Reel Talk

The Academy Dips Back Into the Dark Ages for Their Best Actress Pool

2012-01-26T00:02:00.012-05:00

Another year goes by an Oscar fails to recognize some of the more daring lead performances from women on the big screen.

In a year when we were honored to see a collection of bold performances from women in leading roles--from Kristin Wiig in Bridesmaids and Charlize Theron in Young Adult, to Keira Knightley in A Dangerous Method, Elizabeth Olsen in Martha Marcy May Marlene and Adepero Oduye in Pariah--it's disappointing to learn they each were ignored by an academy so deeply rooted in tradition it's frightening.

This year the academy reverted back to its old school formula to salute performances of their go-to characters--you know, the downtrodden domestic worker (no doubt a homage to Gone with the Wind), a woman in drag (hello, Shakespeare in Love), and real-life iconic women (Lady Sings the Blues, What's Love Got to Do With It?, Coal Miner's Daughter, The Queen, Frida, etc).

There is, however, the wild card nomination, the one that raises eyebrows, and offers a glimmer of hope that Oscar actually grew a pair and may step out of the dark ages--Rooney Mara's innocently devious portrayal as hacker Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Though Mara didn't truly embody the character as much as her Swedish predecessor Noomi Rapace, she does get an A for effort for taking on such a challenge and giving a solid performance. And the academy gets a high five for at least recognizing a character that's neither whimpering nor traditional, but rather commanding and progressive.

The other four slots, however? So steeped in Oscar status quo, you'd think it really was still 1994. No disrespect to any of the other four nominated actresses in the category, but we could have all called their nominations this year.

Sure, Viola Davis did the best she could with the measly screenplay she was given for The Help, so that deserves a nod in and of itself. Glenn Close has been putting in good work for years and simply disappears into the role of Albert Nobbs, as does Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn. And Meryl Streep delivers an expectantly admirable performance in The Iron Lady, while not her best by any stretch of the imagination, and manages to bring to the role of an aging Margaret Thatcher what many good actresses could not.

But, still, none of these performances are nearly as brassy, as cheerless, or as unexpected as the wonderfully refreshing portrayals of a woman wrangling to come out of the closet (Oduye), a young girl grappling with her identity (Olsen), a loathsome woman on a desperate downward spiral (Theron), a woman trapped in her own hysteria (Knightley), and a hilarious and surprisingly nuanced portrayal of a lovable basket case (Wiig). Any of these performances could have replaced the esteemed yet snoozeworthy four slots on the ballot.

Can the Academy step back into the present and commend performances of women that don't fit into its cookie-cutter mold? Clearly, not this year.

(Original piece published for The Lamb).

Special Edition of "Cinema in Noir:" 2012 Oscar Nominations

2012-01-24T21:55:00.002-05:00

You didn't think the ladies and I were going to miss out on sharing our opinion on some of the hits and misses of this year's Oscar nominations, did you? In a special edition of "Cinema in Noir" this evening, we offered some of the best sound bytes about some of our favorite movie nods, and ones to which we gave the side eye. Listen here:

Listen to internet radio with KimberlyRenee on Blog Talk Radio

"Shame" and "Young Adult" Both Shafted by Oscar, While Maids and Horses Prevail

2012-01-24T21:54:00.002-05:00

This morning's Oscar nominations announcement recycled many of the season's usual suspects, while it also provided us with quite a few surprising snubs.

First of all, let's stop pretending Moneyball is a good movie. No matter how many awards it gets nominated for, or performances that are oddly complimented, this is a poor movie that offers no compelling story and two of the biggest phoned-in performances from last year from Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill. What version of this movie did Oscar see? I need that dvd.

Speaking of lost in translation, it seems like the handwriting is on the wall for The Help. Clearly this award season is all about throwing the maids some love, even though we all know both Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer are better than their okay performances in a lackluster movie. I blame the source material.

But since we're talking about it, if we're going to surprise nominate anyone from The Help, it would have been more settling to see Allison Janey on the nominations ballot and not Jessica Chastain's underwhelming performance of a caricature in the movie. It's also worth noting that at today's announcement ceremony, a picture of Chastain in The Tree of Life flashed on the screen, in lieu of a picture of her in The Help. Coincidence? She was indeed better in The Tree of Life, even though the movie itself is downright frustrating to watch.

Notable surprises include Rooney Mara's nod in the best actress category for her performance in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Demián Bichir for best actor in the very quiet but solid movie A Better Life. While both were impressive, I can't help but to think Adepero Oduye's touching performance in Pariah could have aced this category in lieu of Mara's solid performance of character to whom she brought nothing. By the way, Pariah received NO nominations, in any category. Zilch. Nada. Who can I write to about this tragedy?

Let's talk about some of the other snubs. Albert Brooks for Drive and and the entire institutes of Young Adult and Shame were robbed! There is NO reason for them not to be here. Michael Fassbender? Diablo Cody for the wonderfully daring Young Adult? But Jonah Hill and Brad Pitt are here? Stop the madness. And nothing for Carey Mulligan. These are all crimes against humanity.

In other news, thankfully Midnight in Paris, Nick Nolte (the best part about Warrior) and Christopher Plummer (for his touching portrayal in Beginners) all received well-deserved nods. We can take comfort in at least that.

Check out the full list of nominees below:

Best picture

"War Horse"

"The Artist"

"Moneyball"

"The Descendants"

"The Tree of Life"

"Midnight in Paris"

"The Help"

"Hugo"

"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Actor

Demián Bichir, "A Better Life"

George Clooney, "The Descendants"

Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"

Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"

Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

Actress

Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"

Viola Davis, "The Help"

Rooney Mara, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"

Michelle Williams, "My Week with Marilyn"

Supporting actor

Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"

Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"

Nick Nolte, "Warrior"

Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"

Max von Sydow "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Supporting actress

Bérénice Bejo, "The Artist"

Jessica Chastain, "The Help"

Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"

Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"

Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

Director

Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"

Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"

Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"

Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"

Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

Animated feature

"A Cat in Paris"

"Chico & Rita"

"Kung Fu Panda 2"

"Puss in Boots"

"Rango"

Original screenplay

"Bridesmaids"

"Midnight in Paris"

"Margin Call"

"A Separation"

"The Artist"

Adapted screenplay

"The Descendants"

"Hugo"

"The Ides of March"

"Moneyball"

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"

Best foreign language

"Bullhead" (Belgium)

"Footnote" (Israel)

"In Darkness" (Poland)

"Monsieur Lazhar" (Canada)

"A Separation" (Iran)

Art direction

“The Artist”

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2”

“Hugo”

“Midnight in Paris”

“War Horse”

Cinematography

“The Artist”

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

“Hugo”

“The Tree of Life”

“War Horse”

Costume design

“Anonymous”

“The Artist”

“Hugo”

“Jane Eyre”

“W.E.”

Live action short film

“Pentecost”

“Raju”

“The Shore”

“Time Freak”

“Tuba Atlantic”

Sound editing

“Drive”

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

“Hugo”

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”

“War Horse”

Sound mixing

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

“Hugo”

“Moneyball”

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”

“War Horse”

Animated short film

“Dimanche/Sunday”

“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore”

“La Luna”

“A Morning Stroll”

“Wild Life”

Original song

“Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets”

“Real in Rio” from “Rio”

Film editing

“The Artist”

“The Descendants”

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

“Hugo”

“Moneyball”

Makeup

“Albert Nobbs”

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2”

“The Iron Lady”

Original score

“The Adventures of Tintin”

“The Artist”

“Hugo”

“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

“War Horse”

Documentary feature

“Hell and Back Again”

“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front”

“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”

“Pina”

“Undefeated”

Documentary short subject

“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement”

“God Is the Bigger Elvis”

“Incident in New Baghdad”

“Saving Face”

“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom”

Visual effects

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2”

“Hugo”

“Real Steel”

“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”

Awards will be handed out live on February 26th at 7pm EST on ABC

Here Are Those NAACP Image Award Nominations You Ordered...

2012-01-19T22:40:00.003-05:00

The 2012 NAACP Image Award Nominations were announced earlier today and, in usual tradition, were met with shock and abhorrence.

As much as you want to offer your support, it's very hard to take these awards seriously when, right out the gate, Tower Heist holds the fifth nominated spot as best picture. That film is dangerously close to racking up all the nominations of the Razzie awards this year.

And let's not even talk about how Vin Diesel scored a nod for his motorized performance in Fast Five. Everything about that movie is a popcorn flick, nothing more. He was nothing more than an escaped autobot from the Transformers movies.

And in typical NAACP Image Awards form, non-colored people found their way onto the nomination ballot, raising eyebrows. From honoring Angelina Jolie's In the Land of Blood and Honey to everyone but the extras in The Help, the standards for the awards have clearly become blurred over the years.

On the bright side, it's great to see Pariah get so much love. In a perfect world, that will be the clear winner in each category its nominated in.

Check out the full list of film nominees below:

Outstanding Motion Picture

“Jumping the Broom” (TriStar Pictures)
“Pariah” (Focus Features)
“The First Grader” (National Geographic
Entertainment)
“The Help” (DreamWorks Pictures/
Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)
“Tower Heist” (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture

Eddie Murphy – “Tower Heist”
(Universal Pictures)
Laurence Fishburne – “Contagion”
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
Laz Alonso – “Jumping the Broom”
(TriStar Pictures)
Oliver Litondo – “The First Grader” (National Geographic Entertainment)
Vin Diesel – “Fast Five” (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture

Adepero Oduye – “Pariah” (Focus Features)
Emma Stone – “The Help” (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)
Paula Patton – “Jumping the Broom” (TriStar Pictures)
Viola Davis – “The Help” (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)
Zoë Saldana – “Colombiana” (TriStar Pictures)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Anthony Mackie – “The Adjustment Bureau” (Universal Pictures)
Charles Parnell – “Pariah” (Focus Features)
Don Cheadle – “The Guard” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Jeffrey Wright – “The Ides of March” (Columbia Pictures)
Mike Epps – “Jumping the Broom” (TriStar Pictures)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Bryce Dallas Howard – “The Help” (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)
Cicely Tyson – “The Help” (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)
Kim Wayans – “Pariah” (Focus Features)
Maya Rudolph – “Bridesmaids” (Universal Pictures)
Octavia Spencer – “The Help” (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture

“I Will Follow” (AFFRM)
“Kinyarwanda” (AFFRM)
“MOOZ-lum” (AFFRM)
“Pariah” (Focus Features)
“The First Grader” (National Geographic Entertainment)

Outstanding Foreign Motion Picture

“A Separation” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Attack the Block” (Screen Gems)
“In the Land of Blood and Honey” (FilmDistrict)
“Le Havre” (Janus Films)
“Life, Above All” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Outstanding Documentary – (Theatrical or Television)

“Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest” (Sony Pictures Classics)
“Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey” (Submarine Deluxe)
“Sing Your Song” (HBO Documentary Films)
“The Rescuers” (Michael King Productions)
“Thunder Soul” (Roadside Attractions)

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture – (Theatrical or Television)

Alrick Brown – “Kinyarwanda” (AFFRM)
Ann Peacock – “The First Grader” (National Geographic Entertainment)
Dee Rees – “Pariah” (Focus Features)
Elizabeth Hunter, Arlene Gibbs – “Jumping the Broom” (TriStar Pictures)
Tate Taylor – “The Help” (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture – (Theatrical or Television)

Alrick Brown – “Kinyarwanda” (AFFRM)
Angelina Jolie – “In the Land of Blood and Honey” (FilmDistrict)
Dee Rees – “Pariah” (Focus Features)
Salim Akil – “Jumping the Broom” (TriStar Pictures)
Tate Taylor – “The Help” (DreamWorks Pictures/Participant Media/Touchstone Pictures)

The awards will air live on February 17 at 8pm EST on NBC.

