Good show

So, Martin Scorsese and Helen Mirren finally win and it's now officially easier to win an Oscar if you were on American Idol than it is if you were on Saturday Night Live.

I don't have a whole lot to say, I sort of caught the show in bits and pieces between working on a couple of show photo galleries for work. I did catch Ellen's opening monologue and the presentations for most of the major awards. Any time an interpretive dance number started I immediately went back to work (is the show's producer Laura Ziskin responsible for that dumb decision?).

No major complaints on the winners. I was 15 out of 21 with my predictions (missing supporting actor, animated film, foreign language film, cinematography, costume design and original score) and none of the predicted winners really bothered me, nor do any of my non-predicted winners.

Pan's Labyrinth's loss to The Lives of Others for foreign film is ok considering Pan's won three awards overall and this gives some attention to the worthy German film. And although I wish I had stuck with my gut and predicted Happy Feet for its eventual animated film win I'm much happier predicting it wouldn't win only to see it win rather than vice versa.

I liked Jennifer Hudson's emotional speech the best but Helen Mirren and Martin Scorsese (and his longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker) also chose their words wisely.

Al Gore and Melissa Etheridge were in a league of their own, reminding viewers of something considerably more meaningful than a silly awards show. To paraphrase both: they weren't making political statements, they were making moral statements.

Ellen seemed to do a nice job, the original song performances didn't sound too dull and there were classy presentations for several categories (the models for costume design; the screenplay excerpts; etc.).

And, in a nice change of pace from last year, this time the best picture actually won. I can't ask for much more than that.

Oscar predictions 2007

I feel a little tapped out on Oscar writing after this piece, which includes predictions on who/what will win and thoughts on who/what I think should win in the categories of Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography and Foreign Language Film. I tried to be fair to a variety of viewpoints in what "should" have been nominated for Best Picture, otherwise the commentary represents how I feel.

But anyway here's a quick rundown of all the categories (except the short films):

Best Picture
Babel; The Departed; Letters From Iwo Jima; Little Miss Sunshine; The Queen

It really is a wide open race this year. But Sunshine seems too small, too minor to be widely considered a "Best Picture." Letters From Iwo Jima simply hasn't made enough money. Babel hasn't made much more than Iwo Jima. The Queen is a darkhorse but a victory would still seem like an upset. The Departed is the only choice that really makes sense. But without a frontrunner it's logical to believe that the votes will be spread out among all five contenders and the winner could have less total votes than any other Best Picture in years.

Best Actor
Leonardo DiCaprio; Ryan Gosling; Peter O'Toole; Will Smith; Forest Whitaker

I think respect for Whitaker's performance among the people who vote on these things has only increased with each award he's won. He's never exactly felt like the sure thing he's turned out to be every step of the way, and that's prevented any feeling that he peaked too soon.

Best Actress
Penélope Cruz; Judi Dench; Helen Mirren; Meryl Streep; Kate Winslet

Mirren has never won an Oscar and she's only been nominated twice before. So even if it feels like she's always winning awards this has been a long time coming. And it's well deserved.

Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin; Jackie Earle Haley; Djimon Hounsou; Eddie Murphy; Mark Wahlberg

A real toss-up, even though it shouldn't be. Murphy is the true standout. Is it really possible voters won't take him seriously to such a degree they'd consider voting for Mark Wahlberg?? Arkin seems the likely victor in case of a Murphy loss. Haley and Hounsou, the two actors besides Murphy to actually have roles of substance in their films, seem to be out of the running.

Best Supporting Actress
Adriana Barraza; Cate Blanchett; Abigail Breslin; Jennifer Hudson; Rinko Kikuchi

Still Hudson's to lose. But if enough voters don't like the thought of a reality show contestant winning an Oscar (for a role where she sings more than she acts, the nerve!!) maybe Barraza will pull an upset. Thankfully she'll probably lose a lot of votes to her co-star. The real question: will we ever see any of the nominees not named Cate Blanchett in an award worthy role again?

Best Director
Clint Eastwood; Stephen Frears; Paul Greengrass; Alejandro González Iñárritu; Martin Scorsese

Scorsese. Yes, it will finally happen. Winning is about timing and luck more than talent, but it's nice to know he's also the most worthy of this group.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Borat; Children of Men; The Departed; Little Children; Notes On a Scandal

It's not even a fair fight for The Departed here.

