Decade in Review, Revisited: 25 Tear Jerking Scenes (Part One)

I got the inspiration for this post months ago from here. I promised to followup since then, and then the meme made me remember how much I cry at movies. I can’t remember the last time I cried in real life (I’m an emotional cripple), but I’m happy to share pain vicariously with fictional characters. It would be too much to trudge through all the films I’ve seen, I’ll stick to the last decade. Today, bottom fifteen in alphabetical order. Next time, the top ten.

Each entry has the potential to be a  spoiler-ish entry, if you haven’t seen it don’t read.
           
Atonement: Tete a tete, En Francais (Guilty Party: Romola Garai)

Briony’s adeptness in what she refers to as “school French” never fails to elicit an eye roll from me. Nonetheless, Atonement I’m already a big fan of Romola here and she’s responsible for one of Atonement’s most moving scenes. The conversation with the soldier seems odd at first, and perhaps it still is, but it works simply because Romola puts so much effort into it. Her eyes are always at work, and though it could be a bit too on the nose it’s still a brilliant moment of poignancy.
          
Avatar: Graces Dies (Guilty Party: James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver)
Call it what you will, but cold would be a dubious accusation to mete out to Avatar. The death of Grace is the most poignant. Maybe it’s because it’s Sigourney, the film’s strongest “actor”…maybe it’s just the realisation of the scope of the destruction that has occurred. Either way, her death is the film’s most moving moment (more than the burning of the tree) and a definite tearjerker.

Away From Her: “Forsaken” (Guilty Party: Julie Christie)
I’m still not certain on how I feel about Away From Her. It seems so manipulative at times, and then starkly honest at others. Either way, I like Julie Christie in it. The moment in the film that always causes me to tear up is the ending. What will happen with Fiona and Grant? Has she really regained lucidity? Alzheimer’s is just a thoroughly depressing disease throughout and Christie just makes it all the more sad.

Babel: Confession (Guilty Party:Boubker Ait El Caid)
Babel had a number of poignant moments, but the most moving came from the arc’s that’s usually most forgotten. The plot point of the two brother’s inadvertent foray into crime fails to hit home at times, but the climax makes it worth it. Boubker Ait El Caid’s confession is brilliant (for a child actor and for an adult) and yes, the words are overly precise. But it doesn’t matter. It’s too distressing for me to care.

Big Fish: The Funeral (Guilty Party: Tim Burton)
Burton gets called out for being too irreverent. Pity those detractors didn’t see Big Fish, one of the decade’s strongest films. The moment where Billy Crudup lifts his father into the water surrounded by all the “characters” we’ve met is the film’s most brilliant scene and it’s oh, so moving. It’s a tribute to parents and it goes to show that Tim Burton really can do anything, perhaps not as prolific as some, but in his own way – still excellent.

Bright Star: Crying (Guilty Party: Abbie Cornish)
It’s Abbie’s strongest moment, which is odd considering that her Fanny is built on keeping her emotions in check. We know John will die, she knows John will die and yet… It’s one of those rare bouts of crying on screen that’s realistic. Even as she says lines like “I can’t breathe” there’s no doubt that she really can’t breathe. It’s the sort of blunt sadness Jane Campion isn’t averse to showing and Abbie rises to the occasion, brilliantly. More of this.

Cold Mountain: Death (Guilty Party: Nicole Kidman)
Although I’d hardly attribute Nicole’s talents to solely being a good reactor, her brilliance in Cold Mountain (yes, brilliance) comprises her stellar ability to the more overt acting of her cast members and make her Ada Munroe work. She has already reacted to a death earlier in the film (her father), but of course it’s Inman’s death that’s the emotional juggernaut. I do think Jude Law is rather good here, but this moment is all Nicole.

Finding Neverland: The Performance (Guilty Party: Kate Winslet)
I have a soft spot for Finding Neverland and though it gets too saccharine at times I’m willing to cut it some slack, particularly in the final moments of Kate’s performance. “Peter Pan” has always been a distressing tale in its own right, and juxtaposed with the eventual death of Sylvia it only becomes more so.

Gosford Park: “Don’t cry, they’ll hear.” (Guilty Parties: Helen Mirren and Eileen Atkins)
I think, at the end of the day Gosford Park is a comedy, but that doesn’t stop Helen from eliciting a few tears. We don’t expect to get so caught up in the revelations of paternity and such, and Helen “perfect servant” Mirren’s confession doesn’t seem that emotional. Of course, she’s putting on a mask. Her stilted entry into the room, and then Eileen’s quiet line reading is just so painful (yet brilliant) to watch.

