The Artist

A masterful homage to the days of silent, black and white films is just the right blend of old style with a modern feel. Crisp picture except when the intent is more nostalgic, and a wonderful score that pushes the story along like days of old. There are scenes that whimsically bring back the old Hollywood films of Cary Grant, Fred Astaire, or Clark Gable, but Jean Dujardin brings a fresh, but timeless look to the screen.

The intro immediately sets the mood, with opening credits straight out of 1930. A handsome man with the perfectly trimmed mustache, slicked down hair, and a three piece suit dances around the stage after audiences have just taken in his latest film, a wild success to the critics. He is the George Clooney of the silent film era, and he knows it. The film follows his demise as "talkies" become the norm, and his talents are no longer needed. A turn of events creates a Charlie Chaplin love story of sorts (without the physical comedy) and this screen legend tries to find his place in the new Hollywood.

Many of the scenes have brilliant choreography and cinematography. Simply beautiful. Pouring a glass of whiskey onto a mirror as the camera rotates 180 degrees, using a scene-stealing Jack Russell Terrier as the best casting of a dog this year, with tricks and patience on command. Dance routines that epitomize the roaring twenties, and a beautiful leading lady who with the flapper dress and bobbed haircuts and designer hats looks just the part (Berenice Bejo, who happens to have 2 children with the director).

Michael Hazanavicius is my favorite right now for the Best Director Oscar, plain and simple. His vision brings to life this world that is a brief, but incredible respite from our real time. This is what classic cinema is all about, and his homage is effective and well done. I don't have this winning best picture however, because the story isn't too strong and compelling, it's just a fun and fanciful journey.

I also see Oscar gold going to Dujardin (best male) and Bejo (supporting female, although she has as much screen time as Dujardin) who so convincingly play their parts, even silently. There is chemistry between the two that makes me smile, like Chaplin and one of his muses. The film is intended to be a comedic love story, but it is so much more than that. It is a clinic in film-making with the precision shots and movements. Retro fade-ins and outs. Much like Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino brought back the grindhouse look of the 70's, Hazanavicius brings the 20's out of The Artist.

I can see this film setting a new precedent in retro film making style. Forties, fifties, even eighties might be next on the horizon. Keep your eyes out for it. The Weinsteins know how to pick Academy Award quality films, and The Artist fits the bill. Best Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, and Score. Big night for this film. 8/10.

Take Shelter

Nobody plays the mentally ill better than Michael Shannon. Let's be honest, he looks mentally ill with the crooked lip, and the steel-cut eyes. This time, he plays a man plagued by haunting visions of an imminent storm, and the paranoia drives him mad.

Curtis is an unassuming husband and father with a good construction management career and a few close friends, when he begins to see signs and have nightmares. Soon, the pressure begins to unravel his sanity, and as he builds a storm shelter in his back yard, it pushes him away from his friends and family, until his life ultimately crashes down around him.

Subtlety is the key word for this film, and with the exception of one absolutely explosive tirade, it is a tension-building psychological thriller that builds to an appropriate and satisfying (if not unbelievable) climax. The director, Jeff Nichols is an unknown, and isn't using any special tricks or tactics. Using a plain setting in an ordinary town, he uses Shannon as the singular cinematic tool for capturing the intense emotional struggle.

Shannon is electric. Curtis knows he's losing his mind, but he's not sure what to do about it, being torn between building the shelter to save his family, or not building the shelter to save his family. With a very well-placed family history of mental illness, Take Shelter crescendos to a point that makes the viewer wonder if he wasn't a prophet all along.

Jessica Chastain co-stars as Shannon's wife, and she plays a good role, although I would have liked to have seen a bit more fear and nervousness, and a bit less of a 1950's wife who sticks by her man through everything. Maybe it's better this way considering the ending, but I wanted to be terrified by Shannon and his inner demons.

Rarely do actors come along who can take on roles this naked, and it's indicative of greatness. His words, actions, expressions all convey the pain and uncertainty that his character is being tormented by, but he also has the look of exploding and just going off the deep end at any moment. That's what's beautiful about it.

It will be a shame if Shannon doesn't receive a nomination for this role. To see his best work to date, see his scene-stealing part in Revolutionary Road for which he received a supporting actor nomination in 2009. This movie was creepy and eerie, but it's all about Shannon. 6/10.

15 Films to watch for in 2012

In response to a blog post on IMDB, where there were obvious misconceptions and incomplete or inaccurate data, here is the list of the 15 films for 2012 that will be most worth going to, and that you should mark on your calendars.

15. Argo Ben Affleck's follow-up to the Town is a star-studded gold mine of a story. The CIA sends in a team to rescue hostages from Iran under the guise of a documentary film crew. Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, and Kyle Chandler co-star with Affleck. It will be even better than it sounds, just you watch. Maybe it needs to move up this list.

14. Total Recall The remake of the 1990 Schwarzenegger classic, based on the Philip Dick short story "We can remember it for you wholesale" will be a home run, or a miserable swing and a miss. There will be no middle ground. It looks like enough thought has gone into it that it will be an improvement on the original screen adaptation, and Colin Farrell will be in his element.

13. This Means War Not making the list by many critics, I have high hopes for this based on the acting of Tom Hardy and Chris Pine alone. These spy versus spy movies tend to be good action comedies, and I think despite having Reece Witherspoon in it, it will be a great time.

12. The Bourne Legacy I haven't heard much buzz about this one yet, but Jeremy Renner takes the reins as Aaron Cross, a Jason Bourne type agent, and oh yea, Tony Gilroy directs this one. You might remember him as the director of Michael Clayton, or the writer of... the Bourne trilogy (screen adaptations). Will be a great film.

11. The Amazing Spiderman This will be a big jump for Marc Webb, who did 500 Days of Summer in 2009. He's rebooting the franchise that started the current superhero craze, and it has only been 5 years since Spiderman 3. There is a lot riding on this one, but with Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studio behind him, and the budget, it has to be a hit. I'm just a bit concerned that people won't want the origin story this soon after the Sam Raimi version.

10. Gangster Squad It's a little hard to tell if this is going to be serious, or comedic at this point as Ruben Fleischer as a director has only done comedies (mostly funny, and good direction) so far, but with a cast like this, it will be worth watching no matter what. Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte, Giovanni Ribisi, and Anthony Mackie to name a few. Think L.A. Confidential with some special effects.

9. The Hobbit Peter Jackson essentially makes Lord of the Rings 4 with this one. It just can't be quite as good though with a new cast and new story. The magic is gone, but it will still be incredible.

8. World War Z Brad Pitt taking on a zombie apocalypse? This will be a great film if it's anything like the book.

7. The Avengers Marvel has been building up to this for the past few years by introducing each of the superheroes separately. It has Joss Whedon attached, which is supposed to impress us, but I'm not totally convinced that this won't be a big letdown. Time will tell.


6. The Hunger Games This is the pivotal young adult book series of the next generation. Harry Potter is done, as is Twilight, so the tweens need something to sink their teeth into, and the Hunger Games will do just fine. It's a compelling story, and the preview makes it look like they did a nice job. Gary Ross is a solid writer and director, so it should be fun.

5. Skyfall Sam Mendes directing the next James Bond movie? I'm there.

4. Lincoln Best picture, director, actor. Pencil them in now. Spielberg captures Daniel Day-Lewis (perhaps the greatest actor currently working) as the great emancipator. It's going to be heavy, but awesome.

3. Django Unchained The idea and cast alone is enough to make a movie fan giddy. Foxx as a slave-turned-bounty hunter, DiCaprio as an angry slave owner, and Christopher Waltz as the man who will train Foxx to fight and rescue his wife. With the supporting cast of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Kurt Russell, Sacha Baron Cohen, Samuel Jackson, and Don Johnson, it's going to be a riot. Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino only means one thing, that it's going to be entertaining.

2. Prometheus I'm an Aliens fan through and through, and although Ridley Scott denies up and down that this isn't a prequel, we all know damn well that it is. Scott returns to the genre that he defined with a stellar cast, and a mysterious story that could well be the best Sci-Fi film in years, if not of the 21st century (no joke).

1. The Dark Knight Rises So you may think I'm just a Nolan disciple, but the world of Gotham City that he created is so revolutionary in cinema that you can't refute his genius and vision. The Dark Knight was one of the best action films of recent memory, if not films in general. I can only predict its greatness for so long. No, nothing will ever truly compare to Heath Ledger's Joker, but I trust Nolan, and I expect this trilogy ending to rival Revenge of the Sith or Return of the King in magnitude. There will be both buzz and controversy when this comes out.

There are many great films that I left off the list, but they were excluded for a simple reason; They won't have the impact that the aforementioned 15 films will on the box office, or on the general movie-going audience. What do you all think?

We Bought a Zoo

Cameron Crowe's latest is a heartfelt tearjerker of a story based on a man who took a leap of faith and moved his family out of the city (San Diego) and bought a wildlife reserve that he converted into a zoo. You can't make this stuff up. What makes it so touching is that the cause, and in many regards the inspiration for the move was the death of his wife and the effect that had on his family.

Crowe has been busy with documentaries for the past few years, and consequently this is his first full length feature film since 2005's bomb Elizabethtown. It's been 10 years since Almost Famous, his last respectable movie. We Bought a Zoo is the perfect comeback for him. Perhaps his best work, although some would argue Almost Famous has an edge for its originality and tribute to the classic rock era. Others would argue Jerry Maguire, but that was all Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding Jr. No, this is his best work to date, and much of it has to do with Matt Damon and the precocious Maggie Elizabeth Jones, who at 7 years old, plays Damon's 7 year old daughter, and has already acted in 7 films. She lights up the screen much like Johnathan Lipnicki did in Jerry Maguire, so you know this is a family friendly adventure.

Matt Damon seems to be leaving the action realm for more family-friendly fare, which makes sense as he's entering his 40's now and has young children of his own. He plays Benjamin Mee with just the right balance of grieving husband, caring father, and misguided man. He buys a zoo! The process helps him grow, and brings him closer to his children, and his brother.

Maggie Elizabeth Jones shines as his daughter. Supportive, loving, quirky, and full of great one-liners, she's got a bright future in Hollywood. Scarlett Johansson, for as attractive as she is, has never impressed me with her acting. She does a good job in this though. She's not over-sexualized, and isn't the centerpiece as the head zookeeper, Kelly Foster. The rest of the zoo staff each have their own moments, as does Mee's son, Dylan, played by Colin Ford. There is a very touching undertone of rebellion and a cry for reassurance that everything will be alright that climaxes in a moving confrontation between father and son.

Probably the most ripe role is that of Walter Ferris, the zoo inspector who is hyped for the first forty-five minutes, only to show up as none other than John Michael Higgins. He underwhelms in what was absolutely an opportunity to stand out.

Who is not given enough credit are the animals. Certainly the glue that binds the humans together is the lion, tigers, bear, and assortment of smaller creatures who amplify the emotional draw and basic humanity of the story. It's magically done, especially the tigers and bear.

This could have easily turned into a rebound love story, but fortunately it didn't. There is chemistry between Damon's Mee and Johansson's Foster, but it doesn't develop, which actually helps the story (and Mee's likeability). I really like how it turned out, and although it is based on a true story, it could have easily been a disastrous outcome.

This is a really good family film, and confidentially speaking to all of my faithful readers out there on the World Wide Web, I was choked up and even though I knew how it was going to end, a few tears jumped out of my eyes.

Cameron Crowe is back, and this is his best work to date. Bring the kids and enjoy the heartwarming story. Visit the Dartmoor Zoological Park if you're in Southwest England. That's right, the actual family lives in England and although the events are true, it didn't actually happen in San Diego. Letdown for certain, but still an amazing story. 8/10.

War Horse

Say what you will about Steven Spielberg and Oscar bait films, but he evokes the beauty and tragedy of war with historical accuracy better than any other filmmaker. War Horse takes Saving Private Ryan back about 30 years to World War I where a British farming family raise a beautiful horse, only to lose him to the equine-riding officers who are off to fight the Kaiser in Germany and France.

The story takes a sort of meandering route through different parts and sides of the war before coming back full circle, and all of the action follows this particular horse. It is a truly beautiful idea, taking the innocence and majesty of a horse and contrasting it sharply with the war to end all wars. Nobody can do scenery better than Spielberg and his longtime cinematographer, Janusz Kaminski (except the Coen Brothers and Roger Deakins) and they really makes the viewer feel immersed in the rural landscapes, just knowing that it will be destroyed, never to be pure and virginal again.

Because the main character is in fact a horse and not any of the plethora of humans that we see throughout the film, there is a sensitivity evoked that is a bit contrived. This is the only thing that stands between this film and Oscar gold. The story is beautiful, but it seems to be targeting awards more than it is being true to its roots. Don't get me wrong, my eyes were misty and there was a big, fat frog in my throat for the majority of the film, but it was artificial.

This is not to say that it wasn't a well-done film. Thoughtfully done by Spielberg, he cast relative unknowns in most of the roles, and nobody stands out, although I was personally touched by Peter Mullan as the alcoholic and crippled English farm owner and Niels Arestrup as the struggling French jam maker.

John Williams crafts yet another beautiful score that carries the film fluidly from start to finish, ensuring himself another nomination, and possibly a 6th Oscar. He has a way of reinventing himself with each film he takes on, and I marvel at how he can keep coming up with fresh music to fit each film. The absolute best in his field.

Spielberg is impressive as usual, and this was a great film, but not quite great enough. I do think there will be numerous nominations, and Williams is my favorite for original score, but that will be the only win. I am envisioning a big year for Spielberg next year, as he takes on the titanic film Lincoln, based on the excruciatingly detailed book Team of Rivals and starring 2012's Best Actor, Daniel Day-Lewis.

War Horse is definitely worth watching, but make sure you bring your Kleenex. 8/10.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Tom Cruise shows again why he is still one of the best action stars in Hollywood. Love him or hate him for his personal life, he absolutely shines as Ethan Hunt, point man for the IMF. At 49 years old, he has the body and spirit of someone half his age. He loves to take his shirt off, and loves to do that goofy looking, intense run that seems to happen in all of his movies. However, he owns action at this point. Doing his own stunts including a walk outside the world's highest tower in Dubai, the 2,700 foot tall Burj Khalifa is just another day for Cruise.

In the fourth installment of the MI franchise, Brad Bird takes over the camera from veterans Brian De Palma, John Woo, and most recently, JJ Abrahms. Abrahms tagged along as an executive producer on this film, but Brad Bird is dipping his toes into live action films for the first time, having worked with Pixar on films such as The Incredibles and Ratatouille. He hits it out of the park on this one, and will be working behind the camera for as long as he wants from here on out.

The story is as irrelevant as any of the other MI films, but the gadgets, action sequences, and secret agent infiltration scenes create a palpable tension as the clock keeps ticking down and sweat beads form as their discovery is constantly imminent. There's something about a rogue mercenary trying to set off a nuclear device, and a renewed cold war. It really doesn't matter though. When you see a film like this, you want to be wowed, and the unbelievable scenarios that come up are slightly realistic, but completely extravagant at the same time. It's pure cinematic bliss.

Ethan Hunt's team is brilliantly assembled, with Simon Pegg as the comic relief (an not overly done), Paula Patton as the sizzling female agent with a vendetta, and Jeremy Renner as the mysterious analyst with a secret. There is a nice balanced performance by all, but the spotlight shines on Hunt. Each supporting cast member plays his or her part nicely, and they all exhibit particular strengths that complement each other.

There is speculation that Renner is readying up to take over the franchise, but I don't buy that. He's taking over as a new character in a spinoff to the Jason Bourne franchise starting this upcoming summer, and I see Cruise coming back at least once more as Agent Hunt. He seems to relish the action, and let's be honest, with the reviews it's getting and the box office draw, Cruise and Abrams would be stupid not to shoot another one. Bird would obviously be the ideal director.

There are so many action scenes packed into this, that they had to do a little montage beforehand to explain the entire plot of the film. What works is that there were probably six or seven different scenes that happen in rapid succession, just non-stop from start to finish. The end of the film is a bit unbelievable (come on, can you hold it against them?) and compared with the action in the first half, the second half doesn't quite live up to the expectation, but these are petty complaints.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to see MI: Ghost Protocol before its run in IMAX is over. It's the best action film of the year, which makes me scratch my head why it was released Christmas and not 4th of July. Either way, well worth the trip to the theatre. 10/10.