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84th Annual Academy Award Nominations

2012-01-24T11:36:00.001-05:00

It's as if the Academy knew we became tired of being able to predict all the nominations because this year things are definitely shaken up. The announcement this morning for the 84th Annual Academy Award nominations provided a hefty number of surprises most notably when the Best Picture nominee title cards flipped over to show a symmetrical eight...and then a ninth. So there you have it: the first year not five, not ten, but nine films have been nominated for Best Picture.

The only thing not surprising was "Hugo" leading the nominations with 11 closely followed by "The Artist" with ten, then "Moneyball" and "War Horse" tied at six, "The Descendants" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" tied at five and finally "The Help" with four.

The biggest surprise of the morning goes to "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" which was originally thought to be left out of the race. Instead, it was the ninth nominee to be included for Best Picture along with "The Artist," "The Descendants," "The Help," "Midnight in Paris," "Hugo," "War Horse," and yes, "The Tree of Life" got recognized.

Best Director paired these nominees down to which ones really matter and included Martin Scorsese for "Hugo," Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist," Alexander Payne for "The Descendants," Woody Allen for "Midnight in Paris" and Terrence Malick for "The Tree of Life" who clearly won over Steven Spielberg for "War Horse."

The renewed love for "Tree of Life" should come as no surprise, but it did seem like it might had been forgotten considering previous award show proceedings.

Every acting category but one provided a surprise. Let's start with the not-surprise of Best Supporting Actress which went to Janet McTeer for "Albert Nobbs," Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer for "The Help," Berenice Bejo for "The Artist" and yes, Melissa McCarthy for "Bridesmaids." I'm ecstatic about McCarthy's nod but equally upset over the snub for Shailene Woodley in "The Descendants."

Now for the surprises. In Best Actress, Rooney Mara for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" managed to edge out Tilda Swinton for "We Need to Talk About Kevin," a switch that I'm absolutely thrilled with. With Mara were the expected nominees of Viola Davis for "The Help," Glenn Close for "Albert Nobbs," Michelle Williams for "My Week with Marilyn" and Meryl Streep for "The Iron Lady." It's between Streep and Davis for taking this win.

The Best Actor category included not Leonardo DiCaprio for "J. Edgar" nor Michael Fassbender for "Shame" but instead accompanying the expected George Clooney for "The Descendants," Jean Dujardin for "The Artist" and Brad Pitt for "Moneyball" were the surprises of Gary Oldman for "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and Demian Bichir for "A Better Life."

The Best Supporting Actor category gave "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" its second nomination, this time for veteran Max von Sydow. Joining him were the front-runner Christopher Plummer for "Beginners," Jonah Hill for "Moneyball," Kenneth Branagh for "My Week with Marilyn" and Nick Nolte for "Warrior." The fact that trailers can now proclaim Academy Award-nominated Jonah Hill still baffles me.

What about Albert Brooks for "Drive," you ask? Well, much like the rest of the film he got snubbed. "Drive" walked away with only one nomination -- for Sound Editing. It's a shame it couldn't even land a Best Cinematography nod.

The Animated Feature category made absolutely no sense to probably everybody. With nominees like "A Cat in Paris" and "Chico & Rita," it left people scratching their heads. No "Adventures of Tintin" to be found. "Kung Fu Panda 2" made it in along with "Puss in Boots" next to the front-runner "Rango." Except perhaps "Rango" is no longer the front-runner maybe replaced by one of the unknowns from abroad. "Cars 2" getting shut out marks the first time a Pixar movie has not been nominated. That's what you get for selling out.

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" got ignored over Best Score nominees "The Adventures of Tintin," "The Artist," "Hugo," "Tinker Tailor Solder Spy" and "War Horse."

"Dragon Tattoo" made up for it in other technical categories, however, including Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Film Editing and Cinematography.

Although it deserved much more, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" made its appearance in the usual "Harry Potter"-nominated categories including Best Makeup, Art Direction and Visual Effects.

And what of the Best Original Song nominees? Only two? And the song nominated from the "Muppets" was "Man or Muppet?" The other nominee went to "Real in Rio" from the not-nominated animated feature "Rio." At least it could supposedly make for a shorter ceremony without as many performances.

The Best Adapted Screenplay nominees included "The Descendants," "Hugo," "Moneyball" and the surprises of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and even "The Ides of March."

"Bridesmaids" represented comedy at the nominations this year with its Best Original Screenplay nod alongside "Margin Call," "The Artist," "Midnight in Paris," and finally, the foreign language "A Separation" which leads in its Best Foreign Language Film category.

So what can we take away from all of this? The Academy decided to sufficiently surprise us this year without really throwing a wrench in the whole thing. Yes, the "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" Best Picture nomination will cause an uproar if it hasn't already (I, for one, am over the moon about it). And yes, the re-emerged love for "The Tree of Life" is welcome to many. Still, though, "The Artist" will be the prize winner of the night come time for Oscar Sunday. The nominations may be switched up, but the winners remain the same.

It's the last stop, everybody! Tune in for the 84th Annual Academy Award ceremony on Sunday, February 26 at 8 p.m. on ABC. And check here for a full list of the Oscar nominations.

84th Annual Academy Award Nomination Predictions

2012-01-23T11:12:00.001-05:00

Here I'll be predicting all the major categories for the 84th Annual Academy Award nominations which get announced tomorrow morning!

Best Picture
1. The Artist
2. The Descendants
3. Hugo
4. The Help
5. Midnight in Paris
6. War Horse
7. Moneyball

I predict there will be seven nominees, but here's the rest if it gets expanded to ten:

8. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
9. Bridesmaids
10. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Director
1. Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"
2. Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
3. Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
4. Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
5. Steven Spielberg, "War Horse"

Best Actor
1. Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
2. George Clooney, "The Descendants"
3. Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"
4. Leonardo DiCaprio, "J. Edgar"
5. Michael Fassbender, "Shame"

Best Actress
1. Viola Davis, "The Help"
2. Michelle Williams, "My Week with Marilyn"
3. Tilda Swinton, "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
4. Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
5. Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"

Best Supporting Actress
1. Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
2. Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
3. Jessica Chastain, "The Help
4. Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
5. Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"

Best Supporting Actor
1. Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
2. Albert Brooks, "Drive"
3. Kenneth Branagh, "My Week with Marilyn"
4. Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
5. Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"

Best Original Screenplay
1. 50/50
2. Midnight in Paris
3. The Artist
4. Bridesmaids
5. Beginners

Best Adapted Screenplay
1. Moneyball
2. The Descendants
3. Hugo
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
5. The Help

EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE Review

2012-01-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

I don't understand all the criticism toward Stephen Daldry's "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close." We need to get past it being another movie about 9/11. Yes, it takes place directly after what young Oskar calls "the worst day," but the movie is about much more than that specific tragedy in our history. It's about how people cope with tragedy in general, how to deal with loss and grief -- and yes, in this example, how to view a city after such devastation. In that, Daldry succeeds in crafting something memorable. Through tricks in cinematography and vibrant art direction, he creates an original portrait of New York City. From the sights and sounds that disturb the rapid senses of Oskar to a miniature photography technique that makes the city look like a toyland, the movie is bravely quirky. This doesn't serve as a hindrance to the very human story at its center but instead wonderfully matches the quirkiness of Jonathan Safran Foer's 2005 bestselling novel upon which the movie is based.

The biggest gamble was deciding who to cast as the precocious young boy, Oskar Schell. It's an unusual role that must carry the whole movie, and thankfully Thomas Horn absolutely does the job. The 14-year-old newcomer is a powerhouse getting inside the whirling head of Oskar with ease. He's perhaps autistic, could have Asperger's syndrome, but he's crazy intelligent and knows facts on just about anything. He's inspired by his inventive father, Thomas (Tom Hanks), who fuels his son's imagination with what they call reconnaissance expeditions. He urges Oskar out of his comfort zone, out of his phobia of going into the world to talk to people. The remarkable young actor dominates every scene showing Oskar as insufferable, erratic, eccentric and tiresome spouting off crazed rants.

After his father is killed in 9/11, Oskar comes across a key in his untouched closet and immediately becomes obsessed with it. He believes his father left the key for him so he could find the lock that it opens. The key came in an envelope with the name "Black" scribbled on it, and so Oskar concocts his own expedition to journey all across the city finding every person with that last name. While Oskar goes out every day on his venture, there's a rift between him and his mother (Sandra Bullock) because it's clear who he was closer with. This makes it increasingly difficult for his mother, and the explosive fights between them are gut-wrenching.

Oskar's first stop on his journey ends up leaving the most lasting impression. He knocks on the door of Abby Black (Viola Davis) who lets him inside and hears his story. She tries her best to help him but doesn't know what to do. Oskar's social skills don't even allow him to realize he's witnessing a marital crisis between Abby and her husband (Jeffrey Wright). Davis and Wright are superb here in subtle implication.

Oskar soon makes a friend, a mysterious old man referred to only as the Renter (Max von Sydow). He has moved in with Oskar's grandmother, cannot or will not speak, communicates only through the words "yes" and "no" tattooed on his palms or through written notes and has agreed to help Oskar find the lock. He is a reassuring companion for Oskar much like his father was. Von Sydow is brilliant even while wordless with soulful gazes and sly gestures that bring a wealth of meaning.

If Oskar's journey sounds preposterous, that's because it probably is. In that sense it plays a bit like a fairy tale, and maybe that's not the whimsical approach people want to the 9/11 tragedy. For me, it wins by wearing symbolism on its sleeve finding the key to unlocking the answer as to why anything cruel or irrational happens in the world. Best of all, among all the heartbreaking and intimate exchanges, it ends on an uplifting spirit, one of hope and rejuvenation. That's a fine message for over a decade later.

69th Annual Golden Globe Award Winners

2012-01-16T12:16:00.002-05:00

I guess when Ricky Gervais was surprisingly invited back to host the Golden Globes, it was under the condition that he would do his opening monologue and then disappear for the rest of the evening -- because that's exactly what happened. His opening zingers were actually great and not too harsh or cynical like last year. Bashes toward Kim Kardashian were a must, and Gervais was smart about knocking the HFPA itself as opposed to his celebrity spectators.

A quick hit on first presenter Johnny Depp was perfect allowing Gervais to pick up right where he left off last year. "Have you seen 'The Tourist' yet?" he asked Depp.

And then he jabbed, "The Golden Globes are just like the Oscars but without all the esteem." It also was two-and-a-half hours before he got bleeped, and that was right around the time Meryl Streep warranted herself a bleep. Penis jokes were aplenty most notably during George Clooney's speech when he gave a shout out to Michael Fassbender's full nudity in "Shame."

It was nice that the evening didn't feel entirely all about "The Artist," although it's still the one to beat at the Oscars. Instead, Alexander Payne's "The Descendants" closed out the night with a win for Best Picture Drama. "The Artist," however, still led a total number of wins at three followed by "The Descendants" with two.

"The Artist" took home awards for Best Score, Best Picture Comedy or Musical and Best Actor Comedy or Musical for Jean Dujardin. It only made sense for Dujardin to win in his category because all of his actor competition landed their nominations under Drama. This included George Clooney who won Best Actor Drama for "The Descendants." He's now the one to beat at the Oscars, and Dujardin is his closest competition.

The love was pretty widespread including a Best Director win for Martin Scorsese ("Hugo") over Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist." Meanwhile Woody Allen took home the award for Best Adapted Screenplay ("Midnight In Paris"). For whatever reason, "The Adventures of Tintin" won over "Rango" for Best Animated Feature perhaps to get Steven Spielberg up on the stage.

The other surprise of the night was Meryl Streep for "The Iron Lady" winning Best Actress Drama over Viola Davis for "The Help." I still believe Davis is the front-runner for the Oscar, however. Streep gave a blind speech having lost her glasses. George Clooney made an attempt to pass them up, and they made it to David Fincher...and stayed there. Perhaps it was his anger toward Streep for winning over Rooney Mara.

Wins for Octavia Spencer for "The Help" and Christopher Plummer for "Beginners" further cemented them as the clear front-runners in their respective Best Supporting categories at the Oscars. Spencer's speech was exceptionally moving and timely touching on the MLK holiday.

Morgan Freeman received his tribute with the Cecil B. DeMille award, and everyone was disappointed when he didn't do the voiceover for his own career montage. Helen Mirren also managed to make a drunken fool of herself introducing him.

So it comes down to "The Artist" and "The Descendants" over what's going to nab the top prize at the Oscars. The former is still the clear leader, but last night's wins for the latter pushes up its potential.

Check here for a full list of the 69th Annual Golden Globe Award winners, and stay tuned for the announcement of the 84th Annual Academy Award nominations on Tuesday, January 24.

17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Award Winners

2012-01-13T13:23:00.002-05:00

While the award show itself was painful to sit through to say the least, the 17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards did a fine job of attempting to exactly mirror who we'll see winning at the Oscars come February. This year they'll probably do an even better job than the Golden Globes this Sunday which gets a hindrance due to its, for once, distracting Drama/Comedy division of awards.

Although "The Artist" began its fast track to Oscar gold with wins for Best Director and Picture, in my opinion the big winner of the night was definitely "The Help" with wins for Octavia Spencer in Best Supporting Actress, Viola Davis in Best Actress and the entire cast for Best Ensemble. And speaking of Viola Davis, her eloquent and beautiful speech single-handedly revived an otherwise stale evening. Her speech alone makes her worthy of an Oscar acceptance.

In terms of acting, the surest lock of them all is the Best Supporting Actor category which went to Christopher Plummer for "Beginners." It is, however, a safe bet to say Davis and Spencer could pave the way to Oscar with their respective wins, as well. Best Actor went to George Clooney for "The Descendants." His win is definitely still up in the air as he could get overshadowed by Brad Pitt for "Moneyball," his highest competition.

Aaron Sorkin proved unstoppable with his win for "Moneyball" in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. Likewise, for having not made an award-worthy movie in years, it only made sense that Woody Allen took home the award for his "Midnight in Paris" in the category of Best Original Screenplay. It's interesting to note both of these writing wins over "The Descendants" in adapted and "The Artist" in original.

And while "The Artist" didn't show at all for acting or writing, it still nabbed the two top prizes. With these wins tonight, it's on the fast track to taking the same top awards at the Oscars.

Now let's see how things turn out at the 69th Annual Golden Globes this Sunday.

The Best Films of 2011

2012-01-07T13:07:00.000-05:00

It was a year that started out slow but gained last-minute momentum come time for December. Before that, though, was summer which gave us welcome surprise hits such as "Crazy, Stupid, Love." and "The Help" along with the best comedy of the year, "Bridesmaids."

It was also a year reflecting on the magic of cinema. J.J. Abrams' "Super 8" reminisced about the old Amblin films of Steven Spielberg, and then the year closed out with a reverie to old-fashioned filmmaking from the director himself with "War Horse." Martin Scorsese directed his first children's film, "Hugo," but it was really only under the guise of a children's film. More a reflection on cinema's early history, his film merely skirted the surface of what Michel Hazanivicius' glorious black and white silent film achieved with "The Artist." A gimmick gone right.

And then there's Alexander Payne who, after seven years, gave us a rare treat starring George Clooney. It was certainly his and Ryan Gosling's year with Gosling's turns in "Drive," "Crazy, Stupid, Love." and the Clooney-directed "Ides of March." It was also a year of girl power with strong female casts in both "Bridesmaids" and "The Help" not to mention an American reincarnation of power hacker Lisbeth Salander from Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

12. The Help

With excellent performances from both Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis, this tale of black maids in the Deep South hit all the right notes. It stands as the year's crowd-pleaser striking a balance between light humor and poignant pathos following the heartfelt narration of a maid named Abigail. What's most impressive is the way the movie effortlessly breaks the bounds of its Oprah book club wrapping.

11. My Week with Marilyn

The film's obvious centerpiece is an Oscar-worthy lead performance from Michelle Williams as the iconic screen goddess Marilyn Monroe. She is absolutely magnetic and luminous taking the smart route of not trying to figure out who Monroe was but rather emanating everything she was about -- the way she made people feel to be around her. And the film's power is the way it makes you feel what they must've felt.

10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

David Fincher returns to gritty crime noir with his adaptation of the first entry in Stieg Larsson's international best-selling "Millenium" trilogy. And while not any better or worse than the Swedish adaptation from last year, what makes it different is Fincher putting his personal stamp on it. He infuses the dark, winding tale with his signature style that gives the film a feel all its own. And Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander? She's dynamite and reaches into complexities of the character even Noomi Rapace didn't manage.

9. Beginners

Providing the most honest screen romance this year, Ewan McGregor and Mélane Laurent are a couple trying to figure out what makes them both happy. Writer/director Mike Mills has total control over the tone of his film with the ability to introduce a talking dog without disrupting any realism set in place. And with a stand-out performance from Christopher Plummer as the main character's late-blooming gay father, the film hits you with a waft of poignancy.

8. The Muppets

The cheerful and colorful reunion of Jim Hansen's Muppets was the perfect movie for the times, the ideal pick-me-up that everybody didn't even know they needed -- that is until they went out to see it. With glowing and bubbly performances from Jason Segel and Amy Adams and an unabashed love for the Muppets from Segel who co-wrote the movie, it was the feel-good sensation of 2011. It marked a return to simplicity, the joy of watching song and dance. And with a slew of big celebrity cameos, the movie felt like a collaboration on something meaningful and inspirational -- more than you might ever imagine coming from a gang of puppets.

7. Crazy, Stupid, Love.

The chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in one titular scene in this movie is enough to make the list. This movie marked Ryan Gosling as not only a valuable actor but one with a great knack for comedy, too. He's excellent with Emma Stone, and likewise Steve Carell and Julianne Moore shine as a married couple on the outs. The movie is unassuming about the level of depth it goes into analyzing contemporary relationships, and it came off as the biggest welcome surprise of the summer.

6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Childhood ended with the finale to J.K. Rowling's epic fantasy franchise in Steve Klove's visually thrilling and emotionally satisfying conclusion. Set up nicely with the dark rolling clouds of "Part 1," Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint grew into mature actors since their humble beginnings a decade ago providing the necessary weight to say farewell to our favorite Hogwarts students. Alan Rickman also deserves recognition for his long standing role as Severus Snape whose character comes to tragic full circle in this installment. The film rightly represents the vast accomplishment of the Harry Potter series as a whole.

5. Young Adult

The re-collaboration with screenwriter Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman proves their previous film "Juno" was no fluke. This pitch black comedy about a disgruntled woman returning to her high school hometown to rekindle with an old flame might be cringe-inducing, but it's also truthful and smart entertainment breaking conventions of Hollywood storytelling. Charlize Theron as Mavis Gary gives a ferocious and raw performance as a completely unlikable protagonist who, amazingly enough, earns our sympathy. Patton Oswalt gives an equally effective performance as the guy who recognizes Mavis is crazy but also knows she's just as miserable as him even if she doesn't realize it.

4. The Artist

What could've come off as merely a gimmick becomes so much more than that. Michel Hazanavicius' tribute to black and white silent cinema is also a tribute to the universality of film. It feels like something kept preserved in a time capsule with performances from French actors Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo that are genuine to the era. It's a rousing achievement both thematically and technically reminding audiences that there's so much value to be garnered from film no matter if it's without words or color.

3. Drive

Again defining 2011 as the year of Ryan Gosling, this slow-burning character study starring Gosling as a nameless getaway driver was powerful stuff. With a sleek and subdued European sentiment from filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, the film creeps along hauntingly with Gosling's impenetrable calm at its center and a menacing turn from Albert Brooks as a cold-blooded villain. The film is a carefully crafted beast, a moody and gradual escalation with hyper-violent and ultra-stylized eruptions fueling its engine.

2. Bridesmaids

"Bridesmaids" is hands-down the best comedy of the year. More than just the female "Hangover," the movie marked a turning point in modern comedies. The hilarious and bold comedy from director Paul Feig, actress/writer Kristen Wiig and her co-writer Annie Mumolo shows us women can be drunk, insecure, vulgar and pathetic not like men but like women. It's a triumph in equality and entertainment both sexes can easily embrace. Full of embarrassing outbursts, lavish gross-out toilet humor and a star-making turn from Melissa McCarthy, the movie is easily among the very best of the year.

1. The Descendants

It took him seven years, but writer/director Alexander Payne returned with another great piece of American filmmaking with signature Payne-ian style à la "Sideways." It's a miracle how effortlessly Payne captures the messiness of life performing a carefully choreographed balancing act between sharp comedy and shattering drama. He uses the exotic island location of Hawaii not to promote it as a tourist hot spot but instead what it really is: just another place to live. George Clooney in the leading role gives his best performance to date. Throwing away his usual charming demeanor, he displays a father struggling to keep his family from falling apart. Shailene Woodley is a revelation as the oldest daughter sporting typical teen angst with something a little deeper and soulful. What makes this film the best of the year is its bittersweet message not only acknowledging flaws in humanity but celebrating them because we've all got them.

WAR HORSE Review

2012-01-05T01:01:00.000-05:00

Steven Spielberg sure knows how to lay it on thick. "War Horse" is unabashedly old-fashioned filmmaking and makes a bold announcement of being such. It's a Spielbergian film through and through with no room for understatement. John Williams' bombastic score and Janusz Kaminski's lush cinematography know exactly what they're going for. Technically speaking, the movie is the epitome of perfection. Spielberg is a master of the craft and knows how to tug on the heartstrings and jerk some tears. I, however, don't like to be yanked on for an emotional response. Spielberg and his team certainly know how to solicit those responses, but they don't disguise their technique one bit. All of the components are there, but it's too obviously manufactured and labels the film as what it might really be -- Oscar-mongering.

Adapted from the London stage play, it's the tale of a boy who raises a horse, loses him in the dawn of World War I and yearns for his return. We begin on a quaint farm where a drunkard farmer (Peter Mullan) bid on a race horse he thought could be turned into a plow horse. He brings the horse home to his infuriated wife (Emily Watson) who believes because of her husband's stupid actions they'll lose everything. Their teenage son, Albert (Jeremy Irvine), however, has faith in the new horse. He raises the horse as his own, names him Joey and strives to protect him from harm. Desperate for money, Albert's father sells Joey to the war effort and so begins our episodic journey following this noble steed.

From its initial setup, the film is painterly, picturesque, and every shot is established like a fine portrait. This carries through into the war sequences which are eloquently shot against the carnage. Each sequence following Joey's departure into the war front plays out like an individual vignette giving the film a disjointed feeling with drastic tonal shifts. But two instances stand out among the rest. One is when a French farm girl (Celine Buckens) comes into possession of Joey with her elderly grandfather (Niels Arestrup), and the other is when an English and German soldier call a truce to help Joey who's entangled in barbed wire. Separate moments such as these work wonders but struggle in aiding to the cohesiveness of the picture as a whole.

A detachment occurs once Joey leaves the farm, a detachment from any central character to anchor the narrative -- no, the horse doesn't count. Even Jeremy Irvine as Albert is absent for too long to give us the emotional connection we need, the tether that keeps us rooting for Joey to find his way back to his beloved owner. But boy, Spielberg sure does try to make that connection in any way he can with overbearingly beautiful skies and landscapes, heroic angles and spot-on musical cues, all which still can't make up for a dramatic flatness.

And for all this negativity toward "War Horse," it's still fine entertainment. It's just all too obviously constructed and drenched in sentimentality using every aesthetic approach in the book. It's too bad the narrative isn't allowed to more openly and organically speak for itself instead of slamming us with trite schmaltz. The story instead lives behind a shielded coating of gloss not allowing us to become truly invested as much as Spielberg clearly thinks we should.

THE ARTIST Review

2011-12-23T16:29:00.001-05:00

Writer and director Michel Havanavicius' "The Artist" was a risk, a bold one that immensely pays off. It's a tribute to black and white silent cinema while in itself being a black and white silent picture. And one starring two French actors, Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo, unknown to American audiences. Most of all, the movie is largely a gimmick. But you can't help but get swept up in the way both thematically and technically the movie is a rousing achievement -- its devoted love to the era and its celebration of all things cinema.

Jean Dujardin plays George Valentin, a prolific silent film actor in 1927. He has a dazzling smile with impeccable comic timing, control of his body language and dance moves perfect for silent picture performances. His time in the motion picture business is soon up, however, when the dawn of the talkie arrives. There are moments when people refer to George's refusal to talk, and it holds a double meaning in his stubbornness to let go and move forward. The times are changing and leaving him behind.

Meanwhile, a chance encounter between George and a young wannabe actress named Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) is pivotal. She was in the right place at the right time and gets in line for a straight shot to fame. And while it was George who got her there -- penciling in a beauty mark on her upper lip the fans adore -- and begins falling for her, they part ways. Watching the way Peppy and George's story unfolds calls back to "Singin' in the Rain" (1952) about a silent actress whose voice wasn't fit for talkies.

Dujardin and Bejo are lovely to watch. Consider the ways I described George Valentin's perfect silent movie performance -- both leads do the same for their characters. It's an astonishing modern acting feat that will provide both of them worthy nominations come Oscar time. Imagine giving a wide range of emotion without uttering a word. Certainly you have to accentuate every gesture. In part to their performances, along with Hazanavicius' smart direction, the film feels like a replica of what came out of the era. It feels genuine, something carefully preserved and drawn out of a time capsule.

Just when you think "The Artist" is about to roll you over with its unrelenting charm, it takes a step back and brings insight into what used to make the movies so appealing, and what might have been lost over the years. The director and two leads are very French yet there are two supporting actors, John Goodman and James Cromwell, who are American. And yet wordless, they have a universality about them making them seamless together. And in the same vein, it's easy to forget you're watching a black and white silent movie and can just appreciate and enjoy it for what it is: a movie. It's a universal movie that audiences might be surprised to find themselves thoroughly applauding.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO Review

2011-12-21T02:52:00.000-05:00

David Fincher's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" begins with an opening credit sequence that's a jolt to the senses. Karen O's menacing cover of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" plays to figures dripping in black, disturbing yet provocative images of evil, a psychedelic and haunting anthem for the film's start. This opening gives Fincher's adaptation of the first entry in Stieg Larsson's internationally bestselling "Millenium Trilogy" a signature mark from a master director -- the one detail the 2009 Swedish original from director Niels Arden Opev lacked.

