Saturday, February 23, 2013

THE POPE’S 2012 OSCAR® PREDICTIONS -- PART 2

This year, thanks to the grim slate of Oscar contenders, torture and degradation go mainstream.  From the indignities of aging in AMOUR, to the Iran hostage crisis in ARGO, to the cruelties of slavery in DJANGO UNCHAINED, to Russell Crowe’s singing in LES MISÉRABLES, to depictions of actual torture in ZERO DARK THIRTY, the Academy seems determined to distract us from the self-important presentations, insufferable acceptance speeches and endless musical numbers we will inevitably endure during the telecast.

Predicting the predilections of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is an annual ritual.  The challenges are myriad in even the most straightforward of years.  And this year is anything but straightforward.  When Oscar® nominations were announced on January 10, 2013, snubbing Ben Affleck for Best Director, there was a seismic shift in award season momentum.  Call it the ARGO Effect.  Now, that movie, well liked but never considered front-runner material, has quickly become the film to beat.  Until that fateful date the producers of LINCOLN were practicing their acceptance speeches.  Now, to quote Cole Porter, anything goes.

Nevertheless there are touchstones to guide you through the chaos.  Close observers know that, in almost every instance, the Academy wants its Best Picture winner to also win the most awards overall.  Using this truism as a guide, the ripple effect will likely influence certain technical awards, definitely Adapted Screenplay, and possibly Supporting Actor – the latter made more possible by the lack of a clear front-runner.

That said, this year has the potential for more upsets than any year since 2002.  Therefore, choose carefully (but not too carefully) and wisely (but intuitively), and you may walk away with the Oscar® pool winnings.

And the nominees for Best Picture are:

AMOUR
ARGO
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
DJANGO UNCHAINED
LES MISÉRABLES
LIFE OF PI
LINCOLN
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
ZERO DARK THIRTY

Before the nominations came out LINCOLN was the presumptive favorite.  Thanks to the Affleck Best Director snub, ARGO is a lock.  Director Bigelow was likewise snubbed.  However, thanks to the faux torture scandal ZERO DARK THIRTY has been removed from serious Best Picture contention.  BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD has the David vs. Goliath factor, LIFE OF PI has the life-affirming factor, and SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK has the Weinstein Oscar®-machine factor.  None will vanquish the Academy members’ need to tell Affleck how sorry they are with a Best Picture award for ARGO.

Should Win:     ZERO DARK THIRTY
Will Win:          ARGO
Overlooked:    MOONRISE KINGDOM

And the nominees for Best Director are:

Michael Haneke, AMOUR
Ang Lee, LIFE OF PI
David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Steven Spielberg, LINCOLN
Benh Zeitlin, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

This one’s a tough call.  Normally, we could use the DGA Award and/or Golden Globes as a guide.  Since Affleck won both of those and isn’t nominated here, we must use other rationale.  Spielberg was the frontrunner, but the ARGO Effect seems to have damaged LINCOLN the most.  And he’s won the prize twice before (for SCHINDLER’S LIST and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN).  Lee also won for BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.  I think the Academy will go with someone who hasn’t won previously.  Zeitlin is too new.  Haneke’s film is too French (which is interesting, considering he’s Austrian).  I’m going out on a limb and predict that Russell takes this horserace, primarily because of the strength of the Weinstein Oscar® machine.  But, then again, it may be saving its juice for Best Actress.

Should Win:     Michael Haneke, AMOUR
Will Win:          David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Overlooked:    Ben Affleck, ARGO
Kathryn Bigelow, ZERO DARK THIRTY

And the nominees for Best Actress are:

Jessica Chastain, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Jennifer Lawrence, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Emmanuelle Riva, AMOUR
Quvenzhane Wallis, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Naomi Watts, THE IMPOSSIBLE

Here is another category that could easily go several ways.  Your safest best would be Lawrence.  She’s the closest thing to a frontrunner.  She won the SAG and Golden Globe (Comedy), plus she’s got the Weinsteins behind her.  Chastain would be a reasonable bet, too, as she won the Golden Globe (Drama); but the torture “scandal” could take her out of the running.  Riva, however, was not a nominee for either the Golden Globes or SAG Awards, so she’s the wild card here.  More importantly, she gives the kind of performance the Academy loves.  I think it will be a close vote and Riva squeaks out a win.  But if Lawrence gets called to the stage I wouldn’t be surprised.

Should and Will Win:   Emmanuelle Riva, AMOUR
Overlooked:                Rachel Weisz, THE DEEP BLUE SEA

And the nominees for Best Actor are:

Bradley Cooper, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Daniel Day-Lewis, LINCOLN
Hugh Jackman, LES MISÉRABLES
Joaquin Phoenix, THE MASTER
Denzel Washington, FLIGHT

Neither Jackman nor Phoenix belongs in this category; the former mediocre, and the latter too mannered.  Cooper is very good in a terrific movie, while Washington is terrific in a not very good movie.  However, if Day-Lewis doesn’t win this, I will be shocked.  I can’t even imagine who would get the award if not him.  (Now watch this become the upset category of the evening.)

Should and Will Win:   Daniel Day-Lewis, LINCOLN
Overlooked:                Jamie Foxx, DJANGO UNCHAINED
Jean-Louis Trintignant, AMOUR

And the nominees for Best Supporting Actress are:

Amy Adams, THE MASTER
Sally Field, LINCOLN
Anne Hathaway, LES MISÉRABLES
Helen Hunt, THE SESSIONS
Jacki Weaver, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

Adams is great, but the movie (again) is a difficult one.  Weaver is wonderful but doesn’t really stand out.  Field gives, to my mind, the best supporting performance in the field (okay, I didn’t see Hunt, so sue me).  She’s going to lose to Hathaway, however, because the Academy must give the award to someone who (1) lost weight and/or (2) sings and cries through one long, snot-filled, take.  I also predict Hathaway’s acceptance speech is the most insufferable of the evening.  I hope I’m wrong.

Should Win:     Sally Field, LINCOLN
Will Win:          Anne Hathaway, LES MISÉRABLES
Overlooked:    Isabelle Huppert, AMOUR

And the nominees for Best Supporting Actor are:

Alan Arkin, ARGO
Robert De Niro, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Philip Seymour Hoffman, THE MASTER
Tommy Lee Jones, LINCOLN
Christoph Waltz, DJANGO UNCHAINED

This category is another one that could go a number of ways.  Hoffman is the long shot because he’s in a problematic film.  De Niro returns to form after a long dry spell, but his great performance is but one in a very strong ensemble.  Arkin is marvelous; but I’ve seen this before, and I suspect the Academy has, too.  He could, nevertheless, ride to victory on the ARGO Effect.  Jones and Waltz are closest to frontrunner status.  Jones won the SAG Award, and Waltz won the Golden Globe.  Jones won almost twenty years ago for THE FUGITIVE, and Waltz won a mere three years ago for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, so the Academy may hesitate to give it to him again so soon.  Your best bests are Arkin, Jones or Waltz.  I’m going with Jones.

Should and Will Win:   Tommy Lee Jones, LINCOLN
Overlooked:                Matthew Macfadyen, ANNA KARENINA

And the nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay are:

Lucy Alibar & Ben Zeitlin, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Tony Kushner, LINCOLN
David Magee, LIFE OF PI
David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Chris Terrio, ARGO

Considering the strength of the field, this would be tough to predict under normal conditions, with a lean toward Kushner’s LINCOLN adaptation.  Thanks to the ARGO Effect, however, you would be wise to go with Chris Terrio.  For a more in-depth discussion of this year’s best adapted Oscar®-nominated screenplays, please go to the On the Page® podcast available at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-page-screenwriting/id262077408.

