Film in 2011 (Part 3)

     Behold! the final six movie reviews of 2011, a comparative chart of all eighteen reviews for your convenience, and my predictions for the Academy Awards this weekend. If you missed the last six, you're welcome to check them out.
     Despite my tireless efforts, I still missed several key nominees - Albert Nobbs, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Transformers, Harry Potter Part Sixty Three - and I never did review The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, although in my opinion, it was entirely redundant - it didn't have anything to add to the 2009 Swedish iteration - so why talk about it?
     Let me state once for the record that my rating system is somewhat unusual and I leave a lot of room at the top so as to properly distinguish the merits of true classics. For more information, go here.
     Did I mention spoilers? There will be some small ones. Ok, here we go.

     A Separation. ★★★★★ (an Iranian drama and an all-time classic) It's rare that a soap opera-styled story over two hours long will keep you on the edge of your seat, but this one succeeds, and with gusto. Acting so heartfelt and camera work so transparent it feels like a documentary. The narrative seamlessly weaves together intra-familial conflict with inter-familial conflict, judicial law with Shariah law, religious piety with filial loyalty. It keeps you guessing as to who is telling the truth, and where each character's motivations truly lie. That this film was filmed and produced in Iran is a testimony to the true creative potential of a people stereotypically unimaginative and bound by censorship. It is an true opportunity to be told a story like this from a native storyteller, and I guarantee you, you will consider in depth a side of the Muslim middle east you never even knew existed. The Western world could watch a hundred more and still not possess the sympathy and understanding our fellow human beings across ocean and desert deserve. But it's a start. Nominations: Best foreign language film, Best original screenplay.

     Midnight in Paris. ★★★ 1/2 (a drama deserving widespread acclaim) I am a lover of France, its language, culture, and the streets and places of Paris. I am also a lover of literature, poetry, and art in general. This Woody Allen film was an unexpected delight. Owen Wilson, whose acting is always somewhat surreal, fits well in the City of Light. He plays Gil, a nostalgic American writer, who climbs into a magic motorcar and escapes to 1920s France. The material is treated lightly and it's a joy to watch Gil begin to realize his true passions. We play the spectator with him as he interacts with the intellectual cusp of bygone eras and meet great authors firsthand, before the world deigned to pronounce them great, and we chuckle at the audacity of the situation, as we are meant to. We watch Gil stumble around in a life he shouldn't be living, slowly gaining the understanding and confidence he needs to break out. The music keeps the wool over our eyes and we, too, don't want to leave this magical world - but in the end, we must, and hopefully we, like Gil, recognize the tragic necessity of embracing our own world instead of pining for an illusion. Nominations: best picture, best director, best original screenplay, best art direction.

     The Help.  ★★★ (a drama deserving some acclaim) This is a bit of a tear-jerker. Emma Stone plays Skeeter Phelan, a recent graduate returning to Mississippi to care for her sick mother as she attempts to establish a career in writing and reconnect with her uppity troupe of well-to-do ladies. Seeing her old world through new eyes, she discovers the untold story of the black maids as they daily bear the brunt of racial prejudice, still at almost full force in the 1960s. Stone has her moments but in general was a questionable choice for first billing. Thankfully she is surrounded by an exceptional supporting cast, including Davis and Spencer, who carry the story as the featured maids, Aibileen and Minny. Also doing a fantastic job is Chastain, who plays a small-town girl trying unsuccessfully to live as a proper southern lady. That the story centers around the publication of a book is an unworthy frame to the real drama of these women and their true stories. As the civil rights movement unfolds before them on the television, we see them caught between two worlds and attempting to survive, yet pining for that basic human dignity almost in their grasp - and we long for them to finally take hold. Nominations: Best picture, Best actress (Viola Davis), Best supporting actress (Jessica Chastain), Best supporting actress (Octavia Spencer).
    Crazy. Stupid. Love. ★★ (a comedy probably worthy of a single viewing) I watched this film with French dubs and English subs so I can't comment on the acting. Suffice it to say that the plot is what makes this comedy great. There's one particular scene near the end where everything comes to light, and it's one of the most hilariously written in recent history. The transformations of our leading characters are fairly sudden but feel reasonably authentic - after all, love has been known to make those involved seem decidedly pathetic, as Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) confesses. Sadly, the Gosling/Carrell subplot, blessed with the movie's most talented comedic and dramatic actors, falls flat. Chalk it up to an over-used storyline. Still, though the build-up is slow, the ending is worth the wait. I might even pull it out again next Valentine's Day.  Nominations: none.

     Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. ★★ (a drama probably worthy of a single viewing) The story explores the emotional heartache of the families who lost loved ones in the September 11 attacks. The central figure, stricken with Asperger Syndrome (or mild autism), in an attempt to rid himself of the pain and guilt of his loss, goes on what is essentially a scrap-booking quest through the five boroughs of New York City. Thomas Horn, the actor, really does suffer from Asperger's, which explains the credibility of his performance. Surprisingly the voice and idiosyncrasies borne from his disability render him the perfect everyman to represent the people of NYC. Alas, his quest is rather boring and unrealistic, and we discover at the end it was, actually, even more so than we'd thought along the way. Further, the same conclusion robs the story of its emotional force by effectively saying everything outright, just in case you weren't paying attention along the way. It felt cheap. So did his mother's acting. She is a completely uninspired character. So if you want to get inside an autistic boy's head, read Mark Haddon. And if you want to get incredibly close to the Twin Towers, go visit the memorial and museum at Ground Zero. This movie almost had both, and it's a shame it didn't end up delivering on either. Nominations: best picture, best supporting actor (von Sydow)

     War Horse. ★ 1/2 (a drama of negligible aesthetic and moral value) This review was written before the second half because it was already clear it wasn't going to say or do anything else. Here's my big question. How can a film be nominated for Best picture when the story is dull and the acting is terrible? Answer? Get Spielberg to direct it. With few exceptions, the actions or words don't feel like they belong in any reality other than the instinctual imagination of a director whose best days have come and gone. Sure, some of the equestrian-centered scenes are beautifully breathtaking, but that's not what makes a movie. Every line feels scripted and and mini-moral unto itself. Not once did I feel convinced that any of the characters would actually give two shits about the equine. Every character is a type and every element of plot rehashed from greater stories of long ago. Black Stallion. Black Beauty. It's as if actors were chosen for looks rather than ability and then told to move and speak as if they were on a multi-million dollar film set. To make matters worse, the story centers on the English at war with the Germans, and alternates starring cheerful peasants and fearless soldiers. And if you guessed that the German officers are heartless and the English are warm and laid-back - you'd be right. This is a film destined to say nothing because everything's already been said and everyone involved in its production knows it. I don't mind old-fashioned, but - think The Actor - even something looking old should say something new. Well. At least it's pretty. Nominations: Best picture, Best cinematography, four more. 

COMPARATIVE CHART

Title	Genre	Rating	Noms.
A Separation	Foreign Drama	★★★★★	2
Hugo	Family Drama	★★★★1/2	11
Tree of Life	Modern Drama	★★★★	3
Mid. in Paris	Modern Drama	★★★1/2	4
The Artist	Silent Drama	★★★1/2	10
Descendants	Adult Drama	★★★1/2	5
The Help	Adult Drama	★★★	4
Moneyball	Sports Drama	★★★	6
Young Adult	Modern Drama	★★★	0
Drive	Adult Action	★★★	1
Ides of March	Political Drama	★★1/2	1
Bridesmaids	Comedy	★★1/2	2
Crazy.S.Love	Comedy	★★	0
Extremely Loud	Modern Drama	★★	2
Super 8	Family Thriller	★★	0
Rango	Children's Animated	★★	1
Adjustment B.	Drama/Thriller	★1/2	0
War Horse	Drama/Action	★1/2	6

MY PREDICTIONS

Award	My choice	Winner
Best picture	Hugo	The Artist
Best director	Terence Malick (The Tree of Life)	Michael Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Best actor	Jean Dujardin (The Artist)	Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Best actress	?	Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Best supporting actor	?	Chris Plummer (Beginners)
Best supporting actress	Octavia Spencer (The Help)	Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Best original screenplay	A Separation	Midnight in Paris
Best adapted screenplay	Hugo	The Descendants
Best foreign film	A Separation	A Separation

 Who cares about the other awards, right? And anyway, in most of the other categories I didn't see many nominees - or any, in some cases.