The Best Films of the 2000s and more.
Posts tagged Oscars
OSCAR SMACKDOWN: 2007 Best Picture
Jul 18th
The Oscar Smackdown takes a look at all five films that were nominated in a particular year and evaluated for their relevance in the category. After all five are examined, I’ve listed the film that has won and the film that I would’ve chose. The final thoughts at the bottom are a general overview of the category. The year in question will be the year that the films were released, not the “year” the ceremony was held. Links to longer articles can be found after each film.
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Atonement (2007)
The strongest thing that Atonement has going for it is its art direction which is often breathtaking. The lead performances from Keira Knightley and James McAvoy are very commendable, but it’s Saoirse Ronan who steals the show as the jealous younger sister to Knightley. As far as the script and film as a whole, it’s rather underwhelming and hinges upon an ending that no doubt divides audiences. It’s a worthy film, but a very predictable choice for a Best Picture nominee, which contributes to the fact that it doesn’t stand apart from the typical overly dramatic nominees of the past. |
OSCAR SMACKDOWN: 1995 Best Picture
May 19th
I was recently asked to take part in OSCAR SMACKDOWN over at The Final Oscar. The year: 1995. The films: Apollo 13, Babe, Braveheart, Il Postino, and Sense & Sensibility. The mission: view all five films and rate them based on the film alone, not with its ranking with the other nominees. Be sure to check The Final Oscar on May 24th for the results of the other participants and to see what theoretically should’ve been Best Picture of 1995.
Apollo 13
***** 5 Stars
There are few films that can be instantly classified as a ‘classic’ upon its release; Apollo 13 is one of them. Basing the film on the distressed NASA mission had inherent drama in it, and Ron Howard utilized it to a T. A perfect cast who put in perfect performances, stunning visual effects, and one hell of an attention to detail makes this film absolutely awe-inspiring and unforgettable.
A Mighty Wind (2003)
May 17th
Starring: Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, John Michael Higgins
Director: Christopher Guest
Country: USA
Genre: Comedy
Folk music has never been so… folktastic.
It’s hard to really pinpoint what makes A Mighty Wind so spectacular. Part of the reason lies in the Guestian ensemble being at their peak. Each actor fills out their characters so well, like they have in the past, giving each a rich backstory. Secondly, the music in this film plays more of a role than just for laughs. There’s a certain authenticity to it, while sometimes tacky, that makes it feel incredibly genuine. While this is a brilliant ensemble, there are few performances that really stick out, particularly Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy who together bring all the heart of the film, and Fred Willard who squeezes every laugh he can out of every scene he’s in. The film isn’t always laugh out loud funny, but there’s a kinetic synergy in every moment of this film that makes it so exciting to watch.
Working Relationships: Scorsese & DiCaprio
Apr 26th
Martin Scorsese is part of a small club of living directors who have reached a legendary aura for their contributions to cinema. He keeps great company with names like Spielberg, Eastwood, and Coppola. Though the Hollywood New Wave had existed just before his mainstream debut of Mean Streets (1973) he and the aforementioned directors gave the new wave a violent shove into what we now know as modern cinema.
Leonardo DiCaprio was introduced to the world in 1991 as the charming addition to the beloved television show Growing Pains, (or Critters 3 depending on which circles you run in.) He quickly garnered star power as a teen idol, but just as soon proved himself a credible actor with a turn in Lasse Hallstöm’s powerful small town drama What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) for which he earned an Academy Award nomination at the age of nineteen.
Both men built illustrious careers choosing risky and adventurous projects. Scorsese’s long list of credentials resembles a study list for a university film course: Taxi Driver, Raging Bull ,and Goodfellas. Similarly DiCaprio continued to reinvent himself with independent features like The Basketball Diaries, and Baz Luhrmann’s modern take on Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet. But then the late nineties put both men at a crossroads.
1001 Movie Club: The Third Man (1949)
Apr 2nd
Film noir is a term usually reserved for American films, but the types of stories they are typically based on have no ties directly to America. In fact crime, detectives, gritty landscapes, and harsh shadows were perfectly suited for post-WWII Europe. The Third Man is probably the best non-American noir, if not one of the top all-time film noirs.
Vienna poses as the backdrop for the tale of mystery and intrigue as a dime novelist shows up on the invitation of his friend who apparently has died only moments before his arrival. After attending the funeral and meeting numerous people from his friend’s life, he realizes that things don’t necessarily add up and thus begins an investigation for the truth.
The Third Man is quite a cinematic experience. It goes without saying that the Oscar winning cinematography is absolutely stunning. The film was shot nearly entirely on location in Vienna, using the shambles of a once beautiful city to great effect. The rubble piles of broken buildings and bridges present a visualization of all the pieces of the puzzle that yet still have to be assembled. The cinematography is some of the best ever captured, turning the chaos and disaster of the city into a thing of beauty. More >
The Incredibles (2004)
Mar 28th
Starring: (voices) Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee
Director: Brad Bird
Country: USA
Genre: Animation, Action
If it’s Pixar, it must be one of the best.
The Incredibles marked numerous deviations for the super giant animation studio Pixar. They had never had a film center around humans before and it marked the first time that they brought in a non-Pixar director to take the reins. Brad Bird (who directed one of my favorites, Iron Giant,) steps in with super strength and successfully crafted not only an awesome superhero movie, but one of the most exciting action flicks of the decade. It pays homage to the superheroes that inspired the film, but effectively create hella characters all their own. The voice acting is spot on, the score is super exciting, the animation is luscious, and the script is smarter than most superhero films actually based on source material. The Incredibles is, in one word, ‘Inrediawesome’.
Best Picture Nominee – Avatar
Feb 22nd
I was recently asked to contribute to LAMB Devours the Oscars over at the LAMBs. They are providing a 33 day commentary on each category and Best Picture nominee until the night of the awards show. Please visit their website to view all of the other nominees and categories and the wonderful bloggers who have taken the time to write about them. Thanks!
–This Guy Over Here.
Best Picture Nominee: AVATAR
It’s always nice to see a low-budget independent film with little-to-no buzz finally get the attention it deserves. James Cameron has been suffering for attention nearly his entire career; finally his ship has come in. Oh wait, that horrid pun made me smell my own ironic humor. Get it? Because “ship” could mean “Titanic” and that was his other juggernaut of a film. Do you get it?
On February 2nd, 2010 Avatar was officially graced with nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. This fact should be completely disassociated with the fact that on January 26th, 2010 it became the highest grossing film of all time with eight hundred quadrillion dollars. It was nominated because of its spectacular spectacle… right?
