An animated Best Picture nominee? Why the "Wall-E" not?

I'm always hopeful when I hear a major group of critics sharing the kudos love with animated movies, even if in this case it comes a year too late.

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association, usually a contrarian bunch, has just named "Wall-E" as its pick for Best Picture, with "The Dark Knight" as its runner-up. I think they'll end getting one out of two right in the end, with "The Dark Knight" snagging the final Oscar slot (If I had to pick it today, with the caveat that this is mostly a list of movies I haven't seen, I'd say the final five will be "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Milk", "Revolutionary Road", "Slumdog Millionaire" and "The Dark Knight.") And if that is the final list, count me among the "Slumdog" supporters.

"Wall-E," however, certainly has enough charms to merit it at least being in the conversation, so thanks to the L.A. crew for that. The first 45 minutes or so of "Wall-E" are just the most enchanting kind of romance, and even if it does become more and more conventional as the story goes on, it's still often a very magical movie.

But like I said, the only problem I have with any of this is that it comes a year too late. Where were the critics when it came to hailing "Ratatouille," the best animated movie I've seen in many, many years, and my pick for the best movie of 2007?

My final five, if I remember this right, were in fact "The Savages", "Into the Wild", "Once", "Zodiac" and "Ratatouille." Of those five, I think "Into the Wild" stands the test of time the best, since I just watched it again the other day and loved it even more.

Though I have a slew of prestige pics to catch up on when I get the chance to hit NYC for the end of the year, I have to say that so far it looks like this year just doesn't measure up as well. So, in that void, why not a win for "Wall-E"?

The Rehoboth Film Festival and "the best horror movie of the year"?

The biggest news out there today that isn't all about me is that AMC has just signed on for a third season of "Mad Men," but show creator Matthew Weiner isn't yet quite on board.

Given the run the show is on now deep in season two, I just assumed it was signed up for Weiner's planned five-year run, but I guess that shows you just how little I know about business.

As for the show itself which, if I'm not mistaken, only has two episodes left in this season, last Sunday's installment may have been the best yet. Don's first-season party with the hippies was a hoot, but his adventures in La-La land were just crazy on a whole new level (and my co-worker Karen Ludwig asked a question I have to admit had never really crossed my mind - will he come back to New York?) I have to assume so, but I can't wait for the return of "Dick Wickman" if he shows this week.

But the bad news, of course, is that even though the two sides have apparently exchanged contract offers, Weiner is not yet signed up for the further saga of the men and women of Sterling Cooper. If he were to walk, the show is clearly in good hands by now (including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" vet Marti Noxon and "Gilmore Girls" vet Lesli Linka Glatter, among others), but it would still be a real shame. Stay tuned.

In even better news, though I haven't seen a Broadway show in years, the Great White Way is about to get a serious injection of class.

It seems that "Once," the soundtrack for which still sits on my desk at work and will surely be listened to later today, has been optioned by John N. Hart Jr., Jeffrey Sine and Frederick Zollo to turn the musical into, well, a musical. Luckily, the trio have said they expect stars/composers Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova to be involved in the project (as stars? I'd easily pay $100 for that!) Writer/director John Carney may get in on the game too.

Best of all, it will include not only songs from the sensational movie, but also some more Hansard/Irglova tunes that didn't make the cut. In my mind, I'm definitely already there instead of heading to a 10-hour day for my fifth day of work this week!

Rehoboth Film Festival

It's really hard to complain too much, though, because the day after Barack Obama wins the election I'm headed to Rehoboth Beach, Del., for the 11th (amazing!) annual Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival. My brother and I had once fantasized about hitting Toronto - me for the movies and him for the soccer - but I think Rehoboth is about as glamorous as it's gonna get for me, and that's just fine.

This year's festival takes place from Wednesday, Nov. 5 to Sunday, Nov. 9, and features a host of great almost-first-run movies. Here's the schedule of what I'll hopefully be watching (assuming we can get tickets for them all), and if you live anywhere near Rehoboth (or are just curious), you can finally view the schedule in a pdf program here.

Thursday:

"Mirageman": All I really know about this one is that it's about some kind of Chilean superhero, and that's enough to get me intrigued.

