My Stuff and Cr*p

Mini Review catch up

2011-01-07T12:35:00.016+00:00

So, another month long break from me which sucks I know. So many precursor awards have been announced and again it is a whole pile of organisations desperate to try and guess Oscar. With so many films out in one year, it seems strange that these apparently 'professional' groups only think 8 or 9 films are the best of the year. It is kind of like Oscar is the teet they most like to suck. Sad considering this would be their chance to actually stand up and declare themselves different from the pack.

Ho hum. Well as you will know the films that are doing the best are 'The Social Network', 'Inception', 'Winters Bone', 'The Kings Speech', 'Toy Story 3', '127 Hours', 'True Grit', 'The Fighter' and of course 'Black Swan'. These are apparently the best films of the year. I have only seen 5 of them, and aside from 'Inception' I would kind of agree.

Anyway, here is another slew of reviews.

'Black Swan'

One of the few films of the year that makes you cover your eyes in horror whilst still trying to see, for missing an single screen shot is to miss pure beauty.

Darren Aronofsky has made a film that is a bold and unflinching study of ambition and how it can consume.

Anchored by an astonishing performance by Natalie Portman, some of the finest acting, and most dedicated, seen in some time.

Grade - A-

'Despicable Me'

Wow, I wasn't expecting this to be quite so much fun.

Charming, funny, touching yet deliciously evil, just how a film about a super villain should be.

Sure the minions bordered on cutesy, but they were fun, and the voice acting was superb, especially by Steve Carell as Gru

This has been an incredibly strong year for animation and to see the big studios finally getting things right is a relief. As much as I love Pixar it is nice to see Dreamworks and Universal stepping up the game a little.

Grade - B+

'Easy A'

On the outside it is like any other teen comedy, in that it starts out strong and three quarters of the way through it kind of fall apart, but manages to pic itself right back up. However this is different thanks to three very important things:

Stanley Tucci as the father, Patricia Clarkson as the mother and most importantly, Emma Stone in the lead.

The film would not have worked as well as it did without her. A smart, hysterically funny and brave performance that Oscar will surely miss.

Grade - B+

'Get Him To The Greek'

It is kind of sad when you watch a movie and remember so little of it.
Something about Jonah Hill trying to get Russell Brand to a concert.

Oh

And Puff Daddy being unexpectedly funny.

Grade - C

'Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work'

Why this woman get no respect I do not know.
This film is a tribute to an exceptionally talented woman who refuses to give up, turns her back on the critics and works works works.

She is the butt of joke made by people who do not have 1/5 of her stamina and resilience, and she knows it.

Sure this film is full of humour, but it is the cracks of doubt, sorrow and regret that make this such an insight to one of the worlds biggest talents.

Grade - B+

'Scott Pilgrim vs The World'

Sure Michael Cera plays the same guy again (but who really cares, he is good at it) and the whole movie kind of plays like a A.D.D. sufferers dream, but man it is something to get caught up in.

So ridiculous and over the top get saved by going to far over by smart performances by Kieran Culkin, Ellen Wong, Aubrey Plaza and of course the fantastic Mae Whitman.

Grade- B

'Shrek Forever After'

It made me chuckle and had some really cute and smart references, but on a whole this series needs to be put to bed.

The longer it goes on, the more it makes me dislike the first film.

Grade - B-

'The Kids Are All Right'

A lovely little movie that is a breath of fresh air.
Any film depicting a gay marriage you expect to played as some sort of political drama. Made to prove a point.
In this the point is clear. Marriage is tough, no matter who it is between.

Julianne Moore and Annette Bening have amazing chemistry (who would have thought Bening would make such an amazing dyke), but it is Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson who make the film wonderful, both giving smart and realistic performances and two teenaged caught up in the middle of a little shit storm.

Grade - B

'The Social Network'

Seriously amazing.
A wordy talky drama that plays like a tight thriller.

The rapid fire dialogue filled with so many gems that you need many viewings to get all the insults and subtleties.

This is also a film that is very very now, yet somehow manages to feel like the type of film that will hold up in years to come - time will tell.

Here is hoping Aaron Sorkin, Jessie Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and yes, Justin Timberlake get the kudos they deserve!

Grade - A-

Top 30 songs of 2010

2010-12-07T21:29:00.009+00:00

Well, I know I have been very quiet of late, and that is mainly because work and life have once again taken over, but I have loads to post about. Firstly I wan tto go through what I consider to be the best songs of the year for 2010. Not all of these songs were officially released in 2010, but this was the year they came to my attention.

Let's get started.

30

Eminem - 'Love the Way You Lie' (Feat. Rihanna)

Sure, this is technically a song about a highly abusive boyfriend, in a highly dysfunctional relationship, but when Rihanna comes in with that sad and equally disturbing chorus, you can't help but get drawn in.

29

Saadi - 'Bad Seeds'

Facebook decided to recommend me this artist because I like M.I.A. (who is sadly absent from this list). You know what, facebook was correct. The breezy light island feeling makes me year for a colada - any type of colada.

28

Hurts - 'Better Than Love'

The 80's continued to be remixed for the year 2010 with this Depeche Mode-esque anthem of angst. It doesn't hurt that these guys are easy on the eyes, and can most certainly wear a suit.

27

Macy Grey - 'The Sellout'

The raspy voiced one came out with a new album this year. Most of you probably never even noticed, which is a shame as this was probably the best she has been in years.

