Paragraph Movie Reviews: Searching for Sugar Man

If you don't have plans to see this movie, you can check the spoilers here and then come back.

This documentary about Rodriguez, a relatively unknown would-be 70's rock star from Detroit, kicks off with a South African man talking about how this cipher is one of the best-selling and most influential musicians of all time in his homeland, but remains shrouded in mystery aside from rumors about how his career ended: with the artist lighting himself on fire and perishing during a live performance. With a hook like that, it's impossible not to immediately want to know more, and writer/director/producer Malik Bendjelloul does a great job peppering his work with cliffhangers and payoffs to keep the viewer riveted. The story of Rodriguez is a unique and incredible one, and, trying not to give too much away (though that's going to be tough) ends up being far more uplifting than the open would suggest. I will say that Watching for Sugar Man simply as a standalone piece I enjoyed it without much question, but after it won the Academy Award and was proclaimed the best documentary of the year, I did question a bit more about how good a job Bendjelloul and his collaborators really did and how much was just them getting compelling subject matter that did a lot of the work itself. The interviews Bendjelloul conducts are well-done and don't pull punches, but also seem to suggest that a lot of the leg work for the piece was done a decade earlier by South African fans and journalists, it's just being brought to light now; I certainly don't fault a filmmaker for happening upon great discoveries like that, but again, the success of the finished product opens it up to greater scrutiny. The graphics used for transitions and scene setting are a mixed bag, as some really caught my eye and stood out more than usual on a documentary, but on the flip side, others were distracting. If I find particular fault with anybody, I guess it would be cinematographer Camilla Skagerstrom, whose love for lengthy tracking shots of Detroit streets I don't share. I do think the whole thing was well-paced and, as I noted above, knows when to place the next hook, even if the focus can scatter. Also, it goes without saying that the soundtrack, taken completely from Rodriguez's catalog, is outstanding; the guy really was great. Even after applying the "did it deserve to be the best?" filter, I find I still really enjoyed Searching for Sugar Man; it's one thing to happen upon a great documentary subject, it's another to keep it compelling for even 86 minutes.

Academy Award-Winning Paragraph Movie Review: The Artist

If you don't have plans to see this movie, you can check the spoilers here and then come back.

From just about every technical standpoint, The Artist is a masterpiece; really it has to be, as it needs to hold the attention of a 21st century audience with the film making techniques of nearly a century ago and absent of any spoken dialogue or color. A great, consistently moving score help to keep you engaged with a plot that could easily lose you otherwise. Meticulous cinematography and art direction contribute as well. Michel Hazanavicius and his crew deserve tremendous credit for putting every aspect of a movie that might get glossed over because they're covered by strong acting under the microscope and making sure to get as close to perfection with them as they can. Even stuff I wouldn't normally notice like the snappy costumes stood out. And the performances are there to boot, as Jean Dujardin brims with the charm of a born leading man whose expressive physical work, comedic chops and ability to pour his heart into his face is remarkable. Berenice Bejo is a notch or two below Dujardin, but that doesn't mean she's not fantastic (she is). The supporting cast is wisely packed with actors not out of place in the setting who do so much storytelling with the way they move, particularly John Goodman, but also Missi Pyle and even James Cromwell; Penelope Ann Miller is a bit of a weak link, but she's not a particularly important cog. Finally the story being conveyed--the fall of a lovable but vain silent film star railing against talking pictures and his love story with the woman symbolizing his replacement--is strong with much to say. My big knock against The Artist would be its lack of staying power, meaning now that I've seen all the tricks (and there were some great ones, from everything I outlined to the gradual introduction of sound and so on), I really have no desire to watch it again. I'm also not sure how much my attention would have been held had I seen it in the theater as opposed to with my friends at their apartment, with us able to commentate over the whole thing (which we did). But hey, there are far worse things that being a darn near flawless piece of cinema that you only want to see once, and that dog was adorable.

Paragraph Movie Reviews: Midnight in Paris

If you don't have plans to see this movie, you can check the spoilers here and then come back.

I'm not a guy who goes in for movies that are love letters to "insert city her," so I needed more from this one than pretty shots of Paris filling montages that go on a bit too long for my liking. I do like the particularity of Woody Allen's experienced-shooting style (which is still especially unique to me as I've only seen one other of his films), but again, not enough. The premise of a modern day romantic making his way back to 1920's Paris is a neat one, and novel because it brings about some excellent supporting performances in actors portraying real historical figures. Corey Stoll captures the screen with his intense Ernest Hemingway, Kathy Bates strikes a nice run-on sentence of a performance of Gertrude Stein, Adrien Brody has a fun cameo as Salvador Dali and I wanted to see more of Tom Hiddleston and Alison Pill's charming Fitzgeralds. The overall commentary Allen is making about everybody's romanticized past golden age being somebody else's dull present is one with mileage. Unfortunately all this stumbles for me with Owen Wilson's leading man performance, which starts awkward and only gets worse. I don't fault Wilson for playing out of his depth given that he's a man from the 21st century hobnobbing with his idols a century prior, but he goes too far with it and wrecks the flow of the piece for me. He has nice comedic bursts, his obvious strength, but a more meaningful dramatic performance is sacrificed and lacking. The most disappointing thing for me is how Wilson's googly-eyed rambling cuts so much of the cast's potential off because it kills the give and take. Rachel McAdams and Mimi Kennedy are brilliantly bitchy as the shallow fiancee and her loathsome mother, but Wilson fails to give his character, Gil, enough likability for me to really root against them. On the other side of the coin, Marion Cotillard is beguiling as the object of Gil's affection in the past, but the fact that she prefers this bumbler to the charismatic Hemingway when he displays no real affable qualities takes away from her credibility. It's rare that I like so much about a movie from its writing to its technical aspects to the general high quality of the performances and yet one actor can really spoil it for me, but Midnight in Paris is that unique exception.

