Back when it was first announced that legendary Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane would host this year's Academy Awards, opinions were most likely set. MacFarlane's comedic works, including American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, have been up among the most controversial to date, dividing attitudes of the public into 'amused' and 'disgusted.' It seems his hosting efforts at the Oscars were received with similar sentiments. Admirers of his work appreciative of his sense of humour were tremendously entertained, myself included, but many found his sequences and song-and-dance acts 'sophomoric' and 'misogynistic.'
Indeed, MacFarlane put on one hell of a show, and regardless of your views on his material, he has to be given an A for effort. An incredibly talented performer, he took to the stage singing, dancing, and performing his own compositions, and was joined by some very surprising guests, having dedicated the night to Music in Film. Among some of the most stunning set design in Oscar history, many musical numbers took place. Some made up MacFarlane's variety show opening of 17 minutes, which featured Daniel Radcliffe tap-dancing while singing 'High Hopes' and Charlize Theron and Channing Tatum in an exquisite ballroom dance. Others were dotted throughout the show, most notably Dame Shirley Bassey's revival of the classic Bond theme 'Goldfinger,' and British favourite Adele performing 'Skyfall,' which later won Best Original Song. A stunning surprise was the ravishing Catherine Zeta-Jones once again donning the black bob and fishnet tights, and giving a rendition of 'All That Jazz' as Velma Kelly, the role that won her Best Supporting Actress in 2003 for 'Chicago.' Her beautiful looks and smouldering voice have not withered in 10 years, and the only shame of this performance was its quick change into Jennifer Hudson's, leaving no opportunity for audience appreciation. A highly-anticipated ensemble from the cast of Les Miserables completed the musical interlude, receiving a standing ovation, and seeing Anne Hathaway bag Best Supporting Actress.
Although much media attention has been drawn to MacFarlane's performance as a host, claiming he made the show more about the host than the awards, his participation on-screen was fairly minimal in the three-hour ceremony. His opening act was his lengthiest appearance, after which a colourful array of movie Gods awarded, and were awarded, Oscars. This year was a special year, with several highlights.
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis - Earning a record third Best Actor Academy Award, the previous being for 'My Left Foot' (1989) and 'There Will Be Blood' (2007), Daniel Day-Lewis was honoured for his portrayal of the mighty Abraham Lincoln in Spielberg's biopic 'Lincoln.'
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence - Tripping over her huge gown on her way to collect her trophy, Lawrence beat out nine-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis, the youngest actress ever nominated in the category, for Best Actress for her role in Silver Linings Playbook, which carried seven other nominations.
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz- The charming Christoph Waltz rightfully won his second Oscar for his portrayal of Dr King Schultz, a wickedly witty and hilarious bounty hunter, in Quentin Tarantino's Academy Award Winning Original Screenplay, 'Django Unchained.'
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway- For the sensational Les Miserables, Hathaway gracefully accepted her Oscar after singing live with the cast in an earlier musical number from the show.
Ben Affleck's 'Argo' was the movie of the night, proclaimed Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing of 2013. The Best Picture was presented by the legendary Jack Nicholson and a surprise on-screen appearance by First Lady Michelle Obama, who expressed great enthusiasm for the arts, and emphasized their importance on the world, and on the younger generation.
My personal favourite of the year, Life of Pi, earned 11 nominations this year, and went on to win four: Ang Lee was named Best Director, Mychael Danna won Best Original Score, and the movies stunning visuals were reflected in the wins for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects. Young star Suraj Sharma was present, and was thanked by Ang Lee during his acceptance speech.
A tie in Best Sound Editing was between 'Skyfall' and 'Zero Dark Thirty,' with Best Sound Mixing going to 'Les Miserables,' which also unexpectedly beat out 'Hitchcock' in Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
It was also a triumphant year for World Cinema, with Michael Haneke's shattering French-Austrian film Amour winning Best Foreign Language, and was the first film in 12 years to be nominated for Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film.
George Clooney humbly presented this year's In Memorium, which gently faded into a surprisingly appropriate performance from Barbra Streisand, who sang 'The Way We Were,' in dedication to the song's composer Marvin Hamlisch.