"Let the Right One In": This is the "horror" movie I referred to in the title of this post, and though I'm way too old for most horror flicks, this looks right up my alley. It's apparently a Mexican movie about a young man who befriends his next-door neighbor, who just happens to be a vampire. Cool, and the trailer, courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes, is below.



"Trouble the Water": I'd have to imagine this doco will be the festival's hottest ticket, so hopefully I can get in. Given the human scale of the tragedy, I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching documentaries about Hurricane Katrina, and this one about a husband and wife who get trapped in their house looks like a real winner.

Friday:

"The Pope's Toilet": Despite the rather colorful title of this one, I'm fairly certain it won't have any images of Benedict himself doing his private business. Instead, it's a drama about the madness that surrounds a papal visit to Uruguay.

"In a Dream": I never would have guessed, but apparently Philadelphia is just a mecca for outside (and outsider) art. This particular doco looks at the work of mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar, and should just be a visual feast.

"Wendy and Lucy": I had never heard of this one, but I really like Michelle Williams, so I'm definitely in. As the titular Wendy, she shows up in Oregon with her dog Lucy to look for work. I like movies about the fringes of American life, and this one should be intriguing.

Saturday:

"Mister Foe": Young Billy Elliott (Jamie Bell) is a little more grown up now and suffering a rather serious oedipal complex. After becoming infatuated with a woman who looks like his mother, he runs off to Glasgow, and surely a lot of nifty indie rock and hopefully good filmmaking will follow.

"The Grocer's Son": My parents recommended this one, which for me makes it a must-see. It's a French flick about a city man who returns to southern France to help in his father's grocery store after the elder man suffers a stroke. Doesn't sound like exactly my cup of tea, but I love being proven wrong.

"Love Comes Lately": It looks I'm not terribly likely to get the job I applied for on a lark to be the "Film Festival Coordinator" for the DC Jewish Community Center, but I won't hold that against Isaac Bashevis Singer. This flick based on a collection of the great writer's short stories is about love, faith and - inevitably - cheating in New York City.

Sunday:

"Under the Bombs": Shot in 10 days as bombs were actually raining down on Lebanon in 2006, this drama uses non-actors to look for some answers in all that madness. Good look with that, but I'll give it a chance anyway.

"Man on a Wire": I'll hopefully close the fest with this doco about Philippe Petit's bold and crazy attempt to walk between the Twin Towers on a wire in 1974. The flick is apparently also about all the loony people who conspired with him to make this all happen, which should make for the most interesting part.

So, there you have it. Please feel free to browse through the rather impressive program and make any recommendations of flicks you may have seen but I have omitted from this list (which is not yet set in stone.)

And I'll leave with you the first 10 minutes of "Sex Drive," which I'll probably go see Sunday for a healthy dose of juvenalia after Oliver Stone's "W." on Saturday. I haven't watched it all yet, but I'm sure you'll want to wear headphones if you're watching this at work. Peace out.

Jane Austen's got the cure for your TV blues

I have to confess it's been years since I've tuned in regularly for PBS' Masterpiece Theater, but given the ongoing writers' strike and the show's revamped formula, I think I'll definitely be returning starting this Sunday.

What's new? Well, first of all, the programs will be hosted by "X-Files" and Masterpiece Theater ("Bleak House") alum Gillian Anderson, which I have to say is at least a slight improvement from previous host Russell Baker (and a definite improvement from the past few years, which, if I'm not mistaken, had no host at all.)

Secondly, for the first series of shows beginning Sunday, it will be all about Jane Austen, which is just fine by me. It's a bit hard to tell, but I believe the order goes like this: Emma, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion (still my favorite Austen work), Pride and Prejudice and finally Sense and Sensibility. These aren't the Hollywood versions, but instead four new adaptations and two previously aired works (the only one I've seen is Pride and Prejudice, and though I know the ladies are rather devoted to Mr. Firth's Mr. Darcy, I just prefer Joe Wright's movie version instead.)

Check your local listings, of course, but in Georgia at least it airs at 9 p.m. Sundays (finally, a workout for my DVR, since I'll be watching "The Wire" whilst taping both that and Masterpiece.) Tune in for a definite alternative to the reality TV onslaught that's already started and will soon turn into a deluge.

Download Fox Searchlight scripts

I usually spend my brief lunch half-hour-or-so reading Chris Cillizza's fantastic The Fix political blog, but today I just might have another option.

Fox Searchlight has put the scripts for six (which may be all) of its 2007 releases up for download here, and it shows just how strong a year the studio had. Available for your perusal are the scripts for three movies that made my top 10 ("The Savages," "Once" and "Waitress"), two that just missed the cut ("Juno" and Mira Nair's charming "The Namesake"), and one I'd have to unfortunately call a failure, Wes Anderson's "Darjeeling Limited."

Speaking of "Juno," a quick visit to Variety, which somehow tracks daily box-office numbers, shows that Jason Reitman's little flick was actually at No. 1 for Tuesday, taking in $1,445,349 to National Treasure's $1,314,178. It has netted more than $54 million so far, and should approach the magical $100M with a few more weeks of wide release. Congrats! I think I'll be devouring Diablo Cody's script along with my soup this midday.

And kudos to Amy Ryan too

It was great to see Amy Ryan return on "The Wire" Sunday, even if it looks like her man McNulty may implode any day now.

If you haven't seen her performance in "Gone Baby Gone," do so as soon as you can. You can believe all the hype: If there is indeed an Oscars ceremony this year, there's no way in the world she shouldn't be taking home a Best Supporting Actress Oscar (unless it's main instead of supporting - I have trouble telling how they judge these things.)

And now she's joining the cast of Paul Greengrass' Iraq war thriller, which begins shooting today in Spain and is inspired by Rajiv Chandrasekaran's book "Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone".

Greengrass and Brian Helgeland turned that nonfiction work into a fictional thriller set in the "Green Zone," a walled and fortified area where U.S. troops stay during the Iraq occupation. Matt Damon plays an officer who teams with a senior CIA officer to search for evidence of weapons of mass destruction, Ryan will play a New York Times foreign correspondent sent to Iraq to investigate the U.S. government's WMD claims, and Greg Kinnear plays another CIA officer.

It seems like stars of "The Wire" are popping up everywhere on the big screen, which I don't see how I'll ever consider to be anything but a great development.

"Sweet Land" in Macon this Sunday

Given the mostly pathetic wide-release lineup this week (with Juan Antonio Bayona's "The Orphanage" a clear exception - go see that one if you like stylish and smart horror), the Macon Film Guild has a definitely welcome other option on the slate this weekend.

Director Ali Selim's "Sweet Land," based on a Will Weaver short story, tells the tale of a German mail-order bride who travels to Minnesota to marry a Norwegian man during World War I. Her nationality, naturally, is an issue for the assembled locals, but I'm sure everyone eventually learns to get along. Sounds a little sappy for my tastes, but both of my parents soundly endorse this one, and that's good enough for me.

It's showing this Sunday at 2, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Douglass Theatre in downtown Macon, and if you turn out for the 2 p.m. show I'll definitely see you there. Peace out.

My favorite movies of 2007

As I thought about this list over the weekend (and yes, I am enough of a geek that I put a lot of thought into it), I found several movies that I really adored in 2007 had sunk enough to just miss the cut, most noticeably "American Gangster" and, yes, "Juno."

Now, that doesn't mean I love them any less, just that they've lost a little sheen with the passage of time and that stronger movies that came after them simply took their spots. There's still room here for one truly juvenile (but smart) teen comedy and, surprisingly, one movie about a lost soul that I admit I just didn't get until it had had a while to sink in.

So now, without any further qualification, here are my 10 favorite movies of 2007, in only alphabetical order (but if you have to know, my single favorite movie of last year remains "Ratatouille," with "No Country for Old Men" a close second.)

"Breach"
I went into this one expecting some high Washington intrigue but instead got a very intensely claustrophobic and psychological cat-and-mouse game between Chris Cooper as turncoat spy Robert Hanssen and Ryan Philippe as the agent who pursued him (with just enough Laura Linney thrown in for good measure.) It's a real shame that Billy Ray has only directed two movies, with no more on the horizon, because with this and "Shattered Glass," about the wayward journalist Stephen Glass, he's crafted two nearly perfect flicks.

