Month: February 2016

I May Die Historic Tonight on Fury Road

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My Oscar picks are in, and I’ve gone very long on George Miller and Mad Max: Fury Road.

With all the chatter about Spotlight vs The Big Short and the love-hate people have for The Revenant, I thought I would go with Miller’s action packed, edge of your seat, crowd pleasing splendour. The only film I saw twice in 2015. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it won?

Who am I kidding? I never win the Oscar pool. I can never quite bring my self to select those most likely to win. Somehow in employing that winning strategy I fear I might be endorsing the politics that seem to cloud the Academy’s better judgements. Every year I hope really great films will receive the recognition they deserve and every year I am a little bit disappointed, even more so when some of my favourites do not even receive a nomination.

This year I think the films nominated for best picture are the right ones. Could there have been 11 or even 15, maybe?  But we haven’t got all night now, have we?

Regardless of the politics and disappointments, I have never missed watching the Academy Awards. For many it still represents the hallmark of film achievement. The carrot that drives the effort. More and more we are seeing filmmakers take risks that are recognized, pushing creative boundaries, inspiring innovation and bringing important stories to the forefront of audiences in cinemas around the world.

With high hopes that the Academy make immediate changes to eliminate bias next year,  I will sit and enjoy the evening with friends. I will enjoy the gowns, the tuxes, the speeches and the tributes. I will enjoy the tweets and texts with my movie nerd compadres. Here is  hoping for some surprises (Room and Lenny for the win?), that no one trips on the stairs and the winners remember who helped them win the wee man.

Jules

The Woman in Gold – Stories that need to be told 

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The trailer for this film did not do it justice, in my opinion.  It is a really great movie with an important story to tell.   Maybe if it had been an HBO film it would have done better. I know the producers bet on a small number of films to go big or go home with and with the over abundance of excellent films this year The Woman in Gold did not make the cut. As I said, the trailer did not intrigue me and I only saw it because a trusted friend recommended it. She and I don’t always agree on all films,  but generally we do on agree on human interest stories.

The story is simple, it is based on the true story of Maria Altman and her quest to reclaim a Gustav Klimt painting that had belonged to her family.   The painting, an Austrian national treasure, was a portrait of her beloved aunt and stolen by the Nazis.   Helen Mirren plays Maria and I thought she did an incredible job. Shhe was, after all, recognized with a Golden Globe nomination for this role.

Ryan Reynolds portrays Randy Schoenberg, the son of Maria’s close friend, who is struggling to find success as a young lawyer.  Maria approaches him to help her with her quest because someone she feels she can trust him.   Reluctant at first, he is eventually persuaded not only by her charm and the potential for financial gain, but by the opportunity for redemption and acknowledgement by Austria of some of the atrocities carried out in the war. There is a scene where Ryan Reynolds’s character realizes why this case needs to be won and I believe this is the best acting I have ever seen from Ryan Reynolds.  I will not spoil the moment by describing it here.  Best you experience this for yourself.

It is a solid film with a good message. Hopefully through word of mouth and video on demand, more will see it.

Jules

Hail, Caesar! Written and directed The Coen Brothers

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I am one of the Coen Brother’s original fans and I was supposed to see it with my daughter, but could not wait to see it. Too many trailers taunting me.  I was a bad mother and went to see it without her on the opening  Friday.  My first impression was that it lacked a certain emphasis, a certain humour and I was a bit disappointed.  Then I let it slip that I had seen it. Mom!!! How could you???  And off I went to see it again.  This time in the VIP theatre. Who pays twice as much to see a movie that disappointed them a second time? Apparently I do, but hey it’s the Coen Brothers.  Surely I missed something.

I have to say I did enjoy the film much more the second time. This is a film about the golden age of movies, a film about capitalism, a film about socialism, about writers and a film about secrets, but most of all it is a film about resigning oneself to the empire of illusion not because you have to but because you want to, because you love it.   Like Ethel Merman sang “there’s no business like show business”.

This is not my most favourite Coen Brothers movie but I found it moderately entertaining and it actually made me think more about it the second time.

Jules