First of all, "The Kids" are JUST all right. If that.
This is one of those movies that came out of Sundance and seemed to have nothing but positive momentum behind it. Everyone was talking about it. How charming it is. How funny it is. How human and "real" it is. No one said a word about how completely average and disappointing it really is. No one told me that it would be an utter let down. So, let me be the first to tell all of you. This is not a great movie.
This movie does not deserve a third of the hype and praise it has received. The film does not deserve an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. If there is one picture in the field this year that highlights how far the ten Best Picture nominees stretches things, it is this movie. What is it doing there?! Also, Annette Bening does not deserve a nomination for Best Actress. I'm sorry, she doesn't. She's completely fine in the picture. She plays the highly-strung and tightly-wound Annette Bening-type. As she does in most pictures. Julianne Moore has the more profound experience on screen in this picture and, in my opinion, deserves the credit (if any) for carrying the film. For the record, Mark Ruffalo is fairly charming and does a nice job. I am not just saying that because he is from Wisconsin.
The film, as I'm sure most of you have heard, centers around a family and their pursuit of roots. Moore and Bening play a lesbian couple who have been happily married for more than twenty years. They play the couple sweetly as two people who have spent a long time together and who have, for the most part, accepted the other's faults. The film is quick to point out, however, that maybe Bening is getting a little annoyed by Moore's quirkiness and impulsiveness. Moore's character cannot seem to hold a job and is really searching for where she'll fit, especially with one of their two lovely children moving on to college soon.
The film starts wonderfully enough. It paints a portrait of this family as completely normal. There is no big deal made of the fact that these two intelligent, centered, perfectly normal kids were raised by two women. The couple is portrayed as healthy and happy. When the kids decide to reach out to their sperm donor dad (Ruffalo), he is portrayed as happy, successful, and normal. The first half hour of the movie is really pretty fun. I actually turned to my wife at the thirty minute mark and said "this is sort of cool. To see this type of family and their unique needs and situation played so straight is interesting. I hope they don't have some of the characters sleep together or one of the women develop a complex about whether they truly are a lesbian or something." No kidding. I said that OUT LOUD. You can guess where the rest of the movie goes from here.
For as many people that are heralding this movie as a triumph of gay-family values, I wonder how many have actually seen it. Yes this movie is about two lesbians who raised beautiful children. But it is also about one of those women having an affair with a man, for no real reason. It portrays her sexuality as a choice or something, that after twenty years in a happy, monogamous relationship, she suddenly questions. And plays that for "laughs," I suppose.
This movie just goes right off the rails and I wish it had stayed there. Buried deep in the "independent film" section of Netflix, languishing in anonymity. Instead, it has had fanfare heaped upon it. I recommend that you leave this one be and focus on one of the more deserving Best Picture nominees this year.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
The Field Narrows
Well, in the last two weeks we've seen a lot of movement. The Writer's, Producer's, and Director's Guilds all announced their nominees. The only real surprise was the absence of Toy Story 3 from the Writer's Guild awards and the presence of I Love You Phillip Morris. Without that change, the field continues to look as it did in late 2010 - dominated by The Social Network, The King's Speech, The Kids Are All Right, Black Swan, and Inception.
We also had the Broadcast Critic's Choice Awards and last night's 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards. With those, we saw that familiar list of nominees narrowed down to the short list of winners and front-runners for the season. Christian Bale, Colin Firth, Melissa Leo, and Natalie Portman are the actors to beat at this point. I'm not sure if any director other than David Fincher has picked up a statue of any kind this season. The Social Network continues to dominate in both Best Picture and Best Screenplay awards as well. Interestingly, these several awards are mixed throughout the studios in our league. No one studio has a lock on all of them.
Mike Palovcsik owns The Social Network for Best Picture. Jake Sarnowski and Rachel Stuhler own The Social Network for Director and Screenplay. Steve Hackbarth and Erin Dischler own Colin Firth and Melissa Leo. Natalie Portman belongs in Kritie Palovcsik's studio. This mix has kept the race close and lively. See below for the current standings. This week we'll see the BAFTA nominees and next week the Academy Award nominees will be announced. Look for another post that evening.
Name / Nominations / Wins / Total Points
Jen & Nate Dekker / 24 / 3 / 57
Erin D. & Steve H. / 19 / 6 / 56
Paul Hogseth / 20 / 5 / 55
Mike Palovcsik / 19 / 3 / 47
Danny & Ann Sarnowski / 16 / 0 / 32
Jake S. & Rachel S. / 10 / 4 / 32
Kristie Palovcsik / 12 / 2 / 30
Dave Sarnowski / 12 / 0 / 24
As you can see, it's pretty close at the top. Kristie, Jake & Rachel, and Mike could all expect to see some movement in the next few weeks as more winners are announced. Good luck to everyone!
Cheers,
Danny.
We also had the Broadcast Critic's Choice Awards and last night's 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards. With those, we saw that familiar list of nominees narrowed down to the short list of winners and front-runners for the season. Christian Bale, Colin Firth, Melissa Leo, and Natalie Portman are the actors to beat at this point. I'm not sure if any director other than David Fincher has picked up a statue of any kind this season. The Social Network continues to dominate in both Best Picture and Best Screenplay awards as well. Interestingly, these several awards are mixed throughout the studios in our league. No one studio has a lock on all of them.
Mike Palovcsik owns The Social Network for Best Picture. Jake Sarnowski and Rachel Stuhler own The Social Network for Director and Screenplay. Steve Hackbarth and Erin Dischler own Colin Firth and Melissa Leo. Natalie Portman belongs in Kritie Palovcsik's studio. This mix has kept the race close and lively. See below for the current standings. This week we'll see the BAFTA nominees and next week the Academy Award nominees will be announced. Look for another post that evening.
Name / Nominations / Wins / Total Points
Jen & Nate Dekker / 24 / 3 / 57
Erin D. & Steve H. / 19 / 6 / 56
Paul Hogseth / 20 / 5 / 55
Mike Palovcsik / 19 / 3 / 47
Danny & Ann Sarnowski / 16 / 0 / 32
Jake S. & Rachel S. / 10 / 4 / 32
Kristie Palovcsik / 12 / 2 / 30
Dave Sarnowski / 12 / 0 / 24
As you can see, it's pretty close at the top. Kristie, Jake & Rachel, and Mike could all expect to see some movement in the next few weeks as more winners are announced. Good luck to everyone!
Cheers,
Danny.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Film Review: Black Swan
Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan is his best picture yet.
A visionary, anarchistic director best known for his most muted film, The Wrestler, Aronofsky provides a thrilling, moving experience with Black Swan. The film, set in the world of ballet dancing, is dark, paranoid, and visually arresting. Almost all of the performances are sharp, with a lead role played vibrantly by Natalie Portman. This picture, which could have been doomed to the horror/thriller graveyard in less capable hands, seems like a lock for Best Actress and Best Director nominations this award season. And rightfully so.
This movie was one of the most enjoyable film-going experiences for me in a long time. I was surprised, moved, frightened, confused, and at all times interested in the story being laid out before me. Aronofsky has full command of his technical and artistic faculties with this movie. By contrast, his picture The Fountain is a beautiful failure - artistically interesting, but inert from story-telling standpoint. The Wrestler provided more fertile story-telling ground, but was dull and laboring to look at. With Black Swan, the director brings all of his considerable talents to bear and the product is engaging and daring. The paranoia mounts for Natalie Portman and for the audience leaving us all wondering what is going on and what will happen next.
Portman's performance is truly impressive. The ballet work and physical effort that the role required should put her in the league of other method heavyweights who have slaved to prepare for a role. Daniel Day-Lewis' efforts to prep for Gangs of New York come to mind as we marvel at the effort that Portman put into the performance. Beyond being technically competent and athletically pure, the acting by Natalie Portman is terrific. Her character changes throughout the film from a wilting flower of maternally-abused, frozen adolescence into a dangerous live wire ready to lash out to preserve her fantasy. She earns her several "Academy-ready" scenes and steals the show. Her supporting actors help anchor the piece, notably Mila Kunis and Barbara Hershey. They do a terrific job and keep the audience guessing about who the real crazy person must be. Vincent Cassel does little but sleaze around the screen, but that's what his part demands. He does it well and leaves the audience feeling dirty.
The movie takes the audience places. Not all of them are places we want to be. But with Aronofsky's guiding hand, the expert use of music, lighting, costumes, set design, and special effects, all supporting a terrific performance by Portman, Black Swan is a must-see picture. I'd strongly urge you to see it in a theater and enjoy a serious, intelligent movie for adults who enjoy movies.
A visionary, anarchistic director best known for his most muted film, The Wrestler, Aronofsky provides a thrilling, moving experience with Black Swan. The film, set in the world of ballet dancing, is dark, paranoid, and visually arresting. Almost all of the performances are sharp, with a lead role played vibrantly by Natalie Portman. This picture, which could have been doomed to the horror/thriller graveyard in less capable hands, seems like a lock for Best Actress and Best Director nominations this award season. And rightfully so.
This movie was one of the most enjoyable film-going experiences for me in a long time. I was surprised, moved, frightened, confused, and at all times interested in the story being laid out before me. Aronofsky has full command of his technical and artistic faculties with this movie. By contrast, his picture The Fountain is a beautiful failure - artistically interesting, but inert from story-telling standpoint. The Wrestler provided more fertile story-telling ground, but was dull and laboring to look at. With Black Swan, the director brings all of his considerable talents to bear and the product is engaging and daring. The paranoia mounts for Natalie Portman and for the audience leaving us all wondering what is going on and what will happen next.
Portman's performance is truly impressive. The ballet work and physical effort that the role required should put her in the league of other method heavyweights who have slaved to prepare for a role. Daniel Day-Lewis' efforts to prep for Gangs of New York come to mind as we marvel at the effort that Portman put into the performance. Beyond being technically competent and athletically pure, the acting by Natalie Portman is terrific. Her character changes throughout the film from a wilting flower of maternally-abused, frozen adolescence into a dangerous live wire ready to lash out to preserve her fantasy. She earns her several "Academy-ready" scenes and steals the show. Her supporting actors help anchor the piece, notably Mila Kunis and Barbara Hershey. They do a terrific job and keep the audience guessing about who the real crazy person must be. Vincent Cassel does little but sleaze around the screen, but that's what his part demands. He does it well and leaves the audience feeling dirty.
The movie takes the audience places. Not all of them are places we want to be. But with Aronofsky's guiding hand, the expert use of music, lighting, costumes, set design, and special effects, all supporting a terrific performance by Portman, Black Swan is a must-see picture. I'd strongly urge you to see it in a theater and enjoy a serious, intelligent movie for adults who enjoy movies.
It's About Time!
I cannot believe how poorly I have been at updating this so far this season! I apologize for being a terrible Commish this year. However, I have updated the standings and I think you'll all agree that this is an exciting year with lots of moving parts.
With the SAG nominations, Golden Globe Nominations, Critic's Choice nominations, and the Independent Spirit nominations in, the race is really shaping up. There are some clear front runners (The Social Network, The King's Speech) and some up and comers (The Fighter, Black Swan). As we saw in the draft, many of these pictures are spread over multiple studios. This makes the race this year pretty interesting so far.
Just because it has been interesting, doesn't mean that there isn't a clear first place. The Dekkers and their "Absent from Draft" studio have been cleaning up. With 22 nominations so far, they have a comfortable lead. Paul Hogseth's "Pants Weather Pictures," Steve Hackbarth and Erin Dischler's "Pants Sweater Pictures," and Mike Palovcsik's "Pants Wetter Pictures" are all pretty close with 19, 18, and 17 nominations respectively.
Some of the long shots in the draft have paid off well. Some of the "easy money" choices are proving to look dubious. Every studio has received points from each set of nominations so far. ZERO shut outs. That is exciting to see and is proof positive of the hard work and research each studio head did before this year's draft.
