Each branch of The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences nominates in that branch for the Oscars; that is, actors nominate actors, directors nominate directors, etc.

Everyone also gets to nominate as many as ten films for “Best” Picture. Then, when the nominations are announced, we all get to vote in most categories for the actual Oscars. The Academy, however, insists that members attend and sign in at actual screenings of foreign, documentary, and short films before we can vote. Wisely, this rule is meant to guarantee that voters see all these less-publicized and not as easily accessible films before voting.

Cool. So be it. Nonetheless, I love the two films I mention below so much that I want to highly recommend these two movies. One got nominated. One didn’t.

Favorite Foreign Film: Intouchables is one of the most delightful, exhilarating, heartfelt films of this or any recent year. The French film revolves around Philippe, a wealthy widower who has been rendered a paraplegic by a hang gliding accident. Much to the consternation of everyone else in his life, he hires Driss, a young man with a very checkered past as his caregiver or, as he puts it, his “arms and legs.” What follows is a film that is almost entirely (and thankfully) based on the relationship between Philippe and Driss. Just good, “old-fashioned” storytelling with two exceptional actors, a witty, deeply felt script, and direction that calls attention only to the unfolding and riveting story, not to camera or editing tricks. From start to finish, Intouchables is a total delight. While I know that Amour is the overwhelming favorite here, I’m very bummed that Intouchables was left out of the Academy nominations altogether.

Favorite Documentary Feature: Searching for Sugar Man. In Detroit in the early 1970s, a singer/songwriter named Sixto Rodrigues made a huge impression on small audiences and some record executives alike. Compared by some at the time to Bob Dylan, he recorded a couple of albums that went nowhere and then, for reasons no one seemed quite able to understand, just faded from view.  Except, that is, in South Africa where unbeknownst to Rodrigues and almost everyone in America, his music became such a huge sensation that many considered him the troubadour who inspired the overthrow of apartheid. Presumed dead for decades, Rodrigues was actually discovered still living in Detroit and brought to South Africa for a triumphant tour. Talk about inspiring! One of my favorite documentaries ever, Searching for Sugar Man (which fortunately did get nominated) is beautifully shot and edited. Its story will also make your jaw drop open in amazement and bring tears of joy to your heart and eyes.

What are your favorites in these categories?

(Stephen Simon co-founded The Spiritual Cinema Circle. He also produced such films as Somewhere in Time and What Dreams May Come, produced and directed Conversations with God, and is the author of both The Force is With You and Bringing Back The Old Hollywood. Twitter: @Old_Hollywood.)

I did a fun television interview last night about the Oscar nominations on Channel 8, the local NBC affiliate here in Portland.

As a proud voting member of The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences since 1984, I prefer to use the word  ”favorite” rather than  ”best”.

We can’t go into the Louvre and point out the “best” painting, can we? Was Cezanne a “better” painter than Van Gogh? Was Mozart the “best” composer ever? More so than Beethoven or others? Really? By what objective criteria can we make those judgments?

In that same vein, I am not capable of saying that any one film or performance is the “best”. I can only say what I personally enjoyed and/or admired the most. As a result, I know that some of the films on my list will not be nominated for Oscars and others that are not on the list most assuredly will be.

These films then are, quite simply, the ones that I personally preferred in 2012.

What are yours?

1. Silver Linings Playbook is about two people who have both been so traumatized by tragic events in their lives that they almost didn’t survive, both emotionally and physically. Somehow, this wondrous film takes that premise and turns it into a romantic, hilariously funny, totally original, and deeply affecting tour-de-force for all concerned. Bradley Cooper deserves an Academy Award nomination and Jennifer Lawrence proves her star turns in Winter’s Bone and Hunger Games were just the beginning of a brilliant career. Writer/director David O. Russell has made a new American classic film that celebrates courage, love, and our own vulnerability and potential as human beings. As the title suggests, the most daunting challenges can indeed evolve into magical opportunities.  Playbook was my favorite film of 2012.

