160 - Oscar predictions

What follows is my Oscar predictions article as I submitted it to the NI:



It’s almost here! On Sunday the 79th Annual Academy Awards will air, which for me is a million times more interesting and thrilling than the Super Bowl. Sure, the process is appallingly political and most of the voters don’t even see all of the films, but what other time of the year can movie lovers get together and have a big celebration of the medium without being ridiculed?
The following are my predictions for who will win the six most important (read: cared about) categories. I will also list my preference for who should win, though I’ll limit my preference to the nominees. Last year, before I shot to fame and fortune writing for this paper, I guessed them all correctly. This year, I’d be happy to predict half.

Best Supporting Actor

Eddie Murhpy, Oscar winner? Come Sunday, those words will likely be truthful. Murphy was the best part of "Dreamgirls," but was it really a stretch? I’d argue no. It’s a vibrant performance, but the only real deviation is when he puts on a sad face to chop up heroin.
More affecting performances came from Alan Arkin as the surly grandfather in "Little Miss Sunshine" and Mark Wahlberg as the hilariously profane policeman in "The Departed." Djimon Hounsou’s was good in "Blood Diamond" but the part mainly consisted of him screaming and throwing a fit while DiCaprio does the heavy lifting, and Jackie Earle Haley’s tortured sex offender in "Little Children" is impressive, but not the sort of role voters can sink their teeth into.

Prediction: Eddie Murphy
Preference: Mark Wahlberg

Best Supporting Actress

To quote an anonymous Academy voter in Entertainment Weekly, "This whole bulls--- with Jennifer Hudson is completely out of hand." I can’t argue that her role didn’t elevate her star, but the suggestion that she deserves an Oscar for it is ludicrous. She can sing, but can’t act, and this isn’t the Grammys. Behold the reason why many cinephiles don’t take the ceremony seriously; awards handed out like candy to flashes in the pan.

As for the rest: Abigail Breslin of "Little Miss Sunshine" proved to be one of those rare child actors who can steal scenes from the adults. Cate Blanchett’s role as an adulterous schoolteacher in "Notes on a Scandal" was well acted but plain. Adriana Barraza put her health at risk for her powerful performance as a nanny who inadvertently puts her charges in danger in "Babel". But Rinko Kikuchi’s performance as a sexually frustrated deaf-mute teenager, also from "Babel," is an unmatched for its haunting emotional potency. I sincerely hope my prediction for this one is wrong.

Prediction: Jennifer Hudson
Preference: Rinko Kikuchi


Best Actor

The past two Best Actor winners received a statue for playing real people, and the odds are that Forest Whitaker’s performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland" will continue the trend.

Other contenders include Peter O’Toole as a broken down old actor in "Venus" and Leonardo DiCaprio as a Rhodesian diamond smuggler in "Blood Diamond." Will Smith’s poor but ambitious dad in "The Pursuit of Happyness" and Ryan Gosling’s crack-addicted school teacher in "Half Nelson" are essentially non-competitors.

The voters "The Last King of Scotland" will likely agree that Whitaker deserves the prize for his frightening and charismatic portrayal of a real life monster. It’s the kind of bold and memorable role that Oscars were made for.

Prediction: Forest Whitaker
Preference: Forest Whitaker

Best Actress

Helen Mirren, this year’s Oscar lock. Her nuanced performance as Queen Elizabeth II has crushed the competition for other awards and is poised to do so once again.

It’s almost a shame that Mirren is a sure thing, because any other year this one could be close. Of the other nominees, Kate Winslet gave the most moving, complex performance as a bored suburban housewife longing for passion in her life. But who am I kidding? Mirren owns this one.

Prediction: Helen Mirren
Preference: Kate Winslet

Best Director

Is this finally Martin Scorsese’s year? The six-time Best Director nominee may have finally produced an Oscar winner with "The Departed." But as good as it may be, it is nowhere near his best work, or even the best of the year. In theory, the award rewards the best work this year, not over an entire career.

Out of all the nominees, perhaps the most accomplished was that of Paul Greengrass. His realistic and intense direction of "United 93" took an actual event and made it feel more like a documentary than a film. Of the remaining three, only Alejandro González Iñárritu did brilliant work, though he had an amazing script to work with; Greengrass’ direction is the indisputable driving force behind his masterpiece.

Prediction: Martin Scorsese
Preference: Paul Greengrass

Best Picture

The grand prize. This year’s five nominees are a particularly good selection, as usually at least one terrible film is thrown into the mix. But what a varied mix we have here; an international drama, a bloody crime thriller, a somber war film, a road trip comedy, and a royal biopic are competing for the honor of plastering "Best Picture Winner" all over the advertisements for the DVD.

