Jamie (Gyllenhaal) has never been the best at anything - well, except for wooing a different woman into his bed every night. It's easy to see why this talent was overshadowed by two doctors and a multi-million dollar businessman in the family. It is his wealthy brother, Josh who suggests Jamie put his selling bravura to a better use and join the world of pharmaceutical sales. And so, he embarks on a journey to small town USA to sell Zoloft to the physician elite. He manages to get his foot in the doors of doctors' offices through the hearts of their easily manipulated secretaries. It is in one such office, as he poses as a shadowing intern to promote the benefits of Zoloft, that he meets the free-spirited and artistic Parkinsons patient, Maggie (Hathaway). In the short time following their meeting Jamie manages to offend and outrage Maggie with the coming to light of his doctor act all while he attempts a shot at acquiring her phone number. She instead storms away and he is left to weasel her phone number out of another secretary with flattery and empty promises.
They meet up in the coffee shop where Maggie works and the two partake in some back and forth banter - touching on Jamie's inability to face the reality of his life and Maggie's woe-is-me complex due to her illness before they rush back to her apartment for an afternoon quickie on Maggie's floor. Afterwards they form a sex-only relationship and agree to expect nothing more from each other. Over the next few days, however, Maggie somehow breaks down Jamie's wildly lustful relationship patterns and he begins to throw phone calls and drop-in dinners into the mix. Despite Maggie's protesting, Jamie continues to pursue more emotional ties with her until she relents and agrees to an actual relationship.
It's a little suspect that Jamie leaves his falandering ways behind within days of meeting Maggie, but since the rest of the film is dependent upon this happening, I'll let it go. Both characters are likeable with little quirks that make the viewer interested. The film tries to go deep, addressing the sacrifice required in loving a person with a serious illness, allowing onseself to experience love in spite of fear, and believing in one's own potential. Their relationship attempts to meet each other's needs and function in the face of insecurities and I can appreciate watching their learning process.
Love and Other Drugs is definitely a chick flick with a little more depth that makes me like it more than the average chick flick. Since every chick flick is complete with "funny" friend LAOD uses Jamie's brother, Josh to function in this role. He is overweight, always messy, and quite vulgar. His presence would not have been missed. While some light humor is necessary amidst the heavier subject matter, the character of Josh is a parody and serves to make his scenes as awkward as possible.
Gyllenhaal and Hathaway are enjoyable to watch and the film makes a good attempt at forming a worthwile relationship for the two. There is a feeling of wanting more from their characters, however, in order to embrace the deeper themes the film throws at us.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
127 Hours
Everyone who goes to see 127 Hours knows that the central character is going to cut his arm off with a dull blade right? Well, I certainly knew that this film would be chronicling the 127 hours Aron Ralston spent with his arm lodged between a canyon wall and a boulder and the steps he took to free himself. I bring this up because it was impossible for me to watch this film without that knowledge affecting my viewing. I sat eyes glued to the screen with nervous anticipation for its duration, awaiting "the scene."
Aron Ralston, hiking-enthusiast-adventure-junkie-extroardinairre, wakes up, takes a shower, ignores his mother's incoming phone call, finds the equipment necessary for a day of hiking (minus his swiss army knife), and leaves town with a few photocopied pages of a hiking guide - alone. It's pretty clear from his off-roading trek into his start point and his almost dance-like movements over the desert topography that he knows this place intimately, a second home. So when he meets two women hiking through, attempting to figure out what direction they need to go, it is only fitting that he offer to guide them and show them the hidden beauty of his home. He takes them on an adventure, shuffling through a canyon wall only slightly wider than their bodies, suspended in air with their hands and feet pushed against the wall in front of them. Ralston pulls his hands and feet away from the canyon wall and drops into the unknown. Awaiting him a few dozen feet down is a refreshing pool, an oasis in the middle of desert. The girls remain suspended, deciding whether to fully trust their crazy adventure guide and experience the same rush and refreshment Ralston offers. They drop and Ralston gets the praise for showing them the heart of the desert - a place they would have never found on their own.
This is who Ralston is. He is the one who takes lost people and sets them straight. He is the one with the knowledge, the insight, the right moves.
He ends up leaving the women and they head off in different directions back to the points from which they started. Weaving in and out of small crevices, testing the strength of the ground he walks on, pausing to look ahead for unstable rock, one knows all his knowledge will not save him from what is to come. The boulder he stands on gives way, his footing is lost and that same boulder he once stood on has pinned his arm against the canyon wall.
The remainder of the film is the story of Ralston's will to survive. With only a rope, a flashlight, a dull knife, a Nalgen full of water and a muffin, the situation looks grim. We see his regret for refusing to pick up his mother's phone call that would have provided at least one person with his location. We see his attempts at making pulleys, shaving off bits of rock, anything to get that boulder to move a few centimeters. Then comes hopelessness, an understanding of his horrific situation and hallucinations of past experiences. He is experiencing ten minutes of sunlight a day and forty degree nights. His fingers have turned grey, mostly certainly dead by this point. With a rescue near impossible and no chance of moving on his own, we see Ralston survive by drinking his own urine and keeping his spirit alive by roleplaying on his videocamera. The dull blade sits on top of the rock and it's coming. The knife too dull to cut through bone forces Ralston to break his arm twice. He then stabs his arm as deep as he can, cutting through muscle, tendon, and wincing at the cut of every nerve. His arm from the elbow down remains lodged between the canyon wall but he is now free to stumble out of the cave into sunlight, eventually encountering two groups of hikers who are able to help him until a helicopter arrives.
I have now heard a lot of people say that anyone in Ralston's situation would have done the same thing. They argue that the will to live gives one the power to do anything to make that happen, that this is inherent human nature. I would like to believe that with a lack of water, sleep, and the experience of hallucinations egging me on, I too would be able to sever my arm in order to live. I just don't think I could. Maybe the type of person who has it in him to cut his arm is the type of person who goes hiking in the middle of nowhere by himself with no one knowing. I'm not that type of person either.
Anyway, Danny Boyle directed a beautiful film for more reasons than the prinstine landscape he was able to capture. The way the days roll into each other, the blur of relationships attached to the thought of experiences that would never be given a chance to exist, the cringe of pain from the cutting of each nerve as the viewer is invinted directly into Ralston's arm. James Franco nails the spirit of a lone ranger - a man too busy on a quest for adventure to be bothered with precautionary measures, a man who believes himself to be the precautionary measure for the random lost hiker. The emotional journey he travels through regret, hopelessness, fear, humility, courage, relief is conveyed believably the whole way through. His eventual Oscar nomination will be deserved for playing a man at the high of his life to the very lowest in a mere 127 hours time.