2. Hope Springs is a soulfully written, acted, and directed film about people over 40 (uh, 50, well, really 60) that illuminates issues that married people in long-term relationships often face. Meryl  Streep and Tommy Lee Jones play a Nebraska couple who have been married for 31 years and have fallen into a routine in which all intimacy, physical and emotional, has been long since lost. Hope Springs is often so raw that you actually feel like you are experiencing the emotions of a real-life couple as they bare their souls.  Steve Carell is so likable and compassionate as a marriage therapist that he could probably set up a real counseling practice in which he would flourish, Ms. Streep is her incomparable, brilliant-beyond-words self and Mr. Jones  gives one of my favorite portrayals in any film this year.

3.  Argo is based on the true story of an American CIA agent who rescued 6 Americans who fled their embassy in Tehran as it was being occupied by Iranian militants in 1979. As their compatriots were being held hostage, the Americans hid in the Canadian embassy until, disguised as a  film crew, they escaped the country. Ben Affleck stars in and directs such an intense and gripping film that I found myself on the edge of my seat even though I knew that the Americans had indeed successfully escaped. In addition to being a first-rate thriller, the film also illuminates the little-known bogus Hollywood film that was set up as a cover story for the Americans. Mr. Affleck is wonderful and Alan Arkin gives one of the most hilarious portrayals of a film producer that I have ever seen.

4. Daniel Day Lewis’ tour-de-force portrayal of Abraham Lincoln cannot just be called an epic performance. Quite simply, I felt that I was truly seeing Mr. Lincoln himself. Human, loving, caring, passionate, visionary, humorous, haunted, and courageous, Mr. Lewis’ Lincoln takes its place with Marlon Brando’s Vito Corleone in The Godfather , James Stewart’s George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life as one of my favorite performances in the history of film. Brilliantly written (Tony Kushner) and directed (Steven Spielberg),  Lincoln reminds us what a formative, wrenching, confrontational, tragic, and triumphant experience The American Civil War was. A film I deeply admired (rather than “loved”), Lincoln is one of the greatest history lessons ever put in dramatic form on screen and should be seen every year in every American History classroom in America.

5. Hitchcock is an engrossing experience for anyone who loves Old Hollywood and misses the wonderful storytelling and acting of that era. As Alfred Hitchcock, Anthony Hopkins paints a fascinating portrait of a brilliant filmmaker at both the height of his confidence and also the depth of his self-doubt. Mr. Hopkins is also hilarious! In addition, the true life saga behind the making of Hitchcock’s classic Psycho is an amazing story. For instance, even with all his successes, Mr. Hitchcock had to literally mortgage his own house so he could finance Psycho when no one else would. Watching Mr. Hopkins and Helen Mirren (brilliant as Mr. Hitchcock’s wife and collaborator Alma) in this film together is a joy similar to seeing Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones together in Hope Springs: sheer screen heaven.

6. Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a delightful, poignant, funny, brilliantly written, directed, and acted film that has much to say about life, love, aging, and wisdom. Marigold (which boasts a literal who’s-who cast of esteemed English stars  such as Dame Judy Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, and Tom Wilkinson) takes place in India at a dilapidated old hotel to which several “mature” adults have come for various reasons ranging from trying to save a marriage to retirement. Along with Hope Springs, A Late Quartet, and Hitchcock, Marigold gives us another reason to celebrate brilliant actors,  all of whom are over fifty, sixty, and even seventy. Youth may or may not be “wasted on the young” but acting talent obviously knows no age limit at all!

