It's that time again, ladies and gentlemen! And it is actually that time for me for the eighth time. I know it was seven years last year so the realization that this is the eighth year should not be so much of a shock for me but it is. May I present to you the 2012 Mouton d'Or Awards!
This year was such an incredible year for film, with so many filmmakers reaching new heights in their careers and abilities. With this in mind, what finer example is there to lead the nominations than Paul Thomas Anderson's THE MASTER, which leads with eight nominations in total, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. Next up on the leader board is the breathtaking, LIFE OF PI, from Ang Lee. It too is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and four others for a grand total of six. ARGO, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD and MOONRISE KINGDOM round out the remaining Best Picture nominees and each earns five Mouton d'Or nominations in total. And though they may have missed out on the top prize, LES MISERABLES and SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK still have a strong showing, also with five nominations apiece.
P.T. Anderson's THE MASTER
I would like to thank everyone who shared their favorite movies with me in the last few weeks for the Black Sheep Readers Choice Award. There was so much response and so much passion for films that went on to be nominated that I had to expand the category to ten nominees, up from six last year. Be sure to vote in the poll at the top of the right hand sidebar for your favourite! And again, thank you so much for your participation. Your enthusiasm was moving.
And so, without further ado, here are the 2012 Mouton d'Or Award nominations ...
(Scroll over any film title and click for the full Black Sheep review.)
Thanks for reading. The 2012 Mouton d'Or Award winners will be announced February 16th and voting for the Black Sheep Readers Choice Awards will close at midnight on Sunday, February 10th.
Beasts of the Southern Wild, 2012 Directed by Benh Zeitlin Nominated for 4 Oscars
Going into this movie a week ago, I really had no idea what to expect since every summary I kept reading was extremely vague, and I couldn't understand why they couldn't be more descriptive. After watching the movie, I understood. If someone asked me what Beasts of the Southern Wild was about, the only reply I could really give is "A girl named Hushpuppy lives with her dad in The Bathtub, and are dealing with the polar ice caps melting". And most people would deem this as extremely unhelpful. Which it kind of is. But it is really what the movie is about.
Hushpuppy is 6 years old. She lives in a community called the Bathtub, a community which she loves. They have more holidays, more parties and are much friendlier. It's a community unlike any of us have ever lived in, nor could imagine living in. Her father, an angry man is dealing with health issues, and Hushpuppy is starting to wonder what is wrong with him. She lost her mother along time ago, and even though her father is harsh, she doesn't want to lose him either. As the polar ice caps are melting, and a storm comes brewing, the Bathtub floods, due to a levy the neighboring city has built to keep the water out, which means the Bathtub is constantly"filling up". While many people fled the Bathtub community before the storm hit, many stuck it out and are now dealing with the consequences of living in a flooded community.
I watched this movie with my parents, my sister and my sister's boyfriend. Watching movies with them is never a good idea. They talk and talk and poke fun and make comments and it's distracting when trying to watch a movie you honestly want to get a hold of and understand. And when the people around you aren't so keen on a movie and are verbal about it, it sways your opinion a little bit.
To sum it up, this movie was extremely odd. In this years awards race, I had this film and Moonrise Kingdom on a similar plain- they're both indie movies, with their main characters being children. While Moonrise Kingdom was quirky and funny, this movie was just different and odd. Intertwined with the story of Hushpuppy and her father is the aurochs, an extinct creature from the ice age. But when the ice caps melt, the aurochs are released from cryogenic sleep and are on the loose again, heading straight for the Bathtub. I think I would've enjoyed the film a lot more had the storyline of the aurochs not been included. It was strange and unnecessary and gave a slightly confusing end to the film (and also slightly anti-climatic, though it was supposed to be more symbolic than anything. Whatever).
But Quvenzhane Wallis was fantastic. She truly was. She was funny, and heartbreaking, and just so so good. Its pretty unbelievable that she was only 5 when she filmed this. She was utterly believable, and so powerful. If I liked anything about this film, it was her performance.
Other than Wallis's performance, I was overall not too enthralled with the film. It was interesting, but the aurochs storyline made it pretty unrealistic, and distracted from the overall story. The score was also really good, and thought it was super cool that Zeitlin, the director, was the co-composer! I've never really seen that before and thought that was really neat. But overall, the film was just okay for me, with Wallis being the total standout of the film. I really hope she's able to build a fantastic career as she's already very talented (and next up she's starring with Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender in Twelve Years a Slave. Nice move up in the world!). While it was an alright film, I'd have still rather seen Affleck up for director rather than Zeitlin, and Moonrise Kingdom up for picture over this, but that's just my opinion it seems!
Now that Oscar nominations have been revealed, I wanted to find an obscure statistic for this year's batch of nominees. One I did come across concerns Beasts of the Southern Wild, which was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Benh Zeitlin), Best Actress (Quvenzhane Wallis), and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Not only is this the little film that could, but it is also only the second film to be nominated in only those four categories. And how long ago did the first film achieve this? It happened at the 1934 ceremony.
Frank Capra's Lady for a Day (above) is the only other film to be nominated solely in these categories. So, that puts Beasts in rare (and odd) company.
Note:The Emigrants (1972) received these four nominations, but it was also nominated for Best Foreign Language Film in the previous year (which used to happen frequently). Also, The Divorcee (1930) was nominated in the same categories, except it was recognized in "Writing, Achievement". To me, that reads "Best Screenplay", even if its screenplay was adapted. There you have it.
Beasts of the Southern Wild is a amazing debut film by director Benh Zeitlin, from a play by Lucy Alibar, a fellow writer that Zeitlin met in a writer's workshop as a teenager. The unlikely star of the film is six year old Quvenzhané Wallis, who had to pretend to be six when she was five to beat out 4,000 others for this part in auditions. Her character is to be brave and strong, so Nazie, as
(Be sure to click the title of any film mentioned to read the full Black Sheep review.)
Ordinarily, when I look back at the year in film as it comes to its close, I also take a look at the milestones my career as a writer has reached in the last 12 months. This year, that is a little difficult for me. In early May, I felt like I had made it. I had just interviewed Mark Ruffalo for his much loved performance as The Hulk in THE AVENGERS, as well as documentary filmmaker, Lee Hirsch, whose BULLY had become a serious talking point across America. Both interviews were due to appear as cover stories on the same day, Ruffalo on Montreal's Hour Community and Hirsch on Ottawa's Xpress. I was about to go on the air on Montreal's CJAD 800 to talk about both pieces when I received an e-mail from my editor at Hour, telling me that my cover story would be Hour's last. My editor at Xpress contacted me just a few weeks later to let me know that it too would be ceasing production. In some ways, I'm still recovering from that one-two punch.
I had grown up with Hour in Montreal. Hour was the first paper that ever published me. Not only was I sad for my editor, who had worked so hard to keep the paper afloat in difficult times, but I was sad for Montreal for its loss too. There was only one game left in town after that and it too shut down this year. Sadness for print journalism all around.
My best friend pointed out to me that writing, like other creative fields, is not always consistent. I remind myself of this whenever I need to and, although I do not know what 2013 has in store for opportunities, I do know that I will be heading out in search of them. And until I find one, I still have all of you. And there are more of you now than ever before so thank you. Thank you very much for your support and, more importantly, for reading. Without you, my words would fall upon blind eyes.
All the same, the year wasn't a total wash. I did get to interview this guy ...
This is about as scruffy as Jake Gyllenhaal was when we met to discuss END OF WATCH.
I saw something like 125 films in 2012, many of them quite good. Narrowing that list down was not as difficult as I had anticipated. I did get stuck at 11 though and that's when it got messy. Mission accomplished all the same, sort of. This list of ten films I feel best encapsulates my most memorable experiences at the movies this year. In alphabetical order, here in Black Sheep's Top 10 films of 2012!
Such a controlled film about two people who have lost all the control in their own lives. Simply put, AMOUR is exquisite. And aptly titled. It is a great and necessary reminder that love is a gift, and a fleeting one at that, and it needs to be appreciated for all its glory.
This debut feature by American filmmaker, Benh Zeitlin, is a beast all unto itself. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD roars with pride for its unique style, tone and take, and it stampedes forward with an infectious strength. And who is leading this charge? Why, one ferociously brave, little girl, of course. It is imagination incarnate.
Speaking of courageous, young women ... I do not care if this makes me an honorary teenage girl, but I am big Katniss fan, not to mention the actress who embodied her so brilliantly in THE HUNGER GAMES, Jennifer Lawrence. I got totally caught up in this movie's feverish hype after reading the book and loved every minute of it. PS. #TeamPeeta.
I respect THE IMPOSSIBLE for doing just that and daring to tell this true story. Sure, they changed the main characters, a Spanish family who was caught in the 2004 Tsunami, to an English family, but that just means we get to see all this heartbreaking hardship acted out by Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. You can't tell every story from that tragedy but I believe they've done this story, and family, justice.
It is possible that I am very close to overdosing on LES MISERABLES. In the span of a week, I saw the film twice in theatres and have been moved to tears in my living room by the soundtrack more times than I'm willing to admit to. Easily the best movie musical since CHICAGO, "Les Mis" is designed to consume you and I have yet to tire of giving in to its song.
I wasn't sure even Ang Lee was going to be able to pull off LIFE OF PI, but I did suspect that if anyone was going to be able to make Yann Martel's biblical novel come to the life it deserved to on screen, it could be him. And within moments of the film starting, I breathed a great sigh of relief. I commend Lee for giving us the most visually groundbreaking film of the year.
