Movie Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Plot: Charlie is a shy teenager without friends that has just joined the high-school. He misses his best friend, who had committed suicide, and he writes letters to an imaginary friend telling his feelings. Further, Charlie has a mental illness problem in his past. Soon Charlie befriends the veterans Patrick, who is gay, and his stepsister Sam and they become best friends. Charlie wants to be a writer and he also becomes the favorite student of his teacher of literature, Mr. Anderson, who lends him books. Sam and Patrick introduce Charlie to their friends and Charlie falls in love with Sam, but he does not have self-confidence to date her. Charlie discovers a new world and feels happy with his friends, and he dates their common friend Mary Elizabeth. But when they end their relationship, Patrick asks Charlie to stay away from them for a while and soon he triggers his mental illness again. He goes to the hospital where a doctor finally discloses the origin of his problem. (Courtesy of IMDB)

Based on the novel written by Stephen Chbosky, who also directs, Perks is a true coming-of-age movie for the current generation of teens. Dealing with love, alcohol, courage, school, friends, being an outcast, and pretty much problems that everybody deals with at one time or another, yet, Perks does this in a way that many movies in this genre cannot. The audience can truly connect with every character on the screen, because everything they go through, we've been through ourselves. The movie is perfectly cast and acted. Logan Lerman shines as the main character Charlie, fulfilling the awkwardness that is necessary for the role. Many of the supporting actors, including Ezra Miller as Patrick and Paul Rudd as Mr. Anderson, also fully encompass their roles and have just the right combination of humor and relate-ability. The true star, however, in this movie is of course the beautiful Emma Watson as Sam. In her first major role since the Harry Potter films, Emma Watson has really proved herself as an actress and not just as the girl who played Hermione Granger. She deserved an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, but the movie and the role didn't stand a chance going up against powerhouses like Les Mis or The Master. Another great aspect of the movie was the writing. The screenplay was fresh and new, just like the novel it was based on, and allows for a movie that young adults to finally relate to. Overall, a great film that will become a "cult hit" not far from now. It truly allows for any audience member to relate due to its strong themes of love, peer pressure, and self-discovery. 

"We accept the love we think we deserve." 

Rating: A

Oscars 2013: My Picks for Who Will Win/Who Should Win

Greetings, all! It has been a while since I last blogged, but it has been quite a busy semester. Here are my picks (before the show!) of the winners of tonight's Oscars!

Best Picture
Will Win: Argo 
This one is no question. Argo lost a LOT of momentum when Ben Affleck was not nominated for Director, but since then it has swept every single major awards show, including the Golden Globes, Director's Guild, Screen Actor's Guild, Producer's Guild, and everything in-between. It's the favorite to take home the Gold. 
Should Win: Les Miserables/Zero Dark Thirty/Amour/The Master
The Master, by far the biggest snub of the Oscars this year, was the greatest film I saw this year. A virtuoso piece of filmmaking, with the best writing, acting, and look of anything that came out this year. But since it is not even nominated for Best Picture (nor is the incredible Paul Thomas Anderson for directing) I have to choose between Les Mis, Zero Dark Thirty, and Amour. All incredible movies in their own right, that I believe are more deserving of the award than Argo or the other favorite, Lincoln. 

Best Director
Will Win: Steven Spielberg/Ang Lee (Lincoln/Life of Pi)
These are the only two I can see winning the Best Director Oscar. There were too many snubs to count in this category, including Tom Hooper for Les Mis, Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty, and Ben Affleck for Argo. But out of those nominated, Spielberg or Lee will take it home. 
Should Win: Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
I still cannot get over how The Master was snubbed out of the two categories it most deserved. PTA made yet another "masterful" film, one that was more affecting than anything else nominated. But, God forbid people have to think while watching a movie. 

Best Actor
Will Win: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
This is one of the only categories this year that is locked in. Day-Lewis will win this by a long shot, and even though I wasn't one of the biggest fans of Lincoln, Day-Lewis did what he usually does and churned out a great performance. 
Should Win: Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
I understand that Daniel Day-Lewis made another great movie, but I feel like Phoenix's role in the Master was better than Day-Lewis. He got so into his role, emotionally and physically, and I believe he deserves the award more than DDL. 

Best Actress
Will Win: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
This category is also a lock. Jennifer Lawrence has won almost every award coming to the Oscars, and she should be the one taking the award. 
Should Win: Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
The oldest Best Actress nominee ever, Riva churned out a heart wrenching performance of a stroke victim in the final months in her life. This was one of the most heartfelt films in recent memory, and Riva was incredible. 

Best Supporting Actor
Will Win: Robert DeNiro, Silver Linings Playbook
This is a category in which everyone nominated could take home the award. In my opinion, I think that the Academy will give it to DeNiro to make up for it not winning Picture or Director. 
Should Win: Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
When I first saw The Master, I thought for sure that PSH would be the favorite to win by far. His performance was incredible, as usual, and he deserves to take this Oscar more than anyone else nominated. 

Best Supporting Actress
Will Win: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Hathaway will win this because of her incredible turn as Fantine in Les Mis, mainly for her one-shot rendition of the beautiful I Dreamed A Dream. She has been the favorite to win all season. 
Should Win: Helen Hunt, The Sessions
As much as I love and adore Hathaway and Les Mis, I believe that Helen Hunt had a better and "exposed" role as a sex surrogate in The Sessions. The movie, also snubbed in the Best Actor and Best Picture categories, was sweet and very genuine, and I think Helen Hunt deserves the award. 

Movie Review: The Master

The latest masterpiece from director Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights), The Master is an enthralling and enigmatic piece of film, featuring some of the greatest performances of the year. Returning from Navy service in World War II, Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) drifts through a series of PTSD-driven breakdowns, trying to find his stride in several small jobs until having a violent breakdown in the middle of a department store. Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), after returning from the Second World War, having witnessed many horrors, is a very charismatic intellectual who creates a faith-based organization in an attempt to provide meaning to his life. He becomes known as "The Master". Freddie becomes his right-hand man, but soon begins to question both the belief system and The Master as the organization grows and gains a fervent following. There really is no other way to summarize this film, as it truly has to be seen in order to be understood (so to speak). 

The first I will speak of this film are the incredible, virtuosic performances of Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Phoenix, making his acting return since his "set back" in the acting world a few years ago, makes an amazing turn as Dodd's right-hand man. Phoenix is at the height of his career in this role, changing himself both physically and mentally to deal with the intense source material. Playing a mentally deranged drifter, he plays very well off of Hoffman as Dodd, and takes in each bit of Anderson's source material. He is likely to get an Oscar nomination in the (very crowded) Best Actor category. Philip Seymour Hoffman, the title character, is also at the height of his career, which is saying a lot considering his other Oscar-winning roles. He is incredible as Lancaster Dodd, playing a role just as intense as Phoenix. Hoffman is a true performer, and is by far one of the greatest actors of this generation. He is a lock for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, and is currently in the lead for the win (his main opponent is Tommy Lee Jones in Lincoln). There is a scene earlier in the film, of just Phoenix and Hoffman, where Dodd is giving Freddie an "interview." This is probably the greatest scene in the movie, and is reason enough for both of them to win Oscars. Amy Adams also does very well as the wife of Dodd, Peggy, yet oftentimes gets outshined by the two leads. She should, however, get a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Another great aspect of this movie is the direction and writing of Paul Thomas Anderson. Anderson's writing is very smart, and keeps great pace throughout the entire film. His creative angle, bringing the most he can out of the talent of Hoffman and Phoenix is truly masterful. He is one of the greatest directors working today, and one of the best screenwriters. The look of the film, from the sets to the costumes, capture the post-war feel in a believable way. The score has also been another big talking point, using original and repetitive figures to create a sense of suspense and keep the intense feeling throughout the film. Overall, The Master is an incredible piece of film, at the same level of direction and performing of Anderson's last film, There Will Be Blood. It is one of the most original, confusing, yet satisfying films I have seen this year. A virtuosic motion picture if there ever was one. 

Rating: A

Possible Oscar Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Director- Paul Thomas Anderson
Best Actor- Joaquin Phoenix
Best Actor in a Supporting Role- Philip Seymour Hoffman
Best Actress in a Supporting Role- Amy Adams
Best Original Screenplay- Paul Thomas Anderson
Best Original Score
Best Cinematography

Movie Review: Beasts of the Southern Wild

Hushpuppy, an intrepid six-year-old girl, lives with her father, Wink, in the Bathtub, a southern Delta community at the edge of the world. Wink's tough love from her father prepares her for the unraveling of the universe; for a time when he's no longer there to protect her. When Wink contracts a mysterious illness, nature flies out of whack, temperatures rise, and the ice caps melt, unleashing an army of prehistoric creatures called aurochs. With the waters rising, the aurochs coming, and Wink's health fading, Hushpuppy goes in search of her lost mother. She ventures through the Bathtub and beyond, both in water and on land, with a ragtag group of people form her community and her father. In the end, she learns the ways of the world, and through heartbreak and triumph, learns the secrets of the aurochs and her mother. 

This film is one of the most imaginative creations to grace the screen this year. The main talking point of the film is the incredible performance of 6-year old Quvenzhane Wallis. Wallis is a powerhouse, showing so much talent and emotion that she puts veteran actors to shame. She is currently one of the frontrunners for the Best Actress Oscar, and is a lock for at least a nomination. The supporting cast also does a great job, including Dwight Henry as Hushpuppy's father, Wink. Benh Zeitlin does an amazing directing job, from using the full potential of Wallis's performance to creating the set to mimic Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina. The film was very smartly written, mixing fantasy and a child's imagination with a life-changing catastrophe. Shot in actual parts of the slums in Louisiana, the film feels like a real imagining of what life would have been like during this time. When the movie first came out, it was one of the frontrunners for the Best Picture Oscar, but has since lost steam going into the nominations because of the release of some more widely-seen movies. Overall, this is one of the most original films to come along in quite sometime, led along by the masterful performance of the you Wallis. This is a movie that needs to be seen by everyone, if not just for the brave girl named Hushpuppy. 

Rating: A

Potential Oscar Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Actress
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography (longshot)

Movie Review: Lawless

The three Bondurant brothers, Forrest (Tom Hardy), Howard (Jason Clarke), and Jack (Shia LaBeouf) run a bootlegging operation during the depression, up in the mountains of Franklin County, Virginia. They sell to everyone in need, including the law, and in turn are left alone to tend to their business. But soon enough, Special Deputy Charlie Rakes (played by Guy Pearce), shows up wanting a share of the moonshining profits, at risk to the brothers of exposing their business. Forrest is attacked in the escalating tension, almost losing his life in the process. He then hires Maggie Beauford (Jessica Chastain), to help run the house and bar that the brothers own. Jack then meets local mobster Floyd Banner (Gary Oldman) shooting a competitor in town, and they soon start a business venture to help deal with the increasing meddling of Rakes. The Bondurant brothers finally take matters into their own hand after Rakes kills their friend and partner Cricket, which finally leads to a climactic shootout where justice is dealt rightfully so. 

To me, this remains one of the most underrated films of the years. It boasted one of the greatest casts of the year, the standouts to me being the usual powerhouse performance of Tom Hardy as Forrest and the incredible turn of Guy Pearce playing Charlie Rakes. Shia LaBeouf also does very well, finally shedding his "good boy" image made through his role in previous projects such as Even Stevens and Transformers. Jessica Chastain is also beautiful as always, and the master Gary Oldman has a good albeit short role as Floyd Banner. The story, based of the non-fiction book "The Wettest County in the World," was well adapted from the source material, keeping all the fascinating parts of the moonshining business with extra bits of violence and action. The look of the film matched that of the depression/prohibition era, with the characters being well-dressed to fit their individual roles. Overall, this was a great movie, filled with good performances by an all-star cast, and enough action mixed with story to keep the audience entertained for the whole movie. One of the most underrated movies of the year. 

Rating: A-

My Love Letter to Cinema

If you know me, then you know I love movies. Films, pictures, whatever you may call them. I love them all. Movies are a huge part of my life, and if I could make a career out of it, I would (hence the reason I'm writing this movie review blog). It's a sad fact that there aren't many movie critic job openings out there. But I do it for fun, and that's enough for me. This, overall, has been a great, great year for the cinema. We saw the end to Christopher Nolan's epic Dark Knight Trilogy and the latest Paul Thomas Anderson masterpiece, so aptly titled The Master. We saw Joss Whedon pulling off the impossible in The Avengers, and a 6-year old actress gave one of the greatest performances of this generation in Beasts of the Southern Wild. And there is still so much to look forward to. The grand adaptation of Les Miserables, Denzel Washington and director Robert Zemeckis's  return in Flight, Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, Peter Jackson's latest foray into Middle-Earth with The Hobbit. The list goes on and on. Movies are so much more than just what people see them as. It's not just mindless entertainment. Movies are an art form. A great movie can have just as much emotional impact as a beautiful piece of music or a striking piece of art. And I wish that people would see film as such. This all sounds random, and out of place, I know. The theater is my home away from home. A place where I escape, and focus on the craft being displayed. Being in a theater is pure bliss for me. And this is my thank you. This letter is not expertly crafted nor does it contain a logical structure. It's a list of things I appreciate, and it means so much to me. Stay tuned, as I have tons of reviews to write in the coming months. Thank you for reading.

Movie Review: The Campaign

The Campaign, which teams up comedy dream-team Will Ferrell and Zach Galifinakis, is one of the funniest, yet most underrated comedies I've seen this year. Cam Brady, (played by Farrell, channelling his Ricky Bobby role), is a bumbling congressman that has ran unopposed for five terms. Marty Huggins, played by Galifinakis, is the local "town tour-giver," and is the patriarch of a traditional Southern Baptist family, who decides to finally challenge Cam to appease his fathers disappointment. So this brings us to all out war. Cam is caught up in a scandal (which is a blatant reference to Bill Clinton), which threatens to ruin his political career. Marty is blackmailed and then turned into someone who he is not comfortable with. Both opponents dig up old secrets and bring new ones to light. In the end, the right person wins, and both turn from opponents into friends and co-workers.

This film was filled to the brim with humor and great performances. Ferrell and Galifinakis are great together, mixing a perfect combination of Ferrell's slapstick and Galifinakis' quirkiness. They both have their fair share of scenes and one-liners, and they just blend together very well. There are some funny cameos by Dan Akroyd and a few other comedic classics. The writing was very funny and well paced, never dragging or lacking a fair share of humor. I believe some people just take this film too seriously, thinking that the jokes were silly and the performances just a little too wacky. I just think this film should be taken with a grain of salt. Just sit back and enjoy, laugh at the jokes (you know they're funny), and have fun. Galifinakis is charming as Marty, and I just think the movie as a whole deserves more credit than it has been given. A good movie to watch with buddies, for date night, or just to have a good laugh. It could have been a disaster, but it was not. And I respect it for that.

Rating: B+

Movie Review: ParaNorman

From the artists and directors who gave us Coraline and Corpse Bride, ParaNorman is a smart, funny, non-traditional family film satire on the horror genre, which also transcends the boundaries and expectations of animation in the process. In the town of Blithe Hollow, Norman Babcock is a boy who can speak to the dead, but no one besides his eccentric new friend, Neil, believes his ability is real. One day, Norman's estranged eccentric uncle tells him of an important annual ritual he must take up to protect the town from an curse cast by a witch it condemned centuries ago. Eventually, Norman decides to cooperate, but things don't go according to plan. Now, a magic storm of the witch threatens Blithe Hollow as the accursed dead rise. Together with unexpected new companions, Norman struggles to save his town, only to discover the horrific truth of the curse. 

This is just one of those films you must see in order to fully appreciate it. The animation overall was beautiful, seeming to combine the stop motion technique used in Coraline and Corpse Bride with the CGI setting of modern animation (used to greatest avail by Disney/Pixar). Everything from the construction of Blithe Hollow to each character is extremely detailed, and at times, there are great moments dedicated to just the scenery. The voice acting from the cast was very well done. Kodi Smitt-McPhee does well as the title character, and John Goodman, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Casey Affleck all give good supporting performances. The script is very smart and well-written, providing plenty of great moments for both children and adults. And above all, the film teaches us in a subtle manner the importance of family and friendship, and how anything can be achieved through both. A great film, and a serious contender for the Best Animated Feature Oscar. It's not just for kids, and I implore you to go see it. 

Rating: A