Oh hey there! Ready for some top tens??

Good, because it's time for Jessica's Top Ten Movies of 2013!!! First of all, I'd just like to take a step back and slow clap for this year in movies. After a couple years of only feeling inspired by a few, this year was a breath of fresh air. Many of the movies on this list would have been in my top three any other year. It was just a great year for film. But let's get down to business! Drum roll please...

The List

1. 12 Years a Slave

There was only one movie this year that even came close to giving this a run for the top spot (spoiler alert: see #2), but, in the end, it was no contest. 12 Years a Slave is simply a stunning movie-going experience that you will be unable to stop thinking about for days. I know you keep hearing about it, but it's all true. Brutal, honest, beautifully shot, and incredibly acted, it was just a standout experience. Every actor in it was spectacular (with the slight exception of Brad Pitt, without whom the movie would not have been made, so I can forgive it); I was completely enthralled and nearly forgot I was sitting in a movie theater (until the aforementioned Mr. Pitt showed up). Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Sarah Paulson, Paul Giamatti, and Alfre Woodard all shine. If I had my way, 12 Years a Slave would have an Oscar sweep, but, let's be honest, the Academy is a bunch of old white men. I think it will still take Best Picture, but the snub I will be most upset about is Michael Fassbender, who held nothing back and gave one of those performances that makes you just sit back and go "whoa." I could talk about this movie for days (and, let's be honest, I probably have), but there are 9 more spots on this list, so let's keep moving!


2. The Act of Killing
This movie. Oh, this movie. I wish I had the words to even begin to describe the experience of watching it. A documentary, the filmmaker interviews former Indonesian death squad leaders and asks them to talk about what they did, and boy do they. He then invites them to make a film about it in whatever styles they choose- this film within a film goes from mafia movie, to western, to strange over-the-top musical number. And through it all you see the effect the process has (or doesn't have) on these men who openly admit to killing thousands for no reason, and who were never punished. It's a fascinating look at morality (or lack thereof), and simply the most surreal experience I may have ever had watching a movie.


3. (tie) The Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle
Let's start with the Wolf of Wall Street, for which Leonardo DiCaprio will likely be denied another well-deserved Oscar. I have heard all the complaints about excess, debauchery, offensiveness, etc., to which I say, "Uh, that was the point." This movie just goes all out and owns its insanity. Scorcese's direction is great, Leo is fantastic, and the supporting cast (particularly Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughey's 15-ish minutes) just rule. Yes, it's a little long (though fitting for a movie about excess), but man is it entertaining.


As for American Hustle, director David O. Russell basically decided to take the stars of his last two movies (The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook, which was at the top of this list last year), add in a little Jeremy Renner and turn them into an all-star cast. It's Christian Bale's movie, but Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, and Renner are all so fun to watch, and just make for a great time at the movies. And don't even get me started on the costumes and hair.


4. Before Midnight
How Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, and Ethan Hawke manage to make each of the fantastic movies in this trilogy better than the last just blows my mind. Perhaps it has to do with my own aging alongside the movies, but watching as they explore different stages in this couple's relationship through a single day spent with them just keeps getting more interesting. And the three excel at writing dialog that feels real, and a relationship that you care about and can relate to. This movie focuses on the part of a love story we never get to see- what happens after the couple gets together and makes a life. Here's hoping it's not the last one. 

5. Fruitvale Station
The biggest snub of this awards season. The movie follows the last 24 hours of Oscar Grant III's life, before his death from being shot at point blank range by police at the titular BART stop. The tone is set from the very first image- actual camera phone footage of the real-life Grant's murder. The movie shows Oscar in all his complicated realness- this is not a man who was perfect, but someone who had struggled and was trying to turn his life around. Michael B. Jordan is a revelation (we lucky ones who watched The Wire and Friday Night Lights already knew that), and Octavia Spencer breaks your heart as Oscar's mother. It's simply unbelievable that these two and the movie have been missing from every nominations list this year.

6. Captain Phillips
More great acting in a ripped from the headlines film. The last 20 minutes alone remind you why Tom Hanks is one of the great actors of his generation. Easy to overlook against some of the other great movies this year, this movie manages to seem almost quiet (despite dealing with violent piracy) comparatively. Simple and direct, it keeps you on the edge of your seat. And kudos for giving depth to the "villains" of the movie- the Somali pirates who hijack an American cargo ship- rather than falling back on typical movie stereotypes.

7. Dallas Buyers Club
Yup, it's a full on McConaissance (just say it in your head- it will come). Matthew McConaughey proves his last couple of years have not just been a fluke, and, man, can he actually act (I'm starting to erase the Kate Hudson-era romantic comedies from my mind, McConaughey, but they're just not quite gone yet). He plays a hard-partying, homophobic man diagnosed with HIV in the 80's, with weeks to live and limited legal options to prolong his life. Jared Leto (hey, remember that guy??) is also fantastic as a trangendered woman who partners with him to set up shop providing some of the early drug cocktails that haven't been approved by the FDA.

8. Frozen
Whew, these have all been a little heavy, haven't they? Let's lighten it up at the end of this list, starting with a delightful disney musical filled with songs that I haven't been able to get out of my head for weeks. Just a really lovely, feel-good movie that pokes fun at disney's past, rather questionable portrayal of relationships, and also focuses on the love between sisters instead of finding prince charming. Good times all around.


