Oscar Predictions 2014

This Oscars eve, as hopeful first-time nominees draft their speeches, Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson mourn their snubs and Ellen DeGeneres inevitably practices her opening monologue over and over in the mirror, anticipation surrounding the eventual trophy winners is riding ever high. Whether or not you place regard upon the Academy’s winning picks, for many audiences they are an objective measure of the best Hollywood has to offer in cinema.

In recent years, more often than not, the Academy has overlooked great films (ie. Shame, The Descendants) to favour safer choices (ie. The Artist, Argo, The Hurt Locker) and the divide between critics and mainstream audiences has widened. But this year is unusually special given the strong frontrunners, notably 12 Years a Slave, Gravity and American Hustle, which offer a means of re-establishing Oscar with some prestige.

BEST PICTURE

12 Years a Slave

American Hustle


Captain Phillips


Dallas Buyers Club


Gravity

Her


Nebraska

Philomena


The Wolf of Wall Street

Will win: 12 Years a Slave

Should win: Gravity

Better not win: Dallas Buyer’s Club

It would be most prudent to place my bets on 12 Years a Slave to take out the main award. Steve McQueen’s film is ultimately too important and historically significant to approximate otherwise. Its marketing campaign has reminded voters that a Best Picture win for the slave-drama would go a long way in recognising the great sin in American history and bridging any lasting cultural barriers.

Undoubtedly, Gravity is going to win more statues (Visual Effects is almost a certain), so it’s safe to say this spot is reserved for 12 Years a Slave.

Unlikely, however possible, American Hustle could be the dark horse having already deservingly won Best Ensemble Cast at the SAG Awards.

BEST DIRECTOR

Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity


Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave


Alexander Payne, Nebraska


David O. Russell, American Hustle


Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street

Will win: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity

Should win: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity

Better not win: Anyone but Alfonso Cuarón

There is no doubt in my mind: Cuarón deserves gold. His genius cannot be understated when it comes to what he achieved technologically with Gravity. His skilled camera-movement and use of long shots gives the Mexican-British director a clear edge in this category. Not to mention he’s already taken home prizes from the Golden Globes and the BAFTA’s.

I am glad to see McQueen’s name included after his second feature Shame was shamefully overlooked, but will he win for 12 Years a Slave? Although a close threat, it seems this category is a no brainer.

BEST ACTOR

Christian Bale, American Hustle


Bruce Dern, Nebraska


Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street


Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave


Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Will win: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Should win: Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips


Better not win: All the actors are deserving in their own right

Did academy voters fall and bump their head, and then suffer from a terrible case of amnesia? Have they forgotten Tom Hank’s as Captain Phillips, or are they just heartless monsters? As grave a mistake this omission is, we should probably count our blessings that it is one of the very few the Academy made this year.

Matthew McConaughey has gained favour in recent years having reignited his career with a wealth of commendable performances (Killer Joe, Mud) and it is probable he will be rewarded for his turn as Ron Woodroof, a rodeo cowboy diagnosed with HIV in Dallas Buyers Club.

Chiwetel Ejiofor is a close contender in the role of Solomon Northup, a free man turned slave, as is Leonardo DiCaprio as the hedonistic stoke broker Jordan Belfort. Dern was once a favourite but has quickly fell from the spotlight. And as brilliant as Christian Bale is and while he sports an extraordinary comb over in American Hustle, there is little to no chance he will win.

BEST ACTRESS

Amy Adams, American Hustle



Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine



Sandra Bullock, Gravity



Judi Dench, Philomena



Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Will win: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine


Should win: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine


Better not win: Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

And the winner is… Cate Blanchett. Cate Blanchett. Cate Blanchett. Her name has been echoed at every film award ceremony this season, clean sweeping every Best Actress award known to man. She is a master at work in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine, discarding all vanity in the role of a new-york socialite turned San-Francisco pauper, who gradually withdraws from reality down the rabbit hole of delusion, washing down her Xanaxes with cocktails of vodka.

