2012 in Review - The Best Books, Movies and Music

My last post hinted that I was going to do a whole chunk of entries about Peru but this semester kind of got away on me. Once I entered my pracitcum I was often doing 16 hour work days, which, if you're good at math, doesn't leave a whole lot of time for my own writing. Thankfully I've got some time on my hands now so I'm going to spend some time reflecting on 2012. I love December because it often means summing up your year into short, concise lists. Obviously we have so much more going for us than a few bullet points to summarize a year, but it's a cool reminder to look back on. Just a few of the great moments in my life this year were:

- Becoming an uncle

- Watching my middle sister get married

- 5 Days for the Homeless

- Going to Peru and climbing the Inca Trail

- Getting to share my spoken word

- Having an amazing PS1 experience

This is less about bragging and more about reminding myself how blessed I am. There was a lot that went wrong this year as well, but a lot of things also went really right.

Books

Alright, enough with the personal stuff, let's get on with my media lists. 

In 2011 I started making a note of every book that I read in the year. I so wish that I had started doing this sooner. It's cool how looking back over a list of books can give you a reflection of the year. Each book brings with it a memory of where I was when I was reading it. Why I chose to read it, who I was reading it with, why I took so long to finish it--these all point to the parts in my year that aren't necessarily special enough to make it onto a grand list, but are still a huge portion of my life. When I first started making the list my goal was to read more books each year. I failed completely. Meh, it was worth a shot. Here are some great books that I read this year:

• Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom. When I finished this book I literally just sat on the couch and cried for a solid amount of time. It's short, simple, and powerful. Maybe it was the connection I've had in my life with people who had Lou Gehrig's disease, maybe it was because the failing health of my grandpa, maybe it was because it just reflected on humanity so well, but either way it was definitely a book that I will be going back to. I recommend it completely (K, I'm not going to say that at the end of each one seeing as I probably will recommend them all).
• In the Skin of a Lion - Michael Ondaatje. This book really turned me on to Ondaatje's writings and I recommend his stuff to any customer who comes in. Refreshing and Canadian. It's books like this that make me really lament the fact that my English class days are pretty much over. I would never have read this book if I hadn't been forced to, and I would never have appreciated it as much as I did if I had not had someone showing me how awesome it truly is.
• Irresistible Revolution - Shane Claiborne. This is my go-to book when people are wandering in the religious section at Chapters with a wide-eyed, lost look. "Seriously, it changed my life," I tell every customer. It's hard to explain why I found it so impacting. "What's it about?" they always ask. "Welp, it's about love." Ooo, I really sell it with that line. Most of the people just stare blankly at me at that point and I don't usually end up selling it, but to the few who picked it up, I can pretty much guarantee that they loved it. If you haven't already read this book (and most have) go out and buy it right now. If I could pick one book off this list to recommend, it would be this one. (And then, if you have already read this one already, check out "7" by Jennifer Hatmaker. It's in a similar vein and, while not quite as inspiring, still one that I intend to read again and again. And if you've read that one, check out "The Man Who Quit Money" by Mark Sundeen. How I made it out of this year with out becoming a full blown hippie I will never know.)
• The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses Over the Hills - Chuck Bukowski. With a title like that, it's gotta be poetry. Despite my love of poetry I really don't actively seek it out because I often find myself drowning in its pretentiousness. I really liked Bukowski because his poems aren't overly cryptic or full of flamboyant narratives of rolling hills and deep oceans. His work is simple and shocking and entertaining. Kinda like Shel Silverstein for grown ups. But really not really at all.
• To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee. Yes, I am an English major who managed to get through his whole life without reading To Kill a Mockingbird. People who don't read a lot have read To Kill a Mockingbird. People who hate reading have read To Kill a Mockingbird. So I'm sorry, I remedied it, and I quite enjoyed it. Would I teach it in my classroom? Probably not. Would I give it to my kids to read one day? Definitely. It's got some great lessons and a good story.
• Stitches - David Small. I took a seminar in university about graphic novels and their increasing prominence in schools nowadays. I had honestly never given them much thought--I have always wanted to read Maus by Art Spiegelman but have never really gotten around to it. Stitches was one of the first 'literary graphic novels' that I have read and I loved it. It's an autobiography of a boy who had brutal parents and cancer growing up. It's certainly not the 'BANG' 'KAPOW' that you typically think of when you think comic books, but it certainly packs a punch in its own way. I bought it immediately after I was finished it and it has encouraged me to check out a slew of other literary graphic novels. Any other ones anyone would recommend? (Also, if you like Stitches, check out Blankets by Craig Thompson).

Movies 

Along with books, I always make a list of movies that impacted me throughout the year. Obviously not all these movies were released in 2012, so you're not going to be seeing a lot of them at the Oscars, but I watched them this year so they deserve to be mentioned. My top eleven are:

11. Freedom Writers - I had to make the list 11 to include this because it's so cheesy and predictable but given my desired occupation I couldn't resist.

10. American History X - After watching this I decided that Edward Norton is genuinely messed up in the head, but still it's a profound movie that anyone (with a bit of a tough stomach) should watch.

9. Sherlock Holmes 2 - My 'superhero' pick. Avengers was fantastic, Dark Knight was strong, but for some reason Sherlock stuck with me. (This might be swayed by the fact that I just watched every episode of BBC's Sherlock and am currently riding that high.)

8. Like Crazy - I didn't really like this movie, but I came away from it shaken and not okay. If a movie can cause that strong of a reaction, it must mean there's something there.

7. Blue Like Jazz - For what it was, it was amazing. It was probably the best Christian movie I've seen, which isn't saying a WHOLE lot, but it is saying something. Again, it affected me strongly, not necessarily in a this-is-the-best-movie-ever kinda way, but in the I-actually-want-to-spend-time-contemplating-my-life kinda way.

6. The Departed - Got me started on a whole mafia/gangsters kick. I love movies that make me pause halfway through and go, "Okay so he's... but then that guy... but they think... but who was... OHHHH!"

5. There Will Be Blood - I still think about this movie on a weekly basis. I love love love it and it made me want to watch every Paul Thomas Anderson film. (Punch Drunk Love should also get an honourable mention on this list too).

4. Safety Not Guaranteed - Really fun, simple, and slightly quirky. More than just your average rom com. 

3. Silver Linings Playbook - I think Bradley Cooper deserves an Oscar nom for Best Actor. He probably shouldn't win it, but he still deserves to be recognized.

2. Never Let Me Go - So unique! I have never seen a movie that I've been more thrown-off by its complete disregard for its premise. It's technically sci-fi, but it's so character driven that you kind of forget about the sci-fi -part. And it made me hate Keira Knightley less, so that's always a bonus. I wrote out a whole review immediately after watching this movie for no other reason then I wanted to sort out why I loved it so much. (Watch the movie, don't read the book). Also, it features my love Carey Mulligan, of whom I will one day convince to amicably split up from her now-husband Marcus Mumford so he can play at mine and Carey's wedding. 

1. Life of Pi - This is what a movie should be. It didn't need sex, violence, or any other cheap trick to keep it flowing. It was brilliant to witness, entertaining to watch, and inspiring to analyze. I didn't even like the book all that much but the movie made me a believer. I definitely want to see it nominated for Best Picture. As I described it on Facebook: "So Life of Pi is like Castaway meets the Discovery Channel meets Avatar. Except Tom Hanks is an Indian boy, Wilson is a tiger, and the director is on acid. I recommend it 100%"

I feel like The Master and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel should also probably find their way on to this list but I just don't know where.

This year I learnt to stop following actors and start following directors. Some actors consistently pick good roles (e.g. Philip Seymour Hoffman), but I found out that most the time, if you want consistency, you follow the director. Some that I actively sought out this year were: Paul Thomas Anderson, Darren Aronofsky, Christopher Nolan, the Coen Brothers, Roman Polanski. They've all got some really, really great stuff. I'm still learning to delve past the Golden Globes and Oscars. Does anyone have any recommendations of less popular titles/ones I didn't mention? (And don't say Les Mis, Argo, or Lincoln--I'm working on it!)

Music

And finally music! My New Years Resolution for the year 2012 was to not download a single song and, with some serious dedication, I can proudly say I reached it. Life list entry checked off! I went from getting multiple albums in a week to multiple albums in a year. And honestly, I like the change. It was a lot of pressure to keep up with all of the music I was downloading and this past year I've been able to just appreciate the music that I already have. But still I can't go completely without new music, so thank God for gifts from friends, Noisetrade, 8tracks, and good ol' youtube. From the few that I purchased, ones that I would recommend:

• Dave Siverns - Songs for Singing (If you live in Lethbridge you should already own this one)
• Alt J - An Awesome Wave (K maybe just buy 'Breezeblocks')
• Fun. - Some Nights (Don't actually buy this album. Listen to the good ones--'All Alright', 'Some Nights', 'Carry On'--on youtube over and over and that'll be enough.)
• Shane Koyczan - Shut Up and Say Something (Have I mentioned Shane Koyczan before? Well if not, get this album. Spoken word gets hazed for using music to manipulate emotions--this album does it even without the music)
• Matthew Mayfield - A Banquet for Ghosts (Free on Noisetrade. Worth checking out.)
• The Fray - Scars and Stories (If you're not a huge fan, at least check out 'Be Still', the final track)
• Keane - Strangeland (Worth buying. I had this album on repeat for a month)
• Mumford and Sons - Babel (Still not as revolutionary as ''Sigh No More'', but that's not to say it's not ridiculously awesome. I love it more and more with each listen.)
• Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal (Icelandic and fantastic. Sold.)
• John Mayer - Born and Raised (I feel compelled to buy every John Mayer album because I know that with enough hits on shuffle over the years I will probably discover that I love it.)
• David Crowder Band - Give Us Rest (Their final album. A few amazing tracks, but mostly just goodness.)
• Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires (Not quite ''Eyes Open'' but it still has a couple synth-ballads that I love oh so much)
• James Vincent McMorrow - Early in the Morning (100% recommend.)
• The Lumineers - The Lumineers (102% recommend. It's a short album but I listened to it over and over and over.)

TL;DR: Buy James Vincent McMorrow, Lumineers, Mumford and Sons, and Of Monsters and Men. Love everything else. Get mad at Sigur Ros for putting out ''Valtari'' (I love you guys, I really do, but this album was really just sounds.)

Now it's your turn! During my music "fast" I made a list of albums I want to buy/download when I have the money. Most I was interested in, but nothing quite pushed me over the edge to buy them. Would you recommend any of these guys' latest albums? Any other ones that aren't listed that you would recommend?

- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Soundtrack

- Starfield

- Gotye

- O Brother Where Art Thou Soundtrack

- Train

- Hunger Games soundtrack

- Polyphonic Spree

- Ingrid Michaelson

- Like Crazy Soundtrack

- Sons & Daughters

- Hugo Soundtrack

- Rend Collective Experiment

- A Creation Liturgy - Gungor

- Regina Spektor

- Temper Trap

So there you have it. My year in a very media-focused nutshell. 2013 has been off to a great start with four (4!) things already crossed of my life list. Here's to a year of more consistent, shorter blog posts. (Ha!)

Review of the Hunger Games: Why Bella Sucked and Oompa-loompas Should Be Pitied but Ultimately Defied

(Housekeeping: I've been working on a lot of really exciting projects lately. My final post about 5 Days is coming this Friday, and I've been putting a LOT of effort into it so I'm really excited about it. Some of you may also remember my Canadian Bag Sailing video. I recently edited it and made it a lot shorter. The link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmUhkzqQtgU. I'll post the video on here once it lets me. Now, on to the post.)

The Hunger Games movie has been out long enough now that the diehards have seen it and those who haven’t heard of it probably never will. (Don’t worry though, there aren’t any spoilers in this post). As a book to movie film, I thought it was really well done. There were a couple things that were really junior-highy (mainly Cato), but for the most part I wasn't disappointed.

When I read them—and yes I read them, wait, quick rant:

Yes, I read the Hunger Games. Why do I get mocked for that? I read them for the same reason I read Twilight (and yes, I read Twilight). As someone who intends to be a future English teacher, I think it’s kind of important to know what teens are actually reading. That, and I don’t believe in shutting something down unless I’ve read it myself (a lesson I learned from all those years of 'disagreeing' with Harry Potter). And now that I’ve read Twilight, I can say with credibility that they’re not very well written (shocking I know). But as with Twilight, and Harry Potter, and now Hunger Games, I have to give props to the writers for capitalizing on SOMETHING that worked. It may not be the best literature out there, but it’s getting people to read, so they have my respect.

End rant.

ALSO, I work at Chapters, so when every third transaction is the Hunger Games (almost no exaggeration), I felt inclined to read them. That way, when a parent asks if there’s any gore in them, I can reply with an authoritative, “Yes!” as opposed to an, “I don’t think so…?” (To that parent, I’m really sorry. Thanks for not coming back and yelling at me.)

End rant again.

ALSO, it bugs me when people hate on the Hunger Games because it’s a knockoff of Battle Royale. Yes, it’s an un-original plot. Everything is un-original. There’s no such thing as original art anymore, and that’s ok.

Continuing on.

When I first read Hunger Games I compared it to the Truman Show meets Gladiator meets Survivor meets Twilight. I devoured the series in a week, staying up until 4 in the morning reading Catching Fire because of those darn hooks at the end of every chapter. It requires almost no brainpower to read and has a morbid enough plotline that the whole can’t-look-away technique is in effect; it's captivating.

