Posted on by mistertowle2

Welcome Back: It’s OSCAR TIME!

Ellen

Hello, movie fans! And welcome back to my 2nd annual “Countdown to the Oscars” blog!  After a very successful campaign last year, I am more than excited to get back to work on commenting about the many wonderful films and performances from 2013.  This past year was a fantastic year for movies, and it is clearly evidenced in the fact that some of my favorite movies and acting performances were snubbed this year for the Oscars—this just means that we have a really, really competitive field this year in nearly every category, and each race is sure to be a showdown.

Starting today and continuing right up until the big day, I will once again be posting regularly about the Oscars.  These posts will include both my “Top 15 Films of the Year” list and my own personal Oscars ballot for this year’s major categories.  I will also be posting a review about the actual ceremony in March, and this year, I will follow that up with a preview of the films that are sure to make a big splash in 2014.  I am including a new feature on many of my posts this year—there will be a poll for all of my viewers to participate in, so make sure to take advantage of this to get involved this Oscars season.

Ellen DeGeneres will be hosting this year, and I could not be more excited.  Her daytime show is universally loved, and I look for her to translate that success to the Oscars from the moment she takes the stage.  This is Ellen’s second time hosting the Oscars, as she previously hosted the 79th Academy Awards in February 2007.  This year, the Oscars will be broadcasted live from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood on March 2nd, 2014—that is just 23 days away!!

Thank you to all of you that are back again this year, and I look forward to any new viewers—I really do appreciate the support.  So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show—it’s OSCAR TIME!

Advertisement
Posted on by mistertowle2

Top 15 Films of the Year, No. 14 – The Master

The Master is a film written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson.  The movie follows Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a World War II veteran that returns home and struggles to establish a steady life outside of the military.  He eventually meets Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the leader of a philosophical movement, and Dodd, along with his wife Peggy (Amy Adams), accept Freddie into their group to help spread the word of “The Cause.”  Over time, however, the issues Freddie has with alcohol dependency and adapting to a post-war society create significant difficulties for the Dodd family’s advancement of “The Cause,” and Lancaster and Peggy attempt to use the ways of their teachings to help Freddie fix himself to become a disciple for their movement.

I have been a huge fan of P.T. Anderson’s films over the years, specifically Boogie Nights (1997) and There Will Be Blood (2007), so it was a given that I was going to go see this film in theaters shortly after its release during the summer.  Considering it took five years for Anderson to release his follow-up to There Will Be Blood, one of the most amazing movies of our time, I knew it was sure to be well thought out and intricately fascinating.  After the viewing the film, I instantly thought that Anderson had created a movie that was sure to receive some assortment of award nominations, but the over-complication of the plot made it something I, along with most viewers leaving the theater that day, was utterly confused by.

Given that the plot centers on the teachings of a post-war cult, it is no wonder that the film seemed rather disconnected and uninviting.  The beginning of the film started out strong—it truly seemed like P.T. Anderson’s latest film was going to be gloriously masterful, pun intended.  However, as the storyline fully came into focus, it only proceeded to drag on with exaggerated repetition.  Anderson created some downright complex characters, but by the end of the film, I did not feel like they had grown very much—it was like they all ended up right back where they began.

With all that being said, The Master is still a solid film.  In my opinion, the film is wholly carried by three stellar acting performances from the main characters.  In Phoenix’s first feature film since his fake retirement from acting a few years ago, he reminds us all why he has always been heralded as one of the best actors of his generation.  Philip Seymour Hoffman also turns in a fantastic performance in his role as the leader of the cult.  However, the brightest display of sheer acting ability came from Amy Adams as Peggy Dodd.  While she seems like an innocent and docile wife, the film, coupled with Adams’ amazing performance, reveals Peggy to be much more of a woman that pulls the strings from afar—I would argue that her character is the actual “master” that the title of the film implies.  If this film does not sound like it’s for you, at least give it a shot just to take in an astounding representation of acting by a stellar ensemble.  The Master is rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity, and language.

