Oscar Predictions 2011

Picture: The Social Network
Director: David Fincher (The Social Network)
Actor: Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
Actress: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Supporting Actor: Christian Bale (The Fighter)
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
Best Original Screenplay: The Kids Are Alright
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
Cinematography: Inception
Animated: Toy Story 3

Blue Valentine (2010) - dir. Derek Cianfrance *****

A wrenched portrait of a ruined marriage.


Derek Cianfrance's delicately told, painfully portrayed film about the rise and fall of a 21st century relationship might be the most difficult film to watch of 2010. This isn't to say the film isn't compelling. It is. Rather, the lead performances by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams as Dean and Cindy are so real that we have to pinch ourselves to remind us that this isn't a documentary we are watching. This is testament to the acting abilities of Gosling and Williams, who have firmly established themselves as two of the most talented young actors working in Hollywood. Dean and Cindy's pain is real. And we - the audience - are exposed to almost two hours of this, which can be overwhelming at times.

Blue Valentine begins in the present, where Dean and Cindy's relationship has crumbled. The only thing holding them together is their beautiful daughter. Dean is withered. Life has passed him by too quickly, and he's almost retired into the role as redundant old man, even at the delicate age of thirty-something. Cindy is the polar opposite. She is working all-hours on a nursing career, their only real source of income. Cianfrance cleverly crosscuts the present with the past. We see a totally different couple pre-marriage. Dean and Cindy are young. They love each other. Their feelings are real, if a little naive. Every new relationship begins with the honeymoon stage, and Dean and Cindy are no different. Like all romances, it's hard at first to conceive what could ever go wrong. As in life, things inevitably get in the way. For Dean and Cindy, it is a pregnancy from her previous partner that threatens to shatter their love. We learn that their daughter is actually Cindy's daughter, not Dean's. Plot twist number one. Whereas Dean seemed like a jerk in the present, we begin to empathize with him. He is bitter, and he always will be.

Where did the love go? Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling

As the film unravels, it becomes clear that the past very much affects the present. In Dean's case, it was the decision to live with Cindy's pregnancy. For Cindy, giving up her dream of becoming a doctor - in favor of a nurse - caused her to resent Dean. With these things considered, Cianfrance creates a relationship time-bomb waiting to explode. Sooner of later, their marriage has to end. This occurs in one of the best acted scenes in some time, where a drunk Dean storms into Cindy's hospital and embarrasses himself. The scene is painful to watch. We understand why Dean is doing this. We also realize he's finally stepped over the line between redeemable and unforgivable. There is no protagonist here. Just two very real, likable young people who cannot cope with the constraints of marriage.

Blue Valentine should yield actor nominations for Gosling and Williams, not only for their stunningly toned down performances, but for the way they shift between past and present like two completely different characters. The Dean of old is sweet and hopeful. In the present, he is hopeless and angry. Cindy's change is even more heartbreaking, because she still clings onto the dreams of her youth, a hope that seems unattainable given her circumstances.

Cianfrance has observed with microscopic detail the decadence of a relationship. The film never feels like a "movie", rather a real-life relationship captured on camera without its characters ever knowing. It is that good of a film. Realism often falls flat because actors don't have the subtlety of concealing their trademark skills which makes them "actors", or a director places the camera too provocatively to ever give us a third-person view. Sometimes it's the screenwriter's fault for yielding to the structure of three acts, causing the narrative to seem orchestrated. Or the editor who chooses too many closeups for the sheer hell of it. In Blue Valentine's case, it is none of these. Its realism is so firmly established that its hard to believe this isn't a real-life story.

Blue Valentine isn't going to appeal to the masses. Those who go to the movies for escapism should stay clear of it. It is tragic, realistic, and sometimes too honest for us to bear. Cianfrance exposes us to the harsh realism of relationships and marriage. For two hours, we find ourselves watching fragments of ourselves, snippets of our own life that might seem difficult to watch, at times. This is what cinema should be doing - provoking us, asking us to watch, providing a powerful catharsis that make us evaluate not only the characters we are watching, but our own lives.

It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010) - dir. Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden ****

The new tragicomedy by Half Nelson directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden delivers a perfect mix of laughter and comedy, not to be missed. 

It's Kind of a Funny Story isn't the sort of name you want to call your movie unless you're incredibly confident, fearless, or simply too young to care. Fortunately, the exciting directing duo of Fleck and Boden are all of the above. And yes, for their sake, it is far more than just a "kind of a funny story", it is one of those indie gems that will have you leaving the theatre with a refreshing smile. Made for a miniscule budget of $8 million, the film never tries too hard to be overambitious. In an industry that often requires an A-list actor to bring in box office numbers, films like It's Kind of a Funny Story are exactly the wake-up call that Hollywood needs to realize the importance of story over stars.

The film follows Craig, a clinically depressed teenager who checks himself into an adult psychiatric ward on a Sunday morning, hoping to be cured in time for school the next day. This fundamental misunderstanding of how mental health works leads to him being committed for a minimum of five days. Craig is a fascinating character. His parents are good people, if a little indulgent. Nothing in Craig's world seems out of place. He is loved. He is supported. Yet something isn't right. Before long, he is thrust into the lives of mentally disturbed patients which make him seem more normal than he's ever felt before. One of these patients is Bobby, played by the lovable Zach Galifianakis, who shies away from his repulsively funny roles for a heartfelt and troubled one. It is these friendships that drive the movie forward, evicting a subtle change in Craig's outlook to the world.

