Equity (2016): All Players Are Not Created Equal

Naomi Bishop is well-known as a shark of a senior investment banker, but doubts have arisen after her most recent challenge with a major investment. When presented with a cybersecurity company to represent and launch, she has an opportunity to truly shine in response to her boss’s recent announcement of retirement. The most significant challenge she faces is her gender and the associated perception of her business and networking style. She uses her staff to run triage and help manage her client to success, but she also begins to realize that there might be corruption woven into her efforts. Between a client who appears to be getting reckless and doubt forming about the people closest to her, Naomi begins to get more desperate about her avoiding another failed launch.

Women in a Man’s Profession: Regardless of the success women have achieved in business and banking, there were still many double standards portrayed in this film. Naomi was a shark and extremely detail-oriented. To some of her co-workers and her clients, the sense was that she was standoffish or acting extra frosty. In comparison, Erin Manning used a bit of her sex appeal to soften the atmosphere around her male partners and clients. Naomi actually pushed that sense out of her as well. This was not something she did comfortably, as it became more apparent that she hit a breaking point with their client.

The scene where she met with other rising professional women felt like such a powerful moment. She admitted that money drove her focus on her career. It is not a statement that some women feel comfortable making, but she owned it clearly and completely.

Double-Crossing: While Naomi seemed to be staying on-point with her goal of launching her client’s IPO, all of the people around her seemed to be letting their personal agendas get in the way of her game plan. Erin appeared to be a team player until she saw a moment to strike for her own advancement. Michael enjoyed having a relationship with Naomi, but he was gradually looking for a way to use her for insider information. Even Samantha reconnected with her to try to pry into her company’s activities while investigating Michael.

Final Verdict: Films about successful women tend to shy away from some of the shark-like behavior that was highlighted in this story. Anna Gunn was stellar in her frosty but powerful portrayal of a woman who knew what she wanted but was getting stabbed in the back.

Dan’s Rating: 3.5/5

 

Queen of Katwe (2016): Dreams of Becoming a Grandmaster

Phiona, a young Ugandan girl, has a simple life working with her mother to sell crops at the market. She stumbles upon a missionary and his chess club, feeling invited to join and enjoy a little break from her simple life. Robert Katende believes she is a true champion and invests in her development as a player. She resists during her training because she feels guilty about having opportunity well beyond her family’s simpler life. When she finally gets the chance to compete, her competitiveness gets put to the test.

Confidence in Talent: It was beneficial that Robert believed in her, but Phiona quickly developed a sense of strength in her ability to see multiple steps ahead of her opponents. She quickly rose to the top of her group at the missionary, but it was not until she started to compete that she began to get inflated. Failure set her back a bit, but Robert’s belief in her pushed her back into competition.

Ugandan Slums: There are a number of films out there that depict the stark contrast of conditions between first and third world areas. Queen of Katwe felt like a realistic look at the lives of families living in the slums. There was a sense that the environment was a bit more colorful than reality, but it still exhibited the harshness of the monsoon and limited resources.

Opportunity to Achieve: While Phiona certainly was the focus of the film, the rest of the kids were entertaining to watch as well. Their personalities were bold and inspiring. The kids were at odds when Phiona first showed up, but they found support through their combined success. Her achievements were elevated by her peers and they found strength in being the outliers. Each of them went on to gain scholarships and further opportunities to advance their education.

Final Verdict: This was a truly feel-good film highlighting a young talent. Phiona was an easy girl to like, with her combination of confidence and heart.

Dan’s Rating: 3.0/5

Oscar Night 2016: Predictions & Winners

It is Oscar Night and time for another set of predictions. Before I get to that, let me first mention the elephant in the room. This year’s Oscars are not significantly different from recent years, but it is clearer in a time of civil unrest that there is an absence of diversity in the nominations. Straight Outta Compton, for example, did get a nomination, but it was for the White writers. Outside of that, there was virtually no diversity in the major categories.

Besides the lack of diversity, there seems to be an effort to make this Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscars. The Revenant is definitely not even his best effort, but he seems to be a lock for many people to win.

Over the past several years, I have been able to see more of the pictures across all categories. I tried to do my best, so let’s see how the predictions wind up.

Let’s get to the predictions (post any agreements or challenges in the comments section):

Best Picture

• My Prediction: The Revenant – It is unique to produce such an immersive wilderness film, and his success from Birdman has proven that Iñárritu is able to meet the Oscar qualifications.
• My Spoilers: Spotlight – This true story has an incredible cast and a tangible/memorable topic. Room – Truly my favorite film in this category, the connection with the characters was significantly more tangible than any other film in this list.
• Winner: Spotlight

Actor in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: Leonardo DiCaprio – It is a shame that this is what he is going to win for…he was significantly better in The Man in the Iron Mask, Titanic, The Wolf of Wall Street, and several other films over this one…
• My Spoiler: none – While I like the performances of Michael Fassbender, Eddie Redmayne, and Bryan Cranston, I just don’t see anyone else stealing this one. I would have said Jacob Tremblay for Room, but he didn’t get nominated.
• Winner: Leonardo DiCaprio

Actor in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: Christian Bale – He was brilliantly crazed but incredibly intelligent. This is the type of role that highlights the range and emotional presentation that has accompanied the roles across his career.
• My Spoiler: Sylvester Stallone – Creed was actually a good film and Stallone was more emotional and even understandable than most of his other recent outings. While he may get the emotional win, I actually could also see Tom Hardy deserving it for his strong performance in The Revenant than DiCaprio.
• Winner: Mark Rylance

Actress in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: Brie Larson – While the film overall was fantastic, she was absolutely amazing. Her plight was clear between the lack of control inside the room and even after her release.
• My Spoiler: Jennifer Lawrence – She has become a bit of a fan favorite, even though he other characters have been better stories to tell.
• Winner: Brie Larson

Actress in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: Alicia Vikander – She was even more impressive in Ex Machina, but she will get some great recognition for her role in The Danish Girl.
• My Spoiler: Rooney Mara or Kate Winslet – Both actresses are well proven and both provided emotional and powerful performances in their respective films.
• Winner: Alicia Vikander

Animated Feature Film

• My Prediction: Inside Out
• My Spoiler: Anomalisa
• Winner: Inside Out

Cinematography

• My Prediction: The Revenant
• My Spoiler: Mad Max
• Winner: The Revenant

Costume Design

• My Prediction: Mad Max 
• My Spoiler: The Danish Girl
• Winner: Mad Max

Directing

• My Prediction: Alejandro González Iñárritu – The Revenant is about to get a lot of recognition, which is deserved for the way the story was presented. Acting in a limited dialogue script is something worth the recognition.
• My Spoiler: Lenny Abrahamson – While I think that Miller will probably have a lot of support for Mad Max, Abrahamson’s direction of the simple yet emotional Room was truly an experience.
• Winner: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Documentary (Feature)

• My Prediction: Amy
• My Spoiler: The Look of Silence
• Winner: Amy

Documentary (Short Subject)

• My Prediction: Body Team 12
• My Spoiler: Last Day of Freedom
• Winner: A Girl in the River

Film Editing

• My Prediction: Mad Max
• My Spoiler: The Revenant
• Winner: Mad Max

Foreign Language

• My Prediction: Son of Saul (Hungary)
• My Spoiler: Embrace of the Serpent (Colombia)
• Winner: Son of Saul

Makeup

• My Prediction: Mad Max
• My Spoiler: The Revenant
• Winner: Mad Max

Music (Original Score)

• My Prediction: Ennio Morricone for The Hateful Eight
• My Spoiler: John Williams for Star Wars: The Force Awakens
• Winner: Ennio Morricone

Music (Original Song)

• My Prediction: “Til it Happens to You” from The Hunting Ground
• My Spoiler: “Writing’s on the Wall” from Spectre
• Winner: Writing’s on the Wall

Production Design

• My Prediction: The Revenant
• My Spoiler: Mad Max
• Winner: Mad Max

Short Film (Animated)

• My Prediction: Sanjay’s Super Team
• My Spoiler: n/a
• Winner: Bear Story

Short Film (Live Action)

• My Prediction: Ave Maria
• My Spoiler: Day One
• Winner: Stutterer

Sound Editing

• My Prediction: Mad Max
• My Spoiler: The Revenant
• Winner: Mad Max

Sound Mixing

• My Prediction: Mad Max
• My Spoiler: The Revenant
• Winner: Mad Max

Visual Effects

• My Prediction: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
• My Spoiler: Mad Max
• Winner: Ex Machina

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• My Prediction: Room
• My Spoiler: The Big Short
• Winner: The Big Short

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• My Prediction: Spotlight
• My Spoiler: Inside Out
• Winner: Spotlight

Percentage Correct: 15/24 – 62.5%

Percentage from 2015: 18/24 – 75%

Biggest Winner: Mad Max (6)

Other Winners…

A Girl in the River

Amy

Bear Story

Bridge of Spies – Best Supporting Actor

Ex Machina

Inside Out

Room – Best Actress

Son of Saul

Spectre

Spotlight (2) – Best Picture

Stutterer

The Big Short

The Danish Girl – Best Supporting Actress

The Hateful Eight

The Revenant (3) – Best Actor/Director

Horns (2014): Love Hurts Like Hell

Suspected of the murder of his former girlfriend, Ig Perrish tries everything he can to avoid the community that has turned on him and instead follows him with hatred. Fighting for Ig’s innocence, only his lawyer and childhood friend Lee Tourneau seems to be in his corner. While spying on a vigil on the spot where her body was found, Ig overhears her father speak hateful words against him, causing him to take out his anger on the offerings. The next morning, Ig discovers he has horns growing out of his head. Unsure of what is happening, he also discovers that everyone he meets seems to unveil their darkest feelings and desires to him, which he realizes he can use to help him investigate and find Merrin’s real killer.

Review: Daniel Radcliffe (Ig Perrish) has left behind his Harry Potter days for pastures much more dark and adult. While he may not be big in stature, Daniel threw around some serious anger and aggression. As his character dove deeper into the dark depths, his character’s confidence and presence grew. Juno Temple (Merrin Williams) was a bit of a wild card. When the relationship was strong, she was flirtatious and sweet. When her personal troubles started to rise, her character became a strange collection of emotions that did not help with the overall tone of the film.

Horns combined a dark humor with moments of suspense and drama. Using flashbacks to help tell the story, Ig’s and Merrin’s perspectives, as well as some of their friends and family, came together to complete the picture of what happened between Ig’s attempted marriage proposal and Merrin’s death. As he discovered his ability to influence others, he decided to use it for his own gain. When bothered by the news reporters, he promised an interview to the last person standing and caused a reporter brawl more intense than from the Anchorman series. After interrogating the men in the bar, the conversations led to the men losing their inhibitions and burning the place down. On the flip side, it also led to difficult moments of realization about the truth regarding Merrin’s odd behavior and subsequent death.

The film was imbalanced and had an odd flavor, but it also has an interesting cult flavor through its dark humor.

Dan’s Rating: 3.0/5

Chappie (2015): Humanity’s Last Hope Isn’t Human

In turbulent Johannesburg, the city’s police department has partnered with Tetravaal to supply robotic police force. The creator, Deon Wilson, is proud of his achievements but also seeks to advance his efforts to give the robots consciousness. Meanwhile, Vincent Moore is losing out with his Moose program, as his human-piloted mechs are too expensive and forceful to mass-produce. Deon decides to go against his boss’s wishes and steal the recently decommissioned No. 22 to test out his new consciousness program, but he is captured by three criminals looking to find a way to shut down the police robots. Deon convinces the group that there is no shutdown feature but that his program could allow them to train No. 22 with a clean slate. The newly conscious No. 22, nicknamed Chappie, starts to learn about life, for better or worse.

Review: This film tried to be a lot of things, unlike Neill Blomkamp’s hit District 9. That film was a review of conflicting civilizations and conflicts of identity. In contrast, Chappie was a referendum on sentient life. It was a commentary on violence and police force. It was a representation of parenting and the effect of the nurture side of the nature/nurture debate. Because it was less focused, it made the story a bit less cohesive.

The casting was another interesting point of this film. Dev Patel (Deon Wilson) put forth a solid performance, mixed with moments of excitement and desperation. Hugh Jackman (Vincent Moore) was a bit more one-dimensional, but his brash persona played well as a counterpoint to Dev. As for the inclusion of Die Antwoord (Ninja and Yolanda), their acting was a little rough, but they played the part well as criminals desperate to get out from under a crime boss’s thumb. Sharlto Copley (Chappie) was a little hard to judge, but the overall performance seemed to be full of human emotion.

Focusing on Chappie himself, it was interesting to watch him essentially grow up on-screen. Learning to speak and understanding the world around him, Chappie’s development was much like that of a child. Moral reasoning was at a basic level, meaning that he developed his decision-making based on what others told him. He had Deon imprint a sense of non-violence on him, while Ninja remained focus on his goal of criminal activity. Chappie, though being a robot, was fooled into some criminal acts, but he eventually learned to distinguish between honorable and ulterior motives.

The film was flawed due to its unclear plot focus, but the gritty acting and intriguing development of Chappie made this a much more interesting story than critics have seemed to rate it.

Dan’s Rating: 3.5/5

Hiatus Coming to an End

Hello, readers…if there are any out there. I took a bit of a hiatus from typing up reviews for a while. I used to manage 3 different blogs, cut back to 2, and ended up taking a break from all of them. I would like to get back into the groove again, and there are a lot of movies I have seen that I need to catch up on for reviews. I will also be playing around with some different formats as I continue to adapt and refine my reviewing style.

