Thursday, February 03, 2005

Well, I haven't updated in a while. And I don't really have a whole lot of time to do so... consequently, I'll repost something I wrote for @rassm. Jen's movie opinions for the Academy Awards.


Who do you think will win Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards:

The Aviator

I really liked this portrayal of Howard Hughes' life. I saw in in Houston with a bunch of old people. Seriously. My mother, who's nearly 60, was one of the younger moviegoers in the theater. I think Scorsese has a lot of momentum coming into this Oscar ceremony. With all of those nominations, plus the fact that he's never won a Best Director, he SHOULD win one of the big awards. The Aviator has been his strongest work in years. But I think they will give him Best Director, as I will explain later.

Finding Neverland

Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet are the reasons to see this movie... plus that really cute little boy. I was expecting Michael Jackson in England, but I got a nice sweet film. But I think that's the downfall - it's too saccharine to really make an impact. I left the theater and 30 minutes later, I forgot about the film. Really good movies have me thinking for a long time afterward. (However, when I saw it, I ran into a friend of mine from freshman year in college! Slightly strange, through... the movie
theater was in Alhambra, a good trek from USC.)

* Million Dollar Baby

I was in tears during this film. I first heard about the movie during a class I was taking; Leonard Maltin was the professor, and he came back from the critic's preview of the film to say, "Don't miss this." I took him seriously. After Christmas break, the first thing I did when I was back in Los Angeles was to go see this movie. Every move is just perfect in this film. The acting is amazing, the script is amazing, the cinematography is amazing... even the music is perfect. Not a wrong note. Best Picture, without a doubt in my mind. It will (or should) win.

Ray

I've yet to see this. But someone down the hall owns a copy, so I could get back to you in a couple of days. However, I don't really like biopic films. I hear Jamie Foxx is amazing, but a deaf mute in an abandoned coal mine would've heard the same thing. There's no serious chance of this film winning the big one.

Sideways

I saw this movie in the same Leonard Maltin class that I mentioned earlier. I really, really liked this smart comedy. Plus, Alexander Payne was the featured guest, so it was great to meet him and talk about the film with him. If you haven't seen this, it's more than just a buddy flick. Plus you can see the beautiful scenery of Santa Barbara Country. I've spent several weekends up there; it's only a two hour drive, but the mountains are just amazing. Plus, Solvang is one of the coolest towns around, with fabulous Norwegian fare.


Now, who do you think should have been nominated for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards:


Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This was another tear-jerker for me. I swear, I don't cry that much... but two movies made my eyes water. I saw this the first weekend it came out, and I bought the DVD the first day it was available. Charlie Kaufman, the screenwriter, is my god. I only wish I were as smart as his screenplays. Plus, AGAIN, it has Kate Winslet, one of my favorite contemporary actresses.

Name another film you saw this year that you just thought completely rocked:

The Yes Men. One of the funniest documentaries I've ever seen. Basically, these two guys pose as the World Trade Organization and pull some outrageous stunts during official "presentations." Really, really, really fabulous material. Imagine Jackass... with intelligence and a political conscience.

Okay, now in keeping with @rassm List spirit, badmouth a movie that someone else mentioned they liked:

Okay, I'm going to get flamed for this one... but I wasn't the biggest fan of the Incredibles. The first half was really engaging... but I snoozed through the second part. It was okay. It was just hyped up too much before I saw it; no movie could stand up to that much praise. I might enjoy it more in a few months, but I still liked Finding Nemo a lot more.

I've seen every movie nominated for an Academy Award, save Ray, Vera Drake, and Maria Full of Grace. And I'm seeing those in the next couple of weeks.(obsessive, much?)