Shooting Without a Script

The Grey

2012-02-06T09:15:00.003-05:00

The Grey is not a good movie. It is, however, a decent movie. At least up until the ending in which the film gets completely and utterly destroyed. Any bit of goodwill the movie earned from me was completely wasted in those final moments. But more about that in a minute (and, yes, I will be spoiling the ending for you so SPOILER WARNING).

The Grey stars Liam Neeson in what has no become his go-to role: a better than it has to be late January/early February movie in which he proves himself to be a badass and saves people from dangerous people/things (see also: Taken, Unknown). In The Grey, he's a marksman stationed way up North, as North as you can probably go. His job is to kill wolves so they don't get into the drilling center and attack the other workers. It's dark and cold and all the while he has flashbacks to a sun drenched bed and his former lover. He is miserable now, contemplating suicide, so when it's time to go home, he is as excited as Liam Neeson in this kind of movie can be. But then, there is a terrible plane crash into a vast arctic nothingness complete with just lots and lots of snow (at least when the plane crashed on Lost, they got stranded on a hot, tropical, albeit creepy, island). The few survivors of the plane crash (including Dermot Mulroney!) team up to try to survive in the wilderness. Their goal is to build a fire and find food, make it through the first night and then head South hoping someone will save them sooner or later. But then the wolves strike. And apparently wolves are revenge driven animals because when the men fight back, it only makes them more and more angry and they begin to hunt them wherever they run. And so the movie is these men (their numbers dwindling - there were 7, then 6, then 5, then...) trying to outsmart and outrun a pack of wolves, struggling against the bitter cold and blizzards of mother nature.

And it's not so bad. I mean, sure it's way too quiet to be a thriller and has far too much blood and guts to be a thoughtful character piece. The Grey doesn't know what the hell kind of movie it wants to be. And to a certain extent, that's fine. The action, the philosophical discussions, the tender moving moments, Liam Neeson's fantastic performance - these all add up to a pretty decent movie. Not good, not by a long shot, but at least good enough so that it's worth watching. It keeps your interest and entertains you. And then... the end.

SPOILER ALERT!!! So, I was with this movie until the end. I really was. I was giving it the benefit of the doubt. I really was trying to like it. But then this happened... Remember that moment in the trailer? Of course you do, they only showed the trailer approximately 3 million times in the last month. The part where Liam Neeson is ready to face off with a giant scary wolf. He grabs some of those miniature bottles of liquor from planes and tapes them between his knuckles, smashing the ends into jagged pieces of glass. That's the part that made me want to see the movie. Liam Neeson in some sort of epic showdown with wolves in the wilderness? Hell yeah. Well, guess what? That's how it ends. With that single moment. There is no impending fight. There is no epic showdown. It ends and we are supposed to guess what happens. Well, there's a pack of wolves staring him down so there's really no guessing necessary. Now, for the record, I love ambiguous endings to movies. I love movies that leave you hanging. And I didn't feel it necessary to see Liam Neeson ripped to shreds. However, this was the single moment from the preview that probably made people excited for this movie. You've got to show us SOMETHING. Show us at least a minute of this epic showdown. At least a taste of the fight. Then cut to black. At least give the audience some satisfaction after we've successfully sat through a boring movie that was 20 minutes too long. But no, this rotten, terrible ending completely and totally destroys this movie. It's quite possibly the worst ending I've seen in recent memory. What a waste of time.

Grade: D

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

2012-01-31T07:02:00.006-05:00

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is some sort of mushy, sentimentalist crap. A film that's so overwrought, so full of utterly one-dimensional emotions, that it's almost offensive. It's got a star who is utterly punchable (except punching kids is bad!). And guess what? I freaking liked it. A lot. Believe me, I'm as surprised as you are.

The film is directed by Stephen Daldry, who always manages to turn trite into something better. This guy is some sort of miracle worker. He directs the hell out of his films and makes them connect to an audience even when they don't want to be connected. I went into this movie expecting the worst. I read the reviews. I was as shocked as everyone else when it got nominated for Best Picture. Plainly speaking, I didn't want to see it. Maybe it was because my expectations were so low. I don't know. But I ended up liking the damn thing.

It's the story of a young New York City boy (Thomas Horn) who may or may not have Asperger's. He lives with his mom (a plain looking Sandra Bullock) and jeweler dad (Tom Hanks). He and his dad are incredibly close. They go on expeditions, which are sort of scavanger hunts with dad making up stories about a mysterious sixth borough of the city so that his son will have to traverse Central Park and talk to strangers (which is the real mission, of course, since he has so much difficulty with this) and try to solve the mystery. They have a perfectly sweet, if not completely nerdy family. Then, 9/11 strikes and dad had a meeting in the World Trade Center. Oscar's life changes. Struggling with grief and guilt and all kinds of things that he's not emotionally equipped to deal with, he finds a key in his father's closet and decides it's his dad's final way of trying to reach out for him. His final mission, and the only way he can keep his father close. The key is in an envelope marked "Black" and he sets out to speak to everyone named black in New York City, trying to decide if they knew his father and what the key means. Along the way, he meets Viola Davis and Jeffrey Wright and the movie stealing Max Von Sydow.

I know what you're all thinking. The fact that I like this movie is very suspect. I mean, after all, I have impeccable, IMPECCABLE, taste in films! But there was just something about this film that struck me. It's not perfect, not by a long shot, but it's emotional in such a way that makes you want to like it more than you should. I went into this thing wanting to hate it, just like everybody else. But, despite myself, I just couldn't do it. Something about it just got to me. Bullock is solid and since Hollywood loves her so much, I'm surprised her name hasn't been thrown around more during award season. Horn is a great find. As much as I wanted to punch him in the face in the beginning, he grew on me (especially since he's sort of a younger male version of me... I mean I'm scared of EVERYTHING too). But Von Sydow is what sealed the deal for me. As a man who never speaks a word (there's a lot of that going around this award season), he is absolutely riveting to watch. He's astounding really and I'm glad he got nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Overall, I know there's a lot of hatred out there for this movie, but I just couldn't bring myself to hate it. Believe me, I tried.

Grade: B

The Artist

2012-01-30T07:03:00.003-05:00

I don't know what it is about Oscar Best Picture front runners lately. Last year, everyone under the sun loved The King's Speech... except me. I found it too long and too boring. And pointless, too. Ooooh, let's make a boring two hour movie about a guy who had to overcome something in order to make a speech. Well, guess what? I have anxiety attacks anytime I have to talk in front of more than 3 people at a time. No one has made a movie about me. A few years before that, it was the over hyped, underwhelming Slumdog Millionaire. I was, seemingly, the only person alive who didn't like. Not only that, but I hated it with a passion. This year it's The Artist. Maybe it's because there is always a better film in the running that loses to these boring, trite, baity movies (The King's Speech beat the far superior The Social Network (and even Inception and Black Swan), Slumdog Millionaire beat out the political masterpiece Milk, The Artist will most likely win over a slew of better films including, but not limited to, Hugo, Moneyball and The Tree of Life). Maybe, since these are BEST PICTURE WINNERS / CONTENDERS, my expectations are just too high and I'm always let down. I don't know what it is, but there's always something.

That being said, The Artist is not a BAD movie. It's even, by most standards, a good movie. I even will go so far as to say that I liked it. Of course, I did like it better when it was called A Star is Born, because basically that's the plot of The Artist except without words and with a dog. The Artist is a mostly silent film about the biggest silent film star in Hollywood in the late 1920s, George Valentin (Jean DuJardin). Everyone in the world loves him. He's on the top of his game. However, silent films are on their way out and talkies are on their way in and a young ingenue, Peppy Miller, who he helped discover is poised to become the biggest star in Hollywood as he fades slowly away. And that is A Star is Born... I mean, The Artist. So, cliched plot - check!

But there is something about The Artist that is worth going to see. It's a wonderful throw back to old Hollywood and a celebration of the golden age of Hollywood (which is why it will probably win Best Picture). They recreate Hollywood in the late 1920s and early 1930s effortlessly. DuJardin is amazing as George Valetin. His performance is epic. He is larger than life, effortlessly charming, so vibrant and alive... all without saying a word. After seeing this film, I do think he should beat out George and Brad for Best Actor. However, I was less than impressed with Berenice Bejo's performance as Peppy. She was too hammy and over the top to be taken seriously, in my opinion.

The last twenty minutes of The Artist are pretty flawless and perfect, but over all, it's really not anything all that special. I mean, yes, The Artist is a good movie. But is it a great movie? No. Is it a movie that will stay in my mind for more than a year or two? No. Great Best Picture Oscar winners should stand the test of time. We should still want to watch them in twenty or thirty or fifty years. And, I'm sorry, but The Artist is not that movie.

Grade: B

Oscar Nominations

2012-01-24T09:18:00.004-05:00

Best Picture
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse
THOUGHTS - I predicted seven nominees and the seven I predicted are part of this group of nine.

Best Actor
Demian Bichir - A Better Life
George Clooney - The Descendants
Jean Dujardin - The Artist
Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt - Moneyball
THOUGHTS - I sort of for saw Oldman taking out Fassbender and Leo but I never even heard of this Bichir guy. WTH!?

Best Actress
Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis - The Help
Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn
THOUGHTS - I'm pleasantly surprised to see Mara, although it means no Charlize. I predicted last year that she would be nominated for playing Lisbeth but her lack of precursor support really surprised me.

Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh - My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Nick Nolte - Warrior
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
Max Von Sydow - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
THOUGHTS - No Brooks surprises me although there doesn't seem to be much love for Drive in the nominations. I haven't seen Extremely Loud but I do have an older man crush on Von Sydow so yay!

Best Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo - The Artist
Jessica Chastain - The Help
Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer - The Help
THOUGHTS - No Shailene makes me upset. I think that's the biggest snub of the day for me, even more so than Fassbender or DiCaprio. I'm shocked to see McCarthy even though I loved her in that role. It doesn't scream Oscar.

Best Director
Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris
Michel Hazawhatever - The Artist
Terrence Malick - The Tree of Life
Alexander Payne - The Descendants
Martin Scorsese - Hugo
THOUGHTS - I think this is exactly what I predicted so yay. But boo for no Fincher!

Oscar Predictions

2012-01-23T18:27:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is my favorite movie related day of the year - Oscar Nomination Day! Yes, I love it even more than the actual Oscars. By then, you pretty much know who is going to win (barring any upsets - I LOVE upsets), but nominations are usually at least a little surprising. So, I'm going to try my hand at predicting the nominees. I am notoriously VERY bad at this but I'll give it a try anyway. Keep in mind, this year they changed the Best Picture rules. I don't completely understand them but there could be anywhere between five and ten nominees. I'm going to go with seven...

Best Picture
The Artist
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION: The riveting, thrilling roller coaster that was Drive.

Best Actor
George Clooney - The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio - J. Edgar
Jean Dujardin - The Artist
Michael Fassbender - Shame
Brad Pitt - Moneyball
SURPRISE SNUB? - I really have a feeling Fassbender is going to get snubbed. Don't know why but he could be replaced by Ryan Gosling for Ides of March or Drive.
FYC - Michael Shannon, who gives the years absolute best performance in Take Shelter.

Best Actress
Viola Davis - The Help
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton - We Need to Talk About Kevin
Charlize Theron - Young Adult
Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn
POSSIBILITY - I was tempted to go with the majority and predict Glenn Close over Charlize but I'm going with my gut.
FYC - Rooney Mara's performance in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was nominee-worthy.

Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh - My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks - Drive
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - The Ides of March
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
POSSIBILITY - It's very possible Hoffman won't get in but I have a feeling about him and the Oscars have nominated him for lesser work.

Best Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo - The Artist
Jessica Chastain - The Help
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer - The Help
Shailene Woodley - The Descendants
FYC - Wishful thinking but I'd love to see some Judy Greer love up in here!

Best Director
Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist (I hope he loses just because I hate spelling his damn name)
Terrence Malick - The Tree of Life
Alexander Payne - The Descendants
Martin Scorsese - Hugo
SPOILER ALERT - The Oscars LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Spielberg...
FYC - If this category could somehow edge the French guy out for David Fincher and Payne for Bennett Miller of Moneyball, this would be filled with some of my favorite directors of all time.

Haywire

2012-01-23T07:00:00.004-05:00

The problem with Haywire isn't that it's confusing (but it is) and it isn't that the lead character can't really act (because she can't). The problem is: if the lead character was a man, this movie wouldn't be interesting. It wouldn't be on anyone's radar. It would probably be widely regarded as one of the worst movies of the (very young) year. But because a female is the main character and that is supposed to encourage some sort of bad ass, feminist movement, then this movie is getting very generous reviews.

That being said, Haywire isn't a bad movie. It's a very mediocre movie with some very good supporting performances. But that's just not enough. MMA star turned American Gladiator turned movie star Gina Carano stars as Mallory Kane, an ex-Marine turned mercenary who is back stabbed and framed and sent on a cross country mission to find out who did her wrong and clear her good name. Or, it's the Bourne Identity without the memory loss and without Matt Damon. Carano is not an actress and although she can kick all kinds of ass, she's not all that compelling to watch. I just kept finding it completely unbelievable. I don't care how tough and awesome she is. I believe that she could fight tough boys and probably win most of the time. But that she always walks away without a scratch?? Come on! That her only injury during the entire movie was when she falls from a building and hurts her back and has to limp away? Please. She's not perfect.

So, Carano was kind of a wash for me. It's a good thing her role is largely silent and she doesn't have much dialogue because I didn't find her to be a good actress. The thing that saved this movie for me were all the great male supporting actors. Channing Tatum shows (again) that he's more than a pretty face as Mallory's ex-partner. He was impressive in previous efforts like A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints and Stop Loss, so hopefully this is a step in the right direction for him. I don't want to see him in movies like the upcoming The Vow because that isn't going to do anything for him. He needs movies like this to maybe earn some cred. Michael Fassbender oozes sexy charm as the partner Mallory is set up with in Berlin. The two try to kill each other in a knock em down, drag em out hotel fight which is totally sexy. It's the best part of the movie, hands down. Michael Angarano, one of my favorites, is great as the comic relief - a young boy who happens upon Mallory in a cafe and gets forced along on a crazy road trip. Michael Douglas and Antonio Banderas are great as the powerful potential bad guys in suits. But it's Ewan McGregor who all but steals the movie as Kenneth, Mallory's slime ball ex-boyfriend/ex-boss. He's delightfully slimy and wonderfully creepy.

Like I said, Haywire isn't a bad movie. It's just not a good one either. All I kept thinking during the entire movie was, I wonder what this movie would have been like if it had been directed by Quentin Tarantino. A talky, stylish, bad ass spy epic from one of the coolest directors around?? I would have loved to see that.
Grade: C

Contraband

2012-01-16T09:17:00.005-05:00

My first movie of 2012. What can I say? Well, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, that's for sure. The good news here is the supporting cast. Mark Wahlberg and Kate Beckinsale are just fine as the leads but you can sign me up for any movie starring (or co-starring) Ben Foster, Giovanni Ribisi, J.K. Simmons, and Lukas Haas. Personally, I would like to champion Hollywood to make a much, much better movie for Foster and Ribisi to co-star in and make that happen as soon as humanly possible. It's almost a shame to watch two of the most exciting character actors in the business get weighted down in this overwrought, cliched material.
But, more on that later.
Contraband stars Mark Wahlberg as a former smuggler turned family man who settled down with his pretty wife (Beckinsale) and two young sons to lead an honest life in New Orleans. However, his brother-in-law, Kate's (yes, that's her name in the movie, too) little brother (Caleb Landry Jones) isn't so smart. Despite tons of warnings, he got himself caught up in the smuggling business. When customs searches the boat he's smuggling drugs on, he throws the package overboard and finds himself in the hospital with a huge debt thanks to a particularly snaky smarmy bad guy played by the lovely Giovanni Ribisi. So, Wahlberg and his ex-smuggler bestie Sebastian (Foster) try to pay his debt but Giovanni isn't having it. He wants his money and he wants it fast. So Wahlberg and friends go to Panama via a boat captained by J.K. Simmons for one last heist.
And that's all of the plot that you'll get. There is a pretty significant plot twist that I won't give away (although, really, if you are a fan of a certain actor's work in general, you won't really be surprised by the twist, as I wasn't). If you are looking at Contraband as a fun way to kill two hours on a cold, winter's day then you won't be disappointed. It is an action filled movie that is interesting enough to keep your attention with likeable enough stars to make you cheer for them. However, Contraband isn't really anything to write home about. It has a mediocre script, at best. The dialogue is cliched and contrived. There is one particularly well directed scene that almost seems like a waste because the rest of the film is directed in a very hodge-podge, throw it against the wall and see what sticks kinda way. These characters aren't particularly complicated and well thought out or subtle. They are very two dimensional characters, with the exception of Sebastian and that's only because Foster is so damn good, so much better than just about EVERYONE else. And his performance makes up for a lot with me. This movie would be an utter failure without him (Ribisi and Jones are pretty spectacular as well, although they don't do as much with their flat characters). Foster makes this character come alive. He is a ridiculously talented actor who should probably be getting all of Ryan Gosling's roles (don't get me wrong, I love Gosling too... it's just a shame how underrated Foster is).
So, overall, Contraband isn't a complete waste of time or a terrible way to start off the 2012 movie year. It's fun if not forgettable and cliched. But Ben Foster makes up for A LOT with his complicated, dazzling performance. His performance alone brought my grade up at least a letter grade.
Grade: C+

Golden Globe Predictions

2012-01-11T07:02:00.004-05:00

The Golden Globes are Sunday night so here are my predictions on who will win!

Best Movie - Drama
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
War Horse
Who Will Win - I'm going to do a little wishful thinking and say Hugo. But don't count out The Descendants or The Help!

Best Movie - Comedy / Musical
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris
My Week With Marilyn
Who Will Win - If The Artist doesn't win I will be shocked even though Bridesmaids is the only really outright laugh out loud comedy listed there.

Best Actor - Drama
George Clooney - The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio - J. Edgar
Michael Fassbender - Shame
Ryan Gosling - The Ides of March
Brad Pitt - Moneyball
Who Will Win - Did you see the HOTNESS of this category? Honey, we ALL win! (But, seriously, Clooney).

Best Actress - Drama
Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis - The Help
Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton - We Need to Talk About Kevin
Who Will Win - When in doubt, always go with Meryl!

Best Actor - Comedy / Musical
Jean Dujardin - The Artist
Brendan Gleeson - The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - 50/50
Ryan Gosling - Crazy Stupid Love
Owen Wilson - Midnight in Paris
Who Will Win - If Dujardin doesn't win, I will be shocked.

Best Actress - Comedy / Musical
Jodie Foster - Carnage
Charlize Theron - Young Adult
Kristin Wiig - Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams - My Week With Marilyn
Kate Winslet - Carnage
Who Will Win - Look, Michelle's performance as Marilyn Monroe was my favorite female performance of the year. I am 85% sure she is going to win an Oscar in a month. But given the crazy, unpredictable nature of the Golden Globes, part of me really, really, really wants Wiig to win!

Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh - My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks - Drive
Jonah Hill - Moneyball
Viggo Mortensen - A Dangerous Method
Christopher Plummer - Beginners
Who Will Win - Plummer!!

Best Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo - The Artist
Jessica Chastain - The Help
Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer - The Help
Shailene Woodley - The Descendants
Who Will Win - I'm sensing there is going to be some ridiculous level of love for The Artist so I'm kind of leaning with Bejo. This category seems wide open though and I'm personally pulling for either Chastain or Woodley.

Best Director
Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris
George Clooney - The Ides of March
Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
Alexander Payne - The Descendants
Martin Scorsese - Hugo
Who Will Win - Again, it depends on the love of The Artist. I could see Payne winning here, but I'm going with Hazanavicius. I think the Globes are going to love The Artist.

2011 Grades

2012-01-10T07:00:00.003-05:00

To finish my yearly wrap up, here is the complete list of films I've seen this year, alphabetical by grade:

A+

A
Hugo
Moneyball
The Tree of Life

A-
Drive

B+
50/50
Beginners
Bridesmaids
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Help
The Ides of March
Midnight in Paris
Super 8
Take Shelter
Warrior

B
Bellflower
The Conspirator
Contagion
Crazy Stupid Love
The Descendants
Limitless
The Lincoln Lawyer
My Week With Marilyn
Red State
Scream 4
Skateland
Source Code
X-Men: First Class
Young Adult

B-
Ceremony
Fright Night
Jane Eyre
Meek's Cutoff
Win Win

C+
Friends with Benefits
The Hangover Part 2
Hanna
Horrible Bosses
J. Edgar
Our Idiot Brother
Thor

C
The Art of Getting By
Bad Teacher
The Beaver
I Am Number Four
The Mechanic
No Strings Attached
Unknown

C-
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Immortals
The Other Woman
Paranormal Activity 3
Red Riding Hood

D+
The Adjustment Bureau
Cedar Rapids
The Green Hornet
Just Go With It

D
The Roommate
Sucker Punch

D-
Beastly
Insidious
The Rite
Take Me Home Tonight

F
Battle Los Angeles
The Dilemma
Drive Angry
Hesher
One Day
Paul
Super
Your Highness

Top Ten List: Best Films of 2011

2012-01-09T07:02:00.005-05:00

Honorable Mention - The Ides of March, Bellflower, Young Adult, 50/50, The Help.

10. Warrior - If MMA had existed during Shakespeare's time, he would have written a play about it and this movie would have been based on that play. Warring brothers? Check. Sons with major daddy resentment issues? Check. Lots of melodrama and tragedy? Check. An epic final showdown between said brothers? Check. Just throw in some witches or something, and it's a Shakespeare play!

09. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - I still think I prefer the original Swedish version and Noomi Rapace's performance as Lisbeth better, but that's not to take anything away from David Fincher's punk rock, edgy, anarchy filled remake. It's dark and brutal filled with amazing performances from Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig and Stellan Skarsgard.

08. Take Shelter - One of the quieter films of the year, Take Shelter is a fantastic take on one man's life. He starts having nightmares and then struggles to discover if he's seeing the end of the world or just going schizophrenic like his mommy. Would this movie work without Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain's Oscar worthy performances? Maybe not. So thank God we've got them!

07. Beginners - You know how all movies about parents dying of cancer and love stories about starting over and trying again are terribly cliched? Well, not this beautiful filmed based on director Mike Mills own experiences with his 70-something dying dad coming out of the closet and his thirst for life in his final months that influences him to seek love with a quirky adorable French actress. Plus, there's a dog that talks in subtitles!

06. Bridesmaids - The goddamn funniest movie of the year, hands down! Months later and Bridesmaids is still so far into the collective minds of society that it's being nominated for a well-deserved ton of awards! Kristen Wiig is outstanding (and her performance, I relate to, maybe, a bit too much) as a woman struggling with the feelings of her best friend getting married and getting her life together while she still hasn't figured anything out. Throw in Maya Rudolf and Melissa McCarthy and you will never laugh harder.

05. Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen is back! Although, he hasn't gone anywhere, really, Midnight in Paris is his most creative, most enjoyable movie in years. Owen Wilson stars as a writer engaged to a terrible woman (Rachel McAdams) who is obsessed with 1920s Paris. One night, he suddenly finds himself transported back there to hob nob with the likes of F. Scott Fitzgerald, his wife Zelda, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, and, of course, a very hilarious Corey Stoll as Ernest Hemingway. A delightful, fantastic film from my favorite director.

04. Drive - I remember when I was in the college and I swear every dorm room had a poster of either Fight Club or Dazed and Confused. Those were the cult masterpieces of my college days. I always wondered what movie poster kids these days would have on their walls. Well, thanks to Drive and it's gritty, violent, urgent storytelling and performances, plus it's generally too-cool vibe, I think it's safe to say everyone next fall will have a Drive poster on their wall.

03. The Tree of Life - What can you possibly say about such a flawed masterpiece? A movie that so many people love, but just as many people hate. Well, The Tree of Life is so big, so urgent, so beautiful, that it's really almost above film. Director Terrence Malick has made, yet again, a piece of art. And that you got to sit there and watch it, should make you grateful.

02. Moneyball - Maybe it's because I love baseball so very much but Bennett Miller's tale of an aging baseball star and current coach who breaks the rules and tries to create his very own system for picking players is a great movie. It's not just a baseball movie (although it's the best movie about baseball since Bull Durham), it's a movie about life, being the underdog and trying your hardest to win.

01. Hugo - When I heard that Martin Scorsese was directing a children's movie, I was shocked. After all, this is the man that made Raging Bull and Goodfellas and Taxi Driver. But it IS Martin Scorsese so I should have realized really quickly that his children's movie would be the best of the year. Hugo is enchanting and beautiful and a celebration of film and movie making with exquisite performances. Also, he finally made me think 3D wasn't such a waste of time and money.

Top Ten List: Best Actor 2011

2012-01-06T07:00:00.003-05:00

10. Tom Hardy for Warrior - Hardy, who has previously done such great work in films like Bronson, is electric in Warrior. As a mysterious former Marine who joins the ultimate MMA battle, he is like a caged lion in the ring, all aggression and rage and heart.

09. Michael Fassbender for X-Men: First Class - I know, I know. Fassbender again?? But he was great as the young Magneto, a former prisoner of the Nazi's who starts out as a friend to Professor X but ultimately becomes a very very (sexy) bad man.

08. Michael Angarano for Ceremony - This movie made me realize that in a few years Michael Angarano is going to be just like Sam Rockwell. Watching his performance here, as a young man in love with an older soon to be married woman who shows up at her wedding to wreck havoc, you would think you were watching a young Rockwell. And that's definitely a good thing.

07. Ryan Gosling for The Ides of March - In the second of Gosling's one-two punch this fall, he played a good man working for a bad politician. So when he decides to fight back and manipulate certain events, what does that make him? Luckily, Gosling is just as good as the script, so it's fun trying to figure it all out.

06. Joseph Gordon-Levitt for 50/50 - I've been a fan of Gordon-Levitt's since day one, years ago when he was a young kid on 3rd Rock from the Sun. He did the indie circuit, and wowed everyone with performances in Brick and then moved on to blockbusters like Inception. It's great to see him flexing his considerable acting skills in a very good (highly underrated) comedy about cancer.

05. Ryan Gosling for Drive - The first of Gosling's amazing performances this past fall, he stars as a mysterious man only known as the driver. He's a stunt car driver who gets caught up in a huge scheme involving the local mob and a very scary Ron Perlman and an even scarier Albert Brooks. He doesn't have much dialogue but the movie is still so alive thanks to his expressions and subtlety.

04. Brad Pitt for Moneyball - I don't always like Brad Pitt. For every Fight Club and Seven, there are movies like Seven Years in Tibet and all those awful Oceans movies. But this is the perfect role for Pitt - an aging golden boy, former star who is trying desperately to hold onto to his former glory days on the baseball field and craft a new generation.

03. George Clooney for The Descendants - Clooney is perfection as Matt King, a man struggling with his wife being in a coma she may not come out of, two semi-out of control daughters and a big upcoming real estate venture. This is the single best performance of his career and the reason why he'll most likely win an Oscar in a few weeks.

02. Leonardo DiCaprio for J. Edgar - DiCaprio should win an Oscar for his very versatile performance as J. Edgar Hoover. Unfortunately, the movie is lackluster and so he probably won't win that long, long, long deserved Oscar. However, that doesn't make his profound performance any less impressive.

01. Michael Shannon for Take Shelter - Michael Shannon is transcendent in Take Shelter, as a family man who suddenly begins having nightmares of the end of the world. Is he losing his mind like his schizophrenic mother? Or is he a modern day prophet? This performance is so restrained, so quiet, so simple (not over the top like he can be once in a while), so intense, so beautifully done. It's a shame he's not a bigger star because if he was Hollywood's best character actor would give Clooney a real run for his money in February.

Top Ten List: Best Actress 2011

2012-01-05T06:59:00.003-05:00

10. Michelle Williams for Meek's Cutoff - Williams gave two great performances last year, the first of which was as a strong, silent pioneer woman in the visually stunning but ultimately flawed Meek's Cutoff. Her performance is largely in her eyes and expressions and she is flawless as usual.

09. Emma Stone for The Help - Emma proves she's not just a one hit wonder with Easy A by starring in one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It's also, arguably, the best acting ensemble of the year and she holds her own with a bevy of wonderfully talented women.

08. Saoirse Ronan for Hanna - 2011 was a great year for younger actors and actresses, with Ronan as a huge standout. She is going to be a huge star and her performance as the deadly child assassin, who has no idea what the radio is and only really wants to kiss a boy, is mesmerizing.

07. Elle Fanning for Super 8 - Another young actress that is talented beyond her years, Fanning is amazing as the wannabe actress who causes all the boys in the neighborhood to fall in love. She's also acting within her acting here, and it's simply a joy to watch.

06. Viola Davis for The Help - Another amazing, layered performance in The Help, this time Davis as a maid who has recently lost her only child and wants nothing more than to keep tending to the white child of the family she works for. Davis will most likely be nominated for an Oscar in a few weeks for her great performance.

05. Carey Mulligan for Drive - Ryan Gosling isn't the only one who smolders in drive. Carey Mulligan, as the object of his affection, is pretty damn great too. She plays a young, working mother who is caught between her deadly neighbor and her baby daddy, just released from prison.

04. Kristen Wiig for Bridesmaids - Bridesmaids is the one movie that gives The Help a run for its money in the best ensemble category. It's also the funniest movie of the year and that is thanks to its star (and co-writer) Kristin Wiig. Anyone who has ever watched SNL knows that Wiig is funny but here she is also deeply touching and sympathetic. Also, I probably related to her character more than any other in the entire 2011 movie season.

03. Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - I still think I prefer Noomi Rapace - the original girl with the dragon tattoo - but Mara, who was practically a nobody before this role, was definitely the right choice for Lisbeth. She is sensational as the tough, empowering computer hacker. With her tattoos and mohawk and black clothes, she's an unlikely but understandable female heroine.

02. Charlize Theron for Young Adult - I very nearly almost gave Theron the top spot on this list. She's the best she's ever been (yes, better than her Oscar winning role in Monster) as Mavis Gary, a very likely mentally ill failing Young Adult writer who goes back to her hometown to steal her high school boyfriend who is married with a newborn baby. Likeable?? Not at all. Hilarious?? Totally.

01. Michelle Williams for My Week With Marilyn - Ultimately, the top spot had to go to future Oscar winner (yes, as in, in less than two months) Michelle Williams who doesn't just play or portray or impersonate Marilyn Monroe... she becomes her, right down to her wiggle and her breathy voice and her seductive everything. She's perfection in every single way. If she doesn't win an Oscar in February than something is very, very wrong in Hollywood!

Top Ten List - Best Supporting Actor 2011

2012-01-04T07:01:00.004-05:00

10. Michael Fassbender for Jane Eyre - Maybe it's my huge crush on Fassbender or maybe it's his really huge year, but he smolders in a boring period piece like Jane Eyre. He manages to make the rough and unlikeable (at least I always disliked him) Mr. Rochester sexy and mysterious.

09. Jonah Hill for Moneyball - Everyone knows Jonah Hill is funny. But the guy can actually act! Thanks, probably, to Aaron Sorkin's fantastic script, Hill brings the character of a dorky math whiz who uses his skills to assess baseball players to life on the screen.

08. Philip Seymour Hoffman for The Ides of March - Hoffman has also had a great year, also stealing his few scenes in Moneyball, but in The Ides of March, he is sneaky and manipulative and loyal and just plain fantastic.

07. Kenneth Branagh for My Week With Marilyn - Sure, this movie belongs to Michelle Williams and her fantastic portrayal of Marilyn Monroe, but there is room to talk about Branagh, too. He plays Sir Laurence Olivier perfectly - mean, surly, ridiculously talented, in love with and jealous of Monroe.

06. Stellan Skarsgard for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Elegantly creepy, Skarsgard was the perfect choice to play the seemingly nice member of the despicable Vanger family, Martin. In his big scene near the end, he manages to be terrifying and funny and classy and intelligent and disgusting, all at the same time.

05. Patton Oswalt for Young Adult - Yes, Patton Oswalt can act and he creates one of the best oddball chemistries ever with Charlize Theron. He's a handicapped former bullied kid who grows up to be a guy who makes moonshine and loves action figures. He is disgusted by Theron's character, but also worships her. It's a great performance to watch.

04. Ben Kingsley for Hugo - Kingsley has been one of the greatest actors of his generation for years. But, after years and years in film, Hugo may just be his finest performance ever. As a toy maker and former revolutionary director, Kingsley is fierce and sentimental and just amazing.

03. Albert Brooks for Drive - Brooks is devastatingly scary in one of the best movies of the year. As a mobster type, he terrifies in a controlled way, which is really the most terrifying way to scare people after all.

02. Corey Stoll for Midnight in Paris - My personal favorite performance of the year, Stoll steals the entire movie away from more well known actors. His Ernest Hemingway is absolutely and undeniably hilarious. It's a shame he wasn't nominated as part of the ensemble at the SAG Awards, but here's hoping he goes method and shows up in character, drunk and yelling, "WHO WANTS TO FIGHT??"

01. Christopher Plummer for Beginners - Plummer is exhilarating as a man in his 80s who finally comes out of the closet, only to find out he's dying, and manages to inspire his son to start over because he won't let a little thing like death slow him down from finally being happy and finding true love and starting movie clubs and having parties and being just plain amazing.

Top Ten List: Best Supporting Actress 2011

2012-01-03T07:00:00.003-05:00

10. Judi Dench for J. Edgar - J. Edgar was a huge disappointment. Not a disappointment? The expectantly great performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Judi Dench, as his tough love mother who loves and berates him and adores and terrifies him. It's a splendidly layered performance.

