To the Wonder (2012)- What is the love that lives among us? (3½ Stars)

The second film in Terrence Malick's self-named Texas Trilogy, with the first being the moving Tree of Life, and the third presumably set in the Austin music scene. That all is besides the point. Right now is To the Wonder, a film shot with an expert's eye, told with expert abstractness, and requiring an expert amount of attention, if that makes any sense.

The story begins with Marina (Olga Kurylenko), a seemingly naive Parisian in a relationship with the near-silent Neil (Ben Affleck). We see them in the middle of a relationship, and Malick oddly never chooses to show the beginnings of their first or second relationships. Marina has a child, and that child is her daughter that wants to move to the US with Neil.

Tatiana, the child, is what we the audience view as the childish one in the relationship between Neil and Marina, since she is the child. Marina is our subject, and like The Tree of Life, is one subject that comes of age. Marina begins naive, free as a bird. The film depicts Marina feeling rejection, lust, anguish. All three of those, not in any order nor variety.

Trailer for 'To the Wonder'

This is everything I wanted it to be... and then some.

'To the Wonder', the Best Picture AND Director winner?

I bet you're tired of seeing this picture. So am I.

So I read a nifty little article on AwardsCircuit. It stated that if To the Wonder was as good as expected, it should win Best Director and Picture. Here's why:

-Ang Lee can't really win Best Director again for Life of Pi. He already won for Brokeback Mountain in 2005, and is Asian. Yeah, it sounds racist, but its true. Also, the accessability for Pi is still a question.

-Kathryn Bigelow can't really win for Zero Dark Thirty because she recently won for The Hurt Locker. Also, she's a woman. Sounds sexist, but its true.

-Spielberg can't really win for Lincoln because he already won for List and Private Ryan, two WWII masterpieces. The only way Spielberg can pull it off is with something equal to the previously listed.

-Benh Zeitlen for Beasts of the Southern Wild. Not much a chance, since the film is so polarizing.

Malick's next wonder is titled and rated.

If people ask me my most anticipated film this year, it's a three-way tie between The Dark Knight Rises, The Master, and Untitled Terrence Malick Project. Until now.

Malick, a very enigmatic and quality-over-quantity filmmaker, is slamming and going in reverse. Last year he brought us the masterful The Tree of Life, and this year is bringing us To the Wonder.

Wonder is rated R, for sex/nudity. I won't be surprised if it's shopped around at Cannes, or makes a splash in Venice. If it comes out this year or next, I'm psyched either way.

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.

Cannes we do it!

Cannes. The most important festival of all. Some argue Telluride or Toronto, or even Berlin. See, Cannes brought 1/3 of the nominees for Best Picture. They weren't the crappy ones like Extremely Loud, but it was The Artist, The Tree of Life, and Midnight in Paris. In 2010.. nothing happened. Anyways, Cannes also brought out Apocalypse Now, Fahrenheit 9/11, and others. There's actually been some new speculation, an I could not be more psyched. Potential nominees are Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master, Malick's Voyage of Time, and Allen's Nero Fiddled. I am insanely excited.

Georgia Critics love Trees and Brad Pitt.

So, for the first time in a long time, a critic group gave The Tree of Life a sweep. The winners below.

Best Picture: “The Tree of Life”

Best Director: Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life”

Best Actress: Juliette Binoche, “Certified Copy”

Best Actor: Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain, “The Tree of Life”

Best Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt, “The Tree of Life”

Best Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”

Best Adapted Screenplay: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, “Moneyball”

Best Foreign Language Film: “Certified Copy”

Best Animated Film: “The Adventures of Tintin”

Best Documentary: “Senna”

Best Ensemble: “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “The Tree of Life”

Best Art Direction: Jack Fisk, “The Tree of Life”

Best Original Score: John Williams, “War Horse”

Best Original Song: Bret McKenzie, “Man or Muppet,” “The Muppets”

Breakthrough Award: Jessica Chastain

Excellence in Georgia Cinema: “Sahkanaga”

DGA Nominees

No Terrence Malick. Poop. Surprised not to see any Spielberg, I swore him and Malick would be locks. Nominees below.

Woody Allen "Midnight in Paris"
David Fincher "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Michel Hazanavicus "The Artist"
Alexander Payne "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese "Hugo"

NSFC Winners!

BEST PICTURE
*1. Melancholia – 29 (Lars von Trier)
2. The Tree of Life – 28 (Terrence Malick)
3. A Separation – 20 (Asghar Farhardi)

BEST DIRECTOR
*1. Terrence Malick – 31 (The Tree of Life)
2. Martin Scorsese – 29 (Hugo)
3. Lars von Trier – 23 (Melancholia)

BEST ACTOR
*1. Brad Pitt – 35 (Moneyball, The Tree of Life)
2. Gary Oldman – 22 (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
3. Jean Dujardin – 19 (The Artist)

BEST ACTRESS
*1. Kirsten Dunst – 39 (Melancholia)
2. Yun Jung-hee – 25 (Poetry)
3. Meryl Streep – 20 (The Iron Lady)

National Society of Film Critics: How much is it worth?

With the NSFC announcing in a few hours, there's only a few things on my mind: playing well at my orchestra function, and The Tree of Life.

You see, if the film wins big here and at the DGA's, it would make the film a lock. NSFC has been giving love to Malick however, giving him Best Director in 1978, and choosing him as a runner-up in 1998.

In 2005, in fact, the NSFC was the only reason Bennet Miller's masterful Capote made the cut in the BP lineup. In fact, come January 20-something, most predicted Walk the Line as the 5th nominee. I'm happy the situation played out like so.

DGA's: The turning point come Oscars.

What do I mean? This has been on my mind for the longest time. Recently, Sasha Stone of AwardsDaily said that Tate Taylor of  The Help will make the cut come Monday. I'm scared.

So today I saw Bridesmaids. I liked it, but to rank it above The Tree of Life at the PGA's? Were the voters high or something? If Terrence Malick makes the cut for Best Director, he will not only save his biographical masterpiece from not making the cut, it will damage Bridesmaids, too. Unless, Bridesmaids take a stake at the #8 spot belonging to Moneyball.

The thing is, if Tate Taylor makes it as Best Director, that would be bad. I mean, The Help was terrific and all, but does Tate deserve it? He could at least make a few more films before we could make a final judgement.

Really, I don't hate Bridesmaids. It can go take a Best Original Screenplay nom for all I care. If director Paul Feig makes it in, though, for Bridesmaids is a Best Picture LOCK!