whiplash

i've been dying to see this after viewing the trailer. i was surprised that the theatre was pretty full considering it's a pretty intense little film against a landscape of bigger budget blockbusters (ie. gone girl, ouija). i'm happy this smaller film is getting seats filled. 

this film is a doozy. miles teller matches the acting caliber of j.k. simmons in this psychological push and pull between teacher and student. i've been a fan of teller from his work in the spectacular now, and yes the awkward moment. he isn't a pretty boy, but the boy can act. simmons is probably guaranteed an oscar nomination and hoping teller gets one too. one of the best films i've seen this year and hoping it doesn't get lost in the holiday onslaught of oscar-pushed films.

film forum

belated member- ship: film forum.  i had planned to join last year, but somehow slipped my mind. i have been trying to donate to a different organization.  i snoozed last year, but previous years i've joined bam and the guggenheim. 

i feel like i've been neglecting film, so wanted to support film forum.  it's an institution in new york. hopefully, it will get this former film minor back into the classics and indies. 

127 hours

must viewing to remind you to keep at least one person aware of your whereabouts: 127 hours. shar's been wanting to see this movie since her london colleagues discussed the flick over a fish n' chips lunch. shar likes to hike. shar likes to climb, but not as much as aron ralston. danny boyle has managed to capture the harrowing predicament that aron got himself into when a boulder pinned his hand against a canyon, causing him to cut off his own arm. oh yes, what you heard is true? it's as grizzly as you think it will be. remember trainspotting, friends? it's vintage boyle. all i have to say about the scene is never underestimate bone. aside from the climax of the chopping act, danny boyle infuses human emotion into the flick, much like his award winning slumdog millionaire. as a viewer, you are kicking aron and then rooting for his dumbass, egotistical self. go see it!

bright star

best swoon worthy cinema: bright star. oh how shar loves her period piece romances and oh how jane campion can create a film of longing ache for the one you love. reading a letter from the one you pine for leaves you weak in knees that you collapse into a field of lavender. looks across a room speak volumes of desire and passion.

i didn't know much about abbie cornish aside from that fact that she's has been dating ryan phillippe. girl can act. her physical unwinding at the end of the film reminded me of a young kate winslet in sense and sensibility pining for a said willoughby. then there is keats, played by a fine thespian, ben winshaw. ladies, he has a twin. he is a a new brit heartthrob on the rise. he has already played hamlet and takes on another shakespearen role of ariel in julie taymor's the tempest. in the end, it's the secret romance between keats and one fanny brawne that moves the story. one bright star and muse to the poet that never realized his success in his life time, but remains one of the most famous poets in history.

Bright Star

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art--
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors--
No--yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever--or else swoon to death.

terminator vs. star trek

battle of the film franchises: terminator salvation versus star trek. okay i watched terminator last night to round off my may blockbusters. i was reeling from how great star trek was two weeks ago, so the comparison of the two films had to be made.

terminator salvation
star power: christian bale (and his infamous meltdown on set), helena bonham carter, bryce dallas howard, common
special cameo: arnold schwartznegger
featured director: mcg
visual effects: ilm


star trek
star power: eric bana, chris pine, zachary quinto, john cho, zoe saldana, simon pegg
special cameo: leonard nimoy, winona ryder
featured director: j.j. abrams
visual effects: ilm

winners
star power: terminator salvation
special cameo: star trek
featured director: star trek
visual effects: tie

overall: star trek. i must say star trek wins leaps and bounds. mainly because unlike terminator, star trek had a cohesive storyline. terminator was a lot a special effects, but little attention to the plot. what's funny is i just noticed that anton yelchin is in both flick, with prominent roles of chekov and kyle reese. so boldly go where no one has gone before and i will not be back for terminator 5.

