Film in 2011 (Part 1)

     The 84th Academy Awards are awarded in twenty days. This year I've decided to attempt to watch the Oscars with an awareness of the nominees, and my own set of expectations. However, since there are about twenty films of interest nominated for important awards, I've definitely got my work cut out for me.
     I'll post additional installments by the end of February to complete the picture. Until then, here are the six 2011 films I have seen, in descending order of quality:

     Hugo. ★★★★ 1/2 (a family drama and an instant classic) You'd have to be in an terrible mood not to love this film. Especially suited for families and couples, and anyone else who's willing to get misty-eyed from a story about hope. There are several levels to the interpretation of the film, for those paying close attention. It's a rarity to see children who can act this well. It's surreal, to be sure, but intentionally so, and given it is a tribute to film-making, it could hardly be any other way. Scorsese's been working cinematic wonders for thirty years and this is no exception. See it in 3D if you can. The best new film I've seen for a long time, and that includes Toy Story 3. Nominations: best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best cinematography, 7 more (most nominated film of the year).

     Descendants. ★★★ 1/2 (a drama deserving widespread acclaim) George Clooney has the great talent that marks all top-tier actors - he acts with his eyes. Unfortunately for Clooney, it's his voice marks him as a celebrity hunk and he doesn't fit the role he's playing here. Maybe it would have been forgivable if the film didn't begin with his narrating the exposition. Other than that, and a few small sequences when the story dragged, everything about this movie was a success. Setting the story in modern Hawaii was refreshing. Even more memorable was the complex set of relationships between the four family members. The family felt as real as any fictional family could, and the crisis they managed brought them closer together. The end is touching. Nominations: best picture, best actor (Clooney), best director.

     Young Adult. ★★★ (a modern drama deserving some acclaim) This is certainly not a film that will appeal to the blockbuster crowd. However, the acting is exceptional and the story is compelling. The characters' motives are ambiguous, and intentionally so. Diablo Cody has clearly graduated from Juno to a subtler level of film-making that a sympathetic (albeit perhaps pretentious?) crowd will appreciate. If you saw Hugo and absolutely loved it, this film is the counterpart to take you back down to earth. Nominations: snubbed.

     Drive. ★★★ (an action movie deserving some acclaim) It's a good film, but I don't see what the big deal is. All my friends rave about it. As far as action flicks go, the plot is original and compelling. It's the characters I just find disappointing. I'm a big fan of Ryan Gosling, too. After watching it a second time, though, I don't think he gives a performance at the same level of his earlier work - Blue Valentine and Lars and the Real Girl come to mind. In fact, none of the characters possess much heart. Carey Mulligan and her kid are adorable but flat; the mobsters are equally two-dimensional. The whole thing reminds me of the male vocals on the indie album The xx - sounds great during the first spin, but the second time around there's nothing more to it. The great appeal of this film lies in its ability to go from 0 to 60 mph in about three-and-a-half seconds - much like the hot cars Gosling is seen pealing through the streets of L.A. Not just the gratuitous violence, but also Gosling's character, either a complete deadpan or screaming at people and killing them. The film's music and cinematography are reminiscent of a classic 1980s action flick, but for me, an homage to a classic genre of film does not, by itself, constitute a classic film. Nominations: best sound editing.
     Rango. ★★ (a children's animated film worthy of a single viewing) Beautiful animation. I was endlessly entertained by the wide assortment of desert critters employed to tell a story of the Old West. The strength of this film is its creativity. When squadrons of bat-riding gophers - chasing a water-cooler-laden wagon drawn by a panicked piglet - fly in shooting Gatling guns to the tune of Flight of the Valkyries - you're simply going to be mesmerized. However, as compelling as the world was, in terms of story, I was left wanting more. While the film sets itself up for a wonderful conclusion and simply doesn't deliver. The climax is quite simply nonsensical. First, the title character gets lucky and escapes his prison purely by accident. Then, the film's romantic storyline jumps three steps forward without any explanation. Finally, the villains are suddenly and inexplicably afraid of Rango and choose to bow out of a situation in which they could not possibly lose. The reason the story kept my attention for so long was my attempt to figure out how Rango could successfully beat the incredible odds stacked against him. Apparently the script-writer couldn't think of anything, either. Nominations: best animated feature.

     The Adjustment Bureau. ★ 1/2 (a drama and thriller with negligible aesthetic and moral value) The chase scenes are mediocre, the romance clichéd, and the pitiful absence of philosophic acuity lost my interest. In fact, I fell asleep for fifteen minutes. On the other hand, if you're only looking for a fun thriller with a feel-good moral at the end, check it out. Matt Damon's acting for the first thirty minutes is magisterial. After the action takes over, however, the character's values, ambitions and personality are completely eroded by an overwhelming love interest. This would have made a great drama. As it is, I want the two hours of my life back. Nominations: none! ha!
     2011 Films I wouldn't be opposed to seeing: Gnomeo & Juliet, Water for Elephants, Thor, X-Men: First Class, Winnie the Pooh, Captain America: The First Avenger, Cowboys & Aliens, The Help, The Adventures of Tintin, War Horse.
     2011 Films I intend to never watch: The Green Hornet, Fast Five, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, The Hangover Part II, Green Lantern, Bad Teacher, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Zookeeper, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, The Smurfs, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.