Normally, this being the night before the Oscar nominations are announced, I would be counting
the hours - the minutes - until they are announced in Beverly Hills at 5am EST. I have been known to actually set my alarm and turn on the tv so I can hear who got nominated and who got fucked. But not this time.
Oh, I may set the tv timer for 5am and tape the announcements but I'll be in no rush to watch them because (1) this year's nominees are fairly easy to predict and (2) there will be very few surprises (I promise you).
More to the point, none of the films - as many as 10 can be nominated for best movie -
stand out and not one of them - I repeat - NOT ONE OF THEM - is truly worthy of winning
the Oscar. Not a truly outstanding film among the bunch.
The odds on favorite to win the Oscar this year will be the film that was just honored by the
Producers Guild this past weekend: THE ARTIST from France no less and silent to boot.
Silent, that is, meaning there is no dialogue in the film, only title cards, just like in all the
films that were produced before talkies took over in the late 1920s.
Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed THE ARTIST. It made my top 10 list of films in 2011,
ranking No. 10. As mentioned before, the novelty of no dialogue wore rather thin about half
way thru but the ending is fabulous and all in all it's delightful. But worthy of the best film
Oscar? I don't think so.
THE ARTIST beat out the following films for the Producer's Guild award: BRIDESMAIDS,
THE DESCENDANTS, THE HELP, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, HUGO,
THE IDES OF MARCH, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, MONEYBALL and WAR HORSE.
The Academy of Arts and Sciences, which sponsors the Oscars, made a big mistake 2 years ago
when it announced it would increase the number of movies that could be nominated for best
film of the year from 5 to as many as 10. Timing, they say, is everything, and the Academy's
was piss poor because this change took place in a year when Academy members would be hard
pressed to find 5 decent films to nominate, let alone 10.
And I'm afraid that's the situation again this year. There were some brilliant, memorable
films distributed last year and they were all foreign made. Unfortunately, the clear majority
of these films are relegated to the best foreign film category and are ineligible for a best picture
nomination. (I know...I know. THE ARTIST is from France but it's silent, remember. And
the title cards are in English. So I presume that makes it eligible to win the Oscar for best film.
Confusing? Oui. Should all films, regardless of their country of origin, be eligible? Of course.
In my opinion, not one of the 10 films nominated by the Producers Guild stand out from the
rest. Most are good, none are great.
One of these was THE HELP, a wildly uneven adaptation of the best selling novel. It features
2 Oscar worthy (and probable winning) performances by Viola Davis and Octavia Spenser (best
actress and best supporting actress). However, I don't believe it will get a best pic nomination,
nor does it deserve one.
Neither does MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, Woody Allen's most successful film ever, which will be
nominated for best film. And so will Allen for best director. The best thing about it was the
the Paris location. I wanted to fly out the next day to Paris after seeing the film but that's all
I remember about it. The scenery. Talk about fluff!
The only real competition that THE ARTIST will face for the best pic Oscar will come from
THE DESCENDANTS and HUGO. George Clooney, who will probably take home the Oscar for best actor for his performance is the best thing in the former and the cinematography is the best thing in the latter film which I wanted very much to love...but didn't. I'm a big fan of Martin
Scorsese, but HUGO is not one of his memorable films. He will get a best director nomination but will lose out to Michael Hazanivicius (THE ARTIST) or to Woody Allen.
And what about WAR HORSE? Nominated for best film by the Producers Guild, its
director, Steven Spielberg, was overlooked by the Directors Guild. Still, WAR HORSE will
probably get a best pic nomination because the Academy's membership still consists of more industry retirees than not and they love big, over-the-top tearjerkers. I saw it twice. Yup.
I'm a sucker for movies about WWI and horses. I shed tears early on and was sobbing at film's end, a happy one, kana hora.
Oddly enough, the one English language film of 2011 that I saw and has stayed with me is one that will be overlooked by the Academy - BEGINNERS. Christopher Plummer will be nominated and most likely will win the Oscar for best supporting actor (deservedly so). And
maybe it will get a best screenplay nomination. But that's all.
The ratings for this year's telecast will be among the lowest in recent years unless one
film in particular is nominated for best movie.
And what is that film?
BRIDESMAIDS. Universally praised by critics, a major box office success, its fans will tune in to see if it wins (should it be nominated).
We'll know in less than 24 hours. I can hardly wait. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
REMEMBERING SANDY BLECHER
It was 25 years ago this week that my dear friend, Sandy Blecher, passed away. She was only
47.
She and her husband, Shelly, has just returned 2 weeks earlier from their 4th or 5th trip to
Italy. Sandy loved everything Italian: the art, museums, the food and especially the people.
There probably wasn't a gallery or museum in Rome, Florence, Milan or Venice that failed to
get her attention. She worshipped the great painters and was a virtual encyclopedia when it came to art history or, for that matter, just about any other subject under the sun.
She was born in Philadelphia, one of 3 children - 2 girls and 1 boy. Her brother, Barry, was treated as royalty - a prince - while Sandy was relegated to the role of no one in particular. As
a female, it was expected that she would marry young and be a housewife. Pretty typical for a girl of her generation, although she did attend Temple Univ. for a year before she met and married Shelly.
That marriage took place when Sandy was only 19, one year after she had met Shelly who
claims that Sandy proposed to him after only 6 weeks of dating. I believe Shelly because Sandy used to tell hysterically funny stories about her parents and how warped they were and how she
couldn't wait to get out from under their influence and control.
Once married, her parents refused to pay for her college tuition and thus ended the formal
education of one of the most intelligent people I've ever known.
I don't recall how Carol (my former wife) and I met Sandy and Shelly. I do remember falling
totally in love with Sandy the very first time the 4 of us got together. Funny, articulate and self-
effacing, she was the perfect foil for her husband Shelly's comedic riffs. She was Gracie Allen to
George Burns, dumb like a fox and quick with a retort.
Carol and I would often visit Sandy and Shelly at their home in Silver Spring, Md. It was
the late 1960s and the 4 of us would go downstairs into their large den and smoke a lot of weed
while their 2 young daughters, Debby and Nina, were asleep upstairs (so we thought). In fact,
they were sitting at the top of the stairs half hysterical that their parents would be arrested and thrown into jail (along with Carol and me) because in school they were told that mj was an
illegal substance and its users should be locked up for life. Fortunately, for us, they never turned us in.
