Doubt

Doubt
Starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams & Viola Davis

John Patrick Shanley's 2005 Pulitzer and Tony-winning play, "Doubt, a Parable," comes to the big screen with a smaller name (just drop the "a Parable" part) breathing life into the four-character original. Next to "Hamlet" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Shanley has written one of the best plays of all time - no over-exaggeration. It is perfect. So, it's worrisome to watch a sheer masterpiece on the big screen with big names: Streep, Hoffman, Adams. "Doubt" in the cinematic form is not perfection, however Shanley's screenplay portrays St. Nicholas Catholic School in a way the play only imagined, said with both approbation and uneasiness.

This story is a tricky one to adjust. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Father Brendan Flynn, a cordial, jolly priest who gains the trust of the community, the audience and his colleagues. This role is thrown into a sticky situation due to Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep), and must be interpreted with much care. Aloysius, the school's principal and Flynn's inferior, speculates that he has involved himself in inappropriate relations with one or more of her students. Hoffman's job is to gain the trust of the audience by seeming... normal. Shanley's script allows for slight creepiness to ooze out of Flynn (i.e. long fingernails and Kool-aid and cookies), but it must be subtle enough for the trust to remain. Hoffman succeeds in this task. Though many doubted the casting for Flynn, this man tackles the role like he always does.

Sister Aloysius is another role that can go terribly in the wrong direction. Honestly, the previews showed her loud, vicious side which should only come out a few times. Streep keeps her character in control, but also gives Aloysius more humanness than expected, which was very pleasing. She did not become an unbeatable force. She has weaknesses, hidden through a clouded window. The Queen of Holloywood illustrates that age will never bring her down, and I hope she earns her third Oscar for this terrific and commanding performance.

As for Viola Davis' Mrs. Miller (formerly known as Muller in the play) and Amy Adams' Sister James, Adams wins by a long shot despite all the critics' opinions. We know Adams can play the innocent, naive character ("Junebug," "Enchanted," and "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day"), and she delights us one more time as the young nun who is the go-between for Aloysius and Flynn. Though she has been nominated for a Golden Globe and a SAG, just like Davis, Adams is still underrated. Sister James is the keystone to "Doubt." She represents the audience. She embodies the adjective, "wishy-washy," which may seem like a weakness, but is in fact the essence of this movie. To doubt yourself and others is to think anew. One can either keep on believing the same thing, doing the same routine, remaining innocent, or one can change. James' psychological transformation is beautiful and sad. Because Aloysius brought the woman into a world of doubt and uncertainty, a world she can never revisit, James has new ideas and thoughts - she doubts. We, the audience, are the same as she. We are unsure of Flynn and Aloysius. We follow James, and maybe believe her more above her superiors.

Mrs. Miller, the mother of the black boy supposedly involved with Father Flynn, commands one single scene. Viola Davis arrives as the only character completely sure of themselves, even if everything else is askew. The virtually unknown actress dominates Streep, but only because the script allows her too. The woman is excellent, but overrated with the world of cinema. This woman gave a powerful performance, full of profundity on countless levels, but deserves no award over Adams as the supporting lady.

The play was Shanley's masterpiece, his baby; he had to take control in the film adaptation. Any sane person would have. However, some of his decisions in the adaptation took the story down different paths. It was the slight changes that stirred in me. The lines he cut that should have been savored and a few actions that weren't played out. Perhaps they were minuscule items that bothered him. With polished cinematography and angles that can only be defined as tipsy, the feel of the film serves as excellent and a bit unnerving.

In bringing a jewel of the stage to life on the screen, there will be some stains and spots, however, Shanley and the eternally memorable cast keep "Doubt" priceless.

Grade: A

Marley & Me

Marley & Me
Starring Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston, Eric Dane, Alan Arkin & Kathleen Turner

Marley is a dog. "Marley & Me" is a dog movie that does not include computer animation or dogs that can talk - even to themselves - and so, it's a good movie to me. However, there are some glitches to this canine blockbuster.

First of all, Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston play the roles of John and Jen Grogan (John wrote the novel with the same title, thus "Marley & Me" is a true story). Both are job-driven, both are writers, and both are in love with each other. Their film is about the struggles of marriage, children, and, ultimately, their yellow lab. Marley, no matter how many times the dog changes, is the critical role in the film. He drives every scene and steals them. Wilson and Aniston merely try to outshine the dog, but fail nearly every time.

A few instances appear in this film where the two actors have moments of average performances. Aniston creates an irritating, nagging housewife that is both aggravating and empathetic. Wilson is his usual self for the most part, but really lets loose in Marley's final moments on the screen. The words the dog-owner says to his beloved pooch are heartbreaking, and even though they're cliched, will make everyone in the audience run home crying to their dog who probably pissed everywhere.

Other than Marley, Alan Arkin as John's boss lights up the screen in a fairly dull film, just like he did in "Get Smart", Kathleen Turner has a scene stealer as the dog trainer unable to train Marley (though it's only for about five minutes), and Eric Dane serves as a doppelganger for John.

