The Millenium Series: finale over...

I was recently fortunate enough to see the final installment of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series at the theatre and found that I was not disappointed. We pick up at the close of the last book with Lisbeth Salander waking up in a university hospital with injuries from her run in with Alexander Zalachenko in the last movie. She is battered and broken and will be going on trial for attempted murder but defiantly refuses to speak to her doctor or her lawyer at first even though they are working to help her. But in the way that Lisbeth does, our heroine manages to command the respect and loyalty of those around her.

Ultimately this amounts to a movie about Lisbeth's trial with a little intrigue and action thrown in but the part that makes it compelling is that all the things you've watched Lisbeth go through in the last two films come to a head. Without giving too much away we are finally able to see Lisbeth benefit from her take no prisoners attitude and come out on top to a certain extent which is incredibly satisfying.

However what the movie does well with respect to it's karmic attitude towards Lisbeth, also comes off in this instance as a little self serving and unlikely based on the context which has been set up in the rest of the series. That said I'm willing to forgive a little pandering to the audience if only because any other ending would have been insincere. What's more, the last scene manages to be surprising and honest enough that it also counteracts the awkwardness of some of the resolutions.

All in all the series is definitely worth watching and makes me want to have a look at the books. I'm hoping that a little of the pandering can be explained by the translation to a new medium but ultimately I don't really care. This series is the source of one of the most compelling (and well acted) heroines in recent memory and is entirely worth a viewing. While neither of the sequels can outstrip the original film, they are of a better quality than a good deal of the current offerings out there.

Keep Calm...read this one...

So I’ve just started reading a book called Queen and Country which, if I’m honest, I probably should have gotten to awhile ago but it’s no less relevant now than it was when it first came out ten years ago. Following the lives of three “minders” in the British Intelligence service, Queen and Country centres not so much on the characters involved but on their circumstances and the political motivations and concerns surrounding the job that they do. Sounds boring hmm? Actually, it manages to be quite compelling.

Let’s start by letting you know that the author Greg Rucka has won several Eisner awards (think Pulitzers but for comics) not only for this very book but for a fairly major Batman storyline and is the author of many popular turns in the main books for many mainstream comics characters. Add that to the fact that with Queen and Country he’s making his main characters non-Americans so that he can criticize American interests overseas without the book being decried as anti-American (they’re British, what else would they say?). At a time when it was incredibly unfashionable to speak out against the American political machine that was driving Bush to the top, Greg Rucka and his team were making their voices heard; to a select few, but just the same...

With a comfortable blend of humour and tension and steeped in verifiable world news and historical influences, the book keeping me guessing, and interested. The characters are engaging and one feels could almost be real as they traipse through the various life and death situations they’re faced with, all the while bitterly reminding themselves that they’re doing it, “for Queen and Country.”

The one drawback to reading something like this in a trade (i.e. the collection that you can walk into the bookstore and purchase) is that since there are several VERY different artists who worked on this book, the changes are quite jarring. While they do a good job of facilitating the change (i.e. they put a roster into the book whenever the artist changes to make it clear who’s who) I was insulted by the change in main character Tara Chace’s appearance from awkward, almost boyish Tin Tin styled heroine (see the image above) to busty comic vixen who’s co-workers are immediately trying to get into her pants (yes that's the same character on the right side of the adjacent frame). Artist Leandro Fernández goes too far in my estimation when he sends Tara into the office in a blazer that’s cut down to her navel and no bra, nor undershirt to speak of. It’s one thing to draw her as a busty comics character, I’ve been reading comics long enough to know that’s a given but the juxtaposition between the two styles is jarring.

All that said, the series is certainly worth checking out and definitely is a well plotted, well thought out piece of story, with compelling characters and interesting viewpoints on the world. Ten years removed it’s an arresting view of the world as it was through the eyes of a few on the fringes. But then I suppose, that’s what being a comic reader’s all about, yes?

Michael Cera vs. My expectations

Point Cera, with an assist from Edgar Wright.

As you will know if you've been reading for awhile, I've been looking forward to this movie for quite some time. However, I'm not the biggest fan of Michael Cera (this is more out of apathy than dislike). So I was reasonably concerned that I would not enjoy the film, even though I have enjoyed all of Edgar Wright's films thus far. What I didn't allow for was that I wasn't familiar with the source material. And if the film is any indication, I need to get familiar with the source material.

Based on the graphic novel from Toronto born artist/writer Bryan Lee O'Malley, Scott Pilgrim vs. The world follows a twenty something bassist whose band, the sex bab-ombs is struggling to make a name for themselves in the wake of Scott's heartache. With the story centered around Scott's love life, it runs the risk of getting too cutesy but O'Malley's humor deftly deflects any discomfort one might be feeling from the schmaltz. The humor does rely heavily on some basic old school gamer knowledge but manages a certain inclusivity by not being heavy handed about it. In addition to which, the meta humour that is peppered throughout is truly one of the film's strongest points and allows for even the regular moviegoer to enjoy.

Fun and quickly paced, Scott Pilgrim vs. The world is just good natured fun. And it doesn't hurt that it's set in Toronto.

Enjoy!

In honour of a good friend's wedding...

...today's list will be my top wedding movies.

Enjoy!

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mS4VPs5OCI)

This is much more traditional than this list was supposed to be but I can't help getting a kick out of the comedy in this film. Light-hearted and enjoyable, this movie is a great curl up and enjoy type that doesn't require much thought.

Rachel Getting Married (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tIvMUy8UDs)

On the flip side, this film gets to the nitty gritty of what being family really means. With a younger sister and maid of honour (Anne Hathaway) who's recently been released from rehab and a whole host of new potential family members in tow, this film leaves you feeling like you've actually been to a wedding...drama and all.

Father of the Bride (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKSmMr0uOHk)

In true Steve Allen fashion this film stumbles through to the bitter end but ultimately shows its heart. God I miss the eighties.

The Wedding Singer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf3cy-eMfkQ)

And from the actual eighties to the fake eighties, this is by far (in my eyes at least) Sandler's best film as he plays frustrated but genuinely kind-hearted Wedding singer Robbie, who's heart has been stolen by an always adorable Drew Barrymore. With the 80's kitsch and the appearance of a Delorian midway through, this film will have even the toughest critic chuckling along.

Four Weddings and a Funeral (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb7bu_n1erY)

No list would be complete without the film that made Hugh Grant famous. Four weddings and a funeral brings you back to the way that romantic comedies used to feel. That is, developed beyond: "Guy + Girl = sex and cooing from the audience".

Monsoon Wedding (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjQjw-UyAX0)

Mira Nair's Golden Lion winning film is set in the four days that precede the arranged marriage of a middle class Indian family's only daughter. This is a film that I've always wanted to sit down and watch as I've heard nothing but good things about it so I figure, why not check it out?

Can you think of any great wedding movies?

TIFF is coming...are you prepared?

Today I came home from a weekend away to find my TIFF ticket package guide waiting in the mailbox for me to peruse and choose. But here's the rub: I went online to find out what was playing and take a look at the reviews so that I can figure out which package will work for me and lo and behold the response was this:



Not Cool. You expect me to pay a whole bunch of money for tickets I'm not even sure I'm going to use? I get that it's a prestige thing and everything but frankly I'm not interested in the showboating...I'm there for the films.

Shame TIFF. Shame!

The Girl Who Played With Fire...

Was fortunate to be one of the early birds who got a chance to attend a free screening of The Girl Who Played With Fire downtown yesterday and was very pleased with the result. Compelling as ever, Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist are back in the second installment of this Swedish trilogy based on the thrilling novels of the same name.

Almost intentionally in opposition to the way that the last film was quiet and thoughtful, taking its time to unravel the mystery at the perfect pace, this film is loud and action packed with much stalking about of characters who in the last film, spent most of their time doing desk work. It is a necessity of these types of trilogies to "up the ante" as it were and certainly this film does in an interesting and, if not unique, certainly compelling way. And while I wasn't as engrossed in the film as with the first (sorry Matt), I certainly remained entertained and interested throughout.

Noomi Rapace's Lisbeth Salander continues to fascinate and excite me and certainly although I do find that Larsson's main characters all have interesting layers, I do believe that Lisbeth is his crowning achievement and the reason that the books have sold so universally well. What's more, while he is continually making a point of the violence that is directed towards women in modern Swedish society and the perspective on women in general, Larsson insists on trolling out a slew of strong and capable female characters. Michael Bloomkvist himself becomes involved with several and certainly seems (as the trilogy's resident hero) to gravitate towards and thus validate the strength of these female role models.

All in all the film was enjoyable and (for those who saw the first film) certainly not as upsetting. Though there are graphic depictions the action is much more james bond than snuff film this time around. Rest assured, you will not be disappointed by this offering and if you haven't yet seen the first movie...please....just do it.

Oh and check out the New York Times review: http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/movies/09girl.html

Time for some new Kicks...

Was listening to a podcast on my way out this evening and heard about this film and it got my interest up so when I got home I looked up the trailer. Shot by the cinematographer that went on to be nominated for an Oscar for his work on A Single Man (Eduard Grau), the film appeared at the 64th Edinburgh film festival and seems quite interesting. It follows the lives of two football fangirls who get involved with an up and coming footballer named Lee.

Check out the trailer below, I think this one's worth watching:

I'm prejudiced against voice over...

...especially when it's mine. This has been my day, though a little more solitary and with somewhat less half-naked Jack Black. Just thought I would share my frustration.

Enjoy,

Siobhan

This made me laugh...

...it's funny, though I'm not sure it would work as a full length film it made for a cute trailer. Take a gander at everyone's favourite: the original Karate Kid.

This Swedish thriller left me stunned...

This film is an incredible example of why remakes of amazing foreign properties should not be allowed. This film is paced beautifully, developed expertly and comes to a head in a satisfying and thought provoking way.

This film made me happy I hadn't read the book yet.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a Swedish thriller/mystery based on the best-selling novels by the late Steig Larsson (author and journalist much like his protagonist). The story picks up as Michael Bloomkvist, celebrated journalist, is convicted for defaming the character of a wealthy businessman about whom he wrote a tell-all exposé and takes place over the 6 months prior to his serving his jail sentence. Bloomkvist is approached by another wealthy tycoon whose favourite niece disappeared nearly 40 years prior and who is desperate to find out what happened. He is charged with uncovering the secret of her disappearance and the identity of her killer and, having nothing else to lose and no paying gig to speak of he accepts the assignment.

Though all of this is incredibly compelling and serves as the main storyline, keeping the momentum going it is the subplot and introduction of the titular character Lisbeth Salander which keeps the audience pinned to their seats. To give anything away about Lisbeth would be to take away from the impact of her story so I will simply say that actress Noomi Rapace's performance will be etched in my brain for quite some time.

You owe it to yourself to see the original before Hollywood makes a travesty of this incredible film (they're in talks with the production company for a remake). Do you remember My Sassy Girl (with Elisha Cuthbert and Jesse Bradford)? Brothers (you may remember this offering featuring Nathalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey MacGuire)?

There's a reason the remakes weren't huge hits...respect the original. And while you're at it check out these two films as well. They may not have done well as remakes but there's a reason they were purchased...




(click the arrows on the right to open fullscreen)

Harry Brown, needs a vacation...

I truly adore Michael Caine. I think his acting, even in those few movies that he's done which weren't worthy of him, has been truly superb. In Harry Brown, we have undoubtedly found another movie which simply wasn't worth his acting talents. Caine, the film's suposed protagonist, is a pensionner who's wife has passed away and who live alone on the estates (low rent housing in London's south end). All Harry wants is to play chess with his only surviving mate, Len. But when Len is pushed too far by he hooligans living in their housing complex and gets himself killed it looks like Harry (a veteran marine involved in the conflict in Northern Ireland) has to go back to work.

Although there wasn't anything in the film which pushed so far it seemed unreal the overall feeling of the film-- for me--amounted to a badly executed cross between Gran Torino and Payback with none of the charm of either. Although Caine's returned marine is perfectly balanced, making mistakes from lack of practice and not being able to chase down young drug addicts, his coldness during the whole procedure makes it difficult not to sympathize with the victims. In addition where Clint Eastwood's character in Gran Torino grew through the film (realizing the error of his racist ways and defending a family from gangsters), Caine's Harry Brown devolved into a sometimes likeable killing machine reminiscent of homeicidal psychopaths. All this would be fine if, like Gibson's Payback protagonist, while clearly psychotic there were moments of lightness or comedy.

All in all I think the film was a little heavy on the violence and not heavy enough on the justice. If you want to see Michael Caine prove that pensionners can fight back the by all means, see the film, but be warned: you may come out of it with a tinge of pride for the unsung hooligans defending their homes from vigilantes and self-righteous policemen.

BABIES!!

Isn't that what you think every time you see the trailer for the new documentary film? Babies follows the youngest of four families through their first year until they start to walk. A great premise that was not at all executed well.

The four families that were chosen came from different countries and situations (one assumes in an attempt to show that we are all the same). Unfortunately I didn't get that at all and what's more, I found myself getting annoyed with the parents from San Fransisco and their insistence on speaking a language I could understand. Not a good sign. The film has consciously chosen not to interview the parents in order to focus our attention on their protagonists (the titular babies) and as a marketing strategy it works beautifully. Change a little text and your film can be shown Inc any country in the world. As a storytelling technique it comes off a little lacklustre.

The problem is not in the setup though but rather the execution of the film. The babies are not compelling enough to keep my attention for two hours and the interesting life of the children (who live in Nimibia, Mongolia, Japan and San Fransisco) is never mined because the filmmakers wanted to prove their preconceived notion of what they would find so they weren't looking for anything else. The babies were cute, the film was surprisingly short and ultimately it's a good thing to support documentaries but I would suggest you save your money and spend it on ice cream and a walk in the park, it'll be much more exciting.

Better Together?

Even though I like many of the players I'm concerned this will be a one note comedy that doesn't last very long...thoughts?

The Invincibles: live action edition...

...a.k.a. ABC's upcoming No Ordinary Family.

Looks like the superhero related television is coming out of the shadows for the upcoming season as--in addition to NBC's The Cape--ABC's new offering about a family who develops superpowers takes its turn in the spotlight. The show follows a typical nuclear family who in a moment of desperation go on a vacation to try and spend some quality time together. After their plane crash lands in a freak storm they return home only to find that they may have more in common than they thought.

The show stars Julie Benz (of Dexter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame) and Michael Chiklis (most notably of The Shield and the Fantastic Four films) as Stephanie and Jim Powell, a couple who's marriage and family life could use a kick in the pants. The family is rounded out by Kay Panabaker (a veteran of television guests spots) and Jimmy Bennett who is probably most well known for playing "young James T. Kirk" in the recent Star Trek adaptation from J.J. Abrams. Also starring Weeds' Romany Malco as Jim's friend and confidant, No Ordinary Family hits your television set next season.

On review of the trailer, I think it may fare a little better than The Cape but we'll have to wait and see. It's certainly on my list of things to give a shot...will it be on yours?

Could The Cape be the next Heroes?!

(Season one people, the only season worth talking about was season one).

As this season's offerings come to a close we're starting to get a few glimpses of what to look forward to next season. Among them and in the wake of shows like Heroes and Human Target is The Cape, a modern day retelling of the Robin Hood stories (with a few little twists like a family). Vince Faraday is a family man and the only good cop still serving on what is presumably the New York Police Department, after he is framed and left for dead he becomes an outlaw, cut off from his wife and son and unable to return to his home.

In exile he meets a Circus master who shows him the ticks of the trade he needs to become "The Cape" and fight back against the corruption that plagues his fair city. Modelled on his son's favourite Comic book hero, "The Cape" becomes a crusader for good and an outlaw who is hunted by his former comrades in arms. Along the way he picks up a few friends, including Summer Glau who plays his insider as a Blogger with access to vast amounts of media (read Marian, though one hopes not a love interest since there's the pesky matter of his wife and kid), a strange "Little John" amalgam made up of Verne Troyer and Vinnie Jones, and various other secondary characters.

I won't lie, even though the trailer is the ultimate cheese I'll probably watch a few episodes. Hopefully Summer's penchant for picking good projects will hold true. And hopefully NBC's tendency to let new shows reach their stride will overrule the other part of Summer's penchant which is being on good shows that end before they should...

Summer offerings a little less than "A"-okay...

I'm usually a big summer moviegoer. Certainly the summer is the time when the most anticipated blockbusters are usually released. But it seems like this year the offers are a little slim.

The Losers, an action comic originally conceived as a parody of the A team, has the unfortunate timing to have come out the same year as the new A team led by Liam Neeson. In addition the A team movie seems (in trailers anyway) to play like a parody of itself, aping the lines made famous by Mr T in the eighties. All the while another "A" team is being introduced in the adjacent movie theatre as Robert Downey Jr. and every famous person they could find to appear romp through Iron Man 2, which ends up amounting to a glorified trailer for the forthcoming Avengers film.

Having said that, I do think it will be a decent summer for documentaries and foreign films and with the general lack of big blockbusters that interest me I may actually manage to get out and see them. The trailer for Waiting for Superman nearly brings me to tears every time I see it and Disney's Oceans is poised be incredible. In addition there are plenty of docs that came out this year I have yet to see as I've been shirking my movie watching responsibilities in favour of television (which has been increasingly compelling of late).

So in the end, it seems, there may be enough alternatives to the summer blockbusters that I will be able to curb my appetite for film. And of course there's always Scot Pilgrim vs. The world ;)

The Glist...

Alright Glee, I have a bone to pick with you...

That's right, after month and months of watching and waiting for the show that knocked my socks off to come back I've suddenly found that (surprise, surprise) it's not all I have wanted it to be. They promised us bigger musical numbers, surprises, more drama, more fleshing out of some of the secondary characters. And while I've seen some of that occurring, I've found that a great deal for what was promised is being isolated to a few key players and we're just ending up dropping a lot of promising storylines.

And so I've come up with a Glist of my own, the top fifteen reasons why I'm still watching, but I'm getting increasingly impatient.

15. Will Shuester has become a simpering, narcisistic ass-hat in the last few episodes. He's consuistently mistreating the women in his life and to be honest, is more and more turning out to not be the best educator. And I know a lot of educators.
14. Terri Shuester was supposed to get more airtime this season. They were going to develop her character. What happened to that?
13. Why is Ken being nice to Will Shuester now? He hasn't shown maturity in the past and Emma broke his heart for Will so when will's treating her badly why isn't Ken trying to smash his face in instead of giving him advice?
12. Molly Shannon.
11. Are Puck and Quinn together? I see them walking together, I could have sworn I saw them holding hands in the background the other day. If they are, why hasn't it been addressed? It certainly would have made Rachel's attempted seduction of Puck a little more sinister in the last episode. And does anyone remember when Quinn said she was going to "do this on my own"? When did that plan go out the window?
10. Why did they drag Kurt back into the "loving Finn" trap when we thought he had moved on from that? If he's decided that he wants him to be his brother that's one thing but the parent relationship storyline almost seems like a throw away reason to have Kurt looking sad and angsty. Love Kurt, don't love that storyline.
9. Tartie needs more airtime. Five seconds of "Yes let's be the minority couple and kiss to seal the deal," isn't enough. They're also both great characters in their own right. I want to know more.
8. Why was the music in the fourth episode SOOOOOOO bad?! I get that the theme was bad music but why couldn't they have chosen bad music that could actually be saved? Wasn't that supposed to be the point? If they thought they saved it, they're sorely mistaken.
7. Santana and Brittany need to be a little less fleshed out. I really want them to stay on the periphery because they're soooo good on the outside. Brittany's one liners are amazing.
6. As much as I love KChen...what was her purpose in that episode? And what fully grown man comes onto a woman by placing the back of his hand on her chest?
5. The fact that Rachel and Finn were "together" when the show came back made no sense whatsoever. Even Rachel isn't that stupid. It's like they're taking her two steps forward and ten steps back.
4. Sue's personality is getting a little spastic. I like that they're giving her layers and a chance to show that while on the outside she's all business, she's really just the dorky teenager who never got past her compatriots teasing her but they need to be careful about it. She can't just turn on a dime, it needs to make sense...even if it's just meant to be funny.
3. Finn actually liking Rachel in a real way also doesn't make sense. She's done nothing to deserve it other than liking him too much. If it's about missing the attention she was giving him I get that but if that's the case they need to make it more clear.
2. Where is Quinn living? And how is she affording to live there cause she's not getting money from Terri anymore...
1. The Glist was a bad reveal...it felt a little like a sad attempt to remind us about Quinn. Hint guys: I never forgot so can you please ANSWER MY PREVIOUS QUESTIONS!?

It just seems to me that the producers and writers are dropping a lot of great storylines in favour of the quick sell. And I'm getting increasingly annoyed with Rachel's lack of capacity to change. C'mon guys! I want my favourite show back!

**Please note: in spite of all this....THE MADONNA EPISODE ROCKED!!!!**

I love Alan Moore...

There is nothing to be said other than, please check out the website for his new zine series Dodgem Logic. The man is certifiable but hilarious :D

Wedding bells for Kristin Wiig?

In very welcome news THR.com is reporting that SNL's only surviving comedian (excepting perhaps Seth Meyers on a good day) is getting her own star vehicle. Wiig will reportedly be starring in a comedy which she co-wrote and will be teaming with the creative team behind the critically acclaimed but tragically cancelled Freaks and Geeks. The project, tentatively entitled Bridesmaids, will follow two friends attempting to plan a friend's wedding and, in all likelihood, failing miserably.

With Wiig's career on an almost meteoric rise of late I'm interested to see what comes of this. For the moment she can also be seen in the upcoming film All Good Things starring Ryan Gosling, described as a love story/murder mystery, and after that will be taking a turn in Paul, the new film from the team behind Shaun of the Dead and Hot Stuff.

Get ready...

...for more glee!

Oh how the mite-ey have fallen...

It's always a real treat when an artist you like offers up a free tidbit for your general consumption, whether it be a free for all or a treat for loyal fans. So I was pretty pumped when I opened my e-mail today and found that I had a message from English indie darling Kate Nash's website. Not only was it welcome news in the form of a new album announcement but Nash was releasing a new song to the public called "I just love you more." Oh la la!

But horror of horrors, after fighting with the file extraction for a minute I realized that it was in a protected .wma format (who does that?!). This of course meant it wouldn't make it to my iPod without a lot more fighting but I pushed the thought aside and sat down to listen....

...and was further horrified.

One of my genuine musical gems of the last couple of years has completely diluted her lyrically honest, musically vivacious pop sound to a familiar, grungy and tired imitation of many of the popular female fronted indie rock offerings. *sigh* Let's take a moment to remember...

Random Link of the Day

http://i.imgur.com/Spt9L.gif

The New Year's spinoffs

I've been skimming the papers and it's come to my attention that in their wisdom the studios may already be developing a "sequel" to Valentine's Day (the blatantly financially motivated rom-com from New Line cinema). I know what you're going to say, "Siobhan, not only have you already ranted about this movie, are you not aware of the basic reason for EVERY Rom-com ever made?"

I know, I know.

But the least you can do if you're going to lie to me is pretend to hide it...at the very least. Plus, you know this is going to start a craze. What's next?

LENT: three couples make an abstinence pact over the stressful season of Lent, and come to realize there may be more to their relationships than they every dreamed.

Kill me now.

Oscar noms...

I'm sure lots of you participate in Oscar pools...certainly my friends and I do. But this year I'm going to share my picks with a larger crowd (i.e. I'm going to post them below) because I feel the people in my life deserve to know what I think about my choices, and to find out in controlled little text blocks that don't involve yelling and expletives like "Avatar."

Ooo...sorry.

Let us begin with the final category of the night...Best Picture: and the nominees are: A*****, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, Precious, A Serious Man, Up and Up in the Air.

I am happy to report (though I am supremely ashamed to admit one) that I have seen all the Best Picture nominees this year. I firmly believe that although TheFFFurbelow! curator Matt may be correct when he says that, "it is only going to be A[*****] versus The Hurt Locker" when Oscar time comes, that the race should consist of a tie between Precious and The Hurt Locker. While I recognize that some of the included films were unique and eye catching, I think that these two are the only ones that have true achieved something in their storytelling. It has been pointed out to me that the recipient of the Director's Guild Award usually recieves the Best Picture Oscar. We can only hope.

Best Actor nominees include: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart, George Clooney for Up in the Air, Colin Firth for A Single Man, Morgan Freeman for Invictus and Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker.

While I love Jeremy Renner (he was in a quickly cancelled cop show called The Unusuals this season) and Morgan Freeman is...well...Morgan Freeman (frankly I think he phoned it in), I do believe this category to be down to Mr. Bridges vs. Mr. Firth. Who will come out on top? I'm not entirely sure however having seen A Single Man and the truly remarkable performance he managed in the film, my vote goes with Mr. Firth. Will he win? Unlikely, but my vote is Mr. Da--er Mr. Firth all the way. In the rain...with....oh dear.

The prize for Best Actress though, seems like an exercise in the absurd with a few notable exceptions: Ms. Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side (love her, didn't love her in this), Helen Mirren for The Last Station, Carey Mulligan for An Education, Gabourey Sidibe for Precious and finally La Meryl for Julie and Julia.

Side Note: I've just realized that I'm doing pretty well this year, I've seen most of the movies nominated! And now to continue...

This category for me begins and ends with Gabourey Sidibe. She deserves it, she deserves it, she deserves it. Will she get it? It's a tough year...and Sandra Bullock and her camp are campaigning. I suppose anything's possible but the trend follows: Golden Globe = Oscar and Meryl took the GG without so much as flinching. I haven't seen Julie and Julia, or The Last Station but I promise to watch them before the Oscars and have an informed opinion. For now though it's Gabbe all the way and for the record: it's a TOUGH year!

Best Supporting Actor strikes me as a little funny...but perhaps that's because I've not seen most of the performances that were nominated. Matt Damon for Invictus, Woody Harrelson for The Messenger, Christopher Plummer for The Last Station (saw him as Ceasar at Stratford a few years back...brilliant), Stanley Tucci in The Lovely Bones and Christoph Waltz in Inglorious Basterds.

I have only seen two of the performances listed above however having seen Inglorious Basterds I can tell you...Christoph Waltz scared the living daylights out of me! He's absolutely incredible in this movie. Maybe he's sweeping the awards shows for a reason.

Best Supporting Actress is a category I'm very interested in and it has to do with Mo'Nique. Nominated for Precious she joins Penélope Cruz for Nine, Vera Farmiga for Up in the Air, Maggie Gyllenhall for Crazy Heart and Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air.

I think that Mo'Nique deserves to win and I actually think that she will. It so rarely happens that I almost don't want to jinx it but it's very much the type of race that seems already decided. I understand the nominations for the other women (haven't seen Crazy Heart so I can't comment on Maggie) but I don't actually think that having the hottest body on the planet (honstly, you could bounce quarters off of Vera's ass) or the most convincing irritating crying fit (sorry Anna) is a reason to nominate someone for an Oscar. I'm not even going to justify the "N" word with a blurb. Penélope I'm ashamed of you.

As a long-time fan of Kathryn Bigelow I'm very pleased to see her nominated in the Best Director race for The Hurt Locker. She is up against insufferable blow hard and director of that-which-will-not-be-named Mr. James Cameron along with Lee Daniels for Precious, Jason Reitman for Up in the Air and Quentin Tarantino for Inglorious Basterds.

While I adored Up in the Air and Precious hit all the right notes, I'd really like to see KB win this year. I have been a fan of her work and I think that The Hurt Locker represents her strongest film to date. While I will buy that QT is a strong director (BIG fan of his previous efforts and have an associate who spent a week with him and swears he's just as into films as he seems to be) I just can't get behind Inglorious Basterds as a whole; even if parts of it are incredibly compelling. In the end I'm concerned that James Cameron will prevail and while I have, in the past enjoyed his movies, I think that for this one he should stand a better chance of being taken out back and put out of his misery than win the most celebrated of bald men. Just sayin'...

Best Original Screenplay brings together many of the films mentioned above for yet another category of fun-filled antics. The Hurt Locker, The Messenger, A Serious Man, Up and Inglorious Basterds were named and while I did enjoy a few of the films I think that based upon the fact that many of the scenes in The Messenger were (from what I understand) improvised I would have to say the cleverness of A Serious Man wins out in my brain.

With regards to Best Adapted Screenplay I desperately want to once again weigh in on the Precious side of things, though I quite enjoyed the scripts for Up in the Air and thought that District 9 was remarkably interesting as an item of social commentary. However in the end I think that nominee An Education gets my vote for absolutely superb dialogue and an ending that completed the story without really doing much of anything to change the lead character's path in life. Now as for final nominee In the Loop? I think I'll watch the original BBC series instead.

Though not surprised by the nominees for Best Animated Film I have to say I am surprised that Wes Anderson didn't also get a director's nomination for Fantastic Mr. Fox. His star-studded stop animation adventure is in good company with the likes of Coraline, The Princess and the Frog, The Secret of Kells and Up. For this category I cannot claim to be an expert, however I have a sneaking suspicion (even though I've only see two of the film) that it will indeed be Fantastic Mr. Fox though if Up won I would be just a happy; I enjoyed it a lot.

I'll shy away from the other categories (like Best Foreign Film) because I haven't seen any of them. I suppose there's still time. Time to watch all the films I haven't yet enjoyed from this year. Ah the list grows long, and I grow weary by steady beats. Alas. Alack. I am to slumber.

Think about your own choices and let me know!

And in this week's edition of "Deja Vu"...

...Mel Gibson acts like a terrific idiot.



Congratulations Mel, you've still got it.

Pre-packaged inspiration in convenient half sentence pieces...

I love the internet.


That is all.

Exciting news for Polley fans...

Deadline.com is reporting that Seth Rogen and Michelle Williams have signed on to star in Sarah Polley's latest film effort, the romantic endeavour Take This Waltz. Titled (it would seem) after the Leonard Cohen song of the same name, the script examines the life of a young woman coming to the realization that her infidelities and relationship troubles may be rooted in an addiction to "the honeymoon period" of relationships.

Nominated for an Oscar for "Best Adapted Screenplay" for her work on 2006's Away From Her, this script has earned her a place on the 2009 Black List ("a snapshot of the collective taste of the people who develop, produce, and release theatrical feature films in the Hollywood studio system and the mainstream independent system"). Though still in the final stages of financing the film is set to be produced in Toronto this summer and I, for one, am looking forward to what Ms. Polley has in store.

No escape from seing Nick Nolte...

This man is a disaster and I need to watch it unfold before my very eyes:

Is it wrong for kids to swear?

It always surprises me when I realize that I really am a lot more of a prude than I think I am. There's something both hilarious and unsettling about young children using swear words and this video made me cringe for exactly that reason. Though very funny, it begs the question of what type of influence these kids' parents are having on them.

Alternately am I putting too much importance on words? We're constantly trying to reclaim words which have been deemed offensive as they encompass negative emotion towards women, homosexuals, or a specific race or belief system. Am I falling into the same trap by caring whether these girls swear or not?

Little asian PC girl vs. MAC parody - watch more funny videos

It's Spooky...

It happens to me every year. I forget about it and then it just creeps round again. Usually I notice a few weeks after it has begun, so I'm able to do it every night for awhile cause I have to catch up. Last series ended with them putting Harry Pierce in the trunk of a car.

You don't put Harry Pierce in the back of a car.

And now it's back and better than ever, starring many of Britain's top acting talents and certainly a few of the BBC's most marketable stars. The ever-charming and very scrumptious Richard Armitage (of North and South and the BBC's Robin Hood reboot), Hermione Norris (most notably of the 90's series Cold Feet) and the only surviving member of the original series' cast Mr. Peter Firth (playing the recently knighted head of MI: 5 Sir Harry Pearce).

Those who have been reading for some time will already know about my love affair with BBC's Spooks (the ongoing show about British Secret Service Agents working in London to foil the world's terror plots against Her Majesty's kingdom) but just for the record: it's back and it's STILL worth checking out.

Cheers.
Sio

Enough already!

In yet another of my random rants regarding marketing on public domains please see the attached ad which popped up while I was shamefully perusing one of my social networking accounts. I really can't stand this obsession with Vampires.

This is not to say that I am against the genre, I think that like anything else it can be a great metaphor for deeper and darker desires and be used to work out those demons in a socially acceptable (and lets face it, sometimes sexy way). For instance, I'm a fan of True Blood. But between the terrible adaptations of horrible paperback novels (yes I'm talking to you Stephanie Meyer) and the penchant of the powers that be to ride something until you've put it in the ground (please excuse the turn of phrase) it really is enough already.

But seriously...Vampire Romance Novels with your name in it? Guess what guys?! There's also a service where you can Photoshop your kid's head into an Alphabet book to get them interested in reading.

Vomit.

You're an adult, read a real book and stop lusting after teenaged boys. And if you're a teenager yourself I hope that there's an adult around to set you straight.

Trailer Trolling: Mid-Winter edition

Was trolling trailers again today (yes this will likely read as an update on Apple's latest trailers) and found Fish Tank in the mix. Hailed as the "best British film of the year," by several sources, the film received four start from The Daily Telegraph, The Independent and The Times (as well as five start from The Guardian). It went on to open at Cannes and win the Jury prize at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival in addition to winning its newcomer star (Ms. Katie Jarvis, then only seventeen and in her first role) an award for most promising newcomer at the 2009 British Independent Film Awards. Needless to say, I'm excited to see the film. Now I just have to figure out where it might be playing (as I've clearly missed it at TIFF). Any ideas?

Multiple Sarcasms is a film about a man reaching the middle years of his life and deciding that he'd like to write a play about his own experiences. By exploring the complex relationships between those people who are in his life he begins to unravel his own existence in a way that is not conducive to those around him. I'm really hoping that this one becomes a little existential (à la Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Fiction) but I have a sneaking suspicion that it will likely read as a traditional drama. Either way I think I'll be pleased to sit down and watch it as the cast includes Stockar Channing and even though she seems to always play the same strong brazen woman, I do so love that character.

Complex and a vaguely risqué in a way I very much enjoy, La Belle Personne finds newly transferred student Junie as the object of one student's love and one teacher's desires as the young woman attempts to sort out her own muddled feelings for them both. True the film features the classic love triangle but the French trailer gives the young woman a voice where the apple version does not. If you speak French take a moment to peruse the film's website and watch the French trailer as the subtle differences give me hope that this film may not be quite as standard as it seems.

talhotblond: is a documentary about whose subject matter--to be honest-- I have no clue. The thing is, the trailer is just so damned cool it makes you want to know what's going on. Take a look, you'll find yourself wanting to find the newspaper articles explaining the story. Could be interesting...I suppose time will have to tell on this one.

That's all for now folks. Please join in if there's something exciting around the corner that I haven't yet mentioned. I'm pumped for the upcoming season of films as the networks seem to have had a giant collective brain fart and won't be playing new content for many of my favourite TV shows for a little while...