The Grand Budapest Hotel (****1/2)

Wes Anderson is no stranger to mise-en-scène, that film-world term that refers to the overall feel of a film; the visual methods by which the story and tone is communicated. In fact, I think Wes Anderson is perhaps the leading director in today's cinema in that regard, someone who consistently creates art that is so uniquely of a time period and so uniquely his own creation. "The Grand Budapest Hotel," then, is without a doubt his most ambitious, and perhaps his most touching film to date.

The story is set up with striking detail. We see a girl visit the grave of an "author" (Tom Wilkinson & Jude Law) who wrote a book in his younger years about a grand hotel, set in the remote mountains of a fictional Republic of Zubrowka - a story of a country's war as well as the methods by which a certain man named Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham) came to own the establishment.

Through a flashback within a flashback within a flashback, the story begins, and we meet the hotel's original concierge, Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes), a peculiarly giddy and charming man. He is accustomed to forming romantic relationships with his older clientelle - all blonde, all women, all older, all desperate.. Zero is simultaneously beginning his training as a Lobby Boy, and under Gustave's care, he is taken in as an apprentice.

And then the tragedy, one of Gustave's most dear patrons, Madame D (an unrecognizable Tilda Swinton), is suddenly killed - murder, and though he comes to inherit a priceless painting called "Boy With Apple," Gustave is suspect and sent to prison for the murder. Madame D's son and living sisters are dumbfounded by her shocking love for a hotel employee...

The film succeeds on nearly every level a film of this caliber can. From the rapid-fire cast (so star-studded there's apparently 19 Oscar nominations between them all) to the dry black humor written by Anderson, himself. The film absorbs you into a time period you've never heard of yet you come out of feeling like an expert. From the grand set pieces of the hotel to the grim interiors of a prison or a snowy mountainside, the film is a triumph of visual storytelling. No other Wes Anderson film approaches this level of creativity or art direction, and yet it never feels like a film beyond his grasp as a filmmaker.

Anderson is known for his flat, picturesque camera setups, almost like a painting, with little evidence of vanishing lines into the distance or exterior shots... In the past, this method has changed his stories into near-fables (think the fantasy-like feel you have watching Royal Tenenbaums, or the child-like design of Moonrise Kingdom). The same is true with Budapest, and yet the style seems to absolutely fall into place, and perhaps Anderson has found the first story that was MADE for his filmmaking style - the film he was born to make, so to say...

Out of all the films in theaters currently, I can't think of a more ambitious one. For an early Spring release, "Grand Budapest Hotel" knocks it out of the part as a smart, witty, funny, emotional, and never-ceases-to-amaze adventure...

(Awards potential: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Fiennes), Best Original Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design)

Oscar reactions

What a year it's been. In a ceremony full of perfect moments (Lupita's acceptance speech), the expected winners (Matthew and Jared in the acting races), the weird (what did John Travolta just call Idina Menzel?), and the uncomfortable (I've never seen Liza Minnelli more prevalent in an awards show in years), the Oscars have wrapped up for good. As expected (and thankfully so), our split between Best Picture and Best Director saw 12 Years a Slave make history with its Best Picture win. Slave tallied up just 3 Oscars vs the goliath of Gravity with its 7. It was just one short of tying Cabaret for the film winning the most Oscars without taking the top prize as well. 

On the whole, mojo correctly predicted all but 4 of the races (Best Documentary, Best Editing, Best Makeup, and Live Action Short), although on my own personal ballot at the Oscar party, I (John) switched live action short to the actual winner (Helium) in a last-minute bout of clarity. Our misses were not altogether surprises, just another set of categories where the winner was too close to call. 

The night rolled on, and Ellen made the most of what she had to work with, although did it feel like she was losing it near the end? While many of her jokes fell flat and went on a tad too long (the pizza gag seemed endless), the night itself went by without a glitch (and for the most part, without an upset). 

The night's speeches were empowering, elegant, and each of the acting winners were truly perfect on stage. While we hate when winners pull out paper to read off their speech with shaky hands (Best Animated Short, we're looking at you), there were no 'what on earth' moments, perhaps save for our Documentary winner taking to the stage to sing an entire rendition of 'His Eye is On the Sparrow.' 

