Fargo

Joel and Ethan Coen are known for the dark humor in their movies. Some notable examples include The Big Lebowski, Raising Arizona and Fargo.

Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) is having difficulty making ends meet, therefore he plots a staged kidnapping of his wife so he can split the ransom money with the kidnappers. Unfortunately for him, the kidnappers leave a bloody trail that captures the attention of pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand).

I honestly wonder what went through the Coen brothers' minds as they wrote the screenplay, mainly the wood chipper scene. Probably stuff that shouldn't be mentioned in mixed company. I love McDormand's accent. exaggerated, yes, but freakin' awesome. I love her performance too, probably one of the few great female roles. I also love Macy's performance. He definitely captured his character's meekness. Despite a few scenes I turned away from (*cough* wood chipper *cough*), Fargo completely catches your attention. And, although bleak and messed-up, the humor throughout the movie just works.

My Rating: *****

Pollock

Now and then an actor better known for their supporting roles has the opportunity to be the leading man or lady. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Artist Jackson Pollock (Ed Harris) tries to fend off personal demons and bad reviews with the help of wife and fellow artist Lee Krasner (Marcia Gay Harden).

Although the performances from Harris and Harden are the reason to see Pollock, the movie is rather drawl. It feels flat through a majority of the movie. But like what I said, the performances are the main reason to see Pollock. Harris and Harden gave very good performances (even though I think Kate Hudson should have won that year instead of Harden). In my opinion, Pollock is worth a look.

My Rating: ****

Strange Days

Kathryn Bigelow is definitely different from other female directors working in Hollywood. How so? Simple, her filmography isn't flooded with chick flicks. Let's be honest, Near Dark, Point Break, Strange Days and The Hurt Locker don't really sound like chick flicks. But what do you expect from the ex-wife of James Cameron?

Former cop Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes) is a dealer of illegal memory-containing discs. He feels insecure after breaking up with his girlfriend Faith (Juliette Lewis), who has since moved on. He receives an anonymous disc featuring a horrific rape and murder of a prostitute he's acquainted with. Along with his friend Mace (Angela Bassett), he tries to uncover who would commit a crime this senseless.

Voyeurism on a much more disturbing scale. Some scenes felt like they were yanked from a Paul Verhoeven flick while others from a Michael Bay flick, but still there's hints of Bigelow's (ahem) "feminine" touch. A number of the scenes are like you don't want to watch but you can't help but watch. If you haven't heard of Strange Days, there's a good reason for why; it was released the same year as Braveheart, Dead Man Walking, Se7en and 12 Monkeys.

My Rating: ****1/2

La Dolce Vita

Ah, Fellini. One of the most prolific foreign directors that lived. An unique storyteller and a visionary genius, his works always make must-see lists.

Journalist and man-about-town Marcello Rubini (Marcello Mastroianni) struggles to find his place in the world, torn between the allure of Rome's elite social scene and the stifling domesticity offered by his girlfriend, all while searching for a way to become a serious writer.

I very much liked La Dolce Vita. I consider it one of Fellini's best, though I believe that his absolute best is 8 1/2. The lifestyle of 1960s Italy is best represented in La Dolce Vita. Mastroianni gives his character a self-loathing nature to make us feel more sympathetic towards him. La Dolce Vita is one of the best foreign movies ever made.

My Rating: ****1/2

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

After John Hughes' death back in 2009, I felt like I should watch more of his movies because all I've seen was Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Fast forward a year later and I still hadn't seen anything else by Hughes. Until now.

All Neal Page (Steve Martin) wants is to get home in time for Thanksgiving. Instead, his flight gets cancelled and he's stuck travelling with loud shower curtain ring salesman Del Griffith (John Candy).

Like I said in the intro, Ferris Bueller's Day Off was the only other John Hughes movies I've seen. But through that I knew what to expect. Martin and Candy have some great scenes together. Priceless dialogue ("Those aren't pillows!"), perfect timing and a hilarious use of Murphy's law make Planes, Trains and Automobiles a must-see for the holidays.

My Rating: *****

Snubbed! Part 2: 5 Actors Who Should Have Noms

This is a slightly different twist on yesterday's post. This will be on actors who have yet to get any Oscar nominations. Again, I'm limiting the list to actors still working.

Oh, I should mention this. Yesterday's post was on only actors who have been nominated but have yet to win. There was a bit of confusion within the comments.

The Actor: Peter Sarsgaard
Notable performances: Boys Don't Cry, Kinsey, Shattered Glass, Jarhead, An Education
Will Oscar come?: Judging by the depth of some of his performances, there's no doubt that'll happen. When, I can't say.

The Actor: Gary Oldman
Notable performances: Sid and Nancy, JFK, The Contender
Will Oscar come?: It better. Oldman's a hell of an actor and it's almost sickening that he doesn't have any Oscar nominations to his name.

The Actor: Christian Bale
Notable performances: American Psycho, Batman Begins, The Prestige
Will Oscar come?: Hopefully. He knows how to really get into a role (remember The Machinist?). Plus, buzz for The Fighter show good signs for Bale.

The Actor: Sam Rockwell
Notable performances: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Moon
Will Oscar come?: Considering he blew me away with Moon, I'm sensing Oscar will come. But like what I said for Sarsgaard, I can't say when. Maybe this year for Conviction?

The Actor: Mark Ruffalo
Notable performances: You Can Count on Me, Zodiac
Will Oscar come?: Much like Sarsgaard and Rockwell, Ruffalo is an actor better known for his supporting work. And much like Rockwell and Bale, Ruffalo has Oscar buzz building up for a role he did this year (in his case, The Kids Are All Right).

Other snubbies: Jim Carrey (The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Kevin Bacon (Mystic River)

So again, there's my list. Who's on yours?

Snubbed! 5 Actors Who Should Have Oscars

The Academy Awards always seem to hit a nerve with a movie lover. Either they don't give an actor recognition for perhaps their best work or they don't give them any recognition at all. Either way, their decisions manage to piss a few people off. There are actors who were nominated many times but winning that golden statuette seemed to elude them (ie, Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton). This list will focus on some of the more glaring examples (I'm limiting it to actors still working).

The Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio
He is honestly one of the best actors working today. So how is it he doesn't have an Oscar to call his own?
Nominated for: What Eating Gilbert Grape (lost to Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive), The Aviator (lost to Jamie Foxx in Ray), Blood Diamond (lost to Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland)
Should have won for: The Aviator. His portrayal of Howard Hughes is one that'll stick in your mind long after you see it. His descent into madness is haunting as well as stunning.
Neglected by AMPAS: Catch Me If You Can, Gangs of New York, The Departed, Revolutionary Road

The Actor: Ralph Fiennes
I've mentioned several times before that I admire Fiennes' work, so of course it offends me that he hasn't been fully recognized for it.
Nominated for: Schindler's List (lost to Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive), The English Patient (lost to Geoffrey Rush in Shine)
Should have won for: Schindler's List. His loss that year is considered one of AMPAS' biggest mistakes. He commands the film when he's on screen. He also scares the hell out of everyone with his twisted and sadistic portrayal of Amon Goeth.
Neglected by AMPAS: Quiz Show

The Actor: Julianne Moore
One of the best actresses working today and what does she have to show for it? Nothing.
Nominated for: Boogie Nights (lost to Kim Basinger in L.A. Confidential), The End of the Affair (lost to Hilary Swank in Boys Don't Cry), Far from Heaven (lost to Nicole Kidman in The Hours), The Hours (lost to Catherine Zeta-Jones in Chicago)
Should have won for: The Hours. I know some of you might say Far from Heaven, but bear in mind I haven't seen it yet. Her work in The Hours is delicate and gentle yet strong and powerful. Although Nicole Kidman won for her performance, it's Moore who gave the best one.
Neglected by AMPAS: Magnolia, A Single Man

The Actor: Edward Norton
Although he has two Oscar nominations, I still consider Norton an underrated actor. He knows how to grab one's attention with his acting.
Nominated for: Primal Fear (lost to Cuba Gooding, Jr. in Jerry Maguire), American History X (lost to Roberto Benigni in Life is Beautiful)
Should have won for: Primal Fear. This was Norton's debut as an actor and it showed that he's here to stay. He appears normal, but soon you realize that he has a dark side. It's a horrifying and in-depth performance, not common for a film debut.
Neglected by AMPAS: 25th Hour

The Actor: Ed Harris
A prolific character actor, yes, but also a very good actor. He shows range in roles that most actors can only dream of.
Nominated for: Apollo 13 (lost to Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects), The Truman Show (lost to James Coburn in Affliction), Pollock (lost to Russell Crowe in Gladiator), The Hours (lost to Chris Cooper in Adaptation)
Should have won for: The Hours. Along with his equally unsuccessful co-star Julianne Moore, Harris gave the best performance in The Hours (forget Nicole). He's only in the movie for two scenes, but he left a hell of an impact.
Neglected by AMPAS: A Beautiful Mind

Other snubbies: Matt Damon, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Robert Downey, Jr.

So there are mine. Who are some actors you would include?

12 Monkeys

Terry Gilliam has one weird mind. Has he made a movie that was, you know, normal? From what I've seen, not really.

James Cole (Bruce Willis) is sent back to 1996 to gather information on the origin of a virus that wiped out 5 billion people that year. However, he gets sent to 1990, gets arrested and sent to a mental institution. There, he meets psychiatrist Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe) and mental patient Jeffrey Goines (Brad Pitt).

Geez, Pitt is CRAZY in this. I love his crazy look, which is really just his eyes bugging out. He is clearly a scene stealer in 12 Monkeys. Not bad for someone who's going through nicotine withdrawal (I'm not lying, look it up). Willis kicks some serious ass. It has the Gilliam quirkiness, but alas it also falls victim to what usually happens halfway through a Gilliam pic: the story crumples. But still, it holds up for a good chunk of time.

My Rating: ****

Badlands

Impressed but not blown away by Days of Heaven and The New World, I was nervous if I was going to like The Thin Red Line. But I was told by a fellow blogger that I should see Badlands before The Thin Red Line otherwise I wouldn't like it.

After murdering her father, Kit Carruthers (Martin Sheen) and Holly Sargis (Sissy Spacek) hit the road and go on a killing spree.

One of the differences that Badlands has and Days of Heaven and The New World don't is that Badlands has a faster pace, something which I like. It's actually based on the  case of Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate, who were responsible for nine murders back in 1958 (the producers had to change names to avoid a lawsuit from the soon-to-be paroled Fugate). The work from Sheen (whom I almost didn't recognize) and Spacek is very good. Malick has finally captured my interest for his movies. Now I'm really looking forward to The Thin Red Line as well as The Tree of Life, whenever the hell that gets released.

My Rating: ****1/2

JFK

Knowing Oliver Stone, he never shies away from controversial subjects. Glorification of violence (Natural Born Killers), the lies of a disgraced President (Nixon), the Vietnam War (Platoon)...you name it, chances are he's covered it.

Three years after John F. Kennedy's assassination, New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) starts an investigation of what really happened that November day in 1963. He uncovers facts that don't match with what the FBI said and a conspiracy that may go deeper than he could have ever imagined.

Oh God, where to start with this one? The opening credits make you feel as though you're watching a documentary, but you soon realize that JFK is a documentary-style movie. Costner gives a career best performance as Garrison (ironic considering that in Bull Durham Costner said, "I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone"). Gary Oldman's work as Lee Harvey Oswald continues to make me wonder how the hell he doesn't have any Oscar nominations to his name. Tommy Lee Jones was also good, though I wouldn't dub his performance worthy of an Oscar nod. Along with Costner, Oldman and Jones, JFK has a star-studded cast that's well-acted. Even though some of the facts have been altered for Stone's liking, most of the facts presented in JFK are true. JFK really has you wondering about the honesty of of the US government.

My Rating: *****