Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (***1/2)

I'm actually upset over how much I was able to tolerate this film. Okay I'll admit it, I actually liked it. Having received much criticism from critics and an extremely negative post-Oscar campaign, I was hesitant to see it, but after the credits began to silently role, I was undoubtedly moved.

We've all heard the story by now. Oskar Shell is a young boy who debatably duffers from Asperger's. His father (Tom Hanks) died in the 9/11 attacks, and a year later he finds a key in his closet, a key that sets Oskar on a citywide adventure. Oskar believes that finding the lock could keep the memory of his father alive longer, and creates a mathematical brain twister to logically fulfill his quest - including journeying to visit every person with the last name 'Black' in all of New York City. On foot. Good luck.

I can understand where disapproval of the film comes from. The World Trade Centers are featured so prominently in emotional scenes, almost beating emotions from the audience. Reoccurring images of Tom Hanks falling (even during the opening credits) are in bad taste, even for me. Yes, it's a movie about the aftermath, but how early is too soon? Thomas Horn, the film's star, delivers a believably detailed performance. Many could find his character annoying or 'loud,' but that's simply his nature. There's a reason he's an outsider. Think about the pro's of the film, like the soundtrack. Perhaps one of Alexandre Desplat's most effective original scores, the music speaks to audiences and lifts the images on screen to higher levels. How he did not receive an Oscar nomination is baffling.

The supporting cast is stellar but perhaps underused, with poignant moments from Viola Davis, Tom Hanks, and Sandra Bullock, who continues to fight to prove her Oscar win was for a reason. Max Von Sydow, however, is spectacular. In a performance completely free of dialogue, his performance as 'the Renter' is as complete as any other Oscar-nominated role this year. It's beautiful, brief, and touching, and I suspect Sydow could easily give Christopher Plummer a run for his money.

Steven Daldry, what to say.... Each of his 4 films have received at least 1 acting nomination, and every one has received a nomination in either Best Picture or Best Director (or both). The Academy obviously loves him, and it's not too difficult to see why. Yes, this film is controversial and has moments that fall flat (a child running around the city banging a tambourine can only work for so long), but there are also moments of pure brilliance (like Oskar's moment of revelation of all his bottled emotions to the Renter, or the Tom Hanks' last phone call to his wife).

Whatever the case may be, I have decided it is a good film, after all. Perhaps I will change my mind in time. Sandra Bullock in a Best Picture nominee usually means I'll end up hating it after a good initial viewing (Crash, The Blind Side). We'll see. For now, all I can say is that this is a film intended for an open mind.


Oscar nominations have been announced, but here is what I believe the film had potential nominations in.

(Awards potential: Best Picture, Best Actor (Horn), Best Supporting Actor (Sydow), Best Original Score)

Jo's Oscar Nominations Reaction

Well, the day has come, and the Academy's favorites from last year finally come into focus. Overall, I believe almost each category has some sort of surprise, which is rather exciting given the Academy's dry, boring past with nominees. There were a few notable snubs, some deserving, some not. Listed are the nominees and my current predictions as of now for Oscar glory:

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

Easily the most surprising nomination of them all: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close popping up on the Best Picture list. Steven Daldry must truly have incriminating photos of Academy members or be damn good at blackmailing. Out of his 5 films made in his career, EVERY ONE has been nominated for an acting award and either Best Picture, Best Director, or both. At 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film easily takes the cake as the lowest rated Best Picture nominee in history (even beating The Reader's 62%). Other than that, nominees went as planned, and the front runners are officially Hugo and The Artist.

Prediction: The Artist


Best Achievement in Directing
Michel Hazanavicius – “The Artist”
Alexander Payne – “The Descendants”
Martin Scorsese – “Hugo”
Woody Allen – “Midnight in Paris”
Terrence Malick – “The Tree of Life”

Terrence Malick made a shocking jump forward in the race, beating Steven Spielberg to the punch. As of now, the race is wide open. Hugo received the most nominations, and who can argue with another Scorsese win? I believe other than Woody Allen, any one of the four remaining directors could easily win the award.

Prediction: Michel Hazanavicius


Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Demian Bichir – “A Better Life”
George Clooney – “The Descendants”
Jean Dujardin – “The Artist”
Gary Oldman – “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”
Brad Pitt – “Moneyball”
Predicted: Clooney, Dujardin, Fassbender, Pitt, Shannon

One of the most shocking snubs was Michael Fassbender NOT included in this list, with many citing his role in Shame as the best of the year. Thankfully the Academy dropped Leo in favor of a more deserving man, namely Gary Oldman in his first Oscar nomination. Though he has no chance of a win, it's nice to finally see him get some credit. This is a three way race between Clooney, Pitt, and Dujarin.

