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Oscar Results…

[Originally posted on MySpace]

Well, the results are in. The winners were:

• Best Picture: The Departed
• Best Director: Martin Scorsese
• Best Actress: Helen Mirren
• Best Actor: Forest Whitaker
• Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson
• Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin

So how did I do?… Well, I got everything right. The academy on the other hand got 3 of the acting awards wrong. =) Alan Arkin was a total surprise, Helen Mirren was a sensible choice (she was my #2), and Jennifer Hudson was the media favorite – everyone knew she was going to win.

But watching the awards, I couldn’t help but get upset over the directing of the show itself. Rapid, unnecessary camera changes, reaction shots from the wrong people, and a horrible salute to American filmmaking ensured the show was as dreary as years past. But let me cite a few specific examples…

First, during the introduction to the best international film category WHY would you put the camera on Sacha Baron Cohen (you know him as Borat)… HE ISN’T NOMATED IN THAT CATEGORY. HE DIDN’T MAKE A FOREIGN FILM. HE MOUTHED IT SO YOU WOULD GET A CLUE!… If disparaging the entire category was the directors goal, then he certainly succeeded.

Second, during Alan Arkin’s acceptance speech, he put the Oscar down on the ground so he could read his notes. Right as Alan Arkin begins to get choked up, so surprised that he won this category the director switches the camera TO A CLOSEUP OF THE OSCAR ON THE FLOOR. WHY?! Were all the computer animated Oscar tropies not enough to show us what it looks like?! Alan Arkin was a complete underdog in this category – why can’t we watch his tearful acceptance speech? Argh!

Third, … well, I’m not even going to talk about how magnificently Clint Eastwood botched the introduction of Ennio Morricone. The guy is a musical legend. A master! And you couldn’t be bothered to memorize his introduction or bring your glasses!? I’m glad I didn’t get a chance to see your film!

Fourth – Graham King, producer for the Departed gave a wonderful, tearful acceptance speech when he won best picture. Scorsese won best director just prior, and even before best picture was nominated you could tell how moved both Graham and Marty were. So after Graham finishes his speech and walks backstage with Jack Nicholson at his side, to meet with Marty the camera switches to watch the confetti drop?!… WTF?! Show us the backstage celebration! Show us Scorsese celebrating his film! Show us Jack!

Fifth – Chris Connelly… I think I wore out my mute button. Nuff said.

Gah I’m pissed.

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Oscar Time: Best Actress

[Originally posted on MySpace]

Finally, best actress… My picks, in reverse order…

#5: Penelope Cruz – Volver

I can’t summarize the plot of this movie in just a few sentences, there are just too many important pieces and people that you need to know about. For my review, all you need to know is Penelope plays Raimunda, a woman who was raped by her father (when she was younger), and who believes her mother died in a fire. She has a daughter, and when her daughter murders her husband after he tried to rape her, she helps conceal the death and hide the body. In addition, we find out that her mother isn’t really dead after-all, but has been living with and caring for Raimunda’s aunt in secret. Raimunda reunites with her mother and begins to bond with her due to the recent events.

This movie is really interesting to watch, but the complexity of the plot steals much of the spotlight from the acting. It’s not that the plot is overly complicated or tricky to follow, it’s just there are many different connections between Raimunda’s past and present which are revealed slowly, as the story unfolds. Another important part of the story is the culture of La Mancha where everything takes place. There is a deep connection with the dead, and many people believe that restless ghosts visit family members. All of this makes it difficult to see the strengths in Penelope’s performance. She does a good job, but the role doesn’t give her a chance to deliver a performance we’ll remember for years to come.

#4: Meryl Streep – The Devil Wears Prada

Meryl plays Miranda Priestly, editor in chief of Runway magazine – a high fashion magazine based in New York. The story follows Andy (Anne Hathaway), hired as a personal assistant to Miranda. For much of the movie, we’re shown how ruthless, arrogant and cynical Miranda is. She’s completely focused on her magazine and has no time or patience to deal with ‘incompetence’ around her. But as Andy bonds with Miranda, we end up seeing glimpses of her humanity, of her human vulnerability. But it’s only a tease because in her world there’s no time for such distractions.

