Ranking the Oscar Best Picture Nominees.

With the Oscars a little more than a week away I thought I'd share my thoughts on the 10 nominees for Best Picture. This year the Oscars expanded the number of nominees for best picture from 5. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. It's supposed to allow for a wider variety of films to be recognized and in that regard it succeeded. On the other hand it makes being nominated not nearly as prestigious. In the end it doesn't really matter since of the 10 nominated films I feel 9 are worthy. This list isn't a list of who I think will win or even who I think should win. It's just the order in which I personally enjoyed them the most.

10. The Blind Side

This is the only movie I have a problem with being nominated. I enjoyed the movie and Sandra Bullock is excellent in it but it's only a few steps up from a made for TV movie of the week. It just felt way too sugarcoated and easy. The race issue is touched on but glossed over pretty quickly and the football aspect is  pretty much a joke.




9. An Education

To be fair, I am nowhere near the target audience for a coming of age story of a 16 year old girl in early 1960's England. I am biased against period pieces and admittedly have problems identifying with women. Besides these points I enjoyed An Education far more than I thought I would. I thought I'd be bored to death but was pleasantly surprised by how drawn to the story I was. All the performances are excellent, specifically Alfred Molina and Carey Mulligan. I was especially surprised by Mulligan, she won my heart and I now want to find Shia LaBeouf, kick his ass and steal his girlfriend. Even with all it's got going for it my biases are just too much to overcome and it get's this spot.


8. Precious

If you're looking for the feel good movie of the year Precious is not the movie for you, unless of course you can feel good about 16 year old girls who get raped by their fathers and abused by their mothers. I have no idea how real the movie is as it's about as far from my life experiences as possible but it certainly feels real. On top of that all the performances are excellent. Gabourey Sidibe (in her film debut) turns the title character into tough yet sympathetic figure with a wide range of emotions. Mariah Carey proves she can act and Mo'Nique is a revelation. There's a reason she's going to win an Oscar, she shows a mix of rage, torment and ultimately weakness that I never would have guessed possible from her. Ultimately the film is just too dark for me to really love but it's a movie everyone should see.

7. Avatar

Avatar isn't just a movie it's a spectacle. I don't think I enjoyed it as much as a lot of the general public seemed to but it was a hell of an experience in 3D IMAX. Everybody's seen it so I'll just say that take away the fancy visual affects and you're pretty much left with Dances with Smurf Gully. The story is absolutely nothing new and the acting is nothing to write home about. Since it's now the highest grossing film of all time and the Academy has long wanted a crowd pleaser to win best picture, I think it has a great shot at taking home the Oscar but there's no way I would vote for it..


6. District 9

District 9 is the movie I feel got the most out of the switch to ten nominees This is not the type of movie that would normally be nominated for best picture. Politically based sci-fi is something that usually only gets nods in categories like effects and sound editing. The movie blends political allegory, inventive special affects and excellent action sequences into a cohesive whole. Lead actor Sharltio Copely also gives an amazing and almost entirely improvised performance. He really holds the entire film together and is far better in this than anyone was in Avatar. I was really surprised how much I liked this movie.


5. A Serious Man

 

I always enjoy a Coen Brothers film and A Serious Man is no different. It's got eccentric characters, a non traditional storyline and their usual directorial flourishes. There are no name actors present and it also has more obscure Jewish references than any movie I've ever seen. Combine these factors along with an ending that a lot of people probably find off-putting and this is not a movie for everyone. As far as the actors go Michael Stuhlbarg is great as lead character Larry Gopnik and Fred Melemed steals the show as Sy Ableman, one of the most unique villains in movie history. Since I'm partial to the Coen's this is probably higher on my list than most would have it.


4. Up

Up made me cry more than any movie I have seen in a long time. I'm not sure if the timing of when I saw it in relation to changes in my personal life had something to do with it but the first half of the movie wrecked me. I've never seen characters built up and able to elicit sympathy so well without much dialogue involved. The rest of the movie is just as amazing, with stunning visuals, a strong sense of adventure and a whole lot of heart. The only reason it's 4th on my list is because I'm biased against animated pictures but if Pixar keeps putting out movies like this (and Wall-E, Ratatoulle, etc) they're likely to eliminate that
bias permanently.


3. Inglorious Basterds

I didn't know what to think the first time I saw Inglorious Basterds. I knew it was a movie of immense vision and that Tarentino was at the top of his game when directing it. What I wasn't quite as sure of was the pacing. It felt as long as it's running time and while that's not necessarily bad I feel a truly great film should feel much shorter than it actually is. The second time I watched it that concern was totally eliminated. Not having to pay close attention to the storyline let me focus more on the characters and the directing and for me that made the movie flow better and feel quicker. There are a lot of classic characters in the movie but Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa is the clear standout. He infuses the character with so much cunning and a real sense of treachery, it's impossible to not hate him and yet be drawn to him at the same time. There is virtually no chance he doesn't win Best Supporting Actor.


2. The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker is easily the most intense movie of the year. It's based on characters who risk their lives constantly day in and out and it's directed to perfection by Katheryn Bigelow. The threat of danger the characters face comes not only from their jobs as bomb diffusers but from the possibility of insurgency at all times. The editing is top notch as well, so much depends on the specific timing of shots and the editors do an amazing job of putting it all together in a way that's easily understandable and visually exciting. In lesser hands this movie could have been a giant mess. Jeremy Renner is fantastic as well as the lead character. He conveys a great sense of (over)confidence and really portrays a man who doesn't know how to do anything else fantastically. I think this will win Best Picture and Best Director.


1. Up in the Air

 This was the last of the 10 movies I saw and maybe that's why I put it at the top but I really loved it. It's a great mix of lighthearted comedy, poignant drama, character study and social commentary. It's gotta be nearly impossible to balance all that and make a movie that's not a complete mess but director/co-writer Jason Reitman pulls it off. The first half focuses on comedy and the second on drama but there's still enough of both in each half for everyone. There are 3 acting nominations involved and all 3 are very deserved. Clooney gives perhaps his best performance ever. He makes a character who's job is to basically ruin peoples lives extremely likeable. He also makes the character identifiable even though he lives his life differently than anyone I've ever met. I never thought much of Vera Farmiga (The Departed, Running Scared) as an actress but she shows a much greater range here than in anything else I've seen her in. Relative newcomer Anna Kendrick is great as well as a young idealistic mentee (is that even a word?) who get's more than she bargained for. There are a lot of familiar faces that round out the cast and everyone is believable, from bit parts to higher profile roles. If I had a vote for Best Picture this would be my choice, it's a fantastic movie.

Alkaline Trio: This Addiction (2010)

After a couple albums of more pop oriented work This Addiction is supposed to be Alkaline Trio returning to their roots. They are back on an indie record label and seem to have accepted their place as a popular but not insanely successful band. For most of their fans Alkaline Trio's roots mean a return to sound of their beloved first album Goddamnit! I personally don't hold that album in as high regard as most. I feel their best is Good Mourning and that albums sound is closer to how This Addiction sounds than the bands earliest work.

There is definitely a difference in the production on this album compared to the last couple. Gone are the obvious multiple guitar overdubs and the result is a rawer sound musically than they've had in a while. The album starts out very strongly. The title track is the best Alkaline Trio song in years, it's got a great melody and I really like the comparison of a bad relationship to heroin addiction.. "Dine, Dine My Darling" is an excellent second track as well. It's catchy and gives a nice nod to the Misfits. Other highlights include "The American Scream" and "Eating Me Alive." The former an excellent power pop song and the latter showing off the bands new wave influence.  "Fine" is also a nice slower song to close the album giving it some added variety.

