Hey Oscar! Don't Forget!

While I'm slowly but surely catching up on 2008 films that weren't released in my neck of the woods till 2009, I still have yet to see "Slumdog Millionaire", "The Wrestler", and "Revolutionary Road" to name a few, but since the Oscar nominations are being announced on Thursday, I figured I'd name a few films and performances that will probably (but hopefully not) be overlooked by the Academy.

For your Consideration
"In Bruges" (Best Picture, Best Actor: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleason, Best Supporting Actor: Ralph Feinnes, Best Screenplay) Few films this year have reached the humour, unpredictability, and redemption as this film. Although Farrell's Golden Globe win might've reminded viewers of this film, I fear it will be overlooked in most of the major categories.

"Frozen River" (Best Actress: Melissa Leo, Best Supporting Actress: Misty Upham) Although Leo has been getting some recognition from the indie crowd, her Oscar chances seem rather slim. She might be overlooked for a more prominent performer like Meryl Streep. As for Leo's co-star Upham, she was every bit as heartbreaking as a woman who is forced to smuggle immigrants across the boarder to support her child who was taken from her. Cross your fingers for these women.

"Edge of Heaven" (Best Picture) A long shot, although a winner at Cannes in 2007, this film will probably pass many people by. The best bet is it's multiple storylines might remind people of Oscar winners "Crash" or "Babel".

"Lakeview Terrace" (Best Actor: Samuel L. Jackson) Many critics cited this film as a predictable thriller that didn't deal with its subject matter as honestly as it should have. What they seemed to have missed was that Samuel L. Jackson gave perhaps his best performance in a long time as a crazed racist cop. Jackson seems to be the kind of actor who isn't taken very seriously anymore, but his performance in this film is taken to an edge I have not seen him do in a long time.

"Happy Go-Lucky" (Best Actress Sally Hawkins, Best Supporting Actor Eddie Marsan) It's been a strong year of actresses. I would say if Hawkins, Melissa Leo, and Anne Hathaway all were nominated I would demand a three way tie. Hawkins probably has the best chance to be nominated although it's still rather up in the air if she will or not. Marsan is a bit of a dark horse although there has been some talk, here's hoping for both of them.

"Rachel Getting Married" (Best Supporting Actress: Rosemari DeWitt, Best Supporting Actor: Bill Irwin) I'm leaving Anne Hathaway off this list since she seems to be a shoe-in already and if she isn't then consider her on the list. DeWitt was every bit as strong as the title character, and Irwin is a piece of understated beauty as the father who's just trying to be the peacemaker.

"My Winnipeg" (Best Picture, Best Documentary?????, Best Director) Probably the longest shot on this list as Academy members usually want to award films that can be easily categorized. But what exactly would "My Winnipeg" be put under. Suffice it to say it is one of the most creative achievements of the year and that Canadian mad genius known as Guy Maddin should be recognized.

Top 20 Actresses

I'm a little late to play this game but I wanted to see if I could even think of 20 favorite actresses, so here they are in no particular order.

Barbara Stanwyck- Key Movie (Double Indemnity)

Katherine Hepburn-Key Movie (The Philadelphia Story)

Jean Arthur- Key Movie (Mr. Deeds Goes to Town)

Setsuko Hara- Key Movie (Late Spring)

Joan Allen - Key Movie (The Upside of Anger)

Audrey Hepburn - Key Movie (Sabrina)

Emma Thompson- Key Movie (The Remains of the Day)

Frances McDormand- Key Movie (Fargo)

Claudette Colbert- Key Movie (It Happened One Night)

Ginger Rogers- Key Movie (Top Hat)

Amy Adams- Key Movie (Junebug)

Naomi Watts- Key Movie (Mulholland Drive)

Diane Keaton- Key Movie (Annie Hall)

Jane Fonda- Key Movie (The China Syndrome)

Jeanne Moreau- Key Movie (Jules and Jim)

Julie Christie- Key Movie (Away From Her)

Sissy Spacek-Key Movie (Coal Miner's Daughter)

Shelley Duvall- Key Movie (3 Women)

Carole Lombard- Key Movie (To Be or Not To Be)

Grace Kelly- Key Movie (Rear Window)

Nobody knows anybody, not that well: A Look at "Miller's Crossing"

It might be easy to look at The Coens' "Miller's Crossing" and see it as an homage to the gangster films of the early thirties, or a tribute to the great hard boiled novelists Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, but despite being inspired by all of those that came before it, the film stands as a true masterpiece and perhaps be the Coens' greatest film.

