2012: A Reflection in the Year of Film

2012 has been the best film year in recent memory. I can say that with absolute certainty and with no regret. Although each year sees the release of successes and failures, no other year has managed to seem so strongly successful, with virtually little to no true abysmal failures and an abundance of great movies. Movie theater ticket sales are higher than ever. Oscar season is as close as it ever has been. And the top directors in the world today, including Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burton, Ridley Scott, George Lucas, Woody Allen, Robert Zemeckis, and Christopher Nolan, have all released top-notch, blockbuster films. 2012 has been a year for the ages.

Even January and February, considered "Dead Months" in the Cinematic Calendar, saw the release of movies that surprised both critics and audiences. By the time March came around, family-friendly tales such as The Lorax and fun comedies like 21 Jump Street raked in a decent amount of the box office drawings. But no other film in the first four months of the year even compared with the phenomenal success of The Hunger Games, based on the hugely popular first book in the trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The movie shot actress Jennifer Lawrence to stardom, and held the number one spot at the box office for four weeks. Lawrence plays a young girl suddenly thrust into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse for the amusement of others, armed only with a bow and arrow for protection. The Hunger Games broke many records at the time of its release, and managed to remain in the top ten highest grossing movies of the year with $686.5 million, an impressive feat for any movie, much less one that was released during the "Dead Months" of the year.

Small time movies, like The Cabin in the Woods, impressed critics throughout the first third of 2012. By the time May came around, The Avengers largely surpassed both critical and box office expectations, starting off the summer movie season with a bang. The Avengers, which has been baiting moviegoers since the closing credits of 2008's Iron Man, is the crossover story between Marvel's finest superheroes (namely Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Nick Fury) facing Earth's most dire enemy, Loki, who plans to send an alien army to invade the planet. With strong approval ratings from both critics and audiences, and $1.5 billion in its pocket, the movie took the top box office receipt of the year.

Summer continued to see multiple success stories, from big names such as The Amazing Spider-Man and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, to smaller critical successes like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Prometheus. Easily the most anticipated movie of the year, The Dark Knight Rises is the epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan's famous Dark Knight trilogy that began with 2005's Batman Begins and 2008's The Dark Knight. Set eight years after the traumatic events of The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises sees Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) having to face off against two anarchistic new enemies: the manipulative cat burglar Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) and the brutal Bane (Tom Hardy). Despite the tragedy at Aurora, Colorado, which disturbed Hollywood in unimaginable ways, people rallied in pride around The Dark Knight Rises, which saw positive critical reception and the second-highest gross of the year with $1.08 billion.


Though August saw critical duds like The Bourne Legacy and the remake of Total Recall, by the end of September, 2012 was back on track with the highly imaginative Looper and the kids flick Hotel Transylvania. And October began Oscar season with Argo, masterfully directed by Ben Affleck. Based on a true story, Ben Affleck plays a CIA agent who is tasked with rescuing a group of Americans from the Canadian embassy in Iran, and ingeniously comes up with the idea to fake a film production to get them out. The result is a thrilling suspense tale, with intrigue and just the right amount of comic relief. Argo already has critic's groups hailing it as one of the year's best films, and remains a frontrunner for the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Director.


Oscar season continued throughout October and November, with December finishing off the year on a high note with movies like Django Unchained, Les Miserables, and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The Hobbit, a prequel to The Lord of the Rings series, was shot at a higher rate of 48 frames per second (fps), instead of the usual 24 fps, giving the film a more realistic feel. Theater goers, though initially skeptical of the higher film rate, are still attending the movie in waves, already landing The Hobbit in the top ten highest grossing films of the year with $686.7 million and counting. Les Miserables is based on the Tony-winning musical of the same name, and finally saw a release after almost twenty years in stalled development. The wait has been worth it; the film has received strong critical reception and is considered to be a leader in the Oscar race.

2012 saw several highly anticipated sequels, prequels, and long awaited movies. The Avengers, built up since 2008, finally saw a release date. Men in Black 3 exited development hell and was produced after almost ten years. The Snow White studio battle finally came to a head with Mirror, Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman, though both ultimately failed to impress. Alien series prequel Prometheus saw the return of original director Ridley Scott. The Dark Knight Rises ended Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy. The Bourne series continued without Matt Damon. The Taken sequel was released (with laughable results). Spielberg's ten-year baby Lincoln was finally released, with Daniel Day-Lewis (who plays Abraham Lincoln) as the frontrunner for Best Actor in Oscar season. The Twilight saga ended. The "unfilmable" Life of Pi was indeed filmed by Danny Boyle, to fantastic approval. The Hobbit and Les Miserables saw the light of day after years of stalled production schedules. These are all only a hint of the highly anticipated films that finally saw fruition in 2012.

However, 2012 does not only mark the release of a multitude of successful movies. It also cements the legacy of several films from cinematic history. 2012 showed the 15th Anniversary of action film Air Force One, the 20th Anniversaries of Quentin Tarantino's first film Reservoir Dogs and courtroom drama A Few Good Men, the 30th Anniversaries of science fiction family flick E.T. and biopic Gandhi, the 40th Anniversary of gangster picture The Godfather, the 50th Anniversary of desert epic Lawrence of Arabia, and the 70th Anniversary of the romantic war film Casablanca.

But no other anniversary special rivaled the 50th Anniversary of James Bond 007, celebrating five decades of the British spy since the release of Dr. No in 1962. A Blu Ray release of the complete franchise, museum openings, and television and book specials marked the anniversary throughout the year, cumulating in James Bond Day on October 5th. The most prominent celebration of 007, however, was the global theatrical release of Skyfall, the twenty-third movie in the franchise. In Skyfall, Daniel Craig returns as James Bond, this time facing off against Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), a brutal hacker who is striking against the heart of MI6 and its leader, M (Judi Dench). Clinching the number three spot on the top ten highest grossing films of the year with $1 billion, Skyfall was critically praised and proved that James Bond 007 was still relevant in the modern age.

Overall, I loved 2012 in film. It has been the best year of movies in recent memory, with dozens of highly successful films and franchises reaching a height of success previously unheard of. A year of superheroes, spies, and Oscar-worthy movies, it will be hard to match such a successful twelve months. 2012, you will be missed.

Happy New Year!

Flashback Friday: It's a Wonderful Life (Capra, 1946)

Every year on Christmas Eve, NBC shows a very special holiday classic. It's annual viewing has become a timeless holiday tradition, and the film's universal appeal has made it a beloved movie worldwide. While it bombed in its original release, this Christmas drama has since become one of the greatest feel-good movies of all time. Today on Flashback Friday, we're in the Christmas spirit with It's a Wonderful Life.

The 1946 Christmas drama It's a Wonderful Life is based on "The Greatest Gift", a short story written by Phillip Van Doren Stern. For those select few of you who are unfamiliar with It's a Wonderful Life, the movie tells the story of George Bailey (James Stewart), a man who frequently gives up his dreams to help out others. Coming from a humble small town background, George saves his little brother from an ice lake, runs his family's loan group after his father passes away, and eventually convinces his brother to take a good job instead of returning to the family business. George eventually marries Mary Hatch (Donna Reed), who gives up the couple's honeymoon money to save the Bailey Building and Loan Association from collapsing.

George's main threat comes from Mr. Henry Potter (Lionel Barrymore, ironically fresh off his radio performance as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol), a ruthless businessman and shareholder who runs most of Bedford Falls' commercial industry. Potter desperately wants the Bailey Building and Loan Association, as it is the last remaining business that Potter has not conquered. George keeps fighting the businessman, but due to the bumbling antics of George's uncle, he loses the money needed to save the family store. His home life and work life growing worse with each passing day, and his financial problems now reaching their peak, George tries to kill himself by jumping off a bridge.

However, his suicide is intervened by Clarence (Henry Travers), George's guardian angel who seeks to prove how useful George is. So, Clarence shows his ward a troubling alternate universe where George was never born. The result is one of cinema's most uplifting and happy endings.

The idea to adapt "The Greatest Gift" was initially a popular idea in RKO Pictures. But, scheduling conflicts and Cary Grant's inability to star in the picture led to it's eventual shelving. Frank Capra, who would eventually direct the movie, loved "The Greatest Gift", and eagerly sought to buy the rights for the story. He entered into an agreement with RKO, who agreed to distribute the film in exchange for more films with Capra' production company, Liberty Films.

After several screenplay overhauls and edits, the movie was shot in a studio at RKO Pictures. The town in the film, Bedford Falls, is based on Seneca Falls, New York. Seneca Falls is very proud of this basis, and the New York town has an annual "It's a Wonderful Life Film Festival", a Hotel Clarence named after one the movie's characters, and a museum dedicated to the film.

Initial reviews of the film were mixed at best. Critics hated the overly optimistic nature of the story, though they found Stewart's and Reed's performances to be excellent. One of RKO Picture's most controversial actions for It's a Wonderful Life was moving it's release date to December 1946, instead of the planned January 1947. Had they kept it's initial release date, the film would have had far less powerful competition at the box office, and would only have squared off against fellow Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street. Though the movie was bumped up to compete in the 1946 Academy Awards, the film won no Oscars, despite nominations for Best Picture, Director, Actor (Stewart), and Editing; these nominations all lost out to The Best Years of Our Lives.

The movie was also a box office disaster, failing to break even and costing RKO over $500,000 in losses. In the aftermath of the picture, Frank Capra lost his standing as a "good" film director, and never released another popular film again.

However, the film gained a cult following over the years, and grew in popularity with each passing holiday season. Jimmy Stewart listed It's a Wonderful Life as his favorite performance, and even director Frank Capra was surprised at how popular the film grew as a Christmas tradition throughout the 1970's. The American Film Institute included the movie in it's Top 100 Films, had George Bailey and Mr. Potter in the top ten for their greatest heroes and villains, and named It's a Wonderful Life the #1 most inspiring movie of all time.

Still an annual tradition to this day, It's a Wonderful Life remains one of film history's most repeatable achievements. It's story still inspires, and people will keep turning towards the life of George Bailey as an example of why they are loved in the world.

Happy Holidays, watch a good movie, and join Movie Critic's Club next week for a fond look back at 2012 in film!

Commentary on the 70th Golden Globe Awards Nominees

This morning, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) revealed the nominations for the 70th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television-making in 2012. The 70th Golden Globes will be telecast on NBC live on Sunday, January 13, 2013, and will be co-hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. For the purposes of this blog, we will be focusing on the Motion Picture categories of the nominations list. See bottom for the list of nominees.

The Golden Globe nominations, despite popular belief, do not officially start "Awards Season"; there have been several critic's awards handed out over the past couple weeks. These awards have included the Los Angeles Film Critic's Society, the Boston Society of Film Critics, and the American Film Institute's Top 10 Films of 2012. The big winners in these awards have been Zero Dark Thirty (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress- Jessica Chastain), and Lincoln (Best Actor- Daniel Day-Lewis, Best Supporting Actress- Sally Field). Argo, Les Miserables, Silver Linings Playbook, and Amour have also been strong contenders.

For the Golden Globes, Steven Spielberg's Lincoln is the big winner, with 7 nominations, including Best Motion Picture- Drama, Best Director- Steven Spielberg, and Best Actor- Daniel Day-Lewis. Argo and Django Unchained both have 5 nominations a piece, and both are up for Best Motion Picture-Drama and Best Director (for Ben Affleck and Quentin Tarantino, respectively).

The HFPA splits the Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress category into two different categories: Drama and Comedy or Musical. In the Drama category, Life of Pi and Zero Dark Thirty also bid for Best Picture. No huge surprises here, but Life of Pi has been surprisingly missing from the awards race until now. Life of Pi is also up for Best Director- Ang Lee, and Best Original Score- Mychael Danna. If Zero Dark Thirty keeps up the momentum it has gained over the past couple of weeks, it is likely to take Best Picture and Best Director- Kathryn Bigelow at a minimum.

Notable Best Actor-Drama nominees include popular choices Daniel Day-Lewis for Lincoln, John Hawkes for The Sessions, and Joaquin Phoenix for The Master. Denzel Washington is up for Flight, but despite numerous nominations for the film, his lack of wins does not suggest a promising future. The only "odd man out" in the Best Actor category is Richard Gere, up for his role in Arbitrage. Though critics liked the movie, Gere has remained notably absent from the awards race so far; his nomination here is likely because of the split between Drama and Musical/Comedy, replacing Hugh Jackman and Bradley Cooper in the five-man lineup.

There's no real surprise in the Best Actress-Drama category, which includes Jessica Chastain for Zero Dark Thirty, Marion Cotillard for Rust and Bone, and Helen Miren for Hitchcock. Rachel Weisz's performance in The Deep Blue Sea was a huge surprise when it won several early critic's awards, and people have now recognized her role as a distinct possibility in the Oscar race. Rounding out the Best Actress-Drama is Naomi Watts for The Impossible.

Like usual, the Comedy or Musical nominations are an odd mix of bizarre films that are nominated for the sole purpose of getting their stars to show up on the telecast. Only two films stand a chance at winning any Golden Globes (or any awards for that matter)- Les Miserables and Silver Linings Playbook. Both are up for Best Picture- Comedy or Musical, and Best Actor- Comedy or Musical (Hugh Jackman for Les Miserables, and Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook). Silver Linings is also up for Best Actress- Comedy or Musical for Jennifer Lawrence (who is also a strong contender for an Oscar) and Best Screenplay for David O. Russell.