Paragraph Movie Reviews: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

If you don't have plans to see this movie, you can check the spoilers here and then come back.

I was in a different (though I'm sure hardly unique) position with this film, having read the book pretty recently and having the story fresh in my mind. Had that not been the case, I question how easily I would have been able to follow the dense mythology, as my wife had to ask me questions throughout and I was shocked at how quickly they glossed over some points that seemed so key to the novel. To be fair to David Fincher, Steven Zaillian and company, 700 pages of incredibly dense story is a lot to cram into even a two and a half hour frame, so obviously the cuts were both necessary and no doubt challenging. To their credit, I believe they do a great job maintaining the central mystery, which is at the heart of everything, and it plays out every bit as suspenseful and thrilling on screen as in the book, despite some judiciously subtracted elements. Where I do think the translation suffers is in building the characters, Mikael more so than Lisbeth, as so much of his background established in the early parts of the book is jettisoned (again, understandably to a degree) for time here and he becomes more of a pivot to get events moving rather than a fully realized player. Despite that, Daniel Craig does an excellent job bringing James Bond charm to the role, but also knowing when to pull back and make the character more human and vulnerable. Christopher Plummer is also standout as Henrik Vanger and anchors the slow-going first half hour or so with his tortured whimsy. Likewise Stellan Skarsgard is perfectly cast in a part that required tremendous duality. Rooney Mara is, however, the breakout star as advertised, earning that Academy Award nomination with her intense and complete transformation into Lisbeth Salander, keeping that intense rage under an eerie veneer of calm until just the right moments and exploding with unforgettable bursts. The chemistry between Craig and Mara is also remarkably entertaining. It's a Fincher film, so it's beautifully shot, and Trent Reznor handles the music wonderfully. With all the changes made already, I perhaps would have altered the way the ending unfolds, as it remains anticlimactic here as it did in the book. My primary criticism beyond the overall struggle to maintain the clarity of the plot and flesh out the characters would be that the first and last half hours don't match up to the quality of the middle portion, but again, this mirrors the book as well. Great performances, well-filmed, well-scored, but also a case where the filmmakers' eyes may have been a bit bigger than their stomachs.

Paragraph Movie Reviews: The King's Speech

If you don't have plans to see this movie, you can check the spoilers here and then come back.

With technical brilliance and tour de force acting, The King's Speech in my estimation lived up to the hype even being an Academy Award for Best Picture brings with it. From the first measured shots of microphones through every pan and close-up, I was fully taken in by how Tom Hooper chose to frame his work and the visual calculation with which it was pulled off. Every set, costume and sound effect worked in the harmony you hope for from every movie. But even with all those aspects handled so expertly, it was in the performances that a story ostensibly of a man learning to control a stutter--surrounded though it was by political intrigue and the most explosive conflict of our times--became an engaging, tense, funny and riveting ride. The "action" scenes were montages of speech exercises or slow frames of a man taking to a microphone, but I felt as though I was watching Rocky for how invested I was. Colin Firth's King George is one of the finest performances I have seen in some time, capturing a complex figure who is at once a tortured outcast, an explosive child, a pitiable victim, a witty gent, a warm family man, and ultimately a good king. Firth plays every aspect expertly, with vigor, and shifts between them without a hitch; I felt awful for him, I felt anxious with him, I laughed at him and I rooted for him. Geoffrey Rush holds up his end of the central dynamic with equally adept skill, balancing the quirkiness of Lionel Logue with a brashness and confidence that never makes him seem the bad guy, but does give him sufficient edge; the chemistry between Firth and Rush is undeniable. It was a joy to see Helene Bonham Carter play against type (at least so far as the roles I've seen her in), coming off charming and whimsical as Elizabeth. Michael Gambon and Guy Pearce were nice casting coups as stoic George V and carousing Edward VIII while Timothy Spall demonstrated his usual chameleon skill in mimicking Winston Churchill. If I were to bring some criticism against the film it would be that the ebb and flow of Bertie and Lionel's relationship does get a bit extreme at times, their friendship swelling and dissipating alternately to a degree I didn't think was justified by what was taking place onscreen and could only be ascribed to holes in the narrative, but Firth and Rush were so spot on in conveying the evolution in their performances it's easily forgiven. The last ten minutes of a guy simply delivering a speech were as compelling and intense as any climax I've seen in recent years; this one earned its accolades.

Random Thoughts on the 2010 Emmy Nominations

The 2010 Emmy nominations hit today and I’ve got some random thoughts on them—hence the title of this post.

-Lost fans, I’d advise not holding your breath expecting your dearly departed show to be honored just because it was the last season or for its overall accomplishments. Fact of the matter is shows with such a heavy sci-fi/mysticism slant don’t tend to clean up at the Emmys in the Outstanding Drama category unless it’s a weak field, and it’s not a weak field. Breaking Bad, Dexter and Mad Men are still at the top of their game and while I dug a lot of what Lost has to offer in its final run, I don’t think this was their best season, so they’ll have to make do with the statue they got way back in 2005. I hope they get a nice highlight package, though!

-To continue on that line of thinking for a moment, sorry Sean T. Collins, but I don’t see Matthew Fox winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama; I think he acted his heart out and I certainly wouldn’t be upset if he did pull it out, but much like I said above, that’s some stiff competition with Jon Hamm, Bryan Cranston, Hugh Laurie and Michael C. Hall.

-And to finish the thought, I do hope and believe Terry O’Quinn will be honored for his phenomenal Lost work this season as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama. O’Quinn’s 180 turn from the traditional Locke to uber villain Smokey was just remarkable and displayed a range few actors could pull off so masterfully. I would say O’Quinn not being considered a Lead Actor is a bit of a crock, but at the same time, he’s got a way better shot against the likes of Martin Short and company, so I hope Lost’s “ride off into the sunset” moment comes in this category and a Locke-esque acceptance speech ties that final bow on the series.

