The Studio

We’re excited to roll out the red carpet for Popcorn, the new Skokie Public Library podcast devoted to all things movie and TV. In the first episode, librarians Sharon and Annabelle fill you in on our FastMatch Film recommendation service, talk about the overlooked DVDs Green for Danger and Queen to Play, and look ahead to their most anticipated movies of the summer. Enjoy, and please let us know if there are any topics you’d like covered in future episodes!

Skokie Public Library Studio Podcast

The Mill & the Cross literally steps into Peter Brueghel the Elder’s famous painting, The Way to Calvary (1564) The painting in part is a rich visual catalog of daily life in 16th century Flanders. There is so much to look at in fact that our eye doesn’t rest long on any particular group of individuals but roves from one to the next. Peasants are interspersed with red suited soldiers who represent the Spanish repression of Protestants in Flanders during this period. In the middle center of the painting we see a momentous event taking place-that of Christ stumbling as he carries the cross to Cavalry. The event ,taken out of historical context, does not appear particularly prominent but is painted as an integral part of the composition with its myriad of peoples and activities. One particularly arresting part of the composition is a fanciful element , the mill prominently but precariously perched on a craggy outcrop in the background. This is a focal point along with the mournful figures of Mary and John the Baptist appearing in the right foreground. So what does Majewski, the director, choose to include in his film? An actor playing the part of Peter Brueghel discusses his preliminary drawings for the painting with a wealthy patron as he gazes out on the scenes in front of him. Their conversation is the only dialogue in the film. As in the painting we have scenes of cruelty and injustice juxtaposed with those depicting mundane everyday activities. There are scenes of the Miller’s family engaged in eating and playing and then the horrific incident of a loving couple who are brutally separated by soldiers. The young husband is beaten, tied up and placed on an elevated wheel to die as his wife cries below. A wheel with a crow perched upon it appears prominently in the right front portion of the painting. The mill with its four arms (often used as a symbol of the cross) is an important image as the figure of the Miller, a God- like figure who stands gazing down on the scene from his high vantage point. We also view the Crucifixion, a scene that is about to take place in the upper right portion of the painting at the Mount of Golgotha where two crosses have already been erected for the crucifixion of the two thieves. One of the most poignant parts of the film is the image of the Virgin Mary, played by Charlotte Rampling. Although she has no dialogue, her feelings are eloquently reflected in her facial expressions. The period detail, landscape, and digital effects are stunning in this film where each frame is so beautiful that it could be a painting in and of itself. A must for art lovers and one I would definitely like to see again.

Yesterday was officially Earth Day, but aside for a few astronauts, every day for everyone is an Earth day. So it would be in our best interest to learn everything we can about this planet, and to continue to ensure that it remains a safe home for all life upon it. One of the simplest ways to appreciate Earth’s beauty while learning some interesting facts, is to watch the many life and earth science documentaries we have in plenty here at Skokie Library. From the broadest like Planet Earth and Life, to the more specialized like Frozen Planet, The Amazon, and Ocean Wonders; to ones about Global Warming and Endangered Species; and, finally, feature films which dramatize the catastrophes of poaching and deforestation like Gorillas in the Mist and Medicine Man, Skokie Library has a lot. Below are a couple of classics I really enjoyed.

Jane Goodall made some of the first and most important discoveries about chimpanzees. She is also one of the first and most important conservation advocates. When only 26 years old, she ventured into the central African rainforest to learn about our little understood cousin, the common chimpanzee. Though she was not a scientist, her endless patience, great deal of common sense, and strong passion for animals, led to her making some of the greatest breakthroughs in the science of zoology.

Another National Geographic production, though a bit old school, Rain Forest is one of the most elegant works in the genre of nature documentaries.

