Erin's Oscar Reviews 2011

The Oscar Award nominations were announced on January 24, 2012, and so begins my annual quest to see as many as possible before Oscar Night. Sixty-one (61) films were nominated in 24 categories. On the day of the announcement, I had already seen 12 (24%). To date (02/22/2012), I have seen 26 films (74%).

The hardest films to see are always the short documentaries. If you know where I might go to see these films, please send me note.

I think that the most unusual thing about this years nominees is that there are only two songs nominated for best original song. This is one of my favorite categories; although, the performances of the songs at the ceremony are usually rather bland. I hope they perform the nominees for best original score the way they did a few years ago: with dancers. It was very theatrical, and I thought it was really great.

The films are listed below in alphabetical order. I will add reviews of each film as soon as I see the film. The date in parenthesis is the date I saw the film.

1. Adventure of Tintin, The: nominated for best original score. This is the story of a young man working as a journalist and his super smart dog, Whitey. Tintin stumbles upon a mystery and embarks on an adventure. It's loads of fun watching the dog figure out the clues first even though he doesn't get any credit. The 3D effects were as annoying as usual, and there were too many chase scenes that went on for too long, but mostly, I really liked this film. (c. 12/21/2011)
   
2. Albert Nobbs: nominated for best actress (Glen Close), best makeup and best supporting actress (Janet McTeer). This is the story of a woman posing as a male butler in 19th century Ireland.
   
3. Anonymous: nominated for best costume design (Lisy Christl). This is the story of who really wrote the plays and sonnets attributed to William Shakespeare.
   
4. The Artist: nominated for best actor, best art direction, best cinematography, best costume design, best director, best film editing, best original score, best picture, best supporting actress and best writing – original screenplay. This is the story of an silent movie actor who falls in love with an upcoming star just as his career is coming to an end. It is paced a little slow in spots, and it becomes almost unbearably sad toward the end, but over all it is a wonderful film, and it was really nice to watch a black and white silent film in high definition. (03/21/2012)
   
5. The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement: nominated for best documentary short subject.
   
6. Beginners: nominated for best supporting actor.
   
7. Better Life, A: nominated for best actor. This is the story of an immigrant and his struggle to provide a better life for his son.
   
8. Bridesmaids: nominated for best supporting actress and best writing original screenplay. This is a comedy about the maid of honor and how the events surrounding her best friend's wedding bring her own troubles into sharp focus for her. The conflicts focus around the competition between the maid of honor and the bride's "new" best friend. This sort of movie has been made a million times, but the screenwriter actually bring some really original and hilarious twists. The sex jokes make this film inappropriate for children, but the final message is surprisingly wholesome and uplifting. The finale features a GREAT song. Well, it's "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips, and it was the perfect theme song for this film. it makes me a little sad that its not an original song, so it can't be in that category because it was just such a perfect ending for the film. (03/22/2012)
   
9. Bullhead: nominated for best foreign language film (from Belgium, in Dutch). This film is about the mafia forcing farmers to buy hormones for their cattle.
   
10. Cat in Paris: nominated for best animated film. This is a French film about a cat who goes out every night to join a burglar in his escapades.
    
11. Chico and Rita: nominated for best animated film. This is the story of two lovers torn apart by a deportation.
    
12. Descendants, The: nominated for best actor (Clooney), best director, best film editing, best picture and best writing – adapted screenplay. This is the story of a man struggling to be a good father.
    
13. Dimanche: nominated for best short film - animated. This is Canadian film without dialogue about a young boy's Sunday routine. He places a quarter on the train tracks and later donates the squashed quarter to his parish. He visits his grandma's house where the stuffed bear pulls himself out of the wall and lays down on the train tracks and turns into a squashed nickel. This film was all drawn by hand with pencils. (02/19/2012)
    
14. Drive: nominated for best sound editing. This is the story of a professional Hollywood stunt driver who takes some extra jobs on the side driving for bad guys and gets in way over his head.
    
15. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: nominated for best picture and best supporting actor. This is the story of a boy who tries to make sense of his father's death by hunting clues he believes that his father left for him.
    
