REVIEW: The Ides of March

Posted on October 8, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Early in The Ides of March, a nightclub scene ends on a lingering shot of the lounge singer crooning the word “disappear.” What lyrics came before this word escape me because it’s this final word that director George Clooney wants to burn into our memory. The thing about being in positions of power is you get there and spend the rest of your time trying to survive as long as you can. Or at least as long as it takes your opponents to make you disappear.

The Ides of March sets out to tell us that society needs to be greater than any one individual in order to succeed. The title (taken from the day Caesar was murdered) is the first window into a film wherein individual characters are put to the test while all the time questioning whether the erasure of one man might actually lead to the betterment of a greater cause.

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Best Costume Design Predictions

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Current Predictions (10-07-11):
Sharen Davis, The Help
Sandy Powell, Hugo
Mark Bridges, The Artist
Joanna Johnston, War Horse
Michael O’Connor, Jane Eyre

Costume Design Notes (10-07-11): Similar to Art Direction, the Costume category tends to shy away from dynamic or unique designs in favor of more obvious, grandiose fare. This year’s leading contenders offer an interesting blend of films and designers alike. However, four out of the five best bets really don’t deliver something different to chew on.

Jane Eyre will be the popular choice here. And, yes, of course, the costumes are remarkable. I just wish that something beyond  Victorian dresses could take home the prize. While I enjoyed Michael O’Connor’s work in Jane Eyre, it’s too similar, to my eye, to his Oscar-winning work in The Duchess. Jane Eyre will almost definitely be nominated (and rightfully so) but I pray the Academy strays from its comfort zone and tends towards one of the other nominees.

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Best Art Direction Predictions

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Current Predictions (10-07-11):
Dante Ferretti, Hugo
Rick Carter, War Horse
Jack Fisk, Tree of Life
Stuart Craig, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2
Laurence Bennett, The Artist

Best Art Direction Notes (10-07-11): Some, if not most, categories at the Oscars are easy to predict only because they have the quality of being “obvious.” In fact, a friend of mine once said they should replace “Best” with “Most Obvious” in front of each category. When it comes to Art Direction all nuance goes out the window and the winners are generally those that fill the mis-en-scene from top to bottom with as many frills as possible. This year there’s no shortage of very “present” design so this should be one of the easier categories to predict.

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J. Edgar Posters

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

I don’t really know what to expect from J. Edgar. Clint Eastwood makes a lot of pictures and the ones that do well tend to do REALLY well. But the vast majority of his movies sink quickly into obscurity without making much of an impression at all. Sure, J. Edgar has the makings of an Oscar golden child but so did Invictus. J. Edgar seems to be hiding some story elements in the trailer and that always tells me something might not be right. Basically its the marketing team and not the creatives that cut movie trailers. When they think the story is on then they do everything they can to highlight the story. When they think the story might be lacking but the grandiose qualities are shining bright then they highlight that. In J. Edgar, little story was conveyed but a lot of pizzazz came through. Don’t be surprised if that’s precisely what we take from the film itself.

That said, Clint Eastwood always displays a unique brand of storytelling. I’m always compelled by his approach and even lesser pictures like Changeling have elements that are surprisingly exemplary. I fully expect to be quite enthralled by the J. Edgar ride. I just have my doubts about how many others will feel the same.

I think both of these posters are excellent.

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Young Adult Trailer

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

I guess the best way to describe Jason Reitman’s films is to call them creepers. At first glance, all three of his films seem like light character studies. They aren’t edgy or boundary pushing but they are solid achievements in filmmaking with well-handled smart scripts. Then Reitman’s films tend to get critical acclaim and Oscar attention. Time seems to work against these movies all over again. As years pass all three films have been left out of common critical thought. Even Juno seems just as pat now as it might have prior to its release.

While interesting and anchored by a unique turn by Theron, Young Adult looks like it might be much of the same. The trailer looks a bit silly at time, or I guess I should call it depressing in that snarky, charming sort of way. But time will tell how this one actually turns out. Truth be told, I find Thank You For Smoking and Up in the Air pretty underrated. They were two of the more compelling films to come out in their respective years.

