpreted it. I obviously don't want to go into too much detail, but it's disturbing and fascinating to discuss and to ponder.

On a local note of interest: Got to sit next to Toby from the Belcourt! We both decided that the film needed to sit with us for a while before drawing final conclusions. To me, that's usually a sign that I'm going to end up thinking very, very highly of the film.

It's never less than fascinating even when it becomes a tad frustrating. Certainly one to catch. Presently, Sony Classics has it listed for the final weekend of the year.

Fall Movie Season Begins, Part 1 - A Look Back

2009-09-04T16:56:00.003-05:00

September is the official beginning of the Fall Movie season, but as usual, Hollywood is pretty much only releasing a few crappy films in the first couple of weeks (the best offering seems to be the mixed reviews for Mike Judge's Extract). So, in light of that, I thought I would take a look back at what the year has offered so far. Essentially, these are the films that were released (or that I saw that will be released later this year) that may have a shot at my year end Top 10 list. Keep in mind these are in alphabetical order, not preferential order, and second viewings could knock some out or make others rise.

Without further ado: here are some of my favorites so far:

(500) Days of Summer, Marc Webb - US

It's been a while since I've seen an American romantic comedy that I've enjoyed as much as this exuberant, silly, "meta" take on the genre. On one hand, (500) Days is an honest depiction of the ways we fall in (and out) of love; on the other, it's an amazing critique of the way movies shape (and screw up) our perceptions of what love should be. The are some "have-its-cake-and-eat-it-too moments in the film (the younger sister is meant to be a poke at the cliche of the too-wise-for-their-own-age younger sibling, but in the film she simply comes off as a cliche); but there is so much joy to be had in the film that its flaws are easily overlooked. "You Make My Dreams Come True" is worth the price of admission alone.

Afterschool, Antonio Campos - US

Opening at the end of October through IFC Films, Afterschool is probably the exact opposite of (500) Days of Summer. Where (500) Days is light and joy in spite of the darkness; Afterschool is little but darkness. Robert is an uncomfortable sophomore in an East Coast boarding school. His only socialization with classmates is his required involvement with the AV club, shooting stock footage for the annual video yearbook. Otherwise, his life is spent online - YouTube, porn, violence captured on cell phone cameras. In the midst of his work capturing the schools imagery his camera captures tragedy - two twins OD in the girls bathroom. From there, we get a searing portrait of the generation gap as brought to you by social networking. But it's much more than that. Antonio Campos' film questions our ability to perceive reality - suggesting that we only believe what we see on a 2.5 inch screen.

Best Worst Movie, Michael Stephenson - US

Don't know if this one is going to get a theatrical release or not, but I am telling you it's possibly the funniest documentaries that I have ever seen. In 1990, Troll 2 was unleashed upon the world to a resounding thud. A young family's vacation plans are ruined by, what else, vegetarian goblins (because there are no trolls in Troll 2 you see) who turn humans into plants and then eat them. The child star of that craptastic classic, Michael Stephenson, decided twenty years later, to revisit those times on the set. Interviews with the cast, the Italian couple who wrote and directed the film, and the fans who have turned this one-time crown-holder for Worst Film of All Time on IMDB's poll (it's currently #84 thanks to a resurgence largely due to this documentary) make up this celebration of creativity - even when it fails miserably. It's a great joy from beginning to end. Not only one of the funniest documentaries I've seen; easily one of the funniest movies of the year.

District 9, Neill Blomkamp - South Africa / New Zealand

Sci-Fi/Horror blends rarely come this thought-provoking and cheer-inducing. If you're looking for intriguing futuristic premises, you've got 'em. If you're looking for fantastic parallels to present-day situations, you got 'em. If you're looking for a little bit of cheeky humor, you've got it. If you're looking for incredibly special effect, you've got it. If you're looking for bloody gore, you've got it. Okay, I'm probably over-doing it, but this movie does have a little bit of everything. And thanks to the deft hand of novice director Neill Blomkamp, it all comes together perfectly. Kudos as well to a great lead performance from Sharlto Copley as an inept civil servant turned fugitive. As the summer came to a close, one film swept in to save us from the overblown, spirit-crushing pyrotechnics of Transformers and GI Joe, and proved that summer can come with a slice of (and a splattering of) brain.

Goodbye Solo, Ramin Bahrani - US

With only his third feature, Bahrani is quickly becoming one of the leaders in American independent cinema. He has done so through his honesty, his insight, and his slight, gentle hand. His first two films, Man Push Cart and Chop Shop were both nitty-gritty, neo-realist takes on the immigrant experience in America. Goodbye Solo loses a bit of the hand-held, you-are-there stylings, but it still tells an honest, touching story and still tells (at least in part) the immigrant experience. This time the immigrant is Solo, a Senegalese cab-driver in Winston-Salem, NC. One night, a elderly passenger ,William (a perfectly cast Red West), hops in his cab and offers him $1,000 to drive him into the Appalachians a couple of weeks and leave him there. From there a unique bond is formed between these two men - one, the image of the generation America is saying good-bye to; the other, the face of a new America. The fact that these two men grow to rely on one another turns a movie about despair into a beautiful tale of hope.

The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow - US

Finally, someone has made a movie about the Iraq War that is worth seeing. Unfortunately, after a long series of dreadful melodramatic polemics, no one was terribly interested in seeing it. The Hurt Locker is as intense as war films get. It will leave your nerves jangled as you follow Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brian Geraghty through their missions in Baghdad disarming IEDs and other incendiary devices meant to kill American soldiers and Iraqi civilians. Bigelow has always been a director ready to tussle with the boys. I've loved her work since the bizarre and luridly entertaining Near Dark. The fact that it was a woman director who captured the masculine energy of the war and managed to do so without creating a false or manipulated emotion only proves that one should never paint a female director into a corner (after all, how many decades have men been directing so-called "Women's Pictures"?). Bigelow should join Wertmuller and Campion in the Kodak Theater as only the third woman director to curry an Oscar nomination for her direction. Intensity knows no gender, and The Hurt Locker is viscerally intense.

In the Loop, Armando Iannucci - UK

Where was this film while Bush was still in office? Only a little bit less than timely, In the Loop is one of the finest political satires to come along in more than a decade. And while I went there, Iannucci's film doesn't really bother to poke directly at Bush or Blair - but rather at the gigantic political machines and the manipulations that occur within them. Dialogue has rarely been this smart and the performances from James Gandolfini (the closest thing to a huge star in the film) to the utterly brilliant Peter Capaldi are priceless. It's truly a movie that begs for a second viewing (if not more) if only to try to capture the whiz-bang dialogue that keep your brain constantly on its toes trying to keep up. It's not often that a film released in summer makes you feel dumb because IT is so smart. But I'll take a missed reference or two and a missed line or two - because I missed them from laughing so hard at what had come previously. Intelligent comedy seemed to be as rare as reasonable criticism of health care reform, but In the Loop has brought it back from the brink of death.

Inglorious Basterds, Quentin Tarantion - US

Phew! I'm still reeling over this one. There are flaws and I still believe that Tarantino caves into his worst instincts a time or two - but, when he's on his game, he's on it in ways he hasn't been since Jackie Brown. Christoph Walz, Melanie Laurent, and Diane Kruger lead a magnificent cast of European actors (who greatly outact their American counterparts - sorry, Brad), proving that Quentin knows how to get most things right - and if casting Europeans were the only thing he got right, that would likely be enough. Thankfully, there so much more he gets gloriously right.

Lake Tahoe, Fernando Eimbcke - Mexico

A deadpan comic delight from the director who previously brought us the witty Duck Season a couple years back. This time we follow Juan, a teenager seemingly like any other - lost in a sea of hormonal confusion, but clearly with something on his mind. In the opening scene, he crashes his parents' car into a pole. It won't re-start. So, after a quick call home to his little brother, he sets off into town to find the one part he needs to get the car restarted. The journey (filled with quirky characters) is the spine of the story; but with a single quick trip home, we realize that Juan isn't only lost as all teenage boys are - he's lost in grief. It's a coming of age tale that is also one of the most poignant portraits of loss you're likely to see this year.

O'Horten, Bent Hamer - Norway

By the time I realized O'Horten was playing in town it was on its last day. Forgive me Nashvillians, if I'd known earlier, I would have told you to run to the theater for this hilarious piece of Scandinavian comedy. If Lake Tahoe was deadpan, then O'Horten seems to have been directed by Bob Newhart on a roofie. It is deadpan. But (as you might be able to tell), I love deadpan humor. O'Horten is the simple story of a retired train conductor trying to figure out what to do with his life after giving up the only thing that's ever shaped his identity. In many ways it's a companion piece to Lake Tahoe - two people on opposite ends of life on a journey to find out who they are. When both become available on DVD, they might make an enjoyable double feature at home.

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, Hayao Miyazaki - Japan

Sure Ponyo is geared toward a much younger age than Miyazaki's previously US-released efforts (Howl's Moving Castle and Oscar-winning Spirited Away), but when it comes from the imagination of Japan's master of animation that matters little. One of my favorites of his works is the similarly kiddie-oriented My Neighbor Totoro, so calling up my inner five-year-old wasn't difficult for me. Ponyo is full of wit and is so lovingly dubbed by John Lassiter's Disney crew (including Matt Damon and Tina Fey) that it should have been a much bigger cross-generational hit. Too bad Americans don't seem willing to stretch themselves to try. Sure he's got his fan base, but nearly everywhere else in the world, his films are massive hits. Here, they are still only celebrated by his passionate cult. I'm glad I'm a part of it. You should be, too.

Silent Light, Carlos Reygadas - Mexico

I actually saw this film two years ago. Shortly after Toronto, it got picked up by Tartan USA, a studio that then immediately fell on hard times, leaving this gentle, beautiful portrait of life in the Mennonite communities of Northern Mexico (it's considered the first feature film in the Plautdeutch language) to languish on the shelf. It finally got a release earlier this year, arriving in Nashville only a couple of months ago. If you saw it, then you'll understand why it still lingers with me a full two years after I first saw it. From the nearly real-time opening shot of the sun rising over the plains to the nonchalance occurrence of something seemingly miraculous, Silent Light never fails to hypnotize. When the patriarch of the family opens up about the affair he's been having with another Mennonite woman, it threatens to not only tear him apart spiritually, but it threatens to destroy his orderly family and community life. In most films, this would be the stuff of sturm and drang. In Reygadas's hands, it becomes a cultural study filled with spiritual and philosophical inquiries into the meaning of love the depth of the human soul. I don't mind telling you that the film is bookended with a sunset - slow, lingering, and appropriate. It's the perfect way to ruminate over the subtle beauty of what you've just encountered.

Star Trek, JJ Abrams - US

I've called up my inner five-year-old, so why not call up my inner geek? I really enjoyed Abrams re-boot of the aging franchise. I liked that he cast a lot of basically no-named actors to star in the iconic roles, severing ties with the familiar completely. Yet, I also liked the way he used Leonard Nimoy to link it back to its famous past. If you haven't seen it yet, I really shouldn't go into any further detail lest I ruin some of the enjoyable trickery Abrams manages to pull off. But the biggest trick of all is that he actually manages to turn these characters into human (and Vulcan) characters that you actually care about. No small feat. And there's the requisite kick-ass effects and action, of course. Abrams is fast learning that whiz-bangery is fun, but without a human core to give a rat's patoot about, you don't really have a movie.

Still Waiting, Hirokazu Kore'eda - Japan

Since my last post was a rave on this one, I don't really feel the need to repeat it all. Suffice it to say, I love this movie. Watch it now if you haven't already.

Up, Peter Docter - US

With the addition of five additional Best Picture slots, everyone is putting money on Up to join Disney's Beauty and the Beast as only the second animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the upcoming Academy Awards. I say, Cheers to that. Up was a vibrant lesson in how to make a film. I only wish there were more live action filmmakers that could bring the humor and humanity to the screen with the vitality that Pixar does.

Last, but definitely not least is:

The Vanished Empire, Karen Shakhnazarov - Russia

The Vanished Empire is about as under-the-radar as a film can get. It actually opened in New York on the same weekend as the afore-mentioned Lake Tahoe. It didn't appear in competition at any of the tip-top-tier festivals (I saw it as a juror at my alma-mater, the Indianapolis International Film Festival - I will always love 'em, but Indy is not yet Toronto, Berlin, or Cannes). It did get a theatrical release, but has - to date - only grossed about $8,000. And yet, it will likely rank as one of my favorite films of 2009. Set amidst the youth culture of the 1970s Soviet Union - a time of black market western music and fashion. The Vanished Empire actually refers to a discovery made by the main character's archaeologist grandfather, but the comparisons, of course, are to the eventual collapse of the socialist state. What makes the film work is that those metaphors aren't made blatant by Shakhnazarov. They're wonderfully backgrounded while the story centers on love triangles, generational misunderstandings, and the general stuff of human drama. Subtlety, honesty, and complete political upheaval - the stuff great movies are made of.

Sooo...that's how the first half (plus) of the year stacks up for me.

Coming up next, we'll talk about what I'm looking forward to seeing at the Toronto International Film Festival and further down the line - leading up to a preview of the end of the year and some early Oscar trending...

We're finally entering the time of year when the movies begin to appeal to adults. Let's hope for a great season.

How to make this weekend nearly perfect (i.e. Still Walking)

2009-08-28T07:18:00.002-05:00

If you have a cable system that has IFC in Theaters VOD, then you have the opportunity to make this a great weekend. One of my favorite directors has made one of my favorite films of 2009. Indeed, I highly suspect that it will find a place very, very close to the top of my year-end list.

Hirokazu Kore-eda's Still Walkingis a rare jewel of a film. It depicts family life in as honest a way as I've ever seen it portrayed in cinema. There's such simplicity to Kore-eda's filmmaking and such sublime subtlety to the performances that you may believe that the whole incident was some sort of happy accident. Indeed, Sam Adams, at The Onion's AV Club says, "The movie seems like a perfect found object, as if it had always existed and was just waiting to be uncovered."

Kore-eda is best known in the States for his films After Life and the brilliant 2005 drama Nobody Knows, about a young boy keeping his siblings together after their flighty mother abandons them. Still Walking fits more into the Nobody Knows camp, but unlike that film - where a sense of dread seemed to soak every event, even the joyous ones - the family in Still Walking is trying to find joy in the wake of tragedy.

I don't want to get plot heavy at all when talking about this film. I'll simply leave it to this: three generations of a family gather on the 14th anniversary of the death of the eldest brother in the middle generation. The event still haunts each member of the two older generations in unique ways. Don't dare imagine that you completely understand the motivations behind any of the characters - just as humans do in real life, these characters will surprise you with their compassion and with their anger.

The final scene is likely to draw a tear from your eye, and like the characters and their motivations, the tear may surprise you. Is it a tear of joy? A tear of knowing sadness? Is it that rare tear that is brought forth only by those works of art that approach perfection? Or is it all three. I'm going with the final choice.

Do yourself a favor and spend a Sunday afternoon with this joyously dysfunctional family. Still Walking will leave a lasting impression on you. And you'll thank for the recommendation.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, it was only after about two dozen emails and phone calls that I finally had to cave in and accept that I wasn't going to be able to program this film for the 2009 Nashville Film Festival (the US premiere was already promised to Tribeca one week later).

Here's a trailer.

Vote For NaFF!

2009-08-24T19:06:00.002-05:00

You can help the festival by taking a few minutes to complete the Nashville Scene's Best Of Poll.

We are encouraging our supporters to vote for the Nashville Film Festival in two categories:

Best Festival
and Best Place to Spot Nicole Kidman

You can toss us in anywhere else you think appropriate, too, if you'd like.

Also, please support NaFF Sponsors in the appropriate fields as well. They'll certainly appreciate it! And make sure to let them know you voted for them because they support the festival...that will help us in continuing to maintain the grow sponsorship support (absolutely vital to pulling of the festival every year).

But, please, follow this link and vote for us.

More 2009 NaFF films to hit theaters

2009-08-24T18:32:00.005-05:00

There were some films that played the 2009 Nashville Film Festival that we all knew were moving on to theatrical release: (500 Days of Summer), Big Man Japan, and I'm Gonna Explode to name a few.

But nearly all the competition films were accepted with no distribution deal in hand. Since then, quite a few have made their way into theaters or are getting ready to.

Both Weather Girl and Pressure Cooker had picked up deals between acceptance and screening at the fest and have since made their way to the big screen (Pressure Cooker has already played again in Nashville). No word yet if Weather Girl will arrive in town before its television debut on Lifetime later this year.

Since then, several others have been announced.

This Friday, We Live in Public begins a national tour at the IFC Theater in New York.

Later, narrative competition entries Afterschool (distributed by IFC) and Kisses will make their public debuts.

Here's the complete list of films to get US theatrical or TV (these are marked TV or VOD) distribution deals since the festival.

Narrative Competition:

The Baby Formula
Kisses
Mothers & Daughters (IFC Festival Direct VOD)
The Narrows
Weather Girl

Documentary Competition:

Ask Not (PBS - TV)
Crude
Garbage Dreams
Garrison Keillor: The Man on the Radio in the Red Shoes (PBS - TV)
Living in Emergency
Pressure Cooker
An Unlikely Weapon
We Live in Public

Music Films / Music City:

Gogol Bordello Non-Stop
Rock Prophecies
Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love

That's a total of 16 films that have gone onto some form of national release!

So, if you missed these films, there are more chances to check them out.

Basterds!

2009-08-21T11:58:00.004-05:00

So, last night I was fortunate enough to attend the Red Carpet screening of Quentin Tarantino's latest film Inglorious Basterds. In attendance were Al Gore (host of the event), producer Lawrence Bender, Eli Roth (actor in this case, director usually), and French actress Melanie Laurent (more on her later). The red carpet also included some local luminaries - Sheryl Crow, Kathy Mattea, Mindy Smith, Rep. Jim Cooper - but the star of the evening was clearly Quentin Tarantino (even though he was in Los Angeles).

Inglorious Basterds is an audacious, outrageous jaw-dropper of a movie. Will it piss some people off? Most definitely. It will likely leave some scratching their heads. What makes the movie so fascinating in the end is that it is ultimately a movie about World War 2 movies. There are so many movies about the war that many people alive today only know it as an experience viewed on the screen. Hell, one of my classes was solely devoted to the films of WWII. Obviously, Tarantino is one of those people who really only knew the war as a big-screen fantasia. In that light, is his revenge fantasy really any different than say, Saving Private Ryan? The answer is a definite yes. But is it worth of some of the claims of insensitivity that have been levied against the film? No. Not really. Tarantino's band of angry American Jews (the Basterds of the title) are really nothing more than a variation on the Dirty Dozen (and are really only a small part of the film). And if that's not reference enough, there are at least a couple hundred more references to previous films and directors.

If there is a criticism to be levied against the film it's that it really isn't terribly emotionally involving. The whole thing is such an intellectual exercise that it comes off a bit cold. Where it does get truly engaging is when the true stars of the film get to play off one another. Austrian actor Christoph Walz bounds from obscurity to international superstar with his turn as the charming and vicious Hans Landa (nicknamed the Jew Hunter). Even when given pieces of dialogue that border on stereotype, he dances through the lines with such effortlessness that he creates a character that one might believe based on reality (as Ralph Fiennes' Amon Goethe was).

Also bursting through to stardom is French actress Melanie Laurent. As Shosanna Dreyfus, the one surviving member of a family of Jewish dairy farmers massacred by Walz's soldiers in the opening scene, Laurent plays the revenge-minded femme fatale. The varying degrees of sadness, fear, and righteous anger play across her face with such grace. It's actually somewhat amazing that this performance hasn't gained more award traction.

Walz, Laurent, Michael Fassbender, and Diane Kruger are proof of Tarantino's best instincts. Let's face it, Tarantino can get just about anyone he wants. Instead of casting big-time A-listers, he chose French and German actors to play French and German characters. The finest parts of the film come from that very choice.

Finally, without giving any plot away - only Tarantino would and/or could end a film with "I think this may be my masterpiece." That is probably an overstatement. But it's a ripping good time if you're prepared for it.

A Man of Fashion

2009-06-03T12:22:00.007-05:00

When a reporter asks, "What do women want?", Valentino pronounces as confident and as matter-of-factly as a candidate running for office, "They want to be beautiful."

Matt Tyrnauer has crafted a unique documentary in Valentino: The Last Emperor. It's a warts-an-all, full-access documentary that is missing the warts because there really aren't any. Oh, there are diva moments - scuffles over runway design, and anger at the shifting sands of the fashion industry from beneath Valentino's feet. However, like royalty, Valentino hasn't the ability to succumb completely to such pettiness. Never impolite, but never humble (it seems most people around him are merely invisible to him), he meets these moments with the only thing he knows - beauty.

