Academy Awards Preview

The Oscars aren't far away and you want to know who is going to win in the important categories. Here are the nominees and winners, and the others that I think missed out. Keep in mind I haven't had the time to view every film all year, including probably most importantly Life of Pi and Les Miserables. Check out my film reviews for more information on the leading contenders before the big day on February 25.

Best Director.

My Nominees:

Steven Spielberg - Lincoln

Kathryn Bigelow - Zero Dark Thirty

Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained

Ben Affleck - Argo

David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook

This category came down to Spielberg, Bigelow and Tarantino, the latter two bizarrely missing out on Oscar nominations. Spielberg's controlled use of panning and zoom in Lincoln was impressive, and Bigelow's you-are-there journalistic approach elevated Zero Dark Thirty into a thriller, and the final sequence was incredible. It was hard however to go past Quentin Tarantino's showcase of angles and zooms, keeping Django Unchained outlandishly entertaining. 

Academy Nominees:

Michael Henke - Armour

Ang Lee - Life of Pi

David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook

Steven Spielberg - Lincoln

Benh Zeitlin - Beasts of the Southern Wild

The surprise in the nomnations was the best director category. Leaving out names like Tarantino, Bigelow and Affleck was a shock for many, and it was underlined by Affleck going on to scoop the pool at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Directors Guild Awards. This leaves Steven Spielberg in poll position for Lincoln to take out his third Best Director award.

Best Actress

My Nominees:

Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty

Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook

Sally Field - Lincoln

The actress categories were a struggle due to the films I haven't seen. I elevated Field from supporting actress for this category due to the importance and sheer dominance of her performance. However, up against Chastain and Lawrence she didn't stand a chance. Jessica Chastain gets the nod from me ahead of Lawrence due to her ability to carry Zero Dark Thirty through it's torture and confronting scenes, and still be our hero.

Academy Nominees:

Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty

Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook

Naomi Watts - The Impossible

Emmanuelle Riva - Armour

Quevenzhane Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild

As above I am not able to judge on three nominees, however the two front runners, Chastain and Lawrence I have seen. The head to head race has been close, with both taking out Golden Globes. Jennifer Lawrence winning at the Screen Guild awards and Satellite awards puts her in the front position.

Best Supporting Actress

My Nominees:

Jacki Weaver - Silver Linings Playbook

Judi Dench - Skyfall

Anne Hathaway - The Dark Knight Rises

Jennifer Ehle - Zero Dark Thirty

Kerry Washington - Django Unchained

Weaver and Dench's roles as mother figures were both terrific, with Dench dominating the screen in Skyfall. Hathaway may win the Oscar for Les Miserables (see below), but her manipulative, vulnerable and sexy turn as Selina Kyle in The Dark Knight Rises was a scene stealer. However Judi Dench in Skyfall gets my nod.

Academy Nominees:

Jacki Weaver - Silver Linings Playbook

Helen Hunt - The Sessions

Amy Adams - The Master

Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables

Sally Field - Lincoln

In the lead up to the Oscars, Anne Hathaway has dominated the awards in this category. Field may provide some competition in her excellent performance as Mary-Todd Lincoln, but it is hard to see anybody taking the award away from Hathaway.

Best Actor

My Nominees:

Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln

Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook

Denzel Washington - Flight

Jamie Foxx - Django Unchained

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Looper

Washington and Cooper both have fantastic performances in completely contrasting roles. Washington's addicted pilot with control issues in Flight is wonderful, while Cooper's mentally problematic Pat is his best performance to date in Silver Linings Playbook. It is impossible though to look past Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln. 

Academy Nominees:

Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables

Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook

Joaquin Phoenix - The Master

Denzel Washington - Flight

Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln

Early Australian hopes for Jackman were promising, but simply nobody is in the same league as Daniel Day-Lewis this year, and expect him to take the award in a canter for his Lincoln, the definitive recreation of the great president. Day-Lewis will become the first actor to ever win the award three times.

Best Supporting Actor

My Nominees:

Leonardo DiCaprio - Django Unchained

Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained

Tommy Lee-Jones - Lincoln

Javier Bardem - Skyfall

Jason Clarke - Zero Dark Thirty

Anybody who has seen Django Unchained will agree how unfathomable it is that Leoardo DiCaprio was not nominated for the Oscar. Managing to outperform Waltz and dominate the screen is no mean feat. Lee-Jones in Lincoln is terrific as well, but DiCaprio's menacing Calvin Candie is one of the better villains in recent memory, thanks largely to Leo.

Academy Nominees:

Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained

Tommy Lee-Jones - Linocln

Robert De Niro - Silver Linings Playbook

Alan Arkin - Argo

Phillip Seymour Hoffman - The Master

Christoph Waltz was born to work under Quentin Tarantino, and that is so blindly evident in Django Unchained. Lee-Jones appears to be his greatest competition ahead of De Niro, but Waltz's win in the Golden Globes seems to have him set to claim the Oscar.

Best Original Screenplay

My Nominees:

Mark Boal - Zero Dark Thirty

John Gatins - Flight

Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained

Rian Johnson - Looper

Boal's journalistic take on Zero Dark Thirty was magnificent, and the remarkable imagination of Johnson made the underrated Looper a stand out. However Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained featured his trade mark quirky and strange characterization, and brilliant dialogue.

Academy Nominees:

Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola - Moonrise Kingdom

Michael Haneke - Amour

Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained

John Gatins - Flight

Mark Boal - Zero Dark Thirty

Quentin Tarantino's win for best screenplay at the Golden Globes puts him in a great position to claim this award. Anderson and Coppola's quirky Moonrise Kingdom and Boal for Zero Dark Thirty will put up some competition, but it is hard to deny Tarantino.

Best Adapted Screenplay

My Nominees:

Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan (Story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer) - The Dark Knight Rises

Chris Terrio (from The Master of Disguise by Antonio J. Mendez and The Great Escape by Joshuah Bearman) - Argo

Neal Pervis, Robert Wade and John Logan - Skyfall

Tony Kushner (from Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin) - Lincoln

David O. Russell (from The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick) - Silver Linings Playbook

The intricately mapped out action thrillers Skyfall and The Dark Knight Rises are deserved nominees for their well made efforts, this race and the Oscars will be a three horse effort. David O. Russell's effort in balancing the comedy and serious tones of Silver Linings Playbook was a wonderful effort, and a well earned winner.

Academy Nominees: 

Lucy Alibar and Benh Ailtlin (from Juicy and Delicious by Lucy Alibar) - Beasts of the Southern Wild

Chris Terrio (from The Master of Disguise by Antonio J. Mendez and The Great Escape by Joshuah Bearman) - Argo

David Magee (from Life of Pi by Yann Martel) - Life of Pi

Tony Kushner (from Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin) - Lincoln

David O. Russell (from The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick) - Silver Linings Playbook

The three way Oscar race between Argo, Silver Linings Playbook and Lincoln will be one of the most interesting of the night. Early on it appeared Tony Kushner had this wrapped up, but the love for Russell's Playbook and the rush of Argo in the major categories has put it in doubt. Kushner will still take out the Oscar, though it will be tight.

Best Picture

My Nominees:

Zero Dark Thirty - Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow and Megan Ellison

Argo - Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney

Django Unchained - Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone

Lincoln - Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy

Silver Linings Playbook - Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon

Looper - Ram Bergman and James D. Stern

While the Oscar race is coming down to Argo and Lincoln, my race came down to Zero Dark Thrity and Django Unchained. For the sheer intensity and wow-factor, Zero Thirty gets my nod. Bigelow's direction is near faultless and the film never loses its surprises. 

Academy Nominees:

Zero Dark Thirty - Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow and Megan Ellison

Argo - Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney

Django Unchained - Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone

Lincoln - Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy

Silver Linings Playbook - Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon

Amour - Mararet Menegoz, Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka and Michael Katz

Beasts of the Southern Wild - Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottweld

Les Miserables - Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh

Life of Pi - Ang Lee, Gil Netter, David Womark

Not so long ago it appeared Lincoln would win by a long length. It contained the best actor and Argo isn't even nominated for best director. But Argo has come home with a wet sail. Wins at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild and BAFTAs has put it right out in front of Lincoln. It is still difficult to go past Lincoln, but Argo is showing all the signs of victory. The controversy surrounding Zero Dark Thirty's depiction of torture has all but ruled it out, Les Miserables has gone cold on the awards circuit lately and Django Unchained appears to be to Tarantino for the Academy. Silver Linings Playbook is a sleeper in the category. Having nominations in all four acting categories, directing and screenplay make it impossible to rule out, but Argo has the form to take out the big award.

