Before I review this really good film, I need to get something off my chest. Have you seen the TV adds for "The Descendents"? OK, what kind of film did you think this was? Kind of whimsical? A quirky family comedy? That's where I went. The trailer leads us to believe that this is a cute comedy featuring George Clooney's patented dry delivery. Fraud!!! Bullshit marketing fraud!! This is a serious pet peeve of mine, especially because this is a really terrific film. It simply isn't funny----at all. A minor chuckle once or twice maybe, but this film is being marketed as a comedy simply because the filmmakers don't trust their own work. It's ridiculous, it's a lie and it's still an excellent film. Shame on their greedy, lying asses. There, I feel better.
Ok, now for the film. Writer/director Alexander Payne specializes in normal shlubs in crisis. In his "Sideways" Paul Giamatti was the normal shlub. Jack Nicholson was the shlub du jour in "About Schmidt". In "The Descendents" George Clooney picks up that mantle. Hard to make George Clooney shlubby you say? Not really. Clooney is almost as good in the acting department as he is in the good looks department. In fact a couple of times he looks shlubby indeed, almost paunchy.
He plays a real estate lawyer who has been for many years an absentee husband and father. Now his wife has had a tragic accident and is on life support, leaving him to deal with two daughters who are completely alien to him. Since the accident, his ten year old is acting out. The seventeen-year-old is angry and uncontrollable. Clooney must go through a crash course in coping with young women without the benefit of his wife.
Eventually Clooney and his eldest daughter (played beautifully with just the right highlights of anger by Shailene Woodley) form an uneasy alliance thanks to a common enemy and the film becomes about their journey toward understanding in the midst of tragedy.
The film is framed by a subplot involving the sale of a parcel of land that has been passed down to Clooney and a bevy of laid back Hawaiian cousins, all of whom are descendents of Hawaiian Royalty with liberal amounts of Anglo/Howly blood. The land is pristine and amazingly beautiful and worth like a half a billion (with a B) dollars. Hawaii becomes another character in the film and Payne perfectly captures the Island zeitgeist. I've only been to Hawaii once but it really was just like this film portrays. And beautiful....well, I don't have time or space to capture the beauty of Hawaii in my little blog. I wish I did.
"The Descendents" is understated and poetic and great to look at and interesting and sometimes even adventurous. The acting is admirable, the writing and directing insightful and honest. It's just not really funny. So accept for those morons in marketing, job well done everyone. Seek this wonderful film out.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
The Ides of March
"The Ides of March" is a film about the death of idealism at the hands of a murderously cutthroat political system. It is not a political thriller. No guns blaze in leather-clad hands. No pricey sedans try to run people down in shadowy parking garages. This is more about political manipulation than plot twists. The only assassins in "The Ides of March" are out to kill the democratic process. It can trace it's cinematic lineage back to "The Candidate" and "All the President's Men", films about the corruption of American ideals in the quest for power. That's highfalutin' prose about what turns out to be a very simple and straight-forward story. And if this film is even a little bit truthful, man, America is screwed.
George Clooney plays a presidential candidate in a two-way race for the nomination. He has the inside track but there are still some dirty political tricks to play. His campaign manager, (an excellent Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his political strategist and media coordinator (Ryan Gosling) have the nomination almost sewn up when that old nemesis of political candidates everywhere shows up-the pretty campaign intern. God, by now you'd think that these guys would learn to keep their pants zipped.
The idealistic Gosling now has messes to clean up- the girl needs an abortion, there's a nosy reporter from the Times (Marissa Tomei is really terrific-what a great career she has) and then he has to deal with the rival campaign manager who is a master manipulator of the process (another excellent performance by Paul Giamatti).
The plot is really not all that complicated, sparse even. But who comes out on top and how they do it is a fascinating treatise on the process. It ain't pretty but it's fascinating. When you combine crisp writing and sparkling acting with a point of view, good filmmaking is sure to follow. It does so here.
This film is the George Clooney show. He co-writes, directs and stars. But as usual lately, the brightest star in the constellation is Ryan Gosling. His talent level doesn't really surprise me anymore. Now it's all about the kind of roles he chooses and this choice adds admirably to his catalogue.
It'll be interesting to see if this one gets the same kind of awards traction that "Goodnight and Good Luck" did. It just might score big time. It really does deserve it.
George Clooney plays a presidential candidate in a two-way race for the nomination. He has the inside track but there are still some dirty political tricks to play. His campaign manager, (an excellent Philip Seymour Hoffman) and his political strategist and media coordinator (Ryan Gosling) have the nomination almost sewn up when that old nemesis of political candidates everywhere shows up-the pretty campaign intern. God, by now you'd think that these guys would learn to keep their pants zipped.
The idealistic Gosling now has messes to clean up- the girl needs an abortion, there's a nosy reporter from the Times (Marissa Tomei is really terrific-what a great career she has) and then he has to deal with the rival campaign manager who is a master manipulator of the process (another excellent performance by Paul Giamatti).
The plot is really not all that complicated, sparse even. But who comes out on top and how they do it is a fascinating treatise on the process. It ain't pretty but it's fascinating. When you combine crisp writing and sparkling acting with a point of view, good filmmaking is sure to follow. It does so here.
This film is the George Clooney show. He co-writes, directs and stars. But as usual lately, the brightest star in the constellation is Ryan Gosling. His talent level doesn't really surprise me anymore. Now it's all about the kind of roles he chooses and this choice adds admirably to his catalogue.
It'll be interesting to see if this one gets the same kind of awards traction that "Goodnight and Good Luck" did. It just might score big time. It really does deserve it.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
50/50
There are lots of movies about cancer and cancer survivors on Lifetime Network and Oprah's new station. But what elevates a film out of cheap soap opera manipulation into one that operates on a more honest and daring level? Two things: script and cast.
It's hard to make a feel-good movie about a cancer diagnosis. The right approach is to make an honest film that has dignity and humor. Bingo. That's what happened here. The film is written by Will Reiser. At a young age, Reiser was diagnosed with a tumor of the same type as 50/50's protagonist. It's the kind of research you would wish on no one. But having lived through it, Reiser is able to dramatize the situation with authority and insight. Well done.
Adam, played with a gentle dignity by Joseph Gordon Levitt, has back pain that is found to be a malignant tumor on his spine. The science of this is conveyed by a jackass of an oncologist who understands lots about cancer and nothing of humanity. The rest of the film is about how the people in Adam's life deal with the disease. His best friend (Seth Rogan) sees an opportunity to use the diagnosis as a tool to get him laid. His mother (a brilliant Angelica Huston) is overwhelmed. His girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) gives the supportive thing the old college try but is incapable of that kind of unselfish behavior. Anna Kendrick plays a young therapist struggling to apply her book-learned sympathy in a real-life situation.
And of course Adam himself must learn to overcome a soul-sucking numbness and deal with his own mortality at a far-too-young age. The antagonist in this film is cancer, or more specifically, what we all think of cancer. It's a movie about overcoming fear.
Let me list out the other thing that makes this film pretty terrific. Joseph Gordon Levitt, Angelica Huston, Anna Kendrick, Philip Baker Hall, Bryce Dallas Howard. It's an all-star list and each of these fine actors bring it, and I mean they bring it in spades. Not a weak link in the chain. (Sag voters take note-Best Ensemble?).
Don't let the heavy subject matter deter you. 50/50 is a story well-told, a script well-written and a film well-acted.