Milla Jovovich Continues to Fight the Good Fight in "Resident Evil: Retribution"

2012-01-19T22:06:00.000-05:00

Alice can't seem to shake off these pesky undead creatures.

Milla Jovovich returns for the fifth installment of the Resident Evil horror franchise, Resident Evil: Retribution . Reprising the role of Alice, survivor of the military zombieapocalpyse, Jovovich reteams with previous cohort Michelle Rodriguez, who returns as badass Rain Ocampo.

Here's the official synopsis from Collider:

The Umbrella Corporation’s deadly T-virus continues to ravage the Earth, transforming the global population into legions of the flesh eating Undead. The human race’s last and only hope, Alice (Milla Jovovich), awakens in the heart of Umbrella’s most clandestine operations facility and unveils more of her mysterious past as she delves further into the complex. Without a safe haven, Alice continues to hunt those responsible for the outbreak; a chase that takes her from Tokyo to New York, Washington, D.C. and Moscow, culminating in a mind-blowing revelation that will force her to rethink everything that she once thought to be true. Aided by newfound allies and familiar friends, Alice must fight to survive long enough to escape a hostile world on the brink of oblivion. The countdown has begun.

It seems like more of the same of what we're used to in the franchise. Resident Evil: Retribution hits theaters September 14.

Battle of the Basket Cases: Mavis Gary of "Young Adult" and Annie Walker of "Bridesmaids"

2012-01-18T22:22:00.004-05:00

Charlize Theron and Kristin Wiig unleash two of the most engaging yet cringe-worthy female performances last year in Young Adult and Bridesmaids, respectively. While both characters have somewhat different personalities, they each suffer meticulously constructed dramatic breakdowns. Let's take a look at both characters and performances.

On the one hand, we've got the black-hearted authoress Mavis Gary, scrupulously played by Charlize Theron. One the other hand, we've got the eternally single Annie, desperately played by Kristin Wiig, who sends Annie teetering towards self-abandonment. Both characters tread dangerously close to the end of their lifelines. One peers over the edge and ends up slinking away from it, and other leaps over the edge and sets up camp there.

What else makes these characters different? Empathy. You want Annie to get over this hump, which is triggered by her best friend's graduation from her dreaded single life, leaving her in the dust. Her descent is rapid, but is realized. She knows she's losing her footing, but sadly doesn't feel she can do anything to stop it. You feel for her. You may see yourself in her. You even want to hug her at times, especially when she starts flailing downward. At her worst, she wallows in her own self-pity. She tries not to fling her dread onto those around her, but rather onto one innocent giant cookie.

This is quite the contrary for Mavis, who we want to feel more sorry for if only she wasn't such a bitch about her extravagant spiral downhill, taking every man, woman and child down with her. Her tactic is more malicious, and inflicted on everyone around her. Unlike Annie, we're never led to think she realizes her spiral downward. It is because her descent is more deliberate, more blind, and not knowingly and pitiful like Annie's. Mavis doesn't hit rock bottom with as quite as big a splat as Annie. Her impact is far more padded, and therefore less discerning and worthy of any real sympathy.

Theron and Wiig arguably tackle two of the most reckless female characters we've seen this year with a frightening ease. Both performances are nuanced, yet not contrived. They both feel real and not in any way put on. One performance isn't better than the other, although it can be debated that Mavis is written with a bit more sophistication than Annie. Theron takes the slovenly aspects of Mavis, and ties it into an ugly bow. While Wiig takes the messiness of Annie and makes it wilder and more entertaining to watch, keeping its authenticity, which is also a talent in and of itself.

In the battle of the basket cases, who do you love to watch more?

Who Would You Cast in a Remake of "Taxi Driver?"

2012-01-18T19:47:00.004-05:00

Don't worry. A remake isn't in the works (that we know of, at least).

But the good folks over at the Large Association of Movie Bloggers (LAMB) have planted the seed in our heads about a remake to the classic 1976 drama Taxi Driver, originally starring Robert DeNiro as Travis, a deranged New York City cab driver who descends on a well-constructed downward spiral after experiencing years of city deviance. LAMB is looking for thoughts on who you'd cast in a remake today.

Here is a refresher on the original cast:

Robert DeNiro as Travis
Jodie Foster as Iris
Harvey Keitel as Sport
Cybill Shepard as Betsy
Albert Brooks as Tom
Peter Boyle as Wizard

Other LAMB members have come up with makeshift casts who they think would be good to step into the roles of the above mentioned, and now we're asking you to decide which cast you think is the best fit for a remake of the movie. Choices are below:

OPTION 1: MICHAEL PITT (Travis); ABIGAIL BRESLIN (Iris); JOHN LEGUIZAMO (Sport); ZOOEY DESCHANEL (Betsy); JASON SCHWARTZMAN (Tom); JEFFREY TAMBOR (Wizard)

OPTION 2: JAKE GYLENHAAL (Travis); ELLE FANNING (Iris); MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY (Sport); MICHELLE WILLIAMS (Betsy); OSCAR ISAAC (Tom); NICOLAS CAGE (Wizard)

OPTION 3: JAKE GYLENHAAL (Travis); ELLE FANNING (Iris); MARK STRONG (Sport); MICHELLE WILLIAMS (Betsy); NEIL PATRICK HARRIS (Tom); SETH ROGEN (Wizard)

OPTION 4: CILLIAN MURPHY (Travis); CHLOЁ MORETZ (Iris); EDWARD NORTON (Sport); MICHELLE WILLIAMS (Betsy); MICHAEL SHANNON (Tom); JOHN C. REILLY (Wizard)

OPTION 5: CHIWETEL EJIOFOR (Travis); MACKENZIE VEGA (Iris); JOSH HARTNETT (Sport); LINDSAY LOHAN (Betsy); JESSE EISENBERG (Tom); VAL KILMER (Wizard)

OPTION 6: BEN FOSTER (Travis); CHLOЁ MORETZ (Iris); CHRISTIAN BALE (Sport); KATE HUDSON (Betsy); SETH ROGEN (Tom); PAUL GIAMATTI (Wizard)

OPTION 7: TOM HARDY (Travis); ELLE FANNING (Iris); IDRIS ELBA (Sport); GWYNETH PALTROW (Betsy); GUY PEARCE (Tom); MEL GIBSON (Wizard)

OPTION 8: RYAN GOSLING (Travis); CHLOЁ MORETZ (Iris); CHRISTIAN BALE (Sport); SCARLETT JOHANSSON (Betsy); JESSE EISENBERG (Tom); PATTON OSWALT (Wizard)

Cast your vote on the LAMB site here. Leave any comments below.

"Shame, "Attack the Block" and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Among the 2012 BAFTA Nominees

2012-01-17T21:00:00.002-05:00

In the wee hours this morning (if you're in the U.S), the British Academy of Film and Television Arts unleashed their prestigious list of the best and brightest in 2011 film. And, by the looks of things, those across the pond seem to agree with a lot of the American accolades this season.

But not all of it.

The British Academy is shaking things up with a few interesting choices, including recognizing Phillip Seymour Hoffman's thrilling performance in the solid yet disappointing political drama The Ides of March. Jim Broadbent's delightful performance was graciously hailed by the academy, but its presence does point out the glaring omission of Albert Brooks in Drive (he easily could have taken Jonah Hill's questionable slot for his blank performance in Moneyball).

One of the most perplexing nominations is Carey Mulligan for her awkward performance in Drive and not her more heartbreaking portrayal in Shame. At least Shame got a nod for best British film, which, if there's any hope for humanity, it will win, hands down.

With the constant celebration of Melissa McCarthy's performance in Bridesmaids this season, one could only imagine Kristin Wiig slouched in a corner bemoaning her awards neglect in the voice of one of her best SNL characters. The academy is even recognizing Chris Dowd over Wiig, nominating him for their Rising Star award (most likely for his minor role in Bridesmaids). I imagine Wiig is probably off pouting with Ryan Gosling nearby...Hey, why don't they be in a movie together?

See the full nominee list below and share your thoughts in the comment box.

BEST FILM

THE ARTIST - Thomas Langmann

THE DESCENDANTS - Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor

DRIVE - Marc Platt, Adam Siegel

THE HELP - Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN - Simon Curtis, David Parfitt, Harvey Weinstein, Adrian Hodges

SENNA - Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Manish Pandey

SHAME - Steve McQueen, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Abi Morgan

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Tomas Alfredson, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo, Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN - Lynne Ramsay, Luc Roeg, Jennifer Fox, Robert Salerno, Rory Stewart Kinnear

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

ATTACK THE BLOCK - Joe Cornish (Director/Writer)

BLACK POND - Will Sharpe (Director/Writer), Tom Kingsley (Director), Sarah Brocklehurst (Producer)

CORIOLANUS - Ralph Fiennes (Director)

SUBMARINE - Richard Ayoade (Director/Writer)

TYRANNOSAUR - Paddy Considine (Director), Diarmid Scrimshaw (Producer)

DIRECTOR

THE ARTIST - Michel Hazanavicius

DRIVE - Nicolas Winding Refn

HUGO - Martin Scorsese

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Tomas Alfredson

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN - Lynne Ramsay

DOCUMENTARY

GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD - Martin Scorsese

PROJECT NIM - James Marsh, Simon Chinn

SENNA - Asif Kapadia

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

THE ARTIST - Michel Hazanavicius

BRIDESMAIDS - Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig

THE GUARD - John Michael McDonagh

THE IRON LADY - Abi Morgan

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS - Woody Allen

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

THE DESCENDANTS - Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

THE HELP - Tate Taylor

THE IDES OF MARCH - George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon

MONEYBALL - Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

INCENDIES - Denis Villeneuve, Luc Déry, Kim McCraw

PINA - Wim Wenders, Gian-Piero Ringel

POTICHE - François Ozon, Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer

A SEPARATION - Asghar Farhadi

THE SKIN I LIVE IN - Pedro Almodóvar, Agustin Almodóvar

ANIMATED FILM

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN - Steven Spielberg

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS - Sarah Smith

RANGO - Gore Verbinski

LEADING ACTOR

BRAD PITT - Moneyball

GARY OLDMAN - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

GEORGE CLOONEY - The Descendants

JEAN DUJARDIN - The Artist

MICHAEL FASSBENDER - Shame

LEADING ACTRESS

BÉRÉNICE BEJO - The Artist

MERYL STREEP - The Iron Lady

MICHELLE WILLIAMS - My Week with Marilyn

TILDA SWINTON - We Need to Talk About Kevin

VIOLA DAVIS - The Help

SUPPORTING ACTOR

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER - Beginners

JIM BROADBENT - The Iron Lady

JONAH HILL - Moneyball

KENNETH BRANAGH - My Week with Marilyn

PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN - The Ides of March

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

CAREY MULLIGAN - Drive

JESSICA CHASTAIN - The Help

JUDI DENCH - My Week with Marilyn

MELISSA MCCARTHY - Bridesmaids

OCTAVIA SPENCER - The Help

ORIGINAL MUSIC

THE ARTIST - Ludovic Bource

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO - Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

HUGO - Howard Shore

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Alberto Iglesias

WAR HORSE - John Williams

CINEMATOGRAPHY

THE ARTIST - Guillaume Schiffman

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO - Jeff Cronenweth

HUGO - Robert Richardson

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Hoyte van Hoytema

WAR HORSE - Janusz Kaminski

EDITING

THE ARTIST - Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius

DRIVE - Mat Newman

HUGO - Thelma Schoonmaker

SENNA - Gregers Sall, Chris King

TINKER TAILOR SOLIDER SPY - Dino Jonsater

PRODUCTION DESIGN

THE ARTIST - Laurence Bennett, Robert Gould

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 - Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan

HUGO - Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana MacDonald

WAR HORSE - Rick Carter, Lee Sandales

COSTUME DESIGN

THE ARTIST - Mark Bridges

HUGO - Sandy Powell

JANE EYRE - Michael O'Connor

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN - Jill Taylor

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Jacqueline Durran

SOUND

THE ARTIST - Nadine Muse, Gérard Lamps, Michael Krikorian

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 - James Mather, Stuart Wilson, Stuart Hilliker, Mike Dowson, Adam Scrivener

HUGO - Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty, Tom Fleischman, John Midgley

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - John Casali, Howard Bargroff, Doug Cooper, Stephen Griffiths, Andy Shelley

WAR HORSE - Stuart Wilson, Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, Richard Hymns

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN - Joe Letteri

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 - Tim Burke, John Richardson, Greg Butler, David Vickery

HUGO - Rob Legato, Ben Grossman, Joss Williams

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White

WAR HORSE - Ben Morris, Neil Corbould

MAKE UP & HAIR

THE ARTIST - Julie Hewett, Cydney Cornell

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 - Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin

HUGO - Morag Ross, Jan Archibald

THE IRON LADY - Marese Langan

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN - Jenny Shircore

SHORT ANIMATION

ABUELAS - Afarin Eghbal, Kasia Malipan, Francesca Gardiner

BOBBY YEAH - Robert Morgan

A MORNING STROLL - Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe

SHORT FILM

CHALK - Martina Amati, Gavin Emerson, James Bolton, Ilaria Bernardini

MWANSA THE GREAT - Rungano Nyoni, Gabriel Gauchet

ONLY SOUND REMAINS - Arash Ashtiani, Anshu Poddar

PITCH BLACK HEIST - John Maclean, Gerardine O'Flynn

TWO AND TWO - Babak Anvari, Kit Fraser, Gavin Cullen

ORANGE WEDNESDAYS RISING STAR AWARD

ADAM DEACON

CHRIS HEMSWORTH

TOM HIDDLESTON

CHRIS O’DOWD

EDDIE REDMAYNE

"The Artist" and "The Descendants" Receive Top Honors at the Golden Globes

2012-01-15T23:21:00.002-05:00

We could really use some surprises in this year's awards season.

While the Golden Globes did offer some surprises, namely Meryl Streep snagging the award from shoo-in Viola Davis for her performance in the lackluster The Iron Lady, and the always wonderful Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn, the praise of George Clooney in The Descendants and the eternal shower of love for The Artist is worrisome.

But we can be thankful for Woody Allen's recognition of his fabulous film, Midnight in Paris.

Check out the full list of Golden Globe Award winners below:

BEST PICTURE (DRAMA)

The Descendants

BEST PICTURE (COMEDY/MUSICAL)

The Artist

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA

George Clooney, The Descendants

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Jean Dujardin, The Artist

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Michele Williams, My Week with Marilyn

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Christopher Plummer, Beginners

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Octavia Spencer, The Help

BEST DIRECTOR

Martin Scorsese, Hugo

BEST SCREENPLAY

Woody Allen - Midnight In Paris

BEST FOREIGN FILM

A Separation

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Ludovic Bource, The Artist

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

The Adventures of Tintin

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"Masterpiece," W.E. (Madonna)

New Podcast: "How the Black Audience Impacts the Images We See in Film"

2012-01-15T16:05:00.020-05:00

Our lively web chat continues with a discussion on how the black audience plays a role in the images we see on the big screen on today's edition of Cinema in Noir.

With Red Tails hitting in the big screen this Friday, it seems like the black audience is weighed down by thoughts of what it will mean for black cinema, and even fearing that Hollywood would give up on black cinema as we know if this movie doesn't do well. The ladies and I break down the real deal and discuss the state of black cinema on today's podcast.

We also share our thoughts and predictions on tonight's Golden Globe award nominations.

Missed the show? Catch a recap here:

Listen to internet radio with KimberlyRenee on Blog Talk Radio

DVD Review: "Moneyball" Is All Game and No Heart

2012-01-15T12:42:00.010-05:00

"How can you not get romantic about baseball?"

It's no secret that Hollywood has a love affair with baseball. From Field of Dreams to A League of Their Own, audiences have been enamored by the heart and soul of America's favorite pasttime for years. But with the newest addition to the baseball movie hall of fame, the Bennett Miller-directed Moneyball, audiences may finally fall out of love.

Brad Pitt stars as real-life Oakland Athletics general manager and minority owner Billy Beane, who successfully assembled a baseball club using a groundbreaking method to draft players. And, according to this movie, that was the most interesting thing about his life.

When we meet Beane, he is already trying to make his mastermind idea come to life, with little support from his peers, including Art Howe (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). So he hires recent Yale grad and analytical geek Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) as his partner in crime to help iron out of the kinks and make his dream come true.

Then the movie becomes a numbers and statistics game. From analyzing extraordinary losses and wins in historical games, to watching old footage of historical power moves, the audience becomes lost in a sea of equations, baseball terminology and dollar signs. This drains any heart out of the movie it could have had. Beane's resilience, though it often comes off as blind arrogance, is commendable but doesn't make you feel anything for the character, who really seems more like a nifty businessman than anything else.

This is probably because the writing is so dry, it's impossible to feel any empathy, which is very uncharacteristic of screenwriting giant Aaron Sorkin, who collaborated with Steven Zaillian to bring Michael Lewis' book about Beane to the big screen. Unlike the movies that have come before it, there is no defining moment or noteworthy scene that audiences will want to come back to.

A missed opportunity was not playing up the role Beane's daughter played in his life and their relationship. This would have humanized Beane and provided something the audience could really grab on to, rather than trying to impress the audience with boring math equations and woeful shots of games past. It would have also been more effective to provide more insight into Beane before he became this baseball scientist, whose glossed over relationship with his ex wife (played by the eternally underused Robin Wright) doesn't help to build any interest in his character.

Jonah Hill, while his portrayal shows his range into more dramatic flair, is effective enough but unmemorable in the role. He seems more to be reciting lines rather than saying them with any conviction. But that may be in part due to the lackluster writing than his performance.

Like a long, boring game of chess, where hopeful baseball players are discarded as effortlessly as a pawn and a knight, Moneyball fails to provide the sentiment it needs to inspire audiences. Though it may charm avid baseball fans, it will alienate everyone else who's just looking for a good movie to watch.

Rating: C-

"The Help" Women Clean Up at the Critics' Choice Awards

2012-01-12T21:13:00.014-05:00

As expected, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer humbly accepted their shiny statuettes for their roles in the wildly overrated period drama, The Help, at tonight's predictable Critics' Choice Awards ceremony.

With a night punctuated by terrible hosts and uncomfortable presenter speeches, luckily there were a few highlights from the event, like Bridesmaids winning for best comedy and Woody Allen's deserved win for writing the delightful Midnight in Paris.

But the biggest travesty of the night was to have to watch George Clooney take the stage when he won the best actor award for The Descendants, when it's clear that Michael Fassbender should have had that award in the bag for his heartaching performance in Shame. In just his last few performances alone, Fassbender has proven that he can act circles around Clooney's entire career. Do over, please.

For more notable upsets and surprises, check out below the list of winners from the major categories. Feel free to leave your comments below.

BEST PICTURE

The Artist

BEST ACTOR

George Clooney -- The Descendants

BEST ACTRESS

Viola Davis -- The Help

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Christopher Plummer -- Beginners

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Octavia Spencer -- The Help

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS

Thomas Horn -- Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

The Help

BEST DIRECTOR

Michel Hazanavicius -- The Artist

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Midnight in Paris -- Woody Allen

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Moneyball -- Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, Story by Stan Chervin

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

A Tie:

The Tree of Life -- Emmanuel Lubezki
War Horse -- Janusz Kaminski

BEST EDITING

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo -- Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

"Drive" -- Matthew Newman

"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" -- Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

BEST SOUND

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

BEST SCORE

The Artist -- Ludovic Bource

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

The Artist -- Mark Bridges

BEST MAKEUP

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

BEST ART DIRECTION

Hugo -- Production Designer: Dante Ferretti, Set Decorator: Francesca Lo Schiavo

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Rango

BEST ACTION MOVIE

Drive

BEST COMEDY

Bridesmaids

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

A Separation

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

George Harrison: Living in the Material World

BEST SONG

"Life's a Happy Song" -- performed by Jason Segel, Amy Adams and Walter/written by Bret McKenzie -- The Muppets

DVD Review: Vera Farmiga Gets Caught Up in the Word in "Higher Ground"

2012-01-11T21:27:00.010-05:00

Vera Farmiga usually arrests audiences with her trademark intense glare, which makes you want to embrace her and fear her at the same time. Her fierce portrayal of female characters with shady pasts put her on the map, and earned her an Oscar nomination for her role in 2009's Up in the Air. But it is last year's small town religious drama Higher Ground, her directorial debut, that may have Hollywood heads turning but audiences raising eyebrows.

Farmiga plays Corinne, a young mother grappling with her faith during a time when she desperately needs it. Or, when she feels should should have it. Her struggles aren't made entirely plain to the audience, but we feel we must root for her to attain whatever it is she so clearly yearns for in the movie simply because Farmiga's portrayal is so gentle yet so sad at the same time.

As her family continues to grow, we see Corinne evolve throughout the movie from an awkward teen (impressively played by Taissa Farmiga) to a slightly less awkward wife and mother of three. She and her God-fearing husband Ethan (Joshua Leonard) are diligent about raising their kids to be chips off the old block--prayerful churchgoers dedicated to the word of God. Meanwhile, Corinne is quietly conflicted by the error of her own faith--what it should look like and why, though well-intentioned, it is often a trajectory of her tight-knit church crowd.