"Into the Wild"
I offer this as an apology to Sean Penn, because my distance from the character of Christopher McCandless made me unable to appreciate this film fully at first. I still find little to identify with in his tale of searching, but this movie is packed full of great performances from Emile Hirsch, Catherine Keener, Hal Holbrook and others, and it's a deeply effecting flick.

"No Country for Old Men"
I would never even come close to writing off the Coen brothers, but I have to admit their output between the great "O Brother Where Art Thou" and this gem had me a little worried. By making Cormac McCarthy's meditation on violence all their own and mixing it with the most uneasy kind of humor, they managed to craft a movie that really only could have come from the Coen brothers. As far as I can tell, "Burn After Reading" should be next on their busy schedule, and I just can't wait.

"Once"
As with "Breach," I was a little off-base going into this one. I was expecting a full-scale musical, but instead got a perfect moment in time with two non-actors, Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard (from "The Commitments"), delivering captivating performances. But there are, of course, a lot of songs, and they all just fit right into this story that's as much about the creative process as it is about the power of love (cheesy, I concede, but it really does work.)

"Persepolis"
It's possible, I guess, that this just snuck in here because I saw it on the last weekend of the year, but I don't really think that's the case (Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood," which I admit I'm still digesting, for example, didn't make it even though it was viewed then too.) Using mostly a stark black and white palate, graphic novelist Marjane Satrapi and co-director Vincent Paronnaud nonetheless fill the screen with memorable images in this spirited autobiographical tale of Satrapi's life growing up in Iran and Europe. Highly recommended, if you can find it.

"Ratatouille"
I rewatched this again a few weeks ago and loved it just as much as I did the first time. That sequence which starts with Remy and Auguste looking down on Gustave's and finishes with Remy's first scamper through the kitchen remains my favorite of the year, and the movie is just full of enough magical moments to take my 2007 crown.

"The Savages"
Another one from the last weekend of the year, but if you've seen Tamara Jenkins' tender and often very funny family tale starring Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman, I seriously doubt you'll argue it doesn't deserve this lofty spot. Watching the return of "The Wire" (thank God!) last night, it finally hit me that the nursing home attendant Jimmy was played by Gbenga Akinnagbe, who also plays hitman extraordinaire Chris on "The Wire," which judging from last night's season five premiere is definitely set to go out on top.

"Superbad"
Yes, that's right, "Superbad." After laughing through just about every minute of this one with my brother in Minneapolis this summer, I watched it again a few weeks ago and was struck by how much I enjoyed the B storyline about Bill Hader and screenwriter Seth Rogen as those two cops who just refuse to grow up. I probably identified with them much more than any healthy middle-aged person should!

"Waitress"
I was cheering for this one out of the gate simply because it was written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelly, who was murdered in 2006 for the simple offense of complaining about a neighbor's playing the radio too loud. Even without this depressing context, however, her romantic tale starring Keri Russell, Captain Mal and Andy Griffith was just the perfect counterweight to the summer blockbuster slate, and one that has lingered with me all year.

"Zodiac"
Although I misjudge these things all the time, I'm feeling a genuine surge for David Fincher's true-crime epic as a dark horse contender for a Best Picture nomination, and it's definitely got my support. There wasn't a better crime movie in 2007, or a better one about the power of obsession. I can't wait to see what Fincher does this year with "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," F. Scott Fitzgerald's tale of a man who is born at age 80 and ages in reverse through the 20th century.

And there you have it. I've included a honorable mention that features just about every movie I liked in 2007, so maybe you'll get some rental ideas of any movies you might have just missed. Peace out.

Honorable mention: Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls, Starter for 10, 300, The Namesake, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, The Lookout, Grindhouse, The Hoax, Hot Fuzz, 28 Weeks Later, Knocked Up, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Simpsons Movie, Rocket Science, Shoot Em Up, Eastern Promises, The Kingdom, Michael Clayton, Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?, Gone Baby Gone, American Gangster, Margot at the Wedding, The Mist, Charlie Wilson's War, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Juno, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, There Will Be Blood

John Carney's "Once" is a real charmer

Irish director John Carney's "Once," which was presented Sunday by the Macon Film Guild and hits DVD in about eight days, works just as well for what it is as for what is isn't.