Other Comedy or Musical nominees include last summer's The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which remains the only other film besides Les Miserables and Silver Linings Playbook that has gained any recognition during Awards Season in the Comedy or Musical category. Moonrise Kingdom and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen also garnered a few nominations, as did awards-darling Meryl Streep for Hope Springs.

For Best Supporting Actor, favorites Alan Arkin for Argo, Philip Seymour Hoffmann for The Master, and Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln not surprisingly made the nomination list. They are joined by Leonardo DiCaprio and Christoph Waltz, each up for their roles in Django Unchained. This category has been wide open in terms of winners, so any one of these five men have a chance to walk away with a Golden Globe.

In the category of Best Supporting Actress, Amy Adams for The Master, Sally Field for Lincoln, Anne Hathaway for Les Miserables, and Helen Hunt for The Sessions made the cut. The biggest shock in this group is Nicole Kidman for her part in the relatively unknown film The Paperboy. But, don't expect Kidman to take the gold based on shock-value alone; Anne Hathaway, after a hugely successful year and a belt-it-out performance in Les Miserables, is a near certainty for a win. Hathaway's only real competition is Sally Field in Lincoln, who has won several early critic's awards.

Unlike previous years, there's no real front-runner for Best Animated Feature. Brave, Frankenweenie, and Wreck-It Ralph are all Disney movies, and stand out more than Rise of the Guardians and Hotel Transylvania. If I had to guess, Wreck-It Ralph will take the prize, based on popular and critical praise for the film.

Overall, the biggest surprise in this year's Golden Globe nominations is Django Unchained, which entered late into the race, but is now making a huge impact on the nominations. Quentin Tarantino, considered to be one the greatest directors of the modern age, has yet to win more than Best Screenplay at the Golden Globes; the multiple nominations for Django Unchained could indicate his time may finally be at hand.

The nominations for the 70th Golden Globe Awards follow the majority of popular nominees this Awards Season. The few surprises probably won't make much of a difference in the overall race, with the exception of maybe Django Unchained and Life of Pi. 2012 was one of the best movie years in recent memory, and the amount of strong nominees and films should make for an interesting and nail-biting Awards Season.





The 70th Golden Globes Nominations for Motion Pictures

Best Motion Picture-Drama
Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Motion Picture- Comedy or Musical
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Miserables
Moonrise Kingdom
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Silver Linings Playbook

Best Director
Ben Affleck, Argo
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Best Actor- Drama
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Richard Gere, Arbitrage
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight

Best Actress- Drama
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
Helen Miren, Hitchcock
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea

Best Actor- Comedy or Musical
Jack Black, Bernie
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Ewan McGregor, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Bill Murray, Hyde Park on the Hudson

Best Actress- Comedy or Musical
Emily Blunt, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Judi Dench, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Maggie Smith, Quartet
Meryl Streep, Hope Springs

Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin, Argo
Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
Phillip Seymour Hoffmann, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy

Best Screenplay
Argo
Django Unchained
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Foreign Language Film
Amour
A Royal Affair
The Intouchables
Rust and Bone
Kon-Tiki

Best Animated Feature Film
Brave
Frankenweenie
Hotel Transylvania
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph

Best Original Score
Anna Karenina
Argo
Cloud Atlas
Life of Pi
Lincoln

Best Original Song
"For You" performed by Keith Urban, Act of Valor
"Not Running Anymore", performed by Bon Jovi, Stand Up Guys
"Safe and Sound", performed by Taylor Swift, The Hunger Games
"Skyfall", performed by Adele, Skyfall
"Suddenly", performed by Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables

Flashback Friday: Quentin Tarantino XX

On October 23, 1992, the world was introduced to Reservoir Dogs, the debut of one of America's most prolific directors. Since then, he has produced such mega-hits as Jackie Brown, Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds, and, of course, Pulp Fiction. His brutally violent, ultra-profane, and dialogue-driven style has made him one of Hollywood's most profitable and successful film directors. Today on Flashback Friday, we're celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the career of Quentin Tarantino.

A film buff from a young age, Quentin Tarantino despised education and dropped out of high school. He took a job at a video rental store called the Video Archives, where he met Roger Avary, another avid movie fan who co-wrote some of Tarantino's screenplays.