Silver Linings Playbook - Review

Adapted from a novel of the same name by Matthew Quick, David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook is a lesson in how to make a romantic-comedy, and hide it from the audience. Following on from 2010's The Fighter, Russell is quickly building a reputation as an actor-friendly director to watch. His screenplay is first class, mastering the quirky laughs and serious moments together in harmony. The acting is superb, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence put in career-best performances, and the support cast handles itself perfectly.

When Pat (Cooper) is picked up by his mother, Delores (Jacki Weaver) from a mental institution, he returns home determined to regain the trust of his ex-wife Nikki (Brea Bee). Pat's determination to return to marriage and his irrational behaviour begins to irritate his father, Pat Sr. (Robert de Niro), and begins to cause troubles at home, where Pat Sr. is running an illegal bookmaking operation. While catching up with his friend Ronnie (John Ortiz) for dinner, Pat Jr. meets the troubled, sexy and recently widowed Tiffany (Lawrence). The pair begin a wild friendship, and when Tiffany offers help in commencing communication with Nikki in return for partnership in a dance competition, Pat Jr. jumps at the opportunity. The couple practice daily, while Pat's brother (Shea Whigham) and a friend from the institution (Chris Tucker) return to his life.

Put simply, Silver Linings Playbook is a heartwarming and deceptively funny film. Cooper handles the lead role well, in probably his best performance yet. His ability to switch from drama to comedy is a rare skill. Lawrence puts together a fabulous performance as Tiffany. Her vulnerability and sexiness go hand in hand through the film, and she is deservedly right in line for an Oscar. Reportedly Anne Hathaway had the role but had to drop out due to The Dark Knight Rises, and at least for me, that worked well for the film. de Niro puts in one of his better performances in a lean patch of recent films, and his monologues in particular are a stand out. Weaver and Tucker play well, and Tucker's surprising addition to the cast is excellent.
Ultimately the praise has to go to Russell, who wrote the screenplay and directed without many faults. It unfortunately does take a reasonable time to introduce Tiffany, and a couple of sub-plots drag on, however Silver Linings Playbook puts on a clinic in the dying art of the romantic-comedy, and is easily the best one of the last twelve months.

8.3 out of 10 - Great.

David O. Russell puts out another beauty, lead by stellar performances from Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.

Django Unchained - Review

For many Quentin Tarantino can do no wrong. That belief is confirmed with Django Unchained, a typical Tarantino mix of blood, characterization and pure entertainment. Django Unchained is a spaghetti western, reminiscent of the blaxploitation era, it features terrific performances by Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington and Samuel L. Jackson. The movie is run by Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio though, who dominate the screen in stellar performances.

In 1858, enslaved Django (Jamie Foxx) meets a traveling dentist, Dr. King Schultz (Waltz). Schultz enlists Django to help him find a trio of wanted brothers, as Schultz reveals he is actually a bounty hunter. Through success the two become good friends, and when Django confirms that his estranged wife, Broomhilda (Washington) is in 'Candieland', a plantation owned by sinister Calvin Candie (DiCaprio). Django and Schultz set out to rescue her and reunite the couple, running into trouble with the head slave, Stephen (Jackson).

This movie just bursts of Tarantino. From the exhuberant and wildly successful direction and fun character names and quirks, to the gory shoot-outs and fun soundtrack. Much like many other movies recently however, Django Unchained runs for an incredibly long 165 minutes. There are sections and scenes that are unnecessary and elongate the film.
The cast makes the length of the film worth it though. Foxx puts in an understated performance in the key titular role, and pulls off Django. Waltz and DiCaprio are what you will be talking about after seeing Django Unchained though. Waltz proves that he is made for Tarantino films with a wonderful, humorous and heartfelt turn as King Schultz. DiCaprio is the opposite though. He puts in a deadly and genuinely scary performance as the evil Calvin Candie. His balance between evil and even handed hospitality is brilliant, making DiCaprio my pick for Best Supporting Actor honours at the Golden Globes and Academy Awards.
Django Unchained features frequent use of the 'N word', and some confronting scenes involving deadly one on one fights. Some may take offence to these two aspects of the movie, but it has been proven to be historically accurate and moves the plot forward. Another scene projecting an early incarnation of the KKK is also prevalent, but it is wonderfully written by Tarantino, and one of the better moments of the film.

