Got a chance to catch a couple of Oscar contenders recently.
The first was Inglorious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino’s homage to the WWII films of the 1940s, 50s and 60s. There are some terrific scenes in the film. The opening segment with Christoph Waltz as the cold-blooded, but charismatic, Nazi Colonel Hans Landa, conniving a French farmer to give up the Jewish family he has been harboring is riveting -- as is the scene where Landa is reintroduced to Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent), the one survivor from that family. He is unaware who she is, while she is all too aware of who he is.
But the film is very uneven. For ever scene that has you glued to the screen, there’s a scene that just doesn’t work. This is especially true of what Tarantino does with the film’s title characters. They come off as caricatures. This is puzzling considering the care he gives to the other characters. The Nazis in this film have far more depth than any of the Basterds.
But what really bothers me about Inglorious Basterds is the way Tarantino plays loose with the facts. Sure it’s fiction, but I just wonder how many foolish fans now believe that Hitler, Goebbels and Goring met their end in a Parisian movie theater. Tarantino, who also wrote the screenplay, also believes it’s okay to end the war a year before it actually came to a close. Call me a purist, but I believe that if you’re going to do a film about WWII, don’t dick around with the facts about three of its key figures.
Inglorious Basterds is up for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The most likely win will be the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Waltz. Personally, I would like to see Christopher Plummer receive the honor. I believe his performance in The Last Station is the best of his career. But I wouldn’t begrudge the Academy for giving the Oscar to Waltz -- his work, by far, is the best thing in the movie.
Friday, February 26, 2010
The other film I had the opportunity to watch was Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. Precious is the story of an overweight Harlem teenager who, despite having the weight of the world thrown at her, struggles to make something of her life. What a terrific film. Tightly directed by Lee Daniels from Geoffrey Fletcher’s screenplay, Precious sweeps you into its world with complex characters and unbelievable -- but all too real -- situations. It’s one of those rare films that breaks your heart and lifts your spirits at the same time.
It’s hard to think of a person who has had more hardship in her life than Precious (Gabourey Sidibe). At sixteen, she already has one child (a girl born with Down syndrome) and is pregnant with a second. The father of both is her own father, who has been sexually abusing her for as long as she can remember. Her mother Mary (Mo’Nique) abuses Precious in an entirely different manner. When Mary isn’t throwing things at Precious, she belittles her with words, constantly expounding on her worthlessness. Mary’s only ambition in life is to make sure the welfare checks keep coming. Barely literate, totally lacking self esteem, Precious is given a chance to escape her situation by attending an alternative school. But her real challenge is escaping the damage done by her parents.
Though all the performances in the film (including an offbeat turn by a deglamorized Mariah Carey as a social worker) are strong, the power of Precious comes from its two leads. Sidibe, in her film debut, brings a stunning inner strength to the title character. And it’s hard to think of another recent film role that makes more of an impact than Mo’Nique’s portrayal of Mary.
Precious is up for six Academy Awards. It I were placing bets, one of the sure ones is Mo’Nique for Best Supporting Actress. But it’s just as deserving in its others categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published, and Best Actress for Sidibe. Though odds are that The Hurt Locker will win Best Picture, I hope you make an effort to see Precious. You won’t be sorry.
