Wrap-up for January, 2007
Yes, January. I know it’s February 26th as I post this, but I’m wa-a-a-a-a-ay behind on the reviews and I’m just caught up to The Venus Flytrap, the last film I saw in January. I’m not behind on watching films. Right now, I stand at 59 films, or two ahead of the pace. But since I’m only at 18 reviews, I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.
So, despite the paucity of films, I’m gonna give some awards anyway.
But first a quick note about those *other* awards you may be hearing about today. A horrible show overall (although host Ellen Degeneres was funny enough), made more horrible by the throwaway films nominated and the questionable decisions as far as winners were concerned. First, while it’s great that Scorcese finally has an Oscar, it’s typical of the Academy that they’ve awarded him for what is pretty much universally held as one of his lesser works. Secondly, most of the other winners were from films no one even saw (or are likely to see - I don’t expect big bumps for these films). Thirdly was the aggregious political nonsense that spilled over into the awards, giving the best animated feature to the “save the poor penguins” film Happy Feet and best song to what is frankly a lousy song by Melissa Ethridge just because of its environmental message. Okay, I get it. Hollywood is full of liberals. Thanks for confirming that, Academy.
But on to today’s more important (and honest) awards:
Best Supporting Actor
Peter O’Toole as Zaltar in Supergirl (1984)
Yes, the Academy overlooked him again this year, but I won’t. Supergirl may not be his best performance, but it’s certainly the standout supporting performance for the month. Much like Richard Harris in Tarzan, The Ape Man, whenever O’Toole is on screen in Supergirl, you can forget what a turkey it is you are watching.
Best Supporting Actress
Zooey Deschanel as Trillian in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
I’ve been listening to a lot of Hitchiker’s material lately and I think the film version of Trillian is the best. Her character is ultimately more appealing than the over-intelligent, but emotionally cold one from the books or the basically throwaway one from the radio and television. Deschanel is able to project just what makes her the object of desire for the film’s Arthur while still portraying her flaws as real and understandable.
Best Director
George Lucas for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
There are few films that have had the impact of the original Star Wars film, this cannot be denied. But what gets lost in the shuffle a lot is just how good this film is. I their rush to praise Irwin Kershner (and later to slag the prequels), a lot of commentators have blinded themselves to how well Lucas handled the many challenges of doing this film, a film unlike any before it. Nowadays, these kinds of effects blockbusters are a dime a dozen, but Lucas had nothing to guide him, no one to tell him how to do things, since everything he was doing was so new. It was through his directing skill alone that he was able to keep the whole thing together and build the empire that has followed.
Best Actor
Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer as David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls in This is Spinal Tap (1984)
They really work together as one when they put on the trappings of Spinal Tap. KcKean, Guest and Shearer create a group of characters that are fully inhabited, to an extent far beyond that of normal movies. That they have been able to keep it up even beyond this original film only demonstrates how much effort they invested in their work.
Best Actress
Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Empire is unquestionably the best appearance of Leia. In the first film, she’s a bit too strident and in Jedi she’s a bit too touchy-feely. But in Empire, she’s a complex character, awakening to her feeling despite what she wants. She’s the strong leader, the object of desire, the good friend, the true love. It’s more than most sci-fi or fantasy heroines get to portray and Fisher plays it to perfection.
Best Film
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
I’m giving it this award, not (just) because it’s my favorite film. You have to factor in all the things I said about Lucas earlier and apply them here, too. The original Star Wars changed the nature of Hollywood, did things no previous film had done and is immensely entertaining to boot. This is something no Academy Award winner in decades can claim.
Worst Film
Nothing really that bad in the first month. Don’t worry, they’re coming…