2012 Oscar Picks

Well, it's that time of year again, and boy am I excited.  I'm going to cut right to the chase and give you my picks for the 84th Academy Awards.

Best Picture:

• The Artist
• The Descendants
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
• The Help
• Hugo
• Midnight in Paris
• Moneyball
• The Tree of Life
• War Horse

My Pick:

The Artist


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Best Director:

• Woody Allen - Midnight in Paris
• Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist
• Terrance Malick - The Tree of Life
• Alexander Payne - The Descendants
• Martin Scorsese - Hugo

My Pick:

Michel Hazanavicius - The Artist

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Best Actor:

• Demian Bichir - A Better Life as Carlos Galindo
• George Clooney - The Descendants as Matt King
• Jean Dujardin - The Artist as George Valentin
• Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as George Smiley
• Brad Pitt - Moneyball as Billy Beane

My Pick:

Jean Dujardin - The Artist as George Valentin

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Best Actress:

• Glenn Close - Albert Nobbs as Albert Nobbs
• Viola Davis - The Help as Aibileen Clark
• Rooney Mara - The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo as Lisabeth Salander
• Meryl Streep - The Iron Lady as Margaret Thatcher
• Michelle Williams - My Week with Marilyn as Marilyn Monroe

My Pick:

Viola Davis - The Help as Aibileen Clark

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Best Supporting Actor:

• Kenneth Branagh - My Week with Marilyn as Laurence Olivier
• Jonah Hill - Moneyball as Peter Brand
• Nick Nolte - Warrior as Paddy Conlon
• Christopher Plummer - Beginners as Hal Fields
• Max von Sydow - Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close as The Renter

My Pick:

Christopher Plummer - Beginners as Hal Fields

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Best Supporting Actress:

• Berenice Bejo - The Artist as Peppy Miller
• Jessica Chastain - The Help as Celia Foote
• Melissa McCarthy - Bridesmaids as Megan Price
• Janet McTeer - Albert Nobbs as Hubert Page
• Octavia Spencer - The Help as Minny Jackson

My Pick:

Octavia Spencer - The Help as Minny Jackson

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Best Original Screenplay:

• The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius
• Bridesmaids - Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo
• Margin Call - J.C. Chandor
• Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen
• A Separation - Asghar Farhadi

My Pick:

Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen

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Best Adapted Screenplay:

• The Descendants - Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash from "The Descendants" by Kaui Hart Hemmings
• Hugo - John Logan from "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick
• The Ides of March - George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon from "Farragut North" by Beau Willimon
• Moneyball - Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin from "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis
• Tinker Tailor Solider Spy - Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan from "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" by John le Carre

My Pick:

Moneyball - Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin

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For these next few categories, I'm just taking a stab in the dark since I haven't seen any of these films

Best Animated Feature:

• A Cat in Paris - Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
• Chico and Rita - Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
• Kung Fu Panda 2 - Jennifer Yuh Nelson
• Puss in Boots - Chris Miller
• Rango - Gore Verbinski

My Pick:

Rango - Gore Verbinski

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Best Foreign Language Film:

• Bullhead (Belgium) in Dutch and French - Michael R. Roskam
• Footnote (Israel) in Hebrew - Joseph Cedar
• In Darkness (Poland) in Polish - Agnieszka Holland
• Monsieur Lazhar (Canada) in French - Philippe Falardeau
• A Separation (Iran) in Persian - Asghar Farhadi

My Pick:

A Separation - Asghar Farhadi

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Best Documentary - Feature:

• Hell and Back Again - Danfung Dennis and Mike Miller
• If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front - Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman 
• Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory - Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
• Pina - Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
• Undefeated - TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

My Pick:

Pina - Wim Wenders and Glen-Piero Ringel

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Best Documentary - Short Subject:

• The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement - Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
• God is the Bigger Elvis - Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
• Incident in New Baghdad - James Spione
• Saving Face - Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-CHinoy
• The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom - Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

My Pick:

The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom - Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

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Best Live Action Short Film:

• Pentecost - Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
• Raju - Max Zahle and Stefan Gieren
• The Shore - Terry George and Oorlagh George
• Time Freak - Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
• Tuba Atlantic - Hallvar Witzø

My Pick:

Raju - Max Zahle and Stefan Gieren

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Best Animated Short Film:

• Dimanche - Patrick Doyon
• The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore - William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
• La Luna - Enrico Casarosa
• A Morning Stroll - Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
• Wild Life - Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

My Pick:

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore - WIlliam Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg

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Best Original Score:

• The Adventures of Tintin - John Williams
• The Artist - Ludovic Bource
• Hugo - Howard Shore
• Tinker Tailor Solider Spy - Aberto Iglesias
• War Horse - John WIlliams

My Pick:

The Artist - Ludovic Bource

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Best Original Song:

• "Man or Muppet" from the Muppets - Bret McKenzie
• "Real in Rio" from Rio - Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett

My Pick:

"Man or Muppet" - Bret McKenzie

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Best Sound Editing:

• Drive - Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Ren Klyce
• Hugo - Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
• War Horse - Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

My Pick:

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl

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Best Sound Mixing:

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
• Hugo - Tom Fleishman and John Midgley
• Moneyball - Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, David Gimmarco and Ed Novick
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
• War Horse - Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

My Pick:

Transfomers: Dark of the Moon - Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin

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Best Art Direction:

• The Artist - Laurence Bennett and Robert Gould
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2 - Stuart Craig and Stephanie McMillan
• Hugo - Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo
• Midnight in Paris - Anne Seibel and Helene Dubreuil
• War Horse - Rick Carter and Lee Sandales

My Pick:

Hugo - Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo

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Best Cinematography:

• The Artist - Guillaume Schiffman
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Jeff Cronenweth
• Hugo - Robert Richardson
• The Tree of Life - Emmanuel Lubezki
• War Horse - Janusz Kaminski

My Pick:

The Tree of Life - Emmanuel Lubezki

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Best Makeup:

• Albert Nobbs - Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnson and Matthew W. Mungle
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 - Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin
• The Iron Lady - Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

My Pick:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2

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Best Costume Design:

• Anonymous - Lisy Christl
• The Artist - Mark Bridges
• Hugo - Sandy Powell
• Jane Eyre - Michael O'Connor
• W.E. - Arianne Phillips

My Pick:

Anonymous - Lisy Christl

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Best Film Editing:

• The Artist - Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
• The Descendants - Kevin Tent
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter
• Hugo - Thelma Schoonmaker
• Moneyball - Christopher Tellefsen

My Pick:

The Artist - Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius

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Best Visual Effects:

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 - Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
• Hugo - Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann and Alex Henning
• Real Steel - Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Danny Gordon Taylor and Swen Gillberg
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
• Transformers: Dark of the moon - Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Mathhew E. Butler and John Frazier

My Pick:

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

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Well, there you have it, my Oscar picks for 2012.  Let's discuss!  What are your thoughts?

I'm Back/Top Film of 2011

I have once again been bitten by the blog bug (say that five times fast).  I'm hoping to have a few updates in the next few days, but first, I just wanted to share my top five films of 2011.  So, here we go.

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5) Midnight in Paris/The Artist

I know, I know, tying is such a cop-out, but I seriously cannot decide which of these I like better.  That being said, I'll just share a little about both.

Midnight in Paris is about a writer named Gil (Owen Wilson) who is madly in love with the idea of how Paris was in the 1920s.  His fiancee Inez (Rachel McAdams) does not share his infatuation for the city.  One night after dinner (and a little too much to drink), Gil decides to take a stroll down the Paris streets.  He ends up getting lost, so decides to wait for a taxi to drive by.  Once the clock strikes midnight, a car pulls up and people dressed in '20s attire invite him along for the ride.  When they reach their destination, Gil is in a state of disbelief.  He meets all of these famous people like Pablo Picasso, the Fitzgeralds, Ernest Hemingway and the list goes on and on.  Needless to say, Gil is in heaven.

This is the first great Woody Allen film I've seen since his work in the 80s and 90s.  The script is very well written and you can definitely tell it's Woody Allen work.  The cast did phenomenal.  I never thought I would say that about Owen Wilson, but I was very impressed with him.  Tom Hiddleston as F. Scott Fitzgerald was an amazing addition and I am looking forward to watching him in more films.  The best performance in my opinion was from relatively unknown Corey Stoll as Ernest Hemingway.  He was definitely the funniest character and I hope to see him in more films as well.  I'm glad to see Woody Allen back on his game and I was very excited when I saw all of the Oscar nominations this film got, here's hoping it'll take home a prize or two.

