All nine Oscar 2012 Best Picture nominations are strong thematically, exploring important questions of the heart. Most are also very well made, and I had to struggle to keep my top tier list small. To the concerns of some conservative viewers, who complain …more »»
Film Talks Tagged ‘Oscar nomination 2012’
The Artist (2011)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — January 1, 2012
The Artist is a silent film like few others — perhaps unlike any other. Simultaneously staying true to the genre and playing with it, director Michel Hazanavicius creatively employs silent film as one element of great storytelling and filmcraft — and manages to do so without falling into …more »»
The Descendants (2011)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — December 16, 2011
Witty and gentle, unfolding at a closely measured pace, The Descendants moves through a chaotic but in the end lovely cohort of relationships wrestling with misdeeds, transgressions, wounds, and flaws, mixing tenderness and aggravation to explore how we might find heart in the middle …more »»
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — January 29, 2012
A father’s unique and creative care for his son, which is at the center of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, carries profound power of hope and healing — even when the father can’t be there. The film embodies this power strongly in its …more »»
The Help (2011)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — February 7, 2012
Curiously, The Help works as a film — it can reach inside and grab us, sending us away as better people with deeper hearts to resist thinking ourselves superior. I say “curiously” because it has a major filmcraft weakness that doesn’t seem to …more »»
Hugo (2011)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — February 2, 2012
Have you thought of the world as a machine? For me, the question carries connotations of a cold, heartless world of isolation and exploitation. Embedded within Hugo’s exploration of other matters of the heart, the film uniquely explores “machine nature” from …more »»
Midnight in Paris (2011)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — January 31, 2012
As is Woody Allen’s tendency with his films, the delightful Midnight in Paris is definitely about something. This time it’s nostalgia. Also like many of his films, which lean heavily toward having characters tell you what the film is about, so does this one — but somehow, it doesn’t come off as overbearing as usual. And that is …more »»
Moneyball (2011)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — February 3, 2012
As an underdog tale of courage and risk-taking, Moneyball succeeds very well. Even more, it succeeds as an exploration of loyalty and self-interest. Being set in the “national pastime” world of baseball lends the film some popular intrigue, and being loosely based on …more »»
The Tree of Life (2011)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — June 21, 2011
I’ll say upfront that I find The Tree of Life to be very much worth the time. I’ll also say that it is the type of enigmatic and obscure exploration of life that demands viewers to be highly engaged and to reserve judgment. With any film, …more »»
War Horse (2011)
(Before viewing)
by Randy Heffner — January 28, 2012
About the story in War Horse, a strict realist would say, “Yeah, right. How likely is that?” I hold to the old adage “truth is stranger than fiction” — or even Jack Johnson’s “fact and fiction work as a team.” But, I do have reservations about the …more »»