9. Much Ado About Nothing
Keeping up the feel-good with Joss Whedon's adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. My love for Whedon has been discussed in detail on previous Top Ten lists, but usually in the context of big budget action movies or quirky horror movie homages, not tiny, black and white, modernized updates of Shakespeare. But I never doubted for a moment that he would deliver. Just a charming, clever interpretation of the piece with hilarious physical comedy and lovely performances from a variety of prior Whedon-verse actors showing a completely different side to their acting. Not bad for a movie he pretty much made it over a couple of days with his friends using his own house as set. And to top it off, I got to see it open SIFF, with the man himself in attendance. And you thought there was a chance this didn't make my top ten??

10. Pacific Rim- IMAX 3D
Yup, you heard me. This movie rules. Seeing it in IMAX 3D was by far the most fun I had at a theater this year. Guillermo del Toro directing a movie about giant robots fighting giant aliens? What's not to like? Yes, it's totally a dumb summer blockbuster, but, wow, I enjoyed myself seeing it. As the somewhat genius Honest Trailer says, "It's either the most awesome dumb movie ever made, or the dumbest awesome movie ever made." Either way, it's an excellent film to eat popcorn to.


Honorable Mentions:
American Winter, August: Osage County, Blackfish, Catching Fire, The Croods, Don Jon, Drinking Buddies, Frances Ha, Gravity, In a World, Mud, Philomena, Possessions, Prisoners, The Spectacular Now, This is the End, The Way Way Back

Number of Eligible Movies Seen: 57

The Actors
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio- The Wolf of Wall Street
Runner up: Chiwetel Ejiofor- 12 Years a Slave

Best Actress: Judi Dench- Philomena
Runner up: Sandra Bullock- Gravity

Best Supporting Actor: Michael Fassbender- 12 Years a Slave
Runner up: Jared Leto- Dallas Buyers Club

Best Supporting Acress: Lupita Nyong'o- 12 Years a Slave
Runner up: Octavia Spencer- Fruitvale Station

The Extras

Dude who had a really good year: Was there ever any chance this would go to someone other than McConaughey? I mean, there's a made up word describing his renaissance that I only wish I could take credit for. With Dallas Buyers Club, Mud, and his phenomenal short appearance in Wolf of Wall Street, he takes this in a landslide.
 
Person I fell in love with this year: Lupita Nyong'o. Between her star-making appearance in 12 Years a Slave and her complete dominance of the awards show fashion, this is a woman after my heart.   

Genre of the Year: "Based on a true story"
It was a pretty damn great year for (mostly dramatic) films that were mostly or partly historically accurate. 12 Years a Slave, Captain Phillips, Fruitvale Station, Dallas Buyers Club, Olympus Has Fallen (just making sure you guys are paying attention :) ), Philomena, Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle? I'll even throw in Saving Mr. Banks. Not too bad at all.

Best movie to see on an IMAX screen: Gravity
I actually almost feel sad for those that will see Gravity for the first time on their home TVs. They'll probably end up seeing more of the problems with the script, and be distracted by why Sandra Bullock's hair doesn't move in zero gravity, and not be completely wrapped up in feeling that this movie must have been filmed in space- "there's simply no other explanation for how they could do it." A triumph in the actual filmmaking (even if it didn't grab my heart), because I've never seen anything like it.
Runner up: Pacific Rim

Most Improved: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. See, now that's more like it. Keep it up.

The Up in the Air Award for Critically Acclaimed Movie That Can Suck It:  Blue Jasmine. Yes, the other issues surrounding the director certainly didn't help, and I will never watch another Woody Allen movie. But trying to separate that from the movie- I just was incredibly miserable the whole time I was watching. That's not the experience I'm going for when I'm watching a movie.

Special Award for Awfulness: Elysium. Unlike the winner above, I was not miserable watching this. In fact, I was mostly entertained, but a lot of that was due to running commentary on the gigantic gaping plot holes and absurdity of Jodie Foster's accent. The whole movie thought it was way too clever- it may have been able to save itself by embracing its dumb action movie status. Instead, it just flew off the rails and didn't stop- with a "happy" ending that would actually just make everything worse. And this movie was supposed to be good! What happened???

That's it for this year! Let's see what 2014 brings!

Jessica's Top Ten Movies of 2012!

Yes, my friends, the time has come again. The year of the 2 hour and 45 minute movie has come to a close (I am not even going to touch the math on how many hours were spent watching movies), and it's time for you to benefit from our hard work. You're welcome, world.

(be sure to check out Kim's and Nancy's lists as well!!)

The List:


1. Silver Linings Playbook
What can I say? I just really loved this movie. Part intense drama, part romantic comedy, part dance competition, and part sports movie- what's not to like? Honestly, there are so many different ways this movie should not work, yet David O. Russell beautifully weaves it all together. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence are both fantastic, and the supporting cast of Robert DeNiro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker and Anupam Kher shines. Through this web of genres, the movie explores mental health, love, family, and friendship. An unlikely candidate for a feel-good movie, it takes my top spot for 2012.
(Special Friend Commendation awarded to Cole Rottweiler for taking me to an advanced screening of SLP at SIFF)

2. (tie) Argo and Les Miserables
You've heard plenty about Argo- the Oscar snub of Ben Affleck was followed by the movie winning pretty much everything in sight, and knocking Lincoln's seemingly unstoppable awards show train down to the level of long-shot. And it's all well deserved. In one of the best recent career comeback stories Ben Affleck proves once again that he's a phenomenal story teller. It takes a great script with a talented director to have you on the edge of your seat for a story to which you already know the ending, but Affleck does that and more. Argo is funny, suspenseful, and multi-layered, giving you a deeper story without caricatured bad guys. It's simply great filmmaking.

