Cinema '05: Reflections on the Oscars and the Best Films of the Year

Cinema '05: Reflections on the Oscars
and the Best Films of the Year
by Steve Finkelstein

Well, folks, here we go again : It’s Academy Awards time, where a bunch of sophomoric sycophants kiss the big collective tush by awarding themselves a neutered gold statuette, which in several years they might have to hock at a local pawnshop to feed their daily crack addiction and...ehhh, but wait—truth be known, I’m addicted to the Academy Awards myself. I've been watching it for many years, and for the last decade have been entered in numerous Oscar pools. My previous tirade was largely humorous in spirit, but perhaps fueled by a sense of frustration at the state of affairs of current cinema.

The frustration stems from an overall movie malaise if you will; a malaise that has resulted in a seven percent drop in U.S. movie attendance from ’04-’05. In fact, the drop off in movie attendance has been an ominous trend for the last three years now. Many of the factors involved are beyond the control of the studios; however, there is a factor that they can rectify: Hollywood desperately needs to make more outstanding films. There’s just not enough quality out there.

If you want to accept me as the ultimate movie arbiter (and who in their right mind wouldn’t ?), scope out my Oscar preferences and list of the year’s best films below. At this time last year, I was able to name numerous preferences for a Best Actress pick; this time, I’ve left it blank. Truth be known, I have no urge to see any of the films that the Oscar nominated actresses appeared in. There were great performances by actresses who weren’t nominated: Laura Linney who was superb playing a mother going through the gut-wrenching trauma of divorce in Squid and the Whale, and particularly Q’Orianaka Kilcher, a 14-year old actress giving a brilliant depiction of Pocahontas in the beautiful The New World.

(Speaking of that film, it was regrettably snubbed in the Best Picture and Director categories. I guess the Academy members were too obtuse to appreciate Terence Malick’s lyrical cinematic poetry...oh, well.)

The best pics of the year have dwindled as well. At this time last year, I had nine films on my list; this year, there are only seven. Last year, I only had one film qualifying as worst of the year; this year there are four choices. All this despite the fact that I saw more films this year than last!

The film industry simply needs to produce more quality films, not regressive remakes and brainless, bloated blockbusters. I think Dileep hit it squarely on the head when he previously wrote, “We need new Godfathers, Mean Streets, Chinatowns and Bonnie & Clydes.” Truer words were never spoken. Hollywood better get the message or it will soon face its own Gotterdamerung. Due to sagging box office numbers and DVD sales, the studios are having massive layoffs. If things don’t improve, movies could become an extinct entertainment form, like radio dramas.

And on that cheery note, below you will find my preferences for the Oscar (not predictions).

Best Picture: Capote

Best Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote

Best Actress: No preference

Best Supporting Actor: George Clooney, Syriana

Best Supporting Actress: Catherine Keener, Capote

Best Director: Bennett Miller, Capote

Best Original Screenplay: George Clooney and Grant Heslov, Good Night and Good Luck

Best Adapted Screenplay: Dan Futterman, Capote

And now lets cut to the chase for something more important—my picks for best films of the year:

Best of ’05 (in order of merit )

Capote
Downfall
Munich
The New World
Head-On
Good Night and Good Luck
War of the Worlds

and now, last and certainly least, my picks for the worst of the year:

Worst of ’05 (in order of no merit )

Last Days (Gus Van Sant’s roman a clef on the final days of Kurt Cobain is not only the worst film of the year, but one of the worst I’ve ever seen; DREADFUL!)
The Sound of Thunder
Fantastic Four
The 40-Year Old Virgin

For more, you can find many excellent and concise reviews of the films listed in this article as www.nytimes.com.

See ya soon.

Steve can be reached at steve@babblog.com.