The Kids Are All Right

There were a lot of good films this past year, and this was one of them. However, because there were so many really good films, I feel that this one will be forgotten by the next year, similar to some other films in its niche like “Lovely and Amazing,” “Junebug,” or “Savages.” These are all really good films with great performances. I might even go as far as to say they positively influence future filmmakers, a little. But they're not really profound or unforgettable. They're not the kind of films that someone would actually call their favorite. This story, like others in its category, found humor in everyday drama and tried to normalize the unconventional lifestyle, which is tiresome.

Now let me talk about what I loved about the film: Annette Bening and Julianne Moore. These women are beautiful, smart, and spirited, and they melded together perfectly. Their performance matched with the direction of the film made it seem these two women had known each other and loved each other for years. When Annette Bening's character, Nic, makes a discovery about her wife, every little emotion, expressed privately, is read with a look in her eye. Her pain has placed her inside a lonely bubble. Her ears have filled with silence and she's removed from her setting regardless of who surrounds her. This great little cinematic moment is thanks to great direction and great acting. And there are a few other moments like this one that made me appreciate the film and believe it is Oscar nomination worthy. Unfortunately, I think its competition is a little too tough this year to win best film. Not that this is what matters in the making of good movies, but I did title this little piece “Countdown to Oscars,” and so... there you have it!

Black Swan

Natalie Portman takes method acting to a whole new level in 2010's last minute Oscar push, "Black Swan". She's quite the actor, I must say. The role is brilliantly calculated, technical, psychological, primal and passionate, and Natalie unfolds and plucks out its layers one feather at a time. This is guaranteed to be one psychological thriller you have not seen before. And I wouldn't be surprised if horror fans welcome it into their favorite genre because what could be scarier than digging deep into your soul and pulling out something so strange and dark you're not sure who you are anymore?

Natalie Portman plays Nina, a ballerina who has dedicated her life to being just that, and finally wins the lead in an original interpretation of “Swan Lake.” Nina preforms the part of the white swan perfectly. However, as her teacher and another ballerina, Lily, help her get in touch with her darker side in order to preform the part of the black swan, Nina is torn apart. From the first scene when she seems to misinterpret her own reflection in the subway window, to a later scene when Lily doesn't seem to have the same memory of their night together, we are feeling pretty disturbed inside Nina's twisted sense of reality. With no help from her overbearing mother, played by Barbara Hershey, we see how perhaps trying too hard to play a role perfectly has some serious repercussions. It makes me wonder what Natalie went through to play this character... and this role within a role.

“Black Swan” was hands down my favorite film of 2010. I will never forget how I felt at the end of the last scene. I think some viewers might have a hard time with the film only because some viewers want something that makes them feel good rather than something that makes them feel nervous or icky. Its not a far cry from one of Darren Aronofsky's earlier films, “Requiem for a Dream.” If you'll remember, some of the scenes were so brilliantly shot, you actually felt you were in the moment. Its the reason we're so passionate about film, being able to experience things we normally wouldn't or couldn't. However, I loved this movie so much more, and I hope everyone will see it. I recommend seeing it with someone you love: you can discuss its meaning and the powerful performance by Natalie Portman over a cup of Jo as I did, and then you can give each other a hug so you wont have depressing dreams at night.

True Grit

The Cohen Brothers remake the classic John Wayne western with True Grit, about a young girl who hires a drunk U.S. Marshall to hunt down her father's killer. All of the ingredients for another hit Cohen Brothers movie are here. The typical humor and superior dialogue, the shocking blood shed, the emotional climax, and the unforgettable characters, including our lead anti-hero Rooster, remarkably reprised by Jeff Bridges, and the spitfire fourteen year old Mattie Ross, played courageously and smartly by Hailee Steinfeld. I hear this version was closer to the book than the one with John Wayne, but the two movies were so similar. I almost thought they'd used the same script, until three quarters of the way through. I was only slightly disappointed in the ending, when Mattie doesn't quite accomplish her goal in the way she had hoped, and Rooster unintentionally lets her down once more. However, we are left with clearer picture of Mattie's soul and the realization that she is the one with “True Grit” for whom this film was titled.

This film is definitely deserving of an Oscar nomination. Even with films like “The Kids Are All Right,” “Black Swan,” and “The King's Speech,” this film is a tough contender, and Jeff Bridges may have the opportunity to take home a statue two years in a row after winning just last year for “Crazy Heart.” Was it in his sights all along? For those of you who do not know, John Wayne was nominated and won the Oscar for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn in 1969.

Never Let Me Go

The world in which Never Let Me Go is set is darkly fantastic. I want be clear that when speaking of the setting, I am not referring to the physical location, background or props. It probably takes place in England, but that's not important. I'm speaking of the social state of the world created by the novel's author, Kazuo Ishiguro. The story spans from the late 1970s to nearly present day. However, in this alternate world, children grow up to be “donors,” clones who live for the sole purpose of giving their organs to everyone else in the world. There are three stages to this film, each signified by the age and condition of the characters, Kathy, Tommy and Ruth. The story is narrated by the lead character, Kathy, played wonderfully by Carey Mulligan. She is tortured by her love for Tommy who is in a relationship with her loyal yet self serving friend, Ruth, played by Kiera Knightley. At a young age, the three learn of their impending early departure from life, as they are all donors. Their knowledge of this effects how their relationships develop with each other. The last film adaptation of a novel written by Kazuo Ishiguro was that of Remains of the Day. It, too, was about how second class citizens live in their world and how they shelter their emotions from those they love to keep the stability of that world. Remains of the Day was directed by the accomplished James Ivory (A Room With a View, The White Countess), while Never Let Me Go was directed by Mark Romanek whose only film director credit I know of, albeit a good one, is One Hour Photo. I didn't feel the same emotional pull in this film as I did in Remains of the Day, but I certainly felt a little tug. I think Never Let Me Go was adapted quite well and I definitely took a little part of it with me as I left the theater. The composition of the film reminds me of haiku poetry. It says so much with so few words or action and you might need to take a moment when its over to meditate on its purpose. Its simple theme of opposites, perfect yin and yang, remove the necessity for too much eventful detail or dialogue. This story is about balance. Along with the main character, Kathy, we learn that there cannot be virtue with out vice, life without death, or love without suffering. To feel both hope and despair is what it is to be human. Never Let Me Go received some mixed reviews since its release this past weekend. It seems critics either love or hate this film. I think the film was excellent, but probably required a certain amount of patience to appreciate it.