7. The Impossible. What an exquisite title for an almost unbearably intense but ultimately triumphant film about the power of love. Based on a true story, the movie takes place in Thailand during and after the devastating 2004 tsunami that wreaked so much destruction there. Naomi Watts (who is utterly brilliant in her role) and Ewan McGregor play the parents of three boys all of whom are swept up in (the understatement of the year) and then separated by the tsunami. (Spoiler alert: they all do survive and eventually reunite. Like Argo, the film is harrowing enough even when you know that.) The tsunami scenes themselves are breathtaking (literally) and director J.A. Bayona does a bravura job of storytelling in a film that is, at its core, an improbably uplifting adventure in and about the infinite, transcendent power of love which can and indeed often does conquer the impossible.

8. Flight. A passenger jet completely malfunctions, causing it to plunge uncontrollably towards the ground. Somehow, the pilot (Denzel Washington in a career performance) regains control by actually inverting the plane until he can guide it in for a miraculous, powerless crash landing. 6 people are killed but the other 96 survive. When the FAA later puts 10 pilots in a simulator, the plane crashes each time, killing all aboard. One problem: the “hero” pilot turns out to have been legally drunk and high on cocaine. Deep moral questions and ambiguities abound in Flight, making it one of the most fascinating adult films of the year. Mr. Washington’s portrayal of a man  in denial of his addictions will almost certainly resonate with anyone who has either been in his situation or known someone who is or was. Director Robert Zemeckis has now directed the two most terrifying plane crashes (Cast Away and Flight) I have ever seen on film. As my wife said to me when we first saw the trailer for the film, don’t wait for this one to show up as an in-flight movie. Never going to happen!

9. Not to be confused with the similarly-titled Quartet, A Late Quartet is a moving, poignant portrait of a brilliant musician (Christopher Walken in a one of the most tenderly nuanced performances of his career) who, due to illness and age, realizes he can no longer play his beloved cello at a professional level. His decision to retire causes complete chaos in the string quartet which he has led for decades. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, and Mark Ivanir are also terrific as the other musicians in the quartet, all of whose lives are upended by the spectre of  fitting someone new into what is already a deeply emotional, conflicted, competitive mix.  This is an engrossing film about aging, music, and the complex personal relationships of artists who are dedicated to their craft.

10. The Words. Every year, some wonderful films are completely overlooked and, unfortunately, disappear. Sometimes, they get a new life on DVD and cable. Sometimes not. I hope that  The Words, which was released last September, finds the audience it so richly deserves. A frustrated, unpublished author puts his name on an old manuscript that he finds, gets it published, and sees it become an international best seller. Somehow, the author rationalizes his act of plagiarism…until the real author confronts him one day in a park. The Words is both a fascinating morality tale and also a penetrating look at our modern celebrity culture and the lengths to which some people go to become “famous.” Jeremy Irons gives an Academy Award caliber supporting performance as the original author and Bradley Cooper is terrific as  the “plagiarist”. The Words is an ingenious, engrossing movie.

Honorable Mention (Listed alphabetically): The Hobbit, Hunger Games, Moonrise Kingdom, Ruby Sparks, Safety Not Guaranteed, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Skyfall, Stand-Up Guys.

What were your favorite films of 2012?

Coming soon: Foreign films and documentaries.

(Stephen Simon co-founded The Spiritual Cinema Circle. He also produced such films as Somewhere in Time , What Dreams May Come and All The Right Moves, produced and directed Conversations with God, and is the author of both The Force is With You and Bringing Back The Old Hollywood. Twitter: @Old_Hollywood.)

Even though we missed it in when it was in theaters, we finally caught up with The Intouchables and are so glad we did. Simply and directly, the film is one of the most delightful, poignant, brilliant, exhilarating, heartfelt films of this or any recent year. An instant classic indeed.

The French film revolves around Philippe, a wealthy, widowed Frenchman who has been rendered a paraplegic by a hang gliding accident. Much to the consternation of everyone else in his life, he hires Driss, a young man with a very checkered past as his caregiver or, as he puts it, his “arms and legs.”

What follows is a film that is almost entirely (and thankfully) based on the relationship between Philippe and Driss. That’s right, no plot convolutions, guns, vampires, or exploding toilets. Just good, “old-fashioned” storytelling with two exceptional actors, a witty, deeply felt script, and direction that calls attention only to the unfolding and riveting story, not to camera or editing tricks.

Actors Francois Cluzet, who plays Philippe, and Omar Sy, who plays Driss, portray two people who find each other at exactly the right time in both of their lives.

Philippe is bored and utterly fed up from being so physically helpless and even more so from being on the receiving end of so much pity and sympathy. Into his life, walks Driss who really doesn’t even want the caregiver job at first and only shows up for the interview because he has to prove that he’s actually looking for work. From their very first meeting, both men seem to intuit exactly what they need from each other.

Driss is more fascinated then impressed by Philippe’s condition and immediately begins to crack jokes that delight Philippe even as they horrify his staff. Somehow, Driss knows that Philippe’s soul needs a collaborator, adventurer, and “partner in crime” as much as or more than his body needs physical help.

For his part, Philippe seems to instantly understand that Driss needs someone to believe in and support him as a decent and caring man, irrespective of his past misdeeds.

Through their interaction, we see and feel them fuel each other’s rebirth.

Based on a true story, The Intouchables is absolutely one of my favorite films of 2012.

On Friday, September 21, I decided to go see End of Watch because I had read great reviews and I don’t feel I can honestly discuss violent films if I never see any.

It was a 2:00 PM show and very few people were in the theater. Right before the film started, I was stunned to see a young mother bring a very small boy into the theater. He could not have been more than four or five years old.

The film is rated “R” and all of the advertising for the film makes it very clear that the film is exceedingly violent and profane. Nevertheless, here is this little boy in this giant theater with digital sound being forced to watch intense violence and profanity from the very first frame of the film.

After about ten minutes, during which there were numerous violent acts and F-bombs every other word on screen, I just couldn’t take it anymore. Not the film. The situation with the child.

There was no way I could sit in that theater and watch the violence on screen, knowing this little boy was being, in my opinion, emotionally and mentally abused by his either clueless or narcissistic mother.

So I got up, and went to where the mother was sitting. I told her that such a small child should not be subjected to that kind of violence and profanity  and that she should get him out of the theater. She just looked at me with a blank stare and turned away.

And I walked out.

Standing in the lobby, I knew I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t at least try to do something more. Anything.

So I called the Child Protective Services hot line here in Portland on my cell phone.

When I explained the situation, a very compassionate woman commiserated with me and said “Look, you’re right. No responsible parent would take a little child into a film like that, but, legally, there’s nothing we can do. I suggest you talk to the theater manager and let him know how upsetting this was to you. And thank you for caring enough to call.”

I then sought out the theater manager who was also very compassionate. He told me that he had a two year old son and  could completely empathize with how I was feeling; however, he too was powerless to act unless the woman caused a disturbance.

Of course, I understood. Legally, he was handcuffed, as was the lady at Child Protective Services. As was I. (Personally, I’m a huge fan of the Regal Cinema chain and their fantastic “Go Big or Go Home” campaign to encourage people to see films in theaters.)

I exited the theater  and noticed a news van right out front from KGW, Channel 8, the NBC affiliate here in Portland,

I called my wife Lauren to relay what had happened and, without me even telling her about the news van, she immediately  said I should call our friend Sally Ramirez who is the Assistant News Director at that very station. So I called Sally and explained the situation. She then called her reporter in the van (which was there to cover the first day sales of the new I phone) and, within a few minutes, I was doing a news interview about what had happened.

And, a few days later, KGW aired both that interview and an extensive news story on the subject matter:

Going forward, here are my thoughts:

–I do not believe in censorship. I’ve produced “R” rated movies myself.  I just don’t think that little children should be forced by their parents to experience the kind of violence and/or profanity and/or explicit sexuality in “R” rated films.

–Just because we can do something (like take a child to a film like that) doesn’t mean that we should.

