A Dangerous Method (2011) - Review

Dry, boring, and an overall squandering of talented actors and director.  The film isn't so much a dissertation on the founders of psychoanalysis as it is a sleep test (i.e. try not to fall asleep while watching the film).  What a shame.

1 out of 5


Note: I don't own the rights to any of the photos on this website.  They're copied here from Google images for entertainment purposes only.

Oscars 2013

Which film will win BEST PICTURE this year?

• Amour - the only nominated film I haven't seen this year (I still would like to).  Doubt it will win.  I don't understand why foreign films or animated films are allowed to be nominated for Best Picture.  It seems to be an insult to the other films nominated for Best Foreign Language Film or Best Animated Feature - how would they stand a chance?
• Argo - this seems to be gathering the most steam with other award shows.  The fact that Affleck wasn't nominated for Best Director is interesting, but my money is on this one to win the big prize sunday night.
• Beast of the Southern Wild - this was my personal favorite film of 2012.  If ever a movie could be considered alive, it would be Beasts of the Southern Wild.  The film is bursting with life, filled with originality, and amazingly creates genuine emotion in the midst of a magical fable about a little girl named Hushpuppy and her daddy Wink.  Totally original and completely innovative.  My heart wants it to take home the Oscar, but it's more of a dark horse than a front runner.
• Django Unchained - what's imperfect for Tarantino is still better than most other directors' works.  But if Pulp Fiction couldn't bring QT the Oscar for Best Picture, I don't think Django can either. 
• Les Miserables - the film's structure (live recording) will likely prove influential for the musical genre.  But can this clunky, epic musical snag Oscars?  If your name is Anne Hathaway, I'd say yes.
• Life of Pi - probably the biggest long-shot to win.  It was visually stunning, but part of the punch from the novel's parable structure was lost on me with its transition to the big screen.
• Lincoln - right up there at the front of the pack with Argo.  Daniel Day Lewis is almost assured an Oscar for his portrayal of the former president.  The film showcases delicate storytelling centered around strong characters and historical relevance.  It all screams Oscar bait.
• Silver Linings Playbook - this movie belongs to its actors who all shine in their respective roles.  That's not to discredit the role Director David O. Russell and the writers played.  I thoroughly enjoyed the film, but don't think it will win the big prize.
• Zero Dark Thirty - the film is impressive and Kathryn Bigelow has a recent Oscar film under her belt.  Will this one be her second in less than 5 years?  Maybe, but I doubt it.  

• BEST DIRECTOR:
• Prediction: Steven Spielberg
• My vote: Benh Zeitlin
• BEST ACTOR:
• Prediction: Daniel Day Lewis
• My vote: same 
• BEST ACTRESS:
• Prediction: Jennifer Lawrence
• My vote: It would be AMAZING to see Quvenzhane Wallis win.
• BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
• Prediction: Tommy Lee Jones
• My vote: same
• BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
• Prediction: Anne Hathaway
• My vote: same
• BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:
• Prediction: Brave
• My vote: I didn't see any of them this year :(
• CINEMATOGRAPHY:
• Prediction: Life of Pi
• My vote: SKYFALL! :) (even though Life of Pi was pretty amazing...)
• COSTUME DESIGN:
• Prediction: Les Mis 
• My vote: same
• DOCUMENTARY: 
• Did not see any of them this year :(
• FILM EDITING:
• Prediction: Argo
• My vote: same
• FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
• Prediction: Amour is going to win. Period.
• My vote: did not see any of them :(
• MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING:
• Prediction: Les Mis
• My vote: same
• MUSIC:
• Prediction: Argo or maybe Lincoln
• My vote: Skyfall
• BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
• Prediction: Zero Dark Thirty
• My vote: Moonrise Kingdom
• BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
• Prediction: Argo
• My vote: Beasts of the Southern Wild
• SOUND EDITING / MIXING
• I hope Skyfall takes them both.

Note: I don't own the rights to any of the photos on this website.  They're copied here from Google images for entertainment purposes only.

Zero Dark Thirty - Review

The woman behind the so-called "greatest manhunt for the world's most dangerous man."

Zero Dark Thirty is a story.  It's not meant to serve as a 100% factual representation of the events leading up to and including Osama Bin Laden's death.  Rather, it's a stylized exercise in strategic planning and military intelligence that ultimately resulted in a manhunt that has been cemented in the history books.  The heart and soul of the film is clearly Jessica Chastain (who seems to me to be Director Kathryn Bigelow's doppelganger... or maybe it's the other way around...).  At any rate, Chastain's character strikes the right balance between intellect, tenacity, and guts.  She's an intriguing character based on a real person, and Chastain's portrayal of her reveals various facets of her personality throughout the film.

The film features some striking sequences that underscore the shaky situation these military and intelligence operatives were faced with.  And the film's final act is completely captivating.  Years of hard work and due diligence are condensed into a slightly bulky 2.5ish hours... but it all comes down to that final sequence at Bin Laden's compound.  We all know the bare bones of the story because we lived through it.  Zero Dark Thirty operates on similar filmmaking strategies that made The Hurt Locker such a success.  While ZDT gains some power from its basis in "reality", I enjoyed Hurt Locker more.  However, both films represent different cinematic approaches to a topical subject and are worth checking out. 

Zero Dark Thirty 3.5 / 5

Note: I don't own the rights to any of the photos on this website.  They're copied here from Google images for entertainment purposes only.

Django Unchained - Review

"Adult supervision is required."

Django Unchained is a bloody, insane, often disturbing film with colorful characters and dialogue... released on Christmas day.  In other words, it's a Tarantino film.  Fans of his will enjoy it, Tarantino haters won't bother seeing it.  I don't think it's the director at his absolute best, but that's not to say that I didn't enjoy the film.  Above all else, Tarantino (like many of his characters) is a brilliant storyteller.  I will always applaud his love for the cinematic medium, which shines through in every frame of his films.  The dinner scene pictured above was the highlight of Django without a doubt.  It recalled the events leading to the "Mexican standoff" in Inglourious Basterds.  With that scene in mind, the question becomes when will a gun go off and who will be the one pulling the trigger?  The theater in which I saw the film was silent during these scenes, filled with a nervous tension.  THAT is Tarantino at his best - sculpting beautifully literate dialogue juxtaposed against graphic, sudden violence.  The standout performances here were Samuel L. Jackson and Leonardo DiCaprio who both portrayed devious, yet hilarious characters right out of the mind of Quentin Tarantino.  Christoph Waltz does a fine job once again and I enjoyed his character quite a lot, but it was a bit reminiscent of his Hans Landa and lost some of its originality as a result.  It probably won't be your favorite from the director's series of bloody masterpieces, but even so it still marks another darkly entertaining entry in the Tarantino canon.

4.5 out of 5

Note: I don't own the rights to any of the photos on this website.  They're copied here from Google images for entertainment purposes only.

Silver Linings Playbook - Review

"Calm down, crazy!"

I loved this movie.  Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence have the best performances of their careers to date.  Cooper's character is erratic and unpredictable but driven by love.  Lawrence's character masquerades a tough exterior protecting a big heart capable of being broken.  Both characters are vibrant in their own right and are even more volatile when they collide.  Their interactions together help shape who they are as individuals.  David O. Russell's energetic direction further emphasizes the characters' mindsets with quick zooms and pans which draw attention to themselves.  He's proven in The Fighter that he can successfully convey the family dynamics of a set of complicated individuals.  There's an urgency in the film that's hard to describe.  It's a palpable energy.  Silver Linings Playbook is an all around good movie that hinges upon the creation of real life drama with real life characters & emotion.

4.5 out of 5

Note: I don't own the rights to any of the photos on this website.  They're copied here from Google images for entertainment purposes only.

Argo - Review

The whole country is watching you.  They just don't know it.

For about 95% of the movie, Argo is a brilliant thriller crafted by one of the surprisingly adept actors-turned-directors Ben Affleck.  However, in the film's final act, the filmmakers drop the ball at the 5-yard line, pick it back up, and eventually score.  But let's talk about the good stuff first.  The stage is set during the wonderfully done opening sequence that establishes the urgency of the situation via rapid cuts and sudden shifts in tone and pacing.  The actors, both lead and supporting, are all pitch perfect in their respective roles.  Affleck is on-point as the bold risk taker who organizes the extraction of the American hostages.  Alan Arkin is probably the most fun and essentially adapts his persona from Little Miss Sunshine as the crass grandpa here as a Hollywood producer.  He and Bryan Cranston provide much of the dark comedy that works in the context of the film and nicely balances the tension.  The actors/actresses portraying the hostages all successfully create believable characters (based on real people) who approach their predicament in differing ways.  Behind the camera, Affleck creates the tension necessary for any good thriller all while blending the facts with the fiction, mixing found footage with cinematic drama.  He established this knack for suspense previously in Gone Baby Gone and The Town, which seemed to me heavily influenced by Hitchcock (but then again, how can you talk about suspense without bringing up Hitch in the conversation).  Now there's that little matter of the third act blunder.  Maybe it wasn't a blunder for some audiences, BUT it seemed to me there were one too many phone calls made during the film's climax.  It was just silly.  The producers go out for a drink, are held up by a ridiculous C movie shoot, and we're left wondering if they'll pick up the phone in time to save the hostages.  It just didn't make sense that all of the film's brilliantly established tension should hinge on what seemed to me to be a contrived happenstance. Up until that point, I legitimately feared for the characters' lives (having intentionally not researched the true story beforehand) and the suspense was there.  Despite the minor fumble in the 4th quarter, Argo represents another winning achievement from Director Ben Affleck that will likely go on to receive the award recognition it deserves.

4.5 out of 5

Note: I don't own the rights to any of the photos on this website.  They're copied here from Google images for entertainment purposes only.

This is 40 - Review

Have you seen my starfish?

I probably should've gathered from the title that This is 40 would be a whiny film.  I love Paul Rudd.  Leslie Mann does a fine job.  But they're trapped by a screenplay that heavily tips the scale towards the negativity of going over the hill.  The film oscillates between moments of hilarity and extended moments of the main couple fighting.  For over 2 hours.  It never quite reaches the level of uncomfortability that Apatow's Funny People reached, thank God, but the jokes are often outweighed by the characters' unease with themselves and their lives.  Even the pop culture references that define Apatow's works don't hit home as well as they have in other films.  The hotel sequence pictured above was brilliant, the Indian doctor was pretty hilarious, and the repartee between Rudd and Mann often entertains.  But the fact of the matter is that This is 40 could've been great, but just came up short.

3 out of 5

Note: I don't own the rights to any of the photos on this website.  They're copied here from Google images for entertainment purposes only.