Mini Reviews

Tropic Thunder
An absolutely hilarious satire on the movie business. Robert Downey Jr. is the standout of the bunch, but all five leads are hysterical. Tom Cruise even gets some cool points for his cameo. I laughed so hard I cried. A-

Rachel Getting Married
A very powerful and naturalistic film about unconditional love in spite of even the most tragic crises. The nuanced performances from the entire ensemble are worthy of praise, though Anne Hathaway and Rosemarie DeWitt in particular stand out. The shaky cam might not be for everyone, but it provides the film with a more intimate feel. A-

Milk
A deeply moving and profound story about the first openly gay man elected to public office in the U.S. Grounded by brilliant acting, top-notch directing and an amazing screenplay, "Milk" is sure to land Oscar nods for Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Gus Van Sant and the picture as a whole. A

The Visitor
A thoughtful and subdued look at friendship and the challenges of immigration. Veteran character actor Richard Jenkins will likely earn an Oscar nomination for his captivating performance, and Haaz Sleiman's performance as a charismatic immigrant thrown in a detention center is equally deserving. B+

Let the Right One In
Enchanting and eerie at the same time, this Swedish tale of a bullied young boy and the vampire he becomes fascinated with blends horror and romance in unusual and captivating ways. B

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
This fantasy about a man who ages in reverse is visually stunning, with brilliant direction from David Fincher and top-notch acting from Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Taraji P. Henson. B+

Frost/Nixon
A gripping dramatization of British talk show host David Frost's historic interviews with Richard Nixon, "Frost/Nixon" is captivating all the way through. Peter Morgan's script doesn't miss a beat, and Frank Langella and Michael Sheen lead a strong cast. B+

Slumdog Millionaire
Without a doubt one of the best films of the year. "Slumdog Millionaire" is strong on all fronts, from the script to the directing to the acting to the incredible visuals. The audience becomes completely invested in the emotionally compelling story, which proves that every once in a while a tragedy can have a happy ending. A

Doubt
Overall this is a good film. The acting is incredible all around. The performances from Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis are the best of the year, and the story is a compelling one. The film falls a little short in John Patrick Shanley's inconsistent directing, so it's not quite worthy of a best picture nomination. But the movie is still worth watching for the acting, all of which deserves to be recognized by the Academy. B+

Oscar Predictions and Winners

Best Picture
This is one of the few categories in which the winner is almost a sure thing. It was unlikely for “The Reader” to even be nominated, and while “Frost/Nixon” has been nominated consistently throughout awards season, it hasn’t garnered any wins. The visually stunning “Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and the politically topical “Milk” could be contenders. But the poignant, beautiful and emotionally powerful “Slumdog Millionaire” has swept every other major awards race so far and probably won’t stop now.
Will win: “Slumdog Millionaire”
Should win: “Slumdog Millionaire”
Should have been nominated: “The Dark Knight”

Best Actor
Veteran character actor Richard Jenkins finally got the chance to shine with his subtle performance in “The Visitor,” Brad Pitt did a solid job breathing life into every age of “Benjamin Button” and Frank Langella did a remarkable job balancing Richard Nixon’s humanity and corruptness in “Frost/Nixon.”
But this race is really between Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke. Rourke tugged at audiences’ heartstrings and showed real versatility with his comeback role in “The Wrestler.” But Penn’s incredible portrayal of Harvey Milk, California’s first openly gay politician, has picked up steam following his SAG Award win, and many critics cite its relevance in light of the Proposition 8 controversy.
Will win: Sean Penn, “Milk”
Should win: Sean Penn
Should have been nominated: Leonardo DiCaprio, “Revolutionary Road”