Speaking of the Oscars, The Artist is a top contender for Best Picture, and it has my pick for the big prize.  The Artist is a rather odd movie when compared to other films.  For one thing, it's black-and-white.  Oh, and it's silent.  Yes, a silent, black-and-white film produced in the 21st century.  And, this movie is about Hollywood transitioning from silent films to "talkies."  Pretty strange, right?

The Artist stars Jean Dujardin as silent film star George Valentin and Berenice Bejo as Peppy Miller, the actress who ushers in the era of talkies.  As Hollywood transitions from silent films to talkies, we see the downfall of George Valentin, who is against the transition and does not understand why the audience has fallen in love with talkies.  It is only through the young actress Peppy Miller (who owes her fame to George, who gave her a chance in the first place) that George can finally accept and embrace this transition.

This is my top choice for Best Picture.  When I first went into to see the film, I was a little weary since I had never seen a silent film.  After the first 10 minutes or so, it was like I'd been watching silent films my whole life.  The score was excellent, and definitely helped the film since there was no dialogue.  My favorite part of the film though was Jean Dujardin's performance.  I can definitely see him winning Best Actor this year.  To convey so much emotion without words almost seems impossible, but I could feel everything he felt, and I think that is what separates a good actor from a great actor.  If it weren't for George Clooney (his performance in The Descendants is also very good), I would say he's a lock, but Clooney is definitely an Academy favorite, so we shall see, but I'm pulling for Dujardin.

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4) Moneyball

Moneyball is about the Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) putting together a winning baseball team with the help of Yale economics graduate Peter Brand (Jonah Hill.  Yes, that Jonah Hill).  The A's team scouts are dismissive, and eventually hostile, when it comes to Beane's new method of putting his team together, but Beane continues to side with Brand and put his method to the test.  The team has a little trouble at the beginning of the season, but eventually go on to win 20 consecutive games.  It isn't until the first game of post-season that the A's lose a game to the Minnesota Twins.  Once Beane and Brand's system proves successful, Beane is offered the General Manager position with the Boston Red Sox for an unprecedented $12.5 million salary, which he ultimately turns down.

This film definitely surprised me.  I am not much of a baseball fan, and to make not just baseball, but the process of putting a team together, interesting seems like it would be very difficult, but writers Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin definitely pulled it off.  Oh, and an amazing performance by Brad Pitt doesn't hurt either.  I'm pulling for this to win Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars (it's based on the book "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis) and I think it has a very good chance.  Here's hoping.

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3) 50/50

Formerly titled "I'm With Cancer," 50/50 is about a 27-year-old journalist, Adam Lerner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who discovers he has a rare type of cancer.  Throughout the film, Adam tries to convince his girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard), best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen), 24-year-old therapist Katherine (Anna Kendrick) and mother Diane (Anjelica Huston) that he is fine.  It isn't until the final act that you start to see Adam's nerves unravel, and he truly shows his fear and worry.

First off, let me say this: Joseph Gordon-Levitt can do no wrong.  Okay, just had to get that out of my system.  Directed by Jonathan Levine (The Wackness) and written by Will Reiser, who based the script on his real life (minor spoiler alert?), I was a little unsure about the film, mainly because I saw Seth Rogen in another "my friend has cancer" movie.  Now, I am a fan of the film "Funny People," I just didn't want to see another one.  Well, fret not, these two film are completely different.  This was one of the best scripts I have ever seen on screen.  It mixed humor and drama so seamlessly, I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.  This film definitely got snubbed by the Oscars this year.  I was sure it would get a Best Original Screenplay nom, but the film "Margin Call," which is a very good film in its own right, took its spot.  I also felt confident Anjelica Huston would get a Best Supporting Actress nomination because she did absolutely phenomenal, but again, another snub.  Nonetheless, this was still a very well-written, well-directed, well-acted film and it was definitely a critic-favorite, just not an Academy-favorite.

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2) Warrior

MMA.  This is not something I ever talk about or ever watch.  I am not a fan.  That being said, Warrior is about two estranged brothers, ex-Marine Tommy Conlon (Tom Hardy) and high school physics teacher Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton), who end up entering the same MMA tournament.  Throw in a father (Nick Nolte), whom neither of the brothers like, and you've got some major family drama.  You see at the end of the film the power of love and the power of family bond, which is not something you see in a lot of films today.