Neither version is better than the other, but each one definitely has a different feel. Fincher has an artistic eye behind the camera, an apparent love for all things grunge and gritty. This marks the director's return to pulpy crime noir such as "Zodiac" and "Se7en" after the likes of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "The Social Network." And it's a clearly welcome return as Fincher infuses the already established story with his own style and cinematic flourishes. The movie is better looking than the Swedish original thanks to cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth who also worked on "The Social Network." But it's more than that -- Fincher and his screenwriter Steven Zaillian don't try to copy the original or reinvent it, and they certainly don't ignore it. They take an already established framework and add nuances both visually and emotionally.

The biggest draw of this story is, of course, the ambisexual gothic super hacker Lisbeth Salander. She's played here by Rooney Mara, an actress who stands up to the challenge and exceeds expectation. For one, she has the look down. With short, choppy black hair, gaudy piercings, scar-like tattoos, a pale complexion accented by barely-there eyebrows and an expressionless glare, Mara nails it. She had some big shoes to fill following just a year behind Noomi Rapace, but she is perfectly comparable with subtle differences. Mara's Lisbeth is more a feral animal always looking out for predators. She can sink her teeth into something if necessary, but there's that added layer of fragility and vulnerability that Rapace's Lisbeth lacked. Mara manages to capture even more complexity and creates a Lisbeth Salander all her own.

Immediately following a defamatory article in Millenium magazine written by Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), he gets slammed for libel sending him into recluse. The timing couldn't be any better when he's contacted by a representative of Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), the eldest of the large Vanger family clan. Mikael treks out to the secluded, wintry island owned by the Vanger family to hear about the disappearance and suspected murder of Henrik's 16-year-old niece. It's an unsolved case that has haunted Henrik for 40 years, and he hires Mikael to find Harriet's killer under the guise of writing his memoir. Henrik figures Mikael could use the time off from Millenium.

The procedural of uncovering new information on the cold case is a convoluted labyrinth as one could imagine, but Zaillian's script does the best job it can keeping everything straight. There was an accident on the bridge the day of Harriet's disappearance, so no one was able to enter or leave the island. This leaves only members of the Vanger family as suspects to Harriet's murder; however, all the research, newspaper clippings and old photographs seem to be leading Mikael to no conclusions. Isolated in his own chilly cottage provided by Henrik and gradually meeting each member of the Vanger clan, the looming dread becomes ever more apparent that Mikael is residing among a murderer. Even Henrik despises his family as some of them had (or still have) Nazi sentiments. Among the Vangers is an ominously cordial Stellan Skarsgard as Martin, Harriet's brother.

Running parallel to this is the plight of Lisbeth Salander dealing with a new guardian (Yorick van Wageningen). He is cruel, abuses her and is smug about thinking he can get away with it. In a scene staged with brutally naked violation, we are roused to side with Lisbeth solidifying her role as an avenging angel to the men who hate women. The film flickers back and forth between Mikael and Lisbeth until finally they're brought together working on the Harriet case. She joins him as a research assistant, and though they start off weary of each other -- Lisbeth by nature and Mikael because she did the extensive background check on him -- they generate an eccentric, downbeat chemistry. Daniel Craig as the scrappy left-wing journalist stands above Michael Nyqvist from the original with his confident charisma and sexuality although he doesn't attempt the Swedish accent as Mara does.

The film runs at 158 minutes and doesn't drag for a second. Also essential to Fincher's style is the return of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross from "The Social Network" providing a musical score that seethes with white noise and creepy ambiance. There's always the question why did we need an English version of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" immediately after the original was such a success? The answer is simple. We wouldn't have received another dark, riveting and complex piece of entertainment from David Fincher. He gives audiences a fresh new take, not a mere rehash. And it's filmmaking that benefits from the written words of Stieg Larsson at its core. It's a tale that plays with our terror and fascination of the unknown. It's about awaiting what human horrors will be uncovered next, what depravity in humanity exists and what is hidden behind closed doors.

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Review

2011-12-19T18:55:00.000-05:00

While watching "My Week with Marilyn," you might find yourself feeling as if you're caught under a spell, a certain magnetism that you can't quite explain. Except that it can be explained. Like Marilyn Monroe herself, Michelle Williams is utterly hypnotic as the iconic screen goddess. The blond bombshell actress -- the woman everyone wanted to either be or be with in the mid-1950s -- had a personality that nobody could figure out, and the performance from Williams doesn't try to. Instead she emanates everything Monroe was about and what it must've felt like for anyone to be in her presence. There's the fact alone that being her was an act itself. In one instance she says, "All people ever see is Marilyn Monroe." Williams deserves an Oscar for embodying the actress effortlessly -- her effervescence, aloofness, mystery, grief and insecurity. She'll most certainly receive a Best Actress nomination.

The film follows the backstage proceedings of filming "The Prince and the Showgirl" (1957) in Pinewood Studios, London. Starring alongside Marilyn Monroe in the picture is Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) who also served as director. One might think working with such a world-renowned celebrity would be a dream and the highest honor, but Olivier clashes with her almost immediately. He is all about proficiency and the technicality of filmmaking and has no patience for Marilyn. There's always a delay whether she's not feeling well, she's sick, hungover or too tired. She's never on time, and when she does arrive she trips over her lines and doesn't believe in the character she's playing. But when she finally gets it right, her screen presence sings.

Everyone working on the film fully knows Monroe is difficult, but only Olivier has the nerve and audacity to blow up about it to her face. Branagh gives an important performance here as a man who's a genius in the film industry but is hardly in love with it. And when forced to put up with Marilyn's behavior, this immovable object that everyone adores and loves -- he can't bear it. Paula Strasberg (Zoe Wanamaker) is Marilyn's personal acting coach she brings along who coddles her, boosts her self-esteem and counteracts Olivier's direction. There's also Dame Sybil Thorndike (Judi Dench) who understands the director's frustration but also knows how to delicately handle Marilyn's sensitivity.

The biggest focus, however, is on the relationship between Marilyn and the impressionable 23-year-old Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) who was the gofer on the project. The movie is based on his memoirs and gives the film a fascinating perspective. Colin landed in between the Olivier and Monroe camps taking note of everyone and letting the backstage pass experience soak in. This unique position also sparked Marilyn's interest in him to hear what everyone thought of her.

The film captures Marilyn's absolute allure, the light she radiated and what it must've been like for Colin when she kissed him and said she loved him -- even if she didn't mean it. Everyone warns Colin to not get himself involved, but instead of dating the nice wardrobe girl (Emma Watson's first role since playing Hermoine in the "Harry Potter" series), he becomes enraptured by Marilyn. Redmayne captures a naive awe that makes us feel what he must've felt in the era. The power of the film, and of course Williams' performance at its center, is the way it makes you believe this luminous woman's ability to have such a profound impact on people's lives.

YOUNG ADULT Review

2011-12-17T13:06:00.003-05:00

The re-teaming of screenwriter Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman proves "Juno" was no fluke. Their collaboration with "Young Adult" is inspired, a scalding black comedy about the queen bitch in high school and everyone's worst nightmare -- except now she's 37 and returning to her hometown. The movie is cynical and goes down like a sour shot, but it's the year's most unexpected surprise by breaking every rule in conventional Hollywood storytelling.

Mavis Gary is played by Charlize Theron in a ferocious and raw performance. She is a protagonist that is completely unlikable and unsympathetic. She is unpleasant, cruel, condescending, delusional and fueled by a keen sense of self-destruction. Yet what's so remarkable is the way Theron ever so casually makes us -- with the help of Cody's fearless writing -- feel for Mavis.

She is relatively successful having moved out of her Midwest town now living in an apartment in Minneapolis. She writes young adult novels for a popular series but really is just a ghostwriter -- and the series is no longer selling. Her apartment is a pigpen, she spends every night slamming back bourbon, every morning chugging liters of Diet Coke to cure hangovers and is destined to be single forever. And while she moved away and feels superior to anyone back home, she still puts more thought into them than she lets on. Then she receives a mass email from her high school sweetheart, Buddy (Patrick Wilson), who recently had a baby with his wife. Mavis immediately becomes obsessed with the idea of going home and stealing Buddy back.

When Mavis first gets into town, she has a run-in with Matt (Patton Oswalt), a chubby geek from high school whose life was ruined from being the target of a hate crime. The media paid attention to it until they found out he wasn't actually gay, just mistaken for being gay. Patton Oswalt's Matt is pivotal to the movie's success. He is the cushion for all of Mavis' impossibly reckless behavior and provides a perspective we can agree with. Well knowing the hilarity and absurdity of Mavis' pitch black predicament with Buddy, he also sees she is just as miserable as him even if she fails to realize it. We recognize a sadness that she doesn't know is there. She can think the only reason she's hanging out with Matt is because he's the only one in town, but in fact they share a connection.

"Young Adult" plays out in a series of incidents that will have you crawling in your skin. Patrick Wilson has a tough job as Buddy playing a really nice, well-meaning guy who's desperately trying to not to offend or embarrass Mavis. It is, in some ways, a better movie than "Juno." It's more complicated and a whole lot harsher placing Diablo Cody not just as pop-savvy but a screenwriter of importance. In Mavis we're watching a humiliating train wreck, but one that is treated with honesty. In such we can't help but derive a bit of truth out of it, and more than a few laughs.

69th Annual Golden Globe Award Nominations

2011-12-15T11:08:00.001-05:00

Unlike last year when the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) included completely out-there nominees in the Best Comedy or Musical categories -- hello, "The Tourist" -- the films included this year are legitimate award contenders, which really makes things interesting.

Leading the nominees for the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards were "The Artist" with six, "The Descendants" with five, and tied at four were "The Ides of March," "Midnight in Paris," "The Help" and "Moneyball."

The nominees for Best Picture Drama were "The Descendants," "The Help," "Hugo," "The Ides of March," "Moneyball" and "War Horse." The surprise here is the inclusion of George Clooney's "Ides of March" which otherwise hasn't been getting any awards attention. It'll be curious to see whether the acknowledgement from the HFPA here can bolster its chances at the Oscars. Probably not considering the snub for "Drive," which has great award presence elsewhere.

Notice the absence of "The Artist" above because it got included instead within the Best Picture Comedy or Musical category along with "Midnight in Paris," "50/50," "My Week with Marilyn" and "Bridesmaids."

The one I don't understand here is "My Week with Marilyn" because -- although I haven't seen it yet -- I'm willing to bet there's about as much humor in that as there is in "The Descendants," which was included in Drama. In any case, including movies here that have potential in other categories, too, edged out other worthy comedy or musicals such as "Crazy, Stupid, Love." and "The Muppets."

The split between Best Picture Drama and Best Picture Comedy or Musical has divided up big contenders that will otherwise be competing in the same category at the Oscars. Now "The Artist" has been completely removed from the equation against other films -- which is nice, giving others a chance such as "The Descendants" -- but it doesn't help in predicting what will take the top prize with the Academy.

Best Director is also a telling category. The HFPA really has faith in "The Ides of March" opting to include George Clooney in the list. Joining him were Woody Allen for "Midnight in Paris," Martin Scorsese for "Hugo," Alexander Payne for "The Descendants" and Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist." No Steven Spielberg for "War Horse."

David Fincher's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" got completely left out aside from a Best Actress nomination for Rooney Mara and another for Best Score. Even more curious was the complete absence of Stephen Daldry's "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close." Does it have something to do with having such a late entry? Also absent is Gary Oldman and "Tailor Tinker Soldier Spy," which will most likely get redeemed through BAFTA awards.

Joining Rooney Mara for Best Actress Drama were nominations for Glenn Close for "Albert Nobbs," Viola Davis for "The Help," Meryl Streep for "The Iron Lady" and Tilda Swinton for "We Need to Talk About Kevin." Where's Michelle Williams, you ask? She's included within the Best Actress Comedy or Musical category along with the film in which she starred. Joining her were two nominees from "Carnage," Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet, and Kristen Wiig for "Bridesmaids." It's interesting that the HFPA went for Wiig over Melissa McCarthy who has the most Oscar pull.

The nominees for Best Actor Drama were Michael Fassbender for "Shame," George Clooney for "The Descendants," Leonardo DiCaprio for "J. Edgar," Brad Pitt for "Moneyball," and surprisingly enough, the HFPA went for Ryan Gosling in "The Ides of March" over his performance in "Drive." Swap out Gosling and throw in Jean Dujardin, and this could be our Best Actor Oscar race.

Dujardin instead appears in the category of Best Actor Comedy or Musical once again making it hard to decipher how he'll stand up to his competition at the Oscars. With him were Brendan Gleeson for "The Guard," Joseph Gordon Levitt for "50/50," Owen Wilson for "Midnight in Paris," and -- thank goodness! -- Ryan Gosling for "Crazy, Stupid, Love." Well deserved.

Albert Brooks marks the only "Drive" recognition with his nomination for Best Supporting Actor alongside Kenneth Branagh for "My Week with Marilyn," Viggo Mortensen for "A Dangerous Method," Christopher Plummer for "Beginners" and Jonah Hill for "Moneyball." Hill could have the potential at this point to make it to Oscar, but I have a feeling it's going to be another Mila Kunis for "Black Swan" and will get left off at the end.

Best Supporting Actress nominees included Berenice Bejo for "The Artist," Jessica Chastain for "The Help," Janet McTeer for "Albert Nobbs," Octavia Spencer for "The Help" and Shailene Woodley for "The Descendants." This very well could mirror the Best Supporting Actress race at the Oscars unless McCarthy can edge out McTeer.

And, finally, the HFPA decided to nominate "Cars 2" among the Best Animated Feature nominees. Why, exactly?

Check out the full list of nominations, and tune in to watch the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 15 at 8 p.m. on NBC!

BEGINNERS Review

2011-12-14T19:39:00.001-05:00

From writer/directorMike Mills ("Thumbsucker"), "Beginners" brings us possiblythe most honest screen romance you'll see this year. Ewan McGregor playsOliver, a struggling artist, and Mélanie Laurent plays Anna, a French actressliving out of a hotel room. Together they are a wonderful thing creatingeffortless chemistry out of damaged and completely humane characters. Theirfirst meeting at a Halloween party is charming and understated as Anna haslaryngitis and can't talk. Throughout the evening she communicates with Oscarby writing on a notepad. Their growing relationship workson the same quirkiness but, much like the movie itself, with an added layer ofintrospective contemplation asking the question what makes people truly happy.

Oneof the great pleasures of "Beginners" is the way it is simplywatching people find their way to happiness, and you end up wanting them tosucceed -- and they do. The screenplay skips back and forth through timelike a swift, playful dance. Oscar just found out two life-changing thingsabout his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer). He is terminally ill with cancerand has been gay his entire life including his 44-year-long marriage withOscar's mother. "I don't want to just be theoretically gay," Haltells his son. "I want to do something about it." And he does. Allthe while Oscar is caring for his father, he's getting involved in the gaycommunity and dating a younger man. The film divides its time between this andafter Hal passes away four months later when Oscar is seeing Anna. There arealso further flashbacks showing Oscar's relationship with his overly eccentricmother who's crying out for attention while her husband is absent from theirlives. This non-chronology reveals wholesomely rounded characters conveyed withsympathy and feeling.

ChristopherPlummer's performance is getting award acknowledgement, and it's no wonder. Asa late blooming gay man, Plummer allows his character to radiate his newlydiscovered open sexuality. You watch his performance knowing absolutely thatHal is gay but without being able to specifically place how exactly you cantell. It's a testament to the ability of the actor. And both Laurent andMcGregor have nuanced performances to match as a couple afraid of their owncommitment.

Youknow a writer/director has complete control over the tone and mood of his filmand knows exactly at every step what he wants it to be when he can, without ahitch, include a talking dog and make it fit in seamlessly. The dog, Arthur,used to be Hal's and now under the ownership of Oscar he can never be leftalone. Whenever Oscar leaves the house, Arthur whimpers and howls, so Oscar isforced to bring him wherever he goes -- a constant reminder of his father.

Thesoul of the movie lies in the downright poetic voiceovers from Oscar whichcontain choice videos and images. He describes what things were like in certainyears. The year Oscar's mother was born, the year his father discovered he wasgay, and 2003, when he and Anna are dating. Here's a sweet and intelligentmovie with a tough heart, and the title "Beginners" works gorgeously.In order to have a new beginning, you have to let other beginnings in your lifehave their definitive close. Only then can you move on.

18th Annual SAG Award Nominations

2011-12-14T19:39:00.000-05:00

The announcement of the 18th Annual Screen Actor Guild Award nominations this morning threw a wrench into things. First and foremost were the snubs for Shailene Woodley for Best Supporting Actress and Albert Brooks for Best Supporting Actor. I'm pressed to say that the the SAGs have it wrong here, and the Academy will not overlook either of them.

The overall lack of love for "Drive" outside of Brooks was a bit surprising considering its prevalence elsewhere. Also notable was the absolute love for "Bridesmaids" as Melissa McCarthy keeps gathering nominations for Best Supporting Actress, and the movie received a Best Ensemble nomination -- the SAG equivalent of a Best Picture nomination.

Among "Bridesmaids" for Best Ensemble were "The Artist," "Midnight in Paris," "The Descendants" and "The Help." This one will probably end up going to "The Artist" as both Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo received nominations in their respective categories. However, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer made it into their respective categories for "The Help" not to mention Jessica Chastain, as well. It could be a tighter race between the two.

One big surprise came in the Best Actor category which included Demian Bichir for "A Better Life" which baffles me because that film was included in last year's Oscars, which I thought meant the film would not be in contention for any awards this year.

Best Supporting Actor contained some surprises including Jonah Hill for "Moneyball" and Armie Hammer for "J. Edgar." This is also the first time "Albert Nobbs" has received acknowledgement with Glenn Close receiving her Best Actress nod along with Janet McTeer for Best Supporting Actress.

Check out the full list of nominations, and tune in to the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, January 29 at 8 p.m. on TNT and TBS.

17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Award Nominations

2011-12-13T17:26:00.001-05:00

It looks like we have arrived at our award front-runners. With the announcement of the 17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Award nominations, it appears "Hugo" and "The Artist" will be continually gaining momentum as further nominations come along. They led the pack of nominees with 11 each.

These nominations could resemble the Best Picture nominees at this year's Oscars granted if there are still 10 slots. The slots could be dwindled down to as little as five, and if that happens it'll be interesting to guess which films make the cut. The films the Broadcast Film Critics Assocation included for Best Picture were "The Artist," "The Descendants," "Drive," "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," "The Help," "Hugo," "Midnight in Paris," "Moneyball," "The Tree of Life" and "War Horse."

In my opinion this looks about right -- if ten are to be included. Stephen Daldry's "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" hasn't been getting any acknowledgement until now. David Fincher's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," however, got left off aside from Best Score and Best Editing.

Daldry also received a Best Director nod alongside Michel Hazanavicius for "The Artist," Nicolas Winding Refn for "Drive," Martin Scorsese for "Hugo" and Steven Spielberg for "War Horse."

In terms of the acting categories, we're beginning to see some usual suspects show up.

George Clooney for "The Descendants" and Jean Dujardin for "The Artist" are now locks for Best Actor nominees. Joining them were Leonardo DiCaprio for "J. Edgar" who actually hasn't been getting as much attention, Michael Fassbender for "Shame," Ryan Gosling for "Drive" and Brad Pitt's performance in "Moneyball" won out over "The Tree of Life."

Viola Davis for "The Help," Michelle Williams for "My Week with Marilyn" and Meryl Streep for "The Iron Lady" could be considered locks for the Best Actress category as they're both nominated here and have been getting much acknowledgement within critic circles. With them are Elizabeth Olsen for "Martha Marcy May Marlene," Tilda Swinton for "We Need to Talk About Kevin" and Charlize Theron for "Young Adult."

Albert Brooks is full steam ahead as the front-runner and likely winner for Best Supporting Actor for his maniacal turn in "Drive." Nominated with him are Christopher Plummer for "Beginners," another nomination lock, Kenneth Branagh for "My Week with Marilyn," Nick Nolte for "The Warrior," Patton Oswalt for "Young Adult" and, yes, it has happened -- Andy Serkis for "Rise of the Planet of the Apes." It'll be interesting to see if the pull for his nomination will be enough to carry him to the Academy.

In the category of Best Supporting Actress, Shailene Woodley is a lock for "The Descendants" in future nominations along with Octavia Spencer for "The Help" and Berenice Bejo for "The Artist." With them here are nominations for Carey Mulligan in "Shame" and, as a pleasant surprise, Melissa McCarthy for "Bridesmaids."

Other notable nominations include a very worthy three Best Song nominations for "The Muppets." Among the Best Animated Feature nominees, "Rango" is the only one in 2D and -- much to my enjoyment -- is the likely candidate to win in the category. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" got mostly snubbed with nominations in only Best Visual Effects, Sound, Makeup and Art Direction.

It's also funny to note that "The Ides of March" got completely left out except for a completely out of left field Best Ensemble nomination.

Another question: how is "Drive" considered a nominee for Best Action Movie -- a worthy film, yes, but it already received a spot in the Best Picture nominees -- but "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" is not?

Check out the full list of nominations, and tune in to the 17th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards on Thursday, January 12 at 8 p.m. on VH1.

HUGO Review

2011-12-09T10:14:00.001-05:00

Martin Scorsese hasgiven us the best-looking live action 3-D movie of this generation comparableto the prowess of James Cameron's "Avatar." Scorsese knows how toproperly take advantage of the technology, and if nothing else his newest film-- the greatest departure from anything else he's made before -- demonstrates howto use 3-D to its utmost potential. The film is packed with bouts of visualtrickery and flourishes that astound. In a most breathtaking opening sequence,we're shown the life of Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) who lives among theticking clockwork and mechanisms within the walls of an elaborate 1930sParisian train station. The swirling, intricate panoramic views and angles ofthe train station are just a taste of this magical world Scorsese constructs.

Hugo's life at the train station is made difficultby a cranky toy shop owner (Ben Kingsley) and the limping train stationinspector (Sacha Baron Cohen) who's always chasing Hugo through crowds oftravelers. Hugo is an orphan forced to live off thievery as he scurries aroundhiding himself in a maze of ladders and walkways winding all the clocks makingsure they run exactly on time. Hugo bases his lifearound machinery and making sure things are fixed and working right.His labor of love is an old automaton found by his father (Jude Law), seen inflashbacks. If fixed properly, the automaton should be able to write a message-- one that Hugo is convinced his father left for him. He's a genius when itcomes to finding all the right screws and gears for the project, but there'sone puzzle piece left. It's a key hole in the shape of a heart, and Hugo'sjourney takes him to find that heart-shaped key to fit the lock.

Along the way Hugo meets a young girl his age,Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz), who has an appetite for adventure. Together theyshow each other their secret worlds. His, the inner-workings of the trainstation clock tower, and hers, the many books within the catacombs of a libraryshe explores. As much as Isabelle craves adventure, Hugo discovers she hasnever been to the movie theater -- the era's best option for getting lost in anew world. Them sneaking in to see a moviebegins the film's second half, which is an obvious and lavish celebration ofthe birth of film.

The cranky toy shop owner turns out to be George Méliès, apioneer French filmmaker at the dawn of the 20th century. He also turns out tobe Isabelle's godfather. Such knowledge leads Hugo on a path to moreself-discovery than he could've imagined. Serendipitous links aplenty, evenHugo's father described the first movie he saw as a rocket poking the Man inthe Moon in the eye -- a scene from none other than Méliès' "A Trip to the Moon" (1908). The wizardry and wonderment of the film'ssecond act distracts from a threadbare thin plot, but it's easily forgiven. Inthe greatest sense, there's more to "Hugo." It's less about plot andmore about getting that certain fuzzy feeling, a feeling Scorsese must love --of sitting in a dark theater and getting caught up in a dream.

Rich film history isembedded in everything Scorsese makes, and here he dramatizes his personalconnection with the medium. Paralleling his own character's passion, Scorseseis a master of artistic mechanisms rekindling our love for the marvels of movietechnology both old and new. The director hasn't exactly made a movie forchildren. Even more impressive, he has made a ravishing movie for adultswithout coarse language, sex or violence earning a PG-rating full of childhoodinnocence without pandering. For audiences this is an enchanting and movinglook into childhood longing and exploration, and for cinephiles this issomething even more: an array of cinematic pleasures and a not-so-subtle pleafor the preservation of cinema's past. And to think this message arrives to usin 3-D. If the technology has any future, here it is endorsed fully -- and expertlyexecuted -- by Scorsese himself.

HUGO Named Best Film by NBR

2011-12-05T08:57:00.001-05:00

The National Board of Review announced their winners for this year. And while they don't have too much bearing on the overall awards landscape, they still are worth taking a look at -- especially this year considering what got decided as Best Film.

Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" was named Best Film, and Scorsese received Best Director.

Looks like "Hugo" is more of a year-end awards contender than I had at first anticipated, which means I need to get myself to a theater quickly to see it for myself.

Other notable wins include all those for Alexander Payne's "The Descendants." It took home Best Screenplay as well as Best Actor for George Clooney and Best Supporting Actress for Shailene Woodley. I see a trend, and one that could very well make its way to Oscar.

Early Film Awards Weigh In

2011-11-30T08:40:00.001-05:00

If we were to read the early signs, it would seem that "The Artist" will be the one to beat at this year's Oscars. I've yet to see the black and white silent film celebrating the era of silent cinema, but it's all the rage right now in terms of end-of-year award consideration.

The New York Film Critics Circle named "The Artist" Best Picture and awarded Michel Hazanavicius with Best Director. Likewise, the Independent Spirit Awards included "The Artist" among its list of Best Feature nominees alongside "The Descendants," "Drive," "Take Shelter," "Beginners" and "50/50."

Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain received love for their multiple roles this year. The NYFCC awarded Chastain Best Supporting Actress for "The Tree of Life," "The Help" and "Take Shelter." Likewise, Brad Pitt received Best Actor for both "The Tree of Life" and "Moneyball."

I also managed to forget about Albert Brooks of "Drive." He's not to be overlooked as he received a nomination for Best Supporting Male from the Spirit Awards as well as a Best Supporting Actor win from NYFCC.

This is just a small sample of what's to come this award season. We're bound to see a lot more in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

THE DESCENDANTS Review

2011-11-27T19:39:00.000-05:00

It has been seven years since we've received a filmfrom writer and director Alexander Payne. The last was 2004's Best Picturenominee Sideways. His new film, "The Descendants," is exactly whatwe've come to expect from Payne as a filmmaker and a guaranteed BestPicture contender at this year's Oscars. It is a miracle howeffortlessly Payne captures the messiness of life. He is a master at diggingdeep and bringing out rich meaning and emotion out of situations that also makeyou laugh. In all of his films he performs a carefully choreographed balancingact between wit and poignancy, sharp comedy and shattering drama -- this one isno different and could even be considered Payne's best yet.

Adapted from the 2009novel by Kaui Hart Hemming and co-written by Payne, the movie takes place inHawaii not just for the hell of it. The setting of Hawaii plays a major role,and an opening voiceover from Matt King (George Clooney) describes themisconceptions of living in such a tropical and exotic locale. It's not a24-hour vacation, and people living there aren't immune to life's challenges.It's no paradise, and the Hawaii we see is the real thing thanks tocinematographer Phedon Papamichael. "Fuck paradise," Matt says. Justas Payne used the specifics and peculiarities of Nebraska in "AboutSchdmidt" or California wine country in "Sideways," he allowsHawaii to play into the film's themes on family ties.

Matt has a wife andtwo daughters. His thrill-seeking wife, Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie), suffered aboating accident and lies in an irreversible coma. This forces Matt, the self-proclaimedback-up parent or understudy, to step up and care for the girls. The youngerone, 10-year-old Scottie (Amara Miller), is angry and confused. Alex (ShaileneWoodley of TV's "The Secret Life of the American Teenager"), her17-year-old sister, had trouble with drugs in her past and just seems plainangry. Matt doesn't know what to do with either of them, but he starts bybringing Alex back home from her boarding school which resides onanother island. As Matt says, his own family resembles the archipelago ofHawaii. Like the islands, they are in loose proximity but remain separate andalone ever so gradually drifting away from one another.

It's ironic becauseMatt's family tree stretches all the way back the earliest white settlers inHawaii. As a descendant of this land-owning family and the sole trustee, hemust personally decide whether or not to open up a vast tract of gorgeousforest land on Kauai to tourist or condo development. The rest of his bloodlinehas devolved into a group of men in floral shirts and sandals, his cousins whosupport or hate him in whatever decision he makes in how to develop the land --or to sell it at all. And though this subplot is the biggest news to thelocals, for Matt it's a mere distraction from tending to his family.

Matt's personalpredicament plays out as equal parts unpredictable, moving and humorous. Thisis especially true once his oldest daughter Alex lays a bomb of a revelation onhim. She caught her mom cheating. So, not only does Matt have to face hiswife's impending death, but now her past infidelity. Sometimes there is noreasoning to the way we react to a circumstance, especially in the midst of acrisis or tragedy. How we deal with guilt, regret, anger, jealousy, remorse,sadness -- it's all unstable. So Matt's impulsive trip to stalk his wife'slover feels just right. There are moments of absurdity that still feel genuinein the context. For example, Matt lets Alex keep her idiot pseudo-boyfriend(Nick Krause) around for the ride; the youngest, Scottie, spurts obscenitiesregularly; and upon discovering the news about his wife, Matt slips on loafersand does an awkward brisk shuffle over the neighbor's house to find out more.

As we follow Matt'semotional, legal and family issues, we eventually find out they're all linked.Payne handles this with great finesse, and it doesn't feel at all forced. Hecould've allowed for an onslaught of melodrama because the plot and subplots dohave that potential, but instead he takes the smarter route -- the route healways takes in his filmmaking and that is of low-key observation. Every momentin the movie feels utterly true to life. That includes Matt's confrontationwith his wife's lover, Brian Speer (Matthew Lillard). Just when you think youhave the scene trajectory figured out, Payne manages to surprise withunexpected eloquence.

It appears GeorgeClooney just keeps getting better. Here is another career-topping performance. Heis out of his comfort zone from his usual self-composed cool demeanor such asin "Up in the Air." As Matt King, he is flustered, overwhelmed anduncertain. Clooney has never been better, and he roots himself into thischaracter and gives an unabashedly raw performance. Payne is gifted in drawinga keen essence out of each actor's performance including Robert Forster asElizabeth's permanently enraged father and Judy Greer as Brian Speer's wife whohas a scene of bottled up force. The most notable performance stands right upthere with Clooney in terms of award consideration, and that's from youngactress Shailene Woodley. She is biting, smart and tough giving off theair of teenage angst while also sincerely caring for her father.

"TheDescendants" closes rather poetically with a scene of solace, and itcould've ended there. But Payne decides to add one more, a quiet coda that sumsup the mood. The closing shot brilliantly encapsulates the condition of manyfamilies today. Here's a film that not only acknowledges but celebrates the flawsin humanity because we've all got them. Might as well embrace it.

THE MUPPETS Review

2011-11-25T13:31:00.001-05:00

Whether you've beenfamiliar with the Muppets for 40 years or just heard about them yesterday, itwon't matter either way. If you want to laugh, be absolutely delighted and havethe most carefree and cheerful fun you've had at the movies in recent memory,"The Muppets" is for you. Their last big-screen presence was 1999's"Muppets in Space," and it hardly feels relevant now to mention thatconsidering this shining reunion of the international superstar puppetcharacters. The one question for Disney could be, well, why now? Why now aftermore than a decade would you bring back the Muppets for a reunion? Maybe it's asign of the times. Maybe it's the perfect thing we all needed but neverrealized. I would say that is exactly right.

The movie opens outwardly acknowledging that theMuppets are no longer cool, and they haven't been part of what's cool in popculture for a long time. It's in this wicked self-awareness where the filmgains its modest warmth and cheeky attitude. With its nerdy out-of-it humorthat is referential and self-deprecating combined with other moments that arequite hip and knowing, the Muppets strike a new chord -- one that will pleasefans both old and new. Consider for a moment a curse-free chicken version ofCee Lo Green's "F*** You." It's there, and it charms right in syncwith the rest of the movie's bright and funny musical numbers.

So, the Muppets have been disbanded with their moviesand TV shows all in the past. There's still a fan out there who misses themdearly, though, and his name is Walter. He is a little guy who happens to very,very closely resemble what some may consider a Muppet. But is he a Muppet? Hesure has felt rather displaced as a person. His brother is a human, and hisname is Gary (Jason Segel of "How I Met Your Mother"). As brothersthey have been lifelong pals, and it poses a bit of a problem for Gary'sgirlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams in full-on whimsical "Enchanted" mode),who sometimes feel as if she can't get any alone time. Gary plans a trip toHollywood with Mary for their anniversary and invites Walter along because oneof the stops is to the old Muppets Studio.

They arrive at the studio, however, only to discoverthat it's been long abandoned and even tours are hardly running. Walter thenstumbles across some devastating news. A cruel millionaire, Tex Richman (ChrisCooper having a blast as the meanie), wants to buy the Muppets Studio to tearit down and drill for oil. Walter, Gary and Mary decide they must do somethingto save the studio and the Muppet name. First comes finding Kermit the Frog whoagrees to putting on one last show to raise money. Pulling the rest of theMuppets out of retirement proves no easy feat. The group cleverly travels"by map" as a red line crossing the Atlantic with their car emerging fromthe ocean on the shoreline of Cannes. France was a key destination because overthe years Miss Piggy became the head editor at Vogue in Paris.

Goofy and sincere Muppet fan Jason Segel not onlystars but also co-wrote the script directed by James Bobin ("Da Ali GShow," "Flight of the Conchords"). Segel's love for the Muppetsis easy to see because nothing about bringing back this franchise feels opportunistic-- it's all from the heart. It's a colorful revitalization of the old troupethat is a labor of love, and such hope and wish-fulfillment oozes from thescreen and creeps inside as you watch. You'll crack a smile from the openingscene, and it won't go away.

"The Muppets" is also bursting to the seamswith cameos from big celebrities. The energy from everyone involved is joyous,positive and constantly sending out good vibes. The Muppets present a return tosimplicity -- simpler, less cynical times when song and dance could bringpeople together, when all you needed was a hearty dose of"Mahnamahna" or for Kermit to break out the heartwarming"Rainbow Connection." And you feel it; you can feel the energy andthe sense of collaboration on something feel-good and meaningful, somethinginspirational and more important than you might ever imagine from a gang ofpuppet characters. This is one of the best movies of the year.

MELANCHOLIA Review

2011-11-25T13:31:00.000-05:00

A woman screamsembracing her child while collapsing onto the putting green of a golf course.Electricity gets absorbed out of the end of a telephone pole -- and anotherwoman's fingers. That same woman wears an extravagant wedding dress runningfrom vines of entanglement grasping her legs. She's then on her backfloating down a clear river holding a bouquet of white flowers. Two planets,one Earth and another ominous blue mass, circle by each other and collide.These haunting portraits at the end of the world open as a prologueto Lars von Trier's "Melancholia," a cruel yet beautiful look at theend of the world.

The Danish director's latest film is the solution tothe violent and revolting "Antichrist." It works as a counterpart tothat -- dealing with depictions of depression and fear -- but also as a nicecounterpart to Malick's "The Tree of Life" in its grandiose themescontemplating the nature of the universe. Von Trier's signature style is infull swing with the repeated use of music from Wagner's "Tristan undIsolde" encapsulating on the filmmaker's classical techniques. Though, hestill remains frustrating, eccentric, provocative and highly demanding of hisviewers with unconventional narrative and painful moments to endure. What makes"Melancholia" worth enduring -- yes, enduring because a von Trierfilm couldn't be labeled as entertaining -- is his symphony of emotions that climbsto a resounding crescendo of aesthetic prowess blending hard-edged realism andbreathtaking romanticism.

The film is split into two parts which focus on eachfemale lead, Kirsten Dunst (who deservedly won Best Actress at this year'sCannes Film Festival for her powerful work) and Charlotte Gainsbourg. They playsisters in the film, Justine and Claire respectively. The first part is titled"Justine" after Dunst's character who celebrates her marriage at aswanky and luxurious wedding reception. The reception is held at a wildlyexpensive estate which sits at the water's edge complete with horse stables andan 18-hole golf course. It's owned by Claire's pompous husband, John (KieferSutherland) who feels entitled to remind Justine the price of her party. Saidparty serves as von Trier's canvas to present the worst in human behavior.

The long evening unravels in a hectic string of brashacting out, embarrassing encounters and, finally, Justine giving up on the ideaof marriage before it has even begun. Much to the worried bewilderment of thegroom (Alexander Skarsgard), the evening turns into everyone's worst nightmare,the most horrific wedding party you could ever imagine having the misfortune ofattending. Justine completely shuts down due to a history of cripplingdepression that rids her life of any future happiness. Von Trier emphasizes thetriviality of the exchanges made in the night's progression -- for example,Justine leaves her new husband's bed to have rough sex in a sand trap-- because meanwhile, the earth is about to end. The wedding guests,however, seem completely unaware, and it makes their actions all the moreabsurd.

This impending doom is merely referenced in the film'sfirst part because it is then later focused on during the second part titled"Claire." Claire's practicality and responsibility outshinesJustine's flighty and reckless self-indulgence in part one, but come time inthe second part to face the catastrophe, Justine's bleak fatalism proves a moremeaningful response than Claire's instinctive anxiousness.

The film's title "Melancholia" refers to theplanet hurdling toward Earth. It also, not coincidentally, is the name of a mentalcondition from Freud described as, "a profoundly painful dejection,cessation of interest in the outside world and a loss of the capacity tolove." It could be labeled as exactly what Justine suffers from, mostexemplified in the film's second half. This metaphorical link between a cosmic,cataclysmic end to life and a state of deep depression is audacious butnonetheless astonishing. And whether the film is about the actual end of theworld or more so life, death and coping with mental illness, von Trier managesa lasting impression you won't soon forget.

J. EDGAR Review

2011-11-12T12:02:00.001-05:00

"J. Edgar" (2011)

"J. Edgar" should've been one of the best films of the year. There's no reasonfor it not to be, but here it is -- an epic missed opportunity that turns whatcould've been a riveting drama about one of America's most controversial figuresinto a long, ponderous mess of a movie. All the elements were there and readyfor something great, too. It's directed by Clint Eastwood ("Million DollarBaby," "Changeling") from a screenplay by Dustin Lance Black("Milk") with Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role as J. Edgar Hoover.

ClintEastwood is a master of mood, and here is no exception. The issue, however, ishow noncommittal he is on the subject. When ambitiously tackling such a man of history --one who was powerful and hated but never understood -- you have to pull out the stops.Eastwood doesn't. He puts all the pieces in place but never engages them fully.We're left with something stolid and stagnant, not a juicy biopic as we mighthave expected. It's still respectable and sophisticated entertainment becauseEastwood is incapable of making something not watchable. But the disappointmentcannot be ignored, the feeling that whatever opinion you may draw about J. Edgar,neither side is with any conviction here.

Andwhile Eastwood's direction and Dustin Lance Black's script falter, theacting stands tall. Leonardo DiCaprio disappears within the exterior of aconflicted and unruly man. Hoover ruled the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation like a mad bulldog from 1935 until his death in 1972. Nobodydared cross him even though he schemed and blackmailed without shame -- thisincludes a cruel, anonymous letter to Martin Luther King, Jr. After seeminglyplaying the same character in both "Shutter Island" and"Inception" last year, it's richly satisfying to watch DiCapriosuccessfully transform himself, an acting feat that could no doubt earn him aBest Actor nomination or even win.

ArmieHammer of "The Social Network" plays Hoover's FBI associate directorand life-long companion, Clyde Tolson. It's remarkable to note that Hammer, arelative newcomer since his breakout last year, holds his ground next toDiCaprio and -- in some instances -- even outshines him. Both actors, however,are hampered by layers of distracting prosthetic agingmakeup.

Tolsonis Edgar's dark secret, and a majority of Black's screenplay is purposelyspeculative about their relationship. And while an important aspect of theman's life, Black takes the easy way out. Sure Hoover was terrible and did someterrible things -- but he was gay. And while he bases most of the film aroundHoover's repressed homosexuality, he also uses it as reasoning for his hiddenevils and paranoia about commies and radicals. His sexuality is not theonly reason -- that's too simple, and even with DiCaprio's performance thistactic threatens to make Hoover one-dimensional, which he's certainlynot.

Scenes between Hoover and Tolson are nuanced and the film's best.In a most wrenching scene, Hoover's mother Annie (played with stern severity byJudi Dench) calculates what's going on between her son and Tolson. "I'drather have a dead son than a daffodil," she says. The effectiveness ofthese moments, though, point to the film's greater downfall. Every gay man ofthat generation was repressed and struggling with something profound -- that'sno mystery. So let's focus on what made Hoover different than the rest of thosemen.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 Review

2011-10-23T19:34:00.000-04:00

"Paranormal Activity 3" (2011)

It still works. Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost, the directors of last year's controversial pseudo-documentary "Catfish," take the reins of the third installment in the highly popular found-footage horror franchise. And as much as the series has definitely set its own formula by now, "Paranormal Activity 3" does not feel derivative and still gives viewers something to be terrified about. It's clear Schulman and Joost have a sense of humor because this installment gives us new scare tactics that play with audience expectation.

The best of these clever devices is a camera mounted atop the base of a rotating fan. It pans at a deliberate and painfully slow pace between the kitchen and living room giving us a lot of anticipation to chew on before we see the other end of that camera's range. It's a dastardly trick. Along with this camera, there are only two others mounted in bedrooms unlike the second installment which had a whole security system of cameras to watch. The movie is a prequel to the events of the first taking place in September 1988, which explains the lack in technology. This aspect, though, is about the only thing that's period piece material. The high-vaulted ceilings and overall look of the home make it look incidentally quite modern, and the babysitter's outfit is a bit obvious.

But decade accuracy isn't the point here. The story follows Katie (Chloe Csengery) -- of the first film -- as a young girl living with her sister Kristi (Jessica Tyler Brown) and her parents, Dennis (Christopher Nicholas Smith) and Julie (Lauren Bittner). The setting of a prequel is meant to show how Katie initially had an encounter with the evil forces that drove her to the activity of the original movie. Consequently, a lot of the action focuses around Katie and her sister. These girls, however, aren't your typical creepy young girls in horror movies. They're ordinary, everyday young girls. Except when Katie wants to play a scary game of "Bloody Mary," saying it three times could actually bring horrific results. And Kristi's imaginary friend "Toby," who she talks to with intimidated obedience, is the one making noises at night.

"Paranormal Activity 3" causes a larger sense of unsettling dread than even the first two installments. It might be because the looming presence in the house feels more personal and malicious -- and from Kristi it even gets a name. The second movie enlisted jump-out scares to utmost effect. And while this outing still toys with that, it even more effectively finesses pure suspense in moments where nothing even happens. Take the last 15 minutes, for example, which had me literally shaking with anxiety.

These films are, if nothing else, a lesson in restraint when it comes to eliciting scares. Sure there's no restraint when it comes to the number of sequels they're going to keep churning out -- "Paranormal Activity 4" is inevitably on its way -- but I would much rather see eager audiences sitting down to spooky ghost stories than the glib and vile "Saw" splatter-fest which previously dominated Halloween movie season.

My review of Paranormal Activity
My review of Paranormal Activity 2

THE IDES OF MARCH Review

2011-10-11T19:33:00.001-04:00

"The Ides of March" (2011)

The fourth feature directed by George Clooney (following"Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," "Good Night, and GoodLuck" and "Leatherheads"), "The Ides of March"provides us with knowledge a lot of us may already know: the current climate ofAmerican politics leaves no room for idealism and dignity. It's a harsh andcynical look at the modern presidential campaign landscape, but it's also lessabout the candidates and more about the campaign managers working for them.There is scheming, backstabbing and lapses in loyalty aplenty, and it's all ariveting inside look at the men behind the faces we end up voting for.

The movie stars Ryan Gosling playing another ratherintroverted character. It's a much different character than "Drive,"but his focus and intensity remains the same. Just when we think we have himfigured out, he surprises us with a twist of action. He plays Stephen Meyers, apress secretary for Pennsylvania Gov. Mike Morris (George Clooney) during apresidential primary in Ohio, which acts as a pressure cooker for theproceedings. Perfectly cast, Clooney plays Mike Morris as an idealisticfictional Obama in 2008 candidate who is articulate and promising with a newkind of politics. Stephen works under Paul Zara (Phillip Seymour Hoffman in topform), a seasoned campaign manager for Morris. On the other side of the playingfield is Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti), the campaign manager for the opponentPullman. All of these men, save for Stephen, are hardened realists who knowexactly how to play their pieces on the board. Young professionals such asStephen have yet learned how to check their values at the door.

The screenplay (adapted from Beau Willimon's play"Farragut North") co-written by Clooney, Willimon and Grant Heslovpaired with Clooney's understated direction brings conversations and exchangesto the utmost importance. The title suggests a grand sweeping Shakespeariantheme, but Clooney's goals are actually much simpler and straightforward and,in such, create an even greater impact. What Clooney strives to present may notbe wholly profound, but it is pulpy and provocative. I don't think the screenplaysticks in the knife as deeply as Clooney hopes, but he still assembles anastonishingly powerful cast to navigate murky waters where the lines ofpolitical and emotional agenda get skewed.

A New York Times reporter played byMarisa Tomei represents manipulative media involvement in the campaign lookingfor the best scoop. A key conversation between her, Stephen and Paul early onshows where true loyalty lies along with the real perception of any campaign --it always divulges into disappointment no matter who takes the title. At onepoint Stephen receives a call from Tom Duffy with a job offer to change sides.Motives here become unclear. Does Duffy actually want Stephen, or does theoffer simply work as a ploy? Stephen is just opportunistic and looking out forhis best interest revealing a surprising but subtle amorality. The real focusof the plot doesn't arrive, however, until a scandal surfaces around a lusciousintern named Molly (Evan Rachel Wood). Stephen is handsome and suave, so he charmsMolly into bed but in the process learns some unnerving information.

From here the film is tight, smart and swiftly paced showingus everything we've already come to know about how campaigns are really run inthis country. It plays as if the pressure cooker finally goes over, and scenesflow with boiling urgency. The revelations keep us riveted but what keeps usengaged and interested is the toxic and malevolent atmosphere that Clooneyexpertly upholds. It's down and dirty stuff with men in pressed suits, and it'sall the more disturbing considering the setting. "The Ides of March"works like a wrenching punch to the gut in the acceptance that sometimespolitics is just about keeping a job.

Most Anticipated Movies of Fall 2011

2011-09-23T14:40:00.000-04:00

10. My Week with Marilyn

What gets me so excited about this one is Michelle Williams playing the titular role of Marilyn Monroe. This performance will hopefully get her the recognition she has so long deserved, especially since she was overlooked for "Blue Valentine."

9. J. Edgar

Another heavy lead performance Oscar movie with Leonardo DiCaprio at its head. From the looks of the trailer, this latest outing from director Clint Eastwood is going to soar with critics as a rich biopic with a talented supporting cast. This is also no doubt DiCaprio's Best Actor vehicle, but I'd like to think it has more going for it than just that.

8. Paranormal Activity 3

I loved "Paranormal Activity" and although obviously lacking in originality, its sequel had even more effective scares. And so I can't help but get excited for the third installment from the directors of "Catfish." They basically promoted that viral pseudo-documentary as a horror flick, so just imagine them actually tackling one. That Bloody Mary part in the trailer alone had me peeking through my fingers.

7. The Rum Diary

I don't generally like Johnny Depp, but I sure did like him in this year's "Rango" -- even though he was voicing an animated lizard. And speaking of "Rango" with its undertones of Hunter S. Thompson, this latest starring Johnny Depp is actually an adaptation of a Thompson novel. The trailer is misleading at first, but then divulges what the film is really about: that substance-induced blurring between fantasy and reality. I'm intrigued.

6. Melancholia

Although I despised almost everything about Lars von Trier's "Antichrist," the director still has me roped in and anticipating his next feature. It seems much more subdued and contemplative than his last one, and Kirsten Dunst earned herself a Best Actress award at this year's Cannes. It's been getting underwhelming reviews, but with all that slow-motion and hoopla about the end of the world, I'm hooked.

5. War Horse

The teaser for Steven Spielberg's "War Horse" couldn't be any more of an announcement to the world that, hey, he's back in the game and going for an Oscar! But can you blame him? The movie looks magnificent. A sweeping historical piece as directed by the one and only Spielberg trumpeted by a resounding score from John Williams, and it's all just in time for Christmas.

4. Young Adult

After director Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air," he's now reunited with screenwriter Diablo Cody ("Juno") for his next feature. It stars Charlize Theron, and the first image of her from the film has been released along with a poster -- but not much else. I'm anxious for a trailer to see if the tone is going to match up with the overly quirky "Juno," or if it'll be a little more down-to-earth. Here's to hoping for the latter.

3. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

There has been almost nothing released about this adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's best-selling novel. All we know is that it's directed by Stephen Daldry ("The Reader") with a screenplay by Eric Roth ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"), and Tom Hanks is in it. I read the novel and fell in love with it, but it's also something that seems impossible to adapt for the screen. But don't they all? The film is also in talks of being the front-runner at this year's Oscars. Only time will tell.

2. The Descendants

Another Alexander Payne film, and his first in seven years? Well, count me in. Starring George Clooney, this film appears to be another Payne-ian look at human relationships à la "Sideways" and "About Schmidt." It received mixed critical reception from the festival at which it premiered -- some even called it Payne's worst effort -- but my hopes remain high.

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

David Fincher's remake of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is easily my most anticipated movie of the fall. Ever since Rooney Mara's transformation into gothic bisexual hacker Lisbeth Salander graced the cover of magazines, I knew this adaptation of the Swedish novel would absolutely nail it. And then came the first teaser trailer with a rocking track from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the tagline, "The feel bad movie of Christmas" to hype up the anticipation. Not to mention that revealing initial poster with Rooney Mara and co-star Daniel Craig, and now the official trailer which perhaps runs a little long but still proves that Fincher definitely has a handle on the ideal tone for what this movie is all about. Gritty, grisly stuff.

DRIVE Review

2011-09-20T19:50:00.001-04:00

"Drive" (2011)

He is a driver and only a driver. He has no name to the men he works for and not even to us. He's the guy behind the wheel who will be there if you tell him when and where. He's the getaway driver and a man defined by what he does. We're introduced to this driver -- with his steely blue eyes and gloved hands gripping the steering wheel -- during a job. He's cool and collected even during a vehicular game of cat-and-mouse with the authorities. It's a sequence wrought with tension and suspense and one of the most expertly handled car chases I've seen. Eyes fixated on the road and not ever on the faces of the criminals he carts around, the driver doesn't commit the act; he only gets those doing so from point A to point B. "I drive," he says.

Albert Brooks, who's not at all funny here, plays a nasty man of business named Bernie in "Drive" from Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn ("Bronson," "Valhalla Rising"). His character is a producer for the type of B-movies that the driver does car stunts for, which is the driver's day job when he's not a driver for hire by night. Bernie describes the movies he used to produce in the 80s as action thrillers lauded by critics. Some critics even called them European. But he thought his movies were shit. As a self-knowing nod, he could be describing the very movie he's in -- minus the part about being shit.

The modern soundtrack recalls 80s synth with titles presented in a retro pink cursive font like something out of "Miami Vice." A sleek, subdued and sophisticated European sentiment permeates the mood. It's an action thriller for the art house crowd but in no way pretentious. "Drive" provides the perfect elements of a genre flick in high fashion emphasizing the master of craft. While putting the pedal to the metal, there's respect for acting and writing. It plays on commercialism while becoming an exact rebuttal to convention.

