Putting the season to bed on a few positives

Not everything that transpired this season was cause for moaning and groaning. If there were never a handful of redeeming moments that make me sincerely happy every year, I wouldn't keep following this Oscar circus so closely. Some of this season's highlights include:

-Christopher Plummer

There's nothing new about the Best Supporting Actor category being used to bestow a better-late-than-never career honour upon a respected veteran actor, but rarely is the coinciding performance of such high quality that it could have won the award on merit alone. Such was the case this year as Christopher Plummer, at 82 years young, became the oldest Oscar winner ever for his graceful, emotionally pure performance in Beginners. Given that it was such an under-seen, understated little gem of movie with no other nominations, for Plummer to do so well by it is a small, but very satisfying, miracle.

-Foreign Language curse broken

I wasn't very smart in my prediction for Best Foreign Language Film, where I skeptically laid back on the category's history of shafting the critical favourite in favour of typical Academy bait. But if ever there was a film to buck the trend, it was A Separation, legitimately the best foreign film of 2011, and of the many predictions I missed this year, its Oscar win was the one I was happiest to get wrong.

-Muppets have an Oscar!

Hard to believe in retrospect that "The Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie lost Best Original Song back in 1971, making it evident that the Academy might consider themselves to be just a little bit above those TV-based puppets. But even if it has to come with the asterisk of this year's dubious Best Original Song crop, it's still gratifying to see a Muppet film finally win an Oscar, and I personally was pleased to, for the first time, hear Jim Henson thanked in an Oscar speech.

-Smooth recovery from the Ratner fiasco

Brett Ratner's media fuax-pas back in November seriously threatened to become the major talking of the season, but the Academy's swift resolution (bringing on Brian Grazer as replacement producer and Billy Crystal as host) ensured that the whole messy affair soon became nothing more than a distant memory. The show they subsequently put on may not be the most special in Oscar history, but it was exactly what I'd have expected and wanted from that creative team, and not once did the proceedings feel like they were lingering in the shadow of the previous scandal. Sometimes a dose of familiar shtick really is the best remedy.

That's just about all there is left to say about this past Oscar season as far as I'm concerned. At some point in the coming months I'll start compiling some early predictions for next year. Speaking of early predictions, how well did I do predicting this year's nominees from a year back? I correctly anticipated 3/5 Best Adapted Screenplay nominees, 3/5 Best Art Direction nominees, 3/5 Best Sound Mixing nominees, 5/9 Best Picture nominees, 4/5 Best Cinematography nominees, and (if you count predicting Viola Davis in Supporting) all five Best Actress nominees! Looking forward to trying to improve that for next year!

Ta, for now.

One Category at a Time: Original Screenplay

I'm having a really tough time deciding how to feel about the slate of Best Original Screenplay nominees this year. On the one hand, there's nothing more gratifying than to see the two legitimately best screenplays of the year mentioned alongside each other. On the other hand, there's nothing more irritating than to see two uninspired screenplays squeeze out underrated gems like 50/50 and Young Adult in the one category where they could have earned some recognition. And then there's the Best Picture winner's token nomination for Writing. No strong feelings either which way about that one.

One Category at a Time: Supporting Actor

Best Supporting Actor is often a refuge for overdue veterans reminding the industry that they're still alive (unless they're in a film that's just too cool for the Academy - coughAlbertBrookscough!), and with the exception of one conspicuously youthful contender, that's exactly what the category represents this year. I think it's safe to assume that someone is finally getting his due this year, but while the precursors have made it convincingly clear which senior it'll be, I have some uneasy reservations.

SAG winners

Stunt Ensemble: Harry Potter

That's all well and good, but why wasn't Mission: Impossible nominated?

Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer,
Beginners

Hard to see how Plummer loses this on Oscar night, but the sudden appearance of Max von Sydow (in a Best Picture nominee, no less) has made me wary.

Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer,
The Help

Yep. Looks like the Oscar's hers. Nice speech too.

Well, damn. Only fifteen minutes in and two of the five awards I care about are done. Am I gonna have to wait an hour and a half until we hit another movie category?