09. Bryce Dallas Howard for The Help - Howard is fabulous as the ultimate mean girl in the 1950s, treating her servants, friends and even family members like crap. But don't worry. She more than gets what she deserves.

08. Judy Greer for The Descendants - Greer doesn't show up until about three quarters of the way through the movie. She doesn't have a very big part, but she plays her few scenes with so much substance and subtlety that you can't take your eyes off of her.

07. Allison Pill for Midnight in Paris - As the flamboyant, fabulous Zelda Fitzgerald, Pill is a delight with her Southern accent and hatred for Ernest Hemingway. Even when she's having a break down, she's charismatic.

06. Anna Kendrick for 50/50 - This under the radar movie was so underrated and so is Kendrick's performance as a newbie therapist who maybe needs a little therapy herself. Her performance is warm and sweet and awkward and lovely.

05. Jessica Chastain for The Tree of Life - Chastain came out of nowhere this year and managed to give a handful of spectacular performances. In The Tree of Life, she holds her own opposite Brad Pitt and Sean Penn as a loving, beautiful, caring mother.

04. Octavia Spencer for The Help - So much sass! Spencer plays the role of Minny to perfection. Her maid is spunky and has more than enough moxie to go around.

03. Jessica Chastain for The Help - The Help was probably the best ensemble of the year. And the stand out? Chastain, of course, as the ditzy, brand new rich girl who would do anything to fit in. She's funny and sweet and loveable.

02. Shailene Woodley for The Descendants - I wasn't buying the hype either. I thought, no way is this little girl from that pregnant teenager show on ABC Family THAT good. But, she is. As Alexandra, daughter of Clooney, she plays angsty teenager so naturally that you forget she's playing a character and think she's just herself.

01. Jessica Chastain for Take Shelter - The Oscars may be burned out on Chastain's ubiquitous year by the time nominations are announced, but I'm certainly not. Chastain glows in so many outstanding performances this year that it's hard to pick just one as THE performance. But, opposite Michael Shannon, she proves she's a force to be reckoned with and one to watch for years to come.

Top Ten List: Worst Films of 2011

2012-01-02T06:59:00.003-05:00

10. Beastly - I guess this movie is supposed to be a young and hip remake of Beauty and the Beast. Instead it's a wooden, terribly written, terribly acted awful movie starring Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer as two pretty people who can't act their way out of a paper bag and have no chemistry whatsoever. Plus, Neil Patrick Harris completely embarrasses himself by being a part of this mess. When Mary Kate Olsen is the best actor in your movie, you know you've got problems.

09. Insidious - Yes, it lives up to its name. This movie stops being good the minute the opening credits end. It's boring and trite and the last third of the movie is so overly ridiculous that it made me want to laugh out loud... and not in a good way.

08. Hesher - I love Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I love Natalie Portman. So this quirky indie drama couldn't go wrong, right? No way. I was so wrong. Hesher was a VERY BAD MOVIE starring very good actors about a rebellious asshole who befriends a mourning child and steals the grocery store clerk he's in love with. Unlikeable characters, less likeable script.

07. Your Highness - Or, What can go wrong when you have a movie directed by David Gordon Green (who directed two of the best movies I've ever seen) and starring Justin Theroux, James Franco, Natalie Portman, and Zooey Deschanel?? The answer, by the way, is everything.

06. The Dilemma - Watch Vince Vaughn make gay jokes while he struggles with the idea of trying to tell his best friend that his wife is cheating on him. Also, try to suspend disbelief and believe for even one second that a schlub like Kevin James can land a hottie like Winona Ryder.

05. Battle Los Angeles - I can't really say what this movie is about other than shaky cam alien invasion, or some shit. Mostly, it's just a really, really, really bad action movie filled with characters you don't care about doing stuff you don't care about.

04. Paul - Or, the biggest waste of time and the talents of a long list of people including, but not limited to, Bill Hader, Jason Bateman, Simon Pegg, Kristen Wiig, Jane Lynch, etc. etc. etc.

03. Super - Super, it is not. Instead, it's a disgusting, unfunny, unnecessary movie about a man that wants to be a super hero to save his wife from a drug king pin. Also, watch Ellen Page OVERACT so bad that I just had to capitalize the word.

02. Drive Angry - Nicolas Cage escapes from hell and takes a road trip in order to save his baby granddaughter from a cult that wants to sacrifice her to the devil. I'm not even remotely kidding about that synopsis.

01. One Day - I honestly don't know how this catastrophe of a movie was even made. One Day is one of my absolute favorite books. I don't know why they would make a movie version if they were planning on cutting out three quarters of the book. I don't know why they would cast Anne Hathaway who was absolutely terrible, but also, in her defense, totally wrong for the part. I just don't know why this movie was ever made in the first place.

Best of 2011 - MVP's, Directors, Scenes

2011-12-29T17:56:00.005-05:00

MVP's of 2011
10. Cosmo! - Okay, I just needed to include him somewhere because this Jack Russell from Beginners is just about the cutest dog of all time. He even talks via subtitles!
9. Judi Dench - Her performance in J. Edgar almost made everyone forget how awful the movie was. She also stole scenes as a sweet aging actress in My Week with Marilyn and a helpful maid in Jane Eyre.
8. Bryce Dallas Howard as a villain - Okay, villain is a strong word, but Bryce brought the super bitch as a super polite racist in The Help and a cheating girlfriend in 50/50.
7. The Dark Knight Rises trailer - If you haven't watched it yet, then stop reading this and go watch it now. No, seriously.
6. The Cast of Bridesmaids - Not only did these ladies make the most hilarious movie of the year, they also kept us laughing everywhere. Melissa McCarthy not only stole the movie, but also stole the Emmy's when she won Best Actress in a Comedy. She was part of the best moment of the Emmy's, when all the nominated actresses lined the stage as if they were competing in a beauty contest. Kristen Wiig kept us laughing all year on SNL. Rose Byrne turned up everywhere - including the excellent X-Men: First Class and the awful Insidious.
5. Child Actors - This year was a fantastic year for kid actors. Hunter McCracken held his own opposite Chastain and Brad Pitt in The Tree of Life. Chloe Grace Moretz and Asa Butterfield were phenomenal in Hugo. Then there was the entire, great, amazing cast of Super 8: Elle Fanning, Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths, Ryan Lee and Zach Mills. Not to mention scene stealer Amara Miller from The Descendants.
4. Emma Stone - I love my Emma! She was adorable opposite Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love. She almost stole the show in Friends with Benefits. And she proved she was a bonafide box office sensation with The Help.
3. Ryan Gosling - He had the most ridiculously great second half of a year. First he showed off his crazy, stupid, sexy abs in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Then he broke up a street brawl in NYC. Then he turned violent and sexy in Drive before charming the pants off everyone in The Ides of March.
2. Jessica Chastain - Last year, I had no idea who the hell she was. This year alone she starred in The Debt, Take Shelter, Coriolanus, The Tree of Life, The Help, and Texas Killing Fields. Plus, she's all over my Top Ten Lists (coming next week!).
1. Michael Fassbender - Entertainment Weekly described him best: "Smoldering in Jane Eyre, X-Men: First Class, Shame, A Dangerous Method and our very elaborate fantasies." Really couldn't say it any better myself!

Best Scenes of 2011
10. Scream 4 - The Opening Sequence - I'm not trying to say Scream 4 is one of the best movies of the year or anything but the opening sequence (featuring Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, Lucy Hale and more) is the most creative opening sequence in a series that does a hell of a good opener!
9. My Week With Marilyn - The Bedroom Scene - In which Michelle Williams manages to be sexy, vulnerable, insecure, seductive, funny, charming, and paranoid all at the exact same time. This scene alone should win her an Oscar.
8. Take Shelter - Michael Shannon Flips Out - Shannon's character is either going crazy or predicting the end of the world. All of the people in his small town think it's the former. So, when they stare at him accusingly and try to ostracize him at a fire hall dinner, he flips the hell out... and flips a table!
7. Bellflower - The Opening Sequence - Sure, you won't understand it at the time. It's a lot of very powerful images in reverse set to some haunting music. Eventually, you'll come back to all of those scenes and everything will make sense. But, the beginning of this super low budget, fantastic film sets an immediate tone that will stay with you for the entire film.
6. Drive - Elevator Scene - Ryan Gosling's strong and silent type finally kisses Carey Mulligan's sweet intentioned young mom in an elevator. However, there's a creepy gentleman in there with them and immediately after the sweet kiss, the movie turns suddenly and very seriously violent.
5. The Tree of Life - The Beginning of Time / Creation of Earth - Yes, there are dinosaurs. Yes, this minutes long segment may not seem like it fits in, except it totally does. Leave it to Terrence Malick to tie in the creation of the Earth with the very real small town life of a Texas family in the 50's. That's why he doesn't just make movies, he makes art.
4. Hugo - The Films of Georges Melies - Three quarters of the way through this great movie, we finally get to see those fantastical early movies that the toy maker made with his wife at this glass studio. And they are a love letter to old school cinema, creative and beautiful and awe-inspiring.
3. Bridesmaids - The Airplane Scene - I have seriously never laughed so hard during a movie in my ENTIRE life. Not just the funniest scene of the year, but probably of all time.
2. Take Shelter - Discussion About Opening the Storm Door - Or - Why Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain Should Win Oscars.
1. The Descendants - Alexandra Underwater - Shailene Woodley plays Alexandra King with such an ease that you almost forget she's acting. Her best moment is when she finds out her mom's coma is permanent. She's in the swimming pool and slowly sinks under the water. The camera follows her and catches her crying meltdown underwater. It's heart aching and unforgettable.

Best Directors of 2011
10. George Clooney for The Ides of March - Seriously, what can't this man do?
9. J.J. Abrams for Super 8 - He crafted the best coming of age movie of the year.
8. Alexander Payne for The Descendants - A great, funny, family tragedy.
7. Bennett Miller for Moneyball - A baseball movie with heart.
6. Mike Mills for Beginners - Could have been another cliche, but not in his hands.
5. Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris - His most creative and inspired movies in years.
4. David Fincher for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Proving, again, he's the most bad ass director in Hollywood.
3. Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive - For creating a future cult classic with style and substance.
2. Martin Scorsese for Hugo - For proving that he can make a kids movie and for making me think 3D isn't so terrible after all.
1. Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life - The movie may not be every one's cup of tea, but Malick is more than a director. He's an artist and he makes art we can watch at a movie theater.

Warrior (DVD)

2011-12-29T10:15:00.004-05:00

Warrior is like if Shakespeare wrote a play about MMA. The film has got that level of drama and, even, to a certain extent, tragedy. What I thought would be a boring, trite, overly uplifting movie about fighting actually turned out to be a gritty, realistic, raw and emotional film about inner demons and family history and complicated brotherly relationships.
Tom Hardy stars as Tommy, a former Marine who just returned home to Pittsburgh. He finds himself a sudden internet sensation after he spares with a champion at the local gym and knocks him out cold in less than a minute. That is when he hears about the upcoming Sparta competition, a winner take all, $5 million cash prize MMA tournament that will pit the greatest middleweights against each other. Tommy used to be high school wrestling champ coached by his alcoholic and abusive father (Nick Nolte). So, despite a raging hatred for the way his father treated him and his mother (a relationship I can relate to far too well), Tommy reunites with his father merely as a trainer and not in any other way so he can get ready to win Sparta.
Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, Tommy's older brother Brendan (Joel Edgerton) has his own problems. He's a family man teacher who is struggling to keep his house. The bank is threatening to take it away from him, his wife and their two young daughters. So, Brendan tells his wife that he is getting a second job as a bouncer, but the former UFC fighter instead fights in parking lots for money. After an especially bloody fight that leaves his face mangled, he loses his teaching job and decides to get back into fighting full time. He reunites with an old trainer buddy and when the guy he was training for Sparta breaks his leg, Brendan finds himself on his way to the competition as well.
I won't ruin the ending, except to say that, obviously, the brothers (who have YEARS of baggage) face off in the final match for the big prize. The entire movie, like the last, brutal, heartbreaking fight, is a fantastic tour de force, an emotional journey to take with these two characters. It's not just an MMA fighting movie. Instead, it is a family drama that centers around that world, with years of heartache and pain slowly coming to the surface throughout the excellently written, directed and paced film.
Edgerton and Hardy are both fantastic as the brothers, with Hardy especially coming alive in his role as a misunderstood and mysterious ex-Marine. He is like a caged lion in the octagon, with so much rage and anger hidden deep under the surface. But Nolte is especially fantastic as the alcoholic father who has found Jesus and is desperately trying to make amends for all the terrible things he's done to his two sons, who know hate him and refuse to let him into their lives. He proves why he's been a star for decades. Overall, the film is so much better than expected, and one of the best of the year.
Grade: B+

Starting soon (tomorrow if I have the time, if not, Monday) - my annual Best (and worst) of the Year lists!

Young Adult

2011-12-28T07:02:00.004-05:00

Young Adult works because, and possibly only because, of Charlize Theron. She's is devilishly hilarious as Mavis Gary, the meanest mean girl you could possibly imagine from high school. One of the other characters calls her a "psycho prom queen bitch" at one point and, boy, ain't that the truth! Mavis is the kind of girl you love to hate. In high school she was prettier than everyone and dated the hottest jocks. After graduation, it was no surprise that she quickly moved to the city and got married and became an author (not writer) of a wildly popular Young Adult franchise. Everyone in her small Minnesota hometown envied her. But... that big city she lives in is... Minneapolis. Her marriage failed (but the Tiramisu was good!). Now her book series has been canceled and she's struggling to finish the final entry. And to top it all off, her high school boyfriend sends her an email announcing the arrival of his brand new baby. This inspires Mavis to grab her puppy, get in her car and drive home for a "real estate venture." Of course, she just wants to steal Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson) away from his drummer / awesome wife (Elizabeth Reaser). So, while Mavis is doing generally despicable things, she is also forging an oddball friendship with the victim of a high school bullying gone way wrong, Matt (played perfectly with the right amounts of humor and heart by Patton Oswalt). Matt finds Mavis to be a generally bad person, but also can't help his attraction. At one point, he tells her, "Men like me were born to love women like you."
Mavis is not necessarily a terrible person, but she isn't likable either. She does a lot of really, really bad things, but ultimately, you feel sorry for her more than anything else. But Mavis is hysterically out of touch, living in her own little world. She is not a grown up, at all, still acting like a spoiled, little brat. There is one scene in which Mavis finally breaks down, but then another character talks some 'sense' into her. She is, indeed, a piece of work, as Matt says. (Her response? "You're a piece of s**t!"). And Theron nails this perfectly imperfect character. She breaths life into this awful person, the girl you were equally jealous of and wanted to be just like in high school. Her performance is one of the best of the year, possibly the best. She is remarkable in every single way, forging fearlessly through this murky, unlikeable character.
Oswalt is a joy to watch, as well. He plays Matt so well, that he might just ride Theron's coattails to an Oscar nomination himself. Wilson is great as the weathered remains of a one time jock. Reaser is gorgeous and glowing, although she surely looks plain next to Theron. The direction by Jason Reitman (who last directed the outstanding Up in the Air) is great. The script is written by Juno scribe Diablo Cody and, thankfully, it lacks the over the top feel of her debut. I loved Juno, but the script was not the thing I love about it. Here, Cody downplays the mile a minute, thinly veiled pop culture references and instead, writes a very real, funny, dark comedy.
Grade: B

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2011-12-27T07:00:00.004-05:00

I don't know what I was expecting, to be honest. I read the book, by Steig Larson, and loved it. I saw the original Swedish version starring the incendiary Noomi Rapace, and loved it. Now, here comes the American version, directed by my very favorite director (David Fincher), starring a total badass as Lisbeth (Rooney Mara), and what? I was slightly disappointed but I can't exactly put my finger on why. The movie was absolutely great. The directing was great, the adaptation was great, the performances were great, the music was great. The movie will most likely make my Top Ten List of the year (it's currently in there, but there are still a few more movies to see). Again, I don't know what I was expecting, but somehow I was expecting more.
In case you have been living under a rock, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is about Mikael Bloomqvist (Daniel Craig), a disgraced Swedish journalist who gets hired by an aging billionaire (Christopher Plummer) to officially write his memoirs but unofficially investigate the mysterious disappearance of his favorite niece, Harriet, forty years earlier. You see, the entire deranged, crazy, awful, detestable Vanger family was together on their island for a yearly meeting. The only bridge onto the island was shut down due to an accident. Then Harriet disappeared and the only explanation was that someone on the island must have killed her and buried her body. So, Mikael must try to find something new within the forty year mystery that will help him finally catch the killer. Eventually he asks for a research assistant and they give him the bad ass, punk rock, leather wearing computer hacker who, unbeknownst to him, did his background check - Lisbeth Salander (Mara), who is arguably the greatest character in modern day literature (definitely the greatest female character, but character in general is debatable, I guess... though, not for me). The disgraced journalist and the anti-social ward of the state team up and delve into a mystery so much more complex than originally thought by anyone. And so you have one of the best murder mystery, female empowerment films of the last ten years or so.
So, then, why was I disappointed?
I still can't put my finger on it. Maybe my expectations were just way too high. Fincher is a film god and I guess I was expecting him to make some radical changes that I, as a Girl with the Dragon Tattoo purist, would still love. He did keep the ending from the book (which the Swedish version did not), which I loved. He did change a major plot point in the third act which I think made more sense anyway. Other than that, it was just another version of something that was already amazing. Fincher's film was much darker, maybe. The music was eerie and creepy and wonderful. The performances were top notch. Daniel Craig, who I was on the fence about, was a great complicated leading man. Christopher Plummer was perfect as the sweet old Henrik. Robin Wright, who seriously has never looked hotter, was great in a small role. Stellan Skarsgaard was fantastic - elegant and creepy - as Martin Vanger. But, Mara, of course, steals the show as Lisbeth. With her tattoos, piercings, bleached eye brows, and sometime Mohawk, she doesn't even have to say a word. She invokes so much with a mere look. She is perfect, almost as good as Rapace was. The movie suffers from the same things that the book and the Swedish version suffers from which is to say, that it's part of a trilogy so after the mystery wraps up, there is still a good twenty minutes to go and so it sort of feels anti-climactic in a way.
So, I guess I was expecting too much. I guess I built it up too much in my mind. I have been anticipating this movie for over a year. Still, it was great in just about every way. Maybe, with time, I will appreciate it a little bit more.
Grade: B+

My Week With Marilyn

2011-12-23T18:03:00.006-05:00

Let's be honest, My Week with Marilyn is a good movie, not great or spectacular by any means. It keeps your attention, it's interesting in the kind of way that any story about fascinating people is interesting: it doesn't have to be any better than it is. But the bigger picture here is its star: Michelle Williams, who turns in the sort of fierce, star making performance that no wonder she has been getting nominated for every single award so far this season.
My Week with Marilyn is a story about the most famous actress of all time, Marilyn Monroe. But it is also a story about Colin Clark, a 23 year old boy from an overachieving family who dreams of becoming a filmmaker. So the movie, based on his memoir, follows the young man as he gets his very first job working on what looks to be a ghastly musical comedy eventually entitled The Prince and the Showgirl. He is the third assistant director, which is really just a gopher. However, the position puts him into the thick of the film. He is practically the assistant to the great Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh), who is the star and director of the film. Colin's story chronicles the difficult relationship between Olivier and Monroe. Despite being married to Vivien Leigh (Julia Ormond), Olivier is at times jealous of her super stardom (he is a great actor who wants to be a superstar and she is a superstar who wants to be a great actor, madly in love with her, and short tempered with her difficulties.
Colin not only is privy to the inside track of the film, but also he becomes one of Marilyn's only friends during filming. The notorious actress hated to be alone and when her new husband of less than a month, Arthur Miller, leaves London, she clings to the young boy, who quickly falls in love with her, despite a budding romance with Emma Watson's Lucy, a wardrobe girl. And so, Colin gets to spend a week or so with Marilyn, and what follows is a sometime riveting, sometime frivolous look at young love, rejection, heartache, and of course, the portrait of a troubled and sad young woman.
The film itself is good at times, but lacking. It's inconsistent when it could have been something great. All the right pieces were in position, they just somehow weren't utilized properly. But the performances save the movie, for sure. Judi Dench, who seems to be everywhere this year, lighting up films that could definitely use it, is a hoot as the sweet natured actress who lends a helping hand to the scared Marilyn. Eddie Redmayne is sweet and charming as the young Colin Clark who falls in love despite everyone telling him not to and ends up getting his heart broken "a little." (Emma Watson's perfect response? "Good."). Kenneth Branagh is just fantastic as the mercurial Olivier, the greatest actor of his generation who both hated and loved Marilyn. But it's Michelle Williams, who I have long admired and is becoming a genuine favorite of mine, who is the crowning jewel here. She doesn't simply play Marilyn Monroe here. She becomes her. She so easily and simply transforms before our eyes into this sexy, charming, deeply trouble superstar, the icon who still endures all these years later. Her Monroe is all things at once: so simply turning from sexy and charming and flirtatious to scared and timid, paranoid and insecure. She's this sexy, sensual woman and also just a little girl who ultimately wants to be loved, not like the goddess she was but also like the normal girl she so desperately wanted to be. There is a fantastic scene between Marilyn and Colin in her bedroom where she tells him about her childhood and her plans to settle down and leave it all behind. She tells him that people want to love her as Marilyn Monroe but when they find out that not who she is they leave her and run away. It will break your heart, as does Williams' devastating beauty as the icon that you just can't take your eyes off of. Is an Oscar win in her near future? I think so.
Grade: B

Golden Globe Nominees

2011-12-15T09:17:00.004-05:00

Best Picture - Drama
The Descendants
War Horse
The Ides of March
The Help
Moneyball
Hugo
Thoughts - Nice line up, I guess. My personal favorite of the year (so far, anyway) is Hugo and it's in there so yay!

Best Picture - Comedy
The Artist
50/50
Bridesmaids
My Week With Marilyn
Midnight in Paris
Thoughts - LOVED Midnight in Paris. So glad it's there. Also happy to see Bridesmaids and 50/50 which was definitely underrated.

Best Actor - Drama
George Clooney in The Descendants
Brad Pitt in Moneyball
Leonardo DiCaprio in J. Edgar
Ryan Gosling in The Ides of March
Michael Fassbender in Shame
Thoughts - This has got to be the hottest and best looking Best Actor line up ever, right???

Best Actress - Drama
Viola Davis in The Help
Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin
Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs
Thoughts - Glad to see Rooney Mara get some love. So excited to see her take on Lisbeth.

Best Actor - Comedy
Jean Dujardin in The Artist
Brendan Gleeson in The Guard
Owen Wilson in Midnight in Paris
Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 50/50
Ryan Gosling in Crazy, Stupid, Love
Thoughts - YAY Joseph Gordon-Levitt!! Also, yay for Gosling being a double nominee during his best year ever. Too bad they left out his actual best performance of the year (in Drive, of course).

Best Actress - Comedy
Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn
Jodie Foster in Carnage
Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids
Charlize Theron in Young Adult
Kate Winslet in Carnage
Thoughts - I love me some Michelle, Jodie, Charlize and Kate but I am TOTALLY pulling for Kristen Wiig!

Best Supporting Actor
Albert Brooks in Drive
Christopher Plummer in Beginners
Kenneth Branagh in My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill in Moneyball
Viggo Mortensen in A Dangerous Method
Thoughts - Glad Jonah is getting some love and although I didn't see A Dangerous Method, I am madly in love with Viggo so hopefully he will be there looking all sexy.

Best Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo in The Artist
Octavia Spencer in The Help
Jessica Chastain in The Help
Janet McTeer in Albert Nobbs
Shailene Woodley in The Descedants
Thoughts - This category could have just been all Jessica Chastain, right? The Help, The Tree of Life, Take Shelter, etc.

Best Director
Martin Scorsese for Hugo
George Clooney for The Ides of March
Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Alexander Payne for The Descendants
Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris
Thoughts - My love for Marty vs. my love for Woody. What is a girl to do??

Random thoughts on TV nominees:
American Horror Story as a Best Drama nominee... really?
New Girl nominated for Best Comedy!
The best actor on television, Bryan Cranston, will hopefully win! (But no Kyle Chandler for Friday Night Lights).
Zooey's inevitable Best Actress in a Comedy win will be adorable and annoying, probably.

The Descendants & Beginners

2011-12-12T09:18:00.004-05:00

The Descendants - I will fully admit this right now: I didn't like Sideways either. I guess "either" is a strong word. It leads you to assume that I didn't like The Descendants, which isn't entirely true. It's not that I didn't like it. It's just I sort of felt the same way about it as I do about every other Alexander Payne movie. It's good, solid story telling, acting and film making, but all terribly overrated. The Descendants follows Matt King (George Clooney - this is his best work ever, no joke), a Hawaiian lawyer who is dealing with selling his families pristine beach when his wife hits her head while boating and falls into a coma she may never come out of. To top it all off, he has two daughters: a 10 year old who sends nasty texts to her classmates and a 17 year old at a boarding school (a really, really superb Shailene Woodley) who is all kinds of messed up. Then, to make matters worse, he finds out his loyal and devoted wife was cheating on him and preparing to leave him for a real estate agent (a surprisingly well-rounded Matthew Lillard). So, Matt deals with his crazy daughters and traipsing around the islands to tell different friends and family members about his wife's condition. He meets with cousins of varying craziness to discuss proposals about selling the land. He deals with daughter Alex's annoying maybe-boyfriend (really, the only character that you want to punch in the face and guess what? Someone does!). Then he decides to track down his wife's lover, Brian Steer to confront him and maybe fight him, only to discover that he's a happy family man who never really loved Matt's wife the way she loved him. By this point in the film, if you're a little bored, don't fret, the fantastically underrated Judy Greer shows up to steal the whole goddamn movie (well, almost, Woodley is stupid good too). So, there you have The Descendants. It's great, sad story telling. The film making is amazing. There are two scenes in particular that are flawless: the spiral staircase scene and the scene where Alex begins to sob underwater which was my single favorite moment of the movie. The acting is surprisingly good all around. Clooney and Woodley will surely be nominated for Oscars for their complex, layered, flawless performances. Clooney is charming and flawed. He looks handsome and destroyed. Woodley is a revelation. I was a skeptic. I didn't think some teenybopper from some dumb ABC Family show could really be that good - but I will fully admit that I was wrong. She is so, so very good, just empathetic and full of sassy attitude, angry, depressed, sad, happy, sometimes all at the same time. Greer turns up around 3/4 through the film and all but steals it away from everyone else. But her role is so small, she probably won't get any nominations out of it. So, The Descendants is good, it's just not THAT good, the level of good that everyone is saying it is. It's slow moving. It's boring at times. It's too long (and that's coming from someone who LOVES long movies). Plus, there is way too much annoying voice over at the beginning. Still, The Descendants is worth checking out, because there is still a lot of good in there.
Grade: B

Beginners - Now here is a surprising little film. It all but came out of nowhere to tie with The Tree of Life to win Best Film at the recent Gotham Awards. I can't say I'm surprised. It's lovely, heartfelt little movie. It follows Oliver (Ewan McGregor, superb), an artist who is struggling with getting to know his dying father (Christopher Plummer, Oscar worthy) who, after being married for 44 years has come out of the closet as a gay man. Meanwhile, Oliver is also trying to take a page from his father as he attempts to start his life over and forge a relationship with a quirky, adorable French actress (Melanie Laurent). It's a simple, little story and could end up cliched in the hands of a lesser cast and filmmaker, but instead, Beginners is a different, original, funny, sad, heartwarming take on a tired genre. Writer and director Mike Mills is fantastic, adding humor and quirky little extras (a dog that talks via subtitles) to the film. McGregor, who has a lot of misses on his resume due to the crap he's been making for the past decade or so, is really, really great, as is the adorable Laurent. Their initial meeting is instantly classic. But, it's Plummer, who recently received his very first Oscar nomination at the age of 70something for The Last Station, who is mesmerizing to watch. Plummer is so good - alive even though is character is dying - that he should not only find himself nominated for a second Oscar, but also, probably winning.
Grade: B+

Take Shelter, J. Edgar, Hugo

2011-11-28T09:18:00.006-05:00

Take Shelter - Michael Shannon stars as a man who may be psychic or may be a little bit crazy. Either way, it's Michael Shannon, probably the best actor under 50 working today, so you know the acting is going to be damn good. Shannon's character has a family history of schizophrenia so when he starts having very realistic nightmares that a storm is coming, he turns all of his attention on fixing up and expanding the storm shelter in his back yard. His wife (Jessica Chastain) has a lot on her plate also - dealing with a potentially mentally ill husband and a newly deaf child. Slowly, the nightmares become more and more realistic and everyone in the small town starts to think he is losing his mind. The movie is a little bit slow burning but it's also intense. The dream sequences are all a big tease. However, Shannon's amazing performance more than makes up for any small problems I had with the plot. He is Oscar worthy, for sure. In fact, at this point I think he should win Best Actor for his intense, slow burning, dramatic performance. Chastain, who has been in about forty movies this year is also quite good and goes toe-to-toe with Shannon very well. Take Shelter is not for everyone, but it's a damn good film.
Grade: B+

J. Edgar - While we are talking about Oscar caliber performances, it's important to discuss Leonardo DiCaprio and his completely engrossing performance as the one time most powerful man in the world - J. Edgar Hoover, the founder of the FBI. Clint Eastwood's film follows Hoover from a young man with mommy issues to an overzealous nerdy agent and eventually to a deeply confident and powerful head of the bureau. The film encapsulates his career - showing him catching the kidnapper of the Lindbergh baby and discussing how the FBI brought down Dillinger. It also speculates on the never married man's personal life. Was he really a cross dresser? Was he really gay and in love with his closest confidante (Armie Hammer)? Or was he just too busy to find a wife? J. Edgar itself disappoints as a movie. It's slow and it's boring, and it's not good for a movie about such an interesting man to be boring. However, the performances are the saving grace. Hammer may be a better actor with old man make up. Naomi Watts is great in a small role. Judi Dench dazzles, OF COURSE. But it's DiCaprio's transformation that is truly remarkable. Perhaps he will finally win that Oscar he's been due for so long.
Grade: C+

Hugo - It should be no surprise that the greatest living director should be able to switch so easily from gritty, dirty, violent films to charmingly beautiful children's tales with no effort. And it's true. Martin Scorsese, so well known as the director of some of the greatest adult movies of all time, has turned his limitless talents to children's films with Hugo, a beautiful, charming, sweet tale of young friendship and a celebration of film making. Based on a kids book, Hugo tells the story of a young boy who lives in a train station and knows the inside of the walls like the back of his hand. After his father's (Jude Law) death, he goes to live with his clock winder uncle and becomes responsible for the winding of the clocks at a Paris train station. Asa Butterfield is a revelation as the young Hugo, intent on fixing up the last remaining piece of his father's life. This takes him on a wild adventure that includes Isabelle (Chloe Mortez) and a shocking good Ben Kingsley as a mean, mean toy shop owner. This is a love song to film making, a beautiful, sweeping, charmer of a movie that will remind you why you love movies so damn much. As far as I'm concerned, we've found our Best Picture Oscar winner already.
Grade: A

Horror Movie Month - Paranormal Activity 3 + more

2011-10-24T17:39:00.006-04:00

Paranormal Activity 3
The plot: Well, the second one took place before the first one and now the third one takes place before the second one. It's the late 80s and Katie and Kristy are just little girls. Seems Kristy has an imaginary friend named Tobey, who just might be the spirit that has been following these girls around for most of their lives.
The scares: Maybe it's because I don't believe in ghosts, but I never found these movies particularly scary. That being said, there is an overpowering feeling of tension that is in pretty much every frame of this film. And that, at least, is a big step forward.
The body count: Only two.
The grade: C-

Red State
The stars: Michael Angarano, Kyle Gallner, Michael Parks, Melissa Leo, my dad John Goodman
The plot: Three high schoolers go to a trailer park to meet an older woman for some hot sex. Turns out, the woman (who advertised on the internet, of course) is a member of the cult like Five Points church and they have lured these young sinners to make an example of them in front of their parish. Lots of blood ensues.
The scares: It's not scary in the sense that you're thinking. However, the idea that there are close minded bigots out there who could quite possibly do something out there is terrifying.
The body count: I honestly lost count. The death toll is high and unexpected at every turn.
Grade: B+. I'm understanding this movie received a lot of backlash. I think you either love it or hate it. This is the first Kevin Smith movie that I've ever loved.