As for Les Mis, for full disclosure, I was either going to love or hate this movie. There was no in between for me. I have loved the musical since before I was old enough to have any clue what it was actually about. So the movie was either going to destroy my childhood or reduce me to a weepy mess (guess which happened?). Hugh Jackman is amazing as Valjean (in any year when Daniel Day Lewis did not make a movie he would be an Oscar frontrunner), and Anne Hathaway steals the show while being on screen for less than 1/6 of the movie. Director Tom Hooper changed the way movie musicals are made by having the actors sing live during filming, and the result is an emotional triumph. No, it's not perfect, and yes, Russell Crowe should stick to roles that don't require him to sing, but the end result reminded me why I fell in love with this story and music in the first place.

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Sometimes a movie just resonates with you (and your 15-year-old self). That's what Perks of Being a Wallflower did for me. I love the book, and one way to ensure that a movie adaptation doesn't ruin a book is by having it written, directed, and produced by the author. Stephen Chbosky did all that, plus contributed a song for the soundtrack (overachiever). This movie just warmed my heart with nostalgia (I miss you, Rocky Horror Picture Show). It's the most believable portrayal of high school I've ever seen. Ezra Miller steals the show, and is good enough to make me forget about We Need to Talk About Kevin (no small feat).

4. Zero Dark Thirty
People can argue all they want about the supposed controversial portrayal of torture in this movie. Frankly, if someone believes that Zero Dark Thirty advocates for torture I'm not sure we watched the same film. Like Argo, this movie manages to build an incredible amount of tension around a story in which we all know what happens (like Argo it also makes the very smart move of casting Kyle Chandler). And, like Argo (and Les Mis), the director was absolutely snubbed by not being nominated for an Oscar. Kathryn Bigelow makes this movie what it is, a suspenseful and procedural docu-drama. We can all debate how accurate pieces of it are, but in the end it gives us the untold story of one of the biggest events in recent history.

5. Undefeated
This one has to go back to the bylaws, because it won the Oscar for Best Documentary at last year's ceremony. But it was impossible to find in Seattle until just a few weeks ago, making it eligible for this year's list (so there :) ). And anyone who knows me knows that an inspirational sports documentary is almost guaranteed a spot on my top ten list (my two favorite genres had a baby??). Following the underfunded, intercity Manassas Tigers football team, it's essentially a real-life Friday Night Lights. Coach Bill Courtney, in one of his Coach Taylor-est quotes, gives the testament of the movie: "Football doesn't build character. Football reveals character." This film shows us how true that statement is for these kids.

6. How to Survive a Plague
A truly incredible documentary based mostly on archival footage following the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic in the mid-80's through the early 90's. Angry over the lack of government action on this literal life-or-death issue, the movie follows activists who rose up to take matters into their own hands. Engrossing and informative, this movie will cause both tears of sadness and inspiration. It's also an incredibly powerful reminder of how far we have come on this issue (and how far we still have to go).

7. Cabin in the Woods
I pretty much love everything Joss Whedon touches. So it's no surprise that I would love this movie, with one exception- I hate horror movies. You will never catch me at a Paranormal Activity/Blair Witch/Saw/Nightmare on any kind of street movie. As such, I'm sure I only appreciated Cabin in the Woods half as much as I could have, because it's a brilliant homage to/commentary on/spoof of the genre (clearly half was good enough for me, because it made it on this list). Funny, scary, thought-provoking, and original. It's just so damn entertaining.

8. The Invisible War
Another light-hearted romp (right...). If you are unaware of the military's epidemic of sexual assault, go watch this movie right now. Scratch that, go watch this movie even if you know all about it. The stories from servicewomen in every branch of the United States military need to be heard, and this documentary gives them voice. And power- two days after watching this documentary, the Secretary of Defense made major changes in how sexual assault is handled by the military (though not nearly enough). This movie will piss you off- which is good, because we all should be that and more.

9. Your Sister's Sister
The last movie I saw before making this list, I just fell in love. This movie rides on the back of great writing, and having actors that can actually pull it off. It's extremely charming and enjoyable to watch. Mark Duplass, Emily Blunt, and Rosemarie Dewitt are all fantastic and completely believable. Extra points for the local love (it's filmed in Washington and was supported by both the Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and 4Culture).

10. The Avengers
In the year of the big budget action movie (more on that below), at least one had to make my top ten, right? And you saw what I said up there about Joss Whedon, so... it's an inevitable conclusion. The Avengers was exactly what I want in a summer blockbuster- characters I can get behind, a villain worthy of challenging them, explosions, witty one-liners, eye candy, and, oh yeah, a Hulk. Whedon wrote and directed a movie that had the challenge of weaving together multiple superhero storylines- most of them with their own franchises- with enough background to catch up newbies while not boring those familiar with the story, and he pulled it off beautifully. What's not to like?

