Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

Here's a review of "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium", a movie which, to me, looked like it could be the best children's movie of the year.

Although this is only one review, the majority of the reviews are not that good. There are a couple ones that think it's a good one...but that is one letter grade that stays in your system for a while.

First Sweeney Todd Audio Clip

Wow...Johnny really sucks. But everyone else sounds good, and this was a great reminder of why this is my favorite show of all time.

And yet...

What's the point of doing Sweeney Todd when the title character can't sing?

Sigh. Johnny Depp fangirls, go ahead.

Will Controversy Effect The Kite Runner's Oscar Chances?

First off, thanks to IMDb user "Alison-I" for providing me with this great link that explains all of the controversy surrounding upcoming contender "The Kite Runner." The question on our minds is: will the controversy keep it from doing well at this year's Oscars?

To me, the answer to that question is all dependent on the reviews. I think that this just makes an obstacle it will have to overcome, and raises the bar for the quality it will need to be in order for the Academy to recognize it. It also depends on how the issue at hand is put to rest (if it is), and who's side AMPAS takes. Most likely, it will fade out by the time the film is actually released, and, in my opinion, Dreamworks has handled the situation pretty well. We'll all see next month, but until then, I think that I might start factoring The Kite Runner out of my predix not only because of this, but also because it looks a bit bland (though, for some reason, I have not read the book). Stay tuned.

No Country for Old Men: The Reviews are In

"No Country for Old Men", Joel and Ethan Coen's latest film, has officially been released (limited) in the United States. If you go back a few entries then you'll find my early review of it from London Film Festival. Well...the reviews are in and here's what's up:

-"No Country for Old Men", as of yesterday, is officially the 10th Best Reviewed Film of All Time according to Metacritic. Metacritic is, in my opinion, the best website to go to for reviews. Hopefully that demonstrates how well the film is doing.

-"No Country for Old Men" is currently enjoying a 9.1 rating on IMDB and a spot as the 235th Best Film of All Time. As we all know, this is a bloated number. However, this is the same number we've seen on IMDB for a while. Now that it has been released, it has been able to keep that same number. Although this number WILL go down, and there is no question about that, this is a clear indication that the film will most likely enjoy a spot of the Top 250. While films such as "300" and "The Simpsons Movie" both had similar ratings when they first came out, I think it's a safe bet that this will stay on the list.

-"No Country for Old Men" has received a 95% Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This is a huge deal and I'm pretty sure this is self-explanatory.

As of now, this looks to be the ultimate critical darling of the year (next to "Ratatouille"). While I still don't think this will win Best Picture, although it certainly deserves it, I think that it is now a pretty safe bet to say that "No Country for Old Men" will be nominated for Best Picture. Knock on wood.

Eligible Animated Features

Here's the shortlist:

Alvin and the Chipmunks
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters
Bee Movie
Beowulf
Meet the Robinsons
Persepolis
Ratatouille
Shrek the Third
The Simpsons Movie
Surf’s Up
Tekkonkinkreet
TMNT

Predicting the nominees seems easy: Ratatouille, The Simpsons Movie and a battle between Beowulf and Persepolis for the final spot. That said, they do love to throw curveballs in this category, so Surf's Up and Shrek could also be contenders. Either way, Ratatouille is a lock (duh).

New Predix: Best Supporting Actor 11/8

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1. Javier Bardem-No Country for Old Men-By far the safest bet in this race, and one of this year's most exciting contenders. Everyone loves a villain performance winning an Oscar.

2. Philip Bosco-The Savages-Seems to be a showstealing performance, and if the good reviews continue, he's looking strong.

3. Philip Seymour Hoffman-Charlie Wilson's War-He has to be nominated for something this year. Doesn't he?

4. Max von Sydow-The Diving Bell & the Butterfly-I don't know much about the film at all, but he's gotten a fair amount of buzz so far. And hey, better to redeem a snub 34 years later than never.

5. Paul Dano-There Will be Blood-Based solely on my good feeling about this project.

IN THE RUNNING

6. Tom Wilkinson-Michael Clayton-Buzz is slowly but surely declining.

7. Casey Affleck-The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford-His chances are even slimmer now with Gone Baby Gone (though that is a lead performance).

8. Hal Halbrook-Into the Wild-Why is this even being predicted?

9. Michael Cera-Juno-Sure to be a scene stealer, but an Oscar nomination is still a very long way away.

10. Russell Crowe-American Gangster-The response has been good, but it's all about his co-star.

New Predix: Best Supporting Actress 11/5

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1. Cate Blanchett-I'm Not There-I don't think that she'll win just yet, but this race is so boring that it's stupid not to predict the most likely winner as of now.

2. Saorsie Ronan-Atonement-Will AMPAS honor two young actresses with nominations in this category two years in a row? As it looks now, yes.

3. Amy Ryan-Gone Baby Gone-I think that the buzz for this film is fleeting, but who knows?

4. Marisa Tomei-Before the Devil Knows You're Dead-The buzz seems to indicate that she's making her second comeback. We'll see once the reviews come out.

5. Kelly MacDonald-No Country for Old Men-Her buzz is minimal, but I'm very confident in the project.

IN THE RUNNING

6. Jennifer Garner-Juno-Margot at the Wedding is out, and there has to be a comedy...right?

7. Julia Roberts-Charlie Wilson's War-I'm almost ready to factor this out of my predix...

8. Ruby Dee-American Gangster-If the film gets honored at all, it will be for Denzel.

9. Romola Garai-Atonement-I think that only one Briony will get in, but anything's possible, I suppose.

10. Tilda Swinton-Michael Clayton-What happened to this film?

New Trailer for "There Will Be Blood"

The new trailer for P.T. Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" can be seen here.

This reaffirms my belief that it will be one of the best films of the year. While we don't really see anything we already haven't, besides a few new clips, this is still a fantastic trailer. Both Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano look spectacular.

Thoughts?

Atonement: The Contender I Hate to Love

If you follow Oscar Obsession then you have probably read my review of "Atonement". I hailed it as the best film of the year (a spot that now belongs to "No Country for Old Men" and "Juno") and raved and raved and raved. Since then, I've tried to find faults. The only fault I can find is that Keira Knightley was not as good as I said she was. That being said, she was good. But, I could not, for the life of me, find anything wrong with the film besides her. That infuriated me. This is because I HATE "Atonement" as a contender but I LOVE the film. It's such a juggernaut that it will most likely take Best Picture from other, possibly more worthy, candidates. Do I want "Atonement" to win Best Picture? No. Why?

1. Because it's beautiful and epic.
2. Because it's unbelievably baity.
3. Because it's bound to sweep awards season
4. Because it's huge and sweeping
5. Because you sit in the theatre for the entire closing credits because you're in awe.
6. Because the acting is great.
...and so many more reasons.

Oh, "Atonement", you were magnificent and yet I hate you so. I'll be fine with it winning Best Score (undeniably good) and buckets of nominations but...any win in the Top 8 categories will be so frustrating. Hopefully the Academy will do the same and reward a superior project Best Picture. However, that's unlikely considering "The English Patient"'s recent domination over the Oscars.

London Film Festival: Final Update- "Juno"

Before I write my final review of "Juno", I wanted to go ahead and say thanks for reading all of my segments on the London Film Festival. I certainly enjoyed informing all of you. Thanks again.

And now...the final Oscar Obsession review of the London Film Festival

Juno: In Review

Jason Reitman's newest film, "Juno", is a force to be reckoned with. Not only is it one of the most delightful movies I've ever seen, but it screams Oscar. The acting is fantastic all around. The screenplay is inspiring. The direction is great. The title credits are amazing. The soundtrack should go with "The Graduate"'s Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack as one of the most effective ever. The only negative thing about this film is that I won't get to see it again until it comes out here...in February.

Ellen Page, once again, proves her magnificent talent. Her Juno MacGuff is witty, intelligent, and mature. She is also one of the best "heroes" to hit the screen since Marge Gunderson. Page's performance is very complex, she is, after all, a teenager about to give birth to her best friend's child. Page will, almost certainly, be my favorite Lead Actress performance of the year. She goes from, I got this quote from an IMDB user...who got it from Jason Reitman, "hilarious to heartbreaking in seconds flat". That quote is a fantastic way of summing up her performance. The amazing dialogue that Page is given, from the stripper-turned-screenwriter Diablo Cody, comes from her mouth with such ease that you honestly don't see the difference between Ellen Page and Juno MacGuff. There really isn't enough I can say about this performance. It's the best of the year.

