2010 - The Fighter

This past Saturday night was a nostalgic one for me as I attended the concert of a musical hero of mine. It had been more than 20 years since I last saw him live, but even at the age of 75, Billy Joel still knows how to put on a spectacular show. From start to finish, I couldn't stop smiling as I listened to all the hits and album tracks that have been ingrained in me since I was a teenager. Perhaps the most nostalgic part of the night, however, came when he introduced Axl Rose to the stage to sing Live and Let Die. You might not think those two have a lot of common fans, but in 1992, all I ever listened to was Billy Joel and Guns N' Roses, so my brain near exploded during that number. All in all, a fantastic night out.

From music back to movies, our next Best Picture nominee from 2010 is...


The Fighter
Director:
David O. Russell
Screenplay:
Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Keith Dorrington
Starring:
Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Mickey O'Keefe, Jack McGee
Academy Awards:
6 nominations
2 wins, for Best Supporting Actor (Bale) and Best Supporting Actress (Leo)

Welterweight boxer Micky Ward (Wahlberg) is struggling to find success, in large part due to poor choices made by his manager and trainer, who happen to be his mother (Leo) and his half-brother Dicky (Bale), himself an ex-fighter now addicted to crack. When Dicky's exploits lead to a prison sentence, Micky turns his back on his family in an attempt to bolster his career, finding a new manager and trainer.

The opening scene of The Fighter introduces us to the two main characters via an interview with a documentary film crew. While the film itself isn't presented as a faux documentary, it still makes clever use of this plot device on several occasions. Not only are the characters occasionally interviewed but the bouts are presented in the exact video-camera aesthetic of 1990s HBO. Even when these direct documentary techniques are not appropriate (i.e. scenes in which you would not expect a camera to be present), director David O. Russell still creates a realistic documentary-like tone by way of the camera work and the improvisational licence that appears to have been given to the performers.

Now, full disclosure, I'm not at all into boxing as a sport, but like any good sports movie, the story here is not just about our hero winning a few matches. We find ourselves completely invested in these characters and relationships, which, in turn, creates the high stakes required for a final fight that is full of edge-of-your-seat tension, even for non-boxing fans.

The Fighter features a fantastic cast who all deliver brilliantly raw performances. Christian Bale (pictured), in particular, exudes a natural grittiness that is simultaneously heart-warming and heart-breaking. Both he and Melissa Leo earned Oscars for their portrayals, deservedly so. Amy Adams (also nominated) and Jack McGee are also engaging and strong. And holding the story together in possibly a career-best performance is Mark Wahlberg, who is surprisingly gentle in the midst of so much violence and anger.

2010 - Winter's Bone

A highlight of any Oscar fan's trip to Los Angeles will undoubtedly be the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. I enjoyed such an outing last week when I attended the museum's third anniversary celebrations. After watching a special screening of Chaplin's The Gold Rush, I ventured into the exhibitions to absorb all I could. It was my second time visiting the museum, but as ever, I remained as intoxicated by the movie magic on display. Of particular interest were the spotlights on Casablanca and The Godfather, which housed Sam's piano and Don Corleone's desk, among other treasures.

Perhaps the most thrilling section for me, though, was the room dedicated to the Oscars ceremony itself. Various acceptance speeches are played on big screens surrounding a central display cabinet that provides a chronological history of the Academy Awards. Several past winners' Oscars are on display, as well as other artefacts, including presenters' envelopes and Oscar night programs. In the end, I ran out of time to see everything, so another visit seems imminent.

Moving on now to another contender from 2010's Best Picture showdown...


Winter's Bone
Director:
Debra Granik
Screenplay:
Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini
(based on the novel by Daniel Woodrell)
Starring:
Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Kevin Breznahan, Dale Dickey, Garret Dillahunt, Sheryl Lee, Lauren Sweetser, Tate Taylor
Academy Awards:
4 nominations
0 wins

In rural Missouri, Ree (Lawrence) is warned that her father is out on bail, but if he doesn't show up for his trial, the state will seize his house, meaning Ree and her ill mother and two younger siblings will have nowhere to live. Ree sets out to find out what happened to her father only to encounter a series of unsavoury characters in the meth business, all of whom want her to stop sticking her nose into their affairs.

Seemingly representative of the small town in which it's set, Winter's Bone maintains a slow-paced attitude, allowing the viewer to sink into an intensely uneasy atmosphere. Scene after scene is full of superbly executed tension, thanks to some deft direction by Debra Granik.

But if it's an uplifting story you're after, you'd best look elsewhere. Despite an essentially positive ending for the lead character, the film is brimming with truly awful characters, some of whom seem downright irredeemable. With the exception of our protagonist (though, she has her own flaws) and one or two others, almost everyone seems caught in a constant power struggle, obsessed with asserting their authority over others with displays of assholery, both verbal and physical. Ultimately, this is a study of the nasty side of the human condition.

The cast all live up to the challenge of playing the most atrocious characters they can muster and, while this constant humourless intensity sometimes feels a bit two-dimensional, some of the actors manage to bring added dimension to their portrayals, particularly John Hawkes (pictured) who earned himself a Best Supporting Actor nomination as the violent but conflicted uncle. Joining him on Oscar night was Jennifer Lawrence in her breakout role, becoming the second-youngest Best Actress nominee at the time (though she's since been bumped down to third). The film also garnered nods for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.