Countdown to the Oscars: The Directors

I've been listening to interviews done by Terry Gross of "Fresh Air" with the five filmmakers nominated for Best Director in this year's Academy Awards - Kathryn Bigelow, James Cameron, Lee Daniels, Jason Reitman, and Quentin Tarantino. After hearing each director discuss his or her films I realized that these five are a very diverse group, and not simply because they include a woman (the fourth one ever nominated for directing) and an African-American (only the second ever nominated).

There's a range of actual experience and body of work. Cameron and Bigelow are industry veterans who have both been directing major films since the 80s. Cameron has already won an Oscar for directing Titanic. On the other end of the experience spectrum, Jason Reitman has only made three films. However, this is his second nomination for Best Director; Reitman was previously nominated in 2007 for directing Juno. Lee Daniels has directed only two films after previously working as a producer and casting director.

Cameron, Reitman, and Tarantino are writer-directors, in fact Tarantino and Reitman are both nominated for screenwriting awards this year. However, their writing styles are quite different. Tarantino is known for his dense and witty dialogue. His signature scene is one like the tavern scene in Inglourious Basterds: several characters gathered around a table engaged in a lengthy conversation touching on pop culture tidbits, sociological insights, and intellectual one-upsmanship. Though Cameron is a writer, his films are known more for their technical merits than deft dialogue. In fact, that is a criticism leveled at the Oscar-nominated Avatar - the visuals are great, but the story sucks.

But to really get a sense of the diversity of this field, just look at the types of films for which they are best known. Cameron specializes in big-budget epics, often in the sci-fi/fantasy realm, such as The Abyss, Titanic, and Avatar. He seems uninterested in depicting things as they are in the real world; his films are total escapes into new realities. Bigelow has also become known for action, but, unlike Cameron's, her films are usually based in real-world dramas like the cops and surfers of Point Break or the bomb-defusing soldiers of The Hurt Locker.

In the two films he has directed, and in those he has produced, Daniels seems to gravitate toward dramas built upon the human relationships between people on the fringes of society. He does not shy away from the uglier sides of life. Reitman, on the other hand, seems to specialize in comedy/dramas about middle class America. In contrast to the often harsh and gritty images of a Daniels film, Reitman's films have an almost artificial sheen. There is something bright and clean about them, despite subject matter (teen pregnancy, tobacco lobbyists, unemployment) which is usually topical and true-to-life.

Tarantino seems in his own category entirely because his films are so identifiably "Quentin Tarantino films." He is drawn to subjects one could arguably call low-brow - heists, small-time gangsters, kung fu fighting. His influences range from Hollywood classics to cult favorites and exploitation films. And as I have already mentioned, he is famous for his dialogue; it is a dominant element in any Tarantino film.

So what makes the "best" director? Is it the effective use of groundbreaking technical innovations, a unique cinematic style, or the ability to achieve harrowing realism? Or, is it the person who directed the best film? When the choices are as varied as this year it is hard to pick one. I'll be making my predictions soon, and then we'll see if the Academy agrees.

You can listen to the "Fresh Air" interviews here.

BONUS: If you are wondering how Academy members choose the best sound editing (and aren't we all?), Slate.com has prepared this handy video primer. Check out this one for a look at film editing.

(My List of The) Best Movies of the Decade

I wanted to make my own list of the 10 Best Movies of the Decade, but that quickly grew to 15, then 25, and finally I had to cut the list off at 50. It's a nice round number. My list went through many drafts and I figured I should post it before my list changes yet again. When you make a list of "Best of... Top... Most..." whatever, there are a lot of chances to be pretentious and didactic. There actually is a right way and a wrong way to critique movies, as well as anything else. Do you remember that scene in Dead Poet's Society where the boys read from their textbook about a formula to determine a poem's "greatness" using an X-Y axis graph? That's the wrong way. The other way is to be honest, especially to yourself, about how you felt. All of these movies are on this list because of how they made me feel. I really didn't want to rank the movies with numbers, except for the Top 10, but it seemed like the best way to organize them. I didn't pick movies that I thought should be on a list like this, because they were popular, or what other people said about them, or what awards they won. There was no scientific method involved. These are movies that made me feel great, even better than great, that moved me emotionally and even left a mark. They left me amazed and entertained and still make me feel that way.

50. Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle (2004)
49. Traffic (2000)
"I'd rather be lucky than good"

48. Match Point (2005)

47. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
46. Shattered Glass (2003)

45. Up (2009)

"This is what my people died for... the right to make a movie in this town."

44. State and Main (2000)

43. In Bruges (2008)
42. Minority Report (2002)

41. Let the Right One In (2008)

40. (500) Days of Summer (2009)

The Writer's Journey:
39. Reprise (2008)

Edward Grey: We can't do this 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Lee: Why not?

38. Secretary (2002)
37. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

36. Superbad (2007)

35. Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001)
34. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)

33. Clerks 2 (2006)

32. Amelie (2001)
31. Ichi the Killer* (2001) (*Not for the faint of heart)

30. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
29. Ratatouille (2007)
28. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
27. Paris Je T'aime (2007)

26. About A Boy (2002)
25. Grindhouse (2006)

Gretchen: Donnie Darko? What the hell kind of name is that? It's like some sort of superhero or something
Donnie: What makes you think I'm not?

24. Donnie Darko (2001)

23. Almost Famous (2000)

22. Vanilla Sky (2001)

21. American Psycho (2001) "You don't know me, but my name's Edward Bloom... And I love you."
20. Big Fish (2003) 19. The Fountain (2006)

"I don't know you, but I want you all the more for that..."
18. Once (2007)

17. High Fidelity (2000)

"This life came so close to never happening."
16. The 25th Hour (2002)

I could write at length about each of these movies and I very well may at some point in the future. But in the interest of keeping things brief, I decided to only comment on my picks for the top 15 which I'll post next week.

Soundtracks of My Life

"You've got to hear this one song, it'll change your life, I swear."

It really did. Or rather the Garden State soundtrack did. At least in a small way. I'd never heard of The Shins before, or Iron and Wine, or Frou Frou and Imogen Heap, or The Postal Service or Ben Gibbard; all of which are now favorites of mine. And listening to those singers and musicians led to others that make up my CD collection and iTunes library.

But let's go back to the beginning for a moment. There is one song that really did change my life. When I was 11 I didn't really listen to music. Today that sounds like an absurd statement. How can you be a person and not listen to music? I didn't like the music my parents listened to (mostly tejano and country music) and I didn't like what my friends were listening to (Ace of Base and Coolio, go figure). So where did I pick up music from? Tom Hanks. Before I ever saw That Thing You Do! I had the soundtrack and loved the songs by The Wonders. What other bands could I listen to? They mention The Beatles in That Thing You Do!, would I like The Beatles? Yes. And then my life really changed.


Another red letter date in movies and soundtracks for me was the day I saw Magnolia and first heard the songs of Aimee Mann. Her songs fit the mood and tone of the movie very well. They're not just popular songs stuck into the movie to grab attention. In the sequences set to One and Wise Up the songs serve the images on screen beyond that cheesy "the lyrics mirror what's on the screen" cliche; the songs ground the mood and emotions of the characters and the scene. One of the best lines in the movie, said by Claudia (Melora Walters) to Jim (John C. Reily), is actually the first line of the song Deathly, slightly augmented: "Now that I've met you would you object to never seeing each other again?" I was blown away by the ending set to Save Me. I bought the soundtrack right away and have been an avid fan of Aimee Mann since. I was at the time and still am appalled that Save Me did not win Best Original Song at the Oscars that year.

