“Captain Phillips”

Khat Ban is a herb that has been part of Somalian tradition for hundreds of years. It is a chewed upon Amphetmaine-like substance that causes excitement and euphoria. In Peter Greengrass' riveting "Captain Phillips", the pirates that are about to take over Richard Phillips' ship chew on Khat Ban to overcome the nerves and fears that come with taking on such a mission. The brilliance of Greengrass' film is how we get to know these pirates not as villains but as impoverished third world human beings with not much to lose. We've all heard about Somali pirate takeovers at sea in the news but the topic has never really been given a Hollywood treatment until now. Which makes the film even more interesting. Greengrass touches upon many themes, including the negative effects of globalization and the isolation of such impoverished third world nations. Somali actor Bakhad Abdi is exceptional as Muse, one of four pirates trying to overtake an American cargo ship 145 miles off the Somali coast.

Abdi's scenes with a brilliantly effective Tom Hanks as the Captain are what makes "Captain Phillips" indisputably great. Greengrass smartly decides to cast non-professional actors for the Somali roles, the risk pays off brilliantly. Abdi, looking jaunt and intense, matches Hanks scene for scene. He is exceptional and Oscar-worthy in a role that demands a lot of intense, real emotions. Muse nicknames Hanks "Irish" and calls him that many times throughout the film, their bond is a complicated one. Both men understand each other: Phillips knows Muse is doing what he has to do to survive and Muse knows that the Captain wants his men on-board unharmed and will do whatever it takes to achieve that. These two men share more in common than one might think and both are relying on the American government to get them out of this situation.

We all know how it ends, that's besides the point. What "Captain Phillips" ends up being about is the bond between these two men. They both come from significantly different cultural backgrounds yet they fully understand each other, they know why they are both there. While the other pirates, played by Barkhad Addirahman, Faysal Ahme and Mahat M. Ali, couldn't care less about Phillips, Muse does. Abdi is phenomenal and performs the rare -maybe never before achieved- feat of giving the best performance in a Tom Hanks movie. He and his pirate co-horts chew on Khat Ban religiously throughout the ordeal, trying to manage the situation by getting a simple high. They however find out it'll take much more than just herb to get through their botched hostage-taking attempt. The 135 minute "Captain Phillips" might sometimes feel by-the-books but whenever Abdi and Hanks are onscreen your eyes can't look away. They bring "Captain Phillips" up a notch and make it Greengrass best film since 2006's "United 93". 

Deniro still got it

Contrary to what we might think, Robert Deniro still has great performances left in him. If you want further proof of this statement watch him in "Silver Linings Playbook". The movie might not have met the expectations we had going for it after its Audience Award at TIFF but there are good things to be said about the film's performances. We all know about Jeniffer Lawrence's great performance but the one that really got to me was Deniro as Pat Solitano Sr. - an Eagles/football obsessed father that has never been diagnosed for what clearly is a major case of OCD. Pat Sr. is a man that has issues yet you root for him and Deniro is nothing but brilliant in the role. THIS is the Deniro we knew, an actor that can give out a million emotions with just one simple gesture of the face. It's the kind of playful, artistic performance that the actor was known to give in almost every movie he made in the 80's. Of course we can't forget all the terrible bombs he's given us the past 15 years, movies I'd rather not mention at this very moment, but Deniro still has the fire in him to make us feel alive at the movies again. This "Silver Linings Playbook" performance is of course not the at the level of intensity that he had in films such as Raging Bull, Taxi Driver or The Godfather but instead resembles more the dark playfulness that he showed in The King Of Comedy, Brazil, Wag The Dog and -even- Analyze This. If you want a darker, more intense Deniro you might be pleased to know that he confirmed last week a new collaboration with Martin Scorsese in a gangster film based on the book I Hear You Paint Houses. Al Pacino and Joe Pesci will co-star with him, now that's the stuff that dreams are made of. For the time being we have him doing his best work in years with "Silver Linings Playbook", a film that might just get him his 7th Oscar Nomination.

"Marley" gets the legend right

Bob Marley's life is very well known inside and out but Oscar winning Documentary filmmaker Kevin Macdonald's "Marley" thinks otherwise and has enough surprises in it filled with haunting revelations to make it a real stunner.  It helps that Macdonald uses breathtaking concert footage, archival treasures and interviews with almost everyone that has had an impact or was a friend to the legend. As far as Marley documentaries go, this is as full fledged a portrait of the man as we are likely to see in our lifetime.

"Marley" is a one beautifully crafted piece of work that can be enjoyed by fans and non-fans alike.
From his upbringing with a single mother in Kingston Jamaica to the identity of his dad, Norval Marley, a white marine that was very much absent in the singer's life. Some of the most fascinating parts of the doc have to do with Marley's dedication to his Rastafarian religion. "White people have Jesus, we have Rhasta Fari" he says in an interview. This belief entitles the Rastafarian to smoke a ridiculous amount of weed each day. Rastas such as Marley used it to get closer to their inner spiritual self and believe in the wisdom that came with smoking it.

The stories found in Macdonald's doc are highly fascinating. How Marley founded reggae through a single, unintentional chord. His roller coaster journey from Jamaica to America in search of a larger fan base. How he begged to revive Jamaica's government torn gang war, bringing a country together through his music and one landmark concert that resulted in two sworn enemies shaking hands on stage in front of of hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans. His fight with cancer and how he continued performing on stage despite his fluctuating health. However, most memorable is Rita Marley, his first and last love, with whom he had 3 children and how she stuck with him until the end despite his well known infidelity. The film states that Marley had 8 more children with several different mistresses, a total of 11 children that all agreed for this film to be made. Yet, despite all these facts, Rita Marley's memories of her partner are surprisingly beautifully remembered with compassion and -yes- a sense of true love.

The doc has a riches of archival footage including some magnificent concert footage of Marley and The Wailers performing in various different cities. We all know how it ends but Macdonald has ambition to burn, his documentary runs for a long 144 minutes yet the running time feels needed for it would  have probably been impossible to truly depict a life this grandiose and impressive in a shorter amount of time. Macdonald, a Scottish born filmmaker, who's been mixing it up lately with feature films ("The Last King Of Scotland", "State Of Play") and documentaries ("One Day In September", "Touching The Void") has already won one Oscar, he is almost -at least- guaranteed a nomination for Best Documentary with this one and judging by the contenders, his biggest comptetion will be well received films such as "The Central Park Five" and "The Queen Of Versailles".

Oscar Watch; Richard Gere

Richard Gere, with his slick silver hair and squinty blue eyes, just turned 63 this past August. A stinging reminder that not only does time go by in the blink of an eye but also that this underrated American actor has never won an Oscar, let alone gotten nominated for one. Yes, that’s right. No nomination for his killer good role as lawyer Billy Flynn in “Chicago”, nada for his portrayal of Zack Mayo in “An Officer And A Gentleman”, the cheated-on husband in “Unfaithful”, Julian Kaye in “American Gigolo” or even as Clifford Irving in the underseen 2007 picture “The Hoax”. That might just change this year as Gere gives the performance of his career in Andrew Jarecki’s “Arbitrage”. In fact, Gere is so good as nasty hedge fund magnate Robert Miller that you still root for him to get out of his situation in one piece. Given that Miller is cheating on his wife with a french mistress, scamming his clients of millions of dollars and using his friend Jimmy as bait for the police, we shouldn’t be feeling that way about this corporate son of a gun.

Gere is magnetic, bringing ever ounce of nuance to his role and delivering a performance that’s nothing short of revelatory. No wonder critics have been screaming Oscar since “Arbitrage” got released way back in August. Does Gere have a chance at winning Best Actor? Of course not, especially with Daniel Day Lewis, Joaquin Pheonix and Denzel Washington vying for the top prize but Gere deserves to at least get nominated. In fact, a nomination would be more than welcome by many cinephiles, especially those that know just how good Gere can be when given the right script. “Arbitrage” is that script.

Written by Nicholas Jarecki, director Andrew’s half brother, “Arbitrage” is loaded with enough juicy scenes for Gere to show off his acting chops. That’s a good thing. Gere is going to need those scenes to carry him into awards season if there is any chance at even getting a nomination. Playing a money making scumbag that you really feel for isn’t the easiest thing to pull off in this day and age but Gere does it effortlessely, using his charismatic presence and brooding good looks to fully flesh out his character. Critics have been pretty unanimous in saying it’s one of his best performances, now it’s time for the academy to follow suit and honor this great actor.

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2012/10/28/the-contenders-richard-gere-in-arbitrage/

Desplat and Original Score

Four time Oscar nominee and French film composer Alexandre Desplat isn't one to take it easy and have some rest. Some of his more masterful compositions reside in films such as The Tree Of Life, The Fantastic Mr Fox and The Queen. In 2012, Desplat is on a roll, composing for close to seven feature films (same number of scores he composed in 2011). Contenders such as Argo, Moonrise Kingdom, Rise Of The Guardians, Rust & Bone and Zero Dark Thirty will be stamped by Desplat's incredibly nuanced and visionary musical head.

What would Mr.Desplat be doing if he hadn't made it big in Hollywood you ask? "I'd look at the blue sky, eat cheese, tomatoes and figs, and at the end of the day, walk down for a swim in the sea. And then, I'd sleep," the composer was quoted as saying to the Wall Street Journal. Not far off to the sombre, sometimes melancholic mood Desplat creates with his compositions. Although as we speak his schedule will be much lighter in 2013 as he is due to compose only one film so far (Zulu).

It is then no surprise, given the amount of work and the reputation he has established over the course of just a decade, that Desplat is now a prime Oscar Contender in the Original Score category this year. In fact, the man can make Oscar History by getting nominated 3 times in the same category. An unprecedented feat that has the capable chance of happening if all the cards get played right.

His score to Ben Affleck's Argo brings you back to a time and place when the middle east was just starting to self destruct, his precariously whimsical notes in Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom got critics and audiences all giddy with a tremendous high this summer and his upcoming score for Kathryn Bigelow's much anticipated Zero Dark Thirty promises to be just as good as the latter films if not better. Bigelow's highly anticpated film on the hunt for Osama Bin Laden is her followup to her Hurt Locker triumph in 2009.

The category will be loaded with contenders this year. With the already mentioned Desplat films vying for the big prize, Danny Elfman scored three films this year (Silver Linings Playbook, Frankenweenie, Hitchcock), John Williams -an Oscar favorite- is an almost certain nominee for Lincoln and Mychal Danna's exhilirating score for Life Of Pi looks like a top 3 contender. Be warned, the best score of the year doesn't always get nominated. Trent Reznor's incendiary work in last year's "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" did not get nominated. It was the best and most profusely thrilling score of the year yet got snubbed for lighter fare.

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2012/10/23/alexandre-desplats-prolific-year/#comments

"Die Hard" and its Yipee-Ki-Yay legacy

Continuing on with my weekly column, we arrive at 1988. The nominees for best picture were "RAIN MAN", "The Accidental Tourist", "Dangerous Liaisons", "Mississippi Burning" and "Working Girl" – 5 excellent, well deserved choices. I’d –however- substitute “Working Girl” and “Dangerous Liaisons” for darker, more memorable fare such as Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation Of Christ”, Pedro Almodovar’s tasty “Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown”, Charles Chrichton’s “A Fish Called Wanda”, Robert Zemeckis’ groundbreaking “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” or even Penny Marshall’s “Big”, featuring Tom Hanks at his playful, irresistible best.

However, and this might be a bit of a controversial pick, my top choice would be John McTiernan’s Die Hard. Just like last week’s 1987 pick –“The Princess Bride”- McTiernan’s movie already had one bad thing going for it; Its genre. The action genre isn’t exactly something the academy has warmed up to in the past. One can think of such non-nominated classics such as “The Terminator”, “The Killer”, “The Matrix”, “Speed”, “The Bourne Identity”, “Aliens”, “the Dark Knight”, “Enter The Dragon”, “Face-Off” and “Kill Bill”. All of these have aged wonderfully well and were more than deserving of a shot at best picture. The only exceptions that actually did get nominated are “The Fugitive” and Ang Lee’s artful take on the action picture “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”.

McTiernan’s “Die Hard” isn’t high art but it got the job done in high octane fashion and set the standard for what an action film should be like in the 21st century. It spawned numerous rip-offs in the 90’s and still does today, none of which have attained the excitement of McTiernan’s original. It is in fact not overblown to say that “Die Hard” is the perfect modern action movie, a film with well sketched characters and a script that just doesn’t let up. It might not make you think much but it does make you feel as excited and pumped up as any movie can. Bruce Willis’ John McClane is the film’s heroic action figure, yet at the same time Willis doesn’t play the role too seriously as if winking at his audience by saying “hey, this is just a movie”. It’s a snarky, perfect performance that eventually sent Willis into superstardom mode and spawned a slew of sequels afterwards.

Willis’ McClane is the average man caught in a non-average situation. We tend to recognize ourselves in his character; whatever he does we understand why he does it. He gets shot, he bleeds. He panics, he cries. He’s not a perfect man, he’s flawed and we look up to his flaws as being part our own. This sort of identity to the main hero is what lacks in many of today’s action movies (“The Expendables” anybody?) where we can’t identify with anyone, the heroes are cardboard and the viewer is isolated and ultimately disappointed by the experience.

For an action movie to be great its hero has got to be likeable and humane -Willis does that job very well here- but a great action movie has got to also have a great villain and Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber is just that. Gruber is not a one dimensional terrorist; he is a manipulating, well versed and educated man that knows exactly what he wants to do. Gruber is methodical and is patient with his intentions. His charm and intelligence make him seem like someone who wouldn’t cause harm but he can. He is in fact very scary because he is very real. Rickman, with his well trimmed goatee, gives us a grueling, intense portrayal of evil.

The film is a great example of what happens when all the pieces of a film fall together in the right place. There are no flaws, no plot holes and no letdowns. Its 131 epic minutes are not wasted and don’t let up right up until its very last shot. In short, “Die Hard” puts you on the highest of highs and McTiernan reaches a peak he has since never attained again. His film redefines the “action movie” and the “action star”, presenting a new language to the genre and re-inventing the game with an incredible balance of character development and action. Of course Oscar didn’t come knocking, why would it anyways? Action movies are not the Academy’s thing and for good reason. They are –most of the time- loud, abrasive, dumbed down and ultimately artless films (‘The Expendables” anybody?) but sometimes a movie like “Die Hard” goes beyond genre and achieves something special through sheer perfection of the craft. Yipee-ki-yay indeed.

NOT Best Picture nominee 1987 "The Princess Bride"

1987 wasn’t a great year for movies, what with these 5 nominees in the running for Best Picture – THE LAST EMPEROR", "Broadcast News", "Fatal Attraction", "Hope and Glory", "Moonstruck". Not a bad bunch of films but none of which really stood the test of time, although I would still call Broadcast News a minor classic and far and away the best picture out of the bunch. However what the Academy failed to do then, and are still guilty of doing now, was not nominate a fantasy movie that ultimately became a classic (“Edward Scissorhands”? “The Holy Grail”? “King Kong”? “Pan’s Labyrinth”?) Rob Reiner’s The Princess Bride starts off what will be a weekly column for me as I will go through a film a week from 1987-2011 that never got nominated for Best Picture but should have had a shot at the big prize. There are plenty of contenders for every year and I encourage you to give your own choice in the comments section below.

One can understand why Rob Reiner’s The Princess Bride was such an enigma when it first came out in the fall of 1987. Here was a film that was supposed to be primarily aimed at a younger audience but ended up pleasing all ages with its deadpan, Monty Python-esque humor and a bold, satirical narrative that never took itself too seriously. That is not to say that we don’t fully invest ourselves in its fairy-tale like storytelling and genuinely good natured morals. In fact one is touched by the love story deftly told by a grandfather to his ill grandson about a beautiful princess called buttercup who gets kidnapped and needs to be rescued by her brave, young fiancée Prince Humperdinck.

What works in Reiner’s tale is that every character is a delight to watch, there isn’t a dull one in the bunch. From Wallace Shawn’s Vizzini –“Inconceivable !”- to Andre The Giant’s gentle Fezzik all the way to Billy Crystal’s hilarious cameo as Miracle Max, an old, Jewish wizard that disapproves of his wife (played by Carol Kane) and refuses to help Humperdinck in his voyage to save Buttercup. But most of all, the true heart of the story is Mandy Patinkin’s Inigo Montoya a heroic swordsman with a secret –"Hello My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."It’s an undeniably powerful line that brings real, humane feeling to Reiner’s screenplay and, with the depth Reiner brings to Montoya’s story, packs a wallop on the viewer’s emotions.

It’s not easy making a children’s tale these days and allowing adults to be as enchanted by it as the kids. Pixar has made it a habit year by year with its original tales and it is no surprise that their latest, “Brave”, had shades of Reiner’s film in some of its colorful, imaginative frames ditto “Shrek’s” fairy tale, satirical edge and –of course- the “Pirates Of The Caribbean” movies which didn’t have half the imagination of Reiner’s classic yet made 10 times the money by rehashing some of its ideas. “The Princess Bride” ran on an overdone, age old concept but brought freshness to its edges. It is a cliché to say that a movie, from start to finish, was a magical, transcendent experience but that is truly what this movie is. The laughs come with a sting and the world that we enter is so rich and mesmerizing that it is hard to have explanation of its surreal, dreamy impact.  The fact that this wasn’t nominated for Best Picture only makes it a better movie, it was a mistake not giving it its due in 1987 but it has stood the test of time and beyond. Inconceivable !

Oscar Watch 2012

Matthew Mcconaughey has never been nominated for an Oscar. It might be because not many people take the 42 year old actor so seriously, what with all the shirtless paparazzi shots taken of him over the years and the flamboyant partying he is so well know of doing. Well guess what? In Steven Sodebergh’s Magic Mike Mcconaughey is –yes- shirtless and does in fact still have that party animal instinct in him yet he resonates deeply in the viewer’s mind as Dallas, the owner of a male strip club that dreams of one day hitting it big with his business. It’s an incomparable, scene stealing performance that shows us the great depth the actor can have if given the right role. Dallas is a man that knows how to make money and understands the business he is in. It is also not a coincidence that Dallas is the first person we see in the movie’s opening scene – a memorable one that sets the pace for what is to come and has Mcconaughey teasing us with a finger waggingly hilarious intro. In fact, the movie – a slight cautionary fable at best- suffers when Mcconaughey is not on screen, which is a testament to the actor’s appeal throughout the movie. Ask anyone who has seen Magic Mike, they would most likely put Mcconaughey on top of their Best Supporting Actor shortlist. He’s that good.

Tough subject matters finally inhabit the Summer Movie season

If the last planet of the apes has showed us anything, its that apes are super smart and you don't fuck with them. OK, that's not the best way to start this review but I found James Marsh's Project Nim an entertaining and rather sad documentary. The titular subject is a primate that was part of an experiment in the 70s done by scientific hippies setting him up from birth with a family and watching his every move, trying to find a correlation between his and human behaviour. Did it work? the report was inconclusive but what we see is some amazing footage of the primate taking part in conversations through sign language with the scientists and showing real feeling and humanistic behaviour in the process. BUT did he really mean his sign communication? or was it just a way for NIM to repeat gestures and signs that he's learned by hard through humans. It's an interesting question that doesn't fully get answered but Marsh -a talented filmmaker- gets us involved through recreated scenes, found footage and interviews on the people that NIM touched along the way. It's an experience like no other that makes you think about our relations with primates but also our connections and similarities to animals themselves. It's a cry for help and -despite minor missteps- Marsh does the subject proud.

Based on Kathryn Stockett's best selling novel about black maids in a bigot-riddled Mississippi of the 1940's, The Help is a botched job of an adaptation, a mess that never fully comes together even though the pieces are there. Those pieces have to do with the great cast starring with the maids themselves -indelibly played by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer - and the white housewives - a never better Bryce Dallas Howard as the racist, a radiantly comic Jessica Chastain as the one with a heart of gold and Emma Stone as Skeeter, a wide eyed young author with good intentions. It's a film that had potential, a story told from the black housemaid's point of view, but darkness never lingers, there's too much sunlight and not enough hard truths. What this adaptation needed was a bit more black coffee and a little less cream .. and a competent director to give us better filled frames and a real sense of auteur-ship. The scenes are brightly lit for such a heavy subject matter. Director Tate Taylor was handpicked by the author to helm the film, problem is this was her first movie and the job is not competently done. It's a TV movie with a solid subject matter but without the necessary execution to complete it. High expectations towards the film's release will please the book's female fans but won't win awards or won't leave a lasting mark.

The Ten Best Picture Nominees criticized, summoned, dissected and rated

The Social Network (PG-13)

A kind of critics darling for the new decade, David Fincher's film has the best script of the ten nominees. A critical depiction of our generation and the lack of communication that has happened in the process. A story about friendship, betrayal and connection. Was it the best picture of the year? I wouldn't say that but it sure is one hell of a triumph for all the artists that were on board this incredible picture. Jesse Eisenberg with his face that represents a whole generation and Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, the true hero of the story. Aaron Sorkin's script is layered, so much so that with every viewing you find a new sentence or a new word that you didn't notice the first time around and that brings even more resonance to the story's structure and plotting. A-

Inception (PG-13)

You can certainly find flaws in the script or in the film's action but there's no denying that Christopher Nolan's hire wire act of a movie had guts and a vision that lacked in all other Hollywood pictures. All the better for us since the film represents something we haven't really seen before. A film that certainly demands attention and multiple viewings to fully grasp its puzzling intricacies. In going deep into the realm of dreams, Nolan single handedly invented a world from scratch and a flawed hero -Leonardo Dicaprio's Cobb- that remained haunted by the death of his wife. It all came down to that last frame, the spinning of a totem and the never ending conversations that followed afterwards. What more can you ask for in a movie? A-

Black Swan (R)

My favourite of the ten nominees. Darren Aronofsky's ballet nightmare is an intense film that had a hypnotic intensity which truly took my breath away. As Nina, Nathalie Portman gives the performance of the year in a role that demanded heart and soul. Paving the way is Matthew Libatique's breathtaking cinematography, the best of the year & a script that honors everything from Cronenberg to the classic Red Shoes. What Black Swan did for cinema in 2010 is revitalize our perceptions of it and make us believe again in the power of movies. Following his masterful The Wrestler, Aronofsky's film is yet another study of an artist pushing his or herself to their limits and potential. The final shots of both films are raw, haunting and similarly planned. So much so that they can easily be seen as companion pieces to one another. This is art. A-

The Fighter (PG-13)

Here is a film that is more about family than boxing. I could have done without the last 15 minutes or so but the first 2/3 of the film are dynamite and essential viewing for any movie fan. David O' Russell's film might look to be about Mark Whalberg's Mickey Ward but I saw it differently. It is Christian Bale's movie. It is Melissa Leo's movie. It is Amy Adams' movie. They all steal the show and give us good reason as to why they got nominated in the acting categories and Whalberg was left in the dust. Bale's Dickie is a rundown junkie that still thinks about that famous night where he knocked out Sugar Ray Leonard. He is a man that has run out his luck by hanging out in crack houses and bringing down his brother with him. It is Bale's movie and I'll be darned if he doesn't come out of it with an Oscar tonight. B+

Winter's Bone (R)

This is such a small movie with such a microscopically small budget that it was already surprising to see it get nominated in this category. All the better for it. We need more movies like this one. Director Debra Granik creates an atmosphere that is grim and darkly lit in nature. Her film is one in which its heroine -indelibly played by Jennifer Lawrence- goes through the wooden passages of the Ozarks to find her junkie father. Surprising consequences happen and the girl is transported into an underground world that left me both shaken and disturbed. Winter's Bone is all about the small moments the heroine endures. The biblical boat trip that climaxes the film, her capture to the hands of corrupt bloodless people and even the smallest of moments, such as the gutting of a squirrel and the way she handles herself so proudly and so courageously in spite of things. Great movie. B+

The Kids Are All Right (R)

I had problems with Lisa Cholodenko's film. Mostly in the way it climaxes itself. But through and through this is a solid effort from her and has some of the most spectacular performances of 2010. As a married couple, Annette Benning and Julianne Moore are incredible and show us the creation of a couple that experience the ups and downs of a marriage. Mark Ruffalo as their kids' sperm donor gives the performance of his life. With charisma to spare, he has become one of the great character actors of the last 10 years and for good reason, his natural way of acting is both a permanent fixture of his style and a freshly credible counter to Holywood. But for me the highlight of the film is Julianne Moore, who's smart and sexy performance is right up there with her very best. B+

127 Hours (R)

Featuring one of the most memorable scenes of any movie from last year -the amputation of an arm and the freedom of a life- Danny Boyle's visionary true life tale brims with energy and the twitching speed of 10 red bulls. Sometimes he goes way overboard and infuses an overtly glamorized amount of style to his context but his movie is too damn good to be faulted for that. James Franco as Aaron Ralston is smashingly good, especially considering he's practically alone on screen for close to 90% of the time. It's a bold, daring performance that has garnered him a well deserved acting nomination and pushes what could have been a one trick film into a triumphant journey of hell and back. Don't listen to the naysayers, Don't look away in 127 Hours cause you might just miss the beginning of a new life B+

Toy Story 3 (G)

We have come to expect nothing but greatness from the wizards over at Pixar. What with the great streak they got going the last 10 years (Up, WALL-E, Ratatouille, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo) This threequel to a popular film series is no exception. With its brightly popped out colors and resonant theme of growing up Lee Unkrich's film is designed to thrill you and that it does. I was on the edge of my seat as I saw a shade of darkness I never thought I'd see in the series, especially when the time comes for the toys to escape and for the brimmed out furnaces of fire to stop them. If that doesn't convince you that this isn't ordinary kiddie fare, I don't know exactly what will. B+

True Grit (PG-13)

I was underwhelmed by the Coen Brothers' remake of the John Wayne film. Nothing much was happening throughout and there was a certain deja vu feeling that kept popping out of my head. Not to say the performances weren't great, they most certainly were. What was lacking was a sense of boldness that appeared in the brothers' previous efforts, especially their Jewish nightmare 2009's A Serious Man. This film certainly has its fans but one can't help but think it might have more to do with the artists involved than by the actual movie itself. A true disappointment from major artists. C+

The King's Speech (PG-13)

Here's the film people say will win. A movie packaged and designed for the Oscars. Which doesn't mean it's a good thing. Listen, I know there have been many who believe this was in fact the best film of the year but -as The Social Network-ing people would write- IMHO there is no vision to Tom Hooper's The King's Speech, especially when comparing it to the incredible worlds the Nolans, Finchers and Aronofskys created this past year. If it in fact wins the big prize it will be the worse Best Picture winner since Crash's surprising victory in 2006. A huge backlash happened that year that caused Academy voters to rethink their priorities and start voting more smartly and artistically. The Kings Speech's win would bring it all back to square one. C+

The Fighter

The Fighter (PG-13) ★★★

As I stroll around cinemas in the last weeks of 2010, I can't help but feel a sense of disappointment in what I'm seeing. Take for example David O' Russell's Mickey Ward/boxing biopic The Fighter , it has undeniably great performances from Christian Bale and Melissa Leo as mother and brother of boxing legend Ward -played straightforwardly by Mark Whalberg- their performances are the heart and soul of an, otherwise, conventional narrative. The Fighter is NOT groundbreaking to say the least, which is a real letdown considering Russell's previous, visionary films. There's the ups, the downs, the final bout and the mandatory love story with a rural girl (an amazing Amy Adams). It all amounts to a predictably enjoyable but nevertheless disappointing film from people we expected much more from. However, Bale's Dickie Ward is the real deal. Whatever you've heard about him is all true. He's practically guaranteed a nomination if not a win at the upcoming Academy Awards. Getting the twitches, speech and mannerisms of his character in a dead on fashion, he create a haunting portrait of a junkie brought down by his own demons. If you think you've seen the best from Bale, wait until you 've seen this.

I also enjoyed Melissa Leo's gritty performance as Mickey's mother Alice Ward, a woman that can be seen as a kind of villainous figure but one who actually has much more to her than meets the eye. Here's a woman that believes in family first before anything else, which comes back to haunt her when she keeps on turning a blind eye with Dickie's drug addiction and constant visits to a crack house in a shady part of town. Alice believes he's Dickie is the right guy to train Mickey. Forget about the final bout or the constant cliches that sometimes appear in The Fighter, at its center, the best of the film is focused on its two most self destructive characters, Alice and Dickie. They are both played by fearless actors that brings out an intensity that can sometimes be lacking or forgotten in Whalberg's portrayal.

It is no surprise that Leo and Bale both grew up and started off in the independent film circuit before making Hollywood films, they are artists through and through and will likely get rewarded for their artistry come Oscar time. Just know that it's not the boxing stuff that resonates here, it's the family stuff. Russell know that the ties that bind are much more forceful, stinging and important than a punch in the boxing dream. Even when the film seems to focus a big chunk of its time on Ward's training and pre-boxing preparation, it's the humanity that breaks through and makes this a worthy watch this Holiday season. This might not be as ambitious as Russell's other films but it's got the best acting he's ever had the chance to direct.