Tis the Season: The Academy Award Nominations

(Scroll over any film title for the full Black Sheep review.)

I know it's late but I just got in not too long ago from that meeting. I have now seen the nominations for the 83rd edition of the Academy Awards, which I recorded so I could pretend like I saw them live. This actually worked. I was tense as Mo'Nique called out the nominations and thrilled to hear that many of my secret hopefuls made the final cut. Shall we break it down then?

THE KING'S SPEECH leads the Oscar tally with 12 nominations, including nods for Best Picture and Best Direction of course, as well as one for each of the principal cast members. TRUE GRIT follows closely in second place with 10 nominations, thanks to an unexpected direction nod for Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. THE SOCIAL NETWORK and INCEPTION, then come in third place with 8 nominations between them. I was expecting a stronger showing for these two films and slightly less for the Coen Brothers picture to be honest, but in general, I am very happy with the direction the Academy went in this year with their nominees. There were a number of surprises and snubs, which is inevitable, but for the most part, I think Oscar got it right. Shall we break it down even further then?

Most of the Best Picture nominees were considered locks this year. Really, it seemed as though three films were fighting for the ninth and tenth slot when it came down to it. Those three films would be 127 HOURS, WINTER'S BONE and THE TOWN. Ultimately, it was THE TOWN, Ben Affleck's critically acclaimed dramatic thriller, that missed out. It actually only garnered one nomination, in the Supporting Actor category for Jeremy Renner, when it was considered a strong contender in the Best Picture race, as well as the Adapted Screenplay category. Both 127 HOURS and WINTER'S BONE fared much better than expected and will certainly benefit from these nominations. 127 HOURS, which scored nods for its screenplay as well as the lead performance by Oscar host, James Franco, rolls into 600 theatres this weekend and could use the boost at the box office. WINTER'S BONE meanwhile, is already available to rent or own. This fantastic indie picked up well deserved nominations for it's star, Jennifer Lawrence, and supporting actor, John Hawkes, as well as a nod for its screenplay.

The lead acting categories played out exactly as I wanted them to. The most triumphant success amongst them may be Javier Bardem's seemingly miraculous nomination for his incredible performance in BIUTIFUL, a Mexican film that has not been seen by many at this point. The Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu directed picture, also nabbed a Best Foreign Language spot. Michelle Williams scored her second career nod for her performance in BLUE VALENTINE. This was also not a lock so I am thrilled to see her get this well deserved accolade, as it will also drive more people to see this bleak film. Her co-star, Ryan Gosling, did not make the cut finally.

The supporting acting categories provided some of this morning's biggest surprises. The biggest of those would certainly have to be Jacki Weaver, nominated for her performance in the little seen, ANIMAL KINGDOM. She was always a contender but there was a great deal of confusion in this category this year. Ultimately, Hailee Steinfeld, scored her nomination for TRUE GRIT in the supporting category, when there was much debate over whether she would end up in the lead actress race. Lesley Manville, in ANOTHER YEAR, had a similar confusion and ended up not being recognized in either category, not that she was a shoe-in for either really. A notable absence here would have to be Mila Kunis, in BLACK SWAN. I never saw her performance as award worthy but it was certainly being talked up quite a bit in recent weeks and I thought she would end up on the list. On the men's side, it was the aforementioned nod for Hawkes in WINTER'S BONE that blocked out another young hopeful, Andrew Garfield, in THE SOCIAL NETWORK.

Perhaps the biggest snub amidst this morning's nominations is Christopher Nolan being locked out of the Best Director race once again. He did earn his second nomination for writing INCEPTION today but he was considered a sure thing is the directing category. He has been nominated three times by the Director's Guild of America, including this year, but is consistently shut out here. Instead, the fifth slot went to the Coen Brothers, as mentioned before. Aside from THE SOCIAL NETWORK director, David Fincherm and the Coens, the remaining three nominees are all here for the first time. They are Darren Aronofsky for BLACK SWAN, Tom Hooper for THE KING'S SPEECH and David O. Russell for THE FIGHTER.

The rest of my shocks and disappointments are as follows. While I am thrilled to see Mike Leigh score a nomination for the beautiful original screenplay, ANOTHER YEAR, I am surprised not to see BLACK SWAN there. In fact, I am a little surprised that BLACK SWAN only managed 5 nominations in total the way that film's momentum has been building. I didn't truly expect Daft Punk to score a Best Original Score nomination for TRON: LEGACY but it would have been a hoot if they did. I was very happy to see the progressive Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score for THE SOCIAL NETWORK make the list though. Oh, and I know BURLESQUE was bad but you could have found at least one song from that the film to round up the Original Song nominees to five. There was another glaring INCEPTION snub in the editing category. I thought for sure that was a lock. I'm very pleased to see great films like Banksy documentary, EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP and Pixar animated short, DAY & NIGHT, earn their spots in their respective categories. Speaking of Pixar, TOY STORY 3, picked up five nominations of its own, including Best Picture and Original Screenplay. And finally, represent Canada! Denis Villeneuve's INCENDIES scored Canada a nomination in the Best Foreign Language race.

I've done the math and I was 87% accurate in my predictions. I got all the lead acting nods right (even Bardem!) and suffered one wrong answer in each of the other categories I made predictions for. Look for reviews of many of the nominated films to come in the weeks ahead on Black Sheep Reviews and I invite you to share your opinions on the Oscar nominations below.

The 83rd annual Academy Awards will be presented on February 27, and hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway. This is the full list of nominations:

BEST PICTURE

127 HOURS

BLACK SWAN

THE FIGHTER

INCEPTION

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

THE KING'S SPEECH

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

TOY STORY 3

TRUE GRIT

WINTER'S BONE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Javier Bardem in BIUTIFUL

Jeff Bridges in TRUE GRIT

Jesse Eisenberg in THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Colin Firth in THE KING'S SPEECH

James Franco in 127 HOURS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Annette Bening in THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

Nicole Kidman in RABBIT HOLE

Jennifer Lawrence in WINTER'S BONE

Natalie Portman in BLACK SWAN

Michelle Williams in BLUE VALENTINE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Christian Bale in THE FIGHTER

John Hawkes in WINTER'S BONE

Jeremy Renner in THE TOWN

Mark Ruffalo in THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

Geoffrey Rush in THE KING'S SPEECH

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Amy Adams in THE FIGHTER

Helena Bonham Carter in THE KING'S SPEECH

Melissa Leo in THE FIGHTER

Hailee Steinfeld in TRUE GRIT

Jacki Weaver in ANIMAL KINGDOM

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING

Darren Aronofsky for BLACK SWAN

Ethan Coen, Joel Coen for TRUE GRIT

David Fincher for THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Tom Hooper for THE KING'S SPEECH

David O. Russell for THE FIGHTER

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

ANOTHER YEAR

THE FIGHTER

INCEPTION

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

THE KING'S SPEECH

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

127 HOURS

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

TOY STORY 3

TRUE GRIT

WINTER'S BONE

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

THE ILLUSIONIST

TOY STORY 3

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

BIUTIFUL

DOGTOOTH

IN A BETTER WORLD

INCENDIES

OUTSIDE THE LAW

CINEMATOGRAPHY

BLACK SWAN

INCEPTION

THE KING'S SPEECH

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

TRUE GRIT

EDITING

127 HOURS

BLACK SWAN

THE FIGHTER

THE KING'S SPEECH

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

ART DIRECTION

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1

INCEPTION

THE KING'S SPEECH

TRUE GRIT

COSTUME DESIGN

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

I AM LOVE

THE KING'S SPEECH

THE TEMPEST

TRUE GRIT

MAKEUP

BARNEY'S VERSION

THE WAY BACK

THE WOLFMAN

ORIGINAL SCORE

127 HOURS

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

INCEPTION

THE KING'S SPEECH

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

ORIGINAL SONG

"If I Rise" from 127 HOURS

"Coming Home" from COUNTRY STRONG

"I See the Light" from TANGLED

"We Belong Together" from TOY STORY 3

SOUND MIXING

INCEPTION

THE KING'S SPEECH

SALT

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

TRUE GRIT

SOUND EDITING

INCEPTION

TOY STORY 3

TRON: LEGACY

TRUE GRIT

UNSTOPPABLE

VISUAL EFFECTS

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1

HEREAFTER

INCEPTION

IRON MAN 2

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP

GASLAND

INSIDE JOB

RETREPO

WASTE LAND

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

KILLING IN THE NAME

POSTER GIRL

STRANGERS NO MORE

SUN COME UP

THE WARRIORS OF QUIGANG

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

DAY & NIGHT

THE GRUFFALO

LET'S POLLUTE

THE LOST THING

MADAGASCAR, A JOURNEY DIARY

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

THE CONFESSION

THE CRUSH

GOD WE LOVE

NA WEWE

WISH 143

For more information on the Academy Awards, please visit their website at Oscars.org.

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Black Sheep's Top 10 of 2010!

(Scroll over any film title to read the full length Black Sheep review.)

It is the first day day of the new year and I'm happy. I'm happy to put certain aspects of the last year behind me, happy to look ahead toward what waits for me and happy to look back at my most celebrated moments as a film critic in 2010 as well. There are three in particular that come to mind ...

I've been published before but never in high gloss colour. My interview with the Academy Award winning documentary filmmaker, Louis Psihoyos, about his first feature, THE COVE, was published in Movie Entertainment magazine, the magazine of The Movie Network in Canada. It was a thrill to see my name in print like that and to know that possibly tens of thousands of film lovers across Canada would be reading my work. Movie Entertainment still publishes my monthly column on their website, letting people know what to watch on TMN that month, and intends to publish my interview with Ryan Reynolds, for his film BURIED, this summer.

If you read Black Sheep at all regularly, you would know that this year I was a fully accredited member of the press at the 2010 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival for the first time. I saw 30 films, met tons of great people, interviewed a variety of filmmakers that I never dreamed I would ever meet and I even worked my first red carpet, for Woody Allen no less. My coverage of the festival on Black Sheep brought in the highest readership numbers I've seen in the five years the site has been around and led to my being published on other great sites, like Toronto Film Scene and The Mark News. I hope TIFF invites me back to the party again next year because I'm not sure I can go back after feeling the power of the press pass.

The third thing is perhaps the most important. I've only lived in Toronto for a year and a half now and I haven't had the easiest of times making friends. In January of this year, I took my first real steps towards changing that when I met a group of local film bloggers for their monthly meeting. It isn't so much a meeting though as it is a bunch of film geeks getting together, drinking and shooting the shit about movies really. And while it may not sound like much to some, it has allowed me the possibility to meet people that make me feel a lot more like I belong here. A big shout out to James McNally of Toronto Screen Shots for the original invite!

Like my personal life, 2010 was a bit of a rocky year for film as well ... or at least I thought it was at the time. I griped all year about how there were no good movies coming out but when it came time to actually narrow down the 120+ films I saw all year to a list of 10, I had a very difficult time doing so. Difficult is relative here as how hard is it really to sit down and think about movies you like? I managed to get her done though and I am ready to share this list with you today.

(insert drum roll here)

Here is Black Sheep Reviews' Top 10 of 2010 ...

(in alphabetical order)

BLACK SWAN

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

I love when I am truly excited for a film and it does not disappoint. BLACK SWAN is that experience for me. The moment it ended, I wanted to watch it again and again. I still do. It effects all who see it, regardless of how much they enjoyed the film. It just crawls under your skin and stays there until you start to sprout feathers of your own.

THE FIGHTER

Directed by David O. Russell

I knew after five minutes of watching THE FIGHTER that I was about to see one of the best pictures of the year. The film has an energy that really gets you in the mood for a good wallop. The entire ensemble knocks the movie out of the ring and Russell finishes by making the best film of his career.

I AM LOVE

Directed by Luca Guadagnino

Every once in a while, I go to the movies just to go. I don't take notes; I don't write about it afterward. I just sit back and enjoy the experience. I saw I AM LOVE like this and it was like heaven. It is beautiful in every regard it can be - from picture and sound to performance and dialog. I too was love when it was done.

INCEPTION

Directed by Christopher Nolan

When I saw INCEPTION in theatres, I was disappointed. I wanted it to be more emotional, to be more revealing about humanity and our collective subconscious. When I watched it again at home, I realized I wanted it to be something it just wasn't. And what it is, is pretty freaking awesome.

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

Directed by Lisa Cholodenko

Some will say that indie film director, Lisa Cholodenko, sold out when she made THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT but I commend her for making the marginalized, accessible. The incredibly talented cast is so earnest in their love for each other as a family that you can't help but feel it too. This is what a family looks like.

THE KING'S SPEECH

Directed by Tom Hooper

I am very happy to see that THE KING'S SPEECH family is the buzz of awards season this year. Director Tom Hooper's emerging career is so promising and his work here is seemingly effortless. And with Colin Firth on the throne, it wouldn't surprise me to see the film crowned king come Oscar time.

SHUTTER ISLAND

Directed by Martin Scorcese

Martin Scorcese's psychological thriller, SHUTTER ISLAND, was the first truly great picture of 2010. It is not without its flaws but it presents itself and its ambitious agenda with great confidence, so much so that you feel as if you too are thrown right onto the island with everybody else, at the center of an elaborate mind game that you may not survive.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Directed by David Fincher

THE SOCIAL NETWORK is something like a perfect picture. Every element comes together to provide both entertainment and insight in a way that is as astonishing as it is unexpected. People scoffed at the idea of a Facebook movie (I may have done some scoffing myself) but how could we ever have known that this is what they would do?

TOY STORY 3

Directed by Lee Unkrich

For the second year in a row, the Pixar people have made me cry like a baby at the movies. TOY STORY 3 seemed like unnecessary pandering in concept but its execution is so daring and delightful, that it is easily the best of the three. The fact that some of the most tense and emotional film moments of 2010 came from an animated feature is a great feat for many.

WINTER'S BONE

Directed by Debra Granik

Debra Granik's chilling thriller, WINTER'S BONE, was one of the year's most unexpected surprises for me. It is an incredible testament to the human spirit and it showed me a side of people in a little corner of the world that I had never imagined. Jennifer Lawrence gives the breakthrough performance of 2010 in this film.

There you have it, folks. My 10 favourite films of 2010. Stay tuned for some very big changes around here and, of course, the announcements of the 2010 Mouton d'Or Awards coming later this month. In the meantime, here are my 2010 honourable mentions:

BIUTIFUL

Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

CATFISH

Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP

Directed by Banksy

HEARTBEATS (Les Amours Imaginaires)

Directed by Xavier Dolan

A PROPHET

Directed by Jacques Audiard

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Tis the Season: The National Board of Review

(Scroll over any film title to read the full Black Sheep review.)

The National Board of Review doesn't waste any time with irksome distractions, like nominations. No, they get right to it and what they got right to this year is David Fincher's THE SOCIAL NETWORK. Not only did the film itself take top honours as Best Film but Fincher earned an award for his direction and screenwriter, Aaron Sorkin, earned one for his screenplay. The support for THE SOCIAL NETWORK also elevated star, Jesse Eisenberg, as an official Oscar contender for his portrayal of Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, with his win here as Best Actor.

Other unexpected wins went to Lesley Manville as Best Actress in Mike Leigh's ANOTHER YEAR, a film that made the NBR Top 10, and Jacki Weaver as Best Supporting Actress in ANIMAL KINGDOM, a film that made the NBR Independent Top 10. The last acting award went to Christian Bale, as Best Supporting Actor, in David O. Russell's THE FIGHTER, another NBR Top 10 film of 2010. Notable absences in the film lists include BLACK SWAN, 127 HOURS and THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT. Meanwhile, the Debra Granik hopeful, WINTER'S BONE, has somehow graduated from independent to major player with its inclusion in the Top 10 and star, Jennifer Lawrence's win for Breakthrough Performance is another graceful step toward an Oscar nomination.

Here are the National Board of Review winners in the major categories:

BEST FILM

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

TOP 10 FILMS

ANOTHER YEAR

THE FIGHTER

HEREAFTER

INCEPTION

THE KING'S SPEECH

SHUTTER ISLAND

THE TOWN

TOY STORY 3

TRUE GRIT

WINTER'S BONE

TOP INDEPENDENT FILMS

ANIMAL KINGDON

BURIED

FISH TANK

THE GHOST WRITER

GREENBERG

LET ME IN

MONSTERS

PLEASE GIVE

SOMEWHERE

YOUTH IN REVOLT

BEST ACTOR

Jesse Eisenberg, THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST ACTRESS

Lesley Manville, ANOTHER YEAR

BEST DIRECTOR

David Fincher, THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Aaron Sorkin, THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Chris Sparling, BURIED

For a full list of winners, visit The National Board of Review website at www.nbrmp.org

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Tis the Season: The Film Independent Spirit Awards

(Scroll over film titles for the full Black Sheep review.)

Last week, I was in Montreal on non-movie related business. It was consuming to say the least. Not only did I miss the announcement that James Franco and Anne Hathaway will be hosting the Oscars, but I also missed the nominations for the Film Independent Spirit Awards. This ceremony is always held the evening before the Oscars and honours the best in American independent cinema, including shout-out's to foreign entries and documentaries as well.

The 2010 nominees are a fantastic bunch with a couple of notable exceptions that could cripple Oscar odds right from the start. Leading the pack with seven nominations, is WINTER'S BONE, the "chilling" tale of survival in the Ozarks, with nods for Best Feature, Director (Debra Granik) , Lead Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Screenplay (Granik and Anne Rosellini), Supporting Actress (Dale Dickey) and Supporting Actor (John Hawkes). The film is considered an underdog at the Oscars and this will certainly assist its Best Picture odds, as well as its actors' chances. Coming in next with 5 nods is the summer indie favorite, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, from director, Lisa Cholodenko. Cholodenko earns nods for writing and directing, while the film nabs a Best Feature nod and stars Annette Bening and Mark Ruffalo earn acting kudos in their respective categories. The film has a good shot at the Oscar Top 10 and Cholodenko might nab a screenplay nod as well, but no nomination for Julianne Moore in such a competitive year here, where she should have easily been rewarded, is a very bad start for her.

The Best Feature category is rounded out by 127 HOURS, BLACK SWAN and GREENBERG. Of the five nominees, GREENBERG is the only entry I don't believe in. I doubt the love shown here will translate elsewhere either. RABBIT HOLE would have been a much stronger choice. Still, the John Cameron Mitchell film was honoured with screenplay and direction nods, as well as one for lead actress, Nicole Kidman and lead actor, Aaron Eckhardt. Meanwhile, Oscar front runner, THE KING'S SPEECH earns a slot in the Foreign Film category, the only one it could have hoped for. This will certainly be the first amongst many accolades for the Tom Hooper hopeful. I was also disappointed not to see more love for the Nicole Holofcener gem PLEASE GIVE, which took just one nod for screenplay.

The Independent Spirit Awards will be held on February 26, 2011 and hosted by Joel McHale, the star of television's "Community". Here are the major category nominees:

BEST FEATURE

127 HOURS

BLACK SWAN

GREENBERG

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

WINTER'S BONE

BEST DIRECTOR

Darren Aronofsky, BLACK SWAN

Danny Boyle, 127 HOURS

Lisa Cholodenko, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

Debra Granik, WINTER'S BONE

John Cameron Mitchell, RABBIT HOLE

BEST SCREENPLAY

Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Bloomberg, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini, WINTER'S BONE

Nicole Holofcener, PLEASE GIVE
David Lindsay-Abair, RABBIT HOLE

Todd Solondz, LIFE DURING WARTIME

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Annete Bening, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

Greta Gerwig, GREENBERG

Nicole Kidman, RABBIT HOLE

Jennifer Lawrence, WINTER'S BONE

Natalie Portman, BLACK SWAN

BEST MALE LEAD

Ronald Bronstein, DADDY LONG LEGS

Aaron Eckhardt, RABBIT HOLE

James Franco, 127 HOURS

John C. Reilly, CYRUS

Ben Stiller, GREENBERG

For a full list of nominees and more information on the Film Independent Spirit Awards, visit their website, Spiritawards.com

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Couch Time with Sheldon

It's ironic really. At least I think it is. I'm not always so sure about that though so how about you tell me? Yesterday, when I was supposed to be posting the COUCH TIME WITH SHELDON feature on its regularly scheduled day, I spent most of the day on the couch with a bad headache. Hence the reason I'm a day late. I'm pretty sure that counts as irony.

Instead of focusing on some of the big blu-ray title announcements this week, I want to highlight something altogether different instead. Barnes & Noble, an American retailer that focuses mostly on books, is having a sale. This isn't just any sale though. This is 50% off Criterion sale. Criterion, in case you don't already know, is committed to restoring and honouring some of the greatest films of all time for our consumption. They are also infamous for being a little pricey. Now you can get great titles like HUNGER and the just released THE DARJEELING LIMITED for 20 bucks! (Click either film title for the full Black Sheep review.) Titles are available in both DVD and BD format and the sale runs until November 21. Click here for more details.

And now let's take a look at what Sheldon watched in the last week ...

PSYCHO

It may seem simplistic to suggest that Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO is one of the greatest films of all time but it really is. 50 years after its initial release, this masterpiece is sure to captivate even modern audiences. There is something inherently addictive about PSYCHO for me. I've seen the film four or five times now and I can never take my eyes off the screen. The twisted Joseph Stefano screenplay, the all new remastered Bernard Hermann score and the constantly captivating camera work transcend time. Sure, it isn't as shocking to see a toilet on screen as it would have been in 1960 but when the action is this engaging, who cares. PSYCHO, released through Universal Pictures, is simply a must see for anyone who wants to call themselves even a loose fan of narrative filmmaking.

WINTER'S BONE

This 2010 title is no Hitchcock but I assure you that the plight suffered by WINTER'S BONE heroine, 17-year-old, Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence), is no less captivating than what Vivian Leigh goes through in the Bates Motel. Ozark Moutain resident, Ree has a few days to find her deadbeat, crackhead dad and make sure he shows up for his court date. If she fails, she loses her family home, which essentially amounts to everything for her. At 17, she takes care of everything but herself - from her two younger siblings to her mentally unfit mother. Lawrence is absolutely brilliant in this Debra Granik film. It is a competitive year for lead actresses but Lawrence deserves to hear her name amongst the nominees come awards season. WINTER'S BONE itself, from Maple Pictures, is so compelling and engaging that it too deserves its place on many year end lists. Do not miss this original, harrowing thriller. Click here for the full Black Sheep review.

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST

Sometimes I don't understand how I manage to go so long without seeing certain titles. I knew after about five minutes of this Milos Forman Best Picture winner that I was going to love it. Sometimes you can just tell. Jack Nicholson is R. P. McMurphy, a criminal who has been sent to a mental institution for observation. The question at hand is whether he is crazy and should be institutionalized or whether his defiant behaviour is just a way to get out of his work duty sentence. The question then becomes, as McMurphy shakes up the daily operations of this facility and all who inhabit it, what is crazy really? The tete-a-tete between McMurphy and head nurse, Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), is what takes this film from an insightful look at the definition of insane to the brilliant mind game it is. Warner Brothers has just released an amazing collector's edition that comes with a commemorative book and playing cards with Nicholson's face on them.

PREDATORS

I would ordinarily never see this film but my friend, Naqeeb, was coming over to watch a movie and he and I have distinctly different tastes in film. He thinks BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is unwatchable and I've seen in six times. Somehow, we both loved this sci-fi franchise thriller, from director, Nimrod Antal. A bunch of seemingly unrelated individuals are dropped in the middle of a jungle without any knowledge as to how they got there. From there, it is as much a mystery to us as it is to them as to how to get out of their predicament. I didn't fully buy Adrian Brody as an action hero and I wasn't entirely certain whether Lawrence Fishburn was acting crazy or just drunk but ultimately, I was fully into this thriller. Thanks to the folks at 20th Century Fox for sending over this screener. I may never have seen it otherwise.

The holidays are coming so plenty of high profile titles will be coming your way on Blu-ray in the weeks to come. This week sees the biggest hit of 2010 hit shelves, TOY STORY 3. The Pixar hit is the biggest animated movie of all time and with good reason. Click here for the Black Sheep review ... In other Tom Hanks news, his collaboration with Steven Spielberg, HBO miniseries, THE PACIFIC, is now available to own from Warner Brothers. WB also puts out the 25th anniversary edition of THE GOONIES, for the first time on BD. Also making its first appearance on BD is the 45th anniversary edition of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, from 20th Century Fox. The hills are alive with the sound of movies apparently.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next week on the couch.

Source: blu-ray.com

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Couch Time with Sheldon

Welcome to COUCH TIME WITH SHELDON, a brand new feature on Black Sheep Reviews. Well, it's mostly brand new. Essentially, this feature will replace BLU-TUESDAY. Rather than simply focus on the releases of the day, Black Sheep will take a look at a handful of titles each week, ranging from brand new releases to catalog titles, based on what Sheldon has actually watched recently. In case you don't know it, Sheldon is that little sheep you see everywhere on the site. He would also be my alter-ego I guess but that's not something I'm ready to deal with just yet.

We will continue to highlight what has come out on DVD and Blu-ray each week, as well as continue to look at what has been announced but the focus will be more on what Sheldon has seen rather than what he intends to.

Speaking of announcements, check these out ... Warner Bros. brings out two 1970's classics, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and NETWORK on February 15, 2011. Alliance will release the George Clooney film, THE AMERICAN, on December 28th of this year. 20th Century Fox has THE A-TEAM cashing in on the holidays on December 14th and the indie comedy, CYRUS (click for review) hits the week before. And here's the exciting news ... Disney will be releasing their superhero hit, THE INCREDIBLES, in the spring of 2011.

And now, I invite you to spend a little couch time with Sheldon ... Here's what everybody's favorite sheep saw in the last little bit.

FROZEN

I love indie films like this one, that get picked up (in this case by Anchor Bay Films) and manage to find an audience they would never have found, and actually deserve it. Horror director, Adam Green, has created a truly horrifying experience with FROZEN. Three college-aged skiers decide that they need to get one last run in before the end of their day. There is a lesson to be learned about being greedy though because the chair lift stops on their way up and before it gets going again, all the lights go out and everyone else goes home. There are no scary monsters or psycho killers with hooks for hands here. No, the only enemy here is nature itself and that level of reality is what had me freaking out for about a good hour straight. If you're looking for something offbeat to both scare and impress your Halloween guests, check out FROZEN. Be warned though, you might not go skiing for a little while afterward.

PLEASE GIVE

Don't let this atrocious cover art fool you. PLEASE GIVE is an excellent indie comedy that Sony Pictures is now just trying to push to as wide an audience as possible by capitalizing on the film's stars. This Nicole Holofcener film features Catherine Keener and Oliver Platt as a married New York City couple who run a trendy Soho furniture store. Keener's character has some issues with how they run their show though, as the majority of their pieces come from the misfortune of others. They buy pieces from people who have recently passed away and then resell them for exorbitant prices. They are also waiting for the elderly lady next door to pass away so they can take over her place and expand on their own. This fascinating exploration of white upper-class guilt is refreshingly honest and surprisingly funny. With the cast rounded out by Amanda Peet and Rebecca Hall, you can't go wrong.

LES AMOURS IMAGINAIRES (HEARTBEATS)

There has been a lot of talk recently on Black Sheep for Xavier Dolan's second feature, LES AMOURS IMAGINAIRES. After having the chance to interview him at TIFF (click here for interview), I feel like I have an all new approach to his work. Just from sitting across from him for 20 minutes, you can tell that Dolan is an insightful person who feels a great deal. Those personality traits are abundant in LES AMOURS IMAGINAIRES, now available to rent or own on DVD only from Alliance Films (with English subtitles). Fans of the French new wave and Wong Kar-Wai will love Dolan's latest work. Two great friends, Marie and Francis (Monia Chokri and Dolan) both fall for the same guy (Niels Schneider) and Dolan the director explores the highs and lows of falling in love, or more specifically, of falling in love with the idea of being in love. The results are honest, enlightening and will be understood by anyone who has ever chased after someone without really knowing why. (Click title in body for original review.)

Thank you for checking out the first COUCH TIME WITH SHELDON feature. The feature will run regularly on Tuesday's from here on in. In the meantime, here is a list of other titles available this week to rent or own ...

BACK TO THE FUTURE TRILOGY (Blu-ray)

ALIEN ANTHOLOGY (Blu-ray)

SEX AND THE CITY 2

(click title for review)

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE

(click title for review)

WINTER'S BONE

(click title for review)

Source: blu-ray.com

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Black Sheep @ The Box Office

It is of no surprise to me or no one else I'm sure that TOY STORY 3 held on to the top spot at the Box Office with nothing but mediocre challengers for the crown.  The $59 million haul is a reasonable 46.5% drop off considering sequels tend to drop steeply in their second weeks.  At $226.5 million, it has amassed almost as much in two weeks as SHREK FOREVER AFTER has in its entire six week run.  The Adam Sandler ensemble comedy, GROWN UPS, did solid business in second place.  This opening is on par with previous Sandler summer comedies like CLICK or YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN and $10 million shy of the entire domestic take of his last film, FUNNY PEOPLE.  Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz managed some mild returns for the action-comedy, KNIGHT AND DAY.  The response is certainly not overwhelming and could throw the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE franchise into serious question going forward.

Outside the Top 10, two Black Sheep favorites continue to perform well.  The $2 million drama, WINTER'S BONE, has now hauled in over half its budget with another solid week of expansion.  The week's big indie success again though is CYRUS, from the Duplass brothers.  It pulled in over $17K per screen on just 17 screens for a 65% increase over last week.  This weekend I caught COCO CHANEL AND IGOR STRAVINSKY.  The review is coming later this week but the film itself may not make it there, pulling in only modest returns, $4K per screen on 20 screens.  Another review coming later this week is for Alain Resnais's festival hit, WILD GRASS.  The French film, which drove me insane while I watched it, only earned about $7K on five screens limiting its expansion plans.

NEXT WEEK: Those pouty little vampires are back as THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE roars into 4000+ screens on Wednesday for what will certainly be one of the biggest hauls of the year.  M. Night Shyamalan's THE LAST AIRBENDER opens on 3000+ screens, including some 3D screens to help boost what I think will be a pretty mild gross.  And Taylor Hackford, LOVE RANCH opens on the art house front.

Source: Box Office Mojo

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WINTER'S BONE

Written by Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini

Directed by Debra Granik

Starring Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes

Ree Dolly: Never ask for ought to be offered.

WINTER’S BONE tells you immediately what tone to expect for the duration of your journey.  Two young children bounce up and down on a trampoline that sits outside a dilapidated wood cottage that is surrounded by discarded playthings and car parts.  A folk waltz about Missouri plays over the soundtrack and, as a teenage girl takes down the laundry and plays with the kids she so clearly looks after, it seems to me that Missouri might as well be misery.  These are the Ozark Mountains.  This is an America that is not often seen in film – an America that has nothing, trusts no one and doesn’t stand a chance.  This is the America that America would rather forget.

The girl is Ree Dolly (relative unknown and inevitable awards season breakout, Jennifer Lawrence).  She is sixteen years old and she cannot join the army like she wants because she must take care of her two younger siblings and her mentally unstable mother.  At an age when the concept of responsibility is only freshly coming into existence for most, Ree must embody it so that her family doesn’t fall apart.  And as if chopping the firewood, preparing dinner and making sure the children know both their math lessons and firearm safety weren’t enough for her to shoulder, she must now also find her estranged father.  His latest battle with the law over his career as a meth manufacturer has put her home in jeopardy.  Her father owns the home and he needed something to put up for bail so if he misses his court date, her family loses everything they have.  Their only hope is this young girl.

Lawrence fought hard for this role.  It was thought that she was too pretty for the part and, while she is definitely a pretty girl, her performance is about as raw and ugly as they come.  Each character she meets greets her with trepidation and aggression and yet each of these people is somehow related to her in some distant fashion.  They know her plight and you can see that most yearn to help but that it always stops there because no one dares get involved out of fear for their own person.  Lawrence is fearless in the face of these challenges.  She relentlessly hunts down her father to secure her family’s basic need for shelter.  This is strife; this is suffering.  This is survival in the truest sense of the word.

An American flag still hangs outside the Dolly home.  It does not fly proudly but rather it just droops, defeated and tired.  WINTER’S BONE, directed with grace and respect by Debra Granik, and based on a brilliantly bare screenplay by Granik and Anne Rosellini, is a visceral experience that makes its points frankly and strongly.  It speaks sharply to the dated gender roles, commonplace drug usage and extreme poverty that flood these parts without anyone knowing or caring and it does so in a soft voice that allows the audience to see how dire it is with their own eyes.  Even this America will not go down without a fight.

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