Track: J'y suis jamais allé
Artist: Yann Tiersen
Movie: Amelie
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
59/100 (129 min, 2011)Plot: A nine-year-old amateur inventor, Francophile, and pacifist searches New York City for the lock that matches a mysterious key left behind by his father, who died in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
Director: Stephen Daldry
Writers: Eric Roth (screenplay), Jonathan Safran Foer (novel)
Stars: Thomas Horn, Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock
If things were easy to find, they wouldn't be worth finding.
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" deals with a subject that so far was a misfire when it comes to movies - 9/11 did not prove to be a material for good films. With the exception of "United 93" Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" and "Remember me" were disappointing. The success of Daldry's picture, which despite mixed reviews went on to score two Oscar nominations including the one for Best Picture may soon bring in a lot of movies based on the most shocking attack of last years. Is it a good thing? "Extremely loud and incredibly close" while being better than most movies on that subject still remains at many moments, a bad film.
Daldry is a very good director, but even he can't make a miracle happen. The story based on a novel by the same title is the main problem with the film. It unsuccessfully tries to mix what is real with what appears to be a fairytale - young boy finds a mysterious key in his father's closet. Before his father died in WTC he was the closest person to him - the boy, Oscar, is peculiar to say the least and his father was the only person in the world who knew how to communicate with him. He planned curious trips for Oscar, treasure hunts and elaborate expeditions, during which Oscar was going around New York trying to find out what his father hid for him. After his death when Oscar finds the key he is certain that this is one of his father's gifts for him and he is determined to find out what key opens.
Monday, February 27, 2012
84th Academy Awards
- The editing award going to "The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo" was a huge surprise, even the guys who got it were surprised. I loved their shout out to Rooney Mara.
- Halfway through the show Hugo had 5 Oscars and the Artist had 2. I nearly had a nervous breakdown
- Billy Crystal's opening bit was pretty disappointing, but it improved halfway through the show when he did a bit where he guesses what people in the audience are thinking. I love that they included Uggie.
- Jean Dujardin was sitting in the front row so at least I had someone to look at through the entire evening. On the red carpet when he was doing the interview he kissed the interviewer's hand. She nearly fainted. I would have fainted.
- RDJ and Gwyneth Paltrow presented best documentary and not even that frigid woman can take the hilarious out of Robert.
- Best Screenplay awards went to The Descendants and Midnight in Paris. First one was undeserved, but at least it wasn't Hugo. Second was not a surprise but I hoped for the Artist to win.
- Angelina Jolie is still skinny as a skeleton
- Emma Stone was quite embarrassing on stage. Though, most of the presenters were.
- Octavia Spencer had nervous breakdown on stage when she won. At least she didn't talk about black people everywhere and how the movie is the voice of them, or some other sentimental stuff like that.
- Spencer got standing ovation. Are you kidding me?
- I loved Christopher Plummer's speech. Dignified, calm and respectful. I had no idea he is 82 years old, I though he was younger than that.
- Harry Potter got nothing. Eh...
- Scorsese drinking game was repeated. When Melissa McCarthy and Rose Byrne were on the stage somebody shouted "Scorsese" and they took bottles out of their dresses and had a drink. I wish I had booze during watching the ceremony - I'm exhausted. I smoke a cigarette every time Hugo wins and The Artist loses.
- Michel Hazanavicius won for Best Director and thanked Uggie. Yey!
- During the presentation for the director actors from their movies talked a bit about them. That included Dujardin and lovely Michael Sheen.
- Freaking Oprah was there. She got standing ovation. What the hell was happening and why was it happening, I have no idea.
- They stretched the ceremony any way they could - Crirque the Soleil was there, the choir singing during In Memoriam was there, even previously mentioned Oprah was there.
- When Natalie Portman was talking a bit about each of the Oscar nominees for Best Actor I noticed Berenice Bejo was translating to Jean what she was saying.
- When she read "And the Oscar goes to Jean Dujardin" I started to cry and then I started to laugh - Dujardin's speech was so enthusiastic and joyful it was just a terrific Oscar moment. He started to run around the stage, sending kisses, thanking everyone, oh man I'm crying here, I can't remember last time I cried when someone won an Oscar.
- Meryl Streep won her 3rd Oscar and I have no idea what she said or did because I was frantically drying my eyes from tears from the previous category. I have a test in 2 hours on my University. I won't write a goddamn thing and it's ok.
- The Artist won Best Picture, Uggie was on stage - Jean held his Oscar in one hand and the leash the Uggie was on in the other. I love them both so much.
- All in all Hugo and The Artist both have 5 Oscars. One I disliked, the other I loved. But Jean and the movie winning make it my all time favorite ceremony that I have watched.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin)
84/100 (123 min, 2011)Plot: A married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimers.
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Writer: Asghar Farhadi
Stars: Peyman Maadi, Leila Hatami and Sareh Bayat
Unable to stay, unable to go.
"A Separation", the movie that is probably going to win Best Foreign Picture Oscar this Sunday, is a compelling and extremely dynamic story of two families - one consists of Nader, Simin and their daughter Razieh. Simin wants to leave the country in order to have a better life. Nader wants to stay in Iran with his family and with his ill father. Both of them have their reasons for their decisions and the inability to compromise will lead them to the titular separation, when despite their bonds and feelings because of the choices they made they will have to follow different paths. Right in the middle of family crisis is 11-year old Razieh who loves both of her parents and must decide which one of them she wants to live with.
The second family is Termeh and Hodjat and their little daughter. Termeh is hired to take care of Nader's father but because of many personal problems and different occurrences she is unable to perform her job as well as Nader expects her to. That leads to the chain of events that eventually will lead two families to the court, forcing them to confront each other and in doing so, confronting their deepest feelings and sense of morality, and seek answers for what's right and what is wrong.
Soundtrack Wednesday - The Life of David Gale
Song: Almost Martyrs
Artist: Alex & Jake Parker
Movie: The Life of David Gale, The Artist (trailer)
Monday, February 20, 2012
The Woman in Black
68/100 (95 min, 2012)Plot: A young lawyer travels to a remote village where he discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals.
Director: James Watkins
Writers: Susan Hill (novel), Jane Goldman (screenplay)
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeer and Ciarán Hinds
Harry Potter and the Sullen Lady
"During afternoon tea, there's a shift in the air, a bone trembling chill that tells you she's there
There are those who believe the whole town is cursed but the house in the marsh is by far the worst.
What she wants is unknown, but she always comes back - the spectre of darkness, the woman in black"
"The Woman in Black" went from being a novel, to being a play, to being TV movie and finally a film starring Daniel Radcliffe. 2012 version of the story is definitely the weakest one to date, but in the world where "found footage" horrors and shaky camera are what passes for horror movie, it is quite refreshing to see good old fashioned ghost story with haunted house, malicious ghost and noble hero, who is in way over his head.
Radcliffe plays a young man who lost his wife during childbirth. He has a young son, who he loves dearly - unfortunately, he also has financial problems which forces him to relocate to creepy town in order to attempt to sell property there. The problem is that ever since he arrives things do not go well - people are hostile for unknown reason, he keeps seeing weird things in the corner of his eye and finally a child dies in his arms. Soon he learns the secret - a woman, who once lost her child and now wants her revenge is haunting the townsfolk and whenever she is seen, a child dies.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Screaming Sunday: The Last Exorcism
Plot: In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the evangelical Reverend Cotton Marcus was raised by his father to be a preacher. He agrees that the filmmaker Iris Reisen and the cameraman Daniel Moskowitz make a documentary about his life and he tells them that exorcisms are frauds but the results are good for the believers because they believe it is true. When Cotton is summoned by the farmer Louis Sweetzer to perform an exorcism on his daughter Nell, Cotton sees the chance to prove to the documentary crew what he has just told them - that the exorcisms are fake but because others believe in them, they have a healing effect. They head to Ivanwood and they have a hostile reception from Louis's son Caleb. Cotton performs the exorcism on Nell, exposing his tricks to the camera, but soon they learn that the dysfunctional Sweetzer family has serious problems.
The heroes: Reverend who is angry with God and who is more of a magician performing tricks than the actual exorcist.
The antagonists: Maybe a demon, maybe a human being. Equally dangerous, though.
What makes it so great? The documentary-inspired style and shaky camera - you never know what it may catch on frame during its frantic movements. Also Ashley Bell's performance as Nell - who curiously did all the weird body movements herself without use of CGI - is quite remarkable.
Best scene: The exorcism inter vined with Reverend showing us how he deceives his audience.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
My Week with Marilyn
Plot: Colin Clark, an employee of Sir Laurence Olivier's, documents the tense interaction between Olivier and Marilyn Monroe during production of The Prince and the Showgirl.
Director: Simon Curtis
Writers: Adrian Hodges, Colin Clark (books)
Stars: Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne and Kenneth Branagh
"What it must be like to be the most famous woman in the world?"
"My Week with Marilyn" is a dull movie with very good performance, but apart from Michelle Williams's work there is really not much to admire here. Marilyn Monroe's life - and death - are the things that fascinate people to this day. Out of all the events in her life Simon Curtis chose her time during shooting of "The Prince and the Showgirl" to be the subject of his film. While the movie shows many interesting events, its the storytelling - from the perspective of a young man who desperately wants to be a part of a movie business - is one of its biggest problems.
Colin is a rich boy who loves films - all he wants is to get inside this fascinating world of motion pictures and because of his parents' connections and money he gets a job as a third assistant to the director in Laurence Olivier's movie studio. The problem is that Colin is the dullest character in the film yet he is the main hero here, not Monroe, not Olivier, not Olivier's wife - fascinating Vivien Leigh.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Scene of the Week: Amelie
directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
First Kiss(es)
The scene: After Amelie finally decides to chase Nino, her true love, she rushes out of the room with tears in her eyes. When she opens the front door in order to catch up to him, to her surprise he is standing right there - having come back after Amelie pretended she is not home. The two don't say anything, they just kiss each other - Amelie kisses Nino's cheek, neck and temple and then playfully shows him to kiss her on the lips, which Nino does and then copies what Amelie did, kissing her softly, almost worshiping her. That scene is not your usual first kiss scene - it's as lovely, unique and subtle as entire movie is.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
A Beautiful Mind
72/100 (135 min, 2001)Plot: After a brilliant but asocial mathematician accepts secret work in cryptography, his life takes a turn to the nightmarish.
Director: Ron Howard
Writers: Akiva Goldsman, Sylvia Nasar (book)
Stars: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris and Jennifer Connelly
The mysterious equations of life
"I need to believe, that something extraordinary is possible."
"A Beautiful Mind", Academy Award winner for Best Picture was also named one of "The 20 Most Overrated Movies Of All Time" by Premiere magazine - that situation actually represents the true nature of the film - it has amazing moments only to have completely mediocre, bland and unnecessary scenes following them. I always considered the movie to be very overpraised, but there are parts of the film that are truly able to move the audience - mostly because of wonderful performances and gripping story the movie is based on. Still, I will always find the fact that "A Beautiful Mind" won over "Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring" and "Moulin Rouge!" to be one of the Academy's worst mistakes.
Inspired by life of John Nash, the movie tells a story of brilliant mathematician who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. Nash is a typical shy outsider - very focused and fascinated by his work, mocked by others who are jealous of his brilliance and suspect he will achieve great things. During one of the lectures he gives on University he meets Alicia, beautiful girl who reaches out to him. Two of them fall in love and seemingly everything is looking good for Nash, who by then made progress in developing his revolutionary game theory. But soon Alicia and John will come to face life altering difficulties.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Valentine's Day Special - 15 memorable sex scenes.
I'll be damned If I sit here making a list of the most romantic moments in movies. Fuck it. In the time when in recent movies Scarlett Johansson has a bra in sex scenes (who does that?) and Justin Timberlake is dry humping (I don't even wanna know who does that...) Cameron Diaz it is nice to remember that some movies actually have good, passionate and erotic sex scenes. Here we go:
(Warning: Contains explicit images, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal, Mila Kunis, Robert Downey Jr and others shirtless Clooney and Jean Dujardin, naturally. Viewing this post may cause severe salivation and sexual imagery suddenly appearing in the mind)
(Warning: Contains explicit images, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal, Mila Kunis, Robert Downey Jr and others shirtless Clooney and Jean Dujardin, naturally. Viewing this post may cause severe salivation and sexual imagery suddenly appearing in the mind)
And the BAFTA goes to...
- Dujardin thanked his fellow nominees. The Fass looked pissed but then remembered to smile. Brad Pitt looked genuinely happy. I'm shocked Dujardin won in Britain, I was sure Oldman will win. I'm so happy he didn't. Not for this performance, not now. Jean yet again proven to be completely adorable. But Uggie wasn't there :(
- Christina Hendricks was there to present an award - what a gorgeous woman she is.
- Billy Bob Thorton presented the award for the best contribution in British cinema to John Hurt in a hilarious way - he said that they got a guy who can only see 4 feet in front of him and with IQ lower than 50 to present an award. Then he made a mistake in the word "recipient" and added "I told you so".
- When "The Artist" won for best movie they showed Viola Davis clapping and her husband staring at her in angry way. It was so funny.
- When Meryl Streep won for Best Actress while she was walking up the stairs she lost her shoe. She then staggered to the podium as Colin Firth rushed to retrieve the shoe and put it on her foot. Seriously, first the glasses on Globes, now the shoe on BAFTAS. What will she lose during Oscars? I almost want her to win just to find out.
- "The Artist" cleaned up and won in so many categories - I predict it will get at least 8 Oscars. I just hope year later people won't hate it as they seem to hate "A King's Speech" now, which truly baffles me.
- BAFTA always has such cool montages - the compliation of clips from movies from last year and great presentations for movies nominated for best pciture. They didn't disappoint - I also loved Stephen Fry's introductions for each of the movies.
- "Shame" got nothing on its own turf. Damn it.
- Brad Pitt is so lovely, he seemed like such a nice guy, especially on red carpet where he kept signing autographs and talking to the press. He presented best director to Michel Hazanavicius who thanked him for prounouncing his name correctly.
- 2 more weeks to Oscars. And I still can't decide who is winning Best Actress.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
The Artist
99/100 (100 min, 2011)Plot: Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Writer: Michel Hazanavicius (scenario and dialogue)
Stars: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo and John Goodman
The Golden Silence
If you told me few weeks ago that I will see a movie from 2011 that will be my number 1 of the year and it's not going to be "Shame" I would not believe it. The more plausible thing to happen would be for Charlie Sheen to admit that he has a problem or for David Lynch to stop meditating and announce he is making season 3 of "Twin Peaks". And yet it happened.
I forgot about a certain enchanting kind of films. My favorite movies usually deal with dark and tragic things, they tell stories of insanity, psychosis, suffering and solitude. They are filled with screaming, crying, despair and happy endings occur there very rarely. But sometimes a movie comes along that doesn't need cracks suddenly appearing on the walls and feathers being pulled out of heroine's arms. The kind of movie that instead of messing with your head, shoots straight to your heart. No matter how cheesy I'm always moved by "Big Fish". "Amelie" always makes me feel happy. And now there is "The Artist".
Check out those blogs!
Thank you so much and what a fun contest this is: the winners have to pay forward to other people whose sites are worth the recognition. If they accept the award, they should: thank the person who nominated them; nominate five other favorite blogs with fewer than 200 followers and copy/paste the Liebster Blog Icon into their post.
My picks are:
1. Stevee - Cinematic Paradox - simply brilliant reviews and very cool ideas, I love her articles about Awards and all the predictions she makes with the assistance of certain three actors in the form of very characteristic photos of them.
2. thevoid99 - Surrender to the Void - amazing and beautifully written reviews and great Auteurs series.
3. Alex Withrow - And so it begins... - passionately written reviews, amazing "In character..." series and great articles on various decades of films and why the author loves them.
4.Chris - http://moviesandsongs365.blogspot.com/ - the site not only about movies - also a great place to get to know cool songs the author is recommending frequently.
5. If you are as excited as I am about Prometheus check this one out - http://www.alienprequelnews.com/
BTW: Announcement - since I'm on a quest to watch all the Jean Dujardin films I can get my hands on there is no TV special or Screaming Sunday this week. They will reappear next weekend.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
48 hidden images in "Black Swan"
I'm sure many of you who saw "Black Swan" clicked pause many times during the club scene. But did you guys know there are other times in the movie when watching it frame by frame can be quite rewarding? Since I can't exactly post all the moments of eerie laughter or flatter of the wings appearing in the background (because I don't know how to extract those, to be completely honest) - I leave it to you all to listen carefully. I can however provide you with screenshots I made today, using DVD, "e" button and movie player. Here we go:
1. In the subway scene in the beginning of the movie if you freeze frame you will see Nina is seeing herself and not Lily, although later on in the movie Lily is wearing exactly the same clothes and earrings.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
The Rum Diary
70/100 (120 min, 2011)Plot: American journalist Paul Kemp takes on a freelance job in Puerto Rico for a local newspaper during the 1950s and struggles to find a balance between island culture and the expatriates who live there.
