tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26065519739545823322024-03-13T04:04:38.165-07:00Bait an Oscar: April 2008Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-4396502440252984482008-06-09T23:14:00.001-07:002008-06-09T23:14:37.674-07:00African Falls<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Chris K.<br /> <b>Location: </b>AZ</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"African Falls"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Alfonso Cuaron<br /> Written by Raoul Peck<br /> Cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki<br /> Sound Mixing by Peter Hliddal and Tom Fleischman<br /> Art Direction by Jeannine Oppewall<br /> Set direction by Jennifer Williams<br /> Edited by Alex Rodriguez<br /> Produced by Miramax</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Courtney Rozan: Emma Watson<br /> Samuel Doe: Adrian Lester<br /> Prince Yormie Johnson: Djimon Hounsou<br /> Said Mohamed Barre: Chiwetel Ejiofor<br /> Laurent Kabila: James Earl Jones<br /> Sekou Torre: Laurence Fishburne<br /> Haile Mariam Mengistu: Samuel L. Jackson</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"Mr. Right’s coming and he’s in Africa , but he’s walking"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>Courtney Rozan (Watson) a college student giving a speech on African Dictators and after each one is named then that character is delved into. After the segment she explains the men’s reign with their countries. Also she explains there situation, why they could have done certain things, and how things changed after their rule. She’s an idealist hoping to convince an audience what she is stating has relevant importance to the world today.<br /> <br /> Samuel Doe(Lester) and Prince Yormie Johnson’s(Hounsou) infamous meeting on September 9, 1980. Due to an uprising in which a military coup upon Samuel Doe, while at ECOMAG headquarters in Monolivie he is kidnapped by Prince Johnson. Upon which he is taken into a housed up facility where the whereabouts are unknown to anyone except the men in the room. After lengthy beatings, Samuel Doe is then shot in the head by Johnson who immediately leaves the room. He then is tried for Doe’s murder, but no evidence can be produced so he is let free. Almost a month after the trial a video is put onto the internet documenting the entire event. As of late he has become part of the Senate in Liberia .<br /> <br /> Said Mohamed Barre (Ejiofor) has just ordered the force removal of all Soviet born citizens to leave the country of Somalia . The Soviets took all aid, military, and economic support away and left the country out to dry. Due to their alliance the Americans would not help and disease was spreading. His irrational decision was to poising half the countries water supplies because of the fatal HIV spread. Although it achieved success he was branded as an insane madman and eventually overthrown by another who would follow the same path. After attempting two rebellions to regain power he goes into isolation which is the state he remained until his death.<br /> <br /> Laurent Kabila (Jones) it is January 16, 2001 and it is Kabila’s last day on earth. When he reaches his office a minister is waiting for him. Kabila was informed that the man was an informer and supporter for another faction. After Kabila murders him, he travels to the other side of the building. After this he attempts to convince Nigerian officials to give aid to his starving people, due to shortage of food storage due to the population rate increasing every year. After nothing could be done to persuade them, Kabila leaves and as he is walking away his personal bodyguard shoots him down while getting shot at himself. An insurrection was going on and Kabila struck it down with military force while they were in a town that was neutral with the conflict.<br /> <br /> Sekou Torre (Fishburne) was considered a hero once for his resistance towards French colonial rule. His goal was to give the people poverty with freedom instead of riches with slavery. Instead he enforced Gulag-style death camps. When not torturing his people, he loved to write poetry. He brings his vice-president and throws him into one of these camps with the other victims. Upon doing so he suffers a major heart attack and is flown to the United States . During surgery he dies and after arrival of the news the people of Guinea where he once ruled rejoice.<br /> <br /> Haile Mariam Mengistu ( Jackson ) “the red terror” was a Russian aide during his reign at the helm of Ethiopia . He was a strong supporter of Leninism when he made political decisions. Mengistu assisted in the execution of 1.5 million of his own people in the years between 1975 and 1979. Although he did this he increased enrollment by a million students. Due to famine and an Economic collapse he needed aid and was very convincing. When he received it he used propaganda to state the good it was doing, in reality he used it for himself. When a military coup forced him to flee into Zimbabwe they tried and convicted him of genocide without his presence. Attempting to force him to return, he currently lives lavishly, but constantly wary as assassination attempts upon him are a recurrent trend.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> “African Falls ” is an anthology about African dictators that has never been witnessed before. “The Last King of Scotland” showed this but on a limited level and Hotel Rwanda showed the righteous side of a massacre. These movies were inspirational no doubt about that, but people needed to be informed of what kind of men lead them in everyday world. Documentaries although effective never get people to care enough about the killings in Darfur or constant massacres committed. This film allows us to see this and it isn’t just violence. It depicts the real world that is totally unique to the world. Not a single film like this has been witnessed before with the type of brutal honesty portrayed within the film.<br /> <br /> Alfonso Cuaron has given directorial performances that are spectacularly wonderful. This one stands out above them all because of two reasons. One he leaves his comfort zone considerably by going into a very violent film and comes out giving us a beautiful spectacle that is his style that we’ve seen before and something completely different. The second reason is that you can see his personality on the screen such as the surrounding area’s which are truly beautiful and real while these horrible events are taking place. His signature color green is signified throughout the film and adds a beauty that would have been missed with any other director.<br /> <br /> Written beautifully by Raoul Peck (Sometimes in April) showed the beauty of Africa once again, but provides us a violent, yet real world. Some people wanted a big time writer to make this, but someone from this land who could thoughtfully depict the corruption, desperation, and beauty Africa has to offer to the moviegoer. This script stands out for being completely original even if people’s lives are taken into account. A bio-epic of amazingly astounding proportions was written by a true genius.<br /> <br /> Before the men are talked about, the breakthrough performance is by Emma Watson who makes a speech about these men and shows up in between each story to give us a breather from this intense story. Watson has been typecast as “Hermione Granger” but this performance is truly spectacular in its simplicity and thoughtfulness. She provides a breather for the audience and in the final shot when all the men are lined up alongside her you can clearly see they are all merely figments of the past and she is the hope people are looking for in everyday life.<br /> <br /> Djimon Hounsou’s performance can be described in one word, intense. The only significant character without being a Dictator from the beginning is possibly the scariest of all. His torture scene is performed brilliantly and he shows us how insane this man really was. Recreating a scene that is already on video which has rarely been seen was tough but he created his own character and gave another Oscar-worthy performance that the academy is sure not to miss.<br /> <br /> Chiwetel Ejiofor has given excellent performances but has never received anything for them. This could be that stand out performance that he needed to garner attention. His performance of true desperation within a character who justifies killing half his countrymen to save them was shown perfectly. This performance is stand out because of its true depiction of a man who loses everything and attempts to regain it.<br /> <br /> Laurence Fishburne is an actor who everyone likes, but can never seem to get any recognition for his work. He might not here because of the extensive cast list, yet this by far his greatest performance and on par with everyone else in this gilm. Although he plays the wise black man in most movies (Higher Learning, Akeelah and the Bee) his roots are uplifted and he does it very well. He portrays a difficult character one that torture’s his fellow countrymen and attempts to write beautiful poetry. All during his blood-soaked reign is seemingly portrayed without a sweat by Fishburne.<br /> <br /> Samuel L. Jackson is a well respected actor who has performed in many films that received critical acclaim such as “Pulp Fiction” and “Jungle Fever”. This is by far greater than any of those because of his devotion that is seen on screen when he shows up. Some have said they think he is a method actor with the layered performance he gives in just his segment alone. Not once is his character dropped and like all these performances it is unique in a revolutionary sort of way.<br /> <br /> Adrian Lester has been in a lot of films but is always forgotten. This is not one of those situations because he plays a dictator you feel really sorry for. He plays it out with style and gives respect to this person who was brutally murdered. His convincing death has left critics speechless even though as the female lead states the man was a harsh dictator in his rule as president.<br /> <br /> James Earl Jones has not starred in a serious role that he has been praised for in a while. Considered a sort of wash up he comes back to give a spectacular performance and a memorable one. He puts on the façade of Kabila and seemingly never removes it once. People would probably drop character or over-exemplify especially with the scenes he had, but not once was his character’s respect for himself and disgust with anyone else not exemplified to the up most degree.<br /> <br /> Like a story book, where each page could a different story it’s all seemingly guided by a competitive speech piece which is a completely original idea for this type of story. Every bit of frame, performance, word, set, extra, direction, and performance all went to perfection and will not be ignored come Academy’s time to decide who wins awards. “ African Falls ” is a true modern masterpiece within the world of cinema.<br /> <br /> FYC<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director- Alfonso Cuaron<br /> Best Original Screenplay- Raoul Peck<br /> Best Actress- Emma Watson<br /> Best Supporting Actor- Djimon Hounsou<br /> Best Supporting Actor- Adrian Lester<br /> Best Supporting Actor- Samuel L. Jackson<br /> Best Supporting Actor- James Earl Jones<br /> Best Supporting Actor- Laurence Fishburne<br /> Best Supporting Actor- Chiwetel Ejiofor<br /> And in all categories</span></p>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-79742530039072973672008-06-09T23:13:00.002-07:002008-06-09T23:14:07.212-07:00The Blood Countess<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Joshua<br /> <b>Location: </b>NY</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"The Blood Countess"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Roman Polanski<br /> Written by Ronald Harwood<br /> Produced by Alain Sarde & Robert Benmussa<br /> Executive Produced by Michael Hirst & Timothy Burill<br /> Distributed by R.P Productions<br /> Film Editing by Juliette Welfling<br /> Cinematography by Janusz Kaminski<br /> Art Direction by Sarah Greenwood & Katie Spencer<br /> Make-Up by Didier Lavergne<br /> Costume Design by Alexandra Byrne<br /> Set Decoration by Peter Howitt<br /> Original Score by Wojciech Kilar </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Alexandra Maria Lara - Countess Elizabeth "Erzsebet" Bathory<br /> Vlad Ivanov - Count Ferencz Nadasdy<br /> Rade Serbedzija - King Matthias<br /> Bruno Ganz - Father Istvan Magyari<br /> Thomas Krestschmann - Gyorgy Thurzo<br /> Geraldine Chaplin - Katalin - Servant<br /> Marketa Irglova - Dorottya - Servant<br /> Virginie Ledoyen - Fickó - Servant<br /> Daniela Nane - Ilona - Servant<br /> Maximilian Schell - Theodosious Syrmiensis de Szulo</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"May God Bless Those Who Ever Cross Paths With The Bloody Countess"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>On the cold stone floor of the great hall lay a pale, partially clothed young girl. She failed to move. They wondered if she might simply be asleep or drunk, so several men went toward her. Still, she made no effort to rouse herself. One man reached down to touch her and shook his head. He told the others she was dead. They turned her over and saw how pale she looked. She appeared to have been drained of blood, exactly as the rumors went. Then they heard a moan. Just a few paces away was another girl, sprawled face up but still alive. The men discovered that her body had been pierced in many places. She was also pale, as if from severe blood emptiness. The scene was too monstrous to be written into a permanent record, but there was plenty to tell for those who would be called to the legal proceedings. The officials arrested all of those involved in the evil activities, freed the surviving victims, and took the sorceress into a room in her own castle, to confine her until a decision was made about her fate.<br /> <br /> Her name was Countess Elizabeth Bathory and she was a member of a powerful family from an estate at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains . Elizabeth was not an easy child, nor was life easy for her, despite being a member of the privileged class. She suffered from fits, and uncontrolled rages that may have indicated a brain disorder. At the age of 15, she married Count Ferencz Nadasdy, a great warrior who was often away from home. Elizabeth moved into Nadasdy's castle in Sarvar and learned how to run a great estate. She maintained herself until her husband died in 1604, and then the unthinkable began.<br /> <br /> She soon began to forcefully make her servant Katalin to lure women and children into the castle. All her servants knew the torturing of innocent souls was reprehensible, but obeyed due to their lives being threatened. Lutheran priest István Magyari complained that villagers talked about young women disappearing, as well as children. King Matthias assigned Gyorgy Thurzo to investigate. Finally, the peasant girls had run out. Elizabeth had done so much thus far without being stopped. Arrogance made her bold and stupid. She was eager to extend her reach for the thrill of seeing what she could get away with. She also appeared to be so caught up with the pleasures of what she was doing that she could not stop. Eventually she was caught. Now she awaits her judgement.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> The Blood Countess brings back Roman Polanski in his best to date. Although some may disagree, I find that Polanski proves that he can still amaze in the horror genre because I found this film to be all horrifying as it's telling the true story of Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Bathory who was deranged since birth begins takes it to the extreme when she starts torturing innocent people. It is the scenes that we see Bathory command her servants to lure people into the castle that really cuts down to the core and why i find so horrifying and yes, why the infamous legend was nicknamed the Blood Countess.<br /> <br /> Alexandra Maria Lara (Downfall, Youth Without Youth) delivers the performance of her career as Elizabeth Bathory. Lara, whose Romanian is pitch perfect for the part and her older appearance helps her in the process too. She really brings out the madness of her character and there's no reason why she shouldn't be considered for many awards as she plays a woman who takes interest in seeing human beings suffer.<br /> <br /> There are some great supporting performances that need to be taken into consideration. Rade Serbedzjia rules as King Matthias who orders an investigation towards the countess once he gets tired of complaints being made from Father Magyari. Bruno Ganz plays Magyari in his third film with Alexandra Maria Lara and he couldn't better. He's the one who dealt with the villagers who are hysterical over their missing loved ones. Geraldine Chaplin, who can transform herself into any character really outdones herself this time as one of Elizabeth's servants. She fears Bathory and tries to obey her every order. Orders that include tricking little children into the castle, knowing their fate. We also have great performances by Vlad Ivanov as Elizabeth's husband Nadasdy and Maximillian Schell as Judge Szulo. Schell is only on screen for ten minutes but still manages to impress. He takes judgement into his own hands and convicts the countess to life house arrest and her servants to death.<br /> <br /> Ronald Harwood teams up with Roman Polanski once again and it's no shock that what they accomplish is pure masterful. Everyone involved with the film is right. Lara's make-up is handled by the Oscar Winning Didier Lavergne (La Vie En Rose). Wojciech Kilar (Bram Stoker's Dracula) works his magic for the scores that just go right for the film. No scene will disatisfy, No scene will leave you without the question of why a beautiful woman like Elizabeth could be so ugly and evil at heart. In the end, we see a beat up Elizabeth, sitting in a chair, suffering her punishment of house arrest. Looking out the window without a care in the world. Without pity or sorrow, the film ends and all I can think about is the fact that Roman Ploanski's The Blood Countess is one to watch for come Oscar time.<br /> <br /> For Yor Consideration</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Best Picture<br /> Best Director<br /> Best Original Screenplay<br /> Best Actress - Alexandra Maria Lara<br /> Best Supporting Actor - Rade Serbedzjia<br /> Best Supporting Actor - Bruno Ganz<br /> Best Supporting Actror - Maximillian Schell<br /> Best Supporting Actress - Geraldine Chaplin<br /> Best Crew<br /> Best Tagline<br /> Best Film Editing<br /> Best Cinematography<br /> Best Costume Design<br /> Best Art Direction<br /> Best Ensemble<br /> Best Original Score </span></p> <span style="color:#ffff00;"><b> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span></b></span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-84660086971166084122008-06-09T23:13:00.001-07:002008-06-09T23:13:39.005-07:00Book<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Connor Campbell<br /> <b>Location: </b>TX</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"Book"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Spike Jonze<br /> Screenplay by Andrew Niccol</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Melinda Dillon- Justine Redford<br /> Meryl Streep- M.J. Mullins<br /> Freddie Highmore- Charlie Powers</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"A book inside a book inside a book inside a movie"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Justine-<br /> <br /> Justine Redford is one of the most highly regarded authors of our time. Her books such as “Reflected Glory” or “Because It Isn’t Snowing” have sold millions of copies and have been adapted into award winning films. Her next project, “The Magician”, is the fictionalized biography of hit children’s novelist M.J. Mullins, author of the “Youngblood” series. Justine has only met M.J. once the year before when they were presented with the same award. M.J. spoke of her childhood and how far she had come to reach that spot in her acceptance speech, and Justine had to write about it. That’s the way she works. She got the idea for “Because It Isn’t Snowing” when she saw a child in a park whining to his mother about how he wanted to play in the snow in the middle of June. She immediately ran home and typed. Justine feels like she’s racing herself and has to finish the book as soon as possible. She’s getting old and losing her talent. This will likely be her last book. She’s very old and her style isn’t appreciated as much as it used to be. “The Magician” needs to be her greatest and most powerful book. She has to talk to Mullins as soon as possible.<br /> <br /> M.J.-<br /> <br /> M.J. Mullins is one of the most highly regarded authors of our time. Her books in the “Youngblood” series have sold millions of copies and have been adapted into award winning films. Her next project, “Powers”, is about a boy named Charlie Powers who writes stories that come true. She can’t finish it though. She is absolutely certain that it will never amount to what the Youngblood series was. It can’t be a children’s book, but children need to be able to read it. She’s challenging herself with too much. And now, author Justine Redford whom she had met at an award’s show or a benefit or something like that wanted to write a book “loosely” based on her. About her history of being abused by her stepfather and being poor. The only problem was none of that ever happened. She was born Alexis Trent in Los Angeles to a wealthy family that she abandoned when she was 16. She changed her name to M.J. and enrolled in writing classes in New York. She would have to lie to this poor old woman trying to write her masterpiece. She had to finish “Powers” as soon as possible.<br /> <br /> Charlie-<br /> <br /> Charlie Powers is a very talented young boy. He loves to write stories. But Charlie is also very odd. He would always ask his mother to play in the snow, even in the summer. And he would run around at recess and whisper erotic and inappropriate things in people’s ears. But recently, his stories have been getting strange, and he is certain that they are coming true. He never knew what he was writing until he finished and soon enough, his stories would play out in the real world. Getting increasingly frightened by his stories, he sat down and thought of what to write. He wrote about a woman. An old woman. An old woman who writes, just like he does. But the old woman is dying. She isn’t sick, she’s just dying. She’s starting to lose her memory and her talent. The old woman wants to write one last book before she dies. It will be her masterpiece. It’ll be about a woman she had met once who had told a beautiful lie that the old woman didn’t believe for a second. “The Magician” she’d call it. But what would the old woman’s name be? Justine. Justine is the perfect name.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> “Book” is a story about intelligence, writing, and accepting the inevitable. There are 3 writers. The first (Melinda Dillon) is an old woman trying to write her last masterpiece. The second (Meryl Streep) is a woman trying to follow up her masterpiece while facing her past. The third (Freddie Highmore) is beginning his first masterpiece. The beauty of Andrew Niccol’s screenplay is unparalleled. The three writers intertwine beautifully and they keep you guessing who’s real and who isn’t. Melinda Dillon is the comeback of the year with her mesmerizing performance as “Justine Redford”, a dying woman trying to write her last masterpiece. She plays Justine with such elegance and grace as opposed to overplaying it. She’s just a woman staring death in the eye fighting for her talent and her life. Meryl Streep is perfect as always playing “M.J. Mullins” loosely based on J.K. Rowling. This character is very guarded and mysterious until we discover her secret. Streep captures the fear and anxiety of a woman living in a lie so perfectly. Freddie Highmore is a wonderful addition to the cast playing “Charlie Powers” a young boy whose stories come true. His character is very eccentric which Highmore captures brilliantly. Spike Jonze has once again taken a beautiful screenplay and transformed it into a beautiful film keeping us scratching our heads and asking ourselves “What’s real?” The beauty and overall brilliance of this film is something that can’t be missed. ****/****<br /> <br /> FYC:<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director- Spike Jonze<br /> Best Actress- Melinda Dillon<br /> Best Supporting Actress- Meryl Streep<br /> Best Supporting Actor- Freddie Highmore<br /> Best Original Screenplay- Andrew Niccol</span></p> <span style="color:#ffff00;"><b> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span></b></span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-35244348391127507022008-06-09T23:12:00.002-07:002008-06-09T23:13:11.004-07:00The Boy from Oz<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Brian<br /> <b>Location: </b>AZ</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"The Boy from Oz"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Frank Oz<br /> Written by Mark Sherman<br /> Produced by Martin Brown<br /> Based on the Musical “The Boy from Oz”</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Hugh Jackman (Peter Allen)<br /> Ashley Judd (Liza Minnelli)<br /> Patrick Wilson (Greg Connell)<br /> Susan Sarandon (Judy Garland)<br /> Ed Sanders (Young Peter)<br /> Geoffrey Rush (Dick Woolnough)<br /> Judy Davis (Marion Woolnough)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"From Down Under to Over the Top"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>Australian singer/songwriter Peter Allen once said his songs were his biography. “The Boy from Oz” proves that he was, indeed, correct. The film begins when a young Peter Allen is touring Hong Kong with his somewhat aggressive stage parents Dick and Marion, who have turned him into a somewhat well-known act, where he sings quirky, cabaret-style songs. Peter, however, wants more. He wants to be able to write and perform his own songs, have his own record label, and sell out concerts. And in one night, that becomes within his grasp. As he performs to a medium-sized venue, the iconic Judy Garland, who was in Hong Kong for press-related reasons, hears his voice, and believes that she can make him a superstar. Peter happily accepts her proposal for him to make a guest appearance on her show, and before he knows it, he’s a regular.<br /> <br /> Also while working for Garland, he meets her rising-star daughter, Liza Minnelli. Peter, now in his early 20’s, is beginning to realize his intense homosexual feelings. Peter, alarmed, begins dating Liza, and within only a little more than a year, they are married. Both Liza and Peter’s careers are growing at exponential rates daily. Therefore, the two are apart for a large portion of the time. While apart, Peter develops an attraction for his assistant, Greg Connell. Both Greg and Peter know the feelings are mutual, however, Peter refuses to act on his feelings, being a married man. He compensates for them by overworking, and by having secret, . Peter has now written songs for stars such as Olivia Newton-John, Peggy Lee and Dusty Springfield, and his own singing career is starting to pick up as well. However, things between him and Greg are more fervid than ever. No longer able to deny his feelings, he comes out to Liza, and then to the world through his song “Not the Boy Next Door.” He and Liza divorce and he moves in with Greg. The problem now, however, is that his once on-fire career is expected to come to a halt. He doubts that the world will be able to accept a gay man as a singing sensation. That mindset changes, however, when he releases his signature song “I Go to Rio.” The song, a flamboyant, energetic tune, climbs up the charts overnight, and he becomes an international sensation. And soon enough, his entire act becomes over-the-top, campy night-on-the-town performance. And for Peter, that was enough.<br /> <br /> SOUNDTRACK LISTING:<br /> <br /> 1. The Lives of Me<br /> 2. When I Get My Name in Lights<br /> 3. When I Get My Name in Lights (Reprise)<br /> 4. Love Crazy<br /> 5. Waltzing Matilda<br /> 6. All I Wanted Was the Dream<br /> 7. Only an Older Woman<br /> 8. Best That You Can Do<br /> 9. Don't Wish Too Hard<br /> 10. Come Save Me<br /> 11. Continental American<br /> 12. She Loves to Hear the Music<br /> 13. Quiet Please, There's a Lady on Stage<br /> 14. I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love<br /> 15. Not the Boy Next Door<br /> 16. Bi-Coastal<br /> 17. If You Were Wondering<br /> 18. Sure Thing Baby<br /> 19. Everything Old is New Again<br /> 20. Everything Old is New Again (Reprise)<br /> 21. Love Don't Need a Reason<br /> 22. I Honestly Love You<br /> 23. You and Me<br /> 24. I Still Call Australia Home<br /> 25. Don't Cry Out Loud<br /> 26. Once Before I Go<br /> 27. I Go to Rio</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> “The Boy from Oz”, the acclaimed adaptation of the 2004 Broadway musical of the same name, is unquestionably one of the best films this year. Some of it is hilarious, some of it is captivatingly dramatic and some of it is a little bit of both at the same time. However, at any given time, you can expect two things. One: the always entertaining songs of Peter Allen, and two: the best musical performance of all time. Read that last phrase again. The best musical performance of all time. I would like to say that that’s an exaggeration, but it simply is not. Hugh Jackman reprises his Tony Award winning role as the eccentric Peter Allen divinely, for lack of a better word. Certainly the best performance this year, it often feels as though Jackman has three roles in the film. The first is an ambitious young man determined to make his dream come true. The second is a married man struggling to come to terms with his homosexuality. And the third is a flamboyant, overly energetic singer. He plays each of these sub-parts very differently, but we still believe that he is the same person throughout the film; just one who is changing. If you were to tell me that Jackman was, in reality, Peter Allen himself, I would not doubt you for a second. I suppose the only real criticism I can make about Jackman’s performance is that he will make the Best Actor race at this year’s Oscars boring. He is nothing short of a lock.<br /> <br /> Another great thing about Hugh Jackman’s performance is that he does not at any time upstage his co-stars, which leaves room for Ashley Judd and Patrick Wilson to give some of the best performances this year as well. Ashley Judd beat out dozens of A-list actresses for the role of Liza Minnelli, and all I have to say is thank God she did. Judd captures the singer/actress’s persona perfectly: ambitious and self-centered, but ultimately understanding and forgiving. She, too, can expect to pick up her statuette as well come Oscar season. Finally, Patrick Wilson takes on the role of Greg Connell, Allen’s lover for nearly 20 years. Wilson claims to have spoken with gay men who have been in, or are in, relationships with closeted men, and that is evident throughout his performance. Wilson shows total understanding of such a unique, emotionally turbulent time. He, too, is a strong contender for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.<br /> <br /> “The Boy from Oz” is a fascinating, tuneful film featuring clever direction, an emotional and humorous script and, of course, the performance of a lifetime. The film can expect Oscar nods (and a few wins) in the following categories…<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director (Frank Oz)<br /> Best Actor (Hugh Jackman)<br /> Best Supporting Actress (Ashley Judd, however the studio has announced that she will be run in Best Leading Actress [Musical or Comedy] at the Golden Globes)<br /> Best Supporting Actor (Patrick Wilson)<br /> Best Adapted Screenplay<br /> Best Film Editing<br /> Best Cinematography<br /> Best Art Direction<br /> Best Costume Design</span></p> <span style="color:#ffff00;"><b> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span></b></span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-24690805077026401022008-06-09T23:12:00.001-07:002008-06-09T23:12:39.578-07:00The Character of Marcia<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Hugo Manso<br /> <b>Location: </b>Spain</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"The Character of Marcia"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Tamara Jenkins<br /> Written by Michael Hoffman<br /> Editing by Jay Cassidy<br /> Cinematography by Seamus McGarvey<br /> Music Score by John Williams</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Lisa Kudrow ... Marcia Cost<br /> Winona Ryder ... Lina Johns<br /> Skeet Ulrich ... Henry Fisher<br /> Edward James Hyland ... Lawrence<br /> Milo Ventimiglia ... Matt </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"The best character of your life might be yourself"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>From that third line seat he was contemplating the wondeful acting skills of Marcia Cost. He was nobody, he was just one of many people from the audience that fell every night in love with that marvellous actress. It was the year 1925. Marcia Cost was one of the most valuable and respected stage actress of her time. She still remembered when the theater was filled of people weeks and weeks in a row awaiting for her. Those good all times. Now the growing film industry was putting and end on her profession. Marcia knew the theatre was dying.<br /> <br /> Marcia Cost was known for possessing a great intelligence. Things were pretty clear, if she wanted to keep her status she would have to make a big step: She would have to leave the stage for a cinematogarphic studio.<br /> <br /> Lawrence, her agent, was in love with her since the very moment she knocked at his door looking for representation, twenty-five years ago. That sixty-something man didn’t had the contacts enough anymore to force a way for her through the industry. Marcia knew that if she wanted to make it she would have to get rid of her old agent. Soon she found a young and energetic one, Matt. Thanks to that boy contacts, Marcia got a supporting role in a movie starring the young and lovable actress Lina Johns.<br /> <br /> Soon Marcia started to win the love of Lina. That wonderful actress was like a nanny for her. It was her who Lina told everything to. It was her who gave her advice and listened to her worries. After one night where Lina was ridiculized by another respected actress and Marcia stood up for her, they became best friends.<br /> <br /> Little by little, Marcia started to take advantage from her influence over Lina. Henry, Lina’s boyfriend, tried to open Lina’s eyes trying to make her understand that she was being used but... all in vain. Marcia knew that the moment had arrived. Lina was dissatisfied with the director. Marcia persuaded her to object and she let her know that if it was required she would leave the film with her. Decided Lina went to the director’s office. She demanded stuffs that he would not concede. She gave up, but Marcia didn’t. Marcia stood against her. Once Lina was fired Marcia got the leading role.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">What a powerful compelling movie. It tells the story of a respected actress who will do anything to make her a way in a bussiness that requires intelligence. She will even play with the feeling of a young actress in her benefit. Lisa Kudrow performs one of the most memorable characters of the year. She has built an incredible woman and plays it with strength and passion. We are talking about one of the most important performance of the year. Just perfect. Then we have Winona Ryder making her big comeback as the fragile, lovable Lina. The first half of the movie you see Lina as a diva, always smiling, always happy with her boyfriend (perfectly performed by Skeet Ulrich). But when Marcia comes close to her we get to see her vulnerability and insecurity. We get to feel sorry about her. When she discovers that she was used by Marcia, feelings start to flow. Winona has made the character utterly hers. Another breathtaking performance is Edward James Hyland’s. This quite unknown actor has made a powerful performance as Lawrence, Marcia’s old agent. He gets to feel one of the worst feelings: to love and not being loved. The grief and impotence will make Hyland his way to gold. Milo Ventimiglia and Skeet Ulrich show their acting skills with grace and magnificient with limited time screen. The score by John Williams pitchs perfectly with the tone of the movie. A beautiful cinematography along with the smart editing makes this movie a masterpiece.<br /> <br /> FYC<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director (Tamara Jenkins)<br /> Best Original Screenplay (Michael Hoffman)<br /> Best Actress (Lisa Kudrow)<br /> Best Supporting Actor (Edward James Hyland)<br /> Best Supporting Actress (Winona Ryder)</span></p> <span style="color:#ffff00;"><b> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span></b></span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-15728389989135995622008-06-09T23:11:00.002-07:002008-06-09T23:12:11.589-07:00Cloth<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Kieran Scarlett<br /> <b>Location: </b>GA</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"Cloth"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson<br /> Cinematography by Robert Elswit<br /> Edited by Dylan Tichenor<br /> Music by Jon Brion</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Jeffrey Wright as Ivan Somerset<br /> Ellen Page as Tenacity Hargrove<br /> Edward Norton as Thomas Jacoby<br /> Amy Ryan as Lynn Jacoby<br /> Ryan Simpkins as Crystal Jacoby<br /> Clifton Collins Jr as Nicholas Randone </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"Pray for the lost people.."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>Ivan Somerset (Wright), a renowned religious studies professor at Yale University has been fired amidst suspicion of his deteriorating mental health following very controversial statements he made regarding the state of organized faith in the world. His recently published books denounce all religions, especially Abrahamic faiths, and preaches a series of tenets by which to live and grow, known simply as "The Way." He soon develops a devout following greater than he ever imagined as men, women and children, all lost and aimless in their lives, begin to flock to him in droves, prepared to do as he preaches...<br /> <br /> Tenacity Hargrove (Page) is a young singer/actress whose personal troubles are constantly under a microscope. Feeling adrift in the world of empty, meaningless fame, she nearly hits rock bottom until she stumbles upon Somerset's teachings and becomes one of his biggest followers, much to the dismay of her manager Nicholas (Clifton Collins Jr.) The teachings of "The Way" begin to affect Tenacity in ways she could have never foreseen, as she soon finds herself completely submissive and obedient to Ivan Somerset...<br /> <br /> Thomas Jacoby (Edward Norton), a naïve, but troubled Congressman is dealing with a very nasty and public divorce with his wife Lynn (Amy Ryan), who is falsely accusing him of infidelity. Trying desperately to recover his public image, Jacoby turns his attention to putting a stop to Ivan Somerset and followers of "The Way," who are being linked to kidnapping, extortion and violent crimes. He is relentless in his desire to take down Somerset, trying to prosecute him and stop the group, who seek tax exempt status as an official religion. His pursuit of Ivan Somerset leads him down a dangerous road, with very dire consequences...<br /> <br /> Cloth is a criss-crossing narrative that examines the cult mentality, and how it is dangerously and irreversibly set into motion. The film follows these three characters as they encounter one another, from Connecticut, to California, and eventually to the deserts of Mexico, where Ivan Somerset and his followers relocate, leading to a shocking and tragic conclusion.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Paul Thomas Anderson's new movie Cloth is a look into the hope that religion often offers people, and the corruption of that hope by a select few. The film is no doubt polarizing in the way that it presents these ideas, but ultimately feels evenhanded. It is not an attack on organized religion, rather an examination of the fallibility of humans, especially those in power. Anderson's screenplay and direction expertly frame Somerset and Jacoby as two of the same—men mad with power and driven by the notion that each is right and moral. Anderson directs this ensemble with skill and precision that rivals some of his best work.<br /> <br /> Much of the film's success can be attributed to character actor Jeffrey Wright, who amazes with his note-perfect characterization of cult leader Ivan Somerset. In a performance that could have so easily been loud and showy, Wright plays it quiet and understated, never getting it wrong and fully in control of his gift. Wright will go down with Daniel Day-Lewis as yet another great performance expertly directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. He is the winner of this year's Oscar for best actor, if there is any justice.<br /> <br /> Even more surprising is Ellen Page, who quells any doubts about her range by stepping so wholly and effectively out of her comfort zone to play a troubled young starlet who couldn't be further from herself. You feel every inch of her sadness and her imprisonment, never doubting her motivation as she makes one unwise decision after another. And last, but definitely not least, there is Edward Norton, who reduces Thomas Jacoby to pure intensity and determination in what may well be the actor's finest performance to date. He makes you feel for an often-times detestable and maddening character, making the film's final act all the more heartbreaking.<br /> <br /> The cinematography by Robert Elswit is top-notch, as is Jon Brion's haunting and repetitive score. There will be much talk and controversy regarding the similarities between the events portrayed here, and the Jonestown Massacre. However, Anderson never denies that his film is a composite of his observations and research about cult activity around the world. This is one of the year's best films, and will certainly be a best picture nominee.<br /> <br /> FYC:<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson<br /> Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Jeffrey Wright<br /> Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Edward Norton<br /> Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Ellen Page<br /> Best Original Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson<br /> Best Original Score: Jon Brion<br /> Best Cinematography: Robert Elswit<br /> Best Achievement in Editing: Dylan Tichenor</span></p>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-23050305457193967352008-06-09T23:11:00.001-07:002008-06-09T23:11:43.003-07:00Convention<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Maia<br /> <b>Location: </b>CA</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"Convention"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"> <img src="http://theoscarigloo.com/2008/baitanoscar/april2008/CONVENTION.jpg" border="0" height="465" width="401" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Written and Directed by Richard Shepard</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Jon Voight as Sandy Thunder<br /> Paul Schneider as Jimmy Marcel<br /> Kim Director as Lola Kaminski<br /> Seth Rogen as Rocco Matthews<br /> Matt Dallas as Danny Bird<br /> Aaron Yoo as Bob Kwan<br /> Jessica Lucas as Calinda Brown<br /> With Jay Mohr as Jerry Burwick<br /> & Ricky Gervais as Arthur Valentine</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"Some events are far more than advertised"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>A look at the effects of product placement in our society as seen through the eyes of different employees at a popular Comic Book convention:<br /> <br /> Prolific, free-spirited artist SANDY THUNDER (Voight) founded Thunderbolt Comics more than thirty years ago. Since then; his small NY-based studio quickly turned into one of the most profitable graphic art publishers in America. Millions of fans worshipped his creations and he had happily served as the company’s chairman and spokesperson… until last fall.<br /> <br /> For college freshmen (and hardcore Thunder fans) DANNY BIRD (Dallas) and BOB KWAN (Yoo), there was only one thing on their calendar for the upcoming weekend: Thunder-Con 2008. The widely known “pop culture” convention showcased the latest in comics, films, animation and video games so for two guys like Danny and Bob; working as volunteers during the three-day event was more a free, backstage pass to Sandy Thunder’s world than work itself.<br /> <br /> Ruthless; plus occasionally whiny and demanding, marketer JIMMY MARCEL (Schneider) had been a huge success in the branding division of Thunderbolt Comics for the last two years so when he was named coordinator of the company’s highly lucrative Thunder-Con by Sandy Thunder himself, nobody was surprised. It came as a shock, though, the board’s decision to withdraw Thunder from his leadership position and leave him only as the company’s spokesperson. Rumors claimed Thunder, at age seventy, didn’t take it well ( even if his last two years as chairman hadn’t been the best) but Jimmy Marcel only cared about keeping the news out of the spotlight.<br /> <br /> Rising star CALINDA BROWN wasn’t a bitch but simply, she wasn’t nice either. She had not slept her way to the top but she knew she had slept it at least to the middle. “Golden Amazon” was set to make her a household name and now she just needed certain “key” demographics to watch her flick. Her last promotional duty before the film’s release was a press conference at Thunder-Con 2008 with the apparently well-known creator of her character and her costars. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">LOLA KAMINSKY (Director) had had it. Her boss, a self-absorbed douche named Jimmy Marcel, was driving her crazy (although he was spending most of his time talking to the famous panelists like that it-girl Calinda Brown), her authority as staff coordinator of Thunder-Con 2008 was being disrespected by a bunch of kids who only cared about the exhibition stands and to complicate things even further, the legendary Sandy Thunder had yet to show up.<br /> <br /> Contractually obligated to promote “Golden Amazon” during Thunder-Con and other public events, “eccentric” character actor ARTHUR VALENTINE (Gervais) knew he could sacrifice some of his prestige in return for a nice paycheck. Playing the villain in a comic book adaptation was not his usual work but according to his snotty agent JERRY BURWICK (Mohr), providing the voice for the CGI-creature fighting the title heroine would increase his popularity among younger audiences. He was wrong…<br /> <br /> Struggling artist ROCCO MATTHEWS (Rogen) was on his late twenties and still waiting for his breakthrough. Since his idol Sandy Thunder “made it” when he was over thirty, Rocco was hopeful. Thunder-Con was the right place to display his work but just like many other exhibitors had realized before, smaller publishers like the regularly stoned Matthews couldn’t compete with Thunderbolt’s branding.<br /> <br /> An hour before closing night’s main event, the auditorium was packed with both fans and media. It was pretty obvious they were not there for Calinda Brown and that’s when Jimmy Marcel knew he was in trouble… How would people react to Thunder’s absence? How would this affect the company’s reputation, their new movie and mostly; his job? But even worse, what would happen if Thunder actually showed up?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Decisions… There’s a price to pay for each one we make and as "The Matador" director Richard Shepard’s clever dark-comedy Convention so distinctively expresses, there’s always a lesson to learn from each one too. A world controlled by marketing, reputation and perception is carefully analyzed by Shepard’s witty screenplay as his tragicomic characters interact with each other in the most casual (yet appropriate) setting we could think of: a comic book convention...<br /> <br /> Starring as the renowned artist Sandy Thunder, Jon Voight is a dominant presence (even if he is not on screen most of the time). All characters are directly or indirectly affected by him and the specific way he is seen by each of them (from iconic artist to aging hippie) makes his last fifteen minutes on screen pivotal to the film’s satisfying conclusion. When the half-drunk/half-pissed off Thunder finally shows up to the press conference and sets the record (very) straight, we just don’t want him to disappoint his loyal fanbase or to ruin his solid reputation. Voight is simply a treat for the audience and thanks to his humorous and ultimately touching performance, it’s simple to understand why the man and artist Sandy Thunder (not his real name by the way) was surpassed by his larger-than-life brandname. Voight brings the house down!<br /> <br /> The rest of the ensemble is also memorable. Paul Schneider, not your typical leading man, succeeds as the unpredictable Jimmy Marcel. Schneider adds a lot of physical comedy and (delicious) sharp-tongued malice to his portrayal and the result is one of the most accomplished on-screen antiheros of the year. Additionally, supporting turns by young actors Matt Dallas and Aaron Yoo contribute to the pic’s optimistic nature and the recognizable Seth Rogen provides an enjoyable look of an actually depressing scenario. An extended cameo by Jay Mohr as a critical agent who enjoys dissing everyone around him reminds the viewer that what or "who" could seem particularly important during the convention could not be it to the outside world. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Kim Director is particularly empathetic as the only character actually doing some work on the convention. Thanks to the blue-eyed beauty, we feel for her character’s unfair treatment but we also like her even more when she finally puts everyone in place, including the annoying Jimmy Marcel. In contrast, Jessica Lucas’ amusing portrayal of a pampered, self-centered celebrity shows how hollow people, fictional or not, can be (although the final payoff when her character discovers she isn't "Sandy Thunder" big is definitely worth watching). <br /> <br /> Ricky Gervais steals the show as the “peculiar” Arthur Valentine. An award-nominated actor seduced by money and the chance of a career boost. Gervais makes Valentine an sympathetic personality and him, just like director Shepard, is not afraid to push the envelope when needed (like that memorable scene where Gervais meets Rogen’s character to weed-friendly, hilarious results).<br /> <br /> Thanks to Shepard’s engaging direction, his refreshing screenplay and the colorful ensemble; Convention becomes an event moviegoers simply can’t miss this year and one AMPAS members already should be planning to attend.<br /> <br /> For Your Consideration<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical (HFPA)<br /> Best Ensemble (SAG)<br /> Best Director (Richard Shepard)<br /> Best Actor (Jon Voight)<br /> Best Supporting Actor (Ricky Gervais)<br /> Best Supporting Actor (Paul Schneider)<br /> Best Supporting Actress (Kim Director)<br /> Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Lucas)<br /> Best Screenplay (Original)<br /> Creativity Awards</span></p> <span style="color:#ffff00;"><b> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span></b></span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-41553076653207452662008-06-09T23:10:00.000-07:002008-06-09T23:11:08.607-07:00Dark Blue<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Evan<br /> <b>Location: </b>NY</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"Dark Blue"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"> <img src="http://theoscarigloo.com/2008/baitanoscar/april2008/skull-islandcopy.jpg" border="0" height="430" width="282" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Written By: Michel Gondry<br /> Directed By: Michel Gondry</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Cody – Kelly MacDonald<br /> Ryan – Robert Downey Jr.<br /> Detective Wilson – Colin Firth<br /> Alice – Angela Bassett<br /> Narrator: Julie Christie</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"you can make a billion dollars, but you might lose yourself"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>On the outskirts of Seattle, in a small white house with a red Spanish shingled roof, Cody Corning (MacDonald) and Ryan Larson (Downey Jr.) meet as they both reach the latrine at the same time. Neither of them has ever seen the other, but she offers for him to go first and he does, slamming the old oak door in her face. That night they eat their dinner together and never once talk. The next morning, when Seattle police agency secretary Alice (Bassett) receives a call from the asylum saying that Cody is gone, and that there are no traces of where she went, she quickly informs her boss.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Ryan and Cody, though, are already in a small paddleboat, starting off across the channel between Vancouver and Victoria. They reach a small island and get off, pulling their dingy into the bushes. The two venture inland through the thick, lush, temperate forest and find a small shack. They go inside and find a small round room with a thin window going around the entire shack, so that you can see outside of every angle. The two slept, curled up on the floor, and were happy. Detective Wilson (Firth) was very cross. He had been trying to find these two whackos for two days and it seemed as if they had disappeared. They were both distinctive and yet nobody had seen them. Alice, his secretary was scared because her boss seemed to be taking this case very personally indeed, and with a lot more fervor than his previous few cases. Soon, Wilson got the lead he needed, a letter apparently, and, with Alice, he set off to Vancouver.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Cody was very sad because she misses her songbirds and begins to cry on a large log on the beach. Ryan tried to comfort her in the misty air but it doesn’t seem to do much good. He just walks away after a few minutes. There is nothing he can do. When he comes back an hour or so later she, and their dingy are gone. He runs down the beach as a speedboat is speeding along the shore, riding the backs of the crisp blue waves. In that boat are Detective Wilson and Alice. They knew but he didn’t know them. As he ran he began to realize that he may not actually love Cody.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">He slows down and turns and walks into the forest, disappearing behind the foliage. The two police officers soon come across a small dingy. Inside it, Cody is lying down and smiling. She sits up and looks into Wilson’s eyes. “My wife…” he says, with a tear in his eye. She smiles at him and begins to row her boat back towards the island. She lands and pulls the dingy out of sight. She sets off into the woods to find the shack.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">After looking for hours and hours, around the entire island, she gives up. It isn’t there. She goes back to the beach to find the boat, but it’s gone. She is scared and curls up in the cool soft sand. When she feels someone shaking her, she opens her eyes. She is lying on the beach and Detective Wilson is stroking her hair. She is happy as the aurora borealis lights up the night sky around them… a dark blue.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Director Michel Gondry is well known for the quirky, almost childish aspects to his films. There is no lack of these in his new film “Dark Blue.” “Dark Blue” is the story of two people who are in a mental asylum. They fall in love and escape, running away together to a shack on a small island in the Pacific Northwest. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Based loosely of off the song by Jacks Mannequin, “Dark Blue” explores the way the two see each other, the world, and people in general. Kelly Macdonald gives an emotional powerhouse performance as Cody, a women suffering from severe bi-polar disorder. Her screen presence dazzles the audience with an authenticity that hasn’t been seen in recent years. Robert Downey Jr. also gives a clever performance as an insane man who sees things that aren’t there at all . . . and who may not be there himself. Over the course of this modern character study we really come to understand the reasoning behind their love, and how real it seems. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> The film covers a lot of ground in it’s brisk 95 minute running time, and leaves the audience feeling blown away by how murky everything remains, despite the clarity that seems to present itself in the basic plot. “Dark Blue” is an amazing film, about finding love, and tranquility inside ones self.<br /> <br /> FYC</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Best Picture<br /> Best Director – Michel Gondry<br /> Best Actress – Kelly MacDonald<br /> Best Actor – Robert Downey Jr.<br /> Best Supporting Actor – Collin Firth<br /> Best Supporting Actress – Angela Bassett<br /> Best Adapted Screenplay<br /> Best Cult Bait<br /> Best Tagline<br /> Best Online Awards Campaign</span></p>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-52229975063537623162008-06-09T23:09:00.002-07:002008-06-09T23:10:39.123-07:00The Elysium Dream<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Tony<br /> <b>Location: </b>PA</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"The Elysium Dream"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"> <img src="http://theoscarigloo.com/2008/baitanoscar/april2008/elysium3.jpg" border="0" height="477" width="308" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Written and Directed by Darren Aronofsky<br /> Produced by Lawrence Turman<br /> Music by Clint Mansell<br /> Cinematography Emmanuel Lubezki </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Cillian Murphy as Noah<br /> Liam Neeson as Dr. Thomas Vexler<br /> Emily Blunt as Tessa<br /> Elias Koteas as Father Everett<br /> Ed Sanders as Thomas Vexler Jr</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"Is there a way to be saved?"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>"They say when you die your whole life flashes before you. I've felt my heart beating for so long, but I've been dead for years. Whose fault was it? This contemporary society that thrives on the blood and helplessness of others? Is it mine....or was it his? I admire this isolation room, the bed sure is comfy, but as far as this near catatonic state...well, I've been there many times. Wait...I remember now."<br /> <br /> Society has taken the next step in advertising, senseless laws, and unbearable crimes. Noah reaches for his needle and turns off his television, it only made him more disgusted. He was a political radical and a demanding heroin addict. He's heard rumors of Dr. Vexler for months now. He's a wealthy man with the solutions, he runs a secret underground organization, drug related. Noah is in search of Dr. Vexler and eventually locates him. Vexler was a political and religious demagogue and the father of Thomas Jr, a mute child. He see's Noah is vulnerable and special, something that could help his revolution. He was a genius at manipulation and brainwashing techniques. He would give Noah a fix a day if he did what he was told, he thrived on his addiction. His plan is brilliant in its simplicity, assassination and replacement.<br /> <br /> Noah is now Vexlers assassin, his docile puppet. Vexler knows that the human mind can be very unbalanced. Therefore, he brings Noah to his best friend Father Everett, a corrupt priest, and his assistant Tessa. At only eighteen, Tessa was a prostitute-turned-nun, saved from the streets by Everett. Months have gone by, Noah and Tessa have a growing affection towards each other. Although he is convinced his mission will save the world, Noah was drowning in guilt. He sees Tessa as his only means to salvation. Tessa gives him solace in the church to absolve his sins. They're in a candle light room where Noah is musing on all the people he has killed. He lights a candle for each hit and by the end of the solace he's sits in a room full of candles.<br /> <br /> Thomas realizes the dangers Tessa provides to his experiment. He orders Noah to kill Tessa and Everett but the two want to leave the project. Vexler reminds him of his fix, thus changing his mind. He confronts Tessa but fails to comply with the command to murder her. She knows he killed Everett who was a father figure to her. His actions made her memories come flooding back. Years filled with men who had used her, degraded and beaten her, and driven their hatred and coldness into her heart. She had left Noah. Days later, high on his fix, Noah visits the church to see Tessa hung by her rosary. Vexler had murdered her, or Noah fulfill his mission without remembering, or did she take her own life? The police barge through the door to see Noah frozen on the ground.<br /> <br /> "The gun they found on me will certainly match the one used in the string of recent killings. I must escape and avenge her death. My drug is wearing thin and there's a window. I find Vexler at the church with Jr, the spot where they killed Tessa. He insists I don't rip his heart out in front of his son, and questions me who really did kill her? Jr cries in disbelief, I tell him it will all be over in a minute. Months have gone by and I feel as empty as ever now since I killed my master. Tessa's ghost appears again and angrily exhorts me to kill myself, am I imagining this? There's a gun and a noose in my room. There's also the very thing that drove me to this point, the needle, it cries out to me. I inject the lethal dosage as my spirit is reunited with Tessa, together we reflect the only times we were happy. Unfortunately I know this not to be real, in fact my last illusion before I'm gone. Did I kill you? Save me.."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> The wildly imaginative Darren Aronofsky returns with his lately triumphant masterpiece, "The Elysium Dream". Like most Aronofsky films, the plot is extremely thick, one that tackles the situations we have still going on today. Whether its drug relations, religion, politics, murder, manipulation, this film focuses on it all in one big 2 and a half hour feature film. It's almost too hard to grasp it all in the first viewing. Surprisingly, the film isn't too violent. Most of our lead characters murders are shown in a drug induced form with excellent camera angles that don't reveal much, thus making the scenes more powerful. With beautiful, yet haunting cinematography and an amazing score, most of the films credit can go to the acting ability. Cillian Murphy is our lead, the soul of the film. It is the mutilation of his life, his whole character that takes center stage, ending in a satisfying climax of gargantuan proportions in which he gives the audience more than their money's worth in his power-packed performance. Whether he frightens you with his murderous antics or comforts you with his soft words, Murphy is solid and the front runner for major awards to come. Liam Neeson shines as the soft spoken, yet informative role as Dr. Vexler. His words are vital to the scripts point, every time he opens his mouth we are engaged in his dialogue. A role that's scary to some, admirable, or disturbing. A character of power demands an actor with no remorse, Neeson fits it perfectly. And lastly, Emily Blunt, who plays Tessa. It's hard to believe a character at this magnititude could be involved with such hate mongrels, she knows her position, but she's grateful for everything. Her heart is pure even if her actions aren't admired. Her and Murphy have a satisfying chemistry that only builds the intensity and emotion scene after scene.<br /> <br /> Of course, "The Elysium Dream" refers to the last scene, where Noah and Tessa are bound together in happiness. A happiness they wanted to have but it was inevitable they wouldn't in a society such as this. Reality hits hard for some, and that's one of the many lessons to be learned from this epic. Not recommended if you're easily shocked, squeamish, or upset. It is recommended for those who want to see a movie that will completely overtake you and involve you emotionally. Find a baby-sitter for this one, and get ready for a mind blowing experience that you'll never forget.<br /> <br /> FYC:<br /> <br /> Best Picture - Darren Aronofsky, Lawrence Turman<br /> Best Director - Darren Aronofsky<br /> Best Actor - Cillian Murphy<br /> Best Supporting Actress - Emily Blunt<br /> Best Supporting Actor - Liam Neeson<br /> Best Original Screenplay - Darren Aronofsky<br /> Best Original Score - Clint Mansell<br /> Best Cinematography - Emmanuel Lubezki<br /> Best Editing<br /> Best Art Direction</span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-53044059893424440802008-06-09T23:09:00.001-07:002008-06-09T23:09:51.841-07:00Golden Gate<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> James Somerton<br /> <b>Location: </b>Canada</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"Golden Gate"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"> <img src="http://theoscarigloo.com/2008/baitanoscar/april2008/poster2.jpg" border="0" height="493" width="304" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by: Mike Nichols<br /> Written by: Alan Ball<br /> Score by: Gustavo Santaolalla<br /> Produced by: Celia D. Costas</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Charlize Theron as Danielle Steel<br /> Hugh Jackman as John Traina<br /> Peter Sarsgaard as William Toth<br /> Daniel Radcliffe as Nicholas Traina<br /> Emily Blunt as Vickie Bane</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"Romance was her work... Heartbreak was her life"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>A young journalist named Danielle Steel has been writing fluff pieces for The San Francisco Chronicle for two years now and she's growing tired of it. Finally she given a real piece of journalism to work on. She is to interview a series of convicts being held at a maximum security prison. Here, after three days of interviews, she meets William Toth; "A bank robber with a heart of gold", she describes him to her editor. After the article is published, Danielle becomes a semi celebrity in San Francisco. Even being given a book offer from a small publisher. She gladly takes the offer but what none of these society people know is that Danielle is still visiting William Toth in prison. And falling in love with him. Soon they have a prison yard wedding that leads to Danielle becoming pregnant.<br /> <br /> During her pregnancy Danielle keeps her marriage to William very hush hush. He will be in prison for another five years before he's up for parol, so why not use this to her advantage? She tells everyone she knows that the father ran out on her when she became pregnant so now she's left to raise the child on her own. In her time away from the high class scene, she sits alone in her apartment writing her book. A story encapsulating Danielle's own fears of being rejected from her new life because of the man she married. After finishing the book she goes to see William and tells him that the marriage cant ever work but that she will still let him see his son. William is shaken but Danielle has never felt better. Within weeks she has the marriage annulled, and gives birth to a healthy baby boy. Before his first birthday she becomes a bestselling author.<br /> <br /> Danielle spends the next several years writing at a feverish pace. She is hailed by many as the best romance novelist in the world, but professional critics eat her work alive. This hurts but she keeps it private. She is a loving mother to her son, Nicholas, and a thriving voice at the posh clubs and parties of San Francisco. Its at one of these parties that she meets John Traina, a millionaire shipping tycoon. He falls for her immediately. She's taken by his good looks and his fortune. With a little work, she could probably love him. He's even taken by her young son; probably the deciding factor. Her marriage to Traina, unlike her last marriage, is a big, lavish event. Now, just one problem. In order for Traina to adopt Nicholas, as both he and Danielle wish, William Toth will have to relinquish his parental rights. After he refuses, Danielle takes the matter to court. Her reasoning? William Toth is a convicted felon and should have no part in Nicholas's life. The motion is granted and Nicholas Toth becomes Nicholas Traina. From this time forth, no one even speaks of William Toth. Not even his own son.<br /> <br /> Years pass by in a blur of parties, children, and best selling novels. Danielle and John buy a massive estate just outside San Francisco that is more a castle than a house. Danielle's fortune now rivals her husband's and, together, they are the richest couple in San Francisco, but always careful to keep their private affairs private. But her public image is about to be shattered do to a tell-all biography, entitled "The Lives of Danielle Steel", being published without her permission. The writer, Vickie Bane, has been digging into Danielle's private life for a long time. In it she tells the story of William Toth and how Nicholas is really his son. Details about her, less than perfect, childhood are also sprayed across these pages. Danielle fights the publishers as hard as she can, even taking the matter to court but, for the first time in a long time, she fails to come out on to. All of her adoring fans will now know her true story.<br /> <br /> All of this turmoil has lead to Danielle being distracted from a growing problem; Nicholas. Now in his late teens, he has begun falling out of reality. Bipolar Disorder and Depression have been plaguing him since his early teens, and drugs like Zoloft, Prozac, and Paxil haven't been able to help. Cocaine has been helping though. He's been keeping it hidden from his parents well enough but his mother's discovery of the habit leads to rehab and even more therapists. But he's lost now. His father can see it and so can his siblings, but his mother refuses to. She can't lose again. Especially not this fight. Of any fight, not this one. But she does lose. Nicholas Traina ends his own life at the age of nineteen.<br /> <br /> Not long after the funeral, John Traina tells Danielle that he's leaving her. Her fortune has grown well beyond his and he can't handle being with a woman more powerful and influential than himself. The children join him, at least until Danielle is mentally fit to care for them. Nicholas's death has shaken her to her absolute core. Now she sits alone in her palatial estate, writing. Always writing. Weaving tales of romance, riches, and perfect lives. The life she used to live.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Romance and Love. These are the things I expected when going into "Golden Gate". Instead I was surprised to see a movie more driven by ambition than any heartfelt notions. This is the story of Danielle Steel, a woman who yearns to succeed and will do whatever it takes to do so. She is a woman born of the 1960's that eventually joins the societal elite that she once rebelled against. Here, Charlize Theron gives the performance of her career. Loud and opinionated, Danielle is able to force her way into any situation. This ability leads her to meeting a man that will change her life forever. He isn't the first, and won't be the last, though. Danielle has an ex-husband we hear of only in passing. It was this man that convinced her to leave New York and come to San Francisco. Danielle is spontaneous in the early parts of the film, rarely giving a second thought to anything she does. Her love affair with a prison inmate leads to a marriage that barely exists, and a secret she fights to keep hidden. But later on in the film she becomes more calculating; leaving one man for another just because the new beau can help her social standing. Here we get to see her grow richer and richer with the release of every new book, attending gala parties and even meeting the president. Theron's performance throughout the film is near perfection, but about near the end of the film we see her reach heights that very few before her have been able to attain. Its here when she loses her son, first to drugs and finally to death itself. This woman who we have seen crush people in order to go further, is suddenly humbled. Her eyes are empty now as the most important person in her life leaves her forever. Theron's greatest moment in this film is at the funeral, where she completely ignores the socialites that she so yearned to be like. Now, she won't even listen to their words. She simply stands over her son's body. She does not weep but her eyes hold a thousand tears. Her son, Nicholas, is played Daniel Radcliffe in a steep departure from his most famous role. Here is a dark teenager, delving into drugs and hiding himself more and more from his family. At first its shocking to see Harry Potter snorting a line of coke off his bathroom sink, but Radcliffe becomes Nicholas Traina so quickly that you forget his past roles. He is only on screen for a little over a half hour but, in that short amount of time, he draws you in so completely that it seems like he's always been there. No matter how many other men enter her life, Nicholas is Danielle's only true love. Her other men in the film are played by Hugh Jackman as a compassionate millionaire, and Peter Sarsgaard as the convicted felon she falls for early in the film. Jackman does a fantastic job as Steel's second husband in the film and he's quite charming throughout, with the exception of his final scene, but Sarsgaard's performance is magnificent. His William Toth is both frightening and sympathetic. You feel sorry for him when his own son is ripped away from him forever but, at the same time, you feel uneasy. Sarsgaard creates an air of paranoia around his character that leads the audience to believe that he may, or may not, return to crime when he leaves prison. Emily Blunt gives a very to-the-point performance as Vickie Bane, a sleuthing journalist whose unauthorized biography of Steel creates havoc near the end of the film. She's slightly venomous but always likable, keeping in mind that she simply wants the public to know the truth. Mike Nichols' directs "Golden Gate" with a quiet flare. Early on the film is full of life and vibrant ambition as Danielle works toward her goals of wealth and fame. But near the end of the film, after she has achieved her goals and lost her son, the film becomes dark and quiet. The massive rooms of Danielle's estate, that we had seen earlier packed with people at her many parties, now stand empty. She walks quietly throughout her grand palace, all alone. A force to be reckoned with throughout the entire film, she is now just a tiny speck within her own world. She walks through the home she had made and looks at the memories with a distant gaze. Nichols tells the epic story of this woman with perfect precision. This is a long film but we're never bored. He takes us from the gritty streets of San Francisco in the 1970's, to the grand hallways of Danielle's palatial estate, and never hits a single bump along the way. We are treated to beautiful wardrobes and sets that ring back to the golden age of Hollywood. An infinitely strong female character that fights and fights to get what she wants; a modern day Scarlett O'Hara. "Golden Gate" is a love story about one person. A person too strong to love anyone but herself and her child. In the final moments of the film, after all the parties, and the people, and the riches, and the heartbreak; we see Danielle doing what she wanted to do in the very first scene of the film, where she fought with her news paper editor. She wanted to write. And here we see her doing just that. Not letting all the heartbreak stop her from being a storyteller. A storyteller whose own life could eclipse any of her own works. "Golden Gate" is her life.<br /> <br /> Possible Nominations</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Best Picture<br /> Best Director - Mike Nichols<br /> Best Actress - Charlize Theron<br /> Best Supporting Actor - Peter Sarsgaard, Daniel Radcliffe<br /> Best Supporting Actress - Emily Blunt<br /> Best Original Screenplay - Alan Ball<br /> Best Costume Design<br /> Best Original Score - Gustavo Santaolalla<br /> Best Cinematography </span></p> <span style="color:#ffff00;"><b> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span></b></span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-41368792449176973602008-06-09T23:08:00.000-07:002008-06-09T23:09:02.229-07:00The Great Ordeal<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Chris M.<br /> <b>Location: </b>NJ</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"The Great Ordeal"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Miramax Films<br /> Produced by Saul Zaentz<br /> Directed by Shekhar Kapur<br /> Adapted by Julian Fellowes<br /> Cinematography by John Toll<br /> Film Editing by Steven Rosenbaum<br /> Costume by Ann Roth<br /> Art Direction by Steven Lawerence<br /> Set Direction by Jill Quertier<br /> Original Score by Patrick Doyle</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Sean Bean as Jean de Carrouges<br /> Vincent Cassel as Jacques Le Gris<br /> Emma Watson as Marguerite de Carrouges<br /> Supporting Cast:<br /> Rafi Gavron as King Charles VI<br /> David Tennant as Adam Louvel<br /> Joseph Fiennes as Jean Le Coq<br /> Bonnie Wright as Queen Isabeau<br /> And<br /> Maggie Smith as Dame Nicole de Carrouges</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"They had everything to gain and everything to lose"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>In 1386, the day after Christmas, a huge crowd gathers at a Paris monastery to watch two men fight a duel to the death to prove which man is right in God's view. The dramatic true story of the knight, the squire, and the lady unfolds during the devastating Hundred Years War between France and England, as enemy troops pillage the land, madness haunts the French court, the Great Schism splits the Church, Muslim armies threaten Christendom, and rebellion, treachery, and plague turn the lives of all into toys of fortune.<br /> <br /> Jean de Carrouges, a Norman knight returns from combat in Scotland to find his wife, Marguerite inconsolable and distressed. Marguerite accuses Jacques Le Gris, her husband's old friend and his fellow courtier Adam Louvel, of brutally raping her. The knight takes his case before the teenage King Charles VI, the highest judge in France. Amid Jacques Le Gris's vocal claims of innocence which are attested by his lawyer Jean Le Coq and doubts about the now pregnant Marguerite's charges (and about the paternity of her child), the deadlocked court decrees a "trial by combat" a duel. The 'duel' only dimly reflected the solemn grandeur of its medieval golden age, when angry nobles challenged each other and threw down the gauntlet, then sheathed themselves in armor, swore heavy religious oaths before priests, and spurred their warhorses onto a walled field to fight it out before thousands of witnesses with lance and sword and dagger, putting at risk their word and their honor, their fortunes and their lives, and even the salvation of their immortal souls. This trial by combat leaves Marguerites fate, too, in the balance; for Marguerite if her husband and champion lose, she will be put to death as a false accuser, and shall be burned at the stake. The world was not to see the like of such spectacles ever again. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Shekhar Kapur’s latest production brings to life a dramatic, tumultuous film with unforgettable characters who are caught in a fatal web of crime, scandal, and revenge. It is at once a moving human drama, a captivating detective story, and an engrossing work of historical intrigue. Kapur does not shy away from the brutality of this story, and his direction astutely goes for realism in the climactic battle scene, which is certainly gruesome, but handled to generate maximum suspense without descending into the exploitative. The collaborative efforts of Shekhar Kapur and Oscar winning scribe Julian Fellowes delivers in a way that should electrify critics and mainstream audiences alike. Fellowes smart adaptation of Eric Jager’s historical novel has created an engaging screen play that has created interesting characters that will stay with audiences long after viewing this film.<br /> <br /> Sean Bean leads this stellar cast, as Jean de Carrouges, a respected knight who learns of the heinous crime committed against his wife by his one time friend. This leads Carrouges, to challenge Jacques Le Gris to a duel, which was the culmination of years of bitterness and rivalry between the two men. Sean Bean is the noble knight who ends up fighting for his life. Beans’ Jean de Carrouges is a complete creation, a strange and complicated individual rendered palatable and fascinating by a sensationally good actor. Sean Bean gives a performance with such ball-of-fire intensity, and enormous emotional force that he will be too hard to be overlooked for this stunning acting achievement.<br /> <br /> Emma Watson makes a commanding impression on film goers in what is a beautiful departure from the children’s films she has become known for. In her first adult role she commands the screen with something subtler and more mysterious, playing Marguerite, the teenage wife of Jean de Carrouges who becomes the subject of rumor and gossip. Watson is volatile, sexy, challenging, and fearlessly inventive. Watson looks moviegoers straight in the eye and dares them to look away. It is a wonderfully complex creation, a wary survivor who’s both proud of her sex appeal and slightly uncomfortable with it. Marguerite may be shallow, but Watson makes her rarely unsympathetic. This is the performance that introduces Emma Watson as a serious actress.<br /> <br /> The juiciest role in The Great Ordeal, Jacques Le Gris, belongs to Vincent Cassel. Cassel plays the suave Jacques Le Gris, a well respected Frenchman who over time gains a reputation as a hero and womanizer, who eventually loses control and commits the most heinous crime against his one time friend’s young wife. Cassel is enthralling, he makes the role the personification of brilliant, hypnotic evil, and the screen jolts with electricity whenever he is on. Much has been made of Cassel’s' mesmerizing Jacques Le Gris; this is, without doubt, his most effective film appearance to date.<br /> <br /> The Great Ordeal is the event you’ve been waiting for.<br /> <br /> For You Consideration:<br /> <br /> Best Picture – Saul Zaentz<br /> Best Director - Shekhar Kapur<br /> Best Actor – Sean Bean<br /> Best Actress – Emma Watson<br /> Best Supporting Actor - Vincent Cassel<br /> Best Adapted Screenplay – Julian Fellowes</span></p>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-21497757842650244072008-06-09T23:07:00.002-07:002008-06-09T23:08:26.886-07:00Gypsy<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Michael<br /> <b>Location: </b>OK</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"Gypsy"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Rob Marshall<br /> Adapted by Bill Condon<br /> Distributed by Miramax Pictures<br /> Additional Music by Stephen Sondheim<br /> Costume Design by Colleen Atwood<br /> Art Direction by John Myhre and Gordon Sim </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Michelle Pfeiffer- Mama Rose<br /> Amanda Seyfried- June<br /> Kristen Bell- Louise<br /> Victor Garber- Herbie<br /> Curtis Holbrook- Tulsa<br /> Parker Posey- Tessie Tura<br /> Nia Vardalos- Mazeppa<br /> Veanne Cox- Electra</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"You gotta get a ticket.."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>Vaudeville was the only thing that Rose could ever imagine for her children. It was their calling in life and Rose was going to make sure they were on the Orpheum Circuit, the top vaudeville circuit of the day. Having no success at being discovered in kiddie shows, Mama took her star, June and her backup dancer, Louise on the road to get in bigger shows. After picking up a few other boys to dance backup with Louise, Rose met talent agent Herbie, who begins to represent the talented young group. As the years pass, the kids are now teenagers and still doing a little kid show, but finally after a lot of waiting, they are discovered and put on the Orpheum Circuit.<br /> <br /> The Circuit brings out everything that Rose has dreamed for her daughters, but problems arise soon. Louise and Tulsa, who is a backup dancer in along with her, are quickly finding love with each other, but Tulsa is just playing the innocent young woman. He and June are planning their own duet act and within days they leave Rose, Louise, and Herbie all by themselves. Louise is of course distraught, but Rose mistakes this for being upset that the act is over and forces Louise into her own act.<br /> <br /> Without the top notch act that they once had, Louise’s act is now performing from tiny theater to tiny theater and once by accident, they end up in a strip club. It is there that Louise learns and masters the art of the striptease with the help of the low class and unenthusiastic strippers, Tessie Tura, Mazeppa, and Electra. At first, Rose is aghast at the notion of her daughter stripping, but soon warms up to the idea. Herbie, disgusted, leaves Rose and Louise alone by themselves. Together, they decide to put Louise on tour, from club to club and she soon becomes the biggest striptease act in the nation. However, Louise soon grows to be weary of only stripping and leaves Rose by herself. It is then after so many years of pushing people, that Rose discovers why she is by herself in the world. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Most Broadway critics agree that Gypsy is perhaps the best American musical ever written. So why is it that the classic has never been properly adapted to the big screen? Never fear, Rob Marshall creates his own classic on the big screen with his latest achievement of “Gypsy”. It’s the triumph of the year and the best movie musical that has been released in the last 40 years. Filled with wonderful music and a compelling plotline, Gypsy tells the story of neurotic stage mother Rose (often referred to as Mama Rose or just Mama) who pushes her children into show business which ultimately turns into burlesque dancing. Rob Marshall clearly had a strong vision for the iconic film and was the perfect choice to helm the material. To him, film is an art form and that shows in all aspects of the motion picture. It was also very apparent that Marshall gave the actors fantastic direction as well because all of the performances are top notch. Michelle Pfeiffer is phenomenal in her rendition of the iconic role of Mama Rose. Her performance is one that will be talked about for years to come and surely will not ever be forgotten. Her acting chops are shown in so many spectacular scenes where she shines above the rest of the stellar cast. Particularly in the show-stopping scene with the song “Rose’s Turn”, Pfeiffer shows that she is an extraordinary artist that can master any genre, medium, or character. Among the class act performances is the excellent Kristen Bell who holds her own in a cast of talented veteran screen actors, deserves all of the accolades that are coming to her. Although, she hasn’t done a lot of film work, you could never tell with the emotion she provides and the unforgettable way she takes on a character that can often be very dull. Bell brings such life to the role and transforms the character in a person that is extremely easy to sympathize with. By far the best supporting performance of the year is given by this performer that has a bright future indeed. Amanda Seyfried is delightful in a smaller role in the film and is perfect for the peppy “more talented” June. While she is outshined by the powerhouse performances of Pfeiffer and Bell, she is still remarkable in her role. Victor Garber gives a fantastic performances as the semi-love interest/agent Herbie. He and Pfeiffer were perfect for the roles and have such amazing chemistry that is truly a wonder to behold. However, newcomer Curtis Holbrook is really the male standout of the film. Having very little prior experience, he delivers a delightful debut performance that fits in flawlessly with the feel of the film.<br /> <br /> Bill Condon writes yet again a great screenplay that is to die for. He’s added even more humorous quips that are sure to get your sides hurting in no time. He provides more depth to characters that are explored more and brings improvement to something that was almost perfect in the first place. Ever aspect of the film is just pure brilliance and deserves every acknowledgment out there. From Acting to Art Direction, Gypsy is by far the best film of the year and a movie musical that will live on forever, with performances that will never be beaten.<br /> <br /> FYC<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director- Rob Marshall<br /> Best Actress- Michelle Pfeiffer<br /> Best Supporting Actor- Victor Garber<br /> Best Supporting Actor- Curtis Holbrook<br /> Best Supporting Actress- Kristen Bell<br /> Best Supporting Actress- Amanda Seyfried<br /> Best Adapted Screenplay<br /> Best Art Direction<br /> Best Cinematography<br /> Best Costume Design<br /> Best Editing<br /> Best Sound Editing<br /> Best Sound Mixing </span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-82607701485666681952008-06-09T23:07:00.001-07:002008-06-09T23:07:53.449-07:00Here We Are Now<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> AJ Bell<br /> <b>Location: </b>TN</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"Here We Are Now"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"> <img src="http://theoscarigloo.com/2008/baitanoscar/april2008/Here.jpg" border="0" height="450" width="319" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Written and Directed by Todd Haynes</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Joe Anderson – Kurt Cobain<br /> Scarlet Johannsen – Courtney Love<br /> Matthew Lewis – Krist Novoselic<br /> Jason Lee – Dave Grohl<br /> Unknown 10 year old– Young Kurt Cobain</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"His passion was his music. His music made him famous. His fame destroyed him"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>Speaking from the tongue of an experienced simpleton who obviously would rather be an emasculated, infantile complain-ee. This should be pretty easy to understand.<br /> <br /> -Kurt Cobain's Suicide Note's First words.<br /> <br /> 1974 – Southwest of Seattle, WA<br /> <br /> 7 year old Kurt sits across the kitchen table from his parents. They are telling him that they plan on getting a divorce. Over the next 9 years Kurt is shuttled from estranged relative, to estranged relative in the hopes of finding a place where he truly belongs. A shame though, that there is no where on earth Kurt would ever feel he belonged.<br /> <br /> 1983- Aberdeen, WA<br /> <br /> Teenage Kurt(Joe Anderson) is a misunderstood high schooler. His counselors all believe his poetry to be anarchistic, whilst he knows it is just the reply to the longing for a sense of appreciation. A sense of love. A love he never thinks he gets. His enemies are the preps, the jocks, the "cool" kids. They wouldn't know cool if it bit them in the jockstrap. They often beat him up after school, but he just bottles it inside, and lets it flow out into words. At this juncture of his life, the only thing he cares about is Joy Division.<br /> <br /> 1985- Olympia, WA<br /> <br /> Aberdeen is a waste of time, Kurt says. He is moving to bigger and better things. In Olympia he forms a small garage band. He and his friends, Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl, decide to call it Nirvana. The legacy has begun. Fans start to crowd around the garage for their practices and they get a few small gigs before being noticed. They get signed to an indie record label, and Bleach was made. They were turned into underground mega stars overnight.<br /> <br /> 1991- Seattle, WA<br /> <br /> The band signs with a major label, Geffen, and records Nevermind. Their mainstream success is growing, but Kurt's happiness is not what it should be. The fame eats at him. He can't stand being this big. This important. He looks at his fans, and all he can see in the crowd are these preppy white boys, the same that used to beat him up in high school. His next album, In Utero, was a scapegoat for all his emotional distresses. But they didn't understand, they just kept coming back for more. He couldn't go on like this.<br /> <br /> 1992- Courtney, Kurt's Love<br /> <br /> Kurt was at a gig with the band when he spotted a groupie in the crowd. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her pure rock and roll beauty astounded him. Afterwards he invited her back to his place. Her name was Courtney. Courtney Love. The night was one the greatest nights of his life, spent doing cocaine, heroin, and making love to Love. He knew this was going to be the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Over the next two years, their relationship was spent writing songs, fighting, loving, shooting up, and having a beautiful daughter. Courtney inspired much of his later work, and it was hailed by critics as his most emotionally charged art. She was his teen spirit.<br /> <br /> 1993 – MTV Studios<br /> <br /> The band plays for MTV's Unplugged show. The performance was hailed as one of the greatest live performances of all time. This pleased Kurt, since he knew it was going to be one of his last. 5 months later, after having a child with the woman he was married to, Courtney Love, he locked his house, grabbed a shotgun off his wall, and slowly but surely, the wind put out the flame, of a candle named Kurt Cobain.<br /> <br /> I don't have the passion anymore, so remember, its better to burn out than to fade away.<br /> <br /> Peace, Love, Empathy.<br /> <br /> Kurt Cobain</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">In Todd Haynes's magnificent new biopic, Here We Are Now, Haynes paints the portrait of a poet tormented by his fame. His anguish is clearly due to the lack of structure and care he received as a child. The story itself is so brilliantly molded with pieces of archival footage, excerpts from Cobain's suicide note, and music taken from some of Nirvana's brightest moments. The most inventive scene is at the end, where Haynes mixes the MTV unplugged performance(remade of course) with Cobain's suicide. Beautifully haunting and heartbreakingly brilliant.<br /> <br /> Joe Anderson's portrayal is brilliant. He has moved up the ranks from supporting character (Control, Across the Universe) to leading man, and does so with a bang! He is the embodiment of what Cobain stood for. He walks like Cobain, talks in that sort of Mumble/Drawl that Cobain did. He moves on stage so much like Kurt, that it is scary. This is definitely the best performance of the year.<br /> <br /> Scarlett Johannson is a marvel playing the drugged out groupie in love, as Courtney Love. Love is, by all means, a trainwreck. An Johannson plays it to perfection. We see the love in her eyes, as she looks at Kurt. We see that underneath all the rock, all the drugs, all the sex, that Cobain and Love had something most people will never have. True love.<br /> <br /> The supporting characters are great too. Jason Lee as Dave Grohl and Harry Potter's Matthew Lewis as Krist Novoselic. All shine in the scenes they support. All worthy of many awards.<br /> <br /> This film goes up as one of the greats in terms of biopics. It is one of the standout films of the year, and many would compare it to 2003's Last Days, but if someone were to try and compare the two, they would fail, simply because this is such an instant classic. If I were to quote Cobain himself, "Here we are now, entertain us" well you have Kurt, you have.<br /> <br /> BEST PICTURE<br /> BEST DIRECTOR – Todd Haynes<br /> BEST ACTOR – Joe Anderson<br /> BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – Jason Lee<br /> BEST ACTRESS – Scarlet Johannsen<br /> BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY</span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-61726516583890704312008-06-09T22:19:00.002-07:002008-06-09T23:07:09.642-07:00High<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Sergio<br /> <b>Location: </b>Spain</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"High"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"> <img src="http://theoscarigloo.com/2008/baitanoscar/april2008/HIGH.jpg" border="0" height="475" width="314" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Paul Weitz<br /> Written by Peter Hedges, Chris Weitz</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Bill Murray as Professor Highsmith<br /> Frances McDormand as Patricia Lang<br /> Emile Hirsch as Chris Highsmith<br /> Anjelica Huston as Jacqueline Wells<br /> James Pickens Jr. as the Dean Johnson<br /> Anna Paquin as Sylvia<br /> Michael Stahl-David as Louis</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"Life is a constant failed examination"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>Professor Highsmith has received an anonymous letter that is tormenting his quiet and lonely life. He tries not to give it much thought, but it may put his career and reputation in danger. He tries to live his life as if nothing has changed, with his tyrannical teaching style and uncouth behaviour towards his colleagues, it was business as usual. All seemed calm until the dean makes it known that the groundless noted rumour is making it's way through the faculty and student body, causing quite the stir. On his way to his first class, he grimaces at the plethora of signs posted around campus, and tries to ignore the immaturity his morning class brings. The rumour jumps to the campus paper and the innocent anecdote becomes a big media sceptical starting with the headline, “High fraud; University doctor hasn’t passed one subject in the high school”.<br /> <br /> Is their proof? Someone could want revenge? His exams were notoriously cruel and unfounded.... Or maybe his last book that painted a poor picture of his home town and uneducated residents could have sparked hatred. It was all absurd to Professor Highsmith, after all his doctorate wasn't a fake. Though the worried, Dean Johnson had to do something and clarification was needed from the professor's old high school. Principal Jacqueline Wells from Flowerbed High School, and Highsmith’s ex-partner check and recheck his records, the rumours couldn't have been true!? They were on paper and whether he graduated or not, both educational boards agree upon a mandatory final exam, to wash their hands and feet of this Highsmith scandal, and leave all this surreal case behind. With his career in jeopardy, and pressure from the university, Professor Highsmith accepts the terms in acquiesce.<br /> <br /> Back to the town of Flowerbed, where he was born, where was grew up, married, had a child, and got divorce that would make him finally flee. A place full of ungrateful memories and angry people. After a somewhat obligated visit to his son Chris and ex wife Patricia; now a school teacher who writes successful vegan recipe books, he finds himself in a lonely motel room studying for an exam that is completely beneath his level of intelligence.<br /> <br /> High school principal Jacqueline Wells and Dean Johnson oversee the exam. The media has moved into the small town to scrutinize. Everything is well orchestrated and choreographed. It would all soon be over with they thought until the ball drops; Highsmith fails the exam. Commotion rises, and everyone's plan crumbles to a foot. The University has to fire Highsmith. The students and school board demand immediate action. Highsmith is at an all-time low, but is offered a chance to redeem himself. Though he would have to stay in Flowerbed, where he would go back to school.... to high school that is, in hopes to retake the final exam and find out who planted the seed of such discord that has almost completely ruined his life. Could his sham credentials be a blessing in disguise?<br /> <br /> Patricia offers him his old room above the garage, where he had spent the last year of his marriage. He will have to live again with his former family: his ex-wife, who is enjoying the situation, and a son he doesn't know, who’s doubting his sexuality thinking and contemplates an end to his relationship with girlfriend, Sylvia, and start a new and exciting one with a charismatic new classmate, Louis. A long year awaits Mr. Highsmith, who will be forced to live the life he tried throw away.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> “High” is the result of an act of reconciliation with some of the hardest years in the life of any person in the world; high school. The screenplay rises in a conversation between the writers, when Chris Weitz tells of a recurring nightmare about a phone call from his high school telling him that there was a mistake, and that there is a subject he didn’t pass. The three writers start talking about how they could change their lives if such a situation presented itself. They create a main character built with pieces from some of the most influent teachers of their academic years. A character in need of a big lesson in humility and who would need to understand his students, their dreams, problems and complex lives. They found their perfect character in Bill Murray, a great comic actor who has a melancholic touch. It was a big challenge for him to fit this tyrant professor with a forced evolution of a humble man who is fired because a big mistake from the past comes back to bite him. Bill Murray perfectly captures the character and plays one of his best roles ever. He is accompanied by the wonderfully funny, ironic and superb comedic performance of Frances McDormand. The comedic situations between the two are served, building up to one of the most hilarious ex-couples of all time. A sense to all this mess is given in the form of their son, played by Emile Hirsch; a great young actor who drives a great character, who is always shadowed by the strong personality of their parents, but carries on valiantly with maturity not found in his adult counterparts. The square is completed with the tied interpretation of Anjelica Huston’s character of Principal Wells. A support role but with a big presence. A very funny role of a sad and contained woman anchored by a past. "High" is a surprising small film, worth seeing, very funny and thought-provoking. Providing a great touch of sentimentality and humour from the experimental director, Paul Weitz (About A Boy, In Good Company, American Dreamz) who teams up with brother Chris, to compose an endearing script that is sure to entice the mind.<br /> <br /> FYC:<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director: Paul Weitz<br /> Best Original Screenplay<br /> Best Leading Actor: Bill Murray<br /> Best Leading Actress: Frances McDormand<br /> Best Supporting Actor: Emile Hirsch<br /> Best Supporting Actress: Anjelica Huston</span></p> <span style="color:#ffff00;"><b> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span></b></span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-9894105046196518062008-06-09T22:19:00.001-07:002008-06-09T22:19:32.894-07:00I Love Mammy<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Chris Moffitt<br /> <b>Location: </b>NC</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"I Love Mammy"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Taylor Hackford<br /> Written by Jimmy White and Taylor Hackford<br /> Produced by William J. Immerman, Jaime Rucker King, Stuart Benjamin and Taylor Hackford<br /> Edited by Paul Hirsch</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Hattie McDaniel- Queen Latifah<br /> Sam McDaniel- Mario Van Peebles<br /> Clark Gable- Josh Brolin<br /> Howard Hickman- Delroy Lindo<br /> Etta McDaniel- CCH Pounder<br /> Will Rogers- Chris Cooper<br /> Vivien Leigh- Anne Hathaway </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"In a time when racism and hate ruled America, she became loved"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>The film begins in 1929 with Hattie McDaniel, an aspiring actress, working as a washroom attendant at Club Madrid in Milwaukee. After some prodding and hard work, she convinces the manager of the Club to allow her to sing at the lounge. She becomes a regular and a fan favorite but it left her desiring more. After two years of singing at Club Madrid, McDaniel makes the decision to move to Los Angeles and meet up with her siblings, James and Etta.<br /> <br /> Her brother, James is a comical radio personality with a pension for creating over-the-top character. While in Los Angeles, she gets a job at her brother’s radio station playing wildly popular maid characters however she is not paid very high and has to struggle in a second job as a maid. Her radio popularity eventually leads her to get roles in films usually singing in the background of big chorus numbers. Yet these roles do not relieve the stress that working two jobs has placed on her. Her big break comes in 1934 when she lands a major role in the film, Judge Priest, where she sings and stars alongside Will Rogers. She begins a strong friendship with Rogers after the film but unfortunately their friendship comes to a tragic end when Rogers dies in 1935 after a plane crash. His death leaves Hattie very depressed and upset as he was her first major friend in Hollywood.<br /> <br /> McDaniel keeps on the rise to superstardom playing supporting characters such as maids in many studio films. In 1935, she surpasses her brother’s radio and film career causing some friction between the siblings. Sam accuses Hattie of selling out by playing supporting characters like maids. Hattie accuses Sam of being jealous and trying to hold her back. Their relationship is strained for some time.<br /> <br /> Later in 1935, she stars with Clark Gable in the film, Alice Adams, forming a strong friendship with Gable. The two treat each other as if they were family. However, the public pressure she feels as a rising star eventually begins to affect her personal life. She tried marriage for the second time in her life when she met and married Howard Hickman. When the two first meet it was love at first sight but soon the two begin to argue mainly over Hattie’s budding career. Their tumultuous relationship lasts only a year. The relationship leaves her with some doubts about herself and leaves her with some depression.<br /> <br /> McDaniel is able to recover and auditions for the role of Mammy in the highly anticipated film, Gone with the Wind but she feels that she blew the audition. However, thanks to the influence of her friend Clark Gable McDaniel receives the role and stars in the film alongside Gable and Vivien Leigh. She receives the best reviews of her career for the film and finally believes that she is accepted as an actress in Hollywood. However that feeling does not last long because she is not allowed to attend the Atlanta premiere of Gone With the Wind and sit with the other white actors due to Jim Crow Laws. Clark Gable is furious and plans to protest the premiere. Despite her anger and sadness over not being allowed to go to the premiere, the humble actress insists that her friend go even if she couldn’t. Eventually, McDaniel receives an Oscar nomination and wins for her performance as Mammy. The film ends with McDaniel going up on stage, receiving her Oscar and making history as the first African American Academy Award winner. McDaniel delivers her powerful acceptance speech in front of her friends and family to a standing ovation. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">“I Love Mammy”, Taylor Hackford’s look at the life of Hattie McDaniel is a beautifully inspiring take on the humble actress’ life. Queen Latifah embodies the role of Hattie McDaniel using her musical, comedic and dramatic skills in a perfect combination. Latifah mimics McDaniel’s quiet confidence and humble disposition in a way that very few other actresses could ever dream of. Queen Latifah’s performance is amazing but she is backed up by an amazing ensemble cast. Josh Brolin becomes the legendary Clark Gable, a task that few actors would ever attempt to accomplish. As Gable, Brolin embodies the sex appeal of the great actor while also presenting a sweet and nurturing side as seen in the scenes with him and Latifah’s McDaniel. Also, Mario Van Peebles transforms Sam McDaniel into a character that is equal parts jealous of and happy for Hattie’s success. His acting is superb as he throws out comedic one liners as a comical radio host while also showing quiet desperation when Latifah’s Hattie begins to eclipse his stardom.<br /> <br /> The film also delivers beauty on a visual level. Taylor Hackford transports the audience directly to the Great Depression and the 1930s with the help of brilliant costume design, art direction and cinematography. Make-up and costume design help to complete the Queen Latifah’s transformation into the legendary actress. Just like in his other Oscar nominated film Ray Hackford is undeniably brilliant by coordinating brilliant recreations of McDaniel’s musical numbers and films while also creating emotional scenes between McDaniel and her friends and family. Overall, “I Love Mammy” is a masterpiece that should generate plenty of Oscar nominations.<br /> <br /> FYC:<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director- Taylor Hackford<br /> Best Actress- Queen Latifah<br /> Best Supporting Actor- Mario Van Peebles<br /> Best Supporting Actor- Josh Brolin<br /> Best Original Screenplay- Jimmy White and Taylor Hackford<br /> Best Film Editing<br /> Best Costume Design<br /> Best Cinematography<br /> Best Make-up<br /> Best Sound Editing </span></p>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-78693358705008806012008-06-09T22:18:00.001-07:002008-06-09T22:18:36.666-07:00An Incestuous Story<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> T.D.<br /> <b>Location: </b>TX</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"An Incestuous Story"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Sam Mendes<br /> Written by Alan Ball and Carl Ellsworth<br /> Produced by Sam Mendes, Dean Zanuck and Bobby Cohen<br /> Distributed by Warner Bros.<br /> Cinematography by Tom Stern<br /> Costumes by Deborah Hopper<br /> Editing by John Gilroy<br /> Music by James Newton Howard </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Sean Penn as Charlie Olson<br /> Logan Lerman as Ryan Olson<br /> Viola Davis as Dr. Melestine Gardner<br /> Bonnie Hunt as Anna Burke</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"His father was the only love he had left. His son was the perfect cure for him. Their relationship was most disturbing story ever told..."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>Ryan Olson was sitting on the sidewalk on the other side of the street with the cops. Wrapped up in a heavy blanket with his head face down, he hears his angry and abusive father Charlie yelling and cursing at the police while being taken to the police station. After he’d been taken to the station, the remaining police officers try to talk with Ryan, but he just sits their in silence with his head face down. Not knowing what to do with him, the police pulls him up from the sidewalk, puts him into their car, and takes him to the station. At the station, the police escorts him pass his father, who was sitting in a cell cursing at the cops, and into a small office. They sat him on the couch, and they leave him there.<br /> <br /> Moments later, a stern woman walks into the office and introduces herself as Dr. Melestine Gardner. She was the station’s psychiatrist, and her job was to try to talk with Ryan. First, she questions him of why he was living in such an abusive household. He holds his head up, looks at her and says nothing. Irritated by his stare and silence, she asks him again loudly and he told her that if she asks him calmly he would speak. She does so, and he tells her that he was abused and raped by his father. He begins to cry, and Melestine comforts him and asked him to tell her how this all happened. He nodded, and Melestine sat down in her chair as he prepared himself to tell her how it all started…<br /> <br /> Four months ago, Ryan mother’s was killed in a car accident. He and his father Charlie were leaving the funeral that their neighbor and close friend Anna Burke had arranged for them since they didn't have the money to pay it off and went home. Charlie was so lonely and lost without his wife that he’d started drinking to make him feel better, but it only made life in the household worse. He began to act violently around the house and towards his son, who would occasionally beat him. One night, however, was a night Ryan will never forget. His father, who was severely drunk, came into his room and crawled into his son’s bed. He begins to brush his fingers through his hair and caress his body. He told Ryan that he reminds him of his mother, and that he was just as pretty as her. Stunned and scared, Ryan refuses to resist his father because he knew that his father would beat him if he did. Charlie grabbed Ryan’s face and kisses him. That night, Charlie Olson made love to his own son.<br /> <br /> Over the next four months it had been the same thing every single week. Charlie would get drunk from drinking, beat his son, and continue to make love to him on nights when he wants it. But one day, Ryan said to himself that this had to end. While his father was at the bar one night, he packed a few of his belongings and some food and headed towards the bus station to leave his father for good. On the way, Ryan passes through the bar and Charlie steps out and sees him. He begins to walk towards Ryan, who drops his suitcase and begins to run back down the road to Miss Burke's home. Charlie catches him and caries him back to theie house. Miss Burke, who was watching TV at the time, looked out her window and saw Charlie forcing Ryan into the house. She leaves her house to see if everything was all right, but once she peered through the window she sees Charlie violently beating his son. Anna calls the police on her cell phone as she watched Charlie constantly beat him. Moments later, the police came and arrested Charlie and covered Ryan in a heavy blanket...<br /> <br /> Melestine sat stunned in her chair without saying a word. Ryan looks at her, and gets off the couch and heads toward the cell where his father was being kept. Melestine follows him, and when the cops tried to stop him from seeing his father she told them to let him pass. They do so, and Ryan stands face to face with his father one last time. He looks at him, and then Charlie tells him to come here, but Ryan doesn’t and instead walks out. This was the last time Ryan would see his father ever again, and he became forever free from his abusive father.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> “An Incestuous Story” is this month’s most talked about bait directed by Academy Award®-winner Sam Mendes. His latest film on one of the most controversial topics in today’s society is a triumph, and will keep everyone talking all the way to the end of the year. It tells the story of how a young man deals with the abuse and intercourse from his abusive father after his mother was killed in a car accident, and he tells it to a police station’s psychiatrist. The film is mostly in flashback, but it flows through perfectly thanks to the outstanding editing of John Gilroy, the haunting score by Academy Award®-nominee James Newton Howard and powerful and well-written script by the strong duo of writers Alan Ball, an Academy Award®-winning screenwriter, and thriller writer Carl Ellsworth.<br /> <br /> Sean Penn, an Academy Award®-winner, gives an explosive yet subtle performance as Charlie Olson, a once loving father who turns to alcohol, abuse, and sex to help him get through the lost of his wife. Penn brings this character to life with great deal, and his performance has put him on nearly every critic’s choice for best actor of the month! Not only is he the only one appearing on the list, but so is his co-star Logan Lerman. Lerman equally gives an outstanding performance as Ryan, the smart and quiet son of Charlie. Lerman creates this character with great sympathy as he brings the pain and suffering of young Ryan to life. Both of the actors deliver great scenes together, and will definitely be a force to conquer in the Best Actor category during this month’s Oscar season. Also incredible in this film is Tony Award-winning actress Viola Davis. Davis plays Dr. Melestine Gardner, the police station’s psychiatrist. Davis is tough in this film, but through her character’s tough skin lies a deep and passionate woman who was able to reach through Ryan. Even though she only appears in the beginning and last bits of the film she still delivers the performance of a lifetime, and she’ll be the supporting actress contender to beat. Finally, there’s the magnificent Bonnie Hunt. Hunt plays the neighbor and close friend of the family Anna Burke. Her character isn’t in the film that long, but she plays the role quite well. She saves Ryan from his cruel and evil father, and Hunt gives a performance unlike her past performances in a total screen time of nearly 6 minutes, but she made the best of those little minutes by becoming a standout at the end. Overall, the cast is outstanding, and they deserve a lot of recognition come April.<br /> <br /> “An Incestuous Story” is a story filled with authentic and uncompromising moments that’ll leave you on the edge of your seat. The story is flawless and mesmerizing, and there’s not one single boring moment in this film at all. It’s dark, disturbing, clever, genuine, and very controversial, and it’s definitely one of this year’s best motion pictures. With its talented actors, amazing director,clever writers, and a great crew this is a film not to be missed come April.<br /> <br /> For Your Consideration<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director – Sam Mendes<br /> Best Actor in a Leading Role – Sean Penn<br /> Best Actor in a Leading Role – Logan Lerman<br /> Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Viola Davis<br /> Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Bonnie Hunt<br /> Best Original Screenplay<br /> Best Film Editing<br /> Best Original Score<br /></span></p>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-52827946661988482902008-06-09T22:17:00.002-07:002008-06-09T22:18:03.878-07:00The Killing of Sister George<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Tory<br /> <b>Location: </b>OH</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"The Killing of Sister George"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Stephen Frears<br /> Screenplay by David Hare, based on the play by Frank Marcus</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Helen Mirren (June Buckridge / Sister George)<br /> Naomi Watts (Alice 'Childie' McNaught)<br /> Miranda Richardson (Mercy Croft)<br /> Linus Roache (Leo Lockhart)<br /> Sara Botsford (Betty Thaxter)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"Thousands will tune in for the killing of Sister George..."</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>June Buckridge, a brassy, alcoholic British actress who portrays the beloved Sister George on a BBC soap opera, learns her character is to be killed off. This news, along with learning of the affair her lover, Alice McNaught, is having with predatory TV producer Mercy Croft, causes June's life to unravel.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Stephen Frears has directed this dynamic, haunting adaptation of the searing stage play to perfection. It is his best work as director, surpassing even his recent triumph with "The Queen". His "The Queen" star, Helen Mirren, equally works wonders here, turning June into a tour-de-force that is certain to win her another Best Actress Oscar nomination. Also in peak form are Naomi Watts as Mirren's childlike lover, and Richardson as the villainous producer with designs on Alice McNaught. Definitely these performances will mark Watts' and Richardson's returns to the Oscar nominee lists.<br /> <br /> FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION</span></p> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Best Picture<br /> Best Director: Stephen Frears<br /> Best Adapted Screenplay: David Hare<br /> Best Actress: Helen Mirren<br /> Best Supporting Actress: Miranda Richardson<br /> Best Supporting Actress: Naomi Watts</span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-31239734919502786432008-06-09T22:17:00.001-07:002008-06-09T22:17:32.703-07:00Learriving at Dawn<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Pierre<br /> <b>Location: </b>OH</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"Learriving at Dawn"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by: Alexander Payne<br /> Written by: Alexander Payne</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Jim Carrey (Kyle Jones)<br /> Paul Giamatti as (John Jones)<br /> Phillip Bosco as (Howard Jones)<br /> Catherine Keener as (Mandy Jones)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"Time Is Precious, Don’t Give It Away"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> 12P.M.<br /> Kyle hates his life. He just walked in his house from work and found out that his wife has left him a note saying that she has left, to pursue a life with her new found lover Jillian, a Mexican maid from Utah whom she met on the internet.<br /> <br /> 1P.M.<br /> He decides to end it all tying a rope to his neck, writing a goodbye letter to his family and a separate letter to his older brother John who he has not talked to since he was 19 and found his girlfriend at the time in bed with him when Kyle came home from college. When he is about to tip over the chair he gets a knock at the door and hears a familiar voice say hello. It is his father who he hasn’t seen ever since he divorced his mother when Kyle was 29. Kyle takes the rope off his neck, puts the chair back under the table and puts both letters in a drawer as if he is gong to finish what he started later. When he answers the door he finds his father standing there with his brother and his new wife, Mandy the same girl he fell in love with at 19.<br /> <br /> 4P.M.<br /> Mandy is 7 months pregnant and looking as beautiful as ever. Kyle loves the fact that she is happy but wonders why they are here. His father tells him that they were just passing through on they’re way to California and wondered if he wanted to come. His dad asks where Melinda was and Kyle tells him that she is visiting an old friend in Utah. He begins to wonder why they are going to California all of a sudden and how they passed through his state when they live in North Dakota and he lives in Texas. At first he doesn’t want to go until he finds out that his brother has actually been diagnosed with Lung Cancer (his father tells him while they watch his brother smoking a cigarette, just like when Kyle was 14 and caught him for the first time).<br /> <br /> 6P.M.<br /> They decide that they will go tomorrow so his brother can get some rest. While he is packing his clothes he begins to hear noises. At first he walks into the living room to see if it is his brother but finds out its not. When he walks in, his brother wakes up and asks him what is wrong. Kyle simply stares at him and begins to walk out of the room. John begs him to stay so they can talk. John tells Kyle that he is sorry and was always jealous of his older brother. Although John was always the most popular kid in school, Kyle had the respect from his parents and knew what he wanted to do with his life. John admits the day that he was caught with Mandy he felt kind of relieved because he knew he hurt John. He tells John that the reason that he came to take him on this road trip was to reconnect before he dies as they are talking John starts to cough and spit up blood. Kyle runs up to the guest room where he finds his father and Mandy kissing.<br /> <br /> 8P.M.<br /> As they are sitting in the lobby of the hospital in awkward silence his father finally opens his mouth and tells Kyle that he can’t let John know. Kyle gets up and asks the doctor if he can see his brother. The doctor agrees and he walks in the room. When he walks in the room and begin to talk to his brother he tells him he knows. When Kyle asks what he knows, John says that he knows that Mandy is cheating on him with Dad but John just didn’t want to be alone. He knew if he left her and with Kyle not talking to him he would not have anyone to be there for him. Then Kyle tells him that Melinda left him and just before they were about to come he was about to commit suicide. Then John shows Kyle his arms and shows him the scars from when he tried to commit suicide telling him that is the reason Mandy hasn’t left him.<br /> <br /> 11P.M.<br /> While Kyle is sleeping he is awakened by Mandy who is crying profusely. Kyle tells her that he didn’t tell John but Mandy is not there because of that. Mandy apologizes to Kyle for what happened so long ago. She pulls out the suicide letter that he wrote getting it from his pants pocket and confessing that she didn’t read the other one that was for John. While she is crying they get a phone call from the hospital.<br /> <br /> 12P.M.: The Next Day<br /> Howard is packing ready to leave and go home after finding out that his younger son has just committed suicide (tying the bed sheets to his neck and choking himself to death). He decides that he is going to end the relationship with Mandy once he gets home knowing that it is unhealthy for both of them. The only thing left in his mind is whether his oldest son will ever forgive him.<br /> <br /> Mandy is grieving and wondering if she could ever forgive herself for what she put her husband through. She is left wondering what would have happened if she would had never wanted to meet her first loves parents. She looks at her stomach and starts to wonder………..<br /> <br /> Kyle is sad but at the same time relieved that he resolved his problems with his brother before he committed suicide at the hospital. He finds the suicide letter he wrote to his brother and gives it to Mandy telling her not to open it until the day of the funeral. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Alexander Payne has created another masterpiece after his success with the film Sideways of what seems like forever ago. He brings his unique style of film making to this wonderfully written screenplay which is also written by him. This idea has been done before, the old “A man realizing things in a day” but not like this and this enjoyable since the Hours but not to be at all confused with the great film that is the Hours. “Learriving at Dawn” is as unique as its title and the Academy is sure to realize a fantastic film especially with the cast led by Jim Carrey. Jim Carrey is a respected snubbed actor who starred in such films as “Truman Show”, “Man on the Moon” and “Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind”. He is phenomenal and a joy to watch. He plays the depressed character looking for a way out, to perfection. Paul Giamatti* (Cinderella Man and Sideways) should gain another nomination after this performance since the Academy eats up these type of roles which is the diseased stricken man who finally realizes what kind of person he was. The scenes shared between him and Jim is going to go down as the best of the year. Catherine Keener* (Capote and Into The Wild) and Phillip Bosco (Savages) rounds out this great film with strong performances from both especially from Catherine Keener who could snatch up awards if people really connect with this unlikable character. With the performances and the screenplay this film is excellent and worth the price of admission. <br /> <br /> *= Academy Award Nominees<br /> *^=Academy Award Winners<br /> <br /> For Your Consideration:<br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director<br /> Best Original Screenplay<br /> Best Actor: Jim Carrey<br /> Best Supporting Actor: Paul Giamatti<br /> Best Supporting Actress: Catherine Keener<br /> Best Editing</span></p> <span style="color:#ffff00;"><b> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span></b></span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-10111529044023800092008-06-09T22:16:00.001-07:002008-06-09T22:16:57.761-07:00Lord of the Flies<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Zgamer<br /> <b>Location: </b>ID</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"Lord of the Flies"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Marc Forster<br /> Written by Steven Knight<br /> Based on the book by William Golding<br /> Cinematography by Roberto Schaefer<br /> Edited by Matt Cheese </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Freddie Highmore as Ralph<br /> Thomas Turgoose as “Piggy”<br /> Lewis McGibbon as Jack<br /> Alex Etel as Simon </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"We deny it. We shun it. We fear it. But in the end, evil is still there"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>Silence. This was Ralph’s world until his eyes opened to a new surrounding. He didn’t know how the plane crashed, but he knew that it had landed on an island. He looked around. There was no one there. No kids. No adults. No soldiers. He was alone. In front of him, a beach gently rolled waves onto the sand. It seemed so calm, cool and relaxing. And he did feel warm. He stripped his clothes off and dove head first into the waves. The flow of the water filled him with renewed life. He could never do this at home. Then, as the wave receded, Ralph saw something he didn’t expect to see. At the shoreline stood a chubby boy, dressed in the same boarding school uniform he had…<br /> <br /> Confusion. The sound of all the boys talking at once made the chubby boy’s head hurt. He didn’t like so much noise. His auntie’s candy store was always so quiet. Ralph blew the conch the two had found to quiet them all down. After a vote, Ralph was elected the leader, while Jack, who was beaten in the vote, would lead the choirboys as hunters. Their first order of business: make a fire so someone would rescue them. Ralph, Jack and a boy named Simon volunteered to find a good signal point. When the chubby boy offered to go with them, Jack responded, “We don’t need you fatty”. Then Ralph accidentally revealed the boy’s mocking nickname at school, “Piggy”. As the three leave for the trek, “Piggy” stands there, indignant over his new friend’s big mouth…<br /> <br /> Adrenaline. The anticipation of it filled Jack’s veins. The pig trail they had discovered was now Jack’s usual hunting spot. It was the first time he felt this good in a while. He still steamed over the boys voting that wimp Ralph as the leader instead of him. While he realized the conch was what made Ralph seem like a leader, he couldn’t stand the boy’s stubbornness towards rescue or his fat blob friend “Piggy”. All this thinking made his belly ached, having only eaten fruit for the last week. He needed meat and he was going to get it. Screw rescue! For now though, he thought he would have a little fun while he waited. Grabbing a small bit of clay on the ground, he smeared markings around his eyes and on his cheeks. He looked down at his reflection in a puddle. He liked how it looked. Even through the sweat and dirt he’s collected on him, he noticed that the paint brings something new to him. A side he’s never seen before. And it felt good too…<br /> <br /> Contention. Simon saw it happen and still sees it from his hideaway. An evil has been brewing inside the boys ever since Jack abandoned the group, though no one would admit it. It was his fault the fire went out while he hunted, but Simon knew it was mostly because he couldn’t stand Ralph anymore. The worst was the taunt he made before leaving; ‘If you want to have fun, I’ll be on the other side of the island.” Simon knew this had peaked many of the boys’ interest. It was only a matter of time until they decided whom they wanted to follow…</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> “Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her head. Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Bash her head.” This is a disturbing chant on its own terms. Now imagine a dozen half-naked pre-teen boys in war paint chanting this as they savagely stab a pig with crudely made spears. What do you get? One of the most memorable, if disgusting, scenes from Marc Forster’s interpretation of the classic book “Lord of the Flies”. Don’t be deceived by the cast folks. This is not a kid’s movie.<br /> <br /> Much like Golding’s novel, “Lord of the Flies”, adapted by Eastern Promise’s Knight, is a deep examination on the delicate balance of civilization and the potential for animalistic behavior. As the boys’ stay longer on the island, their primal “evil” nature begins to manifest itself. It’s just a game at first, but as the boys start to lose grip of their power to reason, they devolve into a savage, tyrannical way of life. Soon, the audience begins to understand, just as Ralph does, that without proper leadership, civilization crumbles and nothing can truly save it. The story extends more than to just the boys though. It’s a microcosm of the world around them. As Ralph and Jack wage a power war between each other, World War II rages in the real world. So, is it just man’s nature to keep fighting and succumbing to such horrible acts? This is the most potent question of the book and the film.<br /> <br /> This may well be Forster’s most ambitious film because he’s out of his comfort zone. However, that’s not to say he isn’t prepared. Like his previous films, there’s a slight surrealism to his presentation. Using brightly colored cinematography, beautiful jungle settings, an absence of musical score and minimal dialogue, you really feel like this island and its inhabitants are detached from the world we know. On that note, the cinematography is especially praiseworthy for its artsy execution. All the images, from that grisly kill to Simon’s “conversation” with the “Lord of the Flies” (a decapitated pig’s head on a stick), are staged like beautiful works of art and make excellent use of color and lighting. Forster isn’t just all flash here however. The storytelling is well crafted and professional throughout. Each part of the story reaches appropriate highs and lows without feeling forced and the sparse dialogue is faithful to the book’s great lines.<br /> <br /> All the performances are top notch, which is surprising considering a cast ranging between nine and sixteen. Freddie Highmore gives a career best here as Ralph. As one of the few voices of reason in the film, the audience can relate to the difficulties of keeping his democratic leadership together and his frustration over its failure. His nonverbal work is superb, making great use of facial expressions and gestures. The supporting cast is equally talented. Turgoose, having gained a few pounds to play this role, does a great job playing “Piggy”. You sympathize with the fact that while he’s obviously the smartest boy in the group, he’d be incredibly annoying to have as a friend. Of course, this is before his untimely demise near the end of the film, which gives his character a lot more purpose. McGibbon is an ideal Jack, as his descent into tribal behavior feels natural and is well performed. This, along with his cunning delivery, should consider him Oscar worthy. And then there’s Etel, whose innocent Simon becomes a martyr to help the film make its point.<br /> <br /> “Lord of the Flies” is one of the year’s best adaptations. With its artistic presentation, powerful storytelling and talented youth cast, it will be a force to reckon with come Oscar night.<br /> <br /> Award Possibilities<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director (Marc Forster)<br /> Best Actor (Freddie Highmore)<br /> Best Supporting Actor (Lewis McGibbon)<br /> Best Adapted Screenplay (Steven Knight)<br /> Best Cinematography (Roberto Schafer)<br /> Best Art Direction<br /> Best Editing (Matt Cheese)</span></p><span style="color:#ffff00;"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></b></span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-29155877507151038182008-06-09T22:15:00.002-07:002008-06-09T22:16:24.786-07:00The Night Shift<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Alex S.<br /> <b>Location: </b>Mexico</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"The Night Shift"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"> <img src="http://theoscarigloo.com/2008/baitanoscar/april2008/Night.jpg" border="0" height="402" width="313" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Fernando Meirelles<br /> Produced by Simon Channing-Williams, Robert Fox & Fernando Meirelles<br /> Written by Jeffrey Caine, David Arata & Timothy J. Sexton<br /> Executive Producers Redmond Morris & Debra Hayward<br /> Edited By Claire Simpson A.C.E<br /> Cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki A.S.C<br /> Music by Alberto Iglesias<br /> Costume Design by Albert Wolski<br /> Production Design by Jim Clay<br /> Art Direction by Ray Chan & Mike Stallion<br /> Set Decoration by Nancy Haigh & Jennifer William</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Matthew Goode – Lt. Simon Keetch<br /> Naomie Harris - 2nd Lt. Abigail Morrison<br /> Eddie Redmayne – Sgt. Maxwell Collins<br /> Jodie Whitaker – Pvt. Angela Harris<br /> Luke Treadaway – Cpl. Nigel Fulton<br /> Amr Wacked - Omar Razaghi</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"Some things are better left off in the dark"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>The wind was blowing and the sand with it, large mountains quickly became small hills as the scenery in Basra revealed itself. A small regiment was located in a military base near the city, inside this walls a horrid smell was felt an you could easily hear a drop of water that had already become a puddle in the humid floor, through this large and dark subterranean halls a large row of prison cells were on display, each one filled by a POW or a man suspected of illicit activities. Lt. Simon Keetch was the commanding officer of a group of very particular soldiers; the way they operated was anything but normal, their actions were brutal and excessive during combat, showing no mercy to even the innocent.<br /> <br /> Lt. Morrison was appointed to report to this base after some very disturbing rumors concerning the treatment of prisoners; Morrison was a tough woman with great sense of duty and impressive ethics. At her arrival she instantly perceived that something wrong was going on, a specific group of soldiers in charge of the night shift, Sgt. Maxwell Collins a rich kid, Pvt. Angela Harris a tomboy with a very intense and aggressive personality and the most disturbing of all Cpl. Nigel Fulton, a every quite man but with a terrifying presence and a behavior worthy of a psychopath; all of them had little to no scruples and conducted themselves with no responsibility or respect to the prisoners, making fun of them and treating them under inhuman conditions.<br /> <br /> Morrison quickly reported these incidents to Keetch, only to find out that the fame that precede him was in fact true, he was a cold blooded man who showed no remorse or value to life. She found herself confused and alone, she befriended one of the prisoners who had been there for almost a year now, they became very close. Keetch quickly noticed this.<br /> <br /> Even with his exterior Simon Keetch was a very intelligent man who knew how to take advantage of every situation making him a very calculative man with more that just a simple hate in him, he knew how and when to do everything and nothing happens without his approval.<br /> <br /> In those walls there was more happening than simple torture, as soon as you entered that building you left your humanity and conscience at the door. Nothing would ever noticed one lost corner of the world where the example of what humanity is, takes form. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> “The Night Shift” Fernando Meirelles’ new film shows a side of the war never seen before on film. After the much publicized cases of torture in Iraqi prisons during the last years, Meirelles attempts to explore the reasons and motivations of these soldiers, it explores the minds and psyche, a deeply intelligent and profoundly moral examination of a world where the political and the personal cannot ever be kept apart. Elaborate, cynical, ambitious, eager, visually arresting, the film wants it all and gives plenty; taut, intelligent thriller that delves into the motives, good and bad, that fuel human passions or the lack thereof.<br /> <br /> Meirelles's technique, bravura camerawork coupled with crisscross editing -- makes what might have been a straightforward political thriller his own. A somber, angry, cynical, slow burn of a political potboiler that is also, against all odds, an effectively moving human story, Meirelles paints the immorality and misery of rural Iraq on a striking canvas to be able to say what he wants his film to tell us, this positions Meirelles as a leading director of electrically charged dramas with social consciences. Meirelles has performed a minor miracle. He's made a film that introduces us to a little-known world, which hums with suspense, and reenacts the destruction of men both physically and psychologically. And he has created something that is irresistible.<br /> <br /> Meirelles clearly trusts his actors, particularly Harris and Goode: The plot of The Night Shift is fairly intricate, but in the end, the story is told mostly in their faces. Harris does a brilliant job of communicating his character's inner turmoil through subtle facial expressions and inflections of his voice, her best screen performance to date; her relationship with Wacked is complex and genuinely affecting. Goode’s blistering, devilish performance is the greatest of his career, muscular, visceral, venomous and restrained all at once if you can imagine that, ultimately the film belongs to Goode, whose devotion to character is itself a bit mad. Luke Treadaway a newcomer amazes as the most unnerving screen villain of the year, a monster who sets the bar in terms of tension, scary-smart and horrifyingly appealing, he delivers a terrific performance. And Whitaker, her walk, her body language are totally different from anything she’s done before and is breathtaking, a hideous troglodyte, with pity, volcanic anger, confusion, occasional euphoria and mostly, impenetrable sadness a tour de force.<br /> <br /> This is one of those rare movies that feels genuinely alive; it’s about something substantial and there wasn’t a moment when I wasn’t involved. An engrossing, intelligent, emotionally powerful and mostly well-acted film that works as both a nail-biting adventure and a sobering lesson on the ongoing apocalypse of the war, at times comical, at times bitterly ironic, and at still others borderline surreal, Meirelles’ direction deftly highlights the insanity of the war and its debilitating effects on those who are forced to fight it., one of the most amazing pieces of cinema ever produced, capturing not only the ugliness and ridiculousness of Iraq, but exposing the dark heart of man as well.<br /> <br /> For Your Consideration<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director – Fernando Meirelles<br /> Best Actor – Matthew Goode<br /> Best Actress – Naomie Harris<br /> Best Supporting Actor – Luke Treadaway<br /> Best Supporting Actress – Jodie Whitaker<br /> Best Original Screenplay – Jeffrey Caine, David Arata & Timothy J. Sexton<br /> And in all categories…</span></p>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-65064135717212098272008-06-09T22:15:00.001-07:002008-06-09T22:15:53.634-07:00No Talking Necessary<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Ryan<br /> <b>Location: </b>N/A</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"No Talking Necessary"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Michael Radford<br /> Written by James Siegel<br /> Music by Mark Isham </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Clive Owen (Samuel Davis/Adam)<br /> Rachael Taylor (Laura)<br /> Gerard Butler (Marcus Stark/Jake)<br /> Kate Winslet (Karen Davis)<br /> Dennis Quaid (Gregory Reed/Owen)<br /> Michelle Monaghan (Brenda Bassett/Misty)<br /> James Woods (Detective Matthew Fanning) </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"During One Night Stands, Talking Isn’t Necessary"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>Samuel Davis (Clive Owen) has been married to his wife Karen (Kate Winslet) for five boring yet loving years with the job of a wealthy Wall Street accountant for nine. While Samuel contemplates divorce, it was after he was diagnosed with a possibly fatal illness, he develops an undying gratitude to Karen who was at his bedside for more than three months; rejuvenating their marriage. But, this was three years ago.<br /> <br /> Bored again with work and life, he is looking for adventure and the opportunity comes knocking at his door, literally, from his new business partner Marcus Stark (Gerard Butler). Wealthy at a young age from his own business; Marcus is fearless and smart, a deadly combination.<br /> <br /> About to close a multi-million dollar deal with the eccentric Marcus; Marcus first wants to take Sam out for a night on the town. They arrive at an alleyway door labeled, “The Bloom”, a sex club.<br /> <br /> The rules are simple, don’t ask, don’t tell. No talking necessary. No talking is allowed about personal, family or work life both ways. Reluctant but ready to give it a shot, Samuel takes on the persona of Adam and Marcus becomes Jake. Seeing some work partners like broker Gregory Reed (Dennis Quaid) who is Owen and Secretary Brenda Bassett (Michelle Monaghan) who is now Misty; Samuel is shocked to see these ordinary people and after an awkward conversation, he assumes that they are surprised to see him there too.<br /> <br /> As Marcus goes with a dirty blonde “named” Dakota, Samuel takes the other blonde, Laura (Rachael Taylor). Sweating and nervous, the night gets off with a bang and ends with one too. After the intercourse, Samuel can only feel horrible remorse and confession. Wanting to leave as quickly as possible, he darts out of the nearest exit, but stumbles upon a bleeding Gregory.<br /> <br /> Unsure what happened, the pool of blood is expanding quickly and in between seizures all that Gregory can say is Jake; Marcus’ “other” name. Trying to resuscitate him, Samuel ultimately fails and out of sheer nervousness takes off.<br /> <br /> Escaping the scene before the police arrive, Brenda catches Samuel while exiting the club. Samuel explains the events to his memory and Brenda half-heartedly believes him, not having a reason not to, Samuel always being honest. Swearing each other to secrecy that the event never happened, they both walk. The next day at work Samuel is interrupted by Detective Matthew Fanning (James Woods) who questions Samuel about Gregory’s body found in the morning. Brenda and Samuel comprehending the new situation they believe someone may be framing them for murder. Assuming it was Marcus; the theory is too vague and if he admits it, then the cops will know that he lied to them.<br /> <br /> Anxiously coming home to his wife after work, Samuel looks as if he has seen a ghost. Laura is sitting on his sofa in his house. Karen tells him that she is an old high school friend that just moved into town, seeing her for the past week. Samuel realizing that she knows his real identity believes she is the one that murdered Gregory after finding out that things were left at the crime came from his own home; someone needing inside access to take.<br /> <br /> Not able to ask Karen about Laura without giving away his were-about, he goes back to “The Bloom” trying to find information. Needing to be sneaky to not ask questions that fall under the stringent policy, Samuel is in for a challenge. The first night he meets with Maggie and the second night, Kate, both not claiming to know Laura or her ever working there. The third night he meets with Dakota, the same one Marcus spent the night with and she claims that she never saw him there before that night and he never came back.<br /> <br /> Down trotted, on his way home he spots Marcus and Laura at a nearby café, with him handing her what looks like his palm pilot. Frightened, containing just about every piece of information to him, Samuel races back to work to see if it is missing and at the office, Brenda is sitting at his desk snooping, changing, sending and deleting files from his computer.<br /> <br /> Not knowing what is going on, Samuel understands he is in a game MUCH larger than himself and that Marcus and Laura are his best leads to solving the mystery. However, he wonders if it is all a trap with the many coincidences. Not knowing what they are after or even want to THINK about what they are after, he decides he must come clean to his wife. When he arrives home though, he notices that both cars are gone, his house ransacked and his wife missing. His bank accountant is empty and all of the cash in his house is gone. Unsure if his wife is hurt or part of this elaborate conspiracy, frightened Samuel must leave to find out what is happening. However, things are delayed when Detective Fanning and a police squad stand outside Samuel’s house to arrest him for the murder of Gregory Reed.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> “Two thumbs WAY up!”-Ebert & Roeper<br /> <br /> “Sexy, Thrilling, and Mysterious, you won’t be able to “Talk” when it’s over!”- People<br /> <br /> “A+! Best thriller in ages.”-Entertainment Weekly<br /> <br /> “I came out with my knuckles white and my blood rushing.”-Rolling Stone Magazine<br /> <br /> In this confusing but ultimately rewarding conspiracy thriller drama, not everyone is who they appear to be. Two-time Oscar nominee Michael Radford directs the complex picture with aplomb and skill that will be enough to get him his third nomination and if not win. Radford uses a mixture of hand-held and steady-cam shots. In a movie with a fair share of nudity, he makes none of it seem gratuitous, but rather another piece in the large and intricate puzzle.<br /> <br /> New York Times Bestselling author James Siegel takes his first stab at writing a screenplay and it is a huge success. Siegel writes conspiracy theory stories that are filled with twists and turns on every single page. The same goes for this film with many rousing spitfires.<br /> <br /> Clive Owen who starred in one of Siegel’s book adaptations stars in this as a man thrust into a confusing game that he doesn’t have the first clue at playing. The audience feels the same as our main character but understands as he does too, making the film a unique and shared experience. Handling the role wisely, you feel empathy and remorse for him, playing an upstanding citizen and husband, even though he has made some mistakes.<br /> <br /> Gerard Butler is spectacular as Marcus who is a person with more shades of colors than a box of Crayola’s in his best role to date. Quaid shines in his small part and Woods is fantastic as the detective who somewhat believes Samuel, not what typically happens in most films, even if he thinks he has it all figured out.<br /> <br /> “Transformers” hottie, Rachael Taylor gets an even bigger break as Laura as a character that is stone-cold and you can never guess what she will do next. Meticulously going through her enthralling lines and never showing a moment of weakness, Taylor is certainly the next big thing.<br /> <br /> Kate Winslet is terrific as always and maybe this time she will finally “win” the coveted prize. Winslet plays the role in a way that you never are able to guess if she is a part of the game or just trapped in it like Samuel, which makes it thrilling, especially with the meaty dialogue she swiftly chews through.<br /> <br /> Michelle Monaghan is fabulous as the secretary playing in a boy’s game. Even with a smaller part she still makes just as big as an impression in one of the most confusing roles, after she is seen on Samuel’s computer.<br /> <br /> While one can go on and on about how spectacular “NO TALKING NECESSARY” is, one can only truly grasp the wonder one has in no other way than seeing it again and again and again.<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director: Michael Radford<br /> Best Screenplay: James Siegel<br /> Best Original Score: Mark Isham<br /> Best Actor: Clive Owen<br /> Best Supporting Actor: Gerard Butler, James Woods<br /> Best Actress: Rachael Taylor<br /> Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet, Michelle Monaghan </span></p>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-35995934403486266882008-06-09T22:14:00.000-07:002008-06-09T22:15:14.929-07:00Our Family Exactly<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Douglas Reese<br /> <b>Location: </b>MI</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"Our Family Exactly"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"> <img src="http://theoscarigloo.com/2008/baitanoscar/april2008/OurFamily.jpg" border="0" height="536" width="365" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Jason Reitman<br /> Written by Jason Reitman and Peter Hedges<br /> Produced by Peter Hedges, Jason Reitman, David O. Russell, Russell Smith, and Mark Woolway<br /> Edited by Dana E. Glauberman</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Jason Bateman … Teddy Heston<br /> Kathy Bates … Deborah Harris<br /> Zooey Deschanel … Prudence<br /> James Franco … William Kramer<br /> Josh Hartnett … Ethan Kramer<br /> Mary-Louise Parker … Becky Paulson<br /> Scott Wilson … Bob Harris</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"Nothing Brings a Family Together Quite Like a Nice Punch in the Jaw"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Somewhere in America<br /> December 1987<br /> <br /> He asked to stay for only a few weeks. How many would that be? Three, four, or I dread – five? He’s my brother, yes, but William is such an irritating person to be under the same roof with. Trashy, still on heroin no matter how many times he says he isn’t, he sits there; most of the times watching my TV, while I am at work as news station editor, struggling to feed myself as it is.<br /> <br /> After dealing with William’s aggravations for three long days, I get a call from mom. She is stunned to see William back with the family and asks me to prepare Christmas for the entire family, which includes out older sister Becky, her fiancé Teddy, and stepdad Bob. Why is everything crashing in on me this one rigid week? William offers to help, but instead leaves to “find a job”. I’m impatient with him. When he arrives back home, he brings along a blonde woman who calls herself Prudence. She is a beautiful girl, no matter how lewd her clothing and behavior is, and she is constantly singing Beatles songs. She’s a nice girl - offers to help raise money for the dinner. I’m not one to pass the offer up since she makes quite a bit of cash. Prostitution pays well.<br /> <br /> Christmas dinner has to be perfect. More than perfect … it has to be impeccable! Mom always has to have things more ideal than the usual normal person. She’s the kind of person who would cause a ruckus over a piece of lint on the floor. She’s stuck with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and also with a very fowl mouth, which sadly, the whole family is stuck with as well. Stepdad Bob is a quiet old fellow. About ten years older than mom, they’ve been married for ten years, and the only words Bob really says is the prayers before dinner, and to every once in a while tell mom: “Shut up, Deborah.”<br /> <br /> Our sister Becky is the odd one. She was adopted when mom was in her late twenties. It’s quite obvious she’s not blood related since she is more calm and collective than the rest of us. Becky is the typical overworked mid-aged woman, even though she only just recently, at the age of 42, found the one man she would like to spend the rest of her life with. Teddy is a peculiar doctor, lacking much of any charisma and one who seems to hold more control with Becky’s life than with his own.<br /> <br /> December 25 finally comes around. Prudence really did help out and she stays for the dinner as William’s girlfriend. The whole family arrives and we eat, listening to the harsh words of the critical mother, she finds the food pure crap. Bob tries to gain control of her, but fails. She remains the biggest disturbance of the day. But, Prudence has problems of her own as her pimp, Snoopy, appears at the door to start trouble with William. And to top it all off, Teddy threatens to leave Becky after mom tells him a story of a sexual dilemma Becky had as a teenager. And I sit back and I watch.<br /> <br /> What a wonderful reunion for my wonderful family…</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">From Academy Award-nominated writer/director Jason Reitman, “Our Family Exactly” is the quirky and dark indie comedy that Reitman and co-writer Peter Hedges (“Dan in Real Life”) whimsically construct a family torn to pieces by one another, but also portrays it an almost brutally humorous setting – bringing forth a comedy for the ages that one can laugh and shed a tear at. Locating their story in December of 1987 – “Somewhere in America”, Reitman brings forth a flavorful period with quirky style to introduce the family individually from the point of the view of the middle child, Ethan, whom actor Josh Hartnett portrays with a straightforward premise that makes you believe that he may be the only ripe apple in the family tree. His family is constantly putting him down, but he only stands aligned with himself and sees his family as sick, and as if he needs to do things for them no matter how frustrating they can be.<br /> <br /> As his younger brother William, James Franco brings a very harsh look at a drug addict, scarred for life by an uncontrollable addiction, but hides it with his quietness, and with the kindness he tries so hard to project, even though most of the time he fails and gets negative reactions from his kin. When he meets the prostitute Prudence, he doesn’t take note that she is a hooker and that is why he pays so much to her - because her job cannot disrupt what they have. Actress Zooey Deschanel brings such brightness to her character that one remembers long after leaving the theater.<br /> <br /> The boys’ mother, Deborah, is the kind of character that could easily be played to exaggerated lengths. Instead, Oscar-winner Kathy Bates takes Deborah’s over-the-top qualities and pushes them under the rug to make it seem as if Deborah is keenly aware, but clearly unapologetic, for her words and actions that always upset others. But Bates also portrays a sweet side. While Deborah is totally rude, she finds time in loving her husband Bob, no matter how much Bob seems to be embarrassed around her in front of their own relatives. Scott Wilson also makes Bob seem the same. Caring and loving for his wife, but somewhat obscure and distant from everybody else. He’s been in the family for ten years, but he instead shows quietness unlike Deborah’s loud and obnoxious behavior.<br /> <br /> Mary-Louise Parker plays adopted sister, Becky. Parker doesn’t let Becky touch anywhere but strong-willed, even though at times she is shown as being naïve. While many look at her this way, she follows along until her performance turns full-throttle during a scene involving Deborah’s questions concerning Teddy’s demanding control over Becky’s actions. Becky shows rage that her mother would think that she would be too dumb to recognize. “We’re working on it,” she tells her, and Parker makes for greatness with her many layers in this sequence, as well with the scenes involving Teddy, whom Jason Bateman illustrates with great complexity. He is not a likable guy, and he is actually quite rude to everyone. But there is still that love that he has somewhere in him that keeps the viewer from fully despising him. The scene in which Deborah tells him of Becky’s sexual promiscuity as a teen, he is destructed, heartbroken. And a scene in the parking lot shows his pain without being typical romance movie convolutions, and instead a heartbreaking look at this couple falling apart even though they do share that love for one another. In this case, family has ruined their relationship, but cannot stop their emotional bond.<br /> <br /> This is the truth that “Our Family Exactly” depicts. That family is both destructive and irritating, even though at times quite pleasant and memorable. These are themes that have fallen into cliché hell in other films, but under Jason Reitman’s direction of his and Peter Hedges’ screenplay, we see pure realism seeping through the many comical situations. A brilliant, tour-de-force screenplay that zips unforgettable dialogue, and uncanny characters for the actors to bring wonder to, that one falls in love with every inch of it, knowing that without that wonderful script, the film would not remain as poignantly funny as it is.<br /> <br /> What the film is most remembered for, however, is the beautifully constructed ending involving Ethan giving his Christmas gift to the family. A gift best left unsaid and up to the viewer to see for themselves after enduring the movie’s marvelous moments. All that should be given away, however, is that the gift is one that leaves all of the family members, especially Deborah, in tears as they realize how important they are to one another. This scene is so well-directed and strikingly written that it proves the genius of the screenplay, Reiman’s talents, and how amazing comedy can be. This is comedy done right…<br /> <br /> For Your Consideration:<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director<br /> Best Original Screenplay<br /> Best Actor (Josh Hartnett)<br /> Best Supporting Actor (Jason Bateman, James Franco, or Scott Wilson)<br /> Best Supporting Actress (Kathy Bates, Zooey Deschanel, or Mary-Louise Parker)<br /> Best Film Editing</span></p>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-78753587931282514162008-06-09T22:13:00.002-07:002008-06-09T22:14:26.998-07:00Owner of a Lonely Heart<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Jeffrey<br /> <b>Location: </b>NY</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"Owner of a Lonely Heart"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Takeshi Kitano<br /> Written by Masayuki Suo</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Suzuka Ohgo as Young Megumi Yokota<br /> Do-Yeon Jeon as Older Megumi Yokota<br /> Sung-ki Ahn as Sin Gwang-su<br /> Min-sik Choi as Kim Young-nam</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"Taken from a life she never knew. Staying in the hearts of those who could never forget her"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>Megumi Yokota was a normal teenager in 1970s Japan, a girl with friends, family, crushes, and teenage angst. Her life in Niigata seemed to be going just fine.<br /> <br /> It wasn't until October 15th, 1977 that everything changed. Sin Gwang-su was a spy from North Korea who had gone through the process of stealing identities to blend in with the Japanese population. When Megumi witnessed one of Sin's suspicious spy transactions with a fellow colleague, he abducted her and snuck her into North Korea.<br /> <br /> One day later. When Megumi awakens from a passed out state in a cold, empty room, she watches two North Korean officials rummaging through the corpse of a dead Japanese man for his identification. Impulsively, Megumi begins to cry, alerting the officials of her presence. They induct her into an elite North Korean training school for Japanese hostages.<br /> <br /> Throughout the course of many years, Megumi picks up bits of Korean and eventually is deemed competent enough to conduct informational classes to North Korean spies (on the language and culture of Japan). To spare her life, she unwillingly educates not only a plethora of antagonizing spies, but also her intimidating captor: Sin Gwang-su.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile in a bustling Tokyo: there is a media frenzy about a spring of kidnappings by North Korean spies. Megumi is speculated as one of the citizens abducted over three years prior to the announcement. Japan becomes so attached to the case of young Megumi that songs, films, and even manga become dedicated to her.<br /> <br /> As Megumi matures throughout her teaching career, and several years spent in foreign territory pass, she begins to fall in love with a South Korean abductee named Kim Young-nam. Although Kim is one of the few things in North Korea that can make Megumi feel at ease, she cannot fight off her severe depression that she has been battling ever since her arrival in the hostile nation. She repeatedly attempts suicide even once she becomes pregnant with Kim's baby. She gives birth to a daughter in 1987.<br /> <br /> 1994. One night, after she prepares a meal, Megumi whispers her feelings in Kim's ear and has her worst mental breakdown ever. He tries to console her, but there is too much for her weakened and neglected heart to withstand. She picks a gun up off the counter (normally used for protection against rebels), and she slowly walks into her room. Kim begs her to come to him, but she locks herself inside with the gun. Kim slumps down beside the door, trying to coax her to into coming out. The screen fades to black.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> A new artistic venture by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano has captured the hearts of critics globally: "Owner of a Lonely Heart", which takes its name from the hit Yes song. It tells the emotional true story of one of sixteen (confirmed) captured Japanese citizens by North Korean spies, and her internal struggle while away from the support system of family and the love a teenager needs to keep them motivated about life. The main character, Megumi Yokota, is deprived of her support system at the crucial age of thirteen, and is faced with even more turmoil due to being forced by a foreign government to train spies to infiltrate her home country.<br /> <br /> There are essentially two sagas of "Lonely Heart", the Japanese Megumi and the Korean Megumi portions. In a stylish, unique approach to filmmaking, Takeshi Kitano and screenwriter Masayuki Suo (writer of hit Japanese film Shall We Dance) casted Japanese Suzuka Ohgo to play the part of the younger persona of the main character, and then proceeded to cast a Korean woman to play the older Megumi. This nationality switcheroo is a smart and effective way to visually, and even verbally, portray Megumi's change throughout the film. Her acculturation into Korean society is symoblized by her, in essence, change into a Korean woman.<br /> <br /> Suzuka Ohgo has a striking innocence to her whenever she tackles on a new role (her performance in Memoirs of a Geisha was lauded by several critics). The audience is moved by her loneliness, and her struggle to juggle life and betrayal. Ohgo's acting is strikingly subtle in its execution. There can be no doubt in anyone's mind that, being performed by Suzuka Ohgo, Megumi Yokota truly is a simple Japanese teenager turned into a distraught, rapidly maturing young woman.<br /> <br /> Do-Yeon Jeon's approach to the diffused Japanese girl is similar, but still unique. Her subtleness is now faced more with angst than with innocence. Jeon, who first gained world-wide attention for winning Best Actress at Cannes for "Secret Sunshine", doesn't disappoint in Kitano's masterpiece. She slowly progresses through her state of depression and mental illness with such realism that I, myself, thought she may have truly experienced such a state in her real life. Do-yeon Jeon is a contender this year for Best Actress at the Oscars, and will be a lock if she can fight off the foreign language hurdle.<br /> <br /> Starring beside the Asian knock-out duo is Min-sik Choi, who movie buffs will know as the star from Oldboy. Although not quite as tortured and troubled in "Owner of a Lonely Heart", he still packs an emotional punch as the sole support system for the character of Megumi. The character of Kim Young-nam is essential to the story for his sense of humanity in Megumi's barren abyss.<br /> <br /> Sung-ki Ahn is also worth mentioning as the most focused-on antagonist of the film. Anh's character Sin Gawng-su is not only the captor of Megumi, but also of her freedom, and a part of the nation of Japan. Anh gives a memorable and awe-inspiring villainous portrayal.<br /> <br /> The ending of the film is what stands out to most people. The controversy over Megumi's suicide is a great one in Japan: there are many who argue, in spite of her husband's report, that Megumi is still alive and that North Korea is hiding her. Kitano makes a smart move in leaving ambiguity with her death. As the scene fades to black, no gunshots are heard, only the softness of Kim's voice. Scenes in Japan are also quite poignant, briefly but frequently showing the hassle and togetherness that the nation utilisizes to help the ill-fated plan to bring Megumi and other captives back.<br /> <br /> The rest of the film is filled with subtle, enchanting details that show the delicate care that went into making the film. Hip Japanese music slowly transforms into more depressing, Korean music. Camera focus becomes borderline unbearable at some points to demonstrate Megumi's own feeling of confusion and even self-hate. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" is a film that one is not likely to forget, and one that everyone is sure to value for its emotional and honest depiction of a girl's deprived life.<br /> <br /> For Your Consideration:<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director<br /> Best Actress - Do-yeon Jeon<br /> Best Supporting Actress - Suzuka Ohgo<br /> Best Supporting Actor - Min-sik Choi<br /> Best Supporting Actor - Sung-ki Ahn<br /> Best Original Screenplay - Masayuki Suo </span></p> <span style="color:#ffff00;"><b> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span></b></span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-68465088870057005962008-06-09T22:13:00.001-07:002008-06-09T22:13:54.098-07:00John Milton's Paradise Lost<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Josh P.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Location: </b>IL</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"John Milton’s Paradise Lost"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"> <img src="http://theoscarigloo.com/2008/baitanoscar/april2008/parlostposter.JPG" border="0" height="440" width="318" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by Ang Lee<br /> Screenplay by James Schamus and Dan Futterman<br /> Produced by Ang Lee, Robert Zemeckis and James Schamus<br /> Executive Producers: Diana Ossana, Tim Beaven, Eric Fellner<br /> Based on the epic poem by John Milton<br /> Art Direction by Dante Ferrerti, Timmy Yip, and Francesca Lo Schiavo<br /> Cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto<br /> Edited by Stephen Mirrione<br /> Costume Design by Janty Yates<br /> Music by Alexandre Desplat<br /> Sound Mixing by Drew Kunin, Eugene Gearty, and Reilly Steele<br /> Sound Editing by Eugene Gearty and Philip Stockton<br /> Visual Effects by John Knoll, Michael Lantieri, Caleb J. Howard, Gary Roberts</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Eric Bana (Satan)<br /> Jeremy Irons (God the Father)<br /> Jonathan Rhys Davies (Beelzebub)<br /> Ethan Hawke (God the Son)<br /> Ciarán Hinds (Belial)<br /> Mary Louise Parker (Sin)<br /> Mario Van Peebles (Gabriel)<br /> Jim Sturgess (Adam)<br /> Eva Green (Eve)<br /> Dominic Monaghan (Mulciber)<br /> Andrew Garfield (Moloch)<br /> Paul Dano (Uriel)<br /> Hugo Weaving (Michael)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"When evil is shunned, his revenge falls upon us"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>There is an epic sight stretched across a blood soaked sky. An army of angels collide with each other, striking blow upon blow with each side attempting to secure his victory. It is decided that the betrayer and all his followers shall succumb to defeat and be banished to a lake of fire, chained together as their eternal punishment. Yet the power of rage and the incentive for revenge overpowers the senses, and the conquered angels escape their chains and fly to a vast landscape they claim as their own.<br /> <br /> Satan (Bana) has built his Pandemonium, his own sacred heaven, and his safeguard for plotting revenge.<br /> <br /> Immediately, Satan is surrounded by the greed of retaliation. The thought of enacting vengeance against God consumes him, and he thinks of a calculated assault to perform. It is here when his second-in-command, Beelzebub (Meyers), suggests that the revenge should come from the corruption of God’s newest and most prized creation: man. Satan believes this is a brilliant solution, and many other devils in his company (Hinds, Garfield, Monaghan) agree. After being greeted by his sister, the half-snake and dog-chained Sin (Louise-Parker), he propels towards Earth to seek out this new creation.<br /> <br /> Though the initial battle had been decided, God (Irons) and his accomplices in Heaven are still fearful of Satan’s plans. Once they become aware, all try to do their part. Uriel (Dano) is charged with protecting the Earth, Gabriel (Van Peebles) commands the armies of Heaven, and the Son (Hawke) has offered himself as a sacrifice to man. God is weary, but his senses remain intact to battle the evil that may still hold strong.<br /> <br /> Satan is very clever. He slips past Uriel and quickly begins his seduction of the new inhabitants of the Garden of Eden: Adam (Sturgess) and Eve (Green). After Gabriel intercepts him intervening in Eve’s dream, God visits Adam in human form to warn him about the possible dangers that Satan will give him. Adam is nervous, but tries to heed to this warning. Still, Satan has plans, and takes his infamous form as a serpent and tempts Eve to eat from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge. Despite her better instincts, she partakes, convinces Adam to do so as well, and everything is lost.<br /> <br /> God is infuriated and delivers punishment. He forces Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, all while Satan is receiving glorious cheers for his victorious return to Pandemonium. However, Adam and Eve truly repent, and as God hears their prayers, he sends Michael (Weaving) to deliver a message: as they must leave Eden, their children and descendents will suffer through atrocity and greed. But visions of later events such as Noah, Moses, the Son’s sacrifice and other events inspire this couple to continue on. As they journey beyond the gates of Eden, they know they will have a hard life but will continue with their obedience to God. The life they knew is lost. But spawned from it is knowledge, experience, and the memory of how one act of disobedience changed the course of all souls forever more…</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Epic. Grand. Marvelous. These are just some of the great descriptions to apply to Ang Lee’s greatest masterpiece. The Oscar-winning director provides a triumphant work of art. He infuses a lengthy film with the highly stylized, visual moments (such as the beginning battle sequence) with a vivid and surreal sense and brings the scene alive. He also crafts a great character study in many intimate scenes, using all in his arsenal to evoke a poetic sense in every frame. Lee provides further evidence of why his Oscar winning title is well deserved and also why another one is just as deserved. Eric Bana, a previous employee to Lee, provides great depth and insight into a complicated character. Bana does not make Satan the incarnate of evil that we all know, but he makes him a clever, intelligent, and handsome intellectual who uses his gifts for his own self fulfillment. Satan is a more complex entity that imagined, and it is all thanks to Bana’s endearing portrayal. Another endearing portrayal is from Jeremy Irons, and if Bana turned Satan into a questionable antagonist, then Irons makes God appear to be a more questioned and confused entity that most would think. His God is still wise and powerful, but he is aware that Satan could possibly beat him with his own revenge. The moment Irons showcases this vulnerability in his soft spoken persona, he completely infuses the humility in such a heavenly figure. Jim Sturgess and Eva Green do a good job in their respective roles of Adam and Eve. Sturgess shows Adam almost like a confused teenager, a man who wants to obey God but is all too aware of the temptations that exist, even the lustful nature in Eve. Green has a delicate sensibility in Eve: she is naïve, but at the same time possesses a fearless quality in her. It a memorable performance. The script is a marvelous retelling of a great epic poem and every part of it touches on greatness. Each of the technical aspects is used in great numbers here, showcasing their excellence, from the grand set design, the vibrant cinematography, even to the exquisite sound design. The campaign consideration:<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director: Ang Lee<br /> Best Actor: Eric Bana<br /> Best Supporting Actor: Jeremy Irons<br /> Best Supporting Actor: Jim Sturgess<br /> Best Supporting Actress: Eva Green<br /> Best Adapted Screenplay: Dan Futterman and James Schamus<br /> Best Art Direction<br /> Best Costume Design<br /> Best Film Editing<br /> Best Cinematography<br /> Best Original Score<br /> Best Sound<br /> Best Visual Effects</span></p> <span style="color:#ffff00;"><b> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span></b></span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2606551973954582332.post-26350017083880578862008-06-09T22:12:00.000-07:002008-06-09T22:13:10.369-07:00The Passion in Pain<p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b>Author(s):</b> Bryce<br /> <b>Location: </b>CA</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;">"The Passion in Pain"</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Directed by: Gabriele Muccino<br /> Written by: Ronald Harwood<br /> Produced by: Steve Tisch, and Bob Yari</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b>Main Cast</b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Nathan Fillion as Mike Thomas<br /> Elisabeth Shue as Tracy Thomas<br /> Rachel Covey as Meagan Thomas<br /> Kevin Kline as Jack Carter<br /> Carrie-Anne Moss as Judy Louise<br /> Jeremy Renner as Cameron Louise<br /> John Cusack as Kevin Mirk</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> <b> Tagline: </b>"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional"</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><b> Synopsis: </b>It was only a few years ago, when Mike and Tracy Thomas had found Meagan, a baby girl, just laying on the sidewalk crying. What seemed to be an horrible act, actually turned out to be a blessing from God. Mike and Tracy grew to love Meagan. She became apart of the family, as if Meagan was their own daughter. But past has a funny way of resurfacing when you least expect it. Cameron and Judy Louise are Meagan's real parents, and they have come to take her back. However, Mike and Tracy will not let Meagan go without a fight, and Cameron and Judy are ready to fight for Meagan.<br /> <br /> Both couples have hired prestigious lawyers to represent them. Mike and Tracy hired Jack Carter to represent them. Jack Carter's daughter was kidnapped and missing for two years, and she was just recently rescued last week. While Cameron and Judy have hired Kevin Mirk, whose wife left him because he was sterile and couldn't provide the child she wanted badly.<br /> <br /> What follows is one of the most emotionally intense cases to take place in town, and the case soon becomes the talk of the town. The big question in everyone's mind is who will come out the winner? Could Cameron's past criminal record effect their chances to win? Or maybe the fact that Tracy is schizophrenic will cost her the child she greatly admires.<br /> <br /> While the battle in court heats up, the parents can't help but raise their own questions. Cameron and Judy are haunted by the memories of abandoning their child, and can't help but to ask themselves if they deserved to get their child back. While Mike and Tracy, who does not have the wealth of Cameron and Judy, ponder if Meagan would have a better future living with her real parents.<br /> <br /> While all these questions surface from the town, and from the people involved, in the end only one question will remain. Who will ultimately be the legal parents of Meagan?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center"><b><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> What the Press would say:</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> Pain. It's something that we all fear one way or another, yet we all know we have to endure it. Sometimes we may even have to purposely seek pain in order to do what we think is right. But how much suffering can the human go through? especially when they know they do not have to go through it. It is this question that makes up the heart and soul of "The Passion in Pain". This movie is much more than a courtroom/custody drama. It's a story that takes a deep and in-depth look at characters whose own motives are their own poison. These parents want to raise their child, but going through the process to get that right is causing such anxiety and suffering to not only themselves, but to the child they wish to raise. It is this theme that makes "The Passion in Pain" a unique movie, and it is what also helps make this movie an emotional masterpiece.<br /> <br /> The movie as a whole is more of a character study ensemble piece, than a full blown court-drama. It focuses more on the characters and what they go through because of the event, rather than focusing on trying to convince the audience which side is right or wrong. This aspect was made even more convincing because of the outstanding directorial efforts of Gabriele Muccino. He's able to make audience feel every emotion the characters are going through.You feel personally connected to each of the characters, and feel you are some what responsible for their actions. Furthermore, you also feel the need to see what they will do next, and hope they make the right decision. Sounds familiar? If your a parent it should sound like the concern a parent has for his/her child. It's that perspective I feel the movie was aiming for, and for the most part I felt it delivered the challenge it set out to achieve.<br /> <br /> When talking about the acting for the movie, you have to talk about John Cusack. Cusack plays the attorney of the child-less couple, while he also has a child-less past. It's interesting to see how his personal feelings about his clients change as the movie progress, as his personal life is effected by the case, and then seeing it all reflected in the courtroom. It's a different character for the usual charming Cusack, but a very powerful performance. Kevin Kline also provides a great performance, as the lawyer who is trying to connect with his kidnaped daughter who had just been returned to him. The constant efforts of his character trying to re-connect the relationship him and his daughter once had is quite emotional on-screen. Elisabeth Shue is also amazing, as the schizophrenic mother whose schizophrenia becomes even more intense as the trail continues and her doubts as a mother plague her mind. Jeremy Renner provides quite a good performance as the child's real father who feels being their for his child can be the only way to redeem his soul from the sins he has committed in the past.<br /> <br /> "The Passion in Pain" is a emotional thrill-ride that will conjure up emotions in you like no other film has in the past ten years. It's much more than a masterpiece, and much more than a modern classic. It's, without a doubt, the best film of the year that everyone will love and enjoy. ****/****<br /> <br /> Best Picture<br /> Best Director- Gabriele Muccino<br /> Best Supporting Actor- John Cusack<br /> Best Supporting Actor- Kevin Kline<br /> Best Supporting Actor- Jeremy Renner<br /> Best Supporting Actress- Elisabeth Shue<br /> Best Original Screenplay- Ronald Harwood<br /> Best Film Editing<br /> Best Original Score<br /> Best Cinematography </span></p> <span style="color:#ffff00;"><b> <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span></b></span>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15013369335142421901noreply@blogger.com0