The numerous winners and nominees of this year’s Oscar have
already planted their flags in Hollywood
cinema, some contenders even have worldwide impact from their original works. A
number of these deserve mentions, and it is worthwhile to look into their works
and gain more insights on ‘how to do it great’.
Birdman – Best Motion Picture of the Year
Possibly one of the most visually ambitious films of the
year, Birdman takes it big this year, with Best Picture, Director, Original
Screenplay, and of course Best Cinematography. I have already devoted 2 blog
entries in the past weeks to delineate such a fascinating film (this may be
futile as the camera movement of the film is just turning round and
round). Iñárritu, director of Birdman,
is a first-rate director who wants to capture a sense of realism that will
resonate with the audience. That is why Birdman is shot in one continuous take,
to afford a fluidity that can more reflect the microcosm of one introvert’s
life. The main character is sort of a Ferris wheel, and the other characters
are the passengers. These characters step in and walk out of the protagonist’s
life experience, like theatre performers step in and out of the stage. One can
simply not happen without the other.
If you are interested in Iñárritu’s work, I would also
recommend ‘Amores Perros’ (2000), my introduction to this great director. Acclaimed
as the ‘Mexican Pulp Fiction’, it is a beautifully crafted story that will
inspire generations of cinestates.
Boyhood
Boyhood is a thoughtful film and a bit of a cliché. It is a
film that has been shot for, like, 12 years! (is the director’s surname
‘Link-Later’?) This obviously testifies
to the perseverance of the crew and their passion to share this to the world.
The winner for Supporting Actress, Patricia Arquette, is smashing here, but I
will already remember her as Alabama
in Tony Scott’s ‘True Romance’ (1993), for which the ‘talkie’ screenplay
written by Tarantino. This smoky stuff has a passionate adventure with the
Elvis Presley wannabe, and from her I learnt that word known as
‘monogamous’, which is more likely a
term you encounter in an Evolutionary Psychology textbook. If you are
interested in Richard Linklater’s work, I would also recommend ‘Dazed And
Confused’ (1993), a high school movie that is on Tarantino’s top 10, too.
Wes Anderson scored big this time, as The Grand Budapest
Hotel took home Best Makeup, Production Design, Costume Design, Original Score.
Wes Anderson has always been an interesting director. He has developed a highly
unique visual style, and the secret here is you always have to look beyond the
surface of his films (that is the funny part) and drill deeper into the hidden
meanings. To me, it seems to be the case because he has stated that he is
influenced by 2 film masters. The first is Luis Bunuel, whom Anderson is quoted to say that he has dreamt
of Bunuel every other day, a bit less often than Mike Nichols maybe. Bunuel’s
surreal masterpieces serve as appearances for which humanity’s unconscious
desires and secrets are hidden therein. The second one is Shohei Imamura (今村昌平), who also depicts the
contemporary Japanese society and at the same time evacuates the hidden
underbellies and the greasy ‘truths’ of his culture. For me, I vividly
remembered ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ (2001), which Gene Hackman starred as the
dodgy Granddad, and such as unusual blend of family members made the so-called
Magnificent Ambersons sound like Mary Poppins! Wes is a great guy and his work
contains spark of genius, for sure.
Nightcrawler
Another mention goes to ‘Nightcrawler’ by Dan Gilroy, for
which Jake Gyllenhaal stars as the hungry underdog who is also a free-lance
journalist. Obviously this is a nice exercise in gritty realism, which I can
think of another of my recent favorite, Ryan Gosling’s ‘Drive’ (2011), who is
sort of a free-lance drive-away. Jake Gyllenhaal is cool, man, I am a big fan
of him. You should also check out Prisoners (2013), in which Gyllenhaal is the
sort of cop who can’t stop his eye flinching at all. Some calls this
extravagant but I call that cool! Another flick you should go for is ‘End of
Watch’ (2012), in which this ex-Marine hot head is literally diving into a dark
complex where some like 20 AK-47s are blasting the hell out of him and his
partner. I think he is on a roll!
Interstellar
We can simply not ignore Nolan’s ‘Interstellar’. It is a bit
of a snub at the Award Season, but for the record, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’
didn’t get that many Oscar nominations back in 1968. They have a similar fate,
too – winner of Best Visual Effects. Certain films may not be recognized
artistically at the time it is first released, and it requires multiple
viewings because you can start to fully appreciate the little secrets behind
these masterpieces (Vertigo, Blade Runner are prime examples). Nolan is a
genius for sure. He is quite willing to touch on complex areas such as
Psychoanalysis and Cosmology, and these are complemented by his stunning visual
style (with his claim of inspiration from Kubrick and Malick, I am not at all
surprised). We will just have to be patient. Some years later, we may not
remember any of the aforementioned films, but then we are still bewildered by
‘Interstellar’, something beyond our reach.
by Ed Law
23/02/2015
Film Analysis
