UP IN THE AIR never really soars: review

UP IN THE AIR never really soars: review

Jan 24

George Clooney is just one of those guys you can depend on: call it predictable, call it a lack of versatility, but Clooney nails that old-fashioned / modern / classy triumvirate in every single film he’s in. If that’s a style you buy into, he has a nice long filmography for you to browse to your heart’s content, to which you can blindly add his latest outing. If, however, you got sick of Clooney’s schtick circa Ocean’s 11, prepare to be bemused as his snappy, crisp delivery is shoehorned into an already strange mish-mash of bubblegum profundity, black humour and annoying characters, otherwise known as Up In The Air, to predictably muddled results.

For the sake of full disclosure, I loathed Juno. The main problem was the dialogue. I abhor that hip, post-modern, snarky sarcasm that passes for wit in American pop culture. I hated it in Buffy in the 90s and I hate it today. I saw potential in Juno‘s failures, and looked forward with interest to director Jason Reitman’s (son of Ivan) next, but for some reason when I saw the bland poster for Up In The Air, and heard that Clooney would be headlining, my interest in the film immediately plummeted. Then all the rave reviews started gushing in like so much overzealous molasses, to the point that I was certain Up In The Air could never live up to the saccharine hype.

I was right. Up In The Air tries to be about three movies at once, goes on for at least an hour too long, lacks any empathetic (or even plain amusing) characters, and ends up feeling like a puddle-shallow attempt at pop philosophy jammed awkwardly into a small, ugly box marked “MATURE, HONEST.” I tried to stay with this film, but it lost me about halfway through, and I couldn’t for the life of me get back on. There is a pivotal scene somewhere in the second act that throws out every single frame that came before, and it was at that point that I realised there was no way I could love this film, or even really enjoy it.

At first it gives the impression that it’s gonna be one of those old-dog / young-upstart buddy movies where the upstart teaches the old dog some new tricks and everybody goes home feeling warm and fuzzy. There is some snappy dialogue, some awkward and depressing rapid-fire interview-type scenes that set up Clooney’s character’s world, and everything seems to be going okay. But then a lot of things happened that annoyed me.

First of all, there is something about Anna Kendrick’s delivery that just jars with me. Maybe it’s because I can’t help but remember her in New Moon, but any scene with her in it feels awkward and strange. Then there’s the films frivolous treatment of a devastating real-life problem in modern society — the colossal American cock-up that was (and still is) the global financial crisis. Are we supposed to laugh at all the people getting laid off in rapid succession by Clooney’s dismissive douche-for-hire? I’d like to think not. And then there’s the film’s pornographic representation of affluence and the free-floating, devil-may-care lifestyle employed by Clooney’s character. Sure these things are half-assedly dealt with by the end, but for the rest of the film they are just annoying and distracting.

The middle third is aimless, repetitious and overlong. A movie like this needs to move along at a brisk pace, but that middle just drags, especially once it derails itself at the aforementioned pivotal jetty scene. The last third is even worse, cascading into a never-ending series of completely random and strange events barely hinted at anywhere else in the film. Things just keep on happening, without any sense of emotional structure or logical reasoning. And it’s all presented with this pretentious sense of ironic pathos that is about as fun to swallow as a bucket of vinegar.

Okay, so this is George Clooney’s film. I’m struggling to remember the name of his character, let’s see if I get it before the end of this paragraph. Anyway, we’re supposed to follow him on some kind of journey, right? “Someone wants something very badly and is having difficulty getting it” — that’s a boiler-plate summary for every narrative ever invented, right? Okay. So Clooney’s character (the only name that pops to mind is Danny Ocean — argh!) starts out as a vacuous, wealth / convenience -obsessed professional asshole with zero moral compunction and very little in his corner for which a mainstream audience can root. Great, plenty of room for improvement. And, extrapolating from the film’s title, it’ll probably have something to do with touching back down to reality, talking to real people that really matter. So far, so good, except I still can’t remember his name.

The screenwriters throw Danny Ocean a bone in the form of kindred spirit Vera Farmiga, who apparently leads a somewhat similar lifestyle to Mr Ocean and is therefore required by movie law to have sex with him. After that happens, Danny Ocean’s young, annoying protege (Anna Kendrick again) urges him to settle down and actually connect with this person, so Danny Ocean tries just that. I predicted early on — avert your eyes, incredibly mild spoiler alert — that Farmiga was married with kids, so the scene in which Danny Ocean shows up on her doorstep in a cock-headed attempt to connect with someone lands with a wet thump in the frazzled mess of my consciousness, already drawn thin by the complete lack of emotional connection or sense of originality latent in the rest of the film. The guy has a very simple character trajectory to follow, from bad to good, emotional rags to riches, but he still manages to get it wrong. Go back to robbing casinos or something.

I think the reason I failed to connect with this film was just an unfortunate covalescence of a whole bunch of textures and themes I just don’t really care about at this point in my life. The way the main characters consider their awful jobs important, meaningful and fulfilling is completely alienating to me, as is the way they (I mean Danny Ocean — Girl From Twilight tries vainly to represent me in this) wantonly abandon any social obligations in favour of leading disgusting, vacuous lives. The way JK Simmons, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Bateman, Danny McBride and Sam Elliot show up randomly and trivially and play dead-boring, trying-for-funny-and-falling-flat nobodies who only serve to underline preciesly how empty and distant the actual protagonist is. The way the movie goes for well over two hours and still doesn’t reach any conclusion beyond some vague “MATURE” navel-gazing self-righteous moralising.

Don’t get me wrong, there are good aspects to this film, I just can’t remember them right now. Oh, Vera Farmiga brings a kind of sophisticated weight to her character, I guess. There are a couple of good jokes in the script, well-delivered by Clooney. And, um … yeah, okay, the cinematography is pretty cool. And at least it’s not a sequel / prequel / remake / reboot / re-imagining of a previous film (it’s still a book-to-film adaptation, but that’s something I can handle). That’s all I can manage. The rest of the film was just scene after disjointed scene punctuated by vague, messy philosophy delivered with robot-like efficiency by a few soulless leads, the gist of which goes something like this:

Girl From Twilight - “You should stop flying around and connect with people, like your family, and maybe start a family of your own.”

Danny Ocean – “No, I’m such a tough guy I don’t need love.”

Girl From Twilight – “I implore you to reconsider.”

Danny Ocean – “Okay, hey Vera, I’m gonna deny the very likely possibility that you already have a life partner and family of your own and follow you like a lost puppy, do you mind?”

Vera Farmiga – “Sure, if you want, but bear in mind I already have a life partner and family of my own.”

Danny Ocean – “Oh. Shit. Never mind, then. I guess I was right all along. See you all later.”

Up In The Air score

28 / 100

Keeping the 2010 Golden Globes in perspective

Keeping the 2010 Golden Globes in perspective

Jan 18

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that James Cameron and his 3D epic fantasy adventure film Avatar (or, as Arnold Schwarzenegger pronounced it, ‘Avada’) won some big ones at the Golden Globes this year. Given the worldwide box office and general-audience reaction to Avatar being so jaw-droppingly mammoth, it was to be expected. But I still had a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe it could miss out to other deserving films like Inglourious Basterds or The Hurt Locker… but no. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association felt it right to award the film currently sitting #2 on the worldwide all-time box office earnings list. Where’s their sense of dare?

To keep things in perspective, I watched the Golden Globes show from my laptop, sitting at my kitchen table, using breaks in the ceremony (or boring speeches) to feed my two youngsters, change nappies and check the cricket score on the telly. Nothing aligns the planets in your mind quicker than listening to Meryl Streep getting weepy about how much she appreciates life and everything she’s got while I stand and observe holding a shitty nappy in one hand and a half-eaten soggy banana sandwich in the other. Fittingly, Meryl won for her squeaky performance in Julie & Julia, which I reviewed last month.

