101 Cinematic Reasons Why I Love the ‘80s

1. "Wake up! Wake up, wake up, wake up, up you wake, up you wake, up you wake, up you wake! This is Mr. Senor Love Daddy, your voice of choice, the world's only 12-hour strongman on the air, here on We Love Radio, 108 FM, the last on your dial but first in your hearts.  And that's the truth, Ruth."

2. "I was 12 going on 13 the first time I saw a dead human being."

3. "It's a sunny, woodsy day in Lumberton, so get those chainsaws out.”

4. This force of nature:

5. This force of nature:

6. This force of nature:

7. The use of “Adagio for Strings" in Elephant Man

8. The use of “Adagio for Strings" in Platoon

9. Robert De Niro playing Jake La Motta playing Marlon Brando playing Terry Mallow

10. John William’s score for E.T.

11. The start of this great collaboration (the ending... not so great):

12. The American crime genre is forever altered with the release of Thief, Michael Mann’s first film

13. The 105-minute long conversation Wally has with Andre

14. Watching Klaus Kinski orchestrate the dragging a giant ship across a mountain

15. Watching Werner Herzog direct Klaus Kinksi orchestrate the dragging a giant ship across a mountain

16. Paul Newman playing pinball.  The man is acting… with his shoulders.

17. “I’m the boss I’m the boss I’m the boss I’m the boss.”

18. The birth of independent cinema:

19. Rupert Pupkin laughing with Jerry Langford

20. The 188 seamless minutes that make up the flawless Fanny and Alexander

21. Spinal Tap’s inability to harmonize in front of Elvis’ grave

22. A scrawny black kid from Brooklyn makes She’s Gotta Have It, singlehandedly giving birth to contemporary African American independent cinema

23. Willem Dafoe smiling at Tom Berenger across a dense forest

24. At 75 years old, a master proves he’s at the top of his game:

25. One thing is clear at the start of the 1989 Oscars: Tom Cruise is going to win Best Actor for his balls-out, remarkable performance in Born of the Fourth of July.  Jodie Foster opens the envelope and reads the winner.  Daniel Day-Lewis glides on stage to accept his award.  Screen acting is forever changed.

26. “I’m not bad.  I’m just drawn that way.”

27. Matt Dillon casually hitting a security guard in the face with a crowbar

28. From “the next James Dean” to complete obscurity within eight years:

29. Dustin Hoffman counting toothpicks

30. “My name is… John…Merrick.”

31. The fact that Another Woman is the best, most underappreciated, film of Woody Allen’s prolific career

32. Rob Epstein releases The Times of Harvey Milk. The documentary genre becomes an exercise in emotion.

33. Errol Morris releases The Thin Blue Line.  The documentary genre gets a man off death row.

34. Michael Moore releases Roger & Me.  The documentary genre becomes cool.

35. "I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen."

36. Mookie throwing a metal trashcan through Sal’s window

37. The fact that, no matter how hard I try to found faults with it, Field of Dreams is simply a damn fine film

38. David Mamet releases his first film, House of Games, screenwriting is finally considered an art form.

39. Albert Brooks sweating his ass off on live television

40. Character acting is never the same:

41. Ben Kingsley as Mahatma Gandhi

42. “I’ll be back.”

43. “Now I have a machine go.  HO-HO-HO”

44. “Get away from her you bitch!”

45. “DO YOU WANNA?! Do you wanna jump?  All right then asshole, let’s do it, let’s jump.”

46. “Get to da chopper!”

47. The horrifying scene in which Meryl Streep, as Sophie, makes her choice

48. The fact that one dude made all of these great (occasionally classic) films:

49. Dean Stockwell singing “In Dreams” into a small spotlight

50. Jeremy Irons as Beverly Mantle

51. Jeremy Irons as Elliot Mantle

52. The guests of a posh dinner party randomly singing “Day-O”

53. The brazenly bizarre brashness of Brazil

54. “Did you fuck my wife?”

55. Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People.  An utterly flawless performance.

56."Let's daaaaaaaaance!"

57. “I’ll have what she’s having.”

58. Kubrick’s tracking shots in The Shining

59. …and Full Metal Jacket

60. "Do you have a problem with that?!"

61. That little piece of skin that dangles from Jack’s face in An American Werewolf in London

62. “You’re crazy!”

“I know you are, but what am I?”

“You’re a nerd!”

“I know you are, but what am I?”

“You’re an idiot!”

“I know you are, but what am I?”

63. The misleading opening scene of Blow Out

64. Al Pacino shoving his face into a giant pile of cocaine

65. Using Reese's Pieces to befriend an alien

66. Jeff Spicoli

67. Full Metal Jacket’s terrifying use of tube socks and bars of soap

68. The Big Chill hits theatres, movie soundtracks are forever altered

69. "Wolfman's got nards."

70. Ed Harris trying to revive Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in The Abyss

71. “Give my daughter the shot.  Give my daughter the shot! GIVE MY DAUGHTER THE SHOT!”

72. The ghost of an old woman reading in the basement of the New York Public Library

73. The peep show scene with Harry Dean Stanton and Nastassja Kinski in Paris, Texas

74. It is because of this performance that I will always like Michael Keaton:

75. Willem Dafoe getting off the cross

76. Ferris lip synching “Twist and Shout”

77. Jeff Goldblum teleporting with a common housefly

78. Gordie, Chris, Teddy and Vern trying to outrun a train

79. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”

80. The Union Station shootout in The Untouchables

81. “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”

82. Tom Hanks playing "Chopsticks" with his feet

83. Kevin Kline eating a live gold fish

84. The fact that The Vanishing never goes where you expect it to (seriously, see this movie)

85. “Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?”

86. The single tear that rolls down Denzel’s face

87. “I’ll make it.”

88. The discovery of Luke’s father

89. Jason Patric turning into a lost boy

90. Robert De Niro alone with a concrete wall

91. Rutger Hauer’s pronunciation of the word “father” in Blade Runner

92. “This is my rifle. There are many others like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy, who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. Before God I swear this creed: my rifle and myself are defenders of my country, we are the masters of our enemy, we are the saviors of my life. So be it, until there is no enemy, but peace. Amen.”

93. "EXCELLENT!"

94. Harrison Ford punching a guy out in Witness

95. Glenn Close’s cooking habits in Fatal Attraction

96. The perfect villain:

97. Tom Cruise sliding across the living room floor

98. “We did not fight the enemy; we fought ourselves. The enemy was in us. The war is over for me now, but it will always be there, the rest of my days.”

99. “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”

100. “I’ll… be… right… here.”

101. “I wondered if a memory is something you have or something you’ve lost. For the first time in a long time, I felt at peace.”


Answer Key

1. Do the Right Thing

2. Stand By Me

3. Blue Velvet

4. Blue Velvet

5. Full Metal Jacket

6. The Shining

9. Raging Bull

13. My Dinner With Andre

14. Fitzcarraldo

15. Burden of Dreams

16. The Verdict

17. Raging Bull

19. The King of Comedy

21. This is Spinal Tap

23. Platoon

24. Ran

25. My Left Foot

26. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

27. Drugstore Cowboy

28. From top left: 9 ½ Weeks, Body Heat, Rumble Fish, Diner

29. Rain Man

30. Elephant Man

35. Say Anything…

36. Do the Right Thing

39. Broadcast News

40. Sid and Nancy

42. The Terminator

43. Die Hard

44. Aliens

45. Lethal Weapon

46. Predators

47. Sophie’s Choice

49. Blue Velvet

50. Dead Ringers

51. Dead Ringers

52. Beetlejuice

54. Raging Bull

56. Footloose

57. When Harry Met Sally…

60. The Karate Kid

62. Pee-wee’s Big Adventure

64. Scarface

65. E.T.

66. Fast Times and Ridgemont High

69. Monster Squad

71. Terms of Endearment

72. Ghostbusters

74. Beetlejuice

75. The Last Temptation of Christ

76. Ferris Buller’s Day Off

77. The Fly

78. Stand By Me

79. Dirty Dancing

81. Wall Street

82. Big

83. A Fish Called Wanda

85. Batman

86. Glory

87. Hoosiers

88. The Empire Strikes Back

89. The Lost Boys

90. Raging Bull

92. Full Metal Jacket

93. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

96. The Little Mermaid

97. Risky Business

98. Platoon

99. Back to the Future

100. E.T.

101. Another Woman

Click here for 101 Cinematic Reasons Why I Love the ‘90s

Click here for 101 Cinematic Reasons Why I Love the 2000s

Ebert Predicts Supporting Actor Upsets

As part of his annual $100,000 Outguess Ebert contest, Roger Ebert today solidified his predictions on who and what will take home Oscars on Feb. 27.

Some of his choices are destined to be reflected by Oscar voters, but others, namely the Supporting Actor and Actress categories, are real curveballs.  I don't agree with his Supporting Actor choice, but he could be right on for Supporting Actress.

The following is a list of Ebert’s Oscar predications in major categories.  For more information, click here.

Best Picture: The King’s Speech

Best Director: Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech

Best Actor: Colin Firth in The King’s Speech

Best Actress: Natalie Portman in Black Swan

Best Supporting Actor: Geoffrey Rush in The King’s Speech

Best Supporting Actress: Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit

Best Original Screenplay: David Seidler for The King’s Speech

Best Adapted Screenplay:  Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network

Best Foreign Language Film: Incendies

Best Documentary: Inside Job

Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins for True Grit (finally, the dude’s been nominated nine times)

For more of my Oscar coverage, click here.

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

There are a couple of ways to play this.  If I was an admitted Bieber-phobe, this review could turn into a legitimate Bieber bash, ripping apart the tween sensation’s new after-school special of a film titled Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.

“My vocal cords are so sore!  I have to cancel shows!  I don’t get any alone time with my friends!  I’m afraid of missing out on my youth!” 

The cynic in me could very easily respond to those Bieber grumbles with an eye roll and an F-U.  Losing your youth?  Boo-whoo.  I, along with the majority of most any living, sane person, would trade your fortune for my childhood any day.  Don’t like seeing your friends?  Don’t do 87 shows a year.  Stay at home.  Shave your head.  I don’t give a shit.

So there’s that side.  The other, more pleasant side of this argument comes from the screaming mouths of Justin Bieber’s millions upon millions of fans.  Those stricken with self-proclaimed “Bieber Fever” will rush to his new film by the masses, and they’ll enjoy every single overlong second of it.  They’ll cry when he gets sad, they’ll swoon when he shows his bare chest, they’ll sing along to his poppy songs, and on and on.

Me?  I’m somewhere in the middle.  No, I do not, nor will I ever, enjoy the sound of Bieber’s music.  But he’s not exactly trying to reach my demographic.  What I do have, however is respect for this self-made 17-year-old boy wonder.  (It’s a slight sliver of respect, but I’m trying here, okay?)

I respect the fact that an 8-year-old with no musical ancestry in his blood turned kitchen beats into enormously popular songs.  All kids bang on pots in pans on the kitchen floor when they’re young.  The difference here is, this particular kid became one of the most recognizable faces in the world. 

Another thing I learned from the movie and admittedly admire is that Bieber (or “Beebs” as I like to call him) wasn’t afraid to throw himself out there when trying to make a name for himself.  I respect that a 13-year-old kid would waltz right up to Usher and tell him that he’s going to be the next big thing.  Or be utterly unphased when meeting the bosses of huge record labels.  Is he cocky and sometimes arrogant?  For sure.  But can you show me a 16-year-old who isn’t a little full of himself?

In short, I think Beebs has a good business ethic and a decent head on his shoulders.  No, that doesn’t mean I’m going to download his album (legally or otherwise) but it does mean that, for now, Beebs has one less critic to worry about.

And that, I’m afraid to say, is the only remotely good part about the film; the fact that it gives you a little insight into who this kid really is.  From a film critic’s purely objective perspective, there isn’t anything special about Never Say Never.  The 3-D effects, should you opt to pay more, are nonsexist save some title credits and digitalized confetti.

At 105 minutes, the movie runs entirely too long, and those dragged to it by their girlfriends or daughters will have to fight to stay awake, let alone remain interested.

But like Sarah Palin chanting “Drill Baby Drill,” the Beebs’ fanbase will explode in teenage ecstasy during the film’s many production numbers, including an encore of “Baby.”

One gapping element missing from the film: realism.  I understand that everyone around Bieber needs to project an image of being an eternal optimist, but honestly, they cannot all seriously believe that Bieber has a full lifetime of show business ahead of him.  He’s got five maybe 10 years before fans move on.  It’d be good for him to realize that now; it’ll sting a lot less in the long run. D+

The Roommate

Nothing game changing here: an absurdly good looking young woman leaves her small town to attend college in the big city.  Her new seemingly loyal roommate soon turns batshit insane for no apparent reason, stalking her life, getting rid of whatever is separating them, then, of course, ultimately trying to kill her. 

Party-girl dormmate getting too clingy?  Off you go.  Pervert teacher getting too touchy feely?  Blackmail!  Innocent kitty cat creating a wedge?  Audios! Ex boyfriend occupying too much of her time?  Slice!

Same old song.

I honestly have no idea what someone would get out of a flick like The Roommate.  Teenagers propelled it to the number one movie last week because it is PG-13, stars people they know, and looks somewhat scary.  But did they enjoy it?  I simply don’t understand how one could.  

Broadening my mind as much humanly possible, I can tell you that the film isn’t at all frightening, its dialogue is laugh-out-loud ridiculous and its climactic scene is anything but.

Movies like this forgo a lot of things.  Character development, an engrossing narrative, and plot analysis to name a few.  And the reason is simple: because the targeted demographic, by and large, doesn’t give a shit about those things.  But why do you go to a horror film?  To be scared, right?  So if the movie isn’t scary (at all), doesn’t that defeat the purpose?

One slight, miniscule, feeble, ever-so-slender notion of redemption: lead actress Minka Kelly as the stalked roommate.  Kelly, best known as a cheerleader in the Friday Night Lights TV show and the everything-little-thing’s-gonna-be-all-right bow tie to (500) Days of Summer, has genuine star quality.  In The Roommate, she projects the girl next door vibe pretty well, and manages to talk and carry herself in restrained ways that seem unfitting to the film’s over-the-top execution.

In short, I’m looking forward to what Kelly does as an actress.  I’ll give her another shot.  The Roommate?  No way, strictly dead on arrival.  D-

Top 10 Rarely Seen Oscar-winning Performances

I was just walking out the door to see The Roomate when I came to my senses and realized that my time would be much better spent assembling this list.

Everyone has seen The Dark Knight, and everyone appreciates Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance in it.  So rather than list several great performances from movies you’ve already seen multiple times, here are a few knockout performances from movies that you’ve probably never seen.  I’m reaching on a few (seriously, if you’ve never seen The Deer Hunter, do yourself a favor), but for the most part, these 10 Oscar-winning performances have been ignored or flat out forgotten by the general public.

Presented chronologically, here are 10 Oscar-justified performances that have stuck with me.

1945, Best Actor – Ray Milland in The Lost Weekend

I’m fascinated by the depiction of drug addiction and alcoholism in movies.  So to say Ray Milland’s performance in The Lost Weekend is the best portrayal of alcoholism I’ve ever seen, is a grand compliment.  Milliand personifies desperation in a way that makes nearly every other film performance about drug dependency pale in comparison.  Director Billy Wilder had the balls to make a movie about such a taboo subject when no one else would, and Milliand went for broke to “get there.” The result is utterly flawless.

1946, Best Supporting Actor – Harold Russell in The Best Years of Our Lives

Only twice has the Academy given Oscars to non professional actors. Before Haing S. Ngor landed an Oscar for The Killing Fields, Russell broke our hearts in The Best Years of Our Lives.  It isn’t often that you get to say the best scene of a movie is watching someone change into pajamas before bed.  But when that person has hooks for hands, the result of a depilating war injury, you can’t help but stare in awe. Russell, who did indeed lose both of his hands fighting in World War II, delivers a remarkable performance of tenderness and restraint.  Have tissues ready.

