"August: Osage County" is a Masterpiece

"August: Osage County" is a masterpiece. It is set in Osage county, Oklahoma, with a very dysfunctional family. Beverly, played by Sam Shepard, Violet, played by Meryl Streep, live together with their new housemaid, Johnna, played by Misty Upham. Violet wants her daughters and family at the house because she has been diagnosed with throat cancer. Violet's sister, Mattie Fae, played by Margo Martindale, and her husband, Charlie, played by Chris Cooper come to the house to support her. Violet has three sisters, Ivy, played by Julianne Nicholson, Karen, played by Juliette Lewis, and Barbara, played by Julia Roberts. Ivy has been at the house taking care of Violet because she lives in Oklahoma. Karen now lives in Florida with her new fiancee, Steve, played by Dermot Mulroney. And Barbara lives in Colorado with her daughter, Jean, played by Abigail Breslin. And her split husband, Bill, played by Ewan McGregor. Beverly commits suicide, and it is a shock for the whole family and it sparks many problems between the family. It is a depressing film that really brings up the ideas of love and life, and how they can be washed away in an instant.

This film was great mainly because of the cast. Chris Cooper is one of my favorite actors mainly because of his role in "Adaptation." He does an amazing job in this film being the best father and husband he can be. His wife in the film, Margo Martindale was also very good. This role is much more serious than her role on "The Millers" but she does a great job showing how she can play other roles. Abigail Breslin does an amazing job for her role also. She is becoming a very well-known teenage actor and she is having a great career for herself. Benedict Cumberbatch has a small role in this film and he does a great job. He has been in six films this year and he has nailed every single role. The honorable mentions for this film were Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep. Julia Roberts is dark, edgy, and tough woman in this film and this role might be her best next to "Erin Brockovich." Meryl Streep played a drug addict, and that is not an easy feat, but she is one of the best actresses of all time and she nailed this role, and it proves that any role she is given she epitomizes it. This film is very gripping, and depressing, but it is great to see everyone's journey throughout the film.

Grade = 88/100 = B+

"Her" is Incredible

"Her" is incredible. Theodore, played by Joaquin Phoenix is a writer who is very lonely after his recent split from his wife. His wife, Catherine, played by Rooney Mara, and Theodore had a great relationship but their marriage was going astray, and this led to Theodore feeling gloomy. He became very lonely and wanting to change his life. This film is set in futuristic Los Angeles, and a new technology is invented. It is called Os, an operating system. This is not an ordinary operating system, it is a system that can do almost anything and it can also feelings, emotions, and have legitimate conversations with the person it is programmed to. Theodore's is named Samantha. Samantha, voiced by Scarlet Johansson. Theodore becomes friends with Samantha and she becomes a person that helps with his loneliness. She is always there for him unlike most of the people in his life, and he finally feels like himself again after his split with Catherine. He develops a relationship with her, and he finally feels like he has a sense of purpose in the world because there is someone or something that really true cares about him. He tries to hide it for awhile even with his friend Amy, played by Amy Adams. This is new to him, and especially for Samantha because she is learning everything about life and the world she is now discovering. This is a great tale of love and friendship, and it really shows how crazy love is.

Spike Jonze did a fantastic job for this film. Yes, the idea is crazy and a little ridiculous. But isn't love the same way. This is a great theme in the film also. Love is crazy mainly because we are sharing things with one other person, and we want to make sure that person is the only person in the world that is cared for. If feelings are shared, and two people have a mutual attraction and feeling of love who cares how they look, or who they are. To Theodore, Samantha was real everything she was lacking was a body, everything involving a relationship was there except the physical aspects. Spike Jonze did an amazing making us believe that this relationship was as sacred as any other relationship. Not just Spike Jonze, but the cast was spectacular also. Amy Adams was fantastic as always. She is always great, and in this film we see at her saddest and distraught moments but we wanted her to succeed just like Joaquin Phoenix's character. Although, I was rooting against her in this film, Rooney Mara was great in her role. We really felt for her, and how we wanted her to figure where her life was going even without Theodore. Joaquin Phoenix did an amazing job in this film. You really want him to feel good and better about himself all throughout the film. He is a contender for a Golden Globe and even an Oscar this March. This film is great, and it should be watched with an open-mind. Go see it.