The show itself was more of the same– just swap out the different handfuls of celebrities, films and television shows and you’ve got the same thing as every other year. From the poor teleprompter jokes to awkward cutaways of (usually) intoxicated celebrities, I found host Ricky Gervais to be a breath of fresh air against the otherwise predictable template. Even the Cecil B. DeMille Award to legendary director Martin Scorsese became strangely violated with sexual innuendo from presenter Robert DeNiro (who was joined by Leonardo DiCaprio). The featurette that played in honour of his films eventually morphed into a trailer for his upcoming film Shutter Island, which was perplexing given the circumstances. Still, it’s always nice to see a wonderful filmmaker being recognised for their talent, and even nicer when the recipient can deliver one of the most coherent thank you speeches of the night.

Besides Ricky Gervais making the show worthwhile, I was very impressed to see Christoph Waltz win Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his role as The Jew Hunter in Inglourious Basterds (my favourite of 2009). Waltz completely steals that film and makes it his own in one of the most memorable performances in recent times. His speech was gracious and precise. I only wish Tarantino could have won Best Director or Best Screenplay. Not to be. Best Screenplay went to Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner for Up In The Air, and Best Director went to some guy who made Avada…

It was also nice to see ‘The Dude’ Jeff Bridges win for his lead role in Crazy Heart, a film I highly anticipate seeing this year. Robert Downey Jr. picked up a Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical for his role as Sherlock Holmes (recently reviewed by Froley) and proceeded to deliver a change-of-pace speech where he refused to thank his collaborators, cleverly listing the people he refused to thank and thus actually thanking them… I look forward to him taking on more serious roles again sometime soon (please?).

Fellow Aussie Toni Collette received a Globe for her role as Tara in the television comedy United States of Tara, which was fantastic to see even though I was personally rooting for Tina Fey to win for 30 Rock.

My kids finally took a nap in time to enjoy the last few awards of the ceremony.  I thought the show was complete when Kate Winslet took my breath away as she presented the Best Actor award (she could have just stood there and twiddled her thumbs and I would have been impressed — that woman is flat out gorgeous and talented). Then Ricky Gervais wise-cracked that he “likes a drink as much as the next man, unless the next man is Mel Gibson” when he introduced the Aussie to present Best Director, and I figured that would definitely complete the show for me… and then Cameron won for directing Avatar… followed by Avatar winning Best Picture.

And the show went kaput. I’m still baffled.

Is Avatar‘s dominance at the Golden Globes a sign of things to come at the upcoming Oscars? I’m hoping the Academy gets it a little more accurate and looks past the visual effects and box office to recognise some real artistic integrity in other films this year.

Deep down inside, just quietly, I already know the truth.

Here’s a complete list of all the nominees and winners of the 67th Golden Globe Awards (2010):

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

• Mo’Nique, Precious
• Penélope Cruz, Nine
• Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
• Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
• Julianne Moore, A Single Man

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• Toni Collette, United States of Tara
• Courteney Cox, Cougar Town
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock
• Lea Michele, Glee

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• John Lithgow, Dexter
• Michael Emerson, Lost
• Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
• William Hurt, Damages
• Jeremy Piven, Entourage

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

• Up
• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
• Coraline
• Fantastic Mr. Fox
• The Princess and the Frog

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA

• Michael C. Hall, Dexter
• Simon Baker, The Mentalist
• Jon Hamm, Mad Men
• Hugh Laurie, House
• Bill Paxton, Big Love

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA

• Glenn Close, Damages
• January Jones, Mad Men
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
• Anna Paquin, True Blood
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

• “The Weary Kind,” Music & Lyrics by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett (Crazy Heart)
• “Cinema Italiano,” Music & Lyrics by Maury Yeston (Nine)
• “I Want to Come Home,” Music & Lyrics by Paul McCartney (Everybody’s Fine)
• “I Will See You,” Music by James Horner, Simon Franglen; Lyrics by James Horner, Simon Franglen and Kuk Harrell (Avatar)
• “Winter,” Music by U2; Lyrics by Bono (Brothers)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

• Michael Giacchino, Up
• Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant!
• James Horner, Avatar
• Abel Korzeniowski, A Single Man
• Karen O and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are

BEST MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• Grey Gardens
• Georgia O’Keefe
• Into the Storm
• Little Dorrit
• Taking Chance

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
• Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
• Marion Cotillard, Nine
• Julia Roberts, Duplicity
• Meryl Streep, It’s Complicated

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
• Kenneth Branagh, Wallander: One Step Behind
• Chiewetel Ejiofor, Endgame
• Brendan Gleeson, Into the Storm
• Jeremy Irons, Georgia O’Keefe

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
• Joan Allen, Georgia O’Keefe
• Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens
• Anna Paquin, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler
• Sigourney Weaver, Prayers for Bobby

BEST SCREENPLAY

• Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
• Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, District 9
• Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
• Nancy Meyers, It’s Complicated
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

• The White Ribbon (Germany)
• Baaria (Italy)
• Broken Embraces (Spain)
• The Maid (Chile)
• A Prophet (France)

BEST TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA

• Mad Men
• Big Love
• Dexter
• House
• True Blood

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
• Steve Carell, The Office
• David Duchovny, Californication
• Thomas Jane, Hung
• Matthew Morrison, Glee

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

• Chloë Sevigny, Big Love
• Jane Adams, Hung
• Rose Byrne, Damages
• Jane Lynch, Glee
• Janet McTeer, Into the Storm

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

• Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
• Matt Damon, Invictus
• Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
• Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
• Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones

BEST DIRECTOR

• James Cameron, Avatar
• Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
• Clint Eastwood, Invictus
• Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

BEST TELEVISION SERIES, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• Glee
• 30 Rock
• Entourage
• Modern Family
• The Office

BEST MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• The Hangover
• (500) Days of Summer
• It’s Complicated
• Julie & Julia
• Nine

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA

• Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
• Helen Mirren, The Last Station
• Carey Mulligan, An Education
• Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
• Matt Damon, The Informant!
• Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
• Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA

• Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• George Clooney, Up in the Air
• Colin Firth, A Single Man
• Morgan Freeman, Invictus
• Tobey Maguire, Brothers

BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA

• Avatar
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Precious
• Up in the Air

Reasons not to be afraid of Ivan Reitman directing GHOSTBUSTERS 3

Reasons not to be afraid of Ivan Reitman directing GHOSTBUSTERS 3

Jan 15

Recent news that director Ivan Reitman will be slipping into the director’s chair again for the upcoming franchise-extending sequel Ghostbusters 3 perked my interest a great deal. There’s reason to believe this extra (some might say un-needed) Ghost Busters film could go horribly south– My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006) seems a leading example amongst nay-sayers who think Reitman might have lost touch with pacing and execution of today’s comedy. Indeed, throughout the ninties Ivan struggled to deliver films that have the same lasting qualities that Ghost Busters has. Father’s Day (1997), Junior (1994) and Six Days Seven Nights (1998) are all worthy examples of his floundering work, but they all involve completely different elements that can’t compare to the unique nature of the Ghostbusters universe.

Reitman was responsible for co-writing and directing Ghost Busters (1984) & Ghostbusters 2 (1990) back when they could do no wrong (I realise part 2 is inferior to the original but it was still a lot of fun). It’s somewhat comforting to know that Columbia Pictures big-wig didn’t pluck a director from his short-list and assign Ghostbusters 3 to just anybody else. Using his own personal experience, Ivan has more chance of recouping some of that old magic and making it shine again on screen; more chance than any other director has.  I personally find a level of comfort in that. Why? Because, even though it is entirely about money, we know that there will be at least some heart and substance behind it.

This same comforting feeling also goes for the return of the original cast (some remain unsigned at this stage, but everyone is expected to sign on). Actors will trust Reitman with their characters again, allowing them to relax and deliver. Speaking of cast– right now it appears the plot will revolve around the original Ghost Busters (Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd) handing the business over to some new bucks — and therefore, assuming this sequel is a success, future Ghostbusters films. In their own clever way they are attempting to reboot the franchise without completely violating the original by taking it to a task with a horrible remake.

Reitman recently directed the much-adored Ghostbusters video game, which would have worked well in sparking some old desires and ideas in the directors mind. He is also producing Ghostbusters 3 and is heavily involved in the scripting process (though he isn’t the writer– that task belongs to Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky of The Office (US) and Year One (2009) fame).

I wish I could see into the future and just know Ghostbusters 3 would be a success. But recent revisits like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) have me clenching a little more than I might otherwise. There’s still a chance it doesn’t meet expectations, especially when you consider all the hurdles it has to conquer - modern comedy, quality special effects, PG-frights that are tame-but-still-spooky, nostalgia for those seeking it, and roping in a new generation for those who have never seen Ghost Busters (there’s bound to be some one). Yup, the challenge is steep. Hopefully that adds to the determination and some perfection ends up on the screen.

I’m not saying Ivan Reitman directing is necessarily the saving grace. Of all the other options, he seems to makes the most sense in this very unique case. The only other director they could have named that wouldn’t have made me screw my face up into that akward, disgusted expression would have been Jason Reitman. Obviously.

Ghostbusters 3 hopes to go into production later this year, and we hope to see it in cinemas in 2012.

At least JENIFFER’S BODY is sexy

At least JENIFFER’S BODY is sexy

Dec 30

Jennifer’s Body answers a curious question: Can a film survive on the back of the attractiveness of its two female leads?

The answer is no.

But who am I to let some of the finest eye candy on the planet get in the way of a clunky, un-scary dark comedy horror film? This is Megan Fox, after all. Her name alone oozes sexy. There’s no denying Fox’s body is a draw-card here, and I bet the producer’s of Jennifer’s Body (including one Jason Reitman) wish that draw card had worked a little better at the box office. Domestically, Jennifer’s Body only barely doubled its 16 million dollar budget. I guess it will make about the same again on DVD/Blu-ray, rentals and television rights. You get to freeze-frame exactly where you like, then. In full 1080p high-def, no less.

Writer Diablo Cody struck gold that has come with somewhat unwarranted slack after winning an Academy Award for penning the indie sleeper hit Juno back in 2007. I’m not on the Juno-hater bandwagon, I quite enjoyed it. So it stood to reason that I might enjoy Cody merging her style of quirky comedy dialogue with my favorite genre of film (horror) plus Megan Fox to back it up (at least it was half-good casting. The lead of Jennifer really does need to be smokin’. Conveniently). Unfortunately the film flops far below expectations and stumbles horridly to an awkward finish to barely cross the line as acceptable. Don’t expect to add this one to your classic horror collection any time soon. If you have already, I understand. But I also recommend seeing more horror films.

I’d love to give points for originality, but so many elements of Jennifer’s Body have been tried, tested and failed elsewhere across the recent landscape of horror junk. I’m sure what director Karyn Kusama might have wanted to aim for was something to stand out and be remembered, but so much of Jennifer’s Body is cookie-cutter that all it might be remembered for is the hot lesbian kissing moment between stars Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried. Oh, it’s hot alright. And completely irrelevant and pointless to the plot in every way. Which might make it even hotter. You be the judge.

How’s this for a wonky plot: Jennifer is possessed by a demon (or in this case the Devil himself…) after a lame, soft rock band sacrifice her to the Devil in exchange for ‘making it big’. But, duh! they’re supposed to sacrifice a virgin which, obviously, Jennifer is not. She’s a total slut. So, she survives because the demon/Devil now lives in her, and the only way she can feel (and look) good is to feed on teenage boys — who, of course, succumb to her every whim because she’s Megan-fucking-Fox. Naturally, only her bestest friend ever Needy (wonderfully played by Amanda Seyfried) does some research and figures out how to put an end to the madness. But not before more people die.

Jennifer’s Body presents itself as a sexy horror comedy romp yet doesn’t deliver enough of either to fully qualify itself as worthy. It’s sometimes a bit funny– but not hysterical. It’s in no way scary nor gory. I didn’t even find the obvious set-up jump-scares effective.

Once again the horror elements fall victim to lifeless, unrealistic CGI effects that more distract than add to the film. They look like something you might see on television after 1030PM, especially when you also consider that the horror elements are purposely cut to show as little as possible. It’s weak and feels like a cop out. We never get a really good, long look at Jennifer in her demon state, which is a shame because the concept appears to rather well conceived by KNB Effects Group. Perhaps the unrated version on DVD/Blu-ray offers more, but I haven’t seen that. I hope it does.

While there aren’t lingering shots of ghastly demon horror, there are lasting shots of Megan Fox frolicking in her underwear, sporting numerous spunk-worthy outfits and walking through the school halls looking like she doesn’t belong (being 20-something, and all). And in the end, I think that’s what Jennifer’s Body is really all about. The crumbling effects high school can have on a life-long friendship between two teenage girls who have to endure their bodies changing and boys. One handles it one way, the other fucks the boys, eats them and gets bloody messy in the process. Or maybe I’m way off.

Megan Fox is all over this film. Just about every sequence is cut to suit her center-frame, yet her performance is ironically pummeled to death by Amanda Seyfried’s portrayal of hard-done-by and confused best friend Anita ‘Needy’. Given the limited plot and arc here, Seyfried shows some great range and grounds her character into a convincing depth. She won’t win any awards for it, but as far as Jennifer’s Body goes, her performance is clearly the winning one. Plus she is equally attractive in her own way (some might say hotter than Fox in that girl-next-door kinda way). She even gets her own horny sex scene with geeky boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons) which is one more on-screen action than Jennifer gets. Go figure.

I honestly can’t say Jennifer’s Body is poorly executed. It gets by just fine– but unfortunately it is another example of a potentially good idea thrown into the stock-standard basket of achievements unreached. It’s only re-watchable for one very good reason, and I’m not ashamed to admit that it’s Megan Fox and her sleazy ways. Yes, it’s poorly performed, but hey– so is most porn. If only this took similar risks in horror and/or comedy (and perhaps even the sleaze?) I might have more to write about.

Jennifer’s Body

69 out of 100

(see what I did there?)

UP IN THE AIR & INVICTUS get awards season head-start from NBR

UP IN THE AIR & INVICTUS get awards season head-start from NBR

Dec 04

The National Board of Review has given Up In The Air a good head-start to the upcoming awards season, honouring it as Best Picture of 2009 and awarding its star George Clooney Best Actor (sharing with Morgan Freeman in Clint Eastwood’s Invictus… even despite his questionable accent).

Up In The Air is director Jason Reitman’s third film (following Thank You For Smoking and Juno), and has been buzzing online since playing at the Telluride Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival in September.

I have been looking forward to it since the first teaser and trailer dropped (pasted below) and can’t wait to take a seat before a cinema screen and watch it soon. It looks kooky and smart with an air of that George Clooney smug charm.

The National Board of Review also named their ‘Ten Best Films of 2009′ in alphabetical order, it reads like this:

• An Education
• (500) Days Of Summer
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Invictus
• The Messenger
• A Serious Man
• Star Trek
• Up
• Where the Wild Things Are

Check out the complete Variety run-down to see the long list of winners in all categories.

UP IN THE AIR TRAILER:

source: Variety