Sandy was petite, less than 5' tall. She wore her dark hair short and was always in cutoffs.
At least that's how I remember her. She was also a heavy smoker and it was probably that habit that caused the lung Cancer that killed her. Back then, just about everyone, including
myself, smoked; this was long before cigarette packs carried warning messages. I can't think
of a single other 'vice' that Sandy was guilty of. She took care of herself and only indulged her husband and children, never herself. Physically, I used to think of her as the Jewish Teresa
Brewer, a popular vocalist back in the 50s and early 60s. Pert and pretty.
Sandy worked for years at the National Building Museum in downtown D.C. as the special
events coordinator. It was a perfect match. Surrounded by the art that she treasured and other nearby museums and galleries, she loved her work and those who worked with Sandy adored her.
I remember when Carol called me in Los Angeles where I had moved in 1979 to tell me the
tragic news that Sandy had died. I recall exclaiming, "What are you talking about? She and Shelly just got back from Italy." This was true. As it turned out, Sandy had been complaining
of headaches and shortness of breath before this last trip, but nothing, I'm sure, could have
kept her from taking it.
Soon after their return from Sandy's beloved Italy, she was admitted to a nearby hospital.
She passed away 3 days later.
She lived long enough to see the birth of her first grandchild, Joshua. Her oldest daughter,
Debby, who had married and moved to North Carolina, returned to DC with her husband Steve
and baby son and moved in with Shelly. She and Nina kept a close eye on their father - out of love.
Sandy didn't live to see the birth of her other 3 grandchildren. Both Debby and her lovely
sister, Nina, live in the area and remain extremely close to their father. I can only imagine
the pain that Shelly has carried all these years (He never remaried).
Sandy was unique. Intelligent, funny, caring, loving, both sarcastic and sentimental, it is
impossible to think of her and not smile. She would only be 72 this year. Her life was cut way too short, but she left behind so many people with loving and fond memories of their time with her.
I am fortunate to be among that group.
47.
She and her husband, Shelly, has just returned 2 weeks earlier from their 4th or 5th trip to
Italy. Sandy loved everything Italian: the art, museums, the food and especially the people.
There probably wasn't a gallery or museum in Rome, Florence, Milan or Venice that failed to
get her attention. She worshipped the great painters and was a virtual encyclopedia when it came to art history or, for that matter, just about any other subject under the sun.
She was born in Philadelphia, one of 3 children - 2 girls and 1 boy. Her brother, Barry, was treated as royalty - a prince - while Sandy was relegated to the role of no one in particular. As
a female, it was expected that she would marry young and be a housewife. Pretty typical for a girl of her generation, although she did attend Temple Univ. for a year before she met and married Shelly.
That marriage took place when Sandy was only 19, one year after she had met Shelly who
claims that Sandy proposed to him after only 6 weeks of dating. I believe Shelly because Sandy used to tell hysterically funny stories about her parents and how warped they were and how she
couldn't wait to get out from under their influence and control.
Once married, her parents refused to pay for her college tuition and thus ended the formal
education of one of the most intelligent people I've ever known.
I don't recall how Carol (my former wife) and I met Sandy and Shelly. I do remember falling
totally in love with Sandy the very first time the 4 of us got together. Funny, articulate and self-
effacing, she was the perfect foil for her husband Shelly's comedic riffs. She was Gracie Allen to
George Burns, dumb like a fox and quick with a retort.
Carol and I would often visit Sandy and Shelly at their home in Silver Spring, Md. It was
the late 1960s and the 4 of us would go downstairs into their large den and smoke a lot of weed
while their 2 young daughters, Debby and Nina, were asleep upstairs (so we thought). In fact,
they were sitting at the top of the stairs half hysterical that their parents would be arrested and thrown into jail (along with Carol and me) because in school they were told that mj was an
illegal substance and its users should be locked up for life. Fortunately, for us, they never turned us in.
Sandy was petite, less than 5' tall. She wore her dark hair short and was always in cutoffs.
At least that's how I remember her. She was also a heavy smoker and it was probably that habit that caused the lung Cancer that killed her. Back then, just about everyone, including
myself, smoked; this was long before cigarette packs carried warning messages. I can't think
of a single other 'vice' that Sandy was guilty of. She took care of herself and only indulged her husband and children, never herself. Physically, I used to think of her as the Jewish Teresa
Brewer, a popular vocalist back in the 50s and early 60s. Pert and pretty.
Sandy worked for years at the National Building Museum in downtown D.C. as the special
events coordinator. It was a perfect match. Surrounded by the art that she treasured and other nearby museums and galleries, she loved her work and those who worked with Sandy adored her.
I remember when Carol called me in Los Angeles where I had moved in 1979 to tell me the
tragic news that Sandy had died. I recall exclaiming, "What are you talking about? She and Shelly just got back from Italy." This was true. As it turned out, Sandy had been complaining
of headaches and shortness of breath before this last trip, but nothing, I'm sure, could have
kept her from taking it.
Soon after their return from Sandy's beloved Italy, she was admitted to a nearby hospital.
She passed away 3 days later.
She lived long enough to see the birth of her first grandchild, Joshua. Her oldest daughter,
Debby, who had married and moved to North Carolina, returned to DC with her husband Steve
and baby son and moved in with Shelly. She and Nina kept a close eye on their father - out of love.
Sandy didn't live to see the birth of her other 3 grandchildren. Both Debby and her lovely
sister, Nina, live in the area and remain extremely close to their father. I can only imagine
the pain that Shelly has carried all these years (He never remaried).
Sandy was unique. Intelligent, funny, caring, loving, both sarcastic and sentimental, it is
impossible to think of her and not smile. She would only be 72 this year. Her life was cut way too short, but she left behind so many people with loving and fond memories of their time with her.
I am fortunate to be among that group.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
MERYL STREEP AND THE IRON LADY
Alert: This is NOT a review of the new film, THE IRON LADY, in which of of my favorite
actresses - the great Meryl Streep - portrays former prime minister of Great Britain, Margaret
Thatcher.
