Quartet - B

Rated PG-13, 95 minutes

Cast best part of Hoffman's familiar, warm "Quartet"

If you like classical music, a sensitive, warm story and a likable cast, then the effusive, charming indie British film "Quartet," directed by Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman, is for you. The story, about aging opera stars in a retirement home, is a familiar one with appeal mainly for the older set, but there are plenty of enjoyable moments. Cissy (Pauline Collins), Wilf (Billy Connolly), and Reg (Tom Courtenay) are all retired members of an operatic quartet, living in Beecham House, a retirement home for gifted musicians, who put on an annual opera concert. However, the arrival of the fourth member of the quartet, and Reg's ex-wife, Jean (Maggie Smith), results in old rivalries and theatrical temperaments and it becomes unclear if the show will go on or not. The winning "Quartet" is a lovely, slow-moving film that sometimes borders on the cutesy, but the cast will easily win you over. Based on a play of the same name by Oscar-nominated writer Ronald Harwood ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"), with Maggie Smith in the cast in a Golden Globe-nominated performance, it seems like another variation of Smith's own recent "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel." The veteran Smith, in another strong turn as the aging opera star with hesitations of growing older, continues to make any part look effortless; Connolly is the charming womanizer, Courtenay as Smith's earnest ex-husband, Collins as a flaky but lovable part of the quartet, as well as a blustery Michael Gambon as their self-proclaimed director, not to mention a supporting cast of former real opera singers and musicians, (note: stay over for the credits). Handsomely filmed, effectively scored and a slight but satisfying story of a talented quartet with one final coda in them, Hoffman is a serviceable director with clear affection for his actors (though you never actually see the quarter singing). "Quartet" is a warm, well-acted, if not familiar story with a crowd-pleasing cast.

Wes's Grade: B

Movie 43 - D-

Rated R, 97 minutes

Unfunny "Movie 43," with large cast, is an epic bomb

I had high hopes that the new comedy "Movie 43," which features one of the largest and most star-studded ensembles in movie history, would be original, sharp and laugh-out loud funny. It's none of those things, and after seeing the finished product, none of those would likely want this on their resume. With twelve different storylines and directors, including Peter Farrelly, Brett Ratner and Bob Odenkirk and starring the likes of Greg Kinnear, Dennis Quaid, Uma Thurman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Jackman, Naomi Watts, Justin Long, Halle Berry, Seann William Scott, Richard Gere and Anna Faris, to name just a few, the film crashes and burns early on and doesn't recover. The rambling, episodic film tells the story of a filmmaker (Quaid) who holds producer Kinnear hostage so he can pitch a truly god-awful film to him. The fact that it's terribly offensive, unfunny and shoddy, wasting all of the actors who appear, doesn't help. With Farrelly on board, it's not surprising the film is both outrageous and shocking yet that's not the film's clear problem; it's like the best of the most unfunny "Saturday Night Live" skits you've seen and placing them all in the same film. The initial episode with Winslet and Jackman is mildly funny, as is the one with Watts and real-life partner Liev Schreiber, but the rest are meant really just exist to have shock value and little else. Poop, menstruation and super heroes are all made of along the way, much of which will make you cringe. Shot over several years to accommodate all the actors involved, it's a strange, uneven mess of an experiment of a film that will only be remembered for what a bomb it was. Sure, I get it. "Movie 43" is meant to offend and outrage, maybe that is the point but not a bit of it is genuinely funny. "Movie 43" is the "Heaven's Gate" of comedy films, so you're better off staying as far away as possible.

Wes's Grade: D-

Parker - C

Rated R, 118 minutes

Slick yet predictable "Parker" could've been much better

The good news is that the uneven new action crime thriller "Parker" is serviceable thriller with an attractive cast. The bad news is that it's largely unoriginal and predictable, even though it's based on the Donald Westlake fictional crime novel "Flashfire."  Set amidst the unparalleled wealth and glamour of Palm Beach, Florida, action hero Jason Statham is Parker, a professional thief who is asked by his girlfriend's dad (Nick Nolte, gruff as ever) to lead a job and then his crew, including Melander (Michael Chiklis), double-crosses him and leaves him for dead. Parker returns to Palm Beach in disguise to locate and exact revenge on his former crew, with the help of real estate agent and potential victim herself (Jennifer Lopez). "Parker" has a handsome cast, a solid director in Taylor Hackford ("Ray," "An Officer and a Gentleman") but falls prey to the usual tactics of a film in this genre, of a good-hearted thief exacting revenge on this corrupt former crew. Statham can play this role in his sleep, and he near does, and while he and Lopez have a few warm moments together, the script is far too calculated (not to mention terribly sexist and misogynistic), particularly in the final act and it simply takes too long for such a supposedly smart thief as Parker to locate and hunt down the real bad guys. Hackford would've also been better off making a straight drama than trying to infuse moments of light-hearted humor into the film, they simply fall flat (and are sometimes offensive) and throw the film off course. "Parker" is a mediocre attempt to do something that Mel Gibson did back before he became too divisive for mainstream film audiences; this should please Statham and Lopez fans, who will likely show up regardless how mediocre the final product is.

Wes's Grade: C

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters - C

Rated R, 88 minutes

"Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" a junky, mildly entertaining ride

"Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" should be a treat for those who enjoy fractured fairy tales. Based loosely on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, this revisionist tale is part horror, part fairly tale, and peppered with enough action, witches and gore to make this guilty-pleasure fun. After getting a taste for blood as children, Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) have become the ultimate vigilantes, hell bent on retribution. Now unbeknownst to them, Hansel and Gretel have become the hunted, facing their past and a pretty evil witch (Famke Janssen) who seems to have to the upper hand. This "Hansel and Gretel" is definitely not for kids, though there's some fun to be had. The worst thing about this mash up isn't the thin storyline, slack direction or the cardboard characters, but the fact that it isn't scary or fun enough. That comes as a surprise, given the producers are, quite oddly, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, who could've infused more tongue-in-cheek humor to lighten the load. Instead the actors, particularly Renner, are far too earnest, taking this thing much too seriously, and the leads don't exude much chemistry either. The efficient "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" (only 88 minutes) is peppered with a few decent action set pieces (the guns are way too modern for the time it's set in), but like most movies released in January, this is on the junky, messy side, but at least you'll have a little fun along the way.

Wes's Grade: C

Gangster Squad - C-

Rated R, 110 minutes

 

Uneven, messy "Gangster Squad" way off target

“Gangster Squad” is an unfortunate mess. Unfortunate that a violent crime film is released at the height of America’s debate on gun control and following several tragic events. As for the mess, it sums up essentially the rest of the film; while peppered with a few decent action sequences, stylish sets and a handsome cast, it falls flat. It strives to be “The Untouchables” but in execution ends up dead on arrival. “Gangster Squad” is set in Los Angeles in the 1950s, when Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) assembles a group of rag tag lawmakers (Ryan Gosling, Robert Patrick, Anthony Mackie, Michael Pena and Giovanni Ribisi) to help bring down noted gangster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) and keep the East Coast mafia out of L.A. “Gangster Squad” has a handful of good qualities, mainly style and a good cast, that are wasted under an uneven script, pacing and direction. The film has clear identity problems; it wants to be both a dark noir in “L.A. Confidential” style or the humor and violence of DePalma’s “Untouchables” yet it ends up a mess in plotting and structure. The problem may be that “Gangster Squad” has the wrong director in Ruben Fleischer, director of the hit horror film “Zombieland.” He doesn’t have a solid grasp of the narrative, and his misdirection ends up wasting such fine actors like a too-earnest Brolin, an over-the-top (an understatement) Penn, who chews on scenery and everyone else, and a miscast Gosling, who seems to acting in another movie altogether. “Gangster Squad’s” female lead, Emma Stone, is also wasted as it clearly tries to model Kim Basinger from “L.A. Confidential.” The unfortunate timing following the shootings in Newtown and Aurora (which prompted some reshoots of key scenes) doesn’t exactly help the film, either. There are a handful of fun moments, mostly provided by the supporting characters (Mackie, Patrick, Pena, Ribisi) who are far more interesting than the leads, but in the end “Gangster Squad” is a terrible misfire.

Wes’s Grade: C-

Mama - B-

Rated PG-13, 100 minutes

Creepy thriller “Mama” pushes some familiar buttons

“Mama” is a new horror film that’s nothing new. Creepy and entertaining, it falters somewhat under some narrative problems and an unoriginal script, but the Guillermo Del Toro-produced film provides some nice scares without excessive violence that’s commonplace these days in this genre. Five years ago, sisters Victoria and Lilly vanished from their suburban neighborhood without a trace when their father, a businessman, gets into some trouble. Since then, their Uncle Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his girlfriend, Annabel (Jessica Chastain), have been madly searching for them. But when, incredibly, the kids (Megan Charpentier and Isabelle Nelisse) are found alive in a decrepit cabin, the couple wonders if the girls are the only guests they have welcomed into their home. As Annabel tries to introduce the children to a normal life, she grows convinced of an evil presence in their house. Directed and co-written by Spanish director Andres Muschietti, produced by Del Toro and based on a 2008 short film by Muschietti, “Mama” provides a handful of intense scares and a genuine sense of creepiness, even if it tends to channel other supernatural thrillers such as “The Others” and “The Ring.” It’s also nice seeing a dark-haired, tattoed yet believable Chastain, barely recognizable at first, play something other than heavy dramas. The film’s initial chapters work best and filled with some nice Del Toroian style touches of weird shadows and things coming out of the wall; it falters under a few plot contrivances and a little cheesiness in the last act, but it’s still a fun, welcome change from the “Chainsaw” type of gore that passes as entertainment these days. Also, the two young actresses, Charpentier and especially Nelisse, provide some of the film’s more creepier moments (eating butterflies, ugh). “Mama” is worth a look especially for Del Toro fans, but it’s also for those who typically don’t go for this genre, and count me as one of those.

Wes’s Grade: B-

Broken City - C-

Rated R, 109 minutes

Mildly entertaining but contrived "Broken City"

Part political thriller, part moral lesson and part crime drama, "Broken City" is an all-too familiar, over-ambitious and muddy vehicle for its stars, Russell Crowe and Mark Wahlberg. An NYPD ex-cop-turned-private eye (Wahlberg) is thrown headfirst into a hotbed of trouble after a mayor (Crowe) hires him to look into his cheating wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and uncovers a much bigger scandal than he anticipated. Directed by Allen Hughes ("The Book of Eli"), "Broken City" is a contrived political-crime drama with a little too much to say about the decay of society. Unfortunately, Hughes seems to have bit off a little too much and seems a little in over his head here, wasting a solid cast and what could've been an effective drama. After a solid start, it becomes too predictable in the last act, though it's peppered with a few decent scenes, though the big climax is a bit of a letdown, much like the movie itself. Crowe, Wahlberg and Zeta-Jones seem to go through the paces, which only adds to the disappointment of the film. January, much like September,  seems to be a time to burn off bad movies; " Broken City," aptly enough, is a glossy piece of junk that isn't worth your time unless you're fans of Crowe or Wahlberg.

Wes's Grade: C-

Amour - A

Rated PG-13, 127 minutes
In French with English subtitles

Unforgettable, unflinching and sad portrait of love in "Amour"

Unlike the characters in the movie, "Amour" is something you won't easily forget. A passionate but tragic look at growing older, it's superbly acted and richly deserving of the accolades it's receiving. The French-language, Austrian film is about Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva), who are in their eighties. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter (Isabelle Huppert), who is also a musician, lives abroad with her family. One day, Anne has an attack and the couple's bond of love is severely tested. Directed by acclaimed director Michael Haneke ("The White Ribbon"), put "Amour" on your list of must-see films for this year. Superbly acted by the leads, particularly Oscar-nominee Riva as the wife who's health is slowly deteriorating, it's a heartbreaking tale of what it means to be married in sickness and in (bad) health. "Amour" has been winning many accolades since it won the 2012 Palm D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, that festival's highest honor, and after you see it, you'll realize why and why it could win more at this year's Academy Awards. Haneke, who's also nominated as Best Director, brings out the best in his actors and stages the scenes quite well; it's pensive, slow-moving but emotionally satisfying and more heartbreaking as the film moves along. Definitely a must-see though maybe not for those who have elderly parents they're caring for.

Wes's Grade: A

The Last Stand - B-

Rated R, 107 minutes

Typical, but fun Schwarzenegger fluff in "The Last Stand"

If you have an issue with gun control, then the new Arnold Schwarzenegger film "The Last Stand" will not be for you. Featuring Schwarzenegger in his first starring role since the "Terminator 3" nearly 10 years ago, it's silly, contrived and much more violent than it needs to be, but it doesn't have any heady messages except to entertain, which it does often. In other words, it's a typical above-average Schwarzenegger film. In "The Last Stand," Schwarzenegger is a small-town Arizona sheriff who happens to find himself and his town in the center of a large FBI manhunt of an escaped drug cartel leader Cortez (Eduardo Noriega) trying to get back to Mexico. With the help of his deputies (Luiz Guzman, Zach Gilford, Jaimie Alexander, Rodrigo Santoro and Johnny Knoxville) and under the eye of the lead FBI agent (Forest Whitaker), it's up to them to stop Cortez with whatever means possible. Preposterous for sure, "The Last Stand" is forgettable but enjoyable entertainment that doesn't let predictability and a video-game shoot-and-run sensibility get in the way. It helps that "Stand" is helmed by noted South Korean director Kim Ji-woon ("A Tale of Two Sisters"), an unconventional choice for something like this, but Ji-woon keeps the pace of the film moving, and while it seems like typical action fluff, it won't disappoint Schwarzenegger's fan base. There's loads of guns and violence, so if that's something you have an issue with, you may not want to see it, but most may not care. The real star of "The Last Stand" may be the souped-up 2001 Corvette used in the film which run exceedingly fast. If you've seen any of Schwarzenegger's other films, you've seen "The Last Stand" too, but it's worth seeing if you want to welcome a movie icon back to the big screen.

Wes's Grade: B-

Oscar Nominations

Here is a full list of nominees for the Oscars.

http://oscar.go.com/nominees

Lots of surprises this year. More to come...

Zero Dark Thirty - A-

Rated R, 157 minutes

Methodical, mesmerizing and tense “Zero Dark Thirty”

“Zero Dark Thirty” is the stunning, mesmerizing and superbly acted thriller about the CIA’s hunt for Osama Bin Laden from Kathryn Bigelow, who tread similar ground in the Oscar-winning “The Hurt Locker.” She again reteams with Mark Boal, her Oscar-winning writer from that film, to provide a puzzling, fascinating and often morally ambiguous look at the U.S. involvement with the tracking of the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. Reportedly based on CIA documents and transcripts (they have denied much involvement with the film), the film follows CIA operative Maya (Jessica Chastain), based on a real CIA Officer known as Jen, as she spends 10 years hunting Bin Laden and with the help of U.S. Navy Seals, eventually killing him in Pakistan in May 2011. The engaging, powerful film is essentially split into two parts: the gathering of information, with the use of torture tactics, and then the years spent tracking him and eventually finding him in Pakistan. The film’s initial torture scenes provide a texture of moral looseness, though the film doesn’t really need them to effectively work. “ZDT’s” second half is the far better as it tracks Bin Laden’s whereabouts and the staging of the ambush to finally kill the man behind so much terrorist attacks. Chastain, in a star-making, minimalist yet layered part, is superb as Maya and centers the film in her strongest part yet. With oversize facial features, slender body and flame red hair, her character is far more driven than even she realizes, making Chastain could be the front-runner in this year’s Best Actress Oscar race. She has one of the year’s most memorable movie lines: “And just who are you?” she’s asked. “I’m the mother-f----r who found this place,” she replies. Many of the other CIA agents portrayed in the film are amalgams of real-life characters, the strongest of which is Dan, the torture expert who seems to get anything out of anyone, in a strong performance from Australian actor Jason Clarke, recently seen in “Lawless” (he could be a darkhorse in the Supporting Actor Oscar category too). Watch for Joel Edgerton, Harold Perrineau, Mark Duplass, Mark Strong and Kyle Chandler in small but memorable roles, along with a fun cameo from James Gandolfini as current Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. Bigelow, in a another strong directorial turn following “Hurt Locker,” along with Boal, wisely steer away from political/moral preachiness to center the film on one point: finding Bin Laden, and in such a methodical, fascinating way that it rarely feels dull. With that focus in mind, the film is well-constructed and while slightly overlong, Bigelow keeps the pace moving along swiftly and you may not feel the film’s 157 minutes. The final 20 minutes of “Zero Dark Thirty,” when the manhunt finally concludes at Bin Laden’s compound, is among the most breathtaking and intense seen in film over the last year. “Zero Dark Thirty” is among the year’s best films and should figure in heavily in the film awards’ race season in many categories.

 Wes’s Grade: A-

My Oscar Nomination Predictions

Drumroll please...

The Oscar nominations are officially announced this Thursday, January 10th very early in the morning. Here are my predictions for the top categories. Of course, these are always subject to change before the actual nominations are announced. Look for Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, Les Miserables and Argo to lead the pack in what ended up being a great year at the movies.

The Oscars are televised on ABC-TV on Sunday, February 24th at 7 pm central.

Best Picture
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty
Les Miserables
Argo
Silver Linings Playbook
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Moonrise Kingdom
Beasts of the Southern Wild
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Since this was a good year for movies, I think there will be a full 10 nominees this year. The top five listed here are all but certainties, with the remaining five strong bets. The Academy could glean from a host of different films to fill the slots, including, Skyfall, The Impossible, Flight, The Master, The Dark Knight Rises, Amour and The Hobbit, but I think they might go to SAG nominee The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, a popular but slightly odd choice. Though my personal fave is Silver Linings Playbook, I think it will likely come down to a tight race between the contemporary Zero Dark Thirty and the historical Lincoln.

Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Denzel Washington, Flight
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables

The first four actors are locks to get in. There are plenty of great performances to choose from for the fifth slot. The one that most comes to mind is Globe nominee Joaquin Phoenix's strong turn in The Master and many feel he will still make it, but he seems to lost some momentum since the film opened in early fall (and SAG overlooked him), so the final slot will would likely go to SAG and Globe nominee Jackman as Jean Valjean in the popular movie musical Les Miserables. Whatever happens there, this is still Daniel Day-Lewis' to lose, though my personal favorite is Washington's tour-de-force turn in Flight.

Best Actress
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour

Lawrence, Chastain and Watts are all in for sure. Since this was a weak year overall for strong American female lead performances, I believe the final two slots will go foreign language films, Cotillard in France's Rust and Bone and Riva in Austria's Amour, who at age 85 would be the oldest nominee ever in this category. The Golden Globes and the SAG Awards were a little all over the place, with noms for Helen Mirren for Hitchcock (strong performance in a weak film), Rachel Weisz in the little-seen The Deep Blue Sea and Judi Dench for the popular The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. There's also a small chance that Quvenzhane Wallis could make it in for her amazing turn in the acclaimed independent drama Beasts of the Southern Wild, but at just 9 years old many (including me) feel she's too young. This race is shaping up to be one between two rising young actresses, Lawrence and Chastain.

Best Supporting Actress
Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables
Sally Field, Lincoln
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Amy Adams, The Master
Maggie Smith, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

I've always said the supporting acting awards are often the most unpredictable, and this year is no different, though Anne Hathaway's remarkable turn in Les Miserables has already emerged as the clear front runner in this category. Hathaway, Field and Hunt are certain nominees. The final two could be filled by varied, eclectic performances; speaking of that, both the SAG and the Golden Globes nominated Nicole Kidman for her blowsy, hammy turn in the poorly-received, little-seen The Paperboy, so she could easily get a nod, but I think the Academy will stick to a much safer candidate in British favorite (and two-time Oscar winner) Maggie Smith for the crowd-pleasing The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and for past Oscar nominee Amy Adams for her excellent, creepy turn in Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master.

Best Supporting Actor
Robert DeNiro, Silver Linings Playbook
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Alan Arkin, Argo
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Javier Bardem, Skyfall

In a category that will likely be filled by previous Oscar-winners, the first four are all in easily. The final slot could go to one of many. Dwight Henry from Beasts of the Southern Wild, Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio from Django Unchained, Ewan McGregor and Tom Holland from The Impossible are all possibilites. In a perfect world, it'd be nice to see Australian actor Jason Clarke's excellent turn in Zero Dark Thirty nominated (and if the film picks up enough noms, it could very well happen). However, I think the Academy will go with SAG nominee and previous Oscar-winner Bardem's truly creepy turn in Skyfall, throwing a bone to one of the best-reviewed films of the year and the highest grossing Bond film ever. This category will probably end up a neck-and-neck race between Jones and Arkin.

Best Director
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Ben Affleck, Argo
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Tom Hooper, Les Miserables

Best Director this year is a difficult one to choose from due to some great films. Based on all I've seen so far, the first four are easily in. Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained, Wes Anderson for Moonrise Kingdom, David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook and Paul Thomas Anderson for The Master all could make the cut, but I think the fifth slot will go to Tom Hooper for the SAG and Globe-nominated Les Miserables, though this category is always open for a nice surprise. It looks to be shaping up to be a race between Spielberg and Bigelow.

Best Animated Film
Brave
Wreck-It-Ralph
Frankenweenie
Rise of the Guardians
ParaNorman

Disney/Pixar will likely again dominate here, so it's no surprise seeing Brave, Wreck-It-Ralph and Frankenweenie all in the mix here.

Personal Favorites for 2012

This list is NOT my official Oscar nomination predictions. This list is simply my personal favorites for the year. Official list to come!

Best Picture
I can't say I'm completely on the Lincoln bandwagon. Daniel Day-Lewis is amazing, but it's otherwise an overlong exercise in historical political talk. My favorite film is David O. Russell's dramedy Silver Linings Playbook, superbly acted, funny and touching. Flight, Zero Dark Thirty, Les Miserables and Life of Pi are also favorites.

Best Actor
The Oscar will no doubt go to Daniel Day-Lewis for his stunning turn as Abe Lincoln in Lincoln, but my favorite this year is Denzel Washington for Flight, a strong tour-de-force performance as an alcoholic pilot that I feel is his career best, even better than his Oscar-winning turn in Training Day.

Best Actress
This is a tie for me. I loved both Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook and Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty. Lawrence was so charming and winning in Silver Linings, while Chastain was impressive in a very layered, complex role in Zero Dark Thirty. Good to see the rising of the next generation of great actresses.

Best Supporting Actor
Tommy Lee Jones wins this hands down in my opinion. He stole every moment he was in Lincoln and was as good or even better than Daniel Day-Lewis. A close second is Australian Jason Clarke, who gave the drama Zero Dark Thirty some verve as a crackling CIA agent.

Best Supporting Actress
Two words: Anne Hathaway. Though not all critics loved Les Miserables, we were pretty much all in agreement that Hathaway's performance as Fantine was simply breathtaking. This award is as much hers as Daniel Day-Lewis has the Best Actor category sewn up.

Best Director
I love Quentin Tarantino. A big fan of Spielberg. Enjoy Wes Anderson. But I feel the best director this year was David O. Russell for the affecting and superb Silver Linings Playbook. A lesser director could've easily down a much more sentimental route, but Russell went with the characters first, and it paid off greatly.

COMING SOON...

...WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MY OSCAR NOMINATION PREDICTIONS!

The nominations are announced Thursday, January 10th. Stay tuned....

The Impossible - B+

Rated PG-13, 113 minutes

"The Impossible" is a harrowing, gripping tale of family survival

The superbly acted, engrossing "The Impossible" tells the true story of a family's survival of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami in Thailand. Harrowing, difficult to watch and ultimately uplifting, it's a vivid, memorable portrait of a family struggling to survive and find each other. Maria (Naomi Watts) and Henry (Ewan McGregor) and their three young sons, Lucas (Tom Holland), Thomas (Samuel Joslin) and Simon (Oaklee Pendergast) are in Thailand spending their Christmas vacation at a beachside resort. A deadly tsunami strikes separating the family from each other; remarkably, all are alive, with a near gravely wounded Maria and Lucas in a remote village while Henry, Thomas and Simon are still stranded at the resort. Widespread damage and disastrous conditions make it impossible for them to find each other again, but somehow they find a way. "The Impossible" could've ended up a derivative, maudlin TV-movie-of-the-week tropical disaster is instead a captivating, satisfying true tale of a family determined to stay together. Directed by Juan Antonio Bayona ("The Orphanage"), it's based on the story of the Belon family, a Spanish family (updated to Anglo here to make the story more universal) who survived the 2004 tsunami.  The excellent performances from the principals, particularly Watts, McGregor and young Holland, carry the film memorably, though the real star may be the spectacular but chilling recreation of the tsunami, done mostly with CGI and bookending the film. Though the story itself carries little surprise and more predictability than usual, the actors keep you engaged until the end, which is an old-style, guaranteed three-hanky (or more) finale. "The Impossible" is a gripping, poignant tale that comes recommended for the strong performances and the amazing special effects.

Wes's Grade: B+

Promised Land - C

Rated R, 106 minutes

Well-acted "Promised Land" too predictable, lacks power

Matt Damon

The drama "Promised Land" has a sturdy pedigree. It's a relevant story of oil drilling directed by Gus Van Sant ("Good Will Hunting"), starring Matt Damon and John Kraskinki (the pair also penned the screenplay), with a solid supporting cast including Rosemarie DeWitt, Hal Holbrook and Oscar-winner Frances McDormand. Unfortunately and rather surprisingly, the well-acted "Promise Land" adds up to a mediocre, overly calculated film that lacks an emotional force. Damon is Steve Butler, an ace corporate salesman for a large energy company who is sent along with his partner, Sue Thomason (Frances McDormand), to close a key rural Pennsylvania town in his company's expansion plans. With the town in economic decline of recent years, they see this as an easy win, for drilling rights to their properties, as much-needed relief. Yet this becomes complicated by the objection of a respected schoolteacher (Hal Holbrook) with support from a grassroots campaign led by another man (John Krasinski), as well as the interest of a local woman (Rosemarie DeWitt). With such talent in front of and behind the camera, you'd think that the earnest, well-intentioned "Promised Land" would hit it out of the ballpark, which it obviously tries to do. The chief flaw is Damon and Krasinki's preachy, predictable script, with a set up so obvious there's really no reason to sit through the rest of the movie, and while a gifted director like Van Sant tries to instill some poignancy in it, even he falters in doing so. The likable cast tries, but the most memorable is not Damon or the bland Krasinski, but Holbrook and McDormand, both of whom shine in supporting roles, especially McDormand, who steals every scene she's in (and while Holbrook is great, anyone else notice how weird and glassy his eyes look?). Filmed on location on the beautiful countrysides of Pennsylvania, the issue of fracking is indeed a relevant one, but it needs a better, more powerful movie than "Promised Land," which doesn't deliver that at all.

Wes's Grade: C