Review: Oscar-Nominee "Munich" Asks the Uncomfortable Questions (Happy B'day, John Williams)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 4 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Munich (2005)
Running time: 164 minutes (2 hours, 44 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong graphic violence, some sexual content, nudity, and language
DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg
WRITERS: Tony Kushner and Eric Roth (based upon the book Vengeance by George Jonas)
PRODUCERS: Kathleen Kennedy, Barry Mendel, Colin Wilson, and Steven Spielberg
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Janusz Kaminski
EDITOR: Michael Kahn
COMPOSER: John Williams
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA

Starring: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciarán Hinds, Mathieu Kassovitz, Hanns Zischler, Ayelet Zorer, Geoffrey Rush, Gila Almagor, Michael Lonsdale, Mathieu Amalric, Gila Almagor, and Lynn Cohen

Steven Spielberg’s Munich is set in the aftermath of the real life massacre of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. The story follows a secret assassination squad, led by a former Mossad (Israeli version of the CIA) officer named Avner (Eric Bana), assigned to track down and kill the 11 Palestinian terrorists and operatives, whom the Israeli government suspects of having planned the Munich attack. The film focuses on the personal toll this mission of revenge and retribution takes upon the team, and in particular, Avner.

Many have argued that Munich has taken both sides in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, but I must have missed something because I didn’t see it that way. I viewed the film as a narrative that with medical precision shows how much it costs men to engage in one act of murder after another. This isn’t about a war where the fighters kill (mostly) faceless men. Avner and his associates (which includes the new James Bond, Daniel Craig, playing a gung-ho, American cowboy-type, Israeli named Steve) have to hunt these men down. In that way, they get to see them as more than targets. Yes, they may be murderers, and clearly they involve themselves in operations aimed at killing Israelis in terrorist attacks, but these aren’t dogs that Avner and his team are hunting. Eventually, killing people and endangering innocents (collateral damage) gets to be too much for them. The explosions, the gore, and most of all the finality of death – always watching, knowing, and talking to people they have to kill.

Avner misses his wife and child, and he begins to mistrust his Israeli bosses, in particular Ephraim (the truly astounding chameleonic actor Geoffrey Rush). Eventually, Avner and his team find themselves competing against American interests, the CIA, and Soviet interests, personified by the KGB, who protect and provide both material and financial support to some Palestinian terrorists. So many of the parties involved see Avner’s mission as some kind of game, a war game for sure, but still a game of capture and defend territory. There are platitudes galore about striking back and sending a message, but in this narrative, only Avner understands that this is dirty work, expensive dirty work. The costs will run into the millions, and will also cost many lives – lives that must often be violently snuffed out if one side is to win and/or survive. One has to wonder what the result of terrorism and the retributive answer to it will be. As one of the characters concludes, “There is no peace at the end of this.”

Still, through Munich, one can tell that Spielberg clearly believes that Israel had to answer the Munich murders with retribution (as do I). He also clearly loves Israel. At one point in the film, Avner’s mother (Gila Almagor) says of the founding of Israel that they (Jews) had to take the land because no one would give it to them, and that they needed a place on earth where Jews could live with other Jews. Spielberg may very likely believe this, but in Munich, he uses film to question Israel using swift retribution for every attack against it, although I don’t think that Israel has always answered every attack against it.

Perhaps, that is why the film meanders. It’s too long, and on just a few occasions it is too preachy – a few of those being embarrassingly preachy. Munich’s resolution is also soft – if there is one. I get the point that the director wants to say that there are no easy answers for this situation, but in saying that, the movie lumbers towards the end like an out of shape and slightly over weight athlete. Munich does indeed take a side (Israel), but the movie wonders about the other side (the Palestinians). Spielberg doesn’t really try to have it both ways, but he muddles the water enough with differing points of view. Still, what is one the screen is outstanding, powerful, and mesmerizing. I could have an adjective field day, but with its engaging performances – Eric Bana is rugged, handsome, and shows his soul with this performance – and taut action (the assassinations are as riveting as anything in the best war and action movies), Munich is must-see cinema for any Spielberg fan and any fan of cinema.

