John’s Top Ten of 2008

It’s hard to believe but I’m putting together my top ten even later than last year. Again I had hoped to catch up on some movies I missed, but yet again that barely happened. But truthfully this time there weren’t that many I feel like I missed the boat on by skipping.

2008 wasn’t a great year. I’d say it continues a trend starting in 2006, the year Brian and Jared started this project and the early first discussions among the four of us. 2006 had a strong crop of great movies (The Departed, Children of Men, Pan’s Labyrinth). 2007 had a handful of great films (Knocked Up, Hairspray) but a much larger group of very good films (Once, Mr. Brooks). 2008 had few great or very good films, but a huge chunk of merely good films. My top five were easy to pick. The next three became fairly obvious. But literally two dozen films vied for those final two slots. On the one hand, that’s a nice group of films in contention. On the other hand, all are flawed and wouldn’t have come close to my top ten in previous years.

Enough rambling, on with the list!

1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.  A rare film that left me feeling like I had experienced something, although it wasn’t a very pleasant something. Writer/director Christian Mungiu explores abortion in 1980s Romania, where the procedure, along with many other freedoms, are restricted under a Communist regime. Anamaria Marinca and Laura Vasiliu play college roommates Otilia and Gabita. When the latter becomes pregnant, the former helps her find a doctor to perform an abortion and sets up the particulars. It’s a night full of unsavory characters and dirty hotel rooms. Otilia also must balance her duties caring for her friend with commitments to her boyfriend (where “I need to help Gabita get an abortion” will not suffice as an excuse).

The subject matter is tough and bleak. Mungiu’s stylistic choices are always fascinating but never distracting. His shots run for minutes at a time, often with the camera remaining still and the subjects moving throughout the frame. One scene where Gabita sits down to dine with her boyfriend’s family lasts a very uncomfortable, unbroken ten minutes. It’s a technique nearly identical to the one used in the only other recent Romanian film I’ve seen, 12:08 East of Bucharest. Romanian cinema is said to be undergoing a renaissance; can a reader let me know if this is part of the new Romanian style?

The abortion scenes are extraordinarily graphic and brutally realist although not needlessly lurid. I wouldn’t say it contains any politics and I suspect most viewers will feel the movie supports whatever abortion views they had going in. I know that months later I find several images from this film deeply affecting.

4 Months won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2007 but failed to make even the Foreign Language shortlist. The outcry surely factored into the Academy’s decision to alter that category’s nomination procedures for 2008. A short qualifying run made it eligible for the 2007 Oscars – and both Marinca and Vasiliu would have been very deserving nominees in the Lead and Supporting categories, respectively – but didn’t get a real commercial US release until 2008. It is a true masterpiece, but one I have no intent of viewing again soon.

2. The Dark Knight. We’ve discussed this movie a lot around here, but I keep coming back to the same thought: The Dark Knight is like someone wrote a superhero movie just for me. It has the genre’s requisite action sequences, humorous sidekicks, sleek gadgets, and scheming villains but with a complexity and dark edge that one rarely sees in films, let alone in a genre flick. This truly got to me in parts, helped of course by Heath Ledger’s legendary performance, and made it gave me points to ponder leaving the theater. Those are qualities I love to find in any film of any genre.

3. The Wrestler. I fully enjoyed this film when I saw it initially but I’ve found it has risen in my esteem even further over subsequent months. At its heart it’s such a simple story so well told of people whose peaks are far behind them and whose only glories will never be achieved again. Mickey Rourke’s baring performance is incredible (and I remind you that the dude cut himself for real in those wrestling scenes and that is bad ass) while Marisa Tomei is her usual sparkling self. And nomination snub be damned, can you think of a song that so perfectly encapsulated its film like Bruce Springsteen’s title song over the credits? The fade to black and the first strums of that song are just so perfect.

4. Milk. Who knew a formulaic Oscar-bait genre pic could be so good? It tells the story a remarkable subject and does so incredibly well. Milk manages to be a message movie without becoming overly preachy and it maintains an over-arching narrative without straying too far into the classic biopic “tick the box” feel. Director Gus Van Sant gives it an intense feel of time and place, transporting the viewer into the middle of tumultuous 1970s San Francisco. And perhaps most notably it is full of terrific performances, not just from the incomparable Oscar winner Sean Penn but also supporting players Josh Brolin, James Franco, and Emile Hirsch.

5. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father. The last few years have seen some incredible documentaries where filmmakers happened to be filming what would have been a rather pedestrian film just to capture an incredible turn of events (think King of Kong). Here, when his friend Dr Andrew Bagby was murdered in 2001, director Kurt Kuenne decided to make a film about his deceased friend. A noble subject to be sure, but probably one that results in an intensely personal and not widely-seen final product. But Andrew’s ex-girlfriend and suspected killer, Shirley Turner, fled to her native Newfoundland where she announced she was pregnant with Andrew’s child. Kuenne’s film turned into a film for Andrew’s son, Zachary, to tell him about his father.

Andrew’s parents David and Kathleen move to Newfoundland to battle Shirley for custody of Zachary while the wheels of justice turn unbearably slow. The Bagbys must maintain a friendly relationship with their son’s murderer in order to see their grandson, an unthinkably painful prospect. The twists and turns continue as the courts make rulings and Shirley’s sanity appears unstable. I will not come close to revealing the film’s resolution. David and Kathleen end up becoming the main characters in this incredible story; their resolve is truly remarkable.

Dear Zachary did the festival circuit and had a short theatrical run in 2008, but I saw it on MSNBC. It may have future airings there and I would recommend checking it out if it does.

6. Slumdog Millionaire. I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with the points Slumdog backlash devotees make. It feels mildly exploitative, the acting isn’t particularly great, and the plot strains credibility. I think for the most part it doesn’t really matter. The way the story advances through incredible chance does bother me to some extent, but I accept it as a modern fairy tale. Most fairy tales take outlandish turns. And I don’t really know how you can make a film about extreme poverty without it feeling at least somewhat exploitative unless it dwells on only the most negative aspects of human existence. The life of the poor isn’t horrible for every second of every day and it’s not necessarily glamorizing poverty to show that in a film.

Slumdog is always fascinating. The adjective that still comes into my head all these months later is “vibrant” but I’m not sure that’s quite right. I think that’s too positive a word. It is vibrant, but also brutal and nasty and dirty and raw. Maybe “pulsating” is a better word, helped with by the Oscar-winning camera work and score. I do love films where the settings feel like a major character; this was the case with my 2007 love affair with The Assassination of Jesse James and the same holds for the bustling slums of Mumbai even tough they couldn’t be further from the emptiness of the Great Plains in Jesse James. In a way I felt like I had spent two hours experiencing India. Truthfully I’m not sure Slumdog will hold up well as a Best Picture winner but it’s a pretty fantastic immersive experience with a crowd-pleasing ending.

7. Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I always knew this would make my list, but a reviewing several months ago surprised me with how good it truly is. I think with films that depend on humor and shock value subsequent viewings will necessarily lose some of the impact. And that happened here, but by not guffawing so hard I caught how well-crafted it is. The characters are interesting, well-developed, and amusing. The jokes are taut and clever; the plot engaging. Plus it has some moments that could be considered truly classic (think Dracula musical and YOU SHALL NOT PASS!).

8. In Bruges. I like a movie that can get to me a little and this very, very dark comedy did. Much like Sarah Marshall it depends to some extent on shock value, but even if you know what’s coming it’s still deeply engrossing and the ruminations on fate only get more fascinating. Great performances and fully-developed characters make the subject matter and strange twists and turns seem natural. The concept is a little insane (odd couple hitmen hiding in Belgium!) but the execution is spot-on to the point that it doesn’t really seem that insane.

9. Tropic Thunder. Does this clever and funny film make writer/director Ben Stiller respectable? I mean, Zoolander was quite good too. Like the previous two films on my list I’m surprised how well it held up on a second viewing; here you take out the shock value and it’s still damn funny. Maybe even funnier. The Hollywood mockery is clever and the fake trailers that begin the movie are hilarious. The Golden Globe nod for Tom Cruise is kind of a joke, but Robert Downey Jr’s recognition surely is not. He’s an actor in blackface acting as an actor in blackface acting in a movie. And he does the DVD commentary as his character’s character. Heady!

