Last week I was rattled by a cringe-inducing double feature, so I was desperately hoping for some cheerier fare this week. Well, as the snow, sleet, slush and thunder continued to hammer the Northeast, I met a mix of features filled with true tales, ill-tempered heroes, and death. Hooray!
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Of Gods and Men ~ Directed by Xavier Beauvois
This docudrama unpacks the story of a band of monks who reside in an Algerian monastery, holding their ground even as terrorists take to murdering foreigners. This BAFTA-nominated feature is a painstakingly crafted meditation on faith and bravery, with a protagonist so grounded in his faith he is utterly without an arc. It hardly makes for gripping drama. But if you are a fan of even-tempered discussions, buddy this film is for you!
Nominations: Best Foreign Film
Snubbed? No.
Obselidia ~ Directed by Diane Bell
Writer/director Diane Bell’s debut feature is an exceedingly quirky love story that centers on George (Michael Piccirilli), a socially awkward librarian whose crafting an encyclopedia of obsolete things. On his journey he meets Sophie (Gaynor Howe), the clichéd manic pixie girl’s pushy older sister. Together they go on a road trip that is cluttered with tangential scenes and lengthy pseudo-intellectual diatribes about the end of humanity. The film is ambitious, but suffers from its own garishness. With so many quirks, oddball characters, and pretentious bits of dialogue (“love is just a protein!”), this drama drags.
Nominations: Best First Screenplay – Diane Bell, John Cassavetes Award
Snubbed? No.
Never Let Me Go ~ Directed by Mark Romanek
This hauntingly beautiful adaptation of Kazuo Ishigruro’s novel, tells a tale of thwarted love in three parts: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. When we first meet Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Ruth (Keira Knightley) and Tommy (Andrew Garfield), they are children at an unusual boarding school that houses clones created for the sole purpose of donating their organs once they’ve reached maturity. This softly sci-fi premise is fascinating, but treated with subtly, allowing the focus to remain on these three figures doomed to die young. Kathy loves Tommy, but Ruth has snared him. This is the central conflict that stains the trio from childhood to death—or as its candy-coated in Orwellian code: “completion.” A deeply tragic tale, my only regret was that it ended so soon. But really, that was poetically fitting.
Nominations: Best Cinematography – Adam Kimmel
Snubbed? It’s beautifully acted and masterfully helmed. Its lack of nominations in the other major categories baffles me.
Daddy Longlegs ~ Directed by Josh & Benny Safdie
This dark comedy (formerly titled Go Get Some Rosemary) is written and directed by brothers, Josh & Benny Safdie, and is loosely based on incidents from their own childhood. Ronald Bronstein, a non-professional actor, stars as Lenny, a divorced dad who overcompensates when he has his sons by trying to create zany adventures for them. This sounds like an endearing premise, but this comedy goes so dark it’s hard to find it funny. Lenny is in turns irksome and reprehensible as he half-asses his way through fathering his kids. The Safdie brothers showed up after the screening and revealed that this despicable dad is based on their own father—right down to an incident of kidnapping, but they’ve forgiven him, and therefore—so should you. (The silence that followed this pronouncement was one of the most awkward Q&A moments I’ve ever been witness too.) Ultimately, the antics of this manic-depressive dad were too vexing to find funny, so when the brothers promised the character would return in their next film, I shuddered.
Nominations: Best Male Lead – Ronald Bronstein, John Cassavetes Award
Snubbed? Uh…no.
Get Low ~ Directed by Aaron Schneider
Also based on a true story, this tale of public shaming and redemption is reminiscent of the Coen Bros’ hayseed comedies. (I expect in a year’s time Get Low will be on steady rotation on USA or TBS.) Full of colorful characters and wonderful performances, this feature centers on a hardened recluse (Robert Duvall) who lives on the fringe of town, where he is a popular figure in urban legend. After the death of a friend, he decides it’s time to “get low,” meaning prepare for his own death. It turns out this ornery hermit has purposely sequestered himself for 40 years in self-induced penance for his sins. Now, he wants to throw a “funeral party,” inviting all his estranged neighbors so he can purge himself and be forgiven. While this sounds like a dark plot, the film is surprisingly full of joy. Though it sometimes struggles under the direction of first-time director, Aaron Schneider, it was ultimately a bittersweet surprise. (Ironically, I laughed more at this film, which is dubbed a drama, than I did through the so-called comedy Daddy Longlegs.) Bill Murray plays the eager funeral director, willing to go to extremes to satisfy his only customer. He is, as ever, a delight to behold.
Nominations: Best Supporting Male – Bill Murray, Best First Feature
Snubbed? Kind of stunned Duvall didn’t get a nod.
This week by the Numbers:
Unpleasant Leads: 5
Irksome Manic Pixie Girls: 3
Lovers Who’ve Loved and Lost: 6
Based on True Events: 3/5
Features Centered on Death: 4/5
Films Watched: 29/35
Runningtime conquered: 2795 minutes
State of Mind: This has been a week of ups and downs, as I loved some films, and hated others. To be honest, I’m getting a little run down on some of the more ponderous and meandering fare. But next week is the final week of screenings, so I think I’ll make it through.
Next week I will share my thoughts on Rabbit Hole, Life During Wartime, Lovers of Hate, Thunder Soul and Monogamy, the last of the nominated films.
What are your thoughts on these nominees?