On June 24th, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced some momentous news about next year's Oscars--there will be 10 nominees for Best Picture, instead of the usual 5. This is probably the biggest embarkment the Academy has taken since the inception of the supporting actor/actress awards in 1936. "After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award of the year," said President Sid Ganis. "The final outcome, of course, will be the same – one Best Picture winner – but the race to the finish line will feature 10, not just five, great movies from 2009." This was clearly done in response to much debate concerning the exclusion of certain genres of films, such as animated features and action/adventure films, namely WALL-E and The Dark Knight. The Academy's decision opens the doors for more movies to vie for the ultimate honor of being named Best Picture of the Year. The following films (alphabetically) are my picks for this year's Best Picture Nominees: 1. Avatar Directed by James Cameron Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver and Giovanni Ribisi
"In a distant future, humanity discovers the planet 'Alpha Centauri B-4', and for those scientists and astronauts who've traversed the gulf between neighboring suns and arrived on its alien soil know it as 'Pandora'. A world filled with an incredible diversity of beautiful and deadly ammonia-breathing lifeforms. Its also a world that harbors treasures and resources almost beyond price. But just as the original Pandora's Box wrought devastation on those who would use it for their own gain, so too this world may destroy not just the Pandorans home, but ours as well. Avatar is the story of a wounded ex-marine, thrust unwillingly into an effort to settle and exploit an exotic planet rich in bio-diversity, who eventually crosses over to lead the indigenous race in a battle for survival." -Scificountdown.com Rating: ★ ★ 1/2 Bottom
Line: Although a visually stunning spectacle, it is an old story redone
to the tune of CGI Special Effects; it's essentially just Dances With Wolves in SciFi.
2. The Blind Side Directed by John Lee Hancock Starring Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon and Kathy Bates "Based on the true story of Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy who take in a homeless teenage African-American, Michael "Big Mike" Oher. Michael has no idea who his father is and his mother is a drug addict. Michael has had little formal education and few skills to help him learn. Leigh Anne soon takes charge however, as is her nature, ensuring that the young man has every opportunity to succeed. When he expresses an interest in football, she goes all out to help him, including giving the coach a few ideas on how best to use Michael's skills. They not only provide him with a loving home, but hire a tutor to help him improve his grades to the point where he would qualify for an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship. Michael Oher was the first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 NFL draft." -garykmcd Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ Bottom Line: Even if you're not a fan of football, you will appreciate the message behind this film. It's the feel good movie of the year!
3. An Education Directed by Lone Scherfig Staring Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike, Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams and Emma Thompson
"Written
by Nick Hornby, An Education is the story of a young girl's choice
between Oxford and the university of life. Sixteen and gifted, Jenny
(Mulligan) is destined for Oxford. Her parents' own dreams of fulfilment
are built on Jenny's success. However, her eyes are opened to a world
of glamorous possibility beyond the boundaries of suburbia when she
meets the considerably older, distinctly urbane, David (Sarsgaard)."
-BBC Films Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ Bottom
Line: A remarkably distinguished coming of age story that truly embodies
the angst and emotional trauma of life's many lessons.
4. The Hurt Locker Directed by Kathryn Bigelow Staring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes and Guy Pearce
"Three members of the Army's elite Explosive Ordnance
Disposal (EOD) squad battle insurgents and each other as they search for
and disarm a wave of roadside bombs on the streets of Baghdad-in order
to try and make the city a safer place for Iraqis and Americans alike.
Their mission is clear-protect and save-but it's anything but easy, as
the margin of error when defusing a war-zone bomb is zero. This
thrilling and heart-pounding look at the effects of combat and danger on
the human psyche is based on the first-hand observations of journalist
and screenwriter Mark Boal, who was embedded with a special bomb unit in
Iraq. These men spoke of explosions as putting you in 'the hurt
locker'." -Summit Entertainment Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Bottom
Line: Finally a modern war film set in the Middle East that isn't
cliché. A great film that focus on the characters not the politics.
5. Inglourious Basterds Directed by Quentin Tarantino Staring Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Diane Kruger, Daniel Bruhl, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Mélanie Laurent and Til Schweiger
"In
Nazi occupied France, young Jewish refugee Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses
the slaughter of her family by Colonel Hans Landa. Narrowly escaping
with her life, she plots her revenge several years later when German war
hero Fredrick Zoller takes a rapid interest in her and arranges an
illustrious movie premiere at the theater she now runs. With the promise
of every major Nazi officer in attendance, the event catches the
attention of the "Basterds", a group of Jewish-American guerilla
soldiers led by the ruthless Lt. Aldo Raine. As the relentless
executioners advance and the conspiring young girl's plans are set in
motion, their paths will cross for a fateful evening that will shake the
very annals of history." -The Massie Twins Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ Bottom Line: Entertainingly glorifies violence in a way we have not seen in some time.
6. Invictus* Directed by Clint Eastwood Starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon
Based
on John Carlin's book "Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game
That Changed a Nation". "The inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela
(Freeman) joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team
(Damon) to help unite their country. Newly elected President Mandela
knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake
of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the
universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's underdog
rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup
Championship match." -IGN Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ Bottom Line: Magnificent story of liberation and triumph
of an entire nation, superb acting as always from both Freeman &
Damon.
7. Precious Directed by Lee Daniels Staring Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, Paula Patton and Lenny Kravitz
Already
won the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize for Best Drama at the
Sundance Film Festival this past January. "Set in Harlem in 1987, it is
the story of Claireece 'Precious' Jones (Sidibe), a sixteen-year-old
African-American girl born into a life no one would want. She's
pregnant for the second time by her absent father; at home, she must
wait hand and foot on her mother (Mo'Nique), a poisonously angry woman
who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is a place of chaos,
and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and an awful
secret: she can neither read nor write." -Lionsgate Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ Bottom Line:
A heart-wrenching story about the hardships of an abused and seemingly
hopeless teenager in Harlem. Masterful performances take this film to a
whole nother level, one that most are probably not used to seeing.
8. A Single Man* Directed by Tom Ford Staring Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, Nicholas Hoult and Jon Kortajarena
"Set in Los Angeles on November 30, 1962, a month after the Cuban missile crisis, A Single Man
is the story of George Falconer (Firth), a middle-aged British college
professor who has struggled to find meaning in his life since the sudden
death eight months earlier of his longtime partner, Jim (Goode).
Throughout the single day depicted in the film, George dwells on his
past and his seemingly empty future as he prepares for his planned
suicide that evening. Before meeting his close friend Charley (Moore)
for dinner, he has unexpected encounters with a Spanish prostitute
(Kortajarena) and a young student (Hoult) who has become fixated on
George as a kindred spirit." -The Weinstein Company Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ Bottom Line: Masterfully acted story about life, death and circumstance that truly relates human grievance and lament.
9. Up Directed by Pete Docter Staring Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Bob Peterson, Jordan Nagai and Delroy Lindo
"From
the revolutionary minds of Pixar Animation Studios and the acclaimed
director of Monsters, Inc. comes a hilarious uplifting adventure where
the sky is no longer the limit. Carl Fredicksen, a retired balloon
salesman, is part rascal, part dreamer who is ready for his last chance
at high-flying excitement. Tying thousands of balloons to his house,
Carl sets off to the lost world of his childhood dreams. Unbeknownst to
Carl, Russell, an overeager 8-year old Wildnerness Explorer who has
never ventured beyond his backyard, is in the wrong place at the wrong
time - Carl's front porch! The world's most unlikely duo reach new
heights and meets fantastic friends like Dug, a dog with a special
collar that allows him to speak, and Kevin, the rare 13-foot tall
flightless bird. Stuck together in the wilds of the jungle, Carl
realizes that sometimes life's biggest adventures aren't the ones you
set out for." -Disney Pixar Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ Bottom
Line: A candid tale of two explorers who find themselves through the
help of the other. Heart-warming from beginning to end.
10. Up In The Air Directed by Jason Reitman Staring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick and Jason Bateman
"From
Jason Reitman, the Oscar nominated director of Juno, comes this
dramatic comedy starring Oscar winner George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a
corporate downsizing expert whose cherished life on the road is
threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching ten million frequent
flyer miles and after he’s met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams
(Farmiga)." -Paramount Pictures Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Bottom
Line: A splendid contemporary glimpse of one man's ventures that induces
us to reflect upon our own lives. An absolute must see!
+1. A Serious Man Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen Staring Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Sari Wagner Lennick, Fred Melamed, Aaron Wolff and Jessica McManus
"The
story of an ordinary man’s search for clarity in a universe where
Jefferson Airplane is on the radio and F-Troop is on TV. It is 1967,
and Larry Gopnik (Stuhlbarg), a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern
university, has just been informed by his wife Judith (Lennick) that she
is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous
acquaintances, Sy Ableman (Melamed), who seems to her a more substantial
person than the feckless Larry. Larry’s unemployable brother Arthur
(Kind) is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny (Wolff) is a discipline
problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah (McManus)
is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job."
-Focus Features Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ Bottom Line: A must see! Especially if you can appreciate the dark farcical style of the Coen Brothers.
"Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going to allow
Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies
that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed
out of the race for the top prize," commented Ganis. "I can’t wait to
see what that list of ten looks like when the nominees are announced in
February." *Did not make the final cut on February 2nd, thereby did not get an Academy Award Nomination for Best Picture. Neill Blomkamp's science fiction thriller "District 9" was the other film nominated that was not previously mentioned by this list.
AnEducation is a coming of age tale about a sixteen-year-old girl who falls in love with a man twice her age. Relatively unknown Danish director Lone Scherfig has created a film that truly captures the innocence of youth. The script itself is based upon the memoirs of British journalist Lynn Barber who didn’t originally publish her story until this year. There was an essay written in the "Granta", a student publication at Cambridge University, which featured Barber’s personal story. Screenwriter Nick Hornby read this and immediately was draw to the story. He states that what appealed to him most was this “suburban girl who's frightened that she's going to get cut out of everything good that happens in the city. That, to me, is a big story in popular culture. It's the story of pretty much every rock 'n' roll band.” Hornby, a novelist himself, also wrote the screen adaptation for such popular films as High Fidelity and About a Boy, and applies his usual shrewd understanding of pop palatability again here.
Production designer Andrew McAlpine masterfully constructs a somber setting of post-World War II London. A feeling of repression lingers in each scene which so eloquently demonstrate what the city was like before the huge artistic counterculture of the 1960s. The period itself plays into the characters a great deal, because it is the foundation for so much of who they are and how they approach the circumstances before them. There is a vast contrast of moods created by the littlest things like a rainstorm or a costume change. Scherfig keeps the visual angels on screen low and close to the actors throughout the entire film. For such a character driven piece, this is a brilliant tactic by the director because it creates an intimacy where empathy otherwise might not readily lend to the audience. But ultimately, it is the performances that truly bring this story and this film to the limelight.
Carey Mulligan as Jenny
Young British actress Carey Mulligan astutely portrays the main character of Jenny. Up until now, she has been widely under the radar, appearing mainly on British television and in supporting roles in such films as Pride & Prejudice and Public Enemies. Scherfig had auditioned many girls for the part, but something about Mulligan captivated her. “Carey was always the one I liked best,” she says. “We adjusted the part a little bit to her.” She is attractive without being too glamorous and captures the essence of Jenny by fostering an intelligent yet idealistic adolescent. The way Mulligan interacts with her costars conveys an actress well beyond her years. Many have justfully compared her to screen legend Audrey Hepburn. But will Mulligan have the same kind of golden appeal to excite an Academy Award? Most critics have already deemed her as a lock for a nomination, if not the current front-runner, and I am most certainly in agreement. Mulligan’s performance clearly registers as one of the best of the year. You can see the determination and ambition in her eyes, while still maintaining a demonstrative sense of naiveté.
Matthew Beard as Graham, with Mulligan
“Carey has a sweetness to her that suits the film. If we had written it that way, I would worry the film was overly cute. But she is really like that, it comes to her naturally. I chose to risk a little more of that rather than focus on Jenny's lippiness and fighting with her father.” proclaims Scherfig. Jenny is the victim of her parent’s expectations. They seek to mold her into being an accomplished student and ultimately gain acceptance into the prestigious Oxford University. This is obviously more of her father’s notion than her own. Jenny herself fantasizes of a cigarette-smoking, music embellishing, French culture driven world that she has only read about. As naturally expected of most all suppressed individuals, Jenny seeks to rebel, but only subtly at first. She sneaks around with her girlfriends, smoking and gossiping, as any normal teenage girl might. She even has captured the fancy of a young boy, played by Matthew Beard, who courts Jenny early in the film under the surveillance of her parents. Until this point, it seems like Jenny’s life is pretty atypical. This all changes once she meets David.
Peter Sarsgaard as David
Peter Sarsgaard plays the part of David Goldman, an eccentric thirty-something year old who divides his time between extravagant outings and his so-called business endeavors. Sarsgaard reminds me a great deal of a friend of mine (Benji K.) who not only looks a lot like him, but has the same kind of restless ambition that is easily alluring. David not only manages to charm Jenny with his debonair style and whirlwind ideals of romance, but everyone else he encounters as well. David inadvertently stumbles upon Jenny in a chance meeting while he is driving by in his maroon colored Bristol, amidst a torrential downpour outside the studio where she has cello rehearsals. He implores her to save her instrument from water damage by allowing him to chauffer it to her destination. He assures her that he’s merely interested in rescuing her cello and suggests that she just walks along side the car as he drives. Jenny succumbs and soon enough, she too is being driven home by this perfectly charming stranger. So begins Jenny’s relationship with David, and the heart of the story.
Mulligan with Dominic Cooper as Danny
By today's standards, it would be easy to dismiss this courtship as immoral and inappropriate, considering their age difference. But that instinctive reaction is easily dismissed after it becomes very apparent that Jenny is courting David just as much. The encounters she has as a direct result of dating David force a sophistication upon her that she questionably may not be ready to coop with. Sarsgaard is both appealing and devious all at once. He certainly knows that Jenny is far younger than him, but asks her out just the same, “Do you go to concerts?” Jenny responds, “No, we don't believe in concerts.” “Oh, I assure you, they're real.” She accepts his invitation under the condition that he is able to gain her parent's permission. No easy feat considering just how controlling her they are, particularly her father Jack, played by Alfred Molina. But his suave tactics prevail, as David showers Jenny’s mother Marjorie (Cara Seymour) with compliments and manages to relate to Jack on his level. All of a sudden, Jenny is catapulted into a world where she no longer is just imagining this extravagant lifestyle; she is actually living in it.
Alfred Molina as Jack Mellor
Molina’s performance as Jenny’s overbearing yet sincere father is nothing short of brilliant. He adds depth and persona to an otherwise annoying character, by conveying true sincerity while still communal. His yelling and commanding tone reaches beyond just maintaining control of his household. Jack seeks to guide his only child to a path of certainty and security. And even though his constant bellowing may seem like him just being an overprotective father, Molina reveals himself to be much more, as a genuinely concerned guardian. Himself, a vastly underrated actor, Molina has finally garnished the kind of praise that may grant him an Oscar nomination next February. I think he deserved more attention for his turn as Diego Rivera in Frida, but it is better late than never.
Olivia Williams as Miss Stubbs, with Mulligan
Jenny can be categorized as the classic overachiever. She is studious, yet still popular among her peers. She romanticizes about exploring worlds beyond the realm of London and goes to great extent to study neighboring cultures, particularly French. There are a few key figures in her life, outside of her parents, who have the most influence on her. Well at least until David comes along. First, there is her Literature teacher Miss Stubbs, played by Olivia Williams. She regards Jenny as her prized pupil, one who she holds to the highest expectations. She imposes this ideal upon Jenny that students like her are “the reason” why she is teacher. And that concept is what weighs on Jenny’s mind throughout all of her explorations. Emma Thompson also bears some significance on her as the Headmistress of Jenny’s school. She often is tasked with grounding Jenny’s whims and continuously reminds her of the importance of being an accomplished, educated young woman. It is these educators who serve Jenny in the most practical of ways, and remind us all of how underrated and unappreciated teachers often are.
Emma Thompson as the Headmistress, with Mulligan
There are a number of things that come to mind when you think about coming of age stories. And while this may fall under such a story category, it most certainly is not stereotypical. There is so much simplistic beauty in An Education, but the film is nonetheless palletized with complex situations and characters. As we watch Jenny grow before our eyes, our appreciation for our own life trials is heightened. Most everyone can remember what it was like to be sixteen. For some, it was a time for exploration, and for others, a time for establishment. But not many of us truly experience such a worldly erudition as Jenny does at that age. The lessons that she finds herself engulfed in cannot be found in any book or taught in any classroom. Both Scherfig and Hornby must have carefully considered this in their creative processes. Carey Mulligan’s turn as this impressionable and bewildered girl with this undeniable thirst for culture and knowledge is nothing short of remarkable. She absolutely blossoms on the screen. Mulligan embraces an image of innocence while flourishing in the circumstances of her new found “education”. And as we watch Jenny out on the town, attending concerts and going to fine restaurants rather than merely dreaming of it all from her bedroom floor whilst listening to Juliette Greco records, we too are educated. Cependant “Si tu t’imagines”—life doesn't always turn out as you imagine it.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Bottom Line: A remarkably distinguished coming of age story that truly embodies the angst and emotional trauma of life's many lessons.
"You've Got Me Wrapped Around Your Little Finger" performed by Beth Rowley
"Based on the true story of Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy who take in a homeless teenage African-American, Michael "Big Mike" Oher. Michael has no idea who his father is and his mother is a drug addict. Michael has had little formal education and few skills to help him learn. Leigh Anne soon takes charge however, as is her nature, ensuring that the young man has every opportunity to succeed. When he expresses an interest in football, she goes all out to help him, including giving the coach a few ideas on how best to use Michael's skills. They not only provide him with a loving home, but hire a tutor to help him improve his grades to the point where he would qualify for an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship. Michael Oher was the first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 NFL draft." -garykmcd
