THE 2013 OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS - LIVE ACTION

HENRY
Directed by Yan England

I hate to start with hate but HENRY is the kind of short film that I dread. At only 20 minutes running time, I lost interest just a few minutes in and although the end is never far, it felt as though it were never actually coming. An older gentleman (Gerard Poirier), once a famous concert pianist, realizes that he is losing his memories and his mind, that what he thinks is the life he is living has not been for some time. Director, Yan England, tries to bring us into Henry's deteriorating mind by confusing time and place but ultimately, the film's lack of originality takes the steam out of any resonance it could have had.

ASAD
Directed by Bryan Buckley

Given that all the actors in Bryan Buckley's film, ASAD, are actually Somalian refugees, I would say that he's got this award all sewn up for that reason alone. That being said, he did create a great film and it would truly be a deserved win. We've seen this story before; a young boy wants to grow up too quickly and get into trouble with the older boys, but ends up staying behind to help out at home. The coming of age theme may not be original but when it is set in the violent and demanding world of a war-torn Somalia, the simpler concept takes on a whole new and more powerful meaning.

DEATH OF A SHADOW
Directed by Tom Van Avermaet

What a complex and haunting piece this short film is. A WWI soldier dies and is given a new lease on life, more or less, by a bizarre collector of souls. This soldier, played by Matthias Schoenarts, who starred opposite Marion Cotillard in RUST AND BONE, is tasked with capturing the shadows of the dead by taking a picture at the exact moment of their death. After so many shadows, he can have his life back. Of course, it isn't anywhere near as simple as that and director, Tom Van Avermaet, has crafted an ambitious film that is not only nuanced and complex but also a great technical achievement as well. You may find yourself scratching your head at first but by the end, you will know a little more about life itself.

CURFEW
Directed by Shawn Christensen

Don't you hate it when you're in the middle of killing yourself and your sister calls you asking you to look after her kid? This is the lead in to Shawn Christensen's CURFEW. Being the good brother that he is, or rather being the brother who never thought he was good enough for anyone, he agrees and this leads to an evening of bowling and bonding. Christensen gives himself too much to work with at first, including his somewhat strained Ryan Gosling-esque lead performance, but he manages to find an emotional centre just before the clock strikes midnight. It has its moments but when you're only 20 minutes long, the entire film should be a moment.

BUZKASHI BOYS
Directed by Sam French

Shot on location in Kabul, Afghanistan, BUZKASHI BOYS is a compelling coming of age story set against the backdrop of a country still struggling to rid itself of war. Two friends appear to be heading down very different paths when one chooses to chase after his dream while the other, Rafi, is being forced to follow in his father's footsteps, as a blacksmith. After an accident tears them apart, Rafi is left to figure out his own path all by himself. The true beauty of this complex and layered work is that it shows us that such things as ambition and tradition continue to soldier on past the devastation.

THE 2013 OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS - ANIMATION

PAPERMAN
Directed by John Kahrs

Walt Disney studios makes a triumphant return to the animated short film world after leaving Pixar in charge for the last few years with PAPERMAN. This black and white homage to whimsy and fate is an absolute delight that is sure to charm even the most reticent romantic. In a world without colour, where people go about their daily lives without any notice for those around them, a chance meeting at a train station tends to stick out, no matter how fleeting. As the hero of this story fights against the rules in hopes of finding something as elusive as love, the audience is reminded that the universe will have your back in these pursuits, if you let it.

FRESH GUACAMOLE
Directed by PES

PES is an American born, computer animation director. His first Oscar nominated short film, FRESH GUACAMOLE, is the shortest Oscar nominated short film in history, clocking in at 1:41. Allow me to say though that you will be completely transfixed for that brief period of time. In bold, bright colour, the most bizarre recipe for guacamole I've ever seen is demonstrated for your viewing pleasure. It begins with the avocado taken from a grenade, with a pool ball for a pit, and only gets more bewildering from there. It also only gets more fascinating from that point as well.

HEAD OVER HEEL
Directed by Timothy Reckart

Sometimes, when you're in a relationship for a very long time, you can end up living completely separate lives while still living in the same house. Sometimes, you don't even see it coming and, and worse still, sometimes you cannot find your way back. Timothy Reckart's HEAD OVER HEELS captures this heartbreaking balance brilliantly. In it, an older couple live under the same roof but on different floors and I don't mean she lives upstairs from him. Rather, she lives on the ceiling and he lives on the floor. Sometimes though, all it takes to get on the same page again, is for one person to do one nice thing for the other.