I’ve Loved You So Long: Confession (Guilty Party: Kristin Scott Thomas)
I’ve Loved You So Long is, in its way, as emotionally manipulative as many. Kristin makes me forget about that. It’s all leading up to inevitable revelation and though it’s just a trifle odd it doesn’t make it any less sad. 2008 was not as poor a film year as many think, a number of gems were just unjustly ignored.

Little Miss Sunshine: A Hug (Guilty Party: Paul Dano)

I still marvel at Paul Dano’s brilliance in Little Miss Sunshine. The scene in question is probably my favourite scene of the film. Dwayne has just had his freak-out with his parents and leaves the bus angrily to sit on the road. Olive comes up behind and gives him a hug that’s so unexpected, and yet do realistic. It’s just one of the many reasons Little Miss Sunshine is as good as we think it is.

A Mighty Heart: Crying (Guilty Party: Angelina Jolie)
Hopefully this will go down as one of the forgotten gems of the last decade. Like Abbie’s moment this is important for the crying, though it’s more a scream than a cry. From the moment Marianne learns of her husband’s death we anticipate waterworks, but the way the waterworks come is so unexpected, almost as if we’re watching something we shouldn’t be privy to. Angelina is so bloody brilliant here.

Mona Lisa Smile: Bicycles (Guilty Party: Kristin Dunst)

Who hasn’t been touched by a teacher in their lives? Mona Lisa Smile has its problems (the cast, though, isn’t one of them). The ending of the film sees the student cast riding bicycles as Julia Roberts’ bohemian teacher departs in the car. It’s Kristin Dunst who steals the moment though. She was the toughest student to win over and her frantic refusal to stop riding (you’re on a bicycle, damn it) is post ridiculous and sad. Letting go just isn’t that simple.

Mystic River: Parade (Guilty Parade: Marcia Gay Harden)

I will forever tout Mystic River as Clint Eastwood’s (lone) masterpiece. Evocative, provocative and poignant. The thing is, I’m never inclined to get teary eyed through out the machination of the main three (even Sean’s bloodcurdling scream or Tim’s moving “confession”). It's as if I’m seeing it, but not feeling it…until the end. When Marcia walks frantically through the street at that dismal parade it’s as if all the drama finally reaches it’s peak and we realise how morose the lives of these people are. And Marcia does it all without uttering a single word. brilliant? I think so too.

You Can Count On Me: Ending (Guilty Parties: Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo)

I mentioned my allegiance to this sibling pairing a few days ago. It’s the only ending that would have worked for You Can Count On Me, but it doesn’t make Terry’s departure any less sad. What’s the lesson we learned? Sometimes it’s easier to love from afar? I don’t know. Who does? The departure is real though, it works and Laura and Mark delivering brilliant performances is a significant part of that.

   

Have you shed a tear for any of these scenes?
           
(Care to wager which ten films make my top ten? Hints: a quasi stranger in a kitchen, a sexless goodbye in a bedroom, running through the streets, end credits, return of a “ghost”, death of a warrior, voiceover, revelation of truths, montage of characters, a lover’s promise, death of a star. Those are the clues…)

2009 in Review: Fantasies Come True...

...kind of.

  

I remember when the AFI made its ten top ten lists (by genre) it managed to confuse me – along with the rest of the world. I never before regarded Jerry Maguire as a sports flick, and I also didn’t think (at the time) that The Wizard of Oz was a fantasy, or – for that matter – The Lord of the Rings, though I suppose it obviously is. Science fiction is generally regarded as a genre of its known, though I suppose all science fiction is fantastical. A few have been calling this the year that science fiction returned to form, I can’t say – I’ve never been hot on it. I remember last year a seeming majority of the blog world were incensed at the entire situation of The Dark Knight etc; but I won’t rehash that, I didn’t care for it, and still don’t.

    

The first major (fantasy) film of the year was Watchmen. It has its supporters but I’m not one of them (D). Watchmen played for its duration and I felt unmoved for the most, hence the lack of a review. The reworking of the Star Trek franchise was the first significant fantastical film of the year. It’s another film that I didn’t review (B-); it was fine even if it went for a little too long. I was vaguely amused at the projections that Star Trek was a best picture contender when the Best Picture field was extended to ten, though I suppose that it wasn’t that far off from the ten the way that thing have been going. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince opened in the summer and I suppose I was a victim of being a fanboy, my review was probably sycophantic but I still stick by the B+, even though in light of recent films it probably seems lopsided. Few films went by with less fanfare than Duncan Jones’ Moon. Univarn is a great lover of it, and though I think it has its imperfections I don’t see why it didn’t garner of a following, its intelligent plot is better than many we’ve seen this year.

       

I wonder what New Moon would fall into. It’s probably a conceit to regard it as a fantasy, though I refuse to think of it as a romance, of course most of you are smart enough not to think of it all. I saw it of my own freewill though (for free, of course) and it was generally as bad as expected, worse than the original now (if you can call it that). I didn’t see District 9, and I really don’t care to. I know some are planning to see all the Oscar nominations, & etc but I’m out of that (for this year at least). I’ll see it when I see it, if ever, but I don’t feel any big desire. I wonder of The Road really is fantasy, I think it is. The post apocalyptic tale is one of the best technical achievements of the year featuring excellent performances from the cast especially Charlize Theron and Viggo Mortensen. But when even the awe inspring sets are ignored at awards ceremonies, I suppose few have seen it. With Harry Potter craziness waning Avatar filled my need for fantasy. The thing is, fantasy is not my genre my appreciation of Harry Potter is owed mostly to my residual voracious appetite for Rowling’s novels. It’s interesting how the worm has turned on Avatar, the more money it makes the more the “important” people seem to hate it, but I’m not going to get into that argument – again. Still, it gets almost ridiculous when even the special effects and other technical work are being lambasted. But it is what it is. I liked Avatar. Obviously.

       

I don’t think I’d be too miffed if film is short on fantasy this year, although it obviously won’t be. Two films I’m anticipating greatly (Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows I) focus on special effects and it’s always the niche part of the market that manages to make millions of dollars. I’m not hating, I have my own weaknesses. Just don’t expect me to joining in as vociferously as most.Which was your favourite fantasy of the year?

     

Previously Covered...

Coming of Age

War

Animated

Artistic Types

Encore Awards 2009: Pt. 2: Actress, Art Direction, Sound

The weirdest award of them all has to be the Sound Categories. Sound mixing, sound editing? What is the difference? I'm never too sure...I've learned over the years that the editing refers more to those significant aural elements and the mising concerns the wider picture - score, speech etc. I can't be sure, maybe my inclusions are a bit superfluous. But it's probably silly to doubt Avatar here. Ironically, we can't seem to doubt it in Art Direction. You know I'm a believer, but it's strange that animated films (undeservedly) never make it here, yet CGI Avatar does. I'm not complaining though. Here are the nominations.

               

Best Actress is usually a favourite of mine, but not this year. I still like my nominees, but I've not seen Julia, so I can't comment on Tilda. Still, I've always had reservations about her. She's just one of those actors who don't work for me. Oh well, that's that. Take a look at the Best Actress List. I suppose there's a surprise or too, make a case for your favourites below.
            
I've extended the days. Place a guess for a chance to guest post; if you wish.

2009 in Review: Voicework (Females)

I'm biding time for the big awards beginning with some smaller pieces, so I hope this will salvage the situation while you wait for next week. Here are the nominees.

Who were the (female) voices that impressed you last year?

Signing Off...

By nature, I am an obsessive soul. Thus, whenever I get interested in something my appreciation of it is not often tempered and usually veers into the neurotic. Neurotic is probably an ideal way to describe my relationship with the Academy Awards. Even though the actual results were less than perfect that first time [re picture] I was hooked from the beginning. There was a time I could list [from memory] Oscar winners in the major categories from the mid-seventies onwards. I told you – neurotic. Even though I’ve gotten wiser in the missteps of the Academy I still [inadvertently sometimes] end up regarding that day in Spring as the culmination of all things cinematic. This year, however, the nominees have not even been announced and I’ve already become disillusioned, I fear.

             

