Everybody's Talkin' 12-31 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

Happy New Year everybody! Hatter here wishing you nothing but peace, prosperity, and cinematic goodness for 2010.

I've complained many times about my disappointment with 2009 at the movies, however one thing I can't complain about is the growing sense of online community I've felt this last year. It seems as though every week I'm finding new movie blogs to read, picking up a curious reader or two, and trying something new in this humble space inspired by someone else.

So while 2009 did cost me 2.5 hours of my life watching TRANSFORMERS 2, it was a good year for introducing me to a lot of truly swell movie-crazed people.

In honour of 2009 ending today, I thought it might be best to post the year-end top ten lists of these badass bloggers...

M. Carter's List

Fandango's List (aka "Number Six")

Tom's List

Alex the Film Forager's List

Matt's List

Edit: Vanessa's List

Edit: Blake's List

Edit: Shannon's List

Edit: Univarn's List

Edit: Joel's List

Edit: Marshall's List

(Note - I think I grabbed everyone's. If I missed yours, or if you're posting one today, let me know and I'll add it in).

Review: NINE * *

I'm a believer in signs.

When the opening moments of a film features a church bell tolling, followed by the line "Good luck, Maestro"...that isn't a good sign.

NINE is the story of Italian film director Guido Contini (Daniel Day Lewis). We begin as he commences filming his latest movie, the grandly titled ITALIA. It is to star Claudia Jenssen (Nicole Kidman) and begin filming in ten days. What's it about? Maestro's not so sure. You see, he hasn't finished the script yet...matter of fact, he hasn't even started!

As he struggles to turn cinematic water into wine, we are slowly introduced to the various women who have gotten him this far...

There's his ingenue wife, Luisa (Marion Cotillard)
His fiery mistress, Carla (Penelope Cruz)
His costume designer, Lili la Fleur (Judi Dench)
The prostitute who opened his eyes as a child, Saraghina (Fergie)
The fashion writer who adores his work, Stephanie (Kate Hudson)
The aforementioned diva who he directs to greatness, Caludia (Kidman)
and of course, his mother (Sophia Loren).

One by one they interact with Guido, some face to face, some in memory. Some day in and day out, some only in fleeting moments. And while song after song chants his name in the lyrics (literally), maestro can't seem to tap into that part of the dolce vita that has brought him such success.

His project is ready to crumble, his sanity and physical health is fading, his marriage in in worlds of trouble, and nobody seems to be able to offer him the right bit of guidance. Not his wife, not his doctor, not his mistress, not even his priest.

For me, more than anything else NINE is a mess. It seems like it may well be an enjoyable musical, if not a particularly memorable one. It certainly isn't a musical that needed to be adapted into a feature film. Why? Let me spell this out...

This is a film based on the musical based on the autobiographical film of a man trying to make a film!

I truly believe that Rob Marshall did as good a job in adapting this show to the screen as anybody possibly could, but therin lies the rub - the adaptation still isn't good enough. Part of the problem is that Marshall tries to employ the same trick he used in CHICAGO. he wants to make the musical numbers extensions of the lead character's imagination. That's a great trick once Rob, but there's no way I'll go for it twice.

NINE comes off like a series of disjointed moments, with flashes of brilliance that disappear far too quickly. It suffers from underachievement in acting, style over substance, and worst of all for a musical - mediocre singing. Seriously folks, while she knocked her number out of the park, you've seriously miscalculated if Fergie is your best singer on board.

Strangely, for a film that features prominent roles for seven different women, none of the roles seem to carry any sort of weight. I'm not suggesting any of them be able to go toe-to-toe with Daniel Day-Lewis, but at least one of the seven should be able to make her part matter a bit more than it does. Nay, every single one of them breeze in and out without making much of a dramatic dent. Lordy - where's Uma Thurman speaking Sweedish when you need her?

So if the ladies can't save the film, what about the maestro himself? Strange as it is for me to say this, I feel let down by Daniel Day-Lewis. He begins with such promise, delivering an opening monologue full of delicacy and love about the magic of filmmaking...then he calls it a day. Not only is his Italian accent bad, but it gets a whole lot worse when he starts singing (which sucks, given that he's one of the few characters who get two turns at the mic). At first he reminded me of my bad impression of my Italian father-in-law. However, as the film went on, i realized I had it wrong. He wasn't doing my bad impression of my father-in-law...he was doing a bad impression of my bad impression of my father in law!

It seems as though from the very beginning, much like the events that unfold within the story, this movie fell victim to believing in its own legend. The fact is that only one song from this film really stands on its own. To give the other nine character numbers any sort of fighting chance, the cast should have been filled out with broadway virtuosos. Instead, the legend of NINE demanded that only famous film actresses would do, and thus the film was doomed.

Believe in cinematic signs of fate. Toll the bell and strike the set - NINE is only a four and a half. At best.

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on NINE.

Decade pt. x ( Top Five 00's Movies - 2009 )

I might have already said this, but it bears repeating...I cannot be happier to see the page turn on 2009 at the movies. To paraphrase a friend, it has been a year of leftovers and holdovers. remember that pesky writer's strike two years ago? This year at the movies was the fallout of letting the talent be out on the picket lines for four months.

Perhaps the only thing worse than coming to grips with an off year, is thinking back ten years...and remembering one of the greatest years in recent movie history.

The oddest thing about it, was walking out of a theatre back in the summer thinking I'd just seen something truly amazing. At the time I considered it the best thing I'd seen all year. The odd part was then going to movie after movie, waiting for another film to come along and knock it out of that top spot...but nothing could!

What was this unmovable film? Find out below along with the other four movies that were tops for me this year. And of course, please come back on New Year's Day for the conclusion of my decade series, where I cover my top five films of the decade...

Hatter's Top Five of 2009

#5. AVATAR... It's amazing to see how divisive this movie has become in just two weeks. What can I say - hype kills.

The note I have heard most often is "The story sucks". To this I say "Hogwash"...or something a tad more explicit which I won't repeat. The story of AVATAR is as good as it needs to be, and perhaps even a little better. It will never be mentioned amongst the best screenplays of the year, but for a film where most of the effort, energy, and reward comes from the visuals, the story is not a complete afterthought.

Speaking of those visuals, it seems like James Cameron has been sitting back for the last thirteen years watching effects-driven film after effects-driven film, and worked towards something that would say to all challengers "Top this". The movie has been rendered in IMAX 3-D, and succeeds all the more from being presented in such a manner. It's a daring bit of sensory overload, and rightfully deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as TERMINATOR 2 and TITANIC.


#4. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS... "This just might be my masterpiece". Never was a film's final line so apropos.

In a way, it's slightly amazing to consider director Quentin Tarantino's success this decade. Disregarding his grindhouse geekery with DEATH PROOF, both his other projects of the era: KILL BILL and INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS were projects that he'd been knocking around since he first broke on the scene as rock star director extraordinaire. Gotta hand it to the guy - the time he spent honing these films was certainly time well spent!

BASTERDS is a wartime fairytale, but not the sort we were told going to sleep as a child. It dares to re-envision history and play out a moment or two that many of would want to know as truth. It dared to incorporate Nazi propaganda filmmaking, made every drop of spilled blood count, and gave us one of the most memorable, unsettling villains of the year. Indeed, it might be Quentin's masterpiece...hopefully he can build on it and prove that he still has more to say.


#3. PRECIOUS... Earlier I mentioned that hype kills. Every once in a while though, the hype must be believed. Such is the case with PRECIOUS.

If nothing else, PRECIOUS needs to be seen in order to hail two of the best bits of acting done all year. As Claireece "Precious" Jones, Gabby Sidibe becomes a physical embodiment of the question "Why Me?". What sets her acting apart is the way she goes to such a sad, self-loathing place without it seeming like simply self pity. The fact that she does so with such a genuine performance is a big part of what makes this movie work.

Sidibe carries half of the movie, Mo'Nique carries the other half as Precious' abusive mother Mary...the darker, more deplorable half. In a way, Mo'Nique is the next in a line of comedians who have startled us by showing their dramatic prowess. However, she might well stand alone as being a comedian who goes to such a dark and disturbing place. Her acting makes the stomach sink, and brings tears to the eyes. It left me wondering where she was able to summon such a performance from - and at the same time left me not wanting to know the answer.

From it's title on down, this seemed like a movie that was designed as emotional contrivance. As it happens, it's the furthest thing from it.


#2. AN EDUCATION... My love of this film has raised a few eyebrows, but in the time since I first saw it, I am unwaivered. If anything, I might even like it more.

It's a stellar bit of acting by Carey Mulligan ion a year filled with stellar bits of acting by actresses. She becomes both a doe-eye innocent and know-it-all twit in the same part, and charms us to death both ways. This is important because if she doesn't charm us to death, we don't care about her and feel like she gets what's coming to her. As it happens, we can see her fate coming, but muscle up some empathy since Mulligan comes off like a sparrow with a broken wing.

AN EDUCATION is all about execution. Every bit of the film - the acting, the photography, the writing, the style, the music, and the direction - is razor-sharp. It all comes together to remind us that lessons learned though life experience can be just as valuable as those learned on chalkboards...so long as you're open to learning the lesson.


#1. THE HURT LOCKER... The rule says that if a gun comes out in the first act, that it must go off by the third act. But what's the rule for a bomb that goes off in the first act?? I don't think there is one, and it's part of what makes this movie work so well. the movie begins by pointing out that twisted as it might seem, war is a drug. There are indeed men and women who crave living life on the razor's edge, and disturbing as the notion seems - these are often the men and women who are best suited to protect the rest of us.

Kathryn Bigelow's film tops my list not only because it continually makes the audience hold its collective breath, not even because it features command performances by both Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie, but because she has helmed the greatest tribute to our soldiers in many years. She takes people who seem to come back broken, and shown us that under the circumstances they aren't broken at all.

THE HURT LOCKER puts us in the suit, hands us the clippers, and sends us straight into harms way. It's a place that nobody in the audience wants to be, but it's a place quite a few soldiers have to be. For forcing us to understand the fear and danger they must face at any given moment, this film leaves an indelible mark in our minds...and takes my spot as the best film of 2009.

If you're interested, you can find my full reviews of all these films here.

Others on my shortlist for 2009 include STAR TREK, UP, THE HANGOVER, AWAY WE GO, HARRY POTTER & THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, THE INFORMANT!, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, THE ROAD, THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX, UP IN THE AIR, and INVICTUS

Check in on January 1st for the conclusion of this series, my top five films of the 2000's.

Did I miss one? Feel free to leave comments with your own favorite movies from 2009, along with suggestions for the next top five.

Midnight Radio: The Matineecast Episode 3

Back by popular demand, it's another episode of The Matineecast. I'm happy to report that my listenership is actually rising. That's right boys and girls, this week I actually gained a seventh listener. She said the podcast was amusing and entertaining, but I wonder if she's just saying that because she's my mom and she has to.

Anyway, I give you the Babe Ruth episode



Here's what's in store in episode three...

Runtime
45 minutes

Up for Discussion

1. My brief introduction
2. Q & A with this episode's guest, Univarn from A Life in Equinoix
3. Review and reaction of INVICTUS
4. In depth discussion of our Top Five Films of 2009.

Again, thank you all so much for your support and feedback with these podcasts. You really are the best seven listeners a podcaster could ask for.

Enjoy!

Back to Basics - MAGNOLIA

Over the past few weeks, many of us have reflected on what might be the best films of the decade. The trickiest part about this is considering legacy, especially when one only has a short window to consider it. For instance, if I tried to convince you that a movie released yesterday needs to be seen as one of the very best of the decade, you'd likely scoff at me.

However, back on Christmas Day 1999, a movie was released that was, and still is, one of the very best the decade 90's had to offer. The movie was MAGNOLIA, and it's the next movie up in the 1001 Movies Club. My thoughts on P.T. Anderson's opus can be found after the jump.

If you've never seen MAGNOLIA, it's hard to say precisely what it's about. The story is about ten lives that intersect on one fateful day in Los Angeles. Follow me here...

Stanley is a contestant on a show called "What Do Kids Know?". The show made Donnie famous a whiz kid thirty years ago. It was hosted then, as it is now, by Jimmy - whose estranged daughter is a young woman named Claudia. Claudia gets a knock on her door by the LAPD one afternoon and meets Jim; an officer who answers the call about a disturbance, but ends up falling for Claudia and asking her out. The show Stanley and Donnie both competed on, and Jimmy hosts, is produced by Earl; a man so sick with cancer that his young wife Linda can no longer care for him all by herself. She calls Phil, a hospice caregiver, who in turn reaches out to Frank, Earl's estranged son at the dying man's behest.

Get all that? too bad, I'm not repeating it.

What makes this convoluted, six-degrees movie so good is the way it makes us take a look at the most insecure parts of ourselves. Moments after a truly nice guy walks out her door, Claudia needs to do another line of coke. Donnie, in his own words, "has a lot of love to give". However, he can't seem to express that love - misguided as it might be - without getting stinking drunk and arranging to get dental braces he doesn't need. Why is it that sometimes, like Claudia and Donnie, we know exactly what we want, but can't seem to express it?

If that isn't a harsh enough lesson for this film to teach us, it makes us consider where we've come from, and specifically the mistakes that we've made. It believes that we may be through with the past, but the past isn't through with us. Frank and Linda both find themselves at a crossroad of their individual relationships with Earl. They know how badly they have screwed up their connection to this frail man, and in Frank's case it's even a two way street. However, like so many of us when we fear that it's too late to change anything, both Linda and Frank break down when confronted with the truth, and forced to face just how damaged everything really is.

If it seems as though this movie is a look at some of the dreariest traits about human beings...well, you're right. Of course, none of this is helped by the way the overlapping circles spin towards individual breakdown. We're forced to watch as lies are told, people are threatened, diseases dig in, and shame takes over.

However, right when it seems as though neither we the audience, nor any individual character can take any more...the movie stops cold, to the sounds of four lonely notes on a piano. The film's soundtrack washes Aimee Mann's "Wise Up' over us like baptismal waters - and every character in the film sings along with the aching melody. It's an especially moving moment, since in full understanding of the messes their lives are, every character is able to sing the lyrics "It's not going to stop / 'Til you wise up"...often in tones barely above a whisper.

The story does include a few beacons of honesty - namely in Stanley's wholesomeness, Phil's nurturing, and Jim's determination. However, it doesn't feel like any of them have been put there for us as the audience to actually identify with. In actual fact, their presence makes it all the more painful, because it puts a face on those who we end up hurting. By the time it's all over, Jim will offer to absolve us if we so choose, but not before noting that "What people don't see is how hard it is to do the right thing." While Anderson's film brings in themes of co-incidence and freak occurrences, it's the human emotion and plea for decency that makes MAGNOLIA endure.

I lied earlier - it's not that hard to sum up what MAGNOLIA is about. It's about attrition. It's about absolution. It's about wanting redemption so very badly, but not even realizing it until you're almost too broken for it to do any good. Like the street that gives the movie its name, it wants us to take the chance to turn around. It's a special call for us to understand human connection for the fleeting moment it is, and not to squander it with our own selfish actions.

But Hatter, Is It List-Worthy?... Yes, but I preach patience. This movie wants you not only to meet these people, but to know them as well as you know your own family by the time its all over. MAGNOLIA is the best film Robert Altman never made, and a delicate fable about the decisions we make. Take some time, let it play out, and you won't be sorry.

Joy To The World

Today, I Feel Like This...

Merry Christmas Everyone - love, Hatter.

Back to Basics - IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

Christmas is finally here, and I for one couldn't feel more festive. This month the 1001 Movie Club has decided to look at IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, and while articles won't be collected and posted until December 29th, I thought I'd post mine today in full yuletide spirit. So check with 1001 next week, but for now take a look after the jump for my thoughts on IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

We could really use someone like George Bailey these days.

In hard times like these, a man like George who can inspire people to pull together for the greater good is sorely missed. It seems like every idea gets debated until it's been beaten so bloody that it no longer looks like a great idea. Now if George Bailey were to present and debate it - he'd have everyone agreeing to it inside of five minutes, and believing in it too. The man is built in such a way that he can connect with the deepest, kindest part of almost anyone - and it doesn't hurt that he has a face that looks like it should be printed on money.

What people might take for granted is that being that selfless isn't exactly easy. It means letting go of what you want in the name of other people's happiness. That's an easy thing to do once or twice, but to do it time after time takes truly strong character. Often it seems like it takes an amount of character that people just don't have in them anymore. We live in an age where many are thinking of "me first". Ask yourself - would you give up travelling and going away to college to stay home and run the family business? What about turning down the job of a lifetime because you didn't believe in who you'd be working for??

If you don't think you could do that, you aren't really alone - in a way, George doesn't really want to do it either. The man can make endless quarts of lemonade from every lemon life hands him, but when we watch his expression as Mr. Potter sums up his life, we can see the pain all these missed opportunities really stir in him. Of course, right after telling Potter where to go and storming out, George goes home to find out he has a baby on the way. Think about it - if it were you, wouldn't you go back and grovel your way into being able to provide for the new addition to your family?

That's what makes George Bailey such an example. He knows that working for Potter would allow him and his family great comforts, but it would do far more damage to the greater good. Do you have it in you to make that sort of decision?? Hell, I don't know that I do!

George puts others first, and as much as it wears him down, he always looks to make the best of any given problem. In this way, Mary is his perfect match. She gives up the promise of a life of luxury with Sam Wainwright to follow her heart. However, it's clear to see that George was the only man for here ever since he first talked her into putting coconut on her ice cream as a kid.

It's clear to see that the two are kindred spirits. Not only does she willingly offer up their wedding purse to the townfolk panicking during the bank run, but when the purse is all but gone she takes George back to what everyone else sees as a broken down shell of a house. Without a care in the world, and nothing but love in her heart, it's there that she shows just how meant for each other they are...by turning the rundown spot first into a honeymoon suite - and later into a home.

Yes, much of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE is very starry eyed, but that's part of the point. Times are tough these days, and rather than pulling together, it feels like many of us are breaking apart. We're all trying to look out for number one, and in that way, we do our communities a great disservice. What we should learn from The Ballad of George Bailey is that if we all work to pull others up, it improves our lives as a whole.

What strikes me most about the story is the fact that after everything, it really isn't a Christmas movie. Its climax is set on Christmas Eve, but by and large it's a story that one could watch on the hottest night in August and not feel out of place. Its message of family, friends, and faith is especially apropos this time of year, but aside from a carol or two and the odd decoration here and there, it's primarily Christmas-free!

It's a modern fable, and the template for countless knock-off's. It's a good thing that it airs on TV several times every December, because it's something we all need to watch over and over, until we fully understand its message, and can live that message through our daily lives.

But Hatter, Is It List-Worthy?... Without a doubt. I would actually go much further. 1001 is far too high a number. If you only had time to watch ten films before you died, this should be one of them. It's an absolute essential whose message needs to be heard now more than ever.

Review: PRECIOUS * * * *

Many of those who read this blog, and certainly the guy writing it, take humanity for granted. Sure we all have our day-to-day problems, but we carry them knowingly with the comforting thoughts that we have warm homes to return to, and loving people to help us through them. but what about those who don't have such luxuries? What is life like for those who not only live in financial poverty, but have also come to depend on people who are morally bankrupt?

Such a burden is the focus of Lee Daniels' film PRECIOUS. It's one of the toughest films I've seen all year, and one of the best.

Set in 1987 Harlem, PRECIOUS is the story of Claireece "Precious" Jones (Gabourey Sidibe). At sixteen years old she is illiterate and still in junior high. She lives with her mother Mary (Mo'Nique), who only ever seems to eat, watch TV, and collect her welfare cheque. When she isn't doing that, she continually takes swipes at her daughter through mental, physical, and sexual abuse.

Precious has one child already, and is pregnant with a second. Both times she was impregnated by her rapist father. When her school gets news that the second baby is on the way, they arrange for her to attend an alternative school. It's here where a teacher named Miss Rain (Paula Patton) pushes Precious to become something more. She prods her not to be content to be another victim of the system, and to work for something better.

Unfortunately, before anything in life can get better for Precious, it will have to get worse. Much worse.


Watching PRECIOUS unfold was a strange experience. I couldn't help but think back to the Toronto International Film festival, and the afternoon I spent listening to Saphire read from the source material Push. While the first act of the film was gloomy and saddening, it didn't seem to tell the story with the same amount of venom that Sapphire had in her voice. Of course, right when I was settled into being let down by my own expectations, the film backhanded me across the face and began its soul-shaking second half.

Almost exactly fifty-five minutes in, the movie digs deeper and unsettled me in every way possible. Leading the way is Mo'Nique in her deplorable performance as Precious' abusive mother. She will have your complete attention as she buries herself in this reprehensible role. Not only will her actions unnerve and disgust you, but just when you're ready to close the door on her, she'll jam her foot in the frame and make you listen to one last thing that send your opinion of her into a whole different direction. Coming into tonight, I knew that Mo'Nique has won awards a-plenty for this part. Having now seen for myself, I can say for certain - she is every bit as amazing as the hype would have you believe.

If anyone was going to keep up with Mo'Nique, it's Gabourey Sidibe. The 26-year old actress is as fresh-faced as it gets, but she brings an amazing amount of both innocence and life wisdom to the part of Precious Jones. She begins the movie as an illiterate middle-school student, and she plays the part with a respect for the station in life. She gives you the impression that somewhere inside she knows she deserves better, but how can she begin to find what's better when she can't even read? What makes her performance all the more extraordinary, is the true sorrow she begins to express when she does start trying to find what's better. She shocks and rattles us when she finally reaches her breaking point.

It's at this point that she doesn't yell...doesn't throw a tantrum...she can only weep, and beg to understand why life has chosen to deal her the hand it has. She fills the moment with anger, misery, and a lot of pain, and drags us through one of the saddest movie moments in recent memory.

PRECIOUS succeeds by avoiding cliche. Yes, it's a story about an abused and underprivileged black girl, which might feel like a story we've been told before. However, the character complexities of both Precious and Mary give the story an authenticity. This is not a Lifetime Network made for TV story designed to inspire. This is an unflinching, greasy, grimy look at those who are truly unfortunate...showing how becoming complacent to society and decency can destroy one's life, and take so many other lives down with it.

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on PRECIOUS.

Feliz Navidad (Hatter's Five Favorite Christmas Movies)

It's a mere three sleeps until Christmas kids! (Show of hands - who still has shopping to do?).

This is my third time cobbling together a blog post about my favorite Christmas films, but as I thought a bit harder about it, I decided it was time to re-jig the order. Such things happen...you fall further in love with one film, become disenchanted with another. However four of the five I've written about in years past are still here.

Do understand, that when the calendar turns to December, I do usually have classics like IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, NATIONAL LAMPOON, and A CHRISTMAS STORY playing on loop. But for what it's worth, these five are the ones I like just that little bit more.

So take a moment from wrapping those presents, turn up the Bing Crosby and allow me a festive moment to share...

Hatter's Top Five Christmas Favorites

#5. THE REF (1994)... The song says "I'll be home for Christmas" - whether or not every family is meant to be home for Christmas is a whole other story, as the amazingly dysfunctional Chasseurs seems out to prove. It reminds me that no matter how crazy your family can drive you, the holidays are a time to spend with those truly closest to you.

#4. BAD SANTA (2003)... The song says "He knows if you've been bad or good / So be good for goodness sakes". But what happens when we don't know if he's been bad or good? this film is the bourbon in my egg nog...that little splash of something wicked that makes the whole holiday just a little easier.

#3. JOYEUX NOËL (2005)... The song says "Peace on earth / Goodwill to men", well once upon a time, some men trained to kill each other actually took a moment and lived that hymn to the fullest. It's the most moving Christmas story I have ever seen, and if you've never watched it, get your hands on a copy before the 25th. You won't soon forget it.

#2. LOVE, ACTUALLY (2003)... The song says "All I want for Christmas is you". Sometimes, it's just that simple. the holidays can be amazingly rough if you are on your own. However, if you are in love, it's gives you a window to get just that little bit closer to that special someone. Yes I know it's a chick flick. Shut up.

#1. ELF (2003)... The song says "Jump in bed and cover your head / 'Cause Santa Claus comes tonight". For me, Christmas will always be about the enthusiasm and belief that I had in Santa Claus as a kid, and it seems as though no film sums this up as well as ELF. I'll admit, I actually get a little but misty when everyone starts singing in the end. Along with the fact that it makes me laugh every single year, it's a film that I really believe embodies the best parts of what Christmas is all about. Thus it earns an extra serving of milk and cookies for taking the top spot on my list.

Did I miss one? Feel free to leave comments naming your favorite Christmas movies, along with suggestions for the next top five.

Review: AVATAR * * * *

A funny thing happened as Leona Lewis started singing at the end of AVATAR. I set my 3-D glasses up on the brim of my hat, allowed my eyes to adjust themselves and took a deep breath after spending nearly three hours on Pandora. I felt amazed, enthralled, and even a little moved. And then it dawned on me...most of what I was just feeling was in reaction to a cluster of CGI characters! This doesn't happen to me - I don't easily get emotionally invested in a being created on an iMac. Actually that's a lie - Jar Jar Binks did annoy and nauseate me, but I'm talking about positive emotional investment.

In that respect I gotta hand it to James Cameron - he sure has created something unique if a bunch of blue cartoons can move their audience the way AVATAR does.

The year is 2154. Man is scouring the galaxy for a mineral called unobatanium - the stuff is wicked-powerful and worth a fortune. The good news is, man has discovered the motherlode. The bad news is, it's in the hostile natural environment of a planet named Pandora. The worse news is, that it's directly under the native settlement of the Na'vi - a humanoid species standing nine feet tall with big cat-like eyes and long tails. Oh yeah, and they're bright blue.

Our protagonist dropped into the middle of this problem is Jake Sully (Sam Worthington). Jake is an American Marine paralyzed from the waist down. His twin brother had done a lot of work on a project to infiltrate and observe the Na'vi using an Avatar program. The idea is to uplink one's brain and nervous system into a cloned Na'vi body. He is reluctant but agrees. The project leader Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) is reluctant and unconvinced. According to her, it takes a lot more than just a matching set of DNA.

During an early assignment, Jake is separated from the other Avatars and stumbles his way towards the Na'vi settlement. It's here that he first encounters Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). After sparing his life, she comes face to face with Jake. She knows he is not part of her tribe, but is unsure about where exactly he comes from. When he is presented to her tribe, it is decided that he will be trained in their culture. Thus an insider for the unobatium mission has been chosen.

As Jake learns the ways of the Na'vi, his superiors keep a close eye on him. Grace is excited and encouraging about his level of research. However, people like Col. Quaritch (STephen Lang) and Parker Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi) are antsy. They are quick to remind Jake why he is there, and seem ready to move in and get the payload they so desperately want - with Jake's help or without it.

Quite honestly, expressing my feelings on AVATAR seems to be a bit tricky. Let me start with the obvious - I loved it. There are few films made these days that must be seen in a theatre - I mean really, how much is it worth to watch a Michael Bay Pyrotechnic Extravaganza?? AVATAR is one of the few. It's said that the film was in development for fifteen years. If that is true, then every day of that stretch was time well spent.

Not only is the animation stunning, but the rendering of the whole film in 3-D seems like it takes the medium to a whole new level. The 3-D in this film is not used to achieve cheap stunts and trickery. Instead, it is used to give the run through this jungle a density it wouldn't otherwise achieve. It has been said by some that the watching this film in 3-D is headache inducing. I for one can tell you that I got through all 161 minutes of this flick, and my head feels fine.

What makes this movie work is how it submerges the audience into Pandora. From the sight of banshee filling the sky to the sounds of insects zipping past your head - every sensory moment of this film has been designed to draw you into this story and not let your mind wander. It's rare these days that the theatrical experience of a movie goes to such lengths, and a moment you can't fully appreciate until you're neck deep in it. However as we all know by now, visual style will only get you so far - it's all for not if the story sucks.

While the story isn't perfect, it is indeed well mapped out and engaging. I was surprised at just how moved I was during some of the film's most dramatic moments, especially since my heart was being moved by a bunch of blue CG beings in their lush CG environment. What James Cameron has done, is create an entire alien race and culture and given them a mythology all their own without going overboard and losing the audience-at-large. Essentially, he has done what George Lucas always wanted to do, but never could...on his best day...with an entire team of monkeys on typewriters backing him up.

Building on the mysticism of Pandora and the Na'vi, Cameron uses a traditional story of forbidden love to draw us into his greater themes. The film has a strong undercurrent of environmentalism, especially in the way The Na'vi are at one with their surroundings. It also has a lot to say about the nature of imperialism. Specifically, that every superpower looking to invade a solemn region to take what they want face drastic unforeseen dangers. Gotta hand it to the guy - that's some pretty good subtext to work into a flick about tall, dragon-riding, archery-lovin' smurfs!

While I am still blown away by this movie and giving it top marks, don't for a moment let me lead you to believe the film is flawless. A big aspect of the love story is deeply predictable, however it's not the film's worst offence. No, the film's worst offence is a particular showdown, and the manner in which the villain in said showdown seems terminator-like for no apparent reason (Give him your best shot - he'll take it and just keep coming). It's an unfortunate plot point, since it lessens the impact of a truly unique film. Slightly.

Essentially, AVATAR feels like a James Cameron Greatest Hits compilation. Take the effects of THE ABYSS, the action of ALIENS, the gunfights of T2 and the forbidden love of TITANIC. Cameron has taken his best tracks from those efforts and compiled them into one imaginative playlist. It's one carefully crafted playlist, and one with a song for everybody. It's a rare film that employs every trick imaginable, and a film that will stay with you long after those CGI characters have disappeared from the screen.

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on AVATAR.

I'm Free

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 12-18 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

'Twas the week before Christmas and all through the blog / Hatter moved through each day in a permanent fog/ The readers - all twelve of them - were warm in their places / With wishes of good movies written all over their faces..."

That's about as clever as I get before seven in the morning.

Before the day's out, I should be fully in the Christmas spirit - not that I'm not already. Lady Hatter and I will be meeting up with Miss Amanda Lee tonight, and going to a special screening of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. A rep theatre in Toronto plays it every year as their special Christmas offering, complete with free admission, christmas cookies, coffee and nog, and even carollers in the lobby. It goes a long to way to warm the heart during this busy time of year.

(For any Toronto folk interested - It's at The Bloor Cinema tonight at 7pm. 506 Bloor Street West. If you wanna say hi, look for me in a blue Dodgers cap).

The next two weeks are busy for just about all of us...trying to shop, trying to be everywhere at once. Goes to reason that it'd be pretty busy on the blog too! Along with trying to catch up on a handful of movies (AVATAR in 3-D is up this weekend), I'm also trying to prep my year-end posts, new entries for the 1001 movie club, and flesh out episode three of the podcast. The fun part is that at least this time of year, nobody gives you any flack is you drink while you're doing it...and least, I think they don't.

Have their been any studies on the effects of drinking and blogging?


Maybe I should hand my keyboard over to the designated bloggers...

Ross and Ross got my lords-a-leapin' and my drummers drummin' by reminding me of one of my favorite Christmas scenes.

Thw Toronto Film Critics just named Nicolas Cage best actor of the year for his work in BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS. Looks as though Dan the Man dug it too!

Blake has been working on lists of his favorite films of the decade. Here are his choices for 2000, 2001, and 2002.

Sam Turner, of newly minted LAMB This Time It Will Be Different" takes a slightly alternate route and puts together five 00's films you might not have seen.

Getafilm wonders why the Twin Cities don't hand out film critic awards.

Finally, IT MIGHT GET LOUD, A movie I badly want, drops on DVD just after Christmas. Joel called it "The best superhero movie since THE DARK KNIGHT".

Enjoy!

Midnight Radio: The Matineecast Episode 2

I'm baaa-aaaaack....

I present to you the second episode of The Matineecast. I want to thank everybody for their support and kind words after episode one. It was really encouraging going into episode two, and gave me a lot to build on. Here you have it, the Derek Jeter episode.

(pssst...Jeter wears #2)



Here's what's in store in episode two...

Runtime
43 minutes

Up for Discussion

1. My brief introduction
2. Q & A with this episode's guest, Miss Amanda Lee
3. News - Spielberg changes his mind, a Twi-hard is sent to the hooscow, and a Toronto landmark closes.
4. Review and reaction of UP IN THE AIR
5. Our top five movies featuring TV stars.

I'm having a lot of fun recording these, hopefully you're having fun listening to them.

Enjoy!

Hero of War ( IRON MAN 2 Trailer )

Hell Yes!!!!!

People Are Strange (Reaction to the Golden Globe Award Nominations)

So yesterday the Golden Globe Award nominees were announced. pardon me while I stifle a yawn.

Just a few short years ago, I looked at them as the Oscar precursor. That was before I realized how The Hollywood Foreign Press Association were actually primarily starstruck fans...who tended to nominate stars that they wanted to meet and appease. Couple that with the fact that they've been calling more and more categories wrong in recent years, and it leaves me more than a tad disenchanted.

Still, for what it's worth...

...UP IN THE AIR was the big leader with 6 nominations (Six? That's it??).
...There had to be a way to nominate Meryl twice without making her compete against herself.
...There also had to be a way to avoid nominating Sandra Bullock twice.
...While we're at it...Julia Roberts and Robert Downey Jr...really?
...On the flip side, I was quite pleased to see love for THE HURT LOCKER - that's not the sort of film that the HFPA go for.
...Speaking of, earlier this week I mentioned that LOCKER, PRECIOUS, and UP IN THE AIR all have Oscar noms for Best Picture sewn up. That seems even more solid now.
...While not absolute certainties, one also has to consider AVATAR and INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS as stocks on the rise.

For a bit better of a gauge, watch out for the SAG Award nominees on Thursday. Until then, these will have to do! The full list of movie nominees can be found after the jump.

Motion Picture, Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air

Motion Picture, Comedy/Musical
500 Days of Summer
The Hangover
It’s Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

Actress, Drama
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabby Sidibe, Precious

Actor, Drama
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers

Actor Comedy/Musical
Matt Damon, The Informant
Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joe Gordon Levitt, 500 Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

Actress, Comedy
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Julia Roberts, Duplicity
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Meryl Streep, It’s Complicated

Director
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo’nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man

Supporting Actor
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Screenplay
Neill Blomkampt & Terri Tatchell, District 9
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Nancy Meyers, It’s Complicated
Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Original Score
Michael Giacchino, Up
Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant
James Horner, Avatar
Abel Krozeniowski, A Single Man
Karen O. and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are

Foreign Language Film
Baaria
Broken Embraces
The Maid
Un Prophete
The White Ribbon

Original Song
“Cinema Italiano,” Nine
“I Want To Come Home,” Everybody’s Fine
“I See You,” Avatar
“The Weary Kind,” Crazy Heart
“Winter,” Brothers

Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing ( Worst Films I Saw This Decade )

We are mere days away from the end of the decade, and this has many reflecting on all sorts of best-of lists. However, as I thought back on the last ten years, I felt I needed to take a moment and exorcise some demons. As a famous TV theme once said, "You take the good / You take the bad"...and lordy did I ever take the bad sometimes.

My one rule for this post was that I could only list movies I actually watched, thus bombs that I deliberately skipped (GIGLI, GLITTER, I KNOW WHO KILLED ME) weren't eligible.

So allow me a moment to admit some crimes against good movie taste. Here are...

The Worst Five 00's Movies Hatter Saw

#5. MARIE ANTOINETTE (2006)... "So like, daddy just bought me - I mean I just received an Oscar...so like, I'm making my first movie as an Oscar winner...and like I had this idea to film around Versailles...I don't really have...like...a script...or anything...but it's gonna look, like sooooo pretty..."

#4. STEP BROTHERS (2008)... I'm so friggin' tired of Will Ferrel acting like an emotionally stunted teenager in a middle age body, and John C. Reilly is just enabling him. If we all stop paying attention to him, will he go away?

#3. TRANSFORMERS 2 (2009)... Two words - Decepticon Scrotum.

#2. PEARL HARBOUR HARBOR (2001)... Check it out! back-to-back Michael Bay! When this came out, I remember that the LA Times headline read "Yep, It's a Bomb!". Not to be outdone, the New York Post went with "Bora! Bora! Bora!". For me, the photo you see above of nurse Beckinsale checking out Captain Affleck is akin to how I felt sitting through this sappy dreck.

#1. THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT 2: BOOK OF SHADOWS (2000)... I've said it before, but it's the best way I can sum this shit up. When the movie ended, I turned to my date - who'd suggested we see it despite my pleas for anything else - and said "You owe me twenty bucks".

Did I miss one? Feel free to leave comments naming the worst movies you saw this decade, along with suggestions for the next top five.

Perhaps Vampires is A Bit Strong ( LET ME IN Poster )

Let me be clear - I still think that making a North American version of the brilliant LET THE RIGHT ONE IN is a terrible idea. However, I must give credit where credit is due - they sure have managed to come up with one awesome poster..

The Good in Everyone (Critics Choice Nominees, LA Critics Winner, AFI Top Ten List)

The Oscar race is slowly becoming clearer and clearer in a year with no de facto front-runner. With ten Best Picture nominations, things are even more uncertain than usual, but at this early stage, it would appear that three of the ten spots are locked. More on that later.

Yesterday, The L.A. Film Critics named their best of the year. They chose THE HURT LOCKER as Best Picture, and likewise honoured its director Kathryn Bigelow. Best actress was given to Yolande Moreau for SERAPHINE, and actor to Jeff Bridges for CRAZY HEART. In the supporting categories, actor went to Christoph Waltz for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, and actress to Mo'nique for PRECIOUS.

Next up, The AFI named their Movies of The Year:

CORALINE
THE HANGOVER
THE HURT LOCKER
THE MESSENGER
PRECIOUS
A SERIOUS MAN
A SINGLE MAN
SUGAR
UP
UP IN THE AIR

Finally, in the wee hours of the morning today, The Critics Choice nominees were announced. I'll post the full nominee list after the jump, but here are the ten nominees they chose for Best Picture.

AVATAR
AN EDUCATION
THE HURT LOCKER
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
INVICTUS
NINE
PRECIOUS
A SERIOUS MAN
UP
UP IN THE AIR.

So, what does this all mean? Not much, for starters. I'm loathe to call any of these an absolutely sound water stick for Oscar Nominees - but you'll likely find many spots online that will fully believe in the predicting power of at least one of them. One thing I think we can see -when one takes all this and combines it with the previously announced NBR Awards - is that three spots in Oscar's Best Picture race are pretty much locked in. UP IN THE AIR, PRECIOUS, and THE HURT LOCKER are almost givens at this point, with seven others still to be decided.

This will all be cemented or clouded a tad further today and tomorrow with The New York Film Critics announcing their year-end best of, and those wacky cats at The Golden Globes announcing their nominees tomorrow morning. Feel free to argue about what this all means in the comments section, and after the jump you can find the rest of the BFCA nominees.

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges – “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney – “Up In The Air”
Colin Firth – “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman – “Invictus”
Viggo Mortensen – “The Road”
Jeremy Renner – “The Hurt Locker”

BEST ACTRESS
Emily Blunt – “The Young Victoria”
Sandra Bullock – “The Blind Side”
Carey Mulligan – “An Education”
Saoirse Ronan – “The Lovely Bones”
Gabourey Sidibe – “Precious”
Meryl Streep – “Julie & Julia”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon – “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson – “The Messenger”
Christian McKay – “Me And Orson Welles”
Alfred Molina – “An Education”
Stanley Tucci – “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard – “Nine”
Vera Farmiga – “Up In The Air”
Anna Kendrick – “Up In The Air”
Mo’Nique – “Precious”
Julianne Moore – “A Single Man”
Samantha Morton – “The Messenger”

BEST DIRECTING
Kathryn Bigelow – “The Hurt Locker”
James Cameron – “Avatar”
Lee Daniels – “Precious”
Clint Eastwood – “Invictus”
Jason Reitman – “Up In The Air”
Quentin Tarantino – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Mark Boal – “The Hurt Locker”
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen – “A Serious Man”
Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber – “(500) Days Of Summer”
Bob Peterson, Peter Docter – “Up”
Quentin Tarantino – “Inglourious Basterds”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach – “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell – “District 9”
Geoffrey Fletcher – “Precious”
Tom Ford, David Scearce – “A Single Man”
Nick Hornby – “An Education”
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner – “Up In The Air”

Review: INVICTUS * * * 1/2

Trying something a little different with my reviews. Some have told me that I waste time and words summarizing the plot, and want me to get straight to my reaction of the film. For those who'd like me to get to the point I've come up with a slight format change. Going forward, there will always be two still images from the movie embedded into my review. If you want to skip straight to my reaction, read the introductory paragraph then scroll down to the second photo - everything below that second shot is my review.

Lemme know what you think! - Hatter.
It's possible that nobody in Hollywood wants to see this decade end less than Clint Eastwood. The man has been on a bit of a hot streak for the last eight years, and is responsible for two of the very best films of the era. His latest offering is INVICTUS, a film whose title suggests courage and determination. Such qualities are indeed on display in this tale of Nelson Mandela and South Africa's Springboks rugby team. The film won't be mentioned as one of the decade's best, but it serves as a solid capper to a fine decade of work by Dirty Harry himself.

The film begins in 1994 as Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) takes office as president of South Africa. His position is a strenuous one, as he stands as a beacon of change. The Apartheid Era is over, and while Mandela was voted in by an overwhelming majority, there are many in South Africa who do not want him as their leader.

At the same time, the country is gearing up to host the 1995 World Cup of Rugby. Rugby is religion to many South Africans, though with the way the Springboks have been playing lately, there hasn't been a whole lot to get religious about. Captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) is trying his best to rally his troops, but apathy seems to have taken over the dressing room. As he watches a friendly match between South Africa and England, Mandela sees an opportunity, but for his idea to have any success, he'll need Pienaar's help.

Seemingly out of the blue, Pienaar is invited to the President's office for tea. When he meets Mandela, the reason for the summons becomes clear. Mandela thinks the country can, and will, rally around The Springboks' World Cup run. But national pride will only generate token interest. For people to truly believe, Mandela needs Pienaar to rally his teammates...to lead by example, and strive for greatness.

It's almost difficult to believe that after twenty years, this is the first film about Nelson Mandela. I dare say it won't be the last, as it doesn't spend too long focusing on the true determination of his story. The story doesn't get too far into his imprisonment, we know that he was a detainee, but we're never given a clear picture as to why. Likewise, we don't see too much of Mandela trying to govern his newly reunited nation. Instead, the film focuses on his efforts to inspire the rugby team to greatness. This aspect of Mandela's presidency, is a detail even the film rolls its eyes at - which is a rare bit of cinematic honesty.

Eastwood's direction seems to get complacent at times, and it really costs the film from elevating itself into something truly great. There is at least one horrible music cue that completely jars you out of the film's journey, which is unfortunate since it feels like a smack to the head reminding us that what we're watching is important. Likewise, it must have been Clint's first time using a crane camera - there's no other explanation for the vast amount of sweeping aerial shots of the stadium and the crowd. Hey Clint - I'm invested in what's going on in the game, not in getting a great view of everyone at the game.

These missteps hold the film back from becoming something truly great. They are somewhat compounded by the unlikely, and cliche trajectory of the Springboks' World Cup run. However, one cannot fault the movie too much for such a David & Goliath narrative, since events really did play out that way. While a South Africa would continue struggling to heal, grow, and prosper after the 1995 World Cup run, it did nonetheless inspire the feeling of national jubilation and unity depicted onscreen.

Make no mistake, this is very much a rugby film...but the rugby plays a big part in the larger story at hand. What INVICTUS does best is take Mandela's rugby obsession, and show us how astute a move it actually was. The man inherited a mess, not the least messy part of which was a lingering race division. What Mandela understood quite early on - and what INVICTUS wants to remind us of - was that sports can unite. Even if it's only for a short while, national sports can both take our attention away from the problem at hand, and give us renewed effort to solving it.

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on INVICTUS.

Peace On Earth

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 12-11 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

This might all be in vain, but I really hope to get caught up on movies soon. AThere's three major flicks I want to see out there right now, and with at least one good lookin' flick coming out per week from now until the end of the year, it ain't getting any easier anytime soon!

Then again, I guess I should count myself lucky, given how many comments I've received in the last few weeks regarding how movies like THE ROAD and UP IN THE AIR aren't playing anywhere near many of you.

Speaking of "many of you"...I just thought I'd offer a word of thanks, given that it's the holiday season, and a time to be thankful and all. I happened to be looking back at something I wrote last year recently, and I noticed that from then to now, I seem to have made quite a few new friends. Considering I started writing this thing to an audience of three, I really do appreciate it. Likewise, to the handful of you who have been inspiring me to write almost from the get-go - thank you. Here's wishing you peace on earth, and goodwill towards your blog server.

For your reading fulfillment, I give you...

Andrew at Encore Entertainment examines our role as movie bloggers.

Fandango reviews what is easily the best Zac Effron movie yet, ME AND ORSON WELLES.

Julian Stark, a blogger I just started following has reviewed THE MESSENGER, a movie I keep hearing good things about.

M.Carter has rhymed off her Top Ten Coen Brothers Characters.

With AVATAR coming, it's probably a good time to take a look back at James Cameron movies that don't involve doomed luxury liners. Aiden did just that and wrote a piece about THE ABYSS.

And finally Univarn is also doing a podcast, and has just posted episode two. (Please though, our podcasting is only for exhibition. Please, I implore you - no wagering).

Enjoy!

The Gift

Question:

For those of you who celebrate Christmas...

What DVD do you most hope to find under the tree in two weeks?

Review: UP IN THE AIR * * * 1/2

What's the value of contact? Close contact?? Is it a part of our lives that we need indespenibly? Or is it in fact overrated...someting that can hold us back, tie us down, and inevitably kill us. Do we need to have people in our lives to help us through it? Or might we be better off is we only had to worry about ourselves, and the task at hand? If George Clooney's character Ryan Bingham is to be believed - human relationships are overrated, and if you give him five minutes to talk to you, he'll proove it.

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) works for a firm that subcontracts him out to termiante corporate employees. he is sent from city to city to do just one thing - sit across the table from you, tell you you're fired, and hand you a folder. To say he has it down to a fine science is an understatement. At this point in his career, he's surgical. The twist about his situation, is that he's quite happy being on the road 322 days a year. His friends are stewardesses. His home is a preferred passengers lounge.

Unfortunately, his corporate nirvana is about to be upset. His firm has hired a crackerjack efficiency expert named Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick). She stands up and trumpets the future - a business model where these professional termination experts don't fly from place to place handing out pink slips, they do it all by webcam. Ryan is unconvinced that she knows that of which she speaks. He convinces his boss of this just enough to provoke a training exercise. She'll go with him from town to town, business to business, seeing just what it's like to look at the person across the table and find an eloquent way to say "You're fired".

Keener is a sudden strong female presence causing waves for a man who fancies his life as an island. Adding to the fun is the fact that she isn't the only one. In a hotel bar, Ryan meets Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga). She's cut from the same cloth that he is. She has a taste for executive perks, and just like Ryan, has the air of a shark that will never stop moving for consequence of death. She and Ryan have an instant chemistry, sharing a flirtation and seduction unlike anything you've ever seen in the movies...and yet equally as hot as any seduction you've ever seen.

Between his desire for Alex, and his mentoring of Natalie, Ryan's every life philosophy is about to be put to the test.


UP IN THE AIR is a comment on the state of the North American economy by focusing so much energy on people being fired. This is actually quite an effective theme, as you realize that there are entire businesses out there dedicated to ending people's careers. They succeed in the same unfortunate way that funeral parlours succeed...it sucks, but it's true. What UP IN THE AIR does well though, is make us understand the difficult tact one has to take to fire an employee. Clooney is good at it. He doesn't even look you in the eye when he says "That's the truth", but yet you'd still believe that it was. The techniques of termination on display in this movie are surgical...and yet human at the same time.

Unsurprisingly, where it gets inhuman - and pretty damned cold - is when Natalie's plan to terminate employees by webcam starts getting tested. It's right down there with getting dumped by text message.

Unfortunately, UP IN THE AIR tries to be a lot more than that...and in so doing, tries to be too many things. Where the movie seems to lose its way, is when it finally makes Ryan cave and give in to the nagging voice in the back of his head that thinks personal relationships might not be so bad. This leads him not only to reach out to Alex (a device that works), but also to his sisters (a device that doesn't). The family plotline takes Ryan down a predictable path, and one that seemed a tad implausible. I liked this film, but I think that had this element not been added to the story, I would have loved it.

When Ryan tells us how much he enjoys the life he has made, I believe him. Hell, the guy could tell me the sky is yellow, and I'd probably believe him. The character has clearly gone to the Nick Naylor school of talking, and holds an honours degree. Hearing someone say they dislike being home might sound ludicrous...until you see how barren and empty he actually keeps his home. Perhaps its this part of his life that causes me to trip over the choices Ryan makes in the film's final act. He grows, and goes through a lot of introspection...but the choices he makes don't feel like choices he would make.

Hell, I don't even know if they are choices I would make!

Bumpy landing and all, UP IN THE AIR succeeds with what it wants to say about connections. It serves as a reminder that in an age of text messaging, twittering and *ahem* blogging, there is no substitute for human contact. True, many of us may walk through the airports of our lives with far too much baggage for such a pedestrian trip. However what the movie understands best, is that it isn't the travelling that matters...it is indeed the travellers that travel with us.

What did you think? Feel free to leave comments with any thoughts or reactions on UP IN THE AIR.

I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight (DEATH AT A FUNERAL TRAILER...Again...)

I saw a trailer Saturday that left me a tad perplexed. I count myself a big fan of Frank Oz's film DEATH AT A FUNERAL. The 2008 flick has a lot of dry British humour, features a brilliant bit of eccentric acting by Firefly alum Alan Tudyk, and even made my list of the top five Dysfunctional Family Movies. For a refresher, here's the trailer...



Cue the perplexion (is that a word?). Chris Rock and his brood also count themselves as fans of the film...so much so, that a mere two years after its release, they have decided to remake it. WTF?? Has the cycle on remakes become that short? I realize that dry British humour, with a cast predominantly of lesser-knowns isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I repeat two years!! Even weirder is that they managed to somehow convince Peter Dinklage to reprise his role!!??

For better or for worse, here's what's in store...

When You Were Young

Recently, The Kid In The Front Row put out a call for post. The theme was "One Night At The Movies Long Ago". The Kid wanted to hear our tales of memorable times spent at the movies...a subject I applaud since it serves to remind us why we actively go out to the movies, instead of waiting at home for the dvd/on demand/torrented version.

Thinking through my vast memories of film fan geekery, I found myself with a lot to choose from. In the end, I settled on an experience that won't likely be repeated...since it feels like it's a thing of the past in today's movie market. After the jump, please read about my experience seeing INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE on opening night.

The plan was for four friends and I to meet at the Runnymede Theatre at 6:30 and catch the 7:00 show. I must pause here to point out that The Runnymede is the theatre you see in the photo above, and still stands as my all-time favorite place to see a movie. Sadly, ten years ago it closed its doors, only to be turned into a big box bookstore.

As is my nature, I showed up five minutes early, and came around the corner to see a line for tickets that stretched down the block. The sight of a ticket line is something I dearly miss. It was a feeling of community, a sign of a film's quality, and often a slight source of tension ("Are we gonna get in, or will it sell out by the time we get to the window??"). I thought I'd do the smart thing and get into line...that way when my friends arrived, our wait wouldn't be so long.

After five minutes, around the time I'd passed three storefronts and was now standing in front of a health food shop, one of the four found me. This was 1994, well before the age of cellphones. "Where R U?" texts weren't an option yet. My friend Diana jumped into line with me, thinking as I did that the rest of our friends would eventually catch up. They didn't, but we got closer and closer to the ticket window waiting for them, until the moment of truth finally arrived:

"Two for INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE please?"

Unfortunately for Diana and I, this question was answered with a question: "Are you 18?". See INTERVIEW was rated R, and in Canada that means no admittance for minors. Even though we tried to bluff a "Yeah we're 18", a request for ID put the brakes on our fib in a big hurry. We walked away, dejected juveniles.

But hope was not lost, because as we walked back down the line, Diana noticed some of her sister's friends in the line...some of her older sister's friends. They offered to buy our tickets, so the plan was back on. No board of movie sensors would keep us from this gothic bit of homoeroticism!

At this point, 7pm was fast approaching, so we decided our other friends would have to fend for themselves. Tickets in hand, we headed into the theatre, only to notice that we had to pass another checkpoint - the usher. He tore tickets at the door as patron after patron filed in ahead of us, but when Diana got to him he looked at her ticket and asked "Are you 18?". She gave a confident "Yes" and that was that. My turn. Usher-man looks at my ticket and once again inquires "Are you 18?". At this point, the cockiness of my sixteen year old psyche had kicked in and I came back with a "How else could I have bought the ticket?".

Such moments of deception are the other thing I miss about moviegoing. This was the last time I'd ever have to put in an effort to beat a film's rating...and it seems like nowadays, such problems don't even exist. Not only can you buy the tickets without facing an overzealous, ID-needin' cashier...but most ushers out there are too ambivilent to deny you entry with ill-acquired tickets even if they know for a fact you're too young. But back to the caper at hand...

Usher-man gave me a look of disapproval, but tore my ticket anyway and mumbled something about me enjoying the show. We took two seats on the aisle of a very full house and settled in...except that I couldn't settle in. I was convinced that we would be busted. That a ticket seller had seen the couple she'd turned away walk unimpeded through the door. Or that usher-man would grab his flashlight of justice and come down the aisle to make us do the walk of shame back outside.

I fidgeted, I took my coat and sweatshirt off to change my look, I slouched, I pulled my cap low...my leg was bouncing at a breakneck rate. The fuzz was coming at any moment, I was sure of it. Right on cue, I felt a hand on my shoulder and a stern "Excuse me..."

*gasp!*

"...Are those seats down there taken?". I look up to see a regular schmoe...like me, but old enough not to have to connive his way into an R-rated flick. Feeling my blood pressure drop back down I smiled and said that they weren't, but that we'd actually move in so that he could have the aisle. My thought on this, was that if there indeed was a recon mission for the two underage hooligans who'd snuck in, being dead in the middle of the packed theatre would make pulling us out much harder.

I dug the movie, unsurprising being the heavy Anne Rice and Tom Cruise fan that I was. We never did get busted so score one for cinematic juvenile delinquency. Oh, and our friends weren't all that amused when they caught us coming out. Seems as though they weren't able to get in at all and were very suspicious about how we'd made our way in.

Rumours of Diana and I's relationship would persist for a few weeks.

Midnight Radio: The Matineecast Episode 1

Pull up a chair and grab a clean cup, it's time for this mad tea party to really get going.

I present to you the first episode of The Matineecast. I've been listening to a lot of other podcasts coming in, so I think I made it as good as my first episode could be, hopefully you dig it.

Here's what's in store in episode one...

Runtime
41 minutes 40 seconds (Despite its listing as being over 50)

Up for Discussion

1. My brief introduction

2. Q & A with this episode's guest, Lady Hatter

3. News - NBR selections, Sundance Film Festival selections, Twilight stupidity, and a new Blue Ray product

4. Review and reaction of AN EDUCATION

5. Review and reaction of THE FANTASTIC MR FOX

6. Our top five animated movies.

Hopefully you don't find it too boring. I'll actually be recording episode two shortly so any comments you have with feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Enjoy!