The Oscars 2013 

There’s a outward part of me that agrees with the general movie fan rhetoric that the Oscars don’t matter and at best they’re just an excuse to have an evening of drinks and ridicule and that’s all good. But there is an inner part of me that is a little reluctant to admit that it’s glad that the Oscars exist. The awards season is something to look forward to and then be disappointed by. From the nominations through to the night itself (that I have only stayed up to watch twice in my whole life), I take pleasure in the excuse that the Oscars give to talk films in the cold drab winter months. Unlike the US where January is seen as the land of the dead when it comes good film release, because the UK is a little behind, I relish having an excuse to go to the cinema to watch all these ‘prestige’ films, some that I will thoroughly enjoy and appreciate the praise they get (Amour) and some I find inexplicable (Les Miserables) but it’s all part of the game and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

The last few years however, I don’t know if it’s old age or just plain old cynicism, I have lost much of my interest in Oscars and I was not in the least surprised by the controversy over  the last couple of years over Academy snubs being the result of an ageing, homogenized academy voting only for films and people they like over general consensus over what makes a good film. My reaction has always simply been, hasn’t it always been this way? I mean isn’t the Oscars essentially  a glamourous back patting ceremony for the filmmaking elite? Isn’t it really their answer to the Eurovision Song Contest? Aren’t we all secretly excited to be invited to watch what often becomes an awkward four hour endurance test? I know I am! I’m desperate to feel included you see, so much so that during the Oscars I go through what tantamount to masochistic behaviour that I really think I should see a therapist about. I mean here’s is the rundown of the emotions I go through while watching the highlights of the Oscars (as I said before, watching the whole thing twice in my life is enough for a lifetime):

During the red carpet – anticipation quickly dissipates into boredom. I like dresses as much as the next girl but not to watch skinny people flash and pose for what seems like an eternity, while some plastic looking plastics cuss from from the green room. I endure this for ten minutes then I let the skipping of bits commence.

Inevitable opening musical number- Despite how energetic the presenters, and even though I suspect the opening number is probably shorter than that of a normal radio edit single, I still feel like they’ve been singing and dancing for far too long. I do however, take the time to appreciate the acting greatness in the room. Look at the fake smiles plastered on their faces! For four hours! They’re just so happy to be there! Meanwhile, I comfort my boredom with wine. Wine is good.

The ‘comedy’ bits dispersed throughout the awards giving – Just no. I take the opportunity to read the the blurb on my wine bottle. It’s more interesting.

The ‘other’ awards – I’m ashamed that I skip through these because these are the awards for the unknown who genuinely are happy to be there. It’s for the best really. I want to save my contempt for the more deserving.

The run up to the big awards with the mini explanation of how/why this/they are the best blah blah blah – it   really is blah blah blah. To the point I start to slightly hate the film and the players I’m rooting for just a little. Except for Viola Davis. Never Viola Davis. She’s the best but that’s for another day. Oh and Peter Dinklage. They should be king and queen of the world. Julie Andrews can be Queen Mother. Anyway…

The actor awards – I like to watch these because they can vary in quality. So in anticipation I always have my finger hovering over the fast forward button and wait to either press away with glee or be pleasantly surprised. Sandra Bullock is always a good receiver of awards. Her role or film might not be deserving (no one mention The Blindside) but her speeches are guaranteed to be funny, genuine and concise. Meryl Streep also has it down. But then again she’s had enough practice. Others, or more precisely most are the opposite. We don’t want to see noses running, blubbering nonsense. You’re getting an award for acting. You’ve finished the film you’re being awarded for! This is not the extended alternative ending. You can stop acting now.

I know people will say, that some of these actors, this is the highlight of their career, something they’ve been striving for for years and they’re just overwhelmed. Others might say that that’s all well and good but it’s still just a statuette. Other people get awards for the good jobs they do and I’ve never seen them cry and spit over the mike. I would be much more sympathetic if they’re crying because they have to make the long way to the stage without tripping and breaking their necks in their stilettos or circulation-reducing tuxedos and damaging their rented gowns to give a live speech to to a room filled with their so-called ‘comrades’ and millions worldwide. All the while being dehydrated and hungry because no one drinks or eats during these things and you’ve been clapping and fake smiling for four hours now.

