My Top 5 WORST Movies of 2011

Y'know, film criticism is not my career. I am an actor (in musical theater, I might add...Stop laughing!). This blog is a hobby, because I enjoy watching and talking about movies. Therefore, since I am not an actual critic, I don't get to see every movie that comes out, and one major perk of that is that if I look at a movie's advertisements and think it looks bad (such as this year's The Smurfs, Jack and Jill, or Spy Kids 4D: All the Time in the World), I can choose not to see it.

Last year I had only seed two movies that were truly awful by the time I wrote my Best of the Year blog, so I lumped Worst of the Year in with it as an afterthought.

This year I saw 6. Enough to constitute its own list. *facepalm*

You might question why I saw some of the movies featured here, and I'll explain as I go. All you really need to know is that they're all achingly bad. Are any of them as colossal a failure on every level as last year's worst, The Last Airbender? No, thankfully not, but that still doesn't mean you shouldn't avoid them like the plague.

So...*sigh*...here we go...

My Top 5 WORST Movies of 2011

Dishonorable Mention

6)  The Tree of Life

Yeah, I'm probably gonna piss a few people off by including this one; one thing I can definitely say is that (while the critics have heaped nothing but praise on it) there hasn't been a film this year that has created a wider amount of divisive reaction than this one, and unfortunately I'm on the negative end of the spectrum. To explain everything I don't like about this movie would be long enough for an entirely different blog (which will probably happen), so to save time, I'll explain why it's not in this Top 5. The visual effects and cinematography are absolutely gorgeous. Heck, the 20-minute sequence on the formation of the planets, development of cells, and dinosaurs is probably one of my favorite sequences of the year! And, for what it's worth, Brad Pitts performance is really good. But the bad does far outweigh the good, and soon I will take more time to elaborate why. 

The Top 5

5)  The Green Hornet

I was REALLY looking forward to this one. The Green Hornet is one very interesting superhero that has almost been forgotten by the current times, and I'm a big fan of the previous works I've seen of director Michel Gondry (Be Kind Rewind and the ingenious Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). The big mistake: they made it a comedy. Not just a comedy; a Seth Rogen comedy. I commented in my last blog about Rogen's typical shtick, so let me explain. The typical Seth Rogen character type works in two scenarios; A) when he's a supporting player, such as the lead's slacker best friend (see The 40-Year-Old Virgin and 50/50); and B) when he's the slacker lead who matures and changes by the end of the movie (see Knocked Up). Here we have a main character who goes through no such process; he starts off an obnoxious ass and stays that way, making this Rogen's most dislikable character I've seen. And, Mr. Rogen, I'm going to say what I've been saying since Pineapple Express: Just because you're rambling improvised dialogue doesn't mean what you're saying is funny. In fact, if it isn't funny, it gets annoying. Plus, I'm not even mentioning the missed opportunities withing the story! I'll give kudos for Christophe Waltz's interesting villain and the climactic action scene, but those don't mean much when I don't care if the hero succeeds. 

4)  Beastly

I was tricked into this one. One of my best friends was working at the nearest movie theater at the time and had seen it through an advance screening. He invited me to the next one they had, claiming that it was so bad that it was actually a hilarious unintentional comedy. So, on the promise of a laugh, I went. Needless to say, as the movie got into full swing, I was NOT agreeing with him. This is pure boring, angsty, emo teen garbage at its worst. This is the Twilight series with only slightly higher intelligence behind the story. The best that this movie gives us is Neil Patrick Harris, doing his best with the poor material as the blind tutor, and, in the year's biggest surprise, Mary Kate Olsen as the teen witch who curses our hero, in what is *gasp* a really good performance! Neither gets enough screen time, though, and we are treated to further proof that Vanessa Hudgens can't act and Alex Pettyfer's greatest trait is his ability to brood. For those of you looking for a movie so bad it's good, might I suggest The Room or Birdemic? You'll get the laughs I was denied in this one.

3)  Sucker Punch

Zack Snyder, I am one of your defenders. I think you have a unique visual and directorial style. I thought 300 was an excellent action movie, and Watchmen is one of the best superhero movies ever made. While I wasn't crazy about Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, there were things about it that I did like. I think you're a good director...just please quit directing the stuff you write! Sucker Punch is one confusing mess of a story. You have a plot set in 3 worlds, 1 real and 2 fantasy (reality is more interesting so it isn't given enough time, and one of the fantasies is nothing more than an excuse to have these teenage girls dressed provocatively); characters given no development whatsoever; and action scenes (the second fantasy world) which, while well-done, make no sense to things overall and stop the movie dead. Add to that plenty of bad acting (Vanessa Hudgens gets work AGAIN!!!) and you have one miserable viewing experience. This movie made me wince at the news of Snyder directing the next Superman movie, Man of Steel, but hopefully Christopher Nolan's involvement as producer will save it from becoming like this.