It's not a review because I don't plan on seeing it. I know...I know. It's January when the major
studios dump all their dreck in the market place because attendance is generally down at the
multiplex because most people are home enjoying all the shit presents they got for Xmas, right?
Granted, a few good films do come out early in the year, but I don't think THE IRON LADY
is one of them. Why? Because who gives a shit about Margaret Thatcher? Be honest now.
Do you have the slightest interest in seeing a biofilm about her? Maybe, just maybe, if it were
a movie-of-the-week or month or on one of the cable networks, I might just tune in and watch it.
On the other hand, if TCM were showing KING KONG or NATIONAL VELVET for the 30th
time in the last year or TITANTIC was playing on The Movie Channel (Can you believe they're
re-releasing TITANTIC in April in 3D??!!??), I'd pass on watching IRON LADY.
You see, there's really nothing interesting about Margaret Thatcher. If there were, the screenplay for the film would have included those things that made Thatcher, well, fascinating.
But it doesn't, not according to several of the reviews I've read. All of them praise Streep's
performance and say she both looks and sounds like Thatcher. But beyond that, there ain't
much happening in the movie other than showing Thatcher as old, suffering from dementia and talking to her dead husband.
But this isn't a review so I'll stop citing some of them and what they have to say about the film.
The point of this rant isn't about the quality of the film but rather why did they bother. What
were the producers who developed the project and the studio head who gave it a green light thinking? Surely the studio's marketing division was consulted beforehand and its staff would
have advised that there was a better chance of snow falling in Palm Springs, Ca. in July than
a film about Margaret Thatcher making money. But the project got a green light anyway.
I recently saw another biopic about the late J. Edgar Hoover, former head of the FBI, a truly compelling and fascinating character who was portrayed quite brilliantly by Leonardo DiCaprio who is sure to get a best actor nod when the nominations for Oscars are announced later this
month.
Directed by Clint Eastwood, I started yawning half way thru despite there being a lot of
action and good ensemble acting. It just didn't grab me and hold my attention and Hoover was in a powerful position for decades whereas Thatcher as prime minister held power for only a few years.
I must admit I'm no fan of Thatcher's. I truly believe that many of her policies - like those
of Ronald Reagan in this country - were ill-advised and in the end were harmful to the economic
developement of Great Britain and impacted negatively on the rest of Europe. That being the
case, I really have no interest in seeing her depicted in either a positive or negative manner.
And I don't think that a lot of other movie goers are gonna fork over $12 to see THE IRON
LADY. I've always said I'd pay to watch Meryl Streep read a telephone book because she is
an amazing actress. Sophie's Choice, The French Lieutenant's Woman, The Deer Hunter and
singing and dancing in Momma Mia. She's incredible.
But I'll pass on THE IRON LADY.
actresses - the great Meryl Streep - portrays former prime minister of Great Britain, Margaret
Thatcher.
It's not a review because I don't plan on seeing it. I know...I know. It's January when the major
studios dump all their dreck in the market place because attendance is generally down at the
multiplex because most people are home enjoying all the shit presents they got for Xmas, right?
Granted, a few good films do come out early in the year, but I don't think THE IRON LADY
is one of them. Why? Because who gives a shit about Margaret Thatcher? Be honest now.
Do you have the slightest interest in seeing a biofilm about her? Maybe, just maybe, if it were
a movie-of-the-week or month or on one of the cable networks, I might just tune in and watch it.
On the other hand, if TCM were showing KING KONG or NATIONAL VELVET for the 30th
time in the last year or TITANTIC was playing on The Movie Channel (Can you believe they're
re-releasing TITANTIC in April in 3D??!!??), I'd pass on watching IRON LADY.
You see, there's really nothing interesting about Margaret Thatcher. If there were, the screenplay for the film would have included those things that made Thatcher, well, fascinating.
But it doesn't, not according to several of the reviews I've read. All of them praise Streep's
performance and say she both looks and sounds like Thatcher. But beyond that, there ain't
much happening in the movie other than showing Thatcher as old, suffering from dementia and talking to her dead husband.
But this isn't a review so I'll stop citing some of them and what they have to say about the film.
The point of this rant isn't about the quality of the film but rather why did they bother. What
were the producers who developed the project and the studio head who gave it a green light thinking? Surely the studio's marketing division was consulted beforehand and its staff would
have advised that there was a better chance of snow falling in Palm Springs, Ca. in July than
a film about Margaret Thatcher making money. But the project got a green light anyway.
I recently saw another biopic about the late J. Edgar Hoover, former head of the FBI, a truly compelling and fascinating character who was portrayed quite brilliantly by Leonardo DiCaprio who is sure to get a best actor nod when the nominations for Oscars are announced later this
month.
Directed by Clint Eastwood, I started yawning half way thru despite there being a lot of
action and good ensemble acting. It just didn't grab me and hold my attention and Hoover was in a powerful position for decades whereas Thatcher as prime minister held power for only a few years.
I must admit I'm no fan of Thatcher's. I truly believe that many of her policies - like those
of Ronald Reagan in this country - were ill-advised and in the end were harmful to the economic
developement of Great Britain and impacted negatively on the rest of Europe. That being the
case, I really have no interest in seeing her depicted in either a positive or negative manner.
And I don't think that a lot of other movie goers are gonna fork over $12 to see THE IRON
LADY. I've always said I'd pay to watch Meryl Streep read a telephone book because she is
an amazing actress. Sophie's Choice, The French Lieutenant's Woman, The Deer Hunter and
singing and dancing in Momma Mia. She's incredible.
But I'll pass on THE IRON LADY.
Monday, January 2, 2012
MY FAVORITE FILMS OF 2011
It's that time of year again when film critics, bloggers and movie fans pick their favorite films
of the year. I'm no exception. The films I've chosen are on my list for a very simple reason: I loved them and would be happy to sit thru them a second time. They either touched me emotionally and made my cry or hit my funny bone and made me laugh and smile. Some even did both.
