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Million Dollar Baby
Suddenly the front runner for the Best Motion Picture of the Oscars.
I went in to the movie theatre with great expectation, came out
slightly disappointed. This is the second straight year that Clint
Eastwood has a Oscar nominated movie. His product from last year,
Mystic River, was a huge disappointment for me. It's not that the
movie was poorly made, I just didn't like the screenplay. Mystic
River had a great ensemble of actors, which always makes a movie
great, a story that doesn't make much sense will never pass my test.
A poor screenplay is not at all the director's fault. Clint Eastwood
definitely gain back my favor with Million Dollar Baby. It is a
plain story about a girl Maggie (Hilary Swank) who worked in
restaurants all her life with a dream to become a professional (and
successful) boxer. She approached a successful boxing coach Frankie
(Clint Eastwood) hoping he would lead her to her dream. Frankie
initially refused to train a girl but later inspired by her work
ethics and determination. It's a story simply summed as "two people
who had their respective difficulties in life came together and
helped each other." No doubt this is a great ensemble of cast
including Swank, Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman as the handyman who
worked in Frankie's gym. I would always say that good acting always
kicks up a notch for a movie (again). Yet, the movie depended on the
dialogs of the characters too much. The whole story is presented
mainly by conversations. This is just my personal reference that I
would rather a movie telling me a story by actions rather than
words. The main point was the story was spoken out, and would other
wise kept unknown to most of the audience (including me). Maybe I'm
just trying to find a scratch on a already beautiful gem. This movie
no doubt is a good one. The acting alone is worth the ticket price. |
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Sideways
I have written about this movie before. I like this movie a lot.
This is a simply creative and smart screenplay. With addition to it
a great cast that worked so nicely. This movie greatly depended on
the cast and they did a phenomenal job. I'm disappointed that Paul
Giamatti is not nominated for his outstanding performance. He did
great in last year's "American Splendor", and did as well if not
better in this one. Screw the Oscar for not recognizing his acting
just because he makes comedic genre movies. He excels in speaking
and did facial expression just the exact way they are needed. There
are rarely a movie that is so cleverly written as a comedy and yet
makes such a statement. The contrast between the two main characters
Miles and Jack (Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church) work so
perfectly. This contrast and its "red wine view of life" can only be
brought out by a soft comedy like this. Don't confuse this comedy
with the Scary Movie type of comedy. Sideways is a comedy because it
put forth the aspects of live and love life in a relax and easy way.
This kind of movies never catch the attention of the Academy of
Oscars. I talked about this being an independent production.
Independent films like this is unlikely to win the Best Motion
Picture award, despite the praises and awards Sideways has already
collected along the way. |
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Finding Neverland
I have never
liked Johnny Depp. I don't see his movies very often. I just didn't
like way he acts and the movies he chose to be in. This is probably
the first Johnny Depp performance that I actually like (and can't
avoid liking it). Depp is J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland, a
playwright in the late 19th century. He met a four brothers and
their sick mother (played by Kate Winslet) in a park one day and
become very close to the family despite him being married. Under
tremendous pressure from the society and his wife, he kept his close
relationship with the four very likable yet playful kids. The kids'
demeanor and conversations inspired him to write the story of Peter
Pan. Finding Neverland is a nice and warm movie that simply
tells the story. A movie that never really goes wrong. It is the
type of good movie that everybody loves to watch and come out happy
and fulfilled. I especially like the way Barrie asked for 25 random
empty seats in the theatre to be filled with children, who are
normally not allowed in a noble theatre strictly for noble people,
to induce an atmosphere of juvenile laughs among tight rich people
in the theatre. However, this movie has the least chance to win the
ultimate prize just because its director Marc Forster is not
nominated for Best Director. Overall, this movie is definitely
recommended, just not sophisticated and ambitious enough to win
Oscars. This is likely be one of those that won't win anything on
Oscar night. It is nominated for best original score, best art
direction, best costume design, best adapted screenplay, film
editing, and for the second straight year, Johnny Depp's best actor
in a leading role. Johnny Depp has no chance, he knows it, and he
doesn't like Oscar night anyway whether or not he is nominated. He
did well not definitely not spectacular in Finding Neverland. I
don't understand why he is nominated while Paul Giamatti's brilliant
performance in Sideways was snubbed. |
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Aviator
This movie makes me think that it's made for Oscar.