The first hour-and-a-half are full of partial laughs and cutesy scenes. John and Jen have kids who don't speak until they're about 8 years old, Marley grows up, getting himself into even more trouble, and the Grogan's move to Pennsylvania. The last half hour is terribly realistic - not sure if children can handle the intensity of Marley's passing, and so I recommend this film to families as long as you know what you're getting yourself into.

P.S. Owen Wilson, either accidentally or purposely, said called Eric Dane's Sebastian by "Eric" and not "Sebastian" in a scene near the end of the film. Nice editing, guys.

Grade: C+

Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire
Starring Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kanpoor, Irrfan Khan, Madhur Mittal & Ayush Mahesh Khedekar

Out of all the films that have been released this year, Danny Boyle's unforeseen yet palpable masterpiece will win the naked golden man as the best movie of the year. "Slumdog Millionaire" is a rare occasion. Pop culture and a Dickensian tale never seemed so perfect together. It's a story of rock-bottom desperation, desperate love, and a romance retelling every love story out there. It's tainted with hardships most could never comprehend, but settles in memory as pure, weightless, effortless.

Jamal Malik, a young so-called "slumdog", finds himself on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" hosted cunningly by Anil Kanpoor who draws Regis Philbin, giving him claws. Jamal is one question away from winning the game, however, being of a unfortunate lifestyle, he's taken into custody and questioned as to how he knows all of the answers. Consequently and simultaneously, we discover both how Jamal knows the answers of the game show (such as "What U.S. president is on the one-hundred dollar bill?") and the young man's life story - which, of course, is the point of the film.

The movie opens with a question, at the time unanswerable, and ends with the answer - brilliantly, might I add. The script boils the theme of fate; that certain situations are meant to be, nothing is coincidence, and that some events are written. Jamal's life, full of such adversity, from both his society and surroundings, but most effectively, his older brother Salim. Salim's character, envious of Jamal's goodness and compassion, forces situations in which his younger brother must struggle through. Yet, Jamal never loses hope or sight of his true ambition: to find his long-lost love: Latika.

Spanning about fifteen years or more, Jamal, Salim, and Latika are played by three different performers of different ages. This can be problematic for some films, however with excellent casting and brilliant directing, "Slumdog's" three generation characters shine on their own and in their own light. Latika begins as a lost soul (Rubiana Ali), a girl with no parents and no where to go. She then forms into a beautiful young girl (Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar), about to be tainted by profiteers selling her to the highest bidder, and finally grows into the stunning woman of Jamal's dreams played glamorously by Freida Pinto. All three Salim's (Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala, and Madhur Mittal) portray a struggling brother who loses himself to the horrors and temptations of the slums. He is the Cain to Jamal's Abel, though the parable works a bit differently here.

Yet, the real power of the three actors irradiates off of the Jamal's. The youngest, played by Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, brings an unstoppable innocence and happiness to the shit that covers his life (and his entire body). He smiles and you can't help but give into his infection. The middle Jamal (Tanay Chheda) had a rough road ahead of him after such an enthralling performance by Khedekar, however, once he arrived at the Taj Mahal, Chheda overpowered us with slyness and skill. As for Dev Patel as the oldest Jamal, he allows the character a quietness mirroring his patience and his longing for Lakita. There isn't much that surprises him, though his will to find her overcomes him in an instant. He delivers a great performance for such a young, unknown actor.

Danny Boyle, the director, gives this year a world of reality and hope; something that is so polluted, it seems nothing good can come out of it. Yet, it does. A true fairy tale without the glitz and cliche, "Slumdog Millionaire" is this year's dog to bite and beat. But I doubt it will happen.

Grade: A+

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Julia Ormond, Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton, Jared Harris & Mahershalalhashbaz Ali

David Fincher's epic masterwork known as "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," allows life and death, love and wrinkles, to stretch across the screen in a timeless tale of an unusual boy turning man turning boy. Universality in the unique - this is what sticks you in your seat, what makes a near three hours feel like ten minutes.

It's astonishing how you know exactly what will come, what will pass, but how you yearn to know how. Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) ages backwards, but is as ordinary as a person of a different color, religion, sexuality, or even someone who can't see. It's just how he was made. His heart aches, he's determined, he wants to see the world, and he realizes that everything doesn't matter if you don't love. That's where Cate Blanchet's Daisy comes into the picture. Daisy, about six years younger than Benjamin, ages normally, which causes a disturbance in their relationship, but no more than someone nervous saying "I love you". Time goes on, he's younger looking, she's older looking, and more time passes. History plays its mesmerizing role as backdrop as we follow Benjamin's disappearing gray hair.

Pitt excels his acting credibility as Button. With an oxymoronic exterior, he thrusts his appropriate age with subtlety. Blanchett delivers a lively performance of various degrees of a life, just as smooth as Pitt's, though not as surprising. The supporting cast does just what the name calls for. Tilda Swinton and Jared Harris are the most profound characters Benjamin meets on his bildungsroman travels, introducing him to sex and alcohol, however Taraji P. Henson as Queenie, Benjamin's mother, and Julia Ormond as Caroline, Daisy's daughter, showcase themselves with scenes full of affection and feeling.