One thing that Suzanne Collins did right was the protagonist, Katniss. It’s been a long time coming that teen girls have a solid, literary, female protagonist to look up to (in pop culture that is). What I really disliked about the second book of Twilight (yes, I read all four) was how incredibly dependent Bella is on the two guys. She becomes useless when they’re not around and spends almost the entire novel in a state of depression. Yes, Hunger Games still has Katniss torn between two guys, but it’s her strength, not her fragile femininity, that is the attraction. One day it would be sweet to see a teen book that ISN’T about getting the guy/girl (judging by the front covers of every book in the teen section I’m assuming that’s what they’re all about), but for now it’s nice to at least have a character who isn’t head over heels. I actually really like how the whole love triangle thing resolved; it was less cliché than I was expecting.

The thing that unnerved me though (moreso while I was watching the movie than reading the books), was the grotesque irony of it all. It’s a movie about a sick group of people who find entertainment in watching teenagers fight to the death. While I sat there sucking back my overpriced popcorn, thinking about how much I was enjoying the movie, I couldn’t help but reflect on how odd it was that I was finding entertainment in watching teenagers fight to the death. (Games-ception, anyone?). I wish this hadn’t made me feel as guilty as it did.

You could argue that it’s not the same—people aren’t actually dying—but that’s a fairly poor argument. It's about the ideals, not the reality of it.

The strongest argument supporting the movie is in its educational ability. It comes in the form of Katniss’ hairdressers. All of the Oompa-loompa citizens of the Capitol (seriously, I can't be the only one who just saw crowds and crowds of oompa-loompas) are complex; they’re not evil, they’re just unaware. They subscribe to the ideals of the society because it’s what everyone does, simple as that. Katniss slowly begins to realize how completely ignorant they actually are and ultimately pities them. Cinna, played by Lenny Kravitz (side note: when my friend and I were watching the movie she pointed out that all the scenes with Katniss and Cinna seemed oddly sensual. We decided to blame this entirely on the fact that it was Lenny Kravitz. Also, Lenny Kravitz and Lionel Richie are not the same person, I know that now). Anyway, Cinna is a redemptive character because he does his part to fight back against the ideals, despite being in the thick of the Capitol mentality as a designer for the Games.

Ultimately, the series does promote an attitude that defies the sadistic mentality. Most people who have read the books say that the first one is great and it kind of goes downhill from there. From a literary standpoint, that’s probably true, but the second and third book are necessary for not allowing the series be a total bloodbath. It supports fighting out against the brainwashed majority. Comparisons could be made between this lesson and real life issues such as the Holocaust. Going against the predominant sadistic mindset is what made heroes out of Bonhoeffer or Corrie ten Boom. You could also compare it to the less violent issues of today; the issues of conforming to a capitalist, materialist, consumerist mindset. The movie does a really good job of showing the sharp contrast between the rich and the poor.

As you can tell, I would love to go into a classroom and analyze the crap out of this series, but unfortunately I’m not there yet. What’s more unfortunate are the hordes of teenagers who watch this movie (seriously, since when did teenagers become SO obsessive) and enjoy it for the sake of enjoying it. If I had kids I would not let them watch it without having a talk with them afterwards because it’s too easy to take it in as entertainment and leave it at that. I know that this is a lot of effort over a silly teen movie, but it’s movies like this that will begin to define the minds of kids, who then turn into adults—adults who have mindsets that, unbeknownst to them, are strikingly similar to the Capitol. Instead it can be a really great opportunity to point out issues in class, gender, and group mentality. 

But hey, I’m not a father and I don’t have kids who I can force to sit and talk with. Instead I just write blogs.

Movies to Look For

Now on to my most anticipated movies of 2012! I don’t think I’ve ever had more movies that I’m anticipating than I do for this year.

First, the ones that didn’t make my top ten:

• All those fairy tale knock-offs (Jack the Giant Killer, Mirror Mirror, Snow White and the Huntsman). I’m not too keen on any of them yet, but they always intrigue me. I will probably regret having these on here if they’re anything like Beauty or whatever that teen knockoff of Beauty and the Beast was called, but for the meantime I’m optimistic. I mean Julia Roberts is in Mirror, Mirror, so it can’t be TOO bad.  
• Lincoln (starring Joseph-Gordon Levitt and about Abe Lincoln. What’s not to love?)
• The Bourne Legacy and the latest Bond, Skyfall. I'll see them both, but I'm not getting overly excited about them. I stayed in line for four hours to see Quantum of Solace on opening night and was thoroughly disappointed.
• The Lorax (I love the concept and I support it, but the trailer really doesn’t look too promising. I have every intention of seeing it, but I’m too nervous to be excited.)

Now, on to the real stuff.

10. Brave – Pixar has been promo-ing this one for a really long time (I’m pretty sure I saw an ad for it well over a year ago). If it’s anything like anything else that Pixar has made, I’m 98% sure I will love it.

9. The Amazing Spiderman – Meh, I’m not a die-hard but I’m still a sucker for a good super hero movie, therefore I am the perfect demographic for a revamped Spiderman. Plus—and this is a massive, giant, overwhelming plus—Emma Stone is going to be the new Mary Jane. Eh? AmIright?

8. Les Miserables – I’ll be honest, I’m excited about this one purely because of outside influences; I have not actually read Les Mis. BUT, in my defense, I am a hardcore musical supporter and an advocate of literary classics. Also, this gives me a good excuse to buckle down and finally plow through it. Fingers crossed that I finish before the movie comes out. Negatives: It’s featuring Amanda Seyfried, Anne Hathaway, and Sacha Baron Cohen. I really am not a fan AT ALL of any of them. Positives: It’s also featuring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Helena Bonham Carter. I am a HUGE fan of all of them. Should be interesting.

7. Perks of Being a Wallflower – Another book to film adaptation. I really enjoyed the book so I’m curious to see how the movie turns out. It could turn out to be really teeny-bopper, but I’m still pumped. That and—and this is a really big ‘and’—Emma Watson is Sam. Eh? AmIright? (I’m the classiest, I know.)

6. The Great Gatsby – Bam, based on a literary classic that I’ve read and loved, 200 points. Bam, it’s directed by Baz Luhrmann, the same guy who did Moulin Rouge and Romeo and Juliet AND Australia, 400 points. Bam, it’s starring Leonard DiCaprio, the same guy who did EVERY GOOD MOVIE EVER, 800 points. I can almost absolutely guarantee this will be up for nominations in 2012.

5. The Hunger Games – Read ‘em. Loved ‘em. Lookin’ forward to the movies. It’s Truman Show meets Gladiator meets Survivor meets Twilight. Don’t worry though, by Twilight I just mean the love triangle and the teen demographic. That being said, it will attract the same crowd as Twilight which will inevitably lead to the rest of the world hating on it. But I believe that Jennifer Lawrence will get us through the screaming tweens. (I mean, she just came off of Winter’s Bone; she obviously has a lot of talent).