Overall, it was a phenominal year for the film industry, and an incredible night at the Dolby Theater, star-studded and solid gold, with some already classic moments in Oscar history.
Rating: 5/5
Vera Drake will surely remind most British people of someone they knew, a friend or relative. She reminds me of my grandmother. Her cheeks rosy from the London frost, her sweet Cockney accent bouncing with her step, her willingness to go out of her way for people. In post-war London, Vera (Imelda Staunton) and her loving husband Stan (Philip Davis) "have a lot to be grateful for," in their tiny N1 flat which houses four, including their grown children Sid (Daniel Mays) and Ethel (Alex Kelly). In the Drake household, every day is a celebration, whether of an engagement, a pregnancy, or just having each other. They are a beautifully close-knit family, whose door is always open. The Drakes are simple, but very happy people. They each go out to work, come home with smiles on their faces and enjoy each other's company. Their minute dining table seats four on a regular night, and seven at Christmas, and they somehow always have the room for a good meal, and all the good people to eat it.
Everybody loves Vera, including us. Imelda Staunton gives the performance of a lifetime as the wonderfully kind heroine of the story, demonstrating the most stunning range of ability. Having previously watched her in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as the detestable Dolores Umbridge, I was blown away by Staunton's craft in creating such a lovable woman. Vera cleans rich folks' houses, constantly humming merry little tunes, and attends her disabled mother and neighbour, who feel just as blessed as everybody else for her presence. "She's got a heart of gold." Leigh's technique of dropping the audience into the scene, making us welcome voyeurs, and Staunton's pure perfection allow us to love Vera, so when the time comes for those loyal to her to be known, there is only one way those with emotions will sway.
You see, Vera doesn't just help the old and sick, she "helps young girls when they're in trouble." The girls range in circumstance- they're rape victims, they're too young, they already have too many mouths to feed- but either way, these girls are all pregnant, and none can go through with it. However, they live in 1950, and abortion is still very much illegal, carrying heavy penalties for offenders. It also pays a hefty wage on the 'black market,' motivating the bitter old Lily (Ruth Sheen) to find clients for Vera every Friday. But Vera would never dream of accepting money for her services, she just wants to help young girls who have no one else to turn to. She is unaware that Lily has been collecting payment for Vera's work, as well as making illegal money elsewhere.
Having performed procedures successfully for some twenty years, Vera thinks nothing of young Pamela, whose mother sits by her side, and recognises Vera from an old job. But soon after she leaves, the girl falls very ill, and the doctors inform the Police, recognising that this is not a miscarriage, as the mother claims.
Meanwhile, in her perfect life, Vera and the family are celebrating the engagement of their reclusive daughter, and the sequence in which the coppers approach and finally arrive is played out in painful realism. The knowledge that any second now, this happiness will be interrupted by that sharp tap at the door is too much to bear as we witness the Drakes' joyful life come crashing down. It is from this point on that the audience's sympathies are directed by what we've already seen. The Prosecution is correct - Vera Rose Drake has committed a serious crime with serious consequences - and she never denies this. How do you plead? Guilty. Did you perform this procedure? Yes, dear. Have you performed these procedures before? Yes, dear.
Some characters sympathise with Vera, and take on what is now a widely held view on abortion: "It's all very well having six kids if you're rich, but if you can't feed them, you can't love them." Stan is committed to his wife with every inch of his being, and is as shocked as the rest of the family when Vera's secret occupation is finally revealed. We know her life, her character, and her unceasingly good intentions, and we cannot regard her as a criminal.
But some can. It is, after all, the 1950s, and abortion is illegal to be performed by medical professionals, let alone working-class housewives in grimy bedrooms. Some of her loved ones turn on her, insisting her procedures are evil. Her yuppie sister-in-law insists she won't be in the same room as "that woman," and treats Vera with shameful contempt. The law is equally unmerciful, and although one police officer is noticeably considerate, Leigh dresses up his story with no clichés of sudden and unprofessional mercy, or victory against the odds.
There is no happy ending, and no moral of the story. The point of the movie isn't really the legal outcome, nor whether or not abortion is wrong, but about the foundations of Vera's life. Leigh paints such a marvellous portrait of family life at its best, and captures it entirely with his improvised method. The subtle ways in which dialogue overlaps and stutters, adds perfect realism to the situation. There are no great speeches, or predictable utterances, and there are plenty of instances of characters answering rhetorical statements with "have ya?", as is common in Leigh's Cockney creations.
