In Rachel Getting Married, Anne Hathaway plays Kym, a recovering drug addict who leaves rehab behind to attend the wedding of her sister, Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt), but Kym’s problems follow her home. Rachel cannot forgive or forget Kym’s past intoxicated misbehavior, and their father (Bill Irwin) is constantly trying to keep the peace and to forget the past. As the wedding grows closer Kym constantly is taking the attention off of Rachel and putting it on herself, she thrives on attention, no matter what cost. Documentary director Jonathan Demme pulls off an authentic family feel, but I found some scenes to drag on and on, which made for some slow and boring moments. The cast does however deserve plenty of praise for also providing a feel of natural authenticity. Although the film lacks flare, Hathaway turns in a stellar performance and her Oscar nomination is well deserved. If you want to see another movie about a dysfunctional family then this is a good choice for you, I however, felt as though I’d seen this story-telling before. Rachel Getting Married will be available on DVD soon and offers plenty of dialogue for you to watch on your own, there are a few quiet moments filled with emotions brought out by looks from one character to another but this film is still easy to follow without description.
Nominated for:
Best Actress: Anne Hathaway
(Sony Classics)
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Debra Winger, Bill Irwin and Mather Zickel
Angelina Jolie gives a heart breaking performance as Christine Collins, a single working mother in Los Angeles in 1928. When her son goes missing, the police begin a search for her son, Walter Collins, and 5 months later a boy is returned to Christine and she is shocked and upset to find out that the boy isn’t her son. Joined by a passionate and kind pastor (John Malkovich), Christine battles for justice against the corrupt L.A.P.D. Not knowing how far the corruption goes, eventually her fight brings her into the custody of a mental hospital, where she soon finds she is not the only victim of the twisted system. Brilliantly crafted by Clint Eastwood and based on a true story, the authentic feel of Changeling often makes it very difficult to watch. Jolie gives a painful and anguished performance and Jason Butler Harner (Next, John Adams) is beyond creepy, as the psychopathic murderer of 20 children. Eastwood has brought us another Oscar-worthy film that would have been on my list of contenders for Best Picture of the Year. Changeling is now available on DVD and I would recommend watching it with a sighted friend to grasp the full tragedy of this perfectly balanced work of art.
Nominated for:
Best Actress: Angelina Jolie
Art Direction
Cinematography
Could have also been nominated for:
Supporting Actor: Jason Butler Harner
Director: Clint Eastwood
Best Picture
Costume Design
(Imagine Entertainment)
Starring: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jason Butler Harner and Jeffrey Donovan
Writer, Director Woody Allen brings us another hit in Vicky Christina Barcelona. A witty comedy about two young American girls who spend the summer in Barcelona, Spain. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) is a level-headed college student who is about to be married and Christina (Scarlett Johansson) is a free-spirited, artistic-minded woman, looking for inspiration. Enter Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) a womanizing, charming artist who seduces the girls into spending a weekend at his home. Arriving soon after is Juan Antonio’s beautifully insane ex-wife (Penelope Cruz), when they all become affectionately entangled, the results are both hilarious and vexing. With a entertaining and well penned script Vicky Christina Barcelona is one of my favorite comedies of the year. Penelope Cruz is delightful and Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall are both perfectly cast. This film will soon be out on DVD and it is perfect for the visually impaired with wonderful narration throughout and characters you can’t help but love, you are guaranteed a fun time, in this lovely escape with Vicky and Christina in Barcelona.
Nominated for:
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz
Could have also been nominated for:
Writing (Original Screenplay)
(Weinstein Co)
Starring: Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Penelope Cruz, Patricia Clarkson and Kevin Dunn
The Duchess, based on the life of the royal Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Spencer (Keira Knightly), who achieved an impressive level of fame from the British who followed both her fashion style and political advice. However, not even her celebrity and wealth could save her marriage to the boring and unfaithful Duke (Ralph Fiennes). When he begins to exhibit his affair with one of her closest friends Bess Foster (Hayley Atwell), Georgiana is tempted to return to her teenage crush Charles Grey (Dominic Cooper). Fiennes’s horrid behavior as the Duke of Devonshire takes position right next to the dreadful Lord Voldemort, but being the exceptional actor Fiennes is he is able to give the Duke a depth of humanity that his character does not deserve. Like most period pieces The Duchess focuses on the lack of power that all women of that time had but Knightly brings courage and spirit to the role of Georgiana, who is found in the genealogy of Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson. Although lacking truth in some of the factual data, The Duchess is a beautifully made film, with high accomplishments in costuming, art design and cinematography. It is not available in MoPix but will be easy to follow without. If you like such films as Pride and Prejudice, and War and Peace, you will love The Duchess.
Nominated for:
Costume Design
Art Direction
Could have also been nominated for:
Cinematography
(Paramount)
Starring: Keira Knightly, Ralph Fiennes, Charlotte Rampling, Dominic Cooper
Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) is a proper Englishwoman who journeys to Australia in the time leading up to World War II reaching Australia’s shores, determined to have her husband sell his cattle ranch to power hungry businessman named King Carney (Bryan Brown). However, she arrives to find out her husband has been killed and her plans change when she witnesses a man named Fletcher (David Wenham) cheating her husbands business for his own gain and mistreating a young boy named Nullah (Brandon Walters) because he is of mixed race. Overwhelmed with wanting a sense of justice, Lady Ashley wants to drive her herd of cattle to the town of Darwin so she can sell them to the troops, but she needs help and talks an independent cowboy (Hugh Jackman) into helping her get them there. Directed by Baz Luhrman (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge) this film has everything from witty comedy, to western style bar brawls, romance, and war, all complimented by the astonishing costume work by Luhrman’s wife and collaborator, Catherine Martin. Nicole Kidman is delightful, adding her own special charm to a well written character and Hugh Jackman is magnificent as always as a leading romantic, action hero. This film has a lot of classic elements, often referencing the Wizard of Oz, and resembling such films as Gone With the Wind. This film is not available in MoPix and alas it should be, since it does have many action sequences, however it is narrated by the young boy Nullah, who does an amazing job for one so young. I do believe anyone with a sense of adventure will enjoy this film.
Nominated for:
Costume Design
Could have also been nominated for:
Cinematography
Art Direction
(Twentieth Century Fox)
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, David Wenham
