WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?

Who's Afriad of Virginia Woolf?
4/4 stars

I just watched Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf all the way through, for probably the first time in my life. I had seen the whole movie, just never in one sitting. This movie contains four of the greatest performances in film history. It is, hands down, the best overall cast of all time. I really think that the fact that all four of this films stars garnered Oscar nominations, and all deserved to win. Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, George Segal and Sandy Dennis all deliver powerhouse performances. To say that it is the most successful film of all time, might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I do believe it is close. I'm not talking about financial success, I'm talking about artistic success. The performances, the direction, the cinematography, the adaptation. As far as stage adaptaions go, it does manage to take a somewhat claustrophobic play, and open it up. It takes it to new locales, and out of the one room of the play, but it does so without losing the claustrophobia of the story; the feeling of being trapped.
When it comes to performances, everyone is pitch perfect. Elizabeth Taylor, in one of the most deserving Oscar wins in history, is hearbreaking and gut-wrenching. Richard Burton is wounded and tough. George Segal is a wonder and Sandy Dennis brings vulnerability to new heights.
This is a MUST SEE classic!!

LIFE AFTER TOMORROW

Title: Life After Tomorrow
Director: Gil Cates, Jr. Julie Stevens
Starring: Allison Smith, Sarah Jessica Parker, Senta Moses, Dara Brown, Martha Byrne
Rating: 2.5/4 stars

I am a musical theatre junkie. As much as I deny it, I also secretly LOVE Annie. So when I came across this documentary about life after Annie, I couldn't resist. This is not the best documentary ever made. It doesn't reveal any hidden truths, or touch the heart. It is essentially a bunch of former child actors whining about their life, since they could never live up to having been in one of the biggest hit musicals of all time (SJP aside).
What I did love about Life After Tomorrow was the surprise little tidbits about the showbiz life. Stories about touring, and stage mothers and hookers. I am such a sucker for backstage gossip.

I was also so surprised by how many faces I recognized. OK, so theatre queen that I am, I knew that Sarah Jessica Parker had been in Annie. I had no idea that MSNBC's Dara Brown and soap star Martha Byrne were former orphans too. And Allison Smith, who I love on Kate and Allie. It was so interesting to hear all of their stories, and see all the old photographs. But let's be honest, no one really wants to listen to you whine.

THE LIVING END

Title: The Living End
Director: Gregg Araki
Starring: Mike Dytri, Craig Gilmore, Darcy Marta
Rating: 3/4 stars

The Living End is what all movies should be. It is truly HONEST. In Hollywood, AIDS has been presented in many ways. Usually the person with AIDS is a tragic hero (i.e. Philadelphia, It's My Party). That is not really the case here. The two 'heroes' of this movie are neither tragic or heroic. They are just real. In a Thelma and Louise-esque tale, two HIV positive young men, on the run from the law, travel the west coast. It doesn't have the intrigue of Thelma and Louise, you never see the cops chasing them. They simply have a 'fuck the world' attitude. They don't know how much longer they have, so they must enjoy it.
I really liked the tone of this movie. It wasn't preachy. It didn't want to change anyone's mind. It just wanted to tell a story. It wanted to show you what two people who love eachother, will go through for one another, and examines what draws one person to another. Like, does having one thing in common, albeit a big thing, make two people work, or does it take more?  This movie really got me thinking. It is independent filmmaking at it's best.

CRAZY HEART

Title: Crazy Heart
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall
Rating: 3.5/4 stars

Loved Crazy Heart even though it is a big ol' cliche. This movie follows an old formula: down and out musician/athlete/writer meets younger woman, falls for her, hits rock bottom, cleans up his act and comes back from despair. Crazy Heart is among the best of these "Washed-up old drunk" movies for three reasons: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal and an amazing soundtrack.
Bridges plays a drunk so sublty, that when he hits rock bottom, you finally realize that he was drunk for most of the movie, but he functioned so well in those scenes that the audience (and the rest of thze characters on screen) doesn't realize it. He deserves every award he gets.
Gyllenhaal is so believable in this cliche role. The age difference almost bothered me, but Maggie was so convincing in her love for Bridges, that it didn't skeeve me out at all. And she really broke my heart a few times.
The music in Crazy Heart surprised me. I don't consider myself a fan of country, but the songs were like vintage Dylan, and were so well written that I downloaded the soundtrack and even sing along. A lovely movie!!!

THE CELLULOID CLOSET

Title: The Celluloid Closet
Director: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
Starring: Lily Tomlin, Quentin Crisp, Armistead Maupin, Gore Vidal, Arthur Laurents, Harvey Fierstein
Rating: 4/4 stars

The Celluloid Closet is a gayssential. This documentary drawn from the work of Vito Russo, is a pretty comprehensive look at homosexuality in the movies. I first saw this one years ago on television. It combines two of my favorite things to research: movies and gay history. I set out to see as many of the movies mentioned in the movie as I could, and I have done pretty well. What this movie does is examine how and where homosexuals have been portrayed in the movies from the early years of Hollywood. It also gives a taste of how these protrayals effect the audience. It uses clips from a wide range of movies, from Wings to Advise and Consent to Philadelphia. Granted, it is somewhat dated now, as it was released in 1995. The 15 years of Hollywood since then have had a huge improvement in the way they portray gay people, thanks to movies like Milk, Angels in America and Brokeback Mountain. Despite it's dated-ness, it is a wonderful look at the history. Not only is this a great movie for its research value, it also has some great things to say about our lives and experiences.

INVICTUS

Title: Invictus
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon
Rating: 1.5/4 stars


Invictus is everything I expected The Blind Side to be, but wasn't. This movie used all of the manipulative tactics there are to play with the audience's emotions. Sweeping music, epic shots, dialogued filled with 'profundity' and stadiums full of extras screaming for the fictional sports team in the movie. Honestly, I am not a big Eastwood fan. I have always thought he was a pretty self-important director. And this movie proves it. It was really nothing more than a piece of melodramatic junk.
Morgan Freeman, whose performance in Driving Miss Daisy is one of my all-time faves, does nothing at all in this movie. His oscar nomination baffles me because, besides looking like Nelson Mandela and having an accent, doesn't do any acting at all. Every one of his lines sounds like it came from a book of Mandela quotes, there is no human factor in this performance.
The 1.5 stars I have given this movie, are all for Matt Damon, who I usually despise. He is great in this movie. His character could have been the one with the most cheeseball moments, but he rises above, delivering a nuanced and beautiful performance. A well deserved Oscar nomination!!

NIGHTHAWKS

Title: Nighthawks
Director: Ron Peck
Starring: Ken Robertson, Rachel Nicholas James
Rating: 3/4 stars

This is one interesting film. Released in 1978, it depicts a time in gay life when AIDS wasn't even a thought. The story of a London teacher and his escapades in the gay bar scene, Nighthawks could be a documentary. Long shots of men dancing are plentiful. This movie is the definition of 'slice of life'. A couple of times I found myself bored with the lengthy scenes with no dialogue, and weird 70's disco music playing in the background. But it served the purpose of showing what Jims experience was really like, in a way that no other film has done for me. Nothing much happened in this movie, and yet it is pretty brilliant. I say that because at the beginning of the movie, when Jim entered the bar, I felt sorry for him, but, by the end of the movie, he again enters the bar, and I felt somhow empowered. A brutally realistic movie, that portrays the experiences of sleeping with, and getting to know different men, Nighthawks really made me think. When Jim frankly discusses his sexual identity with his students at the end of the film it is such a wonderful moment. This is a Gayssential!!

WHEN IN ROME

Title: When In Rome
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Starring: Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Dax Shepard, Will Arnett, Danny DeVito, Anjelica Huston, Jon Heder, Don Johnson
Rating: .5/4 stars

This movie should be erased from history. A few (and far far between) funny lines does not a movie make. This is the worst piece of junk I have seen in a long long time. I do love a romcom, and usually give them a lot of leeway. I cannot do that for When in Rome. I wanted to see this movie for one reason and one reason only. I have a crush on 4 of the male stars. They all make my heart and libido go pitter-pat. Thank God I had a free pass, and didn't pay for this movie. The writing was HORRENDOUS. The director must have been out of town when they made this. I have lost a little respect for Anjelica Huston for making this movie. I thought she had more taste. Anjelica, whatever the paycheck you got for this one, IT WASN'T WORTH IT!!! The Dax Shepard shirtless count was only 3.5 times....and that makes me sad as well. The only terrible acting here was Bell, but the rest of the cast had such terrible material to deal with, that they couldn't rise above it. I wish I could 'un-see' this movie!!

**I made Dax the biggest for all to enjoy!!!!

LITTLE ASHES

Title: Little Ashes
Director: Paul Morrison
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Javier Beltran, Matthew McNulty, Marina Gatell
Rating: 1.5/4 stars

I had high hopes for this movie, I really did. I was really interested in seeing the relationship between Frederico Garcia Lorca and Salvador Dali. Pretty much what I was given was a mediocre gay romantic drama. This was pretty formulaic. Boy meets boy. Boy is afraid of attraction to boy. Boy screws requisite loud, lonely straight girl. Boy dumps boy. Boy runs into boy years later and realizes boy is a freak. Thats all it was. The style of this film was pretty uneven, and the tone was all over the place. I just couldn't get into it. The only redeeming thing this movie had was Javier Beltran. He gave a wonderfully real performance. He was also VERY nice to look at. Robert Pattinson did just what I expected him to do. His performance was all over the place. He went from brooding to The Joker at the drop of a hat. This role would have been perfect for Heath Ledger, he would have done something interesting, and maybe had an accent that was consistent! Such a shame. This movie had such potential, and just fell into a formulaic mess, that was no better than any B gay romance!!!

GYPSY

Title: Gypsy
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Starring: Rosalind Russell, Karl Malden, Natalie Wood, Ann Jillian
Rating: 2/4 stars

Last night I popped this in for the first time in about 5 years. It was nice to revisit the big screen adaptation of one of my favorite musicals. This movie lacks some of the energy that I love about the show. It feels kind of heavy, even in it's lightest moments. Rosalind Russell does make a great Mama Rose, driving through the story like a bulldozer. Her singing is dubbed fantastically by Lisa Kirk, who sounds exactly like Russell. Wood actually does her own singing here, unlike in West Side Story. Its too brash, and she cannot blend, poor Ann Jillian has to fight to be heard during their duet, and it's Wood's character Louise who is the meek one. Singing aside, I actually do love Wood's performance, she really makes the journey to becoming Gypsy Rose Lee believable. She goes from mousy tomboy to sexy woman, and we don't even see her working at it. Malden is bland. Jillian has a great voice, but thats about it. The look of the film is drab and washed out, especially during the strip sequence, where I want more brightness and glamour. Overall a mediocre adaptation of a GREAT musical!

Globes Globes Globes

MY REACTIONS TO THE 67th ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES (in bullet points)

• THE FASHION: This is not a fashion blog so I will just say this. Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Garner, Toni Collette and Sofia Vergara were the best dressed women there. And Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock looked like they bought their dresses at Forever 21. PS Julia was also a HOT DRUNK MESS THE WHOLE NIGHT which made for great TV!
• THE HOST: I LOVED Ricky Gervais as the host. He was hilarious. He wasn't overly present, he was there just enough to make an impression and do his brand of humor, which is hilarious.
• THE MEN: So, I pretty much could care less about the male winners. I just love actresses more. I wasn't surprised by any of them, except Robert Downey Jr., who was looking HOTT by the by. His speech was also the best.
• THE WOMEN: OK...I could not be happier about the wins of Mo'Nique (of course, she was the most deserving) Toni Collette (her show is brilliant) and Drew Barrymore ("this is the best thing to wear for today") I was not at all surprised by Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock's wins. Although, I don't think Bullock was the best of her competitors. (I'll get on another soapbox about that later)
• THE SPEECHES: Best speeches of the night go to Mo'Nique, Drew Barrymore and Robert Downey Jr. Worst speeches of the night go to Christoph Waltz and The Producers of GREY GARDENS.
• THE BIG WINNERS: OK Globes, you got it right with Grey Gardens, and Mad Men, but beyond that, I am disappointed. The Hangover? Really? Over Julie and Julia and (500) Days of Summer? I was a little mad at that one. Then Glee over Modern Family and 30 Rock?? Seriously??? DISAPPOINTED. Then lastly AVATAR over The Hurt Locker???????? I AM NOW PISSED!!!!!!
• OVERALL: Overall it was a pretty good show. I sometimes wish only the actors got to make speeches, because they were the only interesting ones, but that's just me. Some of those winners have me scared for the Oscars though!!

Well, there you have it. Expect a soapbox speech from me later about the Best Actress category this awards season. I am a little angry about it!

A SINGLE MAN

Title: A Single Man

Director: Tom Ford

Starring: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, Nicholas Hoult

Rating: 4/4 stars

This film is a work of art. It is simply that. I barely have words to describe this film. I could say how great the acting it, but it is pointless. When you look at the Mona Lisa, does it really matter what the life story is of the woman you see in that painting? No, it doesn't. The only thing that matters is how it makes you feel. That's how I feel about the acting in A Single Man. The acting is just another dab of paint on Tom Ford's canvas. In A Single Man I have found a truly singular piece of brilliance. It really should not be measured by film standards. Like most art, it will be loved by some and hated by others. My opinion does not matter. It is simply a work of art!!!!!

THE BLIND SIDE

Title: The Blind Side

Director: John Lee Hancock

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Tim McGraw, Ray McKinnon, Kathy Bates

Rating: 3/4 stars

I went into this movie expecting a load of sentimental hogwash the likes of Freedom Writers, Rudy and Mr. Holland's Opus. I was pleasantly surprised to find nothing of the kind. OK, well, not nothing of the kind, there were definately some moments of tearjerkiness, but overall, it was an "inspirational" movie that was actually inspirational. As much as I hate to admit it, I am kind of a sucker for a hollywood "inspirational" movie, but this one was surprising. While it did have some of the old cliches (cracked-out mother, society snobs, workout montage), It also had a heart that rang totally true. There was no artificial emotion to be found, and most of the credit for that goes to Bullock, who totally deserves her impending Oscar nomination. She delivers an understated and effortless performance, and takes some unexpected turns. OK, so the moment when Tim McGraw is reciting and interpreting Tennyson while Kathy Bates cries quietly did make me want to barf. But that was really the only scene that was hard to watch. The rest was pretty delightful. My only hope is that the real life Michael Oher doesn't become a hooker-screwing pro athlete!

THE YOUNG VICTORIA

Title: The Young Victoria

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée

Starring: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Miranda Richardson, Paul Bettany, Jim Broadbent, Harriet Walker
Rating: 3.5/4 stars

I love Emily Blunt. She is one of my favorite actresses of her generation. Along with Anne Hathaway and Amy Adams, she can pretty much do no wrong in my book. The Young Victoria is Blunt at her best. She is so full of life, and brings youth, playfulness, joy and serenity to her role as the young monarch. And that is not the only thing this movie has. While having a fantastic leading lady is important, a movie cannot rely on that alone. And this one doesn't. After seeing it a second time, I was surprised at what a lovely movie it was. While it could easily have been a bland period piece, it surprises with each move of the camera, and each cut. It has a modern flair in the camera-work that I didn't expect, or even really notice after the first time I saw it. It is refreshing in a period piece like this to see a bit of innovation. Add to that, wonderful work from Friend and the rest of the cast, and costumes that made my gay heart beat faster, and The Young Victoria makes for a joyous and extremely pleasing two hours.

THE MESSENGER

Title: The Messenger
Director: Oren Moverman
Starring: Ben Foster, Woddy Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone
Rating:3.5/4 stars

I must start with Samantha Morton. I love actresses, and I love realism, and I love raw emotion. I am going to say, with all certainty, that Samantha Morton in The Messenger is my absolute FAVORITE performance by an actress in 2009!!! She was riveting, subtle, heartbreaking and soft. It was a performance of quiet brilliance (whereas my 2nd favorite, Mo'Nique in Precious, was one of loud brilliance.) That said, this movie was beautiful. Its portrayal of a soldier who is assigned to casualty notification has moments that break your heart, and they are plentiful. Foster is stellar, as is Harrelson. I love when a director trusts his actors enough to let them do their thing, and just sit back an watch. In my favorite scene, between Foster and Morton, the camera simply sits still, letting the intimacy reach its full potential. The emotions in every scene are given the chance to flow and fly, and it is a joy to see that. It could easily be a sequel to another great movie of 2009, The Hurt Locker. This is one of those quiet little movies that not many people will see, but everyone should!

PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE

Title: Precious: Based On The Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
Director: Lee Daniels

Starring: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Paula Patton

Rating: 4/4 stars

Precious is simply brilliant. It tells a story of the piteous existence of Clareece 'Precious' Jones without a drop of pity in the storytelling. A movie like this could so easily fall into the trap of being a sappy "inner city youth beating adversity finding themselves" movie. But it doesn't. It is told with such love and truth. Presented as simply what it is. It doesn't shy away from showing you the most terrible parts of Precious' life, and it doesn't shy away from showing the happiest moments either. It is just HONEST filmaking! Sidibe delivers a debut performance that is up there with Marlee Matlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Julie Andrews and Jennifer Hudson, as one of the BEST debut performances of all time (each was nominated/won the Oscar for their debut.) She is a revelation. Mo'Nique shocks and reviles as Precious' mother. She is beyond words, playing a villian, but almost making you sympathize with her...almost!! She walks that fine line, and her final scene is so earth shattering, it should be taught in acting classes worldwide. All the supporting players, turn in fantastic work as well. All in all, a truly honest and riveting film. Brilliantly done!!

UP IN THE AIR

Title: Up In The Air
Director: Jason Reitman
Starring: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Melanie Lynskey, Amy Morton
Rating: 2.5/4 stars

Every year at Oscar time, Hollywood trots out that years 'smart movie.' In an effort to tell the world that Hollywood isn't all about hot bodies and blowing things up. Sometimes these movies are fantastic, and sometimes they are just too smart for their own good. Like 'smart' movies from the past few years such as Sideways and Adaptation, Up in The Air is very good, but, it knows it is. There's something about a movie that thinks it is smarter than it's audience that makes it hard for me to love. Clooney is fantastic. He gives probably the best performance of his career, and reminded me that he is a bona fide silver fox. Vera Farmiga also turns in a wonderfully understated performance, simply being, not acting. Anna Kendrick, while I liked her character alot, I disagreed with almost every choice she made, there was no heart in her character, only surface. A whiney brat one moment, and a cold bitch the next, with nothing tying the two together. It was a performance so uneven that I am baffled at her impending Oscar nomination. I liked this movie, but it's not as amazing as Hollywood would have you believe.

NINE

Title: Nine
Director: Rob Marshall
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz, Sophia Loren, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, Fergie
Rating: 3/4

I am a big movie musical fan. I am a big fan of NINE the stage musical. I had very high hopes for this movie, and for the most part it doesn't disappoint. I have seen it 3 times (and counting). As a whole, the movie is mediocre. I'm sorry to say this, but I think Rob Marshall takes the easy way out by putting every musical number in someones head. Really Rob? You don't trust your audience enough to let them accept the musical numbers as part of the world of the film? Who said Marshall should direct movie musicals anyway??

The main reason to see this movie is for the performances. Every actor on that screen is stellar. Fergie sells the shit out of her number, as does Hudson. Dench is lovely despite her disappearing french accent. Kidman is haunting. Loren is cozy and Day-Lewis is a sexy sleazeball. The standouts, however, are the vulnerable and sexy Cruz, who evokes pity and lust; and Cotillard, who is heartbreaking, and makes me cry more each time I see this movie. She is the closest thing our generation has to Audrey Hepburn, class personified, and a BRILLIANT actress to boot.

THE LOVELY BONES

Title: The Lovely Bones
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Rose McIver, Michael Imperioli
Rating: 3.5/4 stars
I have not read THE LOVELY BONES book. I love this movie. Rarely does a movie make me feel the way I felt after this. The performances of Tucci and Ronan are brilliant. Ronan carries the film. The only way we will care about the movie is if we really care about Susie Salmon, and Ronan's expressive eyes are a window into Susie's soul. Tucci gives us a villian with not an ounce of sympathy (something many actors can't do.) He doesn't expect you to like him, and you won't. The low point in this movie is Mark Wahlberg. He is wooden, devoid of emotion, and awkward. Poor Rachel Weisz was able to let her brilliance shine through even next to that terrible actor.

This movie was beautiful to behold. It has moments of self-indulgence, where they tell you things you already know, again and again; but, as my friend said, it was still pretty to look at. The scene where Susie's sister breaks into the murderer's house is executed with Hitchcockian brilliance. Kudos to Jackson for his breathtaking pictures of what it might be in the hereafter, he creates a living breathing world for Susie to inhabit. GREAT MOVIE!!