Now, most people would assume I would put MAGIC MIKE on this list because I am in love with Channing Tatum. I mean, look at that picture. How can you not be? But what those people forget is that I've been in love with Steven Soderbergh for far longer. And only Soderbergh could make a stripper movie that inspires both cat calls and intellectual discourse from its audience at the same time.
Another aptly titled film but for very different reasons. Paul Thomas Anderson borders on genius with THE MASTER. After THERE WILL BE BLOOD, I didn't think he could go much higher and yet somehow, he has. Technically perfect, brilliant performances across the board and just plain mesmerizing, THE MASTER is well worthy of cult-like worship.
Like the previous Anderson, Wes Anderson has outdone himself with MOONRISE KINGDOM. To watch his panoramic and meticulously detailed style become more vibrant and warmer than ever before, is a total delight. His voice is confident, comfortable, clearer than ever, and perhaps most remarkably, it still feels as though it is alive and new.
I would never have imagined that the 50-year-old James Bond franchise would be able to provide one of the most exhilarating experiences of the year but then again, I never imagined that Sam Mendes would direct a Bond film. The cast, the cinematography, the writing, the risks - everything about SKYFALL is elevated by Mendes' presence and thus, Bond is reborn.
Honourable Mention: STORIES WE TELL Directed by Sarah Polley
Sarah Polley's first documentary and third feature film is only being considered for next year's awards race but there is no way I could not mention STORIES WE TELL when discussing the best films I saw this past year. Polley's bravery in telling this extremely personal story is moving and is somehow completely devoid of ego. Instead, she offers up her own history as an example that allows the audience to break down the many layers of storytelling itself. This is Polley's best film to date.
Oh, and this happened. My first quote!
There you have it! Ten amazing films (plus one!) from an incredible year at the movies. What about you? What made your list? Start thinking about it, in case you haven't already, as I will be calling on you to help shape this year's Black Sheep Readers Choice Award for the upcoming 2012 Mouton d'Or Awards. The nominations will be announced on January 25, 2013.
I'd love to take a break now but alas, I have a screening tomorrow morning! And so it begins again. Here's to an amazing 2013 and here's to seeing my name in print again before the year is out!
Thanks again for all your support. I could not do this without you. Happy New Year!!
You can listen to me discuss this list further on CJAD 800 below.
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD Written by Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin Directed by Benh Zeitlin Starring Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry and Gina Montana Hushpuppy: The whole universe depends on everything fitting together just right. If one piece breaks, even a little bit, the entire universe will get busted.
Sundance sensation, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, lives up to its name in every single one of its frames. Benh Zietlin’s first feature opens with an introduction to a world not unlike our own, but somehow simultaneously, still an entirely different one. This world looks forgotten, abandoned. Discarded keepsakes litter the empty lawns between broken down campers propped up to avoid flooding, while scattered farm animals scurry about their business. The Earth has been divided into two parts - the dry side and the wet side. No, this is not the world we know, but by the time the defenseless inhabitants make their way to their roofs to escape the torrential floods, it is certainly a world we came very close to knowing all too well not too long ago.
Zeitlin has crafted a brave picture that is exhilarating to watch, with moments of genuinely moving inspiration and other moments that are completely debilitating. Stemming from a one-act play, which was written by the co-writer of this screenplay, Lucy Alibar, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD explores this unfathomable world through the eyes of the most adorable, endearing and engrossing six-year old imaginable. Hushpuppy (played with the utmost poise and ferocity by the now 9-year old, Quvenzhané Wallis) through no choice of her own, stayed behind in an area known to the locals as “The Bathtub”, when most of the people left it behind for the dry side. You don’t get a choice when you’re 6 years old and your daddy doesn’t want to leave the land he’s known his whole life, even if it means eventually being swallowed up by the sea. Her vision of this world is intoxicating, even when things get dire and she starts to believe that she herself broke the world. “If you can fix the broken piece, everything can go back,” she boldly states at one point, when she thinks she has everything all figured out. She may have the mind of a child but she has one beast of a soul.
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD is without question the best film I’ve seen all year. It is a singularly unique experience that you will not want to end. As bright as Wallis shines in this film - and I assure you, you will be blown away by this little girl - Zeitlin’s direction elevates the picture to instant American classic status. The ideas are fresh and stay with you long after its over; the visual style and technique are superb and quite crafty given the restricted budget; and the statements Zeitlin makes about the environment and America’s handling of Hurricane Katrina are tasteful yet potent. Life in “The Bathtub” levels the playing field for everyone there and reminds us that we are all in fact beasts. Watching young, little Hushpuppy discover that she may be one of the lucky few who knows not only how to let that beast out, but also how to tame it, is an unforgettable film experience that should not be missed.