ADAM AND DOG
Directed by Minkyu Lee

Have you ever wondered how dog came to be known as man's best friend? Director Minkyu Lee suspects it was pretty early on in our existence. Her imagining of creation is beautiful to gaze upon but a little unfocused in its message. In ADAM AND DOG, Adam, of "Adam and Eve" fame, finds a dog in a field in the Garden of Eden one day. They play; they explore; and the dog never leaves Adam's side. Until Adam wants some alone time with Eve, that is. Lee proposes that the bond between man and dog is so strong because this dog never abandoned Adam, even in the worst of times. I may have been more moved more if Adam hadn't taken the dog for granted to begin with. This also makes ADAM AND DOG the origin story of man's selfishness as well.

MAGGIE SIMPSON IN "THE LONGEST DAYCARE"
Directed by David Silverman

THE SIMPSONS missed out on a Best Animated Feature nomination a few years back when they released their first ever feature film. Now they have their first moment in Oscar glory with this Maggie Simpson silent outing, THE LONGEST DAYCARE. Maggie must fight to keep a defenceless caterpillar from being killed before it turns into a butterfly but her struggle is not as simple as that. As she fights for the rights of butterflies everywhere, she also fights her own struggle to rise from the mediocrity of her own design. David Silverman, who directed THE SIMPSONS MOVIE, keeps the pace quick and the laughs tight, sneaking insight into the mix when no one is looking.

THE 85TH ACADEMY AWARDS NOMINATIONS

What the heck just happened in the Best Director category? That's all I want to know. Usually these things are so predictable but some of these nominations really threw me for a total loop. It is not so shocking to me not to see Tom Hooper up for LES MISERABLES but to see Kathryn Bigelow missing out for ZERO DARK THIRTY is very odd to me. Even more so is to not see Ben Affleck's name listed for ARGO. Hollywood was really building him up for this for the last few months. It's almost as if they wanted to see him fall on his pretty face.

I like surprises, especially when it comes to the Oscars because at least it keeps things interesting. That said, when those surprises are as dull as Christoph Waltz and Jacki Weaver picking up nods for sub-par work, I'm reasonably less enthused. I'm sure Leonardo DiCaprio is also unimpressed, seeing Waltz get the slot he deserved for DJANGO UNCHAINED. The worst thing about FLIGHT is its screenplay so that was definitely a surprise for me and also an insult, as it means no love whatsoever for Paul Thomas Anderson's THE MASTER, which was also shut out of the Director and Picture races.

Yesterday, I thought it was going to be either Emmanuelle Riva or Quvenzhane Wallis who would take the fifth Best Actress slot so I am very happy to see both of them there. And while I'm thrilled to see Joaquin Phoenix getting what he deserves in the Best Actor category, I can't believe that Bradley Cooper was included over John Hawkes. Cooper was great but did any of you see THE SESSIONS?

I am genuinely surprised to not see MOONRISE KINGDOM and THE MASTER in the Best Picture race. Both of these films are from respected filmmakers at the top of their games and both have ardent followings but that passion did not translate to a nomination. There was an open slot, people. Why not fill it with one of these fine pictures? Better yet, why not remove DJANGO UNCHAINED altogether and make room for them both?

And finally, a quick shout out and congratulations to Canada's WAR WITCH for grabbing an unexpected Foreign Language nod. It won't win but still ...

As expected, LINCOLN leads the nominations, with 12 in total, followed closely, and unexpectedly I might add, by LIFE OF PI, with 11. SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, which did a little better than expected, and LES MISERABLES, which fared a little worse than expected, follow with 8 each. ARGO rounds out the Top 5 with 7 nominations in all.

The 85th annual Academy Awards take place on Sunday, February 24, 2013. Here is the full list of nominees. Also, just in case anyone was counting, my predictions were 80% accurate. Damn you Best Director!

(Click any title to read the original Black Sheep review.)

BEST PICTURE

AMOUR
ARGO
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
DJANGO UNCHAINED
LES MISERABLES
LIFE OF PI
LINCOLN
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST DIRECTOR

Michael Haneke for AMOUR
Ang Lee for LIFE OF PI
David O. Russell for SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Steven Spielberg for LINCOLN
Benh Zeitlin for BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

BEST ACTOR

Bradley Cooper for SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Daniel Day-Lewis for LINCOLN
Hugh Jackman for LES MISERABLES
Joaquin Phoenix for THE MASTER
Denzel Washington for FLIGHT

BEST ACTRESS

Jessica Chastain for ZERO DARK THIRTY
Jennifer Lawrence for SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Emmanuelle Riva for AMOUR
Quvenzhane Wallis for BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Naomi Watts for THE IMPOSSIBLE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Alan Arkin for ARGO
Robert De Niro for SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Philip Seymour Hoffman for THE MASTER
Tommy Lee Jones for LINCOLN
Christoph Waltz for DJANGO UNCHAINED

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams for THE MASTER
Sally Field for LINCOLN
Anne Hathaway for LES MISERABLES
Helen Hunt for THE SESSIONS
Jacki Weaver for SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

