I just finished watching the last of the Best Picture nominees. Here’s my take on them. Note that this is what I thought about each of the films, and not what I think are their chances of winning. That post will come later.
Must see films:
The Artist: Not only the best movie of 2011, but probably the best movie so far of the 21st century. When it ended, my first thought was that I needed to see it again, and I very, very rarely see movies more than once.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: I didn’t expect to like this movie. The previews made it look pretentious and emotionally manipulative. It probably is both of those, but it’s so well done that you don’t really notice. It’s certainly the best movie about 9/11 that I’ve seen (at least in part because it isn’t really about 9/11).
The Descendants: The other of these must-see films that made me cry. George Clooney is fantastic, the writing and story are great, and the scenery can’t be beat.
Worth renting:
Moneyball: I liked this movie immediately after seeing it, but as it percolated in my mind over the next day or so it started to fall apart. It’s problem is that it’s badly edited. And no, I’m not talking about some technical detail here. What I mean is that there are plot points that are brought up and then dropped. There are others that just make no sense at all. So if you can see it and forget it, you’ll probably like it a lot. Otherwise … well, at least it is enjoyable in the moment.
Hugo: I understood what Scorsese was trying to do, and he mostly pulls it off. The real problem with Hugo is its totally inexplicable slap-stick moments, almost all of which center around Sacha Baron Cohen’s character. It’s almost as if Scorsese felt obligated to not put him in a totally serious role, which would have been fine had every other moment of the film not been totally serious.
War Horse: This is a made-for-Best-Picture film, but ends up being totally formulaic. It’s a series of mostly-related vignettes about a horse in World War I. Unfortunately, you pretty much know how every vignette is going to end within about 10 seconds, and if you don’t have a good idea of how the movie is going to end within the first 10 minutes or so, then you probably aren’t paying attention. Still, where it works, it does work, and with the exception of the totally overproduced final scene, it is a very pretty film.
Movies to avoid:
The Help: Maybe it’s just that I’m a guy, but spending two and a half hours of my life watching a bunch of really horrible women treat a bunch of really nice women like dirt doesn’t qualify as entertainment to me. I get the whole civil rights thing, but this too-long movie didn’t end up making me really care about any character.
Midnight in Paris: Another Woody Allen film that is – guess what? – just like every other Woody Allen film. I truly don’t understand Hollywood’s love affair with him, and in particular I don’t understand his continued accolades for writing. There’s not a moment of dialog in the film that doesn’t feel stunted or forced. The story is supposed to center around Owen Wilson’s realization that he isn’t in love with his fiance, Rachel McAdams. However, since there isn’t even the tiniest bit of chemistry between them from the very beginning, the only real question the audience has to ask is what takes him so long. The movie’s only saving grace is that at least it is short – at 94 minutes, it’s the shortest of the nominees.
The Tree of Life: What can I say? I freaking hate Terrance Malick’s films. If you like your movies overwrought and pretentious, then I guess this film is for you. If you prefer, however, to be entertained, and to have an interesting story and not be bombarded by fifteen minutes of idiotic imagery played over a totally unoriginal soundtrack – twice – then watching this movie will be nothing more than 2 1/2 hours of your life you’ll never get back.