1962, Best Supporting Actress – Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker

Playing Helen Keller is tricky.  Hold too much back and you’re underplaying.  Give too much and you’re overacting.  Not only does Duke avoid that delicate line of exaggeration, she set the standard for actors portraying characters trapped with incurable afflictions (mental health or otherwise). Duke started playing Keller on stage when she was just 13 years old, and Arthur Penn made a very wise choice in casting her in his film version.  Duke’s performance is so dedicated that at times it feels too uncomfortable to watch.  Which, given the role, is a remark of high praise.

1966, Best Actress – Elizabeth Taylor in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Elizabeth Taylor was an actress of tremendous range.  But never was she more fascinating (and utterly horrifying) than as the boozy, belligerent Martha in Mike Nichols’ first, and best, film.  Taylor, widely considered one of the most beautiful people in the world in her heyday, became unrecognizable for the role, gaining 30 pounds of flab and stripping herself of all vanity.  It’s a relentless, exhausting, balls-out performance; one of the best in film history.

1969, Best Supporting Actor – Gig Young, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?

A film about a 1930s marathon dance contest doesn’t sound all too interesting.  But Young deserves partial credit for making They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Sidney Pollock’s best-directed film.  As Rocky, the master of ceremonies for the never ending, flat-out cruel dance contest, Young achieves a perfect balance of amicable charm and sinister desire. Rocky’s job is simple: the show must go on.  And on.  And on.  His playful manipulation of the contestants remains the most memorable part of this overlooked work of art.

1973, Best Actor – Jack Lemmon in Save the Tiger

There’s nothing inherently flashy about Lemmon’s performance as a desperate businessman in Save the Tiger. It’s completely internal, played mostly with subtle expressions.  I won’t go as far as to say that it’s Lemmon’s best role (that would be Days of Wine and Roses), but it’s completely unforgettable.  Let me put it this way: Lemmon’s competition at the 1973 Oscars had the names Brando, Nicholson, Pacino and Redford.  Enough said.

Click here to watch Lemmon's Oscar speech

1978, Best Supporting Actor – Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter 

Here’s a bold statement for you: Christopher Walken’s performance in The Deer Hunter is the most heartbreaking acting performance I’ve ever seen.   The first time I saw this film, I didn’t like it at all.  When I went back to it a few years later, I rediscovered a flawless masterpiece.  I have considered The Deer Hunter to be one of my top five films of all time for many years.  That ranking can be credited to many things, including Walken’s performance.  Acting roles like this are why the Oscars exist.

Click here to watch Walken's Oscar speech

1989, Best Actor – Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot

Over the past few years, I’ve discovered an awful truth: most people my age haven’t seen a Daniel Day-Lewis film that came out before Gangs of New York.  What they’re missing is a slew of perfect performances, none better than My Left Foot.  In the film, Day-Lewis plays real-life Christy Brown, who, despite being born with cerebral palsy, became a renowned author and painter, crafting works of art using only his left foot.  What’s best about Day-Lewis’s performance is his lack of empathy; he plays Brown as bitter, meek and incapable of receiving special treatment. 

Click here to watch Day-Lewis' Oscar speech

1995, Best Supporting Actress – Mira Sorvino in Mighty Aphrodite

Woody Allen films are similar in many ways: jazzy music, rambling dialogue, ensemble casts.  What they never are, however, is crude.  Enter Mira Sorvino as a clueless but caring floozy struggling to break into the adult film world.  The greatest part about how Sorvino plays her character is her unapologetic lack of dignity: she is who she is, naysayers be damned.  Every line she utters is more sexually shocking that the one before, resulting in an audacious exercise in the limits of comedy.

Click here to watch Sorvino's Oscar speech

1998, Best Supporting Actor – James Coburn in Affliction

“I’ve been doing this for almost half my life… and I guess I finally got one right,” James Coburn humbly said during his acceptance speech.  It’s strange watching Coburn’s articulate, well-mannered Oscar speech for a performance of pure vile and rage.  As a violent, hopeless alcoholic, Coburn achieves something during his first moment in Affliction that most actors spend hours trying to encapsulate: immediate fear.  You never know what he’s going to do, or how bad he’s going to do it.  It’s an unflinching performance; the standout of Paul Schrader’s otherwise overlooked film.