-As an unabashed Glee fan, I still think it’s ridiculous that Glee got so many acting nominations. It’s a fun, well-produced and undeniably unique show of high quality, and there’s no doubt the cast is immensely talented, but I just don’t see how their performances, impressive though they are, can be held up against the likes of Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey and other people not on 30 Rock. It’s hard to articulate exactly why I feel this way without coming off like I’m slighting Lea Michelle or Matthew Morrison, but I just feel like playing so far over-the-top is entertaining and cool, but not award-worthy. Jane Lynch surely deserves her kudos as she has created a character, but the others are really just playing archetypes and singing incredibly well from my standpoint. In a perfect world there would be another category to recognize the merits of a show like Glee.

-I thought Steve Carrell’s Michael Scott was easily the most irritating and loathsome character on television this past year, and not in an impressive way, but in a “I want to turn off the TV” kind of way. His nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor to me is just the Academy sleepwalking and not having the guts to scratch him off the list after a bad year. At least they didn’t give Jeremy Piven another nomination. Carrell leaving The Office is going to be the best thing for both him and that show.

-Tina Fey was as great as ever on 30 Rock this year, but I think it would be really cool to see Amy Poehler grab that Lead Actress in a Comedy torch from her pal. Parks and Recreation just took such a quantum leap this year and I’m bummed it’s not up for Outstanding Comedy, but seeing Poehler get the win would be a nice consolation prize.

-I feel like I’m definitely at a handicap as far as picking winners by having never seen an episode of Modern Family.

-Finally: It’s long past time for Neil Patrick Harris to take this one home; America, let’s make it happen.

Paragraph (Plus) In-Flight Movie Reviews: The Blind Side

Note: This movie was viewed while on a plane--take that for what you will.

If you don't have plans to see this movie, you can check the spoilers here and then come back.

Make no bones about it, because it certainly does not: The Blind Side is very much a “feel good movie” of the highest order. On the one hand, it does weaken the film somewhat in a critical sense and in terms of the plot’s flow if only because every hurdle encountered is so easily and gleefully overcome by the protagonists that there is a definite lack of deep conflict or introspection. Also, given that the movie is based on a real and compelling story, it’s tough not to question how much is legit and how much has been punched up and simplified for Hollywood. On the other hand, like I said, this is not a piece that has any sense of denial about what it is and isn’t masquerading as high art—at least I didn’t get that sense—so if you choose to just sit back and enjoy as I did, you’ll find yourself getting engulfed in some good performances and a story that skips gleefully along, holding your attention with its whimsy.

Of course the most ballyhooed of those aforementioned performances is Sandra Bullock’s Oscar-winning turn as the fast-talking Memphis mom who brings a poor homeless black kid into her family. I enjoyed Bullock’s turn here tremendously and absolutely think she deserves the accolades she received; aside from the incredible energy she seems to effortlessly project, this role is such a departure from a lot of her stock characters, showing her range, but she also walks the delicate tight rope of portraying a strong, tough female lead who gets her way by being blunt and outspoken yet does not make her just another “bitch.” That you still find Bullock’s character likable through the rough exterior and bravado is an accomplishment worthy of being lauded.

However, Bullock does not do it alone, as her supporting cast was an extremely strong mix of talented young actors and seasoned pros willing to be in the background. Quinton Aaron as Michael, the boy taken in by the Tuohy family, is a tremendous find, an immediately endearing and sympathetic giant who does wonders just with how he chooses to carry his physique. Tim McGraw does a nice job of tethering Bullock’s Leigh Anne as her supportive and grounded husband Sean. Jae Head is also quite a scene-stealer as little SJ, the Tuohys’ young son, playing agent for his new “big brother” when college football scouts come calling. The only person I was a bit let down by was Kathy Bates, whose liberal tutor fell kind of flat, but that could also be simply because I expect so much from her (and her character did still provide McGraw with the opening for his great “Who’d have thought we’d have a black son before we knew a democrat” one-liner).

The Blind Side is a fun movie about issues that aren’t so fun with a good cast that seems to enjoy what they’re doing; I doubt it will change the world, but I don’t think it sets out to.

Paragraph Movie Reviews: Julie & Julia

If you don't have plans to see this movie, you can check the spoilers here and then come back.

I watched this movie pretty much only to see if I should pick Meryl Streep in my Oscar pool but ended up walking away with quite an enjoyable experience. To get to the heart of the matter right away, yes, Streep is suitably brilliant as usual and even with the incredible body of work she has, this ranks as one of my favorite roles I've ever seen her play. I'm not familiar with the actual Julia Child in the least, but the energy, charisma and fun Streep pours into her version had me breaking into grins and fullblown giggles every other minute; she has a good time portraying a woman having a good time and thus, surprise surprise, I had a good time watching. A boatload of credit however should also go to Stanley Tucci, who plays her husband and has an ease of chemistry with Streep that was a joy to watch and completely sold you on one of (if not) the pivotal relationships of the film. Tucci is a wonderfully grounding presence quite different from Streep's exuberant Julia, but you never doubt for a moment that they share a deep and powerful love, clearly relishing the opportunity to play opposite one another. It just makes you happy to see a couple not in their 20's lighting up the screen with passion and support for one another. Jane Lynch is marvelous in a quick turn as Julia's sister while Linda Emond is a lot of fun as her French collaborator. However, it's almost a disadvantage for the movie that Streep and company bring their world to such luscious life, as that's only half the film and makes the modern(ish) day where Amy Adams as manic blogger Julie mostly stuff you want to fast forward through to get back to Julia. I have to give Adams a lot of credit in that she isn't given much to work with playing what I'm guessing is at least a fairly exaggerated version of Julie Powell who is for the most part petty, petulant and unlikable with pretty blah dialogue and plot that just feels small next to Julia's grand arc, but you can really see her doing her damndest to make it work and a couple of times her charm is enough, but mostly it's not. I enjoyed Chris Messina a good deal as her patient husband, but again, he pales in comparison to Tucci. Mary Lynn Rajskub and the rest of Julie's supporting cast are non-factors, cliches or both. However, both eras did a fantastic job of portraying the art of cooking as being vibrant and rich, as well as make me very hungry. Julie & Julia is one really good movie and one decent movie mashed together where the end result is fun, but runs perhaps a bit too long and makes you wait too long between courses; great comfort food though.

