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

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

Movie Review-The Descendants

After Election, Sideways, and About Schmidt, I felt like I knew what I was getting from Alexander Payne, A moderately boring film with a few random moments of humor. However The Descendants breaks that mold. The film is about a father and two daughters whose matriarch is in a coma after a boating accident. Things are handled how you expect them to be until the eldest daughter (Shailene Woodley) informs her father that her mother was cheating on him before the accident. From there things spiral, while the two bond over trying to determine who the man is who was sleeping with her. While all this is going on there is also a plot involving Clooney's character trying to make a decision about selling some land to a real estate developer, but this side story line takes second fiddle to the main one. The Descendants is funny when it should be, and emotional when it should be. Not a lot happens, but yet you are entertained for the duration of the film. Several famous actors pop up for small parts, but the main focus is on Clooney and Woodley, and both do a great job. I give the Descendants 7 Ninja Stars out of 10 and recommend seeing it. The film is directed by Alexander Payne, and stars George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Robert Forster, Matthew Lilliard, Judy Greer, and Beau Bridges.

-Maximus

Movie Review-Underworld: Awakening

The Underworld series has been a solid set of films, nothing spectacular but a solid, fun trilogy. Kate Beckinsale returns as Seline after sitting out the third film in the series. The world has changed since the end of the second film, vampires and Lycans no longer have a bitter war going on as the humans have decided to wipe out all of them. Vampires are in hiding and Lycans are near extinct. After an opening scene, Seline is frozen and left encased in ice for 12 years, when she awakens and escapes, she if forced to face a new world, and fight her way back to normalcy. The series has been known for its huge action set pieces, and this film does not disappoint, with a 14 foot Lycan, things get interesting quickly. The negatives are that things like acting and plot have always come second in this series, and because of that it feels oddly B movie like. Underworld 4 is worth seeing if you want some mindless entertainment for under an hour and twenty minutes. As a quality movie, though, it falls a bit short. I give Underworld: Awakening 5 Ninja stars out of 10.

-Maximus

Final Oscar Nomination Predictions

The hardest thing about predicting the Best Picture nominees this year may not be what is nominated, but instead how many films are nominated. With the voting rules, anywhere between 5 and 10 films can be nominated for Best Picture. Here are my final predictions in the 6 major categories, ranked by my confidence in their getting a nomination.

Best Picture
1. The Artist
2. The Help
3. Hugo
4. The Descendants
5. Midnight in Paris
6. War Horse
---------------------
7. The Tree of Life
8. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
9. Moneyball
10. Bridesmaids

The dotted line above is where I think the cutoff will happen. I am still torn if I think War Horse will make 6 nominees or not as it has been losing steam, but my gut says it will have gotten enough votes early on. The other 4 films are my picks for what I think would be nominated if there were still a locked in 10 nominees.

Best Director
1. Michael Hazanavicius; The Artist
2. Martin Scorsese; Hugo
3. Alexander Payne; The Descendants
4. Woody Allen; Midnight in Paris
5. David Fincher; The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

This is very difficult to predict, as most of the time a film without a Picture nomination won't get a director nomination. But with the DGA recognizing Fincher and many voters feeling Fincher should have won last year, I think he gets in. I would not be shocked at all though if Steven Spielberg, Terrence Malick, or Tate Taylor get that 5 spot.

Best Actor
1. George Clooney; The Descendants
2. Jean Dujardin; The Artist
3. Brad Pitt; Moneyball
4. Michael Fassbender; Shame
5. Leonardo DiCaprio; J. Edgar

While this is Clooney's award to lose, the nominations are still in flux. Clooney, Dujardin, and Pitt are locks for a nomination. From there it gets dicey though. Demian Blair for A Better Life and/or Gary Oldman for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy could take over for Fassbender or DiCaprio. Ryan Gosling for Drive and Michael Shannon for Take Shelter still also have outside chances of sneaking in.

Best Actress
1. Viola Davis; The Help
2. Meryl Streep; The Iron Lady
3. Michelle Williams; My Week with Marilyn
4. Tilda Swinton; We Need to Talk About Kevin
5. Rooney Mara; The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

This is me going out on a limb, the first 3 are locks like in the Best Actor race, but after that it gets sketchy. Most consider Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs to be a lock, but the movie is hard to find and the performance is somewhat bland. I think Mara deservedly gets recognized for GwtDT, the piercings, the torment, the nudity, the character, all a tribute to how good she was in the role. Charlize Theron in Young Adult would be 7, but looks to be a very long shot now.

Best Supporting Actor
1. Christopher Plummer; Beginners
2. Kenneth Branagh; My Week with Marilyn
3. Albert Brooks; Drive
4. Jonah Hill; Moneyball
5. Armie Hammer; J. Edgar

Once again, me going out on a limb. Armie Hammer has been virtually ignored as J. Edgar has fallen off the map, and Max Von Sydow for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Nick Nolte in Warrior, Ben Kingsley in Hugo, Patton Oswalt in Young Adult, and/or Viggo Mortensen in A Dangerous Method could all take any of the 2-6 spots.

Best Supporting Actress
1. Octavia Spencer; The Help
2. Berenice Bejo; The Artist
3. Jessica Chastain; The Help
4. Melissa McCarthy; Bridesmaids
5. Shailene Woodley; The Descendents

Janet McTeer in Albert Nobbs is a favorite, but my thoughts above on Glenn Close also apply here. I don't feel enough Oscar voters are going to see the movie, and I think Woodley benefits here.

So 31 predictions here, and while I am pretty confident in some of my picks, its a little bit tougher in others. No doubt there will be some surprises. Here are some long shot surprises we might see (most probably just in my dreams though):

1. No War Horse anywhere.
2. Alan Rickman getting a nomination as Severus Snape in the Best Supporting Actor race.
3. Berenice Bejo in the Best Actress race, not Supporting.
4. Bridesmaids love as the Academy tries to look hip and cool.
5. A new movie become the favorite in the coming weeks. It was this time last year that The Social Network was a BP and BD lock......

-Maximus

Movie Review-Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

The fourth Mission Impossible film is about a man who wants to start nuclear war in order to "reset" the world. In this case Ethan Hunt's (Tom Cruise) team of Simon Pegg and Paula Patton are joined by a outsider (Jeremy Renner) who has secrets of his own. Things go awry though when "Ghost Protocol" is initiated, leaving the team without any support from the agency. The story line takes the characters to several different locations trying to stop the villain, from Russia to India to San Francisco, and along the way you'll see a few familiar franchise faces.  This MI entry takes the series into the new generation, it has much more hand to hand combat and while the series has been known for over the top action, this takes that to an entirely new level. From free climbing the tallest building in the world to sandstorm car chases to one of the coolest explosions in film history, it definitely keeps your jaw dropped. I give Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol 8 Ninja Stars out of 10 and recommend seeing it in theaters, Imax if you can. The film is directed by Brad Bird.

-Maximus

Oscar Contender 3 Pack Review!

Three days have gone by, and three Oscar contenders have been watched on Blu Ray, here are my reviews:

The Help
The Help is the story of domestic servants in 1950's Jackson, Mississippi and the woman who hire them. After a very slow and contrived first half hour, the film really does become funny and emotional, heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Emma Stone plays a young aspiring journalist, who struggles to be taken seriously due to being a woman. To stir the pot, she wants to write a tell all book from the perspective of "the help", but getting maids who are willing to talk is another story. Great performances from Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer as two maids, and also from Jessica Chastain and Bryce Dallas Howard as homemakers with different attitudes towards the help. I give the help 7 Ninja Stars out of 10 and recommend it. The film is directed by Tate Taylor.

Tree of Life
Probably the most insane movie I have seen since Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but a different kind of insane. Not drug induced like Fear and Loathing, more....ADD induced? I would break down the plot but there really isn't one. Supposedly the film was supposed to be about a man in present day (Sean Penn) reflecting on his childhood in Texas with his loving yet tyrannical father (Brad Pitt) and loving mother (Again Jessica Chastain). However the film has a 25 minute break early on that shows "creation" from the planetary down to the cellular levels, then runs through history until they get back to the 1960's. No shot in this film last longer than 15 seconds. It is narrated by three separate characters, and the narration is basically the characters talking to God. The film is an attempted look at religion and family and the universe, but really is just quite random. While I completely see what the director was trying to do, he really did not succeed. The film gets great performances from Pitt and Chastain, and the director of photography definitely earned their paycheck, but other than that, its just too incoherent. I give Tree of Life 4 Ninja Stars out of 10. The film is directed by Terrence Malick.

Midnight in Paris
Woody Allen seems to direct a movie every year, but only a few of them get noticed. Anyone remember Scoop or You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger? Ya me neither. But apparently those were his last two films prior to this according to IMDB. This one centers on a man, who is pathetic, and awkward, and pathetic, played by Owen Wilson. He is with his fiancee (Rachel McAdams) who is clearly cheating on him, and clearly hates him, and is an all around terrible person. They are in Paris with her parents on a business trip, and they clearly hate him as well. So at midnight one night he is walking, and is magically transported back to 1920's Paris to hang out with F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, and some other famous artists who we are led to believe all were great friends. He never really questions why he is in the 20's, and they never question why he dresses or acts the way he does. So each night at midnight, he goes back to hang out with his "friends" in the past. This movie was terrible. No way to sugar coat it. It is not funny, you do not feel for or like any of the characters, the acting is not good, and the film starts with a six minute montage of just still shots of Paris, the six minutes feels like three hours. Midnight in Paris was an hour and thirty minutes, but felt like it took weeks to get through. Why in the world anyone has liked this movie is something I will never understand. I give it 1 Ninja Star out of 10 and beg you never to suffer through it. It co-stars Michael Sheen, Kathy Bates, Tom Hiddleston, Adrien Brody, and Marion Cotillard.

-Maximus

Movie Review: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

This movie brings back the brilliant Sherlock Holmes and his reluctant sidekick Watson to take on an evil mastermind, who we got a small glimpse of in the first movie, Professor Moriarty.  It’s a game of riddles, high speed chases, and underhanded deals.  It's very action packed, more so than the first one and Sherlock continues to show his vast unending knowledge on any obstacle that is put in front of him.  The problems I have with it were that it was almost too fast past and much harder to follow than the first.  Maybe it is a movie you need to see a couple times before you catch everything and some movies are that way but I feel like since they were able to make the first one in a manner that you could follow then they could have done the same with this one.  Also there is maybe an unbelievable part that I will not divulge but didn't agree that it could of happened in real life especially since Holmes is based on using pure logic to discover the truth of abnormal circumstances.  I still enjoyed it and will see it again on dvd.  I would give it a high 7 Ninja Stars out of 10 and would recommend it if you liked the first.

-Diomedes

Movie Review-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

As a fan of the book of the same name, and a hater of the Swedish film version, I went into GwtDT with confused expectations. The film however proved that most of the time, the big budget treatment gives filmmakers the freedom they need to make a good movie. David Fincher does a great job with the film, as it is right in his wheelhouse, being the director of Se7en and Zodiac really gives Fincher an edge with this material. In a sense this completed his serial killer trilogy. Fincher has also always been really good at getting great performances out of his actors, and this film is no exception. Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, and Joely Richardson all give very good performances. However any success GwtDT will have depends solely on how Lisbeth Salander is portrayed, and this film knocks it out of the park. Relative newcomer (most notable prior film was about 6 minutes in the Social Network) Rooney Mara really transforms into Lisbeth, and goes all in for a great performance. This Lisbeth aligns with the book much more than the Swedish versions (portrayed by Sherlock Holmes 2 actress Noomi Rapace). If you are a fan of the book, you will notice big changes, but they are done for the sake of time and continuity and do not change any significant points of the film. If you have not read the book, the film condenses the plot nicely and explains things clearly. The only complaint I have is the film makes the villain a little more predicable than the book did, but its a minor gripe. I give GwtDT 8 Ninja Stars out of 10.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is directed by David Fincher, and stars Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright Penn, and Joely Richardson.