Here are the winners from last night's SAG Awards.
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
The King’s Speech
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale, The Fighter
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
If your current relationship needs to end; if you know it but you cannot seem to find the courage to break it off, watch this movie for confirmation. Blue Valentine is one of those raw and messy movies that makes no false pretenses; it just is. Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling clearly have chemistry..and at times this chemistry is explosive. I love the sequencing in this film; you see the evolution of the relationship but not in a linear manner. These two characters bring out the best and the worst in each other. This is no Hollywood love story; this is a Main Street, every day kind of love that grows, changes and adjusts as we do. Sometimes it is passionate; sometimes it is silly; sometimes it is dangerous. Sounds a lot like, well, life.
Rating: B+
I can’t say I was a fan of this story as kid; I don’t even remember it. But I really loved the trailer and was excited to see it. Darn...I was bored. I love popcorn movies, but this was not fun. If you want to see it, do what I did - bring small children! My 11 year old nephew and his friend had a blast. The aunt, well, she forgets she is not the target demographic of these films so she should expect little. (What can I say? Iron Man - not Iron Man II - spoiled me! I expect every super hero film to be as good.) I had more fun watching the boys hoot and hollar than anything I actually watched on screen. It was dubbed a comedy, but I barely laughed. One bright spot - KATO!
Rating - B+ for Tween Boys
(D for Adult Females)
As members know, I am a huge fan of British films and Sally Hawkins is one of those young British actresses who masters every role she plays. But, sadly, Sally’s brilliance could not have saved this - dare I say - boring film. So slow, and I mean so slow. Look, the story is terrific and hurray for “equal pay for equal work.” But, eek, this was no Norma Rae; this thing dragged and dragged. I could not believe how uninspired I was - and this is marketed as a film that makes you cheer. Personally, I yawned and checked my watch. If you run across this on cable one day, watch it for the great example of British actors (Hawkins, Bob Hoskins, Rosamund Pike and Miranda Richardson); they are always a treat. Great cast but this is an example of a good idea that was poorly executed.
Rating: C
Get ready, Monday Movie Club Members! Here are the nominations. Run to theaters and update your Netflix lists; time to get ready for the Oscars!
Best Picture
Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King’s Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter’s Bone
Best Director
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
David O’Russell, ‘The Fighter’
Tom Hooper, ‘The King’s Speech’
David Fincher, ‘The Social Network’
Joel and Ethan Coen, ‘True Grit’
Best Actor
Javier Bardem, ‘Biutiful’
Jeff Bridges, ‘True Grit’
Jesse Eisenberg, ‘The Social Network’
Colin Firth, ‘The King’s Speech’
James Franco, ‘127 Hours’
Best Actress
Annette Bening, ‘The Kids Are All Right’
Nicole Kidman, ‘Rabbit Hole’
Jennifer Lawrence, ‘Winter’s Bone’
Natalie Portman, ‘Black Swan’
Michelle Williams, ‘Blue Valentine’
Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, ‘The Fighter’
John Hawkes, ‘Winter’s Bone’
Jeremy Renner, ‘The Town’
Mark Ruffalo, ‘The Kids Are All Right’
Geoffrey Rush, ‘The King’s Speech’
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, ‘The Fighter’
Helena Bonham Carter, ‘The King’s Speech’
Melissa Leo, ‘The Fighter’
Hailee Steinfeld, ‘True Grit’
Jacki Weaver, ‘Animal Kingdom’
Best Animated Feature Film
How to Train Your Dragon, Illusionist, Toy Story 3
Best Foreign Film
Mexico - ‘Biutiful’
Greece - ‘Dogtooth’
Denmark - ‘In a Better World’
Canada - ‘Incendies’
Algeria - ‘Outside the law’
Best Original Screenplay
Another Year, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King’s Speech,
Best Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter’s Bone
