2000 Best Picture Nominee- The Insider

Director:  Michael Mann

Stars:  Russell Crowe as Dr. Jeffrey Wigand, Al Pacino as Lowell Bergmann, Christopher Plummer as Mike Wallace


The Insider is the story of the struggle of 60 Minutes to bring a story regarding tobacco company Philip Morris to light and on the air.  Lowell Bergmann is a producer for the show, and upon returning home from Israel, he receives an anonymous package regarding goings-on at Philip Morris.  He seeks out someone who can translate the contents into layman's terms, and contacts Dr. Jeffrey Wigand.

Wigand, at this point, has just been fired from another tobacco company, and as part of his departure, signs a confidentiality agreement.  He refuses to talk to Bergmann, but Bergmann persists, and he agrees to speak to Bergmann regarding his time at Philip Morris.  Subsequently, his previous company orders him to sign an expanded confidentiality agreement, in which he would lose his severance package and benefits if he continued to speak, so he struggles with that decision, but finally gets angry enough that he agrees to tape the interview, and he and Bergmann battle through the tobacco industry's efforts and CBS's doubts about airing the interview.


Overall, I really enjoyed The Insider and recommend it.  I'm always wary of movies that run as long as it did (over two and a half hours), but the film moves at a brisk pace.  I thought the film made the viewer an insider as to what happened at CBS during this time period- the fears of the legal department of getting sued by the tobacco companies.  I particularly enjoyed the depiction of the relationship of Bergmann and Mike Wallace.  Pacino gives a gritty performance as Bergmann- he fights for his story but also the integrity of not betraying his source, and Crowe is (in my opinion) rightfully nominated for his performance as a man who has a lot to lose and yet stands by his ethics.

Rhythm and Repose- Glen Hansard

I wasn't exactly expecting a high-tempo, dance-friendly set of songs from Glen Hansard on his first solo release, and the songs on Rhythm and Repose aren't fit to be used for a long workout.  Hansard does provide a collection of interesting songs- interesting meaning they do hold the listener's attention, as Hansard sings of hope for the future amid bleak times.  There's some despair mixed in over failed relationships, and Hansard mostly sings quietly but does do some wailing.   Rhythm and Repose goes well, as one might imagine, with a mellow, winding-down sort of mood.  It's in the vein of David Gray, although with more rhythm than Gray sometimes features.

Stand-out tracks for me:  "You Will Become", "Talking With The Wolves", "What Are We Gonna Do"

Seeking A Friend for The End of The World

Seeking a Friend For The End of The World was one of the more unique movie-going experiences I've had in quite some time.  Occasionally, I like to go see a movie having no idea what the plot is (well, clearly the end of the world is part of it, but beyond that, I had no idea) or what others thought of it.  I've had mixed results- the last movie I tried this with was Larry Crowne, which I wound up walking out of with 40 minutes left.  Most of the time, I do this when I like the star of the movie- I've been a lifelong fan of Tom Hanks, so I went to see Larry Crowne.  This time, it was Steve Carell's turn. 

I've been a fan of Carell's since The Office. I liked how he turned a clueless boss (and yes, he did pull some really obnoxious stuff at times) into a very human, fleshed out character, and there were hints that he could be a really good actor throughout the series.  He's also shined in several films, for me most notably Crazy Stupid Love, in which I thought he was brilliant as a character going through what seems to be the end of his marriage and the aftermath.

Seeking A Friend features Carell as Dodge Peterson, and in the film's opening scene he and his wife (actually played by his real-life wife) hear on the radio that an asteroid will hit Earth in about three weeks.  His wife gets out of the car and runs off, leaving him alone, until his neighbor (played by Keira Knightley) turns up outside his window, having missed her flight to see her family in England for the last time. 

I would recommend Seeking A Friend- not knowing anything about the plot, I was worried in the first part that it was going to get saccharine and the characters would have all these last minute epiphanies, but despite being an uneven film (it took a while for me to settle into it), I'd recommend it based on Carell's performance (very understated and played close to the vest until later in the film) and the chemistry between Carell and Knightley.

The Lion The Beast The Beat- Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

In 2001, Dave Matthews Band released Everyday, an album that put off many of their fans who were expected something more along the lines of their first three (or what many of their fans call the Big Three) releases.  Instead, Everyday was a very slickly produced, more poppy sound that did feature some good songs, but others with subpar (in the fans' opinion) lyrics.  I admit I was shocked in listening to it the first time, being a huge fan and not imagining that they would go that route, especially when they had another release already recorded (what would become Busted Stuff).

I haven't listened to a ton of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, so admittedly I'm no expert, but I would think The Lion The Beast The Beat would have to be a shock to fans, as it was startling to me how many times I actually said "oh no" when listening to TLBLTB, starting with the almost 80s hard-rock sounding title track. 


My biggest problem with the whole release is the lyrics, which are very generic and cringingly bad in some cases.  (Take "Roulette", a bonus track: "my heart is going deeper in debt/but that's what I get when I'm playing roulette").  I almost felt like the lyrics were done by Mad Libs or in similar fashion to "Whose Line Is It Anyway" (I need a casino game!  Okay, roulette it is!).

I haven't been annoyed by an album in a while, but bottom line is that this one should be avoided at all costs- the lyrics are terrible and Grace Potter's voice (which I ordinarily do like) was grating after a few songs, mostly because there's little to no soul in any of them (the one exception being "One Heart Missing", an aching unrequited- love song)

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2000 Nominee- American Beauty

From Maine to suburbia for film #2, American Beauty, in which Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) feels that he's been asleep or dead for a while and is just waking up.  His wife Carolyn (Annette Bening) seems uptight and controlling to him, so he begins acting out.  He becomes infatuated with his daughter's friend Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari) and starts working out and creeping out daughter Janie (Thora Birch) with his behavior around Angela.  Meanwhile, their neighbor's son Ricky Fitts initally disturbs Janie by filming her and her family.  He is also selling marijuana to Lester, who is bent on defying Carolyn, who is having an affair with a fellow real estate agent.  Janie and Ricky become closer, and Ricky's abusive father Col. Fritts (played by Chris Cooper) mistakes his selling of marijuana to Lester for a sexual relationship.

There's a lot of pent-up rage in American Beauty, and when I first saw the film upon its release it seemed very over-the-top, with Lester throwing plates and Carolyn firing guns.  This time I found it much more compelling. There are more than a few uncomfortable scenes, (and the R rating is well deserved), but they're not gratuitous, especially given the raw emotions of all the characters involved.  Lester is awakening from what he considers a long sleep and rediscovering what he wants and feels like life at home is too rigid, so he becomes infatuated with Angela.  Kevin Spacey plays this over-the-top at first, but there are subtle changes in his attitude as the film progresses, and his is a moving performance because he realizes that his life now isn't one of a spiritually dead man.  Annette Bening plays a character going through the ringer as she's confused as to what she should be, often listening to self-help tapes but also desperately self-loathing.  I think my favorite performance in the film is that of Thora Birch as Janie, who is watching with horror as her parents' marriage dissolves and Angela can do no better than to hit on her father and talk about how sexy she finds him.

American Beauty and The Cider House Rules are two different kinds of movies,  but going gut-level, I'd have to say I enjoyed American Beauty more, just because I felt engrossed from start to finish, whereas I felt my mind wandering just a bit during Cider House Rules.

2000 Best Picture Nominee- The Cider House Rules

As I began watching The Cider House Rules, I definitely felt as if a journey was beginning, as I set out to watch all the Oscar nominees from 2000 and after. I wondered where 60+ movies (five nominees a year until the last couple of years, when the number of nominees changed from five to however many the Academy deems fit for nomination) would take me, how many of the films would leave me wondering why they were nominated, and during how many I might find myself struggling to stay awake.

Fitting, then, that I would be starting with The Cider House Rules (based on the novel by John Irving) in which Homer Wells (played by Tobey Maguire) is born and raised at St. Cloud's orphanage. Homer grows up, and Dr. Larch (Michael Caine) takes him under his wing.  

Homer grows weary of the responsibilities of being Dr. Larch's assistant and wants his own experience, so he takes off with a couple (played by Paul Rudd and Charlize Theron) and goes to work at their apple farm. Wally (Paul Rudd's character) ships out to war and Homer and Candy (Theron) grow closer.

I had seen Cider House Rules a while ago and remember enjoying the scenes at the orphanage, with Dr. Larch reading to the boys before bed and sending them to sleep with his familiar phrase:

"Goodnight you princes of Maine, you kings of New England".

I enjoyed it this time as well, but for much different reasons. The first time I saw it, I hadn't had many journeys myself. Life was familiar but comfortable. For Homer, I suppose this was true as well, but there's a wonderful scene in which Homer decides to leave with Wally and Candy, and his face begins to twitch and light up with that idea, and I thought Maguire was excellent in this scene. He kind of grew on me as the movie progressed, as he learns to stand up to others (such as Mr. Rose, played by Delroy Lindo, who is suspected of incest) and feel confident on his feet. Lindo plays his character as very intense and enigmatic, an intimidating figure to someone like Homer.

The Cider House Rules starts the journey on a winning note, thanks to strong performances by Caine (a father figure to Homer, but also a doctor determined to do what's necessary), Maguire, Lindo, and Theron.

Best Picture- 2000 and Beyond

Check out the new addition to the blog- I'll be reviewing Best Picture Nominees from 2000 to the present.  There's a link on the upper right hand side of the page

Bear Creek- Brandi Carlile

I'll just go ahead and say it- Bear Creek is Brandi Carlile's strongest effort yet.  On Bear Creek, she experiments with several different sounds- the opener, "Hard Way Home" has more of a country feel than anything Carlile's released so far.  "Raise Hell" is a barnburning, Johnny Cash-style stomp (not a surprise that she would go down that road- she's covered Cash many times in concert). "Keep Your Heart Young" was a song that grew on me with each listen- at first it sounded a little corny but after a few listens it's a favorite track.  The train-whistle style intro to "Rise Again" is stirring.  Every track is solidly written, with great harmonies and even some cello.  I consider the last track to be "In The Morrow", with "Just Kids" being more of a hidden-track curiosity. Overall, Bear Creek is one of the best albums I've listened to in a long while. 

Bernie

Bernie Tiede (Jack Black) was a renaissance man.  He worked at a funeral home as an assistant director, gave eulogies, led church choirs, and was a hit with the ladies (mostly the older ladies).  He struck up a friendship with Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine), a widow unpopular with her town.  The friendship turned to Bernie being more of a servant to Marjorie, and she demanded more and more of him.  Bernie snaps and shoots Marjorie, and is tried for the crime by Danny Buck (Matthew McConaughey).

Bernie is an average film- it does have some good laughs in it, but the film might have benefited from being 20-30 minutes shorter- there's a lot of exposition in the form of interviews with the townspeople and others that knew him.  Jack Black is very restrained as Bernie and McLaine just the opposite as Marjorie, but the conflict in the movie never hits a high level, so the film doesn't leave a lasting impression.