Best Original Screenplay
Babel; Letters From Iwo Jima; Little Miss Sunshine; Pan's Labyrinth; The Queen

Little Miss Sunshine. This should be more competitive than it probably will be.

Best Animated Film
Cars; Happy Feet; Monster House

Do I go with my head or my heart? Since Oscar voters aren't known for valuing quality above all else I'll say Cars, the least worthy of the nominees, with its Pixar cred. But I hope I'm wrong.

Best Documentary
Deliver Us From Evil; An Inconvenient Truth; Iraq in Fragments; Jesus Camp; My Country, My Country

An Inconvenient Truth losing would be one of the biggest upsets possible.

Best Foreign Language Film
After the Wedding (Denmark); Days of Glory (Algeria); The Lives of Others (Germany); Pan's Labyrinth (Mexico); Water (Canada)

As great as The Lives of Others is, I really hope Pan's Labyrinth isn't snubbed here.

Best Original Song
"I Need to Wake Up" (An Inconvenient Truth); "Listen" (Dreamgirls); "Love You I Do" (Dreamgirls); "Our Town" (Cars); "Patience" (Dreamgirls)

The trio of Dreamgirls performances should be fun to watch, but even though Listen is critical to the movie's creative success there is stiff competition from I Need to Wake Up, and that one isn't competing with two other songs from the same movie.

Best Art Direction
Dreamgirls; The Good Shepherd; Pan's Labyrinth; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest; The Prestige

The imagination of Pan's Labyrinth should pay off.

Best Cinematography
The Black Dahlia; Children of Men; The Illusionist; Pan's Labyrinth; The Prestige

Boy, is it still hard to swallow The Black Dahlia as an Oscar nominee, no matter what illustrious credits the cinematographer has in his distant past. Luckily Children of Men should have no trouble taking this home.

Best Costume Design
Curse of the Golden Flower; The Devil Wears Prada; Dreamgirls; Marie Antoinette; The Queen

Marie Antoinette is lavish and Prada's contemporary clothes help drive the "plot" but Dreamgirls has the style and the substance.

Best Editing
Babel; Blood Diamond; Children of Men; The Departed; United 93

Babel is this year's Crash, which won the category last year. And United 93 is pretty showy in editing as well. But The Departed should win, especially if it's on its way to Best Picture.

Best Original Score
Babel; The Good German; Notes On a Scandal; Pan's Labyrinth; The Queen

Having not seen The Good German yet (or heard its score) I'm not quite sure what I'm missing. Babel and The Queen would seem to have a leg up as Best Picture nominees but I'll stand by the haunting music of Pan's Labyrinth.

Best Visual Effects
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest; Poseidon; Superman Returns

Pirates of the Caribbean. The year's biggest movie wins an Oscar.

Best Makeup
Apocalypto; Click; Pan's Labyrinth

Pan's Labyrinth. The year's best movie shouldn't have any trouble winning this Oscar.

Best Sound
Apocalypto; Blood Diamond; Dreamgirls; Flags of Our Fathers; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Dreamgirls

Best Sound Editing
Apocalypto; Blood Diamond; Flags of Our Fathers; Letters From Iwo Jima; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Letters From Iwo Jima

If you're keeping track, that's four for The Departed, Dreamgirls and Pan's Labyrinth. Two for An Inconvenient Truth. And no more than one for anything else.

Good girl, bad girl

Two new reviews this week, both limited releases from 2006 expanding a bit: The Dead Girl, a runner-up to my top ten, and the execrable Factory Girl.

Top Ten Films of 2006

Since it's already February it's about time to finally get to this...a look back at 2006. I've had this list in mind since the end of the year but real life has a way of interfering with blogging.

One positive about the delay: it should be easier to find some of the films on this list in nationwide release now (and a few have hit, or are about to hit, DVD). 2006 was not always a great year for moviegoing but a rush of last minute high quality product helped change that. Unfortunately a lot of those titles did not immediately turn up in theaters across the country. Some are still waiting on a wider release.

But whether a film plays on 4 screens or 4000, for one week or six months, I'll take quality anywhere I can find it.

