Rachel's Reel Reviews

Reel Insight #73 - Rachel McAdams

2012-02-12T12:00:00.005-06:00

We're back! We get back in our usual groove with the (brief) career of Rachel McAdams. First, Jess defends Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close while I dig up 1970s disaster flicks Airport and The Towering Inferno. For our randomness of the day, we talk about how long we give a movie to "grab" us before we leave a theater or turn off a dvd/streaming. Write in and let us know what your threshold for pain is!

Give it a listen and email your thoughts to reelinsight[at]gmail[dot]com. We love feedback and we love to read your feedback while casting. Our "theme" music is from Kevin MacLeod with Incompetech. Also, join the Facebook Fan Page and subscribe on iTunes to stay updated. Thanks for listening!

Rachel McAdams Films Watched for Reel Insight

334. The Hot Chick: A popular high school girl (McAdams) switches bodies with a lowlife thief (Rob Schneider) after wearing a pair of cursed Egyptian earrings...I can't believe I just typed that sentence. As horrible as any film starring Rob Schneider could be. And Anna Faris is just plain annoying. The few times Rachel showed up as being Schneider "trapped" in her body, she did an okay job in a simply painful flick. Just avoid at all costs.

335. Married Life: After many years of marriage, Allen (Chris Cooper) falls in love with the beautiful Kay (McAdams), but doesn't want to hurt his wife (Patricia Clark) by leaving her, so he decides to kill her instead. At first the film feels a little too subdued with its sad sack cheating spouse angle, but when Allen decides the best way is to "mercy" kill his wife, things got very interesting. McAdams and Cooper lack any real chemistry as the secret lovers, but in every other way the cast (including Pierce Brosnan as Allen's best friend, also in love with Kay) works well for this quieter 1940s oddball, crime-romance.

336. The Time Traveler's Wife: A man is afflicted with a genetic disorder (Eric Bana) that forces him to travel through time against his will, which causes severe distress in his marriage to a woman (McAdams) who has known him through his travels since she was a small child. The film is disgustingly melodramatic, but presents some extremely disturbing ideas that are just passed over for a creepy romance.

337. The Lucky Ones: Three soldiers (McAdams, Tim Robbins, Michael Peña) returning home from Iraq end up on a road trip together across country to sort out their various issues. In a much more upbeat "coming home" story, the characters have to face real issues (divorce, impotence, deception), but the film never feels too heavy as the oddball trio of strangers get to know each other and adjust to being home.

338. Wedding Crashers: Two womanizing friends (Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn) crash weddings for easy hookups, until one of them falls hard for one of his attempted conquests (McAdams). I'm not a fan of raunchy comedies, or even the two leading men, but this just works for me on almost every level. It starts to get a little sluggish in the third act, but the hilarity of the first two-thirds makes up for it.

339. Red Eye: See my previous review here.

Saturday's Sims Screenshots: #69

2012-02-11T12:00:00.003-06:00

Andy's back after knowing that freaky kid from Wedding Crashers:

This next one took me forever to put together, which means someone will probably get it within 10 minutes:

Happy soon-to-be Valentine's Day!

Leaderboard:
Nick - 12
Andy - 10
Jason, MovieNut14, Ryan - 5
James, Jess, Kai, Mom - 4
Kano - 3
David, Dylan, Stevee - 2
Adam, Angela, Brian, Marc, Red - 1

Friday's New Feature Films: 2/10/12

2012-02-10T12:00:00.000-06:00

Safe House

I can't remember the last time a Denzel Washington film intrigued me. I just checked and it was Inside Man, but that was for Clive Owen. In fact I think it was the first Denzel-turned-bad flick back in 2001's Training Day that had me watching for him. This average looking action flick, even with the handsome Ryan Reynolds, is going to entice me back to the theater anytime soon.

The Vow

I really like Rachel McAdams, which you'll hear more about on the next Reel Insight episode due out Sunday, but I can't stomach a.) Channing Tatum and b.) cheesy romantic dramas. It seems that the film's biggest marketing ploy was to remind everyone that McAdams was in The Notebook and Tatum was in Dear John, probably in hopes that all the Nicholas Sparks-ites with rush the movie theater. Blech!

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

No real comment (obviously, I'll be skipping it forever), but I hope Josh Hutcherson's starring in this doesn't stain his very important upcoming appearance in The Hunger Games trilogy.

No theater plans for this weekend (hoping Valentine's Day night though) but with Breaking Dawn: Part I due out in a few hours, the accompanying Rifftrax can't be too far behind.

Thursday's Three: Regarding Ryan

2012-02-09T12:00:00.001-06:00

Some may look back on 2011 as the reign of Fassbender and Chastain, but I'll always look at it as Ryan Gosling's coming out party. Last May, Jess and I covered his career for the podcast, and I wasn't terribly impressed. Perhaps that's because I had to endure The Notebook in its entirety. But a mere few months later, he starred in three films I loved. And now he is pushing James McAvoy out of the way as the actor I jokingly obsess over to drive my husband crazy. After rewatching Drive earlier this week and reading this piece from Joanna at Man, I Love Films, I thought it was time to highlight my favorite Gosling moments from each of his films last year, in the order I saw them. And amazingly, none of them have him shirtless.

The Ides of March

We found an open Saturday afternoon, and indulged in a double feature of The Ides of March and 50/50. I didn't really care to see Ides, since it was a political film, but it was the only other thing playing that I thought I could handle. I was stunned when I ended up loving it, mostly in part due to Clooney's direction. Watching Stephen's journey, from a naive sheep, to a hardened player of the dirtiest of politics, was impressive. His look here is the beginning of his transformation into a soulless bastard, but it's of course heightened when shared with Clooney's immoral presidential candidate. (Yes, that was a redundant statement.)

Crazy, Stupid Love

I saw Crazy, Stupid Love on dvd and immediately kicked myself afterward for not seeing it in the theater, having assumed it would just be some stupid rom-com. Though the romantic aspects (plural) of the film are charming and sweet, it's the oddball pairing of the suave Gosling with the frumpy Steve Carell that keeps me coming back. The beginnings of this bromance bring the best humor as Jacob takes Cal shopping for a sleeker wardrobe and Cal pulls out his VELCRO wallet, warranting the above look of disgust from Jacob.

Drive

I saw Drive after almost everyone else on the planet. Amazingly, the hype didn't ruin it for me. I saw it in a theater "across the river" (code for The Ghetto) which was kinda scary and run down, so watching it on Blu-Ray this past week was like seeing it for the first time all over again. Stunning. And Gosling's quiet performance (my third favorite overall for the year, just like the film itself) left me in even more awe. This shot, at the tail end of the infamous elevator scene, hit me harder this time as he realizes in protecting Irene, he's just lost her forever.

BONUS:

Since Blue Valentine got a late 2010 release, it could also be included for 2011 since that's when most people watched it. Just watched it myself a few weeks ago. Thought it was very strong, but won't be able to watch it again for many years.

Monday's Movie Review: Hugo (No Spoilers)

2012-02-06T12:00:00.001-06:00

There is a lot to like, even love, about Martin Scorsese's latest film, Hugo. It's stunning to look at and listen to, and it holds within its core the extremely important message of film history, preservation and celebration. That being said, did it have to come wrapped in a rather bland children's adventure with the most annoying little shithead for a title character?

I'm sorry Hugo's father (Jude Law) died and he had to live with his drunk uncle (Ray Winstone) at a train station and give up school to learn how to clean and repair clocks. I'm not completely heartless. I am willing to condone Hugo's thievery to survive; a poor boy's got to eat and living inside the walls of a train station in 1930s Paris is probably better than being shuffled off to an orphanage. His behavior in that respect is no worse than Disney's beloved Aladdin. It's when Hugo starts to interact with the unfortunate toy shop owner, Georges Méliès (Ben Kingsley) from whom he's been been stealing mechanical parts to fix an automaton his father left him, that I started to turn on our hero. I was immediately put off by his complete disregard for others: his defiant glare, lying and demanding left me cold to the little urchin very early on instead of sympathizing with his situation.

So for entertainment I found myself relying on the far more enjoyable, but mostly pointless adults that inhabited shops at the train station. As cute as Richard Griffiths and Frances de la Tour were, I'm not sure why so much emphasis had to be put on their odd flirting. Emily Mortimer was also sweet as the love interest of the "villainous" Station Inspector (Sacha Baron Cohen), but again I'm not sure that avenue of his character needed exploring to further the story.

However, looking past the wrapping of Hugo for what actually lies in wait to be discovered is a beautiful and tragic story about the dawn of cinema and how through strong perseverance that magic can be rediscovered. And when I think back on Hugo, this is what I will try to remember instead of the bratty protagonist.

And don't let everyone fool you like they fooled me: there is absolutely no reason in this world to see it in 3D. Liars.

Rating:

Saturday's Sims Screenshots: #68

2012-02-04T12:00:00.002-06:00

MovieNut is back and she knows The King's Speech:

This next one is the result of an entire bottle of wine in one sitting; hope it makes sense to someone:

Leaderboard:
Nick - 12
Andy - 9
Jason, MovieNut14, Ryan - 5
James, Jess, Kai, Mom - 4
Kano - 3
David, Dylan, Stevee - 2
Adam, Angela, Brian, Marc, Red - 1

Friday's New Feature Films: 2/3/12

2012-02-03T12:00:00.000-06:00

The Woman in Black

I get a wonderfully creepy The Others vibe off everything I've seen for this period piece horror story. Makes me glad The Others is available via streaming right now to get me in the right mind set. Alas I'll have to put The Woman in Black on hold until I at least check out one more Best Picture nominee (Hugo) before it disappears.

Chronicle

Supernatural/sci-fi element. Hand-held camera. Relatively unknown cast. January release. An air of mystery to the whole thing. Hey, it worked well for Cloverfield four years ago, so I can dig it.

Big Miracle

I think it's really important to teach our kids about taking care of animals in need, so I don't hold a grudge against family-friendly films like this and A Dolphin Tale being made. That being said, they sure do make'em look super cheesy and unwatchable for us parents, don't they?

Thursday's Three: 2012 Academy Award Nominees for Best Makeup

2012-02-02T12:00:00.005-06:00

[Note: This article is part of a 32-day series at the LAMB covering all Academy Award nomination categories plus the nine individual Best Picture Nominees. Check out all the hard work and great articles here.]

The make-up category can be a hard one to predict, because the spectrum is extremely wide. Last year's winner was almost a given with a nominee that had previously won the award multiple times (including the first ever in the category) heading up the makeup design for a (terrible) werewolf film. This year is a little tougher with only one nominee having been nominated previously and the differences in a cross-dressing period piece versus the portrayal of a modern historical figure versus magical creatures...and some questionable aging.

Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnson & Matthew W. Mungle
for Albert Nobbs

Have you ever been standing in line at the grocery store and glanced at the tabloid covers that "reveal" stars without their makeup? Unpleasant, isn't it? That's the kind of vibe I get when I see Glenn Close playing a woman pretending to be a man in Albert Nobbs. Harsh? Sure, but looking at the character and the actress side-by-side, I just think she's missing some eyeliner and lipstick. I'm sure the film also received its nomination for other uses of 19th century makeup and hairstyles, but I think it's possibly the underdog in this fight.

Mark Coulier & J. Roy Helland
for The Iron Lady

I was a bit young when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, so I actually had to Google her to get a better idea of what she really looked like around the time The Iron Lady is set. Except for making Meryl slightly more polished, I'd say well done. Meryl has received her 17th Oscar acting nomination for playing Thatcher, and certainly looking the part only helped her performance, so should she win, she should certainly give thanks to J. Roy Helland, who is not only credited as her personal hair and makeup artist on The Iron Lady, but 34 other films as well.

Nick Dudman, Amanda Night & Lisa Tombling
for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Over the course of a decade, the Harry Potter series has produced a number of magical looks and yet this is the first film of the franchise to be nominated for a makeup award. What was so different about the final film that demanded a nomination in the category? Nothing really. Outside of a majority of the cast being smeared with dirt and blood due to battle, the only other noticeable makeup would be the gaggle of Goblins, which have been shown numerous times before. (If you're wondering, Voldemort's snake face is mostly CG.) Perhaps the makeup simply improved over the decade, because surely the Academy didn't nominate the makeup department for the infamous two-decade "aging" on the Trio in the final scene. Surely not.

Despite Harry Potter bringing the fantasy element into the mix, which is often the popular choice, and Albert Nobbs sporting the only makeup artist to have been previously nominated (and won) for the category, my money is on The Iron Lady. Looking back over past winners, the Academy seems to really love a makeup department that can transform a star into a believable replica of a real life character (La Vie en Rose, Frida, Elizabeth, Ed Wood) and that tradition will likely continue this year. (After thought: despite this last sentence, I just realized The Queen was never even nominated for transforming Helen Mirren into Queen Elizabeth II. WTF?)

2012 Watch List - January

2012-02-01T12:00:00.000-06:00

I should have started this a long time ago, as I know other film bloggers who like to keep up with what and how much they watch. So from now on I'll be keeping score monthly. Turns out, with only one Reel Insight star to focus on, this was an interesting month to start keeping tally.

JANUARY
1/1-1/7

Horrible Bosses (R) - Still laughed hysterically.

Down with Love - So cheesy, in a bad way.

I Love You Phillip Morris - Funny but Jim Carey's sex predator vibe was creepy.

Cassandra's Dream - An okay Woody Allen drama, but ultimately forgettable.

Deception - Bad and forgettable, but good eye candy.

The Lion King (R) - A sick day home with the kiddo and her 101 fever. Thought it'd be a good time to introduce her to Simba & Co., but she wasn't impressed. No princesses = no Mia love.

Trainspotting - Still unsure of the general undying love for this, but a solid Boyle film.

Thor (R) - Cannot stare directly at Hemsworth's abs; it's like looking into the sun.

Wild Target - Proof Rupert Grint may have a post-Potter career afterall.

The Taming of the Shrew - Sewell and Henderson make me go "awwww."

1/8-1/14

A Midsummer Night's Dream - As with all adaptations of the play: zzzzz

A Clockwork Orange - I started it 11 years ago, so I thought maybe it was time to finally finish it. Bloody brilliant.

Carriers - Just wondered what Chris Pine did before his neo-Kirk days.

Lethal Weapon - One of those I thought I had seen, but maybe it's been too long because I didn't remember any of the plot. I still prefer Die Hard.

Duck Soup - "But I'm Harpo!"

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (R) - That's right, bitches! Both parts, back-to-back. Finally! It was everything I hoped it would be.

1/15-1/21

Blue Valentine - I was having too cheery of a day and needed to be brought down a peg or two. It was this or the Golden Globes, so I think I made the right choice.

Moneyball - About as exciting as a movie about baseball and statistics can be.

Wet Hot American Summer - I think this movie thought it was funnier than it really was.

The Descendants - Wasn't a fan of Payne's Sideways...after seeing The Descendants I may need to revisit it.

Cloverfield (R) - Finally christened my Blu-Ray copy. I still say the teaser trailer was the best part of Transformers.

1/21-1/28

The Artist - A charming film with amazing technical elements, but very little depth beyond that.

Mission: Impossible III - None will be as good as the first, no matter how many complicated explosions and diversions they create.

The Hot Chick - Damn you Rachel McAdams!

The Graduate - A good film that just felt too rushed.

Married Life - Excellent performances by the main quartet and the story went into darker territory than I expected, yet which I welcomed.

The Time Traveler's Wife - Ridiculous melodrama that missed a great opportunity to explore some potentially deeper and more disturbing themes.

1/29-1/31

The Lucky Ones - A lot more upbeat for a soldier-coming-home story. A welcome change.

The Towering Inferno - OJ Simpson saves a kitten! Otherwise, I prefer my 1970s disaster flicks in the form of The Poseidon Adventure.

TALLY:
First Time - 24
Rewatched - 6
Total - 30

Monday's Movie Review: Moneyball (Minor Spoilers)

2012-01-30T12:00:00.002-06:00

Baseball and math. If ever you wanted me to vacate a room, just mention either topic, but together, they make a partnership of coma-inducing boredom for yours truly. However, I held on to a glimmer of hope that since one of my favorite actors was the lead, I just might enjoy this sports flick, and I actually did...at first.

Brad Pitt stars as Billy Beane, a former pro baseball player turned general manager of the Oakland A's, one of, if not THE, poorest team in the league. Unable to obtain the best players on his budget, Beane hires Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a Yale economics graduate who convinces Beane to throw out the old way of recruiting players based on various areas of talent and go by the numbers: who can land them the most runs with their limited funds.

What follows is expected, even if you don't know the actual true story. Beane puts together a team with Brand's big theory, going against the advice of every scout he employs. And they lose...a lot. Beane begins to question his decision when he becomes the laughing stock of the sports world and his job is suddenly in jeopardy. But through some more tweaking of the team, they suddenly start to win...a lot. So within the plot, there isn't much tension. Clearly Brand's theory wasn't going to work right away, but eventually it would have to or no one would have bothered to make a film about a failed baseball recruiting method.

No, Moneyball instead relies on its central character of Beane and how he struggles with his decision to take such a huge risk with his team. He faces opposition from all sides and finds solace only in the company of his preteen daughter. Our focus is not to be put on the team itself, but rather how the team shapes Beane. Unfortunately, despite a great performance from Pitt, it's not enough to sustain the film past the first 90 minutes.

There is a moment early in the film, as the Oakland A's scouts are having a round table discussion of the players they think can fill three spots on the team. A flurry of nonsensical words and phrases are thrown around ("eye candy" and "ugly girlfriend") when Beane finally gets fed up and starts motioning his hand to indicate that all he hears is pointless rambling. Somewhere just past the midpoint of the film, that's exactly how I felt too. While Beane and Brand are at first putting the theory into practice, I was honestly intrigued. To see the theory fail also held my interest. However, when Beane starts trading players like cattle to get the numbers he wants, I couldn't keep up, or perhaps I didn't want to. I'm sure what's portrayed isn't far from the reality of trading players, but with zero characterization for most of the members of Beane's team, I didn't know who was being traded and why and only ended up disliking Beane for what seemed like callous behavior. I know the guy was only doing his job, but with it came a complete rip in the only thread I was hanging on to at that point.

Unsurprisingly, with the same screenwriter, Moneyball is extremely similar to last year's The Social Network: two stories focusing on the men behind big ideas. And yet I found The Social Network far more entertaining and memorable, despite it overflowing with far more deplorable characters than Beane. Perhaps it's a matter of personal taste, since I do more social networking than baseball watching and stats reading. Or perhaps it's because I now live in a world where I will have to hear the words "Academy Award Nominee Jonah Hill" uttered consecutively. No, I'm not letting that go (even though he did a good job).

Rating:

Reel Insight #72 - 2012 Oscar Nominations Special

2012-01-29T12:00:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it's only been two weeks! Feels like a lifetime that we've been away from the mic. Anyway, no actor/actress this week because, like the rest of you, we have been anxiously awaiting the Oscar nominations, which we discuss at length. But we stick to our usual first half of the show by discussing new films watched and talk about what our favorite parts of the Oscar ceremonies are and who we'd like to see host.

Give it a listen and email your thoughts to reelinsight[at]gmail[dot]com. We love feedback and we love to read your feedback while casting. Our "theme" music is from Kevin MacLeod with Incompetech. Also, join the Facebook Fan Page and subscribe on iTunes to stay updated. Thanks for listening!

Saturday's Sims Screenshots: #67

2012-01-28T12:00:00.003-06:00

It's been awhile, but Ryan (f/k/a Hatter) is back and he moved a spot up the leaderboard after being the first to know this one from Crazy, Stupid Love:

And next:

Leaderboard:
Nick - 12
Andy - 9
Jason, Ryan - 5
James, Jess, Kai, Mom, MovieNut14 - 4
Kano - 3
David, Dylan, Stevee - 2
Adam, Angela, Brian, Marc, Red - 1

Friday's New Feature Films: 1/27/12

2012-01-27T12:00:00.001-06:00

The Grey

I have to admit, when I saw Liam Neeson taping broken, jagged shooters to his hands so he could fight a hungry wolf in the snow, I kinda laughed out loud (while being extremely curious). However, I hear this just might be pretty damn intense, so I'll check it out eventually. For now, I'm destined to hunt down the three Best Picture nominees I skipped the first time around.

Man on Ledge

Sam Worthington on a ledge. Might he possibly be any more charismatic in this situation? Probably not. I'd only really care to see this if it ends with him accidentally slipping and taking Elizabeth Banks down with him. Someone let me know, k? I don't mind spoilers in a situation like this.

One for the Money

The title says it all, no? Is Heigl really in it just for the money? Well, looking at her resume, it's certainly not for art or respect so yeah, I'd say that's a fair assessment. (Yes, I know it's based on a book.)

Thursday's Three: Random Thoughts on the 2012 Oscar Ballot

2012-01-26T12:00:00.005-06:00

The Oscar nominations were announced this past Tuesday. and I gotta say I was pretty underwhelmed, but that's not surprising since I was underwhelmed by film in 2011 in general, and I can say that with a clear conscience because I saw a lot more than I usually do. Anyway, this is what stuck with me, for better or worse, after the nominations were announced by the stunning Jennifer Lawrence.

MY OMG THOUGHTS

Gary Oldman for Best Actor

After being one of the most talented actors around for the last 30 years, one who manages to seamlessly transform himself at every turn, Gary Oldman FINALLY nabbed a nomination. I haven't seen Tinker Tailor Solider Spy yet, but any nomination for this man is long overdue and now I can't wait to see the film.

Rooney Mara for Best Actress

It seemed hardly anyone had heard of Mara prior to the backlash of "She's going to play Lisbeth?" blazed through the Internet. However, I wasn't familiar enough with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to make a judgment on how the girl who played Zuckerberg's ex might handle the dark role. However, I found her badassery quite stunning. Not as likable as Noomi Rapace's performance, but extremely awesome nonetheless.

No Cars 2 for Best Animated Feature

Pixar's grip on the Academy has been broken this year. Since the Best Animated Feature category was inducted into the Academy Awards in 2002, Pixar films have always been at least nominated (not in 2002 or 2005, since there were none to nominate) and have usually won (except in 2001 for Monsters, Inc. and 2007 for Cars.) So I have to wonder what was going through the executives' heads when they thought a sequel to one of their least liked films was the way to go. Maybe this is a wake up call they need. No real offense to Pixar as I'm highly anticipating Brave this summer, but I rarely go gaga over their annual offerings anymore because they've felt a bit lazy.

MY WTF THOUGHTS

Bridesmaids for Best Original Screenplay

Apparently shitting in a sink and in the street is considered art as long as you're wearing a dress. Okay, I admit there is more to Bridesmaids than just the extreme gross-out humor near the beginning, but despite love for Kristen Wiig, I still think it was just average at best and find the nomination little more than a throw-the comedies-a-bone-to-appease-the-masses move.

Jonah Hill for Best Supporting Actor

Though I wasn't crazy about Beginners, and Hill did do a good job in Moneyball, I'm still hoping Christopher Plummer will nab the gold on Oscar night, because I'm not sure I can live in a world where the phrase "Oscar Winner Jonah Hill" would be paraded around the trailer for The Sitter 2.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close for Best Picture

Say what? How, oh, how did this get nominated? No I haven't seen, nor do I particularly care to, but this was barely a blip in the film world and it managed to surpass The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Drive, plus a plethora of other films that looked 10 times better.

So the Academy, in its infinite and infallible wisdom, changed the rules to say there would no longer definitely be 10 films in the Best Picture category, but only those most deserving, with a minimum of five nominees. Oh really? Let's take a look at some numbers, shall we?

Nominated Film	RT Critic Rating	IMDb User Rating
The Artist	97% - Fresh	8.5
The Descendants	89% - Fresh	7.9
The Help	76% - Fresh	8.1
Hugo	94% - Fresh	8.2
Midnight in Paris	93% - Fresh	7.8
Moneyball	95% - Fresh	7.8
The Tree of Life	84% - Fresh	7.1
War Horse	77% - Fresh	7.4

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close	47% - ROTTEN	6.3

I think pathetic is the only way to sum it up. How much cash do you think was shelled out for that nomination? Again no, I haven't seen it, and yes, tastes vary, and no the general consensus isn't the final word, but it's not to be completely ignored either and this nomination remains the biggest head-scratcher of all. There's still a chance these numbers might change as more people may actually go see Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close now that it has a nomination, completists like myself or general moviegoers who think "Oh, it was nominated. It must be good." But I doubt that the paid critics will find it any more favorable than they already do.

By the way, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 8.2 on IMDb. Drive has a 93% and an 8.1. And though I know it'd never get the nomination, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 has a 96% and an 8.1. In other words, why not fill out that tenth spot with something respectable? I'm just saying.

For a more thorough discussion check out Episode #72 of the Reel Insight Podcast this Sunday as Jess and I discuss this oddball list of nominees (and snubs) at length. So do your thoughts mirror mine or do you have an entirely different list of OMG and WTF thoughts? Let me know in the comments.

Monday's Movie Review: The Artist (No Spoilers)

2012-01-23T12:00:00.000-06:00

It's a rare thing to see something different in film these days. It feels as though all avenues have been explored. So instead of trying, and failing, to come up with something completely different, sometimes a good idea is to go back and revive something old to make it new again, because retro is always in. And thus The Artist, a black & white silent film, was released in a world that is comfortably reliant on sound.

The Artist follows two actors, one a veteran of the silent film industry, the other a fresh face that easily transitions into the world of talkies. As the song says the times are a changin' and soon George (Jean Dujardin), the silent film star, is no longer the A-list actor he once was. Instead everyone wants to see and hear spunky Peppy (Bérénice Bejo), with whom George became smitten during her days as an extra on one of his films.

Technically speaking, the film is magnificent. There are certain shots and scenes that took my breath away. If anything from Hollywood needs reviving, it'd be a more consistent use of black & white film. And despite recent controversy, the score is the infectious glue that holds it all together. The most shocking though is the use of sound. It truly amazed me how much I was captivated by the sound effects, not realizing the impact they have until used (very minimally) in the context of a silent film. Sound is clearly something we've taken for granted all these years, and The Artist's ability bring that theme to the foreground is cleverly stunning.

However, when it comes to the story and characters, everything else is quite surface level. The story is far from original and the characters, in true silent film fashion, wear their expressions loud and proud all over their beautiful faces, leaving little room for any mystery or depth. So much of a performance is lost without dialogue and tone as clues to what the character is thinking and feeling. The Artist left no question about what was going to happen next, and though desperate times called for desperate measures in George's life, there was never a sense of tension, leaving me feeling very little for these people. It's not that I didn't want George and Pippy to be happy, but when they weren't, I wasn't sad about it and I found myself challenged with being emotionally invested in anything beyond the technical aspects.

Perhaps I'm being unfair in judging The Artist against a set criteria for modern films. However, since it will be pitted against many other films that fit that criteria, it would be unfair not to, otherwise, the film falls prey to being a gimmick with its on set of rules. The Artist does rise above that, but instead of being a great film, like so many say, I found it to be just good film blessed with great technical elements.

Rating:

Saturday's Sims Screenshots: #66

2012-01-21T12:00:00.003-06:00

Hey, Jason knows The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo:

How's about this week?

Leaderboard:
Nick - 12
Andy - 9
Jason - 5
Hatter, James, Jess, Kai, Mom, MovieNut14 - 4
Kano - 3
David, Dylan, Stevee - 2
Adam, Angela, Brian, Marc, Red - 1

Friday's New Feature Films: 1/20/12

2012-01-20T12:00:00.001-06:00

Underworld: Awakening

So this franchise is starting to remind me a lot of the Resident Evil franchise: a decent starter film, but they just don't know when to quit. Well, Kate seemed to quit the 3rd, but I guess she needed a paycheck since she's back again.

Haywire

I'm not a Soderberg fan (I just heard your gasp across the internet) and the voice-over narration in the trailer is a huge effing turn off. "She is our nation's most valuable weapon." UGGHH! The thing is action and dialogue in the trailer work fine for giving a rundown of the film, so that cheesy narration is completely unnecessary. That being said, this looks pretty decent. Pretty lady kicking butt with a strong supporting male cast. It just needed to be marketed better.

Red Tails

The trailer leaves me with a feeling that this will be a melodramatic crapfest for a true story that perhaps deserves a more genuine, gritty direction. I can already tell by the featured dialogue that the characters are there to give either goofy quips or inspiring speeches, but it looks like little character depth will be found. Pass.

Thursday's Three: Questioning Melancholia's Chances of Survival

2012-01-19T12:00:00.002-06:00

I didn't anticipate much in 2011, especially during the fall/winter season when the better quality films tend to be released. Very little intrigued me after the trailers were watched. However, I had a goal to meet, and in doing so I had to really push myself to see films I wouldn't normally. At the top of that list was Melancholia.

Then I really struggled with my Favorite Films of 2011 list. Last year I had trouble because there were too many contenders and I had to decide what order to put them in, which was tough. This year I almost felt like I was grasping at straws to fill the damn thing. That's not to say I didn't see films I thought were excellent, but when it comes to my year-end list, I feel that my desire to rewatch the films on the list will be the deciding factor.

Example: I gave seven 5/5 Reels in 2011, but only six of those showed up in my Top 10 of the year. As well made as I found The Ides of March to be, I'm not sure that it will find a home in my DVD library. It was interesting, well made, and showcased endless talent, but I have a gut feeling that it's a one-time-watcher.

See, I'm not one to be able to sit still for a downer of a movie "just cause." Though I've absorbed a lot of the excellent Best Pictures nominees and winners of the past decade, I know I'll never own something like The Hurt Locker, Milk or The King's Speech.

And this all brings me back around to Melancholia.

I have declared it many times, in many places that this visually striking film was my favorite of the year, and if I'm going with a gut reaction, it truly was. But in 2007, for my first "Favorite" list after the blog was started, I said the same thing about No Country for Old Men. Guess how many times I've spun that one in the DVD player: ZERO. It's an excellent film, but it's just too heavy for me to revisit often, if ever. Thankfully, it's so well made that it has stuck with me, and I'll probably only revisit it if one of its stars ends up under the Reel Insight microscope. So it's easy to say that were I to reevaluate my favorite films of 2007, No Country probably wouldn't make the cut. And now that the initial "oh that's pretty" high of Melancholia is starting to wear off, I might be saying something similar in 2017, because now that I'm really thinking about it, I'm not sure how many rewatches it will get.

I'm no dummy...most of the time. I know the film is long. Let me rephrase...I know the film feels long. At 2:16, there are times when it doesn't seem to want to end, especially during the first half "wedding" sequence. And that is a big mark against it. Granted my No. 2 of the year was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which beats Melancholia by 25 minutes, but the mystery and action are plenty of a distraction so when it was over I looked at my watched shocked at how long I had been sitting still. Going further back (to those naysayers who may think I have an attention span to rival my 3-year-old), the two films that topped my lists of 2009 (Inglourious Basterds) and 2008 (The Dark Knight) also exceed two and a half hours. The difference is they never feel like it, so they've had countless rewatches at the home theater. With its drawn out first half, Melancholia may end up having to fall under a two-part series, where I split the screening between two nights, because my focus is that much harder to keep on one thing when lounging on the couch.

"The first half of the movie will be this long."

And then there is that uncomfortable feeling that crept up the back of my neck while watching it, particularly that first half. Awkward pauses jump out from behind every corner. Justine's second-guessing of her nuptials, plus her parents' own verbal distaste for marriage, makes not squirming during her wedding reception impossible. I can dig tense moments when they're played to comedic effect, such as The Office, just anticipating for some awkwardly social dumbass to make some sort of faux pas at which we can all point and laugh. But when the bride's mother stands up in the middle of the reception during toast time and declares her pure hatred for the sanctity of marriage, the air just leaves the room. Before picking up my Blu-Ray copy, I'll have to decide how much of a glutton for punishment I really am that I don't mind being that uncomfortable in my own living room.

That awkward moment when you realize you're

Jack Bauer's next target.

Above all though, Melancholia just isn't that accessible, though probably one of the most accessible of director Lars von Trier's career. Not that being accessible is a defining quality of a great film, far from it. The ones that think outside the box are, or should be, held in higher regard, whether audiences can identify with the presented themes or not. But not being able to fully understand the characters simply because one "can't relate" truly makes it harder to revisit the film. And this is no way a slight toward Kirsten Dunst, who I still say gave the best performance of the year. It's just that I've never suffered the crippling depression Justine does while waiting for a another planet to collide with mine. Though seeing the film several more times would allow me to try to dig deeper into her psyche to try to understand why she is the way she is, it's not guaranteed that it would accomplish anything and I'd just end up frustrated.

On those days you have sparks flying from your

fingertips, I highly recommend carrying a
dryer sheet to battle the static electricity.

The haters haven't swayed me into rethinking my decision. It's one I struggled with for weeks when choosing my favorites for 2011. And I hesitated to hit "publish" on that year end post because I simply wasn't sure I could commit to such a huge decision. Afterall, as one of the characters from my favorite film in 2010 declared ,"The Internet's not written in pencil, it's written in ink." And I don't want to look back in 5 years, desperately wanting, but unable, to erase my decision.

Monday's Movie Review: Blue Valentine (No Spoilers)

2012-01-16T12:00:00.002-06:00

I was having a really good weekend, but apparently I didn't think myself deserving of such a lovely, relaxing two days with my family because I decided to end it on such a depressing note that is Blue Valentine.

The film is about Cindy (Michelle Williams) and Dean (Ryan Gosling), a couple whose marriage is crumbling. But we're not only watching the end, as the story cuts back to the beginning when the two were actually happy. One minute we're watching two people who don't really like each other try to get through sex in a cheesy motel to "save" their relationship and the next we're seeing two happy kids dancing and playing the ukulele in the street. This method of storytelling is both a blessing and a curse: the happy stars-in-their-eyes couple lightens the tension mounted by bickering spouses, but it inevitably makes the film ten times sadder knowing how quickly the happy kisses turn into angry shouting.

But at the core of their anger isn't the typical Hollywood grouping of usual suspects known as infidelity, abuse, or addiction. Cindy and Dean are two people who simply fell out of love. They work hard to put food on the table and do their best to raise their daughter right, but in the end they've lost sight of who they are together. No outside forces are to blame, just simply living day-to-day life. And that is the scariest theme Blue Valentine has to offer.

I've really put off watching the story of Cindy and Dean's troubled marriage for over a year now, because I was convinced that there wasn't possibly any new ground to tread when showing an unhappy couple. A maybe that's true, but it doesn't really matter. The film doesn't take the easy way out to explain why two people that much in love could find themselves sick of one another less than a decade later. It's not an easy film to watch either, but the performances and the organic treatment of the marriage is hard to shake. I guess the next time I'm feeling a little too happy, I'll have a remedy for that.

Rating:

Reel Insight #71 - Ewan McGregor

2012-01-15T12:00:00.152-06:00

We're back with an actor of the week with the lovely Scot, Ewan McGregor. First Jess discusses Larry Crowne and I ramble on about Wild Target. And then Jess rolls the conversation into a segment about DVD/Blu-Ray special features while I bitch a lot about the new "Ultraviolet Digital" copies of films that I've recently encountered. There may have been significant drinking during recording...

Give it a listen and email your thoughts to reelinsight[at]gmail[dot]com. We love feedback and we love to read your feedback while casting. Our "theme" music is from Kevin MacLeod with Incompetech. Also, join the Facebook Fan Page and subscribe on iTunes to stay updated. Thanks for listening!

Ewan McGregor Films Watched for Reel Insight

327. Miss Potter: The tale of beloved children's author Beatrix Potter (Renee Zellweger), from publishing her first book to finding her first love (Ewan McGregor) and eventually gaining her independence from her overbearing mother. The film is simply pleasant, but ultimately forgettable. For all the oppression and tragedy in Potter's life, the tone of the film feels too cheery. The use of animation for her "friends" felt a bit too random. Either the film needed to make a statement with more animated rabbits or have none at all.

328. The Island: In the future, people live in a special facility after a contamination of the outside world. The facility holds a recurring lottery that allows people to go to The Island, the last place above ground not contaminated, but one curious resident (McGregor) comes to find out The Island is not the tropical paradise they've been led to believe. A pretty decent Michael Bay film, this is a lot like a blockbuster version of Never Let Me Go, so there's a fascinating story to it. The action sequences do run too long and the ending is bland, but it's far more enjoyable than many other Bay films.

329. Down with Love: A feminist novelist (Renee Zellweger) unnerves men around the world with her newest book that promotes a sex-not-love attitude for women, but one super masculine journalist (McGregor) is determined to prove she wants love too. I'm not terribly familiar with the romantic comedies of the '60s but I'm guessing that's what the film was trying to parody, but with a much more risque tone. There are some clever moments of dialogue, but otherwise I was insanely bored and fearful that any minute they would all burst into a cheesy song-and-dance routine.

330. I Love You Phillip Morris: Based on real events, Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) becomes a con man to finance his elaborate gay lifestyle, but once he lands in prison he meets Phillip Morris (McGregor) with whom he becomes obsessed, causing him further legal trouble down the road. Carrey is extremely over-the-top, borderline-offensive here and Russell is plain creepy in his pursuit of the sweet and (mostly) innocent Morris, so they're relationship was odd to watch, like sex predator/underage child creepy. However, Carrey was at his best, comedy-wise, during his major conning moments and McGregor gives an excellent performance as the sweet, shy Morris. If anything, the film needed more Leslie Mann as Russell's ex-wife. Their post-divorce dynamic was fantastic.

331. Cassandra's Dream: Two brothers, one with a gambling problem (Colin Farrell) and one with a get rich quick scheme and high maintenance girlfriend (McGregor), run into money troubles and feel their only way out is to kill someone for their shady rich uncle (Tom Wilkinson), but their decision ultimately tears them apart. I didn't expect much out of this Woody Allen drama, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. It is rather forgettable though and it left me with a feeling that perhaps McGregor and Farrell would've been better cast had they switched roles.

332. Trainspotting: The tale of how misfit Renton and his band of hooligans cope with heroin addiction and the trouble it causes. I don't get all the love. I like Danny Boyle's style here, the soundtrack was great and the acting was good, but the characters were loathsome and the story was just too repetitive: do heroin, kick habit, do heroin, kick habit. Lather, rinse, repeat. And the ending really didn't feel like it fit with the rest of the story. I'm sure it's just another one of those films that hype screwed up for me.

333. Deception: A shy accountant (McGregor) becomes mixed up in a "sex club" thanks to his new friend (Hugh Jackman), but things go bad when one of his "contacts" (Michelle Williams) goes missing from their hotel room. Pretty formulaic and dull, with zero character development, which is sad considering the leads. At least they didn't delve into the "split personality" storyline, at which they first hinted. Nonetheless, forgettable.

Saturday's Sims Screenshots: #65

2012-01-14T12:00:00.010-06:00

Nick had no trouble quickly getting this one from my favorite 2011 film, Melancholia:

Now that he is firmly in the lead, can anyone catch up to him? Here's another chance (yeah, I'm pretty much phoning it in for now):

Leaderboard:
Nick - 12
Andy - 9
Hatter, James, Jason, Jess, Kai, Mom, MovieNut14 - 4
Kano - 3
David, Dylan, Stevee - 2
Adam, Angela, Brian, Marc, Red - 1

Friday's New Feature Films: 1/13/12

2012-01-13T12:00:00.028-06:00

Contraband

Remember that movie where Giovanni Ribisi was the brother who messed up and Nic Cage had to steal a bunch of cars to save his ass from the first rebooted Dr. Who? A bit ironic Ribisi's the baddie in what looks to be a less fun version of the same story.

Joyful Noise

The kind of shallow feel good fluff that makes me sick. They will either a.) win this big competition or b.) lose but be "joyful" they took a chance and learned so much about themselves along the way. Yeah, I've seen that on Glee the past two seasons and I'm already bored with it.

Monday's Movie Reviews: ShakespeaRe-Told

2012-01-09T12:00:00.216-06:00

For the month of November in 2005, the BBC released a weekly series of four modern retellings of Shakespearean plays: Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Each had a different writer, director and cast. I found the idea intriguing, but only when I saw my beloved James McAvoy as the lead in Macbeth did I actually put forth an effort to see the series.

Much Ado About Nothing - Adapted by David Nicholls

On a local news program, Beatrice (Sarah Parish) and Benedick (Damian Lewis) are bickering co-anchors and former lovers, whom everyone attempts to reunite. Meanwhile weather girl Hero (Billie Piper) and sports presenter Claude (Martin Jarvis) fall in love, much to the chagrin of Don (Derek Riddell), the drunk visual effects manager who's obsessed with Hero.

Having grown up with the Thompson/Brannagh version of the 90's, it's hard to see anyone else as the dueling lovers B&B. However, despite my terrifying flashbacks of Morning Glory, the newsroom setting worked splendidly for telling the lovers' tales. A complete lack of a Don Pedro character was odd, but the use of technology, particularly cell phones, moved the plot forward splendidly. And one couples' journey ends much more realistically than expected. It's a very worthy rehash.

Rating:

Macbeth - Adapted by Peter Moffat

Joe Macbeth (James McAvoy) is a supremely talented sous chef of an upscale restaurant owned by Duncan (Vincent Regan), a celebrity chef, but Macbeth fears the restaurant will end up in the hands of Duncan's untalented son, Malcolm (Toby Kebbell). After being advised by three mystical trash collectors (seriously) that the restaurant will be his, Joe and his wife Ella (Keeley Hawes), plot to kill Duncan and take over the business, if head waiter Peter Macduff (Richard Armitage) doesn't muck up the plan.

Not surprisingly, this was my favorite of the quartet, but not just for McAvoy's singing and leather-pants-wearing, either. It is the play out of all four I am most familiar with having read and seen it too many times to count since 10th grade. It's excellently written and cast. Some lines of dialogue are exceptionally clever, one in particular that alludes to the play's unlucky reputation in the theater. And it too uses modern technology brilliantly. (Example: When Macbeth is suppose to see Banquo's ghost during the dinner, he actually gets a very delayed video text message from Banquo which freaks him out.)

The only major hiccup was, despite such clever use of technology, the idea of killing Duncan by stabbing him while he slept just doesn't work believably in modern day. They try a bit too desperately to show Ella setting the plot in motion, but I'm not sure I really buy it when forensic evidence should prevail. It seems too messy to even attempt. Otherwise, this adaptation of Macbeth was quite entertaining.

Rating:

The Taming of the Shrew - Adapted by Sally Wainwright

When abrasive politician Katherine (Shirley Henderson) is advised that her public image is unlikely to help her become the Leader of the Opposition, marriage is suggested. Meanwhile her beautiful supermodel sister Bianca (Jaime Murray) swears she will not marry until her older sister does, assuming it'll never happen, but this sets her lovesick manager Harry (Stephen Tompkinson) into plotting Katherine's marriage to his friend Petruchio (Rufus Sewell) a crass, penniless nobleman.

As a hopeless devotee to 10 Things I Hate About You, I was exceptionally hesitant to give this one a chance, but would've felt incomplete if I hadn't. The story surprisingly works well for career-oriented adults, instead of the younger generation for which it was intended. Unfortunately, as much as I adore Shirley Henderson, her performance was too much for the first half of the film, until said shrew is tamed. However, once Petruchio steps in and they match wits, the film finally won me over. Sewell and Henderson have a fantastic chemistry as the volatile couple in what starts as a marriage of convenience. And once again, the story doesn't end up as its source material, but it works just as well.

Rating:

A Midsummer Night's Dream - Adapted by Peter Bawker

Away at a quiet wooded resort, older couple Theo (Bill Patterson) and Polly (Imelda Staunton) are celebrating the engagement of their daughter Hermia (Zoe Tapper) to James (William Ash), but things go awry when her true love Xander (Rupert Evans) shows up to steal Hermia away and her best friend Helena (Michelle Bonnard) declares her love for James. Meanwhile, the fairy rulers of the surrounding woods, Titania (Sharon Small) and Oberon (Lennie James), are having their own domestic dispute, and whilst teaching his lady a lesson, Oberon, with sidekick Puck (Dean Lennox Kelly), also meddles with the humans' love affairs.

Unfortunately, this was the most difficult to endure. I'm not a fan of the source material; I feel it's overly saturated with characters and love troubles. At times it's confusing to sit through trying to figure out who everyone is and their relation to one another. So it's not technically the film's fault I lost interest early, because I really didn't care. The acting was quite good, but the story is too much of a mess to impress and the fantasy element hindered the modern setting more than anything.

Rating:

2011 in Review

2012-01-01T12:00:00.224-06:00

It's that time again. Time to simplify a year's worth of film watching into a few neat lists and file it away. Firstly, here are the 75 films I watched, categorized by the rating I bestowed on them, in alpha order.

Crazy, Stupid Love*, Drive, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, The Ides of March, Melancholia**, Midnight in Paris*

50/50, Another Earth*, Attack the Block*, Black Death**+, Fast Five*, Gnomeo & Juliet*, The Help, Horrible Bosses, Last Night**+, The Lincoln Lawyer*, Martha Marcy Marlene, Rango*, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Rubber**+, Scream 4*, Source Code*, Super 8, Thor, Trust*+, Tucker & Dale vs Evil+, Wrecked**, X-Men: First Class

The Adjustment Bureau*, Bad Teacher, Battle: Los Angeles*, Breaking Dawn: Part I, Bridesmaids, The Caller*, Contagion, Cowboys and Aliens, Delhi Belly*, Dylan Dog: Dead of Night*, Friends with Benefits*, Fright Night, Hannah*, I Saw the Devil*+, Limitless*, The Mechanic*, Our Idiot Brother*, Paul*, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Red State**, Retreat**, The Rum Diary, Sucker Punch, Super, The Tree of Life, The Trip*+, Unknown*

30 Minutes or Less*, Arthur*, Beginners*+, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Conspirator*, Drive Angry*, The Greatest Movie Ever Sold*, The Green Hornet*, In Time, Sleeping Beauty**, Take Me Home Tonight*, Water for Elephants*

Beastly*, Green Lantern*, Hobo with a Shotgun**+, Priest*, Red Riding Hood*, Season of the Witch*, Your Highness*

*DVD
**Video On Demand
+Wide release in US Theaters in 2011

For those who want to know, that makes 26 screenings, 41 on dvd or streaming, and 9 "On-Demand" (I saw Tucker & Dale On-Demand and in the theater). Now it's time for some fun lists. Consider this my obligatory disclaimer about these lists containing my favorites and not the best so you can refrain from being an ass in the comments when I didn't include your favorites of the year that you insist on labeling "Best."

Worst 10 Films of the Year

10. Arthur

I really like Russell Brand, for as insane as he seems to be, but this was far too PG-13 for his style of comedy. Brand and Mirren had great chemistry, but his love interest of Greta Gerwig was quite bland and forgettable, like the film itself.

9. 30 Minutes or Less

For as funny as it should have been, this was simply dumb, low-brow humor thanks to McBride and Swardson. It's a terribly disappointing follow-up to Eisenberg's fantastic lead in last year's The Social Network.

8. Take Me Home Tonight

A poor excuse for an homage to the 80s, this plays out in a typical up-all-night formula with actors in their 30s pretending to be 22. Pathetic, but an awesome pop soundtrack eases the pain some.

7. Green Lantern

Of all the superhero movies this year, this gets the dishonor of being the worst. Everything from zero character development to cheap CGI are to blame. And yet there will probably still be sequels.

6. Beastly

Part of the new trend in Hollywood to destroy the fairytales of our youth, this featured talentless kids spouting horrible dialogue and paraded it around for 90 minutes as if there were some life-changing lesson to be learned. Unfortunately no one learned their lesson and the rape of these beloved classics will continue.

5. Red Riding Hood

Unable to let go of not getting to continue the Twilight franchise, Catherine Hardwicke makes another fantasy-beast film with a flat love triangle, but without any effort this time. Being more obsessed with capturing the red cape against the white snow, she let the little things like decent storytelling fall to the wayside. It's pretty sad when even Gary Oldman can't spice things up just a little.

4. Season of the Witch

It's not even about a witch. I call shenanigans. Again, it's formulaic and repetitive. The acting is awful and the special effects even worse. Someone please stop Cage.

3. Priest

A vampire film that has virtually no mythology behind the monsters, this plays out Bettany's apparent goal of destroying his career even further after last year's Legion. At least he took his shirt off in that one, but no such luck here.

2. Your Highness

Another Danny McBride film and he's the star. It was as bad as I expected, but made even worse by the fact that it was released just a month or so after two of the main cast were up for Best Acting at the Oscars (and one of them won, while the other sorta hosted).

1. Hobo with a Shotgun

I know it's exploitation and suppose to be over-the-top bad, but it grew repetitive and tedious quickly and 80 minutes felt like 800. It wasn't entertaining on any level, except for the title.

Favorite 10 Movie Posters

10. Super

Though it's incredibly misleading since the film is super dark and not nearly as playful as the poster may suggest, I still love the "cut-out" look of the mask, which is pretty reflective of the main character as a faux superhero. And "Shut up, crime" has to be one of the best lines ever.

9. The Tree of Life

I certainly didn't love Malick's so-called masterpiece, but I did love looking at it and the poster boasts just a fraction of the visual beauty the film holds.

8. The Ides of March

I'm not much of one for "split" imagery like this, but it really works here, as Gosling is one of the men behind Clooney's presidential candidate, and by the end it's evident that he may turn into him someday. It's also no coincidence that the half of Time's title is the "ME" since everyone in the movie thinks about only themselves.

7. We Bought a Zoo

I didn't see the film, but this poster makes me go "awww." That's all I got, but it's enough.

6. The Rum Diary

I'm not crazed about the accompanying text, but what better way to promote your movie that contains such heavy drinking? Except of course handing out a complementary bottle of rum at every screening.

5. Scream 4

Though it sports the cursed "4" in place of a proper "A" I still love the simple design and how perfectly Ghostface's mask transitions into his weapon of choice.

4. Young Adult

I haven't seen this one either, but I know Theron's character is a writer of young adult fiction and what better way to flaunt it than by making a poster look like the cover of an actual young adult book? Genius.

3. Winnie the Pooh

The definition of simplicity. No title necessary. Again I saw "awww."

2. Melancholia

Much like the Young Adult poster, I like how this one plays on a theme of the film by looking like a wedding invitation. Though to be fair, it looks like we're invited to some polygamist wedding where Kiefer Sutherland will marry Kirsten Dunst AND Charlotte Gainsbourg with their overlord Lars von Trier overseeing the festivities. Whatever. As long as there is an open bar.

1. Midnight in Paris

Pure whimsy, just like the film. Any time you slap Starry Night onto something for a selling point, then I'm sold.

Favorite 10 Performances

10. Paul Giamatti - The Ides of March

There were a lot of excellent performances in this heavy political drama, but none stood out quite as much as Giamatti's deceptive campaign manager. I've not gone gaga over the man like many have, but here I started to see what everyone was talking about.

9. Kristen Wiig - Bridesmaids

I didn't care for this comedy as much as most of my gender since I still stand by my assessment that women partaking in toilet humor is no funnier or smarter than any man doing it. That being said, I still loved Wiig's hysterical yet vulnerable heroine. Melissa McCarthy may be getting more love for her performance, but she wasn't nearly as layered or funny as Wiig for me. I can't remember the last time I rooted for the underdog so much.

8. Joseph Gordon Levitt - 50/50

I'm wondering if our dear Jo-Go can do any wrong these days? I'm thinking no, and his bittersweet performance in this "cancer comedy" just makes me love him even more. I can't remember the last time I wanted to give a movie character a big hug. It's also the last time I cried in a movie theater.

7. Brit Marling - Another Earth

It's always amazing when you don't want bad things to happen to a character who did terrible things herself. Thanks to Marling's performance, the character of Rhoda was not nearly as easy to hate as she should've been after killing a pregnant wife and son in a drunk driving accident. There's not a single emotion her subtle performance leaves out and it all dances across her face effortlessly.

6. Viola Davis - The Help

I teared up just watching Davis in the trailer, so I knew seeing the entire film would get to me...and it did. For me, Aibileen was the most layered character of the story and her quiet performance was stunning as she had to both struggle and celebrate behind closed doors.

5. Brad Pitt - The Tree of Life

I wasn't behind the "plot" of the film, but it certainly boasted excellent performances from the cast, in particular Pitt's gruff 1960's Texas father. He's played evil and crazy to perfection before, but never has he been so feared as the overly-strict and short-tempered Mr. O'Brien.

4. Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Though I stated in my review the other day that I prefer Noomi Rapace's original performance to Mara's, that doesn't mean I didn't really enjoy the hell out of her scary badass version of Lisbeth. Though it was difficult looking at her eyebrowless face for almost 3 hours, she was still quite mesmerizing.

3. Ryan Gosling - Drive

I was enjoying Gosling's mysterious "Driver" from the first minute, but I had to step back and go "woah" when he threatened the guy in the diner without a change in tone or facial expression, but the eyes alone said enough to make me believe just how dangerous he really was. Stunning.

2. Elizabeth Olsen - Martha Marcy May Marlene

The film was a bit more vague and open-ended than I had hoped, but Olsen's performance made up for the film's few shortcomings. She easily handled this difficult role, in only her second feature length film, with the ease and talent of a veteran. Why couldn't she be the one to make the Olsen name famous, instead of infamous?

1. Kirsten Dunst - Melancholia

Too often it seems that depression is exploited in film, to the point that any depressed character just feels whiny and obnoxious these days. Dunst avoided those stereotypes as she put on a happy face through Justine's depression for her wedding then turns into a truly cold person as the world threatens to end. Most impressive.

Favorite 10 Films of the Year

10. Horrible Bosses

This list is full of surprises and this one would be the first. I rarely see these types of outrageous raunchy comedies anymore, because they're generally too low-brow, but I upped that number significantly this year. And this had to be my favorite of them all. It is over-the-top, but the chemistry between the three leads and the insanity of the actual bosses kept me laughing for days after the theater screening. And I know it holds up, because I've watched the Blu-Ray that was in my Christmas stocking.

9. X-Men: First Class

There were far too many superhero movies to count this year, but the one with James McAvoy won, of course. Being a big fan of the X-Men franchise (I still say Wolverine wasn't as bad as the general consensus made it out to be), I was destined to dig this. Even though my initial review was full of complaints, I really did like it. I just don't appreciate the filmmaker's declaration that it is to be accepted in the previous X-Men cannon when there are so many continuity errors from the previous films. Once I accepted it as a stand alone film and potential reboot of the franchise, then I let go of the issues I had with it and liked it so much more.

8. Tucker & Dale vs. Evil

This movie was just too much fun. I rented it from iTunes, assuming my local theater would never get it, but when it did, I still saw it in the theater and loved it even more a second time. Any film that cleverly twists a beloved genre gets my vote.

7. 50/50

That "cancer comedy" turned out to be the perfect balance of funny and heavy. A wonderful cast (yes, even Seth Rogen) kept it from being a cliched bore. It was one of the few films I anticipated this past fall/winter season and I wasn't disappointed.

6. Crazy, Stupid Love

The second surprise on this list is this sweet and zany not-so-typical-romantic-comedy. Showing several variations on the topic of love, from childish crushes to worn-out marriages, it's one of those rare romance flicks that doesn't feel fake and formulaic. I can see this as an easy "pick me up" movie, should I have a bad day.

5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

No, it's not the "best" I saw this year, but I simply cannot and will not ignore the last film of an eight-part series of which I was a massive fan. It wrapped things up nicely for those of us who've followed along for the past decade. Though I didn't love it immediately, I realized it was because I had stepped back during the first screening, not accepting that it was indeed the end. But after a second screening, I was definitely on board.

4. Midnight in Paris

Yet another surprise for me, not being a Woody Allen or Owen Wilson fan. The film is completely charming, funny and sincere, but above all it boasts originality which is so rare these days.

3. Drive

The plot was nothing new, but the performances and the style blew me away. It was hard picking a favorite Gosling film of the year, since there were three fantastic ones, but this won for his performance alone. And the fantastic shots. And the retro feeling. And, and, and.

2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Since I managed to stay away from the original Swedish version, this supremely dark Fincher remake was a nice kick in the gut. I think the tone fit the serial murder plot better and the performances were fantastic. If only the epilogue hadn't dragged out quite as long, it might have made my No. 1 spot.

1. Melancholia

Hey, I'm just as surprised as anyone to find a Lars von Trier film sitting atop any "Favorite Film" list of mine. Alas I cannot get this movie out of my head, in a good way. It's hauntingly beautiful with outstanding performances and a subtle end-of-the-world plot wrapped inside a personal tragedy story. I can't in good conscience recommend it, since opinions have been so split, but I can't wait to see it again and again.

Most Anticipated for 2012

5. The Avengers

More than anything, I just want it to get here and be done. After 5-ish years of origin stories for all the characters, and even a sequel for one of them, I'm just kinda worn out hearing about it more than anything. And like I've said, if it weren't for Joss Whedon's writing and directing, I probably would've given up a while back (around Iron Man 2).

4. The Hobbit

I didn't really have much interest in this until the trailer came out and then I had a LOTR marathon. NOW I'm excited.

3. The Hunger Games

Loved the books, and not in an ironic Twilight kind of way. It's a great story with a very promising cast, so I hope it lives up to expectations.

2. The Dark Knight Rises

Though I wasn't that intrigued by the trailer, I am excited to see where Nolan ends the trilogy. Does he have the balls to kill Batman? We'll see in July.

1. Django Unchained

I don't really know what it's about and I don't need to. It's Tarantino and that's enough for me.

Happy 2012!

Reel Insight #70 - 2011 Wrap

2012-01-01T00:00:00.111-06:00

Happy New Year Reel Insight listeners! We're back after only one week to bring you this shorter, special year-end episode. Listen as we count down our Worst 5 Movies and our Best 5 Movies of the year, plus the five we're anticipating the mostest in 2012.

As a note, we'll now be staggering our episodes, so one weekednd we'll record and the next we'll release the episode. In other words, you'll have one week to listen to a new episode and get feedback to us, which of course we appreciate!

Give it a listen and email your thoughts to reelinsight[at]gmail[dot]com. We love feedback and we love to read your feedback while casting. Our "theme" music is from Kevin MacLeod with Incompetech. Also, join the Facebook Fan Page and subscribe on iTunes to stay updated. Thanks for listening!