Best Films of 2012

So it's finally time for my best films of the year list. I know I didn't do one last year, but that's because I couldn't decide what I wanted to put first and then I got hungry so I made a sandwich and then I forgot what I was doing so I watched some TV. I'm making it up to you all this year with my overly long and probably pretentious list of the best films of 2012. I hope you all enjoy.

#10. Moonrise Kingdom

Wes Anderson’s charm and visual flare have maybe never been put to better use than in this quaint coming of age story about two youngsters who fall in love via pen pal letters, and run away together. The cast is as colorful (and inspired) as Anderson’s signature deliciously garish and unique production design. I’ve seen most of Anderson’s films and if his last two outings are any indication, he just seems to be getting better and better. If you’re a fan of his and somehow missed this one, seek it out immediately. If you have never seen a Wes Anderson movie, there may not be a better place to start. It’s fully charming, quirky, beautiful, and

hilarious.

#9. Friends with Kids

I was unprepared for what awaited me when I walked into this directorial debut by writer/star/Jon-Hamm-gf, Jennifer Westfeldt. I heard good things about it coming out of Sundance last year, but didn’t really know what to expect. I walked out completely

floored. The story follows two best friends (Westfeldt and a very impressive Adam Scott from Parks and Recreation) who decide to skip the messy relationship and marriage stuff and just have a kid together so they could start their lives, much to the dismay of

their group of conventionally married-with-kids friends. An unconventional story to be sure, but it nicely sidesteps many of what have become typical tropes in rom-coms.Westfeldt paints, first with her terrific script and aided by her direction, a realistic portrait of a group of friends and the trials and tribulations that come with growing up and settling down with a family. There is real joy in this film, along with real pain and woe. This is Westfeldt’s third screenplay, which always seem to feature people making unconventional life choices and the perks and consequences that come with that boldness (or some may say, foolishness). It is, if nothing else, thought provoking and conversation starting which is more than you can say about most films these days.

#8. Bernie

Bernie is another film that completely floored me, but unlike the previous entry, it did not do so with its raw and potent emotion. This one floored me with the absolutely incredible, unbelievable (and completely true) story about a man named Bernie Tiede and

what he did in the town of Carthage, Texas. The less you know about the story going into the film, the better it is so I will not elaborate on what happens, but I will say its dark, funny, completely unpredictable, and executed extremely well. Written (or should I say adapted) by Richard Linklater who made the romantic masterpieces, Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, and, with this, he cements himself as an incredibly versatile film maker

with a real eye for humanity. He teams with his School of Rock star, Jack Black in what is easily his best performance. As Bernie Tiede, Black is charming, funny, lovable, and eerie at all the right places. The movie succeeds or fails on Black's shoulders an I'm pleased to say he hits every note and gives his first truly great performance (I was as surprised as anyone).

#7. Zero Dark Thirty

The story, ripped from the headlines (and according to rumor, classified government documents) chronicles the ten year journey of one brilliant woman CIA operative and her attempt to capture and kill Osama bin Laden. I will not lower myself to participate in the inane controversy about the torture tactics shown in the movie. I will, however, laud Kathryn Bigelow for her fearless and unwavering defense of her film. It shows some real (proverbial) balls to do what she did, and she does it with elegance. This is in addition to her brilliant direction. She was the first woman to win a Best Director Oscar for The

Hurt Locker and she proves with this superior follow-up that it was no fluke. Working from an exhaustive and incendiary script by Mark Boal, Bigelow makes Maya’s ten-year hunt for the most wanted criminal of all time riveting, timely, and pulse-pounding. Jessica Chastain, in her first real lead role, shows grit and gravitas. She carries the film effortlessly. If her performance in The Help or Tree of Life or The Debt or Take Shelter last year didn’t convince you of the caliber actress we’re dealing with here, this one will; a star is born.

#6. The Impossible

The Impossible is one of the more difficult films to watch this year due to its subject matter and the realism used to bring it to the screen. It follows the true story of a family who is vacationing in Thailand when a catastrophic tsunami hits in December, 2004.
This is a film that could have been over-dramatic and schmaltzy. Instead it’s gripping, harrowing, and life affirming. This is all credit to director, J.A. Bayona. He doesn’t shy away from the gritty realism of the event, and makes the tsunami scenes
some of the most horrifying scenes of the year. I understood the deadly power and catastrophic nature of a tsunami after watching those scenes. They left me gasping for air. Naomi Watts gives one of her best performance as the mother of the family torn apart
by the water. She embodies strength and grace under pressure. Ewan McGregor and newcomer Tom Holland turn in powerful supporting performances as well. The film juxtaposes the scenes of intense devastation with quiet scenes full of beauty. My favorite involves the middle son of the family (Samuel Joslin), an old woman (Geraldine Chaplan, daughter of Charlie), and a conversation about the stars. Who knew a movie this unsettling could also be so moving.

#5. Silver Linings Playbook

As notoriously difficult to work with as he is undeniably talented, David O. Russell follows up his commercial hit (and seven-time Oscar nominated) The Fighter with a story of one man’s (Bradley Cooper) battle with bipolar disorder and the friends and family
that surround him, each with neuroses of their own. This is, above all, a story about humanity and love, and the film examines both with earnest hope and biting realism. Cooper shows a depth beyond what I thought possible from him. He’s brilliant and
volatile as a man struggling with a demon he can’t control. Jennifer Lawrence is equally impressive as his counterpart in manic madness. She is turning into an actress of rare talent, equally capable of carrying a tent pole franchise and portraying characters of raw, emotional depth. She is going to be a megastar for a very long time. Rounding out the possibly the best ensemble in a year full of great ones is Robert DeNiro and Jacki Weaver as Pat’s (Cooper) parents. DeNiro, in a career revitalizing performance, plays Pat’s father as a man full of pride, vulnerability, and superstition, reaching out to his son in the only way he knows how- through sports. It’s an open, honest, and beautiful performance that I hope is the first of many more to come from one of our greatest living actors.

#4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Films about high school are all too frequent and, more often then not, wholly terrible. That's what makes writer/director Steven Chbosky’s adaptation of his own hit novel all the more special and impressive. What he does here is manage to avoid all stereotypes and present a realistic, moving take on adolescence, finding yourself, and the growing pains intrinsic in the journey from boy to man. The cast of young actor includes some terrific current
and future stars including Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller, and Mae Whitman (yes, her.) Watson sheds any remaining doubt that she is just Hermoine Granger and establishes herself as a smart actress to watch. Miller continues his impressive run as one
of the best and most versatile actors of his generation after his terrifying performance in last years under-seen masterpiece, We Need to Talk About Kevin. Logan Lerman is terrific here too. He’s done fine work in the past, but was never really given the chance to stretch his legs. He carries this film and hits every note from sly comedy to devastating drama. I hope that he uses the momentum from this to propel himself into more roles worthy of his talent. Judging from his involvement in Darren Aranofsky’s upcoming epic, Noah, it sounds like he’s doing just that.

#3. Wreck-It Ralph

An animated film usually winds up on my best of lists, but it’s usually a Pixar film. The last two years, that great studio has turned out two underwhelming additions leaving room for other animation studios to fill the void. This year it was Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph. I went into this film intrigued by the original concept, but skeptical of its prospective quality. Needless to say, it blew me away. To begin with, director Rich Moore, working off of a shockingly mature and layered screenplay (one of the best of the year), creates a beautiful, full world for these characters to live in. The characters
themselves are some of the most well written, three dimensional, well performed characters I’ve ever seen in an animated film. The most impressive thing about Wreck-It Ralph is the way it sets up its climax. It begins setting up in the first scene, introducing places and people who will come into play later in the plot. When all the set-up ends and the climax begins it’s one of the most emotionally rewarding, satisfying, and engaging I’ve seen in any film (animated or not) this year.

