Movies out today:  A flick about a ballerina who becomes crazy trying to discover her dark side, a non-fiction political drama about a CIA agent who’s cover is blown all because the US government was trying to call her hubby a liar, an old fairy tale about the girl with the long golden hair gets a redo and a documentary from the author of ‘The Skeptical Environmentalist’ suggesting more practical ways of saving the planet.

BLACK SWAN

Natalie Portman deserved her Oscar in this hauntingly beautiful psychological thriller from the director of ‘The Wrestler’ about a ballerina and the depths she must go to discover her ‘Black Swan’.  Nina (Portman), a very sheltered, naïve perfectionist, has lived and breathed ballet as long as she can possibly remember.  Living with her very over protective mother, Nina finally lands the lead role in the ‘Swan Lake’ production.

 The director of the company knows that Nina can pull off the White Swan however, he is unsure if she can pull off the dark seductress that embodies the Black.   While trying to discover her ‘Black Swan’ side, Nina becomes so entrenched with the role that she begins to have hallucinations, becomes very jealous of another dancer that already has the qualities she herself is trying to capture all the while becoming defiant against her mother, obsessive, compulsive and all around losing her identity in the process.

Some scenes were just so out there that they were difficult to watch however you are so entranced by Portman and the visual stylings of the cinematography that you just can’t bring yourself to look away all the while trying to figure out what’s real and what’s imagined.  A disturbingly emotional ride!

FAIR GAME

A non-fiction docudrama about Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts), who was an undercover CIA operative investigating the possibility of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq as well as attempting to get scientists out of the country, when her cover was blown by the Bush administration because they were trying to discredit her husband, Joe Wilson (Sean Penn), who wrote an editorial in the New York Times trying to debunk Bush’s claims that there was evidence of the WMA’s in Iraq (as we all know, there wasn’t) during his ‘State of the Union’ address, after Wilson himself had been sent to Niger on suspicion that they were making yellow cake uranium as part of Iraq’s weapons program (they weren’t). 

TANGLED

Not one of Disney’s best films, however certainly not the worse.  After a flower with special powers helps saves the lives of both a queen and her princess, the child inherits the powers causing an evil witch, who was using the flower as her own personal fountain of youth, kidnaps the baby and traps her in a tower.  Once full grown (along with 70 feet of magical golden tresses) however, Rapunzel decides she wants to discover life beyond her tower walls and when a charming thief comes across her path, she decides to take the opportunity to get the heck out of dodge and rebel against her ‘mother’, finally discovering who she really is. 

MADE IN DENGENHAM

‘Norma Rae’ meets British humor in this flick about the 1968 Ford Dagenham strike of over 180 sewing machines who were reclassified as ‘unskilled’ and decided to stage a walk out to protest sexual discrimination and unequal pay.

COOL IT

This documentary is based on the book of the same name and lectures by Bjorn Lomborg, the controversial author of ‘The Skeptical Environmentalist’. Award-winning filmmaker Ondi Timoner travels the world with Lomborg exploring the facts and science of global warming and its impact.

ALSO OUT: Mad Men Season 4, Heartless, IMAX: Hubble

Out this week:  Johnny Depp becomes entangled in a mistaken identity caper, aliens decide to invade earth, again, a CGI animated bear and his sidekick must save their home and a London school teacher becomes an infamous drug smuggler.

THE TOURIST

A sour attempt at a Hitchcock like Action-Romance-Thriller, Frank (Jonny Depp) a math teacher from Wisconsin, is travelling from Paris to Venice when he meets a mystery woman named Elise (Angelina Jolie), who has targeted him to be a patsy for her former lover, Alexander, a criminal who is wanted in 14 countries and is being pursued by Interpol.  Interpol soon realizes their mistake however an English gangster, who has been chasing the same person, does not, and fully believes Frank is the person he is after,  Despite the cat and mouse game, the leads (of course), fall for each other and must find the real Alexander and save both of their lives.   My holidays seem very boring in comparison!

SKYLINE

Yet another sci-fi film that involves an alien invasion and the possible annihilation off the human race.  I feel I have seen this film numerous times before…

YOGI BEAR

Yogi and Boo Boo get a little CGI makeover in this just for kiddies live-action flick where are hero bears (with the voices of Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake) and Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh of ‘Ed’ fame), must band together to save their beloved Jellystone National Park from being sold and closing forever.

MR NICE

Based on his own autobiography, Ronald Howard Marks  AKA ‘Mr. Nice’ (played by Rhys Ifans) is a London school teacher who becomes  a notorious drug smuggler in the 70’s and 80’s after helping a friend smuggle hashish from Pakistan and realizing how much money is involved.