2)  Something Borrowed

I have to go with the age-old guy excuse for movies like this: My girlfriend made me watch it (I love you, babe, but you deserve some blame for this one). Because the romantic comedy is not one of my favorite genres. Occasionally a really good one will come along (like this year's Crazy, Stupid, Love.), but most of the time they will fall between ok and not-that-good. But every now and then, every year or two, one will come along that has has enough stupidity to make your jaw drop. I had seen the TV spots for Something Borrowed and thought it would just be boring and predictable. I wasn't prepared to watch characters who are terrible people ignore the simple solutions for easy-to-solve problems because of their own massive faults. I mean it, every character in this movie is a moron. John Krasinski is the only good person of the leads, but (SPOILER) even he gets his moment of stupid by admitting his feelings for the lead, and trust me, his character can do WAY better. It also has the guts to do a sequel tease at the end. Believe me. That won't happen.

And the absolute worst movie I saw in 2011 is...

1)  Your Highness

Your Highness isn't funny. It just isn't. In fact, I can't remember the last time I was that stone-faced watching a comedy. I've never not laughed so hard in my life! Not only is it not funny, it's stupid; a bad combination for a comedy to be. I really can't articulate how bad this movie is. It makes a very fatal error seen more and more lately: Just because you curse and mention sex and bodily fluids does not make what you're saying funny. That barely even makes it a joke, because it's the context and and the brains behind it that determines whether or not it's funny. And there are no brains put into this. It's some of the laziest comedy I've ever heard. How you roped Natalie Portman and Toby Jones into this is something I'd love to know. The rest of the cast, you guys can do better. You guys can do WAY better. 

So those are this year's headaches. Agree or disagree? Leave a comment! Got a movie you think should be on the list? Let me know! I won't be watching it, but let me know!

My next blog: Y'know what? Screw it. Let's talk about The Tree of Life.

My Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2011

So here we are again; the old year passes as the new year begins. And that's almost how long it's been since I wrote an entry for this blog...oops.

Anyway, time for retrospective. While I have more than enough entries for this list, my movie-going year wasn't quite as epic as 2010. Again, I haven't seen EVERY movie that came out, but my pickings were far more numerous by this point last year. Keep in mind, I had seen plenty of the Oscar nominees for Best Picture in advance of the announcements, including Inception, both my favorite movie of that year and a new all-time favorite of mine. Another factor that comes into play was my goal to save money for my eventual move to New York, therefore less time for trips to the theater.

That isn't to say, however, that the movies I saw this year weren't great. There were great performances, engaging stories, and a variety of emotional investment on my part (more of these came close or succeeded in bringing a tear to my eye than I expected). So, without further ado...

My Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2011

While the actual Top 10 are truly great, this year there were plenty of others that I felt deserved a little more attention than a mention. So, in a deviation from last year's list, I'm showing my honorable mentions first, along with a brief summary about what I liked and why they aren't in the higher rankings:

Honorable Mentions

20)  Paul
       What I liked: Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's undeniable chemistry in a new scenario with hilarious comedy. Also, Paul himself is a fully-realized character and, despite being voiced by Seth Rogen, doesn't fall into the typical Rogen traps (*cough*Green Hornet*cough*).
        Why it's not in the 10:  It lacks the pacing that aided the humor in their past collaborations (Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) so well.

19)  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tide
       What I liked:  The best in the series since the first one (which remains THE best). Thank you, Disney, for dropping the over-complicated plot twists and keeping it to what a pirate movie should be: a swashbuckling treasure hunt. Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush return in full force as well.
       Why it's not in the 10:  While I'm glad most of the side characters from the previous three films were dropped, the new ones really weren't that interesting, especially the villain. When Ian McShane isn't interesting, that's a problem.

18)  Rise of the Planet of the Apes
       What I liked:  One heck of an exciting reboot of the franchise. Plus, Andy Serkis' motion-capture performance as Caesar is the heart and soul of the movie, making his best performance since Gollum in Lord of the Rings.
        Why it's not in the 10:  James Franco's wooden, auto-pilot performance. And while I DID enjoy it, the final sentence in Roger Ebert's review sums in up best; "This is the movie you may have been expecting. No more, no less."

17)  Crazy, Stupid, Love.
       What I liked:  This one rides on the strength of its non-typical story and acting ensemble. Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Bacon, and even the younger actors all give solid engaging performances.
       Why it's not in the 10:  Occasionally gets predictable and falls under the cliches of the rom-com genre. Yes, Carell does have to get in front of a crowd and give an impassioned impromptu speech towards the end. That should give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

16)  Puss in Boots
       What I liked:  Antonio Banderas' Puss is just as fantastic a character as ever, showing that he is plenty capable of carrying a movie on his own. The comedy is great, and this also has to be some of the most beautiful mainstream CGI I've seen this year.
       Why it's not in the 10:  The story lacks some of the real substance Dreamworks has shown in recent films like the Kung Fu Panda series and How to Train Your Dragon.  Also, Zach Galifinakis's Humpty Dumpty is an uneven character, and at times can steal too much focus.

15)  Cars 2
       What I liked:  While most critics bashed this one, I still had a good time! It has plenty of excitement and thrills, and offers some laughs in the process. The animation is just as good as the original.
       Why it's not in the 10:  Some of that critical scorn IS earned to a degree, though. While Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) made good comic relief in the last one, he's not good lead character material, and the hokey "be yourself" message doesn't hold a candle to the deeper, more emotional themes of the rest of Pixar's work. Plus, the violence inflicted on the characters is surprisingly graphic (you do want KIDS to see this, right?).

14)  X-Men: First Class
       What I liked:  An excellent story with a cast of well-developed characters handled with such great care by its cast, especially the chemistry between James McAvoy as Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender as Magneto.
        Why it's not in the 10:  The pacing does tend to drag at certain points.

13)  Horrible Bosses
       What I liked:  The second-funniest movie of the year. An absolutely hysterical comedy with six strong leads in both our heroes (Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day in a role that should cement his career in film) and their bosses (Kevin Spacey, and the unexpected turns from Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrell)
        Why it's not in the 10:  Some running gags and character traits, such as Sudeikis' sexual exploits, lose their polish as the film progresses.

12)  Happy Feet Two
       What I liked:  Has the same charm and fun of the original, with a new touch of enjoyable absurdity. Hank Azaria is a nice addition to the voice cast as Sven, and Brad Pitt and Matt Damon's Will and Bill the Krill steal the movie.
        Why it's not in the 10:  The story starts all over the place, only gaining more focus as it progresses.

11)  Captain America: The First Avenger
       What I liked:  The best superhero movie of the year! Fantastic action, direction, and design; a strong lead in Chris Evans; an equally strong villain in Hugo Weaving; and a great supporting cast. Captures a perfect tone; exactly how an adaptation of a '40s comic should be.
       Why it's not in the 10:  I ran out of room. Seriously, that's why.

And now, the main course...

The Top 10

10)  Bridesmaids

Proof that it is possible to make an R-rated comedy with a lot of heart. Bridesmaids is the funniest movie of the year, and the basis of that comedy comes from the honesty and chemistry shared between each and every member of the cast. Character relationships provide the film's backbone, be it Annie's (Kristen Wiig) friendship-with-benefits with Ted (Jon Hamm), Becca (Ellie Kemper) and Rita's (Wendi McLendon-Covey) drunken airplane confessional, or Annie and Helen's (Rose Byrne) rivalry for Lillian's (Maya Rudolph) friendship. The more we believe these interactions, the more the comedy makes us laugh and the intimate moments warm our hearts. Standouts include Melissa McCarthy, one of the year's most celebrated performances, and Chris O'Dowd, one of the most underrated.

9)  Kung Fu Panda 2

You almost made me cry, Dreamworks! You almost made me cry! The first Kung Fu Panda was a major change for the studio; it did away with its established-but-tired reliance on pop culture references (which only REALLY worked in the Shrek films anyway) and followed the Pixar path of putting the story first. It was great, and they continued on this path with the even better How to Train Your Dragon. But to say that Kung Fu Panda 2 was better than I expected is an understatement. It improves on every aspect of the original; a story with higher stakes, a more interesting villian, and a further fleshing out of the characters to the point where you forget about the A-listers voicing them, especially our lovable hero Po (Jack Black) as he finds himself on a journey to discover his true origins. It's Dreamworks' best since Shrek 2, and that's a major accomplishment.

8)  Win Win

Haven't heard of this one? Don't worry, I hadn't either. In fact, most people probably haven't due to its limited theatrical release. However, if there's any way I can help this one find new life on DVD, I'm more than happy to. Win Win tells the story of Mike Flaherty (Paul Giamatti), a struggling lawyer and high school wrestling coach who, for selfish reasons, becomes the legal guardian of an elderly client (Burt Young). Things get complicated when the man's grandson, a teenage runaway named Kyle (Alex Shaffer), comes to live with his grandfather. Mike takes Kyle in, allows him to join the wrestling team, and the two begin to bond. Things are threatened, however, when Kyle's greedy mother (Melanie Lynskey) comes looking for him. This is a wonderfully written original dramedy, with strong performances from the entire ensemble, including Amy Ryan as Mike's wife, Jeffrey Tambor as his assistant coach, and an absolutely hilarious Bobby Cannavale as his best friend. If you come across this one, watch it; it's well worth your time.

7)  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Oh, how I love a good finale! I don't think I'll be met with much objection when I say this is easily the best entry in the series. The entire cast, which is a build-up of all major characters from the past seven films, give this their all (especially Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort and Alan Rickman, who, if this were a perfect world, would win an Oscar for his performance as Snape within the entire series), and the action reaches an intensity not seen in the others. The only fault to be found is that it can only be enjoyed at its best if you've seen the ALL of the other movies, but trust me, it's a fully worthwhile prerequisite.

