2k18 Year in Review

Friends! Family! Random internet strangers! Lend me your eyeballs as we break-down this past film season and applaud some favorites.

Black Panther - this film was great for lots of reasons (not least of which was costume design) but I still think most people missed the truly glorious moment of DANIEL KALUUYA RIDING INTO BATTLE ATOP A RHINO. a top. cinematic. moment.

BlacKkKlansman - yes, I know Do the Right Thing exists, but I maintain that this was Spike Lee's best work. he confronts police brutality, reclaims the blacksploitation genre, and gives the world Adam Driver in all the flannel. #blessed

The Favourite - absolutely one of my favorites of the year. Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone are magnificent and hilarious, vulnerable and hardened, and not a little bit crazy, in the best way. and I want to hear all your theories about what that ending means.

If Beale Street Could Talk - truly lovely in every sense. the images flow along with the beautiful score and the story breathes deeply in every scene. Baldwin's voice is present and felt. exquisitely crafted film.

Widows - the latest from one of my favorite filmmakers, Steve McQueen, and while not his best, still thrilling and fun. an outstanding cast. Miss Viola kills it, as always.

Sorry to Bother You - both my most anticipated and ultimately my top pick of the lot. this film, like all of my favorites of the season, really went there and while I was initially bothered by the lack of subtlety in the big twist, I haven't been able to stop thinking about this movie since I saw it in the cinema over six months ago.

Venom - unlike Aquaman, Venom was not a disappointment! (maybe because I'm much less invested in the character, maybe because it was better. discuss.) I enjoyed the VFX and thought Tom Hardy did a good job capturing the two characters and their symbiotic relationship. it was fun! it's ok to have fun at the cinema!

Halloween - it paid all the proper homage to the original, had a twist I didn't see coming, and featured three awesome ladies kicking serial killer butt. queue the heavy breathing.

Ocean's 8 - another franchise revitalized by ladies kicking butt, although the butt-kicking is more metaphorical in this case. a totally joyful cinematic experience. I want every single piece of Cate Blanchett's wardrobe.

Unsane - Steven Soderbergh is not, in fact, retired and instead, shot a feature film with an iPhone. a revelation in film-making that highlights some real anxieties of the digital age.

Searching - another film about the anxieties of the digital age with another cool film-making device. this one uses both cell phone and computer cameras and validates the continued #StarringJohnCho campaign.

First Reformed - one of those films that really went for it and one of my favorites. 80% of it is a quiet, tense stage drama and 20% of it is outside reality, but 100% of it hangs on the brilliance of Ethan Hawke.

A Simple Favor - I was ready to buy this on DVD as I was leaving the cinema. it's out there and dark and funny and stylish and I loved it. Anna Kendrick and Henry Golding are great and lovely and talented, but Blake Lively completely overshadows them. she is stunning in every way.

The Front Runner - this was my favorite of the political dramas this year (sorry, Christian Bale). the characters are complex and relateable. the story is highly relevant. Vera Farmiga is excellent, if underused. Jason Reitman > Adam McKay.

On the Basis of Sex - this movie made me both incredibly happy as the notorious RBG triumphs over all the naysaying men in her life and incredibly nervous as she's had a couple health scares recently. also, Kesha's anthem "Here Comes the Change" was robbed of an Oscar nom.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before - a Netflix movie makes the list! it was a banner year for the romantic comedy genre, but this one topped my list. (I bought all the books!) it's sweet, funny, heartfelt, and entertaining as all get out. Noah Centineo is the boycrush of 2018.

The Wife - Glenn Close deserves all the awards for her starring turn as a brilliant woman who finally takes control of her own life. also, the hair, make-up, and costume staff managed to severely blunt Max Irons's attractiveness and that is no easy feat.

honorable mentions: Bohemian Rhapsody (as a film, it's got issues, but the Live Aid scene is transportive and Rami Malek is a beautiful angel who deserves everything), Love, Simon and Crazy Rich Asians (both delightfully inclusive rom-coms), Game Night (so fun! I just cannot take Jason Bateman seriously), Bad Samaritan (it's not reinventing the wheel, but David Tennant is deliciously bad), and The Seagull (one of my favorite plays of all time. I just wanted more from the titular monologue "I am the seagull.")

agree? disagree? what did I miss? as always, I look forward to your letters! xx

Movie Year-End Wrap-Up

I acknowledge I can be a bit of a film snob, so I thought, why not take a moment to appreciate the movies that I most enjoyed this past year, regardless of cinematic vision or achievement. Since I'm still me, there's likely to be overlap, but I just want you all to know, it's ok to have fun at the cinema too! Not every movie has to be an Oscar winner. But know I'm probably still judging you. ;-) Ok, let's go! In no particular order:

Battle of the Sexes - I love Emma Stone. I love Steve Carrell. There's a fun Sara Bareilles song over the credits. I left the cinema beaming, with such a sense of girl power.

Molly's Game - I tend to like Aaron Sorkin's writing, so it's unsurprising that I enjoyed his directing as well. The parallels to The Crucible really struck a chord with me. I don't think I'd ever heard Kevin Costner say the F word before (it was awesome). Jessica Chastain is a top inspiration for me.

Atomic Blonde - James McAvoy was the perfect combination of hilarious and sinister in this. It was such a fun reversal of a typical spy thriller. I want to walk down the streets of London in a trenchcoat and heeled boots while David Bowie plays in the background. Charlize Theron kicks so much butt.

Wind River - Jon Bernthaal deserved better. Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen were both pitch perfect. I think this movie is better than Three Billboards. Fight me.

Logan - Great story, great cinematography. Callbacks to Shane made me cry. Patrick Stewart is grumpy the whole time and he made me cry. Hugh Jackman is also grumpy the whole time and he made me cry. I hate crying, but I really liked this movie.

Coco - I'm at the age where I'm basically only interested in Pixar's animated movies and this was my favorite offering from them since Brave.

The Big Sick - I've been a fan of Kumail Nanjiani since 2011 when he was a supporting character on the cable tv comedy Franklin & Bash and I followed the progress of this script for nearly as long (he & his wife Emily started working on it in 2012). This movie is funny, touching, and mostly true!

Baby Driver - Edgar Wright is a genius. The integration of the music into every shot is just masterful. Who doesn't love a few heart-pounding car chases? Jon Bernthaal still deserved better.

Blade Runner 2049 - My love for the original is strong and this didn't disappoint me. It raised a lot more interesting questions and didn't answer them. My dad still thinks Ryan Gosling was robbed by the awards circuit for this.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - If you didn't like this movie, you're wrong.

Get Out - Stay woke. (And if I had to pick a winner, I think this is the best film on this list.)

Wonder Woman - I saw WW 4 times in the theater (and then twice more on an airplane in December) beating my previous record of 3 for Jurassic World. Finally the DC Comics movie we deserve. Also I might've cried a little because it was so good and I was so happy. Don't tell anyone. I have a reputation.

Thor: Ragnarok - Taika Waititi had me in stitches every time and I saw this movie 3 times in the theater. Blink and you'll miss them cameos from Sam Neill, Matt Damon, and the oldest Hemsworth. Tessa Thompson is amazing. 10 out of a possible 10 Goldblums.

Dunkirk - Rule, Britannia! Britannia rule the waves. Britons never never never will be slaves.

Lady Bird - Like I said before, I'm the target audience for this movie and I was already a Greta Gerwig fan (Frances Ha is pretty great).

Ingrid Goes West - Funny, creepy, and super awkward, this movie has a lot of questions about mental health in the social media age.

Columbus - This film is modern art. Cast John Cho in more things.

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool - Everyone's Liverpudlian accents are spot on and the British humor worked for me. Jamie Bell is really pretty and really talented. Annette Bening is a force.

Honorable mentions: The Disaster Artist and I, Tonya. I'm just still not sure whether we're laughing at them or with them.

I look forward to your letters!

Oscars 2018

Hello again! It's been awhile since I've used this blog to talk to you about movies, but now that I'm no longer working full-time hours for part-time money, I thought it was time to get back in the saddle. In the interim, I have, of course, not stopped watching, thinking about, and discussing movies, but I've done most of it in the concise and fleeting medium of Twitter. (If you're on Twitter, please come talk to me @ sugarandSpicer!) To kick off this return to blogging, and since we've so much to discuss, I thought it best to jump right in and give you all my brief impressions on the Academy Award nominees announced yesterday. Let's get down to it, shall we?

Ever since the Academy changed the number of possible Best Picture nominees, I'm always fascinated to see not just what gets the nod, but how many. In case you aren't in the know, 8 years ago, the Oscars expanded the number of Best Picture nominees from 5 to any number between 5 and 10. This year we have 9 and I always wonder how and why those decisions are reached. Anyway, to the nominees:
Call Me By Your Name - Just watched this one last night, so I'm still processing a bit, but initial impression is it's very Italian. That's not a judgement, just a fact. The film takes place in "somewhere in Northern Italy" in 1983 and is much a love letter to the setting as it is a coming-of-age story. In what appears to be his first feature film not starring Tilda Swinton, Italian director Luca Guadagnino transports the audience to the ancient beauty of this Alpine part of Italy with long shots slowly breathing in landscape and architecture. Everything moves slowly here. More than the aching tenderness of the story, I'm left with the impression of the place.
    This film also garnered nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay (from the novel by Andre Aciman), Best Actor Timothee Chalamet, and Best Original Song "Mystery of Love" by Sufjan Stevens. Adapted Screenplay is an interesting category this year, but it's hard to beat Aaron Sorkin, so I look for Molly's Game to take it. Timothee Chalamet, whom I also enjoyed in Lady Bird this year, is wonderful as Elio, but Best Actor easily belongs to Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour. And the Original Song category has Coco and The Greatest Showman, so another long shot for CMBYN there, although I'm personally slightly obsessed with "Mystery of Love."
Darkest Hour - Director Joe Wright is a favourite of mine, but his last offering, Pan, is better forgotten, so let's, because Darkest Hour is a magnificent return to form for him. Every last detail is meticulously curated, making this a strong contender for the Best Picture title in my book. The framing and lighting work marvelously to create moments of both epic grandeur and heartfelt intimacy. There are two things particularly I want to highlight before we go on to gush about Gary Oldman. Firstly, there's a wonderful moment of almost farcical comedy when Wright frames three perfectly spaced and timed closing doors. Secondly, the way the lights in the bunkers naturally dim and brighten is so real that it takes the audience right in, but then Wright uses that flickering to highlight the emotions of different scenes. (Props to the cinematographer, Bruno Delbonnel, as well, who received a nomination even though Wright didn't.) I hate to use the word "masterpiece," but I think it at least approaches that level.
     Then we have Gary Oldman, in an Oscar-bait role if I've ever seen one. As we know, the Academy loves 3 things: physical transformations of actors, British period dramas, and movies about artists/making art. This checks 2 of those 3 boxes. On top of that, it is actually spectacular. The film also received nominations for Hair & Makeup, Costume, and Production Design, all of which contribute to bringing Winston Churchill to life, but Oldman has truly disappeared and brought Churchill back from the grave. Insert applause emojis here.
Dunkirk - One of two Best Picture nominees from outside Oscar season, Dunkirk is the latest cinematic epic from visionary (another word I don't use lightly) Christopher Nolan. This film is specifically designed to be seen in the biggest format available to you and if you missed it in the cinema, you really missed out. I'm still bummed about not being able to have seen it in IMAX and I don't even like IMAX. Admittedly, it's been six months since it came out, so my memory might be a little hazy around the edges, but I remember leaving the theater humming Rule, Britannia! and feeling utterly blown away by not just the scale of this movie, but the intricacy with which Nolan has interwoven different perspectives and the immediacy of literally ticking clocks. Once again, Nolan has assembled an absolutely stellar cast, from the stately and serene Sir Kenneth Branagh to the wild-eyed Cillian Murphy to the gruff grumbling Tom Hardy (once again only using the top half of his face) to the young whipper-snapper Harry Styles (whom I secretly adore).
      Nolan is up for Best Director and if that award went for innovation in the craft of filmmaking, he'd be a sure thing, but we'll come back to that category later. The film is also nominated for Editing, Cinematography, Production Design, Original Score, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing. (Side note: the exact same 5 films are nominated in the 2 sound categories, proving that no one else knows what the difference between them is either.) Since the Best Director category is tight, I'd like to say Dunkirk will at least win Editing and/or Cinematography, but I also wouldn't be surprised to see Baby Driver snap up Editing and Blade Runner 2049 grab Cinematography, so we shall see. (Side note #2: Edgar Wright risked life and limb to get some of those Baby Driver shots and he deserved a nomination.)
Get Out - The biggest surprise in this category, because not only did it come out in February 2017, but it's also a genre film! Even so, Get Out deserves to be here, because we haven't been able to stop talking about, for all the right reasons. Like all great horror movies, it is part paralyzing terror, part biting comedy, and part timely social commentary. It also poignantly utilizes Childish Gambino's "Redbone," earning it about 50 extra points with me. (Fun fact #2: Roman J. Israel, Esq. which earned the always magnificent Denzel Washington a Best Actor nomination this year also has a Childish Gambino song, "Baby Boy," on its soundtrack!)
     Get Out has also garnered first time nominations for Best Actor Daniel Kaluuya and Best Director and Original Screenplay for Jordan Peele. Like I said earlier, Gary Oldman's got the Best Actor statue locked up, but the Directing and Original Screenplay categories are both full of awesome, deserving nominees. (Shout out to The Big Sick, which was a movie I followed from its very early script stages all the way to an Oscar nomination!) At the end of the day, I'm not sure if it'll get any wins or not, but I think it's very cool that it's in the conversation. 
Lady Bird - Let's first establish that despite its title, this movie has absolutely nothing to do with ex-First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. It's a delightfully sweet coming-of-age story about a girl learning that loving your hometown and wanting nothing more than to leave it are strangely enough not mutually exclusive ideas. Now that we've got that out of the way, I'll say that I'm a fan of Greta Gerwig and I thought that as a directorial debut, Lady Bird is really lovely. Objectively, I'm not sure if it's good enough to win in this category, but as a member of its target audience, it's a movie I very much enjoyed.
      I'm excited to see Greta get nominated for Best Director and Original Screenplay and honestly think those are the 2 categories that are anybody's game this year. Saoirse Ronan has been getting a lot of awards season love in the Best Actress category and could easily walk away with the win here as well. Laurie Metcalf is also highly deserving in the Supporting Actress category, but Allison Janney just had so much more to play with in I, Tonya and has been sweeping the early awards.
The next 2 on the list are Phantom Thread and The Post. I haven't seen either of these yet, because, in all honesty, I don't want to. Part of me says I SHOULD see them anyway, but the other part of me says life's too short to waste time and money on things you're not into. I will say that I was disappointed to see Daniel Day Lewis get nominated for Best Actor because it seems like he just got the nod because he says Phantom Thread is his last film and he's retiring from acting. It doesn't seem like there's a lot, if any, of the patented DDL method acting involved in this role and I think that nomination could've gone to someone more deserving this year (my dad is campaigning for Ryan Gosling). As for The Post, I think the story is an important one, but I'm very rarely impressed by either Spielberg or Hanks and Meryl has already played Margaret Thatcher. (I know her character isn't LITERALLY Thatcher in this movie, but she looks just like her in the trailers.) You're all free to disagree with me here. I've made generalized judgments. These are just my opinions. Moving right along.
The Shape of Water - Another magical fantasy from the mind of Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water is the beautiful fairytale of the voiceless princess and her amphibian god-like prince, set against the backdrop of Cold War America. Especially striking to me was the use of color, mostly blues and greens, of course, but also reds and golds, creating character and environment and emotion in the background of every moment. It's everything we've come to expect from del Toro and earned 13 total nominations, but it's the nominations it didn't get that baffled me--no love for Visual Effects or Makeup/Hair, which seem like no brainers for transforming Doug Jones (unrecognizable and perfect, as always) into a man-sea creature. Guillermo del Toro is one of the most original filmmakers of our time, so any awards he wins are 100% deserved.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Martin McDonagh's third feature film is not his best work, but it couldn't have come at a better time. Known for his dark humor and intense psychological insights, McDonagh delivers again with this film about a mother dealing with the unsolved rape and murder of her teenage daughter. In a year where strong women have come forward to talk about sexual assault in record numbers, Three Billboards has found itself in prime position going into awards season. I'll be the first to say that the performances in this movie are top notch, but even as a fan of Martin McDonagh, I'm not sure that as an overall film, Three Billboards is the one I want him to win for. In fact, as far as movies about dealing with the aftermath of the rape and murder of a young girl, it's not even the best film of the year. Taylor Sheridan's Wind River, which chronicles the hunt for justice on a Native American reservation, came out in August and was a much more moving and visually striking film.
Ok. I don't know about y'all, but that was a lot to take in at once, so let's let that percolate for a while. And as always, I look forward to your letters.

Oscars 2014

Let's talk Oscars.

Best Picture -
I was unable to see Nebraska, Philomena, and Dallas Buyers Club and I skipped Captain Phillips (frankly, I've no idea what it's even doing in this category) and Gravity (didn't fancy watching Sandy B float off into space for 90 minutes).
American Hustle: This film was a lot of fun to watch, thanks to the impeccable acting across the cast and that David O. Russell sense of humor that was so successful in last year's Silver Linings Playbook. The overall story isn't terribly compelling; it's all about the characters, so the actors shine even brighter. I don't look for this film to be the winner in this category (nor do I think it should be), but look for at least one of the 4 nominated actors (Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence) to take home a statuette.
Her: It may just be because I'm in the target demographic for this movie, but I adored it, especially the way the imagery and music emphasized the emotions of the moment. I found it painfully beautiful. There's a sad, empty feeling throughout, but it was one of my favorite things about the movie. Added to its realism, in my opinion. I caught myself repeatedly thinking about the film for days after I left the theater, considering different aspects of its message, which, to me, is a mark of greatness. I keep going back to one scene in particular, which depicts Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) trudging through a snowy forest alone, literally and figuratively struggling across the screen. For some reason that image really struck me... My complete adoration aside, this film hasn't played well with a variety of audiences, so its chances of victory in any big categories is incredibly unlikely. If it wins anything it'll be for screenplay or music, because both are highly original.
12 Years a Slave: For me, this is the film of the year. It's emotionally devastating and inspiring, a testament to the human spirit. The acting is phenomenal from everyone, especially, of course, Chiwetel Ejiofor. The combination of Steve McQueen's direction and his longtime DP, Sean Bobbitt's cinematography is breathtaking. Their work over the past five years has become some of my favorite contemporary filmmaking. They aren't afraid to play with camera angle and movement and framing, which is both interesting and refreshing. Unlike the majority of modern filmmakers, McQueen isn't afraid of silence and the immense power it can have. Plus, the film checks two-thirds of the boxes Academy voters love: a timeless, period film made by Brits (it's only missing being a film about film, but Solomon Northup was a musician and an author, so it is, in a way, still about an artist). Based on the awards season to this point, I look to this film or Gravity to win Best Picture. Honestly, though, I'll consider any awards this film wins as a personal victory and totally deserved.
The Wolf of Wall Street: Now anyone who knows me, knows that the Scorsese/DiCaprio pairing may in fact be my favorite team of all time. With that said, I may be a bit biased in my review of The Wolf of Wall Street, but I had a blast at this movie. It's not the best film these two powerhouses have made together, nor is it my favorite, but it's still better than 90% of the films released in 2013. It is, as with all of their films, uniquely epic, and I loved every second of it. Even so, it's doubtful that this film takes home many awards. The categories are too deeply stacked with talent. Scorsese will lose to Cuaron or McQueen and Best Actor is almost certainly going to Matthew McConaughey and his dramatic award-magnet weight loss. I would, of course, always love to see either one of my guys win, I just don't see it happening this year.
So, to recap, my prediction is either Gravity or 12 Years a Slave to win Best Picture, but I'm hoping for the latter.

Blue Jasmine

Blue Jasmine is this year's offering from illustrious and profuse director Woody Allen and it's one of his best in the past five years, in my opinion, second only to Midnight in Paris. For those of you who didn't love that film, however, this will more likely fit the bill. Where that film was fantastical and charming, this one is real and personal.
Cate Blanchett's performance is the perfect blend of big and subtly pointed as the film centers around her nervous breakdown. She gets excellent support from Alec Baldwin, as her smooth, crooked husband and Sally Hawkins, as her hard-working, but unconfident sister. Andrew Dice Clay, Bobby Cannavale, and Louis C.K. also have delightful supporting roles (although there's been some backlash on Dice Clay and Cannavale playing San Francisco natives while retaining their distinct New York dialects).
The other brilliant part of this movie is the way Allen integrates the music into the storytelling, especially "Blue Moon." The song itself is mentioned several times, but Allen manages to so deftly use the music itself and the lyrics to play an integral part in the narrative. It's truly magical that after so many films, he can still leave me marveling at his skill.
If you're into the whole "Oscar race," like I am, make sure Blue Jasmine is on your list of films to see this year. It's a gem.

Giant (1956)

Those of you who are, like me, a bit obsessive about film, have surely seen (or at least been told you should see) the 1956 film Giant, based on the classic American novel by Edna Ferber and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean. Sitting down to watch this film, like sitting down to watch Gone with the Wind, is no easy undertaking. Giant is 3 hours and 20 minutes, as my father says, "of just movie time." I finally dedicated the necessary time to watching this "giant" movie (I make no apology for that pun) a week ago. I was underwhelmed, which I'm fairly certain is never the aim of any 3+ hour movie.
I'll start with the good things. James Dean is utterly magnificent as Jett Rink, a poor cowboy just trying to make his way under the shadow of the incredibly wealthy Benedict family. That this was his last role before his untimely death makes his performance all the more heartbreaking as his life slowly spins out of control. The story of Jett Rink is the classic example of "be careful what you wish for because you just might get it." In fact, he's far and away the most fascinating character in the film and comparatively, we barely see him. He pops up every now and again to act as a sort of catalyst to the action of the film, which leads me to one of the biggest problems I have with Giant.
The story of Jett Rink is pushed to the side in favor of an extended chronicle of the marriage of Leslie and Jordan "Bick" Benedict (Taylor and Hudson). The film spends ages showing their domestic  life over more than twenty-five years and quite frankly, most of it is downright dull. They represent the stereotypical North vs South mentality, which at certain moments, creates interesting tension, but for the most part, there's no point in watching them throw parties or fight over what their four year old son's career will be, while somewhere off-screen, an actual epic saga of the pitfalls of the American dream is taking place with Jett Rink at the center.
Also, there's no real central theme to the film. As I mentioned before, there are some interesting moments of turmoil between the two main characters, such as Leslie's fiery rant against the sexism of her husband and his pals and the two ending scenes in which Bick confronts his own racism and endeavors to correct it. Unfortunately, these are few and far between. If I had made this movie, Jett Rink would've been the main character and Leslie & Jordan would've been the supporting characters (they're still important to his story, especially Leslie). This way I could do away with massive portions of basically filler material that take the audience through time without really offering much to the story.
Giant is ultimately a story about Texas, which I suppose accounts somewhat for its length and attempt at a vast, epic tone, yet it falls short of even being convincing as a chronicle of the Lone Star State. In the end, my advice to you is this: if you still feel the need to spend almost 3.5 hours of your life watching this film (and if you love James Dean, it's almost worth it), I suggest also watching Baz Luhrmann's Australia (although not in one sitting) to see what a true love letter to a time and place looks like.

Man of Steel

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE MAN OF STEEL. DO NOT PROCEED PAST THIS POINT IF YOU ARE TRYING TO AVOID SPOILERS. WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM.
Ok, readers, it's time to talk Superman. I've had a lot of mixed emotions about Man of Steel since it was announced a few years back. First, I was worried about making a new Superman movie so soon after the debacle that was Superman Returns. Then, I was skeptical about casting Henry Cavill, a Brit, as an American icon. See, DC Comics (and Superman fans), really, really needed this movie to be great. Marvel is flourishing in the film industry with Spider-man, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and Avengers movies, plus the SHIELD tv series. DC, on the other hand, has been struggling to reach that level for years. And I'll be honest, I've been a DC fan for as long as I can remember. In fact, Superman has always been my favorite. Yet, they just haven't been able to quite get a Superman movie right since the Christopher Reeve era and on top of all the other DC disappointments over the last 20 years or so, we loyal fans needed a win. Unfortunately, we'll have to keep waiting.
The most disappointing thing about Man of Steel is that it's great until it isn't. The attention to detail is obvious in everything from costumes to VFX to casting and it's all good. Very good, actually. Until the end. (HERE COME THOSE SPOILERS I MENTIONED) Near the end of the film is Superman's epic battle with the infamous General Zod and at its conclusion, Superman kills him. Now, I can justify a lot in the name of poetic license and creative freedom and all that. Honestly. But there are some things that are just outside the suspension of belief and that is one of them. Like I said, I've been a Superman fan for as long as I can remember and Superman doesn't kill anyone, ever, to the point that sometimes you wish he would. I spent countless hours yelling at him for it on Smallville. But the point is, he never does. Because as human as he is, he's also not. He's better. Superman is humanity's inspiration. He pushes us to be better than our base instincts. He has issues, but he's not dark, brooding Bruce Wayne. He's Kansas farm-bred, Clark Kent, the mild-mannered reporter. He's a little corny and that's ok. He leads by example.
I don't know how this incredibly important plot point managed to get the go ahead from EVERYONE to make it to the screen, but it is not ok. Is it too much to ask for a good Superman movie? How will the announced Justice League movie fare after this disaster? As Craig Ferguson is fond of saying, I look forward to your letters.

World War Z

After some small excitement at the movie theater yesterday (smoke sensors went off. false alarm. we blamed the zombies.), I saw the incredibly expensive to make summer blockbuster World War Z. I'm not a zombie fanatic, like some, but I have nothing particularly against them either, and I was intrigued to see this Max Brooks (son of the legendary Mel Brooks) novel turned into a film. Plus, there was a lot of speculation on what exactly this movie would look like after all that time and money. So for me, this one was not to be missed and I have to say, I rather enjoyed it.
It's a fun, suspenseful summer thriller. It doesn't look overproduced, so kudos to the VFX artists and engineers (and the makeup artists) on that one. And, full disclosure, how bad could two hours of watching Brad Pitt run around really be? The answer: not bad at all.
It's more of a tense nail-biter than a gore fest (The zombies are the fast, semi-intelligent kind, rather than the slow, brain-eating kind.), so I found it entertaining. Director Marc Forster's pacing is spot-on, too. The movie doesn't go on too long or spend too much time on exposition, making it perfect for some light summer afternoon fun. Action fans will be familiar with Forster's work on Quantum of Solace (and if you liked that film and World War Z, I highly recommend his lesser known movie Stay. very, very good.).
So if you like Brad Pitt and you don't mind zombies, go see World War Z. It's the best summer action movie I've seen so far.
[PS Fun Fact: look for Matthew Fox in a no-name bit part.]

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of those novels that everyone is told to read, usually for school, meaning spending hours dissecting every line for symbolism, so it can be easy to forget (or entirely miss) why the book is such a classic. It's the story of ambition, love, mystery, but more than that, of a time and a place, capturing in so few words, the true essence of a mere moment so poetically. There's no one better to capture that essence than the master of grand spectacle himself, director Baz Luhrmann.
This film is uptempo and opulent, every shot meticulously framed, like an Impressionist painting. Everything glimmers, from wardrobe to set decoration, evoking that very American form of optimism. I could go on and on, but the point is that, without doubt, the film is a visual masterpiece.
The acting, too, is splendid. Carey Mulligan is dewy and careworn all at once, all fluttering curtains and flowing curves, like spring with a hint of frost. In other words, utterly ravishing in the most heartbreaking way. I found Tobey Maguire (except for one brief instant of Spider-man 3 flashback) to be charmingly naive as Nick Carraway. Then there's Leonardo DiCaprio. Admittedly, he is possibly my favorite actor of our generation, and not just because of those piercing blue eyes, but I have it on good authority that it's not just me. He is truly magnificent as Jay Gatsby. He is the heart and soul, the epitome of the American dream, the perfect irresistible imagination with an unending sense of hope. As the kids say, he is just everything. Enough of my gushing, though.
Surprisingly, I did not find the use of hip-hop music to be entirely off-putting. At times, I thought it worked quite well. The one moment that seems to have bothered everyone I've talked to is the car pumping some Jay-Z that Nick & Gatsby pass on the bridge into Manhattan. Luhrmann justifies it by pointing out that hip-hop is something like the jazz of our time, but that doesn't make rap-loving flappers any less jarring.
The other departure from the novel, the decision to have Nick tell the story to a psychiatrist, is a choice I go back and forth on. I can see justifications for and against it. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. It's the one niggling detail that is keeping me from pronouncing this as the movie of the year. As late-night host and comedian Craig Ferguson is fond of saying, I look forward to your letters.

Iron Man 3

First thing you need to know about Iron Man 3 is that it is infinitely superior to Iron Man 2, in every way. In fact, Iron Man 3 is just downright entertaining, from the beginning voice-over to the tag after the end credits. Tony Stark has come a long way since we first saw him giving drunken speeches in Las Vegas and Robert Downey, Jr. inhabits the character in such a comfortable way that brings home Stark's emotional intensity in this film. Pepper Potts, too, is fiercer than she's ever been (& Gwyneth Paltrow, who's just been named People Magazine's World's Most Beautiful Woman, may have done something no one else has yet been able to--inspire me to work out). Don Cheadle is back as Colonel Rhodes for his second Iron Man installment, and while I always enjoy his work, he just doesn't bring quite the same dry sarcasm to the role as Terrence Howard did in the first movie.
As for the new faces to the franchise, Ben Kingsley, Guy Pearce, and Rebecca Hall all play their parts magnificently. Kingsley especially is given the opportunity to really shine as anti-American terrorist The Mandarin. (If you're unfamiliar with Rebecca Hall, who doesn't get nearly enough screen time as Dr. Maya Hansen, go to your local video store and rent The Town. You're welcome.) I was also pleased that Jarvis, Stark's magnificent computer system voiced by Paul Bettany (who is marvelous), had a much bigger role in this film than in the previous two. Stark also meets a young boy in small town Tennessee who has no southern accent, but is still adorably precocious and steals almost every scene he shares with Downey, which is quite a feat.
The only glitch, if you'll pardon that joke, in the story is the overly complex and yet glaringly simplified baddies that Aldrich Killian (what a name!) creates. They come to be through a highly advanced neuro/biochemical science experiment, that thankfully they don't spend too much time explaining (I understood enough to know it wouldn't end well), but the side effects of this technology don't seem to make much sense and they're borderline bizarre (fire-breathing? really?). Maybe I don't get it because I've never read a comic book, but I preferred the straightforward greed of Obadiah in the first one. These Extremis patients do cause some exciting explosions, though, so perhaps we're not meant to look beyond that.
All things considered, Iron Man 3 is an excellent summer blockbuster and a good way to kick off the trifecta of films scheduled for release in the first three weeks of May (Iron Man 3, The Great Gatsby, & Star Trek: Into Darkness). Next up for Marvel fans is Thor: The Dark World, which hits theaters this November.

Fish Tank (2009)

Since it's a slow period for new releases (between Oscar season & summer blockbusters), I thought I'd share my thoughts on a movie from a few years ago, that is new to me. Fish Tank, written and directed by Andrea Arnold, was released in 2009 in the UK and in limited theaters in the US in early 2010. The film follows 15 year old Mia and her life with her mom and younger sister on an Essex estate following her expulsion from school. Her mother seems to view Mia as a lost cause, but as the film unfolds, we see that Mia's tough exterior is masking a deep well of emotional pain and trauma. She's a young girl searching desperately for someone to care about her. She appears to find that person in her mother's new boyfriend Connor, masterfully played by Michael Fassbender (before he was on the world's radar), but even he eventually betrays her trust (in 2 shocking ways, one I saw coming and another more surprising). If this movie didn't have a hopeful ending, it might be one of the most depressing pieces of cinema ever made, but thankfully it does.
The striking realism of this film makes it difficult to watch at times, but it's also part of why I think this film is so important. It's a fictional snapshot that reveals so many harsh truths. It's a study in gray areas. It's beautiful, but it hurts. I wish there were more films like this one being made.
Here's the link to the IMDb page, in case you're interested: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1232776/

In Honor of a Legend

No review today, just a link to the best article I've read in honor of Roger Ebert, movie criticism, & movies in general.
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/04/04/roger-ebert-redefined-movie-criticism/

Roger Ebert (06/18/1942-04/04/2013)

Jack the Giant Slayer/Oz the Great and Powerful

Honestly, there's not much to say about Jack the Giant Slayer. It's your basic fairytale/adventure family movie. There's a princess who wants to have more freedom and thinks she can take care of herself. (spoiler alert: she can't.) There's a young, humble farmboy who dreams of a more exciting life. And there are big, ugly giants who want to eat them. It's a fairly entertaining film, mostly because the cast really goes above and beyond with mediocre material. Nicholas Hoult is charming and unassuming as Jack and Ian McShane has a great deal of fun as the well-meaning King Brahmwell, but the real star of this movie, in my opinion, is the perfectly coiffed Ewan McGregor as Elmont, the leader of the king's guard. How the princess could resist falling for him is beyond me (and several Tumblr users I've discovered).

On the other hand, Oz the Great and Powerful is highly entertaining and perfect for almost the entire family (the flying monkeys have definitely gotten scarier, so kids under 7 should probably stay home). Predictable? Of course, it's a prequel, but still amusing and sweet. There are a lot of people out there who dislike James Franco, for whatever reason, but I quite enjoyed his scampish Oz, especially when teamed with his sidekick(s) Frank/Finley, masterfully played by the adorable and hilarious Zach Braff, who had me laughing out loud in almost every scene. Sam Raimi and his screenwriters, Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire, stay faithful to the spirit of the 1939 film throughout, which makes it all the more enjoyable for those of us who've seen that movie over and over again. The costume design is magnificent and the art direction, especially when we first enter the land of Oz, is utterly magical. I thought the film was heartfelt, without taking itself too seriously, and I recommend it for a fun night at the cinema.

The Impossible

The Impossible is the story of the utterly devastating tsunami of December 2004. It focuses on Henry and Maria and their three boys Lucas, Simon, and Thomas. All five are magnificently acted and their performances carry this film. When the tsunami hits, the family is separated and their urgency to find one another and uncertainty in the others's fates drives the movie and is its true heart. I found the most heart-wrenching moment of the film to be Henry's (the brilliant Ewan McGregor) call to his father-in-law. For the first time we see Henry completely lost, almost hopeless, sobbing into the phone, his words nearly unrecognizable. Then, he composes himself and vows that he'll never stop looking for his wife and son.
The film, of course, examines the destruction of the tsunami and the effect of that disaster on those directly involved. It also shows the dichotomy that kind of chaos can create--some people are focused solely on their own survival, while others are moved to help those around, even when they cannot help themselves. This manifests in the survivors around the family, but also within the family itself. "Even if it's the last thing we do," Maria tells Lucas as she insists they help a stranded boy, despite the fact that she's been seriously injured.
All the buzz about this film has been focused on Naomi Watts's performance as the matriarch of this family. (She's nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award.) Watts completely takes on the role and goes from the kind, wise, Conrad-reading mother we see at the beginning to the impossibly strong, selfless woman who spends the entire second half of the movie lying in a hospital bed, yet still able to convey the depth of her spirit in only her face. Welcome back, Naomi.

Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook was one of my most anticipated movies of 2012. Naturally, I had to wait two months after its nationwide release date for it to make it to West Virginia, but thankfully it was worth the wait. It is definitely the funniest movie of the year and possibly the sweetest. It would be easy to categorize Silver Linings Playbook as a quirky love story with a happy ending, but it's so much more than that. The film, adapted and directed by David O. Russell, is also a thought-provoking look at family, relationships, and mental illness.
The protagonist, Pat, expertly played by Bradley Cooper (proving he deserves to be known for more than the various incarnations of The Hangover), is a man striving to achieve his silver lining. Over the course of the film, the many forces he is struggling against are gradually revealed. In fact, I think this was one of the strongest elements of the film. It almost starts in the middle of the story and piece by piece the beginning is unfolded to the audience--not just Pat's, but Tiffany's as well.
Tiffany is a magnificent character and Jennifer Lawrence is brilliant in the role. She has a tough as nails exterior masking an incredibly vulnerable woman who is desperately trying to make sense of her life. In Pat, she finds a kindred, messed up, human soul and thus begins their unique story, which is an absolute pleasure to watch.
Favorite moments include Pat's rant against Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms at 4am and all of Chris Tucker's scenes (so nice to see him bounce back from Rush Hour 3 so well). Less than perfect moments: I wish Julia Stiles had gotten a bit more screen time. Her character's marriage could've been explored a little deeper, but the film is very focused on the central couple. On that note, I'm not sure Jacki Weaver deserved her nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Not that her performance wasn't lovely and heartfelt, because it certainly is, but her character doesn't have much of an arc. She and De Niro play Pat's parents and they have roughly the same amount of screen time, but Pat Sr. has so much more depth. Understanding him is crucial to understanding Pat. De Niro, by the way, is beautiful in the role (he was apparently very moved by the script).  There is also a moment of direction at the climax of the film that took me out of the realism of the film, which unfortunately lessened its effect for me. However, all in all, this is definitely a movie I look forward to owning.

Zero Dark Thirty

Everyone is entitled to their own politics and opinions, but Zero Dark Thirty isn't a propaganda film either way. It is not a movie about torture or the war on terror or any president. This is a film about one woman who dedicates herself completely for years on end to a single goal: locating Osama bin Laden (UBL). Zero Dark Thirty follows Maya, brilliantly played by Jessica Chastain, from her arrival in Pakistan throughout her dogged manhunt to its familiar conclusion and more importantly, it examines the cost. Maya is tough, persistent, brilliant, honest, and fearless. She has no romantic partners, no family; she makes a friend only to lose her to a suicide bomber. The pivotal moment in the film isn't the death of UBL. It's Maya's response to the Director of the C.I.A. when he asks her what else she's done for the agency. "Nothing. I've done nothing else." For almost a decade, she's done nothing else. The emotional and physical stamina of this woman is incredible. The whole film leads up to the final image, not of celebration, but of grief.
Chastain is a star. If you didn't already know this from her breakout year in 2011 or her Golden Globe win this past weekend, allow me to assure you. She is the real deal. There are several strong supporting actors in this film as well, including Joel Edgerton and Chris Pratt (doing serious work!) as SEALs and Jason Clarke and Jennifer Ehle as fellow Agents. Kathryn Bigelow's direction is excellent, balancing the tense and violent with the calm and, at times, beautiful. I think she was robbed of an Oscar nomination. In fact, Zero Dark Thirty might get my vote for Best Picture (whether or not The Academy agrees is another story). This is a film that really sticks with you, for days after you've left the theater. Inevitably, this will be a film that continues to divide audiences, but if you like strong female characters, contemporary story lines, and thought-provoking direction, I think this is the best film you'll see for a while.

Django Unchained

If we're going to talk about a Quentin Tarantino flick, I might as well say upfront, I'm not a fan of his work. I didn't like Pulp Fiction; the ratio of violence to plot in that movie is horribly lopsided. So, going into the theater, here's what I expected from Django Unchained: a lot of people would get shot, there would be blood everywhere, Samuel L. Jackson would drop a few of his trademark curses, and Leonardo DiCaprio would die magnificently. I got all of that. I also laughed. That I did not expect. There's a scene in which a KKK-like mob have some trouble with their hoods (bags with cut-out eye holes) that actually reminded me a bit of Blazing Saddles. In fact, several moments in the first hour or so of the movie have that feeling--it's a Western that pokes fun at Westerns--like when Django gets to pick out his own clothes for the first time and dresses himself in a bright blue outfit from the previous century or when he uses a snowman for target practice. 

Then, the film takes a striking turn as the hero begins in earnest his quest to rescue his wife, who's been sold to the sadistic plantation owner, Calvin J. Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). The second half of the film is tense and the violence takes on a calculated viciousness. Leo steals the show here. Candie is unpredictable in his moods and draws complete attention, even when he shares the screen with Jackson. DiCaprio's been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role and in a less densely packed awards season he might win it, but I look for Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln) to take it.

Also, nominated for a Golden Globe in the same category is Christoph Waltz, whose performance as Django's bounty hunter mentor Dr. King Schultz is zany and subtle in the perfect combination. Waltz is to Tarantino as Depp is to Burton. In other words, Waltz and Tarantino are the perfect actor/director team. They speak the same language, so to speak.

You may be surprised by my use of the words "subtle" and "Tarantino" in the same paragraph. I certainly was, but the best moments of this film were subtle and suspenseful. Particularly Jamie Foxx, who could've played Django just as a vengeful former slave in a country on the brink of war, but there is a lot more going on behind his eyes that is beautifully expressed in every perfectly framed shot. This is especially important since Django is more of the strong, silent type, like the D in his name. (Although, when he does talk, Foxx delivers his zingers with depth.) 

This film was full of surprises, including several surprise appearances by everyone from Tom Wopat to Jonah Hill. Those two were lovely in their roles, but I did spend a good minute wondering what Amber Tamblyn was doing looking out a window, and then never saw her again.

All in all, I enjoyed this film. It is quite long and could've used a little more editing and if you don't enjoy walls literally dripping with blood, this isn't the film for you. It is, however, a legitimately interesting film. If there's a message, I'm not sure what exactly it is (as one never is with Tarantino), but I think there are some thought-provoking moments. It will be interesting to see if this movie, like the original Django, spawns a wealth of sequels/knockoffs. If so, I'd like to coin the term for the genre now (and I hope I'm the first to do so): Hip-Hop Western.

Les Miserables

I would have to say I'm fairly familiar with Les Miserables as a stage musical, (I played in the orchestra for a production about 6 years ago.) so I had high expectations for this new film version, but I was also apprehensive about certain aspects. There have been many mixed responses to the film from patrons and critics alike, but I was overall incredibly pleased with this movie. 
I found Tom Hooper's direction lovely and very appropriate for a movie-musical, for the most part. There is a scene transition towards the beginning that took me out of the world for a moment, which I wish hadn't been so fantastical. I also found the camerawork during "Bring Him Home" somewhat confusing. Movie-musicals (or movie-operas, in the case of Les Mis) are tricky endeavors for filmmakers, because the audience is reminded that what they are watching isn't quite real every time a character breaks out into song. On the other hand, one of the benefits of transitioning a musical to film is the closeness of the audience to the cast. When in a theater, the distance of audience members from the cast means that actors have to make everything "bigger" from their facial expressions and gestures to the volume of their voices and film eliminates that necessity. This element especially I think was very well handled by Hooper and the cast. During many songs, particularly "I Dreamed a Dream," the camera holds on a close-up of the actor's face, letting them use subtlety in beautiful ways and bringing the audience into the story more. Most of the tears I shed while watching the film (and there were many) were because I was face-to-face with the suffering of the characters. 
Going back to "I Dreamed a Dream," Anne Hathaway got a lot of criticism initially for her take on this iconic song, in large part because she isn't belting it to the back of a packed theater, but barely able to get out the words, breaking down in every way. I found her performance absolutely magnificent throughout, but during this song, I was utterly captivated. 
Someone else getting a lot of criticism for their performance in this film, at least from theatre-goers, is Russell Crowe. I didn't hate his performance, but it is markedly different from his cast mates, and I think this stems from their different backgrounds. Russell is a film actor and a rock singer. He's never done a musical before, movie or stage, and I think this lack of experience with the genre shows and has caused some to call his performance "wooden" or "lackluster." Even in film, audiences expect "big" performances from actors in musicals and Crowe delivers a lovely film performance, which is much "smaller" (meaning more precise, subtle, etc). Unfortunately it just doesn't quite mesh with the performances from the other actors who all have some sort of theatre or movie-musical experience. 
Hugh Jackman is incredibly powerful as Jean Valjean, even though "Bring Him Home" is a tad out of his range. He, like Hathaway, plays the songs with overwhelming emotion and it works. Eddie Redmayne was a wonderful surprise as Marius, with an angelic face and voice. His performance of "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" will haunt me for days. A friend of mine complained about the vibrato in Amanda Seyfried's voice, saying she "sounds like a lamb," but I replied "at least she hits the notes," because, to her credit, she does hit the notes and they are not easy ones. The rest of the supporting cast are all really magnificent. Daniel Huttlestone as Gavroche is outstanding and I only wish so much of his part hadn't been cut. Samantha Barks's experience as Eponine shows and she makes the transition from stage to screen beautifully. Colm Wilkinson (the original stage Valjean) has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance as the Bishop. Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter are expertly cast as the greedy, conniving Thenardiers. My personal favorite is Aaron Tveit as Enjolras. I've long been a fan of his stage work and he is just heartbreaking perfection from beginning to end in this film. If anything pulls me back to the cinema to see this movie again, it'll be his performance. 
The film also includes a new song, "Suddenly," from the original composers. At first, I was up-in-arms against the addition of a new song, but I thought it worked quite well in the film, not at all out of place amongst its brothers. And after all this, there is the story of Les Miserables itself, a tale of the still-relevant struggle between the miserable poor majority and the powerful wealthy minority, of love of all kinds, of faith, of good and evil and the gray area between them. A tale, simply, of life, beautifully told.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

I was lucky enough to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at the midnight premiere this morning in all its 3D 48fps glory. I have to say up front that I loved the film. Here are the reasons why:

• The acting in this film is superb, especially Richard Armitage as Thorin & Martin Freeman as Bilbo. The audience can see Bilbo's thought process on Martin's face, can see the courage he possesses, even as the character is discovering it, and it's absolutely wonderful. Armitage does an excellent job of balancing Thorin's inspiring leadership and Dwarvish pride. (Also, his rumbling, melodious singing voice might have been the highlight of the score for me.) Of course, returning cast members Sir Ian McKellan, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Ian Holm, and Elijah Wood deliver stellar performances as well. Lee Pace and Benedict Cumberbatch also make brief appearances in this film and I, personally, can't wait to see more from them in the next two installments.
• Speaking of the score, Howard Shore knocks it out of the park. Again. I downloaded it from iTunes as soon as I got home from the theatre, after 3am this morning. It was worth it.
• There was less included in this film than I thought there would be, yet at that same time, there was more, if that makes sense. In other words, the end of this film is earlier in the story than I expected, but there is more back story. I think it's a pretty perfect combination actually. If there's one thing Peter Jackson (& his writing partners) does well, it's end a film.
• Now, in regard to the visual effects: There's a heated debate over Jackson's decision to shoot in 48fps (frames per second), which is double the fps of most films. Those against it say that the extra frames per second give the film a feeling similar to HD television and declare that this feeling takes away from the mystical quality of a fantasy film. I was wary going into the theatre. I'm not a big fan of 3D, in any case, as it tends to be used mostly for cheap thrills (and it gives me a headache). While this film does have a couple of obvious 3D gags to throw at the audience, for the most part, I thought the 3D was more like that of Hugo (the gold standard in 3D technology, in my opinion), in that it was mostly environmental and aesthetic, used to bring the audience into the story instead of taking them out of it. As to the 48 fps, I found that the hyper-reality it lends was completely appropriate for telling this story. The Hobbit is a much lighter tale than The Lord of the Rings and the high visual quality and clarity afforded by the extra fps delineates this film from those in a very visceral way. It is, after all, a children's fantasy adventure. 
• The only criticism I have to offer is this: With thirteen dwarves running around, it becomes difficult to tell them all apart at times, even for those of us who are already familiar with their names and characters. Thorin, Balin, Dwalin, Fili, Kili, and Bombur are all easily identifiable, but not enough time is spent introducing the others to the audience and therefore they tend to get lost in the shuffle a bit.

With an awards season as densely packed with quality as this one is, it's doubtful that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will come away with many big awards, but it is definitely worth seeing. There is battle violence, so bring younger children at your discretion, but I think The Hobbit is an excellent movie for children of all ages.