ALSO OUT; The Little Engine That Could, The Local,2:22, Adventures of a Teenage Dragonslayer, Big I Am

New To DVD – Tues March 15

Movies released today include Clint Eastwood’s amazing first attempt at a Sci-Fi drama dealing with the subject of death, the Academy Award nominated inspiring film about a couple of ‘boxing’ brothers, a love triangle between an ex baseball player and the two men who are battling for her affection and a true story about an infamous terrorist from the 70’s and 80’s who was handed over to French authorities by the country who supported his actions.

HEREAFTER

A story about the search for the truth that surrounds what happens after you die.  Clint Eastwood directs this mysterious character drama about three different stories.  George (Matt Damon) is a psychic who refuses to profit from his talent instead choosing to be a blue collar worker.  Marie (Cecile De France) is a popular French anchorwoman  who has a near death experience during the Thailand tsunami (the tsunami scene at the beginning of the film is one of the most bone chilling sequences showing that CGI visuals can pair well with a gripping character drama).  Marcus and Jason (played by twins, Frankie and George McLaren) are 11 yr old London school kids.  When Jason unexpectedly dies; Marcus is left to deal with the memories as well as dealing with his inconsolable mother.

THE FIGHTER

Based on a true story which plays like a dark dramady, ‘Irish’ Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) is a welterweight boxer living in a middle class town in Massachusets who always seems to be in the shadow of his half brother Dicky (Christian Bale, who won the Oscar for this performance), a former boxer, and Mickey’s trainer, who has spiraled into a full-fledged drug addict.  Mickey’s career is hitting the rocks no thanks to his alcoholic, chain-smoking, manager mother (Melissa Leo, who also won this year’s Oscar) who is still trying to live in the afterglow of Dicky’s fame.  Mickey then meets a local barmaid (Amy Adams) who decides to help Mickey get his head on straight and his career back together, eventually leading him to step up and win the Intercontinental Lightweight championship as well as the Light Welterweight title (which I know nothing about as I don’t follow boxing so, good for him?).

HOW DO YOU KNOW

A comedy which seemingly has the thematic plot about figuring out what you want in life and actually being able to ask for it!  Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) is a pro softball player who is about to be retired at the age of 31.  A type-A personality, she has no clue what to do with her life.  In walks Matt (Owen Wilson), a pro softball ‘playa’’, who’s bathroom filled with pink tracksuits and toothbrushes to offer to his conquests, intrigues her and she decides to stick around and have some fun.  She then meets George (Paul Rudd) who’s dealing with his own issues (he’s being investigated for securities fraud which his weasely father and boss, played by Jack Nicholson, seems to have some hand in) and they form a friendship based on airing out their grievances on life. 

CARLOS: THE JACKAL

A biopic epic (it’s a five and half hour miniseries) about the career of notorious revolutionary terrorist, Ramirez Sanchez (brilliantly played by Edger Ramirez) who later became known as ‘Carlos the Jackal’, a Venezualan Marxist who first began his career with radical Palestinians in the early 70’s.  He then took financial backing from a slew of terrorist cells (first Saddam Hussein, then from Syria, Libya, East Germany, etc…) and after some botched gigs, the killing of two French investigators, the kidnapping of some oil ministers in Vienna, then implementing isolated attacks in Eastern Europe, he finally returned to Sudan, who give him up to the French, where he remains in prison under a life sentence.

ALSO OUT: Devil’s Playground, Bodyguard & Assassins, Man From Nowhere

New To DVD – Tues March 8

Movies out today include a prison break out flick that has Russell Crowe devising ways to get his wife out of jail, a young TV producer takes over a flailing morning news show that has two iconic news anchors battling it out for exposure, a TV writer must deal with his wife’s aging father and the first season of AMC’s original TV series centred around ZOMBIES is released!

THE NEXT THREE DAYS

After his wife Lara (Elizabeth Banks) is convicted of a murder he’s positive she didn’t commit, John (Russell Crowe), a literature professor, becomes convinced that the only way to bring his family back together is to break her out of prison after all other attempts at proving her innocence have gone sideways!  After learning his wife is to be transferred in three days to another, out of state prison, John must punch up his timetable to get her out!

Paul Haggis has done a great job on twisting the prison break film into an elaborate game of chance where the actual prisoner has no clue as to what’s about to happen.   Russell Crowe once again proves his worth playing a naïve, straight arrow guy who must learn what is involved in planning a prison break, from Googling ‘How To’s’  (who knew that ‘YouTube’ was such a criminal wealth of information?)to getting his butt kicked while trying to obtain fake passports.  The great thing about this film is it’s anything but predictable, and while you may not be on the edge of your seat you will be trying to figure out what’s going to happen next!

