Best Picture Combo

In this post, I'll review some Oscar best picture nominees, one Oscar film material and ONE best picture snub. Do bear in mind that I'm reviewing the films as a filmgoer not a movie critic. Start now? Okay.

1. Flight

Robert Zemeckis' return to live-action film making is a one heavyweight film. A film that deals with a person's addiction to alcohol. The film tells about a pilot Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington) who skillfully saved his passenger in a plane malfunction. However, because of his heavy drinking, investigation on his condition during the flight lies in danger and his career is put in a jeopardy. The film's opening scene is tense and a really good example of great filmmaking by one of the greatest directors of our time. Then the film feels a bit slow at some parts but the ending is satisfying. Denzel Washington is great and he got an Oscar nom for that! Flight: rated 2.5/4

2. Lincoln

Spielberg returns this year/last year and tagged along Daniel Day-Lewis! Although in need of no explanation, Lincoln tells the story of Abraham Lincoln, one of the best leaders of all time, when he was trying to abolish slavery. Don't get confused, this is not the sequel to the vampire-hunting Abe. This is the film where Lincoln fights with his leadership not an axe. The film boasts an amazing ensemble cast from the Oscar-worthy DDL himself to Tommy Lee Jones, to JGL to Dane DeHaan in a minor role. Albeit the film's dialogue-heavy nature, it is still an exceptional film that depicts one of America's greatest leaders. For Americans this must be the film that made their nationalism pride on fire and a reminder that there is still hope for the people who believes in the right thing and willing to fight for it. Dare I say it, the film is a depiction of that American dream. Lincoln: rated 3/4

3. Silver Linings Playbook

Jennifer Lawrence! My fandom to Jennifer Lawrence may biased my opinion for this film, but whooo caresssss. The film tells about a bipolar man Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) who had just been released from the institution and aims to get back with his cheating wife. And there comes Tiffany (Jennifer!) who barely passed her husband's death mourning phase and trying to find another busyness in a dancing competition. With David O. Russell directing and a supporting cast that includes Robert DeNiro, Animal Kingdom's Jacki Weaver and (the cinematic return of) Chris Tucker, this film is a guaranteed no-fail and it is. The film may not be as majestic as Russell's last, The Fighter but it is majestic in its own degree. The film finds life's silver lining in small places and actually that what matters in life. Jennifer Lawrence is crazy good here and an Oscar is definitely in her hands if Jessica Chastain doesn't get in the way. The film is also funny and heartfelt at times. It's a rollercoaster ride, and it is a ride I want to ride. Silver Linings Playbook: rated 4/4

4. Argo

Ben Affleck's best to date, his high point of his career. He proves himself to be in the same class with Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford as a fine actor-turned-director. Argo is tells the story about the escape of six trapped Americans in a Canadian embassy in Iran. The escape mission is to disguise as a sci-fi film crew who's scouting for a location in Iran. The film is a great drama and a tense thriller. Although like some other history-related films, the facts are bended a little, it doesn't matter. It makes a great film. This isn't NatGeo or History Channel anyway. I know the Oscar nom goes to Alan Arkin, but I loved Bryan Cranston's performance here (or maybe its because the last two Cranston films I watched are Total Recall and Rock of Ages). One thing for sure, The Academy is going to regret snubbing Ben Affleck in the years to come. Argo: rated 4/4

5. Cloud Atlas
The most ambitious film ever made! With actors in multiple roles! In different races! Different genders! From the directors of The Matrix! How could anyone miss out watching this film? Apparently many did miss out. There are six stories that connects to each other and depicting lives that are connected. It has the themes of freedom, kindness and many more. The future Neo-Seoul scenes are amazing although I'd like more of it. Also the score is superb. The Cloud Atlas Sextet is forever implanted in my head and forever replaying. Also the make-up department really did a great job and no Academy nom for that! The actors did a great job too. They are like really disappearing into their roles, in terms of acting and makeup. It's also fun if you tried to guess who's who but then your concentration on remembering the names, plot and time would be severely broken. And who can possibly resist seeing Hugh Grant as the Kona chief, the cannibal king? However, when  you're watching for the first time, it's hard to understand the connections. You'll be wanting to take notes as the film go by and ultimately another viewing of the film. It's still one of the best film to come out in year 2012. There won't be another film in this great scope and ambition. This is an event of a lifetime. Kudos to Wachowskis and Tykwer to make this happen. I admire you guys and Run Lola Run is next on my watchlist, sorry, after another round of Cloud Atlas of course. Cloud Atlas: rated 4/4.

