the holocaust, illiteracy, old age makeup, oh my!

Every year around this time, I turn into the most improbable moviegoer. All year long, even through the often overcrowded holiday movie season, I try to see all the films that garner critical praise or become hot buttons of discussion. In a perfect world, these films would be in the running for Oscar recognition, but that is seldom the case (that Rachel Getting Married’s sole chance at a win rests on Anne Hathaway’s shoulders is a crime).
But as we all know, the Oscars play from a different rule book. That’s why after the nominations are announced, you can find me in line with all the other saps to see something I would never waste time on under normal circumstances.
The Reader, Stephen Daldry’s melodrama that takes place in post-WWII Germany, exemplifies this dilemma. I had a lukewarm reaction while watching the film, but in the past few days my opinion has solidified and I’ve had trouble shaking its acrid aftertaste. The film certainly panders to the Academy’s faux-highbrow tastes. It’s painfully self-serious, dutifully photographed, and confronts one of their favorite themes, the specter of the holocaust. And all while pulsing with a disposable score that, I’ve decided, is in place to keep us awake.
The story follows a dull German student who improbably conducts an illicit affair with a much older woman (Kate Winslet) in 1950s West Germany. She’s icy, controlling, and they bathe together quite a bit. The first third of the movie is spent laboriously chronicling their trysts, an exercise that is neither thought-provoking nor stimulating.
One day, Winslet’s character leaves without saying goodbye, which sends our awkward protagonist into lamentable turmoil. A few years later, he’s a law student (still awkward, still dull), who studies the case of several SS guards on trial for murder. He’s shocked and horrified to see Winslet as one of the accused. The trial and its aftermath (where our protagonist is now played by Ralph Fiennes, and yes, still dull, still awkward) investigates the legacy of the holocaust with a club foot, and throws in illiteracy and old age makeup for good measure.
The film can’t succeed because we never get a handle on Winslet’s character. It’s meant to pivot on the tension that comes from feeling improbable sympathy for a Nazi guard, but it fails. When we first meet her, years after the war, it’s clear that she’s a damaged person, but she’s also cold, calculating, and selfish. I hate to suggest that Winslet turns in a two-dimensional portrayal, but we never get a glimmer of Hannah’s inner-life. Sure, there are moments in the film’s final act that suggest insecurity and childish curiosity, but it’s not enough to add texture to her morally dubious behavior. There’s no rule that says all characters must be sympathetic, we need enough substance to complicate and engage our reaction.

"The whole parlor to Alexandra's eyes was clouded by merged and pulsating auras, sickening as cigarette smoke."

That's a line from The Witches of Eastwick, one of my favorites, which I'm currently reading for the fourth time. I had the thought just yesterday about taking on the complete John Updike, much like I did with Don DeLillo last year (I chronicled some of this on the blog, as you'll recall the early stuff is tough to get through).

And today comes the news that we've lost Updike, one of our best writers. That his passing comes at a time when he was at the forefront of my mind strikes me as quite a bit odd. Perhaps it suggests that I'm mildly prescient.

Given the news, I think it's only fitting to take on the Updike canon. I've got less than 100 pages in Eastwick to conquer, and I've got a paperback of Couples that I can tackle after that. What should be next? When should I attack the quartet of Rabbit novels?

news flash

So I didn't finish my golden boy selections before the Oscar nominations. Oops.

The nominations were announced this morning, and I came into work late so I could watch the broadcast. That's about as nerdy as I get (I wish ...), but I've been doing that since I was in middle school. The nominations are normally when the big surprises happen, and to here it live makes it all the more exciting. This year was no exception, with big shut-outs and surprising inclusions. Here's what people (Hollywood people, at least) will be talking about today:

- No The Dark Knight. Despite eight nominations (including Heath Ledger's foregone win in Supporting Actor), the superhero flick was snubbed in the Best Director and Best Picture categories. Bummer, as included the groundbreaking film would have virtually guaranteed improved ratings. Also, it's the best film of the year.

- Instead, we get The Reader. After Manohla Dargis' dismissive review in the Times when the film opened, I thought that this one was all hype and hot air. Guess I was wrong. Looks like Harvey Weinstein has re-asserted some of his mid-90s magic for getting obscure titles attention. I need to see this one.

- Kate Winslet, not a double nominee, gets a lead nomination for The Reader, not Revolutionary Road. So much for the Golden Globes being a predictive force. People expected Winslet to be named in the supporting category for The Reader (though everyone who has seen the picture agrees that it is a lead performance). So even though the campaigns said one thing, the academy thought for themselves. Cheers.

- Michael Shannon nominated for Revolutionary Road. By far the best element of this underwhelming melodrama (aside from the also-nominated production design ... seriously I DiCaprio and Winslet would be fighting and all I could think of was how I wanted their toaster), was Shannon's brief, ferocious turn as their mentally unstable neighbor. He's a New York theater actor (so good in Sidney Lumet's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead last year), so it's a treat to see him included.

- Best Actress. This was the hardest category to peg. I really thought that critical favorites Sally Hawkins and Kristin Scott Thomas (in my favorite performance of the year) would make it, as would Cate Blanchett because, well, she's Cate Blanchett. Instead, Melissa Leo surprised for the indie Frozen River (which is fine, but very Lifetime), and Angelina Jolie actually made the cut for Changeling (a good performance in an awful movie). I thought Jolie would be snubbed because she didn't make it for better work in A Mighty Heart last year. They must have felt bad about that.

OK. Enough is enough! I'll keep you posted with my picks. I still need to see The Reader and Frost/Nixon, though I doubt anything will come close to my ardor for Milk (yay for including Josh Brolin).

golden boys - part 2

So now supporting actor.

1. Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

It's to the point where this one goes without saying. He will be missed, for sure. This indelible portrayal of malevolence will be remembered up there with Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal Lector.

2. Josh Brolin, Milk

It's a small part that stands out. Brolin plays Dan White, Harvey Milk's bitter and contentious rival on San Francisco's city council. It could have been a throwaway role filled with generic crazy. But the grace of Brolin's performance is his ability to add texture to every moment. He creates White as a jealous, small, and confused man. There's ambiguity, too, and a queer studies-ready

 reading of the part. Compared to his two-dimensional Bush impression in W. (perhaps not his fault, as he was asked to play a man with the complexity of a piece of cardboard), this is Brolin's best work yet.

3. Bill Irwin, Rachel Getting Married

I was one of the lucky theatergoers who saw Irwin's sad-sack interpretation of George in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf a few years ago (opposite the force of nature that is Kathleen Turner). I've been craving more of Irwin since. He stands out in Jonathan Demme's sprawling ensemble as the beaten-down but eternally upbeat father of his two warring daughters Kym and Rachel (Anne Hathaway and Rosemarie DeWitt). It's another performance consisting of divine small moments. The dishwashing scene? Killer.

4. Brad Pitt, Burn after Reading

So this has been his year. Previous to this film and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, I've never been too impressed. His Oscar-nominated work in 12 Monkeys was entertaining, but still fell in that stock-straight jacket crazy category. And Casey Affleck managed to slyly steal The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford out from under him. But here, pairing with the Coens for this first time, Pitt makes a striking impression. As Chad, the hard-bodied, soft-minded trainer and confidante of Frances McDormand's plastic surgery-obsessed lonelyheart, Pitt elicits guffaws whenever on screen. Watch for the small movements, it's a great physical performance.

5. Emile Hirsch, Milk

I feel like I'm cheating a little bit with this one. Yes, I love how Hirsch disappears into the role of Chuck Jones, one of the activists who dedicates himself to Harvey Milk's cause (and who is, incidentally, the only main character portrayed in the film who is still alive). And this coupled with last year's Into the Wild makes Hirsch one of the most exciting young actors around.

But, really, this one is here because so many people have told me that Hirsch's Jones, in attitude, behavior, and gesture, reminds them of me. Looking at the film again, I must agree. So, this is probably as close as I will come to an on-screen portrayal, so I must give it the attention it deserves.

golden boys - part 1

So as you may know (or have heard), we are a week away from Oscar nominations. Here's a not-so-stunning admission - I am movie, and therefore movie awards obsessed. It's a pretty frivolous hobby, and a lot less violent than the other spectator sports (unless you count Angelina Jolie's cool staredowns a form of assault).
For the next week, I'll be featuring my picks for the big six categories (and maybe the screenplays, depending on how frequently I can pull myself together). Let's start with Best Supporting Actress, a category that has honored both the great (Juliette Binoche in The English Patient, Marcia Gay Harden in Pollock) and the dubious (Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny, Mira Sorvino in Mighty Aphrodite).
Here are my five picks for this year's top five:

1. Penelope Cruz, Vicky Christina Barcelona
Several years ago in college, for our annual joke issue, the Trasher, I think it was called, I wrote a faux news item about Penelope Cruz winning an Oscar. At the time, she had starred in Vanilla Sky and Sahara, so the idea did seem preposterous. This was before Almodovar transformed her into our generation's Sophia Loren, a timeless beauty with screen magnetism to spare. Her bit part in this Woody Allen laugher proves that her career-defining work in Volver was no fluke. She's a hoot as the wildly unstable Maria Elena, an artist consumed with herself, madness, and undying love for her ex-boyfriend (Javier Bardem). As worthy as the other actresses this year no doubt are, I'm pulling for this one.



2. Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married


The sibling relationship in Jonathan Demme's criminally underrated Rachel Getting Married reminds me of Georgia, a film that say one of its siblings (Mare Winningham) nominated for the Oscar. The title characters in both films play second fiddle to their crazy, neurotic, selfish sisters (Jennifer Jason Leigh - in one of her best roles - in Georgia, and Anne Hathaway in Rachel).

Like Winningham before her, DeWitt does not allow her put-upon character to fade into the background, or to let the film turn solely into a showcase for Hathaway's histrionics. Of all of the film's naturalistic, raw performances, DeWitt's feels the most lived-in and authentic. You believe her frustration, aggravation, and ultimately (and here's the trick), her ability to relate and forgive. It's a performance so good that many are likely to see past it (it doesn't scream, "Hand me that damn statue!" in a Bette Davis-eque voice). At the very least, hopefully it will allow us to see more of her.


3. Tilda Swinton, Burn after Reading

Who knew she could do comedy? After searing dramatic work in Orlando, The Deep End, and Michael Clayton (for which she won the Supporting Actress Oscar last year), I knew she had range, but that doesn't always translate into winning comic timing? As the uptight wife of John Malkovich's discontented CIA man in this Coen Brothers fiasco, Swinton is my pick for best in show in a mostly winning ensemble.

4. Evan Rachel Wood, The Wrestler

Talk about a film full of surprises. Not only does it feature the year's best performance in Mickey Rourke, and pack an unexpected emotional whallop, but it also features this minor gem from an actress I've never really enjoyed. Sure, Wood's messy bundle of adolescent angst in Thirteen did resonate, but her bizarre off-camera existance (going goth and briefly dating Marilyn Manson) totally turned me off. Here, though, in the small role of Rourke's estranged daughter, all of Wood's confusion, detachment, and disappointment ring true.


5. Misty Upham, Frozen River

I wasn't a huge fan of Courtney Hunt's somber look at two desperate women barely making it by in upstate New York. It's a bleak view of the new economy, but the main storyline, about a discount store cashier saving up for a new trailer for her two sons, felt played out. The subplot, involving Upham's character, a Mohawk woman who lost custody of her young daughter, was far more intriguing. Upham imbues her character, who is forced to play on the wrong side of the law just to get by, with dignity and strength.

Check back in a few days for my Best Supporting Actor picks.

more review

I'm taking a page out of my friend Em's book (or blog, rather) and lifting her list of year-end salutations as a jumping off point. I'm a sucker for lists, and 2008 was a good one, so here we go.

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't quite remember what they were last year, though I'm sure they had something to do with staying healthy, eating well, working out etc. I'll give myself half credit. This year, it's eating fresh and local, cutting down on processed foods, and getting to the gym at least five times a week.

3. Did any one close to you give birth?
No, thankfully. It sounds coarse, but it would have been a Juno situation if someone had.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Gramps, my paternal grandfather (he was quite old, though, 92).

5. What countries did you visit?
France, to see two great friends living in Paris.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A boyfriend. Ha. It'd be nice, I won't lie. Otherwise, I'm fairly complete.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Martin Luther King Jr. weekend: Three nights of excessive going out. When I am older and think back to being in my '20s in New York, I'll remember that weekend.
September 10: A day during Fashion Week spent at the shows at Bryant Park.
November 5: Election night. In Gowanus and Park Slope with friends. A proud day for us all.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
To wax careerist, I'd say the three particularly precarious projects I managed to complete successfully. I've never worked so hard.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I read about a job at nymag.com, but didn't apply.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Despite being a sick mess for a week in October, I didn't take a sick day.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A navy blue Rag & Bone cardigan and a white Band of Outsiders shirt with black buttons.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Frank Rich. He's able to articulate the impossible in a way that makes me totally envious.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Those who made Prop 8 a reality.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent. Obvs.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Paris. The Catskills. West Village stay-cations. So any excusion, it would seem.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
M83's Kim and Jessie.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Happier.
b) thinner or fatter? I think about the same, though potentially a tad heavier (eeep!)
c) richer or poorer? Richer.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Running. Reading.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Cigarettes and vodka. Ha.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
With family in Connecticut.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Nope. Though my relationship with Brooklyn is going really well.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
30 Rock

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't like that word. Nor did I know anything about Sarah Palin or Rick Warren.

24. What was the best book you read?
Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Girl Talk.

26. What did you want and get?
A new computer (sweet).

27. What did you want and not get?
An iPhone (technically a 2009 get).

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Paranoid Park.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 25. The night of my birthday my cousin threw a small dinner party at her W. Village apartment for me and a few close friends. The following Saturday there was a hyper-low key party at a bar in Carroll Gardens (Abilene if you must know).

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
A larger clothing budget.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Increasingly mod. Solid colors, clean lines, more attention paid to accessories such as scarves and eyewear.

32. What kept you sane?
My friends.

33. What celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Carrie Fisher because of her indispensible memoir Wishful Drinking and special brand of crazy.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
Gay rights. Obvs.

35. Who did you miss?
My brothers.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Joe and Kendra. It was New Year's Eve last year, but the whole really began in 2008.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
I'll probably realize it later on.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I don't do song lyrics. We'll go with Carrie Fisher and something that stuck with me, which I think is true, "Life under tremendous stress is necessarily funny."