This Week's DVDs To See

            It’s the wee hours of the morning and I just got home from seeing the midnight, or should I say all-night, release of “Watchmen.” If you get chance, definitely go check it out. Just try to ignore the fact that Snyder's interpretation of Nixon has a striking resemblance to Rocky Dennis, and that the movie is nearly three hours long. The movie was made for the big screen, so go see it at some point while it's in theaters. 

But, I digress. The only substantial DVD release this week is “Australia,” the extremely long epic staring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. Turns out that the only thing epic about it is how badly it bombed in the box office. I’d stay away from this one if you want your money’s worth. You’ll end up dozing off just like you would watching the Game Show Network all day for free.

One respectable action movie that is worth checking out is “Body of Lies” with Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. It was actually the #1 rental of the week. I reviewed it, and essentially said that it's not too bad. It’s without question only for those who have a strong stomach, and like a lot of action. It has a pretty involved plot line, so you’ll have to be in the mood to sit down and actually pay attention to it.

If you’re looking for something funny, you have a few solid options in “Zach and Miri Make a Porno” and “Sex Drive.”  “Zach and Miri,” if you couldn’t tell by the title, has quite a few umm… visuals that might be a bit much to watch with a new boyfriend or girlfriend or parent. Otherwise, it’s another funny Seth Rogan movie that’s a must see if you’re a fan. “Sex Drive” did pretty poorly in the box office and hasn’t gotten a lot of publicity, but wasn’t received terribly by critics. The consensus of critics on Rottentomatoes.com said that the movie had “some hilarious moments and is well made for a raunchy teen film…” Sounds funny, looks funny, and could prove to be a surprising good rental.

If you’re looking for an older movie to see, how about “Mystic River.” With Sean Penn just recently receiving his second Best Actor Oscar for his work in “Milk,” you should remind yourself of his last award winning performance in a completely polar opposite role. “Mystic River” with it’s all star cast (Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, Laurence Fishburne, Laura Linney) is one of the best films of our generation. It touches on so many emotions that it’s nearly impossible to sit still for a moment.

See: “Body of Lies,” “Zach and Miri,” “Sex Drive,” “Mystic River”

Avoid: “Australia"

Dad on a Rampage: "Taken"

Ladies, when vacationing in Paris this summer, there are a few basic things one ought to know in order to prevent any mishaps from occurring.

Tip one: After exiting the plane, proceed directly to the next available cab at your disposal. Try not to stop, or take pictures, or flirt with charming strangers that you meet along the way.

Tip two: If you must flirt, try not to let said charming strangers know that you’re travelling the countryside by your lonesome.

And tip three: Under no circumstances, whatsoever, should you allow said charming strangers to follow you to your fancy new digs in the city and get your apartment number. I know it’s tempting, but trust me. It could potentially lead to something dangerous.

Of course, if your dad happens to be a former CIA operative cooling his heels back in Los Angeles, none of these rules really apply to you. In the event that you break them, get abducted, and get sold into an international sex ring that specializes in addicting its girls to heroin before sending them out to work the streets, you’re still okay. Your dad will be around to save you.

Or so one hopes, anyway.

Liam Neeson, he of the flinty glares and stoic disposition, proves hell hath no fury like a father scorned in the new action thriller, “Taken.”

Neeson stars as Bryan Mills, a retired CIA man whose life has simmered down considerably since his days as a self-described “preventer.” By the time we catch up with Mr. Mills, he’s already deeply entrenched in the daily grind of normal life. He gets up, pulls the occasional concert security detail, and paces his apartment, waiting anxiously for his 17-year-old daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) to return his phone calls.

The downside of being a jet-setting secret service man for so many years is that he missed out on her childhood. Now hoping to make up for lost time, he’s moved to Los Angeles, where she currently resides with her mother (a frosty Famke Janssen) and rich stepfather (Xander Berkeley).

But alas, for all his good intentions, nothing seems to give. He buys her a spanking new karaoke set (the kind she probably wanted back when she was 10), and her new dad buys her a pony. He gets her lessons with an exclusive vocal coach, and she announces that she’s about to go on all-expenses paid trip around Europe, starting in grand ole Paris.

Talk about tough breaks. But unbeknownst to Mills, his luck is about to change.

When Kim and a friend (Katie Cassidy) are taken captive in Paris by a group of Albanian sex ring wranglers, it falls on Mills to track down their whereabouts. He may not be able to buy his little girl a pony, but he sure can kick the snot out of any eastern European punks who get in his way.

Because it’s February, it may be easy to mistake “Taken” for another of those freezer-burned throwaways typical of Hollywood around this time. Big mistake. While it isn’t exactly high art, “Taken” is a far better film than the company it keeps.

Foremost, “Taken” seems to master the basic recipe for action movie success, engaging with just the right amount of pulp to offset its other, more brutal tones. And after all, what’s a good action movie without a side of pulp?

Director Pierre Morel (“District B13”) wields a swift hand over the film’s action sequences. The scenes are smartly staged and cleaned edited - enviable attributes in today’s action world.

“Taken” was filmed largely on French soil, and this has a trickle-down effect on the film at large. Producer Luc Besson helps endow “Taken” with the elements of cinema du look – a school of cinema thought to emerge in France in the 1980s that placed emphasis on glossy spectacles over storytelling. In America, we’d call that the Michael Bay school of thought.

Besson is an avowed follower of cinema du look. His past credits include “Subway” (that’s the high end part) and the “Transporter” series (the decidedly low end). Somewhere, actor Jason Statham is shaking his fists in the air, angry at being left out of this most recent endeavor.

Along with Robert Mark Kamen, Besson helped write the script for “Taken.” While occasionally guilty of a few missteps, such as moralizing – for instance, Kim, virtuous and true, is dealt a kind fate in the sex ring while her skanky pal winds up in the worst of circumstances – the script is largely by-the-numbers. A few taut scenes, such as the abduction of the girls, excel based on the merits of the film’s cast.

However, once you get a look at Kim’s intended, ah, beau – a rotund, bulbous-headed sheik with a taste for virginal young beauties – you get the sense that the script is not without a sense of humor.

Above and away, Neeson is the star of the show. Whether posing as a corrupt cop haggling with gangsters over his price cut, or as a John haggling with a hooker over the services included in her fee, his steely intensity never wavers. He fights, he snarls, he shoots up innocent civilians to get his point across in the middle of heated confrontations; he’s Dirty Harry Callahan with a larger mission to see through.

As he anticipates the moves of his enemies and coolly tortures those he gets in his clutches, one thing seems clear. If this is what retired CIA operatives are capable of, one shudders to think what Mr. Mills was like in the prime of his career.

-Shayna M.

The Wrestler at Amherst Cinema

If anyone has seen any awards show or heard any movie buzz it has had to include the buzz about "The Wrestler" and Mickey Rourke's performance.

The movie is shot mostly on a hand-held camera, following behind Rourke who gives a marvelous performance that involves using his whole body and emotional spectrum being beaten and pummeled to a pulp. It isn't just the staples that break Rourke's ribs, it is also the heartbreak and loneliness that he must endure. His daughter hates him. He is locked out of his trailer on many nights and is played for his money by another actor, a stripper.


The performances in the film are what makes actors and actresses so rich. Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood shine in this downbeat film. Both are looking for different things from their father and must both realize that his career has determined just who he is. they have to see that to understand him, no matter how much it hurts.

The Oscar nods here are worthy. Except Aronofsky probably deserves one for his direction.

Keep your eyes out for this one. Check it out (if you can take a good amount of blood and violence. Remember most wrestling is fake) at Amherst Cinema.

Awards Wrap-Up from the Boston Globe

Ty Burr and Wesley Morris are two beloved critics by us here at the Collegian (Shayna and Myself especially). They had done an Oscar video a few weeks ago about who will get snubbed and forgotten when the time comes for the predictions. It is interesting to look back on it. They just did a peice (Burr juust got back from Sundance in time to shoot a video for their Take 2 series) about the picks. It is intersting to look back on what they said and what happened with the predictions.


Snubs, maybe:





Here is their recap:

Oscar Nominations Have Been Announced!

Today was the big day for the Motion Picture world. Some huge nominations for "Benjamin Button" (13) and "Slumdog Millionaire" (10). The most enjoyable news is the nomination for Richard Jenkins (Best Acotr) for "The Visitor" (a little seen film that deserves to be seen by just about everyone).

Here's a link to the New York Times very own Oscar watch guy The Carpetbagger. he is pretty funny and has some great stuff online.

Video Announcement from Boston.com:



Full List Here of the Nominations:


81st Oscar Nominations

Best motion picture of the year
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production,Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers*
“Milk” (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers*
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Nominees to be determined*
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production,Christian Colson, Producer

Achievement in directing*
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard*
“Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant*
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry*
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)*
Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)*
Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)*
Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)*
Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)*
Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)*
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)*
Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)*
Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)*
Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)*
Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)*
Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)*
Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)*
Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)*
Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)*
Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)* Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Original screenplay
*“Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt*
“Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh*
“In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh*
“Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black*
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

Adapted screenplay
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
“Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
“Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
“The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
“Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy



Best animated feature film of the year
“Bolt” (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard*
“Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
“WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton

Best documentary feature
“The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath*
“Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser*
“The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy*
“Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn* “Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best foreign language film of the year*
“The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production, Germany*
“The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France*
“Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan* “Revanche” (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria*
“Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel



Those would be the basic awards. Check out awardsdaily.com for a full list.

A Revolution in Acting

After Kate Winslets recent victories at the Golden globes (best supporting actress for "The Reader" and best actress for "Revolutionary Road") I thought I should write up a short review of "Revolutionary Road."

Let me start off by saying this: the movie is all about the acting. The acting is pitch-perfect (I love that term). DiCaprio and Winslet show what they're made of. Winslet uses her internal struggles, her eyes and her body language like no other actress has in a film so deeply routed in an era when that was how a woman spoke. While DiCaprio is more forward, direct and brutally honest with his words. It is how the relationship is meant to be. Winslet is stuck in her mind and body wondering how to escape, while DiCaprio shows us, brings us into the world of the fledgling husband.

Then there is Michael Shannon. He is the conscious in the film. he speaks his mind. He speaks the truth, and tells the audience that what they are feeling is okay, we should feel that way too. He is also a troubled man, but is this trouble what makes him so trustworthy and understanding. his lack of compassion is refreshing here. Shannon even out shines Winslet on the screen and overshadows the film with uncomfortable and unnerving laughs from the older generations in the theatre. They know, the audience, that what he is saying is true but is it necessary? Could these two make it through life with the unhappy 50's marriage because society dictates that, if it weren't for his presence?

I should get the to story. It is simple: two lovers get involved and have great aspirations. they never fulfill these aspirations but rather get stuck in the times. they have two children, buy a house in the 'burbs, and don't live happily ever after. Wife challenges husband, husband challenges wife, and all falls apart. You know it won't work from the get-go. So don't tell me I'm giving anything away.

The film moves seamlessly. Mendes uses theatrical direction and feel for the film. shooting it in close to sequential order, allowing the characters and actors to develop alongside one another. This gives the film an authentic feeling. It also gives the actors a chance to build their characters and work up for the big fights. Mendes, most widely known for "American Beauty" has suburban America in his pocket at this point. He knows the colors that resonate to the eye of suburbia. He has the lawns down, the trimmed hedges, bushes and flowers. The reds and whites stand out. The cars shine, and the kids play in sprinklers and have doll houses. He knows just what a living room situation is and the boring dialogue that goes with it. He is a master of this place, and he knows it and shows it.

The film is superb. The only warning I have is this: it is not a great "date movie" unless you really want to test. It shows the uncomfortable side to a relationship, the places none of us want to go. But the movie is not one to see alone either. It needs to be discussed after.

I can't wait to pick up Yates's novel (the movie is based on his so-called masterpiece) either.

The Curious Case

To say "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is the year's best film is too high of a compliment (it is getting a few of those), but the film is surely one of the best of the year. With David Fincher's direction the film moves through one man's story with ease, grace and a much needed omnipresent feel.

The audience is allowed a once in a lifetime opportunity to read from Mr. Button's very own journal and life-story through the voice of a dying woman's daughter's voice. Katrina thumps outside the window, always on the edge of land and the destruction that the audience knows will follow.

It is Eric Roth's best idea in the script, outside of moving the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald from Baltimore to New Orleans. The introduction to the characters through a journal, and to see the dying lover of Benjamin at a ripe old age gives the audience a mistaken hope that youth will rule the film as it is a flashback. But the audience is left to see for themselves how this unbelievable story of a man who ages in reverse for their own eyes, having to wait for the youthful eyes of Brad Pitt, and the energetic movements of a younger man.

What Mr. Pitt brings to the role is a great smile, look, energy and emotional eyes (his eyes are placed on each body that Benjamin must suffer through). The problem with t he film is that Mr. Pitt is so well-known that waiting for the years to pass, Benjamin to age into a more youthful self, and to get to Mr. Pitt's own sculpture to grace the curious man feels like ages. It is hard for an audience to anticipate his arrival, and to understand the way the human mind progresses because the body is moving in a reverse direction, wouldn't the mind move this way as well? Not if is it a blank slate, so to see the mind evolve is very unique here. It is in fact the whole story.

The story of how we love, why we love, and how we all meet our death is the central message here, no matter how we get there.

I'll leave it to you, the audience to discover how Cate Blanchett and Mr. Pitt work on-screen, and how their love is established. But I will say this: it works, no matter how odd it really is.

The reason it all works is because of David Fincher's direction. His fly on the wall approach works here. Keeping the camera from showing the emotions of the actors Fincher allows the actors to create the mood. His CGI proles is something to marvel at as well (he was an effects man back in the past before getting his shot to direct). The movie is dark, it seems to take place at night more often than not (night-life is more interesting isn't it?) but this movie is one of Mr. Fincher's easier movies on the eyes. He stays in the shadows but lights them, and avoids frenetic cuts, or too gruesome of images.

One grievance against Mr. Roth and Mr. Fincher I do have is the Hummingbird. Forced symbolism is one of the things that movies should avoid. Let the audience discover things for themselves, don't feed it to them. The American public and moviegoers of the world should be treated as intellects, otherwise they get lazy.

So get out there this Holiday season and see "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Slumdog Millionaire."

I am on my way to see "Slumdog" again and I hope my impressions can only be strengthened.

But for now I hope to still see "Doubt," "The Wrestler," and a few others that are opening.

Here is a trailer for "Ben Button"

The kids of Journalism 393F have taken over...

Some films must be seen – they’re almost too unbelievable to disregard or to ignore. Some, like those of the “Showgirls” variety, are mere flashes in the poor taste pan. Poor, yes, but they’re the stuff of laughs, not of legend. Such films may air in perpetuity on cable, softened up for public consumption by network executives leery of their content, but tempted to show them, nonetheless. Other poor taste films cannot be softened. They straddle the line between camp and smut, and sometimes, these films don’t just shock. They push the barrier of what is acceptable on screen. They raise questions about censorship, and they represent a shift in the way an audience reacts to cinema.

“Female Trouble” is one such film. If Baltimore-based director John Waters had an opus, it’d probably be the 1972 film, “Pink Flamingos,” not this 1974 follow-up. In the realm of offensive, unwatchable films, you really can’t sink any lower than “Pink Flamingos.” The film stars drag actor Divine as the filthiest person in the world. The film picks up as two contenders (Mink Stole and David Lochary) vie for her throne. Waters assaults the screen with non-stop, gross-out shocks. “Pink Flamingos” features a mother (Edith Massey) with an unusual taste for eggs, a son (Danny Mills) with an unusual fetish for chickens, and concludes with one infamous scene with a dog.

The intent in “Female Trouble” is to repulse – not totally dissimilar to Waters’ intentions with “Pink Flamingos.” What seperates the two by more than years is that “Female Trouble” actually yields to a narrative. The film centers on the tale of Baltimore teen Dawn Davenport (Divine). All Dawn wants for Christmas is a pair of bright red cha-cha heels. She begs and pleads, nagging after her meek-natured parents incessantly. Finally, the fateful morning arrives. Dawn tears through the myriad Christmas presents meant for her, but alas, no cha-cha shoes are to be found. Livid, Dawn stomps all over the idyllic Christmas setting, tearing down the tree and decrying the terrible injustice done to her by her own parents.

“Female Trouble” then traces Dawn’s descent into madness. She runs away and catches a ride with a man, played by Divine out of drag. They have sex and soon after she gets pregnant. To make ends meet, she starts waitressing and stripping, before becoming a crook. A rivalry with a neighbor – an older woman (also Edith Massey) who struts around outside clad in a black leather bondage jumpsuit - brings tension. Dawn pushes it all aside during her frequent trips to the hair salon. There she meets her future husband (Michael Potter), who can’t help but encourage her rapidly aging daughter to join in a threesome with them. After a tragic attack leaves Dawn’s face mottled and deformed, she becomes convinced that crime is beauty, and embarks on a mad killing spree, during which no one in her life is safe.

“Female Trouble” feels a bit like an explanation. It explains, in loose terms, the mantra of Waters during the early 1970s. Divine was a muse for Waters during this period. Some critics, as well as some die-hard fans of Waters prior to his mainstream success with 1988’s “Hairspray,” have claimed that the director lost his edge after Divine passed away during the same year. In the final scene Divine, now fully adorned in the ghoulish make-up of “Pink Flamingos,” cries out to the audience and makes a speech about crime and art. In the end, she unleashes a hail of gunfire on the rapt audience, which has watched as she murdered her own daughter.

Waters’ early films seem to lack the goofy sense of humor that characterizes some of the better “schlock” films to come out of the same period. They seem more acid-laced and vitriolic than a camp film would usually warrant. Waters and his cast do seem angry – irrevocably, unconditionally enraged about something, but the focus of that contempt goes unnamed. “Female Trouble” was reportedly inspired by Charles “Tex” Watson, a member of the Manson Family, and complicit in the slayings of Sharon Tate and several others.

Ultimately, I can’t say that I enjoy “Female Trouble” much, or that I enjoy any John Waters film for that matter. Even with his more conventional films, like “Hairspray” or “Serial Mom,” Waters never comes across as an especially gifted filmmaker. His fame has persisted over the years not by his talent, but by his infamy. As a shock-smut director, he has yet to square off against any legitimate rivals, and perhaps there’s something to be said for that. In the confines of a normal narrative, Waters seems to drown, no matter how shallow that narrative may be. Waters’ early films are inexplicably offensive, and some would be content to banish him to obscurity. But his films represent a shift in the way violence was depicted on screen.

