Review - War for the Planet of the Apes

“Apes together, strong” is a fitting mantra for Caesar, the super-smart lab chimp played by Andy Serkis around whom 20^th Century Fox's Planet of the Apes prequel trilogy orbits. First it was his righteous rallying cry as he led a simian revolt against human oppressors in 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Then it became a plea for peace and unity in the superb 2014 sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, as fear and war-mongering rent his ape utopia asunder.

With War for the Planet of the Apes now wrapping up the story, it also serves as an 'ape-ropos' meta-assessment for the series itself. Under the sturdy guidance of husband-and-wife producers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (who co-wrote the first two chapters before turning scripting duties over to writer-director Matt Reeves, who also helmed Dawn), these three straight-faced precursors to a verbose and silly 60s sci-fi represent the best of what the modern studio culture can accomplish; A high-minded dramatic saga driven by emotion over spectacle, and serviced (rather than shadowed) by technical innovation. Taken as a whole, these Apes reboots leave an impression far more enduring than any of them do as standalone entities. Even if War doesn't quite match the sprawling Shakespearean complexity of Dawn, it still delivers a grand conclusion to what has stealthily become the finest blockbuster franchise of its decade. Apes together, strong.

My Awards nominations: Actor

Some tough calls for me to make in this category. I wish I could include more that these five Leading Actor nominees:

MICHAEL FASSBENDER in Shame:

A perturbed, methodical portrait of addiction and sexual dependency that commands our attention even when we would rather not look. Fassbender's work keeps us gripped to a film that, frankly, isn't as interesting as his character is. Even during long, uneventful takes, we are fascinated.

JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT in 50/50:

A superb, controlled performance that maintains the character's typically mellow demeanor but subtly infers the anxiety simmering within. He often has to play the comedic straight man to multiple characters, which he handles perfectly without ever losing sight of his character's emotional journey.

WOODY HARRELSON in Rampart:

A painfully real depiction of an angry, foolish, tormented man in denial about himself and the world he lives in. Harrelson's performance is immersive and lived-in, implying a masterful application of method and a reliance on character-specific instincts.

BRAD PITT in Moneyball:

Some people quibble that there's too much Brad Pitt in his portrayal of Billy Beane. I argue that there's just the right amount of Brad Pitt, whose movie star charisma does indeed gleam through, but never at the expense of his internalization of a man questioning his own worth.

ANDY SEKIS in Rise of the Planet of the Apes:

Serkis, naturally, brings is A-game. His Caesar is one worth hailing; a sensitive, confused, angry soul condemned to the body of a beast. It's his performance that moves and inspires the audience far more than his human costars. Once again, he is deserving of an Oscar nomination he won't receive.

Just missed:
George Clooney in The Descendants, Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Jean Dujardin in The Artist, Ryan Gosling in Drive, Matthias Schoenaerts in Bullhead

Review - Rampart

Oren Moverman's Rampart, the title of which refers to the scandal that shone light on widespread LAPD misconduct in the late 1990s, follows a crooked cop (Woody Harrelson) through a rough road to realization that, for as long to as the film runs, the character resists.