The Necessities of Life (MOD), Lion's Den (DVD) and Sherlock Holmes

I will say a few (and I mean a few) words on three movies that I just saw. Sorry, but I just don't have the time to write a lot.

I saw The Necessities of Life on IFC in Theaters on Demand. I must say that they have many good films and I recommend them highly. I believe that The Necessities of Life was Canada's entry for the Oscars a year or two ago. It is a very moving film. The film is directed by Benoit Pilon and the script is written by Bernard Emond. Tivii is an Eskimo who has tuberculous. He travels with his wife and children to a hospital in Quebec City but they have to go home. He is lonely and feels isolated because no one speaks his language and he doesn't speak French. He is befriended by a sympathetic nurse named Carole (Eveline Gelinas). And eventually he is introduced a young Inuit boy named Kaki (Paul Andre-Brasseur) and that cheers him up. The film is very well acted and very touching. Highly recommended.

I saw Lion's Den on DVD. It is directed by Pablo Trapero and takes place in Argentina. The protagonist Julia (Martina Gusman). Her ex lover is dead and her other ex lover Ramiro (Rodrigo Santoro) is badly wounded. Julia is sent to jail because the authorities blame her for the murder. She denies it but has no real recollection of what happened. She is also pregnant but does not think that Ramiro is the father. Lion's Den shows prison life of women who are mothers. When the children are four years old they are taken away. It so happens that Julia's mother Sofia (Elli Mederros) wants to take Julia's son away from her but Julia will not hear from it. Julia has a shoulder to cry on in Marta (Laura Garcia) who she met in prison. Lion's Den is a powerful look at prison life and how the justice system works in Argentina. All of the actors are good and Gusman is outstanding. I won't say more about the plot or what happens regarding the murder. I just recommend that you see the film.

Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes is more of an action film than a mystery. Robert Downey Jr. plays a disheveled Holmes who can't get his act together. Jude Law plays his faithful sidekick Dr. Watson. The look of the film is great and it is actually quite well done. But I prefer my Holmes without all of the violence. However, I am not the audience that the filmmakers wanted to appeal to. Rachel McAdams plays Irene Adler who is an ex lover of Holmes and (and who has lots of baggage). Eddie Marsan is an inspector and Mark Strong is the villain. Fine work by all and it is an entertaining film. But I prefer the old style Holmes myself.

A Single Man and The Young Victoria

Whew! At this time of the year there are just so many films coming out. So I will write a few words about the above two.

A Single Man is Tom Ford's first film and it is a beautiful but very sad film. It takes place in 1962. George (Colin Firth) is a gay man who is mourning the death of his longtime partner Jim (Matthew Goode - who we see in flashbacks). You have to remember that this is 1962 and it wouldn't be wise for George, who is a college professor, to come out of the closet.

George is beyond sadness. He makes the motions of living but he is barely alive. He takes some comfort from his friend Charley (Julianne Moore). George and Charley had a relationship a long time ago but that was before George came to the conclusion that he preferred his own sex. Charley wants to go back in time but that doesn't work. The other main character in the film is Kenny (Nicholas Hoult) who is one of George's students. He sees how depressed George is and wants to help.

Ford has made a terrific directorial debut. The film is based on a book by Christopher Isherwood. It is visually stunning and the music is just beautiful. Firth owns the film. You just feel George's pain. Firth's performance is very understated and subtle. I think that it is a given that he will get an Oscar nomination (he already has a few other noms already) and he won best actor at the Venice Film Festival. Moore is also wonderful in her small role. I hope that somehow she also gets some recognition.

The Young Victoria is a lovely film directed by Jean-Marc Vallee and written by Julian Fellowes. It is the story of the days leading up to Victoria becoming Queen of England and the next few years that follow her coronation.

Emily Blunt is very good as Victoria. She plays her with feisty gusto. She resents certain things that her mother - the Duchess of Kent (Miranda Richardson) does and she lets her know about it. The film is a bit of a history lesson but it is also a love story. And Victoria's life lights up when she meets her future husband Albert (Rupert Friend).

Besides the above mentioned actors the cast boasts Jim Broadbent as King William, Harriet Walter as his wife and Paul Bettany as Victoria's adviser Lord Melbourne. The film boasts beautiful costumes and sets. And it is just a joy to see Miranda Richardson on the big screen. We just don't see enough of her.

So, all in all, I had a splendid time at the movies.

Nine

Nine is actually better than I thought it would be. Based on the Broadway musical of the same name (which is based on Fellini's 8 1/2) the film isn't half bad. But, it could have been even better.

I did not like Rob Marshall's directing style. I think that if Julie Taymor (for example) had directed the film it would have been better. Most of the songs are not standouts. The only really good song is Be Italian. I don't know how some people have gone nuts over this score. But, getting back to Marshall, he made the film too glitzy for my taste.

Now onto the acting. Daniel Day-Lewis has been panned in many quarters. He was more than decent as Guido Contini. His accent was good and I although he didn't always feel Italian I think that he did a pretty good job. He would not be my first choice for the role - Javier Bardem would have been better but he dropped out. Antonio Banderas, who was in the Broadway revival, would have been good. But DDL did not deserve the drubbing that he got in many quarters. But because he is DDL he is held to a very high standard. So if he delivers an performance that is good but not Oscar worthy he gets flack for it.

Now onto the women. Penelope Cruz was the best one in the film. She is sexy and emotional as Guido's mistress Carla. I also liked Marion Cotillard's fine performance as Guido's long suffering wife Luisa. Judi Dench really was terrific in her musical number and proved that she can do anything as Guido's agen Lilli. I don't know if Fergie can act but she sure can sing and so she did as the prostitute Saraghina. Unfortunately, both Nicole Kidman and Sophia Loren were wasted because they didn't their roles as Guido's muse Claudia and his mother respectively were underwritten. And what can I say about Kate Hudson as the Vogue reporter Stephanie? I just don't think that she is a good actress.

So while I don't think that Nine is a great film I enjoyed it for what is was. And at least I wasn't disappointed.

Up in the Air

Up in the Air is, without a doubt, Jason Reitman's best film to date. And it is one of the best films of the year.

Reitman and Sheldon Turner adapted Walter Kirn's book. The protagonist is Ryan Bingham (George Clooney). Bingham is a man who lives out of suitcases. His firm hires out people like himself to fire people. Yes, that is right. Many of the head honchos of big corporations are too chicken shit to fire people so they hire someone else to do it.

Bingham needs no ties. But one day he meets another fast talker in the person of Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga). She is also on the go and the two get along famously. They meet when they can. Things are also changing at work. Bingham's boss Craig Gregory (Jason Bateman) has hired a bright young woman named Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) who propose that the firm can save a lot of money using video conferencing to fire people instead of sending the around the country to do it. Of course, the boss loves this idea. But Bingham proposed taking the young Natalie around the country to show her the ropes.

And that is all I will say about the plot. This film is very relevant for these times. There is a lot of humor in the film but there is also a lot of sadness. I have heard that many of those fired in the film are actually people who have been fired in real life (with the exception of J.K. Simmons of course). Clooney is terrific in the role. Farmiga is as good as always. And Kendrick is a talent to watch.

I don't want to say more about Up in the Air except that you should go and see it!

DVD Mini Review - (500) Days of Summer

When (500) Days of Summer came out I didn't see it at my local cinema. It looked okay but a bit too cute. But the critics loved it so I wanted to see it as soon as it came out on DVD. The verdict is that I liked it more than I though I would be it isn't as great as the critics said it was.

Director Marc Webb has fashioned an indie rom com that is a little bit different from other films. But it is not that much different. Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) meets Summer (Zooey Deschanel) when she starts working for his company. He immediately falls for her. She tells him right from the start that she isn't looking for commitment but he seems to be deaf. The film goes back and forth during the 500 days of their relationship (which is mostly on but sometimes off) or rather the time he spends being in it. That is the unique part of the film. But what happens during those days is typical of most relationship films.

The two actors have a nice chemistry and you can believe that they are a couple. The film belongs to Gordon-Levitt. He is very good in it and you can see that he is one of the finest young actors working today. You feel his joy and pain. I look forward to seeing what he does next.

So, yes, rent (500) Days of Summer. It works very well on DVD.

Avatar

What can I say about James Cameron's Avatar? There has been so much written about it already. I will say that I liked it better than his Titanic. That has to be the most overrated film ever made. I really did not have much interest in seeing Avatar but after seeing it this afternoon I must say that I am glad that I did.