Although we'll be scratching our heads as to what exactly happened during Idina's performance, or why it was necessary to have Bette Midler appear after the Memorial segment, this year's race will really be remembered as one of the closest races in history, and thankfully, with the rightful winner winning gold in the end. 

Tim's Vermeer (****1/2)

"Tim's Vermeer" (2013) is a film of monumental proportions, holding the answer to one of the art world's most curious mysteries. What this 80-minute film holds is no less than the answer to one of art's biggest questions, a film that will enchant the debunker in all of you as well as restore your faith in simple, pure, documentary filmmaking.

Tim Jenison, a Texas-based inventor, reads a book one day about the absolute perfection that is the work of Dutch-artist Johannes Vermeer. You may remember his "Girl with the Pearl Earring," for one. His paintings are iconic, almost too-realistic to be anything but photographs. He is the master of light. He created no more than 30 paintings in his lifetime, but they are substantial enough for some to claim him as the greatest painter of all time. But how did he do it? Tim has found the solution.

The film delves into Vermeer's life, but not as much as you would suspect. We witness a simple scientific experiment, with a hypothesis, execution, and conclusion. As Tim explains midway through the film, it's not subjective, this work is all objective.

Using a simple rigging of mirrors and concave lenses, Tim believes he has discovered the secret long-lost as the method used by Vermeer. While some hold evidence in his using of a device called a 'camera obscura,' Tim's method much simpler; more inspired.

We learn immediately that Tim is not a painter - in fact, he has never picked up a brush. Never, that is, until he tests his device for essentially painting a photograph. He takes an old black and white photograph of his father and reproduces it to near photorealism. Professional artists are stunned. Tim's next step? Of course, he will reconstruct an entire room from one of Vermeer's most famous paintings and attempt to copy the master, himself.

The film is created by magicians Penn and Teller, and it's truly a remarkable achievement. Tim Jenison is a man of few words, often comical, often full of emotion. He does not hope to make the jump into the art world, rather he hopes to solve a mystery, much as an inventor of his caliber would. Questions are raised as to whether or not Vermeer is discredited in his work. Afterall, Tim proves that anyone can pick up a brush and truly paint a 'masterpiece.' To say the world's greatest artist essentially copy and pasted all his works is a bold claim. Proving it is even more so. (And wait until you see his final painting...)

Much like magic, though, there is beauty to be found in Tim's discoveries, and as they discuss throughout the film, there is an unnecessary divide between technology and art. Vermeer may have been as much scientist as artist, considering the technical riggings that were devised for him to paint. The film is eye-opening, engrossing, and thoroughly enjoyable. Paintings from the past, as Tim points out, are documents, just as much as a book or building is. The work of Vermeer has just been adjusted to crystal clarity.

(Awards potential: Best Documentary)

Final Oscar Predictions

All races have ended, all guild awards are out, all awards shows have aired, minus the big one: The Oscars. It's been a crazy, nonsensical, surprising awards season, and though many of the top races are still unsure (can we talk about Best Picture), as always, here are MoJo's official predictions. Use them at your discretion, and let's see how we do. Drumroll, please:

BEST PICTURE

With the bizarre splitting of major guild & critics awards between 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, and American Hustle, it's a wonder anyone knows what the Hell is going to win here. Up until now, Gravity seemed like a lock. Afterall, it won the DGA, and if you should trust any award, that's the one. With the BAFTA results in, and 12 Years and Gravity splitting Best Picture and Director yet again, perhaps that's the only sure thing we know: that Gravity will win the technical awards, and 12 Years will, as it has all season, come out on top in the end. It's an unprecedented race, and perhaps this year for the first time in 79 years, a movie could win ONLY Best Picture on Oscar night...

1. 12 Years a Slave

2. Gravity

3. American Hustle

4. The Wolf of Wall Street

5. Philomena

6. Nebraska

7. Dallas Buyers Club

8. Captain Phillips

9. Her

BEST DIRECTOR

Again with the DGA, you should trust those results, and here is a category where there doesn't seem like a possibility for upset. It's so rare that you see a split between the top two awards, and perhaps it's foolish to knowingly expect a split. Best Picture is up in the air, but this category seems pretty much cemented.

1. Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron)
2. 12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen)
3. The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese)
4. David O. Russell (American Hustle)
5. Alexander Payne (Nebraska)


BEST ACTOR

What chance Leo had of winning was lost when Chiwetel Ejiofor won the BAFTA. While he was snubbed for those awards, this award belongs to Matthew McConaughey, with Ejiofor serving as the tiniest bit of spoiler. Think of this category as Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side. It's history repeating itself all over again.

1. Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)
2. Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)
3. Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street)
4. Bruce Dern (Nebraska)
5. Christian Bale (American Hustle)


BEST ACTRESS

Biggest. Lock. Of. The. Night. (And no, the Woody Allen controversy is not going to hurt her odds, either).

1. Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)
2. Amy Adams (American Hustle)
3. Sandra Bullock (Gravity)
4. Judi Dench (Philomena)
5. Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

He's won all (and do we mean ALL) of the awards this season. It seems foolish to expect him to miss out here. Barkhad Abdi was a nice win at BAFTA, but Leto was not nominated. If anything, Abdi might now be our 'runner-up' in this category.

1. Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
2. Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips)
3. Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave)
4. Bradley Cooper (American Hustle)
5. Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street)


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

J-Law vs. Lupita. The acting race of the year. Lupita has been the lock since she won the SAG Award not long ago. However, with Jennifer Lawrence recently besting her at the BAFTA's (and a Golden Globe to boot), it's perhaps a closer race than we thought. In the end, does the Academy want to award Jennifer Lawrence two consecutive years and make her the youngest double-Oscar winner in history? That's pretty bold, especially when you look at the actual performances. June Squibb could still surprise as the big winner on the night with her scene-stealing work, but that's a risky bet and almost impossible to imagine. Perhaps the closest race of the night after Best Picture. It's rare to win the Globe and BAFTS and NOT the Oscar....

1. Lupita N'yongo (12 Years a Slave)
2. Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle)
3. June Squibb (Nebraska)
4. Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine)
5. Julia Roberts (August: Osage County)


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Yes, we're predicting American Hustle to go 0-10 for Oscars this year. This is the film's one chance at an Oscar, and while it's a viable win for "overdue" director/writer David O. Russell, Her has collected most of the writing awards, including the Golden Globe and Writer's Guild. It's the more creative, cohesive piece, and would give Her director Spike Jonze HIS overdue Oscar, instead.

1. Her
2. American Hustle
3. Dallas Buyers CLub
4. Nebraska
5. Blue Jasmine


BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Best Picture, as a rule, generally needs to win at LEAST 3 total awards on the night. With 12 Years a Slave our predicted winner, Picture, Supporting Actress, and Screenplay are most likely going to be those awards. Out of all of the film's nominations, Screenplay is the biggest lock for the film to not go home empty-handed. Philomena has been sneaking up all season long, and recently won the BAFTA equivalent. 12 Years could still win Best Picture if it misses here, but honestly, the script itself seems too powerful to be overlooked.

1. 12 Years a Slave
2. Philomena
3. Before Midnight
4. Captain Phillips
5. The Wolf of Wall Street


BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Perhaps the second-biggest lock of the night. It's made $1 billion at the box office and is a critical favorite. It's a return to form for the Disney Studio. What movie is that, do you ask?:

1. Frozen
2. The Wind Rises
3. Ernest and Celestine
4. Despicable Me 2
5. The Croods


BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

The general consensus is that it's a close race between The Great Beauty, The Broken Circle Breakdown, and perhaps The Hunt. Out of these three, one film has won the majority of the awards, and with "Beauty" in the title, perhaps Oscars won't be able to refuse (American Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Beautiful Mind, etc).

1. The Great Beauty
2. The Hunt
3. The Broken Circle Breakdown
4. Omar
5. The Missing Picture


BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Again, a close race between a critical favorite and a crowd-pleaser. We've seen the Oscar go to both heavy-handed films and lighter fare, and this year the one documentary everyone seems to be talking about is The Act of Killing. Don't be surprised to see Oscar pick 20 Feet from Stardom in order to lighten the mood of the evening, or perhaps the Netflix-original The Square... Out of the 5 nominees, Killing represents both a new style of documentary features as well as a chilling, haunting story that most will find hard to forget.

