REVIEW: The Band's Visit (A)

Background: Last year's Oscar winner for Live Action Short, West Bank Story, was an uncomfortably funny look at ongoing Palestinian-Israeli tensions. Besides entertaining as a funny spoof, it showed that there is still room for humor amidst the hatred. Young filmmaker Eran Kolirin (local mag The Rake surprisingly caught an interview) picks up where Story left off with The Band's Visit, which was Israel's Best Foreign Language Film submission for this year's Oscars. Unfortunately, the dialogue in the film is in English more than 50% of the time - an automatic disqualification. The Band's Visit was filmed in Israel's Negev Desert and stars Sasson Gabai and Ronit Elkabetz. It's disturbing and shameful that Gabai and supporting actor Uri Gavriel will be recognizable to American audiences from their roles as stereotypical Middle Easterners in Rambo III (Gabai), last year's Rendition (Gavriel), and Iron Eagle I & II (also Gavriel). Such is Hollywood casting, I guess.

Synopsis: Led by the stiff and serious Lieutenant Colonel Tawfiq Zacharya (Gabai), the dysfunctional Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra gets lost on their way to a performance at an Arab cultural center - in Israel. Having arrived on the last bus in or out of Bat Hatikvah, the Egyptians must spend the night. Fortunately, the local cafe manager, Dina (Elkabetz) is a warm and welcoming spirit. The band members are split up for the night, where they awkwardly spend time eating with a local family and enjoying the local nightlife (a roller-skating rink). Obviously, communication between everyone is uncomfortable - and hilarious. Dina , who from the beginning is quite excited about the whole situation, decides to make the most of the circumstances and has no problem flirting with Tawfiq and Khaled, the strapping young trumpetist in the band. Throughout the evening there are scenes of high hilarity and heartwrenching tragedy, and if you haven't learned a lesson by the next morning - well, that would be frustrating, but the fact that you've even decided to see this movie is enough for me.

I Loved:
+ The dinner scene, featuring some of the best writing in the film.
+ The scene in the "park" - starts light-hearted and leaves you crushed. Another great example of the fragility of intercultural communication.
+ The music - played, sung, or otherwise, it was a great frame for the story.

I Liked:
+ The hilarious scenes at the roller-skating rink, capped off by the three-on-the-bench finale.
+ Sasson Gabai and Ronit Elkabetz - excellent acting and believable chemistry. Their relationship is the heart of the film (see the restaurant scene as evidence).
+ The supporting performances by Khalifa Natour (as Simon), Saleh Bakri (as Khaled), and Rubi Moskovitz (as Itzik).
+ The filming location - dusty landscapes, quiet streets, etc.

I Disliked:
- When the roller-skating rink scene started to feel just a bit long.

I Hated:
- Not feeling like I got enough out of the story. It's well paced and never boring, but at 87 minutes you're left wanting more, especially when the writing is so good.

Grade:
Writing - 10
Acting - 9
Production - 8
Emotional Impact - 10
Music - 5
Significance - 5

Total: 47/50= 94% = A

Last Word: It seems too easy. That would be the cynical reaction to The Band's Visit, an extremely important film about the universals of culture. The fact is, it should be that easy for everyone to see how similar we all are as humans, but such thinking is rare to find these days. I'm different than you, and that's just the way it is. Of course, I'm not that naive. The Band's Visit is a little syrupy and can be seen simply as another story about seeing past differences, but it can (or could have been?) much more as well. Call it Crash-lite. I look forward to Eran Kolirin's next film, and hope that he again strikes such a perfect balance between humor and tragedy. His personal writing and comedic timing are a great combination, and he was fortunate to have such a strong cast to work with here. Gabai and Elkabetz are especially well-suited to their roles. We literally feel the weight lifted off of Tawfiq's shoulders as he lets his guard down and smiles, and we also intimately know Dina's trapped soul - she wants to get out and see the world, and we're happy that she has this opportunity for an adventurous interaction. Similarly, I'm happy I had the interaction with these delightful characters, and I exited feeling a little more hopeful than when I entered.

REVIEW: 2008 Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts

I had the great pleasure to catch the five Animated Short nominees last weekend. In contrast to the Live Action Shorts, these are truly a trip into some new dimensions in film. Each of the nominees features breathtaking animation, some of which I've never seen before (or seen so impressively), and since none of them are American you get a little slice of culture, too. You can try to see them here, but it's a really great experience in the theater - go whenever you have a chance in the future. I do not think you'll regret it.

Instead of "grading" these, I'm going to match them up with what I consider their 2007 Best Picture nominee equivalents. No reason - I liked all of these, so it's just a match game.

The nominees:

I Met the Walrus - Josh Raskin (Canada, 5 min, ink drawing/computer graphic animation):

• This is not so much a short film as it is an animated visualization of words. A 1969 recording of John Lennon rambling about peace, war, governments, and the world is turned into an impressive layout of graphics, images and words in pink, brown, and ivory hues. Something about this reminded me of a Gap commercial or something "hip" like that. It's very cool, but it's just not what you would traditionally call a film. It's the most uplifting of the five nominees, and the political ideas and rants might appeal to the Academy.
  
• 2007 Best Picture equivalent = Michael Clayton

Madame Tutli-Putli - Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski (Canada, 17 min, stop-motion/CGI animation)

• If David Lynch made an animated film, this would be it. A meek woman boards a train to an unknown destination. Stuck in a sleeping car with a disgusting tennis player, a creepy kid, and two chess players, her trip turns downright macabre when a mysterious blue light signals organ-harvesting thieves to board the train and gas the passengers. Ah, and I haven't mentioned the moth, white bright light and chirpy sounds that the woman follows in her desperation. I'm already lost again, which I think was kind of the point. This was the most disturbing, most impressively animated, and most memorable nominee.
  
• 2007 Best Picture equivalent = No Country for Old Men

Meme Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis - Samuel Tourneux and Simon Vanesse (France, 9 min, 3-D CGI animation)

• The ultimate battle between good and evil, life and death, angel and demon. When "Death" is supposed to come calling, a "Priest" steps in and saves the elderly Frenchman whose time has come. The priest's motive? Milking the man of his last dollar before death. A humorous trick is played before one character receives a karmic comeuppance in a very abrupt ending.
• 2007 Best Picture equivalent = There Will Be Blood

Moya Lyubov - Alexander Petrov (Russia, 27 min, hand-painted animation)

• A teenage Russian boy is caught in a love triangle in 19th-century Russia. His dreams and fantasies are lovely, disturbing, and really hard to follow. But I guess that's how dreams are. Watching this was like seeing the world in watercolor - hard to describe. Petrov is the only previous nominee in this group, and a previous winner at that. Maybe that makes him the favorite.
  