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Best Cinematography Predictions

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Current Predictions (10-06-11):
Emmanuel Lubezki, Tree of Life
Newton Thomas Sigel, Drive
Wally Pfister, Moneyball
Januscz Kaminski, War Horse
Guillame Schiffman, The Artist

Best Cinematography Notes (10-06-11): Easily one of my favorite Oscar categories. Images are the aspect of films that burn deepest into my memory. Some people eat up dialogue by memorizing lines and consuming screenplays. For me, it’s the images that I take away from films. Even if it’s just the slight angle on a person’s face that helps highlight an expression or a shadow that falls over an actresses eyes as she contemplates a situation, it’s the images I want to dive into. Thankfully, the Academy has been pretty good lately at nominating genuinely beautiful films like Batman Begins, Changeling, and The New World. Rarely do I find their chooses unexpectedly flat.

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My Week With Marilyn Trailer

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

I’m as excited for this film as any upcoming release. Michelle Williams looks spectacular as always. Branagh’s odd coldness might be the perfect compliment to Williams’ knowing naivete.

The trailer looks terrific.

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Best Editing Predictions

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Current Predictions (10-05-11):
Michael Kahn, War Horse
Angus Wall + Kirk Baxter, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Claire Simpson, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Matthew Newman, Drive
Anne Sophie-Bion, The Artist

Best Editing Notes (10-05-11): Best Film Editing’s distinct correlation to Best Picture has always fascinated me. In the 83 years of the Oscars, only 12 times has the winner of Best Editing not been nominated for Best Picture. Only 9 times has the winner of Best Picture not been nominated for Best Editing. Something tells me the connection probably has more to do with laziness, if not pure ignorance to the editing craft, than any real specific corroboration. However, the editing of picture, along with the writer and the direction, is one of the most fundamentally important roles contributing to the creative success of a film. Things get fun in Oscar world when the stories being pushed for Best Picture are ones where the editing might be seen a less impressive aspect of the whole. In recent years, when editing wins go to films that don’t win Best picture, it’s because the editing was a stand in one film and too subdued to draw attention in the other. For instance, the editing in No Country for Old Men, while beautiful, wasn’t nearly as obvious as it was in winner Bourne Ultimatum.

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Some Love for Melissa McCarthy

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Melissa McCarthy’s brand of comedy is risky and virtually unseen in the landscape of American media. She’s a woman doing a man’s brand of comedy with a confidence and lack of inhibition that has the potential to become legendary.

I’ve seen praise for the comedian popping up all over the place and I wanted to throw my hat in the ring as well. I’m convinced she will continue to be recognized for her courage. This February I fully expect McCarthy will be nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her turn in Bridesmaids. Anything less would be a travesty. Leave it to the Academy to turn a blind eye to this brewing original talent though. Either way, I wanted to share a link to McCarthy’s recent appearance on Saturday Night Live.

Watch the show if you haven’t seen it already. Not since the early 90’s or maybe even early 80’s can I remember laughing so hard at SNL.

Thank the Lord for creators like McCarthy.

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New War Horse Trailer

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Looks like Spielberg is pulling out all the Spielbergian stops on this one. I mean, a reflection through the horse’s eye, really?

I still don’t feel inspired by what looks like a forceful tear-jerker. I fully expect to be mesmerized by the production value. The trailer alone deserves an Oscar for Best Cinematography (though when does Janusz Kaminski disappoint?). I just don’t know what this movie is even about. A horse that bravely survives war? Can you watch this trailer and believe you will experience anything more than tugs at the emotional heart-strings? Maybe I’m too cold but I really don’t have high hopes for War Horse to be anything more than fluff.

It’s true I want to dislike this movie. I want to dislike all Spielberg movies. I’ve been surprised before (Minority Report, Artificial Intelligence, and Munich) and I am always open to being surprised again. We shall see.

I might have to change my Oscar predictions though. How in the world can the Academy resist this wonderful cake?

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