My Golden Globe predictions (2009)

Best Motion Picture - Drama
Nominees: Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, Precious, Up in the Air
My guess:UP IN THE AIR
Why? Precious has a lot of buzz, but doesn't deserve it. Avatar has amazed people but isn't the most thought provoking. Basterds deserves it... the Hurt Locker does a little more... they will cancel themselves out and Up in the Air will have it.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Nominees: Emily Blunt (The Young Victoria), Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side), Helen Mirren (The Last Station), Carey Mulligan (An Education), Gabourey Sidibe (Precious)
My guess: CAREY MULLIGAN OR WITH A SHOCKER SURPRISE, GABOUREY SIDIBE

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Nominees: Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart), George Clooney (Up in the Air), Colin Firth (A Single Man), Morgan Freeman (Invictus), Tobey Maguire (Brothers)
My guess: GEORGE CLOONEY

Best Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical
Nominees: 500 Days of Summer, The Hangover, It's Complicated, Julie & Julia, Nine
My guess: NINE

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical
Nominees: Sandra Bullock (The Proposal), Marion Cotillard (Nine), Julia Roberts (Duplicity), Meryl Streep (It's Complicated), Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)
My guess: Meryl Streep (Julie and Julia)
As a whole, the film is a pass--- but Meryl Streep as Julia Child is not one to miss. She is perfect.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical
Nominees: Matt Damon (The Informant!), Daniel Day-Lewis (Nine), Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer), Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man)
My guess: Daniel Day Lewis --- BUT HOPE THAT IT'S MICHAEL STUHLBARG!

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Nominees: Penelope Cruz (Nine), Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air), Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air), Mo'Nique (Precious), Julianne Moore (A Single Man)
My guess: Mo'Nique (depending on if Gabourey doesn't win best actress) or Julianne Moore

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Nominees: Matt Damon (Invictus), Woody Harrelson (The Messenger), Christopher Plummer (The Last Station), Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones), Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)
My guess: Christoph Waltz

Best Animated Feature Film
Nominees: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog, Up
My guess: UP

Best Foreign Language Film
My guess: A Prophet


Best Director - Motion Picture
Nominees: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), James Cameron (Avatar), Clint Eastwood (Invictus), Jason Reitman (Up in the Air), Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds)
My guess: James Cameron

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
My guess: District 9

Best Television Series - Drama
Nominees: Big Love, Dexter, House, Mad Men, True Blood
My guess: Mad Men

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama
Nominees: Glenn Close (Damages), January Jones (Mad Men), Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife), Anna Paquin (True Blood), Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)
My guess: January Jones

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama
Nominees: Simon Baker (The Mentalist), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Hugh Laurie (House), Bill Paxton (Big Love)
My guess: Michael C. Hall
Cuz he deserves it. House, no. The Mentalist? What? Big Love is a soap opera... Bill Paxton's time has passed, and Jon Hamm will lose out to having Ms. Jones win best actress.

Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
Nominees: 30 Rock, Entourage, Glee, Modern Family, The Office
My guess: Glee (ugh).

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
Nominees: Toni Collette (United States of Tara), Courteney Cox Arquette (Cougar Town), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Lea Michele (Glee)
My guess: Edie Falco
The lady is on point. Only reason why the show is worth watching... too bad the concept will tire out after a year.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
Nominees: Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Steve Carell (The Office), David Duchovny (Californication), Thomas Jane (Hung), Matthew Morrison (Glee)
My guess: My man of the year: Alec Baldwin.
Why? Cuz he's my man of the year. He SAVED 30 Rock. However, I must say Steve Carell saved The Office this year, which was much more enjoyable to watch over 30 Rock, Baldwin or no Baldwin.

Best Films of 2009

This list is based on films with thought provoking, fresh, and/or original ideas. The ones that have made it to my top of five are films I see to be well rounded. In other words: Strong scripts, stellar performances, and compelling direction... with ideas being expressed that are out of the ordinary in one way or another.

1.) Fish Tank (Drama. Dir. Andrea Arnold, UK)

2.) Brothers (Drama. Dir. Jim Sheridan, USA)

3.) A Prophet (Drama. Dir. Jacques Audiard, FR)

4.) The Hangover (Comedy. Dir. Todd Phillips, USA)

5.) UP (Family. Dir. Pete Docter, USA)

6.) The Road (Drama. Dir. John Hillcoat, USA)

7.) Up In The Air (Comedy/Drama. Dir. Jason Reitman, USA)

8.) Broken Embraces (Neo Noir. Dir. Pedro Almodóvar, ESP)

9.) District 9 (SciFi. Dir. Neill Blomkamp, SA)

10.) Avatar (SciFi/Fantasy. Dir. James Cameron, USA)

My top 5 television shows of 2009

1) The Office (NBC)/Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)

3) True Blood (HBO)

4) The Thick of It (BBC 2)

5) Dexter (Showtime)

*Honorable Mentions go out to:

-Peep Show (Channel 4)

-Entourage (HBO)

Up in The Air

Did I tell you I'm from St. Louis?

Probably not. I'm confident my hometown is one of the least desirable destinations in North America. A fly over city, if you will.

Ironically making it the perfect location for Jason Reitman's latest film, Up in the Air.

Like every other person sitting in theatre 3 at Creve Coeur, Missouri's AMC 12 this morning, a little sense of pride fluttered up on the inside of me as I watched George Clooney strut through our modest and under-appreciated airport, sit in our three-star hotel lobbies, and act with the best extras our city has to offer.

The story follows Ryan Bingham, a 50-something who has spent a good part of his adult life living out of suitcases and enjoying it. Ryan isn't really interested in getting married, starting a family and "settling down." Nor is he interested in the people he is contracted out to fire everyday. Just about the only thing that interests Ryan is accumulating ten million frequent flyer miles, which just after a few more trips out for work, he will reach. However, everything changes when he meets the anal and ambitious Natalie, a young recruit to the 'corporate downsizing' team, who revolutionizes the way in which people like Ryan fire people. Thanks to Natalie, he no longer needs to fly anywhere for work... ever again. In an begrudged attempt to save his lifestyle, Ryan takes Natalie along on his next series of fires. By the end, they both realize that the lives they are leading aren't necessarily all they were cracked up to be.

I liked this film.

You will find some really great performances from Clooney, Vera Farminga, Anna Kendrick, and Danny McBride.

The theme of an isolated life in a world full of strangers is interesting and most definitely timely. It seems like the more connected our society becomes by way of high-speed transportation, media, and social networking sites, the easier it is to not really know or connect to anyone.

As I watched the film, I couldn't help but think of a writer friend of mine dealing with a similar theme in a script he's working on at the moment. It's certainly worthy of more exploration.

What also made the film timely was the way in which it integrated the current economic climate by combining Bingham's profession with the recession. However, I found the 'real people' used in some of the firing montages to be contrived and ever so slightly preachy... leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

I liked that Ryan Bingham was a sort of anti-hero. I liked even more that the ending was neither clear cut or 'happy.' I won't go as far to call the film existential... mainly because I believe the film to be more about the necessity of human connection than it is about 'living.'

So yes. Up in the Air is a good film that is worth watching.

But I'm not so sure deserves the hype.

6 Golden Globe noms and Oscar buzz??? Hmmmmm...

The most wonderful time of the year

Ah yes.

December 24th... The start of my annual Christmas binge. Here's what coming to you soon:

My thoughts on:

Avatar

Up in the Air

It's Complicated

Nine

Sherlock Holmes

The Princess and the Frog

The Lovely Bones

A Prophet

Brothers

A Serious Man

I forgot, I'm a writer!!!

I graduated from Pitzer College in May 2009 with a new attitude and direction in life. For four years, I fought against a very simple fact: I am a writer.

I may be other things, but at my core I am a writer and I must embrace the act of writing.

At the moment, I live in London and I'm doing a masters program in screenwriting. Although writing films all day everyday certainly makes me happy, I need an outlet to write about other things... hence, the existence of this blog.

This shall not be the typical "Oh, I just graduated- look at my life now" blog.

This is a serious blog... about serious things... films.

and sometimes music.

... and politics.

What you will be guaranteed to find are my feelings about the latest films coming your way. I can not promise it will be up to date, or all-inclusive (I will not be seeing 'The Box'), but don't let it deter you from reading.