Chronicle- B+

Release Date: Feb 3, 2012; Rated: PG-13; Length: 83 Minutes; With: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russel and Michael B. Jordan; Genres: Action/Adventure, Drama, Horror

Chronicle takes us inside a teen-outcast's life. Andrew (Dane DeHaan) has no friends and is a victim of bullying as well as having an abusive father and to make things worse, a dying mom. His cousin, Matt (Alex Russel) is smart and popular and besides taking Andrew to school everyday, doesn't talk to him much. Steve (Michael B. Jordan) is a confident student running for president of the school.

Andrew decides to document his life which explains the found-footage style. At a high school rave party, Andrew, Matt, and Steve find a whole deep in the ground emitting weird sounds. They decide to go down the hole which leads them to some type of crystal one would think is extraterrestrial. It then cuts and moves on to the next day where they find out they can move objects with their minds demonstrated with Lego's and a baseball. As they study there new powers, they become closer friends.

They first use their powers to prank people. Using telekinesis to move a car from one parking space to another or a shopping kart around a convenient store, but when Andrew releases his anger (that had also been built up by his father and bully's) through his new powers, he hurts a citizen. This is where Matt (the most responsible) sets new rules. Their powers grow stronger as well as discovering new ones.

The director, Josh Trank (this is his first feature film) shot this film with a reported $12 million. How he did what he did with the special effects, I don't know! The scene where they're flying in the sky for the first time  (it looks like the actors are actually up there), passing a football to one another in the clouds makes you wonder how they made it happen.

Chronicle is original from beginning to end. Director Josh Trank takes us on a journey that continues to impress throughout the film. From the "How did they do that!" special effects to the very well written smart and real script (written by Josh Trank and co-written by Max Landis, son of director John Landis) supported with great performances from the cast, creates a one of a kind movie. B+

84th Academy Awards (My Picks)

Let me start off by saying, There is always frustration with whatever the turn out is for the Oscar nominations each year. About a week ago,  the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for the 84th Academy Awards. Every year there are nominations expected, nominations not expected, and nominations not wanted. While few of the categories I agree with, there are some changes I would make. 50/50, Drive, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo are three of many movies I felt got snubbed while Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close somehow pushed it's way in where it didn't belong. Here is a list of some of the nominations along with my list of the nominations that should have been. Let me know what you think of this years' Oscar nominations as well as my picks.

Best Picture
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"The Help"
"Moneyball"
"War Horse"
"The Tree of Life"

Best Picture (My Picks)
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"50/50"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"Drive"
"Moneyball"
"The Help"
"The Tree of Life"


Best Actor
Demian Bichir, "A Better Life"
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

Best Actor (My Picks)
Ryan Gosling, "Drive"
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Michael Fassbender, "Shame"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"


Best 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 Actress (My Picks)
Charlize Theron, "Young Adult"
Viola Davis, "The Help"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"


Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Max Von Sydow, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Best Supporting Actor (My Picks)
Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Max Von Sydow, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Best Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

Best Supporting Actress (My Picks)
Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Shailene Woodley, "The Descendants"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

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

Best Director (My Picks)
Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Nicolas Winding Refn, "Drive"
Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

Best Original Screenplay
Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
JC Chandor, "Margin Call"
Asghar Farhadi, "A Separation"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, "Bridesmaids"

Best Original Screenplay (My Picks)
Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
Diablo Cody, "Young Adult"
Asghar Farhadi, "A Separation"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, "Bridesmaids"


Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxton, Jim Rash, "The Descendants"
John Logan, "Hugo"
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, "The Ides of March"
Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, "Moneyball"
Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughn, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

Best Adapted Screenplay (My Picks)
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxton, Jim Rash, "The Descendants"
John Logan, "Hugo"
Will Reiser, "50/50"
Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, "Moneyball"
Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughn, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

2012 Oscar Nominations - Academy Award Nominees

Best Picture
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"The Help"
"Moneyball"
"War Horse"
"The Tree of Life"

Best Actor
Demian Bichir, "A Better Life"
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

Best 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 Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Max Von Sydow, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Best Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

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

Best Original Screenplay
Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
JC Chandor, "Margin Call"
Asghar Farhadi, "A Separation"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, "Bridesmaids"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxton, Jim Rash, "The Descendants"
John Logan, "Hugo"
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, "The Ides of March"
Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, "Moneyball"
Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughn, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

Best Animated Feature
"A Cat In Paris"
"Chico & Rita"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Puss in Boots"
"Rango"

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Bullhead (Belgium)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)

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

Best Original Song
"Man or Muppet," The Muppets; Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio," Rio; Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown, Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Best Achievement in Art Direction
"The Artist"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"War Horse"

Best Achievement in Cinematography
"The Artist"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"

Best Achievement in Costume Design
"Anonymous"
"The Artist"
"Hugo"
"Jane Eyre"
"W.E."

Best Documentary Feature
"Hell and Back Again"
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front"
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory"
"Pina"
"Undefeated"

Best Documentary Short Subject
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement?"
"God Is the Bigger Elvis"
"Incident in New Baghdad"
"Saving Face"
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom"

Best Achievement in Film Editing
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"

Best Achievement in Makeup
"Albert Nobbs"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"The Iron Lady"

Best Animated Short Film
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Best Live Action Short Film
"Pentecost"
"Raju"
"The Shore"
"Time Freak"
"Tuba Atlantic"

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
"Drive"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"War Horse"

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"War Horse"

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Real Steel"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"

Young Adult- B+

Release Date: Dec 16, 2011; Rated: R; Length: 94 Minutes; With: Patton Oswalt, Charlize Theron and Patrick Wilson; Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Young Adult is a comedy like no other. It's well written with plenty of laughs and something we can all relate to.

Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) is a successful author of a young adult series who, after escaping her small hometown, lives in the city of Minneapolis.

After receiving an email that her high school boyfriend, Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson), who is married to Beth (Elizabeth Reaser), had a kid, she somehow she gets the idea of returning Mercury, Minn. and getting him back. While she's back in her hometown she also reunites and develops a weird relationship with her fellow classmate Matt (Patton Oswalt), who was involved in a hate crime his senior year.

Mavis is an alcoholic who is yes, somewhat crazy. The only person who seems to realize and understand this is Matt, played by Patton Oswalt who gives an exceptional performance. The relationship created between the two is unlike so many others and interesting to watch grow. Mavis is such an unlikeable character with an incredibly ugly personality who doesn't seem to learn from past mistakes or realize that she needs to grow up. Charlize Theron is at her best with every shot she takes down and every disgusted look on her face, she is fascinating to watch. Young Adult is definitely one of the best comedies of the year. B+

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1- C

 I must say I appreciate Bill Condon's vision for Breaking Dawn Part 1, but unfortunately his vision wasn't enough to redeem the Twilight saga from past failures.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 is by far the most mature and visually fascinating  movie of the franchise thus far. It's satisfying to see improvements in many areas including the acting, and dialogue and pleasing to be able to enjoy memorable scenes from the book that work on screen.

There wasn't one boring moment which seemed to be one of the many problems in it's predecessors, but it created another problem. Though it was the shortest of all Twilight films, it had much to cover and packing it into not even two hours wasn't the best solution. I found many scenes cut way too short which is very unfortunate because the emotion and tension created in many of the scenes, such as Bella and Edward making love for the first time, were like nothing Twilight fans ever experienced before, while others, such as the werewolves speaking telepathically, created great tension but made me feel like I was watching a melodramatic cartoon.

The acting was greatly improved. Kristin Stewart's performance walking down the isle at her wedding ceremony was very relieving and surprising to be honest. It might not be the performance of the year, but she created the emotion in that scene. I never thought Robert Pattinson needed much improvement but you definitely get a greater feel of what he's capable of in terms of his performance, and Taylor Lautner, although it wasn't the best, improved which was all we could ask for.

 There are plenty of laughs and memorable moments. Maybe too many for one movie. Breaking Dawn Part 1 wasn't the best of the saga, but it wasn't the worst. There was enough to be satisfied but too much in too little time to create the movie we were all hoping for. C+

Warrior- A-

Warrior is a movie that includes incredible acting and memorable moments. A story about two brothers that were raised fighters but soon went their separate ways.

Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton), is a high school physics teacher who has a daughter with a heart defect, a house that the bank is about to foreclose on and is also a former mixed-martial-arts champion who, for money, fights in the ring. Tommy Conlon (Tom Hardy), is an Iraq-war veteran who is also an MMA fighter and wants back in the ring. Paddy (Nick Nolte), is a recovering alcoholic who, because of his drinking, tore the family apart.


Warrior is an emotional drama following both the stories of Brendan Conlon and Tommy Conlon. Both wanting back in the ring reunites them along with their dad Paddy. This movie deals with many problems and triumphs. Families come together, but before that families are torn apart.

 Not many movies can compare to the inspiration and emotion this movie delivers not to mention the incredible performances given by Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy and Nick Nolte along with the rest of the cast but to emphasize on one is particular, this  is definitely one of Tom Hardy's most memorable performances if not his most memorable ones, but also one of the more memorable performances of the year.

Warrior lands in the hot spot, with its emotional journey and gripping climax. One of the years best films and one of the years best performances. Warrior wins in many ways than just one. A-