Oscar!

Damn, it's been awhile since I've updated. I suck. Anyway, the Oscar nom's have come out. I, of course, printed them out at work moments after the announcement. I am that big of a dork.

I guess I can appreciate expanding the Best Picture category to get more flicks noticed, but it still feels weird. I believe the theory is that with a larger group you can get more variety (ie. comedies, sci-fi, animation). Not to mention, those films will get people into the theaters or renting the DVD's just to see something that was nominated (more moola for the man). My worry is that it's going to end up being a dumping ground. As far as I'm concerned, if a film is amazing enough to be nominated, it shouldn't matter if it is animated, science fiction, or a silent movie. Whatever.

I'm sorry, but The Blind Side? Avatar? Inglorious Basterds? Really? The Blind Side was a good movie, but not really a Best Pic. I think you know my opinion of Avatar and Inglorious could have been better. It will be interesting to see how things go over the next few years. I think that will be the real test of whether or not this was a good idea.

Along those lines, over the last couple of weeks I got the chance to see two of the Best Pic nom's. Both pictures were about teenage girls struggling to work their way to adulthood.

First up, An Education. For me, the big draw was the screenplay written by Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About A Boy) and (lead actress nom) Carey Mulligan, who is one of my favorite new-ish actresses. The movie follows Carey's character as she grows up in the London of 1961. She is working towards going to Oxford. She is smart, funny, and is tired of her parents' (and England's) quiet and boring life. By chance, she meets a man who is all that her parents are not. He loves art, music, most things French...he travels, he's funny and respectful to her...oh and he's about 30. She's 16.

We get to watch as he woos her parents into trusting him to first take her to a concert, and then eventually taking her to Paris for the weekend. Even though her parents only want her to be happy, her father still holds on to the idea that all she needs is a husband. He does support her desire to go to Oxford, but he doesn't know what sort of job she's going to get when she finishes school so she might have better luck getting married. I won't spoil the rest of the story, but I will say Carey's character learns the lesson that most of us learn in our late teens and early 20's. The world is a much larger place than your own head and while your feelings are important, they are not the be all end all.

The second movie was Precious. I missed it the first time it came through so I was very happy to see it come back. Precious is one of those movies that I recommend seeing, but I don't think I'll probably watch it again. I've had that happen with other movies: Requiem For A Dream, Affliction, Heavy...I could probably add several more.

Set in 1987 NYC, we join Precious as she is pregnant with her second child at the age of 16. She gets tossed out of school, but is enrolled in an alternative high school. There she meets a teacher that genuinely wants to help her get out of the misery that is her life. Precious is abused in several ways by her mother and father. It's amazing she has not been completely defeated by her situation in life. But, somewhere inside, she still has this little ember of hope. Bit by bit, she opens up to her teacher and fellow classmates. She creates a new family for herself.

Even though I haven't seen all the best supporting actress nominees, I really think Mo'Nique deserves heaps of praise for her role as the abusive mother. She does not back down in her performance. The abuse is harsh, realistic, and jarring (especially when she explodes without warning). The scene where she is explaining to the social worker (nicely played by Mariah Carey) why she did not keep her boyfriend from abusing Precious is heart stopping. Gabourey Sidibe, who plays Precious, also gives a strong performance. She almost seems like two different people as she goes from Precious in reality and the Precious seen in the dream sequences.

Precious is one of those movies where you feel emotionally and mentally drained afterward, but it is definitely worth your time. I believe Lee Daniels is a first time director, but don't quote me on that. There were a couple of montages that I thought were a little cheesy, but overall, he had a solid grasp on what he wanted. It's not all gloom and doom. Precious' classmates provide needed humor. Plus, Lenny Kravitz is in it. Something I didn't realize until I was watching the credits.

Next up, A Single Man and hopefully Crazy Heart next week. February is going to be an expensive month.