#2. Argo

Argo snuck up on me a little. I saw it in October and enjoyed it a lot, mostly due to Ben Affleck’s brilliant direction. I thought it was a really well made thriller, nothing more. I watched it again last week and I have to admit; I was wrong. Argo is not just a well-made thriller. It’s one of the best thrillers I’ve ever seen and there is so much more going on in this story than I initially gave it credit for. It seamlessly blends personal journeys and emotions with a spectacularly paced cerebral escape movie anchored by one of the best ensemble casts I’ve ever seen. This is a testament to Affleck’s power behind the camera. He took the audience on an incredibly complex, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride without sacrificing story or character, and, even more impressively, making it cohesive and easy to understand without ever pandering to the audience. The amount of information and story-lines covered in its two hour run time is staggering and he leads us through it with ease. I’ve been a fan of The New Affleck since Gone Baby Gone in 2007, but here he shows what he’s truly capable of, which, in my opinion, is becoming one of our absolute greatest directors.

#1. Lincoln

It would take an absolute cinematic miracle for me to forgive Stephen Spielberg for subjecting the world (but mainly me) to War Horse (one of my least favorite films I've ever been paid to watch). Much to my delight and surprise, miracles do exist and we got one this year with the release of Lincoln. This is a profound film.  One that, in my humble opinion, will be one of the best films of this decade (or any decade for that matter). There’s so many ways a film of this caliber and potential can go wrong, and the miracle is, Lincoln avoided all of them. Everything is prefect, from production design that so realistically created the White House of the 1860s, to the score by the brilliant John Williams. Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field give some of their career best (and the year’s best) performances, and Spielberg’s steady unobtrusive direction sets the tone for all to follow. There are two people, however, who added so much to the greatness of this film that, without them, it would be a very different, and very inferior, production. They are screenwriter Tony Kushner and lead actor Daniel Day-Lewis. Kushner’s screenplay is, without exaggeration, one of the best I’ve ever encountered. The historical accuracy, the grim foreshadowing, the incomparably, indescribably great dialogue, and the understanding of the man, Abraham Lincoln make this a masterpiece if I’ve ever seen one. But if it was Kushner who uncovered the soul of Lincoln, it was Day-Lewis who assumed it, and brought it to life. I would call his performance in this film, without an ounce of hesitation, the best performance I’ve ever seen any actor give in any film ever. I walked out of the film in awe of that great man that was Abraham Lincoln, understanding for the first time how essential he was to our history, how greatly blessed we were to have him, and how devastating his premature death truly was. Day-Lewis does something so much more than act in this film. He implies character beyond what any line of dialogue or facial expression can communicate. He presents a complete portrait of a man. It’s mesmerizing to watch and the film is greater because of him. This is the work of several masters of their trade working at the top of their game to present something that is truly art. It is film making in its purest form and it deserves all those Oscars it likely won’t win. For shame.

Worst Trailers: "Footloose"

I know, I know, I haven't posted in a while, and while I could spend this whole post apologizing like a sappy baby or whorey housewife, I'm going to instead put my guilt to good use and write a super funny column to remind you all while you started reading these in the first place. That is if there is anyone still here to listen....

Hello?...

Echo??!

Oh well. As you loyal followers know, this is going to be a movie some day. This will be the part of the movie where the Amy Adams/Radcliff character will be whining that no one loves him or follows his blog right before he is sky rocketed into super stardom. *Crosses fingers*. In the movie version, I'll write in a love interest who leaves me so: 1. Extra drama! 2. It looks like I actually get some as opposed to just sitting at home on my leather couch having fake lover's quarrels with my bitch cat.

I guess what I'm saying is stay tuned! I may not post often, but I will make it. Just like Amy Adams.

Onto what you're all here for. My rant against the worst of the worst in all of the entertainment land. Next we have a movie so bad that Zac Efron dropped out. And yeah, that's the Zac Efron who starred in a movie about playing baseball with his ghost brother. But if your expectations aren't low enough already get ready to drop them further as we take a look at this wretched trailer.

So some teens engage in a whole bunch of D activities, namely: Drinking, and Driving and Dying. Naturally then, the pastor/fogarty buzz-kill character, decides to ban the most vile of all D activities; DANCING!!!!!!! "We cannot be absent from our children's lives." Based on the context, my interpretation of this is that, lets call him Pastor Bob, is really not in favor of dropping your kids off at ballet practice.