As the driver Ryan Gosling sustains an impenetrable and indiscernible calm that's unnerving. He has the severe cool of a young George Clooney, and here he seems to be channeling him in "Michael Clayton" form. He's wordless and expresses a wide expanse of inner-thought through a shift in the brow or a twinge of the mouth. A master of nuance, Gosling gives us a brilliant work of existentialism through moments of idling silence before this mysterious wheel man slams on the accelerator. He's a man who's been around cars most his life mentored by a fatherly figure, a mechanic named Shannon (Bryan Cranston of "Breaking Bad"). The driver lives in an apartment complex and becomes close with his neighbor, Irene (Carey Mulligan). She has a young son, Benecio (Kaden Leos), and a husband, Standard (Oscar Isaac), who's in jail. The driver and Irene grow fond of each other, but Standard returns home within the week. Once there he's not jealous of the driver but instead finds opportunity. He's in trouble -- the kind of trouble the driver can deal with.

Filling in the blanks of back story are characters' expressions and subtleties. The film doesn't wear its emotions on its sleeve but they do run deep. The script by Hossein Amini is minimal in dialogue, so reading between the lines is essential and it works. The driver's loyalty to Irene's family is obvious as he accepts a job with little to no benefit to himself. It's a heist that goes horribly wrong with bloodshed aplenty namely from Christina Hendricks of "Mad Men" who plays a sexy accomplice. With the smooth purr of seduction "Drive" offers filmgoers, it is a gradual and moody escalation with hyper-violent and ultra-stylized eruptions that fuels this beast's engine. It's a simple parable of fast cars and dangerous deeds involving men not defined by what they say but, instead, by their actions -- no matter the blood stains left in their wake.

THE FUTURE Review

2011-09-05T22:33:00.000-04:00

"The Future" (2011)

Miranda July's "The Future" opens with a dopey couple planning to adopt a sick cat; it then eloquently evolves into a meditation on loneliness and mortality. The cat in question, named Paw-Paw, is precious and has a broken leg. We see only his little paws, one in a cast, during occasional monologues from the cat -- yes, the cat -- which is voiced by writer, director and star Miranda July. Much like her striking debut, "Me and You and Everyone We Know" (2005), July crafts a unique and bold cinematic vision. She's no doubt polarizing in her construction of wonderment; that is, whether people are willing to open up to such free-flowing form and deadpan whimsy. But in taking the time to settle in, you'll experience one of the most original voices in American film today.

After learning that Paw-Paw can't come home with them for another month, Sophie (Miranda July) and Jason (Hamish Linklater) begin to panic. Sophie is a dancer but teaches dance for young kids while Jason wanted to be a world leader of some sort, but he supplies over-the-phone technical support instead. They've been spending their four years together loafing around a haphazardly furnished apartment going nowhere and getting used to each other's eccentricities. They figure since they're already in their mid-30s and the cat living up to five years in their care would take them into their 40s, they only have one month until their lives theoretically end. Time for drastic change. As a bohemian hipster couple, they are frustrating in their drift of a lifestyle. And as much as you want to shake them back into reality, the movie does it for us as we watch them lead themselves to their own undoing.

Jason decides on a whim to volunteer for an environmental organization going door-to-door selling trees. Meanwhile Sophie quits teaching dance and comes up with the concept of uploading 30 dances to Youtube over 30 days to receive Internet exposure. Does either of them follow through with their plan? No. Instead Sophie has an affair with a man named Marshall (David Warshofsky) while Jason starts to hang out with an old man named Joe (Joe Putterlik). The purpose of these side distractions is unclear. Perhaps just for the sake of Sophie being able to have an affair, and perhaps just for the sake of Jason meeting someone even more eccentric than him. The couple's relationship is at a crossroads, but it's hard to say if they even notice. They're too busy in their state of malaise waiting for something to happen, much like Paw-Paw anxiously waiting at the adoption center for a comfortable place to die. There lies July's profound knack for conveying difficult emotion -- here, the hope and pain of just waiting.

I would even go as far as to call it enchanting, especially in the way July blends the fantastical and supernatural with the everyday. There's a talking moon, a yellow security T-shirt that moves on its own and a young girl who likes to be buried in dirt. With all the cuteness there's a strange and unsettling mood that lingers giving hints to July's unnerving outlook on the cycle of life. It's all there in the title, "The Future," whether that refers to what someone plans on doing down the line or a more dauntingly abstract thought about the end of time itself. Jason even attempts to literally freeze time to avoid what's coming next revealing that, try as you might to ignore it, the world keeps spinning and life will go on with or without you.

THE HELP Review

2011-08-11T10:18:00.065-04:00

"The Help" (2011)

It's 1961 in Jackson, Mississippi at the height of the Jim Crow era in the heart of the Deep South middle class. While blacks and whites co-exist casually and brushing shoulders every single day on a regular basis, they are still separate and not equal. White women go about their days of leisure while their black maids take care of the house raising the women's white children. And while they're called maids, they might as well be titled house slaves and -- even more -- surrogate mothers. "The Help," the alive and rich adaptation of Kathryn Sockett's 2009 bestselling novel, is aware of the sobering truth at its center: segregation in the South wasn't just wrong -- it was a grand and sweeping delusion as a proper way of life.

The story is told from the perspective of Aibileen Clark (Viola Davis), a maid who says she's raised 17 white children in her lifetime. Her grandmother was a maid, her mother was and so is she. Your heart breaks for her when Skeeter (Emma Stone) -- the journalist writing a book composed of interviews with the maids of Jackson -- asks Aibileen if she wants to do something more. The book is dangerous to write exposing the unfair and cruel Southern domestic life these women endure. Completing the book is the film's narrative force, and Emma Stone carries the leading role well. We've seen her as a chipper comic, but here she plays a woman grown to be disturbed by what she witnesses around her.

Take for example when Skeeter persistently questions her mother (Allison Janney) on what happened to Constantine (Cicely Tyson), their maid of 29 years who mysteriously left. The betrayal she feels after hearing the answer brings the South's wrenching moral condition to a personal level. Skeeter takes a job at the Jackson Journal writing a cleaning advice column and recruits Aibileen for help; this leads to the collaboration on something much greater.

Bringing a weight and solemn sincerity to the film is the tough and brilliant performance from Viola Davis as Aibileen. Playing Aibileen's best friend Minny is Octavia Spencer (known primarily for smaller roles), and her performance is just as note-worthy full of fiery sass and spark. These women steal scenes left and right, and the movie becomes solely theirs weaving a story of aspirations and squandered dreams.

Like the book Skeeter is writing, this is the story of the maids and the women they work for. Under the facade of prim and proper bridge games and fundraiser benefits, saying these women take what they call the help for granted would be an extreme understatement. It does, however, seem like most of the women have feebly accepted the social norm and treat their black maids how they have been shown they should be treated. That is except for Hilly (Bryce Dallas Howard), a vile princess and blatant racist pushing for separate outdoor bathrooms for the black maids -- the domestic equivalent of being forced to the back of the bus. She fires Minny sending her over to Hilly's archenemy Celia (Jessica Chastain of "Tree of Life"), a flaky but well-meaning blond bimbo who hires Minny without the knowledge of her husband; that way home-cooked meals and a clean house look readily prepared by Celia.

When opting for light humor, the movie really gets the laughs. This is especially true when Minny surprises Hilly with a very special dessert delivering hilarious returns. The incident does get played to overkill, however, and here newcomer writer/director Tate Taylor lays bare the film's obvious intentions as a surefire crowd-pleaser -- but it also worked wonders on me. I didn't mind knowing the exact desired emotions because I felt them -- the warmth and hopeful joy sprung from these women's story showing that cruel people in the world get their just desserts. Pun intended.

What I most admire about "The Help" is how it escapes the bounds of its Oprah book club wrapping with exceptional actresses who all make for a touching and exhilarating tale that, in between the humor, is a truly affecting tear-jerker with characters we are moved by and care about. It also doesn't shy away from the dark ugliness of the era. Within the cheer there's a whole lot of sad and aching pain, and at the film's end is the realization that it's still the same Jackson, Mississippi we started with even after Skeeter finishes writing her book.

CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE. Review

2011-08-01T10:45:00.001-04:00

"Crazy, Stupid, Love." (2011)

Emma Stone is the new go-to girl for light comedy, there's no question about that. She's charismatic, glowing and provides the perfect blend of sassy and self-deprecating humor. In the warm and welcome delight of the summer, "Crazy, Stupid, Love." she's no different.

The revelation here, however, is Ryan Gosling who brings a remarkable knack for comedy we never knew he had before. As the suave, overbearingly charming and hustling womanizer Jacob, he nails it -- with or without his shirt on. I guess that's what you get when an Oscar-worthy actor gets casually tossed into the mix. And after being quietly overlooked for his performance in "Blue Valentine," he's bouncing back with more force, and it'll be nice to see him as the lead in George Clooney's "Ides of March." Gosling and Stone serve as one of the couples we follow in this unassuming comedy, and after seeing them together you might be wondering why we haven't seen it sooner.

Sometimes a movie comes along that takes you for surprise and sweeps you off your feet. "Crazy, Stupid, Love." from directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa ("I Love You Phillip Morris") is that movie. You may go in just expecting a conventional romantic comedy, but don't be fooled. With a stand-out ensemble cast and a thoughtful look at life that feels ever so real, it's a movie that is potent with true value and emotion firing on all cylinders. Best of all, it comes off as such breezy entertainment while dealing with weighty issues about love, longing and loss. Its characters are able to laugh it off because, before truly understanding what it means to follow your heart, they understand the pain that comes with it.

Opening with a punch to the gut, Cal (Steve Carell) hears from his wife, Emily (Julianne Moore), on a nice dinner out that she wants a divorce. He's shocked to the point where exiting a moving vehicle feels like an appropriate response. She has slept with another man, a co-worker whose name turns into a repeated curse word, David Linghaden (Kevin Bacon). Maybe Cal has lost his alpha male instinct after being a cozy husband and father of three as he loafs around in wrinkled khakis and worn-in New Balance sneakers. Enter Jacob who finds Cal pitying himself in a glitzy bar and makes it his duty to give Cal both a physical and personality makeover. As Jacob tells Cal to "be better than the Gap," their moments together are magnetic, and that's only the beginning.

Other romantic mismatching involves Cal's 13-year-old son, Robbie (Jonah Bobo), who has a major crush on his babysitter, 17-year-old Jessica (Analeigh Tipton). She, however, has eyes for an older man: Robbie's dad. There's also Marisa Tomei having tons of fun as Robbie's eighth grade school teacher who feels betrayed by Cal. And, of course, there's Jacob relentlessly courting law student Hannah (Emma Stone). All of these minor subplots surround the main issue of Cal and Emily's divorce, and they are all fleshed out with fully realized characters. Each of them play an important role in the larger scheme, and even when the converging plot lines amount to absurd coincidences, the script from Dan Fogelman makes sure to keep the situations grounded in rather poignant naturalism.

There are plenty of moments worth savoring such as Emily calling Cal under the facade of having a maintenance problem but only wants to hear his voice or the night of flirtatious seduction between Jacob and Hannah which is easily the film's highlight. "Crazy, Stupid, Love." is at last what feels like an updated look at contemporary behavior in relationships -- the way they work through all the hardship and heartbreak and the hope that leaves us clinging to that crazy word we call love.

COWBOYS & ALIENS Review

2011-08-01T08:13:00.000-04:00

"Cowboys & Aliens" (2011)

With the most boneheaded and literal movie title since perhaps "Snakes on a Plane," there should be no room for sentimentality in "Cowboys & Aliens" from director Jon Favreau ("Iron Man"). Taking itself way too seriously for its title, there's too much schmaltz coating what otherwise should've been a rollicking romp out of the toy box pitting two character types in a head-to-head battle. It's a movie about cowboys and aliens -- obviously -- not the end of the world. Tone it down a notch, let loose a little bit and have some fun.

This lack of fun lends to the movie's failure as a genre mash-up. Set in a rural mining town in 1873 with a boozing saloon, local sheriff, reckless gunslinger and a bunch of rugged cowboys, why not throw in an alien invasion? It's funny because when the first attack occurs, none of the citizens seem concerned about the manufacturing behind an alien invasion of such magnitude. I mean, these people don't even know air travel -- let alone automobiles -- and yet they're not fazed by flying spacecrafts shooting down beams of light that torch their town and abduct defenseless victims. In any case, Favreau and his team of writers take the worst clichés from westerns and sci-fi flicks and carelessly cram them together without offering up anything new. These two genres are so appealing that the concept of them teaming up easily put a smile on my face; that is, until I witnessed how noisy, messy, leaden and downright boring the results turned out.

It's a shame, too, because Daniel Craig as the cold and hardened outlaw Jake Longergan wears the American drawl well and plays up the classic western figure of a bad man rising too goodness with nice finesse. I wouldn't mind seeing him later on starring in his own western -- minus the aliens. And then there's Harrison Ford who's a hoot as a crotchety old colonel. When these two share screen time, they're snarky cool. The issue is that it happens maybe twice. Their potential comic timing together is vastly underused.

Olivia Wilde looks astoundingly too attractive for the scenery around her, Sam Rockwell lands his first bland role and Paul Dano is, well, his kooky self. The characters involved in the Old West alien takeover may as well be as faceless as those attacking them. Speaking of which, these guys are grotesque. With bugged-out eyes and a chest cavity that opens up to reveal slimy and spindly arms, watching them get disposed of is at least satisfying. The violence is gruesome considering the PG-13 rating and is shown frequently throughout the repetitious action set pieces that become increasingly dull and inane.

Want the closest thing to cowboy and alien action without subjecting yourself to this? Think back to the imaginative opening of "Toy Story 3" with Buzz Lightyear and Woody. There you go.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER Review

2011-07-23T12:47:00.043-04:00

"Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011)

Joe Johnston's "Captain America: The First Avenger" is the last of the Marvel superhero movies before the big collaboration of next summer's "The Avengers," and it couldn't be any more obvious. What follows in the next paragraph is my major gripe with this movie and I guess what you could call spoilers. Consider yourself warned.

I actually quite enjoyed "Captain America" until the end credits came along. Samuel L. Jackson made his obligatory appearance as Nick Fury to let us know yet again that an Avengers movie is on the horizon. Not like we haven't been beaten over the head with it already in "Iron Man," "Iron Man 2" and "Thor." Not only does he show up, but at the end of the credits we're given a full-blown teaser trailer for "The Avengers." It just makes me sick of Marvel's agenda as a whole. Here we're given this rather well thought out superhero flick, and then the whole experience is cheapened because we're forced to see that, oh wait, there's more on the way! So, there's "The Avengers," and then each of these superheroes are going to, of course, have their own sequels, too. I just can't help but wonder when the fad is going to end.

Anyway, back to the movie at hand which I'm still struggling to view as standalone entertainment. The point -- and the problem -- is that I don't think we're supposed to be viewing it as standalone entertainment. Nonetheless, the entertainment it does provide is a pleasantly stupid, hokey and wholesome throwback. It's complete with a courageous but conspicuously square hero at its center, a lovely dame, a seasoned veteran military officer, a genius scientist and an evil super villain.

Chris Evans has fine screen presence, but as Captain America he's perfectly vanilla. With blond hair, blue eyes, big muscles and a bit of a dopey yet courageous demeanor, Evans does what he can to bring the character to life. What he becomes, however, is just OK and can't make it his own as Robert Downey, Jr. or even Chris Hemsworth did. He gets the all American spirit down pat with an old-fashioned patriotism that actually feels just right. And he sure wears his uniform well swinging around his powerful stars-and-stripes shield like it's a deadly Frisbee.

Before Captain America becomes the iconic hero of WWII, though, he used to just be skinny Steve Rogers who wasn't able to enlist in the army. After being chosen as a part of a super soldier project by Dr. Erskine (Stanley Tucci), he's instantaneously transformed and ready for action. Seeing Chris Evans before his bulked-up self as a 90-pound little guy was a bit startling, but the CGI was convincing. Destined for great things, Rogers instead gets thrown into performing acts to get people to buy bonds for the war. He dons an early version of his Captain America suit strutting around with red, white and blue ladies singing "Star Spangled Man." It's a fun moment encapsulating the film's retro feel while giving Rogers his superhero name and an incentive to drop the act and go fight the war on his own terms.

Captain America earns the respect and help from Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) who is a love interest but feels like a more imperative love interest than most. She has the brunette bob, bright red lips and sharp uniform to make her the ideal pin-up military woman. There's also the hardheaded Col. Phillips played by Tommy Lee Jones who seems angry and bitter the whole time, and I couldn't tell you if that was him in character or just him showing up to pay for the bills. Our villain is a vile Nazi commander named Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) who creates his own regime surpassing even that of Hitler. Hugo Weaving does Nazism well, especially when he rips off his skin and presents his true form of a hideous red skull giving him the obvious nickname of Red Skull.

The action is swift, the effects are nice, the story is solid -- and through it all we meet the engineer named Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper). He assists with Dr. Erskine's research, but more importantly we're aware that he will be the father of Tony Stark, or Iron Man. This brings us back to that Marvel collaboration--the blatant reason Joe Johnston's pretty good superhero flick exists. Maybe it's clever, maybe it's cool, but me? I found it pushy. But hey, at least Captain America has a neat origin story taking place in the 1940s. It was a smart decision to keep in that spirit, but I can't help but wonder how he's going to adapt to the 21st century.

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS Review

2011-07-22T08:28:00.067-04:00

"Friends With Benefits" (2011)

This year has brought us two romantic comedies with exactly the same premise. First there was "No Strings Attached" about two friends agreeing to have sex without a relationship. Now we have "Friends With Benefits" about two friends agreeing to have sex without a relationship. So, who wins? From director Will Gluck (who directed last year's breakout comedy hit "Easy A"), the latter is the clear victor thanks to good casting, good writing, good direction and great sex.

Will Gluck might just be on to something. First with the glowing Emma Stone in "Easy A" and now this, he really has a way with getting actors to perform at their comedic best. Romantic comedies are all about the chemistry, and Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis sure have it. They fit together and spar perfectly with each other in quick bursts of playful, sexy energy. Both of these talented actors have showed us their funny and serious sides--Timberlake stealing the show when he hosted "SNL" and his effective performance in "The Social Network" while Kunis made a splash in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and stood her ground against Portman in "Black Swan." Here they take what they've got and bring it together on screen in a sizzling display of wit, charm and sex appeal.

Timberlake plays Dylan, the dapper head of a small blog site in Los Angeles who gets whisked off to New York City for a job interview with GQ magazine. He's brought there by an executive headhunter named Jamie played by Kunis. With two attractive, well-dressed leads it only makes sense to make their romantic playground two big glamorous cities. Jamie spends the evening after Dylan's interview showing him around the city to convince him to take the art director position. Of course he accepts, and through time in the office and a few lunches and dinners out as well as getting drunk in Jamie's apartment on a few occasions...you know where this is all headed.

Dylan figures he's too emotionally unavailable while Jamie figures she's too emotionally damaged. They're not looking for a relationship and require only the physical act of sex, so they agree to give it a try. What follows is a romp under the sheets where we don't see what's going on but we can certainly infer. They rattle off a running list of the things they like and don't like in bed while doing the deed. Their casual sex is humorously awkward while sufficiently steamy -- with the sheets conveniently placed but also still showing enough skin -- and provides some of the movie's best moments of rapid-fire banter.

It's no spoiler saying that we know who ends up together in the end. No romantic comedy would give us these two individuals connecting on such a level and then tear them apart at the end. Doing that would just be criminal. The movie doesn't stray far from the conventions of the genre, but they're put to use in the best manner I can recall from recent memory. The added fun is that Dylan and Jamie believe they're too hip to fall for love movie clichés in their own life. While consciously avoiding them, the movie steers them directly toward each other and, as a result, those very clichés. But I didn't mind because the romantic comedy formula will never change. The breath of fresh air here is that Dylan and Jamie aren't treated with condescension toward their situation but instead realism and cynicism as presented in their characters--with a dash of updated and timely humor about iPad apps and Youtube.

All of that is fine and well, but things really get kicked up to a new emotional level when the parents are introduced. The always excellent Richard Jenkins as Dylan's father suffering from Alzheimer's and Patricia Clarkson as Jamie's free spirit mother show up as the loving but imperfect parents who give us clues as to why both of our leads are so afraid to commit. And you can't forget the brief but hysterical cameo from Emma Stone as Dylan's crazy ex-girlfriend at the movie's opening who's a huge fan of John "Fucking" Mayer.

The Final Harry Potter Oscar Chances

2011-07-17T12:17:00.024-04:00

Alan Rickman as Severus Snape in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"

With the release of the final "Harry Potter" this weekend, it's time to talk about this one's potential for Oscar gold. Previous installments have garnered a total of 11 nominations -- all in technical categories -- and no wins.

It really would be nice for this series to get more recognition for its cinematic achievement, and while the series won a British acknowledgement last year at the BAFTAs it hasn't had much in terms of awards over here. Now is a better time than ever for Oscar potential with the grand finale which has been widely hailed as the best in the franchise.

A big thing going for "Part 2" is that it is shattering box office records and is currently the most critically acclaimed wide release movie so far this year.

So, where could the nominations land?

It definitely has technical categories in the bag. Best Visual Effects is a given along with possibly both Sound Mixing and Editing. I don't think Cinematography and Art Direction are out of the question, either. Alexandre Desplat could also get some love for Best Score because it's been a while since a "Harry Potter" score was nominated. Best Makeup and Costume are a possibility, as well.

But beyond that, is there any pull for the actors? Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are guaranteed to be left in the dark. Instead, all eyes are on Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort who really gets material to sink his teeth into this time. Then there's the even bigger possibility of Alan Rickman as Severus Snape whose story came to an emotional revelation. These two supporting actors have the best shot at nominations.

I'm really pulling for Alan Rickman. He's a great actor who really hasn't gotten his due. A nomination for his decade-long portrayal of Snape would be most warranted, especially considering the weight of the twist experienced in this final film which serves as its very best moment. Without Rickman there, it would've made much less of an impact.

And finally, what about the top nomination? With the Academy's strange new rules with Best Picture, I could honestly see "Part 2" making the ballot in voters' 9th or 10th slots if it gets that far. With this I could make a far stretch and say Best Editing is possible along with even Best Adapted Screenplay.

That being said, it's only July. There is a lot of competition headed this fall, but one can only hope that "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" doesn't go completely unnoticed.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 Review

2011-07-15T11:14:00.081-04:00

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" (2011)

Harry, Ron and Hermoine (Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson) return home to Hogwarts in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," the phenomenal conclusion to the longest running and most profitable movie franchise of all time. It's storytelling that has defined a generation and spanned an entire decade, and this is a more than fitting and immensely satisfying ending for The End -- an enormously important moment in pop culture.

The decision to split the final installment of J.K. Rowling's literary epic is announced even clearer here than in "Part 1" as the right choice. This is the shortest "Harry Potter" installment but packs in the most action perhaps of all other seven films combined creating for a grand finale. It works as a great contrast to the slower more atmospheric tone of "Part 1." Director David Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves have been in perfect harmony ever since the sixth installment, and since then they have made "Harry Potter" films that just keep getting better. The remarkable thing is that "Part 2" far surpasses the rest as the best yet; it's emotionally wrenching, visually thrilling and offers up payoffs that cannot be matched working as a graceful homecoming for the series.

The continued hunt for the seven Horcruxes -- which each contain pieces of Lord Voldemort's soul that must be destroyed -- lead our three heroes back to the place where it all began. This gives us a chance to think back to 2001's "The Sorcerer's Stone" where all the plucky, bright and anxious energy has now turned to a darker, richer palette of dread and gloom as the siege on Hogwarts begins. Yates and Kloves reprise themes and characters we haven't seen for some time but certainly have not forgotten. Even the brilliant score from Alexandre Desplat rings with reminiscence of "Harry Potter" movies past.

When the familiar faces of Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) and Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis) appear to us, it elicits an adrenaline rush of joy in signaling that everyone has come together again reunited as one against a formidable force of evil. The battle at Hogwarts is expertly staged and choreographed with some of the best visual effects placed within real world, human situations you'll ever experience on screen. Before we even arrive there, Harry, Ron and Hermoine have to break into Gringotts Banks guarded by stoic goblins and a fire-breathing dragon. It's a most ingenious and harrowing scene where the feeling of time running out and Death Eaters close on the heels of our beloved trio is ever so palpable.

The acting is, as we've come to know, solid across the board. How could it not be? These actors have been with their characters for so long. Extra room for bravado is given to Daniel Radcliffe as the Boy Who Lived, Alan Rickman as Severus Snape and -- for the first time -- Ralph Fiennes as the seething, slit-nosed Lord Voldemort. Fiennes is more expressive about his fury and agony toward Harry Potter encapsulating what we well know is at stake. Rickman's mysterious Snape is fully established, and the realization of his connection to Harry -- as seen in memories through peering into the Pensieve -- is beautiful and tragic.

It's the finish this saga deserves going out with a blast of authentic movie magic full of tension, awe and mortality. After the claps of thunderous destruction, howls of terror and triumph and swirls of smoke and debris, the dust settles and there stand Harry, Ron and Hermoine after all this time. My, how they've grown. It's a perfectly executed moment of absolute silence that occurs just before the interpretation of Rowling's famed epilogue. They exchange glances but no words simply because none are needed.

Beyond all the exhilaration of how good "Part 2" turned out to be, there's always the other side. That is, the deep underlying bittersweet sorrow of knowing that the end of this tale about witchcraft and wizardry -- teaching us so much about courage, friendship, getting older and taking responsibility -- represents, too, the end of a childhood that has shaped us as readers and moviegoers and one that will leave a lasting impression on us for years to come.

My review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON Review

2011-06-30T10:25:00.036-04:00

"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" (2011)

There are quite a few reasons why Michael Bay's third installment of those giant mechanized talking alien robots based off the Hasbro toys works. Like most everybody else, I absolutely despised 2009's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." It was overlong, nonsensical, obnoxious and headache-inducing. This summer's "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," however, brings us back to what made the original such a hit. It's still overlong and occasionally nonsensical, but it's a lot more fun, and the action is thrilling instead of agonizing.

