SAG

• Ceremony: Sunday, January 29th, 2012

Golden Globes

• Ceremony: Sunday, January 15th, 2012

Academy Awards

• Announcement: Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

• Ceremony: Sunday, February 26th, 2012

P.S. Additionally, I will update as soon as I am able to see a sizable number of the films, which will hopefully be very soon. It’s been too long since last I sat alone in a darkened room watching an inordinate number of movies.

And, without further adieu, here are my predictions (what I think will win) and my selections (what I think should win). As a caveat: I did not see all the films in FOREIGN LANGUAGE, DOC FEATURE, or DOC SHORT. I saw all the others.

My predictions are in BLUE, and my selections are in RED.

Click to enlarge.

Kavi (US, India)

This film is about an eponymous boy (named…Kavi) who lives in India, working as the modern day equivalent of a slave with his parents. He longs to play cricket and go to school, but his life’s circumstances, and those of his parents, have essentially proscribed it. His desire for freedom begins to effect his productivity, and his draconian boss takes notice. Kavi must choose between his wretched past, the life that he knows and has grown into, and the unknown, a future of which may or may not include cricket, school, or even his parents. The cinematography is much better than the acting, or the writing for that matter – both of which are adequate, but nothing to write home about.

The New Tenants (US, Denmark)

When a couple moves into a new apartment building, they get far more than they bargained for, including, but not limited to, a quirky old woman, a disgruntled husband, a series of shootings, death threats, and hidden heroin. The directing is clear, intentional, and enhances the comically tragic atmosphere that these two have unwittingly entered. The acting is pretty good, though it leaves something to be desired at times. The characters are fleshed out well, as we both laugh and empathize with this bewildered couple in a frightening – and hilarious – environment.

The Door (Ireland)

A man appears to be on the run in a barren landscape. We know nothing about him. The authorities certainly seem to be after him, or after a certain group of people, of which he is one. Without revealing too much of the plot, suffice it to say that he is on the run, people are after him, and his mission concerns his family. A deep, emotional, haunting film about one’s man relationship with his family, and the lengths he will go for them. Obscured by an intentional ambiguity, the film tells a story we recognize without truly knowing much about – at least at first glance. Great cinematography, combined with a compelling story and several honest performances, makes this one the best of the lot.

Miracle Fish (Australia)

It’s a day much like any other, and a young boy is going to school. Except that it isn’t a day exactly like any other – it’s his birthday, and it just might save his life. His parents packed him a special lunch, including a “toy” of sorts called the Miracle Fish. Lying flat on one’s palm, the fish is a kind of mood ring, with a little more potency. He takes a nap in the infirmary, and, upon waking, discovers the school to be quite unlike the one in which he fell asleep. Disturbing and unnerving, the film follows the boy’s short journey through the day, with very good direction and a handful of good performances.

Instead of Abracadabra (Sweden)

An awkward guy in his twenties (the kind you’d expect to see at a larping tournament) still living at home with his parents wants to pursue his passion: magic. His major flaw: he can’t help but mess up his most dangerous tricks. After an enormous misstep puts his Mom in the hospital, he meets his neighbor, a very attractive Girl Next Door. After arranging to perform for her at a children’s birthday party, he bites off more than he may be able to chew when he invites her to his father’s sixtieth birthday, where will he perform for what may be the last time. Very funny at times, this quirky comedy leaves us guessing in all the right places. It feels fairly “Indie” throughout, with a somewhat bizarre premise and lovable, idiosyncratic characters, whose messed up lives are the source of unending mockery.

A man sits down for his morning cup of coffee at a diner in France.  A beggar enters holding up a change cup and coughing up his lungs, then leaves.  The man realizes he doesn’t have his wallet.  A series of events, some related, some fortuitous (or not), lead our coffee drinking gentlemen to a very nerve-racking (and thirst quenching) day.  The animation of textures is far superior to that of the humans in this one, though I imagine it was intentional.  The theme: what goes around comes around…unless it doesn’t.

Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty

As a young girl tries to fall sleep, her grandmother enters the room (it seems not for the first time) to tell a bedtime story.  However, she tells it her own way.  That is, with a very obvious personal spin.  To be candid: she hates young, beautiful people, especially girls.  She makes this obvious through her very distinct telling of Sleeping Beauty, replete with well-endowed fairies and an old, cantankerous granny-fairy with powers to ruin all of their lives.  In fact, it has almost nothing to do with Sleeping Beauty at all.  Amusing and enjoyable, and it ends on a very appropriate note.

The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)

An old widowed woman misses her deceased husband.  She lays down to bed one night and passes away.  Her soul rises from her body to greet the Grim Reaper, to take her to the Other Side, to be reunited with her husband.  The doctors who try to save her have something else in mind.  A tug of war begins (literally at one point) between the doctors and the Reaper, and a tortuous (though hilarious) journey unfolds, in which the old woman flat-lines and is resuscitated repeatedly, nearing the doors to the river Styx, only to be pulled back again and again and again….  A humorous look at the elderly longing for the comforts of passing on and, at times, their inability to do so.  Slap-stick humor, an odd poignancy, and an unforgettable Cerberus.

Logorama

The entirety of the film is literally littered with logos; hence, the title, Logorama.  Everything is a logo: the people are yellow AOL men or M&M’s or BIC pens, and the Michelin men police are after Ronald McDonald, an arms and drug dealer.  A drink falls to the ground and splatters into the Nickelodeon logo.  Everything (EVERYTHING) is a logo.  The point is clear (could not be much clearer): capitalism has taken over our country.  Near the end, oil erupts from an XBOX shaped earthquake to drive home the point a bit more: capitalism has not only taken over, but it has controlled the government, which has driven oil prices into the sky, which is the cause of all the problems in Americana.  Excuse me, I mean America.  Witty, amusing, political, entertaining.  If nothing else, it’s a very interesting thought experiment.

A Matter of Loaf and Death

Wallace and Gromit are back.  This time, making bread turns deadly, as a baker murderer is on the loose, killing them all off, one by one.  Wallace falls in love and gets himself into a new bind every few seconds.  Gromit must save the day over and over again, and his inability to speak is the cause of much frustration and hilarity. However, Wallace’s idiocy can be a bit tiring.  For Gromit and for the audience.  Classic stop-motion animation, a wacky plot, and good old fashioned convention save the day.  The longest of the five nominations, it continues to deliver throughout.  Though a bit zany, still very enjoyable on the whole and worth the half-hour.  If you have a half-hour to spare.

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Actress: Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)
Best Actor: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Best Musical or Comedy: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Best Animated: Wall-E
Best Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Best TV Series: Mad Men (AMC)