Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Dane DeHaan, Rose Byrne, Ray Liotta, Mahershala Ali, Ben Mendelsohn, Emory Cohen, Harris Yulin, Bruce Greenwood.
Dir: Derek Cianfrance.

This is an interesting case. It is ALMOST a great movie. As in milimeters close to being one. The first 2/3rds of the film, the one concentrating on the bank-robbing motorcyle stuntman and new father played by Ryan Gosling and the rookie cop that gets caught in a web of corrupt police played by Bradley Cooper are top-notch. It falters a bit on the third act which flash-forwards 15 years later concentrating on the now teenage sons of the two characters despite a great performance by Dane DeHaan playing Gosling's character's son. I personally like it a bit better than Blue Valentine, the director's previous work. It's a worthy, solid piece of work.

Oscar Prospects: I wouldn't mind noms for Gosling & Cooper.

Grade: B+

THE HEAT
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Demian Bichir, Marlon Wayans, Michael Rapaport, Jane Curtin, Spoken Reasons, Michael McDonald, Dan Bakkedahl, Taran Killam, Thomas F. Wilson, Tony Hale, Kaitlin Olson.
Dir: Paul Feig.

This is a buddy-cop action-comedy that has a plot that's strictly paint-by-numbers and somewhat formulaic, it's almost parody. Nothing to crow home about. However, what makes this particular one enjoyable is the undeniable talent and hilarity of Melissa McCarthy who almost single-handedly lifts up the otherwise mediocre material. She creates genuine laughs while adding believable character nuances that you almost don't notice the generic plot. I hope someone creates a vehicle more worthy of her talents someday.

Oscar Prospects: None.

Grade: C+

WORLD WAR Z
Cast: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Fana Mokoena, Danielle Kertesz, David Morse, James Badge Dale, Peter Capaldi, Elyes Gabel, Ludi Boeken, Sterling Jerins, Abigail Hargrove, Fabrizio Zacharee Guido, Matthew Fox.
Dir: Marc Forster.

I have to say this film is minor miracle. Negative buzz surrounding it with numerous rewrites and reshoots often spell disaster. But it came out fairly decent. I will preface this review by saying I love zombie movies and I'm a fan of the book. As a zombie movie, this film is far from the best. It's fairly toothless. Those expecting gore will be disappointed since this is a PG-13 movie. As an adaptation of the book, purists will also be very disappointed. Apart from the title and the overall concept of a global zombie pandemic, there's only a very vague at best resemblance to any plot point or character in the book. Despite all that, I have to say that as a summer blockbuster spectacle, it's pretty good. It's an entertaining thrill ride for anyone whose least favorite part of a zombie movie is the gore.

Oscar Prospects: I guess Makeup is possible but AMPAS never seems to honor zombie movies in that category for some reason.

Grade: B.

Much Ado About Nothing (Joss Whedon)

Alex Denisof is an awful Benedict. Amy Acker is a strong Beatrice. She doesn't erase exactly how headstrong Emma Thompson was in Branagh's version. This Beatrice is more of the neurotic girl who won't shut up at a party...charmingly so, I might add though. I wish the entire film was cued more to her energy. Fran Kranz is a good Claudio but beyond that, this film seems to exist pretty much without purpose. I think Whedon's take on the play (if he has one) is that Much Ado About Nothing would play out very well at a nonstop contemporary Santa Monica house party. I like that notion. He doesn't follow through on it, and I found myself getting pretty bored.

AFTER EARTH
Cast: Jaden Smith, Will Smith, Zoe Kravitz, Sophie Okonedo, Glenn Morshower, Kristofer Hivju.
Dir: M. Night Shyamalan.

I had very low expectations going in since the only reason I'm seeing this is that it's the only other movie playing. Anyway, I didn't find it particularly offensive. It's just not very good. It's too bad because the concept kind of has potential. A rewrite and perhaps a different young leading kid (or a few more acting lessons) could have made it into a decent popcorn movie but alas it's only an uneven, occasionally dull, at best average vanity project for Will and son Jaden. Director M. Night Shyamalan who was once this promising, exciting filmmaker now only shows just barely a glimmer of his cinematic talents here. It's kind of sad, really.

Oscar Prospects: None.

Grade: D+

Man of Steel (NOLAN/snyder)

I was going to say that I hated this film more than The Dark Knight Rises, but that can't be the case. There are some lovely, artful moments, and truthfully Zach Snyder deserves a lot less of the scorn he's bound to receive from this film's detractors. But just as M. Night Shyamalan is the Hollywood filmmaker who understands nothing about human interaction, Christopher Nolan is the Hollywood filmmaker who cares nothing about emotional human engagement. There are no characters, there is nothing to hold onto emotionally, the stakes are abstract, the civilian casualty is depressingly high. This is violent depressing Superman movie nobody was asking for and this is smug, smirking Superman nobody wanted to see cast. If The Dark Knight Rises is the worse movie, then Man of Steel is the more substantial betrayal of its source. Every moment of this film feels like Entourage's Vincent Chase playing Superman.

MAN OF STEEL
Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Christopher Meloni, Antje Traue, Ayelet Zurer, Harry Lennix, Richard Schiff.
Dir: Zack Snyder.

I'm not a fan of Zack Snyder and I'm a huge fan of the first two Superman movies with Christopher Reeve so I'm very wary of this "reboot". That being said, this is probably Zack Snyder's best work since his Dawn of the Dead, that's not to say this is his masterpiece. Thank goodness he stopped doing "slow-mo" shots which I found kind of irritating. Now, I know this is supposed to be a big action summer movie but for GOD'S SAKES, they should really slow it down with the action sequences! It's one action sequence to another. So much so, that the highlights for me are the quiet Smallville moments featuring Kevin Costner and Diane Lane who are able to inject much needed humanity to the proceedings. A better filmmaker would have built on that slowly instead of overwhelming the audience with one big action set piece after another. Everyone else acquits themselves well (even though Michael Shannon is no Terence Stamp) and I think there's a great movie in there somewhere but overlength and overindulgence in CGI set pieces drown it in just being good.

Oscar Prospects: Visual Effects, Art Direction, Sound Mixing and Sound Editing.

Grade: B-

CZJ is even worse in Lay the Favourite. She starts off playing the character one had and half way through the film does a complete 180 turn. Whilst the screenwriter and director (Stephen Frears) have to accept some responsibility for her dismal performance it shows bad judgement from Ms Zeta-Jones accepting a role so poorly written and conceived.

But then thee with little talent have little choice if they wish to keep working.

Bog wrote:Throw CZJ in that category as well

The minute CZJ appears in that obvious severe get-up the rest of the silly plot became evident.

Throw CZJ in that category as well and we have a good start for a better Razzies than the normal Twilight/Uwe Boll littered nomination uselessness.

I'll 'third' that - she deserves a Razzie.

Big Magilla wrote:

anonymous1980 wrote: SIDE EFFECTS
Oscar Prospects: None but Rooney Mara deserves a Best Supporting Actress mention.

She deserves a friggin' Razzie.

I agree.

anonymous1980 wrote: SIDE EFFECTS
Oscar Prospects: None but Rooney Mara deserves a Best Supporting Actress mention.

She deserves a friggin' Razzie.

SIDE EFFECTS
Cast: Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Channing Tatum, Vinessa Shaw, Ann Dowd.
Dir: Steven Soderbergh.

I must say it is VERY refreshing to see a nice, intelligent grown-up film for a change. Which is what this is. It's not perfect. But I'll take it. At first, I thought it would be about the pharmaceutical industry and how people are over-medicating themselves but as it turns out, it's about something else entirely. The big twist is KIND OF problematic but Soderbergh's direction and the great cast, especially Rooney Mara, keeps things credible and gripping.

Oscar Prospects: None but Rooney Mara deserves a Best Supporting Actress mention.

Grade: B+

THE HANGOVER PART III
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Ken Jeong, Justin Bartha, Jeffrey Tambor, Heather Graham, Mike Epps, Melissa McCarthy.
Dir: Todd Phillips.

First, the positives: I like the fact that this is NOT so much of a remake of the first film like the second film was and this makes it a notch above Part II. There are a few laughs to be had but it's nowhere near as funny as the first one. This one suffers from being a tonal mess. It seems to want to be an action-thriller-comedy but it does not seem to find the right tone in order to blend those elements together in something consistent and cohesive since the darker elements often jar the wacky, broad humor.

Oscar Prospects: None.

Grade: C+

Yeah, DeHaan and Irrfan Khan would've been my runaway picks for the Best Supporting Actor Emmy the season they were on the show. Winger would be up there on the Supporting Actress side too. (Dianne Wiest was also excellent in her two seasons on the show. In addition to those Tee mentioned, I'd also shout out some excellent work from veteran actors like Dianne Wiest, Michelle Forbes, Glynn Turman--in a one-off guest spot--and John Mahoney. It was a pretty hit-and-miss show, though.)

DeHaan appears to be a seriously good actor. Did you ever see his season on In Treatment? REALLY impressive. In Treatment was a hit and miss show, but it introduced (to me, at least) a bunch of talented folk: Mia Wasikowska, Alison Pill, Irrfan Khan, as well as DeHaan. (It also gave Debra Winger her best role in decades)