Oscar Talk: Music

The music branch of the Academy continues to be fun, if only because attempts to predict what they’ll do become more and more exasperating as the years go by. But, here goes.

        

ORIGINAL SONG

I’d say that the race is between “I See the Light” and “Coming Home” when it comes to actual merit, with the slight edge going to the former. The music branch has a thing for well produced duets, it’s difficult to deny that with all its issues Tangled does know when to place its songs.

NOMINEES: “Coming Home” from Country Strong / “I See the Light” from Tangled / “If I Rise” from 127 Hours / “We Belong Together” from Toy Story III Prediction “I See the Light” Alternate “We Belong Together”

But, then, multiple nominee 127 Hours has such obvious spoiler potential, I wonder if Rahman is headed to a third Oscar, and if they like duets they like pain and heartbreak and inspirational tosh just as much – so, I wouldn’t be shocked if Rahman takes it here, still I'm putting Newman as my alternate because he lost last year and because I have a feeling they're going to want to reward Toy Story III as much as they could (barring the screenplay and picture category), so why not choose it over Tangled, since it's more loved animated film. (Not that I think it even deserves to be nominated, but I digress...)

ORIGINAL SCORE

Is it insularity on the part of AMPAS, or is it just coincidence that three of the 2008 nominees are back to battle it out (the winner included). Naturally, I assume that this is the chance for voters to write that egregious wrong and reward Alexandre Desplat. True, it’s an all-round good set of nominees – but they can’t continue to snub Desplat after robbing him in 2008 and 2009, right? But, then, there’s Zimmer’s VERY intrusive work in Inception and we know that voters like their music loud.

NOMINEES: How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell) / Inception (Hans Zimmer) / The King’s Speech (Alexandre Desplat) / 127 Hours (A. R. Rahman) / The Social Network (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Prediction: The King’s Speech Alternate: Inception

      

Then, there’s the more subtle work on The Social Network which I don’t think has much upset potential – but is still not one that I should rule out completely. I’m sticking with Desplat, for now, though. It’s about time they reward the music branch’s most ubiquitous composer of the moment.

Oscar Talk: The Pictures (Featuring PGA nominations)

The PGA nominations were announced today and only a few persons on twitter seemed interested. You know why? When the race gets upped to ten nominees there’s an obvious dilution of the importance of the nominees. Who cares which ten the PGA nominate when three-quarters of them will be also-rans. And the list is especially safe and banal – the PGA nominees look like this: 127 Hours / Black Swan / The Fighter / Inception / The Kids Are All Right / The King’s Speech / The Social Network / The Town / Toy Story III / True Grit

                   

That’s about as generic as you can get, and I kind of suppose that that could easily be what the nominations look like come Oscar morning. If there’s any palpable omission (as far as Oscar prognostics go) it’s the lack of love for Winter’s Bone, which I can’t say I’m surprised about. In the scheme of things I’d say The Town and Winter’s Bone are fighting for that final spot, and as much as I’m not in love with The Town it does have the obvious pedigree which Winter’s Bone is sorely lacking.

                          

But enough of PGA, more on the race – I suppose it’s time for me to cast off my longstanding stubbornness/stupidity and submit to the fact that True Grit is a serious Oscar contender, it’s even being tossed around as a potential one to upset the race. I’m not sure I’m buying that. I’d say there are the two films fighting for the top spot - The Social Network and The King’s Speech are fighting for the top, though fighting is probably the wrong word because even though I’d love Hooper’s drama (still unseen for me, bah) to take the prize I’m not one of those people who continue to doubt the power of Fincher’s drama. Underneath those two we’ve got Black Swan, Inception, The Fighter and yes, True Grit. More than True Grit I wonder if Black Swan could be a surprise of the evening, but then I don’t think there will BE any surprises.

The Kids Are All Right will apparently take up the comedy quotient which is lovely, but it’s a shame that Cholodenko doesn’t even seem like a contender in the directing category – but more on that later in the week. It’s difficult to decide just where 127 Hours sits, it seems – in theory – like a contender, but the deafening lack of buzz makes me dubious – I still don’t think that Franco is really a contender (in the way of a potential win) in the Actor category. And apparently Toy Story III is going to take the now annual Pixar nod, which I’m less enthused about. Which leaves us with spot #10 – Winter’s Bone or The Town.

                     

Excuse the cynicism, I suppose perhaps all the voters are enamoured with these flicks but it seems like such lazy choosing when there are other films available. I’m still nonplussed, offended even, at the egregious lack of love for Rabbit Hole but for Nicole. I’m still questioning whether the voters have actually seen this one. I guess Shutter Island is officially out of the race, but I’m a tad surprised it gained absolutely no love here. Then there’s Get Low, I’m not sure what to make of Schneider’s film’s chances. Even Duvall seems like a precarious prediction at the best of times, I had been thinking that love for him could spill over to this category, but in retrospect – that’s probably not going to happen. Sure would love to see them shake it up a bit, how about (insert gasp) How to Train Your Dragon in the place of Toy Story III. I don’t know, something – anything. Damn this race is looking especially bland. Ugh.

