Thoughts on the Academy Award nominations

This morning the Academy Award nominations were announced. While most of the nominees were expected, there were some surprises and snubs that the web is abuzz over. As always, the Golden Globes were a decent predictor of the Oscar noms, except for the sudden recognition of "True Grit," which was by-and-large snubbed by the Globes. I'm going to go through the nominations, giving my two cents worth. I don't normally like to do this, but I'll go ahead and predict who will win using bold type. In the editorial, I'll elaborate on who I think should win.(Sorry, but I'm skipping over documentaries and short films, foreign language film, Art Direction, Costumes, and Best Makeup. My knowledge of these categories is slim at best, so any comment on them would be fruitless on my part.)

Best Picture
127 Hours*(tie)
Black Swan*
The Fighter* (tie)
Inception
The Kids are All Right
The King's Speech*
The Social Network*
Toy Story 3*
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Nothing out of the ordinary here. Some are still quibbling over the ten nominee system for Best Picture, but this year I think it works well. There aren't a whole lot of fluff nominations that got in simply because there was more room. But if I had to pick just five, I would pick the ones I starred. I love "Inception," but it should be well served in other categories and if it really came down to it, I wouldn't include it in the top five. "127 Hours" and "The Fighter" are hard to choose between because, while I trust that they are both excellent movies, they are the only two on this list I haven't seen yet. I was considering leaving off "Toy Story 3," since it will win the Best Animated Film award, but in this case it should be in the running for the big one.

Best Actor
Javier Bardem, "Biutiful"
Jeff Bridges, "True Grit"
Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network"
Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"
James Franco, "127 Hours"

The race here is between Franco and Firth, but the Academy just loves Colin Firth. There's still some goodwill probably floating about after Firth didn't win for his superb performance in "A Single Man," which will most likely work in his favor.

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, "The Fighter
John Hawkes, "Winter's Bone"
Jeremy Renner, "The Town"
Mark Ruffalo, "The Kids Are All Right"
Geoffrey Rush, "The King's Speech"

I was surprised to see Hawkes get in there, although he was good in "Winter's Bone." I was also pleasantly surprised to see Renner score a nom, although I wish "The Town" had gotten more recognition overall. I am absolutely livid about Ruffalo getting in there over Andrew Garfield, who delivered one of the best performances of the year in "The Social Network." The scene towards the end where his character realizes just how much he got screwed over should have earned him a nomination. Ruffalo was fine, but what about his role screamed "best performance of the year?"

Best Actress
Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right"
Nicole Kidman, "Rabbit Hole"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone"
Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"
Michelle Williams, "Blue Valentine"

If all the hype doesn't carry her, this is a category where we could possibly see an upset. I think that's highly unlikely though, seeing as how Portman's performance speaks for itself, hype or not. This is a tough one though, since Williams and Lawrence have some good buzz behind them for their great performances. But if the Oscars are going to recognize a great juvenile performance this year, it's going to be Hailee Steinfeld's for "True Grit."

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, "The Fighter"
Helena Bonham Carter, "The King's Speech"
Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"
Hailee Steinfeld, "True Grit"
Jacki Weaver, "Animal Kingdom"

I don't understand how they can call Steinfeld a Supporting Actress, as she was the star of that movie, but she might not have gotten the nom otherwise. While she deserves the nom, I don't think she's going to get the win. I'm not super upset over Mila Kunis being left out for "Black Swan." I enjoyed that movie, but her role wasn't very meaty and she didn't actually have that much to do. Her performance has been a little overhyped, so while I'm surprised they didn't nominate her, I'm not disappointed.

Best Animated Film
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

I have to keep reminding myself that some foreign animated movie came out last year and they're not just nominating that Edward Norton magician movie years later. I'm curious how wide of a release "The Illusionist" received because I hadn't even heard of it until the Golden Globes. I'm surprised "Tangled" didn't get a nom. It's not like this category was overstuffed, they only nominated three movies! But this is the category will "Toy Story 3" will get its much-deserved award.

Best Cinematography
Black Swan
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

"True Grit," while not a great movie in my estimation, did look amazing. But I would love to see this one go to "Black Swan" and I think it will. Even if you hated that movie, you can't deny that the cinematography was fascinating. You could turn off the sound and just look at the movie and still enjoy it.

