'Cairo Time' *1/2stars

i love small films that give us an unexpected love that will be all to brief. i could not wait to see this 2010 film. and i love patricia clarkson who is totally underrated and under utilized in film. this film and her performance is not going to help her out much. 

the director for some odd reason has her walking in slo-mo for the entire film. it's almost as though she just finished a guest star role on amc's 'the walking dead' and didn't get out of character. her lines are delivered, and i use that word deliberately, no matter the emotion with a one notemonotone. it's as if ms. clarkson filmed this entire movie stoned. what the hell was the director thinking?

the only saving grace in this film is the performance of egyptian actor alexander siddig. i can't figure out how he could even react to the wooden ms. clarkson.

forget this one.

NY Film Critics Online Awards 2010

Best Picture
“The Social Network”
Best Director
David Fincher, “The Social Network”
Best Actor
James Franco, “127 Hours”
Best Actress
Natalie Portman, “Black Swan”
Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, “The Fighter”
Best Supporting Actress
Melissa Leo, “The Fighter”
Best Screenplay
“The Social Network”
Best Foreign Language Film
“I Am Love”
Best Documentary
“Exit Through the Gift Shop”
Best Cinematography
“Black Swan”
Best Music
“Black Swan”
Best Ensemble
“The Kids Are All Right”
Best Debut Feature
JohN Wells, “The Company Men”
Best Breakthrough Performer
Noomi Rapace, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

LA Film Critics Awards 2010

Best Picture
“The Social Network”
(Runner-up: “Carlos”)
Best Director
(tie) Olivier Assayas, “Carlos,” David Fincher, “The Social Network”
Best Actor
Colin Firth, “The King’s Speech”
(Runner-up: Edgar Ramirez, “Carlos”)
Best Actress
Kim Hye-ja, “Mother”
(Runner-up: Jennifer Lawrence, “Winter’s Bone”)
Best Supporting Actor
Niels Arestrup, “A Propet”
(Runner-up: Geoffrey Rush, “The King’s Speech”)
Best Supporting Actress
Jacki Weaver, “Animal Kingdom”
(Runner-up: Olivia Williams, “The Ghost Writer”)
Best Screenplay
“The Social Network”
(Runner-up: “The King’s Speech”)
Best Cinematography
“Black Swan”
(Runner-up: “True Grit”)
Best Animated Film
“Toy Story 3″
(runner-up: “The Illusionist”)
Best Foreign Language Film
“Carlos”
(Runner-up: “Mother”)
Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film
“Last Train Home”
(Runner-up: “Exit Through the Gift Shop”)
Best Music/Score
(tie) “The Ghost Writer,” “The Social Network”
Best Production Design
“Inception”
(Runner-up: “The King’s Speech”)
New Generation Award
Lena Dunham, “Tiny Furniture”

'The Tourist' Opens Wide Today

depp, jolie and venice...it has possibilities...or not.

'Inception' on Blu Ray and DVD Today

not a single film that i've seen has come out so far this year that has moved 'inception' from my favorite film of the year slot. nor from my best film of 2010 thus far. granted i have a few more to see but....

leo, marion, joseph gordon-levitt and the rest of the wonderful cast bring life to an amazing original screenplay brilliantly crafted and directed by christopher nolan.

now we can own it...rewind it, slow-mo it or just watch in over again and again. this has never been a see it once film. it is chock full of moments, sequences, shots that need to be seen again, studied and pondered over. this is one helluva film...an amazing fete really.

it deserves oscar noms for film, directing, editing, screenplay, best actor, supporting actress, music. sound editing, special effects and cinematography.  did i leave any out?

i guess you know how i feel about 'inception'. i gave it my highest rating when i first saw it. the next three times did not change my mind. this is film making at it's best.

'The Social Network' Sweeps National Board of Review

for the record: last year the board was 0 for 5 when the oscars were announced so i don't think they are much of a barometer

Best Film: The Social Network
Best Director: David Fincher, The Social Network
Best Actor: Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Best Actress: Lesley Manville, Another Year
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom
Best Foreign Language Film: Of Gods and Men
Best Documentary: Waiting for “Superman”
Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
Best Ensemble Cast: The Town

Ten Best Films
(in alphabetical order)
Another Year
The Fighter
Hereafter
Inception
The King’s Speech
Shutter Island
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

'127 Hours': ***1/2 stars

james franco gives the performance of his career and possibly one of the best performance by an actor this year. it certainly is one of the best performances of all time.

danny boyle (slumdog millionaire) directs a minor masterpiece. the grand canyon costars with mr. franco as the alps did with julie andrews in 'the sound of music'. the terrain sets the man vs nature scenario. james franco shows the passage of these 127 hours all over his face. he is really quite remarkable.

if you don't know the story here it is in a nutshell: adrenalin junkie aaron ralston literally gets stuck between a rock and a hard place. to survive he must amputate his arm. he does. and he survives to live another day.

there is an amazing scene of a storm as the hero is caught in the canyon. it is beautifully directed and photographed. it sent shivers thru me.

this is not an easy film to watch in it's second half. however, you should not miss it. and to miss james franco's performance would be criminal for any film lover.

 james franco and director danny boyle

'Winter's Bone': *star

'winter's bone' is this year's darling of the critics. infact it is as dull as dish water. i love independent films. each year a number of those released are better than 'mainstream' studio films. this is not one of them.

jennifer lawrence in the lead role is being lauded all over the place especially at film festivals. she is being hailed by many critics and bloggers alike as the 'best' of the year. better than whom? everyone else? she is merely fine in a boring role in a boring film. 

it is not the worst movie of the year. that slot is still reserved for 'alice in wonderland'. 

in two words: don't bother!

'Fair Game' Rates ***stars

naomi watts shines in this story of the bullies of the bush administration vs all well the meaning dedicated americans embodied by cia agent valerie plame. the outing of ms. plame by cheney and his lap dog scotter libby is condensed well and keeps a good pace by director doug liman. mr. liman keeps it strangely pibartisan. an amazing fete considering mr. libby was guilty as hell in her outing and the dark shadow of the mad dick cheyney looms ominously over the proceedings.

sean penn so becomes ms. plames husband joe wilson that it's almost eerie. ina more subdued than usual performance he once again proves how great an actor he is. but the film does belong to naomi watts. i see a possible oscar nom looming for her.

'127 Hours' Opens Friday

'127 hours' opens friday. it's getting a lot of oscar buzz. and it stars james franco who is amongst the best of his generation.

this is the one i've been waiting for along with 'the king's speech'.

three teasers

trailer

'Hereafter' ***1/2

clint eastwood continues to amaze me. he never looks back. he takes on new material with every directorial effort. and he always seems to succeed. 'hereafter' is the newest success. i'm never ashamed to say i cried...ever! and this film had tears rolling down my face intermittently a number of times. why? not too sure. maybe it was just the cumulative effect of the number of deaths i've lived through my whole life packed into 2hours and 9 minutes. but i am not saying this is a sad film....it isn't. nor is it a joyous film in that we now know what the hereafter is as we don't know this any more after seeing the film than the moment before it began. but it touched something deep within me. that says a lot to me. i liked these moments and the feelings. i liked the film in it's entirety also.

matt damon just keeps on growing as an actor with each role. he and eastwood ('invictus") make a good team. the rest of the cast, mostly unknown to me, all delievered the goods. there was no weak link in the cast.

'hereafter' heads into my top 5 of 2010. is it brilliant? no. is it eastwood's best? no. but it is damn good and better than most releases. is it a masterpiece? no. but it is a minor masterpiece.

'hereafter' touched my spirit.

Fall Film Releases With Oscar Hopes

October 22

Hereafter
Cast: Matt Damon, Cecile de France, Bryce Dallas Howard
Director: Clint Eastwood
Screenwriter: Peter Morgan
Distrib: WB

The Company Men
Cast: Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones, Craig T. Nelson, Rosemarie DeWitt
Director/Writer: John Wells
Distrib: The Weinstein Co.

November 5

127 Hours
Cast: James Franco
Director: Danny Boyle
Screenwriter: Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy (adaptation)
Distrib:Fox Searchlight

Fair Game
Cast: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn
Director: Doug Liman
Screenwriter: Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth (adaptation)
Distrib: Summit

For Colored Girls
Cast: Thandie Newton, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Whoopi Goldberg, Phylicia Rashad, Jurnee Smollett, Kimberly Elise, Kerry Washington, Loretta Devine, Macy Gray, Isaiah Mustafa
Director/Writer: Tyler Perry
Distrib: LionsGate

MegaMind
Feat. Voices of: Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, Jonah Hill, Ben Stiller
Director: Cameron Hood, Kyle Jefferson
Screenwriter: Alan Schoolcraft, Brent Simons
Distrib: Dreamworks

Welcome to the Rileys
Cast: James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo, Kristen Stewart
Director: Jake Scott
Screenwriter: Ken Hixon
Distrib: Samuel Goldwyn

November 12

Morning Glory
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton
Director: Roger Michell
Screenwriter: Aline Brosh McKenna
Distrib: Paramount

November 19

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson
Director: David Yates
Screenwriter: Steve Kloves
Script: Novel Adaptation
Distrib: WB

Made in Dagenham
Cast: Sally Hawkins, Miranda Richardson, Rosamund Pike, Geraldine James, Bob Hoskins
Director: Nigel Cole
Screenwriter: Billy Ivory
Distrib: Sony Classics
Next Three Days
Cast: Russell Crowe, ELizabeth Banks
Director/Screenwriter: Paul Haggis
Distrib: Lionsgate

November 24

Love and Other Drugs
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Judy Greer, Josh Gad
Director: Ed Zwick
Screenwriter: Charles Randolph
Script: Novel Adaptation
Distrib: Fox

The King's Speech
Cast: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter
Director: Tom Hooper
Screenwriter: David Seidler
Distrib: Weinstein Co.

Tangled
Voices: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi
Director: Byron Howard, Nathan Greno
Distrib: Walt Disney Pictures

November 26

The Fighter
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale
Director: David O'Russell
Distrib: Paramount

December 1

Black Swan
Cast: Natalie Portman, Winona Ryder Director: Darren Aronofsky
Script: Original Distrib: Fox Searchlight

December 10

The Chronicles of Narnia
Cast: Ben Barnes
Director: Michael Apted
Distrib: Fox

The Tourist
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Paul Bettany
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Screenwriter: Julian Fellowes, Christopher McQuarrie, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Distrib: Sony Pictures

The Tempest
Cast: Helen Mirren, Chris Cooper, Jeremy Irons, Reeve Carney, Djimon Hounsou, Russell Brand, Alfred Molina, Ben Wishaw, Felicity Jones, Geoffrey Rush
Director: Julie Taymor
Screenwriter: Julie Taymor
Distrib: Miramax

December 17

Everything You've Got
Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, Jack Nicholson
Director: James L. Brooks
Screenwriter: James L. Brooks

December 22

Somewhere
Cast: Elle Fanning, Stephen Dorff
Director/Screenwriter: Sofia Coppola
Distrib: Focus

December 25

True Grit
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin
Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Screenwriter: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Script: Novel Adaptation

December 29

Another Year
Cast: Lesley Manville, Ruth Sheen, Jim Broadbent
Director/Screenwriter: Mike Leigh
Distrib: Sony Classics

The Debt
Cast: Sam Worthington, Helen Mirren
Director: John Madden
Distrib: Miramax

December 31

Blue Valentine
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Screenwriter: Derek Cianfrance et al
Script: Original
Distrib: Weinstein Co.

'Hereafter' Opens Friday

4 teasers for 'hereafter'

Oscarbation: Outlook on Best Picture Nominees So Far

 the state of the race early on

The Leading 10:
1. The Social Network
2. The King’s Speech
3. Black Swan
4. 127 Hours
5. True Grit
6. The Kids Are All Right
7. Inception
8. Toy Story 3
9. The Fighter
10. For Colored Girls

a reminder: this time last year 'up in the air' stood at number 1

'The Social Network': ***stars

a likeable cast lifts lifts a story of mostly dislikable characters. and with all his whimsy and childish charm jesse eisenberg can't make facebook founder, well more like facebook thief, mark zuckerberg, any less despicable than he actually is/was.

still aaron sorkin authors an amazingly involving screenplay, brilliantly directed by david fincher and deftly edited by kirk baxter and angus wall. but this does not a 'best picture' make. well not for me at any rate.

the real kudos for me go to andrew garfield as the blindsided and betrayed eduardo saverin and armie hammer in the dual role of the less than shall i say intelligent winklevoss brothers, tyler and cameron, who are more brawn than brain. i actually thought real life twins were playing these real life twins. this is the best dual role play since hayley mills in 'the parent trap'. quite a feat mr. hammer.

okay the bottom line is this: if you are an oscarbater go see it. it will be nominated for multiple awards unless the next two and a half months bring multiple surprises which i doubt. but who knows? for me it's a nominee not a winner.  but then again 'the english patient', 'out of africa' and 'the hurt locker' were winners. so all bets off.

also ask yourself this: do you really really care enough about the history of facebook. truly i don't.

Oscarbation: 'The King's Speech'

it's getting praise and winning prizes on the festival circuit.so is colin. maybe the oscar he should have won last year is now within reach.

in wide release

the trailer

teaser

'Secretariat' Opens Today

i have a feeling this is not just another horse story. i'm hearing good things about it. and i love diane lane so i'm giving it a shot.

'City Island' Rates ***1/2stars

'city island' opened this past april with little or no fanfare and where it did open it disappeared quickly. unfortunately this is the fate of many films especially those labeled as 'art house' films. but thank the cinematic gods that they get a second life on home video.

'city island is a 'slice of life' film that begins and ends in a matter of days. at it's core is secrets. secrets kept and secrets exposed. at the center of it all is the brilliant performance of andy garcia in his best role to date. he is the dad in a secretive family. their secrets are non-malicious. they are kept out of love or just because the other characters think they are no big deal or because the owner of the secret thinks they are, simply put, silly.

this film is charming and delightful. that julianna margulies has her best film role to date makes it worth seeing even more. but have no doubt that this is andy garcia's movie. and he deserves an oscar nomination for it. in fact with the best picture field still at the ridiculous ten nominations the movie itself deserves a nom.

rent this film. you will hopefully be as pleasantly surprised as i was. i love finding these small gems. in an otherwise slim film year so far this small gem is a diamond.

trailer

 

'Beautiful Boy'

michael sheen and the oh so under-rated maria bello in this future 2010 release grabbed me.

trailer

'The Back Up Plan': **stars

i have a thing for jennifer lopez in her romantic comedies. i find her absolutely charming in them. even in this bit of a miss and mess she shines. alex o'laughlin is another charmer. they just have a lousy script to work with that's all too formula and familiar.

rent it on a rainy day. it will pass the time.