8 of 10
A

Saturday, January 07, 2006

NOTES:
2006 Academy Awards: 5 nominations: “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg, and Barry Mendel), “Best Achievement in Directing” (Steven Spielberg), “Best Achievement in Editing” (Michael Kahn) and “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score” (John Williams), and “Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay” (Tony Kushner and Eric Roth)

2006 Golden Globes: 2 nominations: “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Steven Spielberg) and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Tony Kushner and Eric Roth)

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DreamWorks Animation and its "Dragon" Dominate 38th Annie Awards

The Annie Awards were born in 1972 and began as a career achievement award.  In 1992, the awards began to honor animation in general, including the birth of the "Best Animated Feature" award.  ASIFA-Hollywood, the Los Angeles, California branch of the International Animated Film Association, gives out the Annies.

Before I list this year's winners, I guess I should mention the controversy.  Disney/Pixar boycotted the awards this year and apparently did not officially submit or campaign for their films.  They claim that the way in which the Annies are judged favors DreamWorks Animation.  This all goes back to the awards handed out in 2009 for the 2008 films, which saw Kung Fu Panda beat Wall-E for best animated feature.

So, this year, DreamWorks Animation won 15 of the 24 competitive awards and the studio's How to Train Your Dragon sweept the feature animation categories, where it won 10 trophies, including best animated feature.  Toy Story 3 did not win any awards, but Pixar did win one award for the animated short, Day & Night.

If I feel like commenting about the children squabbling over awards sometime in the future, I will, but for now, I imagine that you want to know who won.

THE COMPLETE LIST OF 38TH ANNIE AWARD WINNERS:

Best Animated Feature: "How to Train Your Dragon" – DreamWorks Animation

Best Animated Short Subject: "Day & Night" – Pixar

Best Animated Television Commercial: "Children's Medical Center" - DUCK Studios

Best Animated Television Production: "Kung Fu Panda Holiday" - DreamWorks Animation

Best Animated Television Production for Children: "SpongeBob SquarePants" – Nickelodeon

Best Animated Video Game: Limbo – Playdead

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES

Directing in a Feature Production: "How to Train Your Dragon," Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois - DreamWorks Animation

Writing in a Feature Production: “How to Train Your Dragon,” William Davies, Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders – DreamWorks Animation

Animated Effects in an Animated Production: "How To Train Your Dragon," Brett Miller - DreamWorks Animation

Character Animation in a Feature Production: "How To Train Your Dragon," Gabe Hordos - DreamWorks Animation

Character Animation in a Live Action Production: "Alice in Wonderland," Ryan Page

Character Design in a Feature Production: "How To Train Your Dragon," Nico Marlet - DreamWorks Animation

Music in a Feature Production: "How To Train Your Dragon," John Powell - DreamWorks Animation

Production Design in a Feature Production: "How To Train Your Dragon," Pierre Olivier Vincent - DreamWorks Animation

Storyboarding in a Feature Production: "How To Train Your Dragon," Tom Owens - DreamWorks Animation

Voice Acting in a Feature Production: "How To Train Your Dragonn" Jay Baruchel as Hiccup - DreamWorks Animation

Directing in a Television Production: "Kung Fu Panda Holiday," Tim Johnson - DreamWorks Animation

Writing in a Television Production: "Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III": Geoff Johns, Matthew Beans, Zeb Wells, Hugh Sterbakov, Matthew Senreich, Breckin Meyer, Seth Green, Mike Fasolo, Douglas Goldstein, Tom Root, Dan Milano, Kevin Shinick & Hugh Davidson – ShadowMachine

Character Animation in a Television Production: David Pate, "Kung Fu Panda Holiday" - DreamWorks Animation

Character Design in a Television Production: Ernie Gilbert, "T.U.F.F. Puppy" – Nickelodeon

Music in a Television Production: Jeremy Wakefield, Sage Guyton, Nick Carr, Tuck Tucker, "SpongeBob SquarePants" – Nickelodeon

Production Design in a Television Production: Richie Sacilioc, "Kung Fu Panda Holiday" - DreamWorks Animation

Storyboarding in a Television Production: Fred Gonzales, "T.U.F.F. Puppy" – Nickelodeon

Voice Acting in a Television Production: James Hong as Mr. Ping, "Kung Fu Panda Holiday" - DreamWorks Animation

JURIED AWARDS

Winsor McCay Award – Brad Bird, Eric Goldberg, Matt Groening

June Foray – Ross Iwamoto.

