Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Jackie" (2016)

Natalie Portman in Jackie

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.

Theory Thursday: "The Elephant Man" is David Lynch's Best Movie

Scene from The Elephant Man

Welcome to a weekly column called Theory Thursdays, which will be released every Thursday and discuss my "controversial opinion" related to something relative to the week of release. Sometimes it will be birthdays while others is current events or a new film release. Whatever the case may be, this is a personal defense for why I disagree with the general opinion and hope to convince you of the same. While I don't expect you to be on my side, I do hope for a rational argument. After all, film is a subjective medium and this is merely just a theory that can be proven either way. 

R.I.P. John Hurt (1940-2017)

John Hurt

On January 25, 2017, actor John Hurt died at the age of 77 in Norfolk, England. With a career spanning 60 years and over 120 movie and TV roles, the charismatic actor was considered to be one of the best at depicting outsiders. Among his most noteworthy roles are many performances that reflect this, including Alien, The Elephant Man, and Midnight Express. Even then, the actor was game for any role, giving it his all and bringing the character to life in invigorating fashion. He leaves behind an impressive and massive body of work that will leave audiences laughing and crying for generations to come. He may not always have the most recognizable face, but he always knew how to make movies better.

Review: "Jackie" Turns a Familiar Moment Into an Original, Heart-Wrenching Drama

Natalie Portman

Throughout history, public leaders have been turned into mythic giants with infallible gifts. They lead their countries through hard times often at the risk of legacy-ruining scrutiny. While time has a habit of only enforcing this mindset more, it does feel important to remember the one truth: they were just humans. Never has that been more apparent in late 20th century American history than on November 22, 1963 when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It's a moment that history won't let anyone forget, even as it's over 50 years old. Yet there's one side that's often overlooked that was there that day. His wife Jacqueline Kennedy was by his side, but whose story has rarely been given attention. Director Pablo Larrain's Jackie uses this construct to explore more universal themes with a script whose prose reads as a long essay on the grieving process. With poetic language and even more beautiful cinematography, the film sparks with life in one of the most original biopics to come out this past year.

The "Jackie" Trailer Adds a Beautiful Sense of Woe to a Tragic Story

Natalie Portman

It seems poignant that with the 2016 American presidential election almost a week old, it's time for the Oscar race to turn to its own political royalty story. Director Pablo Larrain's Jackie has been effectively receiving praise from its various festival appearances and looks to pit Oscar-winner Natalie Portman back into the Best Actress race for her role as Jackie Onassis Kennedy. The teaser produced an electric series of images that if nothing else was beautiful to look at. In the first full trailer, we get to hear Mrs. Kennedy tell her tale of woe and add context to the imagery. The results keep it locked as one of the year's most exciting releases of the Fall season.

The First "Jackie" Trailer is a Beautiful, Somber Look Into the First Lady's Camelot

Natalie Portman in Jackie

There are countless films about American Presidents. It is in telling their stories that cinema is able to understand the country's rich history, especially as conflicts blur between politics and personal desires. With limited exceptions, the First Ladies have often been written out of the picture or at best reduced to a supporting role. It is one of the reasons that director Pablo Larrain's Jackie joins this Oscar season with a vibrant and promising chance. With Natalie Portman starring as former First Lady Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy, the film has been receiving acclaim at almost every major film festival and looks to see Portman receiving her first Oscar nomination since 2010's Black Swan. From the looks of the first trailer, it looks like more than a sure thing.