Oscar Contenders in 2013

BEAST OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

DRAMA/FANTASY

               

PLOT:  Young black girl has to deal with harsh realities by imagination.

Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis) is six years old who lost her mom and her father Wink (Dwight Henry) is trying to make her tough before he dies while escaping before the levees break.  WARNING:  Before you see this film this is an INDEPENTANT films it is not like what you would expect from a mainstream movie.  That being said it is a wild ride reality and fantasy combined.  To tell you the truth I can’t explain the plot but the young Ms Wallis is fantastic!!  She is tough, tender.  She has to be an adult in tragic situations.  I wasn’t going to see the movie until the black actress was nominated for an Oscar.  I like weird but this one baffled me.  If you want to see it wait and watch it when it comes to IFC or Sundance.

LIFE OF PI

ADVENTURE/FANTASY/DRAMA

PLOT:  A young man begins an epic journey alone on a boat with a Bengal tiger.

The story is not as simple as I stated.  The story is really not the movie’s strong point but the stunning visual effects.  It is a feast to the eyes.   Based on the novel by Yann Martel director Ang Lee(Hulk-2003 and Brokeback Mountain) brings an un-filmable movie to life!!   The actors are mostly India and they are fantastic!! If you can see it on the big screen for it was shown in 3D like Avatar 3D to see the depth and beauty of this amazing feature.

LES MISERABLES

MUSICAL/DRAMA

PLOT:  Based on the novel by Victor Hugo turned into a hit musical and now the film adaption.

Oh boy this is a tragic story so they release it on Christmas Day. Hugh Jackman plays Jean Valjean who is sent to jail for stealing a loaf of bread. He has done his time but Javert (Russell Crowe) still chases him because once a thief always a thief.  Jean also helps a dying prostitute Faintine( Anne Hathaway) and takes care of  her daughter, Cosette (Amanda Seyfried).  The performances by the leads are outstanding and director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) is epic!!  There is no dialogue only singing and that is great on Broadway and on the big screen if you like that.  I don’t really like it at all.

Wango Django--Winter Action Unchained

DJANGO UNCHAINED

WESTERN/DRAMA/ACTION

PLOT:  Django, a former slave becomes a bounty hunter to find his wife.

                When you mix blaxploitation and a spaghetti western you get this movie.  You can love or loathe this film because it is entertaining but inaccurate.  The good: it is very violent as well as funny.  There is a love story.  Jamie Foxx is great as Django and a black hero.  Samuel L. Jackson is the meanest Uncle Tom I have ever seen. Christoph Waltz, a dentist turned bounty is a good German!!

The bad: well, it is about slavery and the white folks as well as the black folks use the N word a lot but at least  when the white people who say it  they don’t last long. Director Quentin Tarantino could never make a family film in his life shows slavery as it is brutal and unpleasant.  The movie is long: 2:45 minutes--he stretches it out likes it’s epic.  It may bring blaxploitation back!!  Black audiences are going to see especially women because of the love story.

JACK REACHER

DRAMA/ACTION/MYSTERY

PLOT:  An expert sniper kills five people then asks for Jack Reacher and he has to investigate to clear his name.

             It is interesting movie with Tom Cruise in the starring role. But if you have read the book by Lee Child he doesn’t look like Cruise at all--he is supposed to be tall (6’5’) and strong, but that doesn’t stop Cruise from being a bad-ass.  I think he wants to do roles that stretch his abilities which are a good thing.  The trailer is better than the movie from an action standpoint, unless you like a complex plot (then you will like it).  Otherwise, action hounds will like it in spots, but not really.

ZERO DARK THIRTY

DRAMA

PLOT:  CIA operatives hunt for Osama Bin Linden

                The title of the movie means 30 minutes after midnight and darkness and secrecy.  It begins with news reports about 9/11 and then the search for the most hated man in the world.  Maya, (Jessica Chastain) a CIA agent who takes over from Dan (Jason Clarke) who is tired of torturing people to get information.  His performance is good-at least he shows that the horrible things he does to suspects is truly getting to him.  The pacing is slooow, so this isn’t action-packed at all. 

I believe director Kathryn Bigelow (Hurt Locker) wanted to show how long it takes to find Osama. Ms. Chastain performance is good.  She is smart and caring but she would do anything including torture to find the terrorist.  It is not doing well at the box-office at all.  It is a downer, it is long and I believe the public doesn’t want to see anything about war right now.

Of Toons, Abes and Hobbits

WRECK IT RALPH

ANIMATION

Plot:  Ralph is a villain in a video game who wants to become a hero by any means necessary.

The 3D animation is great and the voice actors are even better.  John C Reilly is the Ralph; comedienne Sara Silverman does a fine job as his friend. It has what good film needs, humor, heart action and drama.  Your kids will enjoy it and the kid in you will too.

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS

ANIMATION

Plot:  Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman and Jack Frost must stop the evil Pitch Black/Boogeyman.

Wow this film brings the childhood myths back to life in interesting ways.  Santa Claus in this feature is called North(don’t know why) The Easter Bunny voiced by Hugh Jackman(Wolverine) has an Australian accent, The Tooth Fairy(Isla Fisher) is very cute, The Sandman doesn’t talk and Jack Frost (Chis Pine, Star Trek 2009) carries a crooked staff and has a back-story. All of the myths give children hope and happiness but Pitch Black (Jude Law, Sherlock Holmes) wants fear and darkness.  It is very imaginative and the best part is that the director is a black story board artist name Peter Ramsey!! I hope he does more films because this was very good.

LINCOLN

HISTORICAL DRAMA

PLOT:  Near the last months of his presidency to abolish slavery and Civil War.

This movie is not about a bio about Abraham Lincoln but the last months of him before being killed.  Daniel Day Lewis is great as Lincoln and Tommy Lee Jones is brilliant as Thaddeus Stevens. The arguments on The House of Representatives feels like you are there.  The movie is slow and many people may find it boring.  The questions we should be asking did Lincoln want to free the slaves for it was wrong or was it politics. Another question we should be asking is there are 44 presidents in the United States and only Hollywood makes over and over these three: Lincoln, FDR and JFK.

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

FANTASY/ADVENTURE

PLOT: Bilbo Baggins joins a group Dwarves to go back to Erebor to deal with the dragon Smaug.  First of the trilogy.

Fantasy films don’t get any epic than this!!  Director Peter Jackson who was brave enough to do the Lord of the Rings trilogy does The Hobbit.  I don’t think he wanted to direct it but so many other directors dropped out he just says “just do it” and he did a great job.  The movie is sooo spectacular and the 48 frame per second gave it depth.  It is amazing and there are two more films to go!!!

Iron Fists, Black Drunks, War for White Chicks

MAN WITH THE IRON FIST

ACTION

                Plot:  In feudal China, many warriors and killers hunt for the gold in Jungle Village.  The story is really not important as hip-hop artist Rza from the Wu-Tang Clan makes his directorial debut as well as stars in the feature.  He loves martial arts movies and it shows.  He is not that successful at it but it is full cheesy clichés found these kinds of movies.  The cast also has Lucy Liu, Russell Crowe (don’t know why he is in this, some say he is a friend of Rza.) and who stands out for me is former wrestler of WWE Dave Bautista as Brass Body!!    He can change his body to  metal and nothing can pierce him. He is a villain and doesn’t say much but he is a character in need of a back story and story of his own.

FLIGHT

DRAMA

                Plot:  Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) is an airline pilot who saves lives by doing a stunt move with the plane but when they investigate they find out he is an addict.  I spoiled the story but you have to see Denzel at his very best!!  It is sympathy for the devil but he plays it beautifully.  All the other cast members are fantastic but Harling Mays (John Goodman) as a drug dealer is amazing!!  He is funny and frightening.  I see two Oscars buzz and nominations for Washington and Goodman.

TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN 2

ROMANCE/ACTION/FANTASY

                Plot:  Bella gives birth to Renesmee and now she is a vampire with  super powers but now she must protect her daughter from the evil Volturi.  The teen phenomenal is finally over!!  It doesn’t stop the twihards but may stop others.  The good stuff is that Kristen Stewart looks very beautiful and she strong and aggressive, there is a lot of action this time.  The bad is some of the special effects and it drags before the violent climax.  It is the best of the series. Honestly, I don’t know why it makes so much money or has a devoted following.  It is Star Wars for white chicks!!

Fall Thrillers ROCK in 2012

ALEX CROSS

CRIME DRAMA THRILLER

   

                Tyler Perry (writer, director of Madea movies) stars as Alex Cross, homicide detective psychologist must find a psycho, lonely assassin named Picasso (Matthew Fox).  If you can believe that Tyler Perry can be Sherlock Holmes for most of the movie and Shaft near the end you will enjoy it.  Give Perry an A for effort for trying to be an actor other than in his movies. Matthew Fox is good as the killer.  Do you know any happy, social assassins?  The movie is not doing well in the theaters but it will do much better on video.  

ARGO

DRAMA/THRILLER

                This movie is based on a real story of six American diplomatic personnel rescued from Iran by Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) by pretending they are making a fantasy film. It makes you wonder how close Hollywood and the CIA really are. Sounds like a comedy and there are very funny moments in it but it is very serious and at times intense!!!  The cast is great including Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), John Goodman and Alan Arkin.  Ben Affleck was born to direct and he does an excellent job.  An Oscar nomination is in his future.  There is not a lot of action but much suspense.  Recommended!

SKYFALL

ACTION/THRILLER

                The movie is the 23^rd Bond movie and it delivers like the others.  Daniel Craig is James Bond for the third time.  The plot is about a vengeful former MI6 agent called Silva played Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men won an Oscar) who wants to get M played Judi Dench.  Judi Dench is great as M, tough with a tender side very rarely shown. Mr. Bardem’s Silva a bad guy and there is a scene where he flirts with Bond!!  He is not an average adversary.

The opening sequence is spectacular!!  The two new Bond women are Naomie Harris as Eve and Berenice Marolohe as Serverine. Craig’s Bond is more like James Bourne than the traditional James Bond, the superhero guy who slaughters the villains and sleeps with the ladies.  When you see the film the title is explained.  It is better than the last movie Quantum of Solace.