This is a really good performance. Meryl’s character is completely intertwined with her business. She’s structured her entire world around her magazine. She’s put up a seemingly impenetrable façade around her humanity, around her true feelings and emotions. Maintaining this illustion is what makes her performance so good. By the end of the movie, when we finally see Miranda crack a smile we beam. Why? … because we know how significant such a thing must be for Miranda. When she quickly snaps back to her usual self we feel a sense of secret pride, as if we got to see a small part of her that nobody else did.

#3: Judi Dench – Notes on a Scandal

Judi plays a school teacher. Bitter, old and close to retirement she lives alone with her cat Portia. To pass the time, she writes in her diary – which has grown to span many journals over the years. She becomes friends with a new teacher, Sheba (Cate Blanchett). As time passes, she begins to fall in love with Sheba and when she learns of Sheba’s affair with a student, she uses it against her in a twisted attempt to get her attention.

In this role, Judi makes it seem as if she’s constantly plotting how to get the attention of Sheba. It’s awkward, how she narrates her thoughts and plans to us as she writes in her diary. She’s clearly obsessed with Sheba, completely fixated on this idea that they were meant for each other. And at times when things don’t go her way (like when her cat dies, and she wants Sheba to comfort her, but Sheba has to go to her son’s school play) she totally flips out. She’s crazy and gross at times because Sheba doesn’t realize what she’s doing until she discovers the diaries near the end of the movie… I don’t think I’ll look at lonely old grandmas in the same way ever again…

#2: Helen Mirren – The Queen

Helen plays The Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II. The movie is the fictional story of what the royal family went through during the time of Tony Blair’s election to Prime Minister, and Princess Diana’s untimely death.

This role must have been very challenging. She plays a Queen stuck in the ways of tradition, but compelled to deal with her disconnect from common people. Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) tries to help her bridge this gap – you see, he was elected by the people as a reformist, someone who could help modernize an antiquated government. In the end, it’s this constant pressuring that made Helen’s performance so great. She has to come to terms with the changing attitudes of her people. And as the film unfolds we see small changes in her. She seems more open, a bit less rigid and more caring… the changes are very slight and it’s the slow evolution that makes Helen so good in this role.

#1: Kate Winslet – Little Children

Kate plays Sarah Price, a mother disconnected from her husband and somewhat distant from her daughter. She regularly goes to the local park, where she meets Brad (Patrick Wilson), and kisses him on a dare. When she discovers her husband jacking off to an Internet porn site, she begins an affair with Brad.

I really liked how we see Kate’s character change when she begins to pursue and have an affair with Brad. Early in the movie she’s quiet, unhappy in her marriage, frustrated that she needs to care for her daughter all the time. But when she connects with Brad we see her spark back to life. She’s becomes more romantic, more passionate, and the chemistry she has with Patrick Wilson is clearly apparent. As more time passes, she begins to feel more alive. She’s happier in life. And when Patrick asks her to run away with him so they can finally be together, she agrees. This transformation is why Kate’s my Oscar pick this year. At first it happens slowly, we know something’s changed when she decides to go after Brad, but by the time they decide to run away, she’s completely different from how she began. This is something I didn’t see in any of the other nominees this year (well, except in The Queen but to a much smaller degree), and makes Kate stand out.

Well, the awards are tonight… we’ll see if the academy agrees with me. =)

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Oscar Time: Best Actor

[Originally posted on MySpace]

Next up, best actor… Here’s my list, in reverse order as usual:

#5: Leonardo DiCaprio – Blood Diamond

Leonardo plays Danny Archer, a mercenary who overhears the tale of a father (Solomon) who’s been separated from his family, and hid a huge diamond he found. Danny offers to help Solomon find his family in exchange for the stone.