The Producer's Guild and Writer's Guild both release their nominations this week and we should see a few more points added to the scoreboard. Then we have a week or so dry spell before things heat up. January will bring us more nominations from: The BAFTAs (Paul's favorite), The Director's Guild, the Razzies, and the Academy Award Nominations. We will also see the awards presented for The Director's Guild and Screen Actor's Guild, the Critic's Choice and Golden Globes, and the Producer's Guild. Lots of opportunities for studios to gain or lose ground and to keep this year's race interesting.
Good luck to everyone!
Cheers,
The Commish
With the SAG nominations, Golden Globe Nominations, Critic's Choice nominations, and the Independent Spirit nominations in, the race is really shaping up. There are some clear front runners (The Social Network, The King's Speech) and some up and comers (The Fighter, Black Swan). As we saw in the draft, many of these pictures are spread over multiple studios. This makes the race this year pretty interesting so far.
Just because it has been interesting, doesn't mean that there isn't a clear first place. The Dekkers and their "Absent from Draft" studio have been cleaning up. With 22 nominations so far, they have a comfortable lead. Paul Hogseth's "Pants Weather Pictures," Steve Hackbarth and Erin Dischler's "Pants Sweater Pictures," and Mike Palovcsik's "Pants Wetter Pictures" are all pretty close with 19, 18, and 17 nominations respectively.
Some of the long shots in the draft have paid off well. Some of the "easy money" choices are proving to look dubious. Every studio has received points from each set of nominations so far. ZERO shut outs. That is exciting to see and is proof positive of the hard work and research each studio head did before this year's draft.
The Producer's Guild and Writer's Guild both release their nominations this week and we should see a few more points added to the scoreboard. Then we have a week or so dry spell before things heat up. January will bring us more nominations from: The BAFTAs (Paul's favorite), The Director's Guild, the Razzies, and the Academy Award Nominations. We will also see the awards presented for The Director's Guild and Screen Actor's Guild, the Critic's Choice and Golden Globes, and the Producer's Guild. Lots of opportunities for studios to gain or lose ground and to keep this year's race interesting.
Good luck to everyone!
Cheers,
The Commish
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Independent Spirit Nominations Are In
The first set of nominations for the Fantasy Film Studio League are in. The Independent Spirit nominations were announced on Tuesday of this week. The movies Winter's Bone and The Kids Are All Right ruled the roost for the nominations.
During the draft, we saw these two movies split across several studios. As a result, this week's nominations were split as well. Good to get some points on the board for the league, even more exciting to see EVERY studio put up some points.
We saw a three-way tie for first with three studios each grabbing three nominations. The Palovcsiks were tied for second place with two nominations a piece (although Kristie takes a slight lead on moral grounds). Dave Sarnowski, Erin Dischler & Steve Hackbarth, and Jake & Rachel all found their way onto the score board as well.
Great to see the league kick off. Next week we'll see both the Critic's Choice and Golden Globe nominations. Stay tuned for the updated board!
During the draft, we saw these two movies split across several studios. As a result, this week's nominations were split as well. Good to get some points on the board for the league, even more exciting to see EVERY studio put up some points.
We saw a three-way tie for first with three studios each grabbing three nominations. The Palovcsiks were tied for second place with two nominations a piece (although Kristie takes a slight lead on moral grounds). Dave Sarnowski, Erin Dischler & Steve Hackbarth, and Jake & Rachel all found their way onto the score board as well.
Great to see the league kick off. Next week we'll see both the Critic's Choice and Golden Globe nominations. Stay tuned for the updated board!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Fantasy Film Studio League Season Has Begun!
With the official draft last night, the third season of the Fantasy Film Studio League began. It was a lot of fun, and I sincerely thank everyone who opted to play this year. One could tell by the picks chosen that folks had done their homework this year. This was awesome to see, and I hope for all of us that we actually get to see most of the films we supported and researched. I say most, becuase there are still some pieces of crap in here. Or maybe not... One never knows.
There certainly was some agreement on which films would lead the charge this year. Several films were picked over in the first few rounds by multiple movie moguls looking to lock in the lead this year. Below are some of the highlights:
Inception - Chosen in 8 categories, in 6 different studios
127 Hours - Chosen in 7 categories, in 5 different studios
The King's Speech - Chosen in 7 categories, in 5 different studios
The Social Network - Chosen in 6 categories, in 3 different studios
Some moguls had interesting drafting strategies. One chose to draft for their Best Original Score and Best Song categories in Rounds 3 and 4, but chose to wait for their acting categories until the last few rounds. One mogul opted to give up Toy Story 3 for Best Picture, choosing The Black Swan instead. The Black Swan, by the way was chosen in 7 categories, in 5 different studios (Toy Story 3 was quickly snapped up in the next pick. Only time will tell how that move will pay off). Also, somehow, Tron: Legacy was chosen for several awards!
Between the over abundance of food, and one mogul's determination that he receive "two minutes" for every single pick he had, the night proved fun and silly. I hope the season will prove as enjoyable for everyone involved. Be sure to check back here for updates on the season as well as movie reviews, and party preparations for the big night - The Academy Awards. Ann and I will be hosting our annual gala and we look forward to capping the night with the announcing of the winner of the 2010 Fantasy Film Studio League!
Good luck to everyone!
Cheers,
Danny.
There certainly was some agreement on which films would lead the charge this year. Several films were picked over in the first few rounds by multiple movie moguls looking to lock in the lead this year. Below are some of the highlights:
Inception - Chosen in 8 categories, in 6 different studios
127 Hours - Chosen in 7 categories, in 5 different studios
The King's Speech - Chosen in 7 categories, in 5 different studios
The Social Network - Chosen in 6 categories, in 3 different studios
Some moguls had interesting drafting strategies. One chose to draft for their Best Original Score and Best Song categories in Rounds 3 and 4, but chose to wait for their acting categories until the last few rounds. One mogul opted to give up Toy Story 3 for Best Picture, choosing The Black Swan instead. The Black Swan, by the way was chosen in 7 categories, in 5 different studios (Toy Story 3 was quickly snapped up in the next pick. Only time will tell how that move will pay off). Also, somehow, Tron: Legacy was chosen for several awards!
Between the over abundance of food, and one mogul's determination that he receive "two minutes" for every single pick he had, the night proved fun and silly. I hope the season will prove as enjoyable for everyone involved. Be sure to check back here for updates on the season as well as movie reviews, and party preparations for the big night - The Academy Awards. Ann and I will be hosting our annual gala and we look forward to capping the night with the announcing of the winner of the 2010 Fantasy Film Studio League!
Good luck to everyone!
Cheers,
Danny.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Two Weeks Until The Draft!
Hey Film Fans:
We have two weeks left before the Fantasy Film Studio League Draft. Once everyone responds with their RSVP, I'll send out the drafting sheets. Then it will be up to each of you to review the films released in 2010 (and those yet to be released) in order to build your studio. The draft sheets should help you collect your thoughts and plan for the draft. Like last year, we're going to do a serpentine draft based on drafting order picked by random number generator.
This should be an interesting year for the Film League. Without clear front runners like Avatar and The Hurt Locker this year, the field is a little more wide open. There are some indie darlings, of course, but nothing with both critical and commercial success. Unless you count Toy Story 3.
I am really looking forward to draft night and to the League this year. I will be working to put more information on this blog this year and to keep the updates coming. See you all in a few weeks!
We have two weeks left before the Fantasy Film Studio League Draft. Once everyone responds with their RSVP, I'll send out the drafting sheets. Then it will be up to each of you to review the films released in 2010 (and those yet to be released) in order to build your studio. The draft sheets should help you collect your thoughts and plan for the draft. Like last year, we're going to do a serpentine draft based on drafting order picked by random number generator.
This should be an interesting year for the Film League. Without clear front runners like Avatar and The Hurt Locker this year, the field is a little more wide open. There are some indie darlings, of course, but nothing with both critical and commercial success. Unless you count Toy Story 3.
I am really looking forward to draft night and to the League this year. I will be working to put more information on this blog this year and to keep the updates coming. See you all in a few weeks!
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