Archive | February 2012
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Oscar Predictions
This will be somewhat abbreviated because of unforeseen circumstances, but…here we go. BEST PICTURE will be won by “The Artist” and its Spirit Award win last night seems to lock that up for certain. Early frontrunner “The Descendants” has been left in the dust, and spoilers like “Hugo” and “The Help” will win in other categories. In my […]
Take Shelter & The Interrupters
Two award shows to go, people—and then the season is over. Can you believe the Oscars used to take place in late March. That’s one of the changes of the last decade that I actually like. February is the right time—it was a good move. Anyway, my official picks in the top categories will be posted […]
Certified Copy
How is it possible that I’ve been watching Juliette Binoche for a quarter of a century and she just keeps getting more beautiful? From “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” to “Damage” to “Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights” to “Three Colors: Blue” to “The Horseman on the Roof” to “The English Patient” to “Chocolat” to “The Widow […]
The Help
Nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress and twice for Best Supporting Actress at the 84th Annual Academy Awards… “I’ve never met a racist, but I’ve known plenty of them”. This is what I told a friend recently when discussing this past summer’s surprise smash, “The Help”. How […]
The Adventures of Tintin 3D & War Horse
The Adventures of Tintin is nominated for Best Original Score at the 84th Annual Academy Awards… You can’t help but feel that it should have been a little bit better. I mean here is the world’s most renowned director venturing into animation AND 3D territory for the very first time. Would it feel more […]
Have-ta BAFTA
Gotta acknowledge our friends across the pond…even if the so-called “British Academy Awards” are traditionally not quite the indicators that the DGA and the Golden Globes are. But it appears they are matching the odds nicely this year. BAFTA’s Triple Crown of Best Pic/Director/Actor for “The Artist” seems to be the likely hat trick come […]
My Week with Marilyn
Nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor at the 84th Annual Academy Awards… It’s charming, but slight—however Michelle Williams makes it more than worthwhile. An old friend of mine(an astute Marilyn Monroe aficionado)felt that Williams deftly captured MM’s vulnerability. I’ll say. I wanted to take her home and protect her forever. But there’s more […]
Star Wars: Episode 1-The Phantom Menace 3D
My first grader was jazzed for this one. Either this or the whale movie(Big Miracle). It’s his birthday this week, so-totally his choice. Silently, I rooted for “Star Wars”, because I nearly needed an insulin shot just watching the commercial for “Big Miracle”. Anyway, needless to say—got my wish. And as usual, seeing a Star […]
Hell and Back Again
Nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 84th Annual Academy Awards… Pretty harrowing stuff, and the finest of the three documentary Oscar nominees I have seen—thus far. How to describe Nathan Harris, the young sergeant wounded in Afghanistan and the main focus of this film? He obviously was ready to […]
Rio
Nominated for Best Original Song at the 84th Annual Academy Awards… Found myself delightfully charmed by this on the second go-round. My first visit to it was at the theater with my two boys. We chose the 2-D version. About a third of the way through, my littlest guy had to go to the bathroom…which […]
Reviewed by Mark Leonard 