MORNING GLORY

Becky (Rachel McAdams) is a TV producer trying to a save a morning show from a downward spiral.   To bring the show back to life, she hires a legendary TV show anchor (Harrison Ford) however he refuses to do all the morning show staples such as celeb gossip, weather, etc…  he also seems to have a problem with his co-host (Diane Keaton), who has been the shows personality for quite some time and has her own ideas on how it should be done. 

JACKASS 3

It’s Jackass and I’m not sure the rental will have all the Umph of the theatrical 3D version.  My only question is why is this film necessary save for 12 year old boys?  Maybe I just don’t get it…

EVERY DAY

A television writer (Liev Schrieber) must take in his wife’s estranged father (Helen Hunt and Brian Dennehy), who is nothing short of pleasant while still trying to deal with the drama of everyday life of his ever changing family.

THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON 1

An AMC original series – Rick, a police officer, wakes up from a coma to find that everything that he knew has been taken over by a zombie epidemic (is there any other kind?).   He eventually comes across other survivors and together they must struggle to stay alive battling the undead at every turn,  The first season consists of six episodes and was picked up for a second season after only the second episode aired!

 ALSO OUT: Green River, The Con Artist, Hanah Montana Forever

• See, who needs Charlie Sheen when you have ‘Crazy Courtney’ Love?

• New Movies out in theatres today include ‘The Adjustment Bureau’ with Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, ‘Take Me Home Tonight’ with Topher Grace and Anna Faris, ‘Beastly’ with Vannessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer and for the kids, the animated ‘Rango’ with the voices of Johnny Depp and Isla Fisher.
• New albums out this week are Lucinda Williams, Drop Kick Murphys and Buddy Miller…

• If you’re looking for some live music this weekend, there are an array of shows such as ‘Abra Cadabra’ (The ABBA Tribute Band) at the Mary Irwin Theatre, ‘Lil’ Jon’ at The Level Nightclub and ‘Poppa Dawg’ at The Blue Gator…

• The new CBS pilot for ‘Wonder Woman’ has found its evil enemy in Elizabeth Hurley!

• Trent Reznor (who I adore!) maybe scoring AND ACTING in ‘Abraham Lincoln; Vampire Hunter’!! 

• Colin Firth dropped by Ellen’s studio just to show her his Oscar…

• Jimmy Fallon’s impression of Charlie Sheen is freakin’ acary!!

4 out 5

Jen Aniston and Adam Sandler star in this surprisingly laugh-out-of-my-seat comedy about a plastic surgeon, Danny (Adam Sandler) who wears a wedding ring to seduce the ladies.  Not sure how this one works fellas, well, he uses it as way to pick up chicks by telling them how horrible his marriage is (‘I thought when we got married, she’d stop hooking!’).  His assistant, Katherine (Jen Aniston), knows all about his escapades and is none too happy about any of them, but is so good natured that she never really judges him for it.

Danny is actually a very nice man who’s just been scorned on his wedding day and has never really gotten over it.  At a party, Danny meets Palmer (Swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker), a hot school teacher who he actually connects with.  After a wonderful evening on the beach with her, Palmer finds Danny’s pretend wedding ring and the lies fly from there!  Danny tells her he’s getting a divorce however Palmer insists that she must hear that from said soon-to-be ex wife.  Enter Katherine, Danny’s trusted assistant.

Katherine, after much badgering and an all expense paid shopping trip, agrees to be Danny’s ex ‘Devlin’ (the name of Katherine’s college rival who she has named her child’s kaka after – you’ll have to watch the flick to get the whole effect of THAT story!) and meets both Danny and Palmer for a drink.  In an over the top portrail of the elusive ex, Katherine is almost to her limo when she gets a call from her kids.  Forgetting that she is still in the presence of Danny and Palmer, Palmer now thinks Danny has children and insists on meeting them as well!  Anyway, once the story gets going, they all end up in Hawaii due to one of Katherine’s children and am sure you can figure out what happens after that.

I was quite impressed with the comedy and this proves that maybe Sander is growing up from his past schtick and pulls off actually being an adult of sorts.  Jen Aniston is always wonderful and think she’s finally found a role that fits her comedic talent as she is very natural and funny in this film.  There is some GREAT cameos from Nicole Kidman (who it was nice to see have fun with her role) and a hilarious turn from Dave Matthews (yes, that Dave Matthews) who gets better in every flick I see him in and is becoming a very good actor in his own right.  It is good to note the kids in this film too!  Both were well cast and very funny, especially the daughter (who is in acting classes and uses a fake British accent through most of the film).

