snoozing through award season

Typically, I'm a total sucker for award season. I love nothing more than to attempt to guess winners based on the judging community and public hype. The thrill of the perfect guess, catered specifically to the award and cultural atmosphere is what gets me through the grey and wet Seattle winter. But this year, despite Oscar's wider pool of applicants, I'm pretty bored by the whole thing. I would argue that we haven't seen a season more predicable since Peter Jackson's epic (and rightfully won) sweep of the winter 2003 string of awards. However, unlike Return of the King's trilogy build up and scale of cinematic grandeur, we've been handed mediocre epic spectacle and a handful of film that possess individually appealing qualities.

We've got an actor here or there who did a pretty good job (i.e. Invictus, Precious and Crazy Heart). A handful of well written adaptations (i.e. Up in the Air, An Education). And a single film that seems to warrant the merit of the film community: The Hurt Locker. Frankly, this film has been taking up nearly every major award its been nominated for (save for the Golden Globes and their obsession with box office numbers), and rightfully so. But does it make for an entertaining season? No. Snooze. But honestly, I would rather The Hurt Locker snatch up every effing award it's nominated for, than allow Avatar to steal any other non-technical category. So as much as I'm pretty apathetic about this batch of films, I'll take what I can get. As long as Avatar fails, award season is a win.

But please, Oscar's, when you announce the nominees this coming Tuesday, spice it up a bit. Throw me some shocking results. Just get the ball rolling.

The Golden (dollar) Globes

Thanks, Golden Globes, for reminding me which films made the most money this year.

Sometimes, just for a second, I forget that awards can mean money over merit. But thanks, Hollywood Foreign Press, for reminding me to have no faith in the American film industry. In a world where Avatar can take home the best picture for pure box office gross makes me sick. Just when I think that hope can be restored in Hollywood, we see award season begin with a disgusting nod to the most gratuitous and overly spectacular movies of the year. This was nothing but numbers dominating talent. I'm not sure I want to be a part of a community where true films like Bigelow's The Hurt Locker fall because it didn't make a billion dollars in a matter of weeks. Awards are for recognizing cinematic talent, not for how much James Cameron can whip out his dick and wave it around in 3D.

fuck you, James Cameron.

and award season is off

So tonight "officially" began award season and the "countdown to the Oscars" (as VH1's lack luster red carpet hosts reminded as every interviewee was subject to the same moronic statement). And I seriously hope that the Critic's Choice Awards were not an indication of how this season is going to turn out. Honestly, I've been reading, speculating, watching and blogging to try and find my picks of the year and predict the outcomes of the award shows to come, but I was not expecting the crap they threw at me tonight.

I should have known, as Quintin Tarantino's ugly face popped up on my TV screen, that it was going to be a rough night. Even the usually charming Kristin Chenoweth fell flat with poor puns and lack luster musical numbers. And then it started to hit me that Inglorious Basterds was going to be the fan favorite of the night. As the camera continued to cut back to the cast and egotistical Tarantino, I watched as the poor excuse for a good "movie" eat up the publicity, nominations and occasionally awards. Now, don't get me wrong, Christoph Waltz's performance was rightly rewarded tonight, but other than that, it deserved nothing. Not even a nomination. I mean really? Best Original Screenplay? REALLY? I would put the film at the top of my "needs editing" list of the year. Basterd's screamed of self-indulgent writing, basking in superfluous dialogue and a painful run time.

But other than the atrocious number of awards and attention that Basterds received tonight (don't even get me started on that Best Ensemble award) was the disgusting fact that they had broken down into genre categories. "Best Action Movie" and "Best Comedy" made me sick. I mean, what is this, the MTV Movie Awards? Might as well be with the choice of network to air on. I guess I'm just baffled by the voting pool from which these votes are drawn from. Yes, I can see such genre convention coming from MTV, the People's Choice, etc., but the critics? So much about award season is built on the commercial nature of Hollywood and the circular system to award specific films, but I'd at least have thought that the toughest critics could be a little more selective. I mean if the critics can't be then who can? For once a scrupulous audience has the chance to showcase talent, but has instead reinforced the ever-present dominance of Hollywood and genre convention. The Oscars may be picked by the Hollywood community, producers, actors and industry people alike, but the power of journalism suggest stepping beyond. And I would argue that the Critic's Choice has rather taken steps back from the Oscars and has moved into a realm of popular consumerism.

"I see you"

I'll admit it. I just saw Avatar. And I will be the first to call myself culturally illiterate. So I obviously didn't fall into the hype of the film, or even muster enough energy to make it to the theater in those first few weeks. But i did manage to make it there finally, by the fourth week of sold out shows. By this point, I was of course, itching in my skin to see this film that had become a source of cultural bonding. Everyone and their mother had seen and loved this movie and I had yet to see it. Soon, nearly all my viewing companions had run out and I began to panic. Avatar was quickly becoming the major reference point for contemporary pop culture.

So I did it, I bit the bullet, shelled out nearly twenty bucks to do it properly (IMAX 3D) and sat through the three hour run time and tedious and inevitable line forming outside theaters across the nation. Now, to preface my final thoughts on the film I'd like to point out the curious nature of this Blockbuster Blow Out. The thing about Avatar that baffled me before my initial viewing was the homogeneous response to the film; everyone enjoys it. Now, being a pessimistic film student, this response immediately made me put my guards up. It's just not that easy to please a crowd this diverse. I mean, all of America? Really, James Cameron? This not only peeved me but put me on the defensive; i was determined to find fault.

So about two hours into the mother-fucker, I realized that my list of faults was highlighted by the typical slew of eye rolls and cringes at horrible dialogue and that I could probably go on and on about the problems with this bombastic spectacle, masking itself as cinema. But then I thought to myself that the biggest problem was that I was sitting there, thinking and watching the film and ultimately coming to a conclusion of apathy. I just didn't really give a shit by the time the nearly three hour run time ran out. Sure, it was beautifully computer generated, created an animated piece ripping its script from the pages of Disney's Pocahontas. But who cares? I guess the thing is, I can't generate enough emotion for this film to actually try to argue with people about why it was bad. I mean, sitting there, with my 3D goggles irritating the bridge of my nose, Avatar managed to wow me with economically backed visual spectacle, bore me to pieces as the inevitable and slow-mo'ed war ensued, and make me gag as alien love with sync human sound played out the love of two entirely fabricated and simply unbelievable beings. I get that I was supposed to be sucked in, and I'm sure most were, but nothing about the movie made me want to escape, so much about it just pointed towards typical Hollywood.

Maybe I'm just mad at the film for not even really generating hatred. I happened, and that's about all I can say other than, fuck you, Cameron for making me sit through it and creating an impossible film to argue to the masses about. But at the same time, whatever, it was lavish, bombastic and incredibly self-indulgent. Continue to feed your ego, Cameron, as long as you stay away for another decade.

Hits and Misses of 2009

Thought I've failed to make it through the mess of holiday films that have been thrust at us in the past few weeks, I'm still drawing the year to a close with a list of the best and worst films of 2009. The following films reflect a year of surprise, disappointment, expectation, marketing, form, content, art, commerce, excess, restraint, laughter, and a little joy.

Top 5 of 2009

1. Fantastic Mr. Fox

Cuss yeah this is my pick of the year! In a world where technology promises to continue to increase at an impressively rapid pace, Wes Anderson's carefully crafted work of art is a breath of fresh air. Forget Avatar, this film reminds us of the beauty of human craftsmanship, wry wit and power of details. Anderson transports us to a world in parallel to ours; utterly magical, playful and cinematic. You see the labor, love and craftsmanship in every image. It becomes film comprised of odd moments and disjointed puppet movement, brought together through pure childlike joy with just enough dry humor to keep generations entertained. This film is undoubtably Anderson's most successful and magical film. He has not only restored my faith in his filmmaking, but has reminded me of what animation can be in our Pixar-dominated world. Bravo, Wes.