1. The Act of Killing
2. 20 Feet From Stardom
3. The Square
4. Dirty Wars
5. Cutie and the Boxer


BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

One of last year's sole upsets came in this category when Lincoln beat out the flashier Anna Karenina. Who saw that coming? Logical senses seem to indicate the elaborate mansions and apartment sets in Gatsby has it locked. Gravity's sets were too singular, Her may be too 'modern,' and American Hustle wasn't remembered for its sets.

1. The Great Gatsby
2. 12 Years a Slave
3. Gravity
4. Her
5. American Hustle


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

A few years ago we predicted Emmanuel Lubezki to win for The Tree of Life (it was, in our opinion, one of the biggest locks of the night). Of course he failed to win. Honestly this year, there truly seems to be no way he can lose. Gravity has everything going for it: Best Picture nominee, Best Visual Effects Oscar winner (presumably), IMAX... Since 2009 with Avatar, EVERY winner in this category has been a visual effects-driven, fantastical, Best Picture nominee. It seems foolish to bet against it now.

1. Gravity
2. Prisoners
3. Inside Llewyn Davis
4. The Grandmaster
5. Nebraska


BEST COSTUME DESIGN

The bigger the costume, the better your chances are (Marie Antoinette, Anna Karenina, Amadeus, etc). If you don't have the biggest, being set in the Roaring 20's is also beneficial (see: The Artist, The Aviator, Chicago, etc). Perhaps it wasn't the best-reviewed film of the year, but the stand-out film for costumes seems to be (in everyone's mind) Gatsby. 12 Years won the equivalent guild award - which could be telling, especially if we're looking for another Oscar win for Slave.

1. The Great Gatsby
2. 12 Years a Slave
3. American Hustle
4. The Invisible Woman
5. The Grandmaster


BEST EDITING

So-called 'experts' believe this category is locked up for Gravity. Nonsense. The film relies on long, singular shots, and its strength is not in editing. The flashier films usually win, and the shorter the shots, the better. Captain Phillips has won the majority of editing awards, and therefore seems safely ahead to win here.

1. Captain Phillips
2. American Hustle
3. Gravity
4. 12 Years a Slave
5. Dallas Buyers Club


BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

Okay, you have to take a risk every now and again. While the nominees here are not the greatest of candidates, most feel like Dallas Buyers Club is the winner. Aside from dramatic weight loss, was there really anything special about this film's makeup? No. Cheap makeup and a bad wig does not win you an Oscar. The prime candidates are our two dark-horses: comedies that in no way seem like Oscar caliber. Bad Grandpa would make sense, but the Razzie-nominated Lone Ranger benefited from extreme old-age makeup for Johnny Depp as well as a wide variety of traditional makeup and hairstyles. Why isn't this the obvious choice? (And if you think Oscars won't reward a film so poorly-reviewed, remember that Harry & the Hendersons & The Nutty Professor are both Oscar-winners)

1. The Lone Ranger
2. Bad Grandpa
3. Dallas Buyers Club


BEST SCORE

Winners here are almost always Best Picture nominees (almost). Gravity is the safe bet, and indeed, it would be the smartest choice to mark on your ballot. There seems to be thoughts that Philomena could win here (the one place that film seems to be able to win an Oscar), but Alexander Desplat is always a bridesmaid, never the bride in this category, and in recent years, winners seem to generally be newcomers to film. Following in the footsteps of The Social Network, perhaps the electronic score for Her could be the big upset of the night. To be safe, pick Gravity.

1. Gravity
2. Philomena
3. Her
4. Saving Mr Banks
5. The Book Thief


BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Disney films used to win this category like it was nobody's business (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Pochahontas...) Up to a point I was betting on Mandela to win here, since it's a song by U2 with a message. Screw that. Frozen is one of the year's highest-grossing films, critically acclaimed, and it's soundtrack is a best-seller. It seems like too-easy of a choice for voters and too much of a crowd pleaser to pass up.

