Skipping Around

After Best Picture and Best Actor, the next logical category is Best Actress, but I've only seen two of the movies/performances and hold out hope of seeing one or two of them before the Oscars (I've even gone so far as to rent the DVD of one -- 'Frozen River'). So, in the meantime, let's go to a category I can write about intelligently (at least in theory):

BEST DIRECTOR

David Fincher for 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'
Danny Boyle for 'Slumdog Millionaire'
Ron Howard for 'Frost/Nixon'
Gus Van Sant for 'Milk'
Stephen Daldry for 'The Reader'

THE NOMS: Looks good except for 'The Reader' (again), which as I said before, I have not seen, yet manage to dislike anyway. I would've liked to see Martin McDonagh for 'In Bruges', Darren Aronofsky for 'The Wrestler', or Charlie Kaufman for 'Synecdoche, New York'.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Van Sant did a great job, in the most straight-forward cinematic approach he's ever taken, but it comes down to Boyle and Fincher. Boyle was inspired and unique, while Fincher displayed his usual technical mastery. It's a close call, but I give the nod to Fincher, who gives us his warmer, most introspective work to date, while wowing with the visuals.

WHO WILL WIN: Fincher may have told a warmer, more inviting story than he has before, but Boyle made something no one can compare to anything else. While Fincher stands an outside chance, Boyle will be riding a wave of hype along with his film, which could sweep the non-acting awards as a tribute to the film's achievement (voters knowing they can award their favorite performances from the other multi-nominees like 'Button', 'Milk', Frost/Nixon', etc.)

MY Oscars

Okay, it's been quite awhile since the Oscar nominations, but I was busy at the time, and haven't gotten a chance to discuss them. Until now. With the show only a week away, I thought I'd take a look at each of the categories -- what I think of the nominations, who should win, and who will win. I'm going to try to squeeze in as many of these as possible before the big day, but you never know, so rather than hold off on the major awards, I'm starting with the biggie:

BEST PICTURE

'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'
'Frost/Nixon'
'Milk'
'The Reader'
'Slumdog Millionaire'

THE NOMS: These look pretty good, with one glaring exception. I haven't seen 'The Reader' -- the only nominated film I missed -- mainly because the buzz around it was so bad, but I still feel pretty safe in saying it's a bad choice. Why? Well, for one, some people are calling it the worst Holocaust film ever. Another: Harvey Weinstein. He's known for pimping his films more tenaciously during Oscar season than any other mogul, and calling in all the right favors. Without his push, I doubt this film is nominated. Lastly, both 'The Wrestler' and 'The Dark Knight' were great, and really deserved a nomination, as did 'In Bruges'.

WHO SHOULD WIN: In my opinion, of the noms, 'Button' and 'Milk' were the best films in the traditional Oscar sense, but 'Slumdog' was one of the more unique films I've seen in a while. I understand the buzz it's generating, but my choice is 'Button'.

WHO WILL WIN: 'Slumdog'. It might be manipulative, and a bit un-Oscary, but it's too much of a feel-good hit to lose in a year without a slam dunk Oscar-type lock.

Random List: 10 Best Movies of 2008

Here's my Top 10 films, with a caveat: I have yet to see 'Slumdog Millionaire' which people are raving about (don't you love it when people say that?), and which won a bunch of Golden Globes last night.

1. The Dark Knight -- I'm a traditionalist, and I have to admit, I had a hard time putting this movie in the #1 spot because I don't think of a comic book movie that way. But it was the most fun I had at the movies this year, and there's certainly something to be said for that. Another thing: I loved each of the the movies which follow, but no film this year made me feel like "Best Picture", so why not go with the movie everyone loved? Especially when it had great acting by past Oscar winners and nominees alike (topped by Heath Ledger), was directed by one of the world's best directors (Christopher Nolan), and made some of the best commentary on modern existence, all within what was heretofore a limited, predictable genre. And to think, we thought Tim Burton's 'Batman' -- and Jack Nicholson's The Joker -- was cutting edge 20 years ago.

2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button -- The visual masterpiece of the year, David Fincher's dark fairy tale about life and death resonated more with me than any other film this year. The only thing that kept it from the top spot is the fact that it didn't raise the pulse, or have me on the edge of my seat, as much as it had me watching in respectful wonder. Great acting, great effects, well-crafted story. One of those Hall of Very Good rather than Hall of Fame types. (My review)

3. The Wrestler -- This was right up there my favorite recent movie-watching experiences. Mickey Rourke's performance (already Golden Globe-winning), was one of the very best in awhile -- a harmonic convergence of actor and character. Directed with remarkable restraint by Darren Aronofsky, the film is a ballad to a man past his prime who's too set in his way to change for the better now. It's funny, real, and heartbreaking. (My review)

4. In Bruges -- The best surprise of the year. A little film with not much fanfare, which delivered laughs, action, and a surprising amount of heart. Colin Farrell is great (he also took home a Golden Globe), as is Brendan Gleeson -- both capturing the humanity with the hitmen they play. The lyrical style employed here by Martin McDonagh, who wrote and directed, is irresistible, and draws you into this light-hearted world of murder-for-hire.

