Making my top 20 list this weekend

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MY FAVORITE ACTOR THIS YEAR IS ......

KEVIN BACON!!!!!

While he did not give the best performance this year, that accolade should go to Brad Pitt for Moneyball, he appeared in three of my favorite films this year, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Super, and X-Men First Class. Interestingly enough Bacon plays the bad guy in all three films. I have always been a Bacon fan, footloose is one of the greatest teen films of all time, and this year I was pleased to see him on screen so much. The villains he played were all very different. He played the essence of evil in X-Men First Class as a mutant former Nazi scientist hellbent on starting WW3. His character was a diabolical genius and a proper villain for a big budget action film. While Fassbender and McAvoy should be credited with making the film a success, Bacon's performance does a fantastic job of raising the stakes high enough for the film to have real suspense. In Crazy, Stupid, Love Bacon plays the "other man" who breaks up Steve Carell and Julianne Moore. While his role is small in the film, the role is important and the scene between him and Jonah Bobo, who plays Carell's son, is one best I have seen this year. His final and best villain role of this year was as the drug dealer Jacques in James Gunn's Super. He plays a silly but maniacal caricature of a villain. He steals Rainn Wilson's wife in the film putting Wilson on a collision course to becoming the most violent vigilante I have ever seen on film. Bacon's Skeletor-esque physique and acting prowess creates one of the most believable and realistic "drug lord" characters I have seen in years. The characters final moments in the film are quite spectacular, especially when the he begins to monologue (The Incredibles Reference). Bacon had no leading roles that I am aware of this year and did not even make a cameo in the new Footloose movie, but in my eyes he had a spectacular year.

Hugo

For my first blog back I am going to discuss my favorite film of the year Hugo. Directed by Martin Scorsese, Hugo is a 3D children’s mystery film with an incredible twist I did not anticipate. With all the movie news today its hard to go see a film and be surprised, I actively did look up any information hoping not to ruin the movie and I am glad I did. The film revolves around a young boy named Hugo, sympathetically played by Asa Butterfield, who lives in the walls of the train station. Hugo attempts to steal from toy shop owner Georges, played by Sir Ben Kingsley, in order to get a part he needs to help fix an automaton, a clockwork robot. Georges catches young Hugo and forces him to empty his pockets, one item being a notebook full of specs for the automaton. When Georges inspects the notebook he is greatly disturbed, he takes it and tells Hugo to leave. Hugo leaves this interaction in tears, begging for his notebook back. Hugo begins to try to get his notebook back enlisting the help of Geoges goddaughter Isabelle, played by my favorite young actress Cloe Grace Moretz (see Kick Ass Review), over time the pair learn that Georges has a secret past, and the audience learns Hugo’s. Throughout the film young Hugo must avoid being captured by the station inspector played by Sasha Baron Cohen. Before this film I thought that Cohen with his characters like Borat might be a passing fad, but after his expert comedic performance in the film, I feel he may the next Jim Carrey. Cohen’s Character also has a crush on a lovely florist played by the under recognized Emily Mortimer, Cohen’s awkward attempts to converse with Mortimer are a highlight of the film. As the mystery unfolds you learn the tragic history of both Georges and Hugo and how the automaton ties them together, leading them both to a tearfully happy ending. I must confess that I not only saw this film three times, but is the only film this year that brought me to tears, though Buck was close. The film is historical fiction based on the book “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” tying directly into the early history of motion pictures. Scorsese’s long shots look perfect in 3D, and he shows he is a true master in how he is able to convey so much story without a single word. I would go as far as to say that a good quarter of the film is without a script. I am almost at a loss for words in describing this movie as it hits me in so many ways, as a child, a cinemaphile, man looking at my past, and as lover of Scorsese films. I am truly in love with this movie, there are probably faults in the film but I am unfortunately unable to see them. I recommend this film to all, and it may be the best children’s film of the century.

IIII'mmmmm BBBAAAAAAACCCCCKKKK

GUESS WHOS BACK

Heart of Now- starts slow but finishes strong

After I watched the first 15 minutes of “Heart of Now” I was ready to walk over to the director and give him $20 to hire a screenwriter. There was literally no talk for almost the entire start of the film, which to some can be seen as an artistic expression, but I feel it is a cop out. A cop out like doing something sacrilegious for shock value (I’m talking to you GaGa). Though, after the beginning of the film I really got in to the story. The main character Amber is quite a oddfellow, she has seemed to regress into a near adolescent state after a breakup with her boyfriend (her pregnancy may be the reason for it but it is never directly addressed by the dialogue). The story of Amber and her boyfriend is really a second plot line in the film about how she loves him and wants him to commit while he does not want to, pretty simple. The main plot arises when Amber, with no place to go, moves in with her mother’s former live in boyfriend, Gabe. Gabe left Amber’s mom right after they found out she had cancer. Now unfortunately I do not want to go to in depth into the film do to the fact that it is a little hard to describe, but know this while slow at times, even almost reaching the point of boring, “Heart of Now” capitalizes with great camera work, a thrilling sound track, and a brilliantly crafted final half hour. This film made me realize that I can be a bit of a curmudgeon when it comes to overt artistry and if I take a moment and pull down my own barriers, I can come to find films that are truly spectacular.

The film is made by Sabi, keep a lookout for them and their films in the future.

DeadCenter and Blockbusters

Been away from for a while, have reviews coming from the deadcenter film festival and, of course, the big summer blockbusters.