Loved seeing Dick Van Dyke take the stage to introduce and narrate the tribute reel to Lifetime Achievement honouree Mary Tyler Moore. Less thrilled about listening to Mary prattle on about her showbiz name in her speech.

Actor: Jean Dujardin,
The Artist

Well well well, it looks like Harvey's been at it again. Did that pitch perfect Globes speech give Dujardin that extra push here? Where does this put us in terms of the Oscar conversation?

Actress: Viola Davis,
The Help

YES! I was so worried this was going to Meryl. But that acceptance speech. Wow. If that can't net her the Oscar I don't know what can.

Ensemble: The Help

Inarguably the best of the lot.

Well, I BOMBED my predictions (three for six if you include Stunt Ensemble, because why not?), but I'll confess that I was somewhat hedging my bets by predicting Meryl and The Artist; I just really wanted to see Viola and The Help win their respective categories, which they did, so yay!

Tonight marks the third consecutive televised wins for Octavia Spencer and Christopher Plummer. They are the smart Oscar bets, although I have an unsettling suspicion that Max von Sydow could sneak in the backdoor on Plummer. More on that later this week.

The Best Actress tiebreaker fell in favour of Viola Davis, and it was a huge win because it gave her another chance to move the room to tears with a staggering acceptance speech. Believe it or not, those can make a difference. It's PR gold that can tip the scales in your favour if you do it right, and in her two trips to the podium this season, Viola has NAILED it both times. I think the Oscar is her's to lose.

But what about Best Actor? I said that if someone was going to make a move on Clooney it would have to happen here, and it did. Clooney has the BFCA and the Drama Globe, Dujardin has the SAG and the Comedy Globe. It's worth noting that a comedic performance hasn't won the Best Actor Oscar since 1999 when Roberto Benigni ludicrously won for Life is Beautiful, but it's also worth noting that he also won the SAG and was backed by Weinstein (Mirimax, that is). I'm gonna have to think about this one.

ACE Eddie nominees

Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic):
The Descendants, Kevin Tent, A.C.E.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Angus Wall, A.C.E. & Kirk Baxter, A.C.E.
Hugo, Thelma Schoonmaker, A.C.E.
Moneyball, Christopher Tellefsen, A.C.E.
War Horse, Michael Kahn, A.C.E.

War Horse very much needed this to keep its Best Picture hopes alive. Nice to see Tellefsen nominated for his precise work on Moneyball. He'd make a handsome winner, but alas, I fear this is headed the way of Dragon Tattoo.

Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy or Musical):
The Artist, Anne-Sophie Bion & Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids, William Kerr & Michael L. Sale
Midnight in Paris, Alisa Lepselter
My Week with Marilyn, Adam Recht
Young Adult, Dana E. Glauberman, A.C.E.

What!? No Beginners!? And in lieu of that they nominate My (Excruciatingly Long and Clumsily Paced) Week with Marilyn!? Oh, A.C.E. Bow your heads in shame. I'd say The Artist has this sewn up.

Best Edited Animated Feature Film:
The Adventures of Tintin, Michael Kahn, A.C.E.
Puss in Boots, Eric Dapkewicz
Rango, Craig Wood, A.C.E

Michael Kahn is easily the most deserving of this lot if you ask me, but that doesn't necessarily mean the animators branch will nominate the film. Puss in Boots might be emerging as Dreamworks' better bet over Kung Fu Panda 2.

Best Edited Documentary:
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
, Joe Bini & Maya Hawke
Freedom Riders, Lewis Erskine & Aljernon Tunsil
George Harrison: Living in the Material World, David Tedeschi

None of these are on Oscar's shortlist so it's a moot point. But I must inquire as to where Senna is? I didn't think highly of the film itself but there's no denying it's an editors' piece if there ever was one.

My Awards nominations: Supporting Actress

Not the strongest year, in my opinion. These Supporting Actress performances are good, but none of them truly stands out to me as an obvious winner. I'm actually interested to find out which one I'll decide upon!

JESSICA CHASTAIN in The Help:

I could just as easily slotted her down for her graceful work on The Tree of Life, but she had more to chew on here; her character bubbles with infectious eccentricity to suppress her messy and complicated feelings of grief and shame.

