Quite a few people recommended this story of a college women's a cappella singing group so Amy, Jack, and I watched it on-demand Christmas eve. We were not impressed. A few laughs here and there but oh, so dumb. Nominated for Favorite Comedic Movie at the People's Choice Awards and on some Best of the Year lists? Hmm. Anna Kendrick (last in these pages in 50/50) is a good actress but she is squandered here, though she really can sing (Tony-nominated for High Society on Broadway in 1998 when she was 13). She and Rebel Wilson (I don't remember her in Bridesmaids but she is a funny, overweight, outspoken, Australian kid) are the most redeeming parts of the movie. Brittany Snow (most recently blogged in The Vicious Kind) tries really hard. The rest of the girls are just annoying. Elizabeth Banks (People Like Us) is one of the movie's producers and she and John Michael Higgins (the inspector in We Bought a Zoo) mug furiously as competition narrators.
Director Jason Moore makes his feature debut after nine TV episodes of various series. Kay Cannon (co-writer of twelve 30 Rocks and two New Girls) also debuts adapting the book by Mickey Rapkin, himself a magazine writer/editor (GQ, Elle, Bon Appetit). All three of us watching would have liked it to have fewer stupid gags and more singing. It's probably not useful information, but there is a tiny little audio bonus at the very end and outtakes as the credits begin. Contrary to pattern, we don't recommend it but it's doing very well--80% critics, 84% audience on rottentomatoes and 24th at the box office after 13 weeks.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
The Fitzgerald Family Christmas (2012)
We expected to like this because Edward Burns made it. But we weren't moved by the story of 7 adult siblings and their divorced parents and predicted almost every outcome. Burns (The Brothers McMullen (1995), She's the One (1996), more) directs, writes, and stars in what he doubtless hoped would be as popular as McMullen, bringing in two of the same cast members, Connie Britton (McMullen was her screen debut, since then she's known for Spin City, Friday Night Lights on big and small screens, and the new series Nashville--I've seen maybe 5% of all that) and Mike McGlone (also She's the One and some other things), to join Kerry Bishé (Argo), Heather Burns (no relation--Zach Galifianakis' girlfriend in Bored to Death), Caitlin Fitzgerald (Damsels in Distress), Anita Gillette (small part in She's the One and lots more) and Ed Lauter (one of the Scouts in Trouble with the Curve, many other small parts) as the parents, and others.
Everyone's family has drama at the holidays. Burns knows from big working class Irish-American families. Too bad this didn't bring anything new when we saw it a week and a half ago. Rottentomatoes' critics give it 64%, audiences 45. Wait for cable and play words with friends while it's on.
Everyone's family has drama at the holidays. Burns knows from big working class Irish-American families. Too bad this didn't bring anything new when we saw it a week and a half ago. Rottentomatoes' critics give it 64%, audiences 45. Wait for cable and play words with friends while it's on.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Skyfall (2012)
This, the 23rd James Bond movie, is still fun, with lots of chases, stunts, explosions, gadgets, and all we've come to expect from the series. Particularly good work involving motorcycles and trains. Daniel Craig at 44 continues doing many of his own stunts. Judi Dench at 78 is still M and Albert Finney at 76 has a cameo as a houseman. One of the recurring themes is that the old ways are the best, even though this is the first movie in which Q (Ben Whishaw (after he was in Bright Star he starred in the BBC series The Hour)) is younger than Bond. Craig was most recently in these pages in the American remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Dench in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Check out all the different pearl earring/necklace ensembles she wears. Javier Bardem (last in Biutiful) is excellent as the smarmy villain Silva in dyed blond hair and dandy clothes.
There are pages and pages of trivia on imdb. Here are some of my favorites: It was promoted in a short film at the opening ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics, directed by Danny Boyle from Scotland, in which Queen Elizabeth II said, in her first "acting" role, "Good evening, Mr. Bond." About a third of the budget, or $45 million, came from product placement, especially Heineken beer, but Bond still drinks a martini in at least one scene. It is shaken not stirred (no one utters the words) and poured from a bottle that says 1962 in honor of the 50th anniversary of the 007 franchise. The shooting locations are England, Scotland, China, Turkey and Japan, far fewer countries than planned, but plenty luxe. The title track, sung by Adele, debuted at #8 on the charts. It is the first Bond movie ever shot in IMAX, the format in which we saw it three weeks ago.
This is director Sam Mendes' sixth feature (I've seen them all and covered him in Away We Go) and first Bond movie. The script is credited to Neal Purvis & Robert Wade (Die Another Day (2002), Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace, and more) and John Logan (covered in Hugo, which earned him his third Oscar nomination). Curiously, Ian Fleming's name is nowhere to be found in the onscreen credits, even though he wrote the original novels and short stories.
High octane entertainment with beautiful locations and much suspense, still on big screens in this metropolitan area. If you're a fan you've probably seen it already.
There are pages and pages of trivia on imdb. Here are some of my favorites: It was promoted in a short film at the opening ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics, directed by Danny Boyle from Scotland, in which Queen Elizabeth II said, in her first "acting" role, "Good evening, Mr. Bond." About a third of the budget, or $45 million, came from product placement, especially Heineken beer, but Bond still drinks a martini in at least one scene. It is shaken not stirred (no one utters the words) and poured from a bottle that says 1962 in honor of the 50th anniversary of the 007 franchise. The shooting locations are England, Scotland, China, Turkey and Japan, far fewer countries than planned, but plenty luxe. The title track, sung by Adele, debuted at #8 on the charts. It is the first Bond movie ever shot in IMAX, the format in which we saw it three weeks ago.
This is director Sam Mendes' sixth feature (I've seen them all and covered him in Away We Go) and first Bond movie. The script is credited to Neal Purvis & Robert Wade (Die Another Day (2002), Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace, and more) and John Logan (covered in Hugo, which earned him his third Oscar nomination). Curiously, Ian Fleming's name is nowhere to be found in the onscreen credits, even though he wrote the original novels and short stories.
High octane entertainment with beautiful locations and much suspense, still on big screens in this metropolitan area. If you're a fan you've probably seen it already.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Parental Guidance (2012)
The critics that savaged this lightweight family comedy were thinking too hard. It had Jack and me laughing a lot along with the packed house--it doesn't hurt that we both love baseball and there are a couple of subplots around various diamonds. Billy Crystal (my favorites of his movie acting gigs: The Princess Bride (1987), Throw Momma from the Train (1987), When Harry Met Sally (1989), City Slickers (1991), and Analyze This (1999); and don't forget he directed Mr. Saturday Night (1992), Forget Paris (1995), and 61* (2001)) stars as Artie, the befuddled grandfather trying to follow his Type-A daughter's many parenting rules. Bette Midler (I've been a big fan of hers since seeing her live in Berkeley in the early 1970s; my fave movies are The Rose (1979), Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Scenes from a Mall (1991), The First Wives Club (1996), Drowning Mona (2000), The Stepford Wives (2004), and Then She Found Me (2007)--I hated Beaches (1988), though mostly because of Barbara Hershey. And the script) gets off a few good lines as Artie's wife Diane but it's mostly Crystal's movie. It starts and ends with him. Really ends--there's a bonus after the credits. Midler does get to sing a song in the second act and not in a contrived way at all. Marisa Tomei's (last in these pages in The Ides of March) comic timing is pretty much missing but she's the straight man here, as the Type-A mother/daughter Alice. The kids, however, are terrific. I've been pleased every time I've seen young Bailee Madison (most recently as one of the only redeeming parts of Just Go With It) and here she is the eldest child Harper. The other two, Turner played by Joshua Rush and Barker played by Kyle Harrison Breitkopf, are quite good as well. Tom Everett Scott (the lead in That Thing You Do! (1996)) is Alice's husband with a little to do in the syrupy third act. Yes, of course, it's syrupy. Did you think someone would get "shunned" (you'll get that after you see it)?
Director Andy Fickman worked as Production Executive on two Midler pictures, Hocus Pocus and the TV-movie of Gypsy, so that's where he came from. Co-writers Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse are new to me.
As I said, critics hated it. 17% on rottentomatoes. We vote with the audiences at 68%. If you need a family-friendly activity, this will do fine. We heard quite a few youngsters giggling along with the adults today. But it would be okay to wait for video. The establishing shots of Fresno and Atlanta will work just fine on the small screen. And don't rush off before the bonus at the very end.
Director Andy Fickman worked as Production Executive on two Midler pictures, Hocus Pocus and the TV-movie of Gypsy, so that's where he came from. Co-writers Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse are new to me.
As I said, critics hated it. 17% on rottentomatoes. We vote with the audiences at 68%. If you need a family-friendly activity, this will do fine. We heard quite a few youngsters giggling along with the adults today. But it would be okay to wait for video. The establishing shots of Fresno and Atlanta will work just fine on the small screen. And don't rush off before the bonus at the very end.
Holy Motors (2012)
This movie is so weird. Jack and I agreed we didn't hate it but couldn't think of anyone to whom we would recommend it. That said, it's on many "best of" lists and has won a bunch of awards so far. This guy, Monsieur Oscar (yes, it's French), rides around in his limo, and each time he gets out, he is dressed up as a character, from an aged female beggar to a motion capture artist enacting a sex scene to a raving lunatic to a loving family man. We had no idea if there was supposed to be reality or not. Denis Lavant (the only movie of his I'm sure I've seen is Mister Lonely (2007), also very strange, in which he played Charlie Chaplin) is M. Oscar and I sure believed he was crazy. Edith Scob (Summer Hours) is his chauffeur and Eva Mendes (The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans) and Australian pop star Kylie Minogue each play parts in a tableau.
Forgot to say what we did like about it: it's wildly creative, we were surprised at every turn, and the sex scene is well done.
Sorry, but I don't remember much about the soundtrack (we saw it over six weeks ago) other than Minogue sings. Director/writer Leos Carax is new to me but not to the juries at Cannes. This won't be nominated as France's foreign language entry to the Academy Awards, however, because that spot has been taken by the very worthy The Intouchables.
To recap, I can't recommend it, even though many have loved it.
Forgot to say what we did like about it: it's wildly creative, we were surprised at every turn, and the sex scene is well done.
Sorry, but I don't remember much about the soundtrack (we saw it over six weeks ago) other than Minogue sings. Director/writer Leos Carax is new to me but not to the juries at Cannes. This won't be nominated as France's foreign language entry to the Academy Awards, however, because that spot has been taken by the very worthy The Intouchables.
To recap, I can't recommend it, even though many have loved it.
Django Unchained (2012)
Best Quentin Tarantino movie yet! This over-the-top story of a freed-slave-turned-bounty-hunter recovering his wife from her new owner has plenty of the signature QT grisly violence, but plenty of humor and cartoonishness to temper it. I had to put my hands between my eyes and the screen about five times. Her mother's daughter, Amy chose this as our Christmas day movie. I saw friends in the packed room before it started and asked, "Ready for a feel bad movie?" Rhonda said, "It's a love story!" and Judy's son Geof added, "It's about retribution and vengeance." They're both right.
With a cast listed on imdb of just over 100 you will see familiar faces and not recognize others whose names might ring a bell, but you will recognize the auteur himself (director/writer Tarantino is profiled in my post on Inglourious Basterds) with a silly Australian accent in the second act. Christoph Waltz (last in the blog in Carnage, he won the Oscar for Inglourious Basterds) brings back his Austrian accent to play Django's mentor, an articulate German dentist/successful bounty hunter named King Schultz. And his articulateness can be credited entirely to Tarantino, who wrote the part just for Waltz. Jamie Foxx (covered in The Soloist) may not have been the director's first choice for the title character, but he is riveting, even when the joke is on him (there's a great gag about wardrobe). Leonardo DiCaprio (most recently blogged in J. Edgar) and Samuel L. Jackson (last in The Avengers) have also been getting good reviews for their parts as ruthless plantation owner Calvin Candie and his trusted manservant (or house n-word) Stephen. Foxx told Craig Ferguson a few weeks ago that DiCaprio was so upset about having to use the n-word that Foxx had to calm him down.
Film student that he is, Tarantino references many masterworks, e.g. naming Kerry Washington's (profiled in Mother and Child) character Broomhilda von Shaft, hoping we will guess that she and Django are supposed to be the ancestors of John Shaft of the movie Shaft, played by Richard Roundtree on screens big and small in the 1970s and by Jackson in the 2000 remake. Perhaps I was the only one watching the movie thinking of the comic strip Broom-Hilda, even as Schultz pronounces it the German way, Brünnhilde. Here are some other references.
QT fans won't be surprised that there's a terrific soundtrack, available everywhere, featuring, among others, "spaghetti western" style songs by Ennio Morricone. I did notice that the iTunes version includes a bonus track of rapper/actor/director RZA's song from the end credit sequence. This link includes videos of some of the tracks in their entirety. One song that was omitted from the soundtrack that I definitely heard onscreen Tuesday is Richie Havens' Freedom, even though another song by that name is included.
Right now, 12:30am on Friday, after 3 days, this movie has grossed over $25 million. And it's 2:45 long. Rottentomatoes' current rating is 88% critics/92 audiences. You know who you are if you'll like it. If you've never heard of any of this, skip it.
With a cast listed on imdb of just over 100 you will see familiar faces and not recognize others whose names might ring a bell, but you will recognize the auteur himself (director/writer Tarantino is profiled in my post on Inglourious Basterds) with a silly Australian accent in the second act. Christoph Waltz (last in the blog in Carnage, he won the Oscar for Inglourious Basterds) brings back his Austrian accent to play Django's mentor, an articulate German dentist/successful bounty hunter named King Schultz. And his articulateness can be credited entirely to Tarantino, who wrote the part just for Waltz. Jamie Foxx (covered in The Soloist) may not have been the director's first choice for the title character, but he is riveting, even when the joke is on him (there's a great gag about wardrobe). Leonardo DiCaprio (most recently blogged in J. Edgar) and Samuel L. Jackson (last in The Avengers) have also been getting good reviews for their parts as ruthless plantation owner Calvin Candie and his trusted manservant (or house n-word) Stephen. Foxx told Craig Ferguson a few weeks ago that DiCaprio was so upset about having to use the n-word that Foxx had to calm him down.
Film student that he is, Tarantino references many masterworks, e.g. naming Kerry Washington's (profiled in Mother and Child) character Broomhilda von Shaft, hoping we will guess that she and Django are supposed to be the ancestors of John Shaft of the movie Shaft, played by Richard Roundtree on screens big and small in the 1970s and by Jackson in the 2000 remake. Perhaps I was the only one watching the movie thinking of the comic strip Broom-Hilda, even as Schultz pronounces it the German way, Brünnhilde. Here are some other references.
QT fans won't be surprised that there's a terrific soundtrack, available everywhere, featuring, among others, "spaghetti western" style songs by Ennio Morricone. I did notice that the iTunes version includes a bonus track of rapper/actor/director RZA's song from the end credit sequence. This link includes videos of some of the tracks in their entirety. One song that was omitted from the soundtrack that I definitely heard onscreen Tuesday is Richie Havens' Freedom, even though another song by that name is included.
Right now, 12:30am on Friday, after 3 days, this movie has grossed over $25 million. And it's 2:45 long. Rottentomatoes' current rating is 88% critics/92 audiences. You know who you are if you'll like it. If you've never heard of any of this, skip it.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Lincoln (2012)
Not just for history buffs, this story of the 16th President's fight for the constitutional abolition of slavery is a tour de force for Steven Spielberg, Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, and a cast of hundreds (four Screen Actors Guild nominations and seven for the Golden Globes so far). Great care is taken with production design, wardrobe, and lighting as well, and I imagine they won't be overlooked by the Academy either. Day-Lewis (first came to my attention in The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988), was Oscar-nominated for In the Name of the Father (1993) and Gangs of New York (2002), won for My Left Foot (1989) and There Will Be Blood (2007); I also liked A Room with a View (1985), My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), Stars and Bars (1988), The Age of Innocence (1993), Nine, and especially The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005), which was directed and written by his wife Rebecca Miller, daughter of playwright Henry) developed a special voice as well as stooped posture to suggest that he is the President's 6'4" rather than his own 6'1". Field (her own two Oscar wins are in her profile in The Amazing Spider-Man) apparently begged for the role, and she has already been rewarded, as the passionate Mary Todd Lincoln. Jones (last in Hope Springs) steals all of his scenes in his dreadful wig (it's supposed to be). Dozens of the actors are recognizable--everybody wants to work with Steven.
Spielberg (most recently War Horse) loves his war movies and this is a good one, developed for about 12 years, bringing in facts from Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals in the middle of the process and then hiring Tony Kushner (the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, mini-series, and TV movie Angels in America and Munich (2005), the latter of which earned him and Eric Roth an Oscar nomination).
Director of photography Janusz Kaminski's (covered in War Horse) images are breathtaking and show production designer Rick Carter's (won the Oscar and his guild's award for Avatar, Oscar-nominated for Forrest Gump (1994) and War Horse, also designed the TV series Amazing Stories (1985-86), Back to the Future Parts II (1989) and III (1990), Jurassic Park (1993) and its sequel (1997), Cast Away (2000), War of the Worlds (2005), and Munich) sets and Joanna Johnston's costumes (Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), same two Back to the Futures, Forrest Gump, French Kiss (1995), Contact (1997), The Sixth Sense (1999), About a Boy (2002), Love Actually (2003), War of the Worlds, Munich, Valkyrie, Pirate Radio, War Horse) to good advantage. When I commented to Jack that Lincoln and many of the men wore shawls, he said, "The White House was drafty!" Also, he said, the scene of Lincoln's second inauguration is a careful recreation based on photographs.
John Williams, Spielberg's usual composer, once again delivers, with muted horns and strings of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Listen to the whole thing here if you can (I've had technical difficulties with youtube this evening but finally got it to work on my third and final browser, Firefox).
We saw this a whole month ago, but I remember to tell you that you must see it before the Oscars and you won't regret it. Allow plenty of time, though, because it's two and a half hours long.
Spielberg (most recently War Horse) loves his war movies and this is a good one, developed for about 12 years, bringing in facts from Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals in the middle of the process and then hiring Tony Kushner (the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, mini-series, and TV movie Angels in America and Munich (2005), the latter of which earned him and Eric Roth an Oscar nomination).
Director of photography Janusz Kaminski's (covered in War Horse) images are breathtaking and show production designer Rick Carter's (won the Oscar and his guild's award for Avatar, Oscar-nominated for Forrest Gump (1994) and War Horse, also designed the TV series Amazing Stories (1985-86), Back to the Future Parts II (1989) and III (1990), Jurassic Park (1993) and its sequel (1997), Cast Away (2000), War of the Worlds (2005), and Munich) sets and Joanna Johnston's costumes (Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), same two Back to the Futures, Forrest Gump, French Kiss (1995), Contact (1997), The Sixth Sense (1999), About a Boy (2002), Love Actually (2003), War of the Worlds, Munich, Valkyrie, Pirate Radio, War Horse) to good advantage. When I commented to Jack that Lincoln and many of the men wore shawls, he said, "The White House was drafty!" Also, he said, the scene of Lincoln's second inauguration is a careful recreation based on photographs.
We saw this a whole month ago, but I remember to tell you that you must see it before the Oscars and you won't regret it. Allow plenty of time, though, because it's two and a half hours long.
Life of Pi 3D (2012)
Disclaimer: I loved the Yann Martel book and got teary with joy each time I saw the trailer. So no big surprise that I loved the movie, as did Jack. Starring Suraj Sharma (a newcomer who just happened to accompany his brother to the New Delhi casting call) as 17 year old Pi and a computer-generated Bengal tiger, whose image may propel his creators to an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects. My most favorite part of the book was the tiger taming sequence and, I learned from the trailer, it is crucial to the movie. Irrfan Khan (coincidentally one of the stars of another favorite Indian-themed book made into a movie, The Namesake (2006); I also liked his work in Slumdog Millionaire) plays the adult Pi as thoughtful and hopeful. Apparently director Ang Lee wanted to cast Tobey Maguire as the writer to whom the adult Pi tells his story but test audiences were too distracted by Maguire's celebrity, and Rafe Spall (we liked him in One Day) got the part instead.
David Magee (adapted Finding Neverland (2004) and co-adapted Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day) adapted the novel and his and Lee's (profiled in Taking Woodstock) risks have paid off.
The beautiful music by Mychael Danna (last did Moneyball) (click on the video box here to hear a 23 minute preview) (or listen to the entire soundtrack here, on a link that worked only in Firefox, not Chrome nor Safari) matches the magnificent images.
I predicted this would cause motion picture motion sickness (MPMS), due to the shipwreck and bobbing lifeboat, so took all the necessary precautions when we saw it three weeks ago. I advise you to do the same if you are so afflicted.
Nonetheless, I believe this is a masterpiece and you should see it in 3D if you can, and most definitely on a big screen.
David Magee (adapted Finding Neverland (2004) and co-adapted Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day) adapted the novel and his and Lee's (profiled in Taking Woodstock) risks have paid off.
The beautiful music by Mychael Danna (last did Moneyball) (click on the video box here to hear a 23 minute preview) (or listen to the entire soundtrack here, on a link that worked only in Firefox, not Chrome nor Safari) matches the magnificent images.
I predicted this would cause motion picture motion sickness (MPMS), due to the shipwreck and bobbing lifeboat, so took all the necessary precautions when we saw it three weeks ago. I advise you to do the same if you are so afflicted.
Nonetheless, I believe this is a masterpiece and you should see it in 3D if you can, and most definitely on a big screen.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Hitchcock (2012)
Jack and I found thoroughly captivating this story of the great master of horror (Anthony Hopkins in a fat suit) and his wife Alma Reville (Helen Mirren has earned three nominations so far) and the making of Psycho (1960). Hopkins was last in these pages in Thor and Mirren in The Debt. No worries about Hopkins' 75 years showing through that makeup, even though in the trailer his age is given as 60, and Mirren at 67 can carry off being 60 (Alfred and Alma were born August 14 and 13, 1899, respectively) because she. Is. Awesome (I'll always love her expressing gratitude she hadn't fallen "ass over tits" at the 2006 Emmy ceremony). The cast of dozens is augmented by Scarlett Johansson (most recently in The Avengers) as Janet Leigh, Danny Huston (yes he is Walter's grandson, John's son, Anjelica's half-brother, etc...some of his best work includes 21 Grams (2003), The Aviator (2004), The Constant Gardener (2005), Children of Men (2006), and How to Lose Friends & Alienate People) as Alma's friend Whitfield Cook, Toni Collette (my favorites are listed in United States of Tara) as secretary Peggy Robertson, and Jessica Biel (Valentine's Day and the far better Easy Virtue) as Vera Miles, among many too numerous to expand. Jack and I did both gasp at the first appearance of James d'Arcy, because he looks so much like Anthony Perkins, which Alma pronounces "Antony." These trivia items tell you which other actors were considered for the role (and other roles).
Director Sasha Gervasi has been much awarded and nominated for a documentary we didn't see (Anvil: The Story of Anvil (2008), and co-wrote Craig Ferguson's The Big Tease (1999) and shares credit for the screenplay and story of Spielberg's The Terminal (2004) with Tom Hanks. This time the 1990 book by Stephen Rebello Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho has been adapted by John J. McLaughlin (shared credit on Black Swan).
Normally I would always recommend the original Psycho music by Bernard Herrmann, but in this case it's Danny Elfman (most recently in Silver Linings Playbook) and I loves me some Elfman scores. You can listen to the whole thing in its entirety here, and its finale is the familiar theme from the Hitchcock TV show (here by itself)
If you know that you live where I live, you can see this at our own historic jewel of a neighborhood theatre, but Jack and I saw its opening screening two weeks ago at a 99 year old movie house in Berkeley. As we left I predicted an Oscar nomination for makeup and Entertainment Weekly says that will happen. It's also likely that Mirren will be nominated as well but there's a lot of competition this year and she has been much recognized in the past.
Movie buffs and those who like wonderful period details will enjoy this and we recommend it for all of my readers. Stay until the end of the credits for a brief visual bonus.
Director Sasha Gervasi has been much awarded and nominated for a documentary we didn't see (Anvil: The Story of Anvil (2008), and co-wrote Craig Ferguson's The Big Tease (1999) and shares credit for the screenplay and story of Spielberg's The Terminal (2004) with Tom Hanks. This time the 1990 book by Stephen Rebello Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho has been adapted by John J. McLaughlin (shared credit on Black Swan).
Normally I would always recommend the original Psycho music by Bernard Herrmann, but in this case it's Danny Elfman (most recently in Silver Linings Playbook) and I loves me some Elfman scores. You can listen to the whole thing in its entirety here, and its finale is the familiar theme from the Hitchcock TV show (here by itself)
If you know that you live where I live, you can see this at our own historic jewel of a neighborhood theatre, but Jack and I saw its opening screening two weeks ago at a 99 year old movie house in Berkeley. As we left I predicted an Oscar nomination for makeup and Entertainment Weekly says that will happen. It's also likely that Mirren will be nominated as well but there's a lot of competition this year and she has been much recognized in the past.
Movie buffs and those who like wonderful period details will enjoy this and we recommend it for all of my readers. Stay until the end of the credits for a brief visual bonus.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Anna Karenina (2012)
A visual feast--likely to get nominations for wardrobe, production design, and cinematography--this early 19th century story of infidelity, jealousy, and social status is something you need to see on the big screen. The performances aren't bad either. Keira Knightley (last in these pages in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World) in the starring role lends the requisite amount of sweetness, ardor, and frustration (in the past I have agreed with a friend who said she didn't like Knightley for being too skinny, but I have come around); Jude Law (most recently in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) is properly starchy as her much older husband Karenin; and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (last in Savages, he has changed his name from Johnson as has his bride Sam Taylor-Johnson (she directed him in Nowhere Boy), who is 45 to his 22 years and bore his two daughters in the last two and a half years) tries his best to be smoldering as Count Vronsky with his pout and terrible blonde 'do (The New Yorker calls it "a disastrous wig" but the Daily Mail says it's dyed). Supporting work is contributed by Matthew Mcfadyen (Mr. Darcy to Knightley's Elizabeth in Pride & Prejudice (2005) with Joe Wright also as director, Daniel in the original (English) Death at a Funeral (2007), and John Birt in Frost/Nixon, to name some of my favorites), Kelly Macdonald (my faves include her first feature Trainspotting (1996), Two Family House (2000), Gosford Park (2001), Intermission (2003), No Country for Old Men (2007), Choke, and, for HBO: The Girl in the Café (2005) and 36 episodes of Boardwalk Empire as Margaret Schroeder) as Anna's brother Oblonsky and sister-in-law Dolly respectively, Alicia Vikander as Dolly's sister Kitty, Domhnall Gleeson (I liked him in Never Let Me Go and True Grit, even though I neglected to mention him) as her paramour Levin, and others too numerous to list.
To complete my coiffure comments, Knightley's black dye job is also without luster, but Vikander, mostly a brunette in her imdb photos, looks radiant as a blonde, and Gleeson's is a lovely ginger.
Every ad for this movie says, "From Joe Wright, the director of Atonement and Pride & Prejudice." I guess not everyone loved last year's Hanna, also directed by Wright, as much as we did. The screenplay, by the much-awarded Tom Stoppard (Oscar winner for Shakespeare in Love (1998), nominated for Brazil (1985), Venice Film Festival Golden Lion for Rosenkrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)--for which he won the Tony for the stage version (I didn't see either version, nor his other 3 Tony wins and 3 nominations)), and the direction are perhaps the weakest link. Having not read the novel, both Jack and I were surprised by the soapiness of the plot, from the novel of the same name by Leo Tolstoy, considered a giant of Russian literature.
But oh! The wardrobe! Costume designer Jacqueline Durran's (Oscar-nominated for Pride & Prejudice and Atonement, nominated by her own guild for the latter, and won the BAFTA award for Vera Drake (2004)) sumptuous gowns and and complicated men's suits--in at least one scene Oblonsky changes coats several times to comic effect amid flying papers--are simply marvelous. I didn't remember, but I recognized Durran's work in the last sentence of my post on Happy-Go-Lucky, and she did the costumes for Another Year, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Wright's The Soloist as well.
And the sets/production design deserve their own paragraph. Before we went in I had read that the whole movie was shot on a stage. That's a slight exaggeration. But much of it is, including scenes with horses. Then, suddenly, it moves outdoors to massive fields covered in either snow or flowers, all the more dramatic after the confinement of the previous (here's an explanation with no spoilers). Production designer Sarah Greenwood and her crew (won their guild's award for Sherlock Holmes; Oscar-nominated for that and for Atonement and Pride & Prejudice; decorated Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, The Soloist, and Hanna) give us whimsical settings, some realistic, some not, all imaginative. Perhaps the director and screenwriter deserve a little credit.
Composer Dario Marianelli's (last blogged in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) moody symphonic score is, unusually, not my cup of borscht, other than the piano solos played by Marianelli himself. If he gets another Oscar nomination I'll be a bit disappointed. You can decide for yourself by listening to the whole thing here, until someone takes it down for copyright infringement.
Despite its shortcomings, you should see this for its magnificent images (props also to director of photography Seamus McGarvey (I loved The Winter Guest (1997), The Big Tease (1999), High Fidelity (2000), and The Hours (2002), among his many credits; he was also Oscar-nominated for Atonement). And in 130 minutes you can learn about this classic, the novel of which was much admired by such titans as Fyodor Dostoevsky, Vladmir Nabokov, and William Faulkner.
To complete my coiffure comments, Knightley's black dye job is also without luster, but Vikander, mostly a brunette in her imdb photos, looks radiant as a blonde, and Gleeson's is a lovely ginger.
Every ad for this movie says, "From Joe Wright, the director of Atonement and Pride & Prejudice." I guess not everyone loved last year's Hanna, also directed by Wright, as much as we did. The screenplay, by the much-awarded Tom Stoppard (Oscar winner for Shakespeare in Love (1998), nominated for Brazil (1985), Venice Film Festival Golden Lion for Rosenkrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)--for which he won the Tony for the stage version (I didn't see either version, nor his other 3 Tony wins and 3 nominations)), and the direction are perhaps the weakest link. Having not read the novel, both Jack and I were surprised by the soapiness of the plot, from the novel of the same name by Leo Tolstoy, considered a giant of Russian literature.
But oh! The wardrobe! Costume designer Jacqueline Durran's (Oscar-nominated for Pride & Prejudice and Atonement, nominated by her own guild for the latter, and won the BAFTA award for Vera Drake (2004)) sumptuous gowns and and complicated men's suits--in at least one scene Oblonsky changes coats several times to comic effect amid flying papers--are simply marvelous. I didn't remember, but I recognized Durran's work in the last sentence of my post on Happy-Go-Lucky, and she did the costumes for Another Year, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Wright's The Soloist as well.
And the sets/production design deserve their own paragraph. Before we went in I had read that the whole movie was shot on a stage. That's a slight exaggeration. But much of it is, including scenes with horses. Then, suddenly, it moves outdoors to massive fields covered in either snow or flowers, all the more dramatic after the confinement of the previous (here's an explanation with no spoilers). Production designer Sarah Greenwood and her crew (won their guild's award for Sherlock Holmes; Oscar-nominated for that and for Atonement and Pride & Prejudice; decorated Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, The Soloist, and Hanna) give us whimsical settings, some realistic, some not, all imaginative. Perhaps the director and screenwriter deserve a little credit.
Composer Dario Marianelli's (last blogged in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) moody symphonic score is, unusually, not my cup of borscht, other than the piano solos played by Marianelli himself. If he gets another Oscar nomination I'll be a bit disappointed. You can decide for yourself by listening to the whole thing here, until someone takes it down for copyright infringement.
Despite its shortcomings, you should see this for its magnificent images (props also to director of photography Seamus McGarvey (I loved The Winter Guest (1997), The Big Tease (1999), High Fidelity (2000), and The Hours (2002), among his many credits; he was also Oscar-nominated for Atonement). And in 130 minutes you can learn about this classic, the novel of which was much admired by such titans as Fyodor Dostoevsky, Vladmir Nabokov, and William Faulkner.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
We liked this dramedy a LOT. Jennifer Lawrence is all but guaranteed another Oscar nomination playing a slightly unhinged woman who comes into the life of Bradley Cooper, recently sprung from the loony bin. Jacki Weaver and especially Robert De Niro are also good as his frustrated but loving parents. Lawrence was last in the blog in X-Man: First Class (we didn't see Hunger Games), Cooper in The Hangover Part II, Weaver in Animal Kingdom, and De Niro in Being Flynn. The trivia section tells us that Lawrence was far from being the first choice for her role--lucky break! Chris Tucker (co-star with Jackie Chan of the Rush Hour movies--I didn't see any) gets star billing for a fairly small part.
Director David O. Russell (profiled in The Fighter, which earned him a best director Oscar nomination) adapted Mathew Quick's 2008 debut novel into this movie which is averaging 90% from critics and 87 from audiences on rottentomatoes and is already racking up awards and nominations this fall.
Set and shot entirely in Pennsylvania (with minor geographical and other goofs) it has a subplot involving extreme Philadelphia Eagles fans and another with dancing.
The soundtrack has plenty of songs, some of which are on this release, and a score by Danny Elfman (most recently mentioned in Men in Black III), making up this one.
Make sure to see this before the Oscars (nominations announced Thursday January 10, award show on Sunday February 24).
Director David O. Russell (profiled in The Fighter, which earned him a best director Oscar nomination) adapted Mathew Quick's 2008 debut novel into this movie which is averaging 90% from critics and 87 from audiences on rottentomatoes and is already racking up awards and nominations this fall.
Set and shot entirely in Pennsylvania (with minor geographical and other goofs) it has a subplot involving extreme Philadelphia Eagles fans and another with dancing.
The soundtrack has plenty of songs, some of which are on this release, and a score by Danny Elfman (most recently mentioned in Men in Black III), making up this one.
Make sure to see this before the Oscars (nominations announced Thursday January 10, award show on Sunday February 24).
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Flight (2012)
So good. Denzel Washington rules in this powerful story of an alcoholic pilot about to "hit bottom" just as he saves his crowded plane from doing the same. The near-crash is harrowing and goes down in the first 10 minutes after some sexy time with Washington (profiled in Unstoppable) and Nadine Velazquez (best known, to me anyway, as the comely Catalina in 96 episodes of My Name is Earl) as Whip and Katerina, respectively. Another addict, Nicole, played by the fragile Kelly Reilly (last in these pages in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) comes into Whip's life and their stories intertwine. Don Cheadle lends support as a serious lawyer (not too far off from his most recent appearance in The Guard, though he can do insane, e.g. the Showtime series House of Lies). John Goodman (most recently in Argo) plays Whip's dealer Harling, and every time he appeared on screen, usually to Rolling Stones music, we laughed.
Speaking of music, director Robert Zemeckis (I've loved most of his work, e.g. Romancing the Stone (1984), the Back to the Future series (1985, 89, 90) especially the first and third, Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Contact (1997), Cast Away (2000), and Forrest Gump (1994) which won him his Oscar) decorates this movie with excellent vintage tracks a la Gump (Feelin' Alright by Joe Cocker, Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sweet Jane by Cowboy Junkies, Sympathy for the Devil and Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones, Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers, What's Going On by Marvin Gaye, Goin' Down by the Jeff Beck Group, and With a Little Help From My Friends, by the Beatles). Plus there's a score by the prolific Alan Silvestri, Zemeckis' usual composer, whose music for The Avengers comes right before this in his vast resume. The soundtrack is available online here, but I don't expect it to stay up very long.
Writer John Gatins is new to me but this is his sixth produced screenplay and he has two more in pre-production or development. I walked into the theatre three weeks ago wanting to see the plane flying upside down. Turns out that part had my heart pounding and my eyes filling. Jack and I liked it a lot and expect it to garner an Oscar nomination for Denzel at the very least.
Speaking of music, director Robert Zemeckis (I've loved most of his work, e.g. Romancing the Stone (1984), the Back to the Future series (1985, 89, 90) especially the first and third, Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Contact (1997), Cast Away (2000), and Forrest Gump (1994) which won him his Oscar) decorates this movie with excellent vintage tracks a la Gump (Feelin' Alright by Joe Cocker, Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sweet Jane by Cowboy Junkies, Sympathy for the Devil and Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones, Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers, What's Going On by Marvin Gaye, Goin' Down by the Jeff Beck Group, and With a Little Help From My Friends, by the Beatles). Plus there's a score by the prolific Alan Silvestri, Zemeckis' usual composer, whose music for The Avengers comes right before this in his vast resume. The soundtrack is available online here, but I don't expect it to stay up very long.
Writer John Gatins is new to me but this is his sixth produced screenplay and he has two more in pre-production or development. I walked into the theatre three weeks ago wanting to see the plane flying upside down. Turns out that part had my heart pounding and my eyes filling. Jack and I liked it a lot and expect it to garner an Oscar nomination for Denzel at the very least.
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