And the Oscar Goes to...

We have arrived, my friends, at the 84th Annual Academy Awards and in a few short hours we will know who Hollywood considers to be the best of the best. This is the final event and I for one can barely contain my excitement! I have seen ALL of the pictures nominated for Best Picture and quite a few more but I will only predict the categories that I am confortable with (besides, what is the difference between Sound Mixing and Sound Editing...anyone?)  Anyway, I have narrowed it down to who I feel is most deserving and why although this year has been one of the toughest to call. Without further ado, my predictions for this year's Oscars are:

Best Picture

It is one of the most celebrated films this year with the critics but still not many have ventured out to see a "silent film" writing it off as old fashioned and boring without actually giving it a chance. There loss, I say, but that school of thinking would be the only thing stopping The Artist from completing its tour de force this season.  

Best Actor

Jean Dujardin in The Artist

Exquisite does not even begin to describe Dujardin's performance as the fallen silent film star George Valentin. His ability to communicate everything without use of language is in itself Oscar worthy but that he also teaches us how us simply superb. The only one that could take this away from him is George Clooney for The Descendants. His portrayal of Matt King as he struggled through unimaginable circumstances with humor and what remained of his dignity was honest and oddly refreshing. These two have been neck and neck all season so regardless of who wins, it will be interesting just to see who will cross the finish line.

Best Actress

Viola Davis in The Help

Where do I begin? Viola Davis is beyond a doubt one of the most amazing actresses of our time. In The Help, she spoke the truth through Aiblene with power, dignity, and incredible humility and gave what I believe is the performance of her career. It's the kind of thing you felt when you saw it, like you were seeing a character be brought to life for the first time. It's almost haunting and will stay with me probably forever - for that alone, I believe she deserves every award she is nominated for this season. Meryl Streep is the best actress of our generation, no argument there, and I have yet to see The Iron Lady. However, I find it hard to believe that anyone can top what Ms. Davis did. It is her time and hopefully the Academy can see that.

Best Director

Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist

This is one of those categories where ALL the nominees were phenomenal so seriously, how can you choose between Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Alexander Payne, and Terrence Malick?? I had a hard time because what each of them did was so different and equally wonderful but I chose Hazanavicius because of how hard it must have been to bring us The Artist. It is a silent film, after all, but he was able to transcend that genre entirely (he made it to the Oscars didn't he?) If I had to choose someone else it would be Scorsese for his incredibly impressive technical masterpiece Hugo. 

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Plummer in Beginners

Heartwarming and charming as ever, Christopher Plummer shows in both the film and in real life, age should never inhibit you from getting what you deserve. I loved Beginners and really felt it slipped under the radar with many people but as Plummer shows, it's never to late to make a lasting impression.  I will say that I thought Kenneth Branagh was superb as Lawrence Olivier in My Week With Marilyn and had it not been for Plummer, the Oscar would be his.

Best Supporting Actress 

Octavia Spencer in The Help

Octavia's portrayal of Minny Jackson in The Help was the perfect ying to Viola Davis' yang. She was everything a supporting actress should be while still shining in her own right. Without a doubt, she was that sassy, back-talking but fiercely loyal Minny who stole our hearts and said everything we were thinking. An honorable mention should go to Jessica Chastain who played Celia in The Help, giving an sweet, beautifully innocent performance.

Cinematography

Emmanuel Lubezki for The Tree of Life

What really made this film the mind-blowing, hard-to-wrap-your-head-around-it-because-it's-so-visually-demanding experience that it was was indeed the cinematography and the Academy would have to be asleep not to think so. Still, crazier things have happened so in that case, my vote would go to Hugo although there might be a dark horse War Horse (sorry I had to.)  

Best Art Direction

Oh, Hugo, you will probably win every technical award this year, starting with this one, and you deserve it. I was both impressed and delighted by everything I saw and will not be surprised if you rack up quite a few, seeing as you have the most nods. Your biggest competition will be War Horse, I believe because it, too, accomplished some amazing technical feats. 

Best Original Screenplay

If there were such thing as a sure thing, this would be it. Besides the fact that he already has won almost every award this year in this category, Woody Allen's prose shines through his characters in a way that really is, well, Oscar worthy.

Best Adapted Screenplay

This one came out of left field (Ok, I'll stop) but I really feel strongly about Moneyball. Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, and Stan Chervin really worked at this and there was a good while when it looked liked this would not be made. Maybe this is me just cheering for the underdog but hey, sometimes they do win. 

Best Original Score

When there are no words, music can say it all. In no other film this year was this put to the test and proven correct. Ludovic Bource's score was essentially the narrator of a beautiful story and as this is his first nomination - I say job well done!

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That's it, my darlings! I'm off to get some champagne and hors d'oeuvres for my Oscar bash. I will be tweeting throughout the night so keep up on @themixxchic! Here's to what will be a fantastic night!!

Cheers,

the mixx chic

Oscar Movie Review: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

To say that Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close tackles a lot of sensitive issues is probably the understatement of the year. Yes, it's about 9/11 and its aftermath. Yes, its about a child with Asperger's coming of age and learning to accept who he is after the death of his father. And yes, it asks it's American audience to see this particularly sensitive version of events through an unconventional lens. It was difficult to watch this emotionally challenged young boy try to understand what had happened to his father. He simply could not fathom the idea that there is not an answer to every question in life. Instead he pours every ounce of energy he has into completing the impossible task of finding the lock to a key he found in his father's belongings. It's the only way he could give meaning to the situation but what he did not expect was to build relationships with the people he met along the way. It is in these encounters that he grows into someone that his father would be proud of which is really all he wanted in the first place.

Alarming, emotional, and a bit uncomfortable, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close did not find a sweet spot with viewers and critics like all the other nominated films did this year. This isn't surprising considering the subject matter and the way in which the story is told. It isn't easy to forget some of the things this precocious child does and says but there is a palpable undercurrent of forgiveness and understanding. Based on its critical reception, I doubt this will be much of a threat to the rest of the pack. Still, I do feel it is worth seeing as it asks a lot of its viewer but gives back almost as much as it takes.

Oscar Movie Review: The Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is a cerebral journey that demands of its viewer a visceral response. It truly takes "stream of consciousness" to a whole different level exploring religion, creation, and the universe to answer the ultimate question: what is our purpose? This and all of life's big questions are raised after a family loses a child and his absence is still felt years later by his brother played by Sean Penn. What we are unsure of is if what we are seeing is real or just speculation. Writer and director Terrence Malick takes us through memories as they truly feel, detailed yet unfinished. Memories, however, are unreliable and because this young boy is still growing and developing as is his father, played by Brad Pitt, a man with dashed dreams and a musical soul that is hindered by circumstance and ignorance. Complexity doesn't even begin to describe their relationship as it truly is like life itself in all it's intricacies.

This was one of those movies that you can't really "like." It was more of a rare experience - a true film. I can definitely see why critics and viewers struggled with it as well as why it did well at Cannes winning top prize, the Palme d'Or. Hollywood, on the other hand, has yet to show any real love for it until now. The question is them will it win any of the three categories is nominated in? It's best chances are in Best Cinematography because it really was a visual masterpiece. Emmanuel Lubezki was last nominated for Children of Men and has pretty much taken every cinematography award this year with The Tree of Life. This could be his year and I would say that it would undoubtedly be well deserved. 

Oscar Movie Review: Midnight in Paris

Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen's latest (and possibly greatest) foray into fantasy, is a delightful mix of humor and surrealism. It has elements of a classic Woody Allen picture, namely a neurotic protagonist, but it does not try to be more than what it is; a light, simple story that only require's its audience to suspend their version of reality for 90 minutes or so. What makes this film special, or rather, worthy of four Oscar nominations? That, too, is simple because only Woody Allen can expertly craft a tale of unexplainable time travel that is charming, romantic and ultimately a joy to watch.

Adriana (Marion Cotillard) and Gil (Owen Wilson)

The key to Midnight in Paris is really not to expect a deep, life changing experience - it really is what it is. Owen Wilson's character Gil is an easily distracted yet somehow very successful Hollywood screenwriter that has a bad case of writer's block as he tries to write an actual novel. On a trip to Paris with his uptight fiance Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her obnoxious parents, he finds solace with the likes of Cole Porter, Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, T.S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Guided by a jaded muse (played perfectly by Marion Cotillard), he revels in the nostalgia of it all and tries to immerse himself into their world where art equals life. In contrast, the characters in the "real" world are dismissive of his work, coming off as very two-dimensional. I understood this to be a choice made by Allen to question our own definition of reality. It is in this seemingly simplistic journey, with a fascinating ensemble of quick-witted, well known characters, that Allen's intricate direction and writing are showcased. While I don't think Midnight in Paris will win Best Picture, the Academy would have to be mental to not award Allen Best Original Screenplay. He made something so difficult and complex seem simple and that is the work of a true artist.

Oscar Movie Review: Moneyball

Based on the book by Michael Lewis, Moneyball chronicles the attempt made by Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane to level the playing field of baseball so that those teams without big budgets behind them could have a fighting chance. Challenging the status quo of America's favorite pastime may not have been the most popular thing to do but as Moneyball shows, even a small win can have a huge impact. What Billy Beane did was change how people look at the game and what this film did was acknowledge his contribution to the modern game. In a nomination worthy performance, Brad Pitt takes on Billy Beane and paints a detailed, humble picture of a man trying to beat the odds while also keeping his head down amongst all the criticism. His performance is not overtly emotional but it still runs deep. Through all the opposition, his character he puts on a brave face but there are moments when, just for a moment, he see the weight of the entire baseball world on his aging shoulders. Pitt was Billy Beane and together with Jonah Hill (who rightly earned a nomination for his performance), they carried this film all the way with some amazing chemistry and good old fashioned teamwork.

Brad Pitt as Billy Beane and Jonah Hill as Peter Brand

Moneyball is an understated film with an excellent cast and a superb script. I appreciate the Academy's acknowledgment of a film that also had to beat the odds in order to be made although a win for it is, unfortunately, a long shot. It's best category is Best Adapted Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, and Stan Chervin. This is a distinct possibility as it already won the Critics Choice Award earlier this year. However, this race also included The Descendants and Hugo which will not go down without a fight.

Oscar Movie Review: Hugo

With eleven nominations, the most of any film this year, Hugo is a charming, heartfelt tale of a clever, steadfast boy who lives in the walls of a Paris train station after his father's sudden death leaves him orphaned. Both tragic and touching, the story centers on Hugo's quest to repair an automata that he and his father were working on and in doing so, uncovers the secret lives of those he slowly learns to call family. It is an uplifting anecdote based on the Caldecott winning book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick that is actually based on the real story of French filmmaker Geroges Melies. As it is in the book, Hugo's world is visually stunning and terrifying at the same time, an effect that is expertly executed by Martin Scorsese. Much like The Artist, this film was a love letter of sorts to cinema but in a more literal way. 

Asa Butterfield plays Hugo Cabret

While I enjoyed the film very much, what stood out most for me were the technical aspects, including the seamless use of 3D technology with brilliant cinematography. This was Scorsese's first foray into the world of 3D and he has created a visual masterpiece that plays like a moving pop-up book. Mostly all of the awards that Hugo is nominated for are technical and I do believe it could take home some of the big ones like Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction. I also won't be surprised if it takes Adapted Screenplay, though I do believe that category is one of the toughest being that it is so widespread. It could be a big winner since the odds are in its favor with so many technical nods but whether it will walk away with top prize remains to be seen. 

Oscar Movie Review: The Artist

One of the most original films nominated for 10 Academy Awards this year is The Artist. Described by it's director Michel Hazanavicius as "a love letter to cinema," this film does a superb job taking it's viewer on a romantic pilgrimage during a time of major upheaval in the world of film.  Many have shied away from this movie because it is "silent" and "old fashioned" but what they don't realize (and really couldn't unless they had actually seen the film) is that those choices were made not just for pure aesthetic effect but to immerse you into the world. It is terrific experiment in which music and actors work with the film itself to tell a story that is both simple and complex. It was a privilege to see this film, like I was granted access into a secret piece of history and then left to reflect on everything that I had seen.

Jean Dujardin as "George Valentin"

As I stated before, the idea for the film is simple: George Valentin, a beloved silent film star, soon finds himself replaced when talkies come into fashion. The story is complicated when our main character, played by French actor Jean Dujardin, falls in love with a rising talkie star,  played beautifully by Berenice Bejo. George Valentin, the fallen star, in such a proud yet humbling way that really connects the audience to his dilemma. He is an artist - where is the art in just talking? This reminds me of so many of my acting teachers who said time and time again "Don't tell me the story, show me." I get it now!

While the storyline itself was not intricate or complex, it was in the execution that its brilliance shone through. For example, most of the film was indeed silent with music being one of the only audible noises. This allowed for the music to become another character and it chose the role of narrator. When sound was introduced, it was just as rewarding as it was terrifying. Since it was so foreign and jarring, we felt the way Valentin felt. I was amazed by the way in which the film did this over and over again to its audience. It was as if I was both friend and foe, toy and tool. Another example of this was when in all of the main characters' encounters. Peppy, the young starlet, does most of the talking and even though we can only read her words, we feel burdened and overwhelmed by it all. Again, we feel what Valentin feels, exhausted by her chatter and we begin to hone in on his struggle to understand and love her.  Although we could not hear them, we felt the difference in their means of communication. We were taught a language and were just as scared to learn the new one as our main character was. This fear showed that this massive change was not only cinematic, it was cultural.

I really appreciated many aspects in the film as there was a seamless use of modern and classic cinematic references. For example, the credits in the beginning of the film were just as they were for many films of that era with a slew of ellipsis connecting the character name to the actor's. The film was also black and white which keeps distractions to a minimum whilst also adding an air of authenticity. The subtitle cards were also more for feel as some the first few were necessary. After that, you were used to reading the character's lips or not relying on speech at all. As humans, we don't really need to talk in order to communicate. This film really proved that often times, words just complicate what it is we are trying to say and in the end, actions do speak louder.

George (Dujardin) and Peppy (Bejo)

Should this film take home the big prize? That I cannot say yet because I still have two more films to see but out of all the films I have seen thus far, I will say that it does deserve it. Amongst its nominations, I will not be surprised if it picks up Best Actor (Dujardin was phenomenal), Best Original Score (Ludovic Bource), Best Director (Michel Hazanavicius) and Best Picture on Sunday. It has already won in many of those categories at Cannes, the SAG Awards, Critics Choice, the Golden Globes, and BAFTA, etc. - totaling 69 awards this season so far. However, crazier things have happened so I will make my predictions once I have seen all there is to see.

In short, The Artist certainly was more than a new take on an old favorite. It provided a unique perspective that can be applied to many things and while many may think its silent nature limits its appeal, I believe it remains universal. We are not often afforded the point of view of the target of a revolution that is both charismatic and sympathetic. It is much more "American" to be on the side of the revolter, paving the way for change and those who do effect said change. However being a French film, The Artist gives us a chance to see things differently and appreciate a simple act in our technologically over-stimulated lives.