Review: "The Disaster Artist" is Real Hollywood Movie (And Real Good, Too)

Scene from The Disaster Artist

It's the moment that director James Franco's The Disaster Artist has been building to. As the cast and crew walk in slow motion towards the studio where The Room will be shot, Faith No More's "Epic" begins playing. It's a song that altered the course of metal music with soporific vocals that may seem as disjointed but infectious as what's to come. Even more than that, the title says it all: this is an epic moment in cinema. Once first time director Tommy Wiseau (Franco) takes to the stage, he will become an icon; a proprietor of the acclaimed worst movie ever. It is an epic moment, and one that feels oddly understated at the same time. This is a comedy, but not one meant to mock bad decisions. It is a drama, but not one that revels in pretentious artistry. It's a satire that, like Faith No More, exists in the transparent grey area of pop culture; where descriptors defy logic. The Disaster Artist is swamped with actors who clearly adore the real life Wiseau's work, and their commitment to bringing the odd idiosyncrasies to life makes this one of the best and most perplexing movies of the year. La La Land may have taught artists to dream, but The Disaster Artist opens the door to everyone else.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Silver Linings Playbook" (2012)

Left to right: Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

Review: "Magic in the Moonlight" is a Delightfully Familiar Film from Woody Allen

Left to right: Emma Stone and Colin Firth

Over the decades, director Woody Allen has made an impressive career out of mixing philosophy with jazz and bites of small, intellectual humor. His plots may often be pointless or not even thought out, but his consistency in overall quality is something to be amazed about. He is one of the most reliable directors out there, provided that you love what he dishes out. Following last year's phenomenal Blue Jasmine is more of the same in Magic in the Moonlight in which a magician debunking a psychic attempts to become a commentary on religion. The plot isn't all that amazing, but thanks to Allen's penchant gift for screenwriting, it doesn't matter. It is whimsical and funny in all of the predictable ways.

Review: "Stoker" is an Eerily Wonderful Coming of Age Story

Mia Wasikowska

With the unfortunate revelation that there isn't any movie even worthy of speculating Oscar Buzz this week, I have decided to finally write a review for director Chan-wook Park's Stoker, a film that I heavily have endorsed on this blog, but never have specified why. It is a marvelous film, and one that is bizarre enough to not be considered for some sort of award. This is notably thanks to Park, whose catalog includes the much buzzed about and easily deserved praise for Oldboy. In his English-language debut, he tackles a coming of age story in one of the weirdest, most surreal ways possible. What makes his approach more authentic than any of his competitors?

Review: "Silver Linings Playbook" Isn't Quite All There

Left to right: Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro

One of the great surprises of 2010 was watching director David O. Russell's boxer family drama The Fighter, which featured a captivating look into drug addiction and how sports can unite a family. In many ways, this feels like the overview of Russell's follow-up Silver Linings Playbook, which attempts to turn a story about mental illness into a sports-craving romantic comedy that somehow earned Oscar Buzz along the way. Is the film a worthy follow-up, and more-so, is it one deserving of a few Oscar nominations?

Will "Silver Linings Playbook" Build on its TIFF Win?

Left to right: Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper

It wasn't long ago that a movie came onto my radar that could possibly get Oscar Buzz big time. In fact, my previous knowledge to last week was that it was a small film by director David O. Russell that focused on mental disabilities. Sounds very much like the great Flirting with Disaster, but we won't hold that against him. After all, he did just come off of The Fighter, which was a Best Picture nominee and earned acting wins for Melissa Leo and Christian Bale. However, as much as I loved the tale of the Pride of Lowell, I had to question myself. What the hell is Silver Linings Playbook?