Academy Awards Week: Best Cinematography

One of my favorite parts of a film is the cinematography.  Many people do not know what cinematography is, or how it is one of the most essential parts to a film.  Cinematography is the creation of film images.  The cinematographer will of use a movie camera with film or digital imagery to capture what they want to show the audience.

The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) define cinematography as "a creative and interpretive process that culminates in the authorship of an original work of art rather than the simple recording of a physical event. Cinematography is not a subcategory of photography. Rather, photography is but one craft that the cinematographer uses in addition to other physical, organizational, managerial, interpretive and image-manipulating techniques to effect one coherent process."


At the advent of film history the cinematographer was the director, but as technology advanced these two roles became different.  The director was no longer the camera operator.  New technologies like color, and wide screen necessitated someone who was a specialist and their sole task was to capture the images and operate the camera.


As film has evolved from the silent era to present day the cinematographers continue to create visually beautiful images for the audiences to see.  During the silent era cinematographers had to work extra hard to make sure that without sound the visual created a cohesive element to the story.  As newer technologies present them self (or return) like 3D cinematographers have to work hard attain an image that captures the genuine emotional experience of the scene.


This year there were several films that did a fantastic job utilizing the brilliance of their cinematographer, here are my personal favorites.

1-The Tree of Life-Emmanual Lubezsi (director of photography)

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2-Drive-Newton Thomas Sigel (director of photography)

3-Hugo-Robert Richardson

4-Shame-Sean Bobbitt

5-Melancholia-Manuel Alberto Claro

6-The Artist-Guillame Schiffman

7-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2-Eduardo Serra

8-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo-Jeffrey Cronenwerth

9-Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy-Hoyte Van Hoytema

10-Take Shelter-Adam Stone

These are just merely the top ten on my list there are many other films like Moneyball, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and many more that could be included amongst this wonderful work.  The cinematographer is one of the hardest working film professionals today.  They have the responsibility to make the film's visual look and feel connect to the emotional aspects of the film.  No, they do not just have to make things look pretty, but in a sense they need to make things look as though each image tells a story.

So who made the cut for the Academy Awards:

The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life 
War Horse 

This is a tough category to predict.  The ASC Guild Award went the the best cinematography of the year, The Tree of Life, but will this line-up at the Academy Awards?  I hope so, but I am not confident.  I think any of these five films could win, but I am pretty sure with little to no passion behind it War Horse is out.  I was a little surprised it made the Best Picture category.  While Dragon Tattoo has some beautiful cinematography it does not have a Best Picture nomination, do the two go hand in hand, not always, but I think the film will go home empty handed.  This leave three films open to three different scenarios come Oscar night.

1) The Artist has a clean sweep.  I do not think it will have a clean sweep, especially since the Academy is catching some flack for rubber stamping this film.  While I do agree the cinematography is one of the best parts of this film because it captures the silence so well, I do not think this film will capture this trophy on Oscar night.

2) Hugo sweeps the technical categories.  Hugo has 11 nominations and a lot of across the board support in the technical categories.  This is a beautiful film, and I would not begrudge the win.  At the moment I am torn between this and The Tree of Life.


3) Justice-The Tree of Life wins because, well it's the best cinematography of the year.  Even those people who did not love, or did not get this film still state the cinematography was amazing.

Will and Should Win: The Tree of Life
Very Close Second: Hugo
Spoiler: The Artist

2011 Top Ten Films of the Year

I know this list is late, but here are my top ten films of 2011.  This took a lot of effort and energy, and I hope you agree and disagree, but I made this list to spark conversation.  I finally saw all the movies I needed to make this list.


1-The Tree of Life-Like, Love or even hate this film this is potentially the most admirable film of the year.  Director Terrence Malick made this a passion project for many many years, and the end result is a breathtaking  film experience that transcends all other films this year. Malick's direction is the best of the year he works hard to create a piece of work that has so many layers it will take me years upon years to study and understand the depth to his work.  While in my review I did call this self indulgent (and I still think it is for at least 10 minutes) it still takes film to a different level that films rarely achieve.  Emmanuel Lubezski did the cinematography for the film, and I was blown away.  Lubezski's cinematography is some of the best shot work I have ever seen!