All in all, it was an OK year for movies. There were far too many sequels and big studio wannabe blockbusters and far too many adaptations from comic books. Enough already. Fortunately, enough foreign films and character driven independent films to satisfy my appetite were released.
The list is totally subjective. Some films I saw were well made and featured excellent performances but lacked that intangible something or other that makes a film (for me) special.
Here's my list of special films from this past calendar year:
10. THE ARTIST ---- A valentine from France about the American film industry in the late
1920s when sound was making silent films obsolete and in this
story - done without any sound or dialogue until the end - threatening
the career of one of the era's popular stars who refuses to accept the
fact that silent films are history. The film borrows from A Star is
Born and Singing in the Rain and features 2 terrific performances by
the leads - Jean Dujardin and Berenice Beio. Plus an adorable terrier
dog who all but steals the film. Truthfully, the novelty of no sound
started to wear thin about half way thru, but I stuck with it
and glad I did because the last 10 minutes are fabulous. You will
leave the theatre with a smile on your face.
9. SARA'S KEY ---- Also from France but in both French and English, based on the best
selling novel by Titiana de Rosnay and starring the always terrific
Kristin Scott Thomas who plays an American journalist living in Paris
in 2002 who sets out to discover what happened to one of the survivors
of the 13,000 Jews who were rounded up by French officials in Paris
on July 16, 1942 and sent to German concentration camps. The story
meanders back and forth between the present (the least compelling
moments in the film) and 1942 (brilliantly rendered and incredibly
moving). I didn't read the book but my sister did and she said the
film adaptation was actually more involving than the novel.
8. 50/50 ---- One of the few American films on my list, a delight from beginning to
end, starring one of my favorite actors, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and one
of my least favorite (Seth Rogen, who is terrific playing Gordon-
Levitt's best friend). Written by Will Riser and based on his battle to
overcome a diagnosis of Cancer and subsequent surgeries. Also
terrific turns by Anna Kendrick as his therapist and Angelica Huston
as his mother. I loved this film. Another one to leave a smile on your
face.
7. BEGINNERS ---- written and directed by Mike Mills and featuring an Oscar worthy
performance by Christopher Plummer who comes out of the closet to
lead an openly gay lifestyle in his 70s after his wife has died. Ewan
McGregor, vastly underrated and always good, plays his son who tries
to overcome his inability to have a successful relationship with his
girlfriend while coming to terms with his father's lifestyle, terminal
illness and boyfriend. You will laugh...you will cry (ouch).
6. WE WERE ---- This wonderful documentary by David Weissman is about the AIDS
THERE epidemic in San Francisco in the late 1980s and is mainly accomplished
by interviewing 5 people who were intimately involved in the care of
many of the more than 15,000 who died in hospitals and hospice care in
the city. There are moments of great tenderness and humor and it
made me proud to be a member of the gay community that rose to the
occasion and met adversity with courage and love.
5. WAR HORSE ---- Yes, it is overproduced a la The Color Purple and features an awful
score by John Williams, but Steven Spielberg knows how to involve us
in a BIG film and I am a sucker for any movie about a horse. I started
tearing up 10 minutes into the film and by the end I was sobbing (tears
of happiness, kana hora). Just like the ads say, it is MAJESTIC,
GORGEOUS, POWERFUL and HEARTFELT. In lieu of seeing the
Tony award winning play on Broadway, this will do.
4. THE TRIP ---- A road comedy about an actor (Steve Coogan) who is asked by The
Observer (London newspaper) to tour the country's finest inns and
restaurants and takes along his 'best friend', fellow actor Rob Brydon.
As the 2 travel around, sampling fine cuisine and getting on each
other's nerves while doing competing impressions (Michael Caine and
Al Pacino among others), they also learn in the end the real nature of
friendship and fame. Coogan and Bryon are brilliant and fucking
funny. I loved this movie.
3. EVEN THE
RAIN ---- From Spain, a great film (I think) starring one of my favorite actors,
Gael Garcia Bernal. A film within a film concept about a film company
that travels to Bolivia to make a movie about Christopher Columbus
and his exploitation of native Indian populations during his journeys to
the New World. Meanwhile, a multinational corporation is attempting
to privatize the town's water supply and several of the locals who have
been cast in Bernal's film (He plays the director) get involved in the
increasingly violent demonstrations against the corporate intruders.
IF it is Spain's entry in this year's race for best foreign film, it deserves
to win the Oscar.
2. HEDGEHOG ---- based on the French novel (The Elegance of the Hedgehog), I saw this
film twice in one week so what does that tell you. About a concierge (a
stunning performance by Josiane Balasko, one of France's leading
actresses) in a pricey apartment building who befriends a precocious
11-year old girl who lives there and has announced (to the audience)
that she intends to commit suicide at the end of her current school year
and is herself befriended by a wealthy, retired Japanese businessman,
a new occupant in the building. Cynical and sentimental, I was sobbing
at the end of the film. To say I was 'vaklempted' would be an
understatement. I read the book after seeing the film and was still moved
to tears at the end. I loved this movie.
NOW A LITTLE DRUM ROLL, PLEASE AS I ANNOUNCE MY FAVORITE FILM OF 2011:
1. NOSTALGIA
FOR
THE
LIGHT ------ This brilliant documentary from Chilean filmmaker Patricio Guzman
blew me away. It takes place in the Atacama Desert where atop mountains
astronomers gather to observe the stars and the boundaries of the universe
thru gigantic telescopes while below on the ground surviving relatives,
mostly women, search for the remains of bodies that were
dumped and buried there by the Chilean army after the military coup of
September, 1973 (yup, we supported the anti-Communist ruthless regime
responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men and women).
Beautiful, meaningful and deeply moving, NOSTALGIA FOR THE
LIGHT remains fresh in my memory many months after seeing it and
was my favorite film of the year.
Honorable mention movies include: MARGAIN CALL, A DANGEROUS METHOD, HUGO,
THE DESCENDANTS, BRIDESMAIDS, LE HAVRE, WE BOUGHT A
ZOO, MOZART'S SISTER, INCENDIES, MONEYBALL and the first
15 and last 15 minutes of MELANCHOLIA.
The worst America film I saw last year was without a doubt, hands down: TREE OF LIFE
The worst foreign film I saw last year was UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS
PAST LIVES (Thailand)
The 2 worst films that I didn't see last year were LARRY CROWE and NEW YEAR'S EVE.
That's all folks. It's a wrap. See ya at the movies.
The 3 worst films that I saw last year without explanation
of the year. I'm no exception. The films I've chosen are on my list for a very simple reason: I loved them and would be happy to sit thru them a second time. They either touched me emotionally and made my cry or hit my funny bone and made me laugh and smile. Some even did both.
All in all, it was an OK year for movies. There were far too many sequels and big studio wannabe blockbusters and far too many adaptations from comic books. Enough already. Fortunately, enough foreign films and character driven independent films to satisfy my appetite were released.
The list is totally subjective. Some films I saw were well made and featured excellent performances but lacked that intangible something or other that makes a film (for me) special.
Here's my list of special films from this past calendar year:
10. THE ARTIST ---- A valentine from France about the American film industry in the late
1920s when sound was making silent films obsolete and in this
story - done without any sound or dialogue until the end - threatening
the career of one of the era's popular stars who refuses to accept the
fact that silent films are history. The film borrows from A Star is
Born and Singing in the Rain and features 2 terrific performances by
the leads - Jean Dujardin and Berenice Beio. Plus an adorable terrier
dog who all but steals the film. Truthfully, the novelty of no sound
started to wear thin about half way thru, but I stuck with it
and glad I did because the last 10 minutes are fabulous. You will
leave the theatre with a smile on your face.
9. SARA'S KEY ---- Also from France but in both French and English, based on the best
selling novel by Titiana de Rosnay and starring the always terrific
Kristin Scott Thomas who plays an American journalist living in Paris
in 2002 who sets out to discover what happened to one of the survivors
of the 13,000 Jews who were rounded up by French officials in Paris
on July 16, 1942 and sent to German concentration camps. The story
meanders back and forth between the present (the least compelling
moments in the film) and 1942 (brilliantly rendered and incredibly
moving). I didn't read the book but my sister did and she said the
film adaptation was actually more involving than the novel.
8. 50/50 ---- One of the few American films on my list, a delight from beginning to
end, starring one of my favorite actors, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and one
of my least favorite (Seth Rogen, who is terrific playing Gordon-
Levitt's best friend). Written by Will Riser and based on his battle to
overcome a diagnosis of Cancer and subsequent surgeries. Also
terrific turns by Anna Kendrick as his therapist and Angelica Huston
as his mother. I loved this film. Another one to leave a smile on your
face.
7. BEGINNERS ---- written and directed by Mike Mills and featuring an Oscar worthy
performance by Christopher Plummer who comes out of the closet to
lead an openly gay lifestyle in his 70s after his wife has died. Ewan
McGregor, vastly underrated and always good, plays his son who tries
to overcome his inability to have a successful relationship with his
girlfriend while coming to terms with his father's lifestyle, terminal
illness and boyfriend. You will laugh...you will cry (ouch).
6. WE WERE ---- This wonderful documentary by David Weissman is about the AIDS
THERE epidemic in San Francisco in the late 1980s and is mainly accomplished
by interviewing 5 people who were intimately involved in the care of
many of the more than 15,000 who died in hospitals and hospice care in
the city. There are moments of great tenderness and humor and it
made me proud to be a member of the gay community that rose to the
occasion and met adversity with courage and love.
5. WAR HORSE ---- Yes, it is overproduced a la The Color Purple and features an awful
score by John Williams, but Steven Spielberg knows how to involve us
in a BIG film and I am a sucker for any movie about a horse. I started
tearing up 10 minutes into the film and by the end I was sobbing (tears
of happiness, kana hora). Just like the ads say, it is MAJESTIC,
GORGEOUS, POWERFUL and HEARTFELT. In lieu of seeing the
Tony award winning play on Broadway, this will do.
4. THE TRIP ---- A road comedy about an actor (Steve Coogan) who is asked by The
Observer (London newspaper) to tour the country's finest inns and
restaurants and takes along his 'best friend', fellow actor Rob Brydon.
As the 2 travel around, sampling fine cuisine and getting on each
other's nerves while doing competing impressions (Michael Caine and
Al Pacino among others), they also learn in the end the real nature of
friendship and fame. Coogan and Bryon are brilliant and fucking
funny. I loved this movie.
3. EVEN THE
RAIN ---- From Spain, a great film (I think) starring one of my favorite actors,
Gael Garcia Bernal. A film within a film concept about a film company
that travels to Bolivia to make a movie about Christopher Columbus
and his exploitation of native Indian populations during his journeys to
the New World. Meanwhile, a multinational corporation is attempting
to privatize the town's water supply and several of the locals who have
been cast in Bernal's film (He plays the director) get involved in the
increasingly violent demonstrations against the corporate intruders.
IF it is Spain's entry in this year's race for best foreign film, it deserves
to win the Oscar.
2. HEDGEHOG ---- based on the French novel (The Elegance of the Hedgehog), I saw this
film twice in one week so what does that tell you. About a concierge (a
stunning performance by Josiane Balasko, one of France's leading
actresses) in a pricey apartment building who befriends a precocious
11-year old girl who lives there and has announced (to the audience)
that she intends to commit suicide at the end of her current school year
and is herself befriended by a wealthy, retired Japanese businessman,
a new occupant in the building. Cynical and sentimental, I was sobbing
at the end of the film. To say I was 'vaklempted' would be an
understatement. I read the book after seeing the film and was still moved
to tears at the end. I loved this movie.
NOW A LITTLE DRUM ROLL, PLEASE AS I ANNOUNCE MY FAVORITE FILM OF 2011:
1. NOSTALGIA
FOR
THE
LIGHT ------ This brilliant documentary from Chilean filmmaker Patricio Guzman
blew me away. It takes place in the Atacama Desert where atop mountains
astronomers gather to observe the stars and the boundaries of the universe
thru gigantic telescopes while below on the ground surviving relatives,
mostly women, search for the remains of bodies that were
dumped and buried there by the Chilean army after the military coup of
September, 1973 (yup, we supported the anti-Communist ruthless regime
responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men and women).
Beautiful, meaningful and deeply moving, NOSTALGIA FOR THE
LIGHT remains fresh in my memory many months after seeing it and
was my favorite film of the year.
Honorable mention movies include: MARGAIN CALL, A DANGEROUS METHOD, HUGO,
THE DESCENDANTS, BRIDESMAIDS, LE HAVRE, WE BOUGHT A
ZOO, MOZART'S SISTER, INCENDIES, MONEYBALL and the first
15 and last 15 minutes of MELANCHOLIA.
The worst America film I saw last year was without a doubt, hands down: TREE OF LIFE
The worst foreign film I saw last year was UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS
PAST LIVES (Thailand)
The 2 worst films that I didn't see last year were LARRY CROWE and NEW YEAR'S EVE.
That's all folks. It's a wrap. See ya at the movies.
The 3 worst films that I saw last year without explanation
Saturday, November 12, 2011
A GAY REPUBLICAN BY ANY OTHER NAME IS...
A great human being recently passed away - Frank Kameny, who was one of this country's leading gay rights activists and if he didn't invent the phrase - GAY IS GOOD - he personified
what it meant. He led the battle to strike down the federal government's policy of dismissing any and all openly gay men and women and was a key strategist in the gay rights movement long before the Stonewall riots in NYC in 1969.
The Washington Blade, an excellent local weekly newspaper, published an lengthy account of
Kameny's life and accomplishments in moving forward the gay rights' movement. In the same issue, there was an announcement that Ann Coulter, the darling of the conservative right wing of the Republican Party, was going to appear in an upcoming episode of the Logo TV cable network's
"A-List: Dallas" series along with Jimmy LaSalvia, the executive director of GOProud.
I've never heard of GOProud, but I am guessing that it is similar to the Log Cabin organization which is comprised of gay conservative Republicans who claim to be moderate on social issues but extremely conservative on fiscal matters as they relate to federal and state governments.
Frankly, I don't know how any conscientious homosexual could belong to such a group. I'd like to think that Frank Kameny would feel the same way. I don't understand how gay men and women can vote for Republican party candidates and claim to be strong advocates for equal rights for all minority groups - of which gays are one - in this country. It seems to me that like many of my wealthy Jewish friends and even a few of my well off Afro-American acquaintances,
they have forgotten their roots and the long and difficult struggle to achieve equality in racist America and vote instead to maintain their 401ks and stock investments.
In truth, most couldn't care less about issues that impact on the clear majority of Americans
who are just getting by financially, most likely living from paycheck to paycheck, if, indeed, they are fortunate to have jobs. I don't know about you, but very few of my friends subscribe to and read daily the Wall Street Journal.
Stock investments. Are you fucking serious? Give me a break.
Like many other liberal Democrats, I have been deeply disappointed in Barak Obama, although the problems he inherited from that prick he succeeded in the White House, have no easy solutions. At the same time, the total lack of cooperation in the House and U.S. Senate by Republican members has made it virtually impossible for him to confront and resolve those issues before us.
Still, I'd vote for Donald Duck before pulling the lever for any of the current Republican candidates. The most intelligent one - John Huntsman - stands the least chance of gaining the nomination to run against Obama. Every other Republican candidate
opposes gay marriage. And every single one of these assholes chose to remain silent when at a recent debate a gay soldier asked if they would support the repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Not one of them stood up for this serviceman when he was booed by the mostly conservative Tea Party audience.
Which brings me back to the Log Cabin political group, GOProud and that bitch, Ann Coulter
appearing on Logo's "A-List: Dallas" series.
I must admit to an aversion to the series, not being able to watch "A-List: New York" for more than 10 minutes before hitting my tv remote. The queers on this show are mostly narcissistic,
inarticulate, self-absorbed and shallow.
Come to think of it, the whole damn bunch of them, including Ms. Coulter, deserve each other.
That's the way I see it.
what it meant. He led the battle to strike down the federal government's policy of dismissing any and all openly gay men and women and was a key strategist in the gay rights movement long before the Stonewall riots in NYC in 1969.
The Washington Blade, an excellent local weekly newspaper, published an lengthy account of
Kameny's life and accomplishments in moving forward the gay rights' movement. In the same issue, there was an announcement that Ann Coulter, the darling of the conservative right wing of the Republican Party, was going to appear in an upcoming episode of the Logo TV cable network's
"A-List: Dallas" series along with Jimmy LaSalvia, the executive director of GOProud.
I've never heard of GOProud, but I am guessing that it is similar to the Log Cabin organization which is comprised of gay conservative Republicans who claim to be moderate on social issues but extremely conservative on fiscal matters as they relate to federal and state governments.
Frankly, I don't know how any conscientious homosexual could belong to such a group. I'd like to think that Frank Kameny would feel the same way. I don't understand how gay men and women can vote for Republican party candidates and claim to be strong advocates for equal rights for all minority groups - of which gays are one - in this country. It seems to me that like many of my wealthy Jewish friends and even a few of my well off Afro-American acquaintances,
they have forgotten their roots and the long and difficult struggle to achieve equality in racist America and vote instead to maintain their 401ks and stock investments.
In truth, most couldn't care less about issues that impact on the clear majority of Americans
who are just getting by financially, most likely living from paycheck to paycheck, if, indeed, they are fortunate to have jobs. I don't know about you, but very few of my friends subscribe to and read daily the Wall Street Journal.
Stock investments. Are you fucking serious? Give me a break.
Like many other liberal Democrats, I have been deeply disappointed in Barak Obama, although the problems he inherited from that prick he succeeded in the White House, have no easy solutions. At the same time, the total lack of cooperation in the House and U.S. Senate by Republican members has made it virtually impossible for him to confront and resolve those issues before us.
Still, I'd vote for Donald Duck before pulling the lever for any of the current Republican candidates. The most intelligent one - John Huntsman - stands the least chance of gaining the nomination to run against Obama. Every other Republican candidate
opposes gay marriage. And every single one of these assholes chose to remain silent when at a recent debate a gay soldier asked if they would support the repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Not one of them stood up for this serviceman when he was booed by the mostly conservative Tea Party audience.
Which brings me back to the Log Cabin political group, GOProud and that bitch, Ann Coulter
appearing on Logo's "A-List: Dallas" series.
I must admit to an aversion to the series, not being able to watch "A-List: New York" for more than 10 minutes before hitting my tv remote. The queers on this show are mostly narcissistic,
inarticulate, self-absorbed and shallow.
Come to think of it, the whole damn bunch of them, including Ms. Coulter, deserve each other.
That's the way I see it.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...THE ACADEMY AND THE VIEWING AUDIENCE
It was announced today that film director Bret Ratner and comedian Eddie Murphy would not
produce and host the Oscar telecast next February. Ratner 'resigned' after angering hundreds of Academy members for making homophobic comments earlier this week on the Howard Stern radio show and boasting about all the hot Hollywood babes that he has fucked in recent times,
the size of his pecker and not using condoms when having sex.
Murphy, who stars in Ratner's latest film, TOWER HEIST, bowed out as host soon after Ratner
made his announcement. Meanwhile, the Academy hierarchy is freaking out because a new producer and host must now be found so rehearsals can begin prior to the Oscar telecast next
February.
Next February??? Isn't that nearly 4 months from now. And aren't most of the jokes and script written AFTER the nominations are announced in January. So I have to ask...what's the
problem here?
As far as Ratner and Murphy are concerned - good riddance. Ratner's background includes making music videos and directing a couple of the RUSH HOUR comedies and one of the X-MEN movies. His bio says he attended school in Israel before graduating from Miami Beach High School in Florida and NYU in 1990. Judging by some of the comments he made while being interviewed by Stern, he sounds like a class A asshole. It seems to me that the Academy must have been desperate to find someone to co-produce the next Oscars telecast
because there is nothing - I mean nothing - in Ratner's background to suggest that he would in fact produce a dynamite show next February.
As for Murphy, I would have been willing to betcha a crisp hundred dollar bill that he would suck big time as host and probably offend more than a few viewing the show live and on tv.
Murphy can still be funny - as long as he has a funny script - and he has done some fine work in some dramatic roles, but the Academy made a big mistake in turning to him to host the annual telecast which he was probably doing because Ratner had been signed to co-produce and direct the show.
In truth, short of having hot guys and gals galloping up and down the theatre aisles and running across stage butt naked, there isn't a lot to be done to make the Oscars exciting and worth wasting 3 hours over.
Most of the bigger than life movie stars are dead - Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor, James Stewart, Natalie Wood and
Richard Burton. Back when I was a kid and counting the days in breathless excitement anticipating the Oscar telecast, it was the one night of the year that you saw all the cinema greats live on tv.
Nowadays, the Oscar telecast is anticlimatic, what with a myriad of awards shows (Screen Actors Guild, People's Choice, Director's Guild, etc., etc., etc.,) that begin in early December and culminate in late February wiith the Oscars when you pretty much know who's going to win the major acting awards.
All the same, millions still tune in and many of us have written blogs putting in our 10 cents worth of advice on how to make the telecast fun to watch.
I'll offer only one suggestion here and it's a no brainer at that: beg Billy Crystal to return as m.c. and if he won't do it, ask Neal Patrick Harris. Better yet, ask both off them to co-host the show.
For what it's worth, I'm betting on Steven Spielberg's Xmas release, WAR HORSE, the film adaptation of the Tony award winning play still playing to sold out audiences on Broadway, to
take the Oscar for best film this year.
You heard it first here.
produce and host the Oscar telecast next February. Ratner 'resigned' after angering hundreds of Academy members for making homophobic comments earlier this week on the Howard Stern radio show and boasting about all the hot Hollywood babes that he has fucked in recent times,
the size of his pecker and not using condoms when having sex.
Murphy, who stars in Ratner's latest film, TOWER HEIST, bowed out as host soon after Ratner
made his announcement. Meanwhile, the Academy hierarchy is freaking out because a new producer and host must now be found so rehearsals can begin prior to the Oscar telecast next
February.
Next February??? Isn't that nearly 4 months from now. And aren't most of the jokes and script written AFTER the nominations are announced in January. So I have to ask...what's the
problem here?
As far as Ratner and Murphy are concerned - good riddance. Ratner's background includes making music videos and directing a couple of the RUSH HOUR comedies and one of the X-MEN movies. His bio says he attended school in Israel before graduating from Miami Beach High School in Florida and NYU in 1990. Judging by some of the comments he made while being interviewed by Stern, he sounds like a class A asshole. It seems to me that the Academy must have been desperate to find someone to co-produce the next Oscars telecast
because there is nothing - I mean nothing - in Ratner's background to suggest that he would in fact produce a dynamite show next February.
As for Murphy, I would have been willing to betcha a crisp hundred dollar bill that he would suck big time as host and probably offend more than a few viewing the show live and on tv.
Murphy can still be funny - as long as he has a funny script - and he has done some fine work in some dramatic roles, but the Academy made a big mistake in turning to him to host the annual telecast which he was probably doing because Ratner had been signed to co-produce and direct the show.
In truth, short of having hot guys and gals galloping up and down the theatre aisles and running across stage butt naked, there isn't a lot to be done to make the Oscars exciting and worth wasting 3 hours over.
Most of the bigger than life movie stars are dead - Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor, James Stewart, Natalie Wood and
Richard Burton. Back when I was a kid and counting the days in breathless excitement anticipating the Oscar telecast, it was the one night of the year that you saw all the cinema greats live on tv.
Nowadays, the Oscar telecast is anticlimatic, what with a myriad of awards shows (Screen Actors Guild, People's Choice, Director's Guild, etc., etc., etc.,) that begin in early December and culminate in late February wiith the Oscars when you pretty much know who's going to win the major acting awards.
All the same, millions still tune in and many of us have written blogs putting in our 10 cents worth of advice on how to make the telecast fun to watch.
I'll offer only one suggestion here and it's a no brainer at that: beg Billy Crystal to return as m.c. and if he won't do it, ask Neal Patrick Harris. Better yet, ask both off them to co-host the show.
For what it's worth, I'm betting on Steven Spielberg's Xmas release, WAR HORSE, the film adaptation of the Tony award winning play still playing to sold out audiences on Broadway, to
take the Oscar for best film this year.
You heard it first here.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
ONE NOT SO GOLDEN FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF DOCUMENTARIES
This is truly the golden age of film documentaries - far too many good ones to mention here - and the genre has become my favorite kind of cinema. I see as many as I can. Generally they play on only 1 or 2 screens in town and usually never more than a couple weeks.
Such is the case with THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NICOLAE CEAUSESCU now playing at the West End Cinema in D.C. It runs over 3 hours without an intermission and were I to recommend it (I'm not), I would urge you to have a sandwich and visit the restroom off the lobby before sitting down in the screening room (which isn't much larger than my living room) to view it.
The first time I attempted to see it, my sister and I left before it began after the projectionist came out and explained to the 12 of us in the audience that there had been a problem at the afternoon screening with the print and that there were moments during the film when the screen would go dark and the audio would go off.
We took it as an omen - a bad one at that - and got up from our padded folding chairs and departed, but not before we got raincheck tix to come back another time.
So today, since I had no other plans than to feed peanuts to my little squirrel friends at Dupont Circle, I
decided to bike down to the theatre and catch the 2:30 matinee. I snuck in a sandwich from Subway and a coke from CVS so I wouldn't have hunger pains at any time during the film.
After a couple trailers and a "let's all go to the lobby, let's all go to the lobby, let's all go to the lobby, and get ourselves some treats" trailer from the 1950s, the documentary began with Nicolae and his 'rifftica' wife
being interrogated by court officials shortly before their trial and subsequent execution on Xmas Day, 1989.
We then cut to the state funeral of Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, who ruled Romania with an iron fist from post WWII until his death in 1965. And what a funeral it was, judging by the size of the crowd - thousands of
people in line to view "G-G"s open casket and the thousands who followed it to the place of internment which sorta looked like the entrance to FedEx Stadium here in Landover, Md. Whatever.
So far, so good, I'm thinking, although I became acutely aware at this point that there was no narration.
In fact, there were moments where there was no sound at all and then there were moments when the screen went black. Then I remembered what the projectionist had told my sister and I when we were there a week ago. Can't say I wasn't warned.
I suddenly felt hungry and decided not to wait another minute before unwrapping my spicy Italian sub and biting into it. Not bad. I opened the coke bottle and took a big swig before giving my complete attention to the screen (that was barely bigger than my 60" flat tv screen at home).
For the next 60 minutes or thereabouts I watched a lot of hand clapping at Communist party rallies where Nicolae droned on and on and on about the virtues of Romania's socialist society and Communist rule, etc., etc., etc. I had read that director Andrei Ujica had viewed over 1,000 hours of film before editing and compiling this 3 hour pageant of handclapping and crowds. All I could think was - this was the best footage that he could come up with?
Now I have to be honest with you. I didn't make it to the end. Not even close. Despite the rave review of one of my favorite print critics - Manohla Dargis of the NY Times - and despite the fact that I wasn't hungry and didn't have to pee, I bolted towards the exit of the screening room just as Richard Nixon was about to speak standing next to dear ole Nicolae during his state visit to Romania in 1970 (or thereabouts) and left but not before yelling, "May they both be rotting in Hell."
Have a nice day.
'
Such is the case with THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NICOLAE CEAUSESCU now playing at the West End Cinema in D.C. It runs over 3 hours without an intermission and were I to recommend it (I'm not), I would urge you to have a sandwich and visit the restroom off the lobby before sitting down in the screening room (which isn't much larger than my living room) to view it.
The first time I attempted to see it, my sister and I left before it began after the projectionist came out and explained to the 12 of us in the audience that there had been a problem at the afternoon screening with the print and that there were moments during the film when the screen would go dark and the audio would go off.
We took it as an omen - a bad one at that - and got up from our padded folding chairs and departed, but not before we got raincheck tix to come back another time.
So today, since I had no other plans than to feed peanuts to my little squirrel friends at Dupont Circle, I
decided to bike down to the theatre and catch the 2:30 matinee. I snuck in a sandwich from Subway and a coke from CVS so I wouldn't have hunger pains at any time during the film.
After a couple trailers and a "let's all go to the lobby, let's all go to the lobby, let's all go to the lobby, and get ourselves some treats" trailer from the 1950s, the documentary began with Nicolae and his 'rifftica' wife
being interrogated by court officials shortly before their trial and subsequent execution on Xmas Day, 1989.
We then cut to the state funeral of Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, who ruled Romania with an iron fist from post WWII until his death in 1965. And what a funeral it was, judging by the size of the crowd - thousands of
people in line to view "G-G"s open casket and the thousands who followed it to the place of internment which sorta looked like the entrance to FedEx Stadium here in Landover, Md. Whatever.
So far, so good, I'm thinking, although I became acutely aware at this point that there was no narration.
In fact, there were moments where there was no sound at all and then there were moments when the screen went black. Then I remembered what the projectionist had told my sister and I when we were there a week ago. Can't say I wasn't warned.
I suddenly felt hungry and decided not to wait another minute before unwrapping my spicy Italian sub and biting into it. Not bad. I opened the coke bottle and took a big swig before giving my complete attention to the screen (that was barely bigger than my 60" flat tv screen at home).
For the next 60 minutes or thereabouts I watched a lot of hand clapping at Communist party rallies where Nicolae droned on and on and on about the virtues of Romania's socialist society and Communist rule, etc., etc., etc. I had read that director Andrei Ujica had viewed over 1,000 hours of film before editing and compiling this 3 hour pageant of handclapping and crowds. All I could think was - this was the best footage that he could come up with?
Now I have to be honest with you. I didn't make it to the end. Not even close. Despite the rave review of one of my favorite print critics - Manohla Dargis of the NY Times - and despite the fact that I wasn't hungry and didn't have to pee, I bolted towards the exit of the screening room just as Richard Nixon was about to speak standing next to dear ole Nicolae during his state visit to Romania in 1970 (or thereabouts) and left but not before yelling, "May they both be rotting in Hell."
Have a nice day.
'
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