Summer Alternatives

Long time no update, blah blah blah, is there anything worse than a blogger apologizing?

Right then, as I look back on the list of movies I've watched recently I see there's a number of little gems that might go unnoticed next to the season's swath of blockbusters. So here is a short list of some of the smaller and dare I say smarter alternatives out there.

The Secret In Their Eyes

If it sounds familiar it's because The Secret won the best foreign feature at the Oscars. At the time I couldn't see how anyone would fail to pick The White Ribbon, but having seen Secret I understand the decision. (I don't agree, but I think I can see why.) The Secret In Their Eyes has a lot of things voters look for in an Oscar-Caliber movie. An epic love story. Dark themes. Restrained but effective acting. This is a movie about the dangers of desire. About being consumed by it or haunted. It has touches of film noir. It's also a very subtle look at the many lives of Argentina. And, as a murder mystery The Secret makes most Hollywood films feel like an episode of Law & Order.

Exit Through The Gift Shop

This is an extremely frustrating movie only because I greatly enjoyed it, but I'm afraid if I explain what makes it so satisfying I'll spoil it. So, I will only say this is much more than a movie about the street artist Banksy. This is movie about what happens when you invite the anarchists into the art gallery. It's quite consistent with Banksy's raison d'etre and one of the most provocative docs I've seen in years.

The Trotsky

This is a high school comedy that posits the question "Boredom or Apathy?" Which is why I love it. (Well they already had me at the Battleship Potempkin parody.) But for the rest of you let me say Jay Baruchel is all the reason you need to watch this film. Like Che Guevera crossed with Buster Keaton, Jay's conviction brings Leon Bronstein (aka Trotsky) to life. The Trotsky is as close as Canada has gotten to making a movie like Rushmore but director Jacob Tierney did it, by creating his own unique spin on the high-school hero genre.

Mid-August Lunch

From the co-writer of the searing Gomorra comes a zesty,

light-as-air comedy of mild-manners: Mid-August Lunch. During a holiday in Italy a good-natured mama's boy Gianni gets stuck watching his mother and a couple other ladies.

Watching the suave, calm and collected Gianni deal with these clucking, complaining women is a master class in coping, not to mention an excellent advert for powers of white wine. A gentle, affectionate comedy that brings to mind Big Night at moments, Mid-August Lunch doesn't oversell its story and knows sometimes a little is enough. (Written, directed and starring Gianni Di Gregorio who based it on his own real-life experiences with his Mama. Awwwwwww.)

Revisiting Up in the Air

There's no doubt Jason Reitman's Up in the Air is a contender for Oscar glory this year.

Sure it probably wont win best picture, but best adapted screenplay is a safe best.

And already the Great Recession love story has appeared on dozens of “best of” lists (mine included.)

But not everyone, it seems, agrees about what happens to the main character: the modern man in grey, Ryan Bingham as played by George Clooney.

***Fasten Your Seatbelts, plenty of SPOILERS below***

For me, one of the great pleasures of Up in the Air is how it grows from a slick and smarmy love story to a tragedy. In the beginning, George Clooney's character is the master of his domain. He's not only comfortable in the alien artificiality of an airport, he revels in it. Perhaps it’s because the cold comforts of air travel mirror his life.

But by the third act the frequent flyer has been cruelly grounded. He made the ultimate sacrifice, taking a direct flight to his lady love only to find himself stuck in the snow; the door quickly closed in his crumpling face.

To me, this is the point of no return.

Like a bubble boy stepping outside for the first time, the character Ryan has lost his ability to enjoy the freshly sanitized pleasures of air travel. When his boss tells him they're sending him back on the road indefinitely (“send us a postcard when you get there”) there's a weary look in Ryan's eyes.

And so here's the question: Near the end of the film, (George Clooney's character) Ryan arrives back at the airport. We see him staring up at the departure board; carry-on luggage at his side. There's a close-up of his face. His hair is less than perfect. His eyes are wide. And he lets go. Lets go of his perfect-traveller’s suitcase as he stares up at the sea of destinations.

