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Thursday, January 05, 2012
A Season of Screeners
My friend Lynn asked me: "Just curious. Does your
attention begin to waver after watching so many movies in a short time
span? You've watched a LOT of movies."
The answer is no!
Not even after we have watched 40+ films!
Oscar Screeners begin arriving in November and continue into early January, right about the time that there's NOTHING worth watching on TV. Perfect. You do get down to the dregs of the barrel after a while, but it's a fun journey.
These screeners are a blessing in so many ways, not the least of which is that B's job as director keeps him so busy that I don't know when we'd be able to see all these movies so he could vote on them. But there's that added serenity of us sitting together on the couch under a blanket, with a bowl of popcorn or dinner, and not fighting bad theaters, bad audiences, ill-taught children and all the other random movie theater factors that can mar the enjoyment of a film.
***THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN THIS POST***
And to that I'll add... the remote control --a godsend when having to sit through:
I won't even write the title. But it was the most pretentious waste-of-film I've seen in decades! The tagline: Nothing Stands Still. Wrong. At 138 minutes, everything stood still. Whole species evolved in the excruciating time it took to slog through this convoluted, brooding film that was in love with its own symbolism and misfortune. So we were grateful for the remote control!
That said... nothing beats seeing a film on the big screen. Nothing.
Here are a few of our favorites.
If the movie isn't here, I either liked it but not loved it, loved parts of it despite the overall movie, didn't care for it, or was sorry I had to sit through it.
A b&w silent movie?? In 2011/12 ? Really?
Really. And we loved every minute of it.
For starters, there's that undeniable "Gene Kelly" quality of Jean Dujardin.
But in general, in a decade where you never know what unexpected decapitation or other such horrors are going to fly at you from the screen, it was just a relief to sit and watch a well-made movie, with characters we enjoyed spending time with, and to know that NOTHING gimmicky or startling was going to take us out of the movie. I got lost in this movie.
The clarity and beauty of the black and white is stunning.
And the actors are so much fun, so engaging. And surprisingly, I didn't miss sound at all.
The girl, bubbly and cheery, and the dog, adorable. The dog stayed with the guy every step of the way, almost like his own little Jiminy Cricket.
The movie is just charming.
But... sadly, I'll be surprised if it wins because there are no super-horses being vaulted through a war-field and lascerated by barbed-wire against all-too-obviously-preposterous odds. Still, stranger things have happened.
A bit of a sad film... her life was so sad. But Eddie Redmayne and Michelle Williams captivate from start to finish. He is so green and wide-eyed, and she is so forlorn and child-like. It's wistful and sweet and well-acted, and enjoyable from start to finish.
I wanted to like Beginners even more than I did, because the performances are SO good. The only thing holding me back is that I'm hardpressed to believe two characters are so utterly bewildered by life and relationships without the slightest clue as to how to say what they need or what they are afraid of. The fact that we live in a time filled with movies about relationships, reality TV, Oprah, Dr. Phil and self-help, and the sheer degree to which they wallowed in lostness... that makes it a bit hard to buy. That aside, it's worth it for every performance, and is genuinely sweet. Ewan. He's the reason to see it.
And then there's the fact that the rollerskating rink scene was filmed near where I live... Ewan was SO CLOSE, and I didn't even know it. ;)
The trailers made this seem like more of a comedy than it really was. It is still a movie about a young man dealing with cancer. But again, performances really made the movie. It's a quiet movie, with engaging characters, and after this and 500 Days of Summer, I think Joseph Gordon Levitt is one of the more under-rated actors. We both loved Seth Rogan in this a lot as well. There is a healthy dose of quirkiness thanks to Seth, but at its heart, the film is about friendship. Yet this film is not at all the downer you might think it to be.
Another George Clooney film to love so close after "Up in the Air." George is endearing in this film about uncovering the truth about his wife. A film about family and fidelity... set in Hawaii! It's quirky in places and we just loved spending time with these characters. Shailene Woodley as the daughter caught us off-guard. I loved the relationship between she and her father (George). Not what I'd call an upbeat film, but not a downer either. Another natural performance from George.
A real surprise, full of natural performances as well. I tell people it's a less glossy Hollywood-ized version of The Blind Side, about real and flawed characters.
Paul Giamatti was great, but we were both taken aback by how good Alex Shaffer (blond kid above) is. We did laugh several times, but it's not the comedy it is advertized to be. But it's a solid film, and we loved it.
Last and not least, my favorite film of the year.
Midnight in Paris is the only Woody Allen film I have ever thoroughly enjoyed. I will go so far as to say, I barely noticed any traces of Woody Allen...well, maybe in the fiancé and her friends and the parents.
Owen Wilson is so appealing and earnest. The film has a surprise that I won't mention, but once it kicked in, we were thoroughly engaged and wondering what is going to happen to tie all these characters together somehow!
At its heart, is the story about finding passion and fulfillment in your life and the world around you, rather than wishing it could somehow be some other world, some other time, some other way. And I loved that the message is repeated so many ways.
And it's Paris!
There was talk about how romantic and wonderful Paris is in the rain. I will add a touch of realism by saying, that having spent 6 rainy days in Paris, that can get old REAL FAST. But Paris is beautiful, and it's the perfect setting for this wonderful film about having the courage to seek fulfillment against whatever odds. I wonder if this film will even get nominated.
To the above, I will add the guilty pleasures of fun films that, while not adding anything new to the art of film-making, were a helluva lot of fun: Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter/Hallows2, The Guard, Super 8, and Hanna.
Am I attached to what wins? No.
The Oscars are a total popularity contest, with bargaining and coercing and shaming for votes. Rarely do I love the winner as much as Hollywood wants me to. But the fact that B gets to cast his vote for something he feels is true, decent, substantial and well-made is a wonderful thing. If only the entire academy was made up of people who think for themselves with such careful dedication.
~Shephard :)
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