10. Let the Right One In. What an interesting mixture of genres. It’s a vampire movie and does have some genuinely creepy moments straight out of a good horror film. But the film’s wide appeal is clearly due to the very sweet tween romance between protagonists Oskar and Elli (the vampire). I haven’t seen Twilight but I think I can safely say that Let the Right One In beats it at its own game. The DVD subtitle controversy may have the internet up in arms, but this is a real winner no matter what subtitles you get. In fact, I’ve read comparisons of the two sets of subtitles and the new set has a few sections that are superior to the theatrical set. I think it’s rare to see a vampire movie that’s so cute.

And there were plenty of other good films this year that did something special. Most of these were in the running for the last two spots on my list. In no particular order:

I like a raunchy Apatow-style comedy with a helping of depth and insight. Or you can take something like Role Models, eschew the depth and insight, and just make it extra balls-out funny. Paul Rudd can definitely lead a film… For a great double feature of very clever and entertaining con movies, pick up The Bank Job and RockNRolla. Both are some of the most fun movies I’ve seen in some time with plots that withstand scrutiny… Speaking of fun films, Gran Torino is not what I would call a good movie by any stretch but hell if it isn’t ridiculously entertaining. It thrives on Clint Eastwood’s hilariously fun and over-the-top performance.

Don’t listen to the rest of these fools on this site, Frozen River is terrific. It’s a quiet film but it kept me tense in its portrayal of desperate poverty… Or for another wintry film to cool you down this summer, turn to David Gordon Green’s bleak but affecting drama Snow Angels, featuring good performances from Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale… For something completely different, Green’s other 2008 film was the hilarious stoner comedy Pineapple Express. I think maybe the last scene was the best ending of the year… Another place to look for laughs is Get Smart, which blew my low expectations away. It’s fairly mainstream comedy but very well-done.

Is it sacrilege for me to admit Kung Fu Panda was my favorite animated film of the year? DreamWorks rose above their usual crutch of pop culture jokes to create something that’s timelessly funny and entertaining while the animation is strikingly gorgeous… HBO’s Recount dramatizes the 2000 Presidential recount farce in a way that didn’t seem too obnoxiously political. Many of the characterizations are campy fun but Laura Dern as Katherine Harris takes the cake… The Fench thriller Tell No One takes the usual genre elements and gives them a curious French stylistic twist… Have I mentioned recently how great Richard Jenkins is in The Visitor? He’s near perfection in a good film, though it lags a bit whenever he is offscreen.

And one final commendation to the first two-thirds of Hancock. It’s rare indeed for me to be so onboard with a movie so quickly and so completely. I mean, what a concept: a boozing superhero who needs a PR campaign to repair his image. Brilliant! The plot and every little story touch is so clever and entertaining while Will Smith and Jason Bateman turn in their usual terrific performances. Too bad the last third is so putrid that it irreparably damages the film. Everything that is so right about the first hour goes spectacularly wrong, as if an entirely differenent set of people made it. I don’t understand how something can be so well-crafted at the beginning and so hapharzardly awful at the end. And I’m not even talking about the big twist, which the DVD box basically spells out. It’s the resolution with its out-of-leftfield plot points and absurd logic. Without that unfortunate turn of events Hancock would have surely been near the top of this list.

On to a better 2009!

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Who We Want to Win: Best Picture

It is easy to criticize the Academy for its choices. Like any organization, they are going to make unpopular decisions. And as with any vote, the most deserving person or film isn’t guaranteed victory in the least. But part of the genesis of this project is the idea that it isn’t fair to ridicule a winner without seeing all of the other nominees. So, we watched all the nominees. Quixotic? Maybe. Fun? Almost always. Here’s what we thought of the Best Picture category:

ADAM

Will Win: Slumdog Millionaire

As I have stated before, Slumdog Millionaire has been sweeping all awards ceremonies. At this point, it seems like an unstoppable juggernaut. Overall, it was a well written screenplay, with very good acting (especially by the children, the cop, and the game show host). I have issues with the transition and handling of the older children and storyline, but other than that, I thought this was a very well put together movie.

I Want to Win: The Dark Knight

As with Best Director, I realize that The Dark Knight was not nominated, but in my opinion there was no movie better this year. It is a travesty that it was excluded and my opinion of the Academy has reached an all time low (no small feat).

Dark Horse: The Reader

The Reader‘s nomination was a surprise to a good many people. The love for it is obviously there so it has an outside chance of stealing this award from Slumdog. However, it is still Millionaire‘s award to lose.

Random Notes:

My disgust with the Academy over this award is palpable. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, The Dark Knight was the best movie of the year. The Academy does itself no favors by proving time and time again that it is both antiquated and close-minded. This is just another example.

BRIAN

Since The Wrestler isn’t in this group, I am going with the masses and hoping for a Slumdog win. Of the five, its the movie I most enjoyed and the one I would most be looking forward to watching again. Faint praise, but well, its the 2008 Oscars.

JARED

You know, I kind of like this group. Not because I think they are the five best pictures of the year, but because they sort of provide a good summary of the Oscar year in film. The Oscar-bait movies were generally disappointing affairs, and more frequently than not, the best movies came outside of the traditional framework (even Slumdog Millionaire didn’t exactly come from the studio system). Most of the biggest themes in 2008 films were largely ignored by the Academy. Looking at the top ten grossing films of the year, for example, there are four animated films, three super hero films, Indy, Bond, and Twilight. Moneymaking doesn’t equal quality, of course, but WALL-E landed on more critics’ top ten lists than other other film, and had the third-highest metacritic score of the year (behind 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days, and The Class). The Dark Knight was on the fourth-most number of crtic’s lists, and is third of the viable Oscar contenders and nominees on Rotten Tomatoes list, behind The Wrestler and WALL-E.

At this point, I feel like I’ve spent enough time on Frost/Nixon. I’m stunned that anyone could consider it in the top five of 2008 movies. Sure, it felt like an Oscar movie, and was a decent film, but The Wrestler wasn’t better? Maybe as John (I think) said, the film just had more of an impact on people who lived through the Nixon administration. And I’m still content to be in the minority who didn’t think much of Milk. Maybe I’m just allergic to biopics. I can at least somehow see how people might love the film, I suppose, and I don’t think too much less of them.

It is hard to watch Benjamin Button and not think, “Yeah, this is an Oscar movie.” The effects (and I’m including makeup there) are really impressive, and the film has a grand feeling to it. It wasn’t completely successful or maybe even mostly successful in delivering an entertaining film. But it was a valiant effort. And really, I think more or less the same about Slumdog Millionaire. A fantastic start, but it falls a little short of greatness. Again, while I don’t quite understand all the love for the film, I’m certainly not opposed to it.

So yes, I’m the sole person waving a The Reader foam finger. It wasn’t perfect, far from it. But for me, it was touching, maybe even beautiful. Everybody looks for something different from a movie, and I’m not sure I can describe what I want. But I have to think when a film hits me like a punch to the gut, it is doing something right.

JOHN

And here we are, the Big Kahuna. I think this is sort of a middling group of films. The fact that I didn’t truly dislike any of them is better than average for the Academy. On the other hand, only two really moved me. I will have forgotten half this slate in six months.

First, the weakest. How did The Dark Knight lose out to The Reader? It’s not that good but it is total Oscar bait. Consider: forbidden love, the Holocaust, AND a lesson about the importance of art. I guess there’s no way the Academy could refuse (and, for the record, I had one of the few correct pre-nomination predictions on this site when I said it would sneak into the category). Its success is mixed. I was very fascinated by the affair plot. The way young Michael becomes so completely enamored with Hannah and the devastation her rejection wreaks on the rest of his life are very interesting. But the other more serious story lines are much less successful. There’s a very good film to be made exploring how we assign blame to an entire society that commited an atrocity but The Reader is not it. It has some good thoughts on the issue, however, and the scene with Michael’s classmate yelling at the professor is my favorite scene in the film. And then the whole redemptive power of literacy theme is a complete and utter miss. I couldn’t possibly have cared less. Hannah’s actions would be much more interesting explored from her position in society and her occupation than her literacy.

I found Frost/Nixon to be a pretty entertaining ride. It reminds me of Oceans Eleven of all films with the way its characters playfully work their scheme to trick the villain. It’s fun but that’s about it. It’s the problem I mention again and again: I just didn’t care. The big climax is… a contrite Richard Nixon!! Um, so? That surely means a lot to some people but not for me. Without more context Nixon just feels like another movie villain, albeit one I have knowledge of going in. So it’s a fun flick without much weight. I liked Frank Langella and Michael Sheen and Frost’s team of three researchers is hilarious.