-I would love to see more people get involved so parents don’t subject their little children to a kind of violence/profanity/sexuality that they have no way of being able to process in a healthy way. If you see this kind of thing, and you don’t feel comfortable talking to the parent, talk to the theater manager. Maybe even tell him/her that you don’t want to sit in an “R” rated film with little children. And maybe even ask for a refund. If enough of us do that, the theater chains will definitely pay attention.

–I would hope that theaters would instruct their ticket sellers to at least caution a parent who is about to buy a ticket for an “R” rated movie for a small child. “Hey, there’s a lot of violence and profanity in this film. Are you sure you want to take your child in?” Just that could prevent some parents from proceeding. In fact, I’m told that some theater managers do indeed instruct their ticket sellers to do just, to which I say “way to go!”

–I would love to see the “R” rating mean that no one under 12 or 13 can be admitted to violent R-rated movies, even with an adult.

What now?

What can or should we do in situations like that?

Was I out of line for confronting the mother?

Was it none of my business?

Should I have just shut up?

What, if anything, do you suggest we do about little kids and “R” rated films?

Please let me know what you think, and if this commentary resonates with you, please put this link on your Facebook and Twitter pages, and distribute it to your friends and whomever else you think should see it so we can get a national dialogue started.

Children are so vulnerable and impressionable. They need and deserve our help.

(Stephen Simon produced such films as Somewhere in Time (Christopher Reeve), What Dreams May Come (Robin Williams) and All The Right Moves (Tom Cruise). He produced and directed both Indigo and Conversations with God and co-founded The Spiritual Cinema Circle. He is also the author of The Force is With You and Bringing Back The Old Hollywood.)

As we head into the fall season, when the huge majority of quality films are (finally!) released, what has 2012 brought us so far?

As I detailed in Bringing Back The Old Hollywood, the pickings are almost always very slim for these first eight months because release schedules are dominated by The New Hollywood’s obsession with youth-oriented (superheroes, dumb comedies, etc.) films. This year is no exception.

Also, as I predicted here last year, the summer of 2012 saw further revenue and attendance declines from 2011; moreover, a whopping one hundred million less tickets were sold this summer than ten years ago.

On a happier note, I have five favorite films so far this year. What are yours?

1) Hope Springs. I wrote a whole blog about this film which you can access by clicking on the title.

2) Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

In 2011, Win-Win came out in May as the first real “quality” film of the year. This year, it was The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel which is an absolutely delightful, poignant, funny, brilliantly written, directed, and acted film.

Marigold takes place in India at a somewhat dilapidated old hotel where several “mature” adults have come for various reasons ranging from trying to save a marriage to retirement.

Boasting a literal who’s-who cast of esteemed English actors (Dame Judy Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson), Marigold has much to say about life, love, aging, and wisdom.

3) Ruby Sparks. One of the most imaginative and thought-provoking films of this and recent years, Ruby revolves around a still-youthful writer (Paul Dano) who had a huge best seller when he was much younger but has been stuck in writer’s block hell ever since. When his therapist (Elliot Gould) suggests some writing therapy, he begins a story about a character named Ruby Sparks….who (Zoe Kazan) then actually shows up in his home one day exactly, and I do mean exactly, as he has written her.

What follows is a penetrating look at how our imperfections as human beings are actually so critically important to our relationships. The film is expertly directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris whose prior film was the utterly delightful Little Miss Sunshine. As in that film, Ruby is filled with fascinating, relatable characters and the script, written by Ms. Kazan herself, is very perceptive about that age-old cliche of being very careful about what we wish for.

4) Moonrise Kingdom. A boy in summer camp runs away with a local girl, setting off a frantic search by parents and police. Pretty basic stuff, yes? Not in this wildly original, delightful,  charming movie in which absolutely nothing is basic in any way.

