Project Nim, directed by James Marsh, is a definite contender
for Best Documentary Feature this year.
Many, including myself, called 2010 the year of the doc. With films like Exit Through the Gift Shop, Inside Job, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, Catfish, and GasLand on the dossier, it's hard to argue that nonfiction filmmaking wasn't the strongest it's been in years.
It's a high bar that's now been set for the Best Documentary Feature category at the Oscars, but this year's crop of films seems to be up to the task. I've broken up some of the most talked-about docs—the ones that seem most likely to be 2012 Best Documentary Oscar nominees—into those I've seen and those I haven't. Then, I'll try to predict the five.
What I've seen:
Senna — An unusual doc because it's made up almost entirely of archival footage. Senna has a few things going for it, not the least of which is that it's a surprisingly emotional experience. But ultimately, it could be hurt by the fact that it's a racing movie. Typically, the Academy will respond to something more "relevant" or "important." Let's call it a maybe.
Page One: Inside the New York Times — Unlike Senna, this film is about something (the decline of print journalism), and it's certainly well-made enough to make it into the five. Not sure it can win, however, because it leaves the viewer a little cold and doesn't have much of an arc to it.
Tabloid — My favorite so far this year. Tabloid is a lot of fun, and it's got the Errol Morris factor behind it. Unforutnately, I think it's a little too slight for Academy recognition.
Conan O'Brien Can't Stop — I wasn't a huge fan of this look behind the scenes of Conan's comedy tour. It felt obligatory and somewhat purposeless. And if 'Joan Rivers' couldn't even make the shortlist last year, this one doesn't have a shot.
The Last Lions, African Cats, Born to Be Wild — I grouped them all together because they have the same snowball's chance in hell at a nomination. 'Lions' was too small, 'Cats' too run-of-the-mill, and 'Born' to short and cutesy to get nominated. Of the three, I'd definitely recommend Born to Be Wild, though. It's only 45 minutes long and so damn adorable.
What else is out there:
The Interrupters — As far as I'm concerned, here's your current frontrunner. This film has everything a Best Documentary winner needs: A well-known and highly respected director (Steve James), a very serious subject (urban violence), and great reviews. My only concern is that it has a somewhat low profile. Plenty of other docs have had moderately wide releases. Not this one, and it also doesn't have a DVD release date. Of course, most of the branch members will see it, but I think you need more than that. Public awareness really helps, and The Interrupters doesn't have it...yet.
Project Nim — Considering director James Marsh is a recent winner, this film, like The Interrupters, has a surprisingly low profile. It didn't expand much beyond the major cities, which is a little concerning. But enough people seem to at least admire it, and I think it has more of an emotional hook than some of the competition. Likely one of the five.
Into the Abyss — Shouldn't ever count out Werner Herzog, right? This film got mostly raves on the fall festival circuit (though a few critics grumbled about it being too grim). It opens this weekend, so we should know more then, but I've got it right in the hunt for a notation.
We Were Here — I don't know much about this one, but it sounds very grand and important based on description alone: "A deep and reflective look at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco and how individuals rose to the occasion during the first years of this unimaginable crisis." (via IMDb). Sounds Academy friendly, no?
The Bully Project — Definitely one of the more timely docs, and it's a subject (bullying, obviously) that I don't think has really been featured a lot in recent documentaries. This is a sleeper in the race, for sure.
Buck — This one got a pretty wide release, and is playing now On Demand, but I'm not as confident as others seem to be on this one. It's about the man who inspired the novel The Horse Whisperer, and by all accounts, his is a very moving and inspiring story. Documentaries like this, however, need to be really good to get nominated, and I'm not sure this one has the reviews and good will it needs. I certainly won't rule it out, though.
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey — "Cute!" "Adorable!" "Heart-warming!" "Laugh-out-loud!" This is what folks are saying about this film. I don't doubt it will be seen—maybe more so than any other film on this list. But I'm thinking it won't really be taken seriously.
Forks Over Knives — My girlfriend actually saw this, but I couldn't drum up the excitement for another "the food industry is bad" movie. She thought it was good, but not Food Inc. good, and she's not the only one saying that. A nomination seems unlikely.
