Category: Oscar Nominee

Posted on 2021-12-29 | No Comments |

Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)

Based on a book written by his father, this is a depiction of the life of the early life of Joshua Waitzkin who at the age of seven was discovered to be a chess prodigy similar to Bobby Fischer. I have barely a basic knowledge of chess so have no idea how accurate the portrayal of the game is in the film, but that is fairly secondary to it being a story on how a child and the people around him deal with extreme proficiency in one skill. The film is a bit slow, but still entertaining, family friendly flick similar to any number of other films that have been made since about a child being mentored to greatness. Comparable to Akeelah and the Bee, it also features Laurence Fishburne in a mentoring role.

Oscar Nomination: Best Cinematography

Posted on 2021-12-29 | No Comments |

The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954)

William Holden is a Naval Reserve officer who has been called back into duty during the Korean War. After one mission where he was forced to ditch into the sea, he is called again to take on an even more dangerous mission attacking a group of Korean bridges. Grace Kelly is underutilized as his worried and disapproving wife. It’s a pretty average war film with not surprisingly, only a sparingly amount of Kelly. It also features an ever-hammy Mickey Rooney as a naval aviator who often crosses Holden’s path.

Oscar Win: Best Effects, Special Effects

Oscar Nomination: Best Film Editing

Posted on 2021-12-28 | No Comments |

I’m Not There (2007)

In this biography of sorts, six different actors portray seven different characters inspired by the life and music of Bob Dylan. If I were a fan of Dylan, I would probably have gotten a lot more out of the film than I did. As it was, I was mostly confused as to who each of the characters were and I am completely ignorant to any of the referential works or events that were presented. I appreciate what the film was attempting. I did get the feel that the various characters can be different aspects of the same person and liked the storylines featuring Cate Blanchett and young Marcus Carl Franklin the best.

Oscar Nomination: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Posted on 2021-12-27 | No Comments |

Ulee’s Gold (1997)

In this slow-burning character study, Peter Fonda is Ulee, a widowed Vietnam vet who spends his days working the family bee hives and cares for his two grandchildren whose father is serving time for a bank robbery. When his son’s accomplices surface looking for money that was hidden after the robbery, Ulee is pried out of the shell he has kept himself hidden in and must deal with the risk these men pose to his family. The film relies solely on Fonda’s performance and it’s a strong one. It is indeed slow to get going, but is satisfying in the end.

Oscar Nomination: Best Actor in a Leading Role

Posted on 2021-12-26 | No Comments |

Defiance (2008)

Based on real events from World War Ii, this tells the story of a quartet of Jewish brothers who flee to the forests of Belarus after their parents are murdered by Nazis. From their new position, they gather a community of other refugees while vowing to avenge their parents’ deaths. It’s a new-to-me story told in an engaging, though perhaps stretching the truth, way. It doesn’t hurt that the brothers are portrayed by an appealing bunch of actors: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, and George MacKay.

Oscar Nomination: Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

Posted on 2021-12-26 | No Comments |

The Pirate (1948)

In a small Caribbean village, betrothed Judy Garland dreams instead of marrying a legendary pirate. Gene Kelly arrives with his traveling circus and immediately falls in love with Judy, deciding to impersonate the pirate to win her affections. Having a rather dull story with an overtly soundstage location, it’s not my favorite musical by a long mark, but I do enjoy Kelly and Garland’s general chemistry together. It is hard to go wrong with including Gene Kelly dancing, especially when he’s joined by the Nicholas brothers.

Oscar Nomination: Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture

Posted on 2021-12-25 | No Comments |

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – Rewatch

When I was young, I avoided this film. It was one my father loved and I disregarded it as a crusty black and white film, though I did always enjoy the swimming pool scene. In high school, it was shown during a lesson about suicide and I was oddly taken with it to the point where it has become one of my favorites. The well-known and often-copied tale of a desperate but much-loved man who is shown what life would have been like if he had never existed is perhaps a perfect film. It’s well-acted, manages a delicate balance between its drama and comedy, and gorgeously incorporates a real sense of self in its Bedford Falls location. The pairing of James Stewart’s George Bailey hero with Lionel Barrymore’s villainous Potter is unmatched in cinema.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture; Best Actor in a Leading Role; Best Director; Best Sound, Recording; Best Film Editing

Posted on 2021-12-23 | No Comments |

White Christmas (1954) – Rewatch

After World War II, ex-Army comrades Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye team up and become successful theater producers. After they meet up with the sisters of an old-Army buddy, Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney, the foursome travel from Florida to Vermont where they discover their old general trying to run a resort during an unusual winter heatwave. Set at a very similar looking inn, it’s somewhat of a companion piece to Holiday Inn. When the duo decide to host rehearsals at the resort to boost attendance, it offers the opportunity to present different renditions of the various songs from the earlier film. While it’s not one of my absolute favorite Christmas films, I watch it almost every year because the performers are really top notch and work well together. The fabulous VistaVision on the Diamond Edition DVD is gorgeous on my newer television. The colors look almost unreal.

Oscar Nomination: Best Music, Original Song

Posted on 2021-12-23 | No Comments |

Klaus (2019) – Rewatch

I didn’t expect much when I first checked this out on Netflix two years ago, but I was incredibly surprised. Another take on the myths surrounding Santa Claus, here we have a lazy, spoiled Postal Academy graduate whose Postmaster father assigns him to a post in a remote village located above the Arctic Circle, inhabited by a pair of families bent on continuing a centuries-long feud. Desperate to succeed in his job so he can be reassigned, the former student befriends a lonely toymaker and begins a cycle of delivering toys and letters for the town’s children. The traditional animation is gorgeous, done in a unique style. Even though I always confuse the main character with David Spade’s Kuzco, the voice work, including the talents of Jason Schwartzman, Rashida Jones, Joan Cusack, Norm McDonald, and JK Simmons, is well done and perfectly assigned to each character. It’s very heart-warming and I now watch it every year. I only wish they’d release it on DVD so I can have a hard copy to enjoy whenever I want.

Oscar Nomination: Best Animated Feature Film

Posted on 2021-12-22 | No Comments |

Holiday Inn (1942) – Rewatch

This is another one of those films that I had only vague recollections of from childhood, mainly television promos featuring the two young kids singing Happy Holidays. After his love interest leaves him for Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby tries his hand at farming. When that proves to be a failure, he turns the farm into an inn that is only open on holidays. It’s a clever way to highlight Irving Berlin’s songs and Astaire’s dancing to have a new tune for every holiday. It’s understandable why the Abraham number, with its surprisingly atrocious blackface, was usually cut from television airings, though the song itself is one of the catchier tunes and offers an opportunity to showcase Louise Beavers’s singing voice. Extra tidbits that the film offered was the introduction of the song White Christmas and the inspiration for the name of hotel chains. It also taught me the concept of Franksgiving in its clever interstitial before the Thanksgiving scenes.

Oscar Win: Best Music, Original Song

Oscar Nominations: Best Writing, Original Story; Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture