The Road to the Oscars 12/13

The road to the Oscars is finally being paved. During the week, nominations for major precursors such as the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards were officially announced. Now that we've seen how the major races are shaping up, let's take a look at the snubs and surprises for both of these small stepping stones on the path to the Academy Awards..

One major difference between the Golden Globes (see a full list of nominees HERE) and the Oscars is their split between dramas and comedy/musicals, giving a wider base for potential nominees. As expected, big-time players like 12 Years a Slave, Gravity and American Hustle found their way into the Best Picture categories. One a more surprising note, the Best Picture - Drama race was rounded out by Oscar-longshots Philomena and Rush. Although I wasn't overly impressed with Philomena when I had a chance to screen it at the Philadelphia Film Festival in October, I was ecstatic to see Ron Howard's Formula 1 racing film receive some recognition. It's held onto the top spot of my personal list of the year's best films for a few months now, and hopefully this type of inclusion can sway the voting body for the Academy Awards into not forgetting about this impressive Fall release. And as far as the Best Picture race is concerned, it's beginning to look like a difficult road ahead for omitted hopefuls such as Saving Mr. Banks, Blue Jasmine, August: Osage County and Dallas Buyers Club.

In the acting races, the Golden Globes handed out nominations to an expected crop of lead actors, while the Best Actress categories have all but confirmed that Brie Larson (Short Term 12) has no shot at being recognized for her fine work in one of the year's most overlooked dramas. With supporting roles, it was an utter shock to see the world's most powerful woman, Oprah Winfrey, snubbed for what very well could be an Oscar winning performance in Lee Daniels' The Butler (even if I disagree with all the acclaim she's been given). Other Golden Globe snubs in the supporting races include Tom Hanks (Saving Mr. Banks) and Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street).

Finally, diving into the Best Director competition, the Globes surprisingly chose Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips) over legendary filmmakers Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street) and the Coen brothers (Inside Llewyn Davis). In fact, with 4 nominations of its own, Captain Phillips has becomes a huge wild card on the journey to the Academy awards.

On a more meaningful note, the Screen Actors Guild Awards (full list of nominees HERE) certainly has a larger impression on the Oscars' selections in all of the acting categories. This year the SAG showed a shocking amount of love and appreciation for Lee Daniels' The Butler, handing out nominations to leading man Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey and a highly coveted Best Ensemble. Recognition such as this truly boosts the film's Oscar prospects.

There were a handful of other snubs and surprises with this year's SAG Nominations, mainly the overlooking of Robert Redford's remarkable one-man-show in the survival tale All Is Lost and a posthumous recognition for the late James Gandolfini's solid turn in Enough Said. These major precursors have also strengthened the hopes for fringe players in the Supporting Actor race such as Daniel Bruhl (Rush) and Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), while Jonah Hill keeps falling quickly out of contention.


*** Remember to stay tuned over the next 3 months as I'll continue to dissect all of the major races on the road to March 2nd's Academy Awards.

Saving Mr. Banks

Film: Saving Mr. Banks

Starring: Emma Thompson (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2), Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips) and Colin Farrell (Seven Psychopaths)

Director: John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side)

U.S. Release: December 20th, 2013 (Rated PG-13)

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 126 minutes


The Academy Awards is certainly vain. The voting body is continually enamored with movies about the history of cinema. Needless to say, Disney's latest biographical feature, Saving Mr. Banks, which couples the legendary talents of Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks in the story of Walt Disney's exhausting efforts to acquire the rights to Mary Poppins, flaunts it's Oscar-baity agenda with dignified pride. My guess, the Academy will once again swoon over director John Lee Hancock's historical account.

When Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) made a promise to his daughters in the 1940s that he would bring their favorite literary character to the big screen, no one could have imagined the struggles he'd endure along the way. After two decades of begging author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) for the rights to her famed character, Mary Poppins, Walt brings the financially strapped author to Los Angeles. While there, he must discover the secrets behind the Banks' family and their whimsical nanny in order to entrust Mrs. Travers that her beloved character is in good hands.

John Lee Hancock has suddenly become the poster boy for sentimental biographical films. In 2009 he guided Sandra Bullock to a Best Actress statue alongside a Best Picture Nomination for his real-life adaptation of the Michael Oher story with The Blind Side. His knack for tugging at the audience's heartstrings returns once again in his latest endeavor, Saving Mr. Banks. Yet, Hancock's lucid game-plan isn't the glue that holds this film together, rather it's the Oscar-caliber performances from Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks that make it stick. With these two lifelong masters of their trade, we've been spoiled rotten, expecting nothing but greatness every time they appear on the screen. Luckily for Hancock, his duo delivers at the highest level imaginable, Hanks with his cheery friendliness and Thompson as an argumentative curmudgeon, which clearly elevates Saving Mr. Banks slightly beyond the realm of mediocrity.

Although the film is an indisputable success that will ultimately find itself in the awards season mix, Saving Mr. Banks is flooded with faults. I'll preface by saying that the feature contains a story that isn't overly elaborate, and nor does it need to be. However, along with director John Lee Hancock, writers Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith unfortunately milk everything they can out of this straightforward tale and transform the film into a ballooned 126-minute affair. Saving Mr. Banks meshes together two non-concurrent stories. One pertaining to the childhood of Emma Thompson's character, and the other paralleling those experiences with her "present-day" struggle of relinquishing the rights to Mary Poppins. The portion of the movie that examines P.L. Travers' youth becomes over-extended and nothing more than a weight on the film. Its purpose is understood, but its execution is lackluster. The "present-day" moments throughout Saving Mr. Banks are what the audience will love and remember. Unfortunately, these highlights are broken up in excess by a middling other half of the feature.

There exists a wondrous aura surrounding John Lee Hancock's Saving Mr. Banks. It's comedic elements are a bright complementing aspect to its dramatic nature. However, an abundance of sentiment and a slight mishandling of the story deter from the movie's otherwise glowing attributes. But thankfully, Thompson and Hanks dazzle just enough to keep that spark alive.


Stars: 2 and a half stars out of 4

Grade: B-

DVD Outlook: December 2013

While November brought very little in the form of worthwhile newly released DVDs, it's a typical expectation as the calm before the Christmas storm. However, as it stands now, December isn't shaping up to be a particularly great month of releases itself. While I was less than impressed with big-named titles like Prisoners (12/17), Elysium (12/17), and the critically-loved indies Drinking Buddies (12/3) and Ain't Them Bodies Saints (12/17), all of these films will be reaching the shelves just in time for the holiday season. But outside of those offerings, here are my DVD selections for the month of December.

Shameless: The Complete Third Season - The Best Show Currently on Television

Last month I had no other choice but to praise the completion of my favorite television drama of all-time, Breaking Bad. Now this month, due to a week offering by the DVD-release gods, I'm sticking with what works and recommending my new favorite show on TV, Showtime's Shameless. This holiday season is as good a time as any to start from the beginning and catch up on an extremely underrated series. Admittedly, the first season is a little strange and peculiar, but stay strong, because season two and three offer some of the best laughs and drama you'll see anywhere on television. The Gallagher family is both lovable and despicable all at the same time. There's no shortage of fantastic character development and you'll be hooked, guaranteed! (December 17th)




Despicable Me 2 - Not Rated - (No review available)

I'm going out on a limb here and giving a blind recommendation for Despicable Me 2. If you're sitting around this Christmas and looking for the type of movie the entire family can enjoy, why not take a chance with Despicable Me 2? It's first installment offered plenty of laugh-out-loud hilarity, and I've heard that the sequel keeps up with a healthy dose of comedy itself. (December 10th)




Don Jon - 2 stars out of 4 - (Read my full review here)

Although I ultimately gave it a completely mediocre review, a lackluster crop to choose from is forcing me to throw Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Don Jon into the ring. He delivers the triple threat as the writer, director and star of his own passion project about a porn-addict who's been discovered by his new girlfriend (Scarlett Johansson). Despite being a heart-warming tale of self discovery and maturation, Don Jon suffers from a cyclic (albeit intended) approach that repeats itself over and over again, to the point of ad nauseam. I was extremely conflicted on this indie, which was fresh out of the Sundance Film Festival, and saw it twice before I could make a final decision. Perhaps you'll find a little more enjoyment in Don Jon than I did. (December 31st)


Honorable Mention: Despite missing out on all of them myself, action fans may want to take a chance on any of The Wolverine (12/3), Fast & Furious 6 (12/10), The Lone Ranger (12/17) or Kick-Ass 2 (12/17). As a huge horror buff I plan to catch the sequel Insidious: Chapter 2 (12/24), even though I was underwhelmed with the ending of the original. And finally, one of the most raved about foreign films of the year is The Hunt (12/10), I hear it's a must see. Until next month, have a wonderful holiday season!

Out of the Furnace

Film: Out of the Furnace

Starring: Christian Bale (The Fighter), Casey Affleck (Ain't Them Bodies Saints) and Woody Harrelson (Seven Psychopaths)

Director: Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart)

U.S. Release: December 6th, 2013 (Rated R)

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 106 minutes


For a large portion of 2013, Scott Cooper's Out of the Furnace was one of the year's most anticipated releases. It's taken 4 years for Cooper to return from his successful writing/directing debut, Crazy Heart, one that earned Jeff Bridges an Academy Award for Best Actor. This time around he brings an army of reinforcements with an all-star cast of past Oscar Winners and Nominees including Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, Woody Harrelson, Forest Whitaker, Sam Shepard and Willem Dafoe. And although early reviews have been extremely mixed with many critics openly speaking out against Cooper's sophomore effort, I'm here to stand up and say that Out of the Furnace is by no means a bad movie. However, it fails to mask many of its sub-par elements.

Christian Bale stars as Russell Baze, a blue collar mill worker who's struggling to make ends meet in the economically depressed steel town of Braddock, PA. His brother Rodney (Affleck) is a troubled soldier who bears the psychological scars from multiple tours in Iraq. But as Rodney refuses to give in to the steel-worker lifestyle, he finds himself caught up in a dangerous underworld of organized bare-knuckle fighting run by a ruthless criminal named Harlan DeGroat (Harrelson). When Rodney leaves one day and never returns, Russell must desperately take matters into his own hands and confront the ring-leader, DeGroat.

The backbone of Scott Cooper's Out of the Furnace is the director's remarkable capacity to develop strong central characters. It was evident in his first film, where Jeff Bridges stole the show. But here, Cooper has more pieces to work with and, for the most part, he does an excellent job of giving each character a purpose and a voice throughout the movie. Another productive aspect is the manner in which the feature begins. Out of the Furnace is an unmistakably dark and saddening film, a tone that Cooper embraces from the opening scene and never looks back. And as the feature progresses, its story is both captivating and deep, impressively developing in a rather unforeseeable fashion that helps hook the audience. With Bale, Affleck and Harrelson all in premier form, Out of the Furnace is a supremely acted and gripping tale of despair.

Despite an alluring appeal, Cooper's second effort is tainted by many shortcomings. The Baze brothers are both wonderfully developed characters that resonate with the audience, it's Cooper's specialty. Yet, the writer/director leaves plenty to be desired with Willem Dafoe's massively unfulfilled sleazy character, John Petty. Furthermore, the feature is haunted by second rate dialogue, unnecessary inclusions (i.e. Rodney's letter to his brother) and unrealistic sequences that become impossible to overlook (what a convenient butt-dial). Moreover, the scene where Russell searches out DeGroat by organizing a drug deal is so off the mark, it's unforgivable. Clearly, Out of the Furnace is bogged down by blatant errors. However, its intriguing subject matter and strong performances are enough to sustain the film.

While many hoped that Cooper's follow-up to Crazy Heart would shape the awards season outlook, the truth is it won't. In fact, Out of the Furnace will ultimately stand as nothing more than an entertaining film with a fair share of miscues. There are elements to enjoy and reasons to watch, but keep your expectations in check.


Stars: 2 and a half stars out of 4.

Grade: B-

Her (NEW) and The Monuments Men (NEW) Trailers

Spike Jonze delivers a late-year release with some major Oscar potential this year. Her stars Joaquin Phoenix as a lonely writer who develops a puzzling relationship with his newly purchased operating system. It sounds bizarre, but Spike Jonze has a unique way of molding the strangest of concepts into groundbreaking and eye-opening ideas. Her will receive a limited release at the year's end and opens up in wide release this January. Check out its latest trailer below.





Although George Clooney's seemingly fun-filled historical feature, The Monuments Men, had to bail out of the Oscar race due to post-production issues, it plans to begin the 2014 cinematic year in grand fashion. The film boasts a cast of Clooney himself, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin and others as a unique unit of over-aged soldiers with special skills in the arts who are sent into Nazi Germany during World War II to retrieve stolen work. Here's the newest look at The Monuments Men.

Industry News - 12/03/13

Hollywood has been buzzing lately with tons of huge stories sweeping across the country, but none is bigger than the tragic news of Paul Walker's unexpected passing. The 40 year-old actor lost his life on Saturday in a fiery car wreck. Walker was most famous for his role in the money-making blockbuster franchise The Fast and the Furious, but I'll always remember Walker for his superb performances in films like Running Scared and Flags of Our Fathers. It's a true shame for Hollywood to lose an always smiling face.

December is notoriously loaded with many of the finest films throughout any given calendar year, and this month appears no different. With Martin Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street and David O. Russell's American Hustle having finally screened for New York and Los Angeles critics, early word is they're both primed for some serious Oscar runs. In fact, American Hustle has already been named the New York Film Critics Circle 2013 Best Picture winner. David O. Russell's latest feature also nabbed wins for Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Lawrence). For a full list of winners, click here (courtesy of Indiewire.com).

In other awards season news, the Gotham Awards (full list of winners here - courtesy of EW.com) announced their yearly selections and, in another surprising stunner, the big prize went to Joel & Ethan Coen's Inside Llewyn Davis. Many had predicted an Oscar-slugfest between Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity and Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave, yet both have failed to secure a major win in the early going. It's always important to remember that these early precursors have a very small (if any) impact on the final Oscar decisions.

Speaking of awards season, director J.C. Chandor may be well on his way to anchoring a Best Actor winner in Robert Redford for the duo's survival tale, All Is Lost. The up-and-comer has officially signed on to pen (and possibly direct) a Vince Lombardi biopic that's reportedly in the works. But Chandor is no stranger to writing, as he was nominated for his 2011 Margin Call screenplay. More can be found on the Lombardi announcement here (courtesy of Variety.com).

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Film: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Starring: Ben Stiller (The Watch) and Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids)

Director: Ben Stiller (Tropic Thunder)

U.S. Release: December 25th, 2013 (Rated PG)

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 114 minutes


It's easy to label Ben Stiller as a typecast actor who's perfect in any awkward and nerdy shy-guy role. But truth be told, that's simply a cop out. Stiller has played a major part in the writing, directing and acting prevalent in well-regarded films such as Reality Bites, Zoolander and Tropic Thunder. And when The Secret Life of Walter Mitty finally reaches theatres this Christmas Day, we'll get to add his finest work to the top of that last.

Walter Mitty (Stiller) is a boring and unsociable day-dreamer who constantly uses his imagination to escape reality. Throughout all of these fantasies, Walter partakes in unfathomable acts of heroism in order to win the affection of his co-worker Cheryl (Kristen Wiig). But when reality sets in at the office and he can't find the vital print of Life magazine's final cover, Walter must live his ultimate fantasy in order recover the image and impress the woman he desires.

 

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is one of those movies that you can't help but enjoy. With reserved expectations, Ben Stiller's latest project is a surprisingly strong effort. The film blends together beautiful cinematography with a well-acted and meaningful story. Stiller deserves all the credit as both the leading actor and the visionary director behind this whimsical adventure. He creates an affable character that commands the audience's adoration. Walter becomes someone worth rooting for, and that makes all the difference in the success of the feature. As a result, his journey ends up more marvelous and salient than you ever dreamed possible.

Despite its greatest of intentions, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is occasionally off-the-mark. Stiller's hard-headed desire to create such a perfect and delightful little story leads to a weak conclusion, one that panders to the unnecessary fairy-tale ending that feels oddly misplaced. Walter's expedition and transformation are purposeful enough, the rest is just fluff and overkill. Give me a pair of scissors and five minutes in the editing room, and I'd take about 10 minutes or so right off the end. However, Stiller has the final say and he misses badly by tying a pretty bow on everything.

Although it has its flaws, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is completely entertaining and definitely worth a watch. The imagery is phenomenal and the soundtrack is definitely on point. You'll be swept away by its characters and there are plenty of elements to enjoy with Ben Stiller's most recent addition.


Stars: 3 stars out of 4

Grade: B