Review: "The Wolf of Wall Street" is a Flawed Classic About a Flawed Class System

Left to right: Margot Robbie and Leonardo DiCaprio

If there is one indisputable fact, it is that Martin Scorsese transcends time almost every time he directs a film. Now in his 70's, he continues to make challenging tales with cinematic grace and beauty. Movies such as The Aviator and Gangs of New York reflect a director now capable of making an epic out of personal American stories. It is arguable that he lost the fervor and sting that gave us Goodfellas or The King of Comedy, but one needs to not look any further than his latest: The Wolf of Wall Street. Even with controversy surrounding it, its sustenance is so thick with cocaine-stained suits that this capitalism epic is striking and reflects the Scorsese film that we'd never expect: a $100 million budgeted unbiased exploitation flick.

Review: "American Hustle" is a Great Looking Yet Empty Con

Left to right: Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner,
Christian Bale, and Jennifer Lawrence

Originally published at CinemaBeach.

The theme of director David O. Russell’s latest film American Hustle can be summed up in the hilariously awful comb-over sported by Christian Bale. The entire film isn’t about revealing vulnerability, but projecting confidence no matter what. As conman Irving Rosenfield, Bale embodies these ethics simply by not caring about his lunatic wife (Jennifer Lawrence) and selling fake art with his new girlfriend (Amy Adams). From the clothing to the emotions, it is a world of trickery on every level that looks good, but the core can be a little disturbing.

Review: "Inside Llewyn Davis" is a Brilliant Love Letter to Performers

Oscar Isaac

Originally published at CinemaBeach.

There are tragic realities to those pursuing music as a career choice. While a small chunk succeeds, there are those that toil in struggle the entire time. This wouldn’t seem apparent in most films, but then again Joel and Ethan Coen aren’t most filmmakers. Their melancholy stories chronicling American culture through the decades are full of humor, absurdity, and a sense of punishment. Their latest, Inside Llewyn Davis, has all of these elements in spades, and with music collaboration from T. Bone Burnett, this tale of the 60’s folk scene is full of catchy songs and the most egotistical loser of the year. That is to say that it is the Coen Brothers operating at their best.

Review: "Saving Mr. Banks" is a Delightful Treat for Fans of Old School Disney

Emma Thompson

There is a novelty of films that take place behind the scenes of beloved films. In a sense, they serve less as an analysis of the creators, but more as reasons to just watch the original films. The purposes get lost and almost feel like pointless fan service. In a sense, a film about beloved Disney film Mary Poppins is bound to be full of in-jokes and kitschy moments for the several who have fallen in love with the Julie Andrews character. Even if director John Lee Hancock can never expect to outshine the charm of the iconic musical, Saving Mr. Banks at least manages to give his behind the scenes story plenty of purpose.

A Look Back at My Oscar Best Picture Challenge (1960-2013)

While it is fun to report on the future of The Oscars, I also have set up a challenge to myself to see every previous Best Picture winner. Through this method, I am hoping to get an overall understanding of themes and hopefully to understand the psychology that goes with the voting. With 2013 coming to a close, I have finished another leg of my goal by having seen everything that won after 1960. This feels like as good of a time as any to look back and see what made the running goal worthwhile and if it continues to be an enjoyable experience.

Review: "Blackfish" is a Powerful, Striking Look at Orca Whales in Captivity

One of the most talked about documentaries of 2013 remains director Gabriela Cowperthwaite's Blackfish: a horrific look at the maintenance and care that goes into taking care of the orca whales at various sea parks. Throughout the decades, these majestic creatures have inspired awe and splashed their share of audiences. Yet there is an even more haunting truth behind these performing sea life animals. They aren't always the friendliest of creatures and rarely kill their trainers. It is a horrific truth that becomes the center of one of the strongest documentaries of the year.

"Nebraska" is an Enjoyable Ride Down Memory Lane

Left to right: Bruce Dern and Will Forte

*Originally published at CinemaBeach here.