Prediction: George Clooney


Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
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”

NO TILDA?! Easily the most upsetting omission for me. Apparently the Academy doesn't appreciate Swinton as an actress as much as they led us to believe when they awarded her with her first Oscar. Mara is not a surprise, but in a field where the nominees have been consistent throughout various awards, her inclusion is a surprise. Streep and Viola will continue to battle it out, unless Glenn Close can win some sympathy. The Help's poor showing in nominations, though, suggests less love for the movie than we were led to believe.

Prediction: Meryl Streep


Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branagh – “My Week with Marilyn”
Jonah Hill – “Moneyball”
Nick Nolte – “Warrior”
Christopher Plummer – “Beginners”
Max Von Sydow – “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Well my God they snubbed Albert Brooks after all - and for Max Von Sydow, no doubt a deserving nomination. Ironically, two of this category's nominees are 82 years old; Sydow, and the presumed front runner Christopher Plummer. Sydow has the advantage of being in a Best Picture nominee, while Plummer is his film's only nomination. Sandra Bullock-style spoiler in the future? We'll see.

Prediction: Christopher Plummer


Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Bérénice Bejo – “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain – “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy – “Bridesmaids”
Janet McTeer – “Albert Nobbs”
Octavia Spencer – “The Help”

They did it - they nominated Bridesmaids afterall. Out of the four acting categories this was the least surprising, as all five were presumably the front runners coming in. This category makes up 50% of The Help's total nominations, pretty grim considering its potential. Perhaps Octavia doesn't have the advantage afterall.

Prediction: Berenice Bejo


Best Original Screenplay
“The Artist”
“Bridesmaids”
“Margin Call”
“Midnight in Paris”
“A Separation”

All equally deserving nominees, aside from Bridesmaids - I don't necessarily see the brilliance in the screenplay or story, it was just funny. That's all. The Artist and Midnight In Paris will be the only two possible winners.

Prediction: The Artist


Best Adapted Screenplay
“The Descendants”
“Hugo”
“The Ides of March”
“Moneyball”
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”

We correctly predicted George Clooney to receive double nominations this year, so the Ides of March should come as no surprise. The Descendants may be a frontrunner, but don't count out Moneyball, which made a strong showing with 6 nominations. This could be the film to beat.

Prediction: Moneyball


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

No Tintin?! Just when you think this category had a clear front runner, it is excluded entirely. Yet again, we see the Academy's love to nominate obscure films next to no one has heard of.

Prediction: Rango


Best Achievement in Art Direction
“The Artist” Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
“Hugo” Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
“Midnight in Paris” Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
“War Horse” Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

All strong nominees, and aside from Midnight In Paris, completely expected. Will the Academy finally award Harry Potter an actual Oscar? Or will the Artist's power take hold here as well?

Prediction: Hugo


Best Achievement in Cinematography
Guillaume Schiffman – “The Artist”
Jeff Cronenweth – “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Robert Richardson – “Hugo”
Emmanuel Lubezski – “The Tree of Life”
Janusz Kaminski – “War Horse”

The Academy veered slightly from the Cinematographer's guild, picking War Horse over Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. All solid nominees with some of the best camerawork seen in years. There's no doubt of the winner, however.

Prediction: The Tree of Life


Best Achievement in Costume Design
Lisy Christl for “Anonymous”
Mark Bridges for “The Artist”
Sandy Powell for “Hugo”
Michael O’Connor for “Jane Eyre”
Arianne Phillips for “W.E.”

Prediction: Hugo


Best Achievement in Film Editing
Anne-Sophie Bion & Michael Hazanavicius – “The Artist”
Kevin Tent – “The Descendants”
Kirk Baxter & Angus Wall – “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Thelma Schoonmaker – “Hugo”
Christopher Tellefsen – “Moneyball”

Prediction: The Artist


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

John Williams getting double the nominations? A pleasant surprise!

Prediction: The Artist


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

Dear Academy. What the f**k? Passing over great songs from The Help and Albert Nobbs in favor of 'Real in Rio?' Good night. This category needs serious revision, fast. The Muppets wins easily, though it is far from the year's best song.

Prediction: The Muppets


Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” – David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
“Hugo” – Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
“Moneyball” – Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” – Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
“War Horse” – Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Prediction: Transformers: Dark of the Moon


Best Achievement in Sound Editing
“Drive” – Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” – Ren Klyce
“Hugo” – Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” – Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
“War Horse” – Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Prediction: Hugo


Best Achievement in Makeup
“Albert Nobbs” – Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ – Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
“The Iron Lady” – Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

No surprises here, though it was shocking to see The Artist passed over in a category it could have easily been nominated.

Prediction: The Iron Lady


Best Achievement in Visual Effects
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ – Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
“Hugo” – Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
“Real Steel” – Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” – Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” – Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Somewhat upsetting to see The Tree of Life snubbed in favor of something like 'Real Steel.'

Prediction: Rise of the Planet of the Apes


Best Foreign Language Film
“Bullhead” from Belgium
“Footnote” from Israel
“In Darkness” from Poland
“Monsieur Lazhar” from Canada
“A Separation” from Iran

Prediction: A Separation


Best Documentary Feature
“Hell and Back Again” – Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” – Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” – Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
“Pina” – Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
“Undefeated” – TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Prediction: Pina


Best Documentary (Short Subject)
“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement” – Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
“God Is the Bigger Elvis” – Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
“Incident in New Baghdad” – James Spione
“Saving Face” – Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom” – Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Best Animated Short Subject
“Dimanche/Sunday” – Patrick Doyon
“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” – William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
“La Luna” – Enrico Casarosa
“A Morning Stroll” – Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
“Wild Life” – Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Best Live Action Short Subject
“Pentecost” – Peter McDonald and Eimear O’Kane
“Raju” – Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
“The Shore” – Terry George and Oorlagh George
“Time Freak” – Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
“Tuba Atlantic” – Hallvar Witzø

A Separation (*****)

There are many things that are troubling about this year's crop of quality films, especially considering the thin list of potential Best Picture nominees that could be deemed 'worthy' of the award. However, to see a film like A Separation made this year in Iran both renews my belief in movies as well as further demonstrates the lack of quality America seems to pump out. Here is undoubtedly one of the best movies of the year, of the decade, of the new century, yet many people have failed to see or even hear of it simply because it is foreign.

The film follows a couple, Nader and Simin, who are facing a troubling divorce, leaving their teenage daughter to decide with whom she will live. Nader lives with his elderly father who suffers from Alzheimer's. A maid is hired to replace Simin in the grandfather's care taking, bringing with her the entire narrative to the rest of the film. Without spoiling much of the rich, layered plot, an incident occurs involving the new maid that sets off a chain of events that leads to the destruction of both families and raises moral, religious, ethical, and philosophical questions regarding the law. The amount covered in the screenplay is vast, moving from the troubled situation the daughter faces at school, to the maid's extreme religious beliefs (even going to the point of verifying that changing an elderly man's dirty pants is not a sin).

This film has jumped to the top of Rotten Tomatoes 'Fresh' list with a perfect 100% score and has won virtually every foreign language film award that is offered, and yet it does not seem like enough. Films rarely have the power to involve me so deeply in the plot as well as have such a strong grip on my attention - subtitles or not. The story is one that is universal, bridging languages and borders. Iran is not a country torn by war, destruction, and radicals - no, there are everyday dramas unfolding all the time. What's amazing is not how different this Iranian film is from the United States, but how we are the same.

I don't think I will be able to speak highly enough of this film in one small post. Out of all the films I have seen this year, perhaps it is not my favorite, but it is undoubtedly the smartest. In years to come, I believe that the film people will remember most from 2011 will be A Separation, a film that will most likely fail to receive more than an Oscar nomination or two, but challenges what filmmaking can do and delivers a universal message that should resound with viewers everywhere.

(Awards potential: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Screenplay)

Golden Globe Predictions

The time is here! The awards show that no one really cares about but still watches to see celebrities get drunk: The Golden Globes! Years past have worked to transform the GG's from Oscar precursor to more or less a Hollywood hack (see The Tourist, Avatar, etc). Nonetheless, these awards still help to gain a clearer perspective on where voters may be looking, and overlaps between Golden Globes are not altogether rare. So without further ado, here are MoJo's predictions for tonight's gala:













BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
1.) Hugo
2.) The Descendants
3.) The Help
4.) War Horse
5.) The Ides of March
6.) Moneyball

The Golden Globes have proven time again that they have a stronger appeal for flashy movies with big-name directors. In a year of films focusing on human drama, one film stands out. Hugo seems like the likely winner tonight, but based on the Hollywood Foreign Press's love for either George Clooney or The Help (both films with more nominations), any of the top three seem like viable contenders.


BEST MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL or COMEDY
1.) The Artist
2.) Midnight In Paris
3.) Bridesmaids
4.) My Week With Marilyn
5.) 50/50

In what is perhaps the most assured winner of the night, The Oscar frontrunner should come out victorious over lighter fare like Bridesmaids (which still has a minute chance of pulling a Hangover upset). Woody Allen's Best Director nod could show stronger support that we may think for Midnight In Paris, but The Artist is considered locked.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
1.) George Clooney - The Descendants
2.) Brad Pitt - Moneyball
3.) Michael Fassbender - Shame
4.) Ryan Gosling - The Ides of March
5.) Leonardo DiCaprio - J. Edgar

Geoge and Brad are the only two nominees here guaranteed a spot come Oscar time, and it seems these two are the only viable winners tonight. Pitt is making a strong showing with what many predict may win him his first Oscar, but The Descendants received the second-most nominations of the evening, and with everyone a fan of Mr Clooney, it should not come as a surprise to see him win the award in a photo finish.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
1.) Viola Davis - The Help
2.) Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
3.) Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs
4.) Tilda Swinton - We Need To Talk About Kevin
5.) Rooney Mara - The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Viola and Meryl, the two heavyweights from 2008's Doubt, will duke it out for the top prize here, and either one has a fair shot at winning. Meryl is a perennial nominee and winner and is a clear Globe favorite. The Help, however, showed stronger support with more nominations, and this would be Viola's first win. We predict Viola to take it by a hair, but don't be surprised (we won't!) if Meryl pulls it out in the end. This is the race to watch tonight.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL or COMEDY
1.) Jean Dujardin - The Artist
2.) Joseph Gordon-Levitt - 50/50
3.) Owen Wilson - Midnight In Paris
4.) Brendan Gleeson - The Guard
5.) Ryan Gosling - Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Many see Dujardin as the only possible winner in this category and may see it as the biggest lock of the night. Don't count out Joseph Gordon-Levitt, though, already a Globe nominee from 500 Days of Summer and better known celebrity. His performance in 50/50 is said to be Oscar-worthy, and he could provide one of the night's most pleasant upsets and shouldn't be counted out of the race by any means.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - MUSICAL or COMEDY
1.) Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn
2.) Charlize Theron - Young Adult
3.) Kristin Wiig - Bridesmaids
4.) Kate Winslet - Carnage
5.) Jodie Foster - Carnage

This is a category that can be narrowed down slightly. The little-seen Carnage and it's two nominees will cancel each other out (sorry Kate and Jodie!), and Bridesmaids was not necessarily praised for Wiig's performance. Theron has a shot, as does Williams, who perhaps has a better one. Many people are crying category fraud, though - was My Week With Marilyn really a comedy? No - but for now she seems like the one to beat.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
1.) Octavia Spencer - The Help
2.) Jessica Chastain - The Help
3.) Berenice Bejo - The Artist
4.) Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
5.) Shailene Woodley - The Descendants

Here is a category where double nominations for a film may not work against it. Spencer has been building a rapport with the awards circuit and her powerful, comedic performance in The Help is not likely to go unnoticed. Chastain also has a fair shot at winning, having one of the best years of any actor in history. If love is great for The Artist, Bejo could walk with this, but I think the love for The Help will carry it to a supporting victory easily.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
1.) Christopher Plummer - Beginners
2.) Albert Brooks - Drive
3.) Kenneth Branagh - My Week With Marilyn
4.) Jonah Hill - Moneyball
5.) Viggo Mortensen - A Dangerous Method

Yawn, one of the most boring acting categories I can remember. Plummer wins on sentimentality alone.


BEST DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE
1.) Martin Scorsese - Hugo
2.) Michael Hazanavicius - The Artist
3.) Alexander Payne - The Descendants
4.) Woody Allen - Midnight In Paris
5.) George Clooney - The Ides of March

It may be foolish putting Payne so low on the list, as he has a great chance of winning. I feel that the love for Hugo and The Artist may perhaps be stronger, though, and either seem like a worthy and likely winner. Who knows, they may go head over heels to welcome Woody Allen back into the circle and award him based on reputation alone.


BEST SCREENPLAY - MOTION PICTURE
1.) The Descendants
2.) Moneyball
3.) Midnight In Paris
4.) The Artist
5.) The Ides of March

Payne has won this category before and it seems likely that he will again for The Descendants. Moneyball is a close second, with last year's winner Aaron Sorkin penning what could be arguably a better screenplay than Social Network. Allen still gets the potential sympathy vote and wins by default, but for now, bet on Descendants.


BEST ORIGINAL SONG - MOTION PICTURE
1.) The Help - 'The Living Proof'
2.) Albert Nobbs - 'Lay Your Head Down'
3.) Gnomeo & Juliet - 'Hello Hello'
4.) W.E. - 'Masterpiece'
5.) Machine Gun Preacher - 'The Keeper'

This is the category that rarely matches with the Oscars and awarded Burlesque a Golden Globe last year. Your guess is as good as any, but the love for The Help seems like it will carry it to a win in this category, though the haunting theme for Albert Nobbs is equally deserving.


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - MOTION PICTURE
1.) The Artist
2.) War Horse
3.) Hugo
4.) The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
5.) W.E.

The winner in this category has gone on to win the Oscar for the past 4 years running, so the most sensible choice is The Artist, whose score perfectly captures both the era and sound of silent pictures. John Williams would be a welcome winner with his rousing work on War Horse, or last year's winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, though it seems like they may wish to spread the love a little bit.


BEST ANIMATED FILM
1.) Rango
2.) The Adventures of Tintin
3.) Arthur Christmas
4.) Puss In Boots
5.) Cars 2

Yes, for the first time the Pixar nominee has absolutely zero chance of a win. As it has been all year, the award will be between Rango and Tintin, each deserving. I tip it in favor of Rango if only for the Golden Globe's love for all things Johnny Depp.


BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
1.) A Separation
2.) The Skin I Live In
3.) The Flowers of War
4.) In The Land of Blood and Honey
5.) The Kid With A Bike

A Separation seems like the only probable winner - a film that has been declared 'a masterpiece' by virtually every film critic living (and probably dead).


There you have it! Our predictions for the 2012 Golden Globe Awards. Let us know what you think!

The Iron Lady (**)

For me, no movie was anticipated this year as The Iron Lady, Meryl Streep's glorious return to the screen and what would be perhaps one of the most acclaimed performances of her illustrious career. The teaser and theatrical trailers promised Streep's ever-present wit, attention to detail, and perfect ear for dialects and accents. Margaret Thatcher, as it were, was perhaps the role she was born to play. How disappointed I was to find The Iron Lady not only an imbalanced mess, but one that was so poorly conceived of that it threatened to dampen what was perhaps the best performance given by an actor in the past 3 years. Yes, I believe Streep has outdone even herself, but the film she finds herself in is perhaps one of the worst of the year.

Told through flashbacks (as all Oscar wannabe's seem to be), we see glimpses of Margaret Thatcher's reign as Britain's first woman and longest-running 20th Century Prime Minister. And do I mean glimpses. The film, set in what is presumably modern times, shows Thatcher as delusional, slow, and ever-losing her grip on reality. These flashbacks to her political days are so brief that they account for what feels like no more than 30 minutes of the entire film. What we are left with is Thatcher, old, decrepit, and constantly at the sympathy of her staff and daughter. Is this movie called The Iron Lady or The Crazy and Slightly Soft Lady? Where is the powerful Thatcher who stood her ground amidst trials and war? Yes, we see instances of her leadership as Prime Minister, but they are all out of context and not presented in a clear cohesive manner. Not to mention that Thatcher is still alive to this day. What would you think if you went to see a biopic made about yourself and your life's work only to see it focused on your medical problems today, after you're out of the public spotlight?

And here is the dilemma with the film. Yes, the movie was fatally flawed from the screenplay stage, but Meryl Streep has truly never given a better performance since perhaps Sophie's Choice. Here she is completely immersed in her character, disappearing entirely behind Oscar-worthy makeup and costumes. There is no more complete performance from this year, male or female, and the Oscars would be justified in giving Streep her LONG overdue 3rd Oscar. But will they reward such an historic performance hidden inside a mediocre film? I hate to say that it seems doubtful. The film is technically well made and the only flaw is truly with the script, but it is such a gaping error on the filmmakers' part that it is a wonder how so many people agreed to make the film in the first place.

Don't get me wrong, The Iron Lady is not a bad film along the lines of Gigli or Plan 9 From Outer Space. It is a film that could have been (dare I say) great were it under the helm of a different director, editor, or screenwriter. The focal point of the film is marvelous Meryl Streep, who is the sole redeeming feature to this movie. Will Oscar give credit where it is due and look past the film? Hard to say. If nothing else, we have yet another film that solidifies today's greatest actor as perhaps history's greatest actor of all time.

(Awards potential: Best Actress (Streep), Best Makeup, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction, Best Original Score)