Summer is here once again cinema fans, and we all know what that means: a ton of new blockbusters are coming our way to help us escape for a little while and take the heat off our minds. I know that during the Summer we all have jobs, family gatherings, days planned with friends, and maybe some of us will be taking a Summer class if we're in college. Of course, that's all understandable, but why not also take advantage of all the big-screen adventures that the season has to offer?
As with every Summer, the new releases will offer something for everyone: for the guys, we have the return of a certain iron-clad superhero, director Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe reunite to bring the classic hero of Sherwood Forest to life, and Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan is back with his latest, and literally mind-bending thriller. For the younger audience, they will be treated to the fourth outing of their favorite fairy-tale ogre, as well as the much-anticipated return of Woody and Buzz Lightyear. And for the ladies, they will surely enjoy the return of Sarah Jessica Parker and her girlfriends, and will undoubtedly come out in droves to experience the next installment of an ever-so-popular human-vampire-werewolf love-triangle. These releases will certainly bring in huge box office business, but they aren't the only films to get excited for. There are many more included in this Summer movie preview. Let's get started, shall we?
Iron Man 2 (May 7) Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is back in this second installment of the hit Iron Man franchise. In this chapter, the government wants Stark to hand over is technology to the military. He is unwilling to do so, worrying that it might fall into the wrong hands. Iron Man is soon faced with a powerful new opponent called Whiplash, played by Mickey Rourke. Also starring in the film are Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, and Sam Rockwell.
Robin Hood (May 14) After their success with Gladiator and American Gangster, director Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe team up to bring the Robin Hood legend to the big screen. In the story, our hero returns home to his English village after fighting in the Third Crusade. Using his military skills and intelligence, he sets out to conquer the tyranny and corruption that has taken over, while also trying to win the love of Lady Marion (Cate Blanchett).
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (May 19) The popular video game is now an adventure-epic starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Dastan, a street urchan in sixth century Persia, is adopted by a king to be his heir, and soon joins forces with Princess Tamina to rescue the Sands of Time, a godly gift that controls, you guessed it, time. Ben Kingsley portrays the wicked Nizam. Gemma Arterton and Alfred Molina also star in this film from the producers of Pirates of the Caribbean.
Shrek Forever After (May 21) Shrek returns in his fourth, and sadly his last, adventure in the land of Far Far Away. After becoming a family ogre, Shrek longs to live just one more day as a "real" ogre. He then strikes up a deal with Rumpelstiltskin to make this happen. In exchange, Shrek must give him a day from his own life. Unfortunately for Shrek, Rumpelstiltskin chooses the day when he was born, meaning that since Shrek had never been born, he doesn't exist. He is then stuck in an alternate Far Far Away, and must find a way to bring everything back to normal. Starring the voice talents of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, and a whole myriad of other actors and comedians.
Sex and the City 2 (May 27) After the first movie struck gold with the female audience two years ago, a sequel was almost inevitable to the film adaptation of the hit HBO comedy. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon are back again for another installment of their high New York City society lifestyle.
Get Him to the Greek (June 4) Jonah Hill plays a determined college graduate working as an intern at a record company in this spinoff to 2008's Forgetting Sarah Marshall. He is given the task of bringing British musican Aldous Snow (Russell Brand reprising his role from FSM) to the Los Angeles Greek Theater where he is scheduled to perform. Also starring Elizabeth Moss, Rose Byrne, Sean "Diddy" Combs, and Aziz Ansari.
The A-Team (June 11) Based on the '80s television series, the film follows a group of four members of the U.S. military who are now mercenaries. After three of them are arrested for a crime they didn't commit and are called war criminals, they escape and join forces with their pilot, Captain H.M. Murdock. Starring Bradley Cooper, Liam Neeson, Sharlto Copley, Quinton "Rampage" Johnson, and Jessica Biel.
Toy Story 3 (June 18) Pixar studios has graced their audiences with masterpiece after masterpiece, so it isn't any surprise that they're giving us the second sequel to their much-beloved Toy Story. In this installment, Andy is about to start college, but isn't sure what to do with the cherished toys from his childhood. After the toys accidentally get sent to a local daycare center, Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the toys try to get back to Andy before it's too late. Starring the voice talents of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, and many other celebrity voices.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (June 30) The emotions of the love-triangle between human Bella, vampire Edward, and werewolf Jacob, reach the boiling point in the third chapter of Stephanie Meyer's insanely popular series of novels. As Seattle is being plagued by several mysterious killings, the vampires and werewolves must reluctantly join forces to take on the malicious army of newborn vampires. On the sidelines, Bella must choose whether to live a life of eternity with her soulmate Edward, or live a normal, human life with her best friend Jacob. Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner.
Inception (July 16) Director Christopher Nolan follows his massive success of The Dark Knight with his new action-thriller that takes place in the architecture of the mind. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, an agent who has a team of individuals that have a technology that allows them to enter the minds of people as they dream. After a heist goes wrong, Dom and his team must track down a CEO (Ken Watanabe) who has his own ideas of how to use this technology. Also starring are Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy, and Michael Caine.