Life, as taught by "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," isn't about the oddities and obstacles; it's about how you grow and how you jump. The opportunites that pass on by and the ones that you take. The moments. The love. The memory.

Grade: A

A Christmas Story - Top 24 Quotes

To celebrate the year's most glorious 24 hours on television, here's the Top 24 Quotes of the most amazing Christmas movie ever made: "A Christmas Story"...

1. Daddy's gonna kill Ralphie!
2. Frah-gee-lay. It must be Italian.
3. Be sure to drink your Ovaltine. Ovaltine? A crummy commercial? Son of a bitch!
4. I can't put my arms down!
5. That's ridiculous. Jealous. Jealous of WHAT? That is... The ugliest lamp I have ever seen in my entire LIFE!
6. My little brother had not eaten voluntarily in over three years.
7. You used up all the glue on purpose!

8. Randy lay there like a slug! It was his only defense!

9. I want an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle!

10. Oh! The theme I've been waiting for all my life! Listen to this sentence: "A Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time." Poetry... Sheer poetry, Ralph! An A+!
11. Getting ready to go to school was like getting ready for extended deep-sea diving.
12. Football? Football? What's a football? With unconscious will my voice squeaked out 'football'.
13. C+! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! C+!
14. You'll shoot your eye out, kid.
15. He looks like a pink nightmare!
16. Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double-beatloaf. I hate meatloaf.
17. Schwartz created a slight breach of etiquette by skipping the triple dare and going right for the throat!

18. With as much dignity as he could muster, the Old Man gathered up the sad remains of his shattered Major Award. Later that night, alone in the backyard, he buried it next to the garage.

Now I could never be sure, but I thought that I heard the sound of "Taps" being played. Gently.

19. Aunt Clara had for years labored under the delusion that I was not only perpetually 4 years old, but also a girl.

20. Was there no end to the conspiracy of irrational prejudice against Red Ryder and his peacemaker?

21. Deck the harrs with boughs of horry, ra ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra.

22. Over the years I got to be quite a connoisseur of soap. My personal preference was for Lux, but I found Palmolive had a nice, piquant after-dinner flavor - heavy, but with just a touch of mellow smoothness. Life Buoy, on the other hand...

23. My father worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium. A master.

24. I like The Wizard of Oz. I like the Tin Man.

Yes Man

Yes Man
Starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, Bradley Cooper, Rhys Darby & Molly Sims

Thank Paris that "Yes Man" - the 2008 find-what's-really-important-in-life-via-some-abnormal-way comedy - steered away from the magic-laced plot of "Click" or even "Liar Liar". Jim Carrey's character, Carl Allen, chose to say "Yes" to everything, contradictory to what the trailers lead you to believe.

However, the plot still worked like the previously mentioned examples. It's not logical or realistic for a grown man, who seems reasonably intelligent, to agree with everything in order to unclog his life. Sure, it worked with learning Korean or learning how to fly an airplane, but when the quirky Allison (Zooey Deschanel) and Carl are running from a security guard, Carl is not empowered by agreeance; there is no spell cast on him.

Thus, the entire plot does not work. Pity. They only reason, "Yes Man" does not receive a "F" is because I laughed. Yes, yes, yes, yes... I laughed a few times. Ugh. Shoot me.

Grade: D+

Golden Globe Nominations - The Rights & Wrongs of My Predictions

So, the Golden Globe nominations were released this morning. In the motion picture categories, "Doubt," "Frost/Nixon," and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" all lead the board with 5 nods a piece, "Doubt" being the only one NOT nominated in a Best Motion Picture category - BOO! Winslet & Streep both land 2 nominations a piece, "Milk" got shafted, James Franco ended up nominated for "Pineapple Express," Amy Adams proved that Sister James is the heart of "Doubt," and "Tropic Thunder" dominates the VERY tight Supporting Actor category. Yes, "Tropic Thunder."

Here's my predictions matched with who I got wrong and who should be added to the list. Complete list of nominations can be found at http://www.goldenglobes.org/.

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
The Wrestler
Watch out for: Frost/Nixon, Revolutionary Road

Wrong: The Dark Knight, Milk, The Wrestler
Add: Frost/Nixon, The Reader, Revolutionary Road
Suprised? The Reader! Go read the book!!!
Grade: 2/5


BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Burn After Reading
Cadillac Records
Happy-Go-Lucky
Mamma Mia!
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Watch out for: WALL-E, Tropic Thunder

Wrong: Cadillac Records
Add: In Bruges
Surprised? Nothing really... I'm happy for In Bruges.
Grade: 4/5


BEST ACTOR - DRAMA
Brad Pitt in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Frank Langhella in FROST/NIXON
Leonardo DiCaprio in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
Mickey Rourke in THE WRESTLER
Sean Penn in MILK
Watch out for: Clint Eastwood in GRAN TORINO, Richard Jenkins in THE VISITOR

PERFECT!
Surprised? Obviously not.
Grade: 5/5


BEST ACTOR - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Adrien Brody in CADILLAC RECORDS
Colin Farrell in IN BRUGES
Dustin Hoffman in LAST CHANCE HARVEY
George Clooney in BURN AFTER READING
Javier Bardem in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Watch out for: Steve Coogan in HAMLET 2, Ben Stiller in TROPIC THUNDER

Wrong: Adrien Brody, George Clooney
Add: James Franco in PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, Brendan Gleeson in IN BRUGES
Surprised? James Franco - WOOOOO!!!
Grade: 3/5


BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA
Angelina Jolie in CHANGELING
Anne Hathaway in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
Kate Winslet in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
Kristin Scott Thomas in I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG
Meryl Streep in DOUBT
Watch out for: Cate Blanchett in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, Melissa Leo in FROZEN RIVER

PERFECT!
Surprised? No way!
Grade: 5/5


BEST ACTRESS - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Beyonce Knowles in CADILLAC RECORDS
Emma Thompson in LAST CHANCE HARVEY
Meryl Streep in MAMMA MIA!
Sarah Jessica Parker in SEX AND THE CITY: THE MOVIE
Sally Hawkins in HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
Watch out for: Scarlet Johannsen in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, Frances McDormand in BURN AFTER READING

Wrong: Beyonce Knowles, Sarah Jessica Parker
Add: Rebecca Hall in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, Frances McDormand
Surprised? Yeah! I thought I was the only one who thought Hall stole the show from Scarlett! Guess I was wrong.
Grade: 3/5


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Heath Ledger in THE DARK KNIGHT
James Franco in MILK
Josh Brolin in MILK
Philip Seymour Hoffman in DOUBT
Robert Downey, Jr. in TROPIC THUNDER
Watch out for: Michael Shannon in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, Liev Schreiber in DEFIANCE

Wrong: James Franco, Josh Brolin
Add: Tom Cruise in TROPIC THUNDER, Ralph Finnes in THE DUCHESS
Surprised? Hell yeah! Tom Cruise?!?! That's f'n awesome. He was amazing in Tropic Thunder. And I was kind of ashamed of having him high in my best list. He might just get bumped up.
Grade: 3/5


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kate Winslet in THE READER
Marisa Tomei in THE WRESTLER
Penelope Cruz in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA
Taraji P. Henson in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Viola Davis in DOUBT
Watch out for: Rosemarie DeWitt in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, Kathy Bates in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Wrong: Taraji P. Henson
Add: Amy Adams in DOUBT
Surprised? I'm stoked Amy Adams is nominated; though everyone claims Viola has the "baitier" role, Sister James is crucial to the entire story of Doubt.
Grade: 4/5

TOTAL GRADE: 72.5% (at least I passed!)
Jennie's Grade: 57.5% (Sorry, Jennie, I win. lol)

Golden Globe Nominations - My Predictions

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight

Milk

Slumdog Millionaire

The Wrestler

Watch out for: Frost/Nixon, Revolutionary Road

BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Burn After Reading

Cadillac Records

Happy-Go-Lucky

Mamma Mia!

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Watch out for: WALL-E, Tropic Thunder

BEST ACTOR - DRAMA

Brad Pitt in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

Frank Langhella in FROST/NIXON

Leonardo DiCaprio in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Mickey Rourke in THE WRESTLER

Sean Penn in MILK

Watch out for: Clint Eastwood in GRAN TORINO, Richard Jenkins in THE VISITOR

BEST ACTOR - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Adrien Brody in CADILLAC RECORDS

Colin Farrell in IN BRUGES

Dustin Hoffman in LAST CHANCE HARVEY

George Clooney in BURN AFTER READING

Javier Bardem in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

Watch out for: Steve Coogan in HAMLET 2, Ben Stiller in TROPIC THUNDER

BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA

Angelina Jolie in CHANGELING

Anne Hathaway in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

Kate Winslet in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Kristin Scott Thomas in I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG

Meryl Streep in DOUBT

Watch out for: Cate Blanchett in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, Melissa Leo in FROZEN RIVER

BEST ACTRESS - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Beyonce Knowles in CADILLAC RECORDS

Emma Thompson in LAST CHANCE HARVEY

Meryl Streep in MAMMA MIA!