I wanted to see it in 3D but the projector broke so I saw it in 2D. I am not a big fan of 3D and it was less money to see the 2D version. The story itself is not a new one. A country/people trying to ruin a land of indigenous people. It is a typical story of greed and power. The screenplay is not spectacular and the dialog is ordinary. And the acting (by Sigourney Weaver and Sam Worthington among others) is okay. But this is not a film about writing and acting. It is about visuals. And what beautiful visuals there are. Cameron and his crew have created a beautiful land of forests and creatures that we have not seen before. And that is why it is worth it to see this film on the big screen. It is a feast for the eyes.

The first ninety minutes or so of the film are most interesting. However, the last part of the film is a letdown. The final battle sequence is way too long and, therefore, making the film too long. It should have been cut down.

But still and all I recommend Avatar for those of you who want to see something visually special. And, yes, there is a message in there as well. Humans must stop ruining this (and perhaps other) planet(s)!

Mammoth (MOD)

I watched Lukas Moodysson's latest film Mammoth on Movies on Demand last night. It did not get good reviews but I thought that it was a good, but not great, film. It held my attention and I was not bored.

New York City power couple Leo (Gael Garcia Bernal) and Ellen (Michelle Williams) appear to be happy. He is some kind of creator/computer genius. She is a surgeon. They have a young daughter Jackie (Sophie Nyweide). When the film begins Leo is off to Thailand to make a deal for one of his creations. Ellen will soon be off to the hospital to work her shift. Jackie is taken care of by her nanny Gloria (Marife Necesito). It seems that Jackie is more attached to Gloria than her mother. And it is no wonder - she spends more time with Gloria.

The film goes back and forth between NYC and Bangkok. Leo is lonely and wants this deal to come through quickly. He is also lonely and takes off by himself. He becomes involved with a prostitute named Cookie (Run Srinikornchot). Of course, this will never amount to anything real.

Some of the film also takes place in Gloria's homeland The Philippines. We see how her sons live and we find out that she is in the US to help her sons have a better life. There is also one more strand to the film - a young boy with multiple stab wounds that Ellen tries to save.

So we see that things are connected. Moodysson does a good job structuring the film but he is not on the level of the great Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. But still and all, Mammoth (which is named for the elephant) is worth seeing. In the end, people do things to help their children but it might not be the best thing to do. Human contact and love are more important than material wealth.

Broken Embraces

Broken Embraces is the terrific new film by Pedro Almodovar. And when you see one of this films you know that you are seeing real cinema.

The film is the story of Mateo Blanco/Harry Caine (Lluis Homar). Yes, he is the same man. Something in his life made him chose a second name. Although many critics have revealed the plot I do not want to. It spoils things for those who have not seen it. Playing into the story is a woman named Lena (Penelope Cruz) who Mateo/Harry becomes involved in. She is the mistress of a very wealthy man named Ernesto Martel (Jose Luis Gomez). Mateo/Harry has a very devoted and over protective agent named Judit Garcia (Blanca Portillo). Her son Diego (Tomar Novar) helps Mateo/Harry out with his work. And the mysterious Ray X (Ruben Ochandiano) wants to work with our protagonist as well.

How all of these characters fit together is for you to find out. The film is a wonderful noir with melodrama running throughout. There is something old fashioned about the film. Well, for one thing there are no special effects. You need to pay attention to the details or you might miss something. The film is intelligent, suspenseful and great to look at. And those are the ingredients that make up an Almodovar film. Cruz shines as Lena but the whole cast is great. It is truly an ensemble piece. The great Angela Molina turns up as Lena's mother.

So do yourself a favor and see this film. Foreign films are not doing well these days. People are lazy and do not want to read subtitles. So please support as many (good) foreign films as you can.

DVD Mini Review - The Headless Woman

The Headless Woman, directed by Argentinian Lucretia Martel, is an interesting film. In the hands of another director it could have been a great film. However, Martel's directing style is such that leaves one wanting for more.

The film starts out a bit confusing and I think that this is done on purpose. We see some lower class kids - probably of Indian extract - playing in rural Argentina. Then we see a gathering of upper middle class people talking about being upset about a pool being built near a vet's office because there are turtles around. Does this make any sense to you? These people appear to be very shallow. We then see one of the upper class people, Veronica (Maria Onetto) (who happens to be a dentist) drive off. When her cell phone rings she reaches for it. But she doesn't get to answer it because she has apparently run over something. We see a dog in the distance (there was a dog with the kids at the beginning). Veronica is in shock and loses her memory. But it comes back after she realizes that she ran over something.

I won't say what happens next. But I think that the film is an interesting (there is that word again) exploration of how things go for you depending upon what class you are in. For my mind it doesn't go far enough but it is certainly a good enough film for a DVD rental. And it is anchored by Onetto's amazing performance. She really carries the film as a woman who doesn't know where to put herself.

Check this one out on DVD.

SAG Nominations

Ensemble
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Nine
Precious

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabby Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds
Mo’Nique, Precious


TV:
Simon Baker, The Mentalist
Brian Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
John Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House

Actress:
Patricia Arquette, Medium
Glenn Close, The Closer
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order SVU
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Julianna Margulies
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Ensemble:
The Closer
Dexter
The Good Wife
Man Men
True Blood

Actress, Comedy
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who
Toni Collette, United States of Tara
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis Dreyfuss, The New Adventures of Old Christine

Supporting Actor, Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Tony Shaloub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

Ensemble
30 Rock
Curb
Glee
Modern Family
The Office

Miniseries:
Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
Cuba Gooding, Jr., Gifted Hands
Jeremy Irons, Georgia O’Keefe
Kevin Kline, Cyrano de Bergerac
Tom Wilkinson, A Number

Actress, Miniseries
Joan Allen, Georgia O’Keefe
Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
Ruby Dee, America
Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens
Sigourney Weaver, Prayers for Bobby

Golden Globe Nominations

Best Motion Picture -- Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air


Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sadibe, Precious

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -- Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers


Best Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It's Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Meryl Streep, It's Complicated
Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia
Julia Roberts, Duplicity

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture -- Musical or Comedy
Matt Damon, The Informant
Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mo-Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Penelope Cruz, Nine


Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Matt Damon, Invictus
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Christopher Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger



Best Animated Feature Film
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
The Princess and the Frog
Up


Best Foreign Language Film
Barria
Broken Embraces
A Prophet
The White Ribbon
The Maid


Best Director -- Motion Picture
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds


Best Screenplay -- Motion Picture
Up in the Air
It's Complicated
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglorious Basterds


Best Original Score -- Motion Picture
Michael Giacchino, Up
Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant
James Horner, Avatar
Abel Krozeniowski, A Single Man
Karen O. and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are

Best Original Song -- Motion Picture
"I Will See You," Avatar
"The Weary Kind," The Crazy Heart
"Winter," Brothers
"Cinema Italiano," Nine
"I Want to Come Home," Everybody's Fine

New York Film Critics Circle Award Winners

The 2009 New York Film Critics’ Circle Award Winners:

Best Film
“The Hurt Locker”

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow for “The Hurt Locker”

Best Screenplay
“In the Loop”

Best Actress
Meryl Streep for “Julie & Julia”

Best Actor
George Clooney for “Up In The Air” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox”

Best Supporting Actress
Mo’Nique for “Precious”

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz for “Inglourious Basterds”

Best Cinematography
Christian Berger for “The White Ribbon”

Best Animated Film
“Fantastic Mr. Fox”

Best Non-fiction Film
“Of Time and the City”

Best Foreign Language Film
“Summer Hours”

Best First Feature
“Hunger,” director Steve McQueen

Special Award
To Andrew Sarris for his contribution to film criticism

Critics' Choice Nominees

NOMINEES FOR THE 15TH ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE MOVIE AWARDS

BEST PICTURE

* Avatar
* An Education
* The Hurt Locker
* Inglourious Basterds
* Invictus
* Nine
* Precious
* A Serious Man
* Up
* Up In The Air

BEST ACTOR

* Jeff Bridges – “Crazy Heart”
* George Clooney – “Up In The Air”
* Colin Firth – “A Single Man”
* Morgan Freeman – “Invictus”
* Viggo Mortensen – “The Road”
* Jeremy Renner – “The Hurt Locker”

BEST ACTRESS

* Emily Blunt – “The Young Victoria”
* Sandra Bullock – “The Blind Side”
* Carey Mulligan – “An Education”
* Saoirse Ronan – “The Lovely Bones”
* Gabourey Sidibe – “Precious”
* Meryl Streep – “Julie & Julia”



BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

* Matt Damon – “Invictus”
* Woody Harrelson – “The Messenger”
* Christian McKay – “Me And Orson Welles”
* Alfred Molina – “An Education”
* Stanley Tucci – “The Lovely Bones”
* Christoph Waltz – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

* Marion Cotillard – “Nine”
* Vera Farmiga – “Up In The Air”
* Anna Kendrick – “Up In The Air”
* Mo’Nique – “Precious”
* Julianne Moore – “A Single Man”
* Samantha Morton – “The Messenger”

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS

* Jae Head – “The Blind Side”
* Bailee Madison – “Brothers”
* Max Records – “Where The Wild Things Are”
* Saoirse Ronan – “The Lovely Bones”
* Kodi Smit-McPhee – “The Road”

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

* Inglourious Basterds
* Nine
* Precious
* Star Trek
* Up In The Air

BEST DIRECTING

* Kathryn Bigelow – “The Hurt Locker”
* James Cameron – “Avatar”
* Lee Daniels – “Precious”
* Clint Eastwood – “Invictus”
* Jason Reitman – “Up In The Air”
* Quentin Tarantino – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

* Mark Boal – “The Hurt Locker”
* Joel Coen & Ethan Coen – “A Serious Man”
* Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber – “(500) Days Of Summer”
* Bob Peterson, Peter Docter – “Up”
* Quentin Tarantino – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

* Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach – “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
* Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell – “District 9”
* Geoffrey Fletcher – “Precious”
* Tom Ford, David Scearce – “A Single Man”
* Nick Hornby – “An Education”
* Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner – “Up In The Air”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

* Barry Ackroyd – “The Hurt Locker”
* Dion Beebe – “Nine”
* Mauro Fiore – “Avatar”
* Andrew Lesnie – “The Lovely Bones”
* Robert Richardson – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST ART DIRECTION

* Dan Bishop – “A Single Man”
* Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg – “Avatar”
* John Myhre, Gordon Sim – “Nine”
* Naomi Shohan, George De Titta, Jr. – “The Lovely Bones”
* David Wasco, Sandy Reynolds Wasco – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST EDITING

* Dana E. Glauberman – “Up In The Air”
* Sally Menke – “Inglourious Basterds”
* Bob Murawski, Chris Innis – “The Hurt Locker”
* Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua, James Cameron – “Avatar”
* Claire Simpson, Wyatt Smith – “Nine”

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

* Colleen Atwood – “Nine”
* Janet Patterson – “Bright Star”
* Sandy Powell – “The Young Victoria”
* Anna Sheppard – “Inglourious Basterds”
* Casey Storm – “Where The Wild Things Are”

BEST MAKEUP

* Avatar
* District 9
* Nine
* The Road
* Star Trek

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

* Avatar
* District 9
* The Lovely Bones
* Star Trek
* 2012

BEST SOUND

* Avatar
* District 9
* The Hurt Locker
* Nine
* Star Trek

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

* Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
* Coraline
* Fantastic Mr. Fox
* Princess And The Frog
* Up

BEST ACTION MOVIE

* Avatar
* District 9
* The Hurt Locker
* Inglourious Basterds
* Star Trek

BEST COMEDY

* (500) Days Of Summer
* The Hangover
* It’s Complicated
* The Proposal
* Zombieland

BEST PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

* Gifted Hands
* Grey Gardens
* Into The Storm
* Taking Chance

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

* Broken Embraces
* Coco Before Chanel
* Red Cliff
* Sin Nombre
* The White Ribbon

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

* Anvil
* Capitalism: A Love Story
* The Cove
* Food, Inc.
* Michael Jackson’s This Is It

BEST SONG

* “All Is Love” – Karen O, Nick Zinner – “Where The Wild Things Are”
* “Almost There” – Randy Newman – “The Princess And The Frog”
* “Cinema Italiano” – Maury Yeston – “Nine”
* “(I Want To) Come Home” – Paul McCartney – “Everybody’s Fine”
* “The Weary Kind” – T Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham – “Crazy Heart”

BEST SCORE

* Michael Giacchino – “Up”
* Marvin Hamlisch – “The Informant!”
* Randy Newman – “The Princess and the Frog”
* Karen O, Carter Burwell – “Where The Wild Things Are”
* Hans Zimmer – “Sherlock Holmes”

LA Film Critics Winners

PICTURE: "The Hurt Locker"

Runner-up: "Up in the Air"

DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"

Runner-up: Michael Haneke, "The White Ribbon"

ACTRESS: Yolande Moreau, "Séraphine"

Runner-up: Carey Mulligan, "An Education"

ACTOR: Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"

Runner-up: Colin Firth, "A Single Man"

ANIMATION: "Fantastic Mr. Fox"