4. The Avengers – I’m pretty sure that in the history of movies, no movie has been lead up to this much (not counting movies in a series). The Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Captain America have all referenced it, building up to one great superhero love fest. Plus, let me throw down some names. Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Cobie Smulders (from HIMYM), Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evans and they’re even bringing back Lou Ferrigno as the voice of the Hulk. This much anticipation could make it really suck (that and they’re using Loki, the bad guy from Thor, as the ultimate bad guy whom personally, I thought was the weakest bad guy of them all), but regardless, I still giggle like a school through the trailer. I’M SO EXCITED!

3. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – I really don’t need to talk about this one. You know what it is and you’re excited too. Let’s all just cross our fingers for Peter Jackson and hope he can pull a fourth masterpiece out of that brilliant directorial mind of his. No one in the world wants this movie to do poorly.

2. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - This really isn’t my number 2 choice. It’s my number 100^th. Because I’m not excited about it at all. I’m not excited that it’s based off my favourite novel of all time. I’m not excited that it’s featuring Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, two Hollywood powerhouses. I’m not excited that they pulled out a nobody for the main character instead of trying to force it on that August Rush kid or something. I'm not excited its nominated for Best Picture. I’m definitely not excited that it’s directed by Stephen Daldry, a guy who has been nominated for an Oscar for every movie he’s directed. And I’m DEFINITELY not excited that the screenplay was influenced by Jonathan Safran Foer himself, and written by Eric Roth, who also did Benjamin Button, Forrest Gump, and Munich. Nope, I’m not excited because if I get excited, I will expect something from it, and there’s no way it will be able to meet my absurdly high expectations. So, for the sake of saving this movie in my mind, I think it’s going to completely and utterly suck.

1. The Dark Knight Rises – Yeah, you all saw it coming. This is one that I am absolutely letting my imagination get carried away on. The Dark Knight had me grasping for words (I invented “epicocity” immediately after watching it—as in, ‘the level of epicocity in that movie was off the charts’) and Christopher Nolan has proved to me that I can trust him. I don’t care what anyone says, this movie will be epic (and I mean that in the non-overused sense of the term). Nolan will not crack under pressure. Anne Hathaway will not drop the ball. Christian Bale will improve his stupid Batman accent. And the RIDICULOUSly stacked cast (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotlillard, Michael Cain) will pull a Love Actually not a Valentine’s Day, if you know what I mean. It will be the Return of the King of the Batman Trilogy.

So there you have it. Let’s hope 2012 is everything I’m expecting it to be :)

My Best Movies of 2011

I lost my file that had all my blog post ideas and countless blog posts that I'd started.

To me, losing a file is like losing a small child. A really really small child. Like a child that's thin enough to be 2D and can fit on my desktop.

It takes me longer than it should to recover from losing a file. Like, if I am playing a video game and the file doesn't save after working on it for an hour or two, that's it. I'm done. I quit the game and stop playing it entirely. It's bad enough that I'm spending my time doing something that's entirely unproductive, but it's a billion times worse when I have to spend time doing non-productive things that I've already done. The lack of productivity multiplies itself in an exponential fashion and results in a complete implosion of unproductive regression. It's not pretty.

It got to the point where if ever I would want to stop playing a video game I would just intentionally not save a game, even after like 10 minutes of game play, and I would not return to it.

I think this is also what sparked my terrible email response time. One time I wrote a huge, heartfelt email and the whole thing deleted right before I sent it. We've all been there. That realization that you've lost all of your heart-infused work makes you want to curl up in a corner and never got near technology again. It took me four months before I re-wrote that email because it was so hard to come to terms with all of those lost words. This is why I now save as much as I blink and write all of my emails out on Word before sending them.

So, that is all to say, I lost my file and that's what sparked a month of not blogging. Let's move on.

Tomorrow's the 24th and we all know what that means!! It's the day we've had marked on our calendars all year!! Why? The Academy Award nominations come out tomorrow!! How excited are WE!?! But before we celebrate all those movies that other people tell us we're supposed to celebrate, I gave myself two tasks: 1) To name my top ten from 2011 and 2) To name the movies I'm most excited for next year.

For my list of Memorable Movies of 2011, I'm cheating a little because a lot of the movies I saw in 2011 weren't necessarily released in 2011, but I made a list and I'm going to share it with you regardless.

10. Citizen Kane – I finally got around to watching what a lot of people say is the best movie ever made and, shock and amazement, it was actually pretty good. At first I didn’t entirely get it, but once I read a lot more about it I began to understand why it was so amazing for its time. A lot of the things that made it huge have been insanely overused since then, making it seem less impressive. But once you realize that this was the pioneer for a lot of those things, you can’t help but applaud.

9. Rabbit Hole – A lot of these movies are on here because they made me think after the movie was finished. This is one of those. It’s really haunting and not optimistic in really any way. But it’s good. Really good.

8. A Serious Man – Oh, Coen brothers, I have a man crush on your brains. This movie ended and I said “What the heck??” and then I read up all about it and then I said, “WHAT THE HECK??” I like a movie that makes me say what the heck. Also, I was really proud that my Jewish class had prepared me for a lot of the dialogue. Go Goldie Morgentaler!

7.It’s Kind of a Funny Story – This movie gets props for re-watchability. It’s based off of a great novel, and it’s simple, easy, and nice. Not mind-blowing, not revolutionary, but fun.

6. The Tree of Life – Another one that made me think of it after the fact. Perhaps it was because I watched it alone, but all I wanted to do for a month after was find someone to talk about it with. It still intrigues me and I applaud the originality. It stuck with me and therefore I liked it. Teaser: the first half-hour is basically pictures of the Earth. So, there's that. Also, there's a dinosaur.

5. No Impact Man – This one’s a documentary. It’s not the best documentary ever I’m sure, but I found it really interesting and the content exciting. I love the idea of challenges and I feel like I can relate to a man who would put his family through some ridiculous experiment for the sake of his own experience. It’s pretty short and I would definitely recommend it to other people; it certainly got me thinking.

4. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World – I feel like I would never recommend this to anyone for fear of immediate judgment, but I really really loved this movie. It’s so ridiculously clever and creative and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. If you haven’t seen it yet, you probably won’t like it, because anyone who would want to see it knew exactly when it came out.

3. Limitless – I don’t know if it was because it was about an author, or because it gets me really excited to be productive, or because just watching the one scene where the camera “falls” off the edge of the building gave me butterflies, but this was another of my favourites. I could have done without all of the gore at the end, but I still enjoyed it enough to re-watch it more than once.