AMOUR
DJANGO UNCHAINED
FLIGHT
MOONRISE KINGDOM
ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

ARGO
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
LIFE OF PI
LINCOLN
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

BRAVE

FRANKENWEENIE

PARANORMAN

THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS

WRECK-IT RALPH

CINEMATOGRAPHY

ANNA KARENINA

DJANGO UNCHAINED

LIFE OF PI

LINCOLN

SKYFALL

COSTUME DESIGN

ANNA KARNINA

LES MISERABLES

LINCOLN

MIRROR MIRROR

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

5 BROKEN CAMERAS

THE GATEKEEPERS

HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE

THE INVISIBLE WAR

SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

INOCENTE

KING'S POINT

MONDAYS AT RACINE

OPEN HEART

REDEMPTION

EDITING

ARGO

LIFE OF PI

LINCOLN

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

ZERO DARK THIRTY

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR

AMOUR (Austria)

NON-TIKI (Norway)

NO (Chile)

A ROYAL AFFAIR (Denmark)

WAR WITCH (Canada)

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

HITCHCOCK

THE HOBBIT

LES MISERABLES

ORIGINAL SCORE

ANNA KARENINA

ARGO

LIFE OF PI

LINCOLN

SKYFALL

ORIGINAL SONG

BEFORE MY TIME from CHASING ICE

EVERYBODY NEEDS A BEST FRIEND from TED

PI'S LULLABY from LIFE OF PI

SKYFALL from SKYFALL

SUDDENLY from LES MISERABLES

PRODUCTION DESIGN

ANNA KARENINA

THE HOBBIT

LES MISERABLES

LIFE OF PI

LINCOLN

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

ADAM AND DOG

FRESH GUACAMOLE

HEAD OVER HEELS

MAGGIE SIMPSON IN "THE LONGEST DAYCARE"

PAPERMAN

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

ASAD

BUZKASHI BOYS

CURFEW

DEATH OF A SHADOW

HENRY

SOUND EDITING

ARGO

DJANGO UNCHAINED

LIFE OF PI

SKYFALL

ZERO DARK THIRTY

SOUND MIXING

ARGO

LES MISERABLES

LIFE OF PI

LINCOLN

SKYFALL

VISUAL EFFECTS

THE AVENGERS

THE HOBBIT

LIFE OF PI

PROMETHEUS

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN

Black Sheep predicts the 2013 Academy Awards

It seems like every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is changing the rules on us. This year, they have moved their nominations announcement date up by nearly two weeks. The purpose is to give the Academy Awards back any credibility they may have lost amidst the barrage of awards coverage and restore their reputation as the only award that really matters.

Doing so meant a shorter period of time to see the eligible films and nominate them. This could affect some of the films released later in the year, as some members may not have had the chance to see them yet. They also introduced electronic voting this year and there were many reports of that system being incredibly difficult to navigate, ending with some voters actually not submitting their nominees. This could mean that some more modern films might have a better chance, as older voters may have struggled the most with the new e-voting system.

Regardless, I think we are looking at a full slate this year. I expect that all 10 Best Picture slots will be filled, and as well they should be, given how many great eligible films there are this year. The following are my predictions in the eight major categories and I expect LINCOLN to pull in the most nominations across the board. The nominations will be announced tomorrow morning at 8:30 AM (EST) by Emma Stone and this year's Oscar host, Seth MacFarlane.

Be sure to check back tomorrow to see how I did and feel free to click on the title of any film listed below to read the original Black Sheep review.

BEST PICTURE

AMOUR
ARGO
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
LES MISERABLES
LIFE OF PI
LINCOLN
THE MASTER
MOONRISE KINGDOM
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST DIRECTOR

Ben Affleck for ARGO
Kathryn Bigelow for ZERO DARK THIRTY
Tom Hooper for LES MISERABLES
Ang Lee for LIFE OF PI
Steven Spielberg for LINCOLN

BEST ACTOR

Bradley Cooper for SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Daniel Day-Lewis for LINCOLN
John Hawkes for THE SESSIONS
Hugh Jackman for LES MISERABLES
Denzel Washington for FLIGHT

BEST ACTRESS

Jessica Chastain for ZERO DARK THIRTY
Marion Cotillad for RUST AND BONE
Jennifer Lawrence for SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Emmanuelle Riva for AMOUR
Naomi Watts for THE IMPOSSIBLE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Alan Arkin for ARGO
Robert De Niro for SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Leonardo DiCaprio for DJANGO UNCHAINED
Philip Seymour Hoffman for THE MASTER
Tommy Lee Jones for LINCOLN

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams for THE MASTER
Sally Field for LINCOLN
Anne Hathaway for LES MISERABLES
Helen Hunt for THE SESSIONS
Maggie Smith for THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

AMOUR
DJANGO UNCHAINED
THE MASTER
MOONRISE KINGDOM
ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

ARGO
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
LIFE OF PI
LINCOLN
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

The full list of nominees will be posted on Black Sheep tomorrow morning. Here's hoping Joaquin Phoenix proves me wrong and gets the Best Actor nod he so rightfully deserves!