Tyrnauer follows Valentino and his business / life partner Giancarlo Giammetti throughout the 2006/2007 fashion season (it would turn out to be his 45th and last). We see the behind-the-scenes planning of a show in France; we join them (along with Joan Collins, Michael Caine, Gwyneth Paltrow and others) for a fancy banquet; we ride with the six exquisitely-matched pugs on their yacht; and we are there when it culminates in Rome for a 45th Anniversary celebration of Valentino's career.

The thing that becomes abundantly clear is that Valentino would not have been Valentino without Giammetti. His artistry may have been the same, but his business would have collapsed. Indeed, Giammetti estimates that if you add up the days the two have spent apart in the 45 years they've been together that you wouldn't make it to two months. There is an adorable segment where the two reminisce about La Dolce Vita and stroll the street where they met - but disagree about which bar it actually was. And this is the surprise of the film -
a man who is royalty in his profession, whose wealth separates him so complettely from the likes of us everyday folk, and whose attitude brings all that to the fore - a man such as this can be a very engaging subject. There an honesty in his arrogance. And, let's be honest, he can be arrogant because he is remarkable. The looks of Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis, Audrey Hepburn, Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow - he defined them.

Valentino can make confident pronunciations about what women want because for 45 years he's been delivering it. And Tyrnauer delivers a fascinating and surprisingly involving glimpse into this remarkable life.

Best Non-Festival Movie Weekend of the Year

2009-05-30T15:27:00.003-05:00

So, on Thursday, I went where no one had gone before with Stark Trek. Friday, I was dragged to hell with Sam Raimi, and today I went Up with Disney / Pixar.

Not to mention that I was able to see I Love You, Phillip Morris Friday night thanks to the Nashville Screenwriters Conference, NowPlayingNashville.com, and Nashville Pride - a movie currently slated for release in February of 2010.

All in all it made for a great movie-going weekend. Star Trek was a great franchise reboot (as I wrote earlier). Drag Me to Hell was good old-fashioned goofy horror done only the way Sam Raimi could do it. I Love You, Phillip Morris is an enjoyable blend of Catch Me if You Can and Brokeback Mountain starring Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor (who is fantastic, by the way), but the winner of the weekend is Disney / Pixar's Up.

Up is a remarkable achievement and is yet another fine feather in the Pixar cap. Carl (wonderfully voiced by Ed Asner) is a widowed balloon salesman belligerently holding on to the house he and his late wife Ellie purchased after their marriage as gargantuan condo buildings rise around him. Since his wife's passing, he's shut himself in - his biggest adventure is to the mailbox. But when Ellie was alive, the two dreamed of going on an adventure to Paradise Falls in South America - a place they both fell in love with as children thanks to the explorer Charles Muntz (viewed in a newsreel in the introduction). When an encounter with a construction worker goes wrong, Carl stands to lose the house and be shipped off to a nursing home. But Carl has an idea to save his home and fulfill his promise to Ellie to live beside Paradise Falls. And he has the balloons and the helium to do it.

The fantasy of it all (one does have to suspend disbelief significantly to go along with a house being lifted off its foundation by balloons and flying to South America) is grounded in one of the most romantic, tender-hearted tales told on the screen in some time. The montage that shows us the joys and pitfalls of Carl and Ellie's life together is one of the great moments of recent film history and tells a more complete story than 90% of the films Up is competing against for your box office dollars. It's this reality and this warmth that makes the goofiness that much more fun. When Carl arrives (along with an unwanted stowaway - a young scout trying to get his "Assisting the Elderly" badge) in South America the stage is set for full-fledged fun and wildly inventive action set pieces. There's so much eye-popping fun to be had that it nearly boggles the mind. But in the end, it's all about the simple message that life itself is the adventure.

The weather's beautiful right now and it's hard to pull yourself into a dark theater when it's so lovely outside, but Up reminds you that the beauty of an unfettered imagination is one of the few things that can rival the beauty of nature.

And so I'm back...from Outer Space

2009-05-29T09:32:00.003-05:00

Yes, I've finally gotten back to the blog and you'll be hearing more from me again now that I've recovered from a pretty remarkable experience at the 2009 Nashville Film Festival.

And it took Star Trek to get me inspired to write again.

I finally got to see J.J. Abrams reboot of the legendary franchise (note: I tried to get this for the festival, but got the Heisman hand from Paramount - mind you, I think it was likely due to concerns over the pic being finished in time, so I'm not really complaining) and I was impressed.

Abrams is quickly proving himself to be the go-to guy for CGI extravaganzas. Unlike some of his contemporaries, Abrams understands something that others fail to get - the special effects should enhance the story being told. They should not be the entire purpose of the story.

The other thing that impressed me is the way in which he paid perfect respect to the history of the franchise (there are some great in-jokes involving the entire cast leaning one way when the ship is hit and the infamous "Red Shirt") while creating a work that was uniquely his own.

I truly enjoyed myself, was on occasion actually moved a little bit, and - in a sign that you've won me over - I really wanted to sit right back down and catch the movie again as soon as it was over. I didn't (I'm not that big of a geek), but I wanted to.

This weekend is a great time to be a film-lover. Disney / Pixar's Up opens with some of the strongest reviews in ages and Sam Raimi returns to horror with Drag Me to Hell - also receiving strongly positive reviews.

I plan on catching both before the weekend is up (no pun intended) and would love to hear what you think.

Next post, I'll be discussing reaction to the controversial Cannes Film Festival and even more controversial awards.

Have a great weekend.

Oscar Traditions

2009-02-20T18:23:00.005-06:00

How do you spend the Oscars?

I began never missing them in high school and I finally found fellow Awards show addicts, so I started hosting an apartment party - usually around a dozen people or so. In 1995, we watched and got so upset that Forrest Gump beat Pulp Fiction that we began an alternative voting system at the next year's party. They were called (by my dear friend Julie Thompson) The Bubakar Awards (which was my nickname in college...long story for a later post). Eventually, after friends began moving away after college, the Bubakars went online and had nearly 6,000 voters. I retired them at the beginning of the Indianapolis International Film Festival. Doing both was basically impossible (you try tabulating 6,000 votes).

BUT, what was fun was watching my traditional Oscar party evolve into what is now a fundraiser for the IIFF.

This year, I will be heading back to Indianapolis for the party. In a weird way, it started in my basement apartment in Bloomington, IN and now hosts a couple hundred. I laugh at the thought of trying to fit them all in that little dive.

Anyway, enough about me. I wanted to open a thread for the weekend to see what it is that you do for the Oscars.

Final Predictions for the Oscars

2009-02-19T22:13:00.012-06:00

Okay, so this may disagree in places with what I've written previously, but here's what I'm predicting for this Sunday's Oscars.

Oh, and the next major announcement for the NaFF line-up? March 9.

Now, back to the future:

Best Picture:

I just don't see anyone beating Slumdog Millionaire. There is the possibility of an upset, but it's honestly so slim that betting against it is a fool's bet. Sometimes fools are right though. If you want to bet like a fool, I'd say The Reader. Sometimes betting against Harvey Weinstein (once nominated) can be risky.

Best Director:

Again, this one seems safely in Danny Boyle's corner for his direction of Slumdog Millionaire. If, for some weird reason, Oscar voters decide they're not going to be told what to do by seemingly every previous awards body, they could go for Stephen Daldry (besides, the Oscar voting body has decided that he can do NO wrong) or even less likely Gus van Sant. Still, this is Doyle's to lose.

Best Actor:

This one is still a bit of a toss-up. Sean Penn is greatly loved as an actor in Hollywood (if not for his politics - as much as right-wingers like to pretend his leftist politics make him popular, they really don't. Oscar voters are actually very uncomfortable with blatant politics, although they admittedly lean liberal). However, the Mickey Rourke story may be too overwhelming to vote against.

In the end, I'm leaning Sean Penn for Milk. But if Mickey Rourke wins, don't say I told you it was a sure thing - because it's not. Of the majors, this is the toughest call...except for...

...Best Actress

The Academy made an honest decision when they decided to nominate Kate Winslet for Best Actress for The Reader. At least the didn't fall for category fraud in voting for this as a supporting performance when it was clearly a lead. That said, they made this category a little more difficult to predict. However, Miss I've-been-more-nominated-than-any-other-actress-my-age has also proved to be Miss I've-deserved-to-win-at-least-once-and-been-overlooked and is therefore likely to take home the little golden guy for her role. There are two spoilers here. Anne Hathaway could upset with Rachel Getting Married - but that grew less likely with Winslet's solo nomination. Meryl Streep could pull home another trophy for Doubt, but that became even more less likely (is that accurate terminology?). This one is Kate's to lose.

But...The fact that the Academy got one thing right, made another actress the happiest person in Hollywood (or Spain, given her current location).

Best Supporting Actress

Given her double victory at the Golden Globes it looked like Kate Winslet was a shoe-in for Best Supporting Actress for The Reader. But, when the Academy decided to get it right and nominate one of her two lead performances for Best Actress, that made the race for Supporting Actress not more interesting - but more obvious for someone else.

There are a lot of us who have thought that Penelope Cruz's performances in Vicky Christina Barcelona was among the best female performances of the year. But we were unsure if she would be able to overcome the politics of Oscar to win. Now that Winslet is out of the way, it's quite likely that this previously nominated actress will once again bring Woody Allen's supporting actress strength back to the forefront.

Now, that said, if you're going to split your bet, Viola Davis in Doubt is a strong second contender. She could take it. I wouldn't be surprised if she did. However, I have an inkling that there are going to be too many voters who see her role as too brief for the win.

Best Supporting Actor

The run for Best Supporting Actor is pretty much a foregone conclusion. There's a part of me that thinks the Academy could rebel against the posthumous tribute to Heath Ledger, but I just can't really come up with a legitimate way that could occur.

It was a great performance and it's won basically every predecessor leading up to Sunday night.

To bet against it could result in large profits (given how your Oscar pool runs things), but I somehow think that Jim Varney has about the same chance as winning a posthumus Oscar as Heath's fellow contenders do.

Don't expect anyone else to take this award.

Oh, and rumor is his daughter will be the one to receive the trophy (not accept, but ultimately get it).

Best Original Screenplay

I think this one is pretty much wrapped up. Although there is a dark-horse (as opposed to a Dark Knighti) in this one.

Dustin Lance Black's screenplay for Milk should take home the trophy Sunday night. There is a history of homophobia in the Academy (I don't think any of us forget what happened with Brokeback Mountain and Crash), but I don't think it applies in the screenplay realm. Brokeback Mountain won the screenplay (adapted) prize back in 2005, despite not winning all of the predecessors. So, I think Dustin Lance Black will take home the the golden guy for his wonderful (if occasionally on-the-nose) screenplay for Milk.

Best Adapted Screenplay

It's in this category (depending on how early they present it) that we'll being to learn how much strength Slumdog Millionaire actually has. It's clearly the favorite here, but if it doesn't win this category, then it's chances of sweeping in the categories where it's nominated are slimmer. There are possibilities here besides the little movie that could, however, I don't see them coming to fruition. This one goes to Simon Beaufoy for his adaptation.

If you did decide to bet elsewhere, then you'd pretty much have to go with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. But I just don't see that happening. As a caveat, The Reader could do it. Again though, don't bet on it.

Best Cinematography

The streak for that little Indian film that's actually British doesn't stop here. Despite a strong field, Slumdog wins Cinematography as well. I could be wrong, but Slumdog won just about every predecessor leading up to Sunday night. To see that change on this night would be odd.
That said, all of the other contenders are strong. My thought? They're so strong that they split the votes enough that they eliminate any other possibility.

Best Art Direction

I think this is the first non-acting category where Slumdog isn't a player, so finally we can switch something up. There are several possibilities here, but I think the winner here is probably The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The film has the most nominations, so it's going to win in a few spots (at least I think so). But let us not forget that The Dark Knight has a large number of supporters as well, so it's likely to be one of those two.

Oh, but then...let us not forget that these categories get all giddy over period pieces. So, The Duchess is also a possibility here.

However, I still think the Button is fastened in on this one.

And I'll attempt to avoid the awful puns from here on out.

Best Costume Design.

I just don't see the Academy overcoming its addition for the ultimate period costumes in this category. As excited as I got over them finally nominating a film from the 1970s (Milk), they'll likely never give that a win.

They're so hooked on powdered wigs and crinoline that I can't see The Duchess not winning in this one category. Despite its nominations in other categories, this is the only one where it's got a shot. Get out your rouge, red up your cheeks, and make sure those hips are too big to get through the door, The Duchess is winning this one.

Best Editing

Of the semi-major categories, this one is still a bit tricky. I originally predicted The Dark Knight, but I'm not so taken with that guess at this point. I'm beginning to think, despite my urge to consider a Slumdog backlash, that Slumdog Millionaire is going to get all LOTR on the Academy and win just about everything it's nominated for.

That said, both The Dark Knight and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button could do it. Although, if I were going to be on something other than Slumdog, I'd choose the Knight over the Button.

In the end though, I think this one is going to be yet another Slumdog victory.

Best Foreign Language Film

In a year when the likely Best Picture winner is partially in a foreign language film, it's sort of odd that that winner does not come from this field (well, not really...but you know what I'm saying...rather, writing). While I'd like to say this is obvious, it's really not. This is one of the strongest fields in this category in quite some time. Sure, there are those griping about the snub of Gomorrah, but I don't buy that. I thought it was a good film, but not a great film.

That said, two of my three favorite films of 2008 are in this category. I would not be upset if either of them won. The Class from France is my #1 film of 2008. If it wins, I'd be thrilled. However, if Waltz with Bashir wins, I might be even happier. It's my #3 film of 2008 but if it wins, it would break so many historical records, that I might be even a little more thrilled. It's already both the first animated film and the first documentary film nominated in this category, so its win would set (hopefully) a great genre-breaking precedence. I'd be happy with either.

I still think my initial instinct is correct here, though. I think Waltz with Bashir makes history here.

Best Documentary

This one should be obvious. The combination of winning basically every predecessor, the critical acclaim, and relative box office success it accumulated, Man on Wire should take this without a second thought.

But...Tell Sally Hawkins that. She was the first actress to win Best Actress from the four major critics' bodies (the NBR, the LAFCC, the NYFCC, and the NSFC) and not receive a nomination. And the outcome in this category has always been a question of the Academy's integrity.

That said, it's box office success and crowd pleaser status should assure this exhilerating documentary's victory.

Best Original Score

Oh...as much as I love that movie, it was kind of fun not talking about for a moment, wasn't it? Well, it's time to talk about it again. But, even if you're one of those Slumdog haters, you've got to admit that this is a category where the film is deservedly the favorite. AR Rahman's score is part of the exhuberant core of the film. It's hard to complain about this one. And it's fun to imagine everyone Bollywood dancing their way through their Oscar parties.

Best Original Song

There are those out there who think that Peter Gabriel's delightful song from WALL*E is going to win thanks to a split vote of the two songs from Slumdog Millionaire. I don't think that's going to happen. Now, if the Academy had been smart enough to nominate Bruce Springsteen's brilliant "The Wreslter" from (well, duh) The Wrestler, then we'd be having a different conversation. But, they screwed this category up. But, that doesn't mean that the existing nominees are bad. They're not. They're quite fun.

Thus, I think (speaking of fun) the winner is going to be "Jai Ho" from Slumdog. "O Saya" might be a better song (to some). Other might think that "Down to Earth" is the best (it's good, but it's questionable). I actually think that the best of the existing nominees is going to win.

"Jai Ho" to you all.

Best Live Action Short

Well, here we go into the toughest calls. These - even if you're among the rarest group of folks who have been able to see them all - are always the most difficult to predict. I have seen some of these but still find it very hard to tell where they're going to go.

Sadly, they've given us a clue. There's a film in the bunch about that old Oscar standard - and I hate saying it - The Holocaust. Toyland is predicted to be the winner here. With a plot similar to (the repugnant) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, it is likely the winner. While I hope that's not the case, it's probably true.

If it were up to me - and I think it's legitimately the second choice to win - The Pig, is the best of the bunch. It's really enjoyable, it has a message, but it doesn't push it too far.

That said, although I would like to, I can't choose subtlety over obviousness and The Holocaust, so if I were betting, I'd bet on Toyland.

Best Animated Short

The choices here (that I've seen) are pretty good, but it's hard to bet against Pixar - although surprisingly, they're not consistantly favorites in this category. While Le Maison en Petit Cubes is good, I just don't see it overtaking the old-fashioned Looney Toons joy of Pixar's Presto!

Best Documentary Short

Despite my job in the film festival industry, I've never had the opportunity to see a documentary short prior to its nomination. Through my job, I caught one of the nominees this year. It was good, but not great. Everyone says that the winner is The Conscience of Nhem En. I'd bet on it if I were you. Besides, it was covered on NPR the other day.

Best Sound Mixing / Sound Editing

This one's really interesting, despite it being - on the surface - being completely unintersting. Let's be honest, who the hell knows what this category really is. I see 1,000 movies a year, but I still can't define the difference between this and the next category (Sound Editing). And basically, neither can the Academy. The two sound awards almost always line up with one another. Let's keep an eye on this one. If they go to Slumdog Millionaire, then we will know where the rest of them are going to go. If it wins here, it's a sweep.

However, there are three films that could guide us as to where the night is going.

If it's The Dark Knight: then look for it to take a lot throughout the night.
If it's WALL*E: then it could likely sweep everything it's nominate for.
or If it's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: then you might see some upsets in some of the majors where it crosses paths with Slumdog Millionaire.

For the moment, I'm going Slumdog. However, between now and Sunday, I could be convinced to go WALL*E. I'd suggest splitting your bet in your pool. That's the safest way to go.

Best Visual Effects / Best Make-Up

These two are among the easiet to pick. If you're wrong (which means you agree with me, and that means, collectively we're right) then it's not your fault.

If the Academy goes anywhere outside The Curious Case of Benjamin Button then the Academy is merely proving its own short-sightedness. This film, despite its flaws in other areas, has demonstrated the most remarkable achievements in these two fields in quite some time. Place your bets here and loudly "boo" if you're wrong. If you are wrong, it's not your fault (nor mine). It would be the fault of idiotic voters.

The first line-up announcement is here!

2009-02-13T18:51:00.008-06:00

So, we're here!

The first announcement.

If you'll recall, I mentioned earlier that some of the films that appearing on IndieWire's list of the Best Undistribued Films of 2008 would be playing at the 2009 Nashville Film Festival. One of those was mentioned in our first line-up announcement (there are several to come). Antonio Campos's Afterschool is one of the films that will be screening at the fest. It's about a high schooler who accidentally films the death of two schoolmates while shooting his school's video yearbook and the entanglements that follow. It's a great statement on the effects of our current multimedia existances and what it might be doing to young people. More than that, it's a really assured debut from a director that is clearly one to watch.

There's also some great new films starring previous Oscar nominees - True Adolescents features a supporting performance from the wonderful Melissa Leo - and a great lead performance from Indie sensation Mark Duplass. That Evening Sun features a touching lead perf from Into the Wild nominee Hal Holbrook - and a chance to catch an early performance from someone who is soon going to be a HUGE star - Mia Wasikowska, who will play Alice in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

The film that's creating the most buzz early is the World Premiere of William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet - a documentary chronicling the creation of a ballet based on Shatner's 2004 Ben Folds-produced and Nashville-recorded album, "Has Been". Yes, the Shatner is coming to the Premiere and many other guests are expected (but not confirmed).

There is already more than this, and there will be much more to come, but we're off and running and in the midst of the craziest part of the pre-festival days putting together a line-up that will blow your mind!

Make Your Own Movie

2009-02-05T14:58:00.005-06:00

I found a fun little application while browsing the interweb the other night that I thought it would tide you over until our first line-up announcement is made (which, by the way, will be next Wednesday morning).

You should try it out. It's a pretty fun time-waster.

You simply follow the instructions, type up a script, and it creates a little short animation. It can create camera angles for you or you can create your own.

Only problem...the videos aren't embeddable yet. So I can't show you my little teaser that I made. They can, however, be posted to your Facebook page.

But you can still have fun with it.

Getting Giddy

2009-02-02T16:04:00.001-06:00

Very soon, we should begin announcing some of the great films that will be appearing at the 2009 Nashville Film Festival.

I was excited about Oscar nomination morning (knowing it would inevitably lead to disappointment...it always does), but this is getting even more exciting. Trying to keep some of it in becomes nearly impossible.

But, soon my friends...soon...You will begin to hear the rumblings...