1. "Let It Go" (Frozen)
2. "Ordinary Love" (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)
3. "The Moon Song" (Her)
4. "Happy" (Despicable Me 2)


BEST SOUND EDITING

Come on, this is easy.

1. Gravity
2. Captain Phillips
3. Lone Survivor
4. All Is Lost
5. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug


BEST SOUND MIXING

Gravity was tailor-made to win these technical Oscars.

1. Gravity
2. Captain Phillips
3. Lone Survivor
4. Inside Llewyn Davis
5. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

I take back what I said about Cinematography. THIS is the biggest lock of the night. Bet anything you want.

1. Gravity
2. The Lone Ranger
3. Star Trek Into Darkness
4. Iron Man 3
5. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug


BEST ANIMATED SHORT

Disney has some terrible luck in this category generally speaking, and Mickey Mouse has never won himself a Golden Statue. Paperman did win last year however, but general consensus seems to favor more daring films like Mr Hublot and Feral.

1. Mr Hublot
2. Feral
3. Get A Horse
4. Room on the Broom
5. Possessions


BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

You know how the Oscars love films about the Holocaust? We actually have a nominee this year about the Holocaust, and it's apparently a delightful little movie on top of that. There is also a timely documentary about homophobia, but this seems like an obvious choice.

*The woman in the film, Alice Herz-Sommer, was the oldest-surviving Holocaust victim and just passed away when voting began. If that isn't a slam-dunk for a win than I don't know what is.

1. The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life
2. Facing Fear
3. Prison Terminal: Last Days of Private Jack Hall
4. Cavedigger
5. Karama Has No Walls


BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

Who knows? (Actually, most people lean towards the Voorman Problem, so let's just go with that).

1. The Voorman Problem
2. Helium
3. Just Before Losing Everything
4. Do I Have to Take Care of Everything
5. Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me)

The Lego Movie (*****)

And like that, 2014 is off to a phenomenal start. Let's hope the movies following can keep up with the gusto, orginality, and charm of this absolute knock-out. Yes, the first movie of the year and the highest rating we have. The Lego Movie is a must-see movie, and one you shouldn't wait until the DVD release to check out.

Following along the lines of films like "The Matrix," we essentially have the same story. A boring, ordinary guy is thrust into an extraordinary situation in the belief that he fulfills a prophecy. His name? Emmet (Chris Pratt). He blends in with most of the Lego World - no one much cares for him and his personality is dull. He follows instruction manuals for every aspect of his life, from the hilarious first scene in which he prepares for the day, all the way to work, where he builds massive skyscrapers using the standard Lego building instructions you'll recognize from the toy boxes.

Not soon after, he stumbles on the job site into a secret cave, and in doing so, becomes glued to "the Piece of Resistance," a small red cap that we will later learn it the cap for a Krazy Glue bottle. This small piece is what a group of master builders have been searching for for years, and in finding it, Emmett is believed to be able to save the Lego World from the evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell). His plan? To glue all of Lego Land together, thus eliminating the ability for limitless creation.

Along the way, he meets his potential love interest, free-spirited Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks),  ancient wizard Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), and Batman (Will Forte). Traveling from world to world through secret tunnels in between, there is a strong sense of location established through the lego pieces and colors we see. From an Old West town to "Middle Zealand," it's a roller coaster ride that it too much fun to get off of.

The animation itself is a key reason to check out this film. Why it's released so early in the year is baffling, especially considering this movie is a lock for the Animated Feature Oscar in any given year. Designed to look like stop-motion, the computer animation is just stunning, as is the attention to detail. We get a sense of the size of these places, and in certain shots you can even see the dust floating in the air. It's a genius concept that is played out to perfection.

Almost everyone going into this movie will find something special. From a wide array of movie references from "The Empire Strikes Back" to "The Green Hornet" to "The Lord of the Rings," it's jam-packed with action, humor, and wit, and had me laughing from start to finish. With a strong visual style and incredible talent in every aspect of the movie, this is a grade-A winner.

(Awards potential: Best Animated Feature, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Original Song (Everything Is Awesome!!!))