Grade = 89/100 = B+

Golden Globes Predictions

Who/What Will Win:

Films:

Best Drama - "12 Years a Slave"

Best Musical/Comedy - "American Hustle"

Best Director - Steve McQueen

Best Actress in a Drama - Judi Dench

Best Actor in a Drama - Chiwetel Ejiofor

Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy - Joaquin Phoenix

Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy - Meryl Streep

Best Supporting Actress - Julia Roberts

Best Supporting Actor - Michael Fassbender

Best Screenplay - Spike Jonze

Best Foreign Language Film - "Blue is the Warmest Color"

Best Animated Film - "Frozen"

Best Original Song - "Atlas"

Best Score - Hans Zimmer

TV Shows:

Best Comedy/Musical - "Modern Family"

Best Drama - "Breaking Bad"

Best Actress in a Comedy - Julia Louis-Dreyfus 

Best Actress in a Drama - Taylor Schilling

Best Actor in a Drama - Bryan Cranston

Best Actor in a Comedy - Jim Parsons

Best Miniseries or TV Movie - "Behind the Candelabra"

Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie - Helen Mirren

Best Actor in  a Miniseries or TV Movie - Al Pacino

Best Supporting Actress - Sofia Vergara

Best Supporting Actor - Aaron Paul

Who Deserves to Win:

Films:

Best Drama - "12 Years a Slave"

Best Musical/Comedy - "Her"

Best Director - David O. Russell

Best Actress in a Drama - Judi Dench or Cate Blanchett

Best Actor in a Drama - Chiwetel Ejiofor

Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy - Leonardo Dicaprio

Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy - Amy Adams

Best Supporting Actress - Jennifer Lawrence

Best Supporting Actor - Bradley Cooper

Best Screenplay - Spike Jonze

Best Foreign Language Film - "Blue is the Warmest Color"

Best Animated Film - "Frozen"

Best Original Song - "Atlas"

Best Score - Hans Zimmer

TV Shows:

Best Comedy/Musical - "Girls"

Best Drama - "Breaking Bad"

Best Actress in a Comedy - Amy Poehler

Best Actress in a Drama - Taylor Schilling

Best Actor in a Drama - Bryan Cranston or Kevin Spacey

Best Actor in a Comedy - Don Cheadle

Best Miniseries or TV Movie - "Behind the Candelabra"

Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie - Jessica Lange

Best Actor in  a Miniseries or TV Movie - Al Pacino or Matt Damon

Best Supporting Actress - Sofia Vergara

Best Supporting Actor - Aaron Paul

"The Blind Side" is a Great Family Film

"The Blind Side" is a great family film. It tells the true story of Michael Oher, played by Quinton Aaron. He is a homeless teenager trying to get by. He gets taken in by a family, the Tuohys. Shawn, played by Tim McGraw, Leigh Anne, played by Sandra Bullock, S.J., played by Jae Head, and Collins, played by Lily Collins. They are a wealthy white family who take in this very large black teenager. Leigh Anne's friends and family question their decision, but Leigh Anne does not mind because she wants to Michael in his time of need. Leigh Anne discovers that Michael is actually really good at football and he becomes a great football star at his high school.

This film is great because of how great the cast worked well together. The film has Quinton Aaron as the main character, this is his major role, Tim McGraw is a singer, and they both did great. The children in this film were very good also. Jae Head was amazing and he is only 12 years old. He had a major part in this film because he really had a great relationship with Michael and he did amazing. Lily Collins did a great job also. Her career has skyrocketed since this film and she deserves it. The real winner for this film is obviously Sandra Bullock. She won an Oscar for her role in this film. She really played this part very well. This is her best role and she deserved every bit of the award. This is a great film even though this is a sports film.

Grade = 84/100 = B

"Rear Window" is a Classic

"Rear Window" is a classic. Jeff, played by James Stewart, is wheelchair bound after an accident from his photography job. He lives in an apartment overlooking many different apartments across from him, but he can see everything perfectly. He can see a married couple, a beautiful woman, a married couple with a dog, a lonely woman, and a couple going through many marital problems. And he gives them names, the married couple are the newlyweds, the beautiful woman is called Miss Torso, the lonely woman is Miss Lonelyhearts etc. The couple going through marital problems are the Thorwalds. Jeff keeps an eye on them closely. He talks it over with his beautiful young girlfriend, Lisa, played by Grace Kelly. Lisa is a successful woman in the business world of fashion and this intimidates Jeff because he cannot do everything he can for her because he is wheelchair bound and she is better looking and making more money. He talks this over with his aide, Stella, played by Wendell Corey. He thinks Lisa is too perfect. this plays into the whole voyeuristic attitude he is partaking in. Lisa, Jeff, and Stella, think something is going on with the Thorwalds. They try to figure it out.

This film is great mainly because of Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock was a genius and he is considered one of the best directors ever. This film might be his most famous and it is one of his best. Hitchcock wanted us to believe that we can have a voyeuristic attitude. If you think about we all have voyeuristic behaviors. We are nosey, we want to know the latest gossip, and we want to know if people are talking about us. When watching a film we are exploring someone's lives and Hitchcock was playing with this idea, and also having a funny look on relationships and marriage, and also life in general.

"Dangerous Minds" is a Great Film Starring Michelle Pfeiffer

"Dangerous Minds" is a great film starring Michelle Pfeiffer. It tells the true story of Louanne Johnson, played by Michelle Pfeiffer. She is an ex-marine teaching English at an inner city high school. The kids do not have any direction whatsoever. They are in a world of crime, drugs, and gangs, and most of the kids will not graduate. Louanne tries her best to reach to the kids and try to helped them graduate. She teaches them poetry by showing them Bob Dylan songs, and showing that school is not the worst thing in the world.

This film brings up a great topic in the U.S. today. In inner cities and urban areas, most kids do not graduate. It is a terrible thing because it is hard to get anywhere in life without a diploma. Michelle Pfeiffer does a great job in this film, and she got a few awards for this role. These types of films dealing with troubled teenagers are great for example "Freedom Writers," "Stand and Deliver," and "Lean on Me." This is one of the best in this genre.

Grade = 81/100 = B-

"The Wolf of Wall Street" is One of Scorsese's Best

"The Wolf of Wall Street" is one of Scorsese's best. It tells the true story of Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo Dicaprio. Jordan is a stockbroker living in Manhattan. He works at a powerful company with the leader of the pack, Mark Hanna, played by Matthew McConaughey. Hanna shows him the ropes of being a wealthy stockbroker. Jordan leaves the company and starts fresh at a small company in Long Island and learns what it takes to take small companies, and make them sound amazing enough for people to buy the stocks. After becoming successful he meets a man named Donnie Azoff, played by Jonah Hill. Donnie wants to become successful also, and decides to join Jordan. They start their own business called "Stratton Oakmont." They start out a small company in Long Island but then move their way into a large company on Wall Street. While this is happening Jordan becomes a great salesman, good enough to teach his new employees. At the height of his success, he becomes engulfed in drugs and prostitues, forgetting about his loving wife, Theresa, played by Cristin Milloti. She is madly in love with Jordan and happy for his success but Jordan lets his fortune get to his head. One day at a party held at the Belfort's, Jordan meets a beautiful young woman named Naomi, played by Margot Robbie. He starts to have an affair with her, and tries to deal with his lifestyle as a wealthy stockbroker, but tries to make sure he stays out of trouble.

This film is great and Scorsese outdid himself. It is a very long film, and contains countless amounts of nude scenes. However, the film was action-packed and exciting, because we wanted to see how Jordan life will end up. I did not feel like the film dragged on that much because everything was happening so fast, mainly because Scorsese wanted us to feel for Jordan when he was under the influence of drugs. And the nude scenes, played with that too. He was living a crazy lifestyle, and having sex with prostitutes and having orgies, and having affair played along with his lifestyle he was living with his coworkers, and his best friends. With that being said, the cast was very good in this film fulfilling their duties to make us believe they were apart of this lifestyle. Jonah Hill was spectacular as always. He is one of those few actors that can play comedic and dramatic roles, and also be extremely funny. He was ridiculous in this film and he played the part so well. He is always great and he will probably get nominated for Best Supporting Actor for this role. I am not a fan of Matthew McConaughey but he was in the film for the beginning but he was great. He was funny, crazy, and he played the part really well. He has come along way in this business and after this film, "The Lincoln Lawyer" and "Mud" he is becoming a household name. Margot Robbie was great also. She is absolutely, drop dead gorgeous and she is also a great actress. Her performance in this and "About Time" can help her popularity in Hollywood. Kyle Chandler and Rob Reiner were also great supporting roles for this film. And of course Leonardo Dicaprio stole the show. He was spectacular, and there is no reason why he shouldn't get nominated like any other role he has played. This film is great mainly because of one genius, Martin Scorsese. He continues to wow everyone with his amazing films, and his ability to produce masterpieces in films. This film is somewhat similar to "Goodfellas" and not as amazing but it still a great film to see, if you don't mind 3 hour long movies.

Grade = 92/100 = A-