Animated Shorts finalists give me a firm rooting interest...

Normally, when the Academy announces its shortlist of Animated Short contenders, a handful of them can already be found online. This year, the only readily available one is Duet, by legendary Disney character animator Glen Keane. And I can tell you right now that I'm rooting for him all the way.

Not that I necessarily think his elegantly simple 3-and-a-half minute short will be the best (some of his competition looks equally impressive), but the simple fact that it's Keane -- the man who breathed palpable life into Ariel, the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and Rapunzel -- who would be credited with the Oscar is enough for me to throw all my cheering power behind it.

My Awards nomiations: Original Song

As is usually the case, this is a thin category. Songwriting for film just isn't in vogue nowadays, but if you look close enough you can usually spot at least three of four decent Original Songs a year:

"Lay Your Head Down" from Albert Nobbs (Brian Byrne, Glenn Close):

This lovely Irish lullaby that concludes the film appropriately captures the film's subdued, delicate nature. Only used for the credits, but it's just so pretty.

"Star Spangled Man" from Captain America (Alan Menken, David Zippel):

One of my favourite moments of the film was the snappy montage set to this jaunty anthem that gently satirizes wartime propaganda in the spirit of a USO show.

"Lily (Rita)" from Chico & Rita (Bebo Valdes):

A romantic and melodious love theme that evolves over the course of the film from random ticklings of the piano keys to a sweeping full-bodied orchestration.

"Hell and Back" from Hell and Back Again (J. Ralph):

Soulful, poetically worded, and given melancholy voice by Willie Nelson's country rasp, this track is a soothing epilogue to a wrenching character study.

"Life's a Happy Song" from The Muppets (Bret Mackenzie):

A bouncy opening number that signals the beginning of a laugh-out-loud romp, and it even gets a heart-bursting reprise as the film's big finale.

Just missed:
"The Living Proof" from The Help, "Pictures in My Head" from The Muppets,
"The Keeper" from Machine Gun Preacher

Review - Beauty and the Beast 3D

Aiming to take a load off my awards-addled mind – something I recommend everyone do this time of year – I spent the afternoon taking in the 3D resurrection of an old favourite. Springboarding from the surprisingly profitable release of The Lion King last fall, Disney is giving their timeless musical romance Beauty and the Beast the same treatment in hopes of drawing in audiences over less-than-compelling January fare.

It didn't take much to get my butt in a seat. The film is, in my opinion, a high watermark for Walt Disney Animation. While The Little Mermaid is justly adored and credited with being the game-changer for the struggling studio in 1989, Beauty and the Beast must be acknowledged as the film that refined the new formula to the point of near perfection, approaching the love story with more emotional maturity and the musical format with more sophistication than any of its many predecessors in the Disney canon. It won unanimous critical praise and a cool Best Picture nomination as reward. That it continues to charm new generations of movie lovers to this day is merely a verification of the "instant classic" status that was bestowed upon it in 1991.

Sunday Top Ten: Alan Menken songs

This past Friday marked the 62nd birthday of a man whose legacy has left a lasting impression on anyone who grew up with the Disney renaissance of the 1990s. I refer, of course, to the awesome Alan Menken, the master of melody whose tuneful compositions earned him a whopping fifteen Oscar nominations and eight wins between 1987 and 1998.

I can't tell you how tricky and frustrating it was for me to try and pare down his accomplished repertoire of songs to just ten for this list. Ask me again tomorrow and as many as five of them could be replaced by songs that don't appear on it today! I also tried to be as equitable as possible to the many projects to which Menken has contributed his music, but still wound up giving a couple of titles multiple spots on the list while many others got shut out completely. Sigh. Such is the bind of a top ten list: you can only pick ten. So I'll start things off by giving a shout out to the likes of Newsies, A Christmas Carol, Enchanted, and Tangled, all of whom came close to finding representation alongside these ten unforgettable ditties:

Review - Captain America: The First Avenger

I want YOU to go see Captain America! The final pillar upon which Marvel will rest next summer's Avengers movie is terrific fun, putting a bright Cap (pun intended) on the Superhero Summer That Kept On Giving.

Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) may have the right heroic attitude Uncle Sam looks for in a soldier, but his scrawny 90-pound frame – a brilliantly achieved illusion that disguises Evans' truly beefy musculature for nearly the entire first act – disqualifies him at every attempt to enlist. German expatriate Dr. Abraham Erskine (the wonderfully warm Stanley Tucci) immediately recognizes the virtue of Rogers' dedication, and makes him the prime candidate for an experimental formula that should transform this playground punching bag into an ass-kicking Adonis. It works! But no sooner does Rogers' new bodywork emerge from the chamber than the last sample of the serum is stolen by an agent of Hydra, a Nazi R. & D. department headed by the maniacal Johann Schmidt, aka: Red Skull (Hugo Weaving), the original test subject of Erskine's imperfected formula that left him grotesquely disfigured and all the more determined to personally attain Godlike power.

One Category at a Time: Original Song

This might be the most wide-open category at this year's Oscars. There's a case to be made for all four nominees. The two most convincing arguments come for the animated entries Tangled and Toy Story 3, for the songs "I See The Light" and "We Belong Together".

The former keeps very much in the vein traditional Disney; a lovely romantic ballad to accompany a beautifully animated sequence. I was already enjoying Tangled plenty before that, but this scene is when my heart really melted. It would make a great winner. Alan Menken is sort of my idol.

The latter is an equally plausible winner, simply because Toy Story 3 is the most beloved nominee in the category. The song itself is kinda derivative, and doesn't come close to the greatness of Randy Newman's previous two songs for the franchise, the heartbreaking "When She Loved Me" and the series-defining "You've Got A Friend In Me". That said, it's still bouncy and enjoyable enough to draw in votes. Being a Best Picture nominee certainly helps.

Another Best Picture nominee represented here is 127 Hours for A.R. Rahman's "If I Rise". He won this category two years ago for "Jai Ho" (a bit of a mistake if you ask me), but that was a high-energy finale with choreography to go with it, whereas "If I Rise" is more on the mellow side and plays so briefly during the film that I'd be surprised by anyone who could remember the tune without listening to the album version.

Or, if none of those options tickle the Academy's fancy, they could stick with the same type of winner they awarded last by voting for "Coming Home" from Country Strong. It's featured prominently enough in the film, but how many members have seen the film? A poor critical response truncated its already tiny release. But if they just listen to the song, that may be enough convince otherwise uninterested voters.

Will win: "We Belong Together", Toy Story 3
Runner-up: "I See The Light", Tangled

Should win: "I See The Light", Tangled
Should have been nominated: "Shine", Waiting for Superman

Song preformers announced for Oscar telecast

Gwyneth Paltrow, A.R. Rahman, Florence + The Machine, Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Alan Menken, and Randy Newman are ready to set our ears aloft on Oscar Night by performing this year's four nominated songs. What fun twill be!

Nice to see these will be included in the show, after Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic so rudely eschewed them from last year's. So far it seems Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer are doing a fine job of assembling the show, besides the somewhat awkward decision to have a Best Actor nominee co-hosting. Otherwise, can't wait!

My Award nominations: Original Song

Best Original Song:

"Welcome To Burlesque" from Burlesque
(Charlie Midnight, John Patrick Shanley, Matthew Gerard, Steve Lindsey):

Dianne Warren's power ballad "You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me" may be the one making all the rounds on the awards circuit, but if you ask me, this glamourous number that introduces Cher and her posse of loyal burlesque tarts is much more memorable, and represents what I would have liked the film to be like.

"I See The Light" from Tangled (Alan Menken, Glen Slater):

I was already enjoying Tangled thoroughly up to the second act, but this is the moment when my heart melted. The song provides a well timed pause in the action for the characters to introspect. The lyrics may be a tad simplistic, but it's still gorgeously romantic in the old Disney tradition.

"Mother Knows Best" from Tangled (Alan Menken, Glen Slater):

Such a delightful villain ditty. And so catchy too! What a perfect way to subvert the usual badguy tropes with a faux lovey-dovey tone thinly veiling barbed condescension.

"Shine" from Waiting for Superman (John Legend):

An absolutely beautiful and moving song that draws attention to an important issue. Legend's lyrics are poetic and meaningful, effectively buttressed by his talented work on the piano. The film may not be a great one, but this song is, giving the movie a soulful and artful conclusion.

"You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" from Burlesque (Dianne Warren):

A rousing anthem about never underestimating oneself. And who better to belt this one than the immortal Oscar-winning Cher?

Just missed: "Coming Home" Country Strong, "Me and Tennessee" Country Strong

My Award nominations: Original Score

Best Original Score:

How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell):

Powell gives an enjoyable Celtic/Gaelic mash-up to the film, making great use of bagpipes, snare drums, & recorder. Has the most memorable melodies of the year.

Inception (Hans Zimmer):

Zimmer's layered, powerful score is right on target with all the emotional cues and bombastic action sequences. A wholly original, commanding, and effective work.

The Social Network (Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross):

Reznor and Ross' dense atmospheric themes help to give the movie a unique aesthetic identity; soft spoken but agitated, with a somewhat hostile edge.

Tangled (Alan Menken):

Chalk it up to nostalgia, but Menken's score just managed to hit a soft spot with me, taking me back to the days of my childhood when he'd be producing an Oscar-winning score every two years.

TRON Legacy (Daft Punk):

Their musical stylings are a perfect fit for the cyber environments of TRON Legacy. They aptly combine synthesized beats with full-bodied orchestrations.

Just missed: The Ghost Writer, I Am Love, True Grit

Review - Tangled

The trailers and TV spots may have you believe Tangled is a snarky fairytale parody akin to Dreamworks, but don't let the sub-par marketing fool you; it is, in fact, an absolutely charming treat of a movie that keeps more in line with vintage Disney than its contemporary competitors.
As we learn in the film's prologue, Princess Rapunzel (voiced with convincing enthusiasm and naivety by Mandy Moore) has magical locks of golden hair with the power to heal and keep people eternally young as a result of the rare life-giving flower that saved her mother during pregnancy. No wonder the ancient Mother Gothel (witchily played by Broadway's Donna Murphy) burgles this flower child from her royal cradle and keeps her locked up in a tower where only she can exploit Rapunzel's gift. The poor dear is pretty cooped up, but days before her 18th birthday, professional thief Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) ducks into the stolen princess' tower to evade capture, and being no match for her frying pan or her flexible strands of hair, is coerced into escorting her across the land and to the city where floating lanterns are sent aloft each year on her birthday in the hopes that one day she might return.

I'd be lying if I didn't admit that the opening prologue, narrated by Flynn, had me worried that the whole picture would suffer from common self-aware humour, but it didn't take long for the film to get me smiling. Credit directors Nathan Greno, Byron Howard, and writer Dan Fogelman (all of 2008's Bolt) for managing a combination of traditional cartoon sight gags and modernized verbal jokes that almost always had me grinning and chuckling, and only rarely had me shaking my head. Still, they also ensure that heart is the driving force of the story, not simply need to amuse. The story itself is nothing new. It follows a formula to be sure, and is kinda skimpy on thematic meat, but it settles into a nice pace that's just right.

Kudos to all the voice talent involved, with special mention to Donna Murphy's sly comedic delivery each time her villainous character lies through the teeth in order to manipulate her blissful captive.

The real stars of this show, however, are the animators. The character animation is outstanding. All characters are given a unique physicality and terrific facial expressions that match the actors' every vocal inflection. I won't even get into how mind-boggling the animation of Rapunzel's hair is to fathom, other than to say it's incredible. Someone had better win an Annie Award for it!

I'd be remiss to say nothing about Alan Menken's music. With lyricist Glenn Slater, he's fashioned a number of catchy ditties that, while not equal to his best work, fit in nicely with the film. The best of them is “I See The Light”, sung by our two romantic leads during the utterly gorgeous floating lantern sequence, possibly the most beautiful scene you'll see on film this year.
An Oscar nod for Original Song should be assured. I'd venture multiple nominations there if it weren't for the fact that Disney is strategically submitting only "I See The Light" for consideration, so as to remove the threat of vote splitting. Smart move if you ask me. It's a darkhorse for Animated Feature as well, but with only three slots, and all of them presumably taken already, it'll probably be left out. Unfortunate, that, because I actually like it more than How to Train Your Dragon.

*** out of ****

Had a video for this one, but my computer crashed and I lost it. Sorry.