The film is mostly a visual experience, but the performances of the main cast add to this visual strong work.  Hunter McCracken is the best younger performance of the year; he said more with his face than many actors say with hundred of lines. Prior to this year I have to say I admired Brad Pitt for his comedic acting like in Burn After Reading or the Ocean's films but never thought he had the chops to do drama.  This film (along with Moneyball) changed my mind.  Malick brought out the strongest Pitt  role to date as the father with a long suffering relationship with his wife and sons.  This role is so complex and layered that it impressed me.  In her first mention on this list, Jessica Chastain gives a quietly subtle performance as Pitt's wife, and she is incredible!

This film is a spiritual experience that chronicles a families journey through paralleled experiences with the beginning of time.  In true Malick style the film has very little dialogue, but it does not use this as a gimmick.  This is the better quiet film of the year.

2-Take Shelter-The most under rated film of 2011, is the second best film of the year.  This coarse film about a man who fears he is succumbing to his mental illness like his mother, or are the visions he is having a signal of the end of days?  Jeff Nichols direction and screenplay are phenomenal; he captures this dark terse emotional breakdown of Simon (Michael Shannon).  Shannon is an excellent actor, and his performance in this film takes this film to another level; his visions/dreams create a haunting painful experience that starts to tear him away from his family and friends.  Jessica Chastain plays his suffering wife Samantha, in her strongest role of the year (and least talked about); she takes her performance to a whole different level  Chastain is more than the wife dealing with her husbands potential psychosis; she is the epitome of a strong female character.  The script and acting get most of the credit for making this film great, but the cinematography in the scenes where Curtis is seeing his different visions like the flock of birds creates a bitter chill that creeps up your spine.

3-Drive-The second most under rated film (by award shows) is a beautifully shot, directed, acted, and scored film entitled Drive.  Drive is about a nameless character played by Ryan Gosling that is both a driver for stunts on films, and has aided in helping men in robberies.  The opening sequence of this film helps set the frame for brilliant direction from Nicholas Winding Refn and the palpable cinematography from Newton Thomas Sigel.  Refn's direction won him Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival, a prize he deserved.  Refn's work pieces together the strength of the screenplay along with Sigel's cinematography to create a strong well plotted, and deep action film.  My two favorite things about this film (besides the fact that it stars the incredibly versatile Ryan Gosling) are the score from Cliff Martinez and the dark supporting performance from Albert Brooks.  Martinez's score was ruled ineligible by the Academy to compete for the Oscars, but in my opinion this was the best score of the year.  Martinez seemed to listen to Brook's character Bernie Rose when he stated "I used to produce movies. In the 80s. Kind of like action films. Sexy stuff. One critic called them European. I thought they were shit."  The score and the credit sequence capture this embellished 80s style.  Brooks is the best supporting performance of the year; he is dark, yet comical and works with great ease. What a great film with a wonderful lead performance from Gosling that makes this film near perfection. 

4-Shame-A raw powerfully emotional film that delves into the dark abyss of sex addiction. Steve McQueen has crafted a film so intimate that lacks intimacy and focuses on the sheer act of sex.  The film's star Michael Fassbender is brilliant in this film, and often provides some of his best moments with his facial expressions.  In the scene with his co worker where he is attempting to have sex with her, and can't perform his face looks shocked, stunned, and as though he then realizes sex can not be an act of love.  The editing of this film is also brilliant and helps to showcase Fassbender's performance.  While on the train home from his night of varying sexual acts the editor pieces together the different sexual acts to suggest such an intense emotional experience.  Meanwhile Fassbender emotionally breaks down as though he knows he is spiraling toward a much darker place.  Carey Mulligan plays his sister who is a brilliant role that stands in juxtaposition to her brother.  Yet the only real difference is her naive portrayal of the younger sister.  The only difference as she points out is that he has a job.  My favorite scene that was shot for this film is Fassbender running through Manhattan at night, the scene is brilliantly shot and connects things to make this an excellent film.