The Last Exorcism
The plot: A priest sets out to expose exorcisms for the fraud that they are. He picks a letter at random (he receives hundreds) and gets a camera crew to follow him to prove the fraud. However, when he meets the young girl who is supposedly possessed, he has second thoughts.
The scares: Again, no so much scary, but that's not to say I didn't like it more than I thought I would.
The body count: Four, maybe.
The grade: C+

Horror Movie Month + The Ides of March

2011-10-16T18:40:00.005-04:00

Horror Movie Month - Masters of Horror: Cigarette Burns
The stars: The ridiculously sexy Norman Reedus
The plot: A theater owner in debt searches for a super rare film in order to make some cash. Said film is a foreign movie that was only shown once in public. Seems everyone who sees it becomes a homicidal maniac.
The scares: It's not scary at all, but interesting. The premise is pretty great although I'm not sure it's executed well. Shame on you, John Carpenter.
The body count: It's hard to tell if things are happening for real or all in his head. Maybe 5.
The grade: C+

Horror Movie Month - I Spit On Your Grave
The stars: Sarah Butler
The plot: In the remake to the BEST REVENGE MOVIE OF ALL TIME, a young writer goes to a secluded cabin alone to work on her next novel. She is brutally beaten and rapes by a group of local men who leave her for dead. A month later she seeks revenge.
The scares: Not scary at all, but disturbing and gory as hell. (Although the part where a certain person gets their eyes pecked out by birds scared me to death, but maybe only because I'm terrified of birds).
The body count: Five. And they all deserved exactly what they got.
The Grade: Not nearly as good as the original... C-

Horror Movie Month - Seconds Apart
The stars: Orlando Jones
The plot: Two creepy twins use their powers for evil instead of good and wreck havoc on the mean kids at their school.
The scares: Not so much. It's actually pretty stupid and pointless, to be honest. The twins are creepy though. Too bad they aren't in a better movie.
The body count: Seven.
The Grade: D

The Ides of March - Ryan Gosling continues to knock it out of the park, giving his second amazing starring performance in the last two months. First up was his cool and collected performance in Drive. Now he is the star of the best ensemble cast of the year in the political drama The Ides of March. Gosling stars as Steven, a hot young campaign manager who is working for the next would be president (George Clooney). The governor seems perfect and it seems Steven and his colleagues (including Phillip Seymour Hoffman) can't lose. However, throw in a troublemaking journalist (Marisa Tomei), the opponent's sneaky manager (Paul Giamatti) and a sexy young intern (Evan Rachel Wood) and you've got yourself one hell of a movie. Like I said, this is the best ensemble of the year with everyone giving amazing performances. Clooney is also the director and he does a damn good job. The writing is sharp and crisp and the story is engaging. This one is a sleeper for the Oscars next year. It's definitely a great film!
Grade: B+

Horror Movie Month: Frozen / 30 Days of Night + 50/50

2011-10-09T18:17:00.006-04:00

FROZEN
The stars: Shawn Ashmore, Kevin Zegers, Emma Bell
The gist: Two longtime friends and one of their girlfriends go away for a weekend ski trip. After bribing the lift operator to let them take one more trip up the mountain, they get stuck on the lift after it gets closed down for the night. Since this ski resort is only open on weekends and it happens to be Sunday night, the threesome are stuck dealing with freezing temperatures, frost bite and wolves!
The scares: It's not scary, per se, just very intense and kind of thrilling. But just because it's not scary doesn't mean it isn't good, because it is. In fact, it's a whole lot better than it needs to be.
The body count: Since there are only three characters, telling you that would be a huge spoiler. Plus, the end is sort of ambiguous.
The grade: B+

30 DAYS OF NIGHT
The stars: Josh Hartnett, Melissa George, Ben Foster, Danny Huston, Mark Boone Jr.
The gist: Every year Barrow, Alaska is plunged into darkness for 30 consequetive days. Many of the townspeople can't deal and flee but some stick it out. So, in the greatest vampire set up ever, a group of blood suckers show up to wreak havoc on the ones who stay.
The scares: These vampires don't glitter. These vamps are scary as hell. They are fast and their teeth look more like shark teeth than flimsy little vampire teeth. I've seen this movie before but forgot how good and scary it truly is. Definitely one of the best vampire films of the 2000s.
The body count: Somewhere over 100!
The grade: B

50/50
This one has nothing to do with Halloween or horror movies but I saw it recently and must say I was very pleased with it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a super heathly twenty something who suddenly discovers he has a rare form of spinal cancer and only a 50% chance of surviving. So, he tries to deal with the fact that he may die. Along for the ride in this charming, heartwarming, funny, semi-raunchy film are Seth Rogen as his loveable best friend, Anjelica Huston as his over bearing mom, Bryce Dallas Howard (who between this and The Help, may be the most hateable woman in Hollywood this year) as his cheating girlfriend and scene stealer Anna Kendrick as his therapist struggling to get things right with her third patient ever. Those who thought Kendrick's performance in Up in the Air was a fluke (I admit, I was one of them) will be delighted to see just how damn good she is in this movie. While everyone else is damn good in this charmer, she steals the show and just might find herself nominated for another Oscar!
Grade: B+

"How can you not be romantic about baseball?"

2011-09-29T09:16:00.003-04:00

If I had the time and the privacy, I would write a long and detailed review of Moneyball and explain to you oh-so-well why I loved it so much. But I don't. So this will have to do. Moneyball is the reason I love movies. It perfectly encapsulates the reasons I love baseball and screenwriting and movie making in general. It may not be some poetic, ethereal experience like The Tree of Life, but as far as I'm concerned Moneyball is the best movie of the year so far. It's a great film, heartwarming and funny and so well done. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill (yes, THAT Jonah Hill) should both be nominated for Oscars. Go see it right this very second!
Grade: A

Quickies: Contagion, Drive and more!

2011-09-21T16:05:00.006-04:00

Win Win - Indie darlings Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan star as a Midwestern couple who all but adopt a young wrestling prodigy in this charming little film. Giamatti and Ryan are both fantastic in their roles, especially Giamatti who doesn't play necessarily the most likable person in the world. Bobby Cannavale manages to steal every scene he's in, of course. I was expecting just your average indie quirky film but it had a lot more depth and heart that I was expecting. It's definitely worth checking out.
Grade: B-

Contagion - If you think this is just going to be another boring disaster type flick about an epic disease spreading through the world is wrong. This isn't Outbreak. This a great film from director Steven Soderbergh with, probably, the most perfect cast of the year: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, John Hawkes, Marion Cotillard, Bryan Cranston, Laurence Fishburn. Paltrow goes oversees on a business trip and manages to become infected. When she returns home, she begins to pass the virus to everyone around her. And so it begins. Watch as husbands mourn their cheating dead spouses and struggle to keep their daughter disease free, doctors try to find a cure and trace the beginning, and sleazy journalists try to profit from the whole thing. A great thrilling interesting timely film.
Grade: B

Paul / Your Highness - I could pretty much say the same thing about both of these movies: so much wasted talented!!! Paul is about a couple of nerds leaving Comic Con who discover a real alien and run from the FBI. The wasted comedic talent includes, but is not limited to: Simon Pegg, Kristen Wiig, Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, Jane Lynch and my beloved Landry from Fright Night Lights (a.k.a. Jesse Plemmons). Your Highness is an epic about a stoner knight who goes on a quest with his handsome brother to save his virgin bride from an evil wizard. Not only is it directed by David Gordon Green, the genius who directed All the Real Girls and George Washington, but also it wastes the considerable talents of Natalie Portman, James Franco, Zooey Deschanel and Justin Theroux (and the somewhat lesser talents of Danny McBride). Neither film is funny at all. Both are a huge waste of time and will probably end up on my Worst of the Year list.
Grade: F for both

Drive - This movie has a massive amount of swagger and style from the very first second of the film. You are immediately engrossed in this beautifully filmed story about a stunt car driver for films who finds himself caught up in a crazy world of driving criminals from whatever place they happen to be robbing. And, boy, can he drive. He being Ryan Gosling, who mesmerizes and smolders his way through this film. He's fantastic. As is the supporting cast of Carey Mulligan (who is pretty much Michelle Williams, version 2.0 and that is NOT a bad thing), Bryan Cranston (again!), Ron Perlman and SCENE STEALER EXTRAORDINAIRE Albert Brooks. Seriously, Brooks is sooo damn good, I can't imagine him not being nominated for an Oscar at this point. This movie is simply beautiful, one of the best of the year. It's silent and intense and a great slow burn thriller that goes from zero to extreme violence in the blink of an eye. This movie should not be missed!
Grade: B+

End of Summer Mini Updates!

2011-09-07T18:31:00.005-04:00

Quick updates on movies I've seen lately...

The Beaver - Listen, I don't like Mel Gibson - as a person, as an actor, whatever. So, his involvement may have tarnished this movie a bit for me. It's kind of a weirdly clever idea: a man gets kicked out by his wife, tries to kill himself, finds a beaver hand puppet and decides to speak through the puppet only in an attempt to make good with his family. Too bad, it just falls short. I could care less about Gibson. Foster, as his wife, is perfectly fine, if not slightly boring. Instead, it's too young stars who steal the show: Anton Yelchin as Gibson and Foster's angsty son and Jennifer Lawrence as his troubled love interest are delightful. They have fantastic chemistry and energy. If you must watch it, watch it for Yelchin and Lawrence.
Grade: C

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - I was excited to see this movie because it was supposedly rated R for being so damn scary. There was no nudity, no gore, no bad language, none of the stuff that warrants a typical R rating. It was just supposed to be too scary for kids. I disagree. That's not to say the story isn't interesting. It's a great haunted house tale that mixes intensity and folk lore into a decent little film. However, still not scary. Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce are just fine as the couple living in an old gorgeous house with his young daughter. Then monsters begin to terrorize the daughter. And not just any monsters, tiny little monsters that are maybe a foot high and are more annoying than scary. Decent flick, but doesn't succeed at what it sets out to do.
Grade: C-

Skateland - Skateland was a welcome relief after watching two such mediocre movies. Shiloh Fernandez stars as a man in his early 20s who is living in Texas and working at the local skating rink in the early 80s. He enjoys flirting with his best friends sister (Ashley Green) and getting drunk with his friends (Taylor Handley). Then, his world begins to fall apart - Skateland decides to close, his parents get a divorce. Skateland is a great coming of age movie about coming to terms with your mortality and making huge changes in your life even if you are terrified of doing so. Everyone can relate because everyone has had that moment. Plus, Skateland has a hot, young cast and a great soundtrack. Definitely worth checking out!
Grade: B

I Am Number Four - Okay. I know. This is typical of me, sure. I sure do love movies aimed at 14 year old girls. But, look, I Am Number Four was just fine! I was expecting it to be TERRIBLE but it was actually pretty compelling, if not stupid. Alex Pettyfer (who is really too pretty to be a real person) stars as an alien on the run from a bunch of other creepier, and uglier, aliens. He and his guardian (Timothy Olyphant) move to Ohio where he is supposed to blend in so he can hide, but he instead falls for the ex girlfriend (Glee's Dianna Agron) of the troublemaker quarterback of the football team. Needless to say, his scary alien foes find him. As does Number Six, a totally bad ass Theresa Palmer. Really, I promise. It's not as bad as you think!
Grade: C

The Help - Emma Stone stars as Skeeter, a woman who just graduated from Ole Miss in the 1960s and returns home aching to be a novelist. She decides to write a book about The Help, the maids who raise white children but are eventually treated like crap by the very children they raised when they become adults. It's a great story, riveting, heartwarming and interesting. Plus, the actors are simply phenomenal. From lead performances by the ever-charming Stone and the incendiary Viola Davis to all the amazing supporting actresses: the bubbly and adorable Jessica Chastain, the cruel and vicious Bryce Dallas Howard, the quiet scene stealer Allison Janney, and the sassy lightning rod Octavia Spencer. All around, a great movie that shouldn't be missed!
Grade: B+

Take Me Home Tonight, Fright Night, The Conspirator

2011-08-22T19:53:00.004-04:00

Take Me Home Tonight - Super fun 80s movie? Not so much. Actually, Take Me Home Tonight is a boring drag of a movie that isn't the least bit funny. It stars Topher Grace as a recent college grad who tries to impress an old high school classmate (Teresa Palmer, who is a blonde Kristen Stewart). Also wastes the talents of Anna Faris, Chris Pratt, Michael Ian Black and more! The only, and I mean ONLY, good thing about this awful movie is the killer 80s music soundtrack. Don't waste your time!
Grade: D-

Fright Night - A remake of the 80s movie, Fright Night is a hell of a lot better than it has to be. I'm not saying this movie is going to change the world, but it's fun and sexy and a good time at the movies. The ever adorable Anton Yelchin stars as a slightly nerdy high schooler who blows off his more nerdy ex-best friend (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) when he tries to convince him that his brand new neighbor (Colin Farrell, having the time of his life) is a vampire. Turns out, Ed is right! The film takes place in a suburb of Las Vegas, which is the PERFECT place for a vampire to live, using the excuse of working nights on the strip and sleeping all day. The plot is pretty basic: Yelchin must fight to save his mom (Toni Collette) and hottie girlfriend (Imogen Poots) with the help of a drunken illusionist (scene stealer David Tennant). Farrell is fantastic. I've been a fan of his for a long time but never thought he really lived up to his potential. I don't know what has happened to him the last few years but it seems like he stopped taking himself so seriously, realized that he's funny as hell and is now having the time of his life! First he was AMAZING in In Bruges a few years back. Now he is stealing scenes in Horrible Bosses and being delightfully campy in Fright Night. Yelchin is great too, but isn't that always the case with him? Of course, like I said, Tennant steals the show. He is hilarious and all around fantastic. All in all, Fright Night is a fun time and worth checking out.
Grade: B-

The Conspirator - First off, this movie probably has the best cast of the year. I'm not even kidding. Not only are there really quality, amazing actors involved in large roles (James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Tom Wilkinson, Danny Huston, Evan Rachel Wood), but also so many actors that I personally ADORE show up in small roles (Norman Reedus, Shea Whigham, Johnny Simmons, Jonathan Groff). Director Robert Redford sure did a great job casting this movie. The Conspirator is a beautifully filmed, well written, well acted period piece about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the people who may or may not have conspired with John Wilkes Booth. Sure, the film drags now and then, but over all it's a great film and I'm shocked that it didn't get more attention when it was released in theaters. It's definitely one of the better films this year, plus it has such a stellar cast. McAvoy and Wright are amazing in their roles as a conflicted lawyer and a stubborn convict, respectively. But the acting is great all around and the story is compelling and interesting.
Grade: B

Happy Birthday Sean Penn!!!!!!

2011-08-17T19:42:00.004-04:00

Today is Sean Penn's 51st Birthday. As you may or may not know, Sean is my favorite actor OF ALL TIME. I love him. I think he's brilliant and sexy and badass and beyond talented and just the best. I can't say enough awesome things about him. Here is my list of his ten best roles. No explanation, just a quick list!

10. The Weight of Water (2000)
09. The Game (1997)
08. Bad Boys (1983)
07. Dead Man Walking (1995)
06. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
05. Sweet and Lowdown (1999)
04. Mystic River (2003)
03. Milk (2008)
02. 21 Grams (2003)
01. Hurlyburly (1998)

Ceremony, Battle Los Angeles, Crazy Stupid Love

2011-08-14T18:52:00.006-04:00

Ceremony - Here's the thing about Ceremony: it's awfully cute at times, has a fantastic lead performance but also feels contrived. The film is written and directed by Max Winkler (the son of Henry Winkler a.k.a. The Fonz!), and it's an admirable debut film. It follows Sam (Michael Angarano), a children's book author who makes his best friend Marshall (Reece Thompson) go away with him for the weekend. However, he withholds the fact that his purpose is to ruin the wedding ceremony of the girl of his dreams, Zoe (Uma Thurmnan) to her pompous fiancee, Whit (Lee Pace). If you were going to put Ceremony in a genre, it would be "Quirky Indie Movie" and, boy, is it ever. The problem with quirky indie movies is that sometimes they try way too hard. And that is one of the problems here. For all the moments when Ceremony is brilliant and funny and poignant, it has moments where it feels fake and forced. However, Angarano's performance is so damn good that it's easy to overlook the flaws. He's simple perfection, all bravado and forced confidence and fast talking charm. He's hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. I've loved his work since his days as the young William Miller in Almost Famous and it's nice to see him grow up into these kinds of roles. I hope he sticks with the indie scene because he's too good of an actor to take shitty supporting roles in bad movies. He could grow up to be a Sam Rockwell type actor. In fact, he's sort of morphing into Sam Rockwell at times in this movie. And I most certainly don't have a problem with that.
Grade: B-

Battle Los Angeles - Oy vey! This movie has zero redeemable qualities. I can't even believe that I wasted two hours of my life on this crap. It's a badly directed, badly written, stupid sci-fi movie that wastes the considerable talent of Aaron Eckhardt. I'm not even going to bore you with a plot. Aliens take over Los Angeles. Blah, blah, blah. Lots of bad action sequences and even worse writing. Stay far away from this movie as it is a complete and utter waste of your time.
Grade: F

Crazy Stupid Love - The romantic comedy genre is lacking, at best. Two years ago, a little indie movie called 500 Days of Summer came along and completely breathed a whole new life into the genre. Crazy Stupid Love isn't quite that good, but it is definitely one of the better romantic comedies made in the last few years. First we meet Steve Carell's Cal, a man who has been with his wife (Julianne Moore) for over thirty years when one day she tells him she wants a divorce. Of course, his life begins to unravel. He starts going to bars and drinking his sorrows away. There he meets Jacob (Ryan Gosling), a young ladies man who takes Cal under his wing and teachers him how to pick up women. Cal seems to know it all... except when he actually begins to fall in love with Hannah (Emma Stone) and doesn't know what the hell to do. Throw in Marisa Tomei, Kevin Bacon, Josh Groban, and Analeigh Tipton (I still can't believe if she is the weirdest looking or prettiest looking girl of all time), and you've got yourself a fantastic cast for a romantic comedy. And it is very funny, which is a plus. You might think Carell gets all the laughs, but it's actually Gosling who all but steals the show (Stone and her awkward goofy adorableness comes in a close second). Plus, the movie just simply has heart. It's not raunchy and it doesn't try too hard to be a certain kind of movie. It stays true to itself and is very sweet. Plus, the cast doesn't hurt. The cast is actually fantastic all around and helps elevate any problems to a different level. There are a few problems, mainly the running time. It feels longer than it is. However, all in all, Crazy Stupid Love is a sweet, funny, great time at the movies.
Grade: B

Friends With Benefits / Cedar Rapids

2011-08-07T16:15:00.004-04:00

Friends With Benefits - Yes, Friends With Benefits is pretty much the same movie as No Strings Attached that was released earlier this year. And while, No Strings Attached had a better lead actress (Natalie Portman), somehow Friends With Benefits manages to be a better movie. Is it because of director Will Gluck, who also managed to strike gold with last years infinitely better Easy A? Is it because of the killer supporting cast that bring their A-game (Goddess of the world Patricia Clarkson, Woody Harrelson, Richard Jenkins, my girl crush Emma Stone)? Who knows, but Friends With Benefits wins the war over better comedy about besties who have sex and ultimately fall in love. In this version, Mila Kunis stars as Jamie, an executive who sets out to lure Justin Timberlake's Dylan away from his blog with indie cred and into a high profile job at GQ. In the process, they become best friends and since both of them recently had their hearts broken (by Andy Samberg and a HILARIOUS Stone, respectively) they eventually decide they should have sex without feelings. It works for a while. Then Jamie breaks things off so she can date for real. She falls for Bryan Greenburg's cancer doctor but ends up heartbroken again. After a trip to L.A. to visit Dylan's family, Jamie begins to develop those deadly things called feelings. Dylan is scared, of course, because he's a man and there needs to be a third act hurdle for these two crazy kids to climb over. Needless to say, I'm sure you know how it ends. And if you said, "Giant ass flash mob at Grand Central Station," then you are right! Listen, I'm not trying to sell Friends With Benefits as the greatest movie of all time, or anything. It's not even the greatest movie I've seen this month. But it is cute and fun and funny. It's refreshing to watch a cliched romantic comedy that doesn't take itself seriously and pokes fun at itself. Kunis is endearing and charming. Timberlake is fine, although he's been so much better (Alpha Dog). Then, of course, there is that crazy good supporting cast I spoke of earlier. Clarkson and Stone steal every single goddamn scene they are in. This movie isn't without its problems, that's for sure. It's too long. It spends way too much time being boring at the beginning. And I'm not even talking about the terrible Shaun White cameo. But all in all, Friends With Benefits is a cute, sweet, little movie.
Grade: C+

Cedar Rapids - Then there is Cedar Rapids. I was actually looking forward to watching this movie since it got so much buzz at the beginning of the year. Now, all I can say is, what for?? There is nothing original about this movie. In fact, it's not even funny. I don't even think I laughed once. And this is coming from someone who loves Ed Helms so much more than she should. This dull comedy follows Tim Lippe (Helms) as he travels from his small town to the big city of Cedar Rapids to attend an insurance salesman convention. There he gets a little out of control with his roommates Deanzy (John C. Reilly, trying too hard to be a buffoon) and Ron (Isiah Whitlock Jr.). He also gets romantically involved with a married woman (Anne Heche) and a young hooker (Alia Shawkat, one of the few bright spots in this film) even though he's sleeping with his 6th grade teacher back at home (Sigourney Weaver, another of the aforementioned bright spots). All in all, Cedar Rapids is a big waste of time. It's not as bad as some of the other movies I've seen this year but it was definitely not anything special. If you are into this new trend about high strung men losing their shit and doing stupid stuff while in a strange and different land, then maybe you'll like this. But I'm over that trend.
Grade: D+

The Tree of Life

2011-07-24T19:18:00.003-04:00

Terrence Malick movies are not every one's cup of tea. He doesn't make normal, mainstream movies. He's an artist. An abstract genius who genuinely creates poetry and then finds a way to transfer it to the screen. His movies have little dialogue. He prefers, instead, to soak them with voice overs which are actual poems whispered to the audience like a confession to God. His plots are not cohesive, but tend to deal more with a loosely interpreted theme. But if his movies aren't among the most beautiful movies ever filmed.

The Tree of Life is an epic poem about life and death, love, hope and forgiveness. Yes, there are dinosaurs (and for anyone who says it's "ridiculous" like one lady behind me, you clearly missed the parallel between the relationship between the dinosaurs and an encounter later in the film between Jack and his father). Yes, we see the birth of the universe. But it serves a purpose, to parallel the births of the three children in the film. You see, the movie is about the life and death of a family and how death effects a small number of people in a community as opposed to how the life and death of the universe effects everyone, everywhere. There is not going to be any simple black and white, paint by number answer to this movie. The brilliant thing about The Tree of Life, and every Terrence Malick movie, really, is that everyone can take away something completely different. For me, the message is: life is so much bigger than you are, but still, these insignificant things that happen in your life matter to you, but, really, to no one else.

And so the movie follows young Jack (Hunter McCracken), a devilish little boy with two younger brothers. He has a sweet mother (revelation Jessica Chastain) and a domineering father (Brad Pitt). Plus, he will grow up to be a very brooding, very sexy Sean Penn. And that's about it. I can't give you more plot, because, like I said, everyone will take away something different. As much as it is about life and death and love and hope and nature and beauty, it's also just about childhood - the carefree days of playing in the sun with your friends, and getting into trouble, before being terrified by your father at dinner.

Malick is undoubtedly a brilliant director, a true artist. He has created something so much more awe-inspiring than anyone else in recent memory. His film is beautifully shot, his words are poems, his technique is flawless. The performances are all perfection with kudos going out to young Hunter McCracken who totally dominates opposite Brad Pitt. It's believable that he would grow up to be a brooding Sean Penn. Then there is Jessica Chastain, a nobody a year ago who will probably be the biggest star in the world next year.

The sequence everyone will be talking about, no doubt, is the cosmic history of the world sequence which is so not mainstream film making. But it is a superbly edited beautiful piece of art. This entire movie is essential viewing for anyone who thinks that movies can never be considered art. The Tree of Life will prove you wrong. This movie could be put onto a canvas and hung in any museum in the world. That's how powerful it is.

All in all, I can't say too much about The Tree of Life because it's such a powerful film. It's almost like the words don't exist to describe the beauty and the pure artistry. This is not just a simple movie. It's something much more wonderful, something to be experienced. Afterwards, just think about it and let it take you over. This is not only the best movie of the year, but probably one of the best movies of the decade.

Grade: A+

Mini Reviews (Catching Up!)

2011-07-23T11:33:00.008-04:00

The Adjustment Bureau - Maybe it's because I was watching it on a loud bus, or maybe the movie really was just stupid (the plot involves secret passageways and magical fedoras - not even kidding), but this movie did not live up to my expectations. I was excited to see this movie - where Matt Damon's senator meets the girl of his dreams (Emily Blunt) but mysterious men (led by the extraordinarily handsome John Slattery) try to keep them apart - but I guess there was a reason it was delayed for so long. The performances were all fine (except Anthony Mackie, who I loved so much in The Hurt Locker, but who was so, so very wooden here). It's just the script was mediocre at best and the plot was just plain silly. Grade: D+

Just Go With It - In the film world, we are led to believe that Adam Sandler could not only land a chick as hot as Brooklyn Decker, but also land a chick as hot as Jennifer Aniston as well. I call bullshit. Sandler plays a plastic surgeon who was once left at the alter and now uses his useless wedding ring to create sob stories and pick up sympathetic women. In other words, he's a total jerk and highly unlikeable and there is no reason in hell why anyone would want him to end up happy in this movie. The characters are all people we don't care about. There's no character development. It's not funny. The writing is bad at best. Then there is the painful "cameo" by Nicole Kidman. I mean, remember the early 2000's when she was the best actress working??? This movie will quickly make you forget all about that. The only saving grace is Jennifer Aniston who is charming and and tries to make the best of a bad situation. Grade: D+

Horrible Bosses - The sexy Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudekis all hate their bosses. And when they are a sexually harassing maneater (Jennifer Aniston), a coke head douche bag (Colin Farrell) and a plain, old jerk (Kevin Spacey), how can you blame them? So, on the advice of a man named Motherfucker Jones (Jamie Foxx), they plan to kill each others bosses so they can live happily ever after in their stuffy office jobs with their nice cars and pretty girlfriends. Suffice it to say, hi jinks ensue! Horrible Bosses isn't terrible by any means. In fact, some parts of it are pretty damn funny. Plus, the trio of bosses, all playing so far against type, are delightful to watch. I wish I could say the same for the entire movie. For as funny as parts of it are, there are as many parts that are painfully boring. It's a little too long and a little too predictable. Plus, I'm growing tired of this whole Hangover effect in comedy. You know, the bromance where none of the characters are all that likable but you are supposed to cheer for them while they do stupid shit anyway. It's getting old. Grade: C+

Beastly - If you are interested in seeing a bunch of pseudo pretty people acting very, very badly, then Beastly just might be for you! A modern telling of Beauty and the Beast, Beastly follows Kyle (Alex Pettyfer), a a pretty boy who is a super jerk but may have some redeeming qualities hidden deep down somewhere. After pissing off a witch (Mary Kate Olsen), she does some magic and makes him as ugly on the outside as he is in the inside. He has a year to break the curse... he just needs to find someone who loves him for who he is. Enter Vanessa Hudgens as a sweet girl with daddy issues. Seriously though, this movie is extremely predictable, horribly written and starring a trio of young stars who simply can not act. The only small ray of light is Neil Patrick Harris who tries to make the most of a blind tutor. His failure isn't his fault at all. (Although he is in the upcoming Smurfs movie and should probably rethink his approach to picking projects or it might effect his Awesomeness.) Grade: D-

Unknown - Okay, so Liam Neeson is a total bad ass and can make even a bad movie totally watchable. I think we are all in agreement about that. In Unknown, he stars as Dr. Martin Harris who arrives in Berlin with his wife (January Jones) to attend a conference. He forgets a bag at the airport and gets in a cab driven by Diane Kruger to retrieve it. Instead, they get into a terrible accident and he loses some of his memories. When he arrives back at the hotel, his wife has no idea who the hell he is and introduces him to her husband... Dr. Martin Harris (Aiden Quinn). I have nothing bad to say about most of the script. The plot is great and there is a wonderful twist ending. Neeson's performance is fantastic. Jones is wooden, as usual. Overall, however, the movie is just a little boring. It could have been 30 minutes shorter, no problem. The sum of the parts is just mediocre. Grade: C

Bad Teacher

2011-07-04T08:09:00.003-04:00

The problem with Bad Teacher is that it's not nearly as funny as it thinks it is. There are some good laughs, sure, but for every minute of laughter, there are ten minutes of boring, badly written, trite nonsense. That doesn't really add up in the end. The actors are definitely the saving factor here because the script really isn't good. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Thank God for Jason Segel!

Bad Teacher follows Cameron Diaz as Elizabeth Halsey, a first year teacher who makes a big to-do at the end of the year celebration about leaving to get married. However, moments later, she gets dumped by her super rich fiancee because he realized what a gold digging bitch she really is. Flash forward to the beginning of the next school year, when Elizabeth returns to her true calling as a teacher. No, not really. She's pretty much the worst teacher ever, as you have already garnered from the trailer. She doesn't learn her students names. She drinks and smokes weed on the job. She thinks teaching is equivalent to showing Dangerous Minds in class. But she is determined to save enough money so she can get a boob job and meet a rich man. Then she meets Justin Timberlake's brand new teacher. Seems he is the heir of a watchmaking fortune and Elizabeth hones in on him, even though he is the biggest douchebag in all of teaching. Throw in Lucy Punch as a perky rival teacher and Jason Segal as the hilarious gym teacher with the hots for Elizabeth and you've got yourself a semi-raunchy predictable comedy.

Like I said, the writing is bad, but the actors do their best with what they've been given. Diaz is very good at playing unlikeable. Her character is sort of a walking disaster and she does a lot of very terrible things, but you still somehow manage to find yourself cheering for her. I have been praising Timberlake's talents as an actor for a very long time. And while I wasn't as impressed with him in The Social Network as everyone else was, I think he was damn near perfect in Alpha Dog a few years back. His character here is so under developed and badly written, that it's not entirely his fault that his performance is sort of lackluster and one-note. Lucy Punch all but steals the show as the perky, perfect rival to Elizabeth. She is absolute perfection and a bonefied scene stealer. Then there is Jason Segel, who I love so much, as the sweet and funny gym teacher who is a little bit naughty and completely endearing. I wish Jason Segel could be in every movie, honestly. Throw in a few small roles by Molly Shannon (completely pointless) and Eric Stonestreet completely and utterly unrecognizable as Cameron from Modern Family) and you've got yourself a completely average in every way comedy.

In conclusion, Bad Teacher is not something you are going to remember for a long time. Heck, I'll probably forget about it by the end of the summer. That's not to say it's without merits completely. There are very funny parts of the film. Still, it's predictable and average in every way.

Grade: C

[In case anyone actually reads this, I'll be away from the blog for three weeks. I'll be back sometime after July 22.]

Midnight in Paris

2011-07-03T21:41:00.005-04:00

Anyone who has ever read this blog should know that I am a huge Woody Allen fan. Probably the biggest Woody Allen fan who wasn't actually alive during his heyday. I will never not recommend a Woody Allen movie unless it starts with the words "The Case of the" and ends with "Jade Scorpion." But, seriously speaking, Midnight in Paris is probably Woody's best movie in years. And this is coming from someone who really, really enjoyed Match Point and Vicky Cristina Barcelona. But Midnight in Paris is just so much fun, and so imaginative. It has the sort of whimsical loveliness of The Purple Rose of Cairo mixed with Woody's new found love of foreign countries.

Midnight in Paris stars Owen Wilson (who is, arguably, the strangest actor Woody has ever chosen to stand in for him, although it all sort of works somehow) as Gil, a man who writes brainless Hollywood scripts but longs to follow his dreams and become an important literary voice. You see, he idolizes the likes of Hemingway and Fitzgerald and wants so badly to live in the romanticized period of 1920s Paris. He's engaged to a terribly annoying spoiled rich brat named Inez (Rachel McAdams) and the two are in Paris with her terribly annoying spoiled rich parents (Mimi Kennedy and Kurt Fuller). While in Paris, the young couple begins spending time with knowitall Paul (Michael Sheen) and his adorable girlfriend Carol (Nina Arianda). However, Gil isn't really feeling their company and begins taking walks by himself late at night. Well, when the clock strikes midnight something very... strange happens. And I'm not going to say what it is. I'm sure you can find out if you really wanted to but, honestly, I had no idea what the plot really was going into the film which is probably why I loved it so damn much. It was such a creative and pleasant surprise for me that I will not ruin it.

Woody has written and directed a great little film, one that truly encompasses the magic of movies. The cinematography definitely matches Gil's love of Paris. This is a love letter to Paris the way Manhattan was a love letter to Allen's hometown. The performances here are all pretty top notch. Wilson is fantastic as Gil, romantic and idealistic, longing for a time gone by and entranced with his new found adventures. He's a refreshing change of pace for the usual neurotic Allen leads. I guess if you like McAdams then you would be impressed with her performance and they way she manages to grate on your every nerve. I, however, am not a fan so I wanted to punch her in the face for an hour and a half. And while none of the supporting performances will win an Oscar the way Penelope Cruz did for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, they are still pretty spectacular. Sheen is hilarious although he doesn't have enough screen time. Marion Cotillard is absolutely breath taking as an artist's muse. Adrien Brody is laugh out loud funny in his role, which is little more than a cameo. But best in show has got to go to Alison Pill and Corey Stoll, two character actors that manage to steal every single scene in which they are a part.

All in all, this is, by far, Woody's best movie in the last few years. It's clever and intelligent, interesting and entertaining, hilarious and heartfelt. Midnight in Paris is a very surprising, and very good movie.

Grade: A-

The Rite (DVD)

2011-06-27T18:44:00.004-04:00

Are you interested in watching yet another exorcism movie based on a true story? I know I sure as hell am not interested. In fact, what makes things even less intriguing is the fact that this movie is completely boring and an utter waste of time. So, really, don't even bother.

The Rite stars Colin O'Donoghue as Michael, a man who doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps and become a funeral director. So, instead of running away from home and moving to the Coast and taking up fishing or something more realistic, he decides to attend seminary school with the purpose of getting his free education and then resigning. Well, his teacher (Toby Jones) isn't having it and instead sends him off to Rome to learn about exorisms. There, he talks a lot about losing his faith and doubting God and all that jazz. The teacher there sends him to school with an unorthodox priest named Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins) who shows him the inside track on performing exorcisms on 16 year old Italian girls who are knocked up by their daddy's. Sound enticing to you? Well, it's not.

