Moonrise Kingdom and Silver Linings Playbook Lead the Nomination totals with the Independent Spirit Awards

Both Moonrise Kingdom, and Silver Linings Playbook both have five nominations a piece, including Best Feature.  While the Independent Spirit Awards (ISA) rarely mean anything to the Academy Awards the the films with the most nominations usually get a nomination or two. 

Silver Linings Playbook was already a sure bet for a handful of Oscar nominations including Best Picture, and Lead Actress.  One interesting omission is Robert DeNiro, this could happen come nomination morning for the Oscars as well, depending on how the acting branch feel about the film.

Moonrise Kingdom leading the nominations, and winning Best Picture at the Gotham Awards helps add to its visibility.  The film did well at the box office, proving this could be in for a Best Picture nomination.  Moonrise Kingdom is a look for the Original Screenplay Oscar.  I am over the moon (pun intended) for Bruce Willis's nomination in the Supporting Actor category, I would love to see him grab some attention, which could happen at the Globes.

Here is the full list of the nominees: 

BEST FEATURE 

"Beasts of the Southern Wild"
"Bernie"
"Keep the Lights On"
"Moonrise Kingdom"
"Silver Linings Playbook"

BEST DIRECTOR
Wes Anderson, "Moonrise Kingdom"
Julia Loktev, "The Loneliest Planet"
David O. Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Ira Sachs, "Keep the LIghts On"
Martin McDonagh, "Seven Psychopaths"

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Linda Cardellini, "Return"
Emayatzy Corinealdi, "Middle of Nowhere"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver LInings Playbook"
Quvenzhane Wallis, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Mary Elizabeth Winstead, "Smashed"

BEST MALE LEAD
Jack Black, "Bernie"
Bradley Cooper, "Silver Linings Playbook"
John Hawkes, "The Sessions"
Thur Lindhardt, "Keep the Lights On"
Matthew McConaughey, "Killer Joe"
Wendell Pierce, "Four"

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Rosemarie Dewitt, "Your Sister's Sister"
Ann Dowd, "Compliance"
Helen Hunt, "The Sessions"
Brit Marling, "The Sound of My Voice"
Lorraine Toussaint, "The Middle of Nowhere"

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Matthew McConaughey, "Magic Mike"
David Oyelowo, "Middle of Nowhere"
Sam Rockwell, "Seven Psychopaths"
Bruce Willis, "Moonrise Kingdom"
Michael Pena, "End of Watch"

BEST SCREENPLAY
Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, "Moonrise Kingdom"
Zoe Kazan, "Ruby Sparks"
Martin McDonagh, "Seven Psychopaths"
David O. Russell, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias, "Keep the Lights On"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Yoni Brook, "Valley of Saints"
Lol Crowley, "Here"
Ben Richardson, "Beasts of the Southern Wild"
Roman Vasyanov, "End of Watch"
Robert Yeoman, "Moonrise Kingdom"

BEST FIRST FEATURE 
"Fill the Void"
"Gimme the Loot"
"Safety Not Guaranteed"
"Sound of My Voice"
"The Perks of Being a Wallflower"

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Rama Burshtein, "Fill the Void"
Derek Connolly, "Safety Not Guaranteed"
Christopher Ford, "Robot & Frank"
Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, "Celeste and Jesse Forever"
Jonathan Lisecki, "Gayby"

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (best feature under $500,000)
"Breakfast with Curtis"
"Middle of Nowhere"
"Mosquita y Mari"
"Starlet"
"The Color Wheel"

BEST DOCUMENTARY 
"How to Survive a Plague"
"Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present"
"The Central Park Five"
"The Invisible War"
"The Waiting Room"

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
"Amour"
"Once Upon a Time in Anatolia"
"Rust and Bone"
"Sister"
"War Witch"

Looper is More than a Genre Film, this Film, and Rian Johnson proves the power of the screenplay

Looper (4 out of 5 Stars) 

Written and Directed by Rian Johnson (The Brothers Bloom, Brick)

Starring: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt

Looper is more than a genre film, and Rian Johnson proves the power of the screenplay.  I often sound like a broken record when I talk about the power of good screenplay, but this film is one example that not only proves my point, it proves that there are original ideas that still exist in Hollywood films.

Looper is set within the year 2044, and "time travel is possible" but not in the specific time in which we see the film.  30 years in the future gangs are using time travel in order to kill people.  In the future it is possible to track people deaths so these gangs use time travel, and the loopers to carry out the executions.  When the gangs are done with the looper they send them back to the past to "close the loop" and have them executed.  Soon a new pattern starts to reveal that the loopers are starting to "close the loop" more and more frequently.  Joe (Joseph Gordon Levitt) comes face to face with a version of his older self played by Bruce Willis, but Old Joe runs and soon the gang is after both these men.

Rian Johnson is the master behind this film.  Johnson whose previous work includes the well written thriller Brick, and the dark comedy The Brother Bloom.  Johnson's tight screenplay is the biggest accomplishment of this film; he knows how to not only close the loop himself, but fully realize the intricate details of his film.  In this film Johnson explores the multiple aspects of the sci-fi genre, and the realistic darkness to a futuristic society.  Johnson points out that society has mutated even, some individuals have Telekinesis, or TK as it is referred to in this film.  As TK seems like a secondary focus within the film, Johnson never lets his script escape his grasp; he connects the dots well pulling together all of the dots, as though they were a precise plotting of a much larger story.

Societal devastation and exploitation are themes that run throughout this film.  The loopers are criminal elites like Joe who were found by the gang leader from the future.  These loopers pay their debt, and get paid to rid the world of those who challenge the mafia's power within this future world.  The background sets American society within a barren wasteland in 2044, and even though we do not see the world thirty years later (except for in some brief flash forwards) it gets even worse.  Powers that be like the Rainmaker control society in the future and take advantage of the sprawling bombed out urban society.

Johnson's script and direction are key players in bringing this world to life.  Bob Ducsay's editing brilliantly blends the complicated elements of the story.  There are moments when you feel that the complicated nature of the story could hold the film back, but Docsay's editing helps strengthen the power of the story, with quick cuts that blend the stories of young and old Joe.

Gordon Levitt and Willis have had a banner year.  Gordon Levitt appeared in The Dark Knight Rises, Premium Rush, and will have a supporting role in Lincoln.  Willis has seen a career boost, his supporting role in Moonrise Kingdom showed his great comedic acting chops, while his role in this film, and Expendables 2 proved this guy is still a bad ass.  What sets this film apart along with the writing is the great on screen connection/chemistry between these two men.  There scene in the diner is proof that they needed no make-up to create a connection.  Blunt is also solid as Sara, a woman who connects these men on their own unique journeys.

Looper is a film that sounds complicated, but uses the simple undertones and great writing to create a world torn apart.  How do you repair things?  Can society evolve beyond what we set it up to be?  The film looks at the deeper meaning to issues within society.  This is not a silly sci-fi genre flick, but analyzes societal milieus, and how we pay a role in constant cyclical aspects.

Moonrise Kingdom Reigns Over the Typical Blockbusters of the Summer with Wit and Charm

Moonrise Kingdom (4 out of 5 Stars)

Directed by Wes Anderson (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums)

Written by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola (The Darjeeling Limited)

Starring: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, and Edward Norton

Throughout the years Wes Anderson has constructed a variety of quirky films for his repertoire that have told many different tales.  From his initial film Bottle Rocket, which started out as a short film to his animated feature film Fantastic Mr. Fox Anderson has weaved magic in the world of film.  There have been some great crowning jewels in his crown like Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Fantastic Mr. Fox.  There have also been a few that missed their mark, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited.  With Kingdom Anderson reigns over the typical blockbuster films of the season and focuses on young love, the concept of family, and throw in some quirk you have one of the funniest, beautiful films of the year.

Moonrise Kingdom centers around  the young love between two children Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) and Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward).  Sam is a little off kilter; he does not fit in with the other khaki scouts.  Sam was orphaned as a young child, and he feels as though he has nothing to lose in his adventurous life.  Meanwhile Suzy comes from a family intact although not happy.  Suzy may be even more disturbed even though her parents Laura Bishop (Frances McDormand) and Walt Bishop (Bill Murray) treat her and her brothers with love and care.  While with his khaki scouts Sam flees to find Suzy whom he met a year earlier.  Soon after Scout Master Ward (Edward Norton) and Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis) work to track down the children, while the children embark on their own adventure.

Within the last few years Anderson has created worlds that stretch the imagination, and make the audience part of this surreal place.  In this film Anderson takes us to an island in 1965, where they two children, their families, and the other characters seem to be part of world that does not even exist, as if this were a fantasy.  Anderson along with fellow screenwriter Roman Coppola never take things to a level that feels phony or Burtonesque.  Anderson's directions helps ground this fantastically witty dialogue that helps keeps this film weather the storm of becoming more than he can handle.

One of the bravest things he does is use two younger stars who have never been in a major film to carry the entire story.  Gilman and Hayward are two of the most talented young people I have seen on screen in years.  They are raw, and vulnerable.  I was lost in their performances and felt as though I wanted to watch them on screen forever.  I do not know if you can say that two twelve years olds can have chemistry, but this film uses the concept of young love so well that it's impossible to deny.  Anderson seems to have poured his heart and soul into this film declaring that children can act nonsensical, so can adults.  Wes Anderson's parents divorced while he was at a young age and you can't help but wonder if some of his own emotional weight is set in these two young performers, and the struggle they go through with being different, and finding one another.

With that said Anderson does an incredible job making the children the center focus of the story while creating interesting and complex supporting characters out of the major stars.  Murray and McDormand are great are Suzy's parents, and they add their brilliant comic flare.  Norton rarely gets to flex his comedic chops, which is a shame because he is a talented actor who can do it all, and I love watching him take his role as Troop Leader 55 so seriously.  I was struck most by Bruce Willis; he hit this role out of the park, and has done some of the best acting I have ever seen him do, his raw emotion mixed with great wit is terrific in this film.  Then there were the great small roles for the flawless Tilda Swinton, the straight man Harvey Keitel, and the incredible Jason Schwartzman who always shines in his films.

The movie is a breath of fresh air in a Summer filled with films that have tried too hard.  In all context Moonrise Kingdom is a great film, which made me, smile, laugh, and nostalgic for the simplistic nature of older films that know how to be genuine.  This film used cinematography and editing the capture the nature of classical film structure, not as a gimmick, but to fit within the context of the film.  Today films as stuck on gimmicks, but Anderson knows better, and that's what makes this film stand above the rest.