Paperman

Disney has been kind to us and has uploaded Paperman to YouTube.  This was the best animated short I think I've ever seen, and I certainly hopes it wins Best Animated Short Film at the Oscars in a few weeks.  The animation is breathtaking.  Please watch and share. It was at the beginning of Wreck-it Ralph, which is my favorite movie of 2012.

Review: Hitchcock

Most  people in the world are NOT going to end up seeing this movie, which is probably a good thing.  Don't get me wrong, it was an enjoyable film, but unless you're a Hitchcock historian, I don't think you will get anything out of it except confusion.

REVIEW
The acting is pretty good, although Anthony Hopkins' character acting as Hitch is anything BUT charming.  Helen Miran is great as always.  Scarlet Johanson is good, yet she always seems to play the same character (except for The Island, which everyone should watch). 

Where this movie really shines is showing the true character of Hitchcock.  The man was obsessed with murder and killers.  I personally find his movies difficult to watch because of the dark psychology that he portrays in them.  This film is more or less a (theoretical) look into his soul.  You have to watch the movie to get what I mean, mostly because I don't want to give it away.

CONCLUSION
This movie is great for my Hitchcock friends, but I really don't think anyone besides them need to watch it.  3/5 Stars.

What's Good on Netflix: Queen of Versailles

There was quite a bit of buzz during this last summer surrounding a little known documentary called Queen of Versailles.  All of my favorite critics were giving it wicked high marks, which of course intrigued me.  Also, it's PG, so it was a win-win.  I wasn't able to find a theater showing it, but I was rather pleasantly surprised when it showed up on Netflix. 

THE GOOD
It's hard to pinpoint what is great about a documentary, mostly because I just don't watch many.  The best thing about this one, besides its excellent pacing, is that it doesn't seem to have a political agenda.  I am always wary of documentaries that claim objectivity, because they usually are anything but.  The purpose of the documentary seems to be to show how out of touch the family is and how a said out of touch family handles the recession.  It certainly succeeds in this goal.  It is so compelling and you can't keep your eyes off of it.  It's like watching the Darwin awards: you know you shouldn't, but you can't NOT do it. 

THE BAD
Although the train-wreck quality of the film is what makes it compelling, it also makes it difficult to watch.  Hollywood loves to marginalize rich people, but this glimpse is almost too much.  I don't think that all rich people are like this, and that's the impression that the film means to leave you with, for better or worse.

CONCLUSION
The film is wonderful, although my wife despised it. It has its 'squirm' moments.  Overall I give it a 3.75/5. 

Review: Silver Linings Playbook

Last Thursday morning's Oscar nominees announcement proved to be unique in a lot of ways. First, the nominees for best actress included both the oldest (Emmanuelle Riva) AND youngest (Quvenzhané Wallis) nominees in the history of the category. Second, there was a film that has nominees in all of the acting categories (Supporting/Lead Actor/Actress). This hasn't happened since 1980. The film in question has been on my to-watch list since its release, although I haven't gotten to it until now. This film is called Silver Linings Playbook, which is based on a novel that I had never heard of. 

SYNOPSIS

After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a mysterious girl with problems of her own. 

THE GOOD

This is both Bradley Cooper's and Jennifer Lawrence's best performances to date.  I wasn't as surprised with Lawrence (which is absolutely BEAUTIFUL in this film, BTW), mostly because she's the best actress in Hollywood right now.  Yet I was really shocked (along with the rest of the critical community) at Cooper's stellar performance.  If Daniel Day-Lewis hadn't done his off-the-charts performance of Lincoln this year, Cooper would be a shoe in for winning Best Actor at all the awards. Also Robert De Niro as Cooper's father was his best performance in a very long time, and gives us a glimmer of hope that he still has it in his old age. 

The story and writing are some of the most, if not THE most, compelling of the year. It has been a while since I have been captivated enough by a movie that I didn't even notice any of the cinematography or much of the music, which is exactly what this movie did to me.  Nearly every scene is well crafted and just worked, being brilliantly executed by all involved.  

THE BAD

The only objection I found was the unnecessary pervasive language. Juno, the Pixar films, and many other films have proven that an art movie can be made with high emotional intensity without the constant use of expletives.  I realize I'm a minority in this opinion, but I refuse to budge on it.  

