Oscar Predictions

Ok so I promise that I have seen both Blue Valentine and The King's Speech already,  but I haven't had the time to write a review. But they will be forthcoming. For now, with the Oscars coming up, I figured I'd get my predictions and opinions in.
Let's start at the top shall we...

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
Will Win: The King's Speech
Should Win: The Social Network

Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem-Biutiful, Jeff Bridges-True Grit, Jesse Eisenberg-The Social Network, Colin Firth-The King's Speech, James Franco-127 Hours
Will Win: Colin Firth
Should Win: Colin Firth

Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale-The Fighter, John Hawkes-Winter's Bone, Jeremy Renner-The Town, Mark Ruffalo-The Kid's Are All Right, Geoffrey Rush-The King's Speech
Will Win: Christian Bale
Should Win: Christian Bale

Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening-The Kids Are All Right, Nicole Kidman-Rabbit Hole, Jennifer Lawrence-Winter's Bone, Natalie Portman-Black Swan, Michelle Williams-Blue Valentine
Will Win: Natalie Portman
Should Win: Michelle Williams

Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams-The Fighter, Helena Bonham Carter-The King's Speech, Melissa Leo-The Fighter, Hailee Steinfeld-True Grit, Jacki Weaver-Animal Kingdom
Will Win: Melissa Leo
Should Win: Hailee Steinfeld

Animated Feature Film
How to Train Your Dragon, The Illusionist, Toy Story 3
Will Win: Toy Story 3
Should Win: Toy Story 3

Directing
Darren Arnofsky-Black Swan, David O. Russell-The Fighter, Tom Hooper-The King's Speech, David Fincher-The Social Network, Joel and Ethan Coen-True Grit
Will Win: Tom Hooper
Should Win: Danny Boyle (127 Hours not nominated)

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter's Bone
Will Win: The Social Network
Should Win: The Social Network

Writing (Original Screenplay)
Another Year, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King's Speech
Will Win: The King's Speech
Should Win: The King's Speech

Cinematography
Black Swan, Inception, The King's Speech, The Social Network, True Grit
Will Win: The King's Speech
Should Win: Black Swan/Inception

As for all the Art Direction costumes etc. I'd just guess the King's Speech will sweep. Music should go to Tron, but it probably won't. I don't know anything about the Shorts, Documentaries, or the Foreign Films so I'm not going to guess.
Let's see what happens. I'm actually pretty happy with the Academy's picks this year. I think 127 Hours should have gotten more love, though. It's a better film than Slumdog Millionaire, that's for sure.
Happy Watching!

Love and Other Drugs/The Illusionist

Alright so school and life have been particularly tough lately so I’m going to condense these two bad boys into one post. I’m sorry that I can’t write more about them, but I’m trying to play catch up on the blog and see everything before the Oscars.

Love And Other Drugs

                Let’s see what we can do when we take two attractive people and bang them together for two hours. It sounds like a 6 year old playing with her Barbie and Ken dolls, but it is unfortunately the plot for this “romantic comedy.” Both Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway have been in good movies before. They have acted well and they deserve all of the credit they have received. Unfortunately, this movie shows how a bad director can make even good actors look hopeless on screen. Edward Zwick is famous for his action movies (The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, and Glory) because he can make you care about characters fighting for what they believe in. Unfortunately, I found myself caring nothing for Maggie and Jamie to the point that I had to stop the movie halfway through and finish it a few days later. I don’t want to keep ranting about this movie for too long, I think it’s just the fact that it could have been so good, the actors are awesome, the script is good, not to mention the two are naked more than they are in clothes, but the direction just ruined it for me.

                Case in point, I promise I’ll be brief. The scene that would have saved the movie for me and put it in my worth seeing if just for this…category was just awfully mishandled. Maggie’s character has Parkinson’s, and late in the movie she attends a conference for people with the disease. Everything that is being said is compelling, and I wish I could have seen who was saying it. For most of the scene the audience gets to see Maggie sitting in her chair reacting to the things being said. It cuts back and forth between the people and a reaction shot of Hathaway being happy, or sad, or laughing, or crying, etc. The whole thing feels bi-polar, and it makes even a distinguished actor like Hathaway look like she is just overacting. This film upset me. It was nice to get a rant out.

Final Verdict: 3

But wait there’s more!

The Illusionist (L'illusionniste)

                Sylvain Chomet’s newest film centers around a magician and his life in a dying business. The whole movie is absolutely stunningly crafted by Chomet and Jacques Tati. Even throwaway characters with one line or less are beautifully drawn with unique features that distinguish them so much so that they could have been a protagonist in their own film. I was “drawn” to every character and the movie both makes you laugh and moves you. All of this comes in a film that has almost no distinguishable dialogue. The characters are very emotional, and thanks to the animation style, you hang on their every action. Anyone who enjoyed The Triplets of Bellville will love this, and for anyone that loves animated film, this is one you must see. Considering that Pixar is setting us up for a letdown with Cars 2, I would say if you are looking for a compelling, fun, and smart animated film this season, check this one out. But be warned, it may not end happy like most Pixar fair. 

Final Verdict: 8


Next Up: Blue Valentine

127 Hours

     What may be the most well-made movie of the year is also probably the hardest to sit through (unless you count Never Say Never). Danny Boyle’s “127 Hours,” is based off of the true ordeal of Aron Ralston, played by James Franco. The experience that has become synonymous to both the dangers of being alone in the wilderness and a testament to human willpower had a pretty large press following, so I do not feel like I am giving anything away by relating what happens. The movie is not about a twist. Going in we know how Aron is going to get himself out, so Boyle has to, and succeeds in taking our anticipation and mining it as far as it can go without boring us.

     Similar to Ryan Reynolds in “Buried,” “127 Hours” is a movie confined to a single location and a single actor. While there are flashbacks and other forms of narrative intrusion, most of the movie is us looking at Franco and Franco looking back. Ralston has a handheld camera, and much of the film consists of the tape from this camera, or looking at Franco from the space directly behind the camera. It is a bold choice, considering the feelings of claustrophobia that arise, but it succeeds in bringing the audience close into the situation and helping us to connect with the ordeal and feel a bit of it ourselves.

     We see Ralston as he begins slipping into insanity. He is fighting against nature and himself to survive and free himself from the rock, but it is inevitable that the rock will not move. As Ralston begins to lose hope he looks back on his life, to his childhood, an old girlfriend, and we see him living his life for the moment in a carefree way. He doesn’t think ahead; he is the type of person that would embark on a mountain biking trip alone without telling anyone where he is going. It is easy to see how he got into this situation, but despite his best efforts, he cannot get himself out of it and must resort to the one thing that he has yet to try.  

     At this point the audience will probably get squirmy, but I advise you to do your best to not avert your eyes. Boyle employs a few tricks that are a testament to his ability as a filmmaker. My favorite was his way of showing pain. Instead of just allowing Franco to scream and the visual to speak for itself, he produces a high-pitched, robotic, distorted sound. It is hard to describe, but the best I can think of is that it is a similar to the feeling when playing the board game Operation when you hit one of the sides. It has the effect of making us cringe and think of the worst pain we have ever felt. Boyle gets you to use your own imagination, instead of just letting blood speak for itself.

     This is one of my favorite movies of the year, but I hesitate to recommend it. Make sure that you know what you are getting into before watching it. Franco’s performance is spectacular, and Danny Boyle shows that he is one of the best in the business right now as he weaves along a narrative with little substance and an inevitable conclusion, while still keeping us on the edge of our seat. See this movie, but maybe don’t eat a heavy meal beforehand.

Final Verdict: 8

Next Up: Love and Other Drugs

Tron: Legacy

                 I went into this movie with low expectations. I saw it in “the IMAX 3D experience” (AKA pay 7 extra bucks to make your eyes hurt) because I wanted to feel like I got everything out of the movie, and I did. Unfortunately, Tron: Legacy is like bringing a flute to a knifefight. It looks good and sounds good, but it’s hollow and there are better choices for your money.

                The original Tron was magical and glitchy and awesome. The sequel is glitchy. The movie is promising at first; it starts with some real world sequences introducing us to Sam Flynn, son of Kevin Flynn from the first movie. They set up some later scenes and put some thought into paying homage to the original, but they muddy it up with a weird plot about open-source technology. They set the stage for this idea and then Sam disappears into the game and it gets completely forgotten for the rest of the movie.

                So there we are back in the cyberworld, and it’s awesome! Sam is fighting people with frisbee boomerangs, Daft Punk is thumping and everyone glows. Then there is a motobike death race and I’m sitting in my chair thinking how can this get any better? And I was thinking correctly. It doesn’t. Enter the bisexual girl from House to take Sam away from the evil version of Jeff Bridges clutches and to begin the second half of the movie. For those of you that haven’t seen it yet. You might be best to just stop here and call it a day because unfortunately the movie fails to even come close to getting better from here.

                Sam reunites with his father (Bridges 1 of 2) and he explains the muddy plot about making a copy of himself and trying to make a utopia. I won’t get into the weirdness about some genetic superrace genocide because it’s basically entirely unnecessary and has no relevance to where the movie ends up going. From here everything gets pretty guessable and the action scenes are a lot less interesting, all leading back to the inevitable finale that even people who saw the poster at a bus stop could guess.

And then you get to the credits, which kind of reminded me why I saw the movie in the first place and made me feel a lot better. The credits basically sum up what the movie was really about: Daft Punk and lights. Though the plot is see-through, it gets boring halfway through, and it doesn’t have the same magic as the original, it still looks and sounds awesome. It was definitely a 3D movie and it had some cool effects. The visuals were basically awesome throughout and the score was phenomenal. The Daft Punk cameo in the bar scene even made me laugh out loud, but as a whole, I would have rather kept my money and listened to the soundtrack online.

Final Verdict: 4

Next Up: 127 Hours

The Fighter

   I’m sick of boxing movies. They tend to be good, but the story is usually the same. Cinderella Man, The Wrestler ( somewhat different), Million Dollar Baby, Rocky, Rocky 2, Rocky Balboa, the list goes on. For instance, I give you Cinderella Man with crack pipes: The Fighter. That being said, this is still a good movie. I enjoyed it and I’ll tell you why, but I don’t want to see another movie about boxing for 20 years. Even Mike Tyson in The Hangover 2 might be pushing it.

   The reason this movie holds up is that it is not actually about boxing at all, it’s about family; what tears it apart and what keeps it together. The movie centers on two brothers Micky and Dickey and their family. Dickey (Christian Bale (Batman)) was a former boxer whose life hit its peak when he knocked down Sugar Ray Lewis who then falls into the wrong crowd and becomes a drug addict addicted to crack cocaine. His younger brother Micky (Mark Wahlberg) looked up to his older brother and wanted to be a boxer just like him. Micky is the better boxer, and his family of mother, father, and a ton of sisters rely on him to bring in money with his fights. The main themes of family and representing your town surface throughout the movie. The small-town pride is a big part of the lives of the people in it, and to have a boxer represent them nationally is a big deal.

   Bale gives an amazing performance in which he completely alters the way that he looks and moves. He is believable as Dickey the former boxer and current drug addict, and blends his performance to show Dickey’s intelligence and charm. Everyone wants Dickey to succeed and get out of his habit, even Dickey, but the film demonstrates just how powerfully effective at ruining lives crack can be.

   Amy Adams does a great job as Micky’s girlfriend, she is college-educated and clashes with the values of Micky’s family. Melissa Leo as Micky’s mother and Adams’s characters are in a constant struggle throughout the film as evidenced by Adams’ “I’ll see you in Micky’s corner but other than that go fuck yourself.” The characters do a great job of demonstrating the different paths Micky can take.

   And this leaves us with Micky himself. Micky gets pushed around by his family, and pushed around between the ropes when he is boxing. But in both cases he is able to take the punches and sweat it out until he finds a way to win. Wahlberg does a decent job, but whenever he is on screen, I was drawn to the other characters, who seem more interesting and more fun to watch.

   The film is uplifting and a testament to human willpower, but it is hard to really get into a film when the protagonist is the least interesting character. However, the rest of the performances are amazing and kept me engaged. My guess is Bale gets his Oscar for best supporting actor, and Leo and Adams get at least nominated again.

Final Verdict: 7

Black Swan

   Let me start by saying that this could have been a great movie, but unfortunately, it only comes close. Black Swan as a movie is merely an average psychological thriller. The plot points are somewhat weak and easy to guess at and the writing as a whole only mediocre.

   Luckily, that is not why you would see this movie. This movie is all about Natalie Portman. She gives an incredible performance and makes the most with what she is given. She plays Nina Sayers, a ballerina who has been dancing for a long time in the same company and is given her big break on the new performance of Swan Lake. Portman has completely changed herself for this role. Every movement she makes is precise and with meaning, she not only dances like a ballerina, but moves like one. She is in complete control of her body. There is a scene where she is practicing her dance, and we can tell how upset she is just by a flash of her eyes, even though she doesn’t show it anywhere else on her.  

   She is surrounded by other fine performances. Winona Rider plays the older ballerina that Nina is replacing and Barbarah Hershey chills as Nina’s mother. Hershey is the ballerina who didn’t get the big break. She raises her daughter to be the best and then lives vicariously through her. As the movie goes on and reality bends, the mother gets creepier. It is easy to see how Nina could end up as messed up in the head as she is. She lives alone with her mother, who is overbearing and pounces on her right as she walks through the door, hounding her about her day and everything in it.

   Without giving anything away, the plot basically shows Nina preparing for her role and gradually losing track of her “white swan” and her “black swan.” With the white swan being the controlled ballerina, and the black swan representing her more base and passionate side (read: evil). Mila Kunis playing a dancing version of Mila Kunis helps Nina unlock her darker side. If you are reading this, you probably already know about the lesbian scene, but I thought it did a good job of showing how much Nina has slipped into her role, and out of the real world.

   The ending is fine, but guessable, like most of the plot. In all the movie is a fun ride, and while it might creep you out, it doesn’t go over the top (but it doesn’t go far enough either). For it to have been great, the script would have to push the limit a bit more and trust Arnofsky and the actors to be able to keep it grounded. Unfortunately, they can only work with what they are given, and that was not enough.

Overall, this movie was fine, and it was fun just to watch Portman work. The dancing is very elegant, and the music is fine. Expect Oscar nominations, and very possibly a win for the lead.

Final Verdict: 7

True Grit

   I am a huge Coen brothers fan, so while I am happy to start with one of their movies as my first review, I think it's a little ironic that it is one of their most decidedly un-Coen-esque. They have created their own style of dark comedydramas that can be recognized anywhere. However, in their latest effort, "True Grit," the Coen brothers were making a western, and not just a western, but a remake of a western. They had already made (and won) for No Country for Old Men, but that was a modern day western that had a lot to say about how the West was changing. One of the conclusions I drew from this previous movie was that there was no longer a place in the West for men like Tommy Lee Jones' Ed Bell or men like Rooster Cogburn. Thankfully, the brothers did not set out to make a remake, they set out to make a movie. Drawing heavily from the Charles Portis book that the 1969 movie is also based on, the brothers hammer out a script that doesn't sound like any western I've ever seen. I have heard people refer to it as Cowboy Shakespeare, and they are not far off. The dialog is fast-paced and the writers dare the audience to keep up with what the characters are saying on screen. There is no slow drawling John Wayne character, instead we have Jeff Bridges playing a Rooster Cogburn that is out to actually bring justice to the world, and has been met with the perversion of justice the world creates. So he reverts to the drunk gunslinger, similar to the drunken master of Jackie Chan's early career. Bridges is hilarious as usual, but while he was the star when he was "The Dude," in this case, he is surrounded by talent that can keep up with him. Matt Damon delivers another strong performace (when does he not), but the real find is newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Mattie Ross. Steinfeld does a great job with hard lines, and succeeds in getting more laughs than Bridges himself, all while making us believe that she could survive the west despite being a twelve year old girl.

   The Coen Brothers rely on their script to tell the story and thankfully don't draw out the action. While they could have easily let the film pan out to study the gorgeous landscapes of the west, they instead focus on the back and forth between characters and succeed in creating a tighter, action-oriented movie. The movie is violent, but only in short bursts, with ideas and characters pouring through the bullet holes. 

   My one problem with the film is something that probably made it better. There wasn't enough Josh Brolin. I am under the impression that the more Brolin in a film, the better, and while he gets a high billing, he is in fact only in a small portion of the movie. He plays the bad guy that Ross and Rooster are after, and while we do finally catch a glimpse of something more than his picture towards the end of the movie, he only delivers a few lines. The Coens use his character more as an idea for "bad guys" in general, especially those that the justice system lets get away with crimes. In not focusing on his character we can create it a bit for ourselves. We can fill in names like Johannes Mehserle or any criminal who gets off on a formality, and instantly identify with Mattie Ross and are rooting for her. The Coens save time and probably end up with a better final product. 

    In all, this was a really fun movie. It is a great movie, and one that I plan on seeing again, if just to hear the great dialog between Bridges, Damon and Steinfeld. The Coen brothers made a western that was decidedly western feeling, while still putting their talents on display. 

Final Verdict: 8

Hello!

Hey everyone! So I've decided to channel my love of movies into a blog and see how long I can keep this up for. I plan on reviewing movies and even if this is just for me, I can go back and look at what I thought of them. I will try and watch a lot of new movies, but will probably often go back and rewatch some oldies and goodies. I was originally gonna call this Matt at the Movies, but that was taken, so Calvert Cinema is born. I think I'll rate this on a scale of 1-10. With 1-3 being unwatchable. 4-6 meaning it has some redeeming qualities. 7-8 meaning that it is good and probably worth your money. 9 being great. 10's are very unlikely but if they do it would mean my movie of the year.
So enjoy everyone. Let's see how long I can keep this up for.