This will be a long post, so if you don’t really care about movies and/or the oscars it’s probably worth skipping… but here goes: A list of all the films we saw while in vacation, in order of favorite, complete with mini review and oscar thoughts. At the bottom I’m also listing a few of this year’s oscar categories and my predictions, along with personal picks.

Blythe, I’ve been trying to fill out your oscar form, but so far no luck… seems the site’s down. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to before the show (which, sadly, I won’t be able to see… sniff). And Jeanni… you should netflix Little Children, I bet you’d love it.

Babel- Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu can do no wrong. Seriously. This film was excellent, just excellent. As in 21 Grams the time sequence hops around, which shows Inarritu trusts his audience to hang in and think things out. Also, as in all his films, the storylines intersect in dramatic & tragic ways. Some of Brad Pitt’s best work, and Cate Blanchett is spot-on perfect as always. One of the best things, I think, about Inarritu’s work is that it sticks with you long after the film is over. That, and the unique approach to imagery. Chieko’s visit to the Tokyo nightclub is a perfect example of this… we see the movement, see the people, but only hear what she hears- which is nothing. It’s jarring… and exactly as Inarritu intended. My favorite of 2006 so far.

Little Children- A difficult film to watch, but very much worth it. First off, Kate Winslet just doesn’t make a bad movie and this is no exception. She plays a distant mother, a trapped wife and a drowning soul… and she does it so well that it was physically uncomfortable for me to watch her at times (especially the scenes with her on-screen daughter). Above all else this is a sad film, but extremely funny in a dark way and… I don’t know, it just touches a cord I would think in many people. The narrative running though it is superb, with several stories running in tandem you’re left speculating right up till the end how all of their lives will intersect… and overall I liked the ending, there are a few things I would change, but it didn’t leave me shaking my head the way The Departed did. Just a really great film, although I can see how it isn’t for everyone… but for me it was almost perfect. Very few (if any) complaints or criticisms. I’d love to see Kate win the best actress oscar for this one, but from what I’ve read Helen Mirren’s got it in the bag.

The Departed- Good, good movie. It was actually really tough for me deciding if I liked this one or Little Children best, let’s just say it’s a tie. First off, Leonardo DiCaprio is an amazing actor… too bad that the titanic caused lots of people (ok, me) not to take him seriously. Excellent work by Scorsese, too. There was only scene (unfortunately leading to closing credits) that I thought was extremely smarmy and out of character with the rest of the film. If he (Sorcese) doesn’t finally win an oscar this year, then something’s very wrong. I also thought Mark Wahlberg was deserving of the best supporting actor nod even though the dude from Little Miss Sunshine will probably win. The ironic part is that Jack Nicholson didn’t really stand out. Don’t get me wrong, he was good, but this was Leo’s film and, to a lesser extent, Matt Damon’s. Having said that, Nicholson managed to fit in some nice one liners and prove he’s still got it at 70 (wow, Nicholson will be 70 this year…). And Damon was excellent as well… in fact, I really have nothing bad to say about the film… except for the cheesy imagery in the final shot… I really, REALLY wish they’d left that out. Then it would have been a marvel.

Jesus Camp- How frightening, it’s like an indoctrination. And what is the point of making little children “pray in tongues”… essentially meaning pretended they’re in some sort of rapturous trance while babbling like idiots and flopping around on the floor “feeling the lord”? These kids aren’t capable of reasoning through religion, it’s a complex decision that a 5-15 year old is incapable of grasping. And anyone praising the work George Bush is doing… still… at this point… needs to have their head examined. I was actually shocked at the venomous reaction I had to this documentary… I honestly believe if the Jesus Camp crew came near my daughters I would become violent. This is brainwashing, nothing more… brainwashing of little innocent children. Having said all of this… god damn, great documentary. Anything that evokes such a strong reaction is a good, good thing. Oh, and I really wish all the people in the documentary insisting global warming isn’t really happening would watch An Inconvenient Truth. Final thoughts- the documentary makers did a great job of being impartial, something I could never have done, but I can almost guarantee it will elicit a strong response from you (on way or the other) when you see it… which makes it a must-see in my book.

And condemning Harry Potter to death… hahaha.

Little Miss Sunshine- About 2/3 of the film was pretty good, the other 1/3 super bad… which, overall, makes it better than ok, but just barely. First off, kudos to Greg Kinnear for managing to pull off making a completely unlikable character still likable. I’d read rave reviews about the grandfather going in, and I did find him funny, but overall I felt his part was small and more of a parody than a flesh & blood thought-out character. Ditto for the teenage brother. On the whole parts of LMS were funny, parts were touching and parts were waaay over the top. Loved Olive’s talent act though… it rates way up there. In the end… good enough to own, but in my mind not really oscar worthy.

