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2/28/2011
Young? Hip? Nah.
The 2011 Oscar Post-Mortem February 28th, 2011
The 83rd annual Academy Awards ended up being the ‘young, hip’ Oscars that weren’t. A sleepy, predictable broadcast that offered little for film fans to be excited about. The dull and lifeless show was the worst in recent memory. Perhaps it’s fortunate ratings were down ten percent.
How bad were hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway? Bad enough that when Billy Crystal popped up halfway through everyone watching wished he would’ve taken over hosting the rest of the night.
To be fair, Hathaway seemed to be genuinely enjoying her role as co-host, her giggles and exuberance endearing her to those watching in person and at home. Contrast that with Franco, who did her no favors.
Franco looked bored and annoyed by the proceedings, like he wanted to kill his agent for talking him into hosting. I like Franco as an actor but I doubt anyone enjoyed his stoned presence onstage. The Academy won’t ask him back.
I think Hathaway should have another shot; perhaps co-host next year with Hugh Jackman? He did a swell job on his own and they have good chemistry.
There were no shots ...
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2/26/2011
Let's Do This
Sunday brings the 83rd installment of the Academy Awards, which like last year will feature a team of hosts, though considerably younger than Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. This year the delightful Anne Hathaway and the workaholic James Franco will attempt to bring some youthful vigor to the storied awards show. I’m not expecting the MTV Movie Awards, but I do hope there are some irreverent surprises.
Once again the Best Picture nominees have been expanded to include ten nominees instead of five. I guess this is going to be standard for a while, but I certainly hope not. It’s simply too easy to pick out the five that don’t belong (The Kids Are Alright?!).
For more of my thoughts on the nominations, please see this blog post.
Here is my 6th annual Non-Nerd Guide to the Oscars, a cheat sheet focusing on the six big awards you care about: Best Picture, Director, and the four acting categories. Because who cares who won Best Sound Mixing?
And the Nominees are:
Best Actress: Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right,” Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole,” Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter's Bone,” Natalie Portman in “Black Swan,” ...
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1/6/2011
Maxamillion Foizey's Top Ten Best and Worst Films of 2010
There were more than ten bad films in 2010. There were more than ten good films. Still each year I and other film critics compile top ten best and worst lists, either out of habit or because it’s expected. I used to enjoy ranking the films I’ve seen but honestly it’s getting harder to justify pitting tonally different films against one another for an outcome that is little more than whim. Ask me in ten years if my lists would be the same. Probably not.
Top Ten Worst of 2010
10. Leap Year
The best thing about Leap Year is the beautiful Irish scenery. The lush rolling hills and greenery everywhere. The worst thing about Leap Year is everything else.
9. Due Date
Why take a road trip with two unlikable people?
8. Grown Ups
I have no doubt this film was funnier on the set than it is on camera.
7. Robin Hood
A bland, boring piece of origin story nonsense from Ridley Scott and Co.
6. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
This flick has very fake CGI sets & more slow motion jumping scenes than any other film in history. It's also the opposite of fun.
5. ...
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10/25/2010
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12/11/2009
Release Date: December 11th, 2009
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick
Rating: R
Where is your home? I image you’d give me an address as an answer. But I don’t mean where you live or keep your stuff or pick up your mail. I mean your home. Is it anywhere your family is? Your spouse? Anywhere you hang your hat?
For Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), it’s Up in the Air.
Bingham spends more time traveling than most of us spend at home. He’s a corporate downsizer, sent from city to city to tell employees they’ve been let go (never fired).
In between flights, Bingham finds comfort in airport lounges and terminal gift shops. He finds this comfort mostly because he tells himself to.
Sometimes he takes a podium as a motivational speaker. His message: unburden yourself from all attachments. Make no mistake, Bingham walks his talk, but he is forced to re-examine his philosophy when he is partnered with a young upstart who questions his lifestyle.
Anna Kendrick’s short screen time in the Twilight films doesn’t give any indication of what she’s capable. As Natalie Kenner, she goes toe to toe with Clooney and comes out a winner. Kendrick is ...
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