Shutter Island: Yet Another Reason for My Declining Mental Health

No, no, no, no, NO! I can't take this anymore! Enough, Hollywood! Enough with the awesome movies that are literally driving me insane. I was already up to Annie Wilkes mode because of Sherlock Holmes and now you drop the Shutter Island trailer on my lap. Seriously, are you trying to drive me to full-on Norman Bates craziness? Robert Downey, Jr. as Sherlock Holmes is more than enough to occupy the rest of my year, but now I've got another Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese movie to deal with. You realize that I love them both to pieces? And that each of their movies together has been better than the one before? Logic dictates that Shutter Island will be better than The Departed. Let me repeat that: better than The Departed. Only one of my favorite movies of all time, and Leonardo DiCaprio's career best. Plus you've gone and thrown Jackie Earle Haley into the mix. Honestly, stop fucking with my mind. The guy who stole Watchmen and Little Children is in this movie. With Leonardo DiCaprio. And directed by Martin Scorsese.

What's next? Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kate Winslet, James McAvoy, Cate Blanchett and Lee Pace in a movie by the reanimated corpse of Alfred Hitchcock? (Dear lord, don't even put that cast together. It will start with me laughing maniacally and end with an even more twisted version of A Clockwork Orange.) 

The Obligatory [Pre-]Oscar Post

C’mon, you knew this was coming sooner or later. I blog about movies; you can’t expect me to snub the Oscars, even if they've snubbed the likes of Cary Grant and Stanley freakin' Kubrick.

*Deep breath* I digress. The Oscar nominations come out in just three more days and before they’re released, I wanted to share a sort of wishlist with all of you, and the Academy, who I’m sure bookmarked this blog long ago. Some of the items on here are, well, a little improbable but it's Martin Luther King Day and dammit, I have a dream!

I don't really know how I can top that horrible reference, so without further ado, I present my Oscar wishlist:

1. A complete Benjamin Button shut-out

Am I the only one who thought this movie was an absolute disaster? Almost anyone who’s seen it will say “It was a little too long…” but no one has the guts to speak the truth: it was crap. It pains me to admit this as a Cate Blanchett fanatic, but the characters (even hers) were bland and the story was a mess – one of the most superficial that I’ve ever seen (bet you thought that stupid backwards clock, or Hurricane Katrina tie-in, was going to go somewhere but nope sorry! We were too busy adding 43598743895 other underdeveloped and boring storylines to flesh that out). I will grant that the visuals were stunning, which is why I won’t get grumpy over an Art Direction win, but please for the love of God do not let this movie get a Best Picture nod (or even worse, win) over its far more deserving competitors. Which brings me to my second point…

2. Some Revolutionary Road love

First of all, let me say that I had to work to see this movie. I have no idea why the distributors decided to put a Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet movie in five theaters across the nation, but they did and it was pretty frustrating. It would be very easy for me to have some mild, irrational resentment towards Revolutionary Road because of the inconvenience, but I have none at all; I absolutely loved it. The movie was devastating and haunting, the questions it raised were complex and interesting and Kate and Leo gave two enthralling performances. So why oh why is it being almost completely overlooked? I truly believe it merits Best Picture and Best Director nods, but I can deal with those snubs, even though I’m seething that Benjamin Button will probably get both. It’s nothing sort of criminal, however, that Leo is almost certainly going to be ignored (yet again). If Brad “so dull I considered tearing my hair out to spice things up” Pitt gets the slot over Leo, I will be sorely disappointed. And by sorely disappointed, I mean I might punch a hole in a wall.

3. A nod for Robert Downey, Jr. in Tropic Thunder

Argue the movie’s weaknesses with me all you want, but Robert Downey, Jr. absolutely deserves a nomination for Tropic Thunder. What he pulled off was nothing sort of genius. A lesser actor would no doubt have inspired enormous public outrage, but he turned the role into one of the most hilarious in recent memory, and kept it controversy-free. He gave a quote to Entertainment Weekly in March of ’08 that pretty much sums the whole thing up (leave it to him to do everything right): “If [the part is] done right, it could be the type of role you called Peter Sellers to do 35 years ago. If you don’t do it right, we’re going to hell.” Robert, needless to say you are definitely not going to hell. (You're going to comedy heaven! High five, anyone?)

4. Slumdog Millionaire Best Picture win

Having seen all the major BP contenders, (excepting longshot The Wrestler), I’m officially pulling for Slumdog Millionaire. It’s not only one of the most inspiring movies I’ve seen in years, it’s just a wonderfully made film that deserves every one of its accolades. Now, I wouldn’t be outraged if Milk pulled an upset and took the prize, but Slumdog is still my number one and, from the way the awards season has been going, it may very well receive this honor. Lest you doubt its merit, I dare you to watch this and not hand over the award right away (if you haven't seen the movie, though, start it at about 1:07):

5. More Ricky Gervais

Let’s see: he was hilarious at the Emmys, hilarious at the Golden Globes and is generally a hilarious guy. It still mystifies me that Hugh Jackman and not Ricky is hosting the Oscars, but I’ll settle for another one of his amusing award presentations.

Oh right, and give Kate Winslet a damn Oscar!

Everybody Loves Gary and Other Random Hollywood Musings

In the increasingly divisive world of movies, I’ve discovered one universal truth: everyone loves Gary Oldman.  Seriously, even the people who don’t quite know who he is love him.  In my experience, the words “Gary Oldman” can’t be uttered in a sentence without “awesome,” “amazing” or “badass.”  No one hates him.  It isn’t like Shia LaBeouf where most people are just so happy for that goofy Even Stevens kid, or Philip Seymour Hoffman’s tiny but devoted cult of fans.  People young and old, male and female, with both excellent and questionable taste in movies adore this guy.  Were some freak with a passionate loathing for Mr. Oldman to actually emerge, I don’t see others being alarmed and offended as much as completely puzzled.  How can you hate someone so cool, talented, and sometimes even terrifying? 

Speaking of cool actors, I love Clive Owen.  The problem is I don’t always remember him.  By that I don’t mean I literally can’t place the name with the face, but rather I often forget about his existence.  See usually, I seek out a few movies by a certain actor after I’ve decided I like him or her.  But, except for Children of Men, every time I watched one of his movies, I thought “Hey, Clive Owen’s in this!” only after his face popped up on screen.  I really don’t understand this phenomenon; Clive’s so suave, tough and British (do you see why I was initially pissed that Daniel Craig and not Clive was the new Bond?).  If those traits aren’t memorable, what is?

Now for something topical.  The new Revolutionary Road trailer has to be the single most serious preview I’ve ever seen.  The music alone makes it unbelievably somber and foreboding, but this is one trailer where I can’t find a shred of silver lining in the clips.  The impression I’m getting is that, should you see this movie, expect to spend the rest of the day questioning your life’s happiness and alternatively sleeping and crying.  So can someone please tell me why I’m so excited for it?  Oh, right.  Leo and Kate and Sam Mendes.  In one movie.  Can I watch it now?  

Finally, why isn't Neil Patrick Harris in more movies? I've only seen Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and almost all of How I Met Your Mother, but already I can't get enough of him.  At least let him host the 2009 Emmys.  The show would be infinitely better than this year's nightmare.  'Cause you know, whenever Neil Patrick Harris feels like doing a soul-crushingly bad job at hosting, he is just awesome instead.  True story.

To McAvoy, DiCaprio and Hoffman(x2), with Love

Just about everyone has a short list of actors they simply adore. Regardless of the movie's quality, they will make you pay the $10 theater ticket on opening weekend. You'll defend even their weakest performances to the death ("The script was just a mess," "He/she was sick throughout filming, you know," "Shut up, you're jealous!") and often smile at the mere mention of their names. You're probably also seen stalking their mansions every Tuesday around midnight.  

Oh, is that just me? Damn.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is that we're all absolute fanatics when it comes to some select stars. Since I'm obviously no exception, I decided to make my following post a virtual love letter to certain celebrities. I'll be suggesting a movie of theirs to check out as well, with YouTube snippets for support. Hopefully, I'll have some converts...  

1.  Dustin Hoffman

I thought it only appropriate to begin with my all-time favorite actor. The way I see it, not only is Dustin Hoffman probably the most versatile actor in Hollywood history, he's also one of the most endearing, insightful and just plain respectable celebrities out there. Consider his 1980 Oscar speech in which he delivered the sincerest commendations to the losing nominees the Academy has ever heard, or an interview concerning Tootsie in which he tearfully lamented the fact that he had never given girls like Tootsie the time of day. Any other actor saying these things would sound nauseatingly cheesy, yet somehow it's not the least bit coming from Dustin.

Really though, the best thing about him is his boundless acting ability. Which is why it's so tough to pick just one performance to recommend. If I must though, it would have to be his iconic role in The Graduate. While I have yet to see Midnight Cowboy, Ben Braddock is just so hilariously awkward and hopelessly unsure of his life's direction in a way we can all relate to, making him truly memorable (though calling a Hoffman character "memorable" seems like a bit of an oxymoron). Enjoy the movie's most quoted scene here:

2.  James McAvoy

If there's anyone on this list who I'm also kind of in love with, it's James McAvoy. Honestly, is there anyone more charming than this guy? Pathetic crush aside, I think he is one of the few actors out there who makes any movie he's in infinitely better. Think about it: we probably wouldn't have cared half as much about Atonement's Robbie Turner if someone else had played him, and Lord knows he's the only reason I made it through Penelope. So what exactly is it that makes him fascinating onscreen? There are plenty of answers to that question, but what it all comes down to, if you ask me, are the facts that he's so wonderfully subtle, and you just know he's putting all he has into his roles, no matter their weight. 

I feel like it's my patriotic duty as a movie lover to urge everyone to see him in The Last King of Scotland. It's insane how underrated his performance is, as much as Forest Whitaker's terrifyingly good acting merits discussion. Unfortunately, YouTube seems to have forgotten his fantastic role in it as well, so hopefully this trailer will be convincing enough.

3. Philip Seymour Hoffman

There must be something about the name Hoffman, because it's attached to two absolutely phenomenal actors. This precise connection is actually the sole reason I was introduced to PSH. Back in 2005, I was reading early Oscar buzz and came across predictions of "Hoffman" winning Best Actor. I obviously flipped out and scrambled to find the latest Dustin Hoffman project only to discover my, in the end, marvelous mistake. After getting over my initial disappointment, I found myself somewhat intrigued by the premise of Capote. Once I finally got around to seeing it, well past the Oscar season's end, I could not have been more grateful to that rather unclear entertainment reporter.  

PSH, like Dustin, is just such an actor. Sure, he can knock it out of the park with a carefully crafted dramatic character (i.e. Capote, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead) but he can also play comedic characters exceptionally well (i.e. Charlie Wilson's War, Along Came Polly - yes, he was in it and no, nothing about that movie other than him is worthwhile).  

I know I've already sung my praises for The Savages, but I think it might be my favorite performance of his. As Jon Savage, a middle-aged drama professor whose long-term relationship is crumbling and estranged father is dying, he creates one of those great flawed yet deeply sympathetic figures. Watch what I believe is his best scene here:

4. Leonardo DiCaprio

As much as I love Leo now, there was a dark and distant time in my past when I despised him. I guess the fact that I really only saw 20 minutes of Titanic when it first came out, thanks to my hyper-concerned mom, and that every irritating girl in my grade was so enamored with him really worked against the poor guy. Then, on one fateful day in the fall of '07, I saw The Departed and was completely blown away. After watching a few more of his movies, I came to the realization that, not only is he one of the strongest actors of his generation, but, contrary to popular belief, his talent didn't just emerge in the past few years; he's had it all along. (To all you nay-sayers: I dare you to watch What's Eating Gilbert Grape and not be baffled by the fact that Tommy Lee Jones won the Oscar that year instead of Leo.)

My pick, since most people have seen The Departed by now, goes to another Scorsese project,The Aviator. (Get excited, all you Scorsese-DiCaprio fans: their next project, Shutter Island, will premiere in October of 2009.) Leo brings his trademark intensity to the complex (to say the least) role with fantastic results, and, in an even more impressive feat, is not completely outshone by the fast-talking, remarkable Cate Blanchett.

I'm also giving honorable mentions to Jack Lemmon and Robert Downey, Jr. I'd love to give them a real spot, but I need to see more of their movies first. Since I mentioned him though, I have to briefly express my absolute joy at the news that Downey will play Sherlock Holmes in Guy Ritchie's upcoming project. It almost takes away the sting of that Will Ferrell atrocity. Almost. 

(Look out next week for my companion list of favorite leading ladies.)