Monday, February 28, 2011

Oscars 2011

Oscar time has ended for another year, but now the time has arrived for us to dissect the show and year past. Overall, it was a great show and the set was amazing, especially for a classic film nerd such as myself.

1. The Hosts - Anne Hathaway and James Franco

Full disclosure: My friends and I went to a small, Catholic university that happens to have Hathaway's parents as alumni. We claim her as our own and will defend her whenever necessary. We are a little biased towards her.

That being said, we loved her as a host. Franco was a little aloof and seemed...out of it...yes...we'll call it that. She had tons of energy and seemed genuinely excited to be there. She looked stunning in her various gowns (although, among our friends, the blue number at the end got some criticism.) Also, if the academy wants to have her sing every year, we would be OK with that. Now, I have loved some hosts more than others. Billy Crystal is the obvious front runner for my generation. Having him talk about Bob Hope was a nice connection between the old guard, the Baby Boomers, and the up-and-coming generation. In short, Anne can host anytime. Franco...drink a Red Bull...keep up.

2. The Clothes

Full disclosure #2: I missed the red carpet and the first hour of the show due to some silly traffic on 76, so I was not thrilled. However, I have done my research and feel that I can make some statements.

Again, Anne Hathaway was stunning in pretty much everything. She was put together by infamous fashionista Rachel Zoe, but based on Anne's past performances on the red carpet, it is pretty safe to say that she has excellent taste. Always a class act. Gwyneth Paltrow looked lovely on the red carpet, but I felt like the dress she performed "Coming Home" in didn't do anything for her figure. Also, gold isn't the best color on a person with her color palate. Mandy Moore had great style last night, although it was agreed among the group that the corset on the second dress managed to minimize the things it is intended to maximize. The blue color was glorious on her. Hailee Steinfeld was adorable and age-appropriate in her gown, which she co-designed. Most of the ladies on the carpet really did dazzle. There were a few misses (Melissa Leo and Annette Benning, we're talking to you), and a couple of odd-ducks we've come to expect (paging HBC...although her hair was pretty fab).

It must be noted how great Natalie Portman looked in her gown, which is a perfect color on her. There have been a few actresses-with-child to collect Oscars (Catharine Zeta-Jones and Meryl Streep come to mind), and Natalie really nailed it. Finally, can someone talk to Scarlet Johansson about her hair! And Colleen Atwood...you have four Oscars for costume design...can't you design a decent pair of gloves for yourself! However, All in all, a great year for timeless Oscar fashion.

3. The Awards

The awards themselves were a bit predictable. Many of the Golden Globe winners walked away with the Oscars, but the year was pretty solid. Additionally, while one always wants to cheer for dark horses and people who don't mar their reputations with heavy campaigning, the historical odds were in the favors of the front runners. Some examples:

Melissa Leo: First, she was in a movie that screams "OSCAR," and despite her campaign, she had good odds going in. Many felt, myself agreed, that Miss Steinfeld should have had a chance at the leading actress category, she really had little chance going in. Historically, the younger set is given a nomination to acknowledge a particularly great performance. It is the rare exception that wins (Tatum O'Neal and Anna Paquin). Even such epic child stars, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, and Shirley Temple either earned noms and wins later in life, or were provided with special "child" Oscars, which have been done away with.

Colin Firth: First, he deserved this. The King's Speech was my favorite movie of the year, and Colin Firth has been one of my favorite actors for years. However, he partly won this because of his loss last year for A Single Man. It is an unspoken but great Oscar tradition to acknowledge past performances in a present Oscar. Jimmy Stewart is a great example: He lost in 1939 for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (to Robert Donat for Goodbye, Mr. Chips). He won the following year for The Philadelphia Story. While The Philadelphia Story is a classic romantic screwball comedy, it can't hold a candle to his emotional performance in Mr. Smith.

Toy Story 3: In most years, if your animated feature is nominated along side a Pixar film, just be pleased with your nomination. This year, as in the last, Pixar not only received a Best Animated Feature nod (and win) but also a Best Picture nod. Only once before Up and Toy Story 3 was an animated film nominated for Best Picture (Beauty and the Beast), which was before the re-expansion of the Best Picture category to 10 nominees. If the academy deems your film good enough to compete with the live action films, it will most certainly win the animated category. There was no doubt that Toy Story 3 would walk away with the statue, especially considering it was the final installment of a beloved trilogy. My husband even speculated that Toy Story 3 could pull a LOTR: Return of the King and win Best Picture in order to recognize the larger body of work. Toy Story 1 and 2 were made before the category existed, but are largely responsible for the inclusion of the category in 2001. The addition of the category is one of the most profound changes to the Oscar race, and it says a lot about the state of animation in the contemporary film industry.

Again, I deem this year a success, and I look forward to next years ceremony and season.

Monday, January 17, 2011

The King's Speech

First, apologies for the extended absence. Graduate school and life took presidence, but here I am ready to review another fantastic film.

For my first review back, I have chosen a new film. The King's Speech, starring Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, and Geoffrey Rush, is set in pre-WWII England and follows Prince Albert's (later King George VI) journey to stamp out his stammer. The acting is sublime. The story and screenplay is riveting. It is absolutely worth seeing in theaters.

It is more difficult, in my opinion, to discuss good acting and its parts than it is to discuss bad acting. There is no doubt that this film is well acted. However, what makes that so is more of a puzzle. I have always been a fan of Firth, because I am a woman and it is in our genetic make-up, but he was better than ever. He could convey all the emotion necessary in a simple look or word. Words in this film are more filled with meaning than ever, as certain words trigger the stammer, while others float blissfully out of his mouth without pause. Rush, as I'm told by my husband, was also in normal form. The person who struck me as most interesting in this film, when it comes to acting, is Carter. The movie-going public is accustomed to her appearing as the Queen of Hearts, Mrs. Lovett, or Bellatrix LeStrange, characters that are unique and incredibly out-of-this-world. She has no trouble bringing them to life every time, although there is something to be said for Angela Lansbury's Mrs. Lovett, but I digress. In The King's Speech, she plays Elizabeth, a woman known to the modern world as "The Queen Mother." She is not loud or insane, but simply a devoted wife and mother who reminds you of your own. This takes her out of her normal element, and I have to say, she was divine.

The film was also an incredible history lesson. All I knew about George VI prior to this was that he was Elizabeth II's father. I did not know he was Edward VIII's brother or that his name was actually Albert. On the topic of the former, the minute it was made clear that Edward was THAT Edward, I was squirming in my seat, knowing poor Bertie would have to become King. On the latter, I'm fascinated as well. Most kings just use their name. However, considering the looming Nazi cloud over Europe, Albert was thought too Germanic for an English King, and he took his father's name instead. On a side note, this is also when the royal family took the Windsor name, solidifying their nationalism in this time of crisis.

I loved The King's Speech, and I have no doubt that this was my first of many viewings.