REVIEW: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Generally speaking, suspense films succeed only as far as their structural maze can support them. If a viewer craves what’s going to happen next then the picture is working. This philosophy is narrow-minded, but one that has become such a standard in our culture it’s impossible to wrap our minds around a thriller whose “thrilling” elements are not front and center. Meet Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, a movie with a tightly wound plot that excites curiosity but promotes innovative style and deeply wounded characters to headline performers. The outcome is a film that drips off the screen like a minor miracle. Tinker, Tailor Soldier, Spy will no doubt be one of the best of 2011.

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REVIEW: Footloose

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Musicals are not created equal. They come in many shapes and sizes, one just as good as the next if done right. There are musicals that drop everything for long scenes of dance numbers that happen almost alternatively to the narrative. Then there are musicals that weave the numbers cohesively into the narrative as an organic force that drives the story forward. An argument can be made for both forms of musicals, as no doubt there are memorable examples of each. The common denominator, though, between any kind of successful musical is seemingly simple: the numbers themselves. Do the performances come off the screen with such bravura that you want to stand up and clap or do they fall flat in a way that’s bordering on embarrassing? Nevertheless, the musical performances need to be there, unabashedly in the flesh, and for the world to see. This basic element of musical cinema is precisely what escapes Footloose and ultimately does it in. There just isn’t enough dance.

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Best Original Score Predictions

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Current Predictions (10/13/11):
John Williams, War Horse
Alexandre Desplat, The Ides of March
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Alberto Iglesias, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Hans Zimmer, Rango

Best Score Notes: Where 2011 has the potential to be the “year of Spielberg” in most categories, the Original Score category also has potential to be the “year of Alexandre Desplat.” What with three viable pieces in contention, there’s no reason to believe the four-time nominee isn’t on the fast track for a win. That is except for the fact that none of his scores may actually stand out amongst the crowd. Tree of Life was beautiful but it wasn’t necessarily driving or stand out. Additionally, with a major amount of mixed formats, there is a good chance this one will be disqualified. The score for Harry Potter will probably be seen as “been there, done that” seeing as it’s riffing on already established themes. A solid score, but not a particularly memorable one. That leaves Ides of March. Personally, I adored the music. Yes, it’s over the top and leading, but that’s precisely what the film called for. Like the best noir films, the music strengthened the narrative by working with it’s intentions. Will voters find it too trite? I fear they might.

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Previews for (Mostly) All Foreign Film Submissions

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Current Predictions (10-15-11):
Le Havre, Aki Kaurismäki (Finland)
A Separation, Asghar Farhadi (Iran)
Miss Bala, Gerardo Naranjo (Mexico)
Pina, Wim Wenders (Germany)
The Colors of the Mountain, Carlos César Arbeláez (Colombia)

For your viewing pleasure, I’ve gathered previews for most of the Foreign Language submissions. These have English subtitles except where noted.

NOTE: GIVE THE PAGE A FEW MOMENTS TO LOAD

Amnesty, Bujar Alimani (Albania)

Tons more after the cut:

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Documentary Short Subject Trailers

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

I think it’s important to get to know the little films that get nominated for Oscars but nobody ever sees. It’ll give you an edge in your pools and these tends to be some very compelling works to boot.

To start it off, here are trailers for 4 out of the 8 films shortlisted for the Best Documentary Short Subject at the upcoming  Academy Awards. More to come as information begins to surface.

First the one that looks like an early favorite:

The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement – Dir. Robin Fryday + Gail Dolgin

The rest after the cut:

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Best Original Song Predictions

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Current Predictions (10-13-11):
“Star Spangled Man” (Captain America: The First Avenger; written by Alan Menken and David Zippel; performed by The Star Spangled Singers)
“Where the River Goes” (Footloose; performed by Zac Brown)
“Lay Your Head Down” (Albert Nobbs; written by Bryan Bryne and Glenn Close and performed by Sinead O’Connor)
“The Living Proof” (The Help; written and performed by Mary J. Blige)
“So Long” (Winnie the Pooh; written by Zooey Deschanel; performed by Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward/She and Him)

Best Original Song Notes: More often than not an original movie song can be on-the-nose, trite, and insufferable, especially if listened to outside the context of the film. But once in a while there will be a “Philadelphia” or a “Lose Yourself” that are so revelatory beyond even the scope of the movie they’re written for that it makes wading through the pile of mediocrity seem worth it. Don’t hold your breath for a great song to come along, you’ll know it when it appears. This year, it hasn’t appeared. As far as I can tell, these Oscar nominated songs will represent the performances of the award show where you get up to stretch the legs.

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Trailer for Steve McQueen’s Shame

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Steve McQueen’s Hunger completely blew my mind in 2009. It’s a brooding, grim and aggressive protest movie hat possesses the audacity to prioritize complicated character motivations over a specific message. Enough good things cannot be said about that film. If McQueen’s new film, Shame, has any semblance of his previous work’s quality, we are in for another treat.Word on the street is that it won’t blow the roof of the joint like Hunger did but it’s no slouch. Trying to keep expectations in check.

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Tyrannosaur Trailer

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

I wish I didn’t miss this one at Sundance. Not sure what impact it will have upon its release, one can only hope it delivers on the devastating, almost spiritual, restraint hinted at in this trailer. If Tyrannosaur plays well, Olivia Colman might very well crash the Best Actrss party.

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63 Films Eligible for Best Foreign Film Oscar

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Looks like a great list that will bring light to a number of obscurities from around the world. No easy major directorial players (save a few with smaller projects) that I know of. Bela Tarr and Aki Kauismaki will draw attention from cinephiles though I wonder how much sway they have with the Academy.

Iran’s entry, A Separation, is the early favorite.

 

 

The 2011 submissions are after the cut:

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Documentary Shorts Unveils 8 Films on Shortlist

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

I’ll attempt to do some research and get a write-up about these done soon. For now, here are the 8 films that will be vying for an Oscar this year. Last year’s films were incredibly diverse and compelling. I really look forward to this category as it continues to grow in quality.

Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that the field of Documentary Short Subject contenders for the 84th Academy Awards® has been narrowed to eight films, of which three to five will earn Oscar® nominations.

The eight films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production company.

  • “The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement,” Purposeful Productions, Inc.
  • “God Is the Bigger Elvis,” Documentress Films
  • “In Tahrir Square: 18 Days of Egypt’s Unfinished Revolution,” Downtown Docs
  • “Incident in New Baghdad,” Morninglight Films
  • “Pipe Dreams,” Leslie Iwerks Productions
  • “Saving Face,” Milkhaus/Jungefilm
  • “The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom,” Supply & Demand Integrated
  • “Witness,” Buche

Voters from the Academy’s Documentary Branch viewed this year’s 35 eligible entries and submitted their ballots to PricewaterhouseCoopers for tabulation.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

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