Happy Holidays everyone!

2009 movie reviews

A 'Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire'
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A- 'A Single Man'
A- 'Avatar'
A- ‘Coraline’
A- 'Distict 9'
A- 'Fantastic Mr Fox'
A- ‘The Hurt Locker’
A- 'Inglourious Basterds
A- ‘Los Abrazos Rotos’
A- 'Mary and Max'
A- 'La Nana'
A- ‘The September Issue’
A- 'Up'
A- 'Whip It'
A- 'Das Weiße Band' (The White Ribbon)
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B+ '(500) Days of Summer'
B+ 'Amreeka'
B+ ‘Away We Go’
B+ 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs'
B+ 'Good Hair'
B+ 'The Hangover'
B+ ‘In The Loop’
B+ 'Un Prophète'
B+ 'Where the Wild Things are'
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B 'A Serious Man'
B 'Bright Star'
B 'Drag Me to Hell'
B ‘Duplicity'
B 'Food, Inc'
B 'Invictus'
B ‘Julie & Julia’
B 'The Lovely Bones'
B 'The Messenger'
B 'Moon'
B 'Paranormal Activity'
B ‘Star Trek’
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B- 'An Education'
B- ‘Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince’
B- 'I Love You, Man.''
B- 'Julia'
B- 'State of Play'
B- 'Sunshine Cleaning'
B- 'Zombieland'
B- ‘Up in the Air’
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C+ ‘Twilight’
C+ ‘Ice Age 3: Dan of the Dinosaurs’
C+ 'Funny People'
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C 'Brothers'
C 'Crazy Heart'
C 'It's Complicated'
C 'Public Enemies'
C ‘Watchmen’
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C- 'The Blind Side'
C- ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’
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D+ 'Monster vs Aliens'
D+ 'Nine'
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D ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’
__________________________

D- 'Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen'
__________________________

F '2012'

'Precious' sweeps spirit awards

Best Feature: 'Precious'

Best Director: Lee Daniels ('Precious')

Best First Feature: Scott Cooper, Robert Duvall, Rob Carliner, Judy
Cairo, T-Bone Burnett ('Crazy Heart')

John Cassavetes Award: Lynn Shelton ('Humpday')

Best Screenplay: Scott Neustader, Michael H. Weber ('500 Days of Summer')

Best First Screenplay: Geoffrey Fletcher ('Precious')

Best Female Lead: Gabourey Sidibe ('Precious)'

Best Male Lead: Jeff Bridges ('Crazy Heart')

Best Supporting Male: Woody Harrelson ('The Messenger')

Best Supporting Female: Mo'Nique ('Precious')

Best Foreign Film: ('An Education')

Best Documentary: ('Anvil! The Story of Anvil')

Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins ('A Serious Man')

Robert Altman Award: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Ellen Chenoweth, Rachel
Tenner, Richard Kind, Sari Lennick, Jessica McManus, Fred Melamed,
Michael Stuhlbarg, Aaron Wolff ('A Serious Man')

Piaget Producers Award: Karen Chien ('The Exploding Girl', 'Santa Mesa')

Acura Someone to Watch Award: Kyle Patrick Alvarez ('Easier With Practice')

Chaz and Roger Ebert Truer than Fiction Award: Bill Ross and Turner Ross (45365)

Ohhh colourful

'Precious' at home

Out on DVD in the US today! Yippeeeee!

Not only do you get Lee Daniels harrowing and stirring triumph of a film, but you get some wonderful extras including Gabourey Sidibe's awesome audition, and some other extras.

Buy it today.

Also, for those of you who are hotly anticipating Daniels next project 'Selma' which is based on the US civil rights march in 1965, there is casting news. Not Robert DeNiro was circling the project (perhaps to play president Lyndon B. Johnson or Alabama Governor George "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever" Wallace) but the only official casting new is that Hugh Jackman has joined the project - no matter what IMDB says.

Now the only role I can see him playing is that of George Wallace (evil, racist = Oscar bait) or civil rights campaigner and Unitarian Universal minister from Boston, James Reeb who was beaten to death while marching (saintly martyr = Oscar bait).

The roles of Johnson (DeNiro would be a good fit physically), Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (please say no to Jamie Foxx and yes to Jeffrey Wright - he was born in 1965 so it is fitting), Coretta Scott King (Viola Davis (born same year) or Regina King please!) are yet to be cast.

Anticipating this one very much!

IS James Cameron really that scary?

I mean after reading this I was beginning to worry that Mr. Cameron will really freak out if 'Avatar' does not win best picture.

Wouldn't that be fantastic. A giant celebrity hissy fit. I mean the man must be able to laugh at himself. Everyone has been going on and on that he looks like an old lesbian with his hair cut, and he has yet to change it.

Unless Miranda Priestly actually directed 'Avatar'.

Love and Hate

I am so having the above relationship with the Oscars.

I always think "What would I do if I were an Academy voter?" when the season comes around. And it is for this reason that I constantly really hate the Academy Awards. Every year they get so much wrong, even when they are getting some things right.

I was in shock in 2007 when they managed to award what I thought were the best (or close to) in each category.
Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, Marion Cotillard, Daniel Day Lewis, The Coen brothers x 2 and Diablo Cody all went home with an award and I could not deny any of them, based on the performances given. But that is indeed extremely rare - I can barely remember when it has happened before.

Now of course it could just be my opinion that casts this fog over ever Oscar year.
Just because what I think is the best hasn't won should not mean me going into a little sulk.
Yet that is exactly what I am doing right now.
I have hardly posted on the blog. I have not even gotten close to doing the MAFFE awards, and I really do not care.
What fuels this Oscar depression is reading the constant bloggers going on and on about the 'Avatar' vs 'The Hurt Locker' scandal. Apparently emails have been sent and everyone is up in a tizzy.
Who cares?
Well I care.
The Academy Awards want to be the gold medal of the movie year, and in fact they are.
However they constantly embarrass themselves by nominating films and performances that are many times less than great.
Did they not see Tilda Swinton in 'Julia' this year? *
Or more disturbingly, did they honestly think Sandra Bullock gave a more impressive performance than Swinton?
When the presenters come out, do they not say "The nominees for best performance by an Actress in a leading role are.."? Perhaps they should change it to "The people you have decided to include in the Best Actress category are...". At least it would be honest and not make a mockery of the craft of acting.
Did Bullock really give the best performance by an Actress in a leading role for 'The Blind Side'?
Not by a long shot.
Did she give the best performance of the nominated five? I would have to say no, yet she will still likely win the award.
Why?
Mainly because people think she is due, they want to reward her for her career. Funny, as one of the highest paid actresses working today I would think the gazillions of dollars are reward enough for her career.
It is not like she has been an awards bait actress before. Her nomination is mainly due to the fact her film was a hit, and the fact her performance was a good (not great) one, adds to this need to give her an Oscar.
This is a constant with the actress categories - which is rather depressing.
You are rewarded for being due, popular, sexy, making yourself physically unattractive for the performance and sometimes, very rarely, for giving the best performance of the year.
When that happens, it is usually because no one can deny the performance - this is something that only comes along once or twice in a decade.

This year it is Mo'Nique for 'Precious'.
She is winning an Oscar because no one can possibly deny the performance.

But what about 'Best performance by an Actress in a leading role'?
Well there are only really two nominees who are there solely because of the strength of their performance - Carey Mulligan for 'An Education' and Gabourey Sidibe for 'Precious'.
Meryl Streep is here because she is the greatest living actress and is still turning out wonderful work. The performance is great, but on a Meryl scale it is merely a good one.
Helen Mirren is here because she is another actress who has managed to stay on top of her game for many years, plus she is great in the film, even if she can do that in her sleep.
And we know why Bullock is here.
Yet when these members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences come to vote, most of them will not do so based on the performance. And they wonder why, as an institution, they are losing respect with the public. And they wonder why their ratings are so low.
Treat the voting power you have with the respect you feel your craft deserves! How else will the younger generation know what to strive for if they think Bullock gave the greatest female performance by a lead actress in 2009?
They will strive for mediocrity.

Of course I will be watching the awards. I want to see Mo'Nique come out victorious more than anything.
It will break my heart to see Gabby again ignored, but here is hoping she gets the Spirit Award the night before.

And in case anyone was wondering, my own personal ballot would look like this:

Best Picture - “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Actor in a Leading Role - Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
Actor in a Supporting Role - Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”
Actress in a Leading Role - Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Actress in a Supporting Role - Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Animated Feature Film - “Up”
Art Direction - “Avatar”
Cinematography - “The White Ribbon”
Costume Design - “Bright Star”
Directing - “Inglourious Basterds” - Quentin Tarantino
Documentary (Feature) - “The Cove” Nominees to be determined
Film Editing - “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke
Foreign Language Film - “The White Ribbon”
Makeup - “The Young Victoria”
Music (Original Score) - “Up” Michael Giacchino
Music (Original Song) - “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart”
Short Film (Animated) - “A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park
Sound Editing - “Avatar”
Sound Mixing - “The Hurt Locker”
Visual Effects - “District 9”
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) - “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Writing (Original Screenplay) - “Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino

* To be a member of the Academy you really should have seen every film and performance of note for the year.

Mini Review - 'Das Weiße Band' (The White Ribbon)

So much has already been said about Michael Haneke's dark and disturbing look at a small village in North Germany in the years before World War II that you almost feel as though you have seen it before you actually have. Still, all those reviews do not prepare you for the lasting power of the film.
For over 2 hours we live in a world ruled by men. The Baron, who runs the village, and who most of the villagers need for work, treats his wife poorly as well as the female members of staff. The local doctor treats the midwife like shit while he abuses his own daughter, and the local pastor punishes his children for trivial matters, while forcing them to wear a white ribbon to remind them of the purity of which they have strayed.
As the film moves on, layers are peeled away like an onion. The pristine and wholesome outer layer hinds something darker beneath, and as we spend more time in the company of this village, and it inhabitants we see the world we currently live in.

This film is set up and a possible explanation to why the Germans were susceptible to Nazism, and it is true that the children do learn moral absolutism, sternness and emotional violence from the men of the village, but is could just was well be pointing the finger at the Middle East of today, or us and the hate mongering of war.

The tension evoked keeps the viewer glued to the screen, even thought the pacing is deliberately slow and purposeful. The is hardly any violence on screen, but you want to cover your eyes all the same.
The cast is uniformly excellent, especially the put upon women in the film, and of course the cinematorgraphy is stunning. However the last effect is the screenplay and the direction of Haneke.
A sharp intelligent film, from one of the masters of social commentary.

Grade - A-

Mini Review - 'A Single Man'

Loosing someone is one of the hardest things to go through. It is especially hard if it is a partner because you and that person only know your connection. It is a singular connection (unless children are involved) and when that is broken, you are in for a whole heap of pain.

For George (Colin Firth), when his partner of 16 years dies, he is left along with his grief. His family is overseas, and his one friend Charlie (a wonderfully sloshed Julianne Moore) has held a torch for him ever since they went out as teenagers in London.
They are much older now and in L.A.. Without his beloved Jim, George is truly alone with his grief, and it is overwhelming him. Small objects and smell spark memories that only fuel his agony. He is at the point of suicide and we spend a day with him as he makes his preparations.

Tom Ford directs with such sensitivity and style that you wonder just how personal this adaptation of Christopher Isherwoods' novel is to him.
The slow flashes of saturation as George interacts with people and begins are a wonderful visual touch to represent him feeling slightly alive again, before memory plunges him back into his grey despair.

The entire cast is wonderful. Julianne Moore is fun as Charlie, even if her accent is regionally all over the place. Nicolas Hoult and Matthew Goode are effective and beautiful to look at while Jon Kortajarena is drop dead stunning.

However the film belongs to Colin Firth in what is a perfect study of repressed grief, and the guilt of lust. He is note perfect, in one of the most beautiful films of the year.

Grade - A-

Loosing someone is one of the hardest things to go through. It is especially hard if it is a partner because you and that person only know your connection. It is a singular connection (unless children are involved) and when that is broken, you are in for a whole heap of pain.

For George (Colin Firth), when his partner of 16 years dies, he is left along with his grief. His family is overseas, and his one friend Charlie (a wonderfully sloshed Julianne Moore) has held a torch for him ever since they went out as teenagers in London.
They are much older now and in L.A.. Without his beloved Jim, George is truly alone with his grief, and it is overwhelming him. Small objects and smell spark memories that only fuel his agony. He is at the point of suicide and we spend a day with him as he makes his preparations.

Tom Ford directs with such sensitivity and style that you wonder just how personal this adaptation of Christopher Isherwoods' novel is to him.
The slow flashes of saturation as George interacts with people and begins are a wonderful visual touch to represent him feeling slightly alive again, before memory plunges him back into his grey despair.

The entire cast is wonderful. Julianne Moore is fun as Charlie, even if her accent is regionally all over the place. Nicolas Hoult and Matthew Goode are effective and beautiful to look at while Jon Kortajarena is drop dead stunning.

However the film belongs to Colin Firth in what is a perfect study of repressed grief, and the guilt of lust. He is note perfect, in one of the most beautiful films of the year.

Grade - A-

BAFTAS

A few thoughts on last nights BAFTA awards.

Jonathan Ross was EMBARRASSINGLY bad as host. Not funny, not witty and not clever. The horrid silence after each joke was almost enough to make me turn off. I seriously sat there with my fingers in my ears going "LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA" until I saw him leave the stage.

Sad Mo'Nique was a no show, but the lady is a busy bee with her talk show so I understand.

Saoirse Ronan is bloody stunning - she is growing up to be a real looker.
On the same note Kate Winslet looked fantastic. I guess finally winning the Oscar has helped her loosen up on the red carpet. All flowy and natural looking.

Again Jonathan Ross was horrendous - I mean, I swear I could hear the rain outside after his jokes, it was that quiet.

I am feeling really sorry for Gabourey Sidibe. I would hate having to go to all these award ceremonies and constantly hear other peoples names being called out, when you are arguably just as good, if not better than those names being called - frustrating. They really need to change the award name to 'Favourite Actress' and cut the 'Best Performance by an......" bull shit. Call it what it is.

Vanessa Redgrave overflows with grace and humour. I want to go to a tea party with her and Uma.

Carey Mulligan was a lovely winner, and she looked the best she ever have on the awards circuit.
The hair was lovely, the make up perfect, and the dress was just jaw droppingly lovely - one of the few times this awards season where I was taken aback.
I love a girl who can pull off pattern.

It was very nice to see someone else win something, just a shame it wasn't Gabby, but knowing those two are friends makes me fell pretty sure that Carey let Gabby hold it.

I really want Colin Firth to win the Oscar.

Most presenters and winners were 10 times as funny as the host. The Foreign language winner was a pure highlight.

I like Kristen Stewart, even thought she looks like she needs a good wash. She seemed genuinely embarrassed to have won the Rising Star award, considering her fellow nominees were much more deserving. She knew it, we knew it, the room knew it. Too bad the Academy opened that award up to public voting. It ensured 20 million 'Twilight' fans bombarded the voting system.
I voted for Tahar Rahim and the boyfriend voted for Carey Mulligan.

'The Hurt Locker' was an excellent film, but really this is overkill. All those awards. I agree with Director and to an extent Picture, but the rest of those awards are silly. It was like the BAFTAs were purposely being anti Avatar, and in doing so took away some awards from other nominees (I refuse to believe 'The Hurt Locker' was a better achievement in screen writing than 'Inglourious Basterds' was.

'District 9' went home empty handed. Boo. As mush as I loved 'Avatar' what 'D9' in terms of budget available was jaw dropping. A shame budget never comes into it.

Jonathan Ross was terrible.

Full list of winners here:

Best Picture – The Hurt Locker
Best Actress – Carey Mulligan, An Education
Best Actor – Colin Firth, A Single Man
Best Director -Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker
Film not in the English Language – Un Prophete
Animated Film – Up
Adapted Screenplay – Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner for Up In The Air
Orange Rising Star Award – Kristen Stewart
Production Design: Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg & Kim Sinclair for Avatar
Original Screenplay: Mark Boal for The Hurt Locker
Outstanding British Film: Fish Tank
Supporting Actress: Mo’nique, Precious (Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire)
Makeup and Hair: Jenny Shircore for The Young Victoria
Costume Design: Sandy Powell for The Young Victoria
Supporting Actor – Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Visual Effects – Avatar
Cinematography – Barry Ackroyd for The Hurt Locker
Editing – The Hurt Locker
Sound – The Hurt Locker
Music – Michael Giacchino for Up
Outstanding British Debut: Duncan Jones for Moon
Short Film – I Do Air
Short Animation – Mother Of Many

Just Lovely

I love these pics. Colin and Julianne are captured brilliantly. Gabby just looks so cool, Saoirse is growing up to be such a beauty, Woody looks so damn hot, and Sandra looks, well (frizzeaze honey). And as for Daniel and Penelope - I am confused - I do not know which one I want to be.








View the entire set here

Here is the vid, where they talk about the best performances of the decade. Love Sandra for doing this with her fright do. She looks like a bewitched barley stick.

Heartbeats x 2

I am totally loving, and can't stop listening to, two very different versions of the same song.

First this is the orginal, by Swedish electronic band The Knife.



Second, this sexily chilled out version by Swedish born José Gonzaléz.



Who does it better?

Mini Review - 'Crazy Heart'

Gosh, I really do not know how to review this as it left me with an over all felling of 'Meh'.
A country music artist suffering from substance abuse which affects the woman in his life - have so heard that song before, so many times that I just really wanted to zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
What stopped me is Jeff Bridges, who is of course wonderful in a role he could have done in his sleep.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is just wasted, and brings nothing particularly special to her character. Her Oscar nom is obviously an apology for her performances in 'Sherry Baby', 'Happy Endings', and 'Secretary'.

Overall not nearly as good as the lead song 'The Weary Kind' would make us think.

Grade - C

Oh how I miss them

Mini Review - 'Un Prophète

I am not a fan of prison films (unless there is loads of homo erotic tension a la 'Oz'). The whole idea of it scares and annoys me. Crimes get committed inside by inmates which are even worse for what they are sentenced for.
Such is the case in Jacques Audiards' hypnotic and socially conscious film.
Malik is sentenced to 6 years for attacking a cop. He is only 19 years old and is relatively naive when it comes to surviving in the prison system. He is confrontational, angry and protective but when the local don comes to him with a proposition that he will have to accept in order to survive, he beings his slippery slope into a criminal world he may have not entered into.

The film is tough to watch, and extremely suspenseful and helmer Audiard keeps the tension going all the while making some extremely well thought out social observations about racism, class and what makes a criminal.

The film is carried my new comer Tahar Rahmin like an old pro. His spiral into becoming a criminal mastermind is riveting to watch and Rahmin manages to inflect such subtle emotions that you never forget the kid he still is. Even while the film drags a little in places he is front and centre capturing your attention throughout.

Probably not a film I will watch again, but definitely one I will never forget.

Grade - B+

2010 Actresses

Last year there was a little film that some bloggers were hoping would see the return of Emily Watson to the Oscar stage, since Watson has been rather quiet of late. The film 'Within the Whirlwind' never saw a release last year of course making her ineligible for Awards consideration.

Well it has now been seen, and despite the rather twee title, Variety confirms our suspicions. Watson is terrific:

"If Gorris never quite liberates her narrative from its biopic-driven adherence to a single, heroic p.o.v., Emily Watson's stunning, all-consuming perf sweeps all before it in a virtuoso interpretation of courage under fire."

As we saw with Tilda swinton in 'Julia' rave reviews do not mean awards attention, however given the subject matter and Watsons character (victim surviving against the odds) could see more attention that Switons self destructive boozer did.