Film Review -- The Great Beauty

The Italian film, winner of this year's Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, is directed by Paolo Sorrentino and stars Toni Servillo. Jep Gambardella (Servillo) is an aging writer who, after his sixty-fifth birthday, has only written a single, bestselling novel. He spends his time immersed in the parties and nightlife of Rome, but when news of the death of someone in his past reaches him, he reflects on the choices he's made in life, and the meaning of life itself. I watched this film before the Oscars, but honestly forgot to write a review for it. The reason? I was sorely unimpressed. The director, influenced by Fellini, wanted to make a film that was an ode to his work, but his film simply comes across as a poor man's Fellini. Not even the great Italian filmmaker can always pull off that eccentricity, much less can Sorrentino. I expected the film, with a 2-hour, 20-minute running time, to be chock-full of character insight and reflection, but instead all I got was a shallow narrative seemingly about absolutely nothing. While one can appreciate this Italian approach to filmmaking, which is wildly different from non-Latin filmmaking, this film did not work for me. I'm positive that another film deserved the Foreign Language Oscar more than The Great Beauty.

Should you see it: At your own risk
Grade: C+

My Oscar Reactions and Analysis

2013 was a phenomenal year for movies -- the best in recent memory. The 2014 awards season came to a close on Sunday night when the Academy Awards were handed out. There were many worthy nominees, and while the Academy got it right some of the time, it also left lots of deserving people winless. But that's how it usually goes.
 Here are my thoughts on the ceremony:

• Host Ellen DeGeneres was disappointing overall. Although she had some good skits, such as the pizza and the selfie -- which are being widely talked, about so she certainly succeeded in that regard -- her general performance wasn't nearly as funny as I had hoped it would be. Perhaps the Oscars should take a page out of the Golden Globes handbook and hire the dynamic duo of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler? 
• The insistence of having a "theme" to the Oscars is unnecessary. The honoring of "heroes" at this year's ceremony seemed very random and out of place. The show is long enough as it is; we shouldn't have to sit through needless montages and musical performances as well.
• 12 Years a Slave deservedly won the top prize of Best Picture. While pundits had been deeming this race as "too close to call" all awards season, there was never any doubt in my mind that this brilliant film would come out on top. 
• Matthew McConaughey won Best Actor for Dallas Buyers Club. I thought that Chiwetel Ejiofor deserved this for his masterful and heartbreaking portrayal of a free man sold into slavery, but McConaughey has been bringing in the big bucks for Hollywood for some years now, so I guess he was due this honor. Not that he wasn't excellent; he certainly was, but he wasn't the most deserving. He is absolutely amazing, though, in HBO's True Detective, so maybe some of that love propelled him here. It's unfortunate, though, that he diminished his win with that RIDICULOUS acceptance speech.
• Cate Blanchett won Best Actress for Blue Jasmine, as expected. She was phenomenal in the film, and is long-overdue an Oscar for a leading role, so no complaints here. Deep inside, though, I wish that she and Judi Dench had tied. I have such a soft spot for the latter and her touching performance in Philomena.
• Jared Leto won Best Supporting Actor for Dallas Buyers Club. I feel the same way about his win as I do about his costar's: while Leto gave a great performance, I don't feel like he was the most deserving; that would be Michael Fassbender, who was utterly horrific in 12 Years a Slave. I haven't disliked a character like I did this one in a very long time, which says a lot about his performance. I enjoyed his speech, though, and he seems to be a nice guy, so I'm not too upset.
• YES! Lupita Nyong'o WON Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years a Slave! I can't tell you how happy I am about this. Anyone who's watched the film knows what a stunning performance Nyong'o gives in her feature film debut as abused slave Patsey. All awards season long, I was irked at those comparing Jennifer Lawrence's performance in American Hustle with Lupita's, and some even alleged that the former's was superior. I'm sorry, I think Lawrence is a fine actress, but two Oscars in two years for essentially the same role? Give me a break. Thank goodness justice prevailed and the Academy chose the deserving winner. 
• Alfonso Cuarón won Best Director for Gravity, in recognition of his accomplishments in helming a film that relies on never-before-used technology. However, much like the Academy honored Kathryn Bigelow for the small, but brilliantly made film The Hurt Locker over James Cameron for the technological marvel that is Avatar a few years back, I felt that the Oscar should have gone to Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave. While Cuarón certainly made an inspiring film, McQueen was able to make a practically perfect film with a limited budget and limited resources That is a testament to a gifted filmmaker, and this feat is perhaps even more impressive than achievements made with unlimited technology. So, the award should have gone to Steve.
• John Ridley and Spike Jonze won the Adapted and Original Screenplay Awards for 12 Years a Slave and Her, respectively. I'm thrilled for Ridley (but also would have loved to see a tie with Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope for Philomena). In regards to Jonze, I made my feelings about Her very clear in my review of the film, so it's needless to say that I thought this award should have gone to someone else. I can't knock him for being original, though, so I guess that's what the voters went for.
• Frozen won the Oscar for Animated Feature as well as Original Song for the infectious "Let it Go." It's been stuck in my head since the film came out, so no complaints here!
• As expected, Gravity took home most of the technical awards. The film is a visual wonder, and unlike in the Best Director category, absolutely deserved every technical win. 

So there it is, my brief reflection on the Oscars ceremony and winners. Looking forward to seeing what great films come out in 2014!

My 2014 Oscar Predictions (and WINNERS)!!!

Below are my Oscar predictions, in bold, and the winners, underlined.

Best Picture

12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
The Wolf of Wall Street
Her
Philomena
Nebraska
Gravity
Dallas Buyers Club
Captain Phillips

In my mind, there is no question here. 12 Years a Slave is above and beyond the best film, in every way. While Gravity is more of a technical achievement, 12 Years is a more complete film experience. It will be a close race, but hopefully the superior film will prevail.

Will win: 12 Years a Slave
Could win: Gravity
Should win: 12 Years a Slave

Best Director
Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street
David O. Russell, American Hustle

Will win: Alfonso Cuarón
Could win: Steve McQueen
Should win: Steve McQueen

Alfonso Cuarón has won practically all the precursor awards, so he seems like a lock to become the first Latino to win a Best Director Oscar. While his accomplishments with never-before-used technology in Gravity certainly are to be celebrated, I would give the award to Steve McQueen. He filmed 12 Years in 35 days with one camera. To me, that's pretty darn impressive. That he was able to create one of the best film's I've ever seen, in those conditions, is the mark of a truly gifted filmmaker.

Best Actress

Amy Adams, American Hustle
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Judi Dench, Philomena
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County

Will win: Cate Blanchett
Could win: No one
Should win: Cate Blanchett (or Judi Dench)

Cate Blanchett was phenomenal in Blue Jasmine. She played an otherwise detestable character with such a perfect mix of madness and humor that she becomes a human as opposed to a caricature. You almost end up empathizing with her. Plus, she's just an extraordinary actress, and she's past due for a Best Actress Oscar. If there was less competition this year, I'd also love to see Judi Dench win. Her turn as a little Irish lady searching for her long-lost son in Philomena is one of the most moving, heartfelt performances I've seen in years. I wish they could give a statuette to both of them.

Best Actor

Christian Bale, American Hustle
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club

Will win: Matthew McConaughey
Could win: Leonardo DiCaprio
Should Win: Chiwetel Ejiofor

Matthew McConaughey seems like a safe bet to win his first Oscar for playing a pioneer in U.S. AIDS treatment. He lost over half of his body weight to play Ron Woodruff, and a transformation like that bodes well for his chances. However, as great as McConaughey was, this Oscar should go to Ejiofor for his utterly heartbreaking turn as a free black sold into slavery. He plays the dispair of his character so convincingly and with such poise that you just want to reach into the screen and hug him. If I could have my way, he'd be an Oscar winner tonight.

Best Supporting Actress

Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska

Will win: Lupita Nyong'o (hopefully!)
Could win: Jennifer Lawrence
Should win: Lupita Nyong'o

This is the closest race in the major categories. It's a showdown between Lupita and Jennifer. Their roles could not be more different, but for me, there is a clear winner. In her first film role, Nyong'o gives a performance fitting of a seasoned veteran. Her performance as abused slave girl Patsey hits you like a ton of bricks. While Lawrence gives a fine performance as an unhappy housewife, it can't even compare. If there is any justice in the Academy, Lupita will win the Oscar. Unfortunately, though, these awards sometimes prove that this industry is a business, and sometimes the less deserving win because they generate millions of dollars (through X-Men and Hunger Games).

Best Supporting Actor

Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Will Win: Jared Leto
Could win: No one
Should Win: Abdi or Fassbender

Like his costar, Leto underwent a drastic transformation to portray a transgender AIDS patient, and that will most likely earn him his first Oscar. However, I feel like Leto is getting more recognition for the character he plays rather than how he plays her. So, if I picked the winners, I'd give the Oscar to either Abdi or Fassbender. Abdi, in his first-ever acting job, becomes a Somali pirate so expertly that you feel like he is this person he's playing. SImply amazing. Fassbender, on the other hand, plays a slave master so incredibly cruel and terrifying you just want to step into the film and kill him. When someone succeeds in being so repulsive, he should be rewarded with an Oscar.

The rest of the predicted winners are in BOLD.