Thankfully, it isn't either of the two things I had thought it might be going in, being neither a sappy romance nor a straightforward musical. I could probably fall in love with one or the other, but rarely can I stomach them in tandem.

Instead, Carney's movie presents a completely convincing snapshot of one week or so in the life of two people who connect on a very high level on the streets of Dublin, which play a huge part in the story.

And it works so well in equal part thanks to Carney himself and to his two actors, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, who are also musical collaborators who released the CD "The Swell Season" in 2006.

What Carney brings to the table is a simple style that just lets the story unfold at its own pace, with only natural lighting (and unfortunately, as I'll address later, problematic sound.) What he accomplished with just $160,000 (which he apparently gave to his actors) is not much at all short of remarkable. It contrasts favorably with the muddy look of Noah Baumbach's "Margot at the Wedding" (which I also enjoyed quite a bit, in spite of its lighting shenanigans.)

And it's clear from the outset that Hansard and Irglova are friends who have a real chemistry despite their obvious difference in age (which gives the movie much of its spark.) Hansard, leader of the Irish band The Frames (because, as "The Commitments" made clear, every band should be a "The"), handpicked the Czech Irglova to be his co-star. Their naturally awkward flirting gives you both hope for the two of them and at the same time the sense their relationship is doomed from the start.

You may remember Hansard as Outspan Foster in his only other movie role (I believe), the aforementioned "The Commitments," and the two flicks make an interesting contrast in styles. They both open (or nearly) with Hansard busking on the streets of Dublin, and they both in their own way tell the story of the formation of a band. But whereas "Commitments" was a ribald ride full of energy (and still one of my favorite films), Carney's low-key approach to Hansard and Irglova's recording project gives it an organic feel that's almost as enjoyable.

As for the songs themselves, they're far too earnest for me on paper. I listen to much sillier fare, a lot of Southern soul and more hip-hop than anyone of my age ever should. Hansard's tunes do, as the lone critic to put this down at Rotten Tomatoes (Chris Cabin) put it, often sound as if "James Blunt sat on a stage in front of an empty bar saying 'this one's for the lady in the back.' " I can say, however, that if you let yourself get taken away by this charming little tale, the songs' shortcomings start to matter less and less.

And my final quibble with this otherwise thoroughly satisfying movie: The sound is not particularly good at all, making it often hard to understand the Irish and Czech accents. Though I was certainly never tempted to do so, the older couple behind me actually walked out because they couldn't make out what was being said, a valid complaint. In fact, as I was going home I couldn't help having the rather depressing thought that this is exactly the kind of magical European movie that American producers like to throw a lot of movie at, then suck the life out of them for soulless remakes (please believe me, that's not what I'm suggesting that anyone do with this one!)

With it still fresh in my mind, John Carney's little movie is hovering just near my Top Five for the year, and may still make that cut when 2007 finally comes to a close. Sound issues aside, I encourage everyone to rent this when it hits video next week (and remember, if it is a problem, you can always turn on the subtitles!)

Two tidbits and a trailer

That went on already a little longer than I had planned, but I did want to share a couple more things, one good and one bad, plus a somewhat promising trailer.

Turn on the "Lights"
First the good. Despite the ongoing strike, it seems that network TV's best drama, NBC's "Friday Night Lights," has six or so more episodes already completed and ready to go when the show returns early next month. And, in even better news, the show's move to Friday nights seems to be paying off, with it winning its time slot among the coveted 18-34 crowd (of which I, of course, am no longer a part.) Huzzah to that!

Stop me if you've heard this one before
Never ones to back away from a blatant ripoff, the Wayans brothers (all three, including Keenan) are getting back in the "movie" movie game with an idea they clearly stole from the sublimely silly "Hot Fuzz" (which will be on my year's best list too.) Yes, having crapped all over horror movies for years now, they're now turning to a "spoof" of action movies. Though I probably don't have to, I still beg of you please, please, please don't go see whatever comes out of this madness.

"How to Lose Friends" trailer

And, judging from this trailer I found on YouTube, "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People" may well debunk my belief that it's impossible to shoot something with "Hot Fuzz" star Simon Pegg in it and have it turn out anything but hilarious. Here he just seems to be annoying, but watch the trailer and decide for yourself, and have an entirely bearable Monday. Peace out.