6)  Contagion

You remember what Psycho did for showers? Or what Jaws did for going to the beach? Or what Nightmare on Elm Street did for going to sleep? Well, that's what Contagion does for TOUCHING ANYTHING!!! All joking aside, this is a very effective thiller, with top-notch performances from the entire cast (including Gwyneth Paltrow, who has the least screen time but wins for best death scene of the year...no, that's not a spoiler, it's in all the trailers). It a great portrayal of society on the brink of collapse in the face of something it doesn't understand, and gives us a wide array of characters, from those who help, to those who manipulate, to those being manipulated, and those just trying to get answers and survive. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

5)  Rango

I've never seen an American animated movie like this. So wildly imaginative, so inventive, so fully enveloped in  the world it's created, and yet so dark, so quirky, so quick-witted, so off the wall and against the norm. These reasons alone make this the best animated film of the year, and I'll be rooting for it come Oscar time. Something like this doesn't normally come from a mainstream wide release, which might explain why many shied away during its theatrical release. But there's plenty to love about this, even more than what I've already said. While I might have mentioned earlier that Puss in Boots' animation was the most beautiful, Rango's is the most unique. So much life is breathed into this world of reptiles and rodents, dirty and gritty yet feeling very real. And Johnny Depp's no-holds-barred voice work provides so much fun (an improvement over his forgettable character in his last animated outing, Corpse Bride)! Don't be fooled by the fact that this is from Nickelodeon Studios, though; this is not for the under-8 crowd. It wasn't at all what many were expecting, which made me love it even more.

4)  The Help

Yes, the hype is true: it's that good. I almost don't feel qualified to write about this one, since the story has spoken louder to women, but there was still plenty for me to appreciate and be moved by. The entire cast excels, led by a powerful Viola Davis as Aibileen. It perfectly captures the details of the setting; not just of the time period, but of the South and all of its sensibilities. When the story hits its lows, it breaks your heart, but only to repair it instantly when it hits its highs. Add this to the list of movies whose source material I now have to read.

3)  50/50

This one caught me completely by surprise. What seemed like a light-hearted take on how to deal with a serious illness actually contained so much more sadness, weight and heart than I expected. Screenwriter Will Reiser's loosely adapted retelling of his experiences dealing with cancer in his 20s is a terrific dramedy, grounded in depressing reality but also offering uplifting laughs. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives what will probably be the most overlooked great performance of the year in the lead role, displaying such a strong emotional honesty. Even when his character is at his lowest, even meanest, point, we never stop caring about him because he gets us to understand why. And while I might have grilled Seth Rogen earlier for his typical schtick, here it works to such an advantage (especially since, as it turns out, his character is actually based on himself). His friendship with Levitt gives the movie many of its best moments, and what seems like his typical Rogen-isms are backed by such heartwarming motivation. Kudos also to the rest of the ensemble (Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Anjelica Huston). 50/50 shows how life can still be enjoyed even when it seems to be at its lowest.

2)  The Muppets

No, it's not deep. No, it's not thought-provoking. No, it's not the typical artistic gems you see around awards time. But you know what? This is the most fun I've had at the movies all year! The Muppets are back and in full force, sticking to the formula which made their original movies such classics: hilarious acknowledgement and breaking of the fourth wall mixed with fully realized and believable characters (because the Muppets are real, ok? THEY'RE REAL!). Their human counterparts this time around don't do too bad either, whether it's the leads or the surprising cameos. Plus a huge standing ovation Bret Mackenzie as music supervisor, who wrote 4 of the 5 outstanding original songs, put a Muppet spin on contemporary pop hits, and made sure to include some old Muppet favorites, including one that will bring a tear to the die-hard fans. I was raised on the Muppets, and as I sat through this movie, I was a kid again.

And my favorite movie of 2011 is...

1)  Super 8

This one made me cry. I'm not ashamed to say it. This film has been called a love letter to the early work of Steven Spielberg many times, and for good reason. Because what Spielberg does so well is take all of the wonder, excitement, and emotion of a story and its characters and find the perfect blend of it. That's something J.J. Abrams has always aspired to do and does with flying colors here. There are plenty of laughs and thrills to be had here and plenty elements to relate to (we all were kids like these, or at least knew those who were). It's exciting, but funny. Scary, but sweet. You want a 2011 movie that gives you everything that's great about the movies? This is it.

Now, for those who might be wondering...

The 2011 Movies I Still Need to See

• The Adventures of Tintin
• Arthur Christmas
• The Artist
• Cowboys and Aliens
• The Descendants
• Drive
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• Hugo
• The Ides of March
• Midnight in Paris
• Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
• Moneyball
• My Week with Marilyn
• Our Idiot Brother 
• Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
• War Horse
• Warrior
• Young Adult

So that's this year's list! Again, there's still plenty I haven't seen, so I'll probably post any revisions closer to Oscar time. Until then, feel free to voice your agreements or disagreements in the comments!

My next blog: My Top 5 WORST Movies of 2011

I'M BACK!!!

Yeah I've let this blog fall by the wayside BIG time! Well, not now. Let the new entries begin!!!

REVISIONS AND UPDATES - 2/25/11

Time to start upping the posts on this thing like I said I would!

First off, I have seen more of last year's movies since posting my Best of 2010 list.  Rather than going through the trouble of revising the original blog to include those films, however, I figured I'd just rewrite it here.  So here it is, my revised list of the Best Movies of 2010:

1. Inception
2. Black Swan
3. Hereafter
4. The Fighter
5.  Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
6. The King's Speech
7. 127 Hours
8. The Social Network
9. Shutter Island
10. Easy A

REPLACE: Jeff Bridges with Colin Firth for Best Actor

 (as of 3/21. If I see more and want to change it again, I'll just come back to this post)

Also, here is a list of upcoming blogs that (hopefully) you can expect to see soon:

• REVIEW: Wallace State College's METAMORPHOSES and MYTHS AND HYMNS
  (subject to change)
• My Post-Oscar Response
• 10 Movies I Like/Love That Everyone Hates
• 10 Movies I Dislike/Hate That Everyone Loves
• Top 10 Favorite Obscure Musicals
• Top 5 Guilty Pleasure Musicals

Yes, I know it's a bunch of lists, but to be honest, those are easiest to plan ahead!

Hope you guys come back and check them out!

FYI:  In case anyone wonders, I'm NOT writing reviews of University of Montevallo productions, my reason being that I don't want to piss off my friends and professors by the possibility of criticizing their work on the Internet.  I have considered writing a couple of blogs closer to my graduation in May to highlight my favorites, but nothing of detail will be posted.  However, I will say that our recent production of Sara Ruhl's Eurydice is one of the best I've seen us do since I've been at this school.  Great job to the cast and crew, especially director Karow Wilson (whose BFA project this was).

2011 Oscar Predictions

Alright everybody! Let's find out how wrong I'll be this year!!!

Okay, this is the first time I've written this process out, so let me explain how I normally make these predictions.  I make two picks: one that I think will win, and one I think could pull an upset.  While I haven't seen every nominated movie this year, I tend to base my choices on what I have seen, the outcome of other awards ceremonies, Internet rumors, and, sometimes, basic top-of-the-head guessing.  My opinion of the movies and performances nominated is completely taken out of this (I tend to disagree with the Academy at times; if I had it my way, Up would have won Best Picture last year, and Inception would win almost everything this year!).  I also don't guess in every category, 'cause what do I know about documentaries, short films, or foreign films?  I'll analyze my choices on the categories I'm most confident in, then just list of some of the others I think I can pick.

So let's start with the big one:

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

This is the second year that the Academy  has nominated ten films in this category, and, once again, only five are considered serious contenders: Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The King's Speech, and The Social Network, (though some might debate True Grit in place of Inception).  For me, I gotta go with the flow of the tide.  The Social Network has been the clear lead in the majority of other awards, so it's more than likely the winner here.  However, The King's Speech has slowly started building up some steam.  If any of the other movies can pull off a surprise victory, it's that one.

My pick:  The Social Network
If not, then:  The King's Speech

Best Actor
Javier Bardem, Biutiful
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King's Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours

Thankfully, three of the four acting categories have very clear winners this year.  This one has Colin Firth's name written all over it.  The only one who could possibly take it from him is Jeff Bridges, but he won the award last year, and while he was great in True Grit, his performance hasn't gotten the two-years-in-a-row praise that others have received in the past.  Firth all the way!

My pick;  Colin Firth  
If not, then:  Jeff Bridges

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

Natalie Portman.  Hands down.  No question.  No doubt.  Natalie Portman.  What?  I have to pick a back-up? Uh, ok, um....Jennifer Lawrence.  I think she's the main reason Winter's Bone is nominated, anyway.

My pick:  Natalie Portman
If not, then:  Jennifer Lawrence

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

This is a tighter, much-debated race, but I still think Christian Bale is the clear lead.  Geoffrey Rush is hot on his heels, however, and is the only one who really has a chance of taking it from him.

My pick:  Christian Bale
If not, then:  Geoffrey Rush

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

Here's where I take a somewhat unconventional stance.  Melissa Leo had been the clear favorite to win this category, due to all the other awards she has won.  However, this year there was an unexpected nomination for Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit.  In most years, surprise nominees still tend to get overlooked, but this one makes me pause.  Steifeld has been a critical favorite for this performance; heck, she's basically the lead, carrying the movie more so than even Jeff Bridges.  Because she's recieved such praise, I think this nomination has given her the clear opportunity to take the prize.  Maybe the Academy will still go with the flow and give it to Leo, but I have a strong gut feeling about this one.

My pick:  Hailee Steinfeld
If not, then:  Melissa Leo

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 Cohen, True Grit

I have to go on a rant real quick about what I feel is the biggest snub of the nominations this year: why on EARTH is Christopher Nolan not nominated for Inception?!?  It's the most brilliant work of his career, one of the best films nominated, and was one of the biggest hits among critics AND audiences.  This is one of the best directors working in the film industry today, and it seems as though he was passed over so that the Academy could nominate the Cohen Brothers again, who seem to find some way of getting nominated for alomost all of their movies.  Now, I am a Cohen Brothers fan, and I thought True Grit was great, but it wasn't as great as the other serious contenders, and the Cohens have done better work.  What movie is Christopher Nolan going to have to make in order to get the recognition he deserves?

Okay, now that that's out of my system:

I gotta go with the age-old method with this category: go with the Best Picture winner.  So my guess is that David Fincher will win for The Social Network.  As for my back-up pick, though, it could go one of two ways.  On the one hand, Tom Hooper won the Director's Guild Award for The King's Speech, and could pull off a repeat victory here.  On the other hand, there have been whisperings of Darren Arronosky pulling an upset.  Looks like this is the one category where I'm gonna cheat (Hey! My blog!) and pick more than one back-up.