As I said in my review of Djimon Hounsou (nominated for best supporting actor for playing Solomon), this movie was entirely predictable. Danny’s story was no exception. His character had no depth and was completely uninteresting. Emotional moments in the story felt like a joke gone wrong, I couldn’t wait for this film to finish so I could watch something much better. I don’t know why Leo got nominated for this role – he was much better in The Aviator and The Departed. This movie and Leonardo’s performance are entirely forgettable.

#4: Peter OToole – Venus

Peter plays Maurice, an aging actor who spends his time hanging out with another old friend, Ian. All they do is sit around and talk about their acting careers and inevitable deaths. One day Ian’s agrees to let his niece’s daughter Jessie move in and take care of him. But when she does, Ian realizes that he can’t stand her. She’s not interested in caring for him, she’s rude, and she drinks a lot. But when Maurice sees her, he can’t help but feel compassion for the girl. As time passes, he develops a romantic interest in the girl (even though she’s like 60 years younger than him).

I liked Peter’s performance – he’s witty (compared to his aging, self-obsessed, lethargic friend) and at first the relationship he forms with Jessie seems perfectly ordinary. But Jessie turns out to be vulnerable, she stays at home all day living with an old man, has no friends, no job, no motivation to go outside and make something of herself. Maurice takes advantage of this and builds a romantic fantasy that revolves around her. Peter excels at giving us a character that is part dirty old man, part dying old man. At times he’s warm, at times honest, and he builds a unique chemistry with Jessie. The end is touching, even though Maurice is a creepy old guy at times, we feel a strong sense loss and emptiness when he’s gone.

#3: Ryan Gosling – Half Nelson

Ryan plays Dan Dunne, an inner-city high school teacher. During the day he teaches history, during the afternoon he’s a girls basketball coach, at night he’s got a nasty drug habit. After a basketball game, one student, Drey, finds him smoking crack in the girls bathroom. She’s a bit of a loner, quiet and mostly self-reliant, but she forms a friendship with him.

This isn’t your ordinary “ambitious inner-city school teacher shakes up the world” story… In Half Nelson, Ryan turns to drugs because he realizes his goal of ‘changing the world’ was too ambitious. Drugs give him a way to escape the pain of reality – that most of his students don’t care about history, aren’t motivated and just don’t want to be there. But Drey is different. What I like about Ryan’s performance is the spark you see in him whenever he’s with Drey. He begins to care about here and wants to keep her out of harm’s way. But he can’t escape who he is and in the end seems resigned to the fact that nothing is going to change. You can see his spark change in the latter half of the movie. The energy in his eyes starts to fade, his body language emphasizes how he’s lost his motivation, and he gives off a sense of connected honesty, that he knows his role in life and is stuck there. His overall performance is really good.

#2: Will Smith – The Pursuit of Happyness

Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a struggling salesman. After a series of tough days, he notices how happy people in the financial district seem. They seem to be living a wonderful life. So he decides that he wants to become a stock broker. But when his wife leaves and his bank account runs dry, it becomes increasingly tough to pursue his dream while being a good father.

This was an eternally sad movie. Chris’s life just keeps going downhill even though he has the best of intentions for his future and for raising his son. It’s this massive contrast between his dedication to pursuing his hopes and dreams and the reality around him that causes us connect with him so deeply. One scene in particular – where he’s forced to spend the night in a bus station bathroom - is particularly moving. Even scenes that should be happy elicit a sense of sadness – like when his son tells him he’s a good father – we’re still sad because we’ve seen how hard it’s been for Chris to do his best. This is what’s best about Will’s performance – the earnestness he shows in the light of sacrifice.

#1: Forest Whitaker – The Last King of Scotland

Forest plays Idi Amin, the brutal dictator of Uganda in the 1970’s. The story is told through the eyes of his doctor, Nicholas (played by James McAvoy). Nicholas is one of Amin’s closest advisors, and forms a bond with the dictator who seems to have nothing but best intentions for Uganda. But as time passes, that changes. Amin’s afraid of being assassinated and anyone even suspected of acting against the dictators wishes ends up brutally murdered.

When I began writing this, I listed Forest as my #2 pick. But after thinking back on how good this performance is, I had to boost him to #1… Forest delivers a really exceptional performance – he’s incredible in this role. As the president of Uganda he starts off seemingly wanting only the best for his country. He’s extremely personable, gregarious and everyone around him seems to be drawn in by his jolly personality. But as the movie progresses, we see Amin become increasingly paranoid. He suspects everyone wants to kill him. Forest does such a good job here of showing us his paranoia without directly speaking to it. It’s in his eyes, his expression, the odd pauses when answering a question. As more time passes, it develops further. We see sudden shifts between a jolly, happy president and a brutal, murderous, vengeful man. To some degree, it even inspires fear in us – we’re not sure how he will react as events unfold. He’s my Oscar pick this year.

So, tomorrow I’ll post my pick for best actress. I’m not going to post a pick for Best Picture or Best Director because I haven’t been able to watch Letters from Iwo Jima. It’s not playing in theaters anymore… maybe I’ll rate the other films… but I’m not sure yet…. I’m disappointed I didn’t get a chance to see all the films nominated this year… =(

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Viewpoint releases in-game ad product

Earlier this week, I noticed the following press release: Unicast by Viewpoint Releases InGame Advertising Product.

Viewpoint is a technology company that has traditionally provided Internet ad technology. They provide both standard and rich ad formats (from banners, to floating ads, expandable ads, interactive ads, even full screen and AIM based advertisements). They work with publishers to provide inventory, and work with advertisers who want to run campaigns. They also gather a lot of data on how users interact with ads and have a system they call “FUSE” for managing running campaigns and obtaining reports on user engagement and ad effectiveness.

However, the news here is that they are now offering in-game advertising as one of their offerings. What’s interesting to me are a few of the features they tout:

• … seamless integration of “swivel” ad placements into the game. Such placements enable dynamic ad rotation based on the priority of the ad unit, without disrupting the game play experience.
• … [the product] tracks a combination of metrics that define billable impressions even when the user is offline.
• … [the product] has a proprietary feature that allows for the delivery of ad units incorporated into “Ad Packs.” These Ad Packs can continually be exchanged for new Ad Packs so that the content is always timely and relevant.

The offline and “ad packs” support are the technologies that interest me the most. Advertising to offline users is a complicated problem. While a game is online it’s possible to download new ads and upload statistics about what ads have been seen (which is incredibly important because advertisers don’t like paying when their ads aren’t seen).

Offline games make gathering statistics impossible. Perhaps the “Ad Packs” technology allows the system to download a series of ads in advance (so when the user goes offline, they can be shown). But there’s no way to upload view statistics so long as the game remains offline. This presents many interesting challenges. For example, if you’re an advertiser, how much should you pay if your ads might have been seen by an offline gamer? How do you keep the ads relevant and up to date if the user has been offline for some time? What about interactive ads - would these even work offline?

Viewpoint is only just getting started in this space, so it may take some time before we know more about how their technology works. Clearly they’re a new player to keep an eye on.

More reading:

• Unicast Dynamic InGame Advertising Product

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MTV: Gamers like in-game ads…

A friend pointed me to an article from MTV News titled “Multiplayer: Is In-Game Advertising Really Such A Bad Thing” (it’s buried in the middle of the page).

The author Stephen Totilo talks about a recent demo he saw of the upcoming PC game, “Hellgate: London“. Hellgate: London is a MMO style game that blends FPS and RPG characteristics. It takes place in a futuristic post-apocalyptic world. In the game, ads are integrated into places where you would expect them in real life:

Flagship CEO Bill Roper was running the demo and kept bringing his character to a grimy section of the London Underground subway system, which is nicknamed “the tube.” The walls had ads posted all over them, as they do in real life. I saw an iPod ad and one for Guinness…

The demo also included an ad for Children of Men, a movie that is also set in futuristic London.