2. Paranormal Activity

Sorry, I can't resist an independent film underdog story. I saw this film in one of the unpublicized thirteen screenings across the nation this last September. From that moment I fell in love. Sure, maybe I was swayed by the perfectly timed midnight screening and buttered up by free movie popcorn and soda, but this film was perfect in its simplicity. When it went head to head Saw VI and won, I was filled with joy. This film began as nothing, and by the power of our public, it was brought to the world. We can control this industry and Paranormal proves it. And yes, the film did scare the shit out of me, but that's not the point. In my jaded film studies world, this online movement gives me a glimmer of faith in our Hollywood-controlled audiences. We can demand the independent, the underdog and the low budget, and the internet just may be the answer.

3. (500) Days of Summer

Okay, I know. This film is just about the girliest, silliest most irresistibly engrossing things to hit the summer screens. But I'd like to argue for the artistic merit of the movie. I will admit, I was drawn in by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel's indi quirky chemistry and catchy soundtrack, but upon viewing the film, I was ultimately most creatively inspired by the post-modern romantic screenplay. Though it escalated to become 2009's Garden State with a strong serge from its film festival beginnings, Marc Webb's music video vibe and manages to play with the broken to story line to create a sweet visual realization of reality versus expectation. It may have gone mainstream but at least we were given a fresh version of the (anti)romantic comedy; cool, creative and fun.

4. District 9

I will say this was probably my most anticipated film of the year. The perfectly crafted trailer showed a new, gritty image of the action film. However, this marketing genius only set itself up for disappointment. So, while District 9 does win best trailer of the year, it didn't quite measure up (if it had, without a doubt it would take my number one spot). Neil Blomkamp's film begins with the nearly perfect composition of documentary, security camera and interview footage to compose an entirely believable world. Though this film fell short as it paid homage to it's Halo beginnings, the beginning's wit and artistry was enough to land it a spot. If anything, it was a beautiful introduction to my future relationship with Blomkamp. I'm looking forward to the future.

5. The Hangover

Funny, huh? But yes, it made it on my list. This may be due entirely to my surprise at the sheer genius of the ultimately stupid film. I walked in thinking it would be another grotesque, crude male bro film, but it wasn't. Composed of the simplest of concepts, The Hangover builds a shit show of chaos all bound by a cast of perfect chemistry. Sure, there were stupid moments, potty humor and useless nudity, but for once I kept laughing with them. The humor is ultimately relatable, subtle, quotable, and resonant. We hear the songs, quote the lines and all lose ourselves in the ridiculous escape of this movie. Can't help but keep laughin'.

Worst 5 of 2009

1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Fuck Michael Bay and his fucking movies. It never ended, it visually assaulted me for nearly three hours and ultimately embodies all I hate about Hollywood. If these films didn't exist, we'd all be better off.

2. New Moon

Nothin to say other than: "Bella, you're bleeding." I can't watch these bad actors any more.

3. Post Grad

How does this shit get made?

4. The Time Travelers Wife

This two hour sap fest never failed to make me want to puke. All I saw was crying, patchy story lines and "destiny." vomit.

5. Nine

I think Fedrico Fellini is rolling in his grave. The lyrics were bad, the film lacked composition, and ultimately portrayed a horribly insulting image of women.

I could keep going with this list but I'll spare you.

Biggest Disappointments of 2009:

To name of few: Julie and Julia, Bruno, The Princess and the Frog, Inglorious Basterds, and New York, I Love You. Damn these trailers.

Best Trailers of 2009:

1. District 9

2. New York, I Love You

3. A Single Man

4. Where the Wild Things Are

5. The White Ribbon