Best of Black Sheep: THE ARTIST

THE MEN BEHIND THE ARTIST

An interview with THE ARTIST director, Michel Hazanavicius and star, Jean Dujardin

As is ordinarily the rule during the holiday season, film audiences are inundated with grandiose family fare and a slew of prestige pictures designed to use the power of words to move people to both laughter and tears. One notable exception this year falls somewhere in the middle of this spectrum but does so without uttering a single syllable.

THE ARTIST, French director, Michel Hazanavicius’s ode to an era of cinema that has long been forgotten, will most certainly differentiate itself from the glut of awards season contenders this year, simply by being the charming delight of a film that it is. There is one other factor that will likely get everyone talking about it though; it’s silent.

As I’m sure you can imagine, getting THE ARTIST made was no easy feat. “At the very beginning, I felt very lonely because nobody wanted to make this movie,” Hazanavicius tells me when we meet at the Toronto International Film Festival, one of the many carefully chosen festival stops THE ARTIST made on its path towards tentative Oscar gold. “Now, to see so many people delighted to see the film, it’s very gratifying,” he concludes, with sincere and evident appreciation.

The idea to make a silent movie was one Hazanavicius tossed around for years and one that he is certain he is not alone in having. “It is a fantasy that I think many directors have,” he claims.  “A lot of us would love to at least try to do it. Maybe I wanted it a little bit more.” It was not until after he found success with his OSS 117 spy film series that anyone took his idea seriously though. “Once you have some success, people don’t see you the same way,” he admits. “Suddenly, something that could be insane becomes doable.”

Hazanavicius, watching the magic happen.

And so Hazanavicius enlisted the help of his OSS 117 stars, Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo (who is, incidentally, also his wife), to take on the leads in his crazy dream project. According to Hazanavicius, Bejo was on board from the start, but Dujardin was somewhat concerned when he first heard of the idea. “Yes, I thought he was crazy but Michel is incredibly hard working,” Dujardin confided to me, when we too met at this year’s TIFF. “Michel’s preparation ahead of time made everything go smooth though and he has advanced his career ten years with this film.”

Hazanavicius’s research included screening several silent films, his favorites being the American examples from the final years of the silent era (1924-1929). “I watched a lot of silent films to understand the rules and there are more rules than in a usual movie,” he explains. “In many ways though, it was more freeing. You can go places you usually don’t go because it does not have to be so realistic.”

Despite all his well researched knowledge on the subject, Hazanavicius knew that selling THE ARTIST  to mainstream audiences would not be so simple. This awareness directly influenced the story of the film. “I thought that to tell a story about a silent actor would make things easier for the audience to accept it was a silent movie,” he says of the story’s origins. In keeping with that, Dujardin plays a successful Hollywood star who falls out of favour when he refuses to acknowledge the “talkies” as anything but a passing fad.

Modern audiences might find the shift in pace to be an adjustment at first, but what makes THE ARTIST  so successful is its inherent celebration of the cinema itself. By scaling everything back, Hazanavicius reminds us what true movie magic is. The fact that he and his incredibly talented cast, which also includes John Goodman and James Cromwell, do so without any dialogue, begs the question, do today’s movies talk way too much?

“Language is very practical but it is usually just information,” Hazanavicius responds. “It’s so rich to communicate in other ways and it is too easy to just use words.” This is a sentiment that Dujardin also agrees on. “The overuse of dialogue in modern movies is just a sign of not trusting the actor’s performance. Many things can be expressed without words.”

Whether general filmgoers embrace THE ARTIST remains to be seen but at this stage, that almost seems beside the point. “The arch of this film’s journey is such a nice story,” says a very proud, Hazanavicius. “And it’s still barely beginning.”

THE ARTIST

Written and Directed by Michel Hazanavicius

Starring Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman and James Cromwell

George Valentin (on a title card): I won’t talk. I won’t say a word!

Some critics would be hard pressed to find genuine artistry in the film industry today, but they needn’t look any further than THE ARTIST, French director, Michel Hazanavicius’s homage to another era. It is a fine celebration of the cinema and the art involved in making the movies feel magical. True to the period in which it is set (Hollywood, 1927), the film is black and white, shot in the more box-y 1.33:1 aspect ratio and, perhaps most notably, the film is silent. Somehow though, without a single word uttered throughout, THE ARTIST keeps you hanging on every frame.