2. 50/50 – Oh boy. I watched this movie by myself, in my room, on my floor. I had just been biking so I had taken off my shirt and was just wearing shorts (yes, this pertains, don’t worry). As the movie progressed, I began bawling my eyes out. The closest thing within my grasp was my backpack, so naturally I grabbed it and clung to it as I collapsed in my puddle of tears.

I tell you this because if ever there is a time when I become too proud, or where you’re angry at me for something you deserve to be angry about, or if you are jealous of me in any way, shape or form, I need you to conjure up this image. I need you to think of me, lying on my floor, wearing nothing but shorts, cradling my backpack, rocking back and forth, and bawling my eyes out like a newborn baby (like fresh-out-of-the-womb baby—it adds to the grotesqueness), like a sobbing, sweaty, leaking, snotty ball of mess. There, now we’re even.

Sooo, yeah, it’s a good movie. Check it out. You’ve been warned.

1. Synedoche, New York! – All right, so I know this is kind of anticlimactic, but this one does come with a disclaimer. I saw this movie at the VERY beginning of 2011 and to be entirely honest, I really don’t remember it that much. I just remember being completely blown away by it. The parts I do remember were brilliant and I’ve been intentionally forgetting it so I can watch it again and be blown away again. I’m 82% sure that I would recommend it to anyone, but let me watch it again before I fully confirm that.

Also, as a side note I should probably put a disclaimer on all of these movies by saying that they’re not all squeaky clean. Let your own standards be a stronger guide than my opinion.

So here’s to 2011! I know a lot of the movies that are going to be nominated aren’t on that list, so I’m looking forward to making a whole new list tomorrow. AREN’T LISTS THE GREATEST!? I'll save my top ten anticipated movies for tomorrow.

Also, a bit of housekeeping. I cleaned up a couple things on the site and updated my life list. I also added a search feature so you can scan through everything I've written (which is scary, considering I've had this blog since 2007), and I added a feature where you can add yourself to an email list if you want to be notified whenever I post. I'm not that narcissistic; it's mostly for my anti-Facebook father. Enjoy!

The All Right Story of a Network of Black King Fighters with Grit who hit each others' Bones for 127 Hours. Inception.

Sorry for the lack of posts, I've been working on something really big (impending music here). But there is nothing like a last minute deadline to get me to post. In previous posts I have mentioned how intrigued I am with movie awards this year. The king of em all, the Osars, are tonight and I’m kind of excited. Over the last three weeks I have seen every movie nominated for best picture, actor, actress, and supporting (except for Biutiful. I ran out of time. Plus it’s a horror, apparently). So below are my thoughts on them all. My thoughts have shifted quite a bit since the Golden Globes, especially now that I've seen them all. These are not my predictions – my tests very rarely align with that of the academy’s – but here’s who I think deserves the win.

Actor in a Leading Role: Colin Firth “King’s Speech” with James Franco at a very, very close second.

Actor in Supporting: Geoffrey Rush “King’s Speech” with Christian Bale as a close second.

Actress in a Leading Role: Jennifer Lawrence “Winter’s Bone” with Nicole Kidman for “Rabbit Hole” in second and Natalie Portman in third for “Black Swan”

Actress in a Supporting Role: Melissa Leo “The Fighter” with Haliee Steinfeld from “True Grit” in second. Steinfeld and Lawrence are both quite young and amazing for their ages.

Animated Feature: “How to Train Your Dragon”

Art Direction: Inception. For production and set design, they completely deserve it.

Cinematography: “The King’s Speech”

Costume Design: “Alice in Wonderland”

Directing: “Black Swan” with “King’s Speech” a close second and “True Grit” in third

Documentary: “Exit through the Gift Shop”

Original Score: Inception – Hans Zimmer. Should Hans Zimmer’s brilliance really ever be questioned? “127 Hours” gets a very close second and “The Social Network” a very, very dead last. I listened to the whole thing last night to make sure I wasn’t crazy and nope, still terrible.

Original Song: Honestly, no real standouts. “If I Rise” from “127 Hours” probably gets it.

Writing Adapted Screenplay: “True Grit” hands down

Writing Original Screenplay: “The King’s Speech”

Best Picture: Here’s the biggie. In order from worst to best, here’s where I stand.

10. The Kids are all Right

9. Toy Story 3

8. The Social Network

7. The Fighter

6. True Grit

5. 127 Hours

4. Winter’s Bone

3. Inception

2. The King's Speech

1. The Black Swan

WHAT! Inception didn’t get first?! What’s that?! Maybe it’s the fact that I haven’t seen it for a while, or maybe it’s because I know that it’s not going to win, but for some reason I just can’t put it at the top. A friend pointed out that Inception was phenomenal entertainment-wise, but maybe not the best from an award standpoint. It was also hard putting Black Swan in first given my somewhat brutal review of it. But at the same time, conceptually it was my favourite. It had the longest impact and the strongest message to me, I just wish that it had been cleaner. Honestly, any of my top 5 could win best picture and I would not be disappointed (Note: Social Network is NOT in the top 5), they were all pretty exceptional.

There, now I can breath easy. Well that is until I start crying tonight after Social Network dominates and I go to sleep a sad man. Regardless, this year in movies has sparked a new passion in me and I am currently on the lookout to devour any and all quality films. Any suggestions that weren’t on this list/from this year?

The 68th Annual Golden Globes!!!

All right ladies and gentlemen, movie buffs and movie buffettes, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for!! The Golden Globes are tonight!! I know you’ve all been sitting in eager anticipation, preparing your living room for hours of unimaginable entertainment and suspense!! Pop that popcorn!! Stir that Ice Tea!! It’s time for the red carpet!!!!

I get it. Nobody really cares about award shows. And to be honest, I don’t even care about them enough to actually watch them, I’m just going to get the results tomorrow morning. I’ve wasted way too many hours of my life listening to the Lifetime Achievement award about someone who did something back when my grandparents were courting. But I still appreciate them, for the mere fact that they bring immortality to a lot of movies. I am one of those people who uses Best Picture lists to choose what movie to watch next. I judge an entire year based on the movies that were picked out as “the best”, so I want the movies representing 2010 to be deserving of that title. Perhaps it’s a little melodramatic, but, meh, I’ve got nothing else to do on a Sunday evening (oh wait, except read 200 pages from Ulysses. SHoooot.)

So, as referenced multiple times in the last couple of posts, I had intended to see Inception one last time before the awards but unfortunately, it was just not meant to be. I tried to hide my views and appear impartial so as not to seem biased when comparing other nominees in the Best Picture category, but I am glaringly aware that I failed massively. I love love love Inception, and I want the world to know. Instead of a huge long review, here are 6 solid reasons why I can’t get enough of it (and why you should watch it, if by some freak chance you haven’t.)

