Happy-Go-Lucky

written and directed by Mike Leigh
starring Sally Hawkins and Eddie Marsan

Mike Leigh has created another piece of cinema that puts complex women on display in full force. Secret & Lies (one of my favorite films of the 90s and probably of all time) did this very well, as did 2004's Vera Drake, which boasted a great lead performance from Imelda Staunton. But were you paying attention? Sally Hawkins was in Vera Drake too. And her two characters couldn't be more different.

Everyone has someone in their life like Poppy, and if you don't, you're probably her. Perpetually cheerful, always trying to put the best face on everything. I will preface everything by saying that Sally Hawkins truly gives one of the year's best performances. That she was able to stop me from hating this character is a testament to her power. Imagine this character, as played by say Cameron Diaz, directed by Nancy Myers. Actually don't. I just went to a really horrible place.

Hawkins plays Poppy, a school teacher who loves her job, loves her friends and loves her life. The movie opens with her trying to cheer up a local book store proprietor, smile plastered happily on her face...even when she ventures outside and finds that her bicycle has been stolen. This is Poppy. Put your best face forward, move on and keep going. But what Mike Leigh has done here is very clever. Because Poppy's sunny disposition, while seemingly neverending, has not made her blind to the fact that the world is often a horrible place. She's not stupid, nor is she naive and simple. Consider the scenes with Poppy and her driving instructor, (played by Eddie Marsan) who is very much the anti-Poppy (angry, bitter and always frowning). He yells, he barks, he says nasty things. While it's clear that they don't go by unnoticed by Poppy, she doesn't allow the smile to falter in a big way. She doesn't allow this perpetually bitter man to ruin her happy mood.

Mike Leigh has always made good use of somewhat improvositational dialogue that feels like you've been inserted into a segment of life, rather than a movie. He's a master at this, and Happy-Go-Lucky is no different. He's also excellent at characterization, something many writers are severely lacking. Wouldn't it have been easy to have Poppy be secretly miserable all the time and be using her happiness as a facade to numb the pain? But Leigh's not interested in simple. Poppy is happy--genuinely happy--in spite of what's going on around her (people being cruel to one another, hurting one another and the world generally going to shit). And boy, do we ever not know what to do with happiness.

Grade: B+

Slumdog Millionaire

directed by: Danny Boyle
written by: Simon Beaufoy
starring: Dev Patel, Irrfan Kahn, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor

Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire is a film that I am trying my best to review objectively (I know...imagine that). Why? Because it's a film that was never going to live up to the monumental hype/hyperbolic reviews it's been getting. I'm also trying to be objective because a dispartiy between crazy, bandwagon reviews and actual film quality should never take away from what is a good film. Make no mistake--Slumdog Millionaire is still a good (if flawed) film.

The film stars Dev Patel as Jamal Malak, a young man from the slums of Mumbai, India who has managed to get a spot as a contestant on the country's version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." He answers every question correctly, getting to the final round and further than most doctors, lawyers and all others employed in the cardinal professions. He is arrested and tortured after being accused of fraud. "What could a slumdog know?" asks an interrogating officer, played by A Mighty Heart's Irrfan Kahn. The film uses flashbacks to show that his various experiences in the slums of India (witnessing the death of his mother, hustling with his older brother Salim) have led him to truly know the answer to most of the questions (Spoiler alert.) The film plays as both a fairy tale of sorts and a romantic saga, as Jamal's only reason for being on the show is the tiniest hope that Latika (Freida Pinto), the girl who he loves with whom he has been reunited with and separated from numerous times in his life, might be watching.

Slumdog Millionaire is gorgeously shot and richly acted throughout. Much praise has been heaped upon Dev Patel, who is serviceable here. Not to say that he's bad, but it's not the type of breakthrough performance that needs to be good for the world to go crazy and want to see more (if that makes sense). His performance is rather stiff at times, too mannered with all the hallmarks of "acting" (luckily for him, the film's frenetic editing and whiplash pace distract from this). I also want to note that the other actors playing Jamal at various stages in his life, do just as well, if not better. Particularly Ayush Mahesh Khedekar (pictured right), who plays Jamal from about ages 5 through eight. An incredibly studied, present and lively performance from a very talented young actor, I must say. But this film is by no means a showcase for its actors.

The film's emotional left hook occurs in the final act. How you react to the film's climax and conclusion will greatly inform your reaction to the piece as a whole. Overall, I appreciated it, though it lacked the heartwrenching emotion of City of God (an obvious influence on this film). I enjoyed Slumdog Millionaire, but it left me much colder than it probably intended to (though I did really enjoy the VERY ending. Those who have seen the film know what I'm talking about). Much talk (obviously) has been thrown around of Oscar. Slumdog Millionaire will be nominated for best picture. It's simply too big to ignore at this point. Will it win? I don't know. AMPAS voters may take a step back and realize that "It's a fine film sure, but it isn't Danny Boyle's best. And he's not a director we've exactly embraced in the past." Plus, and I know this sounds horrible, but will the AMPAS really award their best picture title to a film about people of color, and totally devoid of any of the few actors of color they've deemed fit to allow into their enclave? Is that too cynical? Maybe it is (Hello, The Last Emperor? Yes, I am aware).



Grade: B

National Board of Review....And the Winners are

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director: David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Actress: Anne Hathatway in Rachel Getting Married (Holy Shit!!)
Best Actor: Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin in Milk
Best Foreign Film: Mongol
Best Documentary: Man on Wire
Best Animated Feature: WALL-E
Best Ensemble Cast: Doubt
Breakthrough Performance by an Actor: Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire
Breakthrough Performance by an Actress: Viola Davis, “Doubt”
Best Directorial Debut: Courtney Hunt, Frozer River
Best Original Screenplay: Nick Schenk, Gran Torino
Best Adapted Screenplay (tie): Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire” and Eric Roth, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

The top ten (in alphabetical order):

Burn After Reading
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Defiance
Frost/Nixon
Gran Torino
Milk
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Thoughts: No really huge surprises here, honestly. National Board of Review has always been a mix of obvious contenders and a few out left field citations that have no shot in hell at Oscar nominations. 2007's acting prizes were completely a rare occurrence, in that all of the acting winners went on to get Oscar nods. I think the weak link here is Josh Brolin in Milk. Of all of the supporting performances in the film, his impressed me the least. As far as the top ten, the absence of Rachel Getting Married really diasppoints me. I know it was silly to expect a big, ass-kissing voting body like the NBR to get behind a film like Rachel Getting Married, but I had such high hopes. And it's not for lack of seeing, because Hathaway took away their lead actress prize. As far as the rest of the top ten goes, it's respectable enough, I suppose. I can see Defiance and even Gran Torino or Benjamin Button getting shut out of the eventual final five though. And The Changeling will probably see it's one and only top ten mention of the season, unless I'm seriously missing something here.

This is Good News for:

Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married. Why? Not since 1990 has a National Board of Review Best Actress winner NOT gone on to receive a best actress nomination at the Oscars. And let's face it: Mia Farrow not getting an Oscar nod for Alice was pretty crazy. They rarely go out of left field in a big way with their lead acting awards. The problem is that not a huge number of them go on to wins, especially not of late. At any rate, this is exactly the type of citation Hathaway needed to make her an almost lock for a nomination, which is great. She was never going to win an Oscar for this type of performance anyway. It's too good, too layered. Not enough gimmick.

Milk. An acting award and a top ten citation. A best picture nomination isn't locked up, but these are all positive steps in the right direction.

Slumdog Millionaire and possibly Dev Patel (?). Could Patel land a supporting actor nod for this film? If it captures the zeitgeist, all things are possible. As far as the film goes, yes NBR picked the eventual Oscar Best Picture winner last year as their best film, but that rarely happens. Before No Country for Old Men, the last time it happened was with American Beauty. But a nomination is all but assured, right? Maybe...I have no opinion until I see Slumdog Millionaire this weekend.

Viola Davis in Doubt. Her first big mention of the season. Her name is now on the lips. We'll see if the buzz can sustain her till Oscar nominations are due.

Clint Eastwood and Gran Torino. Because they can't really have the Oscars and not invite Clint to the party if he's done work that year. Well, they could but then the world would collapse in on itself. Ugh, if Clint starts sweeping from here on out, I'm going to sleep.

This is Ambiguous News for:

The Dark Knight. Only one measley top ten mention. A step in the right direction? It looks like Ledger isn't going to sweep in the technical sense of the word, though an NBR oversight didn't stop Javier Bardem from sweeping last year. We shall see.

Frost/Nixon. A top ten mention is great, but there is only whispery buzz about this film at this point. Either it's setting itself up for fail, or it's a sleeping giant. Either way, only time will tell.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Sure, it has a directorial win and a top ten citation and a screenplay prize. But the NBR doesn't really have a good track record when it comes to picking best director winners that match up with Oscar (not that predicting the Oscar should be their goal, though we all know it is and shouldn't pretend otherwise...). It could go either way for this film at this point. I'm still not sold that it's a lock. Not one bit.

The Wrestler. It needed the top ten citation. A best actor win for Mickey Rourke would have sweetened the deal though.

This is BAD News for:

Doubt. Aside from a best ensemble mention and Viola Davis's breakthrough award, the film pretty much got shut out. No top ten. No other acting awards. I was never counting on Doubt being a best picture nominee anyway, but this is not good. Not good for its chances at all.

Revolutionary Road, The Reader and Kate Winslet. Nary a mention for either. And with Kate double-dipping, no less! What does this mean? Honestly, probably nothing for Winslet. They can only choose one best actress or best supporting actress winner and they didn't choose her. She's still good for a nomination and maybe even a win for either of these films. But the fact that Revolutionary Road, The Reader and Doubt all got shut out of the top ten is kind of telling...sort of. For the past few years, at least four out of the five eventual best picture nominees were contained in the NBR top ten. In 04 and 05, all five were there. But in 00, 01, and 03, only two were there. What does this mean? It could mean nothing. But, statistically speaking, one or more (or all) will be shut out of the best picture race. Who will survive? What will be left of them?

Top Ten--Meryl Streep Performances

With another Oscar nod likely in the cards for Ms. Streep, that will likely bring her nomination total to a nice fifteen (Doubt is opening in steady rollout in major American cities, which means it'll get to Atlanta in...2012) I thought it prudent to pay tribute to one of my favorites with a top ten dedicated strictly to her.

10. A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
Meryl Streep singing? Sign me up...except Mamma Mia! This was a, whimsical and lived-in performance. She proves here that she's just as good when she's having fun as she is when she's in a dramatic role. And Tomlin+Streep, be it at the Oscars or in this film=Comic Gold.




9. She-Devil (1989)
Like I said before, I love Streep when she's having fun. Put Meryl Streep and Roseanne together and you get fun, campy genius. Awesomeness overload. The whispery voice. The hoity-toity attitude. I believe this to be the basis for Jessica Lovejoy (Reverend Lovejoy's daughter) on "The Simpsons," who Meryl Streep voiced.



8. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
I have a lot of issues with this movie. Its reactionary politics of the late seventies/early eighties, the condemnation of working mothers...Okay. Fuck it. This isn't a sociology paper. This is still a great performance from Meryl Streep. The movie itself isn't even terrible, but even it had been, it would have been salvaged by Joanna's heartbreaking speech at the end when she gives up custody of her son. It's the scene that probably won her the Oscar and it brings tears to my eyes every time I see it.


7. Marvin's Room (1996)
It may have been Diane Keaton who scored an Oscar nod, but it was Streep who gave the better performance. Her no-nonsense mothering of Leo DiCaprio's fucked up character was awesome. She always goes real where so many others would go maudlin.




6. The Hours (2002)
Of the three principle leads in The Hours, Streep's scenes are the ones that stuck with me the most. So much more lived-in that Kidman's haunted glower (an impressive turn nonetheless) and Moore's uncharacteristic vacantness. The breakdown when the faucet sprays, the conversation with her daughter about happiness...Streep gets Clarissa Vaughn and The Hours, neither of which are all that simple.


5. Adaptation (2002)
Again, this is Meryl having fun. But it's complex, deep fun in service of a heavier piece of cinema. I love that an actress of her caliber can still handle supporting roles with such amazing aplomb. I can watch Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper making dial tone noises a million times and it will never stop being delightful


4. Sophie's Choice (1982)
Enough has been said about this performance that there's very little for little old me to say twenty-six years later. The woman learned Polish, for God's sake. That's commitment! A tough role, deftly handled by one of our greatest actresses.


3. Angels in America (2003)
This isn't technically a film. I'm aware of that. But it's a damn fine mini-series boasting a damn-fine performance from Ms. Streep. In multiple roles, no less.


2. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Who else but Meryl Streep would have been able to do what she did with this role? She's such a smart woman. She plays it down where any other actress would have played it up. Quiet where another actress would have been loud. Imagine Glenn Close as Miranda Priestly...a lot of yelling. "Answer your phone An-dray-ah! I won't be igNORED!" Or God forbid, Sally Kirkland. Yikes. Streep is awesome. That's all.

1. Silkwood (1983)
Let me give you a rundown of the best actress race from 1983 in the form of a math inequation. Streep > Debra Winger (Terms of Endearment) > Shirley Maclaine in (Terms of Endearment)
Karen Silkwood remains Streep's best performance. Her most lived-in, authentic and arresting performance. This is not just her best. This is one of the best screen performances ever by any actor. Period.

Milk

written by Dustin Lance Black
directed by Gus Van Sant
Starring: Sean Penn, James Franco, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsh, Diego Luna, Allison Pill, Victor Garber, Lucas Grabeel and Joseph Cross

Confession time: I don't like biopics. I actively loathe them sometimes, with a few very select exceptions. Don't they always seem a bit formulaic? I mean, seriously, what did we learn from La Vie en Rose that we couldn't have learned from Walk the Line or Ray or (going back even further) The Rose (if you consider that a biopic, which I do). Isn't the story the same? Singers come from humble beginnings, stumble along the way, get involved in drugs, and either break free or remain ensnared? What about films like A Beautiful Mind or Nixon or (yawn...) More of the same. That is why Milk is such a breath of fresh air. It will make convertees out of the biopic naysayers. It announces itself early on, proudly and unapologetically gay and gay and gay. This is a gay movie about the beginnings of the fight for gay rights, pioneered by one very charismatic, very courageous and very openly gay leader--Harvey Milk. None of this "this is a film about people. This is a film about human rights." Wrong. I mean, yes, I suppose it is, but that's missing the point and only further goes to obscure the issue. Harvey Milk wouldn't have wanted the film classified that way. He would have said, loudly and proudly, "this is a gay film." Those who say yes, welcome. And those who in all of their bigotry and single-mindedness dare to say no can go home and watch the world pass you by. This film is gay and it isn't making any apologies, nor should it. This is the film Gus Van Sant set out to make. The result is his best work in many years (possibly since Drugstore Cowboy) and one of the best (if not the best) performance of Sean Penn's career.

The film begins with Harvey Milk (Penn) meeting cute with Scott Smith (James Franco) in New York City on his birthday. He's about to turn forty, working in the insurance business, and still very much closeted. The two meet, make love and talk about life and making a difference. They run away to San Francisco together, where they try to open a business and are met with opposition and discrimination due to their sexual orientation. This sparks Harvey Milk's decision to go into politics. A decision that changed history. Dustin Lance Black (staff writer for HBO's "Big Love") weaves a taut and concise screenplay, focusing on the important moments in Milk's life. His love affair with Smith, which was strained by his political career. His subsequent tryst with an unstable young man named Jack (Diego Luna) and his recruitment of such young activists like Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch) Dick Pabitch (Joseph Cross) and Anne Kronenberg (Allison Pill). It also chronicles the beginning of his struggle with fellow San Francisco city supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin), his would be assassin. Van Sant's handling of the material is restrained and sensical, yet artful at the same time. Despite the gay subject matter, which will admittedly turn some people off, this is probably one of Van Sant's more accessible films, stylistically speaking.

