Young Adult

And, I'm back. I haven't really seen many movies lately and I decided to scrap my draft about the Oscars after it sat untouched for weeks.
 Frankly, the show was just like any other and Billy Crystal didn't help. I think the winners were deserving and the so called "losers" were films and actors that did not make the list of nominees anyway.
Luckily, there is a new year of movies ahead. I decided on an at-home screening last night after finding myself with nothing to do and a whole host of choices available at the press of a button. I went with Young Adult, the Diablo Cody/Jason Reitman project starring Charlize Theron as a teen fiction writer living in Minneapolis. Theron's character, Mavis Gary, grew up in a fictional small town of Mercury, Minnesota and decides it's time to go back to see if what she really needs in life is there -- namely her high school ex-boyfriend Buddy Slade.
The impetus for the visit is a birth announcement for Slade's daughter with his wife, who he also met at the Mercury high school. Mavis, meanwhile, is divorced and being hounded by her editor for more book chapters of a series with a dying readership.
In general, Young Adult is much less of a comedy that I thought it would be after learning the post-high school struggles of the main characters. The writing had enough wit, however, to keep the film from being totally depressing and the selected cast fit their roles well. Theron, a prom-queen type in high school, played the "beauty is only skin deep" persona with just the right mix of delusion and -- well -- a drinking problem.
The main cast is rounded out by Patton Oswalt as the nerdy guy from high school who was the victim of a hate crime and Patrick Wilson as Buddy Slade. All the characters, except for Mavis, still live in the fictional city of Mercury. Even though she doesn't live there, Mavis is part of the common thread of not having changed much since high school and she is especially still living with the scars of her teenage years.
I liked this film and was glad the dialogue wasn't quite as over the top as Juno -- also written by Diablo Cody. I know, I know it is a good movie and she deserves credit for a solid story, but something about the verbal interaction between the characters in Juno wasn't authentic. It is in Young Adult, however. My only complaint was that I was in the mood for a pick-me-up when I turned on Young Adult, and it is not that at all. However it is still a smart, well-written film that just about everyone can relate to. (When have you not been in a state where chugging Diet Coke first thing in the morning feels about right?)
If you need another suggestion of a title to watch at home, I highly recommend Roman Polanski's Carnage, due out on DVD March 20. Based on a play, Carnage is translated to the movie screen with a small set and cast -- Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly. The two couples' sons get into a fight at school and the adults decide to meet at the home of Penelope and Michael Longstreet (Foster and Reilly) to come up with a disciplinary solution. It soon turns out that the spat on the school playground is not the issue to be resolved, rather the intricacies of the two couples' psyche and personal problems. This type of movie could have been very boring or gone way over the top in an attempt to entertain audiences but, thankfully, it is neither of those things.
Instead Polanski and the cast deliver a glimpse into the life of four parents -- even on a fictional level -- that I couldn't look away from for a second. They also deliver a film that is close as possible to watching a play, highlighting the sense for viewers that you are peeking in on these couples' personal lives from outside -- much like Rear Window. So, there you have it. Go out and enjoy the nice weather this week and when the sun goes down watch one of these movies. It's good to be back!

Oscar nominated animated short films

Do you have a short attention span and want to cross some of the Oscar nominees off your list before the big show next weekend? I know I am not going to see all the best picture nominees, and frankly some of the titles are not of interest to me this year, but last night viewed a whole category of pictures in one sitting.

 The Lagoon theater in Minneapolis is currently showing all the nominated live action and animated short films. Stephanie Curtis from the MPR Cube Critics recommended the animated films over the live action and they were Jesse's top pick for our night out at the movies. I concurred with the choice, of course, and left the theater having loved every minute of it.
First off, here is the full list of the nominees:
1. Dimanche (Sunday) from Canada
2. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (USA)
3. La Luna (USA)
4. A Morning Stroll (UK)
5. Wild Life (Canada)

Of those, my top choice is A Morning Stroll about a chicken out and about on a stroll in three different eras of time and the experiences that materialize as a result. A Morning Stroll presented the most humor of the nominated films shown at the Lagoon, but also mixed in just enough subtlety to counter the laughs.

It was tough to pick a second favorite short film, but I've narrowed it down to Dimanche for its simplicity and unique animation technique. It's probable that The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore will take the cake at The Oscars. It actually wasn't my favorite but the imagery was, well, fantastic and fits the bill of what an animated film should do: take you away to a far away place where all that matters is your imagination.

Overall, all of the films did that through use of little dialogue to convey the story and plot. I think all of the films had an underlying meaning, but you don't have to go there if you don't want to. I suggest just taking in the art on the screen in front of you and not thinking too much about the life lessons that are likely there. I imagine the filmmakers did develop their projects from experiences in their own lives (think,

"art imitates life") but it's nice to be once removed from that and just appreciate what led to their brilliance and creativity from afar.

I definitely recommend checking out these five nominees at home, but there is an added bonus if you have a chance to see the series in the theater. In addition to the five top dogs, the screening included several other animated projects with the line-up that could snag a nomination if the Academy stretched the number allowed in the category. If the Best Picture subset can rise to 10, why can't their friends on the animated side join in with that level of competition?

As I mentally prepare to craft my full Oscar predictions by next week, I am glad to be able to make an educated guess about which cartoon creation should win.

Of course, there is always the question of which picture SHOULD win, and which one will. I personally think A Morning Stroll should take the prize, but there is no doubt The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore will.

(Similarly, think The Descendants vs. The Artist.)

The Artist

With all the buzz about The Artist before the Oscars, and its landslide wins at the Golden Globes, I had to do my due diligence and see it before the big award show is on. It's the clear predicted winner for the Oscars, but not my personal favorite this season. I also read The Help could be the biggest spoiler (to win?) among the top films and Melancholia should have been nominated. My personal pick is The Descendants, although I haven't seen all the nominees yet, but I can see now why The Artist cast and crew will likely be sent home with Mr. Oscar

As an homage to the silent film era, The Artist takes fans of it back to the glory days while drawing in a new audience from modern time. The film does so by slowly mixing a silent film with the style of talkies that evolved during the 1920s time frame it focuses on. At the center of the plot is George Valentin, a silent film actor who suddenly becomes washed up in the midst of talkies and the stardom of Peppy Miller, who started out as an extra.
The plot is simple and charming with the purpose to serve as a backdrop to the overall theme of the movie. As George struggles to find his place in the new world of film, and with being in existence all together, Peppy rises up in Hollywood. But she can't escape George and their connection while making silent films, and ultimately saves him.
George also has the help of his trusty sidekick, a Jack Russell Terrier named (in real life) Uggie. Sadly, I read today that he is retiring after his appearance at the Oscars with Billy Crystal.
In my mind, Uggie definitely stole at least part of the show in The Artist.
But I digress.
Overall, the film is effective in its mission and presents a strong use of sound and emotion to convey a story as well as a slice of history. So the question remains, do I recommend the film? There are certainly movies in theaters I wanted to see more and before The Artist, but it did take me by surprise. It's a film the viewer can get lost in and leave with a feeling of appreciation for a project with a lot of heart. Give it a try.

Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol

From what I've heard, the time of year is approaching when new releases worth seeing in the movie theater are few and far between. Surely all the Golden Globe winners (after Sunday) and soon-to-be Oscar nominated films will be in theaters for the time being, but if you're lucky enough to have seen all of those and made it to The Muppets, then what? I kind of can't believe I'm saying this, but check out Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol. We were going to see the new Sherlock Holmes but decided on Mission: Impossible instead due to mixed reviews of the Robert Downey Jr. flick.
Mission: Impossible definitely was not my top choice of what is in theaters now, but I actually found the movie entertaining for the full 2.5 hours.

That is really long for a big-budget popcorn movie, but I didn't even realize that much time had gone by until we left the theater.

For the record, I've always been indifferent about Tom Cruise as an actor and he really didn't make or break the movie for me. However I just might become a crazed fan of the Mission: Impossible franchise if rumors that Jeremy Renner's Ghost Protocol character, William Brandt, could be the next lead agent are true.
Renner plays an "analyst" in Ghost Protocol who turns out to be secret agent material alongside Cruise.
Cruise reportedly did his own stunts in the movie and whether that's the case or not I will say they were pretty fantastic if you're into that sort of thing. My partner in crime at this movie was literally on the edge of his seat during some scenes.
He and other viewers have director Brad Bird, of Pixar fame, and action giant J.J. Abrams as producer to thank for that and I suppose Cruise -- again if you're into that sort of thing.
I imagine for fans of Abrams' latest work in the action movie realm that a little known fact is he co-created one of the best shows ever to air on TV -- in my opinion -- Felicity. How he changed from a four-year series based on a college student following her high school crush to New York to projects where things blow up a lot is a mystery to me, but I digress. (To be clear, I am not criticizing Abrams because his IMDB resume does show a lot of street cred and smart choices, but Felicity is still my favorite project of his.)
Anyway, moving back to secret agents and million-dollar BMWs, I feel I don't even need to describe the plot of Mission: Impossible since I knew nothing about this installment before going to the theater. Basically Ethan Hunt returns to the secret agent game to prevent a nuclear weapon from destroying the world by using every gadget, fast car and fight move possible. Then, Ghost Protocol happens and agents in IMF are pinpointed as the bad guys and need to go undercover to accomplish their mission to save the world.
Again, Cruise was really just an afterthought in the movie for me but Renner and the tech guy for IMF Benji (Simon Pegg) turned out performances that gave Mission: Impossible just a little bit more substance and comic relief at times.
I also enjoyed that Renner's character was masked as the smart, quiet guy but he really could fight off the bad guys just as much as Ethan Hunt.
I would hope, if there is a No. 5 to Mission: Impossible, Renner stays on board and Bird and Abrams continue to be attached to the project. Bird mastered his first live action film very well with Mission: Impossible and frankly the franchise doesn't need yet another set of creators to put their spin on it. Abrams produced Mission: Impossible III and I think now that he and Bird found each other in Hollywood they should stick with the partnership.
We missed the trailers before the movie, but should you accept the mission to succumb to watching Cruise and the gang in the theater, I heard there is an extended peak of the new Batman movie at the beginning.

The Descendants

I've been a bit behind on my blog, but still have been slowly plugging away at my pre-Oscar season movie list. I made it through The Descendants last week and before that saw Hugo. Luckily the two are completely different films because I would have a hard time deciding which one is more deserving in the best picture category.

But I also think that's the least important factor when it comes to The Descendants. I've had many a conversation about the film in the last week but it's been difficult to express my thoughts about the layers of this story and its meanings into writing.
On the surface, the story is of Hawaiian native Matt King (George Clooney) and his plight to raise his two daughters while his wife Elizabeth is in a coma after a boating accident. He is also involved in the final days of a decision whether to sell family land to a developer and split the money with his relatives or do nothing.
Those two plot points are very significant and telling in the film, but the lasting impact is director and writer Alexander Payne's perfect mix of emotion and realism in adapting Kaui Hart Hemmings' novel to the big screen.
Clooney and the young actresses who play his daughters Scottie (Amara Miller) and Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) come in here and deliver some of the most emotional scenes I've seen in a movie lately. Payne directs those scenes to show the power of human nature over emotion rather than to simply have his actors do their best cry on screen and have the audience join in.
Payne slowly builds the dynamic of the characters' relationships for the viewer as he does the climax of this chapter of their lives.
After Elizabeth's accident and coma, members of the King family had to start to repair their strained relationships without being able to directly communicate with her. Many of the scenes focus on secrets, loss and blame and in those scenarios Payne and the actors kept the emotion reined in just enough so as to not overshadow reality.
An example, which was one of the most telling and memorable scenes in the movie for me, is when Matt finds out Elizabeth was having an affair with another man before her accident. King's response is a mixture of sadness and anger and he actually goes to the hospital where Elizabeth is and verbally expresses that to her.
The scene was hard to watch, but didn't cause an emotional flood of tears for me because Matt's need to confront his wife as if she were able to respond was simply human nature.
Overall, I would say what I enjoyed most about Payne's approach to developing the story and characters in The Descendants is I didn't feel the need to ask: What would I do if I were in that situation?
I do often try to apply films to my own life or involuntarily can relate to them in some way, but I left The Descendants with the humble feeling that I have no idea what the King family could possibly be going through if I did know them.
The Descendants is unique in that regard and most of all carries the lesson that in times of change -- good or bad, sad or happy, we're all human.