Should Win:     David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Will Win:          Chris Terrio, ARGO
Overlooked:    Tom Stoppard, ANNA KARENINA

And the nominees for Best Original Screenplay are:

Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola, MOONRISE KINGDOM
Mark Boal, ZERO DARK THIRTY
John Gatins, FLIGHT
Michael Haneke, AMOUR
Quentin Tarantino, DJANGO UNCHAINED

This one has a potential for surprise.  Thanks to his WGA win Boal could be considered the frontrunner.  However, neither Haneke nor Tarantino were nominated for a WGA, so they could split the vote or one or the other win outright.  An argument could me made that the torture “scandal” has tarnished ZERO DARK THIRTY’s chances, but one could also be made that the directorial snub of Kathryn Bigelow makes its victory here more likely.  I’m going with the latter scenario.  For a more in-depth discussion of this year’s original Oscar®-nominated screenplays, please go to the On the Page® podcast available at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-page-screenwriting/id262077408.

Should and Will Win:   Mark Boal, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Overlooked:                Rian Johnson, LOOPER

This wraps up The Pope's Picks for 2012.  Thanks for reading this far, and we'll see you in 2013.

THE POPE'S PICKS AT ON THE PAGE

Michael Musa and I join screenwriting teacher Pilar Alessandra at her On the Page podcast to discuss the 2012 Oscar-nominated screenplays.  Just copy the below link into your browser and click on the Oscar podcast.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-page-screenwriting/id262077408

The program runs about 1:15.  Enjoy.

Friday, February 22, 2013

THE POPE’S 2012 OSCAR® PREDICTIONS -- PART 1

Every year people around the world try to think like members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  Why should I be different?  My predictions have been divided into two parts.  Part 1 includes the categories you probably don't care about (i.e., technical awards, documentaries, foreign film, etc.) unless you’re entered into an Oscar® pool.  Because of potential volatility in the major categories these choices could mean the difference between victory and defeat.  Here we go with Part 1 of my Wills and Shoulds for 2012:

Best Animated Film

BRAVE
FRANKENWEENIE
PARANORMAN
THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS
WRECK-IT RALPH

I’ve only seen two of the nominated films, FRANKENWEENIE and PARANORMAN (the latter just missed my blog review cut-off).  Both are horror movie homages.  The first succeeds as a love letter to Frankenstein; the latter stumbles awkwardly as a zombie movie pastiche.  Either way, the Annie Awards seem to indicate that this will be WRECK-IT RALPH’s year.  Who am I to argue?

Should Win:     FRANKENWEENIE
Will Win:          WRECK-IT RALPH

Best Foreign Language Film

AMOUR (Austria)
KON-TIKI (Norway)
NO (Chile)
A ROYAL AFFAIR (Denmark)
WAR WITCH (Canada)

AMOUR is a terrific film, and I haven’t seen any of the others.  But even if you’ve seen none, keep the following in mind.  If a Foreign Language Film nominee also gets a Best Picture nomination (which AMOUR did), you would be wise to pick that.

Should and Will Win:   AMOUR

Best Documentary Feature

5 BROKEN CAMERAS
THE GATEKEEPERS
HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE
THE INVISIBLE WAR
SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN

The only documentary I saw this year was WEST OF MEMPHIS, which wasn’t nominated.  I’ve heard good things about THE GATEKEEPERS, HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE and SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN, the latter of which won a DGA award, a PGA award, and a WGA award.  Absent any other information, let’s go with the latter.

Will Win:          SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN

Best Cinematography

Roger Deakins, SKYFALL
Janusz Kaminski, LINCOLN
Seamus McGarvey, ANNA KARENINA
Claudio Miranda, LIFE OF PI
Robert Richardson, DJANGO UNCHAINED

All the nominees this year are exceptional.  However, Deakins is so long overdue that I would love to see him win for his re-imagination of the James Bond look.  That said, in recent years each time a 3-D film was nominated for cinematography, it won.  So I’m going to choose Miranda.

