Hannah

Have you wondered what the Bourne Trilogy would be like if Jason Bourne was a 14 year old girl?  Well, if you have then just see Hannah.  I'm certainly not the first, nor will I be the last, to draw the comparison between the two films.  The similiarities between the two films are just so striking that it's the most apt comparison.  Each title character is physically gifted in hand to hand combat and seems to have a sixth-sense for sniffing out trouble.

What makes the films different, though, is the approach that each title character takes to their predicament.  Bourne is deeply troubled by who he is and considers his capabilities a character flaw of sorts.  Hannah, on the other hand, embraces the rigorous training she receives (and there is quite a bit).  She spends years learning dozens of languages, mastering martial arts, marksmanship, etc.  She's the world's deadliest teenage girl.  Unlike Bourne, who was molded into the killer that he became, Hannah is truly born to be a weapon.

Of course there is a backstory explaining exactly who Hannah is and where she comes from.  It is not giving much away by divulging that she is a special child and highly important people want to capture her or kill her. Enter Cate Blanchett.  The relationship between the two is important, but the film only hints at why.

The movie is more impactful than the Bourne series because the main character is a young girl.  Somehow we're ok with the violence that Matt Damon can inflict, but seeing a female child wield weapons and snap necks is much more startling.

$ $ $ $ $

-  Stuart

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Trailer 1

Harry Potter 7 Part 2: Great movie or Greatest movie? July 15. OMG.

The Help

This book was fantastic and I am so so so excited to see the movie. Plus, I'm a big Emma Stone fan. Opens August 12!

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

The first official trailer just came out today, I for one, think this movie likes really good. Opens August 5, 2011.

The Great Gatsby (2012)

Speaking of Baz Luhrmann and my love of Leo, they are teaming up again in the upcoming The Great Gatsby! Holy Moly, this is the best news I've heard all day. Carey Mulligan will play Daisy, Tobey Maguire will play Nick. In case you haven't read the book since high school, the plot is as follows (thanks imdb... and I really should reread this book...)

An adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Long Island-set novel, where Midwesterner Nick Carraway is lured into the lavish world of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Soon enough, however, Carraway will see through the cracks of Gatsby's nouveau riche existence, where obsession, madness, and tragedy await.

Release date hasn't been set yet, but it should be in 2012, filming begins in May. Check back for updates!

Romeo and Juliet (2012)

There isn't much out there about this yet but Hailee Steinfeld has been cast to play Juliet in a new rendition of Billy Shakespeare's play. Directed by Carlo Carlei, who hasn't done much that you'd remember. I am intruiged because I want Hailee to have a successful career, but I also firmly believe there is no way this movie could top Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet (1996). NO. WAY. It is one of my top 5 favorite movies of all time.

Crazy, Stupid, Love

I had not heard a thing about this movie and then bam! there's a trailer! I love love love everyone in this movie, I am so excited about this. Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Marisa Tomei, Emma Stone, love! Opens July 29!

Hunger Games casting update update

The male leads have been cast! And here they are.... what do you think??

Josh Hutcherson will star as Peeta. You may have seen him in The Kids Are Alright. 

Liam Hemsworth will star as Gale. You probably didn't see him in The Last Song with Miley Cyrus (he's also her boyfriend).

The Hangover 2 Official Trailer

Well, no matter what, I will be going to see this although it looks like this movie is going to be EXACTLY the same as the first one. Like, literally. Missing tooth is now face tattoo. Missing Doug is now missing bride's brother. Vegas is now Bangkok. Even the gay Asian is back. I guess the difference will be the why of why they blacked out, yet again. We'll see.... Opens May 26, 2011

Scream 4

In case you haven't heard, yes, they're making Scream 4. I know many people are excited about this, however, I am not one of them. But in case you are, here is the trailer: (Opens April 15, 2011)

The Tree of Life

Ok, so I've watched this preview a few times and I still have no idea what this movie is about. So, I still haven't decided if I'll see it, although I'm leaning towards yes.... Opens May 27, 2011.

Water for Elephants

I really need to read this book before the movie comes out, because the trailer looks great! And who doesn't love a little Rob Pattinson action? Opens April 22, 2011

Transformers 3 Trailer

This trailer tells us almost nothing about the movie, but it sure is a cool trailer! Opens July 1, 2011.

Pirates of the Carribean 4 Trailer

Some might be saying, another Pirates? I say, YES! Opens May 20, 2011!!

The Three Musketeers Update

I have to admit, it may be a little cheesy... I'm still going though. Opens October 14, 2011

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - First Look

And I'm hyperventilating.

July 15 is going to be magical.... literally.

Friends With Benefits

This movie looks like it might be pretty good. I love Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, so even if it looked terrible I'd probably still go see it. The title explains it all, and will definitely be inappropriate for younger and older viewers. Opens July 22!

Hunger Games casting update

Jennifer Lawrence has officially been cast to play Katniss.... not my first choice, I'll guess we will wait to see how she does. She better dye her hair and not age fast..... she is a really good actress though, so maybe it will work out.

The Lincoln Lawyer

There's just nothing like a Matthew McConaughey courtroom drama. They may be predictable, but they sure are entertaining. The Lincoln Lawyer is no different. Also starring Ryan Phillippe, Marisa Tomei, William H Macy and Josh Lucas, this movie is a fun, fast paced ride through the trial of a rich kid played by Phillippe. Did he do it? Did he not? It does in fact have some nice twists and turns, albeit it's a little bit cheesy at times, and a little bit overacted by McConaughey at other times. All in all, not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.

McConaughey is sweet talking lawyer who runs his business out of the back of a Lincoln Towncar. Phillippe acquisitions the services of Mick to defend him against charges of assault with a deadly weapon. He says she set him up, so that she could sue him for his money. She says he assaulted her. But Mick knows there just isn't something right about the whole thing from the start. Thus, the rest of the movie ensues.

Tomei plays McConaughey's ex-wife, and she is really pretty good, even though her character is basically superfluous to the entire plot. Macy plays an investigator and offers some humorous lines. I got the feeling that the book this is based on probably has a lot of great detail and explanation that we don't get in the movie. This does leave the movie with a bit of a choppy flow, but I think the point is carried across well enough. 

A good afternoon activity, but it won't kill you if you miss it either.

$ $ $ $ $

-Emily

The Adjustment Bureau

Free will v. pre-determination.  Always a fun conversation.  This typically philosophical discussion actually plays quite well on the big screen in the Adjustment Bureau, starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt.  Matt Damon is a brash, idealistic politician from New York.  His greatest asset, his devil-may-care attitude, is also his biggest liability.  We learn that Damon is that rare creature who is actually more comfortable in front of large crowds than he is by himself.  Politics is his life-blood.

Enter Emily Blunt.  She's an accomplished dancer, on the verge of hitting it big.  She's also a free spirit; i.e. not a politician's wife.  The meeting between the two is as unlikely as it is charming.  The couple immediately hits it off, and the chemistry between them really comes through on screen.  It's almost like fate has brought them together.  All signs point toward the two of them settling down and spending a lifetime together.

More Hunger Games news

Latest rumors are saying that Alex Pettyfer, of I Am Number Four, has met with producers about playing the part of Peeta Mellark. His casting most likely depends on who is cast as Katniss, because he is 20 and his counterpart needs to look the same age to be convincing. This does seem to support the rumor that Jennifer Lawrence is in the lead for that role (she is also 20). 


I don't know how I feel about this, yet.


Stay tuned.

The Three Musketeers

I can't even  begin to talk about how excited I am for this movie. If you know me, you know how much I love Alexandre Dumas' novels and movie adaptations. The 1993 Three Musketeers with crazy-face Charlie Sheen, drunk-loving Kiefer Sutherland, and total has-been Chris O'Donnell was just about my favorite movie ever (up until seeing Romeo + Juliet). I love The Count of Monte Cristo with Jim Caviezel. And don't even get me started on The Man in the Iron Mask (LEO!). Er go, this new adaptation of The Three Musketeers has me in raptures.

Starring: Logan Lerman, Milla Jovovich, Matthew Macfayden, Ray Stevenson, Mads Mikkelsen, Luke Evans, James Corden, Juno Temple, Freddie Fox, Orlando Bloom, and Christoph Waltz. You're probably thinking, who are those people? But you actually know them, and I am pretty excited about the cast, especially Waltz as Cardinal Richelieu.

The movie opens October 14, 2011 in 3D (and 2D). Stay tuned for the trailer when it comes out! In the meantime, check out some pictures from filming below:

Red Riding Hood (Post # 2)

As you will know if you read my blog, I am pretty excited about Red Riding Hood. It is the third possibly good movie coming out this weekend (see below). If you are interested in the first trailer, look at my first post. Here is the second trailer. I will be seeing this one and reviewing it soon!

Battle Los Angeles

Ok, so I probably won't see this movie, but I'm betting a lot of people will. Look like a decent action movie. Also opens this Friday (3/11). See Trailer:

And, rewatching the trailer as I posted this made me a lot more interested in seeing it. I do like alien invasion movies.... Stay tuned.

Jane Eyre, I'm a big fan of period-peices.

Among the movies opening this weekend, which might actually be decent, is Jane Eyre. I have to admit, I am the least familiar with this story of all the similar genre stories. However, the preview looks quite good. I'm a sucker for any period piece movie. I see basically all of them. So, I'll probably see this one. And yes, I know, I need to follow up and actually go see a movie some time this year.....

Here is a synopsis I got from another website (thanks):
Mia Wasikowska (“Alice in Wonderland”) and Michael Fassbender (“Inglourious Basterds”) star in the romantic drama based on Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel, from acclaimed director Cary Fukunaga (“Sin Nombre”). In the story, Jane Eyre flees Thornfield House, where she works as a governess for wealthy Edward Rochester. As she reflects upon the people and emotions that have defined her, it is clear that the isolated and imposing residence – and Mr. Rochester’s coldness – have sorely tested the young woman’s resilience, forged years earlier when she was orphaned. She must now act decisively to secure her own future and come to terms with the past that haunts her – and the terrible secret that Mr. Rochester is hiding and that she has uncovered…

Opens Friday (3/11)

Hunger Games casting!

Ok, so if you haven't read the Hunger Games Trilogy, go buy it right now and read it this weekend. Seriously. They are the best books I've read in awhile. AND, I am so excited the first book, Hunger Games, starts filming this summer!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a personal interest in this movie, and I have been following casting news closely. No one has been officially cast, but news today says the following three are in the lead to play lead butt-kicking girl, Katniss Everdeen: Jennifer Lawrence, Hailee Steinfeld, and Abigail Breslin. I vote for Hailee Steinfeld. She is closer to the right age, and has the right look. Jennifer Lawrence (who is supposedly the front-runner) is too old, and she would need to change her look quite a bit. Abigail Breslin is just way too Little Miss Sunshine to play Katniss. I will be updating info on the casting as soon as I hear, so stay tuned!

Not a good time for movies...

Hey readers, in case you were worried, I'm not neglecting the blog. There just is not a lot of movie news that is interesting at the moment. February and March aren't typically good movie months. Also, I don't have a lot of money to go see the semi-bad movies that are out right now, I'd rather save it for good movies that are coming. Hold on readers, the good movies are coming!!!! Check back soon!

And the Oscar Goes To.....

Best Picture:The King's Speech
Best Director: Tom Hooper for The King's Speech
Best Actor: Colin Firth for The King's Speech
Best Actress: Natalie Portman for Black Swan
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale for The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo for The Fighter
(check out the full list of winners here: Oscars winners )
I went 9/10 on my picks, with my only loss being for Best Foreign Film, and that doesn't count much anyways, right?

My own awards:
Worst Hosts: James Franco and Anne Hathaway
Best Choice for Hosts for 2012: Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law
      Second Choice for Host for 2012: Billy Crystal
      Third Choice for Host for 2012: Sandra Bullock
Best Acceptance Speech: Luke Matheny for the Short Film "God of Love"
Worst Acceptance Speech (Ever?): Melissa Leo
Worst Singing: Gwenyth Paltrow
Most Unattractive Cleavage: Jennifer Hudson
Most Needs to be Shaved Beard: Christian Bale
Best Dressed: Penelope Cruz. I really liked her dress, and she had a baby a month ago and looked better than I ever could at any point in my life.
      Runner-up Best Dressed: Halle Berry, because she's the best looking 44 year old to ever live.
Worst Dressed: Mark Ruffalo's wife (who's name is Sunrise, what the what??) She looked like a mega-idiot.
      Runner-up Worst Dressed: Helena Bonham Carter who is taking the Bellatrix Lestrange role way too seriously in real life.

Bad Teacher

So, I had heard about this movie and wasn't that sure what to think, but I just now finally watched the trailer and WOW, I think this might be hilarious. (And yes, I realize that was a crazy run-on sentence). Check out the trailer, but just a warning, even the trailer is big time rated R!  Opens June 17!

The Hangover 2

May 26, 2011.

OMG.

It's Oscar Time!

Hello all, as you hopefully know, the Oscars are this Sunday! Woo!! Here are my predictions for the winners:

Best Picture: The King's Speech

Best Actor: Colin Firth

Best Actress: Natalie Portman OR Annette Bening, I can't decide here.

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo

Best Director: Tom Hooper (But, I really don't know on this one)

Best Animated: Toy Story 3

Best Screenplay: The King's Speech

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network

Best Foreign Film: Biutiful

The rest I don't know enough about to make an educated guess. Look for a special edition post Sunday night with all the winners! I can't wait!

Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows

New title just released, more news to follow! Picture above is a scene from filming, with returning stars Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law and introducing Noomie Rapace who's career is about to explode all over the place (she was in the Millenium series Swedish version movies). I'm excited about this sequel! Opens December 16!

Bridesmaids

Ok, I have to be honest here... this movie might be terrible. It also might be funny. It's really really hard to tell from the trailer. Judd Apatow is producing what looks to be The Hangover for girls. Except maybe not funny. It stars Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolf, which is the only reason I am willing to wait and see. So... stayed tuned...

True Grit

So the review is a bit late, but this should complete a review for every movie nominated for Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards.

Surely everyone knows the original True Grit.  No?  Well, if you don't remember all of the details from the original film, at least most remember John Wayne's performance.  He won his only Oscar for his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn, the surly, alcoholic, "one-eyed fat man," hired to chase down a murdering fugitive.  It seems that's the only thing I really recalled from the original.  It was John Wayne playing John Wayne (which is still pretty impressive).

That's what sets this film apart from its predecessor.  The current movie isn't just one-note; it draws on the entire cast (Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Barry Pepper, Josh Brolin and Hailee Steinfeld) to tell the story.  Coming from the Coen Brothers this eclectic and powerful line-up shouldn't be much of a surprise.

The plot stays the same: Young Mattie Ross's (Steinfeld) father is gunned down by Tom Chaney (Brolin) so she goes in search of help to track down the fugitive and bring retribution.  She hears that Marshall Rooster Cogburn (Bridges) is a man of 'true grit,' and she won't be deterred in her pursuit of Cogburn's services.

The Coen Brothers are now in the envious position in Hollywood of being able to hand-pick not only their projects but their cast as well.  They've gone back to the well on this one and brought back Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski) and Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men).  Bridges is, of course, great in the role of Cogburn.  He saves the character from forever being remembered only as John Wayne.  The actress who has gotten the most attention, and deservedly so, is Steinfeld.  She's a fast-talking, street smart, young woman who is unintimidated by gun-fire or life on the trail.  One of my favorite scenes in the film was her explaining to a local businessman how she would reclaim a horse by filing a writ of replevin in the local court.

A pleasant surprise in the cast is Matt Damon as the Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (pronounced LaBeef).  LaBoeuf is a bit of a dandy and can't help himself from droning about how everything is better in Texas, a habit that the Coen Brothers and Cogburn find nearly as annoying as I do.  Still, LaBoeuf is welcome comedic relief in an otherwise serious film.

While the picture may be considered a Coen Brothers film first (something entirely unique) and a traditional Western second, it still goes to show that good film-makers can make Westerns that are both commercial and critical successes.  I hope others will take note and follow suit.

True Grit is a good film, not the Coen Brothers best (maybe only because it's not one of their original ideas), but still definitely worth the price of admission.  I predict it finishes in third place for Best Picture.

$ $ $ $ $ $

-  Stuart

Movies always come out in twos.... Snow White edition.

I'm sure other people have noticed the peculiar trend of movies to come out in pairs, called dueling movies.

Independence Day vs Mars Attacks. Dante's Peak vs Volcano.Tombstone vs Wyatt Earp. Madagascar vs The Wild. Deep Impact vs Armageddon. The Illusionist vs The Prestige. The Truman Show vs Edtv. Antz vs A Bug's Life. This year its Friends With Benefits vs No Strings Attached.  

Well, next year it is no different, except that it is. We've got not two versions of Snow White coming our way, but possibly THREE.


Charlize Theron, Viggo Mortensen, and Kristen Stewart are supposedly starring in one version called, Snow White and the Huntsman. Theron will play the evil queen, Viggo the huntsman, and Stewart as Snow herself. Here, the huntsman sent to kill Snow on behest of the queen but changes his mind and helps defend her, seems like a semi-odd interpretation.


Julia Roberts is the evil queen in The Brothers Grimm: Snow White. This one is being filmed in 3D and is directed by Tarsem Singh who did The Fall and The Cell, both of which apparently had crazy visual effects. 

Meanwhile, Natalie Portman is in negotiations to be in yet another Snow White themed movie called Snow White and the Seven. This one is apparently set in 19th century China and the dwarfs and now warriors, possibly an interesting spin.  

So, it should be an interesting competition to keep track of.... stay tuned!

Something Borrowed

Something Borrowed trailer

In happy movie news of the day, I just saw the trailer for Something Borrowed! I, like most of the 20-something female population, read this book by Emily Griffin (and it's written, and sure to be film, sequel). I was a bit skeptical about the casting of Ginnifer Goodwin and Kate Hudson, but it seems from the preview they will do their roles justice. I also LOVE John Krasinski, so much. Er go, I am looking quite forward to this movie opening May 6.

Drive Angry, are you for real?

Is this some kind of a joke? I mean, seriously? Drive Angry? What the hell kind of title is that?!? Did they just decided to regurgitate the Ghost Rider script but in 3D and without the bursting into flames factor? Why have no movie execs realized what a waste of space Nic Cage is? It astounds me that he continues to make millions of dollars making crap movies. Seriously, the last good movie he did was The Rock. And that was a totally stupid movie really. Or, National Treasure, but again, a really stupid movie if we're being honest. So please, I beg you, don't go see this movie. You have been warned for your own good.

Check out our Summer 2011 Superheros....

Captain America Trailer

 July 22 

 Thor Trailer

May 6

Green Lantern Trailer.

June 17

X Men First Class Trailer
June 3

Red Riding Hood

I don't know about anybody else, but I am PSYCHED about this movie. I LOVE the trailer, and I hope the movie proves just as good. It's based on a book which I plan to read after watching, which I think bodes well for the movie. Also its being directed by Catherine Hardwicke who did Twilight, and we all know how much I love that movie. Opens March 11! At last decent (hopefully) movies for 2011 begin!

New Year's Eve

The ensemble cast returns with New Year's Eve, opening December 9, 2011. It is the supposed "sequel" to Valentine's Day, both of which are directed by Garry Marshall. Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Lea Michele, Abigail Breslin, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hilary Swank, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Biel, Sofia Vergara, Zac Efron, Til Schweiger, Sienna Miller, Jon Bon Jovi, Seth Meyers, Josh Duhamel, Katherine Heigl, Alyssa Milano. This movie looks like it could be really great or really bad.... we'll see!

The Dark Knight Rises News

I don't know about anyone else but I am beyond excited for the newest installment of the Batman series, coming July 20, 2012. Christian Bale returns in the Christopher Nolan, certain to be blockbuster, action-packed, star-studded third movie in the series. It looks like Nolan loved his cast from Inception so much that he's invited half of them along for Batman 3 (no complaints here). Tom Hardy is set to play the villain Bane. Reportedly Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard are in talks to join the cast as well. (All we need now is LEO!) And Anne Hathaway will be catwoman. Stay tuned for more Batman news as it moves into filming later this year!

Look Who is Playing the New Superman!

Henry Cavill, my long time celeb crush!!! You may have seen him smoldering and smoking up the Showtime series, The Tudors. (Highly recommend) And at long last he will be making a big screen splash as the leading man in the upcoming re-adaptation of Superman. Christopher Nolan is producing and Zack Snyder directs (Watchmen and 300). Should be fantastic. (Note, Cavill was in the running for James Bond but Daniel Craig got it, and he was runner up to Christian Bale's Batman.) If you want to see previous work from Cavill check out Stardust or The Count of Monte Cristo, both of which are favorites of mine.

Stay tuned for more movie news and movie updates for 2011 and 2012! I am hoping to expand the blog coverage from not only reviewing but also reporting on important upcoming movie info.

The King's Speech

I want to be sure to cover all the Best Picture nominees, and The King's Speech is my current front runner. After the Golden Globes I was leaning toward The Social Network, but The King's Speech has been on an upwards roll heading into the final weeks of awards season. But aside from that, The King's Speech is just a really great movie. Colin Firth is a fantastic actor in everything he does, and I am thrilled at the accolades he has been receiving for his work in this movie, because he is superb as King George VI. I must admit that I am a huge fan of all things royal as well as a huge fan of historical/period films. On top of my good feelings going in to this, there is also the outstanding cast which sets this movie over and above the rest for 2010.

King George VI must overcome a speech impediment with the help of a speech therapist, played by Geoffrey Rush, to confidently lead England into World War II. This is such a moving, inspiring, and educational movie based on a true story. I heard that the writer of this story was asked by George VI's wife (the Queen Mother to the current Elizabeth II) to wait until after her death to publish it. And so it was many years later that the world was able to learn of the endearing story of one of it's certainly great, but often over looked, leaders.

A Best Picture in my book.

$ $ $ $ $ $ $

-Emily

The Fighter

I saw The Fighter the week it opened but somehow failed to post about it at the time. That said, I really enjoyed this movie. The movie is based on the real life stories of boxers Irish Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund played by Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale respectively. Supporting cast is equally outstanding, with two supporting actress nominees Amy Adams and (likely Oscar winner) Melissa Leo. Wahlberg continues to outdo himself as an actor, producer, etc etc and whatever else he sets his hand to. It is a shame he didn't get the nomination from the Academy, he deserved at least that. And as I'm sure everyone has seen, Christian Bale has rightfully been gathering up the best supporting actor awards and will in all likelihood sweep right through the Oscars.

The Fighter is a well written, well acted movie that is touching and inspiring. It's a fascinating story, and one that I look forward to watching again soon. I highly encourage everyone to see this movie, it is sure to become a favorite of yours as well.

$ $ $ $ $ $ $

Emily

And the Oscar Nominees Are.....

Best Picture: "Black Swan," "The Fighter," "Inception," "The Kids Are All Right," "The King's Speech," "127 Hours," "The Social Network," "Toy Story 3," "True Grit," "Winter's Bone"

Best Actress: Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right"; Nicole Kidman, "Rabbit Hole"; Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone"; Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"; Michelle Williams, "Blue Valentine"

Best Actor: Javier Bardem, "Biutiful"; Jeff Bridges, "True Grit"; Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network"; Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"; James Franco, "127 Hours"

Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, "The Fighter"; Helena Bonham Carter, "The King's Speech"; Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"; Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit"; Jacki Weaver, "Animal Kingdom"

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, "The Fighter"; John Hawkes, "Winter's Bone"; Jeremy Renner, "The Town"; Mark Ruffalo, "The Kids Are All Right"; Geoffrey Rush, "The King's Speech"

Best Director: Darren Aronofsky, "Black Swan"; David O. Russell, "The Fighter"; Tom Hooper, "The King's Speech"; David Fincher, "The Social Network"; Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, "True Grit"

Best Animated Feature: "How to Train Your Dragon," "The Illusionist," "Toy Story 3"


Best Screenplay: "Another Year," "The Fighter," "Inception," "The Kids Are All Right," "The King's Speech"


Best Adapted Screenplay: "127 Hours," "The Social Network," "Toy Story 3," "True Grit," "Winter's Bone"

Best Foreign Film: "Biutiful," "Dogtooth," "In a Better World," "Incendies," "Outside the Law"

Art Direction: "Alice in Wonderland," Robert Stromberg (Production Design), Karen O'Hara (Set Decoration); "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1," Stuart Craig (Production Design), Stephenie McMillan (Set Decoration); "Inception," Guy Hendrix Dyas (Production Design), Larry Dias and Doug Mowat (Set Decoration); "The King's Speech," Eve Stewart (Production Design), Judy Farr (Set Decoration); "True Grit," Jess Gonchor (Production Design), Nancy Haigh (Set Decoration)

Achievement in Cinematography: "Black Swan," Matthew Libatique; "Inception," Wally Pfister; "The King's Speech," Danny Cohen; "The Social Network," Jeff Cronenweth; "True Grit," Roger Deakins

Achievement in Costume Design: "Alice in Wonderland," Colleen Atwood; "I Am Love," Antonella Cannarozzi; "The King's Speech," Jenny Beavan; "The Tempest," Sandy Powell; "True Grit," Mary Zophres

Best Documentary Feature: "Exit Through the Gift Shop," "Gasland," "Inside Job," "Restrepo," "Waste Land"

Best Documentary Short Subject: "Killing in the Name," "Poster Girl," "Strangers No More," "Sun Come Up," "The Warriors of Quigang"

Achievement in Film Editing: "Black Swan," Andrew Weisblum; "The Fighter," Pamela Martin; "The King's Speech," Tariq Anwar; "127 Hours," Jon Harris; "The Social Network," Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Picture (Original Score): "How to Train Your Dragon," John Powell; "Inception," Hans Zimmer; "The King's Speech," Alexandre Desplat; "127 Hours," A. R. Rahman; "The Social Network," Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Picture (Original Song): "Coming Home" from "Country Strong;" "I See the Light" from "Tangled;" "If I Rise" from "127 Hours;" "We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3"

Best Animated Short Film: "Day and Night," Teddy Newton; "The Gruffalo," Jakob Schuh and Max Lang; "Let's Pollute," Feefwee Boedoe; "The Lost Thing," Shaun Tan and Andrwe Ruhemann; "Madagascar, A Journey Diary," Bastien Dubois

Best Live Action Short: "The Confession," Tanel Toom; "The Crush," Michael Creagh; "God of Love," Luke Matheny; "Na Wewe," Ivan Goldschmidt; "Wish 143," Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

Achievement in Sound Editing: "Inception," Richard King; "Toy Story 3," Tom Myers and Michael Silvers; "Tron: Legacy" Gwndolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague; "True Grit," Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey; "Unstoppable," Mark P. Stoeckinger

Achievement in Sound Mixing: "Inception," Lra Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick; "The King's Speech," Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley; "Salt," Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin; "The Social Network," Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten; "True Grit," Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland

Achievement in Visual Effects: "Alice in Wonderland," Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips; "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1," Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi; "Hereafter," Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell; "Inception," Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb; "Iron Man 2," Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

Country Strong

The number one reason I wanted to see this movie is because about half of it is filmed in Nashville. (Big promo for The Stage). Also, I like Gwyneth. So, I went in with low to moderate expectations, and was mostly pleased as a result. The previews don't accurately tell you what it's about (who is having relationships with who,etc) and I don't want to spoil it. But all in all, I liked it. It wasn't what I expected, and it was a lot more like Crazy Heart than I would have guessed. I think Tim McGraw is shaping up to be a fine actor, and Gwen gives a decent performance (not even close to her best, though). Leighton Meester was pretty good in it, but I did not like the young guy, Garrett Hedlund.

After giving it some thought, I realized there were some ways this good movie could have been a great movie. One, get rid of Hedlund entirely. Aside from his fantastic voice, he offered nothing to the story, if anything he watered it down and made it emotionally detached from the viewer. Also, Leighton Meester's fat chin just kept staring at me throughout the entire movie: distracting. But, leave those two things out and it's probably worth a matinee price, if you're interested in it, otherwise just watch Crazy Heart. It has better music, better acting, and a better story. Note, I did enjoy the music in the movie, but it's all country pop.... Also, note, if you don't like country music, don't see this movie.

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-Emily