The Oscar Pre-Game and a Much Delayed 2007 List

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Some marathon movie viewing this week has finally caught me up with most of the major Oscar contenders for Sunday night's broadcast, as well as left me comfortable enough to make a "soft" list of my personal favorite films of 2007. "Soft" because there's still so much I wanted to see but didn't, and "soft" because I'll come out right now and say I'm sure there were plenty of technically better films this year, but these were the ones I enjoyed the most.

But first, my lame-o Oscar predictions and wishes:

Best Actor: I know everyone and their mother is betting on Daniel Day-Lewis for THERE WILL BE BLOOD, and I guess I'll throw my hat in there, too. That being said, I would be absolutely a-flutter if Viggo Mortensen took the bald guy home for the underrated EASTERN PROMISES. And I'd be lying if I didn't say how much I loved George Clooney in MICHAEL CLAYTON.

Best Supporting Actor: Hands-down this goes to Jarvier Berdem for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, despite the (inaccurate in my mind) complaints that he deserves to be in the Best Actor category. He doesn't. Each actor in NCFOM supports the story - the whole point is that there isn't a lead to identify with. Barring that, there's a mushy spot in my heart to accommodate both Hal Holbrook and Tom Wilkenson. Especially Wilkenson - that opening monologue in MICHAEL CLAYTON rocks it hard, baby.

Best Actress: Ellen Paige and Cate Blanchett don't have a chance. I didn't see THE SAVAGES. Which leaves either Julie Christie or Marion Cotillard. I think the Academy will continue its trend of awarding hot older babes and give it to a deserving Christie (AWAY FROM HER - biggest tear-jerker of the year?). Though I'd be happy either way.

Best Supporting Actress: Routinely the least predictable category, I have no idea where this should or will go. I've seen four of the five nominations (missed I'M NOT THERE), so I'm going to go with Ruby Dee for AMAERICAN GANGSTER, although I think we should give it to Amy Ryan so the wonderful GONE BABY GONE gets some props.

Best Director: Again, I've got to give it up for the Coen Brothers. Although maybe they'll split the top two contenders and give it to Paul Thomas Anderson for the muscular THERE WILL BE BLOOD. Beware the potential spoiler of Julian "pajamas" Schnabel for THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY, although since I don't think that was nominated for anything else I don't see it getting such a major award. I admit this is one of the films I haven't seen so it may rise in my estimation later.

Best Picture: Both my much-abused heart and brain point to NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN here, although I guess my biggest surprise was how happy I was (with one glaring exception) with the picks this year. While JUNO is a cute film it simply doesn't sit in the same band row as the other picks. Is that cruel? I've seen this same indie music laden hyper realized dialog a number of times in the past, and even though this manges to rise above its trappings to a really satisfying ending doesn't make it a Best Picture/Director/Screenplay/Actress contender. Sorry. I know comedies typically get the short shrift here, but there were more deserving films that could have taken JUNO'S place.

A few others, sans the pithy comments:

  • Best Screenplay (Original): MICHAEL CLAYTON, though I think it will go to JUNO
  • Best Screenplay (Adapted): NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
  • Best Music - Original Song: "Falling Slowly" from ONCE (hooray!)
  • Best Music - Original Score: ATONEMENT since THERE WILL BE BLOOD got disqualified
I further predict that Jon Stewart will be funnier than Ellen was, and that we will once again be bored by long speeches and interludes that make no sense.

And without further ado, my personal favorite films of 2007, in rough order:

  1. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
  2. ONCE
  3. THERE WILL BE BLOOD
  4. ZODIAC
  5. HOT FUZZ
  6. GRINDHOUSE (theatrical version)
  7. THE DARJEELING LIMITED
  8. EASTERN PROMISES
  9. THE LOOKOUT/MICHAEL CLAYTON/GONE BABY GONE *
  10. THE MIST/TRANSFORMERS **
* There should be a special award for actors/writers taking a shot at directing and churning out frikkin' killer genre films.

** What can I say? Besides the wonder of GRINDHOUSE, these two films were the most visceral fun I had at the movies this year. I know...TRANSFORMERS is a pretty bad movie, but I had a blast watching it on the big screen.

A Word About Chess Books

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*NOTE:  This article was written for Monkey Reads a Book by Jason Denham, a former writer on said blog.

The observant reader may have noticed at the bottom of my “currently reading” image a book I mentioned by name in a previous post. I don’t intend to review Gambiteer 1 per se, or even completely finish it necessarily, but I have been spending a portion of my reading time on it lately, so I thought I might say a few words generally about chess books, and a very little about this one in particular.

