Patton

Patton (1970)

It is always fun to go back and look at the films that won Best Picture at the Oscars. After seeing the films, my response is usually either "well, I guess I see why it won, but that other movie should have won instead" or "how the heck did THAT movie win?" It is rare that you see a movie and say, "Wow, now that is a Best Picture!"

Patton is one of those few - it joins the small echelon of movies that are the clear Best Pictures of that year, worthy of being Best Picture in any year, the films that transcend simple classic status. These films like Lawrence of Arabia, The Godfather, or Casablanca. Patton is that good.

Patton starts off in North Africa in 1943. After a bitter defeat, the American army brings in crazy General George Patton to whip the army back into shape and defeat the Germans. The movie then follows Patton through the rest of the war - through Africa, Sicily, England, France, and Germany - showing his military highs and lows - the lows almost always being his own fault ("My worst enemy is my own big mouth.").

George C. Scott (Dr. Strangelove) plays General Patton. Hm, let me rephrase that. He does not play General Patton. He IS General Patton. In one of the greatest biographical performances in Hollywood history, Scott shows us not only the blustery forceful persona that made Patton so famous (and infamous); he also gives us subtle glimpses into the man's own insecurities and personal ticks - private moments that only his trusted aides see. Granted, the amusing thing about those moments is that the only thing Patton is insecure about is missing his destiny of being the awesomest general ever, but still...this is an overpowering performance.

The rest of the production staff is also at the top of their game. Director Franklin Schaffner (Planet of the Apes) proves himself to be the perfect director of epics, his wide angle compositions breathtaking, but never allowing the spectacle to overwhelm the characters (which most epics are guilty of). Francis Ford Coppola won an Oscar (along with Edmund H. North) for Best Screenplay, a smart and savvy commentary on the man, his myth, and the realities of war that presage some of his later writing in Apocalypse Now. Jerry Goldsmith wrote a subtle Oscar-nominated score which, except for his main theme, is very hidden in the background. The best part about the score is its most subtle element - as Patton, who believes in reincarnation and destiny, reflects upon his life, and all of his past lives, Goldsmith employs an instrument called an echoplex to create this sound of trumpets quietly repeating the same three notes, ringing quieter and quieter into the distance, into silence. The music is echoing the past, just as Patton is echoing his past battles in former lives. Smart stuff, and a worthy nomination for the maestro.

If there is one thing you should know about me, it's that I think no film is perfect. Even the best movies, those classics of classics that I mentioned, have some problems. In the case of Patton, we have a spotty supporting cast - some, like Karl Malden as General Omar Bradley, are great. But some of the smaller roles - aides, soldiers, doctors, etc. are filled with some really cheesy actors who sound like they are reading lines from cue cards off camera. And the film is a bit long. As good as Schaffner is, some shots just go on for too long. For example, when Patton is directing tank traffic at a crossroads, we understand what he is doing after he guides the first few tanks through. But then we watch him guide more tanks through. And some more. And then we watch Gen. Bradley watching Patton guide more tanks through. It's never boring. But as the clock inches toward the third hour, your butt really starts to hurt.

So any way, Patton stands the test of time. This is Schaffner and George C. Scott's masterpiece. This gets my highest recommendation. And as a sidenote, if you are going to see it - get it on Bluray if at all possible. This is one of the best transfers I've ever seen on an old movie. It really looks like it had been produced last year, not in 1970.

MVP: This is easy. This movie is George C. Scott's show. The movie would have been solid with another actor in the role, but it wouldn't have been a classic. He elevates it. This is certainly one of the best performances of the decade.

TRIVIA: And Scott almost didn't even get the role! Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Mitchum and Rod Steiger all turned it down. John Wayne wanted the role desperately, but couldn't get it - producers probably didn't want take a chance on his failing health. Eventually Scott landed the role and secured his place in the annals of Hollywood.

BEST LINE: In the opening scene of the film, in his famous monologue to the troops and with a giant American flag at his back, Patton begins by saying, "Now I want you to remember that no poor, dumb bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won a war by making the other poor, dumb bastard die for his country!"

OSCARS: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Script, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Sound

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Best Visual Effects, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography

Inglourious Basterds

Inglourious Basterds

I have to admit, I was kind of put off when I first heard about Inglourious Basterds. I was not a big fan of Tarantino's Kill Bill movies and never really had an urge to watch Death Proof. And then I saw how he mispelled the words in the title to be mysterious and cool, and I just found that annoying. Then I started hearing rumors of some graphic scalping scenes and I just really didn't want to deal with that. So I wrote it off.

I'm glad I changed my mind and eventually sat down and watched it. Because despite the fact that I still think some of the gore is unnecessary and the mispelling of the title is still lame, Inglourious Basterds is easily Tarantino's best film since Pulp Fiction.

The plot is pretty complicated, with a lot of different chess pieces slowly inching towards each other - there is Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and his Inglourious Basterds - Jewish-American soldiers who are fighting a guerilla war in France and striking fear into the hearts of Nazis everywhere. There is Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), a SS detective and security officer who hunts down Jews trying to escape from Nazi-occupied France. Which leads us to Shosanna (Melanie Laurent), a young Jewish women whose parents were killed by Landa earlier in the war. Now she owns a movie theater in Paris and is being wooed by a bothersome German war hero (Daniel Bruhl). But then there is also British officer Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender) who is working with double agent, Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger) to bring down some high ranking members of the Third Reich. All the characters have their separate stories, boldly interweaving and jumping around without a care in the world. I don't want to spoil how the stories weave together - for me, watching how everything connects was half the fun.

In many ways, Inglourious Basterds is a big breakthrough for Tarantino. He launches into a true period piece and despite its fantastical and unrealistic characters and plot developments, he has created a World War II setting that is entirely believable and real. Everything feels, looks, and mostly sounds right. It helps that he lets everyone speak in their proper language (the Germans speak German, the French speak French, and so on). Having military buff and filmmaker John Milius (director of Conan the Barbarian and writer of Apocalypse Now) as a consultant certainly helped, as well. Either way, this is an impressive feat of filmmaking and writing.

The acting is also top notch. Christoph Waltz as the main villain is superb - his line readings alternating between smooth, charming, menacing, and then suddenly outright bizarre (check out how he giggles, "Biiinnngggooo!!!"). It is a great performance. But I expected that - everyone talked about how amazing he was, and he lived up to those expectations. What I was not expecting was how much I loved A) Brad Pitt as Aldo Raine, the tough and witty leader of the Basterds. His Tennessee accent is over-the-top without being a parody and he gets many of the best lines; B) Michael Fassbender, who made Zero impression on me in 300, is excellent as Archie Hicox. And I think I may have been watching the actor who eventually replaces Daniel Craig as James Bond in another five years or so. Fassbender is so much like a young Connery. Watch the scene where he is briefed by Winston Churchill and tell me it doesn't remind you of Thunderball or From Russia With Love. And watch his grace under pressure in the tavern scene and tell me you don't think he'd be a good Bond. Count me a fan; and C) Diane Kruger as German actress/double agent. I have never been a fan of Kruger thanks to forgettable performances in Troy and National Treasure, but here she shows true depth and a remarkable range. To be honest, at the end of the movie, I was most concerned about whether her character would live or die, and it mostly due to Kruger's work.

If I have any complaints about the film, and I have a few, it has to do with the length. He could have trimmed a good 20-minutes out. That said, I don't really know what he could cut out. He creates a number of set pieces - only instead of action set pieces, they are drawn out conversations between adversaries, dripping with suspense and double meanings. They are all fabulously written and acted and take their time to develop. I wouldn't want to cut any of them. The problem is that after five or six of these scenes, your butt just begins to fall asleep. There's really no way around that. But what would I take out? Hell if I know...I would also like to complain again about the gore - not that the bad guys don't deserve it, but that doesn't mean I need to watch all the scalping and carving and baseball bat beating. Another minor complaint - the use of David Bowie's song from Cat People is completely inappropriate -it plays while Shosanna is dressing to attend a big Nazi party. It's supposed to make her badass. Instead it makes it seem like she's attending a politically incorrect costume party in the 1980s.

MVP: Well, the MVP has to be Tarantino. For the first time in a long time, he actually reigns in his excesses and uses them in service of the movie - this includes his monologues. All too often his speeches are in his own voice, as if Tarantino is commenting on the scene in the film. While certainly well written and interesting, they are often completely out of character and throw me out of the movie - yeah, I'm looking at you Kill Bill 2 and your lame Superman speech that totally ruins the climax of the film! Yet here, the extensive dialogue and speeches are all in character, all of them service the film perfectly and do not slow the momentum down at all; on the contrary, they only ratchets up the suspense. Tarantino mentioned he wanted to make a Medieval film some day soon. At first, I was really not happy about that. But now that I've seen what he is capable of doing with a true period piece, count me in. Just keep David Bowie off the soundtrack.

TRIVIA: Tarantino almost cast two funny men in roles that I would have never have imagined - Adam Sandler almost played Basterd Donny Donowitz, the hulking warrior who likes to beat Nazi heads in with his baseball bat. And Simon Pegg (Shawn of the Dead) almost played Archie Hicox. Both would have been interesting choices, if strange. Luckily, both had scheduling conflicts (Sandler was working on Funny People and I'm not sure what Pegg was working on - probably Star Trek). All's well that ends well, I suppose. I like Eli Roth as Donowitz and have already discussed Fassbender above.

BEST LINE: You know as embarrassing as this is - with all the wealth of good dialogue in this movie, what I remember most is the way Brad Pitt says "Arrivederci." I completely lost it. It's the funniest sequence in the film...

OSCARS: Best Supporting Actor (Christoph Waltz)

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Best Picture, Director (Tarantino), Original Screenplay (Tarantino), Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Cinematography, 

It's Complicated

It's Complicated

I'm not going to ease into this review. It's Complicated just isn't good. Despite the best efforts of a terrific cast (including Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, and John Krasinsky), the movie just does not work.

The storyline has promise. Jane (Streep) is a divorced woman whose ex-husband Jake (Baldwin) wants back in the marriage. Ten years previously, he had an affair and left Jane for some young hottie. But now that young hottie is his wife and she wants a kid, and Jake seems to be re-evaluating his life. He realizes that he made a horrible mistake in leaving Jane. Jane can't seem to resist and an affair ignites between the two. Will she end up with her old husband or will she go for the nice architect (Martin) who also seems to be interested in her? Will she be able to sort out her conflicting feelings? Oh, it's so complicated!

There is some room for drama here. In theory, I can understand why divorcees may re-unite. Feelings can re-surface; they may be co-mingled with pain and regrets, but the fact remains this man used to be her husband and there was once a lot of love. I understand that conflicting emotions and the right set of circumstances could lead her back to him. Except the script is so shallow and the circumstances so unconvincing that it really makes no sense. You are asking yourself the entire movie, Why? Why? Why? And that's not a good thing.

The movie is a pretty big hit, though, and a lot of folks are really liking it. These people argue with me on two points. 1) It's a romantic comedy! So what if it is impossible! To which I argue - yes, it is a romantic comedy, but it is also presented with a layer of reality. This isn't like the old divorce screwball comedies of old that are so clearly superficial and woven in romantic fantasy that it all makes sense. Writer-director Nancy Meyers is not making that type of movie. She is trying to be real and funny at the same time. Sometimes that works (I rather liked her Something's Got to Give), but she can't have it both ways this time.

The other point is 2) this movie is not meant for me. I just don't get it because I'm not a middle-aged woman. To which I argue - well, I can't argue with that. This movie is not meant for me. I like to think I could still review the movie objectively, but I thought maybe these criticisms were right - until I talked to three of my friends who ARE middle-aged women and they had all the same problems I did. Whew!

I sort of feel bad trashing the movie. It's not all bad. I have a lot of respect for Nancy Meyers, who seems to be one of the very few filmmakers in Hollywood writing real roles for women these days. And the acting is all quite good. Streep is, as always, rock solid. If she can't quite overcome the weakness of her character, it is not her fault. Alec Baldwin is like Puck going through a mid-life crisis, and he puts in a rakishly entertaining performance. Steve Martin is restrained and quiet, and it's nice to see him playing a different type of character. And John Krasinski (Jim on "The Office") is very funny as the Jane and Adam's future son-in-law who accidentally finds out about their affair and is desperately trying to keep the secret. There are some good scenes - including a pretty funny party scene that I don't want to spoil - that almost makes the movie worth watching. Almost. It's just a shame that the cast is saddled down by this story.

So there you go. It's Complicated is not complicated enough. And with the talent involved, it really should have been better.

MVP: Do I have to give an Most Valuable Player to a movie I didn't like? Sigh. I guess it would be Baldwin. Baldwin is pretty funny. And if he had played this character in a movie that fully embraced its silly, romantic comedy roots, a la Awful Truth, then he would be right at home. I like that his performance implies a mid-life crisis without talking about it. He is just a big ol' kid who is in denial about his life. I don't see any of this in the dialogue, but the way. It's all in his acting. Plus, it's always nice to see Baldwin having fun - which is the main reason I watch "30 Rock" every week.

TRIVIA: Meryl Streep asked her alma mater Vasser College if the production could film the graduation scene on their campus. The College flatly refused - despite the fact that Streep is on the College's Board of Trustees and that two of her children also attend the school!

BEST LINE: At a dinner party, there is some tension between Baldwin and Streep's characters who just had a fight. John Krasinski tries to distract every one else by trying to force feed every one wine, but he is just pretty much ignored. Near the end of the scene, he makes one final attempt and says, "Hey, why am I the only one drinking wine???" It was funny...I guess you had to be there...

Twins

Twins

I know I am a little late to the party, but I am starting to get into It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The quirky and mean-spirited show has opened my eyes to what a comic gem Danny DeVito is. I was not much of a fan when I was growing up, but now I feel like I may have been missing something. I thought I had better revisit some of his golden oldies - and I started with the 1988 Ivan Reitman hit, Twins.

Twins begins with the description of a brilliant science experiment to mix the DNA of the world's best men and create the perfect superman. Instead they create twins - one is the super intelligent and super strong Arnold Schwarzenegger and the other is...well, he is Danny DeVito. Separated at birth, Twins is the story of how they find each other and have an adventure together. The idea of Schwarzenegger and DeVito as siblings was so clever that the movie was big hit at the box office. But the movie doesn't coast on its amusing premise alone. The two stars have an undeniable chemistry and are clearly having a grand time together. Schwarzenegger's blind and naive idealism clashing head-long into seedy, street smart DeVito's cynicism makes up the meat of the movie and provides the biggest laughs. And when the movie focuses on their relationship and their travels with sisters Marnie and Linda (Kelly Preston and Chloe Webb), the movie is genuinely funny, if a bit dated. Jokes that were funny in the 80s don't fly so well now - maybe because I'm older or maybe because they just aren't that funny. But overall, there are enough solid one-liners and fun set-pieces that you will still enjoy yourself. Twins is like that old, cozy blanket from childhood that you pull out of the closet - it may have holes and rips, but by golly, it still makes you feel warm.

I say most of the movie because the whole film isn't about these relationships. There is a real plot, too. And it is a cheesy, lame plot. DeVito has stolen a car with some "merchandise" that he is attempting to sell to a crooked corporation. But there is a hitman on his tail, providing the movie with an action climax that is wholly out-of-place with the rest of the picture. This part of the movie does not age well at all, and I'm not even sure why it's in there.

But it seems like Reitman and Co. realized this because the hitman plot takes up very little screen time until the end. Up to that point, let the cozy, ripped blanket keep you warm.

TRIVIA: So...there were two mismatched movie couples at the studio at this time. Schwarzenegger and DeVito were one. Hulk Hogan and Christopher Lloyd were the other. There were also two appropriate movies at the studio and for awhile it looked like the Hogan-Lloyd team was going to be starring in Twins. But then Schwarzenegger and DeVito ran in and snagged Twins first, leaving Hogan and Lloyd to star in the other movie - the unfortunate and forgettable Suburban Commando. Ah-nold, you dodged a bullet on that one!"

BEST LINE: Julius Benedict (Schwarzenegger): "The pavement was his enemy."

MVP: So here is the question - did DeVito win me over? Well, he may not have hit his Philadelphia brilliance, but yes. Yes, he did. The subversive little bastard sinks his teeth into the role and gives us a fun and lively performance. And he also gives us some genuine, dramatic moments that remind us that he is more than a comedian, but actually a good actor. But is he MVP? No way! The MVP clearly is the Austrian Oak himself. Arnold Schwarzenegger proved critics wrong with this movie. He wasn't just a brainless lunkhead who was only good at blowing stuff up. He was actually funny! Arnold shows a deft hand with comedy, with pitch perfect timing, terrifically naive line readings and an always funny deer-in-the-headlights stare. Arnold is all hugs and rainbows and love in this movie, and he is relishing the chance to turn his violent image on its head. It's a pity he didn't do more comedy. Sure, he had the stinkers in Junior and Jingle all the Way, but when cast right, he would be the funniest thing in the movie!

Avatar

Avatar

It has been twelve years since Titanic. Film lovers were waiting...patiently while The King of the World played with new cameras and fiddled with documentaries, waiting patiently for the director of our adolescent favorites - the first two Terminators, The Abyss, Aliens - seemed to be twiddling his thumbs deciding on his next project. And now after all that time, James Cameron is back. Was Avatar worth all the wait and suspense?

Time will tell. I think expectations on this movie are clouding everyone's judgement. Everyone expecting a masterpiece were sorely disappointed. Those who thought it was going to be bizarre turd with Smurfs were actually pleasantly surprised. I'm somewhere in the middle.

Avatar is the story of Jake (Sam Worthington), a paraplegic marine who comes to a faraway moon called Pandora. Human industry is encroaching on the planet, which is rich in an energy source called Unobtainium. Problem is, they are having trouble with 'the natives,' blue creatures called the Navi. The humans have a solution to solve the problem - scientists, led by Dr. Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) have created the Avatar program which involves the scientists placing their minds into genetically engineered Navi bodies. Looking like the local population will make it easier to open up discussions, learn about each other's cultures, and solve all problems peacefully.

Unfortunately, the folks in charge, led by industry suit Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) and Col. Quaritch (a super buff Stephen Lang) want to use the Avatar program to infiltrate and eliminate the Navi. Our hero Jake is stuck in the middle, though there is never really any doubt about what decision he will make.

That's just the set up. It may sound creative, but as the plot kicks into gear, you realize you've seen this movie before. Many times before. I personally liked it more when it was called Dances with Wolves. I'm only half-joking. There is not an original beat, moment, or line in this screenplay. I knew who would die, when they would die, and generally how they would die the second they were introduced on screen. Even the dialogue all sounds really familiar, like we've heard it all before (because we have). Some have defended the story and the script, saying that Cameron was aiming for a 15-year old audience with the script. Fair enough, but when I was 15, I was watching Cameron's Aliens and The Abyss, which are both really well-written. He's usually a very good writer.

But what is interesting is that as unoriginal as the story is, the world Cameron has created is a STUNNER. I know that I rail against movies that are just spectacle over story, but when the spectacle is this good...wow, I get it. I understand the argument now. Pandora's animal life, the plant life, and the Navi themselves are beautiful, colorful, luscious, and very creative. A tremendous amount of time and love went into creating this world, and it shows. And unlike most other Hollywood blockbusters, you can see the budget onscreen. It's rare when you see a movie and you think, "huh, well, yes, I do believe that this cost $300 million!" The special effects are superb, with the best motion capture animations I have ever seen. The Navi look excellent and with a few exceptions look like actors in makeup as opposed to a digital creation. I don't think there should be a competition for Best Special Effects this year - the answer is obvious that Avatar should and will win. Other films need not apply.

And I think the spectacle is why Avatar is getting all this Best Picture awards attention. I could watch Jake wander across the lush jungles of Pandora for hours. I did not want the story to continue - I just wanted to watch Jake hanging out with the Navi. That movie is terrific (and in some ways, if Cameron had just made a science fiction fake documentary about Pandora, that could have been the best sci fi film ever). Shame we have to go back into the story mode, with all the battles, explosions, and betrayals you were expecting...

So all in all, a mixed bag. I definitely suggest you see it in the theater because it is that beautiful to look at. Just don't go in expecting a story, and you'll have a good time.

MVP: Clearly the special effects team is the MVP of the film. But what impressed me the most was the character of Neytiri, the daughter of the Navi chief and Jake's love interest - both the special effects and the motion capture performance of Zoe Saldana. I haven't seen a motion capture performance this good since Gollum. And it's not all digital - you can see Saldana in there acting her heart out. Every graceful movement is hers; it's a terrific physical performance. And the special effects team match her grace point for point, creating the most fully realized character in the film (and that includes the non-digital, human characters). It's an impressive feat, and well worth winning my Most Valuable Player of the movie.

TRIVIA: Cameron almost cast Michael Beihn in the role of Quaritch, but decided not to in the end. He was worried that because Beihn and Weaver were both in "Aliens," that casting both of them again would just be a distraction. While I disagree with that reasoning, I do have to say that Stephen Lang was pretty good in the role - appropriately grumpy, buff, and badass.

OSCARS: Cinematography, Art Direction, and Visual Effects.

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Best Picture, Director, Score, Directing, Editing, Sound and Sound Editing.

Nine

Nine

What a pity. If ever there was a movie that proves unequal to the sum of its parts, it's Nine. Just look at the talent involved: the director is Rob Marshall, who breathed new life into musicals with the excellent Chicago, the screenplay was adapted by pros Michael Tolkin (The Player) and Anthony Minghella (the late writer-director of English Patient). The film features one of the best All-Star casts in recent cinema, with Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Sophia Loren, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, and Fergie. Look at that - there are SIX Oscar winners in the film. The lighting, the sets, the cinematography, everything is done by the best professionals.

So why doesn't it work? I don't know. But maybe I should back up a minute first, and describe the plot. Based on the musical that is in turn based on Fellini's classic 8 1/2 that is in turn based on Fellini's own personal life, Nine tells the story of Guido Contini (Day-Lewis), a famous Italian director who is about to start production on his new film in just few days. The problem is, he has no script, no story, and no clue what to do. He can't concentrate because he is wracked with guilt and obsession with the various women in his life - his wife (Cotillard), his lover (Cruz), his leading lady (Kidman), his mother (Loren), memories of the prostitute that danced for him when he was a child (Fergie), and the hot reporter who wants to jump into his bed (Hudson). Only his costume designer (Dench) seems to have any sort of calming influence over him. But he just can't stop thinking about these other ladies!

So what's the problem? I have never seen the Broadway show on which it is based, but that might be the root for what's wrong here - for a musical, all the music seems, well, uninteresting and simply going through the motions. And it seems like Marshall realizes this because the musical sequences are mostly blah, blah, same old same old. I don't want to accuse Marshall of not caring, but it really does seem like he went through the film like, "oh, is it time for a song again? Okay, let's put some pink lights up. That worked in Chicago."

This is a shame because the non-musical parts of the movie are actually pretty good - well filmed, very well-written (go Tolkin and Minghella!), witty, entertaining and featuring a wonderful recreation of 1960s Italy. But alas, it is a musical and to the bad musical numbers we return to. This is probably blasphemy for fans of the Broadway show, but the songs just aren't really that good. They are for the most part completely unmemorable, with no decent melodies or hummable themes. There are a few exceptions, as always - Sophia Loren sings a cute, little lullaby, Kate Hudson's 'Cinema Italiano' is a fun little sequence (it's not a very good song, but at least that scene has terrific energy), and then there is the one show stopper, "Be Italian," the big cue that also happens to be the only song in the film with a good hook. This sequence, sung with power and gusto with Fergie, is what the rest of the film should have been.

I want to make this clear - my complaints about the movie do not in any way extend to the actors themselves. From what I've read, they poured blood, sweat and tears into their roles and they truly do earn their paychecks. There is not a weak link in the bunch. Every single one of the All-Star cast brings their game, and if they pick up some awards for their work, I think that is terrific. I also award bonus points to Daniel Day-Lewis for being able to keep his Italian accent while singing. That was impressive. Shame the songs and Rob Marshall's staging let the actors down...

I know this sounds like a bad review and as a musical, "Nine" really does fail. But I did not regret seeing it because the non-musical scenes are really pretty solid. I would almost recommend seeing the film on the strength of those scenes. There is also the matter of Marion Cotillard, who you will read more about in my MVP!

MVP: Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies) almost saves the movie. Her performance is so heartfelt and so real, you cannot help but love her in this film. She takes what could have been the mopey one-dimensional wronged wife and gives her humor, grace, wit, passion, and anger. She creates a fully realized human being. Despite everything I said above about the songs not being great, I didn't mention hers because it is a stunner in its own way. "My Husband Makes Movies" is all about her loneliness. She sings it in her head, ironically while surrounded by her husband and friends. What is so brilliant is that she does not sing the song, she ACTS it. Her voice cracks, it goes weak, it strengthens as she strengthens and then wilts as her loneliness crowds in on her again, suffocating her. It is an astonishing performance and for me - a grumpy rat bastard who never cries at anything...well, I wasn't sobbing. But I'd be lying if I didn't say I was getting a bit misty-eyed. Cotillard might pick up a nomination, but she won't win even if she deserves to. For me, it wasn't just the best performance of the movie. It was the best performance of the year.


TRIVIA: I'll give this to Rob Marshall - he can pick a cast. This movie is full of brilliant actors, and they weren't even all his first choices! Renee Zellweger was supposed to play the mistress that Cruz ended up playing, Catherine Zeta-Jones was cast as the actress before she backed out over the script and was replaced by Kidman, and Javier Bardem was to be Guido Contini but changed his mind early on. I like the cast Marshall ended up with, but it's interesting to see who almost got the parts...


BEST LINE: Back to Cotillard - during one of their arguments, you get this stunner of a line from wife Luisa Contini:

"You're just an appetite, and if you stop being greedy you'd die...you take everything, and I'm empty."

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Best Supporting Actress, (Cruz), Best Art Direction, Costume Design, and Original Song ("Take It All")


Also, there is a review of the soundtrack CD at http://www.soundtrackdb.com/soundtrack/12070/nine-soundtrack