2020 Oscars

As is customary, every year I watch the Best Picture contenders and rate them in the order I have seen them.  The nominations came out yesterday and I have already seen three of the films nominated.  I always go in the order I saw the films so here we go:

Film #1
The Irishman

I watched this on Netflix the day it came out.  Scorsese's version (albeit- not authoritatively) of what happened to Jimmy Hoffa was technically perfect, well acted, and thoroughly entertaining.  With a run time of 3 1/2 hours, some people who saw it said it was too long.  I absolutely disagree.  I could have watched three more hours of Pacino playing Hoffa; who somehow made Jimmy Hoffa's larger then life personality even more larger then life.  He was excellent as usual.

As for the actual film, it reminded me of the Cuba scenes during the Godfather part II.  The whole mob/ teamster/ casino angle combined with the seemingly non-stop warm weather during the film brought me back to those scenes in part II.  I half expected Hyman Roth to come strolling by or to be seated at a table across the restaurant.  Nostalgia withstanding, the film was a very good addition to the Scorsese portfolio and we got to see the band get back together one last time.

Overall Rating 4.0

Film #2
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

At this point, I look forward to each Quentin Tarantino film like I look forward to getting off school for the summer.  The anticipation builds as it approaches and the first few days are glorious.  No getting up at 6am, no responsibility; just me and the whole day to do what I please.  Then the wife gives me my first task, then the kids start fighting.  By July 4th, I'm wondering how long summer lasts.  By August first, I'm ready to get back to work so I can relax a little bit.  Tarantno's last few films have followed the same path.  Super excited to watch, the beginning is great, by the middle I'm glancing at my clock and checking to see how much time is left; by the end, I just want it to end so I can go to bed.

While Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is better then Tarantino's last few (Hateful Eight and Django come to mind), it still fails in the end.  Back in 1994 when Pulp Fiction came out, it was retro and cool when Tarantino used the fake background for the driving montages.  It was also cool and different when he had the crazy "Bring on the Gimp" scene.  We had never seen anything like that before and it was a 180 degree change from the other late 80's and early 90's movies.  It was cool because it was edgy and new.  Watching the end of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood feels like a repeat of Pulp Fiction.  The plot completely goes off the rails (why did Manson's crew attack them instead of Sharon Tate?  Since it was seemingly random, did Manson have anything to do with it?  Did they just go to the wrong house?  Wouldn't someone have at least cased the house beforehand to see who would be home?  Etc.)  After the attackers start to attack, Brad Pitt literally doesn't break a sweat taking them down.  His pit bull (were they really house pets in the 60's?) tears one of the girls apart.  The violence is over the top, gratuitous, and overdone. Really, it flies in the face of what was an otherwise really good movie up to that point.  At this point in time, I don't think Tarantino can get out of his own way and just let the camera do the talking.  He is so concerned with thumbing his nose at the rest of the industry that he loses sight of what makes a good film.

I really analyzed the end of this film after watching.  It seems like Tarantino can't shake his whole :comic books are cool" phase that we saw in the early to mid 90's.  Undoubtedly, Tarantino changed the film industry with Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. As the film industry evolved over the next 25 years, unfortunately, Tarantino didn't.  It's a shame because Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was really good until the end.

Overall Rating 3.0 (Was a legit best picture contender until the last 15 minutes)

Film #3
Marriage Story

This Netflix film, written and directed by Noah Baumbach was outstanding.  Both Adam Driver and Scarlett Johanssen were fabulous.  Driver plays a self-absorbed play director who, despite his character flaws, seems to be the protagonist of the movie as Scarjo's character hires an attorney and sends the divorce proceedings on a much nastier path.  We watch as Driver's character is raked over the coals by Scarjo's lawyer until he fights back and gets his own equally nasty divorce attorney who will sling buckets of mud right back.  The whole process devolves into a giant mess with their boy stuck in between   The film beautifully depicts the ridiculousness of divorce proceedings and the nature of the legal process.

The acting by Driver and Johanssen was perfect.  They come across as real people with real faults, real feelings, and we can identify and understand both of their action as we progress through the film.  Ultimately, they both turn out to be victims; of their own failings as marriage partners, of the lawyers, and the legal process in general.  Watching this film makes you understand the pitfalls and negativity associated with divorcing your spouse.

My prediction is that Scarjo has a very real shot at best actress, the screenplay is a serious contender, and Laura Dern will have a shot at best supporting actress as well.  See this film.  It is worth it.

Overall rating 4.25.

Film #4
Joker

My main reaction to this film after watching it was confusion.  I couldn't decide if it was a comic book movie that tried to present itself as not a comic book OR if it was a movie about mental illness that just happened to be set in a comic book world?  Either way, this movie did not fit into the traditional "comic book" genre with the Avengers or the spiderman movies or any of those.  Even compared to the Nolan batman movies (which I think are close to perfect by the way), this was more gritty and realistic then those.  After analyzing this movie for days, I have decided to approach it with the idea that it is more of the second interpretation.

As a teacher in a program where we see the effects of trauma, watching this movie really illustrated what some people go through and the effects it can have on them.  As we see all of the different reasons Alfred Fleck has to go crazy (the state stops his medication, his mother was not actually his mother, his "mom's" mental illness) etc, we painfully realize why Arthur becomes the Joker.  I thought the film did a great job of making you realize that the Joker wasn't supposed to be funny or a gimmick.  He was very sick and a victim of the society that he ends up terrorizing.

To the actual film, hands down, no contest, Joaquin Phoenix wins best actor for his portrayal.  Amazing job at playing a man having a serious mental breakdown as the film progresses.  His not over the top, believable demise into mental illness is acting perfection.  His performance elevated this movie.  When I think back on Joaquin's career (Commidus in Gladiator, Johnny Cash in Walk the Line, and Theodore in Her) are all A list performances which lead up to the Oscar winning performance.

Other standout parts of this film were the score which I thought mirrored Alfred Fleck's mental demise perfectly.  In addition to that, I think the production design was outstanding as well and is a heavy contender for that Oscar.

The violence in this film is tragic.  Without it, we don't understand the epic shift that Arthur Fleck has gone through.  A lot of people thought it was too much but I think director Todd Phillips (of Hangover trilogy and Wedding Crashers fame) got it right.  It is realistic and not cartoonish just as the mental illness of our antihero clearly is.  Speaking of Phillips, in what appears to be a direct homage to Martin Scorcese, his film was beautifully shot and perfectly crafted.

Overall Rating:  4.5

Film #5
1917

So, after I saw that Sam Mendes did a war movie, I had really high hopes.  I figured that Jughead didn't exactly kill it so he would be wanting to make up for that one.  I was right to be excited in some aspects.  The technical end of this film was perfect.  The production design was top notch.  What surprised me was all of the things a director can't control were less then stellar.

Upon seeing the film, I realize that Mendes probably took the script because it allowed him the ability to shoot in one continuous take; much like Innarutu did with Birdman a few years ago.  That being said, the idea of following one character across Europe during WWI was less than exciting.  Missing all of the huge, immersive battle scenes from Saving Private Ryan or other war movies made this feel like you were watching the first battle in Lord of the Rings; this is cool but compared to others, you haven't seen anything yet.  I kept waiting for the grand finale but it never came.

As disappointed as I was with the script and story, the acting was fine and the other portions of the film were adequate.  To me the production design and the camerawork stole the show in this film.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, the rest of the film presented too big a hurdle to overcome.

Overall rating:  3.5

Film #6
Ford Vs. Ferrari

Another technical masterpiece, the filmmakers did a great job placing you in the seat with Ken Miles; the Ford driver who beat the mighty Italians of Ferrari at the 24 hours of LeMans.  The racing scenes were riveting and you were gripping the seat with every curve.  The story did an adequate job of seeing what a pain it was to build a car fast enough to win.  The acting was superb with Christian Bale playing Ken Miles and Matt Damon playing Carroll Shelby who designed the car (Shelby Mustang anyone?)

The sound mixing and editing was perfect.  They both should win.  They have a very strong shot at the editing category as well.  The script falls short in the ending though.  Seeing Ken Miles blow up on a practice track about 1000 yards away seems a little bit brusque after spending 1/2 the movie in the cockpit with him.  I think it is the ending that will keep it from having a legitimate shot at Best Picture.

Overall Rating 3.5

Film #7
JoJo Rabbit

Watching the first half of this film made me think of watching a kid's movie back in the 70's.  Some of the themes were a little too advanced for kids but it still seemed cute and harmless as it progressed.  And then Scar Jo's character was hanged in the town square and her son found her.  The film took a decidedly adult turn and I realized this was not a kid's movie. 

Up to that point, we know the boy's Mom is part of the resistance but it is hinted at; not really shown.  It is almost as if we see the same thing the boy sees- just hints that something isn't right and she might be doing something she shouldn't.  The obvious exception to that is Scar Jo's character has a Jewish girl hiding in the attic.  But she explains it away as a favor and doesn't really make any political statements to her son.  So we wonder of it's really that big of a deal.  Predictably, the son's imaginary friend, Adolph Hitler, tries to convince the boy that he should fear and loathe the Jewish girl in the attic.  Predictably, he tries but eventually develops a crush on her after realizing there is nothing bad or sinister about her.  Unpredictably, the Mom is killed which leaves the two of them to fend for themselves as the war (and Allied victory) approach the city they live in. 

The acting and technical parts of the film were all good; nothing great except perhaps ScarJo and the Jewish girl.  They were both excellent.  The rest of the film was adequate but not outstanding and I don't see it winning anything on Oscar night.  Overall a film worth watching but not a Best Picture winner.

Overall rating: 3.75.

Film #8
Parasite

As I watched this film, I had very mixed feelings about it.  One, the economic situation the family was in was at part to blame for their actions.  The writer wanted us to feel that.  Unarguably the motivation for their despicable behavior was monetary but not monetary for greed's sake; it was for survival and having enough food on the table to eat at night.

The basic plot was the boy of the family gets a job (dishonestly) tutoring a daughter of a rich family even though he has never been to college and has no business tutoring anyone.  Then, he gets his sister hired as an art therapist for the younger brother- again she has no credentials whatsoever.  Then, they make up a lie about the family's driver so the Dad can get hired.  Finally, they fake an illness so the housekeeper becomes sick and the Mom can take over.  All is going fine until the housekeeper shows up and tells them that she has hidden her husband in a safe room that the family doesn't know about.  Her husband has lived there for years because they don't have the money to support him elsewhere.  Conflict ensues and they compete to see who is more despicable.

As the film reaches conclusion, a great rainstorm floods the underground apartment the family lives in and they are literally swimming in their own backed-up sewage.  Not a very subtle metaphor to be sure.  As the poor people lose their homes and belongings, the rich family worries about the son who is spending the night in a tent in the back yard.  Not quite the same world.

After the storm ends, the family has to go back to work for the son's birthday party the next day.  Smelling of sewage, the patriarch declares that he smells "a poor man's smell."  This one statement incenses the father of the poor family who goes on to murder several of the people present and he disappears before the police arrive.  Predictably, the man hides out in the house where the other man lived; trapped in a different world again.

I have a big problem with this ending though.  I cannot believe that after the entire family lied and sank to remote depths to secure this very valuable employment only to see the father destroy it all because of one insult- an innocuous one at that.  I realize the director had to lock him in the basement somehow to get his point across but this seemed quite far-fetched to me.  After all, if you are that desperate to gain employment, what little pride you had left could easily be swallowed, right? 

Technically, the film was decent; nothing outstanding.  I see it as a middle of the pack film in this year's race unless the Academy decides to prop it up as a hat- tip to diversity.

Overall rating 3.0.