Director: Bruce Robinson
Writers: Bruce Robinson (screenplay), Hunter S. Thompson (novel)
Stars: Johnny Depp, Giovanni Ribisi and Aaron Eckhart
Love and Inspiration in Puerto Rico
"Do not confuse love with lust, nor drunkenness with judgment."
When "The Rum Diary" opened in theatres last year it got terrible reviews and ended up being a box office failure. It's a real shame, because the movie contrary to what many critics written about it, is quirky, funny and entertaining. It is also the first good movie Depp did since..."Parnassus" where he appeared for few minutes. I'm excluding his voice work for "Rango" this year - "Rango" was tons of fun and as "The Rum Diary" has references to cult classic "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". In "The Rum Diary" case it is to be expected - it has ties to Hunter S. Thompson - the movie is based on his long lost novel of the same title.
"The Rum Diary" was written by Hunter S. Thompson in the late fifties. However, it was not released until 1998, when Johnny Depp discovered the unpublished manuscript in the basement of Thompson's house, Owl Farm, in Woody Creek, Colorado. Depp was living with Thompson at the time in preparation for his role as Raoul Duke in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". It was Depp who proved to be instrumental in getting "The Rum Diary" published and everntually getting the movie based on it made.
Monday, February 6, 2012
The Iron Lady
25/100 (105 min, 2011)Plot: A look at the life of Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with a focus on the price she paid for power.
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Writer: Abi Morgan (screenplay)
Stars: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent and Richard E. Grant
Blue lady and the high price of milk
I'm going to say this upfront - "The Iron Lady" is not only among the worst movies of the last year it has the script and editing so horrid, it's even worse than what was the worst part of last year so far - Keira Knightley's horrible performance in "A Dangerous Method" which was so bad it nullified everything decent she did in her career to this point. I can't watch "Atonement" anymore without fearing Knithley's jaw will start its freaky break dance any second.. Getting back to "The Iron Lady" - I'm not even sure what I hated more - the awful script or the editing which prevented Meryl Streep to turn her acting efforts into actual performance.
I have never held a movie camera in my hands nor I ever edited a film but I believe even I would made "The Iron Lady" better. Instead of spending more than half of the movie on pointless Oscar-bait moments with older Thatcher which apparently worked since the movie's sole two nominations are for leading actress and make up. I would just keep the scene where she talks with her husband, who isn't there. If the director focused on linear narrative, showing first young Thatcher, then her time as Prime Minister and then just this one scene, where suddenly her husband is not there, making it the ending, the movie would not only be coherent, but also it would have a shot at being moving. Instead it's insufferable, dull, scattered and completely unengaging.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Late thoughts on SAG Awards Ceremony
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| Jean Dujardin and Natalie Portman |
- Biggest highlight of the show was Jean Dujardin winning for Best Actor. He was so adorable on stage, he seems not to know English too well, so he read his speech, but it was one of the best speeches of the night. Clooney kept his poker face on but I'm sure he was disappointed. I hope Dujardin wins Oscar, he deserves it!
- As much as I consider Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer's performances in "The Help" to be good, neither of them deserves all the praise that is given to them. When Davis won people actually gave her standing ovation. Are they kidding? Her performance in "Doubt" was far more deserving. On the plus side Jessica Chastain seems to be such a lovely person - she was genuinely happy when her costars won. But what makes those wins even worse than being undeserved is the speeches these women give, as if "The Help" were the most inspiring movie every made and as if somehow it was the voice of black people. Those speeches are so awful and filled with pathos I couldn't believe my ears. Same thing happened when "The Help" won for ensemble. Also - where is Bryce Dallas Howard? Out of all the women of the film she is one who gave one of the best performances there and she is being hideously under appreciated.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Saturday TV Special: Downton Abbey
