Movie Review: American Reunion

In the words of Thin Lizzy, The Boys Are Back in Town. In this 4th "official" American Pie movie, the original crew is back and just as raunchy and sex-obsessed as ever. Jim and the gang are back in town for their 13th High School reunion. Jim (Jason Biggs) is married to Michelle (Alyson Hannigan), and they have hit a "rough patch" in their marriage due to the birth of their son. Oz is a "celebrity" sports show host, now made infamous by his appearance on Celebrity Dance-Off. Kevin is also married, yet is forced to sit through "girly" drama TV and play househusband. Stifler is well...Stifler. Still living at home with his mom (played by the hilarious Jennifer Coolidge). So, as usual, things get wild, temptations rise and are either given into or overcome, and everyone is happy in the end. Especially Jim's Dad (played by Eugene Levy), who gets with Stifler's mom. There was not a single moment in the movie where I was not laughing, and the comedy was very well paced. It was nice to see literally EVERYBODY from the first two movies, and to see what happened to them after high school. A very funny movie with a cast of very funny actors/actresses. I must say, it feels good to be reunited with the original crew after all this time.

Rating: A-

Movie Review: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

This film, adapted from Steig Larsson's bestselling Millenium Trilogy, is an unflinching view into the human psyche, a view into the world of evil and lies that often times go unseen. Rooney Mara plays the role of Lisbeth Salander, a ward of the state, who is the best computer hacker around. She is enlisted to be the assistant of Mikael Blomkvist, who's journalism career has just been shattered by a scandal he published that he cannot prove. Blomkvist is hired by Henrik Lundkvist to solve a mystery that has plagued his family for over four decades, the disappearance of his niece, Harriet. Lisbeth and Mikael, both with their own strengths, work together in order to solve the mystery. Lisbeth eventually falls in love with Mikael, after having been put through some harrowing sexual abuse in the first half of the movie. The film ends on a somber note, however leaves plenty of room for the continuation of the story, The Girl Who Played With Fire. The movie is very intense, with multiple scenes of torture, two of them being of a sexual/rape nature. Rooney Mara does an amazing job as Lisbeth, displaying all the intensity and subtleness that is present in the novel. She is beautiful, though you can see the pain in her face from the ordeals she has suffered through. Daniel Craig also does well as Mikael, and the cast of many supporting actors/actresses do amazing also. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is also very well done. The title sequence was, as well, a fantastic oily montage of Lisbeth's journey through the three books in the trilogy. Overall, a very intense, emotionally and physically, journey through a great detective story, all brought together by the brilliant and enigmatic performance of Rooney Mara as Lisbeth.

Rating: A

Movie Review: The Hunger Games

I'm going to start this review by saying this: Jennifer Lawrence is beautiful. She is one of the most enigmatic actors I have ever seen grace the screen, and I believe this is partly because she is one of the most beautiful people alive, and she's a terrific actress, and an Oscar-nominated one at that. Now, on to the actual movie. Adapted from Suzanne Collins' addictive best-seller trilogy, The Hunger Games, (followed by Catching Fire and Mockingjay), this film is one of the most successful adaptations of a book I've seen, next to the Harry Potter series. Panem, the nation formerly known as the United States, is now divided into 12 districts, all manned by a Captiol in the center of the districts. The Hunger Games, created in response to the rebellion of the now-extinct District 13, pits 24 teenagers against each other in a fight to the death, with the winner being bathed in riches for the rest of their life. Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, lives in the very poor District 12 with her mother (her father died earlier in a mining accident) and her sister, Primrose (Prim for short). She has a hunting partner in Gale, played by newcomer Gale Hemsworth, in a relatively minor role compared to the books. On the day of the Reaping, where the contestants for The Hunger Games are selected, Katniss, Prim and Gale gather in the town square to hear this years tributes called. Prim is called for the female tribute, but Katniss comes to her rescue and volunteers as tribute. The male tribute nominated is Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson, who has a sordid past relationship with Katniss after giving her bread when she was starving, and later confesses during the tribute interviews that he is in love with her. That's the basis of the story, without giving too much away. Peeta and Katniss enter into the Hunger Games, and fight for the latter half of the movie. The casting for the movie was incredible. Jennifer Lawrence is perfect for the role of Katniss, as are Liam Hemsworth as Gale and Josh Hutcherson as Peeta. The one supporting role that really stood out in my opinion was Donald Sutherland as President Snow. Sutherland provides an unflinching performance as the cruel President of Panem, and is very successful in displaying the subtle evil that he gives off in the books. Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson also do terrific as Peeta and Katniss's mentors, Effie and Haymitch, and Lenny Kravitz does very well as Katniss's stylist, Cinna. With an almost scene for scene adaptation of the book, a FANTASTIC cast of many wonderful actors, one of the most beautiful actresses ever in the lead role, and enough action and drama to satisfy boys, girls, men and women alike, The Hunger Games is the best movie of the year so far. It definitely lives up to the hype. If you haven't read the books or seen the movies, do it. They're enthralling, and very satisfying. 

Rating: A

Movie Review: 21 Jump Street

Jonah Hill got skinny. No longer in his awkward days of playing sex-starved teenagers in movies like Superbad, Jonah Hill is in his second major "grown-up" role, the other being his Oscar-nominated portrayal of a stats genius in Moneyball. Channing Tatum is also making quite a name for himself, with roles in this movie, The Vow, and Magic Mike. The story in this adaptation of the TV show of the same name, is that two cop partners, Hill and Tatum, join the police force together after having the traditional bully/victim relationship in high school. They expect a lot of action to go down, but are instead put on bike duty. They have a big drug bust in the park they're patrolling, but they forget to read the criminals their Miranda Rights. Then, the partners are sent to 21 Jump Street, an undercover operation that sends cops...you guessed it...undercover, into high schools to solve various drug problems with the students. But, how the times have changed since they were both in high school. The people who used to be outcasts are the cool kids, and vice versa. And the story goes on, etc. etc., and they figure out who makes, supplies, and sells drugs. The movie, surprisingly, was actually very funny. It was well written, had plenty of raunchy material without "going there", and provided a solid 2 hours of hilarity. The plot never really slows down, and the jokes keep up with the pace of the movie. There was also a fantastic cameo by original 21 Jump Street TV star Johnny Depp. This movie is no Oscar winner, but it was funny and clever, and had some great starring roles from Hill and Tatum. Overall, a good comedy that never lags, and constantly provides new material to laugh at.

Rating: B+

Movie Review: Dr. Seuss's The Lorax

The latest animated film from Dreamworks Studio, and the newest Dr. Seuss children's book adaptation, The Lorax, was a half-cheerful, half-depressing movie with a very strong message about the environment. Ted, voiced by Zac Efron, has fallen for a girl in his city of Thneed-Ville, named Audrey (in an actual enjoyable performance by Taylor Swift). Audrey's greatest wish is to have an actual tree, which are now non-existent. So, Ted travels out of the city limits to visit The Once-Ler, an old man who is the only person who knows the story of the trees, and the only person who can give Ted a tree for Audrey. Then the story of the title character, The Lorax, begins. The Lorax, voiced by Danny DeVito, is an enjoyable character who conveys a strong message about protecting the environment. In the end, the boy gets the girl, the girl gets the tree, and the Once-Ler is forgiven of his misdeeds by his old pal, The Lorax. The movie is very well-paced, alternating between past and present segments, and interspersed with various musical numbers that are characteristic of this type of film. There are some great supporting roles, mainly by Ted's Grandmother, voiced by the hilarious Betty White. Overall, a very well-adapted representation of the Dr. Seuss classic, that combines comedy, music, and a message about the importance of preserving our environment. Even if the kid's don't understand what the movie is trying to convey, the adults who take them should. It may get a little too dark for a children's movie, but the book did as well. An entertaining and thoughtful adaptation. 

Rating: A-

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