Regarding Sean Penn, his portrayal of Harvey Milk is one of studied perfection. If you've watched archival footage of Milk speaking (watch "The Life and Times of Harvey Milk"), you will notice how close attention Sean Penn paid to the details. But he also goes beyond the Capote and Ray Charles-esque mimicry that so easily impresses and passes for greatness these days. He makes Harvey Milk into his own fully realized creation, completely losing himself in the role, and understading the character inside and out. The film also boasts great supporting performances from Emile Hirsch (probably most surprising. I was very skeptical initially when I heard he was playing Cleve Jones) and James Franco who reduces Scott Smith to alternate moments of empathetic smolder and twinkled-eyed optimism. Franco is actually perfect for the role of Scott Smith, as Penn is for Harvey Milk. They look at one another, from the first meeting in the Manhattan subway tunnel, to every glance shared in the movie, and it is clear why they love one another. Sean Penn as Milk is warm and inviting, loving and accepting. And Franco's Smith is alight with promise and adoration, with one of those smiles that causes his entire face to smile. Initially, many pundits singled out Josh Brolin as a probable contender for a supporting actor Oscar. He is serviceable and impressive, building on his ever more impressive resume, but his work impresses the least here. This is, at last, a biopic that feels relevant. The death of Harvey Milk at the end of the film hangs in the air, the tragedy so thick you can almost taste it, much like Propostion 8's passing. But, it is not an ending. It is beginning. A win is possible.

The release of Milk has been raising questions about whether it could have affected the outcome of the Proposition 8 referendum in California had it been released earlier. Obviously it's a question that can't be answered, but I offer a stern "no" as a short reply. A film like Milk has a built-in audience. The type of person who needs to be swayed into voting no on Prop 8 will not see, nor will they be persuaded by a film like Milk. As pessimistic as it sounds, I do not think there is any help for a person that thinks that homosexuals aren't entitled to the same civil rights as other Americans. I'm sick of this whole, "we want to marry, we want to love" crap. That's so not the point. How about this? Homosexuals deserve the right to marry, for WHATEVER reason they choose, the same way that straight people can and do get married for any number of reasons, some beautiful and flowery, some bullshit. The arguments against always start the same. "I have no problem with homosexuals." Bull. Shit. It's a qualifier. I noticed a number of fanboys who enjoyed Neil Patrick Harris in the Harold and Kumar movies. I've heard way too many times than I care to admit, some variation on the sentiment "Neil Patrick Harris is awesome, even if he is gay." As if gay is some kind of malignancy that underwrites all other good qualities. As if gay itself is a possible deal-breaker weighing down an otherwise good person. It's offensive. There is no separate but equal and Milk, both the film and the man make that powerfully clear. This is one of the best films of the year, and is certain to be a best picture nominee and it could bring home the win (knock on wood.) But make no mistake Tony Curtises and Ernest Borgnines of the increasingly irrelevant, dying off old generation of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. This is a gay film. If you don't like it, then fuck off and go home. I hear Birth of a Nation is on Turner Classic Movies.

Grade: A-

If My Top Ten of '08 List Came out Today...

It'd probably look something like this:

1. Rachel Getting Married
(followed by a big jump)
2. Synechdoche, New York (though I still need to see it again. It's incredibly heartwrenching, I'll say that.)
3. Happy-Go-Lucky
4. The Dark Knight
5. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
6. A Girl Cut in Two
7. Burn After Reading
8. Stop Loss
9. Frozen River
10. Quantum of Solace

My Acting Awards would go to:

Best Actress in a Leading Role:
Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married. Period. The End.

Best Actor in a Leading Role:
Hmm...I guess, it would go to Phillip Seymour Hoffman for Synechdoche, New York. But, honestly, there hasn't been a leading male performance I've seen this year that's made me go "Wow" yet. Isn't that sad? I still need to watch The Visitor and Elegy. And of course, there's Milk on Sunday, which (I'm not getting my hopes up too much...okay, maybe I am) may change things...

Best Supporting Actress
I'm really REALLY tempted to say Dianne Wiest in Synechdoche, New York...so different from anything she's ever done before. But I suppose, when the freshness wears down, my heart will still settle on Rosemarie Dewitt for Rachel Getting Married. I also want to acknowledge Misty Upham in Frozen River and Penelope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, both of whom are sure to make my shortlist come year's end.

Best Supporting Actor:
Believe it or not, it's a tight contest between Benoît Magimel for A Girl Cut in Two and Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight. But I think I'm going with Heath.

This is of course without the benefit of having seen Australia, which I'm seeing tomorrow, Milk, which I'm seeing Sunday. Plus, I plan on watching Elegy, The Visitor, The Duchess, Wall-E plus a few others I have missed. It seems very unlikely at this point that there's a film that could come out this year that could possibly knock Rachel Getting Married or Hathaway out of their respective top spots. But we shall see...

