Category: Best Cinematography

Posted on 2022-06-17 | No Comments |

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

In this English language version of the popular Stieg Larsson novel, disgraced journalist Daniel Craig is hired by Christopher Plummer to investigate the disappearance of his niece forty years ago. He’s aided by misanthropic hacker Rooney Mara. I’ve long put off watching this adaptation since I really enjoyed the Swedish language series. While I’ve never read the source material, I’d say the two films are surprisingly fairly equal in their portrayals though the rape scenes in this one are particularly brutal that I had to speed through them. Though its weird having non-Swedes, other than Stellan Skarsgård, feigning Swedish accents, the acting is solid particularly with the two leads and it’s really surprising the series wasn’t continued with them.

Oscar Win: Best Achievement in Film Editing

Oscar Nominations: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role; Best Achievement in Cinematography; Best Achievement in Sound Mixing; Best Achievement in Sound Editing

Posted on 2022-05-27 | No Comments |

The Green Years (1946)

Sent to live with his Scottish Protestant grandparents after the death of his mother, Irish orphan Dean Stockwell finds solace in the companionship of his kind great-grandfather Charles Coburn who encourages the lad in his dreams of becoming a doctor. I continue to be fascinated with how self-possessed and competent Stockwell was in his young roles. His struggles and relationship with Coburn in the first half of the film is the best part of the production. It unfortunately drags somewhat after the character grows up, but the film holds some interest whenever it comes back to Coburn’s clever Scotsman.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Cinematography, Black-and-White

Posted on 2022-05-22 | No Comments |

Nightmare Alley (2021)

I have been anticipating Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of this title since watching the 1947 version last year. As in that earlier film, the main character, here played by Bradley Cooper, is a man who stumbles into a carnival job but has higher aspirations. I had been apprehensive toward Cooper carrying on the role, which were somewhat unfounded though he just wasn’t capable of really closing the the ending. This version has del Toro’s amazing visuals and incredible period details with a stellar cast that includes Cate Blanchett, David Strathairn, Willem Dafoe, and Toni Collette among countless others. Unfortunately it also adds almost 40 extra, almost all unnecessary, minutes to the story, dragging many of the parts on for way too long.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Cinematography; Best Costume Design; Best Production Design

Posted on 2022-05-07 | No Comments |

Heaven Can Wait (1943)

When playboy Don Ameche arrives at the entrance to Hell, Satan has him recount the sordid details of his life to prove his worthiness. He enjoyed a lifelong love with his wife Gene Tierney with the expected ups and downs that occur in many relationships. His one big crime in life seems to be carrying on affairs throughout his marriage, though what these ‘affairs’ actually consist of doesn’t get explained beyond a bracelet bought for another woman. The lack of context behind his ‘bad’ ways makes the Hell premise nonsensical. Ameche is occasionally charming, the leads have a sweet meet-cute that leads to an elopement, and there’s some appealing supporting work done by Charles Coburn and Marjorie Main, but the rest just drags with me still wondering how he ended up in Hell in he first place.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Director; Best Cinematography, Color

Posted on 2022-05-06 | No Comments |

Tequila Sunrise (1988)

Mel Gibson is a drug dealer trying to go straight; Kurt Russell is his childhood friend, now a Los Angeles detective, trying to bring down a Mexican drug kingpin who has connections to Gibson. The attraction both of them feel for restauranteur Michelle Pfeiffer adds extra tension. For some reason, the way the story is told is so convoluted and long that it quickly becomes tedious. I’m sure there’s a good tale in there, but it would probably have found a female lead who had better chemistry with the male leads than they have with each other even with an unnecessarily over-extended sex scene. That film would still include Raul Julia though.

Oscar Nomination: Best Cinematography

Posted on 2022-05-05 | No Comments |

A Very Long Engagement (2004)

During World War I, Audrey Tatou’s young fiancé was one of a handful of soldiers who were given an almost certain death sentence after being convicted of committing self mutilation in order to escape. She devotes her life to discovering the truth about his fate. It’s surprising to see Jean-Pierre Jeunet directing what sometimes feels like a fairly straightforward war film, but there’s no doubt many of his whimsical touches. Tatou’s optimistic resolve and the twists and turns her story takes as she searches for the love of her life often feels like Amélie has been transported back in time.

Oscar Nominations: Best Achievement in Cinematography; Best Achievement in Art Direction

Posted on 2022-04-22 | No Comments |

Kings Row (1942)

Primarily featuring the perspective of future doctor Robert Cummings, the film follows a group of childhood companions as they grow up amongst the secrets and scandals in the titular small town. Also featuring Charles Coburn and Claude Rains in supporting roles, it showcases what is possibly the best film performance of Ronald Reagan’s entire screen career. Unsurprisingly the adapted material was greatly neutered by the Hays Code from the source novel as it apparently features references to incest and homosexuality, The film surprisingly still manages to include themes of euthanasia, mental illness, and blatant malpractice.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Director; Best Cinematography, Black-and-White

Posted on 2022-04-21 | No Comments |

Sons and Lovers (1960)

Young aspiring artist Dean Stockwell’s ambitions and relationships with women are hindered by his ties to his supportive but domineering mother. The performances here are all exceptionally strong, especially Stockwell in the lead and Wendy Hiller and Trevor Howard as his parents. The story meanders a bit with the narrative not cleanly flowing between scenes, but there are surprisingly frank in its discussions and expressions of sexuality for a period piece made at the time.

Oscar Win: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Actor in a Leading Role; Best Actress in a Supporting Role; Best Director; Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White

Posted on 2022-04-20 | No Comments |

The Good Earth (1937)

In early 1900s China, young farmer Paul Muni marries Luise Rainer, a slave in the village’s Great House. The couple experiences extremes of highs and lows together, wearing down every ounce of strength from the wife. If one can get beyond the very blatant yellowface, it’s an epic family drama that celebrates hard work and ingenuity to improve and maintain one’s station, though a bit too simplistically. The lead performances are a uneven when held in comparison; Muni is almost comically cheerful, while Rainer’s face is filled with sorrow often in the same scenes.

Oscar Wins: Best Actress in a Leading Role; Best Cinematography

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Director; Best Film Editing

Posted on 2022-04-17 | No Comments |

Cries and Whispers (1972)

While Harriet Andersson painfully dies of uterine cancer, her sisters Liv Ullmann and Ingrid Thulin and servant Kari Sylwan keep watch, struggling to care for her while dealing with their own issues. I’m sure much of the film went over my head as it is quite stylized and the perspective quickly changes between the four women, but the performances reflect lives of pain and loneliness. Unforgettably the rooms these women embody are dramatically and oppressively covered in red while they themselves drift around in white dresses.

Oscar Win: Best Cinematography

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Director; Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced; Best Costume Design