Mother (Madeo)

Last night I saw the Korean film Madeo (Mother) with my friend Mark. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. It was intense, and thrilling, and held my attention until the end. I really enjoyed the questions it raised, not so much about life, but just about what exactly happened. There were many mysteries left unanswered. You get to write your own ending. The acting was superb, which surprised me because I tend to find that foreign film acting disappoints me. This is not because the acting is "bad", it is just set against different standards in the home country. Good acting in Japan is different from good acting in France is different from good acting in America. Still, I usually avoid foreign films for this reason, but Mother had accrued such a buzz that I could not pass it up. I was not disappointed. The story was totally believable and the cinematography was beautiful and built suspense very well. The editing was clever, and I appreciated the inner struggle that came to life within the actors. It was one of the best psychological thrillers I've seen all year, far better than Chloe. I would recommend it to anyone who does not mind reading subtitles for two hours. :)

KICK-ASS

WOAH! There aren't words to describe this film. It had everything I like and THEN some. It was like a mix of Sin City, Kill Bill, and Superbad. Totally awesome. And it was also super heartfelt as well. The best thing this movie did was not take itself too seriously. It's what made it enjoyable. If it was trying to be this bad-ass movie it would have been laughed at. Instead, we laughed WITH the movie the whole way through. The actors really had a handle on their characters and the humor involved, especially Chloe Moretz (as seen previously in 500 Days of Summer and Diary of a Wimpy Kid). This is a super talented young actress who is like a more quirky, sarcastic version of Dakota Fanning. In fact, I totally doubt that Fanning could pull off the role as well. Nicolas Cage surprised me by actually doing a good acting job and making me laugh. And Mark Strong delivered a (sorry) strong performance. And so did Christopher Mintz-Plasse! He can be someone other than McLovin! Granted, the character was not TOO far away, but at least I know he has some potential. And the other guys weren't too bad either. The art direction was simply superb. They did a good job of making it look like a comic book without resorting to cheesy bright colored backgrounds and cutting the scene in half all the time. Instead, they made the background almost look animated. But the real reason I could tell it was a good movie? It seemed to go by quickly and slowly at the same time. It was getting toward the end, and I thought to myself, so much happened, but it can't be over now! And the ending puts a nice button on it, cliffhanger and all. Can't wait for the sequel! (Maybe I'll dress up!)

How to Train Your Dragon

This is the best animated film I've seen since Finding Nemo. It was better than Up, better than Shrek, better than most animated movies. This is because it was smart, original, and touching. And it wasn't touching because of a formula that the company has worked up to make families sit in the theaters with tears in their eyes (*ahemPixarahem*). The voice actors genuinely made me care about the characters. And I haven't seen that since Finding Nemo. Sorry, Pixar, but something is just... a little too cutesy about your films. There wasn't a cliché line in this one. The animation was another thing. Absolutely fantastic. In 3D, with all the flying, I felt myself being lifted out of my seat. I would recommend this movie to anyone, kid and adult alike. Pixar, watch your back, Dreamworks is gaining on you. You got some serious competition next Oscar season.

Chloe

I went to see this movie knowing absolutely nothing about it. I usually never do this, not as a principle or anything; I am in the habit of reading Entertainment Weekly, so I usually pick up brief synopses about the movies whether I am intending to or not. But of this movie I had only heard a whole lot of buzz. I knew Amanda Seyfried was in it, along with Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson. So I went to see it with an open mind, thinking that at the very least it would be something to talk about afterward, even if it turned out to be a disappointment.

I still don't know how I feel about it! I don't know whether to be confused or amazed; entranced or disgusted; impressed or repulsed. Overall, the acting performances were strong and it was a very clever script. The plot had lots of delicious twists and turns (but I admit, I saw a lot of them coming). It was super edgy, and because of that I was taken out of the movie at times. It was almost designed to shock. It didn't seem natural. It was as if the director was rubbing the scandal in our faces. I enjoyed the movie a lot up until the end where the main character (Chloe) did something quite (in my opinion) out of character. It just didn't gel with what her character had been known to do up until that point. The film also had quite an abrupt ending. I think it was meant to make the audience think, but it really just left me with a blank stare on my face as the credits rolled.

I talked about the film afterward with my friends Eric and Michael. We all agreed that the problem was there was no character arc in the whole film. All the characters remained in one place, exactly how they were at the start of the movie. We see no change in any of them. It is the plot that winds its way around the stagnancy of the characters. This was disappointing, as many of the characters were very intriguing, but when examined closely they were either boring or underdeveloped (to no fault of the actors; they simply weren't written to have anything beneath a curious surface). It's funny; the movie was interesting, yet completely boring at the same time. Once we riddled out the plot, there was no meaning to it at all! A strange film...

Dejá Vu

Just saw The Runaways again last night it was so good. Like I said, GO OUT AND SEE IT. You will NOT be disappointed.

Mostly I just watched Kristen Stewart more, because Dakota Fanning really steals the show the first time you watch it. This time I focused on Kristen Stewart and was blown away by what I saw.

The Runaways

This movie pleasantly surprised me in more ways than one. From the reviews I read, (which all graded the movie within a B range), I gathered that the reviewers were of the opinion that the movie focused too much on the individual characters and not enough on the feeling of the age. It was too character driven, they said, and missed out on an opportunity to showcase an entire decade of music history. I would just like to point out that the title of the movie is "The Runaways", not "A Brief History of Rock and Roll in the mid-70's". I was completely satisfied with the movie because I got exactly what I expected (the story of the band and the two most famous women who made it up) and most times a great deal more. I would recommend this movie to anyone. If the film were a history of rock and roll, then only people who appreciate that kind of music would be interested in seeing it. But this film goes beyond that; it is a tale of adolescence, of growing up and finding out who you are, who you want to be. I absolutely loved Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning's portrayal of Joan Jett and Cherie Currie. Both actresses eclipsed all work they'd done in the past, and I've seen a lot of both actress' work. People always give Kristen Stewart a tough time about her acting. I ask those people to take a look at the roles she's been given: they're not oscar-nominated screenplays, huh? Those roles are either cliché or poorly written altogether. She has not had her chance to prove herself with an awesome character and a well-written script. In The Runaways she does and she gives an understated yet powerful performance. As for Dakota Fanning, I can only wonder where she gets her inspiration. How a 15-year-old with, to my knowledge, no experience with drugs can give such a believable performance of a drug addict is beyond me. It is baffling (in a good way). She blew me away. The artistic direction gave the movie the grunge feel of the era, and the costumes were superb and in most cases exactly mimicked what the real artists wore; no liberties were taken. The reviews may have lamented the fact that music history was not represented thoroughly enough, but I was more than satisfied with The Runaways' story of teenage success, rebellion, and survival.

Shutter Island

I've seen Shutter Island twice and I enjoyed it both times. The second time was actually more fun because I knew the surprise ending and could look for the hints about it, the clues that led up to the twist! With the exception of corny lines at times (but it was set in the 50s, so that is to be expected...) and SUPER disturbing subject matter that made me bawl my eyes out during the last 30 minutes I loved the film. I LOVED the cinematography and the art direction; there were some beautiful visuals! Overall, for a Scorsese film, it was a little below average; why, I couldn't say. I really don't know why I thought it was subpar compared to The Departed and Mystic River, but it was. That doesn't make it a bad film. A below-average Scorsese film is still a superb film. Overall, the performances were brilliant. Leo is always spectacular; it's almost annoying how good of an actor he is. Ben Kingsley was wonderful, so chilling. His calm manner compels you to listen. Mark Ruffalo gave a surprisingly understated performance that is awesome to watch the second time around. The only week link I'd say is Michelle Williams. She really only comes into her own at the end of the film. Granted, her character is not particularly written very well until the last half hour and she just has random appearances all over the place and we're not quite sure who she is as a character. So... you have to take that into account. As an actress, I like her very much. She just had an awkward role. I'd recommend this movie to everyone but the people who are easily upset by traumatic events (there are SO many!) Go see it. You won't be disappointed.

THE RESULTS!

