DREAM

Home » All posts

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Red (2008)

Genre: Crime/Drama

Starring: Brian Cox, Noel Fischer, Kyle Gallner, Shiloh Fernandes, Kim Dickens, Tom Sizemore

The peaceful country life of Avery Ludlow (Cox) becomes not so peaceful when 3 teenage boys attempt to rob him and eventually kill his dog while he was fishing. Danny (Fischer) shot Red at point-blank range while Harold (Gallner) and Peter (Fernandes) stood there laughing and doing nothing. Red was close to him and he swore revenge against them. He wanted them to regret what they did and get punished for doing what they did. Danny and Harold's father, Mr. McCormack (Sizemore) was a highly influential man in the town because of which both the sheriff and the district attorney refused to take any action against him. Carrie (Dickens) a local newspaper reporter tries to help him out by reporting his story on TV but soon the channel editor too starts facing pressure from McCormack to stop broadcasting the story. Having no where to go, Ludlow takes the law in his own hands and decides to fight the McCormack's for what is right and what is wrong. Brian Cox's performance is worth giving him a golden statue and he very aptly fits the role. The movie cant be labeled as entirely boring but there is nothing exciting about it either. It's one of those movies that you cant find fault with and that you can easily forget about it soon after its over. There is some good scope for it to improve probably by showing better on how the law does not provide justice to the average man and sits in the pockets of the rich hand influential. A nice watch to pass some time without getting bored but not something you would talk about all your life.

Thumbs up: Brian Cox

Thumbs down: Has good scope for plot improvement

Rating: 7.3/10

readmore »»

Tis the Season: The Screen Actors Guild

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

You can always rely on the Screen Actors Guild to throw a couple of bones the way of unexpected nominees. And these folks have some serious sway with the Oscars, as actors make up the largest voting component of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. This year, the most glaring and bewildering inclusion is that of Hilary Swank in the Best Actress category for the little seen and widely panned, CONVICTION. Her co-star, Sam Rockwell, has earned a couple of nods so far this season, but he misses out here. Michelle Williams is inexplicably and inexcusably shut out for BLUE VALENTINE as a result. Oh, and can someone please explain to me why Jeremy Renner keeps scoring nods for his simply adequate performance in THE TOWN.

Leaders in SAG nominations this year are THE KING'S SPEECH and THE FIGHTER. These are actor's films so it is truly not surprising to see these two out in front. It is also no surprise not to see awards season favorite, INCEPTION, as that, for all its combined cast talent, is more plot and effects driven, and so was completely shut out by the SAG, save for a nod for the stunt work. With INCEPTION missing from the roster, that left room for one film to sneak into the Best Ensemble category, the SAG equivalent of Best Picture. Aside from the expected titles listed below, that wild card slot went the THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT. Still no nod for Julianne Moore though. Her Oscar odds are all but dead.

The winners for the 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be handed out on January 30, 2011. Here is the full list of film nominees:

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR - LEAD

Jeff Bridges, TRUE GRIT

Robert Duvall, GET LOW

Jesse Eisenberg, THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Colin Firth, THE KING'S SPEECH

James Franco, 127 HOURS

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR - LEAD

Annette Bening, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

Nicole Kidman, RABBIT HOLE

Jennifer Lawrence, WINTER'S BONE

Natalie Portman, BLACK SWAN

Hilary Swank, CONVICTION

OUTSTANDING MALE ACTOR - SUPPORTING

Christian Bale, THE FIGHTER

John Hawkes, WINTER'S BONE

Jeremy Renner, THE TOWN

Mark Ruffalo, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

Geoffrey Rush, THE KING'S SPEECH

OUTSTANDING FEMALE ACTOR - SUPPORTING
Amy Adams, THE FIGHTER

Helena Bonham Carter, THE KING'S SPEECH

Mila Kunis, BLACK SWAN

Melissa Leo, THE FIGHTER

Hailee Steinfeld, TRUE GRIT

BEST ENSEMBLE

BLACK SWAN

THE FIGHTER

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

THE KING'S SPEECH

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

For a full list of the SAG nominees, please visit their website at www.sag.org

readmore »»

This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)

Genre: Documentary

Starring: (various)

The MPAA (Motion Pictures Association of America) and its long serving president, Jack Valenti implemented a ratings system on Hollywood movies in order to curb the explicitly movies were supposedly portraying. This ratings system did not go down well with Hollywood directors because of its secret and non-transparent feature. Films were supposedly watched by ordinary parents of children aged 3-7 years who rate movies and decide whether the movie is appropriate for children to watch. Movies which get rated NC-17 don't go down well with the director since children below 17 cannot watch those movies and they lose their core movie-watching audience. The MPAA members are heads of the worlds largest media corporations and accusations of bias in ratings in favour of these corporations has been alleged. Kirby Dick, the director of this movie tries to dig deep and reveal the profile of the raters and bring out the truth whether the MPAA is actually doing what it set out to do and what it claims to do. The movie reveals quite a few secrets about the film industry and the liberal and free America quickly appears to be conservative and timid, something you never associated it to be. Probably everyone associated with the movie industry should watch this, probably to learn something new or get a fresh perspective.

Thumbs up: Reveals a lot of unknown secrets

Thumbs down: Being a documentary there wasn't much to pick up as flaws

Rating: 6.8/10

readmore »»

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Faster (2010)

Genre: Action/Crime/Drama

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Carla Guigino, Billy Bob Thornton

Freshly out of jail, Driver (Johnson) does not intend to make his life any better. He is hungry, hungry for revenge, revenge from those people who killed his brother. Killer (Jackson-Cohen) is a multi-millionaire and a part-time hit man who kills for fun. Killer wants to accomplish every hurdle that life can throw at him and aims to become the perfectionist. While Driver is hunting down his targets, Killer has been assigned the task to kill Driver. Cicero (Guigino) and Cop (Thornton) are two police officers who are investigating the murder trail being left behind by Driver. Dwayne Johnson is the macho indestructible self that he always was and is only more meaner. The movie is pretty much predictable and does not throw up anything new or exciting. The movie projects the conflicts within Driver and Killers minds but that does little to improve the overall impression it gives.

Thumbs up: Dwayne Johnsons presence

Thumbs down: Cliched and predictable

Rating: 6.4/10

readmore »»

Tis the Season: The Golden Globes

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

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association may not be the most definitive factor in determining what the Oscar nominations will be, but it certainly is the highest profile film awards ceremony outside of the Academy, so it's got to count for something, right? Regardless, it is always a pretty good party to enjoy from the comfort of my couch.

Leading the pack this year is THE KING'S SPEECH, with 7 nominations, including one for each of the three major performances, as well as the direction, screenplay and picture itself. Following closely in second place are THE FIGHER and THE SOCIAL NETWORK, both with 6 nominations apiece. BLACK SWAN and INCEPTION round out the Best Motion Picture - Drama cateogry, each also earning a total of 4 nods. If the Oscars were still doing a Top 5, I'm pretty sure these five would be the finalists and rightfully so. Wait a minute though; where are the Coen Brothers and TRUE GRIT?

The comedy categories are appropriately laughable. Whereas THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT is rewarded with 4 nominations (Julianna Moore is in; Mark Ruffalo is out.), obvious choices like BARNEY'S VERSION and EASY A, miss out on the main event, while their stars earn token nods, and complete misfires like BURLESQUE and THE TOURIST compete for the top prize. Johnny Depp is even nominated twice in the Comedy Actor category, scoring his second nod for ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Clearly, 2010 was not a very funny year.

All in all, the Golden Globe nominations have hardly changed the road to the Oscars for the major competitors. They did manage to give a little push to Mark Wahlberg (Best Actor - Drama), Halle Berry (Best Actress - Drama), Andrew Garfield (Best Supporting Actor), Jacki Weaver (Best Supporting Actress) and Mila Kunis (Best Supporting Actress). Michael Douglas for Best Supporting Actor in WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS though? Really?

The Golden Globes will be handed out in a ceremony to be held on January 16, 2011 and aired on NBC. Here are the major category nominees:

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA

Halle Berry, FRANKIE AND ALICE

Nicole Kidman, RABBIT HOLE

Jennifer Lawrence, WINTER'S BONE

Natalie Portman, BLACK SWAN

Michelle Williams, BLUE VALENTINE

BEST ACTOR - DRAMA

Jesse Eisenberg, THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Colin Firth, THE KING'S SPEECH

James Franco, 127 HOURS

Ryan Gosling, BLUE VALENTINE

Mark Wahlberg, THE FIGHTER

BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

BURLESQUE

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

RED

THE TOURIST

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams, THE FIGHTER

Helena Bonham Carter, THE KING'S SPEECH

Mila Kunis, BLACK SWAN

Melissa Leo, THE FIGHTER

Jacki Weaver, ANIMAL KINGDOM

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Christian Bale, THE FIGHTER

Michael Douglas, WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS

Andrew Garfield, THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Jeremy Renner, THE TOWN

Geoffrey Rush, THE KING'S SPEECH

BEST DIRECTOR

Darren Aronofsky, BLACK SWAN

David Fincher, THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Tom Hooper, THE KING'S SPEECH

Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION

David O. Russell, THE FIGHTER

BEST SCREENPLAY

127 HOURS

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

INCEPTION

THE KING'S SPEECH

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

For more information on the Golden Globes and a full list of nominees, visit the Hollywood Foreign Press Association website at www.goldenglobes.org

readmore »»

Tis the Season: The Toronto Film Critics Association

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

Yes, I live in Toronto. No, I am not part of the Toronto Film Critics Association. These babies are tough to crack some times. I am however part of an association comprised on Toronto's best and brightest online film critics. Mostly we just get together and drink once a month but we do occasionally discuss the odd film here and there and our list of 2010's best will be coming near the close of the year. In the meantime, the Toronto film critics that actually get paid to do what I do have announced their choices for the best of 2010.

Toronto is just as taken with THE SOCIAL NETWORK as all the other major film critic associations stateside, awarding the film the top prize, as well as prizes for director (David Fincher), screenplay (Aaron Sorkin) and actor (Jesse Eisenberg). They also recognized the film's Armie Hammer as Best Supporting Actor for his dual role as the Winklevoss twins. Other interesting choices include newcomer, Hallee Steinfeld for her supporting turn in TRUE GRIT and HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON as animated feature.

The Toronto Film Critics Association will hand out its awards on January 12, 2011, at a ceremony at Nota Bene, a restaurant that I could walk to right now if I felt like. They will then announce the winner of the Rogers Best Canadian Feature Award. The nominees in that category and all the other winners are listed below.

BEST PICTURE

THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST DIRECTOR

David Fincher, THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST SCREENPLAY

Aaron Sorkin, THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST ACTOR

Jesse Eisenberg, THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST ACTRESS

Jennifer Lawrence, WINTER'S BONE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Armie Hammer, THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Hallee Steinfeld, TRUE GRIT

BEST FIRST FEATURE

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP

BEST DOCUMENTARY

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON

BEST FOREIGN FILM

UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES

ROGERS BEST CANADIAN FEATURE

INCENDIES

SPLICE

TRIGGER

For more information of the Toronto Film Critics Association, be sure to check out their website at www.torontofilmcritics.com

readmore »»

Monday, December 13, 2010

Tis the Season: The Critic's Choice Movie Awards

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

The critic's associations in Boston, Los Angeles and New York City all announced THE SOCIAL NETWORK as the best picture of 2010 in the past few days but it is BLACK SWAN that comes out ahead at the Critic's Choice Movie Awards. The Broadcast Film Critic's Association is comprised of over 250 critics from all over North America and the 12 nominations that Darren Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN earned is a record first in the 16 years the BFCA has been hosting their awards.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK still does well, earning a total of 9 nominations but four other films still manage to do better. Aside from BLACK SWAN, the British export, THE KING'S SPEECH ties the Coen Brothers' remake, TRUE GRIT, with 11 nominations each. And coming in right between the bunch with 10 nods is the Christopher Nolan blockbuster, INCEPTION.

There aren't any major surprises or upsets here, save for another missed opportunity for Julianne Moore in the Best Actress category for THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, itself nominated for four awards. I bet she is kicking herself for not submitting her name in the supporting category. That's how Jake Gyllenhaal fanaggled an Oscar nod for BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. Oh, and Mila Kunis managed some Supporting Actress love for her turn in BLACK SWAN, getting swept up with the film itself.

The BFCA Critic's Choice Movie Award winners will be revealed on January 14, 2011, when they are broadcast live on VH1.

Here are the major cateogry nominees:

BEST PICTURE

TRUE GRIT