Unfortunately for the movie, nearly nothing works in this movie. It's not scary enough to be a horror movie. It's not intelligent enough to be a complex study on the loss of faith. It's not compelling enough to be a psycho-theological character study. It's just one tedious, anti-climatic, completely predictable scene after another culminating in this most obvious final act ever. A lot of people have been hyping Anthony Hopkins performance, calling it his "best since Silence of the Lambs." If this is his second best performance ever than I'm worried about his future as a screen icon. I mean, I've been thinking a lot lately about what he's done and the only really great thing is Silence of the Lambs. I wonder why he's considered so iconic anyway. I haven't been that impressed with any of his other choices or performances and that goes for this film in a big way. He's wooden and hammy and showy and baity. His performance isn't anything to write home about. In fact, the only good thing I can say about this movie is that way O'Donoghue's character actually develops throughout the film and feels real and three dimensional. That's not even that strong of a selling point. Mostly I would say not to waste your time. Unless you are a huge fan of Chris Marquette who, for some reason, is in this movie for about 1 and a half minutes.

Grade: D-

The Green Hornet (DVD)

2011-06-23T13:36:00.004-04:00

Well, the good news is that The Green Hornet is not the worst movie of the year. That's not to say it's good, or even average, but it is not terrible. The thing about it is there is a lot of talent involved and it's almost sort of a shame that it is as bad, or really, as grating as it is. Director Michel Gondry is responsible for directing one of the best movies of the 2000s (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and his direction here is fine. It's just a shame he couldn't craft a better film.

The Green Hornet stars Seth Rogen (who also co-wrote with his Superbad/Pineapple Express writing partner Evan Goldberg) as spoiled, cocky rich brat Britt Reid. And there's your first problem. Or actually, first two problems. First of all, I'm sorry but Seth Rogen will never be a charismatic leading man action hero. He's lost a lot of weight and he looks great, but he will always be the slightly chubby, adorable teddy bear of a dude that you meet at a bar and want to get a drink with and maybe eat some burgers and get high and talk about comic books. Second of all, his character is so highly unlikeable that it is nearly impossible to cheer for him in any way. He's a jerk. A rich, spoiled dick who treats his bestie Kato (Jay Chou) like shit and nearly sexually harasses his brand new secretary, Lenore (Cameron Diaz). Anyway, after the sudden death of his billionaire publishing mogul dad (Tom Wilkinson), he takes over the responsibilities of running a newspaper and decides to become a superhero with the help of Kato, who is kind of bad ass and a martial arts expert. Needless to say, Kato does all the work but Reid takes all the credit. They beat up a lot of gang members and drug dealers but the ultimate showdown comes when they get mixed up with the man who practically runs the L.A. crime scene, Chudnofksy (Christoph Waltz).

And there's where it gets mildly interesting. Not the story line. No, that is watered down and so boggled down with mythology and back story and silliness that it doesn't even really matter. I mean, really, the entire third act is a fucking joke, so ridiculous and over the top, that it's not even entertaining. No, the interesting part is Christoph Waltz, who is magnetic on screen. He is evil incarnate, if he wants to be, but also funny as hell. This is why he won an Oscar for his brilliant portrayal in Inglourious Basterds. It's a shame there isn't really much for him to work with here. The terrible script (and Seth and Evan wrote a BRILLIANT script for Superbad!) almost turns him into a caricature, but Waltz manages to craft a bit of a believable comic book villain out of the crap he has to work with. He's simply fascinating to watch. The only other mildly enjoyable parts of the movie were the cameos by James Franco (!!) and Edward Furlong (!!!). Other than that, and I'm sorry to say it, this movie is a mess.

Grade: D+

Happy Birthday Meryl!

2011-06-22T17:13:00.002-04:00

Today is Meryl Streep's 62nd birthday. Since she is the greatest living actress, I decided to make a top ten list of what I think are her best performances. No time for explanations, just a simple quick list in celebration of Queen Meryl!

10. The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
09. The Hours (2002)
08. A Cry in the Dark (1988)
07. Doubt (2008)
06. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
05. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
04. Sophie's Choice (1982)
03. Manhattan (1979)
02. The Deer Hunter (1978)
01. Ironweed (1987)

Drive Angry (DVD)

2011-06-20T17:46:00.003-04:00

Okay, read closely because I'm not even making up this plot: Nicolas Cage plays John Milton, a man who dies and then escapes from hell in order to avenge his daughter's death. His daughter joined a cult and the evil cult leader, Jonah King (Billy Burke), killed her and then kidnapped her daughter (Nic's granddaughter) in order to sacrifice her so that he can unleash hell on Earth. Throw in Amber Heard as a pseudo badass waitress and William Fichtner giving the weirdest performance of all time as The Accountant, a.k.a. Death, I think, and you've got one hell of a bad, bad movie. Oh, and just for good measure, David Morse shows up as one of Milton's old buddies, proving that even the worst movies can attract talent for some strange reason.

As you may have guessed, I don't really have many (or any, really) good things to say about Drive Angry. It's one big car crash, really. Lots of car chases and gun fights and explosions. Like I said, Fichtner is the best thing about this movie and that's not necessarily because he's good. It's just that he's amusing in his strangeness. Heard is lucky she's hot because she's not such a great actress and doesn't really make a believable badass. Morse, who I think is one of the most underrated actors out there, is completely and utterly wasted and I don't even know why he would make a movie like this. Burke does his best at being a hammy, evil cult leader, looking all forlorn at the camera and trying to seem seductively mean. It doesn't work. And then there is Cage. I don't even know what to say about him anymore. There was a time when he was a damn good actor. Just watch Leaving Las Vegas and try to argue with me. But it's sort of like he is a huge joke now. The only good movie he's made in the last ten years (at least!) is The Bad Lieutenant and that's more because of Werner Herzog than him. He is just so over the top, even when he's being the obligatory "sinister killer of few words." He plays the same character over and over and it has become increasingly difficult to even watch him on screen.

Needless to say, Drive Angry is a terrible movie in every way, shape and form. It was a waste of an hour and a half and I wouldn't even recommend it to my worst enemy.

Grade: F

The Best of 2011... So Far!

2011-06-14T16:48:00.005-04:00

Since we are about two weeks shy of being halfway through 2011 (omg!), I've decided to do a best of the year so far list. Come January, I'm sure most of these actors and movies won't still be on my list so it's a good idea to celebrate them now. At years' end I do a top 10, so for halfway through the year, I will do a top 5 instead.

Best Actor
05. James McAvoy in X-Men: First Class - Funny, charming and utterly perfect in the role.
04. Jake Gyllenhaal in Source Code - A very difficult role and he delivers it with ease.
03. Michael Fassbender in X-Men: First Class - He's going to be a very, very big star. Forgive the pun, but he is magnetic in this film.
02. Bradley Cooper in Limitless - I'm as surprised as anyone to find out that he's not just another pretty face and can actually act... and hold his own opposite DeNiro!
01. Joel Courtney in Super 8 - Who? Exactly. He's a 14 year old kid who never acted before in his life and manages to carry one of summer's most anticipated blockbusters with ease.

Best Actress
05. Emily Browning in Sucker Punch - Not everything in this movie is mess (although just barely). Browning is impressive in her first big film. Too bad she'll be off this list as soon as better movies start hitting theaters.
04. Michelle Williams in Meek's Cutoff - A movie I'm not sure how I feel about (review coming soon), Williams is still a force to be reckoned with.
03. Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids - The hands down funniest movie of the year and it really only works because of how damn good Wiig is.
02. Saoirse Ronan in Hanna - A total bad ass! She shows those little Sucker Punch girls what it really looks like to be a kick butt, powerful girl!
01. Elle Fanning in Super 8 - The 13 year old most likely to grow up to be the next Meryl Streep, she'll take your breath away with her performance in the movie within a movie (she's so good, even the extras stop and watch her).

Best Supporting Actor
05. Bruce Greenwood in Meek's Cutoff - Great unlikeable performance by one of Hollywood's best character actors. He becomes unrecognizable.
04. Kevin Bacon in X-Men: First Class - He looks like he is having so much damn fun as a very bad boy intent on beginning World War III.
03. Ryan Phillippe in The Lincoln Lawyer - Look, I'm not going to sit here and say Phillippe is the best actor of all time but when a role calls for someone who is reserved, icy, and methodical like this one, then he can be very good.
02. Kyle Chandler in Super 8 - This isn't about my massive crush on him, or that he can do no wrong by my book. It's just that he does so very much with so very little. A look speaks a million words.
01. Ben Foster in The Mechanic - Foster is probably the best actor under 35 working in Hollywood today. So why is he resigned to making movies like this? Get him better material! Meanwhile, he'll keep stealing all your scenes and being awesome.

Best Supporting Actress
05. Jennifer Lawrence in X-Men: First Class - It's something anyone who has been a teenage girl can relate to: Feeling terrible in your own skin. Lawrence plays it with such ease. Of course, her character is blue...
04. Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids - The scene stealer of the year! Try not to laugh hysterically at her every time she is on screen.
03. Rose Byrne in Bridesmaids - The epitome of the bitchy friend you love to hate or hate to love. Yet, she's got a heart!
02. Abbie Cornish in Sucker Punch - The only Sucker Punch girl who is really and truly bad ass, Cornish is so much better than the material.
01. Cate Blanchett in Hanna - Cate the Great can do no wrong. Ever.

Best Film
05. The Lincoln Lawyer - A smart and intricately plotted story about a lawyer defending a man who he is increasingly convinced is guilty. Great performances all around!
04. Scream 4 - Look, I haven't had this much fun at a horror movie since... Scream 3? If you loved the first three, you'll love this smart, sexy, scary thrill ride.
03. Source Code - A unique film by the director of the amazing Moon. It's thrilling and smartly written.
02. Bridesmaids - The funniest movie of the year by a mile. A fantastic story about the complicated friendships of women.
01. Super 8 - Such a touching, whimsical little monster movie. It makes you want to be a kid again and also makes you fall in love with movies all over again.

Super 8

2011-06-12T18:04:00.007-04:00

Let's get the bad news out of the way. Super 8 is not perfect. I, personally, have never been a fan of seeing monsters in monster movies. I think that takes away from the thrill and mystery of it. Rather than see the monster outright, I prefer to see little glimpses and peeks. To me, monsters in monster movies just make the whole thing seem hokey. It's more terrifying if you don't know what you're scared of. I had the same problem with Cloverfield (although Super 8 is a far better movie than Cloverfield). I also wasn't super jumping out of my seat over the ending. I like the way that it ended, but I think director and writer J.J. Abrams could have done a little bit more with it.

Having said that, I thought Super 8 was a fantastic movie. Not only was it a damn near perfect summer blockbuster movie, but also it was just a great movie. It was a thrilling, whimsical ride that had everything: laughs, heart, romance, scares, and just great filmmaking and storytelling.

Super 8 follows a group of middle high students who use their summer vacation to make a zombie movie to submit to a Cincinnati film festival (the end product, shown during the credits, is hilariously wonderful). One night, they sneak out of their houses at midnight and meet up at the train station to film a poignoint scene. While filming, they witness an epic derailment of a government train (and I mean epic!). Soon, their small, sleepy Ohio town is being overrun by shady government officials and strange things start happening. All the town dogs disappear and are found days later miles and miles away, in the next county. The sheriff disappears and so do microwaves and stoves and engines to cars. The deputy (Kyle Chandler, a.k.a. Coach Taylor from my beloved show Friday Night Lights) is left in charge of a town that is flailing from all the unusual behavior and trying to deal with a military official (Noah Emmerich) who won't give him answers.

Super 8 takes place in 1979 and the movie has this old fashioned feel, like it's a movie of a different time and place. A simpler time, before video games and cell phones. A time when kids rode their bikes everywhere and the most trouble they got into was setting off a bunch of firecrackers. It's that childhood innocence that comes out so well in Abrams' film and the best parts of the film are those with the kids. And these kids are amazing! Riley Griffiths stars as the director extraordinaire Charles, Gabriel Basso is scardy cat Martin, and Ryan Lee is pyromaniac Cary. Then there is Elle Fanning as Alice, the beautiful strong willed girl who is the star of the zombie movie. Elle Fanning is the most likely 13 year old girl to become the next Meryl Streep, I think. She's even more talented than her sister. But it should be no surprise to anyone who has ever seen her act. What does come as a surprise is Joel Courtney, the 14 year old nobody who stars in the film as Joe, the son of the deputy who struggles with losing his mom and falling in love for the first time. This kid has never made a movie before. Courtney is a revelation. This is his first film, it's a huge summer blockbuster, and he completely carries the film. He is currently sitting atop my best actor list.

Overall, the only bad thing I can say about Super 8 is that I disliked how much of the monster we saw. The ending was a tad disappointing for me, as well. Other than that, Super 8 is a beautifully done, wonderful film that celebrates the joy and innocence of childhood as well as a pure unabashed love for filmmaking. It is a sweet natured, thrilling, smart movie. The acting, directing and writing are all superb and it is, by far, the best movie of 2011, so far.

Grade: B+

Mini Reviews: The Hangover Part 2, The Dilemma, X-Men: First Class

2011-06-06T14:54:00.005-04:00

The Hangover Part 2 - In the sequel to the super hilarious The Hangover, the wolf pack is back and this time in Thailand. It starts out much the same - a terrible phone call - and then flashes back to a few days earlier and shows you how things play out. This time around, Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Allen (Zach Galifianakis) attend Stu's (Ed Helms) wedding in Thailand. Stu is still a bit stunned from the events of the first film, so he doesn't want a bachelor party. Still, things get crazy and the three guys wake up in a dive motel one morning and can't find Stu's fiancee's little brother. Then they must retrace their steps and try to figure out what happens. Much like the first, they find the brother in the eleventh hour and relive their crazy night via pictures at the end. That's just the thing. It's sooo much like the original. And, I mean, to a certain extent that's great. Don't fix it, if it's not broken, right? But this is pretty much just a shot for shot remake in a different city with slightly different events. Is it funny? Sure. But it's nowhere near as laugh out loud crazy as the original. It's got it's moments but sequels can never really live up to their predecessors. They are inferior films by definition alone. The Hangover Part 2, unfortunately, is no different.
Grade: C+

The Dilemma - What the hell was Ron Howard thinking? He's made some pretty great films but this is sooo not one of them. Vince Vaughn and Kevin James star as besties. Vaughn is dating Jennifer Connelly and James has somehow manages to snag himself Winona Ryder. One day, Vaughn's Ronny discovers that Ryder's Geneva is cheating with a hottie named Zip (Channing Tatum). Hence, the dilemma. Should he tell his best friend? Should he wait a few days until the stress of a big work project passes? Who gives a crap? You don't care about these awful, hateful, unlikeable characters. They are all liars and cheaters. Plus, the movie is not funny at all. I didn't laugh once. And Vauhgn is someone I generally find funny. Also, I'm sorry, but if Kevin James manages to marry someone as hot and out of his league as Winona Ryder then I'm pretty sure he should allow her to cheat on him with Channing Tatum. (Just kidding!). Still, I don't have a single good thing to say about this movie and I clearly found my first possibility for Worst Movie of the Year.
Grade: F

X-Men: First Class - By no means am I a huge X-Men fan. I saw the previous trilogy. I guess I can say, overall, I enjoyed them. They had their positives and their negatives. Still, I wasn't hopping out of my seat to see this prequel. Let's just say - I was pleasantly surprised. X-Men: First Class is fun and exciting. It's got a ridiculously talented and hot young cast (James McAvoy as Xavier, Michael Fassbender as Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique, Zoe Kravitz as Angel). The story line was a bit confusing but interesting. It seems Erik / Magneto was raised and tested by a Nazi doctor and he's now all grown up and seeking revenge. Turns out the Nazi doctor is also a mutant named Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) who is hell bent on starting World War III. Erik teams up with Charles who is now helping out Rose Byrne and the CIA. They start finding a bunch of young mutants and train them to stop Shaw and the Bay of Pigs AND the potential World War III. The movie meanders a bit, and could have lost about 20 minutes or so on the editing floor, but overall I can't say too many bad things about it. It's fun and enjoyable and what else do you want out of a comic book summer movie? Fassbender is a total bad ass as Erik / Magneto. Remember his name because he is going to be HUGE. Bacon gives a great performance as the villain of the film. There are also two really great, well done cameos in the film. All in all, X-Men: First Class is surprisingly and refreshingly damn good.
Grade: B

The Mechanic (DVD)

2011-05-23T17:13:00.006-04:00

Listen, I'm just as surprised as you are, but I actually didn't hate The Mechanic. There are few things I like more than a movie featuring Ben Foster. Especially when Ben Foster (probably the best actor under 35, who should be getting better roles like his contemporaries Ryan Gosling and James Franco do) is a bad ass, cold blooded assassin who likes to wear fedoras and vests. I will not go so far as to say that I outright liked The Mechanic, but it wasn't a complete waste of time, especially for a movie that stars Jason Statham, someone so keen on making mindless action flicks that have no merit whatsoever.

Statham stars as Arthur Bishop, an enigmatic assassin who is the best at his job. He can get in and out of a highly guarded house without any security officers having even the slightest feeling that something is amiss. He makes murders look like accidents or natural causes. He is sort of like a ghost, coming and going without anyone noticing. He lives alone in a house you can only get to via boat. He has no girlfriend, no friends, nothing. Except his mentor, Harry, played by Donald Sutherland. Harry co-owns some sort of underground organization with Tony Goldwyn's Dean. They have a group of assassins that take out high ranking people for loads of money. However, Harry has back stabbed the company and Dean hires Arthur to take him out. Eventually, perhaps from remorse, Arthur begins to mentor Harry's failure of a son, Stephen (Foster!). Stephen is young and angry and Arthur tries to teach him and help him become a killer. Of course, not everything is at it seems.

For a mindless action movie, this one isn't quite so bad. I was fully expecting to hate it and have a movie for my end of the year worst list, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, it's sort of enjoyable if you ignore all the plot holes and character flaws. For one, Arthur is such a highly intelligent man, you think he would realize the danger of taking a hot head like Stephen under his wing, but he doesn't seem to mind or even take it into consideration. The direction is just fine although some of the action scenes tend to be a bit dizzying. The movie has some pacing problems as it so easily goes from being fast paced, entertaining and enjoyable to boring and slow. Statham is fine, and he should be as he has played this exact role approximately fifteen times by now. Sutherland is as good as to be expected from a legend who only has a few scenes. Goldwyn is menacing in a very good way. But it's Foster, OF COURSE, who steals the show. He is always so much better than his surroundings. While I've loved quite a few of his movies, I always love him, even if the movie disappoints me. I wish he would finally get a showy Oscar baity role because he totally deserves to win an Oscar at some point in his career. I've always thought maybe he was too weird for Oscar, but if Franco can be nominated (and he's slightly insane, I think), then Foster surely isn't too out there. Anyway, he's great here as the wayward son, the angry young man who wants both acceptance and revenge.

Overall, I would have liked it had the movie ended ten minutes sooner. The end was a little bit too much, I think: too many twists, too many explosions. Still, The Mechanic is not nearly as bad as you might think. It's actually a pretty entertaining action movie, great mindless entertainment for a rainy day.

Grade: C+

The Other Woman (DVD)

2011-05-19T14:59:00.003-04:00

Another day, another Natalie Portman movie. Here she is in her 52nd role of 2011, starring in the straight to DVD drama The Other Woman, which isn't necessarily a bad movie. The main problem with this movie (and, man, I know I've been focusing on the problems lately, but there are just so many mediocre movies out there) is that none of the main characters are the least bit likable. The most likable of the main cast is Jack (Scott Cohen), and he's a lawyer who impregnates another woman while still married to his wife. Then there's his wife Carolyne (Lisa Kudrow), who pretty much is just a bitter, awful woman. The two of them have a son named William (Charlie Tahan) who is every bit the brat you imagined he might be. Then there's Portman, starring as Emilia (yes with an E). Emilia is pretty much the worst. She actively pursues a married man. She lies, she cheats, she treats her step son like crap and she never takes responsibility for any of it. Oh, I guess the moral of the story is that we are all unlikeable at some point in our lives and we all make mistakes and blah, blah, blah. And all of these characters find a way to redeem themselves in the end, but by then it's too late. An hour and forty minutes has gone by and the viewer doesn't give a crap about any of these people.

The Other Woman is based on a novel called Love and Other Impossible Pursuits. It follows Portman's Emilia, an associate at a law firm. She quickly falls for one of the partner's at the firm, despite the fact that he is married and has a son. The two begin an affair, Emilia insisting that she doesn't want to get married or any of it. Soon, she is accidentally pregnant and getting married to the recently divorced Jack. It seems these two love birds, who have made a very mature, well thought out decision to get married, are headed toward a blissful life together, right? Well, not so much. Their newborn baby dies after just three days and Emilia is swallowed by her grief, so much so that she becomes careless with other people's feelings and safety. The movie is basically about her complicated and tumultuous relationship with her step son, with the sort of secondary relationship being that of her marriage, that is slowly and surely falling apart. Also, I guess it's a sort of meditation on the definition of family, or whatever.

Directed by Don Roos, who also directed the brilliant 90s dark comedy The Opposite of Sex, The Other Woman is mostly a disappointment. There are a lot of weighty issues that are presented in the movie, and yet, the script seems to only skim the surface. For a movie that deals with guilt, loss, sorrow, and a whole crapload of other heavy emotions, the movie is not nearly as deep as it needs to be. The movie is basically a superficial soap opera with a good cast. And I can't really complain about the cast all that much. Kudrow, who has carved out a nice niche for herself post-Friends as a super bitch, is always enjoyable, though her character here is too one-dimensional. Cohen, best known for his work on Gilmore Girls, is fine but unspectacular. Tahan is quite the little revelation and probably gives the best performance. Portman is great, as always. I always expect great performances from her and she usually delivers. It's a shame she had to spend so much of her screen time either whining or crying, but she works well with what she's got. It was also quite nice to see Rent's Anthony Rapp and Six Feet Under's Lauren Ambrose in small roles, even if they were both quite unsubstantial.

All in all, I feel like this movie had so much potential - a great cast, a fantastic director, based on a respected book - but, ultimately, failed to deliver. This could have been a wonderfully deep and dark look at the way a woman overcame her sorrow and grief and learned to turn her life around. Unfortunately, too much time was spent on our characters while they were doing terrible things, and, in the end, we just don't care about them at all. Still, if you can manage to sit through a soapy drama, then the performances are more than worth it.

Grade: C-

The Roommate (DVD)

2011-05-18T18:39:00.003-04:00

Look, I can relate to Minka Kelly's character Sara. My roommate freshman year in college was bat shit crazy too. Okay, so she wasn't psychotic crazy. She didn't kill any of my ex-boyfriends or stick my cat in a dryer or anything. But she totally did have a few failed suicide attempts, an overdose or two and alcohol poisoning. Now she has a child. Which makes me utterly frightened for the future of our society. But I regress.

The Roommate stars Minka Kelly (a gorgeous girl who I'm not completely sure can act, but hell, is she nice to look at... sort of like this entire cast) as Sara. Sara is a freshman at the fictitious University of Los Angeles and her roommate is this sweet, shy, kinda weird girl named Rebecca (Leighton Meester). Anyway, Sara is super popular and has many paramours, including her ex-boyfriend Jason (Matt Lanter), new boyfriend Stephen (Cam Gigandet) and even one of her professors (Billy Zane, who is SO MUCH BETTER THAN THIS!). She's also got tons of friends (Aly Michalka and Danneel Harris). And she's also got a roommate who is off her meds and completely nutso. I'm not sure if Rebecca wants to be Sara's best friend, or actually steal her life, but whatever. She sets out to get back at anyone who does Sara wrong or anyone who is closer to her than she is. Just think Single White Female except way less awesome, with actors who can't really act, set in college.

So, yes, the good part is the cast is incredibly good-looking, like the cast of a CW TV show (which, ironically, most of these actors come from). And Meester, who is famous for playing Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl, can play crazy and evil pretty well sometimes (although she totally over acts parts of the third act). As for the good parts? That's about all I've got! This "thriller" isn't thrilling. There's nothing tense or spooky or frightening about this movie at all. The plot is stolen from a ton of other movies, especially the aforementioned Single White Female. It's sort of a cheap knock off of that film, a remake without really remaking it. The difference, of course, is that Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh could act circles around Meester and Kelly without even trying. It's also just not very plausible. I know there wouldn't be a movie or anything (which wouldn't be a bad thing) but Sara should have asked a few more questions, been a bit more aware, paid a little more attention and she probably could have saved herself a few months of grief. She seemed like a smart enough girl. Anyway, the worst of it is that we are supposed to be on Team Minka. But guess what? Meester's performance is the only thing relatively interesting about this movie so you find yourself immediately drawn to sympathize with her. What is her back story? Why are her parents so damn weird? What happened with her high school "friend," Maria? What exactly is she after? You just don't get any answers. Perhaps if the script was less concerned with being hip and cool (it's neither), it could have delved a little further into character development and actually presented us with a protagonist we care about and a villain that is well-rounded and interesting. After all, when villains are done really, really well, they are the most fascinating thing about thrillers.

But all of that is just speculation because the movie does none of that. The writing is sloppy. The directing is trite. The performances are all severely lacking. Except for Meester, who is so close to being good. If she had better writing, this could have been a revelatory performance for her. Instead, she's stuck being the best thing about a really crappy movie full of pretty people who can't act.

Grade: D

No Strings Attached (DVD)

2011-05-16T13:20:00.003-04:00

There is a major problem with No Strings Attached. The movie presents itself as a smart, funny, rauncy, romantic comedy. The problem? Well, it's just not funny. That's not to say it's bad, per se. Because it's not. If you go into it expecting a cliche romance with a pretty stellar cast then you probably won't be disappointed. It's not bad, just not necessarily good either. It's just sort of average in every way.

Recent Oscar winner Natalie Portman stars as Emma, a young woman who is really good at being alone. She's currently doing her residency in order to become a doctor so she has very little time to date. Plus, she doesn't really like relationships anyway. Enter Adam (Ashton Kutcher). The two originally meet at a summer camp when they are 14. Their lives intersect a few times before they decide to be friends with benefits (ironically the name of a movie with this exact same plot that will be out in a few months starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake). They set a series of ground rules, such as no cuddling, no listing each other as an emergency contact, etc. If you have ever, ever, ever seen a romantic "comedy" in your entire life, then I'm sure you can see where this one is going. They fall in love! But Emma is such an emotional wreck, she completely messes it up! But, don't fret, they work things out and live happily ever after!

The cast is what makes this movie worth it. Portman is way better than she has to be in a lame romance movie. Kutcher is likeable and charming. The supporting cast is ridiculously talented (probably too talented to be in a movie like this). Mindy Kaling (the best thing about The Office), Chelsea Handler regular Guy Branum and Greta Gerwig star as Emma's fantastic best friends, friends who you'd like to have as your own. Olivia Thirlby (who I love to death) is Emma's sister, but is all but wasted in her role. Ludacris and Jake Johnson are Adam's best friends, the ones who actually get all two or three of the funny lines in the movie. Lake Bell is his neurotic co-worker who has a massive crush on him. Then there is Kevin Kline who stars as his fading movie star dad who has begun to date his ex-girlfriend Vanesa (Ophelia Lovibond).

The best part of the movie is probably the 30 second clip of a bluegrass band covering the song "99 Problems" by Jay-Z. More of that, please! The direction is fine and the script is ok as well. I mean, it's a well written, smart movie... it's just not funny at all. And when you are presenting your movie as a romantic COMEDY, it should probably be funny. Instead, No Strings Attached is just a cute cliche. Thank goodness the movie is rated R because at least it gets to be a little raunchy. If it was PG-13, it probably would have been nearly unwatchable. The movie is about casual, no strings attached sex and on that front, it works well. I think it presents the sitation as realistically as possible. So, all in all, the movie is cute and the characters are likeable. It's not a bad movie, just predictable in every single way. And it completely fails in what it sets out to do, which is be funny.

Grade: C

Bridesmaids

2011-05-15T17:20:00.005-04:00

Don't be fooled - Bridesmaids is not a chick flick. And it's not a female version of The Hangover. It's just a damn good, well-written movie that happens to be hilarious. Yes, it does set the bar for R-rated comedies this year. Yes, it's the funniest thing I've seen in theaters since, probably (and ironically), The Hangover. Yes, it's the best movie of 2011 (so far). Yes, my outpouring of overwhelming love for this movie may be because of two things: 1. It's refreshing as hell to have a movie that realistically portrays female friendships, and 2. I may have more things in common with Kristin Wiig's character than I care to admit right now.

So, anyway, Wiig (who also co-wrote the script) plays Annie. Annie once owned a bakery in Milwaukee but the store went under and now she works at a jewelry store although she hates it. She's single, although she's sleeping with a not-so-nice guy (played by Jon Hamm). She's also taken aback when her best friend since childhood Lillian (Maya Rudolph) suddenly gets engaged. Lillian seems to have it all - she's successful and in love. To Annie, it seems her life is a disaster compared to her best friends. Lillian asks Annie to be her maid of honor and, thus, she is thrown into a world with a lot of hilarious women. There is Rita (Wendi McLendon-Covey), Lillian's cousin who is married with three kids and disgusted by all of it. There is Becca (Ellie Kemper) who is a giggly, adorable newlywed who loves Pixar and has only slept with her husband. There's Megan (SCENE STEALER EXTRAORDINAIRE Melissa Mccarthy) who is... well, you have just got to experience her. And there's Helen (Rose Byrne). Annie may be Lillian's oldest and best friend, but Helen is Lillian's new best friend. She's gorgeous. She's rich. And she goes out of her way to make sure Lillian has the most extravagant of everything. Of course, Annie is a little bit jealous.

So, the movie follows these magnificent, well written, completely fleshed out characters over the course of a few weeks (or months). It follows these women through hilarious ups and downs: the well-intentioned but ultimately ill-fated pre-fitting meal at a Brazilian restaurant, the Parisian themed bridal shower, and the hilarious bacherlorette trip to Vegas (which, I'm saying this right now - you will not see anything funnier this year than the scene on the plane. No joke. It is the single funniest thing I have seen in a movie in I don't know how long). You recognize these women, maybe as yourself or maybe as your best friend or a co-worker or a family member. Maybe instead of referring to ourselves as "Carrie's" and "Charlotte's", we can now start referring to ourselves as "Megan's" and "Helen's." (I've got dibs on Annie!). You become friends with these women over the course of this movie, which is what draws you into it. But, also, of course, it's funny as hell.

From director Paul Feig ("Freaks and Geeks") and super-producer Judd Apatow, this movie is both heartfelt and hilarious. The performances are all top notch, with Wiig carrying this film with her humor and likability. Even when her life is falling apart and she's making bad decisions, you still cheer for her, because, well, she's you or someone you know. Rudolph is great as Lillian and Byrne is fantastic as the bitch with a heart of gold Helen. As is Chris O'Dawd in the lone male role (Annie's adorable cop paramour). However, it's Melissa McCarthy that steals the show. Everyone will be taking about her ballsy, take-no-prisoners amazing performance. You probably know her as Sookie on Gilmore Girls, but she'll make you forget all about that here. She's fantastic and hopefully she will get tons more movie roles to prove it in the future.

So, Bridesmaids is a hilarious and well-written movie. And while girls will appreciate the female friendship dynamic of the movie and relate to the relationships, this movie is so funny that it will certainly appeal to both sexes. Not only does it have the best movie poster of the year, so far, but it is also the best movie of the year, so far.

Grade: B+

Scream 4

2011-04-24T21:28:00.005-04:00

I think we all know by now that I am a huge fan of the original Scream trilogy. Scream 4, or Scre4m as the opening titles spell it, is probably the movie I was most looking forward to seeing in the first half of this year. You know, pre Oscar buzz movies, and pre-summer blockbusters, Scream 4 was it for me. I went in to it fully expecting it to be as awesome as the 7th grade version of me would expect. Sure, there was the slight feeling that it might disappoint me but I tried to ignore it. And guess what? Scream 4 lived up to my every expectation! I simply loved it.

Look, I'm not going to sit here and say that Scream 4 is some Oscar worthy, prestigious, amazingly well written and directed, fantastic film. It's none of those things. But if you are a fan of the original trilogy, I honestly can't see how you would be disappointed! It's got everything you've come to expect from a Scream movie: a great opening sequence where big-named stars bite the dust (and, seriously, let me tell you, the opening sequence of Scream 4 was by far my favorite part of the film, so clever, so well done, maybe even the best opening sequence of the franchise), tongue in cheek humor, great death scenes, some trapped in a car while trying to get away from Ghostface, and even the necessary rules for surviving a remake (Rule number one: "Don't fuck with the original."

So, anyway, it's ten years later and heroine extraordinaire Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has returned to her hometown of Woodsboro, California to promote her self help book entitled Out of Darkness. The only other survivors of the trilogy bloodbath, Dewey (David Arquette) and Gale (Coureteny Cox) are now married and living semi-happily. Dewey is the new chief of police and Gale is trying her hand at writing fiction. But guess what guys? The engine on Sydney's car hasn't even cooled and there are a pair of murders, with two local girls getting stabbed to death. [This all, of course, happens after the AMAZING opening sequence. Not even kidding. That shit is crazy good.] Anyway, while Sydney is at a book reading in town, Dewey receives a phone call that leads him to the trunk of her rental car and a whole bunch of Ghostface memorabilia is there, along with lots of blood. Suddenly, Sydney can't leave town even if she wanted to. She gets to hole up with her cousin Jill (Emma Roberts), who is the brand new fresh-faced ingenue of the film. Soon, Ghostface is targeting Jill and her friends, sassy Kirby (Hayden Panettiere), film nerds Charlie (Rory Culkin) and Robbie (Erik Knudsen), sexy Olivia (Marielle Jaffe) and Jill's jerk ex-boyfriend Trevor (Nico Tortorella). Cat and mouse, whodunit, murdering rampages ensue.