1. Juno, Tom, and Jack. Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Leonardo DiCaprio are all extraordinary actors and this movie is no exception.
2. The soundtrack. The soundtrack. The soundtrack! Hans Zimmer is brilliant and this movie will definitely go down as one of my favourite soundtracks. If you’ve seen the movie and haven’t figured out why the music is awesome, check out this link. Blasting this soundtrack in my car automatically makes me feel like everyone on the road is out to get me – and I love it!! It’s powerful, dramatic, inspirational, and brilliant. LOVE it!
3. Originality. I realize that the plotline isn’t 100% original, but in this day and age it definitely comes close…er. This movie strives to go to new places and it doesn’t disappoint. Considering three of the five movies in the Best Picture category are biographies, Inception definitely gets points for being unique.
4. It doesn't need to be sexy. The closest thing it comes to any form of sexuality is a brief and comical kiss. It still has a PG-13 rating for it's violence (though, is it really violence, because if you get shot in the dream world, does it happen in real life? OH MY! brain ninja), but I appreciated that it didn't go over the top for the sake of going over the top.
5. Brain Ninja. This is the very official term for the effect that occurs after the last scene ends and the credits start rolling and you are sitting there in hopeless desperation, contemplating reality, unsure of what you’re supposed to do next. Does it even matter anymore? Were you even watching a movie? Do you even EXIST? These are wonderful feelings, matched in greatness only by love.
6. Freaking Amazingness. Again, a very official term that I deem appropriate for the sake of describing this movie. It has humour, it has thrills, it has action, it has drama. I watched this movie three times in theatre (don’t worry, I didn’t pay every time) and I don't regret it at all. Like I said previously, I giggled through the entire movie the first time out of pure joy, and then just waited in anticipation for the inevitable groan from the audience at the end of the movie the second and third time. 

So there you have it. Again, not very official, but I needed to make my love for Inception public (in fact, as soon as I finish this blog I’ll even go make it Facebook official).

Below are my official thoughts on what is going to go down tonight at the Golden Globes. I tried my absolute best to be as informed as I could on the nominees but there were some categories that I missed out entirely, so I just didn’t include them. I really regret not being able to see 127 Hours because I heard it was amazing but, oh well. Maybe I’ll catch in time for the duh duh duh duuuh: 83^rd ACADEMY AWARDS!! Just kidding, I’m kind of tired of award shows now and I can’t see my opinions changing that drastically, but who knows? Maybe I’ll have run out of new blog post ideas by then. Stay tuned for exciting drama!!!

Michael’s Very Informed, Perfectly Opinionated, 100% Accurate Guide to the 68^th Annual Golden Globe Awards!!!!

Best Motion Picture – Drama

Should win: Inception

Will win: The King’s Speech

(This is the big one and honestly there’s some tough competition. Black Swan has a high chance of winning due to its massive theatrics and sensuality, but I think The King’s Speech will win out for its purity and amazing acting. I always think the movie I choose is the underdog so that way I’m that much happier if it wins.)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Should win: Colin Firth – King’s Speech

Will win: Colin Firth – King’s Speech

(I think this one is pretty much a shoe-in. Unless James Franco’s acting in 127 Hours is mind-blowing, Colin Firth wins this one by a landslide.)

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical:

Should win: Burlesque

Will win: Burlesque

(I commented previously on this category and I’m still just as impartial. I am opinionated because I know which ones shouldn’t win, so that left Red and Burlesque. I haven’t seen either but I know that I, along with most movie critics, generally favour musicals (it's just hard to resist someone singing show-tunes). Either way there are just WAY too many Cher lovers out there so it will probably win.)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical:

Should win: Emma Stone – Easy A

Will win: Julianne Moore – The Kids are All Right

(This is kind of the same as the last category. I just don’t want The Kids are All Right to win, though I’m fairly confident they will. That and, I’m not going to lie, I have a bit of a moviestar crush on Emma Stone. Easy A was hilarious and while it was more focused towards a teen demographic, I think it was clever and deserves some respect. Plus, the whole movie is a massive allusion to an old English text, what's not to love.)

Best Animated Feature Film:

Should win: How to Train Your Dragon

Will win: Toy Story 3

(So I know that I’ll probably gain some enemies by saying that I don’t want Toy Story 3 to win, especially considering the chances of it losing are the same as the chances of my father voting for Sarah Palin in the next election. But, I hate to say it, I just really didn’t enjoy this movie. It was good and reminiscent during its sentimental moments, but it was terrifying and absurd for the rest of it. I have to go with my gut, and my gut says Dragons.)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Should win: Melissa Leo – The Fighter

Will win: Melissa Leo – The Fighter

(While this movie didn’t particularly blow my mind, Melissa Leo was pretty incredible at being a crazy mother. She scared me, ergo, she wins.)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Should win: Geoffrey Rush – The King’s Speech

Will win: Christian Bale – The Fighter

(Geoffrey Rush’s character was lovable, confident, and risk-taking, and all of these characteristics were portrayed perfectly. That being said, movie critics tend to favour drug-induced characters and Christian Bale will probably snag it.)

Best Director – Motion Picture

Should win: Christopher Nolan – Inception

Will win: David Seidler – The King’s Speech

(I have a mancrush on Christopher Nolan. The man has directed Dark Knight, Prestige, Memento, and Inception. Every single one of those movies place in my top favourites, therefore the man deserves some credit.)

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Should win: David Seidler – The King’s Speech

Will win: David Seidler – The King’s Speech

(It is deserved.)

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

Should win: Inception

Will win: Inception

(At least I’m really really hoping so. This soundtrack is phenomenal and I would be very sad if it is not given the recognition it deserves.)

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

Should win: “There’s a Place for Us” – Carrie Underwood – Chronicles of Narnia

Will win: “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” – Burlesque

(I have not actually seen any of the movies on this list but I listened to the songs independently from the film on Youtube. In my opinion, Carrie Underwood has the better song, plus I have a subconscious need to support Chronicles of Narnia as a Christian... weird. That and, like I said, there are way too many Cher fans out there. She still sounds like a man, 90 years later.)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Should win: Hugh Laurie – House

Will win: Jon Hamm – Mad Men

(I don’t really think House has a fighting chance in this category, but I will always be a fan of Hugh Laurie. Regardless of how typical House’s plot line gets, all it takes is for me to watch a couple of interviews of Hugh Laurie in real life and I am re-blown away all over again. The man has a British accent for crying out loud!! On the other hand, Mad Men wins everything.)

Best Television Series – Comedy Musical

Should win: Glee

Will win: Glee

(I am still on the fence about my attraction to this show. I may not agree with it entirely, but I can’t deny that it has become a massive success in only one season. If 30 Rock takes this award, I give up.)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical

Should win: Steve Carell – The Office

Will win: Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock

(Poor Steve Carell. Every year I cheer for him in support of my favourite show on TV and every year I get disappointed. He won’t win this award, but I still believe in him. Did you hear that Stevey? I STILL BELIEVE IN YOU!!

