Rest assured, thanks to his endless versatility and charm, Costner proves again that he is a comfortable and lifting presence to any sports film, even a football one.
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Let's just say it now. There are not many greats to choose from, but there is no more perfect merger between a product or toy and a movie than "The Lego Movie." No video game movie is this good. No animated or live-action "Transformers," "G.I. Joe," or "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie can touch "The Lego Movie." This film is an absolute blast and has something for everyone.
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"Ride Along" is a perfect vehicle for Kevin Hart's act. By playing his big mouth against his little frame, the jokes are easy to make when you put them next to the bark and growl of Ice Cube. Put them together in a cop movie and the jokes write themselves. In a way, it's almost too easy because "Ride Along" becomes entirely too cliche and predictable to really appreciate. It's in one ear and out the other.
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"The Monuments Men" may be the rare enigma and case of identity crisis where a movie doesn't know what it's trying to be. If "The Monuments Men" had went straight serious to really honor this war effort story, those involved all have the chops to deliver an affecting epic. If it had went the lighthearted route, this same cast and crew could nail that crowd-pleaser too with equal room for success. Either route needed more dedication and more time to succeed.
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"The Awkward Moment" is an oasis of fun in a dreary winter cinema landscape. This is one of those rare romantic comedies that can actually appeal to both genders. Set your date night up now. With its wide release coming on January 31st, ladies and gentleman, your Valentine's Day weekend must-see movie has arrived two weeks early.
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The film is up for four Oscars: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Actress. In profound fashion, it deserves every single one of those nominations in each respective category. "Philomena" may be a smaller British film, but it is a touching story that deserves to be seen by larger audiences.
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Earlier today, with all eyes on Hollywood (or probably just on Chris Hemsworth reading the names), the final nominations were announced for the 86th Academy Awards. As with any year, there were a fair share of locks, snubs, and surprises.
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It's that time of year again! With announcement of nominations for the 86th Academy Awards coming early Thursday morning, we've arrived at the peak of awards seasons. The scene has been buzzing all week after the upset-filled popularity contest that was the 71st Golden Globe Awards this past Sunday. At the festivities, plenty of new possible contenders emerged, while a few Oscar races were made even more ironclad.
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Welcome to January and the first major month of the 2014 awards season. Many of the small and regional film critics groups have spoken with their award winners in many categories from the best of the best of film in 2013. Most of those winners have been quiet news, but business picks up when the Hollywood Foreign Press speaks and names their best with the annual Golden Globe Awards. As always, they are the leading precursor to the future Oscar nominations for the upcoming 86th Academy Awards.
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Especially in the cases of movies based on true stories, we too often play "armchair quarterback." We think we know the truth or can spot a lie when, very likely, we weren't part of the actual events. We call out movies for their believability and realism on two ends of a spectrum. On one end, we accuse them of exaggerating and stretching the truth of a real story. Our answer for that is a dismissive "come on" and "no way." On the other hand, we will chastise them for being sanitized, sugarcoated, and not real enough when necessary. For those, we still answer with a different, but similar "come on" and "no way."
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Well, movie fans, the changing of the calendar might bring new hope and enthusiasm in our personal lives, but, let me tell you, this is, annually, the worst season for movies. Enjoy the Christmas leftovers while you can, because these are the annual dog days of winter at the multiplex. The awards season with the upcoming Golden Globes and Academy Awards keeps a few things shiny, but the months of January and February are predominately the dumping grounds for movies that weren't deemed good enough for Oscar or hit-worthy enough for kids and families on holiday break.
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On January 6th, I will be a special guest on the show as we discuss our best and worst films of 2013. Hear us go toe-to-toe to either champion or poo-poo certain films from last year.
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