Should've been Nominated: Public Enemies

Sometimes a movie comes across that you absolutely love, but bombs at the box office and fails with the critics. “Public Enemies” was one such movie.

The true story of John Dillinger and his capture, “Public Enemies” was a good movie. Filmed on location in Wisconsin, Indiana and Chicago, the movie transported viewers back to the flapper era, when gangsters were celebrities and money was stolen, not earned (it was the Great Depression).

First the weak points of the film: It dragged in some parts. When Dillinger walks into the police department shortly before his capture, the scene slowly moves along, with shots of Johnny Depp slowly looking at pictures while cops are distracted. The ending took forever.

The good parts: the action was solid. Vintage cars with gangsters and cops with tommy guns was reminiscent of “Bonny and Clyde.” The locations were really amazing. An inn where Dillinger stayed was really used. The theatre in Chicago were he was shot at featured in the movie. The music, a combination of banjos and electric guitars, was rollicking (and apt for a 1930s gun slinging gangster flick). The direction and cinematography was superb, as the film had the feel of a black and white movie.

The luminescent Cotillard as "Black Bird"

The best part was the acting. I am by no means a Johnny Depp fan. (Fangirls, I’ll say it, he’s ugly). But he really worked as Dillinger. He had the right amount of criminality and suaveness to play the part. Marion Cotillard, a favorite of “There’s Something wrong with Esther,” was impeccable as usual. She played Dillinger’s girlfriend, “the Black Bird.” She conveyed the right amount of worry and thrill. The role potentially could have been one dimensional (say, if Jessica Biel played her) but Cotillard can give any role depth and significance. And who can forget Christian Bale? He is consistently good. Whether in big blockbusters, or small indies, he often carries his films. He played the detective that pursued Dillinger. He mixed the essence of Dean Martin-esque coolness and appeal with determination. Cotillard and Bale worked best together, especially in the scene where he carries her, crying after being tortured, out of the police station.

We think Cotillard should have been nominated as Best Supporting Actress, at least for her stint in “Nine” or this movie. Bale should have received a nomination, or at least a Golden Globe nomination. Cinematography and Original Score would have been nice too. That Sandra Bullock could get nominated for the “Blind Side” (Really, Academy? Really?) and such excellent films as “Nine,” “Public Enemies,” and “The Road” should be snubbed is a real shame.

Should've been Nominated: The Road

A father and son walk alone, avoiding the roads, in a post-apocalyptic world. They learn from each other about love and life. The father and son "carry the fire"--a fire that cannot be extinguished by time or death.

This is the premise of The Road, a faithful and moving adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's Pulitzer Prize winning masterpiece.

Why this movie wasn't nominated for Oscars is really beyond us! I mean, why, why, why?!

The Road's cinematography was arresting. As Hedorah commented upon seeing the film, the devastated world, shot in bleak greys and whites, was actually beautiful. The scene where the father places his wedding ring on an overpass contains extraordinary visuals: the grey concrete against a grey sky evokes the father's relationship with his wife.

The acting was incredible. Precious was carried by the tour-de-force performance of Mo'Nique as Mary, the abusive mother, but The Road contained a bevy of impeccable performances. Viggo Mortensen's portrayal of the father conveyed the unconditional love he had for his son ("you have my whole heart" he says when dying). Kodi Smit McPhee's youth didn't hinder his abilities, of note is the scene where he cries to his father "I am the one. I am the one who worries." Even Charlize Theron did a wonderful job as the restless and depressed wife who one day walks away from everything, into the fiery black void. But the real scene stealer was Robert Duvall as the Old Man. Hearing him speak of the world before the cataclysm was amazing. His eyes teared up when he spoke of his son. He was angry, upset, and grateful all at once. Even the moment when he (humorously) vomits up a can of DelMonte peaches shows the toll the world has taken on him.

And who can forget the thrills of this movie? Whether encountering a bunker full of bodies waiting to be consumed (the gasp worthy scene of "help us" proves our point), a band of marauders consuming their dead friend, or a woman and daughter being chased near a set of skulls on spikes, this movie was thrilling. We lament the absence of a particularly grisly scene from the book, involving a pregnant woman, a fetus "extracted" therefrom, and a fire and spit.

This film deserved acting Oscar nominations for Viggo Mortensen (Lead), Robert Duvall (Supporting), Koti Smitt McPhee (Supporting), and Charlize Theron (Supporting). The cinematographers deserve Oscar nominations. We even wish it had been given Best Picture and Best Director nominations. And if anyone ought to have won, it would have to be Robert Duvall.

"Even if you knew what to do, you wouldn't know what to do."

[on death] "We can't afford such luxuries in times as these."