Cinema and Popcorn

" Lee and scribe David Magee ("Finding Neverland") have extracted the book's inherently cinematic qualities, turning Martel's vivid wildlife descriptions into a feast for the eyes; the film's sheer beauty is so overwhelming, so vibrant in its use of color, as to become almost cloying at times. (...) The nimbly circling camera is forever finding compelling angles on the action, sometimes bobbing gently above and below the water's surface, conveying a sense of perpetual motion that might test some of the more sensitive stomachs in the audience. Yet the images just as often have a classical stillness and grandeur, as in a scene of bioluminscent fish illuminating the water at night, or an otherworldly shot of the boat gliding atop the ocean's smooth, glassy surface. (...) The overall effect of such exalted yet artificially achieved visuals is to loose the boundaries of conventional realism and steer the picture into a magically heightened realm, imme...

" Looper is a clever, entertaining science fiction thriller that neatly blurs the line between suicide and murder. (...) Rian Johnson's third and most ambitious feature keeps the action popping while sustaining interest in the long arc of a story about a man assigned to kill the 30-years-older version of himself. (...) Probably the shakiest aspect of Johnson's original screenplay is what it asks the viewer to buy about the future: A mere 62 years from now, in 2074, time travel has become possible, but such a momentous breakthrough is limited to serving as a body-disposal system. (...) The biggest problem facing the makers of Looper is how to make the audience believe that the trim, long-faced Gordon-Levitt could somehow change so much in 30 years that he would look like the thicker-built and shorter-nosed Willis. The solution lay in altering the younger actor's appearance, imperceptibly at first, but gradually to morph his dark eyes into Willis' gray-green and...

Michael: A deer has to be taken with one shot. I try to tell people that but they don't listen.

Michelle Pfeiffer Born: April 29, 1958 in Santa Ana, California, USA Oscar recognition:  1989 - Best Supporting Actress for Dangerous Liaisons (nom)  1990 - Best Leading Actress for The Fabulous Baker Boys (nom)  1993 - Best Leading Actress for Love Field (nom) One of the most beautiful women that ever walked on Earth, Michelle Pfeiffer was the A-list of the A-list in the late 80's and in the begining of the 90's, managing to get 6 Golden Globe nominations (winning one) 6 years in a round, for 6 amazing performances. She called attentions with her charm and voice in the movie musical flop Grease 2 , but she started gaining a "serious actress reputation" after appearing in Brian de Palma's Scarface . After Scarface , she became the biggest Hollywood movie star and delivered iconic performances as Susie Diamond in The Fabulous Baker Boys and as Selina Kyle/Catwoman in Tim Burton's Batman Returns .  After some years away from stardo...

Margot: [about Richie's suicide attempt] Why'd you do it? Because of me?  Richie: Yeah, but it's not your fault.  Margot: You're not going to do it again, are you?  Richie: I doubt it.  [Margot starts to cry]

Fox Searchlight has just slotted Sacha Gervasi 's Hitchcock for a November 23 limited, platform release, right in the middle of the highway to awards season. Based on Stephen Rebello's 1998 non-fiction book " Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho ", the movie follows Hitchcock and Alma Reville's love story during his almost "epic battle" to get the future horror classic Psycho done. The screenplay was written by John J. McLaughlin ( Black Swan ) and the drama stars Sir Anthony Hopkins as the legendary director, Helen Mirren as his wife Alma, Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, James D'Arcy as Anthony Perkins, Michael Stuhlbarg as Lew Wasserman, Jessica Biel as Vera Miles and Toni Collette as Hitchcock's assistant Peggy Robertson. I was expecting Hitchcock to be released in 2013 and I'm not sure about such an early release... I mean, post-production work is crucial for the movie's quality (editing work, sound, etc....

Just watch (and listen) this little present...     If some people claimed that Les Misérables Oscar buzz was getting slower, I believe this will keep expectations fresh and alive in the minds of the most sceptical movie lovers and Oscar folks. Love the new footage... People from other sites and blogs, just don't ignore Barks' Oscar chances, she looks great here. Hathaway is definetely awards-hungry and so seems to be Jackman. Les Misérables is directed by Tom Hooper and it stars Hugh Jackman , Anne Hathaway , Russell Crowe , Amanda Seyfried , Samantha Barks , Eddie Redmayne , Helena Bonham Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen . It will be released 25 December, 2012.

" In adapting Matthew Quick's 2008 novel, Russell doesn't merely aim to tell the story of Pat Solatano (...) In a script that never lapses into mundane or uninteresting language, the scenes between Pat and Tiffany are sculpted with an almost David Mamet-like sharpness, amplified onscreen by the intimacy and focus of Russell's direction and the superbly harmonized lead performances. Exuding his usual cranked-up charisma, Cooper has one of his best roles here as a damaged soul whose misconceptions nonetheless hide an unimpeachable core integrity. Yet it's Lawrence's Tiffany who has the most dynamic effect on the picture, always pushing Pat into a defensive position and, remarkably, making him look like a model of sanity by comparison. (...) Yet if "Silver Linings Playbook" is a softer, gentler thing than the director's previous works, following a traditional finding-yourself-and-falling-in-love template in the guise of something moderately dar...

" It's also one of the great movies of the year — an ambitious, challenging, and creatively hot-blooded but cool toned project that picks seriously at knotty ideas about American personality, success, rootlessness, master-disciple dynamics, and father-son mutually assured destruction. Played by Hoffman with outwardly placid, inwardly volcanic force, Dodd may be the master alluded to in the title. But he's nothing as an all-American guru and salesman of salvation/bunk without his unholy mess of a disciple by his side. Phoenix inhabits the role with a ferocious urgency, his whole body twisted in painful lack of self-knowledge. He's great, and he's frightening. (...) Anderson works here in rare, gorgeous 65 mm cinematography by Frances Ford Coppola's favorite director of photography Mihai Malaimare, Jr. (...) And the images are intertwined with another ear-bending score from There Will Be Blood composer Jonny Greenwood. " by Lisa Schwarzbaum in Enter...

" If there was any doubt Ben Affleck has turned into an exceptional director, his wildly entertaining, pulse-pounding thriller Argo will handily erase those thoughts. (...) This certain Best Picture contender proves to be a prime example of accomplished major studio filmmaking, and also a smart, crafty suspense-laden picture that should win critical plaudits across the board. (...) Scenes creating the Argo-within-Argo are played for laughs, but the tone noticeably (and effortlessly) shifts once the action shifts to Tehran and the plan is put into motion. (...) Still, right from the opening credits Affleck (working from Chris Terrio's aces screenplay) gets it all right and strives to set the story almost like a documentary. (...) Affleck plays Mendez with just the right amount of authority, and has cast his film with a top notch ensemble including fine turns by Arkin, Goodman and a terrific Bryan Cranston as his CIA superior. Everything is first rate including sp...

Mary Wilke: Isn't it beautiful out? Isaac Davis: Yeah, it's really so pretty when the light starts to come up. Mary Wilke: Yeah, I know. I love it. Isaac Davis: Boy, this is really a great city, I don't care what anybody s-s - it's really a knock-out, you know?

Since the post about my 2nd ROUND of Best Picture nominees predictions was a long long time ago, I believe I had the obligation to revise my ranking and make some updates. In my opinion, it is too soon for a 3rd ROUND - it will come in November - so, at least, I decided to rethink about the top Oscar category (I know the Best Leading Actress field needs some updates, but it must wait for the 3rd ROUND). 1.   Les Misérables Director: Tom Hooper  Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, Sasha Baron Cohen and Samantha Barks Synopsis: " Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption-a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for fact...