After that introduction of this movie's excuse for a plot, we introduce our hero: Young Hot Troubled Teen (YHTT)! He comes on a bus from some bigger place and he's sent here to his simpleton, small town family for being so young and hot and troubled.  Next we meet 'Tudey Hot Country Girl (THCG). She's got a 'tude. Then YHTT runs into UCBFF (Ugly Country Butt FF [you can infer that last part]).  You can tell they're going to be best friends because they say insulting things about each other's accents. We are introduced to these character's names here, but I forgot them already. I think the UCBFF's was cliche and stupid though...

Then YHTT gets invited and subsequently challenged to an absurdly professional looking dance conglomeration with all the local ethnic teens giving it their all. THCG thinks he can't handle it but he sure proves her wrong by dancing all up on her... right in front of her dad. dun Dun DUN!!! She gets a firm talking to. I have to say something about this 'actress'. You know you should keep your day job when you're taking acting cues from Miley Cyrus.

We then get super plot download with Young Hot Troubled Teen getting called 'Trouble' by Miley's dad and getting in trouble with the law. This causes him to get mad, throw a 2x4 through a window, and vigorously angry-dance in an old warehouse alone. Still, with all that adversity, he will not give up the fight to legalize gay dancing.

Then, just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, 'Tudey slut rips off her shirt in church to reveal her pro-dancing embroidered undergarments. This gets YHTT all fired up and he decides to preach at the pastor. In church. About how this is their time. Time to do what? Act like a Disney Channel Original Movie idea reject apparently.  Shortly there after the montage begins that shows what a great time this movie is going to be. I can almost here the deep voiced narrator guy. "It has dancing! It has hot sluts! It has hot heads fighting!" Speaking of the hot heads, I loved the, "I'm not here to dance," line. Get it? Because it's a dancing movie? But they're 'bout to do some good ole fashion wrastlin'!

Then, as if it couldn't descend into the trenches of ridiculousness and poor writing any further, there's a scene where Miley tries to kill herself.  BY GETING HIT BY A TRAIN! Why? Her life isn't just worth living without dancing! Also, busses explode after being rammed into each other! Also, line dancing!

Now I think anyone with two eyes and brain can see that this particular movie about dance is just about the worst, most idiotic trash invented since... well... the Smurfs movie. But I'm going to be a little controversial and say, I have a hard time taking any movie seriously that tries to make dancing important. "This is our time!" Really? I can't hear this line without imagining the low life, would-be victim of Natural Selection, who wrote it huddled in their parents basement eating KFC. Does anyone else realize that this plot doesn't even make sense anymore?! Sure, in the 80s when overly religious people and cults ruled most of Texas, someone could get away with banning dancing. Now it would make national news and the perpetrators would be sent to Guantanamo.

This is the world we live in. Steve Carrell leaves The Office and they don't have the decency to put the us out of our misery and cancel the show. Now, even though Zac f***ing Efron had better sense than to do this movie, and it still somehow got made. People spent, roughly the yearly budget of a small country on this trash heap while people are dying in Africa. I hope you're happy film makers.  Because of this movie, in my eyes, you're roughly on par with Idi Amin or some like war criminal responsible for genocide.

Soupy Twist.

Gaaaahhhhh Twitter! (Update!!)

Second suggestion was a home run. I am now @misseriposition. I know. Pretty great right? Thanks Ben! NOW EVERYBODY FOLLOW ME!!!! I've made it easy. Over ------------> on the side bar I've posted a twitter feed. All you have to do is click the Follow me on Twitter button either ------> or <------- and you will be set to jet! Thanks again to all both of you who played and to the eventual winner!

If you were already following @radcliffmisseri, I don't think you need to refollow me, but just make sure you sign up for mobile updates so my tweets go straight to your cell phone immediatly! This goes for new followers too! What's the point if you don't get my tweets at the speed of android??

Now I have to get in the habit, get over my gag reflex, and tweet* to entertain you all! Here I go...

Soupy Twist

*The italics indicate nausea.