As last year’s upset of "Brokeback Mountain" ala "Crash" demonstrated, there is no sure thing in this category. Every one of these films has at least a small possibility of winning, though only one will. "Little Miss Sunshine" was an indie beloved by audiences and critics, though comedies tend to lose. "Letters from Iwo Jima" hits a clear anti-war note and comes from a filmmaker beloved by the Academy but was comparatively little seen. The impressiveness of "The Queen" doesn’t change the fact that it could have been a made-for-TV movie and no one would have noticed.

That leaves "Babel" and "The Departed" as the front-runners. Many predict "The Departed" will win, and that may be, but it is mainly on the list due to the man who directed it. "Babel" is an incendiary masterpiece that easily reigns as the greatest film of the bunch, but make no mistake, it’s a hard pill to swallow, and Academy voters aren’t as far ahead of the curve as Hollywood would have you think.

It’s the hardest call on the list, but I’m going to put my faith in "Babel." Like last year’s upset winner, it has detractors, but also speaks with deep resonance about the human condition. Whichever film wins, it’ll be close.

Prediction: Babel
Preference: Babel


Think you can predict the future better than I can? You’re probably right, and should prove it! Email me your predictions for these six categories at jfrazier@uni.edu. If you correctly call each winner, then you will be congratulated in this very publication, and can then brag to your friends about how much smarter and wiser you are than me. Don’t forget your name and town!

159 - Top 10 Films of 2006

I’ve been keeping track of every movie I see for over six years, and I can say without a doubt that 2006 was the best year for film since I started. Any one of my four favorites this year would be my favorite if released in 2002-2005, but since they were all released in 2006 I find myself hard pressed to rank any one as better than another. I’ve seen 90 total so far, and still have a few to go. I regret that geographic limitations have ensured that I still need to see a few such as David Lynch’s "Inland Empire" or "Volver," but the unusually high number of masterpieces in this list ensure that it’ll be tough to crack. The following are my ten favorite films of 2006, ranked in order of preference.

1. Babel – Despite all of our technological advances, the ability to communicate, not just verbally but to truly connect, is as much of a mystery as ever. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s phenomenal film follows four interlocking stories about incredibly different people each facing their own personal hell. It’s an amazing feat that Iñárritu breaks through each character’s cultural and personal walls to form a painfully empathetic portrait of despair and wanting. The performances are stunning all around, but Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi gives the best performance of 2006, a deeply haunting and heartbreaking accomplishment in a film rife with them. It has been years since I left a film reconsidering my own outlook on life, but this one’s searing embrace left no alternative.

2. United 93 – If Paul Greengrass’ terrifying docudrama isn’t the best film of the year, but it’s doubtlessly the most important. "United 93" jarringly recreates what may be the most fascinating story of 9/11, where a group of strangers trapped on a flying missile banded together to do something about their fate. The result is a disturbingly real masterpiece that many viewers purposely avoided. But for anyone who remembers with clarity and deep sadness that fateful day, this is required viewing.

3. Children of Men – Alfonso Cuarón’s film follows a man as he escorts a pregnant woman through a dystopic England where no new humans have been born for nearly 20 years. It’s bleak, incredibly violent, depressing, yet ultimately uplifting, a visually dazzling testament to the highs and lows of humanity. The brilliant cinematography latches onto the most brutal scenes and refuses to let go, immersing the audience into a hellish universe that feels all too plausible.

4. The Prestige – Movie magic, literally, at its best. Christopher Nolan returns to great form with this battle of two late 19th century magicians. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman are perfect as the warring illusionists who dedicate their lives to one-upmanship and mutual destruction. The plot is a delightful web of tricks and secrets but Nolan never hedges his bets, making sure that all becomes crystal clear by the dark, grand conclusion.

5. Casino Royale – Sure, it’s a mega-budget blockbuster full of explosions, gun battles, fistfights, and drop-dead gorgeous women. But Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond is both revelatory and predatory, the spy coming off as frustrated and vicious in addition to suave, capable, and intelligent. For a character whose mythology is heavily based on effortless detachment from humanity, Craig’s very personal and even touching performance is a gem that leaves the audience shaken and stirred.

6. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan – In a year of great movie moments, who would have guessed that one of the best would be a graphic nude wrestling match between two markedly unattractive men? It’s a testament to Sacha Baron Cohen’s skill and dedication to playing Borat, an openly racist Kazakhstani reporter who travels across America in a quest to take Pamela Anderson’s virginity, that such crass subject matter is elevated to a level of sublime performance art. Those who can stomach the joke are treated to the most hilarious film in years.

7. Flags of Our Fathers – Though Clint Eastwood’s other Iwo Jima film has received most of the critical praise, this bleak illustration of the futility of war rings truer, historically and thematically. It doesn’t stop at the battlefield, but continues well into the dirty business of propaganda and post-war spiritual destruction. The most affecting moments come as the veterans try to make sense out of the chaos that has shattered their lives forever.

8. Art School Confidential – Any artist or writer that ventures through college has that moment; the one where everyone in class viciously shreds your good work and brainlessly praises the worst. Terry Zwigoff’s bitter black comedy savagely explores this moment and more. Its topics range from the phoniness of the stuffy artistic elite to the absurdity of fame seeking, and the frustration of failure.

9. Marie Antoinette – Sofia Coppola’s portrait of the (in)famous monarch was largely ignored by moviegoers. Their loss. It’s an elegant, thoughtful and surprisingly fun biopic that portrays Marie as a reluctant prisoner to her lofty position who nonetheless fulfills her role with dignity and poise.

10. The Departed – One of the hallmarks of a great director is the ability to take B-grade material and elevate it to something sensational. Few will argue that Martin Scorsese doesn’t qualify as a masterful filmmaker, and this is his best film since, well, his last one. Equipped with a sharp adapted screenplay and the greatest cast of the year, Scorsese’s latest work is a bloody, profane, and thrilling exploration of themes such as loyalty and identity.

Honorable Mention: Brick, The Last King of Scotland, Little Children, Little Miss Sunshine, The Proposition, The Queen, Rocky Balboa, Underworld: Evolution, V for Vendetta, World Trade Center

158 - Norbit review

Stage one of Eddie Murphy’s recent comeback: Score a Best Supporting Actor nod in a semi-serious stretch as a vibrant, drug addicted singer in “Dreamgirls.” Stage two of Eddie Murphy’s recent comeback: Star in a big-budget, lamebrained comedy that shamelessly mines familiar territory for easy laughs. Fool proof plan, right?

Maybe so, as the strong opening weekend gross of “Norbit” implies. I’ve been a long-time fan of Murphy’s despite the fact that the majority of his films fall under the latter category of the “Hit and Miss” section. Going by resume alone, it seems hard to believe that an actor who has headlined so many crappy movies was at one point the hottest movie star alive. Actually studying the films says otherwise, though, as his charm and ease in front of the camera have enabled him to remain likeable, even while “Vampire in Brooklyn” sucks the valuable time away from anyone unfortunate enough to watch it.

His natural appeal gets put to good use in “Norbit,” which I expected to be horrendous but instead found myself laughing at every few jokes or so. It’s the sort of movie that nearly makes one feel embarrassed for enjoying the high level of talent that makes it okay to giggle along.

Murphy stars as the title character, a sweet-natured, passive nerd raised by orphanage owner and racial stereotype Mr. Wong (Murphy made up to look like a 70-year-old Chinese man). Norbit is strong-armed into marriage with Rasputia (Murphy in a very detailed fat-suit), a flamboyant but vile 300-pound woman who dictates her weak husband’s every move and has disgusting affairs with the local exercise instructor. The snarling yoke of his terrible wife begins to crumble when Kate (Thandie Newton), a long-lost childhood love, comes back to town to buy Mr. Wong’s orphanage. She takes an immediate liking to Norbit, presumably because he’s the only man she’s met since adulthood that didn’t hit on her right away. Since every screenplay needs some silly problem to drive the narrative, Norbit has to ensure that the orphanage doesn’t get transformed into a strip joint by Rasputia’s thuggish brothers and Kate’s seedy fiancée (Cuba Gooding Jr., making pretty abysmal use of that decade-old Oscar).

The plot is structured in such a way that it’s easy to imagine that the director rolled the camera and let Murphy improvise a large part of the jokes. Murphy understands how to milk crass humor for laughs, instead of simply saturating the audience with gross-out gags like a Rob Schneider atrocity. The material occasionally gets a little rough (leave the young kids at home), but there’s a softness to much of it. Most surprisingly, the film lacks much of the cruelty that usually coarses through the veins of comedies that aim for laughs at the expense of a morbidly obese character. Rasputia’s flashy assertiveness and comically violent outbursts essentially render her innate offensiveness moot, reminding us that we’re looking at a caricature, not a stereotype. While the same can’t be said of Mr. Wong, at least Murphy voices some of the film’s more clever lines through his rispy royce, er, lispy voice.

Though I reluctantly enjoyed it, I wished for more. Not so much for this film to be better, but for Murphy to make one that could recall his great work such as “Trading Places” and “Beverly Hills Cop” instead of mediocre examples like “The Nutty Professor” or “Showtime.”Thinking back, I realized one reason I sympathized with Norbit; Murphy played a nearly identical character in “Bowfinger,” a wonderful Hollywood satire from 1999. Put into that perspective, I can see “Norbit” more clearly as one career move forward, two artistic leaps backward.

2.5 out of 5