Oscar Nominations Part 2

This clip perfectly explains why Wayne's World is my favorite movie of ALL time.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/213307/saturday-night-live-waynes-world-cold-open


:-)

Oscar Nominations

The Academy Awards are quickly approaching (eeeeeeeek!), and it’s that time to post my predictions, along with snubs in some of the major categories. No stealing my answers!

Best Actor: Colin Firth. He blew competition out of the water with his inspired performance in “The King’s Speech.” To be honest, no other nominee has a fighting chance. But I was impressed with the other nominations in this category (Jesse Eisenberg was an odd but fitting choice).

Best Actress: Natalie Portman.  I may have thoroughly disliked “Black Swan,” but I’d be a complete fool not to admit she was fantastic in it. Annette Bening is her main competition in this race, but I didn’t really like her all that much in “The Kids Are Alright.”

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale. Seriously, they might as well just hand him the Oscar now. Geoffrey Rush was great in “King’s Speech,” but Bale truly blew him out of the water. He really became his character, and that shined through his performance.

            SNUB: Andrew Garfield. The poor guy didn’t get nominated for a single thing for his performance in “The Social Network.” He was the much needed lightness and sometimes comic relief next to Eisenberg’s portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg.

Best Supporting Actress: This is going to be a battle between “The Fighter” girls, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo. In the end though, I don’t think Adams’ departure from cutesy romantic comedies will be enough to overshadow Leo’s performance. She’s already one a Golden Globe and SAG award for this role, and it’s likely the trend will continue on.

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network. Sorkin is known for his witty dialogue, and this is his chance to be recognized for it. Some might say True Grit is the main competitor, but since this is a remake of a movie, I doubt it will hold as much weight with the Academy.

            SNUB: The Town. Unfortunately, I wasn’t expecting too many nominations for this film, since it is being touted as a strong “genre piece.” However, I’ve read the novel it was based off of, and I must say that Affleck did a fantastic job brining it to the big screen. We all know he is a gifted screen writer (aka his Oscar-winning piece “Good Will Hunting”), and I’m a bit shocked that the academy hasn’t recognized his efforts as of late (both films he has directed have garnered nominations in the “supporting actor/actress categories: Amy Ryan for “Gone Baby, Gone” and Jeremy Renner for “The Town”). I’m confused as to why “Toy Story 3” got nominated in this category. Sure, I loved it, but I’m not so sure it belongs with the other heavy-hitters in this category.

Best Original Screenplay: Inception. This category has stiff competition this year, with films like “The Fighter” and “The King’s Speech,” but this truly was the most inspired screenplay of the year. Plus, Nolan has paid his dues in this industry, and frankly deserves something after all these years.

Best Animated Film: Toy Story 3. I loved “How To Train Your Dragon,” but based off the support Toy Story has gotten, frankly I’d be shocked if it didn’t win.

Best Director: This is another competitive category this year, with nominees Aronofsky, the Coen Brothers, David Fincher, and Tom Hooper. Ultimately, I don’t think the Coen Brothers will strike gold again, but picking between the other three might be difficult. Aronofsky hasn’t received many (if any) awards this season for his directing, so based on that he’s out. Hooper and Fincher have been neck and neck for the entire awards season, but ultimately I think the award will go to Hooper for “The King’s Speech.”

            SNUB: Christopher Nolan. How the HELL did he not get nominated for “Inception?” I haven’t seen “True Grit” yet, but I’m a bit confused as to why the Coen Brothers are nominated in this category. Congrats, you remade a classic western and switched up the dialogue a bit. Let’s award some creativity here!

Best Picture: Again, very tight race. However, I think The Social Network will walk away with this one. It’s an edgy pick for the academy, and it’s been doing well in this category for other awards. But I could see “The King’s Speech” taking this one as well.

The Fighter

Release Date: December 17, 2010
Directed By: David O. Russell
Based on a True Story

Synopsis: A small, industrial town in the heart of Massachusetts isn't known for much, except for "the pride of Lowell", Dickie Ecklund, a young and scrappy boxer famous for knocking down Sugar Ray Leonard in 1978. Now in his forties, Dickie is helping his younger brother, Mickey Ward, jump start his own boxing career, along with their mother as his manager. Dickie's crack addiction threatens to derail their training schedule yet Mickey can't imagine going forward without his brother's guidance. Mickey then meet Charlene, a young bartender, who helps him find the confidence and inner strength to go on without his overly involved family in order to go on to the biggest fight of his life. Along the way, he realizes that he needs each and every one of them in his corner in order to become one of the greatest boxers of all time.

Review: I have been really looking forward to seeing this film, mostly because I like everyone that's in it. Beyond that, I really didn't know too much about it. I was relatively surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

The acting in it was superb all around, from the main characters through the more supporting roles. Mark Wahlberg is always delicious to watch, but I feel like he hasn't been able to showcase his acting chops much besides maybe Boogie Nights and The Departed. I think he played Mickey with the perfect balance of vulnerability and intensity required for such a gritty role (not to mention he was half named for a good portion of the movie, which will always be looked highly upon by me). The movie was pitched in 2005, and wasn't filmed until 2009, meaning Wahlberg had to stay in prime shape for four years in order to be able to start shooting at the drop of a hat (Which I and probably many other woman are truly thankful for). The role of Charlene was quite the departure for Amy Adams' usual Rom-Com girls, but she really sunk her teeth into this character and pulled it off flawlessly. Charlene is a no-nonsense kind of woman, and quite obviously doesn't take crap from anyone; even Mickey's overbearing family. It's inspiring to see such a tough woman be able to be able to help boost up her man while also growing within herself. Melissa Leo was pretty hard to watch as the mother/manager, but I guess that's how you know she did such a wonderful job. She plays the quintessential stage mom, and half the time you want to reach through the screen and shake some sense into her. She turns a blind eye to Dickie's addiction, and shows blatant favoritism towards her troubled son.

I make it no secret that I think Christian Bale is a pompous windbag, but DAMN is he a good actor. He lost a bunch of weight to make the crack addiction believable, and it's safe to say I believed it from the moment he opened his mouth. His character was by far the hardest but most rewarding to watch. His mannerisms, speech patterns, and appearance were so authentic and real, I almost forgot I was merely watching a movie. At the end of the film, there is a brief clip of the real Mickey and Dickie, and it was absolutely uncanny how much Bale sounded and acted like the real Dickie. It was truly shocking to see. I can't say enough good things about his performance.

Mickey and Dickie have I think six sisters, all of them as trashy and gritty as you can imagine. Their performance as a whole was hilarious to watch; they have absolutely no filter and are the epitome of white trash. Their interactions with Charlene were always entertaining and filled with raunchy expletives.

What I appreciated about the film was that there wasn't much musical accompaniment. I know that sounds bizarre, but if there were distinct musical pieces at certain points, I truly feel it would have taken away from the story. After all, this is a sports film- we want to see action and results. That being said, the fight sequences were painful to watch because they were filmed so well. HBO filmed these scenes, since they have so much experience filming pay-per-view fights. I was watching an interview with Mark Wahlberg on Conan (whose sister played one of the sisters in the film), and he said that those shots were filmed in a matter of days, and were completely real. No contact was added in later; it was pure, unedited boxing. I respected the film (even before seeing it) on that fact alone- these actors really became their characters.

If you haven't seen The Fighter yet, go right now. Seriously. I'm dying to see it again, actually. And not just because Mark Wahlberg has his shirt off. Although that does help. :)

Top Ten of 2010

This is in no particular order, because I'm indecisive.

1. The Town
2. Inception
3. Shutter Island
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
5. How To Train Your Dragon
6. Toy Story 3
7. Date Night (I Laughed SO hard)
8. The Fighter

Black Swan

Release Date: December 3, 2010

Directed by: Darren Aronofsky

Synopsis: A tightly wound ballerina named Nina is chosen to play the iconic role of the Swan Queen in “Swan Lake.” This task proves to be more daunting than she first imagined, for she must also play the role of the Black Swan, the white swan’s sinister sister who convinces her prince not to love her innocent sister. Nina is constantly under the care of her controlling, wannabe ballerina mother and an egotistical ballet director who exploits her innocence for his gain. The role soon consumes Nina’s entire existence; allowing her to explore her newfound sexuality and ultimately descends into madness.

Review: I want to first put out there that I respect what Aronofsky was trying to do here. He took a darker screenplay loosely based off an iconic ballet, assembled an all-star cast, and provided a thought-provoking thriller. It’s just too bad that all of my thoughts provoked from this film were what time dinner was and when I could get the hell out of the theater. I don’t know why critics are raving about this film. Maybe they saw a different version than I did, or maybe I’m just a simple Colorado girl not sophisticated enough to understand the powerful message that Black Swan conveyed, but I really, REALLY, did not like this film.   

            I knew it was a psycho-sexual-thriller going into it, but I guess I wasn’t ready for just how psycho it was. I felt that if Aronofsky would have stuck to just one or two elements of Nina’s psycho mania rather than throwing 20 different things in my face, I would have enjoyed it. The first 45 minutes of the film were weird, but I did enjoy it. After that, it was all downhill. As a fellow, albeit inexperienced dancer, I understand at least some of the rigor that goes into dance training. I was never a ballet dancer, so I don’t even know a quarter of how hard serious ballerinas work. Showing the scars all over Nina’s feet or hearing her bones crack were chilling, but extremely realistic. Ballet is a cut throat world, and Aronofsky also portrayed that aspect well.

            Although I loathed this film, it was well made and the acting was superb. Natalie Portman never disappoints, and her physical transformation is astounding. She’s probably about as tall as I am and I would guess weighs about 120 soaking wet. She lost 20 pounds for this role, and you could see every bone in her body (which added to the realism this film provided). I did sympathize with her character while at the same time not understanding her at all. Mila Kunis also did a great job, but I don’t really understand why she was necessary to the film. The only real reason I saw her to be in Black Swan was to go down on Natalie Portman, which I also found ridiculously unnecessary. My cousin made the point that it was a little self-indulgent on Aronofsky’s part, and I can’t help but agree with her. I mean, I get she’s discovering her sexuality and sensuality, possibly even lesbianism, but it didn’t add to the film. It served as a draw to get men to come to the movie.

            There were a ridiculous amount of creepy parts to this film, and it was just a mental overload. In one scene, Nina is obsessively pulling at her bleeding cuticles, and she starts to pull of the skin so it can heal. But no, it gets taken to a whole new level in which she literally rips a strip of skin from her cuticle to the middle of her hand. WHY?!?!? We come to find out it didn’t actually happen, which is all the more reason why it should have been left out. It added nothing but disgust for the film, in my opinion. The same disdain grew out of another scene in which Nina visits her aging and injured protégé Beth in the hospital (played by Winona Ryder who bothers me to no end). Nina gives back a nail file she had stolen from Beth, so Beth proceeds to start flipping out and stabbing herself in the face with the nail file. I was expecting some wrist cutting or even stabbing herself in the chest. But her face?!?! Turns out that was a hallucination too. So I ask you Aronofsky, WHAT THE HELL?

            The cool/creepy part was a recurring theme throughout the film, and honestly could have stood well on its own. Nina keeps scratching her back to the point of bleeding, and no one can figure out why . . . only the scratching is in the place where a wing could be (the creativity blows my mind . . . so much so that I figured it out the first time it was showed on screen. Bravo). Right before her big debut on stage, Nina is having a mental breakdown in her room and starts to scratch. Only something is there this time . . . and she pulls out a black feather. She starts pulling out more, and is obviously traumatized. It should have stopped there, but then it proceeds to show Portman’s legs turn into swan legs. Then the scene cuts and she’s sans swan legs. Even though the feather theme was a bit obvious, I felt that enhanced the story and exemplified her mania. Those silly swan legs took it way too far.

            When it came to the dancing, Natalie Portman did an excellent job. She trained for a year before principal filming began, and truly transformed herself into a ballet dancer. The principal male partner was also great (he’s a principal dancer for the NYC Ballet Company, and Portman’s husband/baby daddy), but aside from that the dancing sucked. Like I said before, I’m no expert, but it shouldn’t look like these dancers are working when they dance. It should look effortless. Well, it seemed as though they were exerting every ounce of energy they had into their dancing, and not in a good way.           

I would not recommend this film, but at the same time I’m glad I saw it. It’s safe to say I feel MUCH  better about my neuroses after seeing it.

Most Anticipated Movies of 2011

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
2. Water For Elephants
3. Limitless
4. The Adjustment Bureau
5. Red Riding Hood
6. The Hangover 2
7. Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1

Inception

Release Date: July 16, 2010

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Synopsis: In a world where dreams are equally, if not more important than reality, a thief has a chance at redemption when he is offered the task of completing Inception: the process of planting an idea into one’s mind in order to create a desired outcome. Cobb (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his band of highly intelligent and skilled thieves (Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Tom Hardy) attempt Inception upon a young billionare (Cillian Murphy) in order for the head of a rival company to rise to power (Ken Watanabe). Will Cobb and his crew achieve Inception, or will the memories of Cobb’s wife (Marion Cotillard) threaten to derail the ultimate heist?

Review: Let me start off by saying that for the most part, I will see just about everything Christopher Nolan directs or writes and anything that Leonardo DiCaprio stars in. Nolan has this insane ability to somehow make deeply psychologically twisted marketable to the masses. From what I’ve read, this particular script took him nearly ten years to complete, and he only had DiCaprio in mind for the role of Cobb. That being said, I am a huge fan of this film.

            The first time I saw Inception a friend and I went to the midnight showing, so I was absolutely exhausted. Seeing it again really made me appreciate the artistry in crafting this story. Nolan has said he is fascinated by the dreaming process, and how our minds create the bizarre scenarios, some of which are vivid and frighteningly realistic. He pays an incredibly close attention to detail, some of which goes way over my head (such as certain things characters say in passing that turn out to be of the utmost importance, different colored clothing, etc).

            Each person was cast perfectly, and most from Nolan’s “stock” of actors (Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe). I was a bit hesitant to see Ellen Page take on a more serious role, after the likes of Juno and Whip It, but I thought she handled herself well. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an actor I really enjoy watching, so I’m glad that this film has helped him land a few more roles. He plays the suave sidekick with the necessary sophistication and intensity. I wish Tom Hardy’s character would have had a bit more screen time, but since he has been cast as the new villain in “The Dark Knight Rises”, I’m sure we’ll get to see a lot more of him.

            The visual effects in this film were stunning. Creepy and a bit bizarre, but stunning. They perfectly exemplified the vivid imagery of our dreams without being hokey or stupid; it greatly enhanced the story. I also loved how there were times where you didn’t know what was a dream and what was reality (hint according to imdb.com: In all the dream sequences, Cobb is wearing his wedding ring. In reality sequences, he is not). I didn’t find myself getting too confused, which was refreshing for a film with this subject matter and interweaving story lines.

            The ending of the story was relatively light hearted compared to the rest fo the film, but I thought it fit well. You felt relief right along with Cobb when his children turned around to see him, and it was nice to see everyone happily go their separate ways, unsure of when they would meet again.

            If you haven’t seen this movie, go rent it right now. It’s a must have for any movie collection!