George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), the artist in THE ARTIST, believes the introduction of sound into film to be a gimmick, a passing fad. You and I both know how very wrong he was but he held true to the cinema’s authentic and humble origins. His refusal to grow and change with the times finds him falling out of favour with his studio and subsequently continuing to fall, only this time on hard times. Meanwhile, the woman he is in love with, actress Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo, Hazanavicius’s wife) is being swept up in the emerging success of the “talkies”. Valentin must essentially adapt or die; he must find his voice again in order to finally be heard by his public and the woman he loves. As simple as the plot is, it is its refined execution that makes the whole exercise seem effortless, allowing nothing but great warmth and passion to emanate from the screen.

It’s funny how we take things like dialogue for granted and it’s hard to believe that the movies really were like this at one point in time. As demonstrated in the film’s opening sequence, elegant theatres would be filled to capacity with patrons decked out in their finest wares, anxiously awaiting the latest screen adventures of their favorite Hollywood stars. An orchestra would not only fill the room with music but it would also fill the silence between the actors on the screen. Emotion and intention needed to be clearly communicated without speaking in order for the film to be successful. And while it may at times come off as exaggerated or false, the point was usually made. By honouring the silent film and doing it such great justice, THE ARTIST almost renders the usage of words completely pointless.

Black Sheep Interviews Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin

THE WINNER'S CIRCLE
An interview with UNDEFEATED directors, Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin

“It was completely unexpected,” filmmaker, T.J. Martin tells me of his Oscar win for Best Documentary Feature, an honour he shares with two-time collaborator, Daniel Lindsay. Just days before the three of us speak over the phone, Martin and Lindsay were sitting amongst the biggest names in Hollywood, each of them waiting to hear PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY called as the winner in their category. When Robert Downey Jr. announced that their film, UNDEFEATED, had in fact won the Academy Award, it was bewildering to say the least. Concludes Martin on the moment, “I didn’t quite understand what was happening.”

Martin and Lindsay, along with their producing partner, Rich Middlemass, were cut off during their acceptance speech, which has turned their win somewhat sour unfortunately. UNDEFEATED tells the story of a North Memphis high school football team that reaches completely unexpected levels of success in their senior year, despite a number of socioeconomic obstacles. The filmmakers were cut off before they were able to thank the players and the community, which has in turn led to a number of people from the community denouncing the filmmakers as opportunistic.

“In our naiveté, we wanted to save the best for last and dedicate the award to the players and the coaches and the people of North Memphis,” Lindsay tells me, with clear pain in his tone. “It’s been really difficult, to be honest with you,” he continues. “If we could have that moment back, we would start with them.”

While a shout out at the Academy Awards would have been appreciative, I believe that the win itself outweighs their not being mentioned on television. The fact is more people will see UNDEFEATED now that it has won the Oscar, allowing for more people to be made aware of the community’s plight.

Undefeated (2011)

“We wanted a celebratory narrative in a community that often times would never have it,” Lindsay tells me of their original intentions for the film. “Hopefully we could show the potential in a place where a lot of people think there isn’t any potential, but never shy away from the reality, so that a conversation can happen.”

The conversation in question is one that is still difficult even today to have. “We want the film to inspire a conversation about class and how closely that is related to race in this country,” Lindsay explains further. “We never wanted to tell people what they should think. We just wanted to present a world and allow for that conversation to happen. We’re not experts in any of this and don’t want to pretend that we are.”

Now, does that sound like opportunism to you?

As revealing as UNDEFEATED is regarding class struggles in America, its success as a satisfying documentary can perhaps most be attributed to the surprising familiarity in its structure. The Manassas Tigers, the team the film features, are considered a joke by every other team in their district. This season was different though; this season, they were winning. Suddenly, although they never set out to pursue this course, the filmmakers had the structure of a narrative sports movie on their hands.

Middlemass, Martin and Lindsay backstage at the Academy Awards

“We did fight against the sports movie story for a long time,” explains Martin of his initial reluctance to the way his film was evolving. “It wasn’t until midway through the season where we realized that A) a lot of the drama was unfolding on the field and B) the football team spine and structure of the film was really shaping up into a nice three act structure.” While it may be unexpected, its accessibility certainly won’t hurt UNDEFEATED when it comes to finding an audience.

Still, it was never about whether the kids won or lost. “Even if they had lost all their games,” Martin states, with both adamancy and pride, “we would have still made a human interest piece at the end of the day, a coming of age story about the kids and the challenges and obstacles they face every day, both on and off the field.”