Sarah Jessica Parker in SEX AND THE CITY: THE MOVIE

Sally Hawkins in HAPPY-GO-LUCKY

Watch out for: Scarlet Johannsen in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, Frances McDormand in BURN AFTER READING

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Heath Ledger in THE DARK KNIGHT

James Franco in MILK

Josh Brolin in MILK

Philip Seymour Hoffman in DOUBT

Robert Downey, Jr. in TROPIC THUNDER

Watch out for: Michael Shannon in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, Liev Schreiber in DEFIANCE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Kate Winslet in THE READER

Marisa Tomei in THE WRESTLER

Penelope Cruz in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

Taraji P. Henson in THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Viola Davis in DOUBT

Watch out for: Rosemarie DeWitt in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, Kathy Bates in REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Before December & January - Top 10s of 2008 (Jan to Nov)

Top 10 Movies

1. The Dark Knight

2. Happy-Go-Lucky

3. WALL-E

4. Vicky Cristina Barcelona

5. Rachel Getting Married

6. Iron Man

7. In Bruges

8. Australia

9. Appaloosa

10. Funny Games

Top 10 Actors

1. Colin Farrell in IN BRUGES

2. Javier Bardem in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

3. Hugh Jackman in AUSTRALIA

4. Ed Harrs in APPALOOSA

5. Robert Downey, Jr. in IRON MAN

6. Lee Pace in THE FALL

7. Christian Bale in THE DARK KNIGHT
8. Steve Coogan in HAMLET 2

9. Daniel Craig in QUANTUM OF SOLACE

10. Ryan Phillipe in STOP-LOSS

Top 10 Actresses

1. Sally Hawkins in HAPPY-GO-LUCKY

2. Anne Hathaway in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

3. Angelina Jolie in CHANGELING

4. Nicole Kidman in AUSTRALIA

5. Rebecca Hall in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

6. Naomi Watts in FUNNY GAMES

7. Scarlett Johansson in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

8. Meryl Streep in MAMMA MIA!

9. Catinca Untaru in THE FALL
10. Ellen Page in SMART PEOPLE

Top 10 Supporting Actors

1. Heath Ledger in THE DARK KNIGHT

2. Robert Downey, Jr. in TROPIC THUNDER

3. Eddie Marsan in HAPPY-GO-LUCKY

4. Michael Pitt in FUNNY GAMES
5. Brandon Walters in AUSTRALIA

6. Viggo Mortensen in APPALOOSA

7. Jason Butler Harner in CHANGELING

8. Joseph Gordon-Levitt in STOP-LOSS

9. Tom Cruise in TROPIC THUNDER

10. John Malkovich in CHANGELING

Top 10 Supporting Actresses

1. Penelope Cruz in VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

2. Rosemarie DeWitt in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

3. Amy Ryan in CHANGELING

4. Abbie Cornish in STOP-LOSS

5. Clemence Poesy in IN BRUGES

6. Ari Graynor in NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST

7. Debra Winger in RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

8. Alexis Zegerman in HAPPY-GO-LUCKY

9. Renee Zellweger in APPALOOSA

10. Olga Kurylenko in QUANTUM OF SOLACE

A Quick Overview of the Films I Never Reviewed

Mamma Mia!
Starring Meryl Streep and a bunch of lunatics

It's enjoyable, fun, and addicting, yet corny, unadaptable, and had the WORST choreography I have ever seen. But then, there's Meryl.

Grade: C+


Step Brothers
Starring Will Ferrel & John C. Reilly

Hilarious, ridiculous, and tried a bit too hard to accomplish both.

Grade: C-


Pineapple Express
Starring Seth Rogen & James Franco

Rogen and Franco are to die for in this film. They are sincere in their acting, so funny, and make getting stoned seem like a great idea and the worst idea of your life.

Grade: B+


Tropic Thunder
Starring Ben Stiller, Jack Black & Robert Downey, Jr.

Whether or not you've seen this movie, we all must campaign Downey for a Best Supporting Actor nod. I do not want him to win (Heath), but I will pee my pants if he's on the ballot.

Grade: B


Hamlet 2
Starrnig Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener & Elizabeth Shue

Yes, Keener is in the sequel to Shakespeare's masterpiece. No, it's not really a sequel, more like a demented attempt at a sequel but turns out to be a completely different idea but we're gonna keep the original title anyways. Plus Elizabeth Shue plays herself.

Grade: B

Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem & Penelope Cruz

Woody Allen sets this delicious treat in the heart of Europe. It's sensual, seductive, and Cruz gives a performance of a lifetime. Hall surpasses Johansson in my book, and Bardem steps away from the crazy haircut but not stepping into the Oscar circle of bad movies after winning an award. I think I'm particular to Woody movies that don't involve Woody. His voice is much more poignant when someone else's mouth is moving.

Grade: A-


Eagle Eye
Starring Shia LeBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson & Billy Bob Thorton

Great action, nice punch to the government, but some parts were kind of crazy and the ending was cliched. Too bad.

Grade: B-


Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
Starring Michael Cera, Kat Dennings & Ari Graynor

Right from the trailers on TV, I knew they were trying to sell this film like "Juno." And, in a way, it felt like a "Juno" wannabe, but it still had its ups - like the beligerant Graynor who stole the show.

Grade: C+


Appaloosa
Starring Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons & Renee Zellweger

Harris' take on the classic Western proves to be a hole in one that pops out of the hole and you have to shoot it again. It's a great movie appearing in the fall, and the performances were superb.

