Top Ten Family Movies of 2011
Posted on December 30, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Families had some great choices this year at the movies. My favorites:
Top 10 List for 2011
Posted on December 28, 2011 at 6:02 pm
There were more sequels and remakes released in 2011 than ever before, but that wasn’t the only reason for feeling a sense of deja vu over the past 12 months. This year we had two films with almost identical plots about a couple who decide to to have a relationship that is just sex, no emotion. Spoiler alert: in both “Friends with Benefits” and “No Strings Attached” they end up falling in love. We had two films about sad little boys who lost their fathers trying to solve a mystery involving a key. Both were based on acclaimed novels and both were excellent: “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” and “Hugo.” We had two films about the parents of teenage boys who shot and killed students in their high schools. I preferred “Beautiful Boy” with Michael Sheen and Maria Bello but most of the critics liked “We Need to Talk About Kevin” with John C. Reilly and Tilda Swinton. And we had six films featuring superb and very different performances from an actress who was unknown in 2010, Jessica Chastain. Michael Fassbender, who made an impression as a British officer in Inglourious Basterds
But, as there are every year, there are movies so fresh and surprising that they seem to re-invent the very idea of movies. I begin each year looking forward to what’s ahead but most of all looking forward to knowing that 365 days later there will be people and images and dialog and ideas so vital and engaging I can hardly remember what it was like before I knew them. I would not have expected Woody Allen’s new movie to be surprisingly good or Pixar’s and Michel Gondry’s would be disappointing. It was good to know that Alexander Payne and Martin Scorsese can still be relied on. I had high hopes that were met or exceeded for films like “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” and “Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol.” For the first time, four master film-makers worked in 3D. Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog, and Wim Wenders showed us that a gifted filmmaker can make 3D into more than a stunt — they used it as another way to enhance the story. And if you had told me that my top 10 list this year would be led by movie that was not only black and white but silent, I would have looked around for a time machine.
Here’s my tribute to the best of 2011, all close to being tied for first place. And I’m already looking forward to being surprised by the movies in 2012.
1. “The Artist” While Hollywood was abandoning a century of film to move to digital filmmaking, French writer/director Michel Hazanavicius took us back to another time of technological change. It recalled themes in classic films “Singin’ in the Rain” and “A Star is Born” with such affection, charm, and heart that it left us asking why we ever thought sound and color were anything but superfluous.
2. “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” A boy who loses his father in 9/11 looks for answers in this touching story based on the book by Jonathan Safran Foer. Viola Davis and Max von Sydow are heartbreaking as two of the people he meets on his search.
3. “Hugo” Another fatherless boy and other search involving a key — Martin Scorsese’s first 3D movie and first movie for families is an immersive, rapturous valentine to the movies.
4. “Beginners” Christopher Plummer plays a man who comes out at age 72 and Ewan McGregor plays his son in this wry, wise story based on writer/director Mike Mills’ own life.
5. “Win Win” Tom McCarthy (“The Station Agent”) wrote and directed this story of a struggling lawyer who takes advantage of a client with dementia and ends up taking care of the client’s grandson, a gifted wrestler.
6. “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” The Chauvet cave has paintings of astonishing skill and beauty made by humans 30,000 years ago, but so fragile that the only way for us to see them now is in this 3D documentary from Werner Herzog.
7. “Super 8” Writer/director J.J. Abrams pays tribute to his mentor, producer Steven Spielberg, with the third film on my list that is a love letter to the movies. In the 1970’s, a group of middle schoolers make a zombie movie on Super 8 film and accidentally get footage of a mysterious train crash. While they wait for the film to be developed, they investigate.
8. “Margin Call” It all takes place on one tense night when an enormous Wall Street firm learns that it has massively underestimated its risk and then schemes to transfer that risk to their clients. An all-star cast led by Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons and a script by first-time director J.C. Chandor keeps this specific enough to be real and timely but the dynamics are universal.
9. “Moneyball” Brad Pitt is brilliant as Billy Beane, who turned around the Oakland A’s and transformed baseball by using the team’s scarce resources to buy wins, not players.
10. “The Adjustment Bureau”/”Source Code” We were lucky to have two smart and very romantic thrillers this year, with Matt Damon as a politician drawn to a dancer despite the best efforts of mysterious men in hats who “adjust” circumstances and Jake Gyllenhaal as a military officer sent back in time to catch a bomber. 
Runners-up: “Tree of Life,” “The Descendants,” “The Help,” “50/50,” “The Muppets,” “The Other F Word,” “Into the Abyss,” “Rango,” “Drive,” “Cedar Rapids,” “Hanna,” “We Bought a Zoo,” “Jane Eyre,” “Midnight in Paris,” “Bridesmaids,” “Another Earth”
Coming soon….the top 10 family films of the year and my Hall of Shame. Stay tuned.
Highlights of the New Fall Season on TV
Posted on September 7, 2011 at 3:58 pm
The 2011 Fall Season on television has some exciting new stars and appealing new shows.
Most intriguing ideas:
Comedy: In “Suburgatory,” a mouthy teenager moves from Manhattan to the suburbs with her single dad (Jeremy Sisto) and finds a lot to complain about. And the ubiquitous Jonah Hill is behind a new animated series called “Allen Gregory,” about a precocious kid who has to find his way through the plebeian environment of public school.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xUlfno9QTMDrama: “Unforgettable” has Poppy Montgomery as a cop with hyperthymnesia, who compulsively memorizes everything that she sees or that happens around her. “Prime Suspect” was a brilliant BBC series with Helen Mirren. The American version stars Maria Bello, Aiden Quinn, and Tim Griffin, and it is directed by Peter Berg (“Friday Night Lights”), so I’m hoping it will be brilliant, too. “Grimm” is a “fairy tale police procedural,” a Buffy-style story about a man from a long line of “Grimms” who can see fairy tale characters disguised as ordinary humans and animals. “Once Upon a Time” also has a fairy-tale premise — fantasy characters like Snow White and Pinocchio are in modern-day Maine and do not remember who they are. The sensational cast includes Ginnifer Goodwin (“Big Love”), Robert Carlyle (“The Full Monty”), and Raphael Sbarge (“Independence Day”).
Most exciting stars:
Comedy: Kat Dennings (“Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist”) has me looking forward to “2 Broke Girls” even though I am skeptical about the idea of a show about a once-rich girl and a poor girl who end up working together as waitresses. Same with “Up All Night” — I’m hoping for better than the usual adjusting-to-parenting jokes from three of my favorite stars, Christina Applegate, Will Arnett (as the stay-at-home dad), and Maya Rudolph as Applegate’s boss, an Oprah-like talk show host. Laura Dern plays a woman just out of rehab in HBO’s “Enlightened” with her real-life mother Diane Ladd as her on-screen mom and Luke Wilson has her ex. Two exceptionally versatile and appealing actors, Hank Azaria and Kathryn Hahn, star as co-workers with a sometimes off-screen relationship in “Free Agents.” And I’m looking forward to seeing Tracee Ellis Ross (“Girlfriends”) and Malcolm-Jamal Warner (“The Cosby Show”) play a happily married couple on a new BET show, “Reed Between the Lines.”
Drama: Sarah Michelle Geller is back on television! The “Buffy” star returns — twice — in “Ringer,” as twins, one an ex-stripper on the run and the other a wealthy married woman. “A Gifted Man” has two talented Broadway stars, Patrick Wilson and Jennifer Ehle, in a story about a neurosurgeon who is visited by the ghost of his dead wife. Kelsey Grammer is far from his sit-com comfort zone as “Boss,” a tough Chicago mayor.
Most welcome returns:
“The Sing-Off” is my favorite reality musical competition show. This year the always-thoughtful and insightful Ben Folds returns as a judge and it expands with more groups and episodes. Sara Bareilles joins the judges, replacing Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, who is joining Simon Cowell’s “X Factor.” And I can’t wait to get back to “Modern Family,” “The Good Wife,” and
Chases! Crashes! Explosions! Superheroes! Robots! Every 2011 Action Movie!
Posted on June 30, 2011 at 3:40 pm
And swords, kung fu, guns, blasters, aliens, and He-who-must-not-be-named.
Oscar Nominations!
Posted on January 25, 2011 at 3:34 pm
The nominations are out! Start your prediction calculations.
Actor in a Leading Role
* Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”
* Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
* Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
* Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech”
* James Franco in “127 Hours”
Actor in a Supporting Role
* Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
* John Hawkes in “Winter’s Bone”
* Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
* Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
* Geoffrey Rush in “The King’s Speech”
Actress in a Leading Role
* Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
* Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
* Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter’s Bone”
* Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
* Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”
Actress in a Supporting Role
* Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
* Helena Bonham Carter in “The King’s Speech”
* Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
* Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
* Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”
Animated Feature Film
* “How to Train Your Dragon” Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
* “The Illusionist” Sylvain Chomet
* “Toy Story 3” Lee Unkrich
Art Direction
* “Alice in Wonderland”
Production Design: Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Karen O’Hara
* “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1”
Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
* “Inception”
Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
* “The King’s Speech”
Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Judy Farr
* “True Grit”
Production Design: Jess Gonchor; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
Cinematography
* “Black Swan” Matthew Libatique
* “Inception” Wally Pfister
* “The King’s Speech” Danny Cohen
* “The Social Network” Jeff Cronenweth
* “True Grit” Roger Deakins
Costume Design
* “Alice in Wonderland” Colleen Atwood
* “I Am Love” Antonella Cannarozzi
* “The King’s Speech” Jenny Beavan
* “The Tempest” Sandy Powell
* “True Grit” Mary Zophres
Directing
* “Black Swan” Darren Aronofsky
* “The Fighter” David O. Russell
* “The King’s Speech” Tom Hooper
* “The Social Network” David Fincher
* “True Grit” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Documentary (Feature)
* “Exit through the Gift Shop” Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz
* “Gasland” Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
* “Inside Job” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
* “Restrepo” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
* “Waste Land” Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley
Documentary (Short Subject)
* “Killing in the Name” Nominees to be determined
* “Poster Girl” Nominees to be determined
* “Strangers No More” Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
* “Sun Come Up” Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger
* “The Warriors of Qiugang” Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon
Film Editing
* “Black Swan” Andrew Weisblum
* “The Fighter” Pamela Martin
* “The King’s Speech” Tariq Anwar
* “127 Hours” Jon Harris
* “The Social Network” Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter
Foreign Language Film
* “Biutiful” Mexico
* “Dogtooth” Greece
* “In a Better World” Denmark
* “Incendies” Canada
* “Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)” Algeria
Makeup
* “Barney’s Version” Adrien Morot
* “The Way Back” Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
* “The Wolfman” Rick Baker and Dave Elsey
Music (Original Score)
* “How to Train Your Dragon” John Powell
* “Inception” Hans Zimmer
* “The King’s Speech” Alexandre Desplat
* “127 Hours” A.R. Rahman
* “The Social Network” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Music (Original Song)
* “Coming Home” from “Country Strong” Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
* “I See the Light” from “Tangled” Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
* “If I Rise” from “127 Hours” Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
* “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
Best Picture
* “Black Swan” Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
* “The Fighter” David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
* “Inception” Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
* “The Kids Are All Right” Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
* “The King’s Speech” Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
* “127 Hours” Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
* “The Social Network” Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
* “Toy Story 3” Darla K. Anderson, Producer
* “True Grit” Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
* “Winter’s Bone” Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers
Short Film (Animated)
* “Day & Night” Teddy Newton
* “The Gruffalo” Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
* “Let’s Pollute” Geefwee Boedoe
* “The Lost Thing” Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
* “Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)” Bastien Dubois
Short Film (Live Action)
* “The Confession” Tanel Toom
* “The Crush” Michael Creagh
* “God of Love” Luke Matheny
* “Na Wewe” Ivan Goldschmidt
* “Wish 143” Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite
Sound Editing
* “Inception” Richard King
* “Toy Story 3” Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
* “Tron: Legacy” Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
* “True Grit” Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
* “Unstoppable” Mark P. Stoeckinger
Sound Mixing
* “Inception” Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
* “The King’s Speech” Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
* “Salt” Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
* “The Social Network” Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
* “True Grit” Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland
Visual Effects
* “Alice in Wonderland” Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
* “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
* “Hereafter” Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
* “Inception” Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
* “Iron Man 2” Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
* “127 Hours” Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
* “The Social Network” Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
* “Toy Story 3” Screenplay by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
* “True Grit” Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
* “Winter’s Bone” Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini
Writing (Original Screenplay)
* “Another Year” Written by Mike Leigh
* “The Fighter” Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson;
Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
* “Inception” Written by Christopher Nolan
* “The Kids Are All Right” Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
* “The King’s Speech” Screenplay by David Seidler