Hugo

The more and more I think about Hugo, the more and more I like the movie. I knew little about the film going into it other than Martin Scorsese is the man behind the camera and my friends who saw it left the theater with high praise. 

Scorsese created his first 3D film (and if you're paying attention has a cameo in it) as an adaptation of a book by Brian Selznick, "The Invention of Hugo Cabret."

I wouldn't say that I thought Hugo would be "my kind of movie," but I was pleasantly surprised and definitely think it's a contender for Best Picture.

Well done, Scorsese, well done. The film has already earned honors from the National Board of Review, Washington DC Area Film Critics and Nevada Film Critics Society, as well as nominations for the Golden Globes.

It centers on Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), an orphan boy living in a train station in 1930s Paris with the mission to continue the legacy of his father, (Jude Law). That mission becomes the platform for a more in-depth mystery Hugo needs to solve.

The story and character development build slowly, but not to the point where I lost interest in the direction of the plot. I am hesitant to say more, as is usually the case, because I don't want to spoil the plot points I didn't know about before going into the film. Those unknowns definitely added to my enjoyment of Hugo.

I will say that as Hugo embarks on his quest he is met with a nemesis of sorts, Papa Georges, played by Ben Kingsley.

Georges is a toy shop owner in the train station on the surface, but his character has a fascinating past based on a real-life person I knew little about. From there, Hugo is a little bit of a movie within a movie for the viewers.

I enjoyed the supporting performances by Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, Chloe Grace Moretz as Hugo's train-station sidekick, Isabelle, and especially Sacha Baron Cohen as the Station Inspector.

Visually, the film was stunning but perhaps there could have been more 3D tricks. (However, some scenes with the Station Inspector's dog were a treat in that regard).

The one question I had before watching Hugo is if it would be a story geared more toward kids or adults. I know the answer now: All you need is imagination.

The Ides of March

Award season is upon us and I'd like to have another week off work to see all the best picture nominees and films with nominated actors. Seriously, can someone make that happen? That probably isn't a valid excuse, even for a film fanatic like myself, to take off work but at least I have time now to catch up on reviews while at my parents' north woods home enjoying my holiday vacation.
Last year, I made a point to see all the best picture nominees before the Oscars and I am planning on a repeat performance of that feat. Going by the Golden Globes best drama and musical/comedy lists I've made it through Moneyball (sigh), The Ides of March, Hugo (loved -- and stay tuned for my review), Midnight in Paris, 50/50, and Bridesmaids.

I need to see The Descendants, The Help, War Horse, The Artist and My Week With Marilyn -- not including films with nominated actors or those strictly on my personal wish list.

The Ides of March was definitely one of those and it and Ryan Gosling's acting nomination have my vote. (He is also nominated for Crazy, Stupid, Love -- ladies watch it).

In addition to Gosling, I think the cast in The Ides of March was one of the film's many strong points.

George Clooney directed and co-wrote the film and based it on the play Farragut North. Clooney also acts in the film as Mike Morris, the Ohio governor in a presidential race that centers mainly on events leading up to the state's primary in March.

I felt the play translated well to the big screen and Clooney successfully intertwined the plot lines of politics and morality.
As a viewer you wonder if particular characters are good or bad and what you would do if presented with the situations they face. At most times all the characters are competing with each other and themselves in deciding between taking actions that are right or wrong. Gosling, as campaign press secretary Stephen Meyers, faces this most of all with his external enemies being Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) on Morris' campaign, and Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti) who works for the opposing presidential candidate.

The morality battle and plot twists left me on the edge of my seat for the entire film.

I thought The Ides of March was on its way out of the theater when I rushed to see it last weekend, but now that it's in the award nomination pool everyone needs to mark their calendar to see it.