yes and please

yes and please

13 halloween costumes you'll see at every party

comedy thunder

all children have to be deceived if they are to grow up without trauma

Ok, let’s get something out of the way right from the beginning: a movie is never better than the book it’s based on. With that said I think Alex Garland’s screenplay is a valiant effort. A two hour movie is a 120-page screenplay, which means that a 300 page novel either gets cut down a lot or becomes a 6-hour miniseries on HBO. Since the latter happened with this film, some of the book is “missing”. Certain scenes are cut way down and in some cases all together erased from the storyline. Having read the book prior to seeing the film I feel like I had a better grasp on what was happening in front of me. That’s not to say that I believe you need to read the book before seeing the movie, all of the important elements of the story are present in the film, but a lot of the commentary that I loved so much is missing.

In general, adaptations of prestigious or well-loved books are hard to pull off. Not only do film-makers feel the pressure to uphold their source’s reputation, but they must also instill the movie version with their own vision, their own style and personal touch. For director Mark Romanek (and Alex Garland), Never Let Me Go must have been as daunting a challenge as any. Much of the story is revealed though narration and it is a coming of age drama that features the sort of quiet, intimate characters that rarely translates well to the screen. However, Romanek and Garland face these obstacles head-on and defy the odds by making a film that – in spirit, at least – stays true to the original source and still succeeds on its own merit.

The film opens in 1978 and we are introduced to Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Tommy (Andrew Garfield) and Ruth (Kiera Knightley); three friends who are being raised at Halisham, an idyllic looking English boarding school. At first sight the setting appears normal enough, but we quickly discover these are not normal children. (I’m not giving away major spoilers here, you find out this information right upfront and there is no “twist” to protect. However, if you want to remain completely blind to the premise of the film before viewing – stop reading now.)

The running current through the film is that science has found a way to extend human life and to eliminate disease by creating clones, whose only purpose is to live until their early adulthood, then donate their organs. Kathy, Tommy and Ruth are three such clones.

The movie presents an alternative version of our world where cloning technology was created in the 50s and by the late 70s, when the film begins, has been perfected. An entire generation of clones is being raised for spare parts for a world that has made the collective decision to treat these walking organ farms with the illusion of freedom, while never actually acknowledging their humanity. You can’t, after all, because if you do think of them as human, then what right does anyone have to their organs or tissue or blood or bone? If they are more than the sum of their spare parts, then they aren’t spare parts at all.

They go through the motions with them: we see Kathy, Tommy and Ruth grow up at “school”, where they are monitored around the clock to keep them in peak physical health and kept happy and stress-free. They are cut off from the outside world; a life without a choice, but a life with a designated focus. The story spans almost three decades, following them from childhood to adulthood.

If you interpret your films literally, you may not like this film. If you need action, a fast pace, explosions and special effects to enjoy what you are watching, you will not like this film. Furthermore, if your looking for a “feel good movie” this isn’t it. The last 10 minutes of the film are not easy, but if you stick it out you are rewarded with one of the most extraordinary and beautiful endings of a film I’ve ever seen. This movie will not hold your hand and it is not interested in simply handing the audience its ideas. Whatever reactions you have to it will be earned, not spoon-fed.

A film as personal as this relies heavily on its actors; and without their strong performances the film would have fallen flat. Carey Mulligan shows a wisdom and weariness far beyond her years and handles difficult emotional material with sublime restraint that makes the whole thing work. She brilliantly manages to simultaneously convey childlike innocence and graceful maturity. There is a scene about halfway though the film where she is sitting in bed and Ruth comes to have a talk with her. She has no lines in the scene, Keira Knightley does all the talking, but the range of emotions that Carey is able to show on her face in that brief minute and a half is breathtaking and the reason that she is already an Oscar nominated actress at such a young age. And if this was a weaker year for Leading Actress, Carey would most assuredly be getting another nomination. Andrew Garfield once again delivers another stellar performance and makes it completely obvious why he is getting so much buzz. This guy is going to blow up huge. Andrew’s performance is understated, but still emotionally heart wrenching. The highlight of his performance is near the end when he finally realizes that he can’t change his fate; as he stood in the middle of a street screaming his heart out, you could almost hear the collective heartbreak in my theater. Keira Knightley does a decent job and is able to embody Ruth with her crass selfishness and longing. Sometimes her scenes felt a little phoned in though.

At the end of the day this film is not going to make any huge amount of money, and it isn’t likely to win any awards. The film opened in super limited release (4 theaters to start) and has very slowly expanded – at its widest the film was only showing at 232 theaters. It’s having a hard time finding an audience because it is “slow and depressing”. However, it is a film worth your time. It is not often that I come home from a film feeling both defeated and genuinely happy. Never Let Me Go is both beautiful and emotionally devastating at the same time. Many films tug at the heart strings, manipulating the audience into feeling sadness. This film does not manipulate, nor does it try to trick us into feeling for the characters. As I said earlier there is no twist to the film, it ends exactly how we know it will, and that is where the sadness and devastation comes from. Just as Kathy, Tommy and Ruth struggle to accept their fate, so do we. And despite the numerous opportunities for moral and philosophical statements the film does a commendable job of staying true to the novel and avoiding the soapbox.

Ultimately this film serves as a great reminder: that life is precious, your time here is short, in spite of all the medical and technological advances humanity throws at it death still comes to everyone, your choices have consequences, and at the end many of us may feel we’ve not had enough time to love or just get things right.