State of the Race and Random Thoughts

There hasn't been much to report. I'll be adding a new top ten pretty much right after this post. Regarding the Oscar race, there are a few developments in my thoughts/predictions. Firstly, after seeing Rachel Getting Married three times now (yes, three times. Yes I'm obsessed) my love for the film remains at a fevered pitch. However, my confidence is dwindling that it will be enough of a crowd pleaser/sleeper hit that small films like this one often need to be in order to garner a Best Picture nomination. The hand-held style, the subject matter, the abrasiveness of the main character...it all makes for a very polarizing movie-going experience. I will defend Rachel Getting Married to the bitter end, but I saw it with different people each time. The responses were mixed, as well as the responses (I gathered) from people leaving the theater. I still think that Hathaway will ultimately get a nomination as a final coronation and recognition of her gradual ascent into full-on movie stardom, with the acting chops and the pedigree to back it up. But this year's Juno or Little Miss Sunshine it will not be. That distinction will probably belong to Slumdog Millionaire, which I took off of my best picture predictions a few weeks ago. Now that it's gone semi-wide, and the reviews are rolling in (including a four-star kiss from Roger Ebert), the buzz officially gone from whispery festival kudos to deafening shouts. I may be wrong, but Danny Boyle's offering seems too big too ignore. They have nothing to do with each other, but for some reason, I just don't see a best picture field that includes both Slumdog Millionaire and Rachel Getting Married. And it looks like Slumdog is probably in... Of course, I can't judge for myself because Atlanta, insisting on always being two steps behind the rest of the world, won't be getting Slumdog Millionaire until December, unless I'm mistaken. Sucks. I am seeing Synechdoche, New York tomorrow and will post a review later this week.

Regarding Revolutionary Road, The Reader and the double-dipping for Ms. Winslet (trying to get her that double-nomination that she was on the cusp of in 2004), I will say this. Everyone seems to be predicting Revolutionary Road as the better contender for Best Picture, inlcuding myself (until now). The Reader had release date troubles, issues with producers and the re-casting of Winslet in a part that was meant for Nicole Kidman. But both films have ridiculously late release dates (when will studios learn that the late December rollouts aren't working the Oscar magic they used to?) and their are detractors from both. More from Revolutionary Road, if you really think about it. I've always said that the Titanic reunion is the biggest thing going for RR's Oscar chances and its chances to enchant the public. Do films about marital woes really have mass public appeal? And Sam Mendes has made some nice films since American Beauty, but neither has translated to real Oscar buzz, at least not in the category Best Picture. What about Stephen Daldry? He's been nom'd for director twice, and The Hours was a serious threat to unseat Chicago from its 2002 best picture win. Plus, there is the awards-magnet subject that is the Holocaust. It doesn't always work, but when it rains it pours, n'est pas? This has little to do with Winslet. Even if Revolutionary Road's chances fizzle and dissipate, she can still get a nomination. She still got a nomination in 2006 for Little Children and who besides me was even thinking of that movie come January? This may seem rambly, but my point is that Revolutionary Road has a lot of hurdles to overcome. Less than The Reader, which also has its share. On paper, I think The Reader has a better chance of getting a nomination and at this point I don't think either of them will, so that tells you what I think of Revolutionary Road's chances.

As for Milk, it's really been under the radar. Early buzz is positive, but incredibly hushed. It hasn't been released wide and you can't really expect an objective take on the film based on those who saw it at the screening in San Fran a few weeks ago. But I still have faith that Milk is going to be that film. My faith in Australia fluctuates daily. I hope. I will always hope. But only time will tell...

Haiku Review - Quantum of Solace

Never liked James Bond
Went under some mild duress.
Lo, it's not so bad.
(edited to add: Daniel Craig awesome)

Grade: B-

Thoughts on the Election

I was at a bar on Tuesday night when the news poured in that Barack Obama had won Virginia, pushing him over the threshold of 270 electoral votes to become President Elect of the United States of America. The election of Barack Obama will definitely fight it out for moments that defined this generation. I'm glad he got elected, obviously. I don't think I could have stomached a McCain-Palin administration (then a Palin-Lieberman administration) for the next four or eight years. No thank you. It has taken me a few days to gather my thoughts. It still hasn't sunken in yet that the country in which I live elected this guy who nobody thought had a chance when he announced his candidacy in 2007. It excites me. It renews my faith in the American political process that all of the "scandals" (Williams Ayers, Reverend Wright, ACORN) proved to be non-starters. Whether Barack Obama is the best president we ever had, the worst president we ever had, or completely forgettable, America finally stopped being influenced by fear and bullying. It will be interesting to see an America led by an open intellectual again. Not to say that Bush was stupid. I have said many times that I think the whole Texas Cowboy image is largely self-constructed. I think Bush reads Dostoevsky at 4AM on the toilet so no one can catch him. He had to pretend that he was stupid because stupid equals down-to-earth. It ingratiated him with his constituency and that's sad. Obama did a lot of things during this election, but pretending he was stupid was not one of them. Let's hope he leads us into a better age. Congratulations President Elect Barack Obama.

Top Ten--Random Thoughts from this Past Week

Not the most creative of post topics, I know, but it's just some stuff, both good and bad that I need to get off my chest.

10. Is John McCain trying to save face for the sake of his party with all of this "We're going to win" talk or is he delusional or does he know something we don't know, or some combination of the above? With almost every poll imaginable slating Obama to garner over 300 electoral votes on Tuesday (more than the 270 needed to clinch the election), does John McCain really believe that he can win? I ask because I'm scared and I have a really bad feeling that some corruption is afoot. I'm working Tuesday night and if Obama loses, I will be afraid to walk to my car. People will go insane. And if McCain does win, he'd better pray it's by more than a couple of electoral votes. Americans are not going to stand for what happened in 2000. Not again.

9. So, the child abuse charges against all those Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints followers (polygamists) are dropping like flies. Here's my thoughts on the matter. Of course forcing young girls to marry old men is wrong. Of course sexual abuse of children is wrong. But that's not what the raid was about. It's about polygamy. Now, I wouldn't say I'm a Libertarian since I'm neither an idiot, nor a college freshman trying to impress someone I'm on a date with, but I just don't care about polygamy. I know there are people out there who like to get their panties in a wad about things that don't have any affect on them whatsoever, but I'm not one of them. I don't care about polygamy. I don't care if you're a polygamist. Pardon my French, but I think this would be a better place if people just minded their own shit and stayed out of everyone else's until prompted or asked to do otherwise. This goes for gay marriage, abortion, and every other one of these hot-button issues. Get over yourself, live your life and mind your own shit.

8. Okay. Anne Hathaway, Kristin Scott Thomas, Melissa Leo. Sony Pictures Classics has three possible best actress campaigns to mount, but who are they going to rally around as their MVP? I haven't seen I've Loved You For So Long, so I can't comment on Thomas's performance one way or the other. But my guess is she's going to be their go-to girl. Despite my strong predilection for both Anne Hathaway's performance and Rachel Getting Married in general, and despite the fact that Thomas's performance happens to be in a foreign-language film, she feels like the safer bet for me. She's a previous nominee and the fact that French is not her native language will definitely garner attention. Anyway, stranger things have happened than two actresses getting nominated from films with the same distributor. I just hope that SPC mounts a serious, aggressive, yet tasteful campaign for Rachel Getting Married.

7. I caught snippets of a TV One interview with Don Cheadle that my dad was watching. Isn't it amazing how some actors go from being underrated to overrated almost overnight? He is so becoming the black Philip Seymour Hoffman in that he can do no wrong. I hate how ubiquity can leave a bad taste in my mouth, even for good actors like Don Cheadle. Oh, and Don Cheadle as War Machine? Ridiculous. I'd have more to say about that if I actually cared about Iron Man (which I don't).

6. I still can't bring myself to watch the television series version of Crash. It would drum up too many bad memories of that night in 2006 when the film raped Brokeback at the Oscars. It's being almost universally panned by critics. One such critic said "There's not a whit of originality to it..." and "The show possesses less substance than a brisk Santa Ana wind." Now find me a person who makes these statement, and ends it with the words "just like the movie" and you've got an insightful critic.

5. How ridiculous/creepy are those PSAs praising High Fructose Corn Syrup? I guess I'm not opposed to them simply because I'm not an idiot who believes everything I'm told, so I don't care. But, man, I feel sorry for the poor sap who watches those ads and believes them.

4. To all those who think that Sarah Palin will become a distant memory when she and John McCain lose the election on Tuesday (knock on wood), don't be so sure. At this point, Republicans are not coming to the rallies to see him anymore. It's all about her. She's like Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. In 2012, Palin's going to appear in front of Obama as his opponent and declare "Now shall you deal with me Obama. And all the powers of Hell!" right before she turns herself into a dragon or something. I dunno. Like Maleficent, she'll still lose, but it'll be scary nonetheless.

3. I'm glad that Obama is probably going to trounce McCain on election day (again, knock on wood) and that it may be due in large to blacks voting for him just because he's black. I don't have as much problem with that as you may think. I think that if there were nothing but blacks or other candidates of colors, there'd be a few white people voting for the one white candidate just because he's white. Hell, a lot of white Democrats are voting for John McCain just because he's white. But I've always found it peculiar that African-American, who according to most surveys, have largely socially-conservative views (at least on paper) vote Democrat to nearly the ninetieth percentile. Does that make us sheep or merely disingenuous? And what's with the recently polled 55 percent or something like that of African Americans in California who want to Vote YES on Proposition 8? Wise up, people. Don't fall into the stereotype that blacks are more homophobic and please Californians vote NO on Prop Hate.

2. Wasn't Rachel Getting Married awesome? Well, it was...

1. Let's all hope (or pray to whatever deity you choose) that Barack Obama wins this election and let's hope that John McCain's concession speech reeks of the petulance and smallness that has marked his campaign. May McCain be remembered for what he is. A war-veteran, yes, but still a slimy, dishonest (yes, more dishonest than Barack Obama), desperate sad man who always cared more about being President than he ever did about the American people.

Peace, Love and Pretension

Rachel Getting Married

Directed by: Jonathan Demme
Written by: Jenny Lumet
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Tunde Adebimpe, Anna Deavere Smith and Debra Winger

As excited as I was about Rachel Getting Married, I was also trying not to have very high expectations. Jonathan Demme is a director whose films I don't particularly enjoy. Anne Hathaway is an actress whom I have always thought was capable of good things, even if she was never given material to display her talent. Even in great films like Brokeback Mountain, she's pretty much asked to spin gold out of small, thankless roles. This is all moot though, isn't it? Because none of that has anything to do with what she's doing in this film and how well she does it.

Jonathan Demme has spent recent years directing documentary films (Man from Plains, Neil Young: Heart of Gold). Now that he's turned his focus back to narrative features, it's fascinating that he's experimenting with melding the two styles. The film has very little unnatural lighting. It utilizes mostly handheld shots with few abrupt cuts. It's very reminiscent of The Celebration, one of the Dogme 95 films, but it stands on its own. In a lesser film, this could all serve to distract. But Demme and cinematographer Declan Quinn know exactly what they're doing here. This is a total departure for Demme and it is easily his best work in years.

The film revolves around black sheep Kym (Hathaway) being released from rehab to attend her sister Rachel's (Rosemarie DeWitt) wedding. Her father (Bill Irwin) and stepmother (a wonderful Anna Deavere Smith) are clearly loving and welcoming (if cautiously so) but the rest of the family are a little more weary of Kim's antics. Rachel is tired of the way her father seems to cater to the sharp-witted, yet self-centered Kym. And their mother Abby (Debra Winger) seems removed from the whole situation (and she likes it that way). I won't reveal it in this review, but Kym did something unthinkable years ago that had pretty devastating effects on the family.

Demme's direction take you right into the thick of the wedding planning, the wedding itself and the family turmoil that ensues. The premise is not a particularly interesting or original one. In fact, to the a mere passerby, it may bear some striking similarities (only on the surface mind you) to 2007's very different and very inferior Margot at the Wedding. Two sisters fighting and bringing up past family woes on the eve of a wedding. "Oh nacht mare." Does Jenny Lumet do everything right that Noah Baumbach did wrong? It may not be that simple. But the freshman writer (and daughter of director Sidney Lumet) definitely has a better handle on creating fully formed, flesh-and-blood characters that don't feel like caricatures. It's a very common trend in films about dysfunctional families to create cut-and-paste archetypes that feel overused and stale. In Rachel Getting Married, you believe every word that comes out of these characters's mouths. Nothing is gimmick. It all feels real and incredibly heartwrenching.

This film addresses and doesn't address an issue I've noticed afoot in typical "dark comedies." That they are devoid of African-American characters who are allowed to be as intelligent or witty or even as complicatedly messed up as their white counterparts. Here there are fully-formed, believable, intelligent African-American characters (Rachel's betrothed is black) who are there and who don't wear their race on their sleeves like another character (are you listening Tyler Perry?) Anna Deavere Smith (one of my favorite character actresses) in particular is a great presence in this film.

Every actor seems to be at the top of their game here in this very impressive ensemble. Bill Irwin as Kym and Rachel's father Paul is as warm and inviting as he is sorrowful. Rosemarie DeWitt turns in a very impressive supporting turn as Rachel. She understands the character from head to toe. Every gesture, every word. She knows exactly why Rachel both loves and is annoyed by Kym. Debra Winger doesn't clock much screentime here, but she too is in top form (as always. Please come back to us). There is a particularly heartbreaking scene between Kym and Abby that allows Winger to showcase a possible Oscar clip. But a quieter, more subtle moment towards the end of the film between Abby and both of her daughters truly shows Winger's handle on the material. And finally, Ms. Hathaway. Anne Hathaway navigates the acid-tongued harshness of Kym, making her one of the most fully realized characterizations of the year. I recall a scene in which Kym is in a support group meeting and reveals the tragedy that disjointed her from her family. Hathaway never missteps, never makes the scene maudlin and never gets it wrong. She's all but assured an Oscar nomination. It angers me that Hathaway will likely be put into the "Comedy or Musical" category at the Golden Globes where she is likely to be nominated (and win, unless something very big happens in the next few months). There are funny moments in Rachel Getting Married. But this is not a comedy. It is a portrait of a celebrating, but ultimately very lingeringly sad family who happen to be intelligent and happen to say witty things. Make no mistake. Rachel Getting Married is absolutely lovely. I don't know if it will get nominated for Best Picture. It doesn't feel...big enough in the ways that a lot of best picture nominees have to be big to get nominated. Unless the Academy has a sudden bout of impeccable taste, don't be surprised if Rachel Getting Married doesn't end up on the shortlist. It deserves to be there. But if this film shows us anything, it's that life isn't always fair and for no good reason at all.

Grade: A

Rachel Getting Married will be in my dreams tonight...

I plan to post more at great length about various topics. But it has come to pass. Rachel Getting Married is absolutely beautiful. That's it. Plain and simple. I will post a review later this weekend.

Peace, Love and Pretension

Top Ten--Things I'd Rather Do than See John McCain become President

Title is pretty self-explanatory. This list is interspersed with things that I enjoy doing and things that I would never want to do in a million years, but would still rather do than see that bloated, reductive gasbag become our next President.

10. Talk to my mom.
I think this is a no-brainer. My mom is great. She grew up in another country, so she has great stories to tell. Plus she's the woman who raised me. I'd definitely rather have a conversation with my mom than see John McCain become President.



9. Watch "Boston Legal"
Man, is "Boston Legal" ever a crappy show. Seriously. It's just the pits. And yet, if forced to choose between watching the antics of James Spader, William Shatner and Candace Bergen (three of the creepiest men on television) at gunpoint and watching John McCain win the election, I'd weigh it heavily and ultimately settle in for many hours of boring legal dramedy.


8. Dance
Now you might not think it to look at me. I'm kind of quiet, reserved. But I actually do enjoy a good dance every now and again. Mostly alone. Mostly in my bedroom. Mostly to Madness songs (very danceable music right there. Check 'em out). Dancing is definitely preferable to seeing John McCain and Klondike Barbie win the highest elected office in the country.


7. Go to Church
Now, anyone who knows me knows that I'm not religious. I'm a fallen Catholic. I sometimes wish I were still religious. I sometimes wish I still had it in me. But alas, I don't. I'd still rather sit through a Sunday of Catholic Mass every week until I die than see a McCain-Palin administration. But this of course requires a qualifier. That's Catholic Mass. The one that clocks in at about 70 minutes (at the longest.) This excludes any lengthy, Southern Baptist, or Black Dancing churches that seem (from what I understand) to go on for hours until somebody says "stop." I would have to reevaluate the deal in that case.


6. Watch the cinema of Meryl Streep
She's just great, isn't she? If you watch Silkwood and don't cry at the end, you might just be made of stone. I would definitely rather watch Marvin's Room or even the fun and very underrated She-Devil any day than watch McCain win the presidency.


