tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51616373852947448102024-03-05T04:24:19.792-05:00The Most Beautiful Fraud in the WorldKevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.comBlogger848125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-17346589706693730152014-03-04T13:26:00.002-05:002014-03-24T11:26:03.825-04:00Hello, I Must Be Going...But Not That Far<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yes dear readers, in the immortal words of one Mister Julius Henry 'Groucho' Marx - hello, I must be going. But not to worry, for my going is not going to be all that far away. In fact it's just across the proverbial, make-believe hall from here. It has been a fun four and a half years being your host with the most, here at The Most Beautiful Fraud in the World, but now it is time to move on. But, as I said above, I'll be right across the hall, cyberly speaking that is. From now on, all my writing can be found at my new blog, cleverly titled (?) <a href="http://www.allthingskevyn.com/"><b>All Things Kevyn</b></a>. I will still be writing on the cinema (my first true love) but I will be expanding that writing to include all things of a pop culture bent. To give a better idea of what I am doing these days, here is my official bio:</div>
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<i>Kevyn Knox is a Blogger, Film Historian + Critic, a Comicbook Nerd from
waaay back, a lapsed Cartoonist, a wouldbe Novelist, and the Writer of
All Things Kevyn. For four and a half years, he and his wife ran
Midtown Cinema, Harrisburg Pa's one and only arthouse cinema, but last
year Knox moved on to other adventures, most prominently, the creation
of his renowned blog, appropriately titled All Things Kevyn. Tackling
any subject that happens to cross his mind that day (the blog's subtitle
reads, "Anything that pops into my head, might just pop up on this
blog. So there!"), All Things Kevyn is a catch-all of pop cultural
reference, and no matter the subject, be it cinema or comics or music or
TV or any one of the author's famed top ten lists, you can be sure it
is imbued with Knox's lovingly warped, yet quite wry, sense of humour,
as well as presented in his Post-Proustian, digression-happy writing
style. You just never know what you're going to get at All Things
Kevyn, but you know it's going to be fun, and very possibly like nothing
you've ever seen before. Well, that's it, and as Kevyn is prone to say
at the end of any one of his posts, see ya 'round the web.</i></div>
</blockquote>
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So, with that being said, I bid a tearful adieu to The Most Beautiful Fraud in the World while also saying a boisterous how ya doin' to All Things Kevyn. This new blog will act as the hub of what I like to call The All Things Kevyn Entertainment Network, where all my writing from all across the blogosphere, will be linked. I hope that you will follow me over to my new online home. Sure, this site will still be up and running, but nothing new will be published here, instead acting as an archives of my past cinematic writings. Everything new will be at <a href="http://www.allthingskevyn.com/"><b>All Things Kevyn</b></a>. Hope to see you at my new digs. It'll be lots of fun, trust me. That's it gang. See ya 'round the web.</div>
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Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-11683636700883793892014-02-26T11:09:00.002-05:002014-02-26T11:09:42.833-05:00Film Review: Paolo Sorrentino's The Great Beauty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1nNZxtTrblxMvkY8wyKwjLEGHg0TBwXa6IidF30QNfxCoR0zUih1ukVt1yQSGE0sinFcnBhwz296awXkclHvXPalHeivpkQFnRul8uwJYaDzFzD62bdUBAI6Gsj_GMmDDUiGKFWYpL_w/s1600/the-great-beauty-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1nNZxtTrblxMvkY8wyKwjLEGHg0TBwXa6IidF30QNfxCoR0zUih1ukVt1yQSGE0sinFcnBhwz296awXkclHvXPalHeivpkQFnRul8uwJYaDzFzD62bdUBAI6Gsj_GMmDDUiGKFWYpL_w/s1600/the-great-beauty-poster.jpg" height="320" width="220" /></a></div>
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So far, anyone and everyone who has reviewed this <i>The Great Beauty</i>, or <i>La Grande Bellezza</i>
in its native Italian tongue, has one descriptive in common - and that
descriptive is highlighted by everyone's favourite F-word. And by
everyone's favourite F-word, I of course mean Felliniesque. From the
first deliciously giddy moments to the grand morality tale finale, Paolo
Sorrentino's latest film is possibly more akin to a Fellini film than
any film since Fellini himself was making movies. Hell, this film is so
Felliniesque, it may be even more like a Fellini film than many of
Fellini's own films. Okay, perhaps that is just hyperbole, but
seriously, this film is quite the spectacle to behold, and the blatant
influence of Sorrentino's late great countryman, has to be the major
reason why. But none of this obvious influence, or over-use of that
aforementioned F-word, should take away from the post-modern
sensibilities and stunning film work brought forth by this post-realist,
post-Fellini auteur.</div>
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Tackling many of the same concerns that Fellini (there he is again) played with in his masterful <i>La Dolce Vita</i>,
Sorrentino takes a look at Jep Gambardella, an aging writer, and
popular partier-cum-Roman pseudo-celebrity, upon his 65th birthday, as
he tries to figure out what has happened to, and what will now happen to
his life. The juicy, contemplative role of Jep, Sorrentino's modern
channeling of Marcello Mastroianni's Marcello Rubini in (here he is
again) Fellini's <i>La Dolce Vita</i>, is played with plenty of aplomb by 54 year old actor Toni Servillo, most notably seen in Matteo Garrone's brilliant <i>Gomorrah</i>, and Sorrentino's own <i>Il Divo</i>.
His performance is a centerpiece looking all around him at the titular
great beauty, or grande bellezza, that is Roma, the Eternal City.
Acting, much in the way Mastroianni did in <i>La Dolce Vita</i>, as a
visual narrator of the sometimes decadent, sometimes mournful world of
Roman society, Servillo's Jep is the proverbial lost soul in search of
meaning in an otherwise unfulfilled life of constant parties and drink
and women. A one time promising novelist, now relegated to writing
cheap articles on Roman high society and its esoteric art world, Jep
looks back on a life possibly wasted, longing for true companionship
while simultaneously running from it, and yearning for his lost first
love. It is as stunning a performance as the film itself is a stunning
work of art.</div>
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Sorrentino's film, as Felliniesque as it
wants to be (I keep going back to that F-word, don't I?), is essentially
the story of a human tragedy, but not the kind usually associated with
the genre of tragedy. For all intents and purposes, Jep is a successful
person, a celebrated member of Rome's upper crust society, but inside
he is lost and lonely and unsure of his true place in the world. He is
part of a faux society, trapped inside a spiraling circle that leads
deeper and deeper into despair and hopelessness, with no idea of how to
escape this outwardly happy, inwardly depressing lifestyle. Servillo
gives this multifaceted character the most bravura of performances (his
chutzpah is off the so-called charts), and this performance is integral
in making the film work, but it is Sorrentino giving his all as
director, that lifts this tragedy to near epic proportions. With a
swirling camera that takes in the great tragic beauty that is his
Eternal City, a camera-eye that wraps itself up down around and through
the heart of Rome's society, Sorrentino engulfs us with a visually
Felliniesque (yep, that word again) brouhaha, showcasing both the city
itself and Servillo's wayward Jep, and it all comes out so beautifully,
it almost hurts. Easily one of the best films of the year (and the
probable winner of the Best Foreign Language Oscar), F-word laced or
not, this old school cinephile was quite surprised as to not have the
film end with a shot of Servillo turning away from the camera and
walking down the beach. La Dolce Vita, indeed.</div>
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<a href="http://www.allthingskevyn.com/2014/02/film-review-paolo-sorrentinos-great.html"><b>This review can also be read over at my main blog, All Things Kevyn.</b></a>Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-85285612381249090262014-02-19T09:24:00.001-05:002014-02-19T09:24:26.339-05:00Film Review: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller's The Lego Movie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sure, it may be, as some are prone
to gripe, just a kid's movie. Sure, it may be just a PG-rated Robot
Chicken, and therefore sadly lacking in the guts department. Sure, it
may just be this generation's pale distant cousin of my generation's <i>Who Framed Roger Rabbit</i>
- well, kinda. Sure, it may be all these things, and therefore nothing
this critic, no matter how immature and still living in his own
childhood he may be, would be all that interested in, other than perhaps
just to see what all the hubbub's about, bub. So, with soda and
popcorn in hand, and surrounded by what I would approximate as half a
million children (which included a two-row sectioned off birthday party
area), I hunkered down to see just what all the hubbub was about, bub.
Surprisingly, the hubbub was more accurate than I would have expected.
Even more surprisingly, with the exception of one little girl's scream
at the supposed peril of the film's hero at one point, these
aforementioned half a million children sat in relative silence during
the film's hour and forty-two minute runtime. So there.</div>
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As for the story of <i>The Lego Movie</i>,
it is typical archetype stuff. A simple everyman, Emmet Brickowoski
(voiced by Chris Pratt), living his mundane simple life, stumbles upon a
magical prophecy of which he must fulfill in order to save the world
from the evil doings of Lord Business (voiced by Will Ferrell). Along
the way, the often oblivious Emmet is joined on his quest by a manic
panic-haired heroine ridiculously named Wyldestyle (Elizabeth Banks),
the wizened blind wizard Vitruvius (the seemingly omnipresent voice of
Mr. Morgan Freeman), a candy-coated creepy-ass unicorn hybrid of a Lego
and My Little Pony (<i>Community</i>'s Allison Brie), a cobbled-together
pirate monstrosity (Nick Offerman), an over eager 1980's spaceman Lego
guy (Charlie Day), and of course, Batman (Will Arnett putting that famed
raspy voice to great use), included most likely because he gets butts
in seats, baby. Also featuring the voice of Liam Neeson as the bi-polar
Bad Cop/Good Cop henchman of Lord Business, and a slew of other Lego
characters (Superman, Wonder Woman, Abraham Lincoln, Shakespeare, an
incessantly nagging Green Lantern voiced by Jonah Hill, as well as some
fun little cameo appearances, one of them staying especially classy), <i>The Lego Movie</i> is actually a lot of fun. Perhaps not to the level of some other toy-related animated films (cough, cough...the <i>Toy Story</i> franchise), but still a fun little movie. So there...again.<br />
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With
that said, I would have loved to have seen, instead of a PG-rated Robot
Chicken, an actual Robot Chicken version of this film. I know, I know,
the damn thing's aimed at a much younger set than I, but still the
possibilities of a pop culture wonderland in the form of Legos is a
pretty spectacular idea. But alas, instead of many of the pop
references that coulda woulda shoulda filled this film (there are some
cute references, but nothing compared to something like the Pixar gang
or the <i>Shrek</i> films, or shows such as <i>The Simpsons</i> and <i>Family Guy</i>, or dare I say <i>Robot Chicken</i>)
we are left with a fun, but still not as fun as it could be film.
Sure, this may be a small gripe in the whole scheme of things, for it is
an enjoyable film (and has a nice non-conformity message), and judging
from the lack of bothersome, disgruntled children in the screening I
attended, its intended audience is more than pleased as punch, so who am
I to argue. Let's just keep it at my original assessment of it being a
fun little film, and go on about our respective lives. After all, in a
case such as this, my problems don't amount to a hill of beans in this
crazy critical world. I was once taken to task by the six year old son
of a friend of mine, for not giving good enough reviews of animated
films, so perhaps I should best leave well enough alone, and finish this
review with the title of the movie's purposefully annoying hit song -
everything is awesome. So there.<br />
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<a href="http://www.allthingskevyn.com/2014/02/film-review-phil-lord-and-christopher.html"><b>This review can also be read at my main blog, All Things Kevyn.</b></a></div>
Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-91605658965767658602014-02-04T10:26:00.000-05:002014-02-04T10:26:31.819-05:00Film Review: John Wells & Tracy Letts' August: Osage County<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5HAbUoXBzI7nLIbFb1EIVz9M03qS6soc_wZOD4qUsZNLeRvyJrPFgdTj55qDqAAtjDurRcdLGvMOVob-0-TC1255mQOCuIDj2rnfJ-F17XXUDs0IvYpBniHrtOZqwRmzdVk7xphK4Gw/s1600/august-osage-county-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5HAbUoXBzI7nLIbFb1EIVz9M03qS6soc_wZOD4qUsZNLeRvyJrPFgdTj55qDqAAtjDurRcdLGvMOVob-0-TC1255mQOCuIDj2rnfJ-F17XXUDs0IvYpBniHrtOZqwRmzdVk7xphK4Gw/s1600/august-osage-county-poster.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></div>
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When I say something along the lines of Julia Roberts gives the best damn performance of her career in <i>August: Osage County</i>,
it is not all that bold a statement. After years of playing in films
below her ability (she is actually a fine actress, just a bad role
taker, as it were), it would not be that difficult to overtake such
performances as those found in the silly slapstick rom-coms,
holier-than-thou melodramas, and cheap wouldbe thrillers, the actress is
so fond of finding herself. On the other hand, when I say a statement
such as, Meryl Streep gives her career best performance in <i>August: Osage County</i>
as well, then we are in definite bold statement territory - damn bold
statement territory, indeed. Is this all true though? Well ladies and
gentleman, hold onto your hats and bonnets, because it may very well be
true. Perhaps to keep the hyperbolic owls at bay, I should probably
rearrange that latter statement to read, if not the best, but surely one
of La Streep's finest performances, but such a downgrade should not
hide the fact that her performance in <i>August</i>, a performance that
has garnered the iconic actress her ever-increasing unprecedented
eighteenth Oscar nomination, is right up there with her jobs in <i>Sophie's Choice, Silkwood</i>, and <i>Ironweed</i>. So there.</div>
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In
truth though (and Streep's mean-minded matriarch prides herself on
being a truth teller) it is not just Streep and, more surprisingly,
Roberts who run away with this film, for this is a production, as should
be the case with such a stage play turned motion picture (at least
ideally), that is chock full of bravura performances - a stacked deck,
if you will. Beyond Streep and Roberts, as mother and daughter Violet
Weston and Barbara Weston-Fordham, we also get a slew of stunning and
powerful (and all those other appropriate adjectives and descriptives)
performances from the likes of Julianne Nicholson as middle sister Ivy,
Juliette Lewis as baby sister Karen, Margo Martindale and Chris Cooper
as Violet's sister and brother-in-law respectively, Benedict Cumberbatch
as 'Little' Charles, woebegone cousin to the three sisters, Dermot
Mulroney as Karen's lascivious fiance (my wife tells me that Mulroney
can play sleazy with the best of 'em), Ewan McGregor as Barbara's
wandering husband, Little Miss Sunshine Abigail Breslin as their
fourteen-going-on-forty daughter, and Sam Shepard as family patriarch
Beverly Weston. Not a dud in any of these performances. Personally I
think Nicholson, Martindale, and Cooper should have been awarded Oscar
nominations as well, but then again, maybe that's just me.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Based on Terry Letts' award-winning play, and adapted
for the screen by Mr. Letts himself (the film is directed by John Wells,
best known for his role as exec producer on TV's Southland), <i>August: Osage County</i>
is the story of a dysfunctional family living in the small town plains
of Oklahoma. And when I say dysfunctional, I mean that in the whole
nine yards kind of way. As the film progresses, more and more layers
are peeled away, onion-like, and more and more skeletons fall out of the
collective family closets, each one a bigger and more disturbing
revelation than the ones that came before. Layer upon layer, skeleton
piled up on skeleton, this cast keeps pushing the so-called envelope,
further and further and further along, until the inevitable explosion
happens, and everything is laid bare, and ugly, and psychologically
scarred what could very well be far beyond any thoughts of repair.
Letts' words are a big big part of this, of course (Hitchcock's idea
that the three most important things in a movie are screenplay,
screenplay, and screenplay, will always be a truism to a point), but if
not for the courage of the fearless cast, this Minnow could very well be
lost - but not to worry, for they are more than up to the difficult
task ahead. Dare I even say that this is the most well acted movie this
critic has seen in a long long long time. Bravura indeed, and brava as
well.</div>
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<a href="http://www.allthingskevyn.com/2014/02/film-review-john-wells-tracy-letts.html"><b>This review can also be read over at my main site, All Things Kevyn.</b></a>Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-76298616320230361172014-02-02T14:56:00.000-05:002014-02-02T14:56:55.744-05:00My 25 Most Anticipated Films of 2014<div style="text-align: justify;">
Well, it's that time of the year again. All the hoopla of the past year's top tens has finally died down, and even though we still have the Oscars coming up, it's time to turn our eyes toward the cinematic goings-on of 2014. In other words, here's a list of the twenty-five (or so) films that I am most looking forward to this coming year. So, without further ado, here we go. Let's count 'em down.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">25. Life Itself - </span></b>A documentary based on the memoir of the late great Roger Ebert, directed by Steve James, the man who made Hoop Dreams, a documentary that Ebert was integral in making a success back in 1994. Oh you tricky little circle of life you. Whether James captures Ebert or not, just the chance to watch the life of the most influential critic on this critic, puts the film on the list.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">24. 22 Jump Street - </span></b>After the surprising success of the first film (before the film came out I was expecting it to be part of my worst of the year list, instead of a runner-up on my best list) Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill move across the street, and take their somewhat surprisingly hilarious high school act into the local college. Second films tend to go downhill from the original (well, it would be the semi-original in this case) but since the first one surprised so well, why not again? We'll see.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>23. Godzilla -</b></span> After the beyond disastrous 1998 version, many are holding their collective breath waiting for the May release of this monster. At the helm is Gareth Edwards, who went straight from the extremely low budget monster movie, Monsters, to the extremely high budget monster movie, Godzilla, and I suppose many are wondering if he is up to the task. But hey, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Bryan Cranston in the cast, how can ya not be excited over seeing Kick-Ass and Walter White battle the big G-Dogg?</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>22. Captain America: The Winter Soldier - </b></span>Cap has always been one of my faves in the comics, stoic and Gary Cooper-esque (and especially brilliant when written by Ed Brubaker), and the first film was a much better film than many gave it credit for being. Now we get the old guy in the modern world, assisted by Black Widow and having to fight the Winter Soldier. As a comicbook nerd, this sounds like fun to me.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">21. Boxtrolls -</span></b> I've a secret to tell. I love stop-motion animation. No, really, I love love love it. Can't get enough of it kinda love. Give me stop-motion or give me death! With all that out there, it is a safe bet that I am excited to see the latest stop-motion movie by the same animation studio that gave us <i>Coraline</i> and <i>Paranorman</i> (and in their early days, those dancing California Raisins of the 1980's). Can't wait for September.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">20. Assassin -</span></b> From one of the most cerebral filmmakers of Asia, Taiwan's Hou Hsiao-hsien, now gives us something that seems more in the Wong Kar-wai vein of things - a period piece about an assassin. Granted, it could be delayed until 2015, but right now, it looks like it may make it to the states by year's end. Of course, Hou being Hou (and Hou's will be Hou's - I crack myself up sometimes), this is probably not going to be the mainstreamiest of movies, so NYC and LA are it's only real potential hot spots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmxv0fSM0AMI-imlnqiWZINZdgmSJ4UdgEGYqEkovMF4li12Hpc4Zetu7r9qthehBwABfy9k5ARmXcsA3S3GAoKboIIC6-V154bW8B7YG7RouWA0QNO_3SKghyV86TD8NYPOUPYwQQkAN/s1600/dame-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmxv0fSM0AMI-imlnqiWZINZdgmSJ4UdgEGYqEkovMF4li12Hpc4Zetu7r9qthehBwABfy9k5ARmXcsA3S3GAoKboIIC6-V154bW8B7YG7RouWA0QNO_3SKghyV86TD8NYPOUPYwQQkAN/s1600/dame-poster.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">19. How To Catch a Monster -</span></b> Christina Hendricks and Saoirse Ronan star in this fantasy-thriller that also just so happens to be the directorial debut of one, Mr. Ryan Gosling. Hopefully the actor, who has more than proven himself on this side of the camera, has learned a thing or two about directing while working with the likes of Derek Cianfrance and Nicolas Winding Refn.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">18. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For -</span></b> The graphic noir gang is all back together again, including co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller (the writer of the original novels), and stars Jessica Alba, Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, and Mickey Rourke, now joined by new kids on the block, Eva Green, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Josh Brolin, Juno Temple, and even Lady Gaga.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">17. Two Days, One Night - </span></b>The Belgium-born Dardenne Brothers, the duo that gave us such brilliant cinema of endurance films as <i>Rosetta, L'Enfant,</i> and <i>The Kid with a Bike</i>, are back with a film that, thanks to lead Marion Cotillard (the biggest name the directors have ever had in one of their films), could be their most seen film here in the states. Okay, maybe not that big of a hit, but I do love the Dardennes. Why the hell don't you!?</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">16. Birdman -</span></b> From the man who gave the world the Mexican New Wave hit <i>Amores Perros</i>, as well as <i>21 Grams</i>, this new film about a washed-up actor, starring Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, and Naomi Watts, will hopefully make us forget the disheveled and ultimately mediocre Babel, and bring us back to the director's earlier works.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">15. X-Men: Days of Future Past -</span></b> As an X-Men fan from waaay back, long before the movies, long before Wolverine was in every comic made by Marvel, an way before the Phoenix or The Days of Future Past, I quiver at the possibilities of this film, but I also shudder at the possibility of this film sucking the royal teat. This one really could go either way, and it worries me. Will it be as good as <i>First Class</i> or as band as <i>Last Stand</i>? After seeing some of the costumes and such in Empire Magazine this week, my worries have risen. Even with these worries, I still place this film rather high on my list. I mean, it is the X-Men after all.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">14. Boyhood -</span></b> This Richard Linklater project, filmed intermittently between 2002 and 2013, takes a look at more than a decade in the life of a boy as he deals with his divorced parents, played by Patricia Arquette and Linklater buddy Ethan Hawke. Sort of a fictional version of the Up series, or perhaps a bit akin to Truffaut's Antoine Doinel series, the chameleonic auteur does it again - hopefully.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">13. The Grand Budapest Hotel - </span></b>I sort of have a love/hate relationship with Wes Anderson. I think the guy is a talented filmmaker, and has a fun visual style to his work, but at the same time, the filmmaker hero to all the hipsters, seems to keep making the exact same movie over and over again, and this one, judging from the trailer, looks to be no different. Alas poor Wes, let's change it up a bit next time, huh?</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>12. Guardians of the Galaxy -</b></span> Forget Spidey, Cap, and all those Marvelous Mutants, this is the super hero movie to watch for. Why? Because no one really knows what it is going to be. Outside of the comic-reading world (a place where I reside) no one really knows who the hell these guys are, and unlike known properties such as the aforementioned Spidey, Cap, and The X-Men, there's no telling what director James Gunn (incidentally also the director of the fun genre pieces <i>Super</i> and <i>Slither</i>, as well as the writer of Zack Snyder's fantastic <i>Dawn of the Dead</i> remake) will do. I am Groot! We are all Groot!! Those inside the comic-reading world will love that last joke, the rest of you will just have to wait until August.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">11. Noah </span></b>- Normally, I would not be all that interested in a big budget biblical epic, but the fact that Darren Aronofsky is directing this one, and Russell Crowe is starring, gives it a spot at number eleven. We also get Jennifer Connelly as Noah's little missus, Emma Watson as his daughter, and Anthony Hopkins as good old Methuselah. Judging from the trailer, the movie does look like a big fat CGI fest, but hopefully the guy who gave us Black Swan, can help it be more than just that.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">10. Night Moves -</span></b> After playing at both Venice and Toronto last year, as well as being on my most anticipated films of 2013 list (whoops), the latest film from Kelly Reichardt (Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy, Meek's Cutoff), will finally get it's long-awaited US debut later this year. The film will also showcase the first major adult role for former child starlet Dakota Fanning.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">9. Ex Machina -</span></b> A psycho-tech-thriller, robot romance-esque sci-fi film written and directed by the guy who wrote the screenplays for <i>28 Days Later..., Sunshine</i>, and <i>Never Let Me Go</i>, and starring Oscar Isaac, fresh off his brilliant turn in <i>Inside Llewyn Davis</i>? How could we not be excited by this? In fact, you'd have to be a machine to not be excited about this. See what I did there? Yup.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">8. While We're Young -</span></b> Granted, this is another one of those films that may not see the light of day (or the dark of the cinema, if you will) until 2015, but chances are still rather strong that it will be out in late Fal, in time for an Oscar run. The film is written and directed by Noah Baumbach (<i>Squid and the Whale, Frances Ha</i>) and will star Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts, among many others.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. Interstellar -</span></b> Starring soon-to-be Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey, along with Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Ellen Burstyn, Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, and Michael Caine, this sci-fi film from Christopher Nolan (you know, the guy who directed <i>Memento, The Prestige, Inception, Insomnia</i>, and the <i>Dark Knight Trilogy</i>), is on pretty much everyone's anticipatory lips these days. I must admit to not being a huge fan of <i>Inception</i> (I think it lacked a solid third act, and tried too hard to explain what should have been left unexplained) nor the final <i>Dark Knight</i> film (lackluster compared to it's immediate predecessor), but the rest of the auteur's oeuvre intact, I am greatly looking forward to this one.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Magic in the Moonlight -</span></b> Believe it or not, this is not being called the Untitled Woody Allen Project, as has been the case during filming of the director's past films. Set in 1920's French Riviera, the film stars Emma Stone, Colin Firth, Hamish Linklater, Jacki Weaver, and Marcia Gay Harden. Granted, the Woodman has been hit or miss the past two decades or so (and he is going through some tough times of late, with ugly allegations being tossed and tweeted his way), but I am hoping this is more in <i>Midnight in Paris, Match Point, Blue Jasmine</i> territory and less in the <i>Scoop</i> or <i>Whatever Works</i> realm.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Gone Girl -</span></b> David Fincher, one of the best directors working today (I mean, c'mon - <i>Panic Room, Fight Club, Se7en, Zodiac, The Social Network</i>, his American remake of <i>The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo</i>!!), is back, and tackling the best seller, Gone Girl, with Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Dark and sinister, and both visually and psychologically harrowing, are things we should expect from this film. Hell, with a filmography such as his, how could we not. I know I can't wait.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Jane Got A Gun - </span></b>This long-anticipated (in the works for three years now) Natalie Portman western was originally to be directed by Lynne Ramsey, but after she walked due to problems with the studio (Jude Law walked as well, having only signed on in order to work with Ramsey), Gavin O'Conner (Tumbleweeds) took over the helm, and finally, we may actually get to see the film later this year. I know, I'm excited to see one of my favourite actresses starring in one of my favorite genres. Hopefully all the pre-production problems did not hurt the final product.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. The Terrence Malick Kerfuffle -</span></b> Supposedly, Terrence Malick is working on three films right now, and no one is really sure which will come first, and when it will eventually come. The auteur is known for taking long times between films (sometimes decades even), but after two films (<i>The Tree of Life</i> and last year's <i>To the Wonder</i>) in just three years, the old boy's pace is a-quickenin'. Among the actors involved in these simultaneous films, are Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, Ryan Gosling, Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchet, Benicio del Toro, and Michael Fassbender, several of them starring in two of the three. Who the hell knows what's going to become of this whole conglomerate, but one of them (most likely <i>Knight of Cups</i>) is bound to come out by year's end. Right?</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Nymphomaniac - </b></span>This film was on my list last year as well (and in the same spot, if I'm not mistaken) but it took a bit longer to get here than we had all anticipated. Now, in a two-part release schedule set for March and April (a la Soderbergh's <i>Che</i>, not Tarantino's <i>Kill Bill</i>), this ever so-controversial film from that ever so-controversial Lars von Trier, in all its penetration-happy glory, and featuring Charlotte Gainsbourgh, Uma Thurman, Christian Slater, Jamie Bell, Stacy Martin, Connie Nielson, Willem Dafoe, Udo Kier, Stellen Skarsgard, and mister breaking news Shia LaBeouf, is finally seeing the light of the American cinema. I wonder how many people will be offended by this one? I am almost anticipating the inevitably ridiculous puritan backlash more than the film(s) itself.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Inherent Vice - </span></b>Paul Thomas Anderson is the best filmmaker working today. There, I said it! So, I suppose after such a proclamation, it should come as no surprise that his seventh film makes it to the top of the heap on my list. The man who made the masterpieces <i>Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood</i>, and <i>The Master</i>, now takes on the 2009 Thomas Pynchon crime novel. Expected to be somewhere between <i>The Big Sleep</i> and <i>The Long Goodbye</i>, and starring Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Josh Brolin, Jena Malone, Martin Short (yeah, Martin Short), Maya Rudolph, Owen Wilson, and Benicio del Toro, this is my most anticipated film of 2014.</div>
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Looking even further ahead: There are a few films that will most likely not make the scene until early 2015 sometime. Though any of these could end up getting a last hour release in time for Oscar consideration, they are more likely candidates for next year's list, but since there is the possibility (albeit it unlikely), and these are films that would definitely make the list if they had sure release dates, I should include them somewhere in here - so here they are.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Carol -</b></span> Todd Haynes, the man who gave us such brilliant works as <i>Safe, Far From Heaven, I'm Not There</i>, and the HBO mini-series version of <i>Mildred Pierce</i>, as well as the marvelous must-see short film, <i>Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story</i> (seriously, if you can find this creature, you must watch it!), is back again, once again, like <i>Far From Heaven</i>, set in the not-so-halcyon days of the 1950's, this time with Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara heading the cast. How could we not want to see such a film? This could make its way into theatres by December (it is the most likely of these three to do so), but probably a Spring 2015 release is more likely, unless they decide to hold the film for an Oscar run next year.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Cyber -</span></b> This is Michael Man doing what Michael Mann has always done best, the classic American crime film. This one stars Chris ' The God of Thunder' Hemsworth. They haven't actually started filming yet (hence the probable 2015 release date) but I'm already all a-twitter over the idea of a new Michael Mann film coming our way after a four+ year absence from the big screen.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Macbeth -</b></span> Michael Fassbender as Macbeth, and Marion Cotillard as his hand-wringing Lady. How can this not be one of my most anticipated films? But alas, poor Macbeth (now I'm just mixing my Shakespeare metaphors), or should I say, poor us, because we will most likely have to wait until next year to finally see this film, unless filming goes quickly (they have not started yet) and we get a rush job for Oscar season. Though, I am more than willing to wait some extra time just to not have a rush job on this film.</div>
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And let us not forget these intriguing but not quite list worthy anticipations (in no particular order): the sci-fi <i>Transcendence</i> w/ Johnny Depp, Aussie drama <i>The Rover</i>, Anton Corbijn's <i>A Most Wanted Man</i>, Bennett Miller's <i>Foxcatcher</i>, Mia Hanson-Love's <i>Eden</i>, <i>Dawn of the Planet of the Apes</i>, Cronenberg's <i>Map to the Stars</i>, The Wachowski's <i>Jupiter Ascending, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Muppets Most Wanted, The Lego Movie</i>, Ridley Scott's <i>Exodus</i>, <i>Into the Woods</i>, <i>Low Down</i> with Elle Fanning, the latest version of Madame Bovary, starring Mia Wasikowska, and about two or three dozen more.<br />
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That's it kids. See ya 'round the web.<br />
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Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-9243221616288956932014-01-21T23:32:00.000-05:002014-01-21T23:32:13.554-05:00Film Review: Joel & Ethan Coen's Inside Llewyn Davis<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Set inside their moody, 'grey skies are never going to clear up' world, the brothers' Coen have created yet another slice of their unique brand of morose emotionally-macabre moviemaking. And this critic would have it no other way. Set in the early 1960's, mostly in Greenwich Village (with a sidetrip to Chicago and back), <i>Inside Llewyn Davis</i> is the story of a down-on-his-luck folk singer and guitarist, one of Ginsberg's angelheaded hipsters, thinking himself one of the best minds of his generation (a thing he may or may not be - we never find out), and several (typical?) days in his down-and-out life. With the Coens at the helm, don't expect to see any personal growth on the character's part, nor any sunny rays peeking out from behind the gloom and doom of the film's atmosphere, in order to let our not-so-intrepid hero find his way out of the dark days of his life. No siree, this is not what one should expect from a Coen Brothers film, and once again, this critic would have it no other way.</div>
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Now I am not saying there is not life inside the Coens' insular cinematic world, but that life is ofttimes ridiculed by whatever natural or unnatural forces may be crushing down on our protagonist. Be it the law (<i>Raising Arizona</i> and <i>Fargo</i>), the corporate world (<i>Hudsucker Proxy</i>), the mob (<i>Miller's Crossing</i>), feral criminality (<i>No Country for Old Men</i>), possible insanity (<i>Barton Fink</i>), or perhaps even God himself (<i>A Serious Man</i>), a Coen Brothers' protag is never safe from what could befall and very possibly destroy them. In their latest film, the duo's sixteenth feature, Oscar Isaac portrays a man who is not necessarily falling apart so much as a man who has never been together. Like most artists in our society, Llewyn Davis has a dangerous disconnect with the norms of society, and thus has an outsider feel no matter where he goes, even with his fellow artists, with whom he presumably has something in common - and yes, as a lifelong writer and outsider myself, I too can empathize and thus sympathize with Llewyn's feelings of disdain and disgruntlement. Llewyn is a sad case, but not a terminal case. He is trapped inside a world he doesn't understand, looking for a way out. Looking for a way out into the world that he feels he should be part of. A world where his desires are not looked upon as lesser, but a world where he, as an artist, is respected, perhaps even adored.<br />
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And then there's the music. As melancholy in mood as the film itself, or as Llewyn himself, the array of old folk tunes, sung on film by Isaac, as well as costars Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan, and Adam Driver, all arranged by the ever-capable T Bone Burnett give the film a sense of realness. We aren't just watching a film set in 1961, we seem to be right there as the beat/folk Village scene is about to explode (you'll see a hint of the coming explosion as a certain someone takes the stage near film's end). The one song actually written especially for the film (co-written by Burnett, Timberlake, and the Coens), the comedic bon mot, Please Mr. Kennedy (recently egregiously snubbed by the Oscars), is a shiny highlight in a film full of sad, seemingly endlessly sad, characters. Now I am sure that those who won't even go near a sad movie (for some reason, everything must be positive for these silly people), will not like this film, even one bit, but for those who want tragic, yet sadly realistic, storytelling, done with a bravura central performance (and wait til ya get a load of John Goodman!), then <i>Inside Llewyn Davis</i> is the film for them/you/us. Oh yeah, and there's a cat (or two or three) as well.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.allthingskevyn.com/2014/01/film-review-joel-ethan-coens-inside.html">This review can also be read over at my main site, All Things Kevyn.</a></b></div>
Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-63345463429271063612014-01-16T12:13:00.000-05:002014-01-16T12:13:09.155-05:00Oscar Nomination Talk..and an Oscar Poll to Boot!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well kids, it's time to see just
who got nominated for that oh so coveted little golden guy, apocryphally
named after Bette Davis' uncle Oscar, as well as find out just how well
(or how poorly, but we all know this isn't the case) in my annual
predictions. To get that last little piece of information out of the
way (so we can enjoy the rest of our date), I went 39 for 44 in my
predictions, or for the more statistically-minded amongst my readers, an
89% accuracy rate. Not bad, but considering how predictably boring the
nominations were (again) this year, I should have probably broken 90%
quite easily. Anyway, I digress. So, without further ado, let's get
a-lookin'.</div>
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First
off, let's take a look at Best Picture. As the rules state (and as
this guy hates) there can be anywhere from five to ten nominees (and
there should be five, as tradition - mostly - dictates), and this year,
for the third year in a row, we have ended up with nine. Oh, and by the
way, these are the exact nine that I predicted yesterday. So take
that! They are: <i>American Hustle, 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, Nebraska, Captain Phillips, The Wolf of Wall Street, Philomena, Dallas Buyers Club</i>, and <i>Her</i>.
So, as they say, no real surprises here - not that there were any real
surprises anywhere today. In Best Director, I went 4 for 5, having
picked Paul Greengrass for <i>Captain Phillips</i> instead of nominee Alex Payne for <i>Nebraska</i>.
The other four, Alfonso Cuaron, David O. Russell, Steve McQueen, and
Marty Scorsese were all pretty much shoo-ins, and therefore easy
pickin's in my predictin's. As for who might win on March 2nd? Pic is
up between Slave and Hustle I do believe, with the slight edge going to
the more dramatic <i>Slave</i>, and Cuaron is surely the frontrunner for the directing Oscar (the first Mexican to win?). <i>Hustle</i> and<i> Gravity</i> are the big winners, each garnering ten nominations, with <i>12 Years a Slave</i> coming in with nine. <i>Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa </i>also received an Oscar nomination this morning, but more on that later. Onto the acting categories.</div>
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I
went 17 for 20 in the acting slots, acing Supporting Actor, and missing
just one each in the other three categories. The big news here though
(at least I think it is) is the fact that American Hustle pulled off a
nomination in each of the four acting categories. Amy Adams and
Christian Bale in the leads (Bale was my one misstep in Best Actor) and
Cooper and J-Law in Supportings. This is just the fifteenth time this
feat has been accomplished in Oscar history. The last time such a thing
happened? Just last year, with Silver Linings Playbook. What? Huh?
That was a David O. Russell film too. Howzabout that? The last time
before that was Reds in 1981. As for surprises...well, there really
weren't any. No Redford (which I predicted). No Hanks (which I did
not). No Emma Thompson (probably the closest thing to a surprise). But
we did get Sally Hawkins (again, I predicted that one), so that's a
good thing. As for my of-the-top predictions for the eventual winners, I
would say (at this time only - this may change before Oscar night)
McConaughey, Blanchett (though look out for Amy Adams in a surprise
win), Jared Leto, and Lupita Nyong'o (unless they are willing to give
J-Law two in a row). Snubs? Not that they ever stood even the
remotest of chances, I would have loved to have seen Julie Delpy, Mia
Wasikowska, or Greta Gerwig in Best Actress (maybe Rooney Mara too),
Oscar Isaac, Simon Pegg, or Michael Shannon in Best Actor, Nicole
Kidman, Kristen Scott Thomas, or Tao Zhao in Supporting Actress, and
Matthew Goode, John Goodman, and (of course) James Franco(!!!) in
Supporting Actor - but that's just me.</div>
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The
screenplay nods were just as boring and predictable as everything else,
as I missed just one (predicting the shamefully robbed <i>Inside Llewyn Davis</i> instead of the nominated <i>Dallas Buyers Club</i>
for Original Screenplay), so there's really nothing to talk about
there. As I said earlier, I had a success rate of 89% this year, up
from my pathetic 77% turnout last year, so all is good. As for the rest
of the nominees? Well, there are some mentionables, so let's mention
'em. A snub for Sarah Polley and her doc, <i>Stories We Tell</i>, nominations for Arcade Fire (Score), and Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Song), no nod for <i>Blue is the Warmest Color</i>, but the wonderful <i>Great Beauty</i>
is up (and will win!) for Foreign Language Film, Miyazaki gets an
Animated Feature nod for what he has called his final film (but can he
beat Disney's <i>Frozen</i>?), Wong Kar-wai's <i>The Grandmaster</i> is up for two Oscars (Cinematography and Costumes), and yes, the aforementioned <i>Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa</i>
is nominated for Best Make-up & Hair. So there! A pretty
unremarkable year in surprises here, but that seems to be par for the
course in these recent Oscar times. I'll be back on March 1st with my
final predictions, but in the meantime, check out the Oscar poll I'm
a-running 'round these parts (you will find it near the top of the right
hand sidebar). That's it for now. See ya 'round the web.</div>
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Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-84078689399337184762014-01-15T18:52:00.000-05:002014-01-15T18:52:22.951-05:00Final Oscar Nomination Predictions<div style="text-align: justify;">
Welly well well, here we are on another Oscar nominations eve, so, without further ado (other than the poster image of <i>12 Years a Slave</i>, that is), here are my final, and as the post's title says, set-in-stone, Oscar nomination predictions. Have at 'em. Oh, and I have listed them in order of probability within each category.<br />
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<b><u>Best Picture</u></b><br />
1. <i>12 Years a Slave</i><br />
2. <i>American Hustle</i><br />
3. <i>Gravity</i><br />
4. <i>Captain Phillips</i><br />
5. <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i><br />
6.<i> Nebraska</i><br />
7. <i>Dallas Buyers Club</i><br />
8.<i> Her</i><br />
9. <i>Philomena</i><br />
10.<i> Saving Mr. Banks</i><br />
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Wild Cards: <i>Blue Jasmine </i>and/or<i> Inside Llewyn Davis </i>(Yeah, right - but I guy can dream)<br />
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The first three here are pretty much locks, and the next three are pretty darn as close to locks as they can be. Now since we don't know just how many nominees we will see in this category, as the rules claim anywhere between five and ten (a rule with which this critic is not all too fond), who knows what tomorrow morning will bring. My guess though, is eight, but if it does go to ten, there ya have it. Other (slim) possibilities are <i>Before Midnight, Fruitvale Station, The Butler</i>, and even <i>Blue is the Warmest Color</i>, if hell freezes over.</div>
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<b><u>Best Director</u></b><br />
1. Alfonso Cuaron for <i>Gravity</i><br />
2. Steve McQueen for <i>12 Years a Slave</i><br />
3. David O. Russell for <i>American Hustle</i><br />
4. Martin Scorsese for <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i><br />
5. Paul Greengrass for<i> Captain Phillips</i><i></i><br />
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Possible Spoilers: Alexander Payne for <i>Nebraska</i> and/or Spike Jonze for <i>Her</i><br />
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Wild Cards: The Coen Brothers for <i>Inside Llewyn Davis</i><br />
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The first three are locks here, with Cuaron the frontrunner to win then gold (another split between director and picture is likely again this year). Scorsese is likely but not a sure thing. Greengrass is a bit on the wobbly side here, with either Payne or Jonze (or maybe even both!) on the ready to (semi)surprise tomorrow morn. A real surprise (and a welcome one) would be a nod for the Coens. Who knows.<br />
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<b><u>Best Actor</u></b><br />
1. Matthew McConaughey in <i>Dallas Buyers Club</i> <i></i><br />
2. Chiwetel Ojiofor in <i>12 Years a Slav</i>e<br />
3. Bruce Dern in <i>Nebraska</i><i></i><br />
4. Leonardo DiCaprio in <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i><br />
5. Tom Hanks in<i> Captain Phillips</i><br />
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Possible Spoilers: Robert Redford in <i>All is Lost</i> and/or Joaquin Phoenix in <i>Her</i><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Wild Card: Christian Bale in <i>American Hustle</i> or Forrest Whitaker in <i>The Butler</i><br />
<br />
Wow, just think, a guy who was the frontrunner to win the statue a month or so ago, may now, not even get nominated. The top three are locks, with McConaughey in the hot seat to win in March, but the next two are a bit shaky. Redford was the frontrunner, but with Leo buzzing up a storm, it seems unlikely he'll be left out, and Redford is the most likely culprit to end up not having his name announced tomorrow. Of course, I could be wrong - imagine that. Perhaps the Leo buzz came to late to affect the outcome, and Redford's once vaulted slot is safe after all. Phoenix could just as easily slip in there as well, but less likely.</div>
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<b><u>Best Actress</u></b><br />
1. Cate Blanchett in <i>Blue Jasmine</i><br />
2. Amy Adams in <i>American Hustle</i><i></i><br />
3. Sandra Bullock in<i> Gravity</i><br />
4. Emma Thompson in <i>Saving Mr. Banks</i><br />
5. Judi Dench in <i>Philomena</i><i></i><br />
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Possible Spoiler: Meryl Streep in <i>August: Osage County</i><br />
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Wild Card: Adele Exarchopoulos in <i>Blue is the Warmest Color</i><br />
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What!!? Streep not getting nominated!? What am I, a fool!? Yeah, well maybe I am, but with a sudden surge in buzz for Amy Adams, someone had to get knocked off the list, and La Streep is the injured party. Otherwise, this seems a pretty tight race.<br />
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<b><u>Best Supporting Actor</u></b><br />
1. Jared Leto in <i>Dallas Buyers Club</i><i></i><br />
2. Michael Fassbender in <i>12 Years a Slave</i><i></i><br />
3. Barkhad Abdi in <i>Captain Phillips</i><i></i><br />
4. Bradley Cooper in <i>American Hustle</i><br />
5. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Jonah Hill in <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><i></i></span></span><br />
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Possible Spoilers: <span style="color: #252525;">Daniel Bruhl in Rush and/or Tom Hanks in Saving Mr. Banks.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 19.1875px;"><i></i></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"><i></i></span></span><br />
<br />
Wild Card: James Gandolfini in <i>Enough Said</i><br />
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Again, the top three are sure-fire locks. Numbers four and five, a bit more on the shaky side of things. For a while, it looked as if Mr. Hanks might be a double nominee this year, but the buzz on Saving Mr. Banks, save for the lead performance of Miss Thompson, has pretty much taken the proverbial long walk off of a short pier. That, along with the surge of both Hill and Cooper in this race, gives us our top five, but don't be too surprised if Herr Bruhl sneaks in there somewhere. And let's not forget Oscar's reverence for the dead, and the, albeit slim, possibility of the late Mr. Gandolfini popping up as well.<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;"></span></span></div>
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<b><u>Supporting Actress</u></b><br />
1. Jennifer Lawrence in <i>American Hustle</i><i></i><br />
2. Lupita Nyong'o in <i>12 Years a Slave</i><br />
3. June Squibb in<i> Nebraska</i><br />
4. Oprah Winfrey in <i>Lee Daniels' The Butler</i><i></i><br />
5. Sally Hawkins in <i>Blue Jasmine</i><br />
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Possible Spoiler: Julia Roberts in <i>August: Osage County</i><br />
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Wild Card: Octavia Spencer in <i>Fruitvale Station</i><br />
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Again, the top three are locks. After that, it's pretty much a free-for-all. If Oprah is nominated, she may very well win, but it's still debatable if she will be nominated (and if she's not, then maybe we'll see back-to-back Oscars for J-Law). As for the fifth spot, conventional wisdom goes to picking Julia Roberts, but if Streep is snubbed (as is my prediction above) then perhaps the whole film will be, leaving the spot open for one of my faves of the year, one Miss Sally Hawkins. Then again, there tends to be a big surprise somewhere in the acting categories, and perhaps our wild card Spencer is just that surprise.</div>
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<b><u>Best Original Screenplay</u></b><br />
1. <i>American Hustle</i><br />
2. <i>Inside Llewyn Davis</i><br />
3. <i>Nebraska</i><br />
4. <i>Her</i><br />
5. <i>Blue Jasmine</i><br />
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<b><u>Best Adapted Screenplay</u></b><br />
1. <i>12 Years a Slave</i><br />
2. <i>Captain Phillips</i><br />
3. <i>Philomena</i><br />
4. <i>Before Midnight</i><br />
5. <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i><br />
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The screenplay nods seem pretty firm right about now, which is kind of unusual, so there is bound to be a surprise or two in here somewhere Possibles surprises for Original are: <i>Saving Mr. Banks, Lee Daniels' The Butler, Frances Ha, Dallas Buyers Club</i>, <i>Fruitvale Station</i>. Others for Adapted are: <i>August: Osage County, Blue is the Warmest Color</i>, and <i>The Spectacular Now</i>. So there ya go. </div>
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Well, that's about it for now. I'll let the other categories go for now (though I'm sure the 3D spectacle, <i>Gravity, </i>will be up for most of the tech awards, just as <i>Life of Pi</i> did last year). All-in-all, I think <i>American Hustle, 12 Years a Slave, Captain Philips</i>, and <i>Gravity</i> are the films destined to lead the nominations, and maybe <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i>, if that pans out. We'll see tomorrow morning, and I'll have a wrap-up of the nods, as well as my stats in the ole predicting game. See ya 'round the web.<br />
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Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-63776872976740391952014-01-13T00:01:00.002-05:002014-01-13T00:01:11.017-05:00Film Review: Spike Jonze's Her<div style="text-align: justify;">
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When I first saw Spike Jonze's feature debut, <i>Being John Malkovich</i>, over fourteen years ago (has it really been that long?), I was, as some are prone to say, blown away. To this day, I still consider the film to one of the best movies of the 1990's. With the director's second film, 2002's <i>Adaptation</i>, I was not blown away so much as heatedly intrigued. However, with each of Jonze's two follow-up films, replacing my aforementioned blown away and/or heatedly intrigued feelings, my emotions have ranged from less than mildly amused (<i>Where the Wild Things Are</i>) to slightly more than mildly amused (the director's latest, <i>Her</i>). Now don't get me wrong, Jonze is a talented director, his visual nuances are actually quite spectacular in each and every film he has made (including most of his music video work as well), but the one thing the director had going for him in his first two films, and what is missing from his latest two, is the warped genius pen of Charlie Kaufman. One of the most fascinating screenwriters working today (that genius pen is also responsible for <i>Human Nature, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</i>, and the writer's directorial debut, the brilliantly subversive <i>Synecdoche, New York</i>) made <i>Malkovich</i> and <i>Adaptation</i> flow beyond even Jonze's visual dexterity, and that is sorely lacking in the sadly tepid <i>Wild Things</i> and the seemingly tired <i>Her</i>, both written by Jonze himself. But maybe that's just me and my deep love for pretty much everything Charlie Kaufman touches.</div>
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Perhaps I am being a bit too harsh on <i>Her</i>. It is far from a bad film, and to be honest, I enjoyed it more than I enjoyed most Hollywood movies this year. Maybe my 'more than mildly amused' should be upgraded to 'fun but not the funnest.' Who knows? The story is interesting and offbeat (which is usually my kinda thing) but it does tend to drag and sometimes repeat itself, as if it really didn't know how else to fill the void of the middle of a movie. The storyline by the way, goes a little something like this: Her is the quirky tale of a lonely writer who falls in love with his computer's operating system (my favourite part of the story is how most people in this slightly futuristic landscape, don't even find such a thing strange or unusual) and how relationships are the same no matter who the partners may be. Like I said, it is an interesting tale, but Jonze's lack of narrative interest and way of shallowly filling these gaps in interest (of course, as the director is wont to do, there are some rather hipstery shoe-gazing songs tossed in there to annoy anyone with even a modicum of musical taste), just makes this critic wonder even more what the film would have ended up being like if Kaufman were around to write the damn thing.</div>
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But again, perhaps I am being a bit to harsh on the old girl. Every time I say I like the film alright, I go off on a tangent about how it could be better with Kaufman, and let's face it, many a film would probably be better with Kaufman at the writing desk, so we probably shouldn't keep thinking coulda woulda shoulda thoughts, and just say that <i>Her</i> is more than mildly amusing, and is indeed fun, though not the funnest. After all, we do get yet another bravura performance, this time at the other end of the emotional spectrum than the actor's other recent work in <i>The Master</i> or his installationesque performance piece-cum-docudrama <i>I'm Still Here</i>, from the mighty Joaquin Phoenix. And even with its drawbacks, Her is a charming and rather quaint little film. It's quite cute, indeed. Still though, one must wonder what Charlie Kaufman could have done with such a creative story idea. Okay, okay, maybe I did like the film more than I let on, and yes, perhaps my desire to see what the all-powerful Mr. Kaufman would do with the material is not enough of a cinematic foible to toss away an otherwise fun (but not the funnest) film. So there.<br />
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<a href="http://www.allthingskevyn.com/2014/01/film-review-spike-jonzes-her.html">This review can also be read over at my main site, All Things Kevyn.</a>Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-6350443764660688862014-01-04T22:23:00.000-05:002014-01-04T22:23:28.881-05:00Film Review: Joshua Oppenheimer's The Act of Killing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let me attempt to put a more US audience-tested face on this whole shebang. Try to imagine the likes of Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, still being alive, and reenacting their crimes against humanity for a documentarian's camera, and for all to see. Now imagine the terrorist and despot actually starring in these reenactments, as both victim and victimizer. Now try to imagine a few elaborate musical numbers being thrown in, to ironically liven things up a bit. If you can indeed imagine such a beast, then you too can imagine the alluring yet harrowing documentary, <em>The Act of Killing</em>. The only difference here is that we are not in the caves of Afghanistan or the airways of September 11th, nor are we in the spider-holes and war-ravaged streets of Bagdad. </div>
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Here we find ourselves in the paramilitaristic land of modern day Indonesia. Following the failed coup of 1965, gangsters like Anwar Congo, to whom the moniker of main antagonist-cum-protagonist can be applied here, were put in charge of government-sanctioned death squads. These death squads of 1965-66 have evolved into a political party that has since run the country with the proverbial iron fist. And these crimes (people being dragged from their homes, tortured, executed, homes burned to the ground in a firestorm of pseudo-righteousness) are still all too real, and now being relived by those who perpetrated them, all for the camera's roving, unceasing Kino-eye. And I gotta tell ya, as disturbing as many of these war crimes are, it is really hard to not be riveted by a strange fascination for the things being explained and reenacted up on the screen.</div>
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The film opens with a chorus line of pink clad dancers slowly sliding their way out of the mouth of an enormous fish sculpture (as seen on the film's poster) and quickly moves from campesque farce to brutal reality. The main brunt of the film follows the aforementioned Congo around as he, often swelling with pride as he wears the most Cheshire of grins, matter-of-factly tells of his exploits as state executioner - a position where he claims to have murdered over 1000 people, all in the name of the anti-communist Indonesian government. Congo and the camera are visited by other fellow death squaders, as they are heralded and praised as great people of Indonesia. The final act of the film, as we delve deeper into these repugnant crimes, and as Congo begins questioning what he has done in life, the film becomes more and more surreal and more and more bizarre in its uniquely stylized narrative. This film really is a strange beast, unlike any film this critic has ever experienced. It is also one of those films one would be remiss not to say it is a certain must see.</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.allthingskevyn.com/2014/01/film-review-act-of-killing.html">This review can also be read over at my main site, All Things Kevyn.</a></b></div>
Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-53617033540740714242014-01-01T12:16:00.001-05:002014-01-05T11:19:31.969-05:00The Best of 2013<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hey everybody! It's that time of the year again. That time where we film critics (and others of a similar cinematic bent) dole out our annual best and worst of the year lists. Well, that is just what I will be doing below (and over at my main site, <b><a href="http://www.allthingskevyn.com/2014/01/the-best-and-worst-in-cinema-2013.html">All Things Kevyn</a></b>). But this ain't just some boring ole top ten list. No sirree. This will be my choices for the best that cinema had to offer this past year, from the best to the worst. A top twenty or so offering (a top 21 to be exact), followed by some runners-up, followed by my choices for the best performances of the year, which then will be followed by my choices for the dregs of then past cinematic year. But enough of this introductory nonsense. Without further ado, I give you the cinematic year that was 2013, beginning with my choices for the best films of the year. Oh yeah, and due to some scheduling conflicts, two films that would have likely made this list (and still might through the wonder of the retcon), Spike Jonze's <i>Her</i> and The Coen Brothers' <i>Inside Llewyn Davis</i>, have yet to be seen by your not-so-humble narrator, and therefore are not included below. Anyway, on with the show...</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">1. Stoker -</span></strong> This film, the first English-language offering from Korean enfant terribles, Park Chan-wook, came onto the screen quite early in the year, and ever since the March 21st screening I saw, the film has been the runaway winner for best of the year - no film was ever able to topple it from its high and mighty perch. Loosely based on Hitchcock's 1943 classic thriller, <em>Shadow of a Doubt</em>, Park brings his unique, oft times batshitcrazy, style to Hollywood, and casts a pitch perfect Mia Wasikowska in the central role of lonely little girl lost-cum-potentially demented serial killer - all via a bubbling sexual cauldron of Lolita-esque desire. A gorgeously harrowing near-masterpiece, indeed.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">2. American Hustle -</span></strong> The only film that even came close to toppling Stoker from that top spot, came quite close to the year end deadline - as many big name Oscar potentials do. Taking a riff on making a Martin Scorsese film ("the best damn Martin Scorsese film ever made by someone who is not Martin Scorsese"), David O. Russell has finally made the great film we all knew he had in him all along. Granted, many thought his last film was that great work, but the obvious cliché of that film (really, how were so many fooled into thinkig it was anything better than typical Oscar-bait pabulum?), is wiped away completely with this new, great visceral work of art. Bravo.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">3. Spring Breakers -</span></strong> From its opening montage of a typical spring break setting that looks to be an auteuristic take on Girls Gone Wild, to its dangerously sexualized interior involving several actresses with usually (usually) squeaky clean images, all the way to its killer final scene that could have been lifted straight out of a Brian De Palma-fuelled wet dream, Harmony Korine's succulently filthy paean to the Godardian ideal of a girl and a gun, or in this case, several girls and lots of guns, may not be the film for everyone (what an understatement!) but that doesn't change the fact that this is indeed, cinema as it damn well should be.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">4. Before Midnight -</span></strong> This acerbic love(esque) story is the culmination (unless Linklater, Delpy, and Hawke decide on making a fourth one down the road) of one of the smartest, most beautifully filmed trilogies around. Beginning in 1995 with Before Sunrise, and continuing in 2004 with Before Sunset (my personal favourite of the bunch), the aforementioned director, Richard Linklater, and his stars and co-screenwriters, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, have given us a deft comedy-cum-potential tragedy in this continuing tale of the life and love of Celine and Jesse. Simple, yet deceptively perceptive, this film (along with its predecessors), and its filmic couple, is just so so fun to watch.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. Frances Ha -</span></b> Noah Baumbach, the Brooklyn-born writer/director of such arthouse hits as<i> Margot at the Wedding</i> and <i>The Squid and the Whale</i>, is at it again. This time around he is joined by muse/girlfriend Greta Gerwig as co-screenwriter and star - in fact Gerwig pretty much created the character, foibles and faults included, from the so-called ground up. The film, done in crisp black and white and shot on a minimal budget in and around Brooklyn, is the story of a twentysomething New York dancer, all done in the most post-new wavy kinda manner one can imagine. So much so that one can actually see, hear, and smell the ghosts of Francois Truffaut wandering around in the background somewhere.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">6. Blue Jasmine -</span></b> Once upon a time, a Woody Allen film meant something special. Lately, the guy can be pretty hit and miss. Luckily, his latest film, though panned by many this year, is one of those aforementioned hits. But no matter how well written it is (and it is), and no matter how great a performance is given by supporting player Sally Hawkins (and it is indeed, a great performance), and no matter how glad this critic is to see the Woodman back in such fine form (and yes, he is back baby), it is Cate Blanchett's stellar take on one of the most complex characters Allen has ever drawn, that steals this movie away from anything and everything else.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. The World's End -</span></b> Judging from the genre-spanning satirical films <i>Shaun of the Dead</i> and <i>Hot Fuzz</i>, the cinematic combination of director Edgar Wright, and stars Simon Pegg (also co-writer with Wright) and Nick Frost, pretty much guarantees a witty and wry comedy, and with the release of <i>The World's End</i>, their collective take on <i>Invasion of the Body Snatchers</i>, and probably the most acerbic of the trio's loosely-based trilogy, that guarantee has become even stronger.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">8. Upstream Color -</span></strong> Finally, the long-awaited second film from Shane Carruth, director of the 2004 ground-breaking indie sci-fi film<em> Primer</em>, and this mother is just as mind-fucking trippy as his first film. Taking on the idea of identity and self-awareness, this film slowly builds to a bizarre climax, all the while giving momentary hints, though barely revealing the truth as to what exactly is happening on screen.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">9. The Act of Killing -</span></strong> A documentary about gangster squads and para-military assassins, told in various manners, from reenactments to talk show appearances to elaborate musical numbers, and all done with not only the complete cooperation of these very same gangster squads and para-military assassins, but also actually reenacted by these very same men. Imagine something akin to a Taliban reality show, and you have this bizarre and intense film.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">10. To the Wonder -</span></strong> Sure, when compared to Terrence Malick's previous film, <em>The Tree of Life</em> (the one and only true masterpiece of this decade so far), this much smaller-in-scope work is sure to look minor in such a comparison, but still, a film that can be considered (and is by the director himself) a companion piece to <em>The Tree of Life</em>, a footnote even, then <em>To the Wonder</em> is a marvelous miniature work of art.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">11. The Grandmaster -</span></strong> How good a filmmaker is Hong Kong master Wong Kar-wai? Good enough that even my least favourite film of the director's oeuvre, makes it to number eleven on my best of 2013 list. Yeah, that's right, <em>The Grandmaster</em> is probably the auteur's least interesting film, and it is still better than most films made today. Of course by least interesting, I mean that only when compared to the rest of the guy's filmography. Standing on its own, <em>The Grandmaster</em> is a gorgeous and quite succulent work of art.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">12. Blue is the Warmest Color -</span></strong> A three hour French lesbian drama, complete with a ten minute or so unsimulated sex scene smack dab in the middle, probably is not the most mainstream friendly movie out this year (many audiences, including those at official Academy Award screenings, either scoffed or even laughed during said sex scene), but once the gratuity is overlooked, this graphic novel adaptation ends up being a heart-wrenching and tragic love story.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">13. Only God Forgives</span></strong> - Cool and strangely calming, this otherwise visceral work from Nicolas Winding Refn (the man who gave us both <em>Bronson</em> and <em>Drive</em>) is a psychologically brutal and visually haunting look at the underbelly of Thai society and familial dysfunction, all done with three bravura performances from Winding Refn muse Ryan Gosling, and Kristen Scott Thomas, and Thai actor Vithaya Pansringarm.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">14. Fruitvale Station -</span></strong> More often than not, when we are given a film about tragic real life events, the end result is either pandering schlock or trite mishandling. In the case of the debut film from Ryan Coogler, the end result is a riveting look at tragic real life events, that almost never blinks away from its harrowing storyline. A (would be) star-making performance from Michael B. Jordan helps out a lot too.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">15. The Bling Ring -</span></strong> Sofia Coppola has made a directorial career out of portraying lost little girls in her films, be they suicidal sisters or legendary teen queens, and she keeps that going here, as she tells the story of a TMZ-addled youth culture, that, no longer able to differentiate between reality and reality TV, lives by their own (im)morality code. A chilling film indeed.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">16. The Lone Ranger - </span></b>Yeah, that's right bitches! This movie, an epic failure due more to its ridiculous (and completely excessive) epic budget than any sort of box office dilemma, can be found on more than quite a few worst of 2013 lists, but I say bah to them. Bah indeed. Sure, this may not be a great work of cinema that should be held high in the annals of film history, but it is a rather spectacular grand guignol of Hollywood spectacle, indeed. Fun fun fun!</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">17. A Touch of Sin -</span></strong> This film, the latest from Chinese master of melancholy, Jia Zhangke, slowly builds its intertwining plot threads into an eventual boiling pot of despair and destruction. Allowing his camera, and some pretty damn spectacular work from his actors, to explain the otherwise unexplained, Jia's film resonates like an unending drum. Thump, thump, thump, thump...</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">18. Side Effects -</span></strong> If we are to believe director Steven Soderbergh, this is to be the enigmatic auteur's final theatrical release. If so, it's a damn fine way to go out. If it isn't (and let's face it, it probably isn't), then it's yet another unique experiment in what is probably the strangest oeuvre of any director working today. In other words, <em>Side Effects</em> is yet another reason why everyone should be in love with the films of Steven Soderbergh - and for that matter, the equally enigmatic acting of the often overlooked Miss. Rooney Mara.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGIxmQCZywMJvR1DTq7rBsUBgZAjFtI9xlcqAdhZ2x_pqhpJEu2SSIMUwGSs55vy_zEYBMueWcwPLv8DadmAmzdi3awpOM0b3SnieLsrp32YStx0Ea-Rt8QBpZr-1zlfr0CohSG4_E_OW/s1600/aint-them-bodies-saints-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGIxmQCZywMJvR1DTq7rBsUBgZAjFtI9xlcqAdhZ2x_pqhpJEu2SSIMUwGSs55vy_zEYBMueWcwPLv8DadmAmzdi3awpOM0b3SnieLsrp32YStx0Ea-Rt8QBpZr-1zlfr0CohSG4_E_OW/s320/aint-them-bodies-saints-poster.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">19. Ain't Them Bodies Saints -</span></strong> My wife says that Casey Affleck may very well be the best actor of his generation, and, aside from Christian Bale and Affleck's own bro-in-law, Joaquin Phoenix, I am prone to agree, especially after seeing yet another seering performance from the guy in this little seen gem of a film. As for the film itself, think Arthur Penn meets early Nicholas Ray, with a kinda stormy Terrence Malick feel.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">20. Gravity -</span></strong> I have always been, and will always be a most loud proponent of, whenever possible, watching a film on the big screen, where it should be seen. This is especially the case with Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity. In fact, I would even go so far as to say the only proper way to watch Gravity is on the big screen in 3D. That's right, this noted 3D-hater is proposing one see a film in 3D. So be it. Gravity is a stunning work of art that will probably end up being just average when it makes its way to smaller screens at home. But up on that big silver screen? Just gorgeous.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">21. Much Ado About Nothing -</span></strong> A black & white Shakespearean adaptation, set in modern times and using the Bard's original Early-Modern English dialogue, and directed by the man responsible for the third top-grossing film of all-time, Joss Whedon's foray into classic lit may not have been the runaway box office success that <em>The Avengers</em> was in 2012, but it is certainly good enough to round out my best of 2013 list.</div>
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<strong>Some worthy runners-up (in no particular order):</strong> <i>Warm Bodies</i> (Jonathan Levine); <i>Trance</i> (Danny Boyle); <i>The Last Stand</i> (Kim Jee-woon); <i>Mud</i> (Jeff Nichols); <i>Star Trek Into Darkness</i> (J.J. Abrams); <i>The Angel's Share</i> (Ken Loach); <i>Dallas Buyer's Club</i> (Jean-Marc Vallee); <i>Pacific Rim</i> (Guillermo del Toro); <i>Wrong</i> (Quentin Dupieux); <i>Lore</i> (Cate Shorland); <i>Computer Chess</i> (Andrew Bujalski); <i>The Iceman</i> (Ariel Vromen); <i>You're Next</i> (Adam Wingard); <i>Enough Said</i> (Nicole Holofcener); <i>Passion</i> (Brian De Palma).</div>
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<b>Best Female Lead Performances of the Year:</b></div>
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Cate Blanchett in <i>Blue Jasmine</i></div>
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Mia Wasikowska in <i>Stoker</i></div>
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Adele Exarchopoulos in <i>Blue is the Warmest Color</i></div>
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Julie Delpy in <i>Before Midnight</i></div>
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Greta Gerwig in <i>Frances Ha</i></div>
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Rooney Mara in <i>Side Effects </i>&<i> Ain't Them Bodies Saints</i></div>
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<b>Best Male Lead Performances of the Year:</b></div>
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Matthew McConaughey in <i>Dallas Buyers Club</i></div>
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Christian Bale in <i>American Hustle</i></div>
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Simon Pegg in <i>The World's End</i></div>
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Michael Shannon in <i>The Iceman</i><br />
Casey Affleck in <i>Ain't Them Bodies Saints</i></div>
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Ethan Hawke in <i>Before Midnight</i></div>
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<b>Best Female Supporting Performances of the Year:</b></div>
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Sally Hawkins in <i>Blue Jasmine</i></div>
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Nicole Kidman in <i>Stoker</i></div>
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Jennifer Lawrence in <i>American Hustle</i></div>
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Kristen Scott Thomas in Only God Forgives</div>
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Tao Zhao in <i>A Touch of Sin</i></div>
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Lea Seydoux in <i>Blue is the Warmest Color</i></div>
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<b>Best Male Supporting Performances of the Year:</b></div>
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James Franco in <i>Spring Breakers</i></div>
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Jared Leto in <i>Dallas Buyers Club</i></div>
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Matthew Goode in <i>Stoker</i></div>
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James Gandolfini in <i>Enough Said</i><br />
Vithaya Pansringarm in <i>Only God Forgives</i></div>
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Nathan Fillion in <i>Much Ado About Nothing</i></div>
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<b>And then, ever so briefly, come the worst of the year...</b></div>
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1.<i> 47 Ronin</i></div>
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2. <i>After Earth</i></div>
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3. <i>A Good Day to Die Hard</i></div>
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4. <i>The Counselor</i></div>
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5. <i>Machete Kills</i></div>
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6. <i>Oz the Great and Powerful</i></div>
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7. <i>A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III</i></div>
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8. <i>Elysium</i></div>
9. <i>Bullet to the Head</i></div>
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10. <i>Gangster Squad</i></div>
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<b>One final note:</b> Though it is not quite bad enough of a film to make the above Worst of the Year list, plus I would've broken my heart to have to include this filmmaker, one of my all-time favourites, on any sort of worst list, but nonetheless, the biggest 2013 cinematic disappointment for this critic has to be Martin Scorsese's surprisingly banal <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i>. Cool poster though.</div>
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Well, that's it kids. See ya 'round the web.</div>
Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-88537057883934216162013-12-30T00:28:00.002-05:002013-12-30T00:30:06.507-05:00Film Review: Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street<div style="text-align: justify;">
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As a Martin Scorsese fan from the moment this once impressionable thirteen year old mind first caught a glimpse of <i>Taxi Driver</i> on late night TV more than thirty years ago, it is with great sadness (and possibly some quite furious anger) that I must state the following: I did not like <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i>. That's right kids, this long-avowed Scorsese fan did not like the director's latest film. Now sure, there have been other Scorsese films over the year that I have not been the biggest fan of. Films such as <i>The Age of Innocence, Kundun, The Aviator. The Color of Money</i>, even <i>The Last Temptation of Christ</i>, are all Scorsese films that have less than tickled this critic's fancy, but none of these films seemed as great a disappointment as did <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i> when I saw it just two days ago. Sure, when a man makes no less than five masterpieces in his career, you can certainly cut the guy some slack every once and a while, but even so, the utter disappointment is still there - in fucking spades.</div>
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Now others who have panned the film (and we seem to be a minority) have done so due to what they call an excess of sex and drugs and overall immorality. To that I say, bah! The film, being about the life and times and exploits of a greedy, repulsive, money-hungry, drug-engorged, sex-addicted asshole of a human being, is a movie about excess, and therefore should be an excessive film. Add to that the typical excess of Scorsese's auteur style, and the film is bound to go over the top. This however, is not my problem with the film. My problem is that I found all this excess (and everything else) to be utterly and deliriously banal as all get out, or should I say, as this film takes the coveted bronze medal in f-bomb movies, banal as all fuck. Yes indeedy, the first forty minutes or so are actually rather entertaining. Watching the first act of this film is like watching the Scorsese you know and love. Perhaps not the Scorsese of <i>Taxi Driver</i> or <i>Goodfellas</i>, but at the very least, the Scorsese of <i>Casino</i> and <i>After Hours</i>. But alas, then comes the second hour, and then the third, and now any and all love of Scorsese has flown out the proverbial window, only to be replaced with some sort of godawful feeling of despair and outright anger.</div>
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Granted, the film does entertain with several quite cinematic Scorsese moments, as well as the director's loving penchant for recruiting re-imagined imagery from everything from <i>The Red Shoes</i> to Hitchcock to <i>Citizen Kane</i>. Moments that make us remember just why we get so damn excited every time the man releases a new film. But alas poor moviegoers, this is not that Martin Scorsese. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a different animal altogether. This is a director that has gotten lazy. A director that has maybe forgotten what it means to be Martin Scorsese - though since his last two films, the unfairly maligned genre deconstruction of <i>Shutter Island</i>, and the brilliantly filmic nostalgia called <i>Hugo</i>, were a collective upswing from other recent work, this is a theory that really holds no water. So what is it then? Frustration in a new digital age? The fact that one can not help but compare the filmmaker's muses, and let's face it, the mediocrity of Leonardo DiCaprio as an actor could never hold up in comparison to one Mr. Bobby De Niro. No, it must be something deeper that that. Or perhaps not. Perhaps <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i> is merely a blip in a career that, as I said before, has created at least five masterpieces, and several more near ones as well. With the recent release of David O. Russell's <i>Goodfellas</i>-esque <i>American Hustle</i>, my wife said to me, "it's as if two different directors tried to make a Martin Scorsese film this year, and it was Martin Scorsese who wound up the loser." Now I think I'm going to go watch <i>Taxi Driver</i> again.</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.allthingskevyn.com/2013/12/film-review-martin-scorseses-wolf-of.html">This review can also be read over at my main site, All Things Kevyn.</a></b></div>
Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-79780471482325733992013-12-21T16:50:00.001-05:002014-01-04T22:25:46.434-05:00Film Review: David O. Russell's American Hustle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From his quirky beginnings in the indie world to his more recent Oscary successes, filmmaker David O. Russell has played his directorial hand at many different honey pots, from teen sex comedy to acerbic war picture to pugilistic, dysfunctional family dramas, but up until now, playing is all the guy has been doing - but it is a long-time playing that has finally led to this, the director's seventh feature film, and very well his first truly great work of cinema. In fact, <em>American Hustle</em>, the 1978-set story of a group of con artists working (unwillingly, their collective hands forced) with the F.B.I. to ensnare corrupt politicians, may very well be the best damn Martin Scorsese film ever made by someone who is not Martin Scorsese. But there is much more to <em>American Hustle</em> than mere auteuristic hero worship and cinematic reverence.</div>
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Russell's film, the follow-up to his inexplicably praised Oscar big-wig, <em>Silver Linings Playbook</em> (yet another merely mediocre work being gilded to the high heavens come Oscar time), takes the best of the con game movie tropes, adds in the director's best impression of the aforementioned maestro Scorsese, kicks it up a notch or two with great casting and one hell of a nostalgic 1970's bent, twists it into a deft and biting dark comedy, and comes up with what is easily one of the best damn motion pictures of 2013. Hoo hah! The film is written by Russell and Eric Warren Singer, and based on the ABSCAM operation of the late seventies. The film stars past Russell compatriots, Christian Bale as combed-over con man Irving Rosenfeld (based, as is most of the main cast, on a real participant of ABSCAM), with Amy Adams as his lover/partner-in-crime. Jennifer Lawrence as his long-suffering and long insufferable wife, and Bradley Cooper as the narcissistic fed fuck-up who drags Bale's huckster into the game to begin with. The film also stars Jeremey Renner (working with Russell for the first time here) as the Camden, New Jersey mayor that acts as target for this gang of grifters. What Russell does with his film, turning the genre on its head so to speak, is take a group of people who are usually marginalized in society as bad and/or pathetic creatures, and gives his con game a heart and soul. We feel for these people - well at least some of them - and we care what happens to them - again, to most of them. It's some pretty amazing shit actually. Russell has finally made his first truly great film of his career.</div>
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As for the acting of Russell's crew? Bale, of course, is quite spectacular in his role as the ultimate con-man. Methodically becoming the character, Bale brings his bravura presence into a character who is equal parts bravado-riddled grifter and in-over-his-head huckster with a heart of fool's gold. The deepest and most sincerely sympathetic character in the bunch. In other words, ring-ding-ding, Christian Bale is proving once again that he is one of the damn finest actors in the world today. Meanwhile Adams, Renner, and even Cooper do their respective things with a certain amount of juicy aplomb, but let's face it, it is Jennifer Lawrence who runs away with each and every damn scene she finds herself in - even those in which she shares the screen with the deceptively charming chameleonic Bale himself (well okay, maybe not with Bale, but hey, he is Christian Bale after all). Lawrence, in the atypical role of manipulative, and possibly semi-psychotic, femme fatale wife-from-hell, and after safer, less-daring roles (ie, a great talent going to waste playing characters anyone could play) in the blockbusters <em>X-Men: First Class</em> and <em>The Hunger Games</em>, and her rather overrated Oscar-winning turn in Russell's <em>Silver Linings Playbook</em>, gives her bravest and boldest performance since her breakthrough role in 2010's <em>Winter's Bone</em>. Wicked (and wickedly funny), Lawrence riptides through the film in much the same way Sharon Stone did in Scorsese's (there's that name again) <em>Casino</em>, infusing her character with just the right parts of shallow gold-digger, wanton powder-keg, and lost little girl. A brilliant turn from a brilliantly underused talent. There is also a great uncredited cameo a little past the film's midway point, but I will just let those who do not know of said cameo, find that little tidbit naturally, as they watch the film. And watch it, you most certainly must.</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.allthingskevyn.com/2013/12/film-review-david-o-russells-american.html">This review can also be read over at my main site, All Things Kevyn.</a></b></div>
Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-71125280945586249822013-12-15T01:39:00.000-05:002014-01-04T22:25:46.427-05:00Film Review: Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For approximately a quarter of century now, with the release of each new Woody Allen film (and there is usually one a year) critics invariably say one of two things. Either it is a return to form for the director or it is a lament for the past, far superior filmmaker of the 1970's and 1980's. In my wish to break such silly tradition, I propose that his latest, <i>Blue Jasmine</i>, is neither a return to form, nor is it something that makes us yearn for the days of <i>Annie Hall </i>or <i>Manhattan</i>. Let's face it, the director would be quite hard-pressed to match such aforementioned films as these, and we shouldn't keep expecting him to get back to such greatness, nor should we feel so disappointed when he does not. Sure, the writer-director's output is much more hit-and-miss these days than it was in the so-called olden days, but through the muck of such disasters as Scoop and/or Anything Else, the guy can still make one hell of a movie.<br />
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What <i>Blue Jasmine</i> is, is a Woody Allen film, better than some, worse than others, but still a strong and charming film, full of the wry sense of humour that we have come to expect from a Woody Allen film, as well as a deeper and darker undercurrent running through its belly, finally rearing its full form in that harrowing finale, that stands on its own, without need of comparison to the director's past oeuvre. With that said, I would like to add that even though Allen's new film may not be able to compare to the likes of the filmmaker's golden streak of the past (in this critic's mind, from 1977 through 1995, a streak of nineteen films, Allen made not a single dud) it is easily one of the best he has made since those days, as well as one of the best films of 2013. Oh well, I guess I kinda just did the very thing I claimed I did not want to do. Oh well. Let's move on anyway, for I must let you in on the greatness that is <i>Blue Jasmine </i>- somewhat surprisingly so, considering the cool reception I had to Allen's last film, and my belief in the overpraising of the one before that.</div>
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What Woody Allen does best, other than writing a damn smart comedy (a few damn smart dramas as well), is elicit some damn fine performances out of his stars - something he does once again in <i>Blue Jasmine</i>. Cate Blanchett, as atypically self-absorbed Allen leading lady, has been getting kudos upon kudos ever since the film first opened, and on top of all this, award accolades and chants of the actor's second Oscar have spewed from almost every Academy Award pundant out there. Even many of those who dislike the film (and some do quite hate the thing) still praise Blanchett's work in said film. Her ability to make her audience laugh and cry in one single scene, sometimes in one single take or shot, is quite astounding indeed. Not many actors can pull off such a feat, and Blanchett does it time and time again in Blue Jasmine. Of course, we should not, in our praise for Blanchett, forget the great supporting performance handed in by Sally Hawkins as Blanchett's sister in the film. These two performances shine through and deserve the accolades they are receiving, but at the same time, we should not forget that Woody Allen (here we go) has seemed to returned to form in his latest film. Well, yeah, I couldn't go the whole time without saying that, now could I? Seriously though, <i>Blue Jasmine</i>, with its inherent wit and witticisms, is one of Allen's better works, and deserves to be included, if not in his golden first tier, then in his strong and charming second one for sure.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.allthingskevyn.com/2013/12/film-review-woody-allens-blue-jasmine.html">This review can also be read over at my main site, All Things Kevyn.</a></b></div>
Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-85422233452696090112013-12-10T21:41:00.001-05:002014-01-04T22:25:46.441-05:00Film Review: Edgar Wright's The World's End<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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They call it the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy. First came <i>Shaun of the Dead</i> in 2004, a genre satire taking on the zombie film, and the best damn rom-zom-com out there. Next came <i>Hot Fuzz</i> in 2007, a satiric take on the cop buddy genre, and now, in 2013, comes <i>The World's End</i>, a satire on aliens and the oh-so popular end of the world scenario. They by the way - the ones that call these three films the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy (or the Blood and Ice Cream trilogy on occasion) - are Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost. All three films are directed by Wright, written by Wright and Pegg, and star Pegg and Frost. All three films are also quite subversively brilliant, are possibly three of the finest satires in all of cinema, and quite cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs hee-larious. Oh, and the reason for the trilogy nickname is because a different flavour of Cornetto ice cream is used in each film, each symbolizing each film's theme (strawberry for the blood and guts of <i>Shaun of the Dead</i>, original blue flavour[??] to represent the blue of the police in <i>Hot Fuzz</i>, and mint chocolate chip for the aliens of <i>The World's End</i>). But really, the trilogy is merely a marketing ploy (not even named a trilogy until someone pointed out to Wright that he did indeed use two different Cornetto ice cream references in his first two films) and is only mentioned here because this critic gets a big kick out of such things. Otherwise, these three films are no more a trilogy than Antonioni's Trilogy on Modernity. How's that for some name dropping? Anyway, I digress. Let us move on to just what this damn movie is about anyway.</div>
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<i>The End of the World</i> is a fast paced, even faster quipped action comedy about a group of forty year old former high school buds, who are brought back together by their ne'er-do-well pack leader Gary King, in order to perform "The Golden Mile" a pub crawl consisting of a dozen pubs, culminating at a pub called, yeah, you got it...The World's End. While the other four ex hooligans have grown into responsible adulthood, Gary is still trying to live past glories as a grown child-man. Of course things get a bit hairy when these (mostly) reluctant pub crawlers come back to their home town to perform the aforementioned "Golden Mile" only to find it may have been taken over by aliens, a la <i>Invasion of the Body Snatchers</i>. Of course hilarity ensues, and being that it is Wright, Pegg, and Frost, said hilarity is of the wryest, yet most maniacal set. With allusions to many past films and such (the official poster is a take-off on a similarly-themed 1977 b-movie called <i>End of the World</i>), and a slew of self-referential inside jokes that range from the five lads all having courtly names (with surnames of King, Knightley, Prince, Page, and Chamberlain) to the names of each of the twelve pubs associating themselves with the actions that take place there (at the Crossed Hands the boys get into a fight, at The Mermaid, they are lured by evil women, etc), Wright's film is on equal par with the previous two - maybe even above par.</div>
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The real revelation of the film, other than the amount of growth Wright and Pegg have had as writers, from parody to satire to genuine classic-styled filmmaking, is the central performance of Pegg himself. Frost, as well as costars Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, Martin Freeman (Bilbo himself), and Rosamund Pike, all do wonderful jobs with their parts, but it is Pegg, in his black trenchcoat-clad, Sisters of Mercy t-shirt-wearing best, who goes above and beyond anything this critic has ever sen him do before - and considering how much I have enjoyed the guy in the past, that is saying a hell of a lot. After a carer made out of playing nice guys (well, for the most part) Pegg now takes on the role of a self-centered and quite damaged asshole, though a self-centered and quite damaged asshole with an inevitable heart of, well maybe not gold, but at least some sort of lesser precious metal. Pegg plays this role to near perfection (I know if I had an Oscar ballot, his name would surely be written as one of my Best Actor choices) and even though his filmic friends are sick and tired of his antics, I would do "The Golden Mile" with Gary King any day. And then we have the film's finale. I am not prone to give anything, but I will say this - it is freaking brills, baby! And Pegg keeps it going all the way to...well, to The World's End. </div>
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<b><a href="http://www.allthingskevyn.com/2013/12/film-review-edgar-wrights-worlds-end.html">This review can also be read over at my main site, All Things Kevyn.</a></b></div>
Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-46370271548223213942013-12-07T15:52:00.001-05:002013-12-07T15:52:52.241-05:00Film Review: Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>12 Years a Slave</i> is one of those films that overwhelms in such a thematic way that many believe it to be a good, or even a great film, when in reality it is merely mediocre. There, I said it, now let's move on. As a critic, it is my job, my duty even, to explain to you, my faithful readers, just what makes the film in question something you should see or something you should avoid, sometimes avoid like the plague. As a human being, a person well adjusted into the current state of affairs known as a moral society, and as a practicing humanist, it is my job, my duty even, to take up arms against the historical atrocities, heinous acts such as war and slavery, genocide and destruction, that have plagued humankind since time immemorial. Within such a conflicting set of ideals and duties, many of my fellow critics have been swayed into believing that just because a film is about one of these said atrocities, then by default it is an important and ofttimes brilliant work of art. This phenomenon happened most notably with <i>Schindler's List</i>. The Spielberg film garnered undue praise not because it was a great film (it was not) but because it tackled a subject that so many find, and rightly so, appalling. Yes, that film had its moments, and some of the acting was quite spectacular, but too often it relied on the typical emotionally manipulative tricks and tropes of so many films that came before it, and in true Spielbergian style, ends up rather trite and ordinary. But even so, the majority of critics (yes, I am certainly in the minority here) praise Schindler's List as one of the greatest films ever made. If the film had been about some other, less harrowing historical event, anyone with any cinematic knowledge, could plainly see the film for the mediocre and middle-of-the-road beast that it is. Sadly, much the same fate befalls Steve McQueen's new slavery drama.</div>
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Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying<i> 12 Years a Slave</i> is a bad film (nor was I saying <i>Schindler's List</i> was). We'll let that kind of thing for the Adam Sandlers and Tyler Perrys of the film world. What <i>12 Years a Slave</i> is, is an average piece of moviemaking, that granted, does occasionally rise above such middling offerings, but nothing even close to the outpouring of praise it is receiving from critics en masse. And again, just like the aforementioned Spielberg film, such an outpouring of love may very well be the cause of one's empathy toward the atrocities of slavery, often blinding the critical eye at seeing flaws and faults in a film. Aside from the white supremacist crowd out there (and I am guessing my audience doesn't include very many of them) most people will agree that slavery was one of the worst crimes against humanity the world has ever seen, but just because you make a film about such things, does not mean you have made a masterpiece - a word thrown way to willy-nilly around critical circles. Yes, the film has a few quite stunning moments (the hanging scene is remarkably harrowing), and some quite stunning performances, most notably star Chiwetel Ojiofor as the titular Solomon Northrup, manly McQueen muse Michael Fassbender as an evil sonofabitch plantation owner, and in a smaller role (mostly unnoticed in the wake of critics falling all over the rather stereotypical performance of Lupita Nyong'o, and her Oscar chances), Adepero Oduye as Eliza, a woman forced into slavery and forced away from her children (after the character's confrontational scene with Solomon, she is my pick for best supporting actress of this film).</div>
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The whole thing is made even sadder by the fact that McQueen's two previous feature films (2008's <i>Hunger</i>, and 2011's <i>Shame</i>) were both quite brilliant indeed. McQueen does manage to include a handful of visually stunning moments in his film, but it is not enough to save the film from its own mediocrity. Most of the film is just tired cliche after even more tired cliche, and shows us nothing that the hundreds of slavery films before it have already shown us. A film made in order to win Oscars, which kinda goes against the whole idea of artistic integrity. I know I am going to get a lot of flack for not really liking (though far from hating, mind you - though no one will remember that part of the equation) a film that is almost universally adored (the same thing happened after I first went public with my disdain for <i>Schindler's List</i> - but really, c'mon, that final scene when Neeson is freaking out because he could have done so much more is quite ludicrous), but flack or not, I stand my ground that <i>12 Years a Slave</i> is merely average, maybe slightly above average if you squint hard enough, and is only being praised so highly because critics are afraid (whether consciously or unconsciously) that their readers will think they are dissing not just a movie but the whole idea of slavery being the horrible thing it just so happens to be. I am not afraid of such a thing. To make matters even worse, please now allow me to state one final thought. Quentin Tarantino's <i>Django Unchained</i> made a better and more artistic statement on slavery than this film did. So there.<br />
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Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-52666368654038384672013-11-30T23:59:00.000-05:002014-01-04T22:25:46.417-05:00Film Review: Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue is the Warmest Color<div style="text-align: justify;">
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A three hour French lesbian drama, where one of the characters is underage, and where the director and actresses are publicly battling over supposed mistreatment on set, and all saddled with the dreaded NC-17 rating here in the states (in France, you only need be twelve to buy a ticket), is not going to be the film that brings 'em into the multiplexes of middle America. Well, damn good thing too, I say. This film is too good for the likes of such people anyway. And let's face it, most of conservative middle class America would probably walk out sometime during the ten minute, unsimulated and uncompromising sex scene in the middle of the film. Leave those moviegoers to the franchise makers and luke warm rom coms of modern day Hollywood. Leave those people to the oh so drab so-called indie fare that pretends to be cutting edge material running around the less and less discerning arthouse of the day. Leave the truly daring art films to those of us who know how to enjoy such things. Basically, what I am saying is, let those who can, enjoy one of the best films of the past year, maybe even several years, maybe even decade. Let us enjoy, <i>Blue is the Warmest Color</i>.</div>
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What is the story anyway? Glad you asked. Loosely based on the 2010 graphic novel of the same name by Julie Maroh (I say loosely since even though the basic storyline of the film follows the novel, there are several major differences - one quite major indeed) Kechiche's film is about the love story between a high school girl just now struggling with her sexuality, and what is expected of her in today's society, and the slightly older art school woman with whom she falls immediately and madly and deeply in love. Being French, the film never delves very deep into what Hollywood would perceive as a necessary melodrama, instead opting for a fluid storyline that never finds the need to explain itself all too much. With that style, the film allows the two actresses the freedom to pull off two of the finest, subtly provocative performances of recent years. These two actresses are the mostly unknown Adele Exarchopoulos (Oscar talk, albeit of the dark horse variety, is starting to buzz about) as Adele (the character's name was changed from the much better Clementine of the novel), the young sexually awakening protagonist of the love story, and the somewhat better known Lea Seydoux (<i>Farewell My Queen, Inglourious Basterds</i>) as Emma, Adele's blue-haired objet de amour (and yes, blue is a colour that runs through the movie like a sweetly overpowering palette). Both give stunning, naturalistic performances, that compliment the smooth, realistic direction of Kechiche.</div>
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Yet, the controversy surrounding the film, from the blatant sexuality to word of laughter during Academy screenings to the director badmouthing the film and his actresses, not to mention the dreaded mark of Cain, ie the NC-17 rating, even with its pedigree of a Cannes victory last May, certainly makes the film a tough sell in US multiplexes (even many arthouses are fearful of booking the film) but it is just as certainly a film that should be seen by those who love honest, sometimes brutally so, storytelling, and bravura filmmaking that hearkens toward the cinema of the Dardenne Brothers (much of <i>Blue</i> reminded this critic of the Dardenne's <i>Rosetta</i>). It's a real shame that many in this country will not see this film, but as I said before, such people probably do not deserve to see such a film full of stark and unblinking beauty as <i>Blue is the Warmest Colour</i>. I'm just glad I wasn't one of those undeserving masses, for this is a film that will most certainly be a major player in my yearly best of list. If you are lucky, it may very well be in yours as well.</div>
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Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-71286643845562507102013-10-25T01:06:00.001-04:002013-11-24T17:03:24.835-05:00Early Bird Oscar Predictions<div style="text-align: justify;">
Welly well well, the Oscars may still be several months away, but that's no reason to not get ahead of the curve, and announce your Oscar nomination predictions. So, without further ado (other than the poster image of <i>American Hustle</i>, that is), here are my early bird Oscar nomination predictions. Have at 'em. Oh, and I have listed them in order of probability within each category. </div>
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<b><u>Best Picture</u></b><br />
1. <i>American Hustle</i><br />
2. <i>12 Years a Slave</i><br />
3. <i>Gravity</i><br />
4. <i>Captain Phillips</i><br />
5. <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i><br />
6.<i> Inside Llewyn Davis</i><br />
7. <i>Lee Daniels' The Butler</i><br />
8. <i>Nebraska</i><br />
9. <i>Before Midnight</i><br />
10.<i> Fruitvale Station</i><br />
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Wild Cards: <i>Her</i> and/or <i>Blue is the Warmest Color</i><br />
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The first four are pretty much locks right now, and that doesn't look likely to change. It's after that, that things get a bit tricky. For awhile, it looked as if Scorsese's <i>Wolf of Wall Street</i> was going to be pushed back until 2014, but a Christmas Day release has recently been put on the books, so in it goes. Then again, Scorsese rushed to get the film done in time, so that may hurt the film, even if it is from a master director. For now though, I'm including it. I am also including another maybe film, in the Coen Brothers'<i> Inside Llewyn Davis</i>. It is a small film, but these guys are popular, so in it goes. Then you have <i>The Butler</i> and <i>Nebraska</i>, and if Oscar is going deep again this year (the rules state anywhere between five and ten nominees in this category - and please don't get me started on the stupidity of such a rule), these two could easily pop in there. After this, it gets really tricky. No one else is actually predicting the two films I placed in the last two (possible) spots, instead predicting films like <i>Saving Mr. Banks</i> or <i>August: Osage County</i> or <i>Rush</i> or <i>All is Lost</i> (any of which are very reasonable, and probably more probable guesses), but I'm putting these two critical faves on my list anyway. Then ya got my two wild card choices. Probably very wild (especially the 3 hour French lesbian drama that was recently laughed at during an Academy member screening) but stranger things have happened at the Oscars. Any other possibilities? Other than those I mention just above (especially <i>All is Lost</i> or <i>Saving Mr. Banks</i>), I suppose either <i>Blue Jasmine</i> or<i> Dallas Buyers Club</i> could sneak in if given enough critics awards leverage, but still somewhat doubtful - at least this early in the game.</div>
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<b><u>Best Director</u></b><br />
1. Alfonso Cuaron for <i>Gravity</i><br />
2. Steve McQueen for <i>12 Years a Slave</i><br />
3. David O. Russell for <i>American Hustle</i><br />
4. Paul Greengrass for<i> Captain Phillips</i><br />
5. Martin Scorsese for <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i><br />
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The 6th (or 7th) Man Award: Joel & Ethan Coen for <i>Inside Llewyn Davis</i><br />
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Wild Card: Spike Jonze for <i>Her</i><br />
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Just like with BP, the top four seem to be locks here (I think that, no matter which film takes BP, Cuaron is still winning this award), leaving just the fifth spot open for debate. Granted, I may be overselling Scorsese this year (I actually undersold him in my predictions two years ago, when I did not see the love for <i>Hugo</i> that would be coming), especially with the supposed rush job the director did in post production, but then again, he is Martin Fucking Scorsese, so that alone could pop him in here. But, in case the film does tank (or at least partially so), the Brothers Coen could easily sneak in there instead of him. But still, wouldn't it be fun to hear Spike Jonze' name announced on that Tuesday morning? Too quirky? Maybe. Maybe. Other possibilities include Lee Daniels for the rather egotistically named <i>Lee Daniels' The Butler</i>, J.C Chandor for<i> All is Lost</i>, and Alexander Payne for<i> Nebraska</i>. We could also see <i>Fruitvale Station</i>'s Ryan Coogler in there if Harvey Weinstein has his way. Woody Allen or Richard Linklater are probably asking too much. Then again, my two faves of the year (Park Chan-wook for <i>Stoker</i> and Wong Kar-wai for <i>The Grandmaster</i>) is probably really asking to much.</div>
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<b><u>Best Actor</u></b><br />
1. Robert Redford in <i>All is Lost</i><br />
2. Chiwetel Ojiofor in <i>12 Years a Slav</i>e<br />
3. Matthew McConaughey in <i>Dallas Buyers Club</i><br />
4. Bruce Dern in <i>Nebraska</i><br />
5. Tom Hanks in<i> Captain Phillips</i><br />
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5a. Forrest Whitaker in<i> Lee Daniels' The Butler</i><br />
5b. Christian Bale in <i>American Hustle</i><br />
5c. Joaquin Phoenix in <i>Her</i><br />
5d. Leonardo DiCaprio in <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i><br />
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Wild Card: James Gandolfini in <i>Enough Said</i><br />
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This category looks pretty much tied up for these five actors, but if there is any slip in there (Tom Hanks has been awarded enough, McConaughey still doesn't get the respect he deserves, <i>Nebraska</i> doesn't get any awards traction), then any one of our illustrious other number fives could surprise. As for Gandolfini, if this were a less competitive year in this category, of if the role had some more meat on it, a posthumous nod would be his, but it probably ain't a-gonna happen this year. Then again, they could pull (somewhat) category fraud, and bill him as supporting (see below). The only other nominee I think might stand a chance is Michael B. Jordan in <i>Fruitvale Station</i>, but there's going to have to be a lot of precursor buzz around the kid. In the end though, barring a complete <i>American Hustle</i> sweep (and therefore, a nod for Bale), I think I may be 5 for 5 on this one, unless the love for Hanks goes fully into his supporting chances (see below) and one of the 5a thru d's sneak in. As for the Oscar itself, I think this might just be Redford's year. A supposedly tour de force performance from a living Hollywood legend near the (maybe) end of his career, who has never won an acting Oscar before. Yeah. Oh wait, that pretty much describes Bruce Dern this year as well. Hmmm?</div>
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<b><u>Best Actress</u></b><br />
1. Cate Blanchett in <i>Blue Jasmine</i><br />
2. Sandra Bullock in<i> Gravity</i><br />
3. Judi Dench in <i>Philomena</i><br />
4. Meryl Streep in <i>August: Osage County</i><br />
5. Amy Adams in <i>American Hustle</i><br />
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The 6th (Wo)Man Award: Emma Thompson in<i> Saving Mr. Banks</i><br />
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Wild Card: Julie Delpy in <i>Before Midnight</i><br />
Wilder Card: Greta Gerwig in <i>Frances Ha</i><br />
Wildest Card: Adele Exarchopoulos in <i>Blue is the Warmest Color</i><br />
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The top four feel like locks to me. Dench and Streep will most likely get nominated here (again!) but this is a battle between Cate and Sandra. No one else need apply. As for the fifth spot, it seems like a two way race between Adams and Thompson. If <i>Hustle</i> goes big (and it probably will) it will be Adams (in an atypical grittier role, and in the lead spot instead of her usual supporting role), if not, then Thompson. On a sidenote, if it is Thompson as the fifth nominee, this will be the second year in a row with a category made up entirely of past Oscar winners. As for the wild cards, probably not a chance without some precursory love. Any others, you ask? Maybe Kate Winslet in <i>Labor Day</i> or perhaps Julia Roberts as Streep's co-star, if the inevitable bait-and-switch category fraud marketing of her co-lead role in the Supporting category, doesn't pan out (see below). But what of Naomi Watts, you ask? Earlier in the year, I had predicted (along with many fellow pundits) Watts inevitable nomination for playing Princess Diana. As of this writing (the film has opened in the UK, but not in the US yet) the film has a 5% on Rotten Tomatoes. Doesn't exactly instill confidence in a Best Actress nomination, now does it? Of course these are mostly from UK critics, and they will probably be harder on a film about one of their beloveds, but I don't see that percentage getting significantly higher come its US release.</div>
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<b><u>Best Supporting Actor</u></b><br />
1. Michael Fassbender in <i>12 Years a Slave</i><br />
2. Jared Leto in <i>Dallas Buyers Club</i><br />
3. Tom Hanks in <i>Saving Mr. Banks</i><br />
4. Matthew McConaughey in <i>Mud</i> or <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i><br />
5. Daniel<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 19.1875px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">Brühl in <i>Rush</i></span></span><br />
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The 6th Man Award: John Goodman in<i> Inside Llewyen Davis</i><br />
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Wild Card: Barkhad Abdi in <i>Captain Phillips</i><br />
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Have We Mentioned: James Gandolfini in <i>Enough Said</i><br />
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At first it looked like this could be Fassbender's year (Oscar loves an evil sonofabitch, and that is just what Fassbender plays here), but as time goes on, it looks like this could very well be someone else's year. There could be an Oscar in the near future for the former Jordan Catalano (what, no<i> My So-Called Life</i> fans here?), aka Jared Leto, going transgender and tragic. Whatever the case, these two actors are locks. After that, everything is up in the air. If Hanks and McConaughey are nominated here, we could see only the second time in Oscar history (the first being 1993 and Holly Hunter and Emma Thompson) where there were two double nominees. Since this seems to be the most open category this year, we could see almost anyone take a nod here. I am going with the <i>Rush</i> co-star (again, category fraud perhaps) but Goodman, though it is a very small role, could see his long overdue first nomination if the Coen Brothers film hits big. He has co-starred in the last two BP winners, after all - not that that really means anything here. We could also maybe see the late James Gandolfini here if they decide to go that route. A big surprise though would be the <i>Captain Phillips</i>' pirate, Barkhad Abdi sneaks in. Well, considering I am sort of predicting the possibility, it shouldn't come as that much of a surprise. Other possibilities include Jeremy Renner and Bradley Cooper from <i>American Hustle</i> (they could cancel each other out though), Jonah Hill in <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i>, and, in what could be a huge surprise, ex-SNLer Will Forte in <i>Nebraska</i>. </div>
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<b><u>Supporting Actress</u></b><br />
1. Oprah Winfrey in <i>Lee Daniels' The Butler</i><br />
2. Lupita Nyong'o in <i>12 Years a Slave</i><br />
3. Sally Hawkins in<i> Blue Jasmine</i><br />
4. Jennifer Lawrence in <i>American Hustle</i><br />
5. Octavia Spencer in <i>Fruitvale Station</i><br />
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The 6th (Wo)Man Award: Julia Roberts in <i>August: Osage County</i><br />
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Wild Card: June Squibb in <i>Nebraska</i><br />
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Winfrey and the mostly unknown Nyong'o are virtual locks, while Hawkins is close to one (Woody Allen and Supporting Actress has a long and prosperous history), and Oscar loves Lawrence enough to probably make her one as well (especially if <i>Hustle</i> is one of the big Oscar nomination morning successes), which leaves that ever popular fifth spot a race between, essentially three ladies. Spencer (obviously) is my choice right now (c'mon, she plays a Martyred mom) but if <i>Nebraska</i> hits kinda big (as in a BP nod), Squibb could sneak in. Then ya got poor Julia Roberts. Her role opposite Streep is essentially the co-lead, but Oscar is notoriously bad when it comes to same sex co-leads - one, for some reason or another, must go supporting, and in this case, it is Julia. Basically, what is the most likely outcome, is Roberts falling somewhere in between the two categories and ending up without a nod for anything. I suppose we could see Sarah Paulson up for <i>12 Years a Slave</i>, but only if the film hits big and people like Spencer and Squibb are overlooked.</div>
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<b><u>Best Original Screenplay</u></b><br />
1. <i>American Hustle</i><br />
2. <i>Inside Llewyn Davis</i><br />
3. <i>Nebraska</i><br />
4. <i>Her</i><br />
5. <i>Blue Jasmine</i><br />
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Wild Card: <i>Mud</i><br />
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<b><u>Best Adapted Screenplay</u></b><br />
1. <i>12 Years a Slave</i><br />
2. <i>Captain Phillips</i><br />
3. <i>Philomena</i><br />
4. <i>Before Midnight</i><br />
5. <i>Blue is the Warmest Color</i><br />
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Wild Card: <i>Short Term 12</i><br />
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The top three in each category seem like sure things, but after that, anything could really happen here (there are questions on which category some of these films will end up in). And let's not forget those wild cards. This is a category where they could seriously happen. Other possibles for Original are: <i>Saving Mr. Banks, Lee Daniels' The Butler, Frances Ha, Dallas Buyers Club</i>, <i>Fruitvale Station, </i>and<i> Gravity,</i> but only if they go gaga for the film. Others for Adapted are: <i>August: Osage County, The Wolf of Wall Street</i>, and <i>The Spectacular Now</i>. So there ya go. </div>
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Well, that's about it for now. I'll let the other categories wait for my final Oscar predictions in January (though I'm sure the 3D spectacle, <i>Gravity, </i>will be up for most of the tech awards, just as <i>Life of Pi</i> did last year). All-in-all, I think <i>American Hustle, 12 Years a Slave, Captain Philips</i>, and <i>Gravity</i> are the films destined to lead the nominations, and maybe <i>The Wolf of Wall Street</i>, if that pans out. We'll see you in January for the Oscar nominations.</div>
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<br />Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-4668069212009250002013-10-22T14:42:00.000-04:002014-01-04T22:25:46.411-05:00Film Review: Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity<div style="text-align: justify;">
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I am not one to lightheartedly recommend seeing a movie in 3D, when a perfectly fine 2D version is available just one screen over, but every now and again, it is something I am prone to do. I did it with Scorsese's <i>Hugo</i> a couple of years back, and I did it with<i> Life of Pi</i> last year, and now here I am doing it for the new film from Mexican New Waver Alfonso Cuaron. <i> Gravity</i>, seen in the proper 3D, is a gripping tale of an orbital space disaster that has Sandra Bullock floating around the ultra harsh environs of outer space. Seen in this venue, the film is quite exhilarating, and it had this critic on the literal edge of his seat. Seriously, I really was on the edge of my theater seat in many parts of this film. Whether this veritable visual palpitation follows through to the film's eventual DVD and BD release, and therefore on a smaller home scale, is up in the air - though it is definitely leaning toward, not so much - which makes the old adage, "it's better to see something in a movie theater than at home" all so more true in this particular case.</div>
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Be that as it may, <i>Gravity</i>, up on that big screen (and in 3D, don't forget), is a remarkable looking film that keeps one's eyes glued to the projected images. The story, of a pair of stranded astronauts (the aforementioned Bullock along with George Clooney), trying to make their way from their wrecked shuttle to an orbiting space station (or two), all the while trying not to, ya know, die a horrible death in outer space, is a story fraught with the possibilities of cliche after cliche, and even though such things do pop up now and again, the vastness, the epic visual background (my often agonized enemy, the dreaded CGI, has never looked this good) of Cuaron's film, make up for any storyline blips or bleeps. Perhaps <i>Gravity</i> never delves into the inner depths of something like Cuaron's masterfully subversive <i>Children of Men</i>, or his brilliantly erotic<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;"><i>Y Tu Mamá También</i>, but the look and feel of the film, along with Bullock's rock solid performance (an easy Oscar nod should be coming her way in a few months), make this film one of those current must see type of cinematic events - especially since its impact will surely never transfer over to the small screen.</span></span><br />
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Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-76744700764608567752013-10-18T17:29:00.002-04:002013-10-18T17:31:42.778-04:00Film Review: Kimberly Peirce's Carrie<div style="text-align: justify;">
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A good remake, huh? Okay, it can happen once and a while. Right? Perhaps. A good remake (oxymoron perhaps?) must tread that fine line between being faithful to the original while also giving us something fresh and (ironically perhaps?) new. In essence, Kimberly Peirce's remake of Brian De Palma's 1976 horror classic, which in turn was, of course, an adaptation of Stephen King's iconic first novel, does the first part well. She may not imbue the film with the almost satiric visual prose that De Palma did, nor does her film have the visceral urgency of the original (De Palma's film is more stylistic, of course), but the director does give her version enough of a chilling realism vibe, to make it more than merely passable as inevitable homage. But as for the second half of our aforementioned fine line treading, Peirce falls woefully short of the proverbially intended goal line. Nowhere inside this basically faithful remake, is there even an ounce of freshness. Peirce seems to bring nothing to the table, or screen, in the way of a fresh outlook on the story. Sure we get the necessary updates (poor Carrie White's surprise menstruation fiasco goes viral on Youtube) but otherwise, unlike those few fresh remakes we get now and again (Zack Snyder's <i>Dawn of the Dead</i> and Soderbergh's <i>Ocean</i> films come immediately to this critic's mind) this film is given no real reason to even exist. Harsh I know, but all too true.</div>
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Peirce (coincidentally, to give a bit of a shout out, the director was born just a few months after me in the same town from where I hail), who is only now getting around to her third film, after her spectacular 1999 debut <i>Boys Don't Cry</i>, and her rather lackluster 2008 film, <i>Stop-Loss</i>, handles the chores of remake helmsman well, using intriguing camera angles and imposing, though perhaps a bit too obvious, religious imagery, throughout her film, but as I have said already (hounded about actually), the director gives nothing fresh to the story. Some have claimed this to be a more faithful adaptation of King's novel than De Palma's film (I've never read the book, so I cannot weigh in on that), but the film seems to follow De Palma's original pretty well (so much so that I keep complaining about nothing new being brought to bare here), so it really can't be that much more faithful. But really, De Palma is one of those directors you either love or hate, and for those of us who love the guy, it is hard to imagine anyone doing something better than he. Well, except for Hitchcock, but that's a whole other story. So that leaves the performances, and how they fare up to the somewhat unfair, but completely inevitable comparisons to the original.</div>
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Sissy Spacek was an unearthly Carrie White, something akin to a living ghost, a beautiful young woman, but not in the so-called typical way, while Chl<span style="font-family: inherit;">o<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19.1875px;">ë Grace</span> M</span>oretz, a stunning girl herself, though more classically pretty (apparently more like how the character is described by King), gives Carrie an almost typical teen angst vibe - albeit a typical ten from hell kinda angst. Moretz, who at sixteen is more age appropriate for the role (Spacek was a full decade older when she played the seventeen year old high school senior), does a fine job with the character (she is given more depth than De Palma allowed in his auteur take on the book), but let's face it, Carrie isn't the real horror of this horror show. No siree, the real terror here is Carrie's mother-from-hell, Margaret White. In De Palma's film, Piper Laurie gave one of the most chilling performances in the genre's long history, and here, Julianne Moore nearly equals such a feat. The actress brings forth a vibrant, dangerous, and quite freakin' scary as hell demeanor to the role, and pulls it of with a stunning array of subtly and chutzpah. </div>
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As for the rest of the cast, other than Judy Greer's fine take on the Betty Buckley role of good samaritan gym teacher, they are pieced together by a bunch of look-a-like pretty boys and girls with no real depth or soul amongst them. Not that Amy Irving and Nancy Allen, as good girl and bad girl respectively, were ever considered at the top of their fields, but both handed in fun performances in the original. Hell, one of 'em even went onto marry, and later divorce, the director (the other did the same with Steven Spielberg, but another day for that tale). And let's not forget John Travolta as Allens' ne'er-do-well boy toy. We get none of that in the remake. So yeah, Moretz and Moore do commendable jobs in their iconic shoe-filling, and Peirce does do some good work with her retelling of De Palma's adaptation of King's original source material, and overall, it is a passable remake, sort of something in the realm of Gus Van Sant's inexplicable and quite unnecessary near shot-for-shot <i>Psycho</i> remake, but without anything new being brought to the damn thing (hell, even the <i>Footloose</i> remake from a few years back had some balls to its retooling, so why not here!?), there is really no reason for the film to even exist, no matter how well the leads play their parts. Then again, such a thing can be said about 98% of the remakes around today. My suggestion? Go out and get yourself a copy of De Palma's 1976 classic (there is a lovely Bluray on the market), and watch that instead.<br />
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Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-41577866193453025162013-10-15T19:18:00.000-04:002013-10-15T22:37:11.913-04:00Film Review: Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Don Jon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are oh so obvious allusions to the 1977 film <i>Saturday Night Fever</i>, all throughout this film, but one could also look at Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut as something akin to Martin Scorsese's <i>Goodfellas</i>. Just replace the mob and drugs of Scorsese's iconic 1990 film with the sex and porn of Don Jon. Now I am not trying to make some outrageous claim like <i>Don Jon</i> is as great a film as <i>Goodfellas</i>. Sure, JGL's film is enjoyable (more enjoyable than I expected it to be) if not a bit "on the nose" as far as human dramadies go, but it sure ain't in the same realm as Scorsese's modern classic, but still, there are things here that remind one of Scorsese's film. Perhaps nothing but superficial stuff (circumstantial evidence at best officer), but stuff nonetheless. The relatively constant voiceover, the straight on shots, the abrupt endings to certain scenes or shots, the Italian family atmosphere all smell of Scorsese 101. Granted, they are not done here to the expertise of the master, but when perpetrated by the nubile youthful exuberance of the aforementioned Mr. Gordon-Levitt, these things can have a fun effect to them. But enough of the good, what of the bad, and perhaps even the ugly?</div>
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Early on in the film, Gordon-Levitt's Jon Martello, aka the titular Don Jon (he's got a way with the ladies), talks about the superiority of internet porn over the typical Hollywood romantic comedy, which is an ironic thing because the writer/director/star has made what is basically, a typical romantic comedy. Well, at least for the most part. There is a third act twist (though twist is probably overstating it) that gives one a somewhat refreshing atypical romcom feeling. Well, okay, the so-called twist really isn't that surprising, but it's at least something. Sure, Gordon-Levitt does a fine job in his self-created role (the actor does possess a certain charm), and even Scarlett Johansson gives what she can (she is basically just eye candy with a semi-faltering Jersey accent after all), and Julianne Moore gives the film some quirk and even some depth (albeit unsurprising depth), and we get a wife-beater-wearing Tony Danza to boot (and I mean that very sincerely, and not ironically at all), but overall the film falters mainly for its utter disdain for the out-of-the-ordinary. It certainly does seem like perhaps it wants to venture outside the safe insular world of the Hollywood (or Indie) romcom, but is just scared to take those dangerous steps.</div>
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We shouldn't be surprised to see someone like Gordon-Levitt in such a safe film. He has done so many films that have had the potential to go somewhere different and out of the ordinary but chose safe and dry instead. Films such as <i>Looper, (500) Days of Summer, The Lookout</i>, even<i> Inception</i> and <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i> were all films that thought they were going over the edge, but pulled themselves back before anything really intriguing happened. Gordon-Levitt had no creative say in those films (with the possible exception of <i>(500) Days of Summer</i>) but here he is nothing but sole creator, and still he takes the safe road more traveled. Like I said, there are some enjoyable things in here (there is more god than bad, but only slightly), and some pretty nifty potential (the porn storyline should give it at least some over the edge stuff), and it is a shame that the young first time director didn't do more with said potential. Perhaps something grittier but still charming. Perhaps something like the aforementioned<i> Saturday Night Fever</i>, which one must assume was the biggest influence on Don Jon. Oh well, perhaps next time JGL will dig a bit deeper. But still, it could have been much worse. How's that for some back door praise?<br />
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Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-57786551480295532962013-10-07T02:32:00.001-04:002014-01-04T22:25:46.421-05:00Film Review: Wong Kar-wai's The Grandmaster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Every year, I post a most anticipated films list here on my site. Back in 2011, the film that topped that list was Wong Kar-wai's much anticipated Kung-Fu epic, <i>The Grandmaster</i>. But alas, 'twas not to be, as was the case with the Asian auteur's masterpiece, <i>In the Mood for Love</i>, its follow-up, <i>2046</i>, and his American debut, <i>My Blueberry Nights</i>, Wong went about his typical forever post production, editing rituals, and we did not see a release in 2011. Okay, so we moved on to 2012, and once again, at the top of that aforementioned most anticipated films list, sat WKW's <i>The Grandmaster</i>, now even with a teaser poster available to the world at large, but alas, once again, the film never made it into theaters, and once again, I would feel the necessity to move the film forward, as it were, to the following year's list.</div>
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So, cut to January 2013, and that oft-cited most anticipated films list, and guess what? Yep, that's right, for the third year in a row, Wong Kar-wai's wouldbe new masterpiece sat atop that damn list. But this year, things would be different, I just knew that had to be true. And yes, after releases in China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and an international debut at February's Berlin Film Festival, <i>The Grandmaster</i> was finally (finally!) poised for an American release, and then, in August, the great city of New York finally (finally!!) had itself a brand new Wong Kar-wai film. Granted, it took it a few more weeks to wind its way to other parts of the country, though as of the writing of this review, the film still has not seen a truly wide release (and has yet to play in my hometown of Harrisburg, Pa), but yes, the film, so long in the waiting, and so so long in the anticipation, was finally (FINALLY!!!) here dammit. Granted, it is being released in the US with 20+ minutes edited out of the foreign cut, so perhaps we still need to wait for the director's cut. Dammit, I'm sick and tired of waiting. But I digress.</div>
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I suppose now you expect me to critique its merits and/or flaws, huh? Give you a what's up on the film as a whole. Basically, now you expect me to do my job, eh? Jonas Mekas, the crazed purveyor of underground cinema, once said that it was not his job to tell you what a film was about, but instead to get excited by it, and show you that excitement. I suppose I take that as my motto of sorts (so much so that the actual quote is proudly displayed on my website) and therefore will go no further with a description than letting you know that the film is about the great Kung-Fu master, Ip Man, the man who would eventually come to train Bruce Lee, and his life and times over several tumultuous decades of Chinese history. I could get excited though. That I could very easily do. And even though nothing I could say would be any surprise to anyone who knows and loves Wong Kar-wai and his cinema (or for that matter, knows my tastes in film), excited I shall get.</div>
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I could tell you how Wong, along with his DP Philippe la Sourd (in his first real challenge as cinematographer) and his long time production designer/editor, William Chang (pretty much every WKW film can be seen on his list of credentials) have made the film flow with the most subtly rich and luscious manner of visual narrative succulence. I could rave about the central performance of another long-time WKW collaborator, Tony Leung, and how he once again brings a Wong character to heartbreaking life on the big screen. I could go on and on about the overall look and feel of the film - a film that only plays at its martial arts roots, but a film that is truly a tragedy on a surprisingly intimately epic scale (yeah!) - or how Wong's use of slow motion and the way raindrops beat off of Ip Man's hat in the opening fight scene, are enough to bring chills to any cinephile worth his salt. I could rant and rave all night long about the merits of this gorgeous film, and even though it is not Wong at his best (<i>In the Mood for Love</i> will always weigh the heaviest in this critic's soul), and there is still that aforementioned director's cut to be on the lookout for, this would not be a difficult thing to do. I will instead, leave it at this: whatever you do, see this film. End of review.<br />
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Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-49224546262443688242013-09-11T23:20:00.001-04:002013-09-11T23:20:11.153-04:00Hello, I Must Be Going...But Not Really<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yeah, yeah, I haven't been around in a while. So fuckin' sue me! Oh wow, sorry 'bout that. I should be nice here. Ah, fuck that too!! Wow, I am an ass, but that is not why I am here right now (we all know that anyway). What I am here to talk about, albeit quite briefly, and why I am titularly paraphrasing Groucho, is to say how the posts on this site will be somewhat less frequent over the next few months. Yeah, like I had to tell ya'll that. But yes, as my focus goes more toward my comix (<a href="http://www.braintumorcomix.com/">go here to see all about that</a>) by review duties will find themselves a bit on the waning side. But no need to worry oh faithful readers and true believers, for I will still be around these here parts. My reviews of Blue Jasmine and The End of teh World will be up and running over the next week sometime, and some early Oscar predix may even find their way in here at some point. So no, I am not actually going anywhere - just bein' a bit more lazy about things around these parts. So there! See ya in the funny papers!!</div>
Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-62081319305411814042013-09-04T13:40:00.000-04:002013-09-04T13:40:04.378-04:00Film Review: Adam Wingard's You're Next<div style="text-align: justify;">
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When recommending this new thriller from Adam Wingard, I cannot say, with any semblance of seriousness, that what you are about to experience is a movie bathed in originality, or even any huge amount of creativity. <i>You're Next</i> is not a film that will have you talking about the bravura acting prowess of any of its cast, or the sparkling wit and witticisms of its script. <i>You're Next</i> is not a film that will surprise you much with it's so-called twists and turns - unless perhaps you have never seen a movie before this one. No, <i>You're Next</i> is not something groundbreaking like <i>The Cabin in the Woods</i> or <i>High Tension</i>, two films of which I was hoping to be able to compare this one. What you will get with <i>You're Next</i> though, is a fun and surprisingly funny romp through the silly blood and guts of the genre. Not the high art set of horror/slasher films, but still an oddly enjoyable one.</div>
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The premise of the film is simple enough. A wealthy and appropriately dysfunctional family come together for the parents' 35th wedding anniversary, only to be attacked by a gang of animal mask wearing home invaders who take joy in picking off the family members one by one. At this point the film is merely another home invasion story (though one fellow critic called the film a blend of Ordinary People and Scream) but a few twists and turns later, though admittedly easily predicted twists and turns, and we have ourselves an intriguing little arthousey kinda slasher flick. Even though the film isn't necessarily scary in any way (a handful of gotcha moments), it is fun to watch everything unfold, and there are some rather interesting types of death, especially in the penultimate kitchen fight scene. </div>
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With the Mumblecore movement at its core (Mumblecore bigwig Joe Swanberg even joins in by playing the most obnoxious of the four quite obnoxious siblings), You're Next never sports a big budget or a big name cast (Swanberg probably is the biggest name), and this D.I.Y. attitude helps to make the film work better than better known faces would have done. Overall, the film, if not anything spectacular (I really was hoping here), is quite fun, and as I stated earlier, quite funny. Then again, perhaps I am just a bit more twisted than most. So yeah, I do recommend <i>You're Next</i>, if for nothing else, the chutzpah of the final girl, and the closing scenes. And don't even get me started on the creepy feel that the eternally looping "Looking For the Magic" by The Dwight Twilley Band, gives to the overall enjoyment of the film. Fun, indeed.<br />
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Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5161637385294744810.post-44874673644192205492013-08-26T16:17:00.000-04:002013-08-26T16:17:44.244-04:00Forces of Geek "A History of Sci-Fi Cinema" - Pt XII<div style="text-align: justify;">
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The fine folks over at <a href="http://www.forcesofgeek.com/">Forces of Geek</a> have allowed me the space and time to ramble on about the history of science fiction cinema. These bi-weekly columns, will make an attempt, however feeble, at discussing the history of this often chided cinematic genre. From its birth to the latest CGI box office hits, I will take a look at the films that have filled the genre, as well as their literary influences and TV offshoots. In this episode, my twelfth in the series, I take a look at the space babes and ass-kicking hotties of science fiction cinema and TV. Ooh La La, my fellow sci-fi geeks.</div>
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<a href="http://www.forcesofgeek.com/2013/08/va-va-va-voom-hotter-side-of-sci-fi.html">Read my column, "Va-Va-Va-Voom: The Hotter Side of Sci-Fi," at Forces of Geek.</a><br />
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<br />Kevyn Knoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17840497589713234794noreply@blogger.com0