Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Vice" (2018)

Scene from Vice (2018)

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

Review: "Hillbilly Elegy" is the Worst Kind of Oscar Bait

Scene from Hillbilly Elegy

There's a certain sadness that comes with reporting the news that Hillbilly Elegy is a giant misfire, embodying the familiar lower-class struggles as mindless melodrama. Even in the hands of someone as capable as director Ron Howard, there's no understanding of what lies underneath the surface. In a time where Middle America has a crisis worth sharing, Howard has decided to stop at the problem, too scared to have compassion for his characters. The themes of socioeconomics, drug addiction, and the passive aggressiveness it produces are details that are worth sharing, but there's no bigger point here. The ending likes to think there is, but Howard fails to make it matter. It's doubtful that he's even met a hillbilly. If he did, he would've known that their story deserves something more than nonstop shouting matches. 

How Joaquin Phoenix Encouraged Me To Start The Oscar Buzz

Joaquin Phoenix

Among the many winners at last night's Academy Awards was Best Actor winner Joaquin Phoenix (Joker). For months following the release of the divisive film, he's been the category front-runner and in the process has excelled at giving some of the most memorable speeches. For as much as Brad Pitt made his run seem polished and charismatic, Phoenix chose to make his feel from the heart, addressing whatever issues came to mind. Who could forget his speeches detailing Australian forest fires, or the more recent backlash at The Academy where he called out their lack of diverse nominations? There is so much to take from Phoenix that it kind of makes up for the fact that I wasn't that impressed with his Oscar-winning performance. To me, Joker was mediocre and lacked any real substance that it was vying for. However, his win had a lot more power than simply recognizing a movie or an actor. Phoenix's win sort of brought a certain narrative regarding The Oscar Buzz to a close.

Composing Greatness: #6.The Freshman Class of the 2010's - "Her" (2013)

Scene from Her (2013)

Welcome to Composing Greatness: a column dedicated to exploring the work of film composers. This will specifically focus on the films that earned them Oscar nominations while exploring what makes it so special. This will be broken down into a look at the overall style, interesting moments within the composition, and what made the score worth nominating in the first place. This will also include various subcategories where I will rank the themes of each film along with any time that the composer actually wins. This is a column meant to explore a side of film that doesn't get enough credit while hopefully introducing audiences to an enriched view of more prolific composers' work. This will only cover scores/songs that are compiled in an easily accessible format (so no extended scores will be considered). Join me every Sunday as I cover these talents that if you don't know by name, you recognize by sound.

Review: "Vice" Sets Its Sights a Little Too High

Christian Bale in Vice

The latest film from director Adam McKay couldn't have better timing if it tried. With 2018 coming to a close amid a government shutdown and lots of in-fighting, the chance to reflect on what we expect from the people in charge has never been more of a prominent subject. It's why Vice feels like it should be a bigger deal, where the most notorious vice president in 21st century American history is finally scrutinized in a text that fossilizes him as the awful human he was. It's the part of McKay's experimental film making that succeeds, throwing the audience into a story that will boil the blood of anyone who currently lives in the America that Dick Cheney helped to mold over 50 years. However, McKay is maybe a bit too obsessed with the style to ever make one element shine above the rest. The film is a mess that often reaches blips of greatness, and overall it's a missed opportunity to create something singular and definitive of not only Cheney's life, but of the 2018 the film was born into.

The First "Vice" Trailer Finds Christian Bale Immersed in Another Oscar Campaign

Christian Bale in Vice

It continues to seem ridiculous, almost as much so as one of his broad comedies of yesteryear, but director Adam McKay has become an Oscar darling. With most of the Oscar season seemingly laid out with heavyweights, people have been holding out for his Dick Cheney film now called Vice. Considering how little presence it has had at film festivals, it's amazing to think of how anticipated the first trailer has been for months now. Well, it is here and from the looks of it, this is another Christian Bale performance primed for Oscar consideration. He looks immersed in the role to an impeccable degree, and the supporting cast doesn't look too bad either - filled with Oscar-nominees and winners who round out a cast of characters from one of the 21st century's most notorious American presidencies. To say the least, Vice looks like McKay is once again going to enjoy a cozy seat at the awards table.

