I have a new addiction courtesy of iPhone 4 (which works FINE with a case, all you Apple haters).
Thanks to multitasking, I have begun to love listening to the arts & life segments from NPR. Thanks to Apple’s innovations, I can listen to NPR while checking Facebook, writing an email, sending a text message, or blogging. A lot of times I will leave it on while cleaning my room or just casually walking around the house.
I’ve heard some really fascinating segments recently. I’ve listened to plenty of movie reviews, and some very interesting editorials, including one on the declining impact of box office draws. But what I’ve enjoyed most are the interviews. I heard a great one with Steve Carell, and I have a 25-minute interview with “The Kids Are All Right” director Lisa Cholodenko saved in my queue. I plan on listening to it now that I’ve seen the movie.
By far the most fascinating was an interview with Mark Ruffalo around the release of the aforementioned movie. I don’t know how to embed the audio, but click here to be taken to the article and listen. You will find out a whole lot you didn’t know.
Everyone loves a summer indie comedy, even the Oscars. “Little Miss Sunshine” charmed audiences at the Sundance Film Festival, then slowly won over an audience, expanded that audience on video, and then received four Oscar nominations including Best Picture as well as wins for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor.
“The Kids Are All Right” seems to have the first part of the “Little Miss Sunshine” formula in place after it became the anointed indie comedy at Sundance. Written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, the movie follows Nic and Jules (Annette Bening and Julianne Moore) and their children Joni and Laser (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson), living comfortably in Los Angeles. That is, until the kids decided to introduce Paul (Mark Ruffalo), the sperm donor that made them possible, into their lives.
The film appears to depoliticize a lesbian couple to a certain degree, normally a subject to cause a pretty big stir, and opens the movie up to a newer crowd. We are still awaiting release, but from what I’ve gathered, Focus is going to push the movie very mainstream. I’m anticipating the usual extremist backlash, but I don’t think this is a propaganda piece designed to shove homosexuality down anyone’s throat. It may very well be like any comedy where kids meet their long lost biological father; there’s just one more mother in the mix.
I think the movie’s surest bet for a nomination – and maybe even a win – is Best Original Screenplay. The category is one of very few that is friendly to comedies; in fact, six of the ten winners of the past decades have been comedic scripts (although I’ll argue with you that “Lost in Translation” isn’t really a comedy). If the movie proves to be original and funny with a beating heart inside, it’s going to be a formidable foe in the category.
But the actors are going to be another big Academy selling point for the movie. The two leading ladies, Annette Bening and Julianne Moore, are incredibly overdue for the big prize. Bening has three nominations, and she really should have won for “American Beauty.” Her turn as Carolyn Burnham is absolutely one of my favorite roles ever, and she absolutely nailed it. At the time, it appears that Focus will push her as the film’s leading actress where she could end up facing Hilary Swank again. It’s been since 1998 that an actress won the category for a comedic role, but Bening is the kind of actress they might reverse a trend for.
Julianne Moore has even more nominations than Bening at a whopping four, and she is coming fresh off a snub for “A Single Man.” She’s one of the few actors who have pulled off dual nominations in a single year, and that’s a feat in itself. It appears that she will be competing in the Best Supporting Actress category, which doesn’t seem to feature any big names right now (save maybe Keira Knightley and Dianne Wiest). We saw how the Academy bent over backwards to give Kate Winslet an Oscar after five missed opportunities; it could be Moore’s time.
Mark Ruffalo is on the hunt for his first nomination with “The Kids Are All Right,” and it’s about time he got one. He deserved a nomination for “You Can Count on Me” a decade ago, but he hasn’t exactly amassed an Academy-friendly resume since. He has a spotty track record with some corny romantic comedies littered among a few smaller indies. Overdue for a nomination may be a bit of a stretch to say, yet few can argue that Ruffalo is a great actor. Perhaps an Oscar nomination might steer him away from the rom-coms and back to good, solid movies.
If the Academy really goes gaga for this movie, Wasikowska and Hutcherson may find themselves in the mix for a nomination. But a nomination is the best case scenario for them because Moore and Ruffalo have much more respect and longer careers. The need is much less pressing to anoint these young stars as Hollywood royalty.
In Contention, Kris Tapley’s highly regarded Oscars site, has “The Kids Are All Right” getting a whole lot of nominations. Five, to be specific – acting nominations for Bening, Moore, and Ruffalo plus Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture. Let’s face it, we all need a comedy in the Best Picture mix, so I’m going to agree with Tapley at least until the movie is released. But a nomination for each one of the main actors is a little more suspect.
The poll for this Oscar Moment will be a little different. Rather than asking a simple “pick one out of these answers,” I’m going to give you the option of picking multiple answers. The question: “What Oscar nominations will ‘The Kids Are All Right’ receive?” Pick the ones you think will.
BEST BETS FOR NOMINATIONS: Best Picture, Best Actress (Bening), Best Supporting Actress (Moore), Best Supporting Actor (Ruffalo), Best Original Screenplay
OTHER POTENTIAL NOMINATIONS: Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Wasikowska), Best Supporting Actor (Hutcherson)
The “F.I.L.M.” (First-Class, Independent Little-Known Movie – for those who needed a refresher) of the Week will return to some dark and hard-hitting material next week, but I will ease the transition from comedy to tragedy with something a little bit in between. “You Can Count on Me,” one of the movies on my bucket list of Oscar nominees from the past decade, really grabbed my interest a few weeks ago. It’s a smart, witty dramedy that treads on the familiar grounds of family issues but never feels contrived or recycled in the slightest.
There’s two reasons for that. The first is Kenneth Lonergan, the film’s director and writer. His script is insightful and sensitive, and it gives an authentic look at the ripple effect of a self-destructive brother’s return home to his distraught sister. It lets the events play out in a way that is both touching and devastating. We really come to know and care for these characters through their triumphs and their mistakes – and there are plenty of both.
But the second reason is the main reason for the movie’s success: leading lady Laura Linney (alliteration fully intended). She plays emotional and tense women often, but she plays them with such conviction and strength that I can’t find it in me to be bothered by it. Here, she uses her incredible energy to bring Sammy, the single mother and bank employee, to vibrant life. Already collapsing under the weight of single parenthood, Sammy is forced to take on responsibility for her troubled brother Terry (Mark Ruffalo) who seems to be incapable of controlling himself. With a new boss (Matthew Broderick) at the bank, she is forced to devote herself more fully to her job. This leaves her child (Rory Culkin) under the care and influence of Terry, who exposes him to new ideas and heightens his curiosity about his father. Linney perfectly animates Sammy’s inner conflict: doing what is best for the two people who need her or doing what makes her happy.
But there’s more good things about “You Can Count on Me” other than its two Academy Award-nominated facets. Mark Ruffalo delivers a fascinating and astonishing performance. He’s always trying to do what is right, but his moral compass often leads him in the wrong direction to do it. Matthew Broderick is comic gold as the demanding and borderline obsessive-compulsive bank manager; he is equal parts charm and repulsion, and it’s always fun to watch him. On the surface, this may be a movie about ordinary people living ordinary lives. But thanks to a powerful narrative and compelling characters, it really is extraordinary.
“Shutter Island” is director Martin Scorsese’s first movie since he floored the Academy (as well as one semi-notable movie blogger) with “The Departed,” which only serves to set the bar sky-high to clear. It would take another modern classic to surpass “The Departed,” and this isn’t that. However, this is high-octane, heart-pumping Hollywood entertainment that delivers the chills and thrills.
Keep in mind, though, this is Scorsese we are talking about here. “Shutter Island” is no Michael Bay movie. It succeeds largely because of that unique Scorsese vision which has been the driving force behind two of my all-time favorite movies. It’s important to know that he isn’t trying to make a “Taxi Driver” out of Dennis Lehane’s novel; this is an homage to the classic horror films of Hitchcock and the like. If you get déjà vu at all, it will probably more to “The Shining” than to “GoodFellas.”
The movie explores the line between insanity and reality as two federal marshals (Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo) investigate the disappearance of a patient at an asylum. As Teddy Daniels’ (DiCaprio) observations progress, we come to two important realizations. The first is that Teddy has something more on his mind than merely investigating a missing patient. The second, and by far the most important, is that there is something more than just lingering seasickness affecting Teddy’s mind.
We’re still in some hazy territory in the month of February, but the new decade looks to give this month some much needed energy. Fueled by two movies originally scheduled for release in 2009, I might actually drop a good amount of change at the movies in February (not just on repeat viewings of Oscar nominees).
February 5
Put “The Notebook” in front of anything and you are guaranteed a flock of screaming girls coming with boyfriends in tow. Put wildly popular model/actor Channing Tatum in the poster and you can add some more girls aside from the hopeless romantics. “Dear John” has just that: a super sweet story from author Nicholas Sparks and girl eye candy Tatum. Thankfully for the guys, the filmmakers cast Amanda Seyfried (“Jennifer’s Body”), who isn’t so bad on the eyes either.
I’m a little weary to endorse “From Paris with Love,” another John Travolta villain movie. He’s only good at playing subtle ones (“Pulp Fiction”) with the exception of “Face/Off.” 2009’s “The Taking of Pelham 123” was a disaster mainly because of Travolta and his villainy established only by constantly dropping the F-bomb. Potential redemption here? I’ll need positive word of mouth before I watch Travolta go evil again.
February 12
“Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief” is the name given to the film adaptation of Rick Riordan’s kids novel “The Lightning Thief.” Clearly Fox is setting up a franchise with the title, and they picked the right place to stake the claim. I read the book in seventh grade, and it is the real deal. I even got a chance to have lunch with the author, Riordan, who is one of the neatest people I have ever met. Whether they ruin it or not is yet to be known, but the movie is being helmed by Chris Columbus, the man who got the “Harry Potter” series flying. That has to count for something.
If Pierce Brosnan isn’t a big enough star to draw you to the aforementioned movie, you should find solace in “Valentine’s Day,” which features just about every romantic comedy actor ever. Literally, I can’t even list all of the stars of the movie here. The post would just be too darn big. Garry Marshall, director of “Pretty Woman” and “The Princess Diaries,” is in charge here, so I find some comfort in that. But if the movie flops, this will be a high-profile disappointment.
Sorry girls, the werewolf in “The Wolfman” is not played by Taylor Lautner. Academy Award-winning actor Benicio del Toro metamorphasizes in Victorian England into the hairy beast when the moon is ripe. This werewolf is not based on cheeky teen lit but on the 1941 horror classic. And this adaptation is rated R for “bloody horror violence and gore.” Get ready for some intense clawing.
A big winner at Cannes and a contender for the Best Foreign Film at this year’s Academy Awards, “A Prophet” is a foreign film that may be worth a look.
We give the movie industry late August and all of September to recover from the busy summer season, but in October, it starts to kick it into gear again. Unfortunately, my most anticipated movie in October, Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island,” was pushed back to February. But the month still puts forth several great movies for all tastes.
October 2
This week, I can promise you that I will be throwing my money not at a new release, but at the re-release of two staples of my childhood. “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2” will hit theaters again for a few weeks. 1 ticket. 2 movies. 3-D. Need I say more?
The week also gives us “The Invention of Lying,” which could be a sleeper comedy hit. The movie stars Ricky Gervais, who was the lead of the British version of “The Office.” Around this time last year, he starred in “Ghost Town,” a comedy with a heart that you need to go rent now, that was dismissed by audiences. I have high hopes for his latest, in which he plays a man who tells the world’s first lie on an alternate Earth. He continues to wield the power to suit his own selfish needs. The movie also features Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, and the always funny Tina Fey.
And not to mention, the week delivers Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, “Whip It.” The movie stars the irresistible Ellen Page (“Juno”) as Bliss, a teenager weary of the beauty pageants that she is forced into by her parents. One day, she discovers the world of roller derby and she finds the happiness that she has been so desperately seeking. The movie boasts a hilarious supporting cast including Kristen Wiig (“SNL”), Oscar-winner Marcia Gay Harden, and Barrymore herself.
And it just keeps getting better. The Coen Brothers (“No Country for Old Men”) are back with their latest feature, “A Serious Man;” they also wrote the original screenplay. The movie seems to be a big risk. It features no marquee names other than the Coens themselves. The trailer is cryptic, giving no indication of what to expect from the movie. I don’t mind an aura of mystique, but this is an aura of confusion. The movie is being marketed as a dark comedy, and I pray that it is the polar opposite of the Coens’ last foray into the genre, “Burn After Reading,” which I didn’t find funny at all. The movie starts in limited release and then will slowly expand from New York and Los Angeles.
The other major release of the week is “Zombieland,” a horror-comedy with Woody Harrelson.
October 9
The only exciting movie hitting theaters across the country this weekend is “Couples Retreat.” A comedy centered around four couples at a luxurious tropical resort that is revealed to be a marriage therapy clinic, it appears to provide something for everyone. It has pretty women (Malin Akerman, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis) AND funny guys (Jason Bateman, Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau). The movie is the directorial debut of Ralph Billingsley, best known for playing Ralphie in “A Christmas Story,” and the screenplay is written by Vaughn and Favreau. Hopefully it can provide some good laughs in a season usually replete of hilarious comedies.
Opening in limited release is “An Education,” a movie that has been garnering massive Oscar buzz for months now. Most of it has centered on the breakout performance of lead actress Carey Mulligan. In the movie, she stars as Jenny, a 17-year-old in 1960s England who is set on going to Oxford. However, an older gentleman (Peter Sarsgaard) comes along and sweeps her off of her feet, introducing her to a lifestyle that she immediately loves. But reality bites, and Jenny is left at a crucial crossroads. The movie has also generated buzz around supporting actors Alfred Molina and Rosamund Pike (the red-haired villain of “Die Another Day”). Raves are also flying in for the screenplay, written by author Nick Hornby, writer of “About a Boy” and “Fever Pitch.” And with the 10 nominees for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars, many people say it has a good chance of claiming one of the ten.
I have a new addiction courtesy of iPhone 4 (which works FINE with a case, all you Apple haters).
Everyone loves a summer indie comedy, even the Oscars. “Little Miss Sunshine” charmed audiences at the Sundance Film Festival, then slowly won over an audience, expanded that audience on video, and then received four Oscar nominations including Best Picture as well as wins for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor.
Julianne Moore has even more nominations than Bening at a whopping four, and she is coming fresh off a snub for 
Marshall and the Movies 
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