Theory Thursday: Tom Hanks Deserved an Oscar Nomination for "Cloud Atlas"

Scene from Cloud Atlas

Welcome to a weekly column called Theory Thursdays, which will be released every Thursday and discuss my "controversial opinion" related to something relative to the week of release. Sometimes it will be birthdays while others is current events or a new film release. Whatever the case may be, this is a personal defense for why I disagree with the general opinion and hope to convince you of the same. While I don't expect you to be on my side, I do hope for a rational argument. After all, film is a subjective medium and this is merely just a theory that can be proven either way. 

Theory Thursday: The Wachowski Siblings Are Overrated

Scene from V for Vendetta

Welcome to a weekly column called Theory Thursdays, which will be released every Thursday and discuss my "controversial opinion" related to something relative to the week of release. Sometimes it will be birthdays while others is current events or a new film release. Whatever the case may be, this is a personal defense for why I disagree with the general opinion and hope to convince you of the same. While I don't expect you to be on my side, I do hope for a rational argument. After all, film is a subjective medium and this is merely just a theory that can be proven either way. 

Golden Globe Nominations 2013 Are Here, and Guess Who Got Ignored?

It is an exciting time for movie awards fanatics. With all of the nominations coming out, we are only a month away from when we finally get a peek at what will be nominated for this year's Academy Awards! Unfortunately, the Golden Globes have always been perceived in some way as a predecessor to the event and for no good reason. Each year, they mistake celebrity for quality with very few wins for the right people. However, that's kind of why they are my favorite whipping boy. I love to criticize their choices with a heavy hand. The following is a look at the nominations that were released this morning and my brief opinions about each category.

Review: "Cloud Atlas" is six solid stories meshed into madness

Left to right: Halle Berry and Jim Broadbent 

It is impossible to aptly review the latest film from collaborators Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer without annotating a contraction here or there. For every positive feature, there is a "but" floating nearby. Nobody can fault the movie's level of ambition and for marvelously crafting six stories from the David Mitchell novel into a sweeping epic. It is at times gorgeous, innovative, and tough to decipher actors buried under make-up. Visually, this film succeeds on all accounts. It is dissecting the rest of the film in which things get more problematic.

Can the Epic Scope of "Cloud Atlas" Win Best Picture?

Tom Hanks

Update: I have written a review that you can read here.

This Friday marks the release of the highly anticipated epic from directors Lana and Andy Wachowski (The Matrix series) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run). The film is Cloud Atlas based on the best selling novel by David Mitchell that intertwines numerous stories through numerous eras. The ambitious scale of this sci-fi film has a lot to do to fill the three hour running time. However, can these three directors take the source material and turn it into a blockbuster hit of the Fall on a scale not seen since Avatar? Also, is it possible that we'll see this movie bump heads with Ben Affleck's Argo and Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master for Best Picture?

Can "Life of Pi" put Ang Lee back in the Best Picture Race?

Suraj Sharma

Update: I have written a review for the movie here.

Recently at the New York Film Festival, we saw the opening of director Ang Lee's Life of Pi. Critics like Jack Giroux have called it near perfect while Katey Rich was taken away by the visuals and believes that it will dominate the visual effects categories. Still, can this $100 production of Yann Martel's bestseller book bring Lee back to the forefront of the Oscar season, or is the idea of a man on a raft with a tiger not able to compete with Argo, The Master, and other high concept, zeitgeist-stemming movies?

Can "Looper" Bring Some Sci-Fi Presence to the Best Picture Category?

Left to right: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis

UPDATE: I have posted a review for Looper here.

Now that the Oscar Buzz is entering its third week, we finally see the release of the much anticipated time travel film Looper. The film has been hyped as being one of the greatest in the genre. However, there's nothing more appealing than Gordon-Levitt continuing a winning streak this year by holding his own against seasoned veteran Bruce Willis. Even if the film delivers when it opens nationwide tomorrow and turns Johnson into the household name he deserves, will this science fiction film stand a chance at getting any momentum when it comes time for an Oscar?