Grade: B+


Saw V
Starring who cares

Alright, we get it. You're trying to teach people to be good little boys and girls by nearly killing them - well, mostly just killing them. Here's my Saw List:
1. Saw III
2. Saw
3. Saw V
4. Saw IV
5. Saw II

Grade: C


Changeling
Starring Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jason Butler Harner & Amy Ryan

Eastwood did what he could with a screwy script that shed light on many problems with the LAPD in the 20s. Jolie took hold of this role and gave her character a determination and heart that no other actress could do. Time ran short - well, long - and the film served as a pleasing story of a great performance rather than a great movie.

Grade: B


Rachel Getting Married
Starring Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt & Debra Winger

I honestly enjoyed this movie. Not for it's cinematic qualities, but for it's nakedness as a film. It shed light on what we expect when we go to the theater and gave us the opposite, in a way. Hathaway really broke out of her Princess Diaries shell and DeWitt emerges as an upcoming star. I think I liked this movie more than I think I do. Huh.

Grade: A-


Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Starring a bunch of stupid stars voicing stupid animals

Thank God for penguins.

Grade: C-


Quantum of Solace
Starring Daniel Craig & Judi Dench

Title is cool, but I had to dicionary-dot-com it. The plotline sucked, but Craig is excellent as Bond and Olga was hot. Strawberry Fields? Not so much. "Quantum" lacked all the vital organs that "Casino" portrayed. It fell apart within the first half-hour.

Grade: C+


Bolt
Voiced by John Travolta & Miley Cyrus

I love dog movies, so "Bolt" is my kind of family flick, and the whole awakening/bildungsroman thing really got to me, however, the climax was totally predictable. I'm going to take a stand and demand that family films bring back the tragic and let go of unrealistic events. Mufasa died and everyone LOVES "The Lion King"! Come on now!

Grade: C+


Australia
Starring Nicole Kidman & Hugh Jackman

Baz Luhrman presents a beautiful take on war, love and death in a world fit for Bogart or Hepburn. It's a remarkable film with breath-taking scenes (like the stampede) and also very honest, genuine ones (i.e. Kidman trying to remember the words to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"). Yet, it's a bit narcissistic - like Luhrman was screaming out, "Hey, Hollywood! Look what I can do!" Settle down, Baz, we get it.

Grade: B

Oscar Predictions 2008 - November vs. March

Taking a hiatus on my Top 100 (too much work for a teacher), here's an update on Oscar happenings:

Best Picture
March:
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Revolutionary Road
The Road

November:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Revolutionary Road

My List So Far:
The Dark Knight
Happy-Go-Lucky
Iron Man
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
WALL-E


Best Actor
March:
Benicio Del Toro - Che
Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road
Jamie Foxx - The Soloist
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Synecdoche, New York
Sean Penn - Milk

November:
Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road
Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

My List So Far:
Christian Bale - The Dark Knight
Javier Bardem - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Robert Downey, Jr. - Iron Man
Colin Farrell - In Bruges
Ed Harris - Appaloosa


Best Actress
March:
Angelina Jolie - The Changling
Nicole Kidman - Australia
Julianne Moore - Blindness
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

November:
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

My List So Far:
Rebecca Hall - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Scarlett Johansson - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Naomi Watts - Funny Games


Best Supporting Actor
March:
Josh Brolin - Milk
Ralph Finnes - The Reader
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
John Malkovich - Burn After Reading
Michael Sheen - Frost/Nixon

November:
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey, Jr. - Tropic Thunder
James Franco - Milk
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

My List So Far:
Robert Downey, Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Jason Butler Harner - Changeling
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Viggo Mortensen - Appaloosa
Michael Pitt - Funny Games


Best Supporting Actress
March:
Amy Adams - Doubt
Kathy Bates - Revolutionary Road
Cate Blanchett - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Amy Ryan - The Changeling
Kate Winslet - The Reader

November:
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

My List So Far:
Abbie Cornish - Stop-Loss
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Ari Graynor - Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist
Clemence Poesy - In Bruges
Amy Ryan - Changeling

Top 100 Movies of All Time, 51-60

60. The Deer Hunter (1978)

Directed by Michael Cimino; Written by Deric Washburn

Starring Robert DeNiro, Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken, John Savage & John Cazale

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award winner for Best Picture
In the classic three act structure, "The Deer Hunter" feels more like a Shaw play than a film - and that's where the brilliance of the film occurs. This epic sprawls across oceans, from small town Pennsylvania to Vietnam and adds a bang of Russia if you catch my drift. DeNiro is powerful as the protagonist, Streep is beautiful, but the main focus will always be on Walken's dark and turbulant performance as Nick. Wanna play some roullette?

59. Fargo (1996)

Directed by Joel Coen; Written by Joel & Ethan Coen

Starring Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, John Carroll Lynch, Steve Buscemi & Kristin Rudrud

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award winner for Best Actress - Frances McDormand
"Fargo" incorporates the Coen's brothers' fascinating angle of comedy plus the drama and thrills. Set in northern U.S.A., we hear dozens of silly talking folks in serious and silly situations. But don't be fooled by their Sarah Palin-like dialect, McDormand's Police Cheif Marge Gunderson; she's one sharp pregnant cop. The Coen brothers never fail to understand that humor lies under humanity.

58. American Beauty (1999)

Directed by Sam Mendes; Written by Alan Ball

Starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari, Chris Cooper, Peter Gallagher & Allison Janney

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award winner for Best Picture

An intricate and interesting analysis on the middle class American, Mendes captures a glossy beauty in every scene. The acting is excellent - especially Spacey & Cooper - and scenes, such as the plastic bag, the rose pedals atop Suvari, and each character's reaction to the ending, are forever embeded in my mind as one of the greatest spectacles on film.

57. Fantasia (1940)

Directed by James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe, Norman Ferguson, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, & Ben Sharpsteen; Written by a bunch of other people

Voiced by Walt Disney & Deems Taylor

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award Honorary Award in 1942

Although, as a child, this film seemed to be ten hours long, it always amazed me. I will forever love classical music because of this intriguing cartoon - yet, it's beyond that word. Only certain children appreciate this film. Without words, how do we express ourselves? Nietzsche would love this masterpiece. I still remember hiding when the dinosaurs fight.

56. Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)

Written & Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Starring Uma Thurman, Lucy Lui, Vivica A. Fox, Darryl Hannah, Julie Dreyfus, Chiyaki Kuriyama & David Carradine

Greatest Award/Nomination: Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress (Drama) - Uma Thurman

Though "Vol. 2" is just as worthy with leading performances by Hannah and Madsen, the first "Kill Bill" will always reign supreme for me. It appears to conjure more realms and genres than the second and incorporates more mystery. Thurman gives her best performance ever while Tarantino delivers his most artsy, kickass film to date.

55. Pretty Woman (1990)

Directed by Garry Marshall; Written by J. F. Lawton

Starring Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Jason Alexander, Laura San Giacomo & Hector Elizondo

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award nominee for Best Actress - Julia Roberts

This is one of those movies I can watch over and over and over again. It never gets old. EVER. Julia Roberts couldn't have picked a more perfect role and, although he doesn't shine as brightly as she does, Gere isn't so bad himself. By far the sexiest Cindarella story out there.

54. Fight Club (1999)

Directed by David Fincher; Written by Jim Uhls

Starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt & Helena Bohnam Carter

Greatest Award/Nomination: MTV Movie Awards nominee for Best Fight - Edward Norton vs. Edward Norton

It still astonishes me how perfectly the movie follows the book. It's as if Uhls was behind Palahniuk's shoulder when he wrote the novel. Norton embodies the narrating protagonist while Pitt allows the audience to envy, hate, love, and want to be Tyler Durden. It's cinematography is dark and dirty, the characters sweaty and confusing, and the effects leading to the end result mesmerizing.

53. Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Written & Directed by Roman Polanski

Starring Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Sidney Blackmer & Ruth Gordon

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actress - Ruth Gordon

Probably one of the creepiest movies ever. I first saw this film on Christmas night two years ago and freaked myself out. Ruth Gordon gives a twisted performance that is menacing for Rosemary, played by Farrow. Gordon is sweet, yet not, and trustworthy, yet not. The parallels of the movie to Christianity are also astonishing and eerie. Don't watch it on Christmas day!

52. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Directed by Jonathan Demme; Written by Ted Tally

Starring Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn & Ted Levine

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award winner of THE BIG FIVE

One would never guess that this movie would be one of the three films to win "the big five" Oscars, but after one viewing, you know they deserve every single one. Foster, on the case of a psychotic killer, must trust an even deadlier man - Hannibal Lector (Hopkins). This evaluation of trust, truth, and evils send shivers down the spine and makes you never want to use night-vision goggles again.

51. Being John Malkovich (1999)

Directed by Spike Jonze; Written by Charlie Kauffman

Starring John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener & John Malkovich

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award nominee for Best Original Screenplay

Erratic, goofy, intriguing, exciting, and inspirational - just a few of the adjectives that come to mind after watching this movie. Kauffman writes his most off-the-wall scripts, while all four aforementioned actors become characters they normally would not choose - even Malkovich as himself! Part love-quadralateral, part ode to Alexander Pope, part interpretation of the American Dream, "Being John Malkovich" shocked the cinematic world, allowing films that don't quite make sense at first to be invited into Hollywood.

Top 100 Movies of All Time, 61-70

70. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Directed by Stephen Spielberg; Written by Robert Rodat

Starring Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Vin Diesel, Paul Giamatti & Giovanni Ribisi

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award winner for Best Director
One of the most visually stunning war films ever created, Spielberg's World War II drama sets a group of American soldiers with the task of saving a man who lost all of his fellow military brothers. Against many well-known battles, this question - whether it's right to save one man while others die - is so very profound and rattling. In the end, the answer is not right and wrong or morals, it's being courageous and believing in a greater good.

69. Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Directed by Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly; Written by Adolph Green & Betty Comden

Starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Rita Moreno & Jean Hagen

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award nominee for Best Supporting Actress - Jean Hagen
It seems that 1952 treated "Singin' in the Rain" the same way I did. It was a fun musical with a great cast, but not one of the top films ever created. This film is the one of the few films in top of AFI's 100 that doesn't have an Oscar nod for Best Picture. It's as if it takes time for the movie to grow on you - the music, the people, the fun. Afterwards, I consider it one of the best movie musicals and really enjoy every minute of the film.

68. Match Point (2005)

Written & Directed by Woody Allen

Starring Johnathan Rhys Meyers, Scarlett Johansson, Brian Cox & Emily Mortimer

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award nominee for Best Original Screenplay

Oh, Woody Allen. Though I haven't seen every Allen film, I know enough to say that he's one of the most egotistical, narcissistic, compulsive, destructive writers in the business - which is why he's amazing. However, it's great to see him put himself aside, allow the story to unfold without nagging (though hilarious) monologues and arguments, and provide the actors with a script made for characters. "Match Point" is just that. It's modern, sexy, and has a jaw-dropping ending. Who doesn't want to see Scarlett and Rhys Meyers go at it?

67. Cidade de Deus "City of God" (2002)

Directed by Fernando Meirelles & Katia Lund; Written by Braulio Montovani

Starring Alexandre Rodrigues, Phellipe Haagensen, Leandro Firmino & Alice Braga

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award nominee for Best Director

A surprise of a film that is extraordinarily compelling in its ability to give a story and shed an idea of what life is like in third world countries. It's a look into the slums of Rio de Janiero, the gangs compiled there, and a young man's quest to make something of his life, rather than falling into the usual pitfall of drugs and gang wars.

66. Braveheart (1995)

Directed by Mel Gibson; Written by Randall Wallace

Starring Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Catherine McCormack & Brendan Gleeson

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award winner for Best Picture
If anything is epic, this movie is. Gibson puts forth the true story of William Wallace: the rebel, the outlaw, the lover, and the hero. It's triumphant how one man can and did change a millions of lives across numerous countries and heart-breaking in that the man who changes rarely sees his transformed world. The battle scenes in "Braveheart" are beyond anything of its time in realism and Gibson was not holding back.

65. The Little Mermaid (1989)

Written & Directed by Ron Clements & John Musker

Voiced by Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Christopher Daniel Barnes & Samuel E. Wright

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award winner for Best Original Score - Alan Menken

What kid didn't watch Disney movies? When I saw this in theaters when I was four, I fell in a deep loving crush with the red-headed mermaid, Ariel. This movie is so entertaining and full of songs that will never die. "The Little Mermaid" is certainly the best Disney film produced in its prime fairy tale era. Then everything went computerized.

64. Jaws (1975)

Directed by Steven Spielberg; Written by Peter Benchley

Starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw & Richard Dreyfuss

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award nominee for Best Picture

Dun-dun. Dun-dun dun-dun. It sends shivers down my spine. With the combination of Spielberg, William's music, and a man-eating shark, it's no wonder people of the 70s were terrified to go to the beach! Benchley's script is an obvious tribute to Melville's masterpiece "Moby-Dick," Shaw, of course, being Captain Ahab. Pure and utter blood-thirsty revenge is what drives the men to seek the sea creature and kill him. It's hubris at its best.

63. Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Directed by Baz Luhrman; Written by Baz Luhrman & Craig Pearce

Starring Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent & Richard Roxburgh

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award nominee for Best Picture

Luhrman brings to life a musical of contemporary songs, assembling them in a beautiful mosaic of a film with Bohemian France for a back-drop and the faces of Kidman and McGregor to fit the molds of the Juliet & Romeo-type Satine & Christian. Visually, this film pushes the envelope of usual Hollywood hits and creates something indulgent and enticing. Besides romantic, endearing and dramatic, "Moulin Rouge!" is so much fun and very funny.

62. Sophie's Choice (1982)

Written & Directed by Alan J. Pakula

Starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline & Peter MacNicol

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award winner for Best Actress - Meryl Streep
Meryl, Meryl, Meryl. This is the performance of a lifetime. This is one of the greatest performances ever in the history of Hollywood. Streep captivates every single frame as Sophie Zawistowski, both as the foreign, Jewish, blond bombshell wildly in love with Kline's Nathan and as the oppressed version of the same woman, trying to survive the wrath of the Nazi Empire. Her choice is both between the two men she fell in love with in America and something so unfathomable that it's nearly impossible to ponder what you would do in Sophie's shoes.

61. The English Patient (1996)

Written & Directed by Anthony Minghella

Starring Ralph Fiennes, Kristen Scott Thomas, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Naveen Andrews & Colin Firth

Greatest Award/Nomination: Academy Award winner for Best Picture

At the beginning winning streak of Miramax films, "The English Patient" focuses of memory, love and war. A tale of a man who transformed into something horrible and his road to the sick bed. The performances in this movie are incredible - especially Binoche - and it's raw directing by Minghella renders a look into the lives of several characters at the end of the second World War.