Best Films of 2010: #2-1

I had totally planned on giving these a week after my last post, but then no one really guessed right so I wanted to give people a chance to get it right, but no one did and then I lost momentum and got busy and here we are. I feel like you all have had enough ado over the past four months, so without further of it heeeeeere they are...!

#2. Toy Story 3

Yes, I know I was being deceptive when I listed it as the Best Animated film of the year on this list, but just because it's animated doesn't mean it's not a terrific film. In this case it is the capstone on an almost perfect trilogy. At least the closest thing to a perfect trilogy we are going to get in modern film. This was Pixar at it's best. I would be so bold as to say that Ratatouille, Wall*E, Up, and Toy Story 3 are the absolute best four sequential movies any film studio has ever put out. Each one unique and brilliant in its own way. You look at any other animation studio active today, what are their films about? Birds with OCD, cartoonish villains who grow a heart, crappy spin offs of popular characters from other crappy series, and two dimensional love (and that has nothing to do with whether you need 3D glasses or not). What is Toy Story 3 about? It's a meditation on growing up. The loss of childhood. That's deep stuff. This is the difference between Pixar films and other animated movies. Pixar creates films. And I say that with all the pretension and snobbishness you all mock me rightfully for. But its also true. And thus it deserves this revered place on the list.

#1. Blue Valentine

No one who knows me that well is surprised at this. It's so dark, so realistic, so depressingly emo that it had to find its way to my Number One. Well I like all of those things for a reason. They make for some terrific films. This one is so unflinching, so gritty, so beautiful in its dark way. It's more than a film, its a picture of these people's lives. It has some of the best performances of the year and the way it's shot is not only unique, but it adds to the story. This movie moved me in a way that most don't. That's why it tops this list. This is the kind of thing that I respond to as a movie-goer. Maybe that makes me weird. But in any case this is top tier film making.

Best Actress: Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

I went back and forth between her and Natalie Portman for a really long time. At one point I was going to tie them and list both of their attributes. But after really thinking about it, it has to be Michelle. Natalie won her Oscar. She has been rewarded. Her performance was pretty incredible no doubt. But Michelle was perfect. The way that her performance evolves over the four years that elapse. She's the same person, but you can see the years on her face. That's not the type of acting that can be taught in a class. That pure, lived in, talent. Williams is one of our most promising young actresses. Here's to hoping her career is long and varied.

And that's it. Time to start writing next years! Maybe I'll get it done in time if i start now... except I haven't really seen any good movies... hmm...

It's a good night from me...

Yeeeeaaahhh.....

Well it's been nearly four month since I posted last which is pretty disgusting if you ask me. At least I left it on a cliffhanger eh? Lol... yeah I just laughed out loud at my own rambling and pathetic attempt at justification. Anyway lets pretend that that was the season finale and now we're coming back for a fresh season of Misseri Loves Company. I don't have school taking over my life anymore. I work a lot (big surprise) but that just gives me more material to write about. To be quite honest I felt very uninspired for a very long time. All of my reviews were sounding the same and I had a hard time being clever. If you have ever tried writing something without being inspired to do so, you know how difficult it can be. But, I want to be back! I have a couple things that I feel I have something to say about and can hopefully say it in a funny way. I know you guys have been waiting for me to write again, and truthfully if it weren't for you, I would have no reason to. You guys are amazing and I love that you get pleasure out of my words. I hope I haven't lost you all. I will try to be a better blogger. I'm sure that Julie from Julie and Julia went through rough patches too, but she still got to be in a movie with Meryl Streep so I'm holding onto hope! If you don't get the Julie and Julia reference read this.

Random thought! If I were to set up a twitter account where I would post short, hopefully funny, quips would you follow me? Would that be something that would whet your appetite for more Misseri Loves Company? Keep you over until the next post maybe? Let me know. The thought has crossed my mind, but I do this for you so it is up to you. I promise they would be funny. Let me know.

Now onto writing. I will be shortly be posting my best two pictures of last year (finally) as well as my pick for Best Actress. Just to get them out of the way. Then I will start on a couple subjects I feel very strongly about, so expect some good stuff! I will deliver it. Comment about the tweeting and come back to me my readers! I will try not to let you down again!

