The Films I'm Most Excited for in 2019

2019 is already upon us. A brand new year means, a whole new year jam packed with fantastic films. Here are ten films coming out this year that I am most excited to see. Let me know in the comments what films you are excited to see.

• Us


• Little
• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
• Dumbo
• The Lion King
• Toy Story 4
• Glass
• How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
• John Wick 3: Parabellum
• Captain Marvel
• All the movies that will premiere during festivals that are not yet on my radar.
• Hotel Mumbai

The Greatest Showman: The Review

Directed by: Michael Gracey
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Keala Settle and Rebecca Ferguson
Written by: Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon
Cinematography: Seamus McGarvey
Music and Lyrics by: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Rating: 5/5 Unicorns

When 2017 began, The Greatest Showman was nowhere on my radar. It was not a film that I was looking forward to, nor did I think much about it. I knew that it had a stellar cast and I was curious to see how it would fare at the box office.  Weeks leading up to the release, I did not see much promo for the film nor was the film winning critical acclaim. Once released, it had dismal opening. Due to strong word of mouth , the  film has had mighty strong legs at the box office. As of now, it has grossed over $100 million at the US box office.

The Greatest Showman tells the remarkable tale of the origin of Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth. The film follows P.T Barnum ( Hugh Jackman) journey from rags to riches. We are introduced to his loyal wife Charity (Michelle Williams), his business partner Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron) and his acts (Zendaya, Keala Settle and Rebecca Ferguson).  Unlike most biographical films, The Greatest Showman is a full fledged musical. Any historian will tell you the film took several creative liberties with the film.  Does the accuracy matter for the musical?  No. All biopics are fictitious in nature, in order for the film to work it all depends on the execution.

  The Greatest Showman is not the best film I have ever seen. The pacing of the film felt like each scene was building up to the next musical number. Some aspects of the film were a bit ridiculous, particularly the dialogue. The Greatest Showman is not going to make a believer out of individuals whom hate musicals. Taking everything into consideration, I absolutely adored The Greatest Showman. It does not come as a surprise, I love musicals. I love to be wowed and thoroughly entertained, that is all I ask from a musical. Oh boy, does this film deliver this and more.  The Greatest Showman was visually breathtaking and inspiring. The choreography was mesmerizing and  the musical numbers were spellbinding.  I have been  obsessively listening to the soundtrack since I walked out of the theater.

 If you want to be transported to a time of magic and romance, The Greatest Showman is for you.

Knee Jerk Reactions: 88th Academy Awards

I got locked out of my house just moments ago, so I was not able to watch the Academy Awards nominations live. After checking updates on Twitter, I am completely pissed. I did not win $200 gift card to Amazon because my predictions were so off. They were a couple of sneak attack in there.

Too Much Mayo:  Last year no actors of color were nominated in the acting categories. This year was no different. It is not like people of color are not giving standout performances, they are. Which makes the nominations extremely frustrating for me but I am not surprised. A lot of actors I adore got nominated but I was still disgusted by the nominations. I knew that no woman of color were going to get nominated for the acting categories.I was sure Idris Elba would get nominated for Beasts of No Nation but nothing. I knew Will Smith was not going to get nominated and Michael B. Jordan was unlikely but still a possibility. I wish my darling Jason Mitchell picked a nomination for his riveting performance of Eazy E. It would be been an Adrien Brody winning Best Actor surprise. Throughout the award season, Shameik Moore and the fantastic film Dope have been shut out. The Academy had a chance to make history with the nomination of Mya Taylor for Best Supporting Actress, but they did not happen. The whole acting category is a mess to me.
Best Actress:  Jennifer Lawrence is unstoppable. She just bagged her fourth Academy Award nomination in six years.That is insane especially considering she is getting the Anne Hathaway treatment of 2013. Brie Larson and Saoirse Ronan picked up nominations for Room and Brooklyn. They are the frontrunners for this category and I do not care which one of them wins. They are both amazing and deserve all the success in the world. If Charlotte Rampling wins I would be happy too. She is amazing and this is her first nomination. What needs to said about Cate? She is acting royalty. 

Best Supporting Actor: Tom Hardy and Mark Ruffalo  were pleasant surprises in the Best Supporting Actor category. They are two of my favorite actors in the game right now and I am always elated when they get recognition. Idris was snubbed and I was hoping Michael Shannon would pick up a nomination. I would have jumped over the moon if Oscar Isaac snuck in there for Ex Machina. I feel that Sylvester Stallone has this one in the bag for Creed.

Best Actor: The only category I got completely right. A lot of acting perfection in this category. I think this is Leo's year. What else does this man need to do to win? What else?  If he does not win I hope Bryan Cranston brings it home. If Bryan does win,  he will be only one award short of the EGOT. Oh no, I think I'm rooting for Bryan now. I am officially a bad 90's kid.

Best Supporting Actress: I am pissed that Kristen Stewart did not get nominated for Clouds of Sils Maria. I knew that with a lack of Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA nomination she was a long shot, but I thought there was a chance. I was hoping my girl Alicia Vikander was going to get a double nomination for her roles in both Ex Machina and The Danish Girl. I am happy that she got nominated for The Danish Girl but I wish it was for Ex Machina instead. I think Jennifer Jason leigh is going to win for The Hateful Eight.

Best Picture: I was campaigning for Straight Outta Compton and Mad Max: Fury Road to get nominated for Best Picture. Unfortunately, I was not successful. Yes, Mad Max got nominated but it was not a victory for me. The Best Picture race is not too much Weisswurst festival. There are few films produced by women that are nominated. A few films about women were also nominated. The Revenant  is a victory for Latino filmmakers. I think it is a race between Spotlight and The Revenant for Best Picture. I would be doing cartwheels if Mad Max wins but I don't think it is going to happen. 

Achievement in Directing: The nominations of George Miller and Alejandro G. Inarritu make me happier than a clam. I am shocked that Ridley Scott and Steven Spielberg got snubbed. This makes their Best Picture nominations bittersweet. 

Best Original/ Adapted Screenplay: There is a lot of female screenwriters recognized this year. I have no idea who is going to take the prize in either category. I am happy that Straight Outta Compton, Ex Machina and Inside Out picked up nominations. I have not watched any of the films nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay but I am thrilled at Nick Hornby's nomination for Brooklyn. 

Best Original Song: I am saddened that "See You Again" did not pick up a nomination for Best Original Song. It would have been such a great tribute to Paul. I always get emotional when I hear it.  It definitely should be there instead of the disaster that is "Writings on the Wall". That  song was atrocious and that is the nicest thing I can say about it. I am happy that The Weeknd snuck up in there, I was not expecting that. It not a song the Academy would usually go for it. I feel that this award is going to go to Lady Gaga and she deserves it.

Best Original Score: Ennio Morricone has this in the bag. 

Best Documentary Feature: Yes to Amy and What Happened, Miss Simone? 

Best Animated Feature Film: Inside Out has this category but Anomalisa is a strong contender. Shocked that The Peanuts Movie and The Good Dinosaur did not get nominated. I am happy that Shaun the Sheep Movie got nominated. 

Best Animated Short: Why is "Lava" not nominated? That gem made me cry like a 2 year old.  Rooting for "Sanjay's Super Team". 

Achievement in Production Design/ Costume Design: I am rooting for Mad Max for Production Design and Cinderella for Costume Design. Here are two categories that are flooded by female talents. I just wish more females were recognized in the bigger categories. 

Star Wars: It seems that Star Wars: The Force Awakens was not treated with much respect by the academy. It did pick up a lot of nominations but not in the major categories. 

Consensus: I am still going to watch because Chris Rock is going to kill it. He has so much material just based on the nominations alone. The Oscars are becoming my problematic fave. 

Holiday Movie Guide 2015

It is that time again. When your movie theaters are flooded with studio attempts of Oscar glory and potential blockbusters. Here is my final guide for movies being released  this year. See you next year.
December 4

• Krampus
• Christmas Eve
• The Lady in the Van
• The Letters 
• Macbeth- Limited
• Chi-Raq -Limited
• Youth -Limited

December 11

• In the Heart of the Sea
• The Big Short Limited

December 18

• Star Wars: The Force Awakens
• Sisters
• Son of Saul

December 23( Wednesday)

• Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip
• The Big Short- Expands
• Where to Invade Next -Limited

December 25

• Joy
• Hateful Eight (Limited)
• Point Break
• Concussion
• Daddy's Home
• The Revenant (Limited)

Autumn at the movies : Fall Movies 2015 Preview

I swear, this year is passing by at lightning speed. We are already in my favorite season, fall. The time of year the leaves resemble the colors of a fire. The time of year when you can bring out your favorite sweater. No one thinks you are a lunatic for ordering hot cocoa at lunch. Not to mention everything will be pumpkin or apple flavored. Fall also brings some pretty appetizing treats to the cinema. Here is your exclusive look at all the goodies coming your way.

September

September 2 

• A Walk in the Woods

September 4

• The Transporter  Refueled

September 11

• The Perfect Guy
• The Visit
• 90 Minutes in Heaven
• Sleeping with Other People (limited)
• Wolf Totem (limited)

September 18

• Everest
• Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
• Black Mass
• Captive
• Sicario( limited)
• Cooties( limited)

September 25

• Before I Wake
• The Green Inferno
• Hotel Transylvania 2
• The Intern
• Stonewall( limited)
• Labyrinth of Lies
• Mississippi Grind
• 
  

October

October 2

• The Martian
• Freeheld 
• He Named Me Malala
• legend
• The Walk (limited)
• Shanghai

October 9

• Pan
• Steve Jobs
• My All American

October 16

• Crimson Peak
• Bridge of Spies
• Goosebumps

October 23

• Jem and the Holograms
• The Last Witch Hunter
• Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension
• Burnt
• Rock the Kasbah
• Suffragette( limited)

October 30

• Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse
• Autobahn
• Our Brand is Crisis

November

November 6

• The Peanuts Movie
• Spectre
• Brooklyn (limted)
• Miss You Already (limited)
• Spotlight (limited)

November 13

• By The Sea
• Rings
• The 33

November 20

• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
• The Secret in Their Eyes

November 25

• The Good Dinosaur
• Creed
• The Night Before
• Victor Frankenstein

November 27

• The Danish Girl (limted)
• I Saw the Light (limited)

Weisswurst Festival : The Road to the Oscars

Really? Really? 

Those were my thoughts when the Oscar nominations were announced this morning. I knew what I was seeing but I did not believe it.  How on earth did Ava DuVernay not pick up a Best Director nomination? How in the world did David Oyelowo not pick up a Best Actor nomination? Can someone tell me how the best reviewed film only walked away with two nominations? What? Not to mention no women were nominated in the writing categories. Somehow, Gillian Flynn amazing script was not good enough. It is amazing how much the Academy differs from the Critics. I am so disappointed in the Academy.

There were some good news that came out today.  I was pleased that The Grand Budapest Hotel picked up 9 nominations. Arguably one of my favorite films that came out last year. I have yet to see Whiplash and Birdman but hell yeah to their nominations. They are two films that I am dying to check out. I am peeved that David did not get nominated but some lovely men got nominated this year. No matter how much I love Eddie and Benedict ,I think Michael Keaton is the favorite to win Best Actor.  If that happens, this 80's baby will be happy. I will also be happy if Julianne Moore picks up Best Actress this year. It has been a long time coming.

I was shocked that Lego Movie did not get nominated for Best Animated Feature. I did not see that coming.  On the plus side Everything is Awesome is nominated for Best Original song. Do you know what that means? That means The Lonely Island and Tegan & Sara will be performing live. I also get to see Common and John legend perform Glory. I am thrilled that How To Train Your Dragon 2 picked up a nomination. That movie had me crying like a newborn baby. I called Lauren Dern's nomination for Wild. I am so happy that Marion Cotillard snuck in there for Best Actress. I admit, I am shocked that Gone Girl did not get more love. A thought it would at least pick up Best Picture and Best Director nominations.

It seems that Netflix is closing in on films as well. The streaming service picked up a nomination for Virunga. Now I am torn between wanting Citizenfour to win or Virunga. I have not seen Citizenfour yet because I am already a paranoid person. I feel that won't be good for my psyche. Congrats to Laura Poitras.

I may not be happy with all the nominations but it is going to be a good show. Tune in on February 22 for the 87th Academy Awards. I am sure that Neil Patrick Harris will deliver as host. 

Just Let It Flow: Recap of the 71st Golden Globes

The Golden Globes are a time when the best in television and film mingle for three hours as they celebrate each other with a countless supply of booze. Some might argue that The Golden Globes are irrelevant and nothing more than the bastard stepchild of the Academy Awards. I believe that The Golden Globes set the tone for the rest of the award season. Some people are all up in arms over the winners last night but it is important to note that the Hollywood Foreign Press is not the Academy. Don't freak out just yet, wait until the Oscar nominations are announced than you can freak out.

Overall, I thought the 71st Annual Golden Globes was a success. There were things that irked me but I want to focus on what was great about the night. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey were sensational hosts. They had some of the best one-liners of the night. Their jokes about George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio had me laughing for hours.When it comes to hosting, Amy and Tina really are the golden pair. I was completely ecstatic about the wins for Andy Samberg, Amy Adams(finally), Amy Poehler(once again finally), Elizabeth Moss, Jared Leto(my favorite in his category), Leonardo DiCaprio( Tumblr rejoice) and Cate Blanchett( rooting for her to win the gold).

I know there is still a good chance that Lupita Nyong'o will win the Oscar but I was disappointed that The Hollywood Foreign Press did not recognize her as the best supporting actress. We all know my love for Jennifer Lawrence is strong but in no universe was her performance stronger than Lupita's. To tell you the truth, I was really pissed that out of the seven nominations 12 Years a Slave walked away with one. I am happy that it won Best Drama but come on it should be sweeping the awards. It's just The Golden Globes, there are several other awards for the taking. I was disappointed that Chiwetel Ejiofor did not win Best Actor in a Drama but if he was going to lose to anyone it would be to the lovely Matthew McConaughey. Isn't it amazing to see how Matthew has reshaped his career. I am so happy for his success.

The beginning of award season may have gotten to a bumpy start, but with the Oscar nominations being announced this week and both the Critic Choice Awards and SAG awards this week the season should be full of surprises. Tell me what was great about last night and what had you shaking your head. I want to know your thoughts. 

State of the Race 2013: Best Picture

Before I breakdown the Best Picture race I want to wish all y'all Happy New Year. We are only days away from the announcement of nominees for the 86th Academy Awards. This is the time in the year when my stomach goes into knots. Will my favorite films of the year get the recognition they deserve? Only time will tell.

The state of the Oscar race is forever changing. Earlier during the season, the buzz was all about Gravity. I watched Gravity but it did not really strike a chord with me. I believe it will be nominated for several awards next week. After the buzz for Gravity died down that is when 12 Years a Slave took over. I believe this film is the one to beat. I have not seen a better film this year, in fact ever. I will be more than pissed if this film does not go the distance. Right now American Hustle is the favorite to win. I have watched American Hustle and I found it to be hilarious. It was fantastic ensemble piece but it no way near the best film of the year. I believe the little gem Nebraska was a superior film. I really hope that it receives several nominations.

I am not too sure how many pictures will be nominated for Best Picture this year. I believe that there will be somewhere between 7-10 pictures fighting for Best Picture this year.
Front-runners

1. 12 Years a Slave
2. American Hustle
3. Gravity
4. Nebraska
5. Captain Phillips

Second Tier

1. Her 
2. Dallas Buyers Club
3. Inside Llewyn Davis
4. The Wolf of Wall Street
5.  Saving Mr. Banks

Possible Contenders

1. The Butler
2. Blue Jasmine
3. Fruitvale Station
4. August: Osage County
5. Rush

Holiday Movie Guide 2013

I have been meaning to post this guide for some time now. It may be a few days late  but here is your exclusive guide to all the films being released over the Holiday season.

Now Playing
Inside Llewyn Davis

Out of the Furnace

December 13
Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Saving Mr. Banks- Limited Release (Expands the following week)
American Hustle- Limited Release (Expands the following week)

December 18
Anchorman: The Legend Continues
Walking with Dinosaurs
Her- Limited Release

December 25
47 Ronin
Believe
Grudge Match
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

The Wolf of Wall Street
August: Osage County
Lone Survivor

Fall Movie Guide

Summer may be over but autumn brings some incredible things. The beauty of the change of the leaves. All the pumpkin and apple flavored beverages. My favorite things are all a crop of incredible films invading the cinemas. Here is the officially guide for all the fall movies. Let me know what you are most looking forward to.

September 

September 6

• Riddick

September 13

• Insidious: Chapter 2
• The Family

September 20

• Prisoners

• Battle of the Year

September 27

• Rush ( Extended Release)
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2
• Don Jon
• Baggage Claim

October

October 4

• Gravity
• Runner Runner
• Parkland( Limited Release)

October 11

• Machete Kills
• Captain Phillips
• The Fifth Estate( Limited Release)
• The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete (Limited Release)

October 18

• Carrie
• Escape Plan
• All is Lost (Limited Release)
• 12 Years a Slave (Limited Release)
• Kill Your Darlings( Limited Release)

October 25

• The Counselor
• Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
• Blue is the Warmest Color( Limited Release)

November 

November 1

• Last Vegas
• Ender's Game
• Free Birds
• Diana( Limited Release)
• Dallas Buyers Club (Limited Release)

November 8

• Thor: The Dark World

November 15

• The Wolf of Wall Street
• The Best Man Holiday

November 22

• Delivery Man
• Nebraska( Limited Release)
• The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Thanksgiving Weekend

• Black Nativity
• Frozen
• Homefront
• Oldboy
• Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom (Limited Release)

State of the Race

Everyone in the US is getting ready for the big game tomorrow. They are getting treats for their parties and placing final bets. It is sort of like the World Cup but it happens every year. Lets face it, I have never been a football gal. The month of February for us Movie Buffs has always been about Oscar. All the premieres, all the press junkets, all the critical praise boils down to this magical moment. With three weeks before the big night, things are shaping up quite nicely this award season.

It appears that Argo may be the film to beat for Best Picture thanks to its recent wins at Golden Globes, Producers Guild Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards. With Ben Affleck out of the mix, Steven Spielberg is on lock to win Best Director. Daniel Day- Lewis and Anne Hathaway are pretty much guaranteed to win in their respective categories. If they do not win it will be an upset. Actually, I can see Daniel Day- Lewis losing in two instances, one if Silver Linings Playbook does a sweep or the possibility of Joaquin Phoenix getting the most votes from the Academy. Those are the two possibilities that I could envision Mr. Day-Lewis not winning. The same goes for Anne Hathaway, if Silver Linings Playbook does a sweep then there is a possibility that Jacki Weaver may win this category.  Once again Best Supporting Actor is anyone's category. I think the academy is leaning towards Tommy Lee Jones for this prestigious award. Honestly it really is anyone's game in this category. Once again if Silver Linings Playbook is going to sweep then Robert De Niro will win this category.

The Best Actress category is still a toss up between Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain. Whomever wins the BAFTA will most likely win come February 24th. As of right now, I do not think anyone of them is in the lead for this category. This is the toughest category for me because I am torn between who I want to win. Honestly, I thought Quvenzhane had the best female performance of the year. I absolutely adore both Jennifer and Jessica. It really is a three women war going on in my head, trying to figure who I want to win the golden statue.

This has been my update for the big six categories. As the awards approach I will make my final predictions. So far it has been one hell of an award season. 

Nominations are in

Earlier this morning the 85th Academy Awards nominations were announced by host Seth MacFarlane and the lovely Emma Stone. Being a great amateur film critic I got up literally at the crack of dawn  to catch the nominees. There were quite a few surprises this morning.

• Best Director

One of the biggest snubs was in the Best Director category  As you are aware I predicted that both Ben Affleck and Kathryn Bigelow were shoo-ins for this category. These two directors have been the frontrunners along with Steven Spielberg. I was completely floored that they did not pick up a nomination. The two directors that were nominated instead were Michael Haneke for Amour and Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild. I am pleasantly pleased that Mr. Zeitlin was nominated. I always knew that Quentin Tarantino was a bit of a wild card but I was hopeful he would get a nod. David O.Russel got a well deserved nomination in this category for the darling Silver Linings Playbook.

• Best Supporting Actress

One of the biggest surprises in this category was Jacki Weaver picking up nomination for her part in Silver Linings Playbook. I did not even predict her for a wild card but I am extremely pleased that she picked up this nomination. I believe that this award really is between Sally Field and Anne Hathaway. The only reason that none of them would pick up this award is if Silver Linings Playbook does a sweep. It could happen.

• Best Supporting Actor

Leonardo Dicaprio was once again overlooked by the Academy. Which I find to be a complete shame because he was absolutely brilliant in Django Unchained. I am happy that Christoph Waltz got a nomination because he was my wild card.

• Best Actress

I did a great job at predicting the nominees in this category. My wild card pick Quvenzhane Wallis is the youngest nominee in this category. As of right now Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Lawrence are the frontrunners in this category. I would not count out Emmanuelle Riva either.

• Best Actor

The only category I had 100% accuracy.  Daniel Day-Lewis is the favorite in this category but I would not count out Denzel Washington and Bradley Cooper.

• Best Picture

I was happy to see the majority of my picks getting nominated this morning. The only one that failed to pick up a nomination was Moonrise Kingdom. The Best Foreign Film favorite Amour picked up the final nomination in this category. Sources are suggesting that it will be hard for Argo and Zero Dark Thirty to win in this category because they failed to pick up Best Director nods. If that is the case Lincoln is looking as the shoo-in but I wouldn't be surprised if Silver Linings Playbook wins instead.

• Overall

Besides the snubs in Best Director and Best Supporting Actor category I am pleased with the nominees this year. Lincoln leads the list of with 12 nominations followed by the beautiful Life of Pi with 11 nominations. 

Final Predictions

Unlike previous years the 85th Academy Award nominations will be announced prior to the airing of both the Golden Globes and SAG Awards. Those awards are always great indicators for which films will be nominated for the Oscars. Now most analysts have to look at what films were awarded by critics and what was nominated for the other big awards. Here are my predictions for big eight.

Best Picture
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty
Argo
Life of Pi
Silver Linings Playbook
Les Miserables
Django Unchained
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Moonrise Kingdom
Wild Cards: The Master, Skyfall and Flight

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow- Zero Dark Thirty
Steven Spielberg- Lincoln
Ben Affleck- Argo
Ang Lee- Life of Pi
Quentin Tarantino- Django Unchained
Wild Cards: David O. Russel- Silver Linings Playbook, Tom Hooper- Les Miserables, Paul Thomas Anderson-The Master and Benh Zeitlin-Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Actor
Daniel Day Lewis- Lincoln
Denzel Washington- Flight
Bradley Cooper- Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman- Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix- The Master
Wild Cards: John Hawkes- The Sessions

Best Actress
Jennifer Lawrence- Silver Linings Playbook
Jessica Chastain- Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard: Rust & Bone
Emannuelle Riva- Amour
Naomi Watts- The Impossible
Wild Cards: Quvenzhane Wallis- Beasts of the Southern Wild, Rachel Weisz- Deep Blue Sea

Best Supporting Actor
Tommy Lee Jones- Lincoln
Leonardo DiCaprio- Django Unchained
Phillip Seymour Hoffman- The Master
Alan Arkin-Argo
Robert De Niro- Silver Linings Playbook
Wild Cards: Christopher Waltz- Django Unchained, Javier Bardem- Skyfall, Matthew McConoughey- Magic Mike

Best Supporting Actress
Anne Hathaway- Les Miserables
Sally Field- Lincoln
Amy Adams- The Master
Helen Hunt- The Sessions
Nicole Kidman- The Paperboy
Wild Cards: Maggie Smith- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Ann Dowd- Compliance

Best Original Screenplay
Mark Boal- Zero Dark Thirty
Rian Johnson- Looper
Wes Anderson, Roman Coopola-Moonrise Kingdom
Quentin Tarantino- Django Unchained
 John Gatins-Flight,
Wild Cards:Michael Haneke- Amour

Best Adapted Screenplay
Tony Kushner- Lincoln
Chris Terrio- Argo
David O. Russel- Silver Linings Playbook
David Magee- Life of Pi
Stephen Chbosky- The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Wild Cards: Benh Zeitlin & Lucy Alibar- Beasts of the Southern Wild, Christopher Nolan & Jonathan Nolan- The Dark Knight Rises

Life of Pi

Starring: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, Adil Hussain, Tabu and Gerard Deparadieu

Directed by: Ang Lee

Written by: David Magee

Rating: 5/5 Unicorns

Based on the best selling novel written by Yann Martel, Life of Pi tells the remarkable survival story of Pi Patel( Suraj Sharma). After surviving a fatal shipwreck, Pi finds himself on a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with 450 pound Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker. 

The first time I watched the trailer for Life of Pi it immediately was on top of my must see list. Now that we are in Award Season, I have been hearing more praise for the film. It has been picking up nominations left and right. After watching the film over the weekend it lived up to all of my expectations. Life of Pi was the most visually stimulating film I have seen since Avatar. The cinematography in this film was simply out of this world. Its cinematography alone is a great reason to check out this film. Not to mention the visual effects were astounding. I had several awe moments while watching this film. I highly recommend that you catch it in 3D if you can. It is one of the few films that were made for 3D purposes and not converted to 3D better for revenue at the box office. 

Life of Pi is more than its cinematography and visual effects, it is also great story to watch. Ang Lee did a fantastic job bringing this much loved story to life. I was thoroughly impressed with Suraj Sharma who I felt keep the audiences thoroughly engaged with his portrayal as Pi. He is a bright future ahead of him. Not too many actors can do what he did in this film. The score of the film was fantastic as well. It made the significant moments in the film even more powerful. What I loved about the film is that it makes you think about life and yourself. It makes you think about your destiny and how much you can endure. It really boils down to being a  film about faith. You are left wondering what story to believe. Personally I have always believed in the stories that were inconceivable. How they used to say it in the 90's, this movie is deep son. 

Since the majority of the film takes place on a lifeboat its running time feels longer than it actually is. I have seen several movies that were longer than Life of Pi but because there was so much going on I did not feel the duration. The reason I did not deduct points from the rating is because the film was just beautiful. The more I thought about the film, the more I loved it. It leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling inside. In fact I look forward to watching the film for a second time. 

Moonrise Kingdom

Starring: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Jason Schwartzman and Tilda Swinton
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Written by: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola
Rating: 4/5 Unicorns

Two twelve years old( Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) fall in love and run away as a violent storm approaches the tiny island. A various authorities including the local sheriff(Bruce Willis), Khaki Scout Leader(Edward Norton) and the girls lawyer parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand) try to track them down.

Moonrise Kingdom was one of the most original films I have seen in a longtime. I have not quite seen anything like it before. It was quirky, whimsical and endearing comedy. It  had one of the best narratives I have seen all year. The screenplay is fantastic and I truly believe Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola are the frontrunners for Best Original Screenplay. Wes Anderson directing style is purely unique in this film. I was fascinated by his directing choices. There would be a scene that at first I thought I didn't like then two seconds later I was completely enamored with it. It takes awhile to digest. The acting ensemble is out of this world. Two young leads are absolutely fantastic. They bring the innocence and intensity of first love to the screen brilliantly.

Moonrise Kingdom is not a film for everybody. The humor in the film is offbeat and the characters are quite eccentric. I admit that it is not my cup of tea but I recognize it as being a great film. It really is a rare gem of a film and I appreciate that. I think it is one of Wes Anderson's  best pictures. Once award season is over this film will be thoroughly decorated.

The Race Begins

Now that the Thanksgiving festivities have drawn to a close, the race has officially began for the 2013 Award Season. If you go to any official film website, you will see several For Your Consideration ads. No one is more excited about award season than your own personal amateur film critic.As usual I am a little behind on viewing Oscar contenders but it is my goal to view as many films before the reveal of the  Oscar nominations. Brace yourself for several reviews coming in the next two months.

Several Oscar hopefuls made their way to multiplexes over the long weekend. Giving them plenty of time to be screened for the academy. Life of Pi is performing better than expected and Silver Linings Playbook has been enjoying a good expansion. Both films have received the all important stamped of  approval by critics and it appears that the audiences are warm to them as well. Much to my delight Flight is showing strong legs at the Box office and the Oscar favorite Lincoln is doing spectacular at the box office as well.

 Over the weekend the highly anticipated Les Miserables was screened for the first time in New York City. The response was electric. Audience members gave the film a standing ovation and there were tears all around. The film has officially become a Frontrunner for  Best Picture and Anne Hathaway has officially entered the race as the Frontrunner for Best Supporting Actress. Prior to the screening over the weekend Lincoln, Argo and The Silver Linings Playbook were the Frontrunners. I have a funny feeling that this Award season will be as eventful as ever. Make sure you keep your eyes open for my upcoming posts because there will be tons of Oscar goodies coming your way.