Tag Archives: Oscar

“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Nominated for Best Visual Effects

I chose the opportunity of the 84th Academy Awards to really get my review site up and running. The reality is that the awards ceremony is this upcoming Sunday and with plenty of movies still waiting to be watched, this year, unfortunately, I will not reach my deadline but will continue to review all of the nominated films until I complete them.

It will still be a chance to get out and see some of the best films of the past year, although I do tend to take the nominations with a grain of salt. This year, there were some contenders that shocked and befuddled my inner critic. Included in that roster was Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Albeit, it was nominated for visual effects, but I still could not find an ounce of reason for praise of this film – until I took the time to watch it. What was a seemingly strange sci-fi turned into a poignant commentary on the human condition and the treatment of those who appear to be less intelligent, whether it be apes or the elderly.

The ‘Evolution’ of a Franchise

★★★★☆

Director Rupert Wyatt’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a visually intriguing film that serves as an introduction to the Planet of the Apes franchise popularized in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.

The film presents the human side of science fiction in the character of Will Rodman (James Franco) and his Alzheimer’s-ridden father, Charles (John Lithgow). Rodman takes in Caesar (Andy Serkis), a baby chimpanzee whose mother has been euthanized due to a seemingly botched anti-Alzheimer’s drug.

As Caesar grows in the care of Rodman, it is undeniable that his intelligence level (thanks to the ALZ-112 drug passed from his mother) is far superior to other apes. After a rescue attempt goes awry in the suburbs, Caesar is forced into a primate shelter where he is mistreated. Caesar slowly plans to free himself and the other prisoners, unbeknownst to Rodman.

Watching the baby (and digitized) chimp grow in a family home becomes an emotional agent that makes Ceasar’s incarceration and eventual rejection of Rodman the more moving.

The film features Peter Jackson’s WETA Digital effects to create the lifelike appearance of the primates, from chimpanzees to gorillas to orangutans. Rise of the Planet of the Apes involved the motion capture technique, allowing for on-location shooting.

Playing Ceasar is English actor Andy Serkis who is well-versed in WETA Digital effects thanks to his portrayals of Gollum (Lord of the Rings trilogy), King Kong (King Kong, 2005) and Captain Haddock in the also-nominated The Adventures of Tin-Tin. Not surprisingly, Serkis has been nominated for many awards in his portrayal of the lead chimp, including Best Supporting Actor at the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, the San Diego Film Critics Society awards and the Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards. Serkis won the Favourite Hero award in his portrayal of Caesar at the IGN Summer Movie Awards.

The film took advantage of their reboot and created a realistic portrayal of how these simians became so smart in the first place. As one who formerly tended to stray from the nonsensical Planet of the Apes franchise, I was quite enthralled by the relationship developed between the primates and humans from the love Rodman gave Caesar to the harsh treatment by his captors.

Certainly a film not to be judged by its campy predecessors, Rise of the Planet of the Apes paves the way for a new franchise with a touching and entertaining back story.

*Image courtesy of http://cdn.screenrant.com
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“A Cat in Paris” Nominated for Best Animated Feature

After making the harrowing list of all 60 Oscar-nominated films I was to watch, I naturally found them and proceeded to watch. It wasn’t until after the fact that I would even venture a guess as to which category the film had been nominated. That being said, I will admit that I was a bit surprised to see A Cat in Paris nominated in the Best Animated Feature category. It doesn’t have your typical “Best Animated Feature” stereotypes like a Disney/Pixar/Dreamworks logo attached or English dialogue, but its status as the underdog almost makes me want to root for it just a little bit more. Anyway, here’s my review of A Cat in Paris.

“Ce n’est pas facile d’être un gangster”

★★★★☆

With the plot of a crime drama, the allure of the City of Lights and pointedly sleek animations, A Cat in Paris by directors Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol is garnering a lot of attention from the critics.

Clocking in at seventy minutes, the film follows Dino, a house cat to Jeanne and her daughter Zoe by day and cat burglar Nico’s assistant by night. As Dino’s two lives cross, Jeanne must begin to trust Nico in order to save young Zoe from the mobster Costa.

Drawn with the feel of a French art deco painting, A Cat in Paris is a true animated interpretation of the ultimate crime thriller. The music was unexpectedly sharp and fitting for the genre; a little bit of Parisian Hitchcock, if you will.

The storyline was fluid and captivating and almost transcended the animations for a real-life glimpse at the underbelly of crime in Paris. The inner city scenes gave off a gritty texture up close while almost glittering in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower when shot from afar. Action eventually leads the characters to the construction-ridden Notre Dame cathedral which towers against the city backdrop.

It had interesting plot twists and elements and great character development considering the film length, so A Cat in Paris is well-deserving of the Oscar nod. A purrfect family feature.

*Image courtesy of www.threeimaginarygirls.com.
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“Midnight in Paris” Nominated for 4 Academy Awards

I love Woody Allen and I’m sure once I visit, I’ll fall in love with Paris but I was less than in love with Midnight in Paris. It was definitely an entertaining film and I enjoyed the path it took, but as I tend to stray toward the stranger, more black comedy Woody Allen films, I wasn’t as taken by this film as much as some, including my all-things-Parisian mother. Nonetheless, here’s what I thought!

It’s raining historic artists in Paris

★★★☆☆

Woody Allen’s newest feature, Midnight in Paris, is a fun-loving story straight out of a Francophile literary enthusiast’s wildest dreams. Featuring many of Allen’s most recognizable filmmaking traits: credit voiceovers, writer protagonists, relationship analysis, and yet, surprisingly, the characters have none of the expected neuroses.

Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) is a successful screenwriter who is fed up with the Hollywood lifestyle. Upon a trip to Paris with his fiancée (Rachel McAdams) and in-laws-to-be (Kurt Fuller and Mimi Kennedy), he discovers there’s more to the City of Lights than meets the naked eye. After a series of midnight rendezvous, Gil is left to decide between his Malibu future or living out his dream of writing a novel in the greatest city in the world.

While the film indeed possessed the necessary qualities of a true original screenplay and the character performances were well on par, the set and costume design seemed a bit cheesy and overproduced at times. Without giving too much away, the film takes on a time travel scenario where viewers are forced into their surroundings with stereotypical costumes and some dialogue that mimicked that mild cheesiness.

The actors did well to portray their cultural counterparts. Ernest Hemingway (Carey Stoll), F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston) and Gertrude Stein (Kathy Bates) were in company and a cheeky cameo by Adrian Brody as Salvador Dali  added to the mystical nature of Gil’s historic surroundings. However, after awhile, it became a bit like Woody was name-dropping his favourite artists and not one was to be forgotten. Characters that seemed to develop alongside Gil were soon squashed by other notable names filling the cast roster and distracting from the actual storyline.

While audiences received their happy ending, it wrapped up far too quickly putting too much emphasis on his relationship with the 1920s “artist groupie” Adriana (Marion Cotillard) which is obviously on a route to nowhere. While it was this relationship that led him to some life answers, it lacks in developing a reliable romantic storyline to follow.

It was entertaining and original and featured interesting and unique music, but Midnight in Paris felt too much akin to your typical chick flick and, while I’m sure is deserving of its Academy nominations, it didn’t feel like your typical Woody Allen film. Still, as always, its always worth your own time to check it out.

Midnight in Paris is the winner of the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay and nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Original Screenplay and Best Art Direction.

*Image courtesy of 
http://suitesculturelles.files.wordpress.com
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“Drive” Nominated in the Sound Editing Category

As one of my favourite films of the year, I was extremely disappointed to see that Drive was snubbed from the Best Picture category. Gosling’s performance was intense to say the least. I mean, I’m still obsessed with the scene following Standard’s return home. And the music! This soundtrack is certainly worth giving a listen. I was a bit thrown off by the Desperately Seeking Susan-esque title cards and music but as the film progressed, the ’80s references seemed more and more appropriate. I’ve watched this film a couple times and love every second of it. Its got some gory moments but a well done film nonetheless.

