The 83rd Academy Award Nominees are.....

All eyes were on Hollywood this morning as the nominees for the 83rd Academy Award nominations were released. Leading the way was “The King’s Speech” with 12 total nominations, followed by “True Grit” with 10 and “The Social Network” with eight chances for an Oscar statue.
Speculation always mounts for this momentous day in LA-land so we’ll go through the nominees ourselves right here in the Mission Valley. Feel free to chime in with your picks, snubs and sure-fire winners.
To the nominees:

Best Picture
“Black Swan”
“The Fighter”
“Inception”
“The Kids Are All Right ”
“The King’s Speech”
“127 Hours”
“The Social Network”
“Toy Story 3″
“True Grit”
“Winter’s Bone”
Best Direction
Darren Aronofsky for “Black Swan”
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for “True Grit”
David Fincher for “The Social Network”
Tom Hooper for “The King’s Speech”
David O. Russell for “The Fighter”
Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”
Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
James Franco in “127 Hours”
Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech”
Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter’s Bone”
Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”
Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
John Hawkes in “Winter’s Bone”
Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush in “The King’s Speech”
Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter in “The King’s Speech”
Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”
Adapted Screenplay
Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy for “127 Hours”
Aaron Sorkin for “The Social Network”
Michael Arndt, story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich for “Toy Story 3″
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for “True Grit”
Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini for “Winter’s Bone”
Original Screenplay
Mike Leigh for “Another Year”
Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson. Story by Keith Dorrington and Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson for “The Fighter”
Christopher Nolan for “Inception”
Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg for “The Kids Are All Right”
David Seidler for “The King’s Speech”
Animated Feature
“How to Train Your Dragon”
“The Illusionist”
“Toy Story 3″
Art Direction
“Alice in Wonderland”: Robert Stromberg (Production Design), Karen O’Hara (Set Decoration)
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1″: Stuart Craig (Production Design), Stephenie McMillan (Set Decoration)
“Inception”: Guy Hendrix Dyas (Production Design), Larry Dias and Doug Mowat (Set Decoration)
“The King’s Speech”: Eve Stewart (Production Design), Judy Farr (Set Decoration)
“True Grit”: Jess Gonchor (Production Design), Nancy Haigh (Set Decoration)
Cinematography
“Black Swan”: Matthew Libatique
“Inception”: Wally Pfister
“The King’s Speech”: Danny Cohen
“The Social Network”: Jeff Cronenweth
“True Grit”: Roger Deakins
Costume Design
“Alice in Wonderland”: Colleen Atwood
“I Am Love”: Antonella Cannarozzi
“The King’s Speech”: Jenny Beavan
“The Tempest”: Sandy Powell
“True Grit”: Mary Zophres
Documentary (Feature)
“Exit through the Gift Shop”
“Gasland”
“Inside Job”
“Restrepo”
“Waste Land”
Documentary (Short Subject)
“Killing in the Name”
“Poster Girl”
“Strangers No More”
“Sun Come Up”
“The Warriors of Qiugang”
Film Editing
“Black Swan”: Andrew Weisblum
“The Fighter”: Pamela Martin
“The King’s Speech”: Tariq Anwar
“127 Hours”: Jon Harris
“The Social Network”: Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter
Foreign Language Film
“Biutiful”: Mexico
“Dogtooth”: Greece
“In a Better World”: Denmark
“Incendies”: Canada
“Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)”: Algeria
Makeup
“Barney’s Version”: Adrien Morot
“The Way Back”: Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
“The Wolfman”: Rick Baker and Dave Elsey
Music (Original Score)
“How to Train Your Dragon”: John Powell
“Inception”: Hans Zimmer
“The King’s Speech”: Alexandre Desplat
“127 Hours”: A.R. Rahman
“The Social Network”: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Music (Original Song)
“Coming Home” from “Country Strong” Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
“I See the Light” from “Tangled” Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
“If I Rise” from “127 Hours” Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
“We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3″ Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
Short Film (Animated)
“Day & Night”: Teddy Newton
“The Gruffalo”: Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
“Let’s Pollute”: Geefwee Boedoe
“The Lost Thing”: Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
“Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)”: Bastien Dubois
Short Film (Live Action)
“The Confession”: Tanel Toom
“The Crush”: Michael Creagh
“God of Love”: Luke Matheny
“Na Wewe”: Ivan Goldschmidt
“Wish 143″: Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite
Sound Editing
“Inception”: Richard King
“Toy Story 3″: Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
“Tron: Legacy”: Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
“True Grit”: Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
“Unstoppable”: Mark P. Stoeckinger
Sound Mixing
“Inception”: Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
“The King’s Speech”: Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
“Salt”: Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
“The Social Network”: Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
“True Grit”: Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland
Visual Effects
“Alice in Wonderland”: Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1″: Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
“Hereafter”: Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
“Inception”: Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
“Iron Man 2″: Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick


This is the second year the Best Picture category has had 10 nominees, doubling from the traditional five, a topic we discussed here last year when they first announced the change. Unfortunately, I’ve slacked quite a bit and have only seen four of 10 (“Toy Story 3”, “True Grit”, “Inception” and “The Social Network”). That doesn’t include the frontrunner, “The King’s Speech,” which has drawn rave reviews.
As is usually case with the major categories, a nod in one, particularly Best Picture, results in nominations in the other major categories. This year is no different, with the five Best Direction nominees having led the creation of five of the Best Picture nominees.
The same is true for Best Actor, except for Javier Bardem sneaking in for his role in the Mexican flick “Biutiful.”
For Best Actress, Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine” and Nicole Kidman in “The Rabbit Hole” are the two exceptions to the rule, though it sounds like the frontrunner may be one of my favorites, Natalie Portman, for her work in “Black Swan.”
Jeremy Renner, a “Bawstawn” bank robber in “The Town” is the lone exception in Best Supporting Actor, and he has Oscar experience to back it up. Renner was nominated for Best Actor last year for his portrayal of a bomb disposal technician in “The Hurt Locker,” last year’s Best Picture winner.
“The Fighter” took two of five spots in the Best Supporting Actress category (Amy Adams and Melissa Leo), while youngster Hailee Steinfeld, who stole the show in “True Grit” at the age of 13, took another. An impressive performance that earned a nod was Australian actress Jacki Weaver as the ruthless crime-family kingpin in “Animal Kingdom” a film I just watched last night and really enjoyed.
So there are the basics. What have you got? Who’s going to win on the big night? Who missed out? What’s your list look like?
Get ready for an Oscar celebration on Feb. 27!

A desert full of "Grit"

The word “grit” has two definitions in “The American Heritage Dictionary”: “tiny rough granules, as of sand or stone,” and “indomitable spirit.” Both definitions apply in the Coen brothers newest film, “True Grit,” the former to describe what may be stuck in leading man Jeff Bridges throat during the film, the latter as an apt assessment of what many of the characters in this classic western film possess.
“They tell me you’re a man with true grit,” the 14-year-old Mattie Ross, played by Hailee Steinfeld, says to Bridges’ Rooster Cogburn character, not so much to flatter but as a frank assessment of the fictional legendary U.S. Marshal she hopes to recruit on a mission to avenge her father’s death.
Cogburn also likes to “pop the cork off of bottles” (wink, wink), but our young heroine is determined to find the best tracker to help her find Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the man who killed her father, leaving Mattie, her mother and siblings destitute.
Tasked with picking up her father’s body from a small Arkansas town in the late 19th century, Mattie shows some true grit herself, disobeying her mother and scouring the town for a lawman to help her take down Chaney. She proves herself in a great scene where she haggles a man over the price of some ponies, threatening, as she does throughout the film, that she has a very good lawyer. Mattie’s persistence prevails again when she convinces Cogburn to allow her to accompany him through Indian country to find Chaney, even fording a raging river on the back of a horse to follow the man.
Texas Ranger (a title that seems to please him greatly) LaBoeuf (Matt Damon) joins the unlikely duo. Originally sent to bring Mattie back to her mother, LaBeuf joins the crew to bring Chaney in for a sizable bounty. LaBoeuf and Cogburn seem at each other’s throats from the beginning, squabbling away over things only lawmen from different agencies can, leaving Mattie as the youngest, but most mature, of the group.
This latest film from Ethan and Joel Coen is their first attempt at a remake, taking on an ambitious project in remaking the 1969 “True Grit” that starred the Duke himself, John Wayne (who won a Best Actor Oscar for his role), but of course the filmmakers are up to the task. While not my favorite of their movies, this one has a lot going for it, beginning with the cast and the impressive, assertive performance of Hailee Steinfeld, who was 13-years-old during the filming of this movie.
The landscape is beautiful as well, evoking memories of the rolling hills in “No Country for Old Men” and the snowy terrain in “Fargo.” The characters, and of course, the dialogue, is excellent, with funny one-liners (script written by the Coens) and well-developed personalities of the three main characters. It’s not exactly action-packed, but what there is for action is worthwhile and exciting. The film picks up at the end and while I have yet to see the original (I plan to), I believe it must do it justice.
I’d give it 8 out of 10 stars. “True Grit” is rated PG-13 and is playing in Ronan today but will move to Polson beginning tomorrow, Jan. 14.

Here's the trailer:

Truly 'Precious'

Films about young people growing up in difficult situations are numerous. One of the reasons this "genre" is so popular is because of the way it crosses all sorts of boundaries: economic, social, racial, class, time period, etc. Anyway you look at it, young people have had problems, be it with family, drugs, school, friends, or depression. We've seen this from the beginning of movies: from "Rebel Without a Cause" to "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" to "Kids" and so on. And the most recent film with a whole mishmash of such problems would be "Precious", the multi-Oscar nominated film that stormed the ceremony, including Mo'Nique (rightfully so) winning Best Supporting Actress. The official title is "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" but I'll be referring to it as simply "Precious."

Clareece 'Precious' Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) is a black, overweight 16-year-old in 1987 Harlem. She's pregnant with her second child, lives with an abusive, self-absorbed mother, goes to a rough school, and is literally friendless. She has it bad, and that much is made evident in the first few minutes of the film, including her frequent fantasies of a handsome boyfriend who walks her down the red carpet at big events. Her daydreaming is clearly an escape for her, but it also shows her creativity and imagination, which has been throttled by the conditions she lives in.

On the recommendations of the principal, Precious ends up attending an alternative school with other wayward young women. Her life is transformed as a charismatic teacher, Blu Rain (Paula Patton), realizes her potential and helps her learn to read, write, and explore academia, something that has been forbidden by her mother, who is crazed at trying to continue to exploit the welfare system. Approximately a year of Precious' life is shown in this great, but sometimes depressing, film.

I've now seen eight of the 10 nominees for Best Picture (I'm missing "The Blind Side" and "An Education", both of which I plan on seeing), but this may have been my favorite (though it's tough to pick!). It's extremely real, and made more so by the fact that Sidibe had NO prior acting experience prior to her role as Precious, and she is phenomenal. As is her mother from hell, Mo'Nique, who blew me away with her performance as a heartless, demeaning woman who continually surprises with how low she will go. Small roles by musicians Mariah Carey as social worker Miss Weiss and Lenny Kravitz as nurse John McFadden are played brilliantly by both, and add a nice, small touch to the film. Most of the performances are pretty impressive, and the directing is well done too. This is a pretty basic film with a fairly basic premise, but one that works to its fullest extent. I highly recommend this film, but don't go in expecting a laugh fest by any means.

A first for me: 9 out of 10 stars

"Precious" is rated R for strong language, some violence, some sexual content and general mood of despair.

Here's the trailer:

Flying high with some serious lows

The bad economy has been a major topic in nearly every medium. You can't go one single hour, it seems, without reading, hearing or talking about the stagnant housing market, job market and how perilous each indicator of economic strength may prove to be. Up until last night, I hadn't seen a movie that really symbolized the feeling of the economic situation. "Up in the Air" isn't about the economy, per se, but it wouldn't be as effective without the massive amounts of layoffs that have been taking place in the last few years. But there's a lot more to it than that.

George Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a "career transition counselor" or as he describes it: "the person who sacks somebody when their boss doesn't have the [courage] to do it." His company is based in Omaha, Neb., but Bingham travels everywhere: Tulsa, Wichita, Miami, Detroit, St. Louis. He is good at his job, and can walk in and tell someone they've been "let go" even as they stare at him, never having seen him in their life. Bingham also is a motivational speaker, giving talks at conferences about "What's in your backpack?" and basically advising people to let go of their relationships and problems to live a simpler, less complex life. Bingham clearly lives by this philosophy, traveling more than 270 days a year, firing people for a living. During his travels, Bingham meets Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), another frequent flier/traveler. They compare cards, proving to one another how much they travel, and in their world, how exclusive they may be. They begin a romantic relationship, both seemingly living by the same philosophy of casual sex and no commitments. They check schedules to plan other meeting points when their paths cross in different cities.

Bingham is called back to Omaha for an all company meeting. Once there, his boss Craig Gregory (Jason Bateman) introduces the team to a young, up and comer that is revolutionizing their business. Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) is a recent graduate of Cornell who has come up with a video link system that will eliminate traveling by the firing squad and allow them to work from Omaha. Bingham, clearly a veteran and one of the best workers, is not happy because he admits, he loves flying, traveling and being anonymous. Before they implement the system, Gregory asks Bingham to take Keener on the road with him to show her the ropes, and how the whole operation works.

Immediately the differences, stark and obvious, between the two become pronounced. Bingham is the savvy, veteran traveler while Keener shows up with luggage to check, clearly a violation of any Bingham philosophy. She is young and idealistic, he is a grizzled veteran who knows his profession inside and out. It is clear from the beginning that she might not have the stomach to fire people.

I really enjoyed this film. The characters are well developed and interesting, presenting different viewpoints that tell a complete story. Sure, it's somewhat predicatable and follows a somewhat familiar storyline, but Clooney is perfect in the role and Farmiga is excellent as well. It's kind of funny because the role almost mirrors bachelor Clooney's real life, at least as portrayed in the media. There are funny parts and a good cast, but it is also sad and somewhat real, with deeper storylines than just what the plot synopsis can really give. It's worth seeing and an interesting movie. It won't necessarily make you happy, but it has a genuine message that people can relate to. The fact that Clooney, Farmiga, director Jason Reitman and the whole film were nominated for Oscars says a lot too. The aerial shots Reitman utilizes are pretty cool as well, including the opening sequence and the different cities Bingham travels to. It's a thought provoking film, and may cause you to evaluate or reevaluate your own life.

"Up in the Air" is rated R for some sexual content/brief nudity and language. Some more adult themes.

8 out of 10 stars.

Here's the trailer:

Oscar Recap

The Oscars, the big early spring Hollywood shindig, has come to a close, leaving us with a fresh new year to anticipate what films will make the cut for next year. Granted, Oscar season is usually October thru December, but you get the idea. Sunday's telecast had "The Hurt Locker" as the big winner, taking two of the major categories.

Here are the results, with my predictions from before the ceremony. Kudos to Steve, our only entrant in the contest, for getting six of seven correct! From Steve, Feb. 12: "Predictions: Hurt Locker, Bigelow, Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Waltz, Monique." He only missed Streep, who lost in favor of Sandra Bullock. Steve wins an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas...have fun! (not really, but thanks for submitting!)

Best Picture:
"The Hurt Locker"
I got this one right. A lot of people had it down to this and "Avatar." In my opinion the right film won, despite all the issues Iraqi veterans are bringing up about the truthfulness of it.

Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
Apparently a good film and good performance. Glad to see Bridges get the recognition he deserves for years of great films. And no, I will not make a "Big Lebowski" reference (though it's a great movie)

Actor in a Supporting Role
Christoph Waltz, "Inglorious Basterds"
I got this one right as well. Great performance and a great film. Glad to see Waltz win. I think he probably ran away with it.

Actress in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
I really thought Streep would win here, but I've heard Bullock was great in her role. It's pretty funny that she won best actress and worst of the year, getting the Razzie for her role in "All About Steve."

Actress in a Supporting Role
Mo'Nique, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
I had no point of reference in this category, but it sounds like the right person won. Glad to see "Precious" win something for all the accolades it received after it came out. Can't wait to see it on DVD.

Directing
Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
This is a great win for Bigelow. She's the first woman to win the award, AND her film beat out her ex-husband James Cameron's "Avatar" in both Directing and Best Picture. Must have been a pretty incredible night for her. The shots in the film are great, so she does deserve this award, even though I had hoped for Tarantino. My favorite scene is the sniper battle in the desert. Check it out it you haven't seen it. I'd give her the award just for that scene.

Well, that wraps it up. As I review upcoming films, we'll see if we have any prospects for the 2011 Oscars. Hope you enjoyed the last year in film!

New movie Tuesday

It's hard to sit inside watching movies when the weather is as nice as its been. Hopefully you've been able to see a few. This week has two notable releases: "Where the Wild Things Are", the adaptation of the beloved children's book and "2012". I saw "Where the Wild Things Are" in theaters, and it was OK; check out my review here. I rented "2012" so I'll let you know how it is. I'm excited about next week's releases, which feature two Oscar-nominated films. Check back for reviews soon and happy watching!

82nd Oscar Nominees

And the Oscar goes to...won't be heard for about a month, but the nominees were announced last week. This year, the Best Picture category has 10 nominees, which I think is really stupid. Regardless, it happened. After I watch "A Serious Man" tonight, I'll have seen 6 of the 10, so I'll try to see them all before the big ceremony.

Best Picture
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

Prediction: Like I said, I've seen 6. This is a preliminary guess, but I'd go with "The Hurt Locker." If you look at all the nominees and things, though, I'd guess "Up in the Air" will probably take it. Its gotten a lot of buzz, and is more recent than "Locker."

Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"
Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"

Prediction: I've only seen "The Hurt Locker", and Renner was good, but I'd guess Freeman might nab this one.

Actor in a Supporting Role
Matt Damon, "Invictus"
Woody Harrelson, "The Messenger"
Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station"
Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"
Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"

Prediction: I've only seen "Basterds" in this group, but regardless, I think Waltz will win. He was excellent, and the buzz was building even when the film was released in the summer.

Actress in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"

Prediction: I've only seen "Juli" in this group, but Streep was incredible as the famous Child. You might see Bullock surprise, or Sidibe, who has been highly praised. My gut says Streep. She does a dead-on Child impression.

Actress in a Supporting Role
Penelope Cruz, "Nine"
Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"
Maggie Gyllenhaal, "Crazy Heart"
Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"
Mo'Nique, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Prediction: Haven't seen any of these, but I'd like to see Farmiga or Gyllenhaal nab it.

Directing
James Cameron, "Avatar"
Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"
Lee Daniels, "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air"

Prediction: I think either Cameron or Reitman will get this one, but I'd love to see Tarantino get it.

These are the major categories. Click here for a full listing. What are your predictions? Let's here some feedback.

New movie Tuesday

Pretty good day of DVD releases. "The Time Traveler's Wife" and "Couples Retreat" are the two big ones. I've seen neither, but they both sort of look like generic rom-com's. We'll see though, I give a lot of movies a chance.

I went with "A Serious Man", the latest film from Joel and Ethan Coen (yes, the Coen brothers). They are best known for "The Big Lebowski", but "A Serious Man" has gotten some serious buzz too. It is one of the 10 films nominated for best picture, so it must be halfway decent, right? Plus its a dark comedy, which I always like. I'll have a review up soon. Enjoy .99 DVDs!

New movie Tuesday

Not a real deep list of releases today, but one really good standout that I've seen, but rented so I can watch again. I went with "The Hurt Locker," an awesome movie about a bomb technician team in Iraq in 2004. It's excellent and really thrilling. I saw it in the theaters in June, but it could very well be nominated or win the Oscar for Best Picture in 2009, so I couldn't resist refreshing my memory. I'll have the review up soon.

Also out today, some movie called "Moon" I have never heard of, the film version of the TV show "Fame" and Rob Zombie's "Halloween II." I just looked up Moon, and it actually looks pretty cool. I didn't see it at Crazy Mike's, but if I find it I'll check it out. Anyone seen it and have an opinion? Click here for a link to its IMDB page.

As for the Best Picture category in the Oscars, I spoke to my dad earlier about this, and he told me they are expanding the category from the normal five films to TEN! To me, that's insane. It's basically a ploy so 10 stupid movies can say "Nominated for Best Picture." That seems idiotic to me, and all about money for the movie industry. Even with 5, it seems to me there is always a clear cut one that should win. What are they going to do with 10? Here's a link to a New York Times article about it from this summer.

The article says they try to justify it because some of the major movies weren't nominated. Last year, I saw all five best picture films, and had a pretty good feeling "Slumdog" would and should win. Let me know how you guys feel about this.