The Impossible

I can't figure out why I hadn't heard more about this movie!  The Impossible is currently out in theaters, and Naomi Watts was nominated for an Oscar for her role. And honestly, I didn't even know what this movie was about.

I heard ZERO about it.

If you are like I was, let me enlighten you, hopefully without ruining anything. This movie is based on the true story of a family on vacation in Thailand during the Tsunami of 2004 that devastated much of southeast Asia. And... that might be all I can say without ruining anything.

This movie was terrifying. The images were haunting and anxiety-producing without being overly grotesque or cliched. The cinematography was simply amazing.  It was hard to believe that some of it wasn't actual tsunami footage.

The story had a simple overall concept with small details that made it intimate and emotionally authentic. And, for a disaster movie, it left me feeling surprisingly uplifted.

Naomi Watts is basically brilliant in everything she's ever done. Even in her Ashley-Judd-Esque roles, she's more interesting than most other actresses would be. But in a role like this, she really was amazing.

Ewan McGregor played the father of the family in this story, and he was awesome. And, I think he finally grew into his face. He has always been kind of ugly-cute, but now he's just straight-up handsome. And it was nice to see him in something with this type of realism. He was really engaging.

I really just want more people to see this movie! I have no one to talk to about it.

I really love this kind of man-vs-nature movie. I'm not really sure why, because in real life, I tend to avoid nature at all costs. Let's face it: Being outside is for Hobos.

But in movies, I love watching people try to survive. In movies like The Edge, The Grey, or 127 Hours, it's just amazing to watch people find their limits. I feel like my limit would be REALLY low.

I don't even like to sit on the ground.

I'd be like - There are no chairs?  Ummm.  I'm just going to let this bear eat me and get it over with.

But then, I also really like stories like Into the Wild, where people intentionally go out into a less-pre-structured world and try to find their own way. Dances with Wolves has that kind of appeal.

I love those movies.

But, The Impossible isn't all man-v-nature. It's also about people stepping up in times of crisis and reaching out to their fellow humans across cultures and language barriers.  It's pretty amazing to think about how selfless people can be. That alone makes this movie worth watching.

Peggy's Rating: Five out of Five Stars

Skyfall: Action Movie Cliche Central

So, I realize that I'm WAY too late for the party, but I finally watched Skyfall today!

Not only was Daniel Craig all shirtless and steamy, but they managed to color-correct his steely blues up about 2000%. Bravo, filmmakers.

There was so much gay sexual tension in this movie. It was glorious. Maybe it was what I'm referring to now as the Double-Oh-Gay-Sexual-Tension scene, but also there was nary a boob to be found in this entire movie. Even the obligatory way-too-long animated sequence lacked a certain amount of expected boobage.

My favorite part about this film is that it is basically a sequence of my favorite action movie cliches. From beginning to end, expected setups abound. I shall provide examples, hopefully without spoiling anything!

I mean, frankly, you've seen every part of this movie a thousand times before, so there's not much to spoil, but it's still fun to go through:

1) Jumping a motorcycle through a tall window - So cutting edge, the muppets were spoofing it in 1981!

2) Hand-to-Hand combat on a moving train - Here's a special screening of Skyfall's storyboard for this sequence:

3) Shooting at a door to unlock it: Mythbusters even took this one on.

4) Fire that can't turn corners. This dog, and James bond can both outrun explosions.

5) Nameless Henchmen being killed in ridiculous ways (e.g., being eaten by animals)

Now, in this movie, James references but doesn't actually USE his ejector seat.  I wonder if that will be in the deleted scenes!  I can't wait to find out.

You know, maybe all this nonsense was intentional.  This movie did have a totally mustache-twisty Villain, and utterly dispensable females.  Also, there were several totally lame Bond One Liners. Ugh.

You know, even though this movie was derivative and semi-pointless, I still dug it. But... I'm a James Bond fan, so it's really not hard to please me. I even liked both the Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan eras, as much as I hate to admit it.

But, come on James, get your shit together.

Peggy's rating: Three out of Five Stars.

Peggy's Oscar Picks

For those of you playing along at home, here are my predictions for the Oscars tonight.  Not all are necessarily my favorite in each category, but they are the ones I think are most likely to win.

Note: I'm historically TERRIBLE at this.  :)

BEST PICTURE

Argo

(Even though I think that Django Unchained was a MUCH better movie)

(Ugh, but I'm torn between Argo and Les Mis... Ok... I'm going with Argo. Final Answer.)