The scene is the 1930s during prohibition, Leo (Albert Finney) is an Irish Crime boss who runs the city, but he plays a dangerous game with a rival gang leader Johnny Caspar (Joe Polito). Caspar asks Leo for permission to kill a local grifter Bernie Bernbaum (John Turturro) for cheating him out of some money. Leo must decline since he seeing Bernie's sister Verna (Marcia Gay-Harden) and soon things sour between him and Caspar. Enter the main character in the film Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne) who is Leo's right hand man. Tom tries to convince Leo that giving up Bernie would make the most sense, but Leo doesn't budge.

Tom doesn't believe Verna is worth all the trouble pariticularily since he's been seeing her behind Leo's back. When Leo finds out, Tom is thrown out and decides to go to the other side and join Caspar.

What makes "Miller's Crossing" so layered comes from the ambiguous way The Coens treat their lead character. We never know the motive of Tom Reagan, he's like "The Man with No Name" or "Yojimbo", he seems to be playing both sides, but unlike those characters, Tom doesn't seem to be playing for any greater good, but he does have his principles. As we have learned from other gangster films from the past, their are certain guidelines people must follow, otherwise someone dies. Johnny Caspar in the film is a gangster who believes in ethics which is why he refuses to kill Tom when his right hand man Eddie Dane (J.E. Freeman) is convinced he's a traitor.

The Coens have been known for their silent characters, like the biker in "Raising Arizona" or Gaer Grimsrud in "Fargo" or Anton Chigurh in "No Country for Old Men". Tom is different as those other characters were mostly seen as a villain, plus this time he's a main character. It's a big risk to make your main character not reveal his motives, but that's why the film works, if we knew what Tom was doing at the beginning, we would lose interest.

But also by not revealing what Tom's motives are, the Coens' are commenting at how we never really know what a person is thinking, or why they do the things that they do. Sometimes there is no reason other than the fact they feel compelled to do it. This brings about the idea that is left in many Coen movies which is human nature is too complex to fully understand why people do what they do.

There's a running gag in the film concerning Tom's hat, he talks of a dream where the wind comes and blows his hat off but he refuses to chase it as he puts it, "There's nothing more foolish than a man chasing his hat." Yet after the film there are many moments where Tom does lose his hat only to find it on his head again, and at the end we see him tighten it on his head. Perhaps figuring out what Tom's all about is about as foolish as chasing the man's hat.

I've said time and time again, that most modern gangster films have run their course, I don't think there is much more they can teach us about ourselves, "Miller's Crossing" is one of the few exceptions, it is probably my favorite gangster film. Perhaps I can relate to more of a Tom Reagan character than say a Michael Corleone or a Tony Soprano. Tom can represent who we are but not why we are who we are. It's a mystery where there isn't an answer to, which makes it all the more fascinating.

Initial Thoughts on The Coens

You can say what you want about the filmography of Joel and Ethan Coen. You may say they're pretentious show offs and their films have nothing to say. You may also say they are brilliant filmmakers with a unique eye for visuals and ear for dialogue. Despite what you feel about these sometimes misunderstood mad geniuses one thing's for sure, you can't say they are boring.

The Coen Brothers came on the scene in the mid-eighties when American independent cinema was coming into its own. While other leaders of the indie movement like Jim Jarmusch dealt with more minimalist and introspective work, the Coens would go the opposite direction and dazzle us with genre films that turned the genre on its head. Their first film "Blood Simple" showed they had talent to burn with inventive camera movements and a noirish plot that makes so little sense when you think about it but was made to look believable.

The Coens followed that up with what I think is their first masterpiece "Raising Arizona". This was the first in a long line of broad black comedies, with characters who look like they come right out of a comic book. Yet once we're at the edge of unbelievability, the Coens end the film on a sombre and ambiguous note. Name another filmmaker today who can do that with an outlandish comedy.

Later would come the great gangster film "Miller's Crossing", the Hollywood story "Barton Fink", and their first flop with the under appreciated "Hudsucker Proxy". Finally came acclaim from the mainstream with their most popular film "Fargo" which was a fine balance between black comedy, and violence.

I never thought a Coen film would ever win an Oscar for best Picture but I was proven wrong with their latest masterpiece "No Country for Old Men", and for fans who feared they might've given up their innovative voice for more prestige, their latest film "Burn After Reading" certainly put all that to rest.

