I made a point to go into this film and bypassing all critical interpretations. I didn't want to be drawn to its flaws, susceptible to any hype, or biased in any other way. I feel that's the best way to watch movies, especially those that you know you are going to watch and most likely enjoy no matter what you read. However, I didn't go in completely unbiased, I happen to be a huge fan of Christopher Nolan's films (Dark Knight, The Prestige, Memento) and also a fan of DiCaprio and Ellen Page. I also glimpsed a 4.5 star rating in a local newspaper, but anyway, back to the movie. Without giving too much away or confusing myself or anyone else involved, Inception is a movie about extraditing and at times planting information from and into individuals through dreams which extreme lifelike appearance allowing a deceptive maze of opportunity to derive someone of anything from their vault's code to...well, anything. DiCaprio stars as the troubled master thief of this new method of crime which began as a program set to train and allow military's to experience the very horrors of war without the dying part, pretty good deal really. However, the drawback, there always is one, is that too much dream delving can leave one uncertain of what is in fact reality, along with a couple other drawbacks discussed and shown in the movie. All in all, its a wonderful work of creative effort on Nolan's part in this banal movie age, and he manages to make this movie, somewhat to my surprise, without his usual non-chronologically time-bending flashes through the future and past. To be finished later...as if you were reading this anyway.
Most people greet the Academy Awards with none of the festivities or hype that such televised events as the Super Bowl and even the Grammy’s receive. People dismiss the Academy as a snobby lot of old critics who notoriously omit the “best” movies of the year.
Well the annual snob-fest is back again this year, a little later than usual, planned for an evening of red carpet glamour and hopefully less laundry list speeches of “thank-you’s” on March 7. However, it appears the Academy has responded to public opinion by expanding the number of best picture nominations from 5 to 10 this year in order to reach a “wider” audience (no that does not mean you Santa Claus, or you Rosie O’ Donnell).
With the change, Oscar long-shots such as sci-fi District 9, Pixar film Up, and even that one cheesy football movie with Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side made the cut. This is great for the ratings and all, but what chance do these films have of winning? The answer is most likely none at all.
But wait; hold on, there is still hope for all you action blockbuster junkies. The Smurfs in Avatar not only landed a nomination, but, get this, are the favorites to take home the Best Picture of the year award. If that isn’t enough to earn a recording on your DVR, then there are still other reasons to watch; one is Steve Martin and two is Alec Baldwin, the two hosts this year.
Yes, Steve Martin takes some digging back in time to appreciate (don’t watch the Pink Panther movies, ever) and Alec is better known for being a complete jerk than being an actor, but together they just might be able to pull out a laugh or two. At the very least, we should see Alec have a screaming, suicide-threatening breakdown (if you’ve been keeping up with your celeb periodicals).
I had to put this near the end so as not to scare anyone away, but there are actually good movies on display this year that you probably have never even heard of. A little movie about a bomb squad in Iraq is widely believed to be the best movie to come out of the war yet. The Hurt Locker doesn’t have the box office power of Avatar (brought in 2% of the amount Avatar boasts), but it definitely has the feel of a movie which can win best picture, where Avatar has the feel of a movie that can fill up popcorn bowls.
To sum it up, the Academy Awards are worth a visit this year. Whether you are interested in wardrobe malfunctions, movie stars, or just those little golden man statues they hand out, there is something for (almost) everyone in the most prominent awards ceremony on television today.
Not due till next May, Iron Man 2 has graced itself on this week's Entertainment Weekly cover. But that's not what's so bloody interesting, what's interesting is who in behind Tony Stark: Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke. Johansson is not only incredibly beautiful, but also the fastest rising Hollywood megastar actress. Then there's the comeback villain, Mickey Rourke, who wrestled his way back into the limelight with his golden globe snatching performance in The Wrestler.
After the giddiness passes of having three of America's favorite stars in one hit blockbuster fades, you can't help but wonder what the hell they've done to their appearances. Rourke is in dreads, and Johansson is a red head with some freaky makeup going on. But then again maybe the studio decided for this bizarre look so that the audience wouldn't be too upset when our favorite comeback brother, Rourke, losses to the hothead Robert Downy Jr. And we won't get too angry when Gwenyth Paltrow snatches the girlfriend position away from the fantasy girl Johansson. You see, Hollywood is all to predictable.
But whatever happens, who thinks Iron Man 2 possibly has a chance of breaking Harry Potter's 22.2 million opening day? A Wednesday at that? Keep guessing, it seems all too far away.