16. Fantasitic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, The: nominated for best short film-animated. This is a delightful little story about the healing power of books. I think that's what its about. A man is seen writing a book, a journal, when a tornado comes and blows all the words off the page. As he walks away from the devastation he finds a library where the books fly around like birds. He cares for the books and repairs them as needed and eventually finds the courage to re-write his book. A perfectly charming little film available free from iTunes. (02/19/2012)
    
17. Footnote: nominated for best foreign language film (from Israel, in Hebrew). This is a story of a man who wins a literary award, but the presenters accidentally congratulate his father who is also an acclaimed writer.
    
18. Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The: nominated for best actress, best cinematography, best film editing, best sound editing and best sound mixing. This is the story of a girl who helps a man catch a murderer.
    
19. God is the Bigger Elvis: nominated for best documentary-short subject.
    
20. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2: nominated for best art direction, best makeup and best visual effects. This is the story of a boy who finally avenges his parents death and rids the world of an evil sociopath. It might be the very best in the Harry Potter series. I enjoyed every minute of it. (c. 07/15/2011)
    
21. Hell and Back Again: nominated for best documentary-feature. this is the story of a Marine who comes home from Afghanistan with a broken hip. The film tries to compare and contrast his struggles in the field with his truffles at home, but I don't think it does a very good job myself. Maybe its just because I didn't find the sergeant to be a very likable character, or maybe it was the filming style. There was not voice over narrator to give the film much context. Maybe I just prefer "big picture" stories in my documentaries rather than anecdotes like this. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but I didn't enjoy this film. (03/22/2012)
    
22. Help, The: nominated for best actress, best picture, best supporting actress and best supporting actress. This is the story of three women and how writing a book together liberates them from the social pressures of conformity. A young white woman returns home from college in Mississippi in the 1960s and convinces two black women to help her write a book about what it is like to be a black maid in a white home in Mississippi. The results are liberating for all three women. For me, I was sad to know that part of the story was not true. This film really is based on a book, but the book was written in the 1990s, so it did not have the same liberating effect as portrayed in the film, but I did find the story very enlightening, and so did my children. Although one of the women is badly beaten by her husband, I am grateful those beatings took place off camera, so that my children could enjoy this film with me. (c. 01/15/2012)
    
23. Hugo: nominated for best art direction, best cinematography, best costume design, best director, best film editing, best original score, best picture, best sound editing, best sound mixing, best visual effects and best writing – adapted screenplay. This is the story about an orphan living alone in a train station. He is trying to repair a mechanical man that his father found in a museum. He accidentally finds the man who built it, and then this become the story of an out-of-work film maker. I found the 3D effects to be completely distracting as I usually do. I also agree with another reviewer who took issue with the bumbling cripple as the films antagonist. My favorite parts of the film were the scenes with the boy actor (and he's not nominated). (c. 11/30/2011)
    
24. Ides of March, The: nominated for best writing-adapted screenplay.
    
25. If a Tree Falls: nominated for best documentary-feature. This is the story of the environmentalist liberation front (ELF) a terrorist organization fighting against environmental hazards.
    
26. In Darkness: nominated for best foreign language film (from Poland, in Polish).
    
27. Incident in New Baghdad: nominated for best documentary-short subject. This is the story of a film posted by wiki leaks showing American soldiers failing to follow the rules of engagement.
    
28. Iron Lady, The: nominated for best actress and best makeup. This is the story of Margaret Thatcher, the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom.
    
29. Jane Eyre: nominated for best costume design. This story is about woman in 19th century England trying to find love and happiness in a harsh, cruel world. It is based on the novel by Charlotte Brontë.
    
30. Kung Fu Panda 2: nominated for best animated feature. This is the continuing story of a panda bear who discovers his destiny to fight with heroes against villains. In this installment, Po discovers that he and his parents were the targets of a genocidal maniac. As Po comes to terms with his loss, he finds enlightenment, and the power to defeat the evil villain. I did not think that this story was as expertly crafted as the original. Certain plot points seems to pile on top of each other, but I loved it all the same. It includes a teaser at the end which suggests a third installment may be in the works. (c. 05/30/2011)
    
31. La Luna: nominated for best animated short film. This is the story of a boy who joins his father and his grandfather in their monthly duty's to sweep up the stars on the moon. Each man reveals his particular talents and the boy shows that he too has a particular skill to add to the team. This is Pixar's entry in this category, so I was a little surprised I hadn't seen it tacked onto the front of one of their features this year. It was also my favorite in the category. (02/19/2011)
    
32. Margin Call: nominated for best writing-original screenplay. This is the story of the great financial crisis of 2008. I can't wait to see this film.
    