Ub Iwerks Award – Autodesk

Special Achievement – “Waking Sleeping Beauty”

http://www.annieawards.org/index.html

Review: "Night Catches Us" Captures Mackie, Washington, and Hamilton in Fine Form

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 12 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Night Catches Us (2010)
Running time: 90 minutes (1 hour, 30 minutes)
MPAA – R for language, some sexuality and violence
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Tanya Hamilton
PRODUCERS: Sean Costello, Jason Orans, and Ron Simons
CINEMATOGRAPHER: David Tumblety
EDITORS: John Chimples and Affonso Gonçalves
COMPOSERS/SONGS: The Roots

DRAMA

Starring: Kerry Washington, Anthony Mackie, Wendell Pierce, Jamie Hector, Tariq Trotter, Ron Simons, Amari Cheatom, Tariq Rasheed, and Jamara Griffin

Films set in the past can be timely or relevant to the times in which they are released. For instance the 1970 film, MASH, is set during the Korean War (1950-53), but the film was relevant in the Vietnam era and can be viewed as being about the Vietnam War.

Released in 2010, Night Catches Us, an independent film drama from writer/director Tonya Hamilton, is set in 1976. Not only is it timely in addressing current social ills, but the film is also timeless in the way it depicts an oppressed group’s inability to move on from past hurts and persistent bitterness. Plus, Night Catches Us is an extra damn fine movie and dramatic piece of work.

The film focuses on Marcus Washington (Anthony Mackie), a former Black Panther who returns to his Philadelphia neighborhood in 1976 for his father’s funeral. Marcus immediately clashes with his brother, Bostic (Tariq Trotter), and also with much of the rest of this race-torn Philly neighborhood that is not so happy to see the return of a prodigal son. Marcus is still blamed for the death of a revered Panther, Neil Wilson (Tariq Rasheed), at the hands of the hated police years earlier.

One person who is welcoming to Marcus is Patricia Wilson (Kerry Washington), a local attorney and Neil’s widow. Marcus has deep feelings for her, and he quickly befriends Patricia and Neil’s daughter, an intelligent and inquisitive 9-year-old named Iris (Jamara Griffin). However, the police, mainly in the form a shady detective named David Gordon (Wendell Pierce), and “DoRight” Miller (Jamie Hector), a former minor Panther turned local boss, have targeted Marcus for their own benefit.

In Night Catches Us, Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington give performances that are not only stunning, but also affirm their places as two of the best American actors. Generally, audiences don’t have a chance to see them since both are underutilized by the major American film studios. In this film, both actors give layered, textured performances that bring to the surface the thoughts and feelings of the characters. With subtly and grace, Washington reveals that which ultimately holds back Patricia, while Mackie bares Marcus’ steadfast believe in hope and change. (Yeah, he’s like President Obama, but with a touch of Clint Eastwood.)

Although they are exceptionally talented, one of the reasons both actors are so good in Night Catches Us is because the material is so good. Writer/director Tonya Hamilton reportedly spent a decade writing the script, and the extensive development shows in the writing’s intricacy It has the depth, complexity, philosophical underpinnings, and social themes of a great American novel.

Night Catches Us is timely because it speaks to the same ills that plague African-Americans living in poor neighborhoods, such as a lack of good jobs and the presence of police that are intolerant of the very people they are supposed to help. The screenplay’s timeless quality is the story’s ability to grapple with issues that have plagued African-Americans nearly for the entirety of our presence in America. Like many Black folk (generally speaking), most of the characters cannot escape to better because they fight with the bitterness of past hurts instead of trying to leave some of that past behind them. We can’t find happiness here, Kerry Washington’s Patricia Wilson declares at one point, but the film asks a more pointed question. Why won’t they and we leave?

What testifies to Hamilton’s skill as a director in Night Catches Us is the fact that she gets topnotch performances from her entire cast. It takes cinematic talent to get a multifaceted performance even from a child actor the way Hamilton does with Jamara Griffin as Iris Wilson. Night Catches Us is not just a great Black movie (which it is); it is also simply a superb American film.

9 of 10
A+

Monday, February 07, 2011

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Christopher Nolan Recieves First Guild Award with WGA Win

After recieving several nominations from the Writers, Directors, and Producers Guilds, Christopher Nolan finally won a guild award, receiving the "Original Screenplay" award from the Writers Guild of America for the screenplay of his hit film, Inception, in a ceremony held Saturday night (Feb. 5th).  However, the frontrunner for the original screenplay Oscar is The King's Speech, which the WGA ruled ineligible for its awards.

2011 WRITERS GUILD WINNERS COMPLETE LIST:

SCREEN
Original Screenplay: Christopher Nolan, "Inception"
Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, "The Social Network"
Documentary Screenplay: Charles Ferguson, Chad Beck and Adam Bolt, "Inside Job"

TELEVISION
Drama Series: "Mad Men," written by Jonathan Abrahams, Lisa Albert, Keith Huff, Jonathan Igla, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Brett Johnson, Janet Leahy, Erin Levy, Tracy McMillan, Dahvi Waller, Matthew Weiner (AMC)

Comedy Series: "Modern Family," written by Jerry Collins, Paul Corrigan, Alex Herschlag, Abraham Higginbotham, Elaine Ko, Joe Lawson, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O'Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Brad Walsh, Ilana Wernick, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker (ABC)

New Series: "Boardwalk Empire," written by Meg Jackson, Lawrence Konner, Howard Korder, Steve Kornacki, Margaret Nagle, Tim Van Patten, Paul Simms, Terence Winter (HBO)

Episodic Drama: ""The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" ("Mad Men"), written by Erin Levy (AMC)

Episodic Comedy: "When It Rains, It Pours" ("30 Rock"), written by Robert Carlock (NBC)

Long Form - Original: "The Special Relationship," written by Peter Morgan (HBO)

Long Form - Adaptation: "The Pacific, Part Eight," written by Robert Schenkkan and Michelle Ashford (HBO)

Animation: "The Prisoner of Brenda" ("Futurama"), written by Ken Keeler (Comedy Central)

Comedy/Variety Series: "The Colbert Report," written by Barry Julien, Dan Guterman, Eric Drysdale, Frank Lesser, Glenn Eichler, Jay Katsir, Max Werner, Meredith Scardino, Michael Brumm, Opus Moreschi, Peter Gwinn, Rich Dahm, Rob Dubbin, Scott Sherman, Stephen Colbert, Tom Purcell, Peter Grosz, Paul Dinello (Comedy Central)

Comedy/Variety - Special: "National Memorial Day Concert 2010," written by Joan Meyerson (PBS)

Daytime Drama: "As the World Turns," written by Susan Dansby, Lucky Gold, Janet Iacobuzio, Penelope Koechi, David Kreizman, Leah Laiman, David A. Levinson, Leslie Nipkow, Jean Passanante, Gordon Rayfield, David Smilow (CBS)

Children's - Episodic & Specials: "Happy Ha-Ha Holidays," written by Michael G. Stern, Randi Barnes, Rick Gitelson, Scott Gray (Disney Channel)

Children's - Long Form or Special: "Avalon High," written by Julie Sherman Wolfe and Amy Talkington

Documentary - Current Events: "Flying Cheap" ("Frontline"), written by Rick Young

Documentary - Other Than Current Events: "Wyatt Earp" ("American Experience"), written by Rob Rapley

News - Regularly Scheduled, Bulletin or Breaking Report: "Sunday Morning Almanac" ("CBS Sunday Morning"), written by Thomas A. Harris

News - Analysis, Feature or Commentary: "Resurrecting Eden" ("60 Minutes"), written by Jenny Dubin

RADIO
Documentary: "2009 Year in Review," written by Gail Lee, CBS Radio News
News - Regularly Scheduled or Breaking Report: "CBS World News Roundup," written by Paul Farry, CBS Radio News
News: Analysis, Feature or Commentary: "Passages," written by Gail Lee, CBS Radio News

PROMOTIONAL WRITING AND GRAPHIC ANIMATION
On-Air Promotion (Radio or Television): "CSI" Promos, written by Anne de Vega, CBS
Television Graphic Animation: "Sunday Morning, By Design," graphic designer Bob Pook, graphic artist Diane Robinson, CBS News

VIDEOGAME
Videogame Writing: "Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood," written by Patrice Desilets, Jeffrey Yohalem, Corey May, Ethan Petty, Nicholas Grimwood, Matt Turner (Ubisoft)

NEW MEDIA
Original New Media: "The Real Thing," "Identity Crisis," "Girl Talk," "Naming Things," "Curtain Up" ("Anyone But Me"), written by Susan Miller and Tina Cesa Ward
Derivative New Media: "Strip Pong," "Tear Jerks," "Brainstorm" ("Frank vs Lutz"), written by Jon Haller

Review: "Dazed and Confused" Always a Winner

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 197 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Dazed and Confused (1993)
Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive, continuous teen drug and alcohol use and very strong language
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Richard Linklater
PRODUCERS: Sean Daniel, James Jacks, and Richard Linklater
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Lee Daniel
EDITOR: Sandra Adair

COMEDY

Starring: Jason London, Rory Cochran, Sasha Jenson, Wiley Wiggins, Michelle Burke, Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, Matthew McConaughey, Marissa Ribisi, Shawn Andrews, Cole Hauser, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams, Christin Hinojosa, Ben Affleck, Jason O. Smith, Deena Martin, Parker Posey, Nicky Katt, Catherine Morris, Christine Harnos, Estaban Powell, Mark Vandermeulen, Jeremy Fox, Kim Krizan, and Rick Moser

Director Richard Linklater (Before Sunrise, The School of Rock) got the attention of a lot of young moviegoers in the mid-1990’s with his comic film, Dazed and Confused. Set during the last day of school, May 28, 1976, the film recounts the exploits of the incoming freshman class and the Class of ’77 at Lee High School, situated in a small Texas enclave. The male seniors-to-be beat the incoming freshmen with wooden paddles and the senior girls haze the incoming freshmen girls by pouring food and condiments all over them. The kids buy and smoke marijuana, buy and drink beer, make out and talk about having sex, plan parties, and listen to lots of classic early to mid-70’s rock music.

The film is very laid back, but very entertaining. It may be an acquired taste, likely popular with people who are nostalgic (those who lived it and those who only know it through media) about a kind of mid-70’s suburban idyllic, an almost pastoral setting that never really existed. However, Dazed and Confused is about an ideal, and it’s a very fine version of that ideal. The acting is so natural, and Linklater directs his cast and moves the film with such an alluringly lazy pace that suggest that this small town is a paradise or utopia.

Dazed and Confused is a tale about rites of passage and the relationship among a diverse student body of geeks, stoners, athletes, snobs, etc. with such facile grace that I wish it were real. I certainly think that every movie fan should see it at least once, especially because many may find it somewhat familiar.

7 of 10
B+

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USC Libraries Honor Aaron Sorkin and Ben Mezrich

USC Libraries Friend The Social Network

The writers behind the story of social-networking site Facebook take home the 23rd-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Author Ben Mezrich and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin were feted with the 23rd-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award for the film The Social Network and the book The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal upon which it was based. Film critic and historian Leonard Maltin announced the winners at the black-tie banquet on Friday, Feb. 4.

“When you get that phone call that Aaron Sorkin is interested in adapting your book, it’s like getting hit by lightning,” Mezrich said.

“I sat down in the movie there and the movie opens. There is that line, ‘dating you is like dating a stairmaster.’ At that moment, I thought, this is the best movie I’ve ever seen,” added Mezrich.

Sorkin, who won multiple Emmy Awards for his work on the NBC program “The West Wing” and is nominated for an Academy Award for his Social Network screenplay, related an incident from early in his career that put entertainment award in perspective.

“Early one morning a few years ago, my father came over to my apartment in New York City where I was living at the time because the Academy Award nominations were being announced and there was some hope that a movie that I wrote that year would be nominated” explained Sorkin. “When it wasn’t, my father turned to me and said ‘Aaron, how many people in the world do you think woke up this morning with even reasonable expectation that something like this might happen.’ That’s when I discovered that for most, people it’s an honor just to be nominated…in my family, it’s an honor just to be overlooked.”

“You can imagine how they and I feel about getting recognition like this, from a group of people like this,” said Sorkin.

The Social Network’s Scripter win adds to its slew of accolades. The film has been named best film by the Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Toronto film critics associations, among others, as well as by the Golden Globes and the National Board of Review. The film is nominated for eight Academy Awards and six BAFTA awards.

The Scripter awards gala, presented by the Friends of the USC Libraries, honors the year’s best cinematic adaptation of the printed word. During the ceremony, one Twitter follower described the Scripter Award as “the most civilized awards show of all.”

With filmmaker and USC alumnus Taylor Hackford (‘67, International Relations) and Academy Award-winning actress Helen Mirren serving as honorary dinner chairs, master of ceremonies Nancy Sinatra welcomed the capacity crowd gathered in Los Angeles Times Reference Room of USC’s historic Edward L. Doheny Memorial Library.

“We know that a great story might transport us, but it’s about more than escapism,” explained Sinatra about the importance of the writing creatively and the unique significance of the Scripter Award. “We know that history comes to us through stories and that storytelling helps us understand ourselves as much as it helps deepen our understanding of the world.”

“The great stories yet to be written will depend on all those that came before...and that’s why a great library is important to the past, present, and future of the creative arts and why we’re here to honor accomplished storytellers,” said Sinatra.

The other finalists for the 2011 Scripter, in alphabetical order by film title, were: screenwriters Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy for 127 Hours, adapted from Aron Ralston’s autobiography Between a Rock and a Hard Place; screenwriters Robert Harris and Roman Polanski for The Ghost Writer, adapted from Harris’ novel The Ghost; screenwriters Joel and Ethan Coen for True Grit, based on Charles Portis’ classic Western novel; and screenwriters Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini and author Daniel Woodrell for Winter’s Bone.

Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning screenwriter Naomi Foner chaired the Scripter selection committee for the fourth consecutive year.

Author Dennis Lehane was named the 4th-annual USC Libraries Scripter Literary Achievement Award recipient for his body of work. Lehane is the author of such books as Gone, Baby, Gone; Moonlight Mile; Shutter Island; The Given Day; and Mystic River for which he received a Scripter Award in 2004.

“[Dennis Lehane] has said that, were it not for a specific place, he never would have become a writer. He grew up in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston,” noted USC Libraries Dean Catherine Quinlan in announcing the award. “He has demonstrated again and again his talent for carving convincing, creative landscapes out of words and populating them with intriguing characters and gripping mysteries.”

Lehane, who was unable to attend the ceremony, said in a statement that “It’s an honor to receive this award. My profound gratitude to the Friends of the USC Libraries.”

“It would be disingenuous of me not to note the depth of gratitude I owe the exceptional screenwriters who have adapted my novels for film: Brian Helgeland, Ben Affleck, Aaron Stockard, and most recently, Laeta Kalogridis, whose superb craftsmanship enabled her to take a near-unfilmable novel and turn it into pure cinema,” added Lehane.

Dr. David and Gracie Fermelia were the Premiere Sponsors and Dr. Verna B. Dauterive was the Gold Sponsor of this year’s event.

The USC Libraries welcomed Audi of America as the transportation sponsor for Scripter 2011. A fleet of Audi A8 sedans chauffeured nominees and special guests to the black-tie event.

Final Draft Inc. also has supported Scripter 2011 by providing copies of Final Draft 8 to USC students. The libraries will make the scriptwriting software available through the USC Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Library Multimedia Commons. Final Draft will complement the suite of authoring software the Multimedia Commons offers students and will provide a tool for storytelling and completing coursework while drawing on the riches of the libraries’ collections.

Proceeds from the Scripter gala support the USC Libraries’ Endowed Collections program. For more information about Scripter—including additional images from the ceremony and information on sponsorship opportunities for Scripter 24—visit http://scripter.usc.edu/.