Directed by Wes Anderson, Kingdom is so cleverly unique that it looks and feels quite unlike any other film. Mr. Anderson’s directorial style and vision is so consistent that he manages to coax controlled but wildly funny performances from his cast of great actors, many of whom are not exactly known for their subtlety on screen. Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, and Harvey Keitel in the same movie where all three consistently underplay their roles? That happens about as often as the reappearance of  Haley’s Comet. Other wonderful actors such as Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, and Frances McDormand combine to make Moonrise Kingdom one of the most beguiling films of the year.

5) Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. One of the most improbable plots of the year in one of the most oddly titled films in many years combine with a confident director and  a cast of charismatic actors to make a thoroughly entertaining and satisfying romantic comedy. Just the fact that it is indeed both romantic and funny is cause for celebration because that combination is something that many so-called rom/coms seem to have forgotten how to do recently.

Emily Blunt plays the representative of a billionaire Arab sheik who is such a fan of salmon fishing that he commits to building a dam and river in his native Yemen. Ewan McGregor plays the British government Fisheries bureaucrat who is forced to participate in and actually manifest the project which he initially believes is beyond absurd. Skillfully directed by Lasse Hallstrom (Cider House Rules, Chocolat), what follows is a an utterly enthralling, gentle  love story between the completely lovable McGregor and equally charming Miss Blunt. Amr Waked plays the sheik with great dignity and warmth and Kristin Scott Thomas is hysterically funny as the opportunistic and utterly amoral press secretary to the Prime Minister.

So, those are my five favorite films so far this year. What are yours???

What a perfect, multi-layered title for a sensational, poignant, brilliantly acted and ADULT-ORIENTED movie.

The title refers to the name of the Maine town to which Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold  (Tommy Lee Jones) go for some intense marriage counseling from Dr. Feld (Steve Carell.) More on the film in a moment.

The title is also a cry of exultation from adult audiences who so yearn for movies of substance, particularly in a summer that is so typically filled with mindless action movies, dumb comedies, and other assorted silliness. A soulfully written story about real people over 40 (uh, 50, well, really 60) that illuminates real life issues for married couples is as rare as a positive political ad nowadays and is so welcome that it calls for a celebration. Hurray!

Ms. Streep and Mr. Jones play a Nebraska couple who have been married for 31 years and have fallen into a routine in which all intimacy, physical and emotional, has been long since lost; in fact, they even sleep in separate bedrooms.  While Arnold seems (and looks here are indeed deceiving) content with the by-the-numbers motions of their relationship, Kay longs for the relationship they once had. To Arnold’s utter chagrin and annoyance, Kay signs them both up for a week of intense marriage counseling in a small Maine town.

Arnold begrudgingly agrees to go but is so afraid of letting his deeply buried fears of intimacy out that he does everything he can to sabotage the therapy sessions and maybe even his marriage. Undaunted, Kay and Dr. Feld gently–and sometimes not so gently–encourage Arnold to open up and eventually, he does.

As it is at its core a movie about intimacy and how people often go through the hoops of hell to protect themselves from being vulnerable, even with their partners, Hope Springs is often so raw that you actually feel like you are experiencing the emotions of a real-life couple as they bare their souls. As such, the film is likely in some ways to feel like a Rorschach test for couples who see the film together.

As Dr. Feld says in the film “Marriages go through bad years”. If your relationship is indeed open and intimate, the film may feel like a welcome validation of all the work that does indeed go into maintaining a successful marriage. If your relationship needs some help, the film may shine a light on some of those sensitive areas and encourage you to open up like Kay and Arnold do. In either case, the emotions in the film are sometimes so honest that you may feel at times like you are actually intruders in the room with Kay and Arnold.

And that’s one of the many reasons why the film, exquisitely written by Vanessa Taylor and impeccably directed by David Frankel (who also directed Ms. Streep in The Devil Wears Prada),  is so utterly wonderful.