33. Midnight in Paris: nominated for best art direction, best director, best picture and best writing – original screenplay. This is the story of a man on vacation in Paris with his wife and his in-laws. He goes for a late night walk around Paris and gets lost in the magic.
    
34. Moneyball: nominated for best actor, best film editing, best picture, best sound mixing, best supporting actor ad best writing – adapted screenplay. This is about a man with a scheme to fix a baseball game. I think.
    
35. Monsieur Lazhar: nominated for best foreign language film (from Canada, in French). This is the story of an Algerian immigrant teaching in a Canadian elementary school.
    
36. Morning Stroll, A: nominated for best animated short film. This is the story of a chicken who goes for a walk around the block in New York City every day. It features three different styles of animation as the chicken is seen walking around the block in 1959, in 2009 and in 2059. This was my six-year-old son's favorite animated short because it has zombies. (02/19/2012).
    
37. Muppets, The: nominated for best original song. This film is the story of muppet boy who finally gets the chance to visit the muppet theatre only to discover that its about to be torn down, so he begins a quest to find Kermit and the gang to raise the money to save the theater. It a delightful romp down memory lane. Brilliantly written and produced. It is nominated for best original song. There are very few nominations in this category this year, but this nomination is well-deserved. The song is titled "Man or Muppet," and my kids love singing it around the house. (c. 11/30/2011)
    
38. My Week with Marilyn: nominated for best actress and best supporting actor.
    
39. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory: nominated for best documentary feature.
    
40. Pentacost: nominated for best short film-live action. This is about an altar boy in Ireland who loves soccer. He makes a mistake during mass, and the priest slips and falls down the stairs. The boys father is humiliated, and he forbids his son to watch soccer for three months. As the only trained incise burner, the boy gets a second chance when the bishop visits for pentecost. The clergy man gives the alter boys a pep talk before mass that sounds a lot like the sort of pep talk you might receive before a soccer game. At the end of the mass, the boy inexplicably drop kicks the incense to the bishop-a hilarious if confusing ending. (02/19/2012)
    
41. Pina: nominated for best documentary feature. I don't think this film is going to have a story. From the trailer it looks like its going to be wall to wall choreography: breath-takingly beautiful choreography.
    
42. Puss in Boots: nominated for best animated feature. This is the story of an orphaned kitten who befriends an egg and plans to find the golden goose. They part ways after a botched burglary, but get back together years later to finally find the golden goose. I liked this film. It had a good, complicated story that i just loved. It also had lots and lots and lots of cute cat jokes. (02/18/2012)
    
43. Raju: nominated for best short film-live action. This is a heart wrenching story about a German couple who travel to India to adopt a four-year-old boy. When he gets lost in the market, the couple is at first terrified that they will never see him again, and then devastated to learn that he had been reported missing before, by his birth parents. He isn't an orphan at all. (02/19/2012)
    
44. Rango: nominated for best animated feature. This is the story of a lizard who accidentally escapes his aquarium into the desert. He finds a strange town called Dirt struggling to survive without water. He accepts an appointment as sheriff and sets off to find out what has happened to the water. It was a very strange story. My favorite part was the rattle snake. He was magnificent. (03/15/2011)
    
45. Real Steel: nominated for best visual effects. This is the story of a man who reconnects with his son as they attempt to win some boxing matches with a robot. The visual effects really are cool. The robots are amazing. I appreciated very much the fact that the story stayed focused on the relationship between the father and son and it didn't turn into a story about a relationship between the boy and the robot. (c. 10/15/2011)
    
46. Rio: nominated for best original song. This is the story of the last blue Macaw, raised in captivity, returning to Brazil to propagate the species. Along the way, he and his intended are kidnapped, and the human who love them chase the kidnappers all over Brazil as they attempt reunite with their birds. The song is titled "Real in Rio," and it is wonderful. It's part of a beautiful montage about Brazil that really got me excited thinking about the upcoming Olympics in Rio. (c. 04/30/2011)
    
47. Rise of the Planet of the Apes: nominated for best visual effects. This is the story of Cesar, the chimpanzee who is honored as the founder of the society we discovered in the first Planet of the Apes film. Cesar is the unexpected offspring of the subject of genetic research designed to cure Alzheimer's. The treatment is designed to grow new brain cells to replace dying brain cells. It has the unintended effect of making Cesar every bit as smart as a human, so it seems inevitable that he eventually finds it unacceptable to live in human society as an animal, so he leads an ape-revolt. My nine-year-old daughter became very sympathetic to the plight of the captive apes, and my sis-year-old son loved the scenes of destruction. (03/21/2012)
    
48. Saving Face: nominated for best documentary-short subject. This is the story of a woman who requires plastic surgery in order to repair damage sustained to her face when her husband threw acid at her while she was sleeping.
    
49. Separation, A: nominated for best foreign language film (from Iran, in Persian) and best writing-original screenplay. This is the story of a man who accidentally kills a woman and what his imprisonment will mean for his family. I think. The trailer was a little confusing.
    
50. Shore, The: nominated for best short film-live action. This is the story of a middle-aged man returning to Ireland after 30 years to reconcile with the man who married his high school sweet heart. I liked this film very much. It was my favorite in this category. (02/19/2012)
    
51. Time Freak: nominated for best short film-live action. This is the story of a college student who invents time travel. He really wants to visit ancient Rome, but he gets side tracked trying to get yesterday right. He travels back in time to yesterday over and over and over again trying to get every part of the day right. After three days, his roommate comes looking for him and discovers that he has actually been reliving different parts of yesterday for a year and a half. I liked this film very much, and I think it has a very good chance of winning the award this year. (02/19/2012)
    
52. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: nominated for best actor, best original score and best writing – adapted screenplay. This looks like a pretty standard spy thriller. Standard by today's standards. According to the trailer it is based on the novel which revolutionized the genre.
    
53. Transformers: Dark of the Moon: nominated for best sound editing, best sound mixing and best visual effects. This is the story of a race of cybernetic life forms exiled to earth and continuing to fight their civil war. The fun part about this installment is that the first manned moon landing was a mission to investigate their crashed ship. I'm always disappointed when these sequels give the hero a new girl friend. I like the girl in the last film. I think she should have been in this one, too. Other than that, this is a great looking movie. All of these nominations are well-deserved. (c. 07/15/2011)
    
54. Tree of Life, The: nominated for best cinematography, best director and best picture.
    
55. Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom: nominated for best documentary-short subject. This is the story of a tsunami in Japan and the healing power of the cherry blossoms which bloomed one week after the disaster in spite of the devastation all around them.
    
56. Tuba Atlantic: nominated for best short film-live action. This is the story of a Irish man with six days to live. He wants to call his brother. They haven't spoken in 30 years, and he doesn't have a current phone number, so he activates an old invention they worked on as children: a giant tuba designed to send a sound wave across the Atlantic to the United States. This film was a lot of fun. I really liked it. (02/19/2012)
    
57. Undefeated: nominated for best documentary feature.
    
58. W.E.: nominated for best costumes. This is the story of Wallis Simpson the American divorcee who married King Edward VIII of England .
    
59. War Horse: nominated for best art direction, best cinematography, best original score, best picture, best sound editing and best sound mixing. This is the story of a horse that goes to war (WWI) and the boy who loved him and went after him. It is an amazing story of how the horse is passed from one owner to another, surviving extraordinary odds. I liked this movie very much; although, I was disturbed by how eager people seem to be to shoot horses they have no use for. I hope this film wins at least two of the awards it is nominated for. (c. 01/15/2012)
    
60. Warrior: nominated for best supporting actor.
    
61. Wild Life: nominated for best short film-animated. This is the story of an Englishman who immigrants to Canada in order to become a cowboy. He seems very ill prepared for such a life, and it doesn't end well for him. The film ends with a photograph which leads me to believe it was based on a true story. This is the only film in the category which included dialogue at all, but it was all narration; letter from the Englishman and statements from his neighbors, as if the film maker was using primary source material to tell the story of what happened to his great grandfather. (02/19/2012)