Best Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I, Inception, The King’s Speech, True Grit
Best Costume Design
Alice in Wonderland, I Am Love, The King’s Speech, The Tempest, True Grit
Best Original Score
‘How to Train Your Dragon’ John Powell
‘Inception’ Hans Zimmer
‘The King’s Speech’ Alexandre Desplat
‘127 Hours’ A.R. Rahman
‘The Social Network’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Best Documentary
‘Exit through the Gift Shop’ Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz
‘Gasland’ Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
‘Inside Job’ Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
‘Restrepo’ Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
‘Waste Land’ Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley
Best Film Editing
Black Swan, The Fighter, The Kings Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network
Best Makeup
Barney’s Version, The Way Back, The Wolfman
Best Sound Editing
Inception, Toy Story 3, TRON: Legacy, True Grit, Unstoppable
Best Sound Mixing
Inception, The King’s Speech, Salt, The Social Network, True Grit
Hi Monday Movie Club- Here the main BAFTA nominations, just released today.Best Film
127 Hours
Another Year
Black Swan
The Fighter
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
Made In Dagenham
Shutter Island
The Social Network
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s BoneDirector
127 Hours *
Alice In Wonderland
Another Year
Black Swan *
The Fighter
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Inception *
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech *
Made In Dagenham
Shutter Island
The Social Network *
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Leading Actor
Aaron Eckhart (Howie) – Rabbit Hole
Ben Affleck (Doug MacRay) – The Town
Colin Firth (King George VI) – The King’s Speech *
James Franco (Aron Ralston) – 127 Hours *
Javier Bardem (Uxbal) – Biutiful *
Jeff Bridges (Marshal Reuben J Cogburn) – True Grit *
Jesse Eisenberg (Mark Zuckerberg) – The Social Network *
Jim Broadbent (Tom) – Another Year
Johnny Depp (Mad Hatter) – Alice In Wonderland
Leonardo DiCaprio (Cobb) – Inception
Leonardo DiCaprio (Teddy Daniels) – Shutter Island
Mark Wahlberg (Micky Ward) – The Fighter
Paul Giamatti (Barney Panofsky) – Barney’s Version
Robert Duvall (Felix Bush) – Get Low
Ryan Gosling (Dean) – Blue ValentineLeading Actress
Andrea Riseborough (Rose) – Brighton Rock
Annette Bening (Nic) – The Kids Are All Right *
Carey Mulligan (Kathy) – Never Let Me Go *
Gemma Arterton (Alice) – The Disappearance Of Alice Creed
Gemma Arterton (Tamara Drewe) – Tamara Drewe
Hailee Steinfeld (Mattie Ross) – True Grit
Jennifer Lawrence (Ree) – Winter’s Bone
Julianne Moore (Jules) – The Kids Are All Right *
Michelle Williams (Cindy) – Blue Valentine *
Natalie Portman (Nina Sayers / The Swan Queen) – Black Swan *
Nicole Kidman (Becca) – Rabbit Hole
Noomi Rapace (Lisbeth Salander) – The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Rosamund Pike (Miriam Grant-Panofsky) – Barney’s Version
Sally Hawkins (Rita O’Grady) – Made In Dagenham
Tilda Swinton (Emma Recchi) – I Am LoveSupporting Actor
Andrew Garfield (Eduardo Saverin) – The Social Network *
Andrew Garfield (Tommy) – Never Let Me Go
Ben Kingsley (Dr Cawley) – Shutter Island
Bill Murray (Frank Quinn) – Get Low
Bob Hoskins (Albert) – Made In Dagenham*
Christian Bale (Dicky Eklund) – The Fighter *
Dustin Hoffman (Izzy Panofsky) – Barney’s Version
Geoffrey Rush (Lionel Logue) – The King’s Speech *
Guy Pearce (King Edward VIII) – The King’s Speech
Jeremy Renner (James Coughlin) – The Town
Justin Timberlake (Sean Parker) – The Social Network
Mark Ruffalo (Paul) – The Kids Are All Right *
Matt Damon (La Boeuf) – True Grit
Pete Postlethwaite (Fergus ‘Fergie’ Colm) – The Town
Vincent Cassel (Thomas Leroy / The Gentleman) – Black SwanSupporting Actress
Amy Adams (Charlene Fleming) – The Fighter *
Barbara Hershey (Erica Sayers / The Queen) – Black Swan *
Ellen Page (Ariadne) – Inception
Geraldine James (Connie) – Made In Dagenham
Helena Bonham Carter (Queen Elizabeth) – The King’s Speech *
Helena Bonham Carter (Red Queen) – Alice In Wonderland
Lesley Manville (Mary) – Another Year *
Marion Cotillard (Mal) – Inception
Melissa Leo (Alice Ward) – The Fighter
Mila Kunis (Lily / The Black Swan) – Black Swan
Miranda Richardson (Barbara Castle) – Made In Dagenham *
Olivia Williams (Ruth Lang) – The Ghost
Rebecca Hall (Claire Keesey) – The Town
Rosamund Pike (Lisa Hopkins) – Made In Dagenham
Winona Ryder (Beth Macintyre / The Dying Swan) – Black Swan
True Grit
Hmm...Rent the original, folks. OK, look, I am a fan of the Coen Brothers and they did an okay job with a great classic. However, I have to admit I was disappointed and surprised at all the hype. Am I missing something? It was fairly entertaining, and Jeff Bridges is always good, but I thought it fell flat.
A major bright spot - Look out for the young actress who played the girl avenging her father's death; she really delivers in this role. Her dialogue was vintage Coen, and she performed flawlessly. As for the rest, I was just not blown away. I will always check out the Coen Brothers; I just think they should have left this one alone.
Rating: B-
Somewhere
Sofia, Sofia, who wronged you as a child? Too many large Italian, family gatherings? Do you need the isolation, the exercise in despair? No one does despair like Sofia. She takes a slice of someone’s day (no background, no explanation, no post scripts) and takes you in. Watch the characters eyes in Sofia’s film - she does not use dialogue to explain her characters, she uses their eyes. She leaves the interpretation to you, so go ahead and think.
Stephen Dorff and Ellen Fanning were a great pair. Again, she uses music beautifully. Be ready for despair. Not my favorite Sofia film, but still well done.
Rating: B
The King’s Speech
Start engraving Colin Firth’s name on the trophy. What a performance. What I LOVED about this film is I thought it was a COMPLETE film. Complete, you ask? Great acting, great script, great characters, great flow and great emotion. I was catching my breath and slightly brushing away some moisture from my ice cold cheeks. Yes, I am a sucker for the British films, but come on. If you are not moved by this film, you are more cold hearted that I am (and let’s face it, we know I am made of stone!).
Rating: A-
Black Swan
Don’t like ballet? That’s okay b/c this movie uses ballet as a back drop; the movie is about facing demons deep within your mind and soul, some that you probably never even knew existed. Don’t be intimidated by the marketing of this movie. Yes, it is a psychological thriller but it is not as spooky as some reviewers would lead you to believe. Listen, I am not a fan of the scary movie; cannot sit through them. I would suggest you see this movie, even if you shy away from horror. This is about the demon inside of you..and the mind games we play with ourselves.
Look out the for the “perfect ending.”
Rating: B
127 Hours
OK...I know why you do not want to see this movie. Two reasons, right? (1) You know the story b/c Aaron Ralston’s story has been well documented over the years. Young dude goes hiking, doesn’t tell anyone, gets stuck in between rocks and has to figure out how to get free. AND...(2) You do not want to see the scene of Aaron (played by James Franco) of cutting his arm off. Did I guess right?
Look, this movie is not for everyone...I get it. However, I still liked it because Danny Boyle always does great character driven movies. Besides, it forces you to ask yourself a question: Do you have the strength to do what Aaron Ralston did? I don’t, but it makes me want to become a stronger and more resourceful person so I COULD possibly save myself, if necessary.
Rating: B
Waiting for Superman
Just wanted folks to know that we did not screen this documentary as I already saw this at the AFI Silver Docs Festival this past June. As a continued service to my Monday Movie Club members, I will conduct a brief review. Here goes...don’t miss it! Bring your tissues and see this important film on the state of US public education. I don’t care what your political persuasion is; the failing state of public education in this country should make you angry. This movie may not provide all the answers, but it should make us angry enough to do something!
Rating: A-
Animal Kingdom
Here is a movie that no one in our group expected to see, but it is one of my favorites of the year so far. Yes, I am partial to Australian movies, especially those set in Melbourne where I have visited frequently over the years. This movie is now gone from the theaters so I recommend you put this on your Netflix queue and rent this flick. Let me warn you - there is violence - but I can guarantee you have seen nothing like this. Or have you? It is basically a family drama - of course your family may not be involved in crime, drug running, bank robbing and general mayhem. Check out the matriarch of the family; Hollywood has never written a character like her. Oh..Joel Edgerton is in this movie and remember his name.
Rating: A-
The Town
I thought this was an okay film, just an okay film. The question I am asked most often about The Town is the following: Is it as good as the other Boston based movies like The Departed, Gone Baby Gone or Mystic River. My answer is the following: no..but it is alright. I empathized with the bank robbers - a movie is good when you can empathize with the bad guys. Or were they really the bad guys? I will let you judge that. Check out Jeremy Renner - what a great actor and a great performance.
Rating: B-
Social Network
This much hyped movie is worth the hype. I don’t know much about Facebook other than my occasional posts about my concert excursions, and I am not sure I know much more about the service after this movie. How much fact the movie is based on is suspect, but I presume most people will not be flocking to this film to understand the “truth” about the founding of Facebook. Since when have we turned to Hollywood to be our historians; the Hollywood purpose is to entertain, and Social Network succeeds.
What I do know is Aaron Sorkin still writes a wicked script (and he purportedly wrote this one while sober, so way to go Aaron), filled with believable characters, snappy dialogue and great flow.
So much has been written about the cast of this film, and it is pretty all true. Jesse Eisenberg’s performance was great. I thought the real surprise was Justin Timberblake - who knew he could act.
Rating: A-
Inside Job
A little preachy, but still a good account of the recent financial crisis. If you can stomach the reminder of your dwindling retirement accounts, stock portfolios and house value, go see this documentary on how the key financial institutions - primarily on Wall Street - created the mess of 2008.
As members remember from last year (or two years ago), I thought Michael Moore’s Capitalism was a terrible doc, because all he did was attack and presented little facts. Inside Job presents the facts, starting with the collapse of the Iceland economy. Iceland, you ask? Yes, it is a good example of how financial institutions created the mess we are in.
The filmmaker takes his cues from Davis Guggenheim, so you can hear him ask the interview questions. Matt Damon’s narration is good, but as I said, preachy. Now that is really a symptom of poor writing versus delivery. However, the good moments far outweigh the preachy.
He has several gotcha moments (I think the one where Glenn Hubbard, Bush’s former Economics head, basically kicked the filmmaker out of his office) which are terrific and make for perfect “deer in headlights” moments. I thought the doc moved well so you are not checking your watch.
Rating: B+
This is a true story of a Massachusetts married mother of two who decides to became a lawyer in order to free her brother from a life sentence whom she believes was innocent of a horrific crime. Did I fail to mention that when she made this decision, she still needed to earn her GED, complete a Bachelor’s Degree, get accepted to law school and THEN pass the bar.) Would you do that for your brother?
Somehow Hilary Swank - yet again - pulls off the character. Why? She is believable and she becomes the character - and it the same character she always plays so she does it well. I know several members do not like Swank, but I cannot understand why. She delivers a very strong performance. Yet again, she gets the juicy role that most actresses want, but only she can deliver. And if you have never seen Sam Rockwell in a film, you are in for a treat. He plays the older brother and you yearn for him. Swank and Rockwell work well together.
Compelling story..but I thought the film lacked in some good emotion. At the conclusion of the movie, I wanted to phone my brothers and tell that I love them. And I like to think that I would go to the lengths that Swank’s character did if I felt one of my brothers was in trouble.
Rating: B-
