January 29, 2011The Art of the Steal (2010) ***1/2Directed by Don ArgottMy tweet:The Art of the Steal (2010)- Engrossing activist conspiracy doc. Storytelling is better than one sided argument presented. ***1/2 out of 5Other thoughts:There is almost nothing wrong with the film making in this fascinating documentary unpacking the fight between the city of Philadelphia and a group of zealots who believe that the Barnes Collection of art deserves to remain in the Barnes School in a small suburb right outside Philadelphia. The problem lies in the fact that the argument is not as cut and dry as those behind the film think it is. The Barnes Collection is worth tens of billions of dollars. Granted, those P! hiladelphians who want the collection might have a great deal of financial interest in the tourism that would result if it was moved five miles into the city. Still, though, I found myself uncomfortable with the fact that Alfred C. Barnes desired to limit the public's access to a culturally significant collection of art. Besides, it was Barnes' own damn fault for leaving the collection to a small college who didn't really know what to do with it. The larger argument centers around the supposedly illegal actions of a number of individuals, including Pennsylvania government officials, who went ahead and did the very things that Barnes' last will and testament demanded against. Indeed, there's a slippery slope here concerning the government seizing private property, but the argument can be made that these are special circumstances. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that I wholeheartedly disagree with the position of those behind The Art of the Steal. I'm simply saying that I'! m conflicted. That being said, this documentary is really well! done, e specially considering the convoluted history of the many people who were in charge of the Barnes Collection over the years. Never once was I confused by all the names and the abundance of legal arguments within. There's a twist towards the end involving a suspicious item in the Pennsylvania state budget that perhaps isn't as damning as the filmmakers clearly think. Otherwise, The Art of the Steal gave me a lot to chew on, and though I have yet to come to any real conclusions, I'm all in favor of a film that has me thinking.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2010) ****Directed by Judith Ehrlich & Rick GoldsmithMy tweet:The Most Dangerous Man! in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2010)- Ellsberg's a great narrator. Fascinating doc. ****/5Other thoughts:For someone so radical in his political beliefs, Daniel Ellsberg comes across surprisingly grounded. humble and logical. He narrates and is the primary interviewee in this look back at his decision to photocopy and distribute confidential documents exposing the governmental lies behind the Vietnam War. Ellsberg, who worked for the RAND corporation after a civilian stint in Vietnam, is such a fascinating and impressive presence on screen. By the end, the viewer ends up convinced that Ellsberg did not do what he did for his own benefit. Just watching and listening to him, it's clear that he's not a fame seeker. He simply stood up for what he believed in, knowing full well that it might lead to prison. Feature length documentaries live and die based on the subject matter and the way it's presented. The Most Dangerous Man in America chose both perfectl! y.
Who is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?) (2010) ***1/2Directed by John ScheinfeldMy tweet:Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?) (2010)- Straightforwardly tells of a brilliant & tragic talent. ***1/2 of 5Other thoughts:For some reason, perhaps because of its title, going into this documentary, I was under the impression that Nilsson was a one hit wonder with the song Everybody's Talkin' At Me from Midnight Cowboy who then disappeared into oblivion or died young. Of course, this is far from actuality. Harry Nilsson was one of the greatest and more popular artists of the early 1970s, releasing many different albums and having a number of hit singles including Coconuts, Without You and One. Nilsson was a singular ta! lent who captured the attention of the Beatles, the band that Nilsson idolized. John Lennon called Nilsson the best American musician out there, and this movie does a commendable job showing why that's not necessarily hyperbolic. Ultimately, there's not a whole lot within Who Is Harry Nilsson that you wouldn't find on any above average episode of VH1's Behind the Music, but after watching this tale of the rise and fall of a musical master, I went on iTunes and bought Nilsson's two-disc greatest hits album. I played it yesterday and absolutely loved it. That in itself must say something about the quality of a movie with the mission of exposing music fans to an under-appreciated artist.
