Dallas Buyers Club Review

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee
Written by Craig Borden and Melisa Wallack

The past few years have been very interesting for Matthew McConaughey. Known mostly in the past for romantic comedies and other "sell-out" films, McConaughey has had something of a career renaissance in recent years, taking on gutsier roles in the hopes of showing that he has some actual talent somewhere inside him. With his performance in Dallas Buyers Club, his talent is finally undeniable, as he gives a layered, powerful and emotional performance, and makes it fun, to boot.

McConaughey plays Ron Woodroof, a Texas redneck who is diagnosed with HIV. Quickly fed up with the American medical system. Woodroof starts going around the law and the FDA to bring medication into the US, for himself and others to treat their illness on their own terms.

What helps make the film work are the performances. Jennifer Garner is effective as a sympathetic doctor, and helps make a rather standard role somewhat more interesting. Jared Leto truly impresses as Rayon, a transvestite HIV patient who partners up with Woodroof and attempts to steal every scene he's in. He is nearly unrecognizable in most of his scenes, and plays nicely off of McConaughey's bigoted character. Ultimately, though, this is McConaughey's showcase, and he makes the most of every scene he is in. His success here is incredibly shocking, and reveals a brand new depth of talent that would not be expected from the man who five years ago starred in the failure Fool's Gold. He takes the character through a fascinating arc, and allows him to grow gradually, never stretching the realm of believability even a bit.

This film is important, but it is also emotional and quite a lot of fun. There are many humorous moments, and Woodroof's reactions to people are quite entertaining to watch, as is almost every scene Leto is in. The audience really does start to feel for these characters as the film goes on, though, to the point where watching them deal with their disease becomes quite difficult. Dallas Buyers Club is a story that backs its lead characters into a corner, and watches as they try their hardest to break out of the corner. Most importantly, it is a lot of fun watching them do it. A-

Fruitvale Station Review

Written and Directed by Ryan Coogler

Fruitvale Station, which is based on a true story, does not tell the story of an even in the way one would expect. There is a major event that occurs towards the end of the film that was noteworthy, but that is not the true focus of the film. This is a film about a man named Oscar Grant. It follows his life over the course of a very eventful New Years Eve and details who he is and what has led him to his current point in life.

If this seems a bit like a meandering plot that's because it is. It is not a very focused film. Rather, this film functions as a way of introducing you to a character. Some moments in the movie seem rather unnecessary, but they all have an impact. Part of this credit goes to Ryan Coogler's direction, but most of it has to go to Michael B. Jordan's performance. Jordan fully fleshes Oscar Grant out in a way that is rarely seen. It doesn't take long to see who this person is, what his strengths are and what his flaws are, as Jordan knows the character so well and knows how to bring all of these aspects out in a subtle and realistic way.

The rest of the cast is strong, too. Octavia Spencer makes the most of a few scenes as Grant's mom. Her turn is the showiest and most emotional, but Spencer has already shown her strength with that and doesn't disappoint here. The true MVP of the film, aside from Jordan, of course, is Melonie Diaz, playing Grant's girlfriend, Sophina. She too takes what is often a one-note love interest role and fully humanizes her. Sophina is neither a passive sex-object nor a shrill whiner. Instead she is a person who has had her own desires, her own strengths and weaknesses and who behaves realistically in regards to the events unfolding around her.

Perhaps Fruitvale Station is more of an important film than a great one. Like I said, outside of the performances Fruitvale can be a bit meandering and perhaps tries too hard to make its main character undoubtedly likable, but those are small criticisms when a film has as strong an impact on you as Fruitvale Station almost certainly will. I simply was too affected by it to say anything other than that it achieved what it set out to, and that it is a film that many more people should watch, and that should be talked about. A-

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Review

Directed by Francis Lawrence

Written by Simon Beaufoy and Michael DeBruyn

Based on the novel by Suzanne Collins

There's always one question to ask when a sequel to a high profile film is released: How does it compare to the original. In the case of Catching Fire, it proves to be a rare case where the sequel is actually stronger than the original. The credit for this goes to director Francis Lawrence, who shows a surer hand and a better feel for pacing than Gary Ross did. Unfortunately, this film went in with issues from the book that it simply was unable to correct, and which hold the film back. 

The first two acts of the film are incredibly strong. Where the first film kept the focus squarely on the games, this film is at its best when depicting the political unrest that permeates the world. The tone of the film is perfect in these parts, and Francis Lawrence keeps the tension up, as we realize that the world is a powder keg ready to go off. This is aided greatly by the film's gorgeous cinematography, miles better than the shaky-cam plague that the first film had.

The performances are better for the most part as well. Unfortunately Katniss is a less dynamic character this time around, which is a shame as it doesn't allow Jennifer Lawrence much room to really show her talents. She is still a great actress, though, and performs very strongly in the film, making the most of whatever she is given. What's truly been improved this time out is the supporting cast. Harrelson and Banks are markedly improved this time around, as is Hutcherson, who proves to be the heart of the film. Donald Sutherland and Philip Seymour Hoffman are perfectly intimidating villains, and truly help keep the stakes high on the film. Even the past victors are strong, at least those who are given characterization. Sam Claflin may seem like a piece of art direction rather than casting at first glance, but when given a chance to portray more of Finnick's subtextual personality he lives up to the challenge, but in the end it is Jena Malone who truly steals the movie. She doesn't have a ton of screen time, but she makes the most of every second, truly having fun with the role and developing her character well.

In the end, the film falls short when getting to the climax. Though I relished the opportunity for Francis Lawrence to improve upon the missed opportunity that the first film's games were, the emphasis on environmental factors over personal combat lessened the tension of the film, as well as the fact that going back to the games inevitably feels redundant. Another major issue is the PG-13ification of the story. I understood that they had to play it very safe in the first film, as it was children who were being killed, but this time the targets are older, and I can't help but feel like they could have gotten away with more. It's just tough to really feel the stakes of a fight to the death if all of the deaths happen conveniently offscreen.

In the end, this is a strong film that unfortunately had some issues going into it that couldn't have been fixed, not the least of which being its weak ending. However, as a part 2, this film could have been a lot worse, and indeed does improve the story and deliver some great tension, now if only they can continue the upward streak for the two parts of Mockingjay (The two parter being a terrible idea) then they may be able to make something truly great. B+

Only God Forgives Review

Written and Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn's previous directorial effort, was my favorite film of 2011, so I was understandably intrigued to see Only God Forgives, which looked like an altogether artsier, more unique film. I was excited by the prospect of a filmmaker who would stick so close to his vision and I wanted to see what he would do and was willing to take risks for the sake of his art. What I came to realize in watching Only God Forgives was that it is in the nature of risks that sometimes they don't pay off.

One cannot criticize this film for a lack of passion. Winding Refn clearly cares a lot about the world he is creating. The film is the farthest thing from lazy, closer to having too much effort put in. While that doesn't seem like it can be a bad thing, it really does constrict the film and prevent it from being able to breathe. Refn's style fills every frame, every cut, every moment, but it's too much, it sinks the film, and doesn't really let the film flow naturally. It is loved, but it is forced.

That is not to say it is all bad, though. Truly the cinematography is quite gorgeous, the film feeling like a fever dream at times. This is fascinating enough, but it makes it very hard to have a stake in the proceedings. Artsiness and experimental methods are fine in a film, but when the film becomes about the artsiness and uniqueness, then it ceases to truly function as a movie, and instead becomes an hour and a half of self-indulgence.

Many people in negative reviews have pointed out the fact that Gosling's protagonist has fewer than 20 lines in the film. In truth, this is not a negative at all. Gosling is such a strong actor that he sells these quiet moments, proving that he really doesn't need dialogue, when in fact his dialogue scenes fall shorter than his silent ones. 

The rest of the performances are non-entities. Since this film is so completely about Refn's style, only Gosling and Kristen Scott-Thomas, playing his mother, actually stand out as even having performances. This is a benefit in Gosling's case, and a detriment in Thomas'. She is given the lion's share of the dialogue, and most of it terrible. Her one character trait is that she is a bad mother, and the movie does everything it can to force you to realize this. It is unfortunate, but becomes laughable at a point, as the movie keeps trying to convince you of something you figured out in mere moments.

I do understand what the movie was trying to achieve, and I respect it. There are some truly powerful images and strong scenes. However, the film gets too caught up in itself to really capitalize on these scenes. Though there is a message, one would be forgiven to see it as simply an experimental film, an exercise in seeing how much dark, disturbing content can be squeezed into such a short running time. 

This film is so unique that I would not fault anybody for liking it. Though I found it to be trying too hard, I am nonetheless still interested in Winding Refn's future work, as I truly do respect directors who will stick to their visions and refuse to play it safe, even if that means occasionally making a bad film. 

Grade: C-

Boardwalk Empire Season 4 review

Creator and Showrunner: Terrence Winter

(Spoilers for seasons 1-3 below)

In its fourth season, Boardwalk Empire changed up its formula, to some degrees for the better, and to some for the worse. This has been a show that has dealt with some very slow mid-sections, but always managed to make up for it by bringing things together for an exciting final few episodes each season. This year, the writers decided to spread the wealth a bit more. What this means is that we had a few mid season episodes with some very exciting moments, while the final stretch felt a little lower in stakes. 

The main plot of the season did not even revolve around central figure Nucky Thompson, played by Steve Buscemi. The central story revolved around Nucky's associate Chalky White (Michael K. Williams) who was brought into conflict with intelligent, controlled businessman and "Libyan" community leader Valentin Narcisse. Jeffrey Wright joined the cast as Narcisse, taking him in the opposite direction of last year's villain Gyp Rosetti. Wright kept Narcisse in control. He is a man who gains power by making alliances for whom him being in power would serve their best interests. This is an interesting and intimidating character, thanks in no small part to Wright's performance. (If Bobby Cannavale won an Emmy for playing Rosetti, then Jeffrey Wright should at least be looking at a nomination.)

However, aside from Narcisse, this year's storylines were all over the map, and for the most part never really came together. Margaret Schroder, an interesting if misutilized character, was barely a presence this season, which had very few strong women. Plotlines like Eli's son at college were uninteresting, while Gillian Darmody's relationship with mysterious Roy Phillips felt simply unimportant. Unfortunately, these plots never truly became interesting or important to the main plot of the season, and as such lead to a year which feels messier.

The biggest issue, however, is in the realm of characters. This season's new characters were largely very interesting and complex as we watched them develop. The unfortunate flipside of this is that the returning characters were far less interesting. Nucky Thompson has never been an interesting character, fitting the bill for a traditional anti-hero. His conflict with his brother Eli, as well, feels much like a repeat of season 2. The only characters who escape this are Chalky White and Richard Harrow, who are both given full and strong arcs this season that take their characters to interesting places.

****Spoilers for Season 4. Highlight to reveal if you're caught up****

And then the finale happened. Game of Thrones is my favorite show, so I clearly have no problem with likable or interesting characters dying, but Thrones has a full roster of interesting characters to fall back on if one or three are killed, Boardwalk doesn't. If one of the more interesting characters is killed, that leaves a drastic effect on how much I care to see what happens next season. Harrow's death was pathetic. The man who single-handedly saved the day in season 3 suddenly screws up, accidentally killing Chalky's daughter and getting shot so he can limp away and bleed out under the Boardwalk. Nucky's freaking bodyguard got an entire episode to descend into ratting on Nucky and committing suicide in shame. I simply do not buy Richard messing this up, and such have a bad taste in my mouth over the ignoble end of one of the few characters who I was truly invested in. 

All in all, this season was a notable drop in quality, possibly being the weakest season of the show. It didn't move as slowly, but felt far less substantial and interesting, in no small part due to the interesting characters being killed off while the more standard characters seem to be nearly immortal. The visuals and directing are just as strong as always, but unfortunately the story simply isn't as interesting as it used to be. I am truly unsure if I will return for season 5. 

Season grade: B

Best Episode: The Old Ship of Zion (episode 8)

A very exciting episode which sees the plotline with Agent Knox step up a notch, as well as a focus on the stronger plotlines of the season, while leaving the less interesting ones on the side. The story of Chalky and Narcisse notably takes main focus here, culminating in a wonderfully tense and brilliantly directed scene which truly made me reel back due to the graphic nature of the violence on display. A powerful episode that unfortunately marked the season's peak rather than the ascent to brilliance it deserved.

Honorable mentions: Marriage and Hunting (episode 9) Erlkonig (episode 5)

Weakest episode: William Wilson (episode 7)

One episode until things really took off, Wilson was the pure definition of a setup episode. Nothing really bad about it, just nothing really notable took place here either. 

Dishonorable mentions: The North Star (Episode 6) Resignation (episode 2

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Review

Directed by Ben Stiller

Written by Steven Conrad

I feel as though I should start out my film by stating that I am a bit biased towards liking it. I actually spent two months working as a PA on this film. However, I spent little enough time on set that I truly didn't recognize most of the film and as such this did not have as great an impact on my opinions as one might expect, so I believe I have written this review to the best of my unbiased abilities.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a quintessential holiday film. It's entertaining, safe, and hopeful. I've read several reviews which have held this all against the film. The movie doesn't exactly take very many risks, nor do anything incredibly new. What these negative reviews do not take into account, however, is that The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is still a very well made, fun, and truly emotionally effective film.

The movie tells the story of Walter Mitty, played by Ben Stiller, an average guy who only experiences excitement through his many daydreams. He even sets up an eHarmony account so that he can avoid the awkwardness of trying to talk to women in real life. However, the story inevitably takes him on an actual adventure.

The screenplay of this film is very strong, with some truly funny moments, as well as some that will bring a smile to the face of everyone in the audience willing to allow it to. There are also some themes about the current job market, as Walter's place of work is being greatly downsized. This plotline is not quite as effective as the others, but it serves to connect this film to the problems of this day and age.

This film is a far cry from Stiller's previous directorial efforts, most notably in its rating. The PG rating of this film means that crude humor is largely missing from this film, and as such the movie takes a more dramatic approach to the story anyway, rather than becoming a full comedy, although the elements are still there. It is also a much better looking film. Much of this is the scenery, but the film itself is simply shot much more artistically than most comedies or family films. The cinematography is truly beautiful, fitting for a film in which the plot is largely based around photography.

I have never been a huge fan of Stiller's acting, but he does a remarkable job with Walter Mitty here. He is somewhat of a pathetic character, but not unrealistically so. He is easy to connect to, as rather than a walking stereotype, he plays Walter as a man who wants life to turn out one way, but never has the guts to make it. We realize his potential as a person, and that makes us want him to succeed. The supporting cast is decent, but most of them aren't really given much material to work with. This doesn't take away from the film, however, it merely allows this to be Walter's story beginning to end. The exceptions are Patton Oswalt, who is almost entirely a merely vocal presence, yet he accounts for some of the biggest laughs of the film, and Sean Penn, who makes the most of his limited role.

All in all Walter Mitty will probably not give you anything incredibly new, but that really doesn't hold the film back. It's well made, inspiring and fun. Perhaps there are ways that it could have been better, but I felt so hopeful coming out of the film that I find it incredibly hard to criticize at all. I recommend this as a great family or date movie in the coming holiday season. A-

Summer Movies-Brief reviews

I saw many movies this summer, but only posted a few full reviews. While I will not be writing full reviews for all of those films, I will use this space to write short reviews detailing my general feelings on each and every film I saw this summer, in order of release. (I will not review Star Trek Into Darkness or The Great Gatsby here as I already reviewed both films in full.)

Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3 very nearly accomplishes the feat of topping the original. It only falls short of that film in a lack of "newness," as Robert Downey Jr.'s performance, the one trait on which these films' success is primarily based, does not have the same degree of surprise brilliance. It is no worse than in the other films, just not as evolved as one would hope. However, in all other regards, this is the best film of the series, the storyline is more original and surprising, the action more exciting, and the directing style more interesting. Iron Man 3 has successfully reinvigorated a franchise that was in danger of going stale. A-

Fast and Furious 6

First things first, Fast and Furious 6 is the first film of the franchise that I have seen. That said, I quite enjoyed the thrill ride. It's not a good film by any means, as the story is quite thin and the acting, Luke Evans and Dwane Johnson aside, is very bland. However, you don't see Fast and Furious for the acting, you see it for car crashes and exciting chases, and on that front Fast and Furious 6 delivers. Sure, the logic of the final action sequence will make your brain hurt if you think about it, but that doesn't change the fact that it's very imaginative and fun, if you're willing to make the sacrifice of intelligence. B

This is the End

This is the End is a very funny apocalypse comedy that achieves its humor largely through the mix of realism and fantasy. The actors all play exaggerated versions of themselves, creating a sense of self-parody that truly makes the film. Their roles seem to fit pretty well and the screenplay allows all of the leads some depth that adds a lot to this formula. The other great decision was to play the apocalypse straight, rather than making it silly. This serves to heighten the craziness of what is happening to the protagonists inside of James Franco's house while the world blows up outside. The sole downfall of the film is its reliance on sight gags that are more gross than funny, but that cannot take away from the creativity and intelligence involved in the writing and acting of this film. B+

Man of Steel

Man of Steel follows an interesting story, however it is one that is undone by the smaller details in the script. The dialogue and individual story beats unfortunately fail to find a satisfactory mix between the smaller moments of character development and the large scale action the film is going for. The flashbacks to Clark's upbringing are strong and tell a great story, but the action, while visually appealing, winds up feeling over the top, with an uncomfortable amount of destruction being caused, much of it by Superman himself. Although the film couldn't really decide what kind of movie it wanted to be, at least it is entertaining, which is more than Superman Returns, the character's last film, can claim. B-

Monsters University

When I first heard of this film, I was tempted to write it off as a lame, forced cash in sequel, with only the Pixar name keeping me from going that way. I am very glad that Pixar delivered, as Monsters University proves to be just as funny and heartfelt as Monsters Inc. was. The new cast of strong characters makes up for the disappearance of some beloved characters from the first film, and the storyline is quite strong, if containing a message that could be somewhat questionable. Overall a great animated film, even if it feels a little smaller than its predecessor. A-

World War Z

World War Z entirely ditches the story and concepts of the novel on which it is based. This proves to be a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing as it allows us to have a single main character to which the audience may become attached. The downside is that the zombie threat feels very over the top and generic, its creature design uninteresting and, at times, silly. It doesn't help that the film has a few edits made clearly to avoid getting an R-rating. The third act of the film is strong, but the first two are bland and generic, saved only by the strong performances. B

The Way, Way Back

Coming of age stories are a dime a dozen these days. The Way Way Back manages to successfully stand out from the crowd, though, thanks to its performances and screenplay. The film feels more real than others of the genre, thanks to its flawed, fleshed out characters that don't feel like archetypes. The performances across the board are excellent, with Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell proving to be standouts. Carell especially plays against type quite brilliantly. The mix of comedy and drama feels very genuine, helping this film to achieve a sense of greatness. A-

Pacific Rim

This is possibly my favorite film of the summer. Not the best film, a title its thinly characterized leads and weak dialogue hold it back from, but it easily wins in the fun department. The film puts you right back in fifth grade, giddy about seeing giant robots fighting giant monsters. The real strength of the film is its scale, it truly makes you believe that a 300 foot tall robot is fighting a 5,000 ton monster. This adds something to the action, especially a sequence taking place in an urban setting. A film that knows the meaning of the word "fun" more than any other, Pacific Rim is a film I can wholeheartedly recommend to the kid in everyone. A-

The Conjuring

The Conjuring puts itself ahead of other horror films largely through its acting. The performers all commit fully to their roles and deliver strongly. Vera Farmiga especially gets inside the head of her character, creating a fascinating dynamic and great chemistry with Patrick Wilson, who plays her husband. The story is fairly standard supernatural horror stuff, made better through strong direction. The film takes a while to really get going, but James Wan has a lot of experience with the genre and manages to build suspense and tension throughout, creating a frightening and exciting second half. The film is especially strong in its subtlety. Giving the viewer only brief glimpses at the horror and letting imagination take the rest, avoiding the mistakes that the end of the first Insidious film made. B+

Elysium

Elysium unfortunately fails to live up to Neill Blomkamp's previous film District 9, which wouldn't be as big of a deal if it weren't so similar. Both are grounded Science-fiction films that mix action with social commentary. Elysium, however, falls short in the commentary department, as it is more heavy handed in its message, and thus more jarring in the moments when it suddenly ignores that for action. It's as though Neill Blomkamp the writer is most interested social commentary, while Neill Blomkamp the director is far more interested in blowing people up. The action is very exciting and entertaining, though, making it very successful on that front. B+

Lee Daniels' The Butler

Lee Daniels' The Butler tells a fascinating story, it's a shame that the filmmaking is not up to the standard to tell it. From the getgo there are many questionable decisions, not the least bit with the casting. Casting Mariah Carey as Cecil Gaines' mother is the first sign of this, and it continues right through to some of the strangest Presidential casting of all time. Many actors like Oprah Winfrey and James Marsden try their hardest, and turn in serviceable performances, while others like John Cusack and Robin Williams just reek of stunt casting. Forest Whitaker is the only performer who truly succeeds, due to his commitment to the character and natural subtle charisma. The weak dialogue doesn't help matters, making The Butler a very serviceable film if you're a history buff, but it's a story that deserved much better. C+

The World's End

Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are both multifaceted films whose excellence lies in their ability to function as a spoof of their genre AND as a good film in the genre being spoofed. The World's End's only disappointment is that it only covers one of those duties, functioning as a great sci-fi comedy without truly spoofing the genre. If you are aware of this going in, though, then you should enjoy it greatly. The World's End isn't as laugh-out-loud funny as Director Edgar Wright's previous efforts, but it's a much more mature film. The story deals with character arcs in a more unique way, brought to life brilliantly by Nick Frost and Simon Pegg, both delivering career best performances. The action is splendidly staged as well, even if the violence has a bit less oomph than in Edgar Wright's previous films. His high-energy directing style is back in full force though, creating an exciting and funny experience. A-

Insidious: Chapter 2 Review

2011's Insidious, Directed by James Wan, was a creepy film that found a way to be effectively scary through it's subtlety. It didn't telegraph its scares, so the audience was unprepared for them and were effectively frightened. It had mystery and strong performances and writing, with characters who behaved realistically.

Well, at least the first half was like that. The second half of the film changed things, bringing in a complicated mythology that, while not uninteresting, required large amounts of explanation and forced the film to lose the subtlety that had defined the first half, effectively limiting the amount of scares it could have. After The Conjuring came out this summer, and proved that Wan could make a simple horror film that was effectively scary and tense throughout, I had higher hopes for Insidious: Chapter 2. Boy was that a mistake.

After only a few scenes it became apparent that this film was not following the second half of Insidious, so much as digging itself deeper and deeper into that hole without daring to look back. This film attempts to expand the mythology of the first one, and fill in any holes, but all it ends up doing is creating more plot holes and confusion. It is nearly impossible to follow the plot of this film, as it lacks almost any logic, rather just throwing an assortment of gothic images and half baked supernatural ideas at the audience. It doesn't help that the performances are either entirely bland or laughably over-the-top. Patrick Wilson is especially bad, given a lot to work with and ruining almost every scene he's in, or he would if they weren't already ruined by lazy and uninteresting camera work and amateurish direction.