An Inconvenient Truth- First off, how much better would the shape of the united states be if Al Gore hadn’t been robbed of his presidency? And what a great, dynamic speaker he is… I can see why his lectures & speaking engagements command so much money. As for the film, when Al Gore says it’s a moral imperative to stop destroying the planet… to actively change the things you do and the way you think… I can’t help but believe him. Not because he’s a figure of authority, but because his facts unequivocally back his words. We’re destroying this planet… not just with emissions and waste and all-to-low standards, but with apathy. I’m happy to say I’m a lot greener today than I was 13 months ago… not due to active choice, but by changing my environment and living in a country where it’s a way of life. Still, it’s a start. Great documentary… Go Al.

The Queen- Hmmm, best picture nomination? Not so sure. It was good, and Helen Mirren did a great job as Her Majesty, but I was under-whelmed by the film as a whole. Maybe it’s just because I’ve never really cared about Diana’s antics or the exploits of the royal family. It did succeed, though, in making me empathize with the royal family a bit over Diana’s death & the subsequent handling of her funeral… and who knows, maybe that was all the director set out to do? I guess I never realized how much crow the queen ate during those days leading up to Diana’s funeral. I’d say it was an ok way to spend two hours or so, but I wouldn’t recommend buying it.

Borat- At first blush just another frat boy comedy. Under the surface, though, is the confirmation that people are either (a) lemmings- who will go along with anything when it’s presented in a jovial way… such as an entire rodeo audience cheering when ‘Borat’ says “I hope George Bush kills & drinks the blood of every man, woman & child in Iraq”, or (b) prejudiced, inbred idiots like the drunken frat boys who picked a hitchhiking Borat up and then proceed to trash women, minorities & pretty much anyone else who wasn’t a drunken frat boy. Please, if there really is a god, please do not let these idiots reproduce. In the end I’d have to say that Sacha Baron Cohen seems to aspire to be more than just a shock jock (although the nudeathon in the hotel begs to differ), there’s a social conscience deep, deep down…

~

Now, for tonight’s Oscars and keeping in mind I suck at predictions:

Best Picture:
Babel
The Departed
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen

Babel is my pick for Best Picture… both as a prediction & a personal favorite.

Directing:
Paul Greengrass for United 93
Clint Eastwood for Letters from Iwo Jima
Martin Scorsese for The Departed
Stephen Frears for The Queen
Alejandro González Iñárritu for Babel

I think this is Scorsese’s year. Also (due to his body of work) I’d give it to him on a personal level as well.

Actor In A Leading Role:
Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond
Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson
Peter O’Toole in Venus
Will Smith in The Pursuit Of Happyness
Forest Whitaker in The Last King Of Scotland

I’m flying blind here as I’ve seen none of the Best Actor films… but I’m going with gut instinct & saying Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland.

Actress In A Leading Role:
Helen Mirren in The Queen
Kate Winslet in Little Children
Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal
Penélope Cruz in Volver
Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada

Of the films I’ve seen I’d like to see Kate Winslet win for Little Children (she was absolutely great) but I predict Helen Mirren will win this year.

Actor In A Supporting Role:
Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine
Jackie Earle Haley in Little Children
Djimon Hounsou in Blood Diamond
Eddie Murphy in Dreamgirls
Mark Wahlberg in The Departed

I think it’ll go to Alan Arkin, but I’d like to see Jackie Earle Haley take it. His role as a sexual predator was difficult to watch (and, I’m sure, to portray) but he did it extremely well.

Actress In A Supporting Role:
Adriana Barraza in Babel
Cate Blanchett in Notes On A Scandal
Abigail Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine
Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls
Rinko Kikuchi in Babel

I really loved Rinko Kikuchi in Babel, but I’m thinking Little Miss Sunshine’s Abigail Breslin will take it (even though lots of people are saying it’ll be Jennifer Hudson).

Documentary Feature:
Deliver Us From Evil
An Inconvenient Truth
Iraq In Fragments
Jesus Camp
My Country, My Country

I think Jesus Camp should win hands down, but I’m guessing Al Gore & An Inconvenient Truth will take it.

Animated Feature Film:
Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House

Monster House is my favorite, but I think Cars will win.

Best Foreign Language Film:
After The Wedding — Denmark
Days Of Glory — Algeria
The Lives Of Others — Germany
Pan’s Labyrinth
Water — Canada

I’m at a disadvantage as I haven’t seen any of the foreign language films, but I’m going with The Lives Of Others and not just because it’s out of germany… I hear it’s great.

Post-Oscar thoughts:
> Damn, Jennifer Hudson actually won.
>How ironic that Dreamgirls had three out of five songs nominated, yet still didn’t win? And why didn’t I see it coming (I guessed Listen would win..)
>Hurray for Scorsese! It’s about time…
>Loved Cate & Kate’s dresses- by far my favorites this year.
>Overall for my Oscar predictions I got more right (13) than wrong (11), not too shabby.

On this day..

• 2,361.52 reasons to be pissed. - 2008
• Back, happy, tired. - 2007
• byok - 2006