Moneyball

"There are rich teams and there are poor teams, then there's fifty-feet of crap, and then there's us."

After losing their 3 best players to rival teams, the Oakland Athletics season is looking bleak.  General Manager Billy Beane (Pitt) tries to make the best of the situation, but is limited by the teams resources.  The team cannot afford good players.

At a meeting with the Cleveland Indians, he meets analyst Peter Brand (Hill).  Brand has a radical new way of looking at players: by economics.  Beane is intrigued and hires Brand.  They create a new way of ranking players based on their "on base percentage" and nothing else.  Everyone else mocks their techniques, especially when they draft an injured catcher (Chris Pratt) to play first and an orthodox pitcher (Casey Bond).  With the manager Art Howe (Hoffman) undermining their choices, the players fighting, and an unimpressed owner, can their new strategy work?


I"m not a baseball fan... Yes, I watch MLB (because I live with a big baseball fan) and watch my friends play (because it's more interesting in person).  Despite that, I enjoyed this movie, but I think that has more to do with Aaron Sorkin's writing.  Sorkin continues to impress... I mean, seriously, the man is an awesome writer (The West Wing, Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and The Social Network).  Based on the book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game," about Billy Beane's strategy.

The performances are better than expected.  Brad Pitt proves he is more than just a pretty face that got lucky.  It is refreshing to see Jonah Hill is a serious movie.  He can do comedy, and now proves that he can do drama as well.  I don't think it was the greatest movie ever (or even the best sports movie ever), but it is a good film.  Check it out!

Moneyball (2011) 133 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some strong language.
Director: Bennett Miller
Starring: Brad Pitt as Billy Beane
Jonah Hill as Peter Brand
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Art Howe
Robin Wright as Sharon
Chris Pratt as Scott Hatteberg
Stephen Bishop as David Justice

Oscar Picks 2012

This is my 6th consecutive year predicting the Oscar winners.  Last year, despite only seeing 8 films, I correctly predicted 5 of the 7 categories (I don't guess on all of them, just the big ones). This year I saw 11 nominated films (4 of 9 nominated for Best Picture) prior to the award show:

Beginners
Bridesmaids
Drive
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
The Ides of March
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Muppets
Rango
Rio

Here are my guesses, with links to my reviews... let the wild guessing begin!

Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
*Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

...who will win... Christopher Plummer

 ...who should win... Christopher Plummer

Christopher Plummer brings incredibly life to the character to of Oliver, who at the age of 80 is finally able to live his way but also learns that he has terminal cancer.  Max von Sydow is good in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, but won't beat Plummer.  It was nice to see Jonah Hill in a different kind of role, but that isn't enough to merit 1) an Oscar nomination and 2) an Oscar award.  I haven't seen My Week with Marilyn or  Warrior, but these roles have not received much buzz.  The edge and the award belongs to Plummer.

Best Support Actress
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
*Octavia Spencer, The Help

...who will win... Octavia Spencer
...who should win... Octavia Spencer

Everyone else should be happy to be nominated, but the only choice is Spencer.  The award belongs to her and her alone.

Best Actor
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
*Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

...who will win... George Clooney
...who should win... Jean Dujardin

All night it is going to be a battle between The Artist and The Descendants.  George Clooney will probably take the prize here.  The Oscars tend to favor big / well-known names, which gives Clooney the edge.  I have yet to see The Artist, but I saw Jean Dujardin dance on SNL when Zooey Deschanel hosted, and the man has charisma to spare.  He is a definite star, but I don't know if he can overtake Clooney.

Best Actress
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
*Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

...who will win... Viola Davis
...who should win...Viola Davis or Michelle Williams

Ronney Mara should be thrilled to be nominated... she won't win.  Glenn Close and Meryl Streep are talented actresses, but they don't stand a chance here.  Michelle Williams managed to convincingly portray a screen icon, and has received significant buzz.  However, this is Viola Davis' year.  She gave a heartbreaking performance in The Help and lights up the screen with all her movie appearances this year (she was in many films this year).

Best Director
*Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

...who will win... Michel Hazanavicius
...who should win... Michel Hazanavicius

Woody Allen and Terrence Malick is overrated.  Martin Scorsese won recently.  So it's probably a fight between Michel Hazanavicius and Alexander Payne.  The edge belongs to Hazanavicius for having a strong, unique vision.  One question: where is Ryan Gosling's nomination?  He gave 3 awesome performances this year: Drive, The Ides of Marchand Crazy, Stupid, Love, and yet no nomination.  How the hell did that happen?

Best Animated Film
A Cat in Paris
Chico & Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots
*Rango

...who will win... Rango
...who should win... Rango

It feels unnatural that there is no Pixar entry this year.  It feels like a weak group this time.  The Adventures of Tintin won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Film, but for whatever reason it is absent from this grouping.  Did anyone like Puss in Boots?  All the buzz was bad.  Kung Fu Panda 2 was ok, but not worth the win.  The frontrunner in this category is Rango, and it will win.

Best Original Song
*"Man or Muppet" from The Muppets, Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio" from Rio, Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, & Siedah Garrett

Sadly, this is the only category where I have seen all of the nominees (what does that say about my movie tastes?).  I am inclined to give the edge to Bret McKenzie because
1) I enjoyed The Muppets.  Rio was ok, but I was disappointed.
2) Rio is not nominated for Best Animated Film (which I totally support).  The song is fun and all, but I'd rather see The Muppets take this category.

Best Picture 

*The Artist

The Descendants

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

The Tree of Life
War Horse

...who will win... The Artist
...who should win... The Artist

The Tree of Life is a polarizing movie that has viewers forming very strong opinions: it is either a 1/2 star movie that is "crap" or a 5 star "artistic masterpiece."  I'm sure War Horse is great, but it won't win (and I have desire to see it.  The rest are decent entries, but in the end it will be a showdown between The Artist and The Descendants, with The Artist emerging as the victor.


EDIT: Well, this year I got 6/8... I was happy with Dujardin's victory of Clooney, which was my preference, but I guessed Clooney would win.  And I genuinely don't understand how/why Streep beat Davis.  Otherwise, I was correct in all categories.

Midnight in Paris

"No subject is terrible if the story is true, if the prose is clean and honest, and if it affirms courage and grace under pressure."

Gil Pender (Wilson) is a successful screenwriter, who is on vacation with his fiance Inez (McAdams), and her parents John (Fuller) and Helen (Kennedy).  Gil is trying to find inspiration for his novel "I'm having trouble because I'm a Hollywood hack who never gave real literature a shot", while Inez is more interested in touring the city with her pretentious pseudo-intellectual friends Paul (Sheen) and Carol (Nina Arianda).  One night, Gil is walking back to his hotel drunk and gets lost.  An antique car stops and the passengers invite Gil to join them.

At the bar, Gil realizes he is in the 1920s, his favorite decade.  During the evening he meets many of his idols: Zelda (Alison Pill) and F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston), and Ernest Hemingway (Stoll).  Hemingway even agrees to show Gil's novel to Gertrude Stein (Bates), although he refuses to read it:

"I would like you to read my novel and get your opinion."
"I hate it.""You haven't even read it yet."

"If it's bad, I'll hate it. If it's good, then I'll be envious and hate it even more. You don't want the opinion of another writer."

But when he leaves the bar, he is back in the present.  The next night he meets Pablo Picasso (Marcial Di Fonzo) and his muse, Adriana (Cotillard), who immediately catches Gil's interest.  He is fascinated by Adriana, and longs to spend more time with her.  Inez and their friends think Gil has lost his mind.  Can he find a way to keep both worlds, or will he be stuck in the present?


