Modigliani (2004)

DIRECTOR: Mick Davis
STUDIO: Bauer Martinez Studios
STARRING: Andy Garcia, Elsa Zylberstein, Omid Djalili
RATING: R
GENRE: Biography, Drama


GRADE: C+


Going into this, I literally knew nothing about Modigliani as a person, except he was a painter who never painted anyone's eyes. Whether or not this story is acturate, it's a very interesting portrayl of this man's life.

It's a very tragic story, centred around Modigliani's relationship with his wife, his relationship with Picasso and his relationship with his art and career. It's the old-days story of a modern rock star. They're famous, they both wanna do their own work and won't settle, and they're addicted to drugs and alcohol.

The most interesting part of the film is trying to decide if he and Picasso are friends or just bitter enemies. If the film is accurate, then I'm sure it was hard for the men, themselves to decide.

If you're a huge contemporary art fan, or love biographical films, then this you'll love this movie. And, even if you're not, like me, it's still a decent film, that you could rent to entertain yourself with for a few hours.

Zombieland (2009)

DIRECTOR: Ruben Fleischer
STUDIO: Columbia Pictures
STARRING: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone
RATING: R
GENRE: Action, Comedy, Adventure


GRADE: B


I have NEVER had an actor that was so confused with Micheal Cera. I know in "Social Network" everyone kept mistaking Jesse Eisenberg for him, but I could've sworn up and down that everyone that mentioned this movie said it was Cera. I guess Jesse Eisenberg will just have to fight harder to break that mold.

Anyways...I have to say upfront that I've never been a fan of Zombie films, purely because they just don't entertain me, but this film did a decent job. Not the most creative plot, but it gets the audience's attention.

The acting and directing was very well done, but what really surprised me was how well this film was edited. Except for one scene, everything was clear and the cinematography guided your eyes to what they were supposed to see and where.

I give this film a "B" because it was above sub-par, but overall nothing really surprised me through it. The actors were very likable and it wasn't too long, which is a problem with most films these days. I'd see it as a date film: for the action-loving one, and the comedy-loving significant other.

Hair (1979)

DIRECTOR: Milos Forman
STUDIO: United Artists
STARRING: John Savage, Treat Williams, Beverly D'Angelo
RATING: PG
GENRE: Musical, Comedy, Drama


GRADE: B+


I've heard so much about this film, that I was very excited to see what it was actually about and what it meant. However, the plot line was barely there, but it held together just enough to make the audience have emotional attachment to the characters. I see other films TRY to make the characters so lovable, but not quite like this movie.

The music was very "hippie"-ish and fits the life and beliefs of the time period of the Vietnam War. Choreography was amazing! Whoever choreographed this piece had a very good mind-set of what the music stood for, and how to portray that through dance.

Acting was very great, as was direction, and even those you don't necessarily like have some sort of charm about them. But, I have to warn you: get ready for a sad ending. But, if it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have realized how attached I had gotten to the characters, and therefore how well this movie really was put together.

For all those hippies and radicals out there, for all the conformists and non-believers, for all who have ever just wanted to live life for the sake of living, this film calls your name and lets the sun shine.

Oscar Nominations!

It wouldn't be a good movie blog without mentioning the Oscar Awards! So, I'll list all the nominees and put the ones I hope to win in bold. Be sure to mention in the comments which ones YOU'd like to win!

NOMINEES


Best Picture
"Black Swan,"
"The Fighter"
"Inception"
"The Kids Are All Right"
"The King's Speech"
"127 Hours"
"The Social Network"
"Toy Story 3"
"True Grit"
"Winter's Bone"


Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem in "Biutiful"
Jeff Bridges in "True Grit"
Jesse Eisenberg in "The Social Network"
Colin Firth in "The King's Speech"
James Franco in "127 Hours"


Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale in "The Fighter"
John Hawkes in "Winter's Bone"
Jeremy Renner in "The Town"
Mark Ruffalo in "The Kids Are All Right"
Geoffrey Rush in "The King's Speech"


Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening in "The Kids Are All Right"
Nicole Kidman in "Rabbit Hole"
Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter's Bone"
Natalie Portman in "Black Swan"
Michelle Williams in "Blue Valentine"


Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams in "The Fighter"
Helena Bonham Carter in "The King's Speech"
Melissa Leo in "The Fighter"
Hailee Steinfeld in "True Grit"
Jacki Weaver in "Animal Kingdom"


Animated Feature Film
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3


Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit


Cinematography
Black Swan
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network
True Grit


Costume Design
Alice in Wonderland
I Am Love
The King's Speech
The Tempest
True Grit


Directing
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King's Speech
The Social Network
True Grit


Documentary (Feature)
Exit through the Gift Shop
Gasland
Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land


Documentary (Short Subject)
Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang


Film Editing
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network


Foreign Language Film
Biutiful
Dogtooth
In a Better World
Incendies
Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)


Makeup
Barney's Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman


Music (Original Score)
How to Train Your Dragon
Inception
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network


Music (Original Song)
"Coming Home" from "Country Strong,"
"I See the Light" from "Tangled"
"If I Rise" from "127 Hours"
"We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3"


Short Film (Animated)
Day & Night
The Gruffalo
Let's Pollute
The Lost Thing
Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)"


Short Film (Live Action)
The Confession
The Crush
God of Love
Na Wewe
Wish 143


Sound Editing
Inception
Toy Story 3
Tron: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable


Sound Mixing
Inception
The King's Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit


Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2


Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone


Writing (Original Screenplay)
Another Year
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech

Easy A (2010)

DIRECTOR: Will Gluck
STUDIO: Will Gluck Productions
STARRING: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes
RATING: PG-13
GENRE: Comedy, Romance


GRADE: D


Before I officially begin my review, this one in particular may have more spoilers in it than my usual ones (not that this film isn't predictable from the get-go) so if you SERIOUSLY don't want to know what happens, don't read further.

To continue, I think all my expectations for this film is what led to it's ultimate downfall. Because I heard so much good from it, I expected it to bet the next "Legally Blonde" but there are several reasons why this just isn't a quality film.

For one, they try too hard. They focus only on what can be the best jokes. They are offensive to Christians, homosexuals, adults - in general, and just high school in general. I dare anyone to give me ONE scene that could actually happen in the realm of possibility! They try to copy the television series "Glee" by exaggerating stereotypes, but they take it to a level where they're trying to do ANYTHING to make the audience laugh, when it just ends up offensive or awkward.

There are some scenes that made me laugh, and I honestly really like Emma Stone's acting. Just not her character. She's a girl that acts slutty, but when people treat her like a slut, "Oh, no! It's just not fair. Boo-hoo." What exactly did she think was going to happen?!

Yeah, if you have sex in high school with more than a couple of guys and word gets around, that's kind of what happens. However, the filmmakers take it to the extreme of protests and gossip spread within 20 seconds. Not everyone in the entire school is going to suddenly care, JUST because you had sex. Ooh! Plot hole: if nobody knew her, how did they know who everyone was talking about?

I realize that this has turned into a rant, and hope that if you haven't seen "Easy A" yet, that you watch the trailer. You'll save yourself 2 hours of your life, when every scene you could have written yourself.

Inception (2010)

DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan
STUDIO: Warner Bros. Pictures
STARRING: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page
RATING: PG-13
GENRE: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller


GRADE: A-


I love movies that make you think! (It may be the nerd in me.) But, I feel like anyone would enjoy this film much more if you watch it twice. Mostly because, the first time you are just trying to understand exactly what's happening and why, so the second time you can focus more on the plot and characters.

One of the best parts of this film is the visuals, which I unfortuantely didn't get to see on the Big Screen, but sometimes the plot may move too fast for the viewer to completely understand. However, that is a small complaint, because they try to establish the universe quite well.

The acting was great, and directing was wonderful, too. There was no gaps in story or character motivation, but I didn't feel the power behind it to give it a full "A+" or even an "A". It's still one of the movies you should see, because it truly is the universal genre.

Country Strong (2010)

DIRECTOR: Shana Feste
STUDIO: Maguire Pictures
STARRING: Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Garrett Hedlund
RATING: PG-13
GENRE: Drama, Romance


GRADE: C


Ehh, country has NEVER been my favorite genre of music (probably in my least-favorite, actually) but this movie didn't necessarily have to do much with the actual "country" feel, but just the pressures of how fame and love can't co-exist. In fact, the main character said she based her acting off of pop-star Britney Spears.

This film was mostly just a bunch of cliches with some funny jokes and a twist or two, but it was mostly dry. The best actor was probably Tim McGraw, which really shocked me, considering his poor acting from before. Garrett Hedlund wasn't too shabby either, and this is actually the first work I've ever seen him in. A lot of newcomers surrounded Paltrow, but it still made an interesting set of events with the characters.

The main problem I had with the film was the sound editing. There would be a song playing in the background, and you couldn't understand what the characters in the scene were saying, which can get annoying if it happens for almost every scene. Luckily, the plot wasn't too difficult to understand, but it was mostly a nuisance.

Overall, this wasn't a horrible film, but it's not exactly going to be around for the Academy Awards.