Con Job: 'The Big Short' stuns as PGA winner

Well fuck.

The only fraud bigger than the one Wall Street perpetrated against the American public prior to the 2008 housing crisis, is the one The Big Short -- which "smartly" depicts that shameful recent chapter of history -- is pulling over on Hollywood as we speak.

And yet there it stands, as our new Best Picture frontrunner by "virtue" of having won the Producers Guild of America's top prize late last night in Los Angeles. Anyone who claims to have seen this coming is being a revisionist historian. Under no circumstance did this film -- as abrasive, impenetrable and, at its worst, condescending a comedy as you'll likely see -- have the qualities of a consensus pick. It's victory here, and its now inevitable victory at the Oscars, will baffle me for years to come.

One Category at a Time: Documentary

There's no doubt in my mind that this is the most impressive quintet of nominees the Academy has put together in any category this year.

The only one I have slight reservations about is Gasland, and that has more to do with the Josh Fox's form and structure. Conceptually it's a very compelling piece of investigative media, with some eye-opening and infuriating information to present.

Waste Land is my fourth favourite, for its rousing emotional foundation and loose unintrusive style. It's a testament to Lucy Walker's range as a documentarian and a filmmaker that this was released the same year as her Countdown to Zero, which is much different in structure and subject matter. The film is indeed an inspiration.

Creeping up my ladder of preference to #3 you'll find Restrepo, an extraordinary objective observer essay put on film. That Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger could even get this film made is incredible enough, let alone that it should succeed so thoroughly in frightening and exhilarating us, and putting us in the mindset of the soldier.

My second favourite is Charles Ferguson's slick and focused Inside Job, which carries out the daunting task of explaining the excruciating mechanics of 2008's economic crisis to the layman with ease and intelligence. One of the most interesting and riling movies of the year, it's societal pertinence and professionalism will likely earn it Oscar gold.

And finally, the best of the lot (and that's saying a lot!), Banksy's droll Exit Through the Gift Shop, perhaps one of the most unusual "documentaries" I've ever seen, but one of the most memorable. Banksy is constantly molding it like a lump of clay, always into something fascinating, but it never stays that shape for long. Finally, by the end, he's left us with something that transcends shape; an epiphany. I've never seen such a unique and hilarious study of art and celebrity.

Will win: Inside Job
Runner-up: Waste Land

Should win: Exit Through the Gift Shop
Should have been nominated: Catfish

WGA winners

Adapted: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Original: Christopher Nolan, Inception
Documentary: Charles Ferguson, Inside Job

GREAT trio of winners. Even if I might have preferred to see The Kids Are All Right bring a prize to Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg, it's great to see Christopher Nolan receive his due for one of the most impressive filmmaking accomplishments of the year.

Aaron Sorkin continues to clean up, deservedly so, and Charles Ferguson snatched up a major award for his excellent breakdowns and effective explanations in Inside Job.

Hooper, Ferguson take DGA honours

Well fuck.

I might have known this was going to happen. The King's Speech director Tom Hooper is probably in the driver's seat now. Having won the DGA (with BAFTA likely to follow) and directed the film that's going to win Best Picture, I'd say his "coup de directeur" is in full swing. I guess critics' darling The Social Network was just that; a critics' darling.

But maybe Fincher can still come out with a win on Oscar night despite this guild hiccup. Is there a precedent? Turns out the most recent case is when Chicago's Rob Marshall snagged the guild prize away from Polanski and Scorsese in 2003, only to lose the Oscar to more deserving and more overdue Polanski (nice move, Academy!). However, I don't think Fincher has achieved quite that level of "overdue" just yet, and remember Chicago was a musical, the directors of which haven't been taken seriously as Best Director winners since Bob Fosse won for Cabaret nearly 40 years ago!

In more pleasing news, the DGA awarded their documentary honour to perceived Oscar frontrunner Charles Ferguson for his excellent Inside Job. Being the only documentary this year nominated by all four major guilds, I'd say it's a safe call, although the delightful Exit Through the Gift Shop is an intriguing spoiler possibility. People just love that movie. I'll jump for joy if it manages a surprise win.

The King's Speech steals PGA Award

Oh shit. I was afraid this might happen.

Operating under the same voting procedure as will the Academy when it decides on its Best Picture winner, The PGA and that damned preferential ballot have determined The King's Speech to be the year's best. Does this mean there are more people who think The King's Speech is THE best movie of the year than people who think it's The Social Network? Somehow I doubt it. But it does mean more people prefer The King's Speech to The Social Network. It gobbles up #2 and #3 slots on that ranked ballot of theirs, whereas if The Social Network isn't in a voter's #1 spot, he/she probably didn't like it enough to even put it in his/her top five. I don't like this. Not one bit.

Meanwhile, the PGA vexes me further by handing their Documentary prize to Lesley Chilcott for Waiting for Superman, which, while not a bad film, is quickly becoming the most overrated film the year, having already taken the Critics' Choice and poised to swipe several other industry awards away from Inside Job before finally usurping the Oscar.

The organization's one right decision this year is the predictable awarding of their Animated honour to Toy Story 3 producer (and soon-to-be Oscar nominee) Darla K. Anderson. Congrats!

ACE nominees!

The American Cinema Editors have spoken:

Best Edited Feature Film (Dramatic)
“Black Swan” (Andrew Weisblum)
“The Fighter” (Pamela Martin)
“Inception” (Lee Smith) This had better win!
“The King’s Speech” (Tariq Anwar)
“The Social Network” (Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall)

Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy or Musical)
“Alice in Wonderland” (Chris Lebenzon)
“Easy A” (Susan Littenberg)
“The Kids Are All Right” (Jeffrey M. Werner) This had better win!
“Made in Dagenham” (Michael Parker)
“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” (Jonathan Amos, Paul Machliss)

Best Edited Animated Film
“Despicable Me” (Gregory Perler, Pam Ziegenhagen)
“How to Train Your Dragon” (Maryann Brandon, Darren T. Holmes)
“Toy Story 3″ (Ken Schretzmann, Lee Unkrich)

Best Edited Documentary
“Exit Through the Gift Shop” (Tom Fulford, Chris King) This had better win!
“Inside Job” (Chad Beck, Adam Bolt)
“Waiting for Superman” (Jay Cassidy, Greg Finton, Kim Roberts)


Pretty decent slate, especially given how my five film editing favourites of the year are all represented! Yay! Some observations to pick out from this very important guild:

-The omission of 127 Hours is indeed a sign; the industry just doesn't seem excited about this movie. Are people really being turned off by the graphic grisliness? I'm thinking this is the Best Picture contender in that unenviable 11th slot right now.
-I've had The Fighter down for Film Editing since my early predictions waaaaay back in May, and it looks like that may come to fruition.
-Black Swan and Inception have scored with every guild (although you could argue Inception's Stunt Ensemble nod from SAG doesn't really count).
-Inside Job is the only documentary to score with all four major guilds (DGA, WGA, PGA, ACE). Do we have a winner?

My Award nominations: Documentary

Best Documentary:

Catfish (Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman):
It starts as a suspicious online relationship that turns into a thrilling investigation that ends up a settled contemplation about what our digital age society and the people in it are all about. Speculations that it may be a hoax are beside the point, because it tells its story and delivers its message so effectively and entertainingly.

Exit Through the Gift Shop (Banksy):
A brilliantly edited, mercurial meditation on the nature of art, culture, and creative expression vs creative fakery. We never know what the film is really about until the final frames, just like we never really know whether it's a "real" documentary or an elaborate ruse. Whatever the answer, it remains an ingenious and hilarious work of art.

Inside Job (Charles Ferguson):
This searing expose on how Wall Street greed and irresponsibility lead to the global economic crisis of 2008 succeeds both as an enlightening lesson in the follies of the structure of our financial system and the people governing it, as well as a witty and compelling piece of entertainment that'll leave you both bemused an enraged.

Restrepo (Tim Hetherington, Sebastian Junger):
It's a miracle that this riveting documentary should even exist. It's a testament to the dedication and courage of Hetherington and Junger, who spent a year in the most dangerous place on earth to conduct an objective study of men at war. No political position is taken. The only concern is to observe the harrowing life of the American soldier.

Waste Land (Lucy Walker):
A stirring and inspiring tale of art and social responsibility, it's not hard to see why Waste Land brings festival audiences to their feet. The only thing more extraordinary than Vik Muniz's garbage creations is how profoundly they affect the lives of the people who inspired him. director Lucy Walker wisely avoids an formalism in telling a story as emotional as this.

Just missed: Countdown to Zero, Waiting for Superman, Gasland

WGA nominees

Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours
I Love You Phillip Morris
The Social Network
The Town
True Grit

I Love You Phillip Morris is a bit of a surprise, but given how so many adaptations are out of the running, it's a surprise we knew would be coming.

Original Screenplay
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
Please Give

Please Give is another expected surprise, benefiting from a number of high-profile ineligibilities.

Documentary Screenplay
Enemies of the People
Freedom Riders
Gasland
Inside Job
The Two Escobars
Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)?

Inside Job is the only real Oscar hopeful here (although GasLand and Enemies of the People are on the shortlist). I'm rooting for it all the way, as it is one of the most finely written films of the year.

Review - Inside Job

Charles Ferguson's hard-hitting documentary Inside Job will leave you feeling right pissed as you leave the theatre. And I mean that in the best possible way. It's a searing expose on how Wall Street greed and irresponsibility lead to the global economic crisis of 2008, which succeeds both as an enlightening lesson in the follies of the structure and the people governing our financial system as well as a witty and compelling piece of entertainment.

To argue that Inside Job is anything but dense would be false, as the amount of research that went into this film and the complexity of their findings are nothing short of staggering. But even more staggering is Ferguson's ability to refine, streamline, and present his investigation in a self-contained 100-minute format that someone with absolutely no knowledge of the financial industry (such as myself) can follow, and without oversimplifying or sacrificing the integrity of the information. His organization of the movie into five distinct chapters helps guide the audience through the purpose behind the thick explanations (of concepts like the derivative market, collateralized debt obligations, credit default swaps, and the securitization food chain) and what conclusions to draw from them.

His position is clear: The people responsible for deregulating the stock market, thus encouraging unwise high-risk investments that but billions of tax payers' dollars on the bubble while waltzing away with their own six-to-eight-figure incomes, must be held accountable. Of course, many of those at whom Ferguson points a finger declined to be interviewed for the film; probably the smartest move they've made in the last ten years, as he is an informed and tenacious interviewer who nails his subjects to the hot-seat and makes 'em sweat. He relishes in showing us the awkward silences and helpless stammers of interviewees who know they've just been asked a question that implicates their guilt.

A nod for Best Documentary had better be coming, and by all the buzz it's received since Cannes, I cant imagine that it won't get in. It could even win.

***1/2 out of ****