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky, "Black Swan"
Joel & Ethan Coen, "True Grit"
David Fincher, "The Social Network"
Tom Hooper, "The King's Speech"
David O. Russell, "The Fighter"

In my opinion, this was the most difficult category this year. You have hyped directors, talented directors, hyped and talented directors, and everything in between vying for a spot. I'm pretty peeved that Christopher Nolan got bumped from the category. So, "Inception" was one of the best movies, it was one of the most visually skilled, its screenplay was one of the best, but apparently the director had nothing to do with any of that? I really think the reason he got bumped was because his movie was the most popular, "popcorn," blockbuster movie to get nominated. When it comes down to it, the Academy will go for the "serious" or more "artsy" films every single time and Nolan fell prey to that. I agree with what I read on another site, that the Coen brothers could have made "True Grit" in their sleep. It was a solid movie, but nothing special. This is Fincher's to lose. It's the year of "The Social Network," a movie that performed well but also maintains its "serious" cred, and the Fincher/Sorkin team is a force to be reckoned with. Their combined buzz will lead them both to major wins on Oscar night.

Best Editing
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King's Speech
The Social Network

How "Inception" was not nominated here, I will never know. I can understand it losing out in the bigger categories, but it should win every technical award it can. That movie would have been crap if not for the brilliant editing, and how can anyone watch the cross-cutting between the dream-levels and not think to nominate it? "The Social Network" could possibly take this one as its hype will probably bleed over into other categories, but "Black Swan" should take it.

Best Score
"127 Hours," A.R. Rahman
"How to Train Your Dragon," John Powell
"Inception," Hans Zimmer
"The King's Speech," Alexandre Desplat
"The Social Network," Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

I'd love to see Hans Zimmer win, but I'd put money down that it's going to go to "The Social Network." And I won't be that heartbroken. "Inception" had a great soundtrack, but so did "The Social Network." Its win would absolutely not be undeserved. "Inception" has received some harsh criticism from the Internet after random viral sensations lampooned its main theme, but the score was more than just that small snippet pounding during the fight scenes that people remember the most.

Best Song
"Coming Home," Country Strong
"I See the Light," Tangled
"If I Rise," 127 Hours
"We Belong Together," Toy Story 3

"Toy Story 3" will win over the other animated nom here. The only possible competition could be from the song from "127 Hours," but once again, leftover goodwill from years past when Randy Newman didn't win for "You've Got a Friend in Me" will help him out.

Best Sound Editing
Inception
Toy Story 3
TRON: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable

Best Sound Mixing
Inception
The King's Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

Best Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2

I've already stated my opinions on "Inception" regarding the technical categories above, so I won't elaborate on these three categories. These will be the "Avatar" categories - where the Academy acknowledges the popular movie, but this is all it will get.

Best Original Screenplay
Another Year
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech

I'm torn here. The Globes really liked "The Kids Are All Right," but I just have a feeling that it's not going to have as much luck at the Oscars since it's sharing categories with Dramas, not just Comedies and Musicals. "The King's Speech" is tailor-made to be an Oscar darling, and you know what? It completely deserves it.

Best Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Funny how sequels are considered Adapted Screenplays, huh? But this is another one where I would put down money (hell, I'd probably bet my life on this one) that Aaron Sorkin is going to go home with this award. He did a fantastic job, he deserves it, and he's going to win. No doubts here.

My Top 10: Fictional Eateries I want to visit

It's roughly mid-month, which means it's time for another bizarrely themed Top 10 list! This time I'm profiling some of my favorite imaginary restaurants and cafes from movies and television. Since I've missed out on some really popular shows, I like to refrain from saying "the greatest X of all time," instead substituting "my favorite X of all time." As always, I (futilely) encourage feedback, so you're always free to dispute my choices or offer your own.

10. Monk's from "Seinfeld"An absolutely iconic eatery in television history, this one ranks so low because the food looked like it sucked. But when Reggie's, the bizarro coffee shop, is your only other option, Monk's starts to look like five-star cuisine. If nothing else, I hear the Big Salad is good.

9. Java the Hut from "Veronica Mars" I admit it, this one gets a spot partly because of the awesome name. But it also had plenty of great music acts in addition to secret private investigator meetings. It has the perfect atmosphere of teen hangout mixed with film noir.

8. The Soup Nazi's place from "Seinfeld" Once you get past the delicate ordering procedure, it sounds like the soup is totally worth it. Word to the wise - if they forget to give you bread, just let it go.

7. Rick's Cafe Americain from "Casablanca"Of all the gin joints in all the world, this one is the definition of cool. Suave, classy, and full of intriguing people, Rick's Cafe is the place to be. Referencing any more of the famous quotes would be too easy, so I'll just say that this movie really never does get old...even as time goes by (too easy, but I can't resist).

6. Any diner from any gangster movieIt's basically a requirement for any major gangster, crime drama to have the characters discuss their plans in a diner. Tarantino particularly enjoys this trope, whether the characters openly discuss robbing a diner like in "Pulp Fiction" or they discuss the validity of tipping or the meaning of Madonna songs like in "Reservoir Dogs." So why would I want to visit those places? Because you're guaranteed some drama and shady patrons. The rest of my choices are pretty tame by comparison, so this is my one wild selection.