Honorable mentions:

Alfonso Cuarón’s expertly crafted sci-fi think piece Children of Men

The latest successful change of pace for Marc Forster, Stranger Than Fiction, a character-driven comedy with a strong cast led by Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson

Oliver Stone’s World Trade Center and Paul Greengrass’ United 93, two films that struck the perfect tone and style to tell their specific stories of September 11 and will hopefully embolden other talented filmmakers to contribute to the cinematic historical record

Spike Lee’s first true genre film, Inside Man, which is also the latest of his rewarding collaborations with Denzel Washington

I also have high regard for: a pair of action movies done right—Casino Royale and Mission: Impossible III; The Dead Girl, which has the feel of five fascinating short stories captured on film; the refreshing romantic comedy The Holiday; crude but funny TV refugee Borat; two thematically provocative examinations of real women, one—The Queen—universally praised and the other—The Notorious Bettie Page—unjustly overlooked; and The Good Shepherd, an ambitious spy saga that evolves into moving personal drama.

In addition, I’d like to note the more modest achievements of Akeelah and the Bee, Shortbus, Shut Up and Sing, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Little Miss Sunshine, Wordplay and Friends with Money among others. Also worth a special mention: David Lynch’s unclassifiable Inland Empire, destined to alienate many more viewers than it will ever captivate. Just consider yourself lucky if you fall under its strange spell.

The Top Ten:

• 10. Half Nelson

American narrative indies took a backseat to documentary and foreign films in 2006 but this specific slice of life from the team of Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, made with equal parts energy and emotion, kept the scene alive and relevant. Ryan Gosling’s stunning performance underlines the promise of a significant career in the making.


• 9. Dave Chappelle’s Block Party

The year’s most joyful movie combines documentary, music and comedy in a unique achievement from director Michel Gondry. Everything, and everyone, is cause for celebration as comedian Dave Chappelle organizes a kickass block party where one hip-hop/neo-soul superstar takes the stage after another, and sometimes together.


• 8. Little Children

A smart, challenging movie specifically for adults at a time when American filmmakers seem deathly afraid of sexuality. No matter, since few would be able to navigate such complicated grown-up terrain as deftly as Todd Field does here. Kate Winslet is perfection as a suburban mother at an intellectual remove from responsibility.


• 7. Flags of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima

Clint Eastwood’s dual World War II stories don’t demand to be seen together but they so brilliantly enrich each other that it’s a shame to consider them separately. Narratively distinct but stylistically of a piece, the films share a thematic concern with the emotional, psychological and spiritual tolls of war. Philosophically provocative works from a filmmaker who continues to surprise.


• 6. Volver

Since he’s delivered his fourth great film in a row it would be easy to take Pedro Almodóvar for granted, but why would you want to? His latest indispensable masterwork overflows with trademark humor and passion. A movie screen hardly seems big enough to contain Penélope Cruz, who happily thrusts herself into the role of a lifetime.


• 5. The Lives of Others

All of the qualities of a rich, textured novel are present in Florian Henckle von Donnersmarck’s remarkable debut feature. A fascinating look inside East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall centered around an intimate character drama, the film is equally successful as gripping melodrama and history lesson. Ulrich Mühe’s Stasi officer was one of the year’s most memorable screen characters.


• 4. Happy Feet

First and foremost the year’s grandest visual achievement, it’s a family-friendly action/musical/comedy extravaganza. But it doesn’t stop there. Director George Miller skillfully pushes the limits of what’s “allowed” in English-language animation and comes up with a final product that appeals to the eyes, the heart, the mind and, oh yes, the feet.


• 3. Dreamgirls

Bill Condon’s dazzling showbiz saga remains unabashedly entertaining while living up to a daunting cinematic heritage. It’s exceptional filmmaking, both old fashioned and contemporary. Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy set the bar for a flawless ensemble—how refreshing it is to see performers who can really sing, in a musical.


• 2. The Departed

If only every remake used its source material as a sturdy foundation to support deeper emotions, a grander scale, richer roles for an enviable ensemble (including playful Jack Nicholson, breakout Vera Farmiga and career-best Leonardo DiCaprio) and a thoroughly authentic new setting. Hollywood would be a better place. Of course the same would be true if Martin Scorsese simply directed a film a year.


• 1. Pan’s Labyrinth

Guillermo del Toro's masterpiece explores and embodies the power of imagination. Set in the past, but relevant to the present, it ultimately feels timeless in the way it merges a simple, but lovingly detailed, fantasy world with the all too real horrors of war and fascism. Expert craftsmanship, compelling performances—including Sergi López as evil personified—and lyrical storytelling mark this singular creation. It's the year's most beautiful film, and also the best.

The weekend's #1 movie

is The Messengers, which I saw and reviewed on opening day. There's nothing notable about it.