What is he thinking? For me, there's a sense of resignation there.

He doesn't want to be there. Having felt some real warmth in his life, going back In The Air is the last place Ryan wants to be.

Yet he does – which is the beauty of the film. And then there's the final line:

"Tonight, millions of people will come home to screaming children, barking dogs. Their spouses will hug them and ask them how their day was. The stars will wheel forth from their daytime hiding places; and one of those lights, slightly brighter than the rest, will be my wingtip passing over".

Now to me, those are the words of a man in exile. Sure it's artful but there's a sense of sadness there. Of course, not everyone sees it that way.

A friend of mine had a very different interpretation of that moment in the airport. When Ryan is looking at the departure sign, my friend felt he was happy. Ryan was returning to a place where he felt safe. After giving a real relationship a try and getting burned, he's running back to his refuge in the sky.

And there’s one more interpretation to stoke those fires. Another friend believes Ryan is looking at the departure board and planning to use all of his remaining frequent flyer miles (he should still have about 9 million or so) to plan his very own trip around the world.

Of course I believe it's option A. Sure the final shot is a heaven of sorts… with it beautiful sun-kissed clouds. But again, it's a false paradise. Outside, the air is freezing and the wind howls.

What do you think?

*UPDATE*

Watch this deleted bonus scene from the DVD.

More fuel for the fire!

You Should See

I'm waiting for a study that shows the impact that twitter has on blogging. Needless to say things have been sparse at GOF central. But there's a bounty of beautiful, moving films out there for those who want them. Here's a rundown of some fine films in theatres.

* * *

A Christmas Carol: Jim Carrey is great as Scrooge and the animation is amazing. A surprising faithful and dark morality tale updated with spine-tingling visuals. A little overboard in the thrill-ride department, but worth it for the dose of Dickens.

A Serious Man: See it now so you wont be surprised when it cleans up at the Oscars. The Coen Brothers best film in years. A return to the absurdity of Barton Fink. A movie that takes no prisoners.

An Education: It's hard not to watch Carey Mulligan and not think of Audrey Hepburn. She has the grace and maturity of woman beyond her years. A great little time capsule of Britain before the Beatles.

The Damned United: Michael Sheen scores again as Britain's much loved footie coach Brian Clough. Script by Peter Morgan who gaves us The Queen and has another winner here. Don't be put off if you're not a soccer fan, this is more about buddies than sports. Clough is a classic character, brilliant, cocky and fatally flawed.

Good Hair: Chris Rock brings us a surprisingly honest conversation about being Black in America and it all starts with hair. Plus, why is Ice-T so funny?

Enjoy!

(Not recommended would include Amelia & The Men Who Stare at Goats.)

Show of Shows (Oscar Reactions)

Now that's how you do a show people!

Could it be the best Oscars ever? Certainly in my memory.

Started off slow, took a bit to warm up to Hugh Jackman and the musical number had me worried at the beginning, but I came around with the “how come comic book movies never get nominated?" number. A funny tacky mess, hard to hate.

(Anne Hathaway kissing Jackman but playing Nixon with the cheek jowl shake...great)

The producers of the show did what they promised. It had the nightclub feel. They used the legacy of awards as a strength. Calling on old winners to handout awards. Even the fact that the front row was closer to the stage meant you had a more intimate experience. If you’re like me and you watched it in HD, you could see the stars in the front rows reacting to the show on stage, tearing up as they were introduced.

The concept of having Oscar winners handing out awards was brilliant. Nice to see the star power on stage, and it made the proceedings feel more personal. When the former winners introduced the nominees it felt as if they were speaking from the heart, from actor to actor. Also interesting to see who spoke to who. Christoper Walken introducing Michael Shannon…one intense actor to an other.