5. The Krusty Krab from "Spongebob Squarepants"The episode where Squidward tried his first Krabby Patty sealed the deal for me - I must have one. They may not be the most healthy food option under the sea, but they're good for your soul.

4. Coffee Bucks from "Scrubs" (or "Cougar Town") Bill Lawrence carried over his fictional coffee chain into "Cougar Town," but it was featured prominently in "Scrubs" first when Kelso put one in the hospital. You'd be guaranteed to run into everyone from Sacred Heart here. Just be sure that you don't pass on your coffee-drinking ways to your kids.

3. La Chocolaterie Maya from "Chocolat"This definitely places high on a list of 'movies not to watch while hungry.' As far as my sweet tooth goes, I would be fine if chocolate was the only candy I could eat for the rest of my life. Vienne knows all sorts of long-held secrets of chocolate preparation, so mix that in with the natural beauty of the French village and you've got one great hot spot for chocolate lovers.

2. Luke's Diner from "Gilmore Girls"
I just wish I could move to Stars Hollow for a few months. Luke makes the best cup of coffee in town, according to the local coffee experts Lorelai and Rory. He'll make you something unique (if he likes you) and handle orders with charm and patience. Not to mention there's always plenty of local character.

1. The Pie Hole from "Pushing Daises"I'm not even a big fan of pie, but if the Piemaker bakes it himself, I'll definitely make the exception. Unlike Keri Russell's inspired pies in "Waitress," the town in "Pushing Daisies" isn't nearly as depressing and the pies are far more magical. This place has the most local color of all since it's like stepping into a fantasy land. The show was best described as a 'forensic fairy tale' and, really, who wouldn't want to take a visit to that genre?

Honorable mention: Good Burger from "All That" and "Good Burger," The Drunken Clam from "Family Guy," Weston's from "Gilmore Girls," Independence Inn or Dragonfly Inn from "Gilmore Girls," any of "Chuck"'s random restaurants (Lou's sandwich place, the Orange Orange, Wienerlicious), Pizza Planet from the "Toy Story" movies, Sacred Heart Cafeteria from "Scrubs"

My Favorite Things of 2010

I've read around a thousand lists of "Best movies of the year," "Worst movies of the year," "Biggest breakout stars of the year," etc. I didn't want to do a cliche one like that, so instead I'll do a super creative list of things that made me happy this year. Enjoy, and feel free to yell at me for anything I missed. It's been a long year, after all, and I know I didn't remember everything.

"Inception" gives us a 2 for 1 gift
I thought I'd put the obvious one up front. We got a thrilling, summer popcorn movie combined with a thoughtful, mind-bending film rolled into one amazing time at the movies (or three, depending on how many times you saw it. I couldn't get enough!) "Inception" is one of my new favorite movies of all time. No other director can make blockbuster movies that are incredibly popular, incredibly smart, and incredibly original like Christopher Nolan.

The continual rise of AMC
I'm slowly falling in love with this channel. From top-notch original programming like "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad" to quality movies that aren't just whatever they could get the rights to and throw on the air, they live up to their slogan of "story matters here." I don't think "The Walking Dead" lived up to its fantastic premise, but AMC deserves all due credit for making an effort to have all-around quality programming.

BBC's "Sherlock"
From "Doctor Who" writer Steven Moffat, "Sherlock" had a lot of the charm and energy of Moffat's "Doctor Who" contributions. A modern updating of the Sherlock Holmes stories could have easily been a disgrace to Sherlock's history, but it turned out to be an extremely entertaining and smartly produced TV series. It's easily one of the best things I've watched this year and I can't wait for more episodes.

"Southland" lives
NBC couldn't hold on to it, but TNT knew better and kept this great cop drama on the air, even renewing it for another season to air soon. I don't like procedurals, but I do love lawyer and cop dramas when they're more sophisticated and realistic than the hundreds of "CSI"s and "Law & Order"s out there.

"Cougar Town" keeps getting better and better
I'm really hoping I won't be saying this still next year as it pains me to admit, but "Modern Family" seems to have peaked in its first year. But "Cougar Town" worked out its kinks, ditched the off-putting premise, and became a terrific sitcom that has the same silly yet smart comedy that show creator Bill Lawrence put in "Scrubs."

"Fringe" crosses over to the Other Side
I've raved about this show all over my blog, so I won't bother to reiterate my praise, even if it does completely deserve it. After all the highly advertised 'next big things' in SciFi that sputtered and died, it's nice to have one show around that nails the big narrative scope and intimate character development that all those other ones promised but couldn't deliver on.

Andrew Garfield
I had no idea whatsoever who this guy was when they announced him as the lead actor in the "Spiderman" reboot. I wasn't excited already because I thought the first two movies were very good. But after seeing him in "The Social Network," I couldn't wait to see more of him. Jesse Eisenberg plays it cold and distanced, but Andrew Garfield brings the emotional weight of the film. It excited me to uncover another tidbit of why I thought he looked so darn familiar. He had a lead role in the two-part "Doctor Who" episode "Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks." He definitely has my attention now!

"Toy Story 3"
So many people of my generation were terrified that our childhood memories of the first two movies would be retroactively tarnished by an awful addition to the franchise years later. Imagine our relief when the third movie was every bit as wonderful as the first two. Who knew three animated kid's movies could be so emotionally affecting and enjoyable by young and old equally. More than a success due to nostalgia alone, this third film earned all the praise it got.

"24" ends
I loved this show for a long time but the last few seasons went really downhill and it broke my heart. The character assassination of Tony Almeida was bad enough, but Katee Sackhoff's Dana Walsh storyline put the final nail in the coffin and it became crystal clear - "24"'s time had come and gone and it was time to go.

"Ugly Betty" ends on a high note
No one really noticed when "Ugly Betty" recovered from its creative slump and got back to its first season goodness. By then, the show was canceled and was wrapping things up. But unlike other shows that march slowly toward their death with dwindling writing quality, "Ugly Betty" avoided that bitter end and proved that it deserves a fond place in our memories.

"Avatar" gets shut out at the Oscars
As the Oscar season roles around again, people are disputing the validity of nominations for ten films or for blockbuster films. But if "Avatar" can be a frontrunner, then so can "Inception" and other great movies that also happened to be wildly popular. As much as I think blockbuster movies deserve recognition when they're good, movies should win Academy Awards for having the whole package. Brilliant visuals should win technical awards. Brilliant visuals plus superb writing and acting should win Best Picture.

"Breaking Bad" winning big at the Emmys
Speaking of the whole package, "Breaking Bad" definitely has it. As much as I've wanted "Dexter" to get some love for a while and as exquisite as "Mad Men" is, "Breaking Bad" is shockingly terrific. Shockingly in that it has shocking moments, not that I expected it to be bad. Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul absolutely earned those Emmy awards. Their performances are fearlessly genius and unparalleled in the television world.

"Billionaire" by Travie McCoy & Bruno Mars
I'll admit, I'm not an avid listener of Top 40 like I used to be, finding most of it to be overly autotuned and unoriginal. I don't like the state of pop music right now, I think American Idol alums only add to the generic singles, and rap/hip-hop has never been my favorite genre. (I don't say this to be an old timer at heart or a smug, arrogant hipster, I just like to be honest). But I really loved this song. So much of hip-hop that turns me off has to do with the Kanye West-type arrogance in the music. Social commentary and innovation, yes please. Giant egos going on and on about how awesomely badass and rich they are, no thank you. "Billionaire" came at a good time, when the economy was in a bad place and everyone could relate to this earnest song about the natural desire to have the freedom and joy that money can bring.

"Night Work" by the Scissor Sisters
Not nearly as popular in their native US as they should be, the Scissor Sisters released another album this year. The delightful new addition brought us more quality pop, heavily influenced by the best of disco and dance music. They also released the ridiculously upbeat song "Isn't It Strange," which got a place in the new "Shrek" movie. Still filthy, still gorgeous, I hope the Scissor Sisters keep putting out great music like they have this year.

"Kick-Ass" says 'yes' to violence and swearing
Is it base of me to say that I enjoyed the hell out of this movie? Is it immature of me to admit that I loved all the graphic violence? I don't care what anyone says, I had a great time watching this one and wish it had done better so we would get a sequel. It also got Mika to release another single specifically for this movie, so all things considered, this movie made me very happy this year.

Ben Affleck keeps directing
It looks like "Gone Baby Gone" was just the beginning. I don't care if Affleck ever acts again, but I can't wait to see what he does next behind the camera.

Mark Pellegrino scores some high-profile roles
Alright, Lucifer on "Supernatural" is definitely not a high-profile role. He was probably recognized mostly for his work as the abusive Paul Bennett on "Dexter." But he also got the role as the mysterious Jacob on "Lost." I may not have liked the direction "Lost" took towards the end, but Pellegrino was game to fill in the convoluted blanks in the story.

The pervasive use of "Sunshine (Adagio in D Minor)"
And I thought I'd put the bizarrely specific one last. I love this simple yet moving piece of music by composer John Murphy. It's showing up all over the place now, from episodes of "V" and "The Walking Dead" to the climax of "Kick-Ass" (which also used Murphy's "In the House, in a Heartbeat" from "28 Days Later.") I even heard it in a trailer for some Javier Bardem movie. It's quickly becoming the new go-to piece of music, much like the oft-used "Lux Aerterna" from "Requiem for a Dream."

On DVD: "The Kids Are All Right" and "The Town"

Recently I had the opportunity to watch two movies I wasn't able to see in theaters. "The Kids Are All Right" and "The Town" just came out on DVD and both are likely to be recognized in some capacity in the coming awards season. "Inception" also came out on DVD recently and you can click here to read my review of it and "Toy Story 3." Read ahead for my reviews of the other two.

"The Kids Are All Right"I have to say I was very disappointed by this movie. I really wanted it to be a clever, unique comment on family and conflict. If not for the hype, I might have liked it better, but the way professional critics are going on about it you'd think it was a much smarter, more dynamic film that it is. The basic premise is that the son and daughter of two lesbians search out their biological father and complications ensue. It's not so much a family drama like I expected as most of the focus turns away from the children and onto the adults and the odd decisions they make. I'm not talking about the odd decision of lesbians to watch gay male porn, which thoroughly confused me until Julianne Moore's character hilariously explained it. I'm not talking about the odd decision to name their son 'Laser.' I'm talking about something so integral to the plot that I can't properly discuss the movie unless I spoil it, so SPOILER ALERT if that bothers you. Julianne Moore's character starts sleeping with Mark Ruffalo's character. There's some half-assed explanation like 'she hasn't felt appreciated,' but really, it just struck me as ridiculously unrealistic. It fed into the tired belief that all lesbians are straight women led astray who just need a rugged man to snap them back to normal. She seems to really enjoy sleeping with him, physically not just emotionally, and she initiates the act herself a few times. Cheating on her wife because she doesn't feel appreciated could make sense, but why she runs into the arms of the newly arrived sperm donor father is perplexing and the movie lost me at that point. The emotional resolution, the scene where Moore gets to really shine, is considerably less powerful when the issue it's resolving never made sense to me in the first place.

The acting across the board is really good, but I didn't think that any of it was particularly Academy Award worthy. Moore and Annette Bening get to shine towards the end, but the moments are so short that I don't think it's enough for a nomination. Are we just pleased when people can actually act in movies these days? Or do we expect these two actresses to be great so we praise their solid performances as revolutionary? I would much prefer to see the two younger stars get recognition for their roles. Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson were much better than I expected and it was that much better because they weren't late 20-something actors playing young kids. I wish the movie had kept the focus on them more. For all the pains the movie goes through to show that this family has problems like everyone else, the big speech that solves everything (except Ruffalo's misery) clears away the complex family issues it tried to set up. Hutcherson's Laser is underdeveloped and issues of parenting and role models take backseat to the affair between Moore and Ruffalo.

All in all, I have to agree with the few other people who felt the same way I did - if this movie was about a heterosexual couple with adopted children who seek out their bioDad, would it really have gotten all this attention? The film felt like pure Oscar bait. It seems to fit in with the tendency of professional critics around this time to praise indie movies with high profile actors playing alternative characters. I have to be honest, aside from the nonsensical plot "twist," the movie isn't awful. It's enjoyable at times, but it's just not sheer brilliance. But I really think that critics like to praise "edgy" performances and a lot of times they get a little self-important. They like to recommend "serious" movies. Watching this movie I just felt like I was watching an attempt to say "lesbian families aren't perfect, they're just like yours! That's the point!" No, most families (of any kind) aren't perfect, but I really think a lot of the message gets lost when the motivation of characters' actions leading to the Big Conflict are unclear and make little sense.

My grade: C

"The Town"I'll admit that this one had a bias in favor of it coming in because I love crime dramas. But I've never been a big fan of Ben Affleck in starring roles so it kind of balanced things out. This was another interesting experience because I was expecting a more fast-paced, action-filled thriller than what I got. It had plenty of action, but it was smarter and quieter in an intense way that I came to enjoy. I worry that some might be disappointed because it could be too little romance for the female crowd and too little action for the male crowd. I hate to put it in black-and-white terms like that, but it does tend to skew that way and there's no way I can deny that. I do have to point out that the trailer is very misleading as it is edited to a very large degree. Dialogue is switched around and dialogue is added that I never heard in the actual movie. But it's still a movie that's worth your time.

I'm going to point out my favorite thing first - Jon Hamm. He is so great at playing a bastard that I relished his might-have-been cheesy action lines. He pulls off great badass lines like "this is the 'not fucking around crew.' Find me something that looks like a print so I can grab one of these assholes and shake their tree because this 'not fucking around thing' is about to go both ways!" Jeremy Renner as Jem is also fantastic as the explosive partner-in-crime of Ben Affleck's Doug. He's a fascinating character and I wish they had spent a little more time on the relationship between him and Affleck's character. He also has my favorite moment in the movie, where Doug walks into the room and tells him "I need your help. I can't tell you what it is, you can never ask me about it later, and we're gonna hurt some people." Jem pauses for a second, then asks "whose car we gonna take?"