I’d be willing to bet my house on this one.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips



Bradley Cooper, American Hustle



Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave



Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street



Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Will win: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club 


Should win: Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave



Better not win: Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street

On closer inspection, there are no clear-cut personal favorites to win. While I enjoyed Bradley Cooper’s performance in American Hustle, it pales in comparison to the bipolar Pat Solitano in Silver Linings Playbook last year. Similarly, Michael Fassbender brought to life a stunningly hateful and cruel slave owner in 12 Years a Slave, but it doesn’t quite surpass his act in Shame. Nevertheless, he deserves awards recognition on a commercial stage.

It is likely however that Jared Leto will win for his perfectly decent portrayal of a transgender woman, which is both sensitive and convincing. But perhaps long shot Barkhad Abdi, who won the BAFTA for Captain Phillips, may accumulate enough swing-votes to get him over the line.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS


Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine



Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle



Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave



Julia Roberts, August: Osage County



June Squibb, Nebraska

Will win: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave 


Should win: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave and Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
 are equally deserving

Better not win: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle

As much as I love Jennifer Lawrence, as much as you love Jennifer Lawrence, as much as everyone loves Jennifer Lawrence, there is no one more deserving of this award than Lupita Nyong’o. Her remarkable debut as tortured slave Patsey in 12 Years a Slave burns an everlasting mark on your soul and towers over Lawrence’s limited screen presence in American Hustle.

Sally Hawkins is my second favourite, having greatly enjoyed her performance in Blue Jasmine, which proved to be just as significant to the success of Woody Allen’s script as Blanchett’s. 

12 Years A Slave Review

Brutal in its honest and realistic depiction of slavery, 12 Years a Slave is a trying, but ultimately important, film for audiences to see.

Photo by Francois Duhamel - © 2013 - Fox Searchlight Pictures

Entertaining is perhaps not the right word to describe the biographical story of Solomon Northup, a farmer and violinist who was kidnapped by slave-traders to be bought and sold to plantation owners. His tale is unquestionably awe inspiring and moving, here vividly brought to life on film by Steve McQueen. Its historical accuracy so authentically portrayed that Henry Louis Gates, the leading scholar on black history in America and its culture, has called it “the best film about slavery ever made from the point of view of a slave”.

Until now, slavery as a thematic subject matter hasn’t received a proper portrayal onscreen. A handful of movies and television shows have tried to tackle America’s original sin either one-sidedly or with a degree of censorship, perhaps most notably in Roots and more recently Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained. In 12 Years a Slave, McQueen, along with a terrific cast, has richly designed Northup’s true story with complex characterisations that viewers can identify with. Most extraordinary to witness is Chiwetel Ejiofor in the role of Northup, whose spirit and ability to hold on to faith in humanity, untainted by bitterness or regret, is a testament to his strength of spirit.

Once a free man, Solomon was deceived and sold into the slave trade in 1841 for 12 years during which all communication with his family and commemoration of his previous life was suppressed. The early scenes unfold in an almost hazy reminiscent glow whereby he recounts his former self as thriving man living with his wife and two children in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. After being enticed with a job offer as a violinist, he is drugged by two men who claim to be entertainers of a circus and wakes up in a brick cell in shackles. Along with a crew of other captured blacks he is dispatched by boat to the South, where he’s unloaded to a string of bad masters. First comes William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch), a well meaning albeit hypocritical plantation owner who fails to guard Solomon from the wrath of one of his loathsome overseers (a villainous Paul Dano). In order to pay an outstanding debt, Ford sells Northup to Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), a cruel cotton farmer whose harsh treatment of his slaves is renowned.

While Solomon upholds an honorable moral standing, Epps is a black hole of malevolence. Epps believes his right to abuse blacks is biblically sanctioned and encourages his slaves to accept their appointed fate by frequently preaching pro-slavery Bible verses.  He is prone to alcoholism and psychotic fits of rage, habitually whipping those who fail to pick their daily fair share of cotton. Fassbender exposes a deeply human element behind the archetypal evil slave trader whose sexual obsession with beautiful young slave Patsey (the stunning Lupita Nyong’o in her professional film debut) informs his disrespect and self-hatred. He is a boil on the skin of the society of the time, an amalgamation of our darkest regrets.

McQueen chooses to shoot in long, arduous takes that highlight the pain and suffering inflicted upon these characters, inviting the audience to observe the horrors of slavery and contemplate them within a broader context. The camera remains patient and lingers upon turmoiled faces as exampled in the scene where Patsey’s back is scaled with vicious whiplashes. In another long shot Solomon hangs from an oak tree, his feet teetering in the mud while others go about their working day behind him, seemingly unfased. Epps cruel mistreatment of his slaves juxtaposed against the beautiful Louisiana backdrop magnifies the ungodly injustice. The pain and suffering displayed is not only distressing but remarkably loyal to Northup’s narrative according to his 1853 memoir as told to and edited by David Wilson.

McQueen’s miserablist obsession with the ugliest of human stories has resulted in the most powerful and harrowing examples of human suffering and moral degradation ever depicted on film. The British artist-turned-director reprises his working relationship with Michael Fassbender for the third consecutive time following turns in two previous features Hunger and Shame (the latter of which was snubbed by academy voters due to trepidation towards the subject of sex addition). The pair’s artistic marriage is looking to reach Johnny Depp-Tim Burton heights. Suffice it to say, the hype, publicity and awards consideration surrounding 12 Years a Slave has been a long time in the coming for McQueen and Fassbender.

Any initial doubts concerning the sincerity and goodwill of this adaptation are vanquished by the time you get to its heartbreaking conclusion. It’s an overwhelming moment that makes you grieve for all those men, women and children whose souls were crushed by the evils of slavery. To sugarcoat it would be a disservice to Northup’s true account. Made with the intention of reaching a universal audience, the film’s message lies outside the parameters of race to address grander questions about human dignity. Indeed, 12 Years a Slave is a masterful piece of cinematic storytelling at its most potent.

Saving Mr. Banks Review

A spoonful of sugar goes down remarkably well in Disney’s interpretation of the Mary Poppins origins tale.

Photo by Francois Duhamel © 2013 - Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Walt Disney’s painful fight for the rights to adapt P.L. Travis’ Mary Poppins has been kept mainly under the table until now. Unbeknownst to cheery moviegoers of the 60s who lapped up the sing along songs and dancing cartoon penguins, pre-production of the widely successful musical was less than chirpy. It’s no secret to those involved that the working relationship between ‘Uncle Walt’ and ‘Pamela’ was less than amiable during the making of the film. Saving Mr. Banks tells the untold story of author Pamela Travers who was fiercely protective of her characters, only succumbing to Disney’s wishes after her finances were bled dry.

After 20 years of playing cat-and-mouse, Travers (wonderfully incarnated by Emma Thompson) begrudgingly agrees to fly to Los Angeles to discuss the film adaptation of her beloved book with Disney (Tom Hanks). Here we witness the steeliness of their rapport to near perfection, particularly in Travers’ fear of selling out and Disney’s sense of desperation to get his film made. Although fairy dust has been sprinkled on history with a certain amount of liberty taking in the suggestion of reconciliation between the author and the popular showman, Saving Mr. Banks plays with just the right amount of depth and levity to please most audiences.

Unyielding in her determination, Travers is very toffee-nosed about everything Hollywood and scoffs at the idea of a musical adaptation. We see through flashbacks her early life in Australia with a feckless but charming father (played by Colin Farrell), the source of inspiration for the Mr Banks character. Piece by piece, biographical details break down her frosty exterior, unveiling a hurt little girl whose childhood was cut short.

Director John Lee Hancock (of the also brazenly fictionalised The Blind Side) is obviously no adversary to sentimentality. The sweetened screenplay by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith risks caricaturing one note characters but remains safe in the hands of Hanks and Thompson, who prove to be charming, layered and surprisingly moving. (Even if little details such as Disney’s infamously pushy and demanding demeanor and his resistance to work with women in positions of power are left out.) Unsurprisingly, the writers had trouble reconciling the more obscure aspects of Travers’ personal life for a mainstream audience in original drafts of the script. Her fascination with Eastern religions is merely hinted at; while a troubling relationship with her adopted son and tales of her romantic liaisons are omitted completely. Wisely, Saving Mr. Banks has stripped away the excess and irrelevance, striking a palatable blend of fact and fiction.

Emma Thompson is rightly receiving accolades for her performance having already accumulated several award nominations and being tipped for an Oscar nomination. With a theatrically trained background, she does a formidable job at pushing past her strict haughty persona. Not only is she riotously funny, but inwardly deeply conflicted. Few actresses could pull of what she does, rooting Travers’ comedic complexity and melancholy in a real sense of reality.

In the context of a feel-good family flick, there is little to complain about Saving Mr. Banks. It’s hard not to be charmed by the lovable, smile-inducing, dare-I-say magical sentimentality the story is coated in. Fans of Mary Poppins will lap it up, as did I.

Sam's new release movie reviews

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (125 minutes) PG

There’s something about the mild mannered nature of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty that is intriguing. A welcome change from loud and incessantly preachy self-discovery stories, the adaptation of the 1939 James Thurber short story, written by Steve Conrad and directed by and starring Ben Stiller as the titular daydreaming office worker, has a curiously quiet temperament. More than anything, the film feels like a personal triumph for Stiller who directs with a poignant blend of introspection and revelatory reflection that teeters closely towards mysticism without feeling cheesy.

Set in the present day, the film chronicles the decline of Life magazine as a print publication moving to an all-online format.  Photo archivist Walter Mitty is anxious about being fired after he misplaces a negative from the legendary photographer Sean O'Connell (Sean Penn) that was intended for the cover of the magazine’s final issue. Meanwhile, his new boss in charge of ‘the transition’, the intrusive Ted Hendricks – played by an obnoxious and opulently bearded Adam Scott - is barely able to feign consideration for the impending unemployed.

Walter’s secret crush and co-worker Cheryl Melhoff aids him in his search for the mysterious missing photograph by encouraging him to go into the unknown. Kristen Wiig gives an understated but delightful performance that suits the movie’s overall pensive mood. Taking him all the way to Greenland and beyond where he undertakes an internal spiritual journey turned external, Walter’s escapades include jumping out of a moving helicopter, skateboarding at top speed down a deserted Icelandic highway and trekking the Himalayas.

Critics may call it quasi-profound or cloying but I found the note of sentimentality the film ends on to be sweet yet subdued.

August: Osage County (130 minutes) MA

There is a hell of a lot of acting going on in August: Osage County. This adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning stage show is a relentless showcase of brash personalities, A-class actors and much gnashing of teeth on part of the audience, all surrounding hellish family conflict.

John Wells’s revision of Tracy Letts’s play transpires a tad unsettlingly onscreen as we look into the personal lives of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose paths have re-crossed when a family crisis brings them back to the Oklahoma house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them.

A weighty, acting-heavy first half is levitated by a more interesting second half, identified by a catastrophic series of events and lively domestic confrontations. By the time the characters sink in and start to break caricature to properly feel like a family, you’re left questioning why it took so long. Somewhere along the way, I found an unexpected solace in Julia Roberts’s character, Barbara Weston-Fordham, the unhappy daughter who is horrified to find she is turning into her mother. Roberts is fiercely uncompromising in her brassiness and is comfortably suited to the role of a hardened southerner who takes no prisoners. Meryl on the other hand comes off as a bit overcooked, only rising above parody in rare moments of quiet. Having recently witnessed her staggeringly overrated Oscar winning performance in The Iron Lady (another tale about an ill elderly woman turned psychotic), I wasn’t altogether entranced by Violet Weston.

Broadened acting such as this fits stage like a glove with the sheer amount of energy at play being dispelled to the rafters, but on film, with the overpowering use of close-up, the material is overwhelming. Perhaps the subject matter is too depressing, or the melodrama overheated, but confrontational drama written as well as this needs more delicate handling. From someone who revels in a good dark comedy, this one was a little too humourless for me.