Best Actress
Angelina Jolie and Melissa Leo will likely not take home an award for their roles in “Changeling” and “Frozen River” respectively, but the other three lead actresses are all contenders.
Academy favorite Meryl Streep gives another strong and intense performance in “Doubt,” and Anne Hathaway proves she’s left behind her “Princess Diaries” days with her gritty portrayal of a recovering alcoholic in “Rachel Getting Married.” But Kate Winslet has taken home trophy after trophy for her role in ‘The Reader,” and a switch to the lead category from the supporting category shouldn’t stop her this time.
Will win: Kate Winslet, “The Reader”
Should win: Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”
Should have been nominated: Cate Blanchett, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Best Supporting Actor
This category should be a lock. Michael Shannon stands out in his few scenes as a mentally ill mathematician in “Revolutionary Road.” Robert Downey Jr. proves his comedic genius playing an Australian playing a black man in “Tropic Thunder.” Philip Seymour Hoffman gives another brilliant performance as a priest accused of molestation in “Doubt.” Josh Brolin tackles the role of Harvey Milk’s assassin with ease.
But this year, no one can compare to the sheer magnitude of Heath Ledger’s Joker in “The Dark Knight.” Ledger has dominated this category at other awards thanks to his ability to immerse himself in this psychopathic and darkly comic character. And on Sunday, he should become the second actor in history (after “Network’s” Peter Finch) to win an Oscar posthumously.
Will win: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”
Should win: Heath Ledger
Should have been nominated: Dev Patel, “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Supporting Actress
This race is the hardest to call. Amy Adams and Viola Davis are both amazing in “Doubt,” but will likely split the vote since they are nominated for the same film. Taraji P. Henson is remarkable as “Benjamin Button’s” surrogate mother but has failed to pick up steam at other major awards.
This category will likely come down to “Vicky Cristina Barcelona’s” Penelope Cruz and “The Wrestler’s” Marisa Tomei. Both have swept the critics awards. They lost to Kate Winslet at the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards, but her move to the lead category clears the path for one of them here.
Will win: Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Should win: Taraji P. Henson, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Should have been nominated: Rosemarie DeWitt, “Rachel Getting Married”

Best Director
“Milk’s” Gus Van Sant and “Frost/Nixon’s” Ron Howard both did solid work this year but don’t stand out enough from their competition. Unless “The Reader’s” Stephen Daldry pulls an upset as surprising as his nomination, he’ll likely go home empty handed as well.
David Fincher’s fantastical world of “Benjamin Button” is certainly worthy of recognition. But Danny Boyle’s ability to combine tragedy, hope, raw emotion and visual appeal paired with his Director’s Guild win should ensure the man behind “Slumdog Millionaire” a prize.
Will win: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Should win: Danny Boyle
Should have been nominated: Christopher Nolan, “The Dark Knight”

Best Adapted Screenplay
There should be no real surprises in this category, with four out of five nominees also best picture nominees. “Benjamin Button,” “Frost/Nixon,” “The Reader” and “Doubt” all have strong scripts, but “Slumdog Millionaire” still stands out above the rest.
Will win: Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Should win: Simon Beaufoy
Should have been nominated: Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, “The Dark Knight”

Best Original Screenplay
“Frozen River,” “In Bruges” and particularly “Happy Go Lucky” could potentially pull upsets, but the race is likely between “Milk’s” Dustin Lance Black and “WALL-E’s” Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter and Jim Reardon.
The “WALL-E” team’s futuristic story combined with silent movie style played out brilliantly onscreen. But while it would be nice to see the film get some recognition in a major category, the Academy will likely go with Black’s inspiring “Milk” script, especially given its relevance amid the Proposition 8 controversy.
Will win: Dustin Lance Black, “Milk”
Should win: Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter and Jim Reardon, “WALL-E”
Should have been nominated: Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux and Etan Cohen, “Tropic Thunder”

And now the complete list of nominees and winners, with my predictions indicated in bold and the winners in bold parentheses:

Best picture
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"Milk"
"The Reader"
"Slumdog Millionaire" (winner)

Director
Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire" (winner)
Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"
David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"
Gus Van Sant, "Milk"

Actor
Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"
Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"
Sean Penn, "Milk" (winner)
Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"

Actress
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"
Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"
Meryl Streep, "Doubt"
Kate Winslet, "The Reader" (winner)