Drop some feedback if you have some and let me know if there are any movies you’d like to see me review. I am currently working on the slate of Oscar films and some other hits from the past year.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014): Brothers Become Legends

With New York City stuck in a crime wave, it appears that the only solace is the assistance of Eric Sacks and his industry’s assistance with the NYPD. While his efforts seem to be working, reporter April O’Neil believes that there is more to the story of the Foot Clan and their criminal actions. She heads to the docks one evening to find the Foot Clan unloading containers. While trying to document their actions, a mysterious vigilante thwarts the group and forces them away. Convinced that she must uncover the truth and get her big break with Channel 6 News, she gets caught up in another of the Foot Clan’s exploits, but is saved by more than the one vigilante. Following their escape from the scene, she discovers that the vigilantes are actually mutant, ninja crime fighters. With virtually no proof but too much dedication for the story, she continues her investigation, only to stir up a sinister plot to bring New York City to its doom.

Starring: Megan Fox (April O’Neil), Will Arnett (Vernon Fenwick), William Fichtner (Eric Sacks), Alan Ritchson (Raphael), Noel Fisher (Michelangelo), Pete Ploszek (Leonardo), Jeremy Howard (Donatello), Danny Woodburn (Splinter), Tohoru Masamune (Shredder), Whoopi Goldberg (Bernadette Thompson), Minae Noji (Karai), Abby Elliott (Taylor)

With the story focused more on April’s first meeting with the turtles and not specifically with the turtles origins, Fox had a lot of responsibility for leading the cast. She was not as over-the-top as she could have been, but her overall performance was reminiscent of Transformers without the oversexualization. Arnett was a solid supporting actor, with his role being more of the desperate sidekick and comic relief. As for the turtles, each of the actors clearly presented more of a comical, exaggerated version of each character’s personality, whether it was Ritchson’s brashness or Fisher’s carefree and clownish antics. Woodburn was not as memorable as Kevin Clash’s version of Splinter in the 1990 original. Masamune was certainly menacing, but the audience never got to see his face or learn anything about him other than his high level of aggression and unclear degree of intelligence.

While the Michael Bay influence can be felt a bit, this film may have done better with Jonathan Liebesman directing the action. The story was a bit different in this one, as compared to the other versions. The more known story about the turtles was that they and Splinter were creatures in the sewers that came into contact with the Ooze, which had been discarded. The mutagen caused them to transform. Splinter had learned martial arts by watching his owner prior to meeting the turtles, and he had witnessed his master’s end at the hands of Shredder. Instead in this version, the turtles and Splinter were lab experiments that received regular doses of the mutagen, and they were being treated by April’s father and Eric Sacks. April saved them from a fire and released them into the sewers to survive, not knowing that the mutagen was starting to take effect and transform them. This plot point was significant in that it established an earlier connection between April and the turtles, while also placing April more at the center of the film’s story.

The presentation of the film was a bit of a mixed bag. The fact that the film was more about April meeting the turtles made the action seem almost secondary to her attempt at breaking a major story about the Foot Clan, at least for the first half of the film. While it was interesting to see more of the development of the turtles from non-mutated to evolved children to teenagers through a relatively quick bit of storytelling by Splinter, there was little other character development across the rest of the film. Eric Sacks and his relationship with Shredder was explained with only a quick student-master comment, while Shredder never really got much of a story or clear visual presence outside of the mechanical suit at all. Each of the turtles had individual personalities, but some of the exaggerated qualities were a little much. Leonardo and Raphael seemed to be represented much stronger than Donatello’s overly-geeky image (now sporting glasses) and Michelangelo’s odd blending of urban and surfer personas. They were entertaining, but a little over the top at times. The ending to the film clearly set up an opportunity for sequels, as so much of the story was left wide open with almost too many questions to count.

In a summer of strong action and sci-fi films, this one was just simple entertainment. While it will not totally impress viewers, it was a worthwhile way to enjoy a couple hours of CGI entertainment. In addition, I was not a fan of the character model design for the turtles, Splinter, or Shredder’s armor, but the objection did fade with time. The best versions still remains the first and second movies from the 90s.

“Tonight, I dine on turtle soup.”

Dan’s Rating: 2.5/5

Oscar Night 2014: Predictions and Winners

In the tradition of the Academy Awards, I have my thoughts regarding the upcoming award show which airs tonight. I admit that these are a little later than usual, but I got sidetracked and was unable to see all of the major films until closer to the awards show. I hope that I have been able to get a good enough sense of the awards this year to make some good predictions.