This was another film I was unsure of when I saw the first trailer.  I figured there would be pretty entertaining fight scenes but not a whole lot to the story.  Boy, was I wrong.  I'm not even sure I would say the script was something amazing, but when your two leads are Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton, along with a powerful supporting performance by Nick Nolte, the story is bound to pick up.  I've been a fan of Tom Hardy since "Inception," and I'm excited to see what the future has in store for him.  Nick Nolte gave his best performance in years and I'm glad to see the Academy recognized that.  While he may not win (Christopher Plummer for "Beginners" is pretty much a lock), I'm still happy to see a nomination for Nolte.  If you're a guy and you have a brother, this film will hit you even harder than it hit me, or so I've been told.  I could believe that.

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1) Drive

Drive is about a man (Ryan Gosling) who's known only as Driver.  He does car stunts for films, but moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals.  Driver begins to form a relationship with his neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her son Benicio.  When Irene's husband Standard Gabriel (Oscar Issac) returns home from prison, Driver finds him in the parking garage after being attacked by a couple of gangsters, who want him to do a job to repay money he owes them.  Once Standard informs Driver that the gangsters will come after Irene and Benicio next, he agrees to help Standard pull off the job.  To make a long story short, the job was a set-up, and now Driver has to deal with various gangsters and people after him who want to keep him quiet.

Whoa.  That was all I could say after I left the theater.  The film is definitely like a violent John Hughes film, which is something star Ryan Gosling says he has always wanted to see.  The way director Nicolas Winding Refn mixes the art house style and the violence of old exploitation films is mesmerizing.  I could not take my eyes off of the screen from the opening scene until the end credits.  Gosling's performance was incredible and powerful.  Albert Brooks, normally a comedic actor, as a villain is amazing.  It seemed like it would be quite a stretch for him, but if you didn't know better, you'd think he's been playing the villain for years.  I highly recommend this film.  Do not watch anything else until you watch this film.  Seriously.

This was the biggest Oscar snub of them all.  No Best Picture nom, no Actor or Supporting Actor noms for Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks, respectively, no Screenplay nomination, nothing.  This film got robbed.

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And now, some honorable mentions.  I won't give a synopsis for any of these films, just check them out for yourselves.

The Descendants

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

The Muppets

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Margin Call

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I'll be back throughout the week updating you on my top five albums of 2011 as well as my Oscar picks for this year's ceremony.  Until then, cheese machine.

DAD

Faith

This Summer has been a challenge.

I know, negativity is not the best way to start a blog, but it gets better, I promise!

Being in California has tested my faith more than anything has in the past.  I have become quick to anger, the profanity that I thought was behind me is catching up, rather quickly I might add, and I have not been to a single church service this entire time.  Up until last week, I hadn't really thought about any of this, and then I came across some videos that I've seen countless times but still seem to get to me.  In one of the videos, the speaker said something along the lines of "we can't worship concepts anymore," and it stuck with me.  Like I said, I have seen this video a number of times, and that part has always stuck out to me, but this time it was different.  I could feel God trying to tell me something, maybe something He has been trying to get through to me since the first time I saw the video.  I realized that, in a sense, I am doing just that.  For as long as I can remember, I have believed in God, and I have gone to church and sang worship songs, and I have felt the Holy Spirit moving through me, but only in small doses.  Now, I'm starting to get the feeling that I have only been worshipping the concept of God.  I'm not sure if I've ever had a genuine relationship with my Creator.  I've prayed, I've read my Bible, but looking back it all seemed like more of chore rather than me wanting to get closer to God.  In another one of the videos, the speaker recited the verse Hosea 6:6 which says, in one translation, "I want you to know Me more than I want burnt offerings."  I love this verse.  It's right there, plain and simple.  God wants a relationship with us!  He wants us to talk to Him, to confide in Him, to trust Him!  He loves us more than we could ever love another human being.  He wants us.  We are so unworthy of that, which is why it is the ultimate display of love.

