In the Dark – There Will Be Blood

Genre: Epic Drama

Tagline: There be greed. There will be vengence.

Ebert gave it:  3.5 stars 

Daniel Day Lewis may be one of the best method actors out there, and this performance doesn’t disappoint. There Will Be Blood tells an epic story of a man who started with nothing and ended with everything but his sanity, another tale of greed and power and the downfall of the cocky.

In the opening scene Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day Lewis) is mining for silver alone, with no one around there is a good 15 minutes of no dialogue, but that scene shows what kind of man Plainview is: he never gives up, he knows what he wants, and he’ll do whatever he has to – without anyone’s help – to get it. Lucky for him he strikes oil, and never stops. Right away he doesn’t seem like such a monster, he adopts a baby orphan and raises him as his own, giving him everything and making him partner in his oil business.

However we soon see the son isn’t really a partner, but a decoy to rope in communities to allow him to set up more oil fields and suck their resources dry only to profit alone. He uses his son give the illusion of a sympathetic family man with morals – which is all an act since the only thing Plainview cares about is money, the more the better.  When he gets a tip from Paul Sunday (Paul Sano) about oil on their family’s farmland he plays it cool to shy away from a partnership but leaps on the opportunity to build a town around his profit. Enter Eli, Paul’s identical twin who is the pastor of his own church in the community. Interestingly enough Eli is just as money hungry as Plainview. They both crave power – Plainview runs oil, Eli runs people of his church. And the battle begins.

But that isn’t the only battle going on, Plainview battles himself so often throughout the movie. After his son becomes deaf Plainview becomes unloving towards him and ships him off. When men die and there are accidents he shows no sympathy or remorse, it doesn’t matter as long as the cash flow keeps a coming. Money matters. People, family, relationships don’t.

There Will Be Blood is not a bad movie by any standards, but I wouldn’t drink a lot of soda during this one. There are so many peaks and valleys that you may time your bathroom break at the wrong time, missing one of the few exciting moments and will be forced to sit through the slower parts in hopes more excitement will follow. My favorite scenes are the ones between Plainview and Sunday, the actual battles, but the best scene of all comes at the end. When Plainview has all of his wealth and then some, has gone crazy from hoarding it for himself and receives a visit from the long lost Sunday.

I think it is fascinating to see the similarities between the church and the oil industry, the money need, the power struggle, how people will rally to unite with one thing – their need to feel like a community whether it revolves around the oil fields or God. In this case the church isn’t lead by someone who is doing God’s will, it is lead by someone who craves leadership, interesting… I’m not sure if it is a theme that is meant to be seen clearly, but it is one I picked up on immediately. And obviously we learn to not be greedy, to learn to love and learn to communicate -  then maybe you won’t go crazy. In the case of Daniel Plainview, oil is thicker than blood, and runs much deeper (that should have been the tagline…I’m a genius…ha.)

My rating:

This movie is run by a slow, building story. These movies are not always the most exciting or dramatic, but they are cinematic works of art. It’s not my favorite but just because I was bored a lot doesn’t mean it was bad. Plus that ending scene is worth sitting through some slow parts…But I liked Daniel Day Lewis better in Gangs of New York – I thought that was his best performance to date…but that’s just me, though Plainview was a lunatic too…but a more understated crazy person…which in some ways is more terrifying than anything…chilling. Plus I do love movies that challenge religion…and this one does in a more indirect way.

In the Dark – The Savages

Genre: Dramedy

Ebert gave it: 3.5 stars

I love Phillip Seymour Hoffman, I also love Laura Linney and I love awkwardness in a movie theatre. And I love when an audience responds, sometimes with comments said aloud (though most time this makes me angry), with a movie.

Wendy (Linney) and Jon Savage (Hoffman)  are siblings leaving in different parts of New York state. Both are writers, both have passion for theatre, both are smart, neither knows how to be a supportive family member. When their dad, Lenny (Philip Bosco), acts up in his retirement community they must come together as the only family they’ve got to make the best of the situation. When they get to Arizona they realize the father they hardly know has become an even more of a stranger, but they decide to bring him closer to home. Wendy and Jon have had their ups and downs with dad growing up and are reluctant to how much caring they want to take into their own hands, but they love their dad unconditionally and try their best. Each with their own emotional baggage outside of their family crisis, they come to realize different things about themselves, their relationship with each other and their significant others. When they arrive in Buffalo the search is on for the perfect nursing home, but the final resting place is anything but. They learn how to deal with losing a father they never really liked and get to know each other in a new light.

There are so many moments in this movie that are laugh out loud hilarious, but you feel pretty guilty for laughing. Most of these moments are inappropriate and embarrassing times for Lenny – times you would never think of laughing if they happen in public. Seriously, every time Lenny had an “old person” moment I thought what if that happened to my dad? What if that were happen to me? I am going straight to hell for finding comedy in this…

This movie is all about the characters, and the actors bring them to life beautifully. Philip Seymour Hoffman lights up the screen with his hard, emotionless professor who is in love but afraid to admit it. He is the strong one, the rock, and the one who never lets his emotions make the decisions. He doesn’t believe in fluff and refuses to break down, but when he lets his guard down it is so real. Laura Linney is excellent in portraying an attention seeking sibling who feels the shadow of her brother. She shows guilt, remorse and forgiveness so often in this film, and lets us see that Wendy is indeed a very talented writer who lacks any motivation to get her ass in gear. She is endearing and sad, her life is depressing and she wants everything to change so desperately but isn’t sure how to do that. My favorite is Bosco, we never see what he was like before the dementia got his brain, but we see him go deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole of age. His rage is so real, and yet he has his vulnearable moments that break your heart knowing that the real Lenny is inside somewhere screaming out, “why is this happening to me? Control yourself -  you shouldn’t need anyone to take care of you…” You get a real sense of a man who is trapped in his own brain and finally gives up the battle to be normal. It makes for an uncomfortable yet entertaining and pleasing performance.

The Savages does not seem like a happy, feel good, holiday movie and really it isn’t. It is a movie about reality, a reality that a lot of people, like Linney’s character, want to avoid. So many times death and aging is a topic movies avoid portraying in the light of truth – because really, who wants to face harsh topics in a theatre after they just paid to forget their real life. But The Savages hits the jackpot for me, it shows you that yes, shit happens but you have to have a sense of humor or you won’t survive. People live, people die, people come together, people break up, there is rejection, affection, disappointment, etc. It happens everyday but not everyone handles it with a grain of salt. There is a point in the movie where it is said that nice, grand nursing homes aren’t for the people in them, but for the people who put their loved ones inside. It makes sense, and I think this movie takes on the theme of being one of those no fluff nursing homes – it’s real, it’s raw and it doesn’t make you feel good. But it presents the facts with a light sense of humor that shows you how the world is. People get old, people die and life as you know it goes on.

My rating:

This movie is so unconventional and truthful that it earns my top rating. Expect to feel depressed and in need of a shower and maybe a confession at the end, but you’ll laugh and maybe cry along the way. Honesty is a virtue that doesn’t pop up in movies very often, thank god because all of us would be on Prozac, but this one is totally worth it. I wouldn’t recommend seeing this is you are on your way to the nursing home, or if you are putting your loved one in anytime soon…then again take your aging parents, scare them into thinking that if you don’t get what you want from now on you’ll dump them in a cold nursing home in Buffalo – just kidding that’s just mean…though it is a running joke at our house. I can’t stop talking about how great this movie was, how different it was, and how wonderful it felt to be uncomfortable and depressed.

In The Dark – Definitely, Maybe

Genre:  Romantic Comedy

Tagline: Three relationships. Three disasters. One last chance.

Ebert gave it: nothing, he hasn’t seen it. (maybe he should)

When my Valentine asked if I would go see a cheesy movie on V-day I was a bit apprehensive after the event that occurred last year (Music and Lyrics – horrible movie). But Definitely, Maybe was produced by the same people that did Love, Actually, Ryan Reynolds is in it and he is hot and that little girl from Little Miss Sunshine is in it too so maybe just maybe this movie wouldn’t be so bad.

The movie started out with awesome previews – the new Indiana Jones movie,  Leatherheads, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (snicker all you want), two silly looking comedies and maybe one more that I can’t remember at the moment. The story opens with Will Hayes (Reynolds) getting served with divorce papers. His daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) becomes curious about how a relationship could end like this, why love doesn’t last. So Will takes her down memory lane, through the ups and downs of his relationships, and the story that leads to her.