Vera Drake is a triumph of movie-making in every aspect, as such it is so shocking that it won none of its three Academy Award nominations, being beaten out by Million Dollar Baby on two. It is a certain British Great, Modern Great and by far the most watchable of Mike Leigh's films in my experience. This compelling drama is a fine product of invaluable British talent.
Rating: 5/5
Once upon a time, budding director Rob Reiner wished to direct a Stephen King adaptation for the screen. In the space of four years, he did this twice. Stand By Me started as a short story titled The Body, and later along came the unforgettable Misery. The axe-wielding, blood-curdling horror of Misery is usual for King's work, and alongside the moving story of four young friends on an adventure, Reiner really picked two King stories at opposite ends of the spectrum. Both are splendid reads, both are splendid movies, and here we have a look at one of the best movies of 1986, which features a long list of famous '80s faces.
"I was 12, going on 13, the first time I saw a dead human being..." the Narrator, the wise, serene voice of Richard Dreyfuss, tells us. It is the Summer of 1959 in sweet little small-town Oregon, Castle Rock, which is the home and sanctuary of young, aspiring writer Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton). Gordie's young life knows more misery than it should. His big brother and only sibling Denny (a young John Cusack) was recently killed in an accident, and his parents (Marshall Bell and Frances Lee McCain, from Gremlins) are shattered. Gordie becomes "the invisible boy," and feels his parents would've been happier if he'd died instead.
Luckily on the outskirts of town, there's a nestle of trees, with the faint sound of Bobby Day ringing from a neat little treehouse. And if you know the secret knock, then the best friends in the world are right there. Chris Chambers (the late, exquisite River Phoenix), "the leader of our gang and my best friend," comes from a rough family, but is a good, smart kid trying to outrun his reputation. Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman, before it all went wrong) is the rough-and-tumble kid in cammo, with a chip on his shoulder, and serious emotional damage beneath it. Then there's the obligatory lovable fat kid, Vern Tessio ( Jerry O'Connell) who is under the thumb, and belt, of his older brother.
These wonderful characters are the total soul of the movie, and there is so much that's great about them. Firstly, they are well developed characters, with families, pasts, futures, and emotions. Each has his own 'big scene' and is given equal mention in the story and its action. But then of course, we have four unforgettable performances from the young actors. Wil Wheaton seems like an empty body, with vacant eyes when in the presence of his cold family, but ignites in the company of his friends, and his cheerful spirit breaks the little boy lost from his household.
Corey Feldman really could act once. Perhaps he still can, and perhaps we'd know if his career brought him more than Dancing on Ice and a documentary detailing his dysfunctional co-habiting with Corey Haim shortly before his death. In '86, Feldman had infectious laughter and personality, with Teddy Duchamp being the class clown no one can help but laugh with. His emotional sequence, harrowingly performed, apparently reflected Feldman's frustration at his tormented family life, and the young actor produced these feelings in his acting.
River Phoenix was an amazing person, with real soul and passion for everything, for life in general. His beauty and charm radiated, and his Chris Chambers was a haunting parallel in both men's ultimate young demises. Chris's sad tale is delicately undertaken, with Phoenix hitting the perfect note in terms of timing his emotional reactions to his dialogue, and making the moment totally real, and totally devastating.
Jerry O'Connell is the movie's regular source of innocently dim-witted humour, with Vern's lack of appropriate timing, comment or question. Vern's ideal breakfast consists of Pez, Twinkies and root beer, and he wonders who'd win in a fight between Superman and Mighty Mouse. He is beautifully naive, and so very funny.
The boys set out on a hike up the train tracks to find the dead body of a local kid, who is rumoured to have been killed out in the woods. Originally, they just intend to make the most of their last weekend before school starts, and to get on TV and be local heroes for recovering the body. But on the adventure, they find out things about each other, about themselves, about life and about what their futures hold. They experience some very amusing episodes, and some very heartfelt ones, all the while with Ace (Kiefer Sutherland) and his gang on their tails, wanting to claim the body for themselves.