Dinner for Schmucks (July 23) After Paul Rudd starred in last year's comedy I Love You Man, and Steve Carell starred in the recent Date Night, both of which were critically-acclaimed (and for good reason), the two comic-actors are now co-starring in what is sure to be one of this Summer's biggest comedies. Tim (Paul Rudd) is a successful executive who must find the right guest for his boss's monthly event, which is called a "dinner for idiots." Whoever brings the biggest moron to the party receives a promotion as a prize. Steve Carell plays Barry, an IRS employee who Tim tries to encourage into accompanying him to the dinner event.
The Expendables (August 13) A group of hired guns travels to South America on a mission to defeat the malevolent tyrant who has taken over. As the mission becomes a lot more serious, the group realizes that nothing is what it appears to be, and that there may be a traitor among them. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Stratham, Mickey Rourke, and Jet Li.
So readers, there's my guide to some of this Summer's sure-to-be hits. There are obviously many other films coming out between May and August to suit everyone's interests, but the movies listed above are those that you might want to check out, depending on what you like. The Spring movie season is soon coming to an end, and there were some releases I enjoyed, particularly Shutter Island and Date Night (check out my reviews for them). In two weeks, Iron Man 2 will start off the Summer with a bing!-bang!-boom!, and I'm sure many of us are waiting in anticipation. I'll be posting my reviews for the Summer films that I have the chance to see, and I'm positive that I'll be seeing many of them. After each review, feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you thought of whichever film the review was for. I'd love to hear your feedback. Until then, have a delightful Summer, and enjoy the movies!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
A 'Date' With Comedic Royalty
You don't need me to tell you that a majority of today's romantic-comedies are not what they used to be. Many of them are presented without any imagination, and that takes the fun out of watching them. For some time now, they have become too dull and formulaic. Sometimes the viewer has to question, is the film's lack of energy at the fault of the writing or the actors? Nowadays, it's mostly the writing that's the problem, with the actors as casualties. Once in a while, however, the romantic-comedy genre can surprise us, like with the films of Judd Apatow. It's latest surprise is Date Night, the new film by director Shawn Levy, starring the charming Tina Fey and outrageous Steve Carell. Since Fey and Carell star in two of today's most successful TV comedies, 30 Rock and The Office, it was only too appropriate to have them in a film together. The result is a refleshingly hilarious comedy.
Steve Carell and Tina Fey are Phil and Claire Foster, an average, middle-class couple from New Jersey. Day by day, they go to work, keep their house in order, and take care of their two children. Lately, they have been feeling that their marriage is in a rut. The couple just goes with the flow as their lives become more and more predictable (much like the rom-com genre). Urging for something different, the couple goes to an upscale restaurant, but can't get a table. Not willing to give up, they steal a reservation from a couple called the Tripplehorns. They don't know, however, that the Tripplehorns are wanted criminals. Of course, as with anything starring Carell and Fey, much hilarity ensues. What starts out as the Foster's weekly date becomes a night of mistaken identities as the Fosters race to clear their names. And it's a riot.
Never is there a dull moment whenever our two leads are on screen, because they have established themselves as true comic actors years ago, and can practically carry a movie all by themselves. Fey and Carell make their comedy seem effortless as they play-off of each other, which makes their entire romp through the Big Apple a joy to watch. The Foster's adventures are complete with some amusing characters, even if they are only seen for a few minutes. Kristen Wiig is a friend of the Foster's whose marriage is also on the rocks. As with her roles on Saturday Night Live, she continues to prove that she can offer plentiful laughs for only a few moments of screen time. James Franco and Mila Kunis have a greatly comical scene together as the white-trash Tripplehorn couple. In a comedy where Fey and Carell dominate, the pairing of Franco and Kunis don't have any problem having their wit shine as bright as our two leads when they all share a scene together.
In the end, it's Fey and Carell who make this comedy work. They make the film watchable when any other pairing of actors would have made this a disaster. One might consider them today's king and queen of comedy; and with such prestige, the two made what might have been a stale narrative feel new to the audience. When they are not busy making us laugh on their popular sitcoms, Fey and Carell should take the time to do a few more rom-coms. In doing so, they can easily help in making the genre as enjoyable as it once was.
Final grade: B+
Steve Carell and Tina Fey are Phil and Claire Foster, an average, middle-class couple from New Jersey. Day by day, they go to work, keep their house in order, and take care of their two children. Lately, they have been feeling that their marriage is in a rut. The couple just goes with the flow as their lives become more and more predictable (much like the rom-com genre). Urging for something different, the couple goes to an upscale restaurant, but can't get a table. Not willing to give up, they steal a reservation from a couple called the Tripplehorns. They don't know, however, that the Tripplehorns are wanted criminals. Of course, as with anything starring Carell and Fey, much hilarity ensues. What starts out as the Foster's weekly date becomes a night of mistaken identities as the Fosters race to clear their names. And it's a riot.
Never is there a dull moment whenever our two leads are on screen, because they have established themselves as true comic actors years ago, and can practically carry a movie all by themselves. Fey and Carell make their comedy seem effortless as they play-off of each other, which makes their entire romp through the Big Apple a joy to watch. The Foster's adventures are complete with some amusing characters, even if they are only seen for a few minutes. Kristen Wiig is a friend of the Foster's whose marriage is also on the rocks. As with her roles on Saturday Night Live, she continues to prove that she can offer plentiful laughs for only a few moments of screen time. James Franco and Mila Kunis have a greatly comical scene together as the white-trash Tripplehorn couple. In a comedy where Fey and Carell dominate, the pairing of Franco and Kunis don't have any problem having their wit shine as bright as our two leads when they all share a scene together.
In the end, it's Fey and Carell who make this comedy work. They make the film watchable when any other pairing of actors would have made this a disaster. One might consider them today's king and queen of comedy; and with such prestige, the two made what might have been a stale narrative feel new to the audience. When they are not busy making us laugh on their popular sitcoms, Fey and Carell should take the time to do a few more rom-coms. In doing so, they can easily help in making the genre as enjoyable as it once was.
Final grade: B+
Monday, March 22, 2010
The Journey of Redemption for a Musical 'Heart'
One of the best parts of a film about a musician is that the story can be told through straight acting, and through the songs performed by the musician. What makes telling parts of the story through song so gratifying, is that the musician is using his given talent to let the audience know what he has experienced. The backgrounds of musical icons will usually contain some sort of tragedy or misfortune that was suffered through in life. By the escape of music, however, these musicians will find salvation through their lyrics, and will share their talent and lives with the world. Director Scott Cooper has adapted Thomas Cobb's novel, Crazy Heart, to tell the story of a once famous country-music star Bad Blake, played by Jeff Bridges, who sets out on the road to redemption after an extended history of regretable life choices.
Bad Blake's life is slowly falling apart. He's almost broke, an alcoholic, has been in and out of marriages, can't seem to find new material to write about, and his fame is nearly gone, which leaves him playing in bowling alleys. He eventually crosses paths with an aspiring journalist named Jean Craddock, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, who just like Bad, is trying to forget about her past mistakes, and makes a comfortable living with her son. What is so intriguing about her character, is that what starts out as interviewing Bad for a story, turns into her becoming a catalyst for Bad Blake wanting to turn his life around. But this doesn't come without its setbacks.
The songs performed in the film blend perfectly with the events played out in the story. They describe heartbreak, ruined futures, and the neglect of the special things in life. The film's main ballad, "The Weary Kind," tells of the need to be strong of heart, and give as many tries as you have to in order to get your life back on track. The lyrics tell of what has happened in Blake's life, and hint at what's to come. The way how the music continually reinforces the film's messages makes the songs all the more effective in the storytelling.
Even though the movie is about the journey of redemption for a troubled life, it also emphasizes that as humans, we're all capable of hitting the occasional speedbump on the way. Whether we are like Bad and need to set our lives straight, or even if we're like Jean and our lives are going smoothly, it is natural for everyone to make mistakes. What's important, is that we recognize them, and try to rebuild our lives.
Jeff Bridges' performance is the gem of the film. His singing and musicianship is as breathtaking as the southwestern landscapes through which he travels. His portryal of a broken-down soul trying to save himself can relate to anyone, and shows that it's never too late to turn your life around. In the end, Jeff Bridges more than succeeeds in getting his message across. He makes us inspired.
Final grade: A-
Bad Blake's life is slowly falling apart. He's almost broke, an alcoholic, has been in and out of marriages, can't seem to find new material to write about, and his fame is nearly gone, which leaves him playing in bowling alleys. He eventually crosses paths with an aspiring journalist named Jean Craddock, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, who just like Bad, is trying to forget about her past mistakes, and makes a comfortable living with her son. What is so intriguing about her character, is that what starts out as interviewing Bad for a story, turns into her becoming a catalyst for Bad Blake wanting to turn his life around. But this doesn't come without its setbacks.
The songs performed in the film blend perfectly with the events played out in the story. They describe heartbreak, ruined futures, and the neglect of the special things in life. The film's main ballad, "The Weary Kind," tells of the need to be strong of heart, and give as many tries as you have to in order to get your life back on track. The lyrics tell of what has happened in Blake's life, and hint at what's to come. The way how the music continually reinforces the film's messages makes the songs all the more effective in the storytelling.
Even though the movie is about the journey of redemption for a troubled life, it also emphasizes that as humans, we're all capable of hitting the occasional speedbump on the way. Whether we are like Bad and need to set our lives straight, or even if we're like Jean and our lives are going smoothly, it is natural for everyone to make mistakes. What's important, is that we recognize them, and try to rebuild our lives.
Jeff Bridges' performance is the gem of the film. His singing and musicianship is as breathtaking as the southwestern landscapes through which he travels. His portryal of a broken-down soul trying to save himself can relate to anyone, and shows that it's never too late to turn your life around. In the end, Jeff Bridges more than succeeeds in getting his message across. He makes us inspired.
Final grade: A-
Friday, March 19, 2010
A 'Wonderland' That's Short on Wonder
The name of Tim Burton has long been synonymous with the capability of creating lush, imaginative worlds for the screen, and pairing them up with strangely mystical stories. These stories can be considered to be in the same realm as the classic Grimm's fairy tales, and are every bit as immersive as they are darkly beautiful. Most people will argue that some of his films like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, and Sweeney Todd fit that criteria all-too perfectly. Burton's latest undertaking, adapting Lewis Carol's timeless children's story Alice in Wonderland, seemed to be another perfect pairing of story and director. Who else but Tim Burton would you expect to bring Carol's fantastically bizarre Wonderland to the screen? Burton creates another enchanting world with colorful visuals a plenty that's hard to divert your eyes from. Alas, that's all this movie has to offer. A film with little story is hardly the case when one thinks of Tim Burton. Sadly, Alice in Wonderland is that type of film.
This latest trip into Wonderland is the first starring-vehicle for Australian newcomer Mia Wasikowska, who plays the title-character. Alice grows tired of her mundane life and the expectations put upon her by family and friends. In an attempt to escape an arranged marriage, she chases the White Rabbit (voiced by Michael Sheen), and eventually falls down the rabbit-hole into the dreamlike Wonderland. There, she meets the Mad Hater, played by non other than Burton's other half, Johnny Depp; and is told that she must find what's known as the Vorpal Sword to slay the dragon-like creature known as the Jabberwocky, in order to restore the rule of the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) from the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). You'd figure there would be more story to be offered in-between these main plot points. Don't be fooled. This is just about all there is.
Given the much-beloved source material, it is expected that a movie like this would retain the magical touch that made the original novel a joy. The beauty of the world is surely at play, but it doesn't help make the film any better when it seems like many of the CGI characters have more life than the human characters. The Dormouse has her ongoing spunk and swordmanship, and the Caterpillar, though rather rude, is an insect of knowledge. The standout of all the CGI creatures is the Cheshire Cat, with his devious personality and smooth-talk.
This being Wasikowska's first major role, she plays the part of Alice as we all would like it: adventurous, intelligent, and quizzical of her new surroundings. Unfortunately, since the visuals are the film's only high points, and the make-up effects of other characters are so demanding of attention, it takes away from Alice the opportunity to shine. But the CGI effects aren't all that's to blame. Since the story lacks in content, it also is deprived of any memorable dialogue. A majority of Alice's dialogue is comprised of asking questions such as "What am I doing here?" "Why was I brought here?" "How do I defeat the Jabberwocky?" and so on. As for the Red Queen, let's just say you could make a drinking game based on how many times she screams "Off with their heads!"
Sadly, even Johnny Depp wasn't that much of a standout as the Mad Hatter. When Depp plays characters such as Willy Wonka, Sweeney Todd, and Captain Jack Sparrow, you become swept away by his talent, energy, and by the new heights to which he brings his characters. As the Mad Hatter, he didn't do anything new or exciting; he just wore distracting make-up, mumbled a lot of nonsense, and performed an embarrassing dance to celebrate the end of the final battle.
Tim Burton is certainly a master of his craft, and when he wants to tell a darkly entertaining and striking story, he can surely bring it to life. Every director, however, has at least one movie that can't quite measure up to his or her most treasured works. Too bad for Burton that it had to be his adaptation of a dearly loved classic.
Final grade: C
This latest trip into Wonderland is the first starring-vehicle for Australian newcomer Mia Wasikowska, who plays the title-character. Alice grows tired of her mundane life and the expectations put upon her by family and friends. In an attempt to escape an arranged marriage, she chases the White Rabbit (voiced by Michael Sheen), and eventually falls down the rabbit-hole into the dreamlike Wonderland. There, she meets the Mad Hater, played by non other than Burton's other half, Johnny Depp; and is told that she must find what's known as the Vorpal Sword to slay the dragon-like creature known as the Jabberwocky, in order to restore the rule of the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) from the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). You'd figure there would be more story to be offered in-between these main plot points. Don't be fooled. This is just about all there is.
Given the much-beloved source material, it is expected that a movie like this would retain the magical touch that made the original novel a joy. The beauty of the world is surely at play, but it doesn't help make the film any better when it seems like many of the CGI characters have more life than the human characters. The Dormouse has her ongoing spunk and swordmanship, and the Caterpillar, though rather rude, is an insect of knowledge. The standout of all the CGI creatures is the Cheshire Cat, with his devious personality and smooth-talk.
This being Wasikowska's first major role, she plays the part of Alice as we all would like it: adventurous, intelligent, and quizzical of her new surroundings. Unfortunately, since the visuals are the film's only high points, and the make-up effects of other characters are so demanding of attention, it takes away from Alice the opportunity to shine. But the CGI effects aren't all that's to blame. Since the story lacks in content, it also is deprived of any memorable dialogue. A majority of Alice's dialogue is comprised of asking questions such as "What am I doing here?" "Why was I brought here?" "How do I defeat the Jabberwocky?" and so on. As for the Red Queen, let's just say you could make a drinking game based on how many times she screams "Off with their heads!"
Sadly, even Johnny Depp wasn't that much of a standout as the Mad Hatter. When Depp plays characters such as Willy Wonka, Sweeney Todd, and Captain Jack Sparrow, you become swept away by his talent, energy, and by the new heights to which he brings his characters. As the Mad Hatter, he didn't do anything new or exciting; he just wore distracting make-up, mumbled a lot of nonsense, and performed an embarrassing dance to celebrate the end of the final battle.
Tim Burton is certainly a master of his craft, and when he wants to tell a darkly entertaining and striking story, he can surely bring it to life. Every director, however, has at least one movie that can't quite measure up to his or her most treasured works. Too bad for Burton that it had to be his adaptation of a dearly loved classic.
Final grade: C
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
A Twisty-Turny 'Island'
Federal detectives, a secluded mental-institution on an island, an escaped patient, strange doctors hiding the truth, this sounds like a cinematic work from the mind of Alfred Hitchcock. Well, yes and no. The new thriller Shutter Island certainly has that mysterious atmosphere that was present in many of his films, but the story is actually from a novel by Dennis Lehane, and was brought to the screen by one of today's Hitchcock equivalents of filmmaking genius, Martin Scorsese. This being his first psychological thriller since 1991's Cape Fear, Martin succeeds in bringing a sense of fear to the story he wants to tell. This time, Scorsese reunites with his frequent collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio, for a story of conspiracy and paranoia.
The story opens in 1954 with our two leads, U.S. Marshal Edward 'Teddy' Daniels (DiCaprio), a tough-as-nails detective from Boston, whose past is plagued with tragedy by the death of his wife (Michelle Williams), and is accompanied to the island by his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo). They are sent to the mysterious Ashcliff Hospital for the criminally insane on Shutter Island. The hospital shelters 66 inmates that are said to be there because it was impossible for them to be treated anywhere else. The head psychiatrist Dr. John Cawley, acted by Ben Kingsley with a disturbing blend of calm and creepiness, fills-in our two detectives of the escape of inmate Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer), who has been placed in the institution for murdering her three children. As Teddy and Chuck begin their search for the woman it becomes clear that, as with all psychological thrillers, there is something much more going on in the background than our two detectives are aware of.
As Teddy and Chuck question patients and visit several sectors of the island looking for evidence, the audience is provided with snipets of Teddy's troubled past in the form of dream sequences and hallucinations. While his dreams do add significantly to the story in most cases, it gets to the point when some of them are a little too long, or slightly unnecessary. They are, however, disturbingly and beautifully realized. As the story progresses with the detectives exploring deeper into the island, the stunning aerial shots of the area help expand on the growing fear and isolation of the charatcers.
Patricia Clarkson shows up in the later half of the movie as an exiled escapee, and truly makes the most of her few minutes of screen time, offering a couple startling plot twists. And Max von Sydow is wonderfully frightening as an evil, Nazi-like psychiatrist. Clocking in at 2 hours and 18 minutes, the film tends to drag in the middle; but the big twist (or several twists) in the end make the movie worth sitting through, even though the plot revelations come at a somewhat overwhelming rate in the end. This being Martin Scorsese's second psychological thriller, Shutter Island is a daring break from his gangster epics, such as The Departed and Goodfellas. In the end, it's truly a mystery worth solving.
Final grade: B+
The story opens in 1954 with our two leads, U.S. Marshal Edward 'Teddy' Daniels (DiCaprio), a tough-as-nails detective from Boston, whose past is plagued with tragedy by the death of his wife (Michelle Williams), and is accompanied to the island by his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo). They are sent to the mysterious Ashcliff Hospital for the criminally insane on Shutter Island. The hospital shelters 66 inmates that are said to be there because it was impossible for them to be treated anywhere else. The head psychiatrist Dr. John Cawley, acted by Ben Kingsley with a disturbing blend of calm and creepiness, fills-in our two detectives of the escape of inmate Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer), who has been placed in the institution for murdering her three children. As Teddy and Chuck begin their search for the woman it becomes clear that, as with all psychological thrillers, there is something much more going on in the background than our two detectives are aware of.
As Teddy and Chuck question patients and visit several sectors of the island looking for evidence, the audience is provided with snipets of Teddy's troubled past in the form of dream sequences and hallucinations. While his dreams do add significantly to the story in most cases, it gets to the point when some of them are a little too long, or slightly unnecessary. They are, however, disturbingly and beautifully realized. As the story progresses with the detectives exploring deeper into the island, the stunning aerial shots of the area help expand on the growing fear and isolation of the charatcers.
Patricia Clarkson shows up in the later half of the movie as an exiled escapee, and truly makes the most of her few minutes of screen time, offering a couple startling plot twists. And Max von Sydow is wonderfully frightening as an evil, Nazi-like psychiatrist. Clocking in at 2 hours and 18 minutes, the film tends to drag in the middle; but the big twist (or several twists) in the end make the movie worth sitting through, even though the plot revelations come at a somewhat overwhelming rate in the end. This being Martin Scorsese's second psychological thriller, Shutter Island is a daring break from his gangster epics, such as The Departed and Goodfellas. In the end, it's truly a mystery worth solving.
Final grade: B+
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Countdown to the 2010 Academy Awards
Well Oscar fans, we now have about a week until the most anticipated movie event of the year. This being my first ever blog, let me just say that I'm an avid movie fan, and I practically live to watch movies and the Oscars. Would you say I'm completely obsessed? Well, not really obsessed. Movies are just a passion of mine. As we creep closer and closer to March 7th, the excitement just keeps building up.
This year's Oscar ceremony will be the 82nd, and the academy is making some good changes, and some bad. Among the good, as you all have probably heard by now, the academy has decided to nominate 10 films for the Best Picture prize, instead of the usual 5. Something like this hasn't been done since the first couple of decades of the Oscars, and it will be very interesting to see how this plays out. This year's ceremony will also welcome not one, but two hosts. And they are non other than the insanely funny comedic pairing of Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. Since these two are also the most frequent of Saturday Night Live hosts, there's no denying their hilarious talent. One of the major disappointments, however, is the decision to not have the Best Original Song nominees performed. That's a shame, since I would have loved to see Crazy Heart's nominated song "The Weary Kind" be peformed. Oh well, we can't have everything, and with the festivities being 3-4 hours, I'm sure there are some hidden surprises.
All throughout my winter break, my brother and I probably went to the movies 2-3 times a week. Of course being a film fanatic, why wouldn't I? Given nearly five weeks of break (got to love college) I was able to see nine movies, a couple of which I saw twice. Since around this time is when all the award-contender movies are released, I try to catch as many as I can. Every week I would eagerly await for the new weekend schedule to come out online so I could see which of the independent films were finally being released in my area. It was a huge sigh of relief when I found out that Crazy Heart would be playing at my local AMC theater. After hearing so many critical raves about Jeff Bridges' performance, how could I not see it?
Before you ask, the answer is 'yes,' I also saw the big blockbuster movies known as Sherlock Holmes and Avatar. I had a lot of fun at both. Sherlock Holmes was pure, popcorn enjoyment, and Avatar was the most visually-arresting film I've seen since the third Lord of the Rings film. These were also the two films that I saw twice. Sherlock Holmes was worth the second viewing because since I already knew the clues from my first time seeing it, it was fun watching it again and spotting the things that I missed, and putting in place the clues that I remembered. Avatar I couldn't help but see more than once, because who wouldn't want to be absorbed in the world of Pandora?
Back to the Oscars. Since the winners will be announced next Sunday, this will be an excellent opportunity to look at the eight major categories, and decipher who will win, and who should win. Let's get started:
Best Adapted Screenplay: District 9, An Education, In the Loop, Precious, and Up in the Air
Will and Should Win: Up in the Air- Back around when this film was released, it seemed to be the movie-to-beat for Best Picture with its enormous critical praise and outstanding performances. It's almost too perfect how this movie relates to our times. It is a perfect blend of comedy and personal tragedy. Its chances for Best Picture have sadly declined, and this seems to be the only award for which it has a decent shot at winning. After winning screenplay awards at the Broadcast Film Critics Awards and the Golden Globes, I think this movie is a lock in this category.
Best Original Screenplay: The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, The Messenger, A Serious Man, and Up
Will Win: Inglourious Basterds- Quentin Tarantino's funny, edgy, (and really bloody) World War II film is his new masterpiece, and the academy loves a director like him. A story of vengeful Jews hunting down Nazis is crafted in such a way that probably only Tarantino could have accomplished. This will surely be another win for him.
Should Win: The Hurt Locker- Written by Mark Boal, one had to wonder at the fact that this was a War on Terror movie that actually worked. Not since Saving Private Ryan has a film brought the audience horrifically close to the frontlines of war. The movie is a tension-filled story of how addictive war can actually be, with scenes of near heart-stopping suspense that made the experience much more viceral than any other film I've seen this year.
Best Supporting Actor: Matt Damon for Invictus, Woody Harrelson for The Messenger, Christopher Plummer for The Last Station, Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones, and Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds
Will Win: Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds- Waltz has been a wide receiver of awards buzz ever since the film's release. His role as an SS nazi isn't just evil, but also quite funny and original. He has already won at the BFCA, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. It looks like this will be another win for the Basterds.
Should Win: Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones- Being the only Oscar nomination that this film received, I guess you could say that Tucci practically stole the movie; and in a way, he did. Tucci was terrifically creepy in his role as a child killer in a suburban town. Every time he appeared on screen, one couldn't help but squirm and coward in fear at his foreboding presence.
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz for Nine, Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air, Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart, Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air, and Mo'Nique for Precious
Will and Should Win: Mo'Nique for Precious- If there is any sure Oscar winner this year, it's first-time nominee Mo'Nique. Her role of an abusive inner-city mother has left auidences speechless and flim critics raving. It's easy to award a performance for an actor playing a character one can root for. But what Mo'Nique does is simply fearless, and she deserves all the praise that comes her way.
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart, George Clooney for Up in the Air, Colin Firth for A Single Man, Morgan Freeman for Invictus, and Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker
Will Win: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart- As any film critic can tell you, this is Jeff Bridges' year. After years of solid work and this being his fifth Oscar nomination, it's about time the academy recognizes him for his excellent work as a country-western singer on a path of redemption. His acting and singing describe a broken-down soul who wants to prove that it's never too late to turn your life around. And he more than succeeds in getting his message across.
Should Win: Morgan Freeman for Invictus- Watching this film was literally like watching history happen, mostly because I couldn't see anyone else playing Nelson Mandela. Freeman takes on the part of one of our world's greatest leaders, and embodies the spirit of a man who achieved the impossible: uniting a racially-torn country through the language of sport. His performance left me awed, breathless, and most importantly, inspired.
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side, Helen Mirren for The Last Station, Carey Mulligan for An Education, Gabourey Sidibe for Precious, and Meryl Streep for Julie and Julia
Will and Should Win: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side- Just as this is Jeff Bridges' year to win, the same can be said for Sandra Bullock. She is probably one of Hollywood's most underrated actresses, partly because she'll turn out great performances in other films such as Crash and The Proposal, but will then star in several bombs, like last Fall's All About Steve, for which she has been nominated for a Razzie, which are mock 'awards' for the year's worst films. The Blind Side happens to be one of her best performances, where she plays an all-American mother who with the help of her family, takes in an abandoned teen and encourages him to play for his high school football team. This movie is an example that shows when Bullock picks a good script, she really can prove herself to be an astounding actress.
Best Director: James Cameron for Avatar, Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker, Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds, Lee Daniels for Precious, and Jason Reitman for Up in the Air
Will and Should Win: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker- She has lost the Golden Globe to ex-husband James Cameron, but she has won awards for Best Director from the Producers Guild and Directors Guild of America. If the academy has enough love for her, Bigelow can make Oscar history by being the first female to win Best Director. There have only been three other female Best Director nominees, none of whom won.
Best Picture: Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, A Serious Man, Up, and Up in the Air
Will and Should Win: The Hurt Locker- About a month ago, I would have said that the only other film that could beat this was Avatar. Now, it's pretty clear who's going to win. It's won nearly every guild award, including Producers, Directors, and Writers, and received the highest of critical acclaim. It had a limited release back in July, and was never given a wide release. Thankfully, it came to my area; and honestly, there aren't many movies that have me rush back and see two more times. For a limited release movie like this to come out during the summer, and still have the academy buzzing about it, this film is not going to leave the voters' minds anytime soon. In my opinion, this is simply one of the best films of 2009. With its unflinching look at the horrors and addiction of war, along with a frightening view of the impacts that fighting a war has on a soldier psychologically and physically, The Hurt Locker is nearly flawless.
There you have it readers, my Oscar thoughts and hopes. I do wish that I'm right for most of my predictions. But no matter the outcome, March 7th will still be a night to celebrate the cinema's highest achievements of 2009. There are sure to be many surprises, because that's how we all love our awards shows. So I hope many of you tune in to watch the 82nd Academy Awards. I'm sure it'll be a great one. On an end note, enjoy the upcoming movies that 2010 has to offer, and be sure to find time to seek out some independent films. You'll be pleasantly surprised at what you might find.
*This is my first ever blog. I truly hope that you enjoyed reading it. Please feel free to leave your comments. I'd love to hear what you have to say. I hope to return very soon with film reviews and other movie news. I just hope my college work allows me to.
This year's Oscar ceremony will be the 82nd, and the academy is making some good changes, and some bad. Among the good, as you all have probably heard by now, the academy has decided to nominate 10 films for the Best Picture prize, instead of the usual 5. Something like this hasn't been done since the first couple of decades of the Oscars, and it will be very interesting to see how this plays out. This year's ceremony will also welcome not one, but two hosts. And they are non other than the insanely funny comedic pairing of Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. Since these two are also the most frequent of Saturday Night Live hosts, there's no denying their hilarious talent. One of the major disappointments, however, is the decision to not have the Best Original Song nominees performed. That's a shame, since I would have loved to see Crazy Heart's nominated song "The Weary Kind" be peformed. Oh well, we can't have everything, and with the festivities being 3-4 hours, I'm sure there are some hidden surprises.
All throughout my winter break, my brother and I probably went to the movies 2-3 times a week. Of course being a film fanatic, why wouldn't I? Given nearly five weeks of break (got to love college) I was able to see nine movies, a couple of which I saw twice. Since around this time is when all the award-contender movies are released, I try to catch as many as I can. Every week I would eagerly await for the new weekend schedule to come out online so I could see which of the independent films were finally being released in my area. It was a huge sigh of relief when I found out that Crazy Heart would be playing at my local AMC theater. After hearing so many critical raves about Jeff Bridges' performance, how could I not see it?
Before you ask, the answer is 'yes,' I also saw the big blockbuster movies known as Sherlock Holmes and Avatar. I had a lot of fun at both. Sherlock Holmes was pure, popcorn enjoyment, and Avatar was the most visually-arresting film I've seen since the third Lord of the Rings film. These were also the two films that I saw twice. Sherlock Holmes was worth the second viewing because since I already knew the clues from my first time seeing it, it was fun watching it again and spotting the things that I missed, and putting in place the clues that I remembered. Avatar I couldn't help but see more than once, because who wouldn't want to be absorbed in the world of Pandora?
Back to the Oscars. Since the winners will be announced next Sunday, this will be an excellent opportunity to look at the eight major categories, and decipher who will win, and who should win. Let's get started:
Best Adapted Screenplay: District 9, An Education, In the Loop, Precious, and Up in the Air
Will and Should Win: Up in the Air- Back around when this film was released, it seemed to be the movie-to-beat for Best Picture with its enormous critical praise and outstanding performances. It's almost too perfect how this movie relates to our times. It is a perfect blend of comedy and personal tragedy. Its chances for Best Picture have sadly declined, and this seems to be the only award for which it has a decent shot at winning. After winning screenplay awards at the Broadcast Film Critics Awards and the Golden Globes, I think this movie is a lock in this category.
Best Original Screenplay: The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, The Messenger, A Serious Man, and Up
Will Win: Inglourious Basterds- Quentin Tarantino's funny, edgy, (and really bloody) World War II film is his new masterpiece, and the academy loves a director like him. A story of vengeful Jews hunting down Nazis is crafted in such a way that probably only Tarantino could have accomplished. This will surely be another win for him.
Should Win: The Hurt Locker- Written by Mark Boal, one had to wonder at the fact that this was a War on Terror movie that actually worked. Not since Saving Private Ryan has a film brought the audience horrifically close to the frontlines of war. The movie is a tension-filled story of how addictive war can actually be, with scenes of near heart-stopping suspense that made the experience much more viceral than any other film I've seen this year.
Best Supporting Actor: Matt Damon for Invictus, Woody Harrelson for The Messenger, Christopher Plummer for The Last Station, Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones, and Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds
Will Win: Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds- Waltz has been a wide receiver of awards buzz ever since the film's release. His role as an SS nazi isn't just evil, but also quite funny and original. He has already won at the BFCA, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. It looks like this will be another win for the Basterds.
Should Win: Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones- Being the only Oscar nomination that this film received, I guess you could say that Tucci practically stole the movie; and in a way, he did. Tucci was terrifically creepy in his role as a child killer in a suburban town. Every time he appeared on screen, one couldn't help but squirm and coward in fear at his foreboding presence.
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz for Nine, Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air, Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart, Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air, and Mo'Nique for Precious
Will and Should Win: Mo'Nique for Precious- If there is any sure Oscar winner this year, it's first-time nominee Mo'Nique. Her role of an abusive inner-city mother has left auidences speechless and flim critics raving. It's easy to award a performance for an actor playing a character one can root for. But what Mo'Nique does is simply fearless, and she deserves all the praise that comes her way.
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart, George Clooney for Up in the Air, Colin Firth for A Single Man, Morgan Freeman for Invictus, and Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker
Will Win: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart- As any film critic can tell you, this is Jeff Bridges' year. After years of solid work and this being his fifth Oscar nomination, it's about time the academy recognizes him for his excellent work as a country-western singer on a path of redemption. His acting and singing describe a broken-down soul who wants to prove that it's never too late to turn your life around. And he more than succeeds in getting his message across.
Should Win: Morgan Freeman for Invictus- Watching this film was literally like watching history happen, mostly because I couldn't see anyone else playing Nelson Mandela. Freeman takes on the part of one of our world's greatest leaders, and embodies the spirit of a man who achieved the impossible: uniting a racially-torn country through the language of sport. His performance left me awed, breathless, and most importantly, inspired.
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side, Helen Mirren for The Last Station, Carey Mulligan for An Education, Gabourey Sidibe for Precious, and Meryl Streep for Julie and Julia
Will and Should Win: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side- Just as this is Jeff Bridges' year to win, the same can be said for Sandra Bullock. She is probably one of Hollywood's most underrated actresses, partly because she'll turn out great performances in other films such as Crash and The Proposal, but will then star in several bombs, like last Fall's All About Steve, for which she has been nominated for a Razzie, which are mock 'awards' for the year's worst films. The Blind Side happens to be one of her best performances, where she plays an all-American mother who with the help of her family, takes in an abandoned teen and encourages him to play for his high school football team. This movie is an example that shows when Bullock picks a good script, she really can prove herself to be an astounding actress.
Best Director: James Cameron for Avatar, Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker, Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds, Lee Daniels for Precious, and Jason Reitman for Up in the Air
Will and Should Win: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker- She has lost the Golden Globe to ex-husband James Cameron, but she has won awards for Best Director from the Producers Guild and Directors Guild of America. If the academy has enough love for her, Bigelow can make Oscar history by being the first female to win Best Director. There have only been three other female Best Director nominees, none of whom won.
Best Picture: Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, A Serious Man, Up, and Up in the Air
Will and Should Win: The Hurt Locker- About a month ago, I would have said that the only other film that could beat this was Avatar. Now, it's pretty clear who's going to win. It's won nearly every guild award, including Producers, Directors, and Writers, and received the highest of critical acclaim. It had a limited release back in July, and was never given a wide release. Thankfully, it came to my area; and honestly, there aren't many movies that have me rush back and see two more times. For a limited release movie like this to come out during the summer, and still have the academy buzzing about it, this film is not going to leave the voters' minds anytime soon. In my opinion, this is simply one of the best films of 2009. With its unflinching look at the horrors and addiction of war, along with a frightening view of the impacts that fighting a war has on a soldier psychologically and physically, The Hurt Locker is nearly flawless.
There you have it readers, my Oscar thoughts and hopes. I do wish that I'm right for most of my predictions. But no matter the outcome, March 7th will still be a night to celebrate the cinema's highest achievements of 2009. There are sure to be many surprises, because that's how we all love our awards shows. So I hope many of you tune in to watch the 82nd Academy Awards. I'm sure it'll be a great one. On an end note, enjoy the upcoming movies that 2010 has to offer, and be sure to find time to seek out some independent films. You'll be pleasantly surprised at what you might find.
*This is my first ever blog. I truly hope that you enjoyed reading it. Please feel free to leave your comments. I'd love to hear what you have to say. I hope to return very soon with film reviews and other movie news. I just hope my college work allows me to.
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