Pitch Perfect

☆☆☆☆

+
Rebel Wilson (Fat Amy) delivers the laughs in this laugh-out-loud comedy about an a cappella college group that gets a past-due makeover when Beca (Anna Kendrick) joins the team.

The perfect mix of fun, music, competition, and a little drama.
_
Some crude college humor...potty humor

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 52 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Trouble with the Curve

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
“Trouble…Curve” tells the heart-tugging story a father (Gus – Clint Eastwood) and his daughter (Mickey – extra star for Amy Adams' performance) trying to mend their broken relationship while on the road scouting baseball players.

Solid supporting performance by Justin Timberlake
_
Clint Eastwood plays the same character he has played in his last three movies (cranky old man).

Predictable


Rated PG-13
1 hr. 50 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer.

Arbitrage

☆☆☆☆

+
“Arbitrage” is the smart and engaging suspense thriller starring Richard Gere as Robert Miller, a New York businessman trying to complete the sale of his company before his fraud is revealed.

Excellent Performance by Richard Gere
_
You may find yourself rooting for Gere’s character as he digs himself deeper and deeper into trouble.

Rated R
1 hr. 40 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

The Bachelorette

☆☆☆1/2

+
“Bachelorette” may have touches of “Bridesmaids” and even “The Hangover,” but it stands alone as a solid comedy about three high school friends (Regan: Kirsten Dunst, Katie: Isla Fisher, and Jenna: Lizzy Caplan)…fraught with personal issues and character flaws… getting back together to attend Becky’s wedding (another high school friend played by Rebel Wilson).
_
Yes…the girls are mean to Becky, but deep down they do care about her.

Rated R
1 hr. 31 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.

Hope Springs

☆☆☆

+
Once again Meryl Streep lights-up the screen…and is the best reason to see “Hope Springs,” the story of Kay, a woman determined to get her marriage to Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) back on track by travelling to a small town in Maine for a week of intense marriage counseling with Dr. Bernie Feld (Steve Carell).
_
We have two characters that are clearly stuck in a routine (we get it) and always grumpy (Arnold) or always unhappy (Kay).

Elisabeth Shue and Jean Smart are wasted in this film.


Rated PG-13
1 hr. 40 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Premium Rush

☆☆☆1/2

+
Written and directed by David Koepp (writer: “Spider-Man,” “War of the Worlds”), “Premium Rush” is the well-paced action-packed story of a Manhattan bike messenger (good performance by the ubiquitous Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who is asked to make a delivery that puts his life in jeopardy.
_
Some may find they just don’t care much about the bike messenger culture or the types of bikes they ride (a lot of talk about Levitt’s super lightweight bike with no brakes and only one gear).


Rated PG-13
1 hr. 30 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.

ParaNorman

☆☆☆

+
Done in exceptional stop-motion animation, “ParaNorman” (written and co-directed by “Coraline’s” Chris Butler) is the story of a boy who can communicate with the dead…and is bullied because of it.

Great voice cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, John Goodman, Leslie Mann, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (aka McLovin’)
_
The story tries too hard to be more than it needs to be…especially when it becomes all about the curse put on Norman’s town by a witch centuries ago.

May be a little too scary for young children (Rated PG).

Stick around for the credits and see a time-lapse sequence showing how the animation team built Norman.

Rated PG
1 hr. 32 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer!

The Campaign

☆☆☆1/2

+
Ferrell (Cam Brady) and Galifianakis (Marty Huggins) deliver some laugh-out-loud moments as they go head-to-head in a crazy congressional race that turns ugly.
_
Galifianakis is one of the best in the comedy business...and he and Farrell deliver…but the story falls a little short.

Adult humor (language and situations)

Rated R
1 hr. 25 min.



Visit the official website and watch the trailer.

The Bourne Legacy

☆☆☆1/2


“…Legacy,” the fourth installment in the Bourne film series, gives viewers plenty of action and a solid story centering on the CIA Director’s decision to eliminate Operation Outcome, one of the Department of Defense’s black ops programs. Operation Outcome’s agent Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) and scientist Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) team-up in an attempt to avoid elimination.

Weisz and Renner make a great team.
_
No Matt Damon!

Some may be disappointed with the ending…definitely leaves the door open for a sequel.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 5 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

Beasts of the Southern Wild

☆☆☆☆

+
“Beasts…” is the riveting story of a six-year-old named Hushpuppy, who lives in The Bathtub (a Louisiana community on the wrong side of the levee) and faces Hurricane Katrina with her ailing father and the close-knit community.

Amazing performances by Quvenzhané Wallis (Hushpuppy) and Dwight Henry (Wink – Hushpuppy’s Father)
_
Viewers may be put off by the squalor in this dirt-poor community, irritated by the shaky camera, or confused by the fantasy elements


Rated PG-13
1 hr. 31 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

The Dark Knight Rises

☆☆☆1/2

+
The much-anticipated action-adventure “The Dark Knight Rises” delivers a solid story that fans are sure to enjoy.
In this installment, Batman (Christian Bale)… after eight years in hiding because of assuming responsibility for the death of Harvey Dent…emerges to battle Bane, the masked terrorist who is planning to destroy Gotham.

Excellent performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Detective John Blake.
_
This installment feels a little long, and in spite of the decision to show very little blood…this is a violent movie.

Viewers may want to review the last few movies to completely understand the story…and the references to past storylines.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 45 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer!

Brave

☆☆☆1/2

+
Disney and Pixar bring us a truly enjoyable (and beautifully animated) Scottish fairy tale about a young princess named Merida who is a headstrong young woman who defies marital customs…bringing about trouble she doesn't anticipate.
_
Lacks emotional connection…and it is a little predictable.

Rated PG
1 hr. 33 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Magic Mike

☆☆☆

+
In a story that gives a little more depth than expected, Channing Tatum plays Mike…a construction worker / entrepreneur by day and a headlining stripper by night...who befriends and teaches a 19-year-old (The Kid played by Alex Pettyfer – “Beastly”) all about dancing and the perks that come with it.
_
Some may be disappointed that this film is not just good-looking guys stripping…it also takes a look at the downside of the business (drugs, ego, and in this case a sleazy boss named Dallas…a little overplayed by Matthew McConaughey).

It's not a great movie...but better than expected.

Rated R
1 hr. 50 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer!

Madea's Witness Protection

☆☆☆

+
Once again writer, director, actor Tyler Perry brings us another outrageous (and funny) Madea adventure. This time Madea provides the home for George Needleman (Eugene Levy ) and his family…who have been placed in the witness protection program.
_
The story falls a little short…poor character development…and one of the most unlikely movie couples ever (Denise Richards and Eugene Levy)


Rated PG-13
1 hr. 54 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer!

Ted

☆☆☆1/2

+
“Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane, in his directorial debut, gives us a funny…and raunchy at times…story of a teddy bear named Ted (voiced by MacFarlane) that comes to life because of young boy’s (John played as an adult by Mark Wahlberg) wish.
At 35 John and Ted are still living together and getting into a lot of trouble…until girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis) steps-in.
_
Keep the kids at home…this film is rated R for a reason.
Some potty humor and the kidnapping storyline is a little weak.


Rated R
1 hr. 55 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer!

Intouchables (Untouchables)

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
Take the time this summer to see a “real” story with a whole lot of humor and heart. The “Intouchables” (“Untouchables”) is a true story about an unlikely friendship between handicap millionaire (Francois Cluzet) and his ex-con caretaker (Omar Sy).
Cluzet and Sy give Oscar worthy performances.
_
Some of Driss’ jokes about Philippe’s handicap were uncomfortable at times, but the humor seemed to be fine with Philippe…always making him laugh.

Rated R
1 hr. 52 min.

Visit the movie website and see the trailer.

People Like Us

☆☆☆

+
Filled with excellent performances (Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Hall D’Addario) and based on true-events, “People Like Us” is the story of Sam (Chris Pine: "Star Trek"), a young salesman that must face the family drama he has been avoiding for years, when his father suddenly dies leaving him with the job of finding and giving $150K to Frankie (Elizabeth Banks)…a sister he never knew existed.
_
Slow in parts...not quite enough story and emotion to grab us and make us care.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 55 min.


Visit the movie website and watch the trailer.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

☆☆1/2

+
Writer and Director Lorene Scafaria (“Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist”) gives us a mixed-up bag of comedy and drama in a story about Dodge (Steve Carell) and Penny (Keira Knightley) who find each other and form a bond the last few days before their world ends (due to an approaching asteroid).
_
Emotionally…the story is uneven and at times uncomfortable.
It’s hard to know whether to laugh, cry, or do both.

Rated R
1 hr. 40 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.

Rock of Ages

☆☆☆

+
If moviegoers go to Adam Shankman’s (“Hairspray”) “Rock of Ages” with an open mind…realizing this is a Broadway musical brought to the big screen…they will enjoy the story of a small town girl (Sherrie played by Julianne Hough) who moves to the big city to pursue her dreams and meets a boy (Drew played by Diego Boneta) on the Sunset Strip.

The story is told through the music of Def Leppard, Foreigner, Journey, Poison, REO Speedwagon, Twisted Sister and more.



_
Tom Cruise gives a fine performance (and sings well)…but his character is a drunken incomprehensible mess.

If you aren’t ready for a rock opera…stay home.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 3 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer.

Moonrise Kingdom

☆☆1/2

+
In another quirky Wes Anderson tale…where it’s slightly easier to connect and care about the characters…young teens Sam and Suzy (played by newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) run away together. Sam's Boy Scout troop (leader: Edward Norton), Suzy's parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), and a local police officer (Bruce Willis) set out to find them before the looming storm hits.
_
As in several of Anderson’s other movies (“The Royal Tenenbaums” “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” and “Fantastic Mr Fox”) the characters are so peculiar that it is difficult to care about them.

Anderson’s fans will enjoy “Moonrise…”
A few people in the theater were laughing out loud.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 33 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.

Prometheus

☆☆☆

+
Prometheus (directed by Ridley Scott: “Alien” and “Blade Runner”) is the engaging sci-fi story of a group of explorers who are led by a star map into the universe to find the origins of mankind.

Noomi Rapace (“The Girl…Tattoo” 2010) gives an excellent performance as lead scientist…Elizabeth Shaw.
_
Confusing at Times
Unanswered Questions
Terrible Make-Up (Guy Pearce as Peter Weyland)


Rated R
2 hr. 4 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!

Snow White and the Huntsman

☆☆☆1/2

+
In this dark and entertaining twist on the familiar fairy tale, Kristen Stewart gives a solid performance (much stronger than “Twilight’s” Bella) as Snow White, who with the help of the huntsman (Chris Hemsworth), battles the evil queen (Charlize Theron) to take back the crown.

Excellent Special Effects
Make-Up worthy of an Oscar nomination
_
In spite of preconceived ideas about Stewart’s acting and many negative reviews…this film deserves a chance.
It is worth seeing!

It is too dark and violent for young children.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 7 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer.

MIB³ (Men in Black 3)

☆☆1/2

+
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones provide a few laughs in their return as Agents J and K in “Men in Black 3.”
Agent J time travels back to the 1960’s to keep an alien (Boris the Animal) from killing Agent K and destroying the world.

Josh Brolin gives a great performance as the younger Agent K.
_
The story falls flat, time-travel doesn’t make sense, and the feel good ending raises a lot of questions.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 45 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
Director John Madden gives us the right mix of comedy and drama in the “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” where we get to know (well-developed characters) seven British retirees who come to India to stay in the “newly restored” Marigold Hotel.

The accommodations are not what they expected…and either are the events that change their lives.

Excellent Cast and Performances: Dev Patel (“Slumdog Millionaire”), Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Penelope Wilton, Maggie Smith
_
If you want an action adventure this film is not for you.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 3 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.

Dark Shadows

☆☆☆

+
In this fun and well-played vampire romantic comedy (written by Seth Grahame-Smith and John August), Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp)
is released in 1972 after being forced by a jealous witch (Angelique:Eva Green) to spend two centuries in a locked coffin.
Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter give spot-on performances.
_
“Dark Shadows” could have been (and should have been) funnier with a stronger story.
We don’t get to know the supporting characters that could have added so much to the story.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 53 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer.

The Avengers

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
In this action-packed adventure…filled with laughs…the superheroes (Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), and the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson)) come together to take on Loki, who is out to destroy the world.

Already knowing these characters from previous movies, allows director Joss Whedon to jump right into a story that is loaded with top-notch special effects, pacing, and acting.
_
The attack on New York City felt very similar to a few other blockbusters.

Don’t leave too early...two extra scenes...one during...and one after the credits.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 22 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

The Five-Year Engagement

☆☆☆

+
In this amusing romantic comedy, Jason Segel and Emily Blunt star as Tom and Violet a newly engaged San Francisco couple who are desperately trying to make it to the altar…but life gets in the way.

Emily Blunt and Chris Pratt give solid performances.
_
Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller’s screenplay will make you laugh and maybe even make you cry…but the movie is too long, the pacing is wrong, and the tone is uneven.



Rated R
2 hr. 4 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.

Chimpanzee

☆☆☆☆

+
Filmed in the jungles of Africa over a 3 year period, this documentary not only examines the fascinating day-to-day life of the chimpanzee, but it also tells the charming story of a newborn chimp named Oscar…who faces danger after losing his mother…but a surprising adoption saves Oscar’s life.
_
Don’t leave too early. Stay for the credits to get a glimpse of the filming of “Chimpanzee.”

Rated G
1 hr. 17 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer!

Bully

☆☆☆☆

+
Directed by Lee Hirsch, “ Bully” is the heart wrenching, and at times infuriating, documentary that examines America’s bullying epidemic.
This must-see-film tells the story of how five bullied students, their families, and their school administrators deal with this serious problem.
_
“Bully” falls short in it’s examination of the problem…we don’t get a chance to learn about the bullies themselves. Why do they bully? What are their family dynamics? How do they feel about what they are doing? Do they realize they are bullies?

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 34 min.


Visit the movie website.

Click here to see the trailer!

Mirror Mirror

☆☆☆1/2

+
“Mirror Mirror,” a fun and fresh new spin on the tale of Snow White, stars Julia Roberts as the wicked queen who is determined to take Snow White’s (Lily Collins) throne and handsome prince (Armie Hammer).
_
Some don’t want yet another take on this familiar tale.

Rated PG
1 hr. 35 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Jeff, Who Lives at Home

☆☆1/2

+
Writers and directors, Jay and Mark Duplass ("Cyrus") put together a solid cast and offer-up a few laughs in a story about Jeff (Jason Segel), who is 30 and still lives at home, his widowed mother Sharon (Susan Sarandon), and his estranged brother Pat (Ed Helms).
_
In spite of a cast that elevates the humor and storyline…when you put together a 30-year-old pot smoking loser, an unhappy marriage, a cheating wife, and two feuding brothers…it’s hard to find much to laugh about.

Rated R
1 hr. 23 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

The Hunger Games

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
Based on Suzanne Collins’ bestseller, “The Hunger Games” tells the captivating and truly riveting tale of a futuristic North America where a yearly reality show randomly selects 24 contestants between the ages of 12 to 18 to fight to the death.

Jennifer Lawrence delivers a strong performance as Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old who volunteers to take her younger sister’s place in the deadly competition.
_
Even though the violence is toned down to keep a PG-13 rating…this movie is not for young children.

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 22 min.

Visit "The Hunger Games" official website and watch the trailer!

21 Jump Street

☆☆☆1/2

+
Channing Tatum (“The Vow”) and the always-endearing Jonah Hill deliver the comedy in the laugh-out-loud story (co-written by Hill) of two new police academy graduates who get assigned to a special project that takes them back to high school to bring down the local drug supplier.
_
One scene goes too far…and is just gross.
Keep the young ones at home.

Rated R
1 hr. 49 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

The Lorax

☆☆☆

+
Rich in color and fun for the young ones…“The Lorax,” based on Dr. Seuss' classic children’s book, is the environmentally themed story of the Onceler who devastated the forest and it’s creatures by cutting down all of the truffula trees in spite of the Lorax’s protests.
_
Be ready for a theater full of children…this one is for them.
The “adult-crossover” isn’t as strong as expected.

Rated PG
1 hr. 34 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer!

We Need to Talk About Kevin

☆☆☆☆

+
Based on Lionel Shriver's novel, “Let’s…Kevin” is a gripping psychological thriller starring Tilda Swinton in a mesmerizing performance as Eva…a mother struggling to understand and love her enigmatic son Kevin (Ezra Miller) who repeatedly says and does vicious things.
_
It’s difficult to believe that family and friends didn’t eventually see what Eva saw...the sociopathic side of Kevin.

Rated R
1 hr. 52 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

The Flowers of War

☆☆☆☆

+
“The Flowers of War” tells the moving and compelling story of John Miller (Christian Bale) a mortician who finds himself in a cathedral trying to protect a group of schoolgirls and a group of courtesans while the Japanese Army invades Nanking (China’s capital city) outside of the walls of the church.

Outstanding Cinematography
_
Violence (Battle Scenes and Rape)
Could use more character development.
Subtitled…over half of the movie is in Japanese and Mandarin.

Rated R
2 hr. 26 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

Oscar Winners 2012

Best Picture
☆The Artist


LEAD ACTOR
☆Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"

LEAD ACTRESS
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"

BEST DIRECTOR
☆Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"

SUPPORTING ACTOR
☆Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
☆Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
☆"The Descendants," Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
☆"Midnight in Paris," Woody Allen

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
☆"Rango," Gore Verbinski

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
☆"A Separation," Iran

DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
"Undefeated," TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
"Saving Face," Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
☆"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
☆"The Shore," Terry George and Oorlagh George

ART DIRECTION
☆"Hugo," production design: Dante Ferretti; set decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Robert Richardson, "Hugo"

COSTUME DESIGN
Mark Bridges, "The Artist"

FILM EDITING
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

MAKEUP
☆"The Iron Lady," Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
☆"The Artist," Ludovic Bource

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
☆"Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets," music and lyrics by Bret McKenzie

SOUND EDITING
☆"Hugo," Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty

SOUND MIXING
☆"Hugo," Tom Fleischman and John Midgley

VISUAL EFFECTS
"Hugo," Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning


☆starmoviereviews.com prediction

Oscar Predictions 2012

BEST PICTURE
War Horse

☆The Artist

Moneyball

The Descendants

The Tree of Life

Midnight in Paris

The Help

Hugo

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

LEAD ACTOR
Demián Bichir, "A Better Life"
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
☆Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy "
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

LEAD ACTRESS
Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
☆Viola Davis, "The Help"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"

BEST DIRECTOR
☆Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"
Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenneth Branagh, "My Week with Marilyn"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
☆Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Max von Sydow, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"


SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Bérénice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
☆Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
☆"The Descendants," Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
"Hugo," John Logan
"The Ides of March," George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
"Moneyball," Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
"The Artist," Michel Hazanavicius
"Bridesmaids," Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
"Margin Call," J.C. Chandor
☆"Midnight in Paris," Woody Allen
"A Separation," Asghar Farhadi

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"A Cat in Paris," Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
"Chico & Rita," Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
"Kung Fu Panda 2," Jennifer Yuh Nelson
"Puss in Boots," Chris Miller
☆"Rango," Gore Verbinski

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Bullhead," Belgium
"Footnote," Israel
"In Darkness," Poland
"Monsieur Lazhar," Canada
☆"A Separation," Iran

DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
"Hell and Back Again," Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front," Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
☆"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory," Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Pina," Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
"Undefeated," TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement," Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
"God Is the Bigger Elvis," Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
"Incident in New Baghdad," James Spione
"Saving Face," Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
☆"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom," Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
"Dimanche/Sunday," Patrick Doyon
☆"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
"La Luna," Enrico Casarosa
"A Morning Stroll," Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
"Wild Life," Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
"Pentecost," Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
"Raju," Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
☆"The Shore," Terry George and Oorlagh George
"Time Freak," Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
"Tuba Atlantic," Hallvar Witzø

ART DIRECTION
"The Artist," production design: Laurence Bennett; set decoration: Robert Gould
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," production design: Stuart Craig; set decoration: Stephenie McMillan
☆"Hugo," production design: Dante Ferretti; set decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"Midnight in Paris," production design: Anne Seibel; set decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
"War Horse," production design: Rick Carter; set decoration: Lee Sandales

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Guillaume Schiffman, "The Artist"
Jeff Cronenweth, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Robert Richardson, "Hugo"
☆Emmanuel Lubezki, "The Tree of Life"
Janusz Kaminski, "War Horse"

COSTUME DESIGN
Lisy Christl, "Anonymous"
Mark Bridges, "The Artist"
☆Sandy Powell, "Hugo"
Michael O'Connor, "Jane Eyre"
Arianne Phillips, "W.E"

FILM EDITING
☆"The Artist," Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants," Kevin Tent
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
"Moneyball," Christopher Tellefsen

MAKEUP
"Albert Nobbs," Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin
☆"The Iron Lady," Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
"The Adventures of Tintin," John Williams
☆"The Artist," Ludovic Bource
"Hugo," Howard Shore
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," Alberto Iglesias
"War Horse" John Williams

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
☆"Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets," music and lyrics by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio," from "Rio," music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown; lyrics by Siedah Garrett

SOUND EDITING
"Drive," Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," Ren Klyce
☆"Hugo," Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon," Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
"War Horse," Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

SOUND MIXING
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
☆"Hugo," Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
"Moneyball," Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon," Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
"War Horse," Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

VISUAL EFFECTS
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
"Hugo," Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
"Real Steel," Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
☆"Rise of the Planet of the Apes," Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon," Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

☆These Oscar predictions are based on what I think will win NOT on what I think SHOULD WIN.☆

The Woman in Black

☆☆☆1/2

+
Based on Susan Hill's novel, “The Woman in Black” is a solid thriller starring Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Kipps a young lawyer whose wife died during the birth of their son.
Kipps is sent to a remote village to settle the legal matters of an estate owned by Alice Drablow…now a vengeful ghost.
_
Why do these characters always stay in the haunted house? Once you see a spirit or two…it’s time to leave.

Too often films ruin the mystery by showing the monster, spirit, etc. too early. “Woman…” does a decent job of keeping this ghost mysterious.

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 34 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin)

☆☆☆1/2

+
This award winning film (Golden Globe: Best Foreign Language Film) tells the absorbing story of Simin, who wants to leave Iran with her husband (Nader) and daughter (Termeh), in hopes of finding a better life for Termeh.
_
May be too slow and quiet for some.

In Persian with English Subtitles


Rated PG-13
2 hr. 3 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

Albert Nobbs

☆☆☆☆1/2

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In an Oscar nominated performance, Glenn Close plays Albert Nobbs in the engaging and touching story of a women posing as a man in order to make a living in 19th century Ireland.

Albert eventually meets Hubert Page (outstanding Oscar nominated performance by Janet McTeer)…a friend with whom he shares his secret.
_
An actor playing a character of the opposite sex doesn’t always work (as in the film “Yentl”)…and although it is surprising that the people in Albert’s world didn’t pose more questions…Close gives a convincing performance.

Rated R
1 hr. 53 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

☆☆☆☆

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Discovered on Jeopardy: Kids’ Week and new to the world of acting, Thomas Horn gives an outstanding performance (that requires him to be in almost every scene, narrate the film, and deliver a wide range of emotions) as Oskar an 11-year-old boy whose father dies in the World Trade Center on 9/11.
Obsessed and grief stricken, Oskar sets-out on a quest to find the lock that fits a key he found in an envelope (with the last name Black written on it) in his father’s closet.




_
The idea of an 11-year-old kid going to visit every person in New York City with the last name of Black is outrageous…not to mention his Mother allowing him to do it (the film does explain this…but it still hard to buy).

Rated PG-13
2 hr. 9 min.

Visit the website and see the trailer.

2012 Oscar Nominations

BEST PICTURE
War Horse

The Artist

Moneyball

The Descendants

The Tree of Life

Midnight in Paris

The Help

Hugo

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

LEAD ACTOR
Demián Bichir, "A Better Life"
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy "
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

LEAD ACTRESS
Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis, "The Help"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"

BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"
Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenneth Branagh, "My Week with Marilyn"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Max von Sydow, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"


SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Bérénice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
"The Descendants," Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
"Hugo," John Logan
"The Ides of March," George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
"Moneyball," Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
"The Artist," Michel Hazanavicius
"Bridesmaids," Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
"Margin Call," J.C. Chandor
"Midnight in Paris," Woody Allen
"A Separation," Asghar Farhadi

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"A Cat in Paris," Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
"Chico & Rita," Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
"Kung Fu Panda 2," Jennifer Yuh Nelson
"Puss in Boots," Chris Miller
"Rango," Gore Verbinski

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Bullhead," Belgium
"Footnote," Israel
"In Darkness," Poland
"Monsieur Lazhar," Canada
"A Separation," Iran

DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
"Hell and Back Again," Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front," Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory," Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Pina," Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
"Undefeated," TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement," Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
"God Is the Bigger Elvis," Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
"Incident in New Baghdad," James Spione
"Saving Face," Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom," Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
"Dimanche/Sunday," Patrick Doyon
"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
"La Luna," Enrico Casarosa
"A Morning Stroll," Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
"Wild Life," Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
"Pentecost," Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
"Raju," Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
"The Shore," Terry George and Oorlagh George
"Time Freak," Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
"Tuba Atlantic," Hallvar Witzø

ART DIRECTION
"The Artist," production design: Laurence Bennett; set decoration: Robert Gould
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," production design: Stuart Craig; set decoration: Stephenie McMillan
"Hugo," production design: Dante Ferretti; set decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"Midnight in Paris," production design: Anne Seibel; set decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
"War Horse," production design: Rick Carter; set decoration: Lee Sandales

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Guillaume Schiffman, "The Artist"
Jeff Cronenweth, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Robert Richardson, "Hugo"
Emmanuel Lubezki, "The Tree of Life"
Janusz Kaminski, "War Horse"

COSTUME DESIGN
Lisy Christl, "Anonymous"
Mark Bridges, "The Artist"
Sandy Powell, "Hugo"
Michael O'Connor, "Jane Eyre"
Arianne Phillips, "W.E"

FILM EDITING
"The Artist," Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants," Kevin Tent
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
"Moneyball," Christopher Tellefsen

MAKEUP
"Albert Nobbs," Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin
"The Iron Lady," Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
"The Adventures of Tintin," John Williams
"The Artist," Ludovic Bource
"Hugo," Howard Shore
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," Alberto Iglesias
"War Horse" John Williams

MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
"Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets," music and lyrics by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio," from "Rio," music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown; lyrics by Siedah Garrett

SOUND EDITING
"Drive," Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," Ren Klyce
"Hugo," Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon," Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
"War Horse," Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

SOUND MIXING
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
"Hugo," Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
"Moneyball," Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon," Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
"War Horse," Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

VISUAL EFFECTS
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
"Hugo," Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
"Real Steel," Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes," Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon," Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Visit The Academy Awards website!

The Iron Lady

☆☆☆☆1/2
+
Meryl Streep gives a compelling, Oscar worthy performance as Margaret Thatcher who overcame class and gender barriers to become The United Kingdom’s first and only female Prime Minister.

This engaging story is told through flashbacks as Thatcher…dealing with dementia in her later years…looks back on her personal and professional life.
_
Don’t miss this movie based on other reviews!

Rated PG-13
1 hr. 45 min.

Visit this site and see the trailer.

Visit the UK site as well!

Visit this site and see interviews and everything Streep!

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

☆☆☆
+
A smart mystery… “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” (based on the novel of the same name) tells the story of George Smiley, a retired MI6 agent, brought back to uncover a possible double-agent.

Excellent performances from an all-star cast including: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Ciarán Hinds, John Hurt
_
May be a little too smart, long, and boring

Be ready to stay completely focused for 2 hours and 8 minutes…or else you WILL be lost.

Rated R
2 hr. 8 min.

Visit the official website and see the trailer.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

☆☆☆☆1/2

+
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” offers suspense, drama, and mystery as it tells the story of journalist Mikael Blomkvist (strong showing by Daniel Craig), who after being found guilty of libel, is hired…along with Lisbeth Salander (raw…spot-on performance by Rooney Mara) to solve a 40-year-old murder mystery.

In many ways…better than the Swedish version (2009)…
_
…with the exception of explaining details
…and some confusion and gaps in the storyline

Rated R
2 hr. 37 min.

Visit the website and watch the trailer.

The Artist

☆☆☆☆
+
The Artist is an original (certainly not the first…but creative and non-traditional) black and white silent (for the most part) film that tells the entertaining story of George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) a silent film star whose career comes to a halt when the “talkies” come to Hollywood.

Writer/Director Michel Hazanavicius brings the silent film genre back to life with a whole lot of heart and fun…along with excellent performances by Berenice Bejo (rising star Peppy Miller) and Dujardin (George).
_

The story is not new (hints of “Sunset Blvd”)

“The Artist” reminds us that we don’t always need all the special effects, over-the-top action scenes, and multi-million-dollar budgets to make a movie great.


Rated PG-13
1 hr. 40 min.

See the trailer for "The Artist."

War Horse

☆☆☆

+
Based on the novel of the same name by Michael Morpurgo, “War Horse” is the moving story of Albert (Jeremy Irvine), a teenage boy who becomes attached to his family’s horse (Joey). The pair are separated by war…both going to battle.
_
In many ways the movie is just too perfect (the overdone final shot of the family), and in other ways far from perfect (inconsistencies with the horses used).

Films use manipulation…but Spielberg over did it in this one.

Underdeveloped characters and storylines

Rated PG
2 hr. 26 min.

Visit the official website and watch the trailer!