Further Thoughts on the Oscars - The Technicals

2009-01-25T12:09:00.009-06:00

We've been through the major categories, but let's see what's happening in the tech categories. Once I've had a chance to get in as many of the shorts (I've seen several, but not enough to shape an opinion), we'll discuss the shorts categories.

Best Art Direction

Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road

I have the feeling that Benjamin Button is going to take a lot of these categories, since it seems less likely to win in the majors. However, it is also possible that those who are pissed off at The Dark Knight snubs in the majors might use these tech categories to make public their outrage, giving Nolan's team some awards. So, much of the techs are going to be a battle between these two films.

Your winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Hedge your bets: The Dark Knight

Best Cinematography

Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

This one is admittedly a much tougher call than Art Direction, only because Slumdog is a competitor here and has won previous awards. Not to mention that Wally Pfister's work on The Dark Knight - especially those amazing IMAX scenes - is also worthy of consideration. If your Oscar pool includes this category, I'm telling you now, don't blame me.

Your winner: Slumdog Millionaire
Hedge your bets: The Dark Knight

Best Costume Design

Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road

Milk is a bit of a breakthrough in this category. Generally costuming the 70's is a death sentence for your awards consideration. Not so for Danny Glickers subtle 70's work. However, I don't think it can win. Period glamor is nearly always the winner here, and there's really only one entry that fits that bill.

Your winner: The Duchess
Hedge your bets: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Editing

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

Generally speaking, this matches up with the Best Picture winner - unless there is a really well-edited action movie in the mix that can steal some of the thunder. So that makes this one a tough call as well.

The editing on Slumdog is part of what gives the movie its zip; so that certainly makes a strong case. But, The Dark Knight could be the one that comes through and I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

Your winner: The Dark Knight
Hedge your bets: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Make-Up

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army

I was pleasantly surprised that Benjamin Button made the cut for nomination. Why, you ask? Well, the make-up branch of the academy has a tendency to poo-poo any make-up work that is enhanced with CGI effects - and the make-up in Benjamin Button uses a lot of CGI. However, the two combine so smoothly and wonderfully that the results are the best age make-up that has graced the big screen.

So, now that it's nominated, it will likely win. That said, it's competitors are both very well-done.

Your winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Hedge your bets: The Dark Knight

Best Original Score

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL*E

The music branch certainly threw some surprises our way and they've offered up a unique mix of scores for the offering. I personally don't see how they'll resist the opportunity to reward A.R. Rahman, who is India's top composer. I think they'll find the internationalization angle all-too-exciting.

That said, they've also been protectionist at times and slow to welcome new composers into the fold. If the Academy should get isolationist, this will go to Desplat. And yes, I know Desplat is French, but he's been composing in the states long enough to have been taken into the fold.

Your winner: Slumdog Millionaire
Hedge your bets: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Original Song
"Down to Earth", from WALL*E
"Jai Ho", from Slumdog Millionaire
"O Saya", from Slumdog Millionaire

Unless the producers of the ceremony can somehow figure out how to make Bollywood numbers boring (and I wouldn't put it past them), the music performances should be a lot of fun this year.

This category may have sprung the biggest surprise of the year. Bruce Springsteen's song from The Wrestler was already the expected winner. Without that competition, Jai Ho should be the winner. However, with only three choices, the Slumdog selections could split, giving the trophy to Peter Gabriel's entry.

Your winner: Jai Ho, from Slumdog Millionaire
Hedge your bets: Down to Earth, from WALL*E

Best Sound Editing

The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL*E
Wanted

Despite the pleasant inclusion of Iron Man, I just don't see how any of the entries here can topple The Dark Knight. When you pair its wonderful technical credits with its lack of inclusion in Best Director and Best Picture you end up with the clear winner in the sound categories.

Your winner: The Dark Knight
Hedge your bets: Iron Man

Best Sound Mixing

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL*E
Wanted

I, like a lot of folks, are hard-pressed to really explain the differences between the two sound categories. In fact, I'd say the vast majority of the Academy would also be hard-pressed to explain the difference to you. My proof? The same film pretty much always wins both.

Your winner: The Dark Knight
Hedge your bets: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Visual Effects

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man

This is another good race. I could conceivably see Iron Man sneaking through. But I still have the feeling that those on the tech side are going to go for The Dark Knight where they can. Then again, Benjamin Button was a great use of effects in a subtle way.

Your winner: The Dark Knight
Hedge your bets: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I Was Slumdog When Slumdog Wasn't Cool...

2009-01-22T23:59:00.005-06:00

Just a little fun knowing that I was at one of the screenings that broke this movie through to its utterly astonishing meteoric rise.

Okay, I'm not in that photo. But I took it.

And yeah, it's low quality, but I didn't get my head under the hood and the flashbulb was a little weak. When you buy your digital camera in the 18th Century, that's what happens.

From left to right, that's: Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy, Frieda Pinto, and Dev Patel.

A Few Surprises...and Annoyances...Thoughts on the Oscar Noms.

2009-01-22T08:02:00.003-06:00

BEST PICTURE
Curiouse Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Picture did throw us a curveball. Unfortunately it was The Dark Knight that was shut out for The Reader. I did find myself surprised by that one. There didn't seem to be a great deal of buzz in the picture direction for the film.

Your winner: Likely Slumdog Millionaire.
Hedge your bets: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Director
Danny Boyle -Slumdog
David Fincher -Benjamin
Ron Howard -Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant -Milk
Stephen Daldry -The Reader

The surprise here is the same. Daldry replaces Christopher Nolan. Many who even conceded that The Dark Knight was vulnerable in picture, thought Nolan could pull off this nomination. Guess not.

Interesting trivia note: Stephen Daldry has directed three motion picture features. He has been nominated for Best Director for all three. Don't bet against him for a nomination.

Your winner: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire.
Hedge your bets: David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Best Actor
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost / Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

All three of my favorites make the cut, which is nice. Picking a winner is tougher. It's clearly one of two actors - Penn or Rourke - but will they continue their love of Penn or will they keep the Mickey Rourke comeback train rolling? I think they go with what they know.

Your winner: Sean Penn, Milk
Hedge your bets: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Best Actress
Ann Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader

I really would have rather seen Sally Hawkins in here over either Angelina Jolie (all screams and tears) or Meryl Streep (love her, but this isn't her best work - I wasn't enamoured with her interpretation of the role). But, you can't always get what you want, especially with the Oscars.

Your Winner: Kate Winslet, The Reader.
Hedge your bets: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married.

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

Michael Shannon is a surprise nominee (and not a bad choice), but this category is already sewn up.

Your Winner: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight.
Hedge your bets: Better yet, don't.

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

The surprise here is that Kate Winslet is nominated for Best Actress for The Reader and not (in a fraudulent way) Best Supporting Actress. This clears the way for Penelope Cruz.

Your Winner: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Christina Barcelona.
Hedge your bets: Viola Davis, Doubt.

Best Original Screenplay
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
WALL*E

Because nearly all of the best picture nominees come from the Adapted Screenplay category, this category is pretty wide open. However, the closest thing to an adaption would be Milk, and since it's the only Best Picture nominee, it's your likely winner. But, this could leave the door open for WALL*E love.

Your winner? Dustin Lance Black, Milk.
Hedge your bets: Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, and Jim Reardon, for WALL*E.

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost / Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Here's where the heavy hitters are, but unless there's a total Slumdog backlash (which is possible - but we can't know that for a few weeks), this one's obvious.

Your winner: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire.
Hedge your bets: David Hare, The Reader.

Best Foreign Language Film
Germany - The Baader Meinhof Complex
France - The Class
Japan - Departures
Austria - Revanche
Israel - Waltz with Bashir

Hoo-ray! Two of my top three films of the year are nominated here. Were they justice, they would have received other nominations, but when you love international cinema, you get used to these films being stuck in the Foreign Film ghetto. It's been on a role, so I expect Waltz with Bashir to continue winning - especially given its curious snub in Best Animated Film.

Your winner: Waltz with Bashir, from Israel.
Hedge your bets: Departures, from Japan.

Best Documentary
The Betrayal
Encounters at the End of the World
The Garden
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water

Some good docs on this list. Man on Wire has been rolling all year long in all of the precursors and I expect that to continue. There might be room for the first nominee to examine the impact of Katrina, though.

Your winner: Man on Wire.
Hedge your bets: Trouble the Water.

Best Animated Feature
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL*E

Egad, did they screw this one up. How odd, the foreign languge committee and the documentary committee - the two most derided parts of the Academy for cinephiles got it right (at least with what they had to work with - great docs like Young @ Heart and Waltz with Bashir were considered ineligble due to overly strict / odd Academy rules). And the animation branch, who has generally gotten things right every year - picking unique foreign entries like Persepolis and The Triplets of Belleville as nominees; and in most cases honing them down to the proper winner for each year since they've begun. But boy did they screw it up this year. Leaving out Waltz with Bashir for the pleasant but unremarkable Bolt is a slap in the face to the format altogether - suggesting that animation is only for kids movies. I'm just not sure what happened. Anyway, it's all academic as the winner was never in doubt.

Your winner: WALL*E
Hedge your bets: There is no such thing.

Over the next few days, we'll discuss tech categories and some of the other categories.

And Here They Are...

2009-01-22T07:23:00.005-06:00

The Oscar Nominations are Here.

BEST PICTURE
Curiouse Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Director
Danny Boyle -Slumdog
David Fincher -Benjamin
Ron Howard -Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant -Milk
Stephen Daldry -The Reader

Best Actor
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost / Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Best Actress
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

Best Original Screenplay
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
WALL*E

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost / Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Foreign Language Film
Germany - The Baader Meinhof Complex
France - The Class
Japan - Departures
Austria - Revanche
Israel - Waltz with Bashir

Best Animated Feature
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL*E

Comments Coming Soon...

For a complete list of nominees...

Whew...All Caught Up and Ready for Oscar Nominations...

2009-01-22T00:23:00.003-06:00

Well, that whole silly festival programming thing got in my way and I got a little behind schedule...but I completed on time.

Soon...we'll start talking Oscars.

Nominations coming soon. Followed by gnashing of teeth, growling, cheering, and eventually...analysis.

Finally - #2; and my best film of 2008

2009-01-21T23:32:00.005-06:00

#2 - The Flight of the Red Balloon
directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien

I'll admit I'm predisposed to love a Hou Hsiao-hsien film. I don't know, maybe it's genetic? Anyway, when I knew this project was coming down the pike, I was almost giddy with anticipation. One of my favorite directors creating his interpretation of one of my favorite childhood movies? Sure!

