1964 - Zorba the Greek

As promised, I'm going to experiment with a little reader interaction by introducing a poll for you to vote on which awards year I should tackle next. So, during the review of 1964's Best Picture nominees, I will keep said poll on the sidebar to the right and when the time comes to move on, whichever year has the most votes will be selected as the next year of review. (As if you didn't understand how polls work.) To begin with, I've selected five Best Picture races from the 1980s, so choose your favourite and maybe you'll see that race on Matt vs. the Academy in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, the review of the 1964 race began with a viewing of Best Picture nominee...

Zorba the Greek

Director:

Michael Cacoyannis

Screenplay:

Michael Cacoyannis

(based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis)

Starring:

Anthony Quinn, Alan Bates, Irene Papas, Lila Kedrova, Sotiris Moustakas

Academy Awards:

7 nominations

3 wins, including Best Supporting Actress (Lila Kedrova)

Responsible for numerous Greek dancing parodies, Zorba the Greek explores the friendship between an unlikely pair. Basil (Bates) is an uptight English writer who travels to Greece to open a mine on his father's land. On his way, he meets Zorba (Quinn), an enthusiastic - some might say mildly crazy - Greek peasant who persuades Basil to take him along to work on the mine. When on Crete, Zorba attempts to teach Basil to loosen up by encouraging him to pursue a local widow (Papas), while Zorba himself begins an affair with a mad French hotelier (Kedrova).

Perhaps I'm the only one, but I got a distinct spaghetti western feeling when watching Zorba the Greek. Maybe it was the long silences and elongated glares between enemies. Maybe it was the prolific use of the close-up. Or maybe it was just the foreign accents. Whatever the reason, there is something slightly odd about the film. You never entirely understand what's going on. The characters often act incomprehensibly, especially the villagers, who are downright despicable on occasion, stoning a woman for spurious reasons and looting another woman's home while she is dying. A love scene between Basil and the widow seems almost like interpretive dance in its abstractness. Then there's the village idiot, a character so baffling that in order to come up with the right adjective to describe him, I searched an online thesaurus for words synonymous with 'incomprehensible'. The second suggestion offered was the word 'Greek'. Indeed.

Perhaps also it is the range of genres that are attempted here. There are several moments of comedy, sometimes approaching slapstick, combined with a great deal of tragedy. Add a few political themes and other non sequiturs and the result is a bit of a mish-mash.

And yet, through it all, the film is somehow infectious. Especially the famous music, which never fails to lighten the mood. The most infectious element, though, is the title character. Anthony Quinn gives Zorba such an exhilarating passion for life that it is hard not to go along for the ride. His warped wisdom is the source of most of the humour in the film with such gems as, "To be alive is to undo your belt and look for trouble." There are moments, however, when he seems vaguely threatening, although probably unintentionally. Lila Kedrova, too, is a delight to watch, earning a well-deserved Academy Award for her performance. Her Madame Hortense is intensely exuberant yet deeply heartbreaking. Kedrova and Quinn together (pictured) are a unique force on the screen, creating much amusement.

Keep your earplugs on hand for the most annoying collection of cackling toothless old ladies ever to appear on screen. And in the interests of irrelevant trivia, it is useless to note that in an alphabetical list of every Best Picture nominee, Zorba the Greek comes in last.

Best Picture of 1999

With very little doubt, 1999 brought with it a slew of incredible films. Personally, I consider it to be the finest year for cinema in recent decades, primarily due to the pictures' originality. Whether it was a portal into John Malkovich's brain, a red pill that reveals the truth, frogs raining from the sky or a club for men to punch the crap out of each other, it's hard to deny that 1999 left an indelible mark. The five pictures nominated for that year's Best Picture Oscar were no exception and I immensely enjoyed revisiting them for this project.

The nominees for Best Picture of 1999 are:

• American Beauty
• The Cider House Rules
• The Green Mile
• The Insider
• The Sixth Sense

Since this is a year I hold in great esteem, I've had occasion to ponder my favourite nominee several times before, so it was somewhat of a foregone conclusion which film I would pick. Nonetheless, I shall go through the motions and contemplate all the contenders.

The surprising thing about these five movies is that they didn't seem to suffer the not-so-unusual phenomenon of a greatly diminished appreciation on a repeat viewing. Having watched all of the nominees ten years ago, I would say The Sixth Sense is the only one that dropped in regard in any significant manner and that is only the expected lack of surprise that is unavoidable when rewatching big twist films. Conversely, I found myself succumbing to the charms of The Cider House Rules, about which I was originally more complacent.

Both The Insider and The Green Mile are gripping, albeit in different ways, and viewing them again this time around reminded me of what fine examples of cinema they really are. I guess in a year full of fine examples, I had forgotten their brilliance. But it is the suburban dramedy American Beauty that captured and inspired me a decade ago and remains on top today. Truth be told, Fight Club is probably my favourite film from 1999, but American Beauty is a very close second, thereby claiming the title of my favourite Best Picture nominee of the year. Another match with the Academy, this being the fifth time out of ten verdicts, making it an even 50% so far.

Best Picture of 1999
Academy's choice: American Beauty	Matt's choice: American Beauty

Your choice:

Polls are now open above for you to express your opinion. And speaking of polls, I may introduce a voting system to decide which year takes the project's focus next. Seems a little unnecessary since I have to cover every year eventually, but it might be fun. So, look out for that in the (very) near future. For now, though, I'll decide the next race myself as we revisit the 1960s with another diverse slate of contenders.

And the nominees for Best Picture of 1964 are:

• Becket
• Dr. Strangelove
• Mary Poppins
• My Fair Lady
• Zorba the Greek

And stay tuned also for some musings on the current awards season which is developing rather nicely.

1999 - The Green Mile

It's been just over a week since my last post, which I believe is the longest hiatus I've taken thus far since the project began. So, perhaps this is an opportune moment to discuss the details of my arbitrary deadline. As mentioned in my inaugural post, I had intended to wrap up my movie-watching duties by next year's Academy Awards ceremony. The viewing rate began admirably but it soon became a little impractical to be devoting six days a week to sitting in front of the television (and then, today, I read this). Now, with only a little over ten percent of the films crossed off my list, the rate would have to be increased to more than one film a day for me to meet that deadline. Which is clearly preposterous. But I'm not going to set a new deadline. Instead, I'll enjoy the process without a date looming over my head. Although, I'll try not to leave a week in between posts, either.

Finishing off the slate of films vying for the 1999 Best Picture award was...

The Green Mile

Director:

Frank Darabont

Screenplay:

Frank Darabont

(based on the novel by Stephen King)

Starring:

Tom Hanks, David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Cromwell

Academy Awards:

4 nominations

0 wins

A rare pairing of prison drama with supernatural thriller, The Green Mile is related in flashback by an elderly man recalling his years as a Death Row prison guard in Depression-era Louisiana. Whilst suffering a horrendous urinary tract infection, the young Paul Edgecomb (Hanks) oversees the arrival of a new inmate who is as simple-minded as he is thickset. Convicted of raping and murdering two young girls, John Coffey (Duncan) requests that the prison lights be kept on at night to alleviate his fear of the dark. After he cures Paul's painful peeing problem and follows that up by resurrecting a dead mouse, Paul begins to understand there is more to John than meets the eye.

The Green Mile begins and ends with a relatively slow pace and much of what is in between follows suit, but the film never feels slow. Rather, it is like a comfortable three-hour stroll through an interesting part of town. There are ups and downs, but there is always exactly the right amount of time to see each neighbourhood and you never linger longer than necessary. It travels well. Despite ample coverage of Tom Hanks urinating, which in theory should elicit cringes, the only genuinely uncomfortable scene involves a botched execution in which the electric chair occupant is literally set on fire. And even then, it is like the carnage you witness as you drive past a car accident. There's something so profoundly, instinctively fascinating that you simply can't look away. Throw in the image of a rundown prison building at night during a thunderstorm and the mood is complete.

Perhaps it was my Jewish upbringing, but I didn't notice the Christian parallels the first time I saw this a decade ago. A faith healer who feels the pain of other people and can take on that pain himself. And his name is John Coffey. J.C.? Get it? He even performs a resurrection. On a rodent, granted, but a resurrection nonetheless. Plus, his biggest advocate is a decent man named Paul. After that, the analogy seems to fall apart and, to be honest, I'm not quite certain I fully comprehend the purpose of it all anyway. I know that I enjoyed the story. Beyond that, you're on your own.

As is my usual practice, I'd like to list some of the standout performances from this picture. However, in this case, the list may turn out to include the entire ensemble cast. I'm aware I may have praised other casts as spectacular, but this time, I really mean it ... really. Tom Hanks is the only star name in the mix and I'm an admirer of his work. And his is not in any way a lacking performance, but it is the long list of career supporting actors that really shine in The Green Mile. As the other prison guards, we are presented with David Morse, Barry Pepper and Jeffrey DeMunn. All superbly subdued. There are stunning cameos from Gary Sinise, Graham Greene and Patricia Clarkson, as well as a hilarious turn by Harry Dean Stanton. Bonnie Hunt is solid as Paul's wife. James Cromwell is brilliantly layered as the warden. Doug Hutchison is particularly impressive as the weaselly Percy (whose name, pronounced with a Southern accent, sounds suspiciously like Pussy, which I suspect may be intentional). Then there are the inmates. Three fearless performances that are mesmerising to witness. Michael Clarke Duncan (pictured) imbues John with mystery and sympathy. Sam Rockwell unleashes the crazy as the bad-to-the-bone Wild Bill. And my favourite of them all, Michael Jeter, who portrays a different kind of crazy. A somewhat innocent crazy. Simply inspiring.

Like I said, a long list of names. Still, I would encourage you to search IMDb for all those actors and seek out anything in which they feature. Lastly, I'll just mention that, like fellow 1999 nominee The Cider House Rules, The Green Mile also references a previous Best Picture contender. The guards treat John to a private screening of 1935 nominee Top Hat.

1999 - The Cider House Rules

Happy New Year, my dear readers. May 2010 bring you just enough of what you dream of to keep you satisfied, but not so much that you have nothing left to dream about. Kat and I spent a quiet evening at home on New Year's Eve, avoiding the freezing temperatures outside. We also wanted to test the view from our apartment, which happily provided us with an uninterrupted look at the fireworks over the Manhattan skyline. A dazzling sight, without question, but the pyrotechnic display didn't hold a candle (no pun intended) to Sydney's music-synchronised spectacle. Granted, New York doesn't quite have the open spaces that Sydney Harbour affords, so that's to be expected, I guess. Plus, it is summer in the southern hemisphere at the moment - another reason to pine for home.

The first Matt vs. the Academy film for the new year was another Best Picture nominee from 1999's contest...

The Cider House Rules

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Screenplay:

John Irving

(based on his novel)

Starring:

Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron, Delroy Lindo, Paul Rudd, Michael Caine

Academy Awards:

7 nominations

2 wins, for Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay

After two failed foster care incidents as a baby, orphan Homer Wells (Maguire) is returned to his remote Maine orphanage where he is taken under the wing of the orphanage's director, Dr. Larch (Caine). Despite his ether addiction, the good doctor is actually a caring father figure to the children. Grooming Homer to eventually take over the orphanage, Larch teaches him the ins and outs of gynaecology, as well as how to perform illegal abortions. But Homer has other plans. After a young couple, Wally (Rudd) and Candy (Theron), come to Dr. Larch for an abortion, Homer follows them back to Wally's family's orchard, where he begins work as an apple picker. Life away from the orphanage is inevitably full of life lessons as Homer attempts to figure out what the rules of life are and when they can be broken.

When I first saw The Cider House Rules upon its original release, it didn't strike me as particularly memorable. However, this time, I confess, it left a more emotional impression. Still not spectacular, but a good solid tearjerker nonetheless. The drama rambles a little, but that is almost expected from films based on novels, which tend to have the advantage of more extensive narratives. However, considering that John Irving, who adapted the script from his own novel, cut out chunks of the plot to accommodate the film's two-hour running time, the story is surprisingly accessible.

The drifting storyline had me slightly puzzled as to it's themes until the last half hour or so, when I actually considered the film's title. The rules of Homer's workplace act as a metaphor for the rules of life and he learns to judge when it's okay to break them. He even literally burns the rules at one point. The feeling of pride at decrypting the film's message was brief, however, because soon after my discovery, one character exclaims, "Sometimes you gotta break some rules to put things straight." Well, now you've just given it away, Mr. Irving.

I'm not sure why Michael Caine won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this film. Not that it's a bad performance, per se, but it didn't seem to me to be a particularly demanding role. Charlize Theron, however, is supremely watchable as a woman who doesn't know how to be alone. And Tobey Maguire, as minimalist as ever, hardly opens his mouth when he talks. He is intriguing, nonetheless, as he almost defies you to guess what he's thinking.

For the trivia hounds, The Cider House Rules makes reference to not one, but two prior nominees for Best Picture. Candy and Homer watch the winner from 1940, Rebecca, on the silver screen and earlier they are seen exiting a cinema discussing another Olivier picture, Wuthering Heights.

1999 - American Beauty

As another year comes to a close, it is inevitable that we each assess our achievements of the past twelve months. This has undoubtedly been a massive year for me and Kat. Married in January, moved to a new country in May. As far as landmark events go, those two are certainly way up on the list of life-changers. Plus I also managed to sneak in my New York stage debut in December, so that takes care of a career achievement as well. Now, we move into 2010, which sounds more like a science-fiction movie than a year ... in fact, it is a science-fiction movie. And we only have to wait five more years for hoverboards.

Today, I watched a favourite of mine, the third film nominated for Best Picture of 1999...

American Beauty

Director:

Sam Mendes

Screenplay:

Alan Ball

Starring:

Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Chris Cooper, Allison Janney

Academy Awards:

8 nominations

5 wins, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor

Lester Burnham (Spacey) is enduring a whopping midlife crisis. He is stuck in a joyless marriage, hates his job and his daughter thinks he's a loser. Giving the rules a punch in the face, he sets out to change his life, beginning with blackmailing his employer for a huge severance package. He starts to work out in order to impress his daughter's best friend while smoking weed with her boyfriend. Meanwhile his wife Carolyn (Bening) is having a crisis of her own, beginning an affair with a rival real estate agent.

After watching American Beauty, my movie-reviewing notepad was inexplicably bare, indicative of my level of captivation. Considering the fact that I've seen this film several times before, that is no mean feat. And even though there are a few minor twists, of which I was obviously aware, I still found myself moved by them, a testament to the way in which the scenes were assembled. Director Sam Mendes and screenwriter Alan Ball deliver an emotional and funny story that is enhanced by the striking cinematography. Despite being a suburban drama, legendary cinematographer Conrad Hall's beautiful images make the film anything but suburban.

One thing I hadn't noticed in my previous encounters with American Beauty was the artificially polished feel to some of the dialogue. Each line seems almost too perfectly constructed for its purpose, sometimes beautiful and poetic, sometimes clever and funny, sometimes simple and direct. Then again, taking into account the major theme of the story, that of keeping up appearances, it is perhaps just another layer to an already well-layered script. Each character is not exactly as they seem. There's a secret or at least some kind of deeper level to their personality and it makes for some utterly fascinating drama. The tagline on the film's posters is "Look closer" - in fact, that phrase even pops up as a postcard pinned to Lester's office cubicle - so if you follow directions well, you'll notice that there's a lot more going on underneath the surface.

A huge part of the hypnotising effect this picture had on me was due to the incredible score by Thomas Newman. At once quirky and touching, the music simply fills each scene with an almost haunting mood. One minute, it is eccentrically upbeat with melodic percussion, and the next, it is wistfully moving with piano and strings. The music plays such an important part in so many scenes, particularly the now iconic image of a plastic bag dancing in the wind. Yes, a pretentious concept, no doubt, but it is somehow mesmerising, if only for the fact that it's hard to believe that you're actually watching a plastic bag blowing around for a whole minute and a half.

Despite centering on Kevin Spacey's character, this really is an ensemble piece and the eclectic cast all do a magnificent job. If I were forced to single out one, it would be the delightfully crazy yet poignant performance by Annette Bening. And for those who really "look closer", you can spot John Cho, better known from the Harold and Kumar movies, in a wordless role as one of Carolyn's potential home buyers.