If only there was a Top 15...
21 Jump Street, Amour, Bernie, Lincoln, Safety Not Guaranteed

Honorable Mentions:
Adam and Dog, Beasts of the Southern Wild, The Bourne Legacy, Brave, The Campaign, Damsels in Distress, The Dark Knight Rises, Django Unchained, End of Watch, Flight, Fresh Guacamole, Head Over Heels, The Impossible, The Loneliest Planet, Looper, Magic Mike, Moonrise Kingdom, Paperman, Robot & Frank, The Sessions, Seven Psychopaths, Skyfall, Sleepwalk With Me, Ted, Wreck-It Ralph

Movie I think would have made my top ten if I'd been able to see it: The Gatekeepers

Eligible Movies Seen: 63

The Actors

Best Actor: Daniel Day Lewis- Lincoln
Runner Up: Hugh Jackman- Les Miserables

Best Actress: Emmanuelle Riva- Amour
Runner Up: Jennifer Lawrence- Silver Linings Playbook

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz- Django Unchained
Runner Up: Robert DeNiro- Silver Linings Playbook

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway- Les Miserables
Runner Up: Helen Hunt- The Sessions

The Extras

Dude I fell in love with this year: Mark Duplass. He had me at Safety Not Guaranteed and secured the victory with Your Sister's Sister. Not to mention that this is the year I finally started watching The League. So, yeah, it was a landslide.

Best movie adaptation of a book I love: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, for all the glorious reasons described above.

Worst movie adaptation of a book I love: The Hunger Games. Look I know it made like a bajillion dollars, but MAN was I disappointed. You've got two more tries, Hunger Games movies, don't let me down.

Genre of the Year:  This could almost always go to documentaries, so I'm going to be different and give it to the blockbuster sequel/reboot. It was a good year for the popcorn movies! The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, The Bourne Ultimatum, Skyfall, The Amazing Spider-man? All super entertaining, and some just plain great movies. Prometheus and I still need to have some words, though. Speaking of Prometheus...

Most awesome trailer for a movie that ultimately sucked: (tie) Prometheus and Snow White and the Huntsman. Man, those trailers ruled. Ah well.

What's that, Prometheus? You think you deserve one more mention? Ok:

Best movie-related thing on the internet: A series of e-mails from Prometheus' new tech guy.

Special award for awfulness: Savages. I wanted to give this movie "The 'Up in the Air' Award for critically acclaimed movie that can suck it", because, even at only 51% positive reviews, that movie is about 50% too highly rated (and I didn't have another strong contender). You can decide for yourself if that is critically acclaimed enough- all that matters is that you don't see this movie. Seriously, consider this one of those occasions where we saw this movie so you don't have to. Keep those 2+ hours of your life. You'll never get them back. You're welcome.

Best thing about the movies this year: Nothing new here- Nancy, Kim, comfy pants and frozen jr. mints!!!

Until next year!

Oscar Nominations!

Raise your hand if you were up at 5:30 this morning to see the live announcement of the Oscar nominations! (why am I always the only one with my hand raised?)

The field is now set for our favorite holiday of the year. The official countdown can now begin! Just a little over a month until Oscar Day. So what happened this morning? Let's get into it...

How about we start with the awesome: Melissa McCarthy got nominated for Bridesmaids! That seemed like a surefire Golden Globe nomination, and then she was snubbed so I was a little worried. While Oscar almost always goes serious in the lead actor categories, it does have a bit of a soft spot for comedic performances in the supporting categories (see Marisa Tomei for My Cousin Vinny). If nothing else, it's just nice to see her actually get the attention of a nomination. Let's go ahead and pull out that picture again, shall we?

In other awesome news, one of my favorite movies of the year (and thus far pretty overlooked in awards season) got some love in the form of a Supporting Actor nod for Nick Nolte for Warrior. Seriously, if you haven't seen that movie yet, take the time to do so. It's not just for inspirational sports movie lovers, I promise. Of course, it doesn't really matter, because Christopher Plummer is as close to a sure thing as you can get (and rightfully so), but I'm glad that movie got some appreciation.

Now, of course, there were some terrible things too, most notably the snubbing of Michael Fassbender. The man turned in 4 strong performances (in 3 of my favorite movies of the year), and is just stupid good in Shame. There's no other way to describe it. Leaving him off is just wrong. I love Gary Oldman about 10x more than the next girl, and I hate that he's never been nominated for an Oscar, but Fassbender deserves it way more. I can't speak to the other surprise nominee, Demian Bichir, having not yet seen his movie, but I would also throw out Pitt in a second for Fassbender to be nominated. One thing's for sure, this category will not approach the heretofore unseen levels of hotness of its corresponding Golden Globes category (Clooney, Pitt, DiCaprio, Fassbender, and Gosling. just wow.)

I did not create this assortment, that picture of Pitt would definitely be the last one I would choose to enlarge, but oh well.

In smaller disappointments, Melancholia continued to be completely snubbed, Drive was absolutely ignored (most notably Albert Brooks), Jessica Chastain got a nod for her least interesting performance of the year (and there were a lot to choose from), and we probably don't get to see what Tilda Swinton would wear to the Oscars. Sigh.

One of the biggest surprises of the day was all the love for a movie currently sitting with 48% approval on Rotten Tomatoes, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. We here at 3pies4rolls haven't seen it yet, but it seems like a bit of an "F you" from Oscar to critics. We'll let you know what we think once we've seen it, it's hard to get up in arms about an unknown (unless its name is War Horse). With the new nominating rules, most people were expecting 7 nominees (there are now between 5 and 10 best picture nominees and a movie has to pass a certain threshold of number one votes in order to get nominated), so having 9 make it in was a surprise. And while I kind of want to give Tree of Life the middle finger, I know there were enough people who loved it that its inclusion doesn't really surprise me.

Now just keep your fingers crossed in the hopes that with only two nominees for Best Song, we'll get a chance to see Jason Segel perform "Man or Muppet" live, and that The Artist continues its quest to charm the socks off every single person in the world. And if you're still bummed about the Michael Fassbender snub (as I am) I find it really helps to just look at pictures of Michael Fassbender:

feeling better...

almost there...

and we're good!