• 2007 Best Picture equivalent = Atonement

Peter & the Wolf - Suzie Templeton and Hugh Welchman (UK/Poland, 27 min, silicon model/stop-motion animation)

• The classic story of poor Peter and his heroic task is retold here in stunning stop-motion animation. This was the funniest and overall most entertaining of the nominees, but its ending drags - and I don't even know if it's the "right" ending. Something didn't feel right about it, but I'm not going to spend time looking up the accuracy of children's stories (not that I wouldn't look up other trivial information). The music was great, as you would expect.
• 2007 Best Picture equivalent = Juno

Predicting which of these five will on Sunday is, at least for me, a complete shot in the dark. They are so different from each other that I don't know what will appeal to the Academy members' tastes. I Met the Walrus seems totally out of place here, but maybe that's why it will win. Madame Tutli-Putli is the most impressive artistically, but the story is creepy and weird. Peter & the Wolf is a classic, and the other two are terrific stories. Without having a serious inside connection, I don't know how this can be accurately predicted.

I'll go with Madame Tutli-Putli.



...(or Moya Lyubov). Forget it, who knows.

Picking Through the NYT Mag's 2007 Breakthroughs

This week's New York Times Magazine features 15 actors who had "breakthrough" performances in 2007. It's a nice glossy yearbook even though some of the photos are too artistic for my taste. There are some online pieces that complement the magazine:

+ NYT Mag editor at large Lynn Hirschberg narrates an audio slideshow of the magazine photos while making some odd observations:

• "The Assassination of Jesse James by the 'Outlaw' Robert Ford." Uh? Really small, but how do you make that mistake - by that I mean where does it even come from? Oh well, great to see Casey Affleck as first up here.
  
• Jim Sturgess - I loved him in Across the Universe, but saying "he will have one of the biggest careers that anyone will ever witness" seems a little much at this point.
• Edith Piaf, as played by Marion Cotillard, is "probably one of the most well-known singers of all time." If that were true, La Vie en Rose would have been a box-office smash.
  
• Seth Rogen has created a character that will carry him "throughout the next 50 years of his career." Ay, I hope he finds more defining characters in that time.
• Hal Holbrook - fine, great, I liked him, but WHERE is Emile Hirsch in this group?! This is an even more incredible snub than his lack of an Oscar nomination.
  
• Ellen Page is "this year's special star." Fine - truth be told, Hirschberg's accompanying article is one of the more concisely convincing pieces I've yet read about Page's talent. Makes me feel like she succeeded despite Diablo Cody's writing of Juno MacGuff's character, not because of it.
• Josh Brolin - No Country for Old Men is covered, but shouldn't there have also been mention of his 2007 work in American Gangster, In the Valley of Elah, and Grindhouse?
  

+ Ryan McGinley's music video, "Shooting Stars," offers a behind-the-scenes look at the photo shoot:

• The comedy in this is presumably unintentional - but really, really great. Each of the actors is placed in what look to be extremely uncomfortable settings and positions (laying down on ice, standing in front of fireworks or a fire, sitting in the snowy woods or a smoky cave, wading in cold surf, Seth Rogen feeding geese in a park?) while wearing a "What am I doing here?" expression on their face (best exhibited by Sienna Miller, Michael Cera, Casey Affleck and Josh Brolin). The music works, though.

+ Jake Paltrow - Gwyneth's brother - directs the short film Breakthroughs, in which 8 of the 15 breakthrough actors discuss the actors that inspired them:

• The beginning of this was really cool.
• Casey Affleck is a lot cooler than Ben Affleck.
• Ellen Page - "I loved Jurassic Park. I thought Laura Dern was super cool....and I just thought, how cool is this person?"
• Jim Sturgess (on River Phoenix - "This guy is very cool") is going to be really cool in future roles.
• James McAvoy's accent is pretty cool.
• Amy Ryan is cooler than Helene McCready.
• Paul Dano is cooler than I thought.
• Marion Cotillard's piece would have been cooler had she been speaking French.
• James Brolin has some cool insights, but he's not quite as cool as he thinks he is.

Neither am I.

REVIEW: 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (A)

Background: The "New Wave" of Romanian cinema was officially embraced last May when Cristian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. I haven't seen either 12:08 to Bucharest or The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, so my first foray is Mungiu's horrific feature on abortion in the darkest days of Communist Romania. A fixture on loads of critics' Top Ten of 2007 lists, the film stars Anamaria Marinca (Youth Without Youth), Laura Vasiliu, and Vlad Ivanov. Filmed primarily in Bucharest, 4 Months is based on a true story told to Mungiu and has most recently been buzzed about for having been snubbed for the short list for this year's Oscars.

Synopsis: In Communist Romania circa 1987, Gabita (Vasiliu) and Otilia (Marinca) are university roommates and best friends. Gabita is accidentally pregnant, but abortion is outlawed under Nicolae Ceausescu's regime. In an environment of ID cards and harsh criminal sentencing, such a procedure is hardly easy to get away with. Nevertheless, Otilia agrees to help Gabita seek an illegal abortion from a black market "professional" named Bebe (Vlad Ivanov). Having borrowed money to pay for the steep expenses, Otilia reserves a hotel room in Bucharest for the weekend and escorts Bebe through the hotel to the room where Gabita is nervously waiting. The procedure is simple; the terms are not. At this point we're witness to some extremely unsettling situations, to say the least. His work done, Bebe leaves, but so does Otilia, who has promised her boyfriend she will visit for his mother's birthday. While at their flat, neither we nor Otilia knows what's happening with Gabita, who is locked in the hotel room and won't answer the phone. Panicked, Otilia returns to the hotel to check in on Gabita. Cue second nightmarish scene. Otilia has one last task, and it requires her to navigate the dark streets of Bucharest. Remind me never, ever to walk those terrifying streets.

I Loved:
+ The amazing, absorbing long takes - they were incredibly natural.
+ The lack of a soundtrack.
+ The simplicity of the story - this is where other directors would misstep and try to add characters or plot lines that are totally unnecessary.