New to DVD – Tues March 1

The hosts of the Oscars on Sunday both have their flicks being released this week; James Franco portrays his Oscar nominated performance about the true events of a mountain climber who had to decide between life or limb and Anne Hathaway is a young woman with Parkinson’s disease who falls for a playboy pharmaceutical salesman. 

Also joining the shelves; Christina Aguilera tries to keep up with Cher and ‘The Rock’ does what he does best… action flicks!

127 HOURS

Director Danny Boyle (‘28 Days’, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’), takes on this true story of ‘Canyoneer’ Aron Ralston (played by James Franco), who gets trapped (or rather a boulder falls on his arm) in one of those canyons in a Utah National Park.  Aron had told no one where he was heading and the realization of possibly never being rescued begins to take a toll. Over the next FIVE days, with his mini camera rolling, Ralston takes a good hard look at his life and discovers the courage he needs to muster to save it by any means necessary

FASTER

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson returns to his roots in this ‘don’t think, just shoot’ action thriller as Driver, a man who has just been released from prison after 10 years and would like some pay back for both the death of his brother and his incarceration….

BURLESQUE

Christina Aguilera joins the ranks of singers-turned actors along-side one of the ladies who paved the way for such a career twist, Cher.  If you are into musicals, apparently this one will not disappoint in the musical numbers department and Aguilera actually does an ok job.  The story is simple enough; small town girl wants to hit it big and ends up at a Burlesque club…

LOVE & OTHER DRUGS

A pharmaceutical salesman (Jake Gylenhaal) with wavering ethics and morals meets and falls for a woman (Anne Hathaway) who is dealing with the onset of Parkinson’s disease. 

THE LAST TRAIN HOME

This documentary follows a couple who have been making the long trek home for over two decades and are a part of the 130 million migrant workers who travel from China’s cities to their home villages every year for the New Year’s holiday. 

ALSO OUT: Butterfly Dreaming, Scooby-Doo; Curse of the Lake Monster, My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend

• Charlie Sheen, get freakin’ over yourself!!  Your show sucked and you’re a train wreck!  You always have been.  After this though, say buuuh – bye to your career!

• Is Steve Carell turning a new leaf as a dramatic actor?

• Dance Thom York, dance…

• Don’t mess with Michael Douglas’ woman, paparrazzi!   However, in all honesty I can’t see the photographer punching her on purpose, my guess would be he was maybe pushed into her?  Either way, what Catherine says apparently goes!

• New music out last week; Adele, Jeff Beck and some old never-released stuff from Johnny Cash.

• Say it ain’t so!  A ‘Bourne’ flick without Matt Damon or our favorite amnesiac assassin?  WTF?  If they pick Jake Gyllenhaal though, I’ll probably go see it…

• Dear Hollywood, stop remaking past films that weren’t even really that good!  Thanks!

• Trailer for ‘Hangover 2’!!  It doesn’t really give that much away though…  pretty vague!

I’m not sure who may have caught last night’s Oscars but if you didn’t, well, let’s just say you didn’t miss anything exciting!  If you have trouble sleeping however, then this should have been recorded so you could have something to fall asleep to, but I digress…

Here are some of the ‘HOT’ moments, but mostly ‘NOT’ moments:

HOT: The opening video that had the hosts jumping through the films on the ‘Best Pic’ list in a sort of ‘Inception’ scenario, trying to get into Alec Baldwin’s dream for tips on how to host the show.

NOT: The interview BEFORE the awards started with James Franco on ABC – he seemed a little too, aloof, about the whole thing.  I actually think he was either high or took too much Ativan to calm his nerves… and he remained that way through the entire show!  He just seemed unimpressed to be there and what was with his one eye?  His dig at Charlie Sheen was funny though…

NOT: The opening monologue!  Anne, good job on trying but when you’re working with someone who clearly either doesn’t want to be there or is so nervous he can’t seem to get complete sentences out, then there isn’t really much you can do!  Also, the writers of the monologue am sure weren’t much help either (really, having Franco’s granny calling out Marky Mark and having Anne’s mom tell her to stand up straight?  Weak stuff guys!  I expected better!).

NOT: Starting the evenings off with the Art Direction and Cinematography awards.  As soon as I realized that, I knew the show was going to be a looooooong and slow process!  The perfect time to crack open a bottle of wine!

HOT: Kirk Douglas giving the award for ‘Best Supporting Actress’.  His schpeel was great!  Even with his Aphasia and the fact that the man is 94 and still a charmer!  Each time he was about to announce the award, he’d keep going, making everyone laugh and wonder if he was ever going to give it up…  great job!