Thursday Morning with Emma Stone and Seth MacFarlane

It's actually night though in Japan. So adding to what Seth MacFarlane said, the only people who are awake at the hour of Oscar nominations announcement are the ones who's flying or drunk or living on the other side of the world. They were announcing the nominees for this year's Academy Awards that will be held on February 24. I won't list the nominees but I would say that Amour robbed some of the more deserving, Hollywood films. I mean, like The Artist and Life is Beautiful, you already have your own category. This is what Seth Rogen said in last year's Spirit Awards. It's true and the Academy doesn't learn anything from that.
This are the films and people that Amour robbed from:
- Best Picture: Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom.
- Best Actress: Marion Cotillard in Rust & Bone.
- Best Director: Ben Affleck for Argo or Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty or even Tom Hooper
- Best Original Screenplay: Rian Johnson for Looper
I mean no disrespect to the film itself but those films and people deserved it more, in my opinion.
It's quite surprising that The Dark Knight Rises doesn't get nominated in a single category. The same goes for Cloud Atlas for Best Make-up. Even Ted now is an Oscar-nominated film! How did that happen? I'm not surprised for Skyfall not getting a nod in the Best Pic category. It's a very long shot. Among the Best Picture nom, I have only watched three of them. I'm going to go watch Lincoln tomorrow. I'm still waiting for Zero Dark Thirty on February 15 and Django Unchained on March 1. Whereas for the others, I'll have to wait for the DVD release. Right now I really really wanna check out Django Unchained because I got to see Christoph Waltz. I was betting on crazy-mode Leonardo DiCaprio to get a nom but Waltz got it instead. And the fact that no film is being a front runner in this award season makes me think that Amour is going to snag that gold. Neglecting the French film, I have my money on Lincoln. Also, I think Seth MacFarlane is just going to be a near-Ricky-Gervais-type host for the Oscars. Good to know!

Anyways, I watched three films and reviewing it.....now.

1. Upside Down
A romantic drama set in an imaginary world where two worlds 'almost' collide and there is a double gravity thing going on. It's kinda hard to explain. Imagine the world in the new Total Recall, reverse it. Still don't get it? Anyways, the film was cool and inventive. I love a good sci-fi film and this is actually is a good idea for a sci-fi film. But it's not pure sci-fi, it's a romance set in a sci-fi world. Like Brit Marling films, it's drama but set in an alternate universe. It's One Day meets Inception. A Romeo and Juliet story where two different worlds are their love's obstacle. The film was promising and it delivered at least 3/4 of what it promised. The ending is disappointing and takes it too simple after all the fuss we've been given. But still worth a peek. Upside Down: 2.5/4

2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
I really did not expect the film to be this good. It's a refreshing, teenage film. It doesn't get dumb and it is smart. The story is about a troubled boy who enters high school and struggled to socialize. But there's two cool misfits that befriends him and makes his high school life a little brighter. Emma Watson is amazing and Hermione is totally gone. Logan Lerman is also good in his role, mostly due to the complexity of his character that he could deliver it well. Also the scene-stealer Ezra Miller is really 'scene-stealing'. When he's in frame, he nails it everytime. And the fact that this film is directed by the book's author makes it more awesome. Don't forget the killer songs that are featured in this film! Perks of Being a Wallflower: rated 3.5/4

3. The Impossible
An inspired-by-true-story film that took place in the great disaster that hit South East Asia in December 2004. This is the story of the survival of one family. For me the film is hard to watch. Not because it's bad, but it's so good that is very realistic and emotionally draining. The intense opening tsunami scene is so thrilling that I think I literally held my breath. It's amazing that it is a film that reminds us to celebrate life, to love your family and to keep believing in your own hope. It's a film that celebrates human spirit, as the tagline said. This film makes you believe that the world is here to help us whenever we got into trouble, and we must be there when the world needs us. Naomi Watts and Tom Holland is simply amazing in their roles. Ewan McGregor too and also the children that portrays the two younger children. Juan Antonio Bayona, the director, was the director of The Orphanage, a horror film. He infused some horror film sound effects to the film and the film just gets better. Still in Oscar mood, I'm wondering to death why isn't this film nominated for Best Picture? But congrats for Naomi Watts because you're so awesome in this film. The Impossible: rated 4/4.

two-OH-thirteen

Because this is my blog and this is my spot. This is the first time ever my annual list moves to this blog. It is usually posted on my Facebook. But I think I've gone insecure since I enter university. Also, I guess living in Japan makes me do this (and insomnia too). Having to live in Japan for about 3 months now makes me wiser in prioritizing things (am I?), so this list may be shorter than the previous years. Cos y'know, I prioritize. (Apparently this list is long though)

As always titles in bold are must-watch films, although due to Japanese theaters that would be a one-sided negotiation. And also as usual, the small indie, award-season films are not listed here because they might not set their release dates in stone. The dates on this list are based on the US release dates so people in Japan, keep an eye out for new releases!

JANUARY 2013
- GANGSTER SQUAD 
(Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn. Dir: Ruben Fleischer)
- Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 
(Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton. Dir: Tommy Wirkola)
- The Last Stand (Arnold Schwarzenegger. Dir: Kim Jae Woon)
- Mama (Jessica Chastain, GoT's Kingslayer. Dir: Andres Muschetti)
- Parker (Jason Statham, Jennifer Lopez. Dir: Taylor Hackford)






FEBRUARY 2013
- A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD 
(Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney. Dir: John Moore)
- Side Effects (Jude Law, Rooney Mara. Dir: Steven Soderbergh)
- Beautiful Creatures
(Emmy Rossum, Alice Englert. Dir: Richard LaGravenese)
- Warm Bodies
(Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer. Dir: Jonathan Levine)
- A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III
(Charlie Sheen, Aubrey Plaza. Dir: Roman Coppola)



MARCH 2013
- OZ: THE GREAT & POWERFUL
(James Franco, Mila Kunis. Dir: Sam Raimi)
- G.I. JOE: RETALIATION
(Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis. Dir: John Chu)
- Jack the Giant Slayer 
(Nicholas Hoult, Ewan McGregor. Dir: Bryan Singer)
- Trance
(James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel. Dir: Danny Boyle)
- Stoker 
(Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman. Dir: Park Chan Wook)
- The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
(Jim Carrey, Steve Carrell. Dir: Don Scardino)
- Welcome to the Punch
(James McAvoy, Mark Strong. Dir: Eran Creevey)
-The Place Beyond the Pines
(Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper. Dir: Derek Cianfrance)
- Olympus Has Fallen
(Gerald Butler, Morgan Freeman. Dir: Antoine Fuqua)

APRIL 2013
- IRON MAN 3
(Robert Downey Jr., Ben Kingsley. Dir: Shane Black)
- OBLIVION 
(Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman. Dir: Joseph Kosinski)


- Evil Dead
(Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez. Dir: Fede Alvarez)

MAY 2013

- STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS 
(Chris Pine, Benedict Cumberbatch. Dir: J.J.Abrams)
- FAST & FURIOUS 6 
(Vin Diesel, Paul Walker. Dir: Justin Lin)
- THE HANGOVER PART III 
(Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms. Dir: Todd Philips)
- The Great Gatsby 
(Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan. Dir: Baz Luhrmann)

JUNE 2013
- MAN OF STEEL 
(Henry Cavill, Russell Crowe. Dir: Zack Snyder)
- NOW YOU SEE ME 
(Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson. Dir: Louis Leterrier)
- AFTER EARTH 
(Will Smith, Jaden Smith. Dir: M.Night Shyamalan)
- MONSTER UNIVERSITY 
(John Goodman, Billy Crystal. Dir: Dan Scanlon)
- KICK ASS 2 
(Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Moretz. Dir: Jeff Waldlow)
- World War Z 
(Brad Pitt & Zombies. Dir: Marc Forster)
- White House Down
(Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx. Dir: Roland Emmerich)

JULY 2013
- THE LONE RANGER 
(Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer. Dir: Gore Verbinski)
- PACIFIC RIM 
(Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba. Dir: Guillermo Del Toro)
- THE WOLVERINE 
(Hugh Jackman, Hiroyuki Sanada. Dir: James Mangold)
- R.I.P.D.
(Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges. Dir: Robert Schwenke)
- Despicable Me 2
(Steve Carell, Al Pacino)

AUGUST 2013
- ELYSIUM
(Matt Damon, Jodie Foster. Dir: Neill Blomkamp)
- 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE
(Eva Green, Rodrigo Santoro. Dir: Noam Murro)
- INSIDIOUS CHAPTER TWO
(Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne. Dir: James Wan)
- Red 2
(Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren. Dir: Dean Parisot)
- Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
(Logan Lerman, Sean Bean. Dir: Thor Freudenthal)
- Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
(Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower. Dir: Harald Zwart)

SEPTEMBER 2013
- I, Frankenstein
(Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy. Dir: Stuart Beattie)
- Prisoners
(Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman.Dir: Denis Villeneuve)
- Rush
(Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde. Dir: Ron Howard)

OCTOBER 2013
- SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR 
(JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT. Dir: Robert Rodriguez)
- OLDBOY 
(Josh Brolin. Dir: Spike Lee)
- THE WORLD'S END
(Simon Pegg, Nick Frost. Dir: Edgar Wright)
- Paranormal Activity 5
- Paranoia
(Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman. Dir: Robert Luketic)
- Malavita
(Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer. Dir: Luc Besson)
- Captain Phillips
(Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener. Dir: Paul Greengrass)

- Carrie 

(Chloe Moretz, Julianne Moore. Dir: Kimberly Pierce)

- The Seventh Son
(Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes. Dir: Sergei Bodrov)

NOVEMBER 2013
- THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
(Jennifer Lawrence, Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Dir: Francis Lawrence)
- THOR: THE DARK WORLD
(Chris Hemsworth, Christopher Eccleston. Dir: Alan Taylor)
- Ender's Game
(Asa Butterfeld, Harrison Ford. Dir: Gavin Hood)





DECEMBER 2013
- THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG
(Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen. Dir: Peter Jackson)
- Jack Ryan
(Chris Pine, Keira Knightley. Dir: Kenneth Branagh)
- 47 Ronin
(Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada. Dir: Carl Rinsch)
- Saving Mr Banks
(Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti. Dir: John Lee Hancock)
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
(Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig. Dir: Ben Stiller)

Last Two, First Two: A Holiday Box

Happy new year 2013 guys! In my first post of 2013, I'm going to review four films that I saw in the cinemas. The first two are Ang Lee's Life of Pi and the new Tom Cruise film Jack Reacher. The latter are Les Miserables and (finally) Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2. I watched Pi and Reacher when I was in Malaysia for transit and LesMis and Breaking Dawn in Japan when I got back. I also include some other films I watch during my winter holiday. Fun fact: with the price of one ticket in Japan, you can watch 4 films in Malaysia with the same amount of money and six films in Indonesia. And with the same amount you can't get a ticket in Australia.

Jack Reacher

The new Tom Cruise film starts off brilliantly tense with a random multiple murders that put the story in motion. A mentally-troubled former army was accused of the murders and the army man asks for Jack Reacher, a brilliant former army police. Think of this film as Ethan Hunt without the big set pieces and gadgets (which leaves only Tom Cruise) with smart, sharp dialogues. Tom Cruise is in top form here. The film is an interesting thriller to follow. Director Christopher McQuarrie made a nice debut after years of writing screenplays. However, the main antagonist of the film The Zec (played by director Werner Herzog) seemed like a caricature while actually he could be creepy. Also some parts of the film feels so slow, I yawned a lot and a person beside me was sleeping. The ending is also a let down for me. But it does follow Jack Reacher's style that was established throughout the film. The score-less chase scene was intense and was one of the best scenes in the film (the car was driven by none other than Mr. Cruise himself!). Looking up to next Tom Cruise films; yep that's you Oblivion. Jack Reacher: rated 3/4

Life of Pi
Hollywood is desperately making films from what was once deemed as an unfilmable books. But then in 2012 come Cloud Atlas and Life of Pi. Pi tells the story of a boy named Pi (Suraj Sharma) whose family owned a zoo that is going to be moved to Canada. However, their ship was hit by a massive storm, leaving Pi alone in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. The film was emotionally satisfying. Throughout the film you can feel the thirst, the joy, the sadness. Above all you can feel the magic of filmmaking and the power of imagination. Ang Lee delivers so much beautiful shots, such as the reflection of the clouds in the water, making it heavenly instead of earthly. Through the story and visuals, Ang Lee made the film a celebration of life and a reminder of the power of faith and hope. Suraj Sharma as a newcomer is really really good, he gives it all. It's a shame that I didn't watch it in 3D. I could just imagine what the 3D would be like. If you can still catch the movie in cinemas, be sure to check out the 3D version. Life of Pi: rated 4/4.

Les Miserables
Tom Hooper of The King's Speech directs the film version of the stage play that was based on Victor Hugo's novel. The story revolves around ex-convict Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) and Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe) with the dawn of French Revolution in the backdrop. I'm a sucker for musical. I love this film. The setting is marvelous. The music is majestic. The acting is crazy amazing; especially Hugh Jackman and the Oscar-locked Anne Hathaway. You just need to see Anne Hathaway's scene when she sings the renowned 'I Dreamed a Dream' to see that she deserves to bring home the Oscar gold. While most of the cast are known to have starred in musicals (from Mamma Mia!, Sweeney Todd, Oscar hosting gig or even Broadway players like the amazing Samantha Barks), the ones that are not that well like Russell Crowe and Eddie Redmayne is visible to have some misstep in the singing but still it was wonderful. The only thing that kinda bother me is the lack of Amanda Seyfried which makes Cosette one-dimensional. Cosette should be the one who glues the relationship between Jean Valjean and Marius. But despite that, it's still a great film. I also look forward to see the stage play (yes I haven't seen it yet). Don't forget to pack a lot of tissue because the film will drain your tears and emotion. Les Miserables: rated 4/4

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
Finally I watched this film after almost 2 months from its initial release. The story picks up after Bella has become a vampire and the Volturi clan is concerned about Edward and Bella's child. The story is actually monotonous. And also the visual effects is TERRIBLE. I mean, now you have sufficient money, why not spend it on visual effects. The worst visual effects in the film were the baby and the running/jumping parts. I mean Tron Legacy could make young Jeff Bridges really good. Why can't you make a decent baby? Visual effects issues aside, the film went incredible until the brutal fight. The film shows off Kristen Stewart ability to be angry! And also an opportunity to see a crazy Martin Sheen once again. However, I was kinda disappointed by the Savages ending. During the fight, I was thinking that this is so cool and brutal. I loved the fight scene really until the fact that it's actually not happening. This film really justifies that Breaking Dawn should not be split in two parts. It's just too short and I almost forgot the characters, especially the wolves ones. But this film really closes Twilight on a high note. Even Bella can develop the power to give a small montage. They even list all the cast from the first film. It's just great to see even if you're not a fan. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2: rated 3/4

Bonus!
I watched four other films. Interesting ones of course.

1. Dredd - Finally watched this. It's a great action film with Karl Urban at the lead. The story and action is great and the characters too. Although it does suffer comparison from the non-stop action of The Raid. 3/4

2. Pitch Perfect - Again, I state that I love movies with songs. This one does not have a great story. It's like the singing version of Streetdance. But Anna Kendrick and the musical numbers cover all that. Go see this just for the sake of Anna Kendrick singing with cups! 3/4

3. Beasts of the Southern Wild - An amazing movie with amazing cast also with an amazing score. It's heartbreaking and moving but also inspirational. I'd like to see an Oscar nod especially for Hushpuppy and her daddy (her name is really hard to spell). 4/4

4. The Words - A nice thriller with an exceptional cast lead by Bradley Cooper. It's about a struggling writer plagiarizing a fine work from the past. However, some parts are just strange, especially the scenes with Dennis Quaid and Olivia Wilde. This film really shows how music score can save a film from being boring and dull. Although it's kinda strange, I recommend the film for the good parts of the story (and the amazing cast, of course) 2.5/4

Epilogue
Doing movie marathons, you realize the magic of movies. It could transport you to places. It's a teleporter, a vacation you can do while sitting. At one time you could be in an American city but then the other second, you're at the open sea with a tiger. Or at one time you're in the late 1800s France and the other second, you're at Forks. It's amazing. And after watching Les Miserables, I'd love to live in world of musicals where I can just burst into songs to say something and some orchestra will accompany me. See you at the next post!