Film Review: "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"

There are moments like these when you're sure that things couldn't possibly get worse, yet you know they will. Such were the thoughts that ran through my head as the credits rolled for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. I thought it would take hours before it sank in how truly horrible the film I just saw was, and it arrived in mere minutes. I felt like this could be the inglorious end to the franchise, and then I remembered how brilliantly the film will do at the box office this weekend. It doesn't matter if negative word of mouth arrives in time. People will still see it for themselves.

I went to see the film on a whim, leaving my home for the theater ten minutes before the film started. I didn't arrive until about 15-20 minutes into the film, just as Jack was running amok into a London street corner. Honestly, I don't believed that I missed anything of value in the time that I missed. Captain Jack Sparrow is acting absolutely crazy for no apparent reason. Seems to fit just about right, doesn't it? In any case, it didn't take long for me to pick up on the fact that somebody has been impersonating Jack in order to put together a crew to sail towards the fountain of youth. It turns out the impersonator is Angelica, a former flame of Jack's. I know that most of these characters are drunken pirates, but how could any of them think for a second that Penelope Cruz is a man?

Remember how in the first three films Jack would be the center of the universe and that everyone would be following him? That couldn't be further from the truth this time. He is the main character, but every single moment it feels like he shouldn't be. He's being thrust into this adventure unwillingly, and he ends up a regular crew member on the Queen Anne's Revenge, infamous ship of the infamous Blackbeard. They're headed for the fountain of youth, as is Captain Barbossa, now a privateer for the high court of England. And, apparently, so is a Spanish fleet. It feels like too many people are going after the same thing for no reason.

Theatrical Trailer: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

I know that the outlook of this Summer in terms of high quality entertainment is rather slim, but I always found that the season was meant for passable action entertainment. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides was only ever going to be that sort of feature, as you can tell quite clearly from this trailer. None of the jokes quite hit the right mark, and it's clear writing isn't this latest film's strong suit. Check out the trailer below and feel free to chime in in the comments section!

Oscar 2010 Predictions: Supporting Actor

We live in a world of good and bad, and it almost seems as if we spend so much time defining the line between those two that we forget about the line between good and great. That's my biggest problem with this year's Oscar race, and I doubt that I'm alone on this one. I had so much overwhelming trouble compiling a list of last year's best, not only because I hadn't seen everything, but because there were so few truly great films. Not to mention the fact that at the time I was compiling my list, I hadn't made the important revelations that didn't occur until we reached this Oscar race. This Oscar season has really shaped me more critically than any other in recent memory, and that's the biggest complement I can give it.

So, you can stand to reason that all of the performances in the Best Supporting Actor category are good, but can we really say that they're all great? I hardly believe that to be the case, especially since one of my favorite supporting performances of the year wasn't even nominated here, and I'm not speaking of Andrew Garfield's sweet and sympathetic performance in The Social Network. I'm talking about Vincent Cassel's finely cut performance in Black Swan as the intense ballet director and Nina's romantic fancy. Almost every character in the film is two-sided, which offers only the greatest performances.

As for what is nominated, I can't say all are deserving to be here, and the one I find my mind coming back to constantly is Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech. I know he used to be the frontrunner, but he just lacks the extra depth that's needed to go above and beyond. If there's anybody who's going to steal the top prize from the preferred winner, it will be him, but undeservedly so. Similarly, Jeremy Renner did a fantastic job with what he was given in The Town, and he just bordered on being truly great. The role was there, and he was there, but something benign just seems to be holding him back a bit.

So who is nominated here and deserves to be here? For one thing, I still feel Mark Ruffalo's character in The Kids Are All Right was given a melancholic and half-fulfilled ending, which is really perfect for the performance he gave. It's really fascinating in that less-is-more sort of way, and Ruffalo has always excelled in such subtleties. John Hawkes is my #2 pick for this category, and he emphasizes everything I loved about Winter's Bone, with the gruff exterior shrouding a wearied heart underneath. He's sadly not going to win this year, which adds to my hopes that he really pulls out all the stops in Martha Marcy May Marlene.

This category simply belongs to Christian Bale this year, and it's almost an act of apology after the Academy snubbing him all these years. It's unfortunate that he hasn't received a nomination until now, but it's great that he's set to receive his first win this year. He always falls completely into these roles, from every expression and every breathe, and it almost always feels unique to that specific character. This is one of those instances, and when Bale's playing a coked up former-wrestler whose fame is widely debatable, as is the case in The Fighter, you're going to deal with some crazy emotions. Bale matches those perfectly, as he almost always does.

1. Christian Bale (The Fighter)
2. John Hawkes (Winter's Bone)
3. Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right)
4. Jeremy Renner (The Town)
5. Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)

Will & Should Win: Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Potential Upset: Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)

Should Have Been Nominated: Vincent Cassel (Black Swan)

Awards 2010: BAFTA Winners

The BAFTA awards took place today, and I just knew that The King's Speech was going to be the main player. They're biased when it comes to that film, so I can't say this is a totally reliable ceremony when it comes to what's actually going to win on Oscar night. Early on, it felt like perhaps the British period piece wouldn't be the strongest winner of the ceremony. No such luck, as the film later picked up acting wins for Rush, Carter, and Firth in their respective categories. I was surprised Alice in Wonderland won as much as it did, seeing as it's been on the decline for some time now. Natalie Portman won Best Actress, effectively snuffing out any hopes Annette Bening had of winning. Perhaps the most telling win of this ceremony was David Fincher for Best Director. It offers just enough to say that Tom Hooper is not the frontrunner has most have pegged him.

Best Picture: The King's Speech
Best British Film: The King's Speech
Best Director: David Fincher (The Social Network)
Best Actor: Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
Best Actress: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Best Supporting Actor: Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)
Best Supporting Actress: Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech)
Best Original Screenplay: The King's Speech
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
Best Cinematography: True Grit
Best Visual Effects: Inception
Best Production Design: Inception
Best Costume Design: Alice in Wonderland
Best Foreign Language Film: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Best Makeup: Alice in Wonderland
Best Editing: The Social Network
Best Sound: Inception
Best Original Score: The King's Speech

What's Next?: Best Supporting Actor

We had something of a weak start to this series last week, with a bunch of supporting actresses who weren't planning on doing anything radical or new in the next year. This week is certainly a step in the right direction, with five supporting actors who have rather large and immediate plans made. Take John Hawkes for example, who is currently nominated for his role in Winter's Bone, which premiered a year ago at Sundance. This year he has a similar Sundance darling in the form of Martha Marcy May Marlene, in which he plays the leader of the cult that Elizabeth Olsen's character is trying to escape from. I'd be very happy to see the man back here again next year.

Mark Ruffalo's next feature is certainly an ambitious one, and he has some literally huge shoes to fill. He's set to appear as Bruce Banner, otherwise known as the Hulk, in Joss Whedon's The Avengers, currently slotted to release in May of 2012. On a related note, Christian Bale also has a superhero role by the first name of Bruce to head into after he picks up his Oscar statuette later this month. The Dark Knight Rises is piecing itself together as we speak, with a few casting rumors still circulating. I doubt they're going to put Robin Williams in as Hugo Strange, because I feel we have all the villains we need for the film to work. However, if Joseph Gordon Levitt ends up playing a supporting protagonist, I'm totally in. Wally Pfister has also recently said that he's read the script for the film, and it could potentially top The Dark Knight. If that doesn't make you want to push time forward to July 2012, then I have no idea what does.

I'm sorry if it felt like I was going off course, but I just had to get that news out there. Getting back on topic, Geoffrey Rush can be said to have big plans this year, but depending on who you ask, he could also have made some decisions. This May, Rush reunites with Johnny Depp for the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, On Stranger Tides, this time circling around the fountain of youth. With each film, there is a certain chance of some shred of disappointment, and this is no different. Still, it may be good impure entertainment, but certainly no more. Capping things off with Jeremy Renner, he has two rather large box office enterprises to head into. For one thing he has a supporting role in The Avengers, so he may have a scene to shoot with Mark Ruffalo. On the more immediate horizon, he's working with Brad Bird on Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, which could be the best film in the franchise. I expect big things of Brad Bird, and he's never let us down before. Not to my recollection anyway.

Images (in order): Christian Bale in The Dark Knight; John Hawkes in Martha Marcy May Marlene

Oscar 2010: Final Nomination Predictions (Part 2: Acting Categories)

Sorry I didn't get this to you guys yesterday, but I had a lot more on my plate than I anticipated. Nonetheless, we have plenty to discuss today in terms of the acting categories, which are often the vital organs of the Academy Awards. The technical awards can be slid over, but the acting races are so closely observed. There's bound to be more than one disappointment in the books. The Supporting Actor category is perhaps the least competitive of the bunch, because everybody knows at this point that Christian Bale is going to take the award for The Fighter. It's almost unnecessary to have anyone else be nominated, and yet those slots still have to be filled.

Geoffrey Rush was the original frontrunner in the category for his work in The King's Speech, but once Bale entered the ring, there was little hope for Rush taking the win, but he should still get a nod. Mark Ruffalo was never anything more than a contender looking for a nomination for his work in The Kids Are All Right, and by that standard he should get it. This is where things get really tricky. Jeremy Renner entered the game later in the year for his work in The Town, and that's really the only outstanding aspect of that film, so he deserves a nod. That leaves only one major slot to fill, and in most ways it's the major battle between Andrew Garfield's work in The Social Network and John Hawkes' bravura performance in Winter's Bone. Personally, I'd go for John Hawkes to win the category in a second, but that's not going to happen. I shudder at the idea of him not taking a nomination at all. As much as I love Garfield's sentimental and appealing work as Eduardo Saverin, he's just outside the arena in this case.

One of the less predictable races, Supporting Actress, the entire race and its outcome depends on who is nominated. Amy Adams and Helena Bonham Carter are pretty solid bets to get nominations for The Fighter and The King's Speech respectively. Melissa Leo is in a major fight to win the award, but could so easily be thwarted by Hailee Steinfeld. It all depends on whether Steinfeld will be nominated in the lead or supporting race for True Grit, because that's still up for debate. If nominated in the supporting race, Leo has some major competition to go up against, a sad statement for such an esteemed actress. If nominated for lead, Leo should take the win, and Steinfeld walks away with some sort of consolation prize for her effort. As for who will round out the category, it's between Jacki Weaver for Animal Kingdom and Mila Kunis for Black Swan. I'd prefer the latter, and that's who I'm going to bet on. Of course, if Steinfeld makes the cut for lead, they could both make it in.

Awards 2010: National Society of Film Critics

It's not really spreading the wealth if you mention the runners-up in the category, but I guess these precursors just wanted to give the losers the illusion that they just barely lost out. That's not really the case, because the rankings don't give any idea how big the gap in between may be, and it only makes people feel worse in any case. Ignoring the runners-up, The Social Network took away the most wins with the NSFC, and Olivia Williams (The Ghost Writer) continues to be an outside contender that we can dream will be nominated for the Oscars, but the odds are still against her.

Best Picture: "The Social Network"
Runner-up: "Carlos"
Second runner-up: "Winter's Bone"

"The King's Speech" Poster

Despite my overwhelming praise for the film, I must say that I'm highly disappointed by the new poster for The King's Speech. It's glossy in the worst way, with a tagline that just doesn't work. Couldn't they afford something just as textured and prestigious as the cinematography in the film, or is this the best the could do. I hate their marketing campaign, but not the film. Let me know if it's just me getting out of hand or if this poster really does suck, and don't let that keep you from seeing the film.

High on "Telluride": The King's Speech

If the eyes of the world are still on Venice, they're looking in the wrong place, because everything important happening this weekend is happening in Telluride, Colorado. The King's Speech is one of those films I've been highly anticipating since the list of films playing at the festival was announced. Incidentally, it's one of the two films I'll be seeing in Portsmouth later this month, right along with Never Let Me Go. So it pleases me immensely to hear that it's the biggest hit at the festival today. The crowd speaks for itself, giving the film a standing ovation at the end.

Gregory Ellwood (HitFix): "Make no mistake... overall The King's Speech is one of The Weinstein Company's strongest awards season contenders in quite some time. Whether it can lock down a best picture nod is unclear, but its absolutely in the race just as An Education was a year ago at this time. As for Rush and Firth, it would be shocking if one of them isn't awarded another Oscar nod. The duo are that good. It's also worth noting Hooper is assisted by an excellent production design team made up of production designer Eve Stewart and art director Netty Chapman."

Kirk Honeycutt (Hollywood Reporter): "Firth doesn't just make a British king vulnerable and insecure, he shows the fierce courage and stamina beneath the insecurities that will see him through his kingship. It's not just marvelous acting, it's an actor who understands the flesh-and-blood reality of the moment and not its history. It's an actor who admires his character not in spite of his flaws but because of them. Rush is absolutely wonderful, and Hooper shoots him with all sorts of angles, lighting and strange positions that makes him look like an alien landed in 1930s London. Nothing much impresses him, and he is supremely confident in his own expertise, even when challenged by a star pupil and his coterie of advisers. He won't yield an inch."

Kris Tapley (In Contention): "These two have amazing, impeccable chemistry together. The script (along with their own input) offers a wonderful balance of humor and drama for the actors to work with. Each should comfortably find himself in the hunt for Oscar, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the film land nominations for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Art Direction (absolutely splendid). The cinematography and film editing are also quite worthy."

So, it looks like this film has emerged as a sure fire Best Picture nominee, beginning to fill out the top category. I can't wait to see it, and I'll get back to you tomorrow, when I'll hopefully take a look at the reviews of The Way Back and 127 Hours.