New Feature: Lady Love of the Day

I have decided to start a new feature. As a lover of ladies in film, I have countless moments of beauty on the screen, burned into my brain, and I love nothing more than to talk about them. So, each day I shall pick a performance and talk talk talk about it!!!!

I may end up giving away key moments of the film. If you haven't seen it, I am sorry! That'll happen though, so get over it!

IT BEGINS TOMORROW: JAN 17th!!!

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!

Top 10 Female Performances of 2009

Here's the list for the ladies!!!

Top 10 Female Performances of 2009

10-Emily Blunt in Sunshine Cleaning
9-Saoirse Ronan in The Lovely Bones
8-Meryl Streep in Julie and Julia
7-Carey Mulligan in An Education
6-Emily Blunt in The Young Victoria
5-Gabourey Sidibe in Precious
4-Shoreh Agdashloo in The Stoning of Soraya M.
3-Marion Cotillard in Nine
2-Mo'Nique in Precious
1-Samantha Morton in The Messenger

OK...Mo'Nique and Samantha Morton really are pretty much a tie, but they are like comparing apples and oranges. Samantha Morton barely spoke above a whisper in The Messenger, and I just love that...so thats why she is number one.

Also, I have Emily Blunt on here twice, and I truly think she should have played Anna Kendrick's role in Up In The Air, she would have knocked it out of the park, unlike Kendrick, who I hated!!

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.

Top 10 Male Performances of 2009

OK, so, I love movies, and I also love making lists. So here is the first of many lists that will appear on this blog. As it is awards season (aka, The Gay World Series) I am making my lists of the best of 2009. Here is the first!

Top 10 Male Performances of 2009

10-Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker
9-Rupert Friend in The Young Victoria
8-Ben Wishaw in Bright Star
7-Woody Harrelson in The Messenger
6-Alfred Molina in An Education
5-Stanley Tucci in The Lovely Bones
4-George Clooney in Up In The Air
3-Colin Firth in A Single Man
2-Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker
1-Sharlto Copley in District 9

These are simply my opinions, I did not see every movie that came out, but of what I saw these are most certainly the best!!!!
COMING SOON: Top 10 Female Performances of 2009

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.