I Liked:
+ The excellent acting by Anamaria Marinca and Vlad Ivanov.

I Disliked:
- The shakiness of the camera work when Otilia is running through the streets. Effective in making me even more frightened, but nevertheless unenjoyable.
- Laura Vasiliu, only when her character was whiny and lying.

I Hated:
- Squirming through two of the most uncomfortable scenes of the last few years.

Grade:
Writing - 10
Acting - 9
Production - 9
Emotional Impact - 10
Music - 5
Significance - 5

Total: 48/50= 96% = A

Last Word:"Unflinching" is the best word I can use to described 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, one of the most disturbing movies in recent memory - and one of the best of 2007. I can only recommend it, however, with the disclaimer that it belongs in the small (but growing) group of recent films with scenes that sear your memory - and not in a good way. The Passion of the Christ, Cache, and Eastern Promises come to mind as well. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days is not pro-choice or pro-life, it's just there - raw, real, and right in your face. We intimately experience the horrific measures that women go through when seeking illegal abortions, and we intimately witness the horrors of abortion itself. I haven't seen any of Cristian Mungiu's other movies, but I was very, very impressed with this. It's been a few days and I still don't know if I can call it "good" or say that I "liked" it - that would send a strange message. It's masterfully done and has given me some new insights about stirring subjects - certainly abortion, but also communism, friendship, and Romanian culture. And new insights, I should emphasize, are why I go to the movies in the first place.

The Rest of the Best (and Worst) of 2007

I have as much fun as everybody else in listing the best movies and etc. of the year, but I really enjoy using my own categories. Here goes:

Wait, first of all - here are the Best Documentaries of 2007:

1. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters - Let's just say I didn't think there would be any point in spending time watching this, but somehow I ended up catching it with Matt right before it disappeared. Fortunately for me, it turned out to be the best documentary of the year. I only wish more people could have seen it, as I can't think of anybody I know who wouldn't find Steve Wiebe's story absolutely hilarious and truly touching. See it now.

2. My Kid Could Paint That - Caught an advance screening of this with director Amir Bar-Lev present for Q & A afterwards. Like in the film, he basically refused to come down on either side of the fascinating debate about the legitimacy of Marla's painting. Great hands-off documentation of a pretty interesting story.

3. Manufactured Landscapes - Where do barges go to die? Edward Burtynsky's photographs of industrial influence on the landscapes of China are shocking and a bit hard to fully comprehend. This is not about global warming or environmentalism; it's simply a record of how humans change the physical makeup of the world. Cellphone mountains, concrete valleys, millions of Chinese factory workers. It takes some patience to sit and watch pictures for an hour and a half, but you're not likely to forget what you see.

4. In The Shadow of the Moon - It's been almost 40 years since "one small step" was taken for mankind - this is the fascinating story of the astronauts' experience. If you're Earth-minded you might be bored, but if you're space-curious like me, you'll love it. The only thing missing is the reclusive Neil Armstrong, but the film is good enough without him, and I think it will live on as an extremely important piece of American history.

5. War Dance - I'd like to think otherwise, but I think there are generally two kinds of people in the world. Those who care about the future of Africa, and those who simply don't. If you're in the first group, see this and be inspired. If you're in the second group, get your mind right.

Honorable Mention:
No End in Sight - Excellent, but doesn't necessarily set itself apart from other Iraq docs. Will win Oscar.
Manda Bala - A unique, stylish look at crime and corruption in Brazil. A little scattered, but worthwhile.
God Grew Tired of Us - Another in the list of Lost Boys of Sudan documentaries, but a touching one. Nice supplement to "What is the What," one of the best books I read last year.
The Devil Came on Horseback - Disturbing in its own right, this documentary about Brian Steidle's experience in Darfur is all the more sickening because the genocide is still happening. Without really trying, I've been to a Q & A with director Annie Sundberg, attended a few screenings and discussions, and met Brian and his sister Gretchen. Somehow, though, this slipped through the cracks and was pretty much ignored after it played at Sundance last year. Has anybody seen it? Sigh.


OK, here are some other lists:

Most Overlooked Performances of 2007:
+ Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Just can't say enough.
+ Adam Goldberg, 2 Days in Paris - What a hilarious performance.
+ Glen Hansard, Once - Look, the guy's not even an actor, but he owned those awkward flirting scenes.
+ Benicio Del Toro, Things We Lost in the Fire - Only a handful of actors can pull off playing a heroin addict: learn how to here.
+ Halle Berry, Things We Lost in the Fire - Halle Berry is usually emotionally unstable, but always good.
+ Reece Daniel Thompson, Rocket Science - Quirky, stuttering, and on his way to bigger and better roles.
+ Mathieu Almaric, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - I don't understand why this performance wasn't more celebrated. Sure it was Oscar bait, but it was still amazing.
+ Marisa Tomei, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead - I don't even remember the last movie she was in, but this is as good a way as any to restart your career. The nudity was pretty gratuitous, but I suppose she didn't want people to forget her role.
+ Christian Bale and Steve Zahn, Rescue Dawn - Stunning performances (especially Zahn) in a totally ignored film. Why?
+ Josh Brolin, No Country for Old Men - Lots of attention to Bardem and Jones, but Brolin carried this from beginning to (almost) end.
+ Anamaria Marinca, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days - An amazing, heartbreaking performance.
+ Eva Mendes, We Own the Night - With limited screen time, basically out-acted Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg and Robert Duvall.
+ Don Cheadle, Talk to Me - I thought for sure we would have been hearing about this movie by year's end - it's almost like it never even happened.
+ Ryan Gosling and Emily Mortimer, Lars and the Real Girl - If it wasn't for them, there would be no way to take the movie seriously.
+ Charlotte Gainsbourg, I'm Not There - Apparently you only got recognized in this movie if you played Bob Dylan. Too bad for her excellent performance opposite the late, great Heath Ledger.
+ Jeff Daniels and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, The Lookout - An old favorite and a rising star got lost in the shuffle this year. Daniels is simply brilliant, especially in the kitchen confrontation scene.
+ Ben Foster, 3:10 to Yuma - Utterly intolerable = excellent acting.
+ Paul Schneider, Jesse James AND Lars and the Real Girl - No love for this guy in two hugely important supporting roles?
+ John Carroll Lynch, Zodiac - Probably second to Bardem in No Country as the creepiest character of the year.
+ Khalid Abdalla, The Kite Runner - It's to be expected that the criticism of the movie would overshadow all of its elements, but Abdalla was perfect in this.
+ Jennifer Garner, Juno - Jennifer Garner's performance was the best thing about Juno, which either means she was superb (but she was only really good), or Juno wasn't that good.
+ Forest Whitaker, The Great Debaters - He can do no wrong.
+ Kal Penn, The Namesake - Unfortunately he'll continue to be known as Harold or Kumar (I'm unfamiliar) until he starts taking real roles, which he proved more than capable of doing here.