Double Take (2010) ****! Directed by Johan GrimonprezMy tweet:Double Take (2010)- A bit! pretent ious, but ultimately a fascinating argument for the Cold War as Macguffin. **** out of 5Other thoughts:This is an odd little docu-essay. Double Take bases its exploration on the assumption that if you ever meet your double, you must kill him before he kills you. According to the film, the Cold War took this maxim to its extreme, as two governments brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Perhaps, the USSR and the USA, despite being enemies, were both equally irresponsible, relying on posturing and hubris in order to demonstrate power over the other. Before the nuclear bomb threats, both countries raced into space to be the first to claim responsibility for the next level of human exploration. Believe it or not, the analogy for all this is based on Alfred Hitchcock and a Hitchcock impersonator who narrates the film. At the time of the growing conflict between the US and the USSR, Hitchcock was starting his television show Alfred Hitchcock Presents and releasing the film! s The Birds and Topaz. The Birds is about man's arrogance in desiring to control nature, an arrogance that can clearly be seen in the events leading up to the Cold War. Topaz, on the other hand, is a literal film about the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. There is an argument within Double Take about consumerism that I didn't quite understand, though considering that the same commercials for Folgers instant coffee played throughout, it's clearly there. Films like Double Take, much like autobiographical docu-essays such as My Winnipeg, The Beaches of Agnes or Of Time and the City, run the risk of coming across pretentious if they end up too indulgent. There was a short documentary film nominated for an Oscar last year called Rabbit a la Berlin, which is a terrible attempt at meditating on the Berlin wall by way of the rabbits who lived in proximity to it. Double Take could easily have been a similar disaster. Thankfully, it's a fascinating and entertaining watch. I hav! e no idea how Grimonprez came up with the idea to compare the ! Cold War to Alfred Hitchcock and his definition of a Macguffin, but somehow, it all comes together quite nicely.All the movie reviews. The best films
You Wish by Mandy Hubbard (TBR August 5th, 2010 from Razorbill Publishing) (finished already)The Secrets of April, May and June by Robin Benway (TBR August 3rd, 2010 from Razorbill Publishing)Thanks so much to Razorbill Publishing for giving me complementary copies of these two great books for review!Library:
From 2 different libraries... I know it seems like a lot, but I returned all the other books I had out, soooo.... it evens out, right? *cough*Kitchen Princess Vol. 1 (Manga)The Heart is Not A Size by Beth KephartMe, the Missing and the Dead by Jenny Valentine (one of my favorite authors)Margherita Dolce Vita by Stefano Benni (I'm in love with this imprint, Europa Editions!)Solanin by Asano Inio (Manga I've been trying to get FOREVER)The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti (I really haven't liked Caletti's work at all, but I'm giving her another chance)The Moving Toyshop by Edmund CrispinA Good Day for Love Letters- George Asakura (not sure how I feel about the art)Gentleman Prefer Blondes- Anita LoosCooking With Fernet Branca- James Patterson-HamiltonGourmet Rhapsody- Muriel BarberyThe Queen of the Tambourine- Jane GardamKimmie66- Aaron Alexovich (I wish this imprint hadn't closed, Minx w! as so great!)Emily the Strange: The Lost Days-Rob Reger (I hav! e no ide a what this is, it just looked cool. Is it a series?)The Ghosts of Ashbury High- Jaclyn Moriarty (YAY! I love this series!)The Evolution Man, or How I Ate My Father- Roy Lewis (Weird, I know :P)Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close- Jonathan Foer The Line- Teri Hall (I never got to finish it)Sorry- Gail JonesGimme A Call- Sarah MylnowskiWonderland- Tommy Kovac and Sonny Leiw (Pretty.... *gape*)JPod- Douglas Coupland (love it even more than I thought I would, considering I'm not a fan of the pessimistic, vaguely pretentious Generation X stuff)*deep breath* Even more than I thought I'd checked out.Bought:
All but 2 of these (the one on top and the one on the bottom) are from a used book store.! I got them for only 50 cents each down in Mississippi! *dance* Oh, and I got the Great Gatsby too, but I forgot to dig it out from under my bed (books are everywhere under there in my room, as I just got a new bookshelf and have yet to stock it). It's scary under there.Dr. Slump Vol. 1 by Akira Toriyama (my favorite manga ever! The art is so simple but genius. Toriyama is great.)The Taker- J. M. Steele A Farewell to Arms- Ernest HemingwayGreat Short Works of Mark TwainThe Picture of Dorian Gray and Other Writings- Oscar WildePygmalion and 3 Other Plays- George Bernard Shaw Pygmalion and My Fair Lady (in too horrible condition to show: my dog got a hold of it! Luckily I had finished it on the trip back from Texas :P)The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald (I like it much more than I expected to.)***********888Finally done with the list! I got a lot of great books this week, and didn't even spend that much money. A lot of these I've been trying to track down, and finally did, ! which is awesome :) Mostly mangas that weren't at B&N or e! ither of my libraries. So, what was in you mailbox this week?
January 28, 2011The favorite to win Best Picture, The Social Network, only received the third most nominations of any film, behind True Grit's 10 nominations and The King's Speech's 12 nominations. Some have predicted that The Social Network is no longer a sure fire bet to take the top prize, and while that might be true, I still think it is the odds on favorite so far. The most egregious Oscar snub, in my opinion, is Christopher Nolan's lack of a directing nomination for Inception. Many thought he was snubbed a few years ago as well when his name wasn't called among the nominees for The Dark Knight. Inception is an impeccably well crafted film.By the way, I predicted all 10 Best Picture nominees correct, evidence! once again of my awesomeness! On the other hand, for some reason, Javier Bardem for Best Actor for Biutiful was not on my radar screen at all. Oh well.What do you think were some of the surprises/snubs among the nominees?Make sure you check out the Oscars on February 27, 2011.Best Picture127 HoursBlack SwanThe FighterInceptionThe Kids Are All RightThe King's SpeechThe Social NetworkToy Story 3True GritWinter's BoneBest ActorJavier Bardem- BiutifulJeff Bridges- True GritJesse Eisenberg- The Social NetworkColin Firth- The King's SpeechJames Franco- 127 HoursBest ActressAnnette Bening- The Kids Are All RightNicole Kidman- Rabbit HoleJennifer Lawrence- Winter's BoneNatalie Portman- Black SwanMichelle Williams- Blue ValentineBest Supporting ActorChristian Bale- The FighterJohn Hawkes- Winter's BoneJeremy Renner- The TownMark Ruffalo- The Kids Are All RightGeoffrey Rush- The King's SpeechBest Supporting ActressAmy Adams- The FighterHelena Bonham Carter- The King's SpeechMelissa ! Leo- The FighterHailee Steinfeld- True GritJacki Weaver- Anima! l Kingdo mBest DirectorDarren Aronofsky- Black SwanJoel & Ethan Coen- True GritDavid Fincher- The Social NetworkTom Hooper- The King's SpeechDavid O. Russell- The FighterBest Original ScreenplayMike Leigh- Another YearScott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Keith Dorrington- The FighterChristopher Nolan- InceptionLisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg- The Kids Are All Right-David Seidler- The King's SpeechBest Adapted ScreenplayDanny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy- 127 HoursAaron Sorkin- The Social NetworkMichael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich- Toy Story 3Joel Coen, Ethan Coen- True GritDebra Granik, Anne Rosellini- Winter's BoneBest CinematographyBlack SwanInception The King's Speech The Social Network True GritBest Art DirectionAlice in WonderlandHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1Inception The King's Speech True GritBest Costume DesignAlice in Wonderland I Am Love