ELLE FANNING in Super 8:

For being in a second-rate monster movie, she is surprisingly memorable. Her puppy love affair with Joe ratchets up the cute factor, and her rehearsal scene for the movie-within-a-movie seems to be the unanimous highlight of the film.

BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD in The Help:

She takes up the thankless task of playing the waspish queen bee of Jackson's privileged elite, an easy-to-hate but tricky-to-perform character in whom can be detected a frighteningly human element. Her final scene = perfection.

MELANIE LAURENT in Beginners:

Laurent is softly radiant as the love interest in this melancholy romance. You can't help but smile at her light comic touch, nor can you help but sigh at the fragility of her tender heart. Exquisitely supports the tone of the film.

CAREY MULLIGAN in Shame:

Mulligan shows us her range with a spikier, worldlier character than the naïve nymph that first brought her to our attention in An Education. She exceptionally plays the clingy, complex relationship with her sex-addicted brother.

Just missed:
Jessica Chastain in The Tree of Life, Evan Rachel Wood The Ides of March,
Shailene Woodley in The Descendants, Cate Blanchett in Hanna,
Vanessa Redgrave in Coriolanus

My Awards nomination: Film Editing

I rather the liked the variety and quality of Film Editing I saw on screen this year, but if I had to settle on five (which I did) they would be:

Beginners (Olivier Bugge Coutte):

Perfect handling of minimalist comic beats and soft-spoken drama, seamless back-and-forth between past and present.

Drive (Matthew Newman):

More varied and interesting than you'd expect of a crime thriller, making excellent use of dissolves and cross-fading, plus slow motion for suspense.

Moneyball (Christopher Tellefesen):

Finds interesting rhythms in scenes that might otherwise come across as mundane.

Warrior
(Sean Albertson, Matt Chesse, John Gilroy, Aaron Marshall):

Evenhanded presentation of multiple story arcs in the first half. The fight sequences owe their stirring effect to the dizzying shot selections.

We Need to Talk About Kevin (Joe Bini):

The evocation of Eva's frazzled recollections is a stellar editing showcase, excellent transitions between her present and her memories.

Just missed:
The Artist, Moneyball, Senna, Super 8, Tintin, The Tree of Life

My Awards nominations: Supporting Actor

Supporting Actor:

ALBERT BROOKS in Drive:

Brooks finds the seedy darkness inside an outwardly affable facade that makes his villainous mob boss all the more threatening.

ROBERT FORSTER in The Descendents:

Even though he only appears in a couple of scenes, the impact he leaves is palpable. The only way he knows how to cope with the grief of his daughter's inevitable death is bitterness and anger, but we can sense his love and his hurt.

EZRA MILLER in We Need to Talk About Kevin:

We don't get much exposure to Miller (as the older Kevin) until halfway through the movie, but once he's there he carries a ubiquitous presence that you can't shake. His depiction of a disturbed youth is as unsettling as they come.

BRAD PITT in The Tree of Life:

With a galvanic performance that bests any other of his career, Pitt becomes the personified embodiment of Mallick's idea of Nature; raw, unrelenting, pure, instinctive. It's hard to play an abstract theme instead of an arc, but Pitt nails it.

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER in Beginners:

Plummer's warm portrayal of dying man finally finding his identity in his last year of life is as inspiring as it is sad; a masterful stroke that blends the joy of his character's sexual liberation with the sorrow of knowing his own mortality.

Just missed:
Hugo Weaving in Captain America, Ben Kinsgley in Hugo, Nick Nolte in Warrior,
Patton Oswalt in Young Adult

My Awards nominations: Original Screenplay

On the heels of the WGA's announcement, here are my five best Original Screenplays of 2011:

50/50 (Will Reiser):
That the story of a young man diagnosed with cancer could be treated as a comedy is something of a small feat. That the humour never strays into morbid territory is more impressive still. One of the most emotionally compelling aspects Reiser's screenplay is how it devotes balanced attention to Adam's family and friends.