I also have to point out that while Ben Affleck is not my favorite actor, he's turning into a pretty good director. I hope he continues his career behind the camera. He handles the action scenes nicely and shoots Boston beautifully. That's my only concern about his future - how will he handle films outside of his turf? But I really did enjoy the action scenes here, especially the car chase with the police through narrow streets. Often when you get car chases like these they take place in European cities down narrow lanes so it was nice to see an American take. The robberies and the action pieces aren't huge, epic sequences. They're closed in, tightly directed, and they have a nice claustrophobic intensity to them where you feel like you're right there and about to get shot. Also, the heist crew isn't made of movie thieves who are high-tech criminal masterminds either. Like it's mentioned at the beginning of the movie, robbery is treated like another trade that these men have down pat.

SPOILER ALERT for the ending, because I'd like to address that as well. I was pleased with the ending, which didn't wrap everything up nicely in a bow. I was so afraid they were going to go cliche and have Claire run away with Doug where they would live off the money from the final heist in Florida. But no, Claire fights with her conscience and works with the FBI even after she realizes Doug isn't villain through-and-through but she also tries to warn him away from a trap. The ending isn't some fairy tale where she runs away with him for true love and all his criminal acts are forgiven because he has a heart of gold. The ending was melancholy but not completely depressing. I felt like these characters were actually adults. In lesser movies, especially romantic comedies, you get grown men and women acting like they're teenagers. But this movie has a more blurred sense of morality and takes a sober look at romance and I appreciated that. Especially after the bizarre romantic relationship in "The Kids Are All Right." I also enjoyed the mommy issues, which they didn't need to put in but it added some psychological depth to the characters and some insight into the blue-collar Boston lifestyle.

Overall, good movie. I would have liked a few more scenes between Renner and Affleck, but it was still well done. I enjoyed the more realistic, down-to-earth feel when I was expecting a bombastic, overblown action flick.

My grade: A

In Theaters: "Toy Story 3" and "Inception"

A few weeks ago, I had one of the best weekends at the theater ever. Because it was my own double feature, it beats out the weekend last year when I went to see "Star Trek." I rushed home, eager to blog away with my thoughts. But "Inception" was the kind of movie I just had to see again. This is high praise, since I have never seen a movie in theaters twice. That is, until today. I just came back from my second viewing of "Inception." I didn't plan for it to be weeks after the first time, but life got in the way, so I figured better late than never!

"Toy Story 3"
The trailers: I wasn't too invested since they were all for children's movies. Still, they weren't horrendously awful in that they make me fear for the downfall of mankind.

"The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" - I didn't realize they were continuing the franchise. Up until this moment, I hadn't heard a thing about "Chronicles of Narnia" since the last one. After I watched the first movie on TV a few months back, I knew I had missed the boat for this franchise. I never read the books and I just did not care for the movie. I am very confused about how the kids keep getting into and out of Narnia via different means. Wardrobe? Painting? Train station? Stargate?

"Tangled" - the new Disney movie about Rapunzel, with a modern twist, it seems. I didn't notice during the trailer, but apparently Zachary Levi is one of the lead voice actors. Huh. It looks like they somehow smushed together Robin Hood and Rapunzel. Not sure why, though.
"Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole" - this is another film that I imagine is based on some children's fantasy book series I missed. Mainly because one of my friends at the showing, who is a children's fantasy novel expert, knew exactly what this strange owl movie was. I was just trying to place the lead owl's voice, which is Jim Sturgess. He has a very nice voice, especially when it's coming out of a cute furry owl.

The Pixar short: I didn't realize they even still did these, as the last animated film I saw in theaters was probably "Monsters Inc." But I'm glad to see they still do, because I really enjoyed "Day & Night." It complimented the film nicely with themes of togetherness and celebrating differences while recognizing similarities.

The film: Let me tell you, I had some high hopes for this movie. Rotten Tomatoes had assured me that my childhood wouldn't be retroactively destroyed, and they were right. My review for this one will pale in comparison to my review for "Inception," just because there isn't as much to say about this one. "Toy Story 3" was certainly different from the other two, but considering the giant gap in time between the second and third, I'll let it slide. Also, I'm viewing this one for the first time as an adult, not as a child. As an adult, I could more easily notice the dark tone of these movies. It's quite a feat to address major emotional and psychological issues and make them resonate with your audience, young or old. It's also quite a feat to get me not just into a kid's movie, but also get me laughing out loud at a kid's movie. Spanish Buzz Lightyear is the highlight of this movie. The visual gags alone are hilarious. But on the subject of the dark tones, "Toy Story 3" also had a lot of nervewracking, scary moments that would have had an impact on my psyche as a child. Watching your beloved toys and childhood friends get slowly forced into a burning fire is pretty affecting.

My favorite parts of this movie, aside from Spanish Buzz, are definitely the beginning and the ending. The intro fantasty sequence is an absolute joy. It was genius to remind all us twentysomethings returning for our 90s franchise what it was like when your imagination could actually create something like that in your bedroom with your favorite toys. The ending is sweetly emotional and is the perfect wrap-up to the franchise. It leaves us with the lesson that moving on is tough, but not always a negative. A perfect moral for us older kids reminiscing about our childhood and reflecting on the years gone by.

As a last note, the music was great as usual. "We Belong Together" is a touching song, but I wanted a little more "You've Got a Friend in Me." That song alone is enough to make me tear up. (It didn't help that I saw this movie with my best friends.)

My grade: A+

"Inception"

The trailers: I was really let down by the trailers. Maybe the movies they were advertising will be good, but I think the trailers themselves were pretty bad.

"The American" - George Clooney is...doing something assassin-y. That's about all I got from this trailer.
"The Town" - it stars Ben Affleck. And Blake Lively. Do I really have to go on? Jon Hamm is in there too as an FBI agent tracking thieves. Thief falls in love with victim, odd New England accents, you've probably seen this movie done before. I love how they tried to advertise it as "from the director of 'Gone Baby Gone'," who is Ben Affleck. "Gone Baby Gone" was an excellent movie starring his brother, Casey Affleck, and I'm going to say just rent that movie and skip "The Town." And, by the way, horrible title. Could we get any more vague?

"Due Date" - road trip comedy with Robert Downey Jr and Zach Galifianakis. I don't get the good-natured hobo moron appeal of Galifianakis. But I do get the appeal of Robert Downey Jr. This sounds like the kind of movie you know going into whether or not you're going to like.

"Devil" - from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan. That got snickers in many movie theaters, including mine, from me. I apologize to the other people in my theater, since I literally laughed out loud. The movie didn't look that great to begin with, but M Night's name on the project sealed its fate. I was, however, surprised to see the other guy from "Traveler." (The one who wasn't Matthew Bomer).

"Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" - I still haven't seen the first "Wall Street" movie, so I don't have much to comment on here. For the unitiated, the trailer didn't do much to explain what the sequel is about.

"The Social Network" - this trailer attempted to come off as dramatic but ended up confusing and boring. The behind the scenes drama of Facebook! How riveting...not. (A few days later, I found out that this movie is being directed by David Fincher. The man behind "Fight Club" "Se7en," and "Zodiac" made a movie about Facebook drama? I'm suddenly curious.)

"Dinner for Schmucks" - When I saw "Inception" again, the trailers included "Devil," "Due Date," "The Town," and these next two. I thought this was odd since "Schmucks" is already out, but oh well. I know this isn't my type of movie. I can't stand most everyone from the Apatow crew, and Steve Carrell's odd brand of awkward humor just doesn't do it for me. This movie looks like torture to sit through.

"Tron" - I know next to nothing about the original "Tron" movie, except geeks love it. I wasn't sure who this was marketed towards. Older people with 80s nostalgia? Young kids? (It is by Disney, after all). Older kids? The tone didn't seem super light and fun, and they aren't going to have someone as sexy as Olivia Wilde in there without doing something with her.

The film: After seeing it the first time, I had so many thoughts about it I just didn't know how to formulate and organize them. I was so excited that the movie didn't suck and, actually, was amazing. It was unbelievably refreshing to get such an intelligent movie in the middle of summer. I just got back from seeing it a second time, and I have to dispute right here and now the people who said it didn't make sense. I had no problem following it the first time. In fact, I think they spell out most of the really important stuff for you. Other things, you have to infer. Granted, you really have to be paying attention, but most every question I saw people raise after opening weekend was answered in the movie, if you were watching closely. However, a lot of times the explanations are there, but they come really fast so a second viewing certainly helped me there.

I saw it a second time for entertainment, not to try and understand what was going on. Although I did understand it the first time, the second time absolutely enhanced my knowledge of the events. You're able to pick up more and more of the details and foreshadowing. Once I knew the plot, the second viewing allowed me to sit back and just enjoy the movie without worrying about missing some crucial detail. And it gave me the opportunity to try and catch all of Saito's dialogue, because, I'll admit, I had some trouble understanding him the first time around. But I think wholeheartedly that this is a movie you should (but don't necessarily have to) see twice. If nothing else, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's shifting-gravity fight scene is worth the price of admission.

"Inception" is the trippiest movie I've seen since "The Matrix." But what I love about "Inception," and what others have criticized about it, is the emotion of it. Many others have criticized it for not resonating on an emotional level. Maybe I'm just a big softy, but Dom and Mal's story was pretty powerful, in my opinion. Cillian Murphy's character's problems with his father, while not nearly as strong, could easily have become insignificant boring afterthoughts. They had a hard task in making two catharses happen right next to each other and somehow make them affecting. Personally, I thought they achieved this. Character development, outside of DiCaprio and Cotillard's characters, was sparse, but this really is DiCaprio's movie, despite having an excellent ensemble cast. I also thought the film received undeserved criticism (mostly prior to its release) for its lack of female protagonists. I want to ask those people again if they think Ellen Page's Ariadne is a weak female lead, or Marion Cotillard's Mal. Ariadne was strong, sensible, and smart and was right there alongside the boys in every dream level. On a sidenote, speaking of the women, I thought Mal's name was Moll until I read the reviews. I pronounce Mal like in Malcolm, like the character on "Firefly." They pronounce Mal like Moll as in Molly. If they had pronounced it the way I do, I would have been more bothered by the not-so-subtle meaning, but I'm not sure how mal is pronounced in Latin anyway, so it didn't really bother me like it did some people.

Initially, I was irked by the ending. But after thinking about it, reading viewers' reactions to it, and seeing it again myself, I have to say I like the ending. I was so afraid that Dom was going to stay behind with Mal in limbo just to get Fischer and Saito out somehow, that he would just give into the dream world and fake happiness. So I practically cheered when he turned, and said he wasn't staying with Mal because Mal was only a shade of his real wife. The final scene was open-ended and it planted an idea in our heads: that Dom's world wasn't real. Christopher Nolan achieved inception with his audiences. I think that scene was a wink and a nod to the people who would question the reality of it all, no matter what. But, in my mind, that totem was going to fall. I saw it the first time and I made sure to note it again the second time: it wobbled visibly. In previous scenes, where the totem kept spinning in the dream, it didn't wobble that much. I think that scene was less to make the viewer question the reality of it and more to make the viewer realize that Dom would always question the reality of it. To make you realize that while you may be very sure of yourself, you can never be 100% certain. I think that if Dom had still been dreaming, it would have invalidated all the struggles he went through and been a giant middle finger to the audience just to enact one last fake-out. It reminds me of the ending of the original "Solaris," where the protagonist goes through hell and makes it home just to discover that, oops, he never escaped. That ending may be narratively intriguing, but it's emotionally cruel. What is so wrong with having a relatively happy ending once in a while, where the protagonists go through fire to be with loved ones and actually earn a real catharsis?

On a visual level, I loved the use of CGI in this movie. It was used, in a word, sparingly. The awesome shifting gravity fight sequence was done in a giant rotating hallway - an actual model, not a computer generated platform. In a movie where they could have easily gotten away with CGI-ing the crap out of every scene that might be difficult to do in reality, they didn't take the easy way out and I respect the filmmakers enormously for that. The CGI that was in the film wasn't flashy or over-the-top, in my opinion. Paris folding in on itself actually had a reason other than "wouldn't it be cool-looking if we did this?" Another one of my favorite bits in the movie had to be the paradox stairs, mainly because it gave Gordon-Levitt another opportunity to do something badass.

The score was done by Hanz Zimmer, and oh boy can you tell. At first, I thought it was bombastic and overstated. I thought we didn't need a booming score telling us that "this is tense and thrilling, damn it!" But the second time I saw it, I think it actually fit the film nicely. Yes, it was bombastic, but "Inception" is all about ambitious efforts from the filmmakers and the characters. This movie is epic, dramatic and grand in scale and the music reflected that well.

While it had the Christopher Nolan trademark gloom, there were some light moments. Arthur and Eames were a treat together and I actually wish we had gotten a little more banter. Fischer asking why someone couldn't have dreamt of a beach as they fought through snow and machine gun fire was a great moment. I also heard someone make a comparison I really loved, which compared the meeting scene between Eames and Cobb to something straight out of an "Indiana Jones" flick. Exotic locale? Footchase through a crowded foreign city trying to evade the bad guys? Secret meeting with the new recruit for the team? It was an entertaining switch-up from the other large-scale action sequences and I don't feel like it was superfluous, which it had the danger of becoming if it had gone on longer than it did. There were also some fantastic creep-out moments as well. I loved the eeriness of the projections in someone's subconscious all staring at once at the person invading a dream.

This was my perfect summer movie and I wish we were lucky enough to get a movie this smart and thrilling every year. It melded genres together to produce a unique film unlike any other. SciFi? Action? Heist/Crime? Psychological drama? Thriller? Romance? Thank you, Christopher Nolan, for not making me have to choose just one.

My grade: A+

(I apologize for the lateness of this most recent blog post. I've been realizing that writing a blog during the summer is a pretty difficult task, but I promise things will calm down soon in my life and I will be able to write to my heart's content about fall TV. Hope you're having a nice summer.)