CONCLUSION

I have revised my sure opinion that Lincoln would win Best Picture.  I still think it has a good shot, but Silver Linings Playbook punctures Spielberg's sure bet.  This movie is compelling, emotional, and EXTREMELY well acted.  Also, it is a Weinstein produced film, which often dominate awards ceremonies because of  Harvey Weinstein's ruthless Oscar campaigning techniques and prowess.  

4.5/5 stars.  

2012 Oscar Nominees and Reaction

I've become more interested in the Oscars over the years, and this year I think is my pique.  The film world was quite shocked by some of these, and I will try to explain why.  I will also underline my pick.  The last three categories I have no idea who will win and really don't care.


BEST PICTURE
Amour
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

Nothing out of the ordinary here.  All these were expected to be nominated.  And Lincoln does deserve, and probably will win.  Argo is a close second in my mind, but I still think Lincoln is a better movie.



BEST ACTOR
Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln
Hugh Jackman - Les Misérables
Joaquin Phoenix - The Master
Denzel Washington - Flight

I believe that Daniel Day-Lewis' performance here will go down in history and he deserves what will be his third Oscar.


BEST ACTRESS
Emmanuelle Riva - Amour
Naomi Watts - The Impossible
Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty
Quvenzhané Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild

I love Jennifer Lawrence, and she did way better than Jessica Chastain.  That's enough said.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alan Arkin - Argo
Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained
Robert De Niro - Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master
Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln

Out of all the performances here, Tommy Lee Jones did the best and will probably win it.  Although it is a lackluster group if you ask me.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams - The Master
Anne Hathaway - Les Misérables
Helen Hunt - The Sessions
Jacki Weaver - Silver Linings Playbook
Sally Field - Lincoln


If Anne Hathaway doesn't win this, the apocalypse will probably be the next day.  And yes, I do agree with Damon Lindelof: she should sing her acceptance speech.


BEST DIRECTOR
Michael Haneke for Amour
Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild
Ang Lee for Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg for Lincoln
David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook

This is the biggest shock because Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty), Tom Hooper (Les Misérables), AND Ben Afleck (Argo) were all snubbed.  The Director's Guild Awards (DGA) nominees included those three, which is usually an exact copy of the Oscar nods.  This mostly likely means that those three movies are also out of the running for Best Picture.

I think Steven Spielberg does deserve this and it will be third statue if he does.  And if he does, it's almost surely a lock that Lincoln will win best picture.


ORIGINAL SCREENPLY
John Gatins for Flight
Mark Boal for Zero dark Thirty
Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained
Michael Haneke for Amour
Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola for Moonrise Kingdom

I think this is where ZDT will get its love from the Academy, especially since it probably won't take home any of the other categories.  I haven't seen Amour, but I doubt I will like it more than I enjoyed ZDT.  It was a tight script.


ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Chris Terrio for Argo
Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild
David Magee for Life of Pi
Tony Kushner for Lincoln
David O. Russel for Silver Linings Playbook

I think Tony Kusher will win the category, but I think Chris Terrio deserves this one.  It was a much better put together screenplay.  No surprises in these noms.


VISUAL EFFECTS
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Life of Pi
Marvel's The Avengers
Prometheus
Snow White and the Huntsman

I think the Hobbit Visual effects were out of this world awesome, especially the scene with Gollum. But, I think Life of Pi will win it, because it also was very good and I think the Academy is more predisposed to Ang Lee's work here.


SOUND EDITING
Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Skyfall
Zero Dark Thirty

I sincerely have no idea who will win this or who I think should win it.  All I think is I'm glad that The Dark Knight Rises wasn't nominated: the sound in that movie was awful.  It would be fun to see Skyfall win.


SOUND MIXING
Argo
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Skyfall

Same thing: I have no idea.


PRODUCTION DESIGN
Anna Karenina
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln

I don't think there's any doubt that Lincoln deserves this one.  Everyone I've spoken to that have seen this movie said that it was the most immersive experience they've ever had in a movie theater.


FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Amour
Kon-Tiki
No
A Royal Affair
War Witch

I haven't seen any of these, but it's assumed that Amour will win.


MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Hitchcock
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Misérables

I think this is where the musical takes one home.  I despised the movie, but the makeup was brilliant.


MUSIC - ORIGINAL SCORE
Anna Karenina
Argo
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Skyfall

It would be beyond a travesty if John Williams didn't win this category.  His score for Lincoln is his best since The Patriot, and the year's best for sure.


MUSIC - ORIGINAL SONG
"Before my Time" from Chasing Ice
"Everybody Needs a Best Friend" from Ted
"Pi's Lullaby" from Life of Pi
"Skyfall" from Skyfall
"Suddenly" from Les Misérables

Adele's Skyfall wins for sure.


FILM EDITING
Argo
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

Not sure which will win here, although Argo was the tightest movie of the year, so I think it deserves it.


DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
5 Broken Cameras
The Gatekeepers
How to Survive a Plague
The Invisible War
Searching for Sugar Man

Haven't seen any of these.


COSTUME DESIGN
Anna Karenina
Les Miserables
Lincoln
Mirror Mirror
Snow White and the Huntsman

I think that the civil war era stuff wins here.


CINEMATOGRAPHY
Anna Karenina
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Skyfall

This was the hardest category for me to choose, because Skyfall was beautifully shot as well.  In the end, I felt that Lincoln's cinematography was more expressive, and not just beautiful (although it was brilliantly beautiful as well).


ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Brave
Frankenweenie
ParaNorman
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Wreck-It Ralph

This was the happiest category for me (I audibly cheered when I heard it) because both ParaNorman and Wreck-It Ralph were nominated.  Those that follow my blog know that these are two of my favorite movies of the year and I think that Wreck-it Ralph is the best movie to hit cinemas in the last 3 years or so.  I doubt it will win, but one can hope.


SHORT FILM -ANIMATED
Adam and Dog
Fresh Guacamole
Head over Heels
Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare"


SHORT FILM - LIVE ACTION
Asad 
Buzkashi Boys
Curefew
Death of a Shadow
Henry


DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Inocente
Kings Point
Mondays at Racine
Open Heart
Rademption

Review: The Guilt Trip

I debated with myself as to whether or not to use the phrase 'Babs is back' as a subtitle, but I found that most folks don't associate the nickname Babs with Barbara Streisand (a tragedy, I know).  However, it is important to note that this is Streisand's first leading role in over 15 years.  And it did cross my mind more than once: out of all movies to put her in, why a Seth Rogen movie?  Well, Richard Roeper and the critics at What The Flick really liked it (which I was shocked about because it's only at 32% on the Tomatometer), so I decided to give it a shot.

THE GOOD
The chemistry between Babs and Rogen is surprisingly good.  They make the mother-son relationship totally believable.  It isn't hard to buy that they really are a typical strong-personalitied dysfunctional family.

Barbara just shines, as she always has and always will.  It's not very believeable that she's a common New Jersey widow because she just pops off the screen.  She is just flat out entertaining to watch.

Seth Rogen's character was more subtle than anything I've ever seen him in, and this is probably the best acting I personally have ever seen him do.  That being said, he still has his Rogen smirk, which was a little out of place.

THE BAD
The story is a bit predictable.  Nothing more really needs to be said about that.

The score is REALLY out of place.  It feels like an early 2000's live Disney movie.  I love the composer, Christopher Beck, but I really think they should've gone with someone more subtle.

CONCLUSION
It was a fun movie, with Babs really stealing the show.  I sincerely can't fathom why it has such a low score at Rotten Tomatoes (perhaps it's because it was sold as one thing in the trailers and the press and it turned out to be entirely different).  3.5/5 Stars. I recommend it.

TV Review: The first 8 episodes of Nashville

Out of the big three networks (CBS, ABC, NBC), the front runner is ABC, at least with regard to picking the best dramas.  They must have someone up top that has brilliant instincts for what will work and what won't.  LOST was the best network television program since The West Wing, and I contend that Once Upon a Time is currently the best show on non-cable television.

An example of ABC's prowess last season was Revenge.  I felt it started out as one of the best, a modern-day Count of Monte Cristo.  However, it eventually ended up in soap opera land.  This caused me to be naturally skeptical of any new shows that even smelled like soap, i.e. Nashville.  Then I learned that it had its own soundtrack of original songs performed by the actual cast.  This intrigued me, and piqued my interest enough to cause me to watch the Pilot episode.  I was happy to find that it stays true to ABC's reputation of brilliant drama.

THE GOOD
The acting is the best acting I've seen in a very long time on television.  Each of the characters are very complex and deep, with the actors portraying them with signature subtlety.  Mark my words, there is not a sore thumb among the main cast.  Each of them give Emmy-worthy performances.  Clare Bowen's character is sweetly vulnerable, and only once did I actually second guess that the actress might not be from the South (she's Australian, if you can believe it).  Connie Briton as the lead is just as resplendent and extremely likable.  Hayden Panettiere's Juliet Barnes was such a shock; I just couldn't believe how amazing she was, although I won't be surprised if she walks away with a golden statue for her performance.

The writing is also top-notch.  The dialogue and storytelling is probably the best on television right now.  It's very subtle, which seems to be the name of the game these days in regards to quality.  Only Once Upon a Time has better Spielbergian emotional payoffs.

The original music is great.  It really helps the mood of the show.  I purchased the soundtrack and listen to it a lot.

THE BAD
The series dipped its toe into soap-opera-land for one or two episodes, but it's now back on track.  I hope that it will stay good.

CONCLUSION
Nashville is the best new series on network television, with Elementary coming in a close second.  I can't say it's necessarily family friendly, but it's a very light PG-13 (it's listed as TV-PG).  4.75/5 stars.

Review: Alex Cross

It was time to catch up on the 'worst-of-the-year' list, and Alex Cross was available for me to watch.  I'd never seen a Tyler Perry movie, nor a movie based on James Patterson's character Alex Cross (apparently there are two other films previously released with Morgan Freeman in the lead role).  It was on multiple 'worst-of-the-year' lists, so I thought it time to take my medicine and watch it.

SYNOPSIS
Alex Cross is an African-American version of Sherlock Holmes: he can take in ridiculous amounts of details, making him a brilliant detective.  Eventually he comes up against a sociopath assassin whom he profiles wrong, with lethal results.

THE GOOD
Matthew Fox as the bad guy here was pretty good.  He lost A LOT of weight to do the role, and I think that successfully distracted me from think of the countless hours I viewed him as Jack on Lost.

The action scenes were pretty good, although nothing to write home about.

THE BAD
Tyler freaking Perry is the worst part of this film.  Whoever decided that he should play the lead role should be run out of town.  He just cannot act!  The scenes where we were supposed to believe that he is a Sherlock-type character, all I did was see a man who was reading lines.  His 'heart-wrenching' scenes felt exactly the same.  He has almost no variance in his emotions.  But, I can't be too harsh because he makes a lot more money than I do.

Alex Cross's partner was actually worse.  It felt like he was taken from a bad TV pilot that never got the green light.

CONCLUSION
I really feel like if they would've put even a little more effort into this movie, it could have been way better.  As it stands, it is quite awful.  It just shows that book-to-movie translation is extremely difficult and should only be done if it has blockbuster potential (i.e. Harry Potter, Twilight, etc.).  1/5 Stars.

Top 13 Under PG-13 for 2012

Not sure how many of you know this about me, but I'm LDS, or 'Mormon' as most know us.  And as a Mormon, I usually don't watch R-Rated films.  As a result, there are lots of movies that I haven't seen, won't be able to see until they're on DVD, and therefore wouldn't be on any a top ten of the year list.  So, I've decided to take a suggestion from my childhood friend, Aaron B., and do a Top 13 Under PG-13 list.  Without further introduction, here it is.

13. JOHN CARTER

It's unfortunate that this film was DOA.  I'm not really sure why, but the critical narrative was written before the film was even screened, and that narrative was basically that this movie was the worst thing to come out of Disney since Pirates 3.  I went in with low expectations and I ended up really liking it. Lynn Collins (Deja Thorus) is my pick for best unknown actress of the year.

The Good

• Amazing special effects
• Great acting by everyone, with one exception.
• Sci-fi at its best

The Bad

• Taylor Kitsch was horribly miscast
• The pacing is a little off at times

12. BRAVE

This was an interesting year for Disney-Pixar in that Pixar did a princess movie and Disney did the creative movie.  Apologies to my friend Zach B. that this isn't higher on the list.

The Good

• BEAUTIFUL animation
• One of the best soundtracks of the year
• great voice acting

The Bad

• Very Strange twist that destroyed the momentum 

11. THE HUNGER GAMES

Great film, and fairly accurate interpretation of the book.  I'm a sucker for anyting with Jennifer Lawrence in it.  She's one of the best actresses in Hollywood right now and needs an Academy Award (thought she won't win it for this).

The Good

• Great acting by Jennifer Lawrence
• Beautifully shot
• Great Story

The Bad

• It didn't give me the same sense of despair or repression I got when I read the book
• The supporting cast were sore thumbs next to Lawrence

10. RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

This one met expectations.  There were several critics who didn't care for it.  I thought it was great and did exactly what it wanted to.  Hearing Hugh Jackman in his native Australian was fantastic.

The Good

• Great message
• Great voice acting
• Great animation

The Bad

• Alec Baldwin trying to do a Russian accent
• There are times when it feels too much like a Dreamworks movie

9. SKYFALL

This one was a bit of a let down.  It was really good, but the way that folks raved about it seems unjustified.  I still rank GoldFinger and Casino Royale as the best Bond movies.

The Good

• Just beautiful cinematography
• Best Bond villain ever
• Best Daniel Craig performance

The Bad

• Didn't feel like a Bond film to me
• The world didn't hang in the balance

8. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

The formula was one for success here, and it delivered.  The director, the actors, the music were ALL better than the previous trilogy, IMO.

The Good

• Chemistry between Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield was off the charts
• Endearingly funny and brilliant sense of timing
• Andrew Garfield is an amazing Spider-man
• BEST. STAN. LEE. CAMEO. EVER.

The Bad

• Climax sequence was too sappy
• The villain was mediocre
• The action scenes were sub-par

7. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Easily the most anticipated film of the year for me.  Did it meet my ridiculously high expectations?  No.  It is, however, still a great movie that can be viewed multiple times.

The Good

• Acting on all counts is phenomenal
• Just gorgeously shot
• A fine ending to the franchise

The Bad

• The music feels forced and too loud
• The big reveal, although interesting, really deflates the story
• It has plot holes the size of Gotham City

6. SALMON FISHING IN YEMEN
You probably haven't even heard of this film.  It's based on a true story about a rich sheikh's fantasy of being able to fish salmon in, you guessed it, Yemen.  I highly recommend this movie if you don't mind a slower pace and aren't my sister Sarah. Emily Blunt is also on my favorite actresses list and she really does great in this movie.

The Good

• Brilliant acting by all, especially Ewan Mcgregor and Emily Blunt.
• Great Story
• Raw emotions

The Bad

• Slower pace than some might like

5. THE HOBBIT

I was pleasantly surprised with this one.  Many folks just despised it, undeservedly in my opinion. I've said it once, I'll say it again: the source material isn't as good as the original trilogy, therefore this movie isn't going to be as good.  Could it have been better?  Yeah.  But I still enjoyed it, even a second viewing with my dad. 

The Good

• Martin Freeman nails it as Bilbo
• The soundtrack was wonderful
• Really great payoffs

The Bad

• The brown wizard. Enough said.

4. PARANORMAN

This movie is a treat.  I really can't say enough good things about it.  It is one of the best claymation films ever made (I'm still upset that it wasn't nominated for the Best Animated Feature Golden Globe).

The Good

• Teaches an amazing lesson
• Absolutely hilarious
• Great visuals

The Bad

• Questionable zombie humor

3. THE AVENGERS

Either this movie was going to rock, or it was going to die a horrible death and destroy Marvel's movie-making prospects.  It exceeded all expectations and finally gave Joss Whedon the world-wide acclaim that he has deserved for so long. 

The Good

• Best ensemble acting I've ever witnessed
• Amazing action scenes
• Hulk

The Bad

• Samuel L. Jackson's character isn't as deep as it could be

2. LINCOLN

Most who know me, know that I'm a sap for Spielberg.  The man can do no wrong in my eyes, and in this particular movie my eyes filled with tears more than once.  I've seen it twice now, and I'm convinced it will go down in history as the definitive movie about ANY President.  I have never been so moved by a movie. 

The Good

• Best soundtrack of the year
• Best acting by a leading man in the last 5 or so years
• So beautifully shot
• The design/costumes are spot on. You really feel like you're there
• The most moving experience I've ever had in a movie theater

The Bad

• It's quite slow to get going but worth it

1. WRECK-IT RALPH

Usually a film hits one, or maybe two, or the following: 1) is polished, 2) has a great payoff, 3) is really creative, or 4) is just fun.  It is so rare to have a film that has all of the above, but Wreck-It Ralph is the first one to do it since Toy Story 3.  It is a masterpiece, and I can't recommend it enough. 

The Good

• The most clever writing in a very long time
• The best voice acting in a very long time (Sarah Silverman deserves an award for it)
• Great music
• It makes you feel for the characters that most movies dream of doing

The Bad

• Nothing.  It's amazing.