Runner-up: “Up"

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: "Summer Hours"

Runner-up: "The White Ribbon"

NEW GENERATION: Neill Blomkamp, "District 9"

MUSIC/SCORE: T-Bone Burnett and Stephen Bruton, "Crazy Heart"

Runner-up: Alexandre Desplat, "Fantastic Mr. Fox"

PRODUCTION DESIGN: Philip Ivey, "District 9"

Runner-up: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg, "Avatar"

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Christian Berger, "The White Ribbon"

Runner-up: Barry Ackroyd, "The Hurt Locker"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Mo'Nique, "Precious"

Runner-up: Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"

SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"

Runner-up: Peter Capaldi, "In the Loop"

SCREENPLAY: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, “Up in the Air"

Runner-up: Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche, "In the Loop"

DOCUMENTARY / NON-FICTION FILM: "The Beaches of Agnès" and "The Cove" (tie)

DOUGLAS E. EDWARDS INDEPENDENT/EXPERIMENTAL FILM/VIDEO: Anders Edstrom and C.W. Winter, "The Anchorage"

A Bunch of Reviews

I have had computer problems and could not be on line. I am very behind with everything so I will write just a few words about a few films.

Red Cliff - John Woo's epic was nice too look at but a little too bloody. It could have been shorter. But there were great moments of beauty and I really like Tony Leung so it was worth seeing.

A French Gigolo (MOD) - Josiane Belasco directed this interesting film starring Nathalie Baye as a well off middle aged woman who pays young men for sex. Belasco plays her older sister who is looking for something more substantial. I really
liked this film.

Brothers - This is a remake of a Danish film of the same name that was directed by Susan Bier. Although not as good as the original, Jim Sheridan's version is still very good. Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal play brothers. Maguire's character is serving his country in the middle east while Gyllenhaal's character just got released from prison. When Maguire's character is presumed dead his brother gets close to his wife - played by Natalie Portman. Sam Shepard plays the men's tough as nails father. This film shows a great deal of emotion. There can never be enough films about the horrors of war - although I thought that The Messenger was even better. But Brothers is a very satisfying film and just one more reason for me to like Jim Sheridan so much.

Lolita's Club (DVD) - Based on the novel, this Spanish film stars Edaurdo Noriega as twin brothers. Raul is a cop with a lot of problems. Valentin is a simple minded fellow with a big heart. Noriega is very good in this sexy thriller.

The Road - Based on Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road is one of the best films of the year. A splendid Viggo Mortensen plays a man who is trying, with his young son (Kodi Smit McPhee) to survive some type of catastrophe. This is the real deal and not some zombie science fiction film. There is a possibility of this really happening. The whole cast, which also includes Charlize Theron and Robert Duval, are terrific. A must see.

Me & Orson Welles - Richard Linklater's new film is most interesting. It focuses on when Orson Welles (Christopher McKay) was staging a version of Julius Caesar on Broadway in 1937. Zac Efron is the young aspiring actor who is chosen by Welles to be a part of the play. Claire Danes plays the young man's love interest. McKay really shines as Welles and I also really liked Eddie Marsan and Ben Chapman.

Invictus - Invictus is Clint Eastwood's new film. Oh, he is not in the film but he produced and directed it. It is quite a powerful film that deals with forgiveness and healing. Morgan Freeman is wonderful as Nelson Mandela. Even though white people jailed Mandela for almost thirty years he wants to bring the country together. And what better way to bring them together than through rugby. Matt Damon plays Francois Pienaar, the captain of South Africa's rugby team. To be honest with you, rugby is not my cup of tea. It is way too violent. But the film is so inspirational that it didn't matter much to me. I felt good when I left the theater.

DVD Mini Review - Into the Storm

I have had major computer virus problems and I am now back in action. But right now I do not want to stay on the computer all that much. It has been quite stressful. So just a few words about the Emmy award winning HBO film Into the Storm.

I guess that Into the Storm picks up where The Gathering Storm left off. Britain is involved with the war and not everyone supports Winston Churchill (Brendan Gleeson). It is a trying time for him. But he stands by his guns. He also tries to convince Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Len Cariou) to join him against the Nazis. The war takes its toll on his marriage to Clemmie (Janet McTeer) but they stick together until the end.

I liked the film but not as much as The Gathering Storm. Thaddeus O'Sullivan does a good job of directing the film but I think it might have been better as a mini series. It is good but it could have been great. Gleeson is a great actor and he gets the voice to a tee. But he didn't capture Churchill's look as well as Albert Finney did. I liked McTeer and Cariou.

While not as outstanding as I hoped it would be I still think that Into the Storm is worth seeing on DVD.

National Board of Review Winners

Best Film:
Up In The Air

Top Eleven Films (In alphabetical order):
An Education
(500) Days Of Summer
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Star Trek
Up
Up In The Air
Where The Wild Things Are

Best Director:
Clint Eastwood, Invictus

Best Actor:
Morgan Freeman, Invictus and George Clooney, Up In The Air (tie)

Best Actress:
Carey Mulligan, An Education

Best Supporting Actor:
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Best Supporting Actress:
Anna Kendrick, Up In The Air

Best Foreign Film:
A Prophet

Best Documentary:
The Cove

Best Animated Feature:
Up

Best Ensemble Cast:
It’s Complicated

Breakthrough Performance by an Actor:
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Breakthrough Performance by an Actress:
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Spotlight Award for Best Directorial Debut:
Duncan Jones, Moon, Oren Moverman,
The Messenger and Marc Webb, 500 Days of Summer (tie)

Best Original Screenplay:
Joel & Ethan Coen, A Serious Man

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up In The Air

Special Filmmaking Achievement Award:
Wes Anderson, The Fantastic Mr. Fox

William K. Everson Film History Award:
Jean Picker Firstenberg

NBR Freedom of Expression:
Burma Vj: Reporting From A Closed Country,
Invictus,
The Most Dangerous Man In America: Daniel Ellseberg And The Pentagon Papers

Top Ten Independent Films (In alphabetical order):
Amreeka
District 9
Goodbye Solo
Humpday
In The Loop
Julia
Me And Orson Welles
Moon
Sugar
Two Lovers

Top Six Foreign Films (In alphabetical order):
The Maid
A Prophet
Revanche
Song Of Sparrows
Three Monkeys
The White Ribbon

Top Six Documentary Films (In alphabetical order):
Burma Vj: Reporting From A Closed Country
The Cove
Crude
Food, Inc.
Good Hair
The Most Dangerous Man In America: Daniel Ellsberg And The Pentagon Papers

Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer, Executive Producers are not listed)

(500) Days Of Summer
Producers: Mason Novick, Jessica Tuchinsky, Mark Waters, Steven J. Wolfe
-------------------- ---------------------------------------
Amreeka
Producers: Paul Barkin, Christina Piovesan
------- ---------------------------------
Precious
Producers: Lee Daniels, Gary Magness, Sarah Siegel-Magness
-------- -------------------------------------
Sin Nombre
Producer: Amy Kaufman
---------- ---------------------
The Last Station
Producers: Bonnie Arnold, Chris Curling, Jens Meuer
---------------- ----------------------------------------

BEST DIRECTOR

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
A Serious Man
--------------------- -------------
Lee Daniels
Precious
----------- --------
Cary Joji Fukunaga
Sin Nombre
------------------ ----------
James Gray
Two Lovers
---------- ----------
Michael Hoffman
The Last Station
--------------- ----------------
BEST SCREENPLAY

Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman
The Messenger
---------------------- -------------
Michael Hoffman
The Last Station
--------------- ----------------
Lee Toland Krieger
The Vicious Kind
------------------ ----------------
Greg Mottola
Adventureland
------------ -------------
Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber
(500) Days Of Summer
---------------------------- --------------------
BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)

A Single Man
Director: Tom Ford
Producers: Tom Ford, Andrew Miano, Robert Salerno, Chris Weitz
------------ -----------------------------------------
Crazy Heart
Director: Scott Cooper
Producers: T Bone Burnett, Judy Cairo, Rob Carliner, Scott Cooper, Robert Duvall
----------- --------------------------------------
Easier With Practice
Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez
Producer: Cookie Carosella
-------------------- --------------------------
Paranormal Activity
Director: Oren Peli
Producer: Jason Blum, Oren Peli
------------------- -------------------------------
The Messenger
Director: Oren Moverman
Producers: Mark Gordon, Lawrence Inglee,
Zach Miller
------------- ----------------------------------------
BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Sophie Barthes
Cold Souls
-------------- ----------
Scott Cooper
Crazy Heart
------------ -----------
Cherien Dabis
Amreeka
------------- -------
Geoffrey Fletcher
Precious
----------------- --------
Tom Ford, David Scearce
A Single Man
----------------------- ------------
JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD - Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director, and producer. Executive Producers are not listed


Big Fan
Writer/Director: Robert Siegel
Producers: Elan Bogarin, Jean Kouremetis
------- ----------------------------------------
Humpday
Writer/Director/Producer: Lynn Shelton
------- --------------------------------------
The New Year Parade
Writer/Director: Tom Quinn
Producers: Steve Beal, Tom Quinn
------------------- --------------------------------
Treeless Mountain
Writer/Director: So Yong Kim
Producers: Bradley Rust Gray, Ben Howe,
So Yong Kim, Lars Knudsen, Jay Van Hoy
----------------- ---------------------------------------
Zero Bridge
Writer/Director: Tariq Tapa
Producers: Josee Lajoie, Hilal Ahmed
Langoo, Tariq Tapa
----------- ------------------------------------
BEST FEMALE LEAD

Maria Bello Downloading Nancy
----------- -----------------
Nisreen Faour Amreeka
------------- -------
Helen Mirren The Last Station
------------ ----------------
Gwyneth Paltrow Two Lovers
--------------- ----------
Gabourey Sidibe Precious
--------------- --------
BEST MALE LEAD


Jeff Bridges
Crazy Heart
------------ -----------
Colin Firth
A Single Man
----------- ------------
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
(500) Days Of Summer
-------------------- --------------------
Souleymane Sy Savane
Goodbye Solo
-------------------- ------------
Adam Scott
The Vicious Kind
---------- ----------------
BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Dina Korzun
Cold Souls
----------- ----------
Mo'Nique
Precious
-------- --------
Samantha Morton
The Messenger
--------------- -------------
Natalie Press
Fifty Dead Men Walking
------------- ----------------------
Mia Wasikowska
That Evening Sun
-------------- ----------------
BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Jemaine Clement
Gentlemen Broncos
--------------- -----------------
Woody Harrelson
The Messenger
--------------- -------------
Christian McKay
Me and Orson Welles
--------------- -------------------
Raymond McKinnon
That Evening Sun
---------------- ----------------
Christopher Plummer
The Last Station
------------------- ----------------
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Roger Deakins
A Serious Man
------------- -------------
Adriano Goldman
Sin Nombre
--------------- ----------
Anne Misawa
Treeless Mountain
----------- -----------------
Andrij Parekh
Cold Souls
------------- ----------
Peter Zeitlinger
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
---------------- ----------------------------------------
BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)

Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Director: Sacha Gervasi
------------------------- -----------------------
Food, Inc.
Director: Robert Kenner
---------- -----------------------
More Than A Game
Director: Kristopher Belman
---------------- ---------------------------
October Country
Directors: Donal Mosher, Michael Palmieri
--------------- --------------------------------
Which Way Home
Director: Rebecca Cammisa
-------------- -------------------------
BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)

A Prophet
Director: Jacques Audiard (France)
-------- -------------------------
An Education
Director: Lone Scherfig (UK/France)
----------- -----------------------
Everlasting Moments
Director: Jan Troell (Sweden)
-------- --------------------
Mother
Director: Bong Joon-Ho (South Korea)
------------- ----------------------
The Maid
Director: Sebastian Silva (Chile)
------- -------------------------

ACURA SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD - The 16th annual Acura Someone to Watch Award recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Acura.



Kyle Patrick Alvarez
Easier With Practice
-------------------- --------------------
Asiel Norton
Redland
------------ -------
Tariq Tapa
Zero Bridge
---------- -----------

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD - The 15th annual Truer Than Fiction Award is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.

Natalia Almada
El General
-------------- ----------
Jessica Oreck
Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo
------------- ---------------------------
Bill Ross, Turner Ross
45365
---------------------- -----
PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD - The 13th annual Piaget Producers Award honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.


Karin Chien
The Exploding Girl, Santa Mesa
----------- ------------------------------
Larry Fessenden
I Sell the Dead, The House of the Devil
--------------- ---------------------------------------
Dia Sokol
Beeswax, Nights & Weekends
--------- --------------------------
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD - (Given to one film's director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)

A Serious Man
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Casting Directors: Ellen Chenoweth, Rachel Tenner
Ensemble Cast: Richard Kind, Sari Lennick, Jessica McManus, Fred Melamed,
Michael Stuhlbarg, Aaron Wolff
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