Category: Oscar Nominee

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Children of Heaven (1997)

Amir Farrokh Hashemian accidentally loses his sister’s shoes, so the two children concoct a plan to share the one pair they still have between them until they can figure a way to replace the missing set. It’s a simple story that perfectly captures the daily life of these children, aware of the issues of the adults around them but more worried about their own concerns. The acting of the children is believably natural and their poor Tehran neighborhood offers a fully realized setting and is beautifully shown.

Oscar Nomination: Best Foreign Language Film

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Somewhere in Time (1980)

On the opening night of his first play, Christopher Reeve is visited by an elderly lady who used to be a famous stage actress in the early 1900s. Further investigation leads him to believe he met her during that earlier time period and endeavors to learn how to get back there to meet her again. This gentle romance gracefully balances the love aspects with a simple, but consistent version of time travel. Reeve’s natural charisma is well met with Jane Seymour as his love interest and Christopher Plummer as her agent who tries to get in the way.   Romance  Fantasy

Oscar Nomination: Best Costume Design

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The Picture of Dorian Grey (1945)

Encouraged by the random musings of George Sanders, beautiful Hurd Hatfield wishes that his newly painted portrait could take on the aspects of aging while he remains attractive and youthful. His wish comes true and he is, at least for a time, allowed to engage in his every whim while not exhibiting any of the physical deterioration caused by such. Similar to the messaging of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Hatfield lets his ‘evil’ side out while still being able to initially pass as a ‘good person’ and he does so convincingly. My favorite part of the film is the few uses of color to show off the painting in both its original and later forms.  Supernatural  Horror

Oscar Win: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress in a Supporting Role; Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White

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Stairway to Light (1945)/Quiet Please! (1945)

Part of John Nesbit’s Passing Parade series, Stairway to Light brings to the forefront the work of Dr. Philippe Pinel, a French pioneer in treating mental illness. His work led to more humane ways of caring for patients and also classifying their illnesses. The short is a bit simplistic and hokey, but useful in teaching the work of a lesser known influencer.

Quiet Please! has Spike threatening Tom not to wake him up from his nap, a situation Jerry of course takes advantage of. It’s a pretty standard Tom & Jerry short with a plot that’s so typical for the duo that this particular short does not stand out on its own, though I do generally enjoy when the duo becomes a trio with the addition of Spike and how that changes the dynamic.   Animals

Oscar Win: Best Short Subject, One-reel (Stairway to Light); Best Short Subject, Cartoons (Quiet Please!)

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The Woman in the Window (1944)

With his family out of town, nebbish professor Edward G. Robinson all too happily accepts beautiful Joan Bennett’s offer to come to her apartment, only to get himself caught up in a killing of her boyfriend. I continue to dig Robinson in his non-gangster gigs, this being no exception. He is clearly out of his element in trying to gallantly cover up a death, making the most amateur of mistakes and continually digging a bigger hole for himself. The ending is a bit silly, but still works with the narrative so that it doesn’t ruin the film.  Noir

Oscar Nomination: Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture

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The Absent-Minded Waiter (1977)/The Big Story (1994)/The Fly (1980)

Buck Henry takes his date Teri Garr to a high class restaurant with the express intent of sitting at a table attended by The Absent-Minded Professor, played by Steve Martin. An enjoyable short with a surprising punchline pay-off, it is also well acted by all three of the actors playing especially on Martin’s strengths.

The Big Story is gratefully a very short bit that has three animated characters each representing Kirk Douglas at different parts of his career. The characters are really well done, but the short doesn’t add anything beyond that concept.

The Fly finds himself stuck inside a house to disastrous consequences. It’s a very simple, monochromatic animation that really conveys the frenetic energy and apparent bewilderedness of a fly’s existence.

Oscar Win: Best Short Film, Animated (The Fly)

Oscar Nomination: Best Short Film, Live Action (The Absent-Minded Waiter); Best Short Film, Animated (The Big Story)

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Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)

Eddie Murphy returns to sunny California after Captain Ronnie Cox is shot by the perpetrators of the Alphabet Crimes, a series of heists whose committers have alluded Murphy’s friends from the previous film, detectives John Ashton and Judge Reinhold. An attempt at reprising the success of the previous film, it tries to follow the same formula with bigger shoot-outs and bigger stars (Brigitte Nielsen and Dean Stockwell as bad guys), but lacks the surprising charm of the earlier release. It doesn’t help that the plot begins on the idea that a well-funded crime syndicate would follow a pattern as if they were a gang of serial killers.  Action  Crime  Comedy

Oscar Nomination: Best Music, Original Song

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What’s New Pussycat? (1965)

Playboy Peter O’Toole finds it difficult to be faithful to his girlfriend Romy Schneider so seeks the help from psychoanalyst Peter Sellers. There’s very little to recommend this film. It’s not very funny and Peter Sellers inexplicably wears an atrocious wig throughout. There’s a madcap final act at a small country hotel that finally gives the film a bit of a lift, but it’s not worth sitting through the rest of the slog to get there. At least there’s Tom Jones.

Oscar Nomination: Best Music, Original Song

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Beverly Hills Cop (1984) – Rewatch

After childhood friend James Russo suddenly arrives in town with some mysterious German bearer bonds and is murdered soon after, brash Detroit detective Eddie Murphy takes a vacation from his job and heads to southern California to investigate his friend’s activities. This is Murphy at his absolute best. The film is an ideal blend of comedy and action taking advantage of Eddie’s natural talents, working nicely off of local, straight-laced cops John Ashton and Judge Reinhold.   Action  Crime  Comedy

Oscar Nomination: Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

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Tom Thumb (1958)

When he foregoes chopping down a tree at her bequest, Forest Queen June Thorburn grants woodcutter Bernard Miles and his wife Jessie Matthews’s wish of having a child, even if he’s only the size of a thumb. That the “child” is, despite his size, an obviously adult Russ Tamblyn is not mentioned by anyone. Even for a version of a fairy tale, this particular rendition is quite ridiculous, but it is saved by a couple of colorful and lively song and dance numbers, especially the one where Tamblyn acrobatically interacts with the toys in his nursery.   Fantasy  Musical

Oscar Win: Best Effects, Special Effects

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