In “Female Trouble,” that shift is paraded, but less gruesomely than in “Pink Flamingos.” Nearly 35 years later, the film still hasn’t lost its edge. For that reason, I hesitantly recommend “Female Trouble.”

-SM.

Clint Eastwood: As good as they get

With "Gran Torino" opening to some great reviews, Eastwood winning a major acting award for the film already, I thought it was fair to post an interview that the New York Times did with him. He is a true American actor and hero of cinema. Look at his body of work, there is a lot, and ther eare some of the greatest gems in American Cinema to date.

Here's the Article

Here is the Film's trailer in case you were wondering what the movie is about:

Golden Globe Nominations Announced

Today was the day that the grand ol' Golden Globe nominations get announced.
Another one of those glitz and glamour showcases for the rich to shine. But in all fairness we watch the rich, pay for them to be rich, to entertain and then be rewarded for entertaining us. It is something for actors, writers, directors and everyone else involved in a moie to strive for: an awrd for their hard work.

With that let's toss out the nominations.

Best Motion Picture - Drama:
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"The Reader"
"Revolutionary Road"
"Slumdog Millionaire"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama:
Leonardo DiCaprio, "Revolutionary Road"
Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"
Sean Penn, "Milk"
Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama:
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"
Meryl Streep, "Doubt"
Kristen Scott Thomas, "I've Loved You So Long"
Kate Winslet, "Revolutionary Road"

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy:
"Burn After Reading"
"Happy-Go-Lucky"
"In Bruges"
"Mamma Mia!"
"Vicky Cristina Barcelona"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy:
Javier Bardem "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Colin Farrell, "In Bruges"
James Franco, "Pineapple Express"
Brendan Gleeson, "In Bruges"
Dustin Hoffman, "Last Chance Harvey"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy:
Rebecca Hall, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Sally Hawkins, "Happy-Go-Lucky"
Frances McDormand, "Burn After Reading"
Meryl Streep, "Mamma Mia!"
Emma Thompson, "Last Chance Harvey"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture:
Tom Cruise, "Tropic Thunder"
Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"
Ralph Fiennes, "The Duchess"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"
Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture:
Amy Adams, "Doubt"
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Viola Davis, "Doubt"
Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"
Kate Winslet, "The Reader"

Best Animated Feature:
"Bolt"
"Kung Fu Panda"
"WALL-E"

Best Foreign Language Film:
"The Baader Meinhof Complex" (Germany)
"Everlasting Moments" (Sweden/Denmark)
"Gomorrah" (Italy)
"I've Loved You So Long" (France)
"Waltz with Bashir" (Israel)

Best Director - Motion Picture:
Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"
Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"
David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"
Sam Mendes, "Revolutionary Road"

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture:
Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire"
David Hare, "The Reader"
Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon"
Eric Roth, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
John Patrick Shanley, "Doubt"

Best Original Score - Motion Picture:
Alexandre Desplat, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Clint Eastwood, "Changeling"
James Newton Howard, "Defiance"
A.R. Rahman, "Slumdog Millionaire"
Hans Zimmer, "Frost/Nixon"

Best Original Song - Motion Picture:
"Down to Earth" from "WALL-E"
"Gran Torino" from "Gran Torino"
"I Thought I Lost You" from "Bolt"
"Once in a Lifetime" from "Cadillac Records"
"The Wrestler" from "The Wrestler"

I must disagree with Shayna, it happens

Shayna Murphy reviewed Danny Boyle's new film "Slumdog Millionaire" earlier this week. And I must disagree with her "B" rating. Now I know our rating system is flawed (which one isn't?) and it is completely subjective. But I must give Boyle's new film an "A" on our rector scale.

The film breaks so many conventions of the common love story. Yes, all the cliches are there. But what Boyle does with them is what separates this film apart from others in recent years. He uses the conventions as a back-drop for the slums of India and the story of a man in search of love, while trying to survive the dangers of being a homeless boy walking the streets of the city of Mumbai.

He must survive gangsters, his own brother, tourists, police and rioters. Jamal Malik makes it out alive. He makes it out with only minor scars, until his love Latika is introduced.

When Latika comes into the story, being introduced as the unknown "Third Musketeer," the movie moves from survival to love and what humans will go through to live life with another person.

The movie moves its narrative through the Indian version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." Jamal grinds his way through the questions to the grand prize of 20 million Rupees. The scummy host cannot believe that a "slumdog" is answering the questions, and not cheating.

He in turn has Jamal tortured after a taping of the show to find his own answers.

Jamal has a simple answer for his torturers: he lived all the questions and answers. That is the narrative. Simple. We jump back and forth from game show to life.

But what Boyle does with the narrative is genuine. He uses the camera as another story-teller, never using it as another fly on the way. The chase sequences are marvelous. Like in "28 Days Later" and other Boyle films, he uses shadows, close-ups, light and pitch-perfect music to score the chases making them more alive than a real chase.

What Boyle does to convey the heat and the cramped spaces of Mumbia and the slums of India i highlighting yellow and white through filters. Making the colors more permanent, giving the eyes something to focus on and feel.

The use of subtitles is one special thing that Boyle does in the film. He gives a new look into how we see a foreign film, and how we read subtitles. The few subtitles used are never placed off the screen, but rather they are in the picture, placed gently inside open space in each shot. This stylization doesn't allow the viewer to ever look away from the action. It is a small thing to rave about, but it does enhance the film's experience.

Go see "Slumdog Millionaire." December 12 at Amherst Cinema. And check out Ty Burr's Review. Here is a Q & A with the star Dev Patel. And another with Mr. Boyle himself.

Weekend DVD Rental

The underbelly of cities has been told many times before. Whether it is in Polanski’s masterpiece “Chinatown,” or Danny Boyle’s adaptation of “Trainspotting,” the underworlds of society have been explored, opened to the public eye and seen in almost perfect lights. So what could “City of God” bring new to the table?

The movie is based on the novel by Paulo Lins. It is not a direct account of his life, but a fictionalization of his life in the slums of Rio de Janeiro.

The movie takes on the life decisions that must be made by a young boy in the impoverished area of the city. Join a gang, become a free-spirit, drug addict or run free and follow your dreams. Rocket’s (played by Alexandre Rodrigues) dream is to become a photographer. He wants to expose the world to his beautiful images, but also to what he ahs grown up seeing. He wants to tell stories with pictures. To do this he must play by the rules of where he lives.

As if growing up poor is not enough of a hampering for a young boy, then add on that his best friends, brother, and acquaintances all become involved in the gang life of the city to his trials and tribulations. He must fight off gang leaders who once were friends. He must survive the battles in the streets at night and during the day time. He must succeed in keeping his distance from the war that fights around him.

The film moves through time with great pace, remarkable characters—vile and beautiful. The editing by Daniel Rezende (“The Motorcycle Diaries”) is superb. Using modern technology to jump cut without it feeling forced but still needed. The movie’s frames have a sense of fulfillment, and purpose as each one seamlessly slides into the next.

To go with the editing is the cinematography by Cesar Charlone (“The Constant Gardner”) who uses the camera in remarkable ways. Framing each shot inside the city making it feel vast and expansive, as if it is the whole word, nothing is outside. But at the same time he creates a feeling like this world is closing in, breaking down the walls, and that soon it will crush the characters unless they break free. The cinematographer is one of those underappreciated positions on a film crew, but here Charlone’s contribution is felt. He along with Rezende create the fast paced world the movie moves in.

Direction for the film is nothing but superb. Fernando Meirelles (“The Constant Gardner,” “Blindness”) creates an image, and indistinguishable characters. He moves the film in directions that seem impossible to pull off. Much f the film rings with gunshots, but they don’t feel out of place. He helps frame the characters in their places, and gives each character a heart, not matter how black it may have become. He doesn’t shy away from the violence, he grabs hold of it and lets it tell the true story. There is no aggrandizing here. No lies.

This is filmmaking at its best. The tracking shots, long takes, and emotional camera bring to mind P.T. Anderson and Kubrick, with some Scorsese thrown in there too. Meirelles keeps the pace of the film and by the end your body is emotionally drained, your heart is weeping, and your eyes are blinking, but still seeing flashes of gun shots across eyelids.

The language barrier is broken in the film. Portuguese with English subtitles, always a throw-off for many crowds. Who wants to read subtitles when the action is going on? Well that barrier is broken here. A true sign that “City of God” is a great foreign film. Whenever language feels natural, as if it were rolling from your native tongue rather than that of the characters is the goal for a successful film across borders.

Many Americans see the struggle that goes into reading subtitles, instead of seeking out the feeling that the native words have over the meaning of the written ones at the bottom of the screen. Lying is what dubbing does. It breaks the feel of a film, but if a films subtitles only wash away and become a part of the dialogue then you have something special. Meirelles, Braulio Mantovani (writer of the screenplay) and the actors create this feeling. It is an authentic feeling in an authentic movie.

“City of God” is not one to miss.

Boston Theatres This Weekend...Coming to Amherst

Ty Burr and Wesley Morris rarely disagree like they do here about the new Danny Boyle Film "Slumdog Millionaire." It is getting rave reviews across the country and talk of Oscars is heavy.

Here is there weekly "Take 2" on the film:




This Thanksgiving "Milk" is opening and that is being called a "masterpiece" across the board. Here is what Morris has to say about it.

A.O Scott of the New York Times says this about Milk.

This is Ebert's take.


And finally good ol' Mick LaSalle of San Francisco who has a unique take on films, and an honest approach to writing.


And the Trailer:


Some other releases, not getting such great reviews: Australia, Transport 3, and Four Christmases.

Have a Great Turkey Day...

The Wrestler Trailer Finally Online

Variety has posted the trailer for the new Darren Aronofsky film "The Wrestler."
Mickey Rourke is getting praise from almost every critic and won over a lot of hearts at some major festivals.

Check it out:

Classic Halloween Thrillers

Halloween

This 1978 John Carpenter classic is the granddaddy to the modern horror film. Michael Myers remains one of the scariest and most recognizable movie killers. This film features a young Jamie Lee Curtis as the virginal babysitter Laurie Strode. On Halloween night, Michael Myers escapes from the mental ward and comes after his little sister Laurie while brutally attacking and murdering those in his way. Hot on his trail is Dr. Loomis, who has studied Michael since he was a child. This movie is the first to use the horror movie “rules” that have become commonplace in almost all slasher films today. “Halloween” also contains some of the scariest movie music in history. Many sequels were made, but the only ones that follow the original story line and therefore are worth watching are “Halloween II” and possibly “Halloween: H20”. Interesting trivia fact: Michael Myers’ mask is actually a William Shatner/Captain Kirk mask painted white.

 

Scream

This brilliantly executed Wes Craven film of 1996 re-introduced the slasher film to popular culture. A mysterious killer in a mask stalks young Sidney Prescott, played by Neve Campbell. Lots of blood and guts involved, but plenty of story to back it up. Two sequels followed “Scream”, both of which hold their own against the original. This movie does a great job mixing comedy and horror, and the comic relief is most evident in the character of Randy, played by Jamie Kennedy. “Scream” gave us the list of cliché rules of the scary movie genre. These rules include such things as: You will not survive is you have sex, do drugs, or drink. Only the virgins make it out alive. Don’t ever say you will be right back, you won’t. Do not go investigate a strange noise. Don’t ask, “who’s there?”. And most importantly, anyone could be the killer. Everyone is a suspect. Interesting trivia fact: The character of Billy Loomis is named after “Halloween” character Dr. Sam Loomis and “Psycho” character Sam Loomis.

 

Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock is the master of suspense, and that fact is more than evident in this 1960 thriller, which remains his most famous film. Janet Leigh (mother of Jamie Lee Curtis) steals money from her boss and flees the city. Tired from her drive, she stops at the isolated and empty Bates Motel, run by eccentric Norman Bates, played by Anthony Perkins in his most chilling role. The famous shower scene is iconic, but more details cannot be given away without ruining the ending. Just know this, beware of Mother. Interesting trivia fact: The “blood” used in the shower scene is actually chocolate syrup. It gave it a more realistic look in black and white.

 

 

 

Weekend Movie Rental

Another weekend, another movie rental suggestion (just a day late).

"The Visitor" played at Amherst cinema last spring. I got to go to a press screening, but never got to run the review in the paper because we ran out of time. So this is as good of a time as any to recommend this beautiful film.

Let's start it off by saying the movie is a roller-coaster of high and low emotional peaks. It tackles subject matter that is very relevant (illegal immigration) and touches on the connection that human beings can make when they get to know one another. That is what I will say about what the film does...now to explain how it does it.

The movie has a simple plot: depressed professor, Walter Vale, of economics struggles with the death of his wife. He tries to compensate for it in so many ways. But can't. Then he is sent to a conference to speak about a book he co-authored, but in actuality he just put his name on it.

He is sent to New York to talk about the book, and decides to stay in his old apartment that he keeps there. he hasn't been there in months and some people have moved into the place in his absence. Confusion ensues and the movie turns into a tale of friendship, what music can do, and the human spirit.

Walter Vale, is played by long-time character actor Richard Jenkins. his performance is superb. His moves from detached to curious bystander to sympathetic friend. His performance is the core of the film and other characters and actors seem to feed off of him and balance.

Lets hope that Thomas McCarthy, the writer/director, can keep progressing with his next film.

DVD Pick of the Week

This weekend in Northampton there is a festival dedicated to Robert Altman. So this weekend for my DVD I figured I'd pick a movie that feels like an Altman film, but was a first for one of the new-era of American directors.

P.T. Anderson's first film "Boogie Night's" was a breathe of fresh air in Hollywood when it came out. It was also a major role for Mark Wahlberg.

The movie is about the porn industry to say the least. Burt Reynolds is classy as the head honcho, and has the porn star look down pat. Along with the rest of the ensemble cast (Phillip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Heather Graham, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, and Don Cheadle).

The movie moves well, and the camera-work is strong with some of the best tracking shots in film history. the movie moves more as a character study than a simple narrative. Intertwining characters bring the ensemble together.

A strong first film from a director who has now brought all that talent to the forefront of American film with "There Will be Blood." And "Boogie Nights" was where it all started.

Weekend at Home With Movies!

This is going to be the second piece to the weekly column I will be writing for Friday's paper about the upcoming movies. This blog post will however be a DVD recommendation for the weekend, maybe 2 if it's a rainy one, that people should check out.

This week I will begin with a Norwegian film that I rented a few weeks ago, "Reprise." The movie is about two friends whoa re aspiring writers. One with all the talent, and one with the ambition. They both attempt to get published, one does, and the other doesn't. Then the talented writer (published one as well) has a nervous breakdown sue to the pressure. The other friend struggles with improving his skill and creating an original novel.

The movie moves along at a great pace. Just slow enough that when the ending comes it feels as though the movie moved in real-life time, not movie time. The characters develop and their friends develop. The movie certainly has a French feel to it with the editing, narration, and cinematography.

A great rental for anyone that will bring out the aspiring writer in all of us.

Pedovan in Boston

Newest Judd Apatow Joint Secretly Filmed in Boston

The newest Judd Apatow movie, producer of such wildly popular films as The 40 Year Old Virgin, Pineapple Express, Knocked Up and Superbad, just wrapped up filming last month in Boston reported Boston's Weekly Dig. It's so new, that it's still for the most part un-known.

What is most surprising is that this project, Pedovan, has already finished filming, yet it's not even know about on the world's favorite internet movie resource, IMDB.com . IMDB.com usually lists even rumored movies, but when a film is in production it's usually listed on there. Also surprising is the fact that I interned in Boston all summer, but didn't even get the chance to meet the man of my dreams, Apatow actor and writing genius, Seth Rogen. OK, it's not surprising, it's just downright disappointing and sad.

The movie stars Jonah Hill of Superbad fame and other Apatow films. Martin Starr, of Freaks and Geeks also has a role in the film. Saturday Night Live star, Bill Hader, and Seth Rogen reprise their Superbad like roles as dim-witted cops. There are supposedly more cameos than you can shake a stick at, including R. Kelly and Celtics star Glen Davis.

Jonah Hill's character in short in a mis-guided hipster who loves children... mistaken for a pervert. I think you get the idea.

The Dig reported that in 2006, only four films were shot in Boston. But ever since Massachusett's July 2007 credit cap on the filming industry, 88 films have been shot in or around Boston.

Right next to my home town, a Kevin James film about mall cops entitled, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, was filmed this past spring in the mall that I hung around in during high school. Movies are everywhere in the Commonwealth lately. Next time, someone just tell me when Seth Rogen is around.

Hellboy II Excedes This Movie Snobs Expectations

I must admit:Hellboy II was near the bottom of my Summer Blockbuster List. But I was moved to go see it, with the temptation of Chinese food being snuck into the theater (General Goa's Chicken, Low Mein and White Rice, yum). I was mistaken when I wrote the preview for the movie in our Summer Guide . It was the only preview I would have the time to write (the other writers spent 4 or so hours, probably more, in the Daily Collegian office, in a basement with no windows, it's a basement, on a beautiful spring afternoon at Umass). I though this sequel would be a bust, and was I sorely mistaken.

Hellboy II has been the best summer movie I have seen so far (Zohan was god awful, Get Smart got me to laugh, Iron Man rocked, The Chronicles of Narnia was like watching the Spanish and Portuguese invade South America, Indiana Jones 4 had the worst ending ever in cinema. Lucas and Spielberg love UFO's more than I love John Harvards' Rail Trail Ale, that's a lot. And whatever ones I'm forgetting.) But Hellboy II was so much fun. I ate Chinese, spit some on the floor in front of me because I was laughing so hard. The monsters rocked, and the B Movie flower/nature God was unforgettable.

Del Toro has a flair that a lot of directors need to find. He knows how to balance mediums. Collecting genuine laughs, creating unforgettable characters and executing a plot.

Hellboy II gets this snobs recommendation.


Also, Tonight is the midnight showing of "The Dark Knight" and I'm about to burst into flames because I have to wait until tomorrow night at 8:30 to see it, and not in IMAX (14 something for tickets, forget it. I am a poor camp counselor/lifeguard/swim instructor).


Have fun everyone who gets to go to the midnight showing. And everyone who will enjoy Christopher Nolan's direction like myself. He rocks. His brother rocks at writing. Go see "Following" and "Insomnia" and "Memento" and you'll understand.