This article is interesting to me because the author (and Flagship CEO) clearly understand how ads can enhance the gaming experience. They bring realism to the London Underground. They connect gamers with other subjects that might be interesting (like Children of Men) and other areas in the game that don’t have ads were noticeably “barren”. This is especially interesting because this is a game set in the future, not the present. Advertising in future worlds has been a hot topic ever since Battlefield 2142 announced IGA would provide in-game advertisements. But, if Hellgate: London does ship with in-game ads (the article points out the ads in the demo were just placeholders), it could change public perception.

Hellgate: London is expected to ship Summer 2007, there has been no announcement yet about in-game ads in the final version.

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Oscar Time: Best Supporting Actress

[Originally posted on MySpace]

Next up, best supporting actress… I know everyone thinks Jennifer Hudson is going to win it this year, but what do I think? Read on… Here are my picks, in reverse order:

#5: Cate Blanchett – Notes on a Scandal

Cate Blanchett plays a young teacher (Sheba) who befriends a fellow teacher (Barbara) played by Judi Dench. After becoming close, she confesses that she’s been having an affair with a student. Barbara, being an old woman who lives alone tries to use the affair to get “close” to Sheba (in an old woman who’s desperate for the love and attention of another woman type of way). You know where this is headed…

Anyway, I wasn’t impressed by Cate’s performance in this film. I think she had better performances in other films (The Aviator & Talented Mr. Ripley spring to mind). There’s the potential for greatness in this role. Her situation at home (dull husband, mentally challenged son) pushes her towards the affair with the student… There’s also a reverse situation at play between the older woman who wants to have an affair with her. But in the end it was the dialog (not the delivery) that provided the most drama in these two dilemmas. Partially I fault the direction because I know Cate can do better, but with constant narration (in the form of reading Barbara’s diary) we get Barbara’s perspective forced down upon us at times, rather than Cate’s performance leading the way.

#4: Abigail Breslin – Little Miss Sunshine

Abigail plays Olive, the adorable, naive little girl who’s the center of Little Miss Sunshine. After qualifying for the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant, her family drives to California so she can participate. In many ways, she’s what holds the family together, because along the way they all experience individual tragedies. But they pull through these tough times together, because collectively they can’t give up – they all want Olive to succeed.

Abigail’s performance is amazing, especially for her age. I mean she’s 10! Born in 1996! (Damn I feel old…) What I especially like about her performance is the blend of naiveté and conviction she brings to the role. She doesn’t realize that her big glasses, tubby stomach and general lack of on-stage personality mean she’s unlikely to win the beauty pageant. She’s convinced that if she tries hard enough she’ll succeed. In some way, everyone in the family is envious of this conviction – they wish the world around them functioned as Olive see’s it. Even the audience is behind her, we’re rooting her on and we’re charmed by her personality. Making this type of impact is no easy feat, and Abigail plays the role brilliantly.

#3: Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls

Jennifer Hudson plays Effie White, the lead singer of the Dreamettes. Spotted at a talent competition, they are hired as backup singers for James “Thunder” Early (Eddie Murphy). They have limited success themselves, but then break into the mainstream when Deena (Beyoncé) takes over as lead singer. This creates rift between Effie and the group, and later she’s replaced (behind her back) and the Dreamettes break into the mainstream.

Now, I didn’t really like Dreamgirls, but I have to give Jennifer Hudson some credit here. This is her first movie role, and it was damn good. She’s nominated for a fucking Oscar in her first film?… Clearly she did something right in this role. So what was it?… Personally, I think it was the sheer range of her performance. We see practically every emotion from her in this film, happiness, sorrow, anger, desperation, confusion, exhaustion, rejection, longing, thankfulness, and more. What’s amazing is that she’s able to blend this all into a believable character, with a strong willed personality complete with her own set of principles and drive. Everyone who watches this movie can identify with her at one point or another and we all feel sympathy for her. Coupled with the fact that she sings much of the soundtrack, it’s no wonder that the press thinks she’s guaranteed to go home with Oscar.

#2: Adriana Barraza - Babel

Adriana plays Amelia, housekeeper/nanny for Richard & Susan (Brad Pitt & Cate Blanchett). She’s watching over their two children while they travel through Morocco. However, when Richard & Susan are delayed in Morocco, she’s forced to take the two children to her son’s wedding in Mexico because she can’t find anyone else to care for them. But on the way back into the United States, border guards suspect her nephew (who’s driving) is intoxicated. He flees into the desert, leaving Amelia and the two kids stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Adriana is excellent. Her character is good natured, selfless, and cares tremendously about those around her, especially the two children. Throughout the movie, it’s clear she’s dedicated to their wellbeing. The strength in her performance is “underneath” her interactions with the children. It’s how she tucks them in at night. It’s how she reassures them about the strange things they see in Mexico. It’s how she goes above and beyond to rescue them after being stranded in the desert. But in the end, there’s one scene (where she’s talking with a border agent about being deported) that really irritates me. That scene in particular “feels” scripted, forced and unnatural compared to the rest of her performance. This scene reminded me that I was watching a movie and as a result I can’t pick Adriana for the award.

#1: Rinko Kikuchi - Babel

That leaves Rinko Kikuchi. She plays Chieko, a deaf Japanese teenage girl who desperately wants the attention of the world around her. She’s distant from her father and desperate to be desired by the opposite sex. She tries to interest boys but is constantly rebuffed. Even explicit attempts are met with failure, further contributing to her feelings of isolation.

I picked Rinko because of the emotion her performance extracts from viewers. We’ve all had situations in our past where we didn’t exactly fit in with those around us. But for Chieko it’s a never ending saga. She constantly struggles to fit into the world around her. I thought there were also two exceptionally powerful moments in her performance. In the middle of her story, there’s the possibility that a boy finds her interesting. They hang out, have fun, and end up at a club where they start dancing. Chieko finally has a moment where she seems to fit in with everyone else – enjoying a club like a normal teenager and with a boy who seems interested in her. But then her dreams are crushed in a really powerful moment that blends how she experiences the world with how the world looks upon her.

The movie ends with another powerful scene, in which after being rejected by a boy she stands naked on a skyscraper balcony. The movie ends when her father finds & comforts her. It’s unclear what she said in the note she leaves with the detective, if she was going to jump, or if her nakedness a symbol of desperation to be desired. The entire performance was really powerful and she gets my pick for best supporting actress.

Next up, Best Actor, Actress, Film & Director. =)

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Oscar Time: Best Supporting Actor

[Originally posted on MySpace]

So, last year I decided that I would watch all the movies nominated for the top Oscar awards and pick my favorites. It was a lot of fun, so I’ve done it again this year. The next few posts are going to be all about what I thought of the nominees, and who I would vote for if I was an academy member.

First up, best actor in a supporting role. Here are my picks, in reverse order:

#5: Djimon Hounsou – Blood Diamond

Djimon plays a Sierra Leone man (Solomon) who’s family is torn apart. His wife and daughters flee an attack on his village and his son is kidnapped by rebels. He forced by the rebels to work in a diamond mine where he finds (and hides) a huge diamond. The mine is raided by police and after ending up in Jail he meets Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio). Danny overhears the story of the large rock and offers to help Solomon locate his family in return for the stone.

I’ve got to be honest – this was one (of a few!) movies I was not looking forward to watching. Every aspect of the story and the performances was predictable. We learn barely anything about the background and motives behind the characters, and their personalities are shallow and uninteresting. That being said, I did like two interesting aspects of Djimon’s character. The first was how dedicated he was to locating his family. Everything else in his world was secondary and when he meets up with his wife and daughters at the refugee camp, this point is really driven home in an emotional scene. The second was his good nature. In a country full of barbarism Djimon tried heroically to be a good role model for his son. He was willing to sacrifice everything to help educate his son to one day become a doctor. While these are moving qualities, the overall performance isn’t Oscar worthy in my opinion.