Biutiful

By now, you should know what you’re getting yourself into when you step foot into Alejandro González Iñárritu’s world.  You’re going to fall deep into the dark realms of love and be exposed to the best, and worst, of what the human condition has to offer. 

We got it brilliantly, immediately, with his debut Amores Perros, followed by his convoluted, gut-wrenching 21 Grams, and most recently with his flawless Babel.  Biutiful explores those same themes with the level of grittiness Iñárritu has grown accustomed to. 

I think it’s safe to assume that most of you know as little as I did about this film walking into it.  And it should stay that way.  Exposing the tricks of a mediocre film is a bummer, but detailing the plot elements of a great film is irreprehensible.  It is fair to say that in Biutiful, a never better (and Oscar nominated) Javier Bardem plays Uxbal, a man struggling to do what’s right, based on the rules he’s set for himself.

Life for Uxbal isn’t easy, and we assume it never has been.  He isn’t struggling to make ends meet, he’s struggling to get rice to feed his kids.  He’s struggling to make sense of his wife’s manic episodes.  He’s struggling with his demons, his desires, and his fate. 

He combats his struggles, as many film characters do, by seeking illegal means.  But we never lend a disapproving eye to Uxbal, we never feel ashamed for him.  We want him to live, we want him to be.

And that is tough to do.  Some of my favorite types of movie characters are ones struggling with moral redemption.  The bad guys trying to make good.  The tricky part is, we see this all the time, and it mostly fails.  Whether it comes off as corny or forced, rarely does it feel real.  Iñárritu never seems to have that problem with his characters; they are always fleshed out and tested in a way that is completely free of artifice.  

As Uxbal, Javier Bardem gives yet another perfect performance in his ever-evolving career.  My fascination for Bardem started, as it did for most Americans, with his Oscar-worthy turn as Reinaldo Arenas in Before Night Falls.  Bardem is capable, like all great actors are, of saying more with his eyebrows than with a three page monologue.  We’ve seen him as remorseful (The Sea Inside) as dark (No Country for Old Men) and as charming (Vicky Christina Barcelona), but I can’t think of the last time I saw him as desperate.

He gives Uxbal a level of desperation that is, at times, excruciating to watch.  There’s a scene in Biutifil, which may in fact be the best scene in the film, in which Bardem argues with his wife.  As the argument quickly becomes more heated, the camera slowly pans away.  Like a silent child weeping in the hallway, we can’t watch, we can only listen.  If I was a voting member of the Academy Awards, I would vote for Bardem in this year’s Best Actor race.

Iñárritu has a way of making the catharses of his films stick with you.  You try to listen to music on the drive home, but you find that it’s distracting.  You try to carry on a conversation with your loved one, but your mind is absent.  You try to fall asleep, but you’re stuck awake.

Stepping into Iñárritu’s beautiful dark twisted fantasies may not always be easy, but it’s always damn well worth it.  A-

Another Year

Those familiar with the Mike Leigh process know that it rarely produces a film that is anything less than stellar. Leigh thinks of a basic idea, gets a group of actors together (that he’s most likely worked with before), and sits them down in a room for weeks on end, improvising different scenes for his would-be film. The characters come first, the story is secondary.

The improvisations are done in full costume and makeup and often on location. Leigh takes notes during this period, and when they are finally set to film, the actors are simply reminded what they said and learned during their weeks of improv.

But here’s the kicker: Leigh keeps character motivations from everyone on set, except the person playing that character. So when Vera Drake’s family discovers that she was arrested for completing a series of illegal abortions, the characters, and the actors playing them, are hearing it for the first time. Every reaction on camera is real. It’s a unique process, one that has produced several of the best films of the past two decades including Secrets & Lies, All or Nothing, Vera Drake, and Happy-Go-Lucky.

Leigh’s films have a delicate melancholy to them. Sometimes little action is occurring on screen simply because not every moment in life is terribly fascinating. Leigh, I suspect, is captivated by the mundane.

