The Buzz: movie reviews

Valentine's Day is upon us, guys. If you haven't made grand plans or called ahead for reservations, it may be too late. You might have to stay in and curl up on the couch with your loved one. Not to fear, men, because I can guide you to the right movie to watch. Valentine's Day is like a cinematic landmine field for men who want to avoid getting stuck watching What To Expect When You're Expecting , or some other sappy girl movie like 27 Dresses . At the same time, you don't want to be watching some testosterone drenched man flick like  The Avengers , or Fast and Furious . Unless you want your girlfriend / wife to be mad at you. Chances are, though, if you're in a relationship that's successful, then you have enough sense not to even suggest a man movie like that, and enough sense to listen to me. There are plenty of movies out there with wonderful love stories that are also not mind-numbingly terrible or boring. Before you get stuck watching The Notebook...

For a decade, an elite team of intelligence and military operatives, working in secret across the globe, devoted themselves to a single goal: to find and eliminate Osama bin Laden. Zero Dark Thirty reunites the Oscar winning team of director-producer Kathryn Bigelow and writer-producer Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) for the story of history's greatest manhunt for the world's most dangerous man. -- (C) Official Site Zero Dark Thirty is a remarkable movie. It's a fascinating tale of the pursuit and capture of Osama Bin Laden, complete with the raid of Bin Laden's compound. Jessica Chastain plays a CIA / military operative named Maya who is determined to find Bin Laden. Chastain's performance is vivid and affecting as she watches a terrorist endure torture techniques. She's tough-as-nails, but also vulnerable at times. There are some violent scenes, gritty language, and dark moments in Zero Dark Thirty. However, it is a solid, incredibly stable, and sobe...

In a forgotten but defiant bayou community cut off from the rest of the world by a sprawling levee, a six-year-old girl exists on the brink of orphanhood. Buoyed by her childish optimism and extraordinary imagination, she believes that the natural world is in balance with the universe until a fierce storm changes her reality. Desperate to repair the structure of her world in order to save her ailing father and sinking home, this tiny hero must learn to survive unstoppable catastrophes of epic proportions. -- (C) Fox Searchlight Beasts of the Southern Wild is an ethereal dream that shows the world through the eyes of a young girl named Hushpuppy. Gritty, dirty, and filled with family strain, little Hushpuppy is trying to deal with a reality that is beyond her young scope. She is in denial that the world is cruel and difficult. Her father urgently and loudly attempts to teach her about the real world. But, as children are, they sometimes only learn by experience. The imagery...

The 2013 nominees for Oscar are in this morning, and....WHAAAAT???? 1. No Best Director for Ben Affleck - HUGE SNUB! no Best Director for Tom Hooper - HUGE SNUB! I know David O. Russell did a great job in Silver Linings Playbook, but NOT better than Ben Affleck for Argo or Hooper for Les Miserables. This was a really strong field this year, so I guess someone got snubbed. But, I haven't seen Beasts of the Southern Wild, but I'm skeptical. 2. What is Amour? And why is it nominated for both Best Foreign Language AND Best Picture? I guess they're not mutually exclusive. I gotta admit, I didn't see that one coming. But then again, who did? 3. Bradley Cooper for Best Actor....SERIOUSLY? I saw Silver Linings Playbook (seperate blog review of that later) a few days ago, and I did NOT think Bradley Cooper was Oscar worthy. 4. Joaquin Phoenix - the comeback kid? This is an exciting nomination because I've always admired Phoenix, until his bizarre meltdown ...

The new year is already here, and Oscar nominations are less than a week away! I love this time of year because my wife and I always try to see all movies that are nominated for Best Picture if they're still in theaters. This year's Oscar buzz has happened strong and early, meaning this may be an exciting year. Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman, for example, are already garnering intense and divided attention over their over-the-top performances in Les Miserables. I've read several critical reviews of both opinion. I personally think they're both worthy of the win, not just nomination! Best Picture Predictions 1. Argo - Gritty thriller has many Oscar-friendly elements in its favor: 1. it was directed by a celebrity (Ben Affleck.) The Academy loves that. 2. It's based on a true story.   And, aside from that, it's great! My wife and I saw it when it first came about because I'm interested in the hostage crisis from the late 70's. And, I knew a Ben Affle...

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption-a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine's (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever. In December 2012, the world's longest-running musical brings its power to the big screen in Tom Hooper's sweeping and spectacular interpretation of Victor Hugo's epic tale. -- (C) Universal PG-13 , 2 hr. 38 min. Musical & Performing Arts , Drama Directed By: Tom Hooper Written By: Claude-Michel Schonberg, Alain Boublil 1. Why do People Gotta Get All Up In a Tizzy about this flick?? Last night I finally had the privilege of seeing Les Miserables , the epic new movie of the cl...

The year seems to go by so fast now that we're at the end. However, looking back at all the movies released this year, it has actually been a very long, interesting year. We got The Dark Knight Rises and The Avengers, and The Amazing Spider-Man  in the same blockbuster summer. We also had to endure this annoying new trend of movie re-releases, with the excuse of "Oh, now it's in 3D." I mean, did anyone actually sit through The Phantom Menace again? I didn't. I've seen that movie so many times over the years that it puts me to sleep, so I think I'll save my $13. And, Disney has gotten in on the action, releasing Beauty and the Beast 3D back in January, then Finding Nemo 3D later in September, and Monsters Inc 3D comes out next week. What, Brave and Wreck-it-Ralph didn't bring in enough cash? We have to recycle this stuff?  Titanic 3D also hit theaters this year, but I missed that one, too. I love that movie (see my "best of the 90's ...