ACTOR in a Leading Role

Hugh Jackman

Les Misérables

ACTRESS in a Leading Role

Jessica Chastain

Zero Dark Thirty

(Also, not my favorite performance, but I think she's going to take it.  WEAK nominations this year, if you ask me.)

ACTOR in a Supporting Role

Christoph Waltz

Django Unchained

(DUH)

ACTRESS in a Supporting Role

Anne Hathaway

Les Misérables

(I mean, come on.  How can she not win?)

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Wreck-It Ralph

Rich Moore

(Here's rooting for an actual comedy!)

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Django Unchained

Robert Richardson

COSTUME DESIGN

Les Misérables

Paco Delgado

DIRECTING

Silver Linings Playbook

David O. Russell

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Searching for Sugar Man

Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn

(I didn't see any of the nominees in this category, but I have heard TONS about this movie, so I assume it will win.)

DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Mondays at Racine

Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan

FILM EDITING

Argo

William Goldenberg

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Amour

Austria

(For the record, I don't think that there should be a Foreign Language Film category.  Obviously, if one of the nominees in this category is up for Best Picture, and none of the other nominees are, it will win.  So... why have a separate category?  It also assumes that non-English movies are inherently sub-par and therefore need their own JV category, and that's becoming less and less the norm.  I say, cut this shit out.)

MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Peter Swords King, Rick Findlater and Tami Lane

Original Score

Lincoln

John Williams

Original Song

"Skyfall" from Skyfall

Music and Lyric by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth

(That song from Les Mis was shit.)

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Les Misérables

Eve Stewart (Production Design); Anna Lynch-Robinson (Set Decoration)

SHORT FILM Animated

Paperman

John Kahrs

(This is a really awesome short, and you can watch it online!)

SHORT FILM Live Action

Death of a Shadow (Dood van een Schaduw)

Tom Van Avermaet and Ellen De Waele

SOUND EDITING

Django Unchained

Wylie Stateman

SOUND MIXING

Les Misérables

Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes

VISUAL EFFECTS

Prometheus

Richard Stammers, Trevor Wood, Charley Henley and Martin Hill

(I don't care what anyone says.  Prometheus was awesome.)

WRITING Adapted Screenplay

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Screenplay by Lucy Alibar & Benh Zeitlin

WRITING Original Screenplay

Django Unchained

Written by Quentin Tarantino

Am I right or am I right?  Right?

Netflix Suggestion of the Week: The Wave (2008)

I have been burning the candle at both ends for the last week, so I haven't had any time to go catch a free movie at SIFF!  LAME!  I still need to get out there and see Side Effects.  And there has been a Japanese Animation series going on... but to be honest, I'm not really into that, so I'm not too sad I missed it.

However, today I had time to watch a movie I've been meaning to see on Netflix, the German remake of a 1981 movie, The Wave.  And I'm so glad I did!

It's the story of a high school class that is doing group  projects studying a particular political ideology.  A popular teacher gets assigned the topic of "Autocracy" and engages the students in a practical lesson by getting them to buy into his own little microcosm of a dictatorship.

That premise sounds predictable, and in some ways it goes down the expected path, but this movie has really well-crafted characters, and doesn't shy away from showing both the positive and negative effects of being a part of a group that encourages (and eventually enforces) uniformity. It explores the modern German self-concept, with its mix of historical shame and desire to heal and press forward.

This movie does have a few flaws.  First, it's subtitled.  Blech. Secondly, it has some weird inconsistencies. For example, there are a few characters that randomly change their motivations for no clear reason. Like, there's a girl who is very wrapped up in The Wave movement, but then just suddenly rejects it, for very weak reasoning. But that kind of thing probably only irritates me. Overall, the story is pretty solid.

One thing that was really fun about this movie was that the teacher was all hot and beefy. He had gross teeth, though. He was kind of a Daniel Craig, where he's a weird mix of ugly and hot. And he coached a water polo team full of hot dudes. I assume they are all over 18 in real life. If not, then... yuck. But for now I'm going to assume it's ok for me to think they are foxy.

The filmmaker plays with visual metaphor, and if you pay attention to the art in the backgrounds of many of the settings, you'll notice that it has some nice layering. One of my film teachers would say that it had well-crafted "mise-en-scene."  He was an old stoner burnout that wore FUBU jeans and once read his lecture notes off of a bowling scorecard. He was kind of a loveable douche.

I recommend this movie if you loved the 1990 classic Pump Up The Volume, because for some reason, it had a similar feel. I also recommend it if you enjoy reading subtitles and looking at foxy dudes.

Peggy's Rating: Four out of Five stars

Netflix Suggestions of the Week: Valentine's Day Confessions

I was just looking through my Netflix ratings, to see what movies I might suggest this week, and I discovered something.  I have a lot of movies with 5-star ratings that are widely considered to be terrible movies.

Maybe I have horrible taste in movies!

Or... maybe I see diamonds in the rough... You decide.

5 embarrassing movies I have rated (a perfect) 5 stars:

1. She's out of control (1989)
Yes, this movie stars Mr. Tony Danza. Not only is this movie the PERFECT makeover movie, but it is also gloriously, iconically late-80's. The 80's are back, right? Well, even if they aren't, this movie is awesome. It will make you want to wear a side ponytail and watch old reruns of Who's the Boss.

2. Jumanji (1995)
I re-watched this movie for the 10,000th time about a month ago, and it totally stands the test of time. Fantastical, silly, sad, Robin-Williams-y. It's perfect. It might be Bonnie Hunt's best movie ever. And a really fantastic small-ish role for the always wonderful David Allen Grier.

3. Amistad (1997)
Steven Spielberg's notorious flop! But seriously, screw you guys. This movie is SAD and really good. It's all epic and swashbuckly. Anthony Hopkins is awesome. There's nothing wrong with this movie. I think people just randomly hate certain movies set at sea. I can't figure out why. I like them all, even that Gina Davis one that was really shitty.

4. Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987)
This is, by far, the best Police Academy movie. Putting all the loveable screwup cops in charge of a citizen's police force is pure comic gold. This movie has no idea what decade it takes place in. It also has twice the slapstick of the previous three movies, and a hefty scoop of subtle racism.  Scoring a perfect 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, everyone should watch this movie at least once.

5. Career Opportunities (1991)
For some reason, this is a really popular movie in my family. I think we probably recorded it off of TV at some point, and we watched it repeatedly. There's something about being locked in a Target alone overnight that really appealed to me both at age 13, and age 34. Plus, you get to see Jennifer Connelly before she got scary-skinny. I also have a soft spot in my heart for Frank Whaley. Whatever happened to him?

So, maybe check these movies out!  Or, just feel sad for me.

10. Oscar Nominated Documentary Shorts

SIFF has been showing screening of all of the Academy Award Nominated Short Format Documentaries all week, and I went to see them on Sunday!  

I really, really love documentaries. Even when they aren't particularly well-done, I have to admit that I still enjoy watching them. It made for a really fantastic afternoon to sit through 5 superb documentaries. I didn't realize that the short format category included movies that were up to 40 minutes long.  I was thinking that they'd be more in the 10-20 minute range. Nope! It was a Long. Ass. Screening.  

So, for those of you who are placing Oscar bets with your friends, here are my thoughts about the nominees:

1. Kings Point

Sari Gilman and Jedd Wider

This documentary told the story of several residents of the Kings Point senior apartments in Florida.  Hilarious stories were told of love, dating, loss and survival among these aging former New Yorkers.  This movie made me think deeply about the fragile unpredictability and life, and our need for our fellow human beings.  It was truly moving and had some really great laughs.  This is my choice as runner up for the Oscar.  It could easily win, and would totally deserve it.  It was really excellent.  

2. Mondays at Racine

Cynthia Wade and Robin Honan

I call this movie "The One We Cried All The Way Through."  It is an astonishingly intimate portrait of women with breast cancer who participate in a day of beauty that the Racine salon provides for women with cancer.  With none of the "fighting disease" rhetoric that usually accompanies movies about women with cancer, this short showed the vulnerability and emotional complexity of a women's sense of self.  This movie showed all of the women involved as whole humans struggling with their mortality and their relationships with others.  It was truly moving.  This is my pick for the Oscar. 

3. Inocente

Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine

This was a slick, touching portrait of Teen Artist Inocente, who also happens to be homeless.  Highlighting the A.R.T.S. program in San Diego, and shining a light on the issue of child homelessness in the US, this documentary short was hopeful, inspiring, and at times heartbreaking.  Clearly aimed at an MTV audience, this short felt like it was the most commercial of the nominees.  

4. Redemption

Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill

This movie is a look into the world of unemployed New Yorkers who have taken up bottle and can collection as full-time work.  Following around several "canners" ranging from those you may perceive as "typical," to an elderly Jewish Woman retired from the Computer Programming industry, this movie looks at how the recession has trickled down, leaving those who were unstably employed to fend for themselves a bottle or can at a time.  One thing I really liked about this movie was that it showed a nice cultural cross section of people.  There was a white male, a Jamaican male, a Jewish-american female, a man from Egypt, a woman from China, a man from Japan, a woman from Vietnam, a man from Cuba, a family from Guatemala, and several others.  It really showed the melting pot in action (sometimes the cultures clashed in a positive way, and sometimes they did not!), and it showed how the economy really impacts those already on the fringes of society.  This is the wild-card pick for the Oscar.  It was less emotionally-driven than the other shorts, but with the Economy being such a hot-button political issue right now, this one might sneak in and steal it.  

5. Open Heart

Kief Davidson and Cori Shepherd Stern

This movie was about 8 Rwandan children with Rheumatic Heart Disease traveling to a medical center in Sudan for free heart surgery.  Under a backdrop of a part of the world that I think Americans find to be frightening, this movie showed average Rwandans dealing with the stress of having a sick family member, or friend.  Frustrations about hospital funding came out, and we even got to see a scene with Sudanese President and accused genocide engineer Omar Al-Bashir in a meeting discussing possible avenues for funding of the free hospital.  

People who throw around snide comments about their "first world problems" (Which is a GIANT pet-peeve of mine) should watch more movies like this.  People have all different kinds of problems, regardless of their location on earth.  And just because some people have kinged themselves as the "first" world, doesn't mean that people in underdeveloped countries don't also have complex thoughts about problems, small or large.  We all go through similar fears and worries when we or our family members are sick.  Watching this movie after having just seen stories of illness and mortality in more developed parts of the world was a nice highlight of how much we all have in common.  The diseases were different, but the humanity was the same.  

Overall, these movies were outstanding.  I highly recommend watching all of them if you get the chance.  

Peggy's Rating: Five out of Five stars!

Beasts of the Southern Wild

Well, I can't count this movie as a free movie, because I paid a whole whopping $3.99 to digitally rent it from Amazon! It's an outrage! But, your review is still free, as usual, so I guess we'll all survive.

Beasts of the Southern Wild was pretty... awesome. It mashed up bizarre societies, trash-heap counterculture, chaotic people, family dysfunction, environmental implosion, and prehistoric imagery in that special Waterworld-Meets-Precious-based-on-the-novel-Push-by-Sapphire kind of way.

Especially as Behn Zeitlin's directorial debut, this movie is pretty impressive.

It is, however, a giant bummer.

It starts out sad. It gets sadder. Then a different kind of sad. Then depressing. Then sad again. And the ending... well, I won't spoil it for you, but it doesn't really disrupt the pattern. However, it focuses on a (very) young girl's attempt to maintain a sense of self and personal safety amid being thrown in a giant bucket full of bummers.

The lead actress, Quvenzhane Wallis, is nominated for the Best Actress Oscar. I think that's fine. I think she was really perfect for the role, but I wasn't blown away by her. She played a better 6 year old than I could have, but... you know... she was actually 6. So... yeah.

She probably also played a better 6 year old than most people could have when they were 6.  And, I really think that the Best Actress category is the weakest it has been in several years, so she just might win. The novelty of having someone so young in such a good movie will probably override the fact that the effectiveness of her role was probably more about excellent directing and editing than anything else.

I guess I'm just not that into kids doing stuff. I can't be a fan of someone who doesn't grow armpit hair. I always kind of feel bad for them, because I assume that they are all being treated like trained chimpanzees.

Ugh.
And I bet she's out doing the late-night circuit, being precocious.
Barf.
Even my mental image of that is obnoxious.

She was fine, though. I wouldn't mind it if she won. I just have a hunch that if you sat down and had a conversation with her, she wouldn't be able to tell you anything meaningful about what the movie was about without any coaching.

However, the person pulling a HUGE amount of the acting load in this movie, but who has been almost totally overlooked, is Dwight Henry as Hushpuppy's totally batshit crazy dad. He embodies the title of this movie, and yet was really quite touching, noble, deeply flawed, and possibly psychotic all at the same time. I liked (and appropriately hated) him.

I think you should check out this movie. First of all, it's only $3.99 on Amazon. Even I can afford that!

Secondly, we could all use a good cry right now. Right? Right.

And lastly, it will make you feel better about your housekeeping abilities, because even though you think you live in a big pile of trash... these people ACTUALLY live in big piles of trash. It's good to get some perspective about our lifestyles of excess every once in awhile.

Peggy's rating: Four out of Five Stars