Crazy, Stupid, Love.

☆☆☆1/2

+
“Crazy, Stupid, Love” is the comical…and at times moving…story of Cal Weaver (solid performance by Steve Carell), who after finding out his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) cheated on him and wants a divorce, meets Jacob (Ryan Gosling “nails” this character) a ladies’ man who coaches Cal in the art of dating.

Great (and surprising) climax...shades of Robert Altman...where an event brings all the characters together.

Marisa Tomei gives a terrific supporting performance.
_
The babysitter’s love interest story was a little “awkward.”

Rated PG-13 (sexual content and language)
1 hr. 58 min.

Visit the "Crazy, Stupid, Love" website and see the trailer.

Captain America: The First Avenger

☆☆☆

+
If you liked the Marvel comic…you’ll like "Captain America: The First Avenger.”
This enjoyable summer popcorn movie tells the story of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), who in spite of being frail and asthmatic, enlists in the army and volunteers to be part of an experimental program that turns him into the Super Soldier known as Captain America.
_
Missing a little of the tension, drama, and dynamics that make a movie like this great.

Don’t leave too early…a quick scene after the credits roll.


Rated PG-13
2 hr. 1 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer!

Friends with Benefits

☆☆☆1/2

+
“Friends…” is a fun…and very funny…romantic comedy starring Mila Kunis as Jamie, a high profile New York City headhunter, who connects Dylan (Justin Timberlake), a recruit from San Francisco, with a top job at GQ Magazine.

Jamie and Dylan decide they're going to try and turn their friendship into one with “benefits”…but without the emotional ties.

Woody Harrelson and Richard Jenkins offer great supporting performances.
_
Predictable

Patricia Clarkson’s character (Jamie’s mother) is “over-written"...but she gives a solid performance.

Don't leave early...a few out-takes after the credits.

Rated R
1 hr. 49 min.

Visit the "Friends with Benefits" website and see the trailer!

Beginners

☆☆1/2

+
At times touching…with bits of joy…“Beginners” starring Ewan McGregor as Oliver…a man who meets and falls for Anna (Melanie Laurent of Inglourious Basterds) a few months after the death of his father Hal (Christopher Plummer).

Fine performances by McGregor and Laurent…along with early Oscar buzz for Plummer.
_
The film mopes along…slow and sad…without much comedy or drama.

If you enjoy mostly melancholy…this one’s for you.

1 hr. 44 min.

Rated: R (language and some sexual content)

Visit the website and see the trailer.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2 is the exciting and very satisfying final chapter of the most successful film franchise in history.
As Harry, Ron, and Hermione continue to search for and destroy the three remaining Horcruxes, Voldemort finds out about their mission and Harry faces the Dark Lord one last time.

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have grown tremendously as actors, and the visual effects have greatly improved since the “… The Sorcerer’s Stone.”

Fans of the series will be sad to see it end.
_

The romance between Ron and Hermione seems forced and unconvincing.

The 3D version was a complete waste of money…another blurry 3-D film. Is it poor quality glasses or film?

Rated PG-13
2 hrs. 10 min.



Visit the official Harry Potter...Hallows II website and watch the trailer!

Horrible Bosses

☆☆☆1/2

+
“Horrible Bosses” is the laugh-out-loud comedy starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis (“Saturday Night Live”) and Charlie Day as three friends whose lives are miserable due to their obnoxious bosses (Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell and Jennifer Aniston).
The friends come-up with a crazy plan to “off” their bosses with the help of “murder consultant” Jamie Foxx.

Jason Bateman delivers the laughs.
His dry hilarious delivery makes him one of the best comedic actors today.


_
May be a little too close to “The Hangover” for some.

Adults Only…Crude Sexual Humor

Rated R
1 hr. 38 min.


Visit the website and watch the "Horrible Bosses" trailer!

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

☆☆☆1/2

+
In this action-packed third Transformers installment Shia LaBeouf is back and better than ever as Sam Witwicky…a recent college graduate struggling to find a job while trying to help Optimus Prime and the Autobots defeat the Decepticons who have invaded the Earth.

All-Star cast including: Francis McDormand, John Malkovich, Josh Duhamel
_
“…Dark of the Moon” is better than “Revenge of the Fallen,” but not as good as “Transformers.”

Tough to tell the good robots from the bad robots in battle scenes.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 34 min.

Visit the "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" website and see the trailer!

Larry Crowne

☆☆☆

+
In this fun summer-lite comedy (that doesn’t take itself too seriously), Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks) loses his job at UMart and enrolls in college...where he makes some new and unexpected friends…including a female professor played by Julia Roberts.
_
The screenplay by Tom Hanks and Nia Vardalos (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) suffers from some plot pitfalls (Larry’s involvement in the motorbike gang) and some jokes that fall flat.

Rated PG-13 (brief strong language and some sexual content)
1 hr. 39 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer!

Mr. Popper's Penguins

☆☆☆

+
Suitable for the whole family…and inspired by the Newbery Award-winning children's book…“Mr. Popper's Penguins” is a live-action comedy (starring Jim Carrey) that tells the story of a man who inherited a rookery of penguins and through the experience learned how to put his family first.
_
Fans of the 1938 book may be disappointed to find that the film doesn’t follow the famous children’s story.

Jim Carrey holds back the “crazy” just enough to make his performance work.


Rated PG (Mild Rude Humor)
1 hr. 35 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!

Buck

☆☆☆☆

+
Buck is the award-winning documentary that tells the engaging (and moving) story of Buck Brannaman, the man whose intuitive ability to communicate and work with horses inspired “The Horse Whisperer.”

U.S. Documentary Audience Award 
Sundance 2011
_
This film is much more than a story about horses…it’s about passion, family and love.

Rated PG
1 hr. 28 min.

Visit the movie website and see the trailer.

Bad Teacher

☆☆☆1/2

+
“Bad Teacher” is a racy and fun comedy starring the always enjoyable Cameron Diaz as foul-mouthed, pot-smoking, seventh grade teacher Elizabeth Halsey who will do anything to get money to buy herself bigger breasts.
Lucy Punch (“Dinner for Schmucks”) and Phyllis Smith (“The Office”) turn in great performances as Elizabeth’s colleagues.
Also starring: Jason Segel, Justin Timberlake, and Eric Stonestreet
_
Keep the kids at home…this one is for adults…and it may be too raunchy for some adults.
The “bad” was a little overdone.

Rated R
1 hr. 32 min.

Visit the "Bad Teacher" website and see the trailer!

Green Lantern

☆☆1/2

+
Fans of this DC Comic will enjoy “Green Lantern” starring Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan, a talented test pilot, who is recruited by the Green Lantern Corps…the protectors of peace and justice.

The film doesn’t take itself too seriously and it sports an all star cast including: Angela Bassett (“What’s Love Got to Do with It”), Tim Robbins (“Mystic River”), and Peter Sarsgaard (“An Education”).
_
Slow start with an educational voice-over explaining the Green Lantern Corps

Superhero films work so much better when they are as realistic as possible…special effects shouldn’t look like animation.

Stick around for a short scene...after the credits start to roll!

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 45 min.

Visit the "Green Lantern" website and see the trailer!

The Tree of Life

_
As a movie critic, I’m supposed to love Terrence Malick’s latest film “The Tree of Life.”
It’s the kind of movie that people don’t want to admit that they don’t like…but I am here to tell you that this is only the second movie I have ever walked out of…and yes I gave it a chance.
After about 90 minutes of heavy-handed music, barely any dialogue or narrative, and imagery including the history of the universe, a confrontation between two dinosaurs, and Mom floating through the air…I left the theater.
Sometimes you run across a movie that just tries too hard to be avant-garde.

*I will not assign a star rating to this movie since I did not see the entire film.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 18 min.


Visit the official movie website and watch the trailer.

Super 8

☆☆☆

+
In “Super 8” (a fun mix of “Goonies,” “E-T,” and “War of the Worlds”) we meet a group of friends who witness a terrible accident (that leads to some curious and scary events) while filming a super 8 movie.

The film stars Kyle Chandler and Elle Fanning…along with some excellent special effects.

Great attention to 70’s details…haircuts, clothes, and music…
_
but people weren’t saying “awesome” and “totally” in the 70s.

As soon as a film reveals the “monster”…the mystery is gone. It is much more suspenseful when we don't see “it.".

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 52 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!

X-Men: First Class

☆☆☆1/2

+
In this X-Men prequel (one of the best in the franchise), we travel back to the 1960s (the U.S. is facing nuclear war with Russia) and meet Charles Xavier (excellent performance by James McAvoy), Erik Lehnsherrhe / Magneto (Michael Fassbender), and several other mutants…both good and bad (Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw and January Jones as Emma Frost).
_
Hard-core comic fans may not like the character and storyline changes.

People weren’t saying “How is that working for you?” (as a sarcastic remark) in the 60s.


Rated PG-13
2 hr. 12 min.

Visit the Official "X-Men: First Class" website and see the trailer!

Midnight in Paris

☆☆1/2

+
While vacationing in Paris with fiancée Inez (Rachel McAdams), Gil (endearing performance by Owen Wilson) magically time-travels back to the era he dreams of…Paris in the 20s.

In addition to Wilson and McAdams, director Woody Allen assembled an all-star cast: Marion Cotillard, Michael Sheen, Kathy Bates, and Adrien Brody…
_
who play some very annoying characters!

The time-travel is fun, but the storyline is forced.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 28 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer!

Hangover: Part II

☆☆☆☆

+
In this entertaining sequel, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) are back…and in more trouble than ever when they travel to Thailand for Stu’s wedding.
The plot may be the same…but the craziness that happens on this trip is just as outrageous and funny as the first installment.

Zach Galifianakis adds extra laughs with his spot-on comedic delivery.
_
The plot is the same and the outcome is the same…but don’t let that keep you from seeing this movie!

Adults Only: strong language, strong sexual content (including graphic nudity), and drug use


1 hr. 42 min.
Rated R

Visit the website and see the trailer!

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

☆☆☆

+
Johnny Depp…starring as Jack Sparrow who is on a quest to reach the fountain of youth…steals every scene and adds the fun to “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.”

Penelope Cruz and Geoffrey Rush give strong supporting performances.
_
This installment is a little long…but easier to follow than the last few.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 17 min.

Watch the trailer!

Bridesmaids

☆☆☆☆

+
“Bridesmaids” (from producer Judd Apatow…”Knocked Up,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”) starring the hilarious Kristen Wiig as Annie…whose life is falling apart as she tries to be the perfect maid of honor…delivers laughs, heart, and a few OMG moments.
Melissa McCarthy (“Gilmore Girls”) steals the show. Visit her website and see the cast on “The View.”
_
Strong language and one gross scene that almost crosses the “bad taste line.”



Rated R
2 hr. 5 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer!

THOR

☆☆☆

+
Based on the Marvel character, “Thor” is a fun, action-packed story of the mighty warrior (well-cast Chris Hemsworth) who is cast down to Earth for defying his father and reigniting a long-past war with the Frost Giants.

Oscar winning supporting cast (Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins)
_
Jeremy Renner and Rene Russo’s talents are wasted in bit parts.

What exactly is Thor’s superpower…throwing a hammer?

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 55 min.

Visit the "Thor" website and watch the trailer!

Soul Surfer

☆☆☆1/2

+
Based on true events, “Soul Surfer” is the inspiring story of Bethany Hamilton (played by AnnaSophia Robb), a teenage surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack and fought to get back on her board and become the champion she was meant to be.
Helen Hunt gives a strong heartfelt performance as Bethany’s mother, Cheri.
_
Uneven acting…strong performances mixed with poor performances.

Take a tissue…this one’s a tearjerker.

Rated PG
1 hr. 45 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer!

HANNA

☆☆☆1/2

+
In this engaging suspense thriller, Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, The Lovely Bones) delivers an excellent performance as Hanna. Raised in Finland by her father (Eric Bana) to be the perfect assassin, Hanna fights to survive as she faces secrets about who she really is.
_
Violent
Disappointing performance by Cate Blanchett (CIA operative).

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 51 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Water for Elephants

☆☆☆☆

+
“Water for Elephants" (based on the bestselling novel) is the compelling story of Jacob (excellent performance by Robert Pattinson), a young college student, and Marlena (Reese Witherspoon), a Big Top performer, who meet and fall in love while working with Rosie…a special elephant in the circus.
Christoph Waltz as August (Marlena’s abusive husband) turns-in a strong performance as well.
_
Predictable
Some fans of the novel expressed disappointment in the film version.

Rated PG-13
2 hrs. 2 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!

Rio

☆☆☆1/2

+
“Rio” (from the makers of “Ice Age”) is the fun, colorful, and family friendly animated story about Blu (Jesse Eisenberg), a rare macaw, who leaves his comfortable life in Minnesota to travel to Rio to meet another rare macaw named Jewel (Anne Hathaway).

The two macaws, along with a menagerie of characters (George Lopez, Jaime Fox, Will.i.am), face the adventure of a lifetime.

Excellent in 3-D…worth the extra money.
_
Looking for a little more “heart.”

Rated G
1 hr. 36 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!

Win Win

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
“Win Win” is a heartwarming comedy from writer-director Tom McCarthy (“The Station Agent” and “The Visitor”) starring Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, and newcomer Alex Shaffer.
Mike Flaherty (Giamatti), a struggling lawyer trying to make ends meet, grabs a moneymaking opportunity by becoming the guardian of one of his clients. When the runaway grandson of the client (Shaffer) shows-up on grandpa’s doorstep, life changes for the Flaherty family.
Amy Ryan turns in an excellent performance…and Bobby Cannavale (“The Station Agent and “Will and Grace”), as Flaherty’s best friend, adds some fun.

The best film I've seen in 2011!
_
This independent film isn’t getting the “BUZZ” it deserves.

Rated R
1 hr. 46 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer!

The Lincoln Lawyer

☆☆☆☆

+
In this edgy thriller, based on Michael Connelly’s book, Matthew McConaughey (in one of his best performances) stars as Michael "Mick" Haller, a slick Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who operates out of the back of his Lincoln Continental (license plate…NTGUILTY).
Mick lands a case (defending the wealthy Louis Roulet…played by Ryan Phillippe) that takes a turn and challenges his view of right and wrong.
_
May be considered predictable and/or confusing.

Rated R
1 hr. 58 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer!

Source Code

☆☆☆☆
+
In this exciting science fiction thriller (from director Duncan Jones and writer Ben Ripley), Captain Colter Stevens (spot-on performance by Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in another man’s body on a Chicago commuter train that’s about to be bombed. His mission is to find the bomber in the last 8 minutes of the other man’s life.

Solid supporting performances by Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga.
_
Some say the movie just doesn’t make sense.
Disturbing Images


Rated PG-13
1 hr. 33 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!

Limitless

☆☆☆

+
In this engaging sci-fi thriller, Bradley Cooper stars as Eddie Morra…a down and out writer who discovers a pill that can activate 100% of a person’s brain (experts claim we only use 20%)…making it possible to learn, understand, and process information much faster.
Creative visual effects capture Eddie’s movement through time and his access of memories.
_
The movie seems a little glib about the subject.
There is a subplot about a murder that raises questions…that don’t get answered.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 45 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!

The Adjustment Bureau

☆☆

+
In this romantic thriller (based on Philip K. Dick’s “Adjustment Team”)…politician David Norris meets and falls in love with Elise Sellas (solid performances by Matt Damon and Emily Blunt).
Since this relationship is not part of Norris’ destiny, according to “The Chairman,” the Adjustment Bureau intervenes.
_
The story moves from excitement to silliness…ridiculous conversations between the men of The Bureau (wearing magical fedoras and acting like robots) and Norris who is determined to change “The Chairman’s” (God’s) plan.

Is it metaphysical…is it science fiction (not really)?
It’s mostly just a movie that doesn’t work.

1 hr. 49 min.
Rated PG-13

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Rango

☆☆☆☆

+
Johnny Depp turns in a terrific performance as Lars, a pet chameleon who (after an accident that separates him from his human family) ends up in the town of Dirt where he creates a new persona for himself…Rango…the brave hero of the West.
The residents of Dirt, devastated by the mysterious disappearance of all their water, welcome Rango as their new sheriff.

The animation is exceptional and the film offers laughs for young and old…the owl mariachi band was a favorite.



_

Parents need to observe the PG rating…as some of the content may “cross the line” (rude humor, some adult language, action, and smoking).

Even though 3D has been overused in the last few years…a 3D version of Rango would have been fun!

Rated PG
1 hr. 47 min.

Visit the "Rango" website and watch the trailer!

2011 Academy Award Winners

Best Picture
“The King's Speech” Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers

Directing
“The King's Speech” Tom Hooper


Actor in a Leading Role
Colin Firth in “The King's Speech”

Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale in “The Fighter”

Actress in a Leading Role
Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”

Actress in a Supporting Role
Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”

Animated Feature Film
“Toy Story 3” Lee Unkrich

Foreign Language Film
“In a Better World” Denmark

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
“The Social Network” Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin

Writing (Original Screenplay)
“The King's Speech” Screenplay by David Seidler

Art Direction
“Alice in Wonderland” 
Production Design: Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara

Cinematography
“Inception” Wally Pfister

Costume Design
“Alice in Wonderland” Colleen Atwood

Documentary (Feature)
“Inside Job” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

Documentary (Short Subject)
“Strangers No More” Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon

Film Editing
“The Social Network” Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter

Makeup
“The Wolfman” Rick Baker and Dave Elsey

Music (Original Score)
“The Social Network” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Music (Original Song)
“We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Short Film (Animated)
“The Lost Thing” Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann

Short Film (Live Action)
“God of Love” Luke Matheny

Sound Editing
“Inception” Richard King

Sound Mixing
“Inception” Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick

Visual Effects
“Inception” Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb

StarMovieReviews Oscar Predictions 2011

Picture: "The King's Speech

Actor: Colin Firth "The King's Speech"

Actress: Natalie Portman "Black Swan"

Supp. Actor: Christian Bale "The Fighter"

Supp. Actress: Melissa Leo "The Fighter"

Director: David Fincher "The Social Network"

Original Screenplay: David Seidler "The King's Speech"

Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin "The Social Network"

Art Direction: "The King's Speech"

Cinematography: "True Grit"

Costume Design: "The King's Speech"

Editing: "The Social Network"

Makeup: "The Wolfman"

Score: "The Social Network"

Song: "We Belong Together" ("Toy Story 3")

Sound Editing: "Inception"

Sound Mixing: "Inception"

Visual Effects: "Inception"

Foreign Language: "In a Better World"

Animated Feature: "Toy Story 3"

Animated Short: "The Gruffalo"

Documentary Feature: "Inside Job"

Documentary Short: "Strangers No More"

Live Action Short: "Wish 143"

Visit the official Oscar website!

Unknown

☆☆☆

+
In this “keep-you-guessing” thriller, Liam Neeson plays Dr. Martin Harris…who finds upon awakening from a coma that another man (Aidan Quinn) has stolen his identity…even his wife (January Jones) doesn’t recognize him.
Dr. Martin forms an unlikely alliance with Gina (Diane Kruger) a Berlin taxi driver, who joins him in his fight to uncover the truth.
_
Neeson seems a little off his game in this one…maybe miscast?
The answers to this mystery were almost disappointing.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 49 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!

Just Go With It

☆☆☆

+
In this fun romantic comedy, Danny (Adam Sandler) gets Katherine (Jennifer Aniston) to agree to pose as his soon-to-be-divorced wife and her kids to pretend to be his children…all in the hopes of winning the heart of Palmer (Brooklyn Decker).

Katherine’s daughter, Maggie (Bailee Madison), steals the show!
_
Nicole Kidman (Devlin Adams) is entertaining as Katherine’s old sorority sister…but the performance is a little “over-done.”

Silly
Crude Sexual Content

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 50 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!

Biutiful

☆☆☆1/2

+
“Biutiful” (Academy Award Nomination for best foreign film) is the powerful and heartbreaking story of Uxbal (Academy Award nominated performance by Javier Bardem)…a criminal, a father, and a man who is facing death and struggling to provide for the future of his children.
-
Disturbing Images, Language, Drug Use
Spanish with English subtitles

2 hr. 28 min.
Rated R

Visit the website and watch the trailer!

The Illusionist

☆☆1/2

+
“The Illusionist” (written and directed by Sylvain Chomet - “The Triplets of Belleville”) is the Oscar nominated story of an aging magician forced to travel from town to town and country to country to find opportunities to perform his act. At a stop in Scotland he meets Alice, a young girl who follows him to his next job in Edinburgh. The two develop a father daughter relationship…
_
that is reminiscent of the children’s story “The Giving Tree” (Shel Silverstein). The girl continues to ask for more and more of the illusionist (shoes, dresses, coats)…who continues to give and is happy…but not really.

Rated PG
1 hr. 23 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

Academy Award Nominations 2011

Best Motion Picture of the Year

Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone




Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

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

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem (Biutiful)
Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
James Franco (127 Hours)
Jeff Bridges (True Grit)


Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

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)

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams (The Fighter)
Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech)
Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

Achievement in Directing
Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)
David O. Russell (The Fighter)
Tom Hooper (The King's Speech)
David Fincher (The Social Network)
Joel and Ethan Coen (True Grit)

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

Best Documentary Short Subject
Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang

Best Short Film (Animated)
Day & Night Teddy Newton
The Gruffalo Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
Let's Pollute Geefwee Boedoe
The Lost Thing Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary) Bastien Dubois

Best Short Film (Live Action)
The Confession Tanel Toom
The Crush Michael Creagh
God of Love Luke Matheny
Na Wewe Ivan Goldschmidt
Wish 143 Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

Achievement in Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit

Achievement in Cinematography
Black Swan (Matthew Libatique)
Inception (Wally Pfister)
The King's Speech (Danny Cohen)
The Social Network (Jeff Cronenweth)
True Grit (Roger Deakins)


Achievement in Costume Design
Alice in Wonderland (Colleen Atwood)
I Am Love (Antonella Cannarozzi)
The King's Speech (Jenny Beaven)
The Tempest (Sandy Powell)
True Grit (Mary Zophres)


Best Documentary Feature
Exit through the Gift Shop Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)
Gasland Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)
Inside Job Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)
Restrepo Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, directors (Outpost Films)
Waste Land Lucy Walker, director (Almega Projects)

Achievement in Makeup
Barney's Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman


Achievement in Film Editing
Black Swan (Andrew Weisblum)
The Fighter (Pamela Martin)
The King's Speech (Tariq Anwar)
127 Hours (Jon Harris)
The Social Network (Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall)

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Biutiful (Mexico)
Dogtooth (Greece)
In a Better World (Denmark)
Incendies (Canada)
Hors la Loi (Algeria)

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)
How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell)
Inception (Hans Zimmer)
The King's Speech (Alexandre Desplat)
127 Hours (A.R. Rahman)
The Social Network (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)
"Coming Home" from Country Strong Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
"I See the Light" from Tangled Music and Lyric by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
"If I Rise" from 127 Hours Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
"We Belong Together" from Toy Story 3 Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Achievement in Sound Editing
Inception
Toy Story 3
TRON: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable

Achievement in Sound Mixing
Inception
The King's Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

Achievement in Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2

Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours (Simon Beaufoy and Danny Boyle)
The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin)
Toy Story 3 (Michael Arndt, story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich)
True Grit (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen)
Winter's Bone (Debra Granik and Anne Rossellini)

Original Screenplay
Another Year (Mike Leigh)
The Fighter (Paul Attanasio, Lewis Colich, Eric Johnson, Scott Silverand Paul Tamasy)
Inception (Christopher Nolan)
The Kids are All Right (Stuart Blumberg and Lisa Cholodenko)
The King's Speech (David Seidler)

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Blue Valentine

☆☆☆☆
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Blue Valentine is an intimate story that moves between a couple’s past and present. Filmmaker Derek Cianfrance skillfully captures the early years when Cindy (Michelle Williams) and Dean (Ryan Gosling) enjoyed a passionate romance…as well as their current fight to hold together a dying relationship.
Look for Oscar nominations for Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling who give two of the most outstanding performances of the year…natural, raw, and believable.
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This romantic drama is one to add to the list of depressing films.

Rated R
1 hr. 52 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

Rabbit Hole

☆☆☆☆☆


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“Rabbit Hole” (based on the play by David Lindsay-Abaire) is the gripping drama about, Becca and Howie Corbett, a married couple dealing with the accidental death of their young son.

Director…John Cameron Mitchell manages to avoid what could be a gloomy story…by providing hope and a few smiles along the way.

Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, and Dianne Wiest give outstanding performances in one of the best films of the year.
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Don’t feel guilty about having a few laughs.


Rated PG-13
1 hr. 31 min.

Visit the Rabbit Hole website and watch the trailer.

True Grit

☆☆☆☆

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In this entertaining and well-acted western drama, Joel and Ethan Coen give us a fresh new adaptation of Charles Portis' original novel.
Fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld) hires a drunken U.S. Marshal, Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to find her father’s killer, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin).
Texas Ranger, LeBoeuf (Matt Damon) joins Ross and Cogburn in the hunt.

Expect nominations for Bridges, Damon, and possibly Steinfeld.
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Slow Start
A Few Violent Scenes

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 50 min.

Visit the movie website and watch the trailer!

How Do You Know?

☆☆

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In this romantic comedy (that offers a few laughs) we meet Lisa (Reese Witherspoon)…who after being cut from the USA softball team begins dating Matty (Owen Wilson)…a Major League womanizer and baseball player.
George (Paul Rudd), who is down on his luck…facing financial ruin…meets Lisa and the love triangle is complete.

Jack Nicholson stars as George’s father.
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This film just doesn’t work.

The characters have no chemistry.

It’s just too hard to believe that Witherspoon’s character, Lisa, would make such stupid decisions…go on a second date with Matty after being disgusted by his behavior on their first date…and even worse…move in with Matty without even knowing if the relationship is monogamous.


Rated PG-13
1 hr. 56 min.

Visit the movie website and see the trailer!

The Fighter

☆☆☆☆1/2


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Based on a true story, “The Fighter” is the dramatic story of "Irish" Micky Ward's (Mark Wahlberg) journey to the light welterweight title…supported along the way by drug addicted half-brother Dicky (Christian Bale), Alice (Ward’s mother played by Melissa Leo), and girlfriend Charlene (Amy Adams).

Nomination worthy performances by Bale, Leo, and Adams.
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Hard to believe the group of adult sisters never left the house without each other.

Rated R
1 hr. 54 min.

Visit the movie site and see the trailer!

The King's Speech

☆☆☆☆☆

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One of the best films of the year…”The King’s Speech” (based on actual events) tells the story of Bertie (expect an Academy Award nomination for Colin Firth), a man with a debilitating speed impediment who becomes King George VI.
In an attempt to overcome his stammer, Bertie begins working with an unconventional speech therapist, Lionel Logue…played exceptionally by Geoffrey Rush.
Director Tom Hooper manages to create a dramatic and moving story told with a sense of humor.
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Was Guy Pearce the right choice to play King Edward VIII?

Rated: R
1 hr. 51 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer!

Black Swan

☆☆☆1/2

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“Black Swan” is the compelling story of New York City ballerina Nina (Natalie Portman…expect an Oscar nomination), who is competing with Lily (Mila Kunis)…a dancer new to the company, to keep her leading role in Swan Lake. As Nina prepares, she becomes increasingly obsessed with becoming the Black Swan.
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“…Swan” is a disturbing story that lacks even a hint of joy.

Rated R
1 hr. 50 min.

Visit the "Black Swan" website!

127 Hours

☆☆☆1/2


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“127 Hours,” brought skillfully to the screen by director Danny Boyle, is the incredible true story of Aron Ralston (James Franco), a mountaineer who becomes trapped in an isolated canyon in Utah. After five days, Ralston makes an agonizing choice in order to survive.

Oscar buzz about Franco’s performance.
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Difficult to watch, disturbing content (bloody), claustrophobic

Rated R
1 hr. 33 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!

Burlesque

☆☆☆☆

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“Burlesque” is an entertaining musical drama featuring Christina Aguilera in her first role as Ali a small town girl who heads to Los Angeles to become a singer. She finds work and a little romance at Tess’ (Cher) Burlesque Lounge.

Terrific feel-good moments where you want to stand and cheer.

Stanley Tucci gives an excellent supporting performance.
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The plot is a little thin…and it may not be Cher’s best…but it’s fun.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 40 min.

Visit the movie's site and watch the trailer.