Soundtracks have been a big part of my life ever since. A lot of movies have introduced me to music that I adore. Good Will Hunting introduced me to Elliott Smith, one of my all time favorite musicians. The Graduate is where I first heard Simon and Garfunkel. Though I'd heard some of his songs I wasn't a big Donovan fan until I heard Hurdy Gurdy Man in Zodiac. The many songs of The Rolling Stones have come to me by way of Wes Anderson and Martin Scorsese. I even picked up MGMT from the trailer to Sex Drive, which I did not see or want to see. The soundtracks of Once and Juno have been much played on my CD player since I first heard them in early 2008 and introduced me to The Swell Season and Belle and Sebastian, respectively. Every time I'm at the movies I always look forward to that list of songs that comes at the very end of the credits.

On other websites...

Oscar Nominations have been announced! There's still time to catch up on any of the nominees you may have missed before the awards are handed out March 7. I just saw An Education last weekend and plan to see The Blind Side, as well. You can print out your official ballot here. Surely I'm not the only one who likes to consult her completed ballot during the ceremony? I'll be making my picks (and choosing who I think will really win) as the ceremony gets closer.


And for an alternative look at the Academy Awards, the 20/20 Awards should be announcing their nominees any day now (their website has not been updated, though nominations were to be announced yesterday). "Correcting the Academy with 20 years of hindsight," the Felix awards for films released in 1989 will be handed out March 14.

Turner Classic Movies will be holding their first Classic Film Festival this April in Los Angeles. Alas, the high ticket prices prevent me from attending this year; however, I hope the first festival is a success so that they keep producing it and perhaps one year I can attend. The festival schedule includes many restored or new prints of classic films, ranging from the dark satire The King of Comedy to the cheerful musical Sunnyside Up. The opening night event is the world premiere of a restored version of A Star is Born, starring Judy Garland. However, I think another highly anticipated showing will be a newly discovered print of Metropolis, this will be its North American debut.

Finally, if you tend to roll your eyes at Oscar-bait roles in which a glamorous actress attempts to look plain and downtrodden, then you may laugh at this essay and slideshow from Slate. I like to imagine what criteria is used by the costume designer tasked with finding the ugliest, frumpiest sweater ever knitted for the leading lady's profanity-filled breakdown scene. "It must be oversized, faded, droopy, and preferably the color of dishwater..."

10 Best of 2009 (A.J.'s Picks)

For the first time since the 1940's the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences has nominated 10 films for Best Picture of the Year and in doing so the Academy has, indirectly, made it's own 10 Best of the Year list. I'll admit I haven't seen every film that came out in the past year, but I have seen a lot and after much deliberation have put together my own list of some of the best movies from last year.

10. Broken Embraces

Pedro Almodovar is good at making movies. It's what he does best; the reason being that he loves movies and you only have to watch one Almodovar movie to pick up on that. Broken Embraces is a movie in love with movies. The camera is in love with bold colors and Penelope Cruz. The story is told in flashbacks that explore the lives of the characters while drawing you in before cutting back to the present time. But this isn't a movie where all the action is in the flashback. The scenes in the present time are not just meant to serve as breaks from the flashback. These scenes also move the story forward; they continue to create intrigue and attempt to find the answers that the characters and the audience are looking for. That old movie cliche, "It has everything: drama, comedy, romance, intrigue, tragedy, action..." That is this movie and it's no cliche or gimmick. Every moment fits so well together that no scene feels out of place.

9. Star Trek

If only every summer "blockbuster" were like this...(I'd have a wonderful summer and never roll my eyes or groan at what's on the screen). I've been a Star Trek fan for about as far back as I can remember, though my fandom was limited to the series of movies with the original cast and the Next Generation series. This film had a very annoying ad campaign: "This isn't your father's Star Trek" which is code for "Star Trek is for cool people now." But this isn't just a cool, slick remake/reboot, it's a well made and very exciting action and science fiction movie. Like the new Batman series, the filmmakers take a fantastical subject and take it seriously and set it in the real world. There are scenes that take place in a bar and military academy on Earth, it's not too much of a stretch to believe that there are bars and schools in the future. One of the most memorable images in the film is James Kirk riding on a motorcycle next to cornfields and a Starfleet shipyard; it all looks very real, or at least all the other normal elements let me marvel at how they got that spaceship there. Star Trek has a sleek look and young attractive cast but is concerned with delivering an interesting story and compelling characters to go along with all those special effects.