Take Gerri and Tom (played by Leigh vets Ruth Sheen and Jim Broadbent), the happily married couple who act as the foundation for Leigh’s new insightful film Another Year. The film tracks four seasons with Gerri and Tom; throwing dinner parties, dealing with troubled friends, encouraging their polite but relationship challenged son, and so on. One could make an argument that nothing really happens in a Mike Leigh film. I completely agree, Another Year feels like Leigh hid a few cameras in a home, taped for a year, then edited the parts that he felt added scope and depth to his characters. In short, you won’t get reality like you get in a Mike Leigh film.

Take the brilliant Lesley Manville, who’s been cast in Leigh’s films since the remarkable Secrets & Lies. In Another Year, Manville plays Gerri’s hopelessly desperate co-worker. A woman who fills her absence of self esteem with too many glasses of wine. Manville’s character is the antithesis to Gerri and Tom, and it makes for some all too real spontaneous combustion. How Manville has managed to elude an Oscar nomination throughout her career is beyond me.

Lesley Manville in Another Year

If you’ve never been exposed to the Mike Leigh process, Another Year is a perfectly accessible film to start with. Its slow moving, long winded, but well worth the effort. Once you get more comfortable with Leigh’s world, check out Naked, Leigh’s best and most emotionally brutal film to date. It’ll knock the wind out of you. A-

Sunday SAGs

Now that the Golden Globe sideshow circus has left town, maybe the Screen Actors Guild awards can give us an honest glimpse at who will take home the Oscar.

That isn’t to say that they haven’t been known to shy away from being the deciding factor in close races. In 2000, the Best Actor race was split between Tom Hanks (Cast Away) and Russell Crowe (Gladiator). The SAGs awarded Benico Del Toro (Traffic), who later won the Oscar for Supporting Actor.

Also, in 2003 Sean Penn (Mystic River) and Bill Murray (Lost in Translation) were in a dead heat, and they both lost to Johnny Depp for Pirates of the Caribbean.

In the past ten years, the SAG-Oscar correlation has matched up as follows:
Actor: 6 correct out of 10
Actress: 7 correct out of 10
Supporting Actor: 5 out of 10
Supporting Actress: 6 out of 10

So on Sunday, it’s all about the ladies. Can Natalie Portman keep riding her streak? And can Melissa Leo best her four worthy opponents? We shall see.

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges- True Grit
Robert Duvall- Get Low
Jesse Eisenberg- The Social Network
Colin Firth- The King's Speech
James Franco- 127 Hours

Should win: From this list, Firth. From a more accurate list, Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine).
Will win: Firth.

Franco is Firth's biggest competition. 

BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening- The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman- Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence- Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman- Black Swan
Hilary Swank- Conviction

Should win: Portman
Will win: Tough call. Flip a coin. Tails. Portman.

I'm still a little confused why Swank is here.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
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

Should win: Bale.
Will win: Bale.

Don't worry, one day soon you'll actually win one of these.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams- The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter- The King's Speech
Mila Kunis- Black Swan
Melissa Leo- The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld- True Grit

Should win: I’d be content with any of them. If I were voting, I suppose I’d go for Adams.
Will win: Leo… probably.

No Oscar nom for "Sweep Lips" :(

BEST CAST
Black Swan
The Fighter
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network

Should win: Honestly, in terms of all around acting, I’d go with The Fighter (I mean those sisters…Jesus).
Will Win: The Fighter (or The King’s Speech).

Would you take them on?

The SAGs air Sunday at 8 p.m. on TNT and TBS. Click here for a full list of nominees.

For more OSCAR coverage, click here.

UPDATE - Oscars: What You Need to See

As I said a few weeks ago: hype changes things.  Case in point: before today, I thought Christopher Nolan (Inception) would edge out David Fincher (The Social Network) and win Best Director.  But now that Nolan isn't even nominated, the game has surely change.

The following is a hype-update of my eariler post.  You don't have to see every nominee to see the winners.  Stick to this list, and you should be good.

BEST PICTURE
The King’s Speech vs. The Social Network

With The King's Speech nabbing the most nominations (12 total) and the Producers Guild Award last week, it's now the favorite over The Social Network.

BEST DIRECTOR
David Fincher for The Social Network vs. Tom Hooper for The King's Speech

This is tricky.  Even if The King's Speech wins Best Picture, I don't see Hooper taking Director.  Fincher is still the safest bet.

BEST ACTOR
Colin Firth in The King’s Speech vs. James Franco in 127 Hours

Firth is this year's lock.  If, in the next month, James Franco rescues 13 crippled infants from a burning building while renegotiating peace treaties with Iran, he may win.  But, still, probably not.

BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right vs. Natalie Portman in Black Swan

I think Portman is now the favorite.  She's got the number one movie at the box office (No Strings Attached) a new beau with a baby on the way.  She's Hollywood's Homecoming Queen.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale in The Fighter vs. Geoffrey Rush in The King’s Speech

There will be Bale (I hope).

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams in The Fighter vs. Helena Bonhman Carter in The King's Speech vs. Melissa Leo in The Fighter vs. Hailee Steinfield in True Grit vs. Jacki Weaver in Animal Kingdom

Any of these women could walk away with this award.  Weaver is the dark horse, but she's also the best, so see Animal Kingdom for your own sake of cinematic wonder.  If there's an edge right now, I'll give it to Leo.  But you honestly can't count any of them out.

Click here for continuing OSCAR coverage.

Oscar Noms: Surprise Snubs

Hey everyone, did you know that the most original, inventive film in years didn’t have a director?  It had a screenwriter, and even a few producers, but no director.  It had an art director, a cinematographer, a lead musician, a visual effects artist, a sound editor; hell, it even had a sound mixer, but, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Inception had no director.  At least not one worth recognizing.

Here’s a breakdown of other areas in which the Academy blew it this morning when it released its nominations for the 83^rd Oscars.  (And, yes, a few places where they got it right, too.)

BEST PICTURE

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The Kids Are All Right

The King’s Speech

127 Hours

The Social Network

Toy Story 3

True Grit

Winter’s Bone

No real surprises.  It was whispered around town that The Town would snag 127 Hours’ place, but to no avail.  However, with The King’s Speech leading the pack with 12 total nominations (and a surprise PGA victory last weekend), it is now the frontrunner for Best Picture.  Eh.

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

The King’s Speech was better directed than Inception?  Really?

BEST ACTOR

Javier Bardem- Biutiful

Jeff Bridges- True Grit

Jesse Eisenberg- The Social Network

Colin Firth- The King’s Speech

James Franco- 127 Hours

Congrats Julia Roberts, you’re nagging worked!  Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine) should have Bridges’ spot, just as a courtesy. 

BEST ACTRESS

Annette Bening- The Kids Are All Right

Nicole Kidman- Rabbit Hole

Jennifer Lawrence- Winter's Bone

Natalie Portman- Black Swan

Michelle Williams- Blue Valentine

I have no real beef here.  Go Natalie!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

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

Ruffalo is kind of a surprise, I was hoping for Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) or even a sympathy vote for Pete Postlethwaite (The Town).  Love seeing Hawkes here.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams- The Fighter

Helena Bonham Carter- The King's Speech

Melissa Leo- The Fighter

Hailee Steinfeld- True Grit

Jacki Weaver- Animal Kingdom

Probably the biggest shocker of the morning was Weaver stealing Mila “Sweet Lips” Kunis’ spot.  Here’s the thing: I just saw Animal Kingdom last week and I can say, with zero hesitation, that Weaver deserves this award over all of the other nominees. This is easily the hardest race to call.  I could see any of them taking it. 

OTHER SHOUT OUTS

I’m glad the overrated Waiting for “Superman” got snubbed from the Best Documentary category.  Likewise Burlesque’s exclusion in the Best Song group.  Props to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for their nominated Social Network score.  And please Academy, for the love of God, give Alejandro González Iñárritu the Oscar for Best Foreign Film (Biutiful).

Click here for a full list of all the nominees

Click here for more OSCAR coverage