More Oscar 2012 Heads & Tails

WAR HORSE--2011
DRAMA

This is an epic film based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo as well as the stage play. The story is about a young man who loves his horse like a dog and his father had to auction him (Joey) to keep his farm to help the solders. It is farfetched, sentimental yet is brilliantly done. If you love animals especially horses you will adore this movie. I didn’t mention any stars of the movie because the horse is the star. The film is slow and it shows war is hell for both man and horses. The lush photography should win an Oscar alone!!! If you don’t cry at some point you are not human!!! It is very good and should be seen on the big screen if you can.

HUGO--2011
DRAMA/FAMILY

First of all this is another movie where you have to know the history of beginning of film to truly enjoy it. It is about the title character Hugo who lives in a giant clock and after his father dies in a fire the uncle makes him work as a clockmaker and the boy wants to fix a broken automation that leads him to an incredible adventure. It is beautiful to look at and very well acted. The most bizarre is Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat himself) as a handicapped French police officer!! It shows what film really is and it is not about box office, Oscars but how movies can change the world.

A BETTER LIFE--2011
DRAMA

An updated, Mexican version of The Bicycle Thief is about an illegal immigrant Carlos (Demian Bichir) who works hard every day to give his son a better life. Things do get better when he gets a trunk but then stolen. The two search for the trunk to discovery they love and respect each other. Bichir deserves his Oscar nomination. There is a scene close to the end that if you don’t cry you have no heart!! Cast and crew deserve praise of a well made movie. It is getting limited release. You will probably have to watch it when it comes on video but it is worth it.

RED TAILS--2012
HISTRORICAL DRAMA

It took director George (Star Wars) Lucas twenty-three years to make this movie and then he had to use his own money (like he is broke) for Hollywood felt they couldn’t sell the film. What Hollywood really means how to you sell an all black cast in a drama that whites want to see? Well he did a very good job as producer. He hired writers John Ridley and Aaron McGruder yes the same guy who writes the raunchy cartoon Boondocks. He hired Anthony Hemingway to direct which is his film debut.

In the beginning of the film an American War College study in 1925 and I quote “Black men are mentally inferior to the white man.” The movie shows black men as being brave, daring and HERORIC. It is very inspiring. The sky battles are nothing short of AMAZING!!! It drags a little only because they are developing characters. Terrance Howard who plays Colonel A.J. Bullard is good but corny for he always says something very important with the soundtrack booming patriotic. There is one woman in the movie Sofia (Daniela Ruah) a white woman that marries one of the pilots.

Black women won’t like that but the fighters were not in America but in Italy. All the mistakes I still give Mr. Lucas all the praise in the world for trying to show black men in a positive light. I do hope black directors take a hint from Lucas and show black people in general as good, intelligent hard working people.

2012 Oscar Time Arrivals

THE DESCENDANTS-2011
DRAMA

George Clooney is not only good looking but can act!!! He plays Matt King an everyday man dealing with everyday but tragic problems in of all places Hawaii!!! His wife is in a coma, he finds out she was cheating on him, he has a vast amount of beautiful land many of his family wants to sell and he is clueless how to deal with her rebellious daughters. The daughters played by Alex (Shailene Woodley ) the oldest with a foul mouth and Scottie (Amara Miller) leaning the wrong things from her sister.

The King family has many ways right or wrong to deal with death and it is truly heartbreaking. It is not like typical Lifetime movie. There are no flashbacks of how Elizabeth King (Patricia Hastie) how she was before the accident you find out about her through her husband and kids. Woodley is very good as a hellish teenager but learns her father needs help with the younger sister. If you enjoy excellent acting you should go.

THE IRON LADY -2011
BIOGRAPHY/DRAMA

This review is a tough one. I don’t know about Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. I read a little bit about her so I am only reviewing as a movie. Meryl Streep is wonderful as the character but they rushed the film about her raise and fall. The best parts are when she is not in power but just a citizen trying to ordinary. To me, it’s a better Lifetime movie with a great actress. Depending on your political views she was amazing or an amazing bitch!!! If you like incredible acting by Streep watch it the film is not very accurate.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO-2011
(AMERICAN VERSION) DRAMA/MYSTERY

If you like this movie you should have read all three bestselling books by Stieg Larsson and watched all three movies –the Swedish version. I haven’t done either but I have watched the English version and it is interesting once you get passed the explicit sex and violence ( the Swedish version is likely much worst) and get to the story of Mikael Blombkist (Daniel Craig) a reporter paid of a rich family to find his daughter from 40 years ago.

He gets an assistant Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) an antisocial gothic lean chick who is a brilliant hacker and together they uncovered a hot bed of corruption. Craig is not James Bond in this movie but he is good. Actress Mara who was briefly in The Social Network is very good but I don’t know is she as good as the original Salander played by Noomi Rapace. This is not a family movie, not a date movie so they release it around Christmas. WARNING: Be prepared to see some kinky stuff!!

THE ARTIST-2011
SILENT/DRAMA/ROMANCE

Ladies and gentlemen this is a great movie but you really have to enjoy silent movies that are shown on TCM. You can enjoy the film but you will appreciate more if you like silent movies. It is about a silent movie idol George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) who doesn’t do well when talkies come in and a fan Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) in love with him who becomes a sensation. It is a joy to watch. The music is very important to silent films and Ludovic Bource does an excellent job. Everything about cinema silent or otherwise is great. See it if you can.

So, HOW Do you Sell Red Tails?

The movie Red Tails is a true historical drama about the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of brave black fighter pilots in 1944 who had to deal with war and segregation. There was also a HBO movie Tuskegee Air Man in 1995. My question is, how do you advertise such a film to the public? Sad to say, it is a hard sell. It is not a blockbuster bit of cinema, but George (Star Wars) Lucas is producing it. It has great action sequences –some say fantastic.

It is set for release in January 2012, the dumping ground for movies. The trouble is no big name black star is in the film so how to sell it, so let's brainstorm. First, it is not a Tyler Perry movie or a black romantic comedy. Now what? How will that make it go over in Leicester Square cinema, or elsewhere? Well, it has Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr., and in it he's finally acting – which he hasn’t done in years. The movie also has Terrence Howard, from Hustle and Flow and Iron Man, and you know he can act.

It is male oriented, so there will be action in it. It's great to show young black men in a good light. Should they use rap in their commercials? Or a catchy dance tune? The director is Anthony Hemingway, who has done a lot of TV shows –Fringe, CSI, ER and The Closer. This is his film debut. On the cover of Ebony for February 2012 they will feature the main actors. As another marketing manuever, they could go the patriotic route, with the song Star Spangled Banner sung by Whitney Houston, or a soulful rendition of God Bless America as they show the battle sequences. A promo could fade out to say: Courage Has No Color.

The trailers must show the men being very heroic, because doggone it, black men can be heroic. I hope the movie makes money or at least break even, but I strongly doubt it. It is the old story of prestige versus popcorn movies, and usually the popcorn film wins. I do hope I am wrong, very wrong this time. Black people go to the movies more than whites, and we should demand better movies. If we don’t go, we'll have the usual urban comedies, no dramas, more maids, more gangster movies, "white folks can only raise black children" white saviors in films, when the fact is we can save ourselves. Hollywood can do better if we make them for remember the bottom line is money, so satisfy the black audience.

Early Winter 2012 Family Fare

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN
ANIMATION/FANTASY

TinTin is a really old cartoon character. Director Steven Spielberg must have really wanted to make this exciting tale and it starts with the Tintin buying a model ship. He is hunted at every turn and he meets always drunk Captain Haddock voiced by the great actor Andy Serkis (Gollum, from Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Caesar from Rise of the Planet of the Apes) and the evil Sakharine voiced by Daniel Craig, the latest James Bond. It is like Indiana Jones only animated. The young kids may love the motion caption and 3D but older people who know the comic might enjoy it. If you don’t want to pay the high price wait for video.

CHIPWRECKED
ANIMATION

The franchise is so cute you may get a cavity just by watching it. The plot is not really important by the stars Alvin and the Chipmunk and don’t forget the Chipettes are. Alvin gets them in trouble on the cruise and they are accidentally stranded on a tropical island. They have a lot of pop culture but to young kids it is very funny to adults not so much. It is a joy to watch at least for me. If you can wait see it on video if you have children that like them please go!!!

HAPPY FEET 2
ANIMATION

If you saw the first one you know Mumble couldn’t sing but could dance now his son Erik is trying to find his way and what his talent is while a threat to the entire penguin nation is in danger. It is a very well made movie-not as good as the first one but the music is pretty good. There is another story along with the penguins that blend together in the end. If you liked the first one and love music you will like this one-you should see it on video just to understand more of it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR’S EVE
ROMANCE/COMEDY/DRAMA

In 2010 a movie made named Valentine’ s Day with lots of star in it and money now they made another star studded film for the last day of the year. The people are all connected with happy to sad results. It is very romantic, very unrealistic situations too but characters are given not much time for development. Should you see it depends of what you like and if you didn’t like Valentine’s Day don’t go wait for video.

SHERLOCK HOLMES 2: GAME OF SHADOWS
ACTION/ADVENTURE

In the second installment of this movie Holmes (Robert Downey Jr) meets him nemesis Professor James Moriarty played with ego and menace by Jared Harris. Watson seems to have more common sense than his flamboyant partner. It is like the first one more action and daring situations yet Downey’s Holmes is intelligent as well as reckless and rough. If you like the first please go to this one for it is very good.

Money and Protocols

MONEYBALL
SPORTS DRAMA

I can’t believe this is a true story but it is. It is about Billy Beane general manager of the Oakland A’s who tries to change old school way of the big and powerful of baseball. Brad Pitt is more than a handsome face-he is ACTING. Another surprise Jonah Hill (Superbad and the The Sitter) is very good as his partner and accountant. No melodramatic clinches thanks to the writing of Aaron Sorkin ( West Wing, The Social Network). You don’t have to know baseball to the enjoy it. It is a drama not much action so if you are into acting go to see it-if not wait for video.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: GHOST PROTOCOL
ACTION

You think this series would slow down after the fourth movie but it is action packed. I can’t believe this was directed by Brad Bird who directed the animated feature The Incredible. If you’ve seen the trailer you know the film. Mostly all of IMF are killed and the only ones left is Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) Benji (Simon Pegg) Paula Patton (Jane Carter) and Brandt(Jeremy Renner) to stop a nuclear bomb from destroying a major city. James Bond got competition with Ethan Hunt but the difference is he can work alone and work as a team. You should see it on the big screen but if you can’t video is good. If you like lots of action this is for you.