… stupid 30 Rock.)

Done and done. With only 90 minutes until the beginning of the awards, my tally is finally in. I have probably dedicated way too much time on this but, hey, somebody's got to do it. Where would the world be without millions of entirely uninfluential bloggers voicing their completely futile opinions for the whole of the internet world? Amiright!

Good night, and good luck.

More Nominees

Alright so I decided I'm not a huge fan of writing movie reviews. I get overwhelmed at how pretentious I feel writing things like “excellent cinematography and phenomenal directing”. It’s not that those are pretentious things to say in-and-of themselves, and I respect people who can say things like that over and over and still sound original, but I don’t think I’m one of those people. So instead of writing individual blog posts for all of the golden globe movies, I’m just going to write my thoughts on them.

The Fighter

This movie was definitely not what I was expecting. It was super weird to see Batman playing a scrawny, crack-addicted ex-boxer, but man did he ever do a good job. There were some sweet shots in this movie and definitely great acting (mostly between Christian Bale and the main character’s mother). I have to give massive respect to the amount of obvious training that both Bale and Wahlberg put into their roles. After the movie all I wanted to do was fight, which (I think) was the sign of a really great movie. I found the ending a tiny bit anti-climactic (mostly because I don’t understand the rules of boxing and so I wasn’t aware that the fight was over, oops) but other than that I was thoroughly entertained the whole time. Was it a really great movie? Yes. Was it the best movie of the year? No.

Social Network

Hmm, I’m not gonna lie, I have my doubts on this one. When I first saw the previews for it I assumed that it was going to be a complete publicity thing and will get massive revenue because of its subject. I was right, but the fact that it got award nods and whole bunch of amazing reviews made me think that it was more than what I’d originally assumed. I don’t think I was entirely right, but I definitely wasn’t entirely wrong. The movie was entertaining but my main problem was with these two trivia quotes:

“In October 2010, the real Sean Parker told Vanity Fair that he actually once met Justin Timberlake and that Timberlake wanted to get to know him better for his preparation for his role in this movie. Parker then replied getting to know the real Sean Parker wouldn't help Timberlake at all, because the Parker from Aaron Sorkin's script has little to do with the real person.”

"Mark Zuckerberg originally planned never to see the movie. He ended up taking several of his employees to see it. He later remarked that, despite some of the film's inaccuracies, they got his clothing right.”

Regardless of how well the movie was done or acted, the purpose of this film was still meant to portray the beginning of Facebook, and from a bunch of articles I’ve read, that really doesn’t seem to be the case at all. It’s scary that now hundreds of thousands of people have an impression of a real-life company and real-life people that seems to be entirely inaccurate. I would hate to be any of characters of the movie after this. For that reason, I am not a fan of this movie.

The King’s Speech

Darn expectations. I went into this movie with way too large of expectations since I had heard rumours that audiences were applauding at the end of the film. Unfortunately it did not meet my ridiculously high expectations, but it did come pretty darn close. It was brilliantly, brilliantly acted and I hope Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush both win their respective awards for it.

This was not a complicated movie. The plot is straightforward and the synopsis tells you pretty much everything you need to know about the action. The focus is definitely on the characters and it does a great job making them relatable and human. It had some really enjoyable, artistic camera angles and I’m not one to notice things like this normally, as studying film is not my passion. It also had some sweet shots that allowed you to feel what the characters were feeling, which was unique and not something you would expect in a biographical movie like this.

I laughed my head off at some of the scenes and was truly moved by others. I’ve been close friends with a couple of people with stutters and the movie did a great job of portraying the feelings that accompanied those interactions. I obviously can’t say what it felt like to watch this film while having this impediment, but for me it was really eye-opening to the struggle it brings. The music was great, the acting was phenomenal, the cinematography was amazing, all around it was just excellent excellent excellent.

This movie also stands as an example of our failed movie rating system. How did this movie and Black Swan get the same rating of “R”?? Surely there can be a better classification and separation between movies that deserve it and movies that don’t. Lame.

And I still want to watch it again before I rate Inception. Hopefully I’ll get a chance before the awards ceremony this Sunday.

Black Swan

(This is not what I want to blog about today. I want to blog about the ridiculousness of which is my culture and the atrocities of my government because that's what I can't stop reading about, but right now I am trying to be a good citizen of the world and go to bed at a decent hour, because that's apparently what good citizens do. Since New Years I have not gone to bed before 6 am, partially due to a messed up sleep schedule, partially due to the fact that I love night time so incredibly much. There is not enough time in the day to account for all the reading and writing I want to do, along with the hours of procrastination it takes me to get to all that reading and writing. Oh well. So here's a pre-promised post for the sake of making up for the day I missed.)

So in of my previous post I talked about the Golden Globe nominations. As of tonight I have finally seen all the movies on the nominee list and am finally coming to a conclusion about them. I saw Inception in theatres a while ago, so I’d like to watch it again before I talk about it so I thought I'd review Black Swan first.

So where to begin? The only way to describe this movie is to say it is intense. It’s an incredibly overused word, one that I’m guilty of butchering, but it is really the most descriptive adjective for this review. You see, I am not a horror guy. I don’t do horrors. The closest I have come to watching a horror was when I watched Seed of Chucky and spent 35% of it in the bathroom pretending I wasn’t feeling well. That's a long time to sit bored in a bathroom! Or the time I “watched” House of Wax, where I spent 15% of the movie with my eyes open, 25% with my eyes closed or using the whole hands-as-blinds technique, and 60% of the time consoling the girls as they ran out of the room. Call it childhood sensitivity, call it considerate chivalry, either way I don’t do horrors.

On the other hand, I DO do thrillers. I will take a mindgame movie over any other genre pretty much any day. I love intellectual thrillers and having my mind toyed with (hence my unintentional minor in Psychology). Just ask the guy I saw Inception with: I giggled like a schoolgirl throughout the entire movie because I loved it so much (sorry about that man). So a movie that includes mind games, phenomenal music, good actors, and dance? I’m in. I wanted to go see this movie because I like being made uncomfortable; I have always found that the most impacting movies are the ones that don’t allow you to sit back in your seat (Hotel Rwanda, Saving Private Ryan, Dead Man Walking, The Pianist, Life is Beautiful, Schindler’s List – I’m aware there are plenty more but those are some that I have seen). Unfortunately, this desire to be uneasy made me disregard the R rating far too quickly.

This movie was uncomfortable, edgy, and passionate; certainly the farthest you can get from a “feel good movie”. I don’t want to give you the whole synopsis because that’s an easy find on imbd.com, but basically it’s about a girl who gets so caught up in expectations and being perfect that it consumes her. A better way to explain this movie is to explain how I felt at the end. My body was sore from having every muscle clenched for almost 2 hours and my fingertips were all pruney from being doused in sweat. Who knew that was even possible? Like I said, I don’t do horrors, and this was a lot more like a horror than I realized going into it, but that wasn’t the only contributing factor.

