Oscar Watch: Golden Globe Nominees

Jean Dujardin in The Artist, which led the way with 6 nominations.

List of nominees, with my comments at the end:

Oscar Watch: Screen Actors Guild Awards

 Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis lead The Help to 4 total nominations.

List of nominees, with my comments at the end:

Oscar Watch: LA Film Critics Awards

Picture: "The Descendants"
Director: Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"
Actor: Michael Fassbender, "A Dangerous Method," "Jane Eyre," "Shame" and "X-Men: First Class"
Actress: Yun Jung-hee, "Poetry"
Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain, "Coriolanus," "The Debt," "The Help," "Take Shelter," "Texas Killing Fields," "The Tree of Life"
Screenplay: Asghar Farhadi, "A Separation"
Foreign-language Film: "City of Life and Death"
Animation: "Rango"
Documentary / Non-fiction Film: "Cave of Forgotten Dreams"
Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, "The Tree of Life"
Music/score: The Chemical Brothers, "Hanna"
Production Design: Dante Ferretti, "Hugo"
Independent/Experimental Film/Video: "Spark of Being"
New Generation: Antonio Campos, Sean Durkin, Josh Mond and Elizabeth Olsen, "Martha Marcy May Marlene


The La Film Critics doesn't seem to affect the awards race too much. The Descendants and Tree of Life are already sure things for Oscar nominations. Plummer and Chastain have both won elsewhere and seem to be in good spots. They list 4 movies here for Fassbender and I love that X-Men: First Class is included, but make no mistake. This nomination was for his daring performance in Shame. The biggest surprise is Yun Jung-Hee for Poetry, who entered the awards season without a ton of buzz. This doesn't necessarily vault her into the Oscar race as the three previous LA Film Critics winners for Best Actress didn't snag a nomination.

Oscar Watch: National Board of Review Awards

Best Film: Hugo
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Actress: Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Best Foreign Film: A Separation
Best Documentary: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Best Animated Feature: Rango
Best Ensemble Cast: The Help
Breakthrough Performance: Felicity Jones, Like Crazy; Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Spotlight Award: Michael Fassbender, A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre, Shame, X-Men: First Class
Spotlight Award for Best Directorial Debut: J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Best Original Screenplay: Will Reiser, 50/50
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, The Descendants
Special Filmmaking Achievement Award: The Harry Potter franchise, for "a distinguished translation from Book to Film"
NBR Freedom of Expression: Crime After Crime, Pariah

Top 10 Films:

    Hugo
    The Artist
    The Descendants
    Drive
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
    The Ides of March
    J. Edgar
    The Tree of Life
    War Horse

Top 5 Foreign Films

    13 Assassins
    Elite Squad: The Enemy Within
    Footnote
    Le Havre
    Point Blank

Top Documentaries

    Born to Be Wild
    Buck
    George Harrison: Living in the Material World
    Project Nim
    Senna

Top Independent Films

    50/50
    Another Earth
    Beginners
    A Better Life
    Cedar Rapids
    Margin Call
    Shame
    Take Shelter
    We Need To Talk About Kevin
    Win Win

The National Board of Review Awards have been in effect since 1929. They are often considered one of the less legitimate awards groups due to a random, unknown roster of members. Despite that reputation, they are annually acknowledged as one of the major awards season announcements. They have a very good track record at predicting nominees with an 81.8% success rate over the last 10 years.

The good news for Scorsese and Hugo is that the NBR Best Film has been nominated in each of the last 10 years. With the incredibly strong reviews and word of mouth, there's no reason to think Hugo won't continue that trend. Clooney is pretty a guaranteed lock for a nomination any year he gives a lauded performance, so you can already pencil him in for his work in The Descendants. Previous nominee Plummer seems like a good bet with a film that received great reviews. I'm less certain about Swinton (film hasn't opened yet) and Woodley (age).

Unlike many other groups, the NBR also hands out top 10 lists for best of the year. There are some surprises in this list. J. Edgar has received very poor reviews, while The Ides of March reviews have been good, but not great. I do not expect either of them to be a factor in the Best Picture race.  Nor would I expect to see The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo or Drive. Deathly Hallows Part 2 might get in due to incredibly strong reviews and as a way to reward the overall accomplishment of the series, but I'm not counting on it just yet.

Oscar Watch: New York Film Critics Circle Awards

The New York Film Critics circle announced their 2011 award winners on Tuesday:

Best Film: The Artist
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Best Actor: Brad Pitt – Moneyball and The Tree of Life
Best Actress: Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks – Drive
Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain – The Tree of Life, The Help and Take Shelter
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki – The Tree of Life
Best First Film: J.C. Chandor – Margin Call
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation - Iran
Best Non-Fiction Film: Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Best Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian – Moneyball

The awards season is officially under way. The New York Film Critics have been an excellent predictor for the Oscars as 79% of their winners have gone on to an Oscar nomination over the last 10 years. They've had an even better track record recently, as in 3 of the last 4 years every single winner has gone on to an Oscar nomination. However, while they are good at predicting nominations, their track record is not quite so good at predicting the winner. The NYFCC Best Picture has only matched up with the Oscars 3 out of the last 17 years.

Since the awards season begins with the New York film critics, they get to set the early tone for the Oscar race. The Artist definitely jumps to the front of the Best Picture race, but the unique film will need more support to stay there. Pitt's win is a bit of a surprise because his performance in Moneyball isn't showy (although it is excellent), but if he continues to get momentum in awards circles, he has an excellent shot at a nomination. I haven't seen The Iron Lady, but Streep playing Margaret Thatcher has got to be a lock for the Oscars. Albert Brooks was unexpected, but it's the kind of change of pace role that could generate lots of buzz. I wouldn't put too much stock in Chastain's win yet, as these multiple film wins are often misleading as the voters are rewarding for body of work instead of individual performance, which is much different than how the Oscars will be looking at it.

The Ides of March (George Clooney, 2011) **1/2

Dir. George Clooney
Starring Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Evan Rachel Wood

Given the current political climate, it is perhaps a perfect time for Hollywood to produce a solid, top notch political drama. And if there was anyone in Hollywood who would be perfect to pull that off, George Clooney would seem to be a good bet. His political activism combined with his consummate skill as a filmmaker (see: Good Night, Good Luck or Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) puts him in the perfect position to deliver the goods in this genre. Unfortunately, Clooney's film is adapted from a play and despite some admittedly powerful moments, the film never escapes the confining theatrical structure and melodrama of its source material.

Ides of March is based on a play by Beau Willimon about idealistic media consultant Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling), who works for the leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney). Morris in the midst of a tough battle in the pivotal Ohio Democratic primary and tensions are high on the campaign. He's trying to secure an important endorsement from a popular Senator that suddenly seems to be going for his opponent. A  persistent reporter (Marisa Tomei) and rival campaign manager (Paul Giamatti) cause considerable problems for Meyers and his boss (Philip Seymour Hoffman).

A major problem with this film is that none of it feels very new. Meyers' journey from idealism to cynicism is awfully similar to that of Henry Burton in the superior political film Primary Colors, and at least that one had loads of humor to go along with the political insight, whereas Ides of March is deadly serious. While a serious political film about the realities of modern day politics would certainly be welcome, the plot here sadly forsakes realism for overwrought melodrama. The way the film handles the relationship between Meyers and a young intern (Evan Rachel Wood) is particularly bothersome.

Despite these problems, Clooney manages to coax outstanding performances from an amazing ensemble cast filled with the best performers in Hollywood. While the film doesn't come together as a whole, there are powerful moments where the cast shines. Several confrontation scenes really come to life, such as those between Gosling-Giamatti, Gosling-Hoffman, and Gosling-Clooney. But none of this flows together in a dramatically compelling way. It feels like a series of scenes strung together without any significant narrative rhythm, much like you would expect from a play that was not suitably adapted for the film medium.

While it is frustrating that this film did not come together as well as it should have given the people involved, I wouldn't want this to come off as an indictment against Clooney as a filmmaker. He still remains a rarity as an iconic star that chooses to do serious work that has important things to say. He may have failed here, but it is at least an effort worth appreciating from someone who could make much more money signing on to a brain dead big budget action film. And for those that want to see the fascinating political drama this film should've been, I recommend the documentary The War Room, which follows the behind the scenes drama of Clinton's 1992 campaign. There is a speech by James Carville near the end of that film that is more compelling than anything in The Ides of March.

We Bought a Zoo (Cameron Crowe, 2011) ****

Dir. Cameron Crowe
Starring Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Colin Ford, Maggie Elizabeth Jones, Elle Fanning, Thomas Haden Church

Cameron Crowe has always been a patient filmmaker, often taking 3-4 years between projects. It was usually worth it, as in the past this resulted in several films that I consider to be modern classics, such as say Anything, Jerry Maguire, and Almost Famous. Crowe's latest period of absence is more frustrating than usual because it was 7 years ago and that was the highly disappointing Elizabethtown. Thus it is a great treat to finally see Crowe back to top form with this lovely family dramedy sprinkled with his usual brand of original and magical movie moments.

We Bought a Zoo is based on the autobiographical book of the same name by Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon). Tragedy strikes Benjamin's family when his wife dies and his young daughter (Maggie Eliabeth Jones) and teenage son (Colin Ford) have difficulty adjusting. He decides a change of scenery is in order, but the only property he likes happens to be a dilapidated zoo. After seeing how much his daughter takes to the animals, he decides this is the perfect place for a fresh start and sets about restoring this zoo so it can be reopened.

This film is a delicate balancing act between sentimentality and humor. In the hands of many other directors, the tone would be all wrong, it would feel manipulative and overly silly. But this is a balancing act that Cameron Crowe has mastered throughout his career and he is better at finding that tone than just about anybody else in Hollywood. Not a moment in this film feels fallse or manufactured. In fact much of it is underplayed, especially the relationship between Benjamin and head zookeeper Kelly (Scarlett Johansson), which would normally dominate the film but Crowe never lets it get in the way of the family drama that is the core of the story.

Part of what killed Elizabethtown was terrible casting in the lead role. After making a mistake with Ashton Kutcher, Crowe decided to try Orlando Bloom and he was pretty dreadful. Here Crowe has gone with Matt Damon, who is a perfect fit for the earnest, good natured, and tortured main character. As Benjamin repairs the zoo, he must also repair his relationship with his teenage son, who doesn't want to be there. The father-son relationship in this film is tremendously affecting thanks both to Crowe's honest approach to the material and the terrific performances from Matt Damon and Colin Ford.

What really sets Crowe's films apart are what I call "Crowe moments". These are unique, magical moments throughout his films that seemingly come out of nowhere. Examples include the boombox scene in Say Anything, "You had me at hello" in Jerry Maguire, and the Tiny Dancer singalong in Almost Famous. The Crowe moments are a testament to the effort he has done in studying his idol Billy Wilder, who came up with similarly original moments in his films. Even the great Wilder would attribute this to his own idol Ernst Lubitsch who perfected what was called the Lubitsch Touch. Very few directors seem to have studied these two men, so it is enormously refreshing to see Crowe applying their techniques so successfully once again, more than 80 years after Lubitsch first perfected them.

We Bought a Zoo is a terrific Crowe film that stands strongly with some of his best work. Not only does he come up with a wonderful ensemble cast and a very funny and honest script, but the former Rolling Stone writer once again delivers a marvelous soundtrack to the film, led by Jonsi's incredible score that lifts the film's emotional moments to greatness. The film also has a sublime ending, with Crowe finding a perfect last line to the film that would make both Lubitsch and Wilder proud. Thanks for coming back, Mr. Crowe. You have been missed.

Moneyball (Bennett Miller, 2011) ***1/2

Dir. Bennett Miller
Starring Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Chris Pratt, Kerris Dorsey

Major League Baseball has the most unbalanced playing field of any pro sport. While other leagues have a mixture of big and small cities, they also have salary cap and luxury tax rules that help even the playing field. Baseball has no salary cap whatsoever, allowing teams like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox to pay close to $200 million dollars on their roster, while most teams can't even afford $100 million and many others can't even put together $40 million. One of those teams happen to be the Oakland A's, and their GM Billy Beane's struggles to field a competitive team during the 2002 season is the heart of Moneyball, a funny and smart film about outsiders trying to upset the traditional method of player analysis.

The A's made the playoffs in the 2001 season, but lost a heartbreaking series to the New York Yankees. A's GM Billy Beane was faced with losing three key members from that team who were free agents and getting offers that Beane could not afford to match. Then he meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a young Yale economics grad who has mathematical theories about baseball that flew in the face of conventional baseball thinking. With Brand at his side, Beane sought to construct a team out of players that would be cheap because the traditional method of scouting undervalued their true worth according to advanced statistical studies. The film follows the A's rollercoaster 2002 season, the criticism they faced for this new line of thinking, and some of the individual players involved.

The film is based on the book of the same name by Michael Lewis. It's not a book that immediately jumps out at you with dramatic potential with its intricate discussion of sabremetrics and economics. However, Aaron Sorkin proved he could take the story of an internet startup and make it fascinating with The Social Network, so it was smart to bring him on board here and punch up the script. Sorkin's script never goes deeply into the precise details of sabremetrics, but it deals with the basics just enough for the audience to understand the debate. What Sorkin's script (aided by sure handed direction of Bennet Miller) does is humanize the story by somehow successfully turning a wealthy GM with the looks of Brad Pitt and his Yale grad sidekick into hard luck underdogs.

One of the ways in which Sorkin does this is by delving a bit into Beane's own history as a player, when he was a can't miss prospect that completely missed. There is also a nice genuine attempt at a story between Beane and his young daughter that provides the right amount of sentiment without going overboard, precisely because it is well scripted and well played by the actors. It helps to have an actor with the natural charisma and likability of Brad Pitt. He has a nice chemistry with Jonah Hill, and Sorkin takes advantage of this by punctuating their scenes with lots of humorous touches. The individual players don't get as much attention as in other baseball movies, but Parks and Recreation's Chris Pratt does generate considerable audience support as a former catcher being moved to first base as a key part of Beane's strategy.

Moneyball may not be your standard baseball movie, but it does work in many of the same ways. There is even a "big game" with different stakes than your usual big game, but one that is still incredibly compelling. It avoids many of the dumb cliche's associated with other sports movies, while embracing some of the fun ones (the irascible manager played by Philip Seymour Hoffman is a pretty accurate portrait of the old school method of thinking.) Most importantly, it disproves one of the major complaints of the anti-Moneyball crowd; that the sabremetricians are just geeks who care more about numbers than the passion of the game. In a wonderful scene late in the movie, Beane and Brand watch a lumbering catcher struggle with his fear of running to 2nd base and you can see how much they care about drama and beauty of baseball.

2011 Atlanta Film Festival - Love is All You Need

Directed by Kim Rocco Shields

It's rare that I dedicate an entire review to a short film, but I've found one that warrants it. Love is All You Need is an incredibly powerful statement against bigotry, bullying, and oppression. It takes a clever central conceit that most films would use as one long joke and uses it to make the audience see things from a  different point of view. It is certainly one of the most unforgettable short films I have seen.

Love is All You Need takes place in an alternate universe where same sex couples are the norm. Those that prefer someone of the opposite sex are considered outcasts and are called derogatory terms like queers or breeders. The story focuses on a teenage girl named Ashley who realizes she is attracted to a boy. The film follows her struggle with this attraction and the fallout that happens when people begin to suspect her feelings.

One of the first questions to always ask in these high concept movies is if the story would be interesting without the central conceit. This film most certainly qualifies. In fact, the filmmakers explained in the post-film Q&A session that this is based on a true story and they just transported it to this different world. Too many films try to relay on their gimmick, but this one actually applies the gimmick to a powerful story in a way that it opens the eyes of audience by letting them see bigotry and homophobia from a reverse perspective.

Another problem with gimmick stories is simply playing the gimmick for jokes. There are some moments played for humor, especially in the moments when they show how the world is different from outs (football tryouts are girls only, the parents worry about the "different" drama teacher). However, this film gets it right by staying true the powerful emotional journey that Ashley goes through. Her struggle with feeling a way that society tells her is wrong is compelling and the torment she suffers from others who don't accept her is an all too prevalent problem in this day and age.

The film is also surprisingly technically proficient for a low budget short film. Director Kim Rocco Shields shows a nice visual sense, with a final shot that is just incredible. The central performance by Lexi Dibenedetto is remarkable in how she conveys the powerful internal emotional struggle that her character faces without resorting to hysterical overacting that usually plagues performers that tackle such roles.

If I have one complaint, it is the decision for this film to be screened as part of the Pink Peach Shorts. This is really a film that needs to be seen by straight audiences. Of course, the filmmakers had no say in that and certainly straight people do attend gay films and programs, but I can't help but think that this film could have reached a wider audience of people (that aren't already on board with the message) if it had been included in the Drama Shorts program, for example.

It is frustrating and maddening that there is still so much hatred for people who are "different". Love is All You Need sends a powerful message by making people see what it would be like if they were the ones being treated like second class citizens. The filmmakers did mention that they plan to expand this into a feature film. Here's hoping they are successful and their important message is brought to a larger audience.

2011 Atlanta Film Festival - Day Two

Directed by Taylor Guterson

In recent years, a new genre of indie filmmaking called mumblecore took the festival circuit by storm. I caught on to the genre a little late, but there were several great examples at last year's Atlanta Film Festival, including Kentucker Audley's Open Five and Aaron Katz's Cold Weather. Mumblecore generally refers to ultra-low budget films about young adult told in an improvisational style. Old Goats takes that genre and applies it to a story involving senior citizens in a way that works surprisingly well.

The story follows three senior citizens, all non-actors playing real life versions of themselves. Britt lives on his houseboat and is contemplating daing again for the first time in 30 years. Bob is still a ladies man and is working on getting his memoirs published. David is a wealthy, retired businessman who is stuck in a social circle of cocktail parties thrown by his wife.

At times, this format is a bit much to take as the actors are clearly reaching for what to say next. however, much of it pays off and the conversations have a very natural sound to them. The story of Britt is most compelling and dominates most of the 2nd half of the film as he mets a woman on an online dating site. His attempts to deal with his first relationship in decades make for some compelling and funny moments in the film. Old Goats isn't a great film, but it's a nice one that tells a bittersweet story about life as a senior citizen.

Directed by David Bonawits

Pleasant Peopleis the type of film that you'll often see at film festivals. It's a quirky movie about twentysomethings and love. The problem that many of these films run into is going too far with the quirkiness. Last year's entry Feed the Fish is definitely an example of that, where it was so disconnected from any kind of emotional reality that it was hard to care about what happened. Pleasant People avoids this for the most part thanks to an ingratiating lead character.

Jiyoung is a girl with a dream and her dream is to be a sucessful musician. She records cheap CD's and shows up at amateur open mic nights at a local club. She is in love with a co-worker named Josh, who tolerates her but clearly has no feelings beyond that. The story is very low key, following her exploits in music and love.

One thing I really appreciated about Pleasant People is that it never feels artificial. Even if the story may drag in certain sections, nothing in here feels written or manufactured. I especially liked that the ending is very loose and open. Most importantly, Pleasant People finds that right balance of tone that so many quirky indies miss. Jiyoung Lee (playing herself) is certainly an interesting person to watch and she carries this film with ease.

Directed by Laura Newman

The influx of big chain stores in the modern economic environment has made it very difficult for small businesses to survive. While not all of these mega retail locations are evil, there's no denying the charm of a local small store or hangout that makes you feel at home. The overly silly, but somewhat satisfying film We are the Hartmans touches on these themes.

Hartmans is a small local pub and music venue that caters to people that don't always feel welcome. It is the last of the small businesses in their town and the oen place that still makes them feel at home. When the owner (Richard Chamberlain)  gets sick, his family comes to town and makes plans to sell the place. The Hartmans regulars band together to fight the sale.

There's alot of silliness to be had in here and some of it reaches sitcom levels. However, this is a film that has its heart in the right place. The cast of unknowns works well with verteran actor Richard Chamberlain, who is surprisingly convincing in a role very different from what he usually plays. There's a sweet romance between Hartman's daughter and one of the locals. ultimately, the film gets across the message of standing up for the little guy in the face of corporate greed and does so in an entertaining fashion.

Directed by Mario van Peebles

Mario van Peebles hits the fest with a sports drama starring none other than Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. That sentence alone should be enough to pique most people's interests. Unfortunately, this is a film that runs into too many problems along the way, especially due to Van Peebles irritating insistence on visiting every single sports movie cliche out there.

Jackson stars as Deon, a talented college football running back, who has stardom in his future. He is projected to be a top NFL draft pick, has a family catering to his every interest, and can pretty much pick whatever girl he wants to be with on a nightly basis. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned as before the NFL draft he is diagnosed with cancer. The film follows how this affects his family, which to this point had completely hinged on his future.

The film received some attention because Jackson lost alot of weight to take on this role. His transformation is certainly a stunning sight and the best shot of the entire film. I think perhaps if Van Peebles had gone through the script a few more times he could've ironed things out. It really has some problematic aspects, especially an ending that wraps everything up way too neatly and strains all credibility. It's a disappointing film, but an impressive performance from Jackson.

2011 Atlanta Film Festival - Interview (Richard Chamberlain

Richard Chamberlain first gained notoriety for his role as a young intern in the popular 60s television series Dr. Kildare. He parlayed this success into several successful major roles in the 70s and early 80s including The Towering Inferno, The Three Musketeers, The Last Wave, and King Solomon's Mines. In the 80s he became known as "King of the Miniseries" with his performances in Shogun, The Count of Monte Cristo and (most notably) The Thornbirds. Chamberlain's latest film We are the Hartmans debuted at the Atlanta Film Festival Saturday Night, and I had the chance to catch up with him on the red carpet.

In We are the Hartmans, Chamberlain plays the hippie owner of a local night spot that is one of the last small businesses in a town that has become overrun by big chain stores. When he is hospitalized, his family comes to town and plan to sell the place, but the regulars band together to try and stop this sale, as Hartmans has become a symbol of the last place in town where they feel welcome.

Chamberlain mentioned that he was attracted to the role because he usually doesn't get to "play scruffy". The clean cut actor welcomed the change of pace and loved the idea of getting to play a "Willie Nelson-type" character. It was certainly quite a contrast to see the actor in person and see such a major transformation on screen.

I asked the actor about how the film seems to have relevance to greed and the current political climate. He was very excited about the idea of a film that stood up for the little guy, because in this world of big business corporate dominance, "it is so hard to be small". He mentioned how even in the film industry it is difficult to get people excited about working on small projects, because the first consideration is usually determining the profitability of the idea.

"On smaller films, people are more enthusiastic," Chamberlain said. He contrasted this with bigger budget films, where things are often chaotic and more about getting the job done. He mentioned that it's exciting to be on projects where people care more about the material. He also appears in the indie film The Perfect Family, which recently debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival.

However, Chamberlain isn't limiting his options. "Big, medium, small," Chamberlain said in response to what type of films he looks for these days. The 77 year old actor (who hasn't lost his matinee idol looks) still has an infectious enthusiasm for his craft and looks to be continuing his career for a long, long time. Maybe we'll even see him again in Atlanta in the coming years.

2011 Atlanta Film Festival - Day One

What a lovely film to open my Atlanta film festival. Sahkanaga has all the elements that remind me why I love indie filmmaking so much. It is made with real affection for the story and characters. It is also devoid of the overly cynical, self-conscious filmmaking style that shows up too often on the festival circuit. You can see the director has really poured his heart into every aspect of this film.

The story follows the residents of a small town in rural Georgia and how they are shaken by the aftermath of an awful scandal. It is inspired by a true story that happened in 2002, where the owner of a crematorium was found to be dumping bodies in the woods instead of cremating them. Director John Henry Sumerour takes the elements of that story and focuses it on a teenage boy who struggles with what to do in light of a horrific discovery.

The best thing about the film is how it really captures the tone and essence of rural small town life. The town really comes alive and you feel transported there. It helps that the director has assembled a fine cast of very natural actors. There is no overacting to be found here. The events unfold naturally and at no point does Sumerour try to beat the audience over the head. It is an impressively confident achievement and a terrific way to start the festival.

Here we have a film that suffers from a jarring tonal shift that dooms any chance the film had of working. It starts as a poor man'sversion of Shakespeare in Love and takes an abrupt departure to a deadly serious and depressing romantic drama. The latter part is exceedingly tedious and drags on for far too long.

The film follows the life of German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. He has dreams of being a successful poet, but his father would rather he earn a law degree. Goethe tries to slug through law school, but his antics constantly get him in trouble and it is clear this is not the place for him to be. It is when he falls in love with a young woman named Lotte that his passions are finally awakened.

The earlier parts of film are somewhat funny and charming. The bizarre shift to a dull, lethargic period drama is not handled well at all, partly because lead Alexander Fehling is not captivating enough to handle such material. In light of this, the attempt at a last minute feel good ending rings hollow. This could have been a fun light romantic dramedy, but the film never finds a proper balance of tone and thus it does not work at all.

Here is a film that is pretty much exactly the opposite of Sahkanaga. It fits right into that genre of self-conscious, cynical indie film, with a writer-director trying way too hard to show the audience how cool he can be. He seems more interested in tyring to pull clever tricks than telling an actual story, and his film suffers as a result.

The story follows a couple of married con artists, who travel from town to town and engineer elaborate ethical games that upend the lives of the people they meet. The film is told in an episodic manner, as they move from con to con. This does cause a problem because while some of the scenarios (particularly a moving sequence in a retirement home) are strong, others fall completely flat (such as a sequence in a church).

It's a shame, because Arthur is a good writer, and he does create some interesting moments. If he had more confidence in his own material instead of feeling the need to announce his skill with so many winks, twists, and tricks, then he'd cetainly be capable of making a solid feature film. Until then, he just has a mediocre film that works intermittently.

2011 Atlanta Film Festival - Introduction

It is that time of year again. One of my favorite weeks of every year is the annual Atlanta Film Festival. I have been attending the festival since 1999 and covering it since 2007.

The festival has changed quite a bit over the years. What used to be a small, quaint festival has morphed into a higher profile, big event format as they attempt to expand their notoriety while still not sacrificing their local, independent roots.

Last year they had one of their biggest scores with Winter's Bone, a film that went on to score major Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Lead Actress, and Best Supporting Actor. It was also the first year I was granted press credentials and the full access I was given allowed me to do extensive coverage as I reviewed more than 40 feature films and numerous short films as well.

This year will be a little bit different, as the festival changed its format for press relations by hiring a marketing company to handle the press credentials. Instead of giving press members full access, tickets have to be requested on a case by case basis. Also, screeners were not made available so reviewing and recommending films in advance is not possible this time around.

However, despite this change, I have purchased tickets beyond what was granted to me, so I can do as much coverage of the festival as possible. I should mention that the Atlanta Film Festival staff has been extraordinarily helpful in assisting me with adjusting to the new press format.

I will have reviews of each day's films by the next morning. When possible, I have tried to see the first screening of a film so I can recommend (or not) films to see for my reader(s) in the local area. I hope you enjoy my coverage of the 2011 Atlanta Film Festival.

2010 Top 10 List and Awards

As is tradition, I release my top 10 films of the year (and my annual awards list) the day of the Oscars instead of at the end of the calendar year. This gives me maximum chance to see as many films from the year as possible.

Top 10 Films of 2010

Honorable Mention: 8: The Mormon Proposition (Reed Cowan), The Fighter (David O. Russell),  Exit Through the Gift Shop (Banksy), The Kids Are All Right (Lisa Cholodenko), The King's Speech (Tom Hooper)

10. The Social Network (David Fincher) 

 Compelling story of internet phenomenon told with wit and style.

9. 9500 Liberty (Annabel Park, Eric Byler)

 Powerful doc about a bigoted anti-immigration bill that nearly tore a community apart.

8. 127 Hours (Danny Boyle)

 Uplifting, disturbing climbing disaster story carried by a captivating James Franco.

7. Winter's Bone (Debra Granik)

A girl tries to save her family in this suspenseful mystery set in the Ozarks.

6. Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich)

 

Pixar continues an amazing creative streak with another funny, heartbreaking gem.

5. Please Give (Nicole Holofcener)

Absorbing and funny film that shows Hollywood how female characters should be treated.

4. Shutter Island (Martin Scorsese)

Martin Scorsese's passionate thriller was the most ridiculously underrated film of the year.

3. True Grit (Joel and Ethan Coen)

 The Coens improve on the original by infusing their own wit and an amazing cast.

2. Inception (Christopher Nolan)

This zero gravity fight scene is one of many treasures of Nolan's imaginative film.

1. Blue Valentine (Derek Cianfrance)

 In a great year for movies, this painfully heartbreaking story of a failing marriage is the most memorable.

Awards (Winners noted by an asterisk)

Best Director

Derek Cianfrance, Blue Valentine

Joel and Ethan Coen, True Grit

Nicole Holofcener, Please Give

*Christopher Nolan, Inception

Martin Scorsese, Shutter Island

Best Lead Actor

Jeff Bridges, True Grit

Leonardo Dicaprio, Shutter Island

Colin Firth, The King's Speech

James Franco, 127 Hours

*Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine

Best Lead Actress

Catherine Keener, Please Give

Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone

Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit

*Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale, The Fighter

*Matt Damon, True Grit

John Hawkes, Winter's Bone

Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right

Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, The Fighter

*Rebecca Hall, Please Give

Mia Wasikowska, The Kids Are All Right

Michelle Williams, Shutter Island

Olivia Williams, The Ghost Writer

Best Original Screenplay

Blue Valentine (Derej Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne, Joey Curtis)

The Fighter (Paul Attanasio, Lewis Colich, Eric Johnson, Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy)

Greenberg (Noah Baumbach, Jennifer Jason Leigh)

*Inception (Christopher Nolan)

Please Give (Nicole Holofcener)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Shutter Island (Laeta Kalogridis)

*The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin)

Toy Story 3 (Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich)

True Grit (Joel and Ethan COen)

Winter's Bone (Debra Granik and Anne Rossellini)

Best Animated Film

How to Train Your Dragon

Tangled

*Toy Story 3

Best Documentary Feature

8: The Mormon Proposition (Reed Cowan)

*9500 Liberty (Annabel Park, Eric Byler)

Exit Through the Gift Shop (Banksy)

Restrepo (Tim Hetherington, Sebastian Junger)

The Tillman Story (Amir Bar-Lev)

Best Editing

127 Hours

*Inception

Shutter Island

The Social Network

True Grit

Best Art Direction

Alice in Wonderland

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

*Inception

Shutter Island

True Grit

Best Cinematography

Black Swan

Inception

Shutter Island

The Social Network

*True Grit

Best Costume Design

Agora

*Alice in Wonderland

Black Swan

The King's Speech

True Grit

Best Original Score

Alice in Wonderland

How to Train Your Dragon

Inception

*The Social Network

True Grit

Best Original Song

"Better Days", Eat Pray Love

"Darkness Before the Dawn", Holy Rollers

*"I see the Light", Tangled

"If I Rise", 127 Hours

"We Belong Together", Toy Story 3

Sound Mixing

127 Hours

*Inception

Shutter Island

The Social Network

True Grit

Sound Editing

*Inception

Iron Man 2

Toy Story 3

Tron: Legacy

True Grit

Visual Effects

Alice in Wonderland

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

*Inception

Iron Man 2

Tron: Legacy

Best Live Action Short Film

*Ana's Playground (Eric D. Howell)

Cigarette Candy (Lauren Wolkstein)

The Confession (Tanel Toom)

God of Love (Luke Matheny)

Tell Me Who (David Lipson)

Best Animated Short Film

Day & Night (Teddy Newton)

The Gruffalo (Jakob Schuh and Max Lang)

*Prayers for Peace (Dustin Grella)

Ledo and Ix Go to Town (Emily Carmichael)

The Lighthouse (Yelislava Gospodinova)

Predictions for the 2011 Academy Awards

Here are my predictions for the 2011 Academy Awards. I've made comments in three categories. Will Win covers what I think the Academy will pick. Should Win is what I would pick among the nominees. Snubbed is who/what I think should've made the cut.


Best Picture

Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network
127 Hours
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Will Win: With wins in all three major guild awards (PGA, DGA, SAG), The King's Speech victory is all but assured. Only one film (Apollo 13) has previously won all three of those awards and lost Best Picture.

Should Win: Christopher Nolan's Inception completely rewrote the book on what a Hollywood blockbuster can and should be. No more need to turn off your brain to enjoy a kick ass, exciting action ride. Inception is a grand achievement in combining smart and enthralling cinema and is the most deserving of this year's group of nominees.

Snubbed: It's no surprise that it fell off the Academy's radar, but Derek Cianfrance's Blue Valentine was a brutally realistic depiction of a failing marriage. It's dark and depressing, but it stirred up stronger emotions than any other film in 2011 and contained the two best performances of the year.


Best Director

Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)
David O. Russell (The Fighter)
Tom Hooper (The King's Speech)
David Fincher (The Social Network)
Joel and Ethan Coen (True Grit)

Will Win: I've debated about this one for a long time. The safe bet is to say Hooper will win along with his film. He did win the DGA award and all of the awards momentum has gone to The King's Speech. However, I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that the Oscars will follow suit with the BAFTA's and give this award to David Fincher.

Should Win: I've long admired the work of Aronofsky, Russell, and Fincher, but it was the Coens who most distinguished themselves with their colorful remake of an overrated classic. They managed to deliver a beautiful old-fashioned western, while still infusing it with their own sly sensibilities.

Snubbed: There were a few snubs this year, including Derek Cianfrance for his wonderfully understated work on Blue Valentine and Martin Scorsese for his passionate thriller Shutter Island. However, the biggest snub was the omission of Christopher Nolan YET AGAIN. This is a man who now has three nominations from the Director's Guild, but nothing from the Oscars. His brilliant and imaginative work deserves recognition.


Actor in a Leading Role

Javier Bardem (Biutiful)
Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
James Franco (127 Hours)
Jeff Bridges (True Grit)

Will Win: Uh, Colin Firth. He will win this. Easiest prediction of the night. Don't question me on this. I will empty my bank account out to wager on Firth against you. Bridges may have had a shot if he hadn't won last year.

Should Win: All very good performances here, but there's a reason Colin Firth is a lock to win. He was just that good.

Snubbed: Ryan Gosling's heartfelt, but admirably subtle work in Blue Valentine was the best performance by a male this year. I have no issues with any of the five nominees, but he was better than all of them.


Actress in a Leading Role

Annette Bening (The Kids are All Right)
Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone)
Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)


Will Win: I'm going with the smart money, which is on Natalie Portman after she made a clean sweep of the pre-Oscar awards. The only thing that makes me nervous is if the Academy wants to give Bening a career Oscar.

Should Win: Just like her co-star Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams did an amazing job at portraying the awful emotional turmoil her character was going through without loud hysterics. Her nomination was a triumph for natural, understated acting, which often goes ignored come awards season.

Snubbed: It may seem like an odd choice since she actually was nominated, but Hailee Steinfeld's nomination in Supporting Actress is actually pretty insulting and not worthy of the great performance she gave. She was clearly the lead in True Grit and the only reason she got nominated in Supporting is because of her age. Her performance was one of the best of the year for anyone of any age.


Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Amy Adams (The Fighter)
Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech)
Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

Will Win: Melissa Leo is the clear frontrunner here and I think she'll take home the Oscar. I'm a little uncertain, because this is a category known for upsets (Binoche over Bacall, Harden over Hudson) and there has been some talk that Hailee Steinfeld could pull off an upset. I also wouldn't be surpsied to see a King's Speech wave carry Helena Bonham Carter.

Should Win: Hailee Steinfeld is nominated in the wrong category, but that's not her fault. She gave the best performance of anyone on this list. I love Leo as an actress, but even her co-star Amy Adams was better.

Snubbed: This is one category where my own personal list differs with the Academy the most, so it is hard to choose from the several people who I think were snubbed, but I will go with Rebecca Hall, who gave two great performances this year in The Town and Please Give. In these two wildly different films, she brought a winning, empathetic personality to the screen.


Actor in a Supporting Role

Christian Bale (The Fighter)
John Hawkes (Winter's Bone)
Jeremy Renner (The Town)
Mark Ruffalo (The Kids are All Right)
Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)

Will Win: Christian Bale has won pretty much every single award you can win at this point and is all but a certainty to win the Oscar. the only (very small) chance of an upset is if a King's Speech wave takes hold and carries Geoffrey Rush with it.

Should Win: Bale did an amazing job of transforming himself into a very different role, but if people had seen the previous work of John Hawkes, they'd be just as amazed at his transformation. He portrays a loose cannon from the Ozarks who can be intensely frightening, but Hawkes manages to throw multiple dimensions in his performance, creating a very memorable character.