UNDEFEATED is in select threatres now. Sports fans and human interest enthusiasts alike should make a point to see it.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION 2012

Happy Oscar Day everybody! Now that we all have our Oscar predictions in hand and we've all perused and admired the winners of the 2011 Mouton d'Or Awards, it's time to kick back and throw on this year's FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION movie music mix. I compile this collection every year and I'd like to share it with you so that you can play it at your pending Oscar festivities. Here is the track list:

Melancholia: Prologue - The Sity of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (MELANCHOLIA)

Nightcall - Kavinsky (DRIVE)

The Concept - Teenage Fanclub (YOUNG ADULT)

It's Raining - Inara George (BRIDESMAIDS)

Si tu vois ma mère - Sidney Bichet (MIDNIGHT IN PARIS)

New York, New York (Theme) - Carey Mulligans (SHAME)

Marlene - John Hawkes (MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE)

Clouds - Alexandre Desplat (THE TREE OF LIFE)

Life's a Happy Song - The Cast of The Muppets (THE MUPPETS)

Taking You with Me - Daniel Tashian & Mindy Smith (OUR IDIOT BROTHER)

Holocene - Bon Iver (WE BOUGHT A ZOO)

Los Vestidos Desgarrados - Alberto Iglesias (THE SKIN IN LIVE IN)

Por el Amor de Amar - Concha Buika (THE SKIN I LIVE IN)

Dance for Me Wallis - Abel Korzeniowski (W.E.)

Immigrant Song - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross featuring Karen O.

(THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO)

The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack - Liars (50/50)

Hanna's Theme - The Chemical Brothers (HANNA)

Cafe de Flore - Doctor Rockit (CAFE DE FLORE)

Everything's Made for Love - Gene Austin (BEGINNERS)

Now all you have to do is download and play.

Enjoy the show!

THE OSCARS: Predictions

Here is the hard truth about Oscar predictions. For the most part, you are not going to win the pot by making inspired choices in the major categories. With a couple of notable exceptions, those are all pretty much sewn up already. So, don't be bold. Play it safe when you the know the general consensus is going in a particular direction. Just because you really loved Glenn Close in ALBERT NOBBS does not mean there is a genuine chance she will take the award tonight. Sentiment, at least when it comes to Oscar polls, is for losers.

Now, where you need to shine is in the smaller categories. Often times, nobody has even seen the nominees so with a little help from yours truly, perhaps we can get that money in your pocket by the time they call THE ARTIST as Best Picture. If we do win though, I expect 10% off the top.

(Click on any highlighted title for the original Black Sheep review.)

BEST PICTURE

Will Win: THE ARTIST
Should Win: THE ARTIST
Could Win: THE HELP, HUGO

Of the bunch, THE ARTIST is the most universally loved. It may not be the Best Picture amongst the nominees but it has less detractors than the rest and is truly a delight and deserving of the crown.

BEST ACTOR

Will Win: George Clooney for THE DESCENDANTS
Should Win: Jean Dujardin for THE ARTIST
Could Win: Jean Dujardin

Hollywood is in love with THE ARTIST and Dujardin is certainly a charmer. That said, I believe that Clooney, the early favourite for this honour, will still triumph. He is Hollywood royalty, has never won in this category and was at his best in THE DESCENDANTS. This is the closest race of the night.

BEST ACTRESS

Will Win: Viola Davis for THE HELP
Should Win: Viola Davis
Could Win: Meryl Streep for THE IRON LADY

Davis may have stumbled a little bit when she lost to Streep at the Golden Globes but even Streep seemed surprised by that. I believe the Academy will reward her tender performance in THE HELP but Streep is long overdue. What Streep has to do though is be her usual great self but in a better movie.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Will Win: Christopher Plummer for BEGINNERS
Should Win: Christopher Plummer
Could Win: No one ... maybe Max Von Sydow, but not really

Plummer has this one wrapped up and deservedly so. Von Sydow is his only competition and that's just because he's been around a lot longer than the other nominees.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Will Win: Octavia Spender for THE HELP
Should Win: Octavia Spencer
Could Win: Again, not really anyone, maybe Melissa McCarthy

Spencer has won every major award thrown at her. I do not expect her to miss out here. Chastain could have been a bigger threat if she was nominated for another movie.

BEST DIRECTOR

Will Win: Michel Hazanavicius for THE ARTIST
Should Win: Michel Hazanavicius
Could Win: Martin Scorsese for HUGO

Hazanavicius is the clear front runner here. He also took the Director's Guild Award and the Academy  tends to follow suit. Scorsese has a surprising amount of support for HUGO but he just won not too long ago, and for a much better film.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Will Win: MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Should Win: A SEPARATION
Could Win: THE ARTIST

I think this is Woody's to lose. The Academy will want to recognize the success of MIDNIGHT IN PARIS somehow and this is the easiest way to do that. It isn't fully undeserving but he has done better, in my opinion. A sweep for THE ARTIST could derail this though.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Will Win: THE DESCENDANTS
Should Win: THE DESCENDANTS
Could Win: MONEYBALL

I loved the screenplay for THE DESCENDANTS and much like the Original Screenplay category, the Academy will want to reward Alexander Payne somehow for his latest and this seems like the most apt way. Early favourite, MONEYBALL could still come back so beware of balls out of left field.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Will Win: A SEPARATION
Should Win: MONSIEUR LAZHAR
Could Win: IN DARKNESS

Being the only nominee with any love in any other category, Original Screenplay nominee, A SEPARATION, should continue its winning streak here. It's a fantastic film and I will be happy to see it win but I would love Canada to take it of course for MONSIEUR LAZHAR. Meanwhile, IN DARKNESS is a powerful underdog in this category.

