Category: Oscar Nominee

Posted on | No Comments |

Orlando (1992)

Queen Elizabeth I promises the androgynous Orlando an inheritance that will last as long as he remains youthful. Orlando manages to keep this promise through many centuries and a gender swap. It’s a sumptuous film that seamlessly weaves Orlando’s experiences through the ages. Standing out even amongst the beautiful settings and costumes, I can’t imagine anyone else than Tilda Swinton so aptly bringing the Orlando character to life, though it also works as well that Billy Zane play her love interest.

Oscar Nominations: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; Best Costume Design

Posted on | No Comments |

Black Rain (1989)

Corrupt New York cop Michael Douglas and his partner Andy Garcia are chosen to accompany extradited murderer Yusaku Matsuda back to Osaka. After accidentally turning Matsuda over to imposter law enforcement, the Americans arrange to have themselves included in a Japanese investigation into counterfeit money with a Yakuza connection. With an overly cliched story that doesn’t really try to extend itself, the film is further bogged down with Douglas as a lead. Pushy and brash in an overtly American way, he could have maybe pulled off a fish out of water, mutual exchange of ideas if he had any bit of charisma or guile. Instead, he’s paired with the much more appealing Garcia that just makes one really question the casting choice more than anything.  Crime

Oscar Nominations: Best Sound; Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing

Posted on | No Comments |

Whitewash (1994)/ The Box (1967)

Based on an actual incident, Whitewash tells the story of a young school girl who was attacked by a gang of thugs who painted her face white. This has been on my watchlist for so long that I don’t know where I originally encountered it. A somewhat rough looking piece of animation, it goes far to illustrate the terrorizing aspect of mindless racism and the benefits of supportive allies.

In The Box, a short bearded man goes into a bar and places a small box on the counter. What follows is a string of patrons who are all nosily curious as to what is in the box. The premise is not much, but the animation is cute with a pleasant simplicity and some interesting changes in perspective.

Oscar Win: Best Short Subject, Cartoons (The Box)

Posted on | No Comments |

Death on the Nile (1978)

In his first outing as the Belgian detective, Peter Ustinov’s Poirot witnesses an obsessive Mia Farrow hounding her ex-fiancé Simon MacCorkindale and his new wife/her former best friend Lois Chiles while the couple honeymoons on the Nile River. It is of course difficult to not compare this to Branagh’s recent take on the story. Ustinov is not a bad representation of Poirot, but I prefer Kenneth’s. Here Poirot is less a leader in the investigation and more a co-investigator with David Niven’s Colonel Race. While I liked the beginning setup in the newer version, I think overall this has the superior telling of the story. Filming on location seems to be an important detail to give the right feel for the story. The cast here is far better as well with stellar veterans such as Bette Davis, Maggie Smith and Angela Lansbury all providing support.   Mystery

Oscar Win: Best Costume Design

Posted on | No Comments |

Condemned (1929)

Sent to the infamous French prison on Devil’s Island, the charming Ronald Colman strikes up a love affair with Ann Harding, the wife of the sadistic warden, as the two realize they share similar lives of imprisonments on the island. Though I enjoy her later roles, Harding is a bit too soft and delicate as a love interest in this film. It’s easy here to see Colman paving the way for future debonair male leads and makes me want to seek out more of his late 20s/early 30s work.  Action

Oscar Nomination: Best Actor in a Leading Role

Posted on | No Comments |

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

Another film based on the legendary Tombstone shootout, this stars Burt Lancaster as Wyatt Earp and Kirk Douglas as Doc Holliday. There’s a lot of meandering around the Old West from Texas to Kansas before it settles down for the final battle. A pair of love stories weigh down the action though maybe it’s the only way writers and studios could think to get women into the story. The leads work well enough in their respective roles, but it doesn’t stand out in the field of classic Hollywood Westerns nor hold up to the later Tombstone in its rendition of events.   Western

Oscar Nominations: Best Sound, Recording; Best Film Editing

Posted on | No Comments |

The Nutty Professor (1996)

Mild-mannered professor Eddie Murphy desperately wants something more out of life, especially after meeting the beautiful Jada Pinkett Smith, so he experiments on himself with a potion he has been developing which turns him into a more charismatic, skinnier, but meaner version of himself. Leaning heavily into the playing multiple roles that was a cute bit in Coming to America, Eddie plays every adult member of the professor’s family. I was unprepared for the number of fart jokes that came out of that group every time they were on screen. That and fat jokes are pretty much what exists for humor in the film. The makeup and special effects in the film remain impressive 25 years later. It’s incredible how natural Murphy looks as a fat man and even how much more attractive he looked as such.  Comedy

Oscar Win: Best Makeup

Posted on | No Comments |

Melvin and Howard (1980)

Melvin Dummar didn’t think anything of it when he picked up an injured motorcyclist who claimed to be Howard Hughes in the Nevada desert. That is until years later when the real Hughes died and a will was found that claimed Dummar as one of the beneficiaries. This film is based on that true story with Paul Le Mat portraying Melvin and Jason Robards as Howard. The film concentrates mostly on Dummar’s life between those two events, constantly hustling and struggling to hold on to one marriage before moving on to the second. It feels a lot like a film made in the previous decade with a somewhat dislikable lead who some might still find charming but who is upstaged by the spirit of those around him, particularly wives Mary Steenburgen and Pamela Reed. It’s still hard not to root at least a bit for Melvin, especially when learning details of the case persisted into the next century.

Oscar Win: Best Actress in a Supporting Role; Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Oscar Nomination: Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Posted on | No Comments |

The Message (1976)

Islam gets the historical epic treatment in this film about the religion’s origins. Previously only having a very basic knowledge of the religion, this film gave a lot of background of the history of the area of its founding and the work in establishing it as a recognized religion. In many ways, it is a typical epic with its extensive cast, sprawling tale, and sweeping vistas. Respectful of Islamic beliefs, Muhammad himself is never shown in the film, which is quite a bold choice that somehow works. Whenever it is necessary to portray him in the story, the camera becomes his point of view and it adds a more personalized touch that sets it apart as a film.

Oscar Nomination: Best Music, Original Score

Posted on | No Comments |

If a Tree Falls: a Story of the Environmental Liberation Front (2011)

The recent history of the Environmental Liberation Front in the United States is chronicled here, particularly as it relates to the case of Daniel McGowan, an activist who was sentenced to seven years in jail on terrorism charges for his work with the group. An engaging documentary, for better or worse, it doesn’t stray too far into choosing a side between the activists or the companies they are fighting against. If anything the biggest enemy in the film is the overzealous justice system aggressively pursuing the activists years after committing crimes that didn’t physically hurt anyone. In particular, one detective shown is over gleeful in how McGowan’s partners were trapped into turning on each other.

Oscar Nomination: Best Documentary, Features

Scroll to Top