This also marks the first -- and most likely last -- summer movie to use 3D technology well. The dimming still occurs, but the swirling action is excellently choreographed where it feels like the giant mechanical beasts are throwing themselves right at you. Some of the slow motion moments, especially, look remarkably stunning. The visuals effects as a whole are noticeably revamped since the last outing. The transformers in all their shape-shifting glory are more fully realized with clearer facial expressions and more detail to the point where blood-like fluids spray and wiry contraptions look a whole lot like tendons and spines when they get ripped out.

The movie backs itself with a bloated and unnecessary story about when we landed on the moon and attempts to tie in the history of Autobots and Decepticons with the space race of the 1960s. Cool in theory, bad in execution; it only goes toward adding an extra half hour to the running time. Beyond that, the Decepticons are up to no good wanting to annihilate Earth and transform it into their beloved home planet of Cybetron. And they start by completely leveling Chicago, and as before Optimus Prime leads the Autobots and the humans in rebellion against the attack.

Sam Witwicky is of course in the middle of the chaos, and it is apparent Shia LaBeouf has had an extreme tonal shift since the last time we saw him. He's more in sync with his character and actually seems to be caring about what he's doing, which definitely wasn't happening in "Revenge of the Fallen." He's enthralled, angry and throws in bits of temper tantrum humor that fuels the first act. There's more self-aware funniness at the start which balances out the slamming of self-seriousness we get served at the end. But it fits because the stakes are raised, and there's more human interest. The conflict between the bots doesn't feel completely isolated from human characters anymore.

The big news is that Megan Fox is gone. And thank goodness for that. Her replacement, Victoria's Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley -- who you might assume is merely filling the vacant spot of female sex figure -- is light-years better than any level of acting Fox might've been able to produce. With her playing Carly, I actually cared about the relationship between her and Sam for about a second or two.

There is a strange variety of other actors including Frances McDormand as a stern government official, John Malkovich as Sam's whacked-out boss, Ken Jeong as a peculiar co-worker of Sam's whose connection to the Decepticons is unclear but deadly and, finally, Patrick Dempsey -- yeah, I was surprised, too -- as Carly's evil and manipulative boss. Not one of these actors I'd ever expect to be in a Michael Bay movie, but there they are. And, well, why not? I got a kick out of it.

So, back to the fate of Chicago. It gets used as the battleground for the movie's climactic finish, an hour-long action set piece that doesn't fail to impress. If you're looking for summer blockbuster spectacle, look no further. A scene involving a new transformer called Shockwave, who tunnels through a skyscraper like a worm and tears it to pieces, is phenomenally exciting. If we could just pretend that the second "Transformers" movie never happened and pair this one up with the first, then it really is a showcase of what Michael Bay does best. I never said it was intelligent.

My review of Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

CARS 2 Review

2011-06-26T10:37:00.039-04:00

"Cars 2" (2011)

This had better be the closest Pixar ever gets to selling out. Even more than the "Toy Story" franchise, "Cars" had the most opportunity for merchandising. With "Cars 2," it gets out of hand and becomes an obvious motive for making a painful sequel. The number of product tie-ins is staggering, and the verbal State Farm reference in the actual movie made me sick. 2006's "Cars" was the highest grossing Pixar movie but the least critically successful. So why did it warrant a sequel? Money.

It makes me want to grab veteran Pixar director John Lasseter by the shoulders, give him a good shake and demand, "Why?!" Some say this marks the first time Pixar has come out with a bad movie. For me that was the original "Cars," but now its sequel makes that look like a masterpiece. Lasseter is the man who directed the original "Toy Story," the crowning gem of Pixar animation. Now he's gone and directed the studio's low point, a rusted blemish on an otherwise nearly spotless record. It really is depressing if you think about it; a year wasted for Pixar.

All of your favorite car characters are back from the original -- barely. Instead, the movie introduces a new cast of cars to intermingle with the two leads, Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and his bumbling simpleton rust bucket tow truck of a best friend, Mater (Larry the Cable Guy). McQueen has just got back from a racing tour when he's whisked off to face against the cocky Italian F1 racecar Francesco Bernoulli (John Turturro) in the brand new World Grand Prix taking racers from Japan to Italy to England. The race is sponsored by Miles Axelrod (Eddie Izzard) who has invented a new alternative fuel that will make oil gasoline obsolete. A message is begging its way through here, but it comes off as a misdirected and bizarre anti-"WALL-E."

This premise has little to do with the original's theme about small town American values and knowing your neighbor. It's replaced with international intrigue and a convoluted spy tale in which Mater gets completely swept up while McQueen is off racing. I don't know whose decision this was, but once a sidekick, Mater gets heaved to the front of the action. Thank goodness there are the welcome additions of the British intelligence Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) to offset what becomes the Mater show where it's all Mater all the time. After sitting through his constant so-called comic relief, I never want to hear Larry the Cable Guy's voice again in my life.

"Cars 2" manages to escape everything Pixar is about; that is, elevating animated and children's films to something much more, something every age group can embrace and admire with slack-jawed awe having the realization that you've witnessed something really special, a feeling that only Pixar can create. They've given us deep character development, charm, humor and emotion. This sequel does nothing in terms of that and actually depletes the relationships created in its predecessor. And as was the problem then, a world with only cars and no humans is hard to get invested in, so that's still that strike against it here.

The one Pixar quality that does make it through is technical proficiency in terms of sound and visuals. The music is sizzling from composer Michael Giacchino, the locations are exotic and lush with detail and the cars are shimmering smooth. The fact that it's great to look at does save it from being unwatchable.

The problem is that had "Cars 2" been made by any other animation studio, it'd probably be considered pretty good. But it is Pixar, and they've created a higher standard for themselves that -- unfortunately for them -- they're expected to uphold by this point. With the non-sequel "Brave" being released next year, it looks as if this studio is already on its way to redemption. Maybe John Lasseter was just out to have some fun, but it just didn't work. What did work was the "Toy Story" short preceding the feature, "Hawaiian Vacation," which was nostalgic and hilarious.

BAD TEACHER Review

2011-06-24T09:09:00.041-04:00

"Bad Teacher" (2011)

Sometimes it's fun to watch terrible people do terrible things. That's the core appeal of this next movie in a long string of R-rated comedies we've seen this summer. "Bad Teacher" stars Cameron Diaz in her most outrageous and raunchiest role in years. She plays Elizabeth, a seventh grade teacher who has no regard for the educational system. She shows her class movies like "Stand and Deliver" day after day while nursing hangovers at her desk and doesn't bother to learn any of her kids' names. How she landed a teaching position to begin with is beyond me. And just when she thinks she can leave it behind thanks to scheming off her rich fiancé, she gets dumped and has to return for another school year.

A charming and well-mannered substitute teacher with money, Scott (played by Diaz's ex Justin Timberlake), enters the picture and gives Elizabeth a new goal. She needs to raise 10 grand for a boob job so she can attract the new guy and get him to take care of her. Elizabeth is so absorbed with this task that she completely ignores the crudely playful and likable gym teacher, Russell (Jason Segel), who's an almost too obvious match from the start.

Elizabeth's foul and shallow way of life is created strictly from greed, and Diaz has a blast playing it up. It's hard to root for her and the cringe-worthy actions that come with, but we must -- just check your morality at the door and chuckle along. There are a handful of pretty good laughs, especially in the moments between Elizabeth and her doormat of a co-worker played by Phyllis Smith of "The Office" who casts aside under-her-breath mutterings of dry humor. It's only her and Segel performing in the realm of normalcy as every other character is a caricature, especially Timberlake embracing idiocy and proving to be a great comic actor. This also includes Elizabeth's competition, the prim and obnoxiously chipper Amy Squirrel (Lucy Punch), the centerpiece of the thin plot presenting a much lesser image of female rivalry than last month's "Bridesmaids."

There's not a lot for these actors to work with considering the screenplay from "The Office" alumni Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg. It's a mish-mash of scenes without a lot of fluidity and hampered by its own potential of what it could've been in the hands of a more capable director (as opposed to Jake Kasdan of "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story"). Think more Alexander Payne in the vein of "Election." Even so, the scenes -- like a collection of puzzle pieces that don't quite fit -- are fitfully amusing and crude.

Best of all, "Bad Teacher" cannot be scolded for trying too hard to push the envelope of raunchy à la this summer's "The Hangover Part II." The most you see of Diaz is during a scantily-clad and water-soaked car washing fundraiser scene. The movie's most outrageous and single best bit contains sex, yes, but no nudity whatsoever. Figure that one out. What's unforgivable, however, is the ending which tries to squeeze a happy ending out of a chronicle of despicable behavior.

A bad, bad decision indeed.

THE TREE OF LIFE Review

2011-06-12T01:10:00.040-04:00

"The Tree of Life" (2011)

Three years in the making from writer/director Terrence Malick ("The Thin Red Line, "The New World") and the winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, his long-awaited new film "The Tree of Life" will be regarded as the towering cinematic achievement of the year. Although it is not a perfect film by any means.

It's frustrating and maddening, perplexing and challenging, exasperating and mystifying and, finally, it asks tough questions that other filmmakers wouldn't dare approach. It's a manic, impressionistic, metaphysical visual poem contemplating nothing less than mankind's relationship with the universe. Defining pretension and catapulting itself headlong into viewers' minds with all of its glaring flaws, the flashes of brilliance within are hard to ignore. And in a film with such soaring, unconstrained ambition shooting for the stars, taking in the bad to appreciate the good has never been so easy.

The film opens with a meditation on two contrasting sides of life experience: nature and grace. The way of nature sees mostly struggle while the way of grace embraces love. This is explained to us in a whispered voiceover from Jessica Chastain who plays Mrs. O'Brien representing grace. Speaking of whispered voiceovers, get comfortable with these because the movie is fueled by them giving us each character's individual thoughts. Mr. O'Brien embodies nature and is played in a career-topping performance from Brad Pitt as the unrelenting, powerful and fierce disciplinarian father. The parents of this suburban Texas 1950s family are named Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien and are addressed by their children as Mother and Father. That's just the way it was.

The heart of the story--or what there is of one--lies in this family, and a hefty midsection focusing on it hits a home run. Long summer days idly pass by as Mother exudes forgiveness and kindness onto her boys as Father demands control and respect, especially from his oldest son Jack (Hunter McCracken) who bears the burden of his father's own inner turmoil. A hard shell and heavy fist cannot hide the vulnerability lying within. These scenes of summer arrive to us through the memory of Jack reflecting back on his childhood as a grown man (played by Sean Penn). In the present day he's injured and has inherited his father's anger to create a somber figure surrounded by the steel and glass of an office building.

The first thing you'll notice about "The Tree of Life" is the eccentric and fascinating way it is shot from cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki. Using a handheld camera, he graciously swoops in and out of the action much like how he did in "Children of Men." It resembles a fever dream or, more accurately, an altered state of perception--seeing life in a completely different scope. It also astoundingly evokes the feel of faded and fragmented memories of which the portrait of the 1950s family is made up. Some moments are potent and witnessed in full while others are flashes, skewed and altered moments that flicker by.

But presenting consciousness and inner monologue isn't Malick's only goal with this film. He doesn't stop there and shows us the birth and expansion of the universe in sequences with God-like and awe-inspiring visuals set to a playlist of classical music. We're shown vast planetary expanses all the way down to microscopic organisms and evolving species with everything in between like gorgeous landscapes, mountains and sparkling waterfalls. With such, there come dinosaurs--yes, dinosaurs. So, we all came from the Big Bang millions of years ago, and after all this progress here we are today. And it begs the question, as Malick so ethereally puts, what now?

At its most basic, "The Tree of Life" marks the most impassioned philosophical and overtly religious mainstream film in recent memory. Referring back to the two contrasting modes of viewing human existence--that of nature or grace--Malick is optimistic and wishes for a return to grace, a promise of peace and understanding that spreads beyond the bounds of the universe. In such, he presents a version of the afterlife that is an expanse of smooth sand and fresh beach water bathed in warm sunlight with a beautiful bright sky.

SUPER 8 Review

2011-06-10T09:09:00.031-04:00

"Super 8" (2011)

Thank goodness for "Super 8." J.J. Abrams' ultra secret sci-fi thriler--one of the most highly anticipated movies of the summer--is this year's "Inception" not in terms of content or tone but simply in reminding and reaffirming what summer blockbusters are all about. This is a huge action flick, but you may not even recognize that at first; there is an absorbing human drama letting us never forget that among the enormous explosions and chaos, there are families, a group of friends and a small town to be concerned about.

Written and directed by Abrams, this is also a heartfelt throwback, a retro and nostalgic look back at what made old-fashioned summer blockbusters so appealing--those directed by the likes of Steven Spielberg. Produced by Spielberg, the film borrows heavily from the director's older movies such as "E.T.," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and even "Jaws." Abrams' borrowing isn't without reason, however, because his film is a love letter to the Spielbergian movies that inspired him. And, what more, it's a love letter to the classically American genre of the B-movie and to the pure joy of filmmaking and moviegoing.

The irresistible story takes place in 1979 and follows a group of middle school-aged boys making an 8mm zombie movie to be entered into a youth film festival. What makes this feel so authentic is that Abrams was 13 years old in 1979, so the details are all there. Just as Abrams is nodding to Spielberg, he's even more so reminiscing on his own childhood and the Super 8 monster movies he made as a boy. In watching a group of kids passionately make a zombie flick, we become aware that we're watching a movie created by a grown-up kid in the same spirit--one that is exquisitely well-made, thrilling and wonderful.

While filming a pivotal scene for their movie, the kids witness something terrifying and spectacular. A train unexpectedly derails right before their eyes in one of the most elaborate and magnificently colossal train crashes ever to grace the big screen. This accident creates a string of intrigue and mystery that gets a shady military presence involved. Strange occurrences threaten and overwhelm the small town, and it all escalates to a full-scale evacuation. The tropes of the sci-fi genre are there, but they're being played with in our favor.

Take for example when the demanding director of the young production played by Riley Griffiths--who is a great supporting player and acts like a pubescent Orson Welles--mentions how the hero of their movie needs a wife, so audiences will care if he dies. They recruit the elegant Alice (Elle Fanning) to play the role, and by the same token, we're given the extremely talented and divine Elle Fanning as the butterflies-in-your-stomach first love to Joe (15-year-old novice Joel Courtney). He is the sensitive yet strong lead of "Super 8" who is experiencing the grief of having lost his mother.

The young cast is the film's shining gem and brings with it a playful and gentle tone with perfect humor even when things get creepy and the atmosphere turns dark. The adult cast gives fine support, especially two prominent figures: the town's deputy played by Kyle Chandler who's also Joe's hard-loving father and Ron Eldard as Alice's conflicted and unstable father.

There is so much heart and so much fun contained in J.J. Abrams' "Super 8" with the type of innocent storytelling and eye-twinkling awe we rarely see anymore. And there's a beautiful message to boot telling us that--extraterrestrial or not--we all want a place to call home.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS Review

2011-06-03T09:11:00.043-04:00

"X-Men: First Class" (2011)

What makes "X-Men: First Class" more sophisticated than any other superhero movie coming out this summer? Its lack of 3D. Sure it could've been in 3D; there were easily plenty of moments within the rather dazzling special effects where the technology would've popped--countless more moments than "Pirates" and "Thor" combined. But instead, the filmmakers valiantly opted out of the dimming technology and went for substance over spectacle.

This prequel and, consequently, full-blown reboot of the X-Men franchise from Marvel returns after the failed attempt of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" in 2009. Director Matthew Vaughn, who helmed last year's uproarious and irreverent "Kick-Ass," takes full control of shaping a brand new origin story for newcomers and fan boys alike that is crowd-pleasing in both respects. (Watch for an awesome cameo that acknowledges the existence of the other X-Men entries while also claiming, "Hey, we can do it better!") It's crisp, polished and solid entertainment in large part thanks to inspired casting and real acting.

If while watching the original "X-Men," "X2" or that last one people like to forget, 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand," and ever wondered to yourself how Magneto (originally played by Ian McKellen), Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and his fighting team of mutants came to be--or even how Professor X got himself confined to a wheelchair--then worry no more. "First Class" answers all these questions and more. Don't believe the Cuban Missile Crisis fits into the lore of the X-Men comics? Believe it. It's all explained here with what has to be a record-breaking number of location and date lines for any superhero movie ever. It's expansive all right, and you won't feel like you didn't get your summer blockbuster's worth.

James McAvoy as the younger Professor X, or Charles Xavier, and Michael Fassbender (recently seen in this year's "Jane Eyre") as Magneto, or Erik Lehnsherr, are a fantastic pairing as the sworn enemies who were once allies. Charles isn't a stolid philosophical man just yet, but a new professor and a cocky British lad who happens to have the power of telepathy. Michael is a more sinister form of cocky with an ever-evolving power of magnetism. He's harnessing his powers to avenge the death of his mother who was killed at the hands of an evil Nazi doctor. Despite their emotional differences, Charles and Michael are two suave, charismatic and mysterious men played by actors who both exude masculine star power.

The young cast features Jennifer Lawrence in her most prominent role since "Winter's Bone" as the transforming blue-bodied Raven/Mystique. She's the actress to watch right now, especially since she's been cast as Katniss in the upcoming "Hunger Games," and she doesn't disappoint. With her is Nicholas Hoult as Hank/Beast and Lucas Till as Alex/Havoc; the like of these fresh faces give the prequel an animated life and energy. They've hardly hit the learning stages of their powers, so they're reckless and unpredictable.

Rose Byrne plays a compassionate CIA agent who discovers Charles for government use, and January Jones of "Mad Men" plays the femme fatale blond bombshell Emma Frost who competes against Charles in the world of telepathy. She's the sidekick to the first-class villain Sebastian Shaw--remember the evil Nazi doctor? He's played by Kevin Bacon, a performance which can't be considered anything but campy. He almost single-handedly sends the movie into unintentionally laughable terrain.

Like the original X-Men comics, placing the action in the midst of the 1960s Cold War is a compelling and unique backdrop; the look and feel of the era is nicely captured. Matthew Vaughn and his crowded group of co-screenwriters make the connection vastly convoluted, but it boils down to watching how a team of mutants--just beginning to connect with their true identities and purpose--save us from the brink of nuclear war in a showdown between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. It goes toward proving the mutants' benefit to mankind and setting up the X-Men team only to be divided, a split among the group that is demonstrated quite profoundly in the film's affecting final act.

The X-Men movies have always done an admirable job of infusing a message of acceptance and equality, and "X-Men: First Class" is no different. This comes through in the interactions between Raven who's ashamed of her blue scaly skin and Hank who hides his beastly feet, and their scenes bring a level of tenderness and sorrow. You can't deny a gay rights subtext this time around--certainly when Nicholas Hoult as Hank rewords the phrase "don't ask don't tell," which works as a nod and an inside joke to us. And considering Hoult's recent involvement with the work of Tom Ford, the wry humor is certainly warranted.

THE HANGOVER PART II Review

2011-05-26T09:02:00.033-04:00

"The Hangover Part II" (2011)

I don't mind that it suffers from sequelitis, that it's the exact same premise and a total retread. I do mind that it's not nearly as gut-busting and hilarious as it could and should be. Todd Phillips' "The Hangover Part II" is an obvious attempt to one-up the original but not in the necessary ways. Banking on the resounding popularity and box office success of its predecessor, Phillips and his team shoot for something bigger and badder in the sequel. I get it. More debauchery. You have to outdo the original. But while putting focus on pushing the limits of the MPAA R-rating, you also have to remember to bring the funny.

If you've seen the first one--which I'm sure you have--then you know the setup. And if you haven't seen it, then ask a friend. They've seen it. The sequel takes place a few years or so later, and now it's Stu's (Ed Helms) turn to get married. The wedding is to take place in Thailand because that's where the parents of his beautiful bride-to-be, Lauren (Jamie Chung), are from. Stu invites his buddies Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Doug (Justin Bartha) to the wedding, but he refuses to invite Doug's socially unbearable and incompetent brother Alan (Zach Galifianakis). Can you blame him? The guy unwittingly roofied them in Vegas. After some convincing, the third member of the wolfpack is tacked on, and they fly to the other side of the world for another night they'll never remember.

The pre-hangover sequences are great, especially a fancy dinner party where Lauren's father (Nirut Sirichanya), who admittedly doesn't like Stu, compares him to tasteless and mushy rice that you feed to infants and old people. You see, he has high standards. His son, Teddy (Mason Lee), is a 16-year-old prodigy, a pre-med student at Stanford and a brilliant cello player. Then cue Alan's toast which is a heaping pile of clueless passive-aggression and bumbling idiocy, his trademark brand that we've come to know from the first go around. Here Zach Galifianakis elevates it to an art, and contrary to what you might expect, this schtick isn't old yet. He keeps it consistently humorous throughout and delivers some of the best bits.

But that's part of the problem. Alan was the seasoning to the already savory meat in "The Hangover," but now he's the only spice to an otherwise bland meal. Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms still have fine chemistry with Galifiankis, and in any other circumstances they'd be hilarious. But lacking creativity, Todd Phillips and his writers don't provide the actors with sufficient enough comic situations and material to work with leaving only Alan's stupid one-liners warranting chuckles.

They head to the beach with Teddy for just one beer--sealed bottles with no way of being tampered with--and, you know the drill, regain consciousness in a sleazy and dirty Bangkok hotel room oblivious as to how they got there. Stu has a Mike Tyson tattoo on his face, Alan's head is shaved, Teddy is missing except for his severed finger donning a Stanford class ring and a monkey falls from the rafters and hangs out with the group for, like, no reason. Cute animals are way better than babies, am I right? Talk about blatant one-upmanship of the original. Instead of needing to find Doug, they need to find Teddy. And, geez, they're in Bangkok, for goodness sake! The stakes sure are raised.

And when the backtracking through Bangkok begins, things immediately get more dangerous, violent and needlessly over-the-top. I understand kicking up the ante, but let's not overdo it. I laughed occasionally, but I was more often cringing, feeling uncomfortable and worrying about the safety of our hungover heroes. I became distracted by the comedy's unrelenting desire to make something wilder than its predecessor, which was pitch-perfect as is. Ken Jeong returns as the batshit crazy criminal Mr. Chow who essentially becomes an honorary member of the wolfpack thanks to Alan, and because of it he becomes generously overused. That is unlike Paul Giamatti who makes an appearance as a tough-talking crime boss and nearly steals the show. Hidden comic capability such as this is only fleetingly used.

In "The Hangover," the end credits really capped off what was 2009's summer comedy smash hit. Now in "The Hangover Part II," using the same photos gimmick, the end credits are as hilarious as they were a first time but also a moment of lament realizing it's what the rest of the movie had the potential to be.

My review of The Hangover

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES Review

2011-05-22T12:28:00.028-04:00

"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" (2011)

"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" is what you'd expect from a fourth installment of the swashbuckling franchise: unnecessary overindulgence. It's more of the same with funny accents and high seas exploration. Gone, however, are the convoluted and confusing storylines and twists of the first three "Pirates." Its one saving grace is the more streamlined nature of the journey, the goal being to find the Fountain of Youth. In searching for such a relic, it's as if the movie itself is crying out to audiences in hopes this cash cow enterprise can stay eternally youthful. But we cannot ignore the simple truth. The movie without a doubt was motivated as a summer blockbuster cash-grab. In that sense alone the production of this fourthquel, now helmed by director of Rob Marshall, never even should've set sail.

The movie being just fine as opposed to flat-out bad is almost worse. You can tell everyone is simply cashing in as opposed to putting in some effort to make something worthwhile because they know, no matter what they make and if it has "Pirates of the Caribbean" slapped on it, people are going to see it. Hence the box office returns we've already seen. There's no vivacity or energy here like there were in past sequels. At least those bloated and jumbled messes had that going for them; there certainly wasn't a lack of trying.

The dead weight of Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom with their non-pirate characters have been removed leaving only Johnny Depp's still plucky Captain Jack Sparrow and the newly introduced Penélope Cruz as the sensual Angelica to keep things afloat. Luckily their personalities are big enough to manifest into their own supporting characters. Depp is still intermittently humorous, but he lacks the zaniness I remember. His jokes and wisecracks feel tired, and even when Keith Richards shows up as he did before in a brief cameo as Sparrow's dad, whatever coolness there was before just isn't anymore. Cruz is a welcome addition, however, as she brings her same fiery flair which she does to most of her roles. She's essentially a spiritual successor to the role Knightley previously filled.

Jack Sparrow and Angelica are a fair match for each other, and they team up for the expedition to the Fountain of Youth sometimes on the same side, sometimes not. Geoffrey Rush looking old and nasty--almost distractingly so--returns as Captain Barbossa sent by King George to find the fountain. Meanwhile, Blackbeard (Ian McShane) is also after the fountain commandeering a ship upon which Sparrow and Angelica both travel. Ian McShane and Geoffrey Rush are two veteran actors, durable and reliable, and they both play up the pirate charades and make it work.

For having the subtitle of "On Stranger Tides," not much about their adventure is very strange. It's actually the least strange, supernatural and fantastical of the series. Sure, Blackbeard's ship has zombies--and zombies are so in right now--but the skeletons were actually a lot better. I'm surprised to be saying this, but I wish there were more CGI creations like the endless waterfall of "At World's End" or the crazy tentacles of "Dead Man's Chest." It's not all bad, though. There are man-eating mermaids that tantalize with seduction and then attack with ferocious gnashing teeth and hisses. The one mermaid we officially meet is named Syrena (Astrid Berges-Frisbey), and a weird romance forms between her and an actor who looks a little too much like a younger version of Orlando Bloom. The romance is of zero consequence to the rest of the story.

Beyond the mermaids, however, everything else is rather humdrum. Lots of talking, but nothing getting said, and lots of clashing swords but of no real end result. The whole affair has a been there, done that feel to it that's impossible to deny. Oh, and don't forget to stay until after the credits and then give yourself a big face palm when things are inevitably set up for a fifth entry.

My review of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

BRIDESMAIDS Review

2011-05-15T12:08:00.027-04:00

"Bridesmaids" (2011)

With "Bridesmaids," we're introduced to Kristen Wiig beyond her capabilities as just a comedian. We know her well from the characters she plays in "Saturday Night Live" sketches, and her mannerisms from those are all present--from her passive-aggressive casually tossed-out insults to her wild eyes and trying-to-please-everyone smile. This marks the first time she puts these mannerisms into something greater: a leading role for the big screen. Why has it taken this long?

She plays Annie, the distraught maid of honor who's attractive and well-meaning but whose life is a mess. She has flair and inner strength but in her current state, her best traits are covered with insecurity and self-loathing. She's someone we can relate to and believe in. By creating such an endearing three-dimensional character, we're introduced to Kristen Wiig, the full-fledged actress. The hilarious and bold new comedy directed by Paul Feig in which she stars also introduces us to Kristen Wiig the writer as she co-wrote the film with Annie Mumolo giving audiences an astonishing turning point in comedy.

This is not--as people have been suggesting--the female version of "The Hangover." It's something more profound than that. More in the vein of a Judd Apatow film, it makes sense he helped produce it. It's another revelation much like "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" or "Knocked Up" but with the hybrid of raunchy R-rated comedy and chick flick evolved even further. "Bridesmaids" is not a comedy aimed at women. Instead, it is a comedy about women with gender-neutralizing and universal humor. In a movie that shows us women can be drunk, insecure, vulgar and pathetic not like men but like real women, it's a triumph in equality and something both sexes can embrace.

When Annie's lifelong best friend Lillian (Maya Rudolph of "SNL") announces that she's engaged and signs Annie up to be her maid of honor, Annie starts believing her life is really that far behind. Her passion for baking landed her in the hole when she opened a cake shop that inevitably had to close because it was during the economic recession. Now she lives with two dumpy-looking oddball sibling British roommates (Rebel Wilson and Matt Lucas), can barely come up with her rent for her small apartment, drives around a clunker of a car and works behind a jewelry counter scowling at happily married couples. Her only source of romance comes from a rich tool who she occasionally jumps into bed with only to consequently deplete her self-worth. He gets weirded out when she spends the night after having vigorous sex only he could've enjoyed.

It isn't until the upscale and fancy engagement party where Annie meets Lillian's new friend Helen (Rose Byrne who holds her own beside great female comedians) that she starts to lose it. Helen is an upper-class snobbish bitch whose only tone of voice is that of uppity condescension. Annie can't understand what her best friend sees in this artificial shell of a woman, and so begins the jealousy. A moment where Annie and Helen attempt to out-toast each other is one of hilarity but also humanity as Wiig never lets us forget the torment inside Annie, which gives scenes such as this a tinge of pain.

Beginning here, the movie delves into smart observations on the sometimes strenuous bonds in female relationships and tensions in class consciousness. In a trip to Vegas for a bachelorette party, the ladies don't even make it past the plane ride out there because--in a hysterical and spot-on sequence--Annie, in a drunken and drugged-up fit, lets free all the bottled up feelings of absurd isolation and masochism she'd been feeling.

And what about that gross-out gag of women puking and defecating? It's uproarious, disgusting and perfect. Annie takes the bride and her fellow bridesmaids to a Brazilian restaurant before the group heads to a chic bridal shop to try on dresses. Little did they know food poisoning was to follow. Whoops. Sweat begins to drip, rumbles are heard, a few burp-ups pop out and suddenly the women are scrambling for their lives wearing extravagantly expensive dresses. The image of Maya Rudolph in a luscious white wedding gown slumping down onto the street to relieve herself is one you won't soon forget.

All the supporting actresses are great including the sweet-natured newlywed Becca (Ellie Kemper of "The Office"); Dana (Wendi McLendon-Covey of "Reno 911!") who begrudges about being a stay-at-home mom and about her two adolescent sons who leave semen all over everything in her house; and, the stand-out, Meghan (Melissa McCarthy of "Mike & Molly") who talks tough and is built like a linebacker.

While the sentimentality doesn't go anywhere near "Sex and the City" territory, the movie is technically a romantic comedy. Annie does meet a cute and friendly Irish cop named Rhodes (Chris O'Dowd) who she likes and must learn to be comfortable around. There's more empathy than sympathy here, though, and the finesse comes from--like most comedies today--getting pleasure out of characters' awkward behavior. This comes to a head during Annie's awful and embarrassing outburst during Lillian's bridal shower, the movie's very best scene.

This scene encapsulates what "Bridesmaids" is all about--and what makes it so funny--as Annie reaches complete reckless abandon exploding with unnecessary but understandable jealousy and fury. As with the rest of the moments in this comedy, they are honest and real as we laugh at and with Annie. She says what everyone's thinking, and even while she's creating her own path of destruction she's finding her own destiny with antic energy.

THOR Review

2011-05-07T17:33:00.022-04:00

"Thor" (2011)

It's almost impossible to watch "Thor" without taking into consideration its inevitable sequel as well as the inevitable Marvel collaboration that will soon be "The Avengers" movie next summer. It gives me a headache just thinking about the saturation of Marvel we've been experiencing because of it.

That being said, here we are at the next installment, "Thor," which is pretty good and self-aware enough where we can have some fun. Take for example the elusive government organization SHIELD led by actor Clark Gregg, the same organization from "Iron Man." When a hulking fire-shooting metal monster beams itself down to Earth, they even ask if this is the work of Tony Stark.

"Thor" doesn't have the "wow" factor the first "Iron Man" did, but director Kenneth Branagh does an admirable job of simply not screwing it up. It's clunky source material to work with anyway. Adapting from a character originally introduced in 1962, Thor is the hammer-wielding Norse god who lives in a realm called Asgard which resembles a gold-plated version of Viking living. The movie opens with a rather unfortunate prologue narrated by the King of Asgard (Anthony Hopkins) and is filled with mythology and special effects that'll have your eyes bugging out of your head. The gist is this: King Odin and his wife Queen Frigga (a haggard-looking Rene Russo) must choose an heir to the throne between their two sons, the hot-headed titular character Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and his brother, the squirrelly Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

Thor's blood thirst for revenge takes him to a neighboring planet where the Frost Giants reside. After they breached security in Asgard, Thor goes with his posse against his father's orders to confront the Frost Giants and end the feud once and for all. Due to his reckless behavior, Thor gets banished by his father to the Earth realm where he lands in New Mexico in a swirling storm cloud. And from here the more engaging part of the movie unfolds.

The Norse god fish-out-of-water tale is the most engaging part because Branagh's sharpest tool is an apt sense of humor. Chris Hemsworth as Thor really hams it up speaking in formal King's English declaring he needs sustenance and shattering his cup on the ground when it's empty just for the sake of shattering his cup on the ground. Aussie actor Hemsworth--the blond hunk that he is with rippling muscles and a winning grin--is the perfect fit for Thor combining just the right amount of brawn and self-mockery to make his hero charismatic enough for us to care about.

Accompanying Hemsworth is Oscar winner Natalie Portman who's radiant and charming as an astrophysicist who comes across Thor--and actually hits him with her car...twice. She takes an interest in Thor because she's been studying natural phenomenon, and he was directly involved with one. If only she knew of Thor's true origins, but then comes the weird moment when all the characters on Earth go from flabbergasted and refusing to believe it into submissive acceptance. I guess what other choice did they have? The other members of her scientific team, Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings, are great and funny. There isn't much of a plot on Earth aside from Thor reclaiming his mighty hammer, but I found these sequences to have the most energetic wit and rollicking fun. Back in Asgard, it's about family coming-of-age drama and numbing action sequences in a world that is hardly fully realized. We have swooshing panning shots of the glorious Asgard but never really interact with it.

Taking into consideration Branagh's use of silliness and Hemsworth's effective performance, "Thor" works for what it is; that is, another entertaining stepping stone toward Marvel's plan to completely dominate Hollywood. And looking at this summer's line-up of movies, it looks like they're just about there.

INSIDIOUS Review

2011-04-30T08:38:00.025-04:00

"Insidious" (2011)

The new horror film from "Saw" director James Wan, "Insidious," was produced by Oren Peli, the guy behind the "Paranormal Activity" phenomenon. It makes sense as this film has many similarities with the two "Paranormal Activity" installments which I admire equally; that is, things going bump in the night when they shouldn't be. Peli's horror sensation worked because it re-captured teen audiences' attention with slowly built-up tension and real scares when they were previously getting pummeled with the likes of "Saw" and "Hostel." Wan and his screenwriter Leigh Wannell's new horror entry "Insidious" does one better. It refines the tastes presented by "Paranormal Activity" escalating the contraption of a haunted house to even more skilled technique and trickery. It's as if James Wan wanted to fix what he started with "Saw" and the torture porn craze.

Renai (Rose Byrne) and Josh (Patrick Wilson) moved into a new home wanting to start a new life with their three kids. With piles of unpacked boxes and the family still trying to get everything together, things--of course--don't get any better. Enter the paranormal house guests. It starts with strange sounds, uncomfortable feelings of someone watching and a threatening voice from the baby monitor. Then their son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) has an accident that puts him into a months-long coma. But it's no secret that whatever happened to Dalton was no real "accident."

Cracking under the pressure of dark visions and paranoia, Renai demands that she and her husband move the family to a new home. No such luck. Turns out that whatever's haunting them isn't just confined to their previous home, but rather, travels with them in their son Dalton. They decide to bring in a paranormal expert named Elise, played by a captivating and scene-stealing Lin Shaye, with her two hipster comic relief sidekicks.

What really gets "Insidious" under your skin is the expertly created atmosphere thanks to clever and unique camera work, lighting and set design. Not to mention the great music composed of shrieking, dissonant strings. In an exercise of unrivaled suspense, Elise performs a type of séance wearing an elaborate gas mask to communicate with the spirits haunting Dalton. They sit around a table lit low with a green lamp and bright flash bulbs popping behind them as the camera swiveling around the table. More impressive are the unsettlingly horrific images the movie brings to viewers that stay burned in the back of your mind; these images are reminiscent of "The Shining" and "The Ring" as the plot itself borrows greatly from "The Poltergeist" and "The Exorcist."

When the film enters the realm of "The Further"--which was its original title--things get delirious ramping up the spooky haunted house into a wild amusement park ride. But it never loses its subtle nuances of keeping those creepy demons and malevolent afterlife spirits the primary focus of fright.

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS Review

2011-04-23T15:32:00.021-04:00

"Water for Elephants" (2011)

Francis Lawrence's "Water for Elephants" (he previously directed "I Am Legend" and "Constantine," so how he came to something so classic is a mystery) is a sweeping romance in an extravagant setting with a trio of engaging characters--and an elephant--at its center. The film answers burning questions about two of the main actors, Robert Pattinson and Christoph Waltz. First, we walk into this film wondering if, as a leading man, Pattinson will be able to escape his pale-faced glitter vampire of "Twilight" and play a man named--gasp!--Jacob, ironically enough. The answer? He pulls it off and does just fine alongside the elegant as always Reese Witherspoon as his romantic counterpart.

The bigger question answered, however, is whether Christoph Waltz's Oscar win for "Inglourious Basterds" was a fluke. The talented actor proves with resounding confidence that it was indeed no fluke, and Waltz has again been provided with a contradictory and complicated character he can really sink his teeth into. It was as if the role was tailor made for him.

He plays August, a circus owner and ring leader who rules his microcosm of a society within the Benzini Bros. Circus with an iron fist. Much like the twisted Nazi he played in Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds," Waltz plays August as both childlike and sadistic, amiable and murderous, and in every single scene he carries these traits with him. August relishes in being able to control others, including his own wife Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), but loses control of himself far too often exploding into violent fits of rage. Again Waltz is the scene-stealer and elevates this period piece melodrama into something unexpectedly impressive.

Based off the best-selling novel by Sara Gruen, the story is told through a flashback of Jacob as an old man (played by Hal Holbrook). It's 1931, and just as he's about to take his final veterinary exam at Cornell University, Jacob finds out his parents have died forcing him to hit the road. And, what are the chances, the first train that passes by which he decides to jump onto just happens to be a traveling circus show. Jacob gets taken in and starts doing small work for the circus until he meets Marlena and her ill show horse. After nearly getting thrown out by August after Jacob made the executive decision to put down Marlena's horse--and therefore the circus' main attraction--he decides to keep him on as a vet.

In the era of the Great Depression, times are hard and jobs are few. The film's atmosphere does a good job of capturing the period's desperate feel interlacing it with the carefree but reckless circus atmosphere full of shenanigans, animals, drinking and not without some dissension, too. The allusions to the social and political undercurrents of the time are enough to where they give the overarching story some weight and insight. The circus is also bursting with color and vivacity captured thoroughly in the cinematography when not observing the darker, murkier underbelly such as life upon the train in between shows.

Most important to the story is the blossoming--yet forbidden--romance between Jacob and August's wife, Marlena. The interplay between these three characters is engaging and harrowing enough to keep us caring for how it inevitably turns out for the main couple. Witherspoon's Marlena is a character not brave enough to leave her husband when she should've but also smart enough not to upset his ill temper. She is a lovely but smothered centerpiece to the circus, a glowing vision of a female equestrian bareback rider.

Also important is the beautiful performing elephant Rosie who becomes the circus' main attraction. The scenes where characters engage with her have heart and a natural sweetness to them that comes from any moment of people working closely with intelligent animals. The contrasting moments of animal cruelty are as hard to watch as you could imagine. We care for Rosie because she's charming and full of personality as much as any movie animal in recent memory.

SCREAM 4 Review

2011-04-16T00:51:00.042-04:00

"Scream 4" (2011)

In the multiple twisty and hilarious openings of "Scream 4," Anna Paquin and Kristen Bell watch the opening to "Stab 6" as they star in the beginning scene to "Stab 7" poking fun at endless horror sequels such as the "Saw" franchise. In this opening sequence alone, Wes Craven's return to his own slasher flick franchise acknowledges its own pointless existence--really, who needs a fourth installment of anything?--but in this acknowledgement, he creates a fourth-quel that is welcomed and even necessary. It's another send up of horror movie clichés, which are reconstructed through clever wit and cheeky humor. As the movie's tagline suggests, we're in a new decade of horror now, and things have changed since the 90s.

With the original "Scream" trilogy, we've become familiar with these movies taking place within their own horror movie world to the point where even the characters know it. We are one step ahead because we've been there before, and so have they. The stakes are raised for "Scream 4." The characters in the movie refer back to the original "Stab"--based off Sidney Prescott's traumatic life in Westboro, a town that seems forever haunted with murders--while we as an audience refer back to the original "Scream." At this point in Westboro's history, and the point in which "Scream 4" takes place, the murders have become the town's mythology, a running joke for both them and a wink to us as the audience. Now everybody's in on it.

The guidelines of horror movie tropes the "Scream" films both reference and follow have been revamped. The new installment places itself more as a remake or reboot than a full-blown sequel, and there are new rules that come with such. One of Ghostface's ominous over-the-phone questions now asks victims to identify a horror remake. And when the scared teenager on the other line desperately rambles through the extensive list, we can't help but chuckle.

The new story exists in two generations: the young one that takes Westboro's murderous history as a joke hosting "Stab" watching marathons; and the older one, the adults who are scarred from their past experiences in the town. The leading lady in this is Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott who apparently doesn't age. Sidney has returned to her hometown of Westboro promoting her new self-help book on the very same day as the anniversary of the original murders. Courtney Cox as Gale Weathers and her sheriff hubby Dewey, played by David Arquette, also return. The two actors' real life divorce manages to get mentioned by a character in the film, another nod. Seeing these three back together is a treat in itself perhaps mostly in the perverse pleasure of witnessing how tired they all look.

The plot is essentially a retooling of the original "Scream," and Craven and his writer Kevin Williamson--who helped pen the first two installments--want us to recognize this; it's the whole point. There isn't, however, a lack of fresh faces and--more importantly--new blood. They include Sidney's young cousin Jill (Emma Roberts), Jill's friend Kirby (Hayden Panettiere) and two leaders of the school's cinema club who provide us with all the insight on the newest horror fads, Charlie (Rory Culkin) and Robbie (Erik Knudsen). The latest rules? Killers now have a fetish with recording all their kills, and the only way to survive anymore is being gay.

"Scream 4" is wickedly smart, a horror remake that is simultaneously a big "fuck you" to horror remakes. Not to mention a big "fuck you" to current society trends of social media and internet stardom. More concerned about having a lot of bloody fun than being flat-out scary, it succeeds. I laughed more than I jumped, but there are definitely still moments of suspense as you cling to the arm rests. It's in its humor where Wes Craven finds irony even in between effectively gruesome and unfunny killings. From an entertaining opening to an over-the-top and ridiculous finish, it's a clever creation and a nostalgic look back.

And just think. Beyond the self-referential winks and the endless meta-humor, the return of Ghostface even excels as a stand-alone horror flick. It's certainly better than any of the usual horror crap out there today and a cut above. Pun intended.

HANNA Review

2011-04-08T21:14:00.021-04:00

"Hanna" (2011)

Here's a film that easily could've fallen flat on its face. Director Joe Wright--who's best known for his dramatic period pieces such as "Pride and Prejudice" and Best Picture nominee "Atonement"--taking on the action genre for the first time with a young star at its center. The trailer made it look weird, like it might not pan out into something successful. It being weird remains true, but it also is a successful triumph for the director. It's very much like nothing you've seen before, the most audacious piece of cinema you'll find in theaters as of late, and it's brilliant. Maybe a bold claim, but here are some reasons to back it up.

1. It's an ingenious mash-up
Joe Wright provides us a superb combination of genres. It's an action thriller, art house fare and a twisted fairy tale fantasy all in one. Again, something that could've fallen flat on its face, but Wright and his writers--David Farr, Joe Penhall and Seth Lochhead--breathe life into a titillating premise in strange and perversely delightful ways. While holding true to Hollywood tropes of a chase thriller, Wright also breaks them down re-serving them up in unexpected and unorthodox ways.

2. There's Saoirse Ronan
This young actress who captivated us with her eyes alone in "Atonement" leading the way through the turbulent waves of emotion holds her own again up against A-list actors. Saoirse Ronan is phenomenal playing the fierce miniature warrior Hanna--just 16 years old--who's out to save her own skin. Growing up in the woods with her father, Erik (Eric Bana), she learned to fight, kill and protect herself against danger. We're introduced to her just as she has shot an arrow into a giant deer. "I just missed your heart," she whispers to the dying creature in her soft German accent.

Hanna is a mystery to us, her origins unclear even to herself. Her father used to be a covert agent, and now he knows something that makes him a wanted man in the eyes of one CIA officer, Marissa (Cate Blanchett). This woman also wants Hanna. With an albino look and quick intellect, Ronan as Hanna captivates us all over again just as she did back in 2007.

3. The action looks good and has purpose
Taking note from "Run Lola Run," Hanna partakes in a lot of fleeing and escaping given her desperate circumstances. This is going to lead to a lot of action, and not only that but action that matters. In an interview, Wright expressed his worries about directing the action sequences in the film. An unnecessary worry because the action is swift, enthralling and exquisitely shot. The entire film is visually sumptuous with stylish flourishes that heighten the already crisp and proficient filmmaking. There is one scene where Erik is tailed, which is entirely one long shot reminiscent of that infamous shot from "Atonement"--it works wonders here, too.

All the pieces of action are creative, well-implemented and are set to an electrically charged score from the Chemical Brothers. Thanks to the music, a whole new feel emerges such as when Hanna breaks out of the concrete CIA facility set to a thumping beat and flashing strobe lights. There's purpose to Hanna's plight in these moments of excitement and suspense, and through them the film even finds instances of quirky wit and poetic beauty.

4. It's both sinister and human
Cate Blanchett plays Marissa as cold and soulless, and it fits. With a severe look, sharp business attire, devilish red hair and painfully good dental hygiene, she is a clear cut villain in the story. She hires a dastardly man to help her seek out Hanna. This odd-looking man whistles what sounds like a children's nursery rhyme, but he does so in such repetition that it turns dark and menacing.

Against all this sinister energy pursuing Hanna is the humanity found in an eclectic caravanning British family she comes across during her journey. Headed by the lovely Olivia Williams, the family consists of a young girl around the same age as Hanna named Sophie (Jessica Barden). She's the first girl her age Hanna has met, and she begins to learn what it's really like to be a young carefree girl and to have a friend. This moment of grounding Hanna's life in reality really makes us feel for her; we feel bad that no matter what she does, she'll be forced back into life as a fugitive.

5. It's a Grimm fairy tale
What's best about Joe Wright's "Hanna" is how it wraps itself up as a Grimm fairy tale. Hanna's final destination takes her to meet an elder man in what looks like a shack inspired by a gingerbread house, maybe Hansel and Gretel. It's in the middle of some bizarre abandoned amusement park clouded in mist. And when Hanna and Marissa finally come face to face, Marissa emerges from the mouth of a giant wolf head as if she herself were the big bad wolf and Hanna, little red riding hood. Take that, Catherine Hardwicke.

SOURCE CODE Review

2011-04-02T19:07:00.025-04:00

"Source Code" (2011)

It all starts with a man on a train. He wakes up unaware of where he is or how he got there. A woman sits across from him and seems to know him but isn't referring to him by the right name. Panicked, he goes into the bathroom and takes a look at his reflection only to see a face looking back at him that is not his own. Moments later the train explodes in flames, and Army pilot Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) awakens again this time in a darkened capsule, something called the source code.

"Source Code" is this year's minimalist "Inception" where traversing dreamscapes is replaced with limited time traveling. Director Duncan Jones returns after his 2009 debut film "Moon"--which I personally thought was a rather stolid and stagnant film--this time with a more superior screenplay from writer Ben Ripley. Together they create a moving and enthralling science fiction thriller that becomes less about the accuracy of the science and much more about the believability and potency of the emotions. The level of complex observation of human nature found in what could've just been tightly-wound ticking time bomb entertainment is unexpectedly welcome and poignant.

In the film's first moments everything is laid out for us. The commuter train to Chicago upon which Colter found himself isn't, technically speaking, real. It did exist, but so did the explosion he experienced which killed everyone on-board. It was a terrorist attack, one to which Colter has been specially assigned to find and identify the bomber therefore preventing a more large-scale attack on the city.

He communicates with an Army scientist named Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) who helps him to understand his mission through the source code, which was invented by Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright) who has faith in his experiment. Through source code Colter is able to tap into the consciousness of a victim on the train--the one that resembles him most--while playing out the last eight minutes of the experience on that train before the explosion.

The film mostly consists of Colter's return trips into those last eight minutes. Each one is a little different than the last acting as impressions of what could happen on the train. Each time Colter enters consciousness, a pop can cracks open and fizzes, coffee spills on his shoe and the woman sitting across from him begins a conversation with, "So, I took your advice." The woman is Christina (Michelle Monaghan) who only knows the man Colter is portraying through their frequent trips on the train. No matter the variation of events, the immediacy and frantic urgency of the situation doesn't change. Every time Colter runs out of time before completing his mission, he's sent back in to do it all over again much like "Groundhog Day" where he remembers each previous time before.

The initial plot and vehicle of intrigue for "Source Code" is a contraption, and it's one that frustrates at first but then continually expands and evolves in the character's mind and our own. Suspension of disbelief with the science is necessary but not in the film's understanding and expression of human longing and desire. There's a depth to Jake Gyllenhaal's performance as Colter that gives us reason to believe that him falling in love with a fake projection of a real woman who has already died is actually possible.

Likewise, Michelle Monaghan is radiant and lovely finding room to breathe within a role that really only allows her to repeat lines and seem bewildered. Jeffrey Wright is effective as the man who essentially becomes the mad scientist of the operation while Vera Farmiga is absolutely convincing as a woman who shifts her perspective from severe disciplined operation to sympathy and compassion.

"Source Code" works hard and fast--like Colter at its center--doing a lot within a brisk 94 minutes. It shares an entire riveting journey inside crazy metaphysics but, even more, inside the fragility of the human condition with a thought-provoking and powerful grace note at its conclusion.

SUCKER PUNCH Review

2011-03-26T01:06:00.026-04:00

"Sucker Punch" (2011)

Zack Snyder's "Sucker Punch" is weird, ridiculous, overlong, flawed and really isn't even that good. What it is, however, is an affirmation of Snyder's uncompromising work as a director. He knows what he wants to make, has a passion for it and sure as hell for whatever it's worth, he gets it out there even if it all doesn't work--by a long shot. This is the first time Snyder has directed his own story; most all of his other work (notably "300" and "Watchmen") were graphic novel adaptations. The screenplay was co-written with Steve Shibuya, and places the almost fatally ambitious film as a blend of Quentin Tarantino, David Lynch, "Showgirls," "Inception" and I'm sure countless other vague mash-up of influences. I'm really left having to call Snyder's latest work an action musical. I'll explain later.

The opening slow-motion sequence à la the opening credits of "Watchmen" tells the entire backstory without uttering a word. A young woman named Baby Doll (Emily Browning) is framed by her evil step father for the murder of her sister. This sends her to a bleak, dirty and rundown insane asylum that turns out to be more like a prison for women. From the moment we're introduced to this place, nothing about it seems right.

Baby Doll is first brought to a room called the auditorium occupied by the sultry and severe-looking head shrink named Madam Gorski (Carla Gugino), a corrupt hospital orderly, Blue (Oscar Isaac), and a team of almost unrealistically attractive inmates: Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), her sister Rocket (Jena Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens) and Amber (Jamie Chung). Their names are like those of strippers because suddenly--and completely unmotivated--the asylum transforms before our eyes into a sleazy nightclub where the girls' only use there is to dance for paying men.

In this other world, which is perhaps part of Baby Doll's damaged psyche, Madam Gorski becomes the terse dance instructor and Blue becomes the vile and dastardly head of the club. As for the girls, they are the seductive and scantily-clad dancers, and Baby Doll needs to prove that she, too, can dance.

The movie revolves around four central action set pieces, the first of which is dominated solely by Baby Doll. This sequence, and the three to follow, are all triggered by Baby Doll's dancing which not only transports us to new realms but also just so happens to hypnotize everyone in the room. Every time she dances, we enter new alternate realities all of which are vastly different and fantastical, equal parts extravagant and beautiful and murky and ugly with everything coated in shades of rust and bronze. It's all the quality work of special effects we've come to expect from a well-produced Zack Snyder film.

In the first sequence we're introduced to a mentor played by Scott Glenn who appears to be greatly channeling the late David Carradine from a combination of his older kung-fu movies and "Kill Bill" days. He shows up at the start of every action sequence providing Baby Doll and her mini-skirted cohorts with a debriefing of their mission ahead and snippets of trite motivational wisdom such as, "Never write a check with your mouth you can't cash with your ass." And then each and every time, without fail, he includes, "Oh, and one more thing." Unintentionally humorous? Purposely bizarre? Hard to say, but in either case, it's an occurrence that feels straight out of a video game.

Whether they're slaying a giant dragon, slaughtering a bunch of steam-powered Nazis in WWII trenches or defusing a futuristic-looking bomb, each mission has a correlation with an item the girls need in reality to escape the asylum/nightclub. The way Snyder sets the action to a unique dance floor soundtrack throughout the whole movie is rather impressive and catchy. It's what led me to the conclusion of calling it an action musical. It certainly has influences of one because the credits contain a full-blown musical number.

There's a lot here that doesn't make sense, though. Like, do the girls see the worlds as Baby Doll does, or do they only see the reality of the situation? Only once do we see how the dream world and reality sync up; every other time it's up to our own imagination. Also, we never see Baby Doll's dance. I found myself wondering what she could possibly be doing that's so intoxicating.

In any case, complete understanding isn't entirely required with a movie like this. The dialogue and plot are supplement, really, and you also can't help but wonder about the point. Softcore exploitation or feminist girl power? Mind-numbingly repetitious or rhythmically absorbing? Whether brilliant or idiotic--or maybe a bit of both--there's something about "Sucker Punch" that works and is telling of Zack Snyder, a continually growing director who--no matter if he makes a misstep or not--cannot be dismissed.

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES Review

2011-03-12T14:56:00.021-05:00

"Battle: Los Angeles" (2011)

"Battle: Los Angeles" is an embarrassment and a travesty of American cinema that unfortunately dominated the box office this weekend. Pegged as a realistic alien invasion flick, the movie is nearly two hours of incomprehensible chaos and destruction. Even if all you're looking for is Los Angeles to get blown up and leveled by aliens, look elsewhere. Director Jonathan Liebesman works on a grand scale all right creating a vast landscape of dust, rubble and debris, but that's all we get. Given its premise and all those explosions on screen, the movie manages to be a boring, ugly and inept exercise in careless monotony.

In the style of "District 9"--which looks like a full-blown masterpiece standing next to this--we're introduced through news reports playing in the background on TV sets that clusters of meteors are headed toward the earth in major cities all across the globe. A crew of marines is deployed in Santa Monica to take care of the foreign invaders. They're helicoptered in and immediately get attacked while traversing a landscape that is engulfed in smoke and flames. Although they're supposedly running around Santa Monica, they could be anywhere in the world, and we wouldn't know the difference; that's how horrendously the film is shot. The one potentially interesting part--the guerrilla-style shaky-cam cinematography--is botched terribly. Each insanely brief frame contains an incoherent mess of flashes and gunshots with maybe a character's profile yelling something loud in the forefront, all a result of lazy editing.

The characters--if you can call them that--are all nameless faces wearing a military uniform, their faces covered in blood, dirt and grime. Even the civilians the marines pick up along the way are bland and featureless. The only recognizable faces are Michelle Rodriguez looking tired and, God help him, Aaron Eckhart who somehow got trapped within this shambles of filmmaking. Tried as he did to make a performance, he couldn't get around terrible dialogue. In what was meant to be an uplifting motivational moment, Eckhart's hero, Staff Sgt. Nantz, delivers an unintentionally laughable monologue reeking of cheese.

Aside from this one moment, the rest of the movie's dialogue consists of one to two phrase-long shouts and guttural roars of anger or triumph. There's a macho "hoo-rah" bravado in everything the marines say that is sickening. They are a team of war movie clichés stampeding around as placeholders for storyline and characterization that is not there.

The movie strategically avoids talking about and showing the actual aliens--you know, the entire focus of the movie--as much as possible. I don't blame them, however, because once you see these things, you'll wonder to yourself why a big budget film like this couldn't get a better special effects team. From afar and clouded in smog the aliens look quite ominous, but up close they look like things created from leftovers in a junkyard with artillery attachments. Now, I understand leaving it open for discussion and not clearly explaining what the aliens want or how they work--à la "War of the Worlds"--but this movie doesn't even do that. It attempts an explanation but then drops it and never follows up.

The aliens are here for our water. They have a vulnerable spot to the right of their heart; shoot that to kill them. All of their spacecrafts look the same like floating piles of scrap metal, but some are more important than others. Do they get defeated? I couldn't even tell. Instead, the movie is too busy feeding us crap about the marines, honor, duty and servitude.

A video game would've done a better job presenting what "Battle: Los Angeles" abysmally failed at. After 30 minutes realizing there was nothing left for the movie to offer, I checked out and was impatiently waiting for it to be over. It's such a painful and unnecessary bombardment on the senses to the point of being unbearable and unwatchable. Worst of all, it didn't even make an attempt at humor or humanity. By the end I couldn't even differentiate the aliens from the humans because they all were so robotic. What easily could've been cool, fun, explosive alien action was turned into what I perceived to be a marines recruitment video, and that is the movie's biggest offense of all.

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU Review

2011-03-06T19:29:00.014-05:00

"The Adjustment Bureau" (2011)

What starts off as a deft blend of romantic drama, eerie sci-fi thriller and thought-provoking philosophical fantasy, "The Adjustment Bureau" eventually loses its footing. Written and directed by George Nolfi, the movie is based on a short story by Philip K. Dick about a team of adjusters who are in control of everyone's fate as written to a certain plan. In the movie, these adjusters are all white collar business men wearing snappy suits and fedoras. They work in some office building that may or may not exist in everyone else's reality. And they are careful to not reveal whose plan they're exactly following perhaps as the screenplay's attempt to not bring religion into the equation.

The introduction of the adjustment bureau brings a lot of fascinating questions to the table about chance, fate and free will. These questions, however, get muddled into a confusing expository approach to the film's own mythology rather than allowing the audience's own take on the questions to unfold in their mind. I started having my own questions that became more distracting than fun or engaging like, say, "Inception." The logic of the adjustment bureau itself has too many holes in it which breach into the story to make too many holes there, as well.

Matt Damon plays a congressional candidate from New York named David Morris who's on the verge of losing his election. To mentally prepare for his speech, he enters what he expects to be an empty men's restroom only then to meet a woman hiding out in one of the stalls, Elise (Emily Blunt). The two of them hit it off immediately almost unbelievably so. They are two people who, though strangers, feel chemistry between each other they can't deny; they're a perfect match. Realizing this almost instinctively, they embrace each other and kiss. Their story begins.

The two of them meet again on a bus by pure chance. Here they exchange phone numbers and plan to see each other again, except the adjustment bureau has other plans. David gets apprehended by two men, Mitchell and Richardson (Anthony Mackie and John Slattery in equally affecting roles), after seeing behind the curtain of their establishment. Now aware of their existence--the existence of these strange guardian angel figures--Richardson warns David of the consequences of telling anyone. And the consequences of seeing Elise again because, according to the plan, they were never supposed to meet again. For both of their sakes, Richardson says, he must never see her which is something David refuses to accept.

In the spirit of the "Bourne" movies, Damon's character spends a lot of the remainder of the movie running away from people and watching over his shoulders. It becomes a game of cat-and-mouse that David and Elise are willing to play because they feel they're destined for each other, but it gets repetitive. This is especially true by the time a more senior member of the bureau shows up, Thompson (a stern-looking Terence Stamp), who brings his job to a whole new level of grandeur over his colleagues to the point of being preposterous.

There's good chemistry between Damon and Blunt's characters, but there isn't that much of them actually on screen together--or at least enough to create a true connection to their plight. Instead, I just began feeling bad for the flustered and frustrated Elise as David desperately tried to explain why he was running through magical door portals through the city wearing a funny-looking fedora.

There were some promising implications made early on, but despite fine acting and swift production, the filmmakers decided to settle for something that fell to pieces beneath its lofty ambition.

RANGO Review

2011-03-05T11:50:00.021-05:00

"Rango" (2011)

Rango (Johnny Depp) is a lizard in the middle of an existential crisis. Standing in his square glass tank --which acts as an abstract creative space--talking with inanimate objects, he begins acting and putting together a performance. He tells his plastic wind-up goldfish, his dead bug and headless doll that he needs an ironic twist of fate to project his protagonist into conflict. And at that exact moment, the car in which Rango resides swerves abruptly sending him and his tank flying out the back in a gorgeous slow-motion sequence and shattering on the highway leaving Rango more aware than ever of his isolation. It was at this moment I realized this animated feature from Nikeloedeon studios and director Gore Verbinski was truly something special and vastly different than the other animated movies out there right now, even from Pixar.

"Rango" is essentially a western, and a movie that is in love with westerns. Taking countless references and allusions from westerns of the past ("High Noon," "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"), the movie uses these as inspiration to form a collective dreamscape of imagination, much like what rumbles around inside Rango's own mind.

Rango--after a perilous trek through the desert--drops into a town called Dirt, the perfect location for the domesticated Hawaiian shirt-wearing lizard to reinvent himself just as he practiced in his tank playing out dramatic scenes and scenarios, except this one's for real. He calls himself a gunslinger and unwittingly becomes the sheriff and protector of the rundown Western town that is in the midst of a desperate water shortage.

It makes sense the movie's visual consultant is Roger Deakins--who is most noted for filming the Coens' American west in "No Country for Old Men" and "True Grit"--because the movie is expertly crafted and astounding to look at (not to mention listen to with Hans Zimmer providing the score). The desert environment is bleak and eerie but not without some stunning scenery, especially when the sun is setting just right. The critters--Rango included--are rather grotesquely rendered whether they're scaly, slimy or hairy. It adds to the tactile feel of the movie's beautiful animation.

The story (credited to John Logan and James Ward Byrkit with Verbinski) is weird, wacky and, for the most part, wildly unconventional and original. It reminded me of Verbinski's valiant effort in turning an amusement park ride into a movie with the first installment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise. There is a whimsical strangeness to Rango's adventure in the Old West with a vast array of birds, reptiles, amphibians, rodents and other unidentifiable animals populating the space. Half the time we can't really guess where the plot's headed which is a great thing considering the predictability that plagues kids' movies.

There's a plucky romantic interest named Beans (Isla Fisher), a visionary and prophetic armadillo (Alfred Molina), a trio of mariachi owls narrating Rango's quest, the mayor of Dirt (Ned Beatty) who controls the town's water and may not have the civilians' best interest in mind, and there's even a voice cameo encapsulating the Spirit of the West which I can't spoil. This is among the great energy found in the voice cast. Others include Abigail Breslin, Ray Winstone and, lastly, Bill Nighy who provides the voice of a villainous rattlesnake.

Within the story are politics on water and real estate in the Old West which turn out to be smart, sophisticated and vaguely allegorical. What's more, "Rango" is witty and thrilling, an animated romp embracing its own eccentricity with an unabashed enthusiasm for its story, characters and colorful palette all shot in--yeah, get this--glorious 2-D.

83rd Annual Academy Awards Recap

2011-02-28T11:00:00.002-05:00

Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, Melissa Leo and Colin Firth pose with their statuettes.

The king ruled at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards last night, an Oscar telecast that I found to be a breezy and relaxed delight.

"The King's Speech" won early in the evening for David Seidler in Best Original Screenplay, but it did not take over the evening until the very end with the film winning Best Actor for Colin Firth, Best Director for Tom Hooper and, the final prize, Best Picture as presented by Stephen Spielberg who went on to make a poignant observation: the films that didn't win still rank among some of the very best films in memory. How's that for bursting the "King's Speech" bubble?

The Best Picture win, that was expected. Best Actor, of course. Even Best Original Screenplay was a pretty solid win. But that Best Director win is what gets me. Sure I predicted Tom Hooper as taking the prize, but in my heart I was still hoping for David Fincher. It would've created the Best Picture/Best Director split many were predicting, but such was not the case.

And while "The King's Speech" won its four awards for Picture, Director, Original Screenplay and Actor, "Inception" had its redemption--for Christopher Nolan's snub, of course--with a tie. Its four wins were all technical winning both Sound Mixing and Editing, Visual Effects and a surprise win over Roger Deakins for "True Grit" in the category of Cinematography. The last one was a deserving win for cinematographer Wally Pfister, though Roger Deakins is still overdue for his Oscar.

Following close behind was "The Social Network" with three wins for Best Adapted Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin, Best Score for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and Best Editing. Usually the winner of Best Editing goes on to win Best Picture. Yeah, but not when it loses the Best Director race. Behind "The Social Network" was "The Fighter," "Toy Story 3" and "Alice in Wonderland" all tied with two.

As for our hosts, I was pleased. Anne Hathaway and James Franco kicked things off with a tribute to a few of the films nominated for Best Picture, Alec Baldwin and Morgan Freeman cameos included. It was a hilarious start to a not as hilarious opening monologue that consisted of shout-outs to Franco's grandmother and Hathaway's mom. It oozed just a tad too much cuteness but was nicely offset by Hathaway announcing, "It was a great year for lesbians!"

While they weren't as funny or charming as I had anticipated--or as presented by their opening bit--Hathaway and Franco still delivered and did a commendable job.

Hathaway probably could have hosted by herself as Franco wasn't providing much support as it seemed he was channeling his character from "Pineapple Express" most of the time; yeah, he acted high. Hathaway made up for it with her radiance and smiling personality which turned into a few too many giggling fits, but who can blame her? She was clearly psyched about hosting. More than Franco, at least, who instead was scripted to make a crack about his nomination--and Hathaway's lack of one--during their opening monologue.

Franco also appeared in drag at one point while Hathaway got to sing a humorous solo bashing actor Hugh Jackman. But, best of all? Right at the start they joked about why they were selected to host in the first place: they're young and hip! According to the ratings, the academy will not be going this path again. Better with sticking to what they know, but even so, a bold choice for this year.

The stage looked nice, especially when it was lit up with scenes and sets from movies past. This was showcased during the technical award presentations which were each preceded with a bit of a history lesson about the Oscars. This history lesson then got ramped up a notch when Billy Crystal made a surprise appearance about halfway through the show--receiving a standing ovation--and talked about previous host Bob Hope who then appeared in a strange beyond the grave holograph image addressing the audience.

This wasn't quite as strange, though, as the musical selection of "Smile" for Celine Dion to sing during the In Memoriam montage. What was there to smile about?

In terms of the awards, the night actually hinted at unpredictability at first with a win for "Alice in Wonderland" over "The King's Speech" in Art Direction and the Cinematography win for "Inception" over "True Grit." Such predictability faded instantly, though, once the other awards got underway.

Hailee Steinfeld of "True Grit" failed to upset as Melissa Leo of "The Fighter" won for Best Supporting Actress. The award was presented by Kirk Douglas whose speech was slurred due to his stroke but still managed to receive perhaps more laughs than even our hosts by delaying reading the winner. Leo then proceeded to have the flat-out most exuberant acceptance speech of the evening to the point of her accidentally letting a nearly uncensored F-bomb fly.

Shortly following this was a win for Leo's "Fighter" co-star Christian Bale who, as expected, took Best Supporting Actor. He made a quip about Leo's F-bomb but also said he's dropped a few of those himself in the past. Well, I'm sure he has.

I thought Aaron Sorkin would have one of the better speeches for his Best Adapted Screenplay win, but he was bizarrely played off early by the orchestra and therefore overshadowed by David Seilder for Best Original Screenplay who made a kindhearted note about stutterers everywhere who indeed have a voice. Likewise, Hooper's win for Director provided us with a nice anecdote about his mother.

"Inside Job" won Best Documentary over "Exit Through the Gift Shop," though Justin Timberlake--during his presenting bit with Mila Kunis--jokingly claimed he was the famed British graffiti artist, Banksy.

"Toy Story 3" inevitably won Best Animated Feature while Denmark's "In a Better World" won Best Foreign Film, a win that might be considered an upset but who really knows about that category anymore.

After announcing the Best Makeup nominees, the last one being "The Wolfman," presenter Cate Blanchett flatly stated "that's gross" before announcing the winner. That movie winning an Academy Award? Gross indeed. Not nearly as gross, though, as "Alice in Wonderland" winning two awards for Best Costume and Art Direction.

There was unexpected excitement in one of the shorts categories as the winner of Best Live Action Short turned out to be a graduate student of the NYU film program who wish he had gotten a haircut.

Later in the evening, Franco noted that it was the year of the movie musical. Hathaway reminded him it certainly wasn't, but alas, we were then shown scenes from last year's movies auto-tuned into songs. A ridiculous moment, sure, but I thought it was an amusing bit.

I also welcomed the return of the Best Song performances after their absence last year along with a live orchestra playing each Best Score nominee.

The night's best speeches fittingly came at the end. Jeff Bridges introduced each Best Actress nominee while appearing to just be hitting on them, which led to Natalie Portman's win for "Black Swan." Her speech was wonderfully teary-eyed and her walk to the stage created the loudest and warmest audience reaction.

Sandra Bullock then gave funny introductions to each Best Actor nominee, and Colin Firth's speech for his "King's Speech" win charmed while he held back his urge to dance.

The night consisted of two lovely Best Picture nominee montages even though the second one, which preceded the announcement of Best Picture, was set to King George VI's speech from "The King's Speech" and became too obvious in essentially narrating the film's own win considering how that award turned out. The first montage opened the show playing to the rendition of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from "The Social Network," a nice touch.

Closing the show was a random but nonetheless rather moving PS-22 Staten Island Chorus singing "Over the Rainbow" with all the night's winners walking forward to meet them on stage and join in singing.

From what I'm understanding, many considered last night's Oscar telecast to be awful, especially Roger Ebert who tweeted it was the worst he'd ever seen. I thought it was fine, and I was entertained. It may not have been the liveliest I've seen, but it was pleasant and, as for the awards, there was a nice spread of the honor. Best yet, it clipped along at a reasonable pace clocking in at just under the 3-and-a-half hour mark.

I'm just glad this lengthy awards season is finally at its end. It was an interesting one and a backslide for the academy in awarding "The King's Speech" over "The Social Network." Last night undid everything the win for "Crash" had done since 2005. It's now as if the wins for "No Country for Old Men" and "The Hurt Locker" never existed during the academy's brief period of lining up with the critics.

But enough about the Oscars; here's to the coming year in film. Let's get started.

Of the 21 categories I predicted, I got 19 of them correct.

Complete list of the 83rd Annual Academy Award winners

83rd Annual Academy Award Predictions

2011-02-16T21:06:00.011-05:00

We're just one more week away, folks. It's come down to the nerd vs. the king. Who's going to come out on top? Well, looks like all sights are now set on "The King's Speech" because the academy is ready to lean back toward the more crowd-pleasing selection as it's been steering away from that in recent years.

Though I still think we could see a few surprises throughout the night, I'm mostly playing it safe with my predictions. Here they are:

Best Picture: "The King's Speech" -- is a "Social Network" upset still a possibility? In my mind, yes, but unlikely.

Director: He did receive the DGA, so I'm sticking with Tom Hooper for "The King's Speech," though David Fincher literally won every other award.

Best Actor: Colin Firth for "The King's Speech," no question.

Best Actress: Though some are still saying Annette Bening has some remaining strength over Natalie Portman, I'm going with the latter for "Black Swan."

Best Supporting Actor: Does "The King's Speech" have enough draw to bring Geoffrey Rush in for a win here? I don't think so. Christian Bale for "The Fighter" will take this one.

Best Supporting Actress: I'm going with Melissa Leo for "The Fighter," though Hailee Steinfeld in "True Grit" for the upset is looking more and more to be a possibility.

Animated Feature: "Toy Story 3"

Best Original Screenplay: David Seidler for "The King's Speech"

Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin for "The Social Network"

Sound Editing: Let's go with "Inception" here. It has a booming sound.

Sound Mixing: "Inception" for the same reason as above.

Film Editing: "The Social Network" has this even though usually the film that wins this award goes on to win Best Picture. Not the case this year, turns out.

Documentary Feature: "Inside Job," though "Exit Through the Gift Shop" and "Restrepo" are both possibilities. Seems like my choice is the timeliest, though.

Foreign Language Film: Hard to say, but I'm going with Denmark's "In a Better World" as it won the Golden Globe.

Cinematography: Roger Deakins for "True Grit" because he's gone too far with too many nominations without finally taking home an Oscar.

Makeup: Let's go with "The Wolfman" because--even better than aging people--they turned a man into a wolf.

Costume Design: "Alice in Wonderland" really did have the most outlandish and creative costumes of any movie this year.

Visual Effects: "Inception"--what else would win?

Original Song: That final song in "Toy Story 3," "We Belong Together," really hit a chord with the entire series. It should and will win.

Original Score: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for "The Social Network"

Art Direction: "The King's Speech" probably has this one for being such a nicely done period piece.

Tune in to ABC on February 27 at 8 p.m. to catch the 83rd Annual Academy Award ceremony to find out how correct your own predictions turn out to be!

2011 BAFTA Winners

2011-02-13T17:04:00.013-05:00

Today's announcement of the 2011 BAFTA winners continued the reign of "The King's Speech" in this final stretch of the awards season. It makes sense, though. A grandly British film received the top awards winning not only Best Film but Outstanding British Film, as well, from the British Film Academy nonetheless.

When "Speech" took Outstanding British Film over the likes of "127 Hours" and "Another Year," I began thinking maybe "The Social Network" could win Best Film because I honestly didn't think "Speech" would take both. But alas, it did.

The surprise came with a Best Director win for David Fincher over Tom Hooper. Does this have any effect on the Oscar outcome, however? As much as I would like to hope so, I think Tom Hooper's DGA win still locks in his Oscar win even though he did not receive the BAFTA win.

"The King's Speech" also dominated the acting awards aside from Natalie Portman in "Black Swan" for Best Actress. Colin Firth's win for Best Actor will go on to an Oscar win, but I'm having a hard time believing Geoffrey Rush for Best Supporting Actor and Helena Bonham Carter for Best Supporting Actress are going to make an upset over the "Fighter" front-runners of Christian Bale and Melissa Leo.

"True Grit" received some love for Best Cinematography, a win I think will be repeated at the Oscars. It's about time Roger Deakins gets an Oscar after his many, many nominations.

The "Harry Potter" films received a nice, worthy honor for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema. I mean, with a total of eight films all of rather high quality--that's an accomplishment in itself.

Full list of the 2011 BAFTA winners.

And we're just two weeks away from the 83rd Annual Academy Awards! Until then, everybody.

17th Annual SAG Award Winners

2011-01-30T16:35:00.018-05:00

Colin Firth accepting his SAG for Best Actor

Last night's 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ended with the definitive sound of the Oscar chances for "The Social Network" going out the window. The awards climate has now significantly changed.

First, here's a look at the winners:

Best Actor - Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"

Best Actress - Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"

Best Supporting Actor - Christian Bale, "The Fighter"

Best Supporting Actress - Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"

Best Ensemble Cast - "The King's Speech"

All of these wins were obvious except for the last one. "The King's Speech" taking Best Ensemble Cast last night was the equivalent of it winning Best Picture considering the current upswing that movie is experiencing right now.

Within the past few weeks, "The King's Speech" garnered a win from the Producers Guild of America, a harbinger of the Best Picture recipient. This was not enough evidence to push "The Social Network" aside, though, which before that had been sweeping the awards.

Then came Oscar nominations where "The King's Speech" reigned with 12 awards total trumping "The Social Network" with only 8 nominations. Number of nominations doesn't always guarantee victory, so this still wasn't a total concern.

Even more recently, however, Tom Hooper made an upset by winning the Directors Guild of America award for "The King's Speech" over David Fincher for "The Social Network." While people were considering David Fincher might still take Best Director if "The King's Speech" won Best Picture, that thinking was immediately dashed with this announcement.

All of this combined with last night's SAG win makes "The King's Speech" the new frontrunner of the Oscar race. It's amazing that just a few weeks can change the race like that, and now comes the time the predictions all shift back to what was originally considered--all the way back in October and November--the academy favorite.

Though I don't agree with it as I'm one of those who believe "The Social Network" is the best film of the year, it does make sense. David Fincher's Facebook movie is cold and hip, and it's not a movie the academy can easily get behind; we were just blinded by all of its critical acclaim. The academy is a different crowd than who was awarding it at the Golden Globes and the Critics' Choice.

A heartwarming and lightly humorous period piece about how an unlikely king overcame his crippling speech impediment to go on and lead his country? Sounds like an Academy Award Best Picture winner to me, as much as I hate to admit it.

Check here for a full list of 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards winners.

83rd Annual Academy Award Nominations

2011-01-25T12:30:00.028-05:00

Without fail, the announcement of the 83rd Annual Academy Award nominations this morning has left people in a frenzy of frustration. The biggest complaint on everyone's plate this year? The snub for Christopher Nolan in the category of Best Director for his work on "Inception." How did the Academy think it was OK to snub him again after already snubbing him back in 2008 for "The Dark Knight" is beyond me.

Sure some can argue about the other five Best Picture nominees who don't have a Best Director nominee to match, but it just felt like--with his film garnering eight total nominations and all--his work deserved to qualify for a nod.

In any case.

"The King's Speech" led the pack with 12 nominations total followed by "True Grit" with 10, "The Social Network" and "Inception" tied at eight and "The Fighter" with seven.

In for Best Director over Nolan was David O. Russell for "The Fighter," Tom Hooper for "The King's Speech," David Fincher for "The Social Network," Darren Aronofsky for "Black Swan" and--who wasn't expected to make it in but did--Joel and Ethan Coen for "True Grit." It's pretty clear David Fincher has this one.

I'm proud to announce I predicted the 10 slots for Best Picture nominees correctly. They are as follows: "127 Hours," "Black Swan," "The Fighter," "Inception," "The Kids Are All Right," "The King's Speech," "The Social Network," "Toy Story 3," "True Grit" and "Winter's Bone." I'm glad that Debra Granik's film made it in over the last minute prediction that Ben Affleck's "The Town" would be able to edge it out. This came as a surprise considering many predicted it would do better in major categories.

Best Actor nominations included the suspected four with front-runner and clear winner Colin Firth for "The King's Speech" along with Jesse Eisenberg for "The Social Network," James Franco for "127 Hours" and Jeff Bridges for "True Grit" who won last year. The fifth spot was rather up for grabs, and it ended up going to Javier Bardem for "Biutiful" over both Robert Duvall for "Get Low" and Ryan Gosling for "Blue Valentine."

The Best Actress category held the least amount of surprise with the nominees of Nicole Kidman for "Rabbit Hole," Annette Bening for "The Kids Are All Right," Jennifer Lawrence for "Winter's Bone," Natalie Portman for "Black Swan" and Michelle Williams for "Blue Valentine." Strange to note Williams got in but Gosling didn't; one must note, though, that the year was indeed stronger in actor over actress performances. Williams had less of a chance in being edged out over Gosling although both performances were at an equal caliber. Natalie Portman is the front-runner here and probable winner over Bening.

The debate of whether Hailee Steinfeld constituted as lead or supporting finally got put to an end as she was placed as a nominee within the Best Supporting Actress category. Joining her was Amy Adams and Melissa Leo both for "The Fighter," Jacki Weaver for "Animal Kingdom" and Helena Bonham Carter for "The King's Speech." A notable snub here comes with the lack of a nomination for either Mila Kunis or Barbara Hershey for "Black Swan." Many figured Kunis would go on to receive a nomination here considering the love for her at other award shows. Not here. Melissa Leo is still, in my mind, the one to win.

Predicted winner Christian Bale for "The Fighter" led the way in the Best Supporting Actor category. Joining him was not Andrew Garfield for "The Social Network," which was in my opinion one of the larger snubs of the morning. He was just astonishing in that film. Edging him out was Mark Ruffalo for "The Kids Are All Right," Geoffrey Rush for "The King's Speech," Jeremy Renner for "The Town"--the film's only nominee--and, an unexpected twist, John Hawkes for "Winter's Bone." This nomination acknowledges the Academy's love for that film.

Mike Leigh received recognition in Best Original Screenplay for his "Another Year." Other nominees in that category were a whole bunch of folks for "The Fighter," Christopher Nolan for "Inception," Lisa Cholodenkos and Stuart Blumberg for "The Kids Are All Right" and David Seidler for "The King's Speech." At least Nolan didn't get snubbed here, but I'm predicting Seidler to take the win.

Best Adapted Screenplay nominees were the front-runner Aaron Sorkin for "The Social Network" along with Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy for "127 Hours," Michael Arndt for "Toy Story 3," Joel and Ethan Coen for "True Grit" and, more love for this one, Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini for "Winter's Bone."

"Burlesque" got entirely left out of Best Original Song, which came as a surprise. Instead the nominations went to "Coming Home" from "Country Strong," "I See the Light" from "Tangled," "If I Rise" from "127 Hours" and "We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3."

"Waiting for Superman" got left out of the nominations for Best Documentary which went to "Exit Through the Gift Shop," "Gasland," "Inside Job," "Restrepo" and "Wasteland."

"The Illusionist" got its well-deserved nomination for Best Animated Feature along with "How to Train Your Dragon" and, of course, "Toy Story 3."

"Inception" managed to garner a lot of its technical awards aside from one glaring absence of a nomination for Best Editing. The nominees instead were "Black Swan," "The Fighter," "The King's Speech," "127 Hours" and "The Social Network."

The category of Best Makeup was an entirely mixed bag bringing in the likes of "Barney's Version," "The Way Back" and "The Wolfman."

"TRON: Legacy" got left out of both Best Score and Visual Effects only making it in as a nomination for Sound Editing.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" and "Alice in Wonderland" received two nominations each. The former for Visual Effects and Art Direction and the latter for Visual Effects and Costume Design.

Though it got left out of the Best Foreign Language category--which went to "Dogtooth," "Biutiful," "In a Better World," "Incendies" and "Outside the Law"--Italy's "I Am Love" did receive notice with a nomination in Costume Design.

John Powell's wonderful score for "How to Train Your Dragon" received a surprise nomination for Best Score along with Hans Zimmer for "Inception," Alexandre Desplat for "The King's Speech," A.R. Rahman for "127 Hours" and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for "The Social Network."

The nominations for Best Cinematography were Matthew Libatique for "Black Swan," Wally Pfister for "Inception," Danny Cohen for "The King's Speech," Jeff Cronenworth for "The Social Network" and Roger Deakins for "True Grit."

This morning leaves us with quite a few surprises and snubs considering how the award season had been previously going up until now. These shocks, however, do not detract from the predictability of the larger picture overall. My bets are still firmly placed on "The Social Network" taking the top prizes even though "The King's Speech" received the most nominations.

And, my closing words: Poor Christopher Nolan.

Check here for a full list of the nominees for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards.

Check back for further analysis down the line, and be sure to tune in for the Oscar telecast on Feburary 27th to find out who the winners are!

The Best Films of 2010

2011-01-23T13:50:00.004-05:00

At long last this is my list of the best movies of 2010. Keep in mind that I clearly don't see everything, though I try my very best to see as much as I can. So, considering what I have seen and what I found to be good, here's the list. Did I miss anything crucial or include anything you thought to be a real stinker? Let me know! But without any further delay, we begin at #20 and go from there:

20. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

With some of the best, most clever editing in any film this year, director Edgar Wright's pop culture-infused coming-of-age tale is a literal knockout with cues from comic books to TV shows to video games pumping energy and vivacity into every scene. Hilarious, fun and original, it is accented by Kieran Culkin as Scott Pilgrim's gay roommate.

19. The Illusionist

From Sylvain Chomet ("The Triplets of Belleville"), this hand-drawn animation delight is a blend of whimsical charm and deep sadness. Showcasing the lovely city of Edinburgh, containing little to no dialogue and created from an unfinished script belonging to the late French comedian and filmmaker Jacques Tati, this is a gorgeous contemplation on the possibility of finding magic in one's own life.

18. Easy A

The revelation of a breakthrough role for Emma Stone in this sharp-witted teen comedy is simply awesome. She's hilarious and surrounded by a surplus of talent from the great supporting cast of Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson, Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow and Amanda Bynes.

17. How to Train Your Dragon

Behind "Toy Story 3," this is easily the most accomplished and thrilling animated feature of the year. A story of a boy and his dragon, it boasts amazing visuals that rival even those of "Avatar" along with a heartwarming tale of generational ties, values and bravery.

16. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

This is the slowest, saddest and best installment in the "Harry Potter" franchise yet. The gifted British actors we've followed since they were kids--Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint--all have reached a new level of emotional maturity, and their nuanced performances show it. For the beginning of the end to a magical and involving journey, this was pitch-perfect.

15. Blue Valentine

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are raw and riveting in this dissection of a marriage gone wrong. Intense and painful scenes aplenty, this film from director Derek Cianfrance is purposely claustrophobic in the way it shows this relationship and where it could have gone astray.

14. 127 Hours

Danny Boyle's kinetic direction and Dodd's flashy cinematography turns a true life tale of a man whose arm gets stuck by a boulder--which could have felt claustrophobic--into a life-affirming journey of spirituality about the strength of the human condition. It's a one-man show with James Franco in a convincing portrayal of a man in need of personal courage.

13. Rabbit Hole

A trio of exquisitely nuanced performances from Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart and Dianne Wiest highlight a remarkable film about loss and simply coping to move on and keep living. The melancholic subject matter of a child's death is presented with a keen sense of humor and warmth from director John Cameron Mitchell.

12. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The first installment of the Swedish trilogy from Stieg Larsson is easily the best and most notable. Dark and riveting, this thriller is pulpy and rich with a lead performance from Noomi Rapace which stands as one of the best of the year. She plays Lisbeth Salander, a gothic bisexual hacker, and Rooney Mara has big shoes to fill when she will appear in the role next December. The American remake as a whole from director David Fincher has a big task ahead to live up to this great adaptation.

11. The King's Speech

Colin Firth deserves the Oscar he deserved last year in this magnificently told historical drama. The lifelong friendship between a speech therapist named Lionel Logue and King George VI is aptly handled from director Tom Hooper. That final scene where the king must give his first wartime speech fighting his way through his insistent stammering is one of the finest and most emotionally impacting moments on the screen this year.

10. Winter's Bone

Debra Granik's look into the world of the Minnesota Ozarks is realism at its best. Powerful and bleak, newcomer Jennifer Lawrence gives the best young performance of the year.

9. I Am Love

At this Italian melodrama's center is an amazing bilingual performance from Tilda Swinton. This film from director Luca Guadagnino is a sensation for the senses, a lovingly observed film about an affair that tears apart a family dynasty.

8. Never Let Me Go

This is a painfully sad dystopia where people are forced to give up their lives when their time is not even up. Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield and Kiera Knightley are all emotional powerhouses in this desperately sad film about love and loss with an exquisitely gorgeous score from Rachel Portman.

7. The Kids Are All Right

Here's a film that nonchalantly legalizes gay marriage and follows the trials and tribulations of one lesbian couple living in California who have issues that, get this, are the same as any straight couple. Lisa Cholodenkos and her co-writer Stuart Blumberg tell a story that is relatable to any famliy dynamic and in such creates a winning political statement without even trying. It also helps that the cast is phenomenal with Annette Bening, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo all turning in great performances.

6. Somewhere

Sofia Coppola's quiet, reserved and deeply observational film about loneliness and sadness is like a poem. With exceptional performances from Stephen Dorff and the young Elle Fanning, this film rewards patience and perception through its long takes, still moments and beautiful images.

5. True Grit

Here are the Coen brothers transcending their own style we have come to known, and they do it with distinguished grace through the telling of a straightforward western. The directors' first entry into a strict genre picture is absolutely a wonder to behold with superb filmmakers simply putting their craft toward great storytelling. It's easily one of the year's best with memorable performances from veteran Jeff Bridges and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld.

4. Inception

Christopher Nolan delivers a Hollywood blockbuster the way they should all be made. It's an intelligent and demanding film set to the backdrop of an action thriller. A brassy and pounding score from Hans Zimmer leads the charge in this journey into the state of dreams and reality. Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt all shine in a film that will be remembered and studied for years to come. The screenplay itself is an intricate and unsolvable maze and to craft such a thoroughly engaging film from such a complex layout is astounding in itself.

3. Toy Story 3

Pixar's best, a masterpiece sharing themes of generational ties, family, friends, nostalgia and childhood. It's remarkable the weighty themes this film pulls off while giving such a carefree and frivolous tone. For pure moviegoing bliss for all ages--especially those looking fondly back on "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2"--this is it.

2. Black Swan

Natalie Portman astounds with the best performance of the year in the best horror film in years. Darren Aronofsky's flawless direction with gorgeous cinematography from Matthew Libatique creates the world of professional ballet into something sinister. Clint Mansell's score thunders through every scene turning this melodrama into an opera in itself. Great supporting work from Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey and Vincent Cassel is also magnificent in a haunting and powerful provocation of a woman losing her mind in the pursuit of perfection.

1. The Social Network

This is a film of our time. Some argue this film lacks an emotional punch, but that may be exactly the point. Our lives have gone to the digital age, to social networking. "The Social Network" is about this transformation, a meditation on the way we live today and how our relationships have become so ambivalent. And with a seething score from Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor and astounding performances across the board from Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield to Justin Timberlake and Rooney Mara, this is the best movie of the year.

Best Picture Nominees Prediction 2011

2011-01-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

It's about that time. The time for all the speculation to come to an end and finally see who the nominees for this year's Oscars will be. And while we're still a few more days away from that, it's also time to revisit my predictions for what films will make it into the ten Best Picture slots. A few things have changed--not many, though--since the last time I predicted, so here's the official update:

127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

I'm sticking to my gut and keeping in "Winter's Bone" over "The Town," though the latter could definitely make its way in.

Until the nominations in just two days!

SOMEWHERE Review

2011-01-22T22:41:00.013-05:00

"Somewhere" (2010)

A black Ferrari roars around a looped track in the middle of a barren desert as a stationary camera watches. This is the opening shot of Sofia Coppola's "Somewhere," her fourth feature that is a quiet, reserved and deeply perceptive film about a father and his daughter. This opening shot prepares viewers for two things. First, to be patient because this shot resembles others to come that last longer than one would ordinarily assume; look beyond what's immediately happening as there's a lot going on within these shots. Second, the man driving the car, Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff), is a tired B-list movie actor whose life is idling by. Whether he's an existentialist or just depressed is uncertain.

Much like Bill Murray's character of "Lost in Translation," Johnny is a man separated from his family due to his career. He sits bored in his hotel room within the Chateau Marmont where celebrities take refuge in Hollywood. Johnny bumps into Benicio del Toro on the elevator, but it hardly matters. He has lost all sense of pleasure because it comes so easily to him; one glance, and any woman is willing to sleep with him--he merely just falls asleep on top of them. Two early scenes show blond twins pole dancing an amateurish routine for Johnny while he lies in bed. It's not so much turning him on as it is giving himself something more to stare at than just the wall.

The film is partly a wry comedy about the show-business world. Johnny spends his time at the Chateau smoking, drinking, meeting up with strangers all within the same sphere of celebrity and having nameless sex. Apart from this, he is occasionally woken up by phone calls from his publicist and whisked off to different events such as a photo shoot and press conference for his upcoming film. Johnny is no longer interested in any of this; he shows up to each event looking like he just woke up.

Johnny has an 11-year-old daughter named Cleo (Elle Fanning) who comes for a brief visit. She shows up again for a longer stay due to an undisclosed crisis in her mother's life. Cleo and Johnny are wonderful together having fun and making each other laugh. A cumbersome trip to Italy for an eccentric award show turns into something enjoyable with Cleo's presence. She mothers Johnny to a certain extent making eggs Benedict in the morning for him and his brother. She also observes him with a watchful and sometimes judgmental eye well knowing that her own father still hasn't quite grown up yet.

Elle Fanning is heartbreaking, sweet and nimble conveying so much in her character while appearing to show so little, which is like the film itself. Sofia Coppola ("Lost in Translation," "Marie Antoinette") is an endlessly fascinating and talented director; she observes with grace and finds the smallest of details to bring out in each moment. "Somewhere" is a string of beautiful and poetic images. They arise from slow observational shots that unfold a sad and lonely story before our eyes. Coppola doesn't play to our emotions but, rather, rewards us for paying close attention.

BLUE VALENTINE Review

2011-01-17T15:30:00.002-05:00

"Blue Valentine" (2010)

"Blue Valentine" is about the presence and absence of love, the start and end of a marriage. What makes this sad and painful observation of a failed marriage so genuine is that any moral compass gets erased. There is no contemplation of who was right or wrong in the relationship. Ryan Gosling plays Dean, and Michelle Williams plays Cindy, a couple who feels real. You don't walk out wondering whether it was Dean or Cindy's fault as to why they didn't work. They just didn't, it is life, and it happens to people.

There are two pivotal scenes in the film, one of which was the reason the MPAA nearly gave it an NC-17 rating. Dean and Cindy take a romantic night off, or what was supposed to be, and check in to a sleazy hotel room that is futuristic themed. In an attempt to rekindle their love, Dean puts on an old, scratchy song from the 70s, one that clearly must've meant something to them back in the day. We don't discover until later it was their song. Meanwhile, they choke down vodka slowly crawling to the moment where they have to make love. Not want to make love but have to. It's a nearly unbearable scene to watch but absolutely crucial in understanding how far this couple has come since their original spark.

The other pivotal scene comes at the beginning of their courtship. Standing outside what looks to be a floral or bridal shop, Dean twangs a playful tune on his guitar and sings along as Cindy performs an impromptu tap dance for him. It is touching yet heartbreaking knowing how the couple ends up.

Director Derek Cianfrance leaps back and forth in time interspersing between showing the audience what brought Dean and Cindy together and what tore them apart. We watch Dean as a charming, funny and handsome young man with a scrappy sense of workman promise; we understand what Cindy sees in him. Jump ahead to Dean as a 30-year-old with a receding hairline, thick-rimmed glasses and a misconstrued mustache. He works as a painter not bothering to wash his hands with a cigarette always dangling from his lips, but in the way he interacts with his daughter we see his kindness and why Cindy might still love him. Cindy begins as a shy and attractive young woman striving to become a doctor, but she eventually gains a little weight losing her vivacity and glow.

These physical transformations reveal a deeper inner shift of character, and the raw and brutal performances from Gosling and Williams portraying this should be, and most likely will be, nominated for Oscars. These two actors have the chemistry and understanding of the human condition to provide us with two characters who don't feel like characters at all but like real people of flesh and blood.

"Blue Valentine" asks the demanding questions of what we ask for in a spouse and what the meaning of true love is. As we watch Cindy and Dean, we wonder whether they should've been together. Were they right for each other, or was it something out of necessity? The filming is purposefully claustrophobic both in the way their relationship is told and the way shots are framed with the frequent use of close-ups on the two actors.

While a brave and ugly portrait of a marital decline, I couldn't help but think we weren't getting anything more than snapshots of Dean and Cindy's life together; the full picture felt missing. We aren't clear exactly how they got from point A to point B, but maybe the point is that even they don't know how.

RABBIT HOLE Review

2011-01-17T15:00:00.001-05:00

"Rabbit Hole" (2010)

Given its subject material, going in to see "Rabbit Hole" one would probably not expect room for anything else in the film except grief. It is about Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart), a couple who experienced the death of their 4-year-old son, Danny, eight months ago. He ran out into the street chasing the family dog and got struck by a car. They were immediately leveled with grief and still wrestle with it eight months later where the film begins. The film itself, however, while touching on grief, doesn't dwell on it. Instead director John Cameron Mitchell ("Hedwig and the Angry Inch," "Shortbus") uses humor and a surprising level of warmth, an accomplished feat while navigating such grim terrain.

There is a trio of beautiful and exquisitely nuanced performances. Nicole Kidman presents immense clarity in Becca's emotional state, and we immediately understand the conflicting thoughts inside her head. She is a confused woman whose life used to be controlled by her state of mourning. Now she has turned to anger and through anger rises humor, sharp and searing humor that may unintentionally hurt others. Kidman's performance shines above the requirements of the script; she morphs her character into a truly complicated and multi-layered individual.

Aaron Eckhart is equally as good playing Howie whose desire to hold his son within his memory outdoes his wife's. Becca begins removing items from around the house that remind them of Danny: pictures off the fridge and clothes hanging in his closet. Howie and Becca feel the need to move on in different ways. While trying to recharge their sex life and perhaps try to have another baby, Howie is pushed back by his wife's desire to simply forget. Howie therefore turns to anger, as well, especially when his favorite video of Danny gets deleted off his iPhone, but his anger comes from a different source. Each party within this relationship is looking for something different.

The third performance comes from Dianne Wiest ("Synecdoche, New York") as Becca's mother, Nat. The story between Becca and her mother has arrived at a point where anything you say is taken the wrong way. And, beyond that, it feels there is nothing left to say at all even between Becca and Howie. What then? Nat tries to console her daughter, but Becca doesn't want to hear it anymore; her emotional state has gone beyond the need for any consolation. It has moved on to coping, especially now that Becca's sister (Tammy Blanchard) is pregnant.

Written by David Lindsay-Abaire and adapted from his Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, the film is a careful observation of the separate paths Becca and Howie begin to take. They begin going to group therapy together where they meet Gaby, played casually by Sandra Oh. Becca, however, can't stand the "God talk" at the sessions and opts out of going. She then one day comes across a young man named Jason who drove the car ending Danny's life.

A caring relationship blossoms between Becca and Jason and remains private from Howie who still holds resentful feelings toward him. They meet in a park to simply hear each other out, and Becca also learns Jason is working on a comic book, one that tells of parallel universes, alternate realities and rabbit holes. This intrigues Becca as she thinks of a version of herself out in the world, a version of herself that is happy.

Meanwhile Howie finds comfort in Gaby as they enjoy each other's company and smoke pot together. He resorts to another woman when even his own wife has run out of things to say to him.

The moving and deeply perceptive "Rabbit Hole" is more than a film about the loss of a child. It could be about any monumental moment of pain in a person's life as similar emotions and reactions would apply. This is more accurately a film about what we all do as human beings, which is simple enough: just try to get on with things. It takes one small step at a time in learning to just deal with it in order to keep living.

68th Annual Golden Globe Awards Recap

2011-01-16T23:21:00.019-05:00

Host Ricky Gervais takes aim with a drink at the ready.

Aside from those few in the television categories, the fact that the biggest surprise at the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards last night came in the category of Best Foreign Language Film really shows the night was one of predictable winners.

Though I predicted the HFPA would stray off the path and give the award for Best Picture Drama to "The King's Speech" over "The Social Network," this didn't turn out to be the case.

David Fincher's Facebook movie was the big winner of the night nabbing the highest number of awards at four. Along with Best Picture Drama, its wins included Best Director for Fincher--who took a break from his "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" filming to accept his award in a rather ungrateful speech--along with wins for Aaron Sorkin for Best Screenplay and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for Best Score.

Following "The Social Network" were "The Fighter" and "The Kids Are All Right" tied at two wins leaving "The King's Speech" and "Black Swan" with one win each.

Ricky Gervais hosted again and was out for blood in his sharp jokes aimed at specific actors/actresses, the HFPA itself and, yes, "The Tourist." He was almost unreasonably harsh--yet undeniably the highlight of the entire show--and probably won't be invited back to host next year considering he ended the show with, "And God, for making me an atheist."

Melissa Leo and Christian Bale won their respective supporting acting awards for "The Fighter" while Colin Firth for "The King's Speech" and Natalie Portman for "Black Swan" took home their respective lead acting awards. These four are all now locked for the acting awards at the Oscars, no questions asked.

Annette Bening rightfully took her award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for "The Kids Are All Right" while Paul Giamatti beat a double Johnny Depp nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical for his role in "Barney's Version," which was a welcome win for the evening.

Bening's speech was among the best of the night along with Portman's which made me desire to hear them both give Oscar acceptance speeches come February. If only. Another memorable speech came from Melissa Leo simply because she was bursting at the seams and perhaps had a bit too much to drink.

Along with acting came the obvious winners of "Toy Story 3" for Best Animated Film and "The Kids Are All Right" for Best Comedy or Musical.

"Burlesque" earned an award for Best Original Song.

Without any technical awards to hand out, Christopher Nolan's "Inception" was completely left in the dark. And lest we forget the lack of nominations altogether for "True Grit" meanwhile Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld were both invited to present. Except the latter was a bit of a slap in the face as she was forced to present next to Justin Bieber.

From a rather mean-spirited tone set by the host and one retaliated by the presenters to a rambling Robert De Niro accepting his Cecil B. DeMille Award cracking jokes about his own crappy career in recent years and to counting the number of times the camera cut to Brangelina and catching that eye-roll from Helena Bonham Carter, it was a night not lacking in entertainment.

In terms of the actual awards, though, there is no mystery left. At this rate "The Social Network" will without a doubt go on to win Best Picture at the Oscars, and the awards we've already been seeing will fall right into place. Here's to one of the most predictable award seasons in years.

Full list of winners for the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

See you in a week for the announcement of the 83rd Annual Academy Award nominations!

16th Annual Critics' Choice Awards Recap

2011-01-15T15:40:00.003-05:00

The cast and crew of "The Social Network" accepting for Best Picture

The 16th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards last night indicated a surefire lock for the top four acting categories that will more than likely happen at the Academy Awards.

Colin Firth took his well-deserved award for Best Actor for "The King's Speech" as well as a radiant and pregnant Natalie Portman of "Black Swan" for Best Actress. It is clear these two will move on to win the Oscar.

Before these two awards, however, "The Fighter" started off dominating the acting prizes by starting off the night with winning Best Acting Ensemble. This was followed by a Best Supporting Actor win for Christian Bale and a Best Supporting Actress win for Melissa Leo.

Although "Black Swan" received a whopping 12 total nominations, Natalie Portman was unfortunately the film's singular win. "Inception" won a total of six awards nabbing Best Action Film along with all technical awards including Best Editing, Visual Effects, Art Direction, Cinematography and Sound.

Though I predicted "Inception" winning these aside from Editing which I had "The Social Network" winning, I labeled "Black Swan" as taking at least Best Art Direction and Cinematography. Instead it looks like it might be a technical sweep for "Inception" come Oscar time.

Following "Incpetion" was "The Social Network" with four wins which included the two top prizes of Best Director and Best Picture as expected. Its other two wins came in the categories of Best Adapted Screenplay for Aaron Sorkin and a surprise win for Best Score for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, a win that was widely expected to go to Hans Zimmer for "Inception."

"The Fighter" came next with its three acting wins followed by "The King's Speech" and "Alice in Wonderland" each with two. Best Makeup and Costume Design went to the latter.

Along with the win for Colin Firth, the other award for "The King's Speech" went to Best Original Screenplay for David Seidler, a win that I had predicted would go to Christopher Nolan for "Inception."

With an Original Screenplay win for "The King's Speech" matched up against an Adapted Screenplay win for "The Social Network," this perpetuates the battle of these two films at the Oscars as both will likely go on to win these respective prizes there.

Some small surprise wins arrived in the categories of Best Song which went to "If I Rise" from "127 Hours" over songs from "Burlesque" and Best Foreign Language Film for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" over "Biutiful" and "I Am Love."

"Easy A" won Best Comedy, "Toy Story 3" won Best Animated Feature, "Waiting for Superman" won Best Documentary and Hailee Steinfeld of "True Grit" managed to defeat Jennifer Lawrence of "Winter's Bone" in the category of Best Young Actor/Actress.

How will the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards line up as a predictor? I'm guessing not as well therefore continuing the trend of the Critics' Choice Awards being a better indicator of the Oscars' outcome. I predict the HFPA will award "The King's Speech" the top prize tomorrow night just as the HFPA incorrectly awarded "Avatar" over "The Hurt Locker" last year.

Full list of winners from the 16th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards.