Movie Review: Shame

A movie about a sex addict. Who would have thought that would ever come to fruition. In quite a revealing role, 2011 breakout star Michael Fassbender (who also played Magneto in X-Men: First Class) plays Brandon, a sex addict living the life in New York City. No one knows of his secret, until his sister, played by Carey Mulligan, decides to come bunk with him, (which causes some awkward situations). As Brandon slips deeper into his secret life of sex with everything that walks, a ravaging pornography addiction, etc., his sister also slips into her own addiction with alcohol and drugs. Eventually, both of the characters dark sides reach a climax when Brandon has a complete mental breakdown and throws away all of his "materials", and Sissy attempts suicide. With two very emotional and well-acted performances, it is a wonder why neither Fassbender or Mulligan were honored with Oscar nominations (probably due to the gratuitous nudity and that the movie was rated NC-17). One of the most intense movies of the year, and definitely under appreciated, it is quite a fascinating journey into the mind of an addict often not seen in media. And again, fantastic performances by both Fassbender and Mulligan power the movie until the end. I will warn viewers though: not a film to watch with any relatives. Sure to make for awkward silences. But overall fantastic movie. Sidenote- I loved the poster. Pretty clever.

Rating: A-

The Oscars: Who Should Have Won

Best Picture
Who won- The Artist
Who should have won- The Tree of Life/The Help: Well, the movie that everyone knew was going to win did. However, I don't think it should have. Sure, it was "inventive", and it was an entertaining movie (as entertaining as a silent movie in this time period could be). Now, on we move to The Tree of Life. Now, that was an inventive movie. A two and a half hour journey through the cosmos, and a small southern family where a boy discovers himself and his role in the universe. A 17 minute history of creation had patrons seeing the movie leave and ask for refunds. Now, does this film have a definitive story that The Artist did? No. The story was there, but Oscar voters don't usually like the story unless it's hitting them in the face with a baseball bat. But just the things Terrence Malick was able to achieve was stunning. It was a masterpiece, and really made you look at your life in a broader spectrum than just yourself. And then we have The Help. Has a movie like this been done before? Yes. But not in the same context. The Help boasted some of the most amazing performances of the year, with Viola Davis in one of the most emotional roles in film this year (more on this later), Octavia Spencer in an Oscar winning supporting role, Emma Stone, and the love-to-hate performance of Bryce Dallas Howard. And the entire film was expertly crafted and adapted from the novel of the same name, with a lasting message that can resonate with everyone. I believe either of these two movie deserved the Oscar over The Artist.

Best Director
Who won- Michel Hazanivicius, The Artist
Who should have won- Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life: See above.

Best Actor
Who won- Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Who should have won- George Clooney, The Descendants: Sure, Dujardin did a fantastic job acting without actually saying anything. But George Clooney had a masterful performance. Mixing raw emotion, anger, humor, and everything in between, Clooney should have beat newcomer Dujardin and taken home the trophy.

Best Actress
Who won- Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Who should have won- Viola Davis, The Help: Ah, the category I've been itching to write about. The win from last night was bullcrap. Did Meryl Streep have a good performance as Margaret Thatcher? Yes. But it's been done before. Meryl Streep has been nominated 17 times, and has only won 3 times, including last night. Now, I wonder why that is. Viola Davis brought an emotion that rarely is seen in film, and certainly inspired a large group of people with her performance. She was phenomenal, and should have walked home with the trophy. Meryl Streep's performance was good, yes, but overrated and incomparable to Viola Davis.

Best Supporting Actor
Who won- Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Who should have won- Alan Rickman, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2: Why Alan Rickman has not been nominated before for his role as Professor Severus Snape, I do not know. His role in the Harry Potter films was one of the most accurate and well cast from the books, and his performance in the last film, especially in the Prince's Tale scene, was stunning. He should have at least gotten a nomination. But, alas, the Academy frowns upon such fantasy roles.

Best Supporting Actress
Who won- Octavia Spencer, The Help
Who should have won- Octavia Spencer, The Help: One of the only awards of the night that I thought was given to the right person. Octavia was spectacular as Minnie Jackson, and rightfully deserved the trophy.

Overall, it was a very predictable, yet disappointing ending to the awards season.

Show rating: C

Movie Review: Midnight in Paris

Ah, another romantic comedy masterpiece from one of the most prolific directors of all time, Woody Allen. This film follows Gil (played by Owen Wilson) as he meanders around the streets of Paris looking for inspiration to complete his novel. One midnight stroll, however, proves to be more inspirational than the others, though, as Gil enters a cab and is "transported" back to the 1920's. Here, he encounters many famous artists and writers of the time, including F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda, Ernest Hemingway, Cole Porter, Gertrude Stein, and Salvador Dali (in a hilarious performance by Adrian Brody), among others. Through his adventures, Gil takes the viewer on a magnificent journey through the streets of Paris, and Owen Wilson is supported by many, many strong performances. The soundtrack also captures the essence of Paris, and changes styles to adapt to the different time periods. The story did get a little confusing at times, switching between time periods, but it all came together eventually. This film did not get many Oscar nominations (including snubs in my opinion for Best Actor and several supporting roles, namely Kathy Bates), but did pick up nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. It really only has a chance to win Best Original Screenplay, though I believe it was much better than some of the films nominated for Best Picture. It was a nice little journey through Paris, and did not try and force itself upon viewers as many of the traditional Best Picture nominees tend too. A very nice surprise, and lighter than other Oscar fare.

Rating: B+
Potential Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director (both of which won't happen), Best Original Screenplay

Movie Review: The Artist

A modern silent film about old silent films. Imagine that. Silent movie star George Valentin (in a fantastic performance by French actor Jean Dujardin) falls victim to the rise of the "talkies", leading to his divorce and loss  of passion for his life. Meanwhile, breakout actress Peppy Miller (played by Berenice Bejo) is the talk of the town in Hollywood, and is the leading star in many of the most popular movies in Hollywood. Fate eventually brings the two together, probably due to the fact that Valentin gave Miller her start in the movie business. Valentin is on the verge of taking his life, when Peppy saves him and gets him another acting role. This "love letter to cinema" was technically excellent, and showed deep appreciation of the beginnings of film. Also, the dance scene at the end was one of the most entertaining sequences in a movie this year. Though the story does get a little dry and repetitive and points, this film was magnificently crafted by French director Michael Hazanavicius. I don't believe that it deserves the coveted Best Picture Oscar (which I am sure it's getting because it is traditional Oscar bait, and an award which I believe should go to either The Tree of Life or The Help), but it was still an entertaining film with a nice ode to the beginnings of "modern" (talking) cinema.
Rating: B-
Potential Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Originial Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Score