                                           

So, Winter's Bone or The Town? Any impossible nominees you'd love to see come to fruition? 

Oscar Talk: Toy Story III & The Animated Race

I hate to be a killjoy (honest, I do) but the burgeoning Best Picture campaign for Toy Story III keeps on leaving a bad taste in my mouth. Of course that’s because the film itself left me feeling marginally unsatisfied. It’s a sort of déjà vu that I’m experiencing, I was feeling this way last year when Up was taking the awards’ races by storm and it looks as if Toy Story III has an easier path ahead of it. From Coraline to The Fantastic Mr. Fox to The Princess& the Frog it was an unusually strong year in the category but this year’s picking is more than slim. True, I’d give How to Train Your Dragon (which is admittedly, the sole other animated film I’ve seen so far) a slight edge over Toy Story III because it’s candour and freshness is much more appealing and (forgive the weak pun) animated; but neither of the two seems to be a great credit to its form.

I’ll probably see Tangled sooner or later – if only for the sake of being a completist (I’ve somehow managed to avoid Despicable Me so far). I already have a slight built-in aversion to Tangled - not so much the film, but the ridiculousness of the story behind its renaming. The thing is, even if it’s doing better than anticipated there’s virtually no possibility of it uprooting Toy Story III which is the favourite – sentimentally, and otherwise., though I'd be happy if it really is good. The question now isn’t if Toy Story III is going to win the race, it’s how much of a threat it could be in the Picture category. Obviously, I’ve no choice but to resign myself to the continued ten-nominees situation and if push comes to shove I’d prefer to see Toy Story III on the nomination more than something like Inception or The Town both of which are being touted as serious contenders, the former more-so than the latter.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m existing in the clouds, but I still don’t feel that the race is as wrapped up as some seem to believe. Of course we all know that it isn’t over until it really is, but I’m just having this feeling that a serious contender is being ignored – what, I don’t know. I don’t think Toy Story III is it, a Best Picture win for it would be exceedingly surprising. I suppose, as it stands Pixar needs to prepare space for the inevitable trophy that’s going to be handed to Toy Story III. It’s months before the fact, but I figure if there’s any race that’s “wrapped” it’s this one. And I’m probably the only person (along with Armond White) who won’t be ecstatic about this. Ha. I just wish we'd have gotten something a little...better, could Tangled be it.

“Goodbye Toys”: A Short Eulogy

Sooner or later, for me it’s always sooner, we get to the place where we see movies less as independent entities waiting to be judged but pieces of “art” that we would (or perhaps not) have a connection. Even if it’s not acknowledged, we have to feel some connection – regardless of how tenuous – to a film we recommend. It was something that occurred to be less than half an hour in Toy Story 3. I don’t know if I was an “unusual” child but I’ve never been enamoured with toys. I can’t remember – even vaguely – any, though I’m sure I must have; I was always literary minded. Toy Story 3 is the type of farewell that many sequels are unable to get. Andt is literally attempting to create an end (and a beginning) for these characters and his tale is excellent…in spots.

Andy is leaving for college and is faced with the dilemma of what to do with his toys. Through chance occurrence after chance occurrence they end up in a school which leads to new adventures for the toys. In the same way that I was never attached to toys I’ve never been attached to previous incarnations of Toy Story, but as much as the writers are using continuity they don't depend upon it and it’s as much a send-off as it as a film complete in itself. Toy Story 3, though, is for children – or at best, the children in us. Whereas Coraline (incidentally another film touching on children and playthings, notwithstanding to a lesser degree) is a film for older children with things to attract the young, Toy Story 3 is the opposite. At its heart it’s the story of a boy and his toys, and (silly me) I didn’t realise that until the end of the film. I don’t know how sinister it makes me sound, but I found myself almost hoping that the film would close with a certain movement of the toys, hands joined, towards a certain burning light; but moments later I realised that any poignancy to be found in such a send-off would be much to morbid (and anti-antimation).

It’s not that Woody’s constant refrain of “We’re Andy’s toys!” is lost on me, but Unrich and Arndt are doing such a good job of making everything else seem fun – notably a particular young girl and her toys – that I forget that Andy is the missing link. Thus, his final moments with his toys doesn’t move me as much as it makes me smile, somewhat ironically; I didn’t really understand it - can't a child survive without toys? And, yet, I did understand. And, then it occurs to me that it (the movie) is not about an end but a new beginning. It’s not heaven, but it’s somewhere close – for the toys, and perhaps for the audience (some of them) too.

                         

B

              

(Is there any chance of me getting a “Book Story”? That would really appeal to me.)