Then I got to see it. Hou managed to do something remarkable. He created a completely familiar film, not shying away from the elements of the original - and something wholly new. The greatest change is the addition of the boy's (Simon in this version) home life. We meet the wonderful Juliette Binoche as Suzanne, Simon's mother - a voice actress for a puppet theater (somehow, that just seems right). She's a frazzled whirlwind of a woman. Her life's a wreck, but she wouldn't seemingly have it any other way. Then there's Song, the Chinese nanny of the boy who is studying cinema in Paris and is contantly filming (some of what we see comes through her lens). And then, there is, of couse, the balloon. Dilly-dallying around Paris. Following Simon, sort of like a pleasant stalker. Its presense in the film is somehow calming, reassuring. Amidst all the flurry of activity, it seems to settle things down.

The film is at once a fantasia and a realistic domestic drama. It's a combination that many filmmakers have tried - mixing the magical and the mundane - but Hou is one of few to get it right. He gets it so right, that the film leaves you with a warm feeling. As if a benevolent balloon were traveling with you, just over your shoulder, all the way home from the theater.

And...My best film of 2008.

#1 - The Class
directed by Laurent Cantet

I became familiar with Laurent Cantet, one of France's fastest-rising filmmakers, in 2001 with the remarkable slow-burn drama Time Out. That was a fascinating, cool (as in icy) story of a man who loses his job but doesn't have the capability of informing his family, leading him to create a second life outside the home that remains a secret from everyone he loves.

It was fascinating then to see The Class, a warm, unusual experience in the cinema. It is based on the memoir of a single school year by Francois Begaudeau. Begaudeau wrote the screenplay and stars as the teacher at the film's center. The class full of actors are all middle school students from the same school, all basically acting as themselves. It sounds like a documentary, but it most certainly isn't. None of the kids are exactly themselves. Begaudeau isn't playing himself, exactly. Begaudeau's comrades are all played by real teachers, but neither are they playing themselves.

Cantet, as director, by allowing non-professional actors to develop characters based on themselves and based on parts of the book, has developed a style of cinema rarely seen. It's almost an ethnographic study - the type of film that Robert J. Flaherty made (Nanook of the North). But it works so well as drama. Each person seems so real, in part because they are. In part, because a director wanted things to be that way.

I love films that defy categorization (see Waltz with Bashir) and The Class certainly does. It's a pure pleasure. The children are brats, or they're well-behaved. They're smart, or not-so-smart. The teacher has moments of inspiration and moments where you're sure his license should be revoked. It's not Stand and Deliver: one student doing unexpectedly well on one assignment is about as close as it gets. It's not Dead Poets Society: indeed, a lot of the students seem to hate their teacher. What it is is the best and most realistic dramatization of one year inside one classroom that has been put on screen. What it is is the best film of 2008.

More Top 10 - #4 & #3

2009-01-21T22:27:00.004-06:00

#4 - WALL*E
directed by Andrew Stanton

The second time I saw WALL*E, I actually had the excuse of going to the film with a child, taking my college friend, her husband, and their three-year-old son to see it. But note: I said, second time. I couldn't wait that long before going to check out the latest offering from Pixar. Cars aside (which I didn't hate), I had not been disappointed by a Pixar feature.

With this brilliant robot romance, they may have crafted their finest film yet. While still attention-grabbing for children, the brilliant references and the use of silence make it one of the most adult-friendly animated features this side of my #3 film (see below).

The opening shot alone tells more story than any film that's starred Freddie Prinze, Jr. Our robot hero is working his way through an abandoned city, on his way back to his ramshackle makeshift home. It's clear that the city has been left behind by a human race that has consumed its way toward its own destruction. The images in the background look eerily familiar to the ever-conglomerating, easy-to-throw-away world we are creating daily. Of course, that's the whole point of the movie, but how many movies manage to make their point during the opening credits? Better yet, how many of them maintain interest after making their point?

The fact that Stanton and crew can give personality to dead-eyed mechanical and electronic creatures without overly relying on cutesy-cutesy gestures is the other thing that makes this a gen to behold. And the trip through the stars is worth the price of admission (or Blu-Ray) alone. Does it lose a little steam in the 2nd act? Yeah. It does. But when a movie offers as much as WALL*E does, it's easy to overlook a few awkward moments. And then you get the closing credits - again, taken alone, better than a lot of movies offered this year.

Pixar is known for constantly ramping up what computer animation can do, but what has made their films great is the fact that they pay as much attention to story as they do visuals. WALL*E is a prime example of how great they are at both.

#3 - Waltz with Bashir
directed by Ari Folman

Winner of the Golden Globe and the Critics' Choice Awards for Best Foreign Language film, Israel's Waltz with Bashir is a stunner of a movie.

It begins with a phone call director Ari Folman received from a friend. The friend describes a dream in which he's being chased by 26 dogs. Exactly 26. As the dream is described, it is stunningly animated, raising the adrenaline and establishing the films themes immediately. Waltz with Bashir is an analysis of memory (individual and cultural) and how the trauma of war (again, individual and national) shapes it.

The dream was inspired by events that occurred during the 1982 war with Lebanon. Folman served in that war as well. But after hearing his friend's dream, he realizes that he has absolutely no memory of that time period. None.

This sparks a search. He talks to his fellow soldiers from that time. To family. To psychologists. He's attempting to piece his own memories back together and discover the roots of his year-long black out.

As he does, the memories of his comrades are illustrated in sumptuous flash animation. Each scene was actually filmed in live action, but instead of rotoscoping (the technique used by Richard Linklater in Waking Life), the images are hand and computer illustrated based on the live footage. The results are haunting and beautiful to behold. They create a unique distance between the viewer and the events being depicted. While some have found this to be a little too intellectual, I find it to be wholly appropriate. We have to be distant from it because Folman was.

What he was distancing himself from was the massacres of Palestinian refugees by Lebanese Christian allies of Israel at Sabra and Shatila. As we approach those events with Folman, the horrors of war become darker and more urgent. The film's conclusion is a stunner.

Were the Academy's silly restrictions on documentary release dates not so...well, silly, Waltz with Bashir would have been nominated for Best Documentary. If they get things right, it will be nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and for Best Animated Film. For my tastes, it deserves all three nominations and could, perhaps should, win both. Were the world of the Academy more right, it would have had the chance at one of the most fascinating tri-fectas in film history. As it stands, it will be remembered in film history as being a truly remarkable work of cinema.

#6 - #5 - Trying to get caught up here...

2009-01-21T19:56:00.006-06:00

#6 - Wendy & Lucy
directed by Kelly Reichardt

This was a wow moment for me. It's rare for an American film to be this...simple; and yet so profoundly moving. Michelle Williams (I done bragged about her, just scroll down a tad to read that) is Wendy; an Indiana drifter who has packed up everything she owns, filled her wallet with her last $600 or so and has headed off across the country to Alaska. She's seeking a job at a fishing cannery because she's heard about the good pay. Along for the ride is her only friend, an adorable Yellow Lab mix named Lucy (played wonderfully by director Kelly Reichardt's dog).

There's a lot we don't know about Wendy. There's a bandage on her leg for a wound that's never discussed. Is she running from something? Is she running too something? None of this is discernible from the film. And it's a better movie for it.

When I saw it at the AFI festival, director Kelly Reichardt (Old Joy) said that, while based on a short story, it was also based on her experience of encountering a Hispanic woman who was stranded along side the road with a dead car and no cell phone. Ms. Reichardt said she was inspired because we forget that there are people out there who don't possess the modern amenities that many of us consider everyday items. What happens to those people when life takes a challenging turn? Wendy & Lucy is that answer.

The film is casually-paced, but thanks to assured direction is actually suspenseful. Williams creates such a likable, vulnerable character that you can't help but worry for her everytime she either makes a bad decision or something bad happens to her. And bad thing do happen. Wendy's perserverence in the face of trouble is the crux of the film. Without Williams, I fear the film could have been the stuff of Lifetime. With her assured lead performance, it is, instead, one of the best portrayals of a life lived on the edge of poverty that I've seen in quite some time.

#5 - Rachel Getting Married
directed by Jonathan Demme

God bless Jonathan Demme. Where has he been? He's still been working, but concentrating on documentaries for the last several years (Jimmy Carter: Man from Plains, Neil Young: Heart of Gold). And that's good. His previous outings in the narrative world have been lacking. The Manchurian Candidate was okay, but utterly unnecessary considering the brilliance of the original. We should probably just leave The Truth About Charlie out of the conversation altogether. So, his recent spate of documentaries may be the very thing that's lent him the light hand that he used in creating Rachel Getting Married.

Shot with handheld cameras (frequently manned by the cast itself), Rachel is the story of Kym - a young woman on a weekend break from inpatient rehab to attend her sister's wedding. Kym is not an easy person to like - and that's what makes centering the film around her work so well. She's anxious; she lashes out; but she actually does make efforts to fit back into her family, despite exile. Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt) is the sister who fears (rightfully) that Kym is going to attempt to steal her wedding spotlight. But Rachel, too, is imperfect - pointing out every neurotic flaw in her sister, contributing to her sister's behavior. The wonderul Bill Irwin is the father that attempts to keep everyone happy. Debra Winger is the estranged mother, reuniting only long enough to open old wounds.

This sounds like the stuff of annoying self-indulgence (some actually think so), but Demme deftly travels the landscape created by these characters, allowing the story to play itself out in what is unsaid. By the end, you feel as if you've attended a wedding - and a movie just happened to take place around it. I love the risk that Demme takes in letting the story play out around the edges of the screen, instead of dead center. The resulting film is the reinvigeration of a great director and the well-deserved upward trajectory of the career of an actress already worthy of great respect. Rachel is due out on DVD March 17, 2009. RSVP now.

Best Perfs of 08 - The Dudes Abide

2009-01-21T15:41:00.005-06:00

This is one of the few years where a Top3 so stood out to me that it's not difficult at all to name them.

Richard Jenkins in The Visitor delivered the first great performance of the year. As the stifled widower, Walter Vale, Richard Jenkins finally got his chance to shine after years of relative obscurity in character roles. When Vale returns to the New York city apartment he basically abandoned after the death of his wife - only to find two illegal immigrants living there - Vale finds his spirit awakened in trying to help these two good-hearted people, who find themselves in tough circumstances. Jenkins manages to create a stifled personality just waiting to come to life. When he finally does learn to live again, it's a moment to celebrate - not just for the character, but for a long-neglected actor finally given the chance to show his great range.

Sean Penn is an amazing actor. However, despite how great he is, I've found myself getting a little tired of the constantly brooding performances he's given as of late. Sure, they're good, but take a Lexapro, man! If life was always as depressing as his characters, there'd be a lot more dead people. So, the irony of it all: in Milk, Penn plays a character who is doomed to die, and yet, gives his most lively performance since Fast Times at Ridgmont High. I'd seriously forgotten what his smile looked like. The story of Harvey Milk is both heart-breaking and inspiring; and so is Penn's performance. Thankfully, neither he, nor his co-stars shy away from the sexuality of the parts, unafraid of soiling their image with "gayiety" (thank God those days are over). Penn throws himself so completely into the role that he turns it into a celebration. Even better, he creates a human being out legend - a human being who took on life with gusto.

In almost any other year, my first two choices would have won my vote without a doubt. But this is the year of Mickey Rourke. His comeback role in The Wrestler is truly something to behold. Much has been made about this ressurection and it's really hard to over-hype it. As the sadsack, washed-up 80's professional wrestling celebrity, he brings a humanity that I would not have thought possible. I say that not just because Rourke has sabotaged his own career over the last decade plus; but because as someone who despises professional wrestling (and hair metal which makes up a good portion of the soundtrack), I never thought I'd like this film. That I did like it is testament to Darren Aronofsky, sure - one of this generation's best directors - but it's also testament to the vulnerability that Rourke displays. As the old hair metal song goes, I hate myself for loving him - but it's impossible not to. Time may prove this to be Rourke's On the Waterfront. It's a performance for the ages.

In supporting parts, it's kind of obvious, isn't it? But, before stating the obvious, some of the other great performances of note include, James Franco and Josh Brolin in Milk. Both actors are really shaping their careers into something to watch, and with their performances here, they strengthen them even further.

Brad Pitt gets some double-up credit like Kate Winslet. With his lead role in Benjamin Button and his hysterical supporting turn in Burn After Reading, he is deserving of recognition.

I have to give quick kudos to Bill Irwin as the enabling father in Rachel Getting Married and the remarkable counter-point to Sally Hawkins' joy in Happy-Go-Lucky, Eddie Marsan.

But, this is the year of the Joker. Heath Ledger's final complete role is the best supporting performance of the year.

Best Perfs of 2008 - The Ladies

2009-01-19T00:33:00.008-06:00

Due to some brief Internet issues today, my schedule was set off a bit. So today, the ladies. Tomorrow, the dudes.

Just so you know. this will not include every good performance of the year, so if there's someone you like and they're not on here, that doesn't mean I hate them. It doesn't even mean I didn't like them. It either means I didn't have time to see them - or I liked them, just not enough to list them. Or maybe I hated them. Maybe I did and I'm just not going to tell you.

Anyway, let's keep this positive, shall we?

The Women (no, not the awful 2008 movie, the good female actors of 2008):

I absolutely loved Sally Hawkins in Happy-Go-Lucky. She took a role that easily could have been grating, but as the glass-is-always-half-full Poppy in Mike Leigh's light-hearted delight, Hawkins manages to add just enough weight to the part that she keeps the character - and the film - from floating away. She's off-kilter; she's happy; but she's grounded enough that she makes you wish you maintain such a positive outlook on life - even as the world seems to be collapsing around you.

Anne Hathaway is all nerves and inappropriately-released fury in Rachel Getting Married. She's always exhibited talent, even in under-written roles. Now, as Kym - a young woman given a weekend reprieve from rehab for her sister's wedding - she cements her spot at the forefront of her generation's best actresses. She's as real and raw as Declan Quinn's handheld cinematography. She exhibits a maturity that is (nearly) unrivaled by any young actress working today. Just check out her scene at an AA meeting for a moment of honesty seldom seen on the big screen.

To find a rival for a mature performance from a young actress, turn to Hathaway's Brokeback Mountain co-star. I think my favorite performance of the year (male or female) came from an actress that seems to be constantly evolving. Michelle Williams was a revelation in Wendy & Lucy (coming soon to Nashville). Williams is Wendy, a twenty-something Indiana drifter who's packed all of her belongings, her last $600, and her loyal dog Lucy into her beaten up car and is making her way to Alaska for the job that she sees as her salvation. After an overnight stop in northeastern Oregon, her car breaks down and Lucy is lost. Heartbreaking, yes. But Williams, in a mousy-brown bowl-cut and an unflattering pair of corduroy shorts, is so believable that there isn't a minute that goes by that doesn't leave you rooting for her success. Wendy is one of those characters that you hope you can somehow check back on in the future. She's someone you care about. Michelle Williams is the reason for that. That's why I loved this performance so much.

Some other great women of 2008:

Kate Winslet's end-of-the-year double punch in Revolutionary Road and The Reader is worthy of respect, but would we expect any less?

The other great Cate, Blanchett, manages to make what could have been a flat, love-interest role in Benjamin Button eminently watchable.

In supporting parts:
Penelope Cruz is fantastic in Vicky Christina Barcelona.
I also enjoyed Taraji P. Henson in Benjamin Button.

But, Viola Davis, in Doubt, manages to steal the film from a fine cast in just five short minutes.

The Top 10 Continues

2009-01-17T16:59:00.005-06:00

#8 - A Christmas Tale
directed by Arnaud Desplachin.

I generally deplore Christmas movies. A Christmas Story aside, most Christmas movies these days are excuses to draw families to the theaters between Thanksgiving and December 25 (Four Christmases, par example). Not so, A Christmas Tale.

Desplachin is an auteur's auteur - approaching typical, almost generic, stories with a cinematic zing. The juxtapositions creates a happily unsettling dichotomy. In A Christmas Tale, Desplachin tackles the family melodrama with his typical flare and turns the old genre into an engrossing character study.

The Vuillards are a northern French family with a long and complicated history (much of which is told in a shadow puppet show). Junon and Abel (Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Roussillon) lost their oldest boy to a rare blood cancer when he was six. Three kids later and three decades later, Junon is diagnosed with the same illness just before Christmas time. Thus, the brood is brought togehter, not just to celebrate the holiday, but to also see if anyone in the family is a matching donor to save the matriarch's life. In lesser hands (and with less talented actors), this would be the stuff of a Lifetime movie. In Desplachin's hands, the story of the Vuillards becomes a universal tale of family dysfunction as human mythology (note the names, Junon, Abel, Faunia, Ivna, Baptiste...).

All that makes it sound so academic, possibly depressing. Where the film shines is that it skips along lightly, blending wit, grace, and humor with fist-fights, arguments, and desperation. By the end, you've laughed, loved, cried, and been angered by these people. It's as if they've invited you to pull up a chair to the table, curl up under a blanket on the sofa, and given you a very unique, lasting Christmas present. Unwrap and enjoy.

#7 - In the City of Sylvia
directed by Jose Luis Guerin

If Jose Luis Guerin had made this charming minimalist exercise five or ten years ago, I doubt it would have had such a hard time finding a theater. A daring distributor like Wellspring or Palm (still going, but in a much weaker iteration) would have at least given it a shot in a few theaters here and there, and daring independent cinemas would pick it up a touring show. So, it seems odd that a low-budget Spanish / French co-production that runs only 78 minutes (and contains about three minutes of dialogue) would be a victim of the recession. But the recession has significantly dwindled the numbers of those willing to take the financial risk to back those willing to take such artistic risks.

But what a joyous risk Guerin takes. A man (simply credited as "El" or "him") returns to Strasbourg with the memory of a woman he met six years ago as his motivation. He sits in his hotel room, seeking the inspiration to sketch. He heads to a sidewalk cafe. Eventually, we realize - as he stares at the various women seated around him - this is where he met her. Is that her? What about her? The camera ponders the women, who all have similar enough features. And, then - in one of the most beautiful shots of the year, there she is...on the other side of the glass, inside the cafe.

This is a film that requires patience, and admittedly not all viewers have the patience for it - i'll reiterate - about 3 minutes of a dialogue in a 78 minutes film - but those who do have the patience are rewarded with a trip as light and breezey as a summer in Europe - a reminder of a time when one was young enough to seek lost love and dream of reunions.

Coming tomorrow: Great performances of 2008.

My Top 10 for 2008

2009-01-16T15:32:00.007-06:00

#10 - The Dark Knight
directed by Christopher Nolan.

When Batman Begins hit big screens in 2005, it was proof that a respected director could make a good superhero movie. When The Dark Knight was announced, most fan boys and movie-lovers couldn't help but be excited. What was unexpected was just how good the movie turned out to be.

It's flawed, sure (I'm still bothered by the lack of a conclusion to the party scene, when Batman rescues Rachel. Seriously, what the hell happened to all those other party guests?). But it's also riveting, dark, disturbing, and features the best portrayal of comic book villainy in the history of cinema.

We mourn the loss of a talent like Heath Ledger. His Joker left some saying, "Imagine what he could have done." I look back at this performance, hi wonderfully subtle work in I'm Not There, and, of course his portrayal of Ennis del Mar in Brokeback Mountain and I can't help but be thankful for what he did do.

The Dark Knight successfully raises the bar on what a comic book film can be.

Honorable Mention: Iron Man, directed by Jon Favreau.

Part of Robert Downey Jr.'s great 2008, this stylish comic book adaptation was the light to The Dark Knight's dark.

#9 - Man on Wire
directed by James Marsh.

I am an of an age that I vaguely remembered when Philippe Petit committed the "Art Crime of the Century" by suspending a wire between the two still-under-construction towers of the World Trade Center and walking back and forth across that wire for nearly 45 minutes.

But I could not have conceivably recalled being as moved and inspired by his brazen actions as I felt when watching James Marsh's remarkable documentary, Man on Wire. Even a photo of Petit suspended 1,700 feet above ground - with no safety precautions - is enough to send chills down one's spine, but to get the behind-the-scenes details of how this incredible act of illegal circusry was actuall pulled off makes you feel a legitimate part of it. Whenever I see a documentary about a subject so far in the past, I always find myself so thankful that someone was smart enough to have a camera around. Thankfully, Petit and his may assistants did have a camera to record the hours of rehearsals, planning, and scheming that was necessary to make this stunt a success. And, of course, hanging over the film is what would happen if it didn't succeed.

