This past weekend, I saw the film “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.” The movie was written by Eric Roth, based on the novel “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathon Safran Foer; and was directed by Stephen Daldry. It stars Thomas Horn, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, and Max von Sydow. The movie has received mixed reviews, but was still nominated for 2 Academy Awards: Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Max von Sydow. “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” although perhaps not a masterpiece, is still worth a viewing. It is an interesting addition to the category of films inspired by the events of September 11, and is perhaps worth the view for its subject alone. Continue Reading »

Last night, I decided to watch the film “The Help.” The movie was written for the screen and directed by Tate Taylor, based on the novel “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett. It stars an ensemble cast, including Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Octavia Spencer, Jessica Chastain, and Sissy Spacek. I decided to watch this movie because it seemed to be an interesting concept, and in addition has garnered positive reviews from critics. The film has picked up 4 Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Actress for Viola Davis, Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer, and Best Supporting Actress for Jessica Chastain. “The Help” is an interesting look at the period of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s, and is worth a viewing. Continue Reading »

Recently, I was able to see “The Artist” in the theater. The movie was written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius, and stars Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, and John Goodman. I chose to see this film because I had heard amazing reviews. It has received 10 Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Jean Dujardin, Best Supporting Actress for Berenice Bejo, Best Original Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, and Best Film Editing. If you are deciding whether or not to see this film, first ignore the bias that you might feel against it because it is in black-and-white, or because it has no dialogue. You will thank me in the end. Continue Reading »

Last evening, my movie of choice was “Moneyball.” The movie was written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, based on the novel “Moneyball” by Michael Lewis; and was directed by Bennett Miller. The main stars are Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. I decided to see this film because I hadn’t seen a good sports movie in some time, and I had heard that the film received good reviews. It was nominated for six Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor for Brad Pitt, Best Supporting Actor for Jonah Hill, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. The movie was a refreshing change of pace from the typical sports film, and rightfully deserves its nominations.
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Earlier today, I was able to see “The Descendants” in the theater. The movie was written by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash, based on the novel “The Descendants” by Kaui Hart Hemmings; and was directed by “Alexander Payne”. It stars George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, and Judy Greer. The film won the Golden Globe for Best Picture- Drama, and has been nominated for 5 Academy Awards, including: Best Picture, Best Actor for George Clooney, Best Director, Best Editing, and Best Adapted Screenplay. I believe there is a good chance that it could win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, as it is a very deserving candidate. Continue Reading »

This past weekend, I was able to see “Hugo” in the theater, in 3D. The movie is written by John Logan, adapted from the novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick, and is directed by Martin Scorsese. The main stars are Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, and Sacha Baron Cohen. It was a film I had wanted to see for some time, especially when I heard that it was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, more than any other movie of 2011. It was nominated for: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. In my opinion, it definitely deserved all of these nominations, as it is a remarkable film in many ways. Continue Reading »

I would like to begin my movie reviews with “Midnight in Paris,” written and directed by Woody Allen and starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, and Marion Cotillard. It was nominated for four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Art Direction. I chose to start with this film because it stands out to me as a beautiful work of art, masterly crafted by one of the greatest living directors, who, at the age of 75, managed to create one of the finest movies of his career. It is not a film that should be missed. Continue Reading »

One of my main interests, ever since I was young, has been film. When I was in high school, I started to become interested in classic films. I tried to immerse myself into every genre imaginable, from westerns to silent comedies to musicals. I have gone through several “Greatest Movies of All Time” lists before I was satisfied that I had seen all the good ones. However, for awhile after this, I started to have a negative view on the modern film industry. I truly believed that the film-makers of the past could never be equaled in their brilliance. At the beginning of last year, I attempted to change this state of mind, as I realized that this viewpoint prevented me from enjoying the present in many ways. I began to look at not only films that had gotten high ratings, but some hidden gems that I may have missed over the years. And I soon realized that there was still hope. Many of the films that I would now consider as being among my favorites have emerged within the last few years.

This blog will specifically be about those films that are considered among the best of 2011, leading up to the present. It seemed fitting to start today since the Academy Award nominations were announced earlier this morning, and they are usually regarded as the most prestigious award in the film industry. I am excited to begin this blog, and I hope that you enjoy reading it.