I'm sorry I'm so late in posting the Academy Awards results! I've had to do some Midterms work. Ick.

BEST PICTURE: The Hurt Locker

BEST DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow

BEST ACTOR: Jeff Bridges

BEST ACTRESS: Sandra Bullock

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christoph Waltz

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Mo'nique

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: Up

BEST FOREIGN FILM: El Secreto de sus Ojos (Argentina)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Mark Boal 'The Hurt Locker'

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Geoffrey Fletcher 'Precious'

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: The Cove

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Up

BEST ORIGINAL SONG: The Weary Kind- Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett (Crazy Heart)

BEST FILM EDITING: The Hurt Locker

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Avatar

BEST COSTUME DESIGN: The Young Victoria

BEST ART DIRECTION: Avatar

BEST MAKEUP: Star Trek

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Avatar (Big surprise!)

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Short Subject): Music by Prudence

BEST SHORT FILM (Animated): Logorama

BEST SHORT FILM (Live Action): The New Tenants (Yay!)

BEST SOUND EDITING: The Hurt Locker

BEST SOUND MIXING: The Hurt Locker


So, apparently I underestimated The Hurt Locker! I'm certainly happy that Avatar only received the awards it deserved. And I'm happy that my favorite Live Action Short Film won! Overall, I learned that even if you watch all the movies you will only be able to predict a couple more categories than if you only watch about a quarter (as I have in years past). It was still an amazing time! I love being able to truly appreciate who won and why, having seen all the entries! Thanks for sticking with me, faithful readers (I actually have no idea how many people have seen this blog or even regularly check it out!) But I will continue to report on movies I see during this year, especially ones that appear to be Oscar-worthy. I intend to watch more movies over the course of the year so I don't have to squeeze them all in at the last minute! Up next: my review of Shutter Island (no spoilers, I promise!)

Up!

I believe the only Best Picture-nominated film I have not talked about is "Up!" So here we go! I loved this movie. A lot of people thought it was a step down from Pixar's work, but I simply think it was a step in another direction that was not necessarily backwards. It was an exploration. I happened to thoroughly enjoy a movie about a young boy, an old man, and a talking dog. I ended up seeing it three or four times (this is incidental; first, I saw it with my boyfriend; then I saw it at my sister's birthday party; then it was playing at Sibling Day at NYU; you see how it happened). I didn't mind seeing it so many times at all. It never got old. That being said, I have to wonder if the general consensus at Hollywood is the same as the general consensus of my friends. I do not think there is any way it will take Best Picture (I feel like I'm saying that a lot lately...), not with all the heavy hitters in that category. It will almost definitely take Best Animated Picture, although Fantastic Mr. Fox (which was FANTASTIC, by the way) might come from behind and grab it. It also has chances for its jaunty Original Score, and a teeeensy chance of Original Screenplay, although, I have decided that that will probably go to Inglourious Basterds. All in all, I think Up can rest easy and expect the Best Animated Feature Film to come winging its way. After all, the Academy LOVES Pixar. I mean, who doesn't, honestly?

District 9

District 9 is, I feel, the movie most likely to be looked over in the Academy Awards. I don't think it has a chance for Best Picture or Best Adapted Screenplay. It's best chance is Film Editing. It might be tossed that just to recognize it. As for me, I thought it was a very well-done film. I liked the originality of the plot; rarely do you see alien movies where the aliens are the victims. I also thought the acting was surprisingly good, especially with first-time actors. The effects were, well, effective, and the only thing I can say against it is that the shaky camera technique really does get old after a while. I know they were going for the documentary feel, but seriously, too much is only good for nausea. I read that they used a lot of improvisation work with the actors; making up a lot of the lines. This gave the dialogue a very authentic feel. Overall, a fantastic movie, especially in a directorial debut.

Live-Action Shorts (Spoiler Alert in

Today I saw the Oscar Nominated Live-Action Shorts in succession at the IFC Center (which has now become my favorite cinema due to the fact that their popcorn is organic and their butter is REAL BUTTER). The films are:

Kavi (India) A boy in a slave-compound has to decide between freedom and finding his parents.

The New Tenants (Denmark) Two new tenants in an apartment complex receive a rude welcoming when a crazed drug addict bursts in their door and demands to know where his heroin is.

Miracle Fish (Australia) A boy who just turned 8 has the run of a school when a lunatic invading the school causes all the children but the boy to be evacuated.

The Door (Ireland) A man has to steal back his own door so that he can use it to bury his dead daughter.

Instead of Abracadabra (Sweden) A loser living with his parents comes into his own when he starts performing magic at birthday parties.

Of the five films (which were all spectacular; I would recommend them to everyone!) I liked The New Tenants and Miracle Fish the best. It's hard to tell which one will take the Oscar. The New Tenants was quirky and refreshing (and didn't rely on a cute kid to gain sympathy). I loved the farcical plot and the spectacular acting. The ending was a little strange though. I really like movies to which you don't know how to react. At one point I think I was laughing AND crying.

Miracle Fish was refreshing because the screenplay was impressive and it was pretty understated for a story that was so dramatic. It showed life as simply as it could. I really appreciated the easy acting and the piece of the film where there was no dialogue; the camera just followed the boy around the school.

If I had to choose one of the films to win I would choose The New Tenants simply because it held my attention the most. There was an excellent amount of tension and all the actors brought something to the film. I also liked it because it wasn't sentimental at all, as was Kavi (sooooo much!) and The Door. I think The New Tenants will take it, unless the Academy is more partial to something more dramatic; in which case, Miracle Fish will take it.

Up in the Air

Sadly, I think that Up in the Air may just get snubbed all around. I really enjoyed this movie; I enjoyed its easy pace and understated acting (by Vera Farmiga and George Clooney; the part played by Anna Kendrick required a little more farcical energy). But alas, it pains me to say that I do not think it will win Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, or Best Supporting Actress. I think the most it can hope for is Best Original Screenplay. Its only competition in that field is Precious and An Education. I think that is what it might be given, which is unfortunate seeing as it was a very solidly put together movie. It was a complete package and I have admired this in Jason Reitman's work for years. I just don't think it has enough "oomph" to push it past the frontrunners in the top categories. Best of luck, Mr. Reitman, and just so you know, I LOVED Juno (which, incidentally, was awarded Best Original Screenplay and nothing else...)

Inglourious Basterds

It is very hard to say whether or not Inglourious Basterds will be graced with an Academy Award (other than Best Supporting Actor, which I think, it is safe to say, is in the bag for Christoph Waltz). Best Picture is a long shot, not because it is an underdog of a film; to the contrary, it is quite the powerhouse. It's just that it seems to me that Hollywood has a bit of a grudge against Quentin Tarantino. Not a grudge because he's done anything per se, but simply because he's SO different and SO crazy. He doesn't quite play by the rules. With the exception of recognizing Pulp Fiction as having an excellent screenplay in 1994, Tarantino has never been honored for being an exceptional director or creating spectacular films. This has to change. If he gets stuck with Original Screenplay this year I will be very disappointed. I hope the Academy at LEAST throws in Best Cinematography. I can't hope for Picture or Director, not with Cameron and Bigelow in the mix, but I really hope that Basterds sweeps a lot of lower level awards. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the master of making violence a true spectacle, entertainment as gore. You gotta love it. :)

An Education

An Education was my favorite film of the year, yes, even more so than Inglourious Basterds. Crazy, right, seeing as I'm such a huge Quentin Tarantino fan! But alas, this small film won me over. It won me over because it made me think. After Inglourious Basterds I just sat around with my boyfriend Steve recounting the awesome scenes filled with tension or the hilarious lines. But this movie made me think for hours afterward. About women and their choices in society. About the dangers for women still apparent in the world. About the value of an education. It was spectacular. I loved everything about it: the acting, the screenplay, the cinematography. I'd nominate it for everything if I could. As it stands, it is nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. I would seriously give it Best Picture if I could. I hope that it at least gets Adapted Screenplay, just to be appreciated. Helen Mirren should, in reality, get Best Actress. And I really hope that Hurt Locker gets Picture, at least to keep it from the unworthy, in my mind, Avatar. I have a sinking feeling that An Education will not get anything, but at least it has been recognized; therefore, more people will see it, as they should. I can't describe how much I love this movie. It spoke to me as a movie has not spoken to me in ages. Everyone, and I mean everyone, should see this film.

Avatar

It is time, my friends, to talk about the behemoth that is Avatar. When I first went to see it, I had pretty low expectations. I was not one of the massive multitude who were so excited they painted themselves blue and bought the merchandise BEFOREHAND. I just went with my family over the holidays and tried to keep an open mind. And I was pleasantly surprised. The effects WERE stunning, the visuals WERE breathtaking; in short, Avatar was everything it had promised in the commercials. It did NOT promised, however, to have a great screenplay, an original plot, or stellar acting. The only thing that set this movie apart from others for me was its visual effects. Therefore, I do not think that it deserves to win Best Picture. For me, Best Picture means the most well-rounded, polished, and "full" movie. A movie that has all the pieces assembled in such a way as to leave me wanting nothing after leaving the theater. An Education was that movie. Inglourious Basterds was that movie. Precious was that movie. Avatar was not that movie.

I do have to hand it to James Cameron, though. That must have been a b*tch to direct. And thus, he deserves the Best Director Oscar. It was a HUGE undertaking and he did VERY well with it. I do think he should be recognized for his hard work in this respect. Did he make an Oscar worthy film? Not by my standards. Did he work his butt off and give us something that was groundbreaking and awesome? Yes. So he should be recognized.

That is my opinion about Avatar. Take it or leave it. In my book Best Picture is not just the one with the best visual effects or the one that was shot in 3-D. It is far more than that.

Two for One Special in Honor of Watching Them ALL!

I rounded off my Oscar nominated movie watching spree with In The Loop and The Last Station. I wish I had watched them in reverse order because one was so funny, and the other was so sad!

In The Loop unfortunately has a lot of really good writing running against it. An Education was brilliant, Up in the Air, candid and heartwarming, Precious, powerful and hardhitting, and District 9, innovative and real. It was hilarious; it's true, but the schtick got old fast. It's often that way with British comedy I find. I feel like the whole movie was made up of one liners. Some characters made me imagine the writers holed up in their offices coming up with the most insane thing they could find for this ridiculous man to say. Therefore, the only times he got a laugh from me was when he threw in a pop culture reference that was priceless. His dialogue got old fast. For me, I don't think it will be enough to snag the Oscar. Maybe I just can't handle British humor in such large doses (don't get me wrong, I love a good Monty Python skit any day), but either way, I think the Adapted Screenplay Oscar should go to An Education or Precious. Sorry, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche!

The Last Station was both a good thing for me to see and an unfortunate thing for me to see. It was good because I saw some of the best acting I've seen all year, and it was bad because I will now start throwing things if Sandra Bullock walks away from the Oscars with a golden statuette. I'm sorry, I love her, but it HAS to go to Helen Mirren. It just has to. Words can't describe the raw emotion that she exuded. Every line held vast meaning. Every word gave us a glimpse into her soul. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. As for Christopher Plummer, even though his performance was admirable in many ways, I really think there's very little chance of his walking away with a golden man. It must go to Cristoph Waltz. I feel like everyone who has seen his work as Hans Landa can attest to that. It was nice to watch such a venerable actor work with such charged work as Tolstoy! I enjoyed every minute of the movie. I mean, his LIFE was a Russian tragedy! It started out great, and then came the family drama that did not relent until the very last minute. A powerful movie to sit through, the kind where you feel drained at the end from investing so much emotional energy into it!

The Blind Side

I saw this a while ago, but it is still fresh in my mind. The Blind Side surprised me. I thought it would be a fluffy feel-good film about people being nice to each other and learning acceptance. It was far more complicated than that; not in plot (the plot was, essentially, a feel-good film about people being nice to each other and learning acceptance). The emotions were real. They weren't fake. They showed every side of the characters. I felt I knew this family and who they were. I did not roll my eyes at their generosity; I was genuinely touched by it. I don't think this film was hard-hitting or original enough to win Best Picture. I am not even one hundred percent sure that it would be nominated if we were still using the (better) five film system. But I do think that Sandra Bullock did one of the best performances of her career flawlessly and effortlessly and deserves to win. Not because she has had it coming for years (although I'm sure that is why most academy members will vote for her), but because when I looked at this woman, I did not see Sandra Bullock; I saw Mrs. Leigh Anne Touhy. It is very difficult for an actress of her renown to get so lost in a character, but she pulled it off; especially when the character is not quite so different from herself. Meryl Streep has had her turn in the spotlight (several turns, actually), and so has Helen Mirren. Both Gabourey Sidibe and Carey Mulligan are young, and in the Academy's mind, have time to do other spectacular performances that can be recognized. I think Bullock may just walk away with it. And that would be fine with me (although, I wouldn't complain if it went to Carey Mulligan).

A Serious Man

When it comes to the Coen brothers' films, it is either love or hate with me. A Serious Man leaned toward the latter with me. I just didn't care about any of the characters. I didn't feel any sympathy for any of them. They either annoyed me, confused me, or made me grimace. The movie was well done, to be sure, but I just didn't gain anything from it. It didn't seem to have a message except for... don't go looking to your faith for answers because you will only get more muddled. I'm told it is a modern day adaptation of the story of Job, God testing him by putting him through all this crap. I don't care what it's an adaptation of, it still just... didn't make sense to me. It's always the same: Raising Arizona, hated it (although I tend to hate anything with Nicolas Cage); Fargo, loved it; O, Brother, Where Art Thou?, hated it; No Country For Old Men, loved it. And so it goes. It was just my turn to hate one of their movies, I suppose. There's no chance of it winning best picture. It was too quiet of a film. I really don't think it will swipe Original Screenplay, either. I think that will go to either The Hurt Locker or Inglourious Basterds. So... it may have been nominated, and to be sure, the Coen Brothers are sophisticated film makers, but overall, I couldn't appreciate that movie. The most I have to say for it is it got a good grasp of the time period and the mentality of people living in the early 70's. That is all.

A Single Man

I thoroughly enjoyed A Single Man. I enjoyed it almost as much as An Education. It was very carefully done and it was truthful without being sentimental. Set during the witch hunt for commies, it shows a gay man dealing with the loss of his lover. It was reminiscent of a Greek tragedy not in the subject matter, but in the fact that the main action all took place within a day (not counting various flashbacks). We get such a small glimpse into this man's life, and yet, through Colin Firth's wonderfully truthful and raw performance, we feel we've known him so much longer. The film was pretty heartbreaking; it is during a time when so many people had to keep their lives a secret. People were either hiding or hunting. Nicholas Hoult, the actor playing Kenny, a student of George's (Colin Firth's character), is, first of all, absolutely gorgeous and did an excellent job playing the perceptive, open boy. I enjoyed all the performances in this movie. Julianne Moore was spectacular as the alcoholic childhood friend of George's. It was actually her portrayal of a woman who just wants to be wanted again that affected me the most. Overall, a very well acted movie, and the cinematography was absolutely beautiful. The movie captured the feel of the 60's and I was swept away with the tense, yet free-falling feeling of the whole film. As for Oscar wins, Colin Firth may be the only man who could steal the Oscar from Jeff Bridges, in my humble opinion. It had a beautiful score, but was not nominated. Julianne Moore missed out on the nom for supporting actress, which is a shame. I'm surprised the film didn't get more attention, but it was quietly done overall, which I appreciated. I could go into it without expectations, which tend to wreck an experience. Two thumbs up from me, though, if it means anything. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Precious

Two weeks ago I saw three movies: Precious, A Single Man, and A Serious Man. It's taken me forever to find time to write about them. But one at a time! Today's movie: Precious. First of all, this was much more depressing than I thought it would be. I knew the basic plot line, including the horrific elements of it, before I saw it, but I never expected such intense performances from Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'nique. Were it not for the truthful, powerful, and heartbreaking performances that these two women gave, the movie would not be the same. It would have been far weaker. Again, as with so many of the movies nominated this year, I appreciated the honesty. I also loved the Cinematography, for which it was not nominated. It may have the best Editing out of all the movies nominated. The film moved seamlessly from one scene to another, not feeling choppy, as with The Hurt Locker and, at times, Inglourious Basterds. The screenplay was fantastic. No lines felt out of place or hackneyed. Perhaps it will win that if picture/director are not honored. As for Best Actress, I don't think they will give it to Gabourey Sidibe. She is young, and the Academy tends to honor younger actors with simply the nomination, trusting that they will grow to produce work that is worthy of an Oscar. As for Mo'nique, she might just steal it from Maggie Gyllenhaal. It was a more difficult role, to be sure, and she put her soul into it. She had me feeling sorry for her and being disgusted with her at the same time. That is hard to do! So I may just have to start cheering for her, no matter how talented Gyllenhaal was in her role. It is so tough this year to choose from the acting categories! I feel like the movies were lightweights, but the actors in them really blew me away.

Crazy Heart

Two nights ago, I travelled far uptown with my friend Casey to see Crazy Heart. I was very excited about seeing this film because I am a fan of Jeff Bridge's easy acting style and a bigger fan of Maggie Gyllenhaal's understated performances (excluding her bizarre turn as a new agey mom in Away We Go; that was just weird). It was everything I'd hoped for. It was sort of like The Wrestler, but with a musician and a more hopeful ending. Through all the awful experiences Bad Blake has in the film, Jeff Bridges still manages to remain likable and the viewer empathizes with him. So by the time the end comes around you forget what an emotional roller coaster it has been for him and actually believe that he will be all right. I especially liked that there wasn't a magical, happy ending. As much as we like to believe in happy endings, it's time the movie industry realized that they very rarely occur.

Crazy Heart is nominated for Best Original Song and I think it stands a good chance in that category. I haven't seen The Princess and the Frog, but I think this heartfelt, beautiful, and easy tune might just steal it away from the upbeat genius that is a Disney song. The only song that might stand in its way is Take It All from NINE, but if the Academy has any sense they will grant it to a movie whose collection of songs were all satisfactory as opposed to one of the maybe three songs that were more than mediocre in NINE.

I think Jeff Bridges may come away with the Oscar this year. Morgan Freeman is no doubt spectacular in Invictus, like he is in every movie, but I don't know if that's enough to beat out the unbelievable role that is Bad Blake. George Clooney's turn as an isolated man spending the majority of his life on the road is not hard-hitting enough to win, surprising though his performance was. Jeremy Renner did not impress me in The Hurt Locker, as I said before. The only question is Colin Firth in A Single Man, which I have yet to see. That may be the deciding role. Both Jeff Bridges and Colin Firth have done excellent work in the past, but neither of them have managed to score an Oscar (Colin Firth has never even been nominated!) The only thing that may give Bridges the edge is the fact that he has already been nominated four times for an Oscar. His time may finally have come and the best part is that this part is worthy of an Oscar. Sometimes stars win one simply because they are due even if their performance is not as spectacular as the stuff of past winners.

That leaves Maggie Gyllenhaal. Can she beat out the ladies of Up In the Air who both turned out surprisingly truthful, nuanced performances? Can she beat out the overwhelming force that is Mo'nique in Precious and the delightful yet touching portrayal of Daniel Day-Lewis' mistress by Penelope Cruz? Only time will tell. But I personally am cheering her on. Her performance was real and every line she spoke fit perfectly into the story. Understated and true to life as always, if the Academy has any sense, it will be Maggie Gyllenhaal who walks away with the Golden Man.

Bright Star

It's late and I'm tired so I'll keep this short.

Bright Star was a lovely, yet thoroughly predictable love story. Because I'm a classic romantic and a sucker for traditional love stories (ones without sexting, one night stands, and whiney teenagers) I enjoyed it a lot. Acting performances were up to snuff but not Oscar material (no one was nominated) and the movie was too small of scale to merit a place in the top 10. However, the costumes were absolutely magnificent and Bright Star stands a chance in the Costume Design Award category. I was more surprised it wasn't nominated for cinematography. Some of the shots of the inside of the house in summer were breathtaking; you could feel the wind and taste the sunlight streaming through the window. Overall, a very well-made film, something I've come to expect from Jane Campion. I just don't know if it will pull off the costume win going up again The Young Victoria and, especially, Coco Before Chanel.

The Hurt Locker

Last night I watched The Hurt Locker with my friend Liana and I have come to two very upsetting conclusions.

1. It is not a hard-hitting enough film to win Best Picture. It was supremely well-crafted and original, but it is far too much of an underdog to actually be in the running.

2. Kathryn Bigelow will most likely not win Best Director. I hate to say it, but James Cameron might take it. As much as I hate to admit it, directing Avatar was a massive undertaking. It doesn't matter how corny the screenplay was or how unoriginal the plot was; any way you look at it, it was a huge job and he did very well with it. The Academy doesn't like Quentin Tarantino, so I doubt he'll win an Oscar for Director. Maybe Screenplay, but not Director. I have yet to see Precious, so I will reserve my judgement on Lee Daniels. The only person who could come from behind and snag it is Jason Reitman, for Up in the Air, but my gut feeling says that Cameron will steal it from the potential first female director to win an Oscar.

My favorite thing about The Hurt Locker was that it was not a "war movie". It was an in-depth look at a specific unit (bomb disarmament) within in the army, and more importantly, a psychological profile of the soldiers who make up that unit. I also appreciated the screenplay, which, although not as intricate as, say, Inglourious Basterd's was, was real nonetheless. I believed that everything the characters said would really have come out of their mouths. It didn't sound written. That is something I have come to appreciate more and more. The actors were mostly unknowns, which was a good choice. Well-known actors can steal too much attention in an independent film such as this. However, I don't think that Jeremy Renner will steal the Oscar for Best Actor. Although he created a complete character with a clearly defined goal, I never quite understood why he was the way he was. He came across as an adrenaline junkie: mission accomplished. But that's not enough. I never was clued in as to how or why he became this way. His acting didn't go that deep. A powerful performance for sure. But not quite Oscar winning material. The editing was a little choppy, so I don't think it will win that. But the cinematography was varied in its uses and effective overall. I don't know how it will stand up to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, though. (That was sarcasm).

Overall, a movie worth watching. I appreciated it and am glad I watched it. In fact, I think I may watch it again. But not before I watch Bright Star tonight, which, even though it is only nominated for Costume Design, should be a wonderful film.

Jump Start.

So I'm restarting the blog in honor of Oscar Season! The noms came out two night ago, just in time for me to realize that I didn't have to go see It's Complicated and waste two hours of my life as well as a good portion of my patience and sanity. Oh, well. What can you do?

So far, I've seen 7 out of the 10 Best Picture nominees. I still have to see A Serious Man, Precious, and An Education. For Best Actor I have to see A Single Man, Invictus, and Crazy Heart. For Best Actress, The Last Station. I'll see Bright Star just because I heard it was good, and Coraline because we own it at home. Lastly, Coco Before Chanel because the costumes are sure to be superb and I love Audrey Tautou. And maybe In the Loop? I'll so some research to see if it's worth it.

FIRSTLY, some updates:

I'm back at school and doing well. Starting my second semester of my new Freshman Year!!! Good grades and perfect attendance last semester; the year is off to a good start. I have friends, I have normality, and mostly, I just have a ton of hope that from now on my life will be on track. Lyme is under control and I finally feel like I don't have to keep looking over my shoulder for it to sneak up on me. I'm about to start an indoor soccer tournament in March. I have a job at the NYU Phonathon TOMORROW. I'm very happy with where I am right now. And I haven't been able to say that in a long time. So here's hoping that my sentiments will stay toward the positive for a long time. I think I've earned it. :)

Once I've seen all my movies (11 more) I can comment on whom I THINK will win, and whom I WANT to win. In between I will chat about the movies I've already seen. Let the race to the golden man begin!