#4: Alan Arkin – Little Miss Sunshine

Alan Arkin plays “Grandpa”, an opinionated father to Greg Kinnear (Richard). He’s been kicked out of Sunset Manor (an old folks’ home) and likes to snort heroin and talk about sex. He also teaches Olive her dance routine for the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant.

I really liked the Grandpa character. He’s crass & opinionated, but respectful of Olive and wants nothing but the best for her. While travelling to California, Olive is listening to her headphones while Grandpa gives advice to Duane (”Fuck a lot of women, Duane. Not just one woman, a lot of women. Are you getting any? You can tell me Duane, are you getting any? No? Jesus! You’re what? 15?! My god man! You should be getting that young stuff!”) and talks about the old women at Sunset Manor (”Ho ho! I had second degree burns on my Johnson I kid you not.”). But when Olive takes off her headphones he tells her they were just talking about politics. Later, in the Hotel room, Olive’s concerned that she’s not going to win the competition, she’s in tears because she thinks she’s a loser. But Grandpa convinces her that she’s not, that she’s beautiful and the only real losers are those that don’t even try.

What’s really interesting is how Olive’s performance at the beauty pagent reminds you of Grandpa’s character. Grandpa’s personality & the impression he leaves with you resurfaces here and it really speaks to how well his character was portrayed.

#3: Eddie Murphy – Dreamgirls

Eddie Murphy plays James “Thunder” Early, a popular pop star who dreams of becoming an international sensation. But in the end, his inability to try new material and appeal to a broader audience ends up holding back his career.

Now, I really didn’t like Dreamgirls in general (you’ll see this theme in my other reviews I’m sure), but Eddie did have really good moments that I think deserve credit… Yes, in general he’s that same loudmouth Eddie character we’ve seen time and time again, a bit loony, short sighted and impulsive, but I really like how he shines at some parts in the movie… especially after he records the duet “Patience” (which was nominated for Best Song).

You see, he goes out on a limb with this song, recording something with a completely new sound in the hope he can please Curtis (Jamie Foxx), and finally break out of the musical rut he’s in. When he presents it to Curtis, he’s excited, convinced that it’s that new sound he’s looking for. But Curtis shoots him down, saying “… still, it’s a message song.” Everyone looks at him in disbeleif, they’re convinced that the song captures the mood of the nation, but Curtis says that’s not the point – “Music is supposed to sell. But don’t worry about it, we’ll find you some new material.” Eddie is devestated. It’s written all over his face. After hearing that, he becomes disconnected from everyone else. It’s Christmas but he decides to shoot up. In his eyes, it looks like he’s lost the will to keep on trying. It’s really quite sad, and something I didn’t expect from Eddie.

There are other moments in the film as well, but these alone aren’t good enough to get my Oscar vote.

#2: Mark Wahlberg – The Departed

Mark plays “Dignam” a police captain in charge of a Boston undercover unit in the Massachusetts State Police. Around the office, he’s crude, disrespectful, witty and honest. He’s got a rapid fire conversation style and doesn’t worry about the opinions of others. Here’s a good example, when he briefs Ellerby (Alec Baldwin) and company on his undercover operation:

Dignam: Ok, my people are out there. They’re like fucking Indians. You’re not going to see them, you’re not going to hear about them. Except through me, and Captain Queenan. You will not ever know the identity of undercover people. Unfortunately this shit hole has more leaks than the Iraqi navy.

Ellerby: Fuck yourself.

Dignam: I’m tired from fucking your wife.

Ellerby: How’s your mother.

Dignam: Good, she’s tired from fucking my father.