Zach Galifianakis as Bobby

Craig begins to fall for Noelle (Emma Roberts), igniting a reason to stay and perhaps breathe. Noelle is equally as messed up as Craig, and this commonality between the two is heartwarming and heartbreaking. In its own way, the film asks many questions about our society. How can people like Craig and Noelle - young and with so much hope - find themselves so beaten up before high school has even finished? Are we a society under so much pressure to appear "cool" that some of us simply cannot handle this burden? Without explicitly meaning to be, It's Kind of a Funny Story delves into such salient themes.

Emma Roberts and Keir Gilchrist as troubled teens Noelle and Craig

Keir Gilchrist, who many of you won't have seen before, delivers his best performance to date. Initially, Craig isn't the most likable of teenagers. He is sullen. Depressed. Vomits when he eats. As time goes on, Craig grows in our hearts, our minds, and affections. He reminds me of Max in Wes Anderson's Rushmore, as someone who over-thinks the world a little too much for his own good. In fact,
Fleck and Boden are clearly influenced by Wes Anderson's films, especially Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. It's Kind of a Funny Story has that same humor and feel about it, yet it avoids any infringement on Anderson's work by maintaining a deft realism.

The film never glosses over or avoids the reality of the situation - clinically depressed and suicidal people fighting brutal inner demons. It is sad. It is funny. It is bittersweet. Fleck and Boden - just like in Half Nelson and Sugar - clearly understand their characters, and the world they find themselves in. By the end of the movie, Craig leaves the ward with a better sense of who he is, but unlike so many films where the self-revelation is insincere, his metamorphosis is grounded in absolutely reality. Granted, Craig no longer wants to kill himself in the immediate future, but as his narration states quite clearly, "this is just the beginning". The film might not be the best film of the year, or even a contender, but it's definitely one that is deserving of praise. It is a great role model to other indie films that sometimes try a little too hard to be "artsy" without needing to be. Asides from the Cohen Brothers, Fleck and Boden are the most exciting directing duo working today, and I now wait with great excitement to see where they go from here.

The King's Speech (2010) - dir. Tom Hooper ***

This superbly acted, averagely told, and conservatively directed film by Tom Hooper is sure to bring in some Oscar nominations, especially for Firth and Rush.

In another mediocre year for British cinema, we are once again left questioning why it creates so many satisfactory, if not forgettable films that fail to push the boundaries of storytelling. The King's Speech may be the best British film of 2010, but this isn't really saying much when you size it up against the heavyweights of American cinema, such as The Social Network, Black Swan, The Fighter, and True Grit. It takes a conservative look at King George VI, played flawlessly by Colin Firth, who is forced to overcome his stammer when he is made king. 

There will be the majority who claim that George VI's stakes were immense - and therefore we are led to believe that Firth's stakes are equally as high. When confronted with his nemesis - to speak publicly to a nation - he must seek the help of a controversial Australian speech therapist, Lionel Logue, played by Geoffrey Rush. The interactions between the two are engaging and often comical, and both actors portray their characters with sublime ease. There isn't enough of these scenes, however. Rather, Hooper shows a couple of montages where George begins unconventional exercises to help cure his stammer. These montages are good, but they carry little substance to the King's therapy. What the film needs is more scenes between Firth and Rush, as it is these two that carry the weight of the film. In fact, the film might have been far greater had the entire narrative be set in Lionel's office. You can't help but watch The King's Speech and wonder if it would make a much better play than film. Just like Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon, which worked better on stage, The King's Speech would surely do the same given its two character narrative. 

Colin Firth as King George VI

The subplot of the film supports this argument. It actually saps up more screen-time  than George and Lionel's sessions. We are forced to watch too many scenes where George's brother, David, becomes King to the disdain of his father. Soon however, David's relationship with Wallace Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, forces him to step down from the throne, paving the way for George VI. The historical exposition that we are forced to digest felt like the first act of one of Shakespeare's historical plays. Whereas in theatre it can work, cinema doesn't offer this luxury. This may be the film's biggest flaw. The subplot features some of Britain's most acclaimed actors such as Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi and Michael Gambon. Sadly enough, they are almost redundant as they come and go without affecting the plot at all. 

The King's Speech is going to be a big winner at the major awards ceremonies. Expect Firth to win best actor at the Academy Awards, and Rush best supporting actor. It is also a frontrunner for Best Picture, although if it wins, then the credibility of AMPAS should seriously be questioned. How can one reward a film that fails to take any risks over a film like Black Swan or The Social Network, which endeavors into the most daring waters of 2010 cinema. The King's Speech is just another reminder about what is wrong with British drama: flat, uninspired, and slightly negative. Of course, my opinion will be unpopular amongst the traditionalists of this country who enjoy a "good" piece of drama that satisfies their tastes without provoking their appetites. God Save them.