Beginners (Mike Mills):
This gentle little drama about the generation-spanning challenge of finding happiness succeeds in great part due to Mills' thoughtful screenplay. It's beautifully restrained, employing a melancholy sense of humour when needed to lighten his film's understated but deep-running sadness.

Martha Marcy May Marlene (Sean Durkin):
Durkin is clearly a talent to watch. His screenplay is an artful psychological study that unobtrusively guides the audience to their own understanding of what is dream and what is reality, what is paranoia and what is justified fear. The story does meander a bit, but it feels real that way.

Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen):
Playing both cynic and sentimentalist, Allen presents us with a humourous and perplexing psychological love affair that draws us to an epiphany about the root of nostalgia and our human dissatisfaction. It is his freshest, most imaginative premise since The Purple Rose of Cairo.

A Separation (Asghar Farhadi):
A complex, layered story whose painful truths are universal ones. It delves deep into human conscience and exposes the dangerous inconsistencies between our personal moral codes, our responsibilities to model ethics for our children, and the emotional consequences of neglecting those responsibilities.

Just missed: The Artist, Rampart, The Tree of Life, Young Adult

Review - Beginners

Beginners, Mike Mills' gentle little drama about the generation-spanning challenge of finding happiness, succeeds in great part due to its three central performances and Mills' thoughtful screenplay. Ewan McGregor plays a lonely graphic artist still quietly reeling from a death in the family; his father, excellently played by Christopher Plummer, was 75 years old when he came out about his homosexuality and proceeded to try and grab once last slice of happiness before his terminal lung cancer took over. This story is told in flashback while we follow McGregor's pursuit of a relationship after his father's death. Having met an eccentric woman at a party, the softly radiant Melanie Laurent, he revels in his new found love, but his private insecurities about the finite nature of happiness threaten to sabotage the burgeoning romance. Mills' script and direction are beautifully restrained, employing a melancholy sense of humour when needed to lighten his film's understated but deep-running sadness.

***1/2 out ****

One Category at a Time: Best Supporting Actor

As it was with Supporting Actress, I managed to guess three of this past year's nominees from a year out. I was relatively confident about some of those early picks too, but I can't say the same thing about any of today's advanced predictions.

It's odd to think that Paul Giamatti only has one nomination to his name (and for Cinderella Man of all things), but the Academy will have a chance to remedy that if he delivers in George Clooney's A-lister-filled drama The Ides of March. But will internal competition keep him from attracting enough attention? There are lots of possible Supporting Actor candidates in the film.

This category is often kind to respected veterans whose best work is behind them, but whose longevity and versatility allows them to continue working. After garnering his first career nomination last year, Christopher Plummer could return for another shot with Mike Mills' Beginners.

Meryl Streep has the tendency to steal her costars' spotlight, but recall Stanley Tucci's warm turn as her supportive turn in Julie & Julia probably helped him earn his nomination last year (although for a different movie). Maybe Jim Broadbent can win some awards love by playing her supportive husband in The Iron Lady?

For a few years Philip Seymour Hoffman was ubiquitous, first winning his Oscars for Capote and then following it up with two consecutive Supporting Actor nods. He's been absent a couple of years now, but Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian have probably written him a plum role in Moneyball. The film is being made by Bennett Miller who directed Hoffman to that Capote Oscar.

And for a really off the wall prediction, how about Kenneth Branagh in My Week with Marilyn? I always forget that he has four nominations (in four different categories!), although the last one was in 1996 for adapting Hamlet. Perhaps there's a chance he can nab a nod for playing Laurence Olivier.

Predicted five:
Christopher Plummer in Beginners
Paul Giamatti in The Ides of March
Philip Seymour Hoffman in Moneyball or The Ides of March
Jim Broadbent in The Iron Lady
Kenneth Branagh in My Week with Marilyn

Also consider: Vincent Cassal in A Dangerous Method, Daniel Craig in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Thomas Hayden Church in We Bought a Zoo, Hal Holbrook in Water for Elephants, Sean Penn in The Tree of Life, Brad Pitt in The Tree of Life, John C. Reilly in We Need to Talk About Kevin, Christoph Waltz in Water for Elephants