LeapBackBlog 2016 Film Awards

2016 was a wonderful year for film, from fun blockbusters to innovative and engaging independent films. There were so many good films, performances and technical feats that many that I really liked did not make my top 25 in each category. I have put an “*” next to my personal favorite from each category.

Favorite 25 Films of 2016

Arrival, a sci-fi thriller directed by Denis Villeneuve

Captain America: Civil War, an action adventure directed by the Russo Brothers

Captain Fantastic, a comedy directed by Matt Ross

Certain Women, a character drama directed by Kelly Reichardt

The Conjuring 2, a period horror thriller directed by James Wan

Deadpool, an adventure comedy directed by Tim Miller

Everybody Wants Some!!, a comedy directed by Richard Linklater

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a fantasy adventure directed by David Yates

Green Room, a thriller directed by Jeremy Saulnier

Hacksaw Ridge, a war drama directed by Mel Gibson

Hell or High Water, a modern western directed by David Mackenzie

Hunt for the Wilderpeople, a comedy directed by Taika Waititi*

The Jungle Book, a family adventure directed by Jon Favreau

Lion, a character drama directed by Garth Davis

The Lobster, a dystopian romance dramedy directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

Loving, a character drama/romance directed by Jeff Nichols

Manchester by the Sea, a character drama directed by Kenneth Lonergan

Moana, an animated family adventure directed by Ron Clements & John Musker

Moonlight, a character drama directed by Barry Jenkins

The Nice Guys, a mystery comedy directed by Shane Black

Pete’s Dragon, a family adventure directed by David Lowery

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a sci-fi action adventure directed by Gareth Edwards

Silence, a period character drama directed by Martin Scorsese

Sully, a character drama directed by Clint Eastwood

The Witch, a period horror thriller directed by Robert Eggers

Favorite 25 Performances of 2016

Amy Adams, leading performance in Arrival

Casey Affleck, leading performance in Manchester by the Sea

Mahershala Ali, supporting performance in Moonlight

Jeff Bridges, supporting performance in Hell or High Water

Laura Dern, leading performance in Certain Women

Colin Farrell, leading performance in The Lobster*

Andrew Garfield, leading performance in Hacksaw Ridge

Andrew Garfield, leading performance in Silence

Greta Gerwig, supporting performance in 20^th Century Women

Ryan Gosling, leading performance in The Nice Guys

Tom Hanks, leading performance in Sully

Naomie Harris, supporting performance in Moonlight

Nicole Kidman, supporting performance in Lion

Ruth Negga, leading performance in Loving

Sam Neill, supporting performance in Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Dev Patel, leading performance in Lion

Natalie Portman, leading performance in Jackie*

Daniel Radcliffe, leading performance in Swiss Army Man

Margot Robbie, leading performance in Suicide Squad

Michael Shannon, supporting performance in Nocturnal Animals

Octavia Spencer, supporting performance in Hidden Figures

Hailee Steinfeld, leading performance in The Edge of Seventeen

Emma Stone, leading performance in La La Land

Anya Taylor-Joy, leading performance in The Witch

Michelle Williams, supporting performance in Manchester by the Sea

Favorite 25 Artistic, Technical & Aesthetic Achievements of 2016

Volker Bertelmann & Dustin O’Halloran, composers of Lion

Jarin Blaschke, cinematographer of The Witch

Nicholas Britell, composer of Moonlight

Doug Chiang & Neil Lamont, production designers of Rouge One: A Star Wars Story

Stuart Craig, production designer of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Robert Eggers, director of The Witch

Greig Fraser, cinematographer of Lion

Mel Gibson, director of Hacksaw Ridge

Christopher Glass & Abhijeet Mazumder, production designers of The Jungle Book

Barry Jenkins, director of Moonlight

Johann Johannsson, composer of Arrival*

Mark Korven, composer of The Witch

James Laxton, cinematographer of Moonlight

Mica Levi, composer of Jackie

Mark Mancia, Lin-Manuel Miranda & Opetaia Foa’i, composers of Moana

Seamus McGarvey, cinematographer of Nocturnal Animals

Rodrigo Pieto, cinematographer of Silence

Jeremy Saulnier, director of Green Room

Martin Scorsese, director of Silence

Shane Valentino, production designer of Nocturnal Animals

Patrice Vernette, production designer of Arrival*

Denis Villeneuve, director of Arrival*

Taika Waititi, director of Hunt for the Wilderpeople

David Wasco, production designer of La La Land

Bradford Young, cinematographer of Arrival*

10 Great Under-the-Radar Indie films and Documentaries that are Must-Sees

Don’t Think Twice, a dramedy directed by Mike Birbiglia

The Edge of Seventeen, a comedy directed by Kelly Fremon Craig

Jackie, a period character drama directed by Pablo Larrain

Love & Friendship, a period comedy directed by Whit Stillman

Midnight Special, a sci-fi drama directed by Jeff Nichols

Nocturnal Animals, a character drama/mystery directed by Tom Ford

O.J.: Made in America, a documentary directed by Ezra Edelman

Sing Street, a musical comedy directed by John Carney

Swiss Army Man, a comedy directed by Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert

13^th, a documentary directed by Ava DuVernay

Good Films I Have Yet to See (that probably would have factored into the above lists)

Christine, a character drama directed by Antonio Campos

Elle, a character drama/thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven

Fences, a period character drama directed by Denzel Washington

The Handmaiden, a drama directed by Chan-wook Park

Paterson, a character drama directed by Jim Jarmusch

Top 25 Performances of the Decade So Far (2010-2014) – March 2015

Picking the 50 best films of the decade so far was incredibly hard, but this was far more difficult. Every year there is a ton of very strong work to choose from – some performances are just incredible, and those are the easy ones to pick, but for the most part there are a lot of performances that just as easily could have made this list. I have put an “*” next to my favorite performance from each year. Anyway, here are my picks:

2010

Christian Bale, a supporting role in The Fighter*

Claire Danes, a leading role in Temple Grandin

Tom Hardy, a supporting performance in Inception

Natalie Portman, a leading Role in Black Swan

2011

Kirsten Dunst, a leading performance in Melancholia

Michael Fassbender, a leading performance in Shame

Rooney Mara, a leading performance in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo*

Carey Mulligan, a supporting performance in Shame

2012

Jessica Chastain, a leading performance in Zero Dark Thirty

Daniel Day-Lewis, a leading performance in Lincoln

Jennifer Lawrence, a leading performance in Silver Linings Playbook

Joaquin Phoenix, a leading performance in The Master*

2013

Cate Blanchett, a leading performance in Blue Jasmine*

Leonardo DiCaprio, a leading performance in The Wolf of Wall Street

Chiwetel Ejiofor, a leading performance in 12 Years a Slave

Adele Exarchopoulos, a leading performance in Blue is the Warmest Color

Michael Fassbender, a supporting performance in 12 Years a Slave

Brie Larson, a leading performance in Short Term 12

Mads Mikkelsen, a leading performance in The Hunt

Lupita Nyong’o, a supporting performance in 12 Years a Slave

2014

Ralph Fiennes, a leading performance in The Grand Budapest Hotel

Edward Norton, a supporting performance in Birdman

Rosamnd Pike, a leading performance in Gone Girl*

Eddie Redmayne, a leading performance in The Theory of Everything

Mark Ruffalo, a supporting performance in Foxcatcher

Thor: The Dark World (2013) – Review

Review: Thor: The Dark World is a joyously entertaining sci-fi adventure film, proving that with Phase II Marvel has its stride, making great superhero films. The film is about a nefarious plot by the Dark Elves to cloud the Nine Worlds in total darkness. It is up to Thor, Dr. Jane Foster, and the Warriors Three (plus Sif) to stop them and thereby save the worlds.

Continuing the trend of The Avengers and Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World comes off extremely entertaining due to the great mixing of action, comedy, and drama. Director Alan Taylor brings grittiness to the film, but still keeps the overall tone on the lighter side (fitting with Marvel’s cinematic style). This would seem like a difficult task, the grittiness of the film clashing with the lighter tone. However, Taylor is able to find a good balance by keeping the spirit of the characters light (and jovial) and then plunging them into more serious dramatic situations. Thus, there is gravity to what is happening; there are real consequences for the characters, and yet there is still a place for levity.

Taylor also does a great job with his characters. The levity does a lot in this respect too. The audience is enchanted by the lighter, funnier character moments leading them to really like these characters (building off their feelings coming into this film based on the previous Marvel films). The audience is more-or-less invested in these characters coming in, but the great fun character moments only amplifies that positive feeling towards them, which then leads to drama that resonates to a higher extent. And this is really where Thor: The Dark World excels over its predecessor. The audience actually cares about these characters, and not just about the big action set pieces.

Staying with the humor in the film, it is not explicitly clear which scenes Joss Whedon came in to punch-up, but one can assume he likely brought some of the wonderful funny character moments. This might be the funniest of the Marvel films to date (though, The Avengers has its moments, as does Robert Downey Jr. across the Iron Man movies). Even though the mandate for Phase II has seemed to be taking the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a darker place after the events of The Avengers – the stakes have certainly been raised – Taylor and Whedon have remembered that humor is essential in this type of film (even if the overall tone is heavier). It allows the audience to catch their breath amongst all the drama and action (which, I have said over and over, is vital) and only heightens the overall enjoyment of the experience. After all, the main goal of these films is to entertain.

The visual style is also brilliant. Kenneth Branagh (the director of Thor) set up the style of Asgard, but Taylor takes it to another level. Thor: The Dark World feels more epic, like a combination of The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones (which is exactly what Marvel wanted when they hired Taylor) with sci-fi overtones, which seems to fit the character perfectly. While Iron Man 3 took on the persona of a 1990s action movie, Thor: The Dark World visually and tonally became much more an adventure epic (and Captain America: The Winter Soldier looks like a good spy thriller). It is nice to see each character find his place and appropriate tone/style, while still feeling apart of the same bigger universe.

The only downside of the film is that the main villain is a bit under developed. Malekith is basically just a generic revenge-driven enemy from the past (which we have never seen before in a Marvel film…oh wait…forgot about almost every villain so far). The villain here, though, is secondary (as is the general plot, which is also rather generic). The main point of this film seems to be the further development of the principal characters (prominently focusing on Thor’s relationships with those around him – Jane, Loki, Odin, and Sif). Malekith is just an enemy that brings all of them together, escalating the fiction in their relationships. So while he is utterly forgettable, the characters the audience do care about grow and change. Malekith is just the catalyst. However, a weak villain has been a complaint in many of the Marvel films, with really only Loki rising to the heights of the great bad guys seen in other superhero films (Magneto, Dr. Octopus, the Joker, and Bane). Loki’s presence in the film also takes away from Malekith. Loki is a fan-favorite, so well played, and very charismatic. It is impossible for another villain to seem as engaging or substantial when Loki is also in the film.

Throughout Phase I, Marvel Studios proved that they could make entertaining, fun superhero films, but until The Avengers (and really, that film only becomes amazing in the third act with the battle of New York) they had struggled to replicate the overall quality of the top tier films in the genre. Iron Man 3 and now Thor: The Dark World see them one step closer: entertainment that is also dramatically engaging and aesthetically compelling. Thor: The Dark World if nothing else is a highly entertaining sci-fi adventure fantasy romp, but for those delighted by the genre (as I am) it offers a rich visual style, great characters, exciting action, and maybe best of all infectious laughs.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Alan Taylor is best known for directing episodes of many of the best series on television (notably: Deadwood, Rome, The Sopranos, Mad Men, and Game of Thrones – being one of that show’s principal technicians during the first two seasons). With Thor: The Dark World, he shows his ability to bring a strong sense of visual style to a film and franchise that is already impressive. These are the same characters we have seen before, but in this film they just feel bigger and their world grander. Should there be a Thor 3, I hope Taylor returns to helm it.

Scoring this film must have been a very enjoyable gig, composing pieces of music for what is basically a heroic poem (or at least the modern pop-culture version of a heroic poem). Brian Tyler delivers a great score that booms and thunders (sure, maybe I could have been more creative, but those puns were just sitting there), entirely fitting the tone and visuals. Cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau (who came onto the project with Taylor from Game of Thrones) also does great work. The lighting in the film is excellent, giving it a look that while feeling somewhat gritty and realistic on Earth (though still with a certain fantasy glean) absolutely pops when the narrative finds itself in the other worlds. Working hand-in-hand with Charles Wood’s brilliant production design, the photography gives each world its own style and feel. The design in grandiose and beautiful (and on par with the best fantasy films), but the lighting just adds this great grittiness that seems to emphasis everything as being much more vital. All in all, it is a very strong film aesthetically (probably more so than was to be expected – but that said, there is more to play with in Thor than other Marvel films stuck on Earth).

In addition to the wonderful visuals, the performances in Thor: The Dark World are fantastic. The film has a ton of characters, most appearing in smaller supporting roles. The best among them belong to Chris Evans, Chris O’Dowd, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings (these four all provide hilarious moments), Idris Elba (who seems to bring weight to everything he does), Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, and Jaimie Alexander (these three play Asgards other notably warriors and are a lot of fun). Christopher Eccleston plays Malekith, the leader of the Dark Elves. While he does not really have much to do, he does bring a great seriousness and calm to his villain. He is not theatrical or big in his performance (which is often the way villains are played). Malekith is not even so much evil, just determined (his villainy arising from his ideas opposing those of our hero). Anthony Hopkins plays Odin (Thor’s father) with the weathered, battle hardened edge of an aging leader, and it works well (and is right in his wheelhouse). Natalie Portman has maybe the most difficult role in the film. As Dr. Jane Foster, she must play the typical love interest needing rescuing at some point, but she also sort of escapes that stereotype by really being a big part of the solution as well, rather than just one of the many things for the hero to save. Portman does a good job playing the wonder of Asgard and the strength/charm/goofiness that won her Thor to begin with. Tom Hiddleston steals the film as Loki. He just has such a gleeful love of himself and his own villainy. Every scene he is in is better for it (and it is easy to see why he is a fan favorite). It is a shame his great work will never get any critical recognition come awards season. Chris Hemsworth embodies Thor completely; when you see him, you see the character. What else can one ask from a performance?

Summary & score: With its eighth, Thor: The Dark World, Marvel’s films seem to only be getting better. 8/10

Movie of the Week – Leon: The Professional

This week’s movie: Leon: The Professional (1994).

The crime drama is about a professional assassin who rescues a teenage girl after her family is killed by a corrupt police detective and his team. The girl asks for the assassin’s help. She wants him to train her in his art so that she can avenge her family.

In France writer-director Luc Besson had already made the critically acclaimed hit films The Big Blue and La Femme Nikita, but it is Leon that put him on the map in the States. He has since become France’s biggest filmmaker (mostly writing and producing action films like Taken). Besson has a set group of collaborators that he works with – all of whom do fantastic work – including: composer Eric Serra, cinematographer Thierry Arbogast, and production designer Dan Weil.

The film stars Jean Reno (who is also a frequent collaborator with Besson – appearing in eight Besson productions, including Besson’s first four films as a director) and Natalie Portman, featuring Danny Aiello, Michael Badalucco, and Gary Oldman in support. While the film served as a breakthrough for both Reno and Portman’s careers (Reno in the States and Portman as a young actress), it is Oldman who gives the film’s best and most iconic performance, creating one of cinema’s greatest villains (something he would do again in Besson’s The Fifth Element).

Leon is currently number thirty-one of IMDb’s list of the Top 250 rated movies of all-time, which attests to how much its fans love it. It is a particularly strong character drama for a film that is mainly built around an epic action scene at the end. For fans of crime dramas, this is a must-see.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Streaming

Thor (2011) – Review

Thor is a lot of fun (much like another film in The Avengers’ series Iron Man) – mixing big action set pieces with drama and comedy. The film is surprisingly really funny at times (especially when Thor first arrives on Earth, and really most of the fish-out-of-water Thor on Earth stuff – which is brilliantly done and my favorite part of the film). Director Kenneth Branagh decided to construct the narrative of the film a bit like Shakespeare’s Henry V, which works well given the journey of redemption that Thor must make (Branagh also directed and starred in a film adaptation of the play). The difficulty in structuring this film is that it takes place in two completely different worlds – Asgard and Earth, with different rules and aesthetic looks – Earth being a world of science and Asgard one of magic and Norse mythology. Plus, each competes for screen time, the narrative jumping back and forth. Branagh, for the most part, does a good job of interweaving the two worlds, but at times audience members will be more connected to a story happening in one location over another (for me, I enjoyed the Thor on Earth stuff and his budding relationship with Jane more so than the rival brothers stuff on Asgard), causing scenes in the other world to feel overly long messing with the overall pacing a little. Also, there are a ton of characters, and Branagh tries to keep the film constantly moving forward with lot of action scenes, and thus some of the character development is lacking leaving the film to rely a bit too heavily on the tried-and-true movie relationship clichés that we all know and do not need much to understand. This takes away from the power of the relationships a bit, because we have seen them before. However, Thor is a well fleshed out character and his relationships with Jane, Loki and Odin feel real (though some have wondered why he so easily falls for Jane Foster – but I would equate it to the feeling you have when you first spark with someone, all you want to do is be around them). Branagh’s action set pieces are good, but feel fairly generic (and the battle against the Destroyer is only ok). Rather, the film succeeds more so on its drama and comedy, with the action filling in as cool breaks. A lot of the characters did not have enough screen time (and hopefully there will be a Thor-centric sequel), like The Warriors Three and Heimdall (but, with Branagh wanting the film to continually keep moving and Marvel probably not wanting to have a 3+ hours film, some characters and actors are not given enough time, for me at least). Aesthetically, the film has an interesting look to it. Branagh and crew did a great job creating Asgard and the costumes. Even with a few issues, Thor makes a good addition to The Avengers’ series (my favorite so far).

Technical and acting achievements: Branagh is a very accomplished director when it comes to Shakespearian adaptations, and he brings a lot of that to this film – which is why the relationships that Thor has work so well (and would work even better with more time for development, but given the mold of Iron Man, it makes sense why Thor moves at a fairly brisk pace with seemingly constant action). The score by composer Patrick Doyle gives the film a wonderful epic feel that both accompanies the character of Thor and accentuates the action well. Haris Zambarloukos’s cinematography also gives many of the scenes a big feeling, but he is also able to capture the personal feelings of the characters (which is somewhat rare among bigger action films) – he is definitely an artist to watch in the future. Bo Welch does a great job with the production design. I really like his sets for Jane’s office and the Bifrost rainbow bridge. They built the whole town in New Mexico for the film, and it has sort of a cool fake yet western vibe to it which fit really well. The cast is very good in the film. The supporting players feature great work from Kat Denning (who is really funny in a small, one note role), Ray Stevenson, Josh Dallas (Stevenson and Dallas bring some fun to The Warriors Three), and Idris Elba (who emotes such power and respect, he really needed to be in more and have a bigger role). Natalie Portman is good as Jane, playing a scientist that is more poetic than stuffy, and a good match for Hemsworth’s energy. Tom Hiddleston is very compelling and weaselly (not a word, but I am using it anyway); you sort of know he is the villain when you first see him. He has such tension and hunger in him. Anthony Hopkins plays his role a bit like many of his others – he is strong a forceful, but with some compassion behind his rugged gruff persona. Chris Hemsworth makes Thor completely his (much like Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man), pulling off the physicality while having a lot of fun with the role. He really is what makes the film special.

Thor is funny and dramatic, making it one of the better action-adventure films in recent years. 7/10

Movie of the Week - The Darjeeling Limited

This week’s movie is The Darjeeling Limited (2007).

The comedy is about three brothers who have grown apart. They meet up on a train to take a spiritual quest across India with the hopes to find themselves and reignite their bond as brothers. The short film Hotel Chevalier is part 1 (and included on the DVD release) about Jack’s, one of the brothers, meeting in Paris with his ex-girlfriend, a relationship that had been painful and destructive. The short and feature film are both directed and written by Wes Anderson (the feature is also co-written by Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola). On the film, Anderson again works with cinematographer Robert D. Yeoman and production designer Mark Friedberg (who also did The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou). In addition to his typical use of rock/pop from the 60s and 70s for the score, Anderson also takes a lot of pieces from the Merchant-Ivory films (which inspired this film). The cast mixes frequent Anderson cast members like Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray (who has an awesome cameo during the prologue), Wallace Wolodarsky, Waris Ahluwalia, Kumar Pallana, and Anjelica Huston with great new ones like Adrien Brody, Amara Karan, Irrfan Khan, Barbet Schroeder, Camilla Rutherford, and Natalie Portman (who has a cameo, but co-stars in the short). What makes the film great is the artistic style of it – Anderson’s camera and blocking act as a character in the narrative, adding comedy and drama to the piece. The film is very quirky, but even with eccentric and odd characters the narrative feels very honest and connects to its viewers. Wilson’s performance in particular is very good (maybe the best of his career). Stylistically and character wise, the film fits Anderson’s body of work – but a bit like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, there is more of an edge to the characters. It is a must for fans of Anderson’s films (it is probably my second favorite after Rushmore), and those who enjoy quirky comedies and/or highly stylistic filmmaking. Check out the trailer.

Available on Criterion Collection Blu-ray, DVD and to rent

Your Highness (2011) – Review

Your Highness is a good adventure fantasy film infused with the humor of co-writers Danny McBride and Ben Best, which is not for everyone as it is often crude and juvenile (so basically, if you are not a fan of their HBO series Eastbound & Down you are probably not going to like this). From an adventure fantasy point of view, McBride, Best and director David Gordon Green certainly have an affinity for similar genre films from the 80s (like Conan the Barbarian, Red Sonja, Beastmaster, and so on), as this has the same look, feel and tone. Structurally, Green is influenced by these films as well in his construction of the narrative. The monsters, characters and special effects work well in the genre. Fans of this genre will get a kick out of Your Highness. It is not often that filmmakers work in this genre anymore, making epic quest films (aside from The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Kull the Conqueror and the TV series Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert produce – Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess and Legend of the Seeker – I cannot think of too many, though a remake of Conan the Barbarian is scheduled to be released this summer). And thus, the film has a nostalgic appeal. The humor is certainly not for everyone, and will be off-putting for some. But fans of McBride and Green’s comedy directing work should know what to expect. It is not as funny as it could have been, in that it does not meet the high expectations that such a film, director and cast incite. However, it is funny (and I look forward to seeing what the Blu-ray release has to offer in terms of a possible director’s cut, outtakes and blooper reel). The film is comparable to Army of Darkness, a film that combines the horror and adventure fantasy genres with slapstick comedy (in the vein of The Three Stooges). This film is very much the same as it plays like a typical epic quest adventure fantasy but with a modern R comedy taking the place of most of the dialog, which is all improvised. Because of the nostalgic aspect of the film and the genre it tackles, Your Highness will likely be a cult favorite among its fans – that is the type of film it is. For fans, it is great fun. For non-fans, it is a rude, foul and a strange film (and generally not liked). Your Highness is a slight letdown as a comedy (but I have a feeling it will grow on viewers upon multiple screenings), but the adventure fantasy world the characters inhabit is great and a lot of fun.

Technical and acting achievements: David Gordon Green started his feature career making good indy dramas (like George Washington and All the Real Girls) before switching to comedy with Pineapple Express (and directing most of Eastbound & Down). Your Highness feels like a much more personal and fan specific piece than Pineapple Express. The film looks great and plays well (it really just comes down to a matter of genre and comedic taste). The technical work on the film is fun, both paying homage to the genre while having fun with it. Steve Jablonsky’s score is referential and appropriate to the material. It helps the film feel like a classic adventure fantasy. Tim Orr’s cinematography gives the film an 80s adventure fantasy look, but cleaner (as technology has improved). Mark Tildesley’s production design is great, and the best among the principal crew work. His sets fit the world perfectly (I particularly liked Leezar’s fortress). Most of the cast plays the film straight, fitting the world of the film – but the main characters act and say just ridiculous stuff given the setting, which is the point. The hairstyles of a few of the characters are hilarious onto themselves. There is both a visual and physical comedy to the film which adds a lot – when most of the main comedic moments are derived from spoken words. Zooey Deschanel is great in the film, and really not in enough of it. Justin Theroux has a fun duality to his character – being powerful and dangerous while completely insecure. Natalie Portman plays a badass warrior well, and is funny with the exaggerated blood lust dialog. James Franco plays his character to almost an absurd level, going overboard on the heroic-persona aspects and then saying random off-character lines. Plus he makes some pretty funny faces. Danny McBride is his typical self – insecure, but with swagger and sort of an I-only-care-about-myself confidence hiding his true affection for his friends. However, the breakout performance in the film is Rasmus Hardiker. He is very funny, playing mostly straight against the outlandishness of McBride and Franco, which comments on how much they contradict their environment at times.

Your Highness is not for everyone. But for fans of adventure fantasy films and the comedic stylings of McBride, it is quite amusing. 7/10

No Strings Attached (2011) – Review

No Strings Attached is really funny, yet disconnected and sort of a depressing assessment of modern relationships. Ultimately, it is an entertaining and enjoyable film – thanks primarily to the witty joke writing and comical (if not zany) performances from many of the cast members. Director Ivan Reitman seems, however, to want to tell a number of different stories with the same narrative. There is a lot stuffed into the film (much like life, I guess), but the format of a sub two-hour romantic comedy does not lend itself well to tackle all the narrative issues convincingly in the allotted time (had this been stretched to a season of television, it may well have worked a lot better and felt more complete, not to mention that the narrative idea felt a bit like a television sit-com pilot). As is, it is disjointed and superficially satisfying. Sure, the audience laughs (a lot) but the deeper emotions are not there. Not due to poor performances, but more so to the out-there, exaggerated nature of the comedy and hollow characters. The most difficult relationship to feel anything for was Adam’s with his father. The father character is not real, or at least does not feel that way at all. He oozes with forced humor intentions, while being completely awful to his son – resulting in a character and scenes that are neither funny nor illicit emotional connection/development. When, he does find his heart and reconnects with his son, no one cares because the relationship was meaningless to the audience from the beginning. Reitman also does something quite interesting (whether on purpose or not) in his juxtaposing the silly humor against the sad state that modern relationships are in. The ‘real’ love examples the audience are given play out mostly off screen, while the highly problematic relationships are forced upon the audience (one of them being Adam and Emma’s – while they do like each other on some level, it does not feel like they will make it, the ending having a slight awkward The Graduate feeling to it, though not nearly as poignant). Whether or not relationships in the film (primarily the one of the main characters) accurately mirror the current state of dating or not is secondary to their comparison to those of romantic comedies past (a genre that in recent years has faltered for the most part). Watching this film leaves an overall feeling of sadness while romantic comedies generally leave the audience feeling good. And so, while it is an interesting approach for Reitman and writer Elizabeth Meriwther to take (plus, in a world of remakes trying original concepts is greatly welcomed); it seems to ultimately leave the film feeling disconnected. The narrative is depressing for the most part, and yet the audience is told to laugh (and does so) throughout creating the disconnection from the deeper emotional turmoil the film is addressing. Thus, the narrative does not succeed (however, for those reading deeper into the film, Reitman does create a clashing of emotions akin to taking uppers and downers). The other issue is with the character of Adam. He really has no character. He is in a sense the ultimate straight-man allowing all those around him to be crazy. But, this is really his film and thus his character needed more. The audience only relates to him through projection of their own experiences and feelings. No Strings Attached is difficult to completely peg – it is very funny at times (though certainly geared towards a younger audience) and in being so entertaining and likable, but for those wanting more, like a complete narrative with real characters, it falls short.

Technical and acting achievements: Ivan Reitman has had a tough go of it in the last decade or so, directing mostly terrible films. Thus, it is good to see that the director who made many of my favorite childhood comedies (Ghost Busters being one of my top five favorites of all-time) actually make an entertaining film again. John Debney’s score and Rogier Stoffers’s cinematography were adequate for the type of film that this was (nothing special, but really not needing to be). However, Ida Random’s production design and sets/locations were aesthetically interesting. The cast is what really elevated this film (which is true really with any romantic comedy). Lake Bell, Chris Bridges, Olivia Thirlby, and Mindy Kaling provide good supporting work and some very funny moments. However, very good actors Cary Elwes and Kevin Kline were underused (and seemingly pointless to have an actor of his caliber in the role) and just not good respectively. Greta Gerwig and Jake M. Johnson were fantastic in their supporting roles. Both had some of the best and funniest moments; Gerwig stealing most of the scenes she was in. Ashton Kutcher plays the straight-man almost to the extent of being interchangeable with any other good looking late 20s early 30s male (though it is not completely his fault, his character was written hollowly without much emotional connection to the audience). Natalie Portman is good in the film (serving also as an executive producer), both powerful in the dramatic scenes while having great timing in the comedic ones.

No Strings Attached is probably the most entertaining and funny film to have a narrative that does not really work at all. 6/10

Natalie Portman – Movies Spotlight – January 2011

Natalie Portman is best known for her daring roles as a child-actor, Padme in the new Star Wars Trilogy and being one of the best actresses of her generation, culminating in a likely Best Actress Oscar this February for Black Swan. Throughout her career, she has managed a good mix of prestige and big films, with a few rom-coms thrown in. This month she stars alongside Ashton Kutcher in No Strings Attached, a romantic comedy about two friends that engage in a strictly sex only relationship only to find that they want more (trailer).

Early Career:

Portman began her career at the age of four, taking dancing lessons and performing as part of a local troupe, which is where she got her absolute love of dancing and ballet (leading to her always wanting to do a film about a dancer which finally became Black Swan). Then at age ten, she was offered to be a child model for Revlon but turned it down to focus on acting, spending many school holidays at drama camps. She auditioned for the off-Broadway show Ruthless! about a girl who would kill to get the lead in a school play. Portman ended up being the understudy for Laura Bell Bundy – the other understudy was Britney Spears. Then in 1994 she got her big break, as she was cast by Luc Besson in his hit man film The Professional. The role was very adult-like and caught the attention of many critics and filmmakers. Once cast, she decided to use her grandmother’s maiden name “Portman” as her stage name.

Building Her Career After Her Breakthrough:

With the critical and commercial success and rave reviews for her performance in The Professional, Portman had good roles for great directors coming her way. She got a supporting part in Michael Mann’s superb crime-drama Heat, which again saw her character shown in a very adult situation and she got to share scenes with Al Pacino. Next, she had a major role stealing the heart(s) of the main character and the audience in Beautiful Girls. Woody Allen then cast her in his musical romantic comedy Everyone Says I Love You. She also played the daughter of the President of the United States in Tim Burton’s outrageous comedy Mars Attacks!. At this point in her career, she had quite a track record working with some of the best directors and making interesting films. She was also Baz Luhrmann’s first choice to play Juliet in his Romeo + Juliet, but producers felt she was too young. She took a break from film in 1997 to star as Anne Frank on Broadway.

Star Wars and Harvard:

Then came international recognition in 1999, as she took the role as Padme in her first blockbuster: George Lucus’s Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (or as we call the trilogy, the films that ruined Star Wars). That year she also got her first award recognition, being nominated for a Golden Globe for her supporting performance in Anywhere But Here. Initially, she had turned down the role because her character had a sex scene, but co-star Susan Sarandon and director Wayne Wang were set on having her in the film and had the script rewritten. She next stared as a teenage mother in Where the Heart Is. Upon completion of the film, she moved into the dorms at Harvard University, where she would graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, focusing on her studies, filming her part in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones during her summer break. She also had time to take the role of Nina in Mike Nichols’s adaptation of Chekhov’s Seagull, which opened in 2001 on New York’s Public Theater and co-starred Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Philip Seymour Hoffman. She additionally filmed a small role in the multiple Oscar nominated Cold Mountain and finished her commitment to the Star Wars Trilogy with Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, the biggest box office film of her career.

Hollywood Leading Lady:

With school and Star Wars behind her, Portman decided to take a role in Zach Braff’s indy comedy Garden State, a film that immediately returned her to darling status among film fans, as it and her performance were well received (not to mention that her character introduces The Shins to the world). Next she worked again with Mike Nichols playing a pole-dancer who seduces Clive Owen in Closer, which garnered her first Oscar nomination (for supporting actress). Continuing her string of critical successes, she next starred in the very well received graphic novel adaptation V for Vendetta, which marked her first (true) leading role in a big film. Continuing to work with top directors, Portman next starred in Milos Forman’s Goya’s Ghosts, took a supporting role in Kar Wai Wong’s My Blueberry Nights and co-starred with Jason Schwartzman in Wes Anderson’s prologue to his fantastic film The Darjeeling Limited (which she also has a cameo in) Hotel Chevalier. However, next she would take roles in the critical and commercial flops Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium and The Other Boleyn Girl. Portman returned, however, with great performances in Jim Sheridan’s Iraq War drama Brothers and Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan, becoming one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading ladies with her tragic and beautiful performance.

Future Projects:

Portman has been busy and has a packed upcoming schedule with six potential films being released in 2011 (plus she is currently pregnant and engaged). First she has this month’s No Strings Attached (mentioned above). Next on the slate is David Gordon Green, Danny McBride and Ben Best’s adventure stoner comedy Your Highness (which looks amazing), co-starring James Franco and McBride. From her digital short with Lonely Island, Portman has shown her knack for silly comedy (and I am really interested to see how this film turns out). In May, she has her next big blockbuster starring in Kenneth Branagh’s Thor (trailer), as Chris Hemsworth’s love interest (not sure if she will make it into Joss Whedon’s Avengers film though). She also has Hesher co-starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, The Other Woman a film about a woman’s difficult relationship with her stepson (trailer) and the sci-fi film Cloud Atlas by Tom Tykwer (though it will probably be pushed to 2012) potentially with 2011 release dates.

Natalie Portman’s Selected Career Highlights:

1.)    The Professional (1994)* – lead – available on Blu-ray/DVD

2.)    Heat (1995)* – supporting – available on Blu-ray/DVD

3.)    Beautiful Girls (1996) – supporting – available on DVD

4.)    Mars Attacks! (1996) – supporting – available on Blu-ray/DVD

5.)    Garden State (2004)* – lead – available on DVD

6.)    Closer (2004) – supporting – available on Blu-ray/DVD

7.)    V for Vendetta (2006)* – lead – available on Blu-ray/DVD

8.)    Hotel Chevalier (2007)* – lead – available on Blu-ray/DVD

9.)    Brothers (2009) – lead – available on Blu-ray/DVD

10.) Black Swan (2010)* – lead

*editor’s picks

Natalie Portman’s filmography is also available on Netflix.com to rent and stream.

LeapBackBlog 2010 Film Awards – Part 4: Leading Performances

Film in 2010 was fantastic, full of great performances, great directing and great work behind the camera (or in post-production). More so than the last few years, 2010 had a greater number of excellent films, which made choosing the best films, performances, directors, and technical achievements very difficult. The LeapBackBlog Film Awards are comprised of what I think were the best and most interesting films, the strongest performances (taking into consideration who the actor is and what else they have done, and 2010 features a lot of amazing breakthrough performances), the narrative style that drew me in (best directing), and exquisite craftsmanship (best technical achievements). But really, these are lists of my favorites from the year.

Part 1: Technical Achievements
Part 2: Supporting Performances
Part 3: Directors
Part 5: Films

Leading Performances:

Jeff Bridges – True Grit

In True Grit, Bridges gives another fantastic performance as Rooster Cogburn, evoking feelings of “wow this guy is a bad-ass” and “wow this guy is totally worthless” sometimes in the same breath for the audience – and for Mattie Ross. He is incredibly funny and his line delivery and timing are just genius. He takes a line like “You are not LaBoeuf!?!” and turns it into comic gold. Yet, he is stern and proud while being fairly ridiculous. It is just marvelous work.

Claire Danes – Temple Grandin

In what is probably the best performance of the year (along with Christian Bale in The Fighter), Danes is simply amazing as Temple Grandin. The role required Danes to play an autistic woman, the most challenging role of her career to date. And, she just completely embodies the character and makes the film something quite special. I look forward to see what Danes does next, as she has certainly shown herself to be an elite acting talent.

Leonardo DiCaprio – Inception

Inception is such a big action adventure heist film that it really needed a strong emotional center for the audience to be fully engaged and care about the outcome (aside from just seeing how the plot plays out). DiCaprio fills that role perfectly. He is both very good at his work and in control, and yet broken emotionally. For many action films, drama is often an afterthought or not done well enough. DiCaprio’s performance is top-notch dramatically, as if he were in a tragic romance film (without all the amazing action) which in turn is what makes the ending so powerful. It was a good year for him as he was also very good in Shutter Island.

Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network

Eisenberg is very good at playing roles that are sort of nerdy, awkward and sensitive but determined young men, and this is very much that kind of role. However, what sets this particular performance in The Social Network apart is that it called for almost a complete lack of emotion (at least on the outside). Eisenberg plays Mark Zuckerberg to be seemingly uncaring and almost cruel, but there is a deeper sensitive emotional core that drives his actions, which he does subtly and expertly creating an anti-hero – a character we do not like, but are intrigued by nonetheless. It is the best performance of his career to date.

Colin Firth – The King’s Speech

Firth has always been a good actor, but with his last two performances (A Single Man and The King’s Speech) he has shown himself to be a great actor. As King George VI, Firth must speak with a restrictive and damning stammer (which I imagine was quite difficult to master). But the performance is not great solely due to his ability to stammer, it is his ability to convey the emotions of a man that is put upon by tremendous pressure who takes it in and is able to overcome it and succeed. Firth is able to pull the audience in and make them feel true joy at his character’s triumph. It is a beautiful performance.

James Franco – 127 Hours

If there ever was a film that could be called a one-man-show, it is 127 Hours. And for such a film to be any good at all, its lead must be superb. Franco is even better than that. Playing Aron Ralston in the film is challenging as the character is stuck in one play for a large portion of the film with no interaction with other characters. Yet, Franco is able to entertain and draw his audience in –having them laughing, gasping and crying from moment to moment. It is an incredible performance, and one that should certainly see Franco getting bigger and better roles in the future.

Jennifer Lawrence – Winter’s Bone

One of this year’s breakout performances, Lawrence is perfect in Winter’s Bone, as if the film were a documentary merely following this young woman around as she tries to save her home. But Ree is a character and Lawrence an actress playing her to be strong and matriarchal, yet still childish and wanting more which is a delicate balance and was so important to the film working as well as it does. The audience is completely behind Ree and wants so much for her to succeed, making every twist and turn, negative and positive so meaningful. I think we all expect big thing from her in the future.

Chloe Grace Moretz – Let Me In

Moretz had really three great performances this year (being the best part of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, her breakout role in Kick-Ass and an amazing performance in Let Me In). What makes her performance in Let Me In all the more impressive is that she had a lot to live up to (almost too much to live up to), as there was so much love for the original film and actress. But, Moretz is even better playing the role forcefully and being quite scary, while also being sweet and loving. It is an astounding dichotomy. Maybe above all the other great young faces to emerge from 2010 (this also applies to Andrew Garfield), she has asserted herself as a star to watch.

Natalie Portman – Black Swan

We always knew Portman was a great talent, but we were just waiting for that leading role for her to really blossom – that role is as Nina in Black Swan. Psychological thrillers are often hard for actors to give great performances because they are so fractured, and the same is true with Black Swan. But, Portman is able to craft a whole character from the moment we first see her, making her unraveling all the more compelling and scary. She is both introverted and extroverted in the role, which I imagine is quite difficult playing different psyches of the same person. We truly feel her fall into madness (gripping our seats the whole way down), and that is due to the excellence of Portman in the role.

Hailee Steinfeld – True Grit

Talk about a daunting first major leading role, playing opposite Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon (both of whom are also excellent). Steinfeld did just that, and is just as good in True Grit as Mattie Ross (and maybe even a little better than her co-stars).  I cannot imagine a more perfect casting choice for the role, as her performance is wonderful – playing it just tough and all-knowing, bullying around adults and yet still letting moments of childish feelings sneak out. Having not seen her in anything else, I am quite interested to see what she does next.