The 2011 film, Pina, Wim Wenders’s tribute to the choreographer Pina Bausch, wasn’t in theaters very long and I missed it.  So, while waiting for it to come out on DVD, I was very happy to discover Dancing Dreams, a 2010 documentary about the making of one of Bausch’s pieces.  The recently deceased Bausch was one of Germany’s –and the world’s — most renowned modern dance choreographers. She began studying at a young age with the expressionistic choreographer Kurt Jooss, whom she returned to years later, after studying and performing in New York at Julliard and with big name choreographers including Paul Taylor and Antony Tudor. She then succeeded Jooss, becoming artistic director of Tanztheater Wuppertal, which tours world-wide. She died shortly after Dancing Dreams was filmed, and two days before the shooting began for Pina.

 Dancing Dreams is simply fabulous.  Two of  Bausch’s assistants, and later Bausch herself, are in rehearsal with 40 teenagers learning Kontakthof, a piece originally choreographed with seniors. This is a challenging and enlightening process for the chosen students: Bausch’s choreography deals with interactions between male and female–tender, sexual, awkward, testing, teasing, etc.–and there are moments of embarrassment and frustration as well as illumination and success. Ultimately, the lessons the students take from the process goes far beyond theater and dance, to personal benefits of self-esteem, open-mindedness, dedication, and so on.

Besides that, the choreography is intense and weirdly wonderful.

Note: Another film, the Oscar-winning Talk to Her by Pedro Almodovar, features a dance work by Bausch.

So, what did we think of the show?  Well, even though Billy (Crystal) was back, the show still lacked some of its verve and vibrance from previous years.  True, it was better than last year –but 2011 wasn’t exactly a good year to compare things with, right?  I mean at least Billy Crystal wasn’t stoned (or at least didn’t appear stoned) and he genuinely seemed like he was excited about hosting and being there.  One good thing I can say for sure — it was SHORT.  I cannot remember a year when the Oscars doesn’t hit the 3.5 hour mark.  VERY GOOD in the length dept.  In my own opinion, I could have done without the Cirque du Soleil and the overly self-serving montages of actors sharing why they love the movies.  We get it…they are IN movies, so naturally they will LOVE movies.  Move on!
Aside from all of that, I thought Billy Crystal did a good job of keeping the show moving forward at a good pace.  Of course, there are always going to be draggy speeches and long, drawn-out parts (it is the Oscars after-all — this is the pinnacle for Hollywood’s ego).  Over-all, though, I thought the show was pretty entertaining.
Now, for the winners (and losers).  I am still a little sore that I was deprived of another George Clooney acceptance speech.  And though Jean Dujardin was good in The Artist, Clooney was uncharacteristicly excellent in The Descendants…which is saying a lot considering that he’s usually gives strong performances (Solaris, anyone???).  And I though I love Meryl Streep like most other movie fans, I really, really wanted to see the double hit of Octavia Spencer (who won) and Viola Davis (who lost to Streep) from The Help.  Davis got a lot of flack from being in a movie where she plays a Southern maid and I thought she really knocked it out of the park, regardless of controversy.  Streep acted the heck out of Maggie Thatcher in The Iron Lady (just as Helen Mirren did several years ago with Queen Elizabeth II in her Oscar-winning performance in The Queen) but Meryl has won twice before and doesn’t need another Oscar to prove her worth.  An Oscar for Viola would have confirmed what moviegoers have known for a while: she’s a powerhouse actress who’s finally getting the acclaim she deserves.
Just my two cents from someone who loves the Oscars, loves the movies and loves talking about both!

Best Picture
War Horse
The Artist *WINNER
Moneyball
The Descendants
The Tree of Life
Midnight in Paris
The Help
Hugo
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Best Actress
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady *WINNER
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Actor
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist *WINNER
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist *WINNER
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Short Film (Animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore *WINNER
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life 

Documentary Short Subject
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God Is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face *WINNER
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Short Film (Live Action)
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore *WINNER
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

Best Original Screenplay
Michel Hazanivicius, The Artist
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, Bridesmaids
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris *WINNER
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Descendants *WINNER
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Beau Willimon and Grant Heslov, The Ides of March
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, Moneyball
Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Music (Original Song)
“Man or Muppet” from The Muppets, Bret McKenzie *WINNER
“Real in Rio” from Rio, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett

Music (Original Score)
John Williams, The Adventures of Tintin
Ludovic Bource, The Artist *WINNER
Howard Shore, Hugo
Alberto Iglesias, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
John Williams, War Horse

Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners *WINNER
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo *WINNER
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon

Best Animated Feature
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
Rango *WINNER

Documentary Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated *WINNER

Sound Mixing
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo *WINNER
Moneyball
Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon
War Horse

Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo *WINNER
Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon
War Horse

Film Editing
Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Kevin Tent, The Descendants
Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo *WINNER
Thelma Schoonmaker, Hugo
Christopher Tellefsen, Moneyball

Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help *WINNER

Best Foreign Feature
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar
A Separation *WINNER

Makeup
Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle, Albert Nobbs
Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland, The Iron Lady *WINNER

Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist *WINNER
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo *WINNER
Midnight in Paris
War Horse

Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo *WINNER
The Tree of Life
War Horse

For the many readers who routinely sit anxiously awaiting the next Janet Evanovich book, go see her first film, One for the Money. While it isn’t exactly true to page, it was an enjoyable film highlighting the wild escapades that Stephanie can’t seem to avoid. I can’t help but wonder how Katherine Heigl (as Stephanie Plum) was running in high heels while trying to avoid danger and/or her on and off again lover, Joe Morelli (Jason O’Mara) and her other admirer/bounty hunter, Ranger (Daniel Sunjata) throughout the movie. Heigl portrays the down-on-her-luck combination heroine and victim very effectively, demonstrating Stephanie’s strengths and weaknesses as a person and in her new career as a bounty hunter (following her previous job as a lingerie buyer in a popular department store). After meeting Lula, a local “lady on the street”, Stephanie learns she has a lot more to learn, in particular, getting a gun and learning how to use it. Sherri Shepherd is hysterical as Lula, especially when food is involved. Of course, wacky Grandma Mazur (Debbie Reynolds) is a hoot in each of her appearances showing her fearlessness and lack of logic in various scenes. This is a great date night movie – my husband who has read all of the “Plum” books insisted we see it opening weekend – and we really enjoyed it.

Most of the things I’m going to talk about here are not original ideas (meaning that though they are my opinions, I’m not the first and only person to voice these comments).  I try my best to be original, but alas, others might not be more original, but they are QUICKER with getting their opinions out there.  I’m digressing…here are my thoughts on the 84th Oscar nominations announced on Tuesday, January 24th and to be presented on Sunday, February 26^th.

I was ECSTATIC about Demian Bichir in A Better Life getting a Best Actor nomination and even though a lot of people wanted poor Leonardo DiCaprio to get a nod for J. Edgar, watch both A Better Life and J. Edgar and I dare you to tell me that Leo was robbed! (Be prepared with your pillow for J. Edgar!)

No Young Adult nominations, especially none for potential Best Actress Charlize Theron.  This one, I disagree with…I think Charlize deserved a nod here for this tough, honest performance about life after high school.

I also disagree with no David Fincher nomination for Best Director for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  Instead, Terrance Mallick for The Tree of Life gets the nomination.  Really?  Has the Academy seen The Tree of Life?  Can they explain it to me?  Yes, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is not a perfect film, but it is highly stylized and exceptionally shot.  The Tree of Life is just exceptionally dull, confusing and BLAH.

No Best Supporting Actress nomination for Shailene Woodley from The Descendents…rather Janet McTeer got a nod for Albert Nobbs.  Haven’t see Nobbs yet, but I think Shailene Woodley doesn’t have much to be upset about.  She’s young and has a full career as an exceptional actress ahead of her.  She’ll get a nomination one day.

No Drive nominations, including nothing for much-talked-about Best Supporting Actor candidate Albert Brooks.  Instead, in this category, the Academy honored Jonah Hill from Moneyball and Max von Sydow from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.  I haven’t seen Drive or Extremely Loud so I cannot speak about those, but I did see Moneyball and I fail to see what is the big deal about Jonah Hill’s performance.  Brad Pitt, I understand, but Hill is just so-so.  Any actor could have played this part.  There is nothing exceptional in that performance.

