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The Strand
MOVIE REVIEWS
OSCAR PREDICTIONS
On Sunday, March 8,  the Academy Awards will be handed out for outstanding cinema for the year 2009.
Below are my observations and predictions as to who will win.  Can't wait for Oscar night. It's one of my
favourite yearly treats.

Actress: Sandra Bullock appears to have a lock on this. She won the Golden Globes and the SAG award.  I
just saw The Blind Side and I loved it and her performance.  A worthy choice for outstanding performance by
an actress.
Actor: Jeff Bridges is the favourite for Crazy Heart.  He deserves it. He is wonderful in a role that has been
played over and over again. A cameo by Robert Duvall, who won an Oscar for the lead in Tender Mercies
was a nice touch.  Both movies had the same theme: a drunken country and western singer is redeemed by
the love of a woman.  Nothing new there, but Jeff's performance is wonderful.  Who knew? The plot was so
predictable, but the music and the acting were first-rate.
Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique deserves to win the big one as her performance was shattering in Precious.
Supporting Actor: I hear Christoph Waltz is a forerunner for Inglorious Basterds.  Liked him; didn't like the
movie so much.  Thought Brad Pitt was terrible and it was basically a caper movie set in occupied France
during World War II. Christoph Waltz played a devious, sadistic Nazi. Aren't they all portrayed that way in
movies? The whole movie was like a comic book version of a very serious, terrible time. The whole plot was a
fantasy, a rewrite of history. Great special effects, though.

As to best film, Avatar and Chippawa native James Cameron will probably walk away with it. (I may be one of
the few people who was not impressed by his earlier blockbuster Titanic.) His ex-wife's Hurt Locker is my
personal favourite, but I haven't seen Avatar as yet.
1. An Education:  Maybe it's because I was approximately the same age as Jenny in 1961, that made me identify
so strongly with the characters in this "coming of age" movie.  Jenny is a smart and pretty teenager who attends a private
girls' school (I can relate) and who hopes to go to Oxford to "read English." Instead, she receives an education at the hands
of a charming rascal, who shows her there is more to an education than "reading English at Oxford." Based on a memoir of
her own experience by British journalist Lynn Barber, it chronicles the seduction of the teenager by an older man.  
Newcomer Carey Mulligan is brilliant as the naive young woman, while Peter Sarsgaard is all charm as the older man who
offers Jenny an education of a lifetime.  Her doting parents are charmed by him as well. You just know disaster is coming,
but watching Jenny go through the affair is fascinating. It's not a sordid, Lolita-type story at all. Zero on the "cringe factor."  
This has to do with a seduction of the senses more than the seduction of a young girl's body. Comparisons have already
been made between Carey and the young Audrey Hepburn.  Reminiscent of Hepburn's early film, Roman Holiday. (Peter
Sarsgaard is no Gregory Peck however.)

2. Julie and Julia:  It may not be the best movie as far as plot goes, but you just have to see Meryl Streep deliver
a tour de force portrayal of the beloved Julia Child.  She will definitely get an Oscar nod for this and it is deserving.  In the
hands of an artist like Streep, Julia comes across as a warm and loving woman, filled with secret fears and heartbreak and
not for one second a caricature as often seen on comedy shows.  In fact, the hilarious over-the-top send-up of Julia Child by
Saturday Night Live's Dan Ackroyd is shown at one point in the movie.  The Julie in the movie, a blogger who cooks up
over 500 recipes from Julia's famous book on French cooking is played well by Amy Adams who also appeared opposite
Streep in the excellent movie, Doubt released last year, for which they were both nominated for Oscars. And sure to get
recognition is Stanley Tucci who portrays her patient, loving husband.  Both Tucci and Adams are definitely supporting
characters to the bigger-than-life Julia Child. Director Nora Ephron does a great job of blending the two characters' stories
into a light cinematic soufflé.

