2014 Academy Award nominations are here and HOLY SHIT, BAD GRANDPA IS NOMINATED!!!

The day has come, a Jackass movie got nominated for an Academy Award!

Annie Hall (1977) Review

I know it's been quite some time since my last posting but due to an overwhelming class and finals schedule I didn't even have time to do such basic things as getting at least 6 hours of sleep per night or eating on a regulated schedule. Of course that includes watching movies as well, and it's been about 2 months that I watched the Woody Allen classic "Annie Hall". But now I am catching up and there is probably going to be a good amount of postings over the next days and weeks about all the movies I've seen recently but didn't have time to write about yet.

War Horse (2011) Review

Ok, it's official, I lost my faith in Steven Spielberg. First "Tintin", now "War Horse". What can I say? Disappointment? Oh yeah! Maybe I was just in a funny mood when I watched it and missed the entire point but it left me quite unimpressed and for the most part shaking my head in disbelief.

The Descendants (2011) Review

 

It's been about 2 weeks that I've seen "The Descendants" (I know, I know, had to take some time off to study and everything) but there is one feeling that stuck with me, and let me tell you, it might be a surprise but I was slightly underwhelmed.

Friends told me beforehand how much they liked the film, how great and emotional it was and, judging from rave critics, a very high Rotten Tomatoes score and now the load of Golden Globe nominations, it should be an outstanding film. It might just have happened that all the hype around "The Descendants" couldn't possibly live up to the actual movie.

First of all, let me get one thing straight: I love Alexander Payne directed movies. I can watch "About Schmidt" any time and this masterpiece never gets old. Although I was never as big a fan of "Sideways" as many others I still think it's one of the best dramas of the last 10 years. "Election", in my opinion, might just be the best High School movie ever made and it's a shame that barely anyone knows about it. So what about "The Descendants" then?

The film stars George Clooney as a land baron on Hawaii whose wife falls into a coma after a boating accident. On top of that he has to deal with his two estranged daughters and the one deal that could save his retirement. Finding out that his wife had an affair just adds up to the whole conflict.

This might sound like it is gonna end up being a pathetic tearjerker but, interestingly enough, the movie mixes the emotionally heavy scenes with a light-hearted touch that gives it an almost bittersweet feel. Clooney in the lead gives a very understated and controlled performance which at times comes in handy but sometimes feels like a lack of emotion. He is the sole focus of the film so it is rather distracting to see him at times not act naturally at all.

This might be a minor flaw for others but it took me right out of the movie, especially since the stage is set to create something moving and I know that Alexander Payne can pull it off but it didn't have the grip it should have had in my opinion.

The rest of the film is just about as perfect as it could get. The cinematography is gorgeous, the writing realistic but heartfelt, the soundtrack more than fitting for the Hawaii setting and the supporting actors all do a great job. I was especially happy to see movie stars of yesteryear such as Beau Bridges, Matthew Lillard and particularly Robert Forster excel in their roles.

It might just be that I have to watch it again to really appreciate it and see what a dummy I've been for missing how great of a movie it is but for the time being it was a good if not great experience.

The Ides Of March (2011) Review

A new school year has started and that means automatically less time for me to watch movies. That's a pity because now that Autumn has come all the blockbuster rubbish from the summer gets wiped away from theaters to make space for the more ambitious crowd of movies. And who could be more ambitious than our good old beloved ex-Batman George Clooney?

His new film The Ides of March is his fourth outing as a director and features a more than impressive cast: Clooney himself, Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei and a couple more better-than-average actors. I mean, honestly, I did the math, his cast was nominated for 11 Academy Awards including 3 wins, wouldn't you expect nothing short of greatness?

The story revolves around young and idealistic Stephen Meyers, played by Gosling, who works as a campaign manager for presidential candidate Governor Mike Morris, played by Clooney. But how long can Stephen preserve his ideals in the dirty world of politics?

Everybody knows how liberal of a guy Clooney is so it is no surprise what kind of message he is delivering here: Power corrupts and if you want to swim with the sharks then you have to learn to play dirty. Of course that is a valuable lesson that's being taught here, the only problem is that it is not particularly new. Have you never heard of All the King's Men? Citizen Kane? The Candidate?

Of course the movie is extremely well acted, everybody in the cast shines, even the characters with minor roles such as Marisa Tomei and Paul Giamatti get their fare share of good scenes and unsurprisingly it is also another stepping stone for soon-to-be Hollywood leading man Ryan Gosling. The dialogue is sharp, the pacing perfect and Clooney keeps growing as a serious filmmaker. The only thing that prevents the movie from being the masterpiece it should have been is its unoriginal storyline and its not very relevant message. 

Don't get me wrong, I'd recommend this film without hesitation to anyone, I just can't help but see The Ides of March as a failed opportunity on a very high level.

Drive (2011) Review

You know what's the worst thing that can happen to a good director? Selling out. Big time. And do you know what's the easiest way to sell out? Going to Hollywood and making a movie for a big studio. Remember Gavin Hood? His Tsotsi won an Academy Award in 2006. Then he went to Hollywood, directed the god-awful X-Men Origins: Wolverine and is now working for TV. And do you remember Oliver Hirschbiegel? He made the excellent Das Experiment and the highly praised Downfall. Then he went to Hollywood, directed the über-flop Invasion with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig and is now making movies back in Germany.

That's why it's a good thing to see a European director coming to Hollywood and making a movie that still has his style and doesn't bow down to any studio executive's demands. Enter danish auteur Nicolas Winding Refn and his remarkable Drive.

Drive is a crime movie with a minimal approach. The story is simple, a stunt driver played by Ryan Gosling who is also a wheelman gets mixed up in a heist gone wrong and starts going on a rampage against the people who are trying to get rid of him. That's it, nothing more, nothing less.

What makes this movie so much more than just another crime thriller is the atmosphere and the top notch performances. Gosling is the epitomized coolness, a man of few words and gestures. Carey Mulligan is perfectly cast as his doe-eyed love interest and creates a nice chemistry between the two. But it's Albert Brooks who takes the cake. He is Bernie, Gosling's boss and most terrifying screen presence I've seen since Melissa Leo in The Fighter. Academy, here's a sure bet for the upcoming Oscars next February.

While the film just breathes cool with beautiful shots of Los Angeles, a dreamlike score and long-lasting shots it is the sudden bursts of graphic violence that will leave you breathless and shocked. It might be a bit early to call it but Drive ranks up there next to classics such as Bullitt, The French Connection and Vanishing Point. I honestly doubt that there's gonna be another movie this year that is as badass and cool as this one.

So what are you waiting for? Go and watch this awesome movie, give it the audience it deserves!

Frida (2002) Review

Oh my, looks like I haven't watched any movie for about two weeks, unbelievable! So let's not waste any valuable space on ridiculously stretched introductions and dive right into Frida!

If you're not living under a rock chances are that you've probably heard about Frida Kahlo, one of the most influential female painters of all time. If you haven't heard of her although you consider yourself somehow sophisticated then don't worry, there's always gonna be some snob like me who's willing to help you out of your misery.

Frida is the movie adaptation of Kahlo's life as an artist and especially focuses on her relationship with fellow artist Diego Rivera. Let's break it down into the parts the movie gets right and the ones where it fails miserably.

The film is directed by Julie Taymor, a strong creative force with a great background in theater and opera work. Mostly thanks to her involvement the film at times rises to be more than just your ordinary conventional biopic and manages to live up to the creativity behind the art genius that was Frida Kahlo. It's like a breath of fresh air to have Taymor play out the New York scenes as if being staged in theater or Frida's imaginations after an accident being acted out by Mexican death dolls.

The casting is perfect, Salma Hayek in the title role and Alfred Molina as her lady-killing husband are extraordinary and share a great chemistry on screen. The minor roles are also prominently cast with roles played by Antonio Banderas, Ashley Judd, Edward Norton and Geoffrey Rush. But here the failure starts.

The movie tries to cram an exceptional life into two hours of screen time and the overwhelming amount of supporting actors and events doesn't give the film enough room to breathe, there's a lack of coherence which becomes more evident towards the end of Frida when the audience realizes how pointless and superfluous many parts were. Geoffrey Rush was wasted as Leon Trotsky and can someone please explain to me what Diego Luna's character was needed for?

Don't get me wrong, Frida is a marvel to look at and has moments when it truly shines but it too often feels patchy or messy or, even worse, just like your conventional biopic. If you're a Kahlo fan, there's no way around this film but everybody else might be disappointed in what can only be seen as a missed opportunity.

On The Waterfront (1954) Review

 

How can I call myself a movie lover if I've never seen an Elia Kazan movie? Shame on me. To the younger audiences who consider movies from the 90s to be old, Elia Kazan was one of the most acclaimed directors of all time, creating mostly outstanding motion pictures during the 50s and making actors shine in their roles.

As I said before today I've seen my very first Elia Kazan flick, On The Waterfront starring Marlon Brando and I must say, I was not let down, this film was amazing.

Marlon Brando plays an ex-boxer who tries to get by as a longshoreman while being mixed up as a thug in some criminal activities. Through the love of a girl and a smoking and drinking priest he discovers his conscience and tries to stand up against his corrupt union bosses.

The movie starts out rather bumpy but once you get a glimpse of the top notch acting by Brando, Karl Malden (who plays the priest) and Eva Marie Saint, you'll be drawn in completely. And if that doesn't help you then the classical Leonard Bernstein score will put you into the right mood.

Nowadays the old classics don't get as much as attention as they deserve so if you have the choice of watching an acclaimed film that might be a bit older than your usual flick instead of the newest Harry Potter, comic book movie or Michael Bay idiocy then give the old one a choice, you won't regret it.