And the acting–oh my! Steve Carell is so likable and compassionate as Dr. Feld that he could probably set up a real counseling practice in which he would flourish. As usual, Ms. Streep is her own incomparable, brilliant-beyond-words self. What a treat it is to be a film fan living in the same era with the greatest actress in the history of cinema. All that being said, the true revelation in the film is Mr. Jones who should be a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination for his indelible performance as Arnold. Alternately gruff, imposing, bullying, tender, lost, sensitive, emotional, funny, and tormented, Mr. Jones’ performance is as good as any actor in many, many years.

So, please tell your friends. Tell your enemies. Tell everyone.

Hope Springs is my favorite film so far in 2012.

The Hunger Games is certainly the most frightening movie that I have ever seen..and, in a bizarre way, one of the most hopeful.

Even though it contains echoes of films such as 1984, Network, and The Lord of The Flies, The Hunger Games is singularly unique in that it represents a very “right now” look at our celebrity-worshiping, violence-laden, reality television culture, and throws in some chilling warnings about the dangers of all-powerful government.

Having not read any of Suzanne Collins’ three books from which this film springs, my first impression upon hearing about the film’s central theme of a nationwide contest which pits twenty-four teenagers against each other in a fight to the death,  was…”uh-oh, here we go again with mindless violence.” Those who had indeed read the books, however, straightened me out on that impression very quickly by assuring me that the whole point of the books is to awaken young people to the dangers of the culture they are creating with their obsessions with violence-laden video games and movies, and a tuned-out-to-society immersion in texting, Facebook, Twitter, and any other distraction that can keep them from really looking at the world around them.

In fact, survey after survey show conclusively that this so-called Millennial generation (those born between 1980 and 2000 ) is, in general, the most tuned-out generation in American history.

For those reasons and more, I hope that The Hunger Games is shown in every high school and college classroom in the world every year from now on.

Set about a century from now, the film’s horrifying central storyline is that a revolution occurred many decades earlier that was ruthlessly extinguished by the central government. America was then split into twelve districts with no passage possible between them. Every year, a teenage boy and girl from each district is chosen as a “tribute” (translation: punishment for the sins of the revolutionaries decades earlier) for The Hunger Games in which they fight each other to the death, until only one “victor” remains.

Yes, that’s right. And it is even more terrifying than you can even imagine as we see the unfolding nightmare through the eyes of Katniss Everdeen, one particular teenager who actually volunteered to compete when her younger sister was originally chosen as her district’s tribute.

I want to note  here that one of the reasons that the film works on so many levels is because of Jennifer Lawrence, the brilliant young actress who plays Katniss. Through her eyes, we see the sheer terror and then ultimately resolve that results from being thrust into a battle for one’s life. A lesser performance might have changed the whole tenor of the film but Ms. Lawrence takes us with her on her journey and we feel every emotion as she experiences it.

The film is brilliantly cast and superbly directed by Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, etc.) who makes the violence as frightening as it needs to be but does not rub our noses in it. As a result, the film is correctly rated PG-13 so that the young people who are its primary, intended audience can actually see it.

And therein lies the big question: Will that audience actually get the message that the book’s author and filmmakers so obviously intend?

Will they see how truly horrifying it is to actually face violence and confront imminent death, not in some disembodied way on a violent video game or horror film, but in life itself? Will they see how desensitized we become when we zone out into a constant electronic maze that serves basically to anesthetize us to the world around us? Will the film waken them to the reality that they spend so much time and energy avoiding?

If the audience misses the point and just sees the film as a “cool, violent film”, it will be a huge shame and a massive, missed opportunity.

If, however, the message strikes home, The Hunger Games can take on the mantle of a landmark, sociological event for the Millennial generation and could even be seen eventually as a crucial turning point. As the film opened to a staggering weekend gross of $155 million, we have every reason to hope.

A note here for those of you who have long since tuned into the central warning themes of the film: think carefully before you go see it because you may find it to be deeply unsettling and upsetting.

So, how will we determine the outcome?