It was clearly the favorite before the Million Dollar Baby came along.
Martin Scorsese re-created the 1920s to the 1940s. This movie, or this type
of movies, does not just sell the story. It actually brings back the old
days to the screen. This movie does it spectacularly. Howard Hughes
(Leonardo DiCaprio) was a rich entrepreneur from Texas. He started making
films about World War one in the 1920s. Hughes being the perfectionist did a
lot of work with the war planes in making the film. This stemmed his
interest in airplanes and eventually bought his own airline TWA, and
involved in improving the science of airplanes. He loves to drive fast
planes and beautiful women (there are three women in the movie). He was rich
and powerful, except he was defeated by his own phobia of germs. It was kind
of weird for a person to develop a phobia like this and ultimately destroyed
him psychologically. He was accused as a war profitter by a senator who
partnered with his rival Pan-Am. This trial by the senator, in my opinion,
the best part of the movie. Leonardo DiCaprio did well in this movie, but
I'm not quite convinced that he is Howard Hughes because of his voice. He
has that childish voice that at times make him looks (sounds) funny. The
trial will be a lot more convincing if his voice is more manly. This movie
offers a great look of the 1920s to the 1940s. Otherwise it is just a plain
portrait of a millionaire, the way he lived, and the weakness that beat him.
This is one of the component that attracts the attention of the Academy. |
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Ray
Ray is very similar to Aviator. They are both about a
true story of a famous person in the past. They both had multiple women in
their lives. Both movies are plain description of their lives from unknown
to centers of attention. They both have one weakness in their respective
movies. Aviator has the germ phobia, and Ray has the childhood memory of his
dead brother. Both movies re-created a period of history. Ray showcases the
50s and on. One thing that Ray has and Aviator doesn't is Ray offers tons of
music for you to enjoy, that is, if you enjoy that type of music. This movie
again doesn't involve any tricks. Another plain story of Ray Charles
Robinson (Jamie Foxx) from taking a bus ride from Florida to Seattle to
start his music career with nothing to being the world famous father of
soul. Jamie Foxx is the clear cut Oscar favorite for the best actor award.
Now he is a better actor than I thought. He put himself on the map this year
with two great performances, the other one in Collateral. The movie itself
lack the firm grip of cohesion. It gives me a feeling of too many fragments
sticking together. The movie also need a deeper psychological exploration of
Ray Charles. Simply put, this film lacks cohesion and depth. Disappointingly
Ray is just average. |
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The winner is...
I think overall this is a down year. Finding
Neverland would not make the cut in almost any other years. Aviator and Ray
are plain story telling and old time setting. Only Million Dollar Baby and Sideways are movies
with a message to deliver. In the place of Finding Neverland, maybe a
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, or a Hotel Rwanda can make this
ensemble of films more elegant and complete. While I think Aviator has the
best production outlook to win this year, Million Dollar Baby's momentum is
just to strong to stop. I give the slight edge to the Baby.
My prediction: Million Dollar Baby
Who I think should win...
Among those five, or all the movies this year, I like Sideways the most and
would like to see it win. I know it's a little tough now, and Sideways after
all is a comedy. But Sideways is a different type of comedy. It carries out
it's wine-life philosophy even better than a drama. I enjoyed Sideways the
most out of these five. It is a rare gem.
I want to see win: Sideways
Who really won?
As expected, Million Dollar Baby won best supporting actor (Morgan Freeman),
best actress in a leading role (Hilary Swank), best director (Clint
Eastwood), and yes, best motion picture.
Best Motion Picture: Million Dollar Baby 2.25.05,
updated 2.28.05 |
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