You'll be missed

Heath Ledger is one of my favorite actors. His ability to fully absorb any character he takes on has always left me impressed. His passing marks the end of an eclectic career. He will be missed.

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And They Oscar May Go To...

Ahh, my favorite time of the year! It's fantastically wintry outside, I can bundle up on the couch with a good book (The Fine Art of Small Talk to be exact), and watch all the movies that didn't dare show their faces in the summer! Apparently, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences agree with me and have FINALLY announced their nominations for the 80th Academy Awards. Now, we all must hope that the show does not face the same fate as last week's Golden Globes (press conference anyone?). But I like to think happy thoughts that the Strike will be over soon...

Anyway, I've included the list of nominees, and I've made it my mission to see all of the "biggies" before February 24th.


'No Country for Old Men' and 'There Will be Blood' led this year's Oscar nominations with eight each, while Michael Clayton (Widescreen Edition) made a surprisingly strong showing with noms in five of the top categories: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress and Original Screenplay, while former front-runner 'Atonement' made a strong showing with seven nods but missed the Best Director and lead acting categories. Away from Her won an expected nod for Julie Christie but got a pleasant surprise with an additional nod for director Sarah Polley's screenplay. Ratatouille got an expected nod for Best Animated Film but also scored an additional three nominations.

OSCAR Nominees

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR

• Atonement


• Juno


• Michael Clayton (Widescreen Edition)


• No Country for Old Men


• There Will be Blood

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING

• Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly


• Jason Reitman, 'Juno'


• Tony Gilroy, 'Michael Clayton'


• Joel and Ethan Coen, 'No Country for Old Men'


• Paul Thomas Anderson, 'There Will Be Blood'

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

• George Clooney, 'Michael Clayton'


• Daniel Day-Lewis, 'There Will Be Blood'


• Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd


• Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah


• Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises (Widescreen Edition)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

• Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth - The Golden Age (Widescreen Edition)


• Julie Christie, Away from Her


• Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose (Extended Version)


• Laura Linney, The Savages


• Ellen Page, 'Juno'

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford


• Javier Bardem, 'No Country for Old Men'


• Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War


• Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)


• Tom Wilkinson, 'Michael Clayton'

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There


• Ruby Dee, American Gangster (Three-Disc Deluxe Edition)


• Saorise Ryan, 'Atonement'


• Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone


• Tilda Swinton, 'Michael Clayton'

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• Christopher Hampton, 'Atonement'


• Sarah Polley, 'Away From Her'


• Ronald Harwood, 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'


• Joel and Ethan Coen, 'No Country for Old Men'


• Paul Thomas Anderson, 'There Will be Blood'

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• Diablo Cody, 'Juno'


• Nancy Oliver, Lars and the Real Girl


• Tony Gilroy, 'Michael Clayton'


• Brad , Ratatouille


• Tamara Jenkins, 'The Savages'

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

• Persepolis


• 'Ratatouille'


• Surf's Up (Widescreen Special Edition)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

• Beaufort (Israel)


• The Counterfeiters (Austria)


• Katyn (Poland)


• Mongol (Kazahkstan)


• 12 (Russia)

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION

• 'American Gangster'


• 'Atonement'


• The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials Book 1)


• 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'


• 'There Will Be Blood'

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

• 'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford'


• 'Atonement'


• 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'


• 'No Country for Old Men'


• 'There Will Be Blood'

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

• Across the Universe (Two-Disc Special Edition)


• 'Atonement'


• 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age'


• 'La Vie en Rose'


• 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

• No End in Sight


• America at a Crossroads: Operation Homecoming - Writing the Wartime Experience


• Sicko (Special Edition)


• Taxi to the Dark Side


• War Dance

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT

• 'Freeheld'


• 'La Corona (The Crown'


• 'Salim Baba'


• 'Sari's Mother'

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING

• The Bourne Ultimatum (Widescreen Edition)


• 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly'


• 'Into the Wild'


• 'No Country for Old Men'


• 'There Will be Blood'

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

• Dario Marianelli, Atonement


• Alberto Iglesias, The Kite Runner


• James Newton Howard, Michael Clayton


• Michael Giacchino, Ratatouille


• Marco Beltrami, 3:10 To Yuma - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

• From Once: "Falling Slowly," Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova


• From Enchanted: "Happy Working Song," Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz


• From August Rush: Music From The Motion Picture: "Raise It Up," nominees to be determined


• From 'Enchanted': "So Close," Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz


• From 'Enchanted': "That's How You Know," Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING

• 'The Bourne Ultimatum'


• 'No Country for Old Men'


• 'Ratatouille'


• 'There Will be Blood'


• Transformers (Two-Disc Special Edition)

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING

• 'The Bourne Ultimatum'


• 'No Country for Old Men'


• 'Ratatouille'


• 3:10 to Yuma (Widescreen Edition)

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP

• 'La Vie en Rose'


• Norbit (Widescreen Edition)


• Pirates of the Caribbean - At World's End (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS

• 'The Golden Compass'


• 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'


• 'Transformers'

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

• 'I Met the Walrus'


• 'Madame Tutli-Putli'


• 'Even Pigeons Go to Heaven'


• 'My Love'


• 'Peter and the Wolf'

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

• 'At Night'


• 'Il Supplemente (The Substitute)'


• 'Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)'


• 'Tanghi Arghenti'


• 'The Tonto Woman'

Fanboys and girls unite for Cloverfield...but should they?

My awesome brother Daniel wrote this review of Cloverfield, J.J. Abrams' audition piece for next year's new Star Trek movie. So, check it out. I've also included the trailer for Cloverfield. I would have included the trailer for Star Trek, but I couldn't find it. If you know where it is, hook a sister up!


Leaving the movie theater after seeing Cloverfield a voice near me exclaimed, “That was the best movie of the year!” I agree with him. However, this was my first movie of the year. Filmed using a hand video camera, Cloverfield is a first person account of a surprise farewell party which is violently interrupted. First by a mysterious shipping accident near the Statue of Liberty, then by an explosion and Liberty’s head crashing in front of the partygoers. Events unfold before the world’s toughest and most versatile camera operated by Hud (T.J. Miller) who’s best friends with brothers Rob and Jason Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David and Mike Vogel). With the group is Lily Ford (Jessica Lucas) as Jason’s fiancé and Beth McIntryre (Odette Yustman) who reluctantly comes to Rob’s surprise party hoping, and fearing, the visit.

I expected more when the movie began with a government/DoD subtitling describing how the following events where recorded from the Cloverfield incident in the Central Park sector in New York City. Hopefully, this meant a third person perspective would pull everything together. It did not and I was left struggling to understand the dialogue and make out the visuals from Hud’s very amateurish cinematography.

The characters are introduced through video postcards to Rob as a final present before his promotion sends him to Japan. During this we’re introduced to Marlena Diamond (Lizzy Caplan) who dated Rob some time ago, but the relationship crumbled when Rob received his promotion. For tension, Hud records the confrontation, Marlena’s angry departure, and Jason and Hud explaining to Rob that when in love you have to make a relationship work and not worry about physical distances or timing. Then the earthquakes and fires begin.

Because Cloverfield is first person POV, it struggles to show character development, and ultimately what is at stake for each of them. To do otherwise would make the perspective meaningless or require silly story gimmicks, ala the 2005 remake of War of the Worlds. At its core, Cloverfield is about survival. Everywhere they go they realize their situation is more perilous and outside anyone’s control. And, as a final attempt at shock value most of the recognized New York City structures are eventually decimated, coincidentally when the gang nearby!

Cloverfield is directed by Matt Reeves and written by Drew Goddard. Reeves wrote some movies in the 1990s but mostly worked as a producer and director of TV shows such as Felicity. Goddard joined up with J.J. Abrams after writing for TV’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel . He wrote and produced several episodes of Alias and Lost. Cloverfield airs throughout the US on January 18^th.

Movie Review- STOLEN LIFE

STOLEN LIFE tells the story of a PI named Pi, played by video game actor Chris Jones, sent to investigate a robot work force that had gone missing on an asteroid for three years. He arrives on the asteroid to find that they had not disappeared, but had been shut down. Pi spends the film investigating the crew to find out why they were shut down and who was behind the decision. Throughout the film Pi learns that his guide, Kieru (played charmingly by Claudia Black) is hiding information about the asteroid mission from him. Pi discovers that since the crew is all sentient robots, they work behind his back to keep him from knowing the true objective of the asteroid mission. STOLEN LIFE’s main objective is to explain that once a creature, be it human or robot, gains sentient feelings, he can choose the route of his life. The creature can feel, think, and ultimately express opinions. The longer they are sentient, the more time they can keep others from telling them what to do.

Although the animation is not Pixar quality, and the writing style needs tightening, STOLEN LIFE’s story did follow the established noir rules. Pi’s hardboiled detective investigated what he could of the crime, and Kieru’s femme fatale distracted and misled him as much as she could. Claudia Black’s personification of Kieru was the best part of the film. The animation did not allow for facial expression, but Claudia brought heart and soul to her character. She was able to express the worry for her crew and her fear they would be found out without the help of facial tweaks. Black gave you hope that the crew was not really evil, but honestly trying to help space travelers by offering them a port to rest and refuel.

Interested in buying STOLEN LIFE? Go to the Nanoflix website and order your very own copy!

Dirty Sexy Money...and Todd FREAKING Manning!

So far my new favorite show of the season is Dirty Sexy Money. I was not expecting to like this show, because well, I didn't think Peter Krauss could do more than look pretty. Clearly, I was mistaken. Within the first 15 minutes of the pilot I had already stopped my TIVO to set a season pass.

The show follows New York City's richest family, the Darlings, and their newest family lawyer (and son of their previous lawyer) as they deal with being too rich for their own good. Nick George tried to turn his back on the Darling family after his father's recent death, but it was virtually impossible when Tripp Darling (Donald Sutherland) dangled a $10 million endowment for a foundation in his father's name in his face. Nick prides himself on being moral and thoughtful, however he falls prey to the Darlings just as easily as his father did 40 years before. The pilot deals mainly with his decision to stay and his conclusion that someone killed his father.

I LOVED the show, but my favorite part was 3/4 of the way into the episode. Nick has fled the Darling parent's anniversary party after a catastrophic night, only to be chased down by Attorney General Patrick Darling in his limo on the way to meet his "tranny hooker" lover. Nick refuses to tell Patrick's paramour to buzz off, even after Patrick plies Nick with a sob story that he is unable to tell the woman himself. Suffice it to say, Patrick is left to share the message with Catalina himself. A little campy, but it fits perfectly with ABC's Ugly Betty. This show is just too much!!

PB&J...ohmyfreakinggod

I just finished watching the season premiere of The Office, and it was everything I hoped it would be. The writers were definitely on their game, stretching their imaginations in ways to simultaneously make me laugh, make me awe, and then make me vomit my Alfredo sauce. Thanks for that one Greg Daniels!!

Fun Run opens with a tour of Michael Scott's condo and the big reveal that Jan is still shacking up with her Scranton honey. It was fantastic to see Jan Levinson sprawled out across Michael's bed, completely unaware of the camera's intrusion into the house. Also fantastic, Michael hitting Meredith with his car and then coming into the office late only to tell everyone that the doctors did everything they could to save her...and that she is going to be fine. OHMYGOD, Stanley's response "what's wrong with you?" was the greatest thing I have EVER heard on The Office. Yes, better than Jim confessing his love to Pam in Casino Night. Now, I could spend the entire day talking about JAM, or PB&J, but I'm not going to. Okay, just this--how great was it to see them outed by the frustrated camera crew? So great...

Let's move on to my other favorite couple (however unstable) Dwight and Angela. They have some of the funniest chemistry on TV, but they are still so sweet and believable. I especially loved Dwight's quick acceptance to feed Angela's cat, even though two seconds later you could sense that Sprinkles wasn't going to last long after Dwight's visit. I loved so much in this episode, which I guess you could say is because it has been an excruciatingly long summer of waiting. I do have to agree, however, with some critics who are saying that the episode felt a little long in spots. I have not been a fan of the three one hour long "episodes," because often they sound impressive, but then they seem to drag on. Yes, Fun Run was really just two episodes in one, but I much preferred the second part with the actual RUN, than the mowing down of Meredith. We have three more Thursdays with hour-longs, and they will be phenomenal just because it is The Office. Fun Run provided me with an hour of excellent entertainment, and left my appetite watered for next week's episode Dunder Miflin Infinity.

If Time is Bendable, Can You Get It Back?

Happy Thanksgiving! I know, a little late, but it’s the thought right? Thanksgiving was pretty crazy at my house; we had a huge dinner and an unexpected houseguest. Mom, Daniel, and I made everything in advance for the big day, so day of went fairly smoothly. We’ve been eating leftovers for the last few days, and I think if I never see a turkey again, it will be too soon.

Right now, Mom and I are on the road for our big Tour De Reyes, Part Deux expedition. We are driving from Plano to Ephrata, Pennsylvania—with a few stops along the way. I’m super excited because I get to see some college buddies and family. It’s great to finally see some SBC peeps, one of whom I haven’t seen since last December. I’m also taking the opportunity to check out where James works to consider applying for a position there. I’ve been battling with the decision to move away from Dallas, so checking out some options are key. Other than that, we are just driving, working, and having a great time away from the houseguest.

Other than celebrating Turkey day, I have watched a few movies. I saw Casino Royale, Happy Feet, The Fountain, and Stranger Than Fiction. Although not all disappointing, they didn’t capture my fancy. Casino Royale featured a great performance by Daniel Craig, but I found the plot boring and unimaginative. AND, there were no toys!! How can you have a James Bond movie with no toys? Honestly!

While Casino Royale lacked a strong plot, Happy Feet forced environmental issues down my throat. Now, I am always one for political themes, but using cuddly penguins as a ploy—that’s just mean. I seriously went into the movie expecting a 90 minute penguin dance sequence, but I was quickly proven wrong. I did enjoy the movie, but because it was a cartoon the filmmakers had to put in a happy ending. No easy cure for global warming and animal habitat destruction exists. Telling kids that all international disputes can end because a dancing penguin warns the people at Sea World that Antarctica is melting is lofty and misleading. Had it just been a movie about a penguin on a great journey, and all the people he meets along the way, it may have left me happier.

The Fountain? Now that was a waste of time. They only nice thing about the movie was Hugh Jackman. I love Darren Aronofsky, as well as Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz, but watching this movie was better than Ambein—works automatically and never addicting. Mean, I know, but it really was awful. the film was too easy to figure out, and if Aronofsky had bashed me over the head with religious and literary symbolism one more time I would have puked. Yes, Darren, I do need to have symbolism spelled out for me sometimes, but when your character is obviously Frankenstein trying to stop death, we all know what happens.

Finally, Stranger Than Fiction. I was really excited to see this movie. It wasn’t Little Miss Sunshine, but it made me laugh. Daniel didn’t like it much, since he thought it was going to be more Old School funny, but he was sweet to sit through it. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Will Farrell did wonderful jobs, but I loved seeing Emma Thompson in an unlikable role. It’s refreshing to see a movie that blurs reality and fiction together so well, and leaves you comfortable when the two worlds collide.

Song of the Day: Apple Red Happiness. A great little ditty I learned when I was sent away to Jesus camp long ago. I hated those summers…

Movie of the Day: White Christmas. Yes, the movie came first and then the song.

Why Gwen likes to watch comedies

So, my dad's birthday was this weekend. He always complains that we don't watch movies in the theatres anymore, so we decided to take him to a movie of his choice tonight. He chose Flags of Our Fathers. Now, I really really tried hard to convince him to see Stranger Than Fiction, but I lost. The movie was crazy intense, and way more violent than I ever needed to see. It made me very depressed, and I got very close to walking out during the Iwo Jima scenes. I really enjoyed when the three heroes were back in America trying to sell war bonds, but the flashbacks just hurt so much to watch. I'm glad I saw it, but I just don't think I can handle war movies right now. A nice comedy would have felt so much better.

To make up for it, I'm now going to watch this week's ep. of Grey's Anatomy and just try to not think about blown up body parts and reluctant heroes.

I'm also currently looking for movie suggestions. If you have any, please send it my way and I'll be happy to give it a try and write a review about it.

Movie of the Day: Flags of Our Fathers, even though it was one of the most violent films I have seen since Irreversible, it was beautifully shot, exceptionally well acted, and completely moving. The film brought me to tears multiple times, and left me understanding how difficult it must be to be considered a hero by so many, when you don't believe it yourself. These men died protecting their friends, not necessarily trying to make a bigger impact.

Song of the Day: "Scene is Dead" by We Are Scientists