If I Stay

☆☆☆1/2

+
Chloë Grace Moretz gives a noteworthy performance as Mia in this moving story of a young woman who is struggling with the decision to study music at Juilliard or stay with the love of her life. When faced with a life or death tragedy...Mia faces an even bigger decision.
-
This movie is worth seeing...in spite of other reviews.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 46 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.

The Hundred-Foot Journey

☆☆☆☆

+
"The Hundred-Foot Journey" is the entertaining and heartwarming story of an owner of an upscale French restaurant (Helen Mirren), who opposes the opening of her new neighbor's Indian restaurant across the street. The battle begins...sparks fly...and two worlds collide.
_
Lacks character development for many key players.
What's wrong with a "feel good" movie?

Rated PG
2 hr. 2 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.

The Giver

☆☆☆☆

+
Based on Lois Lowry's popular young adult novel of the same name, "The Giver" is the engaging (and somewhat haunting) story of Jonas...a high school graduate assigned to be the Receiver of Memories. As he is introduced to these memories he realizes he must take drastic steps to save himself and everyone he loves.
_
Other recent films seem to have borrowed from this popular novel.

Sometimes films based on popular novels fall short.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 40 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

Guardians of the Galaxy

☆☆☆

+
Fans of this Marvel series will enjoy this entertaining story of a quirky team of heroes that join forces to destroy Ronan...a villain who is out to destroy the universe.

Chris Pratt (Star-Lord) delivered the right mix of fun and action to make his character work.

Other critics LOVE this film!
_
It's easy to get lost in the battle sequences (like so many other films).

Don't leave too early...short scene after the credits.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 1 min.

Click here to see the trailer.

Boyhood

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
Director, Richard Linklater gives us a groundbreaking coming of age film that was shot over a 12 year period allowing viewers to truly see the growth, the changes, and the ups and downs of Mason (Ellar Coltrane) and his family.

This is just a story about life, but it's so engaging that the almost 3 hour film goes by too quickly.
_
Are we more in love with the story or the uniqueness of this "project?"

Rated R
2 hr. 45 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Begin Again

☆☆☆☆

+
We all know Keira Knightley can act, but most of us didn't know she could sing. Knightley (Gretta) and Adam Levin (Dave) star as a songwriting couple who move to New York when Dave's singing career takes off. Tempted by his new found fame, Dave strays...leaving Gretta on her own in the big city.

Adam Levin turns-in a great first time performance.

Wonderful music!
_
Don't go expecting to see an American version of "Once"...just because it is directed by John Carney.

Rated R
1 hr. 41 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer!

Tammy

☆☆☆1/2

+
Co-writer (with husband Ben Falcone) Melissa McCarthy stars as Tammy and delivers plenty of laughs as a woman who goes on a road trip after she loses her job and finds her husband cheating. Grandma (Susan Sarandon) joins Tammy on this crazy ride.

All star cast includes: Allison Janney, Gary Cole, Mark Duplass, Toni Collette, Nat Faxon, Dan Aykroyd Sandra Oh, and Kathy Bates
_
The story is a little uneven (and has a few holes), but if you are fan of McCarthy...you'll have fun.

Rated R
1 hr. 36 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

Chef

☆☆☆1/2

+
"Chef" is the enjoyable and satisfying story of Carl Casper (strong performance by Jon Favreau)...a creative chef who struggles with a controlling boss and finding a balance of career and family.

Great supporting cast: Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Dustin Hoffman, Bobby Cannavale, John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara, and Emjay Anthony (Casper's son Percy).
_
In the middle of CGI battle scene season, this film is a welcome departure...but it may be too low-key for many.

Rated R
1 hr. 55 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.

Jersey Boys

☆☆☆1/2

+
Once the music of The Four Seasons starts...the story begins to come together.
Anyone who remembers the fantastic hits of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons will enjoy this film...
_
at least the music of this film.

I have heard people say the target audience is people in their 60s and 70s...do not let that keep you from going.

One thing that can ruin a movie or television show is an over emphasis on the details. Even though that would seem like a good thing...the audience understands these guys are from Jersey. No need to over do the accents, the clothes, and the stereotypes.

Rated R
2 hr. 14 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer!

22 Jump Street

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
In this hilarious sequel to "21 Jump Street," Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum recreate their wonderful chemistry as they team-up as undercover cops (Schmidt and Jenko) sent to pose as college students to make a drug bust.
"22 Jump Street" is a well-written story that knows just how far to go with the humor and where to take the humor (not silly...not potty humor) in a script that remains somewhat believable...without excessive violence.

This film works on several levels. See it and enjoy the fun!
_
Stay for the closing credits for more laughs!
Also...one more laugh after the credits.

Rated R
1 hr. 50 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer.

Maleficent

☆☆☆☆

+
In this visual treat of a film, Angelina Jolie gives an enchanting performance as Maleficent (the woman scorned by the soon to be king) who seeks revenge by placing a spell on the king's daughter...only to later regret her actions.

_
The story is different...some may enjoy the changes...others may not.

Rated PG
1 hr. 37 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.

Neighbors

☆☆☆

+
Seth Rogen, one of the most natural funny guys in front of the camera, joins forces with Zac Efron to offer a few laughs in the crazy story of a fraternity moving in and creating havoc in Mac Radner's (Rogen) neighborhood.
_
The battle to get the Deltas off the normally quite street gets silly and just plain ridiculous.

Rated R
1 hr. 36 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

☆☆☆☆

+
In this action-packed Sci-Fi Adventure (one of the best in the franchise), Wolverine (Hugh Jackman gives another great performance) travels back to the early 70s to save the mutants.

Director, Bryan Singer, delivers one of the best scenes (involving Quicksilver) in a very long time.
_
The plot could be better...but this movie is worth seeing!

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 11 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

☆☆☆1/2

+
Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) returns as Captain American in this action-packed adventure. He teams-up with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) to take down the enemy.

Scarlett Johansson gives another great performance as Black Widow...sexy and tough.
_
Hard to beat the first installment...but Marvel fans will love it.

Don't leave too early...two extra scenes.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 16 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer!

The Other Woman

☆☆☆1/2

+
"The Other Woman" is the fun and entertaining story of Carly (Cameron Diaz) and Kate (the hilarious Leslie Mann) who join forces with Amber (Kate Upton) to get back at Mark (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) who is married to Kate, but dating Carly and Amber on the side.

Diaz and Mann always deliver real comedy.
_
If you want to just have fun...ignore any negative reviews, and go have a few laughs.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 49 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Heaven is for Real

☆☆☆1/2

+
Based on the New York Times best seller, "Heaven is for Real" is the astounding (and heart warming) true story of a boy who visited heaven while on the operating table.
Greg Kinnear's performance elevates the film.
_
This seems like mediocre film making...maybe low budget?
It may have worked better to have had Colton just describe heaven...and not try to recreate what he saw for the big screen.

Rated PG
1 hr. 40 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Draft Day

☆☆☆☆

+
"Draft Day," starring Kevin Costner as Cleveland Brown's GM Sonny Weaver, has a great mix of action, drama, and intrigue. This well-written (and well-acted) movie will keep you guessing as to what's going to happen on draft day to characters that we come to know and care about.

Great performance by Jennifer Garner.
_
Not a football fan? Not a problem. This film is so much more than a football movie!

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 50 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Bad Words

☆☆☆

+
Jason Bateman (one of the best comedic actors in the business) makes his directorial debut in a very original story about a 40-year-old man who is able to participate in a national spelling bee based on loopholes in the rules. The strength of the story is the on-going question...What is this guy's motivation?
-
The main character's (Guy Trilby) interactions with the kids (one in particular) were "uncomfortable" at times.

Rated R
1 hr. 29 min.

Visit the movie website and see the trailer.

Divergent

☆☆☆

+
In this action-packed thriller, Shailene Woodley (Academy Award nominee for "The Descendants") gives a strong performance as Tris, a young woman who doesn't properly fit into any of the factions developed by society based on human virtues. Tris is unique...and in this world unique isn't good.
-
The expectations may have been a little too high.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 20 min.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

☆☆☆1/2

+
Wes Anderson's visual treat..."The Grand Budapest Hotel"...is one of the best films of his career. It's fun and well-acted. Ralph Fiennes stars as the crazy concierge of the hotel.
-
It is definitely worth seeing...I am just not a fan of quirky, screwball comedy.

Rated R
1 hr. 40 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Blue Jasmine

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
Cate Blanchett turns in an Academy Awarding winning performance as Jasmine, a New York socialite who loses everything and tries to start a new life by moving in with her sister Ginger (excellent performance by Sally Hawkins) who lives a much less glamorous life in a modest San Francisco apartment.
Blanchett convincingly captures the mental breakdown her character suffers from the stress of her loss.
-
May be seen as an unhappy movie with performances that have a tough time keeping-up with Blanchett's.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 38 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

Oscar Winners 2014

* Denotes starmoviereviews.com Prediction


Best Picture 

"12 Years a Slave" *


Best Director 

Alfonso Cuaron -- "Gravity" * 


Best Actor 

Matthew McConaughey -- "Dallas Buyers Club" * 


Best Actress 

Cate Blanchett -- "Blue Jasmine" * 


Best Supporting Actor 

Jared Leto -- "Dallas Buyers Club" * 


Best Supporting Actress 

Lupita Nyong'o -- "12 Years a Slave" * 


Best Original Screenplay 

"Her" -- Spike Jonze * 


Best Adapted Screenplay 

"12 Years a Slave" -- John Ridley * 


Best Animated Feature 

"Frozen" * 


Best Foreign Feature 

"The Great Beauty" (Italy) * 


Best Music (Original Song) 

"Frozen": "Let it Go" -- Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez * 


Best Music (Original Score) 

"Gravity": Steven Price * 


Best Cinematography 

"Gravity" -- Emmanuel Lubezki * 




Best Costume Design 

"The Great Gatsby" -- Catherine Martin * 


Best Documentary Feature 

"20 Feet From Stardom" * 


Best Film Editing 

"Gravity" -- Alfonso Cuaron, Mark Sanger 


Best Makeup and Hairstyling 

"Dallas Buyers Club" -- Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews *

Best Production Design 

"The Great Gatsby" -- Catherine Martin and Beverley Dunn * 


Best Visual Effects 

"Gravity" * 


Best Sound Mixing 

"Gravity" * 


Best Sound Editing 

"Gravity" * 


Best Short Film, Live Action 

"Helium" 


Best Short Film, Animated 

"Mr. Hublot" 


Best Documentary Short 

"The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life" * 


Oscar Predictions 2014

Best Picture 

*"12 Years a Slave"


"The Wolf of Wall Street" 

"Captain Phillips" 

"Her" 

"American Hustle" 

"Gravity" 

"Dallas Buyers Club" 

"Nebraska" 

"Philomena"

Best Director
*Alfonso Cuaron -- "Gravity"


Steve McQueen -- "12 Years a Slave" 

David O. Russell -- "American Hustle" 


Alexander Payne -- "Nebraska" 

Martin Scorsese -- "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Best Actor
*Matthew McConaughey -- "Dallas Buyers Club"

 

Bruce Dern -- "Nebraska" 

Chiwetel Ejiofor -- "12 Years a Slave" 

Leonardo DiCaprio -- "The Wolf of Wall Street" 

Christian Bale -- "American Hustle"actress

Best Actress
*Cate Blanchett -- "Blue Jasmine" 


Amy Adams -- "American Hustle" 
 

Judi Dench -- "Philomena" 

Sandra Bullock -- "Gravity" 

Meryl Streep -- "August: Osage County"

Best Supporting Actor
*Jared Leto -- "Dallas Buyers Club" 



Barkhad Abdi -- "Captain Phillips" 

Bradley Cooper -- "American Hustle" 

Jonah Hill -- "The Wolf of Wall Street" 

Michael Fassbender -- "12 Years a Slave"

Best Supporting Actress
*Lupita Nyong'o -- "12 Years a Slave" 


Jennifer Lawrence -- "American Hustle" 


June Squibb -- "Nebraska" 

Julia Roberts -- "August: Osage County" 

Sally Hawkins -- "Blue Jasmine"

Best Original Screenplay
*"Her" -- Spike Jonze 



"American Hustle" -- David O. Russell and Eric Warren Singer 

"Blue Jasmine" -- Woody Allen 

"Nebraska" -- Bob Nelson 

"Dallas Buyers Club" -- Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack

Best Adapted Screenplay 

*"12 Years a Slave" -- John Ridley 


"Before Midnight" -- Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater 

"The Wolf of Wall Street" -- Terence Winter 

"Captain Phillips" -- Billy Ray 

"Philomena" -- Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope

Best Animated Feature
*"Frozen"


"The Wind Rises" 
 

"Despicable Me 2" 

"Ernest & Celestine" 

"The Croods"

Best Foreign Feature
*"The Great Beauty" (Italy)


"The Hunt" (Denmark) 

"The Broken Circle Breakdown" (Belgium) 
 

"Omar" (Palestinian territories) 

"The Missing Picture" (Cambodia)

Best Music (Original Song) 

*"Frozen": "Let it Go" -- Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez 


"Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom": "Ordinary Love" -- U2, Paul Hewson 

"Her": "The Moon Song" -- Karen O, Spike Jonze 

"Despicable Me 2": "Happy" -- Pharrell Williams 

"Alone Yet Not Alone": "Alone Yet Not Alone" -- Bruce Broughton, Dennis Spiegel

Best Music (Original Score) 

*"Gravity" -- Steven Price 


"Philomena" -- Alexandre Desplat 

"The Book Thief" -- John Williams 

"Saving Mr. Banks" -- Thomas Newman 

"Her" -- William Butler and Owen Pallett

Best Cinematography 

*"Gravity" -- Emmanuel Lubezki 


"Inside Llewyn Davis" -- Bruno Delbonnel 

"Nebraska" -- Phedon Papamichael 

"Prisoners" -- Roger Deakins 

"The Grandmaster" -- Phillippe Le Sourd

Best Costume Design 

*"The Great Gatsby" -- Catherine Martin 


"12 Years a Slave" -- Patricia Norris 

"The Grandmaster" -- William Chang Suk Ping 

"American Hustle" -- Michael Wilkinson 

"The Invisible Woman" -- Michael O'Connor

Best Documentary Feature
*"20 Feet From Stardom"

 

"The Act of Killing" 

"The Square" 

"Cutie and the Boxer" 

"Dirty Wars"

Best Film Editing 

*"Captain Phillips" -- Christopher Rouse

"Gravity" -- Alfonso Cuaron, Mark Sanger 

"12 Years a Slave"-- Joe Walker 
 

"American Hustle" -- Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers and Alan Baumgarten 

"Dallas Buyers Club" -- John Mac McMurphy and Martin Pensa

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
*"Dallas Buyers Club" -- Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews


"The Lone Ranger" -- Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny
"Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" -- Stephen Prouty 



Best Production Design
*"The Great Gatsby" -- Catherine Martin and Beverley Dunn


"12 Years a Slave" -- Adam Stockhausen and Alice Baker 
 

"American Hustle" -- Judy Becker and Heather Loeffler 

"Gravity" -- Andy Nicholson, Rosie Goodwin and Joanne Woollard 

"Her" -- K.K. Barrett and Gene Serdena

Best Visual Effects 

*"Gravity"


"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" 

"Star Trek Into Darkness" 

"Iron Man 3" 

"The Lone Ranger"

Best Sound Mixing 

*"Gravity"


"Captain Phillips" 

"Lone Survivor" 

"Inside Llewyn Davis" 

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

Best Sound Editing 

*"Gravity"


"All Is Lost" 

"Captain Phillips" 

"Lone Survivor" 

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

Best Short Film, Live Action
*"The Voorman Problem"


"Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me)" 

"Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)" "Helium" 

"Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)" 



Best Short Film, Animated
*"Get a Horse!"


"Feral" 
 

"Mr. Hublot" 

"Possessions" 

"Room on the Broom"

Best Documentary Short 

*"The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life"

"CaveDigger" 

"Facing Fear" 

"Karama Has No Walls" 
 

"Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall"

The Monuments Men

☆☆☆1/2

+
The fact that this is a true story...of a platoon sent to Germany in World War II to recover art stolen by Hitler...makes it much more interesting.
All star cast includes: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, and Cate Blanchett.
_
The first half (or more) is very slow...and the story should have been much better.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 52 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Labor Day

☆☆☆☆

+
Kate Winslet gives a strong performance as a single woman who can barely face the world because of past heartaches. Along comes Josh Brolin...a man in serious trouble...who reminders her how it feels to love someone.
-
It's slow...Winslet may have been "over directed"...the storyline is tough to believe, but this film is much better than most critics will lead you to believe.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 51 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

August: Osage County

☆☆☆☆☆

+
Based on Tracy Lett's play of the same name, "August..." is by far the best movie in a very long time. While telling the story of 3 sisters returning home for the funeral of their father...it manages to be funny and at the same time deeply moving.
This film offers two of the best performances this year. Julia Roberts as daughter Barbara Weston gives one of her best performances to date, and Meryl Streep deserves another Academy Award for her portrayal of Violet Weston...the drug addict mother filled with rage.
_
What was the Academy thinking when they did not nominate this film for Best Picture?
I am hoping voters won't pass over these two very deserving actresses.

Rated R
2 hr. 10 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Her

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
Joaquin Phoenix gives a strong and very real performance as writer Theodore Twombly...in an award winning story that actually establishes a convincing case that someone could fall in love with an advanced computer operating system.
_
Some may be distracted by the film's premise...suspend judgement and enjoy a great story.

Rated R
2 hr. 6 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer.

Nebraska

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
Bruce Dern stars as Woody Grant...an old man who is convinced he has won a million dollar magazine sweepstakes. Woody's attempts to get to Nebraska from Missouri bring his dysfunctional family together...at times in happiness and at times in sadness.

Fantastic performances by Bruce Dern, June Squibb, and Will Forte...who holds his own beside these seasoned actors.
_
Director, Alexander Payne gives viewers a film that is moody...and at times a little too grim.

Rated R
1 hr. 50 min.

Visit the movie website and watch the trailer!

2014 Academy Awards Nominations

Best Picture 

"12 Years a Slave" 

"The Wolf of Wall Street" 

"Captain Phillips" 

"Her" 

"American Hustle" 

"Gravity" 

"Dallas Buyers Club" 

"Nebraska" 

"Philomena"

Best Director 

Steve McQueen -- "12 Years a Slave" 

David O. Russell -- "American Hustle" 

Alfonso Cuaron -- "Gravity" 

Alexander Payne -- "Nebraska" 

Martin Scorsese -- "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Best Actor 

Bruce Dern -- "Nebraska" 

Chiwetel Ejiofor -- "12 Years a Slave" 

Matthew McConaughey -- "Dallas Buyers Club" 

Leonardo DiCaprio -- "The Wolf of Wall Street" 

Christian Bale -- "American Hustle"actress

Best Actress 

Amy Adams -- "American Hustle" 

Cate Blanchett -- "Blue Jasmine" 

Judi Dench -- "Philomena" 

Sandra Bullock -- "Gravity" 

Meryl Streep -- "August: Osage County"

Best Supporting Actor 

Barkhad Abdi -- "Captain Phillips" 

Bradley Cooper -- "American Hustle" 

Jonah Hill -- "The Wolf of Wall Street" 

Jared Leto -- "Dallas Buyers Club" 

Michael Fassbender -- "12 Years a Slave"

Best Supporting Actress 

Jennifer Lawrence -- "American Hustle" 

Lupita Nyong'o -- "12 Years a Slave" 

June Squibb -- "Nebraska" 

Julia Roberts -- "August: Osage County" 

Sally Hawkins -- "Blue Jasmine"

Best Original Screenplay 

"American Hustle" -- David O. Russell and Eric Warren Singer 

"Blue Jasmine" -- Woody Allen 

"Her" -- Spike Jonze 

"Nebraska" -- Bob Nelson 

"Dallas Buyers Club" -- Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack

Best Adapted Screenplay 

"12 Years a Slave" -- John Ridley 

"Before Midnight" -- Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater 

"The Wolf of Wall Street" -- Terence Winter 

"Captain Phillips" -- Billy Ray 

"Philomena" -- Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope

Best Animated Feature 

"The Wind Rises" 

"Frozen" 

"Despicable Me 2" 

"Ernest & Celestine" 

"The Croods"

Best Foreign Feature 

"The Hunt" (Denmark) 

"The Broken Circle Breakdown" (Belgium) 

"The Great Beauty" (Italy) 

"Omar" (Palestinian territories) 

"The Missing Picture" (Cambodia)

Best Music (Original Song) 

"Frozen": "Let it Go" -- Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez 

"Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom": "Ordinary Love" -- U2, Paul Hewson 

"Her": "The Moon Song" -- Karen O, Spike Jonze 

"Despicable Me 2": "Happy" -- Pharrell Williams 

"Alone Yet Not Alone": "Alone Yet Not Alone" -- Bruce Broughton, Dennis Spiegel

Best Music (Original Score) 

"Gravity" -- Steven Price 

"Philomena" -- Alexandre Desplat 

"The Book Thief" -- John Williams 

"Saving Mr. Banks" -- Thomas Newman 

"Her" -- William Butler and Owen Pallett

Best Cinematography 

"Gravity" -- Emmanuel Lubezki 

"Inside Llewyn Davis" -- Bruno Delbonnel 

"Nebraska" -- Phedon Papamichael 

"Prisoners" -- Roger Deakins 

"The Grandmaster" -- Phillippe Le Sourd

Best Costume Design 

"The Great Gatsby" -- Catherine Martin 

"12 Years a Slave" -- Patricia Norris 

"The Grandmaster" -- William Chang Suk Ping 

"American Hustle" -- Michael Wilkinson 

"The Invisible Woman" -- Michael O'Connor

Best Documentary Feature 

"The Act of Killing" 

"20 Feet From Stardom" 

"The Square" 

"Cutie and the Boxer" 

"Dirty Wars"

Best Film Editing 

"Gravity" -- Alfonso Cuaron, Mark Sanger 

"12 Years a Slave"-- Joe Walker 

"Captain Phillips" -- Christopher Rouse 

"American Hustle" -- Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers and Alan Baumgarten 

"Dallas Buyers Club" -- John Mac McMurphy and Martin Pensa

Best Makeup and Hairstyling 

"The Lone Ranger" -- Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny
"Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" -- Stephen Prouty 

"Dallas Buyers Club" -- Adruitha Lee and Robin Mathews

Best Production Design 

"12 Years a Slave" -- Adam Stockhausen and Alice Baker 

"The Great Gatsby" -- Catherine Martin and Beverley Dunn 

"American Hustle" -- Judy Becker and Heather Loeffler 

"Gravity" -- Andy Nicholson, Rosie Goodwin and Joanne Woollard 

"Her" -- K.K. Barrett and Gene Serdena

Best Visual Effects 

"Gravity" 

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" 

"Star Trek Into Darkness" 

"Iron Man 3" 

"The Lone Ranger"

Best Sound Mixing 

"Gravity" 

"Captain Phillips" 

"Lone Survivor" 

"Inside Llewyn Davis" 

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

Best Sound Editing 

"Gravity" 

"All Is Lost" 

"Captain Phillips" 

"Lone Survivor" 

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

Best Short Film, Live Action 

"Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me)" 

"Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)" "Helium" 

"Pitaako Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)" 

"The Voorman Problem"

Best Short Film, Animated 

"Feral" 

"Get a Horse!" 

"Mr. Hublot" 

"Possessions" 

"Room on the Broom"

Best Documentary Short 

"CaveDigger" 

"Facing Fear" 

"Karama Has No Walls" 

"The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life" 

"Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall"

The Wolf of Wall Street

☆☆☆☆

+
Leonardo DiCaprio gives an outstanding performance as stockbroker Jordan Belfort, who is living the American dream...but his dream includes corruption and a wild life of women and drugs.
-
The character of Jordan Belfort (or maybe it's the performance) seems like so many other characters DiCaprio has played.

This film needs a little editing...it's just feels long.

Rated R
2 hr. 59 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

☆☆☆1/2

+
"The Hobbit..." is the second film in a trilogy adapted from "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien that tells the engaging tale of Bilbo (Martin Freeman), Gandalf (Ian McKellan), Thorin and 13 dwarves on a quest to take back the Kingdom of Erebor.
The make-up and cinematography are outstanding.
-
Viewers need to know that this is an unfinished story...ending with the line "What have we done?"

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 41 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas

☆☆1/2

+
Tyler Perry returns as Madea...the crazy gal who finds herself traveling to the country to pay a relative a surprise visit.
Madea's "unfiltered" comments will make you laugh.
_
This could easily be a T.V. movie.
It feels unscripted...at times it's great and at times it's silly.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 45 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer!

Inside Llewyn Davis

☆☆☆1/2

+
In spite of being a talented folk singer, Llewyn David (strong performance by Oscar Isaac) just can't make it work as a career.

Great music. Isaac can not only act, but he also has a terrific voice.
_
In spite of a few laughs, "Inside..." is just too melancholy, and...even though endings do not have to be happy to be good...this ending is just unsatisfying.

Rated R
1 hr. 45 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Saving Mr. Banks

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, and Collin Farrell star in "Saving Mr. Banks," the touching story (based on actual events) of the making of the film "Mary Poppins."
Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) is determined to make the film, but P.L. Travers (author of "Mary Poppins"...played by Thompson) is reluctant to turn her book into a film.
Thompson plays Travers' gradual change of heart with a subtlety that is not only believable...but heartwarming as well.
_
The connection to Travers' childhood is slightly confusing at times.

Rated PG-13
2 hr.

Visit the official website and see the trailer!

American Hustle

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
"American Hustle" (considered by some a drama and others a comedy) tells the story of Christian Bale and Amy Adams, two con artists who help FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) pull off a hustle that keeps them out of jail.

Jennifer Lawrence stars as Bale's wife...who may just unknowingly ruin the whole plan.

Adams and Lawrence give great performances. Possible Oscars nods?
_
The caper gets a little confusing.

It's important for a film to accurately represent the time period, but "American..." overdid it.
Too much attention to clothes, hairstyles, home decor, cars, music...

Rated R
2 hr. 9 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer!

Out of the Furnace

☆☆☆1/2

+
Christian Bale stars as Russell Baze...Rodney Baze Jr.'s (Casey Affleck) older brother. In spite of problems of his own, Russell will do whatever it takes to protect and fight for Rodney's safety...and eventually his life.

Solid performances by Bale and Affleck.
_
A grim story that gets worse as the movie goes on.

Forest Whitaker is miscast as Chief Wesley Barnes.

Rated R
1 hr. 46 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Philomena

☆☆☆☆☆

+
Based on actual events, "Philomena" is the emotional (you'll laugh and cry) story of Philomena Lee (wonderful performance by Judi Dench), a woman in search of the son she was forced to give-up for adoption almost 50 years earlier.
Steve Coogan stars as journalist Martin Sixsmith, a man (interested in writing a human interest story) who helps Philomena search for her son.
_
May be tough to find in some cities.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 34 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss Everdeen the co-winner (along with Peeta Mellark played by Josh Hutcherson) of the 74th Annual Hunger Games. Her victory begins to create an anti-Capitol stir among the people in the districts.

Lawrence takes "...Catching Fire" from good to great with an outstanding performance. She plays Katniss with the perfect amount of power and emotion.

All star cast includes: Liam Hemsworth, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, and Philip Seymour Hoffman
_
Lawrence delivers lines that...if someone else had delivered them...could have been pretty cheesy.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 26 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer.

Dallas Buyers Club

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
Look for Matthew McConaughey to be nominated for his performance as Ron Woodroof a Texas cowboy who became HIV positive in the years before approved treatments were available. He took matters into his own hands and illegally obtained unapproved medications and created a buyers' club to get the drugs to people with HIV and AIDS.

Look for a possible Supporting Actor nomination for Jared Leto as well.



_
Hand-held camera and the adjustments to the true story may bother some viewers.

Rated R
1 hr. 57 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

12 Years a Slave

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
Directed by Steve McQueen (“Shame”), “12 Years A Slave” is the incredible story (based on actual events) of Solomon Northup (fantastic performance by Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free New York citizen who was kidnapped and forced into slavery on a New Orleans plantation in the 1880s.

Look for Oscar nominations for this film!

All star cast includes: Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sarah Paulson, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Alfre Woodard, Lupita Nyong’o, and Adepero Oduye
_
All the cameos are actually a little distracting.


Rated R
2 hr. 13 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!

Gravity

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
Oscar® nominated director Alfonso Cuaron (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) delivers a unique suspenseful drama starring Oscar® winners Sandra Bullock (look for award nominations for this performance) and George Clooney as Dr. Ryan Stone and Matt Kowalsky (respectfully)…two astronauts who face disaster on a routine spacewalk.

Amazing Special Effects.
Worth Seeing in IMAX 3-D
_
Matt Kowalsky is way too casual about the whole situation, and Dr. Stone was able to hang-on by a few fingers…a few too many times.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 31 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer!

Rush

☆☆☆☆

+
Academy Award® winning director Ron Howard (“A Beautiful Mind”) brings us the historic rivalry between two Formula 1 race car drivers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth – “Thor”) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl – “Inglourious Basterds”) in this fast-paced action adventure (based on a true story).
_
Not enough emotional connection.

Rated R
2 hr. 3 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

Short Term 12

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
“Short Term 12” (one of the best reviewed films of the year) is the kind of movie that is so real…you forget you are watching actors acting.
Brie Larson gives a rich…but subtle performance as Grace, a supervisor of a group home for at risk teenagers, whose own demons surface when a new young girl with a similar past arrives.
_
Would Grace really go that far?

Rated R
1 hr. 36 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

Prisoners

☆☆☆☆

+
Academy Award nominee Hugh Jackman gives an intense emotional performance as Keller Dover, a man faced with trying to put the pieces together to find his missing daughter, Anna. All signs point to the Alex Jones (excellent performance by Paul Dano), a mysterious man seen in the neighborhood around the time Anna went missing.

“Prisoners” is the kind of movie that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats…wondering who is responsible.
_
Hugh Jackman’s character was a little too intense…maybe “over directed?”

The “maze” was never explained sufficiently??

Rated R
2 hr. 26 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

The Spectacular Now

☆☆☆1/2

+
Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) gives another excellent performance as Aimee Finicky in Tim Tharp’s engaging teen dramedy about two high school seniors who make an unexpected connection.
_
Miles Teller also turns-in a strong performance as Aimee’s unlikely new friend Sutter Keely.
It’s difficult to buy this high school kid who seems to have a drink in every scene with little or no objection from any adults.

Rated R
1 hr. 35 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

In a World...

☆☆

+
Writer/Director/Star Lake Bell offers-up some smiles as a woman trying to break into the male dominated world of voice-overs.
_
This movie just doesn’t make breaking into this “world” all that interesting.
Her father is written as a jerk…who comes-around in the last few minutes.

Rated R
1 hr. 33 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

The Wolverine

☆☆☆

+
Hugh Jackman is by far the best thing about “The Wolverine” a sequel (or not) to 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.”

In this fast-paced action adventure, Wolverine travels to Japan where he is forced to consider his own immortality.
_
In spite of Jackman’s solid performance, the movie just isn’t that good.
It’s becomes more of a shoot-em-up and stab-em-up than a real story.

Visit the official website and see the trailer!

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 16 min.

Lee Daniels' The Butler

☆☆☆☆☆

+
“The Butler,” directed by Lee Daniels (“Precious”), and starring Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker as Eugene Allen…a man who served eight presidents during his 30-year employment as a White House butler…is sure to be nominated for Best Picture.

To date this is by far the best film of 2013…not only because of outstanding performances by Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey (among others), but because of it’s power to “move” people. It’s rare when a movie can make an audience laugh, cry, and even applaud.
_
Getting past TV icon Oprah took a few minutes, but she gives a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 6 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.

Elysium

☆☆☆1/2

+
Directed by Neill Blomkamp (“District 9”) and starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, “Elysium” is the engaging, futuristic thriller that tells the story of Max, a man who dares to challenge the immigration laws that keep the less fortunate on a devastated, overpopulated Earth…while the wealthy enjoy a care free life on an orbiting space station.
_
This “After Earth” theme is showing-up over and over!

Rated R
1 hr. 37 min.


Visit the official website and watch the trailer.