Snubbed: Matt Damon! Matt Damon! Matt Damon! His hilariously offbeat performance in True Grit was one of the great cinematic treats of the year. It is an especially egregious snub when considering that he was nominated last year for an incredibly bland performance in Invictus.


Adapted Screenplay

127 Hours (Simon Beaufoy and Danny Boyle)
The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin)
Toy Story 3 (Michael Arndt, story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich)
True Grit (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen)
Winter's Bone (Debra Granik and Anne Rossellini)


Will Win: The Social Network. Aaron Sorkin's victory here is almost as much a lock as Firth in Lead Actor.

Should Win: I didn't love The Social Network as much as most people, but there's no denying Sorkin's screenplay was amazing and deserving of its eventual victory.

Snubbed: Laeta Kalogridis' sharp adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel Shutter Island set up the perfect structure to allow Martin Scorsese to work his magic.


Original Screenplay

Another Year (Mike Leigh)
The Fighter (Paul Attanasio, Lewis Colich, Eric Johnson, Scott Silverand Paul Tamasy)
Inception (Christopher Nolan)
The Kids are All Right (Stuart Blumberg and Lisa Cholodenko)
The King's Speech (David Seidler)

Will Win: There's no reason to think The King's Speech won't take top honors here. It's certainly a much better choice than last year's The Hurt Locker.

Should Win: Um, Inception. If there's one major upset I'm rooting for on Oscar night the most, it is that Nolan gets recognized for his incredibly original and very complex screenplay.

Snubbed: Nicole Holofcener's Please Give was one of the best films of the year and completely overlooked during awards season. Her script (which made the cut at the WGA awards) should've been included here.



Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

Will Win: Toy Story 3. No reason to think Pixar won't continue its dominance in this category.

Should Win: Toy Story 3. No reason to think Pixar doesn't deserve continue its dominance in this category.

Snubbed: Disney's Tangled was a nice surprise. Lovely animation and a winning story.


Achievement in Cinematography

Black Swan (Matthew Libatique)
Inception (Wally Pfister)
The King's Speech (Danny Cohen)
The Social Network (Jeff Cronenweth)
True Grit (Roger Deakins)

Will Win: True Grit
Should Win: True Grit
Snubbed: Shutter Island


Achievement in Art Direction

Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit

Will Win: Inception
Should Win: Inception
Snubbed: Shutter Island


Achievement in Costume Design

Alice in Wonderland (Colleen Atwood)
I Am Love (Antonella Cannarozzi)
The King's Speech (Jenny Beaven)
The Tempest (Sandy Powell)
True Grit (Mary Zophres)

Will Win: The King's Speech
Should Win: Alice in Wonderland
Snubbed: Black Swan


Best Documentary Feature

Exit through the Gift Shop (Banksy)
Gasland (Josh Fox)
Inside Job (Charles Ferguson, director)
Restrepo (Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger)
Waste Land (Lucy Walker)

Will Win: Restrepo
Should Win: Exit Through the Gift Shop
Snubbed: 9500 Liberty


Achievement in Film Editing

Black Swan (Andrew Weisblum)
The Fighter (Pamela Martin)
The King's Speech (Tariq Anwar)
127 Hours (Jon Harris)
The Social Network (Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall)

Will Win: The Social Network
Should Win: 127 Hours
Snubbed: Inception (If it wasn't such a minor award, this would go down as one of the biggest snubs in Oscar history)


Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)

How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell)
Inception (Hans Zimmer)
The King's Speech (Alexandre Desplat)
127 Hours (A.R. Rahman)
The Social Network (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)

Will Win: The Social Network
Should Win: Inception
Snubbed: Tangled


Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)

"Coming Home" from Country Strong Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
"I See the Light" from Tangled Music and Lyric by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
"If I Rise" from 127 Hours Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
"We Belong Together" from Toy Story 3 Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Will Win: "I See the Light", Tangled
Should Win: "I See the Light", Tangled


Achievement in Sound Editing

Inception
Toy Story 3
TRON: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable

Will Win: Inception
Should Win: Inception
Snubbed: Iron Man 2


Achievement in Sound Mixing

Inception
The King's Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

Will Win: Inception
Should Win: Inception
Snubbed: Shutter Island


Achievement in Visual Effects

Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2

Will Win: Inception
Should Win: Inception
Snubbed: Tron: Legacy (Still trying to figure this one out?)


Best Short Film (Live Action)

The Confession (Tanel Toom)
The Crush (Michael Creagh)
God of Love (Luke Matheny)
Na Wewe (Ivan Goldschmidt)
Wish 143 (Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite)


Will Win: The Confession
Should Win: God of Love
Snubbed: Ana's Playground (Eric D. Howell)


Best Short Film (Animated)

Day & Night (Teddy Newton)
The Gruffalo (Jakob Schuh and Max Lang)
Let's Pollute (Geefwee Boedoe)
The Lost Thing (Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann)
Madagascar, a Journey Diary (Bastien Duboi)

Will Win: Day & Night
Should Win: The Gruffalo
Snubbed: Prayers for Peace (Dustin Grella)


Note: I did not include selection for the Foreign Film (I've only seen one nominee) or Makeup (I've seen none) categories. I have not yet seen the Best Documentary Shorts, but will do so before the Oscars and add them to this post at that time.

Waiting for Superman (Davis Guggenheim, 2010) **1/2

No film this year created such strong mixed reactions for me as this one. Davis Guggenheim is clearly a filmmaker of consummate skill and at times Waiting For Superman reaches incredible heights of cinematic greatness. It is certainly a thought provoking film that asks tough questions and sheds an uncomfortable light on the failure of our education system. It also depicts the heartbreaking individual plight of several children (and their families) who are hoping for a better chance at the future. However, the film falters in the one dimensional manner in which it places blame and the misleading manner in which it seeks a solution. 

Waiting For Superman documents the problems with the education system in the United States. It does so by showing how test scores have become stagnant despite spending increases, how our rankings compared to the rest of the world are atrocious, and the roadblocks faced by several reformers trying to improve the system. Guggenheim highlights these issues by showing the personal stories of five students who are hoping to get accepted to a charter school and interweaving this by interviews with reformers such as DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee and charter school CEO Geoffrey Canada.

