I have a voice!

The King's Speech

The story of King George the VI aka Bertie and Lionel Logue, the man who helped him overcome his emotionally and physically painful stammer, The King's Speech is an inspiring story of bravery and friendship and will carry Colin Firth to Oscar gold.

The King's Speech is the Colin Firth show. This movie is built around him and he rules it like a king. His stammer/stutter seems accurate and well researched. He's gentle and intimidating, fragile yet tough as nails. A battle rages inside him, a battle of pain, embarrassment/self-loathing and silent bravery and growing hope. This battle all plays out in his face, particularly his eyes and mouth. His perseverance and performance moved me to tears. One of the best male performances of the year.

Firth and Geoffrey Rush have excellent chemistry, whether they are fighting or supporting each other. It's quite magical to watch their friendship develop. Rush provides much needed laughs and uses the fantastic comedic timing we saw in Shakespeare in Love. Helena Bonham-Carter was also quite good in her supporting role but the role was written to be supporting and not outshine Firth and Rush. She did the best with what she was given.

The techniques director Tom Hooper uses to show Bertie's pain and embarrassment are quite masterful. The echoing microphone repeats Bertie's stammer, almost mocking him. His not overbearing use of Bertie's awful family really reinforces the tough childhood Bertie had; we see them enough to realize they are awful and they leave on impression, like they are always in the back of our mind, like Bertie. The end is inspiring and left some audience members clapping in my theater. Hooper doesn't rush Bertie's speech, he lets him take his time, just as Logue would've instructed.

The King's Speech definitely goes through the Oscar checklist: inspiring story about a man overcoming an obstacle, World War II, true story, life-changing relationship and so on. But The King's Speech has heart, something many Oscar checklist film forget to include. Rush's dedication and Firth's power combine to make the audience feel, unlike Benjamin Button which was just an interesting film to look at with an interesting story.

I really enjoyed The King's Speech, I think it did a great job of telling a compelling story and highlighting a misunderstood condition. Do I think it should win Best Picture? Probably not. Will I be mad if it does? Definitely not.

Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit

This girl is the next Dakota Fanning! She's super talented and she's such a little adult. Anyone who can go toe-to-toe with Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin and act as well as them is one heck of a talent. The Coen Brothers have written some memorable, strong, and incredibly feminist characters, and Hailee Steinfeld as Mattie Ross brings her to life. This girl has a bright future ahead of her.

Netflix

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind-I frequently hear this was good.
The Other Guys-Heard this was either hilarious or atrocious.
The Red Shoes-Netflix Instant. Perhaps an inspiration for Black Swan?

You're Mickey Ward.

The Fighter

A crowning achievement for Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, The Fighter is the inspiring true story of boxer Mickey Ward and his back and forth relationship with his brother, fighter turned addict, Dickie Eklund.

The Fighter is a fantastic showcase for its actors, most notably Christian Bale. He chews the scenery and demands attention, much like his character. His performances are usually quieter and more reserved. Even as Batman he has a quiet control about him. But as crack addict Dickie Eklund, Bale lets everything hang out from the inside and outside. While he's causing trouble for his family or going through withdrawal, we can even see Dickie behind Bale's eyes. He always looks hungry, for a comeback or crack. There's an insanity behind those eyes that disappears when Dickie gets clean. You can see to the depths of Dickie's soul in Bale's eyes. He will get nominated for his first Oscar and he will win. This is one of the male performances of the year.

While Bale demands to be the center of attention as Dickie, Wahlberg stands quietly by. Though Bale gives the movie's top performance, Wahlberg is not to be missed and this is a milestone for him as an actor. Wahlberg is usually chewing the scenery and doing the most he can with the words. But in The Fighter, Wahlberg is much more reserved and quiet, really showcasing his talent. He tells the story with his face, whether he's looking at you with intensity or looking down in shame. It was great to see a bit of a role reversal for both Wahlberg and Bale. The two play well together and form a believable older brother-younger brother bond.

Amy Adams and Melissa Leo are excellent in their supporting but pivotal roles. Leo is infuriating as Eklund and Ward's mother. Her tunnel-vision and blindness are despicable. Adams is equally strong and Ward's love interest. She isn't afraid to throw punches and stand up for her man and herself, even if she's punching Ward's family.

The fight scenes are well shot and the true story is very compelling. It's an impossible situation Ward is in; one wants to trust their family, but something family can be toxic. But in the end, he needs both. The film is a little too drawn out but is an excellent portrayal of unique family dynamics. The Fighter is not to be missed, definitely one of 2010's best.

Ian Somerhalder in The Vampire Diaries

As the sassy, guarded, wounded and foxy Damon, Somerhalder is the best part about The Vampire Diaries. His combination of snark and sexy are a welcome addition to TV. He delivers excellent one-liners, moves audiences during dramatic moments, and is simultaneously sympathetic and despicable. Somerhalder has certainly grown since the Boone days. If The Vampire Diaries were on any other network, Somderhalder would score himself an Emmy nomination.

Netflix

Igby Goes Down-Have the soundtrack, but never seen the movie.
Despicable Me-Missed this in theaters.
Exit Through the Gift Shop-Netflix Instant. Not totally sure what it's about, but this Banksy character is intriguing.

Help me.

127 Hours

A crowning achievement for James Franco, 127 Hours is Danny Boyle's latest and the true story of climber Aron Ralston and the harrowing days he spent trapped under a boulder.

Danny Boyle is great at telling extraordinary stories about extraordinary and sometimes flawed men. Like Almodovar is a great director of women, Boyle is a great director of men. He understands his characters pros and cons, ticks and nuances. He's great at drawing out the best and worst in his men by placing them in heart-pumping situations. He places his camera in the face of his characters, giving the audience an extreme closeup of their face and inner most thoughts. Furthermore, Boyle's always been great at showing his man in action, whether they are running from the rage-filled undead or scurrying through the claustrophobic streets of Bombay. Boyle's films are distinct and 127 Hours is a fitting addition to Boyle's resume.

127 Hours is the James Franco show. Despite other supporting characters, Franco owns the movie. This is one of the most authentic male performances I've seen in a while and Franco seems to become Ralston. Franco accurately shows experiences of reflection, catharsis, and honesty as well as all the stages of grief. We see denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance sweep across Franco's face; it's really beautiful. He's very real and really makes the audience question themselves: what would you do if you were in a situation like this? Franco really shows his chops and it's a high point for his career. I've always liked Franco (despite how weird he seems) and he's elevated himself to a whole new level with 127 Hours. He connects with his character and his audience. An Oscar nomination is definitely in his future.

Boyle reunites with composer A.R. Rahman for the 127 Hours. While I do miss John Murphy's work, Rahman creates an imaginative and heart-pumping score. The music matches the scenes. Moreover, the film's original song, the appropriately titled "If I Rise," is haunting. Sung by Dido, the song should definitely get a nomination. Actually, this year's best original score race should be a tough one to call, what with previous winner A.R. Rahman, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's electronic and hypnotizing score for The Social Network and Clint Mansell's classical and scary music for Black Swan.

I was nervous about all the film's potential downtime. I wondered how they would handle all the time Ralston spent trapped under that boulder. But there was never a dull moment in 127 Hours. While Ralston and the audience are worrying over the dwindling amount of water or how to break free, Ralston reflects on his life, imagines and relives experiences and conversations, dreams of liberation, and has a premonition that ultimately gives him something to live for. The screenwriters and Franco even manage to throw in a little comedy with a Ralston one-man talk show.

Boyle creates a whole film experience with 127 Hours. The exhausting climbing and biking sequences, the sweeping shots of the stunning Utah landscape, the heart-racing final act and James Franco's exceptional performance make 127 Hours one of the best films of 2010.

Anne Hathaway in Love and Other Drugs

Let's just make this an Oscar Host 2010 post. Hathaway really gives a strong performance in this cheesy romance/minor crap fest. Like James Franco in 127 Hours, she too has the five stages of grief fill her facial movements and physicality, but she includes a little bitterness and a huge dose of bitch. She definitely made this disappointment watchable.

Netflix

Running with Scissors-Always wanted to see this.
Secretary-Maggie Gyllenhaal is supposed to be great.
Laguna Beach Season 1-Netflix Instant. I need something for background noise.

The only person standing in your way is you.

Black Swan

Black Swan was number one on my list of winter movies and right now it sits at number one on my list of best movies of the year. Darren Aronofsky's masterpiece is a psychological thriller with brilliant performances, intriguing themes, and rich visuals. I was emotionally and physically moved by Black Swan and I believe the film will stay with me for a very long time.

To get started, I'll state the obvious: Natalie Portman was spellbinding and produced a genius performance. This really is the performance of the year. Portman disappeared into Nina. She was vulnerable, naive, and childish; I've never seen Portman this way before. With many of her other roles, she has a strength and confidence. Nina completely lacked both. Portman's fragile frame matched Nina's psyche. Portman completely disappeared into this role; she let go and just fell into the role. I can't imagine any other actress playing Nina.

On top of the revolutionary performance, Portman mastered ballet. She trained for a year and it shows. In many films where an actor must master a skill, the camera rarely shows the actor's face and body in the same shot to better hide a double. But Portman's face and body are seen together throughout the whole movie. She looked as if she'd been doing ballet her entire life. If Natalie Portman doesn't win the Oscar for Black Swan, I'll completely lose what faith I had left in the Academy. Sorry Annette Benning, but your performance in that awful movie can't even touch Portman.

Mila Kunis is exceptional as Lily, a rival dancer. She's very natural in the role and can definitely do more than just comedy. She pushed herself out of her niche and made the role her own. Barbara Hershey also did an outstanding job as Nina's mother. She was equally horrifying and sympathetic. While Vincent Cassel did a great job as the ballet director and provided an excellent motivation for Nina, Black Swan belongs to the ladies.

The visuals and editing rival Portman in strength. The continuous use of black and white emphasize the battle of good and evil that can rage inside a person. The costumes are beautiful and the sets are breath taking. Black Swan is brilliantly shot to look like Nina is being stalked. The visual effects are the stuff of nightmares; this film is scary. Clint Mansell's haunting score moves the film along and adds to the intensity of every scene.

The script brilliantly interweaves Nina's story with the story of Swan Lake; they fold into each other perfectly. The script also moves Nina's character development along well, giving us time with each change. Everything is revealed at the right time. Her transformation left me speechless and my body lifeless. The last act is some of the most riveting, tense, and visually striking minutes I've ever experienced in a film.

The script and story pair well with Aronofsky's previous film, The Wrestler. Both are about a physically demanding and under appreciated art, and the lengths one goes to to be an artist, to achieve perfection, and the costs. Both films are shot similarly for different reasons and both endings pack a powerful punch. But Black Swan is much riskier than The Wrestler. Aronofsky laid the ground work with The Wrestler and raised the stakes with Black Swan.

Black Swan is one of the scariest, engaging, and best films I've ever seen. It's a masterpiece.

Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal

Definitely one of Judi Dench's most memorable performances and one of my favorites. She could've taken this performance in two directions and she chose an effective path of subtly, slight humor, and bitterness that all flow into her obsessive behavior. She comes across as sympathetic but behind that curtain she's sucking the life out of you. Cate Blanchett describes Dench's character as a vampire and that's exactly what she is. Dench sinks her fangs into this role in a way only Judi Dench can.

Netflix

Inception-Love it. Love it. Must see again. Love it.
Wild Child-Some cute Emma Roberts comedy along the lines of a Mary-Kate and Ashley movie. I'll get this when I need a break from the heavy stuff.
Skins Vol 3-Netflix Instant. I'll try it again.

Welcome to Wonderland.

Burlesque

Burlesque is a fun distraction that manages to be enjoyable despite an awful screenplay.

Christina Aguilera gives an acceptable debut performance. The role doesn't call for much, but she's believable as a small-town girl with a big voice. Her performance was certainly better than Britney's debut in Crossroads. She has great chemistry with the film's more seasoned actors, including forever diva Cher. The two powerhouses play off each other well. It's great to see two generations of divas working together and seeing a torch passed.

Stanley Tucci is magic as usual. Cam Gigandet is sooo nice to watch...because he's foxy. Alan Cumming is great but totally underutilized. Finally, it's great to see Kristen Bell play someone other than a cute, nice blonde. She's a great dancer but I wish we could've heard her vocal talents. But this isn't a normal musical and clearly it's all about Cher and Christina.

The film isn't really a musical; characters mostly sing when they are supposed to, not because the moment feels right. But that doesn't stop the musical numbers from being pretty awesome. Catchy original and timeless songs sung by The Voice, Christina Aguilera. And Cher's still got it.

The script is just a dis-ast-uh. Cliche and cheese combine and produce the mess of the Burlesque script. I don't think Steve Antin has much writing experience and it certainly shows. And he used way too many establishing shots. Don't worry Steve, I haven't forgotten for the tenth time that we're at the Burlesque Lounge.

Burlesque really reminded me how great it is to be a girl sometimes. We get to wear stunning outfits adorned in pearls, feathers and a whole lot of sparkle. We get to paint beautiful canvases with lipstick, eyeliner and eye shadows and create works of art. Though dancing in little outfits in front of men isn't for everyone, it can be very empowering for some women, and the women in Burlesque were certainly powerful.

If you need to turn your brain of for about an hour and a half, look at pretty colors, watch dance moves you'll never be able to do and hear vocals you'll never be able to mimic BUT leave feeling satisfied, then see Burlesque.

Jeremy Renner in The Town

For the most part, I liked The Town but Renner made it a memorable film. He plays an incredibly unpredictable character with a fire in his eyes that scared me. He left behind a path of destruction and was like a lit firework in each scene. His accent was sometimes hard to understand but I'll take that as his dedication to the role. Another excellent performance from an immensely talented man.

Netflix

Going the Distance-I love Justin and Drew. This looked cute.
Enter the Void-Supposed to be super intense but David and Anne loved it.
Battlestar Galactica-Netflix Instant. Supposed to be sooo good. An upcoming TV project.

I wanna talk about how bad you make this room look.

Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart is a fairly predictable drama about an alcoholic country singer that won Jeff Bridges his Oscar.

I'd been wanting to see Crazy Heart for a while, but not because it looked interesting. I needed to see if Jeff Bridges beat Colin Firth because the performance was better or it was just "Jeff Bridges' turn." Jeff Bridges really is great. He inhabits Bad Blake and gives an honest and raw performance. Bridges pushes himself to the edge and the edge isn't pretty. He's the heart of the movie and he's a great musician. A fantastic performance, he carries the movie and few actors could've played this role. Bridges' also had great chemistry with Colin Farrell, his former protege. Farrell sings a mean country song and sounds 100% Southern. Kudos to his dialect or accent coach.

I maintain my stance that Colin Firth was better and Bridges' Oscar was an I.O.U. Bridges kicked ass but Firth's role required a deeper and higher level of emotional intensity and conflict than Bridges' in my opinion. I'm not as peeved that Bridges beat Firth after watching Crazy Heart, but I still would've rather heard Colin Firth's acceptance speech than Bridges'.

The story was fairly predictable and a lot like a country song. Guy is broken and needs to be saved by music and a fine woman. The love story turned me off. Seeing an overweight, alcoholic, dirty man rub his hands all over Maggie Gyllenhaal just didn't do it for me. Furthermore, this love story would never happen if the roles were reversed. Would an attractive man fall for an aged, slightly overweight and female character? Probably not. That's why I find the romances in Crazy Heart and The Wrestler, for example, a bit preposterous.

The soundtrack is phenomenal. This is real, bleeding heart country music. No Taylor Swift pop-country riff-raff. If you like country music, pick up this soundtrack. Even if you don't like country music, this is a must own film soundtrack.

Overall, the film is a strong B. Great performances but the story was too predictable for my taste.

Rupert Friend in The Young Victoria
While Emily Blunt is great in the titular role, Rupert Friend as Albert stole the film for me. His performance is very reserved and chivalrous, sweet and strong. I fell in love with him right along with Victoria. His eyes speak more than his words ever could and he's a strong, male feminist character. Albert seems like a role that anyone could've played but Friend made it his own. I really hope we get to see him in more.

Netflix

Easy A-I enjoy Emma Stone and this was supposed to be better than it looked.
Eclipse-I know. For shame.
Les Miserables-Netflix Instant. Love the pairing of Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush.

There's a moment, there's always a moment.

Closer

One of my all-time favorites, this gritty drama is a brutally honest look at relationships and the hurt people cause each other. The film is filled with vulnerability, strength, brilliantly shot scenes and fantastic performances.

Jude Law is so unlikable as Dan, a man who's slimy but think he's a romantic. I think it takes serious acting skill to play an unlikable character. While he doesn't turn in the film's strongest performance, he does an exceptional job. And his chemistry with Natalie Portman is amazing.

What his character represents is what's best about him. I'm in an evolutionary psychology/communication class and we talk about cheating, what drives humans, and so forth. In lectures on relationships, we've learned that everyone cheats; it's in our nature to not be monogamous because we need to mate with the best genes to produce better offspring, etc. However, when it comes to cheating, men especially want to cheat but do not want their female partners to cheat. There's some kind of intrasexual competition between men to sleep with as many women as possible while holding onto their mate. Dan is this theory. He's driven mad imagining a woman he's with sleeping with another man; it leads to the downfall of his relationships in the film. It's always cool to see things you learn in school in real life.

I really respect Julia Roberts for going outside her box. She's never been my favorite of actresses because she plays the same role a lot. But she's different as Anna. She's a liar and depressed, not cutesy and lovable. Good role choice. Next step, play a serial killer, eyyy Julia?

Clive Owen is phenomenal as Larry the "caveman," a man with an unquenchable sexual thirst but deeper complexities. In the original play, Owen played Dan which I cannot imagine at all. Owen's got a kind of Cro-Magnon look to him. He plays his character clever and though he's sleazy, he's far more appealing than Dan.

Despite the other stellar performances, all roads lead to Natalie Portman. She's so gifted. Her character is manipulative and sweet, she traps men in her web of intrigue. The lyrics in the opening and closing song by Damien Rice, "I can't take my eyes off of you," totally applies to Portman's character. People see her and fall in love, she's a "vision." This was a really adult role for Portman. We always knew she was talented but she stepped her game with Closer. This has definitely groomed her for what looks like an even more adult and intense role in the my most anticipated Christmas time film, Black Swan. I love her in this role.

Patrick Marber wrote a very intimate screenplay. The dialogue is in your face but seems very private. I shouldn't be listening to these conversations, I'm a peeping tom for watching this scene. The meat of the film is in the dialogue; there's not one sex scene in the whole film.

Coupled with the intimate screenplay is the way Mike Nichols shot the film. Many of the scenes are filmed as if you're a bystander at a variety of distances. You could be sitting a the table in the restaurant watching and listening to Anna and Larry's conversation or you could be standing at the top of a staircase watching Anna and Dan greet each other. I kind of feel like I have to take a shower after watching Closer; I feel dirty invading these people's space.

Mike Nichols shot some really great scenes in Closer. The juxtaposition of the opening and closing scene with the Damien Rice song playing is just brilliant. Furthermore, the use of fish is interesting. Fish pop up in several scenes in the film, which made me think of the saying "There's other fish in the sea." Going along with the repeated Damien Rice lyric, "I can't take my eyes off of you," and the last lyric in the song, "'Til I find somebody else," the idea of there being other fish in the sea makes sense. You can love someone until the end of time, having eyes only for them until you meet someone new and the feelings start all over again, just with a different fish.

Closer is truly incredible but it can be scary. Do not see this if with a person you are having a relationship with. If the relationship is good, you'll look for cracks. If the relationship is bad, you will break up.

Jason Bateman on Arrested Development

Every actor on Arrested Development is a genius. That show is so well cast. But to balance out all those insane personalities in the Bluth family, you need a straight man. And Bateman is the perfect straight man. He created a dedicated and understated character in Michael Bluth who was full of love but grew flustered with his ridiculous family. It takes a really strong actor to hold their own with all those extroverts and still be funny. Please let Hollywood make that Arrested Development movie, I wasn't ready for the Bluth's story to end.

Netflix

Toy Story 3-Dislike the 2nd one but this has gotten such great reviews.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)-Supposed to be bad but I love Jackie Earle Haley.
The Girl Who Played with Fire-Netflix Instant. I won't see this for a long time. Still haven't finished the first book in the series or seen that movie. Winter break project?