Back to Basics: THE THIRD MAN

A lot of things went through my mind as I watched THE THIRD MAN for the dozenth time. I thought about the fact that it’s taut screenplay might be one of the very best of all time. I thought about the ballsy decision to keep the biggest star unseen and out of the fray until sixty-five minutes in. I even wondered how it missed a spot on Simon Columb’s five favorite Brit films during my recent podcast.

But more than anything, I thought to myself that a film like this might not even get made today. Pity, since it’s one of the very best of all time, and it’s the next one up in the 1001 Series. My full thoughts on Carol Reed’s masterpiece after the jump.

If you’ve never seen THE THIRD MAN, shame on you. Stop reading right now and track it down. For the sake of information it’s the story of Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton), who arrives in what’s left of Vienne after WWII at the request of his dear friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). Unfortunately he arrives a few ticks too late – as he arrives to find that his friend has been killed after being hit by a car. In mourning his friend, and trying to understand what happened, Martins begins to find discrepancies…lots of discrepancies. Something is rotten in the state of Austria, and the truth about Harry Lime is underneath it all.

What makes THE THIRD MAN work so well is how it is filled with lots of little touches that make the viewer uneasy with the lies they’re being told. Consider the quiet, yet unnerving frustration we feel when Martins has to stand and enduring people feverishly talking in a language he cannot speak. It’s the sort of helpless feeling that can belittle a person in a hurry, and it happens over and over in this story as we’re trying to get to the bottom of it.

Likewise consider that often in this film, we are shown scenes with the camera set at a slight angle. Our point of view is literally off-kilter, subtly yet unmistakably telling us that what we’re seeing isn’t right. It’s cemented by the fact that everyone is acting like they have something to hide. Much like Martins, we have to work to get a firm grasp on what’s going on. We continue to have to look through the shadows, in the hopes that the light will cut through just so…and help us understand the truth about Harry Lime.

This long, meandering walk through the first two acts of THE THIRD MAN is why I don’t think it could be made today. Too often now, audiences don’t want to put this much effort into a film, even if it is punctuated with Graham Greene’s witty dialogue (“He’s dead!” “That’s unfortunate.”). It seems to me like audiences don’t want to go through cinematic Italian bloodshed and have Michaelangelo and the Renaissance to show for it at the end. They want the peace and tranquility of Switzerland in their movies, and will proudly go home with a cuckoo clock tucked under their arm.

This is a shame because as bleak as this world seems when we’re trying to piece together what happened to Harry Lime, it really takes a turn down a dark alley in its final act. Moments after our hero seems resigned to the fate of his friend, his entire line of thinking is rattled twice over, leading to a finale that is quite literally cinematic perfection. For me, it’s the best reward a patient viewer. Likewise, I cannot think of a more just fate for the weak-willed, than being denied many of the very best parts in the movie.

Let that serve as a reminder: When it comes to the films of this era, and certainly when it comes to this masterpiece, patience truly is a virtue. And blessed are the virtuous, for theirs is a filmgoing experince of untold reward.

But Hatter, Is It List-Worthy?...Without a doubt. Think about your favorite moment in a classic film – THE THIRD MAN has about a dozen favorite moments. From that wild footchase in the sewers of Vienna, to the patient view of Anna Schmidt walking down the tree-lined path, to the iconic first glimpse of Harry Lime himself. It’s a movie that rewards the patient, and on that criteria alone it deserves a place near the very top of this list.

Elsewhere: Guest Bloggin' on The Front Row

I actually have a lot to write about these days, but I had Spoon tickets fall into my lap at the last minute. Perhaps it's fortunate then, that one of the best-written movie blogs I read, The Kid in the Front Row, asked me to do a guest post for him while he was enjoying some much deserved R&R

So permit me some linkage, and click here to read my wonderings about what my viewing habits have become.

The Real Thing pt. I (Hot Docs Preview)

As I mentioned last week, Hot Docs is coming up soon. I'm actually quite excited now as I've finally had a chance to look through the complete schedule and press kit and am starting to see my festival experience take shape. Having given every film listing a once over, I thought between now and the beginning of the festival, I would take a moment once a week to highlight some of the films I'm looking forward to the most. So in no particular order, let us begin!

I thought I'd start with SHADOWPLAY, as it's a film very much after my heart. The doc looks at a photographic hero of mine, Anton Corbijn. You might not recognize his name, but I promise that you would recognize his work. Along with that iconic image, he has also captured memorable images of bands like Depeche Mode, Joy Division, and R.E.M.

If the man's still photography doesn't knock you over, his video work probably would as he's the guy responsible for Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box", Coldplay's "Viva la Vida", and U2's "One". He was also the brains behind one of the best musical bio-pics you'll ever see, 2007's CONTROL.

While it's easy to say that Corbijn's work is so well known because of the famous faces he's photographing, it's the very unique vision he brings to those images, and the unmistakeable style with which they are presented, that makes him one of the best photographers in the world. SHADOWPLAY is a look into the man behind the camera, and a glimpse into his masterful process.

SHADOWPLAY will screen on Friday May 7th at 9:15pm, and Sunday May 9th at 1pm. Both shows will be at The Bloor Cinema.

Review: CHLOE * * 1/2

Few things in life are worse than infatuation. It can waste unlimited amounts of time and energy, and worse, it tends to sneak up on you. Think about it - how often have you said to yourself "I think I'm becoming infatuated". But perhaps the only thing trickier than trying to navigate such an obsession, is trying to deal with it when someone you love is fixated on someone else.

CHLOE begins by introducing us to Catherine and David (Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson). We meet them on David's birthday, and watch as Catherine's plan for an elaborate surprise birthday party gets unhinged when David misses his flight home. The next day, Catherine gets a surprise of her own when she sees a curious photo message on David's phone. It leads her to believe that he might be cheating on her with some much younger women.

This revelation sends her to Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) - a high priced escort she met by co-incidence in a swanky downtown lounge. Catherine cannot take suspecting her husband of infidelity, she needs to know for sure. She hires Chloe to tempt David. She wants Chloe to use her wiles, get David to take the bait, and report back about his actions and advances.


CHLOE is an alluring, though uneven, sexually charged human drama. I don't usually begin by mentioning the stage on which the story is set, but I don't think I've ever seen Toronto look so sensual (and I've lived here all my life). From the sun soaked cafes where scandalous conversations are held, to the high key greenhouse where Chloe and David have their first tryst, Atom Egoyan has taken a rather buttoned-up city and presented it with quite a romantic eye. Even the sound of passing streetcars seem to stand in for weary exhales of the characters.

Toronto might look pretty, but the real star of the show is Amanda Seyfried herself. With eyes the size of dinner plates, and a sense of poise that I swear wasn't there just three years ago, Seyfried plays Chloe in a rather extraordinary manner. Seyfried makes the character akin to drinking motor oil - something that might taste pretty good at first, but will damage a person's insides in a hurry. I had my issues with CHLOE as a film, but I probably would have had many more with it had a less talented actor been playing Chloe the character.