8.9 out of 10 - Fantastic.

Tarantino puts in another winner, combining great writing, directing and acting is a sure fire way to make a terrific film.

Zero Dark Thirty - Review

For director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal, following up their collaboration on The Hurt Locker was always going to be a tough task. Yet Zero Dark Thirty not only matches Hurt Locker,  it surpasses it. The tense and gripping film builds from a graphic and confronting opening, to a thrilling and unmissable ending. Along the way Jessica Chastain owns the character of Maya, and the supporting cast, led by Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Ehle and Mark Strong impress with good performances.

Zero Dark Thirty picks up in the aftermath of 9/11, with a fresh CIA operative, Maya (Chastain) joining Dan (Clarke) in Pakistan to aid in interrogation (torture) of contacts to disarm al-Qeada and Osama bin Laden. Working with a team led by Dan and including Jack (Harold Perrineau) and Jessica (Ehle), answering to Joseph Bradley (Kyle Chandler), Maya begins to make progress towards locating bin Laden. When a terrorist attack sees the death of a close friend, Maya's task turns to obsession. She eventually works with George (Strong) and tries to convince the Director of the CIA (James Gandolfini) to act on a hunch she develops, which involves a Navy SEAL team led by Patrick (Edgerton).

Chastain owns the screen as Maya, who may be based on a real person, much like Jeremy Renner in Hurt Locker, and deserves accolades for her ability to balance Maya's desperate obsession with bin Laden and her human frailties. Clarke as Dan is a real presence over the screen, and he almost steals his scenes. Ehle also puts in a fantastic performance as Jessica.
Zero Dark Thirty is like Homeland on steroids. It features similar build ups in tension, and spectacular releases. The final sequence is pulsating and breathtaking, even though we all know what the end result will be. Bigelow balances the action with human emotions, and the alternations between the dark and night vision is brilliant. At 156 minutes, Zero Dark Thirty is a little long, which can become evident in the middle period of the film, but all is forgiven in the last half an hour. Bigelow proves that she is a frontline director with a documentary style and fly-on-the-wall characteristics. This results in a strong hold over the audience and personifies Maya's plight. The early torture scenes are confronting and may cause distress to some viewers, however it adds to the desperation inside the characters to perform 'For God and Country'.
Without a doubt, Zero Dark Thirty is one of the best films of our summer, and one of the best in recent years.

9.1 out of 10 - Amazing.

Zero Dark Thirty is a must see. Spot on performances, perfect direction and unstoppable suspense flow through the entire film. 

Lincoln - Review

When Steven Spielberg combines with Daniel Day-Lewis on a dramatic biopic about Abraham Lincoln, you expect greatness. While Lincoln isn't perfect, it oozes with greatness. Spielberg performs at his best and Day-Lewis, as usual is near faultless in his recreation of history. The support cast is terrific, particularly Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. Lincoln is perfect for awards, yet it stumbles in its ending and runs a little long.

Having recently been elected, Abraham Lincoln (Day-Lewis) is faced with the task of trying to end the Civil War and his personal ambition to abolish slavery. Working with Secretary of State William Seward (David Strathairn), Lincoln attempts to win over members of House of Representatives to pass the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, a change that will abolish slavery and essentially end the war. He is met with support from Republicans, including the brash Thaddeus Stevens (Lee Jones) and opposition from Democrats. Meanwhile, Lincoln's son Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) returns home from schooling and flags a desire to join the war, met with disapproval from the erratic First Lady Mary-Todd Lincoln (Sally Field). Lincoln is forced to juggle personal and political challenges, while everyone around him questions how much power Lincoln has and needs.

The look and sound (a brilliant score by John Williams) of Lincoln feels of greatness. The script by Tony Kushner has sharp dialogue and fits in powerful scenes and moments rapidly enough during the approximate 150 minute running time to keep interest high. It isn't perfect though, the ending, without trying to give too much away, is unnecessary and rushed. Gordon-Levitt's role of Robert Lincoln is a key one on paper, but becomes lost in the film, along with a role by James Spader. The long list of important characters is hard to fit in, and Gordon-Levitt in particular seems useless to the narrative. Lincoln is great though, and Spielberg is fantastic. The opening sequence in particular, slowly revealing Lincoln is breathtaking. Expect Day-Lewis to pocket another Oscar for his role, and Spielberg wont be far off Best Director honours. Field is also a worthy candidate in a movie that promises greatness and delivers.

8.2 out of 10 - Great.

It was important to the history of the United States that Lincoln was inspiring and well made. Lincoln pulls it all off.

Review - Flight

Robert Zemeckis was amongst the peak of modern directors at the turn of the century, and then he changed. Following acclaimed movies Cast Away and What Lies Beneath, Zemeckis didn't direct a live action movie until Flight. Flight is a vehicle for Denzel Washington to return to drama after a string of generally good action films, and a chance for Zemeckis to reestablish himself as one of the better directors in film. Flight comes off as a good film, but fails to reach great heights.

Captain William 'Whip' Whitaker (Washington) wakes up hungover one morning after drinking heavily with fellow flight crew member Katerina Marquez (Nadine Velazquez). Whitaker has a flight to pilot that morning, and despite suspicious looks from co-pilot, Ken Evans (Brian Ger aghty) gets the plane in the air and through some early turbulence. Everything goes down from there, literally, as a fault in the plane makes flying impossible and Whitaker performs a miraculous maneuver to land the plane with only 6 casualties. Whitaker becomes an instant celebrity for his heroic actions, until he comes under scrutiny from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) following a toxicology report. Whitaker meets a recovering drug addict, Nicole (Kelly Reilly) in hospital and begins a relationship with her however, Whitaker's addiction to alcohol continues to torment him as a hearing at the NTSB approaches, and his separation from his wife and son begin to take a toll on Whitaker, all while union rep Charlie Anderson (Bruce Greenwood) and lawyer Hugh Lang (Don Cheadle) try to nurse him to the trial.

Flight is seemingly all dependent on Washington and he doesn't let the film down. The intriguing plot however tends to drag on, and Washington's anti-hero begins to grate on the audience as his bad decisions continue to pile up. Washington dominates the screen in this film, and carries it well. He appears to be in a fight with Daniel Day-Lewis and possibly Hugh Jackman for the best actor Oscar, ad would be a worthy recipient. Cheadle, as seemingly always, is terrific in his performance, and John Goodman has a very good role as well. Reilly seems a little off in her performance, and the character of Nicole gets lost behind Whitaker. Zemeckis direction is stable, yet not spectacular, reflecting the movie as a whole. The nearly 140 minute running time for Flight is probably 20-30 minutes too long, and this results in Whitaker becoming annoying and frustrating. Flight is an interesting and entertaining film however, and well worth seeing.

7.0 out of 10 - Good.

Washington's performance and the interesting story line hold Flight together just long enough, before the anti-hero really begins to annoy.

Savages - Review

Oliver Stone has had an odd time in the director chair in recent years. His attempts at epic films like Alexander and World Trade Center didn't quite hit the mark, and recently Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps was a disappointment. So Stone turned his attention to a simple crime tale called Savages. Savages promises to be a thrilling and action centric movie, and it doesn't disappoint on that front.

 Savages is all about young men, Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and Ben (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). They are partners in a major marijuana organization, and living the life of excess. Chon is the braun of the pair, Ben the brains and they manufacture the best quality marijuana on the market. Interestingly the two 'share' O (Blake Lively). And I mean share. The three live in harmony together, somehow, with Chon and Ben avoiding the hard hand of the law by enlisting help from a DEA agent, Dennis (John Travolta). However, the paradise is interrupted when a cartel demands partnership from the boys. When they are refused, O is kidnapped by the cartel, led by Elena (Selma Hayek) and her enforcer, Lado (Benicio del Toro). Chon and Ben desperately try to get her back, leading themselves deeper and deeper into the underworld.

If you want a clever, thoughtful movie, Savages isn't the one to see. The plot twists are obvious and the action sequences are gory, yet Savages is undeniably entertaining. del Toro and Travolta are excellent in supporting roles and are having a lot of fun doing it. Kitsch and Taylor-Johnson hold the picture up well, and will prove to be young stars to watch in coming years. Lively is adequate but just holds her ground in this, and begins to grate as the film moves. If you are seeing Savages, you will be after an entertaining and fun action film. That is Savages in a nut shell.

6.5 out of 10 - Good.
Savages promises a good time at the movies, a couple of hours well spent. And that is about it.