Best Action/Stunts of 2007:
Matt Damon, chase and fight scene in Morocco in The Bourne Ultimatum
Bruce Willis, pretty much anything in Live Free or Die Hard
Will Smith, falling from wire trap into puddle in I Am Legend


Funniest Scenes of 2007:
Adam Goldberg on subway in 2 Days in Paris
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, all car scenes in Hot Fuzz - "Do you want anything from the shop?"
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney outside "Greenhill Manor" in The Savages
All interviews in The King of Kong - "No matter what I say, it draws controversy. It's sort of like the abortion issue."
Will Ferrell's introduction in Blades of Glory
Tim Meadows' first bathroom/drug scene in Walk Hard - "No, Dewey, you don't want this. Get outta here!"
Jerry Seinfeld's subtle monologues in Bee Movie
Josh Kay and Reece Thompson in the bedroom spying scene in Rocket Science
Justin Long and Bruce Willis break into a BMW in Live Free or Die Hard - "How'd you do yours?"
Seth Rogen throwing dice in Knocked Up - "Dude, I think he's doing the dice thing too much."


Worst Movie Titles of 2007:
I Am Legend
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
There Will Be Blood
Disturbia
We Own the Night
Lars and the Real Girl
Music and Lyrics
Norbit
Dan in Real Life
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie Film for Theaters
P.S. I Love You
Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married
In the Valley of Elah
TMNT
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
The Brave One
Balls of Fury


Most Annoying Characters of 2007:
Juno MacGuff, Juno
Margot, Margot at the Wedding
Larry, The Savages
Entire cast, Southland Tales
Robert Ford, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Joanne Herring, Charlie Wilson's War
Mitch Wilkinson, National Treasure: Book of Secrets
Grendel, Beowulf
Stephen Malley, Lions for Lambs
Helen McCready, Gone Baby Gone
Charlie Prince, 3:10 to Yuma
Judge Turpin, Sweeney Todd
Eugene "Gene" McBroom, Rescue Dawn
Billy Mitchell, The King of Kong


It's True, I Missed:
300
Away from Her
Waitress
Paris, je t'aime
La Vie en Rose
Grindhouse/Death Proof


And finally, The Worst Movies of 2007 (I was burned on these - I only go if I think it might be good):

Southland Tales
Rendition
The Kingdom
Love in the Time of Cholera
Youth Without Youth
Margot at the Wedding
Spider-Man 3
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

And the unchallenged WORST Movie of 2007: The Invasion


Alright then, it's officially time for 2008 - after the Academy Awards...

The Top 10 Films of 2007

No real science to this (especially #'s 2-10), just what I've been feeling lately as the year ends.

1. No Country for Old Men - All things considered, I don't think any other film was made as well as this all year. It probably helps that my experience was heightened dramatically by not having read the book or seen the trailer.

2. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Casey Affleck.

3. Into the Wild - Incredible performances across the board round out a stunningly successful adaptation of the book.

4. Once - A genre-less masterpiece. I missed it at the MSP Int'l Film Festival in April but fortunately caught it at the Uptown in early June. Little did I know it was going to be around for months.

5. Zodiac - True stories are never told that well, but it was March. I thought, "nah, that couldn't have been as good as it seemed. Anything that good should be coming out in December." Who missed the mark on this release date?

6. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - True stories are never told that well (or that artistically), unless you're talking about Zodiac, Into the Wild, or Jesse James. Dude wrote a book with his eyelid. His eyelid. Does that compute?

7. The Kite Runner - The best story brought to life on screen all year. I didn't read the book, so save your breath.

8. The Namesake - This coming-of-identity tale was right up my alley. Probably takes the immigrant experience to really appreciate this one.

9. I'm Not There - It took me a while to realize how much this stuck with me. Quite the artistic feat.

10. There Will Be Blood - It didn't blow me away, but it was a top-notch production and deserves the technical accolades.

If I knew how to count past 10:

Charlie Wilson's War - Amusing.
Hot Fuzz - Biting.
The Lookout - Satisfying.
3:10 to Yuma - Scolding.
The Host - Exhilarating.
Across the Universe - Sparkling.
Rescue Dawn - Inspiring.
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days - Unsettling. (Would be in my top 10 but I saw it right after this original post)
The Savages - Depressing.
Vanaja - Enriching.
Knocked Up - Mocking.
I Am Legend - Amazing.
Talk to Me - Uplifting.
Lars and the Real Girl - Pleasing.
2 Days in Paris - Entertaining.
Bamako - Challenging.

Overall, 2007 was probably the best year in film so far this millennium. I'm satisfied, despite the usual Oscar frustration.

2008 Oscar Noms Announced: There Will Be Injustice

Sorry, but the TWBB reference comes too easily.

After watching Kathy Bates (?!) announce the nominees this morning I had to take a deep breath and remind myself that great movies (if the link works, find your 2007 favorites on the full list) will continue to be made, regardless of how often they continue to be ignored by AMPAS. The Academy members have their own connections to maintain, mind you, like any business. You have to make sure the "right" people win so you can maintain your professional connections. If the public had their say, movies like Cloverfield would win Best Picture, and we don't want that either.

In any case, here are my thoughts on the six nominees I got wrong from my predictions:

Best Actor:
- Tommy Lee Jones: Well, this was kind of out of nowhere. He got a lot of attention when Elah came out, but I thought that had all died down. Oh well, he had a good year and deserves it. Emile Hirsch still got robbed.

Best Actress:
- Laura Linney: Fine. This was unexpected but a fine choice.
- Cate Blanchett: Fine. This was somewhat expected, but a fine choice, even though I didn't see it. Can you tell I'm excited about the Best Actress race?

Best Supporting Actress:
- Ruby Dee: Not a shock, as a lot of bloggers heard the buzz on this one. My thinking that was if American Gangster was going to get one nomination, it would get six, and I didn't think that was happening. She was great though, sure, give it to her.

Best Director:
- Tony Gilroy: Look, people love George Clooney, and anybody who works with him. A disastrous pick, but not a surprising one.
- Jason Reitman: ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? The Juno lovefest has officially gone way too far. What an insane reality this is.

Other surprises:
+ Surf's Up for Best Animated Film. Wow.
+ Enchanted gets 3 Original Song nominations!? Tragic.
+ Sarah Polley for Best Adapted Screenplay over Into the Wild and Charlie Wilson's War.

I'm thrilled that:
+ Angelina Jolie was not nominated for A Mighty Heart.
+ Julia Roberts was not nominated for Charlie Wilson's War.
+War Dance was nominated for Best Doc, though it has no chance against No End in Sight.

I'm disgusted that:
+ Jason Reitman is an Academy Award-nominated director.
+ I'm not a member of the Academy.

The final conclusion is that I love the Academy Awards, not because they celebrate the best films, but because it's fun to predict which of the best films they will ignore. That's it. That's why we do this.

2008 Oscar Nomination Predictions

It's almost that time - tomorrow at 5:30 AM PST we'll know who is on the way to Oscar glory. We'll be obsessed with them for a month while everything else from last year is forgotten forever. As this is the first year I'm not sending out an inbox-busting email, I have room to predict in every category. But I won't, because I don't have time to write it and you don't have interest to read it.

These predictions are not what I'm hoping will be nominated. I'll be listing my Best of 2007 later this week. I will, however, use an asterisk (*) again to denote whether a nomination is deserved, and a (?) if I haven't seen the film.

Best Picture:

There Will Be Blood*

No Country for Old Men*
Michael Clayton

Juno
Atonement

Threatening: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly*, Into the Wild*, Charlie Wilson's War
Out of Nowhere Possibility: Sweeney Todd, Zodiac

Best Actor:

Daniel Day-Lewis* - There Will Be Blood
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Viggo Mortenson - Eastern Promises
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Tom Hanks - Charlie Wilson's War
Threatening: Denzel Washington, American Gangster; James McAvoy, Atonement
Out of Nowhere Possibility: Frank Langella(?), Starting Out in the Evening; Emile Hirsch*, Into the Wild

Best Actress:

Ellen Page - Juno
Julie Christie (?) - Away From Her
Morion Cotillard (?) - La vie En Rose
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley - Atonement
Threatening: Jodie Foster (?), The Brave One; Cate Blanchett (?), Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Out of Nowhere Possibility: Laura Linney*, The Savages

Best Supporting Actor:

Hal Holbrook* - Into the Wild
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War
Javier Bardem* - No Country for Old Men
Casey Affleck* - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton
Threatening: Paul Dano*, There Will Be Blood; Tommy Lee Jones, No Country for Old Men
Out of Nowhere Possibility: Mark Ruffalo/Robert Downey, Jr., Zodiac; Steve Zahn*, Rescue Dawn

Best Supporting Actress:

Catherine Keener* - Into the Wild
Cate Blanchett* - I'm Not There
Amy Ryan* - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Threatening: Julia Roberts, Charlie Wilson's War; Vanessa Redgrave, Atonement
Out of Nowhere Possibility: Jennifer Garner*, Juno

Best Male Director (Shame!):

Paul Thomas Anderson* - There Will Be Blood
Julian Schnabel* - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Joel and Ethan Coen* - No Country for Old Men
Tim Burton - Sweeney Todd
Sean Penn* - Into the Wild
Threatening: Mike Nichols, Charlie Wilson's War; Joe Wright, Atonement
Out of Nowhere Possibility: Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton; Sidney Lumet, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

That's it. We'll see what I get out of 30 - I predict 23 right, as this is a tougher year than most. I predict Charlie Wilson's War, Michael Clayton, and Juno will each get a surprisingly high number of nominations, while Into the Wild, No Country for Old Men, and Sweeney Todd will receive fewer than expected. There Will Be Blood will receive the most nominations.

The most sure prediction, as always, is that some of the best performances and films of the year will be totally overlooked, which I'll address soon...

UPDATE (Tuesday morning): OK, they were just announced. Mental math says I got 24/30. Eh. Analysis forthcoming...

Good Times in 2007

At the end of every "movie year" (March-Feb), there are always a few that you remember and think, "Actually, that was a pretty good time at the movies." There are also some where you think, "Wow, that was a waste of time," but we won't go there now.

These are the movies that I'm glad I saw in the theater in 2007. They're NOT by any means the best of the year; they're just the ones that I have the fondest memories of going to.




The Host - Part horror flick, part monster B movie, part sci-fi, part heroic fantasy, part slapstick comedy, part family drama - and all fantastic. Sign me up for more of these, please.

Across the Universe - About as close as you can get to going to a Beatles concert, and that ain't happening anytime soon. The great moments in this more than made up for the bad ones, and it was fun to see how many songs you knew. Didn't hurt that it was a visual delight, either.

I'm Not There - Another musical feature, with just enough head-scratching weirdness to keep you on your toes. Phenomenal soundtrack and some really great scenes - I'd love to see "Pressing On" again.

Live Free or Die Hard - Awesome, and really funny.

Hot Fuzz - Despite some nasty deaths, it had two of the best characters and some of the best lines ("Have you ever fired two guns whilst jumping through the air?") of the year. Great fun on a summer evening.

I Am Legend - Tell me you were yawning with boredom when Sam went missing in the dark warehouse. Scariest scene of the year - after any scene with Anton Chigurh (scariest character of the year) from No Country for Old Men.

Bee Movie & Ratatouille - Nothing like seeing dazzling animation on the big screen. Why would you even bother on regular old TV?

Blades of Glory - Went into this expecting an over-the-top, wacky showdown between Will Ferrell and anybody who dared face him. Turned out to be a really funny, over-the-top, wacky showdown between Will Ferrell and several people who dared face him. Probably not as funny the second time around, but oh well.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets - As much fun as the first National Treasure, except I got to enjoy this one in the theater.

2 Days in Paris - Shocker of the year: a romantic comedy that was actually funny - sometimes hilarious, thanks to Adam Goldberg.

Stardust - It was either this or Rush Hour 3 (we were in St. Cloud, in August). I almost had as much fun as it looked like Robert de Niro was having in this fantastical adventure.

There you have it. There were other great outings to the theater, of course, but going to No End in Sight or There Will Be Blood is more of an academic affair than a "fun time."

2007 in Music: The Soundtrack That Wasn't

I'm going to break my own rule here and bring an outside interest into the realm of movies.

When you're listening to music, do you ever imagine how it would perfectly frame a specific scene from a specific movie, even one that only exists in your mind? Sometimes I do. Here are the new songs from 2007 that made me think, "This would have been great in (movie) or a scene where (something) is happening." In other words, here are the best songs (and albums) of 2007.


Song: "Drivin' Me Wild" by Common feat. Lily Allen from Finding Forever
Scene: Opening Credits - Boom! Cue track for studio & production company logo/intros. Cut to black screen with white text, title. At 0:38, wipe left to close-ups of boots in stride, jewelry, back of head, purse, zoom out to young woman strutting through urban streets.
2007 Movie: N/A

Song: "Mango Pickle Down River" by M.I.A. feat. Wilcannia Mob from Kala
Scene: Nerdy friends or posse walking toward the camera in slow motion.
2007 Movie: Superbad, Ocean's Thirteen, Hot Fuzz

Song: "No Cars Go" by Arcade Fire from Neon Bible
Scene: Road trip montage.
2007 Movie: N/A

Song: "Creo" by Ozomatli from Don't Mess With the Dragon
Scene: Latino house party or any nightclub scene, preferably with a group dancing montage.
2007 Movie: Knocked Up

Song: "Malemolência" by CéU from CéU
Scene: Aerial panning of exotic location.
2007 Movie: Manda Bala, The Bourne Ultimatum

Song 1: "Intruder Alert" by Lupe Fiasco feat. Sarah Green from The Cool
Song 2: "The People" by Common from Finding Forever
Scene: Urban ghetto montage, single subject (Song #1) or multiple subjects (Song #2).
2007 Movie: American Gangster (starring Common!), I Am Legend, Southland Tales

Song: "Lesson Learned" by Alicia Keys feat. John Mayer from As I Am
Scene: Depressing end of a relationship.
2007 Movie: Things We Lost in the Fire; Reign Over Me; Gone Baby Gone

Song 1: "Flashing Lights" by Kanye West feat. Dwele from Graduation
Song 2: "Superstar" by Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos from The Cool
Scene: Glamorous nightclub scene in Times Square, Las Vegas, L.A. or South Beach.
2007 Movie: N/A

Song 1: "Me Llaman Calle" by Manu Chao from La Radiolina
Song 2: "Hoy Me Voy" by Juanes from La Vida es un Ratico
Scene: Young teenage boy sets off at sunrise for journey through Latin America, either for opportunity (to the U.S) or soul-searching. Montage of clips riding bus through Mexico City or other urban landscape, coastal road, desert road, etc.
2007 Movie: Into the Wild

Song 1: "Betterman" by Musiq Soulchild from Luvanmusiq
Song 2: "Because of You" by Ne-Yo from Because of You
Song 3: "Someday Soon" by KT Tunstall from Drastic Fantastic
Scene: Subtly sweet montage of young couple experiencing new love or sheepishly making up.
2007 Movie: Lars and the Real Girl; Juno; Into the Wild; 2 Days in Paris; Eagle vs. Shark; Rocket Science

Song 1: "Iron Bars" by Stephen Marley from Mind Control
Song 2: "Inner City" by Arrested Development from Since the Last Time (arguably my favorite album of the year)
Scene: Urban chaos and/or riots.
2007 Movie: Freedom Writers, American Gangster

Song: "We Got Love" by Ryan Shaw from This is Ryan Shaw
Scene: Celebratory party.
2007 Movie: Pride; The Great Debaters; Talk To Me

Song: "Paper Planes" by M.I.A. from Kala
Scene: Closing Credits - Cue music early. Long zoom out from two friends traveling in different directions after finishing some adventure with a witty line. Fade song up to full volume and cut to black at 0:56. This is simply the best closing credits song I've ever heard, topping Van Morrison's "Tupelo Honey."
2007 Movie: N/A


In reality, the best musical scenes in 2007 came from Across the Universe ("I Want You"), Sweeney Todd ("A Little Priest"), I'm Not There ("Pressing On"), and of course...

Song: "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard And Marketa Irglova
Scene: Aspiring Irish songwriter and innocent Czech pianist fall in love during jam session in a Dublin music shop.
2007 Movie: Once

REVIEW: There Will Be Blood (A-)

Background: I haven't seen Hard Eight. I liked Boogie Nights. I loved Magnolia. I've forgotten Punch-Drunk Love. And along comes writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's fifth film, There Will Be Blood, loosely based on Upton Sinclair's "Oil!" and starring the living legend Daniel Day-Lewis (Gangs of New York, The Last of the Mohicans), and Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, Fast Food Nation). It also stars no women. Seriously, I don't remember a spoken line from any female in all 2 hours, 38 minutes. How is that possible? Anyway, There Will Be Blood has already been named Best Picture by the National Society of Film Critics, one of many, many awards it is likely to win by the end of February.

Synopsis: Daniel Plainview (Day-Lewis) is a misanthropic, alcoholic silver miner who strikes oil in early 1900's California. With his shrewd business practices and knack for efficient drilling, he soon becomes one of the foremost "oilmen" in the area. His greatest find actually finds him when Paul Sunday (Dano) tells him there is an ocean of oil under his family's ranch. Plainview and his young son, H.W., immediately stake their claim on the ranch and the surrounding area, but meet strong opposition from Paul's twin brother (?) Eli (Dano), who is the fiery preacher at the Church of the 3rd Revelation. Plainview's oil venture seems to be cursed from the start, as accidents (H.W. loses his hearing) and advantageous visitors (Daniel's "brother" shows up) almost bring him down. Enough damage is done so that years later we see Plainview as a wretched tycoon shooting sculptures in the hallways of his opulent mansion. He cruelly disowns H.W. and has a final, chilling confrontation with his rival Eli Sunday.

I Loved:
+ The first 10-15 minutes, in which there is no dialogue. Impressive and effective in pulling you in.
+ Daniel Day-Lewis, who is once again frightening, and frighteningly good.
+ The restaurant scene where Daniel confronts the Standard Oil group in front of his unassuming son.

I Liked:
+ The production design - amazing details and sweeping shots of the terrain in the Old West. Filming in Texas and New Mexico set the tone here, a la No Country for Old Men.
+ The actors who played H.W. Plainview, both as a child and as an adult.
+ The disturbing ending.

I Disliked:
- Some minor but noticeable similarities between Daniel Plainview and Bill the Butcher from Gangs of New York.
- Paul Dano - he did well acting but I just didn't enjoy the scenes he was in.
- Some dragging in the production, mostly 20-30 minutes after Henry Plainview shows up.
- That I didn't sense any overarching lesson from the movie except the predictable warnings about greed and religious zealotry.
- At times, the way-too-present soundtrack. Here and there it added to the scenes, but when it disappeared in the last half hour I found myself able to get deeper into the movie.

I Hated:
- That the mystery of Paul/Eli Sunday isn't fully clarified. I've seen strong arguments that they are the same person and also that they are twins. Apparently there is more evidence that they are twins, but I think it's a much richer story if Paul is in fact the sinful persona of Eli.

Grade:
Writing - 9
Acting - 10
Production - 8
Emotional Impact - 9
Music - 5
Significance - 4

Total: 45/50= 90% = A-

Last Word: There Will Be Blood is a major departure in almost every aspect from Paul Thomas Anderson's previous films, so don't expect anything similar. Instead, prepare for the dark descent of an opportunistic man into an evil, Howard Hughes-like loner. As I said above, I'm not sure if there are any really deep lessons from the movie - at least maybe not as much as their could have been - but it's still a compelling story that is masterfully told. For me, the sight of oil gushing from the ground was amazing, especially in thinking of just how significant it is to global everything in 2008. I don't even know how that was done - what do you use as fake crude oil? And if it was real, didn't it inflate the budget? In addition to incredible camera work, we also see Daniel Day-Lewis once again dare anyone to out-act him (reference the restaurant scene again). Fortunately no one tries, and the all-male cast is excellent. Will There Will Be Blood turn its late momentum into an Oscar win for Best Picture? I don't think it was the best movie I saw this year, but worse films than this have taken the top prize before.

REVIEW: The Kite Runner (A)

Background: I didn't read the book. Gasp. Go ahead. OK...done? The Kite Runner is the highly-anticipated film adaptation of Khaled Hosseini's novel by the same name, which, if you didn't know, swept America by storm in 2003. Marc Forster (Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland, Stranger than Fiction) directs the screenplay that was adapted by David Benioff (The 25th Hour, Troy). Starring are Khalid Abdalla (United 93 - the best film of 2006) and a host of supporting characters (several from Iran), including three amateur child actors from Afghanistan whose safety was in danger in the months prior to the film's release due to the tribal shame expected from a scene in the movie. This in fact delayed the release of The Kite Runner, which was filmed in China and features authentic dialogue in Dari, a Persian dialect spoken in Afghanistan.

Synopsis: Amir (Abdalla) is the son of a wealthy Pashtun in 1970's Kabul. His best friend, Hassan, is a Hazara boy who works along with his father as a servant for Amir's father. The two boys ignore their tribal and class differences as they develop into the best kite flying duo in Kabul. On the day of their greatest victory, Amir silently witnesses the assault and rape of Hassan by local Pashtun teens. Their friendship immediately frays as Amir is privately racked with guilt and orchestrates the resignation of Hassan and his father as the family servants. As the Soviets invade, Amir flees for California with his father, where they work in the local flea market. Here Amir meets his future wife Sonaya and goes onto to become a successful novelist in the Bay Area, until in 2000 he receives a call from his father's oldest friend in Kabul who is asking him to return and rescue Hassan's son from the the Taliban. Amir reluctantly sets off on the journey that he hopes will atone for the sins that have haunted him for 20 years. Kabul has obviously become a different world, and Amir's only chance for redemption is to learn the local culture and fight his inner demons.

I Loved:
+ The sweeping cinematography and aerial shots of what was supposed to be Kabul and its surrounding mountains.
+ Khalid Abdalla, who carried the movie from the first to the last frame. Hopefully more to come from this talented actor, who reluctantly took the role of a terrorist in United 93.
+ The final scene and powerful, memorable last line. I cried through the credits.
+ The charm and talent of Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada as Hassan.

I Liked:
+ The scene in which Amir reads the letter from Hassan. Starts out schmaltzy, ends up devastatingly heartbreaking.
+ The scene in which Amir and his escort visit the orphanage in Kabul.
+ The supporting performances by Iranian actors Atossa Leoni as Soraya and Homayoun Ershadi as Baba. He'll be overlooked when Supporting Actor nominations are announced January 22nd.

I Disliked:
- The scene in which Amir speaks to Sohrab, which felt a little contrived and/or awkward.
- A little bit of drag here or there, which was the awkwardness that comes when a director can only communicate with the actors through translators.

I Hated:
- The poor special effects of all the fake kites flying around.

Grade:
Writing - 9
Acting - 10
Production - 9
Emotional Impact - 10
Music - 5
Significance - 5

Total: 48/50= 96% = A

Last Word: For those 3 or 4 of us in America who have not read the book, The Kite Runner is likely one of the best films we've seen all year. At least I can say that. It's certainly the best story told on screen in 2007, with The Namesake in second place. It's a visual delight with truly believable acting and moments of real suspense, humor, and drama. The casting was absolutely perfect and the only weakness in the production is the kite flying. Aside from your problems with how it differed from the book, I don't know what else you can criticize about the movie on its own merit, and of course that's what I'm interested in here. Marc Forster has done an admirable job as far as I'm concerned, and were it not for the millions and millions of people holding him accountable to the novel, he would probably be preparing a speech for Oscar night.

REVIEW: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (A)

Background: Painter/Director Julian Schnabel (Basquiat, Before Night Falls) once again uses a true story as his inspiration for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, which was adapted by Ronald Harwood (Love in the Time of Cholera, The Pianist), whose screenplay was fortunately translated to French by Schnabel before filming. The source material was the book by the same name written 10 years ago by Jean-Dominique Bauby - one letter at a time, using only his eyelid. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly was filmed on location in France and stars Mathieu Amalric (Munich), Marie-Josee Croze (Munich), and Max von Sydow (The Exorcist, Rush Hour 3 !?). Apparently Johnny Depp was originally lined up to play Bauby, which would have been outstandingly awful.

Synopsis: Frenchman Jean-Dominique Bauby (Amalric) is a charming man-about-town and the editor of "ELLE" magazine when he suffers a massive stroke at age 43. Consequently, he suffers from "locked-in" syndrome - he can hear, see, and understand everything around him, but he is completely paralyzed and cannot speak. We meet him as he is awakening from the coma and struggle with him as learns how to communicate, blinking one eyelid for a specific letter as the alphabet is recited to him by speech pathologist Henriette Durand (Croze). Almost the entire experience is through Bauby's eyes, so much so that we don't even see his face until halfway through the movie. Eventually he comes to grips with his disability and reconnects with his family and friends. He decides to write a book about his experience in his "diving bell," and develops a loving relationship with his muse and scribe Claude (Anne Consigny), who copies his "dictation." The story has a predictable ending, but it's true life, so what can you expect. It's quite a story, to say the least.

I Loved:
+ The beautiful and artistic cinematography, use of light, use of point-of-view perspective, etc.
+ Mathieu Almaric - wow. Despite not having many traditional speaking scenes, he completely inhabits the character with his non-verbal acting.

I Liked:
+ Marie-Josee Croze. She looks so familiar, but I think it's because she's the doppelganger of Naomi Watts.

I Disliked:
- Not knowing just a little more about Bauby's earlier life.
- The first scenes, only because they were so visually uncomfortable for me.

I Hated:
- "Rien." (I just looked that up, it should mean "nothing" in French.)

Grade:
Writing - 10
Acting - 10
Production - 9
Emotional Impact - 8
Music - 5
Significance - 5

Total: 47/50= 94% = A

Last Word: More than any movie I've seen in recent memory, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly gave me the most intense perspective as to how life is lived with a disability as severe as "locked-in" syndrome. Along with a powerful story, superb acting, subtle comedy, and vivid cinematography, you have an excellent all-around film. It's the kind of movie that so many people should see, but so few probably will. Although I was inspired and moved by the reality of the story, I wasn't really shaken with emotion. Maybe I was visually distracted, I don't know, but knowing me I would have expected to cry quite a bit, and I didn't at all. Most likely I've just seen the "triumph over disability" story before, but I can nevertheless appreciate the importance in that catalog of films. Schnabel has masterfully created a sad yet uplifting, artistic human interest drama, and the final canvas looks beautiful. In a year with weaker competition, this would likely earn a Best Picture nomination.

REVIEW: War Dance (A)

Background: I would be remiss here if I didn't first recognize the work of my friends at Invisible Children in raising awareness of the plight of the Acholi people in Northern Uganda. One of IC's earliest supporters was Okot Jolly Grace, who is currently their country director in Uganda and is also one of the heroes of this film. War Dance was directed and filmed by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine, a married couple with primarily TV documentary experience, including National Geographic specials. They won the Documentary Directing Award at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival for their work on War Dance.

Synopsis: We meet three pre-adolescent children living in the Patongo internally displaced camp in Northern Uganda, victims of the 20+ year bloody war between rebels from the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and Ugandan government troops. Rose had to identify her parents' heads as they were pulled from a boiling pot. Nancy's mother had to bury the chopped pieces of Nancy's father. Dominic was abducted by the LRA and forced to kill innocent members of his own tribe, the Acholi. All three of them are now members of the camp's song and dance troupe that is preparing for the National Music Festival in Kampala. Jolly and her teaching counterpart (I missed his name) train the group in choral, instrumental, and dance performances. Soon enough it's time for the two day journey to Kampala, where we're witness to a Mad Hot Ballroom-like competition between Ugandan primary schools. The Patongo children are the underdogs to say the least, but they end up returning to their camp as the heroes of their generation. And I return to the restroom to mop up the tears spewing from my face.

I Loved:
+ Seeing Rose, Nancy, and Dominic smile.
+ The early rehearsal scenes.
+ The stunning digital cinematography - some of the best you're likely to see in a documentary.
+ The last line, spoken by Dominic.

I Liked:
+ The final dance performance and truly exhilarating award ceremony.
+ The great soundtrack featuring Ugandan musical artists.
+ The discussion between Dominic and the LRA soldier.

I Disliked:
- Some of the awkwardly staged scene recreations. They were jarring and emotionally effective but seemed a little too visually stylish, like when Nancy is brushing her hands through the high grass like Russell Crowe in Gladiator.

I Hated:
- Knowing that few people are likely to see this. (Standing in line) "Learn something about humanity that will better my life? Nah, let's go see Alien vs. Predator - Requiem. Oh, it's sold out? Shoulda known. How 'bout Wild Hogs?"

Grade:
Writing - N/A
Acting - N/A
Production - 9
Emotional Impact - 10!
Music - 5
Significance - 5

Total: 29/30= 97% = A

Last Word: What an inspiring story. It's times like this that I'm extremely grateful to live in a film market with three Landmark Theatres and numerous independent theaters. What do you go see at the theater in Louisville? I shudder to think. Anyway, War Dance is one of the best documentaries - and overall films - of the year, and I highly recommend it. Much of the criticism I've seen of it focuses on its visual style, which I concede above, as the cinematography was occasionally distracting. It almost looks too good, which is probably why people think they were focusing more on the scenery than the story. At the same time, however, the camera shows the beauty of an Africa that few people will ever see, especially those who have only seen Blood Diamond or Tears of the Sun. Visuals aside, there's no getting around the power of this story and the pain and joy you experience in watching Rose, Nancy, Dominic and the others release their unimaginable emotions through song and dance. While packing for the trip to Kampala, Nancy poignantly (and chillingly) says, "I'm excited to see what peace looks like." Quite a different world she and millions of others live in each day. One more thing I want to address is the criticism that the Fines are naive in thinking a trophy will solve all of the Acholi's problems. That's ridiculous. The strongest emotions I felt were not in simply watching the performances, but in thinking about the devastating complexity of the entire situation - not joy that they won something, but anger that they had to win something. Use War Dance as evidence that humans are wicked or that they are angelic, but don't so easily dismiss it as a "pandering" Christian Children's Fund ad. If you think the scenes were scripted and the kids weren't able to say what they did on their own, you're doing them a disservice. Oh, one last note: ThinkFilm is officially still the bomb.