26

I Blame Coco - 'Self Machine'

Sure, she is Stings daughter so her foot in the door was more a tank smashing through, but this is a corker of a tune, helped by the very androgynous voice and her scary lesbian styling

25

Marina and the Diamonds - 'Obsessions'

Poppy, boppy and totally addictive. Marina blasted on the scene and released some of the best singles no one really bought. A shame, since this, her first was so repeatable.

24

Janelle Monáe - 'Oh, Maker'

You begin to settle in to a lovely folksy ditty, then there is a three step transition into a groovy neo soul love song. That is the thing about this girl she is versatile and surprise whilst being her.

23

VV Brown - 'This Charming Man'

If you are going to cover a classic song, you had better be able to do it justice. Thankfully when VV Brown decided to cover The Smiths, she may have bettered it

22

Mumford and Sons - 'Little Lion Man

Christ this song was everywhere in 2010, and for good reason. It is a stomper, the type of song that crosses genres and excites. And this was a debut!

21

Beach House - 'Norway'

Imagine the sound a glacier would make if it was music. It would be both powerful, yet not imposing. You come close to understanding the brilliance that is Beach House

20

Kate Nash - 'Don't You Wanna Share the Guilt'

You gotta love the random ranting of a mad music. Through the rubbish there is great insight as to the nature of people, all to a building frantic beat

19

Robyn [Feat. Röyksopp] - 'None of Dem'

The deepest, darkest club anthem we all should have been dancing to all summer. Robyn is simply a genius and this should have been huge

18

Lissie - 'Stranger'

This is another great example (like Robyn) of an extremely talented woman who should be having much more success than she is. And this opinion is purely based on songs like this. Pure folk tinged sunny pop

17

Madonna - 'Pala Tute'

After the large disappointment that was Hard Candy, I was skeptical when a slew of unreleased Madonna tracks leaked online. To my surprise most of them were better than the album. This was my standout.

16

Robyn - 'Hang With Me'

One Grammy nomination. The woman should be showered with those damn trophies. This was the sweetest love song to be sung this year.

15

Florence and the Machine - 'Dog Days are Over [re-release]'

Sure, this song was released in 2009 first (or was it 2008) but my god this song spoke to me this year. I got married and yes, happiness hit me like a train on a track.

14

Rihanna - 'Only Girl (In The World)'

After last years emotional punch of her Rater R album, Rihanna came back just wanting to dance (sounds a little like Madonna in some aspects) and boy did she create the winter dance floor anthem!

13

Brandon Flowers - 'Only The Young'

Sure, he always sounds like he is straining to hit the notes, and sure this just sounds like The Killers, but is that ever a bad thing? This was transcendent.

12

Kelis - 'Acapella'

Kelis is awesome, and although there were times I felt songs on the fabulous Fleshtone were better, I always came back to this first single. Try not to love it.

11

Kanye West - 'Runaway (feat. Pusha T)'

You wanna hate the man, you really want to give his ego a huge cut down, but then you hear his music and realise - sometimes people have a right to their ego.

10

Lady Gaga (Feat. Beyoncé) - 'Telephone'

Everyone loves 'Bad Romance'. I love this one. The ridiculous nature of the song and lyrics, mixed with the cinematic over the top-ness of the video ensured this was on my iPod all year!.

9

The National - 'Anyone's Ghost'

He made a splash this year, and I was hesitant at first. He sounded too morose. Then I hit repeat. then I hit it again. And again

8

Janelle Monáe - 'Cold War'

An electrifying debut. This is the highlight on a album that is one pure highlight. The criitcs were behind her, where were the people? Further proof people are morons.

7

Rihanna - 'Complicated'

Why did I put this song on repeat for like 3 days straight? I have no idea. There is no reason for this being on the list other than I love it.

6

Lissie - 'Record Collector'

This album was on a loop, however it was its opener that spent the most time being repeated on the ole pod. Check her here as well..

5

Robyn - 'Indestructible'

From here on it got hard with the order. Each of these next 5 could be the top. This was the last single from Robyn in 2010, but my God was it ever bloody God Damn brilliant.

ROBYN 'INDESTRUCTIBLE' OFFICIAL VIDEO from Lucy McRae on Vimeo.

4

Miike Snow - 'The Rabbit'

WHAT A BRILLIANT TRACK. How is this group not huge right now. I am dumbfounded. And this is a 'B' side made single!!!

3

Robyn - 'Dancing on my Own'

In a year with dirt bags like Ke$ha (or whoever) ruling the charts, amazing artists like Robyn were kept in the side lines. Further proof there is something majorly wrong in the world.

2

Groove Armada - 'Paper Romance'

I share this with my husband. This song would always come on when at home, and we would sing along with glee - even after the 200th time. In the end, however, this song is pure brilliance.

And the Number one song is....

1

Adele - 'Someone Like You'

This has not even been officially released. She just sang it on Jools Holland and I heard it. I downloaded the live version and watched the video a total of 46 times. It is the perfect combination of performance, song and voice. It is so wonderful to see such pure talent. And she is only 21. Sit back - click play and make it full screen. Thank me later.

"You know how the time flies.
Only yesterday was the time of our lives.
We were born and raised in a summer haze.
Bound by the surprise of our glory days."

Breath taking

Things on my mind lately.