ANIMATED FEATURE

Will Win: RANGO
Should Win: RANGO
Could Win: No competition

Admittedly, I have not seen the two smaller nominees in this category but who has? Aside from those, everything else in this category is too lame and populist to win. RANGO is a lock.

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Will Win: A MORNING STROLL
Should Win: LA LUNA
Could Win: THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE

I found A MORNING STROLL to be tight, concise and hilarious. I believe its commentary of the deterioration of society and courtesy will appeal to the Academy. That being said, the one about the flying books and how reading is sadly dying might take it. I hope it doesn't.

EDITING

Will Win: THE ARTIST
Should Win: HUGO
Could Win: HUGO

As THE ARTIST is poised for Best Picture, this category usually follows suit. That being said, HUGO is a much showier film and could easily triumph here. I am still betting on THE ARTIST though.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Will Win: THE TREE OF LIFE
Should Win: THE TREE OF LIFE
Could Win: HUGO, THE ARTIST

The one thing everyone can agree on when it comes to THE TREE OF LIFE is that it is gorgeous and breathtakingly so. It will not win anywhere else but there is nothing right with the world if it doesn't win here.

ART DIRECTION

Will Win: HUGO
Should Win: HUGO
Could Win: THE ARTIST

HUGO is the most nominated film this year and this is because it excels in the technical categories. It is a lushly elaborate production and I think it has this category in the bag.

COSTUME DESIGN

Will Win: THE ARTIST
Should Win: JANE EYRE
Could Win: W.E.

THE ARTIST is simple elegant and perfectly period so this category should get swept up with its momentum. Madonna's W.E. did take honours with the costume designers themselves though so she could be trouble.

MAKEUP

Will Win: THE IRON LADY
Should Win: THE IRON LADY
Could Win: ALBERT NOBBS

At the end of the day, making Streep look old should win out over making Close look like a man. This is primarily because Streep looks more genuinely old than Close looks genuinely like a man.

ORIGINAL SCORE

Will Win: THE ARTIST
Should Win: THE ARTIST
Could Win: HUGO

You try scoring a silent film! I'm pretty sure the Academy will recognize this undertaking unless HUGO seems to be gaining the favour of the night.

ORIGINAL SONG

Will Win: THE MUPPETS
Should Win: THE MUPPETS
Could Win: RIO

As there are only two nominees here (again, lame.), it is entirely possible RIO could take it over THE MUPPETS. Who else could? It won't though.

VISUAL EFFECTS

Will Win: THE RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Should Win: THE RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Could Win: HUGO

While no one could agree as to whether Andy Serkis deserved an Oscar nod for his role as Cesar the ape, everyone could agree he looked damn real.

SOUND MIXING and SOUND EDITING

Will Win: HUGO
Should Win: HUGO
Could Win: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

I lopped these two categories together because I just feel HUGO will take them both anyway. The film may not have the overall support but it does have the technical support for sure.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Will Win: PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY
Should Win: Cannot say
Could Win: PINA

I love documentaries but the one's I see never seem to be nominated. I have seen and loved PINA and Wim Wender's 3D dance film has a good chance at an upset but PARADISE LOST 3, about the West Memphis Three convicts, is certainly the most buzzed about.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

Will Win: Cant's say
Should Win: Can't say
Could Win: Can't say

Sorry, I have not seen nor do I know anything about these titles. I cannot know everything! I'm going with what the generally accepted industry odds are here: SAVING FACE

LIVE ACTION SHORT

Will Win: THE SHORE
Should Win: TUBA ATLANTIC
Could Win: PENTECOST

Of the five, THE SHORE, was the least interesting to me but it is the only one with a name director and actor. That should give it the edge.

That's all of them! For those of you throwing a party, don't forget to get people to guess what time the Oscars will end on their ballot.  It is the best way to break a tie.

Best of luck to all of you and enjoy the show!

THE OSCARS: LIVE ACTION and ANIMATED SHORTS

It's Oscar week, people! It's time to take a closer look at all the major categories and throw in some all new reviews for the animated and live action shorts. The week will finish with predictions for the big night, as well as the announcement of the 2011 Mouton d'Or Awards.

First up, the key to winning your Oscar poll is to master the supposed smaller categories. The showier categories, like acting or picture, are pretty much sewn up weeks before the actual announcement so everyone has the same answers. This leaves you categories like Live Action Short and Animated Short to shine in. I'd say that you're in luck as I've seen all the nominees but unfortunately, I don't really know what the Academy looks for in these categories. All I can do is tell you what I saw and thought and hopefully that will be enough.

I was reasonably impressed with the live action short nominees. PENTECOST, from Ireland, is 11 tight minutes about a young boy who embarrasses his father by being a disastrous alter boy. The boy can't focus on God because he has soccer on the brain. The boy then gets one last chance to do right by his father but he begins to question if he would be better off just doing right by himself. It is funny and effective and it would not surprise me to see it take the prize.

A short film can be a great way to tell a joke but it gets tricky to tackle important, dramatic subjects in such a small amount of time. At 24 minutes, the Germany/India co-production, RAJU attempts to tell a very real story about a German couple who adopt a young toddler in Calcutta, only to lose him in a crowded market the next day. The build to his disappearance is rather obvious, with a mounting sense of doom looming in the musical score. Naturally, the child's disappearance pits the couple against each other. It was a bit trite and predictable for my tastes.

The Shore

I was also not bowled over by THE SHORE. Hailing from Northern Ireland, this short has the longest running time of any of the nominees, clocking in at 31 minutes, and stars the only recognizable actor of any entry as well. Ciarin Hinds stars as a man returned to his home country after 25 years of absence. He has not come to make amends with past mistakes but realizes he should when he arrives. The difficulty is that I never felt like he had actually owned up to his past so I was left unsatisfied. (Note: THE SHORE was directed by HOTEL RWANDA director, Terry George. This may tip the win.)

TIME FREAK is the lightest of the five nominees. Heed this message, control freaks. Time travel is not for you. Often funny and clever, this 10 minute short follows one inventor as he attempts to perfect every single moment of the day. It becomes pretty clear pretty quickly that this isn't all that healthy but it provides plenty of laughter for us so it all evens out. It is cute but likely a little too slight for the Academy.

My favourite of the bunch would be the nominee from Norway, TUBA ATLANTIC. This 25 minute story finds an elderly gentleman with six days left to live. A young girl scout type shows up at his door the next day to help him deal with the stages of death. Their unlikely bond forms as the twosome find creative ways to kill seagulls and come to understand that they both have fears about death. The action culminates into a cross-Atlantic tuba jam session of sorts, making for a quirky yet endearing work.

Tuba Atlantic

The animated short nominees were just lovely. I'm a sucker for this sort of thing but I found them all to be reasonably enchanting in their own rights and all stylistically deserving of their nomination. The first entry is DIMANCHE (SUNDAY),  a 10-minute short from the NFB here in Canada. The animation is hand drawn, sketchy in style with a good deal of shading, and it follows a young boy trying to pass the time on a Sunday afternoon. It is adorable to watch but there might not be enough weight to win.

A MORNING STROLL, from the UK, is my pick to win this category. It is only 7 minutes long and it makes a poignant point while keeping its tone light and amusing. A young man is seen taking a walk in 1959, 2009 and 2059 and each time, he crosses paths with a chicken. The style of the animation mirrors the period it is depicting and I believe voters will find the deterioration of society and courtesy to be a deserving topic to reward. Plus the chicken is just the cutest thing ever so they won't be able to resist.

A Morning Stroll

Canada's second entry in the category, also produced by the NFB, is a short film I've actually seen in two separate screenings. This is a definite rarity. WILD LIFE tells the story of a young Canadian lad who travels out west when the west was still in fact wild. Told in a series of painted images in 13 minutes, the film depicts life for one particular young man, who writes home of tall tales while finding himself living a pretty minimal existence. All the while, insert cards about comet facts break up the action and, while it is a very striking work of art, it didn't make much sense to me.

THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. MORRIS LESSMORE (15 minutes) was directed by a former Pixar designer by the name of William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg. The story itself is this random string of events that involves a hurricane and nods to THE WIZARD OF OZ and Buster Keaton, which all culminates in some musing about how books are important and disappearing. This American entry is very pretty (read, looks like a Pixar film) but its a pretty plain statement after all. I mean, look at the title character's name; Even that is obvious - More is less more? C'mon now. I know this is animated film but give your audience a little more credit than that. Oh, by the way, this is the film that industry insiders have tipped to win.

La Luna

This just leaves the actual Pixar nominated short, LA LUNA (also from the USA). Of the five, this is by far the most gorgeous and enchanting of the bunch. Pixar has not had the best of luck in this category in recent years so it might not be a safe bet to vote for it, but it is so easy to fall in love with. In 7 minutes, an adorable little boy helps his father and grandfather clean up the shooting stars that have gathered on a cluttered moon. It glows with warmth and heart and, despite my admiration for A MORNING STROLL, I would be tickled to see this take the top prize.

Next up: Best Original and Adapted Screenplay