Soupy Twist

Best Films of 2010: #4-3

Sorry for the delay peeps. I had a stupidly busy weekend is the excuse that first comes to mind. Is it true? Probably not. But it doesn't matter, because that's the one you're getting. I also had a really hard time trying to figure out in which order i really wanted to put my top for it. I was also dealing with regret over not putting True Grit higher. I'm a very fickle creature. So, I just decided on something and I'm going with it. My #1 never changed or was even challenged but 2-5 are pretty interchangeable so take the numbers by their names with a grain of salt.

#4. Rabbit Hole

I adore movies that are about the human condition and the way we deal with things. Not our reactions, but what's deeper. The way that what happens in our lives effects our souls, and changes and moves us. It's very subtle and it is very hard to make a movie about it, because people never change drastically. It's a process. People never get over the death of their child quickly in one fluid motion. It is a day to day burden they must carry for the rest of their lives. That's what this film is about at it's core. Dianne Wiest makes an incredible speech on this subject and I couldn't possibly sum it up any better so here it is:

This is a film about deep, life altering emotion. It is that emotion and those experience that link us together as humans and I find that quite beautiful. For that reason, and because it did it so damn well, this film is beautiful too.

#3. Inception

This makes the list, not because it's a huge blockbuster or garnered large success and popularity. It makes this list because it can be a huge popular blockbuster success and never sacrifice story or performance or originality. It gave us a story and didn't beg us to keep up or hold our hand. It whipped around corners and into tunnels and dared us not to have our brains strapped in. It's the kind of film that requires, not simply encourages, second and third viewings because of its complexity and intelligence. It is a spectacularly well made film that is also a blockbuster and besides Nolan, I can't think of any director who can still pull that off.  It is easily one of the best films of the year and is one of the few films that deserves its immense popularity.

Best Actor: Colin Firth, The Kings Speech

What a pleasant surprise Firth has become as an actor. From being perfectly fine in a decade or two worth of romantic comedies to giving back to back Oscar worthy performances in two excellent films. Firth was my pic for Best Actor last year in A Single Man, a sad and beautiful film that starred Firth as a gay man in the 50s who's lover had just died. It was one of the best films of last year, and Firths performance anchored it. This year he's my pick again for this very different and equally impressive role as King George VI of England. It is a film about his journey to overcome his debilitating stutter and lead the UK into WWII. He is riveting in it. Not for a second did I believe he was faking his stutter. It was flawless. But that's not why he deserves this award. You can have a flawless stutter and still give a terrible performance. Under the stutter, Firth is exceptional. I never would have expected 'that dude for those movies with that fat Renee Zellweger" would garner this much respect from me. He earned it.

Runner up: Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine


Alright that's all for today folks. I'll be back soon with my last two Best Picture picks as well as my pick for Best Actress. Anyone who wants to guess and gets all three of them right in order will receive a reasonable gift of their choosing, but up to something like $20 so lets have those guesses!!!

Best Films of 2010: #6-5

I'm pretty sure I missed a day but hey who's keeping count really. This whole weekend has been a blur to me. I've been awake for 33 hours currently so I can't promise this will be completely compredable... is that a word? ... I think that might be Spanish. Oh well. You get the picture. Case in point if you will. Speaking of case in points, I'm going to make a horrible segue into the countdown.

Let it begin.

#6: The Social Network

Now I said a whole lot of nice things in last post about the script of The Social Network. It is without a doubt the best script of the year and that certainly aids it significantly in being one of the best films of the year. In addition to the script, however, this film has a whole armload of things going for it. Let's start with David Fincher's direction. It's dark and moody. It sets the tone for the whole film. He understands that the dialogue is the action in this film and shoots that to full effect. Next we have the spectacular performances. Now, like Michael Cera, Jesse Eisenberg is often criticized as playing the same character over and over again. Also, like Cera, Eisenberg broke out of that in a huge way this year in this film. Yes, he still speaks rapid-fire and yes he's still quite dorky, but here he's also disinterested, sarcastic, mean, and awesome. Mark Zuckerberg is a killer role and Eisenberg knocks it out of the park. Andrew Garfield has some great moments throughout the film, Justin Timberlake makes me forget that I pretty much hate him he's so good in this movie, and finally we have Armie Hammer who played both Winklevos twins in this movie thanks to a little technical wizardry. He gives two great performances. And even beyond the performances we have the score. What a wonderful score it is. Composer Trent Reznor should also expect a Oscar come February and it is more than well deserved. Overall The Social Network is an exceptional film that, under risk of sounding cliche, kind of defines our generation. At least it's this and not Repo Men

