Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

I promise that this is a good movie, a good spy movie with intrigue and complex plotting and great acting. Here's what it isn't-it isn't The Bourne Whatever. Jason Bourne is a fake spy. He's a fun and exciting fake spy but he's a fake spy. George Smiley, as written by John LeCarre and performed by Gary Oldman is much closer to the real world of espionage. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy gives you more insight into the reality of the Cold War. But there is a problem- reality isn't all that cinematic. This is a British spy film-more akin to Howard's End than the Bourne Series. The first hour is sleepy. Like double-espresso sleepy. You have to stick with it. The rewards of this intelligent film about the intelligence business come slower, sneakier and more understated. So chug some caffeine and put it in the Blu-ray.
The plot is this: Control (John Hurt) is the dying head of a British Spy Agency. He has figured out that there's a highly placed mole in the outfit and has given several leaders code names-tinker, tailor, soldier, poorman and beggerman-one of these guys works for the Russians. After Control dies, it falls to aging spy master George Smiley to find out which one is the mole, and he methodically sets out to do so. The result is an intriguing exercise in spy work, suspenseful in its own way, and totally worth watching. Gary Oldman's understated work earned him an Oscar nomination. The word understated has been used to describe Oldman's work exactly, ummmm...never. At least until now. He is brilliant in the role.
This is a good watch, especially if the spy genre interests you, but prepare for it--with lots of caffeinated beverages.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

This film is the American version of the Swedish films that were a worldwide phenomenon. It's set in Sweden and all the actors speak with a generalized accent that I suppose might be Swedish. I'm really not sure why they remade a good foreign film except to recast---and cash in. But let's talk about this as if those other films didn't matter.
This is a whodunit. A bleak, dark, and often disturbing whodunit. In point of fact it is three mysteries rolled into one, which is why this film feels like it has three endings. A journalist (Danial Craig) is hired to research a murder that happened long ago in a very rich and powerful Swedish family, all of whom have been living with this crime for decades and none of whom want to rehash the thing again. A lot of stonewalling ensues. Enter crack investigator/researcher Lisbeth (Rooney Mara), a darkly pierced and somewhat disturbed young woman who has her own issues with violence toward women. Together the intrepid duo track down a serial killer and begin to untangle the problems in their own lives.
The reason to see this film is for it's characterizations and uniqueness. The mystery genre has never seen a character like Lisbeth. And Rooney Mara plays her with fierceness and steel. She got a well-deserved Oscar nomination. But be warned-this film is disturbing to a high degree both in specific scenes and in general tone. If violence toward women disturbs you this might not be for you (even though the women often prevail and survive). I often felt, well, kind of unclean watching this film. This is a rough-textured genre piece, but Rooney Mara is often brilliant and the journey is ultimately worth the bumpy ride.

Hugo

Martin Scorsese must have seen the children's book "Hugo" as the perfect way to pay homage to some of his early film heroes and bring attention to the cause of film preservation. It's a film that is spectacular to look at. I mean it. Spectacular. And I only saw it in 2D on my little flat screen. You are probably well advised to see it in 3D on a big screen. The sets and props have a magical feel. It's when we get to the people who inhabit the world that we run in to a little trouble.
The protagonist of this story is 12 year old Hugo Cabret, who lives a solitary life in the Paris train station winding all the clocks and fixing mechanical devices while his Uncle drinks the day away. He lives by his wits, avoiding the station security guard (the always oddball Sasha Baron Cohen). He meets a solemn toy vendor (Ben Kingsley) and his pretty niece Isabella (Chloe Grace Moretz) and soon an adolescent love story blossoms. That's the first half of the film. The second (and better) half is concerned with early filmmakers and film making and is if nothing else a master class on the early days of motion pictures. This is, of course Martin Scorsese's passion and he is much more sure-handed with this portion of the story.
Directing children is another matter. The two young leads are really not very engaging. Their not terrible, but their stiff Frenchness and odd character look makes them just slightly more creepy than heroic, almost like a Tim Burton film. Part of the problem may be that these characters are of French ancestry and live in Paris, but are played by English actors with decidedly English accents, and all of it directed by an American director. It's a mish-mosh. The world straddles the simplistic tone of a children's book and Scorsese's prodigious intellect and it just doesn't mesh.
The second half of the film is fascinating for any one who loves cinema or history or (especially) cinema history. It almost makes "Hugo" a great movie, but not quite. Beautiful yes, interesting indeed, but not quite a satisfying movie-watching experience.

A Better Life

"A Better Life" has a point to make, specifically a political point to make- and that could be the death of any independent film. It is a credit to the film that it isn't heavy-handed or didactic. It sticks to the basic tenants of good story-telling and in doing so the film accomplishes what it sets out to do, namely telling an illegal immigrant story from the POV of the immigrant.
Demian Bishir plays Carlos Galindo, a hardworking Dad and resident of L.A. who is here illegaly. Hardworking-Dad-illegal, in that order. They are the three things that define his life. His 14 year old son is dodging the pitfalls of gangs and teen stupidity. It's a hard life but an honest one, apart from their immigration status. Carlos is a good person who has to hide like he was a bad person. His dream is for a better life for his son but that dream is a house of cards.
"A Better Life" does an excellent job showing the hidden and stress-filled world that illegals must navigate and the assumptions that the authorities go to automatically when they deal with them. There is a great scene where Carlos' son is made to strip to the waist in order to photograph his gang tats. They're shocked to find that he doesn't have any.
This is a film with a narrow focus. It doesn't concern itself with grand political statements, only with a Dad and his son. It may be a bit simplistic in that respect but the character of its characters make it a good watch and a cautionary tale.
As a side note Demian Bichir's Oscar nomination (well-deserved) is why the Oscars (and in this case the SAG Awards) continue to rate high on the integrity scale. This film and performance might have been easy to overlook and that would have been a shame.

Oscar Nominations

Well it was an off year for me as far as Oscar prognostication goes. 35 of 49 in the major categories, going up to 38 of 49 if you give me the benefit of my alternate pics. No excuses but I haven't seen everything yet plus this was a really a weak year in film plus there were some big surprises. Hmmm.... in retrospect, those sound like excuses. "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" did very well. I was in denial about "The Tree of Life" because I don't like Terrence Malick films. And I never even heard of two films up for Best Animated Film, "A Cat in Paris" and "Chico and Rita". Really? Okay, here they are:

Best Picture (9 of them. Yes 9. Because the Academy can't make up their freakin' minds)
The Descendants
The Artist
War Horse
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Moneyball
Hugo
The Tree of Life
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Actor
George Clooney - The Descendants
Damian Bechir - A Better Life
Brad Pitt - Moneyball
Jean DesJardin - The Artist
Gary Oldman - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Actress-
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs
Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn
Rooney Mara - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Viola Davis - The Help

Supporting Actor
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
Kenneth Branagh - My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Nick Nolte = Warrior
Max Von Sydow - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo - The Artist
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
Jessica Chastain - The Help
Octavia Spencer - The Help
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids

Director
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris
Alexander Payne - The Descendants
Martin Scorsese - Hugo
Terrence Malick - The Tree of Life

Original Screenplay
The Artist
Midnight in Paris
Bridesmaids
Margin Call
A Seperation (A well-reviewed Iranian film)

Adapted Screenplay
Moneyball
The Descendants
The Ides of March
Hugo
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Animated Feature
Puss N Boots
Kung Fu Panda 2
A Cat in Paris
Chico and Rita
Rango

Weird year.

Oscar Predictions

Well I'm shooting a bit blind this year with my Oscar predictions so don't expect my usual clairvoyance. Let's see how it goes.

Best Picture

The Descendants
The Artist
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Hugo
War Horse
Moneyball
The Ides of March
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Albert Nobbs
Alt- Harry Potter

Actress
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
Glenn Close- Albert Nobbs
Michelle Williams - My Week with Marilyn
Rooney Mara - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Viola Davis - The Help
Alt- Tilda Swinton

Actor
George Clooney - The Descendants
Brad Pitt - Moneyball
Leo DiCaprio - J. Edgar
Ryan Gosling - The Ides of March
Jean DuJardin - The Artist
Alt-Michael Fassbinder

Supporting Actor
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
Albert Brooks - Drive
Kenneth Branagh - My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill -Moneyball
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Ides of March
Alt-Nick Nolte

Supporting Actress
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer - The Help
Berenice Bejo - The Artist
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
Shailene Woodley - The Descendants
Alt Jessica Chastain

Director
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
Martin Scorsese - Hugo
Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris
Alexander Payne - The Descendants
Steven Spielberg - War Horse
Alt-David Fincher

Original Screenplay
The Artist
Midnight in Paris
50/50
Bridesmaids
Beginners
Alt- Win Win

Adapted Screenplay
The Descendants
Moneyball
The Help
The Ides of MArch
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Alt-Hugo

Animated

Rango
Puss N Boots
The Adventures of Tin Tin
--------------------
Kung Fu Panda
Arthur Christmas
Alt- Cars 2

Beginners

This is a film that seems destined to win an Oscar. That's because Christopher Plummer is riding a streak of award ceremony wins for Best Supporting Actor that has that old sense of inevitability about it. More on this later.
The film actually belongs to Ewan MacGregor as a Los Angeles artist/designer who has recently lost his Dad (Plummer) to cancer. In the wake of his grief, he has started a relationship with a French actress, played oddly enough by a French actress, named Melanie Laurent. But he is working through some burdensome grief and guilt and self-reflection and that complicates his new relationship.
The story is told in flashback both of his childhood and the last stages of his father's battle with disease. Plummer's character has come out of the closet at age seventy-five after his wife's death and the disease seems arbitrary and cruel now that he is finally living a life true to himself. His gay life is happy and active, if a bit confusing to his son who must now take a second look at his own upbringing in the light of new information.
I thought this was a film about a father and son coming to terms with who they really are. Maybe I was mislead (the talk was all about Plummer's out-of-the closet subplot, but that isn't it at all). This is MacGregor's movie, a love story underscored by a battle with grief. And the tone is not light or amusing, that's for sure. This is a film with an undercurrent of pervasive sadness. It is sometimes quirky, with odd voice over montages, and sometimes fragmented (a result of cutting back and forth between three separate time frames). It makes "Beginners" an unusual and melancholy film, but one worth seeing.
Now, about Christopher Plummer as this year's anointed Oscar frontrunner, it fascinates me why some films or performances get so much traction come awards time.
Plummer does a fine job, certainly worth considering, but really there isn't anything all that compelling about the work, not that would place it as an overwhelming frontrunner. If he wins, it will be because of an accumulation of accomplishments over a distinguished career. But really, is this the film that should come to mind when you think of Plummer's work? Not so much. If he does win, he'll fall into the same category as Pacino whose Oscar for "Scent of a Woman" should actually say "....but we really mean "The Godfather" and "Serpico" and "Scarface" etc. Ahhh, the eccentricities of award season.