The Grey Review


Despite its marketing campaign trying to build it up as a mano-a-lobo action film, The Grey is actually a thrilling tale of survival.  Theatergoers trying to catch a peek of Liam Neeson beating down on a bunch of wolves will no doubt be disappointed, but this film offers more than some cheap action thrills.  Instead it is a bleak and uncompromising tale of plane crash survivors trying to find their way home.

The film follows Ottway (Liam Neeson), a man who walked away from society after a troubling event at home and works for an oil company in the middle of nowhere, Alaska.  He is on his way to Anchorage when the plane he is on goes down and strands all of the survivors in the harsh Alaskan wilderness.  To make matters worse, they have been dropped near a wolf den, making its very territorial inhabitants extremely angry.

While the plot makes it seem like this is some cheesy survival film, it is anything but.  Director and screenwriter Joe Carnahan (whose last film was the terrible A-Team film adaptation) brings the material to the next level by delving into subjects that are rarely dealt with in films such as this.  Is god real?  What is death?  What does it mean to live? are just some of the few questions that are raised and expertly answered in this film.  The film never lingers too long on any one question but always delivers a satisfying answer.

Carnahan also delivers a set of fully developed characters.  It seems that most of the survivors of the plane crash each get their own moment to shine.  While Neeson's Ottway is the man we spend most of our time with, Frank Grillo as Diaz, Dermot Mulroney as Talget and Dallas Roberts as Hendrick all get their chance in the spotlight.  Grillo is especially effective as he turns his cliche brute into a three-dimensional character that can surprise you at any turn without breaking character.  A speech he delivers about the scenery at one point during the film is touching and yet deeply harrowing.  The true star of the film, though, is Liam Neeson.  It is quite clear in his performance that he was able to relate to his character through his own wife's death. It gives the performance an at times upsetting realism that adds to the bleakness that the film is trying to present.

This couldn't have been completely accomplished through acting alone, and Carnahan and his team deliver a surprisingly strong script.  Carnahan is also able to create such a strong sense of atmosphere.  It will feel like the film has actually changed you for the first few hours after watching the film.  That is if you can accept the ambiguous ending.  Most audiences will come away disappointed with the film's abrupt ending, but despite ambiguous endings becoming an unwelcome trend to film recently, this film pulls it off well.  In a case such as this, it is better to leave things to the imagination.  Just like in the way Carnahan uses his antagonist wolves.  They are rarely seen, but they are much scarier for it.

8.5/10

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Review


Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close gets really close to being a great film.  It is unfortunately undone by two major errors.

First and foremost, is the character at the center of the story.  Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) is a terribly written character.  He is erratic, unrealistic and annoying.  Yet the film expects the viewer to put all their interest in his story and problems.  Thomas Horn actually does a great job with the role, but he is severely limited by the writing for the role, which is a lot worse than everything else in the film.  I have not read the book, which the film is based on, but it seems the character is written with the intent of making him as original as possible.  This results in a character that is only defined by the overabundance of quirks he has.  The film actually becomes unbearable when Horn is forced to do a monologue explaining every one of his character's quirks.

The second fatal flaw of this film is its 9/11 background.  The core of this film has the potential to deliver a masterpiece.  The relationship between mother and son that is at the center of this film is one of the most beautiful pieces of filmmaking all year long.  Yet when the 9/11 context is inserted into the film, it just seems like the the filmmaker (or author) had no faith in the story he was telling.  It just seems like an easy emotional beat to hit.  Had the father (played by the always magnificent Tom Hanks) been murdered by a random person instead of 9/11 hijackers, the film would have been better for it.  The film would have put its focus on the family (which the film does at points during its runtime) and this would have resulted in a shorter film (and this film definitely could have used some trimming).  What is even worse is that the 9/11 elements just don't feel justified by the end of it.  It could have if Director Stephen Daldry spent more time on building up the New York setting, but that is never done.

Despite all of this 9/11 gibberish that the film seems to think is important, the film is a mystery film at its heart.  The mystery element isn't a complete success either.  The journey to the mystery falls apart midway through as the film tries to turn obvious plot points into twists and the resolution is of course a let down.  However, the film redeems itself in the last twenty minutes as it goes back to focus on the family elements that it introduced earlier in the film.  These parts are held together by a surprisingly strong Sandra Bullock.  Bullock may only be on screen for ten minutes (give or take), but she leaves an immense impact as she creates a three-dimensional character.  This is career best work for her.  While the film is able to rest itself on Bullock's shoulders, the film actually tells a fully realized story about going through tragedy with the help of family.

It seems like I am really picking apart this film, but this is only because it was so close to being something special.  The foundation was there, but the execution was lackluster.  There were many problems with this film (the directing and writing were too on the nose, John Goodman was completely wasted), but there were many inspired elements too (Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, the ending, and some of Alexandre Desplat's best music to date).

6.5/10

Hunted By Night Review


Hunted by Night is riddled with every action cliche imaginable.  This is true to the point that in one scene characters walk away from an explosion in slow motion.  Yet this film is still an enjoyable watch.  Almost everyone in the cast and crew know exactly was type of film they are in, and this leads to the final product being a fun romp.

The film opens with a startling opening credits sequence as an unknown character an an unknown infant are rushed to a hospital after being involved in an accent.  From there we are slowly introduced to the characters and the plot tries to get everything in order so the next 90 minutes can be spent showing non-stop action.  Director Juan C. Bofill is able to maintain a good enough sense of pace in these scenes to withstand the one-dimensional characters.

Once the film breaks into its first fight scene, it really begins to pick up.  The action scenes are crisply cut. They will keep your eyes glued to the screen by being fast paced but never to the point that its annoying or overly frantic.  On top of that, the fight scenes are well choreographed.  Each character is able to maintain their own identity while fighting and this leads to some exciting entertainment.

Bofill is a success in the director's chair as he clearly had a small budget while making this film.  Yet there are scenes where he is able to hide this which is really impressive considering the action film genre is a high-tech one.  From the editing to the visual effects (especially a unique one early on in the film involving a heart), Bofill is able to use all of his tools to pull of a film that at points loses its amateur sheen.

Such a performance from the director's chair is a much needed accomplishment considering the cast doesn't do nearly as well.  Jencarlos Canela brings an odd sense of energy to the film, and it doesn't work in the action hero role.  It also doesn't help that his character is written paper-thin.  The only two supporting performances that make any impression at all are those of Al Galvez and Bofill (doing double-duty as an actor as well).  Bofill hams it up as the villain, but it works.  Galvez is great as the guy who thinks he can get away taking the easy route through life.

While the film goes on for far too long and does included a ridiculous twist that just comes off as arbitrary, each individual scene within this film is well paced.  That leads to a film that can stand above its numerous issues.  Hunted By Night is far from a great film, but its a decent and fun viewing.

7/10

Hunted by Night is available on DVD, VOD & Digital Download January 31.

84th Academy Award Nominations


Best Picture
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
"The Help"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"Moneyball"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"

Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"
Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"

Best Actor
Demián Bichir, "A Better Life"
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Gary Oldman, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"
Best ActressViola Davis, "The Help"
Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"

Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Max Von Sydow, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
Best Supporting ActressBérénice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
"The Descendants"
"Hugo"
"The Ides of March"
"Moneyball"
"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"
Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
"The Artist"
"Bridesmaids"
"Margin Call"
"Midnight in Paris"
"A Separation"
Best Art Direction
"The Artist"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"War Horse"
Best Cinematography"The Artist"
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"
Best Costume Design
"Anonymous"
"The Artist"
"Hugo"
"Jane Eyre"
"W.E."
Best Film Editing
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"

Best Makeup

"Albert Nobbs"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"
"The Iron Lady"
Best Music (Original Score)
"The Adventures of Tintin"
"The Artist"
"Hugo"
"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"
"War Horse"
Best Music (Original Song)
"Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets"
"Real in Rio" from "Rio"
Best Sound Editing
"Drive"
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"War Horse"
Best Sound Mixing
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"War Horse"
Best Visual Effects
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Real Steel"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Best Foreign Language Film"Bullhead" - Belgium
"Monsieur Lazhar" - Canada
"A Separation" - Iran
"Footnote" - Israel
"In Darkness" - Poland
Best Animated Feature Film
"A Cat in Paris"
"Chico and Rita"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Puss in Boots"
"Rango"
Best Documentary Feature
"Hell and Back Again"
"If a Tree Falls: The Story of the Earth Liberation Front"
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory"
"Pina"
"Undefeated"
Best Documentary (Short Subject)
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement"
"God is the Bigger Elvis"
"Incident in New Baghdad"
"Saving Face"
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom"

Best Short Film (Animated)
"Dimanche/Sunday"
"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore"
"La Luna"
"A Morning Stroll"
"Wild Life"
Best Short Film (Live Action)
"Pentecost"
"Raju"
"The Shore"
"Time Freak"
"Tuba Atlantic"
Well at least the Academy got The Tree of Life part right.  What a weird set of Best Picture nominees though.  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close?  War Horse back from the dead.  9 nominees in total.  At least it made for an interesting announcement.  Hugo led the field with 11 nominations while The Artist had 10.  The Help turned out not to be as big of a hit with the Academy as people thought it would be.  Only a Best Picture nom and 3 acting noms for it.  There were a bunch of acting snubs including Shailene Woodley, Albert Brooks, Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton.  And Gary Oldman is finally an Academy Award nominee.
As for predicting, I went 6/9 with Best Picture and 4/5 in all the other Big 8 categories. I went 46/75 in the technical categories for a total of 80/119 (67.2%)

List of Demands: 84th Academy Award Nominations


Usually the night before the Oscars and Emmys, I list 3 things I hope come to fruition the following day.  I tried to do the same for this year's Oscar nominations, but all the things I wanted came back to the same film.  There was only 1 film I gave a 10/10 to this year.  That film was The Tree of Life.  The film has done poorly with the Guilds and didn't dominate the Critics' Awards like some predicted it would.

Nevertheless, I hope the film can get more than a lone technical nomination.  The film is one of the most beautiful to ever be put on screen, and yet it is only a guarantee for a Cinematography nomination.  It would be great if it could pull off nominations for Costume Design and Visual Effects too.

I hope the film can get at least one acting nomination.  This film contains Brad Pitt at the top of his game.  Yet all of the Oscar buzz surrounds his lesser (but still good) performance in Moneyball.  To say that performance in The Tree of Life is a lesser one than the one his Moneyball co-star Jonah Hill gave is preposterous.  Jessica Chastain also gave one of the best performances of the year in this film.  While her performance in The Help is  (in my opinion) better than her performance in this film, it would no doubt be easier for her to win the Oscar if nominated for The Tree of Life.

I hope Terrence Malick, who showed directorial vision far greater than any other director this year, can get a Best Director nomination for this film.  In many ways, The Tree of Life is the antithesis to 2001: A Space Odyssey.  It's a film that is deserving of being mentioned in the same discussion as that masterpiece.  Kubrick was able to get a Best Director nomination for that film and so too should Malick.

Finally, I hope the film can get a nomination in the big one, Best Picture.  2001: A Space Odyssey was ultimately unable to get a Best Picture nomination.  That is now seen as one of the gravest sins the Academy has ever committed.  It would be unwise for the Academy to make the same sin twice.  So a good day for The Tree of Life tomorrow would, in my opinion, right many of Oscar's past wrongs.

Final 84th Academy Award Predictions


Best Picture
-The Artist
-The Descendants
-The Help
-Hugo
-Midnight in Paris
-Moneyball

Best Director
-Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
-Michel Hazanvicius, The Artist
-Alexander Payne, The Descendants
-Martin Scorsese, Hugo
-Tate Taylor, The Help

Best Lead Actor
-George Clooney, The Descendants
-Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
-Jean Dujardin, The Artist
-Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
-Brad Pitt, Moneyball



Best Lead Actress
-Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
-Viola Davis, The Help
-Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
-Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
-Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Supporting Actor
-Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
-Albert Brooks, Drive
-Jonah Hill, Moneyball
-Nick Nolte, Warrior
-Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Supporting Actress
-Berenice Bejo, The Artist
-Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
-Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
-Octavia Spencer, The Help
-Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Adapted Screenplay
-The Descendants
-The Help
-Hugo
-Moneyball
-Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Original Screenplay
-The Artist
-Bridesmaids
-Midnight in Paris
-A Separation
-Young Adult

Best Animated Feature Film
-The Adventures of Tintin
-Arrugas
-Arthur Christmas
-Kung Fu Panda 2
-Rango

Best Documentary Feature
-Buck
-Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
-Pina
-Project Nim
-Undefeated


Best Foreign Language Film
-A Separation
-Footnote
-In Darkness
-Pina
-Superclasico

Best Animated Short Film
-The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
-I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat
-La Luna
-Luminaris
-A Morning Stroll

Best Documentary Short
-The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
-In Tahrir Square: 18 Days of Egypt's Unfinished Revolution
-Incident in New Baghdad
-Pipe Dreams
-The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Best Live-Action Short Film
-Je Pourrais Etre Votre Grand-Mere
-Sailcloth
-The Shore
-Time Freak
-Tuba Atlantic

Best Art Direction
-The Artist
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
-Hugo
-Jane Eyre
-Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Best Cinematography
-The Artist
-The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
-Hugo
-The Tree of Life
-War Horse

Best Costume Design
-The Artist
-The Help
-Hugo
-Jane Eyre
-W.E.

Best Film Editing
-The Artist
-The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
-Hugo
-Moneyball
-War Horse

Best Makeup
-Anonymous
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
-The Iron Lady

Best Original Score
-The Artist
-Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
-The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
-Hugo
-War Horse

Best Original Song
-Albert Nobbs
-Gnomeo & Juliet
-The Help
-The Muppets
-The Muppets

Best Sound Editing
-The Adventures of Tintin
-Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol
-Super 8
-Transformers: Dark of the Moon
-War Horse

Best Sound Mixing
-The Artist
-The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
-Hugo
-Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
-Super 8

Best Visual Effects
-Captain America: The First Avenger
-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
-Hugo
-Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
-Rise of the Planet of the Apes


The buzz recently seems to suggest the final set of Best Picture nominees will be closer to 5 than 10. I am going with 6, but I don't see Moneyball as being that far above Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.  I just can't fathom that we will end up with 5 nominees.  I am very interested to see where the last spot in the director field and the last two spots in the lead actor field go because they are completely up in the air.  The only big surprise I am predicting in the major fields is that Jessica Chastain is snubbed.  It's just a hunch I have that I hope turns out to be false.  As for nomination leader tallies I've got The Artist with 11 and Hugo with 10.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Review


Subtlety and espionage are two things you would think would not work together in a film.  We are so used to experiencing explosions, double-crossings and sex in any spy film we see.  In comes Let the Right One In director Tomas Alfredson to prove that subtlety can be used to tell an engaging spy tale.  Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is by no means perfect, but it is very effective at what it sets out to do.

The film, unlike most espionage thrillers, does not open with a bang but slowly builds up to the first explosive moment.  These first few scenes set the pace for the rest of the film.  It's a slow building and very anti-mainstream film.  There are no characters spewing out everything that is happening with the plot.  There are no characters that ooze sex appeal or heroism that can be found in your typical blockbuster.  The main character is an old man (the consistently noteworthy Gary Oldman), who has a very laid back personality.  In fact almost all of the characters are made to look as unglamorous as possible.

While this style will indeed bore most, those that invest in the film will be rewarded heavily.  The film itself is so detailed that it is at times like we have traveled back to the Cold War era and are viewing a real life incident.  Also adding to the realism is that you never see a character giving out exposition to explain what is going on.  Instead visuals are used to tell plot points (such as when a set of chess pieces show you the the agents suspected of being the Soviet mole at the center of the crisis).  Even character development is done through visuals.  One of the most striking scenes in the film involves a bee in a car with a few of the characters.  The way each character handles the bee is much more effective in developing the characters than any dialogue would have done.

Tomas Alfredson and company also add to the effectiveness of this film by giving it an original visual style.  Most of the film shows spies involved in day-to-day life.  It is a very shocking revelation to an audience that is used to the flashy lifestyle of a James Bond or Jason Bourne, but it rings much truer than the lives of those characters.  However, when the film wants to be flashy, it can more than pull it off.  The film carries many striking and haunting images including a dead woman holding a crying baby and the death of one character near the end of the film.

While the cast for the most part acts as a set of puppets to Alfredson, there are some standouts.  Gary Oldman pulls off another masterful visual transformation as he looks so old and fatigued.  His mannerisms display this too.  The performance is very subtle but is just as effective as any of his previous performances in his acclaimed career.  Tom Hardy is the best of the supporting cast as his major sequence is aces and he serves as a great narrator.

The only way in which this film doesn't completely exceed is that it is oddly edited at times.  Some long shots are followed by quick cuts that leads too some confusing moments.  The film also goes on for a bit too long and borders on becoming convoluted at times.  However, this is seemingly the type of film that you can gain a lot from a second viewing.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is an interesting and well executed take on the espionage genre.

8.5/10

War Horse Review


Steven Spielberg has for the majority of his career depended on sentimental storytelling and for the most part that has worked in spades.  Spielberg is a true master of this type of cinema as he makes you care for the characters while mixing it in with dazzling visuals.  Spielberg's latest film, War Horse, is not like that.  War Horse actually feels like it is directed by a Spielberg-ripoff.

War Horse follows the relationship between a boy (a terribly miscast Jeremy Irvine) and his horse, Joey as it is tested by the first World War.

Unfortunately, throughout the over two hour runtime the Steven Spielberg we love rarely shows up.  There are moments when we get to see the talent that this master director has, such as in a magnificently staged battle sequence (when are Spielberg battle sequences not?), but those are few and far between.  For the most part, War Horse is filled with scenes that setup a relationship you never believe in and other scenes that try to make you feel for the characters.  All of these scenes are lazily executed with the exception of vignette early in the film centered on a Major and Captain in the British cavalry.  Even that scene only succeeds because of the actors who carry it (breakthrough actors Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch).  To sum this up, it seems that Spielberg didn't even try for this film and it features a lousy script from Richard Curtis and Lee Hall.  It seems as if these two didn't even try to hide the fact that the script is based on a children's book despite the film being intended for adults.

The one nice touch that Spielberg brings to the film is the "old school" filmmaking style he uses.  The film is very reminiscent of John Ford and David Lean films, but most of the hard work to achieve this effect was on the shoulders of the crafts people.  Janusz Kaminski's cinematography goes a little overboard at times (especially during the final scene of the film), but his portrayal of war is striking.  John Williams gives a very John Williams-esque score but the central piece from it is quite memorable.  The other visual components of the film are perfectly suited to the era and the sound of the film is stunning.  One of the main reasons Spielberg's war films are so memorable is the chaos that the sound brings to the film.  War Horse is a perfect example of that.

The large cast is a mixed bag.  The main vignette involving a boy (Jeremy Irvine) and his parents (Emily Watson and Peter Mullan) is the least interesting of the bunch.  Most of that is due to the acting. Mullan plays a good drunk but nothing else.  Watson is completely wasted and Jeremy Irvine doesn't look like a boy and can't carry the film.  The following vignette starring Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch is by far the best.  It's pretty average besides one striking image at its conclusion, but the actors are phenomenal.  There is a reason why these two Brits are having breakout years, and it is on full display here as Hiddleston and Cumberbatch mesmerize the audience with little screentime.  Niels Aretsrup stars in the next vignette and he does a good job with his character until he is character assassinated in the final act and the other vignette stars the Germans where no actor makes any impression.

It's quite disappointing to see Spielberg failed to give us a memorable film with two chances in the past month.  War Horse just seems like a top notch director taking it easy on the job.

5/10

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