It's hard to make a feel-good movie about a cancer diagnosis. The right approach is to make an honest film that has dignity and humor. Bingo. That's what happened here. The film is written by Will Reiser. At a young age, Reiser was diagnosed with a tumor of the same type as 50/50's protagonist. It's the kind of research you would wish on no one. But having lived through it, Reiser is able to dramatize the situation with authority and insight. Well done.
Adam, played with a gentle dignity by Joseph Gordon Levitt, has back pain that is found to be a malignant tumor on his spine. The science of this is conveyed by a jackass of an oncologist who understands lots about cancer and nothing of humanity. The rest of the film is about how the people in Adam's life deal with the disease. His best friend (Seth Rogan) sees an opportunity to use the diagnosis as a tool to get him laid. His mother (a brilliant Angelica Huston) is overwhelmed. His girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) gives the supportive thing the old college try but is incapable of that kind of unselfish behavior. Anna Kendrick plays a young therapist struggling to apply her book-learned sympathy in a real-life situation.
And of course Adam himself must learn to overcome a soul-sucking numbness and deal with his own mortality at a far-too-young age. The antagonist in this film is cancer, or more specifically, what we all think of cancer. It's a movie about overcoming fear.
Let me list out the other thing that makes this film pretty terrific. Joseph Gordon Levitt, Angelica Huston, Anna Kendrick, Philip Baker Hall, Bryce Dallas Howard. It's an all-star list and each of these fine actors bring it, and I mean they bring it in spades. Not a weak link in the chain. (Sag voters take note-Best Ensemble?).
Don't let the heavy subject matter deter you. 50/50 is a story well-told, a script well-written and a film well-acted.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Moneyball
Most movies that involve baseball can be watched and enjoyed by fans and non-fans alike. "Field of Dreams" has family struggle at it's heart and who doesn't want a kid to have a catch with his dead Dad. "The Natural" taps into the mythic side, a Homeric journey and return to what is good and right in the world. Baseball is often used to frame what is quintessentially American. "Moneyball" is about none of that. It is a peek behind the curtain at the ugly sausage-making side of a modern team. It is as much about payroll as it is about play-making. It does not shy away from the stats that make modern baseball a matter of math. You have to be a fan of the game to care about On Base Percentage and hits with men in scoring position. I am such a fan. Baseball, old and new, is in my DNA. I come from generations of Embardo Red Sox fans that date back to the early 1900's, the very roots of the modern game. I loved this movie. Of course it doesn't hurt that the film was penned by two of the best screenwriters of the past three decades, Steve Zallian (Schindler's List, Searching for Bobby Fischer) and Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network). There's Oscar gold on them thar mantles.
Brad Pitt plays Billy Beane, a washed out player-turned-general manager for the Oakland A's in the early 2000's. He has a small market budget in a big market world and teams like the Red Sox and Yankees have picked him clean. His challenge is to put together a winning team without a lot of cash. Enter Peter Brand (an admirable Jonah Hill) who has a modern take on stats and player selection, finding undervalued players by running their numbers on his PC. The old guard scouts and coaches HATE this newfangled reliance on statistics. They prefer relying on their gut. Problem is their guts aren't winning games. This is the central conflict of the film. If Beane succeeds, it'll change the nature of the game.
"Moneyball" is a baseball movie of ideas, and like "The Social Network" it's about the nature of societal change in the face of entrenched interests. It is not as compelling as "The Social Network', nor is it as crisply written. Like baseball itself, it is often slow to get to the point, laconic. And at 2 hours and 10 minutes it is perhaps a little overlong. Pitt's performance is terrific, mixing bravado with humor and a touch of worried uncertainty. Jonah Hill is perfect in his role as front office rookie, learning the ropes and all the while changing the very nature of those ropes. Hill is an enigma to me, a character actor who doesn't really have a fundamental grasp of how to change character. But he does play the naive neophyte to perfection and here it serves him well.
This film may be too much baseball for the non-baseball fan but for me it was like a good pitcher's duel, a bit long and understated, but a thing of beauty to watch.
Side note: This movie opened during what may be a real-life historic collapse by my Red Sox. Perfect timing to point up the timeless appeal of baseball even when the circumstances are painful (and boy are they painful right now). As a long-time Sox fan, it's something I'm used to, trust me. It's just another example of how baseball provides the markers on the timeline of my life. I just hope that before it's too late, the Red Sox pitching staff sees this film. They need the inspiration.
Brad Pitt plays Billy Beane, a washed out player-turned-general manager for the Oakland A's in the early 2000's. He has a small market budget in a big market world and teams like the Red Sox and Yankees have picked him clean. His challenge is to put together a winning team without a lot of cash. Enter Peter Brand (an admirable Jonah Hill) who has a modern take on stats and player selection, finding undervalued players by running their numbers on his PC. The old guard scouts and coaches HATE this newfangled reliance on statistics. They prefer relying on their gut. Problem is their guts aren't winning games. This is the central conflict of the film. If Beane succeeds, it'll change the nature of the game.
"Moneyball" is a baseball movie of ideas, and like "The Social Network" it's about the nature of societal change in the face of entrenched interests. It is not as compelling as "The Social Network', nor is it as crisply written. Like baseball itself, it is often slow to get to the point, laconic. And at 2 hours and 10 minutes it is perhaps a little overlong. Pitt's performance is terrific, mixing bravado with humor and a touch of worried uncertainty. Jonah Hill is perfect in his role as front office rookie, learning the ropes and all the while changing the very nature of those ropes. Hill is an enigma to me, a character actor who doesn't really have a fundamental grasp of how to change character. But he does play the naive neophyte to perfection and here it serves him well.
This film may be too much baseball for the non-baseball fan but for me it was like a good pitcher's duel, a bit long and understated, but a thing of beauty to watch.
Side note: This movie opened during what may be a real-life historic collapse by my Red Sox. Perfect timing to point up the timeless appeal of baseball even when the circumstances are painful (and boy are they painful right now). As a long-time Sox fan, it's something I'm used to, trust me. It's just another example of how baseball provides the markers on the timeline of my life. I just hope that before it's too late, the Red Sox pitching staff sees this film. They need the inspiration.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Win Win
Director Thomas McCarthy is known for directing intensely personal films about lonely, isolated people and the situations that break through that isolation. His two other films as director (The Station Agent, The Visitor) are masterful films about finding human connection. Win Win is a fitting and wonderful addition to that legacy. It may not be the best of the three but that's fine. Taken as a whole, a resume with these three films would be something to be proud of.
Paul Giamatti is a low level lawyer and a wrestling coach in small town New Jersey. He has screwed over an elderly client, taking on the paid responsibility of guardianship but placing the client in a nursing home anyway. A slimy move but he is desperate for the fifteen hundred bucks a month to keep his family above water.
Enter Kyle, the client's grandson, on the run from his own bad family situation. Giamatti's character finds Kyle perched on his granddad's porch and ends up taking him home to stay with his family. How Kyle comes to be an accepted member of the family is the first half of the story. Kyle also happens to be top notch wrestler (ok that may be a smidge convenient but go with it). The team that Giamatti coaches is, well, let's just say they aren't a top notch team. Voila! The birth of the major subplot. Things get complicated when Kyle's real Mom, fresh out of rehab, shows up. Betrayals are exposed and things get bumpy. Some may say the ending is a bit predictable but I'm going with inevitable as my adjective of choice.
