Matt's Musings

Recently I have been watching the show "Sleeper Cell." It's kind of a terrifying idea, and it's certainly not put together in a nice way, but there has been one aspect that fascinated me. The main character is a proud Muslim member of the FBI who is working under cover to expose terrorists. His biggest struggle, however, seems to be keeping his spirits up as those he must work with manipulate his faith to suit their own ends. That's certainly something I can identify with, the anger and frustration over those that misrepresent your faith to the world. This morning, when I was checking headlines, I spotted a blog post about a new campaign to rally support for causes in the budget. The campaign, organized by Christian leaders throughout the country, is called "What Would Jesus Cut?" The group has taken out a full page ad, and plans a longer campaign in coming weeks as they attempt to pressure the Federal government to be conscientious during this budget cy...

Tonight is that annual Academy Awards (starting at 5:30 p.m. Pacific). This is the 83rd Oscar telecast. As we look forward to a new film joining the elite club of Best Picture winners, it's always interesting to look to the past. This year marks the start of a new decade (the nominated films are from 2010). In honor of that, I thought I would look back at winners from the first year of each of the past five decades. 1960 — "The Apartment." I haven't seen this Billy Wilder comedy, but it's notable for the great lead performance from Jack Lemon. The film won five Oscars, including for Wilder's direction and for the screenplay. Lemmon and co-star Shirley MacLaine earned nominations but didn't get awards. 1970 — "Patton" This film chronicled the career of World War II General George S. Patton. George C. Scott gives a great performance as Patton. The film won seven Oscars, including a Best Actor for Scott, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. 1980 — ...

Yesterday I made my picks for the big categories, today I'll make my predictions for the smaller film categories and technical awards. Film Categories: Best Foreign Language Film "Biutiful" is the only film in this category with a second nomination, a Best Actor nod for Javier Bardem. Normally one would give a film the upper hand for having made an impression in that way. But the favorite in this category is Golden Globe winner "In A Better World." The Pick: "In A Better World," Denmark Best Documentary Feature The best documentary of 2010 was "Waiting for Superman," which failed to yield a nomination. "Exit Through the Gift Shop" has been an art house favorite, and the emotionally resonant "Restrepo" continues to earn effusive praise. But the pedigree in this category belongs to "Inside Job." The Pick: "Inside Job," Charles Ferguson, Audrey Marrs. Best Documentary, Short Subject The favorite in this ca...

The annual Academy Awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, honoring the best of films in 2010. In preparation for this year’s ceremony, I’ve taken a look at several of the key races, predicting who will win and looking at who should win. Tomorrow I'll have my picks in the rest of the races. Best Picture This is likely a two-horse race. Though there are 10 films nominated in the field, only “The King’s Speech” and “The Social Network” stand a good chance of taking home the top prize. Though there has been some support for “The Fighter” as a dark horse, it will likely do better in the acting races. The best bet for a winner here is “The King’s Speech,” which has dominated the recent guild awards. While I think “The King’s Speech” will win the award, the best film in the race is “The Social Network,” which will likely have to settle for writing and directing awards. Will Win: "The King's Speech" Should Win: "The Social Network" Best Actor Colin Firth (“The King...

Here's a look at the films I saw this week as well as the final two Best Picture capsules. Don't forget to check out the Academy Awards on Sunday night. I'll have my traditional picks later this week. The Eagle Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, and Donald Sutherland Synopsis: This is a period piece set in Britain during the reign of the Roman Empire. It focuses on a Centurion named Marcus Aquila (Tatum) whose father was the commander of a famed regiment that was lost in the wilds of Britain. Along with the loss of the legion — some 5,000 soldiers — was the loss of the legion's famous symbol, The Eagle. Marcus earns his own fame and recognition by saving his men at a post in the north of Britain, but he is injured and returned to his uncle Aquila (Sutherland) to convalesce. During that time he is given an honorable discharge (one has to wonder if that was really a phrase used during 140 A.D., but we'll let it pass), and Marcus is left to wonder what to do. After ...

This week we continue our look at films that speak to our role as we interact with this world. I think that, in many ways, "About Schmidt" is a companion piece to the message and example offered in "The Blind Side." Only this film is more intentional about it's character searching for purpose in his life. "About Schmidt" was released in 2002 and stars Jack Nicholson. Though writer/director Alexander Payne drew more praise and attention for "Sideways" (2004), I think "Schmidt" is his best film, and ranked it as one of my favorite films of the last decade. There is a resonant power in the performance of Nicholson — something recognized by the great film critic Roger Ebert. Ebert said of the performance, "'About Schmidt' is essentially a portrait of a man without qualities, baffled by the emotions and needs of others. That Jack Nicholson makes this man so watchable is a tribute not only to his craft, but to his legend: Jac...

Title: “About Schmidt” (2002) Starring: Jack Nicholson, Katy Bates, Hope Davis, and Dermott Mulroney Synopsis: This film from director Alexander Payne was largely over looked by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Jack Nicholson was nominated as Best Actor and should have won for his performance, which is one of the finest of his career. In the last decade it was another of Payne’s films, the 2004 comedy “Sideways,” that earned praise and landed on the Best of the Decade lists. For my money, this film is funnier, more engrossing, and has a lot more heart. That’s why I put it on the list of my favorite films of the first decade of the 21st Century. The film centers on an aging insurance executive named Warren Schmidt (Nicholson) just as he enters retirement. He lived his whole life by a rigid schedule, including the life with his wife and his daughter. When he retires, Schmidt begins to wonder what his life has really meant and if anything he’s done with his time on Earth w...