Aron Ralston, hiking-enthusiast-adventure-junkie-extroardinairre, wakes up, takes a shower, ignores his mother's incoming phone call, finds the equipment necessary for a day of hiking (minus his swiss army knife), and leaves town with a few photocopied pages of a hiking guide - alone. It's pretty clear from his off-roading trek into his start point and his almost dance-like movements over the desert topography that he knows this place intimately, a second home. So when he meets two women hiking through, attempting to figure out what direction they need to go, it is only fitting that he offer to guide them and show them the hidden beauty of his home. He takes them on an adventure, shuffling through a canyon wall only slightly wider than their bodies, suspended in air with their hands and feet pushed against the wall in front of them. Ralston pulls his hands and feet away from the canyon wall and drops into the unknown. Awaiting him a few dozen feet down is a refreshing pool, an oasis in the middle of desert. The girls remain suspended, deciding whether to fully trust their crazy adventure guide and experience the same rush and refreshment Ralston offers. They drop and Ralston gets the praise for showing them the heart of the desert - a place they would have never found on their own.
This is who Ralston is. He is the one who takes lost people and sets them straight. He is the one with the knowledge, the insight, the right moves.
He ends up leaving the women and they head off in different directions back to the points from which they started. Weaving in and out of small crevices, testing the strength of the ground he walks on, pausing to look ahead for unstable rock, one knows all his knowledge will not save him from what is to come. The boulder he stands on gives way, his footing is lost and that same boulder he once stood on has pinned his arm against the canyon wall.
The remainder of the film is the story of Ralston's will to survive. With only a rope, a flashlight, a dull knife, a Nalgen full of water and a muffin, the situation looks grim. We see his regret for refusing to pick up his mother's phone call that would have provided at least one person with his location. We see his attempts at making pulleys, shaving off bits of rock, anything to get that boulder to move a few centimeters. Then comes hopelessness, an understanding of his horrific situation and hallucinations of past experiences. He is experiencing ten minutes of sunlight a day and forty degree nights. His fingers have turned grey, mostly certainly dead by this point. With a rescue near impossible and no chance of moving on his own, we see Ralston survive by drinking his own urine and keeping his spirit alive by roleplaying on his videocamera. The dull blade sits on top of the rock and it's coming. The knife too dull to cut through bone forces Ralston to break his arm twice. He then stabs his arm as deep as he can, cutting through muscle, tendon, and wincing at the cut of every nerve. His arm from the elbow down remains lodged between the canyon wall but he is now free to stumble out of the cave into sunlight, eventually encountering two groups of hikers who are able to help him until a helicopter arrives.
I have now heard a lot of people say that anyone in Ralston's situation would have done the same thing. They argue that the will to live gives one the power to do anything to make that happen, that this is inherent human nature. I would like to believe that with a lack of water, sleep, and the experience of hallucinations egging me on, I too would be able to sever my arm in order to live. I just don't think I could. Maybe the type of person who has it in him to cut his arm is the type of person who goes hiking in the middle of nowhere by himself with no one knowing. I'm not that type of person either.
Anyway, Danny Boyle directed a beautiful film for more reasons than the prinstine landscape he was able to capture. The way the days roll into each other, the blur of relationships attached to the thought of experiences that would never be given a chance to exist, the cringe of pain from the cutting of each nerve as the viewer is invinted directly into Ralston's arm. James Franco nails the spirit of a lone ranger - a man too busy on a quest for adventure to be bothered with precautionary measures, a man who believes himself to be the precautionary measure for the random lost hiker. The emotional journey he travels through regret, hopelessness, fear, humility, courage, relief is conveyed believably the whole way through. His eventual Oscar nomination will be deserved for playing a man at the high of his life to the very lowest in a mere 127 hours time.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Oscar Picks
Entertainment Weekly's Dave Karger makes his early Oscar picks.
Sasha Stone writes her thoughts on the race here. In general I really like reading Sasha Stone's opinions on the Oscar race. I appreciate her stance on supporting an Oscar contender based upon it's valuable qualities rather than supporting it because it doesn't have another film's seemingly negative qualities.
If I laid my thoughts down for the most likely top ten Best Picture contenders, at this point it would look something like this:
1. The Social Network
2. The King's Speech
3. Inception
4. True Grit
5. Toy Story 3
6. 127 Hours
7. The Kids Are All Right
8. Black Swan
9. Winter's Bone
10. The Town or The Fighter
Sasha Stone writes her thoughts on the race here. In general I really like reading Sasha Stone's opinions on the Oscar race. I appreciate her stance on supporting an Oscar contender based upon it's valuable qualities rather than supporting it because it doesn't have another film's seemingly negative qualities.
If I laid my thoughts down for the most likely top ten Best Picture contenders, at this point it would look something like this:
1. The Social Network
2. The King's Speech
3. Inception
4. True Grit
5. Toy Story 3
6. 127 Hours
7. The Kids Are All Right
8. Black Swan
9. Winter's Bone
10. The Town or The Fighter
Saturday, December 4, 2010
One Girl's Quest
I have called every movie theater in Buffalo hoping that Black Swan would show up in theaters close to the limited release date of December 3rd. One manager of a theater that shall remain nameless didn't even know what Black Swan was. Umm.. how are you the manager of a movie theater? As I moved onward down my list of movie theater phone numbers, I came to the indepedent cinema where with much sadness I accepted the news that Black Swan would not be appearing in a movie theater near me until December 22nd. I was pretty upset about this because my boyfriend and I have been looking forward to this film for so long and we were hoping to see it together next time he was in town. Since that will not be happening...
I am now in Chicago and quite happy that Black Swan is out in theaters here already. I'm going tonight and I can't wait!
I am now in Chicago and quite happy that Black Swan is out in theaters here already. I'm going tonight and I can't wait!
The Social Network
The Facebook arrived on the University of Michigan campus sometime in 2004 - my sophomore year. I was not one of the first to jump on the Facebook bandwagon, but sooner or later I came around. A year later I may have known one or two people refusing to join and by the end of my senior year it expanded so widely that my high school sophomore brother was now a user. Additionally, thanks to a few of my closest friends I have some pretty hilarious Facebook memories. My favorite being the take over of the campus starter account and the susbsequent email exchange with an administrator. Every Facebook user on a campus is assigned a number that can be found in the URL. A friend decided to see who the first account belonged to and discovered it was maintained by no one and only used to set up the usership for Michigan. Obviously he decided to take it over and see what would happen. A philosophical debate soon emerged fueled with my friend's smart-alec taunts.
The point is, I'm sure everyone my age has some story like this, some story that can be recalled to celebrate the role of Facebook in our lives. I know that The Social Network is Mark Zuckerberg's story, his creation, his genius, his decisions, his experience. But on some level this story belongs to me and my friends and the millions of students who postponed writing that paper at 3am to hit the refresh buttons on our newsfeed.
I went to see The Social Network again because I wanted to indulge in every witty line of Aaron Sorkin's amazing script and its impeccable delivery by Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, and Rooney Mara. And I wanted to marvel at each of David Fincher's scenes - of which not one is wasted. It is far easier for me to attribute a movie's strengths to acting or writing. While both of those elements are worthy of great praise here, the instincts of the director shine through every well-crafted scene. There is the perfect amount of subtle emotion delivered by Eisenberg, a toast to good writing, directing, and a talented actor.
There is a scene where Zuckerberg is required to go before the Harvard AdBoard to defend his actions surrounding his crash of the Harvard network. Instead, he takes the time to state, "I believe I deserve some recognition from this board." Clearly confused, one adminstrator asks for clarification, to which he says, "I believe I pointed out some gaping holes in your network." Zuckerberg couldn't be more serious and the AdBoard is clearly baffled. He walks away with a warning and probation period. The delivery of this scene is matter of fact and sets a tone for Zuckerberg's future defense against both the Winklevoss twins and Saverin. Juxtapose this with a final scene of Zuckerberg hitting a refresh button in wait for Erica's acceptance of his friend request. We see a genius mind full of creativity and willing to call attention to what should be his own glory. We see a boy with the reminder of past mistakes and regret looming under the surface. We see why he is where he is with work and relationships and it all makes a whole lot of sense.
The point is, I'm sure everyone my age has some story like this, some story that can be recalled to celebrate the role of Facebook in our lives. I know that The Social Network is Mark Zuckerberg's story, his creation, his genius, his decisions, his experience. But on some level this story belongs to me and my friends and the millions of students who postponed writing that paper at 3am to hit the refresh buttons on our newsfeed.
I went to see The Social Network again because I wanted to indulge in every witty line of Aaron Sorkin's amazing script and its impeccable delivery by Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, and Rooney Mara. And I wanted to marvel at each of David Fincher's scenes - of which not one is wasted. It is far easier for me to attribute a movie's strengths to acting or writing. While both of those elements are worthy of great praise here, the instincts of the director shine through every well-crafted scene. There is the perfect amount of subtle emotion delivered by Eisenberg, a toast to good writing, directing, and a talented actor.
There is a scene where Zuckerberg is required to go before the Harvard AdBoard to defend his actions surrounding his crash of the Harvard network. Instead, he takes the time to state, "I believe I deserve some recognition from this board." Clearly confused, one adminstrator asks for clarification, to which he says, "I believe I pointed out some gaping holes in your network." Zuckerberg couldn't be more serious and the AdBoard is clearly baffled. He walks away with a warning and probation period. The delivery of this scene is matter of fact and sets a tone for Zuckerberg's future defense against both the Winklevoss twins and Saverin. Juxtapose this with a final scene of Zuckerberg hitting a refresh button in wait for Erica's acceptance of his friend request. We see a genius mind full of creativity and willing to call attention to what should be his own glory. We see a boy with the reminder of past mistakes and regret looming under the surface. We see why he is where he is with work and relationships and it all makes a whole lot of sense.
Friday, December 3, 2010
NBR Awards
So I guess I was pretty wrong about the NBR awards this year. I predicted a sweep just not for the right film!
From Awards Daily:
(my correct predictions in bold)
Ten Best
Another Year
The Fighter
Hereafter
Inception
The King's Speech
Shutter Island
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone
Best Film: The Social Network
Best Director: David Fincher, The Social Network
Best Actor: Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Best Actress: Lesley Manville, Another Year
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
From Awards Daily:
(my correct predictions in bold)
Ten Best
Another Year
The Fighter
Hereafter
Inception
The King's Speech
Shutter Island
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone
Best Film: The Social Network
Best Director: David Fincher, The Social Network
Best Actor: Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Best Actress: Lesley Manville, Another Year
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
NBR Predictions
NBR Awards out tomorrow. Here's my thoughts:
Top Ten
127 Hours
Hereafter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
Love and Other Drugs
The Social Network
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone
Best Picture: The King's Speech
Best Director: Tom Hooper
Best Actress: Annette Bening
Best Actor: Colin Firth
Best Supporting Actress: Helena Bonham Carter
Best Supporting Actor: Mark Ruffalo
Best Breakthrough Actor: Jesse Eisenberg
Best Breakthrough Actress: Jennifer Lawrence
Top Ten
127 Hours
Hereafter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
Love and Other Drugs
The Social Network
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone
Best Picture: The King's Speech
Best Director: Tom Hooper
Best Actress: Annette Bening
Best Actor: Colin Firth
Best Supporting Actress: Helena Bonham Carter
Best Supporting Actor: Mark Ruffalo
Best Breakthrough Actor: Jesse Eisenberg
Best Breakthrough Actress: Jennifer Lawrence
Monday, November 22, 2010
Quick Takes
The Social Network ****/****
Get Low ***/****
It's Kind of a Funny Story **/****
Despicable Me **.5/****
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 ***.5/****
Get Low ***/****
It's Kind of a Funny Story **/****
Despicable Me **.5/****
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 ***.5/****
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Hereafter
I wouldn't call The Hereafter a commentary on death or the afterlife. It presents the possibility of an afterlife, but focuses on effects of death on the living.
Opening scene, life destroyed with one disasterous wave, an inescapable death. Imminent doom could be seen clearly and nothing could stop it.
Loneliness surrounds death. Those dealing with past near death experiences are on the outside of a community that thinks they are crazy. Those who know too much about death are alientated by what they know. Those who have lost loved ones are dealing with a gaping hole in a life that otherwise continues on the same.
Ultimately, three people carrying the weight of these problems find each other and bring a little peace and understanding to move forward.
***/****
Opening scene, life destroyed with one disasterous wave, an inescapable death. Imminent doom could be seen clearly and nothing could stop it.
Loneliness surrounds death. Those dealing with past near death experiences are on the outside of a community that thinks they are crazy. Those who know too much about death are alientated by what they know. Those who have lost loved ones are dealing with a gaping hole in a life that otherwise continues on the same.
Ultimately, three people carrying the weight of these problems find each other and bring a little peace and understanding to move forward.
***/****
Recent Rewatch
I really enjoyed How to Train Your Dragon when I first saw it back in January and I have been calling it one of the best movies of the year. Thus, I wanted to watch again to make sure this film I saw almost a year ago was truly deserving of top honors in my mind. In short, it was.
How to Train Your Dragon is breathtakingly beautiful to watch and delivers great comedic lines. The relationship formed between the two main characters is strong, loyal, and loving. It is real true love between them as they embrace each other in the face of fear and death and set an example that others become willing to follow. The film contains deep themes of feeling like an outsider, finding one's place in society, seeing people for who they really are, sacrifice for another, and benefits of abandoning fear.
I love that an animated film is capable of this and this is when it should be praised.
The fyc posters that Dreamworks launched are great. The above poster is perfect in my opinion and really displays the heart of the film: two who turn away from fear to believe in the good of the other despite what they have believed their entire lives.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Sasha Stone on How to Train Your Dragon
I absolutely loved How to Train your Dragon. It was the first great movie of the year in my opinion. HTTYD beautifully told the story of two outsiders forming friendship, finding understanding, and bestowing sacrificial love. Since Toy Story 3 opened HTTYD has been largely overshadowed by the critically-acclaimed and publicly-loved Pixar giant. I agree that Toy Story 3 functions quite well as the closing of a triology of films most people my age grew up watching. I was quite satisfied with its ending, entertained by the funny and touched by the ending of an era. Although, I maintain that HTTYD is the best animated film of the year.
Sasha Stone @ awardsdaily.com sums up my feelings on HTTYD quite well:
Sasha Stone @ awardsdaily.com sums up my feelings on HTTYD quite well:
I think I fell in love with this movie when Toothless decided not to eat Hiccup. That is the moment when the film becomes other than what you expected. But the most memorable of all was when Hiccup envisions, draws and eventually makes a tale for his dragon friend. The moment he finally takes flight we realize that this isn’t really a movie about dragons at all; it is a love story. More than that, it’s about fear and ignorance exposed. The film takes some heavy themes and fashions them into an entertaining film, but those themes exist throughout. How to Train Your Dragon remains the best animated film of 2010 — a stand-alone achievement with wonderful writing and cinematography, if you can call it that.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
I saw The Social Network opening night (beginning of October?) and am planning on seeing it again this weekend. I have not written on it yet and will do so after the second viewing. I found the movie wonderfully timely and a bit nostalgic delivered via its well-crafted script. Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg was intricately acted, executed sharply right down to the last detail. Though, I decided I could care less if Eisenberg's Zuckerberg detours from the real life Zuckerberg. I would be completely fine if the majority of the film was fiction holding on to a few choice events in history. The reason being is the story is one of creation - the capability of a genius mind, the ties formed, the lengths one will go for success, and a loneliness that haunts in a crowded room.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Favorites So Far
How to Train Your Dragon
Inception
Winter's Bone
The Social Network
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Juliane Moore, The Kids Are All Right
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Andrew Garfield, The Social Network
Marion Cotillard, Inception
Social Network Talk
Harvard law professor, Lawrence Lessig, adds his voice to The Social Network discussion at The New Republic, describing the film as "earning it's place in history," however, also presenting disappointment with certain subjects remaining unaddressed.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Falling Stocks, Fighting Fraud
Is Greed Good?, the title of Gordon's Gekko's book, chronicling his investigation of bad business practices inhibiting the growth of the economy, forms the basis of the plot for Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Acknowledging the downward spiral of the economy, Gekko blames both unscrupulous CEOs and an insatiable society. This proves to be quite interesting in it's connection to the current American economy and the best parts of the film act as an educator for one quite unknowledgable with the economic downturn. Otherwise, the story follows a quite formulaic revenge-seeking-wrongs-will-be-righted outline.
Jake Moore (LeBouf), an up and coming stock broker, finds himself working for a company on the verge of bankruptcy. Overnight the company seems to go from bustling to broke. His boss and mentor, Louis Zabel (Langella), finds himself turning to The Fed to negotiate a bailout only to be met with fierce opposition and a disappointing stock price from which he is to rebuild his company. It is at that meeting we are introduced to rival businessman and villian, Bretton James (Brolin) who seems to have a history with Zabel that has left the two at odds. With the news of his company's demise much too hard to bear, Zabel throws himself in front of the subway on his way to work the next morning. Convinced that someone set Zabel up for failure, Jake begins his mission to bring down the person responsible for the bankruptcy and Zabel's suicide.
In the midst of this disaster, Gordon Gekko (Douglas) finds himself recently released from prison with a cold reception from his daughter, Winnie (Mulligan). While in prison he wrote a book, now calls himself a reformed businessman and is on a college tour to promote his ideas against the greed of America.
Jake and Winnie happen to be engaged. Jake contacts Gordon in secret, takes advice to bring Zabel justice, and begins a barter system: business advice in exchange for reconciliation with Winnie. It seems that Winnie is all Gordon has left and all he wants is a relationship with her. All the while that same old glimmer in Gordon Gekko's eye shines underneath his reformed soul, leaving Winnie questioning whether he can be trusted. Jake gets caught up in the game just like a young Bud Fox did years ago and soon is unable to see how he has compromised the life he and Winnie share. The film wants audiences to ask whether Gekko is capable of changing his ways and if Jake will go down with him.
It's pretty easy to see what this film has in store for its characters, but the familiarity of a suffering American economy resonates with a current Wall Street and public. The movie is timely in it's representation of business in decline, albeit with story and not hard facts. Both Langella and Douglas' perfomances are highlights, the former for his portrayal of a depressed with no where to turn businessman and the latter for the classic hijinks of a tried and true Mr. Gekko.
**.5/****
Jake Moore (LeBouf), an up and coming stock broker, finds himself working for a company on the verge of bankruptcy. Overnight the company seems to go from bustling to broke. His boss and mentor, Louis Zabel (Langella), finds himself turning to The Fed to negotiate a bailout only to be met with fierce opposition and a disappointing stock price from which he is to rebuild his company. It is at that meeting we are introduced to rival businessman and villian, Bretton James (Brolin) who seems to have a history with Zabel that has left the two at odds. With the news of his company's demise much too hard to bear, Zabel throws himself in front of the subway on his way to work the next morning. Convinced that someone set Zabel up for failure, Jake begins his mission to bring down the person responsible for the bankruptcy and Zabel's suicide.