I wanted to do the Coen Brothers as my first examination of a contemporary filmmaker to because I feel they are very often misunderstood and I truly believe they are the best American Filmmakers working today. After recently just re-viewing some of my favorite Coen films, I have no doubt of their brilliance, they are able to put poetry in film through their words and their visuals, and when the two meld together nothing stops them. Despite having the reputation of not taking their work seriously, the Coens are always working, and they have created some of the most daring and unique worlds in contemporary cinema.

Some Movies I've seen Recently

I haven't been going to the movie theatre as much as I would like to, but I've been making a bit of a comeback lately as I've been boning up for Oscar season (plus my town has been finally getting some decent movies) So here are a few films I've seen over the weeks.

Seven Pounds: A movie that gets away with emotional blackmail. Will Smith stars as a mysterious man who is out to help seven people for some reason that isn't really revealed until the end. I run hot and cold with Will Smith and I sometimes wish he would stop being so serious all the time, Rosario Dawson however is a breath of fresh air as one of the people Smith helps and who he falls in love with, I also wish there was more screen time for Barry Pepper and Woody Harrelson. The premise remained intriguing enough for me to give this a solid recommendation but beware the heavy handedness. 3 stars out of 4

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: A very good film of life and death with Brad Pitt playing the title character who grows younger as he gets older. I enjoyed many aspects of the film and it should win the Oscar for special effects and make-up. Being a mainstream film, it doesn't gloss over the idea of death, and at the end I actually had tears in my eyes. However Benjamin never becomes more than an observer and we never find out really what all his experiences teach him. 3.5 stars out of 4

Doubt: Although the play was a success, the filmed version of it falters too often. Writer-Director John Patrick Shanley doesn't seem that confident behind the camera which may be why this feels more like a filmed play. The acting has been taking front and center as the thing to see and while I was impressed with some heavy scenes it all felt underwheliming. Only Amy Adams seems to realize she's on the screen and not on stage. 2.5 stars out of 5

Gran Torino: The best of the bunch I saw, although imperfect, Clint Eastwood's return as star and director is a nice little meditation on racism, redemption, and the generational gap between old and young. It's very easy to look at a character like Eastwood's Walt and judge him right away, but Eastwood turns him into a human and someone worth looking up to. Although the acting by the unprofessional actors do tend to get annoying, and the whole depiction of gangs seem a tad too Hollywoodized, Eastwood never strays away from the simple story he tells, and proves that a young generation can learn a lot from the old. 3.5 stars out of 4

Jeremy and the Movies Best DVDs he bought in 2008

In lieu of my top ten films of 2008 (which will be a long time coming) I've decided to share with you some of the best movies I've added to my DVD collection this year. Some of the films were the first time I ever saw them, while others were early favorites that I just hadn't gotten around to buying. So here in a very random order are my favorite movies I've purchased this past year.Two-Lane Blacktop: After a high recommendation from Kim Morgan and because of my undying love for minimalist cinema and Dennis Wilson, I just had to see this film. Needless to say I was not disappointed. I've never been much of a fan of race car movies or road movies themselves for the most part. However director Monte Hellman makes this film into something more. The ending to this movie is one of the most satisfying yet ambiguous ones I've seen. I intend to revisit this film soon.

The Bicycle Thieves: This film has been on constant top ten lists along with "Citizen Kane" and "Rules of the Game", yet it has always eluded me. It seems like a cliche now to comment on this film's greatness, but the moving story between a father and son as they search for a stolen bike which represents their families lively hood never loses its impact, especially now as we again face harsh economic times.

The Furies: I have a strong affinity with westerns of all kinds, and I consider director Anthony Mann to be a master of the genre perhaps second only to John Ford. This was Criterion Collection's first in what I hope will be a series of Mann films. I'd never seen it before but with Mann directing and Barbara Stanwyck starring along with Walter Huston (in his final film) I couldn't pass it up. It stars a stubborn larger than life land baron (Huston) and a battle of wills with his equally passionate daughter (Stanwyck). It's classic Shakespearean melodrama set in the old west.

The Tin Star: Another Anthony Mann film this time a little less ambitious but entertaining none the less. Anthony Perkins stars as a young lawman who is in over his head with a sinful town. He turns to old pro Henry Fonda for some fatherly advice. The film shares a lot in common with classic westerns "Rio Bravo" and "High Noon" but has its own tone. I wouldn't call it a classic film, but for anyone who's a western aficionado like me it's a must see. Plus it's just fun to see a pre-"Psycho" Perkins playing a good guy along with good old Fonda.

Lubitsch Musicals: 2008 might just go down in my own personal history as the year I got to know Lubitsch. Oh sure I knew of him before, but this time I finally found out just why he was so special. My first steps started with this "Eclipse" series which specifies on overlooked films by famous directors. The Lubitsch Musicals may be my very favorite from this series that I own. Anyone who isn't charmed by these films should go to the nearest hospital and check their pulse.

Man of the West: What do you know? Another Anthony Mann western. This one is a clear inspiration of Shakespeare's "King Lear" told in a panoramic widescreen featuring Gary Cooper is one of his last great roles. Cooper plays a man who is escaping his criminal past only to run into his old gang again run by a maniacal father figure Lee J. Cobb. the film is full of so many great moments and psychological action, it's a must for any film fan.

Vampyr: Dreyer's complex and visually stunning film about a young man who finds himself taken to an unnatural world of horror. Although it's difficult to describe this film as a horror, it definitely contains aspects of the genre. The film is more of an exercise in style and doesn't really follow a linear storyline, but I found it fascinating nonetheless with some of the best examples of shadow and light. I have seen very little of Theodore Dreyer's work but I am intrigued to visit more of his films.

Jules and Jim: I gave up my cheaper version of this film for the much better criterion version. I love all my criterion films, but I think this is my favorite of the collection. Despite the fact that I think this is one of the greatest films ever made, it is full of great special features including various interviews with Francois Truffaut along with a booklet containing some criticisms of the film and a few of Truffaut's own words when he was a film critic. The whole package is a must for any Truffaut fan.

Ikiru: Kurosawa's modern tale of a man who finds out he's dying from stomach cancer and wanting to do something meaningful with his life before he dies is as life affirming as any film gets. This year was the first time I saw this film even though it was on my must-see list for a number of years. It's a comforting film and one of Kurosawa's best, I intend to revisit it more and more, I have a feeling my appreciation for it will only grow.

The Godfather Trilogy: I don't know how many times I've owned this trilogy of films which pretty much should be a fixture on any body's film collection. The first two are masterpieces while the third one can be now seen as somewhat under appreciated. While I think most mafia themed films are a little passe, you can't deny the power of this collection, plus they look better than ever, along with some extra added features for any fan of the films.

To Be or Not To Be: Lubitsch's great satire on the world of actors and Nazis. It trails a fine line between good and bad taste, but remember this is Lubitsch we're talking about and he always keeps things likable and charming even when the subject matter is this dark. All I remember of this film is I laughed really hard and I even when I couldn't think I could love Jack Benny or Carol Lombard even more than I do, I see this film.

The Hitchcock Premier Collection: October was the month of Hitchcock. Even though I loved the new special editions of "Rear Window", "Vertigo" and "Psycho", I was probably more impressed with this neat little box set containing some of Hitchcock's best regarded films ("Rebecca", "Notorious") to his better lesser known films ("Sabotage" "Young and Innocent"). I had not seen some of the films in this set which made me love it even more. This box set would not disappoint any fan of the master.


Other films that deserve special attention: Bresson's "Mouchette" is a wonderful film of a young girl who finds hardship at every turn. I had not seen a Bresson film before and this introduced me to a whole different world of film.

Welles' "Touch of Evil" for anyone who loves this film, the new special edition includes all three versions of the film including Welles' definitive director's cut.

And finally.....Eclipse Series "Silent Ozu" and "An Autumn Afternoon". Yasujiro Ozu is a filmmaking master and I'll never get tired telling everyone that. Whenever an Ozu film pops up I'll be there. "Silent Ozu" focuses on this early work of the 30s when he was reluctant to turn to sound. They include some classic family comedies including his most famous "I was Born But...". his final feature "An Autumn Afternoon" is a last testament to the great director as he re-examines the themes between an old widowed man who is forced to marry of his daughter. The film is more reflective and nostalgic of happier times than more of his earlier work. They are all sublime works by a master filmmaker.

January Director's Spotlight: The Coen Brothers

A new year, so I thought I'd shake things up a bit with my selection of director of the month. In this special case, the focus will land on Directing brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. I've always been fascinated by the Coen Brother's work, perhaps more than any other contemporary filmmaker. The Coens have been accused (mostly wrongly) of being nothing more than a couple of jesters who jerk the audience around. They have proven time and time again that they are original auteurs who can develop funny, complex, suspenseful, and whimsical stories, sometimes all in the same film. They bow to nobody and I hope you join me this month in a celebration of their work.