Where CHLOE mis-steps is in its final act, which I won't describe in great detail for the sake of those who haven't seen the film. What makes that final act leave a bad taste in my mouth (motor oil perhaps?) is that just when it seems like the smoke of absurdity has cleared, and a tone of true damage is seeping in, the film shakes it all off and goes for unexpected and unnecessary schlock.

This is a bad break, since few films could pull themselves back from the brink the way that CHLOE seemingly seems ready to do. It's especially puzzling, considering that the film is an adaptation of the french film NATHALIE, and that this wrong turn was added in for CHLOE.

In some ways, CHLOE reminds me of falling in love as a teenager. The movie begins with an overall feeling of hesitation...eventually stumbling into lust...and finally crosses a line into full-on preoccupation. As time goes on, it's that third step that can feel embarrassing to look back on, and it's ultimately what holds CHLOE back. It's an unfortunate development, because just when the overall plot seems to have lost its way, it rights itself brilliantly...but only long enough to sink with style to the bottom of the lake.

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on CHLOE.

On The Edge

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 3 - 26 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

So spring has sprung and there's a waft of rebirth and promise in the air...well, there was here in Toronto anyway until the temperature dropped well down below freezing again last night. What gives? The patio section of the bar was open last week, now I'm rooting around in the closet for my scarf. Freakin' unbredictable spring.

Gonna be a busy week for me movie-wise next week. By the time the next E-T post goes up, I'll have seen CHLOE, FISH TANK, and yes indeed HOT TUB TIME MACHINE. (Stop judging me).

In a few ways, this entire week has felt like one long "Everybody's Talkin'" experience. There was the morning I spent getting the goods on the upcoming Hot Docs festival. Then there was an evening where I spent hours knockin' 'em back with a dozen other Toronto movie bloggers. Finally comes tomorrow where I record the next episode of my Matineecast with yet another new guest. Who will it be? That'd be spoiling the surprise, and wouldn't give you any reason to tune in next week!

So it's been a very active week for me in terms of being part of the film community at large. I suppose it's time I continue fanning the community flames.

So for your reading enjoyment, I give you...

Just this week I was watching HIGH FIDELITY and considered spinning a post from it. looks like Bryce at Things That Don't Suck beat me to it, and has kicked off a series that I could well follow...if I weren't already staring down the barrel of a hellish four or five weeks!

RTM from Flix Chatter is a big fan of Gerard Butler, but it seems as though she feels a smidge let down these days.

Travis, The Movie Encyclopedia suggests you see REPO MEN. I believe I'll wait for dvd on this one.

Charlie has written a review of the only film I saw at TIFF 2009, THE WHITE STRIPES UNDER THE GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS, which hit dvd this week. Of course what I'm eagerly awaiting is a vinyl copy of the soundtrack!

Number Six has cobbled together a list of TV shows that might make good films. Think he's missed any?

Last week I vented a bit about being intimidated by my own dvd collection. It would seem as though Marc from Go, See, Talk! is having similar issues.


Enjoy!

Wild Wild Life (Hot Docs 2010 Kicks Off)

As the old saying goes - truth is often far more interesting than fiction.

If you possibly needed proof of this theory, I invite you to check out the 2010 slate at Hot Docs - North America's largest documentary film festival now in its seventeenth year. Take the photo above for instance. That hep cat is Josh Dolgin, or "Socalled" as he prefers to be called. Says here he's a cross between Woody Allen and Lil' Wayne.

Yes, really.

Or then there's the story of Furious Pete. Just years ago, Pete was diagnosed with anorexia. Now he is a world record holder in competitive eating.

Yes, really.

Their stories, as told in SOCALLED and THE STORY OF FURIOUS PETE are just two of the 170 documentaries that will be showing in Toronto between April 29th and May 9th. The subject matters range can be awe-inspiring or angering, the imagery can be stunning or sad. You never know quite what to expect...outside of real life stories that is.

After a few festivals in a row, I have been inexcusably absent from the Hot Docs festival for a few years, however that will all change this year as this site will become a hub of coverage. Expect reactions, reviews, interviews and opinions. I'm planning on providing as much coverage as I can muster, both in the form of written pieces, and special editions of The Matineecast. One thing I can tell you early on, is that the hardest part will be deciding on just how much of this bountiful list of films I can squeeze in. I already have a lengthy wish list, and haven't even finished going through the selections!

The festival's website has gone live and can be found here. In the weeks leading up to the festival, watch this space as I'll be highlighting various programmes and events. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of screening decisions to make.

Be My Baby (BABIES Trailer)

So here's the thing...

Yesterday I went to the Hot Docs kick-off press conference and got details on a lot of cool docs that I hope to see in about one month's time. I couldn't wait to sit down and tell y'all about it.

Then I met up with pretty much all the other Toronto movie bloggers.
And drank.
A lot.

So allow me one more day, and in the meantime, take a gander at the trailer for the doc that's gonna kick off the whole she-bang as the opening night gala.

Midnight Radio: The Matineecast Episode 9

"London."
"London?"
"London"
"London??"
"Yes London...You know - fish, chips, cup o' tea, bad food, worse weather, Mary fuckin' Poppins...London!!"

I give you the Ted Williams episode



Here's what's in store in episode nine

Runtime
51 minutes, 50 seconds

Up for Discussion

1. My brief introduction
2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY - Q & A with this episode's guest, Simon Columb of Knowing Views and The Simon & Jo Podcast. (2:07)
3. WHAT'S GOIN' ON - Casting Cap'n America, a new release date for WALL STREET, and a rant about 3-D. (6:35)
4. THE NEW SLANG - Review and reaction of GREEN ZONE (15:45)
5. BEST OF YOU - Simon counts down his five favorite Brit films, Hatter counters with his five favorite Canadian films (25:38)
6. COME TALK TO ME - Listener feedback on Episode 8's ALICE Question (48:08)

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

Robot Rock (Spike Jonez's short film, I'M HERE)

Happy Monday folks!

There's a new episode of The Matineecast coming - hopefully today - but my host site, mypodcast.com, is having a little bit of technical difficulties at the moment. Thus, I've delayed the accompanying blog post that details the episode until I can be sure you can listen to my handiwork.

In the meantime, perhaps I can offer a visual amusement. Director Spike Jonze - he of BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, and WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE - recently made a short film which played at The Sundance Film Festival. Well now Spike and his sponsor, Absolut, have taken the whole she-bang and put it online.

It's called I'M HERE...and if i may say so, it's quite a lovely little piece of filmmaking!

