The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1

The fact that Mockingjay is not a great movie is not it's fault. It suffers from following Catching Fire, easily the best installment of the franchise, and from being the boring first half of an epic finale. It's all reestablishing old characters and relationships and meeting new characters and reminding people what has already happened and laying the ground work for what is to come. It has no beginning, middle or end. It is not a stand alone film, not really. So it's not Mockingjay's fault that it is so mediocre.

At the end of Catching Fire, our heroine Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) shot an arrow into the dome at the Quarter Quell. She was rescued by the rebel forces of District 13. Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) was captured by the Capitol and evil President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Mockingjay opens with Katniss living in the underground bunkers of District 13, where she is joined by her mom and sister, as well as Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Plutarch (the late, great, dearly missed Philip Seymour Hoffman), Haymitch (scene stealer Woody Harrelson), Effie (Elizabeth Banks, devoid of fab wardrobe), Finnick (Sam Claflin) and District 13 president Coin (Julianne Moore).  After Katniss' seemingly rebellious move, the districts started a bit of a rebellion so now the think tank in District 13 decide to push it into an all out war, using Katniss as the face of the war. Meanwhile, the Capitol is forcing Peeta to speak it against the war and Katniss. And... honestly? That's pretty much all that happens during what seems like a very long 2 hours.  I may be in the minority here but I would prefer a really good 3 hour movie rather than 2 mediocre 2 hour movies.

Not much really happens in the movie although there are a few nice moments (Katniss singing a haunting song on an expedition to her destroyed District), an exciting action sequence (an intense visit to District 8; easily the best scene in the whole movie), and even some bad ass fashion statements (Natalie Dormer and her cool as hell half shaved head (and, yes, now I want to half shave MY head)). But mostly Mockingjay is boring. But it's not it's fault! The cast all shows up to play. Lawrence is actually one of the weakest links here, getting out shone by scene stealers Harrelson and Banks, and out acted by consummate pros like Moore and Hoffman.  (Aside: Just seeing Hoffman on screen is hard knowing it's one of his last on screen appearances. His death was devastating. What a talent! Even in a mostly wasted supporting role in a mediocre movie. His talent was tremendous). The movie looks good and it's solid visually. And if I though about ways to change it to make it better, I can't really come up with anything save cut it and make one final film instead of Part 1 and 2. And that's not going to happen. Two parts will make twice as much money. Hollywood execs aren't stupid.

So Mockingjay is a mostly boring ride. Again, not it's fault. Once it starts to pick up steam, it's over, and lives us only anticipating next year's finale. What a tease!

Grade: C 

Friday Top Five: Philip Seymour Hoffman (RIP)

It's a funny thing, the reactions people have when celebrities die. We should feel nothing more than a passing sadness, really. We've never met these people, know next to nothing about their personal lives or what they are really like off screen. Some celebrity deaths have had more of an effect on me than others. For example, I remember feeling more than a passing sadness over the deaths of Heath Ledger, Elliot Smith and Brad Renfro. But for me, the closest word I can come up with to describe how I've felt about last Sunday's passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman is to say: devastation. It's not just that he was one of our greatest talents, it's more that every character he portrayed felt like a living, breathing person, not just a character. Identifying with his characters wasn't difficult; he always felt accessible. But, like many brilliant men, he was a tortured artist and the loss of his talents at the age of 46 is heartbreaking for anyone who was a fan of his work.
I remember going to see Almost Famous when I was a teenager and it sparked something inside of me. It's quite possible that this was the movie that turned me into the movie loving crazy person I am today. To loosely quote the movie, I never knew what it was to love something so much before Almost Famous. Hoffman was mesmerizing in that role and he quickly became one of my favorite actors (since I love ranking things, he would have been number 2 after Sean Penn). I literally have never seen a movie featuring Hoffman that I didn't enjoy in some way. While he doesn't look like an actor, like he'd be right for any role, he somehow managed to be perfect for every role he embodied. Ranking his movies was hard for me, and with the exception of numbers 1 and 2, I could trade out any other three movies for the ones I picked. He was that good. To paraphrase something I saw on Twitter last weekend, we don't have many truly great actors. And now we have one less.

05. As Truman Capote in Capote (2005)
The role for which Philip Seymour Hoffman rightfully won an Academy Award for Best Actor, he doesn't so much portray Capote as become him completely. The only reason this movie works is because Hoffman manages to humanize a man we know both so much and nothing at all about. The central relationship between Capote and a convicted killer is intense and complex. He was an amazing actor before this role, but Capote turned him into the legend, the acting giant he is remembered as today.

04. As Andy in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)
One of the more underrated films Hoffman has done, in this film he plays a selfish, manipulative man who manages to give a desperate, wonderful portrayal of a man on the fringe. He's a scheming character, always trying to control everyone around him. His performance absolutely dominates, easily playing both sides of his character - charming businessman by day, slime ball when no one is watching.

03. As Jon Savage in The Savages (2007)
Here was the thing about Philip Seymour Hoffman - the crazy range he had was astounding. In the same year he played a scheming, manipulator in Before the Devil..., he managed to play a calm, relaxed, albeit disappointed, professor. His brother-sister chemistry with Laura Linney is astounding, and together they create a family that feels as lived in as any dysfunctional family you've encountered in real life.

02. As Lancaster Dodd in The Master (2012)
Here is where you pin two acting giants - the incomprable Hoffman and the terribly underrated Joaquin Phoenix - against each other in an epic showdown of acting prowess. These two men play off each other with such an intensity, with such complex charisma, that even though the movie is a tad pretentious, you can't take your eyes off either of them. These are the sorts of performances that create legacies, that dominate every single frame of every shot of every minute. These are the performances that go down in history.

01. As Lester Bangs in Almost Famous (2000)
How can it be anything else? This is my first real, true experience with loving something so much. This is the movie where Hoffman manages to steal every single scene of which he is a part. Sure, this is an ensemble (and a crazy good one, too), but it's Hoffman that doesn't leave your brain afterwards. He carves his place in your head and your heart and you can't help but realize you've just watched a man who will change the way you think about life and acting and art. This is the sort of movie I will watch for decades, helping me to remember what a great talent we lost on Sunday.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The best thing the Hunger Games movies could have done is getting such wonderful character actors to play pivotal supporting roles. It adds an air of importance to your film when you have such heavy-weights as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci and Jeffrey Wright playing your small, but important characters. And, of course, The Hunger Games struck gold when it cast Jennifer Lawrence as lead Katniss. Lawrence may be the most famous and coolest girl on the planet right now, and she's got all the talent to back it up.

Catching Fire picks up where The Hunger Games left off - Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) managed to win the Hunger Games by claiming to be in love although vicious President Snow (Sutherland) doesn't buy it for a minute. The two are about to embark on a victory tour of the districts and President Snow threatens Katniss, telling her she must prove their love to everyone or the people will continue to believe their joint win was an act of defiance and revolt. Of course, they somehow make the stirring revolution grow strong and soon President Snow and games-maker Plutarch (Hoffman)are crafting something special for the games Quarter Quell - a champions round, where all the participants are past winners, meaning, they are all proven killers and it will be even harder for Katniss and Peeta to make it out alive this time around. Among the new / old contestants are scene-stealers Jena Malone as ax-wielding wild child Johanna and Sam Claflin as charming, handsome, complicated Finnick. [Side Note: Why do characters in YA novels/movies have such weird names??]

Good news first: Once the movie gets to the actual games, it is fast-paced, action packed, intense and just plain fun. Bad news? It takes about an hour and a half to get there. That's an hour and a half of talking and scheming and plotting and lying, all while anticipating that awesome clock inspired Quarter Quell. Yes, the first half of the movie is sort of on the boring side. Yes, it could have been edited down greatly and still been effective. Yes, Effie's (Elisabeth Banks) AMAZING outfits nearly make up for the whole thing. But Catching Fire is a mostly good movie. Director Francis Lawrence took over directing duties this time around and ha managed to make a more clear, more straight-forward, more effective film. Of course, the movie suffers from the same thing that book suffered from - being the middle book of a trilogy and that's rarely ever a good thing, although its also not its fault. It's tasked with introducing new characters and new ideas, but never really going anywhere with anything (because, you know, there's a third book to tie everything together - this is just a placeholder). And that's not a bad thing, but it's also not necessarily a good thing either, especially that awful cliff-hanger ending. But again, not the movies fault in the least.

Mostly Catching Fire is a successful film. My own personal problem has to deal with recently reading Divergent, a book with a main female character who is both bad ass and complicated. She also is far from likable and manages to get her hands dirty a whole lot, which makes her journey more compelling. Katniss doesn't ever really get her hands dirty. Sure, she talks the talk, but she has other people who manage to save her from getting too involved in things like killing other people. She's a nice clean-cut hero for girls to look up to, someone strong but who never actually does anything too bad. Still, she's a way better role model for girls these days than Bella from Twilight, so I guess that's progress.

Grade: B

Best of 2012: Best Actresses and Actors

Best Actress
10. Kirsten Dunst in Bachelorette - For giving a snarky, sassy, fun mean girl performance.
09. Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games - For becoming the most famous girl in the world by playing a tough, take no prisoners, bad ass role model.
08. Noomi Rapace in Prometheus - For that abortion scene alone.
07. RoseMarie DeWitt in Your Sister's Sister - For playing a complicated character with charm and ease.
06. Rachel Weisz in The Deep Blue Sea - For turning an unlikable character into someone we actually care for deeply.
05. Naomi Watts in The Impossible - For showing the strength of a mother taking care of her son even though she needs to be taken care of.
04. Brit Marling in Sound of My Voice - For being beautiful, ethereal, wicked and so stunning you can't take your eyes off of her.
03. Quvenzhane Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild - For commanding the screen in a way that no one else did this year, and for being a tiny little force to be reckoned with.
02. Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook - For proving she's at a point in her career where she can do any damn thing she pleases, for that scene in which she yells in Robert DeNiro's face, for the dancing!
01. Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty - For being utterly fearless, for playing an unlikable character and commanding we take notice of her poise, grace and feral determination.

Best Actor
10. Tom Holland in The Impossible - For showing raw emotion in his first film role.
09. Jamie Foxx in Django Unchained - For managing to be the bounty hunting slave hero of a Quentin Tarantino movie quietly and subtly, something I didn't know was possible.
08. Dane DeHaan in Chronicle - For coming out of nowhere to become the most exciting new actor thanks to his Magneto meets high school coming of age monster of a performance.
07. Joaquin Phoenix in The Master - For being completely unhinged, out of control and wild.
06. Richard Gere in Arbitrage - For playing such a snake with so much charm and charisma.
05. Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook - For making me forget about all his douchebag, frat guy characters with that Hemingway scene alone.
04. Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Master - For being terrifying and compelling all at once.
03. Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained - For being born to speak Quentin Tarantino dialogue.
02. Denzel Washington in Flight - For reminding us why he's one of the biggest, most likable stars on the planet, and for being a joy to watch as a boozy, egotistical asshole.
01. Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln - For becoming Abraham Lincoln, absolutely and undoubtedly, for continuing to prove why he's a living legend worthy of every award and then some.

Tomorrow - Best Films of 2012!

The Master

Sometimes a movie comes along and you just don't know how to feel about it. The Master is that kind of movie. Technically, it's a masterpiece. As far as direction, cinematography and performances go, there hasn't been a better movie this year. In fact, there probably hasn't been a better movie since that killer trifecta of 2007 (Into the Wild, No Country For Old Men and Paul Thomas Anderson's LAST near perfect masterpiece, There Will Be Blood, which is superior to his latest effort). Still, there is just something missing from the whole thing.

The Master follows Freddy Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a man who, after leaving the Navy, is a shell of himself. He's hunched over, hands on hips, face twisted into deranged expressions. He's a caged animal, ready to strike at anyone and everyone. Since his days in the Navy, he's having a bit of a problem fitting in with society. All he thinks about is sex and he moves from job to job to job. He's lost and a danger to himself and others. One night, he happens upon a boat, lit up like a Christmas tree and without a second thought, he stows away. The next morning, hungover, he meets the captain of the ship - Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a man of many hats - doctor, author, philosopher, and most importantly the leader of The Cause. Dodd doesn't seem too concerned that Freddy crashed the wedding of his daughter which is happening on the ship, and Freddy easily becomes his right hand man and protege. Dodd introduces him to his family, including wife Peggy (Amy Adams) and The Cause - a religious type movement that traces your past back billions of years and tries to erase your animal instincts. Freddy is a perfect subject.

Much has been made of Paul Thomas Anderson's "Scientology movie" but this isn't an expose of the controversial religion. In fact, it seems only the very basic principles are even based on Scientology. Anderson isn't interested in making a movie trying to dispel any religion. He's more interested in the dark and twisted relationship between these two men (is it brotherly? father / son? master / slave? homoerotic? or a little bit of all these things?). As far as character studies go, The Master is aces. And Anderson isn't going to let his audience off the hook lightly. There are no easy answers here. If you want a movie that's "about" something, Anderson isn't going to tell you what it is. You have to figure it out for yourself. But The Master is, indeed, about something. It's about a lost and possibly insane man who is wandering through this big, scary world with no direction and no future. He meets a man, probably a fraud, who wants to give him meaning. You can argue that The Cause is a failure because, in the end, it doesn't diminish his animal instincts. However, in the end, it helps him to find a way to fit in with society, so maybe The Cause did work for Freddy after all.

As far as the performances go, you won't see finer performances this year. Of that, I am certain. There has been much made about Phoenix's raw and fiery performance as Freddy, and all of the praise is definitely worthy. This is the best he's ever been - a caged animal, set loose into the crazy and scary world. He listens to no one and is controlled by no one. He's definitely a man who is marching to his own drummer. As good as Phoenix is, I actually prefer Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance just a bit. His Lancaster Dodd is a lying, manipulator. A self-assured leader of a fraud movement that somehow manages to help people. These two actors alone are reason to see the movie. The dueling aspect of these fine performances is superb, from the processing scene to that amazing scene in the jail, I wish they could both win the Oscar. While Amy Adams, as Dodd's loyal and steely wife, doesn't have the big, showy scenes that her male counterparts do, she may give the finest performance in the film. It's a quiet and under the radar performance of a woman who, on the surface, seems to be merely standing by her man, but under all the layers there is a portrait of a puppet master, controlling all the people around her .

Will you see a better movie this year? I can't be certain. I will praise The Master along with everyone because, like I said, it's a technical masterpiece. It's the kind of film that will stand the test of time and become a classic of this generation. Still, my one big problem with it is this: I walked away not feeling anything at all. And I can't decide if that's a good thing or not. Art for artsake is great, but all great art needs to have feeling too, right? And there just isn't any of that here. So far this year, my favorite movie has been The Dark Knight Rises. It's a good movie, but it's flawed for sure and as far as technicality goes, The Master far surpasses it. Still, The Dark Knight made me feel so many different emotions and most of all, it left me feeling satisfied. I can't say The Master did the same thing.

Grade: A-

Horror Movie Month + The Ides of March

Horror Movie Month - Masters of Horror: Cigarette Burns
The stars: The ridiculously sexy Norman Reedus
The plot: A theater owner in debt searches for a super rare film in order to make some cash. Said film is a foreign movie that was only shown once in public. Seems everyone who sees it becomes a homicidal maniac.
The scares: It's not scary at all, but interesting. The premise is pretty great although I'm not sure it's executed well. Shame on you, John Carpenter.
The body count: It's hard to tell if things are happening for real or all in his head. Maybe 5.
The grade: C+

Horror Movie Month - I Spit On Your Grave
The stars: Sarah Butler
The plot: In the remake to the BEST REVENGE MOVIE OF ALL TIME, a young writer goes to a secluded cabin alone to work on her next novel. She is brutally beaten and rapes by a group of local men who leave her for dead. A month later she seeks revenge.
The scares: Not scary at all, but disturbing and gory as hell. (Although the part where a certain person gets their eyes pecked out by birds scared me to death, but maybe only because I'm terrified of birds).
The body count: Five. And they all deserved exactly what they got.
The Grade: Not nearly as good as the original... C-

Horror Movie Month - Seconds Apart
The stars: Orlando Jones
The plot: Two creepy twins use their powers for evil instead of good and wreck havoc on the mean kids at their school.
The scares: Not so much. It's actually pretty stupid and pointless, to be honest. The twins are creepy though. Too bad they aren't in a better movie.
The body count: Seven.
The Grade: D

The Ides of March - Ryan Gosling continues to knock it out of the park, giving his second amazing starring performance in the last two months. First up was his cool and collected performance in Drive. Now he is the star of the best ensemble cast of the year in the political drama The Ides of March. Gosling stars as Steven, a hot young campaign manager who is working for the next would be president (George Clooney). The governor seems perfect and it seems Steven and his colleagues (including Phillip Seymour Hoffman) can't lose. However, throw in a troublemaking journalist (Marisa Tomei), the opponent's sneaky manager (Paul Giamatti) and a sexy young intern (Evan Rachel Wood) and you've got yourself one hell of a movie. Like I said, this is the best ensemble of the year with everyone giving amazing performances. Clooney is also the director and he does a damn good job. The writing is sharp and crisp and the story is engaging. This one is a sleeper for the Oscars next year. It's definitely a great film!
Grade: B+

The Last House on the Left + more

The Last House on the Left - Here's something that bodes well for the upcoming remake of Nightmare on Elm Street: it seems Hollywood is only capable of remaking Wes Craven movies. A few years ago, the remake of The Hills Have Eyes was released and I still stand by the fact that it's the only remake ever to surpass the original. I won't go quite so far as to say that with The Last House on the Left remake... but it's still a hell of a good movie.
First of all, the direction by Dennis Iliadis is superb. You can tell he's trying to give the studio what they want while still trying to stay true to a certain artsy sensibility. Some of the shots in the movie are downright beautiful and don't necessarily belong in a genre film. There is a particular shot of it beginning to rain while a young girl floats in a lake that is just breathtaking.
The violence in the movie is immediate and it is unflinching and relentless. But horror movies were always made to push boundaries and cross lines. This is a horror movie (and I don't even really like calling it a horror movie because it's so not) that illustrates the difference between gore and violence for the sake of being shocking and gore and violence for the sake of emotion. Without a grisly, raw, disturbing torture and rape sequence, the subsequent actions of a mother and father would make no sense. You need to see what happens to a young girl in order to feel the need for revenge.
The movie mostly stays true to the plot of the original film (a remake itself): Mari (Sara Paxton) is on vacation with her doctor father (Tony Goldwyn) and teacher mother (Monica Potter). The family is mourning the loss of a son and they decide to get away to their lake house for vacation. Mari escapes into town to hang out with her friend Paige (Martha MacIssac) who works at the local general store. The two run into Justin, a teen (Spencer Treat Clark) who promises that if Paige sells him cigarettes, he'll get them weed. Soon they are off to a cabin to smoke weed together. Justin's family isn't supposed to be home... but guess what? They show up and they are not friendly people. They are led by a murderer (Garret Dillahunt) who recently escaped on his way to prison with the help of his brother Francis (Aaron Paul) and his girlfriend Sadie (Riki Lindhome). Then the unthinkable happens. After a car accident, Mari is raped and left for dead, shot and floating in a lake, likely to drown (little do the killers know, she's a very good swimmer!). Crew and his gang walk to the nearest house to escape an incoming store. Ironic twist! It happens to be the house of Mari's parents. When Mari stumbles to the house on her last leg, her parents exact revenge on the men (and woman) who tried to kill their daughter.
The performances are all great with Best in Show awards going to Potter as the kick ass vengeful mom and Dillahunt as the madman con. Paxton is so moving and heartbreaking during her torture scenes and while Goldwyn might be the weakest link, he's still effective as the stoic doctor trying to be strong for his family. The director adds a touch of emotion that's not necesarily found in the orignal. Combine that with great photography and great performances and you've got yourself a pretty good thriller. Sure, it drags at times. It could have been edited a bit quicker. There's a particular death scene that seems to last for 30 minutes. Some of the scenes might be a little too much. But mostly, it's a good film.
The Last House on the Left is more than a violent, bloody gore movie. It's a parents worst nightmare and it has a surprising amount of emotion and when the film is at its best, it's oddly beautiful.
Grade: B-
EDIT: The more I think about this movie, the more I really love it. It sticks with you, that's for sure. Despite the fact that it becomes a typical thriller in the last 20 minutes or so (and even when it's typical, it's still fricking awesome), it's still the best slasher genre film in the last few years. It's artistic and intelligent and well done. So I'm changing my grade even though I don't like to do that. Also, watching Aaron Paul, who plays Francis so well, get his ass kicked on Breaking Bad on Sunday night was kind of cathartic.
New Grade: B+

Mini reviews...
Battle in Seattle - Directed by actor Stuart Townsend and featuring top notch performances from Charlize Theron, Michelle Rodriguez, Martin Henderson, Jennifer Carpenter, Woody Harrelson and Ray Liotta, Battle in Seattle is based on the true story of peaceful activism that went horribly wrong in Seattle in 1999. For anyone who ever wished the world was a better place - this movie is for you.
Grade: A

Synecdoche, New York - Another ensemble cast featuring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Michelle Williams, Samantha Morton, Emily Watson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Hope Davis and Dianne Wiest, Synecdoche is the directorial debut of fiercly brilliant and unique screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. And guess what? It's fiercly brilliant and unique! A lot of people might find it pretentious and that's fine. It is pretentious. But it's also one of the most deeply affecting movies I've seen in a very long time. Had I seen it before 2008 ended, it would have ended up nicely at number 2 on my top 10 list. It's almost impossible to give a plot summary. Go to imdb. Go to the memorable quotes. There is a particular monologue given by "Minister" that more or less sums up the entire point of the movie. It's almost impossible to sum up in words how I feel about this movie other than to say this - it's brilliant.
Grade: A+

Top Ten List - Best Actor 2008

10. Richard Jenkins in The Visitor - One of the best character actors out there, Jenkins delivers a subtle and emotionally complex leading man performance. He's charming, nuanced and completely natural.

09. James Franco in Pineapple Express - Even the picture on the cover is hilarious. Franco shines as a drug dealer who is surprisingly deep in this comic gem from the summer. Franco, who is usually a brooding, serious leading man, shows he can do comedy with just as much ease.

08. Frank Langella in Frost / Nixon - My distaste for the movie is maybe why he's so low on my list. Langella, however, does become Richard Nixon. It's a great and total transformation. The movie may not be spectacular but his performance is awfully good. He steals the show.

07. Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man - It's the perfect role for Downey, actually. He's always been a person who I thought of as charming, witty, just a little cocky. That's who Tony Stark is, essentially as well. Downey probably had no trouble channeling those traits to use for the role. He also managed to be heroic as well.

06. Sam Rockwell in Snow Angels - Probably one of the most underrated actors out there, Rockwell always shines playing complex characters. This time around he's playing a born again Christian struggling with his demons and with his ex-wife moving on when all he wants to do is work things out. It's a frighteningly real performance.

05. Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt - Hoffman and Streep go toe to toe and prove that they are two of the living greats. Hoffman has a difficult job - making his priest seem trustworthy and honest but still managing to make him just a little creepy. You don't know if you should trust him or not. There's a particular scene between Hoffman and Streep and I didn't think either one of them was going to make it out of there alive!

04. Leonardo DiCaprio in Revolutionary Road - His Frank Wheeler is deeply complex. And DiCaprio plays him with such ease. Maybe its because he's such a phenomenal actor. Maybe it's because he's with Kate again. But his performance here just may be his best ever (or, maybe, second only to The Departed). Frank is unhappy and lonely, struggling with the fact that his wife may not love him anymore. Winslet's got the showier, louder role, for sure, but DiCaprio is perfection as well.

03. Colin Farrell in In Bruges - It's been a long time since we've seen what Farrell could do acting wise. He's long just been a tabloid staple. But guess what? That potential that we all saw back in the days of Phone Booth, that has had everyone saying for the last decade, "If only he could find the right part..." well, it finally shines through. In Bruges is the right part for Farrell and it manages to show his range. He could be depressing, funny, charming, dark and witty all at the same time. I knew he could do it.

02. Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler - Probably the comeback of the year, it's nice to see Rourke, who was once considered the next Robert DeNiro, on top again. Darren Aronofsky took a chance on him and it pays off. The movie is about a wrestler struggling with the fact that his career is just about done, he has burned every bridge in his personal life, his youth is gone, his looks are gone, he's damaged himself physically and emotionally for years and years. Rourke probably didn't have to look far for inspiration.

01. Sean Penn in Milk - I'll say it right here and now - Sean Penn is in the top three of the greatest living actors. I can't decide yet where he would fall in the top three, but he's definitely in there. Penn becomes Harvey Milk. He inhabits this sweetness (yes, sweetness... yes, Sean Penn) and charm and becomes Harvey Milk. We're so used to seeing him play characters who are fiery and intense. Here he takes that passion and channels it in a different way. He plays Harvey to perfection, helping to create one of the two best performances of the year (he's probably tied with Ledger). Penn never ceases to amaze.

Tomorrow - Best Films!

Oscar contenders arrive - Men who age backwards, nuns and political activists, oh my!

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Benjamin Button is maybe the most fascinating man you'll ever meet. Born with a warped face and amidst doctors warnings that he wouldn't live very long, his birth father abandoned him on the back steps of an old person home where the loving and caring Queenie (Taraji P. Henson) found and raised him as her own. As Benjamin (Brad Pitt) beat the odds and grew up, he may have looked like the other old men in the house but he sure didn't act like them. As his life progressed, he became younger and younger, living a full and amazing life. He left home to join a tugboat captain (Jared Harris, stealing scenes as usual) and eventually join a war. He met the alluring Brit Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton) and a host of other interesting characters. But it was the lovely Daisy (Cate Blanchett) who was the love of his life. While she aged normally, he aged backwards - could their love ever really work out? Based on the line "youth is wasted on the young," the film is a moving and emotionally harrowing journey through the life of one man. David Fincher directs the hell out of this film which has a great script and great performances. For as slow as it moves in the first half, the emotional aspect is kicked into high gear in the second half and it becomes a near masterpiece. There are so many moments of brilliance that it makes up for it's uneven beginning. Brad Pitt is the star but it's more about his journey than his acting. The acting stand outs, for me, came from a trio of fabulous women - Swinton who is all toughness and sophistication, Henson who is the heart and soul of the film and knocks it out of the park (let's start the Oscar campaign now!) and Blanchett who takes Daisy's vain, self centered nature and turns it into something that actually works. There is no one more beautiful than Blanchett as she dances in the fog. Overall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a beautiful journey well worth the time.
Grade: A-

Doubt - There is a particular scene at the end of the film between Meryl Streep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman that just proves these two are arguably the two best working actors today. I didn't think anyone was going to make it out of that scene alive. Streep is the stubborn and stern Sister Alyisous who begins to think that Father Flynn (Hoffman) had an inappropriate relationship with the only black student at the school. Stripped down to just four main characters - Amy Adams as the naive and sweet (and I think the key to making your final decision about Flynn's innocence or guilt) Sister James and Viola Davis who has one powerful scene as the boy's mother - the film is very character driven with intense dialogue and a great, well written story. John Patrick Shanley is indeed a fantastic writer. I'm not convinced he is a great director, however. He's making a character/dialogue driven film but spent much of the first act using strange camera angles to tell a very simple story. His choices at times were very distracting from the effectiveness of the script. The performances, however, make up for it. Every one is making a huge deal about Viola Davis and I admit she was quite good. However, and maybe it's because I've been hearing for so long about how amazing she is, I didn't think she was quite as riveting as everyone else. Instead, in the supporting actress character, I felt Adams' more subdued and understated work was far more impressive. Then there's Streep and Hoffman and, like I said, they were pheneomenal in every way.
Grade: B+

Milk - There may be a more touching, gripping, emotional, politcally timely, perfect film released this year... but I haven't seen it. Milk is everything a movie should be. Directed by the fantastic Gus Van Sant (he has directed two of the best this year - Milk and Paranoid Park), Milk tells the true story of Harvey Milk (Sean Penn), the first gay man elected to public office in the late 1970s in San Francisco. It follows his long journey to the top - where he ran for office numerous times, losing over and over again before finally winning and fighting for gay rights, human rights before being shot down by a disgruntled co-worker, Dan White (Josh Brolin). Milk surrounded himself with a group of young, empassioned followers who helped rally the gay community, including Cleve Jones (a fantastic Emile Hirsch), Anne Kronenberg (Alison Pill, the spitfire) and two boyfriends including the long suffering Scott (James Franco) and the needy and smothering Jack (Diego Luna). The script is face paced and well written. Van Sant sticks to straight directing, for the most part. However, there are a few of his little artsy moments thrown in there and it adds to the film, for sure. Whether he's directing art films or more mainstream work, Van Sant is one of the most daring and interesting directors working today. Of course, the cast is amazing. If all is right in the world (which, of course, it's not) the men of Milk could all but over run the Supporting Actor category. Franco, Brolin and especially Hirsch are all fantastic. But, of course, this is Penn's show and he embodies Harvey Milk like you wouldn't believe. Known for his moody and intense work, it's refreshing and lovely to see him play someone a little more carefree and emotionally open. His performance is Oscar worthy, for sure and I'd love to see him win a second Oscar. The best thing about Milk, however, is how very timely it is. With the recent passing of Prop 8 (which is much like the Proposition 6 that Harvey fights so tirelessly against in the film), it's clear to see that after thirty odd years, Harvey's fight is still not over. This movie should be a rally cry, a call to people to come together and stand up for gay rights, civil rights, human rights.
Grade: A+

Iron Man + mini reviews

Iron Man - First, let me say this: Robert Downey Jr. is so perfect for the role of Tony Stark that I really can't imagine anyone else even being considered for the role. This is the role he was born to play. He brings the perfect amounts of charming gentleman, cocky cad and comic timing. It doesn't hurt that mostly everything else about Iron Man is pretty damn good as well. I won't say it's great. But I will say that it is fun! This year has been a wash for movies so far (I mean, if I was going to make a top 10 list now - which I usually do - I wouldn't even be able to muster up 10 movies I really liked. I don't even think I could muster 5) but at least Iron Man starts the summer movie season off on the right foot. Iron Man is just about everything it should be: it's entertaining, it's fast paced, it's got great action sequences. It has comedy, it has the obligatory will-they-or-won't-they love story between Downey's Stark and Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts (she's really solid as well... plus, she looks great with red hair). It's got a good villain, good music, great gadgets. It's really just the kind of movie you hope it will be. There's really not much to complain about on the Iron Man front (although... and maybe I'm just being picky... but the final act turns a little too "Let's just blow shit up" for me). As for staying until after the credits? I would only recommend it if you are a huge comic book geek. I was told (quite excitedly) to stay until after the credits (quote "best extra scene EVER") and I was a little disappointed because I don't really care about the comic book universe. Still, I'll just think of the pre-credit perfection of an ending and I will remain satisfied completely with Iron Man.
Grade: B



Also, I've seen a lot of other films in my self-imposed exile from reviewing. Here are a few mini reviews...


Forgetting Sarah Marshall - On the Judd Apatow scale of major release hilarity this one falls somewhere between Superbad (my very favorite) and The 40 Year Old Virgin. It's true. I haven't laughed this hard since Superbad. Especially at the exceptionally hilarious Dracula: The Musical scenes (actually, I don't think I ever laughed so hard). Overall, Sarah Marshall is a really solid, funny, surprisingly heartfelt comedy. I couldn't exactly click with the female characters (these Judd Apatow boys can write crude comedy but they can't write a solid female character to save their lives) which was pretty much the only major problem I had. Except for the utter wastefulness of Paul Rudd. Still, this movie is worth seeing, for sure.
Grade: B-


Smart People - Great cast. Still, something never quite works here. It's not a bad movie but it's not necessarily a great movie either. It feels like a retread of about a dozen better movies. Ellen Page is fantastic but it really just makes me want to netflix Wonder Boys.
Grade: C


Deception - File this one under "Missed Opportunity." When you've got such a great cast to work with - Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams - you think a solid movie is in the bag. But, not so much. In fact, the glamour and the glitz is all just so fake looking. For a movie about an underground sex society, there is nothing remotely sexy about the movie. It's all a little silly and just plain bad.
Grade: D+


Lars and the Real Girl - Ryan Gosling is great. Emily Mortimer is even better. Still, for a "unique" indie comedy, I felt this was just about as cliched as possible. And who would think you would be able to use the word "cliche" for a movie about a man in love with a blow up sex doll? Predictible is another word that comes to mind. And that's a shame. Great idea. Great performances. Solid execution. It just all comes apart in the last act or so.
Grade: C+


Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - Well, someone totally ruined the ending for me but I still mostly enjoyed this dark and twisted musical from the wonderfully creative Tim Burton. Johnny Depp is just plain out fantastic. Ditto for Helena Bonham Carter. Still, I love Alan Rickman the most. I could have done without the story line about his daughter. I know it's necessary to the plot but it bored the hell out of me.
Grade: B


The Savages - Who was the MVP of 2007? Philip Seymour Hoffman! He's phenemonal in this indie comedy. Still, it's Laura Linney who got the Oscar nomination, and rightfully so. She's hilarious and completely relatable as well. This is a really solid, well-done black comedy. What a great screenplay and even better performances.
Grade: B


The Orphanage - Yawn.
Grade: D+ (maybe I should take away the "+." I only put it there because I liked the ending.)


Before the Devil Knows You're Dead - Again with the Philip Seymour Hoffman! He's amazing in this movie. I gave him such a hard time about his Oscar nomination for Charlie Wilson's War and I still believe he outright stole it from Paul Dano. Still, he should have been nominated. He just got it for the wrong movie. His performance here is definitely Oscar worthy. He's slick and cocky and manipulative and just plain great. Ethan Hawke plays his brother and does a pretty good job as well (although he's not nearly the actor Hoffman is). Sidney Lumet was something like 113 years old when he directed this movie (okay, he was 80 something) but he does such a spectacular job. The movie is an intense, satisfying thriller. It's also one of the best of last year. Wish I would have seen it earlier because it definitely would have made my top 10 list.
Grade: A-


He Was a Quiet Man - An interesting film, for sure. There are quite a few creative decisions that I liked very much. There are also some truly excellent parts. Overall, however, it doesn't really add up to a particularly good movie. The ending is great but, other than that, it's merely average. Elisha Cuthbert is terribly miscast. I would have liked to see someone else in her role. Maybe Christina Ricci or Thora Birch (what has she been up to lately?). Christian Slater, however, is a revelation in his performance. He hasn't been this good and this electrifying in a movie since, I don't know, Heathers, maybe.
Grade: C+