5. Drink Massive Amounts of Campari
If one were to turn hatred and anger into liquid and bottle it, Campari would be the result. It's disgusting. It tastes like death. I have a theory that it's not even meant for consumption. And yet, I'd gladly imbibe generous helpings of it to get out of having to suffer through four years of McCain politics.


4. Go to Quebec
Real Canadians are actually supposed to despise French Canadiennes, but I don't. Despise is such a strong word. I don't like them. I think they're smelly and rude. But I don't despise them. I'd love to go back to Quebec. It would give me an opportunity to practice my French. And I would have the added bonus of being in another country within another country, should McCain take control of this one.


3. Go to Traffic Court
I've been to hell and it's Traffic Court. But I'd gladly go to traffic court than have to deal with a McCain presidency.



2. Watch The Godfather 3
It's actually my favorite of the series. Granted, I haven't seen part two, but I just love the ridiculous, over-the-top campiness of part 3. Sofia's bad performance. The crazy Vatican storyline. Fallen Catholic here. Through in a little Vatican scandal and I'm hooked. And yes, it's still much better than having to watch McCain say "my friends" a million times during his inaugural address.


1. See Barack Obama get elected.
I think this is the most important one of all, don't you?

Oscar Predictions -- Best Picture

2008 in cinema is turning out to be a nebulous one. That film has yet to come out (unless you call The Dark Knight that film--which I'm loath to) that people are certain will land on top ten lists come years end. I'm reserving my judgment until I see Rachel Getting Married this Friday (so excited). I've heard good things, but my expectations are pessimistically low. Because I also heard great things about Juno so much so that I went into it convinced I rave about it (I know, you should never do that. I'm only human). It was so disappointing that I almost failed to recognize that it is actually an okay film, so violent was my anger at all the raving reviewers and fanboys.

Here's what I see going on in the big race.

Best Picture
Still as unclear as ever. I have faith (so much faith that I'm setting myself up for heartbreak) that Australia will be amazing and it will also land Baz Luhrmann his first best director nomination. Even moreso after watching Moulin Rouge! for the first time. Each new trailer looks more promising so I'm holding a spot for it until further evidence prompts me to do otherwise. Ditto for Milk, which I have a hunch will become that film. I currently have The Dark Knight under my predics for best picture, but I'm becoming less and less confident with each passing day. I'll keep it there for now, but I dunno... Slumdog Millionaire has some serious buzz, but so does The Wrestler. Which festival darling to include? One? Both? Neither? For now, I'm saying neither and putting in Rachel Getting Married as this year's "comedy" entry. The buzz is growing pretty steadily for that one, n'est pas? I'm swapping out Revolutionary Road for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in a case of both wishful thinking and logic. Marital strife/domestic drama is so late 90s, early aughts. Sam Mendes may be invited back to the party some day, but I don't think this is the picture that will do it (though I would love for both films to get nominated). Will the Academy ever "get" David Fincher? This will be there ultimate test if Benjamin Button is even half as good as it looks. Clint Eastwood has two pictures coming out this year and it seems foolish not to include one of them, especially with his given track record. But I've heard very little about Gran Torrino and The Changeling doesn't look like it's going to be that film for him this year. Plus, he's quickly becoming the John Williams of the director set, in that he gets nominated every year he works. Is he really that good?

Australia
The Dark Knight
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Milk
Rachel Getting Married

A Girl Cut in Two

directed by Claude Chabrol
written by Claude Chabrol and Cecile Maistre
starring Ludivine Sangnier, Benoît Magimel, François Berléand

A Girl Cut in Two was pretty much just what I needed. It's deliciously campy and it knows it too. It's a sexual thriller, but it's more than that. Ludivine Sangnier plays a woman named Gabrielle Deneige who, despite what the trailers and the title will tell you, is not cut in two. Well, not until the end at least, and that's only in the literal sense, and even then not in the literal sense...I digress. She is an adult, she drives the narrative forward and she's an interesting female character who (shudder! gasp!) dares to express sexual want and desire. But alas, she's not torn between two men. She is not cut in two. For she loves one of them. And it is clear which one she loves. And everything she does, including her interaction with and even her marriage to the other man, is so that she can have the first one. Gabrielle meets Charles St. Denis (Berléand) at her mother's bookstore when he's doing a book-signing. He's a famous author. And several decades her senior. She wants him and is willing to overlook the fact that he's married, selfish, and unwilling to leave his wife under any circumstances. When Paul Gaudens (Magimel), a younger man, technically more age appropriate, meets Gabrielle at the same book-signing, he leads her to believe that he too wants her unconditionally. Despite the fact that something about him turns her off. And he leads her to believe that his love (lust?) is so pure that he is willing to overlook the fact that she's hopelessly and clearly obsessed with Charles St. Denis. Except he's not... This is not going to end well.

I can't recall a movie I've seen this year that was so much...fun. The eroticism is delightfully over-the-top, even for a film of this genre. The dialogue is biting and satirical. It plays almost like a French version of Match Point, except not nearly as heavy and self-important (not to take anything away from Match Point, which was a good film in its own right).
Ludivine Sangnier (Swimming Pool) gives one of the best female performances of the year. She knows this character from head-to-toe, and she navigates a lot of emotional terrain here. Sangnier's Gabrielle is a television personality who reads the weather on the news. You can see that Sangnier gets it. The switch that these people make from their on-air to off-air persona. How there's an inherent sadness to that fakeness. She won't be nominated for best actress, but she very well should be.

Grade: B+