Now Playing

Here's a look at the new movie that I saw this last week. Also, with the Academy Award nominations having been announced and just five weeks until the big day (Sunday, Feb. 27), I'm going to start my review of Best Picture nominees. I'll do two a week until the end.

No Strings Attached
Starring: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Kevin Kline, and Gretta Gerwig.
Synopsis: This follows a somewhat typical rom-com formula. A mismatched pair thrown together in a "meaningless" relationship that blossoms into something more. This film is predictable, in terms of story, and as with all entries of this type how much you like the film depends on your sense of humor and the chemistry between the leads. I appreciated many of the jokes. The supporting players — including Ludacris, Jake Johnson, Mindy Kaling, Gerwig, and Lake Bell — offer plenty of humorous moments. This is not a film that takes itself too seriously. Director Ivan Reitman does a nice job putting the whole thing together, delivering probably his best comedy in a few years. Portman is a great actress, and does well here. Kutcher is affable in his role too, and the pair have good chemistry together. This isn't the greatest film, but it is entertaining. For the genre, it does a nice job.
Rating: R for sexual content, language and some drug material.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Best Picture nominees:
The Kids Are All Right
Starring: Annette Bening, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo
Nominations: 4, including Best Actress (Bening); Best Supporting Actor (Ruffalo); and Best Original Screenplay
Opinion: This was not one of my favorite films of 2010, though it was hailed as such by a number of critics. At one point in the middle of the year I thought this would be a top contender for Best Picture, but the bloom seems to have fallen off the rose a bit. There are some good performances and some well-crafted scenes, but this story never clicked with me. In all honesty I have some moral objections to the story, but that wasn't the only reason the film never resonated with me. I don't think the characters are particularly likeable. This is a long-shot for Best Picture, but Bening should form half of the fight for Best Actress. She won at the Globes and will be a strong contender at the Academy Awards as well.
Rating: R for strong sexual content, nudity, language and some teen drug and alcohol use.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Black Swan
Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hersey, and Vincent Cassel
Nominations: 5, including Best Actress (Portman) and Best Director (Darren Aronofsky).
Opinion: One of the best made films of the year, but tough to watch. This is the kind of film that will appeal to a niche audience. The dark material can be rough to watch, as can the overly sexualized aspects of the plot, but the filmcraft, directing, and acting in the film is incredible. Portman deserves all the praise for her work and should be the odds-on favorite to claim the Best Actress prize. What she endures in the movie is tough to watch, but she gives it her all. Bening will be a strong contender, but for my money Portman gives the better performance.
Rating: R for strong sexual content, disturbing violent images, language and some drug use.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Burial a courtroom drama with heart

Image
Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) is a brash trial lawyer who is good at rallying a jury to his cause. Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) is a quiet grandfather who is trying to ensure the business his family built remains viable after he’s gone. These two don’t appear to have much in common on the surface. But when they’re brought together by young lawyer Hal Dockins (Mamoudou Athie) brings them together, a connection is formed over their shared background of working hard to become self-made men. And it turned out that Willie was just who Jerry needed in his corner to win the fight of his life. The new Prime Video film The Burial, which opened in theaters October 6 and started streaming October 13, captures that trial against the Loewen Group that changed the course of their lives. The film is based on the true story and covers the trial, but more importantly captures the relationship between the men. The film plays out like a traditional courtroom drama. Foxx is solid as Willie Gary, while Ju...
Read more

Broncos Draft Targets

Image
  The NFL Draft is just a few days away. On April 25, the Denver Broncos will head into the draft in the midst of something of a rebuild. In the draft, the Broncos have the No. 12 pick in Round 1, then have a Third Round Pick, Fourth Round Pick, three Fifth Round Picks, a Sixth Round Pick, and a Seventh Round Pick. So, what might they be targeting? Let's dive in and look at possible positions. Quarterback : The team clearly needs a long-term quarterback. Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are there but the team could certainly use someone else. Could they move up for Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy? Yes, they could. Will the take Bo Nix at 12? It's possible. Or will the Broncos wait until next off-season to make a move? Anything is in play for the Broncos in 2024, but quarterback is surely a need. Tight End: The team brought back Adam Trautman and still has Greg Dulcich, but it's still a need. Dulcich hasn't been able to get on the field and Trautman hasn't been great. Co...
Read more

Favorite Westerns, No. 43

Image
  Do you like a good Western? It's a classic genre in film and this year I've decided to look at some of my favorite Westerns. So, join me each Friday as I count down my favorite Westerns from No. 50 to No. 1. Rooster Cogburn : [ watching Mattie ford the river hanging on the back of her horse] By God. She reminds me of me. True Grit (1969) Starring : John Wayne, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper Director : Henry Hathaway About: This is the third straight week with a film from Wayne. As you might guess, we're not done. As I've mentioned, he sets a standard for the genre. Here, we seen him bring to life an iconic character. This one is based on a novel, and it has endured. He's great as Rooster Cogburn, so good that he got a sequel in the same character. But this is a later film in his career. This is a different, more grizzled Wayne. He's still quite good and this is a film that really has stood the test of time. It's not the only ve...
Read more