Benjamin Button is a darn good story. Take the crazy premise of aging in reverse, choose the time to begin the guy’s life, and let it go. I enjoyed seeing where the story would go and generally the plot is quite interesting. It made me think about the practical challenges of aging backwards. It clearly wanted me to think about something deeper, however, and I think any intended lessons on youth and love fall short. The film looks great and the special effects are very neat without being too ostentatious. Some of the unnecessary contrivances, such as the framing device of old Daisy on her death bed while Hurricane Katrina bears down on New Orleans, are nicely counterbalanced by some really superb segments like the ones in the USSR and World War II. It is a little too sprawling and goes on too long, but it is for the most part a pleasant film-going experience.

There’s a pretty big gap to my top two. Slumdog Millionaire will win and I’ll be okay with that. It’s great to see something untraditional get so much love. Even though I’m making Milk my choice I understand how boring it is to reward a biopic. The contrivances annoyed me at times. It’s meant to be a Dickensian fairy tale and that does make me feel better about them but I’d be lying if I said they didn’t bother me a little. But most of those reservations get blown away by the picture’s look and feel. Exhilarating pieces like the chase through the slums and the scenes at the Taj Mahal took my breath away. The throbbing score gives the entire thing a great pulse. Clearly it has the feel-good thing going for it that puts audience in a good mood and I wonder how much of the love for the film is an outsized response to that. I adore Slumdog Millionaire but I’m not sure how well it will hold up.

And so my choice is Milk. I loved pretty much everything about this film. It transcends its biopic genre by being not just about a man but a time and an ideal. It’s a message film that never grows preachy or sappy. Sean Penn turns in an incredible performance. He’s one of those stars that you immediately forget is Sean Penn when he is on the screen. The supporting cast is also terrific, led by Josh Brolin, James Franco, and Emile Hirsch. I also really liked how Milk treats its antagonist, Dan White, by making him quite complex and even somewhat sympathetic. Even the editing in Milk stood out for me with its terrific opening montage that so perfectly set the stage and its use of archival footage. In a lackluster year I’m thrilled to find such a gem even in the guise of a standard Hollywood biopic.

Snubs: I so wish The Dark Knight had made it into the big show. I would never consider myself a superhero movie fan but this felt like a superhero movie made for me with its dark style and thought-provoking themes. It would have been nice to see a big action flick get the recognition. And even though I wasn’t as entranced with WALL-E as nearly everyone else – I merely really liked it instead of loved it – it, too, would have been a fun change of pace for the nomination.

And then there’s The Wrestler, which totally fits into the Academy’s box of the types of films to get recognition and yet did not. Great story, great acting, great camerawork, resonant themes- it’s a shame it never even really entered the conversation.

Who We Want To Win: Best Adapted Screenplay

It is easy to criticize the Academy for its choices. Like any organization, they are going to make unpopular decisions. And as with any vote, the most deserving person or film isn’t guaranteed victory in the least. But part of the genesis of this project is the idea that it isn’t fair to ridicule a winner without seeing all of the other nominees. So, we watched all the nominees. Quixotic? Maybe. Fun? Almost always. Here’s what we thought of the Best Adapted Screenplay category:

Who We Want To Win: Best Supporting Actor

It is easy to criticize the Academy for its choices.  Like any organization, they are going to make unpopular decisions.  And as with any vote, the most deserving person or film isn’t guaranteed victory in the least.  But part of the genesis of this project is the idea that it isn’t fair to ridicule a winner without seeing all of the other nominees.  So, we watched all the nominees.  Quixotic?  Maybe.  Fun?  Almost always.  Here’s what we though of the Best Supporting Actor category:

Top Five (Through January)

John

1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
2. The Dark Knight
3. Milk
4. The Wrestler
5. Slumdog Millionaire

Adam

1. Dark Knight
2. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
3. In Bruges
4. Doubt
5. Slumdog Millionaire

Jared

1. WALL-E
2. The Reader
3. Pineapple Express
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
5. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist

Brian

1. The Wrestler
2. Milk
3. WALL-E
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
5. Dark Knight

Not too much change from last time.  Adam added Doubt, John stayed the same, I added The Reader, and Brian decided to rearrange his order, plus put WALL-E in for Slumdog Millionaire.  We’re coming down the home stretch, boys and girls, just two weeks away from the big night.  We’ll be rolling out our should wins, our predictions, and we’ll wrap up our movie reviews.  Plus, don’t miss our world famous Oscar night liveblog.

The Academy Throws Some Curveballs in its Nominations

Well the nominations have been announced and those looking for surprises are happy this morning. The Grouches did get at least one nasty surprise.

Dark Knight Debacle

I was expecting the Academy to screw up and skip over Dark Knight for Best Picture. I thought Christopher Nolan had a better shot at Director. But the huge surprise was no Adapted Screenplay nomination. Four of the five Best Picture nominees were nominated in that category with the fifth slot going to Doubt. That’s a pretty shoddy film to be passed over for.

On the other hand, it got nominated in every technical category it was eligible for besides Score and Costume for a total of 8 nominations (including Supporting Actor Heath Ledger).

The Winslet Conundrum

Kate Winslet was aiming for Lead Actress in Revolutionary Road and Supporting in The Reader despite both roles probably being lead. She won these categories at the Globes. But the Academy puts her in the Lead role for The Reader and nothing for Road.

So we can play the what if game. Rules in the acting categories state an actor cannot: a) be nominated more than once in the same category, nor b) be nominated twice for the same role. If those rules were removed I would not be surprised if Winslet qualified for Lead for both roles AND Supporting for The Reader. When something like this happens the Academy goes with the role that got the most support and that apparently was Lead for The Reader.

Hooray for Little Movies!

My happiest moment came with the announcement of Richard Jenkins for Actor in The Visitor. Melissa Leo also managed an Actress nod for Frozen River when it seemed like her chances were fading. The biggest out of nowhere surprise may be that film’s Original Screenplay nomination.

Leo’s inclusion may have meant Sally Hawkins’s exclusion for Happy-Go-Lucky but that film still managed an Original Screenplay nod. And that interesting category ALSO includes the wonderful In Bruges. Plus WALL-E, which no one would call a little movie. Those interesting nominations pushed out films like Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Burn After Reading, however.

Long shots Darren Aronofsky and the film itself for Best Picture didn’t pan out, but at least Marisa Tomei was able to join co-star Mickey Rourke as an acting nominee for The Wrestler. That’s great, though the film really should have gotten a screenplay nod. And Bruce Springsteen’s exclusion for Song is downright confounding.

Other Surprises

I’m not complaining, but it was widely expected Dev Patel to get a Supporting Actor nomination for Slumdog Millionaire and he did not. Instead Michael Shannon from Revolutionary Road snuck in from way back in the pack to give the film its only major nomination.

Another puzzling exclusion was Waltz with Bashir in the Animated Feature category. The animated, foreign-language documentary was nominated for Foreign Language Film and ineligible for Documentary Feature. Kung Fu Panda and Bolt join WALL-E as Animated Feature nominees. After the near unanimous love for the film its absence is quite surprising.

So Jared got his wish for some surprises but managed to be nearly completely wrong in his predictions.

Some other prediction notes after the jump.

Grouching the Oscars: What Would De-Grouch the Grouches?

Oscar nominations will be announced on January 22. We’re counting down to the big day by tackling some tough questions and spouting some mad opinions. The final topic: What is your biggest hope for the nominations?

John: Give Jenkins the Recognition He Deserves

I loved me some Richard Jenkins in The Visitor. He did so much with a fairly restrained character without ever seeming one-note or bland. The film loses a bit when it meanders to other topics and characters, but when Jenkins is on the screen it shines. His journey from detached and solitary to a man reengaging with society is entirely engrossing. He’s never showy and he nails his character’s awkwardness and slow gain in confidence. I said last year that I loved Casey Affleck in Assassination of Jesse James for making his character absolutely perfect. It’s a sentiment I extend to Richard Jenkins. Of course that’s partly a writing triumph, but a great performance is what makes it transcend into something very special. I hope voters dig far into their screener pile to find this film released months ago. At this point Jenkins is very much on the bubble and it could go either way. If his name is announced tomorrow I will be very happy.