A word about the script and the acting: honest stories with honest dialogue make for honest moments in honest scenes. Giamatti is excellent. Bobby Cannivale is excellent, Jeffrey Tambor-excelent. And Amy Ryan-excellent. Ryan may even be awards consideration excellent. And the kid-they went with a kid named Alex Shaffer who could wrestle and hoped he could act. That is a dangerous move. They got lucky.
Young Alex is excellent. This is all probably directly attributable to the writing and direction of Thomas McCarthy. "Win Win" lives up to its billing. It's a winner.
Paul Giamatti is a low level lawyer and a wrestling coach in small town New Jersey. He has screwed over an elderly client, taking on the paid responsibility of guardianship but placing the client in a nursing home anyway. A slimy move but he is desperate for the fifteen hundred bucks a month to keep his family above water.
Enter Kyle, the client's grandson, on the run from his own bad family situation. Giamatti's character finds Kyle perched on his granddad's porch and ends up taking him home to stay with his family. How Kyle comes to be an accepted member of the family is the first half of the story. Kyle also happens to be top notch wrestler (ok that may be a smidge convenient but go with it). The team that Giamatti coaches is, well, let's just say they aren't a top notch team. Voila! The birth of the major subplot. Things get complicated when Kyle's real Mom, fresh out of rehab, shows up. Betrayals are exposed and things get bumpy. Some may say the ending is a bit predictable but I'm going with inevitable as my adjective of choice.
A word about the script and the acting: honest stories with honest dialogue make for honest moments in honest scenes. Giamatti is excellent. Bobby Cannivale is excellent, Jeffrey Tambor-excelent. And Amy Ryan-excellent. Ryan may even be awards consideration excellent. And the kid-they went with a kid named Alex Shaffer who could wrestle and hoped he could act. That is a dangerous move. They got lucky.
Young Alex is excellent. This is all probably directly attributable to the writing and direction of Thomas McCarthy. "Win Win" lives up to its billing. It's a winner.
Kaboom
Director Gregg Araki had been moving from a camp/cult status gay filmmaker to a rather interesting chronicler of the gay experience as told with offbeat flare and raw honesty. His film "Mysterious Skin" starring Joseph Gordon Levitt represented a giant leap forward in his approach to film and his storytelling skill. "Kaboom" is a giant step backward. This film takes us to college with a confused young man of ambivalent sexuality. He's having dreams of weird abductions and strange sex and mysterious men in masks. I went with it for a while. Then the story degenerates in to a psychotic nonsensical nightmare involving a lost relative, outer space and the end of the world. I was less concerned with the end of the world than I was with the end of the movie. It seems like this film was constructed by a half dozen frat boy film students on a tequila bender. It's that silly. There are very few talented gay filmmakers that have the kind of platform that Araki has. Squandering that opportunity is shameful. Araki should re-watch "Mysterious Skin", grow up and make better films about gay people and gay culture.
The Conspirator
Okay, so last year my writing partner and I wrote a historically-based script and got some producers interested in it. Don't sweat it--I haven't made a nickel yet. But those producers suggested I watch this film, "The Conspirator" directed by Robert Redford. History interests me. Movies interest me. Unfortunately, this film did not interest me. Mainly because it was uninteresting. And I know why. I'll get to that.
This film tells the story of the Lincoln assassination and the conspiracy that surrounded the murder and the attempted murder of other government officials by Confederate loyalists. Everybody knows the infamous John Wilkes Booth and the tragedy at Ford's Theater but there were others involved. One of these was Mary Serratt, who ran a boarding house where the conspirators did their conspiring. One of these conspirators was her young son. It was the government's contention that she knew what was going on and was thus part of the conspiracy. This film concerns itself with her story and that of her lawyer (James MacAvoy). It is the script's contention that the government had no real proof (or at best sketchy proof) and that she was railroaded on to the gallows. The script carefully constructs parallels between this injustice and situations that have been a part of our own recent history--Guantanamo Bay for example and the post 9/11 legislation that trampled on a bunch of civil rights. Remember, I told you Robert Redford directed it.
It makes for fascinating discussion and an interesting and relevant argument.
And that's the problem. This would have been a memorable history lecture back at USC or an interesting debate on Point/Counterpoint. Here the actors think and brood and debate and wring their hands. It makes for some crappy drama. The performances albeit by some outstanding actors (MacAvoy, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood) are stiff and lifeless, more like a historical recreation on the History Channel than a flesh and blood feature. And the direction doesn't help. It's almost as stodgy as the script. Too bad. It's really a great story. A great story that needed Jeff and me to write it.
This film tells the story of the Lincoln assassination and the conspiracy that surrounded the murder and the attempted murder of other government officials by Confederate loyalists. Everybody knows the infamous John Wilkes Booth and the tragedy at Ford's Theater but there were others involved. One of these was Mary Serratt, who ran a boarding house where the conspirators did their conspiring. One of these conspirators was her young son. It was the government's contention that she knew what was going on and was thus part of the conspiracy. This film concerns itself with her story and that of her lawyer (James MacAvoy). It is the script's contention that the government had no real proof (or at best sketchy proof) and that she was railroaded on to the gallows. The script carefully constructs parallels between this injustice and situations that have been a part of our own recent history--Guantanamo Bay for example and the post 9/11 legislation that trampled on a bunch of civil rights. Remember, I told you Robert Redford directed it.
It makes for fascinating discussion and an interesting and relevant argument.
And that's the problem. This would have been a memorable history lecture back at USC or an interesting debate on Point/Counterpoint. Here the actors think and brood and debate and wring their hands. It makes for some crappy drama. The performances albeit by some outstanding actors (MacAvoy, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood) are stiff and lifeless, more like a historical recreation on the History Channel than a flesh and blood feature. And the direction doesn't help. It's almost as stodgy as the script. Too bad. It's really a great story. A great story that needed Jeff and me to write it.
The Lincoln Lawyer
This film is not set in the mid 1800's and the afore mentioned Lincoln refers to a car not a President. Okay now that we have the genres straightened out I can tell you that this film is a court room/private eye/low-level lawyer-type pot boiler in the tradition of Elmore Leonard. Remember "Out of Sight? It's actually based on a novel by well-known mystery writer Michael Connelly, if you're a mystery fan.
The lawyer in question here is Matthew McConaughey who gets tangled up with a scheming serial rapist and murderer and can't seem to extricate himself. The mystery here isn't really a "whodunit" it's more of a "howdoweproveit" and the puzzle box of the plot is sufficiently complicated to keep us guessing. It holds your interest pretty well and the quality of the supporting cast is fun to watch (Marissa Tomei and William H. Macy aren't in this film nearly long enough).
The problem with this film may be personal. Matthew McConaughey is meant to carry this film and I am not a big fan of Matthew McConaughey. He's a lazy actor when it comes to character work and relies on a shit-eating grin and six pack abs to do the heavy lifting. Every film he does he seems to be doing for the money. Here's the good news: His real-life persona and his on-screen character have a lot of cross-over----in this instance.
"The Lincoln Lawyer" is a pretty good pot-boiler and that translates to a good time with a box of popcorn and a Netflix rental, especially if you're a fan of the genre. Too bad they didn't find a lead that could elevate the material. They might have really had something special.
The lawyer in question here is Matthew McConaughey who gets tangled up with a scheming serial rapist and murderer and can't seem to extricate himself. The mystery here isn't really a "whodunit" it's more of a "howdoweproveit" and the puzzle box of the plot is sufficiently complicated to keep us guessing. It holds your interest pretty well and the quality of the supporting cast is fun to watch (Marissa Tomei and William H. Macy aren't in this film nearly long enough).