Review: "Collateral" is Flashy, Gritty, and Edgy (Happy B'day, Michael Mann)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 143 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Collateral (2004)
Running time: 120 minutes (2 hours)
MPAA – R for violence and language
DIRECTOR: Michael Mann
WRITER: Stuart Beattie
PRODUCERS: Michael Mann and Julie Richardson
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dion Beebe (D.o.P.) and Paul Cameron (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Jim Miller and Paul Rubell
COMPOSER: James Newton Howard
Academy Award nominee

THRILLER/ACTION/CRIME/DRAMA

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Bruce McGill, Irma P. Hall, Barry Shabaka Henley, Javier Bardem, and Klea Scott

Director Michael Mann is certainly a master of filming deliciously eye candy movies; from his hit 80’s TV series “Miami Vice” to such glossy power ballad films as Last of the Mohicans and Heat, he has delighted us with his visual acumen. His most recent film, Collateral, is, as a visual feast, an absolute delight and, just maybe, a masterpiece, albeit one with a flaw here and there.

A cabby named Max (Jaime Foxx) finds himself the hostage of Vincent (Tom Cruise), an engaging contract hit man, as he uses Max to ferry him around Los Angeles from hit to hit. The screwy duo eventually attracts the attention of Fanning (Mark Ruffalo), a savvy homicide detective. But despite the attention of the police, Max must, on his own, find a way to save himself and the last of five victims, Annie (Jada Pinkett Smith), a federal prosecutor who rode in Max’s cab before Vincent and befriended Max.

Collateral’s success is definitely the product of Michael Mann’s vision and of his cast, especially Cruise and Foxx. Mann’s film feels like his last L.A. blast off, the aforementioned Heat, but don’t mistake his visual flair for lack of substance. Mann’s films are always thrilling, even the character dramas, and they breath with life and vitality. Every frame suggests motivation and conflict, so Mann’s glossiness isn’t the shallowness of the many filmmakers his 1980’s work influenced.

Cruise is, of course, a delight to watch; he merely takes his usual film persona and turns of the heat to super intensity and makes Vincent a cold, ruthless machine – a machine that simultaneously has disdain for life and how we live it and a fascination with existence and how we understand it. This performance by Foxx is likely another hint that he is a comic who will reinvent himself as dramatic star much the way Robin Williams and Steve Martin did, but with the success of the former. Foxx’s Max is a troubled man, dealing with the failures and disappointments of life with a mixture of weariness and hope, cynicism and optimism, and stoicism and passion.

But Mann, Cruise, and Fox can’t do it alone. Ms. Smith and Mark Ruffalo are excellent supporting performers, and Ruffalo’s Fanning would himself make an excellent lead character in his own film. Stuart Beattie’s script is also good, especially in creating Vincent, part cipher and intriguing mystery man, but an inviting character who leaves us wanting more. The script did seem a little soft on really fleshing out Foxx’s Max, but overall, the script is a tightly-crafted short story that Mann was able to turn into a thrilling, short, dangerous crime tale that is both gritty and glorious. Collateral may be somewhat lacking in substance, but it’s just about the best confection you can have.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2005 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Achievement in Editing” (Jim Miller and Paul Rubell) and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Jamie Foxx)

2005 BAFTA Awards: 1 win: “Best Cinematography” (Dion Beebe and Paul Cameron); 5 nominations: “Best Editing” (Jim Miller and Paul Rubell), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Jamie Foxx), “Best Screenplay – Original” (Stuart Beattie), “Best Sound” (Elliott Koretz, Lee Orloff, Michael Minkler, and Myron Nettinga) and “David Lean Award for Direction” (Michael Mann)

2005 Black Reel Awards: 1 win “Best Supporting Actor” (Jamie Foxx) and 1 nomination: “Best Supporting Actress” (Jada Pinkett Smith)

2005 Golden Globes: 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Jamie Foxx)

2005 Image Awards: 3 nominations: “Outstanding Motion Picture,” “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture” (Jamie Foxx) and “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Jada Pinkett Smith)

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