2010-10-21T15:30:00.012+01:00

‘For Colored Girls’

In a year lackluster with performances by the non white acting community, I am seriously hoping that this film will be an acting showcase. All of the women in this film are wonderful and gifted actresses and I would be happy to see any one of them up for an Oscar. The most recent ‘buzz’ (studio plant or whatever) has said that Thandie Newton, Kimberly Elise and surprisingly Macy Gray are the standouts in the film. As much as I would like to see the names Loretta Devine, Phylicia Rashad and Kerry Washington prefixed by “Oscar nominee” I would be happy for any of thee women to enter the race.
Say what you will about Tyler Perry, he always gives work to wonderful and gifted actresses.
_______________________________________________________________________

‘Best Actress’

With Annette Bening as the only real lock for a nomination at this point, we are really entering very unknown territory for the Lead Actress category.
There are seriously strong contenders, and if we were to look at reviews alone, each one of these women seem to have an equal shot at a nomination.

Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right'
Hilary Swank - Conviction'
Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone'
Julianne Moore - The Kids Are Alll Right'
Lesley Manville - Another Year'
Michelle Williams - Meeks Cutoff'
Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine'
Naomi Watts - Fair Game'
Natalie Portman - Black Swan'
Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole'
Sally Hawkins - Made in Dagenham'
Diane Lane - Secretariat'

In a weaker year you would also have to give these ladies serious consideration

Tilda Swinton - I Am Love'
Chloe Moretz - Let Me In'
Carey Mulligan - Never Let Me Go'

And do not get me started on these performances that are as of yet unseen.

Anne Hathaway - Love and Other Drugs'
Gwyneth Paltrow - Country Song'
Keira Knightley - London Boulevard'
Kirsten Dunst - All Good Things'
Reese Witherspoon - How Do You Know?

At this point it is anyone’s game. Here is hoping the precursors are all over the place so we have a real nail biter of a finish.
_______________________________________________________________________

Reality TV

I have been sucked into reality TV. ‘The Amazing Race’, ‘Top Model’ and especially ‘Project Runway’. It is taking place of my movies. I need an intervention.
I mean is there anyone as adorable as Mondo, evil as Ivy, or as self absorbed as Gretchen from PR?
Aren’t you rooting for gawky Anne (pictured) and lesbo Kayla on Top Model?
Do I need help?
I actually blame this recent obsession with reality TV on watching 'The Comeback' finally. Even though I know that neither PR or Top Model give a sh*t about actually finding 'the best' and are more interested in personalities over talent, I am still hooked. I love me fashion and I love me a fierce model - what can I say - I am a gay stereotype in more ways than one.
_______________________________________________________________________

Being Gay

There is a candle light vigil on Saturday in Trafalgar Square in London, starting at 7pm until 9pm (with a two minute silence for all those affected by hate crime at 8pm).
We will not only be remembering those people who have been the victim of homophobic attacks, but also think about the recent wave of suicides to hit the US as a direct result of anti LGBT bullying.

I was a victim of physical violence in May 2009, but luckily I only had a few cuts and bruises, thanks to being a speedy sprinter. Some people are not so lucky.
Even though I was scared for my life, I have gotten over it.
However whenever I go home and see the boys who made my life in school a living hell, the pain hits me again. It quickly goes away when I realize that not only am I skinnier and younger looking than all of them, but I am a much happier person.
Most of them of over weight alcoholics who look 50. Let’s hear it for shallow victories!

This is my long way of saying, to any questioning young person who happens to stumble upon this blog, things get better. No matter how hard it may seem now, in a few years you can go off and start your own life, exactly how you want it.
Although it may not be any comfort now, Karma does work. From what I have heard through the grapevine, those c*nts in school have paid for their cruelty, and now I am married to who makes me so happy I could burst, and we have all the love and support from our family and friends that we could ask for.

It does get better …..just wait and see.

Mini Review - 'The Wolfman'

2010-10-09T14:27:00.000+01:00

I liken this movie to watching a dog in a blackout chewing a plank of wood.

Aside from the set design - which is in itself far too gothic to be real - there is nothing in this film that makes you want to lavish any sort of praise. Anthony Hopkins leaves no scenery unchewed, Benicio del Toro is so brooding he is bore, and Emily Blunt is not believable to a damsel in distress or as a love interest.
Blood and gore does not make up for suspense and general fear.

Sad, because this could have been a really great film with a new cast, director and screenplay.
When you can honestly say that the best thing about the film was the poster designs, then you know you are in trouble. Which is sad as I really wanted to like this. Boo

Grade D-

Mini Review - 'Monsters'

2010-10-07T13:41:00.000+01:00

Wow.
For a film that only cost director Gareth Edwards $15,000 it is sensational.
He has turned his back on giant special effects and cheap jump-out-of-your-seat thrills for a story with a constant sense of uneasy dread.
The set up is - A NASA sample-collecting probe bringing back extraterrestrial organic matter has crashed upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere scattering its contents over lower North America.
Six years later, a vast area between Southern Mexico and the U.S. has been declared an infected zone as military from both countries wage a fruitless battle against the ginormous, rapidly reproducing creatures.
A photojournalist (Scoot McNairy) covering the ongoing "war" gets closer than anticipated when he escorts his boss' stranded daughter (Whitney Able) through the no-man's-land to the American border.
The effects, or what you see of them, are outstanding, and the art direction is considerably weather worn and go very far in setting up an established way of life.
And although the lead actors ultimately underplay the love story that develops, to the point of not caring, there is enough here to grab ahold of and spark your imagination.