Director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Wiliamson have truly done it again. No matter how indulgent the movie is at times (and it surely knows how clever it is being sometimes), this is still a fun slasher movie. It's undoubtedly the most fun I had at the movies in 2011. Sure, a lot of it is predictable but any horror movie fan will love how well this movie is executed. This isn't some bad sequel or B-movie. This a damn well done horror sequel, something that truly belongs being a part of the great Scream franchise. As I said earlier, the opening sequence is goddamn perfect as far as I'm concerned. It's smart and clever and serves as a great reintroduction to the films. While some of the film lags in the middle, it is completely redeemed by a strong, really great, risky ending (although, I would have enjoyed it a tad bit more had it ended five minutes earlier). The only thing really lacking for me was somethng that I really wanted to happen that didn't. SPOILER ALERT - I so wanted one of the original actors to bite the dust (just not Courteney Cox!), but they all survived to Scream another day.

The acting is pretty great all around. Of course, you would expect nothing less from Scream veterans Campbell, Cox and Arquette. While the first three films belonged totally to Campbell and her fine nuanced and fragile performance as Sydney, Cox sort of steals the show here as the ever-sassy, ever-ruthless Gale Weathers Riley. There are some great newcomers to the franchise as well with particularly strong performances from Roberts, Culken, Panettiere, and Alison Brie, as Sydney's money hungry editor. Also, kudos to Anna Paquin and Kristen Bell for all but stealing the show with their small amount of screentime.

All in all, the movie isn't perfect, and it's definitely not going to win any Oscars anytime soon. However, it's a great reboot, and a perfect next installment, for the franchise of Scream. Here's hoping for more smart, clever, witty, scary Scream movies in the future.

Grade: B

Insidious

2011-04-11T11:22:00.005-04:00

At first, I had little to no interest in seeing this film. The fact that it was written and directed by the people responsible for most of the Saw franchise, and produced by the guy responsible for Paranormal Activity was certainly NOT a selling point for me. In fact, it was a total turn off. As you may know, my predilection in horror movies is NOT the supernatural. I have no interest in ghosts and haunted houses and demons and whatever else because, you know what, prove to me that those exist first! No, you know what does exist? Crazy psychopaths with knives who break into your house in the middle of the night and hack you and your family into a million pieces. That shit happens! That shit is scary! Ghosts aren't scary to me in the least. So my interest in Insidious was pretty non-existant. Of course, I would check it out on DVD, probably hate it, whatever. But then I started reading the reviews. Reputable critics giving it grades like "A-" and calling it the scariest movie since Poltergeist. Tons of really great, really strong reviews. So I decided to give in and go see it. All I can say is, thank goodness I had a free movie ticket because I was right and you all were wrong. Insidious is, indeed, insidious.

Insidious stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne as a couple with three children who recently moved into a brand new house in some picturesque suburb somewhere. Soon after they move in, their oldest son falls into a sort of coma that the doctors can't explain. Then "scary" stuff starts to happen and mom Renee (Byrne, although Renee is spelled in the most stupid way possible and I refuse to accept it as an actual spelling for the name) starts to freak out. She hears scary noises and sees scary things. Ooooh! So scary. Anyway, hottie dad Josh (Wilson) believes her craziness and the family leaves their gorgeous suburban house and moves to a different, uglier house. But guess what? The ghosts and goblins and general cliched creepiness follows them. Barbara Hershey shows up for some unknown reason to be wasted in a terrible role and introduces them to some creepy lady (Lin Shaye) who informs them that the house isn't haunted, but their son is. THEN the movie gets really stupid, involving some strange gas mask apparatus and astral-projection and a whole bunch of other really stupid stuff. Blah, blah, blah, twist ending you saw coming a mile away.

I guess it's pretty plain to see that not only did I not like Insidious, but also, in fact, I hated it. There was absolutely nothing I could say about it that was positive except - I liked the opening credits! They were creepy and old school and enjoyable. It was pretty much all down hill from there. The performances by Wilson and Byrne, two actors who I like, were fine, I guess. Too bad they are stuck in a really terrible movie. Any sort of creepiness that builds up in the first half (and I'm saying that as a sort of objective point of view because where other people might find it "creepy" and "scary", I found it boring and dumb) gets completely ruined by a far-flung ridiculous second half. The fact that people genuinely find this movie good and scary makes me realize why there is really no hope for the future of the horror movie genre. I really hope Scream 4, a SLASHER movie about a crazy MAN who wears a mask and kills people for really no reason, is a huge success and ushers in a change. I can't handle all this supernatural crap that people find scary these days. It just doesn't do it for me, man. Anyway, I liked it better when it was called Poltergeist.

Grade: D-

Hanna

2011-04-10T16:53:00.003-04:00

I probably couldn't have been more excited about seeing Hanna. I thought the trailer looked bad ass and exciting and action packed and fun! Plus, it's directed by Joe Wright, the guy behind the superb and wonderful Atonement (and, also, the completely underwhelming The Soloist, so, really, I should have known). I wasn't in any way let down by the performances or the direction, however, the movie as a whole was a bit disappointing.

Hanna is the story of a young girl (Saoirse Ronan, more bad ass than all of the Sucker Punch girls combined) who is raised by her father (Eric Bana) in the middle of nowhere. He has trained her since childhood to fight, hunt, and survive. The two hide out in a tiny log cabin in the arctic forest, in hiding from a shady government official named Marissa (Cate Blanchett). Once Hanna is ready, all she has to do is press a button and Marissa's goons will come and find her. Daddy disappears after they promise to meet in Berlin and Hanna is captured. After she kills a Marissa clone and escapes, Hanna must run for her life from a bunch of men trying to kill her, make peace with the truths she learns about her past, learn about all the things her daddy never taught her about (like boys and electricity), and ultimately have it out with Marissa in the big climax.

Let's talk positives first: the direction from Joe Wright is georgeous, as always. The opening shot especially is impressive. Although Wright has indeed made a dull movie, he has never made an ugly movie. Although this is an action movie, Wright takes his time and delivers some beautiful moments throughout the film. Then there is the frenetic, awesome soundtrack courtesy of The Chemical Brothers which will surely infect your brain and stay in your head for hours afterwards. And finally, the performances are just top notch. Bana is fine as Hanna's ex-government official father although he doesn't really have the biggest role here. Blanchett is just perfect as the red headed, ruthless villianous who can sweet talk you and then shot you in the head. She is extraordinary, like she always is. However, it's Ronan that is the revelation here. She was exceptional in Atonement but this movie proves that she is going to be a big star someday soon. If she continues to pick great roles, she may just grow up to be her generation's version of Meryl Streep, since she's surely got the chops for it. She is adorable and vulnerable as a little girl who is learning about the world around her - electricity, swimming pools, boys, showers. But she is also a bad ass action star. She fights, beats up boys and makes it all so much more realistic than that awful Sucker Punch movie. And she doesn't even have to wear a little school girls outfit to look damn cool kicking so much ass. She's sort of like Natalie Portman's Mathilda from The Professional meets a baby version of Uma Thurman's The Bride from Kill Bill. She's just sensational and impressive and gives the first truly great performance of the year.

So, while the direction, performances and music is all great, I can't say the same for the movie. There are portions of the movie that are damn good. In fact, these specific moments are so, so, so very good that it sort of makes the rest of the movie seem that much worse. For every exciting action scene or intense conversation, there is a damn boring drawn out portion of the film that is just plain unnecessary. The movie is less than two hours long but it feels like it takes forever, so I guess, chalk that up to bad editing. For every moment threatening to overflow with suspense, there are just as many, if not more, moments that I was bored out of my mind. There is also a lot of really weird imagery and moments throw in the mix, but for what? None of it served a purpose. This isn't some quirky indie film! It's a mainstream action movie. I appreciate the artistry that Wright offers but it really doesn't have a place here. Then there's the violence, or rather, lack there of. I know why studios want to make PG13 rated movies, believe me I do (better box office!), but I couldn't help but look at some of the moments in this movie and think about how amazing and cool they could have been if the movie would have had an R rating. I'm not all about glorifying violence, but if you are trying to make a super cool movie about a teenage assasin, then you should just go for it, you know? Wright is an amazing director, but I couldn't help but think this would have been a better movie in Tarantino's hands.

Grade: C+

The Scream Trilogy

2011-04-07T21:33:00.005-04:00

A week from tomorrow is a very glorious day indeed: the release of Scream 4! I know I'm probably more excited than I should be about it, but the fact of the matter is, I grew up with the original Scream trilogy. So, in order to prepare myself for the fourth installation, I rewatched the first three and will now talk about how awesome they are. Is a SPOILER WARNING relevant if something is more than a decade old???

Scream (1996)
Director: Wes Craven
Writer: Kevin Williamson
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Skeet Ulrich, Drew Barrymore, Rose McGowan, Matthew Lillard, Jamie Kennedy, Liev Schreiber
So, this is where it all began. A movie-loving masked murderer begins targeting teenagers (and an ill-fated principal) as a sort of psychotic craze. But is it? Nope, turns out there is a back story involving heroine Sydney (Campbell) and her mother Maureen who has been dead for - oh, what? - just about exactly one year. Scream's plot isn't revolutionary but this smart as hell, quick plotted, witty film revitalized the slasher genre. With it's tongue in cheek humor and it's rules for survival, it mocked the films that came before, while also paying homage to them, while also breathing life back into a genre that was long dead. And, man, was it brilliant, thanks in part to director Craven's knowledge of directing horror films, and writer Williamson's super smart, talky, pop culture laden script. Scream pays homage in the most subtle ways: Billy's last name is Loomis much like characters in A Nightmare on Elm Street and Psycho, Barrymore (a HUGE star who got top billing) bites the dust before the credits a la Janet Leigh in Psycho. It also rewrites the rules: One of the rules Randy mentions is that virgins are the only ones who can outsmart the killer. However, later in the film Sydney loses her v-card and still manages to survive the big third act bloodbath. The best tongue in cheek moment comes courtesy of Sydney who is on the phone with the killer talking about why she hates horror movies, saying the victims are "always running up the stairs when she should be running out the front door," and then moments later does just that. Fifteen years later, the movie is only slightly dated. I mean, they sure make a big fuss about a teenage boy having a "cellular telephone" but other than that it still seems as hip as it did back then. All in all, the first scream was just fantastic in every way, shape and form.
Grade: A

Scream 2 (1997)
Director: Wes Craven
Writer: Kevin Williamson
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Jamie Kennedy, Liev Schreiber, Jada Pinkett Smith, Omar Epps, Elise Neal, Jerry O'Connell, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Timothy Olyphant, Laurie Metcalf, Rebecca Gayheart, Portia de Rossi
One year later in real life but two years later in movie life, Scream 2 picks up with Sydney (Campbell) and Randy (Kennedy) both attending Windsor College. A movie called STAB, based on the story of their life, has just hit theaters. In the pre-credits death scene, Pinkett Smith and Epps bite the dust while watching a preview in a theater. Of course, Gale Weathers (Cox) smells a story and shows up and it seems the deaths are happening all over again. And, of course, there are rules to sequels as well. The death scenes are bigger and more elaborate, for one and that is definitely the case here. There is also a healthy debate during the film about the fact that sequels are never, ever better than the original. And that's the case here as well, but not by much. Scream 2 is truly a great follow up to the first. It's still got the tongue in cheek wit while also managing to be genuinely frightening and intense. And it's also got a surprising amount of heart: try not to get a little misty eyed when our poor, sweet, dorky Randy gets murdered.
Grade: A-

Scream 3 (2000)
Director: Wes Craven
Writer: Ehren Kruger
Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Liev Schreiber, Kelly Rutherford, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Foley, Lance Henriksen, Deon Richmond, Jenny McCarthy, Emily Mortimer, Parker Posey, and a special appearance by Jamie Kennedy just to appease those of us who were completely tramuatized by his death in Scream 2
So, it's a few years later. Sydney is living the life of a hermit, shacked up in an extravagent secluded house, working from home as a crisis counselor, seemingly only having contact with her father and her dog. In Hollywood, Sunrise Studios is making Stab 3. Liev Schreiber's love-to-hate-him character Cotton Weary has bitten the dust, pre-opening credits style. But the plot thickens: the killer left a picture at the death scene and that picture just happens to be of Sydney's long dead mom back when she was young and fresh-faced. Gale smells a juicy story and shows up to poke around in Hollywood. I remember loving all the Scream movies equally, but upon rewatching them, I will quickly admit that Scream 3 doesn't live up to the other two, not one bit. For starters, gone is Kevin Williamson's witty, smart script which is replaced by dialogue that is just trying way too damn hard. The only character who gets good lines is Parker Posey's hilarious actress Jennifer who is playing Gale Weathers. Posey is so much better than her material and she makes every scene a little bit better. She has some particularly hilarious scenes with Cox near the middle of the film that almost make everything that's wrong with this movie a little bit better. And what's wrong with it, per se? Besides sloppy, lazy writing, it calls in question everything that had happened in the first two (which is apparently a rule of the trilogy) but in the most stupid way possible. Also, there are ongoing scenes with Sydney's dead mother appearing to her and talking to her that are just plain dumb. So, I will admit it, the Scream trilogy is not perfect. Scream 3 is not nearly as good as the first two, but I still love it. It's sort of like the Halloween series for me. Everyone knows Halloween 4 and 5 are crap but I love them anyway. In fact, Halloween 4 is probably my second favorite of the series even though it's just plain bad.
Grade: C+

Source Code

2011-04-03T16:40:00.005-04:00

I can't possibly say enough good things about director Duncan Jones' (son of David Bowie) directorial debut, 2009's Moon. Moon was stellar is so many ways. It had an amazing script. It was directed beautifully. It had a balls to the wall, fearless, tour de force performance from Sam Rockwell. Moon was just amazing. So, I guess I had high expectations for Source Code, Jones' sophomore effort. But guess what? Source Code does NOT disappoint! Sure, it has a few problems and I'll nitpick about them in a minute. But, overall, Source Code is a sharp, smart thriller with enough suspense and twists and turns to fulfill you.

The plot is a little hard to explain. Jake Gyllenhaal stars as an army helicopter pilot who suddenly finds himself on a daring new mission: he gets to inhabit the body of another man named Sean, who is a passenger on a commuter train that was bombed outside of Chicago. This new revolutionary program called the Source Code was invented by a slightly crazy scientist (Jeffrey Wright) and is initiated by a mysterious captain named Goodwin (Vera Farmiga). The catch is, he can only inhabit the body for 8 minutes at a time, so he must go from the body to a holding cell, back and forth, until he can successfully find the bomber, who is planning to set off a dirty bomb in downtown Chicago sometime in the very near future. While on the train, "Sean" interacts with a whole slew of passengers, including the sweet and beautiful Christina (Michelle Monaghan), who he decides he is going to save from the bomb, even though Goodwin tells him that it is impossible. Got it? Well, like I said, it's hard to explain, but believe me, it is EXCITING!

Source Code is for sure an edge of your seat thriller. The plot is confusing, sure, but it is also ridiculously smart (just like Moon). If you like your movies to be entertaining AND smart, then Source Code is definitely right up your alley. Plus, there is enough humor throughout the movie to keep the mood light. Sure, saving the world is serious business, but that doesn't mean it can't be fun! I also quite enjoyed the chemistry between Gyllenhaal and Monaghan. Source Code is a perfect sci-fi romance and the leads have incredible chemistry. Going into the movie, I thought the romance element would play off as cheesy and forced, but it doesn't at all, growing organically and believably. Jones' direction is superb as well. The script is also fantastic. This isn't your typical stock Hollywood paint-by-numbers thriller. It's different and it's edgy.

My main problem is with the performances. Don't get me wrong, the principal cast does a fantastic job in the movie. Gyllenhaal manages to carry the movie on his shoulders perfectly, something I wasn't sure he could do. Monaghan is delightful and sweet. Farmiga is great as a stoic captain who we get to know more about as the movie goes on. Wright also does a solid job with a small role. However, none of them stand out the way Rockwell's performance did in Moon. I know it's not fair to combine the two, since the only thing they have in common is their director, but after Moon, I couldn't help but think of Jones as someone who is capable of getting a really great, jaw-dropping AMAZING performance from an actor. I also know Rockwell can act circles around all of the actors in this particular movie, but that doesn't mean I wasn't slightly disappointed that there wasn't really a performance that I want to talk about for days. I'd rather focus on how amazing the movie is rather than the work of a particular actor, and that is odd for me. Another of my major problems is the ending. It leaves you with more questions than answers (which I actually don't mind. Afterall, I did watch Lost for six seasons). However, I feel like they went a little out of their way to tack on the "happily ever after" / "silver lining" ending. I prefer my movies with a little more doom and gloom, thankyouverymuch.

Still, Jones is surely a director to watch, proving that his first project wasn't just a fluke. He managed to helm yet another fantastic sci-fi thriller. Source Code is, by far, the best movie of 2011, so far. It is poised to become a cult hit, that's for sure. It's definitely a good movie, and with a different, re-worked ending, it could ahve been a great one.

Grade: B

Sucker Punch

2011-03-27T15:03:00.003-04:00

I know movies with the word "Suck" in the title are ripe for certain kinds of jokes, but I'm sure that's already been done for this particular film so I'm going to stay away from such generalities. Still, Sucker Punch is not good. With director Zack Snyder on board, I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting. I was sort of ambivilant about his first project, 300. It was fun, I guess, but nothing revolutionary. I hated Watchmen. I think Sucker Punch is at least as bad, if not worse than, Watchmen. And now I am very scared that he is in charge of rebooting the Superman franchise. During the two hours of this movie, all I kept thinking was, "Poor Henry Cavill." He thinks he is finally getting his big break, about to portray one of the most legendary superheroes of all time... and Zack Snyder is totally going to mess it up.

Anyway, back to Sucker Punch. First things first, it's not all bad. There were a couple performances that I'd like to single out as being pretty damn good. I've been on the fence about Abbie Cornish for quite some time now. I've seen her be very, very good in certain movies (Bright Star, Somersault, Stop Loss) but there's something about her that I don't quite like. I could never decide if I like her or not. Now I can say that I do. She's the best thing about a bad movie. Her performance is so layered and complex and it's really a joy to watch. Plus, she is the most ass-kicking of all the bad ass girls in the movie. Then there is Oscar Isaac as Blue, an actor I'm not at all familiar with but who completely wowed me with his volatile villainous turn. He's simply fantastic and I really wish the movie was better so it could be a vehicle for him to get better and bigger roles. Sadly, he's overshadowed by silly effects and bad writing. Jena Malone is also quite good in a rather limiting role. Another plus was the soundtrack. I loved the soundtrack. I can't say enough good things about the soundtrack. From the eerie opening version of Sweet Dreams, to the soaring crescendo of White Rabbit, the soundtrack fricking rocks! But, as far as good things go, that's where I've got to stop being positive, because the bad definitely outweighs the good.

Look, I'm all about movies that empower women. I'm all about the message of this movie which, I guess, is something like "You have all the tools to fight and free yourself from whatever it is that is holding you back. Take control of your life." The message is FANTASTIC. It's just, there seems to be a degrading sub-message that includes insinuating that you can only do that if you wear thigh highs, heels, cute mini skirts and a lot of eye makeup. I'm not sure the movie is sending the right message at all to young girls who might see these bad ass babes and think, "Okay, let me go buy a skimpy body suit and a push up bra and I can fight monsters too." And believe me, I know this movie is aimed at a certain demographic who enjoys that sort of thing and that's fine. It's also fine that a certain demographic will enjoy the slow-mo camera work that Snyder has already done to death (it would be a revolutionary form of camera work if he were to ever actually make a GOOD movie with his skills), the action scenes (that, I guess, were pretty good), and the incredible (and overpowering) CGI. I mean, the whole movie is practicially CGI. It's not necessarily that this is such a bad thing, per se, but when it plays off less like a movie and more like a series of splashy music videos, then we've got a major problem.

Even more of a major problem? There is no cohesive plot! I mean, I guess there is a plot. Yes, one exists. It's just that it's... stupid. I can't really think of a better word to describe it. Emily Browning (pouty lipped, cute and just fine in the role) plays Babydoll, a girl whose mother dies and then she is taken to Lennox House for the mentally insane by her awful step father. There she escapes reality via dancing seductively for high paying men and has to fight monsters / steal objects in order to escape and find freedom. She is joined by her ridiculously named friends Sweet Pea (Cornish), Rocket (Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens, who is far too precious to play tough), and the normally named Amber (Jamie Chung, somehow the most successful alumni of the Real World, even though there are surely more talented people to come out of that show). So, there is, indeed, a plot. The existence of everything in this movie relates soley to the visuals. Zack Snyder thinks it would be awesome if there was a fight scene with World War I fight planes and dragons and zombie Nazis, so be it! Let's do it! Who cares if it connects to the "plot" in the clunkiest, sloppiest, silliest way possible. People are paying for the visuals, I guess, not an actual story line. All of these things - dragons, zombies, Nazis, ancient ninja warriors, stripper / hookers, hot girls in Sailor Moon outfits, bombs, Samurai swords - sure seem like it would be fun if you rolled it all up and put it in a movie. Instead, it's just silly nonsense.

I could go on, believe me, I could, but I think by now everyone gets the point. If you are going to see this movie, make sure you are fully aware that it's going to be nothing more than a visual orgasm. If you are looking for a movie with any substance whatsoever, any real honest to God PLOT, then please go see The Lincoln Lawyer instead. Abbie Cornish and Oscar Isaac are GREAT, but even they can't save a movie that is buried under overwhelming and nonsensical effects, bad writing and just... silliness.

Grade: D

Elizabeth Taylor, 1932-2011

2011-03-23T11:07:00.004-04:00

"I've been through it all, baby, I'm mother courage."

The last of the iconic old Hollywood stars.
In her day, there was no one more beautiful.
Spunky, classy, talent to spare.
Responsible for the single greatest performance of all time in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Limitless

2011-03-22T09:06:00.004-04:00

Okay, so there is this little pill called NZT. If you take it, it completely opens your mind up to a world of new possibilities. Instead of only using 20% of your brain, you use all of it. You can recall facts that the normal you wouldn't even realize you knew. You can learn languages in a matter of a weekend. You can teach yourself to play the piano in three days. Oh, and you can learn all kinds of algorhythms that will help you crack the code of the Wall Street world and make you a millionaire in less than a month. Would you take it? What if you found out, after the fact, that all the other people who took the experimental drug are now either dead or very sick. Would you still take it? That's the dilemma that Bradley Cooper's Eddie Morra is faced with.

Eddie starts off the movie a hot mess. He has long strangly hair. He starts drinking at noon. He'd just been dumped by his publisher girlfriend (Abbie Cornish). He's a writer with a book deal but he sits and stares at the computer for hours before writing a single sentence (I know how that feels!). Then he bumps into an old friend, Vern (Johnny Whitworth). Vern was a one time run of the mill drug dealer but now he's better dressed and maybe into something a little more... prestigious. He introduces Eddie to a pill called NZT which Eddie immediately takes. He goes home and he writes 90 pages of his novel in an afternoon. He's feeling better, seeing things differently, having sex with a woman who used to hate him. So, he wants more.

That's just the beginning of Limitless, which is a damn good movie - exciting, adrenaline inducing, thrilling, intense. It's just a fast paced movie, it sort of takes your breath away with its frenetic pacing which only serves this movie about a man whose brain is working faster than yours ever will. The paragraphs above? That's only the first 20 minutes or so of the movie. There are plenty of twists and turns (some of which you see coming a mile away). Limitless has such a fast pace, that it's almost hard to nitpick, but nitpick I will. Like I said, there are particular plot twists that you see coming almost immediately. There are certain big action sequences that get resolved through very implausible ways. The movie focuses almost entirely on Cooper (which is fine because he's great) but almost wastes Robert DeNiro and completely wastes Abbie Cornish. Some of the hokier filmmaking choices I could have done without (letters falling from the sky as he's writing his novel, etc.).

As I said, the movie focuses almost entirely on Bradley Cooper and he is more than up for the challenge. In fact, he's superb in every aspect of this role - as the vulnerable, shy, sort of miserable man at the beginning and then as the confident, charming man throughout the rest of the film. His eyes even seem to shine a little brighter when he's on NZT. I think it's refreshing to finally see him carry a film, and do a damn good job doing it! He's been resigned to playing jerks in supporting roles for so long that it's nice to watch him be the star, and be someone who is more likable than not. Screen icon Robert DeNiro is very nearly almost wasted as a big shot Donald Trump-esque character. It's a shame that kids today only know him as that funny old guy from the Meet the Parents movie. There's an entire generation who don't know that he was once considered a living legend and one of the greatest actors of all time. I wish he'd do more films like this because when he actually has screen time he's damn good, like the DeNiro we all remember and want back so desperately. The same can't be said for Abbie Cornish, who I really am trying to like. I'm finding it hard though and this one note role isn't going to help her case with me. She's got one good scene and it involves her prowess as an ass kicking action star and not her acting skills. That said, I'm more excited to see her kick ass in Sucker Punch next week now!

Overall, Limitless certainly has it's flaws, but it's such a thrilling ride from start to finish that you almost won't even care. Plus, it can open a fun little discussion with your friends over whether or not you would take NZT.

Grade: B

The Lincoln Lawyer

2011-03-21T09:15:00.004-04:00

I don't want to get too excited here but I will say this: The Lincoln Lawyer is the best movie of 2011, so far. The thrill of FINALLY finding a movie that is actually good this year may cloud this review just a bit; after all, it's been months and months of crap at the theaters. So, I'm going to start off with the negatives just in case this becomes a review where I praise the hell out of this movie. First of all, one of my biggest pet peeves in a movie is something I call the false ending. That's where you think the movie ends more than once before it actually ends. This movie has about five of those. And it really irks me. I think a lot of crappy decisions in the writing of a film can be forgiven with a really great ending. But, guess what? If you have three or four ideas for a great ending, don't use them all! It's overkill. That is my biggest problem with the film. Other than that, it's all minor things - it meanders in pace from time to time, I wish parts of it had been a little more ambiguous, some overstating of the obvious. But, really, that's it!

The Lincoln Lawyer stars Matthew McConaughey as Mick Haller, a cocky, effortlessly charming defense lawyer whose office is in the back of his car (a Lincoln, hence the title). His m.o. is getting criminals out of jail, druggies, murderers, it doesn't matter as long as the pay checks show up. But then he takes on the case of a pretty rich boy (Ryan Phillippe) who is accused of beating the hell out of a girl he met at a bar... who just so happens to be a prostitute who may or may not have devised this evil plan to get millions of dollars out of the spoiled rich kid, Louis. And that's basically it. Sounds simple, but there are twists and turns and damn great storytelling that will keep you on the edge of your seat. This is an intense legal thriller that has a great feel about it, a gritty, dirty tale of redemption in Los Angeles.

McConaughey gives the best performance of his career as the caddish lawyer who seemingly develops a conscious over night. I'm not his biggest fan but (and I'd truly like to see if he is actually a good actor by having him branch out and do something different, something that shows his vulnerable side) he is solid in this role. It's right in his wheelhouse - effortlessly cool, calm, funny, cockiness under the surface. Another performance that is in an actor's wheelhouse is that given by Phillippe. Again, not his biggest fan, but I do think some of the criticism of him as a "wooden" actor is unjustified. He'll never be the type of actor who can do any kind of role. He's not Meryl Streep, for Christ's sake. But when given a certain type of role - cold, possibly conniving, pretty rich spoiled brat - he nails it. And it's because of his "wooden" acting that allows him to embody seemingly devious characters. The audience is never sure if they should trust a word he says and Phillippe is sort of perfect for a part like that, probably because you're not sure if you like him in real life. The rest of the cast is pretty stellar as well - William H. Macy as Mick's investigator bestie, lightening the mood with his humor and wit, Josh Lucas as the up and coming lawyer from the district attorney's office who isn't above playing dirty, Michael Pena as a possibly innocent man in San Quentin, John Leguizamo as a squirrely bail bondsman, Bryan Cranston as a hardnosed cop, and my man Shea Whigham who all but steals the damn movie in one perfectly played scene. Then there are the ladies, Marisa Tomei as Mick's lawyer ex and Frances Fisher as Louis' tough as nails mom, who are terribly, terribly, terribly under used. That is another of the problems I have with this movie. The men all have riveting, interesting roles. The women? Not so much! Why not hire nobodies? They are wasting the talents of Tomei and Fisher with empty roles.

Overall, the acting is excellent (most of the men are already gracing my best of 2011 lists... although I'm sure some of them won't make the cut once the heavy hitting movies are released). The plot is solid and tight and grabs your attention from the beginning and barely lets you go. The writing is smart and witty. There's a great soundtrack and the film is evenly paced and doesn't flounder or lose it's way too often. The direction is raw and gritty, and I personally like all the handheld camera work although I could understand where it would annoy some as being unnecessary. The Lincoln Lawyer is based on a book in a series by Michael Connelly which means there may be a franchise. I, for one, say bring it!

Grade: B

Coming soon: Reviews of Limitless, Sucker Punch, and more!

Ten Thoughts about Buried

2011-03-16T15:47:00.000-04:00

1. So this movie really, really, REALLY is just Ryan Reynolds buried in a coffin for an hour and a half...

2. But, DAMN, if it isn't a goddamn good movie about Ryan Reynolds being buried in a coffin for an hour and a half.

3. First off, the main titles and the opening music are both excellent and instantly draw you into the movie.

4. The opening shot? An uncomfortably long shot of nothing but darkness and quiet. It gives you the unmistakable feeling that this isn't going to be your typical movie. It's unique and it's different and it's intense.

5. At times the movie feels like a film school experiment and sometimes that doesn't quite work. But most of the time, it's eerie and thrilling and intense and claustrophobic and terribly exciting! Yes, exciting! A man stuck in a coffin, buried alive somewhere in the Iraqi desert with nothing more than a flashlight, a Zippo and a cell phone is EXCITING!

6. There is a particularly intense scene involving a rogue snake and a sudden fire that is very exciting. Plus, those last few minutes...

7. Also, conspiracy theories! Terrorists! Thinly veiled commentary about the war in Iraq! It's all right there.

8. I think by now we all know my position on Ryan Reynolds. I'm not his biggest fan but I do think he is very convincing as a charming caddish character actor. Although he's good looking, I don't really buy him as the leading man action star. However, Buried is his absolute finest piece of acting. Not many people can hold someone's attention and command a screen for an entire film (James Franco recently did it in 127 Hours and he had a few other actors to work with; in this movie it's just a snake and some voices on a cell phone). Reynolds is fantastic going from terrified to angry to frustrated to heartbreaking to resigned back to terrified with such ease.

9. The limited filmmaking (really, guys, the set is just a fricking coffin buried underground!) is fantastic.

10. Finally, that ending. Amazing.

Grade: B+

Red Riding Hood

2011-03-14T09:34:00.003-04:00

My major problem with any negative reaction to this film by the audience is the following: "Well, it's just like Twilight." No, actually it isn't and if you are going to use that as your argument, then it's an invalid argument with me. Why is it just like Twilight? Because of the sweeping nature-focued cinematography? That's because it was directed by the same person who directed Twilight (Catherine Hardwicke) and she was doing that way before Twilight. So, if anything, Twilight is the way it is because she directed it, not the other way around. Is it because there is a love triangle, or a teenage centric story? Well, guess what? Teenagers spend money, so of course people are going to make movies aimed at them. And the love triangle is as old as movies themselves. Is it because it's about werewolves? So was Teen Wolf but no one is saying that's "like Twilight."
No, if you have a problem with Red Riding Hood, make sure you use a viable argument such as, the hokey dialogue, the unbelievable chemistry, or the lack of any real love triangle in a love triangle plot. There are problems with Red Riding Hood, for sure, but the least of them is appearing too much like Twilight. However, as far as guilty pleasure movies go, Red Riding Hood isn't so bad, especially when you approach it in two ways: 1) It's not going to be the best movie of 2011, okay? So, just have fun. 2) Think of it as a murder mystery / whodunit.
Red Riding Hood is a reimagining of the classic fairy tale but the "Little" part is dropped because our protagonist (Amanda Seyfried as Valerie) is all grown up. The story takes place long ago and far away in a little village where a werewolf is terrorizing the people on every full moon. However, the beast left them in peace for ten years. Now he's back on a blood moon, which means one bite from the werewolf will turn the victim into a wolf as well. Our lovely blonde, big eyed Valerie is caught in a love triangle... or at least, that's what the movie wants you to think. She's in love with Peter (Shiloh Fernandez), an orphaned wood cutter who is a little bit of a bad boy, but is being forced to marry Henry (Max Irons) who she doesn't care about at all. No offense to the screenwriter but a love triangle only exists if there is a push-and-pull between two different lovers. Valerie wants nothing to do with Henry and that doesn't lead to a whole lot of drama. Sure, she loves Peter but you could at least play around with the possibility of her falling for a nice guy like Henry. Not to mention, there is absolutely no chemistry between Seyfried and either of her handsome leading men.
Although the younger cast members have no chemistry, the cast is not something anyone can complain about really. It's quite impressive. Seyfried is perfectly cast as the damsel in distress. Fernandez and Irons are both good enough, and easy on the eyes, which certainly helps make up for any talent they may or may not lack. Virginia Madsen and Billy Burke play Valerie's worrisome parents and Julie Christie gives the whole movie a bit of class by playing the iconic grandmother. Lukas Haas is the town priest who is in so over his head that he calls in a legendary werewolf fighting preist - Father Solomon, who is played with particular zest and haminess by Gary Oldman. Look, at least he's having fun! Oldman struts into this movie with all kinds of swag. He's funny and a little bad ass, and a little crazy but it totally works and he definitely is the best actor in this movie (or at least, he gets the juiciest role). He's aware of what this movie is - not some kind of self-serious movie that will a ton of awards. But, at the very least, it's a fun ride and a decent way to spend two hours on a cold and dreary winter's afternoon.
Grade: C-

Nine Thoughts About Paper Man

2011-03-10T17:45:00.000-05:00

1. Plot: A writer (Jeff Daniels) struggling with writer's block rents a home in Montauk to focus on his latest novel. While his doctor wife (Lisa Kudrow) is in the city during the week, he strikes up a friendship with a local loner (Emma Stone), which helps him to find a way to relate to someone. Oh, he also has an imaginary friend (Ryan Reynolds). Who dresses as a superhero. Named Captain Excellent.

2. I'm particularly jealous as I've always wished I had the monetary means to rent a house or a cabin somewhere isolated just so I could focus on writing the novel I'm struggling with.

3. Post-Pheobe, Lisa Kudrow has really begun carving a niche for herself as a sort of powerful, cold, ice queen who is capable of being both hated and loved at the same time. It's quite impressive.

4. The movie is just quirky enough, but not too quirky: living room furniture outside, a couch made of old books, a novel about a hen.

5. I particuarly enjoy Ryan Reynolds when he does movies like this - indie, low budget, dark comedy. I wish he'd stop trying to be a super hero leading man and realize he's a funny character actor.

6. Kieran Culkin does NOT make enough movies.

7. I hate when you can see a plot twist coming a mile away.

8. Girl crush alert!! Emma Stone is beyond adorable.

9. There were a lot of faults with the movie, but mostly I enjoyed it. I love that with all its quirk and off-beat humor, it was really just about finding a real, true, sincere friend.

Grade: B-

Six Thoughts about You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

2011-03-07T21:06:00.000-05:00

1. The ensemble cast is quite possibly one of the most talented Woody Allen has assembled in quite a few years - Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts.

2. However, best in show belongs to British actress Gemma Jones, portraying an older woman abandoned by her husband (Hopkins), who gets a sports car and a young ex-hooker wife amidst his mid-life crisis. First, she tries to off herself. Then she finds the strength to go on thanks to a psychic who begins to tell her what to do in every aspect of her life. Of course, she also meddles in the life of her daughter (Watts). She's the spark of life in this movie and had the film been a little bit better, and a little bit more successful, she probably could have made a semi-successful run during awards season.

3. However, best storyline belongs to Josh Brolin's Roy. Roy has a medical degree but no desire to practice medicine. Instead, he wrote a successful first novel, but his follow up books haven't shown any of the "promise" he once offered. Struggling to finish his fourth book, his marriage is falling apart and he becomes obsessed with a pretty young girl (Freida Pinto) who moves in across the street. Then an opportunity arises for him. He takes it, and it backfires completely.

4. The plot is very familiar feeling since Woody this is firmly Allen's wheelhouse: men having mid-life crises and marrying younger women, cheating spouses, main characters lying and stealing, those things completely backfiring, an all-knowing narrator. Of course, this his fourth film in the last six years to take place in London as well.

5. Josh Brolin is ridiculously hot.

6. Overall, the movie was only average for me. It's quite apparent that I am more than a little obsessed with Woody Allen by now. I love his films. Annie Hall is my favorite movie of all time. Obviously, he'll probably never make a movie as important as some of his older films and that's fine. He's still an important cinematic voice who demands to be heard. He still has a lot to say (even if most of it is rehashing of old plots and character types). The facts are these - an average Woody Allen movie is still better than most people's best film. I'd rather watch 5 minutes of a bad Woody Allen movie than two hours of a "good" Michael Bay movie. So, in closing, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is good, not great. It doesn't match up to some of his better recent offerings (Match Point, Vicky Cristina Barcelona), but it's more memorable than others (Cassandra's Dream, anyone). I would definitely recommend it, but then again, I would recommend any Woody movie that isn't called The Curse of the Jade Scorpion.

Grade: C+

Oscar Wrap-Up!

2011-02-28T08:41:00.000-05:00

First of all, so glad last night wasn't a sweep by The King's Speech, which ultimately only took home four awards (although they were four big ones) which was the same number taken home by the clearly superior Inception. Second of all, I did fairly badly with my predicting since I went gutsy in the big six and had absolutely NO idea about the categories I usually have NO idea about (documentary short, live action short, animated short, etc.). I tried to Live Tweet the Oscars but halfway through realized by tweets via text were being uncooperative and gave up the ship.

The Red Carpet Arrivals - As the director loving geek that I am, I was hoping to have E! talk to such handsome, brilliant men as David Fincher and Darren Aronofsky. Instead, they chose to speak to the dude from Chuck (he's fine but it's the OSCARS) and Florence Welch for 25 minutes each (I love her too but, again, NOT an Oscar nominee). Maybe Ryan Seacrest doesn't know who David Fincher / Darren Aronofsky are? Wouldn't surpise me. There were a lot of great dresses (and I will name my best dressed at the bottom of the page) including: Scarlett Johansson, Hailee Steinfeld (whose been killing it all award season), and the top half of Halle Berry's dress. Everyone talked about how great Natalie Portman looked but it was sort of EH for me. I mean, she's arguably the most beautiful woman in the entire world and she wears such ugly clothes. It's a waste and a shame. Also worst dressed? E! thought she looked amazing but Gwenyth Paltrow = yuck!

The Winners -
-Best Picture: The King's Speech (I picked this correctly, although up until Best Director was announced, I thought The Social Network was going to take it. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Borefest 2010 won out in the end!)
-Best Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan (I picked this also and YAY! She totally deserved it!)
-Best Actor: Colin Firth, The King's Speech (Also picked correctly. His speech was about as boring as his movie!)
-Best Director: Tom Hooper, The King's Speech (I picked Fincher and I thought it could happen too. Whatev. Fincher will win next year for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Hooper will never direct a movie that any of us will talk about ever again.)
-Best Adapated Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, THe Social Network (Another one right! Sorkin is crazy smart. It's hard to believe that a movie involving two of the most brilliant people in Hollywood managed to lose Best Picture.)
-Best Original Screenplay: David Seidler, The King's Speech (Another one right / another win for the borefest!)
-Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3 (Another one right and actually this is the first one I got correct while watching the show live.)
-Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter (I picked Steinfeld over Leo. I find it hard to believe that anyone actually likes Melissa Leo. Like, you could be a fan of hers until you hear one of her acceptance speeches and then you want to punch her in the face, I think, right?)
-Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter (Another one right and yay!)
-Best Editing: Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter, The Social Network (Another correct prediction. Editing, to me, is what keeps a movie going and entertaining and alive. That said, there's no way borefest 2010 could have possibly won this category.)
-Best Cinematography: Wally Pfister, Inception (I picked Roger Deakins for True Grit but I'm not mad that Inception took the prize. That was an excellent movie also. It's just sad that Deakins, an amazing cinematographer currently has 9 nominations and 0 wins! He's like the Annette Bening of cinematographers.)
-Best Original Score: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, The Social Network (Another one right! And, also, yay!)
-Best Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland (This was the first award of the evening and I thought for sure The King's Speech would take it on its road to Sweeps-ville. Eventhough I thought this movie was terrible, I was so happy it won over borefest!)
-Best Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland (I predicted this one since it was the only nominee with pretty dresses!)
-Best Visual Effects: Inception (No brainer!)
-Best Make-Up: The Wolfman (I was going to pick this and then I picked Barney's Version instead because I thought the Academy was classy enough to not give awards to shitty movies. I was wrong.)
-Best Sound Mixing: Inception (No brainer!)
-Best Sound Editing: Inception (No brainer!)
-Best Song: We Belong Together, Toy Story 3, Randy Newman (Honestly, all of these nominees sucked. I chose the song from 127 Hours instead but Newman gave a funny speech so I guess it's okay that he won!)
-Best Documentary Short: Strangers No More (These are the categories with which I have NO knowledge so I typically just pick the one with the coolest sounding title. I forget what I picked but it certainly wasn't this!)
-Best Live Action Short: God of Love (Again, didn't pick this one! I think this is the guy with the crazy, curly hair who gave the super funny, super cute acceptance speech? If so, yay him! Best acceptance speech of the night!)
-Best Animated Short: The Lost Thing (Again, didn't pick this!)
-Best Foreign Language Film: In a Better World (I picked Dogtooth here. Cooler title!)
-Best Documentary: Inside Job (I forgot that the Academy is old and un-fun and not young and hip because I picked Exit Through the Giftshop.)
Ultimately, I was 13/24 which was super pathetic, not nearly as good as my ass kicking predictions last year but whatever. At least it was better than 50%, yeah? And for the first time ever, Dane and I TIED in our predictions, so that was fun!

Best Dressed - It's a tie...
Jennifer Lawrence
and
Mila Kunis

That's a wrap on the movies of 2010. Now onward to 2011!

Oscar Predictions

2011-02-25T09:38:00.000-05:00

The Oscars are Sunday so here are my predictions in the major categories...

BEST PICTURE
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
Who WILL Win - Unforunately it looks like Sunday night is going to be all about THE KING'S SPEECH, a movie I dislike even more than Slumdog Millionaire when it won everything two years ago. How such a colassal bore of a movie is going to beat some of the better movies of the year is beyond me. I guess at the end of the day, the Academy really is a group of old fogies who are out of touch with society.
Who MIGHT Win - The Social Network is obviously a close second. In fact, it might even upset and if so the sounds you hear will be me shrieking with joy!
Who SHOULD Win - The Social Network. It was the best movie of the year, hands down. But also, I'd prefer just about anything winning over The King's Speech, including Inception, Black Swan, The Fighter and even 127 Hours.
Who was SNUBBED - Since animation has its own category, I'm not a big proponent of having animated films in Best Picture. Instead, how about including The Town? It was awesome. We could even kick The Major Bore / King's Speech out and include Blue Valentine instead. Now, that's a Best Picture group I could get behind.

BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan
Joel and Ethan Coen - True Grit
David Fincher - The Social Network
Tom Hooper - The King's Speech
David O. Russell - The Fighter
Who WILL Win - I'm going with DAVID FINCHER. He's been making amazing movies for decades and I'm glad people are finally noticing. I have already accepted the fact that the film probably won't win Best Picture but I'm telling you right now, if Fincher loses I am going to flip my sh*t!!!
Who MIGHT Win - Honestly, if its the King's Speech sweep everyone is predicting than Hooper might just steal it from a much more deserving director.
Who SHOULD Win - Fincher, hands down. He can turn a movie about Facebook into a bad ass film and that's saying a lot!
Who was SNUBBED - Christopher Nolan!!!! This is two Oscars in a row for him being snubbed. First with The Dark Knight and now with Inception. I don't understand the hate for him, frankly. He rocks!

BEST ACTOR
Javier Bardem - Biutiful
Jeff Bridges - True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network
Colin Firth - The King's Speech
James Franco - 127 Hours
Who WILL Win - This is probably the only category that is one hundred percent in the bag. It's COLIN FIRTH all the way.
Who MIGHT Win - I honestly don't think any of these other guys have a chance.
Who SHOULD Win - My vote would go to either Eisenberg, who was truly impressive in a star making turn, or Franco, who completely carried a film the way only Tom Hanks could previously pull off.
Who was SNUBBED - I personally think the Academy tends to snub Leonardo DiCaprio quite a bit. He was snubbed for Titanic, Revolutionary Road, The Departed, and now Shutter Island AND Inception. He deserves an Oscar, so give one to him already!

BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine
Who WILL Win - I think this might be a close race also, but I think it's going to be NATALIE PORTMAN. She's won everything else and deserved to. Her performance is amazing and I don't feel like there has been a shift in her momentum.
Who MIGHT Win - There's a very good chance that Bening could upset. And the sad fact of the matter is that she doesn't deserve to win. People always talk about how she's been snubbed so many times, never winning. But every time she lost it was to someone who was better than her. If she wins this year it's just because people feel bad for her.
Who SHOULD Win - Portman, definately. Her performance was terrifyingly personal and dark and emotional and just perfect.
Who was SNUBBED - Julianne Moore, who I thought was the better half of the acting team in The Kids are All Right.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale - The Fighter
John Hawkes - Winter's Bone
Jeremy Renner - The Town
Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech
Who WILL Win - This is another close race. There's a chance for a lot of upsets on Sunday. However, I'm going with CHRISTIAN BALE. I honestly don't know how anyone could watch his performance (the best or second best performance of the entire year) and not vote for him!
Who MIGHT Win - I feel like Geoffrey Rush is gaining traction. I do believe his performance in The King's Speech was the best thing about the boring ass movie, I don't think he was as good as Bale. In fact, I would prefer to see the categories switched a bit because I feel like Firth was often supporting Rush, not the other way around. Either way, Rush could be the huge upset of the night!
Who SHOULD Win - Hands down, Bale. All of these men gave fantastic performances this year and I can't really complain too much about this stellar category. It's just, Bale was better.
Who was SNUBBED - I personally would have switched out Mark Ruffalo in favor of Andrew Garfield's soulful performance in The Social Network, but that's just me.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams - The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech
Melissa Leo - The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit
Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom
Who WILL Win - I would like to say that I predicted this category way before Roger Ebert and all those other critics jumped on my band wagon! I've been saying for months that the tables have turned, Melissa Leo is out and HAILEE STEINFELD is in!
Who MIGHT Win - This is really a category where anything could happen. Weaver gave the best (or second best) performance of the entire year - but did enough people see it? Carter could win on the tailcoats of the most beloved movie of the year - but she didn't have a whole lot to do! The Fithter ladies were both stellar - but could they split votes? Any of these women could win, realistically.
Who SHOULD Win - Weaver. Like I said, she and Christian Bale are duking it out in my head over who gave the better performance of the year. Weaver is quietly menacing, a sweet ole' grandmother who will unhinge her jaw and swallow you whole.
Who was SNUBBED - Since I was entirely unimpressed with Helena Bonham Carter, who I typically love, but who had very, very little to do in the King's Speech, I would probably switch her out in favor of any of the ladies from Black Swan - Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, even Winona Ryder.

Ranking the Best Picture Nominees

2011-02-20T14:00:00.000-05:00

The Oscars is a week from today and I couldn't be more excited. Later this week, I will make my predictions but for now I am going to rank the 10 best picture nominees, now that I have finally seen them all. Most of them I have reviewed before but a few I haven't, so a mini review will be included as a refresher. Also, the reviews are written the way I would rank them, from best to worst.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK - All that best picture of the year talk surrounding this film is NO JOKE. It's not just "that Facebook" movie. It's fresh, relevant, fast-paced, witty, clever, funny and a damn good movie, featuring the best ensemble of the year (all under 30!). David Fincher directs the hell out of the memorable script by Aaron Sorkin. Grade - A

BLACK SWAN - A beautiful and disturbing thriller set in the world of ballet, Black Swan is Darren Aronofsky's latest with Natalie Portman giving her best performance ever. Aronofsky is fearless presenting us a thrilling movie about the search for perfection in art. It's delightfully crazy and beautiful, intense and powerful. Grade - A

INCEPTION - The most radically original movie since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Inception is a wonderful mindf**k from Christopher Nolan, the man who brought us the brilliant mindf**k that was Memento a few years back. The cast, the story, the effects - everything about this movie is just plain incredible. Also, kudos for that epic hallway scene with Joseph Gordon-Levitt which is a blissfully long way from 3rd Rock from the Sun. Grade - A

THE FIGHTER - You know I can't stop talking about the acting powerhouse performance of Christian Bale (and if he gets upset by Geoffrey Rush, it will be a sin). But this whole movie is an amazing character study about the internal and external struggles to never give up. Sure, it's a boxing film (and the boxing sequences are intense and powerful) but it's also a slow burning character drama that gets inside the heads of these working class heroes. Grade - B+

127 HOURS - An infinitely better film than Danny Boyle's last offering (the overrated Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire), 127 Hours is an adrenaline rush that doesn't stop and doesn't quit. With a cast of virtually one man - the crazy talented James Franco - 127 Hours is the kind of movie that burrows into your brain and stays there for days. If it wasn't a true story, there's no way you would believe what this guy went through. Thanks to Franco's brilliant performance, this movie is one you won't want to miss. Grade - B+

TRUE GRIT - I have nothing but good things to say about the latest from the Coen Brothers. The cinematography is breathtaking. The performances are spectacular (especially that of Hailee Steinfeld who I am predicting to upset favorite Melissa Leo). It's a well shot, funny, thrilling, suspenseful Western delight. It's just that after leaving the theater, I was a little underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie immensely. It's a great, enjoyable film. It just didn't hit me and stay with me the way the previous films did. Grade - B

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT - Look, the movie was fine. It's got a solid script and some very good filmmaking, but it's really the performances that make it worth it. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore go toe-to-toe as lesbians in love who deal with their sperm donor (a delightful Mark Ruffalo) showing up and making himself part of their lives. It's a wonderful modern love story with starkly realized characters that you feel like you truly know. However, sometimes it's just a little too Lifetime movie of the week for me. Not that there is anything wrong with Lifetime movies. They just shouldn't be Best Picture nominees. (If you remember, I felt the same about Precious last year and I feel the way about the next movie...) Grade - B-

WINTER'S BONE - Another movie that feels way too much like a Lifetime movie to deserve a place in the Best Picture lineup. I'm not going to lie, the performances here are sensational. In fact, Jennifer Lawrence would be my first runner up to Best Actress winner (finger's crossed) Natalie Portman. She's only 20 now, (she was probably 18 when they filmed) and her performance is so subtle and nuanced, it's like a performance by someone twice her age and with twice her experience. John Hawkes nominated supporting turn is spell binding as well. The movie was just, well, kind of boring. Grade - C+

TOY STORY 3 - Okay, look, I'm not a big fan of animated movies. I'm not going to lie. The last animated movie I truly loved was Beauty and the Beast and that came out when I was something like 7. Since then, the ones I've seen haven't impressed me all that much and I try to stay away from them as much as possible. But I truly did give this movie a chance. It just all seemed a little too pretentious, winky, cheeky, look at how smart we are, to me. I'm fully admitting it's not my thing so take this with a grain of salt but I hated the damn movie until... that ending. That beautiful, sweet, sad, adorable ending which made the whole pile of shit worth it. This movie was a hard D going into those last ten minutes but those ten minutes made things so much better. Grade - C

THE KING'S SPEECH - It blows my mind that such a colossal bore of a movie is going to (probably, but hopefully not) beat The Social Network, one of the most exciting movies of the year, for Best Picture at the Oscars next week. The filmmaking was fine (a bit weird at times... what was with those creepy close ups at the end??). The performances were all very good (especially Firth who was excellent, although, methinks, not as good as Franco, and what the hell with them wasting the talents of Helena Bonham Carter??). There were parts of the movie that were interesting and funny and a little amusing. But all in all? Boring! Really, really, really boring! And pretentious! And, also, really what was with the way they reacted to him finally giving a speech without stuttering at the end?? Like he had cured f**king cancer or something? Geez. Grade - C-

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T10:27:00.000-05:00

Oscar Nominations

2011-01-26T08:41:00.001-05:00

Oscar nominations were released yesterday. Here is a run down of the most important categories, as well as my thoughts...

Best Picture
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone
Thoughts - This is pretty much what everyone thought, I think. Except for the fact that Winter's Bone does NOT deserve to be there. I could argue the same about The Kids Are All Right, two movies that are good but not best piture worthy and seem like one step above something that should be on Lifetime (not that there is anything wrong with lifetime!!). Kind of suprised The Town didn't sneak in there.

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan
David O. Russell - The Fighter
Tom Hooper - The King's Speech
David Fincher - The Social Network
Joel and Ethan Coen - True Grit
Thoughts - Who the hell does Christopher Nolan have to sleep with to get an Oscar nomination for Best Director already??? Maybe the voters are intimidated by his brilliance??? I don't know!

Best Actor
Javier Bardem - Biutiful
Jeff Bridges - True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network
Colin Firth - The King's Speech
James Franco - 127 Hours
Thoughts - Bardem really came out of nowhere to score that nomination, yeah? Still, I'm all about Eisenberg although I really don't think he has a chance.

Best Actress
Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine
Thoughts - This is pretty much the way I thought it would go. Go Natalie!

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale - The Fighter
John Hawkes - Winter's Bone
Jeremy Renner - The Town
Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech
Thoughts - WTF Ruffalo!! I liked him in that movie a whole lot, but where did that come from? Also, John Hawkes totally came out of nowhere but I'm okay with that. He's awesome and totally deserving and unappreciated. Psyched he's in there. Not so psyched about the shunning of Andrew Garfield who was AMAZING in The Social Network and should defintely have taken Ruffalo's spot! None of this matters, of course, since it's Bale's Oscar to lose.

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams - The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech
Melissa Leo - The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit
Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom
Thoughts - Steinfeld instead of Mila Kunis isn't very surprising. I sort of saw that one coming. I just watched Animal Kingdom last night and Jacki Weaver was INCREDIBLE!! So, so, so good. I will no longer cheer for either of the ladies from The Fighter. I am soooooo all about Weaver!

Golden Globe Predictions

2011-01-15T09:17:00.000-05:00

Maybe it's because I've been forced to watch football every Sunday for the past four months, but I am even more excited than normal for Sunday's Golden Globes Awards. Pretty girls in pretty dresses! Handsome men looking sexy in suits! Plus, this year was the best year for movies since 2007. There are three movies heavily nominated that I truly LOVED this year. Here are my predictions...

Best Motion Picture - Drama
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network
Who WILL Win - I feel like everything is done to The Social Network and The King's Speech. I feel like the Globes are going to go with The King's Speech on this one though.
Who MIGHT Win - Read Above.
Who SHOULD Win - This category includes all three of the movies I loved this year. Plus, I liked The Fighter a whole lot also. I really wouldn't be upset if anything but The King's Speech won. However, The Social Network is too good to pass by.

Best Actress - Drama
Halle Berry in Frankie and Alice
Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman in Black Swan
Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine
Who WILL Win - Portman. Since the Globes break down Drama and Comedy, she doesn't even have to contend with Annette Bening.
Who MIGHT Win - Portman.
Who SHOULD Win - Portman.

Best Actor - Drama
Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network
Colin Firth in The King's Speech
James Franco in 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine
Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter
Who WILL Win - Firth.
Who MIGHT Win - There could be a Franco upset... but I doubt it.
Who SHOULD Win - Eisenberg, who gives the best performance of his career and the second best performance of the year!

Best Movie - Comedy or Musical
Alice in Wonderland
Burlesque
The Kids Are All Right
Red
The Tourist
Who WILL Win - The Kids Are All Right, because it's the best out of this crappy group of nominees.
Who MIGHT Win - The Kids Are All Right.
Who SHOULD Win - Easy A... oh, wait.

Best Actress - Comedy or Musical
Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right
Anne Hathaway in Love and Other Drugs
Angelina Jolie in The Tourist
Julianne Moore in The Kids Are All Right
Emma Stone in Easy A
Who WILL Win - Bening has it wrapped up, thanks to Portman being in the Drama category.
Who MIGHT Win - Just Bening.
Who SHOULD Win - I preferred Moore in that particular movie and I also preferred Stone to both of them.

Best Actor - Comedy or Musical
Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland
Johnny Depp in The Tourist
Paul Giamatti in Barney's Version
Jake Gyllenhaal in Love and Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey in Casino Jack
Who WILL Win - Johnny Depp... but for which one, is the question... My money says Alice in Wonderland.
Who MIGHT Win - Depp for The Tourist.
Who SHOULD Win - I've only seen two of these performances but I preferred Gyllenhaal.

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams in The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter in The King's Speech
Mila Kunis in Black Swan
Melissa Leo in The Fighter
Jacki Weaver in Animal Kingdom
Who WILL Win - Leo will take it home.
Who MIGHT Win - I guess Adams could steal.
Who SHOULD Win - Probably Jacki Weaver. I haven't seen Animal Kingdom (although I want to very badly) but apparently she takes no prisoners in her role.

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale in The Fighter
Michael Douglas in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Andrew Garfield in The Social Network
Jeremy Renner in The Town
Geoffery Rush in The King's Speech
Who WILL Win - Bale.
Who MIGHT Win - Bale.
Who SHOULD Win - Bale.

Best Director
Darren Aronofksy - Black Swan
David Fincher - The Social Network
Tom Hooper - The King's Speech
Christopher Nolan - Inception
David O. Russell - The Fighter
Who WILL Win - I think Fincher is going to win Best Director even if The Social Network doesn't win Best Film.
Who MIGHT Win - Hooper is probably second choice.
Whe SHOULD Win - Fincher, Aronofsky or Nolan, really.

Best TV Series - Drama
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
The Good Wife
Mad Men
The Walking Dead
Who WILL Win - I'm going Boardwalk Empire.
Who MIGHT Win - The terribly overrated Mad Men.
Who SOHULD Win - My newest obsession Dexter!

Best Actress - Drama
Julianna Margulies in The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss in Mad Men
Piper Perabo in Covert Affairs
Katey Sagal in Sons of Anarchy
Kyra Sedgwick in The Closer
Who WILL Win - Margulies.
Who MIGHT Win - Moss.
Who SHOULD Win - Sagal, but I guess in her case it's just nice to be nominated.

Best Actor - Drama
Steve Buscemi in Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall in Dexter
Jon Hamm in Mad Men
Hugh Laurie in House
Who WILL Win - Buscemi.
Who MIGHT Win - I feel like this is the only category where it is absolutely anyone's game.
Who SHOULD Win - Hall because I love him.

Best TV Series - Comedy or Musical
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
The Big C
Glee
Modern Family
Nurse Jackie
Who WILL Win - Modern Family.
Who MIGHT Win - Glee.
Who SHOULD Win - Modern Family.

Best Actress - Comedy or Musical
Toni Collette in United States of Tara
Edie Falco in Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey in 30 Rock
Laura Linney in The Big C
Lea Michelle in Glee
Who WILL Win - Linney? I have no idea.
Who MIGHT Win - Any of these people, probably. I have no idea.
Who SHOULD Win - I only watch Glee, so Michele!

Best Actor - Comedy or Musical
Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock
Steve Carell in The Office
Thomas Jane in Hung
Matthew Morrison in Glee
Jim Parsons in The Big Bang Theory
Who WILL Win - Carell, maybe, since it is his last season.
Who MIGHT Win - Parsons.
Who SHOULD Win - Parsons.

Best Supporting Actress
Hope Davis in The Special Relationship
Jane Lynch in Glee
Kelly MacDonald in Boardwalk Empire
Julia Stiles in Dexter
Sofia Vergara in Modern Family
Who WILL Win - Lynch.
Who MIGHT Win - Vergara.
Who SHOULD Win - Either one of those ladies, honestly.

Best Supporting Actor
Scott Caan in Hawaii Five-O
Chris Colfer in Glee
Chris Noth in The Good Wife
Eric Stonestreet in Modern Family
David Strathairn in Temple Grandin
Who WILL Win - Colfer. He does comedy and drama on Glee so well.
Who MIGHT Win - Stonestreet, if the Golden Globes people love Modern Family as much as I do.
Who SHOULD Win - Michael Pitt from Boardwalk Empire. Oh, wait.

Wrap Up: Films of 2010

2011-01-08T07:40:00.001-05:00

Just to wrap things up on 2010, here is a complete list of the movies I've seen with grades, all listed in alphabetical order.

A+
-

A
Black Swan
Inception
The Social Network

A-
The Greatest
Shutter Island

B+
Exit Through the Gift Shop
The Fighter
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Town

B
Easy A
The Ghost Writer
The Girl Who Played with Fire
Kick Ass
Let Me In
Piranha 3D

B-
The Kids Are All Right
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

C+
The Experiment
Get Him to the Greek
Iron Man 2
Love and Other Drugs
The Other Guys
Sex and the City 2
Step Up 3D
Winter's Bone

C
Alice in Wonderland
The Crazies
Due Date
Machete
Predators
She's Out of My League

C-
Chloe
Nightmare on Elm Street
The Runaways
Splice
Valentine's Day
Youth in Revolt

D+
Date Night
Happiness Runs
The Killer Inside Me

D
The Back Up Plan
Book of Eli
Eat Pray Love
Hot Tub Time Machine

D-
Edge of Darkness

F
Daybreakers
Legion

Top Ten List: Best Film 2010

2011-01-07T18:51:00.001-05:00

For the record: Pirahna 3D was on this list until about two weeks ago!

10. Easy A - Easy A is the kind of adorable and charming gem that some may right off as a cliched teen comedy, but it is anything but. A modern retelling of The Scarlett Letter, Emma Stone stars as Olive, a nobody who perpetrates a rumor about herself being kind of a slut. Things get out of control, of course. This movie is a teen comedy that is actually FUNNY, with winning performances by the entire cast. It's fast paced and smart and will leave you completely satisfied.

09. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Based on the unbelievably popular book (do you know anyone who hasn't read it??), this film is intense and smart with a great mystery and seemingly real characters. Of course, Noomi Rapace's amazing performance as Lisbeth Salander is a major draw as well, but the movie is also damn good. It's definitely worth all those subtitles you have to read.

08. Exit Through the Gift Shop - So Banksy is notorious and arguably the most famous of the street artists that have emerged in the past few years. How do you make a documentary about the most mysterious and enigmatic figure the art world has ever seen? Just like this! Although, of course, Banksy hijacks and the movie and turns it into something different all together. It's a must-see documentary about art, influences and the state of celebrity in the current times.

07. The Fighter - You know I can't stop talking about the acting powerhouse performance that is Christian Bale in this movie. But this whole movie is an amazing character study about the internal and external struggles to never give up. Sure, it's a boxing film (and the boxing sequences are intense and powerful) but it's also a slow burning character drama that gets inside the heads of these working class guys who want to make a name for themselves.

06. The Town - Ben Affleck's crime noir picture is a revelation. Sure, Gone Baby Gone was good, but The Town is great. At times this is an intense film about bank robbers and thieves but it's also terribly romantic in nature. There's so much action, so many car chases, and they are all filmed so perfectly. The performances are top notch and all of this makes The Town a movie you can't miss.

05. Shutter Island - Martin Scorsese's latest masterpiece, Shutter Island is based on the book by Dennis Lehane about a pair of U.S. Marshall's who are sent to an isolated island to find an insane murderer who escaped an asylum. But why the hell are they really there? Filmed superbly, with a great cast headed by DiCaprio, Shutter Island is a mind bending paranoia trip that will leave you wanting more and more.

04. The Greatest - The Greatest was probably the best find of 2010 for me. This is such a genuinely beautiful and impressive film that I feel bad that more people don't know about it. I want to walk up to every single person and tell them about this little, tiny, gorgeously filmed movie. The acting is amazing (headed by Carey Mulligan and Susan Sarandon) and the way it's filmed is so breath taking. While the movie is depressing as hell, it's also too good to pass up.

03. Inception - The most radically original movie since Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Inception is a wonderful mindf**k from Christopher Nolan, the man who brought us the brilliant mindf**k that was Memento a few years back. The cast, the story, the effects - everything about this movie is just plain incredible. Also, KUDOS for that epic hallway scene with Joseph Gordon-Levitt which is a blissfully long way from 3rd Rock From the Sun.

02. Black Swan - A beautiful and disturbing thriller set in the world of ballet, Black Swan is Darren Aronofsky's latest with Natalie Portman giving her best performance ever. Aronofksy is fearless, and that's an understatement. This movie is delightfully crazy and beautiful. It's intense and powerful, and will leave you thinking about it long after the credits roll. I, for one, can't wait to watch it again and again.

01. The Social Network - All the best picture of the year talk surrounding The Social Network is NO JOKE. It's not just "that Facebook" movie. It's fresh, relevant, fast-paced, witty, clever, funny and a damn good movie, featuring the best acting ensemble of the year (all under 30!!!). David Fincher directs the hell out of the script by Aaron Sorkin, which, really, is a shoo-in for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars. There are so many memorable lines from that epic script. I will leave you with my favorite monologue of the year, delivered perfectly by Jesse Eisenberg...
"I think if your clients want to sit on my shoulders and call themselves tall, they have the right to give it a try - but there's no requirement that I enjoy sitting here listening to people lie. You have part of my attention - you have the minimum amount. The rest of my attention is back at the offices of Facebook, where my colleagues and I are doing things that no one in this room, including and especially your clients, are intellectually or creatively capable of doing. [pause] Did I adequately answer your condescending question?

Top Ten List: Best Actor 2010

2011-01-06T21:05:00.002-05:00

10. Casey Affleck in The Killer Inside Me - I will fully admit that 2010 was not a strong year for lead male performances, in my opinion. If there are better performances out there, I didn't see them. That's why a performance from one of the worst films I saw this year manages to creep into my top ten. This movie is over dramatic and pretty awful but Affleck manages to be creepy and charming at the same time, delivering a slimy portrayal of an out of control man.

09. Ewan McGregor in The Ghost Writer - Again, in a better year, McGregor wouldn't get into my top ten, but this year he manages to do that. His performance as the titular ghost writer is very subtle and manages to uplift a film that might have been a whole lot of cliches had it been in lesser hands.

08. Jake Gyllenhaal in Love and Other Drugs - Gyllenhaal has been better (Brokeback Mountain, for example) but he is still stellar here as a playboy young man who flirts with every girl to get what he wants. Until, of course, he meets the one girl not influenced by his charming ways. Then he turns from cad into lovesick boyfriend with ease. He's very, very good, and very, very nude!

07. Kodi Smit-McPhee in Let Me In - In the remake that I thought was better than the original, Smit-McPhee stars as a bullied young boy who finds comfort in the friendship of his new mysterious neighbor who only comes out at night and never wears shoes. After last year's The Road and now this, Smit-McPhee is definitely someone to look out for in the future.

06. Michael Nyqvist in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - It's a tough job as an actor to have your character be accused of something in the very first scene but still manage to be likeable. That's the case here, when Nyqvist's character is convicted of slander and sentenced to prison within seconds. While his character is not buzzed about, he still demands the screen, becoming sympathetic although he does a lot of questionable things throughout the film. His subtlety, matched with the fierceness of Noomi Rapace's Lisbeth, is perfect.

05. Ben Affleck in The Town - A few years ago, Ben Affleck directed a movie called Gone Baby Gone. I remember saying then that Ben should quit acting and focus on directing since he is so much better at the latter. I take it back. Affleck is fantastic in The Town (it's also directed damn well, also). In a movie with powerhouse acting performances, Affleck manages to never let you forget that there was a time he was THE leading man in Hollywood. He seems to be more careful with the roles he chooses these days, and that means he's just getting better.

04. Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter - Although this is very much CHRISTIAN BALE'S MOVIE, Wahlberg manages to shine as well. I've never been a fan of his dramatic work. I think Wahlberg is a damn good comedic actor (see: I Heart Huckabees, i.e., the performance of his career), but he also proves me wrong here. His Micky Ward is so torn in his alliances, and you see that pain in his face at all times. He just wants to make it as a boxer and be loyal to his family and he plays that internal struggle so perfectly well.

03. Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception
02. Leonardo DiCaprio in Shutter Island - So, maybe not so much of a stretch. In one, he plays a U.S. Marshall with a dead wife who still haunts him. In the other, he plays a theif with a dead wife who still haunts him. But, come on, whether you still hold the whole "pretty boy / Titanic" thing against him or not, you have to admit that DiCaprio has been one of the best actors around for at least the last decade. This year, he gave us a sublime one-two punch of great performances, each nuanced and intense. You literally can't take your eyes off him when he's on screen, and, really, who would want to? He is long, long, long overdue for an Oscar!

01. Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network - Is Mark Zuckerberg a huge asshole? Or is he just a geek-genius who is uncomfortable in social situations? Because of Eisenberg's complicated, perfect, mysterious performance, we really have no idea. Not only did Eisenberg give the second best performance of the entire year, but also he was involved with the best acting ensemble of the year (and every single one of them was under 30!!). I've been a fan of his since The Squid and the Whale, but all of his previous film work pales in comparison to what he does in this film. Maybe it's director David Fincher pulling the best out of him, or just that amazing script, but Eisenberg shines. He strips away his constant neurosis and adorableness and disappears into a cold, determined genius who will stop at nothing to create the defining creation of the 21st century. A perfect performance in a perfect film.

Tomorrow - Best films!

Top Ten List: Best Actress 2010

2011-01-05T08:29:00.001-05:00

10. Carey Mulligan in The Greatest - In such an underground movie, one that not many people have seen or even heard of, it sure has some great acting by the entire cast. Best of all is Mulligan, an actress who is slowly making a name for herself thanks to last year's An Education. She's even better here as a young woman, pregnant, mourning the death of the man she loved but didn't really know all that well. She struggles to find out the most about him while dealing with his mourning family. She's simply excellent.

09. Rebecca Hall in The Town - Sure, Jeremy Renner is getting all the buzz (and rightfully so), but Hall is damn good as a bank manager dealing with being taken hostage and then falling in love (unknowingly) with one of the men who took her. The layers of her performance are so impressive, it's hard to believe she isn't a bigger more famous star at this point.

08. Olivia Williams in The Ghost Writer - Although I enjoyed The Ghost Writer, I had my problems with this film (sort of typical, right down to the male casting). However, Williams was a truly wonderful addition to the film. As the sexy and vulnerable wife of a prime minister, she steals every single scene from two men (Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan) who are far more famous than she is.

07. Noomi Rapace in The Girl Who Played with Fire - It's no surprise that I have sort of latched onto Lisbeth Salander as a character that I admire. She's badass, tough, and lives life by her own rules. I was very concerned with who they would choose for the American remake. While I'm not positive I approve of Rooney Mara, it may just be because she will never ever live up to Noomi Rapace who is pure perfection. As you can imagine, more later...

06. Annette Bening in The Kids Are All Right - She may be the only person who could beat Natalie Portman at the Oscars, but she didn't even crack my top 5. Bening is good, sure. She's always good. And that's part of the problem. We've all seen her do this type-A personality role before. I don't want to take anything away from her wonderful performance but, honestly, there were better this year.

05. Julianne Moore in The Kids Are All Right - While Bening played the exact same character she always plays, Moore struck out and paved new territory as the slightly ditzy, underappreciated wife of Bening's. She's a free spirit always changing her mind about everything, including her profession. And, I mean, kudos for all those super sweaty sex scenes!

04. Emma Stone in Easy A - Since she broke out, we knew she could be the funny girl (Superbad, Zombieland). But in Easy A, she is the funny girl but also the smart girl and the sexy girl and the girl who you really want to be best friends with. She takes what could have been a cliche teen comedy character and turns her into a real person, someone you feel like you know personally. Plus, she's got perfect comedic timing, but that should be no surprise!

03. Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone - So, I didn't like this movie. I mean, I didn't hate it either but like The Kids Are All Right, I don't get all the buzz. Also like The Kids Are All Right, one thing I can't complain about is the acting (her co-star John Hawkes just missed my Best Supporting Actor list yesterday). Lawrence is a revelation. It's the sort of breakthrough role that will most certainly send her into a whole new stratosphere, playing a tough teenger in the hardened mid-West, trying to take care of a sick mom and her younger siblings, all while searching for her father amidst some really creepy and crazy people. Lawrence truly shines.

02. Noomi Rapace in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Like I said, she's the perfect Lisbeth. Rapace manages to make the most of playing the badass computer hacker with the traumatic past by basing her performance in real emotion. She's got tattoos, an intimidating stare and an "i don't take shit" expression on her face at all times, but there is something so much more behind those eyes and Rapace manages to get that across to the audience which is why she is so brilliant here. Plus, there's the way she deals with a sexual predator that will truly make you want to stand up and applaud her badassery.

01. Natalie Portman in Black Swan - Portman, for me, has always been a little rigid on film. She sort of reminds me of Nicole Kidman in that neither actress really breaks out of their comfort zone too often. But when they do (Kidman in Moulin Rouge, Portman in Closer), it's a pure pleasure. This is Portman breaking out of her comfort zone BIG TIME. As Nina, a ballerina who wants nothing more than to be perfect, she walks the perfect line between sweet, naive, soft spoken little girl and, later, a woman full of passion and danger and sexuality. Her transformation is truly impressive and something that everyone is taking about (and for good reason). As a girl cracking under so much pressure, Portman hammers it out of the park and here's hoping Oscar rewards her.

Tomorrow - Best Actor!

Top Ten List: Best Supporting Actor 2010

2011-01-04T17:54:00.001-05:00

10. Kieran Culkin in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Despite being very uneven, there were parts of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World I liked very much. The thing I liked most about it was Culkin as Scott's gay best friend Wallace. Kieran has always been my favorite Culkin, and I think he's a terribly underrated actor. He was spot on in this film with his dry humor and perfect comedic timing.

09. Chris Cooper in The Town - In only one scene, Cooper manages to almost steal the entire movie away from a bunch of younger dudes. These younger guys are trying to act tough and be tough but Cooper IS tough. He makes you believe that he is a hardened criminal, stuck in jail like a lion in a cage at the zoo. So raw and so, so good.

08. Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right - I'll admit, I don't quite understand the fascination with this movie. I liked it, in a Lifetime movie sort of way. One complaint I don't have, however, is with the acting which is excellent all around. Ruffalo, who was also excellent in Shutter Island, is all free spirit, a man who has done his best to not get tied down, finally coming to terms with being an adult.

07. Ben Kingsley in Shutter Island - As a slightly menacing doctor, Kingsley plays into the general feeling of paranoia that is found in every little piece of this film. He walks this perfect line between being a trust-worthy, good doctor and being someone who might harm you, or even kill you, if given the opportunity. In a film with great acting, he shines.

06. Vincent Cassel in Black Swan - Cassel plays Thomas, the artistic director of a ballet company. Sure, he's a cad, putting the moves on Nina and Lilly and Beth and Lord knows who else. But he is also incredibly charming. And kind of frightening. He's intense and enigmatic. Cassel plays all the different facets of his character with such impressive ease.

05. Armie Hammer in The Social Network - I know there was a body double involved and also a whole lot of technical wizadry from David Fincher and his tech friends, but it's still pretty damn impressive that Hammer is playing TWO characters! He manages to make the Winklevoss twins completely seperate entities to the point where you swear they are being played by two different people. Plus, he gets one of the most fun lines in the whole movie.

04. Tom Hardy in Inception - Okay, so Inception was already an amazing movie. But then in walks Tom f-ing Hardy with that swagger and those lips and he all but steals the entire damn movie right away from so many bigger, more famous stars. He's hilarious and also charming. He is such a chameleon and here's to many more projects from Hardy in the future!

03. Jeremy Renner in The Town - Renner is electric as Jem, an explosive bank robber. He takes a character that could have been so one-note, so boring, so cliche and manages to turn him into someone you can't keep your eyes off of. Renner has been one of the best working actors for at least a decade. Thank Lord, someone else is finally noticing.

02. Andrew Garfield in The Social Network - Okay, so Garfield gets to deliver the absolute best line in the best script of the year. But, from the first frame, you can't take your eyes off Garfield and his mesmerizing performance of Eduardo Savrin, a young college co-ed who becomes a millionaire and then loses all of it. He also loses his best friend in the process. Since he's probably the only fully likeable character in the movie, his performance really burrows into your brain and you find yourself rooting for him through the entire film.

01. Christian Bale in The Fighter - So, if I was an actor I would probably quit the profession after seeing Christian Bale BECOME Dicky Ecklund in The Fighter. I haven't always been fond of Bale but I was completely blown away with him in this movie. I read an article about how when people who grew up with Dicky saw Christian on set, they thought it was really him. Then at the end of the film, they show a clip of the real Dicky and by God, he looks and moves and talks exactly like Christian in the movie. This is not only the best performance by a supporting actor, it's also the single best performance of the entire year.

Top Ten List: Best Supporting Actress 2010

2011-01-02T22:02:00.002-05:00

10. Blake Lively in The Town - Going about as far away from Gossip Girl's Serena Van der Kamp as she can possibly get, Lively proves she's an actress to watch out for in the superb The Town. Lively's character is a tough Boston single mom, who wants ex-boyfriend Ben Affleck back in her bed. A big theme of the film is loyalty but can Lively's drunken, tough talking character be loyal if she's secretly bitter about Ben's new lady love?

09. Emily Mortimer in Shutter Island - In a movie with a huge ensemble of great actors giving great performances, Mortimer shines as Rachel Solando, an escaped mental patient who murdered her children. She only has one really juicy scene but damn if she doesn't steal it straight from Leonardo DiCaprio. One moment she's sweet and loving, and then, in the blink of an eye, she's ready to cut your throat.

08. Chloe Moretz in Kick Ass - Can you think of anything more fun than a 10 year old who curses like a sailor and likes to play with knives and guns?? Me either! Moretz knocks it out of the park as Hit Girl, a total bad ass who will kick your ass while listening to Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation."

07. Patricia Clarkson in Easy A - Okay, listen, I love my mom. I love her more than anything. But I will admit that there was a moment of weakness while watching Easy A when I said, "Man, I wish Patricia Clarkson was my mom." She's just so damn... cool. Whether she is giving out relationship advice or admitting to her daughter that she was a teenage slut, Clarkson totally nails the hippie/awesome/mom thing.

06. Barbara Hershey in Black Swan - We go from a perfect mom to a not-so-perfect mom. Hershey is the epitome of a stage mom in Black Swan. She doesn't do anything evil, per se, but she does baby her daughter and push her to perfection so severly that her sweet little daughter ultimately loses her damn mind. Hershey is amazing.

05. Melissa Leo in The Fighter - And here's another mom that I just wouldn't want. Leo proves boxing isn't just a man's world as the mom / manager of two Massachusetts boxing legends in The Fighter. She may love her kids a little too much. She's intense, tough as can be, and also a little crazy, especially when she sends her seven crazy daughters after her son's new girlfriend!

04. Rooney Mara in The Social Network - I haven't always been a fan of Mara's work. I thought she single-handedly ruined the remake of The Nightmare of Elm Street (which had potential but her lifeless performance sucked it dry). However, I take it all back. With just one substantial scene, Mara breaks hearts and steals scenes. She's thoughtful, frustrated, and hilarious as she shows you how to REALLY break up with someone.

03. Mila Kunis in Black Swan - This role is about as far away from Jackie on That 70s Show as you can possibly get. The starting point for so much of the intensity in Black Swan is the demented friendship / rivalry between Natalie Portman's sweet, tightly wound Nina and Kunis' wild and unrestrained Lilly. She's utterly seductive and plays the different facets of her character with ease.

02. Marion Cotillard in Inception - There is a reason her characters name is Mal, meaning she just might be evil. Cotillard is perfection as the crazy dead wife of Leonardo DiCaprio's Dom. She is pure passion - being so very needy one moment, erupting with anger the next, then weeping uncontrollably in the next second. There is a reason that Dom can't get her out of his head. Anyone who has seen the movie can't either!

01. Amy Adams in The Fighter - Amy Adams always plays such sweet, lovable characters. First there was Junebug. Then there was Enchanted. Even when she's playing a nun (Doubt), she's giving bunnies and the little girl who plays Lily on Modern Family a run for their money in the "cutest things ever" department. But, in The Fighter, Amy Adams shows a completely different side to herself. She's tough as nails as the former wild child party girl who knows tends bar and falls for a boxer. She stands up to his impossibly intimidating mom, she teaches her man how to grow a little backbone and become a better man, all while being completely and totally sexy. She can seduce and then beat the crap out of seven crazy sisters. In a career that is already stellar, this is Adams' best role yet!

Coming tomorrow... Best Supporting Actor!

Black Swan

2010-12-28T08:08:00.001-05:00

Black Swan is this beautiful yet disturbing thriller set in the world of ballet. It's like a crazy fever dream where there is little room for reality. To say director Darren Aronofsky is fearless is an understatement. This is the man, afterall, who brought us Pi and Requiem for a Dream (which is, arguably, the most depressing movie I have ever seen in my entire life). He has said Black Swan is a companion piece for his last excellent outing, The Wrestler, and I can't say that I disagree. The two films definitely have their similarities - the manic pacing, the behind the scenes feel, the search for perfection, and definitely the endings. However, I think Black Swan is a better film. At the very least, it's definitely more beautiful looking.
Natalie Portman stars as Nina, a dancer in the ballet company who wants to be perfect and strives to be a star. She is a good technical dancer, but lacks passion and intensity. She gets to audition for the lead in Swan Lake and while the demanding, seductive director of the company (Vincent Cassel) thinks she would make the perfect White Swan, he doesn't quite see her as the dangerous and sensual Black Swan. Newcomer to the company Lily (Mila Kunis), however, is perfect for the Black Swan. She's got a back tattoo, for Christ's sake! In the end, Thomas chooses Nina anyway. So, then we get to the good stuff. Nina has to struggle to find her sensuality (Thomas suggest she go home and touch herself). She also has to deal with jealousy from the other dancers and bitter resentment from Beth (Winona Ryder!!!), the aging star who is being pushed into retirement and is none too happy about it. Nina also has to deal with her super over protective stage mother (Barbara Hershey) who treats her like she's 12. To say Nina cracks under all the pressure is an understatement. But what is real, and what is all inside our pretty little ballerina's head? Is she really pulling swan feathers out of her skin? Is Lily really trying to steal her role? Is she really making out with boys at bars and girls in her bedroom? Is she really turning into the black swan she is so desperately trying to find a way to inhabite on stage? Black Swan is a wonderfully thrilling film, trying - and not trying, really - to answer all of those questions.
Natalie Portman is revelatory as Nina. At the beginning, she's meek and naive, sweet, innocent, seeking perfection but never raising her voice. By the end, she's a cracked and broken version of herself - all seduction and intensity and passion. Portman, who is so often rigid in many of her movies, really let's herself become this character and it's her best role to date, by a mile. She most certainly deserves that Oscar come March (sorry Annette Bening!). Mila Kunis is also quite surprising. Best known as comedic Jackie on That 70s Show, Kunis, who looks shockingly like Portman, is all raw sexuality. She's charming, seducing both Portman and the audience. Hershey is perfect as the overprotective mom, watching her sweet daughter transform right before her eyes. And is all of this her fault for pushing her too hard? You can see in her eyes that she wonders the same thing. Cassel is impressive as well as the lecherous director. Then there is my girl Winona! It's so good to have her back in a worthwhile movie. Sure, she's only in it for a few scenes, but they are key scenes and she nails the bitterness of a once hot young thing being pushed into oblivion (oh, wait! the irony!). Portman's Nina wants to steal her lipstick and her earrings to become more like her... and who wouldn't want to be like Winona, the it girl of the 90s, making a long-awaited comeback in a fabulous arthouse film?
To be frank, Black Swan is a beautiful mind fuck of a movie. And, really, what's better than that?
Grade: A

Easy A (DVD)

2010-12-23T11:31:00.000-05:00

What a delightfully charming and fun movie! I had wanted to see Easy A in theaters but never got around to it. My expectations were for it to be cute and funny but I wasn't ready for how good it actually is. It's an homage to the great John Hughes films of the 90s in a way (Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, etc.) but is also a sort of modern retelling of The Scarlett Letter. Also, and obviously, it's updated for this generation with lots of references to texting and Facebook and the main storytelling technique is a webcam.
Easy A follows Olive (Emma Stone), a pop culture fast talker who is smart as a whip and also a little invisible to everyone except her best friend Rhiannon (Aly Michalka) and her freaking hysterically perfect parents (Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci, more on them later!). Olive doesn't want to go camping with Rhiannon's hippy family one weekend, so she invents a date with a college man instead. She doesn't actually have a date. Instead, she stays at home and sings "Pocket Full of Sunshine" all weekend. But when Monday morning rolls around, she tells Rhiannon she went on the date anyway. As she fabricates her fictitious weekend with an older gentleman, Rhiannon gets it into her head that she lost her virginity as well. Eventually, Olive plays along and she is overheard by the school religious freak MaryAnn (Amanda Bynes), who spreads the rumor around school that Olive is a slut. Suddenly, Olive is on the map. And she likes it! She begins to play along with her new slutty persona and is soon helping out her gay friend Brandon (Dan Byrd), pretending they had sex so people will stop tormenting him because he's gay. Brandon spreads word among the downtrodden school students that Olive will help them and soon she is the school slut. What at first seems like fun, soon turns into bad news for Olive who struggles with being ostracized and turned into an object by people who used to ignore her. Also, there happens to be a boy named Todd (Penn Badgley) who she is really into.
Typical high school comedy? Not at all! Maybe it's the hilariously fast paced, well written, super funny script. (And it is fast paced, except around the beginning of the third act where it drags a little bit). Or it could be all the excellent performances. Emma Stone is perfect. She's funny and endearing and effortlessly charming. She's genuinely likeable and someone who I would love to have as a friend in real life. She most certainly deserved that Golden Globe nomination. Clarkson and Tucci are amazing as her parents, and I would like for them to be married in real life. I would like for them to get divorced from whomever their current partners are, marry each other, and then adopt me. I can't possibly express in words how much I loved them as a couple in this movie. Thomas Haden Church also shows up as a super cool teacher, Lisa Kudrow as his slightly crazy guidance counselor wife, and Malcolm McDowell as a "fascist" principal.
All in all, Easy A is endlessly entertaining. A very funny, very enjoyable movie, and most definitely the best high school comedy that has come around in a long while.
Grade: B

The Fighter

2010-12-20T10:04:00.000-05:00

For the last few months, I've been all about two particular performances, both from The Social Network. First, there is Jesse Eisenberg who I thought gave the best performance of the entire year. Then, there is Andrew Garfield who I thought was the Best Supporting Actor of the entire year. Now, they have both been replaced by one man - Christian Bale from The Fighter. His Dicky Eklund is so manic, so nuanced, so charming, in a word sort of way. Not only does he steal the entire movie, but also it is his best performance and the best performance of the year. More about that later.
The Figther, directed by David O. Russell, is the true story of welterweight fighter Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) who is from Lowell, Massachusetts. Lowell, like most movies set in and around Boston, is a character of its own. The city is alive with the working class people who just want something good to come from their city. But they are also quick to turn their backs on disappointments and failures. It's a small town mentality, where everyone knows everyone else's business. Micky has been boxing for a few years, trying to get the right fight to break through in boxing. He's managed by his stage mom (Melissa Leo) whose M.O. is to kill her kids with a sort of suffocating love. He's being trained by his "retired" brother Dicky. Dicky is the current pride of Lowell. An ex-boxer, he gained notoriety when he knocked down Sugar Ray Leonard some years ago (but did Sugar Ray really just trip and fall??). Now, HBO is following Dicky around making a documentary, which Dicky thinks is about his comeback. In reality, it's about his failure and crack addiction. Micky, who also has a half a dozen sisters, each ones hair bigger than the last, falls in love with Charlene (Amy Adams), a tough as nails bartender who is the only person who can stand up to Micky's mom and his crazy sisters.
The Fighter is a sports movie, but only really in the last third. The first two-thirds of the movie is all about character development. It's all about Micky and the decision he has to make between his overbearing family and his desire to become a prize fighter. Can he strike a balance and become a champion with his family? Or does he have to step out on his own, leave his family and their drama behind, to become a winner? That's the fine line Micky has to walk in the film.
The performances are all amazing here (right down to Micky's crazy sisters, who have great comedic timing to deliver all their one liners, usually putting down Charlene). Leo is perfection as the overbearing, tough mom. Adams is even better, showing off a tough side of her own. She's been so cutesy so often that it's nice to get a reminder of what a truly great actress she really is. Then there is Wahlberg, who is damn good in his own right. He's part shy, part determined with an explosive side. I've never been a fan of his in dramas, really (exception: The Departed). I've always thought he was a way better comedy actor than anyone gave him credit for (see: I Heart Huckabees). But, he is truly impressive here, giving a layered, lovely performance. But the best performance, of course, goes to Bale. He is a crazy method actor and for once it comes to fruition. He is all manic energy, sucking the air out of every room he walks into, demanding everyone's attention. You think he's about one moment from turning absolutely batshit crazy. Then they show the real Dicky at the end of the film, with all his ticks and eyes bugging out, and you realize even more how perfectly Bale embodied him. I'm all about Bale winning Best Supporting Actor at the upcoming Oscars!
Grade: B+

Worst Movies of 2010

2010-12-16T09:05:00.001-05:00

So, my Best of lists will be coming the first week of January (as long as I can see freaking Black Swan by then!!!!) but for now I thought I'd do my Worst Films of the year list...

10. Happiness Runs - Every once in a while, a really great movie goes straight to DVD. This is not that movie. Okay, okay. I only watched it in the first place for Shiloh Fernandez. But this movie (about the inner workings of a hippie cult and the teens who want to break away from it) is just plain awful.

09. The Killer Inside Me - Casey Affleck stars as a Texas sherriff who goes a little crazy and starts killing people, including his hooker mistress (Jessica Alba). I mean, Affleck's performance is pretty great but this movie has absolutely no point whatsoever. It's just very bad. Maybe it's because the story is so poorly laid out? I'm not sure. Just a big waste of time.

08. Date Night - Incredibly, incredibly unfunny. Thank goodness for James Franco, who is the only, THE ONLY, good thing about this terribly unfunny script. I mean, Steve Carell and Tina Fey are funny, right? Not in this movie! Mistaken idenities lead the suburban couple on a crazy night in NYC. It's watchable but it's not a comedy.

07. The Back Up Plan - Jennifer Lopez stars as a woman who becomes pregnant via artificial insemination and THEN meets the man of her dreams. Again, here is a romantic comedy that is neither romantic nor comedic. Just another huge waste of time.

06. Book of Eli - Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, Mila Kunis... sounds like a great cast right? Too bad they are stuck in such a shitty post-apocalyptic movie about... the Bible? Who even knows or cares. Denzel walks across the country, fighting people, being a wannabe bad ass and also super annoying.

05. Hot Tub Time Machine - Why John Cusack!?!?!! Awesome name. Awesome premise. Awesome cast. But none of it works at all. Instead of some sort of soul searching 80s comedy, it's sexist and uses the lamest jokes of all time. Oooh, that girl is wearing leg warmers! Hilarious! Michael Jackson used to be black! Hilarious. Clark Duke is the only good thing about this movie. He needs to start picking better movies. He's above this crap.

04. Eat Pray Love - So, I loved the book. I really didn't think the main character was quite so... obnoxious in the book, but I could be wrong. Because in the movie, played by extremely likeable Julia Roberts, she becomes the most annoying person on Earth. Oooh, pity me because I'm rich and white and men throw themselves at me everywhere I go and I've never been single or alone for a day in my entire life. And I'm a writer and I have the ability to leave my job for a year and travel to Italy and India and Bali. Fuck you, must be nice.

03. Edge of Darkness - I knew I would hate this movie before I even saw it and I don't know why I wasted my money on a movie starring a racist, sexist, hateful person like Mel Gibson. Anyway, he's a cop. His daughter gets killed. Was it meant for him? He runs around like a man men and tries to solve the crime. The script is awful and nothing makes sense at all. Pure crap.

02. Daybreakers - Vampires, what a new and interesting development for 2010. Nobody makes vampire movies anymore! In this movie, it's the near future and pretty much everyone is a vampire. There are very few humans left and if they don't want to get bled dry, they have to come up with synthetic blood. They somehow put Ethan Hawke in charge of this. He should just call the guys from True Blood and see how they did it. Dumb times ten.

01. Legion - Just the worst movie of the year. I honestly tried to shut it out of my mind as much as I could so I don't exactly remember what it's about but there is a diner in the middle of nowhere and a pregnant waitress and a bunch of annoying rednecks and a good angel and a bad angel and a really shitty script and some godawful acting.

Golden Globe Nominations

2010-12-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

Best Picture - Drama
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network
Thoughts - My two favorites of the year are here (The Social Network and Inception). I'm pretty stoked to see Black Swan and The Fighter. The King's Speech looks, probably, like the most boring movie of all time. No love for Shutter Island!

Best Actress - Drama
Halle Berry - Frankie and Alice
Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine
Thoughts - Go Natalie!!!!

Best Actor - Drama
Jesse Eisenberg- The Social Network
Colin Firth - The King's Speech
James Franco - 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling - Blue Valentine
Mark Wahlberg - The Fighter
Thoughts - No love for DiCaprio this year who gave not one, but TWO amazing performances (maybe the awesomeness of each canceled each other out??). Also, what strikes me about both of these lead acting categories is how very young it skews. Who are the oldest people here? Kidman, Berry, Firth? They are hardly ready to join AARP. And finally, go JESSE!!!! (Not only does he give the best performance of the year, imho, but also you just know his acceptance speech would be equal parts adorable and awkward).

Best Picture - Comedy or Musical
Alice in Wonderland
Burlesque
The Kids Are All Right
Red
The Tourist
Thoughts - Really??? This is the best they could do??? I mean, I guess The Kids Are All Right in a really pretentious kind of way but there were far better comedies than this load of crap.

Best Actress - Comedy or Musical
Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right
Anne Hathaway - Love and Other Drugs
Angelina Jolie - The Tourist
Julianne Moore - The Kids Are All Right
Emma Stone - Easy A
Thoughts - I dislike more than half of these people. I'll be with the haters cheering for Julianne or Emma!

Best Actor - Comedy or Musical
Johnny Depp - Alice in Wonderland
Johnny Depp - The Tourist
Paul Giamatti - Barney's Version
Jake Gyllenhaal - Love and Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey - Casino Jack
Thoughts - This is pretty much the most pathetic category of all time.

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams - The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech
Mila Kunis - Black Swan
Melissa Leo - The Fighter
Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom
Thoughts - Go Mila!

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale - The Fighter
Michael Douglas - Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Andrew Garfield - The Social Network
Jeremy Renner - The Town
Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech
Thoughts - I am pleasantly surprised to see Renner in there. He was the best thing about The Town and I really thought he would get overlooked now that all the big guns are coming out. Also, go Andrew! If Jesse Eisenberg didn't give the best performance of the year, then Andrew would have!

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan
David Fincher - The Social Network
Tom Hooper - The King's Speech
Christopher Nolan - Inception
David O. Russell - The Fighter
Thoughts - Three of my fave directors are nominated here. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see directors who are usually way too weird for mainstream to dominated this category. As long as Aronofsky, Fincher or Nolan win, I'll be happy.

And, since I'm toying with making this a movie / TV / music blog (thoughts??), here are the TV nominations as well...

Best TV Series - Drama
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
The Good Wife
Man Men
The Walking Dead
Thoughts - I don't watch The Good Wife. I want so very badly to watch The Walking Dead but, alas, I must wait for DVD. I may be the only person on the planet who thinks Mad Men is overrated. I love Dexter so freaking much but I am currently two seasons behind. So that leaves the BRILLIANT Boardwalk Empire as my choice for winner!

Best Actress - Drama
Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men
Piper Perabo - Covert Affairs
Katey Sagal - Sons of Anarchy
Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer
Thoughts - KATEY F-ING SAGAL!!!!!!! I love her so much on that show. Go Katey!!!!

Best Actor - Drama
Steve Buscemi - Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall - Dexter
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Hugh Laurie - House
Thoughts - They should just call this category "the usual suspects." I could care less about the last two on the list. Hall and Buscemi are so super good. But, really, Cranston has the best role on TV and he knocks it out of the park every freaking second of every minute of ever episode. As long as Breaking Bad is on TV, he should be rightfully winning every award ever. They should probably even just invent awards to give to him.

Best TV Series - Comedy or Musical
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
The Big C
Glee
Modern Family
Nurse Jackie
Thoughts - I do love me some Glee but I also think that Modern Family is the absolutely best show on TV.

Best Actress - Comedy or Musical
Toni Collette - United States of Tara
Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey - 30 Rock
Laura Linney - The Big C
Lea Michele - Glee
Thoughts - I love Laura Linney? I don't watch that show though. Honestly, I don't really care.

Best Actor - Comedy or Musical
Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock
Steve Carell - The Office
Thomas Jane - Hung
Matthew Morrison - Glee
Jim Parsons - The Big Bang Theory
Thoughts - It would be nice for Carell to win for his final season on the show, yeah?

Best Supporting Actress
Hope Davis - The Special Relationship
Jane Lynch - Glee
Kelly MacDonald - Boardwalk Empire
Julia Stiles - Dexter
Sofia Vergara - Modern Family
Thoughts - I really hate MacDanald's character on Boardwalk Empire although I did like her very much in No Country For Old Men. Maybe that's the sign of a super great performance? Either way, I'm all in for Lynch!

Best Supporting Actor
Scott Caan - Hawaii Five-O
Chris Colfer - Glee
Chris Noth - The Good Wife
Eric Stonestreet - Modern Family
David Strathairn - Temple Grandin
Thoughts - Oh, there is so much epic fail in this category. First of all, Stonestreet is great as Cam on Modern Family but Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Mitchell) and Ty Burrell (Phil) are the superior performances by far. That was my tiny, little problem with this category. As for the giant, gleaming, awfulness??? Boardwalk Empire has the best, THE BEST, supporting actors in the business and not a single one of them was nominated!?!?! No Michael Pitt?? No Michael Shannon?? No Shea Whigham?? No Michael Stuhlbarg?? No Stephen Graham?? No Vincent Piazza?? It's a freaking shame. For a category that got so very much wrong at least they got Chris Colfer (the best actor on Glee by a mile) so very right.

Love and Other Drugs

2010-11-28T21:41:00.000-05:00

There are exactly two really good things about Love and Other Drugs. 1) Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway have fantastic chemistry, which, really, is the most important part of a romantic comedy. 2) The performances by the lead actors are stellar. Other than that, the movie was mostly one cliche after another and nowhere near as original or mature as it thinks it is.
Gyllenhaal stars as Jamie Randall, a helluva salesman who gets fired from his job at a Radio Shack rip-off after sleeping with his boss' girlfriend. Since he comes from a family of over achievers and doctors, he decides to go into pharmaceutical sales while sleeping with every available woman in the Ohio River Valley. While shadowing a doctor (Hank Azaria), Jamie meets Maggie Murdoch (Hathaway), a free-spirited 26 year old with early onset Parkinson's (eventhough they say this very clearly in the first twenty minutes or so of the movie, the older woman sitting behind me just didn't seem to get it. About halfway through, she very loudly exclaimed, "That girl must be sick!"). Maggie wants nothing to do with Jamie and, since he has never been rejected by a girl before, that makes her quite alluring. Soon, as in every single romantic comedy, he turns her no's into yes' and the two begin having a pretty heated sexual relationship (advisory - there is a LOT of nudity in this film, although it is all pretty tastefully done). Maggie tells him not to fall in love with her. He says he won't. Of course, he does. Things go awry. Blah, blah.
The movie is neither romantic or very comedic. I mean, I guess there are a few funny parts here and there but I would hardly say it was a comedy in any way, shape or form. And romantic? Not so much. They pretty much just have sex a lot and then suddenly are in love with each other. I know she is sick but she is also kind of awful at some points and it seems he might be with her just to prove a point. Like, yes, he can be an adult and have responsibilities. I don't know. They have amazing chemistry which is such a good thing but I'm not sure the script properly supported them.
The movie is also full of rom-com cliches. There is not a single lick of originality anywhere in the film. There is the artistic cute girl who lives in a terrible but artsy loft. There is the annoying but supposedly funny roommate. There is the loveable co-worker. There is the sweet, sweet montage where their love grows as they do simple day to day activities. There is the drama filled montage set to some sappy song as their relationship slowly falls apart. There is a crisis in the third act which results in a change of heart. There is a public display of a declaration of love. And the whole "I'm a cad but love is going to change me and make me a better person" thing was done so much better a million times over (Jerry Maguire, anyone? ... By the way, this movie rips off Jerry Maguire at least a dozen times).
Anyway, this movie could have been something good. Like I said, the chemistry between the leads, and their performances, save this movie from being pure crap. If only they had a good script to help them out. Instead, they are stuck in an average Hollywood cliche.
Grade: C+

Due Date

2010-11-08T22:03:00.001-05:00

The elephant in the room, of course, is The Hangover which is one of the best comedies of the last decade or so. Due Date stars one of the stars of that film, Zach Galifianakis, and is also from the same writer / director. So, is it as good as The Hangover? Well, of course not. But did anyone really expect it to be? I tried to keep my expectations at a minimum so I wouldn't be disappointed. It sort of worked.
The story is simple - Peter (Robert Downey Jr.) is a first time expectant father and he is rushing home to Los Angeles from Atlanta for the scheduled C-section birth of his baby (with is the lovely and underused Michelle Monaghan). Well, he manages to get thrown off his plane thanks to a run in with a loony named Ethan (Galifianakis) who likes to throw around the words "terrorist" and "bomb" while on a plane. Not only do they get thrown off the plane, but also they find themselves on a do not fly list. It seems Peter's wallet with his credit cards and money is in his bag on the plane en route to Los Angeles so he can't even rent a car. Luckily though, Ethan can and they begin a road trip. Of course, craziness ensues - run ins with crazy pot dealers (Juliette Lewis) and crazier Western Union employees (Danny McBride) as well as car accidents and an ill fated trip to Mexico. Jamie Foxx shows up as Peter's bestie who may or may not have had an affair with his wife nine months ago. Also, Peter has a dog named Sonny, a cremated father in a coffee can (which they drink, of course) and wants to move to Hollywood to be an actor on Two and a Half Men, his favorite TV show.
So, that's the plot in a nut shell. Does it work? Sometimes. The film starts off insanely slow. In fact, the first half is a little boring. But it starts to get better (more laughs, better pacing) somewhere in eastern Texas. So, the second half is a whole lot better than the first. The ladies of the film are terribly underused. Foxx merely has a cameo. McBride does his same old funny asshole shtick (which I still love because I love him). So, ultimately this movie belongs to its leads and on that level, it most certainly works. These two guys have a chemistry together. Even though Galifianakis is playing a version of the same character he always does, he's still funny. I know a day is going to come when I get really sick of him, like Michael Cera, but that day hasn't arrived yet. All in all, Due Date is a lot of fun as long as you don't expect the greatness of The Hangover.
Grade: C

Five for Friday / Horror Movie Month

2010-10-29T12:06:00.000-04:00

By now, I think anyone who reads this (ha!) knows my favorite horror movies of all time - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, The Shining, Rosemary's Baby, The Funhouse, etc. For my top five this year, I'm going to countdown my fave horror movies since 2000. Everyone knows the best horror movies come from the 70s and early 80s. However, there have been some good ones this decade. Here is my top five list.

05. Triangle (2009) - I know, I know. I just saw this movie two days ago but I was impressed with it enough to let it slide easily into my top five. It's such an intricately done film with so many layers. It's like a puzzle, with the pieces slowly and surely fitting together so that by the end, you have a completed puzzle and you are so proud that you didn't give up on it because it all makes sense now. The film is basically about a group of friends who go sailing. Their boat is capsized during an electrical storm and they seek refuge on a cruise liner who stops to help them. However, it may or may not be deserted and main character Jess (the super impressive Melissa George) feels like she's been there before. This is one trippy, mind bending horror / thriller (more thriller, than horror, probably but whatever) that will not disappoint.

04. The Hills Have Eyes (2006) - There was a time a few years ago when I thought that Hollywood could only do good remakes of Wes Craven movies. There was this and then The Last House on the Left a few years later. Then came A Nightmare on Elm Street and that proved me wrong. Still, The Hills Have Eyes does what good remakes should - takes a movie that isn't perfect, then takes the best parts and keeps those the same and changes the things that don't work, making them better. The basic plot is the same - an extended family on vacation makes a wrong turn in the desert (thanks to some purposefully bad directions) and end up being stalked by a group of psychos. Alexandre Aja (whose High Tension just missed this list) directs this movie so, so well. There's plenty of character development along with funny parts, good scares and a a few scenes that are so completely twisted they become hard to watch. Still, The Hills Have Eyes is an excellent remake and an instant classic.

03. Trick 'r Treat (2007) - A collection of intertwining stories about Halloween traditions and folk lore, Trick 'r Treat is an excellent film, that is already a cult classic among horror movie junkies. One of the stories follows Dylan Baker as a principal who, in his spare time, is also a serial killer. (That story gives us the movie's best line - "Charlie Brown is an asshole."). In another, a virginal young woman (Anna Paquin) with a wicked family secret tries to find the perfect man to take as a date to a party. There is one about a group of teenagers pull a terrible prank based on a town legend about a bus driver who sank a bus full of mentally handicapped children. Those three main stories are framed by a story about a woman who hates Halloween despite her husband loving it and a cranky old man (Brian Cox) who hates Halloween and is tortured by an intruder because of it. All the stories are held together by Sam, a tiny little trick-or-treater with orange pajames and a burlap sack on his head. This movie is supremely well done and a perfect new classic.

02. The Last House on the Left (2009) - The second Wes Craven remake on my list, this is even better than both the original and The Hills Have Eyes remake. Director Dennis Iliadis directs the hell out of this movie, making it more an art film than anything else. It looks so much better than any typical movie has to look. This film is about a group of criminals who kidnap, torture and rape two teenagers, leaving them for dead. After having car troubles, they seek refuge at a house in the middle of nowhere. Soon, the husband and wife who allow them to stay at their house realize what these people have done to the girls, one of whom is their daughter. Then all hell breaks loose. This movie is disturbing and terrifying and excellent. The changes that were made make the movie even better than the original. This may be the best remake of all time.

01. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) - Ah, my favorite. An excellent film that deserves the cult following it has. It should actually be included among Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street as required viewing every Halloween. In the film, a documentary crew is given exclusive access to the life of the next great horror movie villain as he prepares to terrorize a small town. There are so many inside jokes about horror movies, treating them as if they exist (his idles are Mike and Fred haha). Nathan Baesel, who plays Leslie Vernon, is PERFECT. So, so good. Then, of course, Horror movie ICON Robert Englung shows up to play heroic Doc Halloran. It's sort of like watching two movies at once. There is the typical slasher horror film but also the behind the scenes, inside joke stuff. Behind the Mask manages to be scary as hell and also darkly comedic. I really can't say enough about this amazing film, other than, go watch it right now. And stay through the credits. You get to listen to "Psycho Killer" and you get a little surprise, too!

Horror Movie Month - Triangle

2010-10-27T11:16:00.000-04:00

Triangle (2009)
The Stars - Melissa George, Michael Dorman, Liam Hemsworth
The Gist - A group of friends embark on a Saturday afternoon yachting trip. The weather is perfect until they suddenly hit an electric storm which capsizes their yacht. Luckily (or unluckily) for them, a cruise liner comes to the rescue. After boarding it, they come to the realization that the liner is apparently deserted. However, weirdo Jess (George) experiences deja vu and insists she has been aboard that exact ship before.
The Scares - The movie is not scary at all. It is, however, probably the best movie I've watched during my horror movie month (with the possible exception of Trick 'r Treat, but I had already seen that). The movie is complex and endlessly watchable. It's refreshingly smart and mysterious and the story is just plain excellent. It reminds me of this wonderful sci-fi movie I love called Timecrimes with its complicated, superbly written screenplay and excellent performances. It's a perfecly paced, intricate, wonderful film.
The Body Count - Well, that's a little hard to say. For the sake of argument, we'll go 7.
The Grade - B+ (although I could be persuaded on a good day to say A-)

Horror Movie Month - The Killer Inside Me

2010-10-25T09:43:00.000-04:00

The Killer Inside Me (2010)
The Stars - Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Elias Koteas, Simon Baker, Bill Pullman
The Gist - First off, this isn't a horror movie, per se, but there is tons of violence and a pretty big body count, and it is a HORRIBLE movie, so it counts. Affleck plays Lou Ford, a polite, mild-mannered deputy sherrif in a small Texas town. He has a steady girlfriend (Hudson) and is liked by everyone. Soon, however, he becomes involved in a sadomasichistic relationship with a prostitute (Alba) which sparks some sort of inner sickness. The two of them plot to blackmail a local tycoon but things backfire and Ford ends up murdering Joyce and the tycoons dumb son Elmer (I get why he murdered Elmer but I still really don't know why he murders Joyce... it just seems all kinds of stupid). Anyway, he thinks he's getting away with murder but, really, he's insane so people begin to suspect him and then he starts killing more and more people while slowly going more and more insane. Listen, this movie is completely unnecessary and I'm not just saying that because it's insanely violent. It's just an exercise in disappointment. Everyone is saying the book on which its based is a classic and I have no doubt that's true but this movie is, I guess, not adapted well at all. Alba and Hudson (two actresses who I don't normally care for) are both rather impressive. Affleck's performance is extraordinary and I can't say a bad thing about that but the movie just did nothing for me at all. It's messy and incoherent and just plain bad.
The Scares - None.
THe Body Count - Six, maybe seven. Still not sure if the ending was real or all in his head (leaning towards the latter).
The Grade - D+ (and it's only getting that high because, like I said, Affleck is excellent).

Horror Movie Month - When a Stranger Calls

2010-10-24T16:32:00.001-04:00

When a Stranger Calls (1979)
The Stars - Carol Kane, Charles Durning, Tony Beckley
The Gist - A babysitter begins receiving menacing phone calls from a man simply asking, "Did you check the children?" After the police trace the call, they discover it's being made from inside the house. The man eventually gets arrested and sent to an insane asylum but seven years later breaks free. After stalking a woman he meets at a bar, he tracks down the original baby-sitter, now married with kids of her own, and returns to terrify her some more.
The Scares - I added this movie to my netflix queue on a whim and guess what? I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The beginning and the end are terribly well done and actually damn scary. The middle is a little plodding and boring but what more do you want from a horror movie? I don't know if it's because I'm a paranoid crazy person and imagine that someone is going to break into my house when I'm here alone or what, but the beginning and end actually were quite scary to me (and I don't scare easily). I wish the movie would have ended three minutes sooner but overall, I thought it was damn good.
The Body Count - Only 3.
The Grade - B

Five for Friday - Viggo Mortensen

2010-10-22T17:59:00.000-04:00

Viggo Mortensen turned 52 on Wednesday. Since he is a hell of an actor (and he has replaced Paul Newman as my sexiest man alive), I honor his best performances with this week's Top 5 list.

05. As David Shaw in A Perfect Murder (1998) - While the movie doesn't live up to the original, and Viggo has surely done much better work in other films, this was still the very first time I ever laid eyes on this gorgeous man and, for that alone, it has to squeeze onto the top five. In the film, he smolders with intensity and sexuality as he plays Gwenyth Paltrow's artist lover who becomes a pawn in her relationship with her jealous, rich husband (Michael Douglas). The film is worth checking out, for Viggo alone!

04. As Man in The Road (2009) - Based on one of the best books of all time, The Road is a moody, artsy film about a man and his son traveling to the coast after an unseen apocalypse. Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee (who plays his son) are more or less the only characters for much of the film. Not only does Viggo have to carry the entire film by himself, but also you get to stare at his gorgeous face (even with long hair and a scraggly beard) for two hours! We all win! Not to mention, his performance is downright flawless.

03. As Tom Stall in A History of Violence (2005) - Another time, maybe I'll talk about director David Cronenberg and how much I love him, but today is all about Viggo. In this film, he stars as a mild mannered man who runs a diner in a small town. There is a seemingly random act of violence which he stops and is brandished the town hero. However, things may not be what they seem when secrets about his mysterious past start coming to light. Mortensen is so perfect playing this layered man with such ease. This movie is definitely a must see!

02. As Frank Roberts in The Indian Runner (1991) - First of all, I should mention its directed by the amazing, wonderful, fantastic Sean Penn! The film is incredibly sad and is basically about the relationship between two brothers (Viggo and David Morse). Mortensen's character is completely uncontent with his life. He's back from Vietnam and trying to live a normal life but it's just not working out for him. He's violent, unpredictable and sometimes out of control. Viggo's performance is top notch and so is this film.

01. As Nikolai in Eastern Promises (2007) - Three words: naked knife fight. I honestly can't say enough good things about this movie (another directed by Cronenberg) or Viggo's performance as a Russian mobster. Everything about this movie is so amazing so you just need to netflix it and see it for yourself.

Horror Movie Month - April Fool's Day

2010-10-20T12:03:00.000-04:00

April Fool's Day (1986)
The Stars - Deborah Foreman, Jay Baker, Deborah Goodrich, Ken Olandt, Amy Steel, Clayton Rohner
The Gist - A group of college friends gather at one of their friends mansion on a remote island during April Fool's weekend. The only way off or on the island is by ferry and it doesn't run on the weekends. A few harmless April Fool pranks turn super serious when the party animal college kids start ending up dead, one by one. Of course, there is a terrible twist ending which all but ruins a perfectly fine slasher movie.
The Scares - Again, not scary per se, but there are a few parts that are a little on the intense side (notibly the scene in the well and the second scene in the basement). Other than that, it's mostly formulaic.
The Body Count - I should really just give the ending away, right? Most people who wanted to see this movie probably say it by now. So, 7 bodies but, then, really 0 bodies.
The Grade - C-... maybe it would have been higher if the ending didn't suck so bad.

Horror Movie Month - Trick 'r Treat

2010-10-17T16:36:00.000-04:00

Trick 'r Treat (2008)
The Stars - Anna Paquin, Dylan Baker, Brian Cox
The Gist - The film is really four Halloween related stories that weave together and tell the tale of a single night of trick or treating and partying in a small town. Among the stories: Baker plays a twisted principal who takes trick or treating rules VERY seriously, Paquin plays a virginal young woman trying to find the perfect date for a party and Cox gets terrorized inside his own home. Sam, a tiny "child" in orange clothes and a creepy burlap sack shaped like a pumpkin tie the stories together.
The Scares - It's not scary at all but it is quite good.
The Body Count - Including flashbacks, I'm going to go with 20 although I lost count during a particularly bloody scene.
The Grade - B+

Horror Movie Month - Let Me In

2010-10-14T07:26:00.000-04:00

Let Me In (2010)
The Stars - Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Elias Koteas with a pretty righteous mustache.
The Gist - Director Matt Reeves remakes the beloved (by everyone but me, apparently) Swedish Let the Right One, a story of a bullied 12 year old boy who befriends his new neighbor, a girl who only comes out at night. I may be in the minority here, but I think the remake is even better the original. The original was all, "Look, it's snowy and dark in Sweden and life sucks and this movie is just a moody, long, boring take on friendship and loneliness with a really great ending." Well, Reeves took the best parts of the original and made it even better. And guess what? Things actually happen in this version! There's action and I didn't even almost fall asleep like I did with the original (and this is coming from someone who loves nothing more than a good 4 hour movie... that's how boring I felt the original was).
The Scares - There is one scene in particular (involving Elias Koteas with his brilliant mustache going into a bathroom looking for Chloe Moretz's Abby) that is pretty freaking intense.
The Body Count - 10!
The Grade - B

Horror Movie Month - The Funhouse

2010-10-13T11:10:00.000-04:00

The Funhouse (1981)
The Stars - Elizabeth Berridge, Cooper Huckabee, Largo Woodruff, Miles Chapin, Shawn Carson
The Gist - Four teenagers double date to a carnival with a bad reputation. Seems last year in a nearby town, two girls went missing. Instead of leaving the carnival at the end of the night, they decide to spend the night inside the funhouse instead. They begin by fooling around but eventually witness a murder and then have to try to escape the funhouse while fending off crazy carnies.
The Scares - It's not scary, per se. Especially compared to director Tobe Hooper's previous effort - the best horror movie of all time - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Still, The Funhouse is a cult classic for a reason and it's fun as hell to watch. The acting (mostly unknowns) is better than it has to be. The movie is fast paced and exciting.
The Body Count - 6.
The Grade - B+

Horror Movie Month: Sorority Row

2010-10-11T18:11:00.000-04:00

Sorority Row (2009)
The Stars - Briana Evigan, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Leah Pipes, Audrina Patridge, and Carrie Fisher
The Gist - A group of sorority sisters decide to prank their sister Megan's (Patridge) cheating boyfriend by making him believe he accidentally murdered Megan. They take her "body" to an old mine shaft where they will drop it in a mine for it to never be discovered. None of these girls are smart enough to figure out that this most certainly will not end well. The prank escalates and Megan really ends up dead. Eight months later, they begin receiving mysterious texts surrounding that night. Is Megan back or does someone else know what they've done?
The Scares - There are none, really. I mean, there are parts that will make you jump if you scare easily (I don't) and you might actually be frightened if you've never seen a horror movie before in your life. Mostly, it's cliched teenage horror movie as usual. There is one death scene in particular that is pretty amusing but other than that it's the same old, same old.
The Body Count - A whopping 12!
The Grade - D+... Fisher and Pipes are really the only good things about it. They are both bad ass bitches (I mean that as a compliment)!

The Social Network

2010-10-09T15:04:00.001-04:00

Or: Okay, Rooney Mara, I will allow you to play Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
All the best picture of the year talk surrounding The Social Network is no joke. It just may be. It's fresh, relevant, fast-paced, witty, clever, funny and a damn good movie. When I first heard they were making a movie about facebook, I thought it was a stupid idea. Then that first trailer came out, you know, the ominous one with the acapella version of "Creep" playing? That got me interested. Then, of course, the buzz started. But The Social Network isn't just about facebook. It is, of course, a movie that defines a generation but it is also about a lot of topics that are much more simple: power, backstabbing, manipulation, betrayal.
The Social Network stars Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, a brilliantly intellectual Harvard under grad who has absolutely no social skills whatsoever. It's a little ironic that someone who has no idea how to interact with people in real life created the most interactive social site of all time. In the beginning of the film, Mark gets dumped by his Boston University girlfriend Erica (Rooney Mara). And he gets dumped in a sort of spectacular fashion. After a back and forth that lasts nearly 10 minutes, Erica ends things by saying, "You're going to go through life thinking that girls don't like you because you're a geek. And I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that that won't be true. It'll be because you're an asshole." And so the relationship is over. Mark isn't so happy and he goes back to his dorm room and writes a lot of mean things about Erica and her bra size on livejournal. Then, while all the rest of Harvard is partying the night away, Mark and his geek friends create the precursor to facebook - facemash - in which they put pictures of two Harvard girls side by side and make guys pick who is hotter.
Mark and his friends crash the Harvard server and gain a lot of notoriety. A pair of super rich, rowing twins named Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (both played by Armie Hammer) hire Mark to program a website for them. The idea the Winklevi, if you will, have is to create an elite Harvard dating site called Harvard connection. Mark takes the idea back to his one and only friend Eduardo (played to utter perfection by future Spiderman Andrew Garfield) and they use it as a basis for facebook.
So that's the basic story. But the filmmaking is so damn good that it turns a simple story of a nerd who created a website into a thrilling masterpiece of cinema. The story flips around from those days in 2003 and 2004 when facebook was created to two seperate lawsuits Mark is involved in, one involving Eduardo who was hardcore screwed and one involving the Winklevi, who are clearly not happy with Mark. The filmmaking is so damn perfect that it elevates an already incredible script into something you might want to call "perfection." Director David Fincher and writer Aaron Sorkin are at the top of their games and together, they are amazing.
The cast is nothing short of amazing either. Rooney Mara manages to break hearts and steal scenes with her limited screentime and it's refreshing to me. I've been underwhelmed by her previous work, but here, she proves to me that she is able to handle a bigger role (Lisbeth!). I am now truly excited to see what she brings to that role. Justin Timberlake shows up about halfway through the movie as Sean Parker, the founder of Napster, who all but seduces Zuckerberg into a world of beautiful women, hot night clubs and lots and lots of money. He's a sweet talking charmer who is also a paranoid liar, but Timberlake nails it. Armie Hammer plays the Winklevoss twins so perfectly. I know a lot of it is screen magic but he's better than he needs to be. I don't know how Fincher made him play twins but then again, this is a man who put Brad Pitt's face on a baby so I trust that he knows what he's doing. Jesse Eisenberg finally, finally, FINALLY got a role worthy of his talents. He's always been a wisecracking, indie fixture who was enjoyable to watch but here he becomes something so much more. He is perfection as the complicated Zuckerberg who seems like a total douche one minute and a misunderstood genius the next. But, I think, best in show has got to go to Andrew Garfield. I haven't been so impressed by a performance all year long. He's got the perfect amount of everything needed to pull off the role of the likeable best friend who gets royally screwed. Plus, he gets to deliver the movie's best line. "Lawyer up, asshole, cause I'm not coming for my 30 percent. I'm coming for everything."
All in all, The Social Network is the kind of highly entertaining, highly enjoyable masterpiece of a movie that only comes along once in a blue moon.
Grade: A

Five For Friday - David Fincher

2010-10-08T07:41:00.000-04:00

Since I think I FINALLY might get to see The Social Network this weekend (fingers crossed), I thought I'd celebrate this week's five for Friday with that film's visionary director, David Fincher.

05. Panic Room (2002) - Jodie Foster starred in this claustrophobic thriller as a single mother who hides out in a safe room with her asthmatic daughter (Kristen Stewart) while their house is being overrun by a trio of burglars (Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto and Dwight Yoakam, who my friend and I thought was the devil at the time, because, well, he's creepy). Panic Room is nowhere near Fincher's best effort, although it may be his film that had the most universal appeal. Still, it's a taut thriller and besides the unneccesary opening scenes, the entire film is intelligently written, beautifully directed and just plain good.

04. The Game (1997) - The Game may be a little on the ostenatious side but it is still an engrossing film. Starring Michael Douglas and Sean Penn, the film is a labyrinth as it takes you through numerous twists and turns. It is most definitely a movie that is unpredictable, much like some of Fincher's later, better films. I won't tell you anything about the plot because it's just too well done (and too complicated) to explain in a few clumsy lines, but Douglas is perfection as a rich businessman although, of course, I prefer Sean Penn as his rebellious brother.

03. Fight Club (1999) - Is it possible for one director to be involved with two films that define the decades from which they are released? It looks that way as The Social Network seems like a movie with perfectly embodies the way we interact with one another in the 2000s. Then there was Fight Club which was the badass cult hit of the later half of the 90s, which embraced the way a whole lot of people were feeling disenfranchised from everything. Add in amazing performances by Brad Pitt (one of the few movies I genuinely enjoyed him in), Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter plus that AMAZING ending set to the Pixies and you've got yourself one hell of a modern day masterpiece.

02. Zodiac (2007) - Truth be told, I enjoy Fight Club far more than Zodiac. Still, one can not deny that Zodiac is a perfectly made film. The writing, the directing, the cinematography, the acting - everything is perfect. Fincher is such a visual director and you can see that in all of his films, but none as much as Zodiac. Zodiac, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., and Mark Ruffalo is the true story of the Zodiac killer who terrorized the San Francisco area in the 70s. Being that he was never caught, the movie is open ended but it works perfectly with the film. And with a running time of 157 minutes, it is a loooong movie, but well worth it. It never once feels too long or that the director could have cut a single frame. Zodiac is another Fincher masterpiece.

01. Se7en (1995) - The first time audiences saw a Fincher film, it was the decidedly terrible Alien 3. The second time audiences saw a Fincher film, it was Se7en, one of the most intricate, thrilling movies ever made. Se7en is a modern day masterpiece about two cops, one a newbie (Brad Pitt) and one about to retire (Morgan Freeman) who set off after a serial killer (the sublime and truly terrifying Kevin Spacey) who is killing people using the seven deadly sins. We know this movie isn't going to have a happy ending but I don't think anyone was fully prepared for the devastating turn of events which would befall our characters. That ending, it really knocked people for a loop and fifteen years later, it is still widely considered one of the best endings of all time. The entire movie, so moody and dark and sinister feeling, is just plain brilliant, and it is definitely Fincher's best film to date.

Horror Movie Month - Blood Creek

2010-10-05T11:58:00.000-04:00

Blood Creek (2009)
The Stars - Henry Cavill, Dominic Purcell, Emma Booth, Michael Fassbender, Shea Whigham (!!!).
The Gist - Epic Nazi zombies!! Sounds awesome, right? Well, totally wrong! It's actually kind of awful. Cavill and Purcell star as super hot brothers who set out to kill a creepy family living in the middle of nowhere who kidnapped Purcell's Victor and held him captive for two years. Said family hasn't aged in 80 years because they are holding a Nazi zombie prisoner in their barn. When he breaks free, all hell breaks loose. Blah blah, Shea Whigham is shirtless. Other than that, it's a total waste of your time.
The Scares - There are none.
The Body Count - 7... and a whole lot of pigs, horses and dogs, too.
The Grade - F

Horror Movie Month - Splinter (2008)

2010-10-01T11:44:00.000-04:00

Splinter
The Stars - Shea Whigham (!!!), Paulo Costanzo, Jill Wagner, Rachel Kerbs
The Gist - A young couple (Costanzo and Wagner) set out for a romantic camping trip to celebrate their anniversary. Problems ensue and soon they are being held hostage by a sexy, badass escaped convict (Whigham) and his drug-addled girlfriend (Kerbs). When their car begins to overheat, they make a pit stop at a gas station in the middle of nowhere where they become trapped, surrounded and hunted by some sort of strange zombie-esque splinter parasite.
The Scares - There aren't really any... at all. Maybe it's because I don't scare easily, not sure, but there wasn't a single thing in the entire movie I found scary. That being said, the movie itself isn't bad. It's fast-paced and it's fun and the characters are actually pretty well-crafted and not at all as stupid as most characters in horror movies. Of course, Shea Whigham is super hot.
The Body Count - Only 4... but then, there are only really 6 people in the entire movie.
The Grade - C+

Five for Friday: Michael Douglas & Catherine Zeta-Jones

2010-09-24T18:33:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is the shared birthday of super couple Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. In celebration, a top five list of their best roles!

05. Michael Douglas as William "D-Fens" Foster in Falling Down - Douglas does a fabulous job in this film, portraying a character is completely sensible and rational in every way... except for the fact that he is also a little psychotic. He gives a voice to so many people in the world. It's such a complex character and Douglas portrays this quiet but dangerous man so easily.

04. Catherine Zeta-Jones as Helena Ayala in Traffic - Sure, Benicio Del Toro stole the show, but Zeta-Jones was excellent as well, playing a very pregnant woman who is thrown into terrible circumstances after her husband gets arrested. This is the first time Zeta-Jones really stretched as an actress and showed that she was more than just another pretty face. Her performance is so well-done and so controlled and layered, that it makes you completely forget her lousy past roles.

03. Michael Douglas as Oliver Rose in The War of the Roses - Douglas is pitch perfect opposite Kathleen Turner in this story of how love can sometimes turn to hate. It doesn't hurt that the script is excellent and the dialogue is perfection. The black comedy is sometimes so intense and it's amazing to watch the performances from the leads. Douglas plays a sort of smug bigshot who seeks to save his marriage. He's so subtle, giving a truly layered performance.

02. Michael Douglas as Professor Grady Tripp in Wonder Boys - This role is A very unlikely turn from the usually glamorous Douglas. Here he stars as an English professor who struggles to deal with his wife leaving him along with trying to finish an epic novel he's been struggling to finish for seven years. He's a disheveled mess and it's a whole lot of fun to see Douglas disappear completely into the role.

01. Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly in Chicago - Okay, listen, I love musicals. Maybe I'm showing some favoritism. Whatever. Zeta-Jones is PERFECTION as a nightclub singer turned murderess who finds her husband in bed with her sister and, well, you know. She is amazing and sensational, especially during the showstopper "All That Jazz." She is sexy, powerful, dangerous, glamourous, incredible. Oscar well deserved!

The Greatest (DVD)

2010-09-22T22:54:00.000-04:00

What a hidden gem of a movie! Totally unexpected and with so much heart and emotion, The Greatest (which had a limited theatrical run back in April) is most definitely one of the best movies of the year! Right out of the gate, the cast is fantastic for such a small movie. Susan Sarandon, Pierce Brosnan, Aaron Johnson, Carey Mulligan, Johnny Simmons (!!), Michael Shannon (!!!), and Zoe Kravitz appear in the indie film.
Sarandon and Brosnan star as a couple dealing with the death of their eldest son, Bennett, (Johnson) in a car crash. They had marital problems before the death and their grief, and the different ways they choose to deal with it, is only pushing them further and further apart. In fact, Sarandon becomes closer to the man responsible for the crash (Shannon) who just so happens to be in a comma. Meanwhile, Brosnan becomes close to Rose (Mulligan), who shows up at their door one day, pregnant with their dead sons baby after only one night together. Then there is their youngest son Ryan (Simmons) who is dealing with the grief his own way, doing drugs and falling for a girl in his grief meetings (Kravitz).
It sounds like a typical melodramatic film but it isn't at all. The script by Shana Feste, who also directed, is so clever and interesting, jumping around to different moments, that the movie never fails to be interesting. In fact, most of the relationship between Rose and Bennett plays out entirely in flashbacks. (The title comes from a particularly intimate well-done moment in the film when Bennett says his one night with Rose was the greatest).
The performances are all top-notch and, really, what else would you expect from such an amazing cast? Sarandon is phenomenal as the mother in mourning, unable to let her son go and unable to accept Rose into their lives. Brosnan, whose character chooses to deal with the loss in entirely different way, is impressive as well. Mulligan continutes to show promise. She's not just a once and done actress who made a great movie (An Education) and will wither away and disappear. She's hear to stay and she's formidable, with her porcelain looks and mixture of vulnerability and toughness (she might have made a better Lisbeth Salander than Rooney Mara but I'll save that rant for another time). Then there's Johnny Simmons, who I adore beyond words. Mostly, my love for him has to do with the fact that he is super adorable. But he is truly impressive in this film. He's one part comic relief, one part ticking time bomb. There is a scene in one of his grief counseling meetings where he is devastating to watch.
It's a depressing movie to watch, for sure, but it is most definitely worth it.
Grade: A-

The Town

2010-09-19T13:37:00.001-04:00

A few years ago, Ben Affleck directed a film called Gone Baby Gone. I remember see it and being very impressed with his directing skills. I may have even said something along the lines of, "He should quit acting and just direct." Listen - I'm the kinda gal that admits when she is wrong and, boy, was I wrong. Not about Affleck's directing. He's got skills. The Town is just as good, if not better, than Gone Baby Gone. I was wrong about his acting skills which, back then, I thought were non-existant. I was wrong. His performance in The Town (and that was one of the drawbacks for me before I saw the film. I not-so-secretly wished he had cast his brother Casey in the lead instead) is the best of his career and is extremely impressive.
The Town was filmed on location in Boston, more specifically Charlestown, which is the bank robbery capitol of the United States (according to the movie). Affleck plays Doug, the leader of a rag-tag team of townies who rob banks and armored cars. He and his pal Jem (the excellent, as always, Jeremy Renner) grew up together and now they even rob banks together. Doug used to be involved with Jem's sister Krista (Gossip Girl's Blake Lively who is very impressive playing the complete opposite of Serena van der Woodsen). In the intense opening segment, Doug, Jem and their two friends rob a bank in Cambridge. They decide to take bank manager Claire (Rebecca Hall) as a hostage and let her free after taking her for a little joy ride. Eventually, they discover she lives just blocks away so Doug decides to befriend her and make sure she doesn't know anything. Needless to say, they fall in love which only complicates things even more. Add in Jon Hamm as an FBI agent hot on their trail, Titus Welliver (!!!) as his partner, Pete Postlethwaite as a Charlestown florist/gangster and Chris Cooper as Doug's imprisoned dad and you've got a hell of a cast.
The performances are all top notch. As a director, Affleck has a way with actors and that's no surprise since he's spent the last decade or so as an actor. Renner probably gets top honors although it's really hard to say. His Jem is a hot-headed bad ass who pulls out a gun with the ease it takes the rest of us to breathe. Cooper makes a lasting impression with just one scene and Postlethwaite is truly intimidating despite his wiry frame. Lively plays against type as a white trash mother to a daughter named Shyne and she does it super well. But it's Affleck and his truly layered, complicated character who is most impressive. I honestly didn't believe he had the skills to create and portray a character with such emotional depth. His chemistry with Hall is sweet and honest. The script (co-written by Affleck) is so tight and exciting and well done and the directing is truly top notch. This is the second movie in a row for Affleck as a director that has been gritty, realistic, honest, exciting and excellent.
For me, 2010 has been a truly awful year for movies but The Town is one of the best.
Grade: B+