This morning came far too early for my particularly late sleeping tastes. In fact, I almost hit the snooze button and rolled over. Almost. You see, this morning began an odyssey of movie watching geekdom unparalleled to anything see before. At least for this blogger. AMC Theatres has been doing this for the past few years, but I apparently didn’t get the memo until a few weeks ago when the buzz began to build.
The Oscar Showcase is a genius of a plan. Every year before the bling infested glitzy overload event known as the Academy Awards plays across our televisions, AMC Theatres wrangles together a day of Oscar Nominated movies for viewing by the general public. For the cheap price of thirty dollars, we all get a full day of fantastic film footage.
The social media experiment has taken off with AMC and they’ve actually hired a full time guy to handle that aspect of the machine. With his help, AMC has taken the unique step of asking bloggers, twitterers and others to attend events and blog, vlog and twitter about the entire day. I was among the many chosen. Today was the culmination of that and I have to say it’s started out very well. Five movies will equal about 13.5 hours of moving pictures playing across the screens nationwide.
I’ll be doing my best to review these movies and talk about the experience as this article unfolds. There’ll be video, pictures and of course words to paint the picture. So get ready. Here…we..GO!
The first thing you realize about an event like this is that you are in a crowd of people who believe in movies much like you do. People pack fantastic food, bulky blankets and a plethora of pillows. The audience is there for the purpose of supporting Hollywood and deciding for themselves if indeed any of the nominated films deserve to grasp Oscar.
The second thing you find out is that with five films in one day, you’re going to be sitting most of the day. Moving at short breaks is designed to prevent complete and absolute couch potato transformation.
First up was Milk. Starring Sean Penn it lays out the factual events of Harvey Milk and his crusade to lead the gay movement in San Francisco. He was an unlikely hero to most, but his natural talents play out across the screen as he loses so much you wonder when he’ll ever win. When he finally wins it is a short victory. His life is ended prematurely by an angry and crazy opponent who was unable to fully understand that yes indeed, times were a’ changin’.
Sean Penn is impressive as always. Nothing Penn does is without meaning or purpose. This role is close to his heart and many others in Hollywood. Proposition 6 has echoes of the current fight brewing in California around the issue of Proposition 8. It is an interesting study to watch the moments play out before you with the very real struggle of today just in the back of your mind. Certainly there are strong moments in this film that moved me, but I did not find myself thinking, “Yes, it’s OSCAR!” It was more of a documentary of a man’s life and the nationwide struggle for vindication of a belief in equality.
I would recommend this to those on my side of the fence (aka Republican Conservative Christian) to see this film to have a strong foundational understanding of the movement and where we (as conserv’s) have fit into it. Whenever I saw the Christian leaders denouncing and throwing down fire and brimstone I would shake my head. The supporting cast was perfection, playing the parts strong. Each face was a part of the puzzle of how this movement grew and changed over time.
I don’t think Sean Penn was worthy of the Oscar on this one (I haven’t seen Rourke’s performance, but I understand I’m not alone on this one) and I’m happy it took some of the other awards as the film has strengths. It’s just not a Best Picture. Also, the sex was distracting and annoying. Before you jump all over me about “You just don’t want to see gay sex” I say, “WRONG!” I’d made the point that in each of these movies the glorious depiction of wanton sex made me less willing to declare it Oscar.
Which brings me to “The Reader”. A strong movie with some seriously impressive moral questioning powers, it falls apart in the first half. You see, the story is about a boy who is nary a hair beyond fifteen years. He finds himself attracted to a much older woman. This leads to a “Mrs. Robinson” feel for about ten seconds before we jump (pardon the pun) into a “Debbie Does Dallas” feel that doesn’t make anyone feel anything but dirty watching the moments between these two.
It was distracting and took me completely out of the movie so much that me and a friend turned to each other and said, “More? I mean…seriously? Can we keep our clothes on today?” several times as this illicit affair was happening directly in front of us. There was even frontal male nudity. That’s where I just about threw up. If you removed that part and filmed the love scenes more with more art and less reality you’d have a far richer film that didn’t require you to spend three days in Confession.
It’s in the second half where “The Reader” slinks out of the lazy bedroom and kicks it into high gear. The moment where you realize everything that’s been building and the payoff is one of those moments in cinema everyone wishes they had a part in creating. The rest of this movie creates the questioning and soul searching an Oscar movie should inspire. There are several key scenes where the audience is grabbed into the frame fearlessly to question themselves. The lawyers debate and the audience is unable to really judge, only question what exactly they would do in the stead of the men and women on screen.
There is a visit to Auschwitz that is shot in a manner that refuses to dramatize the death of the innocent. It is simply telling you a story through silence and moments of reflection by our central protagonist. He makes a key decision late in the half that echoes throughout the whole movie. It left me breathless and inspired.
Winslet deserves a win although I was pulling for Taraji Henson but Kate turns in a stellar performance. An impressive tour de force through the second half, it’s good for DVD rental to fast forward through all the naughty bits to get to the real reward of the second half.
A movie that I don’t think did well in either the former or the latter is the longest movie of the Oscar Season. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is just that. Curious. From a forty page short story to a beleaguered three and a half hour movie? I’m pretty sure there are some red flags falling out of the sky somewhere. Strong performances and jaw dropping effects fill the screen as you are guided through the story of a boy named Benjamin from the start of his odd life to the end. Born looking like death at the end of life Brad Pitt plays the character in going backwards; revealing a different kind of life lived. As fascinating as it was it felt too much like Forrest Gump. Southern accents, boats and the war all play prominent parts.
The cinematography in Button makes you want to drool as the rich colors are painted across a wide canvas. The characters fill the roles and inspire some comedy along the way. Watch for Lightening Rod Man. But not an Oscar. Too long, too pretentious and far too drawn out in places. The best moment from this movie is after being in the wrong places and not in the right moment the two titular characters have an exchange that most hopeless romantics understand. “Will you sleep with me?”, to which Button responds in a deliciously delivered, “Absolutely!”
I would use that last word to describe my feelings for “Slumdog Millionaire”. This movie did indeed win the Oscar for Best Picture and it deserves every ounce of praise that comes with such an award. The movie is perfectly perched at each juncture required for an Oscar Movie.
Romance: Check.
Unbelievable odds against the darkness: Check.
A lovable hero that inspires us all to be better people: Check.
Deep social message about a world outside our own that is closer to us than we know: Check.
Moment of truth for each character: Check.
Great moments of both heartbreak and heartsoar: Check
Music that awakens dreams from within soul: Check.
Great story, great plot, great comedy, great drama, great action, unflinching truth…: Check
Lady I’d like to nominate as the future Mrs. DeLay: Check.
Slumdog succeeds on every level as a perfect example of the Best. Simply put, it is a thrilling story of true love and unending struggle to fight for that love. Set against a country foreign to many of us it weaves in the cultural world and backgrounds that inspire gasps and awe in each. The opening scene had me running along with the slum kids, cheering them along. The rest of the movie simply sauntered up to me, planted a wet kiss and kicked me over to the ground and moved onto the next victim.
Just. That. Good. I swear I’ll mop up my drool.
There’s some violence and tense moments that’ll have you squirm. An Oscar movie is supposed to do that, although to that point “The Reader” takes it above and beyond the call of duty.
There’s a moment in Slumdog where the reality of the dream the younger versions of our heroes are living in opens your eyes, literally and figuratively.
See it. Get the soundtrack. Pick up the DVD. Get that lead girls number for me.
Speaking of numbers, I’m finally at “Frost/Nixon” and it only took 1,700 words. As a documentary this film handedly succeeds. As a retelling of one of the most challenging and trying times in the history of our country, it goes above and beyond what has come before. As a thrilling dramatic battle of one of the most powerful men in the country against a know nothing pop journalist, it is by far one of those most fascinating movies I have ever seen.
The story is well known. David Frost had a dream. Take Nixon after he’s out of office and interview him. Getting there was half the battle. Making the next four interviews count was the other. Watching the film unflinchingly take aim at the naivety of David Frost was refreshing. Just as refreshing was the equal treatment given to Former President Richard Nixon. It felt as this was a even handed commentary on the events in question and mostly painted the truth of what had happened over time as the interviews took place. Invented was a drunken phone call from Nixon to Frost which was designed to create drama for the last section of the film. It succeeded. The last fourth of this film rocked my socks and had me on the edge of my seat, completely enthralled as Frost put the rhetorical screws to Nixon, eliciting some of the most damning statements on the part of Nixon.
The film closes out with a final moment shared between the two battle stalwarts as they return to their lives. As the credits roll you hunger for more. You sense the strength and intellect of Nixon holds more and you feel as if Frost himself found out that there was actually a human being within the heart of the lumbering beast of a man. There is so much more to each of these men. Legends and lore are now told of both.
The truth? There’s so much we may never know but “Frost/Nixon” does the best job.
And so, the evening was over much past midnight. Myself, Toby and Sarah all headed home saying farewell to a grand evening brought to us by AMC Theatres. The social media aspect is just starting to catch on with big companies and the theatre chains are at that very moment. Here’s hoping for more of these types of things.
Thanks again to AMC and Katherine Johnson of Allied for the amazing day.
