Scott Freeman

Best Picture and Best Actor

Last night I stayed up past my bedtime to watch Michael Clayton and In the Valley of Elah. With those viewings I was able to complete all the picture and actor nominees.
As I look over the list with a more firm grounding in the quality and makeup I have come to the firm conclusion that this is one of the years that the Academy has gotten it largely right. I loved Sweeney Todd and Once is one of my favorite films of recent years but I can’t rightfully begrudge any of these films a nomination.

What I like about this slate of nominees are the deep, resonant themes that propel the viewer to wrestle and struggle with the state of the human condition. It’s obvious that the spiritual seeking that is so endemic to our emerging culture is being reflected in the best that Hollywood has to offer. People are searching for meaning and that is evident on the silver screen.

The prominent theme that weaves through these films is best evidence in the troika on greed: No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood, and Michael Clayton.

Within each of these three films is a fundamental struggle for consumption and materialism. Although it is greatly reflective of our society’s rampant consumerism it is, at the same time, a repudiation of the Wall Streets of the 80s. Whether it is the incessant desire for oil at the cost of all else, the relentless pursuit of stolen money, or the stop at nothing mentality of protecting your corporation the indictment of win at all costs is evident in each of these films.

And the viewing public benefits as a result. For Gordon Gekko, greed was good.

Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.

Greed, in all of its forms — greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge — has marked the upward surge of mankind.

In these three nominees Greed kills. It begets a lust for power and more that will not be satisfied with its own land, with justice or the sanctity of human life. Daniel Plainview, Anton Chigurh and Tilda Swinton’s Karen Crowder are amoral crusaders for a self-obsessed, individualistic life that views others as expediencies and means to an end. Even Michael Clayton has a lustful need for self-preservation that is barely mitigated by a late play for justice.

Atonement has a self-preservation mentality that course throughout as well. Briony has the opportunity throughout to set things right, to offer redemption. Yet, she does not. And, therefore, atonement remains elusive for its main characters. The soothing of a late life conscience provides little respite for those whose life has passed them by.

The moral standout among these nominees is Juno, the one who is motivated less by selfishness and more by what is best for those around her. It’s wrong-headed to place this movie on either side of the abortion debate. That is not the issue. What is the issue is a girl who finds herself in an unenviable position and opts, despite temporary setbacks, to be altruistic and giving. No one would fault her for making alternate decisions but she remains resolute and presents a clear picture against the moral ambiguity of its fellow nominees.

Each of these have redeeming elements and make a strong argument for the statue. I’ll have more thoughts on who will and should win on Friday.

In the best actor race we see further evidence of using moral ambiguous characters to teach us more about the human condition. Johnny Depp’s performance in Sweeney Todd is a masterful depiction of a soul so depleted of any human grounding that it resonates with a hopelessness even in the midst of a musical background.

George Clooney does a sterling job as a morally conflicted “fixer” who is unable to fix his own life. He is a closer, the one who is expected to come in and clean up messes in a high profile law practice. At the same time his own life is far from cleaned up. As the story progresses he finds himself at the crossroads of self-aggrandizement and moral clarity. The closing shot of him in a taxi is a wordless tour de force performance.

Viggo Mortenson’s role in Eastern Promises is another example of a morally vacuous individual. It is my least favorite performance of the lot. His performance does illustrate the often thin line that separates our heroes from our villains. I have a major problem with his role because I see a great gender stereotype at play but that’s another entry.

Tommy Lee Jones is an out of left field nominee for In the Valley Of Elah. As a father of an Iraqi war veteran who has gone missing he lends an emotional weight to a political statement/murder mystery. The film handles an anti-war sentiment with grace and an even hand and that is thanks to Jones’ moral grounding.

The statue belongs to Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood. It is a performance for the ages and he clearly sets himself apart from the pack and posits himself as one of the finest actors of our age. Daniel Plainview is a character that will go down in the pantheon of great cinematic roles. And in his portrayal, Day-Lewis shines a light into our own darkest corners. He is at turns blood-thirsty, greedy and, ultimately, irredeemable. And in the process he illustrates the terrifying and destructive allure of power and money.

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