Supporting actor
Josh Brolin, "Milk"
Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"
Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight" (winner)
Michael Shannon, "Revolutionary Road"

Supporting actress
Amy Adams, "Doubt"
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (winner)
Viola Davis, "Doubt"
Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"

Animated feature
"Bolt"
"Kung Fu Panda"
"WALL-E" (winner)

Adapted screenplay
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," screenplay by Eric Roth, screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
"Doubt," written by John Patrick Shanley
"Frost/Nixon," screenplay by Peter Morgan
"The Reader," screenplay by David Hare
"Slumdog Millionaire," screenplay by Simon Beaufoy (winner)

Original screenplay
"Frozen River," written by Courtney Hunt
"Happy-Go-Lucky," written by Mike Leigh
"In Bruges," written by Martin McDonagh
"Milk," written by Dustin Lance Black (winner)
"WALL-E," screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon; original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

Art direction
"Changeling," James J. Murakami; set decoration: Gary Fettis
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Donald Graham Burt; set decoration: Victor J. Zolfo (winner)
"The Dark Knight," Nathan Crowley; set decoration: Peter Lando
"The Duchess," Michael Carlin; set decoration: Rebecca Alleway
"Revolutionary Road," Kristi Zea; set decoration: Debra Schutt

Cinematography
"Changeling," Tom Stern
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Claudio Miranda
"The Dark Knight," Wally Pfister
"The Reader," Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
"Slumdog Millionaire," Anthony Dod Mantle (winner)

Costume design
"Australia," Catherine Martin
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Jacqueline West
"The Duchess," Michael O'Connor (winner)
"Milk," Danny Glicker
"Revolutionary Road," Albert Wolsky

Documentary feature
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"
"Encounters at the End of the World"
"The Garden"
"Man on Wire" (winner)
"Trouble the Water"

Documentary short
(no prediction)
"The Conscience of Nhem En"
"The Final Inch"
"Smile Pinki" (winner)
"The Witness -- From the Balcony of Room 306"

Film editing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"The Dark Knight," Lee Smith
"Frost/Nixon," Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
"Milk," Elliot Graham
"Slumdog Millionaire," Chris Dickens (winner)

Foreign language film
"The Baader Meinhof Complex," Germany
"The Class," France
"Departures," Japan (winner)
"Revanche," Austria
"Waltz with Bashir," Israel

Makeup
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Greg Cannom (winner)
"The Dark Knight," John Caglione Jr. and Conor O'Sullivan
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army," Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Original score
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Alexandre Desplat
"Defiance," James Newton Howard
"Milk," Danny Elfman
"Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman (winner)
"WALL-E," Thomas Newman

Original song
"Down to Earth" from "WALL-E," music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, lyrics by Peter Gabriel
"Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire," music by A.R. Rahman, lyrics by Gulzar (winner)
"O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire," music and lyrics by A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam

Animated short

(no prediction)

"La Maison en Petits Cubes" (winner)
"Lavatory -- Lovestory"
"Oktapodi"
"Presto"
"This Way Up"

Live-action short

(no prediction)

"Auf der Strecke (On the Line)"
"Manon on the Asphalt"
"New Boy"
"The Pig"
"Spielzeugland" (winner)

Sound editing
"The Dark Knight," Richard King (winner)
"Iron Man," Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
"Slumdog Millionaire," Glenn Freemantle and Tom Sayers
"WALL-E," Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
"Wanted," Wylie Stateman

Sound mixing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
"The Dark Knight," Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
"Slumdog Millionaire," Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty (winner)
"WALL-E," Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
"Wanted," Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Visual effects
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron (winner)
"The Dark Knight," Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
"Iron Man," John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

2008: A Year in Review

I wanted to share this amazing 2008 recap video by Matt Shapiro, "The Cinescape," which I found courtesy of First Showing. This is a very well-put together piece focusing on some of the most significant movies of the year, set to "Hoppipola" by Sigur Ros, which played with the "Slumdog Millionaire" trailer. It just makes me think about what a truly powerful medium cinema is and reminds me why I want to spend my life covering this art form and this industry. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Top 10 Movies of 2008

Obviously I haven't updated this blog in awhile, but it's my goal to keep it updated consistently in 2009. I'll be taking the next couple of weeks to catch up on some things I want to post from the end of 2008, starting with my list of the top 10 movies of the year.

