New Movies- The Master (2012)

Absolutely awful. I was bored from the start and considered leaving the theatre several times, only staying because of the positive reception I had heard of it. While absolutely beautifully crafted, The Master is a reminder why every movie must have a story. Even potentially Oscar-worthy performances from powerhouse trio Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams can't salvage this movie for me. Paul Thomas Anderson shows brief glimpses of actual directing throughout what must be the worst screenplay ever to actually make it into theatres. Devoid of any plot or story, 'The Master' rambles on aimlessly with no meaning whatsoever like a deflating balloon.

Outstanding Performance- Joaquin Phoenix (Freddie Quell)
Joaquin Phoenix makes a spectacular return to the big screen as the- well, we don`t really know what because the film unfortunately has no plot, backstory or character development, but Phoenix nails it anyways. 

Best Picture- All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)

A true pioneer in war movies, Lewis Milestone paints a ghastly portrait of the lives of touched by war. Filled with gripping action on the battlefield and attempts to grasp at the reasons for war, I think Katczinsky puts it best “…take all the kings and their cabinets and their generals, put 'em in the center dressed in their underpants, and let 'em fight it out with clubs. The best country wins.” The cinematography and editing create tense, suspenseful action scenes that purposely blur the war, making each side unrecognizable. Milestone captures the raw tragedy and suffering of World War I and of all wars in an epic film that would inspire both a new generation of filmmakers, and anti-war sentiment. Variety’s 1930 review holds true even now ”The League of Nations could make no better investment than to but the master print, reproduce it in every language for every nation to be shown every year until the word War shall have been taken out of the dictionaries.”

Outstanding Performance- Lew Ayres (Paul Baumer)                         

            Ayres gives an (unearned) Oscar-winning performance as the young, patriotic recruit that becomes a seasoned soldier, embittered by the ignorance of the horror of war he experiences back home and a constant search for whom and why the war is fought. His grief-stricken pleas for forgiveness to a French soldier he kills in battle are chilling and try to reconcile with the need for war and his off-screen scene with the young French woman, Susan, echoes with a cry for peace. His final scenes, astounded by the blind patriotism he finds on leave and the pangs of tragedy carrying Kat’s unknowingly dead body back and at his own eventual death, shock and paralyze the audience.

Best Picture- The Broadway Melody (1929)

Possibly one of the worst best picture winners, only the witty quips from random crewmembers at Zanfield’s make the movie tolerable. While King’s Broadway Melody is catchy and the dance routine is cute at best, it gets redundant quickly. The adjustment from the era of silent films seems to have taken its toll with The Broadway Melody.

Best Picture- Wings (1927)

A true lesson in context. Wings is a sadly dated film that echoes of a very different time and standard in film. That being said, however, Wings was an excellent picture for its time, reflecting the difficulty and art of silent films and one can only think of it in that context. John Stepan Zamecnik wrote a beautiful original score that plays well with the silent film. Far ahead of its time in special effects and cinematography, William A Wellman and Lucien Hubbard give the film a radiant sense of realism by using actual in-air shots.  El Brendel (Herman Schwimpf) deserves an honorable mention here for his much needed comic relief, well-placed throughout the film.

Outstanding Performance- Richard Arlen (David Armstrong)                                              

                A difficult choice as Clara Bow and Buddy Rogers also give memorable performances, but Arlen’s performance as David is captivating.

Best Picture Series- Sunrise (1927)

*It might seem strange to start a series about Best Picture-winning films with a film that never won Best Picture, but at the 1st Academy Awards two awards were given out, Outstanding Picture and Most Artistic and Unique Quality of Picture. While the Academy has since retroactively named Outstanding Picture-winner Wings (subject of my next post) the sole winner of an award that didn't yet exist, I didn't feel that this blog would be complete without both winners of the original Best Picture awards.*

Absolutely stunning. Sunrise captures the apex of an era and evokes the need for a time as beautifully simple as itself. A film about love and trust, Sunrise draws us along with little pause, despite it's slow pace, and none of the raunchy, melodramatic flash of today's Hollywood. Artistically ground breaking, technically flawless and penned to one of the greatest movie scores, George O'Brien and Janet Gaynor deliver raw, evocative performances that demonstrate the true art of the silent film.

Outstanding Performance- George O'Brien (The Man)

O'Brien captures the true ambiguity of human nature brilliantly. Although horrifying in his bursts of madness, when he attempts to actually murder his wife, the realization that he is unable to is both cathartic and surprisingly empathetic and his revival from faded adulterer to charming, newly devoted husband is seamless.

 

Welcome

Good evening! My name is Justin Havelock and tonight I am presenting the first in a series of reviews called The Oscar Police (bonus points if you can name where that opener is from). The Oscar Police (TOP) will review both classic and modern films to see if they have what it takes to make it at the Oscars.

There are 3 streams in which I will review movies: Best Picture winners, classics, and new movies. In the Best Picture series I will travel through film and Oscar history, watching and reviewing the 84 ½ Academy Award Best Picture winners (read about the ½ in my first blog post). The Classics series will cover popular hits throughout film history such as Citizen Kane, Pulp Fiction, Vertigo, Taxi Driver and Saving Private Ryan. The New Movies series will focus on current releases and how they might play into the Oscar season, highlighting potential nominees and culminating with an end of season analysis of the nominees in January and a Pre-Oscar finale of my predictions.

I encourage commentary on my reviews and of the films themselves and I look forward to some fierce discussions, however please keep your comments polite and try to give a couple reasons behind your views. I strongly encourage seeing the movies reviewed prior to reading my review to keep myself from preemptively influencing you. I will try my best to keep spoilers out of my reviews, however I will review as I see fit, meaning that there may be plot twists or character deaths discussed so consider yourself forewarned.

I will take requests for the Classics and New Movies series, as well as for ideas for future series. Please keep in mind though that I am doing this in my free time, so blog posts will come as my free time permits. I will post reviews at least once a week, more as I am able to.

Enjoy and happy reading!