I only watched this film because it was nominated for an Oscar (and was available through Netflix).  Woody Allen films tend to be overly pretentious... critics love them, but do normal people actually watch and enjoy his films?  I saw Match Point based on a recommendation from a friend / movie fan, but I saw it as the exception to the rule.


However, I actually enjoyed this one.  Yes, the opening moments are overly indulgent... a wordless montage over the city, but in the context, it makes sense.  The cinematography is gorgeous and makes me want to 1) learn French and 2) go to Paris (and just walk around soaking in the beauty).

It was interesting to see all of the icons of the 1920s (and later the 1890s).  Everyone embraced their characters, but some work better than others.  Adrien Brody's Salvador Dali was obnoxious, but the rest were good... with Corey Stoll's Hemingway standing out.  It is a good film and an interesting script... I liked this film more than I expected.  I was funny and well-made, with an interesting story and an ending that you can't predict.  Well done Woody Allen, I still reserve the right to judge your movies prior to seeing them.

Midnight in Paris (2011) 94 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some sexual references and smoking.
Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Owen Wilson as Gil Pender
Rachel McAdams as Inez
Marion Cotillard as Adriana
Kathy Bates as Gertrude Stein
Corey Stoll as Ernest Hemingway
Michael Sheen as Paul Bates
Kurt Fuller as John
Mimi Kennedy as Helen

Soul Surfer

"I don't need easy.  I just need possible."

At the age of 13, Bethany Hamilton (Robb) is already a champion surfer.  Surfing is life.  She is homeschooled to allow maximum time for surfing each day.  Her parents, Tom (Quaid) and Cheri (Hunt), are well-known surfers, who encourage her surfing dreams.

One day, while surfing with her best friend Alana (Nicholson), Alana's dad Holt (Sorbo) and brother Byron (Jeremy Sumpter), a shark attacks.  It takes a bite out of the board and Bethany's arm.  Bethany is rushed to the hospital, where the doctor is forced to amputate the remainder of her arm.  Everyone is thankful for her recovery, but believe her surfing career is over.  With a strong faith in God, a supportive family, and determination, can she return to competitive surfing?


The film is based on actual events.  In 2003 Bethany Hamilton lost her arm to a shark attack.  Her story was covered by most major news stations.  She used the new-found fame to share her faith, and become an inspiration to the world.  In 2004 she wrote an autobiography about the attack and subsequent return to surfing, which is the source material for the film.

It is impossible to talk about Hamilton without talking about her faith.  In many reviews of the movie, film critics see that as a negative or unnecessary part of the story.  They see it as a weakness, but I see it as a strength.  Faith is what got her through the hard times, it gives her strength, and is how she became a role model.  Why cut out something that is so important to her?

Before watching the film, check out the documentary Heart of a Soul Surfer: The Bethany Hamilton Story, which features interviews with Bethany and her family and friends.  It gives another look at this incredible girl.

As for the movie, it is great.  A well-made film with good morals, that doesn't sexualize any of the characters.  The girls wear bikinis, but it feels natural (in all the footage of Bethany Hamilton, she is wearing a bikini to surf, so it stays true to life).  By the end, you have a strong desire to 1) surf (or learn to surf) and/or 2) go to Hawaii.  The cast is good, the settings are gorgeous, and the surfing is real (Hamilton was AnnaSophia Robb's surfing double).  Check out it out!

Soul Surfer (2011) 106 minutes
Director: Sean McNamara
Starring: AnnaSophia Robb as Bethany Hamilton
Helen Hunt as Cheri Hamilton
Dennis Quaid as Tom Hamilton
Lorraine Nicholson as Alana Blanchard
Kevin Sorbo as Holt Blanchard
Carrie Underwood as Sarah Hill
Ross Thomas as Noah Hamilton
Chris Brochu as Timmy Hamilton
Sonya Balmores as Malina Birch

Rango

"Reptiles gotta stick together, brother."
"I'm an amphibian."
"Ain't no shame in that."

Rango (Depp) is a pet chameleon, who wears Hawaiian shirts and conducts theater workshops with the objects in his tank.  A car accident strands him in the desert, and without the ability to cope: he can't camouflage the right color and doesn't know how to avoid predators.  Eventually he ends up in the town of Dirt, where strangers don't survive long.

He decides to create a brand new persona: a tough gunslinger.  He even manages, accidentally, to rid the town of the hawk that is terrorizing them.  His new-found celebrity leads the Mayor (Beatty) to appoint him the new town sheriff.  His first duty is to find what happened to all the water in town.  With the help of the feisty Beans (Fisher) and a posse of unique desert folk, can Rango save the day or will he be the latest victim of outlaw Rattlesnake Jake (Nighy)?


Let's start with the obvious... the characters are hideous.  A Disney version would be much cuter, but this isn't a cute kids movie.  It appeals to an older crowd.

The story and characters are homages to classic Western movies, especially Clint Eastwood movies.  The clearest example is the Spirit of the West (Timothy Olyphant), who is a direct Eastwood knock-off.  The film refers to many classic films, through characters, quotes, settings, and situations.  The best example of a character, is the Mayor, who strongly resembles Noah Cross from Chinatown.

The cast is great, with Johnny Depp once again proving that he can do anything.  The film is funnier than you'd expect, filled with slapstick for the kids and smart humor for everyone else.  The film was so well received, that is now nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Film.

Rango (2011) 107 minutes
Director: Gore Verbinski
Starring: Johnny Depp as Rango
Isla Fisher as Beans
Abigail Breslin as Priscilla
Ned Beatty as Mayor
Alfred Molina as Roadkill
Bill Nighy as Rattlesnake Jake

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

"If it isn't difficult to find it is not worth finding."

Oskar (Horn) loves to go on scavenger hunts: looking for clues and solving problems.  He has a lot of fear and has a difficult time talking to people.  To help with Oskar's fear, his father Thomas (Hanks) creates scavenger hunts that force Oskar to talk to people and confront his fears.  When Thomas is killed on September 11, Oskar's world collapses.

While trying to hold onto the memory of his father, Oskar finds a mysterious key in his father's closet.  The key doesn't fit any of the locks at home, so Oskar believes it leads to a final quest from his father.  His only clue is the envelope that held the key, with the name "Black" written on it.  With his Grandma (Caldwell) standing by, and the silent Renter (von Syndow) helping with the search, can Oskar solve his father's final mystery?


Despite lots of early hype, it has tapered off since premiering.  I'm not sure why... while the trailers were o.k., the film is good.  In fact, it is very good.  It grips your emotions from the beginning.  You want Oskar to find the answer, to find some joy and purpose in life... especially after the devastation of September 11.

The character of Oskar is interesting, not entirely likeable at first... but he grows on you.  Thomas Horn makes him accessible, while still showing his differences, i.e. potential Aspergers.  But the stand-out performance is Max von Sydow, who delivers a compelling performance without speaking.  With hand tattoos that read "Yes" and "No" and a tablet and sharpies, he is the most interesting character.  Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock are good as the parents; Hanks is sentimental and fun, while Bullock is devastated and defeated.  The rest of the cast is comprised of short episodes / interactions with members of the "Black" family.  The standout is Viola Davis (who is having a great year), who makes the most of her short sequence.

I can understand why this film would not resonant with many people, but I think it works.  Is it the best film of the year?  No, but it is a strong entry.  It is also an emotional film, that left some audience members in tears.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)129  minutes
Rating: PG-13 for emotional thematic material, some disturbing images, and language
Director: Stephen Daldry
Starring: Thomas Horn as Oskar Schell
Tom Hanks as Thomas Schell
Sandra Bullock as Linda Schell
Zoe Caldwell as Oskar's Grandma
John Goodman as The Doorman
Max von Sydow as The Renter