1. The Dark Knight – This gritty sequel to “Batman Begins” is more reminiscent of film noir than the typical summer blockbuster. It broke the trend of event films getting critically panned and Oscar bait having sub-par box office performance by earning rave reviews and nearly $1 billion worldwide. The strong cast led by Christian Bale and the phenomenal Heath Ledger, Christopher and Jonathan Nolan’s complex story and Christopher Nolan’s impeccable direction make “The Dark Knight” cinema gold.

2. Slumdog Millionaire – This compelling story of an Indian “slumdog” is really a work of art. Director Danny Boyle, star Dev Patel and the film as a whole all deserve Oscars. Visually breathtaking and emotionally captivating, the film combines tragedy and sorrow with the persistent hope for a new beginning. “Slumdog Millionaire” is perhaps the most touching story of the year.

3. WALL-E – Pixar’s latest film is its best since “Toy Story” and the first animated movie since “Beauty and the Beast” with a real shot at being nominated for a best picture Oscar. This film is visually stunning and conveys a huge amount of emotion in very few words. WALL-E and his robot love EVE are a more dynamic couple than many of their live action counterparts.

4. Milk – Gus Van Sant’s inspiring biopic tells the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay official elected in California. Sean Penn nails his role as the title character, and James Franco, Emile Hirsch and Josh Brolin provide solid supporting performances, particularly Brolin as the man who cuts Milk’s life short. Van Sant’s retelling of Milk’s life is one that will undoubtedly move audiences to tears.

5. Rachel Getting Married – Anne Hathaway proves her versatility as a recovering alcoholic who returns home for her sister’s wedding. This independent film from a screenplay by Jenny Lumet provides an intimate look at one family’s relentless dysfunction and unconditional love. The film also features standout supporting turns from Rosemarie DeWitt and Bill Irwin.

6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – David Fincher’s direction reigns supreme in this fantastical adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story about a peculiar man who ages in reverse. Taraji P. Henson will likely land an Oscar nod for her role as Benjamin’s surrogate mother, and the riveting story doesn’t have a low point in the film’s entire two hour and 45 minute runtime.

7. Frost/Nixon – Ron Howard’s dramatization of British talk show host David Frost’s pivotal interviews with Richard Nixon manages to be a suspenseful tale even if the audience knows the story’s outcome. Frank Langella and Michael Sheen do brilliant work as Nixon and Frost respectively. The film does for Nixon’s admission of wrongdoing what “Good Night and Good Luck” did for the downfall of Joseph McCarthy.

8. Doubt – John Patrick Shanley’s adaptation of his Pulitzer Prize-winning play features one of the strongest ensemble casts of the year. Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis all give powerhouse performances in this hard-hitting story of the powerfulness of doubt and certainty set against the backdrop of molestation in the Catholic Church.

9. Tropic Thunder – What may come off to some as nothing more than an offensive farce truly stands out as 2008’s wittiest and smartest comedy. Ben Stiller’s brilliant satire of the entertainment industry elaborately points out Hollywood’s absurdities in a way the general public can still appreciate. Robert Downey Jr. is the real star among the cast with his hilarious portrayal of an intense method actor who will even change the color of his skin if it means a chance for an award.

10. The Visitor - Todd McCarthy's thoughtful portrayal of illegal immigration is a low-budget gem that will unfortunately likely be overlooked come awards season. Veteran character actor Richard Jenkins shines as Walter, the mild-mannered protagonist whose life is changed forever when he finds that two immigrants have been living in his New York apartment.