Never Let Me Go - 4 Stars

my prada’s at the cleaners along with my hoodie and my fuck you flip-flops you pretentious douchbag

The Social Network opens in 2003 with Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) sitting in a noisy bar with girlfriend Erica (Rooney Mara – the new Lisbeth Salander). Mark, a Harvard undergrad, is trying to explain to Erica, a lowly (according to Zuckerberg) Boston University student, how important it is for him to get into one of Harvard’s prestigious clubs. The more Erica tries to assuage his fears of not getting in, the more aggressively and, absent-mindedly, he tears her down. “Dating you is like dating a StairMaster,” she tells him. But eventually Zuckerberg’s clueless cruelty wears her down (among other things, he tells her she doesn’t need to study. Why? “Because you go to B.U.”). She leaves the table and she leaves him prompting him to go back to his room and talk trash about her on his blog (“Erica Albright is a bitch…”). His frustration grows throughout the night (and the beers keep going down) and he has an idea that will change the course of his life. With his best friends’ help – Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield- the new Spiderman) – he creates Facemash; a website that matches up pictures of all the Harvard girls and asks visitors to vote on who is the hottest. Facemash brings Zuckerberg a bit of notoriety and three upperclassmen recruit him to write the code for their website; Harvard Connections. What follows is three different stories about how Facebook came to be.

Director David Fincher cuts back and forth between the creation of Facebook and the depositions of two lawsuits against Zuckerberg. One is from those upperclassmen – twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (Armie Hammer) and Divya Narendra (Max Minghella), who say Zuckerberg agreed to help them establish their own on-campus social network, then stole their idea and formed his own. The other is from his former business partner and only close friend back then, Facebook co-founder Eduardo, who says he was cheated out of millions after providing the earliest financial backing.

I went into this film looking to find fault. The hype was so big and loud and I have often found that that kind of hype can’t live up. In this case it does. However, the problem with hype is people start trying to carve the film into what it isn’t. The Social Network is not a documentary, nor is it about the internet or social networking in general. It is a character study about a guy who craves acceptance from his peers, but is lacking in all the social graces needed to advance in life. The fact that it has been called “the Facebook movie” from Day One has really made it easy to misunderstand it; look deeper than the surface and you find a tale of friendship, revenge, betrayal, fame and fortune.

Here is where I would normally do a “good & bad” list, but I really don’t have any bad to list, so I’ve instead broken it down into 3 groups to talk about. It’s rare, but in this film the three most important parts of a film – the actors, the director & the script – all came together perfectly.

The Actors

Jesse Eisenberg – I first “met” Jesse in The Squid and the Whale back in 2005 (if you haven’t seen this tiny indie film, do yourself a favor and rectify that) where he played a teenager torn in the middle of his parents divorce. His performance was so subtle yet hit home so profoundly. I knew he would be someone to look out for in the future. In 2009 he stared with one of my absolute favorites, Kristen Stewart, in Adventureland and I fell in love. I am happy to report that my love affair with him did not wane at all while watching The Social Network.
Eisenberg gives a tour de force performance as he takes Zuckerberg from an unlikable, condescending, cocky, arrogant and snobby asshole to someone who you almost feel bad for. This is a role that Eisenberg seems to have been made for. The way that Jesse plays Zuckerberg with equal parts arrogance, innocence and vulnerability make him one of the most compelling on screen characters I’ve seen all year. He is blunt, selfish, funny and believes himself to be smarter than everyone in the room, which in some ways, he often is. It isn’t the kind of showy role that usually wins Oscars, but I hope the academy voters will be able to recognize what a precise and controlled performance this is. I can’t even imagine a scenario where he is not nominated.
Eisenberg really is fantastic throughout the entire film – and make no doubt about it, it is his film – but there is one scene that while watching left me at the edge of my seat and days later I’m still consumed by. During a deposition scene with the twins & Div a lawyer is questioning him and not getting an appropriate response and asks Mark “Do I have your full attention?” The next few minutes following that question might be the very best in the entire film. The way that Eisenberg delivers his lines, the facial expressions he uses, the pauses in speech he makes are simply, for lack of a better word, breathtaking.

Andrew Garfield – Andrew’s Eduardo Saverin was my favorite character throughout the film, and I suspect that for many he is the walk away favorite as well. Eduardo is the conscience of the film. Where Mark Zuckerberg is cold and unemotional, Eudardo is the opposite – he provides the emotional pull for the film. Garfield’s heartbreaking betrayal when he learns that Zuckerberg has allowed him to be cut out of Facebook at the end is some of the best stuff of the film. Those last few lines he delivers are so emotionally powerful that the viewing audience at my showing actually gasped out loud. Garfield plays Saverin as such a likeable guy that you can’t help but root for him; so much so that when he tells Mark “You better lawyer-up asshole. Cause I’m not coming for my 30%, I’m coming back for everything.” you want to stand up and cheer.
In addition to his acting, I have to make a comment on his accent. Andrew has a natural British accent and, unlike many actors covering up their accent with an American one, I could not hear a trace of it. But more impressive than just covering up his accent with an American one is the subtle Brazilian inflection he gave to all of his lines. It’s just what I would expect from a wealthy Brazilian kid (Saverin) who’s most likely been speaking English (that he learned from the best teachers – in the most exclusive of Rio’s schools) from the time he was in 1st grade. A subtle accent like Garfield pulled off must be incredibly more difficult to handle and keep consistent from scene to scene. So much harder than laying it on thick and I thought it was brilliant. If I had academy voting privileges his name would most assuredly be on my ballot for Best Supporting Actor.

Justin Timberlake – He wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t a knock-out performance either. The Oscar talk for him seems, to me, absurd. The best I can say is that he didn’t detract from his scenes and Eisenberg and Garfield are so capable that he comes off quite good in his scenes with them. Not buying into all the hype just yet. There’s potential there though...

Armie Hammer – I would be remiss not to include Hammer’s performance of the Winklevoss twins. He played Tyler and Cameron. (Thanks to lots of technology and body double Josh Pence who stood in for Tyler’s body.) When Hammer played Cameron he was uptight and more formal. The formality also came out in his dialogue – his diction was more precise. When he played Tyler he was more laid back, his speech pattern was more fluid. In interviews, Hammer gives a good amount of credit to Pence, who not only contributed to the physical performance of the character but was also someone to act opposite. Upon viewing however, it’s completely obvious that it’s Hammer’s expressions and voice that define the physically identical twins as separate characters, personality-wise. The Social Network is not a special effects movie; and yet the fact that the special effects are utilized solely to service the narrative and isn’t gratuitous makes it more of an admirable achievement.

The Director

David Fincher – Many first met David Fincher in 1995 with his directorial feature length debut Se7en, and if not then, surely in 1999 with Fight Club. There has sense been Panic Room (2002), Zodiac (2007) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). All that to say; Fincher is more than capable of making a good film – great even. So I was excepting some of that greatness with The Social Network. And he knocked it out of the ball park. Fincher is the kind of director who will take as many takes as he needs until he is completely satisfied with the shot; not the standard 3-5 and then move on and “use what you got”. (You know, time is money and all of that.) I don’t think he is someone who is willing to compromise at all. The opening scene that I talked about at the beginning of this post that I was so taken with was shot 99 times! And not because his actors (Eisenberg & Mara) couldn’t get their lines right or were constantly making mistakes. Eisenberg has commented that he was asked to play that scene at least 15 different ways – sympathetic, more compassionate, cruel, broken, indifferent. He talked fast, he talked slow. He smiled and laughed. He didn’t. And then afterward David Fincher sat down in an editing suite and found the take that he liked best, told the story best and fit his character best. And then he did this for every other scene in the movie. That takes dedication to your craft and commitment to producing your very best work. Why settle for anything less?
I also want to quickly mention another one of my favorite scenes - the rowing scene during the depiction the 2004 Grand Challenge Cup. What a visually stunning little detour. The cinematography and editing in that scene is just jaw-dropping. The way the actors moved into and out of focus and the tilt-shit camera shot was sublime.
January 25th the Oscar nominations are announced. Expect to see David Fincher’s name on the list of nominees for Best Director. Beyond excited for Fincher’s newest project The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo which is currently filming.

The Writer

Aaron Sorkin – The man is no stranger to writing a great script; one quick glance at his CV will tell you. So, of course great things were expected; and thankfully delivered. The script is so well written and sharp with lightening-speed dialog that is brilliant in an almost mesmerizing fashion. The characters spit out the lines in such a way that you are captivated in every scene. There is great humor in there; and excellent come-backs. One-line “quotables” that we’ll be hearing for, I expect, years to come.
Sorkin has talked about how there were three different groups of people that went into depositions (Zuckerberg, Saverin & Winklevoss twins/Div) and three different stories that came out. Those three points of view and those three stories are expertly written. And the most important thing he does is not force you, as the viewer, to pick who is right and wrong. (David Fincher gets some credit for this as well.) Sorkin (and Fincher) are careful to never take a definitive position; they never pick a side. They give you a look at the story from everyone’s perspective and they let you decide. And when I did decide? I realized that I could understand and empathize with every side. That’s a sign of great story telling.
At this point I’m sure it sounds like a broken record; but expect a nod for Best Adapted Screenplay to be among the long list of nominations for this film come awards time.


The Social Network - 5 Stars

fyc pt. 5

A little (or a lot) behind on the weekly update. Last week was a whirlwind. First the news from my current In Contention picks:

The Social Network
Columbia Pictures great big hope The Social Network passed two crucial hurdles this past weekend. The first was opening number one at the domestic box office. The other was a smaller but no less telling test: playing well to a packed house of Academy voters.
How a movie plays at official Academy screenings is crucial—although not entirely predictive. Even if members like a Bond movie, that doesn’t mean they’ll wind up voting for it. They watch each movie with a fierce intensity. They’re checking out every aspect—production design, acting, writing, costumes, cinematography, editing, score, sound, etc. And they ALWAYS sit through all the credits. Source
As I said, the film opened at number 1 and met (but did not exceed) expectations with a 22.4 million opening weekend. (As of Thursday 10/7 the film has a total box office of 30.5 M.) This film looks like it will be more tortoise than hare. Figures show that the film opened incredibly strong in large cites on both the East & West coasts, however it failed to impress the middle of the country. To stay in the game and at the top of the charts the film is going to have to get the heartland out to the theater. I don’t foresee this being a problem. This film is the type that will get large word of mouth and will continue to attract a new audience for weeks to come. It’s going to be a slow build, but slow and steady wins the race right?