The problem with this film may be personal. Matthew McConaughey is meant to carry this film and I am not a big fan of Matthew McConaughey. He's a lazy actor when it comes to character work and relies on a shit-eating grin and six pack abs to do the heavy lifting. Every film he does he seems to be doing for the money. Here's the good news: His real-life persona and his on-screen character have a lot of cross-over----in this instance.
"The Lincoln Lawyer" is a pretty good pot-boiler and that translates to a good time with a box of popcorn and a Netflix rental, especially if you're a fan of the genre. Too bad they didn't find a lead that could elevate the material. They might have really had something special.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Midnight In Paris
How can I talk about this film without spoiling a lot of wonderful surprises? I can't, so all I'm going to say about Woody Allen's latest film is that it's a romantic love letter to Paris of both past and present. That's all the plot I'm going to reveal. And that's okay. I'm hoping that it'll be enough to get you to see this wonderfully funny and sentimental film. Go Woody.
Now if you check back in this blog to last year and the year before, you might notice that I disliked Woody's last two films. Well, that may be an understatement. I lambasted both of them as cheap knock-offs of his own work; lecherous drivel and the redundant ravings of a horny old man. I TOLD ya I didn't like 'em. Well, I am happy to report that "Midnight in Paris" is none of that. What it is is fresh, joyous, original and delightful. I'm a happy movie goer. I'm a restored Woody Allen fan.
Paris is a character in this film the way New York was a character in Allen's "Manhattan" and just like any good character, Allen fleshes out Paris by capturing both the ambiance and the mythology of that beautiful city. There is everything that was missing from his last few films....charm, humor, insight and honesty (especially in the dialogue which isn't stilted or forced at all this time out). It is an original and you should see it with someone you love (or someone you like) and share the experience. It's that good. I'm so happy.
I know I said I wasn't going to spoil anything but there is a scene with Owen Wilson and three surrealists (they talk about a Rhino) that is classic Woody Allen. Worth twice the price of admission for that scene alone.
Now if you check back in this blog to last year and the year before, you might notice that I disliked Woody's last two films. Well, that may be an understatement. I lambasted both of them as cheap knock-offs of his own work; lecherous drivel and the redundant ravings of a horny old man. I TOLD ya I didn't like 'em. Well, I am happy to report that "Midnight in Paris" is none of that. What it is is fresh, joyous, original and delightful. I'm a happy movie goer. I'm a restored Woody Allen fan.
Paris is a character in this film the way New York was a character in Allen's "Manhattan" and just like any good character, Allen fleshes out Paris by capturing both the ambiance and the mythology of that beautiful city. There is everything that was missing from his last few films....charm, humor, insight and honesty (especially in the dialogue which isn't stilted or forced at all this time out). It is an original and you should see it with someone you love (or someone you like) and share the experience. It's that good. I'm so happy.
I know I said I wasn't going to spoil anything but there is a scene with Owen Wilson and three surrealists (they talk about a Rhino) that is classic Woody Allen. Worth twice the price of admission for that scene alone.
Monkey Business
"The Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is the origin story for a B-movie franchise. Pretty good idea. Get a top shelf actor and use the technology of the day to give a B-movie franchise an A-list face lift. Here's the problem--this origin story remains about as B-movie as you can get. Cheesy plots, cheesy dialogue and flat-lined performances are all over this film. Only the motion capture technology is an upgrade from the original.
It must have seemed like a good idea to cast a good actor like James Franco in the lead but his performance is as flat and uninteresting as his hosting work on the Oscar telecast and at times he seems just as out of place as he was as a host. In fact, this movie fails in all things human. The love story between Franco and Freida Pinto has less chemistry than a Performing Arts High School, John Lithgow's alzheimer's-afflicted Dad is cliched and predictable (a fault of the writing, not Lithgow) and the bad guys are tepid at best (Tom Felton from the Harry Potter franchise has seemingly found a niche as the go-to teenage creep). And it is a long haul suffering through the human elements of this thing before you get to the good stuff...ie. the monkeys.
And the monkeys are pretty darn good. They use motion capture (on that motion-capture specialist, Andy Serkis) to find real emotional intricacies in these apes. Too bad they didn't use it on Franco. Once the revolution kicks in, the movie finds its momentum and becomes a decent entertainment, in a B-movie sort of way. It will serve as a Saturday matinee escape. But really, if you are in a prequel and find yourself longing for the acting and entertainment value of the Charleton Heston-lead originals, aren't you kind of in a whole lot of trouble?
It must have seemed like a good idea to cast a good actor like James Franco in the lead but his performance is as flat and uninteresting as his hosting work on the Oscar telecast and at times he seems just as out of place as he was as a host. In fact, this movie fails in all things human. The love story between Franco and Freida Pinto has less chemistry than a Performing Arts High School, John Lithgow's alzheimer's-afflicted Dad is cliched and predictable (a fault of the writing, not Lithgow) and the bad guys are tepid at best (Tom Felton from the Harry Potter franchise has seemingly found a niche as the go-to teenage creep). And it is a long haul suffering through the human elements of this thing before you get to the good stuff...ie. the monkeys.
And the monkeys are pretty darn good. They use motion capture (on that motion-capture specialist, Andy Serkis) to find real emotional intricacies in these apes. Too bad they didn't use it on Franco. Once the revolution kicks in, the movie finds its momentum and becomes a decent entertainment, in a B-movie sort of way. It will serve as a Saturday matinee escape. But really, if you are in a prequel and find yourself longing for the acting and entertainment value of the Charleton Heston-lead originals, aren't you kind of in a whole lot of trouble?
Crazy, Stupid Love
I was very much looking forward to this film. Steve Carrell is the best comedic actor going and the cast was stellar- Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Marissa Tomei and Emma Stone, heavy hitters all. No surprise then, the best thing about this film is the afore mentioned cast. They are by turns charming, honest, funny, sincere and totally likeable. The reason this is such an accomplishment is because the script to this film is by turns hokey, dishonest, predictable and altogether unoriginal. What a disappointment.
Steve Carrell and Julianne Moore are married with children. They've grown apart, and Carrell is blindsided at dinner one night to find that Moore has had an affair and wants a divorce. Carrell is deeply hurt and obliges. Now the meat of this story kicks in. The two must find away to live life without each other. Elaborate and convoluted hijinx involving a baby sitter, a womanizer, various love interests and Moore's lover ensue. All these elements converge in Carrell's backyard (or former backyard, as it were) for an obligatory scene so contrived that it would make a James Bond screenwriter blush. There are a whole lot of complicated romantic sub plots in this movie but none are more problematic than the one involving Carrell's 13 year old son and his babysitter. It is alternately goofy, creepy, and dishonest. No thirteen year old boy would behave this way....EVER. The plot line wraps up with a scene at the kids graduation where gushy platitudes are uttered rendering the entire thing almost unwatchable in a goofy, uncomfortable way. It hamstrings the movie.
There is, however, a revelation in "Crazy, Stupid Love" and that revelation is Ryan Gosling. I'm beginning to believe that he is a bit of an on-screen miracle worker. He takes a character that is written on the fringes of unlikeability and fleshes out a character with depth and complexity...mostly on his own. It's official. He can do anything. He's the best young actor going.
In totality, this film fails in more ways than it succeeds but its trump suit is in the casting, and there it has a strong hand. For many people I imagine, it will be enough. For me it was ultimately a major disappointment.
Steve Carrell and Julianne Moore are married with children. They've grown apart, and Carrell is blindsided at dinner one night to find that Moore has had an affair and wants a divorce. Carrell is deeply hurt and obliges. Now the meat of this story kicks in. The two must find away to live life without each other. Elaborate and convoluted hijinx involving a baby sitter, a womanizer, various love interests and Moore's lover ensue. All these elements converge in Carrell's backyard (or former backyard, as it were) for an obligatory scene so contrived that it would make a James Bond screenwriter blush. There are a whole lot of complicated romantic sub plots in this movie but none are more problematic than the one involving Carrell's 13 year old son and his babysitter. It is alternately goofy, creepy, and dishonest. No thirteen year old boy would behave this way....EVER. The plot line wraps up with a scene at the kids graduation where gushy platitudes are uttered rendering the entire thing almost unwatchable in a goofy, uncomfortable way. It hamstrings the movie.
There is, however, a revelation in "Crazy, Stupid Love" and that revelation is Ryan Gosling. I'm beginning to believe that he is a bit of an on-screen miracle worker. He takes a character that is written on the fringes of unlikeability and fleshes out a character with depth and complexity...mostly on his own. It's official. He can do anything. He's the best young actor going.
In totality, this film fails in more ways than it succeeds but its trump suit is in the casting, and there it has a strong hand. For many people I imagine, it will be enough. For me it was ultimately a major disappointment.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two
Muggles and wizards live in a wonderful world, we do, and last night I was smack dab in the middle of it. I knew I was in for a magical night when my first sight was a half dozen teens (quite normal looking really, except for the full-on Hogwarts robes and regalia). They were gathered around a table in the courtyard of the movie theater staring at a Sorting Hat (read the books). I was peeking in on a Sorting Ceremony of some kind. This would not be the strangest thing I saw last night. Besides the usual array of black robes and Griffyndor scarves, there was a fan dressed as the Hogwarts Clock Tower (no shit), a spitting-image double of Ginny Weasley complete with Weasley-red hair in a circular braid, and a six foot six Hagrid with padding and tangled beard. And the wands, dozens and dozens wands, casting imaginary spells. The girl next to me had her fingernails painted with HARRY POTTER lettering in the lightening bolt script, one letter per nail except for the middle finger of her right hand (two T's). How she could text with those nails I'll never know. You may never hear me say this again but I kinda wished I had a cell phone with a camera. It was a spectacular gathering. It made me feel young.
Now onto the film itself. If you aren't wrapped up in an invisibility cloak of all things Potter then you have missed the Hogwarts Express, because this film fulfills all the promises of the last four films. They were all prelude. The Deathly Hallows Part 2 is payoff. It has a mature feeling to it that has more to do with its tone than the chronological age of the lead characters. It's a more sophisticated action adventure, grittier, with darker and more complex themes. Mortality. Loyalty. Dedication to Cause. It's also a hell of a ride. It doesn't muck about for very long before the battle is engaged and boy, is it engaged. Spells fly and the wizarding world is in mortal peril. If you read the book you know who dies, but the film skillfully plants the seeds of doubt about what you've read. Could they, would they change the written word? The movie keeps us guessing, even with prior knowledge of the outcome, no small trick.
I have enjoyed every film in this series but until last night, I could never say that I enjoyed the film more than the book. That has changed. This film is clearer about what is happening and how its all going down than the book is. It's actually more skilled than the book. Rowling's strength has always been character and the detail of the world more so than plot. This film cleans up the ragged edges of the book's plot line. It answers all the questions seamlessly, flawlessly. And the Battle of Hogwarts takes your breath away. To see that place of joy look like a bomb-ravaged WWII city just breaks your heart.
The word I keep hearing about this film is "satisfying". Perfect. Any storyteller will tell you that the hardest thing to do is to end a great story greatly. That has been accomplished in the Harry Potter series, and that will ensure that more generations will fall in love with these young wizards. But me, I'm melancholy. I want more. I hate the mortality of these stories, even if that's the point of the whole thing. I think I'll drown my sorrows in a chapter of "Game of Thrones".
Now onto the film itself. If you aren't wrapped up in an invisibility cloak of all things Potter then you have missed the Hogwarts Express, because this film fulfills all the promises of the last four films. They were all prelude. The Deathly Hallows Part 2 is payoff. It has a mature feeling to it that has more to do with its tone than the chronological age of the lead characters. It's a more sophisticated action adventure, grittier, with darker and more complex themes. Mortality. Loyalty. Dedication to Cause. It's also a hell of a ride. It doesn't muck about for very long before the battle is engaged and boy, is it engaged. Spells fly and the wizarding world is in mortal peril. If you read the book you know who dies, but the film skillfully plants the seeds of doubt about what you've read. Could they, would they change the written word? The movie keeps us guessing, even with prior knowledge of the outcome, no small trick.
I have enjoyed every film in this series but until last night, I could never say that I enjoyed the film more than the book. That has changed. This film is clearer about what is happening and how its all going down than the book is. It's actually more skilled than the book. Rowling's strength has always been character and the detail of the world more so than plot. This film cleans up the ragged edges of the book's plot line. It answers all the questions seamlessly, flawlessly. And the Battle of Hogwarts takes your breath away. To see that place of joy look like a bomb-ravaged WWII city just breaks your heart.
The word I keep hearing about this film is "satisfying". Perfect. Any storyteller will tell you that the hardest thing to do is to end a great story greatly. That has been accomplished in the Harry Potter series, and that will ensure that more generations will fall in love with these young wizards. But me, I'm melancholy. I want more. I hate the mortality of these stories, even if that's the point of the whole thing. I think I'll drown my sorrows in a chapter of "Game of Thrones".
Return of the Prodigal Blogger
I have been away. My writing skills were needed elsewhere for a few months and it isn't easy for me to get out to a film these days. I'll try to play catch-up in the upcoming few months. So I'm back and what better way to reboot than with a trip to Hogwarts.....
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Oscar Nominated Shorts-Live Action
Well, another Oscar ceremony is in the books and as far as I can tell James Franco is still in hiding. The show that was supposed to be about youth and the new horizon was the stodgiest, most predictable, and boring Oscar ceremony in a long while. Hope they learned a lesson. The chronological age of your hosts doesn't place a show on the cutting edge. I had an off year in the pool (damn you "Alice In Wonderland"!) and was dethroned as the reigning winner of the bottle-our Oscar trophy (congrats Cathy and BJ).
But I did get to see all of the nominated shorts from the live action category. Had I seen them before the Oscars I might have.....ahhhh who am I kidding. It wouldn't have helped at all. I still would have picked the loser. But there is some good news. This year the shorts are uniformly excellent and not nearly as downbeat as last years batch. And they're on pay-per-view so you can watch them in your own living room. It is absolutely worth it. (Time Warner cable people it's under Video on Demand --Award Season) Unlike last year, it's totally worth the five bucks. Here we go:
The Confession (UK)- This is the longest of the films (26 min) and takes itself the most seriously. It's full of religious icons and allegory. Crosses everywhere. Two young boys are about to have their first communion but one doesn't have much to confess so they pull a prank that has far more serious consequences than either can imagine or handle. It's a meditation on sin and guilt and what we will always bear with us and it is meticulously crafted and beautifully executed. This was my least favorite, but I liked it better than every one of last years crop.
