2013 Oscar Snubs and Surprises

Two major stepping stones in the road to the 2013 Oscars happened just yesterday. First, at around 8:40 AM eastern time the Academy Award Nominees were announced. While I plan on simply dissecting the snubs and surprises, you can find a FULL list of the nominees by clicking here (courtesy of IMDB.com). Then, later that night we were graced with the first major awards show of the season, the Critics' Choice Awards. At the event, Argo (Best Picture and Best Director) and Silver Linings Playbook (Best Comedy, Best Acting Ensemble and Best Actor and Actress in a Comedy) walked away as the biggest winners of the evening. For a complete list of Critics' Choice winners, you can go here (courtesy of IMDB.com). Now, back to the Oscar debate.

BIGGEST SURPRISES

While many people had the lesser known films such as Beasts of the Southern Wild and Amour on their radars, I felt that the Academy would find other ways to acknowledge them. Simply a Best Foreign Film Nomination (and most likely a win) for Amour and some sort of acting nomination or maybe even a Best Picture Nomination for Beasts of the Southern Wild. Instead, the Academy shocked us all by recognizing both of them with a massive collection of Best Picture, Best Director and Best Lead Actress nominations. Clearly a surprise that no one saw coming, the Academy managed to throw another annual curveball.

BIGGEST SNUBS

In a year overflowing with top-notch filmmaking, some may try to justify the craziness behind the Academy's selections in the Best Director category. Most notable are the omissions of Ben Affleck (Argo - pictured above) and Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty - pictured below). Even if the voters felt the need to include Michael Haneke (Amour) and Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild) in the final five, it goes without saying that the direction illustrated by Affleck and Bigelow surpasses other nominated efforts given by David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook) and Ang Lee (Life of Pi). After receiving recognition in the Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor categories, it's completely shameful to deny Affleck his first directorial nomination for Argo.

Another major snub goes to John Hawkes (pictured below) who gave one of the best lead performances of the year in the indie hit The Sessions. I understand that there were 6 shining performances this year and someone had to be the odd-man-out, but Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook), Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables) and Denzel Washington (Flight) failed to deliver the same level of performance as Hawkes. Playing a polio-stricken quadriplegic who spends most of his life confined to an iron long, Hawkes gives us an authentic look into the real life story of poet and writer Mark O'Brien. With this role of a lifetime, the Academy absolutely misses on this one. 

There are clearly some other snubs and surprises such as Marion Cotillard's (Rust and Bone) omission and Jacki Weaver's (Silver Linings Playbook) inclusion. But all in all, the Academy did a stellar job recognizing a large majority of the top tier performances we expected it to. While I would have loved to have seen Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) in the Best Supporting Actor category and some Best Director and Best Picture love for J.A. Bayona's The Impossible, most of the announced nominations (outside of the Best Director category) were what we anticipated. Now, all we can do is process what we've been given and try to dissect the future winners. Until then, stay tuned for Sunday January 13th's Golden Globe Awards as we continue our road to the Oscars.

2013 Director's Guild Nominations

Reaffirming my 2013 Oscar Nomination predictions, the Directors Guild of America announced their top five choices for the 2012 year. Matching with my selections from top to bottom, the DGA awarded nominations to Ben Affleck (Argo - my Top Film of 2012), Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty), Tom Hooper (Les Miserables), Ang Lee (Life of Pi) and Steven Spielberg (Lincoln). First time nominee Ben Affleck (who I gave the Best Director award to in my personal 2012 picks) will join an otherwise crowded list of DGA regulars. For starters, Bigelow and Hooper have each taken home a DGA win the last three years. Ang Lee has already won twice before and, although Spielberg hasn't won since 1999, he still has three career victories to his credit. Next up are the Oscar Nominations on Thursday morning January 10th, followed by the Critics' Choice Awards that same evening. It should be a fun week on the long road to the Oscars.

Gangster Squad

Film: Gangster Squad

Starring: Josh Brolin (True Grit), Sean Penn (The Tree of Life) and Ryan Gosling (Drive)

Director: Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland)

U.S. Release: January 11th, 2012 (Rated R)

Genre: Action/Crime

Genre: 113 minutes


We will always remember the tragic events that took place in Aurora, Colorado this past Summer. At a midnight showing of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises, a gunman (who I refuse to sadistically glorify and identify by name) fired shots into a packed movie theatre killing 12 and injuring 58 others. For as horrific as the act was, the shooting also had its impact on Hollywood. Ruben Fleischer's first trailer for Gangster Squad included an unforgettable clip with tommy guns firing throughout a movie theatre and, out of respect for the victims and their families, Warner Bros. forced the director to re-shoot parts of his feature. Originally slated to hit theatres in September of 2012, Gangster Squad finally arrives in theatres four months later than scheduled. Despite the prolonged build up of anticipation, Fleischer's third directorial effort never reaches expectations.

In post World War II Los Angeles, east coast mobster Mickey Cohen (played by Sean Penn) has transformed the city into a morally corrupt and dishonest haven for criminals. With most of local law enforcement in Cohen's pocket, Chief Parker (played by Nick Nolte) turns to none other than Sgt. John O'Mara (played by Josh Brolin) to restore justice in Los Angeles. Through a carefully structured screening process, O'Mara gathers a group of specially skilled officers who put down their badges and go to war against Mickey Cohen's crime syndicate.

Fleischer's Gangster Squad plays out like a thoughtless and made-for-profit crime drama. Clearly picking and choosing from classic mob films of the past, Gangster Squad never truly develops its own identity. Predictable to a fault and overly formulaic, Fleischer swings and misses with this unimaginative and unoriginal effort. The characters lack depth, the script is virtually hollow and his star-studded cast is never given the appropriate platform to shine. For as reputable of an ensemble as he's given, Fleischer fails to generate the performances you would hope for out of rising stars like Ryan Gosling, Michael Pena and Emma Stone. It almost feels like a waste of immense talent. When you start to piece together each of these shortcomings, you begin to recognize Gangster Squad for what it really is ... a cash cow. Now, no one will ever know how much of the film needed to be altered after the tragic events in Aurora, Colorado, but clearly the new final product leaves much to be desired. Never breaking any ground in the often-loved mob genre, Gangster Squad is the second straight mediocre release (let's not forget 30 Minutes or Less) from director Ruben Fleischer.

Although the feature clearly has its faults, Gangster Squad is by no means a disaster. To its benefit, the film is well paced and fluent enough to begin and end without a hiccup. The screenplay's scarcity of substance and character development make for a fast-moving release. In addition to its smooth feel, Gangster Squad scrounges up just enough violence and action to satisfy any fan of mob movies. However, the rare memorable scene and "over before you know it" approach fails to make up for the film's overabundance of cliche dialogue and regurgitated ideas.

Unable to create a unique identity, Ruben Fleischer's Gangster Squad is sadly a letdown. With the blame falling mostly on the shoulders of its director and its screenwriter, Will Beall, even a talented crop of actors and actresses can't resurrect this bland screenplay. If you're looking for a superficial and action-filled movie experience, then Gangster Squad may be enough to satisfy your needs. Yet, if you're looking for a never-before-seen addition to the mob genre, you won't find it here. Mediocrity reigns supreme and becomes the perfect identifier for the squandered crime drama Gangster Squad. Be warned.


Stars: 2 stars out of 4

Grade: C+

Dave's 2012 Movie Awards

In honor of the Academy Award Nominations which will be announced on Thursday January 10th, I give you my personal 2012 year-end movie awards. 2012 proved to be an extraordinary year in cinema, one that will certainly leave its mark in history. Having seen nearly 100 new releases over this past calendar year, here are my top 5 picks for each of the 6 major races:


Notable films I missed in 2012: Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Skyfall and Rust and Bone

Best Supporting Actress

#5 Sally Field - Lincoln

#4 Helen Hunt - The Sessions

#3 Pauline Collins - Quartet

#2 Amy Adams - The Master 

and the winner is ...

#1 Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables

Much like the Academy is sure to do in late February, I reward Anne Hathaway with the Best Supporting Actress role of 2012. For all of the focus on Jean Valjean's character in Tom Hooper's Les Miserables, it's Anne Hathaway who serves as the film's heart and soul. Her emotionally-crushed rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" will live on as a Hollywood highlight reel forever, making her the clear cut winner here.

Best Supporting Actor

#5 Benicio Del Toro - Savages

#4 Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master

#3 Sam Rockwell - Seven Psychopaths

#2 Ezra Miller - The Perks of Being a Wallflower

and the winner is ...

#1 Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino's Spaghetti Western Django Unchained stood out as one of the year's funnest movie experiences. The film's most lovable character was Dr. King Schultz, played by Academy Award Winner Christoph Waltz. While I am starting to feel as though Waltz will be the odd man out in the Best Supporting Actor category when Oscar nominations are announced on Thursday (read about my 2013 Oscar Nomination Predictions), it would be a shame for the Academy to omit his transcending performance. 

Best Actress

#5 Helen Mirren - Hitchcock

#4 Naomi Watts - The Impossible

#3 Zoe Kazan - Ruby Sparks

#2 Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook

and the winner is ...

#1 Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty

After storming onto the scene in 2011 with a handful of unforgettable roles, it seemed like a forgone conclusion that Jessica Chastain was a star in the making. Taking home my 2011 Best Supporting Actress Award for Take Shelter, Chastin raises the bar again with her phenomenal portrayal in Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty. Chastain's character transforms throughout the feature and her development becomes a valuable aspect of the narrative. Although she finds worthy Oscar competition from my runner-up, Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook), Chastain gives the most decisive female performance of the year.

Best Actor

#5 Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook

#4 Denzel Washington - Flight

#3 Joaquin Phoenix - The Master

#2 John Hawkes - The Sessions

and the winner is ...

#1 Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln

This race feels like the biggest "no-brainer" to me. For as many brilliant lead actor performances as there were this year (and believe me there were a TON), none of them were even in the same stratosphere as Daniel-Day Lewis' once in a life time portrayal of Abraham Lincoln. Every chance I get to watch Day-Lewis deliver groundbreaking role after groundbreaking role, it becomes more apparent that I'm experiencing greatness. Steven Spielberg's Best Picture contender, Lincoln, survives solely on the shoulders of the actor's performance. There's no question who deserves this win.


Best Director

#5 David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook

#4 J.A. Bayona - The Impossible

#3 Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained

#2 Kathryn Bigelow - Zero Dark Thirty

and the winner is ...

#1 Ben Affleck - Argo

The Best Director race was the most difficult for me to decide. The Kathryn Bigelow/Ben Affleck debate becomes very difficult to dissect. The direction's outstanding in both Zero Dark Thirty and Argo, but the difference-maker was Affleck's ability to conjure up a multi-dimensional movie experience. Bigelow's feature is more of a character based journey, while Affleck focuses on bringing a remarkable true story to life. Distinct opposites in approach, both films are premier examples of modern day filmmaking. However, I just happened to enjoy Argo slightly more than Bigelow's gripping manhunt tale.


Best Picture

#5 Perfect Sense

#4 The Sessions

#3 Zero Dark Thirty

#2 The Impossible

and the winner is ...

#1 Argo

No one can question the abundance of top tier films released in 2012. It was a difficult decision and very close, but I'm going with Argo as the Best Picture of 2012. A roller coaster ride of emotions, Ben Affleck's Argo interweaves between espionage thriller and comedy. The pacing and tone is perfect, making Argo the most enjoyable film of the year. Its Oscar hopes are still very much alive, despite a major December-long onslaught of competitive releases. Affleck continues to solidify himself as a bonafide filmmaker and gives us Argo, 2012's Best Picture.


*** Where am I right and where am I wrong? Leave a comment and spark a debate

2013 Oscar Nomination Predictions

With Oscar Nominations being announced one week from today on January 10th, I decided to throw my predictions out there for the 6 major categories. Having seen most of the major awards season contenders (excluding Beasts of the Southern Wild, Amour and Rust and Bone) this year, here's how I see the 2013 Oscar Nominations panning out:

*** PREDICTED NOMINEES ARE IN BOLD

BEST PICTURE

Having just seen Zero Dark Thirty, it has all the makings of a Best Picture champion. The film will find its biggest competition from other top tier contenders such Lincoln, Argo and Les Miserables, all of which will find nominations. Under a newer set of rules, the Academy can allow up to 10 nominees in the Best Picture category (depending upon percentage of #1 votes). I am going to make a guess at 8 films making the final cut. The way I see it, Silver Linings Playbook and Life of Pi are two other safe bets. My last two dark horse nominees are Moonrise Kingdom and Django Unchained. 