Lastly, I have a MAJOR bone to pick with only ONE nomination for The Ides of March for Adapted Screenplay — notably missing is a Best Picture nod.  The BRILLIANT (sarcasm) Academy decided to give Best Picture nods to instead to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and My FAV (sarcasm) The Tree of Life.  The Ides of March is a strong film.  It is a thriller, a drama, a political statement, a moral dilemma, and a statement of the current political situation in this country.  It is not dull and confusing and mind-boggling, ala The Tree of Life.  Again, I have yet to see Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close so I cannot speak of that one, but NO IDES OF MARCH is a travesty.  The Academy was very proud of themselves when they announced in 2011 that there would not be a set number of Best Picture nominations…that the amount of Best Picture noms would be based on percentage of votes.  Well, there must be a VERY LARGE percentage of the Academy sniffing glue!

OK – enough of me complaining.  Here are the MAJOR categories with who I think is going to win IN BOLD and who I would love to see win IN RED.  Where there is a just a RED pick, that means what I want to win and what I think will win are one in the same!

BEST PICTURE

‘The Artist’

‘The Descendants’

‘Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close’

‘The Help’

‘Hugo’

‘Midnight in Paris’

‘Moneyball’

‘The Tree of Life’

‘War Horse’

BEST DIRECTOR

Woody Allen, ‘Midnight in Paris’

Michel Hazanavicius, ‘The Artist’

Terrence Malick, ‘The Tree of Life’

Alexander Payne, ‘The Descendants’

Martin Scorsese, ‘Hugo’

BEST ACTOR

Demian Bichir, ‘A Better Life’

George Clooney, ‘The Descendants’

Jean Dujardin, ‘The Artist’

Gary Oldman, ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’

Brad Pitt, ‘Moneyball’

BEST ACTRESS

Glenn Close, ‘Albert Nobbs’

Viola Davis, “The Help”

Rooney Mara, ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’

Meryl Streep, ‘The Iron Lady’

Michelle Williams, ‘My Week With Marilyn’

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Kenneth Branagh, ‘My Week With Marilyn’

Jonah Hill, ‘Moneyball’

Nick Nolte, ‘Warrior’

Christopher Plummer, ‘Beginners’

Max Von Sydow, ‘Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close’

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Berenice Bejo, ‘The Artist’

Jessica Chastain, ‘The Help’

Melissa McCarthy, ‘Bridesmaids’

Janet McTeer, ‘Albert Nobbs’

Octavia Spencer, ‘The Help’

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

‘Midnight in Paris’

‘Margin Call’

‘A Separation’

‘The Artist’

‘Bridesmaids’

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

‘The Descendants’

‘Hugo’

‘The Ides of March’

‘Moneyball’

‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’

The graphic rendering of outer space phenomena has so much improved in accuracy and beauty in the  last few years. Two documentaries, How the Universe Works and The Fabric of the Cosmos, exploit this development and provide plenty of stunning visuals while also educating us. How the Universe Works is a tour of all the major cosmic phenomena: from the big bang, to black holes, galaxies, stars and planets. All eight episodes are narrated by Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs), and are interspersed with lucid commentary by some of the world’s best physicists. The  Fabric of the Cosmos is based upon physicist Brian Greene’s 2004 book of the same name. He narrates this mini-series with humor and clarity. This series is more speculative, and less visually impressive than How the Universe Works, but is an essential brochure to modern physics. Anyone with any interest in the science, or who like an entertaining educational video would do well to check these two out.

Watch the SAG Awards LIVE on Sunday, January 29 @ 7pm on TNT/TBS to find out who wins! 

Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture
Bridesmaids
The Artist
The Descendants
The Help
Midnight in Paris

Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Leading Role
George Clooney, The Descendants
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Leading Role
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin

Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Supporting Role
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Armie Hammer, J. Edgar
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Supporting Role
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs

Outstanding Performance By A Stunt Ensemble In A Motion Picture
The Adjustment Bureau
Cowboys & Aliens
Harry Potter and the Deahtly Hallows: Part II
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
X-Men: First Class