Should Win:     Roger Deakins, SKYFALL
Will Win:          Claudio Miranda, LIFE OF PI
Overlooked:    Greig Fraser, ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Film Editing

Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
William Goldenberg, ARGO
William Goldenberg, Dylan Tichenor, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Michael Kahn, LINCOLN
Tim Squyres, LIFE OF PI

LINCOLN and LIFE OF PI were a little long but gorgeously constructed, while SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK perfectly matched the tempo and tone of Russell’s filmmaking.  Goldenberg and Tichenor deserve the gold for ZERO DARK THIRTY, but Goldenberg will stand at the podium alone thanks to the ARGO Effect (which I shall define in a subsequent post, but you will soon get the drift).

Should Win:     William Goldenberg, Dylan Tichenor, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Will Win:          William Goldenberg, ARGO

Best Costume Design

Colleen Atwood, SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN
Paco Delgado, LES MISÉRABLES
Jacqueline Durran, ANNA KARENINA
Eiko Ishioka, MIRROR MIRROR
Joanna Johnston, LINCOLN

I didn’t see SNOW WHITE or MIRROR MIRROR, and the costumes for LES MISÉRABLES just felt wrong to me.  (Crowe looked uncomfortable in everything he wore, but that may be due to his terrible singing.)  I think the choice comes down to Durran or Johnston.  If the Academy starts to feel bad for handing the night to ARGO (as I suspect it will), it may give this award to LINCOLN as a consolation prize.  However, they may also see LINCOLN's inevitable Best Actor Oscar® as recognition enough.  I tend to agree with the latter logic and therefore pick ANNA KARENINA.

Should and Will Win:   Jacqueline Durran, ANNA KARENINA

Best Production Design

ANNA KARENINA
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
LES MISÉRABLES
LIFE OF PI
LINCOLN

ANNA KARENINA’s design is the most conceptually innovative of the bunch.  However, I think this will come down to LIFE OF PI or LINCOLN and how the Academy intends to space out awards.  I’m leaning toward LIFE OF PI.

Should Win:     ANNA KARENINA
Will Win:          LIFE OF PI

Best Original Score

Mychael Danna, LIFE OF PI
Alexandre Desplat, ARGO
Dario Marianelli, ANNA KARENINA
Thomas Newman, SKYFALL
John Williams, LINCOLN

Newman deserves the Oscar® for his refreshing incorporation of the iconic James Bond theme (not to mention a great score on top of that).  Danna won the Golden Globe and is the frontrunner, unless the ARGO Effect gives a surprise statue to Desplat, so I will go with him.

Should Win:     Thomas Newman, SKYFALL
Will Win:          Mychael Danna, LIFE OF PI

Best Original Song

“Before My Time”, CHASING ICE
“Everybody Needs a Best Friend”, TED
“Pi’s Lullaby”, LIFE OF PI
“Skyfall”, SKYFALL
“Suddenly”, LES MISÉRABLES

Can there be any doubt that Adele will win?

Should and Will Win:   “Skyfall”, SKYFALL

Best Sound Mixing

ARGO
LES MISÉRABLES
LIFE OF PI
LINCOLN
SKYFALL

As we get into the more esoteric categories, evaluation becomes more difficult and the choice more arbitrary.  In any other year SKYFALL would win or, if it were a better movie, LES MISÉRABLES, because it’s a musical.  In this instance, however, let’s count on the ARGO Effect.

Should Win:     SKYFALL
Will Win:          ARGO

Best Sound Editing

ARGO
DJANGO UNCHAINED
LIFE OF PI
SKYFALL
ZERO DARK THIRTY

If not for the torture “scandal” and the ARGO Effect, this would and should go to ZERO DARK THIRTY.

Should Win:     ZERO DARK THIRTY
Will Win:          ARGO

Best Visual Effects

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
LIFE OF PI
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS
PROMETHEUS
SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN

With the other movies, you feel like you’ve seen everything before.  You believe the tiger is real.

Should and Will Win:   LIFE OF PI

Best Makeup

HITCHCOCK
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
LES MISÉRABLES

The makeup in THE HOBBIT was impressive (maybe the only thing).  And while there’s a chance the Academy will honor LES MISÉRABLES for its “realistic” look, I’m going with my gut.

Should and Will Win:   THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

Best Documentary Short Subject

INOCENTE
KINGS POINT
MONDAYS AT RACINE
OPEN HEART
REDEMPTION

I read an article that thought INOCENTE would win.  It’s all I have.

Will Win:          INOCENTE

Best Animated Short Subject

ADAM AND DOG
FRESH GUACAMOLE
HEAD OVER HEELS
MAGGIE SIMPSON IN “THE LONGEST DAYCARE”
PAPERMAN

PAPERMAN is sweet little romantic movie and the likely winner.  However, HEAD OVER HEELS is touching and has a more seasoned sweetness and romance.  Though it’s unlikely to prevail, I’m going to pick it anyway.

Should and Will Win:   HEAD OVER HEELS

Best Live Action Short Subject

ASAD
BUZKASHI BOYS
CURFEW
DEATH OF A SHADOW (DOOD VAN EEN SCHADUW)
HENRY

Again, I read a few articles, and I’m taking a best guess.

Will Win:          ASAD

Thursday, February 21, 2013

THE BEST (AND WORST) OF 2012

What follows is a list of my favorite films this year.  I have included runners-up and honorable mentions because any of these films could have moved higher or lower on my list depending on my mood.  All the movies I have listed are worthwhile, and I would feel comfortable recommending them.  I have also listed my least favorite films this year.  I cannot in good conscious recommend them, but by all means see them if you’re so inclined.  Just remember, you have been warned.

THE BEST OF 2012
(in alphabetical order)
AMOUR  Michael Haneke’s rigorous drama boasts the year’s best performances (from Emanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant) and the most harrowing yet compassionate portrait of the indignities of aging you are likely to see anywhere.
ANNA KARENINA  Director Joe Wright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard reimagine Tolstoy’s beloved novel of 19th century Russian society as a comparison of urban artifice versus rural realism in this breathtaking mix of brazen theatricality and cinematic bravura.
ARGO  Director Ben Affleck and screenwriter Chris Terrio take a little known episode from the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis and fashion a terrific blend of suspense and humor as the CIA joins forces with Hollywood to rescue embassy employees.
BERNIE  Richard Linklater’s folksy dark comedy asks the tricky question “How should we feel when someone we like does something terrible to someone we hate?”  Jack Black is a revelation, and Shirley MacLaine is pitch perfect.
DJANGO UNCHAINED  Quentin Tarantino’s bold, bloody revenge fantasy challenges our feelings about movie violence by alternating between grim realism and cartoonish carnage.  Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio give career-best performances.
LINCOLN  Director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner craft a rambunctious and touching film about the messy business of politics, while Daniel Day-Lewis continues to amaze, as does Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones.
LOOPER  Rian Johnson’s existential science-fiction picture starts out as a time travel thriller but soon deepens into a more contemplative (but still exciting) exploration of the seemingly endless circle of violence and revenge.
MOONRISE KINGDOM  Wes Anderson’s oddball comedy of two 12-year-olds who meet, fall in love, and run off into the wilds of a remote island to the consternation of the melancholy adults is his most charming, warm-hearted film to date.
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK  David O. Russell transforms what appears to be a dysfunctional family drama into an unconventional romantic comedy with all the trimmings.  Jennifer Lawrence is spectacular.
ZERO DARK THIRTY  Director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal recount the Osama bin Laden manhunt with white-knuckle urgency but leave the hard moral questions for the audience to ponder on their own – as they should.
Runners-Up of 2012
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
THE DEEP BLUE SEA
SKYFALL
WEST OF MEMPHIS
Honorable Mentions: THE AVENGERS; FAREWELL, MY QUEEN (LES ADIEUX A LA REINE); FRANKENWEENIE; THE GREY; HAYWIRE; KILL LIST; LIFE OF PI; PREMIUM RUSH
THE WORST of 2012
(in alphabetical order)
ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER  The premise is ludicrous, and it goes downhill from there.
LES MISÉRABLES  Director Tom Hooper kills the movie musical and takes some fine actors down with it.
PROMETHEUS  Director Ridley Scott forgets everything that made the original ALIEN great and buries the franchise in hokum.
THE RAVEN  This movie is so bad, if Edgar Allan Poe weren’t already dead, he’d kill himself.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

REALITY CHECK: A 2012 OVERVIEW

Most moviegoers, myself included, watch films for the most part to escape the daily grind, to be transported to another world, or to watch the world we know get set right by this or that hero, super or otherwise.  This is the traditional role of the cinema, and great movies like THE AVENGERS and less great movies like THE HOBBIT, Part 1, filled this year's bill more than adequately, if box office success is any indication.

In the last few years, however, popular entertainment has begun to have the courage to take us out of our comfort zone, creating what I call the “feel-bad action movie.”  Christopher Nolan’s THE DARK KNIGHT RISES explores both the appeal and danger of fascism within a comic book movie conceit, just as his earlier THE DARK KNIGHT gave terrorism a charismatic face in the form of the Joker, the ultimate agent of chaos.

The year’s best movies by and large failed to provide escape.  Instead they demanded our attention to dark, uncomfortable areas of our present, past and future.  ZERO DARK THIRTY asked that we look at our (both individual and societal) responses to the concept of just (as in righteous) revenge and consider the moral consequence of said justice.  DJANGO UNCHAINED allowed us to wallow in revenge to the point of absurdity, forcing us to ponder the bloody road down which self-righteousness and intractability invariably leads.  LOOPER showed us the bitter price of revenge and wondered whether we have the courage to deny its immediate gratification in exchange for an elusive but more durable path of human compassion.  And these are just the movies about revenge.

The year’s best movies also had us confront the indignities of aging (AMOUR), the harsh realities of extreme poverty (BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD), the messy imperfections of our political system (LINCOLN), the infuriating limitations of our legal system (WEST OF MEMPHIS), and the tragic and near-tragic limitations of love and marriage (ANNA KARENINA and THE DEEP BLUE SEA).  There is no escape from reality in this year’s crop of films, and that is all to the good.

In the remaining few days before the Academy Awards® I will be putting forward my list of favorite and least favorite movies of 2012 for your perusal and comment.  I will also provide my best guesses as to who I think should and will win in the various Oscar® categories.  My confidence level is fairly low this year, so please refrain from shooting the messenger should I steer you wrong.  However, if I help you win your office or Oscar® party pool, please feel free to credit my sagacity far and wide.

Also, for the last couple of years Michael Musa and I have hosted a Facebook group (this year called Zero Pope Thirty, last year called Tinker Tailor Soldier Pope).  In an effort to recreate the live show that we had done the Saturday before the Oscars® in years past, we will both be live on Facebook this Sunday at 12 noon PST to present my predictions and talk freely (within the confines of Facebook) about the movies, the Oscars®, and other tangential subjects.  During this hour (or so) we will announce the Rosary Award winners in the eight major categories, for which participants in the group vote on who they would like to win.  If you are on Facebook and interested in participating, please request to join the group, and we will happily oblige.  And remember to tune in to the group page on Sunday, February 24, at 12 noon PST.

Note for the group (both present and future members) on the Rosary Awards:  the ballot survey will appear on the group’s page in the next day or so.  Please vote early and vote often.

Finally, I must thank some people.  Thank you, Mr. Musa, for your friendship, your knowledge of good dive bars, your persistence, and your technical expertise, especially with regard to the Facebook page.  Thank you, Nina Berry, for your friendship and for setting a high writing standard.  Thank you, John Mark Godocik, for your friendship and for keeping me honest.  Thank you, Pilar Alessandra, for your friendship and for allowing me to babble about Oscar®-nominated screenplays on your On the Page® podcast (which should be available this Friday, February 22).  Thank you, Kurt Ramschissel, for your friendship and for contributing every year to Pope’s Picks Live in all its mutations.  And thank you, gentle and not-so-gentle readers, for taking the time to read my reviews and to comment thoughtfully on them.  I’d mention you individually, but I fear I’d inadvertently forget some of you.