First of all, I am glad that Ellen Degeneres is hosting again this year. While Billy Crystal gives more of the classic feel for the award show hosts, Ellen projects a bit of that classic element with her own flair and twist. She is light, fun, and hilarious. There is also a great chance that she will dance for this upcoming evening.

Before honoring the nominees and the winners, it is good to pay tribute to the snubs who deserved recognition. The most obvious of the missing films was The Butler. Forest Whitaker provided one of his better performances but was left off of the list, as was the film for Best Picture. Fruitvale Station star Michael B. Johnson also has reason to be a bit upset for being left out of the nominees. Though his contemporary performance seemed out of the pattern of films based on historic true events, he was able to project a hard-hitting, thought-provoking image of a misunderstood man based on his race and class. Idris Elba’s and Naomie Harris’s performances in Mandela were also quite captivating. Since the award committee seems to be against comedic or happy story lines, Saving Mr. Banks and its lead actor Tom Hanks (also for both this film and Captain Philips) were unable to be included. Emma Thompson could easily have been nominated for her role as the guarded creator of Mary Poppins. The indie hit Inside Llewyn Davis and its lead Oscar Isaacs seemed to all short as well, though indie hits are typically consider for Oscar recognition. Though Frozen has a strong chance of winning Best Animated Feature, it is odd that Pixar’s hit Monsters University was left off of the list.

So here are the predictions (post any agreements or challenges in the comments section):

Best Picture

• My Prediction: 12 Years a Slave – This film has all of the elements that the committee loves: a political/social justice message, excellent acting, dynamic directing, and all the drama anyone could need.
• My Spoilers: Dallas Buyers Club (Some of the best acting of the year and a gripping story); American Hustle (All-star cast, great acting, and a new favorite director)
• Winner: 12 Years a Slave

Actor in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: Matthew McConaughey – While I was skeptical at first, he gave up a lot to play his role and did so with such tenacity and grit. His character’s transformation was phenomenal.
• My Spoiler: Chiwetel Ejiofor (Would not be surprised for him to take it); Leonardo DiCaprio (While the fan favorite and a great actor, he was outplayed this year)
• Winner: Matthew McConaughey

Actor in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: Jared Leto – Just as compelling as McConaughey, he owned the role at a level that puts him way above his competition.
• My Spoiler: Barkhad Abdi (Compelling and scary performance of a desperate man); Michael Fassbender (Somewhat scary as well, also held a strong level of intensity)
• Winner: Jared Leto

Actress in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: Cate Blanchett – While I do not agree with her likelihood to walk home with the award, she is somewhat compelling with her breaks from reality and inner monologue.
• My Spoiler: Judi Dench (Should win for giving an amazingly adorable performance)
• Winner: Cate Blanchett

Actress in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: Lupita Nyong’o – While Chiwetel may not get the win, Lupita deserves just as much credit for her on-screen, gritty performance.
• My Spoiler: Jennifer Lawrence (Everyone seems to enjoy an unstable time bomb)
• Winner: Lupita Nyong’o

Animated Feature Film

• My Prediction: Frozen – The song alone may give it a win, but it is a warm-hearted story of a set of princesses trying to manage their own individual challenges.
• My Spoiler: The Wind Rises (Beautiful story that will hardly get its due)
• Winner: Frozen

Cinematography

• My Prediction: Gravity
• My Spoiler: Nebraska
• Winner: Gravity

Costume Design

• My Prediction: The Great Gatsby
• My Spoiler: American Hustle
• Winner: The Great Gatsby

Directing

• My Prediction: Alfonso Cuaron – Directed an artistically beautiful film which captivated with only one significant on-screen performance.
• My Spoiler: Steve McQueen (The film speaks for itself)
• Winner: Alfonso Cuaron

Documentary (Feature)

• My Prediction: 20 Feet from Stardom
• My Spoiler: The Act of Killing
• Winner: 20 Feet from Stardom

Documentary (Short Subject)

• My Prediction: The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life
• My Spoiler: Facing Fear
• Winner: The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life

Film Editing

• My Prediction: Gravity
• My Spoiler: Captain Phillips
• Winner: Gravity

Foreign Language

• My Prediction: The Great Beauty (Italy)
• My Spoiler: The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium)
• Winner: The Great Beauty

Makeup

• My Prediction: Dallas Buyers Club
• My Spoiler: Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa (Few options available…)
• Winner: Dallas Buyers Club

Music (Original Score)

• My Prediction: Gravity
• My Spoiler: Her
• Winner: Gravity

Music (Original Song)

• My Prediction: Let It Go – Frozen
• My Spoiler: Ordinary Love – Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom; The Moon Song – Her
• Winner: Let It Go – Frozen

Production Design

• My Prediction: 12 Years a Slave
• My Spoiler: The Great Gatsby
• Winner: The Great Gatsby

Short Film (Animated)

• My Prediction: Get a Horse!
• My Spoiler: Room on the Broom
• Winner: Mr. Hublot

Short Film (Live Action)

• My Prediction: The Voorman Problem
• My Spoiler: Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa?
• Winner: Helium

Sound Editing

• My Prediction: Gravity
• My Spoiler: Lone Survivor
• Winner: Gravity

Sound Mixing

• My Prediction: Gravity
• My Spoiler: Lone Survivor
• Winner: Gravity

Visual Effects

• My Prediction: Gravity
• My Spoiler: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
• Winner: Gravity

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• My Prediction: John Ridley for 12 Years a Slave – Likely challenging for the most overall wins this season, the story was gripping and terrifying all at the same time.
• My Spoiler: Billy Ray for Captain Phillips
• Winner: John Ridley for 12 Years a Slave

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• My Prediction: Spike Jonze for Her – This was a wildly inventive story which surprised its viewers. While not a hit with everyone, originality certainly gives is credibility.
• My Spoiler: Eric Warren Singer & David O. Russel for American Hustle
• Winner: Spike Jonze for Her

Percentage Correct: 21/24 – 87.5%

Percentage from 2013: 18/24 – 75%

Biggest Winners: Gravity (7)

Other Winners:

• 12 Years a Slave (3)
• Dallas Buyers Club (3)
• Frozen (2)
• The Great Gatsby (2)
• 20 Feet from Stardom (1)
• Blue Jasmine (1)
• Helium (1)
• Her (1)
• Mr. Hublot (1)
• The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life (1)
• The Great Beauty (1)

Oscar Night in Review: Winners and Losers

Another year, another Oscars. The Academy made the decision to make a number of changes this year that may or may not have been noticeable. The first, which was a major change, was that the “Academy Awards” label has been dropped from the name. Part of the rebranding of the awards to grab onto a younger audience meant drop the classic/double title. To go with the name change, there was also an attempt to make more youth-relevant choices in the host, presenters and production. While Seth MacFarlane was the host and the more youth-focused talent was on display, so were certain classic elements that kept the award show a little more relevant for an older audience. It would be easy to say that it was a balance, but the long show time and classic elements detracted away from the more youthful attempt.

But I digress…

Oscar night was still a huge success. There were surprises, upsets and memorable moments abound. The red carpet did serve a bit as the prelude to come of the events of the night (and not based off of who was wearing what). The big stars were out and there were some fun interactions that set the stage for the coming entertainment. Quvenzhane Wallis did not have to win anything to still get the attention and respect from the crowd. Jennifer Lawrence was in line to win the category, but she also found an opportunity to playfully take it to Emma Stone to let her know to watch her back. Jamie Foxx brought his daughter and presented himself well as an invested parent. Kristen Stewart showed up with crutches and attempted to balance herself for a few moments to pose for photographers. Numerous actors also hinted at their involvement in the night’s festivities.

Now to the actual award night. Here are my impressions of the wins and losses for the night at the movies…

Host: Seth MacFarlane

• Win: During the times when Seth was ad-libbing, he was actually quite funny. He showed a bit more humility when he recognized that a joke may have missed its mark, but the script was also not a complete loss. While the crowd seemed a bit lost, his Sound of Music bit with the Von Trapp family was rather amusing. He also could have easily focused more on his song and dance routines. Another win for Seth was in his presentation with Mark Wahlberg as Ted (less so for the content and more for the avenue of presenting himself as an animated bear). He had a truly gem with the opportunity to do what he does best…animated voices.
• Loss: It may not be his fault completely, but the writing suffered from being borderline or even totally offensive. It was not a surprise that he would push the line, but the “boobs” song, joke about Chris Brown and Rihanna and mention of Clooney chasing young women were failures in the script. The line about Clooney also destroyed the innocence of Quvenzhane, who was the target of a sexually-charged disaster. His opening also failed to seem cohesive or relevant. Besides the song, he had William Shatner playing his Star Trek role bouncing back and forth from inappropriate jokes to unrelated song and dance.

• Final Thoughts: If Seth were to be given another opportunity to host, he could easily take more of a Billy Crystal-like approach with a musical number with puns or quips about the nominees to start the show (though he apparently received some coaching from Crystal prior to the show). He could have even done something more with his vocal work besides Ted and made a better impact. As controversial and negative as some critics were about his performance, there was also a lot of support for his willingness to be controversial and perceived attractiveness (not exactly redeeming qualities for a possible repeat host).