Wish 143 (UK)- This may have been my favorite. A sixteen year old boy is dying of cancer (stick with me). A make-a-wish organization asks what he might want as his wish. Easy. He wants to have sex. I told ya he was sixteen. He becomes "the cancer kid who wants to lose his virginity" and how the rest of this plays out is the most intricately plotted, emotional, charming, and funny film of the lot. Let me repeat that-CHARMING and FUNNY. There is a scene toward the end that will tug on your heart and may be the most powerful cinematic moment of 2010. Worth the five bucks just for this one.
Na WeWe (Belgium)- In this short, lives are at stake. A van full of people in Africa is stopped by a band of armed Hutu militia. They are looking for Tutsi tribesmen to kill. The question is who is Hutu and who is not. A series of miraculous interventions ensue, the last of which is from Bono (yes that Bono). Sound ridiculous? It's not. Tense and powerful it is. Might have easily been the winner in this category.
The Crush (Ireland)- This was my choice in the pool and had I seen it beforehand, I might have just stuck with it. It's that good. An Irish schoolboy has a crush on his teacher. A deep, serious crush. The kind of crush you can only have from the purity of a schoolboy's eyes. She is of course in an adult relationship and one that isn't, well, so sweet. Is the young boy a hero or a stalker/psychopath in training? It keeps you guessing, this little film. I like it.
God of Love (USA)- Here's our winner. I thought this was going to be about Mormon missionaries or Bible camp. Boy was I wrong. Our hero is a wild-haired crooner in a band with an affinity for torch songs and throwing darts. He's good at both. He loves the pretty young lady who is the drummer, but she only has eyes for his best friend. Enter a love package sent straight from Olympus and maybe, just maybe, a modern day Cupid is born. Sweet and whimsical and totally hip, the wild-haired lead should have been James Franco's replacement as Oscar host. A short film that is cool and funny and made in the USA? Of course it won. And actually it kind of deserves it.
Next up, the Animated shorts
But I did get to see all of the nominated shorts from the live action category. Had I seen them before the Oscars I might have.....ahhhh who am I kidding. It wouldn't have helped at all. I still would have picked the loser. But there is some good news. This year the shorts are uniformly excellent and not nearly as downbeat as last years batch. And they're on pay-per-view so you can watch them in your own living room. It is absolutely worth it. (Time Warner cable people it's under Video on Demand --Award Season) Unlike last year, it's totally worth the five bucks. Here we go:
The Confession (UK)- This is the longest of the films (26 min) and takes itself the most seriously. It's full of religious icons and allegory. Crosses everywhere. Two young boys are about to have their first communion but one doesn't have much to confess so they pull a prank that has far more serious consequences than either can imagine or handle. It's a meditation on sin and guilt and what we will always bear with us and it is meticulously crafted and beautifully executed. This was my least favorite, but I liked it better than every one of last years crop.
Wish 143 (UK)- This may have been my favorite. A sixteen year old boy is dying of cancer (stick with me). A make-a-wish organization asks what he might want as his wish. Easy. He wants to have sex. I told ya he was sixteen. He becomes "the cancer kid who wants to lose his virginity" and how the rest of this plays out is the most intricately plotted, emotional, charming, and funny film of the lot. Let me repeat that-CHARMING and FUNNY. There is a scene toward the end that will tug on your heart and may be the most powerful cinematic moment of 2010. Worth the five bucks just for this one.
Na WeWe (Belgium)- In this short, lives are at stake. A van full of people in Africa is stopped by a band of armed Hutu militia. They are looking for Tutsi tribesmen to kill. The question is who is Hutu and who is not. A series of miraculous interventions ensue, the last of which is from Bono (yes that Bono). Sound ridiculous? It's not. Tense and powerful it is. Might have easily been the winner in this category.
The Crush (Ireland)- This was my choice in the pool and had I seen it beforehand, I might have just stuck with it. It's that good. An Irish schoolboy has a crush on his teacher. A deep, serious crush. The kind of crush you can only have from the purity of a schoolboy's eyes. She is of course in an adult relationship and one that isn't, well, so sweet. Is the young boy a hero or a stalker/psychopath in training? It keeps you guessing, this little film. I like it.
God of Love (USA)- Here's our winner. I thought this was going to be about Mormon missionaries or Bible camp. Boy was I wrong. Our hero is a wild-haired crooner in a band with an affinity for torch songs and throwing darts. He's good at both. He loves the pretty young lady who is the drummer, but she only has eyes for his best friend. Enter a love package sent straight from Olympus and maybe, just maybe, a modern day Cupid is born. Sweet and whimsical and totally hip, the wild-haired lead should have been James Franco's replacement as Oscar host. A short film that is cool and funny and made in the USA? Of course it won. And actually it kind of deserves it.
Next up, the Animated shorts
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Oscar Picks
My Oscar Picks (What I think will win, not what I would vote for if I was voting)
Picture-The King's Speech
Actor-Colin Firth The King's Speech
Actress-Natalie Portman Black Swan
Sup Actor-Christian Bale The Fighter
Sup Actress- Melissa Leo The Fighter
Director-David Fincher The Social Network
Original Screenplay-The King's Speech
Adapted Screenplay-The Social Network
Foreign Film- Dogtooth Greece
Animated Feature- Toy Story 3
Cinematography-True Grit
Film Editing- The Kng's Speech
Art Direction- Inception
Sound Editing-Inception
Sound Mixing-Inception
Visual FX-Inception
Documentary Feature-Restrepo
Costumes- The King's Speech
Orig. Score- The Social Network
Song-We Belong Together Toy Story 3
Make-up Wolfman
Documentary Short-Killing In The Name
Live Action short-The Crush
Animated Short-Night and Day
Picture-The King's Speech
Actor-Colin Firth The King's Speech
Actress-Natalie Portman Black Swan
Sup Actor-Christian Bale The Fighter
Sup Actress- Melissa Leo The Fighter
Director-David Fincher The Social Network
Original Screenplay-The King's Speech
Adapted Screenplay-The Social Network
Foreign Film- Dogtooth Greece
Animated Feature- Toy Story 3
Cinematography-True Grit
Film Editing- The Kng's Speech
Art Direction- Inception
Sound Editing-Inception
Sound Mixing-Inception
Visual FX-Inception
Documentary Feature-Restrepo
Costumes- The King's Speech
Orig. Score- The Social Network
Song-We Belong Together Toy Story 3
Make-up Wolfman
Documentary Short-Killing In The Name
Live Action short-The Crush
Animated Short-Night and Day
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Barney's Version
Paul Giamatti plays a Jewish curmudgeon with a self-destructive streak, especially when it comes to the woman in his life in an adaptation of the Mordecai Richler (The Aprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz) novel,"Barney's Version". Giamatti won the Golden Globe for best Lead Performance by an Actor in a Comedy. I have no problem with that. He gives an excellent performance but if the Foreign Press Association thinks that this film is a comedy they're taking more powerful hallucinogens than I originally suspected. This movie is in no way, shape or form a comedy. In fact it's even less of a comedy than the eventual winner in the Golden Globes Best Comedy category "The Kids Are Alright" (also not a comedy). Really, the foreign press is either high or corrupt. I lean toward the second.
But that doesn't mean the movie isn't good. It is. This is a character study wrapped in a Jewish love story. It takes Giamatti through Barney's youthful idealism and two failed marriages, to his discovery of the love of his life. It shows Barney with all his raw flaws and weaknesses, some of which sabotage his happiness. The film takes him all the way to an early grave, which might just break your heart. But by that time the richness of a life lived fully, if not perfectly, has made the cinematic journey worth taking. And that's due in no small part to a smartly adapted script, a beautifully nuanced supporting turn by Rosamund Pike and Giamatti's layered performance. He deserves to have an award on his mantle for "Barney's Version". Just not one that says "Comedy" on it.
But that doesn't mean the movie isn't good. It is. This is a character study wrapped in a Jewish love story. It takes Giamatti through Barney's youthful idealism and two failed marriages, to his discovery of the love of his life. It shows Barney with all his raw flaws and weaknesses, some of which sabotage his happiness. The film takes him all the way to an early grave, which might just break your heart. But by that time the richness of a life lived fully, if not perfectly, has made the cinematic journey worth taking. And that's due in no small part to a smartly adapted script, a beautifully nuanced supporting turn by Rosamund Pike and Giamatti's layered performance. He deserves to have an award on his mantle for "Barney's Version". Just not one that says "Comedy" on it.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Oscar Nomination Day
Wow. Interesting year. The Oscar nominations are out and I had an average year (for me) calling 42 of the 48 nominees in the major categories, including getting all ten films for Best Picture correct, all of the Best Actress and Best Sup. Actors correct. "True Grit" made a surprisingly strong showing (10 nominations)but "The King's Speech" led the way with 12 nominations. Christopher Nolan Did NOT get a best director nomination. The Geek squad is already blogging furiously about that (I guess I'm included in that bunch). The Coen Brothers got the nod, even though they weren't nominated by the DGA. Javier Bardem got the call for Biutiful (see my blog entry). Ryan Gosling got ripped a little for "Blue Valentine" but Bardem is fantastic in that movie. Robert Duval was left off the list for "Get Low". Not sure what everyone sees in Jacki Weaver for the Australian film "Animal Kingdom" but maybe the nomination will bring the movie some attention. And finally, "Winter's Bone" gets 4 major nominations including Best Picture. I've been saying this since June but seek it out. The nominations are well deserved and you can get it on Netflix.
Here we go:
Best Picture
Inception
The Kids are Alright
The Social Network
True Grit
127 Hours
Winter's Bone
Toy Story 3
Black Swan
The King's Speech
The Fighter
Actor
Colin Firth The King's Speech
Jesse Eisenberg The Social Network
James Franco 127 Hours
Jeff Bridges True Grit
Javier Bardem Biutiful
Actress
Annette Bening The Kids Are Alright
Jennifer Lawrence Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman Black Swan
Nicole Kidman Rabbit Hole
Michelle Williams Blue Valentine
Supporting Actress
Melissa Leo The Fighter
Amy Adams The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter The King's Speech
Jacki Weaver Animal Kingdom
Haille Steinfeld True Grit
Supporting Actor
Christian Bale The Fighter
Mark Ruffalo The Kids Are Alright
Geoffrey Rush The King's Speech
Jeremy Renner The Town
John Hawkes Winter's Bone
Director
David O. Russel The Fighter
The Coens True Grit
Tom Hooper The King's Speech
Darren Aronofsky Black Swan
David Fincher The Social Network
Original Screenplay
The King's Speech
Inception
The Kids Are Alright
The Fighter
Another Year
Adapted Screenplay
Toy Story 3
The Social Network
True Grit
Winter's Bone
127 Hours
Animated Feature
How To Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3
Here we go:
Best Picture
Inception
The Kids are Alright
The Social Network
True Grit
127 Hours
Winter's Bone
Toy Story 3
Black Swan
The King's Speech
The Fighter
Actor
Colin Firth The King's Speech
Jesse Eisenberg The Social Network
James Franco 127 Hours
Jeff Bridges True Grit
Javier Bardem Biutiful
Actress
Annette Bening The Kids Are Alright
Jennifer Lawrence Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman Black Swan
Nicole Kidman Rabbit Hole
Michelle Williams Blue Valentine
Supporting Actress
Melissa Leo The Fighter
Amy Adams The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter The King's Speech
Jacki Weaver Animal Kingdom
Haille Steinfeld True Grit
Supporting Actor
Christian Bale The Fighter
Mark Ruffalo The Kids Are Alright
Geoffrey Rush The King's Speech
Jeremy Renner The Town
John Hawkes Winter's Bone
Director
David O. Russel The Fighter
The Coens True Grit
Tom Hooper The King's Speech
Darren Aronofsky Black Swan
David Fincher The Social Network
Original Screenplay
The King's Speech
Inception
The Kids Are Alright
The Fighter
Another Year
Adapted Screenplay
Toy Story 3
The Social Network
True Grit
Winter's Bone
127 Hours
Animated Feature
How To Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3
Friday, January 21, 2011
Oscar Predictions
Alright, here's what I think The Academy will nominate. This isn't what I would nominate but rather what I think they will nominate. Here goes:
BEST PICTURE
The Social Network
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit
The Fighter
------------These are the five that I think would have been nominated under the old 5 picture system.
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Kids Are All Right
Toy Story 3
Winter's Bone
Alt: The Town
BEST ACTOR
Jesse Eisenberg The Social Network
Colin Firth The King's Speech
James Franco 127 Hours
Jeff Bridges True Grit
Ryan Gosling Blue Valentine
BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening The Kids Are All Right
Jennifer Lawrence Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman Black Swan
Nicole Kidman Rabbit Hole
Michele Williams Blue Valentine
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Geoffrey Rush The King's Speech
Jeremy Renner The Town
Christian Bale The Fighter
John Hawkes Winter's Bone
Mark Ruffalo The Kids Are All Right
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Melissa Leo The Fighter
Amy Adams The Fighter
Haille Steinfeld True Grit
Helena Bonham Carter The King's Speech
Mila Kunis Black Swan
DIRECTOR
Tom Hooper The King's Speech
Christopher Nolan Inception
Darren Aronfsky Black Swan
David Fincher The Social Network
David O. Russel The Fighter
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Toy Story 3
The Social Network
True Grit
Winter's Bone
127 Hours
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The King's Speech
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
Black Swan
Blue Valentine
ANIMATED FEATURE
Toy Story 3
Tangled
How To Train Your Dragon
BEST PICTURE
The Social Network
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit
The Fighter
------------These are the five that I think would have been nominated under the old 5 picture system.
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Kids Are All Right
Toy Story 3
Winter's Bone
Alt: The Town
BEST ACTOR
Jesse Eisenberg The Social Network
Colin Firth The King's Speech
James Franco 127 Hours
Jeff Bridges True Grit
Ryan Gosling Blue Valentine
BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening The Kids Are All Right
Jennifer Lawrence Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman Black Swan
Nicole Kidman Rabbit Hole
Michele Williams Blue Valentine
SUPPORTING ACTOR
Geoffrey Rush The King's Speech
Jeremy Renner The Town
Christian Bale The Fighter
John Hawkes Winter's Bone
Mark Ruffalo The Kids Are All Right
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Melissa Leo The Fighter
Amy Adams The Fighter
Haille Steinfeld True Grit
Helena Bonham Carter The King's Speech
Mila Kunis Black Swan
DIRECTOR
Tom Hooper The King's Speech
Christopher Nolan Inception
Darren Aronfsky Black Swan
David Fincher The Social Network
David O. Russel The Fighter
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Toy Story 3
The Social Network
True Grit
Winter's Bone
127 Hours
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The King's Speech
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
Black Swan
Blue Valentine
ANIMATED FEATURE
Toy Story 3
Tangled
How To Train Your Dragon
Thursday, January 6, 2011
2010 Top Ten Films
According to me:
10) City Island- A New York-you-haven't-seen-before story. This is a quirky comedy with an ensemble that blends well. Andy Garcia has a dark secret--he wants to be an actor. And the fat girl/cooking porn site is as funny as anything in the movies this year.
9) The Town- Ben Affleck's second Boston-based film has an authentic feel to it and a great ensemble including Jeremy Renner, Rebeca Hall and the late Pete Posthelwaite. A terrific crime genre film.
8) Blue Valentine- A relationship spiraling downward but the pathos is in the flashback sequences. This couple started off so promising. Ryan Gosling is outstanding.
7) 127 Hours- Man v. Nature with the most intense scenes of the year. You need a strong stomach but the ride is thrilling.
6) The Kids Are Alright- An honest story about the struggles of a modern family. Oh and as a side note the central couple is gay. Terrific ensemble lead by Annette Bening.
5) True Grit- A western with grit as seen through the prism of the Coen Brother's talent. As entertaining as any film this year. Hailee Steinfeld is a rare find.
4) Toy Story 3- Pixar doing their brilliant Pixar thing. Clever and uplifting in a year where that is a rare event indeed.
3) Winter's Bone- Look up independent film and you find a one-sheet of this movie. Takes you to a world you have never seen before and immerses you in it. Where did they find Jennifer Lawrence? Brilliant performance.
2) The King's Speech- A film that fires on all cylinders. Watching Firth and Rush spar is truly amazing. Historical. Hysterical. Poignant. Charming. I see many gold statues in your future....
1) The Social Network- in a photo finish. A modern and topical look at friendship, betrayal and where our values are headed in the age of the computer. It's all about the script but the acting and directing are almost as impressive. Here's to you guys, Sorkin, Fincher, Eisenberg et al.
Runners up- Inception, The Ghost Writer, Date Night, Fish Tank, Please Give
10) City Island- A New York-you-haven't-seen-before story. This is a quirky comedy with an ensemble that blends well. Andy Garcia has a dark secret--he wants to be an actor. And the fat girl/cooking porn site is as funny as anything in the movies this year.
9) The Town- Ben Affleck's second Boston-based film has an authentic feel to it and a great ensemble including Jeremy Renner, Rebeca Hall and the late Pete Posthelwaite. A terrific crime genre film.
8) Blue Valentine- A relationship spiraling downward but the pathos is in the flashback sequences. This couple started off so promising. Ryan Gosling is outstanding.
7) 127 Hours- Man v. Nature with the most intense scenes of the year. You need a strong stomach but the ride is thrilling.
6) The Kids Are Alright- An honest story about the struggles of a modern family. Oh and as a side note the central couple is gay. Terrific ensemble lead by Annette Bening.
5) True Grit- A western with grit as seen through the prism of the Coen Brother's talent. As entertaining as any film this year. Hailee Steinfeld is a rare find.
4) Toy Story 3- Pixar doing their brilliant Pixar thing. Clever and uplifting in a year where that is a rare event indeed.
3) Winter's Bone- Look up independent film and you find a one-sheet of this movie. Takes you to a world you have never seen before and immerses you in it. Where did they find Jennifer Lawrence? Brilliant performance.
2) The King's Speech- A film that fires on all cylinders. Watching Firth and Rush spar is truly amazing. Historical. Hysterical. Poignant. Charming. I see many gold statues in your future....
1) The Social Network- in a photo finish. A modern and topical look at friendship, betrayal and where our values are headed in the age of the computer. It's all about the script but the acting and directing are almost as impressive. Here's to you guys, Sorkin, Fincher, Eisenberg et al.
Runners up- Inception, The Ghost Writer, Date Night, Fish Tank, Please Give
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
All Good Things
Ryan Gosling is having quite a year. "Blue Valentine" is a critical hit, gathering him a a Golden Globe nomination and a shot at an Oscar nod. Now he backs it up with another film in which he does some pretty good character work, "All Good Things". Gosling plays David Marks, loosely based on a real psychopath who has up to now gotten away with a lot of the illegal activity he perpetrated. Gosling ages several decades as he stands trial for a murder that's hard to prove but may be related to the disappearance of his wife (Kirsten Dunst) and another friend.
These real life murders are an enigma as is much of the movie. The film steadfastly refuses to offer the audience much in terms of detail or motivation. That makes for about an hour and forty-five minutes of some confusing, non-committal storytelling. Things clear up in the end so if you have the patience you might find the experience worthwhile. But by the time they got to an explanation they had lost me. Too much brooding and shadowy innuendo for me. Still, Gosling and Dunst are pretty good in a fair-to-middlin' movie.
These real life murders are an enigma as is much of the movie. The film steadfastly refuses to offer the audience much in terms of detail or motivation. That makes for about an hour and forty-five minutes of some confusing, non-committal storytelling. Things clear up in the end so if you have the patience you might find the experience worthwhile. But by the time they got to an explanation they had lost me. Too much brooding and shadowy innuendo for me. Still, Gosling and Dunst are pretty good in a fair-to-middlin' movie.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Way Back
Peter Weir is one of the best directors in the biz and has been for a long time. That may be a generalization but I think I have broad support on this stance. Let the record show: Witness, Dead Poet's Society, Master and Commander, Fearless, Mosquito Coast, The Truman Show, The Year of Living Dangerously. That's not even counting his youthful days as part of the Australian New Wave with films like Gallipoli, The Last Wave or Picnic at Hanging Rock. That's some resume, huh?
When Peter Weir directs his first film in seven years it big news. Only this time, not so much.
In "The Way Back", a group of prisoners in a Siberian gulag escape, only to face a more daunting natural prison as they hike away from communist oppression and toward freedom in India. Ed Harris, Colin Firth and four other men endure freezing cold, stifling heat, lack of water, and daunting mountains along the way. They also pick up a young Russian girl who is on the run (Saoirse Ronan).
That's it. They walk. They talk a little and form a bond. It would be alright if there was any variety to the struggle. How many times can you crest a hill only to find more hills? The scenes in the prison are the most compelling part of the film. The whole thing, when measured against Peter Weir's stellar legacy, is quite disappointing. Not horrible, just disappointing. And there's a weird voice over in the beginning that gives away how many of the group actually make it, so there goes THAT dramatic tension. I hope Weir doesn't wait seven years before his next directorial outing.
When Peter Weir directs his first film in seven years it big news. Only this time, not so much.
In "The Way Back", a group of prisoners in a Siberian gulag escape, only to face a more daunting natural prison as they hike away from communist oppression and toward freedom in India. Ed Harris, Colin Firth and four other men endure freezing cold, stifling heat, lack of water, and daunting mountains along the way. They also pick up a young Russian girl who is on the run (Saoirse Ronan).
That's it. They walk. They talk a little and form a bond. It would be alright if there was any variety to the struggle. How many times can you crest a hill only to find more hills? The scenes in the prison are the most compelling part of the film. The whole thing, when measured against Peter Weir's stellar legacy, is quite disappointing. Not horrible, just disappointing. And there's a weird voice over in the beginning that gives away how many of the group actually make it, so there goes THAT dramatic tension. I hope Weir doesn't wait seven years before his next directorial outing.
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