The opening scene to director Alexander Payne’s latest film Nebraska follows protagonist Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) as he is walking alongside the freeway. As he is questioned by a police officer on where he is going, he simply points his finger in the direction of Lincoln, Nebraska. Before we know anything about Grant’s personality or motives, we understand his psyche. This is an old man who is not all there and suffers from severe cases of wanderlust. This may sound like the set-up for a barrage of geriatric insults but as the opening credits close and we meet his son David (Will Forte), it is quickly revealed that there is much more going on. Woody’s senility isn’t the source of the film’s humor. It is actually from everyone’s inability to communicate properly.

A Look at the Short List for the Best Original Song Contenders

This week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the short list of songs eligible for the Best Original Song category. As always, there are some favorites and a lot of strange choices. While it doesn't actually give any insight into who will win, it does create an interesting predicament to what could get nominated. The field is open to everyone on the list so far and there are numerous surprises that could occur. Much like the nomination of Norah Jones for a song from Ted last year, the category is rarely lacking in intrigue. 

The 2014 Golden Globe Nominations Are In and They Look Better Than You Think!

It is strange to admit, but it looks like this year's Golden Globes will not be nearly as much of an embarrassment as they have been in the past. After a brief glimpse, the year of movies has produced one of the strongest, least embarrassing line-ups with no confusion in the Best Comedy or Musical category. While there are some egregious omissions and some surprises, it looks to be a decent start to awards season. On the down side, my favorite whipping boy won't have too many complaints this year, which may be the biggest tragedy of all. So here are my thoughts on the awards as well as predicting the winners in each of the categories. There will also be links where applicable to posts I have written regarding the nominees.

Note: If you wish to see my thoughts on the TV portion, stay tuned to my Optigrab blog later this evening for a full post on it.

Can "Out of the Furnace" Sneak into the Oscar Conversation?

Christian Bale

Back in 2009, director Scott Cooper made it onto the scene with the highly acclaimed Crazy Heart. Earning Jeff Bridges his first Oscar (Best Actor), it told the story of a down-on-his-luck country singer who was in the autumn years. It connected with audiences and helped to make the compositions of T. Bone Burnett popular again. If there was any flaw to the debut, it was that it may have been light on the darker elements and even if Bridges was a powerhouse performer, the rest of the story wasn't as strong without him. With his follow-up, Cooper looks to be going darker with Out of the Furnace with a higher caliber cast and plenty of darker, dramatic themes. But is it enough to get him recognized by the Academy again?

A Look at the Best Documentary Feature Category Contenders

From Stories We Tell

It was announced today that the Academy has released the final 15 films eligible in the Best Documentary Feature category. In one of the more obscure races in the annual ceremony, the category looks to highlight films that are both informative as well as potentially life changing. It may be one of the few significant categories that most people aren't familiar of whenever the telecast happens. As years have gone on, I have become more and more invested in the runnings, and sure enough, this year has quite a few interesting selections. Read more to find out what they are as well as a few thoughts on the films. 

A Look at "Frozen" and the Best Original Song Category

I would like to apologize for my lack of consistency in the past few weeks. Hopefully with December proving to have a lot of goodies, I shall be more consistent.

This past Wednesday saw the release of the Disney film Frozen. Maybe it could be that this year hasn't been the best for animated films, but there is an inevitability of the film receiving a nomination. Along with highly positive reviews and lack of competition, it is looking to become part of the zeitgeist simply for being most people's only option to theatrical family entertainment. However, there is one interesting angle that gives the film even more potential. It is a musical with plenty of songs receiving a large amount of buzz, but can it sneak into the Best Original Song category?

A Look at the Recipients of This Year's Governors Awards

Left to right: Angelina Jolie, Angela Lansbury, and Steve Martin

This past Sunday, the Academy held their annual Governor's Awards to honor individuals who have done a great deal of work towards cinema. Over the many years, the list of recipients have ranged in overall quality and much like Steve Martin this year, some haven't even received a nomination in their career. While it is a shame that the honorary awards are not recognized at the Academy Awards ceremony like the other awards, it is nice to see them getting their moment to shine. Most of the highlights have been posted on the Oscars' Youtube page for your casual viewing. To honor the four recipients, I have compiled a look at each of the attendees history with the Academy Awards and share some personal thoughts as well.

A Look at the List of This Year's 76 Best Foreign Film Submissions

Waad Mohammed in Wadjda

In what is now unintentionally turning into a week looking at the Best Foreign Film category, we look at the list of eligible films for 2014's race. With a record 76 countries submitting nominees, the field may seem to be crowded, but there are definitely some standouts from the bunch. Even if majority of them aren't recognizable to the average viewer, these films will probably in discussion again at a later point. For a full listing of nominees as well as a few thoughts, please click below to read more.

Update: "Blue is the Warmest Color" Won't Be Eligible for the Best Foreign Film Oscar

Adele Exarchopolous

It is strange when a film of high acclaim such as that of Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue is the Warmest Color manages to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes, yet has failed to clear one hurdle. Thanks to ordinarywiseguy on Tumblr for bringing it to my attention, I have become aware that while I speculated the film's actual Oscar chances (and technically, there are still some), it turns out that due to one small loophole, the film has become ineligible for the Best Foreign Film nomination. It all has to do with a release date.

Review: "Blue is the Warmest Color" is an Ambitious Yet Familiar Love Story

Left to right: Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux

It is a film that shook the world. After director Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue is the Warmest Color won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and became embraced by Steven Spielberg, it has remained in discussion for its depiction of lesbian relationships. The three hour story that follows Emma (Lea Seydoux) and Adele (Adele Exarchopolous) is one that seems very much progressive and is one of the most talked about gay-themed films since Brokeback Mountain. Even if it doesn't stand to gross even half of that, its existence is complicated and one that reflects the discovery of love in almost too accurate of detail from its embarrassing beginnings to its somber end. The only issue is that it also features all of the bumps in between, which aren't always that flattering.

Is "The Book Thief" Able to Return World War II Movies Back Into the Best Picture Race?

Sophie Nelisse

Once in a great while, there is a movie that falls under the Oscar Buzz radar that didn't seem to stand a chance at any major nominations. Maybe it is because it was outside the realm of the Oscar bias and didn't have too many major stars. Maybe it lacked acclaim. In the past month, director Brian Percival's The Book Thief came to my attention and slowly it began to make me perplexed and interested. Before seeing a trailer in front of Captain Phillips, I had no idea that the film existed. However, the more interesting question going forth from here is whether or not it can manage to put World War II back into the race.

The "Labor Day" Trailer Looks Good, But Probably Not Oscar-Worthy

Left to right: Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin

With October officially reaching the end of the line, it does feel like every potential Oscar contender has at very least released a teaser trailer. This is true for every film that is on statistics website Gold Derby's top 10 current Best Picture potential nominees. That is why is surprising that one of the most anticipated films of the year, director Jason Reitman's Labor Day, has waited this long to finally release a trailer with its Christmas Day limited release quickly approaching. Even with plans to expand in 2014, it almost feels like the release of the trailer parallels the film's actual level of buzz at the current moment, which almost seems to be flat lined. Hopefully things will turn around.

Review: "12 Years a Slave" is a Quintessential Film About Slavery

Chiwetel Ejiofir

Once in awhile, a film comes along that almost seems to become bigger than its subject. Something that becomes so hyped that it almost feels like a cherished relic before it even hits theaters. After impressing audiences at TIFF, director Steve McQueen's latest 12 Years a Slave appears to be part of that select few. It seems bizarre that a film from the creator of Hunger and Shame, two morbidly bleak stories, could become an Oscar front runner and turn in a film that is arguably already one of the classics. His adoration for the novel by Solomon Northup and desire to bring to life a point in American history that tends to get overlooked brought together not only one of the best movies about slavery, but probably one of the best films of the decade.

Review: "Before Midnight" Brings a Romance of 18 Years to a Beautiful, Insightful End

Left to right: Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy 

It seems improbable that a trilogy as calculated as the Before series would work in the grand scheme. Unlike most trilogies, director Richard Linklater's portrayal of lovers Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) calculates the progression of a relationship in what feels like real time. The actors have aged, and so have the characters and their thought processes and beliefs. The move to set each installment in the series nine years apart almost seems ingenious in this regard, especially with almost every film series impatiently green lighting another installment for next year. However, with Before Midnight, Linklater has done something profound for cinema. He has painted a poignant, deeply detailed analysis of romance and what it means as your priorities change.