Quvenzhane Wallis: At The Oscars

In an age of miracle and wonder a little princess goes to the ball. When director Ben Zeitlin cast the role of Hushpuppy for his soon to be lauded “Beasts of the Southern Wild” he found a gem in Quvenzhane Wallis. She embodied everything Zeitlin was look for and more. Wallis was strong, intelligent, self-assured, plucky and well…cute. There was more to her though and most importantly she won Zeitlin over with heart, compassion and a sense of what can only be described as honor. Both Wallis and Zeitlin were nominated for “Best” in their categories as well as the film itself was respectfully. No Oscars were awarded but the hearts and minds of many were won for the duration. They have been enlisted as friends and admirers for life.

 

At the Oscars and all the preliminary events, glamour and glitz Wallis was magnificent in the special way only an innocent can be. She was stylish of dress and lovely with her little puppy-purses and shoulder bags. Her interviews were on point and she showed a wit and aplomb that equaled many an older and more accomplished actress. Her best moment was a view of her dancing way past her bedtime (that had been extended for the events) and spinning in a circle until she was dizzy. Oh; the joys of childhood!   

Congratulations Quvenzhane! Congratulations for being there; at the ball, for showing us grace and joy and for filling our hearts.

the OSCARS

 

Winning the much coveted statuette “Oscar” is no less the pinnacle of success for all that make their lives in, through and around the film industry.  The 85th Annual Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards Ceremony will be held this Sunday night February 24th in their singular glory. Praise, adoration, glamour, riches accomplishment, purpose and joy live within this gold plated embodiment of “the stuff of dreams.”

There are nine nominees for the award of Best Picture. It is to the Academy’s credit that a total of nine candidates were selected in a category that allows for ten. This adds a special legitimacy to the choices. There is no reason to pick a tenth less accomplished piece just to fill a slot and nine are enough. The nominees are strong and varied in every way. Equally while uniquely worthy in fact they are truly all winners. Political intrigue, history, religion, childhood dreams and revolution are among the elements of these excellent works. Emancipation, rescue, revenge, survival and commitment are found along with feast; famine, love, hate and torture all brought to the big screen and this from the one feature “Zero Dark Thirty.” Imagine what the other eight are like with titles including “Beasts of the Southern Wild”, ”Silver Linings Notebook” and “Life of Pi.”  Twenty Twelve was an amazing year for the lovers of film and the nine nominees for best picture are:     

 

 

Amour

Margaret Menegoz, Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka and Michael Katz   Producers

 

 

 

Argo

Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney    Producers

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald     Producers

Django Unchained

Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and

Pilar Savone    Producers

Les Misérables

Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh    Producers

 

 

 

Life of Pi

Gil Netter, Ang Lee and

David Womark Producers

 

 

Lincoln

 

Steven Spielberg and  Kathleen Kennedy   Producers

                 
                                                  
                                                                                                                                                     

Silver Linings Playbook

Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and

Jonathan Gordon   Producers

Zero Dark ThirtyMark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow and Megan Ellison   Producers

Kathryn Bigelow: Zero Dark Thirty

Sunday afternoon January 20^th I find myself sitting, stunned in a dark movie theatre. The credits roll as the score plays for one of the most powerful films I have seen in many years. There’s a lot to digest here and I haven’t been this shaken and awed by a film since Francis Ford Coppola’s  “Apocalypse Now.” I remain motionless. “Directed by Kathryn Bigelow” flows from the darkness and reveals itself onto the screen then fades away. After a time I have to leave the theatre; this brilliant, unusual production piece, “Zero Dark Thirty.”

Bigelow has created nothing short of a masterpiece. It will be viewed and studied for years to come. It is already being dissected and analyzed. It is also already an intense controversy. This is the stuff that makes legends; makes the world think. Torture is nothing short of the most vile, hideous and least human of acts that human beings perform on each other. There is no connection to the heroic in it’s execution and Americans need to see themselves as heroes. The depiction of the torture of the detainees in a CIA Black Site is so realistic and brutal that I almost left the theatre at one point, to watch it is to somehow comply with it.  I sat through the scenes that went on for at least 20 minutes (an eternity in film time) and it is to the great credit of the film maker that she was able to bring me back into her vision. It was the scene with the monkeys that brought me back.  

“Zero Dark Thirty” is military slang for thirty minutes past midnight (Oh Dark Thirty) or an arbitrary time between midnight and dawn. It is very late night or very early morning depending on your point of view. The film too is very much left to the viewer’s perspective. This is good for events that are so critical to the national psyche and are actual events in the nation’s history. The bringing to justice of Osama Bin Laden was important and it was not pretty. There is no real glorification or “Hollywood” clichés involved. The film opens to a total black screen with archive recordings of the attack of the World Trade Center. Our imaginations and memories are already put to work. It cuts directly to the torture of an “Enemy Combatant” who strangely comes to remind me of Jesus. What follows is without a single moment of detachment for the viewer.

 

 

Bigelow’s vision of the events following Nine Eleven is impressive, provocative and to the credit of all her team of collaorators and crew. Bigelow takes her place now among the great artist/film-makers with this dedicated piece. I can only think that there are greater works still from her to come.