In 127 Hours, Aaron Ralston (James Franco) is the cocksure mountain climber who gets pinned in a narrow Utah canyon and famously ends up cutting off his own arm to free himself. Though he realizes soon after the accident that he'll probably lose the arm, Aaron takes five agonizing days to actually take the initiative and do what has to be done. In that time, he ponders his life and the mistakes that led him to that point. He meditates, in his dehydrated state, on his attitudes, his relationships, and his life. The movie makes it clear that without having the time to reflect in the face of death, he would never had achieved the epiphany of self-awareness that led him to free himself. "That rock was waiting for me my whole life," he says, "The minute I was born, every breath that I've taken, every action has been leading me to this crack on the outer surface."
In the King's Speech, the future King George VI (Colin Firth) fights a debilitating stutter and seeks help from Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), an Australian speech therapist with unusual methods. While Lionel can help "Bertie" with a few tricks and exercises, it's not until the future king opens up about his anxieties and troubled past that lasting progress can begin. After Bertie reluctantly takes on the role of king - a responsibility he never thought he'd have and one that he has dreaded his whole life - England is thrust into a war with Germany and the country finds itself in need of a leader with a strong voice. Though it is by no means easy, it is clear that he never would have been able to do it at all without help from Lionel and the self awareness that came from his epiphany.
In each film, our main character must face the past that led him to a defining moment. Though their stakes and situations are very different, they must both muster their courage to endure the unthinkable.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Music Awards
Hooray music awards! This year's nominees for Best Score are How To Train Your Dragon, Inception, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, and The Social Network.
I love Alexandre Desplat's music, but I'm surprised at his nomination for The King's Speech, where most of the big musical moments were provided by Mozart and Beethoven. Also, it's kind of cool that Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor was nominated as co-composer for The Social Network. Curious but, I though, fruitless. The award will go to Hans Zimmer for Inception. If you listen closely, his score actually illustrates the multiple-dream-level idea of the movie with different musical lines moving at different rates, the longest of which belts "Ma Vie En Rose," (a crucial plot point) in long foghorn blasts. Brilliant.
The Best Song nominees are "Coming Home" (Country Strong), "I See the Light" (Tangled), "If I Rise" (127 Hours), and "We Belong Together" (Toy Story 3). I've learned from experience that songs that are integral to the plot are the ones that win and songs that just play over the credits do not. That means that "Coming Home" is the likely winner. It's sung in the movie by the characters and directly relates to the action.
I love Alexandre Desplat's music, but I'm surprised at his nomination for The King's Speech, where most of the big musical moments were provided by Mozart and Beethoven. Also, it's kind of cool that Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor was nominated as co-composer for The Social Network. Curious but, I though, fruitless. The award will go to Hans Zimmer for Inception. If you listen closely, his score actually illustrates the multiple-dream-level idea of the movie with different musical lines moving at different rates, the longest of which belts "Ma Vie En Rose," (a crucial plot point) in long foghorn blasts. Brilliant.
The Best Song nominees are "Coming Home" (Country Strong), "I See the Light" (Tangled), "If I Rise" (127 Hours), and "We Belong Together" (Toy Story 3). I've learned from experience that songs that are integral to the plot are the ones that win and songs that just play over the credits do not. That means that "Coming Home" is the likely winner. It's sung in the movie by the characters and directly relates to the action.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Best Actress
Here's an exciting race! The nominees are Annette Benning (The Kids Are All Right), Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole), Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone), Natalie Portman (Black Swan), and Michele Williams (Blue Valentine).
First, let me say that if it were up to me, Jennifer Lawrence would get the award. She gave what was easily the best female leading performance of the year. Maybe the best lead performance period. But sadly, it's not up to me.
No, this race is really between Benning and Portman. Voters have a choice: they can finally give the Oscar to a Hollywood legend or they can give it to the young actress who suffered for her role. Both won Golden Globes and are clearly the front-runners, but it comes down to one factor – Portman wants it more.
On talk shows and interviews she never fails to mention her rigorous ballet training and diet for the role. During the nomination voting she announced that she's pregnant and has been showing up to events in baby bump-accenting gowns. She also announced that she is engaged to her Black Swan Choreographer. And if that wasn't enough to keep people talking about her, she took a page from Julia Robert's winning playbook and released a light comedy movie to run during Oscar season.
Remember in 2000 when Julia Roberts was up for Erin Brockovich, a serious dramatic role? During Oscar season she released The Mexican, a light relationship comedy, to remind voters that she has range as an actress. This also had the benefit of letting her campaign for the Oscar without looking like she was campaigning – she would go on talk shows and do interviews ostensibly to promote the new movie, but the conversation would always turn to her nomination. Very clever. But the plan can backfire – let's not forget Eddie Murphy. He got a nomination for Dreamgirls and then released Norbit, effectively ruining his shot at the Oscar.
So, while Annette Benning floats her way graciously through another awards season, Natalie Portman is focused with steely, laser-like precision on that Oscar. Let's just hope she doesn't fall victim to the "Best Actress curse."
First, let me say that if it were up to me, Jennifer Lawrence would get the award. She gave what was easily the best female leading performance of the year. Maybe the best lead performance period. But sadly, it's not up to me.
No, this race is really between Benning and Portman. Voters have a choice: they can finally give the Oscar to a Hollywood legend or they can give it to the young actress who suffered for her role. Both won Golden Globes and are clearly the front-runners, but it comes down to one factor – Portman wants it more.
On talk shows and interviews she never fails to mention her rigorous ballet training and diet for the role. During the nomination voting she announced that she's pregnant and has been showing up to events in baby bump-accenting gowns. She also announced that she is engaged to her Black Swan Choreographer. And if that wasn't enough to keep people talking about her, she took a page from Julia Robert's winning playbook and released a light comedy movie to run during Oscar season.
Remember in 2000 when Julia Roberts was up for Erin Brockovich, a serious dramatic role? During Oscar season she released The Mexican, a light relationship comedy, to remind voters that she has range as an actress. This also had the benefit of letting her campaign for the Oscar without looking like she was campaigning – she would go on talk shows and do interviews ostensibly to promote the new movie, but the conversation would always turn to her nomination. Very clever. But the plan can backfire – let's not forget Eddie Murphy. He got a nomination for Dreamgirls and then released Norbit, effectively ruining his shot at the Oscar.
So, while Annette Benning floats her way graciously through another awards season, Natalie Portman is focused with steely, laser-like precision on that Oscar. Let's just hope she doesn't fall victim to the "Best Actress curse."
Friday, February 4, 2011
Inception and Black Swan
In Inception, an elite team of thieves that infiltrate peoples' minds to steal information is gathered for an unusual mission - they are hired not to take information, but to leave an idea behind. To do so, they wire themselves and their mark into a computer that allows them to walk through carefully constructed dreams... and dreams within dreams... and dreams within those dreams. All this dream-hopping is dangerous for our thieves because it's easy to lose track of what's real and get lost forever. This hazard is all to real for the team leader, Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), whose wife killed herself, thinking she was in a dream and hoping to wake up. But was she right? Lines are blurred and reality is in question throughout, as the story unfolds. What and who is real? Who can be trusted? Where is the way out?
In Black Swan, Nina (Natale Portman) is a young, driven ballet dancer who scores not one, but two roles of a lifetime in a new production of Swan Lake - she will play the sad, graceful White Swan as well as the sinister Black Swan. She is naturally delicate and embodies the White Swan perfectly, but she is pressured by her castmates, her director, and herself, to find her darker Black Swan side. As she pushes her body and mind to the limit, Nina gets lost in the roles, becoming paranoid and delusional, always questioning the people around her and her own sanity. Who wants her to fail and why? Who and what is real? Throughout the film, we see a fragile woman break in two with the darkest of consequences.
Both films take you into the mind of its lead characters and show that reality is only as tangible as our perceptions.
In Black Swan, Nina (Natale Portman) is a young, driven ballet dancer who scores not one, but two roles of a lifetime in a new production of Swan Lake - she will play the sad, graceful White Swan as well as the sinister Black Swan. She is naturally delicate and embodies the White Swan perfectly, but she is pressured by her castmates, her director, and herself, to find her darker Black Swan side. As she pushes her body and mind to the limit, Nina gets lost in the roles, becoming paranoid and delusional, always questioning the people around her and her own sanity. Who wants her to fail and why? Who and what is real? Throughout the film, we see a fragile woman break in two with the darkest of consequences.
Both films take you into the mind of its lead characters and show that reality is only as tangible as our perceptions.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Artistic Awards
Let's start with Best Cinematography. The nominees are Black Swan, Inception, The King's Speech, The Social Network, and True Grit. I hated the camerawork in Black Swan. The Social Network slid into this category by virtue of its Best Picture nomination - it was nothing special. The lighting and compositions in The King's Speech were fantastic and Inception had the steely look characteristic of all Christopher Nolan films, but my pick goes to True Grit. First, because it had a wonderful dusty, raw, and... well... gritty look while still being gorgeous to look at. Second, because it's the great Roger Deakins, who has never won despite a gazillion nominations.
Best Art Direction nominees are Alice In Wonderland, Harry Potter 7a, Inception, The King's Speech, and True Grit. Most of these films' looks are based on reality - including the one that takes place mostly in a dream - so Alice In Wonderland has a distinctive edge. Everything had to be created from a whimsical imagination. No props could be bought - it all had to come from scratch, so the degree of difficulty is raised.
The Best Costumes category features Alice In Wonderland, I Am Love, The King's Speech, The Tempest, and True Grit. First, let me note how unusual it is to have a movie with a contemporary setting in this category. I Am Love doesn't stand a chance. No, in this category more is more and the more elaborate the costumes are, the better. That's why I'm picking Alice In Wonderland - its costumes are so outrageous that it stands out among the other nominees. Also, it varies widely from realistic Victorian looks to the crazy Wonderland apparel. Also also, it's the great Coleen Atwood who is amazing.
This year's Best Makeup nominees are Barney's Version (a Canadian comedy starring Paul Giamatti), The Way Back (about Russian prison camp escapees), and The Wolfman (the Benicio Del toro monster-movie dud from last winter). What a weak category. The Academy really couldn't come up with better Makeup nominees? The winner here is clear – The Wolfman will get it.
Interesting note: the makeup for The Wolfman was done by the legendary Rick Baker who, you may recall, won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Makeup for another werewolf movie – An American Werewolf In London. He was also one of the three people to beat Titanic back in '97.
Best Art Direction nominees are Alice In Wonderland, Harry Potter 7a, Inception, The King's Speech, and True Grit. Most of these films' looks are based on reality - including the one that takes place mostly in a dream - so Alice In Wonderland has a distinctive edge. Everything had to be created from a whimsical imagination. No props could be bought - it all had to come from scratch, so the degree of difficulty is raised.
The Best Costumes category features Alice In Wonderland, I Am Love, The King's Speech, The Tempest, and True Grit. First, let me note how unusual it is to have a movie with a contemporary setting in this category. I Am Love doesn't stand a chance. No, in this category more is more and the more elaborate the costumes are, the better. That's why I'm picking Alice In Wonderland - its costumes are so outrageous that it stands out among the other nominees. Also, it varies widely from realistic Victorian looks to the crazy Wonderland apparel. Also also, it's the great Coleen Atwood who is amazing.
This year's Best Makeup nominees are Barney's Version (a Canadian comedy starring Paul Giamatti), The Way Back (about Russian prison camp escapees), and The Wolfman (the Benicio Del toro monster-movie dud from last winter). What a weak category. The Academy really couldn't come up with better Makeup nominees? The winner here is clear – The Wolfman will get it.
Interesting note: the makeup for The Wolfman was done by the legendary Rick Baker who, you may recall, won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Makeup for another werewolf movie – An American Werewolf In London. He was also one of the three people to beat Titanic back in '97.
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