Presenters

• Win: The Avengers may not have been nominated for anything, but the cast made an appearance to present a pair of awards with a little banter and self-defamation. Jean Dujardin was his fun, simple self and still posted a quick comment and tribute to the grace and majesty of the best actress nominees. As mentioned previously, Mark Wahlberg and Ted presented to a rather receptive crowd, sparking conversation that Ted (rather than Seth MacFarlane himself) should host the next Oscars. To reduce the time needed to present the best picture nominees, Reese Witherspoon, Liam Neeson and Nicole Kidman each highlighted three nominees apiece with brief bios and a quick video montage. The biggest surprise of the night included Jack Nicholson and Michelle Obama. While they may have different political ideologies, they supported the arts with their joint message and Michelle got the chance to make the official announcement.
  
• Loss: First up…Melissa McCarthy and Paul Rudd. Attempting to awkwardly exhibit how to do voice acting, they looked confused and completely out of it. As bad as they were, there was worse. Renee Zellweger and Richard Gere appeared to forget how to read and seemed like they did not want to be there. Worst of all was Kristen Stewart. In her appearance with Daniel Radcliffe, she appeared either drugged, drunk or in some way disheveled.

• Final Thoughts: There was an opportunity for Meryl Streep to present the Best Actress award to Jennifer Lawrence, but opportunity missed. Regardless, many of the choices were good, but some were clearly not that interested or impressed with the opportunity to be up on stage honoring other actors and moviemakers. The Academy needs to be more aware of who is going to appreciate the opportunity.

Musical Performances

• Win: The quick and easy answer here was Jennifer Hudson. Although she is amazing in nearly every performance, I’m Telling You is honestly one of her best songs. She brought the house down. Adele also wowed people with Skyfall, although she was also victim of some unbalanced audio during the chorus. The cast from Les Miserables came out for their performance of Suddenly, even with Russell Crowe. Also notable was Nora Jones, out there to sing Everybody Needs a Best Friend.
• Loss: While the performances themselves were not bad, they missed the mark in terms of capturing a younger audience. Dame Shirley Bassey came onto the stage to sing Goldfinger, which seemed to drag on and could have been replaced by a more modern vocalist and Bond song. Barbara Streisand did a fitting tribute along with the In Memoriam but just seemed to drag out the segment and again disconnect from the younger viewers. Catherine Zeta Jones did an okay performance with All That Jazz but she seemed a little lackluster energy for the first half of the performance.

• Final Thoughts: I like the idea of doing a tribute to music in film but shouldn’t that be every year? Music is such an important part of movies and should be celebrated.

Nominees & Winners

• Win: There were some winners that were expected. Daniel Day-Lewis was the clear frontrunner for Best Actor, but he also caught people off guard with his comedy during his acceptance speech. Jennifer Lawrence tripped going up the stairs to receive her Best Actress award but showed some humility and surprise after walking off stage. Quentin Tarantino was his usual wild and crazy self, which also makes for good television. Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine both were able to show their gratitude and promote the support for the arts through the opportunity they were able to provide for the focus of their film. Christoph Waltz snuck one away from Tommy Lee Jones with another gripping performance in a Tarantino film. Ben Affleck may have been snubbed for Best Director but his film still took the biggest prize of the night. And out of the category for best upset, Ang Lee surprised many with both the success of Life of Pi and his win over Spielberg.
• Loss: On the flip side of the Lee, Spielberg put out the movie everyone hoped and expected him to direct to only fall to disappointment and shock. Life of Pi had a late surge that took out the momentum Lincoln had originally produced (also losing some of that steam to Argo and the Best Picture category). Lincoln did get a bit of revenge when it won for Best Production Design, even though it had been tracking in 4th place behind Life of Pi, Les Miserables and The Hobbit. Not even nominated for any category, Cloud Atlas should have at least been up for Best Makeup, Best Original Song and Best Original Score. Wreck-It Ralph fell victim to Disney’s stranglehold on the animated category, which also took the animated short category. There were a few acceptance speeches that ran long, but that also served as an enjoyable experience with Jaws playing in the background.

  

• Final Thoughts: While the awards may have been spread out, there were too many surprises. Ang Lee did walk away the big winner, even without the Best Picture win. Seth’s song and dance at the end to honor the losers was really a bit of a fail, as it did nothing to consul or entertain people. Zero Dark Thirty and Silver Linings Playbook could have won more categories but there was stiff competition with Lincoln and Life of Pi. There are actually a few challenges with the award’s setup though. There is no suspense for certain categories when you have a film like Amour nominated for Best Picture and Best Foreign Film. There is no way it can be nominated for the biggest category of the night but then lose in its smaller category.

The Oscars were entertaining but I have a few final suggestions for future award shows. Get presenters that care about recognizing other people’s talent. Consider bumping the show up to 6:30pm EST so the show does not run so late (midnight). Avoid the crazy gimmicks to start the show and keep it shorter and simpler. If Seth is going to come back, reconsider how much leeway he gets or reduce the vulgarity. If you are going to keep the 9-10 nominee increase for Best Picture, the same allowance should be made for Best Director (only).

I will be back in the theaters soon, so stay up with the blog and I’ll see you at the movies.

Oscar Night 2013: Predictions and Winners

Tonight is Oscar night and things will be a bit different this time around. Seth MacFarlane (who also has a nomination for Best Original Song) will be taking the hosting duties this year. It will be interesting to see how far he goes with some of the jokes and whether he can live up to the previous performances of some of the other Oscar greats. Meanwhile, there will also be a few other questions buzzing around this evening. Will there be any commentary surrounding the significant Oscar snubs of Ben Affleck for Argo or Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty? Will history be made with the young nominee ever? Will Jennifer Lawrence make another comment about beating Meryl?

I will be on the blog tonight updating this posting to keep up with the awards, so look back later to see if my predictions came true.

Best Picture

• My Prediction: Argo
• My Spoilers: Lincoln
• Winner: Argo

Actor in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln
• My Spoiler: Denzel Washington in Flight
• Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis

Actor in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained
• My Spoiler: Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln
• Winner: Christoph Waltz

Actress in a Leading Role

• My Prediction: Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook
• My Spoiler: Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty
• Winner: Jennifer Lawrence

Actress in a Supporting Role

• My Prediction: Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables
• My Spoiler: Helen Hunt for The Sessions
• Winner: Anne Hathaway

Animated Feature Film

• My Prediction: Brave
• My Spoiler: Wreck-It Ralph
• Winner: Brave

Cinematography

• My Prediction: Life of Pi
• My Spoiler: Skyfall
• Winner: Life of Pi

Costume Design

• My Prediction: Les Miserables
• My Spoiler: Anna Karenina
• Winner: Anna Karenina

Directing

• My Prediction: Steven Spielberg for Lincoln
• My Spoiler: Ang Lee for Life of Pi
• Winner: Ang Lee

Documentary (Feature)

• My Prediction: Searching for Sugar Man
• My Spoiler: 5 Broken Cameras
• Winner: Searching for Sugar Man

Documentary (Short Subject)

• My Prediction: Open Heart
• My Spoiler: Inocente
• Winner: Inocente

Film Editing

• My Prediction: Argo
• My Spoiler: Zero Dark Thirty
• Winner: Argo

Foreign Language

• My Prediction: Amour (Austria)
• My Spoiler: A Royal Affair (Denmark)
• Winner: Amour

Makeup

• My Prediction: The Hobbit
• My Spoiler: Les Miserables
• Winner: Les Miserables

Music (Original Score)

• My Prediction: Life of Pi
• My Spoiler: Lincoln
• Winner: Life of Pi

Music (Original Song)

• My Prediction: Skyfall (Adele) in Skyfall
• My Spoiler: Everybody Needs a Best Friend in Ted
• Winner: Skyfall

Production Design

• My Prediction: Les Miserables
• My Spoiler: Life of Pi
• Winner: Lincoln

Short Film (Animated)

• My Prediction: Paperman
• My Spoiler: Heads Over Heels
• Winner: Paperman

Short Film (Live Action)

• My Prediction: Curfew
• My Spoiler: Asad
• Winner: Curfew

Sound Editing

• My Prediction: Zero Dark Thirty
• My Spoiler: Life of Pi
• Winner: Zero Dark Thirty & Skyfall

Sound Mixing

• My Prediction: Les Miserables
• My Spoiler: Skyfall
• Winner: Les Miserables

Visual Effects

• My Prediction: Life of Pi
• My Spoiler: The Hobbit
• Winner: Life of Pi

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• My Prediction: Chris Terrio for Argo
• My Spoiler: David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook
• Winner: Chris Terrio for Argo

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• My Prediction: Mark Boal for Zero Dark Thirty
• My Spoiler: Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola for Moonrise Kingdom
• Winner: Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained

Percentage Correct: 18/24 – 75%

Percentage from 2012: 15/24 – 62.5%

Biggest Winners: Life of Pi (4)

Other Winners:

Amour

Anna Karenina

Argo (3)

Brave

Curfew

Django Unchained (2)

Inocente

Les Miserables (3)

Lincoln (2)

Paperman

Searching for Sugar Man

Silver Linings Playbook

Skyfall (2)

Zero Dark Thirty