5. Synecdoche, NY -- Most people were too confused by this movie to like it. I wasn't surprised. It isn't for everybody. In fact, this film is only for a thin slice of filmgoers -- ones who like to think a lot, don't mind excessive symbolism and metaphors, or a meandering storyline. It is even more specifically for artists, and especially for writers -- about the creative process, how it affects your life, and how your life affects it. If that sounds boring to you, you're not alone, but for me it was one of the unique pleasures of the year. (My review)

6. The Visitor -- Richard Jenkins' performance as the lead is as good as anyone's this year -- much more subtle than Mickey Rourke's, and not quite as entertaining, but just as solid. A small story about big ideas -- freedom, immigrants, America, love, and the healing power of music. Jenkins allows his character to change greatly over the course of the movie without ever making major changes to his performance. Just the subtle way he allows his body to slowly un-tense as he becomes more comfortable with his new friends and musical instrument speaks volumes.

7. Tropic Thunder -- Not many comedies make this list -- I see it more for achievements, rather than entertainment. But the funniest movie of the year had a couple of the year's best performances -- Robert Downey, Jr., Tom Cruise -- and some of the best sequences -- when the cast is first released into the jungle, when Stiller is captured by Red Dragon, the Asian drug-running gang, when Jack Black's character runs out of heroin. It had a great concept, great cast, and great execution. When you have all that, you can make this list -- even if you're a studio comedy.

8. Milk -- A well-told story, a great performance, and superior supporting cast make this one of the best films of the year. The timeliness of the subject matter didn't hurt, nor did the straight-forward yet loving directorial job by Gus Van Sant, but most of this film's success can be attributed to Sean Penn's performance. It was vivid and colorful, but not over-the-top, or cliche. (My review)

9. Frost/Nixon -- Like 'Milk', this film told a fairly well-known political story in a period piece format, but spends less time examining what happened than why things happened. It introduces us to the personalities and peccadillos behind the great (or not-so-great) men, and allows us to understand the men who shaped the events of their time. I think some more chances could've been taken, but you don't see Ron Howard movies for cutting edge tricks and chance-taking, you see it for well-crafted, populist entertainment. That's exactly what this is. (My review)

10. The Promotion -- Quite possibly, the most underrated movie of the year. Great performances by Sean William Scott and especially John C. Reilly make this film's unpredictable storyline -- is he the hero, and he the villain, or the other way around? -- work, and keeps you rooting for both characters, even though they are usually at each other's throats. That's no small feet. Neither is keeping us guessing how the story will end, which is a rarity when you watch as many movies as I do. Nor making us laugh consistently all the way through, or filling the supporting cast with solid actors giving quirky, funny performances -- Jenna Fisher, Lily Taylor, Gil Bellows.

Near misses: Gran Torino, Defiance, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'.

Movie Review: 'Milk'

This is the part where I act like an authority on entertainment, and criticize the work of professionals who are, without exception, more successful than I in the industry in which we both work. Some people would say this is proof I have "balls", or "chutzpah" in Jewspeak. Others would say it's proof I'm a "douchebag". To catch up on any old reviews, you can find the link on the right hand side of the page, or just click here.

I grew up in the Bay Area in the 70's and 80's, so I'm well-aware of the legend of San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in American history. He was revered by many in the area, and had an Oscar-winning documentary made about him, so the details of his life are well-known. You might think that would affect my viewing experience of 'Milk', the biopic detailing his life and death, but you'd be wrong. Director Gus Vant Sant and first-time screenwriter Dustin Lance Black choose to spill the beans right off the bat, opening on the aftermath of Milk's murder. He even uses the original footage (famous in the Bay Area) of then Supervisor, now Senator Diane Feinstein announcing that both Milk and Mayor George Moscone had been shot and killed.

Knowing Harvey Milk's fate, Van Sant allows us to get to know him. Using the device of Milk (Sean Penn) recording an audio tape of essentially his memoir just prior to his death, he takes us back in time eight years to find how he got here. In New York City, Milk, then a restless insurance salesman, meets and seduces Scott Smith (James Franco) on his 40th birthday. In bed after sex, he tells Smith he feels he's never done anything he'll be proud of. We know then, changes are on the way, and the film doesn't make us wait around. Moving at a brisk pace, the film follows Smith and Milk to San Francisco, where they build a life. Van Sant and Black are able to cover a lot of ground here by keeping the scenes short, and the story moving forward.

The unquestioned strength of the movie is Penn, who embodies Milk with the same ease he plays characters closer to himself (even if he's a Gay Hater). That is to say, you buy him as gay. No, he's not going the "flamer" route, waving his arms around like a maniac, but he nails a certain affect that comes off as real. And it's not just for show -- there are a couple of kisses between Penn and Franco which are as realistically sexual as any you'll see on screen. Honestly, the chemistry between these characters is better than the typical Hollywood rom-com. A later doomed romance with Jack Lira (Diego Luna) is a little less believable, but the subplots work.

Emile Hirsh is outstanding as always as Cleve Jones, a friend and assistant to Milk, and the man from whom Black learned Milk's story. Josh Brolin rounds out a fantastic ensemble as Milk's nemesis, Supervisor Dan White. White is an Irish ex-cop and fireman whose politics and prejudice has him constantly at odds with Milk. Brolin is excellent in a limited role, as he's been in the entire string of juicy roles he's been in lately ('No Country for Old Men', 'American Gangster').

The film also benefits from a little luck: Much of the second act surrounds Milk's fight against Prop 6, which would've outlawed all gay people from being teachers in California. Because of the similarity to this fall's Prop 8, which outlawed gay marriage in California, the story seems more current while also nailing the look and feel of the San Francisco of the 70's. It was a progressive time and place, a hotbed of change, a place where issues were discussed on a political level for the first time. That's why it doesn't feel tacked on or convenient when Milk embraces a message of hope and change.

Van Sant is in rare form here. It may not be among his very best work, but he's following a much more commercial friendly style than usual, which suits the material. It's more in the vein of 'Good Will Hunting' than the work which first made him famous -- 'Drugstore Cowboys', 'My own Private Idaho'. Black is a former mormon, who was inspired to come out of the closet by Milk's story. As a relative newcomer in show business, Black approached a company in Hollywood who owned the rights to the Milk biography, 'The Mayor of Castro Street', an asked to adapt it. When he was turned down, he wrote his own version without anything from the book. He did research, which lead him to Jones, who gave Black all the information he needed to form his angle.

The film's payoff is expected because of the opening reveal, yet Van Sant manages to make it climactic, but not patronizing. A curious flashback is a somewhat regrettable choice, but it's a small nit to pick. One more: The efficiency employed to catch us up on Milk's story -- aided by the periodic scenettes of Milk recording his memoir on tape -- is useful, but has its drawbacks. While we quickly learn lots of information about Milk's ups and downs in politics, we don't have much time to find out who Harvey Milk the person is. Because of this, his story is not as involving as it might have been.

We see Milk's dysfunctional relationships with boyfriends, and we see his politics, but there's not much else. Maybe that was his life -- for a driven politician, it likely was -- but we didn't have to wait to meet him until he was 40. That was an artistic choice, and one which may have cost us some context. I'm not saying we needed to see a flashback from his childhood or anything as mainstream as that, but I would've liked to see what made him who he was. Or at least what he did when he wasn't crusading or having sex. But then, you only have so much time in a movie.

On the whole, the film captured an era, a movement, and a person -- a remarkable person -- and did it in a convincing and moving fashion. But I think it falls short of Oscar territory. Penn, however, could be looking at another nomination -- if his politics don't get in the way.

Using the age-old Hollywood scale of judgment -- HIGHLY RECOMMEND/RECOMMEND/CONSIDER/PASS (circle one) -- I rate 'Milk':

RECOMMEND

Next up: Either 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' or 'Gran Torino', depending on how I feel.

Working for a Living

I know I promised a review of 'The Shield's' final season this week, but it'll have to wait, as other responsibilities have intervened. My writing always takes priority, so that's no surprise. And there's my columns on Niners Nation. And my wife. But this week, suddenly, I also find myself working a real job. That's right-- me, in an office, sitting behind a desk, working a phone and computer and goofing off on the internet like a real, live office monkey. And in this case, I think a monkey really could do it.

I'm calling stores all over the country which sell CD's to see how many copies they have in stock of James Taylor's new album, 'Covers'. In the last two days alone, I called every Circuit City in the US. Every single one. At each, speaking with someone to ask that they find out not only if they have the album, but exactly how many copies. I'm sure you can imagine just how excited they are to go and fetch that information right up for me. At the end of the day, I had to switch to Wall Mart, and going alphabetically

The thing you don't realize -- at least, not after about 10 years between office gigs -- is that it still takes a lot out of you. The getting up early, all the coffee you have to guzzle to get you up and running, the commute, the having to deal with people with all its having to be polite banality. By the time you drive home, you just want to pour and drink, tune out for some TV and crash. It's tough, and it keeps me from things which I'd rather do, but I can't afford to turn down a paycheck. Besides, it's only five days with a weekend in between. Although it almost wasn't -- because the project was running behind, I was asked to come in Saturday and Sunday. I got out of it, but for a minute there it felt like this:



Writing is hard after a day like that is no picnic, but I was able to do it last night working on the script with Barry a bit by Skype.* But tonight I need to chill, and this weekend will be devoted to more screenwriting, and whole mess of football. This Saturday is the best day in the college football season in my mind. Partly because New Year's Day is not what it was -- all the best bowl games spread across the next few days -- and partly because of the advent of the Conference Championship Game, Here's my take on the big games:

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP: ALABAMA vs. FLORIDA

Florida is the best team here, but I'm not sure Saban isn't the best coach in the game. This rematch of the original SEC Championship Game (in 1992, when the teams were coached by Gene Stallings and Steve Spurrier) has all the makings of an all-time classic. The winner makes the National Championship Game, and I think when the stakes are that high, you go with the best player on the field -- especially when he plays QB/RB/Head Cheerleader. That man is Tebow. The pick is Florida.

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP: OKLAHOMA vs. MISSOURI

Even though they don't deserve to even be here due to their loss to Texas, I think OU is the best team in the land right now. But this game has had its fair share of big upsets, mostly knocking teams out of the championship hunt -- Texas/Nebraska in the inaugural, Kansas State/Texas A&M, OU/Kansas State -- so nothing can be taken for granted. Especially given the weather forecast for Kansas City: 20's for most of the game, possibly dropping into the teens. That could slow down OU's high-flying O, but it's do the same for Mizzou. The pick: Sooners

That makes it a Florida/Oklahoma title game, and that would be one interesting game.

I'm also working Monday through Wednesday, so I'm not sure how much I get up between now and then, but you can expect a few more reviews after that -- besides 'The Shield', I'm seeing 'Milk' at a screening next week, and plan to see 'Frost/Nixon' by the end of the week.

Random List: Top 10 Movies Still To Come In '08

It's the start of Oscar season, so what better time to rank the contenders coming out before the end of the year. I’m ranking these in order of how much I want to see them, not necessarily how good I think they’ll be. All I know of these movies is from a trailer and reading about them. This list is all about expectation, and personal taste.

1. 'Milk' -- Even if this wasn’t about a man whose murder was a local story I still remember from my youth, I’d be excited. I’m a sucker for anything with Sean Penn in it, and Gus Van Sant is one my favorites -– especially when he plays it straight (a la ’To Die For’), as he reportedly does here. And the supporting cast includes Emile Hirsch, James Franco, and Josh Brolin.

2. 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' -- I’m a huge David Fincher fan, and his two best movies starred Brad Pitt, who plays the title role here. It’s a great idea from a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, adapted by Eric Roth. And the trailer looks amazing. What’s not to like?

3. 'Frost/Nixon' -- Another true story from my youth, though I was a little young to comprehend. It was a hit play, and is adapted by playwright Peter Morgan. Ron Howard directs, and people are predicting an Oscar nomination for Frank Langella as Nixon.

4. 'The Wrestler' -- Darren Arnofsky. Mickey Rourke’s big comeback -– maybe an Oscar nod. I’m so there. And that’s before I knew personal favorite Marissa Tomei was in it.

5. 'Revolutionary Road' -- Sam Mendes directs an adaptation of a Richard Yates novel, reuniting Kate Winslet (his real-life wife) with her ’Titanic’ co-star Leonardo DiCaprio.

6. 'Valkyrie' -- Director Bryan Singer and screenwriter – the team which brought us ’The Usual Suspects’ -- reunites to relay yet another real life story about the German soldier (played by Tom Cruise) who tried to kill Hitler.

7. 'Defiance' -- Ed Zwick co-writes and directs this tale of bad ass Jews kicking Nazi ass. It stars Live Schreiber and Daniel Craig (who’s already been in one Jews-kicking-Nazi-ass movie, ’Munich’).

8. 'Doubt' -- The underrated John Patrick Shanley adapts and directs his Pulitzer prize-winning play about a priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who’s accused of molestation by a bitter old nun (Meryl Streep).

9. 'Australia' -- Baz Luhrmann can get a little fanciful for me, but he can create a spectacle with any filmmaker. Plus, I love Australia (I was there for my marriage/honeymoon). But if at any point Hugh Jackman breaks into song, all bets are off.

10. 'Seven Pounds' -- This Will Smith Oscar bait looks a little sappy/weepy for my tastes, but I needed to round out the 10.