I have been very blessed to be surrounded by the friends that I have.  They all have a heart for God and love to worship God.  I know that God has placed them in my life for a reason, so that I may learn from them the love of God, and I pray that I can be that same friend for them.  I get to travel with an amazing worship band, December Tide, and I am so blessed to be able to spread God's love with them and watch them as they lead worship.  I miss them :).

I say all of that to say this:  I have a renewed hunger for a relationship with my Savior.  I am tired of worshipping a concept and not having a loving, communicating relationship with God.  I am by no means perfect, and because of that I will continue to stumble, but I am thankful for the grace, patience, and forgiveness that my God bestows upon me.  I only hope that one day I can be a shining light for Him, in whatever capacity He sees fit.

Hello Again

Wow, I have not posted anything in this new year that is 2011.  Have you, the (very few) readers, been wondering what I've been up to?  Yeah, I haven't either, but you're in luck: I am going to tell you about what's been going on in my life for the past 6 months.  No, this will not be a post where I review a film or album, although I mention both of those in this blog post, we shall see.

Well, where to begin?  I finished my semester on May 12th I think.  Didn't do as well as I thought I would.  As a result, I am changing my major to Bum Photojournalism.  It's currently my minor, so I figured, why not do the ol' switch-a-roo and change my major to Photojournalism and my minor to Radio/TV?  That way I will (hopefully) be completely done with those ridiculous Television classes.  I've found through the past few semesters that I really love photography and when I look at my photos and see something really good, I am actually proud of myself.  R/TV has never given me that feeling, so I think that's a sign that I'm doing something wrong.

Speaking of photography, I've created my own Facebook page called shameless plug JHart Photography.  You should definitely check it out, and "Like" it.  Here's a sneak preview:

And then there's the ever-popular self-portrait:

Maybe a little motivation to check it out?  I think so :)

Now, currently I am in Hayward, CA.  I am staying with my dad and working in his office located in San Francisco.  It's not bad, but I definitely miss home.  I make better money here, which will be going to my Europe fund.  Oh, did I mention I'm going to Europe next Summer?  Kristian, Kellen, and I are planning a backpacking trip through Europe and we're hoping to save around $5,000 each for the trip, so this job will definitely help support that.  We'll probably start doing some serious planning when I get back for the Fall semester.

What else?  Well, on July 15 I'll be flying to Austin for a birthday extravaganza.  It's Brendyn and Jenna's birthday trip so I decided I would meet them there.  We will be staying with the okay amazing Kevin and Jennifer Smith!  It is going to be something of epic proportions.  Then, after that, I will have around two more weeks left in California and then it's back to good ol' Nacogdoches.  Can't wait.

Now, as a bonus, I'm going to let you in on the new music and movies I've had the pleasure of listening to/viewing.  So far this Summer, I've picked up "Little Hell" by City and Colour (folk), "The Flood" by Of Mice & Men (post-hardcore), and "Leveler" by August Burns Red (metalcore).  Out of those, my personal favorite is definitely "The Flood," simply because of the major level of improvement.  I won't go into detail, but if you're a fan of metal, check this album out.  I've seen both X-Men: First Class and Super 8 in theaters this summer.  Super 8 is definitely the blockbuster of the summer so far.  The only thing that will have a chance at surpassing it is Captain America, but I don't see it happening.  There you go, short and sweet.

Wow, I think this is longest blog I've written in a very long time.  Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and hopefully I'll start updating semi-regularly.

Top Five Films for 2010

Okay, I'm back.  I know, I know, it's been a while.  But not to worry, I have an awesome amazing cool fun-filled blog for you.  It's my Top Five Films of 2010.  Alright, here we go.

5. The Fighter
This film was so awesome, let me tell you.  It's based on the true story of boxer Micky Ward (Mark Whalberg) and his brother Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale).  The film focuses on Micky's relationship with his half-brother and trainer Dicky, a crack addict, his girlfriend Charlene (Amy Adams), and his mother/manager Alice (Melissa Leo), while he's trying to improve his boxing career.
The highlight of this film is Christian Bale's performance.  He plays Dicky Eklund to the tee.  If he doesn't win the Oscar for this, I don't know what the world is coming to.

4. The Social Network
Another amazing film by the great David Fincher.  This film is based on the book "The Accidental Billionaires."  In other words, it's about the formation of the ever-popular social website Facebook, and the lawsuits that follow its formation.  The film stars Jesse Eisenberg as creator Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, and Armie Hammer as twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.
I honestly believe that this film will get Best Picture at the Oscars, although it is not my personal favorite.  It is the only film on my list that is at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes for Top Critics (the only ones that matter).  There is a reason for that.  I wouldn't be surprised seeing a Best Actor nomination for Jesse Eisenberg either.  If you haven't seen it this year, you missed out.


3. Black Swan
I just saw this film 5 days ago and all I could say leaving the theater was "wow."  Darren Aronofsky has outdone himself with this one.  The film is about ballerina Nina Sayers trying out for the lead role, both the black and white swan, in "Swan Lake."  She focuses too much on perfection and according to her instructor Thomas Leroy "Vincent Cassel," does not "feel" it.  Nina's alternate Lily (Mila Kunis), on the other hand, does "feel" it.  As Nina and Lily grow closer, Nina feels that Lily is trying to take her place as the lead role.  Because of this, Nina has a major breakdown.  That's pretty much all I can say without giving anything away.
Natalie Portman is a lock for Best Actress.  If she doesn't win I will be sorely disappointed in the Academy.  If you have seen any other of Aronofsky's films, you know that you will feel 10x better about your life when you leave the theater.  He has a knack for bringing out the worst in the people on-screen but making it beautiful.  This is one of the most original stories of the year and I see it at least being nominated for Best Original Screenplay, and maybe winning.


2. The Town
One of the best crime dramas released in at least 10 years, to put it lightly.  Directed by Ben Affleck, starring Ben Affleck, and co-written by Ben Affleck.  Busy guy, no?  I'm telling you, Ben Affleck is a force to be reckoned with these days.  He did a beautiful job directing this Boston crime drama and had an amazing cast behind him.  He starred as Doug MacRay, a career criminal looking to get out of the business.  Jeremy Renner as "Jem" Coughlin, Doug's best friend who won't let Doug get out of the crime life, and Rebecca Hall as Claire Keesey, the manager of a bank Doug's team robbed, who also begins a romantic relationship with Doug.
I really hope to see this get a Best Picture nomination.  Seeing as how there will be 10 nominations, there shouldn't be a problem, but you never know with the Academy.  Maybe a Best Adapted Screenplay nom, since it is based on Chuck Hogan's novel "Prince of Thieves."  Any other year and this film would be a lock for a lot of nominations and possibly wins, but this was a very good year for movies.

1. Inception
Easily my number one for the year.  It has some of the best actors and actresses working today, one of the best directors, and easily one of the most original stories ever.  It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Dom Cobb, an extractor who goes into peoples sub-conscious to steal their thoughts.  He has the chance to go back home to his kids when Mr. Saito (Ken Watanabe) employs him to plant a thought in a rivals mind.  In other words, Inception.
This is the most original story ever.  I expect a Screenplay nomination and Best Picture nomination.  I would think it would win the screenplay award, but as I've said before, you never know.  Christopher Nolan might get a Best Director nomination, but sadly, it isn't likely.


Well, there you have it, my top five films of the year.  Let me know what you think.  Maybe I'm stupid?  Tell me!

Thanksgiving

Well, it's time for Thanksgiving.  That means good food, family time, and a much needed break from school and work.  With that being said, I'm also going to take a break from blogging after this post.  Do not fret, the usual Album of the Week and Movie of the Week posts will resume next week.  For now though, I'll just give my insight on a few upcoming things.

First, I am so stoked for The Human Abstract's new album "Digital Veil."  They've released the first single, "Faust" and let me just say, it is good epic.  New vocalist Travis Richter stepped into the front-man role with ease.  I'm not going to lie, when I heard he was the new vocalist, I had my doubts.  I knew he had talent, but I didn't know to what extant.  I am pleasantly surprised.





I saw the new Harry Potter flick this past weekend.  Pretty awesome.  It really left you wanting more, which is always a good thing when there's another installment set to come out.  I'm glad it wasn't in 3-D, and I wish the next one wouldn't be, but I guess they gotta make that money.







Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, which means it will most likely be a movie day.  Not sure what we're going to go see, but it'll be cool.  Anyways,  that's pretty much all I have.  Like I said, Album of the Week and Movie of the Week will continue next week, so stay tuned.