"Arrival" to Return to Theaters This Weekend With Bonus Footage

Scene from Arrival

Now that the Oscar nominations are out, it's time for everyone to catch up on the titles that they've missed. In most cases, this includes many of the films that are still in theaters or are in the interim of making it to home video. If you're one of those who wishes to catch up on director Denis Villeneuve's Arrival, which earned eight nominations including Best Picture, you're in luck. This weekend marks the typical rerelease of an Oscar front runner. The only difference this time is that those patient enough to make it through the end credits will get a little something extra special.

Review: "Arrival" is a Smart and Timely Film About More Than Aliens

Scene from Arrival

It is difficult to watch director Denis Villeneuve's latest Arrival and not think about the real world. This is in part because of the film's theatrical release being a few days after the 2016 American presidential election; itself a motive that feels intentional the further along the film goes. With the results leading to controversy and outrage, there's questions as to whether the world can truly come together and understand differences. This is a central piece to Arrival: a film that contradicts the alien invasion story by focusing on a more intellectual debate. Unlike this past summer's Independence Day: Resurgence, Arrival wants to better humanity. It is the perfect film for the moment as well as further proof that Villeneuve is one of modern cinema's most challenging, engaging mainstream voices. 

Best Song: "Falling Slowly" (2007)

Scene from Once

Welcome to Best Song, a new weekly column released on Sunday dedicated to chronicling the Best Original Song category over the course of its many decades. The goal is to listen to and critique every song that has ever been nominated in the category as well as find the Best Best Song and the Best Loser. By the end, we'll have a comprehensive list of this music category and will hopefully have a better understanding not only of the evolution, but what it takes to receive a nomination here. It may seem easy now, but wait until the bad years.

Ranking Amy Adams' 5 Oscar Nominated Roles

Amy Adams in Arrival

Today marks actress Amy Adams' 42nd birthday. Over the course of an impressive career, she has played everything from Disney princess to the wife of a cult leader. To say the least, her range is endless, and she continues to produce quality work on an almost annual basis. With the potential for a sixth nomination this fall with director Denis Villeneuve's alien invasion movie Arrival, there's no better time to be an Adams fan. While we wait for her next film to win us over, the following is a ranking of her current five Oscar nominations, of which shows off her charisma as well as argues the case as to why she doesn't have an Oscar yet. She more than deserves one.

A Round-Up of Recent Movie Trailers With Oscar Potential

Amy Adams in Arrival

With Oscar season upon us, it becomes harder and harder to keep track of all potential nominees with trailers released. I apologize for not quite keeping up with every new release over the past few weeks. As I do from time to time, I have decided to round up a few trailers for films that have potential to be awards contenders in some respects. While they range from plausible to a stretch, it's intriguing to think of which contender has already shown its face. Will Arrival, Allied, or even (but not likely) Hacksaw Ridge be the film of awards season? I don't have any answers, but I sure have plenty of opinions to make up for it.

My Top 10 Favorite Amy Adams Movies

Amy Adams

Today is Amy Adams' 41st birthday. While I try to remain objective to all performers, there are few that I have publicly rooted for as much as her to eventually win an Oscar. With an impressive track record of 5 nominations, she seems overdue for something at this point. It also helps that I consider her to be one of the most charismatic and enjoyable actresses currently working. With an impressive career that features an array of great performances ranging from princess movies to dark dramas, she embodies what a great actress should be. So to honor her birthday, I have decided to highlight my personal top 10 favorite performances of hers that reflect why she is so great.

Review: "Big Eyes" is an Intriguing Biopic on Artistic Ownership and Manufacturing

At its core, Big Eyes is very much a film that director Tim Burton cannot make. While he has played around in the real world before, he has always embraced the kitsch side of everything, choosing to illuminate visuals with sickly colorful landscapes. Ed Wood worked because it mixed this with a director with dreams outside of his talent. Big Eyes is a film predominantly rooted in the real world, which doesn't seem to interest Burton anymore. For those that are complaining that it lacks style because of this, look at it another way. This is Burton showing actual interest in his work. Why else would he tackle a biopic about Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), who is as far from eccentric as his catalog gets? It is a film that shouldn't work but kind of does, and that's the fascinating hat trick.

A Look at the Early Divisive Reactions to "Big Eyes"

Left to right: Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams

It has been awhile since we last heard about director Tim Burton's Big Eyes. After the great first trailer was released, the buzz has been silent in favor of more pressing films. Still, it seemed like was bound to be an Oscar contender in a lot of aspects. It teams up Burton with the writers of his best film: Ed Wood. It also looks to be one of his more realistic and interesting films that focuses more on drama than visual flourishes. Also, it has Amy Adams gunning for a potential Oscar nomination. The only question is if it could last. Based on early reports, it doesn't look all that likely of a lock.

The First "Big Eyes" Trailer Doesn't Look Like a Tim Burton Film in the Best Way Possible

Amy Adams

For some strange reason, the words "Oscars" and "Tim Burton" are almost verboten from being within a three sentence radius. Yes, there is plenty evidence to suggest that the director's recent work from the past 10 years is arguably inferior to his more creative heyday. However, there seems to have been an exception with buzz around his latest film Big Eyes, which hasn't played any festival nor has it received any other acclaim than that it may be Amy Adams' shot at the Oscar (a move that I am all for). This is a strange concept for a Burton movie as of late. However, what's even more strange is that after the first trailer, it may be his most normal-looking movie since Ed Wood with a lot of his signature surreal visuals missing. From the looks of things, this is a great thing.

There's Only Five Days Until Oscar Night!

Ladies and gentlemen, we are officially five days away from this year's Academy Awards! It is an exciting time that is finally coming to a close. As everyone catches up with their last minute viewings and predictions, I thought that I would take a break and commemorate the countdown with a look at my Top 10 favorite acting nominees who have five or more nominations to their credit. After pointing out lists of favorite movies and directors, I figured that it was time to understand me through the performances that shape how I perceive the ceremony and thus better reflect what I look for in performances. 

A Closer Look at the Best Actress Nominees

Continuing our look at all of the top category nominees is a race that is probably the least certain of all of them: the Best Actress category. Despite an eclectic group that ranges from sci-fi thrillers (Sandra Bullock - Gravity) to mental illness (Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine) to romantic conning (Amy Adams - American Hustle), the race seemed to have been locked since August and unlike 12 Years a Slave, the conversation hasn't shifted all that much. There are a few potential upsets for sure, but as a whole, this is just a matter of counting down the hours until the top name is rattled off and the acceptance speech is given.

Review: "Her" is a Complicated and Poignant Analysis of Love

Joaquin Phoenix

Originally publishes here

Director Spike Jonze has made a career out of pushing visual aesthetics into visceral new levels of pleasure. His mind-bending tales challenge social commentary in some of the most profound ways possible with simple tweaks to familiar formulas. In fact, it is hard to even consider him a science fiction director simply because his tales feel real. He is working on levels above the average filmmaker, and that is one of the many reasons that his latest Her feels like the most honest depiction of a computer-to-human relationship. By humanizing the circuits, he unlocks the mysteries of love and codependency while also exploring why technology may better our lives, but it will also isolate us in delusional bliss.

Review: "American Hustle" is a Great Looking Yet Empty Con

Left to right: Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner,
Christian Bale, and Jennifer Lawrence

Originally published at CinemaBeach.

The theme of director David O. Russell’s latest film American Hustle can be summed up in the hilariously awful comb-over sported by Christian Bale. The entire film isn’t about revealing vulnerability, but projecting confidence no matter what. As conman Irving Rosenfield, Bale embodies these ethics simply by not caring about his lunatic wife (Jennifer Lawrence) and selling fake art with his new girlfriend (Amy Adams). From the clothing to the emotions, it is a world of trickery on every level that looks good, but the core can be a little disturbing.

The Trailer for Spike Jonze's "Her" Suggests the Year's Strangest Romantic Couple

Joaquin Phoenix

It will be tough for me to disassociate anything Joaquin Phoenix does from The Master, if only for the fact that it was the inspiration for launching The Oscar Buzz. With that established, I will admit that maybe my frenzy was a little too enthusiastic during the past season and while yes, Daniel Day Lewis didn't deserve it, I still stand by my belief that Phoenix is if not one of the best, one of the most ambitious performers currently working. Just check out how he sabotaged his career for satire in the discriminating underrated I'm Still Here. Even his poise at this year's Oscars ceremony suggests someone thinking outside the box. That is why, more than anything, it is exciting news to see that he has a new film, and it is with director Spike Jonze called Her.