NOT:  Melissa Leo’s ‘Best Supporting Actress’ awards speech.  Umm, she knew she was taken home the Golden!  She even had ads made up to try and help her score the award!  So not sure why she pretended to be so ‘shocked’, even as far as asking Kirk Douglas to pinch her…  whatever honey!  Fake is not good in an acceptance speech (except for the f-bomb, am pretty sure that was unintentional…  maybe?).

HOT: Bale’s speech when he won for ‘Best Supporting Actor’.  It was actually quite honest and heartfelt, which I didn’t expect from a man who has previously screamed at a camera guy (I think it was the Director of Photography actually, but can’t remember) on Terminator for getting in his eye line!!

HOT or NOT?  Can’t decide:  The interlude in the middle that turned some of this year’s movies, such as Harry Potter, Twilight and Toy Story 3, into musicals…  not sure how I felt about it?  Some of it was funny, however some of it just goes to show you how autotuning can turn ANYTHING into a pop song…

HOT:  I NEVER THOUGHT I’D SEE THE DAY!  Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails Fame accepting the award for ‘Best Original Score’ for Social Network!  Awesome and well deserved!

HOT:  Cate Blanchet’s dress – yes, I liked it!  As well while announcing the nominees for ‘Best Makeup’ she quipped about how gross The Wolfman clip was…

HOT: Billy Crystal!!  Ahhhh…  he is still one of my favorite hosts and he did a great job with his small tribute to another, earlier host…  Bob Hope, who hosted the show 18 times!

HOT:  Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law’s presentation of the ‘Visual Effects’ awards.  Jude made a comment about RDJ early career, ahem, indescresions, which was pretty funny as well as RDJ being able to poke fun at himself.

NOT: Randy Newman singing ‘Better Together’ and then winning for it!  Something about his voice is just grating to me!  He’s been nominated like 20 times and realized last night he has won only two…  why does it seem like he’s won more?  Is it because he’s performed at EVERY Oscar show that I’ve been alive for?

HOT (and somewhat tearjerking):  Celine Dion singing ‘Smile’ during the Remembering montage… 

NOT: The children’s choir at the end of the show singing ‘Over the Rainbow’!  Huh?

Otherwise, there weren’t too many surprises here, award wise or otherwise!  ‘The King’s Speech’ cleaned up.  ‘Social Network’ won the awards it should have and the acting awards were all predictable.  Basically, it was an uneventful Oscar’s!  For a complete list of the Oscar winners, please click here!

Tomorrow night will be the 83^rd Annual Academy Awards, with hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco (we’ll see how that goes?).  Below are who and what I think will possibly take home the much coveted statue… however, these are only guesses as really, you just never know who will win as the Academies always seem to throw surprises our way and each year just seems to keep getting tougher and tougher to predict!

Actor in a Leading Role:

Out of all the amazing performances this year my hope is for Javier Bardem to win for ‘Biutiful’ however I have a feeling Colin Firth will be taking this one for ‘King’s Speech’.

Actor in a Supporting Role:

This is a tough one as Christian Bale has done some fine work so I think the Academy will favor his performance for ‘The Fighter’.  However, since the ‘King’s Speech’ seems to be taking home a ton of awards, it could be Geoffrey Rush…  but then there is Jeremy Renner for ‘The Town’…  decisions, decisions!

Actress in a Leading Role:

 Bets on Natalie Portman for ‘Black Swan’?  Am pretty sure she’s taking this one…

Actress in a Supporting Role:

Melissa Leo took home the Golden Globe for ‘The Fighter’, however, she recently had some bad advertising when viaing for the Academy nod which she has taken some flack for.  My hope is for Jacki Weaver to get the Oscar for ‘Animal Kingdom’, a gritty Aussie flick about the seedy criminal underworld of Melbourne…

Animated Feature:

I hope it’s ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, but am guessing ‘Toy Story ‘ will take it!

Directing:

Usually, Directing and Best Picture go hand in hand, however, with the expansion of the Best Picutre category to 10, that may not be the case this year.  ‘Social Network’ won the Globe which usually translates into Oscar, so David Fincher might have this one…

Music (Original Score)

Trent Reznor has this one in the bag for ‘Social Network’!

Best Picture:

If we go by what I just said under Directing, the ‘Social Network’ will probably take the golden guy however, it has some stiff competition with ‘King’s Speech’ and ‘Black Swan’…

Adapted Screenplay:

Aaron Sorkin for the ‘Social Network’.

Original Screenplay:

Am hoping if ‘Inception’ takes home anything, it’s this one as it took Chris Nolan something like 10 years to complete the screenplay!

For all other nominations such as visuals, sound mixing, art direction,  just click here!