Brian: Don’t Forget Sarah Marshall

Any love for Forgetting Sarah Marshall. A screenplay is all I really ask for, but a best song nomination wouldn’t be out of the question. Goofy, charming, and sentimental — I’m consistently surprised by the staying power of that film on my Top 5 list.

Adam: Living and Dying With Dark Knight and In Bruges

If anyone is reading this blog at all they would have recognized my love for The Dark Knight and In Bruges (in fact, I saw In Bruges for the second time the other day and it definitely held up). I would love to see TDK sweep the nomination categories as well as the awards. And, it would be nice to see In Bruges get credit for its screenplay, art direction, cinematography, and supporting acting. The art direction & cinematography nods were added to my wish list after the second viewing. The choice of locations, camera angles, and shots are actually very well done. They enhance the story and feel of the movie so subtly that you might not even notice it the first time around, but their effects can not be overstated. I also (and I can’t believe I’m saying this) agree with Brian. A nod to Forgetting Sarah Marshall would be a nice addition to screenplay and song – but I won’t hold out hope.

Jared: Just a Genuine Surprise Would be Nice

Sure, I’m rooting for some long shots to receive nominations (some of which are probably obvious, none of which I’ll be so foolish as to jinx). Most years I’d be hoping not to see certain people get nominated, but I think the only film even sniffing the Oscars that I actively disliked this go round was Synecdoche, NY (with the caveat I’ve maybe three or four movies left to see). But my biggest wish for the Oscar nominations is for my picks to be pretty wrong and to see a good amount of surprises. Part of that desire, to be sure, is the selfish wish for some added excitement to this relatively mundane Oscar season. But I also think there are many nominees who seem to be in the mix just because everyone is resigned to the fact that they should be nominees. I’d love to see some wild cards in there, some picks which really excited people. Sure, preferably they’d be nominees I’d be excited about as well, but if Synecdoche sneaks into the screenplay category and I can bash it for a few weeks, that’d be OK.

That’s it from us. Here’s hoping for some happy Grouches tomorrow morning!

Grouching the Oscars: Put Up or Shut Up

Oscar nominations will be announced on January 22. We’re counting down to the big day by tackling some tough questions and spouting some mad opinions. Today we’re making predictions. Going out on a limb a little, what will and will not happen in the nominations?

Brian: Torino for the Upset

Gran Torino will squeeze in as a Best Picture nominee, kicking out Frost/Nixon. I think Oscar voters will be blinded by the strong box office performances of Eastwood’s take on the Incredible Hulk, and the old fogeys will be regretful if they don’t throw some dap to what could possibly be Eastwood’s last film. Considering the movie’s pure audacity, I can’t even protest the pick that much, even though it was not very good. I like its chances, and like the Arizona Cardinals making a playoff run, I think that a surprise nomination could give it upset special potential over Slumdog in the end game.

John: TDK Loses, HSM3 Wins

I’ll believe Dark Knight getting a Best Picture nod when I see it. It deserves it but the Academy is so good at disappointing me. Despite love from nearly every guild (producers, directors, writers, art directors, editors, sound mixers, cinematographers, costume designers) SAG skipped it for its Ensemble award and the acting branch is by far the largest in the Academy. I know the correlation between SAG Ensemble and Best Picture isn’t perfect, but I’m pessimistic. The Reader seems so much more up the Academy’s alley that I can definitely see it ignoring the comic book film. This is a prediction I’d love to be wrong, but I expect lots of fanboy bitching tomorrow.

After last year’s debacle in the category I expect High School Musical 3: Senior Year to score at least one Original Song nomination. Fortunately rule changes prevent it from nabbing more than two so it can’t match Enchanted‘s three. None of the groups that names Best Song has given the bland musical tunes any love, but if anyone can it’s the Academy.

Jared: Good News Coming for Happy, Winslet, Leo (DiCaprio); Bad for Jolie, Blanchett, Leo (Melissa)

It is hard to make exciting predictions this year, with so many categories seeing so much uniformity across guild awards and the other precursors.  I won’t make up something crazy just for the sake of being bold, but I can see a few slightly unexpected things to happen.  Happy-Go-Lucky will garner three nominations (Actress, Supporting Actor, and Original Screenplay). I wouldn’t necessarily agree with all of them, but I think the film’s unbridled optimism will resonate with voters in this political and economic climate, and since Eddie Marsan is the one counter to that in the whole movie, he stands out too much not to be noticed.  Kate Winslet grabs two noms, and Leonardo DiCaprio comes along for the ride. The former is more likely than the latter, but I think Winslet peaked at the right time, is a name people know and want to vote for, and I think people want to get her an Oscar win.  There are scenarios where Revolutionary Road or The Reader pull down more nominations, but I see them having difficulty cracking the big categories, so support could funnel to DiCaprio.  Leo, Jolie, Blanchett out for Best Actress. This category is an eight woman (well, no, nine, Michelle Williams has a non-zero shot) free-for-all, and really, nothing is absolutely guaranteed.  I think Jolie misses because Changeling didn’t resonate in general any more than A Mighty Heart.  I’m even now second-guessing myself about Blanchett, since the Academy loves her so, but I think she has more of a chance if Benjamin Button broke out a little more at the box office.  And Leo will suffer from being in a movie released too early and being too little of a name.

Adam: Those Expecting Surprises Will be Disappointed

Not sure how much of a long shot it is, but I think Leonardo DiCaprio edges out Pitt and Jenkins for a Best Actor nod.  I also second Jared’s prediction of Happy-Go-Lucky getting more nods than it deserves (which I have no problem ridiculing in the days to come).  I think Dev Patel rides the seemingly-universal love for Slumdog Millionaire into a supporting actor spot.  Honestly though, I really don’t see that many “long shots” in even remote contention.

John’s Ego Takes a Hit At the Movies

I didn’t become a regular At the Movies viewer until about two years ago. That’s when they started posting their videos online and the four of us started talking movies more and more. That means I never watched regularly before Roger Ebert left, but that was okay because I really like Richard Roeper and I find his tastes match mine pretty well. Ebert’s a good read but he falls for overly-sentimental, treacly junk too often for my liking (see: anything by Paul Haggis).

A string of guest reviewers came (including one horrible show with John Mellencamp) but eventually two settled in permanently that I liked: AO Scott from the New York Times and, even better, Michael Phillips from the Chicago Tribune. This was swell until Disney took the show in a different direction early last autumn and all the smart guys left.

Enter the Bens: Ben Menkiewicz from Turner Classic Movies and Ben Lyons from E!. They started rough but Menk turned out all right. He’s knowledgeable and decent enough in front of the camera. Lyons sucked from the beginning — he was derided from the moment he was announced as host for calling I Am Legend “one of the greatest movies ever made” — and he still sucks. His reviews barely skim the surface and the reasons for his recommendations either make no sense or are based entirely around an actor’s star power. Your kids are going to make you see High School Musical 3 so you might as well Rent It. Thanks, critic! The mockery from the internet continues to grow, including from Ebert himself.

As I often do, I awoke Sunday morning and watched the latest DVR’d episode. It was the Best of 2008 show and I grew horrified as Lyons revealed his list. His top 5:

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. Milk
4. The Wrestler
5. The Dark Knight

We’ll have another top 5 post coming up in a few days for movies we saw through the end of 2008. Here’s what my top 2-6 would be, discounting my #1 of 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days which appeared on most critics’ lists in 2007:

1. The Dark Knight
2. Milk
3. The Wrestler
4. Slumdog Millionaire
5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

I am disgusted that I loved the same films as Ben Lyons. And I haven’t seen Benjamin Button, the only film that differs on our top fives, yet. His number 10 was also one of my 2008 faves, In Bruges. My belief system is shocked to the core and my ego has taken a beating. Every week I mock this guy as I watch the show but when it comes down to it our favorites are nearly identical. GAH!

Unfortunately the only other syndicated movie review show, Reel Talk, is hosted by Lyons’s nearly-as-obnoxious father, Jeffrey, a man who seems to like every damn movie. But on a side note, the younger Lyons hosts My Family’s Got Guts on Nickelodeon and is quite good, though that only makes me trust his reviews even less. He should stick to hosting kids’ shows.

Full At the Movies top 10s after the jump.

Why So Serious? (And other obvious post titles)

Stars:              Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal

Directed By:  Christopher Nolan

Written By:    Christopher & Jonathan Nolan

 

Grouches Ratings: 

Adam:             9.5

Brian:              9

Jared:              8

John:                9

 

Overall:          8.88