Finally, thanks and love to MKH.  You know what for.

Brian Pope
February 20, 2013

Monday, February 11, 2013

LOOPER (2012)

The year is 2044, and time travel hasn’t been invented yet.  Thirty years in the future it has, and the mob uses this technology to send unwanted individuals back to the past for execution by hired guns called loopers.  A looper reaches retirement when he (they are all men) kills his future self, thus “closing the loop”, and is sent off with gold bars to await termination three decades hence.  Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) approaches this vocation with desensitized pragmatism.  He shoots the hooded and hog-tied targets when they appear in the cornfield, collects his payment, saves some of his silver for the future, and spends the remainder on medicating eye drops or on his stripper girlfriend Suzie (Piper Perabo).  One night Joe’s best friend and fellow looper Seth (Paul Dano) shows up in a panic, desperate for shelter.  He failed to close his loop and is on the run from mob enforcer Kid Blue (Noah Segan).  According to Seth’s future self, a powerful boss called the Rainmaker has been aggressively closing loops.  Joe attempts to hide Seth, but local boss Abe (Jeff Daniels) coerces him into giving up his friend.  Joe barely has time for remorse before he meets his future self (Bruce Willis) in the cornfield.  Old Joe knocks him out and escapes.  Now Joe must close the loop before Kid Blue and Abe terminate him.  As it turns out Old Joe plans to kill the Rainmaker before he comes to power.  Meanwhile Joe takes shelter at a remote farm owned by tough single mother Sara (Emily Blunt) and bonds with her precocious 10-year-old son Cid (Pierce Gagnon), whom he begins to suspect may be the young Rainmaker.  This existential thriller from writer/director Rian Johnson is no simple TERMINATOR knock-off.  He uses the time travel conceit not merely as a plot device, but as a means to explore identity and self-perception once a character witnesses his own future actions.  How we respond to the two Joes’ divergent goals and the moral quandaries they face is as complex as the characters’ responses (and Willis and, particularly, Gordon-Levitt are up to this task).  For this reason the film denies easy catharsis until its beautifully realized conclusion.

Friday, February 1, 2013

AMOUR (2012)

Amour is the subject of Austrian writer/director Michael Haneke’s latest film.  Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines amour as “a usually illicit love affair.”  Indeed this best describes how the movies, more often than not, define the term.  For Haneke, however, the word means something deeper and richer.  Its Anglo-French origin amor, according to Webster’s, means “love, affection,” which comes from the Latin root amare, meaning, simply, “to love.”  That, finally, is Haneke’s true subject – what it means to love, and all that that entails.  Retired music teachers Georges and Anne (Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, both in their 80s) are well into the autumn years together and mostly self-sufficient.  They return from a concert of Anne’s former pupil to find that a would-be thief has tampered with the lock to their apartment.  Disconcerted, they retire for the evening.  The next morning, as they enjoy a breakfast prepared by Anne, she goes silent and unresponsive.  Before Georges can get assistance she returns from her reverie without any recollection of it.  Sometime later Georges informs daughter Eva (Isabelle Huppert) that her mother has an obstruction of the carotid artery, which surgery has failed to remove.  Anne returns from hospital in a wheelchair, now unable to move without assistance, and demands Georges promise that he never send her back, and he agrees.  Anne quickly deteriorates.  Paralysis takes her right side, speech becomes more difficult and her memory less reliable.  Completely dependent on Georges and the part-time nurse he hires, Anne becomes increasingly frustrated by her body’s decline.  Georges, meanwhile, hides irritation and grief behind a stalwart mask, helpless in the face of the inevitable.  Time is the thief that has invaded their life, and it is more ruthless than any human intruder.  Haneke observes the indignity of aging with compassion and brutal honesty, and Trintignant and Riva give fearless performances, tender yet unsentimental.  With subtle looks and gestures they bring the long history of Anne and Georges to life, even as that history draws to its heartbreaking close.