3. Precious- Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire: Don't go to see this movie if you're a
racist - even a little bit.  Although this movie is much more than the story of a overweight, black teenager who has one child
and is expecting another and lives on welfare with her vicious mother, some will see it as an example of a bunch of lowlife
"N-word" welfare abusers.  It is, however, an indictment of the social welfare system in the US and its public school system
- and a lot of other things.  It is Dickensian in its portrayal of the poor and how young people slip through the cracks of a
system designed to perpetuate failure.  Reliance on welfare becomes a career choice for many young people as there are
few other options available. Precious is definitely the victim here.  Her mother, played by comedian Mo'Nique, makes
Joan Crawford (Mommie Dearest) look like Mary Poppins. Whoa.  Evil incarnate. Precious, played by newcomer
Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe, is a mess, and as the story unfolds, you will understand why. Besides being illiterate, she is a
rape survivor. And that's just for starters.  It gets worse before it gets better, with the help of a caring social worker and an
educator. There is cause for hope at the end, a hope that one person will escape and raise her two children in a whole new
dynamic. If one were to look past the colour of the characters' skin, they would see a situation much like what is happening
in our own corner of Canada.

4. Coco Before Chanel:  My movie-going friend and I caught this at the new
Boutique Theatre in Ridgeway! (I bought her passes as a Christmas gift.  Great gift idea, BTW.) This was
my second viewing of the movie and it was even more of a delight on the big screen viewed from super comfortable
reclining chairs.  We got our freshly-made popcorn and a soft drink and settled in to our comfortable seats. The forty seat
theatre was about half full when the film began.  My friend and I have often viewed movies at the Cineplex at Niagara
Square sitting in the freezing cold with only  half a dozen other customers. The intimacy of the Boutique Theatre makes
one feel at ease and the temperature level is very comfortable. Because I had already seen the movie, I knew it would be
sub-titled as it was made in France and starring Audrey Tautou (See Amelie - another great movie starring Audrey.) There
is a lot of buzz that it will win an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.  No one complained about the subtitles,
in fact my friend was expecting it.  The entire audience sat still and spellbound for the first hour of the movie (it ran about
1:45,) it was that good.  I noticed and myself experienced some seat shuffling after the first hour, mainly because my feet
fell asleep from non-movement. I was entranced along with the rest of the audience as we experienced a glorious retelling
of the life of the most influential fashion designer of our times. Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel and her sister Adrienne are
dumped off at an orphanage by their father after the death of their mother when they were very young.  He is never seen
again.  The sisters end up working for a dressmaker and moonlight as cabaret singers until they meet a pair of wealthy
men. They become their mistresses, which was apparently an accepted role in French society in the early 1900s.  It is while
she is a part of that culture she develops her skills as a designer.  And the rest, they say, is history.  We see a fabulous
display of her work at the end of the movie.  Her classic Chanel Suit in all its glory. A wonderful, beautifully filmed movie with
first-rate performances by a stellar cast.  For anyone who loves "Project Runway" as much as I do, Coco Avant Chanel is
a must-see.  It's a fitting homage to the best.

5.) The Young Victoria:  a very good telling of the early life of England's Queen Victoria and the story of her
courtship and marriage to Prince Albert.  Emily Blunt emerges from previous supporting roles to portray the young Victoria,
who was so coddled as the heir to the throne of England that she could not even walk down stairs unaccompanied.  She
manages transcend all that to become a formidable young queen,  wife of Albert and mother to nine children who were
destined to marry into all the ruling houses of Europe and Russia. The film chronicles a fairly short period in her life, the
lead-up and first few years of her reign which, to date, is the longest reign of a monarch in England's history.  This is a
Victoria few have ever seen before.  Most of us think of Victoria as the dour dowager in portraits and photographs of her in
later years.  Blunt's Victoria is thin, beautiful and full of life.  It is said that Victoria was despondent after the death of her
beloved Albert who died at age 42 of typhoid fever. That is the Victoria of books and films who we remember.   I must say
that Rupert Friend, as Prince Albert was great casting.  He was so marvelous in Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont that it was
a pleasant surprise to see him as the charming love of Victoria's life. The costumes and art decoration were first-rate.  At
its core, Young Victoria is a love story.  Those looking for enlightenment into how Great Britain became the most powerful
nation on earth under Victoria's reign will need to look elsewhere - and behold the dour dowager of later years.


6.) The Hurt Locker: A war movie that is not a cliché. It starts with the quote, "War is a drug." The film
illuminates the quote with the story of an elite team assembled to diffuse insurgent-placed bombs in Iraq and one member
of the team to whom the defusing of bombs is an obsession.  It is an obsession that his teammates do not share.
Sometimes he goes too far and puts himself and others in danger.  It is an intense drama about men at war and how war
can sometimes make someone unfit to return to a normal life afterwards. Another thing I find unusual about this movie is
that it was directed by a woman. Also, there are no gimmicky ticking-time-bombs-as-the-hero-diffuses-the-bomb scenes.  
But it does show that the insurgents know how to shop at Radio Shack and build deadly devices from what they purchase
there.  What was really chilling is that these insurgents will stand quietly by, watching from a safe distance, while their
enemies try desperately to diffuse their handiwork before it goes off, killing innocent people.  It is really an anti-war, war
movie. War is a drug indeed. My choice to win the Academy Award for best movie and best director.

7.) In the Loop:  Offbeat British-made satire on how a bunch of mid-level government bureaucrats can create a
war just by manipulating an offhand statement by another bureaucrat.  The invasion of an unnamed Mideastern country
turns out to be a joint effort between British and American bureaucrats. The dialogue is delivered at a rapid-fire pace.  Like
watching 30 Rock if it were populated by British actors.  Dr. Strangelove for the Twenty-First Century.  Here, we have
James Gandolfini playing a deranged general from the Pentagon. Not quite as deranged as Brigadier General Jack D.
Ripper  or George C. Scott's General Buck Turgidson in Dr. Strangelove, but crazy enough to keep a "live" grenade on
his desktop as a paperweight. (I have to watch this movie again, just to write down the fabulous insults.  The only one I can
remember is "you're nothing but a meat puppet for the minister." ) All I can say about this movie is that it must be seen. At
least once.  It is wickedly funny and scary at the same time.

8.) Invictus: Morgan Freeman gives an award-winning performance as Nelson Mandela, the man who spent years
in prison for defying Apartheid in South Africa.  In this movie, many changes have taken place in South Africa: Apartheid
has been outlawed, Mandela was freed from prison and is now the president of the country. Of course there are vestiges of
the separate-but-not-equal social order called Apartheid, one of the most cruel and evil cases of systemic racism in
modern times. An example of this is found in the country's rugby team, called the Springboks, where an almost
unrecognizable Matt Damon plays the manager/player.  A throwback to Apartheid, the team is reviled by blacks who
routinely support any team that vies against the national team.  Mandela decides to change the perception of the team in
his black countrymen's eyes.  It took the diplomatic skills and persuasion of a master, but Mandela excels as he reaches
out to Damon's character for help. The outcome is predictable, but the journey to that end is fascinating to watch. And
Morgan Freeman is a joy to watch. Directed by Clint Eastwood.

9. Up: I'm not into animated films since I became an "adult" , but I was intrigued by the reviews of this Disney Studios  
Pixar film. The opening montage is a wonder of poignancy and beauty. And I was hooked. An elderly man, voiced by Ed
Asner, is being harassed into giving up his home to a developer. He devises a clever way to achieve his dream. An
adventure with a lesson for all ages.

10. Up in the Air:  George Clooney just might win an Academy Award for his portrayal of a man who spends his
time traveling by air from city to city, essentially firing people for clients who do not have the guts to do so themselves. He is
an isolated man, by choice, who finds himself faced with his own job elimination due to a new concept of "firing by Skype"
put forth by a fresh young college graduate.  Ryan (George's character) takes the young woman on tour with him as he
goes from company to company, city to city, firing people.  The various reactions of the firees is the centrepiece of this
movie. While Ryan distances himself from people, his life starts to change as he meets a woman he cares for and he
reconnects with his family at the wedding of his sister.  Interesting premise for today's times as more and more people are
suffering from downsizing and business closures. Ryan soon learns that he can't continue to live his life so detached from
others and he needs to come down to earth.  (George Clooney has to be the most gorgeous guy on screen right now. The
Cary Grant of his time.) Directed by Canadian Jason Reitman and produced with his father Ivan Reitman.

11. The Messenger:  this is another must-see movie. Never heard of Ben Foster or Samantha Morton, but
they deliver amazing performances in this movie about the notification of next of kin when a serviceman or woman is lost in
Iraq or Afghanistan.  Woody Harrelson is pitch perfect as a veteran at advising NOK, who takes Foster's character, a
recent wounded hero out of Iraq, as his protege and confidante.  The vignettes of them delivering the terrible news and the
reactions of the loved ones is just gut-wrenching.  Harrelson's character has developed a thick,hard shell, but Ben cannot
shake his feelings of empathy towards the bereaved.  He steps beyond the bounds of policy to form a friendship with a
recent widow.  The whole relationship is portrayed with extreme sensitivity and Samantha Morton is astounding as the
widow of a man who was changed by war.