African Film Festival at the MFA

In honor of Black History month the MFA in Boston is hosting a Black Film Festival, and the coolest part about it (especially if you go to Northeastern University, which is right next to the MFA) is that Danny Glover will be there for opening night to present Abderrahmane Sissako's "Bamako." "Bamako" is a film about an exploration of globalism, Glover has a small part in it. He also produced the film through his company Louverture, which is "dedicated to the development and production of films of historical relevance, social purpose, commercial value, and artistic integrity," and all that jazz. Danny Glover is going to be there!!! Looks like fun to me, I know I'll be there!
Opening night is Friday, February 16th and begins at 7:45PM at the MFA. For more information about the film festival go here.

Dreamgirls

Oh the joy of sneaking into a second movie. But come on, who could pass up Dreamgirls when it was right on the other side of the hall! And it was totally worth it!
Right from the start Dreamgirls had me tapping my foot whether I wanted to or not. The songs were strong, the colors were bright and the characters bold. I didn't look at the time on my cell phone once, which now a days is a rarity.
Dreamgirls is about three girls, Deena(Beyonce Knowles), Lorrell(Anika Noni Rose) and Effie(Jennifer Hudson) that make up the Dreamettes, a group of struggling singers looking to make it big in the music industry. They start out singing in a competition where they shine, but surprisingly another contestant wins, however, when a big time singers backup singers quit, they get the opportunity to replace them. The man who approaches them about this is Curtis Taylor(Jamie Foxx), manager of James "Thunder" Early(Eddie Murphy), who eventually convinces the girls to take the gig. Eventually they become too good for Early and Curtis makes them into their own group, but this is where the problems start. Effie has always sung lead, and is the one with the most talent, but Deena is the one with the looks, so Curtis decides that she should be the new lead singer because the girls would be more marketable that way. Effie puts up a fight and Deena is hesitant to take on the lead, but for the better of the group they agree and Curtis promises Effie that she'll get her chance. As time goes by Effie realizes that Curtis is not keeping his promise, and this leads to her walking out on rehearsals and performances, and her eventual replacement. Deena becomes a star while Effie struggles to make a living, but don't worry all ends well in this musical.
With such a solid cast which includes Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Danny Glover, and Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson steals every scene that she's in with her strong personality and harsh attitude. Even being up against pop sensation Beyonce, she makes her look like an amateur. So why didn't this girl win American Idol? After seeing a spectacular performance by Foxx in Ray, he disappointingly falls short in Dreamgirls. His Ike Turner-like character just blends into the background in all of the musical numbers, hardly showing his natural charisma and the great musical talent that he possesses. Murphy, like Hudson, hits a home run with his performance as the out of control, do it his way, Jimmy Early, who reminds me a lot of the late James Brown. He brings tons of energy to the film, giving us lots of laughs, however, he is more than the comic relief in this film. Jimmy not only struggles with his drug addiction, but trying to be able to let his own personality shine out through his music, while Curtis suppresses Jimmy's own style, telling him his time is over, crushing his hopes and dreams. This is by far Murphy's best work to date, and hopefully he'll take home the Oscar for it.

Grade: B+

The Queen

In The Queen, Mirren transforms into the stoic Elizabeth II, full of arrogance, refusing to modernize her ways of ruling the monarchy. When Princess Diana tragically dies, the queen refuses to give Diana a royal funeral or deviate ever so slightly from the usual protocol, stirring up the British people. With a "screw everyone" attitude, the queen refuses to give in to the public despite the growing rebellion against the queen, the royal family and eventually the entire monarchy.
Mirren is brilliant in The Queen, with a stoicism that made me think, "I never thought a little old lady could scare me so much." And where Matt Damon failed in The Good Shepherd with a similar role, Mirren succeeds and goes way beyond expectations earning her nominations for Best Actress at every major awards ceremony this year. She first appears to be immune from feelings, with absolutely no reaction whatsoever to Princess Diana's death. However, as the film continues, and her support system crumbles, so does her emotional block toward the world. In one scene, the queen has gotten her car stuck, and while waiting for help to arrive she spots a deer. She becomes overwhelmed by the natural beauty of life, represented by the deer, and in this scene we see the first signs of emotion from her.
Another brilliant performance was given by Michael Sheen as Tony Blair, who balances out Mirren's performance with his upbeat attitude and modern views on the monarchy. Sheen's character sees the flaws in the royal family, saying things like, "will someone please save these people from themselves," but also has an unwavering respect for the queen, even when all others have turned their backs on her. He is the voice of reason, and the people's savior for most of the film, naming Diana "the people's princess" and trying to encourage the queen to take action while dealing with the stubborn and obnoxious members of the royal family.
The Queen is a royal masterpiece, with Mirren's performance to boot. Her portrayal of Elizabeth II is stoic yet extremely strong, and with her constant rude actions toward Blair, the film has many comical moments, giving such a heavy film a light air to it for the perfect balance. This year in film, Mirren IS the queen.

Grade: A-

News For Northeastern University Film Fans

This Wednesday, February 7th, in the Curry Student Center Ballroom on Northeastern University's campus, the Cinema Studies Department is sponsoring a showing of "The Golem," a 1920s silent film and horror masterpiece. This also includes a live and original score on piano performed by Associate Professor Yakov Gubanov of the Berklee College of Music. It's a 90 minute film, and it will be shown at 12 noon. All are welcome.

Looking at Film From Another Persepective

While searching through some other blogs I came upon Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema. This is another blogger who has been writing about film for sometime and blogging about it since 2003. It is interesting to view another blog so similar to mine in topic, but to be able to see the progression of the site and also the more advanced analysis and organization. What I really like about Reel Times is the organization, and how he separates the film reviews into their own archiving spot. The grading system for his reviews is also very effective, being done by letters instead of stars (not like I could figure out how to create stars for mine anyway, being new to blogging and Internet codes). One of his more recent posts is about the best movies of 2006, which every respectable blogger seems to be doing in the past few weeks. I guess I'll just have to go with the flow and create my own top films list as my next post. However, I can't say I agree with his choices, for example "Charlotte's Web" makes his top 10, but not "Babel" or "The Queen." But then again I guess this is why we have many critics...to gather many opinions to see if the majority thought it was great, mediocre or just lame.

Really...Another Hannibal Movie?

Believe it or not, there is another Hannibal prequel on the way, making "Hannibal Rising" its fifth addition. This film focuses on Hannibal Lecter's childhood, growing up in Lithuania and then living for ten years in England and then in Russia before being picked up by the FBI where "Red Dragon" begins.
Past Hannibal films have included film stars such as Jodie Foster(2-time Academy Award Winner), Ralph Fiennes(Academy Award Nominee), Scott Glenn, Philip Seymour Hoffman(Academy Award Winner), Harvey Keitel(Academy Award Nominee), Ray Liotta, Julianne Moore(Academy Award Nominee), Edward Norton(Academy Award Nominee), Gary Oldman, Mary-Louise Parker and of course Anthony Hopkins(Academy Award Winner). However, "Hannibal Rising" has mostly all unknowns. Sometimes this works out beautifully, like the brilliant Ivana Baquero in "Pan's Labyrinth" this year, but judging from the other Hannibal sequels/prequels, I can't see this film being a success. Well of course it will bring in some money with its ever present fan base, but that is the only reason these films keep getting made. The Hannibal Lecter series has been heading downhill ever since "Hannibal" was made...I mean, did they think they could top Foster and Hopkins' performances in the original? At this point, I feel it's all about raking in the dough.
"Hannibal Rising" comes out Friday, February 9th.

Affleck to Direct

Scheduled for a 2007 release, "Gone, Baby, Gone" is going to be Ben Affleck's directional debut. "Gone, Baby, Gone," based on a novel by Dennis Lehane (the author of Mystic River), is set in Boston and is about two detectives who are trying to find a 4-year-old girl, from the shady side of town, who's gone missing. Much like "Good Will Hunting," the film is set and filmed in Affleck's hometown of Boston, and he is also back to screen writing, having adapted the screenplay himself. The film also sports some great actors, with big names such as Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Casey Affleck, and Robert Wahlberg (brother of Mark).
"Gone, Baby, Gone," has the author and the actors to become a hit, therefore, the film's success rests on Affleck's shoulders. The film is currently in post-production, and is set to be released October 5, 2007.

DiCaprio Comes Up Empty-Handed Again

This year, Leonardo DiCaprio has been in two excellent films, "The Departed" and "Blood Diamond," which have both earned him nominations for all three major award ceremonies.
He was nominated for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama twice at the Golden Globes, for his portrayal of an undercover cop, Billy Costigan, and a diamond smuggler, Danny Archer. He was also nominated three times by the Screen Actors Guild for Best Cast for "The Departed," Best Actor for "Blood Diamond" and Best Supporting Actor for "The Departed," and once by the Academy for Best Actor for "Blood Diamond," at the upcoming Oscars, which will take place Sunday, February 25th.
So far, the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards have come and past, and DiCaprio has come up empty-handed every time. Forest Whitaker has taken home all the Best Actor awards for his role in "The Last King of Scotland," and he will most likely take home the Oscar as well. Eddie Murphy took home the Actor for Best Supporting Actor for "Dreamgirls" at the SAG Awards this past Sunday, and Best Cast went to "Little Miss Sunshine."
Is there any hope for DiCaprio this year? Probably not since this year is filled with actors and films that raised the bar for the film industry. DiCaprio, however, is worthy of of all of his nominations this year, he just chose a bad year to do so well.

Big Night for the Brits

Last night at the 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, in one of the most competitive years in film to come, few took home an award, however, five awards went to British actors.
Hugh Laurie, took home his first Actor for "House M.D.," after losing out to Kiefer Sutherland last year for Most Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series. Jeremy Irons, who appeared to be extremely surprised, took home his first Actor, for Most Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries for "Elizabeth I" as did his co-star, Helen Mirren. Mirren nabbed two Actors, Most Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries for "Elizabeth I" and Most Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for "The Queen." She also won two Golden Globes for the same performances earlier this month. Dame Julie Andrews, however, was the main event of the night, being honored with a Life Achievement Award. The award was presented beautifully by Anne Hathaway, and Andrews was as stunning as ever and graciously accepted her award saying, "I have so much joy in my work, and these days I've come to understand that that joy is all about the giving. And you, ladies and gentleman, have given me an evening that I shall just treasure all my life. Thank you so much."
For more information on the 2007 SAG Awards go to http://www.sagawards.com/index.htm.

Babel is Top Notch

Babel is all about the ripple affect, having one situation affect the next in a tragic cycle that comes round circle. Richard (Brad Pitt) and Susan (Cate Blanchett) are Americans vacationing in Morocco, looking for a break from reality after one of their children tragically dies from crib death. A Moroccan local, buys a rifle in order to protect his livestock from the jackals. Chieko (Rinko Kikuchi), a deaf-mute girl in Tokyo, is having a tough time coping with her mother's death, and Richard and Susan's housekeeper Amelia (Adriana Barraza) is facing a dilemma on how she can attend her son's wedding while also managing to take care of their children.
Back in Morocco, the goat-herder makes a poor decision in giving the new rifle to his two sons, and what starts out as innocent fun, ends in tragedy after one of the boys shoots at a bus full of tourists, seriously injuring one of the passengers. The unlucky passenger turns out to be Susan, who is now fighting to survive, while Richard does his best to find the quickest path to a hospital. However, the best he can do is a village that is over an hour away.
In San Diego, Amelia desperately tries to find a replacement caretaker for the children but comes up short and decides that she will bring the children with her to Mexico for the day.
Chieko, dealing with her anger and emotional withdrawal is searching in all the wrong places for someone to reach out to. She constantly exposes herself by wearing no underwear under her short skirt and spreading her legs in order to attract some male attention. We realize that she will go to any length for an emotional connection, even as far as trying to seduce a policeman who is investigating her father.
With a complex, but fast-paced plot, the pieces begin to fall into place as the film progresses. We discover that the rifle that shot Susan was originally owned by Chieko's father, the local authorities in Morocco will use brutal tactics in order to find the culprit who shot Susan, and America instantly thinks the shooting is a terrorist attack which causes political problems, delaying any medical attention from reaching Susan.
On the car ride back from Mexico, Amelia's nephew gives the border patrol a hard time, and when it is discovered that he may be intoxicated he speeds off driving dangerously fast and risking all of their lives. He decides that Amelia and the children should get out of the car, in the middle of nowhere, and after he loses the police, he will come back for them. Amelia is immediately skeptical of being left in the middle of the desert with only a flashlight, but she gives in and gets out of the car with the two children. Waking up the next morning covered in dirt, Amelia realizes that her nephew did not return for them, and that they are now in a life-and-death situation.
All of the main characters are fighting for their lives (with the exception of Chieko, who is fighting for her sanity) including the goat-herder and his two sons who are fleeing the police, but end up in a shoot out.
The film is in multiple languages, but this does not hinder the message of the film. One bad decision can start a chain reaction, and cultural misunderstandings lead to more problems. The film also touches upon sensitive political issues such as border jumpers and a dysfunctional U.S. Embassy.
Babel has a flawless cast, Pitt, Blanchett and Kikuchi are all brilliant in their roles, creating that emotional connection between the characters and the audience. Even though Blanchett is lying on the floor dying for the majority of the film, she does an excellent job at it, and the chemistry between her and Pitt is wonderful. Barraza is also a strong addition to the cast, and her character is stuck in the middle of all the tragedies, as well as in the middle of desert with two kids to care for. Her situation is heart breaking and there is no right decision for her to make, and out of the entire cast of Babel, I feel that she is most worthy of an Oscar.
Although, Barraza has some tough competition and is up against two of her fellow cast members, Kikuchi for Babel and Blanchett for Notes on a Scandal.
Babel has also picked up seven nominations overall including Best Editing, Best Director and is the top pick for Best Picture at the 2007 Academy Awards.

Grade: A