Review: THE RUNAWAYS * *

There's nothing that brings this music geek more joy than discovering new music. Be it a smaller act that hasn't broken big yet, or a bygone band that I wasn't into before - there's little in the world that can beat a cache of new tracks he can play to death for a week or three. So in that respect, he's thankful this of this film for introducing him to The Runaways. But while this music geek is satisfied, this movie geek is amazingly dissatisfied. Perhaps it's because after thirteen dollars and just shy of two hours, he still doesn't feel like he knows The Runaways.

Our story begins in the summer of 1975, where we're introduced to sixteen year old Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning). Cherie lives for glam rock, has a loving sister, and seems to spend most days wanting to break the shit cycle her life has become. At the same time, we meet young Joan Larkin (Kristen Stewart) - or Joan Jett as she prefers to be called. In a time where the boys are dressing like girls, Joan wants to dress like a boy. Not only does she want to dress like a boy - she wants to play electric guitar like a boy.

Joan spends many nights at Rodney's English Disco - a club in L.A. that plays bands like David Bowie and The Stooges. It's here that she sees music producer Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon), and talks him into forming an all-girl rock band. Fowley likes the idea - believing there's money to be made - and sets out with Jett to fill in the ranks. Topping the list is the need for a lead singer, a role that blonde bit of jailbait named Currie just might be able to fill.


I wanted to like THE RUNAWAYS...I really did...but wowsers - what a mess.

The film has a few good qualities to it, which save it from being a complete failure - not the least of which are the two lead actresses. As Cherie Curie, Dakota Fanning successfully makes the jump to an adult acting career. Every moment she is behind a microphone, she cuts the audience with a vicious charisma that a child actor isn't capable of.

Equally impressive is Kristen Stewart. Admittedly, I came into the movie ready to rip the once-and-future Bella to bits...but I can't. She has done her homework and does indeed bring much of Joan Jett's swagger and sneer to her performance in THE RUNAWAYS. If I have any knock against Kristen Stewart, it's that she isn't quite given enough to do.

Beyond the leading ladies, and an appropriately killer soundtrack, the film is damn near forgettable. It focuses more on the story of Cherie Currie than any of the other four young ladies; which would be fine if it didn't treat her story like so many other junkie cautionary tales I've already seen. Besides the fact that I didn't get to know any member of the band not named Joan or Cherie, the story of their success felt to me like it was over before it began. I mean one scene they're playing a club in the American midwest, the next scene they're packing for Japan. Shouldn't there have been a night or two at The Whiskey in between those two career steps?

While director Floria Sigismondi has given certain moments an edgy visual flare - especially a kick ass sequence of the band performing "Hollywood" - her pacing feels like a six year old telling you what they did in school that day. The film includes some truly abrasive editing and pulls the impressive trick of both luring you into what is actually 'The Cherie Curie Story', yet still telling you very little about her. The movie has so many moments where it feels like it could be an indie film touchstone of rock & roll...but instead of getting on stage and slaying the crowd, it pisses its pants, and runs out the side door.

I'll spot THE RUNAWAYS one point on the scoreboard - it did set me directly on a mission to get music by the titular band on to my iPod. But besides that token gesture of pointing me towards a musical blind spot, I'm left feeling ripped off, and left wondering what might have been.

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on THE RUNAWAYS.

I Cut Like a Buffalo

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 3 - 19 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

So a bit of news before I turn the spotlight over to my fellow bloggers.

HOT DOCS, North America's biggest documentary film festival is coming up soon, and for the first time I'll be covering it here on my blog! I've enjoyed my Hot Doc experiences in the past as a mere patron, so getting the chance to write about what I'm seeing and who I'm meeting is gonna add a delicious second scoop to this non-fiction sundae.

Cool, eh? There's a kick-off press conference next week, so look for news on that next Wednesday. Likewise, get ready for lots of news, reviews and special podcast episodes when the festival takes place at the end of April. Y'all come back now, y'hear?

For now though, let's see what everyone else is up to this week...

I'm not planning on seeing THE CRAZIES, but I've heard good things. For instance - Rachel really enjoyed it.

In case you haven't already noticed, Univarn is in the home stretch of a Kurosawa Bloog-a-Thon.

Meanwhile, Encore is in the midst of a series of posts dedicated to his top performances of the decade. This week he mentioned one of my favorites.

Who wants random? ("I do! I do!") Fletch is back and has posted about his top five movies of 2002. You might ask "Why 2002?"...I say "Why not?"

Hey check it out - Nick and Travis have started podcasting!

M. Carter has reviewed a movie named TWENTYNINE PALMS, which many of you might not have heard of. I however remember it quite clearly, as its the only movie I've ever walked out of. But in a case of dif'rent strokes, Meredith seems to dig it.

Enjoy!

Watching the Wheels

I'm growing sick of the sight of a small stack of dvd's. They're sitting in front of my TV and don't seem like they'll be going away anytime soon. This, my friends, is the 'to-watch' pile.

At the moment, they are there for a bouillabaisse of reasons. Some are new purchases I haven't watched yet. Some are loaners from friends (I try to give these priority). And every now and then a renter goes to the top of the stack. Seems no matter what, this stack always hovers close to a foot high...and mocks me.

While the presence of such an unwatched bounty does rub me the wrong way, I rest easy knowing that they only survive due to the fact that we're still in the midst of the spring TV season. Come rerun time they'll disappear in a hurry. However, this leads me to wonder something about your reading habits dear reader.

The orphans are over my right shoulder as I write this, but over my left is The Collection...shelves and shelves of movies I dig that I've bought over the years. Standing in front of such a monolith can be just as frustrating as I mutter to myself "What sort of mood am I in?"

How do you decide what you watch? Do you own a few hundred but find yourself continually watching the same three dozen? Do you watch them in a particular order and then start over when you get to the end? Do you watch them in clever little double and triple features? (SEVEN SAMURAI, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, A BUG'S LIFE perhaps??).

Do tell folks - When you stand in front of The (insert movie geek name here) Memorial Library...how do you decide what to watch?

Dragon Queen (GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Trailer)

Real content will reappear shortly on this blog...I swear it. I actually have something pretty good swimming around in this hatted head of mine. Unfortunately, it's for a guest spot on someone else's space, so ya'll will have to sit tight just a little while longer.

In the meantime, I must thank Simon for alerting me to what looks like one absolutely kick ass movie. I'd only heard of the name before he got me looking at the trailer - and now that I've seen the trailer, I'm about five kinds of excited that I only have to wait a mere three weeks to see it!

Take a look below at the international thriller - THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

Pride (Top Five Irish Films)

This time last year, in honour of Saint Patrick's Day, I posted an Irish Top Five.

Given that I'm still suffering from a sliver of blogger's block, and still trying to reload on new material, I hope you don't mind that I'm digging into the vaults for today's post. So on the eve of the finest of holidays, please come back one year with me and take a look at My Top Five Irish Films.

Elsewhere: Simon & Jo - Talkin' GREEN ZONE and More

Hey Fletch - whaddaya think? Do I look doufy??

So this morning, I beg of you, permit me a small break from writing.

With Oscar season behind us, I look back over the last forty days and realize that I've written six full reviews, detailed another eight titles on dvd, recorded four podcasts (plus one more for the LAMB), and talked Oscar over ten posts! In a word gang - I'm pooped. As if on cue, I woke up yesterday morning to London calling...

...literally.

Please, click here and give a listen to my guest appearance on a podcast that truly inspires my own work, the legendary Simon & Jo.

Review: GREEN ZONE * * *

If one were to step outside into the Iraqi sunshine in The Green Zone, they might see people taking photos like tourists. They might see administrators in suits walking to and fro like they owned the joint. In short, they might think that since The Coalition took Baghdad and fortified this ten square kilometre area, the success of the mission was well in hand.

But as all the political maneuvering of Matt Damon's latest film shows us, one shouldn't be so naive.

GREEN ZONE begins with American forces having already taken over Baghdad; they are now tossing site after site in the hunt for weapons of mass destruction. Chief Roy Miller (Matt Damon) leads a squad that has searched site after site, and so far has come up with jack squat. making his mission all the more frustrating is the fact that Miller and his team are working off page after page of American intelligence, all of which is getting systematically disproven.

After Miller finally speaks up - and quickly gets shut up by senior officers - he is approached by a CIA employee named Martin Brown (Brendan Gleeson). Brown has specialized in Middle East intelligence for years, and seems to understand what is going on better than anyone else. He suggests to Miller that things aren't what they seem, and that he might want to dig a little deeper...on his own.

Contradicting Brown's ideas is Clark Poundstone (Greg Kinnear), a high-ranking Washington administrator. He is convinced his heavily guarded source "Magellan" has given him credible inside intel, and has no problem saying so to Miller, and likewise to New York Times reporter Lawrie Dayne (Amy Ryan). If a high ranking Washington administrator tells you that a CIA employee is off base, and that the raw data is to be trusted...he probably knows what he's talking about, right?


GREEN ZONE is well aware of its mission, and that mission isn't to be a totem of the antiwar movement. It sacrifices validity for entertainment. Its story of a soldier calling his own plays and working in direct competition with his own commanding officers won't be used as an example in any debate of American policy anytime soon. But you know what folks? There's nothing wrong with that.

GREEN ZONE is more interested in taking a building-block kernel of truth and using it to construct an intense bit of political intrigue. The audience follows right in step with Chief Roy Miller for every intense moment of the play he has called. It doesn't matter to the movie, nor to the audience, that Miller couldn't possibly call a play like this. The success of this clearly needs to be credited to the creative pairing of director Paul Greengrass and star Matt Damon.

There are few directors working in Hollywood today who seem to be able to do intrigue and action better than Greengrass. Admittedly, his use of hand-held "shaky cam" can be a bit much for some viewers, but he has a way of grounding action sequences. The action becomes more plausible and intense, and less about mach-six editing and expansive pyrotechnics. Damon meanwhile works rather well as an action star because he finds a way to retain his everyman demeanour, shrugging off the superhero persona that makes many A-list actors unbelievable in moments of peril.

While GREEN ZONE isn't terribly much more than a straight-up action flick, it takes direct aim at our collective conscience by continually reminding us that America's rallying cry for the need to invade Iraq was at best questionable, and at worst dead wrong. In the opening act, the frustration is palpable as Miller's teams keep coming up empty in the search for weapons of mass destruction. Hindsight makes that frustration infinitely worse.

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on GREEN ZONE.

Listen Like Thieves

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 3 - 12 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

Kinda funny - last week I gave my E-T feature a week off, primarily so I could let my run of Oscar posts play out in sequence (I went 4-for-8 in the top categories btw...damned screenwriters!).

Well in a way it's sort of a good thing that I gave the feature a rest, primarily because most of my fellow bloggers were writing about wall-to-wall Oscar. Would have made it pretty darned difficult to come up with some varied topics to post here!

But as awards season ends, we begin 2010 in earnest, and I'm pretty excited for that! There's a lot of swell smaller films coming over the next few weeks, a film festival or two to take part in, and a lot of great podcasting ideas kicking around in my hatted brain! But as we all know, Fridays aren't about me, they're about you.

For your reading fulfillment, I give you...

Remember Shane, my podcasting guest in the Oscar episode? He's written a great piece about some of Oscar's most interesting races.Should help soothe any Oscar withdrawal you migfht be feeling.

Got to spend some quality time with a fellow Toronto movie blogger this week - James McNally from Toronto Screen Shots. The guy is a really good influence on me and my blogging habits, and he has me excited to see THE RUNAWAYS thanks to his review.

At the same little get-together was Bob from Eternal Sunshine - I dare you to find a nicer guy. Bob has a pretty good post on his site about a somewhat minor movie detail that I appreciate - some truly eye-catching title sequences.

Number Six has seen a film I'm very much looking forward to. Take a look at his thoughts on Atom Egoyan's CHLOE.

Though she has scandalously omitted the greatest one of all if you ask me, Heather at Movie Mobsters has put together a list of the best TV-to-Film adaptations.

Finally, something I'd call a preview of coming attractions - Simon and Jo; two UK bloggers/podcasters who were nice enough to give a my humble ramblings a plug recently, have started doing their schtick in front of a camera. Look, listen, and read!

Enjoy!

My Hometown (CHLOE Trailer)

After a seemingly endless run of written pieces, I can't tell you how much joy it brings me to post a trailer...or as I call it, "phoning it in".

Today's flick is hitting theatres very soon. "Soon" is as quickly as next week for some, but an additional week for me. I find this fact especially strange, given that it's not only a Canadian film, but one that was filmed and is set in my hometown!

ACtually, that greenhouse that they show in Alan Gardens was the scene of my third date with Lady Hatter. Just sayin'.

Review: ALICE IN WONDERLAND * * *

The eight year old inside of me felt it necessary to re-read Lewis Carroll's books before sitting down to watch ALICE IN WONDERLAND. While I finished my reading believing the story to be precious more than nonsense, I also found myself in a state of curiosity. What did a Bandersnatch look like? Just how loony was The March Hare? And what did this world on the other side of the rabbit hole look like?

While it might not have been the film I expected, I have to give this movie credit - it certainly gave me an experience far wilder than my own imagination.

Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is now 19 years old, and convinced that her experiences in Wonderland were just a dream she had thirteen years ago. One afternoon, she is brought to a lavish garden party where she is proposed to by Hamsih - a young Lord who looks like he could be knocked over by a particularly violent sneeze. Before she can tell Hamish if she will marry him or not, a familiar white rabbit goes scurrying by...and he's tapping his watch.

Chasing said rabbit down his rabbit hole, Alice finds herself back in Wonderland, or "Underland" as the locals call it. Convinced she's merely dreaming, Alice goes through the early stages of her journey very nonchalantly. So much so, that many, including Absolem the caterpillar (Alan Rickman) seem convinced she isn't the right Alice. She isn't convinced herself, until she stumbles back to a familiarly mad tea party.

It's here that The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) informs her that much has happened since she left; to wit, The Red Queen (Helena Bonham-Carter) has taken over Underland from The White Queen (Anne Hathaway). He's still prone to fits of complete madness (but as we're told, the best of us are), but in between moments of lunacy, he convinces Alice to take up action against The Red Queen. She has a destiny you see, and it's to do battle with The Jabberwocky, and return peace to Underland.


Deciding what to say about ALICE IN WONDERLAND was admittedly difficult. For starters, I wasn't wowed by the film, but a lot of that is on me - and not the fault of the film. The movie geek in me started doing the math months ago...Alice + Burton + Depp + 3-D = Holy moly awesome! The problem is, that my tempered reaction to the film isn't really a reaction to the film, it's a reaction to expectations versus reality.

The reality is that we have been given a Wonderland that truly brings Lewis Carroll's imagination to life. From the lush garden of talking flowers to the regal intimidation of The Red Queen's palace, the set pieces of this film are rich with lavishness, whimsy, and indeed - wonder. Making it all the more complete are the tiny details, like the frantically flapping birds holding chandeliers aloft, and flamingo croquet mallets that apologize to the de facto ball before whacking him into play.

Where the set pieces leave off, the actors come in and take over. Mia Wasikowska is an understated Alice. Some have reacted by saying that she seems to play things a little too subtle, but I find the slightly muted delivery more befitting of a 19-year old. When Alice first goes to Wonderland, she's wide-eyed with curiosity. Befitting a girl who has had thirteen years to stew on what she thought was a dream, she wanders through this great unknown with a bit more steely temperament.

Alice being understated isn't such a bad thing this time around as it basically keeps her out of harm's way when she's in a scene opposite Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen or Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter. Both were characters that left me hesitant in still images, but when brought to life on the screen they thrive in this nonsensical world. Bonham Carter tears through every scene she's in with a reckless abandon, and Depp brings a nice duality to The Hatter. the temptation must have been great to play him like a raving loon. Happily, Depp instead plays him with a nice mix of fear and oddity. Suffice to say - he made me proud of my handle.

If I do have a great disappointment with the film, it's the afterthought attitude towards the 3-D rendering. It comes into play very sparingly, and really isn't utilized nearly enough in this fantastical story - one that seems like it was written for a 3-D treatment. I have mentioned on more than one occasion that 3-D is by and large a gimmick, and ALICE did nothing to change my mind. Further, it's lack of use of the technology was one thing that disappointed me.

In the years since I first heard this story, I've had many daydreams about what a Cheshire Cat's smile looks like, or how an army of playing cards might move. the way ALICE IN WONDERLAND brought these visions to life alone were enough for me to recommend this film. And while I will openly admit that I found the overall narrative wanting, I can forgive it for distracting me with visual delights that I have only been able to imagine since I was eight.

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on ALICE IN WONDERLAND.

Midnight Radio: The Matineecast Episode 8

In a few ways, part of me wants to believe that this episode shouldn't have come to pass. I say this because of the vast amount of technical difficulties that plagued its creation. I must beg forgiveness for my audio problems in the episode, but if you can endure them you'll be treated to some rather nifty content.

Here you have the Cal Ripken Jr. episode



Here's what's in store in episode eight...

Runtime
52 minutes, 14 seconds

Up for Discussion

1. My brief introduction (0:00)
2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY - Q & A with this episode's guest, Danger Girl. (1:18)
3. WHAT'S GOIN' ON - A fun Oscar wrap-up, TRON LEGACY marketing, and Hollywood continues to pillage our childhood. (5:58)
4. THE NEW SLANG - Review and reaction of ALICE IN WONDERLAND (11:22)
5. THE BEST OF YOU - Our Top Five Children's Lit Movies. (25:53)

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thanks very much for listening.

Enjoy!

This Night (Final Oscar Wrap-Up)

21 Thoughts on last night's Oscar ceremony...

• So I was wrong with who Oscar voters would reward as Best Picture, and couldn't be more thrilled about it.
• On the flip side, I can't say I was thrilled about Martin & Baldwin's stilted monologue.
• Anybody know why the acting nominees opened the show like contestants in a beauty pageant?
• Could Kristen Stewart possibly look any more nervous?
• ...and could the Oscar reels they showed possibly give away more of the movies??
• Dear Oscar: If I wanted to watch America's Best Dance Crew, my remote works just fine.
• Am I the only one who doesn't find Stiller funny anymore?
• Oh what I wouldn't have given for some Renner and Sidibe upsets.
• FYI - I still don't care about who is wearing what.
• Anybody know which dumpster they fished Judd Nelson out of? Yikes.
• Way to go Ric O'Barry - your damned sign got your directors' speech cut short. Where's Phillippe Petit when you need him?
• Anyone else find Carey Mulligan about seven kinds of cute?
• In what was a very predictable year, I'm happily impressed by the slight upsets in the screenplay categories.
• Is it just me, or for was Jeff Bridges kinda babbling by the end of his speech?
• Lady Hatter said it best - Neil Patrick Harris' opening felt like Oscar was giving him a tryout for future hosting duties.
• Gotta love the irony in such a long intro for the short films category.
• What the hell happened during the Documentary Short acceptance speech? The woman basically got up there and was all "You're telling it wrong - let me tell the story..."
• Pretty sure I could have cut a better John Hughes montage. Just sayin'.
• Vanessa said it best in my comment section last night - Bigelow looked like she was going to pass out towards the end there.
• My favorite moment of the night? George Clooney chair dancing to the SHERLOCK HOLMES score.
• Finally, the romantic in me can't get over Ryan Bingham's thank-you to his wife: "I love you more than rainbows." Awwwww!

Calm Like a Bomb (82nd Academy Award Winners)

Best Picture: THE HURT LOCKER
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, THE HURT LOCKER
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, CRAZY HEART
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock, THE BLIND SIDE
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz
Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique
Best Original Screenplay: Mark Boal, THE HURT LOCKER
Best Adapted Screenplay: Geoffrey Fletcher, PRECIOUS
Best Animated Feature: UP
Best Foreign Feature: SECRET IN THEIR EYES
Best Documentary Feature: THE COVE
Best Cinematography: AVATAR
Best Editing: THE HURT LOCKER
Best Art Direction: AVATAR
Best Costume Design: THE YOUNG VICTORIA
Best Make-Up: STAR TREK
Best Original Score: UP
Best Original Song: "The Weary Kind", CRAZY HEART
Best Sound Mixing: THE HURT LOCKER
Best Sound Effects Editing: THE HURT LOCKER
Best Visual Effects: AVATAR
Best Documentary Short: MUSIC BY PRUDENCE
Best Animnated Short: LOGORAMA
Best Live Action Short: THE NEW TENANTS

Tonight's The Night (Hatter's 82nd Oscar Predictions)

Time to put up or shut up...

Best Picture: AVATAR
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges
Best Actress: Meryl Streep
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz
Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique
Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarentino, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
Best Adapted Screenplay: Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, UP IN THE AIR
Best Animated Feature: UP
Best Foreign Feature: THE WHITE RIBBON
Best Documentary Feature: THE COVE
Best Cinematography: THE HURT LOCKER
Best Editing: THE HURT LOCKER
Best Art Direction: THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS
Best Costume Design: THE YOUNG VICTORIA
Best Make-Up: STAR TREK
Best Original Score: UP
Best Original Song: "The Weary Kind", CRAZY HEART
Best Sound Mixing: AVATAR
Best Sound Effects Editing: AVATAR
Best Visual Effects: AVATAR
Best Documentary Short: CHINA'S UNNATURAL DISASTER*
Best Animnated Short: A MATTER OF LOAF AND DEATH*
Best Live Action Short: THE DOOR*

* I haven't seen any of the short nominees - these three are completely blind guesses.

The Big Guns (Oscar Predictions - Best Picture)

And then there was one…the big one as it were. Capping off this week of predictive Oscar posts, we finally arrive at the big cheese…the grand poobah…king turd of poop mountain (too far?). Take a look after the jump for my call on the ten-spot of Best Picture Nominees.

As you likely know by now, this year Oscar widened out the field to ten nominees. The prevailing wisdom, is that adding five more spots would make the class a tad more mainstream, and curb the tide of smaller, more independent nominees that have dominated the decade. Y'know, those films that "nobody saw" (except everybody reading this space, and every space like it).

Being that its the only category with ten nominees, we can begin by eliminating five for various reasons. THE BLIND SIDE is just too fluffy, too slight. It has an audience, but not enough weight to take a place next to movies like TERMS OF ENDEARMENT. A SERIOUS MAN and AN EDUCATION, while both fantastic, shouldn't work too hard on their acceptance speeches. Either film would have a tough fight in a five nominee race, and with a ten picture field, both are just too overmatched. DISTRICT 9 is an interesting contender. While it doesn't nearly have the support to parlay its nomination into a win, what it does have, is the possibility of stealing some sci-fi support from AVATAR.

That brings us to the spoilers. These films don't seem to be front runners, but given the weighted-ballot system, they might have enough second and third choice love to steal an eventual win. First is PRECIOUS, which might not have the sort of widespread support as some better-odds nominees, but I learned long ago not to underestimate the power of an Oprah-backed project. Next is UP, which seems to be d.o.a given that it's an animated feature, but I have to wonder…who really hated UP enough to completely sink its chances? The next spoiler seemed to be a front-runner when awards season got kicked off back in early December, and that's UP IN THE AIR. It's smart, it's mature, and it's timely. It also seems to have piqued far too early (mind-blowing for a film that didn't go into wide release until Christmas Day). What can I say? When you live by the buzz, you die by the buzz.

The last spoiler is the one that has the potential to do the most amount of damage, and that's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. Much of the past five weeks have been about forecasting a two film race, but if there's a sleeper in the pack with the biggest chance to zip right past the two front-runners, it's Quentin Tarentino's yarn of revisionist history. After UP, it's the film that has the greatest combination of mass appeal, wide exposure, and critical success. Don't underestimate the possibility that the end of the night could arrive and have the producers of INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS at the mic giving us all their "Bahn-joor-no"

That brings us to the rage in the cage…the hell in the cell…HURT LOCKER in one corner, AVATAR in the other. HURT LOCKER has run the gamut in all the award precursors. Steamrolling through just short of SLUMDOG-like dominance. Few films in recent history have come up winning time and time again, only to be shut out when it counts. But it's happened before (SAVING PRIVATE RYAN), and it could happen again (BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN). The main reason why it could happen again is a gigantic blue fly in the ointment named AVATAR.

The staggering success - rigged or not - of AVATAR, might just be too big for the film industry to ignore. It brought people out to the theatres in droves and pushed the technical envelope further than any film since THE MATRIX. It seemed destined to be a failure of monumental proportions, but instead gave us a film that is an unforgettable experience. As a story, and as a film, it's far less complete than THE HURT LOCKER…and while in the past Academy voters haven't cared to reward a phenomenon bound for the lexicon (RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, STAR WARS, E.T.), this time they might take the bait.

The hatter's Pick...I'm not happy to be saying this, but I believe when the dust settles Jim Cameron will be standing at the mic thanking the academy in Na'vi.

Camera One (Oscar Predictions - Best Director)

Seriously? The Oscars are this weekend?? I could swear it was just yesterday that the nominations were being announced. Where the hell does the time go?

Well time's a-wastin' so take a look after the jump as I offer up my thoughts on the race for Best Director.

It's almost criminally unfair that Lee Daniels' nomination for PRECIOUS has garnered so little attention. he is only the second black director to be nominated as Best Director, and it's been nearly twenty years since John Singleton became the first one. Sadly, it's likely that this is where Daniels' amazing PRECIOUS run will end. I can only hope that we haven't heard the last from this truly extraordinary filmmaker.

Jason Reitman can also rest easy when this category comes up on Oscar night, since a win by him is pretty darned unlikely. You have to be impressed by a guy who has made three feature films and been nominated as Best Director twice already. In that regard, Reitman might want to count himself lucky that this won't be his year - it saves him from peaking too early.

The spoiler in the category is Quentin Tarentino. Quick show of hands - how many people thought we'd get to this point back around the time of the KILL BILL's and GRINDHOUSES? Anyone...?? Yet somehow, the one-time rock star has matured as a filmmaker and reminded us what he did to get our attention in the first place. the final line of INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS was bang on - it is indeed his masterpiece. Unfortunately, his masterpiece has come at the wrong time and is in tough against some wicked competition. Sort of ironic given that he's been knocking this script around for over a decade, no?

It is entirely possible that this award will go to James Cameron, which would make him the nineteenth person to score multiple wins for directing. His vision of AVATAR, for better or for worse, is completely unforgettable...and his effort to create a film inconceivable just five or six years ago is something to be applauded. The question is whether or not voters can get past the man's Pandora-sized ego...and likewise, whether or not they truly want to ignore an opportunity.

The opportunity, is to reward Kathryn Bigelow for some top notch directing, and in so doing, hand the Oscar to a female director for the very first time. To do so would not be a charity - Bigelow's work on THE HURT LOCKER is indeed top notch, and award-worthy. She would be receiving this award not just 'because she's a woman', but because the tension she created in her film is first rate...and because it was due in large part to her passion that the film made it off the ground at all.

The Hatter's Pick... When even James Cameron and Quentin Tarentino are publicly saying "Kathryn deserves to win", it's difficult to see voters going any other way. The King of The World ain't out of this yet, but I truly believe that Bigelow has the support to make history Sunday night.

From the Stars (Oscar Predictions - Best Actor/Best Actress)

Alrighty, after that brief moment of sharing a touch of my personal life with y'all, allow me to get back to the Oscar shenanigans at hand. The big dogs are up today - here are my thoughts on the race for Best Actor and Best Actress.

Ladies first, as the old saying goes.

This year, the category is actually stacked with five amazing performances. The least exposed, and therefore the first scratch, is Helen Mirren. Mirren does tend to get nominated just for getting out of bed these days...but take my word for it - this nomination is well earned. Thankfully, there isn't a lot of tarnish on the Oscar she was given just three years ago, and that's a good thing because she isn't winning here.

The next pair, are the unfortunate cast-offs. Both Carey Mulligan in AN EDUCATION and Gabby Sidibe in PRECIOUS dazzled. I mean "capital D dazzled". their performances couldn't have been more different, and yet they are equally memorable, moving, and charming. Were this award being handed out in November I'd wager they were neck-and-neck for the prize, but sadly the applause for their work has already died off. Mulligan already has projects in the work - I can only hope this isn't the last we've heard of Sidibe.

Another actress who seems to get nominated just for getting out of bed is Meryl Streep. Funny thing though, she can't seem to ever convert those nominations into wins! It's been over twenty years since she last brought home the gold...and I have to wonder if the joie de vivre she brought to her role as Julia Child might be enough to win her another one.

If Meryl is going to win, she's in tough...and 'tough' once starred in PRACTICAL MAGIC. Sandra Bullock is currently the odds-on favorite, and I can't tell you how much that disappoints me. Oscar wants to reward her for a spunky, somewhat dramatic part in a feel-good film, and more so because they can. Bullock is the girl that everybody likes, and her work in THE BLIND SIDE is just good enough to award. The only question is - does all of Hollywood agree with anointing her?

The Hatter's Pick... I'm going rogue - Meryl pulls off a slight upset.

Now let's hear it for the boys.

Morgan Freeman's stint as Nelson Mandella in INVICTUS is the sort of part designed to get Oscar's attention. It did indeed get Oscar's attention enough to scoop itself a nomination, but that's the end of the road for Madiba.

While some other LAMB's might call his performance one-note, I was quite moved by Colin Firth's part in A SINGLE MAN. I thought he really conveyed a sense of isolation and loss in a way that's difficult to do convincingly. Unfortunately, the film was seen by far too few to really gain any traction. I can only hope that this isn't the last role of the sort that we see from Colin Firth.

George Clooney will win an Oscar as lead actor eventually, the guy is just too good not to. I might well have believed that his work in UP IN THE AIR could have cinched it for him, but like everything else to do with the movie, the buzz surrounding his role piqued too early. Sorry George, no hardware tonight - but keep the great work coming, won't you?

If there's a surpise coming on Oscar night, and believe me it'd be a BIG surprise, Jeremy Renner might be it. By his own admission, he's just happy to be there, and knows that he's sitting at the kids table for this party. However, a groundswell of support for THE HURT LOCKER could spill over into an unexpected win for Renner. He hasn't made much noise in the awards run-up...but y'know what kids? Stranger things have happened!

Renner or no Renner, the award is Jeff Bridges' to lose. His down-and-out turn as Bad Blake in CRAZY HEART is the sort of role Oscar voters eat for breakfast. Add to that that Bridges is one hell of a nice guy, and you have the recipe for an award being given for a great role, and a great overall body of work. The movie was average, but his part in it was top notch. The award is a tad overdue, and it would shock a lot of people for Bridges to go home empty handed.

The Hatter's Pick... The Dude finally abides. Bridges takes the gold.

Whaddaya think folks? Leave comments with your own thoughts on possibilities and predictions of the Best Acting races.

Viva la Vida

I really wrestled with whether or not I wanted to write about this, so much so that I resigned myself to merely hinting at it in my last post. However, even with just that hint, I got notes, comments and messages of support...and really felt moved by all of it. So here's the short story.

That wacky gal you see in the photo is my grandmother Maria (or "Lolly" as she was nicknamed...but don't ask me why). This past Saturday night, two days after her 87th birthday, she passed away from Alzheimer's. Her funeral was today.

I've managed the past few days pretty well all things considered. The hardest part was watching her passing's toll on my family. My mom's side of the brood is a tight-knit bunch, and even though everyone knew this day was coming, it didn't make it any easier on anyone. What can I say - it's one thing to feel so lousy you want to cry...it's a whole other level of hurt to have your mother crying on your shoulder.

I wish I had some movie related tidbits to say about my grandmother, but that really wasn't her bag. She'd watch whatever dvd we happened to put on, but couldn't tell Carey Grant from Hugh Grant if a million dollars depended on the answer. Whether she was a movie lover or not, she helped raise me and turn me into the man I am today. I miss her already, and can't thank you fine folks enough for letting me tell you about her.

Villains (Oscar Predictions - Supporting Actor/Supporting Actress)

More Oscar predictions today, this being the easiest one to outline in a country mile. Truthfully, I'm writing in the middle of some family issues, so a post like this is the best thing short of a trailer or "Today, I Feel Like This" at the moment.

Take a look beyond the jump for my calls in the race for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.

To the ladies first, and we begin with Maggie Gyllenhaal in CRAZY HEART. While it's nice to see Maggie finally recognized after a decade or so of solid outings, her inclusion here feels like momentum of the film's success. She's the last one in, and thus the first one out. Penelope Cruz can likewise be crossed off quickly. For starters she just won this category last year, and back-to-back wins in such a category are rare. Further, NINE as a film was largely shrugged off this award season, so her work in it is not likely to catch much voter attention.

Then we have the ladies from UP IN THE AIR - Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. The sad fact here is that by both being nominated, they'll likely cancel each other out (call it the ALMOST FAMOUS effect)...which is quite sad given that they're both amazing in this movie! Were they not in competition with one another, I'd be calling on one of them to steal, but unfortunately that seems unlikely.

Indeed it seems like for many a month, Mo'Nique has all but been handed this award - and rightfully so. Her dark and sorrowful turn in PRECIOUS is the performance of a lifetime, and while we're unlikely to see anything like it out of her again, it quite simply is too powerful to be ignored.

The Hatter's Pick... Mo'Nique in a walk.

Next to the men, where there is equally little mystery in store.

Stanley Tucci is unfortunately the first scratch. Tucci is (quite rightly) being rewarded for a stellar year at the movies, though some might argue he was honoured for the lesser of his two projects. Like NINE, THE LOVELY BONES was sadly d.o.a. when it hit theatres, so honouring even the best part of it seems unlikely.

Next is Christopher Plummer who puzzlingly has never been nominated before!! His role in THE LAST STATION has a lot of charm, but sadly was far too underexposed. The nomination is his award this time out. Then there's Matt Damon. His nomination isn't exactly undeserving, but it feels slightly apathetic. Almost as if they just ran out of supporting roles to nominate. It's good to see him back at the party after twelve years, but it takes more than a passable South African accent.

Woody Harrelson is an interesting case, and another actor who's had quite the comeback year. His part in THE MESSENGER didn't feel all that supporting...and truthfully his nomination was a tad surprising. It wasn't my favorite performance of the category, but the guy is so well liked that if anyone's gonna steal the award, it'll be him.

But like Mo'Nique, this award seems to have been decided many moons ago, when a character named Col. Hans Lander first sat down for a glass of milk. His role is the stuff of legend, and one of the greatest details of one of the year's greatest movies. Hopefully his nomination here will keep him in North American films for many years to come.

The Hatter's Pick... Waltz is easily la creme de la creme.

Whaddaya think folks? Leave comments with your own thoughts on possibilities and predictions of the Best Supporting races.

Those Sweet Words (Oscar Predictions - Screenplay)

And so it begins. While I have read many a predictive post over the last few weeks, I have decided to save my forecasting for this final week. It has given me a chance to see just about every nominee in these major categories and form my own opinions. likewise it has allowed me to sit back and gauge how the campaigns have played out.

Thus let Hatter's powers of prognostication commence. From here until Oscar Night the posts covering the eight major categories shall be covered her on The dark of the Matinee, beginning with original and adapted screenplay after the jump.

Four of the five noiminees for Best Adapted Screenplay are up for Best Picture, therefore, as unfortunate as it is we might as well scratch IN THE LOOP right away as the odd man out. Believe me, it's with a very heavy heart that I discount that film off the top. Things aren't a whole lot better for DISTRICT 9, which while clever might not have connected with enough academy members to give its anti-Apartheid message a true chance.

There's a small chance that the Saphire's raw intensity of PRECIOUS could score an upset, though it's difficult to gauge if there are many members of Oprah's Book Club that get Oscar ballots. And while I count myself as a huge fan of Nick Hornby, and dearly loved his script for AN EDUCATION, I feel that his film failed to reach any wider than the core audience that helped nominate it.

That leaves UP IN THE AIR, an important and clever film in the grand scheme of things, with this category being the best chance to reward it. This is the sort of category that rewards films with this sort of charm, look for it to happen again on Sunday.

The Hatter's Pick...Unless a lot of Nick Hornby fans have a vote, look for Jason Reitman and Sheldon turner to share an awkward moment as they collect their prize for UP IN THE AIR.

In the category of Best Original Screenplay, we are given somewhat of a rarity in this year's Oscar Race - a truly undecided race.

First though we must that the Cohen Brothers and Pete Docter for showing up. They gave us some truly memorable and charming stories with A SERIOUS MAN and UP respectively, but in this category of heavy hitters, they are just completely overmatched.

If THE MESSENGER were fifteen minutes shorter, I'd say it stands a solid chance of being the dark horse to take home the little gold guy. However that final dive into cliche might be too much for an Oscar voter to overlook. THE MESSENGER was amazingly underexposed this year, so really it's nominations are going to have to be prize enough.

This brings us to the big showdown...Mark Boal's HURT LOCKER and Quentin Tarentino's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. Quite honestly gang, this is a wickedly hard category to handicap. On the one hand, a win for Boal could be a sign of things to come and a potential Best Picture grab for THE HURT LOCKER. On the other hand, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS is one of the year's most widely lauded films, and many consider it a promise fulfilled by Quentin Tarentino. QT is in wicked-tough competition against Kathryn Bigelow for directing, so this category - like Jason Reitman in adapted screenplay - might be a way to spread the love around.

The Hatter's Pick...Quentin gets a bingo.

Whaddaya think folks? Leave comments with your own thoughts on possibilities and predictions of the Best Screenplay races.

Review: THE LAST STATION * * *

I can't explain how this happened, but with the amount of movies I see, it was bound to happen sooner or later. I often look to film as an escape from real life...as two hours traffic that can take my mind off what's happening around me. It was only a matter of time though, until the stars lined up, and I sat to watch a film seemingly tailored to make me think about what's happening around me.

It happened this weekend - and the film was THE LAST STATION.

THE LAST STATION details the final year of Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer). AT this junction in his life, Tolstoy was a walking prophet, with legions of devoted followers of his philosophies. Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) was among the most devout, and a man driven to make his life's work belong to future generations of Russian people.

Conversely, Tolstoy's wife Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren) wants her husband to understand what his life's work is truly worth. She loves him dearly, and knows he isn't long for this world. She tiptoes around madness as she tries to make Tolstoy understand her fear of being left without anything or anyone to care for her.

In the middle of this philosophical fracas is Tolstoy's new secretary, Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy). Valentin is a Tolstoyan, but one who can see both sides of the domestic struggle at hand. He is trying to avoid taking sides, but also has his own problems as he seems to be falling hard for a fellow Tolstoyan commune member, Masha. The two have a kinship, somewhat reminiscent of the fire that still burns between Tolstoy and Sofya...but how is one supposed to express such affection when being a Tolstoyan follower requires denying such lustful weakness?


While THE LAST STATION isn't nearly a perfect film (why are Russians speaking with English accents?), at its core are emotional truths that reach very deeply into the heart of the audience. It asks us all to examine the final destination of our life's journey, and think about what's most important in those last gasps of this existence. Such times, when we are at our most desperate...our most fragile...are the times to once and for all take off our armour. These moments leave us nothing negative - no spite, no hatred. All we can do as it all starts to end, is what we should be doing every other moment of our lives.

Love.

Tolstoy believed that the religions of the world had become shadows of themselves. He believed this, because he saw faithful people turning to superstition...and turning away from love. Even his own followers couldn't truly understand the concept of unconditional love. Tolstoy saw the world as a gift that mankind was unworthy of. He believed that we shouldn't lay claim to any of it, that we shouldn't kill any living part of it, and that the best way to honour it was to love every person within it.

THE LAST STATION tries to encourage us to always surrender to love - whether that love is a bright burning infatuation of someone new, or the still warming embers of a life long soul mate. This film takes us by the hand, and tries to remind us that so much pain that we cause in this world, even pain we believe we are justified in causing, can be avoided if we surrender to true love.

I can't speak for everyone, I can only think of what I would want as my life's train is pulling into its last station. When that day comes, I can promise you that I won't be thinking about the people who have crossed me, or any petty trenches I have dug between myself and anyone else. I will carry the lesson of this film with me, and only hope that the love I spread from this day 'til then affords me a measure of peace when that train finally stops.

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on THE LAST STATION.