Picking up steam

What are we doing this Sunday? Do you really have to ask, dear reader? With awards season in full swing, we will be enjoying our second favorite awards show, the Golden Globes! Now, as much as we at 3pies4rolls love the Oscars (and it's a LOT), the Golden Globes do hold a special place in our heart, being Oscar's wacky, fun, slightly drunk cousin. Let's face it, the GGs give us awards broken up by drama and comedy (honoring some of the more fun roles that Oscar generally overlooks), boozy acceptance speeches, and Ricky Gervais. What's not to like?

But this year the Hollywood Foreign Press Association went a little crazy on us.

don't even get me started on the tv noms. No Community or Friday Night Lights?? Freaking Glee? Parks and Rec only getting one nom (for Amy Poehler)?? And Breaking Bad, which I don't even watch, getting totally snubbed for best drama. I can't even begin to understand what the hell is up with that TV comedy category. The fact that shows like Community, Parks and Recreation, and Louie get completely snubbed and dramedies like Enlightened/shows that used to be good and then completely fell apart like Glee get in kind of renders this whole award pointless. Also, the way they lump the supporting categories to include series, mini-series, and movies prevents a lot of people who turn in solid performances week after week from getting recognized against the showier movie/miniseries (see Mildred Pierce, Too Big to Fail, etc.).

Ok, phew, now that I've done that rant, let's get on to movies. Let's start with the big ones. I'm actually kind of ok with the dramatic movie nominations (I mean, yawn, War Horse, but whatever), and believe that, with the inclusion of The Artist, that could be our final list of Best Picture noms for the Oscars. The Artist should take the comedy or musical category in a walk (it's really helped by the separation between drama and comedy- nothing can hold a candle to it or star Jean Dujardin), but I want to take issue with the inclusion of My Week With Marilyn as a comedy. Apparently the HFPA has the worst sense of humor ever (which all signs point to, and then they go and keep having Ricky Gervais host, so there's gotta be something). While that shouldn't affect the picture race, it does mean that Kristen Wiig and Charlize Theron will likely be snubbed in their fabulous (and far more category appropriate) performances against Michelle Williams's Marilyn Monroe. Somehow the HFPA also managed to ignore the always amazing Michael Shannon for Actor in a drama as well, instead trying to make sure that Leo and Ryan Gosling attend the show. And the complete omission of Melancholia from anything just makes me feel, well, melancholy. Ah well. We can always hope Oscar will have a bit more sense.

But by far the most stunning snub, though, is Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids. This had Golden Globe written all over it. Even though the Supporting category is not broken up by comedy or drama, McCarthy seemed like she should be a shoo-in. She's being talked about as a relatively likely nominee for the much more uppity Oscars, you would think the cool drunk cousin would be all about it. It makes my brain hurt.

Well, that rant doesn't mean that I won't be in front of the tv with my favorite co-bloggers, hanging on every one of Ricky Gervais's insults. and, as my sister so perfectly put it, "in general though i have to say that it's pretty refereshing that the winners aren't so obvious as they were during (yawn) last year's oscar race. MOVIES!"

indeed, MOVIES!!!!

Having trouble remembering what came out this year?

Youtube is here to help. Your 2011 year in movies:



(the full list of movies in order can be found here)

Awards Season in full swing!

And we at 3pies4rolls are doing our homework in preparation for our Top 10 Lists. We do it for you, dear reader(s?).

Anyway, the SAG Award nominations were announced today, with a couple of surprises. No Gary Oldman or Michael Fassbender for Best Actor (apparently, the SAGs still want me to see J. Edgar, despite its rather dismal reviews). Nothing for Drive, despite the rave reviews of Albert Brooks in particular. 3pies4rolls favorite Philip Seymour Hoffman was overlooked for The Ides of March (though, that's less of a surprise, and more of a disappointment). And, awesomely, Bridesmaids picking up a nomination for the big award- Outstanding Cast (the incredibly fabulous Melissa McCarthy also grabbed a Best Supporting nod).



These don't stray too far from what our favorite prediction site, Awards Circuit, has been saying, so it could start to solidify the races going forward. We'll see what comes from the Golden Globe nominations tomorrow.

The Help led the way with four nominations, and, to be fair, the acting is great in that movie. I just hope it doesn't give it any steam for the other awards shows. In case you need help keeping track of these all-important awards show dates, here's a handy tracker.

and, just a note on the television side, how can you possibly continue to nominate Jon Cryer and not give anything to Parks & Recreation or Community?? That's just dumb.

74 days to Oscar Day!!!

Oscar nominees luncheon!

one of our favorite fashion events of the awards show season! All of the nominees hanging out together (often awkwardly) in their last big outfit choice before the oscars. As has been the theme this year, not all that much to blow me away (though the men do look rather dashing), but some nice looks.

but first, oh melissa leo, why did you have to buy a one-way ticket to crazytown?


Amy Adams looks adorable (as per usual)


I heart Helena Bonham-Carter, and somehow she totally pulls off all the crazy shit she wears...


BFFs Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth lead the dashing gentlemen...


a clean shaven Franco has far more work to do than these other nominees as he prepares to host...


Is it just me, or does Jesse Eisenberg always look exactly like this?