Best Animated Feature

"The Croods"
"Despicable Me 2"
"Ernest & Celestine"
"Frozen"
"The Wind Rises"

Best Foreign Language Film

"The Broken Circle Breakdown" (Belgium)
"The Great Beauty" (Italy)
"The Hunt" (Denmark)
"The Missing Picture" (Cambodia)
"Omar" (Palestine)

Best Documentary

"The Act of Killing"
"Cutie & The Boxer"
"Dirty Wars"
"The Square"
"Twenty Feet From Stardom"

Best Original Screenplay

"American Hustle," written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
"Blue Jasmine," written by Woody Allen
"Dallas Buyers Club," written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack
"Her," written by Spike Jonze
"Nebraska," written by Bob Nelson

Best Adapted Screenplay

"Before Midnight," written by Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke
"Captain Phillips," screenplay by Billy Ray
"Philomena," screenplay by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
"12 Years A Slave," screenplay by John Ridley
"The Wolf of Wall Street," screenplay by Terence Winter

Best Original Score

"The Book Thief," John Williams
"Gravity," Steven Price
"Her," William Butler and Owen Pallett
"Philomena," Alexandre Desplat
"Saving Mr. Banks," Thomas Newman

Best Original Song

"Happy" from "Despicable Me 2," music and lyric by Pharrell Williams
"Let It Go" from "Frozen," music and lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
"The Moon Song" from "Her," music by Karen O; lyric by Karen O and Spike Jonze
"Ordinary Love" from "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," music by Paul Hewson, Dave Evans, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen; lyric by Paul Hewson

Best Editing

"American Hustle," Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers and Alan Baumgarten
"Captain Phillips," Christopher Rouse
"Dallas Buyers Club," John Mac McMurphy and Martin Pensa
"Gravity," Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger
"12 Years A Slave," Joe Walker

Best Cinematography

"The Grandmaster," Philippe Le Sourd
"Gravity," Emmanuel Lubezki
"Inside Llewyn Davis," Bruno Delbonnel
"Nebraska," Phedon Papamichael
"Prisoners," Roger A. Deakins

Best Production Design

"American Hustle," Judy Becker (Production Design); Heather Loeffler (Set Decoration)
"Gravity," Andy Nicholson (Production Design); Rosie Goodwin and Joanne Woollard (Set Decoration)
"The Great Gatsby," Catherine Martin (Production Design); Beverley Dunn (Set Decoration)
"Her," K.K. Barrett (Production Design); Gene Serdena (Set Decoration)
"12 Years A Slave," Adam Stockhausen (Production Design); Alice Baker (Set Decoration)

Best Costume Design

"American Hustle," Michael Wilkinson
"The Grandmaster," William Chang Suk Ping
"The Great Gatsby," Catherine Martin
"The Invisible Woman," Michael O'Connor
"12 Years A Slave," Patricia Norris

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

"Dallas Buyers Club," Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews
"Jackass: Bad Grandpa," Stephen Prouty
"The Lone Ranger," Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny

Best Sound Editing

"All Is Lost," Steve Boeddeker and Richard Hymns
"Captain Phillips," Oliver Tarney
"Gravity," Glenn Freemantle
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," Brent Burge
"Lone Survivor," Wylie Stateman

Best Sound Mixing

"Captain Phillips," Chris Burdon, Mark Taylor, Mike Prestwood Smith and Chris Munro
"Gravity," Skip Lievsay, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead and Chris Munro
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Michael Semanick and Tony Johnson
"Inside Llewyn Davis," Skip Lievsay, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland
"Lone Survivor," Andy Koyama, Beau Borders and David Brownlow

Best Visual Effects

"Gravity," Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk and Neil Corbould
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton and Eric Reynolds
"Iron Man 3," Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Erik Nash and Dan Sudick
"The Lone Ranger," Tim Alexander, Gary Brozenich, Edson Williams and John Frazier
"Star Trek Into Darkness," Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach, Ben Grossmann and Burt Dalton

Best Live-Action Short

"Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me)," Esteban Crespo
"Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)," Xavier Legrand and Alexandre Gavras
"Helium," Anders Walter and Kim Magnusson
"Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)," Selma Vilhunen and Kirsikka Saari
"The Voorman Problem," Mark Gill and Baldwin Li

Best Animated Short

"Feral," Daniel Sousa and Dan Golden
"Get a Horse!," Lauren MacMullan and Dorothy McKim
"Mr. Hublot," Laurent Witz and Alexandre Espigares
"Possessions," Shuhei Morita
"Room on the Broom," Max Lang and Jan Lachauer

Best Documentary Short

"CaveDigger," Jeffrey Karoff
"Facing Fear," Jason Cohen
"Karama Has No Walls," Sara Ishaq
"The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life," Malcolm Clarke and Nicholas Reed
"Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall," Edgar Barens