Zero Dark Thirty

'MERICA!!!!!!

This is the fastest I have ever seen a movie based on a true story come out. Zero Dark Thirty, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, tells the story of how one CIA agent obsessed with finding Osama Bin Laden led the search that led to his killing.

This suspenseful story was  a no brainer for Bigelow to follow The Hurt Locker with. And of course, she has been greeted with several Oscar nominations. However, I believe that the sense of Patriotism that has stuck with finding and killing one of the murderers of 3,000 innocent people has boosted the popularity and acclaim for this film.

Don't get me wrong, I'm an American. Rock, Flag and Eagle, right Charlie?

I also enjoyed this film. Very much so in fact. However, I think there are several films that deserved a Best Picture nomination much before Zero Dark Thirty. I felt much of the "bad-assery" was forced and that a strong first and third act were hurt significantly by the middle act. But perhaps I'm just a sadistic bastard who enjoys torture and violence.

Either way, everyone has their own opinion. I will be seeing Zero Dark Thirty again, I just don't agree with it's best picture nomination. You might. See it for yourself.

'Merica

My Grade: B+

The Impossible

Is this cheating? I mean I wrote it, just not for here.

Check it out!

The Impossible

The 'Mikey Awards' Nominees (Also known as the 'I Have No Life Awards')

Here are my nominees for 2012... Not that anyone cares.

Best Picture
Argo
The Cabin In The Woods
The Dark Knight Rises
Hitchcock
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Les Misérables
Lincoln
The Perks of Being a Wall Flower
Seeking A Friend For The End of The World
Seven Psychopaths

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Logan Lerman, The Perks of Being a Wall Flower
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Sam Rockwell, Seven Psychopaths
Christopher Walken, Seven Psychopaths

Best Actress  (Combined in one, because I'm rarely impressed with actresses, only because very few good characters are written for them)
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings playbook
Zoe Kazan, Ruby Sparks
Helen Hunt, The Sessions

Best Director
Ben Affleck, Argo
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight Rises
Drew Goddard, The Cabin In The Woods
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Thomas Hooper, Les Misérables

Best Screenplay
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
Chris Terrio, Argo
Joss Whedon, Drew Goddard, The Cabin in the Woods
Tony Kushner, Lincoln
John J. McLaughlin, Hitchcock

Best Original Score
Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek, Tom Tykwer, Cloud Atlas
Alexandre Desplat, Argo
Nathan Johnson, Looper
Danny Elfman, Hitchcock
Mychael Danna, Life of Pi

Best Animate Film
Paranorman
Wreck-It Ralph
Frankenweenie

Best Short
Paperman
Curfew

Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino is one of those directors that you either love him or hate him. It seems as though he got his style from working at a video rental store and watch a bunch of movies.

...Oh wait.... that's exactly how he got it.

In his homage to old Western films and, to history buffs, a tip of the hat to abolitionist John Brown, Quentin Tarantino tells the story of a slave who is given the chance to exact revenge by a hit man who has freed him and taken him as an apprentice. Violence and hilarity and white guilt ensues.

Once again, Quentin Tarantino has written a great script and has directed actors to deliver great performances. Specifically Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio. Christoph Waltz is great in literally everything he's been in, and Leo is always good but has never really stood out. I believe this could be his year. His portrayal of the plantation owner, Calvin Candie is eerie and disturbing as any villain I've seen this year.

Django Unchained is an extremely entertaining film that is up to par with all of the Tarantino greats. Is it his best work? In my opinion, no. I don't think he can top Inglorious Basterds, although it'd be amazing if he did.  But it is certainly a good movie that deserves every ounce of praise it gets.

My Grade: A-

Les Miserables

If you were a fan of the Musical before the film, like I was, I dare you to watch this without singing along.

It's impossible.

There are a lot of absurd reviews going around about this film. Many say the way they filmed it is annoying, there are too many close-ups and the direction is terrible. Some even say that the actors are ruining the songs by singing it live, or that they should have had actual singers portray the characters.

Let's start with the last one, shall we. The movie is called Les Misérables. Now, I'm no frenchman, but I'm pretty sure that that is french for "The Miserable". That implies that there is a lot of emotion in this story (1,000 crying men can attest to that). Would we want Mariah Carey portraying Fantine? Would we want Billy Ray Cyrus portraying Jean Valjean? Or perhaps we want Adam lambert to portray Éponine (surprisingly, probably the best match here).

My point is, this isn't a music video. This is a musical film. We need REAL actors who can sing. Not real singers who have given us such great films as Glitter and Hannah Montana: The Movie. It is an emotional film that needed raw, emotional performances. And the cast has done exactly that.

As far as the close-up and the direction goes, Tom Hooper knows what he is doing. He won the Oscar for Best Direction in a Movie for The King's Speech in 2011. This isn't exactly his first rodeo. If any of the people calling him out have read even just one interview from him, they would know he had about five different angles from each take and tried each and everyone, and the cuts that brought the most emotion out (which is the directors job) were the ones he picked.

Anyway, that's my rant about cynical critics. There's been a lot this year.

If you have never seen the musical, go see the film first. It's cheaper, and easier to follow for when you see the stage play. And if you love it you should see the stage play because it's amazing. If you love the play, see the film. If you hate the play, don't see the film.

It's Les Misérables. Enough said.

My Grade: A