5-Hugo-The best film I have ever seen in 3D.  I have never seen that actually uses 3D throughout the entire film that gets the purpose of 3D like this film.  Even Avatar director James Cameron stated this was the best 3D experience he has ever had.  3D aside this is a beautiful film experience that captures the essence of childhood innocence along with the birth of film and the famed director Georges Méliès.  The story is told from the point of view of Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) who lives in a clock tower and has a passion for adventure and innovation.  Butterfield's performance is quite brilliant and he does a wonderful job bringing this story to life.  The ensemble is comprised of Ben Kingsley, Chloe Grace Moretz, Sascha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer, Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour and a few more, and they come together to create one magical beautiful film experience.  This was a labor of love for director Martin Scorsese, whose passionate work in film has paved the way for him to create this beautifully shot, edited, and visually awe inspiring film.  Scorsese is a master in the director's chair and this change in direction of his films proves his brilliance in creating works of art.

6-A Separation- This is the only film on my list that is not in English.  A Separation is an Iranian film that takes the simple act of well, a marital separation and takes two families down a path neither wants to go down.  The film's pacing may seem slow to some but director and writer Asghar Farhadi uses his brilliant strokes in his screenplay and direction to create an intense build to an incredibly emotional final act.  Farhadi's work behind the scenes has created a story that is truly Iranian, but transcends cultural boundaries at the same moment.  The writing catapults the audience into a melodramatic world that never goes too far to become overwrought. Watching each family work through their emotional and financial difficulties is not only a test to the brilliants screenplay, but the tremendous acting.  Peymann Maadi plays the Nader who is going through the separation with his wife Simin played by Leila Hatami.  Maadi and Simin have such great chemistry as a couple whose best years together have withered away.  While the script shows there was once love, the acting by both parties conveys the emotional loss of their marriage which ultimately create extreme distress for their daughter.  The main premise of their separation seems to be surrounded by two things Nader struggle to want to stay with his father who has Alzheimer's disease, and Smin's desire to want to move to Europe where they can provide a better life for their daughter.  As Simin leave her family behind, Nader hires Razeih (Sarah Bayat) to take care of his father, and their lives are forever changed, all because of a separation.

7-Midnight in Paris-Charming, nostalgic, witty, and a beautiful tribute to the city of lights throughout the years. Woody Allen's first love may be New York City, but his mistress is Paris.  Midnight in Paris is one of the most likable of the films of the year.  The Woodman's script is so smart and captures the journey of a young writer as he tries to find his voice in the present day, only to find himself transported to 1920s Paris connecting with the roots of literature, art, and culture.  After Robert Altman Allen knows how to bring together an ensemble that pull things together so effortlessly.  With Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates, Corey Stoll, Adrien Brody, Allison Pill, and man others this is one impressive combination.  These actors may be the stars, but the real star is the beauty of Paris and the cinematography that captures just how inspiring this city is.

8-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2-Not only is this the blockbuster of the year, but this film is one of the most gratifying conclusions to a film series ever.  Fans often wait for their films to provide a satisfying conclusion and  director David Yates provided an amazing concluding chapter.  This film balanced the wit, and darkness of the entire series (more darkness).  The film is visually stunning, providing some amazing cinematography, that takes the viewer through a visual sumptuous masterpiece. The performances were also some of the best they have ever been with Radcliffe proving that not only has he grown up in front of our eyes but his acting skills improved vastly.  Yet there is one person we all loved, Severus Snape, played by Alan Rickman, what a performance!

9-Martha Marcy May Marlene-The most haunting/terrifying film of the year. Sean Durkin's first feature film is  brilliant and tells the tale of a young girl named Martha (Elizabeth Olsen) who finds her way into a cult.  Durkin's writing and direction keeps the audience on the edge of their seat; he builds up this incredibly tense situation that leaves the viewer emotionally wrought.  Durkin's use of the ingenue Elizabeth Olsen is another masterful feat.  Olsen is the breakthrough performer of the year.  As you watch Martha go from being part of the cult to being with her family and paralleled paranoia play out you can see every emotion in her face.  Olsen goes from becoming a forceful follower of the brilliant John Hawkes who plays Patrick the cult leader to a scared little girl seeking protection from her sister after she escapes.  The editing on this film helps intertwine the emotional experience, and makes this an amazing film.

10-Moneyball-I remember hearing many people say, another film about baseball it's going to be the same thing again, I remember thinking the same thoughts.  It's not.  Combine the skills of director Bennett Miller (Capote), writers Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian, and get Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill to work together in some of their best work, and you get one of the best films of the year.  The movie is not about baseball.  I repeat the movie is not about baseball, but if in the wrong hands this could have been handled wrong.  This film centers around Billy Beane (Pitt)  who was the general manager of the A's and the fact that at the end of great year he lost three great players to different teams because of money.  Beane meets Peter Brand (Hill) and together they come up with a system that would change the game forever!  This film is about teamwork, leadership, and imbibes this wonderfully great spirit about working towards a belief in changing a system that is broken.  The film is emotionally charged enough as it focuses on Beane as a father, but also in the sense that you grow to understand what baseball means to him and how it effected his outlook. With solid editing that pieces this work together, this film takes "sports" movies to a different level.

Shame is an Addicting Tale

Shame (4 out of 5 stars)
Directed by Steve McQueen
Written by Abi Morgan and Steve McQueen
Starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan



Shame received an honor few films get today, the film was rated NC-17.  Some will define this film by this rating.  In a way this makes sense, the films centers around an addiction to sex.  The film was rated NC-17 because of the amount of nudity and the representation of sex.  I think Shame could change the face of the NC-17 rating.  Most NC-17 films get the black ball, meanwhile Shame has a nice release progression.  I live in Boston and assumed that only the small independent theaters would house this film, and that the release would be staggered, not the case.  Shame is being played by a major theater company, the AMC Loews chain.  AMC has a branch called AMC independent which makes a commitment to bring independent films the mainstream public. Even with such graphic scenes I am proud of this major company for taking a risk on this film.

Shame opens on a crowded New York City subway and Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender) starts to smiling at an unknown woman on the subway.  The film builds up this potential sexual tension glancing back and forth between the two participants.  The shot focuses on the woman's wedding rings as she gets up to leave and the train, and Brandon getting up to follow her.  Sounds romantic.  This moment is not about romance, nor is any aspect of this film.  Shame focuses on the the dark world of sexual addiction and effect it has on every aspects of a persons life ranging from work to family.  Brandon's sister, Sissy (Carey Mulligan) comes to stay with him because she gets a job in New York, and this interrupts the flow of his daily sexual routine.

This film experience is primal.  McQueen's direction is precise and direct in its focus.  McQueen has moments where he loses grip on his own tale, but as the film drawers to a close it brings the story a realistic place.  Joe Walker's editing is spectacular, and constructs Brandon's sexual encounters spectacularly.  The circular motion of the opening sequence with Brandon's daily routine displays the focus of the film well.  Harry Escott composed the score for this film and the music builds an incredible climatic experience.  Escott leaves the audience feeling the raw emotional weight.

These three aspects would be nothing without Fassbender's performance.  Michael Fassbender has given four phenomenal performances this year, but this is his best.  Fassbender does a brilliant job using his facial expressions to convey both the bliss and agony of his sexual addiction.  Brandon has many moments that make him unlikeable, but as he interacts with a secretary at work (whom he seems to like) there is a moment where you get lost in the depth of this character.  This is one of my favorite performances of the year.  Mulligan is strong in the film as well playing Sissy who has never got her life together on the outside or inside; she is emotionally wrought.  While Brandon puts on a brave face to those around him, Sissy let's her personal baggage own her.  Mulligan's performance shows strength.  These two play off each other well and make each other give a better performance.

This film's realistic nature helps construct something very dark.  The film is a journey into the pain, agony, and pleasure of sexual addiction.  Shame take the concept of erotic intimacy and does what other films don't dare to do.  The film opens up wounds and strips the characters bare, and exposes all of their flaws.  Wonderful film.

December: Must See Movies and Movies to Skip

It's the holiday season!  Last week around Thanksgiving time there were a lot of movies released, some were a slam dunk (The Muppets), some were just alright (My Week with Marilyn) and some completely missed the mark (J. Edgar).  December is starting out slow, taking a break from new major releases, partly because there were five plus films released last week.

December 2nd-Shame-Not Just something we all feel around Thanksgiving for eating too much


Shame is part of a rare club, the NC-17 club.  Shame is only opening in limited release, mainly New York and LA this Friday.  The film stars Michael Fasbender (the actor of the year, from the films-X-Men: First Class, A Dangerous Method, and Jane Eyre) as a sex addict.  The real reason I want to see this film is because looks excellent.  My shallow reason is because I want to see Fassbender naked.

See it: Shame (if you live in NYC or LA) otherwise catch one of the Thanksgiving films you missed like Hugo or The Muppets.

(Shame Trailer)

December 9th-Go see the film with that has the better Gary attached!


One of the films I am most excited about this month is Tinkor Tailor Soldier Spy which stars Gary Oldman an espionage veteran forced out of retirement to find a soviet spy during the Cold War.  This is director Thomas Alfredson's follow up film to the Sweedish version of the film Let the Right One In, needless to say this should be awesome!

Gary Marshall is the other Gary who directed the film New Year's Eve; he has become inventive with his titles for films that center around holidays.  I will be dragged to see this (but Zac Effron makes up for it).

Young Adult has brought together the writer/director team that brought us Juno.  With Jason Reitman directing and Diablo Cody writing how can you go wrong.  Charlize Theron looks like she plays one badass sarcastic bitch in this film, and I love it!

The Sitter is Adventures in baby sitting, I am tired of Hollywood taking the premise of film and trying to trick people into thinking they have not made the movie before, it's been done!

We Need to Talk About Kevin is only opening for a week to qualify for the Oscars, but this film looks intense.  The film centers around a school shooting and the reaction of the perpetrators parents played by the under rated John C. Reilly and the brilliant Tilda Swinton.

See it: Everything but The Sitter, New Year's Eve will be bad but it will bring out the light holiday fun you will want for this time of year.

(Tinkor Tailor Soldier Spy Trailer)

December 16th-Sequels that look bad and a play that looks like the adaptation from Broadway will not work.


Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows does not look good, and was Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked was not needed, but the studios needed money.  Carnage is based on the plays Gods of Carnage.  The cast for Carnage is great, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz, Kate Winslet, and John C. Reilly, but the preview made me lose interest.

Skip it all!

(We Need to Talk About Kevin trailer)

December 23rd: Santa is bringing something for Everyone!


On December 21st Santa will bring on dark Christmas gift in the form of the film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I read the book, and I do not drool over it the way most people do, but David Fincher looks like he did an amazing job with this film.

Santa knows some people like action so he is bringing Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol or we were contractually obligated to have Tom Cruise star in this film.  JJ Abrams (producer( brought this series back to life with the third film.  Brad Bird is directing, and if you see this in IMAX you get to see something from The Dark Knight Rises...I may have to.

Santa knew he need to bring something animated and something for people who love horses, so he talked to Steven Spielberg (ironically) and we get two films from him.  The first is the animated film The Adventures of Tin Tin, which looks pretty good.  Spielberg is also adapting the Tony award winning play War Horse.  I think I would rather see the play because the style of the play with puppets seems like a cool concept, and I just don't feel anything strongly about this film from the preview, but I will force myself to see it.

Santa also knew we needed films that are Oscar bait, and he will be giving us that with the Stephen Daldry film Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.  Daldry has directed three films and received an Oscar nomination for each of them (in directing).  The film centers around 9/11 and stars two time Oscar winner Tom Hanks, and Oscar winner Sandra Bullock (I never thought I would write that).  The preview makes me tear up, thanks Santa!

Santa heard you wanted a puppy, but got you a whole zoo instead.  The Cameron Crowe film We Bought a Zoo which tells the story of a single father played by Matt Damon who moves away from his house with his kids and buys a house with a zoo.  This film continues the pattern of successful single dads movies like Moneyball, and The Descendants.  I love Crowe but this looks too sappy.

(The Adventures of Tin Tin Trailer)

Picks of the Month: Tinkor Tailor Soldier Spy, Shame, Young Adult, and We Need to Talk about Kevin