Paragraph (Plus) Movie Reviews: The Hurt Locker

If you don't have plans to see this movie, you can check the spoilers here and then come back.

Generally I don't go in for war movies sent in the present or recent past, admittedly in large part because I don't feel particularly well-versed in the political subtext accompanying them, so I wasn't sure The Hurt Locker would be anywhere near my wheelhouse; but, not only does the film veer more or less clear of politics, it also succeeds in engaging the full and rapt attention of somebody who doesn't typically have an overwhelming interest in the subject matter simply (that somebody being me). It's a bit of a tough piece to for me to review, however, in the sense that it doesn't have the typical overarching plot or objectives I'm accustomed to (there's no real goal being worked towards outside of "Will they survive to the end of the 130 minutes?"); really, it felt more like a documentary than anything else, and I believe that's a credit, as I have to figure that's what they were going for. This was not a showcase for acting (it's not tossed aside completely, but I also feel it's not particularly flashy because that's not what's being done here), but rather for process, and I found myself appreciating that far more than I'm accustomed to. To that end, I understand and agree wholeheartedly with the praise for Kathryn Bigelow for her directing work as, again, this was an instance where I actually noticed things like camerawork and placement of set and was rivetted by that in the place of over-the-top characters and performances. The use of silence, slow motion shots, shaky cams, lighting, etc. put me totally in the moment as I was utterly engaged in the dangerous situations the characters were placed in even if I found them disposable in large part; Bigelow creates a world and moments that bleed intensity not on the back of your personal attachment to the people inhabiting it/them, but just because, and that feels so much more weighty. The scene that stood out most for me as an example of the film's quality was the face-off in the desert where Bigelow and company demonstrate that a tense lack of noise and quick flurries of discardable violence can be far more effective than explosions and gore in bringing to life the horror of war (I say as somebody who has obviously never experienced it first hand).

Though I said and stand by this not being an actors showcase, that's not to say the leads don't make the most of what they are given and in large part transcend just being believable as soldiers to create memorable performances. Jeremy Renner's charisma and intensity as Will James bring the character above being the stereotypical wild card and make him a fascinating enigma; his turn is extremely powerful, his physical nuances perfect, and he creates a very nice center for his supporting cast, most notably Anthony Mackie and Brian Geraghty, to revolve around.

The movie is certainly not without its flaws, as for as invested I got in the technical aspects of the work being done I never quite got over feeling over my head in terms of understanding it. Also, while the stakes in the moment certainly feel tremendous, as noted I felt no real sense of investment in any of the characters, which was certainly a negative at moments when their survival was supposed to be driving my interest in the film.

But the downside of The Hurt Locker is outweighed by the visual brilliance and technical excellence complimented by one damn fine star turn by its lead actor. For a movie I'm still not quite sure was for me, I enjoyed it a helluva lot.

For a more thorough and thoughtful review of this film, I recommend Sean's.

Paragraph (Plus) Movie Reviews: Inglorious Basterds

If you don't have plans to see this movie, you can check the spoilers here and then come back.

As many good reviews as I had heard of Inglorious Basterds before sitting down to watch it, I still wondered if there were too many factors working against it at least in the battle for my enjoyment. At over two and a half hours, would it be too long? Would the majority of the lines being spoken in French or German with English subtitles be a drag? Would the violence be too much? Not only did the movie overcome each of these potential pratfalls, I daresay it actually used each to its advantage on its way to standing out as one of he honest to gosh best films I've seen in quite awhile. I didn't notice the length because I was enjoying myself so much, the language switches allowed some actors to work greater levels of depth into their characters and the violence was used in such a way that it both conveyed importance and was just a nice adrenaline kick never used just for its own sake. I've always somewhat ambivalent or at least only quietly enthusiastic about Quentin Tarantino's work as a filmmaker, but with this piece I totally *got* why folks place him a level above. From the eclectic music choices (I love in particular Bowie's "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" as pump-up jam) to the constant movement of the camera angle and flourishes such as the title chapter cards, it's a smash job from the directorial end while the screenplay skillfully threaded a huge cast and disparate plot threads into a killer tapestry of kick ass. There was nary a scene not dripping with tension where I didn't cringe every time a character reached in their pocket or picked up a pen for fear of what was coming next, and yet at the same time the whole thing was just tremendous fun.

Christoph Waltz as the antagonistic Hans Landa is the talk of awards season for his breakout performance, and it's well-earned from scene one. Waltz more than anybody utilizes the rotation of languages I referred to earlier as he speaks four throughout the film (German, French, English and Italian) and utilizes each shift to completely alter his demeanor, effectively becoming a new character literally with each sentence. He is charming in the smarmiest of ways, terrifying in his unshakeable efficiency, and an absolute creep who you want to see get his but fear will get away with it all because he's that damn good--it's a tour de force. I was actually a bit concerned going in that Brad Pitt was just going to coast on the novelty of his name and a funny accent, but damn, the man knows exactly which buttons to push and really does bring every dramatic tool available to the table as he inhabits his Nazi-hating Aldo Raine. Pitt is a pleasure to watch at work and made me want to cheer; he really is one of the best of this generation and it's not said enough. Aside from the dueling leads, I thought Melanie Laurent was especially brilliant as the sole surviving Jewish victim of one of Landa's massacres, pulling off tortured, irritated and dangerously sexy all in one. Michael Fassbender is also a treat as a smooth-talking and smarmy Brit who gets not nearly enough screentime. Eli Roth, Diane Kruger and the rest of the ensemble were all good, but more in an "as advertised" kind of way (Roth has some great moments though).

At the end of the day though, it's really Tarantino's ball and he runs it straight into the endzone (though he credits the film being able to succeed at all in large part to Waltz, and I can totally see that, as the character is crucial and not many actors, even good ones, could have pulled it off like he did). If I was down on the movie about anything, it's that I did want to see more of the Basterds in action, building their legend, but I suppose that's something of a backhanded compliment as it just means I would have gladly watched another hour.

Paragraph Movie Reviews: Precious

If you don't have plans to see this movie, you can check the spoilers here and then come back.

I did something I hate to do with this movie, and that's that I went in with certain expectations based on reviews and hype; as a result, I spent way too much of my time trying to see how much the finished product measured up to the advance billing as opposed to evaluating on its own merit. Trying to put that aside as best I can, it was a very impressive film, but somewhat uneven for my liking, as the good parts were really good but there were stretches of flat filler far too often. Initially, the best scenes comes out in Precious' home life, whereas the stuff going on at school feels like typical "poor kid boosted up by inspirational teacher" junk that was played out in "Dangerous Minds." As the plot moves ahead, the folks behind the scenes seem to find balance as the stuff outside of Precious and her mom's apartment rises up and becomes more compelling, but there are still some off beats and awkward transitions. One thing that was certainly not overhyped were the performances of the principal actors, as both Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique were absolutely incredible. I don't know much about Sidibe's personal background, but the degree to which she inhabits Precious is beyond impressive, as nothing from the biggest emotion to the smallest mannerism feels at all manufactured; Sidibe's full commitment and transformation gives us a remarkable and unique character right down to the way she moves and speaks. I wasn't a huge fan of some of the fantasy sequences director Lee Daniels seemed keen to drop in more than I felt was needed, but Sidibe's enthusiasm made them move from irritant to guilty pleasure more than once. On the other side of the movie's main dynamic, Mo'Nique is shocking as the abusive mother, delivering a consistent intensity that she is able to manipulate beautifully and make terrifying by using her humor to lull you into a false sense of peace and then jolt you with her most heinous actions; Mo'Nique's final scene is basically what should be listed in the dictionary under "Oscar Clip" (with all due respect to Wayne Campbell). Aside from the entertaining ensemble portraying Precious' classmates, however, most of the supporting cast let me down. As the teacher out to "save" Precious, Paula Patton hams it up and overracts in a way that does her young castmates a grave disservice. Mariah Carey got a lot of praise from reviewers for her turn as a social worker, and she's not bad, but I feel like she's being lauded for a mediocre job just because the potential for disaster was high. Lenny Kravitz is fine as a male nurse, but he's in the movie for five minutes. Despite this and despite the other faults I found, there is so much to celebrate in the performances of Sidibe and Mo'Nique as well as the overall raw emotion in this movie and the shock you feel in its most intense scenes that the less-than-impressive aspects melt away until you really think about them.

2009 Primetime Emmy Picks

Hey! The nominees for the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards were announced today! The show's gonna be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris! It's gonna rock!

Quick and dirty, here are my picks (in bold) and Megan's picks (in italics) for the big categories plus a few thoughts from yours truly (and my fiancee)...

Drama Series
* Big Love
* Breaking Bad
* Damages
* Dexter
* House
* Lost
* Mad Men
(My favorite shows on the list are Big Love and Lost, and I've never actually seen Mad Men, but I've heard too much hype about this season in particular not to pick it to repeat from last year--Ditto)

Comedy Series
* Entourage
* Family Guy
* Flight of the Conchords
* How I Met Your Mother
* The Office
* 30 Rock
* Weeds
(Very cool to see HIMYM and particularly Family Guy on there, but c'mon, 30 Rock is unstoppable and last season may have been the best yet. Entourage does not belong on there--no contest, 30 Rock)

Lead Actor, Comedy
* Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
* Jemaine Clement, Flight of the Conchords
* Tony Shalhoub, Monk
* Steve Carell, The Office
* Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
* Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men
(Good for Jim Parsons getting a nod there, but again, Alec Baldwin had a phenomenal year--Charlie Sheen is a coke addict; I pick Jack Donaghy)

Lead Actor, Drama
* Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
* Michael C. Hall, Dexter
* Hugh Laurie, House
* Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
* Jon Hamm, Mad Men
* Simon Baker, The Mentalist
(Man, I suck, I don't watch any of these shows; last year's winner it is!--I heard Gabriel Byrne is amazing and want to watch In Treatment, but the DVD of season one isn't out until October and I want to start from the beginning; why is season two over but season one isn't out yet? So strange...)

Lead Actress, Comedy
* Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
* Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
* Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program
* Tina Fey, 30 Rock
* Toni Collette, United States of Tara
* Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds
(Hmm...30 Rock's awesomeness actually makes doing this kinda boring...--I'm not even going to listen to the nominees...TINA FEY)

Lead Actress, Drama
* Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
* Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
* Glenn Close, Damages
* Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
* Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
* Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
(I'm actually pretty sure the chick from Mad Men will win, but I can't bring myself to pick against Gidget--hmm...I'm going to go with Kyra Sedgwick even though I love Sally Field...I don't even really care)

Supporting Actor, Drama
* William Shatner, Boston Legal
* Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal
* Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
* William Hurt, Damages
* Michael Emerson, Lost
* John Slattery, Mad Men
(Ben deserves this one like crazy; if Shatner wins, I hope he gives him the Jacob treatment...ok, not really--again, don't really care, but I like John Slattery)

Supporting Actress, Drama
* Rose Byrne, Damages
* Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy
* Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy
* Dianne Wiest, In Treatment
* Hope Davis, In Treatment
* Cherry Jones, 24
(Hope that movie career works out for you, Katherine Heigl...I really have no idea who to pick here, so I'll go with somebody from a show that didn't get nominated for anything else--mmm, tis is hard, because I heard Dianne Wiest is amazing but I love Chandra Wilson and want her to win eventually...I can't pick)

Supporting Actor, Comedy
* Kevin Dillon, Entourage
* Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
* Rainn Wilson, The Office
* Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock
* Jack McBrayer, 30 Rock
* Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
(Now here's the true horse race of the evening with six really solid nominees and no Jeremy Piven to snatch the award...pulling for NPH!--I'm going to go with Neil Patrick Harris because I want to be friends with him, though I do think it would be really awesome to see Jack McBrayer win)

Supporting Actress, Comedy
* Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies
* Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
* Kristin Wiig, Saturday Night Live
* Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
* Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty
* Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
(1. They spelled Kristen Wiig's first name wrong, 2. I didn't even know they could nominate people from SNL, 3. It's a tough pick between Jane Krakowski and Kristin Chenoweth, but Pushing Daisies deserves the sendoff--I'm gonna do it: Kristin Chenoweth!)

And Justin Timberlake for Guest Actor, Comedy Series! Boom!

16 Thoughts on the MTV Movie Awards

I wasn't actually planning on watching the MTV Movie Awards this year, but I was waiting for Megan to finish reading a chapter in her nutrition textbook and figured Andy Samberg's opening bit would probably be funny, so I tuned in. Said bit was funny, so I kept watching until Megan finished so she could see and then she was like, "Let's just keep watching, there's nothing else on."

And so we did.

1. Andy Samberg was a hilarious, excellent host. Why? Many reasons, but interestingly enough, I'd say he and Hugh Jackman have something in common: They enjoy their gigs. Jackman had a good time at the Oscars and Samberg seemed to have a good time doing this; it didn't seem like it was a job for him. Also, this show was so much about young Hollywood, most of whom take themselves a bit too seriously sometimes, and he seemed to have a good knack for giving them shit for that without coming off as a total dick. It made the awkward moments seem a little more funny-awkward as opposed to uncomfortable-awkward.

2. I almost called this "1a." since it feeds pretty directly off the end of my last thought, but then I remembered "2." comes after "1." Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but I could really see the divide between the older and younger segments of Hollywood on this show, and it made for some weirdness. It really felt like a bunch of funny adults trying to put on a good show with neat skits and whatnot and then kinda getting embarassed when these kids were coming up on stage every two seconds and acting like, y'know, kids. When Miley Cyrus won her award and ended her acceptance speech by giving a shout-out to Samberg's "I'm on a Boat" and they cut back to him looking really uncomfortable, I felt like I was watching nine-year-old me trying to convince my teenage cousins I was cool (I was very much like Miley Cyrus at nine). I alternated between feeling bad for Anna Faris for having to give the girl from High School Musical an award to feeling bad for Zac Efron because everybody made fun of him. There's probably a longer rant here, but I don't really feel like going any further with it right now.

3. Yeah, Twilight kinda ruined the show a bit. I'm not saying this from the perspective of somebody who hated the movie, because I never saw it, but it kinda kills the fun of an awards show when you know the same movie is gonna keep moving, particularly when the stars of said movie seem to hate accepting awards. Say what you will about the High School Musical kids (and I'm not sure what you would say), but they at least seem happy to be acknowledged; I hate to say shit like this, because I always come down on other people for juding celebrities only by viewing them through the public eye, but the Twilight kids always seem so miserable to be promoting their multi-million dollar movie that has made them stars. Megan did note that while Robert Pattinson just seems kinda endlessly smug and trying to seem too cool for school, she couldn't tell if Kristen Stewart is the same or just really shy; as I said when I reviewed it, I liked her in Adventureland, so I hope it's the latter (and speaking of that movie, it was kinda neat to see her get her Best Kiss award from Ryan Reynolds, though they seemed strangely uncomfortable with one another...or maybe they're just really method).

4. Back to Samberg, he seriously stole a half dozen lines/jokes/facial expressions from Rickey. My boy doesn't have cable, so he couldn't see, but he's gonna watch it on YouTube this week and be either flattered or litigious.

5. Man, I don't wanna be that guy...but Megan Fox looked really rough. I didn't know that was possible. Maybe she was trying to prove a point?

6. I don't even know what to say about the Bruno/Eminem thing. I think it was legit. Sacha Baron Cohen is lucky he didn't get his ass seriously beat. There is some strange irony in that a decade ago Eminem was the one making celebrities uncomfortable and now he was on the receiving end, but I hope this doesn't sour him on promoting his comeback.

7. The Samberg/Will Ferrell/J.J. Abrams (what?) short about tough guys walking away from explosions was classic. I think Will Ferrell has turned a new corner on his career after that early phase where he was really funny and then middle phase where he was overexposed and playing the same part over and over to being funny again; this pleases me.

8. Leann Rhimes, Chris Isaak and Forest Whitaker doing Lonely Island songs was funny, but I was hoping it would just be a build to LI actually performing...which it was not.

9. Amy Poehler and Hayden Panitierre (I'm not spellchecking that shit) essentially did the same bit about profanity, but despite Poehler going second and having half the time, I'm sure you can guess who was funnier.

10. Leighton Meester: young Hollywood's best hope.

11. I have no idea why, but the werewolf kid from Twilight, him I like; I'd shoot hoops with him.

12. Oh man, that Ben Stiller thing was hysterical. Efron gave a big f-you to being shit on all night by being funny, Triumph was great, and Kiefer Sutherland totally earned kudos from me by not taking himself seriously at all. Ripping off the Oscar presentation model was a stroke of genius.

13. Not only did Kate Winslet lose in an acting category, Anne Hathaway was nominated in the same category...for Bride Wars. The MTV Movie Awards, gang.

14. I'm pretty sure Jim Carrey did not deserve to win anything for Yes Man, but it was worth it to set up the voiceover gag. Also, I could totally see in Carrey's demeanor that he was thinking, "I was winning these things 15 years ago, then I tried to be a serious actor, and here I am again...fuck it."

15. So why couldn't they give an award to Heath Ledger during the show?

16. I would say it was an atrocity for Denzel Washington have to present a Best Movie award to Twilight, but I won't. You know why? Because Denzel Washington is incapable of doing anything without instantly bringing dignity and credibility to it. (And also it was sweet that he seemed to be there for his daughter)


That is all.

Why the Oscars were GOOD this year

I've always been a big fan of the Oscars (in no small part due to the heated Oscar pool I've participated in for the last seven years), but it's been tough to defend the ceremony itself the last several years because they've been so dreadfully dull. This year, the folks in charge of the Academy Awards (including Marvel board member and my main man Sid Ganis!) chose to make a change and hired the producing duo of Bill Condon and Laurence Mark to shake things up.

After four hours of chuckling, applauding and wiping a tear or two, I deem this "new era" for the Oscars a budding success. Here are a few reasons why:

Hugh Jackman
There were more than a few raised eyebrows when Condon and Mark tapped Mr. Jackman to host as opposed to the traditional snarky stand-up type, but it was a gamble that paid off in giving the show a different feel from the word go. Hugh's raw enthusiasm and charm in his quirky opening musical number was a nice change of pace from the usual "insult a bunch of people in the front row" humor of past years (hey, I laughed plenty at those monologues, but it's nice to see professionals appreciate one another as well). For past hosts, it really felt like they were just there picking up a handsome paycheck, but Jackman seemed genuinely thrilled and wide-eyed to be there. And hey, it sure doesn't hurt to have a Broadway-tested and award-wining singer on hand to kill some dead air belting showtunes as opposed to talking politics.

Quality Montages
Typically a glut of montages are what kills the Academy Awards, but this year, the visual tributes were creative and entertaining. I loved that they did the genre-specific highlight reels of 2008 and weren't stingy about including movies that were nowhere near sniffing distance of the Oscars but that people loved all the same. Who would have ever thought we'd see multiple clips from Rambo and Forgetting Sarah Marshall at the Oscars? The Best Picture montage splicing in thematically similar past winners with this year's nominees was both clever and well-executed.

Musical Mashups
Having Hugh Jackman and Beyonce duet on an ode to musicals-made-movies is a neat enough idea, but throwing in the High School Musical kids and some of the younger cast from Mama Mia gave the number an extra flare and yet another chance to acknowledge movies that wouldn't have been mentioned otherwise. Also, running the Best Song nominees in a free-flowing medley saved time, but having the Indian music of Slumdog Millionaire overlap with the Peter Gabriel jam from WALL-E created a unique and lovely musical moment.

Hiring/Utilizing Talented People
They could have gotten anybody to compose the aforementioned Jackman/Beyonce/jailbait song and dance-fest, but they got Baz Luhrman, which was pretty cool. Spicing up not-so-exciting categories like the Screenplay awards by having Tina Fey and Steve Martin riff off one another or letting Will Smith have fun with the Sound and Effects categories were a welcome departure from the "let's just bulldoze through these" mentality that grinded past shows to a halt. And of course I can't not love them letting Judd Apatow create a Pineapple Express mini-movie and plopping it in the middle of the show. Seeing James Franco and Seth Rogen crack up at The Reader or Franco watching himself make out with Sean Penn in Milk and then putting his arm around Rogen--classic.

The Acting Awards Presentations
Far and away the most dramatic change from past years but also without question the most impressive addition to this year's show was having the quintets of past recipients in the four Acting categories deliver speeches about each of this year's nominees rather than somebody just reading their names off a sheet of paper. For one thing, just seeing the likes of Robert De Niro, Sophia Loren, Christopher Walken, Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Kline, Shirley Maclaine, Anthony Hopkins, Halle Berry, Ben Kingsley, etc etc. up there again is a treat. What I really liked though is the feeling that every nominee, win or lose, got to at least be acknowledged by a respected peer. It was like watching a group of graduate students be acknowledged by their favorite professors. The process created 20 (give or take a couple duds) personal and emotional moments that you felt lucky to be a part of. And Cuba Cooding Jr. giving Robert Downey Jr. shit for "taking parts away from black actors" made me laugh.

The Little Things
Queen Latifah singing "I'll Be Seeing You" over the In Memoriam tribute as opposed to pre-recorded music being played. Tina Fey being allowed to make a scientology joke. Ben Stiller taking potshots at Joaquin Phoenix. Heath Ledger's family getting to be the ones who accepted his award. The preview of 2009 movies at the end. The traditional accountants info being read over the credits as opposed to during the show. Touches like these just made a good show that much better.

Of course, it wasn't perfect. There were lots of technical glitches. The choice to keep switching camera shots during the In Memoriam tribute was distracting. The "telling the story of a movie being made" throughline didn't really work. But hey, give me a fun show that's rough around the edges over a technically flawless but unentertaining one any year.

Looking forward to 2010.

Awards Season: Picking the Golden Globes

Earlier this week, the nominations for the 2009 Golden Globes were announced. To use a food analogy, the Golden Globes are like the appetizer platter of award season. To use a baseball analogy, they're like the Chicago Cubs. Mixing those metaphors is a polite way to say that the Golden Globes are a delightful sampling of what's to come, but in the end they're not that crucial.

The good news is that despite not having gotten to actually most of the nominated films I want to yet (limited release and Saddle Brook, New Jersey do not make good bedfellows), I can make my Golden Globes picks based on irrationality and whims to get it out of my system before Oscars time!

The stuff I want to win in italics (if I care yet) and the stuff I think will win in bold (if they're one and the same, bold italics baby!)

(And let me say again: I seriously have little to no idea what I'm talking about in a lot of these categories. I will in a few months, but not yet. And I'm skipping foreign language stuff, songs, TV mini-series and anything else I have not only no idea about but no interest in)

BEST PICTURE - DRAMA
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"The Reader"
"Revolutionary Road"
"Slumdog Millionaire"
(Haven't seen any of these yet, but hope to see all except maybe "The Reader" soon enough. If I were to pick a sentimental favorite just based on what I've read, it would be "Slumdog Millionaire")

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire")
Stephen Daldry ("The Reader")
David Fincher ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
Ron Howard ("Frost/Nixon")
Sam Mendes ("Revolutionary Road")

BEST ACTOR - DRAMA
Leonardo DiCaprio ("Revolutionary Road")
Frank Langella ("Frost/Nixon")
Sean Penn ("Milk")
Brad Pitt ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler")
(There is no movie I'm more excited about to see in the coming weeks than "The Wrestler." I feel like Penn and Langella both have a shot here, but the sheer force of Rourke seems nigh unstoppable)

BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA
Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married")
Angelina Jolie ("The Changeling")
Meryl Streep ("Doubt")
Kristin Scott Thomas ("I've Loved You So Long")
Kate Winslet ("Revolutionary Road")
(I'm rooting for Hathaway based on her SNL hosting--is that wrong?)

BEST PICTURE - MUSICAL/COMEDY
"Burn After Reading"
"Happy Go Lucky"
"In Bruges"
"Mamma Mia"
"Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
(Man, I really did not enjoy "Burn After Reading" and from the previews "In Bruges" looked awful. What happened here?)

BEST ACTOR - MUSICAL/COMEDY
Javier Bardem ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona")
Colin Farrell ("In Bruges")
James Franco ("Pineapple Express")
Brendan Gleeson ("In Bruges")
Dustin Hoffman ("Last Chance Harvey")
(Haven't seen "Pineapple Express," so didn't feel right giving Franco a vote, even though I kinda wanted to)

BEST ACTRESS - MUSICAL/COMEDY
Rebecca Hall ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona")
Sally Hawkins ("Happy Go Lucky")
Frances McDormand ("Burn After Reading")
Meryl Streep ("Mamma Mia")
Emma Thompson ("Last Chance Harvey")
(I liked "Mamma Mia" well enough, but not one actor in it was award-winning good. McDormand was the best thing about "Burn After Reading," but that's not saying much)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Tom Cruise ("Tropic Thunder")
Robert Downey Jr. ("Tropic Thunder")
Ralph Fiennes ("The Duchess")
Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Doubt")
Heath Ledger ("The Dark Knight")
(Yeah, like the rest of the geek world, I want Ledger to win...but Downey was soooooo good)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams ("Doubt")
Penelope Cruz ("Vicky Cristina Barcelona")
Viola Davis ("Doubt")
Marisa Tomei ("The Wrestler")
Kate Winslet ("The Reader")

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"Bolt"
"Kung Fu Panda"
"WALL-E"
(All my friends say "WALL-E" was good)

BEST SCREENPLAY
Simon Beaufoy ("Slumdog Millionaire")
David Hare ("The Reader")
Peter Morgan ("Frost/Nixon")
Eric Roth ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
John Patrick Shanley ("Doubt")

BEST TELEVISION DRAMA
"Dexter"
"House"
"In Treatment"
"Mad Men"
"True Blood"
(Again, friends)

BEST ACTOR - TELEVISION DRAMA
Gabriel Byrne ("In Treatment")
Michael C. Hall ("Dexter")
Jon Hamm ("Mad Men")
Hugh Laurie ("House")
Jonathan Rhys Meyers ("The Tudors")

BEST ACTRESS - TELEVISION DRAMA
Sally Field ("Brothers & Sisters")
Mariska Hargitay ("Law and Order: Special Victims Unit")
January Jones ("Mad Men")
Anna Paquin ("True Blood")
Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer")
(Sally Field should win this every year until she feels like retiring. I sound like a 40-year old gay man)

BEST TELEVISION MUSICAL/COMEDY
"30 Rock"
"Californication"
"Entourage"
"The Office"
"Weeds"

BEST ACTOR - TELEVISION/COMEDY
Alec Baldwin ("30 Rock")
Steve Carell ("The Office")
Kevin Connolly ("Entourage")
David Duchovny ("Californication")
Tony Shalhoub ("The Monk")

BEST ACTRESS - TELEVISION/COMEDY
Christina Applegate ("Samantha Who?")
America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty")
Tina Fey ("30 Rock")
Debra Messing ("The Starter Wife")
Mary Louise Parker ("Weeds")

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - TELEVISION
Neil Patrick Harris ("How I Met Your Mother")
Denis Leary ("Recount")
Jeremy Piven ("Entourage")
Blair Underwood ("In Treatment")
Tom Wilkinson ("John Adams")

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - TELEVISION
Eileen Atkins ("Cranford")
Laura Dern ("Recount")
Melissa George ("In Treatment")
Rachel Griffiths ("Brothers & Sisters")
Dianne Wiest ("In Treatment")