Black Swan

Whoa.  You may think you're ready for Black Swan, but you're not.

Here's what you probably already know going into the movie from the previews: Natalie Portman is a ballerina, chosen to play the Swan Queen in the upcoming production of Swan Lake.  Portman's character, Nina, is perfect for half of the role-- that of the White Swan.  Nina is innocent (read, naive), fresh, trusting and technically brilliant but cold.  Nina, however, must also dance the part of the Black Swan, a dark, seductive, emotional dance.  Everything she's not.  What follows is Nina's exploration of herself (quite literally at times) in an effort to unearth her own dark side.

Now, here's what you need to know about this movie: Black Swan is terrifying.  Nina seems to be losing touch with reality the more she embraces her darker side.  Her existence becomes shockingly unstable and violent.  People are hurt, although we're not sure exactly which people.

Here's my advice: Don't try too hard to figure out the ending-- you can't.  Take the film a bit more at face value and appreciate the physical, mental and emotional devotion that great performers must pour into their craft to excel.  The scenes of the dancers cracking toes, popping seemingly every joint in their body, splitting toenails because of over-exertion and undergoing tortuous physical therapy are every bit as unsettling as the psychological frights.  Nina pushes herself to perform at unimaginable levels.  There is a price for such perfection.

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(Would be a fine rental, but everyone will be talking about this movie, particularly Portman's performance, during awards season.)

-  Stuart

Holiday Movie Favorites

It is the most wonderful time of the year, and there a few movies that are my favorite repeat watches for the month of December. People all have their favorites and it usually doesn't matter what anyone else says about your holiday favorite movies, you will watch them all in the next week. Forced Family Fun!

I will start with my recent holiday fav, Love Actually. I don't know anyone who doesn't love this movie. It is just so dadgum good! I've watched it twice this month already, and I probably will again before next Saturday. The acting is great, the stories are great, and I cry every time I watch it. I know its Christmas time when I get to pop this movie in the DVD player.

Another more recent favorite is, The Holiday. I realize this is a super girly Christmas movie, but I don't really care. I love it. It is so picturesque, funny, and sweet. Plus how can you not love Jude Law? Kate Winslet? It's Christmas movie gold, people!

Another good, girly holiday movie I enjoy is The Family Stone. I watch this movie and want a big house in the northeast and lots of kids....it also makes me want to wear a big ring on my pointer finger a la Diane Keaton. It is a sweet family story, with a lot of actors I really love.Unfortunately, I have been at a loss to find it at any stores that sell movies and it is really making me sad. Don't worry, I won't give up.

On to some classic movies, my family always watches It's A Wonderful Life over Christmas, usually on Christmas Eve. If you haven't seen this movie, you are seriously missing out on some mandatory American culture. Jimmy Stewart is the best as George Bailey,  and there is no better villain than Mr.Potter. For me, this is the ultimate holiday movie.

My father might say that the best holiday movie is A Christmas Story. Fortunately, I think everyone has seen this movie as TBS shows it for 24 hours straight on Christmas Day every year. Always worth catching at least one airing of it though. You have to see a tongue stuck to a flagpole to truly ring in Christmas.

And most people I know also love watching Christmas Vacation. I'm going to make an admission though, I don't think I've ever actually watched this movie all the way through. I KNOW! I KNOW! I'm embarrassed. I promise I'll watch it next week.

Happy Holidays to all!

-Emily

Emily's Oscar Predictions

Before the Golden Globe nominations are announced tomorrow, I wanted to place my bets on likely Oscar  Nominations (which will be released January 25). I haven't yet seen all of the movies I think will be nominated in some degree, in fact some aren't even in theaters yet, so I may be wrong. However, I think I will be right on most of them. Without any further ado, here are my top 10 movies of 2010:

Black Swan
True Grit
Winter's Bone
127 Hours
The Social Network
Rabbit Hole
The King's Speech
The Fighter
The Kids Are Alright
Inception

My two other possibilities are Toy Story 3 and The Town, but I feel less confident the Academy will pick either of these.

Best Actor:
Jeff Bridges for True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network
Colin Firth for The King's Speech
James Franch for 127 Hours
I have also heard a lot about Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine

Best Actress:
Natalie Portman for Black Swan
Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole
Annette Bening for The Kids Are Alright
Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone
And joining her costar, Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine

Best Director:
Danny Boyle for 127 Hours
Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan
Coen Brothers for True Grit
David Fincher for The Social Network
Christopher Nolan for Inception

Let the Awards Season begin!

127 Hours

Knoxville gets limited releases about a month after everyone else, so I was just recently able to see 127 Hours. I know everyone has already said what a great movie this is, but it really is. James Franco is simply fantastic, if he doesn't get a nomination it will be a crying shame. This is just a great story of survival, and this movie makes you feel like you were right there with him. It tells the true story of outdoors-man Aaron Ralston who in 2003 went off alone on a hike/climb in the canyons of Utah and got trapped by a boulder. It doesn't shy away from any of the details, and there are a couple of moments that are hard to watch. However, it really is a great story and Danny Boyle directs it perfectly. You feel like you've fought a war when it is over, but its worth the watch. I highly recommend seeing it if you get a chance!

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-Emily

Winter's Bone

The final film I watched on Friday was Winter's Bone. As it turns out, I really did watch these in order from ok to great. Winter's Bone and The Kids Are Alright lead nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards, and deservedly so. Winter's Bone is absolutely one of the best acted movies I've ever seen. It was just so convincing, I felt like I was watching real life. This movie is set in rural Missouri and centers around a 17 year old girl named Ree. She is has been left with the task of raising her two younger siblings because her mother suffers from an incapacitating mental disease and her father has been in and out of jail for cooking meth. Her father has recently used their house and land as collateral for his bond and if he doesn't show up for trial they will lose everything. Ree sets out to find her father so she can save her family. It reads as a sad and depressing movie, but it was really more of a tough look at the lives of a lot of America's rural poor. It isn't easy to watch, but it wasn't about tears and misery. It's about the toughness and unfairness that life is for some people. If anything it made me want to go put hams by the doors of those peeling, sagging tiny houses it is so easy to glance over but which pepper the entire south. This is by far one of the best movies of the year and I won't be surprise to see it nominated for more and more awards as the next few months go by. Highly recommended.

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-Emily

The Kids Are Alright

The second movie I watched on Friday was The Kids Are Alright. Now this is a good movie. It has been gathering nominations for some of the early awards, and generating a fair amount of Oscar buzz. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore star in this movie about a complex modern family. I can't tell you how much I love Annette Bening, in all movies and this one is no exception. She is a fantastic actor. She and Julianne are married and raising two kids they each had with a donor. The kids have decided they want to find their biological father and Mark Ruffalo joins the cast in this role. The ensuing story is gritty and real but touching and very human. It was a bit of a surprise to me, all along the way. It's not a predictable movie in any form, its truly a new and fresh look at marriage, raising kids and life in general. I must put a bit of warning that it is well deserving of an R rating, with no lack of very animated intimate scenes. But it is my opinion that sometimes it is appropriate to include subjects in movies which might garner criticism, its more like real life- real life is R rated, lets be honest people. So, being fully in the know about what this movie holds, I would highly encourage renting it. Also, keep it on the radar for some big award nominations in the coming months.

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-Emily

Eat Pray Love

I'm just about on Christmas break so I decided to watch three movies yesterday. The first was Eat Pray Love. I admit, I didn't read the book, so I wasn't all that excited about the movie release and sort of purposefully missed it in theaters. I'm sure the book has more story line that the movie did, but just judging the movie, it fell a little flat for me. I loved the scenery though. It made me want to go to Italy and get real fat on pasta. That part was great. It was beautifully shot, and Javier Bardem only made it better. But on the whole, it was just ok for me. I didn't really connect with the main character, at least in the movie, she is just so totally what is wrong with girls today. Insecure and dependent and incapable of making healthy decisions even through the end of the movie a man has to tell her its ok to be in love. I just felt a little annoyed the whole time. Woman up, you know? But not an uninteresting movie and lovely to watch if you're in the mood for a light bit of entertainment.

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-Emily

December movie preview

In tune with getting back in the swing of the movie thing, I have decided to do a December movie preview to help you get informed about the onslaught of movies coming out this month.

To begin, The King's Speech had a limited release last week and will hopefully be coming to city near you soon. This movie stars Colin Firth as King George VI who must overcome a speech deficiency to lead England into WWI. An excellent cast and already getting some Oscar buzz. The trailer looks better than it sounds. Promise.

Black Swan has a limited release tomorrow and I am dying to see this one. Staring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, this movie is about ballerinas. Based on the trailer it looks dark, intense, and risque. The pre-release reviews have been great, and there is a great deal of Oscar buzz surrounding this movie too. I will be reporting as soon as I can get to a city that is showing it...

The Fighter looks to be a great man-friendly film. Starring everybody's favorite Entourage producing Mark Wahlberg. I love him. (Sidenote, I heard Marky Mark the other day on New Kid's on the Block pandora station and it just made me happy inside.That is the BEST pandora station of all time, check it out.) Also stars a wasted away, Christian Bale. This had a lot of anticipation but as it has come nearer to its opening has been receiving mixed reviews. I will still be seeing it, and it will probably be a highly entertaining movie regardless.It opens the 10th.

The new Narnia movie comes out this month. I think this one falls in the category of people who will see a movie regardless of whether someone tells you to or not. I like these movies, although they aren't my favorite in the genre. It's just my opinion, although I'm sure I will see the Voyage of the Dawn Treader at some point. Opens the 10th.

Mostly to be inclusive, the movie Rabbit Hole is getting quite a bit of talk lately. Its an independent film that I don't know a great deal about. Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart star, it opens Dec 17. Seems a bit of a downer but, just keep it on your radar for awards season...

Tron Legacy is opening to a lot of anticipation on the 17th. I have to admit, I have not seen the first one so I don't know anything about it other than Jeff Bridges is awesome all the time sooo.... also the previews look pretty sweet. I'm sure this movie will be entertaining to some degree.

How Do You Know also opens on the 17th staring Nashville native Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd (love him), Owen Wilson (Stuart's celebrity look alike) and the ole rapscallion himself Jack Nicholson. Looks to be a romantic comedy, two guys vie over one girl, etc. If I didn't like everyone in it so much I probably wouldn't see it but, now I probably have to.

I haven't seen one trailer or poster for Gulliver's Travels which surprises me. Its got two premo comedians in it: Jack Black and Jason Segel. It seems like the kind of movie production companies push hard during the holiday "family time" season, I don't know if they aren't because its bad or because it doesn't open until the 22nd? We'll see...

Little Fockers is coming out at the end of the month as well. I suppose a lot of people will see this movie. I can't tell you how much I hate all of these movies. I don't like Ben Stiller or his type of comedy. My opinion is, this movie will suck. Mark down the 22nd as a movie let down, with the exception of.....

True Grit. Coen Brothers. Jeff Bridges. done goodbye awesome. I know what I'm doing on the 22nd...

There will be ample opportunities for movie reviews this month, so check back often! Happy movie going!

-Emily

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I

First of all, I am going to try to get back on the movie blogging biz. The semester is almost over and I have more time now. Hope you will tune in.

As you may know, I am a huge HP fan. HUGE. Therefore, I was over the moon excited to see the newest film. I saw it twice opening week and thought it was a great success. It was more frustrating than the other HP movies because it leaves you hanging as it cuts off right before the seventh book really gets great. I predict the final movie will be outstanding.

As usual there a few things that got changed or left out. Its understandable in a book of that length, but for a fan like myself, it is hard not to notice these changes. It doesn't affect the quality of the movie, but it was something I noticed. 

So, in sum, go see this movie. Especially if you like Harry Potter, although you probably already have

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-Emily