The King's Speech The Tempest True GritBest Sound MixingInception The King's SpeechSalt The Social N! etwork True GritBest Editing127 Hours Black Swan The Fighter The King's Speech The Social NetworkBest Sound EditingInceptionToy Story 3 Tron: Legacy True Grit UnstoppableBest Visual EffectsAlice in Wonderland Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 HereafterInception Iron Man 2Best MakeupBarney's Version The Way Back The WolfmanBest Original Song"If I Rise"- 127 Hours"Coming Home"- Country Strong"I See the Light"- Tangled"We Belong Together- Toy Story 3Best Original Score127 Hours How to Train Your Dragon Inception The King's Speech The Social NetworkBest Animated Short FilmDay & Night The Gruffalo Let's Pollute The Lost Thing Madagascar, a Journey DiaryBest Live Action Short FilmThe Confession The Crush God of Love Na WeweWish 143Best Documentary Short FilmKilling in the NamePoster GirlStrangers No More Sun Come Up The Warriors of QiugangBest Documentary FeatureExit Through the Gift Shop GaslandInside Job RestrepoWaste LandBest Foreign FilmBiutifulDogtooth In a Be! tter World Incendies Outside the LawBest Animated FeatureHow t! o Train Your DragonThe Illusionist Toy Story 3
January 24, 2011The Oscar nominations will be announced early tomorrow morning. I predict The Social Network and The King's Speech will be the two top films in terms of number of nominations. For the third year, I am going to predict what films will receive nominations in the major categories, and once again, for the third year, I am going to prove how bad I am at this.Best Supporting Actor:Christian Bale- The FighterAndrew Garfield- The Social NetworkJohn Hawkes- Winter's BoneMark Ruffalo- The Kids Are All RightGeoffrey Rush- The King's Speech(Outside chance- Jeremy Renner- The Town)(Long shots- Matt Damon- True Grit, Michael Douglas- Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Vincent Cassel- Black Swan, Guy Pierce- The King's Spe! ech)The biggest wild card for this one will be John Hawkes. He's better than Renner in a better film, but will voters remember Hawkes' performance considering that he's overshadowed by Jennifer Lawrence's impressive turn? Also, Renner is a better known entity than Hawkes. Don't count out Globe nominee Douglas. He's got a lot of good will on his side, but the fact that Wall Street 2 is crap won't help. I think it's between six men for the nomination, though this is Christian Bale's award to ultimately take home.Best Supporting ActressAmy Adams- The FighterHelena Bonham-Carter- The King's SpeechMila Kunis- Black SwanMelissa Leo- The FighterHailee Steinfeld- True Grit(Outside chance- Jacki Weaver- Animal Kingdom)(Long shots- Leslie Manville- Another Year, Barbara Hershey- Black Swan, Dianne Weist- Rabbit Hole, Noomi Rapace- The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Julianne Moore- The Kids Are All Right)The supporting categories tend to be difficult to predict because it's not always c! lear whether a performance is a lead or supporting one. This m! ight be the issue with Steinfeld, who might be nominated as lead actress or who might not be nominated at all because she will split votes in the two categories. Same goes for Rapace and Moore. I don't think Rapace has much of a shot for a nomination at all, but Moore might have enough votes in the supporting category to be a surprise nominee, though I truly doubt it. That fifth slot, if Steinfeld isn't nominated, is pretty close between Weaver and Manville. I'm giving the edge to Weaver because it's a heavier performance. Still, though, I expect Steinfeld to make it in as a supporting actress. The nominations will be key to who will emerge as the favorite to win. If Steinfeld is nominated, I think she might be the favorite. Otherwise, I think it will be Leo that will take home the award.Best ActorJeff Bridges- True GritJesse Eisenberg- The Social NetworkColin Firth- The King's SpeechJames Franco- 127 HoursRyan Gosling- Blue Valentine(Outside chance- Robert Duvall- Get Low)(Long sho! ts- Mark Wahlberg- The Fighter, Aaron Eckhart- Rabbit Hole, Leonardo DiCaprio- Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio- Shutter Island)I'd be thrilled to have Leo DiCaprio sneak in with a much deserved nomination for Inception, but I don't think it's going to happen. Robert Duvall is apparently great in Get Low, but will people remember the film when they vote, especially considering Duvall's overall lack of awards momentum for the role? I still think Wahlberg has a chance. I thought he was quite good giving a humble performance in The Fighter, but others see his humility as dullness, so that might work against him. Bridges is not a lock considering that he's not as flashy as Wayne was in the same role in 1969. Gosling and Eckhart have their better female counterparts in Michelle Williams and Nicole Kidman overshadowing them which might hurt. That being said, I think Bridges and Gosling will be nominated. Both True Grit and Blue Valentine have a lot more acting good will than Rabbit H! ole and Inception. If there's a surprise tomorrow morning, tho! ugh, it might just be in this category.Best ActressAnnette Bening- The Kids Are All RightNicole Kidman- Rabbit HoleJennifer Lawrence- Winter's BoneNatalie Portman- Black SwanMichelle Williams- Blue Valentine(Outside chance- Hailee Steinfeld- True Grit)(Long shots- Julianne Moore- The Kids Are All Right, Carey Mulligan- Never Let Me Go, Kim Hye-Ja- Mother, Noomi Rapace- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)Don't count out Julianne Moore in this category, especially if Steinfeld receives a supporting nomination, which I think she will. That being said, I'm most confident about my predictions in this category. I absolutely think these five ladies will be nominated.Best DirectorDarren Aronofsky- Black SwanDavid Fincher- The Social NetworkTom Hooper- The King's SpeechChristopher Nolan- InceptionDavid O. Russell- The Fighter(Outside chance- Danny Boyle- 127 Hours)(Long shots- Lisa Cholodenko- The Kids Are All Right, Joel & Ethan Coen- True Grit, Ben Affleck- The Town, Debra Granik- Winter'! s Bone)Nolan is the wild card here. He wasn't nominated for The Dark Knight, so should I take that as a sign that he similarly won't be nominated again or that he will be nominated partially to make up for that oversight? I do think the film stands on its own as being a real directorial achievement, so I expect him to be nominated. I don't think 127 Hours will get a great deal of votes in any category, though I'm about to predict that it will be nominated for Best Picture, but I wouldn't be surprised if it gets 9th or 10th place on that list. Don't count out the Coens. Okay, actually, yeah, you can pretty much count out the Coens. Many think True Grit is one of their weaker efforts, and though it will be nominated for Best Picture, I think many voters will be conflicted at the prospect of nominating them for Best Director. I think the five men I predicted will be announced. I feel good about these choices.Best Picture127 HoursBlack SwanThe FighterInceptionThe Kids Are All R! ightThe King's SpeechThe Social NetworkToy Story 3True GritWin! ter's Bo ne(Outside chance- The Town)(Long shots- Blue Valentine, How to Train Your Dragon, Rabbit Hole, Shutter Island, The Ghost Writer)Considering I only got 7 out of 10 nominees correct last time, I wouldn't put your money on my predictions. That being said, I think I'll get at least nine out of 10 correct. I wouldn't be surprised to see The Town nominated. I don't think any of the other long shots have much of a shot. Some have predicted Shutter Island, but I think too many were disappointed by it for it to sneak in. The best shot out of the long shots is the painfully mediocre film How to Train Your Dragon. If The Town sneaks in, which film will it replace? I think 127 Hours, The Kids Are All Right, Winter's Bone and Inception are all far from locks so any one of those might not get the nomination. I think The Kids Are All Right is perhaps the film that has the best chance of the four of being left out. Still, I think (or at least I hope) I'll make up for my failures last year ! in this category.I'll post the nominees on my blog tomorrow.