#OW12: Silver Linings Playbook

Screenplay by David O. Russell

Directed by David O. Russell

Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver & Chris Tucker

Released December 25, 2012

Watched January 14, 2012

timmmc.com score: 4/5 stars

Contenders: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress (Lawrence), Best Actor (Cooper), Best Supporting Actor (De Niro)

Ah, the token indie movie Best Picture Nominee.

Actually, that's not fair. Well, it kinda is. Is this considered an indie film? Regardless, it's not a token nomination... I really, really enjoyed just about every aspect of this film, more so than most of the films I've seen as part of this year's Oscar Watch. 

The whole thing absolutely starts and ends with Jennifer Lawrence's performance. To me, Lawrence's performance wasn't calculated, wasn't manufactured, wasn't just thought out... it was. She completely got her character, and simply lived it. The end product was raw, personal, and absolutely real, much like Christian Bale's Academy Award-winning performance in David O. Russell's last effort, The Fighter. And like Bale, Lawrence should walk away from the ceremony with some hardware. If there's any question that Jennifer Lawrence is on the way to being one of the greats of her generation, this performance erases all doubt.

On the topic of The Fighter, there are a lot of similarities here, but one major difference: Silver Linings Playbook is an absolutely wonderful film (do recall I really did not enjoy The Fighter). Here, Russell's screenplay is much more focused, the plot much more engaging, the style much more engaging. I'm usually not a fan of the romantic genre sappiness, but here, it's just right. Great work by Russell.

All that said, the movie doesn't feel like Best Picture material if that makes sense. That's kind of where the "token indie movie nominee" description is particularly apt. Is it a better, more enjoyable film than most of the other nominees? Yes. But does it have the right feel to it for the Oscar? Not really. I certainly wouldn't mind being wrong about it, though...

#OW12: Zero Dark Thirty

Screenplay by Mark Boal

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

Starring Jessica Chastain

Released December 19, 2012 (limited)

Watched January 8, 2012

timmmc.com score: 4.5/5 stars

Contenders: Best Director, Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Best Actress

Forgot #timmmcreviews last nite: #ZeroDarkThirty. Great stuff, though the middle act wandered a bit. Huge payoff, Chastain wonderful.
— Timm McIntosh (@timmmc) January 9, 2013

This film pretty easily breaks down into three segments: the torture, the 'we can't torture anymore', and the military action. The first and third segments are truly spectacular, especially the treatment of the Seal Team Six military activity.

My slight problems with the film lie in the middle segment. I understand the content and the purpose of what goes on, but to me, it felt like the plot was a bit choppy, a bit wandering. Again, I understand why, but I didn't feel the surge to the end game like I'd ideally want. But all that said, if I were to score all the segments, it'd be a 9-8-10. Only a slight dip. But enough of one.

Also, I'd be negligent if I didn't single out Jessica Chastain's performance. I don't think I could find enough praise... she's that good. I'd be very surprised if she doesn't leave the Oscars with a statuette.

#OW12: Moonrise Kingdom

Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola

Directed by Wes Anderson

Starring Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and an ensemble cast

Released May 25, 2012

timmmc.com score: 4/5 stars

Contenders: Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Best Director

Of all the films that made "the cut" for my preliminary list, this is probably the most quaint and charming of the bunch. It's a quirky depiction of young love that quite likely speaks on a whole bunch of different levels, but frankly, I was too caught up in the great look and tone of the film. I would love to revisit this film at a later time to fully appreciate it. I'm not sure there's much by the way of Oscar love coming for the film, but it's definitely a winner in the "little flick that can" category.

#OW12: Django Unchained

Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington and Samuel L. Jackson

Released December 25, 2012

Watched January 1, 2013

timmmc.com score:  3.5/5 stars
Contenders:  Original Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Foxx), Best Supporting Actor (Waltz, DiCaprio)

Django Unchained wasn’t without its faults, but I enjoyed the hell out of it. #timmmcreviews
— Timm McIntosh (@timmmc) January 2, 2013

That tweet pretty much sums up my thoughts on this film. I really enjoyed the old school Western type feel to the vast majority of this film, juxtaposed with the obvious Tarantino staples. Foxx is just right as the title character, and Christoph Waltz has to be a shoo in for a Supporting Actor nom. Sure, the movie is filled with all sorts of offensive content (and if Tarantino doesn't cross the line, he jumps up and down on it singing... well, something racist), but it'd be damn hard to tell this story without it.

Spoiler from here on out...
That said, I did take issue with the big climactic shootout scene, mostly because it is completely different in tone with the rest of the film. I understand that Tarantino includes tons of violence in his films, but that's not my issue; my issue is that the graphic violence was completely out of step with the rest of the film. The film switched from a sort of stylized realism to cartoony blood and gore and then back. It took me out of the moment too much. What happens by the end of the scene is obviously vital to the film, but the content didn't work.

#OW12: The Dark Knight Rises

Written by Jonathan & Christopher Nolan

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Starring Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Released July 20, 2012

Watched July 20, 2012

timmmc.com score: 4/5 stars

Contenders: Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay

This probably isn't a film I would normally include in my Oscar Watch series, but it was on my initial list, and it IS the last of the trilogy... so why not. 

Simply put, TDKR is a film that didn't live up to expectations, but probably couldn't have. The second film in the trilogy, The Dark Knight, was quite possibly the greatest superhero film ever made, and this is a film that is simply in it's shadow. Don't get me wrong: it's an incredibly enjoyable film and a great end to a sublime trilogy, but it doesn't reach the level of The Dark Knight. 

Oscar chances? I'm really not sure. Christian Bale is good (but he's been better), Anne Hathaway is good (but she's better in Les Misérables), Nolan's work is good (but was better in TDK). But like I wrote in my review of Toy Story 3 back in 2011, the Academy does have a precedent of rewarding the end of great series... but it'd really be a token nomination, honestly. It was obviously a different situation back in 2008 when TDK wasn't nominated, but in hindsight, this being nominated when TDK wasn't would be a travesty.