Retro Review: Erin Brockovich (2000)

                 'Erin Brockovich': A Quiet And Inspirational Meditation Of A Real-Life Woman Who Refused To Stay Silent 

            Normally, films are used as either art or entertainment and not typically a blend of both. But here comes a film that does find a happy medium of the two as Erin Brockovich becomes grounded in reality while using the titular woman's story as a backdrop for a feel-good story to lift our spirits.
                                             
                           Story:
                    Erin Brockovich is based on a real-life story about a struggling mother of three named Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts) who lands a job at a law firm. While working there, she stumbles across a real estate case involving poisoned water supply which greatly affects the surrounding townsfolk. This investigation then leads to one of the biggest lawsuits in American history and greatly affects Erin as it takes a toll on her personal life.

                   What I Liked About It:
                  First off, I absolutely loved Julia Roberts' performance. One thing that was so unique about her portrayal was that she takes the quirks that she is known for, in particular her big smile, and uses them to showcase the more serious-minded character's drive. She even has scenes where she pulls off masterful nuance. For example, there is a scene where her boyfriend, played by Aaron Eckhart, is telling her about her daughter's first word while they are on the phone. In that scene, Roberts shows us what is going through the character's mind without having to even say anything. So, Julia Roberts is absolutely brilliant in this movie and proves that she is a capable dramatic actress as well as a comedic one. I also really liked the scenes between her and Albert Finney, who plays Erin's boss Ed. The two of them have a wonderful non-romantic chemistry and the scenes between the two were some of the film's highlights.

                  Another thing I liked was how director Steven Soderbergh was able to take a mainstream film and through his direction, give it artistic merit. The film does have some entertaining light-hearted moments that could please the general public and manages to be a story that lifts our spirits, but could easily satisfy the cinephiles thanks to Soderbergh's realistic direction. One scene that was well-directed that I really liked was the scene where Erin meets a client who runs over to tell her kids to get out of their pool and the camera focuses on the woman running outside then cuts over to Erin's quiet reaction.

                What I Didn't Like About It:
                Nothing.

                Consensus:
               Overall, Erin Brockovich is a masterful and entertaining biopic with artistic merit that features a fantastic performance from Ms. Julia Roberts. If you are a fan of Roberts, I would put this high on your watch list. If you aren't a fan of hers, I would still say give it a watch because she just might surprise you.

Grade: A

40th Saturn Award Winners/Reactions

Hello, Bloggers, the 40th annual Saturn Awards, which typically celebrates sci-fi, horror, fantasy film and television, has just announced their winners and I figured since I saw plenty of the films nominated, I would offer up my reactions to the winners.

First off, Gravity won Best Science Fiction Film, which I'm sure wasn't much of a surprise. Honestly, seeing this film win big at the Oscars was a big surprise since the Academy doesn't always warm up to big budget fare, but here, not so much. The film's director Alfonso Cuaron ended up with another trophy for Best Director for his mantle and he was quite deserving. Sandra Bullock also won Best Actress and that was a semi-surprise because I thought it would be either or J-Law for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Gravity also won Best Editing and Best Visual Effects.

Director/writer Spike Jonze also won another trophy for his mantle for Best Screenplay for Her, which also won Best Fantasy Film and even Best Supporting Actress for Scarlett Johansson. Johansson's win was one of my favorites of the bunch since she won for acting with just her voice. Her Avengers co-star Robert Downey, Jr. won Best Actor for Iron Man 3 and I thought that was pretty neat, along with Iron Man 3 winning Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture just because it won over Thor: The Dark World, which I still detest.

Another win I was excited about was Ben Kingsley winning Best Supporting Actor for Iron Man 3. I thought he really stole the show and I was thrilled that he got recognition for his performance. Even though J-Law didn't win for her film, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire still won Best Costume Design, so it was nice that it didn't go home empty handed. Prisoners was another film nominated and that didn't go home empty handed either as it won Best Makeup. It was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Melissa Leo and Best Thriller Film but lost that award to World War Z, which I thought belonged in the action/adventure category. 12 Years A Slave was also nominated for and won Best Independent Film.

Now I'll go onto some of the Television Awards. Breaking Bad won Best Television Presentation, as well as Best Supporting Actor (Aaron Paul) and Best Guest Actor (Robert Forster). It wasn't too shocking even though I haven't seen the show just because the show just ended and the different awards shows probably want to give it whatever awards they can. But Mads Mikkelsen won Best Actor for Hannibal and Vera Farmiga won Best Actress for Bates Motel. I was pretty stoked about those wins because it is nice that Mikkelsen is getting quite the recognition here in the States and Farmiga rarely wins anything, so it was nice that she too is getting the recognition she deserves. Speaking of which, her film The Conjuring won Best Horror Film and I was pleased with that win as well since it surpassed some of its competition, including Mama and The Purge. 

So, overall, I was pretty impressed with the list of winners of the 40th Saturn Awards. If you have read the list of winners and feel the same way or disagree, please feel free to write in the comments section. Thanks for reading!

Trailer Talk #17: The Good Lie, Fury, Frank, The Judge, Birdman, Kill The Messenger

Hello, Bloggers, welcome to another episode of Trailer Talk. For today's episode, I will discuss slightly smaller films, some of which are potential Oscar contenders being released at the end of this year. Let's take a look:

The Good Lie: First up is the trailer for The Good Lie starring Reese Witherspoon. Now, I'll start off by saying that it looks like Reese Witherspoon might be having a little "McConaissance" of her own this year to try and recapture her former Oscar glory after her Best Actress win back in 2006 for Walk The Line. She might be successful since she has a biopic (Wild), a film by a prestigious director (Inherent Vice), a "white savior" film (The Good Lie), and is even producing a potential Oscar contender (Gone Girl). But onto The Good Lie. I have read that some people feel like this film might just be The Blind Side 2.0, and from the trailer, I can definitely see why. The trailer looks similar and the film itself is even made the executive producer of The Blind Side. Unlike some, I actually really liked The Blind Side but because this film might be one of those "been there, done that" type deals, I think I'm going to skip this one.

Fury: Next is the upcoming Oscar contender Fury starring Brad Pitt. Now, before I saw the trailer, I wasn't too crazy about seeing the film, but after watching the trailer, my opinion might just change. I have become quite a Brad Pitt fan over the years, so he is quite a selling point for me, as well as co-star Logan Lerman (Perks of Being A Wallflower, Percy Jackson movies). Plus, it looks like it might have a different feel from other WWII movies like Saving Private Ryan. Those kind of films tend to do pretty well in the awards circuit and I certainly got no issue with them, as long as they variate themselves from each other. I don't usually go see war films in theaters, but with this one, I just might.

Frank: Next up is the indie pic Frank starring Michael Fassbender. Now, this one looks like a change of pace for Michael Fassbender as this film is more comedic territory. But, this transition looks like it'll pay off handsomely for the Fass as it looks pretty funny. My favorite part in the trailer was when he started singing his happy song at the very end. Now, I would imagine some females would probably skip this film since the very handsome Fassbender doesn't show his face. But, if this film happens to maybe pop up online, I'll give it a watch because I do want to see this.

The Judge: Next is the upcoming comedy-drama The Judge starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Robert Duvall. Now, when I started my Oscar coverage not too long ago, I made a prediction that this film might be a potential Oscar contender and judging by the trailer, it might just be. One reason is its fall release date as well as the cast behind it that includes RDJ, Robert Duvall, Billy Bob Thornton, and Vera Farmiga. But after watching the trailer, I think the film does have some promise. I am quite a RDJ fan, so he is a selling point for me. Plus, the film looks funny yet dramatic without cheap sentiment and that is one thing I dislike about dramas, just to throw that out there. But, I may check this one out in theaters.

Birdman: Next up is another Oscar contender called Birdman starring Michael Keaton. Now, before the trailer came out, I thought the film seemed pretty interesting. But after watching the trailer, I am a little unsure of what to make of it. I mean, the cast is spectacular (Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Amy Ryan, Zach Galifianakis), but I'm not sure, I might have to wait for a second trailer. Normally with a cast like this, I'd say "yes" in a heartbeat, but for now, I'm not sure.

Kill The Messenger: Finally is the film Kill The Messenger starring Jeremy Renner. Now, this film deals with the kind of investigative journalism we've seen in Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and All The President's Men, but I love films like those. I like the kind of films that deal with going on a quest for the truth even when there are people telling you to just let it go and keep quiet. I find them quite exciting. Now, this film doesn't really look like one of those to rush out and see in theaters despite some of the action. But, this is one I do want to see nevertheless. It does have Jeremy Renner who I am quite a fan of and I am quite pleased to see that despite going commercial by doing films like The Avengers and The Bourne Legacy, he has still retained his artistry by doing films like this.

So, that was episode 17 of Trailer Talk. As always, my next episode will come when I have seen a new film in theaters or watched a bunch of trailers online. Until then, thanks for reading!

Indie Review: Spring Breakers

                                  A Colorful Yet Red-Blooded 'Spring Break' From Hell
                   
           Even though I wasn't fond of the last film I saw by director Harmony Korine, Gummo, I still feel that Korine is a director that has a voice. With his latest film, Spring Breakers, Korine certainly and brilliantly showcases his unique voice in a film that works like Drive meets Britney Spears on acid.
               
                        Story:
                   Spring Breakers follows four college friends (Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine) who long to see something different and go away for spring break. In order to get some money, they decide to rob a restaurant and head to Florida. Once they get there, they stumble across a rather enigmatic man who goes by the name of Alien (James Franco) and gets them involved in rather dark escapades.

                  What I Liked About It:
                 First off, I absolutely loved the cinematography. The film has such colorful lighting and in my opinion, it really adds to the rather acidic feel the film has. I also really loved the way the film was edited. Usually, I never describe a film's editing, but here, it was spectacular. My favorite sequence in the film was the one where Alien is playing the song "Everytime" by Britney Spears and while he is and the girls are dancing, it cuts back and forth between them dancing and singing along, and bits of them robbing different people. I would imagine that scene will stick to my head for quite a while, along with James Franco's performance, which I will get to next.
   
                Holy crap, was James Franco awesome in this. Not only does Franco physically become Alien, through the heavy use of tattoos as well as donning cornrows and grills on his teeth, but performance-wise he just became Alien. He really captures the character's enigmatic nature through the use of his sleazy grin. He was funny, devious, and at times chilling. Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens, two former Disney darlings, are also very good as well and it is quite wonderful to see them take a risk by doing a film like this. Gomez is especially good as the film's moral center who coincidentally enough is the only non-blonde female. Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine, who play the other two main females, are also brilliant.

                One thing that I thought was pretty interesting was how it plays on the whole theme of the pursuit of the American Dream, yet does it in its own unique spin. It is done in a much more colorful way, through the demonstration of today's younger generation influenced by rap music and partying college students. The incredible and fast-paced score by Skrillex and Cliff Martinez also adds to this unique narration as well.

                 What I Didn't Like About It:
                 Nothing.

                Consensus:
               Overall, Spring Breakers is a fast-paced nightmarish action flick that is ironically, beautiful to look at. It has brilliant cinematography, a soundtrack with repeat value, and a scene-swallowing performance by James Franco. This may not be for everyone since it is violent at times and has scenes of nudity and drug use. But, if you like dark comedy with some action thrown in, I would put this high on your watch list.

4th Annual Critics' Choice TV Awards Reactions

Hello, Bloggers, the Critics' Choice TV Awards aired last night and I figured after my predictions were made and the winners were announced, I would announce my reactions. Let's take a look:

First off, I'll go into the wins I was excited about. Breaking Bad won Best TV Series- Drama and Best Supporting Actor for Aaron Paul, which I got right, along with odds-on favorite Matthew McConaughey winning Best Actor in a TV Series- Drama. Plus, The Normal Heart won Best TV Movie and Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries/TV Movie for Matt Bomer, which I was really excited about and I am really rooting for The Normal Heart to really make an impression on the road to the Emmys or even the Globes next year.

Next, I'll get into the surprises. First off, odds-on favorite Cicely Tyson lost Best Actress in a Miniseries/TV Movie to Jessica Lange for American Horror Story: Coven. I like Lange on AHS, so I wasn't too upset about my prediction being wrong. Plus, it was a good night for Ryan Murphy, I know that. For those of you who don't know, he is the producer of shows like Glee, AHS, Nip/Tuck, and even The Normal Heart. He won a special award called the Louis XIII Genius Award for his excellence in television and versatility in terms of the different shows he produced. Plus, not only did The Normal Heart win a few awards, but one of his Normal Heart actors, Jim Parsons, won Best Actor in a Comedy Series for The Big Bang Theory, upsetting frontrunner Louis CK for Louie. I actually really liked Parsons' speech because he seemed genuinely surprised since he apparently didn't think he was going to win. Another surprise was Tatiana Maslany winning Best Actress in a TV Series- Drama for the BBC series Orphan Black. It was a surprise because it was pretty expected that Robin Wright would take it for House of Cards. But, I say good for Maslany because I have seen her work in the past in the Canadian horror gem Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed. So, it is nice that she has reached the level of acclaim that she has here in the States. But a few wins that were kind of expected were Fargo winning big, in particular winning Best Miniseries and Best Actor in a Miniseries/TV Movie for Billy Bob Thornton, as well as Allison Tolman semi-upsetting Julia Roberts for Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries/TV Movie.

Overall, even though some of my predictions were wrong, I was still pleased that there were upsets, which I LOVE when watching awards shows. If you have watched the show last night, please feel free to write your thoughts on the winners in the comments section. Thanks for reading!

Topic Of The Day: A Year Where The People Pick The Oscars

Hello, Bloggers, for today's Topic Of The Day, I figured I'd discuss an idea that will more than likely never happen, but that I would love to see come into fruition in the future, and that is about a year where the audience votes for who wins the Oscars. Here we go:

Each year, while there are usually happy faces whenever the winners are announced or if their favorites are even nominated, there are even glum faces when an audience member's favorite to win or find a slot in the different major categories is snubbed. But, one reason the public voting for the winners or even the nominees could be beneficial is ratings. Once audiences see films that are more up their alley on the Best Picture or even Best Director lineup, they will be more inclined to watch the ceremony. They could always go traditional and go for their usual smaller films but some mainstream films never hurt and could allow the best of both worlds to represent the Oscars. Also, if audiences vote online and they don't show the results, it could make the show less predictable. The Oscars would be more inclined to have upset wins, which in my mind, are pretty exciting and very rare nowadays.

Another benefit to the public voting for the Oscars is possibly less campaigning. The studios would never campaign for the public to vote, so that's why they have the Academy do so. So, if the Academy were to suddenly say "We're going to let the "people" decide who they want to win", then there would possibly be less ass-kissing and less politics because let's be honest, Oscar campaigning can get very aggressive. Just ask Harvey Weinstein. Even if the Academy were to post a list of films being considered and the public would get to make their own list of nominees in each major category from that list like what the awards site Gold Derby does with their special film and TV Awards, and the Academy would still get to decide who wins, then the much younger demographics would still tune in because their favorites would be on the different categories. Now, I am not saying that popular films like Twilight or any of Adam Sandler's comedies should have a fighting chance, but maybe films that the studios themselves believe in and that audiences have supported. I mean, think about it. Back in 2008, The Dark Knight almost made it on the Best Picture lineup and a film like that would've really helped the telecast if it was nominated for Best Picture. But, on nomination day, there wasn't really an audience favorite to be seen. One film that was nominated was The Reader, which Hugh Jackman admitted in his opening Oscar musical number that he himself didn't see. Even independent films that were modest hits at the box office or slightly popular with audiences, like Drive, The Place Beyond The Pines, and We Need To Talk About Kevin, would make audience members happy if they had at least one nomination in a major category. I'll admit that the one downside to that is that some of the smaller films looking for a wider audience wouldn't get much exposure, but luckily, they have different award shows and festivals that celebrate independent films.

So, those are my thoughts as to why the Academy should have a year where the public picks the winners and even the nominees. If you agree or feel any differently, please feel free to write in the comments section. Thanks for reading!

Review: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

                                                'Extremely' Well-Acted But 'Incredibly' Meh
                    When this film was announced on Oscar nomination day, it received plenty of backlash due to the mixed reception it received, and probably because of how it took a spot over a crowd pleaser like Drive or Bridesmaids. But while I wouldn't say the film is worthy of the backlash it received, I still don't know if I would give it a whirlwind of praise.
           
                       Story:
                      Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close follows a young boy named Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) who lives with his mother (Sandra Bullock) and is grieving over the loss of his father Thomas (Tom Hanks) who died in 9/11. The film follows Oskar trying to find the lock to a key left in his father's belongings and along the way, he meets several people who may have connections to his father.

                      What I Liked About It:
                     First off, I thought the actors were astounding. I thought Thomas Horn did an admirable job for what was his first feature film, so it was neat to see how he was able to carry that kind of weight on his shoulders at such a young age. Sandra Bullock was also astounding as the slightly confused yet supportive mother. Once again, Bullock proves that she is able to successfully pull off both drama and comedy, which she is famous for. Max Von Sydow, who plays a mysterious tenant at Thomas' grandmother's apartment named The Renter, is wordless throughout his screentime yet his performance is able to speak volumes and I liked the scenes between him and Horn. Another thing that I really liked was the scenes between Thomas Horn and Tom Hanks. I thought those scenes were very poignant and make you realize why Oskar really misses his father thanks in part to Hanks' performance.

                    One thing that actually surprised me was the ending. I don't want to give it away for those that haven't seen it, but it wasn't necessarily what I thought it was going to be and I commend the filmmakers for going in the direction that they did and for trying to tell a story about family loss while using one of America's greatest tragedies as the story's backdrop. That was pretty brave, I would say.

                   What I Didn't Like About It:
                  Now, while the actors are terrific, I thought the film itself was a little too "on the nose". It seems like it is almost set up to be an awards film since it deals with a kid with a mental disability grieving over the loss of a family member while forming a bond with a man who is mute and the film is set in the aftermath of 9/11. Although, I will say this, it is better than another awards film that came out the same year (*cough* The Iron Lady*cough*).  At least this one has more than one redeeming quality. I definitely don't think that this film is horrible by any means, but I wouldn't say it's perfect.

                 Consensus:
                Overall, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a slightly-flawed yet extremely well-acted drama. Even though this film got plenty of backlash for scoring a Best Picture nomination, I would still say give it a watch for the amazing performances from the cast.
         
Grade: B-