Time certainly will tell…but if we see our kids or grandkids aspiring to be Katniss Everdeen or Peeta Mellark (her male counterpart), it will be a very good sign indeed.

From www.thewrap.com: “The Hunger Games” beat even the most optimistic box-office expectations in its debut weekend, grossing an estimated $155 million domestically and setting several records.

Lionsgate’s movie opened bigger than any movie ever to open in the period between January and April. It is the biggest non-sequel opening ever and the third-biggest movie opening ever.

The only films to gross more than “The Hunger Games” in their opening weekend are “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ and “The Dark Knight.”

Absolutely fascinating, right-on article in the Los Angeles Times earlier this week about the significance of this year’s Old Hollywood Oscar focus. I agree with the author: 2011 was a tipping point (“abyss” may be more accurate) for empty, vapid, loud studio movies:
>>> http://articles.latimes.com/2012/feb/19/entertainment/la-ca-oscars-gabler-20120219

Cinematography

• “The Artist” Guillaume Schiffman
• “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Jeff Cronenweth
• “Hugo” Robert Richardson
• “The Tree of Life” Emmanuel Lubezki
• “War Horse” Janusz Kaminski

While the film itself  may be too polarizing for many of my Academy brethren, the cinematography in “The Tree of Life” is so breathtaking that it deserves to win this category easily. Whether it does or not, it should.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

• “The Descendants” Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
• “Hugo” Screenplay by John Logan
• “The Ides of March” Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
• “Moneyball” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin
• “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan

My 28 years as an Academy voter makes me think that Messrs. Payne, Nixon, and Rash will win for “The Descendants”.  Mr. Payne is particularly and deservedly respected in the Actor’s Branch, which has by the far the most voting members of any Academy Branch. In addition, “The Artist” will almost certainly win Best Picture and Best Director so this and the Actor Oscar for George Clooney will be the only ways that the Academy as a whole can honor Mr. Payne and his film.

Directing

• “The Artist” Michel Hazanavicius
• “The Descendants” Alexander Payne
• “Hugo” Martin Scorsese
• “Midnight in Paris” Woody Allen
• “The Tree of Life” Terrence Malick

I loved all five of these films. My strong sense is that Mr. Hazanavicius will win because “The Artist” is a wonderful, ingenious film that will almost certainly win Best Picture and these two awards almost always go in tandem. That being said, my choice would be Mr. Malick.  While “The Artist” does have historical antecedents, I’ve never seen anything remotely like “The Tree of Life”. As audacious as “The Artist” is, “The Tree of Life” is, to me, one of the great achievements in film history.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

• “The Artist” Written by Michel Hazanavicius
• “Bridesmaids” Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
• “Margin Call” Written by J.C. Chandor
• “Midnight in Paris” Written by Woody Allen
• “A Separation” Written by Asghar Farhadi

I’d be very surprised if anyone other than Mr. Hazanavicius wins. If there was a big upset here it might be “The Separation” but I think that Mr. Hazanavicius is going to hit the  trifecta: writing, directing, and picture.

Best Picture

• “The Artist” Thomas Langmann, Producer
• “The Descendants” Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
• “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” Scott Rudin, Producer
• “The Help” Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
• “Hugo” Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
• “Midnight in Paris” Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
• “Moneyball” Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
• “The Tree of Life” Nominees to be determined
• “War Horse” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

6 of these films were on my own nomination list this year. The fact that there are 9 nominees is very interesting because in this year’s nominating procedure at least 250 Academy voters had to list a film as their first choice for it to receive a nomination. That means at least 2250 of the 6000 Academy voters voted for different first choices. Does that mean a chance for a surprise? Answer: no! While “The Tree of Life” is still my personal favorite film of 2011,  “The Artist” (which I also loved) is the overwhelming favorite here and it’s hard for me to imagine any other film winning.

Oh, and one other category:

MOST WELCOME COMEBACK BY AN OSCAR HOST:

It will be so good to see you back where you belong, Billy Crystal!!