2012 Movie Outlook

Now that we've begun to embrace a new calendar year, it's imperative that we take a look at the films we expect to dazzle us over the next 12 months. Obviously, no movie has more anticipation than Christopher Nolan's conclusion to the Dark Knight trilogy. The Dark Knight Rises features the villains Bane (played by Tom Hardy) and Cat Woman (played by Anne Hathaway). The trailer has moviegoers all over the world asking, "Is it July yet". Nolan's work is far from the only sequel or remake we can expect in 2012. Other notable franchises with new editions are The Bourne Legacy which swaps out Matt Damon for Jeremy Renner (August release), Peter Jackson's The Hobbit (December), and Total Recall (Fall 2012) starring Colin Farrell in the remake.

2012 looks like it's shaping up to be a very star-studded cinematic year. There will be plenty of big releases making a splash, perhaps none bigger than Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. The film stars, for argument's sake, the greatest actor on the planet, Daniel Day-Lewis. Slated for a December release, the images that have surfaced of DDL as our nation's 16th president look absolutely unbelievable. Other notable titles to be on the lookout for include:

The Wettest County - A Western starring up and comer Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Guy Pearce, and Gary Oldman (April).

The Hunger Games - Based on the Best Selling novel by Suzanne Collins, the film stars Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson (March).

Gangster Squad - Zombieland Director Ruben Fleischer tackles this 1940's era mob movie starring Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, and Josh Brolin. Mix in a little Emma Stone and you've got pure magic (October).

Only God Forgives - After the success of 2011's Drive, director Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling match wits again in this Bangkok set story (release unknown).

Similar to the past few years, December 2012 looks to be a busy month for Oscar contenders once again. The end of the world is going to have to wait, because Christmas plans to welcome some major hits to the big screen. Some notable December releases other than Spielberg's Lincoln include Django Unchained and The Great Gatsby. Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, and just about every other big name actor you could ever imagine. Needless to say, expectations are enormously high for Tarantino's latest work. Leonardo DiCaprio couldn't have planned his awards season any better as he also stars in Baz Lurhmann's take on The Great Gatsby. Also on board for the Oscar hopeful are Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, and Tobey Maguire.

2012 should be a fantastic year for Hollywood (cross your fingers), but I barely scratched the surface of all its anticipated releases. Feel free to click either link below (courtesy of Cinemablend.com and Indiewire.com) for over 100 movies that should hit theatres in the upcoming year.

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/2012-Movie-Preview-All-Upcoming-Films-We-re-Most-Excited-28620.html

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-50-most-anticipated-films-of-2012

What movies are you eager to see? Don't hesitate to spark the discussion in the comments section.

Mission Impossible 4 - Ghost Protocol - Official Trailer

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Film: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Starring: Tom Cruise (Valkyrie), Jeremy Renner (The Town), and Simon Pegg (Paul)

Director: Brad Bird (Ratatouille)

U.S. Release: December 21st, 2011 (Rated PG-13)

Genre: Action

Runtime: 133 minutes

Tom Cruise is one of my favorite actors of all time. He peaked during my adolescence in the 90's and I've been hooked ever since. Therefore, it kills me to say that Cruise's career has been on a steady decline since the turn of the millennium. It was 2010 when Cruise finally hit rock bottom with the Action-Romance picture Knight and Day, where the one time Academy Award Nominee teamed up with Cameron Diaz (enough said). But as a fan of the third Mission: Impossible installment, I became eager for the newest addition after its overwhelming reception by critics. I thought maybe this could be the film that finally catapults Cruise's career back to the forefront of Hollywood. Since I couldn't wait any longer, I headed to a local theatre and buckled up for the ride.

Misson: Impossible - Ghost Protocol begins in Budapest, where the IMF has a team in place to break Ethan Hunt (played by Cruise) out of a foreign prison. Once Hunt is back in IMF hands they present him with a new objective. Ethan Hunt's mission, if he chooses to accept it, is to break into a heavily guarded Russian building and retrieve vital information needed to stop Kurt Hendricks from launching Russia's nuclear weapons. When the mission is botched and the IMF is framed by Hendricks, the United States detaches itself and places the program under ghost protocol. No longer having government approval, Hunt and his team of agents decide to take matters into their own hands in order to stop Hendricks from causing a nuclear holocaust.

With a strong premise and enough action to satisfy any junkie, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol serves its purpose as a thrilling film. However, the movie's uncharacteristic director, Brad Bird, manages to offer very little more than an action packed experience. Bird, who is best known for directing family films like Ratatouille and The Incredibles, proves he can deliver on thrills and nothing more. MI: 4 attempts to bob and weave through the obvious but the twists and turns never feel genuine. The Swiss cheese plot is easy to follow, but flawed beyond repair. Also, there's no shortage of cliches and abysmal dialogue, thus, illustrating that Bird and company are slightly out of their element.

Despite MI: 4's lack of originality and cohesive cleverness, the film does manage to offer a new sense of style. With the welcome addition of Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner (whose character feels way too forced into the script), the movie has an authentic comedic undertone. The film's subtle humor helps sidestep the audience around its blatant problems. Pegg and Renner are solid newcomers to the franchise and will hopefully stick around for an almost assured 5th installment. Furthermore, Cruise is serviceable in his leading role but nothing above and beyond the call of duty. On the contrary, Paula Patton is obviously the weakest link of the group and borderline intolerable as the female member of the team. Patton was excellent in her role in the Oscar nominated film Precious, however, she takes a step backwards with her performance here. But minus Patton, who they could do without, the acting in MI: 4 was adequate enough to carry the film along unscathed.

With this 4th edition of the franchise, there are an abundant amount of pros and cons alike. MI:4 lands face first in the realm of mediocrity. There's plenty of solid action in the film, but beyond that the script and dialogue are very flat. I disagree with most critics who have openly endorsed this latest addition, and recommend taking a pass or at least waiting until DVD for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.

Stars: 2 stars out of 4

Grade: C+

Online Film Critics Honor The Tree of Life

There's no doubt about it, Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life is a polarizing film. Some skeptics will argue that the movie is a jumbled collection of images and sound that become impossible to piece together to make a coherent story. On the other hand, the Online Film Critics Society will claim that Malick's The Tree of Life, the film group's selection for Best Picture, is a wonderful approach to film making that does exactly what any good piece of art should, it makes you think and feel for yourself.

The Tree of Life has been holding strong over this marathon stretch to the Academy Awards. Malick's work has received 6 precursor Best Picture wins, the total is second only to The Artist (9 victories). The Online Film Critics Society also awarded Malick himself in their Best Director category. That bring Malick's precursor total to 5 Best Director wins, this places him tied with Martin Scorsese (Hugo) and behind only Drive's Nicolas Winding Refn (6 victories) and The Artist's Michael Hazanavicius (7 victories). For a complete list of Online Film Critics Society winners as well as the recently announced Detroit Critics Awards, click the links below (courtesy of Peter Knegt at Indiewire.com):

http://www.indiewire.com/article/the-tree-of-life-leads-online-film-critics-society-award-nominations

http://www.indiewire.com/article/take-shelter-leads-detroit-film-critics-noms

The Music Industry is Taking Over Hollywood

Elton John headlines a trio of three monumental musicians who may have their lives turned into a film. John has officially spoken out and confirmed that there is a project in the works, but what actor might play the legendary piano-vocalist? John has openly endorsed Justin Timberlake to play him in the upcoming film. Quite a shocking resemblance ... I think? For more info on the Elton John film click below (courtesy of Matthew Taylor at Guardian.co.uk):

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/jan/02/elton-john-confirms-film-project

Also being discussed are films about music legends Miles Davis and Frank Sinatra. Don Cheadle headlines the team trying to put together the film based on the life of Davis. Cheadle plans to direct and star as the Jazz great and hopes to craft the biopic into a gangster movie. For more news concerning Cheadle's project which is in the works, click below (courtesy of David Wharton at Cinemablend.com):

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Don-Cheadle-Says-His-Miles-Davis-Biopic-Gangster-Pic-28596.html

Thanks to the success of 2011's critically acclaimed film Hugo, director Martin Scorsese has fallen in love with 3D. The historic director has some intention of filming his next project Silence (which is set to star Daniel Day Lewis) and a future project based on the life of Frank Sinatra both in 3D. Although the Sinatra film is in the earliest of stages, rumors are beginning to swirl that Scorsese may team up with Leonardo DiCaprio once again ... shocking. For more information concerning Scorsese's upcoming projects, click below (courtesy of Kevin Jagernauth at Indiewire.com):

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/martin-scorsese-says-hes-considering-making-silence-frank-sinatra-biopic-in-3d

Most Underrated Performances of 2011

With every second-hand tick, 2011 is becoming more and more of an afterthought. I, on the other hand, love to dwell in the past and decided to create another list concerning the previous cinematic year. January has always been known for its Oscar talk. As everyone eagerly awaits for the Academy to announce their nominations, plenty of names get thrown around the ring. I've compiled my list of the 10 best performances of 2011 that won't be mentioned at the 84th annual Academy Awards on February 26th. Here are my most underrated performances of 2011:

#10: Rhys Ifans - Anonymous

Ifans was surprisingly convincing as the Duke of Oxford in Roland Emmerich's period piece, Anonymous. In an interesting tale that refutes Shakespeare as the actual author of our world's greatest plays, Ifans delivers a stellar lead performance and allows the audience to consider such a crazed notion.

#9: Brit Marling - Another Earth

Director Mike Cahill's crafty sci-fi drama Another Earth succeeds because of its leading actress Brit Marling. The newcomer gives a heartfelt performance as a young woman searching for forgiveness from the husband/father of a wife and child she tragically killed. Marling has already begun landing some new roles and I'd be prepared to start seeing much more of her.

#8: Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Hesher

Gordon-Levitt will undoubtedly be most remembered for his work in my favorite film of 2011, 50/50. However, JGL's title character in Hesher proves to be most memorable. As a menacing homeless pyromaniac, Gordon-Levitt unexpectedly captured our hearts with his twisted metaphors and over the top analogies.

#7: John C. Reilly - Cedar Rapids

No matter how you felt about the film Cedar Rapids or Ed Helms' lead character, it's impossible to refute the brilliant comedic performance by supporting actor John C. Reilly. If you've watched the movie a couple dozen times like I have, then you'll pick up on EVERY incredible one-liner he delivers. The "Deansy" is one of 2011's funniest characters, hands down.

#6: Paul Giamatti - Win Win

Thomas McCarthy's Win Win premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to outstanding reviews. Despite all of its critical acclaim, the movie has become somewhat forgotten in the Oscar discussion. At the center of Win Win is Paul Giamatti's character Mike Flaherty. And although Giamatti seems to attempt similar roles on a regular basis, the gifted actor manages to reinvent the comedy-drama genre every time he tackles it.

#5: Seth Rogen - 50/50

Many fans of the indie hit 50/50 will rave about the work of its leading star Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I thought JGL was great in the film as well, however, I most appreciated the phenomenal work of his supporting star Seth Rogen. Rogen, who actually lived through his own character's perspective in real life, delivered an onslaught of laugh out loud scenes and single handedly balanced out the movie. The actor's exceptional performance kept 50/50 from being a sappy overdone drama that we've seen time and time again, and propelled the film to stardom.

#4: Ezra Miller - We Need to Talk About Kevin

Lynne Ramsay's We Need to Talk About Kevin landed in the number three spot on my top ten films of 2011 for a reason. In large part, that reason was its leading actress Tilda Swinton. On the other hand, Ezra Miller's bone shattering role of the cold blooded killer Kevin resonates almost equally. Although his amount of screen time is somewhat limited, Miller commands your full attention with every second he gets. He's a multi-talented young actor with a brilliant future ahead.

#3: J.K. Simmons - The Music Never Stopped

For anyone who has seen HBO's Oz or Jason Reitman's Juno, you know how excellent J.K. Simmons is. In the sentimental independent film The Music Never Stopped, Simmons is finally given the leading role he deserves. He makes the most of the opportunity and gives a defining performance as Henry Sawyer, a father desperate to reconnect with his memory impaired son. If you haven't seen this movie, I recommend checking it out ASAP.

#2: Patton Oswalt - Young Adult

Patton Oswalt may have the best opportunity of anyone on this list to receive a nomination from the Academy, but I wouldn't expect one. Most people will commend Young Adult's leading star Charlize Theron for her commendable role, which it is. However, Patton Oswalt steals the film and has his "Oscar" scene to latch on to. Oswalt's unforgettable as a handicapped drinking buddy to the one time prom queen, Mavis Gary, who's back in town to home-wreck her high school sweetheart.

#1: Dominic Cooper - The Devil's Double

The diverse actor Dominic Cooper is finally making a name for himself, and it's about time. Cooper is nothing short of magnificent in his dual role for the action packed film The Devil's Double. Cooper plays both Uday Hussein (the son of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein) and Iraqi civilian Latif Yahia. One day Latif is taken from his home by his country's army and receives an ultimatum (or not) from the saddistic son of Dictator Saddam Hussein. Latif can either be killed (along with his entire family) or accept a lifestyle as the "double" of Uday. Thanks to the superb performances given by Cooper, this intense action-thriller is one of 2011's must see movies.

Are there any underrated performances that I missed? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

A Happy New Year & an Oscar's Watch

Move over 2011, and welcome to the main stage 2012. Hopefully everyone had a joyous and safe New Year's celebration. Once the calendar turns from December to January, I always get antsy for some awards season discussion. There's no better source of awards season coverage than two of my all time favorite websites. First, for a complete list of all precursor awards nominations and winners, visit the link below (courtesy of Peter Knegt at Indiewire.com):

http://www.indiewire.com/article/a-complete-guide-to-2011-12-awards-season

Peter and everyone else at Indiewire do a spectacular job of updating the race to the Academy Awards. Start getting into the discussion by checking out their website. Finally, my second major reference for anything and everything Oscars comes courtesy of Clayton Davis and his team of writers at Awardscircuit.com. Clayton offers his well regarded opinion on all of the major races. To visit their website, click the link below:

http://www.awardscircuit.com/

Once again, I want to wish a Happy New Year to everyone! Also, feel free to post a comment and spark some discussion on what films, directors, actors, and actresses you think are deserving of Oscar consideration.