2005 Oscar Predictions

Here to forth are my predictions for the 2005 Academy Awards. As far as the major categories are concerned, the following could happen: Virginia Madsen could win out over Blanchett (and should - Blanchett was boring). Clive Owen could win out over Morgan Freeman, but that is very much less likely. And Aviator could score over Million Dollar Baby. Aviator SHOULD win but won't - the victim of the bad buzz. As far as lesser categories, Counting Crows from Shrek 2 could win for Best Song and hopefully Supersize Me will eke out victory over my prediction (Born Into Brothels). Both are good documentaries but Supersize Me really deserves it.

So those are my predictions. Commment as needed. Hopefully I'll go 24 for 24.

>> Picture
>> - "Million Dollar Baby"
>
>> Director
>> - Clint Eastwood, "Million Dollar Baby"
>>
>> Actor
>> - Jamie Foxx, "Ray"
>>
>> Actress
>> - Hilary Swank, "Million Dollar Baby"
>>
>> Supporting Actor
>> - Morgan Freeman, "Million Dollar Baby"
>
>> Supporting Actress
>> - Cate Blanchett, Aviator Original Screenplay
>> - Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth, "Eternal Sunshine of
>> the Spotless Mind"
>
>> Adapted Screenplay
>> - Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor, "Sideways"
>>
>> Foreign Film
>> - "The Sea Inside" (Spain)
>>
>> Animated Feature Film
>> - "The Incredibles"
>>
>> Animated Short Film
>> - "Ryan"
>>
>> Documentary Feature
>> - "Born Into Brothels"
>
>> Documentary Short Subject
>> - "The Children of Leningradsky"
>>
>> Live Action Short Film
>> - "Little Terrorist"
>>
>> Art Direction
>> - "The Aviator"
>>
>> Cinematography
>> - "The Aviator"
>>
>> Film Editing
>> - "The Aviator"
>>
>> Costume Design
>> - "The Aviator"
>>
>> Makeup
>> - "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events"
>
>> Original Score
>> - "Finding Neverland"
>>
>> Original Song
>> - "Believe" from "The Polar Express"
>
>>
>> Sound Editing
>> - "Spider-Man 2"
>>
>> Sound Mixing
>> - "The Aviator"
>>
>> Visual Effects
>> - "Spider-Man 2"

"Constantine" Is Stuck in Purgatory

Don't get me wrong. "Constantine" is not a bad movie by any means. It's certainly not a good movie, but its not devoid of positive qualities. First and foremost, the visuals are quite striking and the formidable direction paints a gritty picture of the metaphyical underbelly of Los Angeles. I was quite taken with the first hour of the film, on the edge of my seat, watching Keanu Reeves redeem himself (his acting abilities, anyway) from the crappy "Matrix" sequels. "Project Greenlight" treasure Shia Le Beouf shines here as Constantine's sidekick, providing some well needed humor and spark in his every scene. A shame he didn't get more screen time here. I'm telling you now, that kid is going to be HUGE. As far as additional positives, I did welcome the humor of the movie, especially after the humorless Matrix sequels. I actually laughed a few times.

After the first hour, the movie just drags. The plot does NOT fall apart as some may contend with, the movie just slows dramatically and I grew bored. As a character, Constatine is kick ass. But as a movie, it's tough to sit still under the weight of Constantine's boring investigation. I have to admit I was very disappointed by the explanation of the plot, especially when the red herring villian is a homeless Mexican peasant who happened to get lucky, and the big bad villian is entirely predictable (at least to audiences that come to expect plot twists). I would have liked to have seen more of Gavin Rossdale, who is billed in the trailers as the main villain (he is certainly not). In fact, it annoyed me that for as smart as Constantine is, he never seems to put the coicidence of seeing an enemy early in the movie together with the fact that the enemy could be involved with the nefarious plot. Rachel Weisz, on the other hand, is very hot.

My review: two and a half stars. Three because of Shia La Beouf.

2005 Oscar Nomination Predictions

It's that time again. Ahead of Tuesday's announcements for Academy Award nominations, here are my predictions!

