Year End 2011 Part 1: The End of the Year Awards

The end of the year Awards

An article by Frederick Cholowski

Well it’s the end of the year time. Time to look back at all the good the bad and the ugly of the last year. Kicking us off is my fun little awards ceremony where I give out some fun little awards. Part two will be the top ten of the year (as of now I also try and go back during Oscar time and do another list because by then I have seen more of the movies I’ve wanted to). Part three will wrap things up with a look back at the year as a whole (kind of an editorial of sorts…). Now to kick us off here are the end of the year awards for 2011.

Most disappointing

Winner: Cars 2

 We are starting off this list with some positivity! While I never thought the original Cars was a great effort for Pixar, Cars 2 just fell flat. It was overlong and had no heart to it. The film felt like Pixar was taking a step in its maturity level as well by giving us a message that felt forced and unnecessary. Cars 2 was in every sense of the word disappointing. Hopefully going back to an original concept next year will put Pixar out of its funk.

Runner Up: Sucker Punch

Best Action Scene

Winner: AHH I’m climbing up the tallest building in the word: MI4

 Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol has a bunch of fantastic action scenes but none better than the Dubai sequence; especially in IMAX. You feel as if you are climbing the building with Tom Cruise. The scene may be the best edited of the year as it zooms in and out on Cruise to give you the scope and scale of the moment while managing to keep it decisively personal. No shots are fired or punches are pulled but it is the most intense and exciting scene of the year by far.

Runner Up: The ultra tracking shot of doom: Hannah

Most overlooked/underrated/unseen

Winner: Margin Cal

 Why did no one watch Margin Call? Because no stupid studio would pick it up for a long while, and when one finally did the film had a limited theater run. This is a shame because Margin Call is a fantastic film with an A-list cast and a great script. Anyone who likes interesting thriller dramas will love Margin Call. Now go rent/buy/find some way legal to watch it!

Runner Up: The Adventures of Tintin

Most Overrated

Winner: X Men First Class

While I think this is a good film I don’t understand why some people thought it was so great. I didn’t even like it as much as the first X Men films. Sure it was fun and had good action but it lacked focus and a solid plot. The film was more about getting to the end rather than the meat in the middle. Anyhow I still think this is good but not as good as everyone says it is.

Runner Up: Sucker Punch

Best Trailer

Winner: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

 Due note I haven’t been able to see this film which is terrible because the two trailers for this movie are awesome! The first is a punch you in the teeth quick cut trailer that is backed by an amazing cover of The Immigrant Song in the background. The second is a slower, creepier trailer focusing on the mystery at hand. Any way you slice this these trailers make The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo look awesome, and that’s what counts.

Runner Up: The Dark Knight Rises

Best TV Show

Winner: Breaking Bad

Anyone who knows me knows that this was an easy pick. Breaking Bad had its best season this year and that is saying something. It’s a show that is unpredictable fueled by fantastic writing and acting. Brian Cranston and Aaron Paul are absolutely fantastic in their respective roles and Giancarlo Esposito is a fantastic villain. I could go on and on about how amazing this show is but I will wrap it up by saying you need to watch this show!

Runner Up: Game of Thrones

Worst film of the year

Winner: Transformers 3

You saw this one coming. While I haven’t seen all the bad movies of the year (I can’t even watch all the good ones mind you the horrid ones) but in my mind nothing could be worse than Transformers 3. It’s big, loud, and super stupid and in all is one crappy package

Runner Up: Sucker Punch

The best of the year coming up in the top ten…

The Descendants Review

George Clooney and Shailene Woodley on a road trip in The Descendants

 The Descendants

A+

A review by Frederick Cholowski

Alexander Payne seems to know a lot about the American man. He’s depicted lives on the downturn in About Schmidt and Sideways. This time around in the Descendants he takes mega star George Clooney and the beautiful island of Hawaii and does it all over again. What comes of it is a masterpiece about a human under extreme stress. It also blends together the best of both comedy and drama to create a truly compelling film.

Matt King (George Clooney) is going through hard times. His wife is in a coma and is dying from a boat accident, he has to take care of his two daughters who he had never spent much time with (Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller), and he also has inherited a large piece of land on the island of which he has to decide, with the pressure of his extended family breathing down his neck, what to do with. On top of all this his eldest daughter Alexandra tells him that his wife had been cheating on him before the accident. Matt, along with his two daughters and Alexandra’s idiotic boyfriend Sid (Nick Krause), begin to play amateur detective while driving around Hawaii telling family members of his wife’s condition.

The Descendants has a fantastic plot filled with rich writing and fantastic characters. This could have turned into an average road trip movie with a Hawaiian background. Instead it is a rich and detailed examination of a man’s life on the decent. This has a lot to do with the fantastic script co-written by the director Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash. It always seems to strike the perfect balance of comedy and drama. Another great thing about this film is its pacing. The film takes time to slow down and allow for great character moments while never bogging down the overall pace of the film.

This might be the best role George Clooney has ever had, period. Clooney tones it way down for this film and is subtle and mature. It’s a definite change of pace for and actor whose roles are usually large and flashy. Shailene Woodley also needs serious awards consideration for her role as King’s eldest daughter Alexandra. This is a quiet breakout for the young actress who shows off many sides of her emotional range in this film. The rest of the cast is also really solid, and by none of them really being familiar faces really sink into their characters.

Another large character in this film is Hawaii itself. The location is used quite well with beautiful shots spread out through the film. The best part about this is that Payne never overdoes it. Most of the shots blend in with the main plot itself and he never exploits the location, something that could have been very possible. The score mixes in some traditional Hawaiian with more modern music and is constantly there to bring us into the setting that these characters live in.

The Descendants is easily one of the best films of 2011. Its perfect mix of comedy and drama along with fantastic performances make it a much watch for film lovers. It also engages the brain, and hey any movie that does that in this age of film gets a glowing recommendation from me.

Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol Review

Tom cruse climes really high in Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol

Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol

B+

 A Review by Frederick Cholowski

After three films, the Mission Impossible franchise is reinventing itself again. This time with director Brad Bard at the helm, new members added to the crew, and about 20 minutes worth of footage shot in IMAX. The result is a fun action movie that feels more a kin to a James Bond movie than to the previous Mission Impossible films.

As in prior films MI4 follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) an IMS spy. This time after stylishly breaking out of Russian Prison Ethan and his team are framed for the bombing of the Russian Kremlin. This leads to the entire IMF being labeled as terrorists. His team this time round consists of the computer guy Benji (Simon Pegg), the tough female Jane (Paula Patton) and the “research guy” Brandt (Jeremy Renner). Their mission (if they chooses to accept it) it to hunt down the man who bombed the Kremlin, Hendricks (Michal Nyqvist), take the nuclear bomb codes away from him, and clear their names.

The plot is very standard for this kind of spy film and it allows for a lot of globetrotting and big action set pieces. The problem with the film is that it’s a little too long. The film starts to wear out its welcome in the last twenty minutes. As well the ending (despite the awesome final set piece) feels a little sloppy. Another small problem is that the film in its 133 minutes doesn’t give a lot of character exploration. What characters we get are subpar, and while I’m not expecting overly deep and complex characters in an action film I would like a villain who speaks more than about 6 lines of dialogue (poor Michal Nyqvist is terribly underused).

Acting wise this film is solid. Tom Cruise seems to be on autopilot here and is solid as Ethan Hunt. Paula Patton, who manages to get most of the emotional scenes, is fine here as well. Jeremy Renner acts as a kind of second super spy to Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg provides some welcome comic relief. As for the villain Michal Nyqvist, as mentioned earlier, is horribly underused and never has time to make Hendricks all that menacing.

The visuals are where this film truly shines. This film looks gorgeous in IMAX with the few key sequences that are shot in IMAX being the standouts. One in particular that takes place on the tallest building in the world in Dubai is absolutely stunning. I have never felt more tension and excitement in a single action. It actually feels like you’re up on the building with the character. The score is standard spy affair with a variety of different tracks to go with each location. It’s big and bombastic but never takes away from the film.

Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol is a very solid action movie. It is fast paced and a lot of fun from start to finish. Sure it is long and sometimes sloppy, but when the action scenes are this breathtaking and the set pieces so fantastic, the shortcomings can be forgiven; at least for most of the film.



Hugo Review

Hugo and Isabelle investigate an automiton in Martin Scorsese's Hugo

Hugo

A+

A Review by Frederick Cholowski

Martin Scorsese directing a family film, those are two things you don’t hear in a sentence very often. Yet here we stand in 2011 and the director of masterpieces such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas is doing just that with his latest film Hugo; a visual treasure that takes its place among Martin Scorsese’s growing list of masterpieces.

Hugo follows title character Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield), a young orphan who secretly tends to the clocks of a train station in 1920’s Paris. His father (played in flashbacks by Jude Law) died in a fire and the last connection Hugo with his father is a broken automaton that they found at a museum. All the while Hugo must constantly escape the clutches of the station inspector (Sacha Baron Choen). Hugo soon bumps ways with the mean old man who runs the toy booth (Ben Kingsley) and meets his charming young god daughter Isabelle (Chloë Grace Mortz) whose heart shaped key may be the key to finding the message hidden inside the automaton.

There is not all that much plot to be had here, but what is works extraordinarily well. The story is the personal Martin Scorsese has directed yet as he injects some of himself into the protagonist. There is also a throwback to the silent film era, one that is near and dear to Scorsese’s heart. It is also interesting that the goings on at the train station are almost a little silent film in themselves and they create a colorful, sometime hysterical backdrop for the events that transpire. These create a sense of wonder while never taking away from the overall plot.

The overall plot in itself is quite slowly paced for a family film. The pacing feels more a kin to the traditional Scorsese drama than to the fast paced family films of today. This is welcome as the film takes its time to set up the atmosphere and the characters that are vital to the overall experience.

Martin Scorsese has had many great performances in his films. Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, Joe Pesci in Goodfellas and Jack Nicholson in the Departed just to name a few. In Hugo he gets spectacular performances out of Asa Butterfield and Ben Kingsley. Both performances are spot on and magical. The relationship both their character’s share is full of tension at the beginning but slowly eases off as the film moves along. As for the supporting cast Mortz is charming as Isabelle a wondrous child whose head is constantly in adventure books and Sacha Baron Choen often is great comic relief.

The true winner here though is the visuals. This is the best use of 3D in a major motion picture I have seen; even better than the 3D in Avatar. The attention to detail here is fantastic as the 3D is not used as a gimmick instead as an extension to Scorsese’s creative vision. Everything from the sweeping shots of Paris to the Goodfellas like tracking shot through the train station is jaw dropping. I could go on and on about different scenes in this film and how gorgeous they are. Evan the restored silent films peppered throughout look fantastic. Visually, this is Scorsese’s greatest achievement to date.

After so many years of being proclaimed a master of film it is refreshing to see Martin Scorsese continue to try new things. Hugo is a film that well pulls from Scorsese’s roots, is something radically different. Hugo is also a magical piece of visual art and storytelling. One that deserves to be held at the same level as Scorsese’s many great films.

The Ides of March Review

George Clooney delivers a speech to the American Public in The Ides of March 

The Ides of March

A-

A review by Frederick Cholowski

Politics, one of the most convoluted and corrupted functions in all of modern society. Lying, cheating, and corrupting are all involved in the potentially nasty business. George Clooney’s 4th directorial effort The Ides of March examines, with great cynicism, the behind the scenes life of campaign managers. For the most part The Ides of March is a successful effort plagued by a flaw that prevents it from reaching greatness.

The Ides of March follows a young campaign manager Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) who is trying to make Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) the next president of the United States. Surrounding Meyers is a colorful group of people such as his senior campaign manager Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the opposing campaign manager Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti). Meyers believes in Morris’s cause but his campaign soon starts to crumble after he meets briefly with Paul Zara and starts sleeping with an intern Molly Stearns (Evan Rachel Wood).

The Ides of March is a great film for the first hour and ten minutes. It’s an interesting and cynical case study about the inside of American politics. After that the film runs into some problems. It all of a sudden follows a weird subplot that involves Evan Rachel Wood’s character. A subplot which all of a sudden transforms the film into a B grade thriller. The whole subplot feels forced, rushed, and unnecessary and it keeps the film from reaching its full potential.

Acting wise this film has a ton of A-list talent. Gosling, Clooney, Hoffman, and Giamatti are all fantastic. Gosling gets the most time. Getting to watch his character go down to the jaded, cynical dark side is engaging. Gosling dose a great job at making the character arc believable. Clooney dose a very Clooney style role here. He’s calm and suave and has just as many flaws to him as he has likable qualities. Hoffman and Giamatti play rivals who are already jaded and cynical. They do a fine job as well and each help carry the film forward.

Technically The Ides of March oozes atmosphere. The tone is very dark and the shots are close and cramped. This gives the film a dynamic and stressful feel. One that tries to grip you at every one of its twists and turns. The score seems to try and emulate Trent Reznor’s score in last year’s The Social Network. For the most part it does a good job to keep the movie going.

The Ides of March is a really good political film that could have been great. The frustrating twist at the end somewhat spoils an overall dark and thrilling experience. This is a little sad because had it not been for that this film would have been a serious contender for film of the year. That being said The Ides of March is still a solid film that should definitely not be missed.

Moneyball Review

Brad Pitt looks serious about baseball in Moneyball

Moneyball
A-

A review by Frederick Cholowski

Sports movies love them or hate them they are probably always going to exist. Evan if most are predictable there are always the few who stand out from the pack. Moneyball is one of them as it manages to stay away from many of the clichés that usually haunt the genre. It also manages to deliver one of the most intriguing and insightful sports stories in a long time.

Moneyball follows Oakland A’s general manager Billy Bean (Brad Pitt) on a crusade to try and replace three of his biggest superstars after they were eaten up by other teams. Problem is that as Bean eloquently describes “There are rich teams and there are pore teams. Then there is fifty feet of crap and then there is us.” In other words they have very little money. Soon Billy finds his answer, a numbers crunching Yale graduate Peter Brand (Jonah Hill). Together they set out to make history by looking at baseball from a pure statistics point of view without considering things such as the personalities or integrity. He then has to convince old school coach Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and the rest of the world that his team full of misfits has an actual chance to do something.

The success of Moneyball is in the writing and pacing. This movie made me cheer for baseball a sport witch in my opinion is boring and mundane. It is also fueled by a script written by two of the best screenplay artists in the world Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian. While amazing Moneyball runes into some problems. While the managing parts of the film are insightful and fantastic the parts that involve Bean’s family feel a little clichéd and don’t work with the overall vibe of the film. It only really slows the film down and ruins the quick pace with parts of Bean’s life that I don’t end up caring about. Even with the pacing issues the film still held my interest even through the slower portions.

Acting is key here and it is solid on all fronts. Brad Pitt is convincing as the A’s general manager searching for a winning team. He has a certain charisma that lights up the screen every that he is present. This plus a solid emotional range give him the opportunity to be an early bet for an Oscar nod. Speaking of Oscar nods Jonah Hill is fantastically subtle as Peter Brand. He kind of channels a bit of Jessie Eisenberg’s performance in the Social Network (except not quite as socially awkward or destructive). He takes a tone downed approach and it works extremely well.

On the writing front it’s great to have such a great script here. The writing and dialogue carry through one finely crafted scene to another. In the management parts of the film Sorkin’s trademark fast talking witty dialogue shines especially during a great scene later on in the film involving risky trades. That scene alone made me almost completely forgive the clichéd family drama. On the tech side the film looks and sounds good with nothing really eye popping or special. All the actual baseball scenes while well done are nothing all that special. Even so if you can get me to care about baseball it’s a good thing.

Moneyball is a fun and smart fall film made better by a great script. It manages to avoid the potholes that many a sports film has fallen in before. While this is brought down by pacing issues and family drama Moneyball is still a step ahead of many of the films that have come out this year.



Caching Up on DVD: Hanna Review

Saorise Ronan jumping off a crate in Hanna

Hanna

A-

A Review by Frederick Cholowski

Action movies can be a very touchy subject. There are the ones that are amazing and fantastic such as Fight Club or Die Hard. Then there can be films like Transformers 3. So what happens when Joe Wright the director of such films as The Pride and the Prejudice and Atonement tries to make an action film? You get Hanna a really good action film that cares just as much about characters and plot as it does about blowing things up.

Hanna starts out in the middle of a secluded snowy forest where Hanna (Saorise Ronan) and her father Erik (Eric Bana) are living and training. After training montages and emotional moments we find that Hanna is ready for her ultimate mission which is to take down CIA agent Marissa (Cate Blanchett). Then a game of cat and mouse in sues all across Europe.

Hanna has a super solid edge of your seat plot that really has you going from the start. It’s fast paced and constantly moving. Evan so the film never seems to forget what’s important and while fast pace has a lot of great story elements to it as well. I have two main complaints though. When the film reaches its end it goes a little too over the top for me and while both Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett are brilliant they have very, very unfortunate accents that can take you out of the film sometimes.

Speaking of performances they are great across the board. Saorise Ronan is turning out to be a phenomenal young actress. She really shines here by adding some real emotional depth to the young killing machine Hanna. Overall Cate Blanchett is just plain fun to watch. She really goes over the top here and makes her role as the cold dark CIA agent one of the high points of the film. There is a solid supporting cast here to who add depth overall to the motion picture.

Hanna is also a showcase of style. This film is just plain gorgeous through and through. The action scenes instead of relying on quick cuts and gimmicks use long and lingering shots. My favorite action scene in the film is actually just one big tracking shot with no cuts at all. There is also a fantastic electronic soundtrack by the Chemical Brothers that sucks you right into the film right away.

Hanna is a very good action movie. It mixes good performances with a pace that keeps you at the edge of your seat the whole time. It also has a wonderful sense of style and grace that truly set it apart from other films in the genre. For a man who made two really methodical dramas Joe Wright can sure make a good action-thriller.