Reviews: "Hide & Seek" & "Million Dollar Baby"

This weekend I saw "Hide & Seek" starring Robert DeNiro and Dakota Fanning. For a horror movie, it is pretty scary. The first hour of the film effectively sets up the lives of the two main characters. The mood is veryh eerie, which is hard to establish in horror movies. That said, all things are falling into place. Fanning plays the daughter of a woman that commits suicide. Her father, played by DeNiro, brings Fanning to a small country home to get away from the grief of losing a loved one. Immediately, Fanning begins talking about someone by the name of Charlie. Charlie may or may not be an imaginary friend. Eventually, scary things start happening. The final act of the film takes us down the wrong road. It is a surprise, but I saw it coming. It makes very little sense and is a huge disappointment compared to the rest of the movie. Regardless, it is worth the price of admission and the actors deliver their performances spot on.


I also saw the Oscar nominated "Million Dollar Baby" starring Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman. This story of a female boxer is better than I had originally thought it would be. I still think "Sideways" deserves the Best Picture Oscar, but "Million Dollar Baby" should not be forgotten in other categories. The final act is hard to swallow, but it is an important movie.

Special Review: 2005 Oscar Picks 2

Best Picture: "Sideways"
Best Leading Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio ("The Aviator")
Best Leading Actress: Hilary Swank ("Million Dollar Baby")
Best Supporting Actor: Thomas Haden Church ("Sideways") and Clive Owen ("Closer")
Best Supporting Actress: Virginia Madsen ("Sideways") and Laura Linney ("Kinsey")
Best Directing: "Sideways" (Alexander Payne)
Best Adapted Screenplay: "Sideways" (Alexander Payne) and "Before Sunset" (Richard Linklater)
Best Original Screenplay: "The Incredibles" (Brad Bird)
Best Animated Picture: "Shrek 2"
Best Song: Josh Groban's "Believe" ("The Polar Express")
Best Sound Editing: "The Polar Express"
Best Sound Mixing: "The Polar Express"
Best Score: "Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events"
Best Documentary: "Super Size Me"
Best Editing: "Collateral"
Best Makeup: "The Passion Of The Christ"
Best Costume Design: "Troy"
Best Cinematography: "The Phantom Of The Opera"
Best Art Direction: "A Very Long Engagement"
Best Visual Effects: "Spider-Man 2"

Special Review: 2005 Oscar Picks

On February 27, all eyes will be on Hollywood as ABC presents the 77th Annual Academy Awards. As a film critic, my passion flares high over the films lucky enough to be nominated as well as those that I believe got snubbed.

I am happy to announce that Josh Groban¿s "Believe" from "The Polar Express" was nominated for Best Song. The wonderful song embodies everything that made the film so magical. Unfortunately, "The Polar Express" was left out of the Best Animated Feature Film category. Therefore, it is my hope that "Shrek 2" walks away with the win.

Another film nominated in that category, "The Incredibles," gets my vote for Best Original Screenplay. While I don¿t think that "The Incredibles" is as classic as "Shrek 2" or "The Polar Express," it deserves recognition for its meshing of ordinary family life with extraordinary superhero life. Brad Bird¿s screenplay is fast paced and has a very satisfied ending. Perhaps best of all, though, the film appeals to all ages.

On the Best Adapted Screenplay side, I will be happy if "Sideways" or "Before Sunset" gets the Oscar. Alexander Payne¿s screenplay for "Sideways" is fantastically enjoyable and full of symbolism. On the other hand, only Richard Linklater could write a romantic masterpiece like "Before Sunset." Both screenplays are works of genius. In addition to writing "Sideways," Alexander Payne also directed it. He does a great job with the entire film and should win for Best Directing.

In the Best Supporting Actress category, Laura Linney had the strongest performance in "Kinsey." She plays Clara McMillen, sex researcher Alfred Kinsey¿s supportive wife. I can¿t imagine anyone else in the role. Of course, I would also be happy if Virginia Madsen won for her role as Maya in "Sideways." In the film, Madsen delivers a memorable monologue on how wine is alive in such a way that you taste ripened grapes in your mouth.

There is also a toss-up for Best Supporting Actor. Thomas Hayden Church, who portrays Jack in "Sideways," is a laugh riot. Chruch plays a man that is as immoral as they come but you can¿t help but want to know him. However, Clive Owen gives possibly the most powerful performance of the year as Larry in "Closer." He persuades you to both pity and despise his character. At the same time, he is downright scary.

I am not too fond of any of the nominees up for Best Leading Actress but I would most like to see Hilary Swank take the win for her role as boxer Maggie Fitzgerald in "Million Dollar Baby." I feel the same way about the nominees up for Best Leading Actor. In the end, my vote goes to Leonardo DiCaprio for his portrayal as Howard Hughes in "The Aviator." While I disliked the movie, I do believe DiCaprio did a splendid job. I am quite disappointed that Kevin Spacey and Paul Giamatti did not receive nominations for their roles in "Beyond The Sea" and "Sideways," respectively.

Finally, I hope "Sideways" wins the award for Best Picture. "Sideways" is a truly enjoyable and fun tale of two friends going to wine country. It is a story about finding yourself and it convinces you to savor every sip of life. If you have not yet seen it, make sure you do. It is a rarity among feature films.

Reviews: "Are We There Yet?" & "Assault On Precinct 13"

This weekend, I saw "Are We There Yet?" starring Ice Cube. It is a family comedy about a bachelor trying to win over a single mother. The kids in the film are obnoxious, which is actually the fault of the screenplay. While the entertainment is nonstop, it is also irritating and does not pass for comedy. I would be lying, though, if I said I didn't at least mildly enjoy the movie. It was number one at the box office this weekend. Let's hope it's stay there is very temporary.


I also saw "Assault On Precinct 13" starring Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishbourne. I had originally envisioned this flick to be fun and fast. Unfortunately, it is not as fast-paced as the trailers make it look. I have never disliked a film featuring events that happen all in one night (ala "Go" and "Can't Hardly Wait") until now. This graphic tale about the seige of a police precinct is predictable, unsuspensful, and (at times) boring.


Overall, this weekend was unsatisfactory. Let's hope next weekend offers up some better flicks. On Tuesday, the Oscar nominations will be announced. Check back here for my picks.

Reviews: "White Noise," "Racing Stripes," & "Elektra"

Let's quickly catch up with the movies of the year thus far:

White Noise, starring Michael Keaton, was a huge disappointment. The horror film started off with a strong and eerie premise but saw a fork in the road midway through the plotline and took the wrong road. It took the road most traveled and failed to bring anything new or even fun to the table. Its execution was all wrong.


Racing Stripes was a bit more boring that I had expected. It has plenty of comedy and lots of fun, but the pacing is a bit too slow. Fortunately, it has enough positive attributes for me to still mildly reccommend it.


Finally, Elektra, starring Jennifer Garner, is a weak superhero film with a solid story. The story is human enough to keep anyone interested and the special effects are entertaining, however it just doesn't pack a hard enough punch. It is still worth a mild reccommendation.

Special Review: Favorite Flicks 2004

As I look back on the past year, I can recall all sorts of different movies. There were the blockbusters like Spider-Man 2, Shrek 2, and The Incredibles. Then there were the films that are likely to receive Oscar nominations like The Aviator, Ray, and The Phantom Of The Opera.

Of course I had to suffer my way through awful movies like Home On The Range, King Arthur, and The Stepford Wives. Finally, there were the movies that the rest of the critics panned and I loved like Envy, Connie and Carla, and Ladder 49.

But there are five movies that I can proudly name my favorite of the past year. These are the movies that I will always remember when anyone mentions 2004. Two of them are already on DVD and the rest will be out soon so get your pen and paper ready (or clip my article out for even better reference)!

Number five on my Favorite Flicks 2004 list is Before Sunset. This Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy vehicle is a sequel to a 1990’s art film titled Before Sunrise. It reunites a man and woman who had spent one memorable night together in Paris. Before Sunset is a dialogue driven film directed by Richard Linklater but the relationship between the two main characters is so fine-tuned and fascinating that it is impossible to lose interest in the movie. The final scene, featuring Julie Delpy’s singing A Waltz For A Night, is beautifully breathtaking and can rejuvenate any romantic.

Benji: Off The Leash sits at number four. This sweet and simple tale about a boy and a dog is the most heartwarming movie of the year. I personally left the theatre with tears in my eyes and I know that your family will cherish this wonderful film as well. Look for 2005’s Because Of Winn Dixie to challenge Benji: Off The Leash as the most uplifting canine flick, though.

Slot number three belongs to Cellular, about a guy trying to assist a kidnapping victim armed only with a cell phone. As hokey as the concept sounds, Cellular is the most exciting film since Speed. Nonstop action and edge-of-your-seat thrills make it one of the must-see movies of the year.

Napoleon Dynamite, the surprise hit of the summer, lands at number two. This movie about an unpopular high-schooler and his equally dopey family and friends is a laugh riot. Equipped with some of the most memorable quotes and a cast of characters you wish you knew, it would be a shame if you miss Napoleon Dynamite.

Finally, my Favorite Flick of 2004 is The Polar Express. The Christmas film based on the popular book of the same name stands out above the rest as a classic. The computer-animated movie about a boy’s trip to the North Pole on a train is my favorite animated film ever. You will believe in the magic of Christmas after seeing The Polar Express.