Hollywood Drives Home Another Hit

★★★★☆

In the style of a 1980s Los Angeles heist film, Drive follows the story of a getaway driver and his unfortunate mistakes that lead to the eventual demise of each character, through either death or personal destruction.

With mixed reviews, the film stood out as a strong contender for the Academy Awards in Ryan Gosling’s silent-but-deadly portrayal of the unnamed driver. It’s hard to believe, after viewing, that Gosling was actually a replacement for Hugh Jackman and not first choice. However, its nomination in the Sound Editing category was less than exciting.

One part of this nomination I can get behind is the film’s soundtrack. The electronica pop and synthesizer sounds used throughout leave behind a nostalgic feeling that, for some reason, brought to mind Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and its campy, late-’70s-style visuals.

But it’s hard to deny that this film has inspired a cult following. The silk scorpion bomber jacket that Gosling sports throughout has become an iconic symbol of the film and even had some bloggers calling for its very own Oscar nod. Adding to the scorpion imagery is the reference to the Scorpion and the Frog fable as credited by IMDB: “Driver references the fable of The Scorpion and the Frog: the frog agrees to carry the scorpion across the river; the scorpion stings the frog, saying “it’s my nature” and both drown. Driver can be seen as The Frog of the story – he drives/carries criminals (scorpions) around in his car, but is inevitably dragged into their destructive world (stung) leading to everybody’s downfall. Driver’s jacket has a scorpion on the back, just as the frog carried the scorpion on its back.”

Bryan Cranston‘s portrayal of the driver’s colleague Shannon was pivotal in the film as he often led the driver down an unmistakably dangerous path in arranging and encouraging his getaway driving. Displaying an aged look perfect for representing the toll that the life of a con artist takes, Cranston was certainly listed as a potential nominee this year.

The film’s mystery, including the driver’s lack of a name, was also a factor contributing to its successful reception. While quite violent in parts, the driver maintains his good-guy persona especially when dealing with his neighbour and love interest Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son, Benicio (Kaden Leos). Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks were as ruthless as conmen get in portraying Nino and Bernie Rose, who are heavily involved with the mafia.

The film opens and closes with Gosling driving in his 1973 Chevy Chevelle that he restored himself and there is an obvious lack of dialogue that adds to the longing nature of the relationship between Driver and Irene. While some called the film slow, its one film that requires close attention and a patient audience because in the end, its an amazing film that will leave you wondering, “What if?”

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“Monsieur Lazhar” Nominated in the Best Foreign Language Film Category

What a moving film! I cannot lie and will proudly say that this film really made an emotional impact on me. For someone who has rarely dealt with death (aside from my boyfriend’s new job at a funeral service), this film proved very important in showing the different ways that people can and will grieve, both young and old. It was a struggle to get through without wet cheeks but well worth the journey to the centre of this story of acceptance and openness. Now I know I shouldn’t be biased but, if a film can move me to tears, it definitely deserves the full five stars. Hope you enjoy!

Monsieur Lazhar and The Death of Innocence

★★★★★

Monsieur Lazhar is an emotionally gripping French-Canadian film detailing how one man tries to change the way a school deals with death after the suicide of a teacher on site.

After moving to Montreal from Algeria following the murder of his wife and children, Bachir Lazhar (Mohamed Fellag) is hired as a replacement teacher. But, he soon finds himself surrounded by grieving individuals who, though culturally different, share his similar pain.

Directed by Philippe Falardeau, the film centres on the various ways that people deal with death, suicide and grief as represented through several characters, including Lazhar and his students Alice (Sophie Nélisse, who would be a shoo-in for an Anna Chlumsky circa 1991 look-a-like contest) and Simon (Émilien Néron), the young boy who discovers his teacher’s lifeless body in the classroom.

With themes including cultural acceptance, physical interaction between teachers and students and communicating about uncomfortable topics, the film delves into many facets of life that prove difficult for children to understand. However, audiences soon discover that adults have as difficult a time in dealing with an incomprehensible act like suicide.

The child actors, particularly the character of Alice, had impacting performances demonstrating the idea that there is no one way to properly grieve. The scene where Alice accuses Simon of driving their teacher, Martine, to her death is riveting in Simon’s portrayal of a young boy struggling with the notion that he may somehow be responsible. Keep in mind, these are 11 and 12-year-olds.

The cinematography lends itself well to the isolating feelings caused by a suicide with each character singled out in abstractly placed shots at some point throughout the film. The music and sound also create the sensation of cultures merging as in the scene where Lazhar imagines the Canadian music to have an Algerian vibe while dancing in his classroom.

The film closes as sorrowful as it opened with Lazhar leaving the school as quickly as he came. His close relationship with Alice, his prized student, is tested in the end as he struggles with the idea of leaving the young children to deal with the loss of another teacher.

Winner of the Best Canadian Feature Film award at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival and full of praise from critics, Monsieur Lazhar is a difficult film to watch based on its strong message that death is a topic not to be ignored. If you’ve got an extra box of tissues, Monsieur Lazhar should be skyrocketing to the top of your to-see list.

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“Dimanche” and “Wild Life” Nominated in the Animated Short Film Category

Just in time to begin my ultimate challenge, the National Film Board of Canada has generously provided a one-time stream or reduced-price download of two Academy Award-nominated films. Dimanche (Patrick Doyon) and Wild Life (Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby) are both up for the award for Best Animated Short marking the NFB’s 71st and 77nd Oscar-nominated films. Here’s what I thought.

Short Film for a Long Sunday

★★★☆☆

Patrick Doyon’s Dimanche is a fantastically obscure account of one boy’s drab and boring Sunday. The 10-minute French-Canadian animated short is dull in colour, perfectly capturing the young boy’s apathy toward the adults and lack of excitement around him. The film takes an interesting perspective in portraying how the boy might perceive size with small, claustrophobic houses and tall, massive trains. The animation is presented with layers and while the drawings themselves are quite abstract and enigmatic, they represent the strong divide between old and young. Playing with visual and social perception, Dimanche creates a nostalgic sensation in its display of the child’s mindset. Well worth a watch (and did I mention it’s free?).

“A whole lot’ta dollars and no sense.”

★★★★☆

And if I thought Dimanche was abstract and obscure, here comes Wild Life, the strange adventure of an Englishman who, in 1909, moves to Alberta to become a rancher. The film, at just over 13 and a half minutes, features watercolour-like texture in its animated drawings and utilizes multiple styles, including a short scene staged to appear as an old time Canadian recruitment advertisement. The music adds to the period nature of the film and it includes various comedic instances played with impeccable timing. However, the comedy soon turns to tragedy as the Englishman may not be able to withstand the harsh Alberta winters that lay ahead. Opening with a fact about comets, the film throws in various comments regarding the astronomical phenomena. The film ends with the image of a comet sailing through the night sky, potentially the last image the Englishman saw before succumbing to the elements. A story truly dedicated to the prairies, Wild Life is a representation of the hopeful prospects of a new life contrasted with the reality of the desire to return home.

*Images courtesy of www.cbc.ca and www.calgaryherald.com respectively. 
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And the nominees are. . .

In honour of today’s announcement of the Academy Awards nominations, I will be moving away from the obscure to focus on the contenders. From now until the awards show on February 26, I will attempt to view and review all of the nominated films. I’ll be making a special effort to pay close attention to all categories, including shorts, so as to give my readers the ability to equally consider each film. Check out the nominees and upcoming reviews below.

Actor in a Leading Role
  • Demián Bichir in “A Better Life”
  • George Clooney in “The Descendants”
  • Jean Dujardin in “The Artist”
  • Gary Oldman in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
  • Brad Pitt in “Moneyball”

Actor in a Supporting Role

  • Kenneth Branagh in “My Week with Marilyn”
  • Jonah Hill in “Moneyball”
  • Nick Nolte in “Warrior”
  • Christopher Plummer in “Beginners”
  • Max von Sydow in “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Actress in a Leading Role

  • Glenn Close in “Albert Nobbs”
  • Viola Davis in “The Help”
  • Rooney Mara in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
  • Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady”
  • Michelle Williams in “My Week with Marilyn”

Actress in a Supporting Role

  • Bérénice Bejo in “The Artist”
  • Jessica Chastain in “The Help”
  • Melissa McCarthy in “Bridesmaids”
  • Janet McTeer in “Albert Nobbs”
  • Octavia Spencer in “The Help”

Animated Feature Film

  • “A Cat in Paris” Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
  • “Chico & Rita” Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
  • “Kung Fu Panda 2″ Jennifer Yuh Nelson
  • “Puss in Boots” Chris Miller
  • “Rango” Gore Verbinski

Art Direction

  • “The Artist”
    Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
  • “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
    Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
  • “Hugo”
    Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
  • “Midnight in Paris”
    Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
  • “War Horse”
    Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography

  • “The Artist” Guillaume Schiffman
  • “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Jeff Cronenweth
  • “Hugo” Robert Richardson
  • “The Tree of Life” Emmanuel Lubezki
  • “War Horse” Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design

  • “Anonymous” Lisy Christl
  • “The Artist” Mark Bridges
  • “Hugo” Sandy Powell
  • “Jane Eyre” Michael O’Connor
  • “W.E.” Arianne Phillips

Directing

  • “The Artist” Michel Hazanavicius
  • “The Descendants” Alexander Payne
  • “Hugo” Martin Scorsese
  • “Midnight in Paris” Woody Allen
  • “The Tree of Life” Terrence Malick

Documentary (Feature)

  • “Hell and Back Again”
    Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
  • “If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front”
    Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
  • “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”
    Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
  • “Pina”
    Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
  • “Undefeated”
    TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)

  • “The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement”
    Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
  • “God Is the Bigger Elvis”
    Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
  • “Incident in New Baghdad”
    James Spione
  • “Saving Face”
    Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
  • “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom”
    Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing

  • “The Artist” Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
  • “The Descendants” Kevin Tent
  • “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
  • “Hugo” Thelma Schoonmaker
  • “Moneyball” Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film

  • “Bullhead” Belgium
  • “Footnote” Israel
  • “In Darkness” Poland
  • “Monsieur Lazhar” Canada
  • “A Separation” Iran

Makeup

  • “Albert Nobbs”
    Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
  • “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
    Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin
  • “The Iron Lady”
    Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)

  • “The Adventures of Tintin” John Williams
  • “The Artist” Ludovic Bource
  • “Hugo” Howard Shore
  • “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Alberto Iglesias
  • “War Horse” John Williams

Music (Original Song)

  • “Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets” Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
  • “Real in Rio” from “Rio” Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Best Picture

  • “The Artist” Thomas Langmann, Producer
  • “The Descendants” Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
  • “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” Scott Rudin, Producer
  • “The Help” Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
  • “Hugo” Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
  • “Midnight in Paris” Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
  • “Moneyball” Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
  • “The Tree of Life” Nominees to be determined
  • “War Horse” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Short Film (Animated)

  • “Dimanche/Sunday” Patrick Doyon
  • “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
  • “La Luna” Enrico Casarosa
  • “A Morning Stroll” Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
  • “Wild Life” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)

  • “Pentecost” Peter McDonald and Eimear O’Kane
  • “Raju” Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
  • “The Shore” Terry George and Oorlagh George
  • “Time Freak” Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
  • “Tuba Atlantic” Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing

  • “Drive” Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
  • “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Ren Klyce
  • “Hugo” Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
  • “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
  • “War Horse” Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing

  • “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
    David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
  • “Hugo”
    Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
  • “Moneyball”
    Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
  • “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
    Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
  • “War Horse”
    Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects

  • “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″
    Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
  • “Hugo”
    Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
  • “Real Steel”
    Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
  • “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
    Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
  • “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
    Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

  • “The Descendants” Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
  • “Hugo” Screenplay by John Logan
  • “The Ides of March” Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
  • “Moneyball” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin  Story by Stan Chervin
  • “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)

  • “The Artist” Written by Michel Hazanavicius
  • “Bridesmaids” Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
  • “Margin Call” Written by J.C. Chandor
  • “Midnight in Paris” Written by Woody Allen
  • “A Separation” Written by Asghar Farhadi

Happy screening!

*Image courtesy of http://www.theoriginof.com
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