Actually that sounds pretty nightmarish, maybe those are tears of relief  because the end is finally near and they’re being rewarded for sticking it out. I retract my contempt. I feel their pain. The thought of doing all this while sober is something to cry about. I know I would. Except for Meryl Streep. She’s got nothing to prove. She’s there for the free gifts and after party. She’s the Don of the Oscars.

The end of the ceremony – I don’t really know how the Oscars end because my wine is usually finished so there’s no point in going on. When I’m watching with others, we’ve usually descended into tipsy anarchy and/or sleep.

Regardless I enjoy the speculation in the run up to the Oscars and opinions after. So without further ado, here are my thoughts on the nominees for the following awards. (Please note, I will be giving longer reviews of some of the films as I recently saw them before I decided to do this feature):

Best Picture:

Amour – My favorite of London Film Festival (LFF) and my favorite here. I have a disctint love/hate relationhip with Hanake. For every Amour there is a Funny Games. However, this and White Ribbon are the kinds of work that will always keep me coming back. A fully deserved nomination that must have also touched the Academy as I’ve been told that this is the first foreign language film to be nominated in the Best Picture category and Best Foreign Language film category for the last twelve years. I believe  (an aspect of the category system that still justifiably causes contention) Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was the last back in 2000. I’m just very glad to see this getting recognition.

Argo – I saw this at a press screening for LFF and although I enjoyed it as thriller and think Affleck is coming into his own as a director, bringing out some solid features over the last few years. I think this particular film is doing so well because it ticks all the Americans as patriots checklist points at a detriment to the real story. The sheer black and white storytelling method put me off the film as a consequence so far as that the more I thought about later the less I liked the film and thought it to be manipulative fair that plays to the average American who doesn’t know too much about the CIA and politics in the 70s. So in a sense this is perfect award fare. Also kudos to Affleck for making a solid thriller  and who I think is genuinely affected by the accolades and recognition he’s getting. He’s finally able to kill the joke that Matt Damon was the brains behind the partnership in their Good Will Hunting smash and that he’s been riding on his shirt tails ever since. I just don’t think it will win.

Beasts of the Southern Wild – Fantastic recognition being given for a first time feature. This was also well received at LFF and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although I do think that most of that was down to the phenomenal performance of Quvenzhane Wallis, also a first time for her and the youngest nominee in the Leading Actress Category.

Django Unchained – You’ve read my overly long review so I’ll say no more about it.

Life of Pi – This is a visually beautiful film and I actually appreciated the emotion punch of the last 20 minutes more than the previous hour or so. It was a joy to watch a film headed by fresh faces from Indian cinema (fresh faces to me anyway) with a few recognisable cameos from the likes of Gerard Depardieu and Rafe Spall and I think again a very good first-time performance from Suraj Sharma.

Lincoln – My opinions are as yet N/A

Silver Linings Playbook – This was surprisingly a good film with good performances from Bradley Cooper and the ever reliable Jennifer Lawrence, but it’s still a little inexplicable to me why it’s getting such fanfare from the awards system. Are they trying to appeal to the younger demographic who would watch this. Its a good film, but it kinds of goes all over the place in the penultimate scenes and later third saved only by the performances. If the academy is looking to say that “Hey we watch independent films like yourself! We cool!!” well, there are far better independent quirky films out there.

Oh I just read that its by the Weinstein Company. That says it all.

Zero Dark Thirty – The last film that I saw and I will be putting up a review later.

Suffice to say Amour still for the win! Although I have an inkling patriotism might win out and Lincoln will clinch it.

Best Actor:

Joaquin Phoenix/The Master – Yes. I did a complete 180 after watching this. I had actively begun to really dislike Phoenix after I’m Still Here. I very much considered doing a sequel, I Really Wish You Weren’t. I’m now going to recall it I’m Glad You Never Left. 

Denzel Washington/Flight – I have a little bit of a thing in that apart from select roles I don’t really rate Denzel Washington that much. I mean I think he’s good but often overrated. I haven’t seen Flight and I’m hearing that his performance saves the film but watching the trailer and as a colleague commented the upside down plane (!) I’m being swayed by the review consensus that recent film Smashed (which I saw a few weeks ago) is a much better story at addressing  the subject of alcoholism. I suspect Flight suffers drastically from Hollywood cliche syndrome which is ok some of the time but not enough for me to run out and rush out to see…but saying all that I will probably see it at some point. However, the general consensus is that Washington puts in a fantastic performance worthy of an award, but I’m hoping not this time round. Soz Wash!

Hugh Jackman/Les Miserables – Hugh Jackman has always been a bit of a conundrum to me. He’s always enthusiastic and obviously has some talent and he seems like a nice guy. But…he’s so…bland to me. I almost immediately forget his presence in a film as soon as he lives the scene. Although I hated Les Miserables, he was by far not the worst part of it. He gave a solid performance if I remember correctly. And its sweet that he’s been recognised and I’m fully aware of how condescending this all sounds but that’s all the feelings I can muster for Jackman.

Bradley Cooper/Silver Linings Playbook – I feel the same way about Cooper as I do Jackman but with added cynicism. I found past performances by Cooper quite boring, the ultimate being Limitless but I was pleasantly surprised here. Boy did well! But not as well as Phoenix.

Daniel Day-Lewis/Lincoln – Although I haven’t seen the film, it’s probably smart to assume that he’s the forerunner for the award. Although I want it to go to Phoenix I suspect it might please the Academy for the award to go to Lewis.

Best Actress in a Leading Role:

Jessica Chastain/Zero Dark Thirty – adds gravitas and dimension to a relatively one dimensional role. Very good but doubtful for the win.

Jennifer Lawrence/Silver Linings Playbook – At the tender age of 22 Lawrence has become the youngest Oscar Nominee to be nominated twice. She is very good here and her and Cooper’s performances save the last half of the film. However, I don’t think she will win. The role and film just isn’t comparable to…

Emmanuelle Riva/Amour – That woman broke my heart in that film. I sincerely hope she wins. She has also broken other things (this has turned out to be a record breaking all over the place academy season), Riva is the oldest ever nominee for Best Actress award at the young age of 88. She however has strong competition from….

Quvenzhane Wallis/Beasts of the Southern Wild – Gave a fantastic turn as a young, independent survivor of desperate poverty. Her performance is all the more remarkable as this is her first film at NINE YEARS OLD. The film was good and is elevated through her performance alone. She is great competition and I think the only real contender to Riva who is 79 years her senior.

Naomi Watts/The Impossible – I had a discussion with a friend about our different reasons for not wanting to see this film, her’s was way more personal and understandable. Mine are based on taking stands and nonsense like that. The trailer succeeded in putting me off months before its release. It looked to me to be a manipulative tear-jerker based on actual horrendous real life events. I could be wrong and I hope I am but I don’t care for this film, so much so I may never find out. I know here are plenty of films out there and that’s where the stories that make many great films come from but what was more galling for me was the fact that the story is based on a Spanish family experience of the Tsunami, so why not cast a Spanish family? I know people will say oh its Hollywood and they need the big names. Well that infuriates me even more that we as an audience are so accepting of Hollywood bias and manipulation when it comes to making these kinds of films and I keep hearing people say well as filmmaker we’d all like to as authentic in our casting but we can’t because at the end of the day we need to make money. Well I think films like Amour, Beasts and Life of Pi might encourage the American filmmaking society to think otherwise. That’s all another debate for another day.

I don’t think Naomi Watts who is a very good actress (Mulholland Drive anyone?) will win. I think it’s between our youngest and oldest nominees Quvenzhane Wallis and Emmanuelle Riva. I’d like to see Riva get it and I think she very well might but I wouldn’t be surprised or upset if Wallis wins. She was fantastic and has a fantastic career ahead of her if she so chooses.

Best  Supporting Actor: 

Alan Arkin/Argo – Is basically Alan Arkin in every movie. He might be funny but I never knew being yourself gets you acting nods. Apparently he, Robert Downey Jnr and Helena Bonham Carter all know something I don’t.

Robert De Niro/ Silver Linings Playbook – He’s actually playing a part that’s not Robert De Niro of the last ten years. Give him the award!

Phillip Seymour Hoffman/ The Master – He’s good. Very good but at the same time I don’t know if it’s enough compared to the competition that comes from below…

Christophe Waltz/Django Unchained – Yes! I would very much like him to win but rarely does the Academy listen to my wise words. It may go to….

Tommy Lee Jones/ Lincoln – once again, haven’t seen it so can’t comment. All I can say is that I don’t want it to win even though I haven’t seen it because I want Waltz to win. I’m petty like that.

This one I know who I want to win but I have my suspicions that it’ll be between acting veterans De Niro and Jones. FYI, all of these people have been nominated before…tis a weird Oscars.

Best Supporting Actress:

Amy Adams/The Master – Aside from Joaquin Pheonix, Adams was the next best thing about the Master.

Sally Field/Lincoln – I expect she cried a lot in the film.

Anne Hathaway/Les Miserables – She did a ‘Fields’ as I like to call it. She cried the shit out of her role. In all seriousness, she gave one of the best performances in the film and was practically the sole highlight. Loved her rendition of “I Dreamed A Dream”. Those damn Bambi eyes!

Helen Hunt/The Sessions – This is another film I need to write up the review for. To be honest, I’m surprised Hunt was nominated and John Hawkes wasn’t. He was excellent as Mark O’Brien, a poet paralyzed due to childhood Polio. Hunt was ok. I actually thought some of her scenes were a little wooden or forced and I’m getting the sense that she’s being rewarded for spending a large amount of time in the film naked. It’s almost as if the Academy and American censorship (which has a Puritanical and often warped view of female sexuality) wants to let everyone know through this nomination that they’ve repented from their sexist and misogynistic views from a few years back when they quite unreasonable freaked out at the oral sex scene in Blue Valentine and tried to slap an NC-17 rating. Regardless, I’m both happy and a little confused for Helen Hunt.

Jacki Weaver/Silver Linings Playbook – I’m going to be honest here. I had to look her up to see which character she played in Silver Linings. I think that speaks for itself.

Amy Adams for the win. But I won’t be too sad if Bambi eyes win.

Honorary mentions:
I hope Searching For Sugar Man gets some recognition in the Documentary category. I loved that film and love the man.
I would also love to see a double win for Amour in Best Foreign Language Film. That would be great. Might make up for the Best Actor snub for Jean-Louis Trintignaut who fantastically played the doting husband trying to deal with the devastation his wife’s dementia is causing them both.

No nomination for either leads of Rust and Bone, Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenarts?? I know the film wasn’t what I expected but the performances were sublime. I think a Eurovision Contest type ruling might have played a part. What with Amour dominating and newbies like Quvenzhane Wallis making their mark, any more ‘outsiders’ and this becomes the Independent Spirit Awards or something! Or it could be that the run up to the Oscars is like running a presidental campaign and one needs money, connections, gravitas and more money to pull off either successfully.

Also very surprised to see no mention of The Hunt, one of the best films I saw in 2012. Here’s hoping its because it hasn’t been released in the US yet and it’ll be getting the accolades in 2014.

So those are my thoughts. I will be revisiting and commenting after the ceremony to see just how wrong I was about it all and how bitter  I am not about being wrong about it all. Please tune in then!

Happy Awards Season Hating.