The rest of the album is unfortunately not as strong. Lead Poisoning" has a trumpet part that just feels out of place, "Draculina" never seems to go anywhere and in general the lyrics don't seem as meaningful as on past releases. There's not really a bad song on here just some that seem pretty generic and tossed off. The deluxe addition has 6 extra tracks including 2 b-sides and 4 acoustic versions of songs. The acoustic version of "Dead on the Floor" is a standout and I feel it's better than the electric version included on the album proper. Also included is a 1 hour live DVD filmed in Las Vegas. It captures Alkaline Trio's live show very well. They don't really change the way any songs sound and the kids in the crowd eat everything up. It's definitely a worthy addition but not something I'll be watching multiple times.

This Addiction is another strong album from Alkaline Trio but it's not as raw or passionate as Goddamnit! or as strong overall as Good Mourning. It is better than the last couple of albums and fans of the band should be pleased with it.

Rating 3.5/5

Black Dynamite: Blu-ray (2009)

I wouldn't say I'm an expert on 70's Blaxpoitation movies but I have seen my fair share. From the ultra gritty to the laughably (but lovable) horrible I've viewed a fairly wide range. It's probably because of this that I found Black Dynamite to be one of the funniest and most entertaining movies of last year.

Michael Jai White plays Black Dynamite, the most bad ass mofo in the hood. When his brother is killed in a drug dispute he comes out of retirement to clean up the streets and ultimately much larger things. That's pretty much it for the plot as it's an afterthought and not really the point. Black Dynamite is a spoof/homage to those 70's flicks and it does both remarkably well.

Director Scott Sanders gets every detail right. From the visual style to the outfits, down to the dialogue and even the (intentionally) cheap production values (watch for a visible boom mic and White's deadpan reaction to it) it all rings true to the genre they are spoofing. The acting is often way over the top and there is an abundance of cheesy one liners throughout. The movie ends up in such ridiculous territory it blew my mind. I had no idea the direction the plot line would go but it's safe to say I never thought it would end up where it does.

The blu-ray does a fantastic job of replicating the intended look but the intended look is not something that's going to be eye candy. It's very grainy and looks like a movie shot in the 70's. There are some clips of stock footage from actual 70's flicks mixed in and it's pretty seamless but you can tell the difference. The audio is benefits more. There's a lot of 70's funk music mixed in and it sounds great. Surrounds are not used predominantly but the sound field does open up from time to time. Low in is effective in both music and action scenes as well but never overpowering.

I found Black Dynamite to be one of the most entertaining movies of last year. It definitely helps to have at least a basic knowledge of blaxploitation movies to get the full experience but I'm sure most people will get at least some enjoyment out of it.

Ratings:
Movie: 4/5
Blu-ray: 3.5/5

Law Abiding Citizen: Blu-ray (2009)

Suspension of disbelief is a funny thing. I know lots of people who are able to buy into a movies premise with no thought whatsoever and don't care about realism at all. I also know lots of people who want everything in films to be ultra realistic. I fall somewhere in between and my ability to suspend disbelief varies, depending on a movies subject matter and tone. Law Abiding Citizen starts off presenting itself as a realistic legal thriller but it quickly explodes into a series of wholeheartedly amazing events. 

Gerard Butler plays Clyde Shelton an engineer who's family suffers a horrible tragedy. Jamie Foxx plays Nick Rice the lawyer in charge of his case. Things don't go Clyde's way in a legal sense and from there things start to get really crazy. I won't give away any of the plot twists but suffice it to say you probably don't want to think too much.

Both lead actors give perfectly acceptable performances with Butler in particular showing more range than he previously has, Director F. Gary Gray (Friday, The Negotiator, The Italian Job) does his best to keep things interesting with stylish direction involving interesting camera movements and angles but ultimately the implausibility of the script is just too much to overcome.  Things happen that are so far fetched it's impossible to take it seriously but the tone of the movie doesn't allow for any humor to come through intentionally. 

The Blu-ray is solid but not spectacular. The film visual design is intentionally murky and while the video transfer is a accurate representation it isn't the type that will make you want to show off your HT as well. Detail is excellent and so are black levels but there is really no color to show off. The audio track is solid as well. Dialogue is always clear and there are plenty of explosive action pieces throughout to give your surround sound a workout all with ample bass effect.