Best Director

Over the last six years, the Oscars have rewarded the Best Picture and Best Director winner as a tandem. Therefore, if Zero Dark Thirty separates itself as the leader of the pack, then you have to like Kathryn Bigelow's chances of winning the Best Director race. I feel confident in throwing other big name contenders like Steven Spielberg (Lincoln), Ben Affleck (Argo) and Tom Hooper (Les Miserables). And while my heart screams for David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook), I think it will be Ang Lee (Life of Pi) that sneaks into that 5th spot. 

Best Actor

Although it's important to remember that nothing is a "sure-thing", Daniel Day-Lewis gave the year's best performance in Lincoln and I expect him to be rewarded for the role with his third Academy Award. The four remaining nominations are up for grabs with five big-time performances in the hunt. My number two pick comes from John Hawkes who starred in one of my year's favorite films, The Sessions. My last three guesses are Joaquin Phoenix (The Master), Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook) and Denzel Washington (Flight). Going off the trusty old "eye-test", that means Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables) is the odd man out. However, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Jackman makes the cut and any of my last three names get left off the board.

Best Actress

It should be obvious to see which direction I expect the Oscars to take in late February. Riding the wave of a late and impactful release date, Jessica Chastain and the entire team behind Zero Dark Thirty should expect some hardware. Furthermore, the Best Actress competition seems to be the most predictable of the bunch. I feel safe suggesting that nominations are in store for Chastain's biggest rival Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook) as well as Naomi Watts (The Impossible), Marion Cotillard (Rust and Bone) and Emmanuelle Riva (Amour).

Best Supporting Actor

The Best Supporting Actor category feels pretty wide open at the moment, with a slight advantage going to Tommy Lee Jones for his role in Lincoln. I feel confident backing Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master), Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook) and Alan Arkin (Argo) as well. While it feels like a safe bet that the fifth nominee will come from Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, my heart says Christoph Waltz but my brain says Leonardo DiCaprio.

Best Supporting Actress

While it may make more sense to just give Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables) her statue now and avoid all of the hoopla, the rest of the Best Supporting Actress race is far less certain. Sally Field (Lincoln), Helen Hunt (The Sessions) and Amy Adams (The Master) seem like confident picks, leaving only one spot remaining. With your guess being as good as mine, I wouldn't be shocked to see Nicole Kidman (The Paperboy), Maggie Smith (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) or Ann Dowd (Compliance) rounding out the group.

December 2012 Poll Recap

Clearly biased by one of the greatest trilogies of all time, voters screamed for Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises as their choice for Best Picture of the Year on December's poll question of the month. Winning by a landslide, The Dark Knight Rises finished with an overwhelming 56% of the vote. Nolan's final installment was followed by a distant runner-up with Ben Affleck's Argo (claiming 18% of votes). Rounding out the top three was another Oscar hopeful with Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, which ended up tallying 12% of all votes. Also receiving votes were Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master and Joss Whedon's Marvel's The Avengers (with 6% each).

Be sure to check out January's poll question (located in the top right-hand corner of the webpage) regarding the most exciting 2013 releases.

The Top 10 Films of 2012

Goodbye 2012, hello 2013. But before we turn the page and look to the future, it's important to reflect on the past year of cinema. 2012 will forever stand out as a fantastic year for movies. To put it into context, most of my honorable mention picks would have landed in the top ten of any year between 2009 - 2011. This cinematic year has been, simply stated, unforgettable. Therefore, if you come across any movies on my list that you're unfamiliar with, I urge you to give them an honest effort. To kick off my countdown to the year's finest films, here are my five honorable mention selections that just missed out on the top ten: Safety Not Guaranteed, Ruby Sparks, Looper, Flight and Cloud Atlas. Now, for my top ten films of 2012 ...

#10  Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino's highly anticipated Django Unchained landed in a dead lock on my ratings with a little indie comedy called Safety Not Guaranteed (definitely worth seeing). Seeing that Tarantino's latest effort is his most entertaining film to date and one of the funnest movie experiences of the year, I had to give the tiebreaker to Django Unchained. Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio give superb performances that manage to join forces with Tarantino's fine script and a mood-setting score. The result is a cinematic conquest.

#9  The Dark Knight Rises

When Christopher Nolan's conclusion to his Batman trilogy hit theatres in July, the mega-hit surprisingly met my lofty expectations. But after Fall and Winter seasons packed with top-notch films, I was shocked to see The Dark Knight Rises stumble down the list. Despite the movie's sloppy decline in realism, I still felt that The Dark Knight Rises had all the makings of a worthy finale. It's sad to see Nolan's Batman universe come to an end, but at least he went out strong.

#8  Lawless

While many critics were divided on John Hillcoat's Lawless and even some calling it a run-of-the-mill gangster movie, I found the prohibition era tale to far surpass such a disrespectful label. Containing all the necessary ingredients of a legendary gangster film, Lawless goes above and beyond with its comedic undertone and witty screenplay. Based on a historical novel penned by the grandson of Shia LaBeouf's character, Lawless has all the makings of an upper echelon film.

#7  Silver Linings Playbook

Leaving the Toronto International Film Festival as the Best Picture favorite back in September, David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook has since fallen into the background of the Best Picture race. Downright hilarious, Silver Linings Playbook surpasses the typical comedy with its charming script and brilliantly acted romance between two lovable crazies played by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. 

#6  Seven Psychopaths

Sometimes, the best movies are the ones you least expect to enjoy. Being somewhat reserved about seeing Martin McDonagh's Seven Psychopaths, the collection of actors gave me a tiny sense of hope. However, Seven Psychopaths shockingly sets the bar as 2012's funniest feature. Sam Rockwell steals the show, but that isn't any slight to the hysterical performances also offered by Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson and Colin Farrell.

#5  Perfect Sense

When you begin seeing 100 new releases every calendar year, there's always going to be an independent film that simply blows your mind. It's crazy to think that I first saw David Mackenzie's Perfect Sense at the Philadelphia Film Festival in October, 2011. Since the remarkably original apocalyptic romance never found its way to theatres until the turn of the year, therefore, I had to make room for Perfect Sense on my 2012 list. Reeling in a laughable box office totaling under $1 million dollars, Perfect Sense is an amazing love story that's gone virtually unseen. 

#4  The Sessions

Having first seen The Sessions at this year's Philadelphia Film Festival, I was completely blown away. Intimate, sentimental and laugh out loud funny, The Sessions succeeds on a multitude of levels. John Hawkes stars as a polio-stricken 38 year old who wishes to experience sex for the first time, before his "clock runs out". Containing a pair of sure-fire Oscar Nominations for supporting actress Helen Hunt and its leading star, Ben Lewin's The Sessions is a wonderfully uplifting movie experience.

#3  Zero Dark Thirty

This year was more difficult than ever to sift through. Each of my top three films are perfect 4-star examples of exquisite filmmaking. Landing in my third spot is Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty. Exhilarating to the core and perfectly well rounded, Zero Dark Thirty has all the makings of a Best Picture winner (and that's what I see happening at this year's Oscars). Jessica Chastain gives a knockout performance as a passionate young CIA Analyst determined to locate the whereabouts of Osama Bin Laden. With Zero Dark Thirty you'll be mesmerized, captivated and enthralled by the manhunt. 

#2  The Impossible

While finishing up my top ten films of 2012, I noticed that each of my top four movies are based on a true story. Perhaps that's what makes J.A. Bayona's The Impossible such an amazing feature. Following a family on a winter vacation to Thailand for the Christmas holiday in 2004, we watch as a tsunami tears apart the entire region of Southeast Asia. Desperate to survive and find each other in the wake of unprecedented devastation, one family's journey becomes the unbelievable foundation for The Impossible.

#1  Argo

Rounding out my top ten films of the year is Ben Affleck's Argo. Mixing together strong elements of comedy, drama and suspense, Argo makes for an entertaining and wild ride. Following the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis, Affleck brings us the remarkable covert story about the rescue mission of six U.S. diplomats. Experiencing Argo is like riding a roller coaster of emotions all the way to an intense finale. Alan Arkin and John Goodman deliver the valuable comic relief and the result is 2012's finest feature.