The state of the race [a word more pertinent than we realise] had exasperated me before it even began. The fêting of Meryl Streep from the get-go already annoyed me. Sometimes it really doesn’t help not being a fan of Streep because she is the most ubiquitous actress [actor] at the moment. Nevertheless, despite my general my general apathy towards her I wouldn’t deny excellence if I see it. I'm always ready to recognise a good performance form her, which is why Julie & Julia disgusted me so much. Of course all these adjectives – best, excellent &etc – are completely subjective, but the only thing Julie & Julia did was confuse me as to the validity of its place in the Oscar race. I’ve never been fond of the accented Streep preferring her more subtle performances [her Clarissa Vaughn remains as one of my favourite portrayals of the last two decades]. Of course, she’s accented quite often but Julie & Julia regurgitated memories of Bridges of Madison County a film that only makes me see red. I finally realised my issue with Streep when I read this lucid article on the woman. It gets a bit snarky, but is a startlingly good read. It’s not that her Julia Child is a horrid performance. But, chameleon or not as someone who knows absolutely nothing of Julia Child her performance made me cringe at points. I couldn’t help but imagine the more unaffected Sigourney Weaver in the role. What really irked me was the residual belief that Meryl had been robbed of a third Oscar, this entitled to this win for Nora Ephron’s diverting comedy. It’s as if they had forgotten that La Streep has two Oscars – the entire debate of her comeuppance being extinguished by woman after woman was lost on me. What turned my disappointment in the Best Actress race into the deepest dredges of disgust was the addition of a certain Sandra Bullock. I’ve never bore ill will towards Ms. Bullock – her work in countless comedies from the inspired Ms. Congeniality and While You Were Sleeping to even the dubious Two Weeks Notice has always charmed me in their placid way. I saw The Blind Side late in the game, and although the term abject horror would be an over-exaggeration of my response it wasn’t far from it. I couldn’t even write a proper review the thought of the film annoyed me so much. Of course I’d prefer Streep’s flawed but superior Julia to Bullock’s uninspired Leigh Ann, but the very fact that that’s the end all of it is quite dismal.

                                                      

I’m yet to see the heavyweights for the Actors’ race. Bridges and Firth are not my favourite actors, but with the good roles I’m willing to board either train; but I can’t help feeling cynical and thinking that perhaps Bridges is not being rewarded for a [possibly] good performance in Crazy Heart but for lifetime achievement. Noble perhaps, but still annoying. When people like Ben Foster and even Sam Rockwell are ignored at ceremony after ceremony while Morgan Freeman – a man I admire without fail – can be nominated for his unimaginative Nelson Mandela only puzzles me, but is nothing compared to George Clooney’s moderately charming but lifeless Ryan in Up In the Air. But then I realise that with so many celebrating these pieces it’s not so much as unoriginality from the awards’ ceremonies than actual belief that these performances are the best of the year, which is even more disconcerting. If Freeman gets love for coasting in Invictus, why not Johnny Depp for Public Enemies?

Mo’Nique’s Precious win has many citing it as one of the imminent saving graces of the next award ceremonies and with her eclectic Mary Jones it wouldn’t be completely undeserved. But that category has become so auto-tuned that voters just seem to throwing the usual suspects together and ignoring quieter gems with potential to disturb the waters – Samantha Morton, Marion Cotillard [not only for Nine] on some days even Patricia Clarkson. I’m not saying that all of these women trump Mo’Nique, perhaps none of them do. I realise the ball’s completely in her court, and since I’m an undeterred fan of the comedian I don’t call foul. I’m worried that I’m missing something when Anna Kendrick keeps appearing on so many best-of lists, Seriously? We're touthing this performance? But, I won’t go there.  Again.

          

The race seems to have come down to Avatar and The Hurt Locker and scores have cried foul at Avatar’s Golden Globe win. Not me. I’m still undecided as to which of the two I’d give my vote to, but Cameron’s Avatar has turned into the film I’m rooting for. Not because it’s my favourite film of the year. It’s not. But despite it’s gigantic box-office it’s ironically tuned into the underdog. Someone, I can’t recall who, called it the tendency to hate the popular kid – which Avatar has turned into. I won’t deny the ostensibly potency of The Hurt Locker – it’s probably even more profound for Americans who know its themes all to well. Bigelow and Boal have crafted something wonderful, but the relegating of Avatar to some strange names “video-game movie”, “Pocahontas redux”, “stilted dialogue”, "stodgy acting" and on and on and on confuses me. Some people just don’t like it. That’s understandable, but I’ve never been a film apologist yet I can’t recall the ludicrously horrid dialogue of Cameron. I’m sure it wasn’t Oscar winningly quotable. But since when has Best Picture turned into a screenplay award? I understand the correlation between the two, but I can’t help calling foul when Avatar’s screenplay is advertised as one of the worst this year. But that’s probably one in the long list of things eluding my poor brain this Oscar season.

I’m signing off from this season. I doubt I’ll continue my four year long tradition of skipping school to hear the nominations live [embarrassing], and I’m definitely not inclined to join in predictions, though it’s always fun to read others. I’ve already committed to the LAMB’s 2010 production of Devouring the Oscars and will be writing on a Best Picture nominee. I’d love to see an off-kilter choice like Bright Star, The Messenger or Coraline. I’d prefer not to write on Invictus, Up In the Air, Inglourious Basterds or Precious. I don’t want to write a bashing post since nominations should be a happy thing. I’m sure at least a few of the nominees will be pleasing. Watching the Golden Globes though, I couldn’t ignore the number of sad [and sometimes angry faces] – Lee Daniels, Jason Reiteman, Quentin Tarantino, Jeremy Renner all looked peeved throughout. I wouldn’t have been backing many of them but I realised that each of the nominees want to win and deserved or not I wish them the best of luck. Being nominated has become less estimable and I can understand their apparent melancholies. But as far as Oscar is concerned, I've lost the drive. Let's hope next year is better...

You Got Link'd

Sunday is going to be a big day; but not for the reason you think. Sure, it's the Golden Globes and what not, but I'm so blase about the Oscar race and whatnot. Did you even hear the results of the BFCA? What did you think? Mo'Nique, Waltz, Streep [and Bullock], Bridges. Granted I haven't seen Crazy Heart yet, but it's still generic. Sure Mo'Nique and Waltz are fine, but...I don't know whatever. Moving on...

              

I've been digressing, but Sunday is a big day because Stinkyluli is hosting his Fourth Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon. I told you about this already and I fear that you thought I was merely jesting when I ordered you to participate. Well, I was not. Seriously, I wasn't. You still have about a day to write up a few words, lines or pages [asking too much?] on a Supporting Actress of your choice. It's been a good year for the Supporting Women, even though precursors are only noticing a few don't let them fool you. Just look at my banner.

                          
Walter finally saw Avatar. And I think he loves it... Do you agree with him?
            

Univarn gets retrospective on us and broods over not getting the appeal of some films, despite their critical and commerical success. Interesting thought, I know I missed the bus when it came to Up In the Air and The Hangover, and having just watched Precious for a second time I'm seriously re-thinking that B I gave it. I think I did give it too much. Sigh.

Nathaniel, Nick and Mike offer up another look at two Best Picture winners; this time Silence of the and Going My Way. Neither would have been my pick that year. What about you?

                 

Jose offers up a look at the Coens' A Serious Man. He tells me I should watch it, but what do you think. Should I?

And finally, rememeber that Kreativ Post. Well two more wonderful people have singled me out for it. I'm no Meryl Streep and acceptance speeches don't come to me that easily. I'll probably pull a Hepburn and stay home to avoid the pressure. Still, it would be incredibly remiss of me not to point the way to Danny and Nicholas. The former I've been reading for months and the latter I feel like a douche for not reading more often. They're both worthy of your time.

      
Well, la de da. That's the end.       

Avatar

Somewhere, about ninety minutes into Avatar I was certain that this was one of the best – perhaps the best – movies of the year. The feeling didn't pass. Not really. I told The Mad Hatter a few days ago that Avatar was dangerously close to perfection, perhaps the word should have been maddeningly close. The hint of perfection was so close, so near that the failure to attain that perfection was maddening. Yet, despite not being perfect Avatar is still one of the better films I’ve seen this year.

                

Avatar occurs in the future in a place called Pandora. I’ll refrain from any plot excursions even though I suppose spoilers wouldn’t affect the effect of the film. In a way Avatar reminds me of incongruous musicals like Chicago or even Moulin Rouge The greatness of these films is not in their plot, but in their filmmaking and Avatar is no different. It’s a visual spectacle that’s incredibly phenomenal and enthralling. I found it to be one of the most visually satisfying film since the underrated James & the Giant Peach – probably better than that.

The thing with Avatar though is that with the visuals as characters themselves the actors are not given a feasible chance to harvest their talents. This does not stop Sigourney Weaver though. It’s folly for me to expect this to pick up any awards traction, but Sigourney does everything one can do in such a film. She emerges as the strongest of the lot [voice and body actors] giving a full performance. In fact her final moments on screen are the most poignant for me. Which is actually a contributing reason that the film didn’t get that A.

                                       

Avatar is not perfect. It would have been higher if it was. My issue with Avatar – which is essentially nitpicking – is that the climax for me occurs with fifty minutes to spare. Sigourney’s demise and the burning of the forest are all so enthralling and I’ve become so invested that there was nowhere to go but downhill. Thus the effective ending can’t but feel like a letdown. Of course, being less than a stellar is not offensive. And I couldn’t help but chuckle at the refrain "I See You" through the film. A line the more astute of you will remember from Titanic.

You have a gift, Jack. You see people
I see you.

James Cameron puts everything into this film – Terminator, Aliens, Titanic and more and he makes a great film. Not my favourite of his. But one of the best of the year.
         

A-