2012 Oscar Plans and Drinking Game
EDIT: For a quick infographic with the Official JAJ 2012 Oscars Drinking Game, go here.
I’ve never posted anything besides a review on this blog, but I’m more than just an amateur film critic, dear reader – I’m a human being, too. I have dreams and desires. And plans. Plans for the Academy Awards this Sunday!
Although I’m not an indiscriminate fan of the film industry – I’ve got problems with the MPAA and the current trend for films to be painfully unoriginal, to name a few – I do make it a habit to watch the Oscars every year. It’s kind of my Super Bowl, not being into sports and all.
I usually have a few people over and we play an Oscars drinking game. Every year since I started doing this (2008), I’ve managed to catch at least all of the Best Picture nominees prior to the awards show (the exception being last year when I missed three of them – The Kids Are All Right, True Grit, and Winter’s Bone).
This year, all of those traditions were in jeopardy. I no longer live at my own place, I’ve yet to see four of the Best Picture noms, and, much to my surprise, Google couldn’t provide me with a single Oscars drinking game for the show this year.
But James A. Janisse, Analytic Critic, is no quitter. No siree.
I made accommodations as far as my living arrangements go so that I can still have some peeps over, I’m devoting the next four days to catching up on Oscar fare, and I’ve decided that I’m experienced enough in this whole “Oscar Drinking Game” situation that I can make my own.
So come here on Sunday and join me as I live-blog the Oscars. The live-blogging will get progressively more awesome as I continuously succumb to the first-ever Official JAJ Oscars Drinking Game (2012). I’m posting my unGodly creation below so that you can join me in this inebriating affair. See you on Sunday!
The Official JAJ Oscars Drinking Game (2012)
- Take 1 drink any time…
- …someone mentions Uggy the dog.
- …someone makes a (liberal) political statement.
- …someone mentions Whitney Houston.
- …someone says “Wow” during their acceptance speech (1 drink per “wow”)
- …the camera cuts to Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie
- Take 2 drinks any time…
- …someone thanks God in their acceptance speech.
- …someone says “Scorsese”.
- …someone says something that gets censored.
- …a muppet appears onscreen.
- …Billy Crystal makes reference to his hosting experiences in the past.
- Take 3 drinks any time…
- …someone’s acceptance speech gets interrupted by the orchestra playing them off.
- …someone makes a (conservative) political statement.
- …someone makes a reference to The Tree of Life being weird, experimental, pretentious, etc.
- …there’s a mention of Michael Fassbender getting screwed over in these awards.
- …there’s a reference to Twilight.
And the part of the game that will really test your resilience:
For every award being given, before the winner is announced, say:
1.) Which nominee you want to win
and
2.) Which nominee you expect to win
- If the winner is the nominee you want to win, congratulations! Take 1 drink!
- If the winner is the nominee you expect to win, you’re so smart! Take 2 drinks!
- If the winner is a nominee you neither wanted or expected to win, learn from your mistakes! Take 3 drinks!
- If the winner is the nominee that you both wanted and expected to win, nice job! GIVE 3 drinks out to someone else! (suggestion by Reddit user ajcfood)
Good luck on Sunday to all the Oscar nominees, and good luck to all of our livers!
–James A. Janisse
Fish Tank (2009)
Fish Tank is a British film written and directed by Andrea Arnold. It follows a recalcitrant fifteen year old girl named Mia who lives with her younger sister and single neglectful mother. When her mom begins seeing a man named Connor, Mia’s life begins to change as he pays more and more attention to her.
Fish Tank is reminiscent of the angry young man films that emerged from Britain in the 1960s. The subject is a young person who doesn’t conform to society, and it’s filmed in a very realistic style. The film feels as gritty as its subject matter, sometimes slipping out of focus and almost always using handheld shots. Even more faithful to realism, all of the music in the film is diegetic, and it’s all shot outside in an emotionless urban setting. However, cinematographer Robbie Ryan doesn’t let the urban locale prevent him from producing some great compositions and beautiful skyline shots.
Another trait that Fish Tank shares with those British films from half a century ago is the use of a first-time actor in the lead role. Katie Jarvis was discovered while arguing with her boyfriend in a subway station, and I have no problem believing that. She is so full of energy and emotion; when she yells and argues it’s like she’s spitting fire, but even during those occasions you can see how underneath it she’s really a scared, vulnerable young girl.
It would be insulting to say that Jarvis just plays an angsty teenager. Since there’s rarely a shot without her, we are able to see her in every state, and even though her home life is retched, she’s able to find satisfaction while dancing. These private scenes of Mia’s escapist interest are some of the best in the film. Other instances see Mia lose herself to flights of glee, and then near the end of the film she crosses a line that you wouldn’t have expected her to. Jarvis’ performance is what makes it all believable, because she’s able to really capture the essence of what it is to be young and afraid, and having to project a tough image to stay on top with it all.
Connor is played by Michael Fassbender, whose performance is nearly as flawless as Jarvis’. He’s ridiculously charming and genial, and able to play this multifaceted character with appropriate depth and ambiguity. Connor is the only one who pays attention to Mia and makes her feel good. He gives her the moral support and joking around that Mia’s mother is incapable of, and begins to seemingly fill a father role for her.
Still, as the film progresses, you begin to question his true intentions little by little, until it’s clear that Connor sees Mia in a sexual light. Until then, I had a hard time figuring out if he was into her or if he was just a really friendly guy. It was a truly fantastic performance.
With both leads so talented, it’s no surprise that the chemistry between them works wonderfully. Each scene was riddled with sexual suspense. Sometimes it was so much that each inch of movement held the weight of possibility in it. The times they are alone together are times of excellent tension.
Throughout the film, Mia repeatedly visits a white horse tied down outside some trailers. She tries to free it and continuously runs into problems. The scenes are the only ones that may feel out of place, and the fact that they’re operating as a heavy-handed metaphor makes them all the more unnecessary. But even during these scenes, you at least have Jarvis to watch, who would have made the film worth seeing even without Fassbender’s equally great turn and the interesting realist style.
Fish Tank is a great find, and it’s unfortunate that it’s not more known. It’s certainly a rarity as a quality film released within the first month of the year. Even if the story of a teenage urban dancer doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, Fish Tank is worth checking out. It’s thoroughly enjoyable, and I wouldn’t be surprised if, come December, I count it amongst the best of the year.
Final rating: 8.5/10
–James A. Janisse
