New Review - The Ides of March

Hey, 

Check out my most recently published review in the University of Calgary student newspaper, The Gauntlet:

http://thegauntlet.ca/story/15828

Here are my yuking scores...

Story (10) - 8.5

Genre (10) - 8.5

Characters (5) - 5

Believability (5) - 4.5

Filmmaking (10) - 9

Enjoyment (10) - 8.5

Lightning Round - 10 Movies worth seeing from 2011 in 5 Minutes (Part 1)

May I have you're attention please!
May I have you're attention please!
It's the return of the, oh wait, no wait, you're kidding... he isn't gonna say what I think he is, is he?


Not likely. It's been a while since I've given you my two cents regarding movies, but now that life has subsided for the time being, I present you the following reviews to help you as you choose which movies from 2011 to take a look at. I've seen 34 movies now this year, I've split this review into two groups of 5 movies. The first group is comprised of 5 movies that, while not at the top of my list, are movies that are worth taking a look at because of their innovative nature, dark humour or sheer enjoyment... the second group is a quick look at my current top 5 for the year, by no means are these going to be seen by everyone as the top 5 movies of the year, but that's why this my blog... I'd love to hear what your top 5 looks like, here we go...
(If you don't know my criteria, please take a look at the first post on this blog)

---------------------------------------------------------

Hanna - A
It's been a couple of months since I've seen this movie but it still stands the test of time as one of the more interesting movies of the year for me. Keep in mind that Black Swan was my favourite movie from last year and I tend to have a penchant for movies that play with my head. Hanna is a cross between The Bourne Trilogy and Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. Saoirse Ronan plays a young girl bred as a test subject for an operation that is seeking to create superior beings for super armies. She has the ability to fight even the strongest counterparts, learn numerous languages, remember every detail... essentially she's a super human being. But as she is sent out on a mission from her father who has gone rogue from the organization that created her, she soon finds that no amount of training can prepare a young girl for the rigours of life as a teenager. Her emotions turn into her biggest obstacle as she seeks to complete her mission. It's a crazy movie with a whole lot of action and a whole lot of heart... not to mention a wicked soundtrack by The Chemical Brothers.

Story (10) - 8.5

Genre (10) - 8.5

Characters (5) - 4

Believability (5) - 3.5

Filmmaking (10) - 9

Enjoyment (10) - 8

Hanna - 4.15 out of 5 yukes

--------------------------------------------------------

Gnomeo & Juliet - B

I think this movie may have succeeded because of lowered expectations going into it, the story is a well adapted script based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and however cheesy this spin may sound, it entertains. Two neighbouring lawn gnome families are caught in a feud that makes it impossible for star-crossed lovers Gnomeo (voiced by James McAvoy) and Juliet (voiced by Emily Blunt) to carry on their love story. There's not much to say about the movie because it follows the plotline fairly well, but it's worth a rental for sure. 

Story (10) - 8

Genre (10) - 8

Characters (5) - 4

Believability (5) - 3

Filmmaking (10) - 7.5

Enjoyment (10) - 8.5

Gnomeo & Juliet - 3.9 out of 5 yukes

------------------------------------------------------

The Beaver - A

Jodie Foster as an actress = bad. Jodie Foster as a director = great. This is Foster's first real impressive stab at directing, a movie that takes an in-depth look at depression and the effect it has on the individual as well as the people that surround them. Mel Gibson, Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence give standout performances that drive this movie about a man stuck in a deep depression. It's not until Walter Black (Gibson) finds a hand-puppet that he starts to ease his way out of his darkness. While 'the beaver' helps him finally find a place of happiness, it begins to take over his sanity and soon becomes too much for his family to take. The movie portrays the bouts of depression more true than people might realize, a beautiful story that may open the eyes of those who watch it

Story (10) - 8

Genre (10) - 9

Characters (5) - 4.5

Believability (5) - 5

Filmmaking (10) - 8.5

Enjoyment (10) - 8

The Beaver - 4.3 out of 5 yukes

---------------------------------------------------
Attack the Block - 

A British comedy about aliens, weed, friendship and sacrifice. As a teenage gang holds up a young woman, they witness something fall from the sky. As they turn their attention to the suspected firework, they are surprised to find that it was not some random firework, but rather an alien life form that awakes from hibernation to attack them. In self defence they kill the alien, which turns out to be the worst thing they could have done, leading to an all out alien invasion of their block apartments. The 5 young teenagers turn from delinquents to heroes as they defend their home territory. Nick Frost stars in this one, but the majority of the screen time is given to the teenage gang and their mugging victim (played by Jodie Whittaker).  

Story (10) - 8

Genre (10) - 8

Characters (5) - 4

Believability (5) - 2.5

Filmmaking (10) - 8
Enjoyment (10) - 8.5

Attack the Block - 3.9 out of 5 yukes

----------------------------------------------------

Rubber - B

An indie film if I ever saw one. A tire with tele-kinetic powers witnesses a tire fire in the desert, and seemingly vows to wreak havoc on a small town because of the atrocities done to his family. Meanwhile, an unnamed corporation has sent a test audience to watch the whole thing, in what they believe to be a live movie of sorts. It's meta. It's weird. It's exploding heads. It's awesome.

Story (10) - 7.5

Genre (10) - 7

Characters (5) - 3.5

Believability (5) - 1.5

Filmmaking (10) - 8

Enjoyment (10) - 7.5

Rubber - 3.5 out of 5 yukes

------------------------------------------------------

(part 2 coming soon)

Final Oscar Predictions

I've been busy with school. I am sorry. But I have something for you. For your reading pleasure I give you my final Oscar Predictions, as submitted to mubi.com in hopes of winning my share of $100,000. I will also put in my best guess at who might upset the category. Let me know what you think, we'll see how well I do after tomorrow's broadcast.

As well, if you find yourself away from a TV and want to keep up on how the Oscars are going, make sure to check out The Black Tie Affair LIVE... that's right, we're podcasting during each commercial break!!! We'll give a rundown of what just happened, who won, who lost, who pulled a Kanye and tried to run on stage and steal the mic. Make sure to check us out at www.skochscorner.wordpress.com ...

Without further ado......

Best Supporting Actor - Christian Bale ... Upset - Geoffrey Rush ...
Winner - Christian Bale
Best Supporting Actress - Melissa Leo ... Upset - Helena Bonham Carter ...
Winner - Melissa Leo
Best Adapted Screenplay - The Social Network ... Upset - Toy Story 3 ...
Winner - The Social Network
Best Original Screenplay - The King's Speech ... Upset - Another Year ...
Winner - The King's Speech
Best Original Score - The Social Network ... Upset - The King's Speech ...
Winner - The Social Network
Best Original Song - "I See The Light" (Tangled) ... Upset - "We Belong Together" (Toy Story 3) 
Winner - "We Belong Together"
Best Animated Feature - Toy Story 3 ... Upset - The Illusionist ...
Winner - Toy Story 3
Best Art Direction - The King's Speech ... Upset - Alice in Wonderland ...
Winner - Alice in Wonderland
Best Cinematography - True Grit ... Upset - Black Swan ...
Winner - Inception
Best Costume Design - Alice in Wonderland ... Upset - The King's Speech ...
Winner - Alice in Wonderland
Best Makeup - Barney's Version ... Upset - The Wolfman ...
Winner - The Wolfman
Best Sound Editing - Inception ... Upset - True Grit ...
Winner - Inception
Best Sound Mixing - Inception ... Upset - The Social Network ...
Winner - Inception
Best Visual Effects - Inception ... Upset - Alice in Wonderland ...
Winner - Inception
Best Documentary Feature - Inside Job ... Upset - Exit Through the Gift Shop ...
Winner - Inside Job
Best Documentary Short - Strangers No More ... Upset - Killing in the Name ...
Winner - Strangers No More
Best Animated Short - The Gruffalo ... Upset - Let's Pollute ...
Winner - The Lost Thing
Best Live Action Short - The Crush ... Upset - Na Wewe ...
Winner - God of Love
Best Film Editing - The Social Network ... Upset - The King's Speech ...
Winner - The Social Network
Best Foreign Language Film - In A Better World ... Upset - Biutiful ...
Winner - In A Better World
Best Director - David Fincher ... Upset - Tom Hooper ...
Winner - Tom Hooper
Best Lead Actress - Natalie Portman ... Upset - Annette Bening ...
Winner - Natalie Portman
Best Lead Actor - Colin Firth ... Upset - Jesse Eisenberg ...
Winner - Colin Firth
Best Picture - The King's Speech ... Upset - The Social Network ...
Winner - The King's Speech






There you have it... we'll see how it goes tomorrow night.
*edit*
Turns out I went 18/24 on my predictions. Not half bad, even though it was a rather predictable evening of awards. 3 of my upset/runner ups took how Oscars, which meant that I had, on my radar, 21 of the 24 awards. Given that 2 of those are shorts which are almost impossible to predict, I'd say I did pretty well.

My proudest moment was going 3 for 5 when it came to shorts, foreign film and documentary. The fact that I predicted (with my wealth of knowledge) Strangers No More, Inside Job and In A Better World made me feel pretty good about myself.

Elk

New Review - 'Another Year'

Hey, you can check out my review of Another Year starring Lesley Manville, Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen at the website of The Gauntlet, University of Calgary's newspaper:

Here are my yuking scores...

Story (10) - 9

Genre (10) - 9

Characters (5) - 5

Believability (5) - 4.5

Filmmaking (10) - 8.5

Enjoyment (10) - 8.5

Another Year - 4.45 out of 5 yukes

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feel free to leave comments on here if you wish. Again, it's not my normal reviewing style, but it's nice to get published. 

... you just got UC-ed! 

New Review - 'The Way Back'

Hey, you can check out my review of 'The Way Back' starring Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris and Colin Farrell at the website of The Gauntlet, University of Calgary's newspaper:

http://thegauntlet.ca/story/15230

Here are my yuking scores...

Story (10) - 8

Genre (10) - 8

Characters (5) - 4

Believability (5) - 4

Filmmaking (10) - 8

Enjoyment (10) - 8

The Way Back - 4 out of 5 yukes

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feel free to leave comments on here if you wish. It's not my normal reviewing style, but it's nice to get published. Look for a review of Another Year coming out in this week's edition of The Gauntlet.

... you just got UC-ed! (haha.... yuked, University of Calgary style)

5 Guilty Pleasures from 2010

Hey everyone... I must admit that I have been terrible at keeping you all up to date on my movie watching. I have furnished a best of 2010 list that is up on facebook, and once I have written all of these reviews, it will be posted on here in detail. My next four posts will be a grouping of movies that all fit some common theme.

Let us begin with 5 movies that I personally enjoyed a whole hell of a lot, but that sentiment may not be shared by the general viewing public. Without further ado...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Going The Distance - A
This movie really surprised me in a good way. Though it has all the makings of a standard rom-com, there was something in this film that put it far above the chaff of its generic counterparts. Justin Long and Drew Barrymore play a guy and a girl that hit it off from almost the moment they meet. Their unlabeled relationship blossoms as they spend time together, until they hit an obstacle that sees Erin (Barrymore) move cross country from New York to San Francisco. As someone who has been in long distance relationships, they hit the nail on the head with what it feels like. Most of the jokes are centered around drugs or sex, but it didn't stop me from laughing a lot throughout the movie. One of the bright spots of the movie was the best friend/roommate Dan played by Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia). At one point during Erin's first visit to Garrett's (Justin Long) apartment, as they begin to make out Dan plays "Take My Breath Away" from Top Gun. Classic. If you can stomach Drew Barrymore for 102 minutes I'm sure you'll enjoy this movie. I did. That's the bar for this movie.... if you hate Drew Barrymore, you probably won't like it. But because I liked it so much I ranked it pretty high.

Story (10) - 7.5

Genre (10) - 8.5

Characters (5) - 4

Believability (5) - 5

Filmmaking (10) - 7.5

Enjoyment (10) - 9

Going The Distance - 4.15 out of 5 yukes

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Four Lions - A

What a huge surprise! You won't know a single person involved in this one, and therein lies it's brilliance. A british comedy that follows a group of British Muslims who are trying to make their way into the world of terrorism. You wouldn't believe how well they do at keeping it tasteful and funny. They go to a terrorist training camp, they try to make a bomb, and they plan to blow themselves up at the London Marathon. It really is that simple, and there were very few times that I didn't find myself laughing. I hear a lot of griping (and I do it myself) that there aren't enough original movies out there... well this one is certainly a fresh story line. Definitely a must see from this year

Story (10) - 8.5

Genre (10) - 9

Characters (5) - 4.5

Believability (5) - 3

Filmmaking (10) - 7.5

Enjoyment (10) - 9

Four Lions - 4.15 out of 5 yukes

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kick-Ass - A

What would you do if you had superpowers? I know that I have been asked that on more than one occasion and then find myself lost in a comic book world where I'm fighting evil for the benefit of the whole world. In Kick-Ass, little known actor Aaron Johnson plays an even lesser known high school kid named Dave Lizewski who poses the same question to his friend, "what stops people from becoming superheroes?" That's where the movie begins, and it takes off from there. Once he becomes Kick-Ass he encounters a father-daughter masked vigilante team named Big Daddy and Hit Girl, played by Nicholas Cage and Chloe Moretz, who actually have a bone to pick with the movie's villain.

As Kick-Ass starts to get a reputation for his crimefighting skills, the evil Frank D'Amico (Strong) starts to take notice. Funny thing is, they're not actually his... Big Daddy and Hit Girl are the master to his crimefighting puppetry, saving the city under guise of Kick-Ass' popularity. BD and HG's back story is explained in a beautifully animated comic-like storytelling giving an understanding to BD and HGs' motive for getting back at D'Amico. As Comic-book movies go, this ain't like the rest of them... but I submit that in many ways it's better. Despite some crude language from Moretz (an 11-year old saying the 'C' word is disturbing), I found myself laughing for most of the movie, concerned about the well-being of the protagonists and genuinely interested in everything the movie had to offer me. One of my favorite things about the movie was it's soundtrack/score. So much sarcasm and irony is present that it makes it hard to not realize this movie is trying to take itself lightly for the purposes of entertainment. At one point an operatic voice is singing while a bazooka goes off, only to end with the audience realizing its a live audio track as the crowd cheers right after firing... brilliant.

Story (10) - 8

Genre (10) - 8.5

Characters (5) - 4

Believability (5) - 3.5

Filmmaking (10) - 8.5

Enjoyment (10) - 8.5

Kick-Ass - 4.1 out of 5 yukes

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Never Let Me Go - A

What would like be like if you knew your exact purpose on this life? Would you go about living your life to the fullest in the limited time you knew you had remaining? In a world where clones are created for the soul purpose of 'harvesting' organs to cure disease, these are the questions faced by Kathy (Carey Mulligan), Tommy (Andrew Garfield) and Ruth (Kiera Knightley). Through a beautiful twisting of the cloning debate, Mark Romanek directs a wonderful humanistic story about three people's journey of discovery, both of their fate and of themselves. From childhood to adolescence to adulthood, the journey winds through incredibly tough situations that we might not think of when first we think of cloning. What does it feel like to find out you have an expiry date? Can one truly love in such circumstances? Where is hope found when all seems predestined? It's hella-depressing, but it's done with such grace I couldn't help but smile and shed a tear at its understanding of life and emotion. As it might sound if The Friendly Giant joined Siskel and Ebert in their hey-day... Look up, two thumps waaaaayyyy up.

Story (10) - 8.5

Genre (10) - 8

Characters (5) - 4

Believability (5) - 4

Filmmaking (10) - 8

Enjoyment (10) - 8.5

Never Let Me Go - 4.1 out of 5 yukes

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry Potter - A

If you've read the books, this movie does really, really well at sticking to at least the main storylines (as much as possible). I was really impressed that during crucial points in the film, I was struck with very similar emotions to the ones I felt when I read the book, and for that alone... well done. Some of you HP fans will lambaste me for giving this movie a sub-4 rating, but I justify it by saying the subject matter made it pretty hard for the movie to reach a big rating... with only small amounts of trials and tribulations, almost fully developed characters already and half of the movie set in the wilderness, there wasn't much the movie could do to help its cause. The best line I've heard for this movie is that it's a wonderfully shot 146 minute trailer... I liked this movie, I may have even loved it because it brought to life so much of what was in my mind, but this movie will ultimately be judged on how well the second part does (coming out in July). I fully believe that Pt. Deux will be one of my favorite films, but I just can't say that about this one, nor do I think I ever could have regardless of what was done with it. It's like opening one of your presents on Christmas Eve that you already knew you were getting but weren't too excited for, and having no clue about what Santa was going to bring you on Christmas Day.

For those of you who haven't read the books or seen the movies... shame on you. There's a good chance you'll be lost, sorry, it's the truth. If you haven't read the books but have seen the movies, you're much better off. But I assure you there will be times that you have to ask you're h-core HP friend what the hell is happening. 

OK, I've successfully written 2 paragraphs without saying anything about the movie. Here's a synopsis:

*Possible Spoiler Warning*

Harry, Ron and Hermione decide not to return to Hogwart's. They're going to search for the Horcruxes a/p Dumbledore's last wishes. They attend Bill and Fleur's wedding, deatheaters come. They leave. They return to 12 Grimmauld Place (Sirius' house) to plan. They infiltrate the ministry to get a locket that they believe is a Horcrux. They camp in the forest for a while, Ron gets jealous and storms off. Everyone is depressed. H & H visit Godric's Hollow to find stuff out.. have a harrowing encounter with Nagini the snake. Not saying what happened, but (I was happy). They visit Luna Lovegood's dad to ask about Horcruxes. He tells them a long-winded story with some AWESOME animation about the origin of the horcruxes. Something's suspicious, deatheater's come. They're captured. (Again not saying what happened, but I was happy, then I was sad). The End.

Clear enough for you? Go see it if you haven't it's fun.

Story (10) - 7.5

Genre (10) - 7.5

Characters (5) - 4

Believability (5) - 3.5

Filmmaking (10) - 8.5

Enjoyment (10) - 8

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 - 3.9 out of 5 yukes

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BAM!!! You just got yuked!!!

New Review - Buried

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buried - A
Full disclaimer that if you choose to watch this film you are going to see Ryan Reynolds for the full hour and a half. Reynolds plays Paul Conroy, a trucker working in Iraq. When his convoy is ambushed, he is knocked out and finds himself in a coffin, buried with only a few things in his possession. A satellite phone given to him by the man holding him for ransom allows him to connect with the outside world. Some of his conversations include: the man who buried him, ignorant HR people at his company, his delusional mother, the self-serving bigwigs at his company, and a hostage specialist named Dan Brenner who is venturing to save him. I've always been interested in movies that isolate their main character; though there are plenty of interactions, they are all done with Conroy knowing he is by himself in the coffin. I don't know what I was expecting when I started the movie, but for 95 minutes I was captivated. Reynolds was awesome. I am still in shock at how this movie took me by surprise. There are a couple of quirky filmmaking things I didn't like, but for a movie set almost completely in a 8 ft. x 4 ft. coffin, it's bound to happen. Definitely worth your time, unless your claustrophobic... you might not like it if you are. Finally, I do have to say that it lost some points for using the worst word in the english language, use your imagination.

Story (10) - 8.5
Genre (Tragedy) (10) - 10
Characters (5) - 5 (there weren't many characters so this is due mainly to Reynolds superb acting)
Believability (5) - 4
Filmmaking (10) - 7.5
Enjoyment (10) - 9

Buried - 4.4 out of 5 yukes

bam... you just got Yuked.
"I have had it with these m*****f***** snakes in this m*****f***** coffin."