I'll probably do a more in-depth write-up on a lot of the nominated films around the Academy Awards ceremony, but just wanted to jot down some thoughts on what I caught last night while they're still fresh in my mind.
Biuitiful (IMDb)
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, starring Javier Bardem, Maricel Álvarez, Guillermo Estrella
This was a powerful film to watch, but like its esteemed competition Black Swan, I was more impressed with the acting than the film itself. I could see Bardem giving Firth a run for his money in the Best Actor category (as could Franco and Eisenberg, to be honest, this is probably going to be a tight race). The movie itself was a bit erratic, but the grounding element was Bardem's Uxbal, continually making bad decisions for the right reasons, digging himself into a deeper mess in the name of making a better life for his children and the people around him. The film bounced from family drama with his children and his estranged wife to dealing with elements of the Barcelona underground, and we saw the effects of this life effecting essentially with everyone who was within one degree of separation from Uxbal himself. There was a supernatural element I have to concede I didn't quite understand and might have appreciated more if I did. It could have been a cultural thing I'm just not familiar with; at times Uxbal seemed to act as a medium and conduit to the recently deceased, but it was used so infrequently and without much of an explanation to me that I just mostly felt lost. Ignoring that, though, the more mundane elements made it a powerful, relatable story. Only major complaint I might have is the length, the pacing at times borders on glacial and I was left very aware that I was watching a 160-minute movie.
The Illusionist (IMDb)
Directed by Sylvain Chomet, starring Jean-Claude Donda, Eilidh Rankin
I had seen Chomet's other works so I was excited to finally see this one, but I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. A story of the eponymous, down-on-his luck parlor magician and a girl from a small town in Scotland, Alice, who believes his "magic" is real seemed fairly simple. Initially, I was just impressed with the animation, this is some of the most beautiful traditional animation I've ever seen. The character design is brilliant, there's a sense of depth to the scenes and later on the landscapes around Scotland are simply breath-taking. After the fairly downbeat Biutiful, I may have been a little emotionally weakened but I was immediately struck by how adorable this story was, even in the face of some dark scenes. The brashness and naivety of Alice, the immediate paternal rapport form between the two main characters comes across powerfully and naturally, all done without dialog, other than a few words of quick or mumbled French, English or Gaelic. The cast of supporting characters was equally as colorful and rounded out the film quite well. We see the Illusionist carry on with his act and various odd jobs to try and help Alice and maintain the childlike naivety that charms him so, but in the end the film is less about him and more about Alice and having to finally face growing up. The overall tone takes something of a downward shift near the end, but overall the film manages to hit all levels of emotional highs and lows and in the end you're left seeing how each character affects each other for better and worse.
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