Film Review: Meek’s Cutoff (2011)

If Westerns are too slow paced for you, then you will almost certainly fall asleep watching this one; it makes There Will Be Blood (2008) seem fast-paced and action-packed in comparison.  However, the amount of detail and approach that director Kelly Reichardt uses for the film makes it fascinatingly authentic, even if it is a drag where not much really happens throughout or at the end.  In fact, it is somewhat of an anti-Western because it lacks, spins, or contradicts many Hollywood conventions of Westerns, which can be rather artificial sometimes.  So while the film’s deliberate pace may at times turn off even the most passionate Western fans and avid moviegoers, Meek’s Cutoff (2011) is a slow-burning, absorbing cinematic experience that focuses on the bleak authenticity of pioneering; it features breath-taking cinematography and powerful performances led by Michelle Williams and Bruce Greenwood.

83rd Annual Academy Awards Nominations, Predictions, Polls, and Pre-Ceremony Analysis (UPDATED WITH RESULTS)

The 83^rd annual Academy Awards ceremony will be broadcast live on Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 8 PM EST; James Franco and Anne Hathaway will host the presentation. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), largely comprised of filmmaking professionals and executives who vote on the Oscars, announced this year’s nominations on January 25, 2011. To view previous years’ nominees, winners, and analysis, click here.

Included below is the list of Oscar nominees. I ranked the nominees in order of how likely they are to win in their respective categories, NOT in order of my preferences. Nonetheless, I have written some thoughts, notes, and perspectives (under some categories) regarding the nominees’ chances, histories, and which are my favorites.

Also, DON’T FORGET TO VOTE! – Please vote as if you were an AMPAS member and casting your own ballot, regardless of my predictions and what you think will win. Vote for what/who you think is the best in each category.

* I shall update this post after the presentation on February 27, 2011 to highlight the winners (in red). *

Film Review: Blue Valentine

Hollywood released some of 2010’s most uplifting and depressing films in November-December. Movies like 127 Hours, The Fighter, True Grit, and The King’s Speech inspired audiences with hope and joy while Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan thrilled viewers into disheartened submission. Nonetheless, all of those films were remarkably well-made and proved to be effective in affecting the viewer. You could add Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine to this list of outstanding films. It is an extremely hard-to-watch film that is at times tedious and emotionally grueling but at the same time very compelling and provocative. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams give two of the year’s best performances that elevate the film to profound levels.

The following review contains a few moderate spoilers. However, I do not wish to discourage you from reading the review just because it has some spoilers. By no means does the review ruin the film or its best moments; it simply helps to set the record straight as to what this film is actually about – the poster may say “A Love Story,” but do not go into this film expecting an romantic fantasy or uplifting tale about love. Instead, expect a genuinely honest and heartbreaking elegy.