2005 Oscar Predictions:

Best Picture:
Sideways
Ray
The Aviator
Finding Neverland
Million Dollar Baby

Best Actor:
Johnny Depp - Finding Neverland
Don Cheadle - Hotel Rwanda
Paul Giamatti - Sideways
Jamie Foxx - Ray
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Aviator

Best Actress:
Imedla Staughton - Vera Drake
Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby
Catalina Sandrino Morengo - Maria State of Grace
Annette Bening - Being Julia
Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Best Supporting Actor:
Clive Owen - Closer
Thomas Hayden Church - Sideways
Jamie Foxx - Collateral
Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby
Freddie Highmore - Finding Neverland

Best Supporting Actress:
Natalie Portman - Closer
Kate Winslet - Finding Neverland
Virgina Madsen - Sideways
Cate Blanchett - The Aviator
Laura Linney - Kinsey

Best Director:
Clint Eastwood - million dollar baby
Martin Scorcese - aviator
Alexander Payne - sideways
Mark Forster - finding neverland
Taylor Hackford - ray

Additional Comments:

I predict these will be the exact nominations... The only shift that could happen... The Incredibles could substitute for Ray for Best Picture though thats highly doubtful. Liam Neeson could sub for Paul Giamati in Best Actor category. And Sophie Okonedo for Hotel Rwanda could sub for Kate Winslet in the Supporting Actress Category. Or Peter Sarsgaard in for Freddie Highmore perhaps?

Top Films of 2004

As my loyal friends and fans know, every year I pass judgment on the ten best films. It's a hard list to make; there are just so many good films out there. This year is just like any other: plenty of formidable choices, all itching to crack my top ten list. I based my picks this year on emotional resonancy and poignancy. Which films stayed with me after I left the theater? Which movies had an impact upon my heart and soul? Which films did I debate with friends? And which films showcased the crafts of writing, acting, and directing? These lists are works in progress. As I see films over and over again, they jockey and change position, they complement other movies, or they change my opinion of my tastes. In any event, it's just my humble opinion.

My picks for Top Ten Films of 2004.. Please argue away.

1) Garden State
2) Hotel Rwanda
3) The Incredibles
4) A Love Song For Bobby Long
5) Shaun of the Dead
6) Closer
7) Million Dollar Baby
8) Life Aquatic
9) The Aviator
10) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Runners Up to Round out the Top 20: Imaginary Heroes, Sideways, The Clearing, Shall We Dance?, Supersize Me, Mean Girls, Napolean Dynamite, Saved!, We Don't Live Here Anymore, Before Sunset.

The Melody is Sweet in "A Love Song for Bobby Long"

Sometimes people don't give the small, subtle movies enough credit. Instead of talking cats mixing it up with Jennifer Love Hewitt, obsessed nerds embarking upon a globe-spanning treasure hunt, and green ogres making off with princesses, its the small movies that can truly showcase a deserving actor's amazing performance, provide story fodder from the minor banalities of life, and enlighten the soul of the viewer. In a break from the bloated cinema of the 90's and early new millenium, 2004 has proven to open the eyes for American audiences and allowed film to breathe, and to blossom. "A Love Song for Bobby Long," starring indie-It girl Scarlett Johansen and rags-to-riches-to-rags-to-riches-again actor John Travolta, is one such well-done "small" movie.

Travolta plays the titular character, Bobby Long, a drunken English professor who sits on the front porch of a dilapidated house all day, entertaining his unmotivated neighbors with acoustic guitar. Despite veering back into the gray-haired Clinton-esque southern drawl from playing the President in "Primary Colors," Travolta is once again at the top of his acting game. Bobby shares his home for his protege, Lawson Pines (Gabriel Macht), who is attempting to write a novel based on Bobby's life. Their utopia - which consists of trying to outdo each other by quoting famous lines from authors - is shattered upon the arrival of Persy (Johansen), the estranged teenage daughter of a local country singer who owned the house Bobby and Lawson live in before her death at the start of the movie. Persy expects the house to be empty, but is coaxed to believe that her mother left the house to the three of them to share; she decides to move in, and in effect, turns their lives upside down.

Like many feel good movies, Persy influences the men to change their lives and better themselves and they in turn do the same for her, inspiring her to follow her dreams. And of course, the twist at the end of the movie is pretty damn predictable, followed by some damning melodrama (notably, the musical graduation scene). But for a first-time director, the achievement is in the story. I don't care if you find it bogged down and deep-fried in cliches. The movie is a heartwarming tale of friendship and family, rhythm and redemption, and the sweet sensations of good bluegrass and country music (the soundtrack by the way, recorded by Grayson Capps and Travolta, is equally haunting and stunning). Scarlett Johansen proves yet again to be more than a capable actress; she is also downright gorgeous in her Southern sun dresses. Gabriel Macht, who you may recognize from forgettable action movies like "The Recruit" is a surprising find; he has the potential to be the next Big Thing. He steals the film from Travolta and women will definitely swoon at his smile.

For me, the real winner is the ability to connect with the emotions of the characters. If I can't feel what they are feeling, the impact of the movie is lost on me. "A Love Song for Bobby Long" was the antithesis of that; the film resonated on me long after I left the dark theater. I felt for the characters. I felt for a moment that I was a part of their strange yet heartwarming dysfunctional family. I thought I was part of the illusion on screen. For me, that is the key in rating whether a movie is good or not. This subtle, small film has its flaws - and many at that - but it's also one of my favorites of 2004.

My grade: four out of four stars.

"Hotel Rwanda" Is One of the Year's Best Movies

I'm going to keep this one short and simple. "Hotel Rwanda" is one of the year's best movies. I hesitated to label this as the number one movie of the year for me, if only because its not one of the movies that I can really watch again and again. Perhaps I will be proved wrong when I view this wonderful piece of cinema a second time. Right now "Garden State" holds number 1 in my book (look for the actual list in the coming week), but alas, we aren't talking about "Garden State" here.

"Hotel Rwanda" is a stunning epic, the story of a brash, hotel manager of a four star hotel in early 90's Rwanda. Played by Don Cheadle in a career-making performance (please if there is justice, Cheadle will at least get an Oscar nomination), manager Paul is a local hero, a con-man able to provide high-grade scotch for generals and amenities for the hotel residents. He has friends in high places, a capitalist outlook on society, and a family that he would do anything to protect. When the civil war hits Rwanda, and the rest of the world turns its back on the genocide, Paul decides to help humanity, and open his heart - and the hotel doors - to refugees. His people become his family.

I can't put into words how good this movie is. Every person in the world should see this movie, if only to be further educated on the plight of African nations and the atrocities that happen in this world when we turn a blind eye. It makes me question (once again) our government's policies and those that we do decide to help. If we are indeed a police force, we should enforce the right to democracy everywhere and assist those who need saving. Civil war and genocide still occur in many regions of the world. While our mission is to root out the terrorists who have the ability to strike on our soil, we should also serve and protect those in jeopardy on their own soil, whether from dictators or mongering warlords or those who foster prejudice and hatred.

This is an Important movie, and a great one at that. And "Hotel Rwanda" is more than a movie. It had an impact on my heart and my soul, and I promise you, it will have a similar impact on yours. I urge you to see this amazing film.

My grade: four out of four stars.

"Assassination of Richard Nixon" Kills Penn's Chances at Another Oscar Go-Around

When I saw "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" two months ago at the AFI Film Festival in Los Angeles, I remember walking out of the theater for the most part enjoying the movie. Reflecting on the film now, it's actually hard to remember some of the crucial details and scenes that allowed that opinion to form. And I suppose that is the inherent problem of the movie; while Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, and Don Cheadle once again offer great performances, the film itself is forgettable, just another blip on the pop culture radar. If the film were so lucky, it could be a possibly Jeopardy clue one day, but its lackluster limited release spells doubts for its future prospects. Neither this movie nor Sean Penn will get any Academy recognition. The competition is simply too fierce this year.

In this true story, Sean Penn stars as furniture salesman Sam Bicke adjusting to his new life, separated from his wife and kids, and still smarting from a family smackdown with his Hasidic brother, the owner of a tire franchise. As the film progresses, you can see the mental fibers within Penn's character's brain unraveling, his very hinges exploding and popping off. Bicke refuses to tell lies whether its selling tires or furniture, or dealing with his estranged wife, and takes it personally everytime he is urged to do so.

The movie is in itself a well-thought out and put together case-study about the man who got it into his head to kill President Nixon, but was intercepted while flying to Washington to carry out his insane crime. This isn't giving the movie away; we know that Nixon was never assassinated. As a result, while we watch Bicke disintegrate, a la Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver," we also wait for him to screw up. It's just too predictable.

Don't get me wrong. It's actually a good, well-intentioned movie. Its a profile of a mediocre man on the fringes of society, cut off by those who love him, and forced to turn into a monster so his voice can be heard. It's quite fascinating, in fact. But given the caliber of pictures this year, it fails to slay the competition and falls to the bottom of an exceptionally good pack.

My grade: two and a half out of four stars.

Another American Beauty Nightmare in "Imaginary Heroes"

With Oscar season - and Christmas vacation - in full swing, it's hard to cram all those movies at the multiplex into your schedule. Without fail, the art house divisions of all those major multinational media conglomerates issue their chances for Oscar glory, and like any horse race - some movies never get out of the starting gate. One such movie is "Imaginary Heroes," a suburban dystopia nightmare starring Sigourney Weaver, Emile Hirsch, and Jeff Daniels and the directorial debut by Dan Harris, the writer of X-Men 2.

When the fall schedules were first announced, this movie had buzz for the performances by Daniels and Weaver. Unfortunately, while both live up to the early attention, this movie will be swallowed whole by the marketing machines of the major studios promoting "Sideways," "The Aviator," "Hotel Rwanda," and other buzz-worthy indies like "The Woodsman" for audience dollars and Oscar votes. And it's really quite a shame.

While "Heroes" lacks the emotional panache of "American Beauty," which by the way was my favorite movie of 1999, it strikes similiar terrain of messed-up families of suburbia, people who have everything but feel nothing until tragedy strikes. The movie begins as the family's popular and Olympian-dreamer swimmer son (Kip Pardue) kills himself, distraught from the increasing pressures as The Good Son. The film is told through the eyes of his less popular, sexually awkward brother, played with resonance by Emile Hirsch, as well as through the heart of their chain-smoking mom-from-hell (Weaver). Shockingly, these two characters share a bond unlike most other son-mother relationships currently in the movies, and I felt it endearing to watch Hirsch's character cut school after a fire drill and spend the day sitting with his mom on a porch swing. The two tackle an array of typically melodramatic film fixtures: suicide, paternity questions, cancer, sexual identity, drug use, adultery, depression, and jail. Despite the fact that these heavy handed topics are all rolled up into one movie - and a directorial debut at that - it somehow works. The melodrama actually feels like The Truth and what empty suburban life - despite the affluence of the homes and cars - can actually feel like. It's also nice to see Dawson's Creek Michelle Williams acting again (as Emily Hirsch's wise, older sister).

A lot of critics have given fault to the movie because it's pretty damn depressing. And it is... But in a year of cold and calculating films, built on budgets and revenue-projections, this is a film that tugs at the heartstrings and gets you to feel "something" for its sad-sack characters, like Bridges' in-pain father, who ditches his corporate job without telling his family to sit drunk on a park bench. Some may label it manipulative, but I give it credit. I'd much rather cry and stir in my seat than be bamboozled to feel intellectually malignant by the condescending and emotionally void Fox Searchlight feature "I Heart Huckabees."

Sony Pictures Classic, which distributes this movie, has decided to cut it loose in two theaters in Los Angeles and New York for a week for Oscar consideration, before pulling the movie until a wider release in February. A shame the film doesn't have a shot at raking in any Awards this year; too much competition from the other players should have made Sony push it to 2005. In any event, I urge audiences out there to watch this movie in February, especially if you want to feel something after a long, dark winter.

My grade: Three stars out of four.