The Oscars are coming, the Oscars are coming!!

Hello?

Yes I'm still here. Unfortunately, I haven't quite been getting advance screening passes (or at least being able to take advantage of the ones I do find) so I'm once again going to try and tweak what exactly I'm posting to this sight.

As the Oscars are coming up at the end of this month (Feb 26th, 7pm Central to be exact) I am in my push to see all of the best picture nominees before the awards are handed out. Currently I am sitting at 4/9 viewed so I've got my work cut out for me, but thankfully I've got a couple of movie gift cards burning a hole in my pocket so my goal may yet be achieved!

The four I have viewed so far have been:
Moneyball
The Help
Midnight In Paris
The Artist

And so far so good!

Here are my quick (or not so quick) hits on these four Best Picture candidates.

MONEYBALL
Moneyball was a movie I had been waiting for, not just because I was a baseball fan. I had heard back from my time in LA bits and pieces about Brad Pitt's passion for getting this film made and after reading the book I understood how making a movie out of a book about stats could be a tricky process.
As a film I enjoyed many of the parts and how they worked together, starting with the script. Aaron Sorkin (West Wing, Studio 60, Social Network) helped out with the script and while it wasn't his usual fast paced, mile-a-minute dialogue we're used to - what he did with the characters was brilliant. The score was very subtle yet very powerful (similar to Social Network) with sometimes just a piano or sometimes just silence playing an important part toward setting the tone. And it brought together some fine performances, namely out of Jonah Hill (who was recognized by the Golden Globes and the Oscars with nominations for his performance). Hill branching out from his comedic roots, holds his own next to Brad Pitt (who plays Billy Beane - the films central character).

THE HELP
I'll admit I'm probably the only person left who hasn't read The Help but I plan on it for sure after my viewing of the film. There are just so many incredible elements behind the story and the making of this film, it is hard to find a spot to begin.
Tate Taylor, the director, who had little much on his resume prior to his film had himself attached to the project from day one thanks in part to his relationship with author Kathryn Stockett and it paid off big time for all parties. As Taylor turned in a brilliant film and his direction has led to 3 of his actors to receive Oscar nominations (Viola Davis for Best Actress, and Octavia Spencer & Jessica Chastain both for Best Supporting Actress). Davis was recognized for her performance by winning at the SAG Awards, and Spencer for hers by also winning at the SAG Awards as well as taking home the Golden Globe for her performance. The SAG Awards also awarded Best Ensemble Cast to The Help.
The story itself takes you on an incredible journey and strong performances all around help drive this story and allow you to get wrapped up in it and carrying you through some very powerful moments and lifting you up with some terrific light moments.

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
I have recently come to view more of Woody Allen's directorial works over the past couple of years, and he is definitely a director who does not cater to the masses with his work. However it is easy to see, in comparison to some of his other projects why Paris has been his most successful (in terms of box office) film to date.
This film speaks wonderfully to those that have ever encountered a creative roadblock. As the main character, as played by Owen Wilson, has run away from writing "successful" Hollywood fluff scripts and is working on perfecting his novel and trying to become a serious writer. Wilson also idolizes the 1920s calling it the "golden age" and ends up one night at midnight traveling back to the 20s and rubbing elbows with Hemmingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Picasso. It is also a great commentary on living in the moment and being content on where we are (a grass is greener-type metaphor).
Wilson is not your typical actor that you find starring in a Woody Allen movie (usually it is Allen himself!) but he was the perfect choice for this role and Rachel McAdams was the perfect compliment to his character as his "bitchy" fiance.

THE ARTIST
NOTE: this will be the only negative thing I have to say about The Artist and it has nothing to do with the film.
I don't like that The Weinstein Company snatched this film up because in my mind they are the worst at timing releases of films so that they have the right amount of buzz at Oscar season. It is so political and while I fully understand that certain films find greater financial success being released in the summer, winter, limited release, etc. it bugs me when you wait to release a film because you are playing the Oscar marketing game. /rant

With that said, Weinstein does know a good film when he sees one, and in my opinion (still having to view five films) The Artist is the one that should take home Best Picture this year.
This is one that you must see in theaters, don't wait to redbox it, netflix it, or wait until it is on demand... Go. To. The. Theater. (I fully intend on purchasing this to add to my personal collection but I have seen it once in the theater and hope to go back once or maybe twice before it leaves). The best part about seeing this in the theater is that it is a silent film. And it was so refreshing to have everyone in the theater so engaged in what is happening, no side conversations, no cell phones, (and in my experience) not even distracting candy wrappers being opened. Everyone was so focused in on the experience. I loved it.
The score, which won the Golden Globe, was incredible as in a silent film is as much of a character and any of the actors on screen as it is imperative in setting the mood for what you are viewing. And the style of this film, shot in black and white and in a full frame old style size were a great homage to the earlier days of film but also played in well to the story that was being told and was the perfect vehicle. Also, the fact that a silent film in the day and age of CGI and 3D shows the power of a well told story. (The last silent film prior to this was Mel Brooks' Silent Movie and was in the same genre with more modern elements worked in)
Now, I am not of the mindset that every film needs to go back to being silent, but it was a perfect choice for the story and was executed beautifully.

So those are the four nominees that I have seen so far. I'll check back in when I get some more under my belt, but if I had to rank right now it is #1 The Artist, #2 The Help, #3 Midnight in Paris, and #4 Moneyball.

Thanks for stopping by,
-Dav3