Oscars 2013 Catchup: 'Dallas Buyers Club' & 'The Wolf of Wall Street'

Well, all right all right all right.

As I mentioned almost a month ago, my work status and living conditions cut into my movie-going availability for this new year. When the Academy Award nominations were announced on January 16'th, I had only seen four of the eight nominees for Best Picture (which expanded to five when I took in Philomena). Consider the fact that last year's Oscars were the first in which I'd seen ALL of the Best Picture nominees and you can see what a precipitous fall that was. And despite needing to play catch-up on 2014 films (with movies like Ride Along and Non-Stop, I might be doing myself a favor waiting for DVD), I still want to know what made the most recent nominees tick and why they were so favored. And so I recently rented two of last year's Best Picture nominees, looking to see if either of them deserved to be spoken in the same sentence as big winners Gravity and 12 Years a Slave.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Matthew McConaughey won the Oscar for Best Actor for portraying the real-life Ron Woodroof in Jean-Marc Vallee's Dallas Buyers Club, in which Woodroof goes from rodeo enthusiast and serial hellraiser to terminal patient during the giant AIDS scare of the 1980's. Faced with the impossibility of obtaining life-saving drugs in the United States, he heads south of the border to get help via non-FDA-approved medication in Mexico. With the assistance of a fellow patient and trans woman Rayon (fellow Oscar winner Jared Leto), Woodruff traffics and distributes this unapproved medication to others ostracized by the system.

Let's be honest; as much as I love Chiwetel Ejiofor, and as AMAZING as he was in 12 Years, McConaughey ABSOLUTELY put forth the best performance by a leading man in 2013. It's easy to point to his physical transformation - his Woodruff looks like he could be snapped in half by Lou Ferrigno - but its the acting side of this man which deserves the most praise. McConaughey absolutely masters the screen, and when you consider what he as already accomplished in the world of entertainment last year (Mud, HBO's True Detective, and even stealing some early scenes in The Wolf of Wall Street, which we'll get to later), that this is his (and the) greatest acting achievement of 2013 is really saying something. And while he's surrounded by a good supporting cast - including solid second-stringer Jennifer Garner as the requisite fictional love interest - the only one who steals any of the naked bongo player's spotlight is Leto, whose transformation into the (also fictional) Rayon is haunting in its perfection and commanding presentation. And to address the elephant in the room, I understand peoples' opinions that a real trans woman should have played the role. Their arguments make a lot of sense, however, to that I have two responses. One is that Leto's work does absolutely nothing to marginalize, insult or make light of the trans community. The other is that this is ACTING, and if Leto was the best actor - trans or not - to portray the role, than he was the right one to be cast. I know it's not an apples-to-apples comparison, but does that also mean Idris Elba, Damien Lewis, Emma Watson and Daniel-Day Lewis can only play British people? That seems a tad restrictive, and kind of unnecessary. If someone is the best fit for the role, then it should be offered to them. And when they do as good a job as Leto does, there's not that much left to complain about.

Two of 2013's best.

Okay, tangent over... The story itself is also standout, with the screenplay by relative newcomers Craig Borton and Melisa Wallack doing an excellent job developing the characters and setting the tone. Vallee really transports the viewer back to the 1980's and captures the fears, prejudices and events of the era with a camera style that feels appropriately intimate. We're SUPPOSED to fall in love with these characters, and the director does absolutely everything within his power to make that happen. The only thing preventing the film from being perfect is the editing, which more often than not is excessively jarring and takes the attention of the audience away from the well-crafted story. It also draws attention to the rare story weaknesses, putting a small chink into what could have been a flawless film.

I love me some Rayon, even if she doesn't actually exist...

But even with those light missteps, Dallas Buyers Club is easily among last year's best offerings. Even if McConaughey and Leto hadn't won their well-deserved Oscars, you should do yourself a favor and see this movie if you haven't done so already. Between the excellent acting and mind-shattering story, this movie EARNED its Best Picture nomination.

But while you can see at a glance why Dallas Buyers Club earned a nomination, it's not so easy to say, unseen, where The Wolf of Wall Street fits in. On one hand, it's from a filmmaker (Martin Scorcese) who easily sits atop many experts' Best Director lists, and has absolutely earned that distinction. It's also headlined by superb talents in Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill (who now has more Academy Award nominations than an embarrassingly long list of talents like Gary Oldman and Bill Murray) and even a scene-stealing McConaughey. It's even got a screenplay by a man (Terence Winter) who cut his teeth on The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire. On the other hand, a LOT of controversy came out of this release, from the accusations that condones greed and sexism, amongst a litany of other transgressions carried out the film's characters. It has the distinction of containing the most uses of the word "fuck" in a mainstream motion picture, and that level of f-bomb dropping usually indicates a lack of creativity, rather than a surplus. Based on the best-selling nonfiction book by Jordan Belfort, this definitely wasn't going to be as cheer-worthy as any of the other nominees. Of course, that didn't matter as it still turned out to be one of the best flicks I've seen in recent years.

Little known fact: Leo doesn't crumple up and throw away money, but James Franco does.

As I mentioned before, Wolf of Wall Street is based on Belfort's life, most notably his glorious rise on Wall Street to his equally precipitous fall from grace, fueled by a life of drugs, infidelity, outrageous behavior and general hooliganism, which eventually got him caught by the FBI. From the word go, you get a real impression of what kind of movie you're in for. The language is crude, the pace is hectic, and personalities are outrageous to the point of lunacy. And whether or not this is consistent with the tone of the book (and many reviewers say it is), this kind of energy with the New York Stock Exchange set as the background is entertainment incarnate. The acting is also top notch. As I mentioned, McConaughey steals a few scenes, even though they are decidedly at the beginning of the picture. Kyle Chandler shows up and puts in a suitable Kyle Chandler offering as an FBI investigator. And while I'm not entirely certain how I feel about Margot Robbie's performance as the mandatory female love interest, two items seriously impress me. First is that her pitch-perfect Brooklyn accent came out of an Australian actress. Second, she plays a vastly different role than her admittedly-smaller part in romantic comedy About Time. She never steals the scenes from the leads, but holds her own opposite more experienced talent, so that at least is commendable.

But the show belongs to these boys.

But this film is definitely a boy's club, and three men in particular are the ringleaders of this circus: Scorcese, DiCaprio and Hill. The director tackles a topic that is not quite as offbeat for him as the kid-friendly Hugo but still feels a bit apart from even his New York-set titles. On the surface it's the kind of nihilistic glorification of greed and selfishness that had NYSE audiences cheering at the inappropriate bits upon its release. But in reality it's easy to see where the guy in charge draws the line. When the boys are running a successful firm and (arguably) harming no-one, or when Belfort is comically embroiled in the middle of a life-altering scandal, it's easy to be drawn in and amused by the hilarious antics of the protagonists. But then there are the jarring scenes, especially a violent one in the last act, where someone IS getting hurt and suddenly the drug trip isn't funny anymore, and you realize that all those good times and funny bits were hiding something much, MUCH darker, something Scorcese makes no effort to cover up or excuse. Much like Kathryn Bigelow refusing to villify prisoner torture in Zero Dark Thirty, Scorcese actually leaves the actual condemnation up to the audience's discretion, which is exactly what a good director does.

Well, we know his kryptonite...

Scorcese's leads help him perfectly in his narrative effort. DiCaprio is perfectly cast as Belfort, but to be honest it doesn't appear much of a stretch as some of his better performances over the years. Lately, it seems like he's been playing this same kind of prideful, self-centered role in The Great Gatsby, J. Edgar and Revolutionary Road. And so I only have to assume those who cry that the actor should have beaten out McConaughey and Ejiofor for the Oscar are merely DiCaprio fanboys, as here he is not quite on their same level (Don't get me wrong, he definitely deserved the nomination). But while DiCaprio puts up predictably strong work, the one who absolutely OWNS every scene is Jonah Hill. Honestly, I can't believe this is the same guy who brought us Superbad and 21 Jump Street. He's always been funny, but here he seamlessly blends into the role in a way I never would have thought him capable. If only one person from this film could have been nominated for an Oscar, it ought to have been Hill all the way. Not only has the actor been the lucky recipient of two Academy Award nominations, but he absolutely EARNED them, as well.

Well... that's different...

Now, as much as I loved The Wolf of Wall Street, I also admit that it has its share of problems. At three hours, it's either thirty minutes too long or short (better editing in the third act would have made for a watchable extended cut). Scorcese falls into his usual trap of obvious metaphors on occasion (one particular scene comparing Belfort to the cartoon Popeye is especially groan-inducing), a habit inexcusable for such a seasoned director. And the movie DOES contain a ton of controversial material, from the objectification of women to a relative lack of punishment for the protagonists, though it should also be pointed out that the real fault for this lies with Belfort and his cronies who played out the real-life story, not the filmmakers who faithfully adapted it to the screen. In fact, Scorcese should be lauded for taking such a despicable character and such a horrible story and making them interesting and utterly compelling to a movie-going public. It's incredibly easy to admire much of what Belfort did all those years on Wall Street, even if it turned out to be more harmful than anything else. And Scorcese's project is absolutely a condemnation of the events in question, even if it doesn't seem like it all the time. It isn't made for everybody, but I still think everybody should see The Wolf of Wall Street at least once. If nothing else, it's a window into a world you may never be a part of, and a cautionary tale so that this true story is never repeated again.

Open Letters Monthly: Zero Dark Thirty

One of the most important moments of our generation is easily the attack by extremists on September 11, 2001. If you were to ask ten people on the street, nine would be able to tell you exactly where they were when news of the first plane crashing into Tower One. Since then, we as a nation have been subjected t constant conflict in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and other countries around the globe in what has become known as "The War on Terror." While it has yet to come to a close, 2011 saw an end of sorts when a covert task group succeeded in killing Osama bin Laden, leader of al Qaeda and the man responsible for organizing attacks on our home soil.

Director Kathryn Bigelow has been trying to make this film since the success of her last Middle East war tale The Hurt Locker, and what she succeeds in bringing to the big screen takes everything you thought you knew about the War on Terror and turns it on its ear. Maya is a CIA operative newly stationed in Pakistan after the 9/11 attacks. She single-mindedly dedicates herself to finding and eliminating her country's greatest threat, and sees many friends come and go for almost a decade. Finally, when all hope seems lost, one tiny lead will finally lead her to the end of her mission and the safety of her country.

Zero Dark Thirty is directed by Kathryn Bigelow and stars Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler, Joel Edgerton, Mark Strong, Jennifer Ehle, Edgar Ramirez, Mark Duplass and James Gandolfini. It is the #1 movie of 2012.

Click here to read the full review on Open Letters Monthly.

Open Letters Monthly: Argo

Ben Affleck has become a renowned Hollywood director thanks to contributions from his hometown, specifically the Boston-based crime dramas Gone Baby Gone and The Town. But while Boston has done a lot for Affleck, he needed to take a step away from the overly familiar backdrop and tackle something completely out of his comfort zone.

Enter Argo, a very real Hollywood film about a very fake Hollywood sci-fi flick that entered production as a CIA cover story. At the height of the Iran hostage crisis, six American diplomats manage to escape the hostile takeover of the American embassy and find shelter at the home of Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor. While they are temporarily safe, there seems to be no way to smuggle them out out of the country to safety, and the Iranian students are quickly becoming aware that they have not captured every diplomat in the country. It's up to one CIA specialist to convince an entire country that the six people are a Canadian film crew, and get them on a plane out of there.

Argo is directed by Ben Affleck and stars Affleck, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina, Victor Garber, Clea DuVall, Tate Donovan and Scoot McNairy.

Click here for the full review at Open Letters Monthly.

Production Value

When the teaser trailer for Super 8 began appearing, it was clear that we as a people would not be receiving any detailed information about the film in question. When you're touting a big name like J.J. Abrams as your director, that's hardly a surprise; the creator of television shows Lost, Alias and Fringe, Abrams has long been known for withholding precious information from his audience to create a sense of mystery, under the assumption that it would bring more people in to explore the worlds he creates. To a high degree, his success on television is a testament to that idea. However, this isn't something he's done so far in the films he has directed. Both Mission Impossible III and his reboot of Star Trek were more or less straightforward stories with simple twists, and nothing was really kept secret leading up to their releases. Super 8 changed that, however. Playing out as an homage to the early works of Steven Spielberg (who also produced this title), later ads gave us little more than we had originally, including some recognizable cast in Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning and Ron Eldard. Still there is little information about what the people of a small town in the 1970's is facing, as any images of the alien/monster/whatever remained hidden from view. I'm not afraid to say I was of two minds about whether I might appreciate Super 8 when it finally hit the big screen. On one hand, like many others I've been a fan of Abrams's work, and having loved his take on Trek I wasn't going to say no to more from this talented artist. On the other hand, I can think of better inspirations than Spielberg, who has gotten more cliche in his filmmaking in the past decade or so. Sure, if you want to be inspired by his early work (Jaws, E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind), go right ahead, but this is a man who has gotten used to living off the merits of his name and not necessarily his talent since these early films, and even when he he is credited as a producer you can tell the exact moment when he unofficially takes over from the director, his style obvious, obtuse, and unoriginal. His name alone is enough to make me wince these days, as reminders of how he ruined the last Indiana Jones film still ring in my mind. It would take a lot to prove to me that he couldn't ruin this particular title, despite the high levels of anticipation radiating from my friend Southland Dan. The two of us decided to take in the midnight opening, and now that I've sufficiently woken up, I can say that this film wasn't at all what I was expecting.

Well, there goes the neighborhood.

Helping his friends compose a short film for a local competition, Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) witnesses an enormous train derailment near his hometown of Lillian, Ohio. After somehow escaping the insanely destructive crash with his life, Joel sees SOMETHING escape the wrecked train, but does not tell the others, who all swear to not tell anyone about what they saw, lest they get in trouble for being where they shouldn't. Soon, strange things start happening around town. At first it's just property damage and theft by unknown parties. That's bad enough until dogs start running away en masse, people begin disappearing and the military arrives to clean up their wrecked train with a an agenda that they don't plan to share with the locals. Soon Joe's Deputy father Jackson Lamb (Chandler) is butting heads with the soldiers and the teens realize something that had been on that train was responsible for what was happening to their small town, and decide to do something about it.

Is "movie within a movie" the new "dream within a dream"?

To describe Super 8 as E.T. meets Cloverfield with a dash of The Goonies tossed in would be perhaps oversimplifying things a bit. Yes, there is a group of kids who stumble upon a mystery involving conspiracy and an alien, and the alien is anything other than the Reeces Pieces-loving predecessors we're familiar with, hearkening back to the Abrams-produced 2008 film. Like many earlier genre films,.the creature barely makes an appearance on screen and is more a means to tell the reunification story of divided father and son Jackson and Joe. The scenes where it attacks are fairly classic, with the "victim" often turning to face it (off-screen of course) and screaming before they are taken away. It's hardly anything breathtaking, but the effectiveness of these scenes is based in Abrams's abilities as a director to make sure you're looking at the wrong place so that you're not expecting when something shocking comes to pass.

The military takes to confiscating any copies of subversive material... like this copy of "Princess Bride"

Of course, what makes the film so indelible is the sympathy of its characters. While many of the people portrayed in the film are really one-note parts, it's the quality of those notes that set the stage for the film's enjoyment. You expect strong performances from career actors like Chandler and Eldard, who are experienced character actors who play a Sheriff's Deputy and a drunk malcontent, respectively, and their animosity towards one another is one of the driving forces of the film. Their children, played by Courtney and Fanning, are even more impressive. Elle Fanning has done nothing but impress me since I first saw her in last year's Somewhere, and it's really scary to think that she will turn out more talented than older sister Dakota, who is already one of the best young actresses in Hollywood. Courtney also proves himself extremely talented, and while not as strong as Fanning acting-wise, he more than handles one of the few complicated characters in the film. The retinue of young actors cast as their friends are fun and funny, but are slightly hampered by being simplistic, such as Ryan Lee as a young pyromaniac obsessed with blowing things up. Riley Griffiths is the best character-wise of them as Joe's bossy best friend, but they all have their charms and provide many of the laughs that keep you smiling at the film even through its slight narrative flaws.

When describing this film to friends, be sure to mention all the perplexed stares

Those flaws are few and far between, however. Amazing special effects are in play here, with the amazing train wreck only the highlight of an overall well-done SFX team that makes everything look good even when they don't have to. Combined with the director's talents for creating amazing shots, that ability transforms the film to a whole other level. Still, that department is one of the few (besides acting) which came out flawless. Besides some confusion as to why the creature is kidnapping people and damaging property when it would probably just be better off simply going into hiding is never fully understood (except for the fact that without that, there would be no movie), the overall design of the creature when it is finally revealed will likely be disappointing to anyone who has already seen Cloverfield's beast. Perhaps it would have been a boon to bring someone else in and redraft some of Abrams's script (yes, he wrote the film, too) to work out some of the kinks, as the creature's motivation was lost to me on most issues.

Those looking for a new Goonies movie apply within

That doesn't hurt Super 8 for long, however, as the film manages to be charming, funny, and scary at all the right times, even if brains weren't necessarily in the Wizard's bag to begin with. With great acting, amazing effects and a commendable effort to take the sci-fi genre back to its heyday, it scores high as the #4 film of 2011. I'll be the very first to admit that I didn't have such high hopes for this release, and to be fair it's far from a perfect film. But it is a VERY good one, and one that you can't help but be charmed by. I had a smile on my face for about 90% of the film's run time, and the movies this year that have done that can be counted on only one hand. Abrams's ability is certainly trending up, and I'm already looking forward to the next film that he pulls from his sleeve.