My pick:  David Fincher
If not, then:  Tom Hooper or Darren Arronofsky

Best Original Screenplay
Another Year
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech

This is Inception's strongest chance at winning a major category and would be its most deserved.  It has the most thought and depth put into its story and concept than any of the other nominees.  It could still go to nominated darling The King's Speech, but I'm really pulling for Nolan here.

My pick:  Inception
If not, then:  The King's Speech

Best Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

I think The Social Network has clear victory here; Aaron Sorkin is a master of dialogue, and it showed in his screenplay.  However, the Cohens have shown their skills as writers time and time again, so if there's one nominee that could pull an upset, it's True Grit.  Also, could someone for the life of me explain how Toy Story 3 is an adapted screenplay?

My pick:  The Social Network
If not, then:  True Grit

Best Animated Feature
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3: It's Pixar, and it's nominated in Best Picture and Adapted (wtf?) Screenplay.  Those are pretty clear indicators.  How to Train Your Dragon is an incredibly worthy back-up, though.

My pick:  Toy Story 3
If not, then:  How to Train Your Dragon

Best Original Score
John Powell, How to Train Your Dragon
Hans Zimmer, Inception
Alexandre Desplat, The King's Speech
A.R. Rahman, 127 Hours
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Social Network

The fun thing about the music categories is that you don't really have to have seen the movies; you can just get on iTunes and listen to samplings of the nominees!  That's how I went about making my picks for these next two categories.

But first, I have another snub rant: Daft Punk for TRON: Legacy, anyone?  It was a terrific blend of techno and traditional orchestrations.  At first I didn't understand why it was left out...then I listened to The Social Network's score.  It kind of takes the same approach to a more intimate story, but in my opinion, Daft Punk did it better.  In fact, if they were nominated, I think they might stand a pretty good chance of winning.

But major kudos to the Academy for nominating How to Train Your Dragon, which I think will win.  John Powell's celtic-influenced fantasy score has the most spirit of all the nominees, breathing life into its story as well as setting the tone.  Recognition could also be given to Hans Zimmer for Inception, some of his best work which has become just as memorable as it's movie (BRRRRAAAMMMM!!!), but ultimately it's Powell's score that leaves more of an impression

My pick:  How to Train Your Dragon
If not, then:  Inception

Best Original Song
"Coming Home" from Country Strong
"I See the Light" from Tangled
"If I Rise" from 127 Hours
"We Belong Together" from Toy Story 3

This one's pretty tough.  Ultimately, I have a gut feeling that "Coming Home" will win.  I know the Academy picked a country song last year ("The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart), but it seems like the strongest possible candidate.  Plus, this is the songwriting team's (Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey) first nomination, whereas all of the other nominees (Alan Menken, A.R. Rahman, Randy Newman) have already won the category in the past for (honestly) better work (not saying these songs aren't good, but they're no "A Whole New World," "Jai Ho," or "If I Didn't Have You.").  However, when trying to chose a back-up, Randy Newman's always a safe bet.

My pick:  "Coming Home"
If not, then:  "We Belong Together"

Technical Awards
To wrap this up, here's a run-down of my guesses for these categories:

Best Art Direction
My pick:  Alice in Wonderland
If not, then:  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Best Cinematography
My pick:  Black Swan
If not, then:  True Grit

Best Costume Design
My pick:  Alice in Wonderland
If not, then:  The Tempest
Best Film Editing
My pick:  The Social Network
If not, then:  Black Swan

Best Makeup
My pick:  The Wolfman
If not, then:  Barney's Version

Best Sound Editing
My pick:  TRON: Legacy
If not, then:  Inception
Best Sound Mixing
My pick:  Inception
If not, then:  True Grit

Best Visual Effects
My pick:  Inception
If not, then:  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
(I was wondering at first why TRON: Legacy wasn't nominated, but then I remembered: Creepy CG Young Jeff Bridges....didn't really help 'em, did he?)

So those are my thoughts.  Am I an Oscar expert?  By no means.  Am I right?  We'll see, won't we?

Agree? Disagree? Comment!

My Top 10 Movies of 2010, and Other Recognitions

I can't believe how bad I've been at posting on this blog!  The only review I've written was back when I saw Kick-Ass on DVD back in the beginning of the fall.  One New Year's resolution I can see to is to try to write my reviews more.

Until then, it's time to look back on 2010.  I keep pretty busy, so I didn't get to see EVERY movie I wanted to, but the ones I did see were memorable and most were definitely recommendable.  This is definitely subject to updates as I catch the ones I missed, but until then see these when you can!

My Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2010

10.    TRON: Legacy

   Pure fun, plain and simple. While I also enjoyed the story and the performances, THAT is the reason why I loved this long-awaited sequel to the cult classic. This is sheer good-time viewing at its best. Yes, it does suffer from occasional confusing techno-jargon and an unsettlingly creepy CGI Jeff Bridges as the villian, but none of that is enough to keep you from enjoying it. I was still at the edge of my seat by the end of it! Absolutely absorbing and 100% entertaining!

P.S. The score by Daft Punk is exceptionally good as well!

9.    True Grit

    I must make a confession: I have never seen the John Wayne original, something I always try to do before seeing a remake (hence why I still haven't seen the American Death at a Funeral yet). But this was still very entertaining, maybe even more so for that reason. The Coen Brothers give us the goods straightforward; a good old-fashioned Western that stays faithful to the traditions of the genre. Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld give performances true to the title; their chemistry is the best part of the whole movie. While a bit slow and points, the payoff is definitely worth it.

7.    How to Train Your Dragon



     Heads up, Disney; your competition's catching up. I'm really impressed by Dreamworks Animation's progress; ever since they struck gold with Kung Fu Panda, they've learned that a great animated movie isn't defined by pop-culture references with expiration dates or having big name actors in your voice cast (like I said, it isn't DEFINED by it)...it's by having a strong story and characters you care about. That's definitely what this one has, along with amazing animation and thrilling fantasy action sequences. This was almost a tie with my next pick; that's how good it is. 

7.    Toy Story 3

    While not quite the best of the Toy Story movies (that title goes to Toy Story 2), this is the one with the biggest emotional punch. A great way to send off the franchise, showing that it has grown up with the audience that's been with it since 1995. And that's what the story is essentially about; growing up and moving on, knowing when one stage of life is over and finding what your purpose is in the next stage. This also had not one, but TWO of Pixar's signature "moments;" y'know, the ones that make you feel like you're watching a great movie and forget that it's animated. They're getting good at those.

6.    Easy A

    Two words: Emma Stone. I will now see this girl in anything. I had always enjoyed her past performances in Superbad, The Rocker, and Zombieland, but her performance here shows how much of a star she can really be. While it is her performance that drives this movie, it's also the supporting cast and the poignant and hilarious screenplay that makes things really enjoyable. This is one of the best teen movies in years, one with just as much heart as laughs. And that's it......fine, and Emma Stone's insanely hot. There! Happy? 

5.    Shutter Island

    The most un-Scorsese movie Martin Scorsese has made. A great mystery with great pyscological depth; even those who saw the ending coming didn't see all the twists and turns it would take to get there. Chilling visuals and a manic overall style add to the tension as you eagerly sit at the edge of your seat.

4.    Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

    The biggest box office tragedy this year was the underperformance of this gem. Much like the director of my number one pick, this is Edgar Wright's Citizen Kane; a movie that perfectly defines the style of its director at the top of his game. Perfect ADD viewing, with crazy visuals and spot-on geek references. Best of all, though, is the story; taking the mundane-yet-overdramatic world of relationships among 20-somethings and taking them to the ultimate extreme without losing its heart. And for those of you who complain about Michael Cera playing the same character, it works; I give you his best performance since Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist!

3.    The Fighter

    I was incredibly surprised by how much I loved this one! Seeing the trailers made me worry I was about to watch Invincible with boxing (the fact that it wasn't was probably why my brothers and uncles didn't like it as much as me), but what I got instead was great character-driven drama, with a strong-well developed cast of characters. It's the same way I felt about Friday Night Lights; a sports movie not just about the games (or in this case, matches) that are won, but about the pressures and struggles outside of the sport. In this case, we see Mark Wahlberg's Mickey Ward struggle between the loyalty to his destructive, suffocating family, and what his heart knows he really wants. Plus, if Christian Bale doesn't win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, there's no justice.

2.    Black Swan

    Hauntingly twisted and gripping. This is a terrific psychological tale on the dark side of perfectionism with a first-rate cast. Natalie Portman definitely gets my vote for every Best Actress award she can get, creating a a character that earns both the audience's sympathy and terror. The direction of Darren Aronofsky mixed with Matthew Libatique's cinematography creates a visual style that is both beautiful and disturbing, and this highlight of the year will stick with you long after you see it.

And my favorite movie of 2010 is...

1.    Inception

     Like it was going to be anything else! This is not only my favorite movie of the year, but also one of my top 10 favorites of all-time! Brilliant on every level: story, acting, visuals, etc. Christopher Nolan has made his masterpiece; this cements his status as one of the best new directors in Hollywood. I'll quote myself and say what I tell most of my friends: Some movies get better each time you watch them. INCEPTION gets better each time you think about it.

Honorable Mentions

• Dinner for Schmucks
• Let Me In
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• The Other Guys
• Despicable Me
• Paranormal Activity 2
• Alice in Wonderland
• Predators
• Shrek Forever After
• Devil

Worst Movie of the Year

   In one aspect, I guess that I should feel lucky that when it came to bad movies, I saw very little...in fact, only two!  Unfortunately, I still saw them, and if any of you did, too, then there should be little to no argument as to which movie earned this title...

The Last Airbender

    There's good news and bad news. The good news is, in terms of M. Night Shyamalan's movies, it's not as bad as The Happening, a movie that angered me to the point of wanting to throw things. The bad news...I'm sorry, the really, really bad news: IT'S SO, SO CLOSE! This is a misfire of Battlefield Earth-sized proportions; terrible, clunky writing and horrendous acting, even from the established talents of Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionare) and Asif Mandvi (TV's The Daily Show). This is strike two, Shyamalan; I've held out faith in you because of the greatness of your past work, but I don't know how much longer I can.

Runner-up:    Grown-Ups

"Did I Miss Something?": Most Overrated

Note that this is not necessarily for a movie I hated, just for one I thought wasn't as good as my friends seem to think it is...

Kick-Ass

   Again, I did like this movie, but I gave it a 3 out of 5 where others have given it a 4 or 5. My review for this is already on the blog, but let me restate my issues with it. The violence at times can be way too brutal to be enjoyable in a comedy, and some of the characters, while well-acted (especially by Nicolas Cage and Chloe Moretz), are too depraved to root for until the final act. And while containing some funny moments and standout performances, I can't fully join the rest of my friends in singing its praises.

Runners-Up:    Salt,  Iron Man 2

"Oh, Come ON!": Most Underrated

    The reverse of the last one: not so much a movie I love, but definitely better than people are saying it is...

Devil

  Okay, I will admit, some of the acting isn't that good, and some aspects of the story are kinda goofy (namely anything involving the Hispanic security guard: the toast!). But this movie has recieved a lot of hate, whereas I thought it was a very effective and entertaining thriller. It was very unfortunate to be released the same year as The Last Airbender, another Shyamalan movie that understandably gave some negative preconceptions on this one (he wrote the story, but didn't write the screenplay or direct). My opinion: go see it and decide for yourself!

Runners-up:    Shrek Forever After,  Alice in Wonderland

My Favorite Performances

Best Actor

    Jeff Bridges, True Grit

Best Actress

    Natalie Portman,  Black Swan

Best Suporting Actor

     Christian Bale,  The Fighter

Best Supporting Actress

    Marion Cotillard,  Inception

So that's it for 2010...on to 2011!

Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment!

Review: KICK-ASS

Kick-Ass

Starring: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Grace Moretz, Mark Strong, Nicolas Cage

Directed by: Matthew Vaughn

What better movie to give my first actual review for the blog than the most controversial movie of 2010?  I think what shocked me most about it, though, is that my own opinion would land somewhere in the middle.

The action-comedy focuses on a high school student named Dave (Aaron Johnson) who, in a very quixotic fashion, sets out to become the first actual superhero.  After some serious life-threatening trial-and-error, he finds his popularity growing, donning the name Kick-Ass and developing a cult following.  This unfortunately crosses crime lord Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong, who, along with Sherlock Holmes and signing on as the villain in Green Lantern, seems to be on the road to becoming the next Christopher Lee), who elists his son Chris (Christopher "McLovin" Mintz-Plasse) to pose as a hero himself, known as Red Mist, to find out as much about Kick-Ass as possible.  Kick-Ass's path soon merges with that of  Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage, doing his best Adam West) and his daughter Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz), two rogue vigilantes who have a personal score to settle with D'Amico.

And thus we reach our controversy.  Hit Girl is 12 years old.  She cusses like a sailor.  She ruthlessly kills several villains and take some seriously hard hits when her life is in danger.  Naturally many critics and family advocacy groups were outraged and offended.  Even Roger Ebert, my favorite film critic, gave the movie one star because of the issue, calling the film "morally reprehensible."  So what do I think?

Well, yes, there was plenty of discomfort for me, but not for the same reason.  It's not so much that she's 12...it's that both the character and her father are brutal murderers.  The two almost gleefully kill of hoardes of men, some of whom are either unarmed, unfortunate bystanders, or begging for mercy.  It's revealed (and this is NOT a spoiler) that Big Daddy has basically brainwashed his daughter to be the killer she is since her youth.  In terms of superheroes, it's kind of hard to root for characters like that.

Speaking of the violence, all of it is very brutal.  Yet director Matthew Vaughn tries to insert a good bit of comedy into these moments, even trying to play some of the violence off for laughs (moments involve Kick-Ass's first attempt at stopping criminals and one very realistic torture scene involving two of the heroes).  This hinges on the tasteless, as the intensity of the scene far outweighs any laughs that can be mined from it.

Does this mean I didn't like the movie?  Not at all.

The performances (especially by the five leads) are very strong.  Johnson is a very likeable, relateable hero. Mintz-Plasse shows a good bit of dark side, a good effort to move past that Superbad image.  Strong continues to play a great villain, and Cage has another great hit among his hit-and-miss career.  And, whether it disturbs you or not, Little Miss Moretz shows a surprising amount of talent, not only showing some great acting chops but also doing most of her own stunts (seriously, I want to see her continue to succeed).

Plus, the fight scenes do live up to the movie's title.  While I mentioned some of my problems with them in terms of their context, the keep an exciting pace and display a lot of creativity.  I saw this on DVD, but I wish I could have seen it in a crowded theatre; you can bet there would have been some cheering

Overall:  While some of the controversy is legitimately disturbing, it won't entirely ruin anyone's enjoyment.  Kick-Ass still has some things worth rooting for

Final Rating:

3 out of 5

Agree? Disagree? Comment!