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[REVIEWS] Films: Academy Awards
Feb. 2nd, 2011 10:40 pmAnd here's my last set of nominated films for this year's Oscars! The final two Best Picture nominees, one that earned an acting nod, a documentary, and one that's been recognized for its sound editing.
Winter's Bone (2010)
In director Debra Granik's unflinching noir drama set deep in the Ozarks, resilient teen Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) goes on the trail of her missing, drug-dealing father when his absence jeopardizes the family's safety. Her deadbeat dad has a key court date pending, and Ree is determined that he show up -- despite the objections of the insular Dolly clan. The film earned Oscar and Independent Spirit Award nods for Best Picture and for Lawrence.
This was like Deliverance meets The Godfather. And, despite the kick-ass strong female lead, still a bit of a feminist nightmare. But, hey, it's a movie set in the Ozarks, so whaddya expect? Actually, I think I've phrased that incorrectly. The movie's not anti-feminist by any means. Just the opposite, really. It shows this amazing girl struggling against the patriarchy of her world -- one critic accurately says the movie "turns the Ozarks into a science-fiction landscape, artfully blending the familiar, the esoteric (for those of us in major urban areas) and the flat-out bizarre -- and fighting to save her siblings and herself. I really enjoyed it. [Rating: 4 stars]
The Social Network (2010)
Director David Fincher's biographical drama chronicles the meteoric rise of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) from Harvard sophomore to Internet superstar, examining his relationships with co-founder Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) and Napster founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake). Winning Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Director, the film also racked up Oscar nods in the same categories and for lead actor Eisenberg.
The music was great. Andrew Garfield is cute. There was nothing technically unappealing. But this was a boring movie about nerds being assholes. And now I like Facebook even less than I did before I saw this. I have to admit, though, Justin Timberlake was pretty damn good. [Rating: 2.5 stars]
Animal Kingdom (2010)
When his mother dies suddenly, a 17-year-old boy (James Frecheville) finds himself drawn into the clutches of a diabolical criminal family, until a good-hearted detective (Guy Pearce) makes a concerted effort to change the boy's fate. Australian writer-director David Michôd's first feature-length drama won the World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
I was bored through the first two thirds of this movie. Then it caught my attention for a little while, but I spent the last ten or fifteen minutes wishing it would just end. None of the performances struck me as especially great, not even the one that earned a nod from the Academy. I don't know what it was that didn't work for me. It certainly wasn't the story itself. I think the problem likely was that none of the characters really made me think or feel anything in particular about them. The strongest feeling I had was vague disgust for the kid's grandmother. [Rating: 2.5 stars]
Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
Filmmaker Thierry Guetta had been casually documenting the underground world of street art for years, but when he encounters Banksy, an elusive British stencil artist, his project takes a fascinating twist. Unimpressed with Guetta's footage, Banksy takes over filmmaking duties and Guetta reinvents himself as a street artist named Mr. Brainwash -- and, much to Banksy's surprise, immediately becomes a darling of the Los Angeles art scene.
I'm willing to admit that I could be biased here, because I love street art and I've been a fan of Banksy since before he became really popular. (Using my Banksy icon, which is one of my oldest!) But I thought this was a pretty fantastic little docu. It was an interesting story, filled with fascinating people. My only complaint is that I was sad when it ended because I wanted to hear more. [Rating: 4 stars]
Tron: Legacy (2010)
While investigating the mysterious disappearance of his father, Kevin (Jeff Bridges), techie Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) lands in a beguiling computerized world of enslaved gladiators, where his dad has been living for more than 20 years. Joined by Kevin's trusted friend (Olivia Wilde), the father and son must journey across a breathtaking -- and perilous -- cyberscape in this 21st-century update to the beloved 1982 sci-fi classic.
I had pretty much no interest in seeing this movie, but I needed one more Oscar-nominated film for this set of reviews and so many of my friends have been highly enthusiastic about it so I decided to give it a try even though it's not "my style" of sci-fi. I'm really glad I watched it. I haven't seen the original but I still didn't feel confused or like I was missing any information. The action sequences were so much fun to watch. And the music was really great. So was Michael Sheen; he was my favorite. Nobody's surprised. XD [Rating: 3.5 stars]
Winter's Bone (2010)
In director Debra Granik's unflinching noir drama set deep in the Ozarks, resilient teen Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) goes on the trail of her missing, drug-dealing father when his absence jeopardizes the family's safety. Her deadbeat dad has a key court date pending, and Ree is determined that he show up -- despite the objections of the insular Dolly clan. The film earned Oscar and Independent Spirit Award nods for Best Picture and for Lawrence.
This was like Deliverance meets The Godfather. And, despite the kick-ass strong female lead, still a bit of a feminist nightmare. But, hey, it's a movie set in the Ozarks, so whaddya expect? Actually, I think I've phrased that incorrectly. The movie's not anti-feminist by any means. Just the opposite, really. It shows this amazing girl struggling against the patriarchy of her world -- one critic accurately says the movie "turns the Ozarks into a science-fiction landscape, artfully blending the familiar, the esoteric (for those of us in major urban areas) and the flat-out bizarre -- and fighting to save her siblings and herself. I really enjoyed it. [Rating: 4 stars]
The Social Network (2010)
Director David Fincher's biographical drama chronicles the meteoric rise of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) from Harvard sophomore to Internet superstar, examining his relationships with co-founder Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield) and Napster founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake). Winning Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Director, the film also racked up Oscar nods in the same categories and for lead actor Eisenberg.
The music was great. Andrew Garfield is cute. There was nothing technically unappealing. But this was a boring movie about nerds being assholes. And now I like Facebook even less than I did before I saw this. I have to admit, though, Justin Timberlake was pretty damn good. [Rating: 2.5 stars]
Animal Kingdom (2010)
When his mother dies suddenly, a 17-year-old boy (James Frecheville) finds himself drawn into the clutches of a diabolical criminal family, until a good-hearted detective (Guy Pearce) makes a concerted effort to change the boy's fate. Australian writer-director David Michôd's first feature-length drama won the World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
I was bored through the first two thirds of this movie. Then it caught my attention for a little while, but I spent the last ten or fifteen minutes wishing it would just end. None of the performances struck me as especially great, not even the one that earned a nod from the Academy. I don't know what it was that didn't work for me. It certainly wasn't the story itself. I think the problem likely was that none of the characters really made me think or feel anything in particular about them. The strongest feeling I had was vague disgust for the kid's grandmother. [Rating: 2.5 stars]
Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
Filmmaker Thierry Guetta had been casually documenting the underground world of street art for years, but when he encounters Banksy, an elusive British stencil artist, his project takes a fascinating twist. Unimpressed with Guetta's footage, Banksy takes over filmmaking duties and Guetta reinvents himself as a street artist named Mr. Brainwash -- and, much to Banksy's surprise, immediately becomes a darling of the Los Angeles art scene.
I'm willing to admit that I could be biased here, because I love street art and I've been a fan of Banksy since before he became really popular. (Using my Banksy icon, which is one of my oldest!) But I thought this was a pretty fantastic little docu. It was an interesting story, filled with fascinating people. My only complaint is that I was sad when it ended because I wanted to hear more. [Rating: 4 stars]
Tron: Legacy (2010)
While investigating the mysterious disappearance of his father, Kevin (Jeff Bridges), techie Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) lands in a beguiling computerized world of enslaved gladiators, where his dad has been living for more than 20 years. Joined by Kevin's trusted friend (Olivia Wilde), the father and son must journey across a breathtaking -- and perilous -- cyberscape in this 21st-century update to the beloved 1982 sci-fi classic.
I had pretty much no interest in seeing this movie, but I needed one more Oscar-nominated film for this set of reviews and so many of my friends have been highly enthusiastic about it so I decided to give it a try even though it's not "my style" of sci-fi. I'm really glad I watched it. I haven't seen the original but I still didn't feel confused or like I was missing any information. The action sequences were so much fun to watch. And the music was really great. So was Michael Sheen; he was my favorite. Nobody's surprised. XD [Rating: 3.5 stars]
