And the nominees are...

It has been quite a while since I last posted here. I have been trying to think of a new direction, a fresh take on the whole movie blog thing. While I haven’t come up with a long term solution I thought the movie awards season would be a good time to reemerge as a movie blogger.

What I want to do is give my take on who I think the nominees for best picture will be this year. The way I’ll go about doing that is I will explain a little bit about the process and then give my predictions. From there I will give a more detailed explanation as to why I chose what I did. I figure some of you may just be interested in the pure meat of who I think is going to be nominated and others of you might want to read more into the process. I had a lot of fun taking the afternoon to work through this so I hopefully you will find the process insightful. 

Here it goes...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

2010, Rated PG-13, 146 Minutes, Directed by David Yates, Produced by Lionel Wigram, Screenplay by Steve Kloves based on the novel by J.K. Rowling, Cinematography by Eduardo Serra, Original Music by Alexandre Desplat

With: Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Rupert Grind (Ron Weasley), Alan Rickman (Severus Snape), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange)

I left the theater feeling slightly disappointed; part one of the most successful franchise in history had left me wanting so much more. It often felt slow and more introspective than the in your face adventure you might expect from Harry and his friends trying to save the wizarding world, no, all of humanity from the evil exploits of Lord Voldemort. As time wore on, however, I grew to appreciate the finer qualities of the film and even more the finer qualities of the story itself. Rowling’s story, Kloves screenplay and Yates movie proved itself to be a thoroughly satisfying penultimate film in the Harry Potter series.

The Young Victoria

2010, Rated PG, 105 minutes, Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, Written by Julian Fellowes, Produced by Colin Vaines, Cinematography by Hagen Bogdanski, Original Music by Hagen Bogdanski

With: Emily Blunt (Queen Victoria), Rupert Friend (Prince Albert), Paul Bettany (Lord Melbourne), Miranda Richardson (Duchess of Kent), Jim Broadbent (King William), Mark Strong (Sir John Conroy)

“Some palaces are not what you think. Even a palace can be a prison” says Victoria. The Young Victoria takes the same imprisoned tone in its depiction of Queen Victoria’s life (at least the young part of it) except, instead of the dark dungeons of the standard 18th century prisons, the prisons are instead lavishly opulent castle with intricately detailed costumes instead of the normal scraps of clothing. What makes it more prison like however is the lack of detail and development in the story. The Young Victoria is an excellent movie to see but not nearly as exciting to listen to.

The Town

2010, Rated R, 123 minutes, Directed by Ben Affleck, Written by Peter Craig, Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard, Produced by Basil Iwanyk and Graham King, Cinematography by Robert Elswit, Original Music by David Buckley and Harry Gregson-Williams.

With: Ben Affleck (Doug MacRay), Rebecca Hall (Claire Keesey), Jon Hamm (FBI S.A. Adam Frawley), Jeremy Renner (James Coughlin), Blake Lively (Krista Coughlin), Titus Welliver (Dino Ciampa), Pete Postlethwaite (Fergie), Chris Cooper (Stephen MacRay)

Audiences are thrust right into the heat of the moment as the bank robbers quickly and efficiently bust into the first bank to be taken down in The Town. They take their time, they know exactly what they are doing yet not everything goes according to plan as flashes of intensity punctuate the moments of efficiency. The Town sets the tone for the entire film in the opening moments of the film. It takes its time with character development and plot reveals. It is meticulous in its details and efficient in its story line. At the same time, there are moments of great intensity and uncertainty. The tone and progression of the film makes it a wonderfully intense and methodical narrative that enthralls the viewer in the ebb and flow of a man trapped in a world of crime and distrust whose metaphorical perimeter is closely guarded by both those inside and out. 

The Expendables

2010, Rated R, 103 minutes, Directed, Written and Produced by Sylvester Stallone, Cinematography by Jeffrey Kimball, Original Music by Brian Tyler

With: Sylvester Stallone (Barney Ross), Jason Statham (Lee Christmas), Jet Li (Ying Yang), Dolph Lundgren (Gunner Jensen), Eric Roberts (James Munroe), Randy Couture (Toll Road), Steve Austin (Paine), Diselle Itie (Sandra), Terry Crews (Hale Caesar), Mickey Rourke (Tool)

80s action movies are known for the extreme action, deplorable acting, great one liners and twice over, action. The Expendables brings in an a-list cast of action stars both past and present in an attempt to bring back the lost art of an 80s action blockbuster and for the most part succeeds. Although the action is intense, it does not come frequently enough and there was a significant dearth of one-liners. In order to enjoy this film, which I did, you have to do two things: leave the notion of a cinematic masterpiece at home, and bring every guy you know along with you (thanks Roby).

How to Train Your Dragon

2010, Rated PG, 98 minutes, Directed by Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders,  Written by, William Davies, based on the novel by Cressida Cowell, Produced by Kristine Belson & Tim Johnson, Original Music by John Powell

With: Jay Baruchel (Hiccup), Gerard Butler (Stoick), Craig Ferguson (Gobber), America Ferrera (Astrid), Jonah Hill (Snotlout), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Fishlegs)

For whatever reason, I seem to have developed a June pattern for animated children’s films. I suppose it has something to do with the summer feel and remembering the wonderful days of summer childhood. Whatever the reason may be I had the opportunity to see How to Train Your Dragon in theaters. The movie, which takes place in a land of storied Vikings and mythical dragons, is a mostly entertaining film with great visuals and a decent cast.

84 Charing Cross Road

1987, Rated PG, 100 minutes, Directed by David Jones, Written by Hugh Whitemore based on play by James Roose-Evans based on book by Helene Hanff, Produced by Geoffrey Helman, Cinematography by Brian West, Original Music by George Fenton

With: Anne Bancroft (Helen Hanff), Anthony Hopkins (Frank P. Doel), Judi Dench (Nora Doel

I do not often come across a movie that is about the love of books. As a book lover myself I was very intrigued about a movie that was about letters written between a British bookseller and a New York writer. What made it intriguing, unfortunately was also  not quite right for film. Almost the entire movie is letters being read as the actors silently act out their emotions. It is an interesting concept that makes the movie mildly entertaining but by no means take your breath away exciting.

Crazy Heart

2009, Rated R, 112 minutes, Directed by Scott Cooper, Written by Scott Cooper based on a novel by Thomas Cobb, Produced by Scott Cooper, T-Bone Burnett, Robert Duvall,  Cinematography by Barry Markowitz, Original Music by Stephen Bruton & T-Bone Burnett

With: Jeff Bridges (Bad Blake), James Keane (Manager), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Jean Craddock), Colin Farrell (Tommy Sweet), Robert Duvall (Wayne)

I have always been interested in the creative process of songs. So many of them are heartbreaking and I wonder if that really happened to the artist. The tagline for Crazy Heart was “The harder the life, the sweeter the fall.” Let me just say that Bad Black (Jeff Bridges) had a hard life. The movie gives us an excellent and insightful picture into the life of an artist, but, moreover the life of a man struggling to overcome his past mistakes and confront his addictive present. It is a character driven film seen through the lens of music and life; both those elements of the film shine like a melodic sunset.

Eastern Promises

2007, Rated R, 100 minutes, Directed by David Cronenberg, Written by Steven Knight, Produced by Robert Lantos & Paul Webster, Cinematography by Peter Suschitzky, Original Music by Howard Shore

With: Viggo Mortensen (Nikolai), Vincent Cassel (Kirill), Armin Mueller-Stahl (Semyon), Naomi Watts (Anna)

The mafia lives in the world of secrets and deception, money and power, influence and intimidation. Eastern Promises fits squarely into that world in its depiction of the Russian mafia in London. It is a slow burn film that inches its way forward into a crescendo of twists and fights. It is a deep investigation into the underworld that while well focused undoes itself in the minutiae and teeters on the brink of monotony.

Salt

2010, Rated PG-13, 100 minutes, Directed by Phillip Noyce, Written by Kurt Wimmer, Produced by, Lorenzo di Bonaventura & Sunil Perkash, Cinematography by Robert Elswit, Original Music by James Howard

With: Angelina  Jolie (Evelyn Salt), Liev Schreiber (Ted Winter), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Peabody), Daniel Olbrychski (Orlov)

It is only fitting that just weeks after 11 Russian sleeper spies were captured and exchanged, that a movie would come out that delves deep into the idea of Russian sleeper spies. You can’t pay for that kind of marketing. Fortunately for the movie, Evelyn Salt, instead of being a housewife in the suburbs, is a highly trained CIA agent, which makes the movie much more interesting. Unfortunately the well done action sequences do not make up for the uneven and jumpy plot line, and poor character development.

Inception

2010, Rated PG-13, 148 minutes, Written and Directed by Christopher Nolan, Produced by Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas, Cinematography by Wally Pfister, Original Music by Hans Zimmer

With: Leonardo DiCaprio (Cobb), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Arthur), Ellen Page (Ariadne), Tom Hardy (Eames), Ken Watanabe (Saito), Dileep Rao (Yusuf), Cillian Murphy (Robert Fischer Jr.), Tom Berenger (Browning), Marion Cotillard (Mal)

My head was still reeling with excitement and wonderment as I exited the theater.  It had been a long time since I had so much tense energy built up  after a movie. I almost could not contain myself (I will say I was talking quiet loudly on the way out of the theater). Inception takes place in a world that we quite literally only dream of. Christopher Nolan finally got his chance to build a dream world onscreen and his tight direction and storytelling soared amidst the chaotic world of the dreaming human mind.

Knight and Day

2010, Rated PG-13, 109 minutes, Directed by James Mangold, Written by Patrick O’Neill, Produced by Arnon Milchan, Cinematography by Phedon Papmichael, Original Music by John Powell

With: Tom Cruise (Roy Miller), Cameron Diaz (June Havens), Peter Sarsgaard (Fitzgerald), Jordi Molla (Antonio), Viola Davis (Director George), Simon Feck (Paul Dano)

We’re in the heat (figuratively and literally) of summer blockbuster season and Knight and Day fits quite well amidst the competition. It is a true action comedy flick that has a decent balance between the two genres. While the plot could have been much more hashed out and better developed, as opposed its jumpy scene changes that span half of the northern, and perhaps some of the southern, hemisphere, it makes up for this with the wonderful acting and chemistry between Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. It is an engaging film that, although it does not stand out as a cinematic masterpiece is a fun movie that provides a welcome respite from the heat of the summer.

Predators

2010, Rated R, 106 minutes, Directed by Nimrod Antal, Written by Alex Litvak and Michael Finch, Produced by Robert Rodriguez, Cinematography by Gyula Pados, Original Music by John Debney

With: Adrien Brody (Royce), Topher Grace (Edwin), Alice Braga (Isabelle), Walton Goggins (Stans), Oleg Taktarov (Nikolai), Laurence Fishbourne (Noland), Danny Trejo (Cuchillo), Louis Changchien (Hanzo), Mahershalalhashbaz Ali (Mombasa)

At the end of a particular battle scene in Predators, I felt like the triumphant Predator was screaming at his audience “Are you not entertained!” This was the tone of the entire movie as it jumped right into the action and did not slow down until the closing credits. It was an excellent action piece that harkened back to the days when the movie schedule was packed to the gills with pure, unadulterated action flicks.  The film was good because it made no pretense at being a complex and cerebral film, but focused instead on gripping action and suspense.

Toy Story 3

2010, Rated G, 103 minutes, Directed by Lee Unkirch, Written by Micheal Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton & Lee Unkirch, Produced by Darla Anderson, Original Music by Randy Newman

With: Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), Joan Cusack (Jessie), Ned Beatty (Lotso), Don Rickels (Mr. Potato Head), Michael Keaton (Ken), Wallace Shawn (Rex), John Ratzenberger (Hamm), Estelle Harris (Mrs. Potato Head), John Morris (Andy), Jodi Benson (Barbie), Timothy Dalton (Mr. Pricklepants)

Thirteen years after Pixar launched the animation world into a new era with Toy Story, we once again enter into the world of Andy’s toys, Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the gang. And the great part is, the 13 years that elapsed in real time, is the same amount of time that has elapsed in the Toy Story world. Toy Story 3 has a great premise, stunning visuals, and pure nostalgia that will excite any viewer. While the plot is slightly, dare I say, old hat, watching they toys come to grips with their future roles after Andy leaves for college is yet another great adventure into the world of Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang.

Splice

2010, Rated R, 104 minutes, Directed by Vincenzo Natali, Written by Vincenzon Natali, Antoinette Terry Bryand & Doug Taylor, Produced by Steven Hoban, Cinematography by Tetsuo Nagata, Original Music by Cyrille Aufort

With: Adrien Brody (Clive Nicoli), Sarah Polley (Elsa Kast), Delphine Chaneac (Dren), Brandon McGibbon (Gavin Nicoli), Simona Maicanescu (Joan Chorot), David Hewlett (William Barlow), Abigail Chu (Child Dren)

I believe that we are seeing a great resurgence of the science fiction genre. In 2009 we had many great sci-fi films: Star Trek, Moon, and District 9. The genre continues to be redefined by many of these movies. Splice is another wonderful addition to the genre and demonstrates continuing strength and originality. Splice manages to address issues of morality, science, family and commitment in a deep and intense way, and at the same time is an shockingly entertaining film.

28 Days Later

2003, Rated R, 113 minutes, Directed by Danny Boyle, Produced by Andrew Macdonald Written by Alex Garland, Cinematography by Anthony Mantle, Original Music by John Murphy

With: Cillian Murphy (Jim), Naomie Harris (Selena), Noah Huntley (Mark), Brendan Gleeson (Frank), Megan Burns (Hannah), Christopher Eccleston (Major Henry West),

What do chimpanzees in cages have to do with anything? A whole lot it turns out. When animal activists break into a lab animal testing compound to free them, they find out they are infected with an ebola like virus that turns those infected into rage filled menaces that attack whatever they can get their hands on. And so the stage is set for Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later, a horror, zombie film with deep emotion and an intimate look at the characters involved.

Extract

2009, Rated R, 92 minutes, Directed by Mike Judge, Written by Mike Judge, Produced by John Altshculer & Michael Rotenberg, Cinematography by Tim Suhrstedt, Original Music by George Clinton

With: Jason Bateman (Joel), Mila Kunis (Cindy), Kristen Wiig (Suzie), Ben Affleck (Dean), J.K. Simmons (Brian), Dustin Milligan (Brad), Beth Grant (Mary), Gene Simmons (Joe Adler), David Koechner (Nathan)

Mike Judge brought us the comedy classic Office Space about the lives of cubicle workers. He created a cast of characters that amusingly tried to get through their days at the office despite everything  that was hitting them. Fast forward 10 years and Judge  brings us a film about the management side of a company: Extract. While the idea of Judge examining the other side of the work coin was an exciting idea for me, the movie itself was just an average comedy with sporadic moments of humor.

Body of Lies

2008, Rated R, 128 minutes, Directed by Ridley Scott, Produced by Ridley Scott, Written by William Monahan, based on the novel by David Ignatius, Cinematography by Alexander Witt, Original Music by Marc Streinfeld

With: Leonardo DiCaprio (Roger Ferris), Russell Crowe (Ed Hoffman), Mark Strong (Hani) Golshifteh Farahani (Aisha), Oscar Isaac (Bassam)

Many, myself included, will always be interested in the inner workings of the CIA and its operatives. We have so many questions that can never be officially answered and so we are left to answer them with our imagination and of course Hollywood. Body of Lies dives deep into a post 9/11 world and explores the working relationship between an operative on the ground in the Middle East and his figurative and literal overseer glued to giant screens at home. Ridley Scott does an excellent job of creating a grand scale spy thriller with an intensity that keeps you glued up to the credits.

Robin Hood

2010, Rated PG-13, 140 minutes Directed by Ridley Scott, Written by Brian Helgeland, Produced by Ridley Scott, Cinematography by John Mathieson, Original Music by Marc Streitenfeld

With: Russell Crowe (Robin Longstride), Cate Blanchett (Marion Loxley), Max von Sydow (Sir Walter Loxley), William Hurg (William Marshal), Mark Strong (Godfrey), Oscaar Isaac (Prince John), Danny Huston (King Richard the Lionheart), Mark Addy (Friar Tuck), Matthew Macfaydyen (Sheriff of Nottingham), Kevin Durand (Little John), Scott Grimes (Will Scarlet)

The Robin Hood Project at the University of Rochester compiled a list in 2003 of 50 different feature films about Robin Hood. Ridley Scott’s aptly titled Robin Hood is yet another addition in an already extensive filmography. Based on my own viewing of various Robin Hood films (which is a fraction of the movies on the list), Scott does manage to stake a claim on new territory in the story. He answers the question, how did Robin Hood become Robin Hood, the notorious outlaw who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. While Scott does contribute a unique origin story, the movie itself is average fare with less original cinematic qualities.

Sunshine

2007, Rated R, 107 minutes, Directed by Danny Boyle, Written by Alex Garland, Produced by Andrew Macdonald, Cinematography by Alwin Kuchler, Original Music by John Murphy

With: Cliff Curtis (Searle), Chip Chung (Icarus), Cillian Murphy (Capa), Michelle Yeoh (Corazon), Hiroyuki Sanada (Kaneda), Rose Byrne (Cassie), Benedict Wong (Trey), Chris Evans (Mace), Troy Garity (Harvey), Mark Strong (Pinbacker)

Sunshine most likely passed by your summer blockbuster radar in 2007 as it was a limited release (461 theaters at its peak) and only made $3.6 million domestically (boxofficmojo.com). I came across this film while I was watching trailers. The trailer for this film is one of my favorite trailers of all time and got me really excited about the film (you can check out the trailer yourself at apple.com/trailers) Danny Boyle is upfront about the nature of his 2007 film Sunshine: “There’s two branches. There’s fantasy, Star Wars and Star Trek, where you can do anything you want. This is the other branch, it’s based on realism, that man goes into space in a steel tube.” (comingsoon.net) Boyle creates a wonderfully done claustrophobic science fiction thriller that pays homage to the classic realistic science fiction films and also advances the genre forward. This is a film for the science fiction fan; those who dabble in the genre on the fantasy side may not enjoy the film as much as it is has psychological action and a claustrophobic theme. For those who enjoy the genre, it is an excellent film that stays true to realistic science fiction as it delves more on the psyche than the action, and addresses hard hitting issues like addiction, the existence of God, and the effect of isolation.