The biggest issue: it's not scary. The film tries for genuine scares and tension, but it seems like everybody involved forgot how to do that, since almost every one of these scenes winds up more effective at eliciting laughs rather than screams. The screening I was at was recorded for sound to use in marketing, but I can't imagine how effective that will be, as the theater was filled with laughter and snores, but nary a scream in earshot.

The reason for this is that there is no buildup to the scares. They just show up and, without the proper setup, feel like hearing the punchline before the joke, they make no sense and lose all intended effect. This is just as important to scares as it is to jokes. Think of the opening of Jaws. The buildup makes the scene as we are introduced slowly to the idea that something is in the water with the girl. We are with her as she struggles against this force, building our tension as we wait to see if she gets away. Now just imagine she's swimming and all of the sudden starts getting pulled around out of the blue. Not quite as scary is it? This is the effect that most of the scares in Insidious: Chapter 2 have. They are more funny than scary because we haven't been given a chance to feel involved in the world and the events, and played so over the top that we simply cannot buy it at all.

Is everything in the film bad? No. The attempts at intentional humor are actually very successful. This would be fine in a horror comedy, but Insidious: Chapter 2 takes itself to seriously to be considered that. Instead, these moments wind up too few and far between to even come close to saving the film, and just wind up highlighting how ineffective the rest of the film is.

I know by Insidious and The Conjuring that James Wan can make a good scary film, so I cannot believe that he truly put his all into this. It feels lazy, like nobody involved cared enough to make a good film, but rather just tried to get the film made for a paycheck. As sad as that is in and of itself, at least it means that I can still expect good things from Wan in the future... hopefully.
Grade: D

The Great Gatsby Review

Baz Luhrmann directing Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan in an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic The Great Gatsby should have been a perfect setup. It could have been a beautiful film that told a heartfelt love story while also functioning as a criticism of the extravagant lifestyle of the young and rich. Instead, we got a music video set in the 20s.

Fitzgerald's novel tells the story of Jay Gatsby from the point of view of his friend Nick Carroway. Gatsby is a self made rich man, who throws wild parties in the hopes of attracting the attention of the woman he loves, who is now married to another rich man.

The film tells the same story, although it would be understood if you did not realize this. Baz Luhrmann seems to have little to no interest in telling the story, instead using it as a framing device to get to his next party scene. These party sequences are colorful, energetic and an interesting blend of modern and retro. This style could be forgiven, if it weren't for the fact that it is kept for the entire film. Even some of the darker scenes that show up towards the end of the story are shot and edited as though they are a party, removing any and all emotional impact that could otherwise have been achieved.

In fact, the film itself is almost entirely devoid of emotion. There is one scene that depicts the reuniting of Gatsby and Daisy in which you can feel the love and the chemistry. This is because Luhrmann wisely tones his directing down and lets the actors perform against each other. Unfortunately, this only lasts a moment before Luhrmann is back to overdirecting every frame of the film.

The actors could do well with the material if they weren't constantly being overshadowed by the costumes and scenery. It is impossible to connect to the story when the characters aren't given a chance to develop. Baz Luhrmann does not seem to realize that the visuals are supposed to service and enhance the story, not the other way around.

So how are the technical and artistic aspects of the film? The sets and costumes are so over the top that they pass through "pretty" straight into "gaudy." The cinematography tries way to hard to be unique and winds up just never really fitting in. The editing is extremely impatient, unwilling to remain on almost any shot for more than a few seconds. And the overuse of CGI is absolutely atrocious.

The music deserves it's own special recognition though. Jay-Z is an executive producer on the film, which is the only possible reason I can think of for why the soundtrack is filled with his songs. There is no artistic reason that makes any sense, as the music does not fit the setting, story or tone in any way, shape or form. It truly is marvelous just how much it takes the audience out of the film. I simply fail to see how the idea of using this music even got off the drawing board, much less into the final product.

What is truly disappointing though is that Luhrmann completely misses the point of those party scenes he loves so much. In Fitzgerald's novel, they function as a critique of the materialism in rich society. He meant to point out the futility and dissatisfaction of this extravagant lifestyle. Baz Luhrmann seems to be inviting you to the party.
Grade: D+

Star Trek Into Darkness Review

Before seeing "Star Trek Into Darkness" I had seen three other films in the series: JJ Abrams 2009 reboot, and the first two films of the original film series. I cannot deny the charm that the originals had, so fact of the matter was that I preferred JJ Abrams version of the story, along with many others of the current generation, however there were many who felt that the once cerebral series had turned into just an action series. Well, the good news is that those who preferred the 2009 reboot will find quite a lot to enjoy in "Into Darkness" and those who had an issue with the last films action-centric nature will probably hate this film even more.

This film takes advantage of having already introduced the characters and the world, so it gets right into the action from the get-go, and once the action starts there are hardly any breaks until the film is over. It's exhausting in a very good way, as all of the action is well staged and exciting, and there is a real, strong sense of high stakes throughout the film.

The storyline in this film is much more streamlined than the last one. A former Starfleet operative named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) is waging a one man war against the very organization he used to belong to, and it is up to Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and the crew of the enterprise to find him and stop him. There are some cool twists to the tale and the focus on the character of Kirk is very interesting. Unfortunately, the immense forward momentum leads to a few plot holes and a thinner narrative that keep the script from being as strong as the previous outing.

The performances are just as good as they have been before, with Chris Pine especially stepping up his game. His Kirk is portrayed very realistically and well as a cocky man who is just starting to realize that he is not infallible. Zachary Quinto as well is great as Spock, given a little less to do than last time around, but making the most of it, and Simon Pegg's Scotty is a wonderful breath of lightness, serving as a source for a lot of this very dark film's humor. The rest of the enterprise crew isn't really given all that much to do. This is especially true for Carol Marcus, played by Alice Eve, whose sole purpose in the film is to look good, as exemplified by her completely unnecessary underwear scene.

However, the biggest way this film improves over the last one is in its villain. Benedict Cumberbatch's performance as John Harrison is realistic, yet incredibly intimidating. While his character, like Eric Bana's Nero, is a bit more of a physical threat than a mental one, it is escalated in the performance. Bana's performance as Nero was hammy and even pretty silly at times. Cumberbatch's John Harrison is very grounded, but with a constant sense of danger. Even when it seems like he's lost, you really feel like he can regain the upper hand at any moment. He is a true challenge for the heroes, and it is incredibly exciting to watch.

So in the end "Star Trek Into Darkness" is not quite as strong in the writing department as its previous outing. It's nonstop excitement and truly impressive villain, however, make it an even more entertaining spectacle, one that will easily please any sci-fi and action fans. It may be even more of a far cry from the original series than the 2009 film was, but it is truly one of the greatest adrenaline rushes of recent memory. A-

Most anticipated Summer Movies

Well it's that time again, summer movie season is here. Now I don't necessarily enjoy this season as much as I used to. Where I used to find fun, exciting spectacle now I seem to find empty and expensive fireworks. However, this summer looks to buck that trend, and as such I will be sharing the 5 movies of this summer that I am most anticipating, and a few I am not.

#5

Pacific Rim

Guillermo del Toro hasn't made a movie in quite a while, and I'm glad that this summer is when we get another one, and it looks like it's one that let him go as far as he wanted. The movie is about people in gigantic mech suits fighting huge Lovecraftian monsters. How awesome is that!! It's a testament to how good this summer is looking that this movie is so low.

#4

Elysium

Two words can describe why Elysium is this high: Neill Blomkamp. The director of the brilliant District 9's sophomore effort looks to have that same mix of pulpy fun and legitimate social commentary. If he pulls it off again, then this could wind up being one of the best movies of the year, although admittedly this film seems to share enough similarities with District 9 that it needs to be almost as great as that film or it'll likely be considered a disappointment.

#3

Man of Steel

This film has had some of the greatest trailers I've ever seen. Seriously go watch them if you haven't. It looks like it's finding the right mix of action and character drama, something that the Superman series has never quite gotten right. While this film is not at the top of my list, its placement is a huge statement, as I am simply not a fan of superman. Add onto that the fact that Zach Snyder is not the most consistent of directors. However, the film seems to be perfectly treading the line between the fun of Marvel's films and the more serious nature of the Dark Knight trilogy, and that's a mix I am very interested in seeing. 

#2

Star Trek Into Darkness

Well I can vouch for this one's quality as I've seen the first 10 minutes of the film, and it is just as good as its predecessor. The first film wasView blog a breath of fresh air for the sci-fi genre, and simply one of the best summer blockbusters in recent years. Star Trek Into Darkness seems to be continuing that, and having Benedict Cumberbatch as the villain will certainly help, as he is a brilliant actor who is starting to achieve deserved acclaim. All in all a very safe bet, but the only thing more exciting than a safe bet is...

#1

Only God Forgives

...A wonderful mystery. I know very little about this movie except that it's the reunion of the star and director of Drive, my favorite movie of the past few years. Now I haven't seen any of the director's other films, but that doesn't quell my excitement one bit. The trailer seems stylish and gritty, and gosling seems as cool as he ever was. I only hope it isn't too similar to Drive, as I like for each movie to be its own thing. However, I am very excited for this film and if it's half as cool as Drive, then it'll blow everything else out of the water. 

2013 film reviews

It has occurred to me that I've fallen a bit behind on my reviews. To make up for that, I've decided to review the five films of 2013 that I have seen so far (plus one of 2012 that nobody saw). These reviews will be brief, but hopefully give you a sense of whether or not to check the films out.

MAMA

I'm not a fan of horror films, but I must say that Mama pleasantly surprised me. This is largely due to its strong performances and writing, with a story that's actually well told and worth telling. And yes, it is scary. Although the scariness does subside in the third act, the script makes up for it by telling a satisfactory conclusion, and fulfilling itself as a good movie in general. However, it may not be scary enough for some true horror fans, and the CGI effects, which become quite prominent, are unfortunately just not good, distracting somewhat from what would otherwise be some great sequences. Still, its focus on story and characters over scares and gore is something that is actually quite admirable.
Grade: B

THE LAST STAND

The Last Stand, Arnold Schwarzenegger's return to the leading role in an action film, is by all objective accounts a very bad movie. The story is nonsensical, the dialogue is mind-numbingly bad, and all of the performances outside of Schwarzenegger (whose mere presence elevates the film) and Knoxville (who surprisingly fulfills his comic relief duties well) are either mind numbingly uninteresting, or annoyingly over the top. Still, the primary action sequence in the film, which takes way too long to get to, is at least well staged and entertainingly over the top. However, this one sequence is quickly undone. It's not boring, but there's very little, outside the action and Schwarzenegger himself, that's good.

Grade: C

WARM BODIES

I had very low hopes for this movie, but it really outdid my expectations. It's likable characters and funny script won me over, and helped me to ignore the fact that it ignores almost every rule of the zombie genre. Once you accept that, it's easy to simply sit back and enjoy the films quirky story and clever dialogue. There are still some frustrating moments, the zombie dialogue is meant to sound like it's a struggle for them to form words, but ends up sounding more like they just have sore throats. However, it's still a fun little film that you'll chuckle about, but won't really stay on your mind for very long. 

Grade: B

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

The Place Beyond the Pines is a film with several flaws, but one which, when taken as a whole, is able to easily overcome these flaws. It's a very unique film with a story structure that is jarring, although in retrospect really works well for the story. The performances are mostly outstanding, Gosling and Cooper especially, although there are a few performances that are noticeably weaker. As well, it is a film that is perhaps slightly longer than it needs to be, as there are some moments that feel unnecessary and draggy. Even still, this is a wonderful film that will stay with you for a while, despite its flaws.

Grade: A-

UPSIDE DOWN

If there's one thing I respect in this film it's the world building. The world it creates, nonsensical as it is, is very cool, and the great visuals add to this, with some shots that are beautiful and truly take advantage of the concept. Of course, the ambitious concept creates many plot and logic errors. Most of these are pretty simple and understandable, but there are a few that are so stupid that it distracts you just trying to comprehend how somebody could come up with something THAT dumb. Still, it's admirable that this film was made on as low a budget as it was, just go in expecting some cute moments, and some really dumb moments.

Grade: B-

JOHN DIES AT THE END

John Dies at the End is a weird movie, but in a lot of ways its just not weird enough. The first two acts of the film, when you don't understand anything that's going on is the best, as that is when the movie really gets to play with your mind. However, it's almost disappointing when things start to become cohesive. It's still wonderfully weird, mind you, but it makes some kind of sense, too. However, the film is only based off of the first third of the book of the same name, and it shows. The film really does feel like its not a full story. The true revelations, though, are the two leads, Chase Williamson and Rob Mayes, whose David and John are so fully developed, and full of brilliant and realistic reactions to the weirdness going on around them. While the film maybe doesn't live up to its potential, these two keep your eyes to the screen, and keep you actually invested in the events of the film.

Grade: B

Academy Awards Predictions and Analysis

Well, the Oscars are this weekend and so I'm going to help all of you with your Oscar pools. I'll be analyzing each race with my own predictions, but if you disagree, I'll tell you which other contenders have a decent shot. These aren't guarantees, though, as the Oscars are usually pretty predictable, but this year has been anything but, so who knows what could really happen.

BEST PICTURE

This category has been in flux ever since the nominees were announced. It seemed like Argo, Les Miserables and Zero Dark Thirty were down for the count, with Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook and Life of Pi fighting for the top spot. Then, something happened. Argo's support seemed to come out of nowhere and it took the frontrunner position and it hasn't looked back. Now, a film with Argo's level of support losing isn't unheard of (Apollo 13 similarly won most of the major precursors, but missed the director nomination and the Best Picture win) but it's lead is strong enough that betting against it would be silly. However, if Argo becoming the fourth film to win Picture without a director nomination doesn't seem right, then Lincoln is likely your best bet. It's an important and topical film from a well respected director, and it got the most nominations. Many have bet on Silver Linings as well, and its four acting nominations, as well as it's editing nom (it's not the type of film to be nominated there) seem to point to such an outcome, but the loss of the SAG award, which it seems tailor made for, is a big hit to it's chances. Still, the acting branch is the largest branch of the Academy, so watch out. 

Will win: Argo

Could win: Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook

BEST DIRECTOR

The category where everything changed, the result of most of the surprises nomination morning, and one of the more undecided categories for this weekend's results, if only because the directors who have won the most precursors were not nominated. My bets would go to Spielberg, since his film seems like the runner up for Best Picture, and thus the frontrunner if you were to remove Argo. However, Spielberg's won twice before, so the directors may decide to go with somebody different. This would be good news for Ang Lee, whose film Life of Pi, is very visual and "directing-based", except for the fact that Lee has won more recently than Spielberg (14 years since Spielberg's last win, 7 since Lee's only). That puts David O. Russell in a spot to overtake Spielberg, though he is at the disadvantage of having a film that is seen as more acting-based than direction-based. I won't bet against Spielberg right now, but he is very far from a lock.

Will win: Steven Spielberg-Lincoln

Could win: Ang Lee-Life of Pi, David O. Russell-Silver Linings Playbook

BEST ACTOR

Don't worry, I won't be as long winded here. Daniel Day Lewis will win here. He has an unbeatable mix of a truly mesmerizing performance as well as weak competition. None of the other actors seem like winners, even in a weaker year, and thus, Day Lewis has virtually no shot at losing.

Will win: Daniel Day Lewis-Lincoln

BEST ACTRESS

Jessica Chastain was looking like a frontrunner in this category. Then, controversy struck for Zero Dark Thirty, and its hopes in the major categories were dashed. Chastain can't be counted out completely, but she is no longer the frontrunner, nor even the runner up. Jennifer Lawrence regained frontrunner status with an entertaining and emotional performance in Silver Linings Playbook. Oscars also like their leading ladies young, which is in her favor, and most definitely not in Emmanuelle Riva's. However, Riva's win at the BAFTAs showed that she's not stepping down from this fight, despite her age, and as Marion Cotillard showed five years ago, this category is kind to foreign performances, if they are extroardinary, like Riva's was. Still, it's firmly Lawrence's to lose.

Will win: Jennifer Lawrence-Silver Linings Playbook

Could win: Emmanuelle Riva-Amour, Jessica Chastain-Zero Dark Thirty

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

One of the most up in the air categories this year. Three men are fighting for frontrunner status, though none taking a firm lead over the others. Christoph Waltz has won the most major precursors, though they were some of the less reliable ones. Tommy Lee Jones won the SAG award, though for somebody who should be the frontrunner on paper, he's shown quite a bit of weakness. Finally, Robert De Niro could take this award for a film that has a lot of support and his great role in it, but he hasn't really won anything else yet. I'll bet on Jones, as it's really the best role out of the three, but it could very easily be any of these three men.

Will win: Tommy Lee Jones-Lincoln

Could win: Robert de Niro-Silver Linings Playbook, Christoph Waltz-Django Unchained

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Anne Hathaway wins. This was a done deal many many months ago.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

This category seems tough. Zero Dark Thirty seemed locked up until the nominations, which showed that the Academy was not as much of a fan of the film as was assumed. Thus, it seems like Tarantino will get revenge for Boal's Hurt Locker script beating Tarantino's Basterds script three years ago. I am not convinced, though. Tarantino is well respected, but Django Unchained is not the film Inglorious Basterds was, and with it's violent and pulpy story, it is very decidedly not an "Oscary" film. It could still definitely win, Tarantino is very well liked, especially as a writer, but I'm putting my bet on Amour. The film is brilliant, touching and quite a surprising experience. This category has been kind to foreign films in the past, and I think that will show again this year.

Will win: Amour

Could win: Django Unchained, Zero Dark Thirty

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

By all accounts this should go to Lincoln. The film is so based around its screenplay and dialogue that it should have no problem taking this. However, this is a category that usually goes to the Best Picture winner, if applicable, which is why I'm going with Argo. Its story is much more straightforward, but it does a respectable job with it, and will likely take this award as a sign of support. Watch out for Silver Linings, though, which could swoop in and take advantage of a vote split between Lincoln and Argo.

Will win: Argo

Could win: Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

This is one of the tougher categories to guess, despite the fact that it's really narrowed down to two films. Life of Pi seems like a sure winner on paper, a culturally infused score (they love that) in a more fantastical and "pretty" film. However, John Williams did the score for Lincoln. He only scores Spielberg films anymore, and he hasn't won in 19 years. Now in technical categories they do not list the names of the nominees, but everybody knows John Williams, and I think he'll take it this year, though be warned, Life of Pi is probably the safer bet. Argo could take this in a sweep, but it's score is rather unexceptional, so I wouldn't bet on it.

Will win: Lincoln

Could win: Life of Pi, Argo

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Yeah, Adele's gonna get an Oscar. Skyfall seems like quite a sure thing, doesn't it. Now its only chance of losing is if the academy doesn't feel like giving an Oscar to a Bond film, which, since Skyfall has gotten much broader love than Bond films usually do, doesn't seem very likely. This is a fairly unpredictable category so anything can happen, but betting against Adele at this point doesn't seem like a smart move.

Will win: Skyfall

Could win: Suddenly-Les Miserables, Everybody Needs a Best Friend-Ted

BEST EDITING

Well this is nearly a lock. Zero Dark Thirty would be the frontrunner, if it had a little more support. Argo, however, is a thriller and a Best Picture frontrunner, a nearly unbeatable combo. It'd be a huge shock if Argo lost this, even if it doesn't win Best Picture.

Will win: Argo

Could win: Zero Dark Thirty

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Skyfall is beautiful, and the DP work is done by the very overdue Roger Deakins who, after 10 nominations, has not won. However, the names of the DPs are not given, so many members will not know that. Thus Life of Pi, a gorgeous film almost entirely made by its visuals, will easily win this category.

Will win: Life of Pi

Could win: Skyfall

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Another category that seems to be totally up in the air, save for the Hobbit which, despite its great design, doesn't really have a shot here. Les Miserables seems like the right kind of film in theory, but in actuality the sets weren't as colorful as is usually needed to win here. Lincoln and Life of Pi could each take this category in a sweep, but I'm betting on Anna Karenina to take this category. From what I've heard, it's production design is beautiful and showy, two things that go a long way in this category.

Will win: Anna Karenina
Could win: Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Anna Karenina's going to win here. This category almost always goes to a somewhat feminine period piece with a lot of pretty dresses. Anna Karenina has those, it's nearly unbeatable.

Will win: Anna Karenina

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Another category that often throws curveballs, there's nothing to truly count out. Hitchcock has some good period and character makeup, but it's likely not prominent enough to win here. Les Miserables could be a spoiler, especially with the addition of "hairstyling" to the category name, but this is a category that tends to prefer prosthetic effects. Hence I believe The Hobbit will likely win. It creates a plethora of dwarves and orcs, and will likely take this category just as its predecessors did.

Will win: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Could win: Les Miserables, Hitchcock

BEST SOUND MIXING
Musicals almost always win this category, as long as they're well enough received. Les Miserables is so it should win, unless Life of Pi pulls off a Hugo-like tech sweep or they decide to go with the Best Picture winner, an even less likely scenario.

Will win: Les Miserables
Could win: Life of Pi, Argo

BEST SOUND EDITING
Django is the only one that really can't win here. Life of Pi could pull off a win here as part of a tech sweep, or Argo could take it on its way to Best Picture. Zero Dark Thirty could also win like The Hurt Locker did. However, this category is often the action film category, where any well received action film can easily take this. I'm betting on Skyfall to go the way of Inception, The Dark Knight and The Bourne Ultimatum and take this category.

Will win: Skyfall
Could win: Zero Dark Thirty, Life of Pi, Argo

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
If a Best Picture nominee is nominated here it almost never loses. They also love giving the category to CGI animals. Both of those factors seem to be going for Life of Pi, almost definitely the winner here. That is unless voters give their vote to The Hobbit out of habit.

Will win: Life of Pi
Could win: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Animated films have been strange this year, with Brave being a Pixar film that felt like a Disney movie, and Wreck it Ralph being a Disney film that felt like a Pixar film. Wreck it Ralph didn't run into nearly the same amount of criticism as Brave did, seeming to point to a victory for it here, but the Academy is more made of older men, and I just don't buy that they would vote for a movie about video games. Watch out for Brave and Wreck it Ralph to split, though, and give it to Frankenweenie.

Will win: Brave
Could win: Wreck it Ralph, Frankenweenie

BEST FOREIGN FILM
This category has been home to some upsets in the past, but if the Best Director nomination for Haneke is any indication, the love of Amour is too much for it to have a chance at losing.

Will win: Amour

BEST DOCUMENTARY
I don't know much about this category, and it's also one that you can never truly count anything out. However, consensus is that Searching for Sugar Man will take this category, and who am I to deny it. Although I did see some interesting award wins for How to Survive a Plague this season.

Will win: Searching for Sugar Man
Could win: How to Survive a Plague

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
I don't really know that much about any of these. Curfew seems like the frontrunner, but really this could go any way

Will win: Curfew
Could win: Death of a Shadow, Buzkashi Boys, Asad, Henry

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Here is the only short category with a true frontrunner. Paperman has gained a lot of popularity, and it's a cute little film. It should win, but again this category is home to many surprises.

Will win: Paperman
Could win: Adam and Dog, Head Over Heels, Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare, Fresh Guacamole

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Ugh, I'm literally just randomly guessing here based.

Will win: Open Heart
Could win: Inocente, Mondays at Racine, King's Point, Redemption

The top 10 movies of the year

Well, you all already know what my favorite film of the year is, and what my top 5 are, but here I'll be giving a top 10, in order, with explanations for each. This was a great year, with no film getting below a C- from me. The blockbusters were fun, the dramas were effective, and despite the summer being relatively weak, the fall season was outstanding. So here they are, the best movies of the year.

10. Django Unchained

Django is a film that I have a significant issue with, in regards to how Tarantino chose to end the film. However, since everything up to and including one of the all time great shootouts was so perfect, I had to put it on the list. Featuring great dialogue, an intriguing story, and scene stealing turns from Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson (Jamie Foxx and Leonardo Dicaprio were really good too) Django is a near masterpiece that could have removed the "near" part with a little more script editing.

9. Moonrise Kingdom

This is a cute and fun film that deftly manages to defy expectations. It's sweet, but never sappy, quirky, but never unaccessible. The cast all turns in great performances and the visual style suits the film perfectly. It is easily one of Wes Anderson's all time best films.

8. Skyfall

It's telling how great this year was that Casino Royale was my second favorite film of its year, where the superior Skyfall sits at number eight. Skyfall is the best looking Bond film and, in my opinion, the most narratively interesting. It steps back into the Bond realm, after it looked like it was going to follow the Bourne style, and gave us a film that mixed the best of classic Bond with the best of the new era, to make what is, in my opinion, the all time greatest Bond film.

7. The Cabin in the Woods

Here's a film that's all in the writing. The Cabin in the Woods has one of the most satisfying screenplays of all time, successfully paying homage to and spoofing horror tropes, while also managing to twist them on their head. The result is a film that, while more funny than scary, provides ample amounts of both, and features a truly brilliant third act that has to be seen to be believed. And please, see this movie without learning anything about it. You'll be glad you did.

6. The Grey

No, this movie is not Liam Neeson punching wolves, it is something much, much better. It is a film about survival, about making it past conflicts both internal and external. This is a film that puts a small group of survivors in a dangerous situation and does something that this type of film usually never accomplishes: it makes us care about the characters. A beautiful, touching film with a final scene that is one of the best of the year.

5. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Maybe I'm biased, since The Lord of the Rings is my favorite movie of all time (yes, i do count them as one movie. They are too similar in style and quality for me not to.) The Hobbit still managed to be a totally satisfying and engrossing experience for me, though. It may not reach the same levels as the other trilogy, but it keeps all of the right things from The Lord of the Rings, while still changing things up enough to feel like its own film. I cannot wait for The Desolation of Smaug.

4. Zero Dark Thirty

 This film deserves to be here for the final sequence alone. However, the rest of the film is brilliant as well. It is one of the quickest 2 hours and 40 minutes I have ever spent, and proves to be a completely engrossing experience that has you on the edge of your seat even though you know how it ends.

3. Cloud Atlas

The most ambitious movie of the year is also one of the best. Combining six different stories, all taking place in different time periods and settings, Cloud Atlas still manages to feel cohesive and create an emotional effect for all six storylines. Not everybody will love it, but even if you don't you have to respect all of the hard work and ambition that went into making this film happen. It's just a shame more people didn't see it.

2. Lincoln

Of course Steven Spielberg would create a masterpiece with Lincoln. Featuring the best cast of the year, and directed by a surprisingly understated Spielberg, Lincoln manages to effectively give the audience a portrait of arguably our greatest President, while showing us only a small, but important, portion of his life. This focus manages to be the film's greatest strength, as the tangible goal sets it apart from most biopics. And of course Daniel Day Lewis gives another ground-breakingly brilliant performance. Did anybody really expect otherwise.

1. Beasts of the Southern Wild

Anybody who saw my Spearie award winners already knows this was my favorite movie of the year. they may not know how close the top 3 films were, or that I kept going back and forth in the week between my nominations and the winners announcement. However, I found that Beasts of the Southern Wild was the film that I had the strongest emotional connection to. I felt like I knew the characters and I really felt like I was in their world. An emotional, beautiful, unique film that I'm glad to see is getting some of the love and attention that it so truly deserves.

Spearie Award Winners 2012

Here they are, the winners of the Spearie Awards for the best films of 2012. I am listing the winners below, with a short blurb about them. I will be presenting these awards in the order they were presented at the Oscars this past year, with my extra categories placed by a random number generator (yes, really). So without further ado, here we go.

List of Nominees

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Skyfall

Other Nominees:

Beasts of the Southern Wild

The Grey

Life of Pi

Lincoln

Of course Roger Deakins would make Skyfall the best looking Bond film of all time. The camera work is astoundingly beautiful, making the entire film seem just that much classier. This helps set Skyfall apart from the grunge and grit that seems to be the name of the action game nowadays, showing that James Bond films are different. Clearer. More beautiful. More deadly.

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Cloud Atlas

Other Nominees:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Lincoln

Moonrise Kingdom

Prometheus

Cloud Atlas tells six stories, successfully interweaving six different worlds, all with their own visual style. Ranging from an 1840s ship, to an abandoned research station in the far future, the film's production design creates six different worlds that are distinct, but at the same time cohesive, calling forth the entire theme of the film. 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Django Unchained

Other Nominees:

Cloud Atlas

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Lincoln

Snow White and the Huntsman

The costumes in Django are very telling and brilliant, and they play an important part to the story at times. They are so perfectly suited to the characters and actually help to tell the story in a way few other films can achieve. One look at Calvin Candie's wardrobe, for instance, and you can immediately tell what kind of character he is. I have to give it the win just for how the costumes play such a large role, rather than just eye candy.

BEST ACTION SEQUENCE

Zero Dark Thirty-Bin Laden Compound Raid

Other Nominees: 

Django Unchained-Candieland Shootout 

Dredd-Dredd vs. the Judges

 The Hobbit: an Unexpected Journey-Goblintown escape

 Skyfall-Glass Building fight

All of the other sequences nominated were very exciting, but the final sequence of Zero Dark Thirty tops them all in one important facet: Realism. Despite the low body count of the sequence and the relatively slower pace, it is nail bitingly suspenseful and keeps you on the edge of your seat, despite the fact that you already know how it goes. If there is a downside to the sequence it is that the rest of the film cannot compete with this level of mastery.

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

Cloud Atlas

Other Nominees:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Lincoln

Looper 

Snow White and the Huntsman

The photograph above shows one actor as four different characters. Cloud Atlas tells six different stories, using all the same actors. As such, makeup plays such an integral role in the film, as it is used to transform each actor into several different characters, different races (which admittedly doesn't always work perfectly) and even different genders (which works surprisingly well). It's not perfect, but it very successfully achieves what the filmmakers were going for, and easily deserves this award.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Lena Headey-Dredd

Other Nominees:

Amy Adams-The Master

Doona Bae-Cloud Atlas

Judi Dench-Skyfall

Sally Field-Lincoln

Once I post my awards, I don't like to change them. Opinions naturally change, but I try to recognize that and keep a certain conviction. However, when I realized I had forgotten to nominate Lena Headey for playing the villainous Ma-ma in Dredd, I had no choice but to put her in. Headey's performance is so brilliant that you know not to mess with her from the first moment she appears on screen, and she keeps that terrifying presence throughout the film, creating a believably ruthless and intimidating villain for Karl Urban's Dredd to face. In the end, this category was no contest.

BEST FILM EDITING

Cloud Atlas

Other Nominees:

Argo

The Grey

Skyfall

Zero Dark Thirty

Editing is about more than just putting shots together in a sequence. It's about deciding how to put scenes together so the film makes sense. This can be simple enough in a straightforward film, but Cloud Atlas is not a straightforward film. It intertwines six stories, and if these stories were put together poorly it could have ruined the film. It didn't, however, and the stories were edited so perfectly that they complimented each other, building six stories into a cohesive narrative, with each story getting its own attention and nothing being overshadowed. Not only is it the best editing of the year, it is one of the best edited films of all time.

BEST SOUND EDITING

Zero Dark Thirty

Other Nominees:

The Avengers

The Dark Knight Rises

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Skyfall

Zero Dark Thirty is actually not a very loud film for most of the running time. It does not fill the soundtrack with explosions and gunshots, but rather dialogue and simple atmospheric sounds. However, when it does get to these "loud" moments, they are all the more real and powerful for it.

BEST SOUND MIXING

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Other Nominees:

Django Unchained

The Grey

Skyfall

Zero Dark Thirty

This is one category that, in some ways, the Hobbit even manages to outdo the Lord of the Rings. The sound work on this film is superb, and it helps play a great role in the film. Every chop with a sword, every swing of a hammer can be heard perfectly, and help to make this film easy to follow, even in an action sequence such as the escape from goblintown, in which there is enough going on to make it confusing, the sound mix keeps things so they are easy to follow.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Other nominees:

The Avengers

Cloud Atlas

Life of Pi

Prometheus

I know that the Oscars will go for Life of Pi in this category, and the work in that film is superb, but digital animals are really nothing new, and I was fully aware they were digital. The Hobbit, however, manages to even improve upon the Lord of the Rings in many ways, including Gollum, who it is hard to realize is a digital character. The creatures just look so real, even the goblins, who are quite clearly fantastic, look extremely real, moreso than even makeup could do. It is simply amazing how, even ten years later, Jackson and co. can still impress us with their effects work.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Dwight Henry-Beasts of the Southern Wild

Other Nominees:

Javier Bardem-Skyfall

Tommy Lee Jones-Lincoln

Christoph Waltz-Django Unchained

Ben Whishaw-Cloud Atlas

It's truly amazing that Dwight Henry never acted in a film before Beasts of the Southern Wild, because he is such a revelation in it. He fully becomes the character of Wink, a man who is very flawed, but who we nevertheless come to love and care about. Dwight Henry makes him a real person, not a character in the film. He's said that he will not go out of his way to seek out acting roles because he doesn't want to uproot his family. I respect that, but it's sad to think that we may never see him act again, because he is truly brilliant.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Other Nominees:

The Avengers

Cloud Atlas

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Lincoln

This category was very competitive this year, as there were many scores that would easily win any other year. However, it was also easy, because I have never heard another score like that of Beasts of the Southern Wild. It is so filled with emotion, and simultaneously fun to listen to, and simultaneously completely and totally unique. There was never a chance I wouldn't pick this film for this award.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Song of the Lonely Mountain-The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Other Nominees:

Ancora Qui-Django Unchained

Skyfall-Skyfall

Touch the Sky-Brave

Who Did That to You-Django Unchained

This is a song that fits the film perfectly, actually being about the film itself, making many references to the plot. As such, it fits the film perfectly. However, it is also just a beautiful song to listen to, a true ballad, as it tells the story of a great quest. It is suitably epic, and actually, in my opinion, tops any of the songs that were on the credits of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Lincoln

Other Nominees:

Argo

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Cloud Atlas

Silver Linings Playbook

Another no brainer here. Lincoln's screenplay is a work of pure brilliance. Perfect dialogue, that stays true to every character, an awesome story structure, and some of the greatest insults ever committed to film. However, despite its heaviness on dialogue, it is very definitely a film, and a damn fine one at that.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Cabin in the Woods

Other Nominees:

Django Unchained

Looper

Moonrise Kingdom

Zero Dark Thirty

Man it is hard to find a suitable image from this film without spoilers. I won't even talk about this movie much. Just go see it and don't read a damn thing about it first. Go in with an open mind and just experience it, you'll be glad you did.

BEST DIRECTOR

Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski-Cloud Atlas

Other Nominees:

Kathryn Bigelow-Zero Dark Thirty

Joe Carnahan-The Grey

Steven Spielberg-Lincoln

Benh Zeitlin-Beasts of the Southern Wild

This category was one of the hardest this year, second only to Best Picture. In the end, I went with Tykwer and the Wachowski's because of the sheer magnitude of what they pulled off. This film was mind-blowingly ambitious and could fail with extreme ease. However, it didn't fail. It was awesome and beautiful and emotional and it all goes to these three directors, who somehow managed to take three directors, splitting into two groups and each directing half of the movie, and they make it completely cohesive. The three of them entirely deserve this award for this achievement in filmmaking, which unfortunately was unsuccessful, so we are unlikely to see something like this again in the near future.

BEST ACTOR

Daniel Day Lewis-Lincoln

Other Nominees:

Bradley Cooper-Silver Linings Playbook

Tom Hanks-Cloud Atlas

Liam Neeson-The Grey

Joaquin Phoenix-The Master

Could it ever be anybody else. Day Lewis knocks every performance out of the park, and this is no exception. No matter how many times you've seen him in a role, you never see him, just his character. Here he becomes Abraham Lincoln, such a far cry from his last Oscar winning role, Daniel Plainview. He perfectly underscores the inner turmoil of Lincoln, a man who wants only to do the right thing, but sometimes is forced to take a not entirely righteous route to get there. However, he allows us to see inside the character, and thus we never doubt him, and always are on his side, because we can see the great man that is at his heart.

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

Lincoln

Other Nominees:

Cloud Atlas

Django Unchained

Moonrise Kingdom

Silver Linings Playbook

The main reason I added two categories is because of this one, I felt that this category is very important. You can talk all you want about an individual actor, but just as important is how the entire cast functions together. In those regards, Lincoln easily wins this year. Day Lewis knocks it out of the park, but there is not a bad performance in the film. Each role, however big or small, is fully fleshed out, and we connect to each character and see the humanity inside of them. Truly a remarkable feat, even if I can't give individual awards to all of them. 

BEST ACTRESS

Quvenzhane Wallis-Beasts of the Southern Wild

Other Nominees:

Halle Berry-Cloud Atlas

Jessica Chastain-Zero Dark Thirty

Kara Hayward-Moonrise Kingdom

Jennifer Lawrence-Silver Linings Playbook

Quite possibly the greatest performance of the year, and she was six years old when she played the part. Quvenzhane Wallis commands your attention in the film, creating such a powerful and vulnerable character, one who has to come of age at such a small age. Her nomination, more than anything else, was what I was rooting for when the Oscar nominations were announced, and her name being called was the happiest moment of the announcements for me.

BEST PICTURE

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Other Nominees:

Cloud Atlas

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Lincoln

Zero Dark Thirty

This was a hard one. There were three movies this year that I really wanted to give my award to. When I went with my heart, though, I found that Beasts of the Southern Wild was the film. It was the one that I felt the most passion for, that stuck out to me. I connected the most to this film, and in the end, that was what mattered to me. Beautiful, heart wrenching, unique, and inspiring, Beasts of the Southern Wild is the Best motion picture of 2012.

This year was quite possibly the best year for movies that I have been alive to see. There have been so many wonderful films this year, it was hard to make these awards. However, don't let the winners fool you, I loved so many films this year. 

Thank you all for  taking the time to see my opinions here. And of course, that's what all of these are, opinions. Meant, not to tell you how to feel, but to inspire conversation and maybe get a few of you to see some of these films that you haven't. And tune in later this week when I will be posting a ranked top ten list. Sure you already know what's number one, and what the top 5 are, though not their order, but I will have comments about all of them. So I hope you enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to another great year in movies.