Grade - B+

Mini Review - 'Inception'

2010-10-06T13:40:00.000+01:00

Technically amazing. Stylish, stunning, handsome - every positive descriptive word for great visuals you can think of could describe this movie, even the story is very interesting, however this is where it is left down.
Sure it is masterfully told as to be complex, yet not confusing, however unless you have fully realized characters in your film, they idea, no matter how brilliant, is going to suffer.
Every single actor in this works extremely hard to add depth and fullness to their roles but each one of them fails. No amount of visual pizzaz can hide the fact that 'Inception' has no beating heart.
However, it is technically amazing.

Grade - B

Mini Review - 'Winter's Bone'

2010-10-05T13:34:00.000+01:00

Easily one of the best films that I have seen this year, and looking at my roster I have not seen that many.
Expertly written and briliantly performed, the dark and bleak story glows with a unique beauty that not many films are able to capture.

Jennifer Lawrence deserve all the praise that is heaped upon her.
She litterally carries the film on her shoulders and never tries to make the character likable or sympathetic. She is just a young woman living in what are extraordinary circumstances to the viewer, yet they are everyday to her, and she conveys this - which is no easy feat.

Also outstanding are Dale Dickey are the frightening yet sympathetic Merad, and John Hawkes as Teardrop - a man full of contradiction and anger who is also surprisingly sensitive.

Grade - A-

'True Grit' trailer

2010-10-04T19:57:00.002+01:00

I think we can safely say that this is going to be a wee bit of an event. I mean I am not the biggest fan of the 'western' genre, but my word does this film look riveting.
If the trailer is anything to go by - we are all in for a treat.
2010 is shaping up to me an amazing movie year!

Mini Review - 'How to Train Your Dragon'

2010-10-04T13:31:00.001+01:00

This thinly disguised conservation film is a real family treat. Actually scrap that. It is a real adult treat.
The glorious animation aside, and the wonderful vocal work, this is a story that every animal lover can relate to.
This is also a reminder that all animals need protection, not just the cute fuzzy ones who look good on calendars.

The arial shots in this a mind blowing, they literally take you breath away, and the character animation on Toothless' is something to behold.
They have taken both cat and dog physicality's and expressions to make him fully relatable. And it works a treat.
I bet everyone who saw this film wants a pet dragon.

Grade - A-

Let's hear it for the girls

2010-09-28T13:10:00.004+01:00

Ok – sporadic posting resumes.

I just have to comment on how exciting this Oscar race is shaping up. Especially in terms of the Best Actress race – and I mean the race to a nomination.

We actually have a plethora of serious contenders to choose from for what has been already seen.

Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right' *
Carey Mulligan - Never Let Me Go'
Hilary Swank - Conviction' *
Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone' *
Julia Roberts - Eat Pray Love'
Julianne Moore - The Kids Are Alll Right' *
Lesley Manville - Another Year' *
Michelle Williams - Meeks Cutoff'
Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine' *
Naomi Watts - Fair Game' *
Natalie Portman - Black Swan' *
Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole' *
Rachel Weisz - The Whistleblower'
Robin Wright - The Conspirator' *
Sally Hawkins - Made in Dagenham' *
Tilda Swinton - I Am Love'
Chloe Moretz - Let Me In'

All of those actresses are contenders (the * depicts the more serious threats at this point – and even so, the ones without the mark have still gotten the types of reviews that would usually land them in the race as serious contenders in other years).

And looking on the horizon there are still films to come out that have buzz, but are not yet seen so these could also be seriously in the mix:

Anne Hathaway - Love and Other Drugs'
Diane Lane - Secretariat'
Gwyneth Paltrow - Country Song'
Keira Knightley - London Boulevard'
Kirsten Dunst - All Good Things'
Reese Witherspoon - How Do You Know?'

What a wonderful year for the ladies!

If anything, 2010 has proved that for film enjoyment of the average Joe who cannot afford to do the festivals, you need to save up and clear your calendar for the end of the year.

What started out as a flimsy year is shaping up to be wonderful. Phew!

'For Coloured Girls' - poster

2010-09-13T15:41:00.003+01:00

I cannot wait for this one - mainly for the actresses he is using.
For the rest of the posters go here.

The Toronto Factor.

2010-09-02T12:51:00.029+01:00

There are so many women up for contention for Best Actress this year, in films that have already been seen. I mean take a look at the list so far:

Annette Bening - 'The Kids Are All Right'
Julianne Moore - 'The Kids Are All Right
Jennifer Lawrence -' Winter's Bone'
Michelle Williams - 'Blue Valentine'
Naomi Watts - 'Fair Game'
Lesley Manville - 'Another Year'
Natalie Portman - 'Black Swan'
Juia Roberts - 'Eat, Pray, Love'
Tilda Swinton - 'I am Love'
Rinko Kikuchi - 'Norwegian Wood'
Noomi Rapace - 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'

And for Supporting:

Lesley Manville - 'Another Year' (could change to lead)
Ruth Sheen - 'Another Year'
Barbara Hershey - 'Black Swan'
Mila Kunis - 'Black Swan'
Jackie Weaver - 'Animal Kingdom'
Marion Cotillard - 'Inception'
Kristen Scott Thomas - 'Nowhere Boy'
Anne Marie Duff - 'Nowhere Boy'
Sissy Spacek - 'Get Low'

Now with Toronto on the horizon, there is a giant pool of possible contenders. This is cause for celebration as in most years, around this time there are only 7 or 8 real contenders for consideration in any one year.

Let's take a look at the women who could, with a good enough performance, could find themselves firmly in the mix for this years awards.

Lead:

Maria Bello - 'Beautiful Boy'
Uma Thurman - 'Ceremony'
Robin Wright - 'The Conspirator '
Hilary Swank - 'Conviction'
Kat Dennings - 'Daydream Nation'
Keira Knightley - 'Last Night'
Wei Tang - 'Late Autumn'
Chloe Moretz - 'Let Me In'
Marion Cotillard - 'Little White Lies'
AnaMaria Marinca - 'Look, Stranger'
Kristen Scott Thomas - 'Love Crime'
Sally Hawkins - 'Made In Dagenham'
Carey Mulligan - 'Never Let Me Go'
Catherine Deneuve - 'Potiche'
Nicole Kidman - 'Rabbit Hole'
Liana Liberato - 'Trust'
Jennifer Connelly - 'What's Wrong With Virginia'
Rachel Weisz - 'The Whistleblower'

Have you say!

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Supporting:

Minnie Driver - 'Barney's Version'
Rosamund Pike - 'Barney's Version'
Andrea Riseborough - 'Brighton Rock'
Helen Mirren - 'Brighton Rock'
Evan Rachel Wood - 'The Conspirator '
Minnie Driver - 'Conviction'
Melissa Leo - 'Conviction'
Juliette Lewis - 'Conviction'
Andie MacDowell - 'Daydream Nation'
Helen Mirren - 'Debt'
Cecile de France - 'Hereafter'
Ludivine Sagnier - 'Love Crime'
Hiam Abbass - 'Miral' (could be lead)
Frido Pinto - 'Miral' (could be lead)
Yasmine Elmasri - 'Miral'
Keira Knightley - 'Never Let Me Go'
Sally Hawkins - 'Never Let Me Go'
Charlotte Rampling - 'Never Let Me Go'
Megan Fox - 'Passion Play'
Lesley Ann Warren - 'Peep World'
Diane Wiest - 'Rabbit Hole'
Elle Fanning - 'Somewhere'
Rebecca Hall - 'The Town'
Viola Davis - 'Trust'
Catherine Keener - 'Trust'
Emma Roberts - 'What's Wrong With Virginia'

Have your say!

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Sure, most of these will not get the reviews needed, or buzz. A lot of them are very unlikely (Fox, Moretz, MacDowell), however with enough hype and buzz and passion there could be many women coming out of TIFF with a big smile on their face. If a handful make it through to be formidable contenders, then we will have an extremely exciting race for actresses.

And this does not include the films that are not showing at the festival. 'Love and Other Drugs', 'Tree of Life', 'The way Back', 'Rum Diary', 'The Tourist', 'The Tempest', 'All Good Things' and 'Secretariat'.

Such an exciting year for the ladies!

Who do you think will make the cut by year end? Also please let me know if there is anyone I should be adding to the list?

Meh

2010-08-31T13:14:00.001+01:00

The explanation for my lack of posting. Aside from the fact that I have been enjoying a nice summer with my husband as well as dealing with other personal bits and pieces - which leaves very little time to blogging. However another reason is this. It seems that there is a considerable lack of current excitement in the movie blogging world at the moment. How else can you explain the sudden surge in movie bloggers going EMMY crazy? I mean in terms of awards, the EMMY's are by far the worst in terms of lazy awarding.
How else do you explain Archie Panjabi beating out Elizabeth Moss for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama?
See even I have been interested in the EMMY's this year since I find the most engaging work to be on television, I have however tried my best not to blog about them - although the work they "award" ignites passion in me.

With wonderful dramas like 'Tremé' and 'Mad Men' to constantly engage me with wonderful writing and performances (the performances are so good, and so subtle that awards bodies usually fail to notice).
Then we have the comedies - that leave me joyous. '£0 Rock' even on a bad day is still oh so good. "Glee' is pure joy, even if slightly uneven, and 'Cougar Town' is such a wonderful guilty pleasure and a fantastic ensemble. And do not get me started on the amazing and delightful 'Modern Family', the getting better with each episode of 'Parks and Recreation' and the cancelled all too soon 'Party Down'. All brilliant comedies - and not a laugh track to be heard.

Then we have those shows that walk the fine line between the two. 'Nurse Jackie' is a comedy in time only (the half hour slot) but features some of the most moving, humorous and complex women seen on screen. Then we have 'United States of Tara' which manages to show the complexity of childhood trauma in a very real way. Then we have the pure soap opera of the fantastic 'True Blood' which features some of the most delicious campy acting, which never become pantomime.

Then I look at what is on offer in the cinemas, and I just cannot get excited - especially since we get the films so much later here in the UK. I am just going to wait and start getting back in the game once the Toronto Film Festival happens. That is when the electricity starts.

Until then, I will continue to read all the latest movie news with the same sort of apathy I reserve for the EMMY's.

Mini Review Catch Up

2010-08-15T11:03:00.010+01:00

Here is a little catch up of what I have been watching lately. It has not been the best cinematic year for me, hardly have the money for a movie ticket, sad but true. However I have managed to blag my way into seeing a few. Here are my very very, short but hopefully to the point reviews of the following:

'Clash of the Titans'

Did anyone responsible for this film both to open up a single book on Greek mythology?
It was over blown, CGI heavy and emotionless.
The acting was phoned in, and the only character that seemed to gain any sympathy from me was Medusa. And she was mainly CGI. I real waste of money.

Grade - D-

'Date Night'

Kind of cute.
Kind of funny.
Kind of pointless.
Tina Fey and Steve Carrell are much funnier on the small screen to be honest, unless they are just the support.

Grade - C

'I Love You Phillip Morris;

Sure Jim Carrey is doing his goofy schtick again in this, but the story is rather heart breaking and sweet.
Being gay is never the butt of any joke, which was always my fear.
For a comedy it actually never made the central relationship anything other than honest.
McGregor was very very good as well.

Grade - B

'Sex and the City 2'

What was up with critics? I really enjoyed this little romp. Sure the women bitched and moaned about trivial things, but that is what they have always done - and most women living that lifestyle would do.
And as for the accusations of being anti muslim, I did not see it. All I saw was a bunch of spoiled 'western' women going to a country with a different culture and not bothering to respect it - pretty accurate so far. Also props again to Kristen Davis - the best in the bunch.

Grade - B

'Shutter Island'

Marty does Hitchcock, and does it very well. Perfectly retro and deliciously suspenseful, with Di Caprio proving once again what a versatile actor he can be.
The whole film is grounded by the end realisation of why he is there.
Heartbreaking.

Grade - B+

'The Runaways'

Kristen Stewart proves again that outside of the 'Twilight' series she is a very good and very interesting actress. However she is not the lead. Dakota Fanning grows up and owns the movie. Her Cherie is naive, sexy and pure jail bait but with a constant sadness lurking. Despite how good she is, she cannot perform miracles with so little to work with. Had the film not been so repetitive and had focused more on character we could have perhaps had a serious awards contender here.

Grade - C+

'Toy Story 3'

Believe the hype.
Pixar does it again - and again they bring on the tears.
I mean I seriously want to go out now and buy every single Toy Story character and forever play with them - those manipulative.
bastards.
Damn bloody toys breaking your damn heart.

Grade - A-

'Monsters' trailer

2010-08-12T19:00:00.000+01:00

I WANT TO GO TO THERE!!!

Comic Con

2010-07-21T10:24:00.004+01:00

Or rather, a collection of super powered testosterone driven films get a preview and geeks everywhere celebrate.
There what is cool looking generally always outshine which story is good.
Yet another Hollywood hype machine that succeeds in driving the anticipation to a fever pitch for that all important opening weekend.

Money money money boys! That is what it is all about. We are even gearing up two of next years most anticipated films.

'Thor' and 'Captain America' whose posters have premiered below.

You cannot get me to the Toronto Film Festival soon enough.

'Made in Dagenham' trailer

2010-07-19T23:19:00.001+01:00

This looks like it could be a load of fun, and considering women are still paid less than men to this day, it will hopefully strike a chord. Plus it has the amazing Sally Hawkins, the wonderful Rosemund Pike and the brilliant Miranda Richardson.
Directed by Nigel Cole, the movie was originally called We Want Sex, named after one of the placards brandished by the protestors where the "equality" bit didn't unfurl properly. Perhaps it was a little too silly a movie title.

This could end up being a surprise hit, and with that cast, you never know where an Oscar nomination could come from. They do love the English!

Effectively cashing in

2010-07-16T15:53:00.002+01:00

Six years ago NASA discovered the possibility of alien life within our solar system. A probe was launched to collect samples, but crashed upon re-entry over Central America. Soon after, new life form began to appear and half of Mexico was quarantined as an INFECTED ZONE. Today, the American and Mexican military still struggle to contain "the creatures"...... Our story begins when a US journalist agrees to escort a shaken tourist through the infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the US border.

I smell a 'District 9' cash in, in terms of advertising, but we shall see how effective the actual film is. Word of mouth is strong, yet there is no official release date for 'Monsters'.

Trailers - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

2010-07-16T12:43:00.004+01:00

Wowee, these trailers are certainly dramatic (read Oscar baiting), however they all cannot make it in the end (or can they?)
Let's take a look at the very baity films that are being released in time for the big awards rush.

'Miral'

Julian Schabel's follow up to 'Le scaphandre et le papillon' ('The Diving Bell and the Butterly') find him going political with this extremely interesting story with a killer cast. The Premise goes:

Jerusalem, 1948. On her way to work, Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass) comes across 55 orphaned children in the street. She takes them home to give them food and shelter. Within six months, 55 had grown to almost 2000, and the Dar Al-Tifel Institute was born.

At the age of 7, Miral (Frieda Pinto) was sent to the Institute by her father following her mothers death. Brought up safely inside the Institutes walls, she is naïve to the troubles that surround her. Then, at the age of 17, she is assigned to teach at a refugee camp where she is awakened to the reality of her peoples struggle. When she falls for political activist, Hani, she finds herself torn between the fight for the future of her people and Mama Hinds belief that education is the road to peace.

The Good - Nice to see Pinto get to stretch her chops in a film that will no doubt be important for a lot of people. The film looks amazing and I am sure it will be an strong emotional and political story. I think it will Abbass who garners the most attention, but Pinto could be a real surprise

The Bad - The wonderful and amazing Hiam Abbass is hardly seen in the trailer, and no sign of Vanessa Redgrave or Willem Dafoe. Odd eh?

The Ugly - Repression of people is never a good thing. In terms of the trailer though, I see nothing ugly in it at all and fully expect this to be a critically acclaimed film if not an awards contender (the Academy are reluctant to embrace other ethnicity's in the actress categories)

'The Town'

Now I was not a fan of 'Gone Baby Gone' but did find it atmospheric and showing promise in Ben Affleck as a director.

The Good - The cast look very impressive with John Hamm, Blake Lively, Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Chris Cooper and Rebecca Hall. I have a distinct feeling that we could be looking at a few contenders in this film, especially in the form of Hamm, Renner, Cooper, Lively and especially Hall.

The Bad - Kind of do not need to see the film now since the trailer has given away far too many plot devises. Not that I could not have guessed the twist, but it seems to take away from the excitement the film could have generated.

The Ugly - Trailers that feel the need to play out the entire movie for you, as though they feel there are no intelligent people out there anymore - here is hoping it has much more to offer.

'Biutiful'

Javier Bardem in his Cannes winning performance - he will be looking for replicate that at the Oscars.

The Good - It is Javier Bardem and Alejandro González Iñárritu who is always interesting to watch. Plus it looks like it will be a very dramatic and gripping story

The Bad - It also looks incredibly bleak and that voice over really upsets me for some reason. It sounds so 'wannabe'

The Ugly - Crime is never a pretty thing, neither is grime. I guess you could argue that rhyming can be ugly too.

'The Social Network'

The story of the beginning of Facebook.

The Good - David Fincher is a wonderful director of suspense, which by the looks of things he is going to wring out of this story. This looks to be his element so I am sure this will be a respected film. Plus the cast of up and comers looks intriguing.

The Bad - Whiny, back-stabbing, money grabbing white kids never really engross me - even if I do use Facebook a little too much.

The Ugly - Farmville, the Facebook game, literally sucked a lot of time away from me. Running home at the speed of light because my tomatoes were about to wither kind of makes you a sad twat.

More join 'The Help'

2010-07-14T17:42:00.000+01:00

The wonderful and brilliant character actress Allison Janney has joined what you will all know is one of my very anticipated films of 2011 'The Help'.

She has been cast as Skeeters interfering mother, Charlotte Phelan, and the role is one ripe for scene stealing.

She now joins Emma Stone as aspiring writer Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan, Viola Davis as Aibileen. Octavia Spencer as Minnie, and Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly, Skeeter’s childhood friend and adult nemesis.

I tis my belief that Janney is an actress that will one day be embraced by the Academy, she just constantly works so much and is always consistently good - besides, when it does happen, she will have the entire actors branch behind her - she has just worked with everyone.

Will 'The Hobbit' happen?

2010-07-14T13:23:00.001+01:00

Apparently yes.

So apparently 'The Hobbit' is in the casting phase right now. Apparently Peter Jackson has been in London 'meeting with actors'.

There is still no official word on if the man will direct the next two films (I would like to see the financial problems with MGM get fixed first) or if he will pass it on to someone else, however they appear to be going ahead as planned. This is good news for all the costume, set, make up, big-a-ture, and fx people who have no doubt been spending years prepping these films, however with such a troubled pre production once has to wonder just how good the film will have to be to make up for all these headaches.

'The Little Mermaid'

2010-07-10T10:45:00.002+01:00

Well it looks like Joe Wright is trying to make me fall in love with him?

After the 1, 2 double punch of 'Pride & Prejudice' and 'Atonement' (ignoring 'The Soloist' - although not half bad) he is making a teenage assassin movie called 'Hanna' due for release in 2011 (possibly 2010 if all goes well) and that same year he also has 'Indian Summer' with two actors I greatly admire.

Now it seem he is going ahead and adapting, based on the Little Angel Company production, the classic tale of 'The Little Mermaid'.
Now apparently this production was not based on the Disney film, but rather the original Hans Christian Anderson story which was much darker. How dark will he go is beyond me, but I kind of like the idea of going with the original version.

Because I am lazy and we are having a heat wave (even typing causes sweat) I will copy and past the original, and rather disturbing and bloody, version of the story from Wiki.

This has the potential to be amazing, depending on which was they go with it.

"The Little Mermaid lives in a utopian underwater kingdom with her father the sea king; her grandmother; and her six elder sisters, each born one year apart. When a mermaid turns 15, she is allowed to swim to the surface to watch the world above, and as the sisters become old enough, one of them visits the surface every year. As each of them returns, the Little Mermaid listens longingly to their various descriptions of the surface and of human beings.
When the Little Mermaid's turn comes, she ventures to the surface, sees a ship with a handsome prince, and falls in love with him from a distance. A great storm hits, and the Little Mermaid saves the prince from a near-drowning. She delivers him unconscious to the shore near a temple. Here she waits until a young girl from the temple finds him. The prince never sees the Little Mermaid.
The Little Mermaid asks her grandmother whether humans can live forever if they do not drown. The grandmother explains that humans have a much shorter lifespan than merfolk's 300 years, but that when mermaids die they turn to sea foam and cease to exist, while humans have an eternal soul that lives on in Heaven. The Little Mermaid, longing for the prince and an eternal soul, eventually visits the Sea Witch, who sells her a potion that gives her legs, in exchange for her tongue (as the Little Mermaid has the most intoxicating voice in the world). Drinking the potion will make her feel as if a sword is being passed through her, yet when she recovers she will have two beautiful legs, and will be able to dance like no human has ever danced before. However, it will constantly feel like she is walking on sharp swords, and her feet will bleed most terribly. In addition, she will only get a soul if the prince loves her and marries her, for then a part of his soul will flow into her. Otherwise, at dawn on the first day after he marries another woman, the Little Mermaid will die brokenhearted and disintegrate into sea foam.
The Little Mermaid drinks the potion and meets the prince, who is attracted to her beauty and grace even though she is mute. Most of all he likes to see her dance, and she dances for him despite her excruciating pain. When the prince's father orders his son to marry the neighboring king's daughter, the prince tells the Little Mermaid he will not, because he does not love the princess. He goes on to say he can only love the young woman from the temple, who he believes rescued him, but adds that the Little Mermaid is beginning to take the temple girl's place in his heart. It turns out that the princess is the temple girl, who had been sent to the temple to be educated. The prince loves her and the wedding is announced.

The prince and princess marry, and the Little Mermaid's heart breaks. She thinks of all that she has given up and of all the pain she has suffered. She despairs, thinking of the death that awaits her, but before dawn, her sisters bring her a knife that the Sea Witch has given them in exchange for their long hair. If the Little Mermaid slays the prince with the knife and lets his blood drip on her feet, she will become a mermaid again, all her suffering will end and she will live out her full life.
The Little Mermaid cannot bring herself to kill the sleeping prince lying with his bride and, as dawn breaks, throws herself into the sea. Her body dissolves into foam, but instead of ceasing to exist, she feels the warmth of the sun; she has turned into a spirit, a daughter of the air. The other daughters of the air tell her she has become like them because she strove with all her heart to gain an eternal soul. She will earn her own soul by doing good deeds, and she will eventually rise up into the kingdom of God."

'Hugo'

2010-07-09T14:38:00.000+01:00

So everyone has been buzzing about the new Scorsese film ‘Hugo Cabret’. Whilst everyone is geeking out about it mainly die to it being a film made by the beloved Marty, what gets me excited and slightly nervous is the cast.

With Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Jude Law, Ray Winstone, Christopher Lee, Helen McRory, Frances De La Tour, and Richard Griffiths all in this film, someone is bound to get lost along the way.

The film is about the orphaned Hugo, living in 1930s Paris in the roof of the Gare Montparnasse, where he tends the clock whilst trying to repair an automaton left him by his father. A tender and affecting relationship drama as well as a cracking adventure and mystery, it's also intricately tied up with the history of cinema, with Georges Melies playing a major role.

With a cast like this you have to wonder how the master will pull it off. Asa Butterfield (‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’) plays Hugo, so the rest of the cast are supporting players in what looks like a who’s who if American and Harry Potter films.

One of the problems with these big casts is that with all the “look! It’s so in so” you kind of loose a bit of the performance. Also with all these actors together there may some competition. When that happens you get some horrendous scene chewing.

Then again it is Scorsese. He has dealt with big casts like this many times, always with good results. Plus the illustrations for the book look so rich.

Yum!

'The Help' casting moves along.

2010-07-08T14:44:00.000+01:00

Publicity for ‘The Help’ (novel) is in full drive over here in the UK which is great as I loved the book and think more people need to go out and read it.

The book and the film are going to deal with mainly women and that is even better news as we all know how rare female orientated films are.

Well they have now added to the cast. The role of Celia Foote, an insecure Southerner trying to fit in with the high society crowd and generally not succeeding will be played by ‘Tree of Life’s’ Jessica Chastain (Pictured right). For me this role had Anne Faris written all over it, but oh well.
It is a devastating role that really needs someone to be both comedic, dumb and heart breaking all at the same time. Let’s hope she can nail it.

The rest of the cast is shaping out very nicely as well.

We all know Viola Davis is taking the role of Aibileen Clark who is co lead with two other roles (and she will kill this!), but the rest of cast is becoming interesting.
Bryce Dallas Howerd is playing local racist bitch Hilly Holbrook (I was routing For SMG – Buffy herself).

Emma Stone is Eugenia ‘Skeeter’ Phelan the naïve white girl and part of the three leads of the book and the fantastic Octavia Spencer (pictured left) is going to play Minny Jackson which could very well be the role that changes her career - for starters it is another co-lead, secondly the character is a doozy.
Minny is outspoken, funny, rude, and very complex and I have no doubt this gifted comedienne can pull it off.

Her resume may not have a lot of large roles but as they always say, when funny people take a more dramatic role, things usually pay off.
She was lauded for her small role in Will Smiths ‘Seven Pounds’ and was in Entertainment Weekly’s 25 Funniest Actresses in Hollywood in April 2009. Plus she is a native of Montgomery, Alabama so she knows the South.

However the main question is just how good a screenwriter and director is Tate Taylor? Sure he is a nice piece to look at, but can he pull off such a wonderful and subtle book?

His resume does not really leave you with hope, but then again many people said the same thing about Lee Daniels before ‘Precious’ was seen.

What does give me a little hope is that he is a very good friend of Kathryn Stockett who wrote the book (from her own experience) so the pressure will be on to get her vision across (one can only hope she is there on set to breathe down his neck).

I mean can you imagine directing the film of a friends critically lauded book and completely destroying it! Yikes.

Only time will tell, but please, for the love of Madonna Tate – do not f*ck this up.

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ trailer

2010-07-05T12:29:00.001+01:00

Ohhhh, this looks like it may be very very good. Now I am not a huge fan of the ‘Potter’ franchise. I do think they are very strong films, but for some reason they have lacked the WOW factor. Perhaps this is because they came out at the same time as the ‘Lord of the Rings’ films which surpassed them for that.

However they do warrant a rewatch to see how the hold up.

Whatever is said about them, this certainly looks like a much darker more adult film which is what is needed for me to get excited!