Bobby Fischer Against the World — Few pop culture figures are as fascinating as Bobby Fischer, but unless this film takes his story in a new direction, I could see it getting overlooked.
Charlotte Rampling: The Look — I think this one has far too low a profile, and certainly a very unusual subject matter. I just wanted to include it because I think it sounds so interesting. I love Charlotte Rampling, and I'd watch her in anything, especially in her own documentary.
The Arbor — This one might not even qualify, and I highly doubt it will be the branch's cup of tea, but it's too unusual to not at least mention. It's essentially a biography on playwright Andrea Dunbar, but it's staged, with professional actors lip-synching to pre-recorded interviews.
Nostalgia for the Light — Last year at Cannes, Inside Job premiered, and really, there was little doubt for nine months what film was winning the Oscar. At Cannes this year, no doc stuck out nearly as much, but there definitely was some good press for this film—about both astronomers and women searching for their dead loved ones in the desert. Odd, right? It might be too below the radar right now, but I'd say it's right on the cusp of a nomination.
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold — Morgan Spurlock can't be counted out because he's a big name, but it's hard for me to get excited about one of these "entertain-umentaries". Typically, a filmmaker like Spurlock, Michael Moore, or Alex Gibney needs to knock it out of the park, and it doesn't sound like he's done it with this film.
Life in a Day — It seems gimmicky, but it's got some big names behind it (Kevin MacDonald, Ridley Scott). However, I think they're probably more interested in being experimental and exploring the filmmaking potential of YouTube than winning Oscars. I'm not even sure it will be submitted for Academy consideration.
I'm sure there are plenty more worthy of consideration. Hell, the Oscar winner might not even be on this list. But going off what I know right now, I'd say we're looking at eight solid contenders for five spots:
The Interrupters
Project Nim
Into the Abyss
We Were Here
Buck
Senna
Nostalgia for the Light
The Bully Project
I'm saying the first two are 90% in. I'd go with either Buck or Senna, but probably not both. I'll say 'Nostalgia' is probably one to watch out for, but on the outside for now. Ditto for The Bully Project.
So my top five contenders for the 2012 Best Documentary Feature Oscar at this time are The Interrupters, Project Nim, Into the Abyss, We Were Here, and Senna.
What do you think? Am I way off base on any of these? Any films I'm missing on my contenders list? And what doc are you most looking forward to catching up with?
It's a high bar that's now been set for the Best Documentary Feature category at the Oscars, but this year's crop of films seems to be up to the task. I've broken up some of the most talked-about docs—the ones that seem most likely to be 2012 Best Documentary Oscar nominees—into those I've seen and those I haven't. Then, I'll try to predict the five.
What I've seen:
Senna — An unusual doc because it's made up almost entirely of archival footage. Senna has a few things going for it, not the least of which is that it's a surprisingly emotional experience. But ultimately, it could be hurt by the fact that it's a racing movie. Typically, the Academy will respond to something more "relevant" or "important." Let's call it a maybe.
Page One: Inside the New York Times — Unlike Senna, this film is about something (the decline of print journalism), and it's certainly well-made enough to make it into the five. Not sure it can win, however, because it leaves the viewer a little cold and doesn't have much of an arc to it.
Tabloid — My favorite so far this year. Tabloid is a lot of fun, and it's got the Errol Morris factor behind it. Unforutnately, I think it's a little too slight for Academy recognition.
Conan O'Brien Can't Stop — I wasn't a huge fan of this look behind the scenes of Conan's comedy tour. It felt obligatory and somewhat purposeless. And if 'Joan Rivers' couldn't even make the shortlist last year, this one doesn't have a shot.
The Last Lions, African Cats, Born to Be Wild — I grouped them all together because they have the same snowball's chance in hell at a nomination. 'Lions' was too small, 'Cats' too run-of-the-mill, and 'Born' to short and cutesy to get nominated. Of the three, I'd definitely recommend Born to Be Wild, though. It's only 45 minutes long and so damn adorable.
What else is out there:
The Interrupters — As far as I'm concerned, here's your current frontrunner. This film has everything a Best Documentary winner needs: A well-known and highly respected director (Steve James), a very serious subject (urban violence), and great reviews. My only concern is that it has a somewhat low profile. Plenty of other docs have had moderately wide releases. Not this one, and it also doesn't have a DVD release date. Of course, most of the branch members will see it, but I think you need more than that. Public awareness really helps, and The Interrupters doesn't have it...yet.
Project Nim — Considering director James Marsh is a recent winner, this film, like The Interrupters, has a surprisingly low profile. It didn't expand much beyond the major cities, which is a little concerning. But enough people seem to at least admire it, and I think it has more of an emotional hook than some of the competition. Likely one of the five.
Into the Abyss — Shouldn't ever count out Werner Herzog, right? This film got mostly raves on the fall festival circuit (though a few critics grumbled about it being too grim). It opens this weekend, so we should know more then, but I've got it right in the hunt for a notation.
We Were Here — I don't know much about this one, but it sounds very grand and important based on description alone: "A deep and reflective look at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco and how individuals rose to the occasion during the first years of this unimaginable crisis." (via IMDb). Sounds Academy friendly, no?
The Bully Project — Definitely one of the more timely docs, and it's a subject (bullying, obviously) that I don't think has really been featured a lot in recent documentaries. This is a sleeper in the race, for sure.
Buck — This one got a pretty wide release, and is playing now On Demand, but I'm not as confident as others seem to be on this one. It's about the man who inspired the novel The Horse Whisperer, and by all accounts, his is a very moving and inspiring story. Documentaries like this, however, need to be really good to get nominated, and I'm not sure this one has the reviews and good will it needs. I certainly won't rule it out, though.
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey — "Cute!" "Adorable!" "Heart-warming!" "Laugh-out-loud!" This is what folks are saying about this film. I don't doubt it will be seen—maybe more so than any other film on this list. But I'm thinking it won't really be taken seriously.
Forks Over Knives — My girlfriend actually saw this, but I couldn't drum up the excitement for another "the food industry is bad" movie. She thought it was good, but not Food Inc. good, and she's not the only one saying that. A nomination seems unlikely.
Bobby Fischer Against the World — Few pop culture figures are as fascinating as Bobby Fischer, but unless this film takes his story in a new direction, I could see it getting overlooked.
Charlotte Rampling: The Look — I think this one has far too low a profile, and certainly a very unusual subject matter. I just wanted to include it because I think it sounds so interesting. I love Charlotte Rampling, and I'd watch her in anything, especially in her own documentary.
The Arbor — This one might not even qualify, and I highly doubt it will be the branch's cup of tea, but it's too unusual to not at least mention. It's essentially a biography on playwright Andrea Dunbar, but it's staged, with professional actors lip-synching to pre-recorded interviews.
Nostalgia for the Light — Last year at Cannes, Inside Job premiered, and really, there was little doubt for nine months what film was winning the Oscar. At Cannes this year, no doc stuck out nearly as much, but there definitely was some good press for this film—about both astronomers and women searching for their dead loved ones in the desert. Odd, right? It might be too below the radar right now, but I'd say it's right on the cusp of a nomination.
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold — Morgan Spurlock can't be counted out because he's a big name, but it's hard for me to get excited about one of these "entertain-umentaries". Typically, a filmmaker like Spurlock, Michael Moore, or Alex Gibney needs to knock it out of the park, and it doesn't sound like he's done it with this film.
Life in a Day — It seems gimmicky, but it's got some big names behind it (Kevin MacDonald, Ridley Scott). However, I think they're probably more interested in being experimental and exploring the filmmaking potential of YouTube than winning Oscars. I'm not even sure it will be submitted for Academy consideration.
I'm sure there are plenty more worthy of consideration. Hell, the Oscar winner might not even be on this list. But going off what I know right now, I'd say we're looking at eight solid contenders for five spots:
The Interrupters
Project Nim
Into the Abyss
We Were Here
Buck
Senna
Nostalgia for the Light
The Bully Project
I'm saying the first two are 90% in. I'd go with either Buck or Senna, but probably not both. I'll say 'Nostalgia' is probably one to watch out for, but on the outside for now. Ditto for The Bully Project.
So my top five contenders for the 2012 Best Documentary Feature Oscar at this time are The Interrupters, Project Nim, Into the Abyss, We Were Here, and Senna.
What do you think? Am I way off base on any of these? Any films I'm missing on my contenders list? And what doc are you most looking forward to catching up with?
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