This style of dialog really makes me smile, but also the confidence in how it’s delivered really speaks to how dedicated Dignam is to the police force. This dedication shines through at the end of the movie, but also makes me excited every time I see Dignam walk into a scene. You know his character isn’t going to hold back, and will light up the conversation. Part of this is good writing (or improvisation if reports are true) and part is outstanding delivery. I really like the characters Mark plays (back to I [Heart] Huckabees, Four Brothers, and 3 Kings) and he really did well in this role.

#1: Jackie Earle Haley – Little Children

This was a difficult movie to watch at times, especially when Jackie was on screen. He plays a pedophile named Ronnie. Ronnie’s recently moved back into the community (he’s moved in with his mother), and many in the town are uneasy knowing that he lives in their midst. Through much of the movie, we don’t get to know him very well. He’s an outcast, and really, I mean really creepy. In one scene, he goes to the town swimming pool and snorkels underwater to watch kids swim. After a dinner date he can’t restrain himself from jacking off while the girl isn’t paying attention, talking to herself in the car. It’s fucking NASTY.

There are moments when we sympathize with his plight, pretty much anytime he’s alone with his mother. It’s clear in these scenes that his mental age is that of a small child, he calls his mom “mommy” and desperately wants to be her “good boy” even though he looks to be in his 40′ies. In the end, he ends up mutilating himself because he’s so upset with the pain & suffering he’s caused around him. It’s tragic, but also hard to take in because he just can’t escape the creepiness of his character. This is why I end up giving him my Oscar pick – because even though we hate him, we hate him so vehemently that it overrides our sense of compassion.

Stay tuned – my pick for Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Film are still coming up. =) In the meantime, what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Don’t care? Speak your mind!

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Confirmed: Google Buys Adscape

RED HERRING confirms this week that Google will indeed buy Adscape media for $23 million. This comes a month after it was rumored that Google was interested in purchasing the in-game advertiser.

I wrote about this rumor last month. See the previous post: Rumor: Google to Buy Adscape.

In that post, I speculated that Google was really after the Adscape technology portfolio so that it could be applied to real-world advertising. Adscape still hasn’t confirmed any relationships with game publishers/developers and RED HERRING downplays the in-game angle, saying “an Adscape acquisition gives Google little beyond a few interesting patents.” The RED HERRING source only bolsters my earlier opinions.

But, let me play devil’s advocate for a few moments. What if Google isinterested in breaking into in-game advertising? Could they be successful?

In my opinion - not easily… Google excels at “automating” advertising markets. That is, they have tools that help advertisers perform research, purchase placement, target specific audiences, record click-through/conversion, invoice and share ad revenue with placement providers. Porting these tools and processes to support in-game advertising will be a major undertaking. Consider some of the following challenges:

• Non-standard media formats (ie: DXT1 vs DXT5 vs JPG vs PNG vs [insert custom developer format here]).
• Non-standard media sizes (ie: 256×256 vs 128×1024 vs. 200×600, vs. [insert custom texture format here]).
• Non-standard visual appearances - ads must look appropriate in dramatically different gaming environments (ie: compare the visual experience you expect in a brightly lit sports stadium to that of the dark stealthy world of Splinter Cell).
• Tools to support various gaming engines - (ie: Unreal vs. Doom 3 vs. Source vs Torque, etc…)
• Tools to support various gaming platforms - (ie: Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, Wii, Windows, Mac, Flash, etc…)
• Tools to measure ad effectiveness for advertisers - How do you count “impressions”? How do you allow users to interact with advertisements?

I can’t comment on what is automated vs. supported vs. not-supported here at Massive, but I can tell you this stuff is hard! A company that only boasts a small patent portfolio and has no announced relationships with shipping titles probably hasn’t worked through all these issues yet. Which means Google has a lot of work ahead if it intends to serve in-game ads…

Related reading:

• RED HERRING: Google Agrees to Buy Adscape
• CNN: Google to buy in-game advertising firm
• TechMeme: Related stores from the blogosphere

- Fry