In the midst of this disaster, Gordon Gekko (Douglas) finds himself recently released from prison with a cold reception from his daughter, Winnie (Mulligan). While in prison he wrote a book, now calls himself a reformed businessman and is on a college tour to promote his ideas against the greed of America.
Jake and Winnie happen to be engaged. Jake contacts Gordon in secret, takes advice to bring Zabel justice, and begins a barter system: business advice in exchange for reconciliation with Winnie. It seems that Winnie is all Gordon has left and all he wants is a relationship with her. All the while that same old glimmer in Gordon Gekko's eye shines underneath his reformed soul, leaving Winnie questioning whether he can be trusted. Jake gets caught up in the game just like a young Bud Fox did years ago and soon is unable to see how he has compromised the life he and Winnie share. The film wants audiences to ask whether Gekko is capable of changing his ways and if Jake will go down with him.
It's pretty easy to see what this film has in store for its characters, but the familiarity of a suffering American economy resonates with a current Wall Street and public. The movie is timely in it's representation of business in decline, albeit with story and not hard facts. Both Langella and Douglas' perfomances are highlights, the former for his portrayal of a depressed with no where to turn businessman and the latter for the classic hijinks of a tried and true Mr. Gekko.
**.5/****
Friday, September 24, 2010
The Town
Ben Affleck's second attempt in the director's chair, The Town, has proven that he knows how to make a film. He got a lot out of his cast: Rebecca Hall, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, and even himself.
His film tells the story of a group of bank robbers in Charlestown born and bred into the life of robbery. Their fathers robbed banks before them and we get the sense that the cycle has been going on for quite some time. They are controlled and directed by Fergie, flower shop owner and coke-peddler, who the FBI has known about and tried to take down for years. Ultimately they are unable to provide any proof of his crimes. The movie opens with their first robbery of a small Charlestown bank. With insiders at various companies they are able to track the delivery of money and the type of vault a bank houses. All information is gathered prior to the robbery in order to ensure nothing goes wrong. During this particular robbery Doug (Affleck) and Jim (Renner) collect all the money on hand, however, Jim, a bit of a hot head, bloodies the face of a manager and decides to take the other manager, Claire (Hall) as his hostage. Doug calms her down, assures her she will not be hurt and they drop her off blindfolded at the beach. They have stolen her license though, and later find out that she lives blocks away from their neighborhood. Not wanting to take a chance at running into her on the streets, Jim proposes to the group that he will take care of the problem, but Doug intervenes, understanding that he will be able to assess the situation with greater control than Jim. He ends up stalking Claire and positioning himself at her laundromat to make sure she cannot recognise him. From there the two begin talking and go on to develop a relationship where Doug finds himself falling in love.
Meanwhile, Claire notifies the FBI of her kidnapping and begins working with Agent Frawley (Hamm) to identify a suspect. Unable to provide any defining characteristics, her situation looks rather bleak. Later we learn that she withholds information from the police, confiding in Doug that she saw one of the robber's tattoos of a fighting irishman.
In order for his fragile universe to remain intact, Doug ends up keeping his involvement with Claire from Jim and decides against telling Claire any information about his role in the robbery. Instead, in hopes of creating a better life for himself, he decides to leave his life of theivery behind and Charlestown as well, even asking Claire to come with him. A tangled web of relationships and loyalty seems to get in the way however as he struggles to break free from the control of his employers.
I saw The Town a few days ago and have just begun to write about it. It's because I haven't quite been able to put my finger on the emotions it stirred up in me. The gun fights, battery, and substance abuse are jarring. Affleck does an excellent job with the realism of a life addicted to cocaine, fighting to survive the bleak hand life dealt. The violence Jim inflicts on those who get in his way is second nature to him. He walks away from those situations as though it's just a part of his life, completely prepared to exhibit this force again, no shred of remorse. There are no thoughts of morality in these instances, no wavering between right and wrong. Jim's sister, Krista (Lively), strung out and raising a child, bounces around from man to man. As she comes in contact with Agent Frawley she questions what he's using her for, revealing her feelings about the only role men have ever played in her life. There's a hopelessness about this film. The characters who have never been exposed to any other world never have a thought of doing anything other than what they have always done. Life begins and ends right where it started.
***/****
His film tells the story of a group of bank robbers in Charlestown born and bred into the life of robbery. Their fathers robbed banks before them and we get the sense that the cycle has been going on for quite some time. They are controlled and directed by Fergie, flower shop owner and coke-peddler, who the FBI has known about and tried to take down for years. Ultimately they are unable to provide any proof of his crimes. The movie opens with their first robbery of a small Charlestown bank. With insiders at various companies they are able to track the delivery of money and the type of vault a bank houses. All information is gathered prior to the robbery in order to ensure nothing goes wrong. During this particular robbery Doug (Affleck) and Jim (Renner) collect all the money on hand, however, Jim, a bit of a hot head, bloodies the face of a manager and decides to take the other manager, Claire (Hall) as his hostage. Doug calms her down, assures her she will not be hurt and they drop her off blindfolded at the beach. They have stolen her license though, and later find out that she lives blocks away from their neighborhood. Not wanting to take a chance at running into her on the streets, Jim proposes to the group that he will take care of the problem, but Doug intervenes, understanding that he will be able to assess the situation with greater control than Jim. He ends up stalking Claire and positioning himself at her laundromat to make sure she cannot recognise him. From there the two begin talking and go on to develop a relationship where Doug finds himself falling in love.
Meanwhile, Claire notifies the FBI of her kidnapping and begins working with Agent Frawley (Hamm) to identify a suspect. Unable to provide any defining characteristics, her situation looks rather bleak. Later we learn that she withholds information from the police, confiding in Doug that she saw one of the robber's tattoos of a fighting irishman.
In order for his fragile universe to remain intact, Doug ends up keeping his involvement with Claire from Jim and decides against telling Claire any information about his role in the robbery. Instead, in hopes of creating a better life for himself, he decides to leave his life of theivery behind and Charlestown as well, even asking Claire to come with him. A tangled web of relationships and loyalty seems to get in the way however as he struggles to break free from the control of his employers.
I saw The Town a few days ago and have just begun to write about it. It's because I haven't quite been able to put my finger on the emotions it stirred up in me. The gun fights, battery, and substance abuse are jarring. Affleck does an excellent job with the realism of a life addicted to cocaine, fighting to survive the bleak hand life dealt. The violence Jim inflicts on those who get in his way is second nature to him. He walks away from those situations as though it's just a part of his life, completely prepared to exhibit this force again, no shred of remorse. There are no thoughts of morality in these instances, no wavering between right and wrong. Jim's sister, Krista (Lively), strung out and raising a child, bounces around from man to man. As she comes in contact with Agent Frawley she questions what he's using her for, revealing her feelings about the only role men have ever played in her life. There's a hopelessness about this film. The characters who have never been exposed to any other world never have a thought of doing anything other than what they have always done. Life begins and ends right where it started.
***/****
Friday, September 10, 2010
Oscar Watch
With the Toronto Film Festival well under way, signaling the beginning of Oscar season, a list of what I am most looking forward to:
Black Swan - Darren Aronofsky's ballerina thriller, starring Natalie Portman
Blue Valentine - Director David Cianfrance, relationship drama starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams
The Kings's Speech - drama of the relationship between King George VI and his speech therapist, starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush
The Social Network - Director David Fincher, story of the creators of Facebook, starring Jesse Eisenberg
True Grit - Coen Brother's take on the classic western, starring Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Matt Damon
127 Hours - Director Danny Boyle, story of climber in Moab, UT forced to cut of his arm to survive
Conviction - story of man imprisoned for crime he did not commit and his sister who becomes a lawyer to bring him justice (excited to see Sam Rockwell)
Hereafter - Eastwood's latest, who knows what it's about, supposedly a supernatural thriller, starring Matt Damon
The Town - Ben Affleck directing and starring in Boston robbery drama, also starring Rebecca Hall, John Hamm, Blake Lively, Jeremy Renner
Never Let Me Go - story of students made for the harvesting of organs, starring Kiera Knightly, Carey Mulligan, and Andrew Garfield (just read the book - pretty depressing)
The Fighter - Director David O. Russell's film of boxer Mike Ward, starring Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg
Black Swan - Darren Aronofsky's ballerina thriller, starring Natalie Portman
Blue Valentine - Director David Cianfrance, relationship drama starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams
The Kings's Speech - drama of the relationship between King George VI and his speech therapist, starring Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush
The Social Network - Director David Fincher, story of the creators of Facebook, starring Jesse Eisenberg
True Grit - Coen Brother's take on the classic western, starring Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Matt Damon
127 Hours - Director Danny Boyle, story of climber in Moab, UT forced to cut of his arm to survive
Conviction - story of man imprisoned for crime he did not commit and his sister who becomes a lawyer to bring him justice (excited to see Sam Rockwell)
Hereafter - Eastwood's latest, who knows what it's about, supposedly a supernatural thriller, starring Matt Damon
The Town - Ben Affleck directing and starring in Boston robbery drama, also starring Rebecca Hall, John Hamm, Blake Lively, Jeremy Renner
Never Let Me Go - story of students made for the harvesting of organs, starring Kiera Knightly, Carey Mulligan, and Andrew Garfield (just read the book - pretty depressing)
The Fighter - Director David O. Russell's film of boxer Mike Ward, starring Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg
A Dream Within a Dream Within a Dream Within a...
Dom, Arthur, Ariadne, Eams, Yusuf: each with their own talent, the team to call if one is in need of extracting highly confidentional information from the dream world. They live at a time when the world has developed technology to monitor the information contained within one's dreams and take what is useful for personal, corporate, and political benefit.
Inception is a masterpiece. Christopher Nolan's victory project. A breath of fresh air in the era of the made-for-money-sequels.
Cobb (DiCaprio), an expert in the field of dream extraction, meets Ariadne (Page), a prodigy architecture student, recruiting her to work as the builder of dreams. He does this after being approached for a high risk, elaborate job to implant an idea into the mind of the competition of a certain company powerhouse. The process of implanting such an idea, inception, is much harder than extraction, as it is necessary to make sure the mind of the dreamer believes he has come up with the added information all on his own. Cobb walks Ariadne through the world of dream creation (literally) where the viewer is treated to a picture of Paris streets positioned on all sides of the dreamer, explosions of fruit from local vendors, and mirror images of bridges and waterways. It is creation in raw form and my heart not only swoons for the images Ariadne moves across the screen, but applauds Nolan for the thankful glimpse into the mind of a visionary.
Along for the ride are Arthur, Cobb's right hand man, Yusuf, a chemist, and Eames, a forger. The team creates a dream within a dream within a dream in order to ensure that the information for inception is implanted deep within the mind. We find out that Cobb accepts such a risky job offer because he is forbidden to enter the United States due to an apparent misunderstading in the death of his wife. Meanwhile he longs to return home to the children he has not seen in years. The dream they create is elaborate and as they hit some snags on the way it becomes even more intricate. The details that Mr. Nolan thought up to make such a dream world believable are fabulous: the time difference in the real world from each level of dream, the experiences affecting the real world that work their way into a dream, an experience of searing pain needed in order to stir one from sleep. I could watch this movie again and again for the excitement of these details. He takes us on a thrillride and where he leaves us we may not even know.
While the character development is good, it's not the meat of the production. The characters are interesting and desireable to watch, but Nolan's inventiveness and artistic brilliance in story and overall product deserve recognition. The acting standout in my opinion is Marion Cotillard, who plays Mal, the pleading and desperate wife of Cobb.
Overall, I loved it.
****/****
Inception is a masterpiece. Christopher Nolan's victory project. A breath of fresh air in the era of the made-for-money-sequels.
Cobb (DiCaprio), an expert in the field of dream extraction, meets Ariadne (Page), a prodigy architecture student, recruiting her to work as the builder of dreams. He does this after being approached for a high risk, elaborate job to implant an idea into the mind of the competition of a certain company powerhouse. The process of implanting such an idea, inception, is much harder than extraction, as it is necessary to make sure the mind of the dreamer believes he has come up with the added information all on his own. Cobb walks Ariadne through the world of dream creation (literally) where the viewer is treated to a picture of Paris streets positioned on all sides of the dreamer, explosions of fruit from local vendors, and mirror images of bridges and waterways. It is creation in raw form and my heart not only swoons for the images Ariadne moves across the screen, but applauds Nolan for the thankful glimpse into the mind of a visionary.
Along for the ride are Arthur, Cobb's right hand man, Yusuf, a chemist, and Eames, a forger. The team creates a dream within a dream within a dream in order to ensure that the information for inception is implanted deep within the mind. We find out that Cobb accepts such a risky job offer because he is forbidden to enter the United States due to an apparent misunderstading in the death of his wife. Meanwhile he longs to return home to the children he has not seen in years. The dream they create is elaborate and as they hit some snags on the way it becomes even more intricate. The details that Mr. Nolan thought up to make such a dream world believable are fabulous: the time difference in the real world from each level of dream, the experiences affecting the real world that work their way into a dream, an experience of searing pain needed in order to stir one from sleep. I could watch this movie again and again for the excitement of these details. He takes us on a thrillride and where he leaves us we may not even know.
While the character development is good, it's not the meat of the production. The characters are interesting and desireable to watch, but Nolan's inventiveness and artistic brilliance in story and overall product deserve recognition. The acting standout in my opinion is Marion Cotillard, who plays Mal, the pleading and desperate wife of Cobb.
Overall, I loved it.
****/****
Monday, September 6, 2010
Mind of a Master
Jack walks down the steps from his apartment. He drives his car through the Italian countryside. He arrives at the local coffee shop. He makes a phone call to his employer. He begins the fashioning of a gun for a beautiful woman, an assignment from his boss. He goes to sleep. The sun sets and the next day follows much the same agenda. Over the course of his stay in this humble Italian town he befriends a priest and seeks out a prostitute who bring some color to his daily routine.
The American was plugged as the last summer blockbuster of 2010. If you're wanting car chases and big blow 'em up scenes you won't find it here. But you will find a methodical and pragmatic man who understands gun-making as an art form. The audience is made aware that Jack is the best at what he does, but he's slipping in his game as he struggles to maintain a island-like lifestyle while craving companionship.
This film largely exists in Jack's mind. We see him question who can be trusted as Swedish hitmen have managed to track him down. The slow unraveling of a master and his attempts to decipher who is on his side are intriguing to watch. While the pace of the film moves slowly at times, it is purposeful in capturing both the loneliness and perfectionism of a man set apart by his work. I was impressed by director Anton Corbjin's artistry captured in the intentionality of every scene.
***/****
The American was plugged as the last summer blockbuster of 2010. If you're wanting car chases and big blow 'em up scenes you won't find it here. But you will find a methodical and pragmatic man who understands gun-making as an art form. The audience is made aware that Jack is the best at what he does, but he's slipping in his game as he struggles to maintain a island-like lifestyle while craving companionship.
This film largely exists in Jack's mind. We see him question who can be trusted as Swedish hitmen have managed to track him down. The slow unraveling of a master and his attempts to decipher who is on his side are intriguing to watch. While the pace of the film moves slowly at times, it is purposeful in capturing both the loneliness and perfectionism of a man set apart by his work. I was impressed by director Anton Corbjin's artistry captured in the intentionality of every scene.
***/****
Friday, August 13, 2010
Is it Really About the Kids?
It's true, the kids are all right. Joni (Wasikowska) and Laser (Hutcherson), half siblings raised by lesbian parents, Nic (Bening) and Jules (Moore), in The Kids are All Right, are your normal, run of the mill teenagers finding who they want to be and what they love, thinking they know best, and testing boundaries.
Curiosity prompts Laser to ask a newly legal Joni to make an attempt at contacting their sperm-doner father. At first hesistant to offend their mothers, she refuses, but swayed by her brother's strong desire, she proceeds with the arrangement of a meeting on the condition they would do so without their parents knowledge. Paul (Ruffalo), a local farm and restaurant owner, awkwardly meets his children for lunch, where they learn the basics of each others lives. Joni, taken with his laidback and independent lifestyle wants to see him again, while it's clear Laser will need time before he'll invite Paul into his life. News of this meeting is accidentally spilled to Nic and Jules and in an effort to protect their children and family unit they declare that they will need to meet Paul before the children can have any further contact with him.
The very different personalities of the women surface in this meeting. The authoritarian perfectionist Nic takes the role of drill sargeant with rapid fire questions directed at Paul. She comments on his lack of education and close relationships. Jules sits back and lets the conversation go wherever it may, and when asked about her own career, struggles to give vision for her newest entrepeneurial venture in landscaping, doubting her abilities. Despite this, Paul ends up hiring her and becomes her first client, making ties with the family and continuing his relationships with them. As Paul becomes a fixture in their lives, fears of replacement surface and authority is questioned, threatening the funcionality of their family.
Really the title is deceiving. It's hardly about the kids. They are the product of two loving mothers giving their everything toward the mental, emotional, and social growth of their children. It makes the audience think, "these kids are just like any kids raised by heterosexual parents, these parents can make a family function just like any other." They have dinner at the kitchen table together where the children are encouraged to write thank you notes and are questioned about disconcerting friendships. This lays the foundation for what the film is actually about: marriage. As life happens, failures evidenced, and time becomes more and more unavailable the bonds holding a marriage together are tested. The film progresses and one's thoughts travel from "this family is just like any other" to "this marriage is faced with the same problems as any other."
Annette Bening is superb as Nic. Displaying fear, rejection, remorse, and an underappreciated love impeccably. Julianne Moore also shines as she struggles to define herself outside of her marriage, trying to find a career niche alongside a partner who has always known what she has wanted.
***.5/****
Curiosity prompts Laser to ask a newly legal Joni to make an attempt at contacting their sperm-doner father. At first hesistant to offend their mothers, she refuses, but swayed by her brother's strong desire, she proceeds with the arrangement of a meeting on the condition they would do so without their parents knowledge. Paul (Ruffalo), a local farm and restaurant owner, awkwardly meets his children for lunch, where they learn the basics of each others lives. Joni, taken with his laidback and independent lifestyle wants to see him again, while it's clear Laser will need time before he'll invite Paul into his life. News of this meeting is accidentally spilled to Nic and Jules and in an effort to protect their children and family unit they declare that they will need to meet Paul before the children can have any further contact with him.
The very different personalities of the women surface in this meeting. The authoritarian perfectionist Nic takes the role of drill sargeant with rapid fire questions directed at Paul. She comments on his lack of education and close relationships. Jules sits back and lets the conversation go wherever it may, and when asked about her own career, struggles to give vision for her newest entrepeneurial venture in landscaping, doubting her abilities. Despite this, Paul ends up hiring her and becomes her first client, making ties with the family and continuing his relationships with them. As Paul becomes a fixture in their lives, fears of replacement surface and authority is questioned, threatening the funcionality of their family.
Really the title is deceiving. It's hardly about the kids. They are the product of two loving mothers giving their everything toward the mental, emotional, and social growth of their children. It makes the audience think, "these kids are just like any kids raised by heterosexual parents, these parents can make a family function just like any other." They have dinner at the kitchen table together where the children are encouraged to write thank you notes and are questioned about disconcerting friendships. This lays the foundation for what the film is actually about: marriage. As life happens, failures evidenced, and time becomes more and more unavailable the bonds holding a marriage together are tested. The film progresses and one's thoughts travel from "this family is just like any other" to "this marriage is faced with the same problems as any other."
Annette Bening is superb as Nic. Displaying fear, rejection, remorse, and an underappreciated love impeccably. Julianne Moore also shines as she struggles to define herself outside of her marriage, trying to find a career niche alongside a partner who has always known what she has wanted.
***.5/****
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
La Bella Luna
While waiting for films worth watching to hit theaters again, I have decided to immerse myself in past Oscar winners. Always skeptical of a pop star who not only brings home a golden statue, but manages to beat Meryl Streep in the process, Cher's performance in Moonstruck (1987) seemed a good place to start.
Moonstruck tells the story of Loretta Castorini's second try at marriage. Convinced her first marriage was cursed, which ultimately led to her husband's untimely death, Loretta sets out to do it right the second time around, even if she happens to be without love for her fiance, Johnny. Soon after their engagement Johnny must travel to Sicily to tend to his dying mother, leaving Loretta with one request - contact his estranged brother, Ronny, with an invite to their upcoming nuptials. She visits Ronnie at his place of employment to hear the details of the fraternal rift and Ronnie's own disappointing love story.
The remainder of the film proves to be an education in love:
Loretta, I love you. Not like they told you love is, and I didn't know this either, but love don't make things nice - it ruins everything. It breaks your heart. It makes things a mess. We aren't here to make things perfect. The snowflakes are perfect. The stars are perfect. Not us. Not us! We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and *die*. The storybooks are *bullshit*. Now I want you to come upstairs with me and *get* in my bed! ~ Ronny
Loretta believes deeply that failure to follow the rules of love will certainly result in a disappointing end. Her focus on embracing the right thoughts, actions, and plans is turned upside down by Ronny who basically tells her: mistakes will be made, bad choices happen, no one is perfect, no love will be either. I like the message he has to share. No flawed relationship (and even the one's that work best are flawed) will be without hardship, but go for it anyway. He knows that love is capable of heartbreak, that it can ruin a person, that it gives away some of the power one has to another. I think he's saying that's how it should be. The depth of love can be felt not only in its presence but also in its absence.
Making the message even better is the back and forth dialogue between Cher and Nicholas Cage, the understated perfomance of Olympia Dukakis, and her knows-best husband played by Vincent Gardenia. The bluntness paired with outbursts of emotional fervor characterizes the comings and goings of this Italian American family making for a truly enjoyable romantic comedy.
Moonstruck tells the story of Loretta Castorini's second try at marriage. Convinced her first marriage was cursed, which ultimately led to her husband's untimely death, Loretta sets out to do it right the second time around, even if she happens to be without love for her fiance, Johnny. Soon after their engagement Johnny must travel to Sicily to tend to his dying mother, leaving Loretta with one request - contact his estranged brother, Ronny, with an invite to their upcoming nuptials. She visits Ronnie at his place of employment to hear the details of the fraternal rift and Ronnie's own disappointing love story.
The remainder of the film proves to be an education in love:
Loretta, I love you. Not like they told you love is, and I didn't know this either, but love don't make things nice - it ruins everything. It breaks your heart. It makes things a mess. We aren't here to make things perfect. The snowflakes are perfect. The stars are perfect. Not us. Not us! We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and *die*. The storybooks are *bullshit*. Now I want you to come upstairs with me and *get* in my bed! ~ Ronny
Loretta believes deeply that failure to follow the rules of love will certainly result in a disappointing end. Her focus on embracing the right thoughts, actions, and plans is turned upside down by Ronny who basically tells her: mistakes will be made, bad choices happen, no one is perfect, no love will be either. I like the message he has to share. No flawed relationship (and even the one's that work best are flawed) will be without hardship, but go for it anyway. He knows that love is capable of heartbreak, that it can ruin a person, that it gives away some of the power one has to another. I think he's saying that's how it should be. The depth of love can be felt not only in its presence but also in its absence.
Making the message even better is the back and forth dialogue between Cher and Nicholas Cage, the understated perfomance of Olympia Dukakis, and her knows-best husband played by Vincent Gardenia. The bluntness paired with outbursts of emotional fervor characterizes the comings and goings of this Italian American family making for a truly enjoyable romantic comedy.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
My Oscar Dream Ballot
Best Picture
Up!
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Where the Wild Things Are
A Serious Man
Up in the Air
Bright Star
Julie & Julia
Avatar
Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Neill Blomkamp, District 9
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Lone Sherfig, An Education
James Cameron, Avatar
Best Actor
Sam Rockwell, Moon
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actress
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gaborey Sidibe, Precious
Abbie Cornish, Bright Star
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Stanley Tucci, Julie & Julia
Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker
Alfred Molina, An Education
Paul Schneider, Bright Star
Best Supporting Actress
Mo'Nique, Precious
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Marion Cotillard, Public Enemies
Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds
Up!
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Where the Wild Things Are
A Serious Man
Up in the Air
Bright Star
Julie & Julia
Avatar
Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Neill Blomkamp, District 9
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Lone Sherfig, An Education
James Cameron, Avatar
Best Actor
Sam Rockwell, Moon
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Best Actress
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gaborey Sidibe, Precious
Abbie Cornish, Bright Star
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Stanley Tucci, Julie & Julia
Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker
Alfred Molina, An Education
Paul Schneider, Bright Star
Best Supporting Actress
Mo'Nique, Precious
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Marion Cotillard, Public Enemies
Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds
Monday, February 1, 2010
Best Picture Oscar Predictions
On the eve of Oscar nomination morning, here's what I think the list will look like:
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air
An Education
Invictus
District 9
Up
A Serious Man
What should make the list, but won't: Where the Wild Things Are
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air
An Education
Invictus
District 9
Up
A Serious Man
What should make the list, but won't: Where the Wild Things Are
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
My Top Ten of 2009
1. Up
2. District 9
3. The Hurt Locker
4. An Education
5. Where the Wild Things Are
6. Up in the Air
7. A Serious Man
8. Bright Star
9. Moon
10. Julie & Julia
2. District 9
3. The Hurt Locker
4. An Education
5. Where the Wild Things Are
6. Up in the Air
7. A Serious Man
8. Bright Star
9. Moon
10. Julie & Julia
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