As you watch Higher Ground, you'll notice how solid the performances are (including that of Dagmara Dominczyk, who plays Corinne's friend). You'll also be taken by the sheer fragility of the story. But mostly you find yourself questioning how Farmiga got wrapped up in a movie like this filled with bible-thumping commentary. In fact, the most fascinating thing about the movie is that she's in it. It would be interesting to see whether the movie would have received as much acclaim had her name not been attached to it. It's an odd, off the beaten path, movie that doesn't necessarily go anywhere, make you feel anything, or lead you to examine faith. It rather presents a quaint coming-of-faith tale that's not especially captivating to watch.

It's respectful that Farmiga took on such a project, which really shows her range as an actress, if anything. But the target audience for the movie is unclear, and leaves you wondering whether it is indeed for you. And, if it isn't for you, who is it it for?

Rating: C

Reminder: Live Q&A with Angelina Jolie This Thursday!

2012-01-10T19:50:00.009-05:00

If you're been paying attention to the countdown clock in the right sidebar on the homepage, you know that in less than forty-eight hours Angelina Jolie will be live right here to answer your questions about her writing and directing debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey.

Don't forget to leave your questions for Ms. Jolie in the comments section of this post, and you could be the lucky winner of the In the Land of Blood and Honey poster!

Below you'll find the countdown clock and movie trailer, as well as some of the comments fans have been leaving about the event on facebook. Come back on Thursday, January 12th at 8pm EST/5pm PST and this stream will go live to the Q&A where you will get to watch Angelina Jolie respond to your questions and dish about her new movie. Don't miss this special event!

Eva Mendes Hopes to Impress Audiences as a "Girl in Progress"

2012-01-09T20:13:00.003-05:00

Eva Mendes is one of those actresses who, just when you'd like to write her off, she delivers a performance like the one in last year's criminally underrated provocative drama, Last Night. With a resume ranging from comedies to crime dramas, you can call her anything but predictable.

This year, the oft supporting actress headlines Girl in Progress, a dramedy where she plays a young mother struggling to grow up as her teenage daughter (Cierra Ramirez) tries to come into her own in a way her mother can't relate to.

The trailer actually looks really promising, even if the premise sounds a bit familiar. Patricia Arquette also star in the film as some kind of school counselor. Matthew Modine plays Mendes' married boy toy.

Patricia Riggen, who helmed Under the Same Moon (a movie you should see if you haven't already), directs the movie, which also stars Under's co-star Eugenio Derbez.

Check out the new trailer below and leave your thoughts. Are you going to watch the movie when it hits theaters April 27th?

DVD Review: "Beginners" Is a Touching Tribute To False Endings

2012-01-08T16:21:00.014-05:00

"I don't want to just be theoretically gay. I want to do something about it."

It's easy to think of death in terms of being the last--the last breath, the last dance, the last hurrah. But in Beginners, the beautiful 2010 semi-autobiographical drama written and directed by Mike Mills, death is viewed as a first.

Christopher Plummer stars as Hal, a 75 year-old who comes out as a gay man after his wife of over forty years dies. For the first time in his life, he is living in the most honest, happiest way. His thirty-something-year-old son Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is naturally surprised by the news, but is supportive of his dad as he embarks on this touchstone phase of his life. Watching the relationship between these two very different but very loving characters is one that grabs at the heartstrings.

Then Hal is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Although the news is fatal, Hal continues to live his life to the fullest, as Oliver begins to prepare for the worst. But the constant smile on his father's face, the pep in his step, his new-found friends and his hot new (younger) boyfriend Andy (Goran Visnjic) makes it inconceivable to feel pity for him.

So, just as Hal is starting a new phase in his life, Oliver begins one as well. He meets and falls for quite possibly one of the quirkiest female characters onscreen, Anna (Mélanie Laurent), a woman of a few words but always the right ones. Together Hal and Oliver welcome a new wave of life when they least expected it.

Too often when we are introduced to a character on screen who is already dying at the beginning of the movie, and we're inevitably waiting for that death to happen the entire two hours. But in Beginners, death takes a backseat to a much more uplifting story. It's not the typical depressing movie the subject matter alludes to. Plummer's marvelous performance doesn't allow an audience to feel anything but joy for this senior in the most important time of his life.

McGregor's Oliver provides a nostalgic narration to the movie as he relates the landmarks of both his and Hal's lives to equally significant facts in history. From the first year a gay man's group met in a secret meeting, to who the biggest celebrity was on the day Oliver fell for Anna, this movie reminds you to embrace each day as a loving reminder of how far you've come.

Although she appears briefly in the movie, Laurent lights is magnetic as the woman in Oliver's life who pushes it forward from its paralyzed state of fear and sadness. McGregor delivers an impressively nuanced performance as we see him progress from a supportive son, to a grieving man, then to a man in love. The chemistry between he and Plummer is so touching that they would make you tear if you weren't impossibly happy for them. Because, at its core, Beginners is about finding happiness, even at the end.

Rating: A

The Best of 2011 and Our Most Anticipated Movies of 2012 on Today's "Cinema in Noir"

2012-01-08T16:06:00.003-05:00

On today's Cinema in Noir, we look back on our favorite performances from 2011. We also discuss our most anticipated movies of 2012 and proclaim our new year's resolutions for the new year in film.

From the abomination of sequels and prequels to our plea for diversity of characters for women, and our undying appreciation of Bridesmaids tune in below to the very lively discussion in our first episode of the year.

Listen to internet radio with KimberlyRenee on Blog Talk Radio

DVD Review: "Another Earth" Is As Odd As It is Charming

2012-01-07T14:09:00.002-05:00

"What would we really like to see if we could stand outside ourselves and look at us?"

It's hard not to think about the 2004 movie The Machinist when watching last year's indie darling Another Earth. With plots heavily resting on guilt and solitude, the two films would make an interesting--albeit depressing--double feature.

But Another Earth has a little quirk--it's a dramatic film fighting with its sci-fi alter ego.

Brit Marling stars as 16-year-old Rhoda Williams, a smart, ambitious young woman who, after a night of celebrating her college acceptance, gets behind the wheel of her car and accidentally crashes into and kills a mother and her child. That same night she learns that a duplicate planet has been discovered in the solar system. Both events have a profound impact on her life in the years that follow.

Several years later, Rhoda is released from jail and wrought with guilt over what she had done. She returns home to her parents and brother and lapses into a very solitary state of existence, working as a building janitor. Her life begins to float alongside everyone else's without having any real contact, just as this doppelganger planet shadows Earth. That is, until the day she decides to ever so softly slip back into the life of John Burroughs (William Mapother), the man whose wife and child she killed years earlier.

As the audience trudges through the hollowness that has become Rhoda's life, the movie is narrated by somber breaking news headlines about the other planet, which tends to interrupt the flow of the movie in a slightly Tree of Life kind of way (but thankfully not as elaborately). Sometimes Rhoda and her family are shown watching TV reports about it, but other times Rhoda is just walking on the side of the road or staring into nothingness. The movie is rather slow, so these scenes take a particular toll on the audience.

As the movie progresses, we see the duplicate planet flirting with Earth, a phenomenon by which Rhoda becomes more and more enraptured.

But the second half of the movie, where it focuses more on Rhoda and John, is more streamlined and far more remarkable. The relationship between them is as elegant as it is frightening since the audience knows the truth behind it. We are able to empathize with Rhoda, but fear for her as she struggles to find her way back to herself.

Even with its faults, Another Earth is quite an achievement from 28-year-old Marling, who also co-wrote the screenplay along with director Mike Cahill. Marling illuminates Rhoda in a way not many young actresses could, in such an honest portrayal of sorrow and existentialism. Mapother is touching as the grieving dad whose spirit is finally reawakened after a chance encounter with an unknown soul. Another Earth is quite a gem in a lot of ways, but wrapped in an enigma. It's a very sophisticated approach to a familiar theme.

Rating: B-

Live Q&A with Angelina Jolie on January 12th!

2012-01-06T19:20:00.010-05:00

Next week we're presenting a special opportunity to chat with Angelina Jolie about her Golden Globe-nominated epic drama In the Land of Blood and Honey, the first film she has written and directed.

The busy mother of six will be here live on January 12th at 8pm to discuss the provocative tale of love amid the Bosnian War in the early 1990s. The film follows Danijel (Goran Kostic), a Bosnian Serb, reunites with his long lost love Ajla (Zana Marjanovic), a Muslim artist, when she becomes a captive in the camp of which he's in charge. Their once budding romance is put to the test when they realize their on different sides.

Jolie will take your questions live right here on Reel Talk. You're invited to leave any questions for Jolie in the comments section of this post. One lucky reader will win an In the Land of Blood and Honey poster!

Spread the word and invite all the wonderful film lovers in your life to take part in this special opportunity to get all their burning questions answered by the Oscar-winning actress' critically acclaimed writing and directing debut.

Movie Trends That Need To Be Buried With 2011

2011-12-30T16:28:00.002-05:00

While 2011 brought us many notable gems on the big screen, it also had several repeat offenses that we would like to forget about. So, as we bid adieu to the last twelve months, let's light a candle for some of those less memorable moments in cinema this year:

USELESS SUBTITLES: What ever happened to the simplicity of labeling a film by the sequence it falls in, like Rocky 3 or Terminator 2? This year we had two films with subtitles we're still scratching our heads about--Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Unless Tom Cruise is returning from the dead to vanquish bad guys (by way of a self-made sandstorm), get rid of the subtitle, which offers no insight to the actual plot of the movie. Without harping on the more obvious blunders of the latest installment of Transformers (which we'll get into down below), can we talk about how Dark of the Moon is neither grammatically correct nor has anything to do with the movie? Is it the dark side of the moon? Is it an eclipse? Who knows? The title is the last place this movie should have started trying to get creative. I'd rather they'd gone with the Gremlins route and called it Transformers: The New Batch.

ALL MOVIES OF AND RELATING TO A ZOO: Unless an ape named Caesar is starting a zoo uprising in your movie, we're not interested. We don't care that you bought a zoo or that you're a zookeeper. Actually, if we could get rid of the whole live action animal thing for 2012, we'd be ever so grateful.

EXORCISMS: This desperate plea will likely fall on deaf ears as Hollywood continues to crank out more movies exorcising the devil out of characters with The Devil Inside and the sequel to The Last Exorcism. But, if Linda Blair isn't twisting her head around and spewing vile pea soup, stop participating in the problem. We can't take this nonsense anymore.

MEN DRESSED IN DRAG IN RIDICULOUSLY LAME COMEDIES: It seems like Martin Lawrence and Tyler Perry are in a contest to see who can break box office records with the dumber franchise. I'm just waiting for the inevitable to happen--Tyler Perry's Madea vs Big Momma. Once that happens (and, mark my words, it will happen), can we just say so long to these two loud and boorish characters? After all, we want to be able to scream "Hallelujah!," too.

FAUX INSPIRATIONAL OCEAN MOVIES: For some reason, there was a fascination with lead characters whose limbs were lost at sea this year. And we'd like that to end, today. While both Soul Surfer and Dolphin Tale were well-intentioned, their plots were equally saturated with contrivance, which created the opposite effect from what they were going for.

JAMES FRANCO'S PHONED-IN PERFORMANCES: Has James Franco fallen hard or what? We keep forgetting that he's actually a pretty great actor, as evident in the last place we spotted his talent in 127 Hours. But since then we can't figure out whether Franco hates movies or do movies hate him. From his "I really don't wanna be here doing this" hosting stint at the Academy Awards, to his subsequent lackluster portrayals in Your Highness, The Green Hornet and even Rise of the Planet of the Apes, we're convinced Franco has checked out of the game. Oops.

TRANSFORMERS: Haven't those poor robots from the 80s been through enough? Must we continue to defame them with abysmal big screen movies, where they continue to come off dull? Their suffering must be plentiful. Let's say we bury whatever vendetta we clearly have against them and stop this massacre of their name. What do you say, Michael Bay? I think it's time.

"EDGY" ROMANTIC COMEDIES: There is nothing worse than a romantic comedy that doesn't play its position, but rather tries to be more than what it is--borrowed and predictable. This year we had three romcoms that left us bewildered and asleep in the theaters--Crazy, Stupid Love, No Strings Attached and What's Your Number?--that all claimed to be somehow "different" or "refreshing." I'd like the next romantic comedy of 2012 to be one in which we can't determine the entire plot (including dialogue) from its tired trailer. Please and thank you.

CORNY CONCERT MOVIES: The last thing Justin Bieber or those brats from Glee need is a nationwide big screen release where their crappy tunes are displayed like some kind of nightmarish simulcast. Boo. We liked it better when Michael Jackson did it, posthumously.

2011 ANNUAL FILM ROUNDTABLE (FINAL ROUND: ACTION MOVIES AND DOCUMENTARIES)

2011-12-30T12:45:00.013-05:00

On our fourth and final day of debating the hits and misses of the year in film, Sean, Brian, Julian and myself focus on documentaries and action movies that made an impact. But first, Sean and myself touch on a few things we missed about women performances and comedies (from our last round).

Read our thoughts below:

SEAN:

I have been kicking myself for 24 hours for having forgotten to mention the brilliantly dark and fierce Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo when I raised the topic of leading ladies. Mara was phenomenal here as she was in The Social Network. I have a feeling she's going to be around for a long time and she'll make sure that I or anyone else won't forget her.

Brian brings us to the topic of The Artist which is arguably the frontrunner for Best Picture this year. That said, I wasn't sold on The Artist. I admire the artistry of the film, the multiple staircase scene is maybe the most artful scene in any movie in 2011, but I never found the point of it. As you so correctly pointed out Brian, the film is not truly an homage though it may qualify as something of re-creation of a classic silent film. Without a point or a purpose other than being a distracting bit of entertainment I don't see why The Artist is anymore an Oscar contender than Bridesmaids? Is The Artist really just getting by on novelty?

Brian also raises the topic of Midnight in Paris; my favorite movie of 2011. Midnight in Paris is pure delight. The film is romantic, smart and funny with the best ensemble cast of 2011, especially the Oscar deserving Cory Stoll who damn near stole the whole movie with his blustering yet friendly Ernest Hemingway. There was the high potential for this material to become camp but the cast, Stoll especially, never lapsed into the kinds of caricatures necessary for camp. Instead, the film is true to the notion of it's time traveling idea and the actors aren't merely mimics but fully fleshed characters who happen to be brilliant historical characters.

I loved Owen Wilson's performance which is neither Owen doing Woody nor is it typically Owen Wilson. Wilson has been terribly overlooked this year. With Midnight in Paris, The Big Year and the quite funny comedy Hall Pass, Wilson had every bit as good of a year as Brad Pitt. Returning specifically to Midnight in Paris, I loved the way that Wilson and Marion Cotillard's twin longings for the past mirrored one another. The plotting of these two characters and their almost romance was wildly clever.

A few more random notes before I wrap up:

A few weeks back on Twitter I mentioned that I wanted you three to see Bellflower as I was eager for your expert analysis. Bellflower left me baffled and a little angry over the many cheats and artful dodges the director employs to get to his ending. Many of the hipster critics ignored those narrative cheats, ones they would chide a mainstream feature for, because Bellflower has an air of cool to it. I didn't buy into the cool. That said, to be completely fair to the filmmakers, there is something to be said for a movie that can inspire such anger and passion in its audience.

On the topic of The Descendants, I think I liked it more than the rest of you. George Clooney is one of the most fascinating actors working today. I found his sad, desperate quest to be dark but quirky in the same vein as Jack Nicholson's performance in About Schmidt. I love the very specific characters that Alexander Payne creates. These highly self-destructive, desperately driven characters combine dark comedy and a deep poignancy that I can't resist.

We've not had a chance yet to talk about an extraordinary weak year for documentaries. I enjoyed the recent Roger Corman documentary as well as a documentary called Undefeated that is receiving an Academy run soon with plans to launch in limited release in January. Undefeated is the story of a High School football team and the unique characters who coach and play for the team. It's like a real life Friday Night Lights.

CANDICE:

You know, I never really checked for Rooney Mara before, not even in The Social Network. I mean, she was the girl who arguably set off the genius of a young college student, but I didn't think her screen time--since it was limited--was entirely memorable.

But The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? Wow. It says a lot about you if you could spearhead a David Fincher movie (a director who I think is so extraordinarily underrated it's criminal. He's right about there with Darren Aronofsky, for me).

Sean, while you were kicking yourself about having to mentioned Mara's performance, I was seething at the fact that I didn't properly gush over my number two film of the year: Midnight in Paris. So luscious, so poetic, and so romantic I fall in love with this movie every time I think about it. I agree with both you and Brian that Owen Wilson is so terribly under-appreciated this awards season. I really can't think of a better actor to play into the wide-eyed, hopeless romantic yet sheepish character Wilson play. He carried this whole movie, to me. Yes, all the actors who played the great historical characters were spot-on, but it was Wilson who I held our hand and brought us to each era. It was such a remarkable trip down memory lane. Sean, as you've already mentioned, I agree that the cast could not have been better for this film. Everyone was simply captivating and helped move along a film that, in the wrong hands, could have been very sloppy. I haven't even been much of a Woody Allen fan before this, but i am simply drooling over this movie.

I haven't seen The Descendants yet, but I have to comment on Sean's mention that George Clooney is a fascinating act. I find him anything but fascinating. I think he could be a fascinating director at times, but in front of the camera he just doesn't seem committed to any role, which is why to me they all come off similar.

While we're on the subject of documentaries, I want to throw in The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, which was so raw and so beautiful. I didn't love it at first watch, but later I have really come to strongly appreciate the historical and personal value of the movie. I wish more people jumped on this when it came out (I believe, in limited release).

Real quick, what are your thoughts on action movies this year? I know there was a strong divide on Fast Five (which I enjoyed, for what it's worth). I also enjoyed Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Where do you think action films (and horror films) are going to go next?

By the way, you guys rock. I can't wait to do this again next year!

JULIAN:

As for action-oriented features this year, I wasn’t much of a fan. Green Lantern aside, superhero films hit a high this year with Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, and my personal favorite, X-Men: First Class. Not sure if we’re counting those as action films, though. Hanna was a really strong entry for the genre, even though it’s a heavily subdued action feature.

Besides that, the action films either didn’t grab my attention enough for me to watch them or didn’t satisfy me enough for me to consider worthwhile. There was Super 8, which I genuinely loved, but I feel that it fits more into the science fiction genre than action. Fast Five was a hugely admired action film that I just didn’t understand the praise for. Even the big brawl between Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson didn’t do anything for me; I blame the editing in the scene.

Haven’t caught Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol yet, but I’m looking forward to it, mainly for the additions of Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner. As for your question regarding the future of action films, Candice, I’m really hoping that Hanna somehow signaled a shift where there’s more focus on character motivation and perhaps less emphasis on overly flashy sequences. I like a good blockbuster-type explosion flick every now and again (the last two Transformers films have been guilty pleasures of mine), but I’m curious to see if the genre progresses beyond its supposed limitations.

You also brought up horror films, and I think this year brought forth two really exceptional features in that genre: Insidious and Paranormal Activity 3. The former nicely hearkened back to the old days, where one didn’t need buckets of strawberry syrup or women baring it all to strike up some scares. The latter turned out to be the best film in an already acclaimed and admired series. I can’t imagine how the fourth installment could be any better, but I had similar doubts about Paranormal Activity 3.

On a final note, thanks again, Sean, for inviting me, and thanks to all for the great conversation in film. Despite our sometimes very different thoughts about film, we all made it through the conversation again without going into an all-out brawl.

It’s always awesome chatting about film with three fellow movie lovers. Thanks again to all for the great conversation, and here’s to the next year in film – and our annual year-end chat.

BRIAN:

I remember the impulsive Twitter-verse predicting two things--that Harry Potter 7.2 will be nominated for Best Picture and Andy Serkis will be nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I think, by now, most have abandoned hopes of either of those two things happening. It's probably for the best since they're both pretty preposterous notions in my opinion. That being said, I think Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was a wonderful end to a really magical series of movies. Not only is it the highest grossing film of the year, it's infinitely better than Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 which I despised.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes was another film that I wasn't expecting to like as much as I did. J remember watching the remake of Planet of the Apes in the theater and absolutely hating it. I still consider it among the fifty worst films I've seen. Rise of the Planet of the Apes dialed down the scope of the battle between humans and evolved apes and made it a human drama which was exactly how the story needed to have been told. It all built up to a climax on top of the Golden Gate Bridge which didn't work perfectly, but still proved to be a satisfying conclusion to a really smart movie. I think it's refreshing when films prove better than my expectations going in. Both Harry Potter 7.2 and Rise of the Planet of the Apes did just that.

I also really enjoyed Duncan Moon's Source Code quite a bit. Sure, the ending was absolutely ridiculous, but Jake Gyllenhaal proved to me once again (after Brothers) that he's actually a really good actor. Also, it was exciting and smart. It's another example of action movies which are better because they have actual character development and an intelligent script. I don't consider myself a fan of action-adventure movies as a whole, but I do admit that the best in the genre are usually the most enjoyable and satisfying films of any genre.

I've only seen a few documentaries this year, though I have a bunch on my list to see. I actually think documentaries are one of my top 3 favorite genres. The best doc I saw was Errol Morris' Tabloid, which was really fascinating. It's not a great film, but it's pretty entertaining and thought-provoking. The biggest disappointment for me in 2011, by far, was going to the AFI Film Festival to see The Swell Season documentary. 2007's Once was my favorite film of the decade, and I love the band The Swell Season, which was started by Glen Hansard and Marketa Herglova after the success of Once. It looked like it was going to be a fascinating look into the lives of talented musicians who were unexpectedly vaulted into stardom by a sleeper hit. Instead, the documentary The Swell Season was tediously boring and singularly unpleasant. It was completely unfocused, and for most of the film, we hear whining on the part of Herglova about how awful it is to be famous. There wasn't nearly enough music or insights into the human condition or Once nostalgia or...well...anything of quality at all. It did have a short theater release in October. It should be out on DVD soon. I highly recommend avoiding it and watching Once again instead.

As I've said before, I still have a lot of 2011 releases to go through, but participating in this discussion with you three has really gotten me excited to check out so many of the great films I've missed. I'm glad that you three continue to write and continue to be a presence on Twitter. I'm hoping to spend more time at the movies and writing for my blog. Hopefully, I'll do both enough to merit invite to participate in this discussion.

Here's to 2012, hopefully a great year for film!

For more information about our contributors, you can follow them via their various social networks:

Sean: Twitter (@SeanPatriKernan), website
Brian: Twitter (@bpdreview), website
Julian: Twitter (@202chicago), website

Feminism in Film Criticism: Where's the Love for Female Stars of Color?

2011-12-29T20:52:00.007-05:00

With all this talk questioning whether the new Lisbeth Salander (played by Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) could be our next female hero, Cinema in Noir got to talking about film vixens, and why the same feminist film critics aren't supporting minority actresses in prominent roles. With the summer success of Zoe Saldana in movies like Colombiana and Avatar, and the more recent success of Paula Patton in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and even Lucy Liu in Kill Bill, will minority actresses ever get that same feminist respect for roles on the big screen?

Last night's special edition of Cinema in Noir gets to the bottom of it all. Listen to a recap of the episode here:

Listen to internet radio with KimberlyRenee on Blog Talk Radio

2011 ANNUAL FILM ROUNDTABLE (ROUND 3: WOMEN AND COMEDIES)

2011-12-29T14:07:00.012-05:00

Day three of our celebration of 2011 cinema continues with a look at comedies and women in film. Read our thoughts below:

SEAN:

On twitter, @ReelTalker aka Candice raised the topic of Young Adult and this offers us the opportunity to talk about a movie that I love as well as a larger topic about leading ladies in 2011. First, Young Adult was very high on my 10 best list. I am a huge fan of Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody and the role that they created for Charlize Theron is one of the most unique and challenging roles given to anyone in 2011. Theron is bold and courageous in the way she so blindly charges forward with her atrocious behavior. Theron and Patton Oswalt had awesome comic chemistry and their final scene together, I don't want to spoil anything, is a heartbreaking and revealing moment that they both nail perfectly.

As has been the case for seemingly a decade at least, there were a paucity of good roles for women in 2011. Meryl Streep delivered, as she always does, with a completely engrossing performance in The Iron Lady. That's not to say that The Iron Lady is a great movie, it's not, but Streep delivers everything asked of her in a movie that too desperately apes the Oscar pretentions of The King's Speech. Adepero Oduye was extraordinary in Pariah and deserves Oscar consideration. Her performance as a slowly coming out of the closet African American teenager dealing with first love, and coming out in an environment she knows won't accept her is devastating and yet hopeful.

Michelle Williams inhabited Marilyn Monroe in ways that few actresses ever could. Williams captured the manipulative starlet and the shy, sad little girl sides of Marilyn in a full bodied performance that never lapsed into mere mimicry. Underestimated among leading ladies in 2011 is the performance of Kristen Wiig. Overshadowed by the equally good break out supporting performance of Melissa McCarthy, Wiig has only recently, thanks to the Golden Globes, been getting her due for what is one of the funniest performances, male or female, of 2011.

Bridesmaids leads me to another topic, the state of comedy in 2011. Young Adult, Bridesmaids and The Big Year were my favorite comedies of 2011. And, I am in the great, great minority of people who liked The Hangover Pt. 2. Yes, Hangover 2 is basically the same movie as Hangover 1 but I loved that too so I didn't mind watching a facsimilie. Also among the funniest movies of the year is The Muppets. Jason Segal absolutely nailed the script for The Muppets combining family friendly gags with smart comic moments for moms and dads. The Muppets was so good that even many of the most snarky net critics and tweeters showed the film some love.

One of the most overlooked and, I believe, unfairly maligned comedies of 2011, was The Sitter with Jonah Hill. People decided they hated this movie before they saw it and never gave the film a chance. Being a fan of Jonah Hill, I was more hopeful and open minded and I was rewarded with a very funny movie in which Jonah Hill acts like a slightly older version of his Superbad character, delivers many of the same kind of raunchy gags and is just plain funny doing it. You have to be a fan of Jonah Hill and his typical schtick to like The Sitter and since I am, I really liked that movie.

Jonah Hill leads me back to a topic that Julian raised yesterday about Jonah Hill's Oscar chances for Moneyball. Here again, I feel, anti-Jonah Hill bias is effecting many people's opinions of his performance. Hill's character is pivotal in making Moneyball work and without him Moneyball is not an Oscar contender. Thus, I think Jonah Hill is very deserving of Oscar consideration for Moneyball but people won't vote for him because they don't like his schtick and they assume he isn't a very good actor. The Jonah haters will miss the quiet nuances that Hill brings to his character, the great chemistry he has with Brad Pitt and the very unshowy way Hill cedes the spotlight to Pitt in the way the best supporting players do.

Coming up, we must talk about my favorite movie of 2011 Midnight in Paris.

CANDICE:

oh, it's time to talk about the femme fatales! The cinematic vixens!

To be honest, for the past few years I've really found it hard to come up with five mind-blowing performances from women in cinema each year. But this year I've been really impressed with the diversity of some of the female performances I've seen.

Sean, I love that you bring up Young Adult. I have said time and time again that I love how Diablo Cody is one of the most fearless female writers around right now. She basically gives a full storyline to a villain and made a movie surrounding her life, not a movie where she is simply a part of it. That in and of itself has the potential to alienate audiences who don't want to see something that stark, so unaffected. But I think Charlize humanized this character. While she wasn't exactly redeemed in the movie (which is what i liked most about it), Theron tapped into the inner core of the character. It was clear that she understood her. Mavis Gary needs an actress who can really be a friend to her, not one who abuses her and plays her for face value. Theron did her justice. While the movie isn't exactly earth shattering, I think the way it was told, and Theron's portrayal catapulted this movie into my top ten list.

But I have to say, I wasn't too blown away by Patton Oswalt. But I did like him in the role. I'm curious to see where his career goes after this.

I already know that what I'm about to say may be an extremely unpopular opinion, but I'm going to say it anyway. :)

I love Meryl Streep as an actress. I really do, and probably always will. But she really has been phoning in the last couple of performances I've seen her in, to me. The last great performance I've seen from her is in The Devil Wears Prada. Since then, I don't think her performances have been bad (let's face it: her worst performance is some actresses' best), but I think she has been better. Her performances (or maybe the roles?) have been blending in together to the point that they're all starting to look the same. She's fine in The Iron Lady, but some of her mannerisms made me think of those she did in both Julie and Julia and Prada. While I liked the way the story of The Iron Lady was written, like you mentioned, Sean, that movie could have used some jumper cables at times. It just kind of floated along and came off a bit stale at time. But the scenes with Jim, Broadbent and Streep together were beautifully touching.

Adepero Oduye in Pariah is one of my favorite female performances this year. She wide-eyed but bold, and you sympathized with her without feeling heavy afterward. She brought you so into the character that you cried when she cried, laughed when she laughed, and was angry for her at times. Pariah is one of my favorite movies of the year.

I also want to talk about Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Keira Knightley in A Dangerous Method. While the movie seems to polarize critics, David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo really proved to me that many American audiences might not be ready for the kind of story Dragon is. It's cold, at times heartless, and never heartfelt. Mara's Lisbeth Salander is victimized, but never a victim. In short, she's totally disaffected, which makes her strange to audiences. It also doesn't help that her look--covered in tattoos, piercing, shaved eyebrows--also pushed away critics. Lisbeth is not your typical heroic character, which makes me like her more. She doesn't seek out heroism, she almost falls into it. I think Mara did a fine job in the role. To me, not as fierce as Noomi Rapace in the original Swedish version, but still good. I was totally with Fincher in the movie, until that sloppy ending.

Knightley was so gripping in A Dangerous Method. She holds on to you tight throughout that whole movie. Her wild nature is often trapped between her genius and the aggressive love she has with the idea of being in love. She literally has two of the soundest minds in history nearly collapse on account of her mesmerizing but chilling philosophies. I wish people would talk about her performance in that and Last Night as well. Those were two very different and very wonderful roles she played that got swept under the rug.

I haven't seen My Week with Marilyn, but I love Michelle Williams and plan to see it. Even though it's yet another Marilyn Monroe story...

Let's get this out right now: I liked Hangover 2. Even though it was very similar to the first one, I still liked it. LOL

I know folks want to call Bridesmaids the female Hangover, but it was so much more than that. For starters, Bridesmaids had heart. Kristin Wiig was so nuanced, and Melissa McCarthy was also ace in the movie.

While I didn't see The Sitter, the trailer didn't grab me. It just seemed like a raunchier Adventures in Babysitting to me. To be honest, Jonah Hill isn't a draw for me....yet anyways.

If we're talking comedies, I'd like to also include my two cents on one of the funnies movies I've seen all year--Attack the Block. Hilariously acted, thought wonderfully nuanced at the right times, this movie was entertaining from start to finish. John Boyega leads a rowdy group of teenage hoodlums in the sci-fi flick with a soul. I adored it.

I agree with you, Sean, The Muppets was so cuddly and funny at times. Jason Segel makes it so modern, yet nostalgic at the same time. It was such an endearing movie. While I don't think it's Oscar worthy, I do think the Golden Globes could give it some love. I just didn't love Amy Adams in the movie; she's a real hit or miss to me. But, on the other hand, I couldn't imagine anyone else playing the role...Go figure.

JULIAN:

The conversation’s shifted to comedies, and appropriately so: after a lackluster showing for laughers last year, quality comedies made a huge comeback this year with Bridesmaids, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Midnight in Paris, The Muppets, and Young Adult. I’m stunned that people have fallen in love with Midnight in Paris, but I can’t complain about a genuinely delightful comedy with a tight ensemble cast.

I have to be the odd one out here and say that I didn’t care much for The Hangover, Part II, and this is coming from one who really enjoyed its predecessor. The same tricks that were employed this time around didn’t carry the same humor for me.

There's also The Muppets, which I found to be an absolute delight. Jason Segel and Amy Adams were perfect together. Adams is still the go-to girl for cutesy and innocent roles, even after her dramatic turns in Doubt and The Fighter. As long as she keeps switching it up, there's nothing wrong with taking parts like this, I think.

Have yet to see The Sitter, and I'm not sure if I ever will. It's not a Jonah Hill thing, though. It just doesn't look a film I'd enjoy.

Moving right along, I’m basically copying and pasting what Candice said about Bridesmaids. The marketing gave a very Hangover vibe, but people who see the movie know that there’s much more going on with this chaotic group of women than with any hungover Wolf Pack.

Kristen Wiig channels the comedic skill she displays every weekend on "Saturday Night Live" into her lead performance, while also creating a fully fleshed-out character with dramatic undertones. The friendship between her and the bride-to-be Maya Rudolph feels genuine; it’s likely a reflection of their real-life relationship. There are also those deliciously under-the-rug moments of viciousness between Wiig and Rose Byrne, who plays a trophy wife with such brilliance.

We can’t go without mentioning Melissa McCarthy either. She takes a stock character and makes her feel like someone we might actually know in real life. She’s also flat-out hysterical. It’s unfortunate that many are taking such an issue with her possible Oscar candidacy. People often complain about undeserving Oscar bait making the cut. When a highly deserving performance that lacks Oscar pretention, though, comes along and gets hype, people can’t be happy about it.

But I digress; back to Bridesmaids. Ellie Kemper and Wendi McLendon-Covey, who didn’t get quite as much screen time as others in the film, still had distinct personalities and mannerisms that made them enjoyable to watch. Even the late, great Jill Clayburgh as Wiig’s mother has a genuine connection despite limited screen time. And I may never get over her synopsis of Cast Away: “it’s like Forrest Gump on an island.”

With all of that behind me, I feel like it was a great year for female roles in other features as well, like Young Adult, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and The Help. I’m not going to take up any more space with that last film, but I’ve got plenty to say about the other two films.

It’s awesome that we’ve got a movie like Young Adult, where the leading female protagonist is as mean and unlikable as can be. You don’t see it often: men do it in comedies all the time, and everyone laughs along, but when a woman does it, the question of “Why can’t she be nicer?” is immediately raised. I think that’s what’s sadly killing this movie’s chance at finding a big audience, but more power to the duo of Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman for bringing this story to the big screen and maintaining artistic integrity instead of sucking up to the mainstream with a watered-down version of Mavis Gary.

Regarding Charlize Theron, she was dynamite. I never knew she was so skilled with comedy, particularly comedy of such a dark nature. I’m crossing my fingers that she gets more love this awards season, though I’m not counting on it.

Now I’ve come to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Many already view protagonist Lisbeth Salander as a feminist icon thanks to Stieg Larsson’s novel, from which the film inspired. After seeing David Fincher’s adaptation and Rooney Mara’s commanding lead performance, it’s impossible to see the character as anything else. Mara's so terrific and nuanced in the role that she disappears into the character. The same goes for Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn, even though she really doesn't look much like Marilyn Monroe at all.

Coming back around to The Descendants, which Brian mentioned earlier, I think it's a very good film, but I also agree that it's highly overrated. It's a good blend of comedy and drama, but whenever people start talking about the film as poignant or being a masterpiece, that's where the praise stops for me. It's a solid film and nothing more. Perhaps what's most offensive is that Alexander Payne uses Altman-esque long shots when they add nothing to the story or narrative. Also, throw me into the camp that doesn't get why Shailene Woodley's performance is receiving such raves. She's quite good, and I'm sure that she'll have a great career, but it's a role that any other decently talented actress in her age range could have played.

BRIAN:

I'm glad Candice and Sean liked The Hangover Part 2, but I won't go near that film. It's appearing on many critics' worst of the year lists, and I wasn't a huge fan of the original, so the same movie a second time is not my idea of a good time. That being said, after reading about what all three of you thought of Young Adult, I've decided that I am going to check that one out tonight. I loved Juno, so I do look forward to another Cody/Reitman reunion, though, from what I've heard, Young Adult is much darker than Juno, but I like dark comedies if they're done well. I also look forward to seeing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, even though it's almost 3 hours long and I really didn't like the Swedish film. Ironically, my dislike for the original film makes me more excited to see Fincher's movie since his almost has to be better in comparison. I really loved Rooney Mara in The Social Network, and The Social Network was my number one film of last year, so I'm totally on board for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...that is when I have three hours to kill and I want to spend them with depressingly bleak subject matter.

I did really enjoy Bridesmaids. It reminded me of another film that I think is underrated...My Best Friend's Wedding. It's a comedy that's not so much about raunch as it is about relationships and intelligence. I'm not quite getting the Melissa McCarthy Oscar buzz, though. She's fine, but she's a little cartoonish in it. I mean, I wouldn't think of nominating Zack Galifianakis for The Hangover, and McCarthy was pretty much the female version of his character. I really don't think she'll be nominated. I think people like her personality off screen, which translates into the Oscar buzz. I think McCarthy deserves a movie career, and if she's as talented as many think she is, she'll have her chance at a nomination for a role in which she's deserving. Wiig, on the other hand, was tremendous in Bridesmaids. She's one of the great comedic talents around, and Bridesmaids was the perfect vehicle for her. Similar to My Best Friend's Wedding, Wiig wasn't afraid to make her character pretty unlikable at times. There are some truly uncomfortably funny moments in Bridesmaids involving Wiig's character, and she totally nailed every single one. I don't think she will be nominated for Best Actress, but if she does, it'll be very deserving.

Speaking of comedies, I just saw The Artist, and it's really wonderful. I teach a high school film course, and we spend a good amount of time talking about the silent film era. We watch Murnau's Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans from 1927, and we concentrate on Keaton and Chaplin later in the course. The Artist feels totally authentic to that time period. The performances are wonderful, and it's visually stunning. However, I'm confused regarding the intentions of the film. Is it supposed to be an homage? If so, it doesn't really fall into that category because there's no sense of honoring another person's work or any type of meta-nostalgia. It's a straightforward silent movie that fits alongside others from the era. Is it supposed to introduce the world of silent filmmaking to modern filmgoers? If so, then I don't think it'll be much of a success in that regard. It feels as dated as every other silent movie ever made. Unless a person is used to the world of silent movies, then he or she will probably have to appreciate The Artist from an emotional distance. Therefore, I'm left to think that it's simply meant to be as a straightforward slice of entertainment, and as such, I personally loved it, but I can't bemoan anyone else who was bored or disengaged. Also, it's not as good as some of the best silent films like Sunrise, City Lights, Modern Times, The Passion of Joan of Arc, Broken Blossoms, The General or The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (among many others). In other words, I feel like I enjoyed The Artist because I'm already used to silent movies. I find it highly unlikely that most people today will respond as favorably to it as I did.

Midnight in Paris was another comedy that I really enjoyed. Woody Allen makes way too many movies, and as such, there's a sense that sometimes he lucks into a gem like Midnight in Paris or Vicky Cristina Barcelona or Match Point. Lately, for every good movie he's made, he's made two or three stinkers. Therefore, I don't consider Midnight in Paris as one of his masterpieces simply because it does feel like he lucked into it. That being said, it's a wonderful film, and I'm sad that Owen Wilson isn't getting much buzz for his excellent performance in the lead. Midnight in Paris is one of the more breezy and delightful movies that has come out in a long time. If anyone doesn't smile throughout that movie, then I'd be worried about his or her mental health. Allen's typical pathos is dialed down for sincere nostalgic longing to a period that even predates his own life. Midnight in Paris is one of the few 2011 releases that I see myself revisiting on a regular basis. It's a real gem.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work in "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol"

2011-12-28T14:49:00.013-05:00

Love him or hate him (I'm, personally, of the former persuasion), but Tom Cruise has a star power some actors strive for their entire careers. While his death-defying stunts in his wildly popular--though many recently condemned--action movies have helped catapult him to the A-list, it shouldn't be forgotten that he's no slouch in the dramatic or comedic departments either.

But with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Cruise proves that he still has a firm grip on one of the coolest action franchises of all time. While this fourth installment, which follows agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise), Benji (Simon Pegg) and newbie agent Jane (Paula Patton), on their latest dangerous assignment in India, isn't nearly as slick as the original 1996 film, it still manages to keep audiences at the edge of their seats. In fact, the visual eye candy in the movie ups the ante for the series. Director Brad Bird really really uses the gorgeous landscape in the country to create spectacular scenes.

For instance, we've all seen Cruise straddle the world's tallest mountains and jump out of burning buildings, but, in Ghost Protocol, the star tackles one of mother nature's most vicious elements--a sandstorm. While chasing after the ominous villain, Hendricks (Michael Nyqvist), in one of the movie's epic pursuit scenes, Cruise battles harsh winds and spinning gravel (while probably getting a terrific facial) as the rest of the scene literally, and beautifully, gets swept away.

With the addition of newcomer Patton, the movie takes a more emotional turn than we've seen earlier in the series. Without giving too much away, Jane (Patton) is on her own revenge kick, which ends up softening her stride while hardening her blow. And Ethan still pines for his long-lost wife. The losses felt by both characters further fuels their efforts.

What's interesting about this movie is the unexpected comic relief not only from the effortlessly hilarious Pegg, but also from Jeremy Renner, who joins the franchise as Brandt, a shady chief analyst. Pegg's spot-on hilarity as the silly yet genius geek spy is perfect, especially alongside Renner's fish-out-of-water corporate schmuck turn accidental action hero. When Ethan becomes too recognizable to remain anonymous, Renner reluctantly falls into the role of his action replacement, with flying colors.

So, will there be another movie in the series? I hope so, but it has to be the same team. Patton, Renner, and Pegg have great chemistry with Cruise, who still spearheads the massive franchise with simultaneous elegance and brute force, which is what the movie calls for. One of the great mainstays of the franchise has been its strong female characters, like Jane and Sabine Moreau (a simply mesmerizing uber villain played by Léa Seydoux), who are both sensitive and frightening at the same time. They may be stunning to look at, but they are anything but predictable. Remember Emmanuelle Béart from the first movie? Yeah. Like that.

Although it lacks some of its original slickness and more surprising twists, Ghost Protocol really breathes new life into the franchise. It will interesting to see where this takes off next, and whether Patton and Renner will be there for the ride.

Rating: B

2011 ANNUAL FILM ROUNDTABLE (ROUND 2: "DRIVE" AND "SHAME")

2011-12-28T12:12:00.011-05:00

Part two of our discussion begins with more divisive talk this time about Drive, Shame, and Winnie the Pooh. Check it out below:

SEAN:

Welcome back Brian, and thanks for that lovely take on Tree of Life. Moving away from Malick and The Help there are so many interesting movies to talk about here. In preparing for our talk Julian raised the topic of Winnie the Pooh which arrived in theaters and disappeared as if it hadn’t been released by the largest media company on the planet, Disney. I can’t explain how this happened, it’s a wonderful, gentle little movie that Disney did not craft for free. Why did they dump it and fail to promote it? Why did they simply give up on opening weekend?

This, sadly, is a fairly regular phenomenon in Hollywood. One of my favorite films of 2011 is The Big Year starring Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson. Fox gave up on The Big Year based on tracking numbers weeks before the film opened. The Big Year is a brilliantly smart, well observed comedy about very specific, well drawn characters. The comedy in The Big Year isn’t wacky or over the top but observant and very human. I think the fact that the film wasn’t a goofball comedy may have been the reason Fox gave up so quickly, they didn’t know what kind of movie they had and thus they didn’t know how to sell it. In a perfect world this wouldn’t matter but in the imperfect world of Hollywood, a marketing hook is crucial to a movie regardless of that movie’s quality.
On a slightly related topic, Brian, it’s killing me that I have not seen Certified Copy. I’ve seen over 150 movies this year and somehow that wasn’t one of them.
Opening another topic, what was everyone’s take on Drive? I was hypnotized by Drive. The score and the cinematography are so immersive and Ryan Gosling’s performance is so quiet and measured that the film lures you inside of it and then pummels you emotionally until by the end you are spent by all the violence and sleek, cool effortlessness of the production. I am swimming against the tide on this but I think Carey Mulligan was better in Drive than in Shame. The role is smaller and more functionary than Shame but I found her more sympathetic and plainly more interesting than her show emotional outbursts in Shame. The fact that I am one of the few people who didn’t love Shame certainly plays a part in my opinion.
It was a year for detached, observant drama. Drive, Shame, and strangely Moneyball all had a similarly sleek, detached air. For Drive and Moneyball that detachment is a ploy that draws you in closer to the characters until you are inextricably bound to them. In Shame I found the the detachment to be colder and more forceful. I never connected with Michael Fassbender or his problems. I definitely connected with Gosling and with Brad Pitt in Moneyball. Pitt’s Billy Beane has the shortcut of a cute daughter to bring you toward him emotionally but there is an effort on Pitt’s part as well to keep us at arms length until just the right time.

CANDICE:

It's interesting. I love the classic Winnie the Pooh cartoon, but I think there seems to be a trend where critics find it cool to condemn children's movies unless they're super provocative--like The Adventures of TinTin--and strip away he more traditional wonder of old school animated movies. I saw that a lot this year--including with Winnie the Pooh-and it puzzled me. I'm not sure if that had anything to do with the box of office dud.

Although I haven't seen The Big Year, I can tell you that the marketing may have had something to do with its lack of success. he trailer looked like a screwball comedy with no focus, and like it wasn't targeted to anyone in general. If it's anything as good as you say it is, than the marketing did nothing for it.

Sean, I love that you brought up the quietness that I noticed as well in both Shame and Drive. I personally think it worked better in Shame, mostly because the chemistry between Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan was far better and emotionally connected than that of Mulligan and Gosling in Drive. When Mulligan and Gosling stared at each other in moments of silence it just seemed like the movie went blank, lifeless. I felt nothing between them but silence. But when Mulligan and Fassbender shared silence in Shame, it was palpable the tension in that movie was so clear, and in every part of their characters.

But I will say Drive really proved to me that Gosling is just a magnetic actor. That role--and that movie-isn't for everyone with his specific style, but Gosling made it more mainstream. His acting, even in the quieter moments in the movie was so riveting, so fierce. It really breathed life into the movie. It is a true test of talent for an actor to say so much without saying anything at all. Also, I want to add that both Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman put in work in that movie! I was mesmerized by both their brutal performances. Like you said, Sean, when Drive gets going, it really takes off. While I enjoyed the last half a little more than the first half, I appreciated how the first half set up for a wild ride in the second half.Very stylized, nostalgic film.

Now Shame, awww Shame. My #1 movie out of all the movies I've seen this year. How I love it so. Let me count the ways. :)

I'll start first by saying I really don't think there is another actor who could have brought Brandon's life to screen so earnestly, so controlled and so heartbreaking as Michael Fassbender. He helped turn an otherwise heartless subject into something so painstaking and filled with emotion that it made it impossible to not empathize. The moments between him and Mulligan were so touching, but so filled with aggression that you never knew what to expect from them, you were hypnotized by them. I was never a fan of Mulligan until this performance, where I think she really delivered an emotionally present performance, finally. Fassbender really carried the burden of shame on his back in every minute of that film. He, along with the great direction of Steve McQueen, made every moment of that film seem beautiful tragic but moving at the same time. Not a tough feat for the subject matter. With McQueen's thoughtful direction, often shooting the characters from behind, the audience really gets the sense that they're peering in on these characters' disgraceful secrets. It's really quiet beautiful to watch.

I haven't gotten a chance to seen Moneyball yet, but I do think Brad Pitt is one of those actors whose versatility is so unexpected and so refreshing. I have really enjoyed watching his career unfold.

JULIAN:

Disney really screwed the pooch – or, in this case, the silly old bear – with Winnie the Pooh.

Before the first trailer for the film arrived, I knew nothing of the movie, and considering how much I keep up with movie updates, that certainly says something. But that’s not the real reason why it was such a disaster at the box office; the biggest factor in this wonderful, charming little piece of nostalgia’s financial demise was Disney’s decision to release it opposite Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.

The latter film went on to have the highest-grossing opening weekend ever, something that surprised absolutely no one, while Pooh and his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood faded into movie-going obscurity.

What were execs at Disney thinking? People of all ages were excited to see the Boy Who Lived face off against Voldemort one last time on the big screen. It’s also worth noting that Disney dropped this movie in the summer, an odd time to release a very tame, traditionally animated G-rated film. Why not give it a slot in the November/December timeframe where it would have had a nice chance at finding a big audience?

The weekend of December 2 didn’t even boast one new film hitting theaters across the nation (on a side note, Sony re-released Oscar contenders The Ides of March and Moneyball to bolster their awards profiles). Traditionally speaking, it’s a bad weekend to release new films, but Winnie the Pooh would have fared far better on that weekend than in its puzzling summer debut.

This is a film that, with the proper release date and attention, could have been an Animated Feature frontrunner at the Oscars. And let’s be honest: Disney’s other two animated films this year, Cars 2 and Gnomeo and Juliet, have little to no chance of winning; Cars 2 might become the first Disney/Pixar feature to be shut out of the Animated Feature race (we can hope).

That’s what makes Disney’s course of action in domestic and international release very peculiar (its worldwide rollout comes across as very random and without any focus). Maybe it was the knowledge that Cars 2, regardless of how terrible it is, would make a pretty penny. On the awards side of things, maybe Disney tried to focus more on its live-action combo of The Help and War Horse, both of which seem locked for Best Picture nominations. Or maybe Disney simply tried for counterprogramming with the release, aiming for families with young children.

Every possibility listed above plausible to a degree, but in all honesty, I’ve no clue what the folks at Disney were thinking in regards to Winnie the Pooh’s release date and marketing.

As for The Big Year, I haven’t given it a look-see, but I’m siding with Candice on this one. If someone told me about a comedy with Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson, I’d be intrigued since I like all three actors in varying degrees (I’m giving Wilson the benefit of the doubt thanks to Midnight in Paris). However, those trailers and TV spots were genuinely appalling, making for some absolutely horrendous marketing.

Also in agreement with Candice, there’s no clear demographic that this film is trying to grab. None of the three actors, despite being solid performers, really carry much weight at the box office anymore either.

I’d now delve into Drive and Shame, but I’ve yet to see either title. I thought I’d have time to check out Drive when it first hit theaters, but it only played in my market for two weeks. As for Shame, there’s no telling if that movie will even come to a theater near me.

But I have seen Moneyball, and while I can’t bring myself to give it an enthusiastic shout of praise as other critics can, it’s a quality drama that thankfully avoids focusing on the sport of baseball to give protagonist Billy Beane the spotlight. Brad Pitt carries the film on his capable shoulders, giving a great star performance.

However, I’m really disappointed that he’s getting more attention for his leading work here than his vastly superior supporting performance in The Tree of Life. I’m not surprised, though: his Moneyball lead makes for a far more traditional, though not unimpressive, performance, with all of the bells and whistles that accompany what’s generally considered strong acting (crying scenes, likable underdogs, etc.).

The Tree of Life, on the other hand, sees Pitt fully embodying a stern yet loving father figure. He fully fleshes out a character while simultaneously bringing to fruition something that’s more of an elusive concept than a character study. Generally speaking, it’s easier to enjoy and appreciate Moneyball than The Tree of Life; same goes for Pitt’s work in both films.

While I’m still, to some extent, discussing Moneyball, let me take a slight detour and say that I’m not sold on the idea that Jonah Hill will score an Oscar nomination. He’s in the exact same situation as Mila Kunis was for Black Swan (though she actually deserved an Academy mention… but that was last year): a young comedic actor, who few take seriously, going against type in a movie that’s dripping with Oscar attention. Both actors were/are riding the coattails of more established performers in the movies as well.

BRIAN:

Well, now my lack of moviegoing this year is coming out. I've yet to see Winnie the Pooh, Drive or Shame, though all three are high on my list to see. I have seen Moneyball, and I thought it was done well, but I couldn't get past the fact that I didn't care about the stakes. I do argue that a person might need to be a baseball fan to truly appreciate the film. I do respect it, though, and I agree with Julian that Pitt is great in it. I don't think Jonah Hill gave an Oscar caliber performance at all. He was fine in the role, but there was nothing that made him stand out as Oscar-worthy. I think Julian is correct that Hill will travel a similar path that Mila Kunis traveled last year. She didn't ultimately get the nomination, and I didn't think she deserved it because she was good, but not that good. Hill is in the exact same boat except I think he has even less of a chance than Kunis did simply because Black Swan was more liked than Moneyball.

Again, admitting that I have only seen less than 30 films released this year, I've gotten the overall feeling that this hasn't been a great year overall in film. There are few films that have really blown away the critics, and considering that it's now the end of the year and there's no real front runner for Best Picture, I think that says something about quality overall. I have seen a number of films that I really liked but didn't love. I really only saw five movies that I would say are great--Certified Copy, Tree of Life, Of Gods and Men, Meek's Cutoff and Midnight in Paris--and out of those five, the only five star I gave was to Certified Copy. There are many films that I would say were good or very good--Source Code, Super 8, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Tabloid, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, 50/50, Moneyball, The Ides of March, Bridesmaids, The Muppets and Margin Call. None of those films would be in my top 10 in any other year. Today, I'm planning on seeing The Artist, A Dangerous Method and hopefully one or two others. Still, though, I haven't gotten the impression that there's a significant number of great films out there that I have yet to see--maybe Drive being the biggest exception. Also, there's no chance that Certified Copy, Meek's Cutoff and Of Gods and Men will be nominated for Best Picture. At this point, I think it's unlikely that Tree of Life will be nominated as well.

Still, I haven't seen too many bad movies, though I think the most overrated movie is The Descendants. I flat out disliked it, which is pretty significant considering that it received a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. I've heard Alexander Payne criticized in the past for making fun of his characters in his films. I've not agreed with this charge in his previous films, but I couldn't get past the sarcasm and cynicism that permeated The Descendants. The framing of so many scenes are meant to be comical, and the narrative contrivances similarly were meant to milk laughs from the audience. We're expected to laugh at characters dealing poorly with grief. By the end of the movie, I didn't feel like the characters learned anything about themselves or their grief. Instead, it all came off as a tawdry quest to have an uncomfortable encounter with Matthew Lillard and Judy Greer...and don't get me started on the subplot about selling the land and Clooney's character's completely unbelievable change of heart. I think Clooney was very good, and I'd be fine if he gets a nomination. Unfortunately, I won't be happy when The Descendants gets a Best Picture nomination as I'm sure it will.

I look forward to sharing some thoughts on The Artist for day three of our conversation.
Any other thoughts regarding Jonah Hill and his potential Oscar candidacy?