Reiner puts so much attention and focus into the kids, and pays their characters the proper respect. Too often movies really should be about the kids, but are sidetracked by some generic romance between two adult actors who get top billing undeservedly. Adult interaction is kept to a suitable minimum in Stand By Me, with much of the wisdom and insight coming from the kids themselves. It's remarkable to see what young kids observe, and what they feel. And even so, it's not a kids' movie. It's a movie for adults who remember what it was like to be a kid.
Cinematography is beautiful- picturesque. Endless landscapes of hills, rivers, mountains, blue skies, forests and fields all in sunshine gold, or dusky evening purples. Each scene of the boys' journey glows with serenity, and sincerity, and is characterised by a funky '50s soundtrack, featuring Buddy Holly, The Chordettes, Jerry Lee Lewis, and of course, Ben E. King. The movie captures an era, if not the '50s then just that particular weekend, immortalises it with every drop of purity intact, and allows a reminiscent escape whenever you care to press play.
Here comes the first Video Nasty in the Bad Movies Marathon, Island of Death. What is remarkable is that its own creator, Nico Mastorakis, confesses that it was no exercise in decent film making. Having observed the commercial success of Tobe Hooper's spectacular Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Mastorakis decided to make an even more depraved, violent movie to make money, and penned the piece of crap in a week.
Depraved it is, especially in light of the finale's revelation about the 'protagonist' couple. Violent, I guess it is too. By '70s standards, anyhow. Gratuitous and inexplicable, the violence most definitely is, which I guess is what makes it so defined as an Exploitation flick. Oh, that and the actors being pretty much always naked.
See?
Supposed newlyweds Christopher (Robert Belling) and Celia (Jane Ryall) arrive on a Greek island, doing everything newlyweds do, except in a remarkably public fashion. The scene in which the couple fornicate in a phone box, while on the line to Christopher's mother is awkward enough, but when the aforementioned revelation in the closing minutes hits, everything you have just seen is all the more abominable. In a mind-bending set of contradictions, the couple are Christian fanatics, intent on ridding the world of evil. So, with this wholesome goal in mind, they set about screwing and murdering everybody on the island, in that order. And don't think that they only do humans. One morning, young Christopher's advances are rejected by a sleeping Celia. His solution: an act which spawned the following conversation on IMDb, which is pure comedy gold.
- The goat was clearly underage, too...that's just sick.
- Yeah, it did seem like it was still a KID
Exploitation Films tend to attach themselves to one sub-genre, which have some interesting names, such as 'blaxploitation,' 'nunsploitation,' and my personal favourite, 'hixploitation.' Island of Death, however, contains every dirty trick in the book. Torture, rape, murder, homosexuality, orgies, incest, bestiality, homophobia, racism...all wrapped into one trashy little package. And all apparently in the name of Jesus Christ. The main actors, particularly Jane Ryall, are naked so frequently, and only dress in between so we are shocked when they again undress. I guess it works, after the tenth or twelfth nude scene from Ryall, upon getting publicly naked once more, I started to sigh, "Oh, come on, seriously?" It's so regular it becomes tedious, and it is never in the least bit erotic. Softcore porn, perhaps, but never erotic.
So, there we have all the technical criteria for an Exploitation movie ticked, let's fill in the gaps in terms of production. Filmed in Greece, by Greek film makers, with very little money, and even less talent. The characters behind the actors are questionable. Neither can act, and both had brief careers in Exploitation pictures, before either disappearing off the face of the Earth (Ryall) or committing suicide after years of seclusion (Belling). IMDb discussors make an interesting assessment about Ryall, noting that her brief stint in Anglo-Greek movies may suggest she was the girlfriend of some Greek film maker, and when they separated her stint in cinema was over. This sounds very probable to me. It's such a shame there's little to no trace of many Exploitation actors, it would make one hell of a documentary talking to them.
In a style reminiscent of Wes Craven's Last House on the Left (1972), the visual horror is accompanied by a ridiculously funky folk soundtrack, which, contrary to the effect Craven achieved, pushes the audience over the edge of tolerance, and makes it all laughable. Mastorakis said himself that he just wanted to make money from this movie, but unfortunately I doubt he even did that. It sank into the more obscure ranks of the 72 Video Nasties, which is the only motivation for my viewing it, but apparently warranted a DVD release by Mastorakis, so maybe he did make his millions after all. I wonder if Jane Ryall, wherever she is now, is still receiving royalties for her two hours of softcore infamy.
Rating: 5/5
Every shot in Life of Pi is breathtaking in its intensity. Each reminds me of the photos they print on atmospheric greetings cards: the piercing blue of a sea-born lightning bolt, the tropical greens and oranges of Indian village life. And most miraculously, it allowed me to re-embody the experience of India. I was fortunate enough to spend a few weeks in that beautiful country in my teens, and its splendor is like nothing I have ever witnessed. Nature has such unbelievable vibrancy, in its colours, in its energy, in its ability to change emotions.
Deserving every award it can scoop, Ang Lee's mind-blowing new adventure centers on the life of a young Indian boy, whose parents own a zoo, and advise him toward logic when he explores religion with a whole new take on polytheism. Living in the French part of India, the boy is named Piscine, the French word for swimming pool, but of course this gives him a few problems once he starts school, in the same way that 'fatigé' can be misheard as 'fatty gay!' Hence, the young sprite explains his new-found nickname Pi to each class, whilst becoming a school legend for reciting his namesake to several hundred places.
When hard times hit, the parents uproot Pi and his brother Ravi to Canada with all their animals, whom they plan to sell overseas. On the torturous voyage across the Pacific Ocean, Pi awakes to a storm one night, and dances and hollers in the sheets of rain, embracing its power, "tempting" it, Ravi says. But its power overthrows them all, and Pi finds himself the only survivor of the wrecked ship on a lifeboat. Well, not the only survivor. He is accompanied by a zebra, a hyena, an orang-utan and a tiger. Suddenly thrust into the enclosure his father desperately tried to keep him from exploring, Pi soon finds himself alone with the tiger, named Richard Parker (but always addressed by his full name), drifting through the ocean, struggling to survive or find a reason to.
The aforementioned religion of our young hero is central. He practices, as best you really can, Catholicism, Hinduism and Islam. "We get to feel guilty in front of millions of Gods." And he does feel guilty, for the loss of his family, for surviving them, eventually for killing fish for survival. His faith and questioning in God remain afloat, and after building several ingenious rafts to keep a safe distance, Pi trains Richard Parker and cares for him. Every fish he catches they share, half the rainwater goes into a bucket for the tiger, and when they fear they are dying, they comfort each other. The young man's care for his only companion is what keeps him alive. And it's quite a companionship.
It's amazing that the majority of the movie has only one speaking character, and what a touching relationship Lee builds in relative silence. Richard Parker, so incredibly lifelike, has definite personality, and although his presence is often menacing, we feel at peace looking into his eyes. The eyes, Pi always claims, in which he could see the soul. That animals were not just beasts. It is through this determined belief that Pi finds a best friend in Richard Parker, and cares for him like nothing before.
I am thrilled to proclaim that Life of Pi is the first movie really worth seeing in 3D. Absolutely everything was 3D, and used to absolute perfection throughout. In the opening shots, the camera sits on the glassy surface of a water pool filled with flamingos, and slowly sinks. But what is curious is that no matter how far down we go, we never go below the waterline. This pool is infinite, it seems.
The most thrilling visuals come in the middle of the ocean, in the middle of the night. The blackness is illuminated by the life below, forests of jellyfish glowing sky blue, spiraling sparkles merging into star-studded skies and shimmering planets. One night Pi watches in awe as a massive whale swims underneath him, and jumps alongside. Of course, this huge impact means all of his supplies are washed away, but even Pi doesn't seem too bothered: the reason was wondrous.
Suraj Sharma plays teenage Pi, and has an undeniable charm in all he does, whether in excitement or frustration. His speaking voice is beautiful, his presence is endearing, and he makes us really feel, not only for him, but for his dear friend, Richard Parker. I do hope this debut leads to great things for the young actor, he carries the film's emotion, alongside his older self, played by Irrfan Khan.
Here's to winning every one of those nominations, and frequent replays on the big screen, in all its glory. I doubt this movie will be done justice on your home TV, so if you haven't yet, get out to the cinema and see Life of Pi before it's too late!
