Oscar Opinions: Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

One of the best war films ever made. Yeah, I went there.

QUICK OPINION:
Zero Dark Thirty is a flawless film that never bored for a second, and never ceased from being the lest bit exciting. Jessica Chastain cut the nice Ms. O'brien out of herself and dominated this film. Boal wrote Maya as one of the most interesting and best characters on the screen in a long time, maybe a character to define the decade (like Aaron Sorkin's Mark Zuckerberg.). Bigelow seemed in control of the entire film, and she and her time blew every expectation of the film out of the water.

BEST PERFORMANCE:
Jessica Chastain's Maya was my favorite performance of the year, so that one is obviously getting to be #1 here. Props to up-and-comer Jason Clarke for holding his own in the first half, a human being that understands the stress of war, despite the man on the outside. (Think Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker). Another great performance in a great film.

BEST MOMENT:
30 minutes into the film, when a certain scene involving a bus comes to pass, the film just sucked me in. I can't put a finger on my favorite scene. It's all great. I'll stop singing my praises and ask you (the readers) to see this before (or after) Oscar Sunday. Just see it.

Even if you don't like it, it is definitely thought-provoking.

Oscar Opinions: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

QUICK OPINION:
People go to see movies to have fun. Silver Lining Playbook is the fun film of the year, a real feel-good film, and one of the best. Bradley Cooper brought out his best work in the film, and so did Jennifer Lawrence. I appreciated the script by David O'Russell, and his deftness in making the film. Two years ago brought another crowdpleaser, The Fighter, and two year from now, O'Russell will bring out his CIA film. I am excited for anyone involved in Silver Linings, for what they will do in the years to come.

BEST PERFORMANCE:
Jennifer Lawrence is the most popular one, but Bradley Cooper carried the film's first 25 minutes and the 90 minutes that followed. He really brought out a performance I did not expect, and my opinion of him as an actor has changed due to his performance. Yeah, that must define a performance as a great one when it changes my opinion of an actor.

BEST MOMENT:
There are many heartfelt ones, but the dinner at the cafe is funny and the most heartfelt. It is a sweet scene, and I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it.

Oscar Opinions: Lincoln (2012)

This was one of the weirdest movies that had me with a goofy grin on my face.

QUICK OPINION:
I initially gave the picture 3 Stars, but this was out of impatience. The last 10 minutes went on for a good bit too long, and as previously stated, I gave the film 3 Stars just due to a sore bottom. Yes, 10 minutes could have been excised, but upon second thought, the film was incredibly dense and entertaining. Day-Lewis was a wise, well-written, and overall very likable as the titular Lincoln. I do think Sally Field's work in the film has been overestimated, but it is fine work, nonetheless. Major props to Kushner's eloquent screenplay, which had me (mentally) cheering, laughing, and the script also did an incredible job handling all of the subplots.

BEST PERFORMANCE:
No-brainer, but Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th president. He carried every scene he had, and was in a 7/8 of all the movie.

BEST MOMENT:
Easily all the scenes when Lincoln was telling his stories. All of them were slightly off topic, but they were the main reasons I held a goofy grin for 140 of the 150 minute runtime.

Oscar Opinions: Life of Pi (2012)

A great scene in a good movie.

A good movie, but an even greater book.

QUICK OPINION:
Life of Pi was a great book because we could easily see the uses of perspective Yann Martel used, one from old Pi's view, Pi on the boat's view, and a writer's view. The movie scripted by David Magee employed all three, but not to the same effect. Ang Lee should be commended for his visual genius he applied to the film, but the book, in my eyes, will remain unadaptable. No film can capture the perspective Martel was able to convey. On its own, though, Pi is still very enjoyable.

BEST PERFORMANCE:
Props to the visual team for creating a CGI beast that we (the audience) can feel attached to emotionally. I really liked that tiger, Richard Parker. Suraj Sharma is also very good as a performer, for he was able to carry one hour of the drama alone with a blue-screen tiger without me being bored or infuriated.

BEST MOMENT:
There are many wonderful scenes in the movie, but the one shot when Pi is on the boat and Richard Parker is on the boat, and roars, is a spine-tingling scene.

Oscar Opinions: Les Miserables (2012)

Every Oscar year, there is just one shoddy nominee.

QUICK OPINION:
Last year showed off Extremely Loud and Incredibly Gross Close, and somehow Les Mis was just such a clunker. Right from the get-go, something was off. The opening shot is a long shot, but not every long shot is not a good one. Hugh Jackman is prevalent throughout almost every scene, and I do have to admit his performance was good, but it was inconsistent. To be honest, the whole movie was inconsistent and messy. It nails a tone/mood, but since the songs are intercut throughout the story, diversions between the individual songs/scenes can lead to severe messiness. Forget it, the whole movie is a mess.

BEST PERFORMANCE:
Easy: Anne Hathaway's emotive work was Fantine. The shot was a bit too tight, but she devastated everyone in the audience. Great stuff.

BEST MOMENT:
I Dreamed a Dream was pretty great.

Oscar Opinions: Django Unchained (2012)

DJANGO!

QUICK OPINION:
What fun. Django Unchained is a supreme entertainment, brought to you by QT. I had this as my favorite film of the year, until the 1-2 punch of Zero Dark Thirty and The Master. Still, the film is great. The first half is the best thing Tarantino has done, by far. It was always funny, always witty, and left a big goofy grin on my face right when the 70's Columbia logo popped on screen. The second half, despite Leo DicCaprio's supreme sly performance, was oddly paced and a bit choppy compared to the first half. It had the same tone, but was somehow... different. The film got back on its feet in the last 10 minutes, and I feel good knowing that Tarantino ended one of his best films. I did feel bad ranking this as my favorite of 2012 at first because I KNEW there was a better (shorter) film in there.

BEST PERFORMANCE:
Christoph Waltz was extremely awesome, and so likable as the dentist-turned-bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz. Despite being like Hans Landa from his Oscar winning Inglourious Basterds, it was just SO ENTERTAINING!

BEST MOMENT:
The KKK scene with Jonah Hill brought tears to my eyes. I mean, that guy's wife spent hours making those bags, and they neglected her work! He went home in frustration!

Next I will (forcibly) talk about the miserable Les Miserables.

Oscar Opinions: Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

Beasts of the Southern Wild was a film that disappointed me on first release, but much thought has changed my opinion of the picture.

QUICK OPINION:
One thing that directly describes Beasts is that it is a bold film. It is something I've never seen before, and something I don't want to be redone again. With great talent, it introduced me to a fictional neighborhood and introduced me to a cast of colorful characters. The performance by Quevenzhane and Dwight Henry aren't really performance, but almost natural to the performers.

BEST PERFORMANCE:
I would love to say Quevenzhane Wallis had the best performance in the film, but I would love to shed light on one of the best supporting performances of last year: the previously mentioned Dwight Henry. He reminded me of Brad Pitt's character from the perfect The Tree of Life. Dwight's character is an ant disguised as a bull. He's dying right from the get-go, but his presence and sense of dominance is also visible from the get-go. It's great stuff.

BEST SCENE:
Almost like The Master, there is a face-to-face scene between the two leads. Quevenzhane's Hushpuppy and Dwight Henry's Wink are arm wrestling. Wink loses, and I'm not even sure if it was intentional. This is Hushpuppy's first exposure to the fact that Wink is truly dying. She knows from what he says, but this time she truly knows. She's the Man!

Oscar Opinions: Argo (2012)

QUICK OPINION:

Argo was once my favorite film of 2012. Now its not even on my top 10. I was overcome by hype. 96% on RottenTomatoes. I loved The Town, which I saw for the first time a day before Argo. I think about it more and more, and the more I realize how... dull it is. The script is fine, the performances aren't bad or anything, but it's just nothing special. Chris Terrio took too many liberties with the facts, and there was honestly no scene that blew me away. It's good, but it really is nothing special.

BEST MOMENT:

The opening when the US Embassy gets raided is a pretty cool scene.

BEST PERFORMANCE:

I really can't explain any performance that was extraordinary, so I'll cheat a little: Ben Affleck... as the film's director. His work with the basic subtleties of each scene was deft, and his style for the three different locations sounds like the work of a true talent.

Check back soon for re-evaluated thoughts on Beasts of the Southern Wild. 

Oscar Opinons: Amour (2012)

So I was thinking, Oscars are coming up... and then I realized I've been slacking on my 'Oscar Opinions' segment I did last year. This year, again, I've seen all 9 nominees, and here are my thoughts.

QUICK OPINION:

Amour is a real heart-ripper. Everything about it is perfect, especially Trintignant and the screenplay by my favorite Twitter-er @Michael_Haneke. One thing that Haneke nailed is the characterization of Trintignant's Georges, a loving husband. The film has never a dull moment, and scene feel drawn out with good reason. The film is smart, engaging, and emotional. I would love to give it 4 stars now, but I realize the level of rewatchability is close to zero. I do feel Isabelle Huppert's character was a little underdeveloped, but this is just me now looking for qualms.

BEST MOMENT:

Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) is being spoon fed by Georges. Georges tries to feed her canned peaches, but she refuse by making the only noise she can- a grunt that hardly sounds like French. In frustration, Georges slaps her. It's gross, but it's heartwarming  when almost immediately Georges apologizes. Anne is equally devastated  and the viewer can see it in her eyes.

BEST PERFORMANCE:

As previously stated, I believe Trintignant was the best performance. His skill displayed as loving-animalistic and back again is so deft. I might as well include Riva into this too, the couple seem perfect together throughout the two hours. In a perfect world, the pair would be winning 'Best Couple' awards everywhere.

Oscar Opinions: War Horse (2011)

So I'm still pondering the greatness of Malick's Tree. Gallop with me on my thoughts of War Horse. Well, it's my bad that I was too lazy to write some other Oscar Opinions, but finally, I did it.

THOUGHTS:
I wrote a review for my school newspaper, and you can read my review below.

"Have you ever been close to something, even attached? That’s Albert’s situation in Spielberg’s War Horse, about Joey the horse’s life on the WWI battlefield. The beginning starts of almost like an unfunny comedy, with flimsy dialogue and unfitting music. As the war evolves, the film improves rapidly to an incredible war film. The film could be a masterpiece, but the first 30 minutes hurt the film’s chance of perfection."

The stuff is true. What is posted above is 100% true. I hated the beginning, and I could see why people didn't like it, like Christy Lemire.

Oscar Opinions: Moneyball (2011)

Another homerun by Bennett Miller.

QUICK OPINIONS:
The film itself is actually very basic. What it is is Billy Beane, manager of the Oakland A's, is trying to make a better team. Problem is, that the team is 'under 50 feet of crap'. Beane brings in Peter Brand, a newly graduated stats freak. Peter thinks that a cheap team is possible, and they just need to find the 'misfit toys'. It's as most critics put it, 'a baseball movie that is for people who don't like baseball'.

I found out about this movie almost a year ago, and I put it on the top of my Oscar predictions, next to The Tree of Life. I was very happy that the film got a nomination. I cannot wait for Miller's next film, with Steve Carrell, Foxcatcher. No it's not the best film of the year, but it's one of. 'B+'

Oscar Opinions: Midnight in Paris

Woody Allen!

QUICK OPINIONS: 
Midnight in Paris  is not Allen's best, that is still held by Annie Hall. It's good to see Allen back in the Best Picture field, where he probably was snubbed for Match Point. Anyhow, this is a comedy to the utmost degree, with more laughs and chuckles than Bridesmaids. This might be an Allen rehash of The Purple Rose of Cairo, but this is still one of the best movies of the year. 'B+', and you can see it listed on 'Chinese Appease'.

Oscar Opinions: Hugo

More magical than Harry Potter. Moving on.

QUICK OPINIONS:
Trivia: Hugo was adapted from Selznick's 'THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET'. When I heard the film was to be directed by Scorsese, I thought two things: 1) Where's Leo? 2) HOLY MOLY! MARTIN SCORSESE, DIRECTOR OF RAGING BULL, IS DIRECTING A MOVIE BASED OF ONE OF THE BEST KIDS BOOKS OF THE PAST YEARS! YES!

I don't mean to boast, but I predicted Hugo right after the horrible trailer. Honestly, I was predicting only for Scorsese. After viewing the film for the first time, I was mixed. I didn't like Baron Cohen, I didn't like some of the visual style, and I didn't like the kids. The 3D helped though. The 2nd time I saw it, I actually saw some coherence in the changes of the story. Yes, John Logan changed the story a bit, but it was a good movie. I gave it an 'A-', and you can see it listed under Chinese Appease.

Oscar Opinions: The Help

So profits from The Help are in the black. Never mind.

QUICK OPINIONS:
Judging from the trailer, I honestly thought this movie would be a clunker. Mixing comedy and drama, about black maids? No big celebs either. 3-star reviews. Yeah...

Turns out, the film went above $100 Mil, and was in my local theater 'til 2 weeks ago. I thought the audience would be book-club members and girls, but I liked it too. On my old star-system, I gave it a 3.5, but with letter grade, it has a 'B+'. Hence, you can see it listed on 'Chinese Appease'.

Oscar Opinions: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

I loathe this movie. I haven't liked any films directed by Stephen Daldry.

QUICK OPINIONS:
So on my old star system, I gave this film a 1.5/4 Stars. Turns out, my letter system translated to a "D+". Since the nominations were announced, I've started to like this movie less and less. Before, I liked von Sydow, and Bullock. Now, I feel Sydow was used as at gimmick. His silence in the book was sufficiently explained, and was beautifully somber. The movie leaves 'The Renter' as a nameless man who can't speak for himself, for what reason? Why? Eric Roth leaves these questions unanswered for the worst. In the book, 'The Renter' was stated as Thomas Schell, Sr., a human bond to his dead son. The movie makes him as a kid's sidekick? Do I care if A kid looking for a key has Sydow sidekick? NO!

Oscar Opinions: The Descendants

The Descendants. Ah. Not Payne's best, that's still held by Sideways, but it's still pretty great.

QUICK OPINIONS:
So on my old Star-system, this film held a cozy 3.5/4 Stars. With a letter-scale adjustment, I can't help but promote it to an "A-". What the film has is drama, heart, comedy, conflict, and great performances. What it lacks is rewatch-ability. I cannot see myself watching the film again. It's just... I know what happens, know suspense, and no edge-of-your-seat laughs from watching it again. Still, "A-"

Oscar Opinions: The Artist

So the Academy Awards are in a week, and I can't help but think of the Best Picture nominees. The ones I love, the one I especially love, and the one I loathe. I have finally seen each film, and I will write some opinions of the films. To begin, The Artist.

QUICK OPINION:
I previously reviewed this film, giving this 4/4 Stars. Instead, with a new grading system, I will instead grant it an "A-". I thought on the basis of a film from 2011, it was the 2nd best. On the basis of a silent film, it takes silence as a gimmick. I also didn't think highly of the Original Score by Ludovic Bource. The film will win for music, but my vote goes to Hugo. As gimmicky as The Artist is, its a great film no matter what. It is 100% worthy of an "A-"