Your enjoyment of Law Abiding Citizen will likely depend on your ability to suspend disbelief. Thinking about it too much will probably give you a headache but if you want to sit back and enjoy the things happening purely on a surface level, you'll get more enjoyment out of it than I did.

Ratings:

Movie: 2.5/5

Blu-ray 4/5

Give 'Em Hell Malone: Blu-ray (2009)

Remember when Tom Jane was a movie "star"? I guess that didn't last long. Now he's starring in a mediocre HBO show (Hung) and making straight to video flicks. Give 'Em Hell Malone is a straight to video movie (from the director of Highlander!) that can best be described as comic neo-noir. 

Jane plays Malone, an hard edged dude with an affinity for whiskey and a knack for staying alive despite multiple gunshot wounds. He gets wrapped up in a mystery involving a briefcase,a pretty girl, a lot of mutilation and French Stewart. The plot is really secondary to the style of the movie. It doesn't really matter what happens, it only matters what it looks like while it's happening. 

For a straight to video movie it has a pretty well known cast. Besides Tom and French, Ving Rhames is also along for the ride. All the acting is very stylized, which is a nice way of saying intentionally terrible. Jane mumbles through most of his dialogue and Rhames does a tough guy impersonation we've seen from him many times before. Special notice goes to Doug Hutchinson who gives the most over the top villainous performance (as a facially scarred psychotic pyro) I've seen since Dom West in Punisher: War Zone (which Hutchinson was also in). The violence is very cartooney and the CGI is horribly fake looking. There are also so many groan inducing one liners that it had to be intentional. All that said I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would. The action scenes are well done and the pace never drags. It also has a visual style that keeps you involved no matter how crazy it gets. Everything is so ridiculous that it's hard to not at least be entertained.

The Blu-ray itself is very hit and miss. The picture quality is pretty poor for a high def release but the way it was shot definitely does not help. The intended noirish look results in a lot of shots being very soft and there is tons of grain present. On the plus side the audio is very powerful though not at all subtle. Every gun shot rings out and there is tons of low end constantly.

I liked Give 'Em Hell Malone enough, especially for a straight to video release, to say it's worth watching but you're not really missing out on anything by skipping it either, unless you want proof that French Stewart is still alive.

Ratings:

Movie 2.5/5

Blu-ray 3/5

Couples Retreat: Blu-ray (2009)

I hated this movie. It sucked hard and not in the good way where I can make fun of it. It was almost 2 hours of completely unfunny situations with completely unfunny characters played by actors who in the past have been funny. While I'm not a gigantic fan of Vince Vaughn, I do find him to be fairly humorous and occasionally hilarious. Same with John Favreau. I do absolutely love Jason Bateman (well maybe not Teen Wolf 2). Based on previews, I didn't have very high expectations for Couples Retreat but with the people involved I thought there was the potential for some laughs here. I was wrong.

There's no point in giving a plot summary since you can probably figure it out by the cover of the Blu-ray. A few couples travel to "paradise" in an attempt to rekindle their failing or dwindling romances, hilarity ensues. That's all there is to it and the hilarity never ensues.

The movie is WAY too long and takes forever to get going. All the actresses are given nothing to do besides pout and attempt to look attractive. The final 3rd is a horrible attempt at heartfelt romance and Guitar Hero plays a vital role in the plot. The worst part is nothing funny happens. There are some attempts at outrageous humor but they all fail miserably. The only slightly positive things in the movie are that some of the minor supporting roles had the ability to entertain but by the time they were on screen I had already checked out. Did I mention I hated this movie.

On the plus side the Blu-ray is really well put together. The tropical setting showcases a ton of colors and they look great in high def. The audio as well is great and even though it's mostly dialogue when music comes on and during the few times surrounds are used it's very effective.

I hated this movie.

Ratings
Movie 1/5
Blu-ray 4/5