Annette Bening looks great with her arm candy, Warren Beatty

One of the newer faces at the luncheon, Jennifer Lawrence looks charming

After the Golden Globes mess, which I pretty much hated, Portman has come through with this and her great SAG dress

Michelle Williams almost always looks fabulous (exception: this year's Golden Globes)

Bridges and Hailee Steinfeld look adorable (I think hers might be my favorite look)

Aaaaaaaand the awkward. Everyone but Jennifer Lawrence looks super unhappy to be in this picture.

also, check out the panoramic shot of the whole group here! (non-famous people to the back)

finally, a twist!

Last night's Screen Actors Guild Awards finally inserted the slightest bit of drama into the Oscar race! No, it didn't mix up the acting races at all - Firth (sorry, Franco :( ), Portman, Bale, and Leo pretty much solidified their chances of holding the little golden man with wins across the board. No, the aforementioned twist was thrown right in the pathway of The Social Network's march to Best Picture. It had emerged as the undeniable favorite, winning all the major critics' awards as well as the Golden Globe (you've already heard me rant about this). But last night The King's Speech picked up the big award of the evening- Best Ensemble:



While the cast was hoisting the little (green) men, Tom Hooper was taking the top award at the Directors Guild of America, also decided over the weekend. Many considered the trophy to already have the Social Network's David Fincher's name engraved on it. Only 6 times in history has the DGA winner not gone on to win the Oscar for directing.

Do we now have a horserace? Or is The King's Speech suddenly the legitimate favorite to win? Hard to say for sure. Vanity Fair has a good piece about this, and rightfully points out that not only does The King's Speech's win put the might of the Screen Actors Guild behind it (which is pretty important), but the actors' branch is the largest voting block in the Academy. Throw in the recognition in the DGA and that's a pretty powerful argument. Of course, the crazy voting rules for the expanded field of ten nominations (here's our explanation from last year) could throw a wrench in the whole thing.

Frankly, I'm just excited that there could be some level of suspense come Oscar Day!

Awards season is in full swing...

...and all we can say is "eh." Is anyone else just pretty bored by the movies and subsequent awards this year? I mean, don't get me wrong, there have been some really good movies this year. I will have no trouble making a top ten (other than my normal issue of keeping it to ten). but there have been very few that i have died for, that i've just walked out of the theater having been completely enraptured. i normally have at least a couple of those experiences over a movie season, but I'm running out of things to watch. which is issue number one.

Issue number two is that there is no suspense. you've already heard my rant about The Social Network. I can't see any movie beating it at the Oscars, and that just bums me out. But it's also the acting categories. Can anyone beat Firth or Portman? I don't think so. (a different question than should anyone beat Firth or Portman- I was the biggest Firth supporter of all last year because he was phenomenal in A Single Man, and, while he's great in The King's Speech, I do believe Franco's better; and don't even get me started on Michelle Williams). Do Bale and Melissa Leo have it wrapped up for the supporting awards? The only big category where there's really suspense is Original Screenplay, because, frankly, The Social Network can only win for Adapted.

Does any of this mean that we weren't glued to the TV for the Golden Globes (freaking out over a technical glitch that delayed our watching) or that I won't be getting my ass up at 5:30am tomorrow to see the Oscar nominations announced live? No. But I'm not a normal movie watcher.

As far as the Golden Globes went, I think my sister put it perfectly in an e-mail to the 3pies4rolls crew: "have you two been seeing all of the stuff people have been writing about how ricky gervais went too far at the GGs? i wonder what it says about me that instead of thinking that i kinda thought he was boring." Agreed, Nanc. It was just all a bit yawnsville.

There were some highlights. my two favorite parts of the evening:




But, I mean, even the fashion was boring:


le sigh... I suppose this just means the Oscars will seem that much more awesome by comparison. Keeping my fingers crossed for some twists!

holy charming, batman!

so, we don't normally cover the People's Choice Awards as part of awards show season (mostly because the "people" do stupid shit like giving an award entitled "Favorite Movie Actress" to Kristen Stewart), but this only increased my already overwhelming love for NPH:



Thank you for not being afraid to show your love for your family.

big week in movie news!

This week has given us nominations two of the big pre-Oscar awards shows: The Golden Globes and The Screen Actors Guild Awards. These have actually made me happier than some of the other early awards results (see my little rant on The Social Network running away with most of the early awards season prizes), but mostly because it raises my expectations for movies I haven't seen yet, which could definitely go badly (Up in the Air anyone?)



Both sets of nominations continued to set up The King's Speech as my most anticipated movie for the rest of the year. As anyone who has read this blog before knows, we kind of died for Colin Firth's performance last year in A Single Man. I thought he was robbed of all deserved awards because of the idea (that I agree with) that Jeff Bridges should have an Oscar (of course, it should have come for Lebowski, but what are you gonna do?). But Firth has quickly become the frontrunner due to the rave reviews he's getting for TKS. Hopefully that one doesn't let me down (it is the theme of movies in 2010).

Also getting lots of recognition are Black Swan and The Fighter, which are two others that I'm super excited for (can people forget that Christian Bale is kind of a douchebag and remember that he's an awesome actor? I guess we'll see, because it seems like he's emerging as the frontrunner in the supporting category).

To quote ms. kt on a couple of other important points related to the Golden Globes:

1) the kids are all right being classified as a comedy is, well, a comedy. see what i did there??!!
2) yes, "burlesque" contains music, henceforward, one could call it a "musical." but that seems rash and silly, don't you agree?

Our feelings on the kids are all right have been made pretty clear, but I'm honestly offended by the idea that it's a comedy. Maybe if your definition of funny is being miserable. but mine's not.

I do love the inclusion of Emma Stone for Easy A, because that is a movie that IS a comedy. A light-hearted romp even. Totally enjoyable time at the movies, and she's charming as hell, so I like seeing her get recognized. Plus, we get a Johnny Depp vs. Johnny Depp showdown, so that should be a good time. And, of course, Ricky Gervais!!!

Pretty happy about the tv nominations all around (though Matthew Morrison? Really? I used to love Glee as much as the next girl, and am super happy about Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch, but honestly, that show's been in a downward spiral, and Mr. Schuster is one of the worst things about it), though apparently I don't watch as much tv as I used to. Sigh...

This is getting kind of silly

Look, I really liked the Social Network. In a year of films that have left me with an overall "Eh" feeling, it stands out a bit above the rest. But I would sure not call it the best film of the year. And not even because I've seen a whole bunch of films that I liked better than it (as I said, "eh"), but because I would like to believe that the best movie of the year is better than that.



Apparently critics do not agree with me, because it is turning into some what of a rout in awards show season. Today, the New York Film Critics Circle added its name to the list of groups that are falling over themselves to reward the Facebook movie. Don't get me wrong, I really did like it. I thought the screenplay was great, the acting top notch and the story very compelling (plus, an enjoyable trip down memory lane for the days of "the Facebook"). I just hoped for a better year of movies than one where it is the best. But what are you gonna do? Aside from the NYFCC, other groups that have named the Social Network the best movie of the year include:

National Board of Review
African-American Film Critics Association
Boston Society of Film Critics
Los Angeles Film Critics
Washington DC Area Film Critics Association
Indiana Film Critics Awards
Southeastern Film Critics
New York Film Critics Online (different group)
Plus numerous others that have either nominated it or put it as one of the "Top Ten"

(of course, the most prestigious Top Tens have yet to come out. 3pies4rolls will reveal their picks the Sunday before Oscar Day [we don't get the special advance screenings (wait a minute, why the hell not?)]). Good points all around.

I guess I should be happy that it's not a different critically acclaimed movie winning all these awards; one that I actively disliked: The Kids Are All Right. Annette Bening keeps taking home Best Actress trophies (and, yeah, she's great), but MAN i did not enjoy that movie.

In good news, three of my more anticipated movies still to see keep getting honored in lesser ways, so maybe there's hope of a movie I can die for yet. Black Swan, The King's Speech, and The Fighter are all getting great reviews. Keeping my fingers crossed for Colin Firth after he fell victim to "Jeff Bridges is awesome and should have an Oscar" syndrome last year, defeating his unreal performance in A Single Man.

this shit is bananas

Time for the Oscar countdown, folks! We've got the first important piece of info about 3pies4rolls's favorite day of the year: Oscar Day!!! (set your countdown clocks for February 27th). Today's news? Oscar hosts. Yes, plural again.

Producers of the show have announced that James Franco and Anne Hathaway will co-host the big day.



Now, I'd consider this a definite improvement over last year. As much as I love Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, I thought they were pretty terrible Oscar hosts. Franco and Hathaway strike me as more ready to be the "performers" that the show needs. And (while it makes me feel like a traitor to Jon Stewart to say so), Hugh Jackman was my favorite host of recent years, and I think these two fit more in that mold.

I love Franco, and I go back and forth between finding Anne Hathaway really charming and kind of annoying. So hopefully the charming part will win out. Plus, she featured in the brilliant opening number from Jackman:



(if you want a better version of that, go to the official video- they just won't let me embed it)

The weirdest part for me is the very good chance of having one of the hosts also competing for an Oscar. Hathaway is a long-shot for "Love and Other Drugs", but Franco is considered a shoo-in for at least a nomination for "127 Hours". So that just brings in a weird dynamic that I'd rather not deal with. But what are you gonna do?

oh dear...

apparently the gotham awards and I do not see eye to eye this year. As in they like unlikeable movies and I like awesome ones. Okay, maybe that's not fair, but two of my most disappointing trips to the theater show up in their nominations (released today). The Gotham Awards honor only independent movies, so it's often a different list than you see at other awards (though last year's big winner was The Hurt Locker, a little film that went on to win one or two other awards).

The two most nominated films this year were Winter's Bone and The Kids Are All Right:



Now, to be fair, I have not seen Winter's Bone, though I hear it's fabulous. Of course, I heard the same thing about TKAAR, and, in the words of my sister, that movie was "a fucking mixed bag." That's even more generous than I would be. I found it unsatisfying and filled with unlikeable characters (featuring great acting from actors that I love, which was not enough to redeem it). Also, it suffered from the "Up in the Air" syndrome of being completely miscategorized as a charming comedy (and anyone who actually thinks either of those movies were funny needs to get their sense of humor checked). I don't need every movie to be as upbeat and likeable as, say, Easy A (dude). However, I do need it to have something that makes me care at all about what happens to these characters, and not just make me dislike everyone and everything they do.

The other movie that suffers from this problem this year (and that, again, I was really excited about, featuring actors that I love) was "Please Give." So, of course, it's also nominated at Gotham (for best ensemble). Oh well, guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. Sigh.

I am excited for the inclusion of Blue Valentine, Black Swan, and Let Me In (though, since Gotham likes them, does that mean I won't? Conundrum...), and to try to seek out the Best Films Not Playing at a Theater Near You, but, all in all, I feel like these awards, much like TKAAR, are a fucking mixed bag.

Proof that Bill Murray loves us and wants us to be happy...

On Saturday night at the Scream Awards (honoring horror, sci-fi, comics and fantasy), Dr. Peter Venkman himself showed up to accept awards for best cameo and best horror movie- both for the fabulous Zombieland. And how else would he show up but in a full Ghostbusters uniform?



Of course, this has led to lots of speculation on what this could mean for the rumored 3rd Ghostbusters movie (more pics at that link as well), though Murray explained it with the simple "It doesn't mean anything, it's just the only thing I had clean." Heart him.

helloooo movie season!

It's that time of year when the big hitters (that we will start hearing more and more about as the early awards begin coming in) come out to play. AwardsCircuit.com (formerly OscarIgloo) has its predictions up (though they're a little behind, with the Toronto Film Festival having given us the first glimpse of how the awards show season could play out...)

And speaking of Toronto, the big winner there was The King's Speech, Colin Firth's follow-up to his unbelievable performance in last year's A Single Man (seriously, I love you, Jeff Bridges, but I'm still a little bitter about Firth losing all acting awards to you, because, frankly, he was better). Anyway, with a cast of people I love (Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce...), I REALLY can't wait for this movie:



And, okay, speaking of last year's Oscar winner (and long-time 3pies4rolls love) Jeff Bridges, he's got a little movie coming out himself, as the Dude reunites with the Coen brothers for a remake of True Grit:



you excited for movie season yet? okay, one more. Major best actor buzz going on for James Franco as well, as Danny Boyle follows up Slumdog with his film on the story of Aron Ralston, the mountain climber who amputated his own arm to free himself after being trapped by a boulder for nearly five days:

Is it time already?

To start thinking about Awards Show Season 2011??? Apparently the Golden Globes thought so, and decided to lock up Mr. Gervais for another year (maybe they were worried about the Oscars trying to steal him away and avoid another travesty like this past year). Either way, whoohoo, more Ricky Gervais!

Staying up to date on the Oscar race...

We love us some Awards Circuit for staying on top of the Oscar race (despite their terrible layout, please, hire a webpage designer) (oh yeah, and you still have Nine getting a best picture nod despite the critical bashing? come on), but this new chart (linked to because of the awesome interactive quality of it) from Entertainment Weekly is a pretty fantastic visual representation of what's happened so far. It will be changing a lot as of tomorrow! Yay Oscar noms!



and, on that note, congratulations to Kathryn Bigelow on her DGA win! This definitely helps put her back in front in the Best Director category (only 6 directors in the last 61 years have not gone on to repeat at the Oscars after winning at the DGAs), thus trying to save us from Cameron speaking Na'vi (well, at least preventing it from happening in two different speeches). She also became the first woman to ever win the award.

helping to keep me awake

The Producers Guild of America Awards helped build the tension in one of the few big races that still has some (seriously, this is the year I start studying the Animated Short Film nominees in order to win our Oscar pool). While Avatar spent the weekend breaking Titanic's worldwide record to become the highest grossing film of all-time (although Titanic still holds the domestic record, at least for another couple weeks), it was once again the Hurt Locker on top at the PGAs (of course, both were shut out of the SAGs, but at least The Hurt Locker was nominated). Ladies and gentlemen, we have an Oscar race!



Nothing better than a little suspense around the top award. After Avatar's win at the Golden Globes, this was pretty awesome news for the Hurt Locker, especially since the PGAs have one of the better Oscar predicting histories (13 of the last 20 PGA winners have won best picture- conveniently compiled for you here). This is also one of those years where I could see them splitting the Best Director/Picture categories and giving one to each (in that scenario, please let Kathryn Bigelow win. I mean, I know I'm probably stuck listening to Cameron speak in Na'vi either way, and I'd really like to see the first woman ever win a directing Oscar. Which is in addition to the fact that she completely deserves to win). Be sure to keep February 2nd on your calendars for the announcement of the Oscar nominations!!!

on the 200th day of awards show season, the SAGs gave... yawn...

...sorry, i just fell asleep. Seriously, could I get at least a little drama in the different acting categories? I really thought the SAGs might be the place that Carey Mulligan or Colin Firth got honored. Although, actors do love to honor those long due. The only award that actually excited me was Glee winning best comedy ensemble. Other than that? Who was surprised by these winners?

• Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz have been the two sure things all along. now they're joined by, apparently, everyone else. And yes, in case you're wondering, Waltz continued his trend of overly rehearsed, thematic speeches, this one going off on "screen actors" versus "stage actors". can't wait to see how he fits "Oscar" into his speech. (Mo'Nique's was disappointingly boring at this event, after her incredible Golden Globe speech).
  
• Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey for comedy actors
• Michael C. Hall and Julianna Margulies for drama actors
• Mad Men for drama ensemble
• Jeff Bridges and Sandra Bullock. Both are fantastic in their roles and both deserve to be honored (even if I do believe that Colin Firth deserves it more).

I guess this is one of those cases where I'm not so much disappointed as I am bored. I feel like there is no drama in the acting categories going into the Oscars. Of course, the BAFTAs could potentially insert a little, as they do love to honor their own, which could give Mulligan a shot at an upset. But maybe we have all the drama we need in the Avatar vs. Hurt Locker/Cameron vs. Bigelow races.

The one thing that the SAGs did enforce is that everyone loves Betty White, and rightfully so, because, damn, that woman is rad. If you want to see the uber-charming intro by Sandy Bullock go here, but for the woman herself, check out her Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech below: