Madness Martin Scorsese Style

Martin Scorsese has been thrilling movie goers for many years. His last thriller, "The Departed" had everything going for it, big stars at their peak, up and coming stars and even a few that have since become a household name. The Departed, though splendidly wicked was tame compared to his latest, a movie that will essentially keep you on the edge of your seat. I consider Scorsese the master of suspense, and "Shutter Island" based on a novel by Dennis Lehane gives you thrills right from the start. Adapted for the screen by Laeta Kalogridis, the film weaves in and out of flashbacks, hallucinations, and fantasies, and plays with time and our very own notion of reality.

Set in 1954, the disappearance of a patient, multiple murderess Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer) at Ashecliffe Hospital, a maximum security hospital for the criminally insane, brings the Federal Marshal's to investigate. Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) are working together for the first time. Once they dock on Shutter Island, Daniels hidden agenda slowly comes to focus. He is a widow, whose wife was killed in an arson fire set by an inmate at Ashecliffe. The men in charge of the facility are Dr. Crawley (Ben Kingsley) and his partner Dr. Naehring (Max Von Sydow) both look as guilty as the cat who ate the canary.

Grounding the film in realism is DiCaprio’s intense portrait of a World War II hero who’s also battling personal demons of his own. His dead wife Dolores (Michelle Williams) appears in his dreams to warn him of impending disasters. Ben Kingsley also offers a spellbinding performance as Dr. Cawley who hides one of the island’s biggest secrets. Max Von Sydow plays another mysterious figure, Dr. Naehring. Daniels immediately dislikes him, only because he is of German decent. What is sure to be my favorite among the supporting cast is Jackie Earle Haley as the mysterious George Noyce. A man whom Daniels has interviewed in the past, the man who stared Daniels on his investigation of Ashecliffe in the beginning.

Scorsese, using the same theme as he did in Taxi Driver, sets the mood early on as we set out to learn about a man who slowly comes to believe he is losing his mind. The topic that Scorsese wrestles with here is one that is prominent in today's society, what do we do with the people that for one reason or another lose site of reality and either become a threat to themselves or others? I for one am glad that Scorsese didn't drag out a soap box and lecture us on this injustice. To say that the movie contains a little twist is an understatement, if you have read the book than you will be glad to know that Scorsese didn't trample on his right of artistic license and completely change the story or the outcome. And I can't say enough about the fact that we don't get that sappy Hollywood ending where the good guy always wins, nor do we get the whole plot explained to us from a to z. Leave it to the genius of Scorsese to make us think.

I give Shutter Island a 3 and on my avoidance scale I'm giving it a 0, this is based on the fact that this intelligent thriller is directed by Martin Scorsese, stars Leonardo DiCaprio and is just plain good. This isn't the type of movie to take you girlfriend to see nor is it recommended for young children. It contains some nudity and some violence, but not enough that it should turn you away. This is a very well made movie, right from the opening sequence where we see the boat coming out of the fog, only Scorsese would take the time to give us that little tidbit.

Shutter Island is rated R for Disturbing Violent Content, Language and some Nudity
Running time is 2 hrs. 18 mins.
Distributed by Paramount Pictures

The Nominations Are In For The 82nd Academy Awards

Early this morning Hollywood woke America up (or so the hoped) to announce the nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards. There were little to few surprises this year, I myself think that's because there were little to few good movies to choose from. The one major difference this year was the addition to the Best Picture category, there are ten nominations in that one category.

Here is the breakdown of nominations by film: Avatar 9, The Hurt Locker 9, Inglourious Basterds 8, Precious 6, Up in the Air 6, Up 5, District 9 4, Nine 4, Star Trek 4, Crazy Heart 3, An Education 3, The Princess and the Frog 3, The Young Victoria 3, The Blind Side 2, Fantastic Mr. Fox 2, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus 2, Invictus 2, The Last Station 2, The Messenger 2, A Serious Man 2, Sherlock Holmes 2, The White Ribbon 2.

Some of the nominations seem like a shoe in while others are making a race out of it. Meryl Streep's nomination for Julie & Julia is her 16th, further distancing herself from Katharine Hepburn, who has 12 and Jack Nicholson, who also has 12. Though Hepburn won 4 Best Actress Oscars and Nicholson 2 Best Actor Academy Awards as well as 1 Best Supporting Actor, Streep has just 1 Best Actress Oscar and 1 Best Supporting Actress. Streep was one of the nominated stars whose victory was thought to be a sure thing until the late resurgance of Sandra Bullock in The Blinde Side.

Best Motion Picture
Avatar James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers (20th Century Fox)
The Blind Side Nominees to be determined (Warner Bros.)
District 9 Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers (Sony Pictures Releasing)
An Education Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers (Sony Pictures Classics)
The Hurt Locker Nominees to be determined (Summit Entertainment)
Inglourious Basterds Lawrence Bender, Producer (The Weinstein Company)
Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
A Serious Man Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers (Focus Features)
Up Jonas Rivera, Producer (Walt Disney)
Up in the Air Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers

Achievement in Directing
James Cameron: Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow: The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino: Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels: Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Jason Reitman: Up in the Air

Actor In A Lead Role
Jeff Bridges: Crazy Heart
George Clooney: Up in the Air
Colin Firth: A Single Man
Morgan Freeman: Invictus
Jeremy Renner: The Hurt Locker

Actress In A Lead Role
Sandra Bullock: The Blind Side
Helen Mirren: The Last Station
Carey Mulligan: An Education
Gabourey Sidibe: Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
Meryl Streep: Julie & Julia

Actor In A Supporting Role
Matt Damon: Invictus
Woody Harrelson: The Messenger
Christopher Plummer: The Last Station
Stanley Tucci: The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz: Inglourious Basterds

Actress In A Supporting Role
Penélope Cruz: Nine
Vera Farmiga: Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal: Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick: Up in the Air
Mo’Nique: Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Animated Motion Picture
Coraline Henry Selick
Fantastic Mr. Fox Wes Anderson
The Princess and the Frog John Musker and Ron Clements
The Secret of Kells Tomm Moore
Up Pete Docter

Many of these motion pictures were very good to watch and some others were like a visit to the dentist, Deserving or not some one will walk away a winner of an Academy Award. My list (guesses) of winners will be posted on Febuary 10th.

Edge Of Darkness Is Gritty. But Dialogue Is Childish

Movies that deal with a gritty loner, who must battle the bad guys who just happen to have major power behind them, often make for a good movie. Hollywood has been making these types of movies for decades. Usually the plot has a top notch script, but "Edge Of Darkness" the first film to star Mel Gibson in almost seven years has the tired feel of repetition. The movie has every cliche in it, and this along with the simple dialogue overshadows the plot. Mel Gibson makes his return to the silver screen in what should be the seemingly perfect role for him, his character is one he has portrayed several times before, its like Lethal Weapon meets Mad Max in Boston.

Boston homicide detective Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) is forced to trace the past few days of his activist daughter, Emma's life (Bojana Novakovic) when she is shot and killed on his front porch. At first he is sure he was the intended target, but the more he looks into the recent activity of his daughter he becomes more and more convinced that she was the one the gun man had targeted. One night Craven is visited by the mysterious Jedburgh (Ray Winstone) he decides that not only will he find his daughters killers but bring them to his form of justice. His search leads Craven from the under belly of Boston to it's highest level of politcos. Craven deals out his own brand of justice along the way, he leaves behind him a pile of body, as his search for the truth brings him closer to finding out something he may wish he never knew.

The movie does build suspense, but once the plot is revealed it very quickly spirals downward, the ease in which Craven is able to get near the people responsible is a little to pat. This isn't the worst thing about the movie, the worst is the cheesy dialogue, it's as if it was written as a high school project. Governmental conspiracies have been the center of several dozen Hollywood movies for years, but here we get the addition of corporation compliance, and the secret building of nuclear weapons. Emma had discovered this fact and tried to deal with this legally, this is the reason that Emma was targeted. The movie has several one liners that seem cheap and forced, there are no sex scenes but the violence is upfront and in your face, so this may be one movie that parent may want to ensure that there teen children do not see.

Edge of darkness is an intense movie about family and a man with nothing left to lose. The love between Thomas and his daughter Emma is made abundantly clear, it takes up a huge portion of the beginning of the movie and are also the subject of several flashbacks that seem more a gimmick than a plot point. His will to find the truth keeps the movie entertaining, and fast paced, it gives the viewer what they want to see, a bad ass Mel Gibson again. Gibson's Craven is as good a performance I have seen in a while, he is at once angry and distraught, and at times he shows his human side.

I give Edge Of Darkness a 2 and on my avoidance scale a 1, this movie will find it's audience and that may be action movie fans, the movie has tons of action from shoot outs to car crashes to Mel beating up the bad guys, This movie packs a punch and has what many of American movie goers want, a plot that's easy to follow and an ending with the good guy handing out his own brand of justice. I wish that Mel Gibson had taken a little more time to reread this script before he thought that this was the perfect movie for him. there are worse movies out right now so if you choose to see this one you shouldn't be disappointed.

Edge Of Darkness is rated R for Strong Bloody Violence and Language
Running time is 1 hr. 56 mins.

You Are Fantastic Mr. Fox

Animation has come along way from the drab mostly hand drawn days of Walt Disney. In no way am I saying that the classic Disney cartoons were drab, but there is something about the animation process today that I myself can't help but think that what we have today is such a change from my youth. Kids today will not grow up and appreciate just how good animation has become. Pixar has had free reign on most of today's animated projects, until recently when Disney released "The Princess And The Frog" but many of today's stop motion animation isn't very well done, most seem jerky at best, that is until the "Fantastic Mr. Fox" a captivating story with a message of right and wrong, the moral is that no matter what you may want, its the "how" you try to achieve it that matters.

Wes Anderson has a flair for telling a story with a captivating style. His amazingly designed backgrounds and scenery have an incredible attention to detail, the film is full of this care and attention. Each character feels full of personality unlike many of the 3D characters we are forced to sit and watch. The fluid way that the scenery moves along with the animals makes this movie well worth watching.

Mr Fox (George Clooney) and his wife Felicity Fox (Meryl Streep) are caught in a trap as the movie opens we learn that Felicity is pregnant and then we jump several years later, many many years later in fox years. Living underground with their son Ash (Jason Schwartzman) who is at best the oddest character in movies all year. Mr Fox has gone from stealing chickens to writing a piece for the area newspaper. He has left behind the danger of his youth but the desire is still in his heart. So when he decides to move his family out of the ground into a nearby tree his attorney Mr. Badger (Bill Murray) tries to advise him against it, stating the tree is to close to the property of the three meanest farmers in the valley. Boggis, Bunce, and Bean.

Going on night time raids with his friend Kylie (Wallace Wolodarsky), Mr. Fox soon angers the farmers. Even though he has his tail shot off Mr. Fox decides he has still beat the farmers, his family is put in danger, along with the other families in the area when the farmers decide to dig out the Fox family and his friends. Once the story picks up though, this movie could very well be the best animated story of the year, the story has a quick pace and the motion of the scenery behind the animals seems flawless and right on the mark.

The movie is a revolutionary step toward a better animation technique that may bring about a much needed change in film making today. The little things that happen on screen are as amazing to watch as the film is itself, the scene where the animals are washed down the sewer system and we see their arms flailing is a step some other film makers wouldn't have bothered with. This little scene just adds to the wonderful experience that is watching Fantastic Mr. Fox.
I give Fantastic Mr. Fox a 3 and on my avoidance scale a 0. The movie is garnered ore to the young adult and adult, it contains nothing that younger children wouldn't understand or enjoy, so take the whole family and move into the valley of Mr. Fox.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox is rated PG for Action, Smoking and Slang Humor
Running time is 1 hr. 28 mins.
Distributed by Fox Searchlight

From Ho Ho To Ho Hum As Hollywood Gets Set For January And February

This is usually the time of year where Hollywood releases the rest of it's films that didn't or couldn't muster an earlier release date. January usually is a month of blah weather and an assortment of blah movies. While February lacks the blistering coldness of January the films released in February also seem to lack something. Usually a good plot. This year doesn't look any better than previous years at this time. Sit back and try to catch up on some of the better movies of 09 that you might have missed out on.

January brings Vampires and the messiah, A spy next door and the tooth fairy, A trip to Rome and to Ireland. What ever your fancy, you may find something for you in January. But if you do see something that interests you on this list, my suggestion is don't wait to see it, the movie may be gone in a blink of the eye. And for some that won't be quick enough.

January 01st

The White Ribbon (Wide)

January 08th

Bitch Slap (Limited)

Crazy On The Outside (Limited)

Daybreakers

Leap Year

Youth In Revolt

January 15th

The Book Of Eli

Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil

The Last Station (Limited)

The Spy Next Door

January 22nd

Creation (Limited)

Extraordinary Measures

Legion

To Save A Life (Limited)

The Tooth Fairy

January 29th

Edge Of Darkness

When In Rome

February brings Crazies and A prophet, Lovers and takers, A wolfman and an Olympian. Some of these movies will appeal to an older audience, this is after all the month of love. Hollywood won't disappoint you this month, there are several movies slated to be released with the Love Story Theme. God Help all us guys.

February 05th

Dear John

From Paris With Love

Frozen

I Love You, Philip Morris

February 12th

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Saint John Of Las Vegas

Valentine's Day

The Wolfman

February 19th

Shutter Island

February 26th

Cop Out ( A Couple Of Dicks)

The Crazies

The Takers

This is, again only a partial list that has been published as of this posting. Dates are subject to change on the whim of the Hollywood machine. Movies are still a great form of family entertainment. Why now, when families need to have something interesting to sit and watch, are the smaller Independent Film Companies being closed down? Why does Hollywood think we are not ready to witness another Slumdog Millionaire but that we will sit through a movie based on board games and comic books? Because it is true, movie goers will flock in the hundreds to see a Transformer or Iron Man movie but only in the dozens to see a well made independent movie. I challenge you to search out a smaller independent movie and tell me that it wasn't a better crafted more intelligent movie.

The Cynic

The Cynics List Of The Worst Movies Of 2009

2009 was not a very good year for movies, this list of the worst films could have very easily been filled out before the summer movies rolled through. But I was willing to give most of them a more than just a second look. I was barely to try to JUST come up with a list of the top ten very worst films of 2009.

10. Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen - Michael Bay's ode to noise and explosions. This sequel offered nothing to enhance the previous story. We got nothing worth cheering for except of course for Bumblebee.

09. The Unborn - What was supposed to be a horror movie turned out to be boring and dull, the special effects were as dumb as they get, even the big stars in this silly movie couldn't save it. This movie should be avoided at all costs.

08. Fame - Another remake of a classic film that shouldn't have been made. This movie showcases a lot of talent that seems unnecessary. Megan Mullally can sing but she doesn't do enough of it here. The young cast members are the only thing going for this film, its all glitz and no story.

07. Fired Up - A coming of age story at a cheer leading camp. What could have been funny and awkward was just stupid. American pie ripoffs should be a thing of the past. Its unfortunate that movies like this are made year after year.

06. Jennifer's Body - Megan Fox proves beyond any doubt that she is completely untalented. Thank God for CGI or Megan's career would have been over long before this stupid and dull movie was.

05. The Twilight Saga: New Moon - Why is it that so many teens love this boringly dull story of love between a male vampire and a human girl? I guess there's no accounting for taste. A bare chested Jacob can't even save this movie. You can go in sixty minutes after this movie starts and not feel like you missed anything.

04. All About Steve - Why a studio would think that a movie that makes fun of a handicap would make audiences laugh is beyond me. The fact that this dog attracted the likes of Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper didn't help. The studio that released this piece of filth should be boycotted.

03. White Out - Kate Beckinsale in the frozen tundra? No not Wisconsin, but it should have been. Maybe that would have made a better movie. The story of a Marshall in the Antarctica tracking a killer. Sounds good? No.

02. I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell - What was one of the stupidest stories brought to the silver screen in a long time. Movie goers are assaulted every year by vulgar and stupid movies, having one movie that is offensive and vulgar doesn't make it funny just stupid and unworthy of the time or money spent to watch it.

01. Crank: High Voltage - What can I say about this dog except that the most offensive scene is near the end where Jason Statham flips the audience off. It feels as if the director, writer and the star is saying this is what we thing of you, the fact that you spend up to eleven dollars to sit through this movie is bad enough but to be flipped off is just more than we deserve.

It's Elementary, Sherlock Will Be Downey's Next Franchise Machine

Director Guy Ritchie has a style all his own, it has worked for him in several of his films. It is a style that many others have tried but have not been as fortunate with it. This filming style is like stop motion, it is done in almost all of his action or fight scenes. We get a slow look at what is about to happen, and we also get an informative narration telling us, then we see this same action in what looks like fast motion. Ritchie utilizes this format several times in his newest action comedy, "Sherlock Holmes"

The first thing that you will notice about this Sherlock Holmes is that the mood of the era seems to be recreated perfectly, the next is how perfect the balance between comedy, drama, and mystery seem to meld together. When the mysterious Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) is finally apprehended by Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his partner Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) merry old England thinks that the latest murder spree is over and can breath easier. This illusion is short lived, and when the body of Lord Blackwood appears to have magically been rejuvenated, Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan) once again calls upon the great mind of Sherlock Holmes.

Holmes is confronted by an old nemesis in Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams). Adler has been a bane in his side for so long, that Holmes can't imagine what life would be like if she was caught. Holmes deals with her because he knows that deep down he wouldn't be happy without her nearby. When Holmes is hired by Adler, to find a missing person he at first acts as if he isn't interested. Everyone knows that Holmes and Adler will be hip deep in the London underground muck before the movie is over. It is enjoyable watching the two try to outfox the other.

Downey Jr. has shown he has the flair to create a character, he has made a name for himself with his other franchise character, Tony Stark in the Iron Man movies. With the addition of Jude Law, Guy Ritchie is sure to have a hit on his hands. The running time of Sherlock Holmes is just over two hours and at times the movie does lag, but this is a minor snag and doesn't take anything away from the story. The back and forth between Holmes and Watson is very funny, but when ever Holmes needs help, Watson is always there. The story arc about Black magic and the take over of British Parliament is kinda far fetched and at times seems stretched beyond comprehension. The game is afoot, when the man that Adler needs found is indeed found in the coffin that is supposed to hold Lord Blackwood. When body after body starts to turn up Holmes is sure that Lord Blackburn has inside help. The source of this help is closer to home than one would believe.

The ease that Holmes solves the case will baffle some viewers, his wit is world renowned, but this is so Hollywood cliche like it must be a cliche. Everything is wrapped up neat and tidy, Holmes spots little clues throughout the film that leads him to solve a big mystery. The fact that the movie shamelessly leads itself to a sequel is not that big a deal anymore. Most Hollywood movies try to leave an ending that can easily be explained away in a sequel. This movie may go a long way to help resurrect a career that was at one time about as low as it could go, now that same man commands millions of dollars and can pick and choose his roles, like A DeNiro once did. There are few stars of this caliber left in Hollywood.

I give Sherlock Holmes a 3 and on my avoidance scale a 0, this is a perfect movie to send the family off to see early Christmas morning while the food is being prepared. Get the teens out of the house, it's this or the chipmunks mom and dad, and sending your teen kids to see one of the free worlds most read detective will be the wiser choice. Of course Rachel McAdams lights up the screen when ever she is on it and that's a huge help. A leading lady that bogs down almost every scene she is in, is death to any movie.

Sherlock Holmes is rated PG-13 for Thematic material Including Violence, Disturbing Images and A Scene Of Suggestive Material

Running time is 2 hrs. 09 mins.