OZU'S EQUINOX FLOWER

Saw Yasijuro Ozu's Equinox Flower for the second time, a story about parents and their conflicts with their children over the changing mores of how one chooses a mate. I don't know how Ozu does it. The drama is minimal; the acting understated; the pacing leisurely; everything is tightly controlled. Yet his movies are riveting and deeply moving.

EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE

Saw Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close with my friend Jim. As soon as the first line was spoken, I thought, "Oh my God, this is awful and it's just going to get worse", and it did. A friend of a friend said that after seeing the movie, he wished 9/11 had been a take your kid to work day. Max Von Sydow was good, but the movie was insufferable. We were going to see Haywire afterwards, but we were so dispirited, we didn't want to wait and went home.

MY PICK FOR BEST FILMS OF 2012

BEST PICTURE

Pina

The rest in alphabetical order:

Artist, The

Attack the Block

Drive

Havre, La

Kid With a Bike, The

Midnight In Paris

Of Gods and Men

Poetry

Separation, A

Snowtown

Though the list is in alphabetical order, Of Gods and Men is my second favorite; A Separation my third; and Poetry, my third.

I also liked: Point Blank, The Guard, The Future, Extraterrestrials, Moneyball, 50/50, Oslo, August 31st, Another Earth, Meek’s Cutoff, Elite Squad II, The Princess of Montparsnee

World on a Wire - A special award to the rediscovery of this remarkable two part television film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder

BEST ACTOR

Lambert Wilson - Of Gods and Men, The Princess of Montparsnee

In alphabetical order:

Jean Dujardin - The Artist

Payman Moadi - A Separation

Gary Oldman - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Brad Pitt - Moneyball, Tree of Life

I also liked: Joseph Gorden-Levitt, 50/50, Hasher; Gilles Lelouche, Point Blank; Brendan Gleeson, The Guard; Dany Boon, Nothing to Declare; Andre Wilms, Le Havre; Woody Harrelson, Rampart; Michael Fassbender, Shame; Paul Giamatti, Win, Win, The Ides of March

BEST ACTRESS:

Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady

Sorry, I couldn’t reduce the rest of the category to four, so here are the others:

In alphabetical order:

Juliette Binoche - Certified Copy

Viola Davis - The Help

Leila Hatami - A Separation

Tilda Swinton - We Have to Talk About Kevin

Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn

Jeong-hie Yun - Poetry

I also liked: Rooney Mara, Girl with Dragon Tattoo; Charlize Theron, Young Adult.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Albert Books - Drive

In alphabetical order:

Kenneth Branagh - My Week with Marilyn

Jonah Hill - Moneyball

Shahab Hussein - A Separation

Christopher Plummer - Beginners

I also liked: Armee Hammer, J. Edgar; Jared Harris, Sherlock Holmes; and Patton Oswalt, Young Adult.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Carey Mulligan - Drive, Shame

Again, I couldn’t reduce the number to four:

Berenice Bejo - The Artist

Sareh Bayat - A Separation

Jessica Chastain - Tree of Life

Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaid

Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs

Octavia Spencer - The Help

BEST DIRECTOR:

Wim Wenders - Pina

The rest in alphabetical order:

Joe Cornish - Attack the Block

Asghar Farhadi - A Separation

Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist

Nicolas Winding Refn - Drive

I also liked: Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life; Fred Cavaye - Point Blank; Xavier Beauvois - Of Gods and Men; Chang-dong Lee - Poetry;

BEST SCREENPLAY

Asghar Farhadi - A Separation

Going for five over four more here:

Woody Allen - Midnight In Paris

Xavier Beauvois, Etienne Comar - Of Gods and Men

Chang-dong Lee - Poetry

Will Reiser - 50/50

Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin - Moneyball

I also liked: Thomas McCarthy, Win Win; J.C. Chandor, Margin Call; John Michael McDonagh, The Guard; Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, The Kid With a Bike; Jochaim Trier, Eskil Vogt, Oslo, August 31^st; Brit Marling, Mike Cahill, Another Earth

OSCAR NOMINATIONS

http://oscar.go.com/nominees

LONDON CRITICS CIRCLE NOMINATIONS

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy-drive-275698

WGA RESTORES DALTON TRUMBO'S CREDIT TO ROMAN HOLIDAY

http://www.deadline.com/2011/12/wga-restores-blacklisted-writer-dalton-trumbos-screen-credit-to-roman-holiday/
Better late than never, I suppose.

FINALLY: They're Beginning to See the Light

They're finally coming around. The Artist is going to win Best Picture. It's taking them long enough. http://www.indiewire.com/article/10-notable-things-about-the-sag-golden-globe-and-critics-choice-nominations