Sequels Sequels SEQUELS

Every time I pass the Oxford Odeon I stop by to look at the cinema listings, even though I usually know what they are already. Let's take a look at what is showing at the moment:

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2
• Honey 2
• Kung Fu Panda 2
• Pirates of the Caribbean 4
• The Hangover: Part II
• Thor 3D
• Water for Elephants
• X-Men: First Class

That's two films that I've seen (Thor and Water for Elephants) and two films that are not sequels. I'm being generous here as well, since Thor is technically part of the Avengers series.

So far the highest-grossing films of 2011 are Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Fast Five (The Hangover: Part II in the UK). Third on the rankings is Rio, which is refreshing - animated films have had their fair share of sequels however, with the creatively named Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil and Kung Fu Panda 2, with Cars 2, Puss in Boots, and Happy Feet Two still to come.

Looking back to 2010, five out of ten of the highest-grossing films were sequels (Toy Story 3, Shrek Forever After, Iron Man 2) or parts of series (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Eclipse). But in the year 2000, the highest-grossing film, Mission: Impossible II, was the only sequel on the top ten list.

It's pretty obvious that sequels are huge moneymakers. But why? Are people so lazy that they can't bother to look into original films? Were the originals so amazing that audiences can't wait to come back for more? 

Sequels have developed a reputation for being cheap remakes of the beloved originals. Back to the Future. Grease. All of the various Disney animated films you never even knew had sequels (Mulan. Cinderella. Lady and the Tramp). Then we have the great sequels. The Godfather Part II. The Dark Knight. Shrek 2. Last year's Toy Story 3. Is it unmissable successes like this that cause moviegoers to return to the cinema year after year to see continuations of the films they have already seen?

The cinemas are currently preventing me from buying tickets because I haven't seen the precursors to the films playing. Yes, I'm probably in the minority here, one of the few people on the planet who has yet to see the third Pirates film or even hit comedy The Hangover. I guess now is a good time to rent some oldies. Or maybe I'll just go see some artsy foreign films at the independent picture house instead.

New Posters for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Just in case the release of this film isn't hard enough for Harry Potter fanatics already, Warner Brothers decided to rub it in by replacing the film's title with a catchy little reminder.

 

 

 Other than being nostalgically painful, the posters are pretty damn classy.

Branagh's Thor is Just Okay

I went into Thor knowing nothing about the phenomenon outside the trailer that kept cropping up before every film I've seen lately. Thor appealed to me mostly because of my loyalty to Natalie Portman, my curiosity for this uncharacteristic directing project of Kenneth Branagh's, and my growing appreciation for the superhero film genre. I found the film to be unexpectedly funny, but ultimately slow, choppy, and uninteresting.

The film opens with the New Mexican science camp-out that from the trailer, focusing on determined physics genius Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), her intern Darcy (Kat Dennings), and her mentor Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard). Thor appears, having been banished from the realm of Asgard, and when Jane dramatically asks "Who are you?" the scene dramatically cuts to the title credits, followed by a long and boring flashback telling the backstory of Thor's realm. It is these shifts between Earth and Asgard that lack connectivity, and while the Asgard scenes are necessary to advance the plot, they are too fantasy-visual-effects-heavy to find relatable and too long and drawn-out to find interesting.

These ridiculous scenes contrast greatly to the fast-paced and witty Earth ones. Thor's clumsy adjustment to the unfamiliar world is effortlessly comical. The title role calls for a delicate balance between arrogant angsty battle dude and likable fish-out-of-water hero, and Chris Hemsworth pulls this off with a quirky sort of charm. Kat Dennings also deserves credit for much of the humor; whiny and dry, the character Darcy is a perfect match against Portman's serious scientist Jane. Portman herself provide some subtle comedy, and these vulnerably human moments strengthen her character. However, while she and Hemsworth have good on-screen chemistry, the romance between Thor and Jane is unconvincing, relying too heavily on viewer expectations for the superhero to fall for The Girl.