So far, so good. The film is powerfully persuasive when examining the many ways in which our system isn't working. The personal stories are fascinating. It's hard not to root for a better future for these children. The film also contains one of the most unforgettable scenes I've ever seen in a documentary. We see several lotteries being run by school districts to determine which kids get a chance to attend the local charter school. The families are sitting there, living and dying as every name or number is called. A little girl keeps mentioning that they're not mentioning her name. This is amazing stuff and it is vividly depicted by Guggenheim.

The question becomes who is at fault and what do we do about it. And this is where things get problematic. The main problem that our education system has, Guggenheim tells us, is the imposing strength of teacher tenure and the inability of reformers to get rid of poor teachers. The teachers unions are depicted as this big selfish group that cares more about their own interests than those of their students. The film presents  us a hero in committed reformer Michelle Rhee butting heads with teachers unions over her proposal to weaken tenure in exchange for better pay. The film presents this as a one sided battle that Rhee loses, ending all hope in the district. But the film leaves out the fact that the union did accept Rhee's proposal in their most recent contract and the improved test scores that Rhee boasts about happened well before the tenure changes. There's no doubt that tenure is one problem in our education system and reforming that would be a good idea, but Waiting For Superman unfairly makes the unions scapegoats for the entire failure of our education system.

Guggenheim is also misleading about the proposed solutions. Geoffrey Canada makes compelling points and is a captivating presence on screen. The Harlem Children's Zone has done great work for inner city students and shows terrific results on standardized testing. I have no doubts that he is a great educator. What's wrong is that Guggeinheim spends a majority of the film mentioning how increased spending hasn't worked, yet successful schools like Canada's receive tons of money in private funding, something that would not be realistic or consistent on a nationwide scale. To realize the dream charter system that would supposedly reshape our entire education system, vast increases in spending would clearly be required. This is problematic given the current political climate. Acknowledging this problem and looking at some more specific areas of reform (i.e. why do some charters underperform, what methods are the good ones using) would have made for a far more substantive examination of the issue.

I do think Waiting for Superman is a worthwhile film. It brings an important issue to light and will certainly inspire strong discussions among viewers that need to take place. The lottery scene is one of the more astonishing pieces of filmmaking from 2010. It's just unfortunate that the film gets mired in a repetitive and one sided attack against teacher's unions, masking other issues and potential solutions to the problem. When the Oscar nominees were announced, Waiting for Superman's failure to be nominated for Best Documentary was constantly cited as one of the biggest snubs of the year. I can't help but think that despite Guggeinheim's good intentions, this is one time where the Academy got it right.

Oscar Roundup: Blue Valentine (Derek Cianfrance, 2010) ****

Director: Derek Cianfrance

Cast: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams

Oscar Nominations: Best Lead Actress (Williams)

Story: A couple deals with the harsh realities of life that threaten the stability of their marriage. 

Review: No film from last year affected me more deeply than this heartbreakingly real depiction of a failing marriage. This magnificent film achieves so much through natural performances and a beautiful simplicity in the way it details their problems. This is not a film filled with shouting matches (though there are a few such moments), but in fact the most gutwrenching moments come from the quiet arguments, where one person is clearly upset at the other and you can feel the unpleasantness and anger boiling underneath. All of this is juxtaposed with flashbacks showing the happy and sweet beginnings of their relationship. The two performances are astonishing. Ryan Gosling has been one of the most consistently great indie actors ever since his revelatory performance in The Believer and this may be his greatest yet. Michelle Williams builds on the outstanding natural work she did in the magnificent low key drama Wendy and Lucy and turns in another quietly powerful performance. Cianfrance and his co-writers do a great job of building the structure to this story so that the painful implications of the failing marriage only become truly apparent until the end.

Oscar Outlook: Unfortunately, Williams has no chance in the Lead Actress race.

Trivia: To prepare for the film, Gosling and Williams rented a house together and lived on a budget based on their character's incomes. This is the 2nd nomination for Williams, after being nominated for Supporting Actress in Brokeback Mountain.

Oscar Roundup: Live Action Shorts Nominees

The Confession (Tanel Toom) ***1/2

 

A young Catholic schoolboy worries that he can't be a true Catholic because he doesn't have anything to confess. He sets off with his friend to do something he can confess for, but their actions lead to disastrous results. Toom does a good job of creating a vivid, dark atmosphere and there are a few haunting moments in the film. The final scene is incredibly well acted.

Wish 143 (Ian Barnes) ***1/2

This is definitely the most affecting of the nominated shorts. A teenager with a terminal illness is visited by a "Make a Wish" style charity and his wish is to have sex. What seems like a vulgar, juvenile setup is actually handled with maturity and deep, absorbing emotions. It's a bit manipulative and an ex-girlfriend character that comes in late as a plot device doesn't work very well, but Barnes and his actors do a superb job creating several three dimensional characters with such a short running time.

Na Wewe (Ivan Goldschmidt) **

What a bizarre film we have here. A tour bus is pulled over in a small African village by a group of Hutu soldiers, looking to find and execute people they suspect of being Tutsi. Most of the film does a good job giving us a window into a tense and hostile atmosphere of a bitter civil war, but all of that is thrown out the window with a jarring ending that does not work at all. I appreciate the message that music can help diffuse tensions, but the way it is displayed here lacks credibility and turns a tense drama into silly fluff.

The Crush (Michael Creagh) *

Care to explain this one, Academy voters? A ridiculously stupid story about a young boy who has a crush on his teacher and disapproves of the man he's going to marry. The filmmaker attempts to fuse both silliness and suspense, but never captures either tone correctly and we're left with a really stupid film and a moronic climax that lacks any subtlety.  

God of Love (Luke Matheny) ***1/2

This is probably the film that benefited the most from its placement in the Live Action Shorts program. After four mixed, mostly serious films, this was a breathe of fresh air. It follows a lovestruck lounge singer who comes across a love dart that can make any woman fall in love with him. The film follows his elaborate attempts to make this work on the woman of his dreams. Writer-director-star Luke Matheny does a great job of capturing that Woody Allen spirit, with excellent use of music and black & white cinematography that perfectly sets the mood. Matheny himself gives an ingratiatingly offbeat lead performance and the film ends on the perfect note.



Oscar Outlook: This being the first time I've seen all five nominees, it's hard to predict what the Oscars will do. My guess is they will go for the more serious Confession, but Wish 143 might pull the right heartstrings to get enough votes. I'll be happy with anything other than Na Wewe or The Crush