What's most impressive about Marsh's direction is that he creates suspense where there really is none. The outcome of this stunt is well-known, and yet, as an audience member, you become palpably nervous for Petit and crew. One of the best documentaries of the decade.

Honorable Mention: Harvard Beats Yale, 29-29, directed by Kevin Rafferty.

Like Man on Wire, Rafferty creates suspense where there should be none (hell, the outcome is given away in the title!); and his interview subjects - players in the 1968 Harvard vs. Yale game including Tommy Lee Jones - are seemingly a crew of amateur comedians - each of them likably human with a great perspective on the game and the turbulent time in which it was played.
________________________

Coming tomorrow: #8 & #7.
Sunday: Great performances of 2008.
Monday: #6 & #5.
Tuesday: #4 & #3.
Wednesday: #2 & #1.
Thursday: Oscar Nominations announced.

Christmas in January?

2009-01-15T11:50:00.004-06:00

I get a little ashamed of myself this time of year. You see, in one week, the Academy will announce the nominees for the Oscars. Each year, I tell myself that they really don't mean anything. The odds are that the films that are my favorites on the year will get very few - if any - nominations.

And yet, each year, I get excited. I'm like the kid that knows Santa doesn't exist, but still can't wait to see what he puts under the tree each year.

Admittedly, with the Oscars, a lot of it's coal. And yet, I keep coming back.

Originally, it looked like this year was going to be difficult to predict. Now, it appears to be pretty easy. No - not pretty easy; it appears set in stone already.

Best Picture will be:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (good enough)
The Dark Knight (I'll accept that)
Frost / Nixon (inexplicable - does anyone actually love this movie?)
Milk (deserved)
Slumdog Millionaire (unstoppable)

The only one with any real vulnerability is Frost / Nixon for precisely the reason I stated. I don't know anyone - inside the industry or out who loves this movie. It's respectable enough, but usually to get nominated, passion is required. Slumdog has passionate followers in spades, as does Milk. We all know about the absolute gonzo response to The Dark Knight. And Benjamin Button has oohed and aahed it's way into inevitability. But I haven't heard a single person make these same claims about Frost / Nixon.

So, what could possibly sneak in? The only ones that seem possible are Doubt - again, not overly passionate, but there is a lot of respect for the actors and that could lead to more than enough votes. The Wrestler could conceivably pick up enough steam to sneak into a fifth spot. But I'm rooting for WALL*E. It has a passionate following. It's deserving. And it would finally make nomination morning interesting.

The Oscar nominations are announced a week from today at 7:30 AM local time. We'll discuss more then. Between now and then, we'll begin counting down my 10 Best of 2008.

Starting tomorrow with numbers 10 & 9.

Early Word on Entries

2009-01-05T13:54:00.006-06:00

Well, I can't tell you which ones are in just yet, but I can tell you that NaFF has broken a record for the number of entries received for the 2009 40th Anniversary Festival.

We received 1,923 entries from 86 nations. We'll be continuing to go through all of the entries for the final six weeks. In the near future, you'll begin to hear about some confirmed titles.

Just to give you an idea of how well the call for entries went, here's a map of the world. Nations from which we received entries are shaded in gray.

I'd like to have more of Africa covered, but not all nations there have an active film industry and the only major industry on the continent that did not submit a film was Nigeria.

Check back soon and you'll begin to see some confirmations of what's to come in April.

IndieWire Year End Critics' Poll

2008-12-24T11:04:00.005-06:00

One of my favorite "movie lists" is out, and it allows me to do a little bragging.

Each year IndieWire polls critics from around the country and compiles their Top 10 lists of the year.

Topping this year's list is Hou Hsiao-hsien's The Flight of the Red Balloon - a delightful film that (and here's where the bragging comes in) was fortunate enough to program at the 2008 Indianapolis International Film Festival.

The complete Top 10:
Rank Title pts. mentions

1	The Flight of the Red Balloon	495	43
2	A Christmas Tale	454	38
3	WALL-E	368	32
4	Wendy and Lucy	366	36
5	Happy-Go-Lucky	346	31
6	Paranoid Park	335	31
7	Still Life	330	31
8	Silent Light	310	26
9	Synecdoche, New York	290	25
10	Waltz with Bashir	283	27

A little further down on the list (see the complete list here) is another film I programmed that also played at the Nashville Film Festival, the sublime In the City of Sylvia. And at #24 is a third (and underrated film) that I exhibited at IIFF, Reprise. Other films of interest on the list include the Werner Herzog doc (that also played here in Nashville) Encounters at the End of the Earth, Harmony Korine's Mister Lonely, and Up the Yangtze.

My favorite part of the poll are the Best Undistributed Films - these include some of the best films played at festivals around the nation - several of which I've seen...and many of which you'll get to see at the 2009 Nashville Film Festival (I can't tell you which ones yet). Indeed, 7 of the 76 films mentioned on the list have been entered for 2009 NaFF consideration. You'll also note that 2008 NaFF films - You, the Living and Of All the Things made this list.

So, list junkies, enjoy parusing these fascinating selections - many are still to come to theaters and many are now available on DVD.

That should tide you over 'til April.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Happy Holidays to all.

NOTE: My Top 10 will be coming shortly after the turn of the year for those of you who care.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2008-12-19T09:20:00.002-06:00

I was fortunate enough last night to attend a special screening of David Fincher's opus The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It is a wondrous film in the sense that it does, effectively force one to wonder "what if"?

As it progresses, it begins to shift into American mythology territory. Only time will tell whether it can become a part of American mythology, or whether it will remain a date-stamped, albeit wonderful movie.

I've heard comparisons to Forrest Gump. I think that's fair - to a degree. Both are films about unique characters whose extraordinary lives overlap with extraordinary events in American history; and they were both written by Eric Roth. But that's where they end. Zemeckis didn't ask us to look any deeper with Gump. We were simply supposed to "ooh" and "ahh" at the special effects and weep at the end as lessons are learned. Fincher does go deeper, creating a world at once so like our own, and yet so very different. I loved the fact that once everyone around him got over it, no one seemed to question the fact that Benjamin aged backwards. It was simply the way things are with him. Benjamin doesn't shape history as Forrest did. He, like us, is shaped by it. This makes Benjamin a more approachable character than I ever found Forrst Gump to be. Oh, and we do get to "ooh" and "ahh" and some amazing aging special effects and make-up. So those who love technical stuff will have something go ga-ga over.

It's a strong entry. Fincher continues to mature as a filmmaker. With Benjamin Button, he re-shapes his resume. Does he pander a bit to the Academy? Sure; but it's much better pandering than anything Ron Howard has offered (note: I've yet to see Frost / Nixon). Along with Aronofsky, whose The Wrestler is another great film of 2008, their generation is proving to be fertile with bright visual minds who can re-shape the cinema even as they celebrate its roots.

Opening Christmas Day, Benjamin Button is worth the price of admission and more.

A Worthy Link

2008-12-17T09:18:00.002-06:00

IFC's Keaton Kail is keeping a running list of Top 10s from major critics and organizations.

Good resource to check out as the end of year rolls around.

For those of you curious to see where I may go with my programming selections, or who are addicted to Top 10 lists (I know there are those of you out there). I'll be putting my Top 10 together in January, since those of us who don't live on the coasts have to wait a few weeks to make sure we've caught everything we possibly can.

In the meantime, follow IFC's running tab of Top 10s.

Golden Globe Reactions

2008-12-11T13:11:00.003-06:00

The Golden Globes (the fun, younger cousin to the Oscars) announced their nominations today. While a lot of the heavy hitters landed exactly where expected, there were some surprising and upsetting snubs.

Granted, even someone like myself (in the industry, but not on a coast) has not had the chance to see all of the nominated films (because Hollywood is addicted to waiting to the last minute to release so many of the contenders), but even without seeing everything, it's safe to say that the snubbing of Milk in Best Picture - Drama, Best Director, and the Best Supporting Actor categories is both unexpected and a little upsetting.

I don't think that it will upset its chances for Oscar nominations, however. It's Gus van Sant's most successful mainstream film to date - not completely eschewing his more esoteric tendencies; but not giving himself completely over to them, either.

This year's little movie that could, Slumdog Millionaire (due in Nashville, Dec. 19) appears to maintain its front-runner status. Right behind (some say, slightly ahead), David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button had a good day with the Globes. It makes its way here Christmas Day.

The disappointing thing is to see Michelle Williams' perfect work in Wendy & Lucy completely ignored this awards season (save a Spirit Award nomination). There hasn't been a more genuine performance given by a lead actor (male or female) that I've seen this year. In the midst of the current economic decline, some may find a movie about the struggles of a borderline homeless young woman too tough to handle, but director Kelly Reichardt (Old Joy) lets the weight of the film rest on the capable shoulders of Williams - and she pays her back in spades.

I wish Awards season could truly be about the best - and not about the best-connected. Were that the case, Michelle Williams' name would be popping up a lot more.

Don't miss Wendy & Lucy when you get the chance to see it.

Welcome to a Frenzied Season

2008-12-11T12:43:00.004-06:00

I open this blog at a time the nation transitions to a new president, the economy is in constant flux, I've only recently moved to a new city to become the Artistic Director for the Nashville Film Festival - preparing to celebrate its 40th Anniversary April 16-23, 2009.

But, this ain't politics (as much as that always intrigues me); this is movies.

And the frenzy of this season is awards season.

I'm not here to predict (check out the links in the blogs I'm following for that). I will complain (a lot, because those of us who love movies will always complain about such things) and I'll comment about awards season, because, really - I've been doing that for decades. Those who have known me know the strange path that had led me to the position I currently hold. It involved an alternative to the Oscars begun in 1994 (and featured in In Touch magazine, at one point). It involved an unsuccessful film series sponsored by those Oscar alternatives. This eventually led to the foundation of the Indianapolis International Film Festival, and after five years at the helm there, to my move to the Nashville Film Festival.

Obviously, the one thing that remained consistent throughout that time was my love and passion for cinema.

So, the following weeks, months, and years worth of posts will be made up of my opinions, thoughts, and whines & moans about cinema: Awards, screening processes, behind-the-scenes festival work, the occasional bit of catty gossip (because as much as we like to pretend we're above it, none of us are) - but it will all center around film.

So, enough with the introductions. You'll get to know me more throughout the posts and through my recommendations, and such (oh, and there will be recommendations).

Let's get on with it.