Secretariat
Moving right along from a film that failed to impress the heartland to one that most likely will have the red states standing up and cheering. The reviews for Secretariat have been good, but not amazing (Rotten Tomatoes currently scores the movie with a 66% rating, but it did get the Seal of Approval from the BFCA with a score of 85). The opening weekend projections aren’t great. Life As We Know It (that Kathryn Heigl movie with the baby) is also opening this weekend and the two films will be duking it out for the number one spot. Projections place Secretariat at an opening of around 15-16M, if it opens any lower than that (or horror of horrors opens in third behind Life and The Social Network) there could be a problem. Disney, however, is bringing out the big guns. A recent ad blurb declared “This is the Blind Side of 2010!” And last weekend, in addition to holding hundreds of sneak previews across the county, Disney screened Secretariat more than 250 times nationwide at military bases and large churches. There was even a recent screening for the polo-playing set in the Hamptons. Disney knows where the majority of their audience is likely to come from and is catering right to them.
While the critics have been split on their reviews of the film one thing they almost all have in common is their praise for Diane Lane. Disney desperately wants nominations for their movie and they will campaign fiercely for it. At this point I don’t see the movie pulling off a Best Picture nomination, but Diane Lane certainly is in contention for a nod.

Edit to add: right before I went to publish this report from Deadline hit the wire. And so it begins........

It's very early, obviously. But Disney sources already are admitting that Secretariat is underperforming today and this weekend. For No. 1, my box office gurus say it should come down to the wire between Warner Bros' Life As We Know It and Sony's holdover The Social Network. Source

127 Hours
Yesterday (10/7) the first full trailer for 127 Hours made its debut along with a new poster. The previous teaser trailer was enough to get me interested, but after watching the full thing? I.Can’t.Wait.To.See. If this doesn’t give you chills………




True Grit
Finally! Something from this film! A teaser trailer was released over a week ago (9/27), then last Friday (10/1) an awesome looking poster made it’s way onto the web and finally this Monday (9/4) the full length trailer was released. I am so excited for this film. Just looking at the footage alone and I think we’re talking serious Oscar nominations – in multiple categories. Combine Bridges, Damon, Brolin & The Coens? Please.
Teaser Trailer

Full Length Trailer




Blue Valentine
Early this afternoon surprising news broke that the MPAA ratings board slapped an NC-17 on the film. Immediately bloggers and critics sounded off on how ridiculous they think the rating is. I have to think that the Weinstein Co. will fight the rating; and if they fail in the appeals process will then be forced to cut the film to secure an R rating. Leaving it as is kills its chances of awards recognition. The reason for the rating according to Mike Fleming at Deadline who broke the story:

I'm told the rating was given for a scene in which the characters played by Gosling and Williams try to save their crumbling marriage by spending a night away in a hotel. They get drunk and their problems intensify when he wants to have sex and she doesn't, but will to get him off her back. That hurts his pride and the result is an upsetting scene that makes you squirm, but is an honest one that establishes clearly that this couple has nothing left and isn't going to make it because love has turned into contempt. There is barely any nudity in the scene and there is no violence. It was hardly a moment that would make you think, well here comes an NC-17.

Guy Lodge at In Contention goes on to say “I must profess to being absolutely stumped as to what content in the film could have provoked this decision. It’s a harsh, adult-oriented drama, make no mistake, but it doesn’t even feature explicit nudity, much less any beyond-the-pale activity.”
A few hours after that news broke the first trailer for the film was released. Capitalizing on the controversy? Smart play Mr. Weinstein.



Now, onto 2 new films. Made In Dagenham is a film that I have had in my notes to talk about for a few weeks now, especially after its very warm reception in Toronto. And The Way Back which was picked up at the Tulluride Film Festival and will in fact have a qualifying Oscar run.


Made In Dagenham
November 19
Made In Dagenham is a dramatization of the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant, where female workers walked out in protest against sexual discrimination and their ensuing fight for equal pay. The film stars the award winning Sally Hawkins and many are singling out her performance as Oscar nomination worthy. I expect the film to get some nice buzz as its release date nears and then some excellent word of mouth to help push it along.
The international trailer is below:



The Way Back
December 29
The Way Back is a fact-based story of the escape of 7 soldiers from a Siberian prison in 1940. It is based on several sources, most notably the Slavomir Rawicz book The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom. The book is Rawicz's account of being captured by the Red Army in 1939 and his journey to freedom with other inmates. The group crossed the Siberian arctic, the Gobi desert and the Himalayas, finally settling in Tibet and India.
The film made its world premiere in Telluride and saw Newmarket Films pick it up for distribution on opening day of the Film Festival. It was immediately slated for a January 21, 2011 wide release date, but there was no indication that it would have a presence in the Oscar season.
On Tuesday (10/5) a press release went out and The Way Back will get its Oscar run this year with an opening on Dec. 29 in L.A. before expanding to theaters in January.

After the positive reception and critical acclaim we received at Telluride, it was clear that THE WAY BACK should have an Oscar qualifying run. It was incredibly gratifying that audiences and critics responded so favorably to Peter Weir’s vision, the actors’ outstanding performances, and the stunning craftwork.
- Nigel Sinclair, CEO of Newmarket Films in Tuesday’s press release

Not only is this film boasting (6-time Oscar nominated) Peter Weir as its director, but the cast is stellar: Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Jim Sturgess and Saoirse Ronan. (Both Harris and Farrell’s performances have been singled out by critics as awards worthy.) The cinematography looks absolutely gorgeous, so I could possibly see some nominations there as well.
And before we get to the trailer, fun little tidbit: Scott Rudin is listed as executive producer on this film, and is also a producer on two rival films – The Social Network and True Grit. Not a bad year for him, eh?

i’m puttin’ this whole town in ma reahview

(This movie has been out for just a bit over 2 weeks, and I realize I am incredibly late with my review. Sorry. Real life got in the way.)

After his directorial debut in 2007 with Gone Baby Gone Ben Affleck goes behind the camera again with The Town. For those living under a rock the movie tells the story of Doug MacRay (Affleck) and his group of friends/low-rent thieves living in Charlestown, Boston – a town responsible for producing more bank and armored truck robbers than any other place in the United States – and their bank robbery gone awry. Doug’s bestie Jem (Jeremy Renner) decides to change up the game and takes the bank’s assistant manager, Claire (Rebecca Hall) hostage. Upon her release Doug realizes that he needs to keep tabs on her to make sure that she doesn’t know any information that could get him and the gang caught. Of course she falls for him. He falls for her. The gang robs again. A shoot-out occurs. There is a car chase. The FBI is on their tail. The gang robs again – at Fenway Park. Another shoot-out. And one of the most contrived and cheesy endings I’ve seen in a while.

That makes it sound like I didn’t enjoy the movie, which would be incorrect. I enjoyed it. It kept me entertained. There was plenty of suspense. I just expected it to be more than it was. I thought it would live up to the hype. For me, it just didn’t. The following is a list of the things that, in my opinion, worked and the things that didn’t:

The Good
• Ben Affleck The Director – He should think about staying behind the camera more often. His promise as a director is exciting to think about. After this movie I have to think he’s got some pretty nice offers coming his way.
• Jeremy Renner – Simply outstanding. He was the only actor that was consistently good throughout the entire film. I’ve said it numerous times before, but if any award nominations are going to be thrown The Town’s way, you’ve gotta think that Renner figures into that mix for Supporting.
• The Heists – The multiple bank robbery set pieces were handled well, along with some nice effective car chases. (Affleck also made good use of the aerial shots.) There was an underlying tension to every one of those scenes and the consistently brisk pace was used well to pull the viewer on to the next event just before things began to drag.
• James McKittrick – Don’t know that name? He’s the guy who played the cop who looked the other way during the car chase/shoot out. I loved that little scene. It was beautiful and comedic all at the same time. Such an awesome scene with so much truth and meaning underlying it.
• Chris Cooper –I have always maintained that Chris Cooper is allergic to bullshit, so it’s almost always a given that his performance is going to be good. And in The Town it was. He played the “tough-as-nails criminal on death row” dad perfectly. I just can’t figure out why you would cast an actor that is the caliber of Chris Cooper and just woefully under use him?


The Bad
• Ben Affleck The Actor – It was completely narcissistic of him to cast himself in the lead. I imagine him looking at himself in a mirror and saying “I’m going to write this role about the baddest/smartest dude and then I am going to star as him. He jumps over roof tops, all the girls in the movie want him, he is the hero, the villan, and he gets away without a scratch. And oh yeah, he looks like the toughest motherfucker while doing chin-ups for 15 entire seconds in the middle of the film for no real reason other then I want to show off my ripped abs." I felt like Ben was just stroking himself throughout the whole movie. There are plenty of better actors out there (As Renner proves, he stepped all over Affleck in their scenes together). Affleck’s character really doesn’t go though any sort of development either; he’s the same guy he was at the beginning of the movie and remains that way in the end.
• The Meet-Cute – Let’s say, just for the sake of argument, that you were an assistant manager at a bank that was held up and you were taken hostage and you knew the men who stole your license did so on purpose, and could come and kill you at any moment. Would you really trust some random guy hanging out at the laundromat if he asked you out for drinks the next night?! Would you really get into this stranger’s car in the dark and let him drive you to the restaurant?
• Blake Lively – She sucks. And she must suck really well too, because for the life of me I can not figure out why Affleck decided to cast her in his movie otherwise. Yep, she’s gorgeous and she's got great boobs and legs. But what else did she bring to the roll? Answer: nothing.
• Song Choice – That horrific song that plays during the first bar scene made me turn to J and say outloud “I can not believe that Ben put Jason fucking Derulo in his movie.” Yes, it was that bad. Took me right out of the scene.
• The Ending – The script was adapted from Chuck Hogan’s Prince of Theives and while I have not read the book I was curious as to how the book handled the ending (because the movie’s ending? It was for shit.). In the original ending Doug gets shot in the neck in the florist’s shop by one of his guys and barely makes it to Claire’s apartment and dies sitting in her chair, holding her hand. FBI Agent Frawley (played by Jon Hamm in the movie) is in the room, too, but lets them have their last moment. Now, THAT is the ending I wanted to see. Not that contrived bullshit where the bad guy gets away with it all and goes on to live happily ever after in Tangerine, Florida waiting for his true-love to show up. I mean there were just so many contrivances’ made to tie up the film with a nice bow that were just over the top ridiculous. Doug calls up Claire and she tips him off not to come meet her (even though he is watching her from across the street and can see the feds in her apartment) hangs up and then walks though the streets, gets on a bus and escapes? What the fuck? No way would the feds be so careless, that they are just going to sit and wait for him to show up. A cop killer? Are you fucking kidding me? His picture would have been up everywhere, every bus station, train station and airport would be locked down with agents on the lookout. Furthermore can you even buy a train ticket without an ID anymore? His ID wasn’t flagged? If Affleck wanted to play out the escape ending, fine. But I find it hard to believe that that was the best he could come up with. There was no suspense; the moment he walks out we know he is going to get away with it all. It’s just seemed like lazy writing to me. The escape should have been half the thrill, and instead of making it one Affleck turned it into a Nicholas Sparks novel complete with Doug standing out on his front porch watching the sun set over the ocean.

Honestly, I did enjoy the film. No, really, I did. Promise. I would recommend it to other people. But if it gets a Best Picture nod? I will weep.

And lastly I just want to point out something that was talked about on the way home from the theater. It has no real relevance to The Town, but it’s something to think about. Ben has made 3 movies now that have Boston as a main character (Good Will Hunting, Gone Baby Gone & The Town), and I keep hearing that it is his way of paying tribute because he really loves his hometown. I submit that Ben in actuality hates Boston. I mean at this point he has made Boston look like the most dangerous, horrible place to live with its crime-ridden streets. The city council is probably calling up Ben and begging him to please massacre another American city.

The Town - 3.5 Stars

fyc pt. 4

Time again for the weekly news round-up on my Oscar Contenders. Last week I made a point to talk about each film on my list, this week I am only mentioning films that had any new news within the past week. Still in order of release:

Never Let Me Go
After opening on the 15th Never Let Me Go had a weekend best (9/17-19) $30,250 per theater average. As of 9/23 the film boasts a cumulative total of $196,592. The film has been playing in only 4 theaters since its opening; however it expands to 26 screens this weekend.
And oh, yeah. Ebert threw a 4-star review its way.

The Social Network
Buzz on this movie is through the roof. Besides the overwhelmingly amazing/glorious/magnificent/majestic/resplendent/ marvelous/splendid/superb/triumphant reviews coming out (no, seriously, I have yet to read a review where the critic is not falling over him/herself over how good this movie is) it is getting ready for more buzz by opening tonight (9/24) at the New York Film Festival. And the Broadcast Film Critics score is in and not only did the film earn a Seal of Approval, but it scored an amazing 92. (Plus, check out the Rotten Tomatoes score – 100% so far!) And Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook founder) is scheduled to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show today to announce a $100 million donation to the Newark public schools system. I first heard this news when it broke Wednesday night and immediately said out loud “that’s convenient.” It’s no secret that The Social Network doesn’t exactly show Zukerberg in the best of light. (At best he is being called an “asshole”.) Guy Lodge from In Contention gives voice to my thoughts:

“Of course, the news has nothing ostensibly to do with The Social Network, but it’s a handy coincidence that Zuckerberg should choose to make this highly public act of charity one week ahead of the release of a film that may not cast him in the most generous light (and the day it opens the New York Film Festival). He gets to preemptively defend his character, the film gets a bump from its subject’s exposure on America’s highest-rated talk show, and public education gets a big fat check. If that isn’t the very definition of “win-win,” I don’t know what is.”

In the end, I guess the most important thing is that a school system with some of the worst public schools in the country is going to get the help they need to improve. I just can’t help being a bit cynical about the motivation behind it though.

The Town
With the box office numbers The Town put up this past weekend, it seems like overnight Oscar talk started surrounding the film. The numbers are impressive. They are much larger than predicted. $8 million more than predicted to be exact (advance tracking predicted a $15 million opener – the film made $23.8.) And the reviews are great (an impressive 94% at rotten tomatoes). And last Saturday (9/18) there was a wildly enthusiastic reception at the film’s Academy screening. But a Best Picture contender? I still don’t think so.
There is no doubt that the film has gained some major traction and momentum that could possibly carry it into Oscar season; but that is a far cry from it being an actual contender. The film had a terrific week at the box office (a cumulative total of $33,086,901 as of 9/23); but we have yet to see how it really holds. I fell The Town will need to become a smash hit, as opposed to a mere success, to remain in the Best Picture conversation for the next four months. If next month it’s still hanging out around the top, we might have something to talk about.
Outside of the Best Picture talk other nominations make a bit more sense to me. I said long before the movie opened, if any awards come The Town’s way I think it will be in the form of a supporting nod for Jeremy Renner, and quite possibly for Best Adapted Screenplay (Affleck knows a little something about that last one – after all he did bring home a golden statue for Best Original Screenplay with Matt Damon for Good Will Hunting.)

Hereafter
Last week the first theatrical trailer for Hereafter was released, and this week we get a first look at the poster for the film. And I have to say that I hate it. This movie is killing me. I wanted it to be much better than what it’s turning out to be. The poster is just pure cheese. With Matt Damon as your star lead and Clint Eastwood as your director I just expected more. Hereafter is closing out the New York Film Festival October 10th, here’s hoping it gets a better reception than it did in Toronto.

Love and Other Drugs
Finally some news about this one! On Thursday (9/23) it was announced that Love and Other Drugs will make its world premiere on November 5th when it opens the AFI Festival. Can’t wait for more word on this one.

The King’s Speech
Well, in case you weren’t already convinced, you can pretty much write a Best Picture nod for The King’s Speech in ink now. The attendees of the 2010 Toronto Film Festival have awarded the film the People’s Choice Award, the festival’s highest honor – confirming that the film plays well across the board. Previous People’s Choice winners include a slew of Academy Award Best Picture winners or nominees including, Brokeback Mountain, Slumdog Millionaire, and Precious. So, yes, place your money on The King’s Speech at least garnering a nomination.
The Weinstein Co. is set to release The King's Speech in limited release on November 26 and it appears it will be keeping a low profile until then so as not to wear out its welcome following big buzz out of Telluride and Toronto.
And finally, this past week the trailer was released:


Black Swan
On Thursday (9/23) it was announced that Black Swan will close out the AFI Fest. Just one more festival in its string of many along a road in which Fox Searchlight hopes will end at the Oscars.

Rabbit Hole
As stated last week - this film entered TIFF without distribution, but by the time it left was sitting pretty thanks to an acquisition by Lionsgate. The purchase surely came with a certain commitment (money wise) for an Oscar campaign. With positive buzz on the performances of the cast (Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Dianne Wiest) it’s easy to see why. Late Thursday night the first step in that campaign came in the form of a release date - a limited release on December 17th with a wide release on January 14th.

The Kids Are All Right
I have been calling for a Lead Actress nod for Annette Bening for months now, and was almost positive that to secure that Focus Features would go the Dreamgirls route and “demote” Julianne Moore for Supporting. So I was surprised when Focus Features announced this week that they will be campaigning for both Bening and Moore as Lead Actress. Both actresses were superb in the film, so I’m not trying to take anything away from them by stating that I think this is a mistake. I understand the position the distributor has taken, as both roles are large and have complete character arcs, I just think this could quite possibly ruin both of their chances at even getting a nomination. If voters have to split their vote between the two The Kids are All Right costars I have a feeling they might just cancel each other out. Or Moore finds herself on the outside looking in.

stink bugs...

"it's the takeover... the mutha fuckin breaks over"

fyc pt. 3

I’m kind of a wordy person. I know this. I tried really hard to make this update post as concise as possible, but even still it is way long. And yes, wordy. Sorry?

First, before I get into it, I have to correct an error. While writing this I went to make comments on a film that I thought I had previously listed. The film certainly wasn’t overlooked as I had it on my list, but somewhere between writing and posting the original “for you consideration” it got lost in the shuffle. Which just will not do. It’s a lovely film and it very justly has a good shot at a Best Picture nomination. So, without further ado I present:

Another Year
December 31
The film charts a single year in the life of happily married baby-boomers Tom (Jim Brodbent) and Gerri (Ruth Sheen) and their friends and family. From their devoted 30 year-old son Joe (Oliver Maltman), whose singledom concerns him more than he lets on, to Ken (Peter Wight), a rudderless, borderline-alcoholic college pal of Tom’s, and especially co-worker Mary (Lesley Manville) twice-divorced and desperate for companionship. Another Year had its world premier in Cannes back in May and since then has also shown at Telluride & Toronto and will also play at the New York & London festivals. Reviews out so far are overwhelmingly positive. Especially making note of Lesley Manville’s performance and director Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky).


Now, for the "quick" updates promised (in order of release)

Never Let Me Go
This one is losing a bit of steam. It’s seems to be dividing the audiences at TIFF and thus has garnered a lot of mixed reviews there. The majority of the not so favorable reviews seem to sight that the film is too emotionally dry and distant.
I think it’s worth nothing that The Reader had very similar reviews and went on to score 5 Oscar nominations in 2008 with Kate Winslet walking away with the Leading Actress statue. So, I wouldn't say Never Let Me Go is completely out of the mix just yet.
However, I can see Fox Searchlight putting all of their money towards 127 Hours & Black Swan for a campaign, which means Never Let Me Go is going to come up short. Unless Ebert throws a 4-star review its way and it gets some major traction upon release I think this one is going to be fighting an uphill battle.
* Wanted to note that the film opened in extremely limited release on Wednesday (9/15) only showing in 4 theaters and in just two days has made a pretty solid $44,501.


The Social Network
A few weeks back, in a ground-breaking move, director David Fincher handpicked a group of film bloggers and invited them to see an early screening of his film. While a full review is still under embargo, the embargo on initial thoughts of the movie lifted this week and the bloggers are jizzing themselves over this film.
To read what the bloggers are saying about this film go here. (Drew McWeeny’s of HitFix is an especially good read – here is the article in full)
They like it. A lot.
I'm thinking this one is a lock for breaking into the Top Ten.

Secretariat
It’s still holding the position of “possible contender for The Blind Side spot”. With such a strong year in film I can easily see this one getting pushed out of the way. However, if it makes a big splash and then goes on to make big box office green (not unlike The Blind Side) it’s got a shot. Everyone likes a feel good family movie right?


Hereafter
My heart broke a little bit this week when the reviews for Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter started coming out. The film screened for a small group of press at TIFF and despite an embargo, initial thoughts on the movie were put into the blogoshere. And they were decidedly negative. I mean, bloggers were practically shouting from the rooftops how much they hated it. Film critics, however, were mostly silent – instead of giving their initial thoughts they seem to be waiting until they can give a full review. A very choice few, namely Ebert & Variety, seemed to enjoy it. It seems this film will undoubtedly get mixed reviews, and while the Cult of Clint is strong, not sure it’s strong enough in a year with such a stacked list for possible Best Picture.
Incidentally, the trailer was released earlier this week as well:



127 Hours
This film came into TIFF with an incredible about of positive buzz and that hasn’t disappeared at all this week. As one critic put it “At this point the question is not if 127 Hours will be nominated for an Oscar but how many. Best Picture is a no-brainer. Consider one spot already taken with nine more spots to be fought for.” And another says, “Believe the hype: 127 Hours is tremendous. Might be my favorite TIFF film so far.” Source


Fair Game
No new news on this one, except for the release of a new poster.


Love and Other Drugs
Another one with no new news. And while it is supposed to be “great”, at this point in time it is sight unseen.


The King’s Speech
If I had to pick just one contender that was sure to be in the Top Ten, this is one I would choose. I mean, at this point, there is no way this film isn’t getting nominated. The film is just as beloved at TIFF as it was in Telluride. And unlike many other contenders that are splitting audiences, everyone seems to agree this one of the better films they are seeing, and this is an across-the-board reaction.


Black Swan
After a splashy premier in Venice the tide on this one seems to be turning a little bit too. It’s getting quite a few mixed reviews while at TIFF; and some are downright horrible - like this one from Michael Phillips at the Chicago Tribune “It’s The Red Shoes cast visually in severe tones of black, white and grim, determined gray… In this backstage snake pit, the venom flows well past Red Shoes territory and spills out, deliriously, somewhere near Showgirls.” I still think it’s got a pretty good shot for a Best Picture nomination and Portman seems like a lock for a Leading Actress nod; Aronofsky might pull one for director as well. It’s just got too much Oscar Bait involved for a straight up pass.


Miral
I think this one is officially out of the race.


The Fighter
This one is another one that remains “sight unseen”, but it’s got great buzz surrounding it. I think it has the possibly to really change things up. All indications point to it being a powerful piece of work and Christian Bale is supposedly outstanding (so much so that a lead actor push was considered at one point).
The trailer was released this past Wednesday:

* For a fun little bonus check out this article at Awards Daily - Oscar Loves Boxing.


Somewhere
Somewhere seemed to be on its way out of the race after the lukewarm reception it got in Venice, but then, seemed to get a bit of a reprieve by winning the Golden Lion for Best Picture at the Festival. The win shocked pretty much every critic/film blogger. And charges of favoritism by Jury President Quentin Tarantino isn’t going to help. It’s another one with nice Oscar Bait behind it, but I’m thinking a place in the Top Ten isn’t likely.


True Grit
Another “sight unseen” with big buzz. (And when I say sight unseen, I mean really unseen. No trailer yet and still only one still released.) But I’ve got a good feeling this one is going to be great.


Blue Valentine
Blue Valentine was at TIFF this week, and like Sundance and Cannes before it, audiences are loving it all over again. I’ve probably said it 5 times within this post already, but its stiff competition this year for Best Picture. Hopefully The Weinstein Co. is up for a major campaign. Word still continues to circle around Gossling for a Leading Actor nod.


All Good Things
Its not showing at any festivals because of its late acquisition so positive buzz and word of mouth just isn’t going to be as big. The festivals really kick off the awards season and it’s where most movies start their awards season campaign. Without the help of a festival and a major studio behind the film (to foot the bill for prints & advertising) this time of the year a small indie is going to get lost in the shuffle.


Winter’s Bone
The Fall Festivals have put the earlier releases far out of mind for the moment. Jennifer Lawrence has been doing a few interviews with the print media this past month, so maybe it won’t be completely lost in the mix. But, you know, stiff competition and all that. Still think Lawrence is in the running for a nod though.


Toy Story 3
It’s pretty much a lock. After "Up" was nominated in the big category last year do you really think a more critically acclaimed and bigger hit won't make the dance this time around?


Inception
Another one that I think is a lock. It’s one of the most imaginative studio films ever released, and a solid money maker. And two months after its release people are still talking about it. It’s a cultural phenomenon.


The Kids are All right
It’s still in the running. Like Winter’s Bone it was a Sundance darling and opened earlier this year. It drew nicely this summer, but not spectacularly – a better gross would have helped, but it has its fans around town.


Get Low
Early release problems again. It preformed admirably on the limited art house circuit and Robert Duval has many friends in the Academy, but it’s probably out for Best Picture. Duval is still on the list for Leading Actor.


The Tree of Life
This one is officially out of the race. Not because it’s not good enough though, Fox Searchlight bought the film and plans to distribute it in 2011. Back to waiting.


Now for some new additions to the contenders:

Rabbit Hole
Adapted for the screen from David Lindsay-Abaire’s 2007 Pulitzer-Prize winning play (which also won Cynthia Nixon a Tony), Rabbit Hole is the story of a couple’s (Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart) struggle to salvage their marriage in the wake of the death of their four-year-old son. Heading into TIFF the film did not have a distributer, Lionsgate has since snatched the film up and more importantly is releasing it before the end of the year. In addition to the Best Picture talk many critics are sighting both Kidman & Eckhart for Actor awards. No word yet on a release date, but I’m thinking sometime this December.
No trailer, but 2 released clips from the film are available:



The Town
It’s a huge long shot, but if the word around this film after its Venice/TIFF debut is any indication it deserves a look at. The Town is the story of Doug MacRay (Ben Affleck) the leader of a group of bank robbers and the bank manager, Claire Keesey (Rebecca Hall) he took hostage on the gangs’ latest job. The buzz around this film and Affleck (it’s his sophomore directorial effort) is strong. Newsweek heaps on the praise with their review: “Affleck’s heist movie The Town is part of a career turnaround so amazing that he looks like the new Clint Eastwood. Seriously. Affleck directed, stars in, and co-wrote The Town, a suspenseful, fiercely paced movie about bank robbers that is also about love, brotherhood, and the desperate need to escape a crooked life. It proves that Gone Baby Gone, his accomplished directing debut, was no fluke.” Being compared to Eastwood? That’s some serious shit right there. Also, in its corner? The film is cleaning up with a Broadcast Film Critics score of 88. It’s pretty genre though, and the academy tends to shy away from that.
The film opened today (9/17).



In summation:

Most Likely To Get a Nomination
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
Inception
Toy Story 3
127 Hours

Good Shot at a Nomination
The Kids are All Right
Black Swan
Another Year

The Maybe’s (Mixed Reactions with Oscar Bait Behind Them)
Hereafter
Somewhere

Possible Contenders (Sight Unseen)
True Grit
The Figher
Love and Other Drugs

Possible for The Blind Slide Spot
Secretariat

Wild Cards
Rabbit Hole
Blue Valentine
Never Let Me Go
Winter’s Bone
Fair Game
Get Low
The Town

Out
All Good Things
Miral
The Tree of Life