The MacGuffin

Well, what a weak year it has been. Not that there haven’t been movies and performances that I have liked, but nothing is easy to point to and say: “this is a great piece of cinema that deserve accolades and will be talked about years from now.” The Academy has done little to help here, with many random—and, in some cases, dismal—nomination choices. But still, they have to give these awards to someone. So, here are my guesses and personal choices for the Academy Awards.

With 2011 officially in the books, it’s time once again to look back and reflect on some of the best films that have come out in the past year. As with all movie writers, coming up with a list like this is usually expected, but also damn near impossible. To me, reading and writing these types of articles are only beneficial in spreading word about titles that really had an effect on me, while stirring up debate between those who strongly agree with my choices, or vehemently disagree. No one list is ever truly definitive; what is considered great to one may not register the same way to another. The only real truth is that 2011 had a wide range of very interesting and fascinating films, and just like every year, there’s always a good handful worth noting.

Director Alexander Payne likes to take serious situations, combined with great characters and humor, to get people involved in his stories and that trend continues in his newest film, The Descendents. The strong characters and dark humor abound in the film, though here there are times when it is too funny.

I think most Alexander Payne movies are good, but I have a hard time talking myself into liking them. In fact, the better they are, the less I enjoy them. I can see that Sideways is a good movie, but I find everyone in it repellant, and there is no emotional resonance for me. Election is the same way; it’s a really well made film, and I don’t care about the characters at all. I appreciate that Payne is a real director who makes films for adults who like to think about things, but appreciation and enjoyment are not the same thing. His new film, The Descendants, is pretty flawed, but I was able to connect to this film in a way that I never have with any of his others.

Brandi Sperry: Since joining the MacGuffin crew, there are a few movies that the lads have given me shit about not having seen before. One in particular seemed to illicit that certain “I’m just surprised you haven’t seen it, is all” reaction from movie-lovers that is similar to a parent’s “I’m not mad, just disappointed.” That was Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn (1996).

Ryan Gosling plays a rising star in Democratic Party politics in the new thriller The Ides of March. Gosling’s character Stephen Meyers has been around the block a few times. But while working on the campaign of Presidential hopeful Governor Mike Norris (engagingly played by George Clooney), he sidles his way into a potential political firestorm. At the beginning he is a true believer; he’s “drunk the Kool-aid” and actually believes in Governor Norris. But being courted by Paul Giamatti as the opposing candidate’s campaign manager leads him into a world of conflict of interest and scandal. The core of the story centers on Meyers’s eventual disillusionment about the process to which he’s dedicated himself.

Spencer and Greg look back at George Clooney’s career for The Ides of March, discuss Hugh Jackman for Real Steel and give their DVD picks of the week.

Trying to figure out the Best Picture Oscars is based on looking at many things, including: what actors are in it, what director is making the film, whether it’s the kind of film the Academy has responded to in the past, and just plain old guesswork. Also, I am not saying these will be the best movies of the year, just the ones that could strike the Academy’s taste. Keeping that in mind, here are a list of seven more movies that I think have potential to be Best Picture contenders.

King of Marvin Gardens

Around Christmas time last year, I picked up a copy of the Criterion Collection’s box set “America Lost and Found: The BBS Story.” It wasn’t until just a couple weeks ago that I finally sat down and watched King of Marvin Gardens, starring Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Ellen Burstyn, and Julia Anne Robinson. Directed by Bob Rafelson, who was coming off the critical success of Five Easy Pieces, King of Marvin Gardens takes a different look at the male psyche in modern America. The story centers around two brothers (Nicholson and Dern) and the nature of their relationship.

Cedar Rapids (2011) tells the story of a naïve insurance agent put into a situation that is way over his head. Directed by Miguel Arteta, whose previous work includes The Good Girl (2002) and Youth in Revolt (2009), the film is a quirky combination of the dirty and the sweet. There are a number of crude and raunchy scenes and jokes, but at the same time there is an odd sense of warmness, a kind-heartedness that runs throughout. Although I didn’t quite buy the reality of it, I did find myself laughing out loud at the rawness of its comedy, while being surprisingly engrossed by the honest relationships between its main characters.  Imagine eternal good guy James Stewart telling you the dirtiest joke you’ve ever heard, and you’d be getting somewhere close.