Next to Page, we have an unbelievable supporting cast. Michael Cera, of "Arrested Development" and "Superbad", plays Paulie Bleeker, the father of Juno's baby. Cera is extremely sincere and very funny. It's a performance that I personally loved. As her father and stepmother, J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney are wonderful. Simmons plays the father role to hilarious perfection and Janney is utterly fantastic. She has a scene with a ultrasound technician after the technician insults Juno's state of pregnancy and her age. In that scene, Janney is electrifying. If she had fifteen more minutes of screen time then we would be looking at a strong contender for Best Supporting Actress. Last but not least, Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner are the seemingly perfect couple who Juno's baby is being adopted by. Not all is as seems, however. Bateman's Mark struggles to be married to such a conservative wife and he feels it is holding his career, he "composes" commercial stuff...like commercials, back. Garner is quite good as Vanessa, who cannot have a child no matter how hard she tries. Garner's performance is quite hard to pin down. While she has many, many scenes where she does a great job...I feel that she really didn't nail her one big "Oscar-nomination" scene. We'll see what happens with her.

The screenplay is razor-sharp. There are so many cultural references in this film and not only are we impressed that Juno knows about them, but we're extremely impressed that Cody knew about the stuff to begin with. She very accurately provides interesting, and hilarious, details about every character (Allison Janney's dog obsession will bring you to tears with laughter) as well as writing for teenagers. When "Superbad" was released, the screenplay was hailed as one of the best screenplays to really capture teenagers. "Juno" captures the other half of teenagers while still staying in the same vein. The screenplay was extremely impressive and I absolutely guarantee that it will be rewarded by numerous awards.

Jason Reitman's direction continues to impress. Undoubtabley on it's way to a Screen Actor's Guild nomination for the cast, numerous Independent Spirit Awards, and possible, and extremely deserving, Oscar nominations..."Juno" doesn't fail to impress. Led by a fantastic (which is too weak a word) performance by the rising star, and soon to be Academy Award nominee, Ellen Page, "Juno" is one of the best films of the year. And that's a fact. A

Once again, thank you very much to all that followed Oscar Obsession's coverage of the London Film Festival. Until next year, that's all folks.

For Halloween...Top 5 Horror Movies

Call it cliche, but, in honor of Halloween, I've decided to do a little entry on my top 5 horrors. I'm separating thrillers from the category because I consider the two to be completely different genres. I would consider a "horror" movie to be the kind of film where things jump out at you and you have trouble sleeping at night. A "thriller", in my book, would be a movie that doesn't have a lot of violence or screams, but keeps your heart pounding until the end (almost like a mystery). But my top 5 thrillers would be:

1. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
2. Jaws (1975)
3. Rear Window (1954)
4. North by Northwest (1959)
5. King Kong (1933)

So, here we go with horror:

HORROR

5. Carrie (1976)
If you weren't a bit hoarse the day afterwards because of how loud you screamed during that final graveyard dream sequence, you might want to check your pulse. Like all Stephen King films and novels (except The Shining. Sorry), Carrie is unique in that it is not typical horror film gruel. The film also features some meaningful plot development, insightful observations about high school and fantastic performances from Sissy Spacek and, in a performance snubbed of a statuette (though she did receive a nomination, surprisingly), Piper Laurie.

4. Alien (1979)
I almost categorized this as a thriller, but it is so often referred to as a horror that I kept it here. I suppose I understand why that is, but you need to know what you're getting into before you watch Alien. The majority of this film is a very entertaining thriller. You only see the alien itself once in the famous stomach-burst scene in the first hour and a half. But don't let that fend you off; this is still a fantastic movie that gave me a fear of outer space (don't ask).


3. Misery (1990)
Like with Alien, this could easily be considered a thriller, but it's not quite there. Either way, I love this film. It and "Napoleon Dynamite" are my two most quoted films. Every time someone says the word "Misery", I have to control myself to keep from screaming out "HE DIDN'T GET OUT OF THE COCK-A-DOODLE CAR!" The best part about this film is Carl Reiner's inclusion of humor. Of course it is far from a comedy, but the ultra black comedy in this film makes it all the more enjoyable...and terrifying.

2. Psycho (1960)
Though some would be surprised to hear that this movie is not just about a woman getting stabbed in a shower, "Psycho" is downright creepy. And excellent. Truly Hitchcock's best film, "Psycho" is, contrary to popular belief, about a...well...psycho. Not a shower (but don't get me wrong...the shower scene was by far the best part). It is this movie's well-thought out plotline and compelling characters that make it all the scarier.


1. The Exorcist (1973)
Often referred to as the scariest movie of all time, but rarely as the best horror movie of all time. The fact is, it's both. Never in my life have I been so scared about anything--movie or otherwise. I mean, that face that they flash across the screen...eek. I've seen this film many times before, and I'm watching it again tonight, and I'm sure that I'll be just as mind-numbingly terrified as I have been in the past. Oh, boy...it sure is Halloween.


Stay safe :-)

London Film Festival: I'm Not There & The Savages

Today was my last film, "Juno", but since I'm a day behind on all of my reviews...

I'm Not There: In Review

One of my least favorite feelings while watching is a movie is to WANT to love the film you're seeing but you just can't. Todd Haynes' "I'm Not There" falls in that category for me. I absolutely loved the beginning of the film but as it continued, my attention drifted and I wanted it to end. Quite the opposite of "Bee Movie", I'm almost 100% sure that "I'm Not There" will be loved by many, if not all, but not by me. I may be called unintelligent and I may be accused of not understanding the film but, I assure you, I did understand the film and I was extremely disappointed. While the film did have some strengths, mainly in the acting, there were too many weaknesses for me.

"I'm Not There" was my most anticipated film of the year, which could possibly be the reason why I was so disappointed...my expectations may have been too high. That being said, the film doesn't deliver as a whole. For lack of a better word, there is too much "indie" in this film. Now, hold on. I'm not against indie. "Amelie" is my sixth favorite movie of all time and look how many indie elements are in that particular film. However, I firmly believe that a movie should not be quirky and indie unless the subject matter works with it. Bob Dylan's life, while this is a disagreeable statement, is not material for an indie-fied film. For instance, I felt that some of the transitions between the segments between the actors made no sense. The camera shots of all the actors playing Dylan were used two (or maybe three, to be honest, I can't remember exactly) times instead of just one to introduce us to the images of the actors. That just seems unnecessary to me. Why don't you just skip the "clever" transition and just go straight to the next segment?

The choice to make all of the "Dylans"' stories intertwine rather than in chronological order was a bad idea. Since all of the stories were told on top of each other, it was easy to lose track of what was going on. This brings me to my next point, the six actors aren't playing "Bob Dylan". They are playing different fictional characters ("Jude Quinn", "Billy the Kid", etc.) whose lives are similar to Dylan's, some more abstract than others. While this may look good on paper, it doesn't transition well to film. I loved the idea of six actors for Dylan...but they should have all been named "Bob Dylan" and it should have gone in chronological order. They all get the same screen time and it makes more sense so why didn't they do that? Well, I'm pretty sure it was just to try and be more complex and interesting. This aspect of the film is extremely pretentious. Oh, and some of the dialogue is groan inducing. For instance, after Cate Blanchett's Jude's girlfriend knocks a man out who is threatening to stab their whole party, he, or she rather, says: "Just like a woman". Sorry, but that's just lame.

Now, at this point, the general consensus of a guess for my letter grade for the film would probably be about a "D". But, it isn't. This is because they are still very good qualities of this film. The acting, by every actor, is exceptional. Cate Blanchett is obviously the star. While I didn't necessarily love her segment of the film, Blanchett excels as "Jude". She nails every Bob Dylan character aspect (unlike the other actors, she is pretty much playing Dylan with a different name...same hair, same clothes, mannerisms...) completely. While she won't be my Best Supporting Actress of the year, a nominee rather, she will most likely win the Academy Award. I also really enjoyed Marcus Carl Franklin's performance. His segment was enjoyable. Christian Bale is my favorite male "Dylan". Since, according to me, the "Six Dylan" approach didn't work, I would have much preferred a straight up music biopic of Dylan with Bale in the lead.

While this may come as a surprise, I enjoyed the screenplay. I just didn't like the way Haynes, who also wrote the film strangely enough, tackled it. The screenplay shifts from narrative to mockumentary to concert footage to everything in between. I really admired that. The dialogue was, for the most part, good. The screenplay will almost certainly make an appearance in the Academy's final five choices for Original Screenplay. It may make mine, I haven't decided.

While "I'm Not There" has bucketfuls of flaws, style problems, and some unnecessary material, the magnificent acting from every actor and the highly original screenplay redeem many of it's qualities. That being said, I'm still disappointed. B-

I bet you weren't expecting a bad-ish review on that, were you? Before "The Savages", I got to see Laura Linney (she was on the red carpet) and I got a good picture of that (I'll add it in an edit of this post).

The Savages: In Review

"The Savages" opens with a scene of elderly women cheerleading. We can't help but release a laugh. The beginning continues. We now see seniors doing some sort of aerobics in a pool. Other images of retirement communities come onto the screen. We slowly start to realize that these seemingly comedic moments are actually portraits of what these peoples' lives have become. Not necessarily a bad way of living, they don't think so, but we're introduced to another world in a way. The film deals heavily with old age. In that very subject, we are saddened but Tamara Jenkins, writer and director, also manages to put in oodles of dark humor that makes this, overall, a very good film.

I'll keep this review brief because I think I'll be able to write a better review that way. The real triumph in this movie is the acting. Laura Linney is Oscar-worthy, Philip Seymour Hoffman is fantastic. It is Philip Bosco, though, that really impressed. He is very deserving of an Academy Award nomination. It's a funny, sad, and moving performance. Look for him to make my personal awards at the end of the year. The screenplay is also fantastic for the reason I mentioned earlier, it makes us laugh while being in a sad situation. Well, that's it-plain and simple-"The Savages" is a knockout. A-

Tomorrow, my final London Film Festival review: "Juno".

London Film Festival: Bee Movie and No Country for Old Men

First off, sorry for the wait on these. The past two nights I've been getting in from the film festival at around midnight and I have been way too tired to write anything. But I've got the day off, until tomorrow when I'll see my final film of the festival, "Juno". So, here are my delayed reviews of Jerry Seinfeld's entertaining "Bee Movie" and the Coen Bros.' masterpiece.

Bee Movie: In Review

Jerry Seinfeld is one of my favorite comedians. "Seinfeld" is one of my all time favorite television shows. The man is a genius. In "Bee Movie", his new animated comedy, Seinfeld manages to entertain us but we can't help but feel that we expected a little more out of such a comedy god. I enjoyed it, I really enjoyed it, but I still feel like there could have been more for us to feel completely fulfilled.

We've seen one other animated movie this year where the protagonist is of a species that is not well regarded by humans. The first was "Ratatouille", for rats obviously, and now there is "Bee Movie" for bees. Both films did a good job of making us relate to them. However, both do it in a different way. While in "Ratatouille" we were shown that a rat could also have a talent and a hobby similar to humans, "Bee Movie" instead creates a life of its own where it may seem foreign to us but also quite recognizable. The first ten or fifteen minutes of the film are spectacular. The screenplay is very sharp. It integrates aspects of a bee's life (very short lifespan, worker bees, etc.) into ours. For example, Seinfeld's Barry B. Benson, the main bee, graduates high school in the "9:15" class and the one before him graduates in the "9:00" class. I thought that was quite clever.

The animation in the film is quite good. It looks more like a Pixar film than it does a Dreamworks film, or so I thought. In the beginning, we are introduced to the honey factory and the various jobs and I thought it was a quite brilliant work of animation. The animators did a really good job with that particular sequence. All the different jobs and machines in any of the factory scenes were really enjoyable to watch. The animation is very creative.

The film has some very funny moments but it also drags on a little in the middle. While the celebrity cameos are golden, especially Ray Liotta's, it evens out with some bordering-on-gimmicky plot in the middle. I think that the one storyline inside the film about Barry suing the human race because they were stealing the bee's honey was a cool idea but I didn't like some aspects of the way they carried out that plan. That being said, I still think it was a funny idea. There is a lot in the film that is fiction and could not possibly happen so be sure to go in with an open mind and not look for a scientific explanation everywhere.

It's hard to tell how a film like this will do when it goes nationwide and worldwide. One part of me thinks that it will be a huge success and then the other part of me says that it will pretty much bomb. The kids sitting behind me hated it. However, many adults I talked to really enjoyed it. I guess that it could be one that parents love but younger kids do not. Like I said, it's hard to tell. I liked a lot of the jokes intended for older audiences, especially the brilliant homage to "The Graduate", but some were in bad taste such as a suicide pact joke.

While parts of it really entertained me, I left "Bee Movie" feeling that there could have been more and that Seinfeld could have taken out some bits and pieces to make a more cohesive film. But, that being said, I do recommend it and I think it would be only fitting if I gave it a B.

That night, I went to the "Surprise Film". I had several hours in between "Bee Movie" and the "Surprise" so I was waiting that whole time shivering in excitement and anticipation in hopes of it being a great movie.

Even more so, I felt fear of the film being "Margot at the Wedding".

Thankfully, it wasn't.

No Country for Old Men: In Review

Ethan and Joel Coen are rightfully two of the entire film industry's most respected names. With films such as "O Brother Where Art Thou?", "The Big Lebowski", "Barton Fink", "Blood Simple", and my second favorite movie of all time- "Fargo" under their belt, it makes a lot of sense as to why they are so respected. My opinion of the film has been said millions of times. It's probably the phrase I'm least sick of hearing this awards season too. Here it is: "No Country for Old Men" is a masterpiece. It is the Coens' best film since "Fargo". It's an instant classic.

Oh, my friends, but it is so much more too.

I don't know what Kris Tapley was thinking when he gave the film **12/****.

Everything about the film is just plain fantastic. The cinematography is amazing, it reminds me of "Fargo" except in the desert rather than snow. Every single actor in this film is great. Tommy Lee Jones gives his best performance ever, better than in "The Fugitive", for which he won his Oscar. His monologues, which are almost straight from the book, are expertly delivered. Every facial and body movement is exactly in the vein of Ed Tom Bell. Josh Brolin is also great as Moss and it is a performance that I was much more impressed with than I thought I would be. Kelly Macdonald's work as Carla Jean, Moss' wife, is some of the best Supporting Actress work I've seen this year, and I've seen Cate Blanchett for "I'm Not There" (review to come tomorrow or Thursday). She is extremely good and I honestly believe that she holds a chance to getting an Academy Award nomination. Although her screen time is widely spread apart at times, she still manages to make an impact. I absolutely loved this ensemble. The Coens do an inspired job with directing this masterpiece but, to me, that really goes without saying. Every film they direct is directed well.

Oh yeah, and Javier Bardem is the best on screen villain since Hannibal Lecter. Not only is it the best Supporting Actor job of the year (I've seen Wilkinson, Bosco, Mueller-Stahl, and several others) but is the best Supporting Actor performance of the decade. Anton Chigurh is a character that we are absolutely scared to death of but still eagerly anticipate Bardem's screen time and can't help but release a chuckle when we see him following someone we know is about to die on a staircase in the back of the frame. He is truly frightening. I could talk about his performance for hours but I won't. You just need to know this: Javier Bardem gives an unbelievable, incredibly satisfying, scary, haunting, troubled, violent, expertly crafted, superbly acted performance. Not to mention that his haircut just might be one of the contributing factors to why he is so scary yet strangely comedic.

The screenplay is a wonderfully done adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's excellent novel. It is a sure contender at the Academy Awards and will most likely be my winner at the end of the year.

There isn't one bad thing I can say about "No Country for Old Men". The reason this review is so poorly written is because I've run out of ways to express my love for the film and can't help but repeat the same thing over and over again because...I felt that it was fantastic and 'fantastic' SHOULD be used again and again and over and over.

It's a masterpiece, plain and simple. You will see me campaigning this film a lot more once the awards start coming out. A

Tomorrow I should have reviews for the Bob Dylan biopic "I'm Not There" and the extremely intimate, hilarious, and heartbreaking "The Savages".

Stay tuned.

London Film Festival: Quick Update

I sadly don't have much time right now to write out full reviews for "Bee Movie" and the Surprise Film which was...


NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN!!!

But, I'll give a brief letter grade and I assure you that there will be full reviews for both soon.

Bee Movie: B
No Country for Old Men: A (replaces "Atonement" as my favorite film of the year...it's flawless)

"Juno" Takes Best Picture at Rome Film Festival

I am soooo confident in this film (perhaps too confident). I cannot wait!

London Film Festival: Rescue Dawn and Grace is Gone

I thought that today would probably be the day where I was least impressed with the two films I saw. I was pretty incorrect. I saw a brilliant Vietnam (but without the fighting) POW drama, Werner Herzog's "Rescue Dawn", and John Cusack's best performance to date in the extremely moving "Grace is Gone". I've been extremely fortunate that every new film I've seen this month has pleased me (and even more fortunate that the majority of these good movies are at LFF...I'm paying up to 11 pounds for these tickets!).

Rescue Dawn: In Review

My immediate thoughts when coming out of Werner Herzog's latest film, "Rescue Dawn", were about how unbelievably stupid the distributors of this film were when it was released in the United States. This is a quality film and it was completely forgotten about when it was released back in July. I was angry at how such a profound film with two fantastic performances by Christian Bale, turning in great work (as usual), as Lieutenant Dieter Dengler, a German born fighter pilot who crashlands in Laos on his first mission, and a career best performance by Steve Zahn ("That Thing You Do!", "Daddy Day Care", "Sahara", "Saving Silverman"...I'm quite familiar with his work from my preteen years) as Dieter's fellow POW Duane and "one true friend" in Asia, will be completely forgotten by Oscar time. Hopefully this film will get some sort of jumpstart back into the Oscar arena when it is released in the UK (November 23rd) but it isn't likely. Which, once again, is a damn shame.

Although the editing, cinematography, and direction were all exceptional, the acting and writing are really the film's two main highlights. Christian Bale's performance is very good. While Dieter is on the borderline of annoying in the first six or seven minutes, he is a character we learn to like and respect as we are shown his determination to get out of the camp. Bale does this extremely well. Steve Zahn deserves an Oscar nomination but, as I said earlier, he doesn't stand a chance because of the film's distribution. Zahn's Duane is a disturbed and war weary character that we sympathize with but also understand his fear at the same time. Jeremy Davies is also quite good as the paranoid prisoner Gene (short for Eugene, he's from Eugene, Oregon. I thought that was a nice touch). Gene's character is very confident in his belief that the military will rescue him and that also works well as he serves as the foil to Dieter. As for the writing, the screenplay is quite good and it does a very nice job of the conversations between the prisoners. There isn't an abundant amount of dialogue in the film but the dialogue that is used it great.

While it will ultimately be forgotten come Oscar time due to the horrible distribution, "Rescue Dawn" is very worth seeing and it is one of the best films of the year. A-

Grace is Gone: In Review

In the first five minutes of "Grace is Gone" we meet Stan Phillips. He works at a supply store as, although it is never actually stated right out, some sort of a leader to the employees. He leads them in a chant that they do before each work day. This cheer is hilarious. It is at that moment that you realize that not only will this be a great drama but also full of great comedic bits.

In the aforementioned five minutes, we know what is going to happen. It's inevitable. It's in the trailer, it's on the IMDB page, we read about it at Sundance, it's the film's BASIC synopsis...Stanley's wife will die in Iraq. When Stan is informed, at least for me, it does not hit home all the way. What the film does is make that fact hit home as the film progresses. Stan doesn't tell his daughters. Instead he takes them to Dave & Busters and then eventually takes them on a road trip to "Enchanted Gardens" in Florida. While he grieves his wife to himself, he doesn't let anyone else around him know that his is troubled by it and, more importantly, doesn't tell anyone. People know although Stan hasn't told them. The girls' school knows, his friends know...but his daughters do not. That is the central conflict in the story. As time goes on, it becomes harder and harder for Stanley to tell them and it gets worse and worse that he has not. Watching the girls' happiness on the road while knowing they are naive to what is going on is truly heartbreaking. I bawled during this movie and if you didn't at least get a lump in your throat then I honestly think that you should check your pulse. This is a fantastic film.

Obviously, the force to be reckoned with in this film is John Cusack. Cusack's Stan is a conservative, ex-soldier, and an average father who maybe expects a little too much of his daughters. It is a hard character to like in the beginning of the film until we see the other sides to him. The death of his wife affects him in a profound way. He becomes warmer but that is ultimately masking his sorrow. Cusack plays all the layers of Stan to absolute perfection. I'll say it on record: If John Cusack is denied an Academy Award nomination for this work then I will have lost some respect for the AMPAS.

The screenplay is also magnificent. It deals with the mentioned subject of Stan's daughters not knowing and Cusack's internal struggles which include losing his wife and also losing faith in the country that he loves because of the death. It also deals with growing up and childhood. One particular image, that had to have been written in the screenplay, that I particularly liked was in a department store scene. The image is of three children's items. The first if a playset. The penultimate is two toy cars. The third is a toy house. It's an illustration of growing up. There are many different types of characters in the screenplay (ranging from military wives who are fawning over one of the wife's phone sex experience with her husband in Iraq, a truly funny moment, to a failed brother of Stan's) and they are all written extremely well. The mix of comedy and drama in this film is also a strong area. However, the most impressive is that it does a remarkable job of making an anti-war statement by showing an account of the effects of the death of a loved one in Iraq. If every story for everyone who has lost a loved one in a war is like this then that is enough to make someone against any war, no matter what the cause. For all of those reasons, "Grace is Gone"'s screenplay is an absolute triumph.

Led by a triumphant screenplay and a fantastic career-best performance by John Cusack, "Grace is Gone" is surely one of the best films of the year. While some may dislike it for it's subject material (I know one Oscar prediction website that will most likely loath it to the very core because of it's anti-war statement) and extremely sad storyline (I cried my eyes out for the last twenty minutes), I found those to be the film's strengths. It is certainly one of my favorite films of the year. John Cusack is unbelievable. His talent makes you green with envy. A

Tomorrow I will see Jerry Seinfeld's animated "Bee Movie" as well as the ever popular and mysterious "Surprise Film". Past "Surprise Film"s have been "The Prestige", "Sideways", "Mrs. Henderson Presents", and "School of Rock". This leads me to my question to all of you out there...

What do you all think the "Surprise Film" will end up being tomorrow? Comment and we'll see who was right and who was wrong when I post these reviews on Monday. I've got my money on either "No Country for Old Men", "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street", or "There Will Be Blood".

A New Sweeney Todd Trailer

The new "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" trailer can be seen here.

I can't find an official link and although the beginning looks like a trailer that has just been put together by a fan, I'm pretty sure this is a real trailer. Let me know what you think. If it isn't official then someone did an amazing job.

I think it looks a lot more intense than the first trailer (which is a VERY good thing). Depp certainly looked better. Thoughts?

New Predix: Best Supporting Actress

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1. Cate Blanchett-I'm Not There-Now that The Golden Age is basically out of the picture, this category is basically hers to lose unless an unseen contender arrives (which, considering the lineup, is possible).

2. Romola Garai-Atonement-This category is so weak that it could be a safe haven for newcomers.

3. Jennifer Garner-Juno-Could this be her first serious movie role? The trailer seems to indicate so...

4. Kelly MacDonald-No Country for Old Men-If the film is as successful as I think it will be, the Academy might just honor the entire cast.

5. Julia Roberts-Charlie Wilson's War-I really don't think it's going to happen, but this category needs a space filler.

IN THE RUNNING

6. Saorsie Ronan-Atonement-Her performance has been raved (after all, it is Atonement), but I think that they're only going to honor one Briony. And I doubt that they'll give out two Best Supporting Actress nominations to children two years in a row.

7. Jennifer Jason Leigh-Margot at the Wedding-Her reviews are very good, but the bad reviews for the film itself will probably overpower her.

8. Vanessa Redgrave-Atonement-Like I said, I think that they're only going to reward one Briony, and her role seems small.

9. Meryl Streep-Lions for Lambs-What happened to the buzz for this film?

10. Susan Sarandon-In the Valley of Elah-At this point, the buzz is basically at 0.

New Predix: Best Actress

BEST ACTRESS

1. Ellen Page-Juno-I know that The Golden Age and Rendition have taught us not to jump to conclusions just because of a great trailer, but...

2. Marion Cotillard-La Vie en Rose-To my surprise, this film has only increased in buzz as time has passed. I really need to see this.

3. Keria Knightley-Atonement-Because it's Atonement.

4. Laura Linney-The Savages-My confidence in this film is fading, but it is hard to go wrong with Linney.

5. Amy Adams-Enchanted-See #1.

IN THE RUNNING

6. Helena Bonham Carter-Sweeney Todd-She's good in anything she does, but I think that the Academy will pass on Sweeney.

7. Julie Christie-Away From Her-It's impressive and deserved that her buzz has stayed alive throughout the year, but I need precursor attention before I consider her.

8. Angelina Jolie-A Mighty Heart-Like with Christie, it's impressive that people still remember her, but the box office numbers were too weak.

9. Halle Berry-Things We Lost in the Fire-Poor Halle. She finally takes a good script in hopes of another Oscar nomination to regain her respect, and then her co-star steals the show.

10. Cate Blanchett-The Golden Age-Horrible box office and even worse reviews have thrown this once unstoppable vehicle into hopelessness. Oh well. At least she still has I'm Not There.

Goodbye, Margot

Sorry for getting your hopes up, Nicole.