November 2009

I can't believe we're almost through with 2009. Only a little more than four months until the Oscars, so now we're getting into the heavy-hitter months of November and December. Lots of awards hopefuls are up to bat. Some will thrill us and some will disappoint.
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This coming weekend we'll see A Christmas Carol, an animated update on the classic tale from Robert Zemeckis and Jim Carrey. Precious, one of the most decorated films of the year so far, will finally be released after months on the festival circuit. Oprah and Tyler Perry should do wonders for this little movie, and my guess is it will be enormously successful once it goes wide.
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This weekend also brings the ensemble comedy The Men Who Stare at Goats.
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The 13th will see a few indie contenders in theaters: The Messenger, That Evening Sun and The Young Victoria. I've seen The Young Victoria, and personally I thought it was a little slow and I don't see much hope for it with AMPAS.
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On the 20th, the big November money-maker and guaranteed suck fest (pun entirely intentional) New Moon comes out. I cannot beg enough for everyone to just stay away from this nightmare. See Broken Embraces instead. It might not be the deepest of Almodovar's works, but I caught it earlier this month and fell in love.
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Then the next week we have two of my most anticipated films of the year, The Road and The Princess and the Frog. The Road isn't looking like the strongest of bets as far as awards are concerned, but I loved the novel and love Viggo Mortensen, so I'll be catching it anyway. The Princess and the Frog is Disney's return to 2D, and if successful could result in a resuscitation of the dying art that is hand-drawn animation. I'm praying that it's a critical and commercial success.
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Finally, on the 27th, there's a limited release of The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, another mostly disappointing film I saw this month. Performances in that one range from fine to dreadful, so if I were you I'd wait for the DVD.
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What are you planning to see this month?

The Princess and the Frog Poster

/Film got an exclusive look at this new poster for Disney's new 2D musical, The Princess and the Frog. I actually like the teaser poster a bit better, but this one works well with the Holiday release (December 11). Looks like we'll have plenty of new characters to (hopefully) fall in love with this winter.

The Princess and the Frog

Another trailer for The Princess and the Frog has hit the web. This time we get a bigger taste of the new music by Randy Newman. I have very high hopes for this one.

Meet the Next Disney Villain

The Princess and the Frog certainly has a lot riding on it. As Disney's return to the hand-drawn musical, its reception will probably determine whether or not animation will ever go the 2-D route again. I grew up during Disney's second Golden Age, so for the sake of my childhood traditions I'm hoping this film a) is great, and b) makes money.

Below is a featurette about the movie's villain, Dr. Facilier. I had no idea Keith David was providing voice work here, but I am beyond thrilled to hear it. If you've seen Coraline, you've heard David's voice before. He did excellent work there as the Cat.

Animation Deliberation

I just got home from seeing Ponyo. I don't need to tell you it was wonderous. Hayao Miyazaki always promises adventure and magic, which is exactly what you get with Ponyo, a little fish who longs to be human after befriending a young human boy named Sosuke. The plot is very loosely based on the classic 1989 Disney film The Little Mermaid.

It's turning out to be one hell of a year for animation. With the wonderful stop-motion picture Coraline, Pixar's fantastical Up, and now Ponyo, we may already have the Best Animated Feature category's three nominees.

But there's a wealth of animated features still to come in the next few months, too. There's Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Robert Zemeckis' new take on the classic A Christmas Carol, the hotly anticipated 9 from Tim Burton, and Wes Anderson's The Fantastic Mr. Fox, to name a few.

And don't count out Disney's return to hand-drawn animation, The Princess and the Frog, the classic fairytale with a twist.

With all these promising projects, I'm thinking this could be a year for five nominees instead of three. My guess at how it will all line up is there at the top. I think we may be on the verge of another golden age for animation, and with ten Best Picture slots, I no longer think the question is whether or not an animated film will be among them. Now it's just a question of which one it is. My money's on Up, which definitely deserves it, but could also benefit from voter's remorse after WALL-E's unthinkable snub last year.

Another big question. Is it possible that TWO animated films could make the Academy's top ten? How much do those extra spots really open the members' minds? Ponyo and Up are two of the best-reviewed films of the year thus far, but stubborn voters still may not recognize them as important works.

I'm not the biggest champion of having 10 nominees, but if it helps people take animation more seriously, I'll be all for it. Animation truly knows no bounds, and I hope more and more adults start embracing it as a valid art.