Saturday, November 23, 2013

August Osage County

August Osage is a place somewhere in the US midwest. This film starts with the two aging parents, the mom sick with cancer and the dad, a bit depressed. One of their children stayed back home to look after them the other two moved away and got married, and the other, still singe is the ild one. All of their children are girls. Tragedy struck and the dad leaves home and gone missing for days. The family gets home together and find their dad drowned himself.

This is is the first film I saw at TIFF 2013. The film is a family drama engulfing you with the characters of every family member, the aunt, the uncle the cousin even the husbands and the boyfriends. In hours and a few days spanning the funeral and afterwards drama ensues and conflicts arise.

This is a Meryl Streep sure fire Oscar nominated role come 2014 Academy Award season and batting for Julia Roberts. Aside from Oscar nominated and star studied ensemble this is a performance vehicle film, and a bit of story on the side. The drama is so much you just have to credit it to pull the amazing acting. The lines a bit to harsh and vulgar but the script you must say is stunning upon delivery.

Every now and then as I was seating in a full  theater with the audience remarkable delight reactions on every part enjoying the film I always see it as a drama in the Tagalog/ Filipino movie industry. It was so overdone that a soap opera would out run its bags of tricks. The drama is perfect for screaming lines, confrontations and oh no that just didn't happen kind of things. But, adapting this to a Filipino film would work sans the drug problem.

But this is a family drama, and worth the acting stunts pulled by Streep, Roberts, Lewis and Cumberbatch even the support would bag them an ensemble SAG all better than a remake or upgraded Steel Magnolias. Speaking of which SAlly Filed would have been the missing point of this movie and it would be en pointe to tear jerker, drama entertainment haven.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

49 The Royal Affair (Feb 18)

Best foreign Oscar nominee form Denmark about a historical bio pic about an English princess who marries off a Danish monarch and becomes queen. Tormented by an unhappy marriage she meets an unusual gentleman who became a loyal adviser of the mad king, her husband. This is an interesting tale of politics, good and right and forbidden love. It is how good people who might be outwitted by bad and scheming people. Its gripping and its 2 plus hours long in danish. Well made with great production quality, hair, makeup, costumes and set design. The actress, is very beautiful and act well like the new Keira, she looks like Jemima (Jessa) from Girls. She played Princess Kitty in the latest Joe Wright film version of Anna Karenina.

48 Enlightened S02E07 (Feb 17)

No Doubt

So Amy gets the other side of the Abedon CEO story. She gets the chance and conflicted. She meets him and he offers a job she didn't expect to get. A week before the story runs she then gets cold feet and Jeff gets drawn and annoyed by this. He then breaks it off with her and she breaks loose. Gets crazy again. Cannot wait what will happen next. Its a turn.

47.5 Girls S02E07

Video Games

Hanna goes to a somewhere town to visit Jessa estranged dad who lives with her stepmom and stepbrother/ or was he a half brother. Rossanna Arquette and a familiar face guest. He turns out to be a guy from dark Knight Rises and the uncle from Animal Kingdom. His name is Ben mendelsohn apparently and I really thought he was John Hawkes. Was this a sexcapade? Nope said Jessa but Hanna did have sex with the 19 year old step/ half brother who was like geeky cute/ hot. I thought for a while there was this a Sex and the City episode? I had enough of the SATC stand point and the shows it created post SATC. So in the end it had a weird conversation with Hanna calling her mom. I hate her mom. Much more I hate Hanna. And Jessa somehow awolls and leaves Hanna to go back to the city alone.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

47 Gayby (Feb 16)

Haven't seen a pink film in a while and this is a breath of fresh air. It was skeptical to see this indie looking film because of the poster and looks boring. Watching it the gay guy and guys are cute actually and the lead actress is fun in a Sarah jessica Parker fee. Its about the usual hag and gay who tries to get pregnant. But it actually shows you how they try over time and not in just one shot scene while they try to be best friends and struggle to be single and do good in work. their friends and family. Its two stages the sex and the injection and the dating a plus. Its actually hilarious, well written script and well acted. Its fun and gaymazing!

46 Paranorman (Feb 15)

One of the Oscar nominated animated film feature. It a stop animation with a sixth sense angle. Its about a boy who can see dead people. He feels strange with this gift and feels alienated from family and in school. He bonds with other outsiders or outcasts to battle an impending attack of the dead by a 300 year old curse. This curse is set on their town by a witch who was killed during the pilgrim and first settlers in their town.

Art wise the film looks good. Its detail is quite nice, fun and creative even the character design and the effects. Its humor not usual and it well made not too look predictable and try to appease the climax by being not too one dimensional with the characters. All is well that ends well.

45 Elementary (Feb 14) S01E17

Possibility Two

Probably the season finale and final case for season one. This case is about genetics or a disease suspiciously given by somebody to appear to be a hereditary disease to a well-off man. I have to see this how it ended since  haven't watched it through.

This also concludes how the Sherlock-Watson setup will carry through season two.

So its about genetics and a gene and some smart geniuses. This is a not so smart episode. It also shows Watson getting into the readings and knowing the ropes of Sherlock's job. So that conludes Elementary Season One. Season 2, I am waiting for Sherlock Season 3!