AWARDS 2011: DC Critics go for the odd nods

With the awards season in full swing, it's expected for things to start to form in unexpected manners. The DC critics have continued that trend which started at NBR, and we're really starting to consider which films are genuinely the main players of the season. Until "War Horse" garners a genuine win, I think it's becoming more and more plain that maybe it's not the frontrunner we all thought it would be. Perhaps it's just a lower tier player, as it wasn't able to even scratch past "Win Win" or "Drive" in the DC circuit. It's odd enough that Nicolas Refn's film was in there, and that alone sparks another fire in this awards season that's in much need of some personality.

"Win Win", on the other hand, I wouldn't give too much attention based on this nomination alone. If AWARDSit's a trend that continues on to other awards, we'll definitely take it into consideration. After all, if "The Help" is getting buzz, then we can more than expect to see more light indie flicks like this to rise up. You could categorize "Win Win" right along with "50/50" in that respect. A few more pleasant notes are that Fassbender made it into his first Best Actor field for his performance in "Shame", Elizabeth Olsen and Tilda Swinton continue to be of strong presence in Best Actress, and Andy Serkis and Melissa McCarthy are genuinely getting buzz for the supporting categories. In review, we need more critics awards to tell if DC is not completely off their rocker.

BEST FILM

- "The Artist"

- "The Descendants"

- "Drive"

- "Hugo"

- "Win Win"

For Your Anticipation: You Shouldn't Be Smoking

The indie film I'd really like to see this weekend is Win Win, and I only won't because of general circumstance. Tom McCarthy has done a great job with such indie material in the past, even if this feels like more of a comedic effort. It's McCarthy channeling lighter fare than usual, but I relish the opportunity for another great performance from Paul Giamatti, but even more so from Amy Ryan. She really seems like the one on showcase here, even if the story is told through Giamatti's circumstances. I look forward to the opportunity to see this one.

Films To See In 2011: March

At the start of every month, I tell myself that it's going to be better than what we were saddled with last month. That hasn't really been working for me lately, seeing as the closest January brought us to real quality was No Strings Attached, and the top film out in February happens to come from Justin Bieber. That's meant to be a compliment, because unlike most people on the planet, I don't hate Justin Bieber. I have better things to do with my time than hate a 15 year old kid who never did anything wrong to me. Getting back on track, I genuinely believe this month will be a step in the right direction. There are some films that I'd have liked to put on this list, but just didn't make the cut. The Adjustment Bureau looks like it could be another great film for Matt Damon, Paul looks absolutely hilarious, and features like Sucker Punch and Battle: Los Angeles look like well produced action spectacles. I just found myself most anticipating of three somewhat unlikely films.

#3."Beastly"
Directed by Daniel Barnz

A surprise, I am sure this is going to come as, but I can't remember a point in which I didn't think this was going to be a good film. I know that it has a supporting cast that includes Mary-Kate Olsen and Vanessa Hudgens, of all people, but I remember when Hudgens was set to appear in Bandslam a few years back. Nobody thought that would turn out well, and it turned out great. Beastly truly looks like a sweet and somewhat enjoyable twist on the tale of Beauty and the Beast. This could be the true breakout role for Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four), or else just another film worth seeing for Neil Patrick Harris.

#2."Jane Eyre"

Directed by Cary Fukunaga

I wasn't exactly sold on this one so instantly, but before the trailer came out, I had a hard time seeing the down side. It's a pretty well-known story, though I haven't ever found the time to read it, and the film features two of my favorite up-and-coming actors of this era. If you're familiar with this sight, you'll know how much I've appreciated Mia Wasikowska's work over the few months, and Michael Fassbender immediately struck me when he appeared in Inglourious Basterds nearly two years ago. I knew that this guy was going places. The first trailer was a bit mysterious for my tastes, and I had no idea what to make of this film. However, given the tone and writing of the footage I've seen, I think Jane Eyre could be the rare old-British drama that actually works. I'm certainly hoping for that outcome.

#1."Win Win"
Directed by Thomas McCarthy

Inevitably the film that I am 100% assured of is from Thomas McCarthy, who is fashioning a resume that paints him to be the Christopher Nolan of indie dramedies. By that, I mean that his track record thus far is impeccable, which I can't say is too stupefying since this is only his third film. Still, the man has done some great work in the recent past, and he's also partially responsible for the screenplay for Up. My anticipation for this film is do only partly to the director's craft, because it also features a clean shaven (kinda) Paul Giamatti in the lead role. The plot of a failing lawyer and family man moonlighting as a high-school wrestling coach who takes in a talented teenager doesn't strike as classic off the bat, but it's off-kilter enough to be more than just nothing. This could be McCarthy's best yet, and Giamatti could be looking at his second Academy-Award nomination. Maybe my hopes are a bit too high, but I really want Win Win to be a major win.

Theatrical Trailer: Win Win

We finally have a trailer for what has been one of my most anticipated films of the year, simply because it comes from director Tom McCarthy. He has yet to give us a bad film, and I don't think he's going to start here. Of course, Paul Giamatti playing a wrestling coach doesn't immediately strike anyone as heartwarmingly as Richard Jenkins' character did in The Visitor. Still, the trailer for Win Win draws some nice laughs, has ample amounts of heart in it, and it actually surprised me. It's not as superficial as the premise sounds. Check it out, and comment on your thoughts.

Sundance 2011: Best of the Fest

I guess my attempts at keeping up with the Sundance Film Festival have been something of a failure, but this has been a very busy week, and nobody is in the same place at the same time. It's rather difficult to get much done, but I've already gotten around to the bulk of really quality films like Martha Marcy May Marlene, Win Win, Like Crazy, Rebirth, and Pariah. So if the rest of the films feel like we're simply going through the rounds, then it's because we are. I display some kind of confidence that a great deal of the films on the first list could be nominated for next year's Academy Awards, because some of my favorite films of 2010 came from Sundance. I absolutely loved Winter's Bone and The Kids Are All Right, and the further we go into this year, the more my original Best of 2010 list continues to shift. It serves as a bit of a lesson not to announce my list so quickly.

Moving on to the here and the now, let me start off with the only film of the festival that I did have the opportunity to see, and that was the YouTube sponsored documentary Life in a Day. This is certainly something that's never been tried before, and that's an intriguing notion in and of itself. What struck me, and probably struck most people who watched it, was how it didn't feel too much like a bunch of people dorking around with their cameras, as well as how it never had any narrative string to it. It was a digital preservation of that one day, and not only the positive aspects of it, but the negative and occasionally disgusting aspects. It includes some of the most beautiful images this year, but also one of the most disturbing things ever caught on camera. A man opens up the egg of a mostly developed baby chick that died, sprinkles some salt on it, and puts it in his mouth. The fact that there's actually somebody who did that shocks me, and that's one of the images I couldn't get out of my head. It's not meant to be a critical masterpiece, but it's a lovely piece of work nonetheless.

Moving on to what was probably the most talked about premiere going into the festival, Kevin Smith's religious horror film Red State had quite a bit of controversy surrounding it. However, when you make a film where the antagonistic force is a radical priest who is harsh even by Nazi standards, you're surely going to butt heads with the Vatican. When have they ever turned down an opportunity to destroy the ambitious creativity of modern filmmakers? It goes without saying that people went to see the film anyway, mostly out of curiosity, and the response was as mixed as possible. I would never go ahead and call Kevin Smith a great filmmaker, but the man certainly has balls, and that's perhaps the most that people are saying of his latest film. It's brave, but not the work of an accomplished artist. I may still check it out when it comes around, but I'll be waiting a rather long wait for that to happen, seeing as Smith is planning to distribute Red State all by himself. On the long list of kindhearted, but ultimately stupid ideas, Smith is matched by none.

Transitioning from dark to dark, one of the early hits of the festival was Brendan Gleeson showcase The Guard. I've always gotten enjoyment from Gleeson's supporting performances, so him taking the lead role in a crime drama immediately interests me. When a generally unlikable character is put in the center of a story, you need the perfect actor for the audience not to completely despise him. It worked for George Clooney in Up in the Air. It didn't work for Ben Stiller in Greenberg. Hopefully, it works for Gleeson in The Guard. Another dark treasure that caught my eye was The Details, starring Elizabeth Banks and Tobey Maguire as a married couple. I feel shy from mentioning any reviews because they reveal far too much of the story, and though it is fantastically dark, it sounds like something I'd have rather experienced for myself. All I can say is that the response has been generally favorable, and it strikes me as a companion to American Beauty, at least from the premise of it.

One of the films at the festival that struck me as potentially being this year's The Social Network was Margin Call, set on the eve of the 2008 stock market drop. It supposedly tackles the collapse of a company, and does it with some of the greatest actors out there. Jeremy Irons, Kevin Spacey, Stanley Tucci, Paul Bettany, and the wonderful Zachary Quinto are all in the film, and even though it's been made clear by reviews that this isn't a popcorn flick, that cast has me eagerly awaiting this film, no matter the quality. That's the sort of cast that so rarely comes around, and while I have my doubts that it will deliver the same emotional drama as David Fincher's recent success, it does have a certain critical weight to it.

The last film I'll talk about, and this is a very potent contender for Best Picture next year, is Vera Farmiga's directorial debut, Higher Ground. If there was any film I expected to disappoint at the festival, it was this one. It's not because I doubt the actress' wealth as an actress, but because it's rare that they can hold as much attention behind the camera as in front of it. Reviews have been fantastic, painting this religiously conscious film in a far more favorite light than Kevin Smith's more sinister look at fundamentalists. It hasn't gotten a distributor yet, but I eagerly await the moment it does. Higher Ground could earn Farmiga her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress, and maybe people will stop making jokes about her name being hard to pronounce. Her name is Vera Farmiga. It's as simple a name as Clint Eastwood.

So, to wrap everything up, here are the top ten films of the festival that I am most anticipating, not including Life in a Day.


10. Win Win
9. Pariah
8. Rebirth
7. Margin Call
6. Higher Ground
5. Like Crazy
4. The Details
3. The Guard
2. Tyrannosaur
1. Martha Marcy May Marlene




Images (In Order): Vera Farmiga in Higher Ground; Red State; Kevin Spacey in Margin Call; Martha Marcy May Marlene

2011 Sundance Film Festival: Days 1-2

I'd say that I've entered the fray a little late in terms of the Sundance Film Festival. I've been so swamped this weekend, I never even assumed that there might actually be some new and amazing films debuting at the festival this year. Though the 2010 awards season may not be over yet, it's sure starting to feel like that, and so it's a good idea to get ahead on the next year. It turns out that quite a lot has been doing at Sundance this year, and the only relevant this I thought was premiering was Tom McCarthy's newest feature, Win Win. Even though his film hasn't been getting quite the same accolades as his past features, it hasn't gotten much negative response so far, so I'd say we've got another indie hit from McCarthy.

Transitioning from the expected to the unlikely, the latest film in the string of Blair Witch style caught-on-camera fantasy flicks is apparently upon us. It somewhat dismays me what this film is about: Trolls. I'm not even joking about this one. It's about freakin' trolls! The Troll Hunter is the debut that's caught a great deal of attention, not to mention unnerving looks. I'm not sure if I can buy into this one, or if I want to at all. I find it far easier to put my faith in director Dee Rees' lesbian drama, Pariah. Obviously a young black woman taking center-stage in a film premiering at Sundance is something we're quite familiar with after the film formerly known as Push came out. Last year proved to be the most predominantly white year in film I have seen in years, so it's good to get some diversity back in the swing of things. Pariah is actually aspiring to be the raw emotional-drama of this year's festival, after Blue Valentine lead the pack a year ago. It has definitely peeked my interest as an outside contender.

Most Anticipated Films of 2011

Well, it's about time that I look past the awards season and into the horizon of what I hope will be worthwhile films in 2011. I can't know for sure, because barely any trailer at all has been released for any of my picks, and most of them don't come out until after the start of the summer movie season. So I'm not going to elaborate on my anticipation, but I'll give a brief reason why. I wasn't one of the people who thought that The Hangover was overrated, but I also wasn't one of those crazies pushing it for Best Picture. That was never going to actually happen. The upcoming sequel should provide what was so entertaining the first time through, and the Godfather-ish Part II slapped at the end of the title makes it that much more intriguing.

Contagion, directed by Steven Soderbergh, has a typical name and a typical premise, but it's from the writer of films like The Bourne Ultimatum and The Informant, and it has an all star cast of Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard, and Bryan Cranston. Unless it was fabricated from someone's awesome imagination, Contagion is a must-see film. Sherlock Holmes 2 is another story. I'm one of the people who appreciated the first film as a fun and enjoyable detective film with a bit of action, but it was ultimately just a set-up for this sequel. Now that sequel is on its way, with Noomi Rapace, Stephen Fry, and Jared Harris joining the cast in major roles. Lets just hope that Rachel McAdams is put on the back-burner this time out.

X-Men: First Class is a bit of a fascination for me at the time, because I find the vintage superhero approach that director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) seems to be going with to be intriguing at the very least. They've got James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender in the leading roles, which seems like the perfect formula to restart the series. On the smaller side of things, I'm desperately looking forward to Thomas McCarthy's next film, Win Win, which does sound like some cheesy romantic-comedy, but I expect it will be far more than that. McCarthy has written some great films like The Visitor and Up, so I don't expect he's about to disappoint us.

One of the films that's a little bit further off the radar is 30 Minutes or Less, the upcoming comedy about a pizza boy who has a bomb strapped to his chest and is told to rob a bank. By the way, the main character is played by Jesse Eisenberg. I need not say more. The rest are rather self-explanatory, with Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol being Brad Bird's live-action debut, The Tree of Life being Terrence Malick's most highly anticipated film ever, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo coming right off the book phenomenon and director David Fincher's own phenomenon with The Social Network. Oh, and there's also Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, but whatever. What are you most looking forward to seeing this year? Comment below and let me know!

10. The Hangover: Part II
9. Contagion
8. Sherlock Holmes 2
7. X-Men: First Class
6. Win Win
5. 30 Minutes or Less
4. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
3. The Tree of Life
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1