By Christopher Stipp

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My Golden Globes Rant or No Wonder They Keep Them Hidden in Their Pants by Ray Schillaci

The award season is rolling in and once again, I am deeply disappointed.  Golden Globe nominations have hit their biggest low since nominating and awarding Pia Zadora, Best Newcomer (I wonder if that was a bizarre porn reference) for the forgettable film and performance in “Butterfly.”  Throwing in the craptasticals; “Burlesque” and “Alice in Wonderland,” as the best Picture for a Musical or Comedy is like swallowing something that should never go down one’s throat.  But to include the ho-hum “The Tourist” and “RED” in that category displays an extreme lack of imagination or proper thought process.

Goddamn, if they needed nominees so badly they didn’t have to look any further than ‘Kick-Ass” “Cyrus” or “Toy Story 3”.  These films were far more entertaining and had so much more to say.  In defense of 2 out of the 3 mentioned (Kick-Ass and Cyrus) they had nowhere near the studio backing or publicity machine that cranked out false kudos for their misconceived products that offered nothing but false hopes for our entertainment.  Unfortunately, for “Toy Story 3” it was dumped into the limited nomination of Best Animation with total disregard of all its other star attributes.

My God, the HFP’s heads are so far up their asses, I think they are choking on their Adam’s apple.  Perhaps that explains their biggest crime; to nominate Fincher’s soulless “the social network” over such better story driven, far more passionate pieces and expertly crafted fare as “The Town,” “True Grit” and, once again, “Toy Story 3.”  Having HFP dismissing the much better films and going the popularity route is like wiping a canvas with a handful of shit.

Then to add something special from their sphincter’s, they have the balls (take it back – they have no balls) to give a nomination nod to Jessie Eisenberg for what could be called a sedate version of what he’s been doing all along in every other movie.  Have the Hollywood Foreign Press not seen any of his films?  The guy was a hundred times more engaging in “Zombieland” and “Adventureland.”  It’s like nominating Stallone for a limit to his acting range.

What about that nomination in Musical/Comedy for Johnny Depp for “Alice in Wonderland”?  Perhaps a special nomination should have been concocted for “Best Fagela – Who Cannot Help but Tell, Even If You Ask!”  I like Depp, but his Mad Hatter performance was a new low, right up there with Willy Wonka.  Please, let’s not encourage this fine actor into anymore lowbrow John Water-type character roles.  They are better suited for the gay cabaret club circuit.

Also, how could anyone exclude Blake Lively with her intense raw performance in “The Town”?  She is a standout in this year’s acting category.  This is one case where ignorance is far from bliss.  Shame on the Hollywood Foreign Press for their omissions and inclusions, they have single-handedly dismissed the entire art of cinema with a ballot made from Charmin.

As for the TV nominations, I will not waste anyone’s time, since it really doesn’t matter.  The Golden Globes are a pale version of the Oscar telecast and an even a worse boring mess compared to the Emmy’s.  Will I watch it?  Perhaps by accident if I am not stuck in the john with a bad book or magazine.

At this time I wish you all Happy Holidays with some wonderful suggestions for your viewing pleasure:

Kick-Ass – How many adjectives can I use to describe the geek-love I have for this film?  It’s a thrill ride-in-a-half that appeals to the bad boy in all of us.  Nicholas Cage is perfection and the young wunderkind, Chloe Moretz playing his daughter is a true find.  Together, they are the greatest duo since Ryan and Tatum O’Neal from “Paper Moon.”  Aaron Johnson is warm, compelling and sincere as the kid who tries so hard to be a real superhero.  By the way, language and violence is rough on this one.  So prudes, stay clear.

Inception – Let’s take an extreme action film and give it a mind!  What a concept that is beautifully executed by writer/director Christopher Nolan.  Multiple viewings will probably be required to catch up with the intricate plot.  This is a Blu-ray must!

The Town – I have never been a big fan of Ben Affleck.  I actually thought “Goodwill Hunting” was either a one-of-a-kind fluke or secretly ghost written by somebody else.  Yes, I know Damon was his partner, but we have not seen anything else from that man either. Back to Affleck (Ben), he then blows us all away with “Gone, Baby, Gone” and now presents his very best work yet with “The Town”.  In fact, I will go out on a limb and declare that “The Town” is the best picture of the year with the very best acting ensemble to go with it.  It could also fall under the category as one of the greatest heist films ever made.  It’s not fun or cagey, but filled with real people and their gut-wrenching stories.  Once again, Blake Lively as Krista Coughlin, Ben Affleck’s old flame, scorches the screen and surprisingly Affleck shows he can hold his own with her and co-star Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker).

Toy Story 3 – Not that it’s anywhere in the same category, but TS3 is right up there with my best picture choice (The Town) in 2010.  Who would ever think that there was another tale to be told by the Toy Story people?  Not only did they capture the charm of the original, they improved upon it and had us crying and cheering along with our children.

The Book of Eli – A snazzy, off-beat post-apocalyptic tale that never ceases to surprise.  Denzel Washington is mesmerizing as Eli, the quiet, simple man with a mission to deliver a book while thwarting cannibals and demigods.  This is a survival story with heart that never gets morose or boring.

Cyrus – As I had mentioned before in my June review, the film is creepy, quirky, and highly original and loads of fun.  It’s right up there with such underground classics as “Harold & Maude” and “Where’s Poppa?”  John C. Reilly reaffirms his comic prowess and plays it beautifully off both Marisa Tomei and Jonah Hill who only add to the hilarity and sincerity of dysfunctional people trying to survive love.

Monsters – This movie actually has the biggest WOW factor of any of the films mentioned.  But warning, it’s definitely not for the simple minded.  Therefore, all you couch potatoes waiting for an onslaught of special effects to continue to wipe out another major city for your viewing pleasure will be disappointed. This wonderful film (see Christopher Stipp’s review) concentrates on the aftermath and an incredible journey of two people discovering a passion for living and loving in the midst of disaster.  It is intense and awe-inspiring.  Yes, there are monsters involved, but they are almost an engrossing subplot to the whole story.  The ending gave me the same chills I received when I first viewed Steven Spielberg’s original cut of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”  But there is one very big exception, this film looks like a multi-million dollar movie, yet it was made for reported $15,000. Unfortunately, we have to wait till February 1, 2011 before it is released to Blu-ray or possibly catch it as a viewing rental from Amazon, unless there is enough of a public outcry to get the film a decent theatrical release as did “Blair Witch” or “Paranormal Activity.”  But please do not confuse it with those movies.  It is not a first-person camera story (found footage, etc.).  It is far better than any of those types of films in every way, shape and form.  It has to be seen to be believed.

Enjoy the holidays, the recommendations and the few good films that are available to us via theatrical release (Black Swan, The Fighter, True Grit, Tangled) and home video release.  Remember, it’s the season to relish the time you can spend with those family members you love and stomach the time with those you have no tolerance for.  One last thought for the year; life is too short not to be entertained.

TRUE GRIT – Review

This movie belongs to Hailee Steinfeld and Jeff Bridges.

Forget about Matt Damon, who is nonetheless excellently poised at every moment to add flavor and humor to a tightly shot script, and certainly pay no attention to Josh Brolin who might as well have been given a Guest Starring credit as Barry Pepper is the true force majeur in the moments we spend with him. The real pleasure is watching Hailee and Jeff spin in each other’s orbit, the harmony that exists as the two of them shuck and jive is something to behold.

Whereas Henry Hathaway’s 1969 version was something of a departure from Charles Portis’ novel upon which these films were based the Coens’ version hews closely to the book and it shows. The newest incarnation feels sinewy, not an ounce of fat to be cut from what is a pretty simple tale of a little girl coming into a strange town to hire someone to get the man who killed her father. Really, this should be a movie that is about revenge and the ineptitude of a girl who fancies herself a woman. However, what Joel and Ethan Coen do is wrap this western in a true coming of age tale, the real masterstroke that makes this one of the most exciting westerns to come out in the last ten years.

The male bravado that is on display in so many westerns is the very thing that has held it back as a genre. The modern testosterone fueled picture is but a simulacrum for these things where men are men, women are women, and the Indians are always the bad guys.

The Coens flip this and what you end up with is a movie that wants to be more than just the tale of  drunkard Rooster Cogburn’s redemption as a man of law and as man in general. For it’s Mattie Ross (Steinfeld) who provides the role reversal in being the fast talking, and quickest witted, girl who can carry herself just fine. It’s a postmodern feminist tale set in the old west where there was no such thing as the kind of defiance she exerts to those around her who she feels has wronged her, belittled her, or seek her subjugation to their will. In countless scenes she is seen as neither sassy, nor cute, in her attempts to exact the Shakespearean level revenge, her pound of flesh, from the hide of Tom Chaney (Brolin).

With Ross’ story, the ultimate face-off between Chaney and herself seems perfunctory.  It’s irrelevant, even, to the larger themes being discussed which really is that the journey means more than the destination. The revenge is sweet, no question, but the lack of any character development whatsoever with regard to Chaney and the events that lead to his exiting the picture happen so fast that there isn’t any other conclusion to be reached other than this is a story of Ross and Cogburn. And Cogburn, for all he’s worth, really helps to anchor this film and establish it as a movie worthy of being this year’s best.

Bridges commands both sides of being both amusing and lethal. The gray areas in between are where we see glimpses of a man who used to be something more than a lawman who fudges the letter of the law, of showing a determination and honesty to his word when he realizes he has nothing else left to him but these virtues. Loyalty is something that’s developed slowly and gradually but Bridges brims with the character of a man who is beaten but who has not given up. There is some honor left in this samurai of the west and the Coens do what they do the best: allow their actors to stretch the skins of their character.

Yes, the words are on the page and are intended to be delivered word for word but they realize that it’s in nuance, in small moments when their players are talking to simply step back and let the material, and not their style, be the guide. Matt Damon as LaBoeuf does well as a man who would like to think himself as the superior enforcer with regards to the law of the land but in a place where there are no rules Damon comes off well as the in-over-his-head fop who constantly finds himself in many inopportune situations.

The real pleasure of this version of True Grit comes across not only in the performances which are uniformly great but in the honesty with which everyone plays their part. This is a western, yes, but with the infusion of innocence that is slowly rubbed away like oxidation on a copper penny you have a film that means so much more than a stamp that will place it in the Western genre. It’s a story of redemption and loss and what it means to keep pushing forward even when it seems the night is at its darkest hour.

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