Now Playing: Up In The Air

The light, I can see it beckoning. Movie 9 of 10: Up In the Air. Okay, so I love Jason Reitman. I thought both Juno and Thank You For Smoking were just great film-making. I've also read a couple of interviews and he seems like a pretty cool guy. So, regardless of what list he makes it on, I knew I was going to watch his latest offering. ...and then I saw his main male lead. George Clooney? Really? Making a little indie-esque Reitman flick? I was disappointed, to say the least. I mean, let's get it all out there: I don't like George Clooney and I've made no secret of it. I wasn't hoping for much: just don't distract me while I try to enjoy myself here, George, and we're kosher.

You know what? He was alright. Yes, I too feel like it got a little chilly in Hell, but that's not the point. Clooney was able to check his ego at the door and, somehow, Reitman was able to bring out some warmth and charm that wasn't, somehow, covered in smarm. That scene at Alex's door? I had no idea he was capable of getting his heart broken or even acting like it could, yet... there it was. No wonder he's caught some attention.

Honestly, the movie was great. It had enough trademark clever scripting and cutting wit to keep me entertained; it had some fantastic cameo-acting; it even tugged at heartstrings in that unusual way that Reitman does. Why doesn't he make more movies? I loved it. 4 out of 5 stars.

Now Playing: The Descendants / Chronicle

I am not doing very well in my pursuit to watch all nine nominations…

We were supposed to see War Horse and The Artist; then I chickened out due to impending snow and we went closer to home instead catching The Descendants and Chronicle.

Now Playing: The American

A slow time at the box office resulted in a weekday viewing of The American, George Clooney's latest foray into serious cinema. Look, my feelings on George are widely known.  It's only because I had a dream one night - true story! - that I now don't despise him.  (In fact, Jadek has taken to calling him my ex.)  Two years ago, I witnessed him in a movie wherein which he didn't make me want to roll my eyes every two minutes, and thus we have grown past my immature hatred and have simply decided never to speak of his brush with the cowl again.

On to The American. It's short.  I mean, really short.  It had so much plot stuffed into less than two hours, I was really surprised.  It felt a lot like watching a short story: you begin in media res, no background to the characters, no last names, three minutes in -- DEATH! (wow, what a great trailer).  I'm still not really sure what Jack/Edward does (is he an engineer?  a spy?  an assassin?) or what his real name is or even if he ever meant a word of what he said to Clara.  Buh.  But a good buh.  And not an action flick either - only one chase I can remember and one (kinda) fight scene.  Yeah, there's guns, but mostly they're not important.  Mostly.

The other really notable thing was the suspense - holy Aunt Jemima!  I haven't  been this tense since The Ring and there was nothing horrific about this movie at all.  The scripting is really sparse, the scenery is really idyllic, the streets are deeply organic and the acting is done mostly with the body than with the lines.  All in all, a very lean movie.  And therein lies its surprising allure.  Who's the bad guy?  Who's the good guy?  Is that an innocent bystander that just got shot or a potential enemy?  All these questions and so few tantalising answers! 

It was really good.  If you're baulking at paying full price for a movie ticket for 105 minutes, I understand.  A rental will not diminish this movie's impact, but I feel like we need to support art-ish films more.  4 out of 5 stars.

Now Playing: Ides of March

In order to avoid being stuck at home with a bunch of drunk old people, LilBro, Jadek and I took shelter at a local movie theatre and watched The Ides of March.   I didn't really know what the expect from this movie, since I had only watched one trailer.  But, given my newly buried hatchet with Mr. Clooney and the alternative of group singing "Take the Ribbon from your Hair", I thought "what the heck!"

Now Playing: Gravity

(Third of three very short catch-up reviews.  Which isn’t really fair, because this is a movie I could talk about.  A lot.)

I'm going to admit this: I wasn't sold on Gravity via its trailers.  Every trailer seemed to be advertising a different movie.  But I was intrigued by the effects and the theme of Lost in Space, so I was in.


Is it Drama, SciFi, Action, Thriller, Mainstream/Indie, or just an experiment in cool special effects tricks...  turns out?  All of the above.  Sandra Bullock – honestly, is there anything this woman can’t act?  Even in really bad movies, she comes out on top.  And this is not a really bad movie.  In fact, it’s a really really good movie.  With a cast of only FIVE people, the script relies on you, the audience, being able to get up close and personal with Bullock (and to some extent, former-nemesis and newfound love, George Clooney) without being completely turned off by them.  So close, that any cracks in their acting would show up in spotlights… but none did.

And the effects? Holy heck – they were so real, I actually forgot they weren’t shooting in space.  Which is, you know, impossible.  That last scene?  Stellar.  Go watch it.  Take your parents.  You’ll all enjoy it.  4.5 out of 5 stars.

Edit: this is awesome -
http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/news/check-out-aningaaq-the-beautiful-7-minute-gravity-spin-off-by-jonas-cuaron 

Golden Globes Wrapup

I gotta say, I didn't even bother to be home while the GG's aired. I was watching There Will Be Blood one city over. But, I couldn't let the results slide by without comment, could I? So, below is the list of winners, with my pick and the actual winner indicated. Of course, you'll see that I don't have an exhaustive list of nominees (I only commented on things I had a clue about) and I totally skipped TV (because, well, I don't watch much of it).

Best Motion Picture - Drama
American Gangster
Atonement
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
...The greatest disappointment of the night. Unlike all these other categories, I actually watched all 7 of these movies and I cannot believe Atonement won out. I had thought NC4OM had it locked up, with DDL's tour-de-force performance giving it a run for its money in Blood. Atonement had some amazing moments: Ronan, Redgrave and McAvoy; that Dunkirk tracking shot; the "twist" ending. But really? it didn't hold a candle to the stark brutality of the Coens' masterpiece.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Cate Blanchett – Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie – Away From Her
Jodie Foster – The Brave One
Angelina Jolie – A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley – Atonement
...I didn't catch Jolie's performance, but having watched the other four, Christie deservedly won this award. I watched Away From Her at the 2006 TIFF and her performance still stays with me. It is poignant and prickly. I recommend watching it over all others.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
George Clooney – Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis – There Will Be Blood
James McAvoy – Atonement
Viggo Mortensen – Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington – American Gangster
...This is a strong category, but DDL's performance was simply unmatched. He brought so much malevolence and determination to the role, I would be afraid for the voters if they didn't give it to him. As Plainview says: "there's a competition in [him]" - and the others must have heard.

Best Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy
Across The Universe
Charlie Wilson's War
Hairspray
Juno
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
... I wouldn't have commented on this as I only watched two of these movies, but one I did watch won and I thought it was subpar to the other one I watched. Sweeney Todd was a passable film, but Juno was more clever, more relevant and just more entertaining. This was unfortunate.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Amy Adams – Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky – Hairspray
Helena Bonham Carter – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Marion Cotillard – La Vie En Rose
Ellen Page – Juno
...Having watched 3/5 of these movies, i had thought Page would beat out Adams and Bonham Carter; I haven't watched Cotillard's performance, so I shall reserve judgement.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy
Johnny Depp – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Ryan Gosling – Lars and the Real Girl
Tom Hanks – Charlie Wilson's War
Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Savages
John C. Reilly – Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
... I knew he would win, because Depp was very good in th film (he can't sing himself out of a paper bag, but he can act).

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Cate Blanchett – I'm Not There
Julia Roberts – Charlie Wilson's War
Saoirse Ronan – Atonement
Amy Ryan – Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton
...Again, watched 3/5k, but not the winner. I think Swinton gave a fabulous performance and i had thought she was a lock for it; however, I know Blanchett can be phenomenal. Reserving judgement again.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Casey Affleck – The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem – No Country For Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Charlie Wilson's War
John Travolta – Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson – Michael Clayton
...no no no. No way. Casey Affleck not only made Brad Pitt look like a rank amateur in Jesse James, I think he acted circles around these guys. Don't get me wrong, Bardem was pretty damn stellar (and menacing in way that makes me scared to stand in front of doorknobs); but Affleck's performance was simply better. He was a bad guy and good guy, a coward and an opportunist, someone you found yourself hating to love but doing so anyway. A pity.

Best Foreign Language Film
4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days (Romania)
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (France, United States)
The Kite Runner (United States)
Lust, Caution (Taiwan)
Persepolis (France)
... I watched none of these. Rentals ahoy!

Best Director - Motion Picture
Tim Burton – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen – No Country For Old Men
Julian Schnabel – The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
Ridley Scott – American Gangster
Joe Wright – Atonement
...No. Way. The Coens just rocked the joint with NC4OM. I watched 4/5 (and again not the winner) and they were my runaway favourite. I feel cheated on their behalf. Schnabel will have to blow me away when I finally watch his film.

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Atonement
Charlie Wilson's War
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
Juno
No Country For Old Men
... Okay, so after all my praise for NC4OM, why pick Juno? It's simple really - NC4OM's strengths lie in its actors, cinematography and directing; its script is sparse and brittle, reflecting wonderfully the tone of the film. Juno's script, however, was genius: full of pithy one-liners, unique voices and goddamned good dialogue. It was heartwrenching and very very real (Bleaker's speech Juno being the meanest wife ever is classic - la la la). It could've been worse (going to Atonement, maybe), but still disappointing.

All in all I've re-learned one very important thing: awards shows hardly ever get it right. But i seem compelled to know what they think anyway. Now, for the Oscars.

Now Playing: Burn After Reading

I settled down for a comedy - I got a dark noir-ish macabre piece of theatre that actually had me laughing at fatalities and snickering at adultery. _________ and _________ using a simple machine known as a wedge? *giggle* _________ getting shot in the head? *LOL* Yeah, okay, let me back it up.

Plot: adultery and espionage in a modern age. It's true. That's what it's about. Enter Harry Pfarrer (Clooney, surprisingly non-irritating) who is married to Sandy (Marvel) but who is sleeping with Katie Cox (Swinton, her usual awesome self) who, in turn, is married to Osborne Cox (Malkovich, can anyone play angry like this man can?) who, himself, has just been fired from the CIA for an alleged drinking problem. He has decided to write a tell-all "mem-mwah", which ends up on a CD that Katie's lawyer's secretary loses at a gym and is picked by Linda Litzke (McDormand, fabulous) and her bff Chad Felheimer (Pitt in a great comic turn), who then decide to blackmail Osborne in order to cash in the secrets. Mayhem and hijinks ensue. ...Aaaaand that's the first 20 minutes. What follows is some of the funniest plot twists I've seen in a long time. J.K. Simmons has a wonderful dual-cameo as well.

I can't talk much more about the film without talking about its plot. And since I abhor spoilers, I won't go into that anymore. If you're looking for intelligent comedy (this is no Pineapple Express) and you're not offended by violence (hatchet to the head, anyone? anyone?) - check out Burn After Reading. 4 out of 5 stars.

Now Playing: Michael Clayton

New quest undertaken for the holidays: watch all 2007 Golden Globe best picture nominees (drama). To that end, today I watched Michael Clayton.

Full Disclosure: not a fan of George Clooney - I find his "trademark" swagger and smirk seem to bleed through every character he plays. I didn't like him on ER, but what really put me over the top was his horrible turn at Batman... Batman and Robin was a terrible movie, but he did nothing to alleviate that. I shall try to look past my own biases and judge the movie on its own merits.

Plot: storyline was okay, if lacking a little originality. There were some plot twists and turns, but nothing very memorable. It was the presentation of the story that made this movie stand out - the directing really made the script pop. It was an interesting setup. I did find the pacing a bit slow and there were several times i thought to myself "okay, get on with it."

The cast was superb. Tom Wilkinson makes playing crazy look easy: his portrayal of Eden's bipolar disorder was simply uncanny. But it was Tilda Swinton who stole the movie for me. She was fantastic: I found her portrayal of Crowder to be subtle and nuanced and full of layers, infusing the character with a depth that could have easily been overlooked (kudos to Gilroy for not letting it end up on the cutting room floor). From the practicing of interview questions to picking the right pair of stockings, Crowder's motivations for her actions become multi-faceted and, at times, almost sympathetic.

All in all: a well-earned 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Since the golden globe nominees were just announced I can't help but compare this movie to No Country for Old Men... pound for pound in the entertainment department? NC4OM wins hand down. My first reactions from Flixster:

No Country for Old Men: most. suspense. ever. Bardem has just raised the bar on badassery (how I hated and loved his character) and Brolin was the perfect foil. The Coens paced the film perfectly, relishing every frightened gasp and tense exchange; the choice to go without soundtrack was just brilliant (no ridiculous swells in music; no hokey harmonicas). As close to perfect as a movie is going to get this year. 5 out of 5 stars.

Eastern Promises: wow - that was good. that fight scene in the bath house was enough to .. well, if you've seen it, you know what it makes most people want to do. Very well done! so, why not 5 stars? Watts was a bit flat for me and I thought the end was a tad contrived. However, I can look past these minor annoyances and promise you a good time if you watch it! 4 out of 5 stars.