This is the next in a series of 12 posts discussing the most memorable films of each year. Not the best or the highest grossing, but the ones that had all the factors that make us still remember them today. Today we focus on 2004.
10. Troy- It helps that Troy is played on many networks a few times a week, so most everyone has seen it. Not the greatest movie of the year, and not the most accurate interpretation of The Iliad, but a very cool film none the less. It helped Brad Pitt transform into an action star, and really put a lot of actors on the map. Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Brendan Gleeson, Diane Kruger, Brian Cox, Rose Byrne, James Cosmo, Garrett Hedlund, and Sean Bean all co-starred with Pitt, and all have either become famous or reignited stale careers since Troy.
9. The Incredibles- The original super hero team. Pixar knocked another one out of the park, and The Incredibles holds up very well 8 years later. The voice work in particular is fantastic, and the tongue in cheek humor makes The Incredibles truly incredible.
8. National Treasure- Nicholas Cage has had an interesting career, and showing up in this film from Jerry Bruckheimer billed as a "family" film was a strange choice, however the box office result was incredible, and it is truly a great family film. Not many films can be watched and enjoyed by an 8 year old and equally as much by his or her parents.
7. Ray- Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for his portrayal of Ray Charles, and the performance is breathtaking. The film however is more than just the single performance, and is still memorable and heart breaking.
6. Million Dollar Baby- The Best Picture winner at the Oscars, and a truly amazing film. Clint Eastwood continued his directing and acting hot streak in this film about a female boxer played by Hilary Swank. Morgan Freeman gave an Oscar winning supporting performance as well. What makes MDB so memorable is the complete jaw dropping game changer that happens two-thirds of the way through, ensuring no one will ever forget the movie.
5. Crash- Another Best Picture winner (two films released in the same year can both win best picture at two different ceremonies depending if released in January or February thru December). The film started the trend of several narratives coming together and has a true all star cast. Race is the main subject and while the film was released in the summer, it maintained its momentum all the way until the next Oscar telecast.
4. Spiderman 2- Something about superhero sequels makes them better than the originals and the trilogy finishers. Think Dark Knight, Blade II, X2, and of course, Spiderman 2. Spiderman 2 was able to get past all the origin stuff as it was dealt with already, and it allowed director Sam Raimi to focus on new problems and solutions, along with a greatly acted villain with Alfred Molina playing Dr. Octopus.
3. The Notebook- How many sappy movies based of Nicholas Sparks novels have been released since The Notebook? At least 4 or 5, as well as hundreds of copy cats. However capturing what The Notebook captured would be truly difficult. Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling were relative unknowns at the time, and delivered amazingly. Everyone cries at the end of The Notebook, and don't pretend like you didn't.
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind- Another film that has been copycatted hundreds of times but never replicated. The Jim Carrey/Kate Winslet love story is everything a typical love story is, and so much more. With great supporting performances by Tom Wilkinson, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, and Kirsten Dunst, the film is truly eternal.
1. Passion of the Christ- Not trying to be controversial here, as I know many did not see the film as they are not religious or believe in a different religion, but what makes Passion so memorable is how polarizing it is. Mel Gibson is remembered mostly for now being kind of crazy, but in 2004 he self financed and made Passion, and the film took in an absolute boatload of money. The film was also controversial and heavily talked about. In addition, whether you view the film as fiction or fact, it is incredibly well done.
Honorable Mentions: Hotel Rwanda, Closer, Collateral, The Aviator, Sideways, Finding Neverland, Team America: World Police, Dodgeball, The Day After Tomorrow, Napoleon Dynamite, The Bourne Supremacy.
-Maximus
Monday, May 28, 2012
Saturday, May 5, 2012
The Top Films of 2005
This is the 7th in a series of 12 posts discussing the top films of each year. Not necessarily the most profitable films or the best, but the most memorable.
10. Brick- While the film didn't make a dent at the box office, those who saw it know just how good it is. A noir thriller that is among the best in the genre, except its set in High School. The story of a shy young man trying to figure out who killed the girl he loved, JGL is exceptional.
9. Munich- Steven Spielberg returns to war in this film about a team of agents trying to find and assassinate a terrorist group responsible for bombing the 1972 Olympics. This is the film and performance that won Daniel Craig the role of James Bond, and while the film is not heavy on action, it is brutal when it has to be.
8. Jarhead- Very few films tackle wars similar to ones we are currently involved in, but Jarhead decided to throw caution to the wind and make a film about the first Gulf war. Jake Gyllenhaal gives a great performance as a soldier who can't find war despite being in the middle of it. You get great supporting performances from Peter Sarsguard and Jamie Foxx.
7. History of Violence- David Croneberg and Viggo Mortensen team up again to a film that is both brutally violent and shockingly sexual. The story of a normal man (Mortensen) who in the act of defending his small town restaurant, becomes a local hero. However that is a problem for him as he used to be an enforcer for his mob boss brother (William Hurt) and had been in hiding for many years. Ed Harris and Maria Bello bring great performances but the real story is Hurt, who was nominated for an Oscar even though he only had about 4 minutes of screen time.
6. Mr. & Mrs. Smith- Most people remember this film as the one that created the tabloid monster Brangelina, and destroyed Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. However past that is a great film, full of terrific action, amazing chemistry, and surprising humor. Doug Liman likes to reinvent the action genre every few years as he did with The Bourne Identity, and he did it again here.
5. The 40 Year Old Virgin- Everyone remembers the chest waxing scene, but its just one of about a 100 that are etched into your memory after the film. The concept is simple, yet the film tells it in a hilarious yet honest way. This film showed everyone Judd Apatow would be a director to contend with in the coming years.
4. V for Vendetta- Most people refer to this as the "movie where Natalie Portman shaved her head" but its so much more. Based off a graphic novel, and more complex than most films can ever hope to become, V is a film that is loved by all who have seen it.
3. Sin City- Another graphic novel based film, this one with an all star cast of Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, Michael Clarke Duncan, Elijah Wood, and many more. The film tells three separate yet loosely connected stories of murder, betrayal, and relationships in Sin City. This was another graphic novel many considered not a realistic big screen option, but directors Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino, and Frank Miller proved them wrong.
2. Batman Begins- While The Dark Knight gets all the credit, Batman Begins is a perfect film. As a Batman fan, I was skeptical on how the director of Memento would do with the caped crusader, but my doubts were proven quickly wrong. Begins is only #2 on this list because many forget about it when the think of the series due to how perfect The Dark Knight also was, but I caution people to remember this film, as a decade from now we may wonder which is actually better.
1. King Kong- A remake of the beloved films by the director of the Lord of the Rings? No way this lives up to the hype right? It did. King Kong is every bit the accomplishment the LOTR trilogy was in its scope and execution. Perfectly cast and wonderfully made, King Kong was amazing in every sense of the word.
Honorable Mentions- Brokeback Mountain, Walk the Line, Syriana, Kingdom of Heaven, Redeye, Star Wars Episode III, Cinderella Man.
-Maximus
10. Brick- While the film didn't make a dent at the box office, those who saw it know just how good it is. A noir thriller that is among the best in the genre, except its set in High School. The story of a shy young man trying to figure out who killed the girl he loved, JGL is exceptional.
9. Munich- Steven Spielberg returns to war in this film about a team of agents trying to find and assassinate a terrorist group responsible for bombing the 1972 Olympics. This is the film and performance that won Daniel Craig the role of James Bond, and while the film is not heavy on action, it is brutal when it has to be.
8. Jarhead- Very few films tackle wars similar to ones we are currently involved in, but Jarhead decided to throw caution to the wind and make a film about the first Gulf war. Jake Gyllenhaal gives a great performance as a soldier who can't find war despite being in the middle of it. You get great supporting performances from Peter Sarsguard and Jamie Foxx.
7. History of Violence- David Croneberg and Viggo Mortensen team up again to a film that is both brutally violent and shockingly sexual. The story of a normal man (Mortensen) who in the act of defending his small town restaurant, becomes a local hero. However that is a problem for him as he used to be an enforcer for his mob boss brother (William Hurt) and had been in hiding for many years. Ed Harris and Maria Bello bring great performances but the real story is Hurt, who was nominated for an Oscar even though he only had about 4 minutes of screen time.
6. Mr. & Mrs. Smith- Most people remember this film as the one that created the tabloid monster Brangelina, and destroyed Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. However past that is a great film, full of terrific action, amazing chemistry, and surprising humor. Doug Liman likes to reinvent the action genre every few years as he did with The Bourne Identity, and he did it again here.
5. The 40 Year Old Virgin- Everyone remembers the chest waxing scene, but its just one of about a 100 that are etched into your memory after the film. The concept is simple, yet the film tells it in a hilarious yet honest way. This film showed everyone Judd Apatow would be a director to contend with in the coming years.
4. V for Vendetta- Most people refer to this as the "movie where Natalie Portman shaved her head" but its so much more. Based off a graphic novel, and more complex than most films can ever hope to become, V is a film that is loved by all who have seen it.
3. Sin City- Another graphic novel based film, this one with an all star cast of Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Benicio Del Toro, Michael Clarke Duncan, Elijah Wood, and many more. The film tells three separate yet loosely connected stories of murder, betrayal, and relationships in Sin City. This was another graphic novel many considered not a realistic big screen option, but directors Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino, and Frank Miller proved them wrong.
2. Batman Begins- While The Dark Knight gets all the credit, Batman Begins is a perfect film. As a Batman fan, I was skeptical on how the director of Memento would do with the caped crusader, but my doubts were proven quickly wrong. Begins is only #2 on this list because many forget about it when the think of the series due to how perfect The Dark Knight also was, but I caution people to remember this film, as a decade from now we may wonder which is actually better.
1. King Kong- A remake of the beloved films by the director of the Lord of the Rings? No way this lives up to the hype right? It did. King Kong is every bit the accomplishment the LOTR trilogy was in its scope and execution. Perfectly cast and wonderfully made, King Kong was amazing in every sense of the word.
Honorable Mentions- Brokeback Mountain, Walk the Line, Syriana, Kingdom of Heaven, Redeye, Star Wars Episode III, Cinderella Man.
-Maximus
The Top Films of 2006
This is the 6th in a series of 12 posts discussing the 12 top films of each year. These are not necessarily the most profitable or the best, but the ones that will stick with you for years to come. Unlike 2007, 2006 was full of quality films, and the top 6 on this list alone are among my favorite movies.
10. Half Nelson- Ryan Gosling used to only do under the radar Indie films, this was his best. A gripping performance as a good teacher who is also a crack head, he walks the line between caring and strung out with expert precision. The performance was Oscar nominated and was well deserved.
9. The DaVinci Code- Memorable for some for its gripping edge of your seat plot, memorable for others for the amazing Hans Zimmer score, remembered yet by some for Tom Hanks' hair..... It may not have been as good as the book, but Ron Howard made a very good film out of a book that seemed unable to be put to the screen.
8. Apocalypto- Mel Gibson's film about a peaceful tribe of a Mayan like people who are stumbled upon by a larger, and more brutal culture. The film is completely in subtitles, but gripping and strikingly violent. It was not as big as Gibson's first subtitled film (Passion of the Christ) but it still made a huge impact.
7. Borat- Sasha Baren Cohen's first and only successful full length film turning one of his characters into a way to get hilarious reactions out of people. Everything that made Borat great failed in Bruno, but that doesn't take away how truly hilarious Borat is the first time you see it. The amount of people who sued the film later are just a testament to how successful it was.
6. Blood Diamond- Leonardo DiCaprio makes movies in 2's, he won't do one for a few years, then two will come out the next year, and 2006 was one of his double years. Blood Diamond was the more overlooked of the two that year, but DiCaprio's performance is the stuff acting is made of. He nails the South African accent in a way where it is spot on without being stereotypical. The film is brutal and taxing but amazing none the less. Great supporting performances from Jennifer Connelly and Djimou Hounsou.
5. 300- Like the Matrix, 300 spawned a whole new breed of action movies. Stylized and over the top, but epic in every sense of the word. Gerard Butler, Lena Headley, and Michael Fassbender owe their current A list status to this film, and its one that is still amazing 6 years later.
4. The Prestige- Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale go head to head in this nearly perfect film by Christopher Nolan about two rival magicians who cannot put their hatred for each other aside. The film pulls no punches and keeps you guessing right up until its shocking end.
3. The Departed- 2006's Best Picture winner and the film that finally got Martin Scorsese his Oscar. Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Matt Damon, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, James Badge Dale, Anthony Anderson, Vera Farminga, and Jack Nicholson lead an amazing cast in a more amazing film that shows Scorsese will kill any character, at any time.
2. Casino Royale- A whole website was dedicated to not having a blond Bond, but when the film finally came out, it brought James Bond back as a force to be reckoned with. The series was grounded after the increasing ridiculous films starring Pierce Brosnan. Daniel Craig showed he was exactly what the franchise needed, and while it kept its signature humor, the new films are more Bourne than Mission Impossible, and focus on human reactions instead of gadgets.
1. Pans Labyrinth- A Foreign Language film directed by the amazing Guillermo Del Toro about a young girl who enters a dream land to escape her Nazi stepfather. Whether or not its actually a dream land though is the bigger question. The film is part horror, part war, part drama, part fantasy, part children's, but all amazing.
Honorable Mentions- Mission Impossible 3, Once, Miami Vice.
-Maximus
10. Half Nelson- Ryan Gosling used to only do under the radar Indie films, this was his best. A gripping performance as a good teacher who is also a crack head, he walks the line between caring and strung out with expert precision. The performance was Oscar nominated and was well deserved.
9. The DaVinci Code- Memorable for some for its gripping edge of your seat plot, memorable for others for the amazing Hans Zimmer score, remembered yet by some for Tom Hanks' hair..... It may not have been as good as the book, but Ron Howard made a very good film out of a book that seemed unable to be put to the screen.
8. Apocalypto- Mel Gibson's film about a peaceful tribe of a Mayan like people who are stumbled upon by a larger, and more brutal culture. The film is completely in subtitles, but gripping and strikingly violent. It was not as big as Gibson's first subtitled film (Passion of the Christ) but it still made a huge impact.
7. Borat- Sasha Baren Cohen's first and only successful full length film turning one of his characters into a way to get hilarious reactions out of people. Everything that made Borat great failed in Bruno, but that doesn't take away how truly hilarious Borat is the first time you see it. The amount of people who sued the film later are just a testament to how successful it was.
6. Blood Diamond- Leonardo DiCaprio makes movies in 2's, he won't do one for a few years, then two will come out the next year, and 2006 was one of his double years. Blood Diamond was the more overlooked of the two that year, but DiCaprio's performance is the stuff acting is made of. He nails the South African accent in a way where it is spot on without being stereotypical. The film is brutal and taxing but amazing none the less. Great supporting performances from Jennifer Connelly and Djimou Hounsou.
5. 300- Like the Matrix, 300 spawned a whole new breed of action movies. Stylized and over the top, but epic in every sense of the word. Gerard Butler, Lena Headley, and Michael Fassbender owe their current A list status to this film, and its one that is still amazing 6 years later.
4. The Prestige- Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale go head to head in this nearly perfect film by Christopher Nolan about two rival magicians who cannot put their hatred for each other aside. The film pulls no punches and keeps you guessing right up until its shocking end.
3. The Departed- 2006's Best Picture winner and the film that finally got Martin Scorsese his Oscar. Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Matt Damon, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, James Badge Dale, Anthony Anderson, Vera Farminga, and Jack Nicholson lead an amazing cast in a more amazing film that shows Scorsese will kill any character, at any time.
2. Casino Royale- A whole website was dedicated to not having a blond Bond, but when the film finally came out, it brought James Bond back as a force to be reckoned with. The series was grounded after the increasing ridiculous films starring Pierce Brosnan. Daniel Craig showed he was exactly what the franchise needed, and while it kept its signature humor, the new films are more Bourne than Mission Impossible, and focus on human reactions instead of gadgets.
1. Pans Labyrinth- A Foreign Language film directed by the amazing Guillermo Del Toro about a young girl who enters a dream land to escape her Nazi stepfather. Whether or not its actually a dream land though is the bigger question. The film is part horror, part war, part drama, part fantasy, part children's, but all amazing.
Honorable Mentions- Mission Impossible 3, Once, Miami Vice.
-Maximus
Thursday, May 3, 2012
The Top Films of 2007
This is the 5th in a series of 12 posts discussing the most memorable movies of each year. This year we focus on a very weak year in 2007. Remember, these are not necessarily the best films or the most profitable films, but the most memorable.
10. Michael Clayton- The film and it's star George Clooney racked up a ton of award nominations for Michael Clayton, but the true greatness of the film lies in its supporting performances from Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson. The film also brought back the business thriller genre, which has been dormant for a long time.
9. Into the Wild- Sean Penn has quietly become a very good director despite not being known for it. The terrific Into the Wild was a story that sticks with you, about a young man who gave up everything to find himself, and its based off a true story. The film stays with you long after you finish it. Great supporting performances from Hal Holbrook and Vince Vaughn.
8. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street- Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter star in this musical based off the stage play. Sasha Baron Cohen also pops up in a supporting role. The film turned the musical genre on its head with dark visuals and graphic violence, but all of it somehow works well together.
7. Zodiac- David Fincher has been a mainstay on this list, and two years before I discussed the comeback of Robert Downey Jr in Iron Man and Tropic Thunder, he teamed up with Jake Gyllenhaal for this story of the Zodiac killer. How do you make a serial killer movie about a true story where the killer was never caught? Simple, you do the investigation yourself and based off that, you hint at who the killer actually was. The film is very long but every moment is tense and gripping, and what could have been cheap horror, became terrific fun.
6. Enchanted- A live action film combined with the world of cartoons? Why not. In this we get the first big performance from Amy Adams as a princess from the animated Disney like world, but when she is thrust into our world, along with dragons, animals, and a bumbling prince (James Mardsen) you get a ridiculously fun, charming film.
5. Gone Baby Gone- Ben Affleck's first film as a director, and he smartly let himself focus on only that by casting his brother Casey along side Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Amy Ryan, and an amazingly underrated performance by Ed Harris. One of the most gripping films of the year, and one that you never forget as your hero goes the ethical route, instead of the one a less honest movie would have used.
4. American Gangster- Russell Crowe and Josh Brolin give great performances, but the real story is Denzel Washington, cast against type as the villain. He is a sympathetic villain but a bad dude none the less. And the meeting of the powerhouses leaves the viewer thinking about the film for a long time.
3. Juno- The "trendy" movie of the year, pair some very different people with a quirky story line, and boom, you get a bona fide hit. Ellen Page, Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, and JK Simmons all give funny and touching performances in what became the best comedy of the year.
2. No Country for Old Men- The film received many props for the performances of its stars, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin, but is also remembered for its graphic violence and Coen brothers focused plot. The film fails miserably at the 3/4 mark but for 75%, is a great ride.
1. Eastern Promises- The mixture of Viggo Mortensen with director David Cronenberg has given us some spectacular films, but none as good as this. Not as many people saw the film as others on this list, but those who did will never forget it, right up until the final, graphic fight scene, and the final twist. In a weak year for film, Easter Promises runs away with the memories.
-Maximus
10. Michael Clayton- The film and it's star George Clooney racked up a ton of award nominations for Michael Clayton, but the true greatness of the film lies in its supporting performances from Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson. The film also brought back the business thriller genre, which has been dormant for a long time.
9. Into the Wild- Sean Penn has quietly become a very good director despite not being known for it. The terrific Into the Wild was a story that sticks with you, about a young man who gave up everything to find himself, and its based off a true story. The film stays with you long after you finish it. Great supporting performances from Hal Holbrook and Vince Vaughn.
8. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street- Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter star in this musical based off the stage play. Sasha Baron Cohen also pops up in a supporting role. The film turned the musical genre on its head with dark visuals and graphic violence, but all of it somehow works well together.
7. Zodiac- David Fincher has been a mainstay on this list, and two years before I discussed the comeback of Robert Downey Jr in Iron Man and Tropic Thunder, he teamed up with Jake Gyllenhaal for this story of the Zodiac killer. How do you make a serial killer movie about a true story where the killer was never caught? Simple, you do the investigation yourself and based off that, you hint at who the killer actually was. The film is very long but every moment is tense and gripping, and what could have been cheap horror, became terrific fun.
6. Enchanted- A live action film combined with the world of cartoons? Why not. In this we get the first big performance from Amy Adams as a princess from the animated Disney like world, but when she is thrust into our world, along with dragons, animals, and a bumbling prince (James Mardsen) you get a ridiculously fun, charming film.
5. Gone Baby Gone- Ben Affleck's first film as a director, and he smartly let himself focus on only that by casting his brother Casey along side Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Amy Ryan, and an amazingly underrated performance by Ed Harris. One of the most gripping films of the year, and one that you never forget as your hero goes the ethical route, instead of the one a less honest movie would have used.
4. American Gangster- Russell Crowe and Josh Brolin give great performances, but the real story is Denzel Washington, cast against type as the villain. He is a sympathetic villain but a bad dude none the less. And the meeting of the powerhouses leaves the viewer thinking about the film for a long time.
3. Juno- The "trendy" movie of the year, pair some very different people with a quirky story line, and boom, you get a bona fide hit. Ellen Page, Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, and JK Simmons all give funny and touching performances in what became the best comedy of the year.
2. No Country for Old Men- The film received many props for the performances of its stars, Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin, but is also remembered for its graphic violence and Coen brothers focused plot. The film fails miserably at the 3/4 mark but for 75%, is a great ride.
1. Eastern Promises- The mixture of Viggo Mortensen with director David Cronenberg has given us some spectacular films, but none as good as this. Not as many people saw the film as others on this list, but those who did will never forget it, right up until the final, graphic fight scene, and the final twist. In a weak year for film, Easter Promises runs away with the memories.
-Maximus
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The Top Films of 2008
This is the 4th in a series of 12 posts discussing the top films of the year. Remember these are not the most profitable films, or necessarily the best, but the ones we will be unlikely to forget.
10. Tropic Thunder- The resurgence of Tom Cruise is due to this film, and considering he has about 5 minutes of screen time and dons a fat suit, that is amazing. But its just a small reason why Tropic Thunder was so successful. With Ben Stiller and Jack Black leading the way, it would take a lot to upstage them, but it happened. Robert Downey Jr playing a method actor who became black for the role, Steve Coogan being the uptight director, and the aforementioned Tom Cruise stole the show. Along with Iron Man, this also brought Downey Jr back from purgatory.
9. Iron Man- Speaking of Downey Jr..... In addition to bringing RDJ back, it really helped establish the Marvel Universe, and really set up the upcoming Avengers film.
8. Wall-E- A film where words aren't necessary is a long shot, but Wall-E makes you forget words are how we speak. Another Pixar sensation, and the political commentary on where this country is headed is shockingly accurate.
7. The Hurt Locker- The Best Picture winner at the Oscars the following year, and a gripping, suspenseful drama. Would be higher on this list except it made nothing in theaters, and isn't quite as relevant as would be expected. However star making performances from Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie will at least keep the film in conversations.
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall- The rash of male frontal nudity lately? Blame this film. Star Jason Segel became famous for this film and baring it all, and now is a top film draw. In addition this film confirmed that Russell Brand can be great, in moderation. No film has used him this well since.
5. Taken- Liam Neeson, action star? Seems easy to think of now, but 6 years ago most would laugh at you. The older, lanky actor took it to his doubters with Taken and showed why he is on the A list. Taken is up there with Die Hard as action movies that will be watched and loved 25 years after they are released.
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Critically and financially, the film did amazing. Some people weren't as thrilled due to its 3 hour run time, but overall the film stuck with people and is still a top rental film, even 4 years later.
3. Slumdog Millionaire- The film came from nowhere to win the 2008 Oscars biggest prize. And justifiably so as it is just as memorable now as it was when I saw it first 4 years ago.
2. Gran Torino- The last onscreen performance of one of the all time greats in Clint Eastwood. And while it flew a bit under the radar, this is the most recent example of Eastwood's greatness both in front of the camera and behind it.
1. The Dark Knight- Was there any other choice this year? No. The Dark Knight showed that comic book films could be amazing, not just great, but amazing. Heath Ledger's final and award winning performance is just a small part of the grandeur of The Dark Knight. With the conclusion to the trilogy due out in 2012, we will see if Christopher Nolan can keep his hot streak going.
Honorable Mentions- Doubt, Revolutionary Road, Changeling.
-Maximus
10. Tropic Thunder- The resurgence of Tom Cruise is due to this film, and considering he has about 5 minutes of screen time and dons a fat suit, that is amazing. But its just a small reason why Tropic Thunder was so successful. With Ben Stiller and Jack Black leading the way, it would take a lot to upstage them, but it happened. Robert Downey Jr playing a method actor who became black for the role, Steve Coogan being the uptight director, and the aforementioned Tom Cruise stole the show. Along with Iron Man, this also brought Downey Jr back from purgatory.
9. Iron Man- Speaking of Downey Jr..... In addition to bringing RDJ back, it really helped establish the Marvel Universe, and really set up the upcoming Avengers film.
8. Wall-E- A film where words aren't necessary is a long shot, but Wall-E makes you forget words are how we speak. Another Pixar sensation, and the political commentary on where this country is headed is shockingly accurate.
7. The Hurt Locker- The Best Picture winner at the Oscars the following year, and a gripping, suspenseful drama. Would be higher on this list except it made nothing in theaters, and isn't quite as relevant as would be expected. However star making performances from Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie will at least keep the film in conversations.
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall- The rash of male frontal nudity lately? Blame this film. Star Jason Segel became famous for this film and baring it all, and now is a top film draw. In addition this film confirmed that Russell Brand can be great, in moderation. No film has used him this well since.
5. Taken- Liam Neeson, action star? Seems easy to think of now, but 6 years ago most would laugh at you. The older, lanky actor took it to his doubters with Taken and showed why he is on the A list. Taken is up there with Die Hard as action movies that will be watched and loved 25 years after they are released.
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- Critically and financially, the film did amazing. Some people weren't as thrilled due to its 3 hour run time, but overall the film stuck with people and is still a top rental film, even 4 years later.
3. Slumdog Millionaire- The film came from nowhere to win the 2008 Oscars biggest prize. And justifiably so as it is just as memorable now as it was when I saw it first 4 years ago.
2. Gran Torino- The last onscreen performance of one of the all time greats in Clint Eastwood. And while it flew a bit under the radar, this is the most recent example of Eastwood's greatness both in front of the camera and behind it.
1. The Dark Knight- Was there any other choice this year? No. The Dark Knight showed that comic book films could be amazing, not just great, but amazing. Heath Ledger's final and award winning performance is just a small part of the grandeur of The Dark Knight. With the conclusion to the trilogy due out in 2012, we will see if Christopher Nolan can keep his hot streak going.
Honorable Mentions- Doubt, Revolutionary Road, Changeling.
-Maximus
The Top Movies of 2009
This is the 3rd in a series of 12 posts discussing the top movies of each year. Today we focus on 2009. Remember, these are not necessarily the best movies of the year or the most profitable, but the ones that will still make an impact in 2025.
10. Moon- Smaller movie that wasn't seen by many, but extremely loved by those who did. More importantly, it might have revealed the next great filmmaker in Duncan Jones, who since Moon has already succeeded with Source Code.
9. Watchmen- Considered a moderate flop as it didn't make the crazy cash that most comic book films do, but if you expected this to be like most comic book films....you didn't read the graphic novel. Watchmen is a very unique and incredible novel, and the film backed it up. Director Zack Snyder showed you could stay eerily true to the source material while still making necessary changes.
8. (500) Days of Summer- A personal favorite, and the movie that made people realize just how good Joseph Gordon-Levitt was going to be post 3rd Rock from the Sun (if only more people had seen Brick....). In addition the film was so well respected it made Zooey Deschanel into an it girl, and also got the director (Marc Webb) who was previously unknown, the coveted Spiderman reboot gig. Very few films can have a random break into song scene and still be effective, but this one did.
7. Up- First film that made me cry in a long time, and the first ever that got to me in the first ten minutes Pixar has had a lot of success, but this film was a colossal achievement for them, and is still quoted 3 years later.
6. Star Trek- Lets be honest, when people debate Star Wars vs. Star Trek, very few Trekkies ever win that fight, but thanks to this amazing reboot/prequel/sequel(?), Trek fans now have a real case to make. JJ Abrams brought his A game and perfectly cast the crew of the Enterprise. The film made a star out of Chris Pine, and really pushed Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, and Simon Pegg into the A list. Abrams made the controversial decision to use an alternate reality instead of rebooting the whole franchise, and while the plot is more confusing, its that respect for the source material that showed how much Abrams loves it.
5. District 9- Marketed like a found footage alien drama, District 9 instead became the coolest and most unique action film in a long time. Shockingly violent, and surprisingly political, no one got what they expected with District 9, and in this case, that's a good thing.
4. Sherlock Holmes- Another reboot of classic material, and to cast American Robert Downey Jr as Holmes....shocking. Yet director Guy Ritchie came back in a big way and made one of the coolest films of the decade. With action that redefined the genre similar to how The Matrix reinvented gun fights, Sherlock Holmes is a film we are still talking about 3 years later.
3. Avatar- Highest box office ever (not counting inflation..), game changing special effects, and critical success, and yet its only number 3? Reason for this is because it doesn't seem like Avatar is on people's conscious as much as some other films on this list. People are still talking about what might be in the sequel, but it just doesn't seem like Avatar will hold up enough to be the modern day Star Wars. None the less, the impact it made on movie making cannot be ignored, and while 3 is low, its still very high when you consider how many movies came out since then.
2. Inglorious Basterds- Box office and critical success is what made Basterds so memorable to the masses, however its the two lead performances that make it memorable to movie fans. Brad Pitt redefined an entire career to play Lt. Aldo Raine, and he came with a performance that is still being quoted today. We also received an Oscar winning and career defining performance from relative newcomer Christoph Waltz. Quentin Tarantino reminded us just why he is considered a top filmmaker after falling off with the Kill Bill films.
1. The Hangover- Yes, I know. A comedy at number 1? Silly right? But think about it, what other film has been talked about more? What other film is still quoted on a daily basis? Made tons of money? Spawned a blockbuster (if lackluster) sequel? And was loved by everyone..everywhere? In addition, notice the streak of R rated comedies that have been pouring out lately? Judd Apatow had a lot to do with that, but it was The Hangover who pushed the industry to the boiling point.
Honorable Mentions- An Education, Up in the Air.
-Maximus
10. Moon- Smaller movie that wasn't seen by many, but extremely loved by those who did. More importantly, it might have revealed the next great filmmaker in Duncan Jones, who since Moon has already succeeded with Source Code.
9. Watchmen- Considered a moderate flop as it didn't make the crazy cash that most comic book films do, but if you expected this to be like most comic book films....you didn't read the graphic novel. Watchmen is a very unique and incredible novel, and the film backed it up. Director Zack Snyder showed you could stay eerily true to the source material while still making necessary changes.
8. (500) Days of Summer- A personal favorite, and the movie that made people realize just how good Joseph Gordon-Levitt was going to be post 3rd Rock from the Sun (if only more people had seen Brick....). In addition the film was so well respected it made Zooey Deschanel into an it girl, and also got the director (Marc Webb) who was previously unknown, the coveted Spiderman reboot gig. Very few films can have a random break into song scene and still be effective, but this one did.
7. Up- First film that made me cry in a long time, and the first ever that got to me in the first ten minutes Pixar has had a lot of success, but this film was a colossal achievement for them, and is still quoted 3 years later.
6. Star Trek- Lets be honest, when people debate Star Wars vs. Star Trek, very few Trekkies ever win that fight, but thanks to this amazing reboot/prequel/sequel(?), Trek fans now have a real case to make. JJ Abrams brought his A game and perfectly cast the crew of the Enterprise. The film made a star out of Chris Pine, and really pushed Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, and Simon Pegg into the A list. Abrams made the controversial decision to use an alternate reality instead of rebooting the whole franchise, and while the plot is more confusing, its that respect for the source material that showed how much Abrams loves it.
5. District 9- Marketed like a found footage alien drama, District 9 instead became the coolest and most unique action film in a long time. Shockingly violent, and surprisingly political, no one got what they expected with District 9, and in this case, that's a good thing.
4. Sherlock Holmes- Another reboot of classic material, and to cast American Robert Downey Jr as Holmes....shocking. Yet director Guy Ritchie came back in a big way and made one of the coolest films of the decade. With action that redefined the genre similar to how The Matrix reinvented gun fights, Sherlock Holmes is a film we are still talking about 3 years later.
3. Avatar- Highest box office ever (not counting inflation..), game changing special effects, and critical success, and yet its only number 3? Reason for this is because it doesn't seem like Avatar is on people's conscious as much as some other films on this list. People are still talking about what might be in the sequel, but it just doesn't seem like Avatar will hold up enough to be the modern day Star Wars. None the less, the impact it made on movie making cannot be ignored, and while 3 is low, its still very high when you consider how many movies came out since then.
2. Inglorious Basterds- Box office and critical success is what made Basterds so memorable to the masses, however its the two lead performances that make it memorable to movie fans. Brad Pitt redefined an entire career to play Lt. Aldo Raine, and he came with a performance that is still being quoted today. We also received an Oscar winning and career defining performance from relative newcomer Christoph Waltz. Quentin Tarantino reminded us just why he is considered a top filmmaker after falling off with the Kill Bill films.
1. The Hangover- Yes, I know. A comedy at number 1? Silly right? But think about it, what other film has been talked about more? What other film is still quoted on a daily basis? Made tons of money? Spawned a blockbuster (if lackluster) sequel? And was loved by everyone..everywhere? In addition, notice the streak of R rated comedies that have been pouring out lately? Judd Apatow had a lot to do with that, but it was The Hangover who pushed the industry to the boiling point.
Honorable Mentions- An Education, Up in the Air.
-Maximus
Monday, April 30, 2012
The Top Films of 2010
This is the second in a series of 12 posts, discussing the top films of each year of the 2000's. Once again, these are not necessarily the best, most profitable, or most well reviewed films of the year, but a combination of all three factors, forming what should be the ten movies that will still be talked about fifteen years from now.
10. True Grit- Initially controversial as remaking The Duke seemed like a bad idea, but the Coens wanted to make a film more true to the source material than the John Wayne classic, and so they did. A critically well received film that scored many Oscar nominations and made a lot of money, True Grit is best known Jeff Bridges' performance, when you outshine John Wayne, you have done well. In addition you got one of the best performances of the year from newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, and a great supporting performance from Matt Damon.
9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1- Not as high on this years list as part 2 was in 2011's, but still a great effort, and at the time, set the benchmark in the beloved series.
8. Black Swan- Talked about as much for the weirdness of Director Darren Afronsky as for anything, Black Swan was the weird film of the year, and had the word of mouth to prove it. Best Actress winner Natalie Portman was terrific, and you found out that Mila Kunis could really act.
7. Shutter Island- When you think of Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, and Mark Ruffalo, you think of an Oscar film released in December, not a horror film released in March, but Shutter Island is a film that stays with you. It was twisty and turny but never cheap, and brought Oscar caliber work to a genre that really needed something more than another Paranormal Activity film. In addition you got an original score that will stick with you long after the credits roll.
6. Love and Other Drugs- Was done a disservice in its advertising more than any film of 2010. Billed in some previews as The Notebook, and in other previews as No Strings Attached, Love & Other Drugs is a film in its own. Two of today's most popular young stars (Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway) bare everything physically and emotionally in a film that is part romantic comedy, part hard drama, and part epic love story.
5. Winter's Bone- Ten years from now, we can say this is where Katniss Everdeen got her start. Jennifer Lawrence in her first major film, scored a Best Actress nod and locked down the iconic Hunger Games role. The film is a dark, great indie film, but the really amazing thing is how truly good Lawrence was.
4. The Town- Ben Affleck's second directorial outing, and his first where he both starred and acted, but amazing none the less. A terrific drama/suspense/action film with great performances from Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, and Jon Hamm. This is where Ben Affleck truly said, "I'm back".
3. The King's Speech- The Best Picture winner of the year, punctuated by great performances from Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, and Helena Bonham Carter. Might have been number two if the film wasn't re-released with some profanity cut out that really hurt the humor of the film.
2. Inception- Christopher Nolan's film about dreams within dreams, with great performances and a great score and great visual effects. A blockbuster sci-fi film that was also a Best Picture nominee, and a film that is loved my most who see it. The film is the non critic's film of 2010, and most critics liked it too.
1. The Social Network- David Fincher goes outside of his wheel house to make a movie that people originally thought was just about Facebook, but the film is so much more. The film is funny, moving, smart, and one of the best written films ever. The amazing thing is how despite being about Facebook, technology was left out of the film entirely, which means a decade from now, the film will be a great story of betrayal and will not feel outdated.
Honorable Mentions: Toy Story 3, 127 Hours, The Fighter, Kick-Ass, Easy A, Edge of Darkness, and Green Zone.
Next time we will tackle 2009.
-Maximus
The Ten Films of 2011
This is the first of twelve posts, discussing the top ten films of the last twelve years. The basis for this list is not the best films of the year, nor the most memorable films of the year, nor the films that were the most profitable of each year. Instead it will be a combination of all three, forming a list of the top ten films that made the most impact of each year. This post will tackle the most recent year, 2011.
10. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol- The 4th Mission Impossible film reinvigorated a franchise that many considered to need a makeover. The studio even talked about Jeremy Renner taking the franchise over from Tom Cruise, however Ghost Protocol put those thoughts aside, and was one of the biggest and most acclaimed films of 2011. MI4 was released with all the Oscar bait movies, and was talked about more than any of them.
9. Shame- Shame didn't make a dent at the box office, but was widely talked about due to its great performances, and graphic sexuality. Rising stars Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan both gave great performances, and also bared everything they had. Both were snubbed at the Oscars, but it didn't stop Shame from ending up on most critics top ten lists. It is one of only a few films to not cut scenes to get rid of the NC-17 rating, as everything in the film was necessary to its central plot. In addition, it had possibly the greatest score of any film in 2011, and I am talking about the music.
8. Super 8- A summer blockbuster that was not a preexisting franchise, and was not a sequel, which is very rare. The film was from JJ Abrams, which got it much pre-release buzz, and in true Abrams fashion, was completely unique. The film had no huge stars, and mainly focused around terrific child actors, and made a dent with audiences and critics alike.
7. XMen: First Class- The second XMen prequel in as many years focused on Professor X and Magneto when they were just Charles and Eric. The film made huge money, and was also a critical success, rare for comic book films not involving Batman. This was the first part of Fassbender's breakout year, followed later by the number 10 film on this list.
6. Rise of the Planet of the Apes- A surprise hit in 2011. After Tim Burton practically destroyed the franchise a few years earlier, no one ever though the franchise would get back on its feet. However in relative newcomer Rupert Wyatt's hands, and including a terrific motion capture performance from Andy Serkis, the film made sure Planet of the Apes will be around for a long time to come.
5. The Artist- The Best Picture winner at the Oscars, The Artist made pennies at the box office, but was famous because it was the first silent film in many, many years to get a major release. Jean Dujardin won Best Actor for a silent performance, and both he and Supporting Actress nominee Berenice Bejo are household names now.
4. Drive- 2011 was the year of Ryan Gosling, and Drive is a big reason why. In a terrific dramatic film punctuated by scenes of disturbing violence, Gosling gave a great performance moving his mouth less than Dujardin did in The Artist. Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman, Carey Mulligan (again), and Bryan Cranston give terrific supporting performances.
3. Bridesmaids- Comedies made a comeback in the second half of the decade, and in 2011 Bridesmaids made a huge mark on the film industry. It was the first major, successful comedy that focused on women, and made crazy amounts of money during a long run at the box office, punctuated by great word of mouth that made sure most everyone in America saw the film in theaters.
2. Girl with the Dragon Tattoo- David Fincher made a name for himself directing violent, dark films like Fight Club, Se7en, and Zodiac. So when the film industry decided it needed to make its own version of the Swedish best seller by Stieg Larson, it turned to Fincher. The Swedish version a few years earlier was well received based off great performances, but was shot like a B movie and made little noise in America. Fincher's version focused on the dark, hard to watch portions of the dark, hard to read best seller, and was talked about for being one of the best films of the year, being completely disturbing, and getting Oscar worthy performances from Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig. That is a rare trifecta.
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2- Notable not only for being the 8th and final film in a billion dollar, beloved franchise, but also for being really, really good. Things ended in amazing fashion, and the film series hit its stride with the last 3 films.
Honorable Mentions: The Help, Warrior.
Later we will go through each year of the 2000's, and rank movies the same way we did here.
-Maximus
-Maximus
Sunday, March 4, 2012
2013 Oscar Preview
As we continue our look forward to what's in store in the coming movie year, we need to determine what we think the big Oscar contenders will be. Here is Movie Ninja's first annual way too far in advance Oscar preview:
*Note- The list of movies being released this year is very limited, most Oscar season films don't get announced or release dates until late in the year. For example The Artist and The Descendants were not even a thought in the public's mind at this time last year. But I work with what I am given.
Best Supporting Actress:
Kerry Washington: Django Unchained. Has all the makings of a big Oscar film, and getting to play the still captive wife of a freed slave should provide a lot of material.
Emma Stone: Gangster Squad. I think this role will give her the material she needs to shine against heavyweights Brolin, Penn, and Gosling.
Jessica Chastain: Wettest County. Another gangster film, but coming off Chastain's breakout year, she should get noticed in 2012. My Odds on favorite.
Carey Mulligan: The Great Gatsby. Should be a big Oscar film, and Mulligan is already one of critics favorite actresses.
Blake Lively: Savages. She showed in The Town she could really act, so this should be a good opportunity.
Best Supporting Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio: Django Unchained. Could be in the Actor category, but Great Gatsby should put him there. As the villain, he will be relegated to the Supporting category. And is my current odds on favorite.
Christoph Waltz: Django Unchained. Rare to see two actors from the same film, but I think this film has a great chance at it.
Russell Crowe: Les Miserables. Hard to predict who is supporting vs primary in this film, but my guess is on Crowe.
Richard Armitage: The Hobbit Part 1. Most people would say Ian McKellan here, but I think the character of Thorin Oakenshield gives the most scene chewing opportunities.
Gary Oldman: Wettest County. Really tough to choose this fifth spot, but will say Oldman gets back to back nominations after waiting so long for his first.
Other possibilities: Joseph Gordon-Levitt or Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln, Tobey Maguire for The Great Gatsby, Michael Shannon for Premium Rush, Sasha Baron Cohen for Les Miserables.
Actress:
Jennifer Lawrence: The Silver Linings Playbook. Hard to tell if will be primary or supporting, but from the description of the film, we'll go primary. My current favorite for this award.
Mireille Enos: World War Z. A blind guess until the movie comes out but sounds promising.
Halle Berry: Cloud Atlas. Sounds like a movie with many supporting performances, but should be Berry's chance to get back into real movies.
Noomi Rapace: Prometheus. Film comes out early, so a long shot, but I like it to shake things up.
Sally Field: Lincoln. Will have to wait and see if everyone is supporting Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln, or if Mary Lincoln is a supporting role, but for now I'll put it here.
Other Possibilities: Charlize Theron gets some love for her evil performance in Snow White and the Huntsmen.
Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio: The Great Gatsby. Would be awesome to see him win two in one year after being ignored his entire career.
Daniel Day-Lewis: Lincoln. The favorite right now. No explanation necessary.
Jamie Foxx: Django Unchained. Not much needed here either.
Ryan Gosling: Gangster Squad. Maybe he gets recognized this year since his 3 eligible performances last year were ignored.
Brad Pitt: Cogan's Trade. World War Z could also be a surprise entry here, but Cogan's sounds more promising.
Other Possibilities: Tom Hardy for Wettest County. Bradley Cooper for The Silver Linings Playbook. Tom Hanks for Could Atlas. Hugh Jackman for Les Miserables.
Director:
Quentin Tarantino: Django Unchained. Seems like a lock after how good Inglorious Basterds was, and how good Django should be. My current odds on favorite.
Terrence Malick: Unknown film. He has two scheduled films this year, neither with titles, release dates, or casts, but he is still a good bet here.
Steven Spielberg: Lincoln. No explanation necessary.
Ben Affleck: Argo. Affleck is 2 for 2 in his directing career, and this Iranian hostage crisis drama could make it 3 for 3.
Christopher Nolan: The Dark Knight Rises. Wishful thinking for me? Nolan should be a two time Best Director nominee, but instead has been shut out. He should get rewarded if TDKR avoids the curse of 3.
Other Possibilities: Tom Hooper: Les Miserables. A strong possibility coming off his win last year.
Baz Luhrman: The Great Gatsby. Will it be Moulin Rouge or Australia?
Ruben Fleischer: Gangster Squad. All depends if the movie gets overall support.
John Hillcoat: Wettest County. A movie that could get overlooked, or loved.
Peter Jackson: Hobbit Part 1. Will the Academy love the prequel, or feel they rewarded Return of the King enough?
Katheryn Bigelow: Untitled Bin Laden movie. Need to see if the movie actually gets released or delayed. And would like to know who will be in it.
Ridley Scott: Prometheus. Can this movie be as big as I think it could?
Best Picture:
The Hobbit Part 1: With a possibility of ten picture nominees, should get support.
Django Unchained: If it even comes close to being as good as it should be, will be here next year.
Lincoln: Depends if it ends up being a great movie or just a bunch of great performances.
The Great Gatsby: This and Les Miserables may help each other, or cancel each other out.
Les Miserables: See above.
Gangster Squad: Great cast, great material.
Argo: Same as gangster squad. Can Ben Affleck finally get a movie nominated?
Wettest County: Might get overshadowed by Gangster Squad, but might not.
Life of Pi: At this point I had to put a small, less blockbuster type movie in here, and this story of a boy stranded with a bunch of zoo animals on a boat, might be quirky enough.
Other possibilities: The Silver Linings Playbook, World War Z, Cogan's Trade, Untitled Bin Laden movie, Cloud Atlas, Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises, Brave, Of Men and Mavericks, Rise of the Guardians, Two Untitled Terrence Malick films.
So here is my year in advance Oscar preview. Most likely many of these movies will disappoint. My guess on some movies that are considered contenders now and will end up being ignored are The Silver Linings Playbook, Of Men and Mavericks, Wettest County, and Cloud Atlas.
-Maximus
*Note- The list of movies being released this year is very limited, most Oscar season films don't get announced or release dates until late in the year. For example The Artist and The Descendants were not even a thought in the public's mind at this time last year. But I work with what I am given.
Best Supporting Actress:
Kerry Washington: Django Unchained. Has all the makings of a big Oscar film, and getting to play the still captive wife of a freed slave should provide a lot of material.
Emma Stone: Gangster Squad. I think this role will give her the material she needs to shine against heavyweights Brolin, Penn, and Gosling.
Jessica Chastain: Wettest County. Another gangster film, but coming off Chastain's breakout year, she should get noticed in 2012. My Odds on favorite.
Carey Mulligan: The Great Gatsby. Should be a big Oscar film, and Mulligan is already one of critics favorite actresses.
Blake Lively: Savages. She showed in The Town she could really act, so this should be a good opportunity.
Best Supporting Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio: Django Unchained. Could be in the Actor category, but Great Gatsby should put him there. As the villain, he will be relegated to the Supporting category. And is my current odds on favorite.
Christoph Waltz: Django Unchained. Rare to see two actors from the same film, but I think this film has a great chance at it.
Russell Crowe: Les Miserables. Hard to predict who is supporting vs primary in this film, but my guess is on Crowe.
Richard Armitage: The Hobbit Part 1. Most people would say Ian McKellan here, but I think the character of Thorin Oakenshield gives the most scene chewing opportunities.
Gary Oldman: Wettest County. Really tough to choose this fifth spot, but will say Oldman gets back to back nominations after waiting so long for his first.
Other possibilities: Joseph Gordon-Levitt or Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln, Tobey Maguire for The Great Gatsby, Michael Shannon for Premium Rush, Sasha Baron Cohen for Les Miserables.
Actress:
Jennifer Lawrence: The Silver Linings Playbook. Hard to tell if will be primary or supporting, but from the description of the film, we'll go primary. My current favorite for this award.
Mireille Enos: World War Z. A blind guess until the movie comes out but sounds promising.
Halle Berry: Cloud Atlas. Sounds like a movie with many supporting performances, but should be Berry's chance to get back into real movies.
Noomi Rapace: Prometheus. Film comes out early, so a long shot, but I like it to shake things up.
Sally Field: Lincoln. Will have to wait and see if everyone is supporting Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln, or if Mary Lincoln is a supporting role, but for now I'll put it here.
Other Possibilities: Charlize Theron gets some love for her evil performance in Snow White and the Huntsmen.
Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio: The Great Gatsby. Would be awesome to see him win two in one year after being ignored his entire career.
Daniel Day-Lewis: Lincoln. The favorite right now. No explanation necessary.
Jamie Foxx: Django Unchained. Not much needed here either.
Ryan Gosling: Gangster Squad. Maybe he gets recognized this year since his 3 eligible performances last year were ignored.
Brad Pitt: Cogan's Trade. World War Z could also be a surprise entry here, but Cogan's sounds more promising.
Other Possibilities: Tom Hardy for Wettest County. Bradley Cooper for The Silver Linings Playbook. Tom Hanks for Could Atlas. Hugh Jackman for Les Miserables.
Director:
Quentin Tarantino: Django Unchained. Seems like a lock after how good Inglorious Basterds was, and how good Django should be. My current odds on favorite.
Terrence Malick: Unknown film. He has two scheduled films this year, neither with titles, release dates, or casts, but he is still a good bet here.
Steven Spielberg: Lincoln. No explanation necessary.
Ben Affleck: Argo. Affleck is 2 for 2 in his directing career, and this Iranian hostage crisis drama could make it 3 for 3.
Christopher Nolan: The Dark Knight Rises. Wishful thinking for me? Nolan should be a two time Best Director nominee, but instead has been shut out. He should get rewarded if TDKR avoids the curse of 3.
Other Possibilities: Tom Hooper: Les Miserables. A strong possibility coming off his win last year.
Baz Luhrman: The Great Gatsby. Will it be Moulin Rouge or Australia?
Ruben Fleischer: Gangster Squad. All depends if the movie gets overall support.
John Hillcoat: Wettest County. A movie that could get overlooked, or loved.
Peter Jackson: Hobbit Part 1. Will the Academy love the prequel, or feel they rewarded Return of the King enough?
Katheryn Bigelow: Untitled Bin Laden movie. Need to see if the movie actually gets released or delayed. And would like to know who will be in it.
Ridley Scott: Prometheus. Can this movie be as big as I think it could?
Best Picture:
The Hobbit Part 1: With a possibility of ten picture nominees, should get support.
Django Unchained: If it even comes close to being as good as it should be, will be here next year.
Lincoln: Depends if it ends up being a great movie or just a bunch of great performances.
The Great Gatsby: This and Les Miserables may help each other, or cancel each other out.
Les Miserables: See above.
Gangster Squad: Great cast, great material.
Argo: Same as gangster squad. Can Ben Affleck finally get a movie nominated?
Wettest County: Might get overshadowed by Gangster Squad, but might not.
Life of Pi: At this point I had to put a small, less blockbuster type movie in here, and this story of a boy stranded with a bunch of zoo animals on a boat, might be quirky enough.
Other possibilities: The Silver Linings Playbook, World War Z, Cogan's Trade, Untitled Bin Laden movie, Cloud Atlas, Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises, Brave, Of Men and Mavericks, Rise of the Guardians, Two Untitled Terrence Malick films.
So here is my year in advance Oscar preview. Most likely many of these movies will disappoint. My guess on some movies that are considered contenders now and will end up being ignored are The Silver Linings Playbook, Of Men and Mavericks, Wettest County, and Cloud Atlas.
-Maximus
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
2012 Preview!
With the Academy Awards in the rear view, lets look at what to expect from here on out in 2012.
March:
2nd-Project X: Being compared to Superbad, trailers leave something to be desired, but why not take the suddenly popular shaky cam strategy to comedy?
9th-John Carter: Based off the popular book John Carter of Mars. Looks promising, lets hope the graphics are better in the actual film though.
16th-21 Jump Street: Remake of the Johnny Depp TV series stars Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. A great preview has me very excited for this.
23rd-The Hunger Games: Fans of the book series are very excited for this, and it appears to be a likely box office juggernaut.
30th-Wrath of the Titans: Sam Worthington says he was terrible in the first one and is going to do better this time, the hair cut is not convincing me of that. The entire cast returns.
30th- Mirror, Mirror: The first of the Snow White films of 2012, aimed at children, and looks terrible.
April
4th- Titanic 3D: One of the greatest films of all time, now in 3D.
6th- American Reunion: The 4th theatrically released Pie film, focuses on the 10 year reunion, and the entire cast from the first film returns.
13th-Cabin in the Woods: Long delayed Joss Whedon film. First preview showed this will not be your typical Cabin based horror film.
13th- The Three Stooges: Movie based off the classic program, looks absolutely terrible. One of the most unfunny trailers for a comedy film I have ever seen.
27th- The Raven: John Cusack stars as Edgar Allen Poe, helping to hunt a serial killer who is basing his victims on Poe's work. Looks very similar to From Hell, and that is a compliment.
May
4th- The Avengers: Start the summer with a bang. Marvel only has this film this year, but its the big one.
11th- Dark Shadows: Johnny Depp stars in this take on the television show about a supernatural family. Tim Burton is directing.
11th- The Dictator: The next from Sasha Baren Cohen, hopefully more like Borat than Bruno.
18th- Battleship: From Peter Berg comes this alien invasion movie based off the board game. Whether or not you will like this depends on if you think Rihanna will be believable as a naval officer. Really that's all it comes down to. I will not be liking this movie.
25th- Men in Black 3: Preview looks depressing. Will Smith as J has to go back in time to save a young K from being killed. This looks like one of those series that should have just been a single film.
June
1st- Snow White and the Huntsmen: Looks like the Gladiator version of Snow White, and looks much better than Mirror, Mirror.
8th- Prometheus: The prequel to Alien that's not really a prequel, just another story in the same universe. Watch out for this movie being an Oscar sleeper (assuming the Oscar voters can remember that movies do come out before November).
15th- Rock of Ages: Based off the popular play, involving lots of great music, and a rock solid cast.
15th- Jack the Giant Killer: Another fairy tale based film with a more adult feel. Bryan Singer brings the story of Jack to the big screen.
22nd-Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter: The first of two completely different Lincoln films, this one focuses on the 16th president's vampire killing spree.
22nd-Brave: Yay! Pixar's back after a year off! (Cars 2 is not a real movie in my eyes).
29th- Gi Joe Retaliation: A sequel that seems to be trying to distance itself from its terrible predecessor. Channing Tatum returns, but they traded Marlon Wayans and Dennis Quaid for Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis.
29th- Magic Mike: Also Channing Tatum, but also Matt Bomer and Matthew McConaughey, who play strippers.
July
3rd- The Amazing Spider Man: The director of the great (500) Days of Summer takes on the Spiderman Reboot. I hate the idea of rebooting a series already, but the newest trailer is warming me to the idea.
20th- The Dark Knight Rises: The big one, an Oscar contender, and a contender to break Avatar's box office record, but lets just hope it overcomes the super hero trilogy curse.
27th- Neighborhood Watch: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, and Jonah Hill in a movie about suburbanites keeping their neighborhood safe.
August
3rd- Total Recall: Another remake, this one stars Colin Farrel instead of Swarzenegger, and supposedly will stay closer to the source material.
17th- The Expendables 2: All the main guys are back, but with bigger roles for Willis and Swarzenegger, and the addition of Van Damme and Chuck Norris.
24th- Premium Rush: Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a bike messenger running from a corrupt cop (Michael Shannon). Looks promising.
31st- 7500: True Blood's Ryan Kwanten headlines this airplane ghost story.
31st- The Wettest County: Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Shia LeBeouf, and Guy Pearce in a prohibition era gangster movie, sold. And the Academy might be too.
September
14th- Resident Evil 5: The next in the RE series, at this point you know what your getting.
14th-Argo: Ah, the Oscar season starts here. Ben Affleck's 3rd film as a director, focuses on the Iranian hostage crisis.
21st-Dredd: A remake of Judge Dredd starring Karl Urban, and supposedly stays closer to the source material.
21st- Cogan's Trade: Brad Pitt plays a professional enforcer investigating a heist that went down during a high stakes poker game. Another Oscar contender.
28th- Looper: The next from Rian Johnson (Brick), stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt. Story is a high concept piece of work about a killer (Bruce Willis) who disposes of his victims in the past. Until he notices one of his victims, is his past self.
28th- Savages: From Oliver Stone, the story of two men (A very busy Taylor Klitsch, as well as Aaron Johnson) who go up against a Mexican drug Lord (Benicio Del Toro) to get their shared girlfriend (Blake Lively) back. Oscar contender.
October
TBA- Cloud Atlas: The next from Andy and Lana Wachowski, not much is known, but it stars Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. Oscar contender.
5th- Taken 2: Liam Neeson returns in the sequel to the hit Taken. Not much is known about the plot, but I am sure Neeson will look serious and kill people.
12th- Gangster Squad: Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, and Sean Penn in a Gangster movie. Definite Oscar contender.
19th-Paranormal Activity 4: No idea if they will connect it to the original trilogy, or start a new family.
26th- Halloween 3D: The next Halloween film.
26th- Alex Cross: Tyler Perry takes over the detective from Morgan Freeman who played him in Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider.
26th- Of Men and Mavericks- A Gerard Butler surfing movie. Might be an Oscar contender, but I'll wait for a trailer before deciding that for sure.
November
2nd-Red Dawn: Long delayed remake of the Charlie Sheen/Patrick Swayze cult classic.
9th- Skyfall: The next Bond, but this one is directed by Sam Raimi and costars Javier Bardem.
16th-Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2: The final Twilight film, who lives and who doesn't?
19th- The Silver Linings Playbook: Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence star in this David O'Russell film about a man (Cooper) who is released from a mental institution. Oscar contender.
21st- Rise of the Guardians: A Christmas themed cartoon about a demon fighting Santa. Chris Pine, Hugh Jackman, and Alec Baldwin lend their voices.
December
TBA- Lincoln: Steven Spielberg's Abraham Lincoln biopic starring Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th presdent. Co-stars Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Tommy Lee-Jones. Oscar contender.
7th- Les Miserables: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Sasha Baron Cohen, and Anne Hathaway in Tom Hooper's take on the classic musical. Oscar contender.
12th- World War Z: Brad Pitt and Matthew Fox in another zombie film. But this film appears to be more of a drama, and might be a zombie movie that gets Oscar consideration.
14th- The Hobbit Part 1: Peter Jackson returns to tell the full tale of Bilbo Baggins.
19th- Untitled Bin Laden Project: Katherine Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) directs the tale of how Bin Laden was killed.
21st- Hunter Killer: Submarine thriller starring Gerard Butler and Sam Worthington.
21st- Life of PI: Ang Lee's film about a boy lost at see with only some captive zoo animals to keep him company.
21st- This is 40: Spin off of Knocked Up, focusing on Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann's characters as they reach 40.
25th- The Great Gatsby: Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire take on the classic. Leo may be fighting himself for the Best Actor...against...
25th- Django Unchained: Leo plays the villain to Jamie Foxx's freed slave and Christoph Waltz's bounty hunter in this Quentin Tarantion action film.
This could be a great enough year to make up for how bad 2011 was. Several great Oscar contenders, and some high profile films should wash the Midnight in Paris stench off of us once and for all. Taylor Klitsch and Jennifer Lawrence seemed poised to be A list after this year, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt may finally be looked at as the elite actor he is. Did I miss any movies your excited for? Let me know in the comments.
The top ten I am most excited for in 2012 is:
10. The Avengers
9. Cogan's Trade
8. World War Z
7. The Gangster Squad
6. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
5. Prometheus
4. Skyfall
3. The Hobbit Part 1
2. Django Unchained
1. The Dark Knight Rises
Check back later this week, when I will do my (very) early Oscar predictions for 2012.
-Maximus
Movie Review- The Double
Where the hell did this movie come from? No theatrical release, but seemingly at the forefront of many rental place's new release marketing? Some big stars (Richard Gere, Topher Grace, Martin Sheen), a smart plot, twists and turns, this is the kind of movie that I do not understand how it gets left out when films like Your Highness somehow get released in theaters. Now that I have raised expectations past a reasonable point, let me just say that The Double is not amazing, just very solid. Richard Gere continues to be the actor that time forgot despite not really losing any of his marketability, and he turns in a solid performance here. The Double is about a young agent (Topher Grace) who is the expert on a presumed dead Russian assassin. However when that assassin surfaces again, he must team up with the man who hunted him (Gere) to bring him down. If you have seen the previews, the film makes no secret of its big twist about a third of the way through, but if you felt like that was the only twist it had coming, you are wrong. Worth seeing when you get a chance, I give The Double 7 Ninja stars out of 10.
The Double is directed by Michael Brandt and stars Topher Grace, Richard Gere, Martin Sheen, Odette Annable, and Stephen Moyer.
-Maximus
The Double is directed by Michael Brandt and stars Topher Grace, Richard Gere, Martin Sheen, Odette Annable, and Stephen Moyer.
-Maximus
Monday, February 27, 2012
Oscar Recap!
Sometimes (most times) I don't understand the Oscars. Because surely if its insanely obvious to me that one film has better special effects or sound effects than another, the voting bodies must see that too right? So I ask you this, why would Hugo win the Visual Effects and Sound Editing awards following a single train crash...? Films like Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Harry Potter clearly had wall to wall better special effects than Hugo, and films like Transformers had the metal sounds of transformers transforming, and building collapsing, and vehicles exploding, and gun fire....and Hugo still had...a train crash. I feel better after getting that off my chest, now on to the recap.
Best Picture: The Artist. Not a shocker in any way, shape, or form. There was no drama in this category.
Best Director: Michael Hazanavicious, The Artist. Also not a surprise here. Anyone could see this win coming a mile away.
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist. A bit of a surprise for me as I thought Clooney had enough early momentum to get the win despite Dujardin's late surge. This was his weakest acceptance speech so far, not as witty or clever as his Globes or SAG speeches.
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady. Another minor surprise. Viola Davis was the favorite, but Streep was hot on her heels. Streep was engaging and funny as has come to be expected from her.
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners. Zero surprise.
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help. Zero surprise.
Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris. The favorite, even though its a terrible screenplay.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, The Descendants. Would be the only Descendants win on the evening, but was a solid and deserved win.
Best Visual Effects: Hugo. Should have been any of the other 4 movies in the category. I incorrectly thought Rise of the Planet of the Apes would win. I was wrong.
Best Cinematography: Hugo. I incorrectly picked The Tree of Life. Tree of Life had swept every single pre Oscars cinematographers award, but the Academy again blindly loved the overrated Hugo.
Best Editing: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Incorrectly picked The Artist. Happy to see the GwtDT win here though as it was my pick for "Should Win".
Best Sound Editing: Hugo. I picked Transformers, and this was another award that should have gone to any other nominee.
Best Sound Mixing: Hugo. This one Hugo deserved.
Best Makeup: The Iron Lady. Should have gone to Harry Potter. Harry Potter had equal aging effects, plus they made goblins, wizards, witches, giants, trolls, and monsters.
Best Animated Feature Film: Rango. The right pick.
Best Art Direction: Hugo. Another one of the few that Hugo actually deserved.
Best Costume Design: The Artist. Not nearly as fantastic as fellow nominees Anonymous and Jane Eyre, and even Hugo seemed to have better costumes.
Best Original Score: The Artist. A film that was all score, so well deserved.
Best Song: Man or Muppet, The Muppets. 50/50 shot, and I picked correctly.
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation. The clear favorite due to the screenplay nomination.
Best Documentary: Undefeated. I thought the Hollywood baby Paradise Lost 3 would win, but the underdog sports film took it home.
Best Documentary Short: Saving Face. I incorrectly chose The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom.
Best Animated Short: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore. When in doubt, bet on Pixar.
Best Live Action Short: The Shore. Correctly chose this one based off the presence of Ciaran Hinds.
So I was correct on 14 out of 24 categories. Not as strong a showing as usual, but it was a strange year with no great films. Hugo's dominance in the technical categories was really unexpected and ridiculous. Lets hope we have a better Oscar year next year with The Hobbit, Django Unchained, The Dark Knight Rises, and The Great Gatsby.
-Maximus
Best Picture: The Artist. Not a shocker in any way, shape, or form. There was no drama in this category.
Best Director: Michael Hazanavicious, The Artist. Also not a surprise here. Anyone could see this win coming a mile away.
Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist. A bit of a surprise for me as I thought Clooney had enough early momentum to get the win despite Dujardin's late surge. This was his weakest acceptance speech so far, not as witty or clever as his Globes or SAG speeches.
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady. Another minor surprise. Viola Davis was the favorite, but Streep was hot on her heels. Streep was engaging and funny as has come to be expected from her.
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners. Zero surprise.
Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help. Zero surprise.
Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris. The favorite, even though its a terrible screenplay.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, The Descendants. Would be the only Descendants win on the evening, but was a solid and deserved win.
Best Visual Effects: Hugo. Should have been any of the other 4 movies in the category. I incorrectly thought Rise of the Planet of the Apes would win. I was wrong.
Best Cinematography: Hugo. I incorrectly picked The Tree of Life. Tree of Life had swept every single pre Oscars cinematographers award, but the Academy again blindly loved the overrated Hugo.
Best Editing: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Incorrectly picked The Artist. Happy to see the GwtDT win here though as it was my pick for "Should Win".
Best Sound Editing: Hugo. I picked Transformers, and this was another award that should have gone to any other nominee.
Best Sound Mixing: Hugo. This one Hugo deserved.
Best Makeup: The Iron Lady. Should have gone to Harry Potter. Harry Potter had equal aging effects, plus they made goblins, wizards, witches, giants, trolls, and monsters.
Best Animated Feature Film: Rango. The right pick.
Best Art Direction: Hugo. Another one of the few that Hugo actually deserved.
Best Costume Design: The Artist. Not nearly as fantastic as fellow nominees Anonymous and Jane Eyre, and even Hugo seemed to have better costumes.
Best Original Score: The Artist. A film that was all score, so well deserved.
Best Song: Man or Muppet, The Muppets. 50/50 shot, and I picked correctly.
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation. The clear favorite due to the screenplay nomination.
Best Documentary: Undefeated. I thought the Hollywood baby Paradise Lost 3 would win, but the underdog sports film took it home.
Best Documentary Short: Saving Face. I incorrectly chose The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom.
Best Animated Short: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore. When in doubt, bet on Pixar.
Best Live Action Short: The Shore. Correctly chose this one based off the presence of Ciaran Hinds.
So I was correct on 14 out of 24 categories. Not as strong a showing as usual, but it was a strange year with no great films. Hugo's dominance in the technical categories was really unexpected and ridiculous. Lets hope we have a better Oscar year next year with The Hobbit, Django Unchained, The Dark Knight Rises, and The Great Gatsby.
-Maximus
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Movie Ninjas Oscar Preview!
This is the second annual massive Oscar Preview! Where we break down every category and tell you what should win, what will win, what could win, and what could be a dark horse. Remember while I do some research, many of these are just my opinion, if you lose your Oscar pool based off my predictions....well feel free to berate me in the comments. Lets get to it!
Best Original Screenplay
Should Win: Margin Call
Will Win: Midnight in Paris
Could Win: The Artist
Dark Horse: A Separation
-One of the only categories where The Artist is not the favorite, but unfortunately, people seem to think Midnight in Paris was not completely terrible. My favorite was the witty, terrific screenplay for Margin Call.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Should Win: Moneyball
Will Win: The Descendants
Could Win: Hugo
Dark Horse: Moneyball
-Moneyball was this years Social Network, but doesn't quite have the support. Hugo is the favorite right now as it credits a single writer, which the Academy traditionally loves, but I think this one will go to The Descendants.
Best Visual Effects
Should Win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Will Win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Could Win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Dark Horse: Transformers Dark of the Moon
-HP 7.2 should be a best picture nominee, and I think it may sneak in here as some members may see it as a consolation prize, but with the MoCap of RotPotA being all the rage, I see it deservedly winning.
Sound Mixing
Should Win: Hugo
Will Win: Hugo
Could Win: War Horse
Dark Horse: Moneyball
-Sound Mixing is the mixing of dialogue, background effects, and primary sound effects. That is why this is Hugo's to lose.
Sound Editing
Should Win: Transformers Dark of the Moon
Will Win: Transformers Dark of the Moon
Could Win: War Horse
Dark Horse: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
-The actual sound category, the Transformers franchise has used sound very well. War Horse may still get credit for the three and a half minutes of actual war in the film.
Short Film Live Action
Will Win: The Shore
Could Win: Raju
Dark Horse: Time Freak
-I tend to assume the Academy will go dark material here (Raju), but last year gave it to the funny, touching God of Love, Time Freak could be this years light, funny winner. I however go with The Shore as it starred real actors, not sure that gives it a huge edge, but I think the Academy will like it.
Short Film Animated
Will Win: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Could Win: La Luna
Dark Horse: A Morning Stroll
-Flying Books is Pixar, so I pick that, although the more technically impressive were La Luna and Wild Life, but the most French was Dimanche/Sunday. A Morning Stroll though is simple and engaging.
Music (Original Song)
Should Win: The Muppets
Will Win: The Muppets
Could Win: Rio
Dark Horse: They just forget the category exists this year.
-Only two nominees this year. The Muppets were more notable.
Music (Original Score)
Should Win: The Artist
Will Win: The Artist
Could Win: Hugo
Dark Horse: War Horse
-Two John Williams scores in lesser movies will likely cancel each other out. No Hans Zimmer this year. Incumbent Trent Reznor was ignored for the terrific GwtDT score. So I'll say the film that was all score, The Artist, takes it home.
Makeup
Should Win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Will Win: HP 7.2
Could Win: The Iron Lady
Dark Horse: Albert Nobbs
-A very close race, could go either way. But I'll say this goes to sci fi as it traditionally does. Albert Nobbs is the Dark Horse by default as its only a 3 nominee category, it will be one of the other two films.
Foreign Language Film
Should Win: A Separation
Will Win: A Separation
Could Win: In Darkness
Dark Horse: Bullhead
-A Separation got the screenplay nod, which makes it the favorite. But this train of thought has led me astray in other years. Out of 11 Foreign Language nominees nominated for a screenplay award, only 5 have actually won the Foreign Language film award. In Darkness received wide praise in the States.
Film Editing
Should Win: The Artist
Will Win: The Artist
Could Win: Hugo
Dark Horse: Moneyball
-Technical category and Hugo is the technical darling of this years awards based off the number of nominations. But Editing many times goes to the eventual Best Picture winner. Moneyball had great editing between baseball/dialogue, but is a long shot.
Documentary Short
Should Win: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
Will Win: The Barber of Birningham
Could Win: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
Dark Horse: Saving Face
-Material usually wins out here, so civil rights movement vs devastating natural disaster vs woman whose husband threw acid on her face vs soldier who questions his motives in Iraq?
Documentary Feature
Should Win: Undefeated
Will Win: Paradise Lost 3
Could Win: Undefeated
Dark Horse: Pina
-Undefeated and Pina were the only ones with a theatrical release, so that helps them. But Paradise Lost 3 helped clear 3 men who has been in prison for a long time....and Johnny Depp supports it.
Costume Design:
Should Win: Jane Eyre
Will Win: Hugo
Could Win: The Artist
Dark Horse(s): Anonymous
-Wide open as you can tell. Anonymous was the early favorite but didn't even get nominated by the Designers guild. W.E. won the guild award over Hugo, The Artist, and Jane Eyre... But I think Hugo picks up another win. However don't sleep on Jane Eyre, because the CD award sometimes goes in an unsuspecting way, and Jane Eyre should win this award.
Art Direction
Should Win: Hugo
Will Win: Hugo
Could Win: The Artist
Dark Horse: War Horse
-The Paris train station should win this one. The Artist still may pull it out in blind sweep fashion, but I say Hugo.
Directing
Should Win: The Artist
Will Win: The Artist
Could Win: Hugo
Dark Horse: The Tree of Life
-Should easily be The Artist's award. But directors love The Tree of Life. But once again, the smart money is on The Artist.
Cinematography
Should Win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Will Win: The Tree of Life
Could Win: Hugo
Dark Horse(s): The Artist
-Once again you always have to watch out for the "big" films of the year to blindly sweep award they don't deserve, but The Tree of Life has swept every award in this category since the beginning, so likely it will win here.
Animated Feature Film
Should Win: Rango
Will Win: Rango
Could Win: Chico & Rita
Dark Horse: A Cat in Paris
-With Tintin getting shut out here, the award goes to Rango. The only chance it doesn't is if the Academy tries to impress people and awards the adult animated films A Cat in Paris or Chico & Rita.
Actress Supporting
Should Win: Jessica Chastain (The Help)
Will Win: Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Could Win: No
Dark Horse: No
-This is Spencer's to win. It would be a huge upset if anyone else won.
Actor Supporting
Should Win: Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Will Win: Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Could Win: No
Dark Horse: Max Von Sydow (ELIC)....barely
-Not much of a race either, would be a huge upset as well.
Actress Lead
Should Win: Viola Davis (The Help)
Will Win: Viola Davis (The Help)
Could Win: Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Dark Horse: No, either Streep or Davis.
-Neck and neck, to say Streep is the dark horse is underrating her chances. This could go either way, I say it goes Davis'.
Actor Lead
Should Win: George Clooney (The Descendants)
Will Win: George Clooney (The Descendants)
Could Win: Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Dark Horse: Demian Bichir has a lot of industry support, but this is Clooney or Dujardin's.
-Again, neck and neck. Could honestly go either way. Dujardin is the favorite right now, but I say Clooney takes it.
Best Picture
Should Win: Harry Potter....wait.. The Help
Will Win: The Artist
Could Win: Hugo
Dark Horse: If there is one, Hugo
-Not much drama here. Its The Artist vs the field. And The Artist is the prohibitive favorite.
So what do we have? A lot of boring categories. 4 of the 6 biggest of the year (Picture, Director, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress) are all locks. Hopefully Actor and Actress are enough to keep us interested...well that and Billy Crystal. As a final count, I have The Artist with 4 awards, Hugo with 3, and The Help with 2.
Check back again right before showtime as there may be some corrections made in the short categories.
-Maximus
Best Original Screenplay
Should Win: Margin Call
Will Win: Midnight in Paris
Could Win: The Artist
Dark Horse: A Separation
-One of the only categories where The Artist is not the favorite, but unfortunately, people seem to think Midnight in Paris was not completely terrible. My favorite was the witty, terrific screenplay for Margin Call.
Best Adapted Screenplay
Should Win: Moneyball
Will Win: The Descendants
Could Win: Hugo
Dark Horse: Moneyball
-Moneyball was this years Social Network, but doesn't quite have the support. Hugo is the favorite right now as it credits a single writer, which the Academy traditionally loves, but I think this one will go to The Descendants.
Best Visual Effects
Should Win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Will Win: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Could Win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Dark Horse: Transformers Dark of the Moon
-HP 7.2 should be a best picture nominee, and I think it may sneak in here as some members may see it as a consolation prize, but with the MoCap of RotPotA being all the rage, I see it deservedly winning.
Sound Mixing
Should Win: Hugo
Will Win: Hugo
Could Win: War Horse
Dark Horse: Moneyball
-Sound Mixing is the mixing of dialogue, background effects, and primary sound effects. That is why this is Hugo's to lose.
Sound Editing
Should Win: Transformers Dark of the Moon
Will Win: Transformers Dark of the Moon
Could Win: War Horse
Dark Horse: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
-The actual sound category, the Transformers franchise has used sound very well. War Horse may still get credit for the three and a half minutes of actual war in the film.
Short Film Live Action
Will Win: The Shore
Could Win: Raju
Dark Horse: Time Freak
-I tend to assume the Academy will go dark material here (Raju), but last year gave it to the funny, touching God of Love, Time Freak could be this years light, funny winner. I however go with The Shore as it starred real actors, not sure that gives it a huge edge, but I think the Academy will like it.
Short Film Animated
Will Win: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Could Win: La Luna
Dark Horse: A Morning Stroll
-Flying Books is Pixar, so I pick that, although the more technically impressive were La Luna and Wild Life, but the most French was Dimanche/Sunday. A Morning Stroll though is simple and engaging.
Music (Original Song)
Should Win: The Muppets
Will Win: The Muppets
Could Win: Rio
Dark Horse: They just forget the category exists this year.
-Only two nominees this year. The Muppets were more notable.
Music (Original Score)
Should Win: The Artist
Will Win: The Artist
Could Win: Hugo
Dark Horse: War Horse
-Two John Williams scores in lesser movies will likely cancel each other out. No Hans Zimmer this year. Incumbent Trent Reznor was ignored for the terrific GwtDT score. So I'll say the film that was all score, The Artist, takes it home.
Makeup
Should Win: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Will Win: HP 7.2
Could Win: The Iron Lady
Dark Horse: Albert Nobbs
-A very close race, could go either way. But I'll say this goes to sci fi as it traditionally does. Albert Nobbs is the Dark Horse by default as its only a 3 nominee category, it will be one of the other two films.
Foreign Language Film
Should Win: A Separation
Will Win: A Separation
Could Win: In Darkness
Dark Horse: Bullhead
-A Separation got the screenplay nod, which makes it the favorite. But this train of thought has led me astray in other years. Out of 11 Foreign Language nominees nominated for a screenplay award, only 5 have actually won the Foreign Language film award. In Darkness received wide praise in the States.
Film Editing
Should Win: The Artist
Will Win: The Artist
Could Win: Hugo
Dark Horse: Moneyball
-Technical category and Hugo is the technical darling of this years awards based off the number of nominations. But Editing many times goes to the eventual Best Picture winner. Moneyball had great editing between baseball/dialogue, but is a long shot.
Documentary Short
Should Win: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
Will Win: The Barber of Birningham
Could Win: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
Dark Horse: Saving Face
-Material usually wins out here, so civil rights movement vs devastating natural disaster vs woman whose husband threw acid on her face vs soldier who questions his motives in Iraq?
Documentary Feature
Should Win: Undefeated
Will Win: Paradise Lost 3
Could Win: Undefeated
Dark Horse: Pina
-Undefeated and Pina were the only ones with a theatrical release, so that helps them. But Paradise Lost 3 helped clear 3 men who has been in prison for a long time....and Johnny Depp supports it.
Costume Design:
Should Win: Jane Eyre
Will Win: Hugo
Could Win: The Artist
Dark Horse(s): Anonymous
-Wide open as you can tell. Anonymous was the early favorite but didn't even get nominated by the Designers guild. W.E. won the guild award over Hugo, The Artist, and Jane Eyre... But I think Hugo picks up another win. However don't sleep on Jane Eyre, because the CD award sometimes goes in an unsuspecting way, and Jane Eyre should win this award.
Art Direction
Should Win: Hugo
Will Win: Hugo
Could Win: The Artist
Dark Horse: War Horse
-The Paris train station should win this one. The Artist still may pull it out in blind sweep fashion, but I say Hugo.
Directing
Should Win: The Artist
Will Win: The Artist
Could Win: Hugo
Dark Horse: The Tree of Life
-Should easily be The Artist's award. But directors love The Tree of Life. But once again, the smart money is on The Artist.
Cinematography
Should Win: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Will Win: The Tree of Life
Could Win: Hugo
Dark Horse(s): The Artist
-Once again you always have to watch out for the "big" films of the year to blindly sweep award they don't deserve, but The Tree of Life has swept every award in this category since the beginning, so likely it will win here.
Animated Feature Film
Should Win: Rango
Will Win: Rango
Could Win: Chico & Rita
Dark Horse: A Cat in Paris
-With Tintin getting shut out here, the award goes to Rango. The only chance it doesn't is if the Academy tries to impress people and awards the adult animated films A Cat in Paris or Chico & Rita.
Actress Supporting
Should Win: Jessica Chastain (The Help)
Will Win: Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Could Win: No
Dark Horse: No
-This is Spencer's to win. It would be a huge upset if anyone else won.
Actor Supporting
Should Win: Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Will Win: Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Could Win: No
Dark Horse: Max Von Sydow (ELIC)....barely
-Not much of a race either, would be a huge upset as well.
Actress Lead
Should Win: Viola Davis (The Help)
Will Win: Viola Davis (The Help)
Could Win: Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Dark Horse: No, either Streep or Davis.
-Neck and neck, to say Streep is the dark horse is underrating her chances. This could go either way, I say it goes Davis'.
Actor Lead
Should Win: George Clooney (The Descendants)
Will Win: George Clooney (The Descendants)
Could Win: Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Dark Horse: Demian Bichir has a lot of industry support, but this is Clooney or Dujardin's.
-Again, neck and neck. Could honestly go either way. Dujardin is the favorite right now, but I say Clooney takes it.
Best Picture
Should Win: Harry Potter....wait.. The Help
Will Win: The Artist
Could Win: Hugo
Dark Horse: If there is one, Hugo
-Not much drama here. Its The Artist vs the field. And The Artist is the prohibitive favorite.
So what do we have? A lot of boring categories. 4 of the 6 biggest of the year (Picture, Director, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress) are all locks. Hopefully Actor and Actress are enough to keep us interested...well that and Billy Crystal. As a final count, I have The Artist with 4 awards, Hugo with 3, and The Help with 2.
Check back again right before showtime as there may be some corrections made in the short categories.
-Maximus
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Maximus' Top Ten of 2011-Films of the Year
This is the last of six posts listing my top films, performances, and directing jobs of the year. In this post, we tackle the most important subject, the top films of the year.
10. Drive: Well directed, unique, and superbly acted. An action movie with very little action, a drama with very little dialogue, yet utterly engrossing from beginning to end.
9. Super 8: No other movie brought back childhood memories like Super 8, the joy of movies, and the joy of childhood, told against the backdrop of an alien invasion.
8. Beginners: What could of been a morbid or ridiculous movie about an elderly man coming out of the closet, then being diagnosed with cancer, turns into a quirky and unique film. One of the best screenplays of the year, and some great headlining performances.
7. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Made the Swedish version look like the B movie it was. Great performances, and director David Fincher embraced the dark instead of hiding from it.
6. Moneyball: A boring subject brought to great life by director Bennett Miller and stars Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill. Miller ignored the obvious sports cliche's and made the sports films that behind the scenes sports enthusiasts wanted to see.
5. Margin Call: A tense, wall street thriller with great performances from Paul Bettany, Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, and Simon Baker. This generation's Wall Street, and the best money film since it.
4. The Descendants: The perfect example of a dramedy, a film that has great drama and funny comedy without the two stepping on each other's toes. Great performances from George Clooney and Shailene Woodley.
3. The Artist: A silent film that uses the silence to its aid, not as a gimmick. Great silent performances and the perfect actors cast in their roles. The best directed film of the year and one that came out of nowhere to really make an impact.
2. The Help: Five great performances, tough subject mater, and the right touch of levity make the film one of the powerhouses of the year. The films few ridiculous moments don't get in the way of a touching, poignant, and memorable film.
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: A great film for more than just being the series capper, the actors hit their stride, and the material gave them the best chance to make a film that is absolutely a masterpiece. The film is a visual marvel, but is so much deeper than just that, and is the most re-watchable movie of the year.
So there it is, Maximus' top ten lists of the year. Let me know in the comments if you agree or disagree.
-Maximus
10. Drive: Well directed, unique, and superbly acted. An action movie with very little action, a drama with very little dialogue, yet utterly engrossing from beginning to end.
9. Super 8: No other movie brought back childhood memories like Super 8, the joy of movies, and the joy of childhood, told against the backdrop of an alien invasion.
8. Beginners: What could of been a morbid or ridiculous movie about an elderly man coming out of the closet, then being diagnosed with cancer, turns into a quirky and unique film. One of the best screenplays of the year, and some great headlining performances.
7. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Made the Swedish version look like the B movie it was. Great performances, and director David Fincher embraced the dark instead of hiding from it.
6. Moneyball: A boring subject brought to great life by director Bennett Miller and stars Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill. Miller ignored the obvious sports cliche's and made the sports films that behind the scenes sports enthusiasts wanted to see.
5. Margin Call: A tense, wall street thriller with great performances from Paul Bettany, Kevin Spacey, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, and Simon Baker. This generation's Wall Street, and the best money film since it.
4. The Descendants: The perfect example of a dramedy, a film that has great drama and funny comedy without the two stepping on each other's toes. Great performances from George Clooney and Shailene Woodley.
3. The Artist: A silent film that uses the silence to its aid, not as a gimmick. Great silent performances and the perfect actors cast in their roles. The best directed film of the year and one that came out of nowhere to really make an impact.
2. The Help: Five great performances, tough subject mater, and the right touch of levity make the film one of the powerhouses of the year. The films few ridiculous moments don't get in the way of a touching, poignant, and memorable film.
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: A great film for more than just being the series capper, the actors hit their stride, and the material gave them the best chance to make a film that is absolutely a masterpiece. The film is a visual marvel, but is so much deeper than just that, and is the most re-watchable movie of the year.
So there it is, Maximus' top ten lists of the year. Let me know in the comments if you agree or disagree.
-Maximus
Maximus' Top Ten of 2011-Best Director
This is the fifth in a series of six posts on what I felt were the best acting and directing performances, as well as films of 2011.
10. Tate Taylor-The Help: Directing actors is still directing, while The Help is not quite a directorial marvel, the way Taylor brought the huge cast together and still made semblance of it earns him a spot on this list.
9. Rupert Wyatt-Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Generally its hard to still have an element of surprise in prequels, but Wyatt made it happen in RotPofA. In addition, Wyatt masterfully mixed the motion capture with live action to make a visual masterpiece.
8. Bennett Miller-Moneyball: Same type of credit I have David Fincher last year, how do you make a boring subject into an entertaining movie? Like Fincher though, Miller nailed it. Miller earns a special place on this list for me as well for not trying to make the A's look like they actually won something that year, he acknowledged the fact they still only made it to the first round of the playoffs.
7. Alexander Payne-The Descendants: Great blend of drama and comedy, Payne never compromised the tragedy of the film for laughs, and never compromised the laughs to make it overly morbid.
6. JJ Abrams-Super 8: A monster movie that used the monster to set up a terrific story of young children and their bonds. You could tell it was a labor of love for Abrams and in a sense was a monster movie that was semi autobiographical.
5. JC Chandor-Margin Call: A film with no clear lead, a ton of great actors in small performances, and a story about the start of the market crash told over a 24 hour period? No problem for Chandor. He balances everything fantastically and the tension in the movie makes it seem more like a shoot out then a fire-sale.
4. Nicholas Winding Refn-Drive: Jumped up my list at the last minute, but from a directing standpoint, the film was a marvel. Refn used many amazing shots to tell his story, and as I stated in my review of the film, is one of the best shot films since Road to Perdition.
3. David Fincher-Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Right from the first ten minutes of the film you can tell how amazing Fincher is at his job, and it continues for the next two hours.
2. David Yates-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Yates had a steady hand and was chosen to direct the last few films, they could not have made a better choice. Deathly Hallows as a whole was a great film, and what was left for Part 2 was exciting, and extremely well put together.
1. Michael Hazanavious-The Artist: The Artist is a silent film, that uses the silence as a main story point. Hazanavious took what could simply be a gimmick, and made a terrific film that was extremely well directed. Hazanavious' direction made even the biggest skeptics (me) into believers in The Artist.
-Maximus
10. Tate Taylor-The Help: Directing actors is still directing, while The Help is not quite a directorial marvel, the way Taylor brought the huge cast together and still made semblance of it earns him a spot on this list.
9. Rupert Wyatt-Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Generally its hard to still have an element of surprise in prequels, but Wyatt made it happen in RotPofA. In addition, Wyatt masterfully mixed the motion capture with live action to make a visual masterpiece.
8. Bennett Miller-Moneyball: Same type of credit I have David Fincher last year, how do you make a boring subject into an entertaining movie? Like Fincher though, Miller nailed it. Miller earns a special place on this list for me as well for not trying to make the A's look like they actually won something that year, he acknowledged the fact they still only made it to the first round of the playoffs.
7. Alexander Payne-The Descendants: Great blend of drama and comedy, Payne never compromised the tragedy of the film for laughs, and never compromised the laughs to make it overly morbid.
6. JJ Abrams-Super 8: A monster movie that used the monster to set up a terrific story of young children and their bonds. You could tell it was a labor of love for Abrams and in a sense was a monster movie that was semi autobiographical.
5. JC Chandor-Margin Call: A film with no clear lead, a ton of great actors in small performances, and a story about the start of the market crash told over a 24 hour period? No problem for Chandor. He balances everything fantastically and the tension in the movie makes it seem more like a shoot out then a fire-sale.
4. Nicholas Winding Refn-Drive: Jumped up my list at the last minute, but from a directing standpoint, the film was a marvel. Refn used many amazing shots to tell his story, and as I stated in my review of the film, is one of the best shot films since Road to Perdition.
3. David Fincher-Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Right from the first ten minutes of the film you can tell how amazing Fincher is at his job, and it continues for the next two hours.
2. David Yates-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Yates had a steady hand and was chosen to direct the last few films, they could not have made a better choice. Deathly Hallows as a whole was a great film, and what was left for Part 2 was exciting, and extremely well put together.
1. Michael Hazanavious-The Artist: The Artist is a silent film, that uses the silence as a main story point. Hazanavious took what could simply be a gimmick, and made a terrific film that was extremely well directed. Hazanavious' direction made even the biggest skeptics (me) into believers in The Artist.
-Maximus
Monday, February 20, 2012
Maximus' Top Ten of 2011-Best Actor
This is the 4th in a 6 part series detailing what my favorite performances, films, and directing jobs were in 2011.
10. Michael Fassbender-Xmen First Class: The perfect Magneto, he was smooth and charming yet full of anger, and you could always see it bubbling beneath the surface.
9. Ryan Gosling-Drive: A quiet performance, Gosling had to basically act as the lead in a two hour movie saying less than 40 words.
8. Thomas Horn-Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: While the character was annoying and very unlikable, you can't dispute the job that Horn did acting as a child with some very serious mental issues.
7. Ewan McGregor-Beginners: Hasn't been talked about much due to Plummer's great supporting performance, but was very good as the lead. McGregor was both the star and the narrator, and it was an interesting film to narrate, to say the least.
6. Tom Hardy-Warrior: Didn't have as many words to say as his co-lead Joel Edgerton, but had to have the scenes with Nolte as his recovering alcoholic father, and had to show his disdain for him in every look.
5. Leonardo DiCaprio-J. Edgar: The film didn't do him any favors with some poor makeup, but from youth to senior citizenship, DiCaprio was great as the man with a million secrets.
4. Daniel Craig-Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Somewhat overshadowed by Mara's terrific performance, but was very good in his own right. The charming, brooding Blomvquist is not an easy part to play.
3. Brad Pitt-Moneyball: Moneyball in its own right was a bio of Billy Beane, and Pitt had to play it like that, but instead of a straight imitation, he made his own character, and showed his fear and vulnerability in every decision he made.
2. Jean Dujardin-The Artist: Never thought I would champion the cause of an actor in a completely silent film, but the way Dujardin used the silence and his facial expressions to show an incredibly funny, moving performance puts him at the number 2 spot.
1. George Clooney- The Descendants: Alexander Payne's films are interesting mix of funny and serious, and the Descendants was just that. Clooney had to be self aware, sad, grieving, strong, and funny, and he did it all.
Next will be Best Director.
-Maximus
10. Michael Fassbender-Xmen First Class: The perfect Magneto, he was smooth and charming yet full of anger, and you could always see it bubbling beneath the surface.
9. Ryan Gosling-Drive: A quiet performance, Gosling had to basically act as the lead in a two hour movie saying less than 40 words.
8. Thomas Horn-Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: While the character was annoying and very unlikable, you can't dispute the job that Horn did acting as a child with some very serious mental issues.
7. Ewan McGregor-Beginners: Hasn't been talked about much due to Plummer's great supporting performance, but was very good as the lead. McGregor was both the star and the narrator, and it was an interesting film to narrate, to say the least.
6. Tom Hardy-Warrior: Didn't have as many words to say as his co-lead Joel Edgerton, but had to have the scenes with Nolte as his recovering alcoholic father, and had to show his disdain for him in every look.
5. Leonardo DiCaprio-J. Edgar: The film didn't do him any favors with some poor makeup, but from youth to senior citizenship, DiCaprio was great as the man with a million secrets.
4. Daniel Craig-Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Somewhat overshadowed by Mara's terrific performance, but was very good in his own right. The charming, brooding Blomvquist is not an easy part to play.
3. Brad Pitt-Moneyball: Moneyball in its own right was a bio of Billy Beane, and Pitt had to play it like that, but instead of a straight imitation, he made his own character, and showed his fear and vulnerability in every decision he made.
2. Jean Dujardin-The Artist: Never thought I would champion the cause of an actor in a completely silent film, but the way Dujardin used the silence and his facial expressions to show an incredibly funny, moving performance puts him at the number 2 spot.
1. George Clooney- The Descendants: Alexander Payne's films are interesting mix of funny and serious, and the Descendants was just that. Clooney had to be self aware, sad, grieving, strong, and funny, and he did it all.
Next will be Best Director.
-Maximus
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Maximus' Top Ten of 2011-Best Actress
This is the 3rd in a 6 part series of my top performances, films, and directing jobs of the year. Today we look at Best Actress.
10. Emily Browning-Sucker Punch: A terrible movie no doubt, but in a weaker year for acting performances, hers stands out as the only bright spot in the film. Playing a woman who retreats into her own mind to get through horrendous situations at her mental institution, she has to wear many hats, and wears them well.
9. Carey Mulligan-Drive: On the borderline between actress and supporting actress, but as the emotional center of the film, I put here in this category. As a woman who falls in love with a good man just to have her husband get released from prison, then get murdered, she had no shortage of emotional scenes.
8. Paula Patton-MI4: Another one on the border between actress and supporting, but Patton is in more scenes then the previous MI ladies, and stands toe to toe with Tom Cruise more than any of them have in the past.
7. Emma Stone-The Help: Was left out of most awards conversation, but did a fantastic job centering the film. As Christian Bale talked about a lot last year, every obvious performance requires a quiet one. And Stone's was the one that kept all the other craziness in check.
6. Saoirse Ronan-Hanna: Carried the entire movie on her back, and while Ronan's acting skills should no longer surprise us, seeing a young girl do what she does is amazing.
5. Kristen Wiig-Bridesmaids: Brought her manic awkwardness from SNL to the film, but instead of it turning into an overly long sketch, she showed that she can really bring it to a two hour film.
4. Emma Watson-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Hermione has always been the one that kept the gang together, and you felt that way with Watson's performances. She seemed like a pro from day one, and it really culminated in 7.2.
3. Berenice Bejo-The Artist: In my opinion, has been incorrectly put in the Supporting Actress category in most races. However in a film that goes from happy and light to dark and depressing, her smile kept the darker parts of the silent film from becoming convoluted or overly morbid.
2. Rooney Mara-Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Rape, torture, murder, mind games, Mara had to act in scenes involving all of it. In addition she had to play a really unique character who had to show so much without the typical explanation of the characters past.
1. Viola Davis-The Help: Not much else to say about Davis that hasn't already been said, but just to add to it, she was fantastic, great, and amazing. By far the best performance of the year in this category, and its not even really that close.
Next up will be Actor and Director.
-Maximus
10. Emily Browning-Sucker Punch: A terrible movie no doubt, but in a weaker year for acting performances, hers stands out as the only bright spot in the film. Playing a woman who retreats into her own mind to get through horrendous situations at her mental institution, she has to wear many hats, and wears them well.
9. Carey Mulligan-Drive: On the borderline between actress and supporting actress, but as the emotional center of the film, I put here in this category. As a woman who falls in love with a good man just to have her husband get released from prison, then get murdered, she had no shortage of emotional scenes.
8. Paula Patton-MI4: Another one on the border between actress and supporting, but Patton is in more scenes then the previous MI ladies, and stands toe to toe with Tom Cruise more than any of them have in the past.
7. Emma Stone-The Help: Was left out of most awards conversation, but did a fantastic job centering the film. As Christian Bale talked about a lot last year, every obvious performance requires a quiet one. And Stone's was the one that kept all the other craziness in check.
6. Saoirse Ronan-Hanna: Carried the entire movie on her back, and while Ronan's acting skills should no longer surprise us, seeing a young girl do what she does is amazing.
5. Kristen Wiig-Bridesmaids: Brought her manic awkwardness from SNL to the film, but instead of it turning into an overly long sketch, she showed that she can really bring it to a two hour film.
4. Emma Watson-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Hermione has always been the one that kept the gang together, and you felt that way with Watson's performances. She seemed like a pro from day one, and it really culminated in 7.2.
3. Berenice Bejo-The Artist: In my opinion, has been incorrectly put in the Supporting Actress category in most races. However in a film that goes from happy and light to dark and depressing, her smile kept the darker parts of the silent film from becoming convoluted or overly morbid.
2. Rooney Mara-Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Rape, torture, murder, mind games, Mara had to act in scenes involving all of it. In addition she had to play a really unique character who had to show so much without the typical explanation of the characters past.
1. Viola Davis-The Help: Not much else to say about Davis that hasn't already been said, but just to add to it, she was fantastic, great, and amazing. By far the best performance of the year in this category, and its not even really that close.
Next up will be Actor and Director.
-Maximus
Friday, February 17, 2012
Maximus' Top Ten of 2011-Best Supporting Actress
This is the second in a series of six posts discussing my top ten in acting, directing, and films of 2011.
10. Melissa McCarthy-Bridesmaids: I was late to the game on Bridesmaids, but even seeing it after all the hype, I could appreciate the over the top yet great performance McCarthy gave. Her character may have been the craziest, but in a weird way was also the easiest to believe.
9. Bryce Dallas Howard- The Help: The least heralded of all the performances in the film, Howard had the task of playing the only unlikable main character in the film, and did it very well.
8. Elle Fanning-Super 8: Sometimes acting just runs in the family, and if you doubted the little sister could act, your feelings were erased by the halfway mark of Super 8.
7. Evan Rachel Wood- Ides of March: A small but important roll in the film, she went from charming to scared and vulnerable with one revelation, and stood eye to eye with all the great actors she shared scenes with.
6. Sandra Bullock- Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: A tough one to judge because her character was contrived, predictable, and had a very silly arc in the film. However despite the material, Bullock rose above it and delivered some very poignant scenes that proved to be the emotional core of the film.
5. Melanie Laurent-Beginners: A very solid performance as a woman with a rough past who is attempting to move on while helping her new boyfriend move on from his own demons.
4. Jessica Chastain-The Tree of Life: Same as my description of Pitt in the Supporting actor category, Pitt and Chastain were the only thing that kept The Tree of Life from not being a complete train wreck. Chastain left her happiness, misery, and fear all out on the table for us to watch.
3. Shailene Woodley-The Descendants: Had to play a troubled teen, a grieving daughter, a brave sister, and be the comedic foil all in the same film, and had to do it all opposite one of the best living actors. For a relative newcomer, that is a job well done.
2. Octavia Spencer-The Help: Most people's favorite performance in the film, funny, emotional, strong, and done by an actress not many people expected it from. If it wasn't for the over the top acting during the feces pie scenes, would probably be number one.
1. Jessica Chastain-The Help: Played the anti socialite who wanted to be one of the girls, but was a better person then those she wanted to be like. Chastain played the character amazingly during her highs, her lows, and all the crazy in betweens.
Next up will be Best Actress and Best Actor.
10. Melissa McCarthy-Bridesmaids: I was late to the game on Bridesmaids, but even seeing it after all the hype, I could appreciate the over the top yet great performance McCarthy gave. Her character may have been the craziest, but in a weird way was also the easiest to believe.
9. Bryce Dallas Howard- The Help: The least heralded of all the performances in the film, Howard had the task of playing the only unlikable main character in the film, and did it very well.
8. Elle Fanning-Super 8: Sometimes acting just runs in the family, and if you doubted the little sister could act, your feelings were erased by the halfway mark of Super 8.
7. Evan Rachel Wood- Ides of March: A small but important roll in the film, she went from charming to scared and vulnerable with one revelation, and stood eye to eye with all the great actors she shared scenes with.
6. Sandra Bullock- Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: A tough one to judge because her character was contrived, predictable, and had a very silly arc in the film. However despite the material, Bullock rose above it and delivered some very poignant scenes that proved to be the emotional core of the film.
5. Melanie Laurent-Beginners: A very solid performance as a woman with a rough past who is attempting to move on while helping her new boyfriend move on from his own demons.
4. Jessica Chastain-The Tree of Life: Same as my description of Pitt in the Supporting actor category, Pitt and Chastain were the only thing that kept The Tree of Life from not being a complete train wreck. Chastain left her happiness, misery, and fear all out on the table for us to watch.
3. Shailene Woodley-The Descendants: Had to play a troubled teen, a grieving daughter, a brave sister, and be the comedic foil all in the same film, and had to do it all opposite one of the best living actors. For a relative newcomer, that is a job well done.
2. Octavia Spencer-The Help: Most people's favorite performance in the film, funny, emotional, strong, and done by an actress not many people expected it from. If it wasn't for the over the top acting during the feces pie scenes, would probably be number one.
1. Jessica Chastain-The Help: Played the anti socialite who wanted to be one of the girls, but was a better person then those she wanted to be like. Chastain played the character amazingly during her highs, her lows, and all the crazy in betweens.
Next up will be Best Actress and Best Actor.
Maximus' Top Ten of 2011-Best Supporting Actor
This is the first in a series of 6 posts about what I thought were the best films, performances, and directing jobs of 2011. Lets start with Actors in supporting performances.
10. Jonah Hill-Moneyball: Who would have thought the chubby kid from Superbad would eventually turn into a real actor? I certainly did not see it coming, and despite seeing Moneyball after all the hype had already came out, I was still very impressed with the performance. Hill portrayed a nervous yet confident young executive, and went toe to toe with Brad Pitt in every scene they shared.
9. Albert Brooks-Drive: Another out of their comfort zone performance. Generally funny Brooks was tasked with playing a mob boss who at first seems to be weak and reluctant, but by the end shows he is a ruthless and skilled killer, and he nailed it.
8. Paul Giamatti-Ides of March: How do you pick one performance out of an entire movie of supporting performances? You pick the one that made the biggest impact on you in the smallest amount of screen time. Giamatti wasn't given the big scenes that Clooney, Gosling, and Hoffman were given, yet he out shown all of them in a smaller window.
7. Brad Pitt-The Tree of Life: Along with Jessica Chastain, they were the only constants in the disjointed, jumpy mess that was The Tree of Life. Pitt played a father who you feared, yet never doubted his love for his children.
6. Nick Nolte-Warrior: Another flawed father, yet with Nolte's character, you never knew why his kids hated him, but you also never doubted it. You also never doubted his remorse and vulnerability.
5. Max Von Sydow-Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: The only part of the film that I liked was the parts Von Sydow was in. Playing an elderly mute is not the typical opportunity to flex your acting skills, but Von Sydow expressed more with his looks and mannerisms than many could do with a long winded speech.
4. Armie Hammer-J. Edgar: Hammer had the task of standing toe to toe with Leonardo DiCaprio, and he did, even upstaging him in certain scenes. You never doubted how much his character loved Hoover, even without him ever saying it.
3. Paul Bettany-Margin Call: Another film with all supporting performances, and no main actor or actress. While Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons were solid, it was Bettany who stood out. Playing a company man who has serious doubts about his company, Bettany was terrific.
2. Alan Rickman-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Not necessarily a cumulative award, but the second half of the 7th film was the one where Rickman really got to flex his acting chops. He was able to finally show his emotion as opposed to just the stern dictator he played in the first 7 films, and he did it terrifically.
1. Christopher Plummer-Beginners: The most heralded performance of the year is the rightful one. Plummer is terrific playing an elderly man who recently came out of the closet, just to find out that he is dying. But the performance, while it could have been morbid and depressing, was joyful and expressive. Plummer showed grace and soul and took great material made it drastically better.
Runner ups were Andy Serkis in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Christopher Plummer in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Ides of March.
Next up will be Best Supporting Actress.
10. Jonah Hill-Moneyball: Who would have thought the chubby kid from Superbad would eventually turn into a real actor? I certainly did not see it coming, and despite seeing Moneyball after all the hype had already came out, I was still very impressed with the performance. Hill portrayed a nervous yet confident young executive, and went toe to toe with Brad Pitt in every scene they shared.
9. Albert Brooks-Drive: Another out of their comfort zone performance. Generally funny Brooks was tasked with playing a mob boss who at first seems to be weak and reluctant, but by the end shows he is a ruthless and skilled killer, and he nailed it.
8. Paul Giamatti-Ides of March: How do you pick one performance out of an entire movie of supporting performances? You pick the one that made the biggest impact on you in the smallest amount of screen time. Giamatti wasn't given the big scenes that Clooney, Gosling, and Hoffman were given, yet he out shown all of them in a smaller window.
7. Brad Pitt-The Tree of Life: Along with Jessica Chastain, they were the only constants in the disjointed, jumpy mess that was The Tree of Life. Pitt played a father who you feared, yet never doubted his love for his children.
6. Nick Nolte-Warrior: Another flawed father, yet with Nolte's character, you never knew why his kids hated him, but you also never doubted it. You also never doubted his remorse and vulnerability.
5. Max Von Sydow-Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close: The only part of the film that I liked was the parts Von Sydow was in. Playing an elderly mute is not the typical opportunity to flex your acting skills, but Von Sydow expressed more with his looks and mannerisms than many could do with a long winded speech.
4. Armie Hammer-J. Edgar: Hammer had the task of standing toe to toe with Leonardo DiCaprio, and he did, even upstaging him in certain scenes. You never doubted how much his character loved Hoover, even without him ever saying it.
3. Paul Bettany-Margin Call: Another film with all supporting performances, and no main actor or actress. While Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons were solid, it was Bettany who stood out. Playing a company man who has serious doubts about his company, Bettany was terrific.
2. Alan Rickman-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2: Not necessarily a cumulative award, but the second half of the 7th film was the one where Rickman really got to flex his acting chops. He was able to finally show his emotion as opposed to just the stern dictator he played in the first 7 films, and he did it terrifically.
1. Christopher Plummer-Beginners: The most heralded performance of the year is the rightful one. Plummer is terrific playing an elderly man who recently came out of the closet, just to find out that he is dying. But the performance, while it could have been morbid and depressing, was joyful and expressive. Plummer showed grace and soul and took great material made it drastically better.
Runner ups were Andy Serkis in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Christopher Plummer in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Ides of March.
Next up will be Best Supporting Actress.
New DVD Review-Drive
Drive is a film from director Nicholas Winding Refn, whose only other known film is the overrated and convoluted Valhalla Rising. It stars Ryan Gosling who people seem to be just noticing, despite great performances in The Notebook, Fracture, Lars and the Real Girl, and my personal favorite, Half Nelson. The film was advertised as a Fast & the Furious style action film about a getaway driver. Drive is not an action film, nor are there any over the top chase sequences. However what Drive lacks in action, it makes up for in terrific directing and great performances. Refn directs like he has been doing this for forty years, and there are so many great shots, it reminded me very much of Road to Perdition. While its not quite on the level of Perdition, Refn uses Drive like his own playground, similar to how Mendes did with that film. In addition to Gosling, you also get great performances from Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, and Albert Brooks. Drive may not be the action film people hoped, but succeeds on many other levels. I give Drive 8 Ninja Stars out of 10 and recommend seeing it. Drive Co-stars Christina Hendricks and Ron Perlman.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Is Julia Roberts....Overrated?
I know, I know, based off the title alone, I am being blasphemous, but hear me out. Recently I have been thinking of actors or actresses of this current generation who would be in the "Hall of Fame" of acting if there was one. This means actors under 65 and over 35 who have made a huge impact on people my age. So think Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, etc. Naturally when thinking of this (likely the topic of a future post) I had Julia Roberts in the actress list. However when I went through her filmography and thought more in to it, I couldn't help but be very underwhelmed. Now understand I am not talking about the quality of her films, she has made many very good movies, however her performances have been very....one note. She first showed her skills in Mystic Pizza, Steel Magnolias, and Pretty Woman. All three iconic movies with good Roberts' performances, especially Pretty Woman, which really defined her career. But after that, she took many roles that required the same exact performance from her. Would anyone notice if you replaced Julianne in My Best Friend's Wedding with Anna from Notting Hill? Or how about replacing Darby in The Pelican Brief with Alice from Conspiracy Theory? The bottom line is you would never notice. Is she a bad actress? Of course not, you would never watch a movie and feel she brought it down, however there are not many where she really leaves you in awe of her performance. Looking through her 39 film not animated or just voice acting credits, I counted 3 in which I felt her performance was what I would consider great. Those three would be Closer, Pretty Woman, and Erin Brockovich. The performance in Pretty Woman was the first of the bubbly, lovable Julia Roberts, so even though it has been duplicated 30 times, it still holds up. Erin Brockovich was different and nuanced, and Closer was a hardcore drama, where Roberts had to play a detestable, foul mouthed adulterer, definitely out of her wheel house. But outside of those three what else is there? She was asked to use a Southern accent in Charlie Wilson's War, and it came out the most stereotypical Southern Belle accent in the last ten years of movies, she was asked to play two roles including herself in Ocean's 12, and we just got double her normal performances. Runaway Bride, The Mexican, Mona Lisa Smile, America's Sweethearts, Duplicity....all the same. So again I am not saying she is a bad actress, I am just saying that there is no range there. Many would argue that its not her, these are just the characters she is asked to play, but I would counter that with the fact that the roles are still her choice and she decides whether or not to play the lovable, sweet lady for the 56th time, or to pass and look for more challenging roles. You cannot argue the fact that she has had a great, long, and distinguished career that has made studios billions of dollars, but you also cannot argue the low degree of difficulty factor. Think of Katherine Heigl's career so far, critically panned films that make a huge splash at the box office, with performances from Heigl that never ask her to go outside of the uptight, overly controlling, caricature of a career woman role. So why do critics and non fans despise Heigl's movies so much but still rave and smile over the 14th Garry Marshall/Julia Roberts film? I think the reason is likability, which is something that Heigl's characters have not displayed. Roberts career has seen her playing the wronged or love struck one in the romantic comedies, never the heart breaker or person who doesn't want love yet in favor of her career or past relationships. When she smiles it is almost impossible not to be rooting for Julia Roberts, however it feels like its that smile, and not acting skill, that has kept her career on top for nearly three decades. Let me know in the comments how wrong I am, and let us know what your favorite Julia Roberts performances are to back up your argument.
-Maximus
-Maximus
Friday, February 3, 2012
Movie Review- Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Coming off its surprise nomination for Best Picture, EL&LC has been a hot topic lately as it was left off nearly every other critics award show so far. After seeing the film, I can safely say the Oscars got it absolutely wrong. EL&IC is predictable, cheap, frustrating, and way too long. The film follows a young boy afflicted by Aspberger's syndrome, whose father is killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks. The relationship with his father seemed to be the thing keeping his syndrome in check, however the boy becomes unbalanced after losing his father.When he finds a key in his fathers closet, he decides that this must have been a last mission his father left him, and he sets out to find the lock the key belongs to. The rest of the movie is the boy trying to solve this mystery, being mean to his mother, and reminiscing about his father. The movie does pick up about half way through when the boy meets the man who rents a room from the boys grandmother. The man is known simply as "the renter" and is an elderly mute man. The scenes between the two are funny and touching, but don't last long or do enough to pull the movie from the miserable tone it sets early. EL&IC tries hard to be touching and poignant, but instead relies on 9/11 for its backdrop and hopes that's enough for people to say the film made them cry. It steals its most emotional moments from Saving Private Ryan, Big Fish, and......Mercury Rising? The saving grace of the film are some of the performances, while annoying and utterly unlikable, Thomas Horn plays the main child with a feat of acting some of the best actors could not accomplish. Sandra Bullock and Max Von Sydow also give great supporting performances. I give EL&IC 4 Ninja stars, and probably would have given it less if it wasn't better than Midnight in Paris.
-Maximus
-Maximus
New DVD Review - Moneyball
This movie made the cut for the Best Picture Nominations at the Oscars this year. If I hadn't already wanted to see it, being a baseball movie and all, this tipped the scales to where I had to see it. I was excited since Brad Pitt is also a very solid actor in my eyes and I had heard that Jonah Hill gave a great performance. A cool aspect about the story is that it is true. The Oakland A's have struggled for years with no payroll to put a good team together and have notoriously scouted and developed good talent just to watch the fruit of their labors get snatched up by a team like New York or Boston that have ridiculously high payrolls. The story follows the General Manager Billy Beane, who is played by Brad Pitt, trying to follow up a season where they made the play-offs with a small payroll and lose all there good players from that season to high salary offers from other teams. He is faced with once again having to make something from nothing with no support on the financial end. He finds a "kid" who really sees what baseball should be all about and the type of players the A's would need to make a winning team. There is a formula they use to get older players, recovering players, and players that have been given up on to create a cohesive unit that can contend with the high rollers. As we all know the A's don't win the World Series but it is a cool story to follow anyways.
After all that I still came away a little disappointed. Maybe my expectations were too high. I don't think it was bad but I can't say it was anywhere near great. The performances that were highly regarded fell short in my mind. Pitt and Hill did nothing spectacular. The story, though true, just lacked excitement in the telling. Also they ended it on a terrible note relating the A's strategy to how the Red Sox won their first World Series in almost 100 years. The Red Sox completely bought their team with a huge payroll which is the exact opposite of how the A's strategy was successful. That statement definitely got my temper up because I loathe Yankee-Red Sox type of teams that just buy everyone with gigantic payrolls. Again it wasn't a bad movie so I think I will rate it with a high 6 Ninja Stars out of 10. It may have reached 7 if it would have omitted that last comparison to the Red Sox. Comments are welcome as I know a lot of people have seen this movie and really liked it.
-Diomedes
Second Opinion: Moneyball
Moneyball is this years Social Network, the film that is based off a relatively unfilmable concept that ends up being a very good movie. Moneyball is a baseball movie, but has about one total minute of the on the field action, other than that its all behind the scenes. Scouting, drafting, trading, releasing...all the things a veteran fantasy baseball player like myself loves to see interpreted on the big screen. People who do not follow baseball as close may not enjoy the intricacies, but I definitely did. One of the biggest things I was afraid of was that they would glorify the season the A's had that year due to Beane's unconventional approach, when in reality the A's were one and done in the playoffs. But director Bennett Miller did not ignore that and addresses it head on. A very good performance from Brad Pitt, and decent supporting performances from Jonah Hill and Phillip Seymour Hoffman help the movie along, as it is definitely a movie that focuses on conversation. I give Moneyball 8 Ninja Stars out of 10, and recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the behind the scenes world of baseball.
-Maximus
Second Opinion: Moneyball
Moneyball is this years Social Network, the film that is based off a relatively unfilmable concept that ends up being a very good movie. Moneyball is a baseball movie, but has about one total minute of the on the field action, other than that its all behind the scenes. Scouting, drafting, trading, releasing...all the things a veteran fantasy baseball player like myself loves to see interpreted on the big screen. People who do not follow baseball as close may not enjoy the intricacies, but I definitely did. One of the biggest things I was afraid of was that they would glorify the season the A's had that year due to Beane's unconventional approach, when in reality the A's were one and done in the playoffs. But director Bennett Miller did not ignore that and addresses it head on. A very good performance from Brad Pitt, and decent supporting performances from Jonah Hill and Phillip Seymour Hoffman help the movie along, as it is definitely a movie that focuses on conversation. I give Moneyball 8 Ninja Stars out of 10, and recommend it to anyone who has an interest in the behind the scenes world of baseball.
-Maximus
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Oscar Nomination Surprises
With the nominations coming out this morning, I sat anxiously with my pen in hand and my predictions up on my laptop. As you probably know if you are reading this, I got six total wrong in the four acting and directing categories, which is respectable. The Best Picture category was a different story though, the toughest part was picking how many nominees, not what they would be. I settled on six, and all six did get nominated, however there ended up being nine nominees, and I would have put five other films ahead of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, so that was a surprise. In addition Moneyball and The Tree of Life also were nominated. Instead of recapping all the nominees here, I decided the best post today would be a list of surprises that came from the nominations. In later posts we will give our thoughts on the potential winners, and also predict the Movie Ninja Awards for this past year, what we felt were the best films and best performances of 2011. But before that, here are the shockers from earlier today:
-9 Best Picture nominees! The new rules stated films had to have a large percentage of first place votes in order to get a nomination, this should have ruled out films that everyone liked but no one loved, basically Moneyball and War Horse, and benefited films that people felt passionate about like The Tree of Life. Instead, all three of those got nominated in addition to the locks. So how did those all get nominated? And how did Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close get in after getting shut out by every other awards body? The answer is that each of those must have had a body of people who loved the film and named it number one, which not many people expected.
-Demian Bichir and Gary Oldman replace Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael Fassbender in Best Actor. Leo has been sliding of late due to medial responses to J. Edgar and the early release date, and Fassbender never was a lock, but its definitely shocking to see both left out.
-No Albert Brooks for Best Supporting Actor. The race was considered to be between Brooks and Christopher Plummer for the win, then Brooks doesn't even get nominated in favor of Nick Nolte in Warrior and Max Von Sydow in EL&IC.
-The Help loses momentum. The Help was a lock for Best Picture, Actress, and two Supporting Actress slots, and that's all it ended up getting. While it seemed it was creeping towards being a legitimate candidate to win Best Picture, no nomination for Director or Screenplay kills its chances.
-Very few nominations for The Tree of Life. While it got a Picture nomination I didn't expect it to, and also got its Cinematography and Directing nominations, that was it. I expected it to have a shot at Screenplay, and to be a strong contender for Editing, both Sound awards, Score, and Best Supporting Actor, but just those three.
-Strong support for Moneyball. While most thought it was set for Actor, Supporting Actor, and Screenplay, it also pulled off Best Director, Sound, and Editing, giving it the third most nominations of any film this year.
I could go on all day with all the surprises, but I am sure no one really cares that Girl with the Dragon Tattoo got snubbed for Best Original Score. Post your surprises or snubs in the comments sections, and keep checking back for further Oscar updates right up until the big day and beyond!
-Maximus
-9 Best Picture nominees! The new rules stated films had to have a large percentage of first place votes in order to get a nomination, this should have ruled out films that everyone liked but no one loved, basically Moneyball and War Horse, and benefited films that people felt passionate about like The Tree of Life. Instead, all three of those got nominated in addition to the locks. So how did those all get nominated? And how did Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close get in after getting shut out by every other awards body? The answer is that each of those must have had a body of people who loved the film and named it number one, which not many people expected.
-Demian Bichir and Gary Oldman replace Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael Fassbender in Best Actor. Leo has been sliding of late due to medial responses to J. Edgar and the early release date, and Fassbender never was a lock, but its definitely shocking to see both left out.
-No Albert Brooks for Best Supporting Actor. The race was considered to be between Brooks and Christopher Plummer for the win, then Brooks doesn't even get nominated in favor of Nick Nolte in Warrior and Max Von Sydow in EL&IC.
-The Help loses momentum. The Help was a lock for Best Picture, Actress, and two Supporting Actress slots, and that's all it ended up getting. While it seemed it was creeping towards being a legitimate candidate to win Best Picture, no nomination for Director or Screenplay kills its chances.
-Very few nominations for The Tree of Life. While it got a Picture nomination I didn't expect it to, and also got its Cinematography and Directing nominations, that was it. I expected it to have a shot at Screenplay, and to be a strong contender for Editing, both Sound awards, Score, and Best Supporting Actor, but just those three.
-Strong support for Moneyball. While most thought it was set for Actor, Supporting Actor, and Screenplay, it also pulled off Best Director, Sound, and Editing, giving it the third most nominations of any film this year.
I could go on all day with all the surprises, but I am sure no one really cares that Girl with the Dragon Tattoo got snubbed for Best Original Score. Post your surprises or snubs in the comments sections, and keep checking back for further Oscar updates right up until the big day and beyond!
-Maximus
Movie Review - The Artist
This film is shot in an old fashion black and white sequence with probably less than 25 words throughout the entire movie. The film is based around a Hollywood star, George Valentin, who is featured in all the big time silent films. His main co-star in this film is a young girl, Peppy Miller, aspiring to be an actress in films that by chance bumps into Valentin and is basically given her start because of his influence in the production studio. He gives her a distinguishing look and her career slowly gains steam. She admires and is infatuated with him but he is married so it can't be. The main conflict comes with the dawn of the age of the talkie films. Valentin does not believe in talkie films and tries to stay the course with silent films claiming he is an artist and it takes an artist to portray emotion on an audience without speaking. As we know times change fast and innovation and technology waits for no one. I was really expecting not to like this movie. I thought what you might be thinking now, "25 words? It's got to be boring." That my friends is not the case. I have a very high appreciation for how this was shot and the ability of both the actors and the director to keep your attention during the whole movie. The black and white image is crisp and the plot is clear even without many words to guide you. I enjoyed this film and would recommend seeing it because though it wasn't great, it was a work of art in our age of graphics and sound effects. I will give it a high 7 Ninja Stars out of 10. You don't need to see it in the theater but I think it gives it an added effect if you do. Just a tip for serious movie goers.
-Diomedes
Second Opinion-The Artist
I expected The Artist to be a drama filled silent film, and really was questioning the premise. I had this feeling that the critics and awards groups were giving The Artist so much credit due to a gimmick, that of being a modern day silent film. However I was pleasantly surprised, while there is an element of drama, the film is first and foremost a comedy, and it succeeds fully in being funny and engaging. The two leads stars (Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo) give terrific (mostly) silent performances and really convey their thoughts with their expressions and mannerisms. My only complaint was that after a relatively short 1 hour and 20 minute run time, I still felt the film ran a bit long based off the subject material. I also gave The Artist 7 Ninja Stars out of 10, and also think that it would be served if seen in theaters.
-Maximus
Second Opinion-The Artist
I expected The Artist to be a drama filled silent film, and really was questioning the premise. I had this feeling that the critics and awards groups were giving The Artist so much credit due to a gimmick, that of being a modern day silent film. However I was pleasantly surprised, while there is an element of drama, the film is first and foremost a comedy, and it succeeds fully in being funny and engaging. The two leads stars (Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo) give terrific (mostly) silent performances and really convey their thoughts with their expressions and mannerisms. My only complaint was that after a relatively short 1 hour and 20 minute run time, I still felt the film ran a bit long based off the subject material. I also gave The Artist 7 Ninja Stars out of 10, and also think that it would be served if seen in theaters.
-Maximus
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