Black Swan

The Academy always has a big problem of neglecting the more artsy/independent- esque films. But thankfully, the best picture nominations have recently been doubled from 5 to 10, allowing certain films, like Black Swan, an opportunity to run in the big leagues. Darren Aronofsky, the genius behind Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler, has created a psychological thriller that stands alone among most of this genre.
Devoid of Aronofsky's typically stylized directing, this film is more of a character study of Nina, a troubled ballet dancer whose life has been completely devoted to dancing and achieving perfection in her craft. Played wonderfully by Natalie Portman, her role as Nina is one of the most haunting performances in recent memory, making you cringe and squirm in your seat as you watch her progression into insanity, becoming delusional and unaware of what is reality and what is in her mind. This film does a brilliant job of toying with the audiences' perception of reality within the film, thanks to Aronofsky's skilled and mature direction. It's shot in an almost documentary style, devoid of still shots, with hand-held camera work that seems to be intimately following the characters and their actions.
Unfortunately, Black Swan has little-to-no chance of winning best picture; this film is, simply, too artsy for the Academy's taste, not quite mainstream enough. At least they've finally recognized Aronofsky, who's gone his whole career without a hint of recognition. Now, hopefully, this film proves something--that independent films do stand a chance against the big studio productions.

The Fighter

One thing the Academy loves is the boxing genre--from Raging Bull to Million Dollar Baby, and now with The Fighter, films that center around boxing always seem to guarantee themselves a spot in the best picture category. The strongest aspect of The Fighter is certainly the acting, with strong performances from Mark Walberg, Melissa Leo, Amy Adams, but most importantly, Christian Bale, who plays a former boxing pro turned crack addict. Loosing nearly 100 pounds to fit the role, Bale gives a tour-de-force performance as Dickey Eklund, not only through his drastic physical transformation, but through his skill mastering the mannerisms and behavioral patterns of a man whose life was ruined by crack-cocaine. Bale became the character; he was the role. And, not to mention the other candidates for best supporting actor are mediocre at best, providing Bale with a really good chance at taking home his first, well deserved Oscar.
As for best picture, probably not happening. With Million Dollar Baby winning it only 7 years ago, the Academy will likely offer the award to a film devoid of the boxing theme. Sorry David O. Russel, bad timing I suppose. However, the original screenplay does have a chance, although its going to have a tough time competing against The King's Speech and Christopher Nolan's highly imaginative Inception.

The Social Network

In my humble opinion, this film has got it all: terrific acting (especially from the lead performances), top-notch directing, beautiful cinematography, and a nearly pitch perfect screenplay from Aaron Sorkin. Prior to seeing this film, Jesse Eisenberg seemed to be nothing more than a Michael Cera wanna-be--the skinny, white, overly passive teenager with an awkward, quirky sense of humor. However, after seeing him portray Mark Zuckerberg as a dark, manipulative, and lonely individual, I realized that, believe it or not, this kid's got talent. Period. The film depicts Zuckerberg as the arrogant boy-genius, a character destined to be hated by audiences--but he's not; thanks to Sorkin's witty, yet unflinchingly human script, we inevitably feel empathy for Zuckerberg, despite his unattractive nature.
Although Esienberg could easily get beat by the highly favored Colin Firth (The King's Speech), I believe that Aaron Sorkin is a shoe-in for the best adapted screenplay award. It plays almost like a contemporary Greek tragedy, digging deep at the core of human relationships--the lies and betrayal that result from money coming between two best friends. And as far as directing, I've always been a huge fan of David Fincher (Fight Club, Seven) and feel that his talent has been severely overlooked by the Academy for years. Essentially, his time is due for some recognition. Like Martin Scorsese's The Departed, The Social Network may not be Fincher's best film per say, but he's long over-due for a golden statue. For best picture, I'd have to say The Social Network is my pick, not a doubt in my mind.

Oscar Predictions

I've narrowed down the list of big Oscar contenders (in my opinion) for this years 83 annual Academy Awards. Unfortunately, I have yet to see the highly praised The King's Speech (sigh), so you will have to bare with my ignorance on that subject. Otherwise, I've seen everything I need to see this year. So let's get started.

Welcome!

Hello All-

Thanks for viewing my blog. I hope that I can generate some interesting discussions pertaining to contemporary film. With my blog, I hope to relay to you all news and reviews of this year's big Oscar contenders. I intend on focusing primarily on the Academy's more prestigious awards, such as Best Picture and Best Director, and provide you with a brief synopsis explaining the logic behind my decisions. I hope you all enjoy. And please, feel free to comment at the bottom of each post. I'd love to see what you all think!. Thanks.

-Collins Swords

Review: Crossroads Short Films (2nd block)

Head in the Sand and Chronicles by the Other
Comedy/drama/war and comedy/drama/love
Malco Grandview Cinema
18 April 2010

The second block of short films I viewed were all very distict from one another. "Head in the sand" focuses on a young boy who loves to read war-related comic books and often imagines himself in a farce version of warfare; everything is a joke. Then, it becomes apparent that this little boy is much older and actually fighting in Afghanistan, where this fantasy transforms into a disturbing reality as he witnesses the horrors of warfare. In the end, we see how this is all in the past and he is now reaping the ramifications, for he has become a paraplegic. Overall, I thought this film was very well made; it had awesome special effects (for a budget I'm sure wasn't very high), very good sound editing, and very realistic locations and sets. The battle scenes were very realistic, with bullets zooming across the screen and explosions off in the distance. However, the acting was a bit cheesy at times, with some questionable lines of dialogue. But, the film made up for this with its very clever means of telling the story and its terrific ending. The ending, by far, was my favorite aspect of the film. After he has been company has been attacked and his fellow men are dying around him, everything fades; we are left with the main character in a very elusive state, observing an illuminating door in the middle of the desert. He walks through the door, which is a portal into the present reality and his unfortunate destiny has become manifest.
"Chronicles by the Other" is a french film about a love triangle between two males (whom are best friends) and their female next door neighbor. The tension begins to rise and feelings get hurt as these people begin to realize the complications of such a relationship, because both men love the woman. It ends on a very bizarre, yet comical, note where all three characters have become unified in one, three person relationship. The film's strongest element was the acting. The actors became the roles in which they were playing, for it almost seemed as though I was watching a documentary. Not only that, it seemed like alot of the dialogue was improvised, which (if this was the case) would be extremely impressive on their part. For the most part the camera work was handheld, but a few scenes had very stylized shots. In one scene, the characters are sitting at a table eating dinner; the camera is placed in the center of the table and begins to slowly rotate, giving the audience a unique perspective on their interactions and conversations. Furthermore, the film's had great use of music, which was sort of European-triphop. Overall, I felt that both of these films were very successful, especially for first-time film makers.

Review: Crossroads Short film Winners

I am a Man and The Big Bends
Documentary and Drama
Malco Grandview Cinema
18 April 2010

Of the block of short films winners that I screened Sunday, two in particular caught my attention: "I am a Man: From Memphis, A Lesson in Life" (documentary) and "The Big Bends" (drama). The first follows Elmore Nickleberry, a sanitation worker who drives and picks up garbage through obscure hours of the night. It begins as a film that documents this man's job and life at home. However, the film begins to evolve, giving the audience a historical perspective on the sanitation workers strike and the assasination of Martin Luther King Jr. The film, then, begins to focus on this particular man's account of all these events, as well as a his moral set of ethics that has made him the man he is today. One aspect that drew me towards this film was the focus on how most people (including myself) typically deem these workers "garbage men". This phrase was almost considered derogatory to them, and I never really understood why untill I was exposed to the entire history behind the sanitation strike. Also, it was facinating to see Elmore's moral code. We are revealed this through interviews with him, as well as his wife and children. Another aspect of the film I really enjoyed was the pace, which flowed very smooth, intercutting between the past and the present. As the film comes to an end, we see Elmore present a very powerful speech to middle school children, so powerful that some are even crying. This was a perfect note to end on, strongly reinforcing the theme of the film and exposing what it takes to actually be a man.
"The Big Bends" was far and away the best film I saw at the festival. It tells the story of Warren, a man who has been diagnosed with a terminal disease. After recieving this terrible news, he isolates himself in the middle of a desert in an RV. As he sits in self-loathing, waiting for death to take its toll, the film takes an interesting twist; he becomes involved with two illegal immigrants, a man and woman (whom is pregnant), desperately attempting to cross the border into the U.S. The film becomes a depressing tale of compassion and self-redemption, as he helps this couple make it safely towards their destination. Almost all of the elments of the film (acting, cinematography, and screenplay) were near perfect. Jimmy Lee Jr. , who played Warren, did a terrific job; he was convincing, intimidating, and emotional all at once. The lighting was exceptional; it was very dark with strong use of shadows, which was highly appropriate due to the disturbing nature of the film. From the opening shot (the RV in the vast landscape of the desert, with the sun setting behind a cliff) with a dramatic monologue about death and expectations, I turned to my friend said "This is going to be the best film we see here today". Fortunately, our observations were correct, and I hope to someday see this filmmaker in the future.