coming to a theatre near you

most highly anticipated remake: my fair lady helmed by danny boyle. andy clued me in on the buzz of this possible remake. it sounds like a loverily endeavor with emma thompson penning the screenplay. i'm a little afraid of the casting of eliza dolittle. shar hearts her audrey hepburn and ever since they had jennifer love hewitt play her in a biopic i doubt hollywood casting agents. i saw claire danes in pygmalion a while back on broadway. she wasn't so bad but i can't see her as eliza. i'm thinking anne hathaway maybe. she won me over with her nixon impression at the oscars and i do love me some princess diaries with robert schwartzman. i boycotted the sequel because he wasn't in it. here's hoping for a grand eliza doolittle 2.0!

congrats claire!

congrats claire and hugh on your engagement.

golden globes glee and grumbles

reasons to grumble:

• wassup with asking every freakin' star of the dark knight about heath ledger?
• tom cruise get your hands of my man leo. don't taint him with your scientology.
• neil patrick harris in the most miscellaneous category - best supporting actor by an actor in a supporting role in a series, mini-series or motion picture made for television. wtf? this is like three categories in one. seriously? SERIOUSLY?!?!?
• colin farrell winning best supporting for in bruges.
• more grumbles here.

reasons to be gleeful:

• good job colin farrel for putting in the subtle ref to your "former" struggles with every drug imaginable.
• emma thompson providing support to sally hawkins during her acceptance speech. hurrah!
• congrats to heath ledger and thank you christopher nolan for the genunine acceptance.
• awww kate calls leo her best friend. i wish i were kate. congrats on your double win. i hope they FINALLY give you your oscar.
• bravo ricky gervais for your monologue/presentation. good one on kate winning for playing a role in the holocaust.
• shahrukh khan presenting slumdog millionaire.

ryan gosling ay

crush of the month: ryan gosling. i can't remember the last crush of the month. according to my old blog, it was last year. i think it's time to revive it for the new year. i finally watched half nelson last night. man, oh man does mr. gosling knock it out of the park. i've always been a fan of quiet, nuanced acting versus the over the top crazy performances (ie. angelina jolie, jack nicholson). he really emotes with just a subtle shift in his facial expression. it's a bare bones performance with ryan carrying the flick through and through.

i must say ryan sans beard is too mmc for me. looks like he is keeping the scruff for his new venture into musicianship.

dichotomy of holiday releases

second rate sin city: the spirit. it's no sin city but you'll enjoy the visual spectacle you come to expect from a frank miller flick. gabriel macht isn't bad eye candy either. this noiresque graphic novel complete with a femme fatale named sand saref (aka eva mendes) falls short on plot and overall character complexities. still glad i saw it. i can get enough of the black and white scheme peppered with color.

best heart wrenching tour de force: revolutionary road. i have been highly anticipating this adaption after hearing that it be an onscreen reunion for kate and leo. i did my homework and read the richard yates novel. it was raw and utterly depressing, but there was something remarkably truthful in it as well. so this meaty material translated brilliantly onscreen by sam mendes (aka mr. winslet). you know a film is good when you come out numb and in need of something to jolt you back into reality. the film was a roller coaster of hope and tragedy elegantly acted by both leads. i felt tugged, emotionally battered and mentally in a fetal position. i'm still in recovery. i can say seeing it on screen, outside the pages of the novel, hit me harder. the film made it achingly more real. i need a hug or a stiff drink.

starr space

only in brooklyn goodness: starr space featuring the stop animation shorts of polish filmmaker wladyslaw starewicz, a big wig at the natural history museum in russia back in the day (circa 1910's). this event was a super thrown back with a live musical score by the veveritse brass band. twas a good group of us including mel, jac, gloria and zaid all tucked in a gutted space with exposed brick. we all got to try the new van leeuwen artisan ice cream. the ice cream trucks roll out may 15 with this premium ice cream made with fresh milk and cream from small local farms. i had the hazelnut with hot fudge. sounds like van leeuwen wants to be bi-rite cremery of brooklyn.