American Hustle

So it´s become an habit of mine to add an entry to my blog every other year or so at around these same dates. Why? Obviously because we´re about to have the all coveted Oscars thrown around to recognize the slight remnant of artistry in the otherwise corrupted -by-the-masses´-tastelessness Hollywood.

My movie of choice today is American Hustle and... -little spoiler alert for Oscar night- this is it.

First of all I have to admit that I haven´t seen Gravity which I've heard is really good, but I'm seriously doubting I will be better entertained by it than by American Hustle.

Let me do a brief recap:

Amy Adams + Christian Bale, as in David O. Russell´s The Fighter = Solid Gold.

Jennifer Lawrence + Bradley Cooper (plus throw in a bit of De Niro) as in David O. Russell´s Silver Linings Playbook that's pure... well Silver? (at least?). 

Add to the Mix the Hurt Locker´s brilliant Jeremy Renner, an Arab speaking Michael Peña and the painfully un-comedic Louis C.K and bam! you got the perfect mix for a cinematographic jewel.

So more of this winning recipe: mix last years Argo´s bitter sense of ludicrous suspense (Feds trying to con the bad guys to a point of silliness), a dash of these year's Wolf of Wall Street's comedy relief and raunchiness (Amy Adams is seriously a walking erection on EVERY scene),  and a slight twist (as in plot twist), and let me tell you, if it were a drink, (bitter,dash and twist, voilá!) James Bond would be switching his usually overrated "shaken not stirred" ASAP.

American Hustle has got the stellar cast, in your face, right off the bat, it's got pain and laughter, it's got the not so long ago costumes and cars (we love that, don't we?), it's got the Off Voice just enough to get you going into the character's story and it´s even got some sort of meaning at the end... move over Marty, David O. Russell is the Director for our Generation, American Hustle, hands down, is a winner!! (Sorry it just gets me so excited to watch such a good movie)

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

At first I discarded watching this movie out of fear that it would be Martin Scorsese's documentary about the Rolling Stones. I figured that's how a 69 year old would perceive a Rock and Roll concert, particularly a very influential 69 year old. (the rest of them must be sitting way in the back). Then I thought, "this can't be right, Keith Richards must be at least 80, I wonder if they still play it Extremely Loud... so I gave it a second thought, saw it nominated for an Oscar and resolved "this is the type of movie I like to watch".

First, let me tell you about my afternoon in chaotic Mexico City. I had plans to watch the 6:45 show but the girl I was taking said she wouldn't be able to make it before 7. So I aimed for the 7:25 or the 7:45 shows, time permitting, whichever best fit our schedule after picking her up. (Before this, she had called from the mall near her house to tell me there was a 9:10 showing, which I immediately discarded for being too late.) Of course, when I arrived to pick her up, after close to an hour and a half in my car, we wouldn't be able to make it to any of those, so we headed for the 8:15 (all these showtimes of course were at different theaters scattered throughout the central part of the city). We were still easily 10 minutes away when it was already 20 past, so we ceased in our effort and finally headed back to the 9:10 show by her house.

Why all this explanation? Well... I guess it sets a mood, and riddles me with questions like, how long should be the maximum amount of time one should travel for a 2 hour event? How long should the movie be? Maybe after my actual two and a half hours of car sitting I deserved at least that long a movie or some sort of lengthy entertainment for that matter. But then other questions arise, this one being a movie about loss during the 9/11 attacks the question could be, How long can we go on watching films about this topic? And the answer is quite simple, we will watch things like these forever, as we are still watching movies about the Holocaust, Vietnam... and the Passion of the Christ (Boring) to name a few.

So yes, I guess I was waiting for a long movie, I'm OK with that, but not necessarily was I expecting something Extremely Long and Incredibly Slow.

That said, I beg you to take my comment with a spoonful of honey, (or is it salt?). What I mean is, it is on the "a bit long and slow" side but it's totally worth watching. Very emotional and nostalgic it is about how a young kid copes with loss, legacy and a search for meaning in a world that suddenly seems to be missing a guide (feeling that all of us atheists can deeply relate to).

Oscar, or Oskar, finds a key and a little note his dad left behind saying to "not stop looking". . Along the way, Oscar gets someone to accompany him and help him in his search, (as a clue, I can tell you this character does not talk on screen and all his messages are shown through written signs, born circa 1910 perhaps... If you guessed The Artist, you came this close, but no, it is Oscar's Granma's mute roommate, deftly played by Max Von Sydow, for which he earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination). In the end, nobody seems to find what they're looking for but "who can tell you that you're wrong?", in other words, that which you find becomes what you were looking for.

Excellent role played by the newcomer kid, though sometimes on the overly dramatic, this kid is talented, and should be, at least if his playing award winners Hanks' and Bullock's son. Had this kid ran into Hugo (Scorsese's... Drink) at the train station maybe they would have solved each other's journey of looking for their fathers' legacy, one with the key and the other one with the keyhole... In the end, after lots of invoking "Oskaaaaaar,... Oskaaaaaaaar" the effort is good but they got home empty handed.... well worth the nominations though. (Best: Movie, Supporting Actor, and what else).

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a tribute to New York, in all its creases, its highs and lows. It's also a tribute to perseverance, to youth, to innocence, to fatherly/motherly love, to so many things we ceased to look for at the theater long ago. Very in the nostalgic tune that has become common thread this movie season (Artist, Hugo, Paris, Descendants, Help, etc.), do not discard this one as I first did (or around halfway through). Do rent it. And take your time. And your tissues.

The King's Speech

The moving story about King George VI and his struggle to overcome stuttering. Deftly written by David Seidler, once a stutterer himself, this movie brings on full emotion to the screen.

At a time when bringing the people of their kingdom together, united against the threat of Nazi propagation throughout Europe, the British Royal Family finds itself in a succession crisis when King George V died and Prince Edward, a socialite, is assigned the throne, clearly not wanting much to do with it. Due to Royal protocol, King Edward VII abdicated a year later so he could marry an american divorceé, leaving the throne to his younger, more serious brother, "Bertie".

Although Bertie's (later King George VI) stuttering is a very commonly overlooked piece of British Royal Family History, this story truly shows what's behind the curtains and the effort needed not only to break through the barricades, but at the same time, how such effort builds character.

The movie-watching experience, for me, is all about rooting for a character and seeing him through thick and thin to jump every hurdle set against him. I believe the greater obstacle one can face is oneself, and as such, it is so much more gratifying to prevail, and this is what Bertie did. Although faced with doubt, his effort is relentless, and, no matter the outcome, the story takes us through his determination; we can actually say, King George VI had "True Grit".

An Australian self-taught therapist, Lionel Logue, goes one-on-one with Bertie to help him get through his speech impediment. This of course, stirs-up dissent amongst conservative circles, whom not only think that any Brit could be superior to an Australian, but also clearly more qualified. Nonetheless, after having taken Bertie to different therapists, his wife, Elizabeth (Queen Mum) finds Logue, which seems to work, against the odds.

Not only do we witness an interesting interaction between Bertie and Logue, but how, also, by leveling the field, friendship strikes and endures throughout.

Amongst a motherload of intricate screenplays and complicated movies, comes this heartfelt tale that's honest and simple and straight to the point. This compelling storyline shows love, friendship, hope and perseverance. Writing like this is more and more a craft in extintion. And acting like this, both Firth and Rush, is the substance of movie legends.

I'm willing to sell all my Alien vs. Predator memorabilia to make a juicy bet that this is THE Oscar winner, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Movie... and some other casualties along the way!.. King's Speech filmmakers, prepare your own speech!

SPECULATIVE FUN FACT: If David Logue had a stuttering hot line, it'd be: 1-800-Dial-Logue

L-l-l-later dudes!

Biutiful

From a romantic and even beautiful idea about a man struggling to set his affairs in order and leave this existence peacefully comes this dreadful portrait that's anything but Biutiful. Like a couple of Valiums dropped in a warm beer, this movie drags you through the winter cold side streets of Barcelona with downer stories that for the first time in a González Iñarritu's film are interconnected through the main character rather than by some random steer of the wheel or an accidental sighting of some TV set. Like an offspring of Paul Haggis's Crash (Which with all credit due is like an offspring of Iñarritu's Amores Perros), Biutiful retakes the illegal immigrant crisis through the lens of exploitation... along with facing death, raising children and being a medium or ghost whisperer of sorts or something...Javier Bardem plays pain with dignity well worth palms and nominations.

I never cease to think there's always too much on Iñarritu's plate, and whatever crisis is going on never reaches either full importance or emotion as it is dragged to level with a whole bunch of things going on around it. For the downer it is intended to be it is well achieved, the acting, the cinematography, even the music work perfectly towards this inevitable theme of death, but at the same time there is this subplot that carries on a romantic notion of dying and going elsewhere, and going in peace, holding us down to do the right thing while we're still here.

Although I feel a Best Foreign Language Film nomination for the Oscar is a bit of a stretch, I believe the idea holds firmly through and the acting is precise, it might leave you an aftertaste of something if you manage not to fall asleep through it.

Two thumbs up, with their corresponding indexes pointing towards my head (if you manage to picture that)... But don't pull the trigger just yet. Watch it (or 2.6 stars out of five).

Bobby's Nominees

Here's my feeble attempt at predicting this years Oscar nominee's, I first most clear up that I haven't watched EVERY movie in order to determine which one's are the best, but I've made a good effort at reading about and watching most of what was deemed worth watching. Based on that I present to you, a few hours ahead of the Academy, my list of what could be the 10 best picture nominees tomorrow morning.

My list must, as any list, include the big time favorites and then a speculation of which of the other movies which are not the top contenders will be able to make the list.

The Favorites: These following movies are relevant because Everything is at stake, whether it is leading a country in an imminent time of war, sacrificing friendship for a shot at riches and popularity or merely achieving artistic and aesthetic perfection, leading the race we'll have The Social Network, The King's Speech and Black Swan.

The Crowd Pleasers: These movies are simply likable and everyone will recommend them to you, they're not awfully controversial and will certainly show you a couple of hours of top entertainment: Toy Story 3, Inception, The Fighter and True Grit.

The Nerve Pinchers: These movies will be a bit controversial at times and sometimes even tough to watch, either lightly carried or way on the rough country side, or simply brilliantly played... The Kids Are All Right and Winter's Bone.

The Dark Horse: As a last nominee I leave with you several wild cards that range through a whole spectrum of cinema, in order of probable to least probable here they are:

127 Hours, Another Year, Animal Kingdom, The Town, The Ghost Writer, Blue Valentine, and Please Give... if it is imperative that I choose one, as I guess it is, given the nature of trying to predict a list of 10, I admit I haven't seen 127 Hours, and I'm about to watch Animal Kingdom but I'm under the understanding that these are amongst this year's best... My nominee is...

I just finished watching it and yeah mate, Animal Kingdom's got my vote

Going The Distance

This is a Long Distance Romantic Comedy that thrives on the good chemistry between the two actors: Drew Barrymore and that guy she's dating. And that's it.

Like that old favorite hollywood saying, "cut to the chase", this movie cuts to the "super-date" right away, which works well for engaging you early on, but instead of building up gradually, it builds a relationship out of virtually nowhere, gets 6 weeks of real time in about 10 minutes of screen time and then starts building-down through the wear and tear of time-zone differences, missed calls, and long flights (which by the way aren't even relevantly portrayed)

Doesn't stand up to some of its predecessors but it's more viewable than some other romantic fare like say, Love Happens (Rip my eyes out), and the current wave of rom-coms I cannot even move myself to start watching. Comic relief in this movie comes via Justin Long's buddies (yeah, I had to look up his name now). The candid dynamics between friends advising each other are funny and even real, absurd as they may sound, the boldness of some of the jokes is simply hilarious so... all in all this is, of course, a chick flick that might be somewhat tolerable by the guys, so it could be worth a shot. 2.5 Stars out of 5... Watch it (Don't Steal it, Buy it, or Rent it... just Watch it). Note: Don't even bother watching it if it's not for entertaining your girl.

Vague Movie Formula: Sleepless in Seattle + When Harry Met Sally - Rob Reiner's Sense of Delivery + 20 years late = Might Take You The Distance... No guarantees!

PS. I recently watched How Do You Know? with Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd and Jack Nicholson (at his worst)... Don't even bother!! This should be banned out of mere respect for the viewers, the lamest rom-com of the season. Rip my Eyes Out.. Again.

All Good Things

Hahaha, if anything, this movie is at least cleverly titled. This Romantic Thriller is inspired on true events, based on a prominent unsolved mystery involving a high profile New York family. The story leads us to believe there could have been a crime perpetrated. It doesn't fully tell us, so it lets us infer as to whether there might be one or not, which I thought it as completely fair.

David Marks, (Ryan Gosling), is a somewhat disturbed character that has lost a sense of control over himself and his surrounding circumstances. While initially a striving rebel that seems willing to sacrifice an affluent lifestyle for the love of a woman, Marks is eventually subdued by the promise of comfort and the strong control exerted by his father, Sanford Marks, deftly played by Frank Langella.

At the heart of this marriage drama lie the slight differences that lead a relationship astray and can take awful turns. The dominant father subplot carries the undertow, subtly surfacing but conferring the bold statement that family trumps any other relationship. :( I feel like taking a few points off for lack of a stronger link between the plot and the sub-plot and for the story's predictability. On the other hand, this movie does not try to mislead you and starts right off with the character's court deposition. This moves the story forward by taking a clear angle that will portray Marks as our prime suspect without fully incriminating him.

PD. This suspenseful thriller brings us a very good performance by Ryan Gosling, who tends to hover towards character driven roles, and as such is one of the true actors of our generation...

Vague Movie Formula: Revolutionary Road (Excellent performance drama) + Zodiac ( 70's Crime Mystery) - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (No Crime Solving) + Nixon (Freakingly powerful Langella)= All Good Things to watch.

Rent it, or as someone else mentioned... worth watching once.