The idea of illustrating the film process was a good one but they didn’t all gell.
Screenwriting was great, made the point and was funny with Steve Martin and Tina Fey. Some others like Set Design or Editing were flat…but it’s hard to be perfect.

Was the show perfect? No, still there’s a noticeable dip in the energy level around the one hour mark. Small awards like short documentary feature and animated short don’t help either.

But again, although the show was quite theatrical it was the strength of film that came shining through. This was film on film. Using clips of movies to illustrate clips from other movies. Call them meta-montages. Documentaries on documentaries. In most cases the montages worked…and were fun to watch. Also in the montages of 2008 weren’t elitist. Rambo and Mummy 3 and Indiana Jones 4 and more.

BEST MOMENTS

• Phililippe Petit racing down for the “Man on Wire” best doc award and his “believe in magic line”.
• Ben Stiller’s Joaquin Phoenix spoof.
• The short animated film winner Kunio Kato “Sank You Academy” “Dōmo arigatō, Mr. Roboto"
• Danny Boyle’s “Tigger” happy hop. He looked like a mad professor and seemed so happy for everyone the entire evening. Great last line about Mumbai “You dwarf even this guy”
  

BIGGEST MISS/MESS?
The “musicals are back” number with Beyonce and Hugh…sounded like my ipod having a seizure. That was a bridge too far for Hugh. And if musicals are back then why did a bunch of decades-old classics make up most of the songs?

But Still...
All in all, from the homemade musical to the Judd Apatow/Seth Rogan skit …there was a refreshing feel of relevance about the Oscars.
It was about celebrating the best..but also celebrating film in all it's tacky buttery popcorn glory. This was not a snob story. It was a night to have a party about movies, and get people watching them.

Oscars Picks - Or if you think I'm finding hyperlinks for all thoses movies you're crazy

POST OSCARS UPDATE:
19 out of 24 Right!
Wall-E and Viola Davis led me wrong. Should have listened to my own advice and stuck with Slumdog. Still, happy I listened to logic and stuck with Sean Penn. Hope you did good with your Oscar Pool.


Without Further Ado:

Best Picture
Will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Should win: Milk
More artful, more meaning, no dance number, but those crowd scenes...that death scene...fine stuff.

Best Director
Will win: Danny Slumdog Boyle
Should win: Christopher Nolan....oh wait that's right....grumble mutter...
Ah Gus Van Sant.

Best Actor
Will win: Sean Penn
Should win: Sean Penn (see previous comment)

Best Actress
Kate Winslet:
Should win: Anne Hathaway.
Except for Melissa Leo the rest don't much for me in this category, but I loved Rachel Getting Married so much. I don't think Anne was the best actress in it, but she's the one that's nominated...

Best Supporting Actor
Will Win: Heath Ledger
Should win: Do we really need to discuss this?

Best Supporting Actress
Will win: Viola Davis in an upset.
Should win: Wow this is a tight one. Amy Adams was great in Doubt. More mannered than Meryl Streep I think. Viola Davis was also amazing, in a can't take your eyes off her performance. Heck I liked Taraji in Benjamin Button. But in the end...this one I give to Marisa Tomei. What a brave performance. Put as much on the line as Rourke I'd say.

Best Art Direction
Will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Should win: Duh...The Dark Knight. Come on, tell me that film wasn't perfectly realized? Although B.Button was awfully pretty.

Best Doc Feature
Should win: Man On Wire
Will win: Man on Wire. That movie is almost life changing.

Best Doc Short
Will win: Smile Pinki
Should win: Smile Pinki, for the name alone! (Okay I'm guessing)

Best Animated Feature
Will win: Wall-E
Should win: Wall-E. A walk in the park for the robot who has a soul. Although to my surprise not everyone in the animation community agrees.

Best Film Editing
Will win: Slumdog Millionaire (snowball effect methinks...)
Should win: The Dark Knight (let my geek flag fly)

Best Original Score
Will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Should win: Slumdog Millionaire (A R Rahman did a fantastic job. Could have an effect on future scores.)

Best Cinematography
Will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Should win: The Dark Knight (i see a trend)

Best Sound Mixing
Will win: Wall-E
Should win: Wall-E . This movie is wall to wall sound created by a Hollywood legend, same guy that invented the sound of lightsabers. And he's the voice of Wall-E too. (Ben Burtt)

Best Sound Editing
Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire
Should Win: Okay, let's be a honest, I don't have a strong opinion about who did the best sound editing job. But again, snowball effect for this one me thinks.

Best Costume Design
Will win: The Duchess
Should win: The Duchess. Don't mess with the big dresses folks. And they were huge in this one. Although there should be a separate award for hair.

Best Makeup
Will win: The Dark Knight
Should win: As amazing as the Joker was....Hellboy 2 had some amazing creatures, really pushing the whole field forward. Three words: Angel of Death.

Best Short Film - Animated
Will win: Presto
Should win: I haven't seen the rest but Presto's a hoot. Classic stuff.

Best Short Film - Live Action
Will win: The Pig
Should win: Haven't the foggiest.

Best Original Screenplay
Will win: Wall-E
Should win: I want to say In Bruges just because of the originality of the material. But Wall-E deserves and will win because this is the robot's "we-couldn't-nominate-you-for-best-picture" consolation prize.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Should win: Slumdog Millionaire . It is a very well constructed film, especially considering the source material.

Best Visual Effects
Will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Should win: Benjamin Button. Even though the Dark Knight is in this category, I did quite like Button and it wouldn't have worked unless the effects weren't flawless.

Best Foreign Language Film
Will win: Waltz with Bashir
Should win: Same, Bashir all the way. Go see this, either to rethink how to approach documentaries, or rethink the Middle East conflict.

Best Original Song
Will win: Jai Ho.
Should win: Come on, how can you not pick the Bollywood number. Jai Ho! Jai Ho! Peter Gabriel's song is nice but it can't compete.

Oscar Crib Notes

(pretty poster by Saul Bass)

I'll be on CBC Radio's The World This Weekend this Saturday talking about all things Oscars.Here's a couple things rattling around in my brain as i prepare.




-->The Slumdog Secret?
Inspired by an interview with director Danny Boyle but it feels true.
Slumdog Millionaire is a movie that starts with money, but ends with love. Could that be why it's the movie of the moment as we slip into the Great Recession?

-->Rourke vs Penn.
Oy this is a hard category to call. The actors (SAG) gave the trophy to Penn. So common sense dictates that large voting block will do it again, thereby giving Penn, the Oscar for best Actor.
But...Rourke is the the man of the moment. It feels like the room WANTS Rourke to win as another blogger has said. My brain says Penn, but my heart says Rourke. If I was betting, I'd bet Rourke.

(But if you ask me who is the better actor, movie to movie, I'd say Penn. Mickey Rourke is amazing in the Wrestler but it feels like his own life story is doing the heavy lifting. If Rourke didn't have such an amazing real-life arc, would the role still work? Meanwhile, Penn undeniably loses himself in the world of Harvey Milk. He is Milk. There is no Penn on that screen. Randy the Ram is a great character, but the Oscar should go to director Aronofsky for casting Mickey in the first place.)

-->Best Actress.
Could the Kate Winslet backlash be in effect? The Reader haters are coming out into the light. Hmm every show needs an upset...wouldn't it be nice if it was her?

-->Slumdog Backlash?
Well, yes and no. There is a backlash , a sizable one at this point. But enough to derail the Slumdog Oscar train? No way.

-->The Show
Should be a fun year to watch. Producers are promising to mix things up. As a recent convert to the Golden Globes broadcast, I'm hoping for a looser show with some zest. And I can't wait to see Wolvie dance.

Can You Say Slumdog Backlash?

Listen.

It's coming.

Rumbling in the background.

The backlash has officially begun.

Don't believe me? Read this.

"Slumdog child stars miss out on the movie millions "

Thought provoking article and will certainly fuel the flames of resentment against the presumed Best Picture winner.

...but it'll still win.

Slumdog's Lucky Run (new podcast)

Just look at all of them there, accepting their Golden Globes. How can the Oscar voters resist them?

Just a quick note to say there's a nice summary of Slumdog Millionaire's string of luck and some behind the scenes tidbits on the weekly podcast.  

As always you can find the podcast at cbc.ca/podcasting, look for Glasner on Film and my goofy face.  Or you can go straight to iTunes by clicking here.  Check it out and subscribe if you want to come back more.

Yay/Boo on the Oscar Nominations

Sooo the Oscars nominations are out.

In case you missed me yammering on CBC Newsworld or Radio I thought I'd run down the list with some short reactions.

• Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Amy Adams in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (The Weinstein Company)Viola Davis in "Doubt" (Miramax)

Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

REACTION: Yay! Penelope was great in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Viola Davis has a shattering performance in Doubt. Same for Marisa. My only complaint is it would have been nice to see Rosemarie DeWitt from Rachel Getting Married.

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Josh Brolin in "Milk" (Focus Features)
Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)
Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Reaction: Yay and what? Robert Downey getting nominated for Kirk Lazarus, the Aussie who  assumes an African American identity is quite the surprise. True he owned the role.
I don't know how Philip Seymour Hoffman merits a supporting nomination...seems like a lead role to me....

Heath Ledger yes great...but think, if Heath was alive, do you think he'd be a lock for this award? I wouldn't bet on it.

Also big YAY for Michael Shannon who I've written about before.

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Angelina Jolie in "Changeling" (Universal)
Melissa Leo in "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Meryl Streep in "Doubt" (Miramax)
Kate Winslet in "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)

REACTION: BOOOO! Angelina Jolie? Really? Really? No Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky? are you insane? How Happy-Go-Lucky is nominated for a screenplay award but passed over for actress..is beyond me. Mike Leigh is a great director, but I don't think he follows a script too closely. Sigh.

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" (Overture Films)
Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
Sean Penn in "Milk" (Focus Features)
Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)

REACTION: Yay. Hard to complain. Of course Richard Jenkins is the shocker for The Visitor. Amazing flick. Small, smart and tough. The best in this category? Mickey. Can he unseat Sean Penn? I think so, but it's a tough one to call. Penn may be prickly but a lot of people feel quite strongly about this film.

Achievement in directing

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Fincher
"Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Ron Howard
"Milk" (Focus Features) Gus Van Sant
"The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Stephen Daldry
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Danny Boyle

REACTION: BOO BOOO BOOOO! No Chris Nolan? No Dark Knight? Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon?. Yes there was some great acting but the directing was flat, it was like watching a TV special. Bleech.

Best motion picture of the year

"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

"Frost/Nixon"

"Milk"

"The Reader"

"Slumdog Millionaire"

REACTION: Again, Booooooooo! Dark Knight easily beats Frost/Nixon or The Reader in my book. Best combination of popular support and artistry in a long time. Just think of what the Academy Awards would have been like with a showdown between Slumdog and Batman...

Good luck with that show Hugh Jackman.

Mumbai Mo(mentum) - Post Golden Globe Thoughts

Well if things stay as predicted I think Slumdog Millionaire could become the movie to beat this year at the Oscars.
After racking up four Golden Globes tonight it certainly has momentum (as the politicos say.)

In much the same way Crash seemed a safe choice the year it won, Slumdog could win as the more sombre/serious films split the vote.

Lets say Milk, Frost/Nixon and Revolutionary Road are in the running for best pic. Then add Dark Night and Slumdog. Dark Knight is great film, but will enough people vote for something with a cape?

Slumdog is the safer choice. A great story, a great behind the scenes narrative (little film that could, this year's LIttle Miss Sunshine...yadayada) It has some serious content, doesn't pull it's punches (blinded kiddies!) but at the same time in many ways it's the kind of classic, old-fashioned epic the industry likes to believe it still makes. And of course, it ends with a dance number...bonus points there. So just like when votes were split between Capote and Brokeback Mountain and Crash came up the middle...I can see Slumdog benefiting in a similar situation.

And don't mistake my tone, I'm not complaining...just idle musing. Slumdog Millionaire is a great fun film. I wouldn't put it in my top ten, but maybe number 11. Fact is, with the Dark Knight in one corner, Slumdog in the other...this could be a very interesting Oscars.

Oh, and Mickey Rourke winning....how great was that? Although I'll admit I was a little terrified when he took the stage.

Clint Sings!

The Horror, the Horror.

Go here...to hear Clint Eastwood warble his way through the song, yes the song...Gran Torino.

(scroll down to the bottom and click on "Gran Torino")

The song is featured in the closing credits of the same film and could actually be in the Oscar show...

The Oscars Just Got Interesting

Well then.

Now it's a party.
The Directors Guild of America just released their Directorial Achievement nominees for 2008.
The DGA picks are a strong indicator of the which way the Academy will lean.
Up until now the conventional wisdom has had four spots locked in:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Slumdog Millionaire
Frost/Nixon
Milk

The question was who gets the fifth? Revolutionary Road, The Reader, The Wrestler, The Crazy Old Man Clint Movie?

Well like the Frank Miller hero above, Batman has swooped in to give the art films a run for their money. The DGA picked the four above and The Dark Knight.

Why Batman?

Well it's great. But besides that, the Academy voters, they like popular movies. Movies people see. (Remember best picture of the year The Gladiator?) Batman means big box office, it also means more viewers for the Oscar show.

Myself I'm happy to see Bats in the running. I think it's a great mix of low brow and high brow art. And if it makes it in as Best Picture nominee for the Oscars, it will make for a heck of a show.

Carpetbagger on Bongos (Oscar talk)

Quick mention to say the Carpetbagger is the kinda critic I want to grow up to be like...minus the coke habit.

Posting vlogs on the oscar race from his basement, the delivery like some strange combination of Varietymagazine and beat poetry...

Love it.

Spoiling Milk

So i saw MILK, the movie about gay activist Harvey Milk today.
It’s an amazing film, total Oscar bait, a powerful political story lead by Sean Penn who must be one of the finest actors in his generation.

I had some reservations about having a well known straight actor take on such a flamboyant role, but he goes at it with gusto. Like any good movie about politics Milk sucks you in, into Milk’s cause, into his world, his fight. It isn’t just a “gay story” but a universal fight for rights, a David vs Goliath situation told artfully by Gus Van Sant.

But again i noticed two cliches done right. First movie cliché is the narration.
Many a movie has been ruined by too much narration, holding the audience’s hand all along the way.

Here Milk starts with Harvey sitting a table in 1975 speaking into a cassette player.
He’s recording a tape to played in the event of his death. A nice screenwriters trick to help set up the story? Sure. But it's a plausible one because as Milk explains he's in a dangerous fight. Gay rights weren't taken for granted back then. Even in San Fransisco Milk was angering the establishment. The taped speech works as a linking device. It sets the stakes and gives Milk way to explain just what they were fighting for, while also reminding us he’s living on borrow time.

Speaking of borrowed time, the second cliché, done right, is the death scene.

(Spoiler)

We know from the opening frame Milk will be murdered. Near the end of the movie it becomes clear who will do it.

But the act, the final confrontation is done with about as much poetry and grace such a heinous act can handle. I wont go into specifics, but (again spoiler) after the shot we see a beautiful tableau.
A side profile of Harvey Milk. Frozen for a moment.
Then he falls, against a window looking outside the City Hall.
Across the street he sees the posters for the opera Tosca.
Milk a long time opera fan just took in his first performance.
With the reflection of the Tosca's tragic hero in his eyes, Milks takes his bow.

My description does damage to the moment on film, but it’s a beaut.