Academy Award nominations for The Master:

Actor in a Leading Role (Joaquin Phoenix)

Actor in a Supporting Role (Philip Seymour Hoffman)

Actress in a Supporting Role (Amy Adams)

Posted on by mistertowle2

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

This year’s Best Supporting Actress nominees are definitely not strangers to the Academy Awards ceremony.  Not including this year’s nominations, each of the five women in this category have been previously nominated for at least one Academy Award; in fact, they have been previously nominated a total of eight times combined, including three Academy Award wins.  The following is my Oscars ballot for this category, Best Actress in a Supporting Role:

WINNER: Amy Adams (The Master)

In The Master, Amy Adams plays Peggy Dodd, the wife of Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a man who is the leader or “master” of a philosophical movement known as “The Cause.”  The Dodd family’s efforts to spread the word of “The Cause” prove difficult after they take in Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a drifter with an alcohol problem.  Although at first glance Adams’ character seems like the dutiful, obedient wife to her husband, the complexities of her character throughout the film show a completely different woman.  As illustrated in a few key scenes, Peggy Dodd truly has an unprecedented level of authority within “The Cause” and might be the true representation of the titular “master” instead of Lancaster.  After many award-nominated performances over the past few years, Adams finally hits the jackpot with this role.  It is easily one of the most deeply interesting characters that Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood) has ever created, and he made an amazing casting choice in Amy Adams.  Adams was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress on three occasions: Junebug (2005), Doubt (2008), and The Fighter (2010).

2. Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables)

In the latest film adaptation of the infamous novel and musical Les Misérables, Anne Hathaway takes on the role of Fantine, a woman struggling to make enough money to send to support her illegitimate child, Cosette.  Even though Hathaway only appears in the film for a very short period, she most definitely makes the most of her time on the screen.  Not only does Hathaway bring this character to life through her amazing singing abilities, she gives us one of the most truly emotional performances in recent history.  Her acting is spot-on and riveting, and you as a viewer are engrossed in each scene, feeling her pain and wanting to weep for her.  Her performance very well may result in her winning the Oscar in this category, and if she does, she is quite deserving after the masterpiece she put together in Les Misérables; however, Adams’ performance was simply too strong for me to give Hathaway the win.  Anne Hathaway was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Rachel Getting Married (2008).

3. Sally Field (Lincoln)

In Lincoln, Sally Field portrays Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of President Abraham Lincoln.  History depicts the First Lady as a complex, but fragile woman during her time in the White House.  According to Lincoln director Steven Spielberg, it was these characteristics of Mary Todd Lincoln that always made him want to cast Sally Field in this role.  There are a couple of scenes in the movie where Field’s character is fighting with the president (Daniel Day-Lewis), and the raw emotion and sheer vigor that Field delineates during these scenes are reason enough to nominate her for this intricate portrayal.  If it were not for stellar performances by Adams and Hathaway, Sally Field would be an easy choice for this category.  She was previously nominated and won the Academy Award for Best Actress in two movies: Norma Rae (1979) and Places in the Heart (1984).

4. Helen Hunt (The Sessions)

In The Sessions, a film based on a true story, Helen Hunt plays Cheryl Cohen-Greene, a professional sex surrogate that is hired to help Mark O’Brien (John Hawkes), a poet that is paralyzed from the neck down due to polio, lose his virginity.  In the movie, Hunt shines on the screen by guiding John Hawkes’ character through multiple sex-therapy sessions as he works towards achieving his desire to have sex despite his paralysis.  Her character develops a complex relationship with O’Brien, and it eventually leads to stresses in her own marriage.  Even though I feel Helen Hunt did a great job with this character, the moments for her to shine came on a sparing basis.  Hunt was previously nominated and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in As Good as It Gets (1997).

5. Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook)

In Silver Linings Playbook, Jacki Weaver portrays Dolores Solitano, the mother of lead character Pat Solitano, Jr. (Bradley Cooper).  The matriarch of the Solitano family is faced with many complications as she moves her son back into the family home after he spent eight months in a mental health institution for his severe bipolar disorder, and it is these obstacles that make Weaver’s character such a complex figure—luckily for the viewers, Weaver plays the part to a tee.  Even though she gave such a good performance in one of the year’s top movies, I was quite surprised that she received a nomination.  She was previously nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Animal Kingdom (2010).

Actresses snubbed in this category: Samantha Barks (Les Misérables) and Judi Dench (Skyfall)

Posted on by mistertowle2

And the Oscar goes to…

Hey everyone!  The Oscars are only 19 days away, and this blog is about to heat up starting tomorrow.  Over the next 16 days, I will be updating this page with posts nearly every singe day.  Below I have provided a schedule of dates when I will post and the content that will be included each day.  This way, you can make sure to visit this page on any day that provides a topic that you are interested in.  These topics will include categories from my Oscars ballot and a countdown of my “Top 15 Films of the Year.”  After my Oscars ballot and list of “Top 15 Films of the Year” have been revealed, I will provide additional commentary leading up to the actual ceremony.  Feel free to comment and leave me any of your thoughts or suggestions.  Check out the schedule and make sure to follow all of the updates.

SCHEDULE OF POSTS:

2/6: #15 on the list of Top Films, Best Supporting Actress

2/7: #14 on the list of Top Films, Best Supporting Actor

2/8: #13 on the list of Top Films

2/9: #12 on the list of Top Films, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing

2/10: #11 on the list of Top Films, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

2/11: #10 on the list of Top Films

2/12: #9 on the list of Top Films, Best Adapted Screenplay

2/13: #8 on the list of Top Films, Best Original Screenplay

2/14: NO POSTS

2/15: #7 on the list of Top Films, Best Original Score

2/16: #6 on the list of Top Films, Best Actress

2/17: #5 on the list of Top Films, Best Actor

2/18: #4 on the list of Top Films

2/19: #3 on the list of Top Films

2/20: #2 on the list of Top Films, Best Director

2/21: #1 on the list of Top Films, Best Picture

Posted on by mistertowle2 · 2 Comments

Rolling out the red carpet!

Welcome to my blog: “Countdown to the Oscars…from the mind of a film aficionado.” I’m Gaylan, the aforementioned film enthusiast whose mind serves as the basis for all of the cinematic content that will be included on this site for the next few weeks. For those of you that know me, I am a huge fan of the film-award season, specifically the Oscars.

I have always been into movies, but my true obsession with the silver screen developed during the spring semester of my freshman year at Oklahoma State when I took an “Introduction to Film Theory” course. Ever since then, I have viewed films in a completely different light and have learned to appreciate these moving pictures as a compelling form of art.

Subsequently, over the past four years, I have tried to see as many Oscar-nominated movies as possible before the broadcast so that I can feel more connected and engaged while watching the Academy Awards. In fact, of the past four Oscar ceremonies, I have watched 33 of the 34 total films that have been nominated for Best Picture (the only one I missed was District 9, which I still haven’t even attempted to see).

Each year when the Oscar nominations come out, I print off the nominees and essentially cast my own (unofficial) ballot. This has been a ritual I have always kept within the boundaries of my own home, but this year I have decided to create this blog and share my ballot with each of you.

Over the next few weeks leading up to the awards, I will be posting categories from my Academy Awards ballot on this blog with commentary on my winner choices, and I will be releasing a list of my “Top 15 Films of the Year.” I will only vote on categories in which I have seen every film or performance that is nominated in that respective category.

My goal for this blog is to provide as much detailed information about the Oscar-nominated films and performances this year as possible and to provide you with my own opinions and commentary about these movies. I look forward to any comments you might have about my ballot and my “Top 15 Films of the Year” list. Enjoy, and make sure to watch the 85th Academy Awards on Sunday, February 24, 2013, live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA.