Grant and Brooke at the Movies

The Nominees

2012-01-24T10:43:00.003-05:00

Complete list of 84th Annual Academy Award nominations announced Tuesday:

Best Picture: “The Artist,” ”The Descendants,” ”Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” ”The Help,” ”Hugo,” ”Midnight in Paris,” ”Moneyball,” ”The Tree of Life,” ”War Horse.”

Actor: Demian Bichir, “A Better Life”; George Clooney, “The Descendants”; Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”; Gary Oldman, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”; Brad Pitt, “Moneyball.”

Actress: Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”; Viola Davis, “The Help”; Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”; Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”; Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn.”

Supporting Actor: Kenneth Branagh, “My Week With Marilyn”; Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”; Nick Nolte, “Warrior”; Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”; Max von Sydow, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.”

Supporting Actress: Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”; Jessica Chastain, “The Help”; Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”; Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”; Octavia Spencer, “The Help.”

Directing: Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”; Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”; Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”; Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”; Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life.”

Foreign Language Film: “Bullhead,” Belgium; “Footnote,” Israel; “In Darkness,” Poland; “Monsieur Lazhar,” Canada; “A Separation,” Iran.

Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, “The Descendants”; John Logan, “Hugo”; George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon, “The Ides of March”; Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, “Moneyball”; Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.”

Original Screenplay: Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”; Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, “Bridesmaids”; J.C. Chandor, “Margin Call”; Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”; Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation.”

Animated Feature Film: “A Cat in Paris”; “Chico & Rita”; “Kung Fu Panda 2″; “Puss in Boots”; “Rango.”

Art Direction: “The Artist,” ”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” ”Hugo,” ”Midnight in Paris,” ”War Horse.”

Cinematography: “The Artist,” ”The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” ”Hugo,” ”The Tree of Life,” ”War Horse.”

Sound Mixing: “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” ”Hugo,” ”Moneyball,” ”Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” ”War Horse.”

Sound Editing: “Drive,” ”The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” ”Hugo,” ”Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” ”War Horse.”

Original Score: “The Adventures of Tintin,” John Williams; “The Artist,” Ludovic Bource; “Hugo,” Howard Shore; “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” Alberto Iglesias; “War Horse,” John Williams.

Original Song: “Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets,” Bret McKenzie; “Real in Rio” from “Rio,” Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett.

Costume: “Anonymous,” ”The Artist,” ”Hugo,” ”Jane Eyre,” ”W.E.”

Documentary Feature: “Hell and Back Again,” ”If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front,” ”Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory,” ”Pina,” ”Undefeated.”

Documentary (short subject): “The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement,” ”God Is the Bigger Elvis,” ”Incident in New Baghdad,” ”Saving Face,” ”The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom.”

Film Editing: “The Artist,” ”The Descendants,” ”The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” ”Hugo,” ”Moneyball.”

Makeup: “Albert Nobbs,” ”Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” ”The Iron Lady.”

Animated Short Film: “Dimanche/Sunday,” ”The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore,” ”La Luna,” ”A Morning Stroll,” ”Wild Life.”

Live Action Short Film: “Pentecost,” ”Raju,” ”The Shore,” ”Time Freak,” ”Tuba Atlantic.”

Visual Effects: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” ”Hugo,” ”Real Steel,” ”Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” ”Transformers: Dark of the Moon.”

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

2012-01-22T13:47:00.007-05:00

How will anybody ever be able to make a truly good movie about 9/11, one that hits all of the right emotional notes even as it tells a compelling story in a manner worthy of an $11 movie ticket? The real question probably isn't "how" but rather "when". The fact of the matter is, just over ten years since what this film's protagonist calls "the worst day", we still don't know how to respond; maybe in ten more years, or twenty, or fifty, we'll finally get it right.

In one regard, that's what this film is all about, though: not knowing how to respond. A newcomer actor holds his own in the lead role, playing a young boy with a touch of Asperger's syndrome who lives on the Upper West Side and was let out of school early on September 11. Arriving home, alone, he realizes that his beloved father (Tom Hanks) is in one of the Twin Towers. He'd never see his dad again. Devastated, he later discovers a key hidden in his father's closet inside an envelope with the name "Black" handwritten on it. The youngster decides that the key must be some part of an elaborate plan of his father's to leave a "final message" for his son, and that by finding the lock for which the key was made, closure will finally come. Closure hasn't come from his crying mother (Sandra Bullock) who doesn't seem to relate to him like his father did. And closure certainly didn't come from burying an empty casket at a funeral service, the movie's opening scene. The young boy, Oskar, found such an event absurd. And it is.

We follow Oscar, and all of his quirks, all around New York's bouroughs as he searches for...something. A person. A lock. Anything to make nonsense make sense. Beautiful images of the Park and the Brooklyn Bridge and other places call out to anyone who loves the City. This film's director, Stephen Daldry (The Reader) is good at tackling difficult subject matter and making it palatable for a general, popcorn-eating audience. You can't blame him for trying this story out. And the supporting cast here, including Viola Davis (who cries! Yes!), John Goodman, Jeffrey Wright, and Max von Sydow, is superb. And when the credits roll and it's time to leave the theater, you feel a little bit of what the film's characters feel, years after the worst day, trying to move on with life: like there must be something more. Like it shouldn't be over yet. Like there's still a mystery to be solved. Like if we just had a little more of...something, whatever it is, then we'd finally be satisfied.

The Tree of Life

2012-01-11T12:07:00.006-05:00

Of all of the films we've commented about on this blog, this one might be the toughest to summarize. But here's a try: The Tree of Life tells the coming-of-age story of a boy (and his family) in suburban Waco, TX in the 1950s. But the story is told from a cosmic perspective, framed within the context of the universe as a whole and eternity itself. What a challenge! But Terrence Malick, the director, and other artists rose to the task and created a movie that is akin to a strange but powerful painting in a fancy art museum: You know it's deep, you know it's important, but no matter how hard to try you can't quite wrap your mind around it. And that's the point, anyway, since the same dilemma arises when attempting to ascribe ultimate meaning to a seemingly mundane event, or when attempting to fully comprehend the farthest reaches of space and time. And this story is full of mundane events set against the backdrop of the furthest reaches of space and time.

God has set eternity in the hearts of men, to be sure, and this film speaks to that truth. And God is there. He's the Creator. This is not a Christian film by any measure, but it serves well to echo many of the questions that believers and non-believers alike may pose to God when faced with hardship or uncertainty--or boredom: Who am I? Where did I come from? Where are you? Why? Watch this film and let some little boys, Brad Pitt, sunshine, shadows, dinosaurs, and blood vessels guide you back into that discussion. It is a thing of beauty, no doubt about it. Just don't depend on it for the answers.

War Horse

2011-12-26T23:46:00.004-05:00

War Horse is a modern masterpiece of classic--old fashioned?--cinema, and, if you allow it to do so, it will sweep you away with stunning vistas of the English countryside, beautiful relationships (between humans and between their animal friends), and a relished sentimentality that is utterly lacking in most stories today. Some will call it melodrama, and we agree that some of the tears and emotion seem slightly pushed upon us, but this tendency can be forgiven in the context of the broader tale, based on a live stage show, and of the gorgeous pictures with which director Steven Spielberg has chosen to tell it.

This time around, in his World War I battle scenes, Mr. Spielberg generally spares us from witnessing the raw carnage of his World War II epic Saving Private Ryan. That said, it is only within those days of bloody warfare and hardship that we learn to appreciate the bond that exists between a beautiful young horse named Joey and the teenaged boy by whom Joey was raised and trained. While they are separated, this "miracle horse" is even able to temporarily bring together a British soldier and one of his German counterparts for a compassionate truce that is easily the film's highest point. You may want to shove a few Kleenexes in your pocket on your way to the theater; you'll probably need them by the end. And you may also want to hang around until the credits have completely rolled, waiting for the relief you'll feel when you read the line, "no animals were harmed during the making of this movie".

The Dark Knight Rises (Latest Trailer)

2011-12-24T08:12:00.001-05:00

This is the newest trailer that was attached to Sherlock Holmes and Mission: Impossible. I hear it was downloaded over twelve million times during the first 24 hours after it debuted on iTunes. I'm not surprised.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

2011-12-22T17:03:00.003-05:00

Some advice: See it in IMAX. It's worth a few extra bucks to have practically your entire field of view filled up with the dizzying fight sequences and to feel the rumble of the explosions' deep bass in your chair. Director Brad Bird has made a nearly flawless action film. The first chase and gunshots are executed literally within the opening seconds; the only thing we learn beforehand is that Paramount Pictures is 100 years old and the first scene takes place in Budapest. And, then, BANG! Here we go!

Moscow, Dubai, Mumbai...It doesn't matter. What's so great is that in the midst of the non-stop frenzy of punches, bullets, jumps, crashes and high-tech gadgetry, we could actually follow the plot and remember who was who. Tom Cruise? People say his career has seen its better days, but if anything is going to jump-start it, it's Ghost Protocol. Jeremy Renner (of The Hurt Locker fame) also holds his own as a young agent named Brandt. Maybe they'll both be back for a fifth film; after this one, we should hope so.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2011-12-22T08:54:00.008-05:00

Director David Fincher, in his follow-up to last year's The Social Network, has created a film that has received similarly high acclaim and is one of 2011's best movies. We don't think it's the best, though, which is a shame given that The Social Network was the best last year at this time and yet wasn't awarded as such. Mr. Fincher's fans have come to expect this level of work; his other credits include The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Fight Club. This film is engrossing and kept our attention for its entire run time of over two and a half hours.

This story (based on a popular novel which Brooke has read and Grant has not) pretends to be a classic murder mystery puzzle, complete with suspicious-acting reclusive rich people, dreary and cold settings, and even a maze of newspaper articles and old photographs taped to the detective's wall for him to ponder. But what this film likes to do--what it does best--is to develop the character of its chief protagonist, Lisbeth Salander. She is diminuative in stature and voice, but fiery and quick, at once impossibly vulnerable and wonderfully invincible. She does not belong in the world she lives in, but she has mastered it. Everybody else, including her partner Mikael (Daniel Craig), seems incidental given Lisbeth's determination and skill.

There is a mystery to solve, though, and it is interesting. But it is unfortunate that the final, most significant revelation is presented far too quickly, as if we've been sitting in the theater long enough and may miss an important appointment back in the real world. So this is no Silence of the Lambs. What it does have going for it is Lisbeth, and a fantastic, gripping musical score. And, yes, it also has an R rating. There is generous nudity and extremely explicit--and in some cases violent--sex. We could have done without the graphic nature of these scenes, but we do acknowledge that it is exactly that graphicness that helps the film achieve its goal of making its audience paranoid and uncomfortable. What you remember after you leave the theater is the title character and the mood.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (First "Teaser" Trailer)

2011-12-20T22:30:00.003-05:00

Hanna

2011-12-20T13:42:00.002-05:00

This film debuted in April; we didn't see it until November. But that's okay. The very well done initial scenes, filmed on-location in a snowy, frigid Scandanavian wonderland, probably would have been even more memorable seeing them on an enormous screen in a theater. But as the film follows the title character (a favorite, Saoirse Ronan) onward to more civilized places, a smaller screen in a living room does just fine. This film is more about frenetic searches, mysterious personalities and violent ends than about an air-tight plot, but it is satisfying enough just to watch Hanna put to good use her awesome skills as she tries to answer that puzzling question: "Who am I, really?" Eric Bana doesn't do all that much, and when Cate Blanchett appears--and talks!--you don't know whether to run and hide or laugh out loud. If you check this one out, don't fret about making sense of the story, just enjoy the sights and sounds! (Brooke B-, Grant B)

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

2011-12-20T12:34:00.007-05:00

The dreary grey and tan color scheme is still there, basking every scene in a sort of malaise that makes you feel like you just had a big meal and are relaxing by a fire, ready to fall asleep. Thankfully, Robert Downey, Jr. is carrying this franchise almost as well as he is carrying the Iron Man one, and that means lots of laugh lines and brisk action to keep things moving. The fighting sequences are a little more stylized in this installment, and the relationship between Holmes and Dr. Watson (Jude Law) seems even more playful. What this film lacks that its predecessor had was twisting suspense; this time around, viewers are certain long before the credits roll who the bad guy is and what Sherlock must do. But don't worry: a funny prank by the world's greatest detective, though completely unrelated to the plot, is thrown in right at the end at Watson's expense. It's a surprise executed well enough to make a theater full of patrons gasp, laugh out loud, and decide that if the future holds a third episode in this series, they'll stand in line to see it. (Brooke: B+, Grant: B-)

Super 8

2011-06-16T21:34:00.007-04:00

Super 8 is the antidote to so many mindless, heartless summer popcorn special-effects moneymakers Hollywood churns out. It is carefully crafted and full of charm, light on CGI and heavy on believability and warmth. Written and directed by J.J. Abrams, who evidently is something of a student working with producer Steven Spielberg, Super 8 is as much a coming-of-age comedy as it is a thrilling monster film. It succeeds at almost everything it tries.

A group of middle school boys, free from the burden of homework (the local school's marquee reads, "Have a Great Summer!"), have teamed up to make a monster movie of their own using a cheap 8 mm camcorder and enter the production into a local contest. Led by Charles (Riley Griffiths), the group of friends recruit a girl, Alice (the excellent Elle Fanning), to play a starring role and then they all sneak out of their houses to shoot some scenes at an abandoned old train station on the outskirts of their rural Ohio town. But they end up recording something a bit more spectacular on their Super 8 than they had planned.

The comparisons to E.T. are legitimate. This film doesn't reach that class, though it clearly aspires to do so. Anybody who was actually a teenager in 1979 (Brooke and I didn't have the pleasure) will certainly enjoy the special attention that is paid to re-creating that year. But this story, full of newcomer actors, love and suspense, should appeal to practically anyone.

Brooke: A-
Grant: A-

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

2011-05-21T20:53:00.008-04:00

Better than the last, but still not as good as the first, Disney's fourth Pirates film features a somewhat more courageous Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and an otherwise largely new cast of characters, Penelope Cruz among them. The adventure is the search for the mythical Fountain of Youth, and along the way there is a steady flow of foot chases, swordfights, outright laughs and several jokes that are only intended for the grown-ups in the audience. Legendary Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon makes a memorable appearance, or at least his skeleton does. And there are lots and lots of attractive mermaids, too--but looks can be deceiving!

We don't want to give too much away, but we need to say: it was unfortunate that a potentially God-honoring message was not allowed to run its course near the end of the film. A key truth about salvation is proclaimed by both a missionary and, later, by a Spanish military commander, but the plot turns on the waters of the fabled Fountain rather than on the "living water" of Christ.

For the first time in a long time, there was not a single empty seat in the theater at showtime, so that made it especially fun. Throw in the pirate flag flying above Cinderella castle on Disney's vanity card, a large bag of popcorn, and Mr. Depp actually using the line "a pirate's life for me", and you've got a fun night at the movies.

Brooke: B Grant: B

Jane Eyre

2011-05-09T16:04:00.003-04:00

Everything about this new film version of the classic novel warrants praise, starting with the casting. Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) in the title role is perfect. For one thing, she is in reality about the age of the character she plays. But she can say more with a wide-eyed stare or a gently raised eyebrow or a tense upper lip than she ever could say with words. She is teamed up with Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds) in the role of Mr. Rochester, who may be slightly too good-looking for the part but pegs the spirit of the Thornfield Manor master.

Everything in Jane Eyre's world changes in accordance with her own emotions. When there is hope, there are rays of sunshing and flowering shrubs. When she is confused, there is thick fog and thick forest. When she is sad, all turns cold and gray. The settings are beautiful, and Bronte's tone of subtle spookiness is felt in virtually every scene, wherever there is a flickering candle, a smoldering glance, or a faint restlessness in the night. Cary Fukunaga, the director, in his feature film debut, exploits well the melancholy stillness and wind of northern England.

There is no need to have read the novel before seeing this film. But good luck finding a theater near you that is showing it. We had to choose between Cheshire Bridge Road in Atlanta and downtown Chattanooga; we picked the latter. And it was well worth the trip.

Brooke: A
Grant: A

Thor

2011-05-09T15:38:00.007-04:00

There is a period of about twenty minutes near the beginning of this film that made us question whether we'd strayed way too far into the fantasy genre. Thor's homeland on a distant planet is beautiful, and this sequence was necessary to provide a plot foundation for the remainder of the movie, but the enjoyment really starts when things get back to Earth--literally. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) finds himself abandoned in the realm of the United States and he is desperate to return home, make amends with his father (Anthony Hopkins), and save his kingdom from tyranny and destruction. But there are two things frustrating his plan, and perhaps foremost on his mind is a pretty and sheepish astrophysicist (Natlie Portman). Rene Russo also makes an appearance as Thor's mother. This is no Spider-Man or Iron Man, but it holds its own with a quick pace, amazing effects (we saw it in 2D) and subtle references to other Marvel comic book stories whose own film adaptations are forthcoming.

Brooke: B-
Grant: B-

The Lincoln Lawyer

2011-03-20T14:15:00.003-04:00

What makes The Lincoln Lawyer noteworthy is Matthew McConaughey's convincing and subtle performance as Mick Haller, a normally easy-going L.A. defense attorney whose office is the back seat of an old Town Car and who suddenly finds himself in the midst of a very dangerous and perplexing situation. A departure from his usual silly and forgettable fare, McConaughey passes this test with flying colors. Mr. Haller spends most of the movie weaving together a twisted series of clues, attempting to make things right, so to speak, with everybody from his own family to a former client to the justice system generally. It's a straightforward but very entertaining courtroom drama. Mr. McConaughey also benefits from a better-than-average supporting cast: Marisa Tomei, William H. Macy, Ryan Philippe, John Leguizamo, Josh Lucas, and so on.

Brooke: A

Grant: B+

Rango

2011-03-13T15:47:00.004-04:00

Brooke and I had very different opinions of this film. On one hand, it is silly and its humor is as dry as the desert landscape in which it is set. So, Brooke says, are its faults. But I think those very same qualities make it unique and quirky and fun--moreso that the average animated movie. In fact, Rango, featuring Johnny Depp in the title role, seems to have been designed with adult viewers in mind at least as much as their children. But that's not to say that it's loaded with winks to PG-13 pop culture or with vulgarities that small children would be likely to miss. Just the opposite: It seems to be simply a classic, wholesome western story with a lot of action, feeling, and beautiful natural surroundings, not to mention the fact that every character is some sort of small desert animal.

Curiously, Mr. Depp, with his portrayal of an animated lizard, is perhaps more "normal" and likable than he's been in any other role. Brooke admits that she has a predisposition against the western genre, which might explain her lack of enthusiasm for Rango. But I think this is the best movie of 2011 so far.

Brooke: C

Grant: A-

The Adjustment Bureau

2011-03-06T17:39:00.003-05:00

This is a solid film for this time of the year. Matt Damon plays a U.S. congressman who is running for Senate in New York. He is young and single (of course!) and meets a beautiful woman (Emily Blunt) on election night. This encounter seems completely random--but is it? Just as swiftly as we get to know the politician and his girl, we also are provided intriguing glimpses of the secretive men who "make sure things go according to plan". In this case, the word "plan" really ought to be capitalized (The Plan), since a God-like unseen figure referred to as The Chairman is the one who writes it and the only one who can change it. How The Plan relates to the aspiring young couple is the crux of the film. Or, rather, how they attempt to exercise free will is.

Though it ended a bit too abruptly, The Adjustment Bureau takes its place alongside last year's Inception as a film that makes you think. But while Inception excelled with a careful self-importance and outstanding special effects, The Adjustment Bureau can boast true romance and doesn't take itself as seriously as you might think. Mr. Damon and Ms. Blunt have chemistry, and in the end that's the ingredient that makes this film rise above many of the rest.

Brooke: B

Grant: B

Who Will Win, and Who Should Win

2011-02-24T08:42:00.006-05:00

No doubt about it: We're movie buffs and we actually look forward to watching the Oscar awards show. Having seen most or all of the nominees in most of the categories, here are our predictions for this Sunday night, when the winners will be named:

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PICTURE

THE NOMINEES (click the titles to read our original posts on each film):

WHO WILL WIN: The King's Speech

WHO SHOULD WIN: The Social Network

POSSIBLE UPSET: True Grit

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LEADING ACTOR

THE NOMINEES:

Javier Bardem, "Biutiful"
Jeff Bridges, "True Grit"
Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network"
Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"
James Franco, "127 Hours"

WHO WILL WIN: Colin Firth

WHO SHOULD WIN: Colin Firth

CLOSEST COMPETITOR: Jesse Eisenberg

POSSIBLE UPSET: James Franco

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LEADING ACTRESS

THE NOMINEES:

Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right"
Nicole Kidman, "Rabbit Hole"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone"
Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"
Michelle Williams, "Blue Valentine"

WHO WILL WIN: Natalie Portman

WHO SHOULD WIN: Natalie Portman

CLOSEST COMPETITOR: Annette Bening

POSSIBLE UPSET: Jennifer Lawrence

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SUPPORTING ACTOR

THE NOMINEES:

Christian Bale, "The Fighter"
John Hawkes, "Winter's Bone"
Jeremy Renner, "The Town"
Mark Ruffalo, "The Kids Are All Right"
Geoffrey Rush, "The King's Speech"

WHO WILL WIN: Christian Bale

WHO SHOULD WIN: Christian Bale

CLOSEST COMPETITOR: Geoffrey Rush

POSSIBLE UPSET: Jeremy Renner

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SUPPORTING ACTRESS

THE NOMINEES:

Amy Adams, "The Fighter"
Helena Bonham Carter, "The King's Speech"
Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"
Hailey Steinfeld, "True Grit"
Jackie Weaver, "Animal Kingdom"

WHO WILL WIN: Melissa Leo

WHO SHOULD WIN: Hailey Steinfeld

POSSIBLE UPSET: Jackie Weaver

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DIRECTOR

THE NOMINEES:

Darren Aronofsky, "Black Swan"
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "True Grit"
David Fincher, "The Social Network"
Tom Hooper, "The King's Speech"
David O. Russell, "The Fighter"

WHO WILL WIN: David Fincher

WHO SHOULD WIN: David Fincher

CLOSEST COMPETITOR: Darren Aronofsky

POSSIBLE UPSET: Tom Hooper

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And our picks for the other categories:

Original Screenplay: The Kids Are All Right will win; The Fighter should win
Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network will win; Winter's Bone should win
Animated Feature: Toy Story 3 will and should win
Original Score: The Social Network will win; Inception should win
Original Song: We Belong Together from Toy Story 3 will and should win
Art Direction: The King's Speech will win; Alice In Wonderland should win
Cinematography: True Grit will and should win
Costume Design: The King's Speech will win; Alice In Wonderland should win
Sound Mixing: Inception will and should win
Sound Editing: Inception will and should win
Visual Effects: Inception will and should win
Film Editing: 127 Hours will win; Black Swan should win

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And, honestly, what percentage of Americans have seen all of the Foreign Language, Short Film and Documentary nominees? It's gotta be less than one percent of one percent. Maybe film students who live in Southern California--but even that takes some imagination to believe. So we don't feel too bad. Although, Day and Night, the animated short film that was attached to the front of Toy Story 3, was really memorable. We can't imagine one of the other nominees being better.

The Kids Are All Right

2011-02-23T10:02:00.004-05:00

This is the 4th time Annette Bening has been nominated for an acting Oscar, and it looks like she'll probably lose again, this time to Natalie Portman (Black Swan)--though there are a few prognosticators who feel like an upset is possible. Bening plays Nic, a lesbian wife and mom and doctor. Her partner, Jules (Julianne Moore), is more bohemian and is perennially jobless, so Nic ends up being the breadwinner and decision-maker of their California household. They have each given birth to a child by way of the same anonymous sperm donor, so the kids are half-siblings who share the same unknown father. Joni is 18, played by Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Alice in Wonderland) and her younger brother, Laser, is 15, played by Josh Hutcherson.

Laser decides he wants to know who his father is, but he needs the help of his older sister to find out because you have to be 18 years old or the fertility clinic won't talk to you. They end up meeting him, Paul (Mark Ruffalo, nominated for Supporting Actor), after all, and things click. They click especially well with Joni, who is about to move away to college, but even Laser comes around. This all causes tenstion in the family, because Nic feels threatened by the new parental influence on her kids--and because Jules starts spending so much time over at Paul's house.

My Mom is right, on the one hand: This sort of story, portraying a lesbian couple as nothing short of completely normal American parents, serves to further mainstream homosexual behavior (decidedly a bad thing). On the other hand, though, it is that very dynamic that makes this particular story work. If the parents weren't lesbians, the film would have been mediocre and borning--but as it is, it was surprisingly watchable and enjoyable, if also off-beat and sometimes gross. We really didn't know how the story was going to end, and that suspense always makes for a decent movie. And by "decent" I mean well-acted and well-written. If you're like us, you have to find a way to see beyond the pornography, profanity, drug use, and so on. The characters portrayed here are, as in most Hollywood productions, completely godless.

This is not the Best Picture of 2010. And we certainly don't think it is one of the top ten, either. But we liked it better than we thought we would.

Brooke: C-

Grant: C+

Unknown

2011-02-20T17:00:00.003-05:00

Is Liam Neeson really an action star? It appears so. After 2008's hit Taken, maybe it was only a matter of time before he'd surface again in a film like Unknown, which also has a one-word title, plenty of twists and turns, and plenty of opportunities for him to punch bad guys in the face.

This time around he's Martin Harris, a botanist who goes to Berlin to give a presentation at an unusually high-profile biotechnology conference. By his side is his wife, Elizabeth (January Jones)--at least until they are separated at their hotel's check-in desk. Realizing he left his briefcase at the airport, Martin grabs a taxi and leaves Elizabeth to check-in. And everything in Martin's life falls apart quickly from there. Four days later he awakes from a coma and begins attempting to piece his life back together. The problem is, nobody else believes that he is who he says he is, and he can't prove that he's himself, either. A relentless and very entertaining series of tense situations, spectacular car chases, and violent encounters follows. Thankfully, Gina (Diane Kruger) tags along with Martin for most of the proceedings. The best scene in the film features none of the leads, but rather Frank Langella and Bruno Ganz. They do as much with their eyes and words in several minutes of screen time as the rest of the cast requires an entire film to accomplish.

Don't ask too many "how" questions while watching Unknown; the plot holes are too big to fill. Just enjoy the action and the fact that you really don't know how it's going to end after all.

Brooke: B

Grant: B-

Just Go With It

2011-02-20T16:39:00.004-05:00

We both enjoyed this pleasantly funny film. The dependable Adam Sandler plays a somewhat wealthy plastic surgeon, Danny, who, though charming and reasonably good-looking, can't manage a romantic relationship that lasts much beyond one night. We are told (rather, shown) that this is the result of a long-ago broken heart. Anyway, he is shocked when he realizes he is quickly falling for a much younger girl, Palmer, played just right by Brooklyn Decker.

What Danny only realizes later (and I don't think we're giving anything away here) is that his office assistant, Katherine (Jennifer Anniston) isn't so bad herself; in fact, Katherine might just be Danny's dream woman, hiding for all those years right under his nose. She even has young kids who are hilarious, especially when in the presence of Mr. Sandler, who is just a big kid himself.

The problem with too many romantic comedies is that they often fail to be genuinely romantic or even mildly funny, instead relying too heavily on impossible settings or the kind of vulgar humor that seems directed mainly at teenaged boys. Here, though, we have a winner, thanks to Mr. Sandler's ad libbing and praise-worthy support from Nicole Kidman, Dave Matthews, Nick Swardson, and more. Throw in a luxurious but not over-the-top Hawaiian resort and a few goofy plastic surgery addicts, and Just Go With It turns out to be the best romantic comedy we've seen in at least a year. But couldn't they have thought of a better title?

Brooke: A

Grant: B+

Winter's Bone

2011-02-15T17:55:00.006-05:00

Set in a poor, out-of-the-way portion of the Missouri Ozarks, Winter's Bone carefully tells the story of a 17 year old girl's attempt to find her father, Jessup. It isn't that she, Ree Dolly, has any real desire to see him. He has disappeared, running from the law after building a reputation as the area's #1 producer of illicit methamphetamines ("crank"). While on the run, he's abandoned Ree to tend to her elementary-aged brother and sister. Mom is home, but of no use; circumstances have apparently taken a severe emotional and physical toll on her. If Jessup doesn't appear at an upcoming court date, Ree and the rest of the family will lose their house and land because Jessup posted bond with the property as collateral.

We follow Ree as she searches, and along the way we're introduced to a variety of neighbors and kinfolk. Secrecy, drug use, and desperation are apparent in practically every living room and heart. Beautiful (though only occasional) mountain folk music and the hesitant compassion of Ree's uncle, Teardrop, aren't nearly enough to lift the cloud of hopelessness that surrounds and entangles every character, every subplot. The trees creak and the souls moan under the stress of the cold wind that never relents. Even the cops seem suspicious. Even friends seem to have a dark agenda. As the younger children jump haplessly on the trampoline and learn timidly how to skin a squirrel, the world around them is crumbling beneath the oppression of adult nonsense and mistakes. These people live in a bubble from which they cannot escape even if they try; when Ree meets with an army recruiter, she has her hopes of a new, better life prompty dashed. All we can do is watch, and be sad.

This film reminds us of Cold Mountain for its setting, though that story took place in the 1800s and this one presumably could have happened last week. Really, it has more in common with The Road with its heavy, unceasing themes of despair and frustration. Not that we don't recommend it. After all, it's one of this year's Best Picture Oscar nominees, and it won the grand jury prize last year's Sundance film festival. And it's easy to see why. Jennifer Lawrence, who portrays Ree, is remarkable for her ability to look innocent and precious even as she suffers beatings and holds the hands of dead men. And everything around her supports her tale perfectly. Old tires, scruffy beards, banjos, chained-up dogs, low grey clouds, and--most of all--a dreadful collection of destitute neighbors all helped lead us to this one thought: we hope Ree's world doesn't really exist. But, somewhere, right now, it probably does.

Brooke: B

Grant: A

And The Nominees Are...

2011-01-26T13:25:00.004-05:00

Oscar nominees were announced yesterday, and the favorite is The King's Speech, and we agree that it probably will win. If it doesn't, we feel like its strongest competition is The Social Network.

As for the others in the crowd, Brooke and I have seen all of them but two: Winter's Bone and The Kids Are All Right. It is such a good thing that the masterpiece Toy Story 3 was nominated, but it probably doesn't have a realistic shot at winning since it was also nominated in the Animated Feature category and since it probably wouldn't be nominted in a field of five films rather than ten. On the other side of the storytelling spectrum, dark and disturbing Black Swan probably would still be nominated in a field of five, but likely won't win simply because it's a horror film and seems a little bit campier than '90s winner The Silence of the Lambs. Having said that, it's difficult to imagine anyone other than Natalie Portman accepting the Lead Actress trophy.

Christopher Nolan's Inception is hurt by its summertime opening date and mainstream appeal. Everybody knows that Oscar winners more often than not are films the majority of Americans have never seen; remember last year when The Hurt Locker won at Avatar's expense! Ugh!

The most enjoyable nominee is True Grit--and by this we mean it is the one we'd be most likely to watch multiple times in the future. It does stand a solid chance at taking some of the biggest awards, thanks to its directors, Joel and Ethan Coen, whom Academy votors adore with good reason. It is nominated in ten different categories.

The Fighter and 127 Hours both stand a better chance of garnering directing or acting awards than the Best Picture one. Colin Firth will probably win for lead actor, but James Franco (127 Hours) is the one we'd vote for if we had the chance.

We'll post another blog later and talk about which people and films, in our humble (and meaningless) opinions might have gotten "snubbed".

Here's a list of the Best Picture nominees with links to our little reviews about them:

Toy Story 3: http://http//grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2010/06/toy-story-3.html
Inception: http://http//grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2010/07/inception.html
True Grit: http://http//grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2010/12/true-grit.html
Winter's Bone: Haven't seen it yet!
The Fighter: http://http//grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2010/12/fighter.html
127 Hours: http://http//grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2010/12/127-hours.html
The King's Speech: http://http//grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2011/01/kings-speech.html
Black Swan: http://http//grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2011/01/black-swan.html
The Social Network: http://http//grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2010/10/social-network.html
The Kids Are All Right: Haven't seen it yet!

Black Swan

2011-01-15T17:43:00.002-05:00

Black Swan is what you might call a "psychological thriller," and triumphantly earns its R rating. Judging by the number of times Brooke and I winced, clinched our fists, and gave one another the wide-eyed I-can't-believe-we-made-it-through-that-scene look while sitting in the theater, its filmmakers should feel very successful. In fact, Black Swan should rightly be considered a horror movie. When it was over, we were both glad it was a Saturday, because that meant we only had to wait a few hours before rushing to church and singing songs about much, much happier things.

Natalie Portman stars as Nina, a young dancer in a prestigous New York City ballet company. She desires to be "perfect", and desires to land the lead role in a groundbreaking version of Swan Lake in the upcoming season. Of course, there is pressure on her--from her mother, with whom she lives, and from her director and the other dancers. But mostly the pressure comes from within herself. She is self-driven to excellence and, evidently, that drive increasingly drives her mad.

Her mother seems crazy: overbearing, unstable. Her director seems crazy, too: the stereotypical obsessive type who likes to get into bed with his much-younger dancers. And even some of the other dancers seem crazy, like newcomer Lily, who befriends Nina only to take her out for a night of raving and drinking and drugs on the evening before the ballet's opening performance. But darkness and bewilderment increasingly overcome Nina herself, the others notwithstanding. As she strives harder and harder to learn how to be the ballet's "black swan" character (evil and cunning) in addition to the more natural "white swan" (innocent and lovely), Nina spirals into a lost and sickening world of hallucination and fear. And she takes us, the viewers, with her.

The director, Darren Aronofsky, last wowed filmgoers with The Wrestler. He equals that effort here.

When it's over, you're just not sure what to believe. What was real, and what was imagined? Who was to blame? We'd like to think that many of Nina's darker pitfalls were mere nightmares or hallucinations. But that might just be wishful thinking.

We can't ignore the morally offensive nature of about half the scenes in this film. They're full of distorted sex, drug use, profanity, and physical pain and mutilation. But as horror films go, those ingredients are standard fare. What's sets Black Swan apart from its trashier counterparts is its artful style and unpredictability. That said, I don't think we ever want to see it again. Once was enough!

Brooke: B

Grant: B+

The King's Speech

2011-01-01T21:39:00.005-05:00

As if we hadn't seen enough movies recently, Brooke and I were in a theater again on New Year's Eve! But it was worth it: The King's Speech might be the favorite of all the serious awards contenders we've seen so far. Until now, we (or I at least) felt that The Social Network was a sure thing. But this story, about how "Bertie", the Duke of York (and later King George VI), worked to overcome a severe speech impediment is a real triumph of a film.

Colin Firth gives the performance of the year as the man whose job requires powerful, eloquent speech but who often cannot manage to utter a coherent sentence. The film may not stick strictly to the historical facts, but who are we to care? Whatever fiction is presented here is very entertaining, and provides a very inspiring and uplifting tale. After many failed attempts with speech therapists and much prodding from his wife (Helena Bonham Carter), who is today referred to as the Queen Mother, the Duke eventually visits and at long last befriends a "therapist" who doesn't even hold a degree (Geoffrey Rush, outstanding!) whose means are unorthodox--particularly when dealing with royalty.

The Great Depression and series of events that led to World War II provide a grave backdrop that balances the movie's very frequent humorous lines and scenarios with a sense of doom and importance. And the preposterous existence of a royal family in the modern world, often subtly or not-so-subtly mocked in this type of film, is not criticized so far as we could tell. The King's Speech is just a simple yet very emotionally gripping story told as well as it possibly could be. A handful of really great films are out there right now; if someone asked us to recommend just one of them, this would probably be the one.

Brooke: A

Grant: A+

Tron: Legacy

2010-12-31T14:37:00.002-05:00

Disney's sequel to the 1982 film, Tron: Legacy tells the story of Sam. Sam's father, Kevin, disappeared twenty years earlier while working on a miraculous new video game world he had invented. Now grown up, Sam is somewhat mysteriously prompted to go poking around in the abandoned, dusty 1980s video game arcade his father had owned. And, in his father's secret workroom, through an extremely unbelivable turn of events, Sam is ushered into the video game world of Tron. The trailer for this film reveals the basics: Jeff Bridges reprises his role as Kevin, having been trapped in what is called "The Grid" for two decades. Father and Son must team up to defeat the out-of-control program called Clu (also played by Bridges) and attempt an escape back into the "real world".

Of course, there's more to it than that. Much more. And that's the problem, maybe: the science fiction is way too much fiction and not quite enough science for our taste. Walking out of the theater, we had so many questions: "Why did he have to do that?" and "Why didn't he just do it that way instead?" and "How was it even possible for that to happen?" It was more implausible than The Matrix. But we both enjoyed watching the film anyway. Every scene is filled with futuristic furniture and vehicles and body suits and light beams. Every few minutes, somebody gets to fly around in a slick machine that makes your eyebrows raise. And the pace of the story is just quick enough to keep things interesting.

Maybe this film never could have fully satisfied the hopes of its fans or lived up to its potential, but it certainly was fun to watch. And, it's the second Jeff Bridges movie we've seen in the past eight days! So no complaining.

Brooke: B-

Grant: B-

127 Hours

2010-12-30T10:46:00.002-05:00

We vaguely remember hearing about the real-life Aron Ralston's heroic escape from the Utah wilderness in 2003. He appeared on several news and/or talk shows afterward to discuss it. And he wrote a book about it, on which this film is based, but we didn't read it. It's just as well: Danny Boyle, the director of Slumdog Millionaire, has created an almost flawless film in which the main character, portrayed by James Franco, is trapped and suffering in a canyon, alone, for more than five days.

We thought about one of our favorite films, Cast Away. But this is a little bit different: Tom Hanks' character was never immobilized on that island, and, though he was there for several years rather than a few days, the worst of his physical strife was knocking out a bad tooth. Mr. Ralston had to drink his own urine and cut off his own arm with a dull pocket knife just to have a hope of continuing with his life. (I don't think I'm spoiling the movie at all by giving away these grisly details).

Brooke has been to Canyonlands, in Utah, and for her it brought back terrific memories of the time she spent in that beautiful place. The sweeping shots of the desert in the film are captivating--but also frightening, given Mr. Ralston's isolation. The mutilation scene was extremely graphic and is enough to give you nausea and nightmares. As a whole, this is one of the best movies of 2010.

Brooke: A

Grant: A

The Fighter

2010-12-29T10:52:00.005-05:00

Christian Bale takes a break from his Batman duties to portray real-life 1970s boxer Dicky Eklund in this excellent movie directed by David O. Russell. Dicky is the definition of washed-up. Having once been nicknamed the "Pride" of Lowell, Massachusetts for (probably) knocking down Sugar Ray Leonard, he is deep into cocaine addiction and a mere shadow of his former self. But that doesn't stop him from feverishly trying to help his younger half-brother Mickey, played by Mark Wahlberg, to take a star turn in the ring.

Amy Adams, portraying a local bartender, is like a ray of sunshine in Mickey's life--and likewise for viewers watching the film--because she seems to be the only one with a head on her shoulders who's also willing to talk some sense into Mickey and make him see that his family is actually holding him back from his dreams rather than helping him.

The Massachusetts accents here are the best I've heard in a film, and the purposefully shaky camerawork draws you into the story. Despite the obvious boxing movie cliches and easy comparisons with other similar films, The Fighter is a stand-out and will liley get a Best Picture nomination.

Brooke: B

Grant: A

True Grit

2010-12-22T18:40:00.002-05:00

The role of Reuben "Rooster" Cogburn won John Wayne an Oscar decades ago in the original film adaptation of True Grit. The same might not happen to Jeff Bridges this year, but only because the competition is going to be fierce. (Bridges won the Best Actor award just last year for Country Heart.) And he is supported by an excellent cast that includes Josh Brolin as the baddest of the bad guys and Matt Damon as a somewhat insecure Texas Ranger. The star, though, is Mattie Ross, a 14-year-old girl played memorably by newcomer Hailee Steinfeld, who is actually 14 in real life.

The directors, Joel and Ethan Coen, do not mock the western with this tale but rather celebrate it and contribute a very worthy effort to the genre. Though filled with subtle winks and laugh-out-loud lines, a noteworthy seriousness is present in every scene and every conversation, making Mattie's desperate mission to avenge her father's murder seem a worthwhile risk. Ms. Steinfeld is captivating with her dark eyes and her character, Mattie, is captivating with her quick wit and willingness to subject herself to all manner of unpleasant situations to achieve her goal of seeing her father's killer brought to justice.

All of the staples of a good western are present here: old gunslingers, old lawmen, Indians, log cabins, cold nights, campfire stories, horses, twinkling stars, open prairies, gallows, trains, whiskey, and more. The absurd inclusion of a very young but very capable girl in it all surprises the U.S. Marshall, the Texas Ranger, the bad guys, and everybody else, including the audience. It is intriguing, suspenseful, artfully choreographed and is another feather in the caps of the Coens. It should receive a Best Picture nomination when nominees are announced late next month.

Brooke: A-

Grant: A

Tangled

2010-11-27T11:10:00.004-05:00

This is the 50th animated feature film produced by the wizards at Walt Disney, and it is colorful, funny, poignant, exciting, anf fulfilling. It is not the best of the fifty films; the humor doesn't equal that of Aladdin, the music falls short of Beauty and the Beast, the story is a little bit thin when compared with The Lion King or Sleeping Beauty. But we saw a full theater with kids and adults alike leaving with big smiles on their faces. And that's what it's all about, right?

The 3D imagery is rich and beautiful. Mandy Moore provides the voice of Rapunzel, who has been trapped (enslaved?) in a tower since she was a baby. Her accidental rescuer, Flynn Rider (but that's not his real name!) is voiced by Zachary Levi. And then the scenes are populated with a very emotional horse and chameleon along with legions of funny soldiers, misfits and so on.

We're not ashamed to show up at the theater to see a G- or PG-rated film (this one is PG) even though we don't have any kids along with us. After all, if it's the best movie out there, why not? And it is the best.

Brooke: A

Grant: A

Morning Glory

2010-11-27T10:53:00.003-05:00

We wanted to like Harrison Ford's character in Morning Glory. He is the "old guard" in journalism, a man who absolutely hates the "fluff" news that so typically fills the hours of TV morning shows. But he makes it impossible for anyone to like him, right up until the end of the film, undermining any effort that might be made by anyone to side with him and hold a serious discussion about how to fix television news.

More likable, surprisingly, is Diane Keaton's character. Having given up long ago on ambitions of greatness, she is content to do the cooking segments and meaningless D-list celebrity interviews that are common on her network's morning show, "Daybreak."

But the story in this film is not about the success or failure of "Daybreak", nor is it even about the shallow romance that clumsily develops between Becky (Rachel McAdams) and Adam (Patrick Wilson), though in DVD rental stores it will undoubtedly end up on the romantic comedy rack. The story is really about the personal career ambitions of Becky. Rachel McAdams is absolutely likable from the start. In fact, she carries the film almost by herself. Sure, there are hilarious lines and a few other big stars sprinkled in, but remove McAdams and you've got a lot of nothing. This is especially evident when she interviews for the "Morning Glory" executive producer job, sitting across a desk from the man who might hire her (Jeff Goldblum).

We left the theater unsatisfied, feeling like so much more could have been done with this one. Much of the writing falls flat, and all of the relationships are underdeveloped even after two hours and plenty of opportunities. If someone asked us, we'd recommend watching it at home later, and saving your ten bucks of theater ticket money for another time.

Brooke: B-

Grant: C

The Social Network

2010-10-17T15:36:00.002-04:00

Who is Jesse Eisenberg? We don't know. Or, at least, we didn't know until The Social Network cast him as Facebook inventor (and the real-life world's youngest billionaire) Mark Zuckerberg. We know who Mr. Zuckerberg is, since every Facebook page once read, "A Mark Zuckerberg Production" at the bottom, and because the studio marketed this unexpected and excellent film so well. And now we know who Mr. Eisenberg is, too. He's the guy who played Mark Zuckerberg in that Facebook movie! If we are to believe the brilliantly executed characterization, Mark is the unfriendliest person you've ever met, but also the smartest--and you'd better not lose sight of the latter.

The filmmakers manage to keep us viewers riveted with a well-choreographed blend of modern-day law office negotiations and flashbacks into the distant past (2004, but that's the distant past in the world of social networking websites, right?). In the legal negotiations, Mr. Zuckerberg is being sued by old college buddies who say he ripped off their idea. In the flashbacks, he is running all over the campus at Harvard, passionately trying to change the world with the computer in his dorm room.

Along the way, there are parties that Mark is left out of, prestigious university fraternities that he doesn't get invited to join, plenty of girls whom he has either grossly offended or simply don't understand his superior mind, and no mention of any family life or boyhood home life. Mark's character is abrasive, insensitive, and at times clumsy, but also very passionate about making "The Facebook" successful. And, of course, we know how that turned out.

What we don't discover until the film's closing minute is whether Mark's character has any simple, lowly human emotions within his craftily defended brainy exterior. For the two hours that he is on screen, there are at times hints of jealousy and certainly frustration, but he seems to feel no sense of obligation whatsoever to anyone but himself, and declares with both words and actions that he has no need for anyone else. But in that final minute, alone, and in the midst of an apparently tumultous business life that he never anticipated, we are allowed to glimpse what was really going on in his mind all along. In spite of everything, he's as needy as anybody. Can a person have hundreds of millions of Facebook friends, and still be lonely?

This film is a sure Oscar contender.

Brooke: B+

Grant: A

Secretariat

2010-10-09T10:19:00.004-04:00

The filmmakers can be forgiven for steering clear of a few obvious subplots that could have made this an even more captivating or heart-wrenching story (for example, the history of the owners' family and the strained relationship between Penny and her husband). After all, it is a Disney movie, and it should be. Secretariat's story as the horse everyone doubted who went on to win the Triple Crown is ripe for an uplifting, purely inspirational telling. We're glad that it was told the way it was, in PG fashion, rather than getting lost in the PG13 or R possibilities.

If you love horses, you should love this movie. They are honored as sentient, competitive, proud animals who are happy to run hard for their own glory and the glory of their trainers and owners. Diane Lane portrays Secretariat's steadfast, risk-taking owner; John Malkovich is the colorful French-Canadian trainer who provides most of the film's laughs. Many of the nation's top critics are wondering if this film might sneak into the Best Picture nominee pack this year the way The Blind Side did last year. The two films do have some curious similarities, and in both cases you leave the theater feeling like you've won something yourself.

Brooke: A-

Grant: A-

Eat Pray Love

2010-08-19T18:35:00.002-04:00

Julia Roberts is the only reason to see Eat Pray Love--and if you're not a fan of hers, there might be no reason to see it. This film had the potential to be informing, or inspiring, or enlightening, but ends up lost in a labarynth of emotion just like its main character. She's found that her life is not just missing something, it's missing everything. So she leaves her job, friends, and world behind to go globe-trotting in seach of...herself.

From time to time we all feel like we need to get out of our box, and so the idea that one can simply leave the troubles of home behind and fly around the world (Rome, Calcutta, Bali) is very appealing. Also, though this is more a patient probe of a woman's heart than a series of interesting events, we never felt bored while we watched; maybe that's a testament to Ms. Roberts' smile or to the curious cast of supporting characters, including Richard Jenkins as a Texas-born Hindu convert.

But when the closing credits rolled, we felt like we'd been cheated. We never got any insight into the relationships, good and bad, that seemed so important to Julia. We never felt like Julia had really been away from home for a year--it seemed more like a couple of weeks on the screen. And, worst of all, we never found out what the meaning of life was, and neither did Julia, evidently. The film ends with her happy and living without regrets, but surely there's got to be more to it than that. After a year of eating authentic Italian cuisine and praying in authentic Indian temples and loving Brazilian men in authentic Indonesian jungles, shouldn't we have learned something we can take from the theater? Was it all for nothing?

Brooke: C+

Grant: C-

Salt

2010-07-24T20:54:00.002-04:00

Who is Salt? That's the question that's been asked all spring and summer on movie posters and in trailers for this film. Is she a CIA agent? A Russian spy? A double agent? A victim of circumstance? A rogue assassin? Has she been framed by international thugs?

We don't really find out with certainty until the final fifteen or twenty minutes of this tightly packaged action-suspense movie that wouldn't be much if not for its big-name star, Angelina Jolie, who is as convincing in the title role as any of her male Hollywood counterparts would have been (the script was originally written with Tom Cruise in mind, I read). She endures torture at the hands of the North Koreans, leaps out of helicopters into frigid rivers, climbs high-rise apartment buildings like Spider-Man, and blows up legions of men who are out to get her. Even at her home, she doesn't seem to mind the giant, poisinous spiders that her husband keeps around (he studies them for a living)!

The plot that sees Evelyn Salt racing barefoot and dodging bullets through Washington and New York hinges a bit too heavily on serendipitous events (there just happens to be a tractor-trailer truck in the right place at the right time, there just happens to be furniture in an interrogation room whose parts are perfect for outfitting a bomb on the fly, and so on). But those things we can overlook, thanks to Ms. Jolie's confidence and steely glare. Quick: Name another female actress who can open a big action movie in the summer all by herself. We can't.

Brooke: B

Grant: B+

Inception

2010-07-20T15:18:00.004-04:00

Despite a premise that is absurdly far-fetched, a conclusion that is impossibly clean, and a theme (What if we could control our dreams and/or the dreams of others? What if reality really isn't reality?) that has been visited often in films before it, Inception triumphs as one of the most satisfying, memorable and heart-racing movies of the year. It is visually stunning, with sweeping vistas and culture-clashing settings ranging from Mombassa to Paris to somewhere where it's really, really snowy. There are convincing performances by Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies), Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins) and even Ellen Paige (Juno) who plays the architect of a dream. And, of course, Leonardo DiCaprio adds another feather to his cap.

Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) directs for 2 hours and 40 minutes of thrills and twists and turns that never get tired or too predictable. What you do need to plan on, however, is no bathroom break! Missing only three or four minutes of this one could leave you completely lost when you return to the theater (or your living room).

Brooke: A

Grant: A

Toy Story 3

2010-06-25T14:36:00.005-04:00

Has any movie studio ever had a more consistent record of film excellence and box office success than Disney/Pixar? Think about it: Toy Story 3 follows in the footsteps of the first two installments, and those are pretty big shoes to fill. And then there are Cars, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up...The list goes on and on! They may put out a bomb one day (to the dismay of everyone who likes going to the movie theater), but Toy Story 3 is not it.

Instead, we have a film that starts strong and finishes even stronger. It's made for children with its colors, smiles, and imaginative action, but made for adults with its commentary on time, the local landfill, and what it means to grow up. It's already been a week since it opened, but if you haven't seen it, you should: it's one of the few movies coming out this summer that have (or will) actually live up to your lofty expectations.

Brooke: A

Grant: A

Robin Hood

2010-05-15T12:45:00.003-04:00

For us, the most familiar Robin Hood movie is that one from the '90s (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) that starred Kevin Costner in the title role. Then, Robin was a gentle giant who loved others above himself and was willing to join forces even with a black Muslim to defeat the ridiculous evil of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Then came Mel Brooks' hilarious mockery of the story, Robin Hood: Men In Tights. That film's goal was to make fun of everything, and Robin Hood's primary purpose seemed to be finding the key to the virgin Maid Marion's chastity belt.

At last, we have a version of the legend that seems less like a fairy tale and more like the way it really might have been. Nobody knows for sure who Robin Hood really was, or if he even existed at all, but Ridley Scott's new 250-minute film certainly seems plausible. Like Gladiator, which also starred Russell Crowe, this new take on the Robin Hood myth is full of beautifully choreographed battle sequences, gritty tough-as-nails fighting men, incomprehensibly inept government authorities, and attractive but independent women (Marion is a widow this time, played by Cate Blanchett).

The most intriguing thing about this film is that it seems to end where the others have always begun. This version takes you back--way back--and explains a good bit about who Robin Hood really is and why he chose his life as an outlaw. We don't get to see him fire an arrow dead-on to its target until the closing minutes of the film, and the film is virtually void of any merrymaking among his men in Sherwood Forest.

Brooke: A

Grant: B

Iron Man 2

2010-05-08T16:49:00.006-04:00

It seems like there's an old adage that goes like this, "a sequel never lives up to the original". But is that really true? Sometimes, yes. But there have been so many times that sequels have lived up to their hype--and even surpassed the praiseworthiness of their predecessors. The classic example is The Godfather Part II. But more recently, Spider-Man 2 and The Dark Knight have outdone their part ones. We're not sure Iron Man 2 out-performs the original, but it's every bit as enjoyable.

Mickey Rourke shows up as the big enemy, a Russian outcast who seeks revenge against Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) and his family name. Scarlett Johansson is cast to add even more sex appeal to Stark's office staff than even Gwyneth Paltrow can provide by herself. Throw in Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, and a humorous Gary Shandling in the role of an indignant U.S. senator, and what could go wrong? Well, it could have gone very wrong. But the filmmakers found a way to make it work. It's action packed, suspenseful, funny, and even surprising at times. The summer movies are upon us, and it's a good start.

Grant: A-

Brooke: A-

Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-09T16:14:00.002-05:00

3D! IMAX! SOLD OUT! This was the first time Brooke and I have seen a feature film in an IMAX 3D theater. We have to say, the experience is extremely cool, although you still have to wear the pesky glasses, and for some reason the whole 3D thing makes Brooke want to fall asleep.

We watched the new Alice in Wonderland in a packed house during a matinee. Everyone had a good time, including us. The film is beautiful and richly populated with whimsical images, just like we expected it to be. We like Johnny Depp better as Captain Jack Sparrow; he holds his own here, but we weren't all that impressed. And we could say the same for practically every other role, except that of the Red Queen, played with memorable "Off-with-your-head!" enthusiasm by Helena Bonham Carter.

What's most wrong with this film is that it makes sense. It's not supposed to! Normally it's a big problem if a movie's plot is thin and nothing makes sense. But for Alice in Wonderland, nothing is supposed to make sense! Maybe we're just hung up on the 1951 Disney animated classic. In fact, we watched it the other day, after we'd seen this new version. In the '51 adaptation, Alice wanders through Wonderland and things get "curiouser and curiouser" right until the very end. In 2010's adaptation, things stop being curious about thirty minutes into the adventure. By the time the credits roll, you feel like you've got Wonderland all figured out.

Brooke: B-

Grant: C+

Our Oscar Picks

2010-03-06T21:17:00.003-05:00

After seeing An Education today, we've managed to see all ten of this year's Best Picture nominees. Whew! That's a lot of movies, and there are at least 4 or 5 of them that we'd have never been interested in seeing had they not been nominated. Anyway, here's what we think should happen:

Best Picture: Avatar
Best Director: James Cameron, Avatar
Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart (we haven't seen this one yet, but people say it's good, and he's the favorite
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Here are links to our little comments about each of the ten films nominated for the top prize:

Avatar--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2009/12/avatar.html
The Blind Side--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2009/11/blind-side.html
District 9--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2009/08/district-9.html
An Education--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2010/03/education.html
The Hurt Locker--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2010/02/hurt-locker.html
Inglourious Basterds--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2010/01/inglourious-basterds.html
Precious: Based On The Novel 'Push' By Sapphire--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2010/03/precious-based-on-novel-push-by.html
A Serious Man--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2010/02/serious-man.html
Up--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2009/05/up.html
Up In The Air--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2010/01/up-in-air.html

An Education

2010-03-06T21:02:00.002-05:00

In Britain in the 1960s, a 16-year-old student who stands a fairly good chance of attending Oxford University is lured away from her studies (and from the boredom she suffers at home with her parents) by a much older, well-off man. He's old enough that the relationship seems a little bit creepy, but not so old that it seems implausible. In fact, though her friends and parents at first seem surprised, they eventually accept the romance and encourage it. The age difference aside, something seems wrong with the pair from the start. Is it the man's job that is sinister? Or something else? Why is he single and pursuing a girl so young? Why does she never visit his home?

The title of this film is perfect: the protagonist is seen abandoning one sort of education and in the process gaining another. My favorite part of the movie is the girl's father, played by Alfred Molina, with vigor. But its pros can't overcome its cons, most notably a predictable plot we've seen before all-too-often. When we left the theater, we felt like we hadn't seen anything new or particularly interesting.

Brooke: C

Grant: C+

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

2010-03-03T15:18:00.003-05:00

The title character in this film has lived her entire life under circumstances to which we cannot possibly relate, and we imagine that nobody reading this blog can relate to them either, and probably none or very few of this year's Oscar voters can relate either. She's sixteen years old, illiterate, lives in poverty, endures non-stop verbal and physical abuse from her mother, has given birth to a Down Syndrome baby, and, following another rape, is pregnant with her second child. And, oh yeah, the father of both her children is also her own father.

We don't think that Precious will win this year's Best Picture Oscar (the competition from Avatar is too stiff), but we do think that Mo'Nique stands a very good chance of winning in the Supporting Actress category. Whether Gabourey Sidibe will win for her starring role is in question, too; Sandra Bullock seems to be the critics' favorite in that category. Whatever the awards may be, each of these performances is masterfully done--and they're not the only ones. Even Mariah Carey gives a memorable effort here in the role of a welfare agent.

We expected Precious to be difficult to watch, and it was. But, thankfully, it is Precious herself who, through her cheery imagination, creates a happy if temporary respite from the real world, and the filmmakers allow us the same respite at critical points of horror. In this alternate reality, Precious is well off, attractive, has attractive boyfriends, and enjoys the 'good life' as she fancies it to be.

We don't want to reveal any of the movie's resolution, in case you might plan on seeing it. But it's worth mentioning that there is a hopeful (not happy, but hopeful) ending here. The last time we see Precious before we leave the theater, she's smiling both inside and out, being the best mother she can be, and bettering herself. She nervously but doggedly plans on contributing to society, rather than allowing it to destroy the life she has left to live. Maybe, we think, she'll soon join a church choir, just like she's always wanted to do.

We probably don't need to warn you, but you'll want to make sure that there are no children or cute, innocent pets in the room while you watch this one. We're almost thirty years old, but some of the abuse scenes that are presented here made us want to hide our eyes and hum a quiet, happy tune.

Brooke: A-

Grant: A-

A Serious Man

2010-02-28T16:25:00.005-05:00

Directors Joel and Ethan Coen seem to have one big encompassing theme, and nihilism is it. I think. But who can be sure? All of their movies seem to suggest, either subtly or loudly, either that there is no God or that God is laughing at us all like a child would laugh at ants after their anthill is chopped over with the lawnmower.

In A Serious Man, the central character is presumably the descendent of an Eastern European Jewish family that is (perhaps) cursed to experience life as a perplexing stream of misfortune. Whether the curse is real or not, and whether God is real or not, one thing's for sure: nobody knows what's going on, from the kids all the way up to the wisest old Rabbi. For us who are watching the film, it all seems darkly funny, and there was audible laughing in the auditorium.

Unlike No Country For Old Men, this film suffers from a sleepy look and a sleepy pace. On one level we can understand why it's nominated for Best Picture, but on another level--the one where our opinions really count!--it doesn't stand a chance of winning against this year's competition.

Brooke: F

Grant: C+

Shutter Island

2010-02-22T11:59:00.005-05:00

Shutter Island is the most recent of four collaborations between director Martin Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, both Oscar winners (the other three films featuring this pair are Gangs of New York, The Aviator and Catch Me If You Can). I expected to love it, Brooke wasn't so sure, but we both give it two thumbs up, so to speak.

There is definitely something wrong on Shutter Island--but it's not what you think. Even though the basic premise of the story, revealed during its final half hour, is one we've been tricked with before, we still didn't see it coming. (Think A Beautiful Mind or The Sixth Sense, but we're not giving away the ending on our blog because we want to you watch this one for yourself!)

Mr. Scorsese does everything he can think of to creep his audience out but also keep this film a high-brow drama. Fog, storms, power outages, criminally insane people, abandoned buildings, suspicious pipe-smoking doctors, Nazi prison camp flashbacks, and even rats (thousands of rats!)all combine to make you squirm in your seat. And the overwhelming, pulsing music that plays at key moments is enough to make an otherwise lovely scene seem horrifying.

This film is rated R. Before we recommend it, we want to warn you that it includes an extremely disturbing plot element involving child murder. And, for a few seconds, there are a few crazy naked guys in a very dimly lit jail cell who seem to be playing with their....selves.

Brooke: B+

Grant: B+

The Hurt Locker

2010-02-16T14:25:00.002-05:00

This is by far the best Iraq war movie we've seen, and it stands a really good chance of winning the Oscar for Best Picture of 2009. As the film closely follows an elite team of bomb-diffusing soldiers, everything about it seems just right. There is gory violence, but not so much that you ever feel like the filmmakers were enjoying or exaggerating it. There is also humor, but it's the kind of nervous, uncertain humor that you find plausable coming from emotionally wrecked, battle-scarred warriors.

The best thing about The Hurt Locker's story is that it never attempts to explain how or why the war began, nor does it attempt to explain how or why it should end. It just is. The war is portrayed as simply a fact of life for the soldiers it so carefully presents. And for them, it's the truth. There are no political shouting matches or men in suits making sweeping decisions. Instead, there are a handful of heroically courageous Americans trying to get the job done.

The film begins with a quote that likens war to an addictive drug, and it ends with a soldier leaving his family behind, choosing to return to Iraq for another tour of duty.

Brooke: B

Grant: A-

Michael Jackson's This Is It

2010-02-03T09:53:00.003-05:00

This is almost two hours of compiled footage, mostly recorded during rehersals for Jackson's planned 50-show concert run in London. The first show was to have been barely a week after his death.

The documentary accomplishes three things that were most significant to us. First, it makes Michael Jackson seem far less strange. Sure, he's still dressed in wild outfits and is leading a life to which we can't relate. But by the end of the film you really feel like you know him better, and you feel like he's quite normal and someone you might find yourself having lunch with. And that's saying something, considering how he's been lampooned over the years.

Second, he seems perfectly healthy. He's really thin, and his voice is still impossibly high-pitched. But while watching him reherse his dance moves and instruct his band you never question his ability to perform. He's running all over the stage, and holding those long notes just fine.

And third, this movie really made us wish the concerts could have happened (and that we could have gone to one!) because you can tell: it would have been an unforgettable spectacle.

Brooke: A

Grant: A

And The Nominees Are...

2010-02-02T11:59:00.004-05:00

Just announced today:

Avatar--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2009/12/avatar.html
The Blind Side--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2009/11/blind-side.html
District 9--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2009/08/district-9.html
An Education--We haven't seen this one yet
The Hurt Locker--We haven't seen this one yet
Inglourious Basterds--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2010/01/inglourious-basterds.html
Precious: Based On The Novel 'Push' By Sapphire--We haven't seen this one yet
A Serious Man--We haven't seen this one yet
Up--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2009/05/up.html
Up In The Air--Read our thoughts here: http://grantandbrooke.blogspot.com/2010/01/up-in-air.html

(500) Days of Summer

2010-01-25T15:04:00.003-05:00

Despite a few drawbacks that are common in practically every movie (moral ambiguity, incomplete characterization for female roles), this one is very classy and refreshing. It's a romantic comedy, but there are no obvious gimmicks thrown in just for laughs. There is a wedding scene, but that can be excused since nobody crashes the ceremony, has sex with one of the bridesmaids, spills anything, or dances like a drunken fool.

(500) Days of Summer is about a guy's attraction to a girl in his office named Summer. The guy has feelings of true love for her, and is committed to her, but Summer won't commit to him. She likes him enough, and for all intents and purposes they are a couple, but she'll never say that out loud. And that bugs him. Bad.

We both recommend this movie. It is a well-told story with a different, catchy sort of feel to it. And there is a happy ending, just not the one you might think.

Brooke: B+

Grant: A-

The Cove

2010-01-17T15:16:00.002-05:00

The Cove is an engrossing documentary that sets itself apart by adding real-life edge-of-your-seat suspense to the typical interviews and narrated facts to which documentary viewers are accustomed. It is essentially about one man's desire to right his past wrongs, and the way he's trying to do it is by making the world a safer place for dolphins. In particular, there is a shallow sea inlet in a remote part of Japan where, we are told, thousands and thousands of dolphins are cruelly trapped and brutally killed annually.

Like us, you'll probably have to rent this one if you want to see it; it doesn't seem to be playing on any big screens anywhere around. But that's okay. What makes the film so compelling is the actual footage of slaughter that is shown toward the end--but that's also a reason why we're glad we saw it on a small TV screen and not in a theater.

Of course, this is a documentary made by self-proclaimed environmentalists who are simply sharing their point of view. It doesn't try to be an objective assessment. But if you've ever dreamed of being a marine biologist, or swam with dolphins, or been to Sea World, it's worth taking 90 minutes out of a day to watch. There's even contact information at the end, just in case you want to support the cause.

Brooke: B-

Grant: B

(This film will likely win this year's documentary Oscar. It already won the Broadcast Film Critics Association award, and several others).

The Lovely Bones

2010-01-16T17:13:00.002-05:00

Brooke anticipated this film because she read the original novel last year. I anticipated it because its director, Peter Jackson, also directed The Lord of the Rings and King Kong, which are visually and emotionally remarkable. The Lovely Bones tells the story of a girl who is abducted, murdered, and then attempts--from a sort of comfortable purgatory--to help her still-living friends and relatives catch her killer.

The visual elements are there, to say the least. The world that the protagonist inhabits after death is beautiful and full of unexpected treats for the eyes. It's downright psychadelic at times, in keeping with the story's 1970s setting. What's missing is the emotional connection between us, the audience, and the characters on the screen. It's a sad, sad tale, make no mistake. But it's told in such a way that we never feel as disgusted as we think we should feel, cosidering the content.

Stanley Tucci is very chilling as the sick killer (a very different role than the rock-solid comforting husband he played in Julie and Julia, another great performnce). Susan Sarandon shows up as a drunk, awkward grandmother.

Brooke: B-

Grant: C+

Julie & Julia

2010-01-11T12:40:00.003-05:00

What a fun movie! For once, a film's main characters are women, but the plot has nothing to do with their pursuit of men. This isn't a romantic comedy. It's a very well-executed, upbeat and uplifting telling of two remarkable stories.

One of those stories is more remarkable than the other, needless to say--and in more ways than one. Julia Child is portrayed with absolute perfection by Meryl Streep. Brooke doesn't really like Meryl Steep, and for some reason I also don't put her on my list of favorite actors. But in this movie she becomes the famous cook, through and through. And her story of transition from a bored housewife in post-war France to a world-renowned culinary teacher is presented with just the right balance of humor and respect.

Simultaneously we look in on another story of transition, as Julie (Amy Adams--good, but no Meryl Streep) changes from a bored New York woman into a New York woman with a renewed sense of accomplishment and livelihood. This story is the one the movie is really based upon, but its significance seems to pale in comparison to that of Julia Child.

And oh yeah, this film will make you hungry. For lobster. And beef. And fruity desserts. And butter. And lots of other things.

Brooke: B

Grant: A-

Leap Year

2010-01-09T17:51:00.005-05:00

The roads were really icy Friday night. But Brooke and I had been stuck inside the house all day (enjoying our snow day off of work!) so we were happy to meet my brother Evan and his wife Amy for dinner at Pizza Hut and a chick flick. Not that there's anything wrong with chick flicks...

...But there is something wrong with Leap Year: It was far too unoriginal! A girl goes to Ireland and falls in love with someone unexpected when she least expects it. But the audience expects it. There is a herd of cattle blocking the road, a quaint little village full of old Irishmen but lacking in modern necessities of life, an American boyfriend who just....isn't Irish, and a wedding scene during which the lead character makes a fool of herself.

But I wish Brooke would start posting on the blog! Because she can look past the faults of a film like this and enjoy it simply as a nice little love story set in a beautiful country in which several modestly funny events take place. I criticize it because it's so predictable; she enjoys it for the same reason. Hmm.....

Some things about which we definitely agree: Amy Adams is a terrific actor, John Lithgow's appearance as Anna's father early in the film is really funny, Ireland is a beautiful country, and a woman should never marry a man simply to help acquire a more fashionable apartment.

Brooke: B+
Grant: D

Inglourious Basterds

2010-01-07T16:43:00.004-05:00

We wanted to see Inglourious Basterds in the theater when it came out in August, but, you know...you can't go see them all, can you? Anyway, I don't think too much of this film was lost in the transition from the cinema to our TV. Quentin Tarantino has made a completely fictional World War II drama in the style of an old spaghetti western. It is sometimes boring, sometimes heart-pounding. And while it should earn its director an Oscar nomination, it didn't win us over.

As expected, there was plenty of graphic violence to make us squirm in our seats--after all, that's one thing Tarantino is known for. What we didn't expect was the underwhelming role in which Brad Pitt was cast. It's not his fault; it's just that his role and every other role in the film is almost lost in the terrific but horrifying performance of the actor who plays the "Jew Hunter". If you watch, you'll know what we mean. Samuel L. Jackson makes an appearance as a narrator. And is that Mike Myers, back in Britain?

It's basically about the plan of a terrorized Jewish woman to exact revenge on Nazi leaders during the war in France, and about an extremely similar plan hatched by a group of Americans to do the same thing.

Brooke: B-

Grant: B-

(We agree!)

Up In The Air

2010-01-03T14:06:00.003-05:00

Jason Reitman, the director of Up In The Air, has only directed three feature films, and this is the third. All of them have been praised by critics (and by me and Brooke, normal people who have no business scrutinizing movies anyhow); the other two are Juno and Thank You For Smoking. He seems to have a peculiar wit that cooly makes its way into every crack of the story lines and images. When the film ends, you know you haven't witnessed anything ground-breaking, but you also sense that telling a small tale could scarcely be done any better.

This time he directs a big-time movie star, George Clooney, in the role of a businessman who thoroughly enjoys flying and being away from home 46 weeks per year. Mr. Clooney's character, Ryan Bingham, is very likable, but his philosophy is sad, and you're not sure whether you should laugh at him or cry over him. Bingham's job is dreadful, and the juxtaposition of it and the personal independence he has chosen make for a curious mix of themes. Is this movie as full of contradictions as it appears? Maybe. Maybe not.

Mr. Bingham is joined in his travels by a 30-something woman with whom he (possibly or probably) begins to fall in love, and by a 20-something coworker who is a fireball and adds just the right amount of comedy to this tragedy.

Is this the best film made in 2009? No! But it's certainly worth adding to your Netflix queue, as long as you don't mind a few seconds of nudity and about twenty uses of a four-letter word that starts with "f". Brooke: C+...Grant: B-

Sherlock Holmes

2009-12-28T08:14:00.003-05:00

Did anybody else know what Guy Richie's job was before this movie came out? The only time we'd ever heard his name was when he'd be mentioned as Madonna's husband. So we just figured he didn't do anything. Except maybe sit around reading old mysticism books, or play cricket in the yard by himself. Or something. But he can make a good movie!

Robert Downey, Jr. is Sherlock Holmes, and you never doubt him. His chemistry with his friend and partner, Dr. Watson is just right. And Rachel McAdams brings her big smile and colorful dresses to brighten up an otherwise gray and cloudy picture. It's a lot of fun to watch. And surely there will be a sequel; Holmes' final line of the movie is, "Case re-opened!", and then the credits roll.

B+

Invictus

2009-12-26T21:31:00.002-05:00

Morgan Freeman. Matt Damon. And it's based on an inspiring true story about South African president Nelson Mandela's efforts to unite his race-divided country with world championship sports. With all that it has going for it, though, the draw for us is the director's name: Clint Eastwood. We can count on one hand the number of directors whose movies we're interested in solely because of their director. Spielberg, Coen, Jackson....Eastwood. Maybe there's another one I'm forgetting right now.

Anyway, needless to say, after Invictus you leave the theater with a warm feeling, believing that there's hope for the crazy world after all. You need not know anything about rugby. Or Mandela.

So many movies--some of them great--have been made with revenge as their primary theme. It's nice to have a film like this, in which the urge for revenge is boldly suppressed rather than bloodily indulged.

Avatar

2009-12-19T17:15:00.002-05:00

Does it live up to the hype? Yes. Avatar takes movies to the next level, to say the least.

Yes, there are big, blue aliens (called the Na'vi) living in a wonderously beautiful alien world (called Pandora)--but this isn't primarily a science fiction movie. Yes, there are eye-popping battle sequences involving futuristic vehicles and equipment--but this isn't primarily an action movie, either. Avatar is driven by the relationship that develops between a paraplegic human soldier, Jake, and the female Na'vi who becomes his teacher, named Neytiri. And it's about the subsequent relationship that precariously develops between Jake and Neytiri's people.

The film is almost three hours long, but it flies by; there is never a dull moment. And if you're doing it right, you're wearing 3D glasses while you watch this film--but the 3D is not a gimmick; instead, it is used to carefully enhance the world of Pandora, and it makes you feel more like you're really there.

James Cameron, the director, has hit several grand slams during his movie-making career, chief among them 1997's Titanic. So his studio allowed him to spend upwards of $300 million on Avatar, making it the most expensive movie ever produced. It will make its money back quickly, and then some. They don't get much better than this.

The Blind Side

2009-11-25T14:42:00.004-05:00

In The Blind Side, based on a remarkable true story, Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw play married Ole Miss alumni who live in a mansion in Memphis, have raised a bright, pretty family, are proud of their Christianity and conservative republican politics, and can afford to send their children to a highly selective private school. But their world changes when Ms. Bullock's character compassionately decides to take in "Big Mike", a huge, quiet teenager from "the other side of town" where drugs and gang violence are common. We soon learn that Big Mike has had a very troubled past, that he is homeless, that he has no real family, and that he doesn't like being called Big Mike. So what started as one night of compassion becomes a family's project.

It's not until the end of the film that there is any real tension or suspense. What we're given instead is a warm, straight-as-an-arrow tale of heartfelt charity and rags-to-riches inspiration. There are also very watchable cameo appearances by the likes of Phillip Fulmer, Tommy Tuberville, Nick Saban, Houston Nutt, and Lou Holtz, among others. Throw in some real-life footage of the real-life protagonist winning a draft spot with the Baltimore Ravens in 2009, and we've got a winner. So Brooke and I both thoroughly enjoyed it.

2012

2009-11-16T11:18:00.002-05:00

I don't think I'll necessarily be spoiling anyone's 2012 experience if I share this brief list of world-famous landmarks that get completely destroyed during the course of this 2.5+ hour film: Hollywood, the Las Vegas Strip, Yellowstone National Park, the Washington Monument, the White House, Air Force One, and Vatican City (the Pope is actually leading thousands in prayer from his balcony in St. Peter's Square when the entire structure comes crashing down). Whether by earthquake, volcano, or tsunami, the end is near.

We knew what to expect going in (and by "we" I mean me and my brothers; Brooke didn't go for this one) and we weren't disappointed. There probably won't be any awards handed out for 2012, since the acting is inconsequential and the plot is thin at best. What matters here are the special effects, and they are worth paying a few bucks to see on the big screen. It's fast-paced, watchable, and definitely raises the bar high for future disaster movies in terms of melodrama.

Where The Wild Things Are

2009-10-25T13:07:00.006-04:00

If motion pictures could be hung on the wall in art museums, this is one of those movies that would be there, perhaps side-by-side with paintings by Matisse or Picasso. The problem with art of that calibre is that you're not quite sure what to make of it. On the one hand, you might appreciate the aristic talent and thoughtfulness behind the work; but, on the other hand, you're tempted to ask, "What's the big deal?!" and dismiss it as indulgent or--worse--meaningless.

So, here goes:

On the one hand, we can't believe this film ever got made in the first place. It is based on a children's book that has far more pictures than words, has a very thin plot, and at times can make you weary of its intense emotion (boredom sets in on more than one occasion...you wonder when the film will finally end).

But on the other hand, it is beautiful, masterfully directed by Spike Jonze, and so fundamentally different from most other films that it's hard not to appreciate it for its absurdity alone. And, if you know any child psychologists, call and ask them what they thought. Though this melancholy tale is ripe for deep analysis, thankfully the filmmakers left that entirely up to the viewer.

I'm hesitant to badmouth this movie, but I also can't force myself to praise it. Since the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has increased the number of Best Picture nominees from five to ten this year, I wouldn't be surprised if this one is nominated. If you'd like a quick verdict from us, here it is:

Brooke's grade: F

Grant's grade: B-

Average: C-

Hotel Rwanda

2009-10-23T14:33:00.003-04:00

If you vaguely recall hearing the words "Rwanda" and "Tutsi rebels" and "genocide" on the news when you were a teenager (as we do), this moving film will very adequately bring you up-to-date on the horrible events in Africa that you perhaps didn't care anything about when you were 14 years old.

Don Cheadle, portraying a character similar to that of Oskar Schindler in Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List, does a terrific job as a Rwandan luxury hotel owner who makes the risky (and ultimately life-threatening) decision to turn his hotel into a refugee camp when his country is in the midst of war. In his relationships with his family, neighbors, employees, and others, we get to see the heart of a man whose compassion trumps his businesslike sensibilities.

This movie (first released in 2004) is by no means as powerfully put together as Schindler's List, but its story is just as heart-wrenching. Brooke cried, and I don't blame her for it.

District 9

2009-08-15T09:22:00.006-04:00

Maybe we're just getting old. But it took a great deal of determination just to sit through this film to the end. At one point, Brooke actually had to leave the theater because she felt sick. The violence, gore, profanity, and gross-out imagery in District 9 is relentless; we wished for a thoughtful interlude free of blood and guts, but one never came.

In the film, District 9 is a slum outside of Johannesburg, South Africa, populated by over a million aliens who came to earth famished and helpless. Their mothership has hovered over the city for 20 years while the creatures and local humans have tried to coexist peacefully. Of course, things eventually spiral out of control due to several factors, human incompetence primary among them.

This movie got plenty of positive reviews--some were actually raving reviews, praising the filmmakers for their unique vision, careful aparteid allegory, and believable aliens. District 9 does possess those things, but for us it was all completely overshadowed by the pervasive video-game-style horror. Plus, some of the conversations between the aliens and humans make you feel like you're watching a bad Saturday morning cartoon.

We humbly recommend you skip this one.

Public Enemies

2009-07-06T11:08:00.002-04:00

Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp in this pretty movie about 1930s outlaw John Dillinger. We both really enjoyed it. There's no question that Depp's talent carries the film. It does seem like the filmmakers never quite decided what subplots to emphasize, and so they decided to include them all, which is distracting. But overall, it's definitely worth seeing on the Big Screen!

The Proposal

2009-06-24T13:40:00.002-04:00

We saw this film last weekend, and so did a lot of other people; it was the #1 movie in America, and Sandra Bullock's biggest opening weekend ever. Needless to say, when it comes to romantic comedies like this one, Brooke is much better qualified to critique it. Anything I say about these kinds of movies typically ends up sounding either sarcastic or unreasonable. For example, phrases I might use to describe this movie include "predictable", which sounds as though I'm saying it wasn't any good. But that's not true! It was good...it was just predictable. And lots of movies are predictable, but they can still be good.

If you've seen a lot of recent romantic comedies, you'll find yourself in familiar--oops! that sounds like "predictable"!--territory. There are scenes either reminicent or downright ripped off of How To Loose A Guy In Ten Days, 27 Dresses, and The Devil Wears Prada, just to name a few. But, as usual, Sandra Bullock is a good actress and is able to make you laugh.

And, this movie is clean enough to recommend to church friends. We give it two thumbs up--and one of those thumbs is mine.

Revolutionary Road

2009-06-12T15:27:00.002-04:00

What a depressing film! Imagine watching It's A Wonderful Life, but imagine that no angel ever comes to rescue George Bailey from suicide. Horrible! As far as the filmmaking goes, it was great. And the acting was good. It was nice to see Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet back on the screen together again. But that novelty wasn't enough to make the movie a winner. Mr. DiCaprio and Ms. Winslet play a couple in their late 20s who married very young on a whim, have two kids, live in the suburbs, and have tried to make the best life for their family as possible. But they are their own worst enemies.

Up

2009-05-30T12:44:00.003-04:00

Every year, Disney releases a new Pixar film that seems even richer and more thoughtful than the last. (Next year's offering will be Toy Story 3; last year's was Wall-E). Brooke and I both thoroughly enjoyed Up, a cute, colorful, and funny story whose hero is an adventerous old man attempting to honor his late wife's memory. It has some touching sequences that make you want to cry, and some hilarious ones involving remarkable animals that keep you laughing. Ultimately, it's about a man's coming to grips with changes in the world and making the remaining years of his life matter. We loved it!

Angels & Demons

2009-05-18T09:24:00.003-04:00

Brooke has read both novels: "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons", by Dan Brown. She says "Angels & Demons" is the better of the two. I've read neither of the novels, but have seen both the Ron Howard-directed movies. And we both agree that this so-called prequel is the better film, too.

Tom Hanks seems to have a relatively easy job portraying the stoic Professor Langdon, with the exception of the difficult swimming techniques he performs in the opening scene. I enjoyed the parts where Langdon and his female sidekick peruse through some original copies of Galileo's writings, since I discuss those in the astronomy class I teach.

Also, while The Da Vinci Code angered Christians of many varied traditions for its declaration that Jesus fathered a child with Mary Magdalene, Angels & Demons seems to me like it would only anger Catholic historians.

This is a fun popcorn movie with more action that the first film, and a very unexpected twist at the end--so long as you haven't read the novel.

Star Trek

2009-05-09T09:27:00.003-04:00

We've never been big fans of Star Trek stuff at all. I've never watched a complete episode or movie in my life. When Brooke was a kid, she and her brother would watch it, but Brooke's even less of a sci-fi fan than I am.

But we both loved this movie! The critics are right: It is "this year's Iron Man" (Los Angeles Times). Even if you know nothing about the background story, it's okay, because this film fills you in on everything. It's easy and fun to watch, and has just the right balance of humor, emotion, special effects, science jargon, and alien stuff. It takes you back to the beginning, when Kirk and Spock were young and just beginning their careers in Starfleet.

We weren't interested in the X Men, so this was our first "big summer movie" of 2009. Hope you can check it out!

Next week: Angels and Demons.

Doubt

2009-05-02T15:36:00.004-04:00

Another week, another Oscar-nominated movie that we didn't see in the theater (thank you, Netflix!).

Doubt is ostensibly about a preist (Philip Seymoure Hoffman) who appears to have a conspicuously close relationship with a young altar boy in 1964. But the story is really about a nun, the principal at the parish's grade school (Meryl Streep), who is unwavering in her demand that the priest resign, despite having no evidence whatsoever that the priest has engaged in any wrongdoing. All she has, she admits, is her "experience" and "confidence". She is generally bewildered by the worldliness (as she views it) that is beginning to permeate the church and school with the tacit approval of the powers that be.

The words "homosexual", "gay", "pedophile", or any of their variants are never uttered by anybody. Nor is there a single depiction of anything revolting or vulgar. This ambiguity is part of what makes the film worthwhile.

But ultimately it is the final snowy, dreary scene that underscores the film's true theme and puts a bold exclamation point at the end of its title.

Is it a sin to doubt God? Yes. So what do you do when life seems to give you so many good reasons to doubt? Talk to a priest?

Gone With The Wind

2009-04-26T13:25:00.002-04:00

Last Sunday afternoon Brooke and I took my parents to the Fox Theatre on Peachtree Street to see a 70th anniversary presentation of Gone With The Wind. The sold-out showing was preceeded by a "Scarlett and Rhett" reception in the Egyptian Ballroom (which we did not attend, since we were at church) and was followed by a second, evening showing which was added after the first show sold out. This has always been one of my Mom's favorite movies to watch, and she can quote most of it. She forced me and my brothers to watch it when we were little. But today, I was more than happy to be there, watching it in that historic building with thousands of other people who can still appreciate things that are very old.

Everyone clapped and cheered during the opening title sequence as the stars' names were displayed on the screen. And loud applause was heard when Rhett Butler and Mammie made their first appearances in the first act. Everyone clapped when the movie's best and/or most memorable lines were heard, and some gave a standing ovation at the film's conclusion as Scarlett declared that tomorrow was another day.

President Jimmy Carter recalled before the 1996 Summer Olympics that the 1939 premier of this movie, in Atlanta, was the biggest event to happen in the South in his lifetime. The movie's stars, including Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, stayed at the Georgian Terrace Hotel, across the street from the Fox. It was December 15.

When dollars are adjusted for inflation, Gone With The Wind is the top-grossing movie of all time. It received ten Academy Awards, an achievement that would remain a record for almost 60 years until 1997's Titanic won eleven.

We all had a great time. It was a wonderful movie, venue, and crowd!

The Wrestler

2009-04-25T10:42:00.003-04:00

Mickey Rourke gives a Golden Globe-winning, Oscar-nominated performance as Randy "The Ram" Robinson (stage name), a 1980s big-time wrestling star who now scrapes by on mediocre pay from choreographed matches in New Jersey gyms and community centers. His failing body is full of drugs, His estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood) hates his him for the past, and the woman he loves, a stripper (Marisa Tomei, also Oscar-nominated), can't decide what to do with him.

This movie had an appropriately gritty, melancholy feel throughout, and Mr. Rourke was remarkable. Especially for someone who is or was a fan of professional wrestling it is poigniant. The film debuted on December 19, the night of our wedding rehersal dinner, so we had to wait for the DVD--but we're glad we watched it. The film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, the highest award presented there.

Knowing, and The Day The Earth Stood Still

2009-04-14T20:49:00.003-04:00

Let's start with the one that's easiest to criticize. For one thing, Knowing stars Nicholas Cage, and no matter how hard you try, you just can't quite believe that he's an astrophysicist widower whose son happens upon the biggest secret of all. For another thing, the way the story ends is a let down. Whether that means it wasn't exciting enough, or wasn't sentimental enough, or wasn't believable enough, we're not sure. But we like Mr. Cage better in Family Man, where he's supposed to be a little bit crazy and a little bit funny.

The Day The Earth Stood Still was even worse in many ways, the classic, spooky 1951 original notwithstanding. Brooke hates alien movies generally, while I go in with an open mind. But I couldn't help thinking as we watched: How many times can New York City be destroyed in a Hollywood movie? What is the likelihood that aliens would land in Central Park?

We just think Hollywood should put its thinking cap on and produce science fiction that is more creative and stunning than these films.

The Godfather

2009-03-26T11:09:00.002-04:00

Okay, so pretty much every film critic with any reputation ranks 1972's The Godfather among the top 5 or 10 films of all time. The American Film Institute ranks it at #2, right behind Citizen Kane. But Brooke hadn't ever seen it before, and I had never watched all of it in one sitting, from beginning to end. So, since we were recently given the whole trilogy in a DVD gift set, we decided to watch it.

And as soon as it ended, Brooke said, "Okay, now let's watch Part II!" So we did, a day or two later. Wow! Epic films. Even the sequel is ranked in the Film Institutes top 40 films. Some people even say Part II is better than Part I, but I don't know about that.

By Part III, Michael Corleone is an older man. We haven't watched that one yet, but probably will soon...

Flash of Genius

2009-03-16T13:40:00.003-04:00

This is a quiet little movie about windshield wipers. Well, actually it's about a principled man's fight to see justice done and how the fight affects his family and occupies years of his life. But it's based on a true story, and worth watching. We liked it--though, if it's a Sunday afternoon and you're on a comfy couch and it's raining gently outside, it's easy to fall asleep and miss the middle of the film. Just don't take your windshield wipers for granted the next time you put them on the "intermittent" setting.

Changeling

2009-03-14T21:56:00.004-04:00

Unfortunately, we missed this one when it was in theaters last fall. Clint Eastwood, the director, hits another homerun with Changeling, which stars Angelina Jolie as a single mother in 1920s Los Angeles. Her young boy goes missing, and a very corrupt police department hampers her efforts at finding him (to say the least). This is a high quality, mysterious and emotional film. We both were captivated by it, even though we watched it at the end of a long day and we were both tired. It was better than Oscar nominee The Reader, in our opinion.

Milk, The Reader, and Slumdog Millionaire

2009-02-22T12:46:00.002-05:00

Brooke and I spent yesterday at the movies. Last year, we saw all five best picture nominees on the day before the Oscars. This year, we saw three of the five (we'd already seen Frost/Nixon and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). So, with the exception of a long afternoon break during which Brooke picked out a Prom dress, we watched good movies all day!

Milk--let's be honest--has a lot of gay people doing gay things in it. There's flirting, kissing, eating cake in bed, and so on, and it's all men, men, men. So, call us conservative, ignorant, bigoted, homophobic, or whatever you want to call us, but there was a definite gross-out factor with this film. So, from our perspective, the greatest thing about it was that it overcame that gross-out factor and we were able to really enjoy it. It's uplifting, and based on a true story, of course. Sean Penn's acting was certainly deserving of his nomination. Homosexuality is sinful, and repulsive to us regardless of how it's presented, but even Harvey Milk is right when he tells a suicidal gay teenager, "God does not hate you."

The Reader is certainly the underdog in the Best Picture category, a little bit like Atonement was last year. If Kate Winslet doesn't earn her first Oscar for this performance I'll be surprised. This film includes Nazi concentration camps, law professors, vomit, full frontal nudity, classic literature, and a Holocaust survivor's New York penthouse. Knowing nothing about it beforehand, it kept us captivated.

Slumdog Millionaire is easily the best movie of these three, and also should easily be the Best Picture winner. I absolutely loved Benjamin Button, but Slumdog has it beaten. The portrait it paints of the lives of its destitute characters in Mumbai, and the story itself--can it be true? A happy ending!--make it our favorite. We'll be rooting for it tonight when the awards are handed out.

Frost/Nixon

2009-01-26T12:34:00.005-05:00

We imagine that, perhaps, if we'd been in our late 20s in 1977, we would be better prepared for this film. But we hadn't even been born yet in 1977, when the real Nixon interviews took place. This was a different kind of movie, made a little bit like a documentary, with many actors playing many recognizable characters like Neil Diamond, Hugh Hefner, Diane Sawyer, and Nixon himself. We like it, but I think we both agree that it won't win the Best Picture Oscar. It's certainly worth seeing, though. It's very dramatic. And in the end, you end up feeling sorry for President Nixon, even though he's supposedly the "bad guy".

The other day, Brooke and I were watching an episode of The Andy Griffith Show in which Opie gets a job at the grocery store. Andy is so proud. And Goober and Floyd start talking about how they believe that one day Opie would grow up to be an astronaut or doctor or something else big. It's funny to be such a fan of that TV show, and then watch a movie like Frost/Nixon, directed by Ron Howard, and picture Opie behind the camera, telling people what to do.

Gran Torino

2009-01-20T12:34:00.005-05:00

Our hobby is watching movies, not writing about them, so even though pages and pages could be written about Gran Torino, we'll just say we enjoyed it and that you should go see it. In fact, we liked it better than Benjamin Button. The timeless themes of human dignity, fear of death and others are present in both films, but in Gran Torino they seem more real and far more urgent. A lot of people are like Clint Eastwood's character, absolutely disgusted by the apparent ongoing slaughter of American culture, yet unwilling to consider whether "American culture" ever has been or should be a permanent, easily definable thing.

I wonder what Walt (Eastwood's character) would have been thinking today, watching President Obama on television. He probably would have been thinking, "All of those nutty people who stood out in the cold all night so that they could stand half a mile from the Capitol Building are out of their bleeping minds." Maybe they are. Maybe not...

"Favor comes because for a brief moment in the great space of human change and progress some general human purpose finds in him a satisfactory embodiment." -Franklin D. Roosevelt

"He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind." -1 Samuel 15:29

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2009-01-05T12:14:00.004-05:00

Wow...what a wierd story! The movie is beautiful but heartbreaking. Brooke and I both thought that Brad Pitt's face maintained a few too many wrinkles toward the end of the film, and Brooke doesn't like Cate Blanchett. I suppose my biggest complaint was that not even a passing effort was made, by either the filmmakers or the characters themselves, to explain why the "curious case" existed in the first place. (The clock that ran backwards was totally disconnected from the story's events--or did I miss something?) I thought the running time was necessary; by the end, you really feel as though you've experienced Benjamin and Daisy's life right alongside them. The best part of the film might be not the curiousness of the story, but the curiosity with which Benjamin seems to look at the world throughout his strange life. Brad Pitt, young or old, always seems to have a flash of wonder in his eyes here.

Is this the best movie made in 2008?

Quantum of Solace

2008-11-17T10:56:00.004-05:00

Hmm...Well, James Bond movies have been coming out for 46 years, but we've only been watching them for maybe half of that time, so we're certainly no experts. But it does seem like 007 is starting to loose a little bit of his charm: there was no introduction ("Bond. James Bond.") in this film, nor was there a quick order of a martini shaken, not stirred. Nonetheless, there were lots of chases via foot and vehicle, lots of cool technology, M, and really cool locations. And two girls. I guess I'm just afraid that James Bond is turning into Jason Bourne. But we liked this movie. It was intense. The next (23rd) installment comes out in 2010, or so I've read.

Fireproof

2008-10-14T11:00:00.003-04:00

We really loved this movie. Even some of the most serious scenes were punctuated by hilarious moments (as in the scene pictured above). Lead actor Kirk Cameron is at his best when portraying a skeptic, and other performances were strong as well. Best of all, Christ is glorified by an emphasis on His mercy and power. Fireproof is at least as good as Facing the Giants.

The Dark Knight

2008-07-19T01:30:00.003-04:00

Call us crazy, but we didn't like this movie. It was just....too dreary. There were good performances, and a few action scenes that make you raise your eyebrows. But overall it seemed kind of empty. But maybe that's just us.

Hancock

2008-07-10T15:31:00.003-04:00

Brooke and I saw Hancock on the 4th of July. We both liked it. I liked it more than I thought I would, mostly because of a surprise that they don't even hint at in the previews. It makes the whole movie a lot more interesting towards the end, and makes me think there's going to be a sequel.

WALL-E

2008-06-28T12:28:00.003-04:00

We saw this movie last night. It was really good. At least as good as Ratatouille, and that was a good one, too.