Big Picture Big Sound

Like any self-respecting film fan, I try every year to watch all of the best picture nominees at some point prior to the night of the Oscar broadcast.  Some years I make it, some years I don't. This practice was easier when I lived in Los Angeles, where movies can hang around in theaters for up to a year (which is why I saw "Moulin Rouge" 13 times in the theater during its initial run; but that's another story for another day).  But even in Boston, where I now reside, there are enough theaters that I shouldn't have any problem getting to all of the nominees in plenty of time to have an informed opinion during the awards telecast.  Yet this year, for some reason - be it personal schedule, other entertainment distractions, or ambivalence about the nominees - I found myself closing in on Oscar night without having seen a single oneof the nominated films.

What to do?  Well, if you're living in or near a good-sized city, chances are that your area was hosting one of AMC's nationwide Best Picture Showcase events.  These happen over a couple of weekends around Oscar time, and they're not for the faint of heart: All of the nominees are screened back-to-back, for one flat admission price.  This year, with nine nominees, AMC offered two options:  the split showcases (four films one weekend, five the next), or the nine-film extravaganza.  I was nervous but willing to go for the full-on marathon, but it turned out they weren't offering it in Boston this year.  So, it was the five-film option for me:  11am to 11pm on Saturday the 25^th, with screenings of "Hugo", "The Help", "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close", "The Artist", and "Midnight in Paris".  I pre-ordered my $40 pass (a bargain!), and being somewhat new to Twitter (@lelizgrady; if you decide to follow me it helps to be a runner, and be forewarned that you'll know about it pretty much every time I sit down to watch "Supernatural"), I decided to make my first attempt at live-tweeting during the event.  Of course, I never want to be the gal that everyone hates at the movies, so I confined my social media pursuits to the moments before or between films - with one exception, which you can read more about below.

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Tweet, 10:22am:  "Headed to AMC's #BestPictureMarathon; trying to think of it more as entertainment, less as Bataan Death March."

I was nervous about this undertaking, mostly because I hadn't had much chance to research it so I had some unanswered questions: Was there an in/out policy or were we pretty much stuck in the theater the whole time?  Could we bring in outside food?  Water?  A pillow? Was it going to be so crowded that it would be uncomfortable?  Could I make it through that many movies in a row without going nuts?  I couldn't see subsisting on movie popcorn and diet Coke for a twelve-hour stint, so I did end up tucking some supplies into my bag: Luna bars, dried fruit, and ibuprofen.  I've run a couple of actual marathons, and these are the kind of provisions that get me through a 26.2 miler - so it seemed to make sense that I could rely on them for my movie marathon too.  I also planned to stay well-hydrated - another important key for marathon success.  I couldn't see how I might sneak a pillow into my bag, so I took a strategic approach by wearing a huge, thick wool sweater and a down jacket that could double as bedding in a pinch.  I think I sweated off a couple of pounds in getting myself to the theater, but the bonus was comfortable seating for 12 hours.  As it turns out, there were other folks there with pillows and blankets, so I'll know better for next year.  As far as making it through five movies without going nuts, I had my doubts: I watched five episodes of "Deadwood" in a row on HBOGo a couple of weeks ago (I can be a little obsessive...) and I thought my eyes were going to fall out of my head.  However, fatigue and/ or flagging interest turned out not to be an issue at all.  The variety of the films being shown and the comfort of watching them on one of the largest screens in the theater seemed happily to negate, or at least reduce, the effects of cramped muscles and possible eyestrain.

Tweet, 10:46am:  "At #BestPictureMarathon; just saw a guy in the lobby stretching.  Wonder if he knows that this #marathon doesn't require actual running??"

Apparently I wasn't the only viewer thinking about the similarities between different kinds of marathons...

I got to the assigned screening room and there was an AMC associate there registering attendees.  We received lanyards with passes that authorized free exit and reentry during the showcase (whew!), plus a guide to the films, $5 AMC gift cards, and 3D glasses for "Hugo".  I headed into the theater.  I usually sit so close to the screen that it's ridiculous, both because I'm easily distracted by things in my peripheral vision, and I also like to reduce the possibility of anyone sitting near me (a sore neck vs. a fellow patron who's a pain in the ass neck?? Easy choice, usually.) But I didn't think seeing "Hugo" from three feet away would be my best bet, so I grabbed a seat pretty much eye-level with the screen.  Wow!  Is this what I've been missing all these years?

I arrived with some time to spare before the first movie began, so I was able to settle in and survey the crowd.  The theater was about 1/3 full and people seemed to be spacing themselves out at appropriate intervals.  There was nobody in front of me, and several seats on either side of me remained free.  I felt comfortable spreading my belongings out a little, and it looked like others were doing the same.  I felt a nice sense of camaraderie with the other folks who were going to be part of this crazy undertaking.  Our AMC host began a welcome announcement a few minutes before 11am.  She reviewed the ground rules, and asked some movie-related trivia questions with giveaways of posters and other promo items.  The questions were simple (Ex: In which 1970s blockbuster did Roy Scheider say the line, "You're gonna need a bigger boat"?) but as our apartment is at capacity for extraneous crap -- my husband would agree -- I decided not to answer.  Then, the lights went down, my 3D glasses went on, and we watched "Hugo".

Tweet, 1:17pm:  "Just watched #Hugo at #BestPictureMarathon. Spectacular; first truly joyous 3D film experience.  And yes, I have seen #Avatar."

This movie dazzled me - I loved it.  The snowfall swirling outside the Paris train station in the opening shots set my expectations for how effectively the 3D would be utilized, and those expectations were met and surpassed many times over throughout the remainder of the film.  "Hugo" is a case of a film where every element - story, characters, acting, film technique, theme, and metaphors - works together cohesively, complements, and comments upon one another.  I loved the artistry of it, the balance of intricacy and scale, the way that what seems at the start like a small story - the story of an orphaned boy, Hugo, living in the Paris train station and trying to decipher what seems to be a last message from his father - grows in complexity until it connects to the genesis of film itself.  I'm sure it's been said before, but this is a movie for people who love the movies.  When I look back on this I'll think about the joy I felt in watching it, the beauty of the images (the depth of field in "Hugo" is spectacular - there's as much going on in the background as in the foreground of most scenes), and the wonder of seeing Georges Melies's techniques come to life. This was a great way to kick off the best picture showcase, and it set the bar high for the successive films to be shown.

Tweet, 3:57pm: "Just finished #TheHelp at #BestPictureMarathon - kind of soapy, but great work by #ViolaDavis, #OctaviaSpencer, #JessicaChastain.

"The Help" was thoroughly entertaining and I enjoyed watching it, but for me it didn't have the emotional impact that I had been expecting. The performances are excellent; the standouts are of course Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Jessica Chastain, each of whom received acting nominations for their work here. Ms. Davis carries the film with impressive dignity, and Ms. Spencer adds a comic spark that provides good balance. This was my first opportunity to see Ms. Chastain in a film role, and she is luminous. But I thought at times that "The Help" felt like 2011's version of "Fried Green Tomatoes", and while that film holds up as a good and engaging work, it's not really remembered for its particular spin on racial issues in the south. I imagine that "The Help" will be remembered in the future primarily for its performances; time will prove that its parts were in fact stronger than the whole.

Tweet, 4:00pm:  "Next up at #BestPictureMarathon: #ExtremelyLoud&IncrediblyClose. Not looking forward to this one."

What can I say?  I wasn't looking forward to rehashing 9/11 on film.

Tweet, 4:03pm:  "Will I need to give the guy behind me a heads up to stop kicking my chair?  We'll see what the next 20 mins. brings. #BestPictureMarathon"

In general, I have to say that one of the greatest aspects of seeing movies in the showcase format was how engaged and attentive the audience was.  I've become accustomed to dealing with all variety of crimes during an average theater trip: talking, texting, kids running in the aisles, crying babies, etc. - who hasn't??  But I don't think I realized how stressful those elements can make moviegoing until I paused during the showcase and realized that all of that bad behavior was absent.  It was so pleasant to watch good movies surrounded by a group of people who were there because they really wanted to be entertained and were being respectful of the others around them.  Hurrah!  So, the guy behind me was kicking my seat periodically and it was starting to get to me.  I considered my options, and at the next movie break I turned around and quietly said, "I'm sorry to bother you; I think you may not realize it, but when you're kicking my seat I'm finding it pretty disruptive." He apologized and said he was bumping the back of my seat when he adjusted his legs.  Happy ending: when I came back to my seat later on, he and his companion had moved.  No harm, no foul.

Tweet, 5:15pm:  "Stepped out of the theater just to vent about how much I am hating this movie. Ugh. #ExtremelyLoud&IncrediblyClose #BestPictureMarathon"

Tweet, 6:20pm:  "Rolled my eyes so much during #ExtremelyLoud&IncrediblyClose that I think I hurt myself. #BestPictureMarathon"

"Extremely Loud & Etc." was for me the polar opposite of "Hugo", in that I think I can say I disliked it within the first two minutes.  I detected false notes throughout the story setup: socially awkward boy whose father died on 9/11 struggling to cope with the loss.  Nothing makes me run from a work of art faster than a character seeming quirky for the sake of being quirky - which is why I've never made it through an entire Tama Janowitz novel, by the way.  The one bright spot in the film was Max Von Sydow, who can convey more resigned sadness in a glance than a lesser actor could with a whole page of dialogue.

Tweet, 6:22pm:  "Just looked in the mirror & scared myself.  I've looked better rested partway through actual #marathons.  #BestPictureMarathon"

I was not looking my best: hair a little scraggly, eyes kind of bloodshot.  It must have been all of that eyerolling during "Extremely...".  I made a quick switch from contact lenses to glasses.  Ahhh.

Tweet, 7:05pm:  "Had a quick dinner break, getting ready for #The Artist. Feeling a little foggy. #BestPictureMarathon"

Come on AMC, a dinner break?  During a marathon?  Who does that??  I felt like I could have powered on through, but the prospect of sitting alone in an empty theater for 45 minutes wasn't particularly appealing, so I bundled up and went outside to walk around the block and look for something to eat.  I wasn't feeling hungry, actually - I had been grazing throughout the screenings, with the protein bars, dried pineapple, a piece of banana bread, and string cheese keeping me going pretty well. Walking outside in the dark, with a pretty strong wind whipping down the narrow city streets, made me realize just how spacey I was feeling.  This was the point where I started thinking that I was happy I was only committed to five movies, because I'm not sure how I would have been feeling about the prospect of another six movies ahead of me instead of just another two.  Of course, by this time next year will I change my tune and be looking for a way to attend the full showcase?  Hell, yes!

Tweet, 9:02pm:  "Loved #TheArtist!  Fun & unique, great soundtrack, and a good pick-me-up after #ExtremelyLoud. #amcbps

I had heard a lot of hype about "The Artist" before seeing it, but that didn't do anything to diminish the experience of actually watching it.  What a great, charming, old-fashioned movie.  Its calling card is its uniqueness - a silent film!  In 2011! - but it really succeeds on the strength of the charisma and chemistry of its two leads.  It's hard to imagine an audience not falling in love with Berenice Bejo as the young ingénue, Peppy Miller, who steals the heart of Jean Dujardin's seasoned silent screen idol, George Valentin.  It's fun to watch the trials and travails that first keep them apart and then draw them together.  The beats in the storyline are a perfect homage to film elements of the silent era, and who doesn't love a movie that ends with a big dance number?  Actually, calling this a "silent" move isn't really accurate - the music underscoring most of the scenes almost functions as another character, and there are a few bits of dialogue, which put a great spin on the overall story and function as an effective bridge from the "silents" to the era of the "talkies".  Like "Hugo", this is another movie about loving movies, and any film fan would find a lot to enjoy in it.

A Twitter note:  With the previous tweet you may notice that I switched hashtags from #BestPictureMarathon to #amcbps.  Apparently the latter was the more widely used hashtag for the event, but I hadn't had a chance to look it up before I got started with my tweets.  This was one of those "live and learn" moments with social media.

Tweet, 9:08pm:  "Getting ready for #MidnightInParis. Haven't seen a #WoodyAllen film in the theater since #BulletsOverBroadway. #amcbps

Tweet, 10:52pm: "Went into #MidnightInParis with no expectations and totally enjoyed it. Perfect end to movie marathon! #amcbps

This was a really fun movie for the end of the showcase.  I didn't know where the story was headed, and it was fun to be surprised by the plot developments and character revelations.  I've been a fan of Owen Wilson since "Bottle Rocket" - I love his very natural way with dialogue, and his performance here was low-key perfection.  As a conflicted writer who yearns for 1920s Paris and then somehow finds himself able to travel back there at will, his surprise and delight at meeting his literary and artistic idols is contagious.  Part of the joke is that everyone he meets in the 1920s segments is someone who went on to be a famous writer, artist or muse - that's his perception of that era, so of course that's what he sees.  A couple of familiar faces - Kathy Bates, Adrian Brody - have fun playing luminaries of the past. Of particular note is Corey Stoll's take on Ernest Hemingway; there is humor in his reading of Hemingway's terse, declarative dialogue, but beneath the humor you're reminded of the profundity of much of Hemingway's work as well.  Mr. Allen directs with a light touch, and the audience is left with a temperate reminder of the dangers of romanticizing the past, and the importance of staying true to one's artistic goals.

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So, there it is, my take on the AMC Best Picture Showcase and the films therein.  I had my doubts about the format going in, but I came out a believer.  In fact, it's safe to say that if AMC ran marathons once a month or so where they bundled three or four current films together and showed them for one flat price, I'd be there more often than not.  And it's great to be headed into the Oscar telecast with well-formed opinions on the majority of the nominees - it always makes watching the telecast more fun.

I'm not making any predictions about the winners of the 2011 Oscars.  The only prediction I'm making is that I will be attending next year's full Best Picture marathon.  And next year, I'm bringing a pillow.