Tarantino never attended film school, instead opting to watch movies. His job at the rental store allowed him to observe what kinds of movies people were watching. Plus, Tarantino's obsession and encyclopedic knowledge of everything film allowed learn by simply watching movies. All of his films contain allusions to other works of cinema, such as the mysterious briefcase in Pulp Fiction (a reference to Kiss Me Deadly).

While working at the Video Archives, Tarantino wrote the screenplay for True Romance, a romantic thriller about a Martial-arts film buff becoming involved with gangsters. By 1990, Tarantino had left the Video Archives to work for Cinetel, a production company that also allowed him to take acting classes. At Cinetel, he met director Tony Scott, who loved the screenplay for True Romance and bought the rights to it.


His place in Hollywood now secure, Quentin Tarantino was able to film his first movie as a director, a project called Reservoir Dogs. Originally, Tarantino planned to produce the movie on a minimal budget, with his friends playing the lead characters. However, actor Harvey Keitel got a hold of the script, and was able to secure a little over a million dollars for the budget. With Keitel co-producing and playing the lead role, Reservoir Dogs became more and more prominent each day. It finally premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 1992, receiving critical acclaim and skyrocketing the career of Tarantino overnight.

Reservoir Dogs is an intelligent heist film, featuring a team of professional thieves that get set up during a diamond store robbery. The thieves, known only by their colored aliases (i.e. Mr. White, Mr. Orange), begin to accuse one another of betrayal while they are stuck in a warehouse rendezvous point. The film also features one of the most violent and gut-wrenching torture scenes in cinematic history: the "Stuck in the Middle" ear sequence instigated by Mr. Blonde. Reservoir Dogs grew in greater popularity after the high success of Tarantino's next film.

After Reservoir Dogs, Quentin Tarantino next sought to produce Pulp Fiction, his masterpiece film about a pair of hit men who interact with various characters in Los Angeles. With a rousing pop soundtrack, featuring "Miserlou" and "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon", the film epitomized the Tarantino style of bloody violence, extreme language (with 272 uses of the "f-word"), and intelligent dialogue driving the plot. The film was also shot with hyperrealism, which means that the actions were so realistic that they were almost unbelievable.

Pulp Fiction revitalized the career of John Travolta, who along with the film was nominated for an Academy Award (Tarantino won for Best Screenplay that year). The movie has since become a classic, landing on AFI's Top 100 Movies of All Time and still remaining popular with audiences.

Quentin Tarantino's follow-up to Pulp Fiction, 1997's Jackie Brown, was a tribute to the Blaxploitation movies of the 1970's. The Blaxploitation movies, such as Foxy Brown, featured, and were catered towards, a predominately African American audience. Jackie Brown, though not as commercially successful as Pulp Fiction, still received great reviews and renewed the careers of Pam Grier and Robert Forster.

Since the 1990's, Tarantino has directed several more films, like the Kung-Fu movie Kill Bill, and the Nazi-hunting film Inglourious Basterds. In December, he will release his ninth feature film, Django Unchained. Django will tell the story of a slave (Jamie Foxx) turned bounty hunter who tries to rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) from a malicious plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). 

Other trademark styles of Quentin Tarantino include casting a comedian in a cameo role (such as Chris Tucker in Jackie Brown and Mike Meyers in Inglourious Basterds) and frequently working with the same actors (Harvey Keitel, Samuel L. Jackson, Tim Roth, and Uma Thurman). He also personally chooses the soundtrack for his movies, with pre-written songs instead of an original score. With long, drawn-out scenes, unusual characters, and a penchant for glorifying crime, audiences know what they're getting from a Tarantino picture.

Personally, Pulp Fiction is a film that holds a very special place in my heart. After the explosive and mind-blowing opening diner sequence of that movie, I knew I was in a for a cinematic experience unlike anything I'd ever seen before. It is the movie that really rejuvenated my love for cinema when I was in a dry spell of watching bad movies, and since then I've always turned to Quentin Tarantino when I’m in a movie funk. His films always manage to prove to me how much I love the cinema. He makes audiences share his love for the movies, and I am eternally grateful to him for allowing me to reignite my passion. 

Tarantino is a cinephile, someone who is obsessed and lives around the movies. He's put his personal life on hold in order to do the one thing in life that makes him happy. And audiences are very appreciative. With one of the most loyal fan bases today, the director has made his mark on cinematic history. He modernized the film industry with his autuer-like filmmaking of combining both art and popular culture. And, with Django Unchained just around the corner, the world will not have to wait much longer to see his signature style once again.

Happy twenty years of doing what you love, Quentin Tarantino.