Movie Review - Frost/Nixon

Frost/Nixon (2008)
Director: Ron Howard
Actors: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, San Rockwell, Kevin Bacon

Overall:
I really enjoyed this movie. I thought the storyline moved right along and held my interest all the way through. Sometimes these types of biographical films get a little dull because you know what's going to happen, but I think Ron Howard, once again, did a good job of fleshing out the characters and creating some on-screen tension and suspense. I think it's also important to mention that for people of my generation, this era in American political history isn't well understood because we weren't even born yet. Films like Frost/Nixon are historical 'story-telling' and can educate a whole new generation in a much more accessible media form than even the classroom. It's sad to say but without movies like Frost/Nixon, I think a lot of young people wouldn't even know who Richard Nixon is and what happened with Watergate.

Plot:
Frost/Nixon has a pretty well-known plotline. Richard Nixon resigns the Presidency of the United States of America on August 9, 1974 after the Watergate scandal reveals that he had had direct prior knowledge of corruption, sabotage attempts, and a political cover-up. A month later newly-elected President Gerald Ford grants Nixon a full pardon. Then, 3 years later, Nixon agrees to shoot a series of sit-down interviews with David Frost, a British commentator and talk show host, to help restore his public image. And it's during these interviews that Nixon finally talks about his involvement in the Watergate scandal.

Setting/Mood:
One of the reasons I enjoy watching movies so much is because they have the ability to transport you to another world, another culture, or another time period. In this case, we're transported to the 1970's and the period of American civil unrest over the Watergate scandal and Richard Nixon. One thing I specifically liked about the setting was that even though it was set in the '70's, the clothing, cars, hotel rooms, etc. were not over-the-top. It felt authentic rather than cliche.

Acting:
I thought the acting performances were good all around, but particularly Michael Sheen's portrayal of David Frost. I really felt like he blended away into the character while still being very dynamic, whereas Frank Langella's portrayal of Nixon didn't have the same effect. For me, he didn't blend away as Richard Nixon enough for me to buy in to the character. I realize that it's infinitely harder to portray an actual person than a fictional character, but that's the nature of the beast. I think the Academy takes this into consideration with it's Oscar nominations because it seems like every year there's a least one nominee who's portrayed an historical figure. Whether it's Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles, Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash, or this year with Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, the Academy likes to reward this type of performance.

Recommendation:
I would definitely recommend movie, although not because of Frank Langella's portrayal of Nixon, but because of the historical significance of the story, Ron Howard's undeniable directorial skill, and Michael Sheen's sharp portrayal of David Frost. Go see it before the Oscars because I think Ron Howard has a decent shot at the Best Director award, other then that I don't see it taking home many other awards.

Movie Review - Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Director: Danny Boyle & Loveleen Tandan
Actors: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan

Overall:
I thought this movie was really great! It had everything I look for in a legitimate Oscar contender. A great story, dramatic cinematography, good acting, a little suspense, and a lot of passion. It's not often that we're confronted with the harsh realities of life in the slums of India and it's truly shocking to see all the poverty, but out of this hellish environment comes a beautiful love story. One which overcomes tremendous obstacles and reminds us how powerful love can be.

Plot:
This film centers around a teenager, Jamal, who grew up in the slums of Mumbai, but now finds himself on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" Following his remarkable run on the first night of the show, he's arrested under suspicion of cheating and interrogated about how a poor "slumdog" could know the answers to the questions. It's during this interrogation that events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers and why he's ventured onto the show in the first place.

Setting/Mood:
The cinematography in this film was truly spectacular. There were several points throughout this film that I was simply in awe. The juxtaposition between wealth and poverty, greed and sacrifice, and love and hate was very well done. There's a lot of beauty in India that's just underneath the surface and I think this film did a great job of peeling back the layers to reveal something really special.

Acting:
Although not recognized by the Academy, I thought the acting in this film was also really good. I was immediately drawn into the story by the child actors used to portray the lead characters when they're young and it carried right through 'til the end.

Recommendation:
I would highly recommend this film to everyone and I think it has a good chance of stealing the Best Picture category at the Oscars.

81st Academy Award Nominees

The Academy Award nominees have finally been announced, so lets take a look at who made the cut. Leading the way with 13 nominations is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, followed by rags-to-riches tale Slumdog Millionaire. Though generally a weak year for films, 2008 still had it's share of successes. Frost/Nixon returned Ron Howard to the Best Director category and Sean Penn once again is up for Best Actor for his portrayal of Harvey Milk. Then there's the surprising inclusion of The Reader, by director Stephen Daldry. We'll have to wait until Feb. 22 to see which films really stood out for academy voters.

Best Picture:

1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2. Frost/Nixon
3. Milk
4. The Reader
5. Slumdog Millionaire

I hate to admit this, but I actually haven't seen any of these films. My hope is to see at least 4 of the 5 before the big night, and I bet you can guess which one will probably be left out. Like a lot of people I think The Dark Knight should have gotten the nod over The Reader, and I've even heard people suggest that Wall-E could have been a suitable replacement. As with most years, the Academy rarely gets it completely right.

Best Director:

1. David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
2. Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon)
3. Gus Van Sant (Milk)
4. Stephen Daldry (The Reader)
5. Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)

Not a surprise that the 5 nominated directors are all attached to the 5 nominated films for Best Picture. In my opinion, Ron Howard is the clear favorite, with David Fincher and Gus Van Sant also having an outside chance. It would have been nice to see Christopher Nolan get a nomination here, but it just didn't happen.

Best Actor:

1. Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)
2. Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)
3. Sean Penn (Milk)
4. Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
5. Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

Once again we see the fruits of portraying famous figures of the past as Frank Langella (as Richard Nixon) and Sean Penn (as Harvey Milk) both get Oscar nominations. Mickey Rourke is a nice addition to this group and Brad Pitt gets his first nomination since his 1995 supporting actor nomination for Twelve Monkeys.

Best Actress:

1. Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)
2. Angelina Jolie (Changeling)
3. Melissa Leo (Frozen River)
4. Meryl Streep (Doubt)
5. Kate Winslet (The Reader)

This looks to be a competitive category this year with several good performances. Meryl Streep must always be considered a favorite, but Kate Winslet and Angelina Jolie should also get serious consideration. Especially Jolie, who's emotional portrayal in Clint Eastwood's Changeling really carried that film.

Best Supporting Actor:

1. Josh Brolin (Milk)
2. Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder)
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)
4. Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
5. Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road)

The supporting actor category has quite the assortment of characters this year. From Oscar titan Philip Seymour Hoffman with his 3rd Oscar nomination in 4 years, to Robert Downey Jr. and his hilarious portrayal of an actor portraying an African-American soldier in Tropic Thunder, to Josh Brolin with his first Oscar nomination, and finally Heath Ledger, who stole the show in The Dark Knight but tragically passed away of an unintentional drug overdose. This category is wide open.

Best Supporting Actress:

1. Amy Adams (Doubt)
2. Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
3. Viola Davis (Doubt)
4. Taraji P. Henson (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
5. Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)

With such a diverse group of actresses, the Oscar is truly up for grabs. For Marisa Tomei, this is her 3rd Oscar nomination and first since In The Bedroom (2001). For Amy Adams and Penelope Cruz, this is their 2nd nomination each and both are looking for their first Oscar. But with the widespread success of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Taraji P. Henson should not be overlooked in this category.

In the next few weeks I hope to see as many of these films and performances as possible and bring you my reviews before the big day. For a complete list of the Academy Award nominations, you can visit the official Oscar website at Oscar.com. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the nominations, so feel free to leave a comment.

Movie Review - Gone Baby Gone

Gone Baby Gone (2007)
Director: Ben Affleck
Actors: Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris

Overall:
Not a bad directorial debut from Ben Affleck. I really enjoyed this film. I thought he did a great job of capturing the essence of southside Boston and all the poverty that comes with it. He also got some great individual performances from Ed Harris and Casey Affleck. Films like this one are really important because they expose us to things we don't normally have to deal with and show us that other people are trying to survive in very different worlds. All too often we forget and take for granted the opportunities that we've been given.

Plot:
Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Dennis Lahane, the story focuses on a private investigator and his partner/girlfriend who are hired by the family of a missing girl to help the cops find her. Along the way it's discovered that the mother is in deep with a local drug lord and an exchange is arranged for the missing girl. When the deal goes south, it's believed the young girl is killed. Afterward, while trying to cope with the guilt of not being able to rescue the missing girl, questions still remain surrounding what really happened. With plenty of twists and turns, the story is full of suspense and expertly crafted.

Setting/Mood:
Set against the backdrop of a poor and depressing neighborhood of Boston it's immediately clear that even though the police are involved, they are not welcomed. Nobody trusts anyone, everyone is living in poverty, and it's unclear whether the missing girl should even be returned to her family. Filled with dark and dilapidated buildings, profane bartenders, drug-dealing alcoholics, and chain-smoking mothers, it's an inescapable reality for anyone living there and hope is hard to find.

Acting:
There are some superb performances in this film but the best has to be Ed Harris, who plays a mean, gritty detective investigating the case. Once again his amazing versatility as an actor is on display. Casey Affleck also delivers on his first major leading role with a strong performance. Surprisingly, I thought the weakest performance of the feature cast came from Morgan Freeman, who's usually as dependable as they get.

Recommendation:
I would definitely recommend this film to anyone who enjoys suspense and doesn't mind a revealing look at the underbelly of society.

Movie Review - Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace (2008)
Director: Marc Forster
Actors: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench

Overall:
I really like these new 007 movies. Although I probably enjoyed Casino Royale more than this latest Bond installment, both of them were far superior to the last few Brosnan flops. C'mon, you know any movie starring Denise Richards as a research scientist named Christmas Jones is going to be terrible! But these new films are different. They're truly a blend of the classic Bond and the new Bond. They've still got the cool opening credit sequence, shaken martini's, and Bond's uncontrollable sexy appeal, while toning down on the corny gadgets and ridiculous character names. I also like that they've stepped up the action. I'm not just looking for huge explosions and 10-minute fight scenes, but it's nice to actually have a tough Bond character again.

Plot:
Although seemingly complex at first, the plot line is actually pretty straightforward. I would have liked a little bit more suspense with regard to the plot line, but you could also start to tell that the real story was more about Bond and his personal demons. And actually there's nothing wrong with that, it's just so different from the previous Bond movies where you never got the sense that anyone or anything really meant anything to Bond. I feel like he's a much more dynamic character now.

Setting/Mood:
In true 007 style, this film takes Bond all over the world. From Italy to Bolivia to Austria to Russia, the locations are beautiful. There's something so romantic yet dangerous, tempting yet detestable about being a secret agent, and this film really connected with it. You both envy and pity Bond at the same time. I thought the atmosphere really brought this point home.

Acting:
Daniel Craig is excellent! I really like what he brings to the Bond character and I thought his performance in this film was great. You could just see all of the emotion just beneath the surface ready to explode. However, Mathieu Amalric's performance as Dominic Greene, the film's chief villian, wasn't as impressive. I think they were trying to create a "mastermind"-type character who was soft-spoken but deeply sinister, but it never really got that far. He just came across kinda flat and weak. I really liked Amalric's performance in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007), so this was quite disappointing.

Recommendation:
I would highly recommend this film to anyone who enjoyed Casino Royale or is a fan of high-energy action movies. It's another solid Bond film.

Movie Review - King Corn

King Corn (2007)
Director: Aaron Woolf
Actors: Earl Butz, Ian Cheney, Curt Ellis

Overall:
I really enjoyed this documentary because it wasn't a big budget, propaganda-filled film. It just focused on the issues and came across like an independent film about the realities of our modern diets. There's a lot that we should know about the agricultural industry and what we're putting in our bodies. It's actually quite amazing to discover how much corn-based product we consume on a daily basis.

Plot:
This film is a documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis are college buddies who travel to a small town in the heartland of America to learn about where their food comes from and with the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow an acre of America's most-productive, most-subsidized grain. Along the way they also point out how pervasive corn has become in the modern American diet.

Setting/Mood:
Set in the sprawling corn fields of Iowa, the film paints a distinct picture of what life is like for the average American corn farmer and illustrates what they must do to stay in business. Nestled among the corn fields are also these anonymous small towns that are struggling to stay alive as the corn industry nears a crossroads. Although depressing at times, the underlying feeling throughout the film is that we ultimately have a choice about what we put into our bodies.

Acting:
What can you really expect from a couple of college students filming a documentary. They actually are pretty good on screen and keep it interesting. The supporting cast of characters are great and provide an authentic element to the film. With some of the farmers, you can just tell they haven't made it off the farm much.

Recommendation:
I'd recommend this film for anyone interested in the American agricultural industry, anyone concerned about what we put into our bodies, or anyone who just enjoys documentaries.

Movie Review - The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight (2008)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Actors: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal

What a great film! Christopher Nolan has done an amazing job reinventing this struggling superhero franchise and long past are the days of 'pretty boy' Batman's like Val Kilmer and George Clooney. Christian Bale has given Batman back his toughness and his edge. Then throw in an excellent storyline and a chilling performance by Heath Ledger as The Joker and you've got a real winner! It can't be overstated what a tremendous loss Heath Ledger's death has caused. He was a brilliant young actor who was only beginning to show his true talent on the screen. He'll be missed for a very long time. But his performance is only part, albeit a big part, of what makes this film so good. Everything from the constant darkness to the powerful soundtrack make you feel completely wrapped up in the world of Gotham City. I could watch this movie over and over again and would highly recommend it to everyone.

Movie Review - Indiana Jones and the Kingdom and the Crystal Skull

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Director: Steven Spielberg

Actors: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf

I really didn't like this film but it wasn't because of the reasons I expected. I figured that it would be too unbelievable to see Harrison Ford (65 years old) as Indiana Jones, but actually he did a really great job. I really bought into his portrayal and was transported back in to the Indiana Jones world of buried treasure and good vs. evil. It was actually the terrible, over-the-top, unbelievable storyline that really bothered me. I don't know what Steven Spielburg was thinking but it was really terrible. He must have figured that it didn't matter how good the story was because people were going to go see it anyway. I realize that in the older movies you also had to suspend reality too, but c'mon, this was ridiculous. The other reason I didn't like this movie was because of Shia LaBeouf's portrayal of Indiana Jones' son. I'm sorry but I just really don't like his acting. I've seen him in other movies also (Transformers and Constantine) and it's always just so over-the-top (sorry for the redundancy). If you're really a die-hard Indiana Jones fan you'll probably still enjoy this movie, but just make sure to keep your expectations low, otherwise you may be disappointed.

Movie Review - Lars and the Real Girl

Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
Director: Craig Gillespie

Actors: Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider

What an interesting and creative film. This is the story of an awkwardly shy young man who finds love in an unexpected place; a sex doll purchased on the internet. Although not a conventional relationship, the small town goes along with the delusion in hopes of bringing some peace to his life. I found myself engaged and entertained the whole way through. One of the highlights is an amazing acting performance by Ryan Gosling. It can't be easy pretending to be in love with a plastic sex doll with that big open mouth staring back at you. I'd definitely recommend this film.