Blind-Sided by The Blind Side

So, I finally saw The Blind Side. Here are my thoughts, in no particular order:

- Maybe the most over-rated film of last year besides Avatar.

- Suffered from Friday Night Lights Syndrome ... A film that nowhere near captures the story, much less the soul, of the book.

- Impressed with Sandra Bullock. She saved the film. However, a fairly weak, predictable Oscar performance compared to some of the most recent winning performances. The award probably belonged to either Carey Mulligan or Gabourey Sidibe.

- Speaking of Sidibe ... Quinton Aaron needs her acting coach. While both of these roles were probably difficult to cast based upon the physical attributes of each protagonist, Aaron did not capture the essence of Oher.

- Speaking of protagonist ... why was Leigh Anne the film's protagonist? Last time I checked, this was the story of Michael Oher.

- Screenplay was lacking, so was the director. So what did John lee Hancock actually do? Oh yeah, made Alcon Entertainment loads of moolah.

- Loved Jae Head's performance.

- Thought the high school coach was a buffoon.

- Didn't recognize McGraw ... except for the song of his playing over the credits.

Well, after reading your comments, you probably think I hated the film. I didn't. I was blind-sided about how mediocre it is though. I expected it to be what it was ... a feel-good Hollywood film that strayed from the book. Is it worth a look-see? Maybe for a buck on Redbox. But who is reading this who hasn't seen it?

Don't Let this Sly Fox Slip Past Your Family

So, if you are a fervent reader of my blog, you know that I was blown away by Up, even listing it as the best animated film of the decade. Well, maybe I spoke too soon. This weekend my wife and I finally were able to catch this Oscar nominated gem of a movie, and I suggest you follow suit.

I was a fan of James and the Giant Peach as a child, but I never read anything else by Dahl. Maybe I should (in fact, I assume I will as my son gets older). This is an engaging story of a sly fox who cannot shake his criminal habits, even after starting a family and promising his wife he will change his ways. Sounds eerily familiar (except I had no criminal habits, just selfish ones). As wonderful as the story is, and even with a who's who list of famous voices (Clooney shines in a performance right up with Up in the Air), the film belongs to its director, the talented Wes Anderson. His vision translates beautifully into the animation genre. At this time, I would rank the film as required viewing for anyone who enjoyed Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums (Anderson's bars of excellence).

While animated films of late are made to look realistic, this film's stop motion animation is perfect, even awe inspiring at times. Some may have been put off by this technique; however, it actually enhances the film. In fact, I would welcome more films shot in this style as opposed to another computer generated 3-D "cartoonastrophe. "

One caveat, this film is more suited for adults than children (or at least I think adults will appreciate the film more), even though it is an adaptation of a children's book. However, I would hope older kids would appreciate both the story, and the film itself. I can't wait until my son and I can watch films of this caliber togehther.

Omitting An Education

In an earlier post I listed, and reviewed, my Top Ten Films of 2009. I felt pretty confident about my list to be quite honest. That is, until viewing An Education last night (thank you Redbox!). This film was quite excellent, and deserved to be on my top ten list list.

The highlight of this film for me was the emergence of a future Hollywood star, the effervescent Carey Mulligan. Oft compared to Audrey Hepburn, and coincidentally slated to star in a remake of My Fair Lady, Mulligan hit a hole in one (golf players got the pun while the remainder of my loyal readers are looking up the word mulligan on google) with her portrayal of Jenny, the precocious, yet naive, London teenager who seeks a life beyond the mundane. With a smile that lights both the screen and the viewer's heart, Mulligan is destined for future Oscar nominations, and I predict an Oscar. While she and fellow nominee Gabourey Sidibe both felt honored to be nominated at such an early stage in their career, both turned in performances that were worthy of winning the Oscar. Now that I think about it, there are similarities with the two characters they played, and both actresses captured the essence, particularly the strength, of their character.

The strength of the supporting cast should be mentioned as well. Sarsgaard, Williams, and Thompson all brought depth to their roles, but for my money Molina was the supporting star of the film. It's hard to believe this is the same actor who played Doc Ock. At times embarassing and almost unloveable, your heart brakes with his during the latter portion of the film (No spoilers, so I'll say no more!).

Nick Hornby, the film's screenwriter, received an Oscar nomination for adapting Lynn Barber's memoir. (Spolier Alert ahead ... so quit reading and jump to the next paragraph). The script unfortunately failed to gain momentum in the final act, especially when comparing it to Up in the Air. I only make the comparison because in both films, the protagonist's love interest ends up being married. While Up in the Air caught me totally off guard, I knew something was amiss with Sarsgaard's character.

While this film would definitely make my top ten, as it did the Oscar nominee list for Best Picture, I would hesitate to place the film in my top five. However, I highly suggest you becoming educated and view this film.

Spring Break Films

It's hard to believe that it was mere days ago that I was resting (and reading the highly entertaining The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, mind you) on the beach in South Miami. It was a rejuvenating trip, one that had many highlights. Unfortunately, the three films my wife and I chose to see were not all of highlight caliber.

Alice in Wonderland (3D)

I haven't read any Lewis Carroll. Nor have I seen any adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. Therefore, I went into this film open-minded. Well, as open-minded as one can be ... I mean this is a Burton/Depp/Bonham Carter collaboration.

I regret to inform my readers that I can't enthusiastically recommend this movie. Yes it has been a hit. Yes it stars one of the most popular actors of the last decade. Yes it is in 3D. However, these three facts do not necessarily equate to a great film.

I have been unimpressed with Hollywood movie hits as of late. Prime example, the below-average Avatar. I haven't felt excited about a mega blockbuster since Batman and Iron Man (and no, I am not a comic-con kinda guy). Apparently the majority of moviegoers are lifeless zombies who prefer being spoon-fed Chef Boy-Ar-Dee Spaghetti with BrainBalls as opposed to savoring plantain encrusted mahi mahi on a bed of creamy Cuban risotto (mmm ... Miami cuisine). I hate that I contributed my hard earned dollars to such garbage and didn't contribute them to such great films as A Simple Man and The Hurt Locker. Ok, you've heard my Avatar ramblings before, so I will get back to the film at hand. Basically, it may have been a blockbuster, but it wasn't great. Period. Guess there was truly no need to get back to that film after all...

Depp and Burton have done their shtick too many times for my liking. I was impressed ... when they first began collaborating. However, it seems unoriginal and even uninspired at this point. I wonder why Depp has chosen not to do more films like Donnie Brasco, where he played a different type of role. Here's hoping Depp is not involved with Burton's next project.

3D does not make a film better. While 3D may have saved Avatar from being unwatchable, I have yet to see the 3D film that both blows me away and also contributes to the overall film itself. I have heard the newly released How to Train Your Dragon is extremely successful in 3D, so there is hope. On the other hand, Trash of the, I mean Clash of the Titans, has been received as positively as the Tea Baggers welcomed health care reform.

On a positive note, I was impressed with Mia Wasikowska's performance as Alice. I look forward to her next role.

Shutter Island

I am a huge Scorsese fan, so as you can imagine, I was looking forward to his next film after The Departed. Unfortunately, this film is not near as good as most Scorsese films. My full review would echo those previously written -- bad Boston accent by Leo, great cinematography, predictable plot, solid performances throughout (although Ruffalo was not near as dazzling as he has been in some of his other films). I would say this is definitely a rental, and could be worth seeing as a matinee, but it isn't worth an evening admission for a true Scorsese fan.

As a footnote, I'd recommend Cape Fear instead. It has a similar tone, but is a bit more campy and DeNiro is excellent reprising the role of Max Cady that Robert Mitchum masterfully played in the original film of the same name.

The Ghost Writer

Aaahhh ... just typing the title of this film brings joy to this cinemaphile. This movie, check that, this film, is destined to be one of the best of the year. Polanski delivered a masterpiece, and seeing this film rekindled my love for great political thrillers (e.g. All the President's Men, The Parallax View, JFK, Bulworth, Spartan, etc.).

There is so much to say about this film, and yet, I don't want to say too much. I am afraid if I go into great detail I will not do the film justice, or I might sway you into thinking you shouldn't see it. I don't want either of these things to happen. It is too good to be missed. From stellar performances from the two leads (McGregor as the ghost writer turned detective and Bronson as the mysterious ex-Prime Minister) to incredible supporting performances (Tom Wilkinson steals the only scene he is in, Olivia Williams beautifully plays the woman behind the political man, and even Belushi is solid, yet almost unrecognizable). Polanski brings the best from everyone, except maybe Kim Cattrall who simply seems miscast (her accent is either non-existent or terrible, depending upon the scene). The writing is crisp (Polanski shared credits with Robert Harris who wrote the novel the film is based upon) and the directing is paced perfectly. One of my only complaints is that it is evident that none of this film was shot in the states, even though much of the film supposedly takes place in America (blame this on Polanski's warrant).

I'll conclude by saying that the ending of this film is magnificent, no wait, it is perfect. Best ending to a film in recent memory. For the ending alone, you'll feel like you got your money's worth.

(PS - If you want to read an incredibly good article about this film, visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-bradley/the-ghosts-of-tony-blair_b_509269.html - my wife sent this to me and it is definitely essential reading if you see the film.)