8. The Hurt Locker

Before Stanley Kubrick set out to make Full Metal Jacket he said that he wanted to make a war film. When someone said that Paths of Glory was a war film, he responded that Paths of Glory was an anti-war film, now he wanted to make a film about war as a phenomenon. Kathryn Bigelow has done the same thing with The Hurt Locker. I've avoided films about the current war in Iraq; they all seem to be more concerned with politics and anti-war sentiments that I've seen before in films about Vietnam and other wars. But The Hurt Locker is about the soldiers, not the war. Bigelow's direction emphasizes substance over style. The scenes involving disarming IED's, a shootout with enemy snipers, and a scene with a suicide bomber are filmed in such a way that we feel the tension and suspicion that surround the soldiers on a near daily basis. There's effective use handheld camerawork that genuinely places us right there with the soldiers as they do their job without crossing into that self-conscious "shaky-cam" that has been overused in other recent films. This movie is effective as a tension filled action movie and a character study of one man that loves his job.

7. In the Loop

I still can't believe how funny this movie is. Satire usually brings to my mind tongue-in-cheek style humor and unflattering portrayals of characters that only just resemble actual people. This is a hilarious fictional account of British and American political backstage players and staffers; some are working to go to war, some are trying to prevent a war in a country in the Middle East, and each side is just as funny and just as ridiculous as the other. This isn't one of those "everyone in politics is an incompetent idiot" satires. The humor doesn't come from poking fun at people and their actions but rather from the people themselves: insulting each other, pointing out the ridiculous situations that arise, the actions of other people. You know, the only person that ever seems to be doing anything right is you. These are just people making dumb decisions and doing dumb things as people often do.

6. Fantastic Mr. Fox

This is not a children's movie. It's a Wes Anderson movie. I don't think that kids will understand everything in Fantastic Mr. Fox, but that's not a bad thing, and they'll certainly be entertained. A movie like this that doesn't talk down to children will stay around because as they grow and understand more, the movie will mean more and each viewing will be like seeing it for the first time, again. It's a very accessible movie too, for kids and adults. The talking animals wear shirts and pants and ties and dresses, they speak in ordinary voices, move into new houses, go to school, and have regular jobs. Everything isn't so black and white in the movie either. Mr. Fox is a former chicken thief that gave up his bandit lifestyle to raise a family, but slips back into his old thieving ways. His son wants to join him. His wife disapproves when she finally finds out. I had a great time watching this movie. The stop motion animation brings these animals to life more than you would think and is a perfect fit for the hyperreality that these animals inhabit. All the Wes Anderson trademarks are here, best of all that combination of dry humor and sincerity.

5. Inglourious Basterds

Despite a misleading marketing campaign, I knew I had just seen something very remarkable when I left the theater. I saw the film again and found myself enjoying it just as much as the first time. This is a great viewing experience. Stanley Kubrick has a theory that a film is made up or 7 or 8 shorter films or segments. Inglourious Basterds fits into that idea very well. The movie is made up of 5 chapters and about 7 or 8 distinct scenes that could stand on their own as very well-written and executed short films. The best scenes are filled with incredible performances from the actors and Tarantino's trademark, well-written dialogue and very interesting characters. Christoph Waltz, who has been much praised and awarded for his performance as Nazi Colonel Hans Landa, is deserving of every word that praise; he's created one of the most memorable villains in cinema history. Tarantino is not afraid to trade action and violence for suspense and tension and is almost Hitchcockian in the construction of those tense scenes. People have called Inglourious Basterds "ultra-violent" and though it is not filled with violence the way most action or horror movies are, the violence, when it does happen, is so intense and off-putting that it stays in the minds of the viewers.

4. (500) Days of Summer

It's a story about love, not a love story. It's about the great buzz from having met someone you like, the wonderful elation from them liking you, from being in love, and the soul-crushing feeling and aftermath from when it ends. This movie reminded me of two other movies that jumped around in time to show a failing relationship: Two for the Road and Annie Hall. Though the nonlinear timeline and story of a relationship ending has been used before, (500) Days of Summer always feels fresh and original and even inventive. You begin this movie knowing how the relationship will turn out, but this movie is about the personal journey you take in a relationship. It's about the importance of certain times and people in your life, even the sour moments.

3. Up In the Air

I once said to a friend, "The closest thing we have to Cary Grant today is George Clooney." My friend responded excitedly, "So you see it too!" I can't be certain if the role of Ryan Bingham is the kind of part that would've gone to Cary Grant back in the day, but George Clooney has enough screen presence and real talent to carry this move. I loved this movie and when it ended I wanted to go right back into the theater and watch it again. Every critic has been saying that this is a movie that captures our time. Up in the Air touches on issues that all of us in 2009 (and now 2010) are very aware of without being topical. By not addressing specific issues the movie doesn't date itself and will hold up on later viewings and I believe that this movie will be around and will be relatable years from now. Up in the Air seems conventional enough at first. Ryan Bingham doesn't want to be tied down in his work or relationships, which are few. He meets Alex, played wonderfully by Vera Farmiga who takes a female character that probably wasn't much on paper and really brings her to life. "Will Ryan trade his life in the air for one on the ground?" is the conventional question that seems be posed and for a moment this movie looks like it's headed for a conventional ending. What we have instead is a smart movie that gives us something better.

2. Adventureland

You hear it from just about everyone when you're growing up: you go to school, do your best, then you go to college so you can get a great job, and there's your life. I guess "they" have to tell you something. Jesse Eisenberg plays James, a recent college graduate that finds he can only land a job at the run-down amusement park called Adventureland. What Greg Mottola gives us with with Adventureland is a coming of age story that, though it treads familiar territory, doesn't slip into cliche and always feels authentic. There was another movie released this year about a college graduate that can't get a job, Post Grad, which is the flip side to this movie. But unlike Post Grad, Adventureland is a bit like a Lou Reed song: unpolished, alternative, with an air of both melancholy and joy. There are good comic moments with Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as the kooky couple that manages the theme park and some low-key moments with Martin Starr. There's also heavier moments with Em's (Kristen Stewart) home life and it all blends very well; neither the comic moments or heavier moments feel shoehorned into the script. There are no sight gags in this movie, no gross out moments, no melodramatic moments either. This could have been like many other coming of age movies: fluffed up, polished, dumbed down, loaded with cheap laughs and even cheaper life lessons. The filmmakers are confident with the material; so are the actors, and they're good enough to make the characters and their experiences feel both real and entertaining. Most importantly in a movie like this, the characters are fully fleshed out people that carry the story. This movie is everything a movie about young adults should be.

1. Up

Up is the best movie of the year. I can't describe how much I was moved by this movie. But I'll try. Despite the Disney/Pixar banner, you don't have to be a kid or have family to enjoy this movie. Up is movie about life and plans and deals with them like a good film for adults would. The first part of the film is about Carl's childhood with, and later marriage to, Ellie, the outgoing, talkative other-half to the shy Carl. This part of the film is nearly entirely silent; accompanied by a beautiful, emotionally evocative score. The emotional resonance of that segment doesn't fade throughout the rest of the film and finds a balance with the more comical scenes with Russell, the 8 year-old scout that is accompanying the 78 year-old Carl and his floating house, and Dug, the dog with a collar that allows him to talk. Dug may be the best talking dog in the history of movies because he doesn't talk like person, but the way I imagine a dog would actually talk (he's always on the lookout for a squirrel). Pixar excels at making not just good computer animated movies, but good movies. Period. And this is one of their best.

Classic Movie Picks: February

Each month, I scour the Turner Classic Movies Now Playing guide for upcoming films that I can't miss. The highlights are posted here for your reading and viewing pleasure! (All listed times are Eastern Standard, check your local listings or TCM.com for actual air times in your area. Each day's schedule begins at 6:00 a.m.; if a film airs between midnight and 6 a.m. it is listed on the previous day's programming schedule.)

This month TCM begins their annual "31 Days of Oscar" programming in honor of the Academy Awards. If you enjoy the Academy Awards and their history, as I do, this is a fun time of year. All the films scheduled for the next 31 days will be Oscar winners or nominees. This year, as an added twist, the schedule also incorporates a variation on "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" by linking each film through a common performer. So, the first film of the month is Only When I Laugh with Bacon and James Coco, followed by Man of La Mancha featuring Coco and Harry Andrews, followed by the Harry Andrews film 55 Days at Peking, and so on...ending March 3 with Diner starring Kevin Bacon. No connections or films will be repeated throughout the entire month!
Obviously, each film during 31 Days of Oscar has something to recommend it, whether it be a lead performance, score, or costume design. So, to narrow down the field I've selected films which feature some of my favorite leading ladies.

2/7, 5:30 AM: The Actress (1953)
This is a biopic starring the lovely Jean Simmons as Ruth Gordon - yes, the Ruth Gordon. Though she's probably best known today as the kooky old lady from Harold and Maude, her career as an actress began decades earlier. The screenplay for The Actress was adapted by Gordon from her autobiographical play and it covers her early career in the theater. Spencer Tracy and Teresa Wright (such a favorite actress of mine, I made her my profile picture on this site!) lead an impressive cast as Gordon's parents; however, I must admit my real interest lies in Gordon's story. She began acting on the stage in 1915; fifty-three years later, at the age of 74, she won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her role in Rosemary's Baby. Her acceptance speech began, "I can't tell you how encouragin' this is..." In between those milestones she and her husband, writer-director Garson Kanin, collaborated on the screenplays for the Katharine Hepburn-Spencer Tracy classics Adam's Rib and Pat and Mike. In fact, the onscreen relationship between Hepburn and Tracy was modeled on the Kanin marriage. Unfortunately, The Actress only deals with a small portion of Gordon's interesting life, but I am eager to see it just the same.

2/14: A Jean Arthur Triple Feature!
10 AM - A Foreign Affair (1948)
12 PM - The More the Merrier (1943)
2 PM - The Devil and Miss Jones (1941)
One of Hollywood's most unique leading ladies of the 30s and 40s, Jean Arthur was particularly adept at screwball comedy whether she was playing the baby-faced innocent or the worldly wiseacre. In a nod to the quality of Ms. Arthur's films, TCM is playing at least four more throughout this month of award winners: 2/8, 9:15 AM - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; 2/9, 8:45 AM - Too Many Husbands; 2/9, 2 PM - The Talk of the Town; 2/28, 10:15 AM - You Can't Take it With You.

2/26, 8 PM: Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967)
Julie Andrews has to be one of the most likeable screen presences there is. I've never seen her be anything less than delightful on film and her turn here as Millie is no exception. In my opinion, this film would be worth a watch just for Julie; however, Thoroughly Modern Millie happens to be one of the funniest movie musicals ever made, blending elements of slapstick and farce with plenty of memorable tunes. This film was recently adapted into a popular Broadway musical, so it's not inconceivable that it could be remade into a film in the not-too-distant-future. Watch the original now! Then, when the new version comes out you can act superior and say you've long been a fan and, in all honesty, prefer the original. (Isn't that the secret delight of all classic movie geeks?)

Of course, these aren't the only films I'll be watching! With 31 days of award-winning cinema to take in, I'm afraid I'll barely be leaving the couch!