He has had three great loves (which according to Charlotte in Sex and the City you only get two – but that’s besides the point). First comes Emily (Elizabeth Banks), his college girlfriend from the University of Wisconsin (Go Badgers). Everything is perfect until Will gets the opportunity to work on Bill Clinton’s campaign in New York for the summer, where he runs into April (Isla Fisher) – a free spirited copy girl who introduces him to Nirvana and shows him his plan may not be all it’s cracked up to be. When it ends with Emily, April isn’t there – but Summer (Rachel Wiesz) is. Summer seems like Will’s type, a journalist who is writing fluff pieces until she gets her big break. (They also have Emily in common…) The kicker, Rachel may love someone else, and like Emily all good things come to an end.

Throughout the movie the three girls pop in and out of Will’s life. The constant movement keeps you guessing. The one thing I love about this movie is it isn’t just about love, it’s about a journey and making sure things are right. Although I don’t think over a time span of 10 plus years a guy would only date 3 girls, and in a big city like NYC would only run into those 3 over and over again I did think it was cute. Also, April brings a character to a sappy February 14^th opener, she is a strong willed, free spirited girl who doesn’t always knows what she wants, but knows who she is and won’t compromise it. It is nice to see a female character challenging the main comedian, male character. If you think you are going to get the crazy funny girl from Wedding Crashers, think again – this time Isla Fisher gives a performance that doesn’t have the slap stick humor, this time she is more reserved, smart, and more witty than anything else.

My date and I both thought the first “ending” would have been perfect, but every romantic comedy needs a super happy ending so of coarse the movie keeps going.  This movie is kind of predictable, I had it figured out (I always do), but the way the plot keeps twisting and turning and intersecting was reminiscent of Love, Actually and it kept everything moving quite nicely. Also, for two single girls who are in love with NYC and Ryan Reynolds this movie gives you everything you need on Valentine’s Day. The comedy is smart, and Reynolds gives that “I-am-not-sure-why-you-are-laughing-I-didn’t-think-it-was-that-funny” face so many times. There were so many great interactions between Will and his daughter – I think they made for the best scenes in the whole movie. This was an enjoyable break from all of the dark movies I watch daily. I applaud my Valentine for finding a romantic comedy that wasn’t too cheesy and not at all bad and that I would love!   

My rating:

Smirnoff, since it is a light hearted comedy it can’t compare to some others, but it was still really good.  I fell in love with the city, the music, Ryan Reynolds, and laughing. The last time I liked a romantic comedy like this was Love, Actually. Must be the comma, or maybe it’s the leap year. If you are a sucker for love, sometimes, go see Definitely, Maybe.

Ebert says it best

“My heart screams Juno but my head says Coen Bros” My thoughts exactly. See his predictions at
rogerebert.suntimes.com

Oscar Watch

and the nominees are…and my predictions are…Performance by an actor in a leading role
George Clooney in “Michael Clayton”
Daniel Day-Lewis in “There Will Be Blood”
Johnny Depp in “Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Tommy Lee Jones in “In the Valley of Elah”
Viggo Mortensen in “Eastern Promises”

Prediction: Originally I would have picked Daniel Day-Lewis, but then I saw There Will Be Blood and although I by no means think he did a bad job, he was excellent but I loved Michael Clayton and would love to see George win it this year!

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Casey Affleck in “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”
Javier Bardem in “No Country for Old Men”
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Charlie Wilson’s War”
Hal Holbrook in “Into the Wild”
Tom Wilkinson in “Michael Clayton”

Prediction: Javier Bardem. He was amazing. Period. End of discussion.

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Cate Blanchett in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”
Julie Christie in “Away from Her”
Marion Cotillard in “La Vie en Rose”
Laura Linney in “The Savages”
Ellen Page in “Juno”

Prediction: Marion Cotillard. I just watch La Vie en Rose and I was left in awe! She takes on this French singer…and you truly believe she is back from the dead.

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Cate Blanchett in “I’m Not There”
Ruby Dee in “American Gangster”
Saoirse Ronan in “Atonement”
Amy Ryan in “Gone Baby Gone”
Tilda Swinton in “Michael Clayton”

Prediction: Amy Ryan. Cracked out mother of missing young girl with an East Coast accent, what’

s not to love?

Best animated feature film of the year
“Persepolis”
“Ratatouille”
“Surf’s Up”

Prediction: I don’t watch animated films, but I love penguins. Surf’

s Up.

Achievement in art direction
“American Gangster”
“Atonement”
“The Golden Compass”
“Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
“There Will Be Blood”

Prediction: Sweeny Todd. Darkness and blood – Tim Burton by the book…

but definitely good enough to win here.

Achievement in cinematography
“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”
“Atonement”
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
“No Country for Old Men”
“There Will Be Blood”

Prediction: Atonement. One of two awards I think this movie deserves.

Achievement in costume design
“Across the Universe”
“Atonement”
“Elizabeth: The Golden Age”
“La Vie en Rose”
“Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”

Prediction: Probably Elizabeth: The Golden Age. The time period lends itself to be a top contender.

Achievement in directing
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” Julian Schnabel
“Juno” Jason Reitman
“Michael Clayton” Tony Gilroy
“No Country for Old Men” Coen Bros
“There Will Be Blood” Paul Thomas Anderson

Prediction: No Country for Old Men. The Coen bros deserve this one.

Best documentary feature
“No End in Sight”
“Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience”
“Sicko”
“Taxi to the Dark Side”
“War/Dance”

Prediction: I don’t know, but I really don’

t want to listen to Michael Moore give a speech.

Best documentary short subject
“Freeheld”
“La Corona (The Crown)”
“Salim Baba”
“Sari’s Mother”

Achievement in film editing
“The Bourne Ultimatum”
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”
“Into the Wild”
“No Country for Old Men”
“There Will Be Blood”

Best foreign language film of the year
“Beaufort” Israel
“The Counterfeiters” Austria
“Katyn” Poland
“Mongol” Kazakhstan
“12″ Russia

Achievement in makeup
“La Vie en Rose”
“Norbit”
“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”

Prediction: La Vie en Rose. It was pretty amazing not going to lie…and if Norbit wins I’

m throwing my shoe at the tv.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“Atonement”
“The Kite Runner”
“Michael Clayton”
“Ratatouille”
“3:10 to Yuma”

Prediction: Atonement. The only other award it will win.

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“Falling Slowly” from “Once”
“Happy Working Song” from “Enchanted”
“Raise It Up” from “August Rush”
“So Close” from “Enchanted”
“That’s How You Know” from “Enchanted”

Prediction: Falling Slowly from Once. This was a cute movie, and the only reason I liked it was because of the music! What’s with Enchanted? 3 song nominations –

seriously? So that one is going to hurt when they lose huh?

Best motion picture of the year
“Atonement”
“Juno”
“Michael Clayton”
“No Country for Old Men”
“There Will Be Blood”

Prediction: I’m torn, Juno or No Country for Old Men. I’m not sure Juno is as strong as Little Miss Sunshine so I don’t think it will win. But I do love the movie. How ironic that I saw these two movies in the same night (don’t judge…

I went to two different theatres)

Best animated short film
“I Met the Walrus”
“Madame Tutli-Putli”
“My Love (Moya Lyubov)”
“Peter & the Wolf”

Prediction: Madame Tutli-Putli, with a title like that you deserve a statue.

Best live action short film
“At Night”
“Il Supplente (The Substitute)”
“Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)”
“Tanghi Argentini”
“The Tonto Woman”

Achievement in sound editing
“The Bourne Ultimatum”
“No Country for Old Men”
“Ratatouille”
“There Will Be Blood”
“Transformers”

Achievement in sound mixing
“The Bourne Ultimatum”
“No Country for Old Men”
“Ratatouille”
“3:10 to Yuma”
“Transformers”

Prediction: Can 3:10 to Yuma please win something since the acting got totally overlooked??

Achievement in visual effects
“The Golden Compass”
“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”
“Transformers”

Prediction: The Golden Compass, granted I didn’t see Transformers…

though I heard it was a great movie (insert sarcasm here).

Adapted screenplay
“Atonement” Screenplay by Christopher Hampton
“Away from Her” Written by Sarah Polley
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
“No Country for Old Men” Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“There Will Be Blood” Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson

Prediction: No Country for Old Men, if the movie was that great I don’t even want to read the book. Ok maybe I will read it since the book is always better…and in this case it may be the best book I’

ve ever read.

Original screenplay
“Juno” Written by Diablo Cody
“Lars and the Real Girl” Written by Nancy Oliver
“Michael Clayton” Written by Tony Gilroy
“Ratatouille” Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird
“The Savages” Written by Tamara Jenkins

Prediction: Another tough category for me – I’

ll be happy with anything except Ratatouille. Seriously this is my favorite category this year!