Moonrise Kingdom - From Manhattan With Love: Saving Harrisburg's Midtown Cinema

MOONRISE KINGDOM, now playing
at Midtown Cinema

As an avid moviegoer and a small town Pennsylvanian, it's so difficult to see some of the great indie films in theaters. I don't mind driving to the city and I do so often, but it's usually to see Broadway or Off-Broadway shows, not film. To quench my indie-thirst, I travel a mere 50 minutes to Harrisburg, PA where one of the best independent theaters calls home. "Quaint" doesn't do this cinema justice. I've been to many indie houses across the country and Midtown Cinema is the best. Plus, for someone living in PA, it's one of the only theaters besides Philly or Pittsburgh that offer great, intriguing, art house films. 

Living in New York City for the summer, I've decided to do my part and help out Harrisburg's Midtown Cinema by reviewing each film that is released there before it's released. (Go to www.midtowncinema.com for more details on why they're struggling and how we can keep this important theater in central Pennsylvania). 

I've been reviewing films for nine years now (in college and on this blog) and while sometimes I fall behind in actually writing a review, I hope you trust my judgement, or at least go to Midtown Cinema to see for yourself how important it is to save this theater. 

Kara Hayward & Jared Gilman
in MOONRISE KINGDOM

MOONRISE KINGDOM - now playing at MC

Written and directed by Wes Anderson

Starring Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel & Jason Schwartzman

Let me just be frank about the latest Wes Anderson film: it is the best movie of 2012 so far. There are absolutely no reasons why you shouldn't see this film not just once but four to eight times. So to break away from the typical paragraph review, I'd like to present listed reasons as to why this is the most important film for you to see in theaters.

• If You Weren't a Wes Anderson Fan Before, You Will Be Now - Out of all seven of Anderson's movies, Moonrise Kingdom is the best in style, writing, acting, and drama. Is it my favorite? Not yet (my personal favorite is The Darjeeling Limited); that takes time and over twenty views, but I am confident to say it is his best. Of course the film boasts hilarious and pained performances by the well-knowns (particularly Willis, Murray, Norton, and McDormand), but Anderson and his casting staff have discovered two of the most believable, lovable, and intelligent young actors out there: Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward. They're almost like your everyman/woman but in a twelve year old's body. They capture the you you were at their age. Being weird or in love or bullied or believing in something or just wanting to run away, these two gifted actors create something true in the characters of Sam and Suzy.
• The Instragram Generation - In a digital world in which we can't take a bite of our dinner before taking a picture with our iPhones, choosing the perfect filter ("I wonder if Hefe is a better choice than Walden"), and uploading it to Instagram, Moonrise Kingdom fulfills the need to be nostalgic; it actually radiates with longing for the past, to be young, almost in a Peter Pan mode of thought. And the irony in the film is while we, the audience, wish to be in Sam and Suzy's world, Sam and Suzy wish to be in ours, where you can love whomever you wish without parents pulling you away. Anderson also doesn't forget that this is a memory story; many of the scenes and intricacies - such as the tree house and the lightning incident - are realized in a heightened, exaggerated way because this is nostalgia and nostalgia emphasizes to seem more important and less sad. So, we gain so much humor through Anderson's reminiscent point of view.



Young actor Jared Gilman and writer/director
Wes Anderson

• Wes Anderson Is Our Woody Allen - What's so great about going to the Midtown Cinema to see Moonrise Kingdom is that you can hop on over for a double feature of Woody Allen's latest film, To Rome With Love (a review to come). But even though Woody is still busting out great flicks, I've always wanted to know what it was like to go to a movie theater in New York City to see some of his earlier masterpieces, like Annie Hall, Manhattan, or Hannah and Her Sisters - to have conversations about these films as they are just released and to now have the claim that I saw Manhattan in the theaters back in 1979. I was lucky enough to stumble upon a screening of Annie Hall a few weeks ago here in New York, and I was overwhelmed with joy to be able to share that film with a community; but it still isn't the same as living in that moment. For an audience of 2012, Wes Anderson is our Woody Allen of the 1970s, and he is showing us growth as a filmmaker in the last seven movies. I think it will be so important to say in twenty years that you saw Moonrise Kingdom in the theaters, to have a real experience with it. These experiences is what cultures us. In twenty years or so, when Anderson reaches two dozen films, it's going to be the early ones that will be longed for, just as I long for Manhattan and Hannah. Go see this movie while you still can. 

Click here for more information and the trailer to Moonrise Kingdom, now playing at Midtown Cinema in Harrisburg, PA.

Screen Actors Guild Awards - Predictions!

It's been a long time, bloggers!

I'm updating to predict the nominations that will be released for the 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Here are my picks:

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A CAST ENSEMBLE
THE ARTIST
BRIDESMAIDS
THE DESCENDANTS
THE HELP
THE TREE OF LIFE

BEST ACTOR
George Clooney in THE DESCENDANTS
Jean Dujardin in THE ARTIST
Michael Fassbender in SHAME
Gary Oldman in TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
Brad Pitt in MONEYBALL

BEST ACTRESS
Glenn Close in ALBERT DOBBS
Viola Davis in THE HELP
Meryl Streep in THE IRON LADY
Tilda Swinton in WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN
Michelle Williams in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenneth Branagh in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN

Albert Brooks in DRIVE
Christopher Plummer in BEGINNERS

Andy Serkis in RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES
Max Von Sydow in EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Berenice Bejo in THE ARTIST
Jessica Chastain in THE HELP
Janet McTeer in ALBERT DOBBS
Octavia Spencer in THE HELP
Shailene Woodley in THE DESCENDANTS

Best of 2009: Top 10 Performances by a Leading Actress

In most of my lists, I'm reasonably on track with the awards' lists, however with the leading females of 2009, I highly disagree with - particularly Oscar - the dominant 5 ladies given nominations (although most of them make the list of 10).

Half of the women on my list consist of actresses portraying the lives of real women - biopics, I suppose. Emily Blunt provided wispy innocence and entertaining rebellion to Queen Victoria in "The Young Victoria." She came forth as an actress desiring the praise she had a few years ago with "The Devil Wears Prada." In "The Last Station," Helen Mirren terrorized the characters in the film as the devilish siren Sofya Tolstoy (Leo's wife). She snagged an Oscar nomination for the role and was clearly the dominating force of the film.

Taking on the role of Gabrielle Chanel in "Coco Before Chanel," Audrey Tautou bewilders in so many ways - mostly how the hell she's never been nominated for an Oscar yet. Independence and creativity completely resounded from her throughout the French film. Incredible in "Stop-Loss" and proving herself again in "Bright Star" as the muse of famous British poet John Keats, Fanny Brawne, Abbie Cornish was simply what the title suggests - and she and the script counter this possible sappy side with moving scenes of grief, strife, and hardship. Cornish was perfect. Finally for the biopic roles, Meryl Streep brings comedy, drama, and cooking to the role of Julia Child in "Julie & Julia." She, of course, is brilliant. She, of course, should have won the Oscar over Sandra Bullock, who, while delivering the best performance of her career, should have had no chance against any of the ladies in this list of 10. It shows that the awards can be plagued by campaigns and money - clearly, since "The Blind Side" (yes, "The Blind Side") was nominated for Best Picture.

Two young ladies who we nominated this year take on bildungsroman-type roles: Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious" and Carey Mulligan in "An Education." One has to be careful with Sidibe; I'm not fond of critics and other talkative people who believe that a performances is so damn good because the role is so unlike/oppositional to the actress. This is the case with Sidibe. Did she completely embody her role? Yes. Did she deliver "the goods"? Of course. Does this make her worthy of top 5? Not necessarily. Carey Mulligan created an addictive allure to her Jenny in "An Education." The audience is moved to follow her on her journey of discovery. In a role that could be perceived as weak and completely naive, Mulligan adds early-gained independence and control of her character.

The last three actresses include roles that demand power, risk, control and - at times - the ability to let go. Aside from Christoph Waltz, the most memorable role would be that of Shoshana Dreyfus played by Melanie Laurent. It's Hamlet; it's Lysistrata; it's the incredible talent of Laurent mixed with the eye of Quentin Tarantino. Her shining scene is when she's stuck with Waltz in the restaurant. She's stone-cold, stoic; when he leaves, her release of emotion shoud've got her some sort of award. In the indie-film "Trucker," Michelle Monaghan shows a new side of her as an actress in a hugely underrated role as truck-driver Diane who has to learn how to be a mother. And finally for the tough babes, Tilda Swinton as the title role in "Julia" punches a whopping hole in what it means to be a great actress. She tears the screen up. She is unstopable. She doesn't give a damn, just like her character. I feel like she completely lived her role; I feel she IS Julia, the smoking, drinking, insane woman who decides it's a good idea to involve herself in a kidnapping with one of her crazy AA friends. Actually, it was her first day in AA. If you want a heart-pumping "what did this chick get herself into" kind of flick, watch Tilda in "Julia" and you'll see why it's one of the best performances, not only of 2009, but of the entire decade.

So, here are the Top 10 Performances by a Leading Actress for 2009:

10. Helen Mirren as Sofya Tolstoy in THE LAST STATION

9. Emily Blunt as Queen Victoria in THE YOUNG VICTORIA

8. Gabourey Sidibe as Precious in PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE

7. Audrey Tautou as Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel in COCO BEFORE CHANEL

6. Carey Mulligan as Jenny in AN EDUCATION

5. Meryl Streep as Julia Child in JULIE & JULIA

4. Michelle Monaghan as Diana Ford in TRUCKER

3. Melanie Laurent as Shoshanna Dreyfus in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

2. Abbie Cornish as Fanny Brawne in BRIGHT STAR

1. Tilda Swinton as Julia in JULIA

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

Oscar Predictions 2008

It's that time of year! With the writer's strike over, the Oscars are sure to go on this Sunday. But who will win? I've got a few predictions that I care about if you're interested...

Best motion picture of the year

"Atonement" (Focus Features)

"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production)

"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)

"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)

"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... No Country for Old Men

I'D GIVE IT TO... There Will Be Blood

Performance by an actor in a leading role

George Clooney in "Michael Clayton"

Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood"

Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Elah"

Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises"

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... Daniel Day-Lewis

I'D GIVE IT TO... Daniel Day-Lewis

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"

Julie Christie in "Away from Her"

Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose"

Laura Linney in "The Savages"

Ellen Page in "Juno"

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... Julie Christie
I'D GIVE IT TO... Marion Cotillard

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Casey Affleck in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"

Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men"

Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War"

Hal Holbrook in "Into the Wild"

Tom Wilkinson in "Michael Clayton"

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... Javier Bardem
I'D GIVE IT TO... Javier Bardem

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There"

Ruby Dee in "American Gangster"

Saoirse Ronan in "Atonement"

Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone"

Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton"

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... Tilda Swinton
I'D GIVE IT TO... Cate Blanchett

Achievement in directing

"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" Julian Schnabel

"Juno" Jason Reitman

"Michael Clayton" Tony Gilroy

"No Country for Old Men" Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

"There Will Be Blood" Paul Thomas Anderson

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... Joel and Ethan Coen

I'D GIVE IT TO... Paul Thomas Anderson

Adapted screenplay

"Atonement" Screenplay by Christopher Hampton

"Away from Her" Written by Sarah Polley

"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" Screenplay by Ronald Harwood

"No Country for Old Men" Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen

"There Will Be Blood" Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... Paul Thomas Anderson
I'D GIVE IT TO... Joel and Ethan Coen

Original screenplay

"Juno" Written by Diablo Cody

"Lars and the Real Girl" Written by Nancy Oliver

"Michael Clayton" Written by Tony Gilroy

"Ratatouille" Screenplay by Brad Bird

"The Savages" Written by Tamara Jenkins

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... Diablo Cody
I'D GIVE IT TO... Brad Bird

Best animated feature film of the year

"Persepolis"

"Ratatouille"

"Surf's Up"

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... Ratatouille
I'D GIVE IT TO... Ratatouille

Best documentary feature

"No End in Sight"

"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience"

"Sicko"

"Taxi to the Dark Side"

"War/Dance"

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... No End in Sight

I'D GIVE IT TO... Sicko

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

"Falling Slowly" from "Once"

"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted"

"Raise It Up" from "August Rush"

"So Close" from "Enchanted"

"That's How You Know" from "Enchanted"

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... Once
I'D GIVE IT TO... Once!

I can't wait to see Glen & Marketa sing!