Well, Melissa....

Congrats.

But why???!!

Though I did love that she swore!

The Big Night Has Come

See You There!!

I'll be blogging-live as much as I can so keep a look out!

FINAL FINAL OSCAR PREDICTIONS!

Here's my straight foreward, simple list of who I think's going to win tomorrow night:

- BEST PICTURE -

The King's Speech

- BEST DIRECTOR -

David Fincher for The Social Network

- BEST ACTOR -

Colin Firth in The King's Speech

- BEST ACTRESS -

Natalie Portman in Black Swan

- BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR -


Christian Bale in The Fighter

- BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS -


Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit

(I just see it happening, but Leo could still win -- but I hope it isn't so)

Thoughts??

Oscar Party!

During this time of year I'm always in the mood to pop in a special movie related to the closing of the season, and Leslie Nielsen's Frank Drebin always puts a smile on my face, especially during the very fun last third of...

Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult

It's the 66th annual Academy Awards in Hollywood, and Lt. Frank Drebin of Police Squad needs to stop a mad man from blowing up the Oscar's in a terrorist bombing attempt.

The bomber, Rocco Dillon, is going to plant the bomb in the Best Picture envelope, but only with the help of his girl Tanya -- a sober(!), sexy Anna Nicole Smith, and his trigger happy Ma. 

All Tanya has to do is try to distract the man guarding the envelopes, which she does attempt well...

...but no dice.

Meanwhile, the first award -- Supporting Actress -- is presented by Elliot Gould and Mariel Hemingway, and the nominees are...

.... an ecstatic Mary Lou Retton...

...a hopeful Morgan Fairchild...

 ....Shannon Dohrety...

...and the favorite, Florence Henderson -- as Frank says, "Florence Henderson's going to win it, and it's about time!" I love how they put random TV actress' and freakin' gymnast's in the mix! Makes for an interesting crop of ladies.

We take an outside break to see a couple coming in, who's gown is made entirely out of Cool Whip -- this is great because sometimes when I see outfits at the ceremony and something different about them catches my eye. And some do look like desserts or toppings.

Inside, Frank takes Phil Donahue's place as a presenter with Raquel Welch, but just misses the moving stairs and hangs off the edge. Only to tumble down them...

...to accidently push Raquel into the mic...

 ...and have her nearly choke on it! The shot above of Frank giving her the heimlich always cracks me up!

Then Phil...I mean Frank, goes on by reading the whole TelePrompTer himself without Raquel's help.

Things go hilariously wrong when Frank thinks the bomb is in the envelope and tries to stall by swiping it from Raquel's hand and making ridiculous social statements to the world. 

But Raquel's had enough of it and demands that envelope and runs off with it before Frank, in a desperate attempt to stop her, tackles his co-presenter to the ground in a scuffle.

 Luckily it's just a false alarm and Frank runs offstage. 

But he's back on stage in time for the big musical number with Pia Zadora, where he, of course, is doomed to wreck havoc...

...not catch Pia...

...and have her slide gracelessly off stage.

Though makes up for it in the exciting finale!

Before dropping poor Pia into the tuba below.

The fun-filled night is finished off with the Best Picture, and it's important to note that all of the nominees were a box office hit, except for one.

And the award goes to the bomb!

-- 

I love this movie, and especially this whole big sequence which gets Oscar night started for me! How about you? 

Some Final Oscar Predix

Oscar night is coming up very shortly so I thought it would be a good time to dish out what I think is gonna go down on Sunday:

Best Picture:
At this stage it seems that The King's Speech has got it all wrapped up...which is weird. Just three weeks ago-ish The Social Network was the one it seemed no one could defeat, but since the SAG and other awards, King has generated a late game surgence which surprised a lot of people. Especially the one's who don't believe that it is actually 2010's best picture. I haven't seen it yet, so I'm passing judgement by saying that this will probably become one of those "what were they thinking?" wins, when The Social Network still remains fresh and popular. I don't know, I could be completely wrong.

Who Will Win: The King's Speech
Who Could Win: The Social Network
Who Should Win: I have only seen half of the nominees, but even out of that The Fighter deserves this prize for excelling to the genuine heights and exploring them with humor, humanity, energy and passion.

Best Director:
The only two nominees that have chance at the prize are obviously Tom Hooper and David Fincher, and it seems that while Hooper's film will take the best picture, Fincher's work will be rewarded here (in recent ways like '98, '00, '02, '05 when the best pic went for lighter and director went to heavier) because every thinks this is great work and that he deserves it for a great body of work as well.

Who Will Win: David Fincher
Who Could Win: Tom Hopper
Who Should Win: What David O. Russell does with the simple Fighter story and transcends it with energy, dynamism, clarity, is something possessed of a kind of fresh, breathing life without stifling it, that some of the other directorial works in the category fail to accomplish (i.e. Aronofksy and the Coen's in particular).

Best Actor: 
If there is a single solid lock, place your bets on Colin Firth for almost everyone knows he is winning and even more so after all of those awards that were handed to him. It seems that not a single other nominee has been on anyone's tongue as a possible dark horse throughout the season so check his name on her prediction list now.

Who Will Win: Colin Firth
Who Could Win: Virtually no one
Who Should Win: Eisenberg for now -- I have only seen half of S.N. and really appreciated his work thus far, and have seen True Grit and hated Bridges' performance. And now I know that he isn't on the "official" ballot, but Mark Wahlberg easily walks off with my vote.

Best Actress:
Early on the race was a head-to-head competition with Portman and Bening; each trying to get their first award, but one who's still ripe and one people feel need this consolation now. I remember (as I'm sure everyone does) earlier around September/November how strong Bening's chances were, but then the enthusiam for her shallow work in a shallow film seem to have been noticed by some, she slowly lost almost all of that early hype which gives Portman the edge to this current day. Add the SAG win over Annette and Portman is a near lock, though people still say Bening has a fighting chance. She did, but I just don't think so anymore. And I'm glad for it.

Who Will Win: Natalie Portman
Who Could Win: Very slight chance that Annette wriggles in, but she is the second runner up.
Who Should Win: As of now, Portman (who's work improved the second time) or Williams as two of the three I have seen. So I'll be happy to see Natalie winning.

Best Supporting Actress:
The favorite category is at last unpredictable again! Nice to see after the super lock of Mo'Nique last year, and here we have four ladies with a possibility of a win, with only one left out in the cold -- Jacki Weaver is the one who's not moving anywhere near the finish line and hasn't really seemed to budge an inch since the season begun. That leaves the other four ladies scurrying past each other with different possibilities opening up each day it seems. Melissa Leo's notorious (i.e. incredibly stupid) "campaign" has back fired a great deal and her front-runner status has become incredibly loose and it people seem to like her work less and less now that they hype's (kind of) wearing down. Plus, she's plastic, so yeah. Some speculate that Bonham Carter has a good shot because her film has been incredibly popular with the Oscar peeps and that everybody loves her. It could happen, but at the same time I just don't see it. Amy Adams' spectacular work seems to be becoming more appreciated as much as Leo's is becoming less so, and I'm happy for it. Her work has been underrated by awards/critics groups, though many see that it is superior work to her costars and more real. I could see this happening out of nowhere, but her lack of buzz will hurt her. This leaves the final nominee threat against Leo: Hailee Steinfeld. The 14 year old who came out to give one of best performances of the year, but in a leading role. This bit might advance her chances because leading gals in supporting always seems to go well with voters. Oscar loved her movie and critics and audiences loved her work, and her age would make her the third youngest winner of all time. And who wouldn't want to see an upset on Sunday to liven things up a bit? Steinfeld peaked at just the right time, and Leo made those silly ads at the wrong time, so this is one upset that really could happen, and probably will.

Who Will Win: Between Leo and Steinfeld -- but giving Steinfeld the edge. I can't really see Leo winning this or maybe I just don't want to see it...
Who Could Win: Leo or Adams for sure, and I hope Adams.
Who Should Win: Amy Adams, followed by Steinfeld (check out my review of The Fighter to see why)

Best Supporting Actor:
What was once a two man race seems to be clear for Christian Bale to run down the finish line. He's won a mantle full of awards and critics went ga-ga over his performance and declaring that he stole the show. If there's anyone that can beat him it's Geoffrey Rush, but the man has an Oscar, and Bale doesn't, and the other three men haven't been talked about at all.

Who Will Win: Christian Bale
Who Could Win: Geoffrey Rush, but very slightly
Who Should Win: Bale, who surprised me with this performance and I'm glad for it.

I might do the smaller categories in a little bit, but what do you think of my predictions?

CineBites: The Fighter (2010)

--

"A genuine triumph of a film told through the clarity and conviction of its direction, writing, and spectacular performances -- making this one of the year's very best films."    

--

Sport film cliches and sport-themed films in general these days have become so common place and lethally generic that the formula has run itself into the ground. The triumphant redemption of the lower class underdog is something that, in it's own personal way, feels good to experience even when we know it the outcome with be nothing worth remembering. Much to my surprise, shock, and delight, The Fighter transcends banal cliches and you can literally feel it in your bones. And it's thrilling.

The story follows "Irish" Mickey Ward's breakthrough to a mainstream boxing career from his working class, Lowell, Mass roots which are tied down by a loving, but short sighted clan of family and friends. He has the focus, drive, and ambition to achieve a success like nothing before, but without the true support he should be receiving from his manger-mother and his loud mouthed crack head brother, the collective aim always just seems to miss the target for something bigger and better. Soon Mickey is torn between his family ties and loyalty to the people who help make him who is today, and steering clear of a path of destruction (which his half-brother fell into) and finding a stronger, more fulfilling existence both for his career and his life. 

With such a simple tale of simple people, it wouldn't be hard to loose focus or consistency while balancing true-to-life complexities with a sharp, brisk narrative, and going in, one might be a bit unsure about what to expect from this almost done to death genre. But coming out of the theater, it's become a treat to prove yourself wrong and to carry a satisfying feeling of elation. The Fighter is nothing short of perfectly calibrated human drama and overall captivating storytelling that is matched by a textured, engrossing pace that feels brand new. The film, is at every moment, able to hold and structure the ideas, emotions, and actions of its characters without making them feel obtuse or flat-footed in any way. Instead, each facet or building block of the narrative feels equally illuminated with its own sense of place -- wether it be involving a head-to-head battle of the insider vs. the outsider, a blossoming romance,  a deterioration of one's self, or a consistent inner struggle -- the film maintains a freewheeling, yet taut grasp on its subjects at all times.

But The Fighter possesses something that most Oscar-y/real life stories don't usually have; a sense of giddy popcorn entertainment value that never compromises or tips its genuine dramatic action into a haywire mess. This all of course roots back to the fascinating direction accomplished by David O. Russell, who truly makes this baby soar. His construction of narrative action and characterization is grounded, dynamic, and genuine from first frame to last. While other directors swamping through the genre tend to drag their feet through the ring and out, Russell beautifully charges his work with clarity and brisk, electric energy which keeps even the smallest of action moving. He does all of this while still allowing individual moments to resonate and tethers the action of each scene to a core while balancing a new kind of naturalistic feel. When I say this, and say it again, Russell keeps a refreshing and bouncy freewheeling grip that combines humor and heart. And this film is very funny. It's not satirical or slapstick comedy, but real, natural, Boston-esque humor that he evokes out of characters and their situations. 

Living outside that area, the audience (myself included) had a wild time with the sharp authenticity of the proceedings, and I suppose it's why The Fighter works so well. There's a distinctive light touch that Russell infuses which holds an air of levity and quiet sophistication -- the trashy "southie" characters, their accents, their mannerisms all feel real and are captured but always present is the dynamic, human tension that becomes illuminated at every turn. This said "touch" also helps to avoid cheap melodramatic pitfalls and maudlin sentiment, which is one factor which elevates The Fighter into a special kind of cinematic realm. 

The film knows how to be realistic without coming off as self-involved, and much of the it is also due in part by the array of some of the finest acting I have seen in years. As the title character, Mark Wahlberg's performance is something of a quiet revelation; as the internally pained and confused Mickey Ward, Wahlberg conveys the struggle, the pain, and the strength of a true fighter whose complicated exterior matches his equally complex inner self. He charts the triumphant, redemptive arc with clarity and layered subtleties that sparkle. It's astonishing how much subtlety and pure humanity Wahlberg infuses into the role, and to think of how genuine and modest it feels provides The Fighter with two essential assets; a steady (but never heavy-handed) anchor, and a sweetly beating heart. I simply cannot understand how this superb piece of acting is being ignored by the public and the Academy (who couldn't even give him a nom?!). As his crack-head brother Dickey, Christian Bale is grabbing all of the attention for a much more showy/actorly performance. It's the kind of work that I might have hated for being a big slice of showboating, but Bale adds some surprising touches to such a broad archetype, especially in his way of grounding a character in interesting, psychological dimensions that feel focused and in tune with his characterization. In the same "actorly" corner with Bale is the scene-stealing/loud mouthed Melissa Leo as the one and only white trash mother who's work has reaped tons of prizes. Let me just say this first; Leo's is a worthy nomination in a great year, and her very showy role and portrayal have caught voters' eye ('cause we all know they just love scene-stealers) -- which isn't necessarily a bad thing. She's loud, tacky, but somehow relatable even when she isn't likable, and Leo does humanizes this caricature by conveying a woman's torn love between her sons and the underlying sadness it brings. But I still can't help but think that Leo (despite humanizing individual moments) doesn't keep up a consistency of texturing Alice's inner layers of depth. We get that she has her fair share of complicated issues and what not, but instead of texturing those hidden complexities into a consistent characterization, she plays each moment to a hilt and when she has a big scene she doesn't always feel "in the character" but more "in the moment". It's a defiantly exterior performance which doesn't help much, and in a way cheapens any character development or growth which makes the overall performance feel more cartoon than human. Going back to Wahlberg's corner, we find the true BEST supporting actress performance in the film from Amy Adams as the tough as nails gal pal Charlene. Her performance is a blast of humor, strength, vulnerability and shattering authenticity. She accomplishes the kind of gritty realism that Leo thinks she has a handle on, and shakes the foundation at every moment. Adams underplays the part with just enough restraint, and is always elevating both the film and her character in essential ways. Her Charlene is a force to be reckoned with, and the energy, emotional clarity, humanity and rich integrity Adams invests into the part makes her Wahlberg's equal in crafting the two most authentic characters in the film i.e. the two most modest people who grow and change. Charlene has a past of failed hopes and dreams, and Adams' performance conveys the same kind of inner feelings so well that her character arc feels like the kind of triumphant redemptive parallel it should be -- from lonely, dead-end bar girl to someone who uses all she's got to champion the growth of the man by her side, but in the process making a kind of inner/self transformation herself.  But she's more than that though, because if Wahlberg is The Fighter's heart, than Amy Adams provides it with its resonating soul.

The Fighter is gripping, compelling, and exhilarating for its sheer simplicity of storytelling and for once an actual story is being told with deeply human drama and modesty. It's a roller-coaster ride of a sort; your strapped in and it gets you involved and familiar with the experience that you wouldn't want to leave, then leaves you feeling charged, thrilled, and elated. It's a kind of experience that makes you think, believe, and cherish -- not only the ways of your own life, but the growing possibilities and growth of cinema. 

Melissa Leo: Oscar or Not?

I'm sure most of you have heard tell about Melissa Leo's flashy, "CONSIDER..." ads that she herself bought for the Hollywood trade papers just recently that have begun some talk from many people. But what's funny about them is how they don't capitalize on her performance in The Fighter, but rather a classic, glamour look that's just confusing in a way. Not many "campaign ads" have been presented in a un-humble way to score the golden boy like this. I think there kind of stupid, really. For one, I just can't see how this will win people over -- ("ooh, look at that sexy fifty year old in sequins!") -- and some voters have expressed their feelings over this and she has lost some supporters, as in one saying, "she lost my vote". It may not be her actual acting work, but it's Leo who would win and it is kind of tasteless in a showy way. I mean, she's considered the front runner and the studio has her back, so why this little stunt? She claims its to express her anger over ageism/sexism in Hollywood, but it now it just feels like a back fire, that could result in the Oscar going to someone else. I hear that Steinfeld could upset, which I would enjoy seeing despite category fraud -- but I hope this gives Amy Adams the boost to the finish line because she deserves it most.

Thoughts??

Favorite Movie Scenes: Easy A (2010): Bedroom Shenanigans

Easy A: Bedroom Shenanigans

(click above to watch the scene)

When Olive (Emma Stone) agrees to help out her gay friend Brandon (Dan Byrd) in tricking fellow students into thinking he's as straight as can be, the two head for a booming teen party and into an empty bedroom where things get "hot 'n heavy". Instead of actually doing the deed, the two broadly simulate the pleasurable experience in this hilarious scene as both just go with instinct and turn out comic gold. From the moans and grunts to the off the mark phrases, both Stone and Byrd keep it genuine and funny, without going raunchy.

"Oh yeahhh!"

"I'm drunk, wazzup BITCHES!"