Oscar Season Chat : Best Supporting Actress

Jose and I talk about Best Supporting Actress, as we do at this time of the year.

Oprah in The Butler

Murtada: So Jose our favorite time of the year, Awards Season is almost here. Can’t wait to see all the couture gowns but let’s start with who we think is going to be invited. I think most prognosticators agree on Oprah Winfrey (The Butler) and Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) for best supporting actress. I loved Oprah and thought she was the best thing in her movie. She was surprisingly subtle and gave a fun flirty – dare I say it – even sexy performance. While it’s hard to suppress her larger than life persona and the baggage that brings with, I thought she was convincing as an everyday woman. She even gets a big Oscar clip moment – you know the slap heard around all the movie screens “everything you are and everything you have is because of that butler”. Lee Daniels is really a fantastic actress director – Monique, Gabby, Nicole and now Oprah, who knew?

As for Lupita a she is what everybody wants to talk about the minute her movie ends. It’s a great part – sympathetic, soulful and very touching – but her performance is fantastic too. And let’s not forget the Cinderella factor – everybody loves a newcomer who just hits it out of the park. I think she can go all the way, and if she starts winning early there is no stopping her.

So what are your thoughts on Oprah and Lupita? Who else do you think will be nominated?

Jose: Unlike the rest of the world I simply don’t get Oprah. I never got her as a celebrity and I certainly don’t get her as an actress. Other than respecting her for being a powerful woman, I don’t see what’s so special about her and I was once again scratching my head about what was so special about her in this movie. My major problem is that to me she never stopped being Oprah (it didn’t help that at one point a woman screamed “show that ratchet bitch, Oprah!” to the screen while everyone else cheered) and therefore, if everyone in the theater was thinking the same, I can’t consider it good acting. She distracted me from the story more than anything.

Lupita is perfect and there’s nothing more I can say about her without gushing.  I guess the most surprising thing about her performance is that it’s her first film! Apparently Yale trains great actors…I have never liked predicting who will be nominated, there are people who do this much better (and care more about it too) so I’ll have to plead the fifth for that one. Now if you asked me who were my favorites that would be a game I’d like even more…

Nyong'o and Woodard in 12 Years a Slave

Murtada: I like predicting so I’ll predict one more: June Squibb in Nebraska. I personally didn’t care much for the performance and found it one note. However she gets the best lines and wrings genuine hearty laughs out of them so she’s in. And another Cinderella story albeit a different one – the veteran toiling away on the sidelines for too long until she finally gets a big part.

But let’s talk favorites; we both loved Sally Hawkins in Blue Jasmine – her “curtsie” moment when introduced to Alec Baldwin is an example of a gem of a performance full of such quirky, lovely moments. She managed to be noticed against the full force of Cate’s dominating Jasmine. Lea Seydoux – sex on a stick in Blue is the Warmest Color and Alfre Woodard providing the only bit of levity in 12 Years and nailing her one scene with a funny and lived in performance. 12 Years is chock full of fantastic performances including Adepero Oduye who I thought was a bit too hysterical the first time I saw it. However by my second viewing I was impressed by the honesty she brought to her deep despair. Also Julianne Moore finally waking up from her long nap of a decade of uninspiring performances to bring heart and soul to Don Jon. Clearly JGL inspires her.

Your turn to gush about some lovely ladies……..

Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle

Jose: I’ve yet to see Nebraska so I’ll hold my thoughts on June for now. I see your Alfre and raise you a Sarah Paulson. Her performance was absolutely chilling and she’s been on such a roll lately with Game Change and all those awful American Horror Story-s where she’s the only one worried in seeing beyond camp and delivering performances with any real human traits.

In terms of awards, I don’t think any of my favorites in anything (other than Queen Cate) will be nominated for anything this year, so indulge me as I stray from awards specific talk, into favorites of the year talk...I loved, loved, loved Kristin Scott Thomas in Only God Forgives (the scene in the restaurant!), Jennifer Garner in Dallas Buyers Club (the only one who wasn’t “ACTING!” in that movie), Amy Adams in Her, Joanna Scanlan in The Invisible Woman (weeks later I can’t stop thinking about her character), Michaela Watkins in In a World..., Vera Farmiga in The Conjuring (my go-to exorcist from now on), Janet McTeer in Hannah Arendt, Emma Watson in The Bling Ring and Octavia Spencer in Fruitvale Station (talk about someone who can do a lot with a small part) with my absolute favorite so far this year being Cameron Diaz in The Counselor.

But yeah, the number of nominees coming out of that pool will be minus all of them, except for Octavia maybe...Granted, I’ve yet to see Julia and J.Law in their movies and I’m expecting them to impress me as usual.

Murtada : I'm excited for American Hustle and August Osage County too. Although I’m more about Margo Martindale maybe finally finding a fantastic big screen role. Also Naomie Harris got a lot of raves in Toronto but I can’t say I’m looking forward to Mandela as that trailer is dullsville but I hope it leads to bigger things for her.  And how could you not mention your girl Rooney Mara in Her , her Sofia Coppola was dead on. I think it’s a great year for this category.

Any final thoughts?

Jose: I love Rooney but even I am objective sometimes. I did forget to mention how impressed I was by Eva Mendes in “The Place Beyond the Pines” though.  I can’t think of anything other than that...

12 Years A Slave - Chiwetel Please Become Uibiqutous

The Internet is abuzz with reactions to the trailer to 12 Years A Slave (2013) that dropped yesterday. I wanted to join the party celebrating one of my most anticipated movies of the year. My enthusiasm has much to do with Chiwetel Ejiofor. 

I have loved him for years. I don't know when it started, probably around Dirty Pretty Things (2002) where he was so understated yet powerfully emotional. He seemed to be be on the brink for breaking out forever. Not Woody Allen, not Ridley Scott, not Alfonso Cuaron quite did it for Chewitel. Hopefully this collaboration with Steve McQueen will be just the ticket.

And of course this movie being the 3rd attempt by McQueen and Fassy to prove they are the best contemporary actor/director combo s another reason to celebrate. May they continue to try ruling our cinematic world.

The trailer itself looks good despite being completely cut to sell the movie as the most Oscar bait of the Oscar season i.e. obvious and we seen it before. Still it showcases both Ejiofor and Fassbender in a couple of good moments. I've always thought that Brad Pitt is a mediocre actor but can be magnetic onscreen when given the "right" star turn. Think Thelma and Louise (1991) or The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). Here's hoping he doesn't pull us out of this harrowing story with his amateurish attempts at emoting. The movie looks to be giving a lot of actors of color opportunities at meaty moments, which is always something to celebrate.

Here's hoping the movie is as good as it promises and that Chiwetel finally becomes the major actor we've all been waiting for.

2011 in Film: The Year of the Surprise

Now that the Oscar season has ended, it’s time to reflect on the movies of 2011. I agree with the general consensus that this was not a great year for movies. While there were a few little gems out there, there were no masterpieces.

I will remember 2011 for the surprises I discovered while watching movies. For the most part they were good surprises that jolted me and took me to unexpected places. The movie that most represented that was A Separation, a movie that zigged whenever I thought it would zag. Starting a small domestic drama about a couple separating it quickly becomes a moral mystery and a parable about class and sexism. Full of wonderful honest performances it was my biggest surprise of the year. And while it was very specifically an Iranian story, commenting on society and regime, it was universal in its themes and how the characters dealt with their predicaments. Don’t want to give away too much, because its merits come from being surprised.

Another little gem of a surprise was Weekend. I went in completely blind into that one, invited by a dear friend for a movie night out the Brooklyn Film Festival. It turns out to be a beautiful complex honest love story. And a gay one at that and you know those are very rare. Not only was it a good love story, but it was very cinematic with nods to the classic “Brief Encounter”, including the climatic train station scene. But the biggest surprise was the open raw performances of its leads Chris New and Tom Cullen, in my mind the discoveries of the year.

Another jolting performance surprise was Adepero Oduye in Pariah a lesbian coming of age story. The movie stayed away from clichés while delivering a story we’ve seen before. That is the clash between the gay teenager and her conservative religious mother. But the surprise was in the specificity of the story, very New York, very Brooklyn, very unique and particularly as it become a rallying cry for independence “I’m not running, I’m choosing”.

Looming large over 2011 was Michael Fassbender who it seemed like he was in every movie released. I’m not complaining, more Fassbender please. That he, along with James McAvoy, made X-Men watchable even interesting, wasn’t the biggest surprise he gave us. Back to that in a minute, but can we please get the sequel we deserve X-Men: Magneto and Xavier the Love Story?

The biggest Fassbender reveal was his disquieting kinetic performance as a sex addict in Shame. What a wallop of a performance that was, and what a movie. The movie rightfully depicts addition as an inescapable trap. Visually and with little dialogue, relying completely on Fassbender’s performance it conveys that trap closing in. Watch him jog around the open streets of Manhattan coming across as a big Metropolis monster trap of emotional unavailability.

Another surprise in “Shame” is Carrey Mulligan’s revelatory performance as Fassbender’s unhinged sister. I didn’t think she had all of that in her. I couldn’t take my eyes off her masterful depiction of a train wreck; a character so in touch with her emotions she can’t help but burn bright and leave havoc behind her. The dichotomy of the two characters, one so open and the other so closed off was fascinating to see and what made this movie such a surprising gem.

Mulligan was also in Drive, another gem. This one was the best “movie” movie of the year. A genre thriller full of exciting escape scenes , funny violent villains and a hero who doesn’t say much, all set to the best movie soundtrack of the year. What’s not to love? And it cemented Ryan Gosling’s reputation as the leading man of these times.

I was also surprised by Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. I read that it was confusing, slow and hard to follow. But I found it a mesmerizing whodunit that takes you on an enjoyable journey to the big reveal. And when that happens it is so much more than just who was the spy? It is a complex character reveal that keeps giving in surprising ways as you remember little vignettes from what unfolded before.

I will end with The Help. I, like many people of color who were loud about it this year, did not want to like this movie. It is 2011; Obama is in the White House, why should I watch another movie about black maids who are “saved” by their white “friend”. But what I discovered was that the main arch of the story was Abileen Clark finding her voice. While yes, Skeeter helped her and was the catalyst, it was Abileen who changed, became stronger and radically changed her life and the lives of those around her. And Viola Davis elevated the movie with her piercing quiet performance. She made it so much better than it had any right to be, because I was rooting for Abileen. And what other movie had this many great characters for women? Evil, funny, righteous, depressed, ambitious- it was a bonanza of interesting female characters and these actresses knew they were lucky and dug deep and gave us an entertaining moving film.

What did you think of 2011 in film? What were some of your favorites?