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The Blind Side starring Sandra Bullock

Posted on March 15, 2010 Written by ripitup

The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock. As cute as any movie can get. Sandra Bullock won both a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her role as Leigh Anne Tuohy. Photo from: bostonherald.com

Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) is an efficient multi-tasker. Being happily married with 2 kids, a successful designer, cheerleaders’ trainer, and socially active, her hands are quite full. But one day she meets a big, young guy going to her kids’ school and realizes she just might need to help this poor, black boy out. Mike has nowhere to stay so she invites him to their home to spend the night. Realizing, he has nowhere else to go, she decides to make some more permanent arragements for him. And as unusual as their circumstances are, everyone in the family seems to have liked this guy and they all help him become a part of the family, succeed in school and eventually in football.

The movie is the true life story of football player Michael Oher. Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrait of Leigh Anne. This is an uplifting, heart-warming and an entertaining experience. It is one of the rare movies where I enjoy to see a lot of football going on. All actors do a good job but my favorite is the son of the family, played by Jae Head. His negotiation and coaching scenes are just a riot to watch. A should see. However as good as Sandra was in her role and as much as I like her, I failed to see what was it that won her the award. A friend of mine made a funny comment on this:

“Well, Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep had won and the other 2 were young actresses and could win later. Sandra has been working hard so they thought it might be time to give her an award”. That does makes sense in a weird way, I suppose. After all, the academy does work in mysterious ways.

Entertaining and emotional. 7.7 on IMDB.

Other Sandra Bullock Movies

The Proposal starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds

While You Were Sleeping starring Bill Pullman and Sandra Bullock

The Lake House starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves

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Up in the Air starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick

Posted on March 13, 2010 Written by ripitup

Up in the Air, starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick. Emotional and fun. Loved to see George doing some soul-searching. image via newsblaze.com

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) leads most of his life up in the air, literally. His job description mostly is about flying over to whatever company needs his services and firing the employees that need to be fired. He does it with style, grace and professionalism, and without really letting it get to him. He absolutely loves the traveling and the benefits it brings him. This job might have been depressing or tiresome for some people, but strangely Ryan lives for it.

One day he meets a beautiful frequent business traveler named Alex (Vera Farmiga) and they hit it off, starting a very smooth casual relationship. Ryan’s lifestyle is not questioned at all by her.

The only flaw in Ryan’s life comes through in the shape of another woman called Natalie (Anna Kendrick). Ryan’s boss (Jason Bateman) is very impressed by this young and ambitious girl and her “innovative ideas. She thinks firing people can be done on the ground, through technology. From then on, Ryan starts to mentor Natalie unwillingly, trying to prove why the old school methods are best. But of course a young, hopeless romantic versus an older, experienced, proud-to-be-single guy brings out many clashes and makes out for a fun and emotional journey where both will learn some stuff.

While Up in the Air has its romantic moments, emotional realizations and some relationships going on about it, it is not about two people about finding love. This is not a love story or a story about love. This is a story about a journey, being mostly Ryan’s. It is fun to see George Clooney play a seemingly simple but yet so endearingly flawed and complicated character. I missed seeing him be the humane leading man. I had had too much Clooney after Oceans 11,12 and 13. Good to have him in a more sincere production.

I am not saying it doesn’t have clichés. But then again, they are only necessary and they are subtly and entertainingly played. So, it is all good. The movie is based on the novel by Walter Kim (who also wrote Thumbsucker). It is adapted to the screen by director Jason Reitman (Juno, Thank You for Smoking) and Sheldon Turner. The cast is pretty good. Frankly, I barely recognized Anna Kendrick. I knew she was so familiar, but I couldn’t believe she was one of the actors in the Twilight saga. Nice job, Anna.

The movie was nominated for 6 Oscars this year: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress (Both Kendrick and Farmiga), Best Actor (George Clooney), Best Director and Best Film. Though it didn’t receive any Academy Awards, it won many awards- including a BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay.

A bittersweet movie about life, goals, careers, matters of the heart and well…everything in between. It reminds me of Cameron Crowe movies (Jerry Maguire, for instance) and just like I love Crowe, I loved Up in the Air. It might make you evaluate your life or fear about your job many times, though.

7.9 on IMDB. Fair enough.

Other Posts on George Clooney:

The American starring George Clooney, Violante Placido & Thekla Reuten

What Editors Can Learn from the Movie Up in the Air – a post for writers, inspired by the film

Friends Trivia: Monica Geller (Courteney Cox)’s Boyfriends 2 feat. George Clooney

The Fall starring Lee Pace and Catinca Untaru

Posted on March 10, 2010 Written by ripitup

The Fall starring Lee Pace — Tarsem Singh's The Fall is just magical, fun and very emotional. Lovely job from everyone involved. And as always, great performance from Lee Pace.

1920s, Los Angeles. A hospital.

Roy (Lee Pace) is a bed-bound patient, injured from a movie stunt. Alexandria (Catinca Untaru) is a little girl with a broken arm. When they meet, Roy starts telling her a story of epic proportions. Roy is a fine story-teller, Alexandria has a wonderful imagination and director Tarsem takes us through a wonderfully bizarre journey with amazing visuals. Bandits, Indians, Charles Darwin, a wicked governor and other colorful characters are all parts of this tale. Reality and fantasy are impressively inter-wined and they are both very good.

I dare not say more about the plot because each detail is so important, I just don’t want to take away from the movie.

This film is just magical. It does get a bit slow at some parts but the climax more than makes up for it. I found out it is based on a 1981 Bulgarian film called Yo ho ho. I was a little disappointed because I had thought the story was so original. But it doesn’t matter. It may not be original but it is damn good. The acting is lovely and it really grabs you.

The Fall movie poster — Amazing photography.

You have to see it. 7.9 on imdb. 8.0 and up from me.

Other Posts on Lee Pace

Lee Pace Trivia

Possession starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Lee Pace and Michael Landes

Soldier’s Girl: A Haunting True Story starring Lee Pace and Troy Garity

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day starring Amy Adams, Frances McDormand and Lee Pace

When in Rome starring Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel. feat. Lee Pace

The Good Shepherd starring Matt Damon, Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie & Lee Pace

2010: And the Oscar finally goes to Jeff Bridges and a Female Director, Kathryn Bigelow

Posted on March 9, 2010 Written by ripitup

I used to make a fuss over the Oscars when I was in high school, especially in my earlier years when the internet didn’t exist or just wasn’t all the rage. I’d really be curious about who would win and would watch the entire show. And my friends would usually learn it first from me. I’ll even admit to fantasizing about winning one (hell, can’t say the fantasy is completely gone). And who won would really matter.

I am not saying it doesn’t matter now. But for me, now I care more about the hosts and the big night than really caring about the winners. I am extremely happy with this year’s winners but had they not won, it really would not be that big of a deal. I mean did we really need that award to know Jeff Bridges is a terrific actor? Of course not. I have been a big fan of Kathryn Bigelow ever since I watched Strange Days and Point Break. I am not saying those movies were Oscar-material (whatever the hell that means) but I am just pointing out to the fact that she is a great director.

Kathryn Bigelow wins! Couldn't be happier. Love her work.

Yep, I admit to being one of those movie nuts who question when her movies don’t get picked. But I can’t help it. I don’t get why one movie gets the oscar when another nominee doesn’t or why an actor is/isn’t nominated. I know about the votes. But what about the voters? What’s their demographics? What’s the racial/gender distribution among them for instance?

So please feel to list your movies/film-makers/actors, etc. that surprised you by not winning or by not being nominated. All categories are welcome. Here are some of mine:

The Shawshank Redemption, starring Tim Robbins

Where is the oscar for The Shawshank Redemption? I get the fact that Forrest Gump was there for competition and I like that movie but if I need to compare the effects that it had on me, Shawshank Redemption wins by far. 7 nominations and no wins? And 6 wins by Forrest Gump. Once again, Forrest Gump is a really good film and Tom Hanks is terrific but you do get my point. And again, why was Tim Robbins not nominated for best actor in TSR? Yes, Morgan Freeman was nominated and he was as always good. But did you see how difficult Robbins’ role was? Does anyone think the movie would have been more impressive without him? Where is his nomination?

Mel Gibson won two oscars for Braveheart. The movie won a total of 5 and had been nominated for 10. But actor Mel wasn't nominated for best actor.

Why wasn’t Mel Gibson nominated for best actor for Braveheart? He won best film and best director. But he wasn’t even nominated for best actor. So he excelled at directing everyone in that film and was better than the other nominee directors but he couldn’t direct himself all that well then?

Training Day with Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. Cool movie. Great performance. Like Denzel never rocked in a role before...Please!

Was Denzel Washington’s best performance in a leading role in Training Day? Like he never had an equally great (if not better) performance before 2001? And let’s not even go over the fact that the academy waited till 2001 to hand out to the leading actor oscar to an African- American.

Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win a best director award. First female director to win in 2010???? In the 82nd year of the show??? Yes, she deserved to win. But no other woman did until this year? Of course I am going to question the award!

Why was Kate Winslet even nominated for best actress in 1997 for Titanic? How is that role oscar-worthy? If they really had a shortage, they should have done with 4 nominees. It is not like they can’t stretch rules. This year the best film category had 10 nominees.

My rants can go on but these are the two major ones that bother me. I was feeling bad that Edward Norton didn’t win with Primal Fear (best supporting actor) or American History X but after the ones I pointed out, that really shouldn’t surprise me.

photos from:

http://www.fusedfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/oscar.jpeg

http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/mar2010/5/0/kathryn-bigelow-best-director-pic-getty-868188750.jpg

http://www.swotti.com/tmp/swotti/cacheDGHLIHNOYXDZAGFUAYB…

http://www.vanityfair.com/images/culture/archive/cusl01_oscars9603.jpg

http://tf.org/images/covers/TrainingDay.jpg