In my mind there are basically 3 useful types of chess books- useful meaning the book will increase your understanding of general strategic or tactical concepts in chess, and hopefully help you to become a better player.

Type 1 is the “puzzle book”, as illustrated by Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess as well as Ward Farnsworth’s Predator at the Chessboard. These books give you some helpful text explaining a concept and then some illustrated problems to work through which will help you to absorb and understand what you have just read.

Type 2 I call the “textbook”, for lack of a better term. It is meant to be read and absorbed primarily as language, though there are almost always illustrative diagrams to help you out along the way. An example of this genre is Aron Nimzowitsch’s My System*.

Type 3 is the “analytical/reference database”. These books have a little textual commentary but are primarily made up of actual complete games in chess notation, drawn from competition (often between Grandmasters) that illustrate their chosen subject. Unless you have a brilliant mind for visualization, these books must be used to play out games on an actual (or computer) chessboard for one to learn anything from them. Otherwise they are like reading a cookbook without even the pictures, much less tasting a dish.

Gambiteer 1: A hard-hitting chess opening repertoire for White by Nigel Davies is a type 3 book on the subject of gambits, i.e. opening systems in which one side, in this case white, will sacrifice material, usually a pawn, in order to gain an advantage in spacing or development. As you might figure from the name, gambits are risky but often rewarding ventures- “sharp” in chess jargon. I have been playing through games in just a few of the sections so far, and I have been using a couple of the gambits to mixed success in my own (online) games- I particularly like a very sharp variation of the Danish gambit.

To me the ideal chess book is sort of a type 2.5, I need the concepts explained to me in English first but I also want to see them illustrated, perhaps not in entire games but at the very least is selected combinations of moves. Chess problems are fun but unless they are backed up with words expressing concepts, they do little to improve my game long term. And it wouldn’t hurt sales to have pictures of hot chess babes, either. I'm still waiting to find that one.

*Mein System is actually sort of a 2.3, since it does have a section of illustrative games from AN's brilliant career.

Book #10: Heart-Shaped Box

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Now that the proverbial cat's out of the bag, I don't know if you can really talk about Joe Hill's debut novel Heart- Shaped Box without addressing the issue of Mr. Hill's lineage. Specifically, that his last name is actually King, as in, "Yes, I am Stephen King's son, so can we stop talking about it?" And that might be too bad, because Heart-Shaped Box is a classic modern ghost story that revels in its chosen genre, and is a fantastic debut reminiscent of his father's great stand-alone early work.

Judas Coyne is an aging rock god, content to live in the middle of New York with his latest groupie conquest Georgia (he nick names his girlfriends after the state they're from) secluded from just about everything - the abusive father he left 30 years before in Louisiana, the deaths of two of his former band mates, and the wife who left him over his preoccupation with death and music and being the star the public holds him to be. It's the preoccupation with the occult that leads him to purchase a "ghost" over an eBay-like auction site. What arrives is a large black heart-shaped box, with the suit of a dead man inside it. Unfortunately for Jude and Georgia, along with the old suit is the spirit of Craddock Price, hellbent on ensuring that Jude and anyone with him take a night ride to Hell.

The strength of Heart-Shaped Box lies in its ingenious plot. What starts out as seeming chance and coincidence turns into something much more sinister as Jude finds out that maybe it wasn't dumb luck that sent the ghost to his door but plans and machinations that were set into motion much earlier. Hill also has a great ear for dialog and character, using regional dialects and smart writing to flesh out Jude and Georgia. The characters and events feel anchored in a world that is both familiar and timeless, like a Rockwell painting painted by the Devil, something that the elder King excels in with his own work. There are suitably creepy moments and images, especially the descriptions of the ghost's eyes, which are scribbled out with black marker. Lots of blood and gore and a compelling story that doesn't use cheats leaves you with a very satisfying book that earns its ending deliciously. If you like this sort of thing (and I do), Heart-Shaped Box is a fast and rewarding read.

For All the Young Lovers

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Damn, that may be one of the cutest pictures I've ever seen, courtesy of The House Next Door.

Happy Valentine's Day. I know a lot of people feel Valentine's Day is somewhat of a sham of a holiday and that they don't need a special day set aside to express their love; I used to feel that way, too. But over the past few years, especially since I've been married, I've come to think of Valentine's Day as a reminder of sorts. It may not entail flowers or gifts, it almost never entails chocolate, but it does act as a bookmark reminding us to set aside a few hours of our busy lives to just sit and look at each other and say the things we know but may neglect to mention because of a 100 other things that happen every day.

Yeah, yeah...I know how it sounds. I just re-read that last paragraph and almost vomited from the syrupy sweetness. Sue me, I'm a romantic.