While the characters are likable and the actors are superbly cast, Thor lacks the cohesion necessary to make their actions urgent and important. It's enjoyable to watch, but difficult to develop any emotional attachment to the characters and their stories, largely because the plot is so predictable. This film is a mellow opener for the Summer of Superheros, leaving plenty of room for improvement.

Everyone Wants To Be The Social Network

Simplistic yet edgy, the poster for The Social Network is iconic. 

And when one movie's poster gets it right, everyone else seems to well, do the same thing.

At least it's better than this.

They went all out with the unpunctuated sentence thing

Come on, Thor, at least get the font right!

And then there's Rio, using Jesse Eisenburg's character's face.

These days you can even make your own Social Network poster. 

And speaking of Social Network humor, I've been quite the fan of The Kitchn's Oscar 2011 party food suggestions, but Urlesque takes the Mark Zuckerburger to a whole new level.

REVIEW: Stupid and Sometimes Uncomfortable, Your Highness Still Entertains

Your Highness seems to be one of those polarizing movies that critics despise and audiences enjoy. Okay, enjoy might be too strong of a word - it received a 57% on Rotten Tomatoes for audience choice and a paltry 25% for critics choice. But doesn't this unusually high gap between audience and critic enjoyment suggest that for those who the movie was really intended for, it was actually a success? The target audience, which Bill O'Reily fondly coined the term Stoner-Slackers, was probably too lazy to make a strong showing at a movie primarily made for them. Medieval enthusiasts and men with a very immature sense of humor also probably enjoyed this film. For everyone else though, it's no surprise that it wasn't a hit.

James Franco stars as Fabious, a pretty-boy knight who must quest with his incompetent, jealous brother Thadeus (Danny McBride) to save his bride-to-be Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel). Natalie Portman comes in to support the cast as Isabel, the warrior-hottie love interest of Thadeus. The plot, while nothing spectacular, is certainly coherent and straightforward enough to deserve less criticism than it has been getting.

What is especially being picked apart in recent reviews, however, seems to be the humor. Your Highness marketed itself as a stupid but entertaining movie (how can a tagline like "Best. Quest. Ever" suggest otherwise?), and that was exactly what it was. Yes, there were maybe too many uncomfortably sexual jokes, especially the ones about molestation (although honestly, it's hard to take seriously when the perpetrator is a purple, weed-smoking jellyfish). And for those of you a bit more sensitive, the image of a minotaur's penis dangling from Danny McBride's neck may take a while to revert back into the subconscious. But I digress, being a part of the movie's target audience, I found it hilarious. Yes, the jokes were incredibly immature and there was no substantial theme to back the story up - this is probably why Your Highness failed where Pineapple Express (also directed by David Gordon Green) succeeded - but it was still an entertaining movie that succeeded in exactly what it set out to be.

Why did such a lowly but entertaining film like The Fast and Furious gain a 52% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, while Your Highness gained just half of that? My theory is that people were expecting too much from recently lauded actors James Franco and Natalie Portman, and that given the surprisingly deep and emotional tone of the other Green-directed stoner movie Pineapple Express, Your Highness would be just as profound. Maybe Danny McBride (who wrote Your Highness with Ben Best) just isn't as insightful into emotional connections as Judd Apatow, Evan Goldberg, and Seth Rogen, who collectively wrote Pineapple Express. But that shouldn't stop you from enjoying Your Highness, in all its uncomfortable glory. Sometimes films come along that don't really have a great story but still succeed as comedic experiences (I would cite a personal favorite of mine, Dazed and Confused, as a prime example). And while many of the jokes in Your Highness are uncomfortable and downright weird, it still keeps you laughing the whole way. McBride, Franco, and Justin Theroux (who plays the sexually-awkward villain Leezar) give strong comedic performances with the lines they're given, and despite all the bad press, I still recommend Your Highness for anyone who is looking to simply relax and laugh at good, old-fashioned disgusting humor.

Hunger Games Trio Officially Cast: Lawrence, Hutcherson, Hemsworth

Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy is set to hit theatres next spring. The wildly popular young adult book series about a deadly reality TV competition in a post-apocalyptic world has fans predicting who will be cast and picking favorites. Lionsgate has now confirmed three of the film's stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth.

Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss Everdeen, "Girl on Fire." Lawrence was relatively unknown until her role in Winter's Bone last year, which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress (she was the second youngest actress to be nominated, ever).  Lawrence's role as Ree Dolly in Winter's Bone is not unlike the role of Katniss: both leading ladies are stubbornly loyal and take on the responsibility of their families. Additionally, Katniss becomes the rallying point for the revolution that could save her country (a post-apocalyptic North America). Director Gary Ross said that in Lawrence's audition "You glimpsed every aspect of the role and the potential of the whole movie." Author Suzanne Collins assured fans that she "watched Jennifer embody every essential quality necessary to play Katniss."

Josh Hutcherson first appeared on television at age ten. Last year he starred in The Kids Are All Right, and other notable credits include Bridge to Terebithia, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and the adorable romance Little Manhattan (he also voiced "Hero Boy" in The Polar Express. Cool.). Hutcherson will play Peeta, the eloquent artistic romantic with an unsuspecting tough side. Hutcherson, a huge fan of the book series, has been lobbying for the role for a while, and his passion for the character seems to have paid off. Collins said: "Josh totally captured Peeta's temperament, his sense of humor and his facility for language. I'm thrilled to have him aboard." Some fans are upset that Hutcherson has brown hair and brown eyes rather than Peeta's described blond hair blue eyes combo, but hopefully they'll calm down when they see him act the part as suitably as I have complete confidence he will.

Lawrence was cast before I began to read the books, and as soon as I heard that Hutcherson wanted to play Peeta I supported him 100%. However, I had never heard of Liam Hemsworth until he was mentioned on a list of possible Gales. Since his character is the most important one in the film (well...according to me. To be fair he probably won't be in this one as much as the other two, and certainly not as much as Katniss or Peeta.), hopefully he will take this immense responsibility seriously. Gale is Katniss's intelligent and fiercely brave hunting partner-in-crime. He does not compete in the Hunger Games, but plays a key role in the revolution. Producer Nina Jacobsen said: "Gale's journey across the three books transforms him, and Liam's performance left no doubt that he would take us there." (So that's good.). Hemsworth is most known for his role opposite Miley Cyrus in The Lost Song, which, to be fair, I haven't seen. Maybe it was awesome. That doesn't matter, as long as he is awesome.

REVIEW: Neeson Triumphs in the Satisfying Action-Mystery Thriller Unknown

  If you decide to see Unknown based on the intriguing story introduced in its trailer, you won’t be disappointed by its conclusion or by the starring actors’ performances. Some plot details fall through the cracks, but overall it proves to be an exciting film with some great car chases and a satisfying ending.

Liam Neeson stars as Dr. Martin Harris, a scientist who gets in a car crash as soon as he arrives in Germany for a bio-technology conference with his wife (played by January Jones). When he awakens from a coma four days later and reunites with her, she not only claims to not know who he is, but introduces another man who claims to be Martin Harris, who shares the protagonist’s memories and backstory.

The film poses questions about identity and insanity, as made clear from Martin Harris’s line in the trailer: “Do you know what it feels like to become insane? It's a war between being told who you are and knowing who you are...Which do you think wins?” The story resolves itself satisfactorily, remaining suspenseful through the end.

There are, however, some plot holes that viewers simply have to accept and move on, such as the mystery of how a man in a coma for falling off a bridge into a lake managed to bribe so many people afterward with the cash from his pocket that appears to be untouched by water, or how, for that matter, he sprung back to full physical health so quickly. Other devices are a bit obviously placed, such as the ever-conveniently played news story telling him exactly where he needs to go next.

While the cinematography is generally effective, the transitions from scene to scene are sometimes abrupt and even confusing. A couple of scenes are a bit too melodramatic and cause characters to rant for too long - while Neeson’s “Who am I? Who am I” vocal crisis is realistic to how the character would genuinely react, when portrayed on screen it just looks silly.

Neeson’s acting overall though is convincing; his Martin Harris is likable and evokes sympathy. Diane Krugar, who plays the taxi driver who was in the accident with him, is the epitome of feisty loyal Bosnian sidekick chick (hearing her strong accent after getting used to her as American in a similar role in National Treasure took some adjustment, although probably due less to her acting and more to the number of times I’ve seen National Treasure - a good Nicolas Cage film. And no, I’m not including the sequel.). These two along January Jones as the mysterious and beautiful Elizabeth Harris make the film worthwhile. Watch with a grain of salt, and watch for the main story and main actors.

Year of the Brontës: A Preview of the Latest Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights Adaptations

With Jane Eyre out in [selected theatres] now and Wuthering Heights set for a September UK release date, the Brontë sisters are doing pretty well. There have been 15 film and television adaptations of Wuthering Heights and 22 of Jane Eyre to date. Let's take a closer look at what the latest adaptations have to offer.
Jane Eyre

With Mia Waskinowska as the title role, I already have faith in the latest Jane Eyre. In 2010's hits Alice in Wonderland and The Kids Are All Right Waskinowska proved that she can deliver the quiet determination necessary for the role. The only danger is that her performance will appear too similar to hers as Alice, since the roles are relatively similar.

The first time I viewed the trailer all I noticed was how it resembled a poorly-constructed Power Point presentation, complete with fading text in the Century Gothic font [a pun, perhaps?]. Re-watching while ignoring the horrible transitions restores my confidence, as the scenes seem to be faithful to the book in content and atmosphere. See for yourself here.

What the trailer lacks in style the poster masters completely. Elegant, simple, and sophisticated, it looks like a suitable book cover, which is well, ideal. The film has already received many positive reviews from critics, including a five-star review from the New York Times. It was released last week in New York and Los Angeles and appears this Friday in more select theaters.

Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is still under the radar, with no trailer released, and with a glance at the cast and crew it's pretty unpredictable, as they are mostly newcomers. We do have one teaser poster, however, and it looks edgily Victorian.

The project had a rocky start when it was first announced in 2008, with Natalie Portman originally cast as the lead. After switching directors and leading cast members three times (including an Ed Westwick and Gemma Arterton combo), Andrea Arnold took on the project, and Kaya Scodelario and James Howson were cast as Catherine and Heathcliff. Howson is the first black actor to play the role, and this is his first film credit.

Director Andrea Arnold, who won an Oscar in 2003 for her Live Action Short Wasp and a BAFTA for 2009's Fish Tank, is off to a good start, and Wuthering Heights could launch her career even further if successful.

History of the creative team can only get us so far on the speculation front, however, so we'll have to wait a bit longer to judge this one. The film is due to release on September 30, 2011 in the UK with a US release date TBA.

Nicolas Cage: Is There Hope?

Oh Nicolas Cage, where did you go wrong? How did you become the butt of so many jokes on the state of contemporary cinema? It seems as though whenever some cynical, naïve movie-goer, unfamiliar with the money to be made in international movie markets and the studios’ love of reliably shitty and profitable franchises, bemoans the downfall of American cinema (due to a lack of originality and the always present sequel of a reboot of a remake of a movie based off a book), Cage’s name invariably comes up.

It’s hard to know exactly what happened to his career, or why he has been shying away from dramas for which he usually garnered praise (the esteemed Roger Ebert has defended Cage even after train wrecks such as Knowing). 1996-1997 may have arguably been the start of Nic’s decline into action-hero parody, but his three roles in The Rock, Con Air, and Face/Off were actually respectable. Granted, I have no idea why he chose to leverage his newfound power coming off of the widely acclaimed Leaving Las Vegas (for which Cage received, gasp, an Oscar!) by grabbing three consecutive action roles. But that doesn’t change the fact that these movies were actually ‘good’, at least in terms of who their perceived audience was. I can think of nothing more enjoyable for mindless pleasure than sitting down on my couch with a couple Hot Pockets and watching Nic and Sean Connery spit pithy dialogue at each other while gunning down rogue marines.

It seems Cage’s last good year was 2005, which saw him strongly play protagonists in Lord of War and The Weather Man. One could cite his roles in the 2006 film World Trade Center (which I admit I have not seen) and 2010’s Kick-Ass as admirable – certainly most critics would agree that Cage did a fine job in these parts. But the body of work he has put out since 2005, starting with the laughably over-acted Wicker Man through Ghost Rider, G-Force (yes, that animated film about the gerbils), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and finally on to his most recent masterpiece, Drive Angry, the 2011 film about a criminal broken out of hell to seek revenge on a satanic cult leader (I’m simplifying the plot a little, but who cares, that’s definitely not the movie’s strong point).

Cage is clearly a good actor, capable of performing well in serious roles and contributing to the parts of cinema that will last longer than a few months. So the question is, when will Nicolas Cage return to making good (or at least respectable) movies? Maybe when he stops buying $275,000 dinosaur heads and can afford to. Until then, get excited for Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, due out next year.

REVIEW: Surprisingly Clever and Touching, Just Go With It is Not Bad

First of all, I have resisted the urge to make some sort of pun on the film title "Just Go With It" in my review title - its overuse in the film itself became predictable and cheesy quickly - although considering the danger this film is in to be predictable and cheesy in general, it fights against those audience expectations and turns out to be not only enjoyable, but also heartwarming.

Adam Sandler plays Danny, successful middle-aged plastic surgeon who must convince his new girlfriend Palmer (newcomer Brooklyn Decker) he isn't married without revealing the shameful truth that the "wedding ring" in his pocket is used to pick up girls while avoiding commitment. His good friend and office receptionist Katherine (Jennifer Aniston) agrees to pretend to be Danny's wife to prove to Palmer that they're actually getting "divorced."

Even though Jennifer Aniston plays the same character she usually does, this version is charming alongside Sandler and Decker - the three of them make the story and the love triangle work. Supporting actor Nick Swardson as Danny's brother Eddie has some great lines about the sheep-selling industry and even earns some glory in his fake profession by the end. Nicole Kidman as Devlin is another great addition to the cast, and seeing her in a more farcical role is promising of her range as an actress.

Perhaps the highlight of the film's acting, however, is sharp comedic delivery by and involving child actors Bailee Madison as wanna-be movie star Maggie and Griffin Gluck as the manipulatively savvy Michael. The bargaining scene at the pizza shop shows the kids in control, status they more or less maintain as characters and actors throughout.

As an American seeing the film in London, unfortunately Danny's jibe at Katherine's Old Navy wardrobe was only audibly appreciated by me, but it was a clever one-liner that led into the inevitable makeover sequence, which is lavish and unrealistic - everything such a cliché should be.

Choice in music enhances the action and contributes to the characters' emotions, just as "Linger" did for "Click." "Every Breath You Take" by the Police and "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol (not to mention a few *NSYNC references) contribute to the most emotional part of the film.

The most respectful aspect of "Just Go With It" its ability to set up a situation that seems instantly predictable, but doesn't follow through on that suggested path. In hearing the premise I thought I had the entire movie figured out, and while my expectations proved true in some cases, along the way there were less predictable moments that made the film more real and enjoyable - we all knew this movie would be a bit of a joke in both senses, but what makes it even better is the fact that the writers and actors are in on the joke too.

Photo source

An Optimistic Review of the 83rd Annual Academy Awards

We've heard the low-points. Christopher Nolan wasn't nominated for Best Director.The chemistry between Anne Hathaway and James Franco was non-existent (I mostly blame the writers).Roger Deakins fails to win his first Oscar in nine nominations. Christopher Nolan wasn't nominated for Best Director. But there were many good things about and that happened during this year's Oscars. Here are some of my favorites.
1. The awards were spread out pretty evenly among the nominated films.

After the BAFTAs I was worried that The King's Speech might sweep, or nearly sweep, but in fact they ended up tying Inception for number of awards won. The final numbers turned out like this:

The King's Speech - 4
Inception - 4
The Social Network - 3
Alice in Wonderland - 2
Toy Story 3 - 2

2. There were some good lines and good speeches.

Luke Matheney (Best Live Action Short): "Wow. Should have got a haircut."

Colin Firth (Best Actor): "I'm afraid I have to warn you that I'm experiencing stirrings. Somewhere in the upper abdominals which are threatening to form themselves into dance moves. Joyous as they may be for me, it would be extremely problematic if they make it to my legs before I get off stage." and "Now if you'll all excuse me, I have some impulses I have to tend to backstage. Thank you very much."



The very professional Natalie Portman didn't miss a beat and thanked everyone from her parents to the makeup artists to the camera operators.



Randy Newman (Best Original Song): "I just have to thank these people - I don't want to. I just have to. I want to be good television as you can see!"

3. And some good presenters.

Although Melissa Leo won Hailee Steinfeld's Oscar, at least Kirk Douglas stole the spotlight for the whole award. 


Later on Cate Blanchett commented "That's gross" before awarding Rick Baker and Dave Elsey Oscars for Best Makeup for "The Wolfman.

4. Some funny moments between the hosts.

The introduction video was clever, cute, and well-acted. It gave us an early taste of Hathaway's eagerness to take on any situation and Franco's chill attitude towards it all, which is subtly effective, although less so in the magnified space of the Kodak stage. A triumph, however, was Franco's comment after the technical awards: "Congratulations, nerds."


5. Fabulous Fashion.

Anne Hathaway's dresses. Every single one was suitable and gorgeous. She even danced around a bit.



In other fashion-y news Colleen Atwood takes the first costume award for a Tim Burton film. Although her speech was horrible (there was an index card involved), she also designed Helena Bonham Carter's dress for the evening, earning her major props for the star, and made the whole Burton creative team proud.

6. Motherly support. 

Anne Hathaway's mom and James Franco's grandmother made appearances (While Betsy Franco tweeted her support for her son) and Justin Timberlake and Russel Brand both brought their mothers as their guests.



3 Reasons Why We Love James Franco (And Why You Should Too)

1. He's funny - From his days on the tremendously underrated television show Freaks and Geeks to the 2008 film Pineapple Express to the upcoming stoner-slacker movie Your Highness (due out this April), Franco has demonstrated his ability to play comedic roles just as well as serious ones. He even managed to be hilarious during his short cameo in Knocked Up, in which he played a disgusted version of himself, cringing at the site of a newly-pregnant Katherine Heigl vomiting into a trash-can.

2. He's hard working - Franco attended UCLA as an undergraduate from 2006-2008, where he graduated with a GPA over 3.5 and took between 20 and 62 credits a quarter (the normal limit is 19)...all while continuing to act. In 2008 he moved to New York to simultaneously study at three different institutions (Columbia University's MFA Writing Program, NYU's Tisch School of the Arts for Filmmaking, and Brooklyn College for fiction writing). Franco will also attend Rhode Island School of Design and is a Ph.D students at Yale. His tastes are incredibly wide-ranging, matched only by his work ethic.

3. He's self aware - Unlike many other actors, Franco seems relatively down to earth. After he canceled giving a commencement speech to UCLA in 2009, Franco released this self-mocking video with Funny or Die. Responding in an Entertainment Weekly interview to speculation about his sexual orientation (due to the fact that he has portrayed three gay characters), Franco smartly responded, "there are also lots of other aspects about these characters that I’m interested in, in addition to their sexuality...or, you know what, maybe I’m just gay". Like him or not as an actor, you must admit that he's got a good sense of humor about his profession and success.

Oscars 2011 Predictions

 Here they are! My Oscar picks for 2011. Below I list "My prediction" (because I don't have enough conviction to declare that a certain film "Will win"), my opinion on what should win, and general comments on the subject. Don't forget to follow @jallyfishfilms on Twitter to read our live updates during tomorrow night's ceremony.

Best Picture
The King's Speech
My main criticism for The Social Network is its anticlimactic ending. It lacks that "good story" element that is The King's Speech's strength. Both brilliant films, but different: The King's Speech is a classic, but The Social Network is a modern classic.


Best Director
David Fincher - The Social Network

Fincher clearly deserves the win over Hooper, but it would be strange for Social Network to win Best Director but not Best Picture. I support Fincher, with Aronofsky for Black Swan as runner-up.

Best Actor
Colin Firth - The King's Speech
Colin Firth makes The King's Speech work. He deserves it. Nuff said.

Best Actress
Natalie Portman - Black Swan
This is one of those "how do you possibly compare?" races. Like Colin Firth's case, though, Natalie Portman is Black Swan.

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale - The Fighter
Geoffrey Rush deserves to be recognized and he was, for the BAFTA. Both amazing actors, both amazing performances, but it's Bale's turn this time.

Best Supporting Actress
Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit
Steinfeld's category fraud here is so awkward with her character as the clear lead of the film, but I don't want that to stop her from being recognized for her compelling performance. I don't care if Melissa Leo was robbed of Best Actress in the past - this is now.

Best Original Screenply
David Seidler - The King's Speech
Seidler's touching making-of story for The King's Speech is too picture-perfect to pass up, but there are better screenplays in the category - in fact I would place The King's Speech third behind Inception and The Kids Are All Right, in which case Nolan's complicatedly elegant idea barely triumphs over Cholodenko and Blumberg's witty and charming dialogue.

Best Animation
Toy Story 3
Much of Toy Story 3's success comes from its ability to build on the previous two Toy Stories, which were both good films. How to Train Your Dragon is touching, has a great story with lovable characters, and an amazing soundtrack, but even so, it doesn't measure up to Toy Story 3, which does deserve its Best Picture nomination as well.

Best Adapted Screenply
Aaron Sorkin - The Social Network
Witty, edgy, self-referential, and often annoying, Sorkin's screenplay is a clear and well-deserved win for this category.

Best Art Direction
Inception
This first category of the evening (and my favorite, I might add!) is up in the air. Inception deserves to win, but King's Speech might pull through just because (please, no). It's also worth noting that no Tim Burton film nominated for Art Direction has lost yet.

Best Cinematography
True Grit
Roger Deakins has been nominated nine times and hasn't one once - and I pegged True Grit as the worthy winner of this category before I knew those statistics. I'm not one for westerns, but thanks to its cinematography True Grit is one of the best films I've ever seen.

Best Sound Editing/Mixing
Inception
Two separate categories but same picks and notes for both, so I'm combining them here. It is rare for the Academy to choose the same film for both Mixing and Editing, but I think it could (and should) happen this year. If it loses one of the awards, it would be to True Grit.

Best Original Song
"We Belong Together" (Toy Story 3) - Randy Newman
Toy Story 3 might win just to give that film another award, but I find it weird for a song used in the credits of the film to win when part of the judging is on the song's incorporation into the film. I haven't seen Tangled yet, but "If I Rise" is a great song and fits into the film beautifully.

Best Original Score
The Social Network - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
People are saying that a more "traditional" score is more likely to be chosen here (see Costumes as well), but the Social Network's soundtrack is ingenious and so well-suited to its film. Bring on the techno.

Best Costumes
Alice in Wonderland
Again with the "traditional" bias, but I have to stick up for Alice here: Tim Burton films always lose out in the costuming award, but this is where that statistic should be changed. Colleen Atwood's morphing dress that became uniquely fabulous each time Alice grew or shrank was the highlight of the film for me, and some of the most creative costuming I've seen.

Best Film Editing
The Social Network
The Social Network relies on its awesome screenplay and its awesome editing. Its flashbacks and quick changes keep the film fresh, engaging, and modern.

Best Visual Effects
Inception
I love the Harry Potter films. And they have yet to win an Oscar. But that's because…they haven't deserved to. At least not yet. In the meantime, nothing but Inception deserves the award this year.

--

For the following categories I haven't seen enough of the films nominated to judge myself, but will predict anyway based on what I've read about them/previous awards results this season:

Best Foreign Language Film
Incendies - Canada

Best Documentary Feature
Inside Job

Best Documentary Short
Strangers No More

Best Animated Short Film
Day & Night

Best Live Action Short Film
Wish 143

Best Make-up
The Wolfman

So what do you think? Post your predictions in the comments!

REVIEW: Madness of Sanity and Beauty of Darkness: Black Swan Has it All.

Black Swan is brilliantly disturbing. Centered around Nina Sayers, played by Natalie Portman, an intense psychological bond forms between viewer and dancer and dancer and role. The film follows Nina’s journey from casting to performance, and we are exposed to every moment of her journey, private, public, real, and imaginary.

Although the film has been advertised by the face of a “troubled ballerina” - just take one glance at the crazed expression on that poster - I was surprised to find that the “Black Swan” persona is one that Nina struggles to achieve. The Nina we see in the beginning is “mad” only in the way that any blindly driven overachiever is - and to an audience with madness in mind, Nina’s initial state is an interesting reflection on how we might define “madness” in general.

The pure “white” Nina we meet at the start, the one in pale pink and a fluffy white scarf, elegant and obsessed with technical detail, struggles with the concept of “perfection,” a state of performance she aims to reach that, she is told, can only be found by letting loose.

Portman’s performance is utterly convincing. Pure, naive, confused - Nina doesn’t quite get it and we can see from Portman’s slightly furrowed brow and the occasional stifled gasp of horror. Supporting standout performances include Mila Kunis as the exotic and attractive Lily, whom Nina seems to love and hate simultaneously, and Vincent Cassel the slightly invasive yet effective ballet instructor Thomas Leroy.

Nina’s mother Erica Sayers, played by Barbara Hershey is delightfully hate-able, as she should be. Despite the character’s creepy level of involvement in her grown-up daughter’s life, this overbearing mother is the only one who notices that there is something wrong with Nina. Erica treads the thin line between caring and controlling enough that she invokes sympathy rather than pure hatred.

The soundtrack, which includes sequences from “Swan Lake” played backwards with modifications (thank you, IMDb trivia), is not only a creative detail but an effective addition to the film. Despite its brilliance however, it is the silent moments that are most effective, as such minor noises as ballet shoes tapping on the floor create an atmosphere of precise stillness.

The cinematic tone of the film through camera angles and general visual darkness is sleepy and dreamlike, which comes to make more and more sense as the images and events become more fantasy-like and it becomes unclear what is real and what is Nina’s hallucinations.

Overall, the film is about transformation - for Nina, transformation into the “perfect” ballerina. Certain parallels to “Swan Lake” are undeniably obvious. Lily’s bad-ass persona complete with dark tattoo across her back instantly labels her as the epitome of the Black Swan, and her lending Nina a black top at the party clearly represents Nina’s transition towards embodying that persona herself.

Other attempts are symbolism are more confusing, such as the significance of Nina’s random tendency to bleed, which is never specifically explained. Strange transformations such as the webbed toes make sense, but the only symbolic explanation I can think of for the bleeding is that it represents her personal sacrifice for ballet, which seems too nonspecific.

Black Swan is to its audience as “Swan Lake” is to Nina - both capture their subjects and lure them into an uncomfortable, personal, and beautiful understanding of what it takes to push the boundaries make great art.

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