#5 True Grit

I can't say enough about this film. Or maybe I just can't say it well enough. Now I am no connoisseur of Westerns, in fact I have seen only a handful, but this is by far and long the best western I've ever seen. First of all it places you in the Old West. I immediate felt like I was watching something authentic. This is achieved by the sets, costumes, accents, etc but a large part of this is the dialogue. It sounds like what I would imagine those in the Old West to sound like, but at the same time it never looses the Coen's sense of humor. How can oddball obscure, and Old West lingo go together? Incredible writing that's how. I would easily say that this film has the runner up for Best Adapted Screenplay. The Dialogue is superb. This is also a highly beautiful film, taking full advantage of New Mexico's landscape. Cinematographer Roger Deakins is a master at what he does and he's in full form here. The score adds a lot too. It is simply old hymns played on piano that accompany this film but sometimes simple is better and it, too, helps add to the authenticity of the picture. The acting is superb from everyone. Jeff Bridges is great as the usually drunk Rooster Cogburg. Matt Damon and Josh Brolin add two more terrific characters to their repertoires. The revelation here is Hailee Steinfeld as the girl Matty Ross. She's really the star of the film. It's her story. The Coens are splendid film makers. This further proves that they can leave behind their own signature brand of film and just make a spectacular genre picture. In the end that's really what this is. Just a spectacular Western, which is something we rarely get anymore.

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter

Not to cheapen this win for Mr. Bale ( he's an avid reader of this blog and I know he'll be just ticked by this), but this is an incredibly weak category this year. There were few, if any, supporting male performances that really stuck out. Not that Bale wouldn't have won if there were such performances, but this just made the decision process all the easier. Bale has always been a chameleon. He has not only changed his appearance, but he's morphed his body for every role he's been. In The Fighter he is a charismtic drug addict  who believes he should be the only one helping his brother to victory. He is riviting. He is odd, and loud, and goofy, and you can't keep your eyes off of him. It's a spectacular performance to add to a spectacular career. I don't know how he can continue to go up, but I have no doubt that he's going to.

Runner Up: John Hawkes, Winter's Bone


The only other male supporting performance this year that really connected with me was this one.  Hawkes is electric in this role. He's the kind of character actor that you never realize is in everything until they explode in something. This is his explosion.

Best Supporting Actress: Barbara Hershey, Black Swan

This was by far the hardest one to choose for me, but I settled on Barbara Hershey. She's is incredible in this role. So clearly emotionally abusive and manipulative with the guise of love. She plays it perfectly. She's dark and scary. She does love her daughter, but almost too much. She's the villain of the film. Or is she? How much of what we see of her is how she really is and how much is Nina's perception? Is Nina this damaged because of how controlling her mother is or is her mother this controlling because she knows how damaged Nina is? The film doesn't give us an answer. What it gives us is an incredible and terrifying performance from a fantastic actress.

Runner up: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit and Leslie Mannville, Another Year


Steinfeld really isn't a supporting performance. She's lead. But she wouldn't have made my lead list and she's so terrific she deserves to be cited somewhere.  Mannville has the difficult task of taking someone innately annoying and off-putting and making her human. This is much more difficult than it sounds. It's easy to take a character like that, pump them full of cliches and play it. Sitcoms can do that. Children on the Disney Channel can do that. Mannville creates someone who we all know and lets us see beneath the vail to the broken person underneath. We even understand her to an extent. We feel for her. It's a pretty tremendous piece of acting.

Well that's it. Come back soon for the next post which will include by picks for Best Actor and Best Actress. Until then,

Soupy Twist.