Nostalgic Distractions

Over the past few years there has been a shift in the type of movies that are winning both Academy and audience attention. Rewind through just the last 3 years and the list of nominees has arched towards a radically different feel. Too much focus had been placed on developing a perspective on serious events, as if it was a competition to create documentary-like depictions of controversial issues, current events, or examples of what is wrong in society. 

It appears that Hollywood has realized they have exhausted audiences with intellectually or emotionally stimulating stories. The recent trend has been latching on to the age-old concept that movies serve audiences well as just entertainment, and an escape into another world for just a couple short hours. Majority of the nominees this year are charming stories rather than vesels for a political agenda.

Midnight in Paris is a nostalgia piece about a nostalgic writer. I am among a potential many that yearn for what I idealize as a more romantic era, but this film reminds us that in every era there are people who may have imagined an earlier time as their ideal way of living. The moral of the story being to find what is romantic and unique to the era you are living in so you don't miss life by daydreaming. 

Hugo takes place in turn-of-the-century Paris and is a nod to a George Melies, a great innovator at the starting gate of filmmaking. It is charming story interwoven with historical events during a time when creating movies and going to the cinema were considered magical.

The Artist is probably the most apparent example of creating a nostalgic film that serves as a distraction from the world. It is also the favorite for winning this year, which is evidence enough of the shifted mindset of audiences and the academy. A silent black and white film that again brings viewers back to the Golden Age of Cinema, and a time when movie stars were respected for their class and pure talent.

These select three are the most obvious of the nominees that present the audience with a nostalgic distraction, but the remaining contenders also portray  feel-good stories with lessons about life that aren't shoved down audience's throats.

 

For Your Consideration...

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

The surprise nominee and the underdog in the Academy Award Best Picture category, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close follows Oskar Schell, a young boy with a unique perspective on the world. He embarks on a mission to keep alive a connection to his father who died in the Towers on 9/11. Although the underlying catalyst of the story is the terror attack, the film is driven by a powerful determination to find meaning in life. 

The top-billed cast members to draw attention to this work are Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, but the real star is newcomer Thomas Horn. This young boy's performance is absolutely superb. The mass amount of vocabulary-filled lines paired with physical involvement with his character's emotion can be a challenge for even the most seasoned performer. Rightfully he's earned a Critics Choice Award for Best Young Actor and two other awards for his breakthrough role. 

I was particularly drawn to this film since I was around the same age as Oskar Schell when the attacks occurred. I can still recall exactly where I was when it happened, the look of quiet panic in the adults' eyes, and the sight of the black sky over lower-Manhattan. I believe this film exploits an important perspective on "the worst day" since children have an extraordinary ability to absorb their surroundings, and process the information at a later time. 

Granted it may not be a film for everyone, as many films are not, but the message is a reminder of what is important in life. Sometimes you have to lose yourself in order to be found, and sometimes when you experience a tragedy it takes courage to willingly take part in the adventures that are ahead of you.

"If things were easy to find, they wouldn't be worth finding."

I Coulda' Been a Conentender!

It's almost that time again, when Hollywood's talent and beauty come together for the Academy Awards. The glamorous red carpet and historic ceremony act as a crown on top of what is referred to as "award season" in the entertainment world. It is often the pillar against which all great actors, actresses, and directors are measured, and just receiving a nomination is a great honor. 

What about all those snubbed from this potential glory? Understandably there are more films released in a year than can be nominated for Best Picture, and far more performances that warrant recognition. But how do those who earned attention at the year's other high profile award shows suddenly get passed over and replaced by talents never heard of? 

Top 3 shockers with this year's nominees list:

1. Leonardo DiCaprio- Best Actor? 
J. Edgar

In this film Leo portrays the former FBI director over the course of his lifetime. It is an accomplishment in itself to show the development of a person's character over the arch of their life. Understandably, the movie perhaps moves at a slower pace, but depicting a time when the FBI was just coming about and had no guidelines, it manages to be both epic and empty in the story. 

I'm mostly just amazed that of all the amazing roles this man has played he has NEVER won an Academy Award. His diverse abilities in emotional range and passion are reason enough why having his name attached to a project can be a sole motivator for audiences to check it out. I just hope he doesn't end up like the John Wayne of this generation, who was repeatedly nominated but did not win an Oscar until 9 years before he died. "Opportunist not a patriot."

2. Steven Spielberg- Best Director? 
War Horse

It feels like Spielberg is all of a sudden working of every new project coming out of Hollywood, after ducking away from the limelight for a while. But he is excluded from the Academy's shortlist of directors for what I feel like is a reminder of what a movie should be like. The creator of the "blockbuster" brought back his signature style with War Horse, with the right mix of drama, comedy, action, wonderfully moving story, suspense, and unconditional love. Granted, he did not receive nominations from for the Golden Globe or Director's Guild of America, but it is still interesting that this two-time winner for Best Director was snubbed when his film was nominated for Best Picture. "Be Brave!"

3. The Adventure's of Tintin - Best Animated?
Inslut to injury, Spielberg's animated contribution to this year's films was excluded from the race entirely. Just as War Horse is a reminder of how a movie should entertain us, Tintin was exactly what a cartoon adventure should be like. It didn't rely in real-life applicable story with emotional pulls and definitely didn't keep to physical logic during the key action sequences, but that is why it was so thoroughly enjoyable. It feels like you are watching a throwback to the golden age of cartoons when tropes were perfectly acceptable. Aside from all this splendor, Tintin won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film, and it's usually accurate to believed the Golden Globes closely mirror the outcome of the Academy Awards. "Great Snakes!"

I suppose in regards to DiCaprio and Spielberg, we'll just have to sit tight until they're next respectable works of cinema excellence.