Here are some things that made this movie interesting:

The soundtrack. A huge thing I listen for in a movie is a good soundtrack because I think it can make or break the movie. Amazing soundtracks accompany almost all of my favourite movies and this movie was no exception. I found out on imdb.com that the soundtrack, composed by Clint Mansell, is a variation on Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” ballet, but played backwards and in a distorted manner. I will always be a sucker for classical music that is redone and distorted especially to sound darker and more dramatic.

The acting. I’m not a huge fan of Natalie Portman. While “V for Vendetta” was a redeeming quality, two words: Star Wars. Now that acting monstrosity was not entirely her fault- I blame Hayden Christenson- but still, it doesn’t get much worse acting than that. She was great in this movie though. The real standouts for me were Barbara Hershey as the pushy mom living vicariously through her daughter and Vincent Cassel because, even though you hate his character, you can’t help but admit he was good at getting you to hate him.

The storyline. I went into this movie thinking that I had entirely planned out the twist just by watching the trailers. And while I wasn’t completely off, that wasn’t the point. A good movie doesn’t need to re-invent the wheel, it just needs to make that wheel look brilliant. In this movie they played to my weakness for Moulin Rouge and did the whole play within a play plotline. It was a lot less obvious and whole lot darker, but it was still intriguing to watch the typical plot of the ballet and the plot of the main character play out at the same time.

The aftereffect. This movie blew my mind enough that I didn’t move during the entire credits, I didn’t talk the whole drive home, and I am still thinking about it constantly despite the fact that I saw it a week ago.  Granted, I am aware that I am a particularly melodramatic person so these actions shouldn’t astound anyone who knows me well, but that doesn’t mean they should be ignored completely. A powerful movie shouldn’t end the minute the credits start rolling, and this one certainly didn’t.

The message. While there were plenty of theatrics and incredibly tense moments, the message of the movie cannot be lost. It speaks of a girl who is surrounded by a lot of pressure to do better and a lot of self-critiquing that is obviously unhealthy. The dangers of striving for perfection is a universal message and one that I think way too many people can relate to. The movie is built on themes such as bulimia, abuse, and self-mutilation, and presents them in a terrifying manner. I don’t think I have ever seen a more impacting portrayal of the effects that pressure can have on a person. It shows the pain of being your own worst critic and being unable to find joy in yourself. It is hard to find time to feel sorrow in such a tense movie, but it really is heartbreaking once you consider how relevant these issues are.

So, so far, raging reviews, right? Unfortunately, it can’t stay that way. As much as this movie impacted me, I can’t recommend it to other people for one very simple and sad reason: sex. This movie is passionate and unfortunately it capitalizes on the intensity of sensuality to make it more dramatic. I did not read a whole lot of reviews before going to see it because I did not want anything to be spoiled (my curiosity combined with Roger Ebert/IMDB is not conducive to hiding movie secrets). Unfortunately that came back to bite me as I found myself on the verge of walking out multiple times. Maybe it was pride, maybe it was curiosity, maybe it was because my muscles were already cramped from clenching, but either way, I didn’t. This movie pushed boundaries because it knew that it could get away with it, and I really wish that that hadn’t been the case. It’s disheartening because it will probably get better reviews because of this fact, but it ruined the movie for me.

Five paragraphs of positivity and one paragraph of negativity reflects how I feel about this movie, but unfortunately that one negativity is WAY too big to ignore. Some movies have scenes you can easily skip through and you won’t miss a lot, but sexuality is embedded in a lot of this film. The scenes are rarely even necessary to the plotline which makes them that much more distasteful. They all add to the general feeling of discomfort that the movie presents, but the end result was just not worth it.

There’s huge potential this movie will do well at the awards but I just can’t support it. I've been trying for the last 20 minutes to post a link to the original version of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Finale to help you get a taste of what the movie is like (if you have a creative enough imagination), but for some reason blogger and youtube don't want to cooperate. Either way, go check it out if you have the time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkn8nJv9JbM&feature=related

Movies! Movies! Movies!

So as previously mentioned I love lists and one of those lists includes the nominations for any type of award show. I read the nominations for pretty much any award ceremony (yay to House for getting three wins at the People’s Choice awards yesterday!). One of the award ceremonies I focus on a lot is the Golden Globes. Grammys make me sad because they are really just a reflection of album sales, I gave up on the Emmys after 30 Rock started winning everything, and don’t even get me started on the MTV music awards. The Academy Awards are still good in my books, but their nominations for 2010 aren’t out until the 25^th, so I can’t include them in this. So Golden Globes here we come.

Along with lists, I have a massive fascination with movies. There was a point where I was trying to watch a movie a night for about two months, and, while not the healthiest, I definitely learnt a lot. I believe film is the most powerful form of media to promote ideas, desires, and possibly even change. Movies can create awareness and propose concepts that most people aren’t aware of, and they do it in a form that pretty much everyone loves (have you ever met anyone who hates movies?). I am constantly reconsidering and changing my Top Ten Favourite Movies List and have to separate it into different categories to feel completely at ease with it. This is a potentially sad fact about me, but I cling to it regardless. I’m sure there’s a blog post there somewhere about my need to define and organize, but I won’t get into that today.

So put my love of movies and lists together and you have the nominations for the 2011 Golden Globes Best Picture - Drama: Inception, The Social Network, The Fighter, Black Swan, The King’s Speech. I would include the Best Picture nominations for Best Comedy/Musical into the debate because I tend to enjoy this category, but this year it’s kind of a throw away so I’m not really invested in the outcome. The nominees for that are: Red, Burlesque, Alice in Wonderland, The Kids are All Right, and The Tourist. I have only seen three of the films on the list, two of which I didn’t particularly care for (Alice in Wonderland, The Tourist) and one of which I turned off (The Kids are All Right). I’ve heard good things about the other two, but I’m not overwhelmed with the desire to see them.

So, we return to Best Drama. I have every intention of seeing every film on this list and only have two to go. I will try to review them after I see them, but my skills as a reviewer are quite unpracticed. Just as a hint of what my taste is like, some dramas that made it into my favourites list include A Beautiful Mind, Braveheart, Dead Poets Society, Fight Club, Into the Wild, Life is Beautiful, and The Prestige. There are more obviously, but that’s what I’ve got for now.

I’m not normally as invested into the list of nominees as much as I have been this year, but I think it’s a combination of the fact that they are all getting amazing reviews and that they are all coming out at pretty much the same time (Black Swan, Fighter, and King’s Speech to theatre, Inception and Social Network to DVD). Exciting stuff.

Any thoughts on the movies mentioned or other great movies of the year?

A excerpt from one of my favourite scenes from one of my favourite movies. Plus you got to dig the accents: