Most Anticipated Films of 2012 – Part 1: Blockbusters

The Most Anticipated Films of 2012 is a two part look at the movies that should be the biggest and the best of the year to come. Part One is a look at the biggest, the Blockbusters, and Part Two will focus on the films that should be among the most fun and best of the year (not counting the Blockbusters and those that details are not yet known about).

Blockbusters:

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man

Release: 7/3

Genre: Adventure

Director: Marc Webb

Plot: A reboot of the Spider-Man series finds Peter Parker falling for Gwen Stacy and battling the Lizard.

Main Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, and Sally Field.

Why It’s Anticipated: While the first two films of the Sam Raimi Spider-Man Trilogy are beloved, Sony and Marvel destroyed Spider-Man 3 (essentially taking it away from Raimi and forcing him to do what they wanted). Most of us (me included) would have liked to have seen the fourth Spider-Man film Raimi was planning, but it was not to be as Sony decided to reboot the franchise. That said, this is still a Spider-Man film and that is all you really need to know about why it’s anticipated. And for those who actually like 3D, it is being filmed specifically to be projected in 3D.

Editor’s Thoughts: While this is a huge step forward for director Marc Webb (his only other feature is the romance dramedy (500) Days of Summer), the same can be said for Raimi when he made Spider-Man or Peter Jackson making The Lord of the Rings (but probably to a much lesser degree, as this will be Webb’s second feature while Raimi and Jackson had both made numerous films before their big projects) . Having an artistic director at least gives this potential to not just be a big summer film but ultimately a good and aesthetically interesting film as well. I also am a big fan of the three principal characters in terms of casting. Garfield, Stone and Ifans are all three brilliant choices.

Trailer: Here

Title: The Avengers

Release: 5/4

Genre: Action Sci-Fi

Director: Joss Whedon

Plot: When Earth is invaded by extraterrestrial invades bent on annihilation lead by Loki, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agency assembles the Avengers (Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye) to save mankind.

Main Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, and Jeremy Renner.

Why It’s Anticipated: Marvel Studios has made six films building up to The Avengers (including 2011’s Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger). Plus, Robert Downey Jr. is maybe the biggest star in Hollywood right now. Basically, this is probably the biggest action movie of the summer (unless you count The Dark Knight Rises as an action movie).

Editor’s Thoughts: While I have enjoyed most of the Marvel Universe Avengers movies (though I think none of them are close to Spider-Man 2 or Chris Nolan’s Batman films), for me it is Joss Whedon writing and directing this that makes it one of the must-sees of the year. Whedon has a wonderful ability to play action, comedy and drama together flawlessly while creating well-drawn characters. My one fear is that Marvel will push it to be too much an action film and not enough a character film (which the teaser trailer does not help alleviate).

Trailer: Here

Title: The Bourne Legacy

Release: 8/3

Genre: Action

Director: Tony Gilroy

Plot: While not about Jason Bourne, the film focuses on another assassin built in the same program.

Main Cast: Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton, Rachel Weisz, Joan Allen, and Scott Glenn

Why It’s Anticipated: Fans of the Jason Bourne series are no doubt less enthusiastic about this film due to Matt Damon’s absence, but writer-director Tony Gilroy wrote The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum and he is back. Jeremy Renner is also a great choice to fill the lead role. He is already well-known among critics thanks to The Hurt Locker and The Town, but with roles in MI4 and The Avengers he will be known to action fans as well prior to the film’s release. Much like the Spider-Man reboot, Universal Pictures is banking on moviegoers being big enough fans of the franchise to overlook the change in people involved.

Editor’s Thoughts: For me, this is interesting because I think Renner will be good in the lead and I cannot wait to see Ed Norton as the villain. Plus, Rachel Weisz is generally excellent in everything she is in. After seeing Gilroy’s feature debut Michael Clayton, I thought he was a director to watch, but his second feature Duplicity was fairly terrible. Thus, I am a little nervous with him behind the camera.

Trailer: Here

Title: The Dark Knight Rises

Release: 7/20

Genre: Action Crime Drama

Director: Christopher Nolan

Plot: The final chapter in the Chris Nolan Batman Trilogy finds Batman at odds with Bane, possibly Catwoman and maybe someone from his past.

Main Cast: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Why It’s Anticipated: The Dark Knight was a monumentally huge hit both critically and commercially, then Nolan made Inception which was also an enormous hit. Thus, The Dark Knight Rises is the movie (bar none) to see this year (both for blockbuster and prestige film fans). The only question is can this live up to the hype (because there is an absolute ton, and I think it will) and will any of the villains even come close to Heath Ledger’s Joker (no)?

Editor’s Thoughts: Coming into his eighth feature film, Nolan is probably the top director working today (in that he makes films that are both critically and commercially top-notch). And, all the supporting characters from the series (barring those who died) are once again back, which means in addition to the wonderful new acting talent on the film you also get Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman, making this likely the best cast of any movie in 2012. Plus, Nolan’s collaborators behind the camera are all back as well, and all excellent craftsmen. This is without a doubt my number one anticipated film of 2012.

Trailer: Here

Title: Gravity

Release: 11/12

Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller

Director: Alfonso Cuaron

Plot: After satellite debris hits a space station destroying most of it and killing all but two aboard, sole survivors Matt and Ryan desperately try to get back to Earth.

Main Cast: Sandra Bullock and George Clooney

Why It’s Anticipated: For the general movie-going public, names like Sandra Bullock and George Clooney make this a big draw, not to mention that with Man of Steel being pushed to the following summer Warner Bros. Pictures is going to get its marketing behind this to be its potential second winter flagship title (both commercially and critically) behind part one of The Hobbit. Plus, this type of narrative is perfect to setup strong performances from Bullock and Clooney for the awards season. Like The Dark Knight and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, this could be another blockbuster prestige film.

Editor’s Thoughts: Isolation in space is nothing new to cinema (think of 2009’s Moon as a recent example, or Stanley Kubrick’s great classic 2001: A Space Odyssey), but having auteur writer-director Cuaron onboard puts this (or any project really) in a different class of potential. His last two films were Children of Men and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (both among my top 25 of the last decade, and heralded by critics).

Trailer: Here

Title: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Release: 12/14

Genre: Adventure

Director: Peter Jackson

Plot: Part one of The Hobbit finds Bilbo Baggins on a journey to the Lonely Mountain to find a treasure taken by the dragon Smaug.

Main Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Armitage, and Andy Serkis

Why It’s Anticipated: The Lord of the Rings was one of the biggest franchises of the last decade, making its prequel The Hobbit maybe the most anticipated film of the year – and Peter Jackson is returning as the film’s director, writer and producer after many delays and Guillermo del Toro setting in briefly to direct. Jackson is bringing back essentially the same group of craftsmen to work on this two part film, so aesthetically it should mesh perfectly with The Lord of the Rings. He is also bringing back many of the actors from the beloved series (highlighted by: Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, and Christopher Lee).

Editor’s Thoughts: How great is it to have Jackson come back as the director, we all sort of knew he would but it just took a while. After The Dark Knight Rises, I think this is the film to see in 2012. Without even the hype of it being The Hobbit, just having Jackson and crew behind the camera and the fantastic list of actors he has assembled in front of it is enough to make this likely to be something very special.

Trailer: Here

Title: The Hunger Games

Release: 3/23

Genre: Action Drama

Director: Gary Ross

Plot: In the future world of Panem, a boy and girl from each of the twelve districts are selected to fight to the death on live television. Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take the place of her younger sister when she is selected for the latest match.

Main Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, and Stanley Tucci

Why It’s Anticipated: This is the latest in a long line of franchises looking to take off the way Harry Potter and Twilight have. While most of them fail due to poor critical and commercial initial films, The Hunger Games feels different (and I say that before seeing any actual footage and having doubts about the director), due almost solely to Jennifer Lawrence starring in the lead role (her first major leading part after her breakthrough in Winter’s Bone, though she was part of the ensemble in X-Men: First Class this past summer). The books also have a huge current following (there are three books, but four films planned).

Editor’s Thoughts: Despite the books being very popular, this is not very original territory (thinking about Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale and Shirley Jackson’s short-story The Lottery), but there are not too many classic cinematic takes on this narrative (the film version of Battle Royale does have a cult following). Thus, this might be a nice franchise to explore fresh storylines. However, despite the good cast I have my doubts about writer-director Gary Ross at the helm. While Pleasantville was a good film, his second feature Seabiscuit was Hollywoodized too such an extreme that it is nauseating to watch. The Hunger Games will be his third.

Trailer: Here

Title: John Carter

Release: 3/9

Genre: Action Fantasy

Director: Andrew Stanton

Plot: Civil War vet John Carter mysteriously finds himself on Mars, the prisoner of the planet’s main inhabitants. However, fate has a much larger role for him as he becomes the planet’s warrior-savior.

Main Cast: Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Mark Strong, and Dominic West

Why It’s Anticipated:  Here it is, Pixar’s first live-action film (overshadowing their new animated film Brave), and they have put one of their best at its helm with director Andrew Stanton (who is coming off Finding Nemo and WALL-E). Pixar also entrusted Michael Chabon (who wrote the screen story for Spider-Man 2, and is one of the reasons it has such a fantastic narrative structure) to work on the screenplay with Stanton. The film marks the first major film for Friday Night Lights heartthrob Taylor Kitsch as well.

Editor’s Thoughts: Being that it is a Pixar film, I was totally on board until I saw the teaser trailer. It is only a teaser and the film will probably be good as Pixar’s track record is almost blemish free (Cars 2 does not really count as it was made for selling merchandise and little kids), but wow is the teaser bad. The film does not even look remotely interesting. I hope the full trailer looks a lot better.

Trailer: Here

Title: Prometheus

Release: 6/8

Genre: Action Sci-Fi Horror

Director: Ridley Scott

Plot: A prequel of sorts to Alien, a team of explorers sets out to discover the origins of mankind on Earth leading them to the darkest and most terrifying corners of the universe.

Main Cast: Idris Elba, Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, and Guy Pierce

Why It’s Anticipated: Ridley Scott returns to the franchise that made him over thirty years later. The film was initially intended to be a direct prequel to Alien, but evolved into a stand-alone film exploring the mythology of the Alien film universe. After the last two Alien sequels and the two AVPs, we are in need of a good addition to the franchise.

Editor’s Thoughts: As much as I like the Alien franchise (at least the first two) and Scott as a filmmaker, it is the phenomenal cast that has this among my most anticipated. Michael Fassbender had a breakout year in 2011 with X-Men: First Class and three great indies: Jane Eyre, A Dangerous Method and Shame (capitalizing off his great performance in 2009’s Inglourious Basterds), while Idris Elba of The Wire and Luther fame is looking to have his first breakthrough film role. Noomi Rapace is also looking to have her second big hit in America after Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

Trailer: Here

Title: Skyfall

Release: 11/9

Genre: Action

Director: Sam Mendes

Plot: The twenty-third adventure of James Bond.

Main Cast: Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Javier Bardem, Berenice Marlohe, and Judi Dench

Why It’s Anticipated: James Bond adventures have always been highly anticipated and loved films. The two Daniel Craig starring films, however, have rejuvenated the franchise (especially Casino Royale) and made this next installment all the more eagerly awaited. Skyfall will be independent story wise from Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. Also, who is not excited to see another villain performance from Javier Bardem?

Editor’s Thoughts: On the wish list of directors to tackle a James Bond feature, Sam Mendes was probably not there – that said – I am very interested to see what he brings to the franchise, as he is a fantastic drama director with such a skill for garnering brilliant performances (think American Beauty and Revolutionary Road) and has a great eye for aesthetically interesting action (think Road to Perdition). While I would love to see a Chris Nolan or Alfonso Cuaron Bond film, I think Sam Mendes is going to bring a lot to a franchise that has not really ever extended its director’s chair to a performance director over action (though you might make that argument for Marc Forster as well, but Mendes is a far superior director). Oh, and did I mention Mendes has hired Roger Deakins to shoot the film.

Trailer: Here

The Sitter (2011) – Review

Review: The Sitter is funny at times, but mostly just another bland comedy that tries to rely too heavily on R-rated jokes (seemingly for shock value) instead of developing its characters and story. The film is about a loser, Noah, who has nothing going for him who takes a babysitting job so his mother can have fun with her friends and maybe meet someone to love her. However, babysitting is not as easy as he thought as the three kids are each wacky – but really Noah gets himself into trouble pursuing a girl (that is clearly using him) and brings the kids along for the ride. Director David Gordon Green has had success with comedy in that past, but here he lets it get beyond itself a little. Sure, some of the jokes work and are funny, but for the most part the film feels off and sort of random – taking place in somewhat of a parallel reality (when it has been set up to be the real world). Really the film is sort of a R-rated remake of Adventures in Babysitting (to a degree) but does not work anywhere near as well as that movie because the audience does not care about the characters (as they are not very well developed and are mostly unlikable) and the story just veers off into some sort of random fantasy land at times (making the story meaningless as well). One saving grace however is that Green knows how to direct, and thus the film is still entertaining. The action scenes are well done (for the most part) and Green keeps the film moving forward. Plus, the character of Noah carries the film (though, purely thanks to Jonah Hill’s performance). The biggest issue is that this sort of comedy has been done to death recently with many good films (like Green’s own Pineapple Express), thus raising the bar. The Sitter is in the vein of Judd Apatow’s productions – funny and rude but with a heart (being the most important aspect) – but this lacks both a heart (though it certainly makes veiled attempts that fall empty due to poorly developed characters) and a strong enough story.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: David Gordon Green has now made seven feature films. He started out making good indie dramas like George Washington and All the Real Girls, and later moved onto comedy with Pineapple Express (and directing a lot of Eastbound & Down). But with two comedies in 2011, Green has arguably made his two worst movies (though, I did enjoy Your Highness). Hopefully, Green will get back to making the quality of films he is capable of doing. The original music by Jeff McIlwain and David Wingo is decent, but greatly overshadowed by the fantastic soundtrack (which is probably the best thing about the film). Tim Orr’s cinematography is good (as usual), but probably the most aesthetically interesting aspect of the film is Richard A. Wright’s production design, which really plays into the oddness of many of the surroundings that the characters encounter (particularly the bad guy’s lair). The cast is fine in the film, but none really had much to work with given that the characters are greatly under developed. None more so than Roxanne (Noah’s other love interest). Newcomer Kylie Bunbury plays her well enough, but her character seems totally fake. The three kids are all ridiculous in terms of character, making the actors’ performances uneven but Landry Bender and Max Records are not that bad. Ari Graynor sort of has a throwaway role, but is decent in it. Sam Rockwell, who is typically brilliant, has a horribly written character and does his best. Jonah Hill is actually good in it, given the sheer randomness of the story. He is a big reason the film ends up being entertaining at all, as he just sort of rolls with everything thrown at him.

Summary & score: Given all involved, The Sitter is really just a disappointing outing that is occasionally funny, but mostly just bad. 5/10

Movie of the Week – Coming to America

This week’s movie is Coming to America (1988).

The comedy is about the Prince of Zamunda whose wife and life have been predetermined for him. He decides to find out what the real world is like and travels to Queens to find a woman who loves him for him and not because he is a prince. The film is directed by John Landis (who was probably the greatest comedy director of the era: Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Trading Places, Spies Like Us, and Three Amigos – Coming to America is probably his last great film, though he is still directing). Composer Nile Rodgers (a member of the group Chic) provides a good score, but his music for Soul Glo is fantastic (and really funny). Landis also worked with cinematographers Sol Negrin and Woody Omens and production designer Richard Macdonald (who does great work) on the film. It stars Eddie Murphy (who also developed the story) and Arsenio Hall (each playing multiple characters). The supporting cast is great too with James Earl Jones, John Amos, Madge Sinclair, Shari Headley, Eriq La Salle, Frankie Faison, Louie Anderson, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Ameche, and Ralph Bellamy. Murphy is known for playing multiple characters in his movies – this was the first. Coming to America is one of the best comedies from the 1980s and Murphy’s career. It is a must-see for fans of Murphy. Check out the trailer.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Streaming

Directors to Watch: Part 2 – Movies Spotlight – December 2011

One of the great things about cinema is that there is constantly an inflow of great new talents. These three directors are on the verge of becoming well known filmmakers in the States.

Tomas Alfredson

Filmography to Date:

Alfredson, 46, began his career in Sweden working as an assistant at Svensk Filmindustri. From there he moved into Swedish television working on multiple series, miniseries and TV movies. His first feature film hit came in 2004 with Four Shades of Brown, winning a number of awards in Sweden. In 2008, Alfredson made Let the Right One In – a romance horror story about a vampire who looks like a young girl. She befriends a neighboring young boy who is bullied at school. The film became an international hit, exposing Alfredson in the States and the U.K. as a filmmaker for the first time (at least for most cinemagoers).

December Film:

In December, Alfredson’s first English-language film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is being released in the States (having seen distribution in the U.K. already) about a retired spy who must find a mole within British Intelligence. It boasts a fantastic cast starring Gary Oldman, Mark Strong, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch (among others). It is based on the novel by John le Carre. It played to critical acclaim in the U.K. and is on the 2012 Oscar shortlist for Best Picture and Best Actor (Gary Oldman), as well as some technical awards (most likely Maria Djurkovic for production design).

Upcoming:

Next up for Alfredson is the film Larklight, a sci-fi story about an alternative world in which humans have made their way into space during the Victorian era. It is being produced at Warner Brothers with Steve Knight currently scripting. It is based on the novel by Philip Reeve and due in 2013.

Career Highlights:

1)      Let the Right One in (2008)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s Picks

Steve McQueen

Filmography to Date:

McQueen, 42, began his career in the early 1990s making shorts that he would project onto walls in an art gallery, typically minimalist and black & white. Being foremost an artist, he also has worked in sculpture and other mediums – travelling to Iraq in 2006 and returning presenting a tribute to British soldiers who died in the war with a stamp collection of their portraits called Queen and Country. In 2008, he made his feature film debut with Hunger about the 1981 Irish hunger strike. It stars Michael Fassbender. It won the Cannes Film Festival Camera d’Or (best first-time director) and served as McQueen’s breakthrough in the U.K. as well as Fassbender’s.

December Film:

In December, his second feature Shame is being released. He is again working with Michael Fassbender, as well as Carey Mulligan and James Badge Dale. It is about sex addiction in New York City and is quite explicit in its portrayal (and rated NC-17). The film has played very well during its festival circuit, receiving tons of praise. It is likely to be nominated for multiple Independent Spirit Awards, and is one the 2012 Oscar shortlist for Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, and Director.

Upcoming:

For his third feature, due in 2013, McQueen is making Twelve Years a Slave about a man living in New York during the mid-1800s who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. He has a phenomenal cast lined up, working yet again with Fassbender and also with Brad Pitt and Chiwetel Ejiofor. McQueen is one of the most interesting new filmmakers working today (someone I would already feel comfortable calling an auteur two films in).

Career Highlights:

1)      Hunger (2008)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s Picks

Jason Reitman

Filmography to Date:

Reitman, 34, began his career in college as a creative writing major at USC making multiple short films. He is the son of Ivan Reitman, the director of Stripes and Ghostbusters, giving him an ‘in’ into the industry. In 2005, he made his feature debut with Thank You for Smoking. The film stars Aaron Eckhart and is a satirical comedy about Big Tobacco’s chief spokesman Nick Naylor who spins the truth while still trying to be a role model for his young son. The film was a great first feature garnering two Golden Globe nominations. But it was Reitman’s second feature that made him a known player in Hollywood – Juno. The film is about a high school student who gets pregnant and decides to give the baby away to a couple of her choosing. It served as the breakthrough for Reitman, writer Diablo Cody and star Ellen Page, as it was nominated for four Oscars in 2008 (including Best Picture), winning one for best writing. Next, Reitman had another indie hit that saw commercial success, due to it featuring in the awards season of 2009, with Up in the Air about Ryan Bingham, a man who travels around and fires people for a living. It stars George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick (serving as her breakthrough). It was nominated for six Oscars in 2010 (including Best Picture) but did not win any.

December Film:

Reitman is easily the best known among the directors on this list, being well established in indie circles and among critics – his films receiving ten Oscar nominations (winning one). However, his new film in December, Young Adult, may be the first to win in a major category. He is reuniting with writer Diablo Cody to tell the story of a divorced small-town Minnesota girl, the most popular in high school, who returns home looking to rekindle a romance with her high school boyfriend, now married with kids. It stars Charlize Theron and looks to factor into the 2012 Oscars, especially in the Best Actress and Best Writing categories.

Upcoming:

Reitman has a few projects that he is looking at but nothing formally announced yet. The first is called Elliot Allagash about Seymour Herson, a boy who is bullied and then taken under the wing of another more rebellious student. The other is called Labor Day about a weekend holiday taken in the 1980s. A divorced mother with her son gives a ride to a large strange man, who also happens to be bleeding badly.

Career Highlights:

1)      Thank You for Smoking (2005) – (DVD, Streaming)

2)      Juno (2007)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

3)      Up in the Air (2009)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s Picks

The Descendants (2011) – Review

Review: The Descendants is both a very good character drama and quite funny. The film centers on Matt King, a father who now must be the primary parent for his two daughters after his wife is seriously injured in a boating accident. At the same time, he has the added pressure of being the sole trustee of a major parcel of land that his family wants him to sell (and a minority want him to keep) – and thus he has a decision to make. Writer-director Alexander Payne crafts the film to accentuate the performances. He is not overly interested in having the camera constantly moving or particularly creative or interesting blocking – however, all his efforts have gone into getting the best performances possible from his actors and letting them play to their highest potential on the screen in an organic way. And in this, the film is a huge success (and features two of my favorite performances of the year).That is not to say that the film does not have a good aesthetic style – because it does. Payne pays homage to the beauty of Hawaii in the film, and there is certainly a warmth and tenderness to how the state, it people and the land is regarded and spoken about. To an extent, one might even read it as having a feeling of nostalgic sadness for nature in the view of commercialization and civilization polluting it. Hawaii, its heritage and culture play a role in the film, though more so in setting the tone than directly influencing the narrative and characters (in that, this film could have taken place anywhere and worked, but Hawaii makes for a great backdrop). The relationship between Matt and his daughter Alexandra is the highlight of the film (both actors giving phenomenal performances). Payne does a great job with their dynamic – where it starts to where it ends. It feels like a very natural progression, but at the same time it is fresh, engaging and utterly enjoyable. There is a certain spark when they are in scenes together and yet (again) they feel very real – not as if the actors are acting or trying to be more than they should. They are low-key but hit all the dramatic points perfectly. The other thing that Payne does very well is have all the ancillary characters actually both serve a purpose and exist in a real space – they are not there just to take up space or chew up time. This is something that is actually not often the case, and it comes down to having a strong script to build on and a fluid narrative with all the choices contributing to the journey of the main characters. And in this, Payne has made a wonderful film. If there is one criticism, the pacing is a tad slow at the beginning and the voiceover narration does not feel as organic in the beginning, but it is used to get a lot of the character and plot exposition out of the way without taking up time and scenes. It feels as though we have all this information forced on us, instead of letting it play out. But given the narrative, it is for the best to have it all frontloaded so the narrative can move on to the meatier drama and story.  The great performances, dialogue and overall narrative all contribute to The Descendants being one of the better character pieces of the year.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Alexander Payne has made five features. (And along with Sideways) The Descendants might be his best to date. He has established himself as one of the best auteur filmmakers to emerge out of the 2000s, particularly when it comes to dramedy and garnering great comedic but sad performances. The Descendants is a beautiful film visually, taking place in Hawaii with its landscapes, but also the cinematography of Phedon Papamichael does not hurt (he is one of the best working today). His photography of the state and its wonders wins over the viewer in regards to the decision Matt King makes in the end. Payne’s choice of Hawaiian guitar music is also very good given the setting and tone. Jane Ann Stewart’s production design fits the film very well – the viewer really gets a sense of the culture and lifestyle just from her sets and overall design work. But really, this is an actors’ film – and they are all very good. Judy Greer and Robert Forster are the standouts among the many small supporting roles, while newcomers Nick Krause and Amara Miller give mini-breakthrough performances. Graduating from ABC Family (and the show The Secret Life of the American Teenager) Shailene Woodley gives one of the best performances of the year (let alone breakthrough or supporting). She is full of spunk and attitude, but also has tenderness and warmth behind the façade. She plays off George Clooney very well. I cannot wait to see what she does next. Clooney (having a good year, also directing and acting in the very good The Ides of March) is perfect in the role of Matt King. He seems so out of his depth as the character that it works enormously well. He still has some of that swagger that he is known for but brings a lot of vulnerability to the role as well.

Summary & score: The Descendants is a fantastic character drama, built upon brilliant performances, beautiful scenery and sharp writing. 9/10

Movie of the Week – Forgetting Sarah Marshall

This week’s movie is Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008).

The comedy (rom-com) is about Peter, a man who just got his heart broken by his long-time and famous girlfriend Sarah. He decides to take a vacation to Hawaii to help him get over her, but much to his surprise and dismay she is staying at the same hotel as him with her new man. The film is written by Jason Segel (who also stars) and directed by Nicholas Stoller (who have since made Get Him to the Greek, The Muppets and Five-Year Engagement upcoming in 2012 together). Segel and Stroller worked with producer Judd Apatow, composer Lyle Workman, cinematographer Russ T. Alsobrook, and production designer Jackson De Govia on the film. The cast is brilliant with performances from Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Russell Brand (who had a breakthrough in America due to this film), Bill Hader, Jack McBrayer, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, and Kristen Wiig (in the extended edition) along with Segel. The film is very funny (among my favorites of the decade). It works so well thanks to Segel’s sense of humor and overall likability and charisma. It also has wonderful supporting characters. While there have been a lot of great R-rated comedies in recent years (many from Judd Apatow, as producer and director), this is my favorite. It is a must-see for fans of romantic comedies and R-rated comedies. Check out the trailer.

Available on Blu-ray, DVD and Streaming

Hugo (2011) – Review

Review: Hugo is beautifully made from an aesthetics point of view, rich with passion (especially for cinema’s silent film era) but ultimately disappointing due to its slow pacing and meandering first act. The film is about Hugo, an orphaned boy who lives in a train station in Paris (it sort of looks like Gare de Lyon) fixing and maintaining the clocks, while trying to fix an automaton his father rescued from a museum shortly before his death. Hugo engages in an adventure to solve the mystery of the automaton as he believes there is a message from his father. At first, I wondered why director Martin Scorsese would make a family film in 3D (though, I saw it in 2D) – and then I saw it. The characters and story almost take a back seat to Scorsese’s passion for old movies (and really these sequences detailing the highlights of the silent film era are the best part of Hugo). I loved the references to Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, The Lumiere Brothers’ Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat, and George Melies’s A Trip to the Moon (who is also a character in the film), as well as many others. These sequences detailing the great films, filmmakers and stars of the era rejuvenated me as a cinema fan (and almost made me forget that the film did not work all that well up until that scene). Scorsese obviously loves that era (and he is known for his work to preserve old films) and it comes through in this film (and I think is probably the reason he made it). Back to the film itself – Scorsese opens it with a prologue that negatively impacts much of the rest of the film. He goes through the station and introduces the main players, and does so with many of the themes from the score. The issue is however that this scene is overly long, not very interesting and the score is so overblown that it, in a sense, ruins it for the rest of the film. From there, Scorsese ever so slowly develops the story and character of Hugo – when the mystery surrounding the automaton is much more interesting and needed to be addressed far quicker (at just over two hours, the film could have lost probably thirty minutes and played a lot tighter without losing any essential character development). Many of the ancillary characters, while important in the book, are essentially meaningless to the film’s narrative and yet time is still used to vaguely address them, again dragging things along. What works the best is Hugo’s friendship with Isabelle, and the mystery surrounding the automaton – everything else just bogs the film down. The first act is almost terrible, and it never really recovers even with a good third act – as the audience has already lost their connection to the characters. At best, Hugo is a beautiful tribute to silent film; at worst, a disappointing effort from a great director.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Martin Scorsese’s venture into kids’ movies is not totally fruitless, as there are many things to like, but it develops way too slowly to work. I do not expect to see another film like Hugo from Scorsese anytime soon (it felt like one of Robert Zemeckis’s recent Christmas films, but better and a lot more aesthetically interesting – but tonally similar). Howard Shore’s score is fitting to the material and tone of the film and yet for me its use in the prologue ruined it. The best moments musically come during the silent film expose with the use of Camille Saint-Saens’s Danse Macabre and Erik Satrie’s Gnossienne No. 1. Robert Richardson’s cinematography is very good. I particularly liked how he shot the exteriors in snowy Paris. Dante Ferretti’s sets are good as well. My favorites are his book store set and the graveyard. The cast is good, but many are just sort of there to take up space. Christopher Lee and Helen McCrory do the best work among the smaller supporting roles, while Sacha Baron Cohen plays his Station Inspector very oddly. He is so awkward and strange in his manner that the viewer is not sure whether to laugh or feel uncomfortable (it is actually kind of brilliant in its own way). Ben Kingsley is very good playing Melies with such intensity and sadness, but also with a hidden joy. Chloe Grace Moretz brings so much needed life to the film, that it really does not start to work until she shows up and starts interacting with Hugo. She just has so much positive energy and charisma. Asa Butterfield is sort of an enigma. While he is good in the film, he does not carry it very well, needing Moretz to balance out the cloud of depression that follows him around, and his performance is not helped by the slow pacing in the beginning.

Summary & score: While Hugo is Scorsese’s love letter to cinema and its fans (particularly those with knowledge of the silent film era), it does not live up to the films it is paying tribute. 6/10

The Muppets (2011) – Review

Review: The Muppets is funny, warm and a good welcome back to a lot of our childhood friends. The film takes place long after the Muppets’ fame peaked, finding them spread across the country and their studio in shambles. Lifelong fans Gary, Mary and Walter discover an evil plot by businessman Tex Richman to destroy the Muppet Studio for good, and so they set out to reunite the Muppets and save the studio. The creative team of director James Bobin and writers Jason Segel (who also stars) and Nicholas Stoller are clearly huge fans of the Muppets and their love of the characters and material is evident in the film (as it is very referential and nostalgic to both the past Muppet movies and television show), but they are not afraid to bring their own jokes and style as well. It is probably best classified as a family film as the jokes hit a broad spectrum but are all safe and geared towards a family audience (much like all the other Muppets films/TV) – but it has the special property of inspiring joy and even wonder in its adult audience members (be it the nostalgia or the characters/story) eliciting a positive emotional response for all its viewers. It is hard not to enjoy the film – from the fantastic musical numbers (which are probably the highlight of the film) to the fun celebrity cameos. However, the stars of the film are the Muppets themselves (especially Kermit). Yet, this is where a structural issue arises. There are almost too many principle characters (Gary, Walter, Mary, Kermit, et al.), and thus Bobin has to switch narrative tracks multiple times to try to flesh out each character and their story (journey). He is not quite able to do this seamlessly, leading to the film dragging a little in the middle and some characters being marginalized (particularly and sadly Mary). We care about all the characters, but the narrative stream of each character is continuously interrupted. Bobin gets the tone, look and feel completely right (and the jokes – The Moopets, all the stuff with Jack Black in the theatre, breaking the fourth wall, human Walter/Muppet Gary, Kermit dissing Rico Rodriguez and many more). The pacing, however, is not quite as fluid as it needed to be for this to be a great film. A lot is great and really works about The Muppets, ultimately making it a good film, but pacing and structural problems hold it back. That said, young kids and fans will probably love it even so.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: James Bobin makes his feature debut with The Muppets and it is clear that he was the right person to take on the characters, working with Stroller and Segel. I am interested to see what he does next (as right now I imagine him making films similar to Michel Gondry). The soundtrack is fantastic (and the highlight for me) with both new songs written by Segel and Bret McKenzie (chief among them Man or Muppet and Life’s a Happy Song) and classics from the Muppet canon. Christophe Beck’s score is fitting and works well in the background, but is completely overshadowed by the songs. Don Burgess’s cinematography is very colorful and bright, and production designer Steve Saklad’s work is good as well particularly his sets for The Muppet Studio and Kermit’s House. The Muppet voice actors are all wonderful, the celebrity cameos are all fun and the cast is good. Peter Linz (the voice of Walter) and Steve Whitmire (the voice of Kermit and a few others) standout among the Muppet voice actors. Rashida Jones is good in her small supporting role. Chris Cooper is a little uneven as the film’s villain, but is good when it counts in the end. Amy Adams is very underutilized but wonderful (as usual) when she has her moments. Jason Segel is good playing a role he dreamed about his whole life – you can see he loves every minute of it.

Summary & score: The Muppets is a fun and very enjoyable family film, and certainly on par with the other Muppet movies. 7/10