Pain & Gain Review

Justin and I saw Pain & Gain on April 28, 2013!! When I first saw the trailer for this, I knew it was based off factual events. I didn't think I would end up enjoying this as it seemed like it would strictly be a comedy. Luckily, I was proven wrong and absolutely loved every second of this insane thrill ride. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this actually was. It ended up being a serious, intense dramatic telling of the real life events that provided the material for the movie. It was a dark movie that really brought me into the story right away. I am not a huge fan of Michael Bay, but I know he has the ability to make good movies, and this kind of went back to his roots with Bad Boys. The events in the movie take place between October of 1994 to June of 1995. The movie revolves around Daniel Lugo, a bodybuilder that works at Sun's Gym as a personal trainer, with his good friend Adrian Doorbal. Lugo enjoys the gym and the clients he makes friends with including his new client Victor Kershaw. His talks with Kershaw and bills piling up lead him to think of ways to achieve the American dream. He is tired of being poor. A seminar with Jonny Wu causes him to keep on Kershaw about his money/investments. He and Adrian realize that in order to make it in America, they can get Kershaw's money. They encounter Paul Doyle, a man that served a stint in prison, and recently had tried to change his life through Jesus and AA. From here, the three create a Sun's Gym gang to extort money from Kershaw. They concoct a plan (though they are all really dumb, particularly Lugo, who really doesn't think at all) to kidnap Kershaw and torture him to give them his money/property/assets. We get an insight into each of the three main characters, and we see that Paul is not really on board early on. It's only when he becomes involved further with Lugo's insanity that things start getting out of hand. These bumbling fools eventually are able to get what they want through really unscrupulous methods. It leads to problems with law enforcement and Kershaw. Due to the crazy world that Lugo reintroduced Paul to he isn't thinking straight. He concocts a plan to pull off another heist. The rest of the movie from here really becomes a captivating cornucopia of crazy twists and bloodshed. I personally believe this could be Mark Wahlberg's best movie role to date. He was so into the Daniel Lugo character, and you could see it in the dialogue. He delivered it with such fire that he became the person. I was extremely impressed. I think the star of this movie was undoubtedly Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Paul. There were so many excellent dynamics to his character to the man that found Jesus and struggling with sobriety to the crazy world that Lugo reintroduced to him with money, drugs, and women. He put alot into this role to show how versatile he is. I think this also was one of Johnson's best movie roles. He was larger than life in this movie. He stole so many scenes, and its great to see from somebody you've always liked. His character is actually one that you feel like you can support throughout the movie. It was really cool to see The Rock share the screen with Kurt Angle for one more fight as well. Nice cameo by one of my all time favorite wrestlers. Rock and Angle have great chemistry from Rock's 2000-2001WWE  run. I thought Angle's cameo was perfect, because he was just a guy that fights you. It was simple and it worked. Anthony Mackie did an excellent job as Adrian as well. He followed Lugo's lead, but still always had some doubts about what they were doing. The scenes around the last half hour really showed how good Mackie is. Tony Shalhoub did a great job as the rich jerk that people want to see fall, but they balanced it well because they made Lugo so animated. Wahlberg made Lugo more hated than Kershaw through intense facial expressions and passionate dialogue. The cast, adaptation of real life events, dramatic atmosphere speckled with comedic moments, and presenting a movie opposite that the trailer presented successfully make this a 5/5. Everybody in this movie did an incredible job. I have to commend Michael Bay for how well he did with this. I should also throw in it's always great to hear Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise-which was actually a big hit in 1995. I'd definitely recommend this. You will not believe how intense this gets, especially during the last half hour. The whole movie is a thrill ride, because each scene presents something that really will shock you. Remember, this movie is inspired by true events and it's so surreal to know that these events happened to real life individuals.

The Place Beyond The Pines

I saw The Place Beyond The Pines with Dad on April 16, 2013!!! In my opinion, this was the best movie I saw this year so far. Derek Cianfrance did an incredible job with this. The movie follows generations of families. It connects how the past can come back to haunt us, and how we can try to shape our future and step away from the past. The plot really is split into three seperate stories of their own. One story follows the life of motorcycle stunt rider Luke, played by Ryan Gosling superbly in a similar fashion to his role in Drive (his best role to date). He resorts to dangerous and desperate measures to provide a life for his son that he had with Romina played by Eva Mendez. Luke resorts to robbing banks with his boss in order to help his family. He showed alot of intensity in his scenes and at times reminded me of Jax Teller from Sons of Anarchy. He encounters rookie cop Avery played brilliantly by Bradley Cooper, who seems to have found his niche. He needs to stay with drama, because he's actually a good actor. What was interesting about this is the encounter with Luke leads to consequences for both families for the next 15 years. Luke's story arc transforms into Avery's story arc where we get a look at his life within the police department and corruption that runs rampant throughout. I liked Rose Byrne playing Avery's wife Jennifer as she worked in that atmosphere. Avery wants to change things in the police department, and we find out there's more to his background which really keeps things going strong. There are some great cameos by Ray Liotta and Bruce Greenwood in important roles which help to progress Avery's future in the story. We also get a story arc looking at the lives of Luke and Avery's sons in the future. I thought this was a brilliant arc connecting past and present. I felt that Dane DeHaan and Emory Cohen both did a phenomneal job as the respective sons of their fathers. The third arc really does a great job in connecting the first two arcs to really make a complete movie. DeHaan's Jayson role was especially incredible, and I though Cohen did a great job as the rebellious AJ. I thought it was interesting seeing the movie have three very different plots, but they all connect similar to what Quentin Tarantino did with Pulp Fiction in 1994. The cast, characters, directing, cinematography-everything was incredible and so well done. I felt I was watching three different movies that in the end blended together to create something really special for the audience. I liked that, because the three stories really gave us a look where each character was coming from emotionally in a deeper manner than some movies will. This movie is a definite 5/5. Everything about this movie was well done. You can only find solace in the Place Beyond The Pines. I highly recommend people check this movie out. It's absolutely amazing. I really hope the Golden Globes and the Oscars look at this movie. It deserves to be on the nominee lists.

Temptation Review

I saw Temptation on April 3, 2013!! Now normally, I dislike Tyler Perry's movies a great deal, but I had actually wanted to check this one out. The trailer looked good, so I decided to check it out. I ended up enjoying it. This movie showed the story of an ambitious woman working as a marriage counseler/date coordinator for wealthy men. I was extremely impressed with the lead actress Jurnee Smollett-Bell who played Judith. She is involved with a man named Brice who she has been married to for 6 years, but had been close with for 19 years when they first met at the age of 6. This eventually turned into a romantic relationship in high school. It shows us some of the past involved with their early lives. The mother Sarah is very religious and actually becomes a reverend. We follow her life as they have been married for six years. As I was watching this story unfold, I kept seeing many elements of 50 Shades of Grey. There are definite points such as the relationship that develops between Judith and Robbie Jone's Harley character. Similar to Christian Grey, they made him this 27 year old hot shot who was loaded, but had a troubled past with his mother and things like that.  However, his dark side was alot like Jack Hyde, so it balanced really well. Judith was very Anastasia Steele throughout this movie in terms of how she interacts with Harley. It should be noted that Lance Gross's Brice character was really good, and I actually felt bad for him through parts of the movie, however, he also did forget Judith's birthday. Remember, they had known each other for 19 years. How do you forget her birthday? That is a red flag, but Judith initially kept rebuking the advances of Harley. When Judith and Harley eventually consummate their relationship, Judith still pushes away. She literally cannot get away in this instance. You'll see what I am talking about. Eventually, that leads to the downward spiral of Judith and Brice. I thought that Brandy's character Melinda added a pretty good dynamic as she needed to be there to eventually reveal a big twist that added to the plot quite well. I figured her twist was coming, but I still loved Brice's reaction to it. I think Bell was easily the standout of this movie, and she showed great acting chops. Judith is gorgeous. There are some really powerful scenes between her and Brice where you get angry at Judith for treating Brice the way she is. Sarah warns her that she is going down a path to hell. Judith's response: "I'll enjoy the ride." I should also add that Ella Joyce who played Sarah, though a smaller part was great. Her scenes with Judith were excellent. The two of them really commanded the screen when they were on it. She also provided some great comedic lines for a light laugh when it was needed. She couldn't be more right as Judith's life becomes chaotic and ultimately will change her life forever because of Harley. There was never a point in the movie where I liked Harley. I wanted to punch him in the face. Judith was becoming bored with her relationship to Brice, and once somebody showed her a different approach she jumped on it. Bell did very well balancing the two different sides. Gross did a great job throughout this movie as well, especially during the second half of the movie. I was glad they kept Kim Kardashian's spot to a minimum. She played a character named Ava, but everybody will just see Kim, because that's exactly what she acted like. Her voice can get very annoying. Vanessa Williams is always fun to watch as she is a pretty woman that portrays powerful women, and this was no exception. She was in the movie briefly as well, but she still made an impact. Overall, I thought the cast, plot, and characters were interesting. I think Jurnee Smollett-Bell is a really good actress, and I hope to see her in more movies, because she really stood out. I will give this a 4/5. I have seen alot of negative reviews for this, but I don't agree with what they're saying. I thought the story flowed and for those that read 50 Shades of Grey, you'll see the elements there. It isn't as extreme as those books which is a good thing because that is graphic, but they definitely showed outlines from that series which fueled a Tyler Perry movie that I finally liked.

The Host Review

I saw The Host on April 1, 2013!! Despite the negative reviews and attitude towards the film, I knew it would get these just because it is based on a book written by Stephenie Meyer. Also, I liked the Twilight series a great deal, and I have no problem saying it. I enjoyed this movie, and found it to be quite interesting. It was a nice mix of science fiction with a little romance thrown in. I thought it blended Doctor Who, Aliens, The Walking Dead, and some elements of Twilight very well. The story revolves around an alien species that takes over human beings erasing their minds and taking over the body. This process destroys the human race, and increases the power of these hosts. However, what these hosts fail to realize is unlike most species, the human being is a complex organism that is difficult to control. I really liked that idea. Saoirse Ronan was perfectly cast as Melanie Stryder, who is a human being fighting off The Wanderer. Melanie is using her mind to control Wanderer, and avoid being consumed by her, The Seeker, and the other hosts. Ronan had a very similar role in Hanna back in 2011, where she was being controlled by a government organization to make her a killing machine. That's why it felt natural to me. She's a very talented young actress. She is on a quest to locate her brother Jamie, uncle Jedediah, and best friend Jared Howe. While Wanderer is trying to consume Melanie, we notice that they are starting to bond and create a connection which shows that humans and the hosts can live together rather than one species trying to wipe out the other. She comes across her family, who is initially skeptical that Melanie is still in her, but through different scenarios with Jared, Jamie, Jedediah, and characters like Ian O' Shea and rescuing Aaron from raging waters, she earns their trust. The group calls her Wanda. I thought it was interesting how these remaining humans created a living community within caves using solar energy to grow wheat for sustenance as well as growing emotional attachments to Wanda with Melanie inside. Melanie and Wanda are both battling over which guy they are interested in which made for some funny lines. There were some great action scenes with the hosts chasing the remaining humans. Wanda helping the humans was great to watch. We know Melanie is affecting her actions, but we also notice that Wanda grows to agree with the humans instead of what The Seeker wants. Wanda wants to return the real Melanie back to her family and friends. Melanie doesn't want Wanda to leave them. The solution dealt with the extraction of the soul, which was an interesting concept and visual. I liked how they took the host out of Melanie and placed it in a dying human girl to allow Wanda to stay, but also to give the human girl life. It showed how beneficial a host can be, as well as showing the idea of co-existence between the humans and the alien race. It was really awesome to see Emily Browning aka Babydoll in Sucker Punch make an appearance as Wanda in the end. Like the Twilight movies, I will once again be the one that gives this the positive reviews it should get. I will give it a 4/5, as I felt it was an interesting concept, had a great cast, and I enjoyed watching the human mind maintain control over the alien body in the Melanie Stryder/Wanda character.

Spring Breakers Review

Justin and I saw Spring Breakers on March 23, 2013!! This was an insane movie balancing a look at moral decay in the youth of America today, intense scenes of violence and sexual promiscuity, and some comedy thrown in. This movie definitely reminds me a little bit of Requiem for a Dream mixed with Trainspotting in alot of ways. I thought it was a well done movie with an excellent cast. This movie had been getting alot of attention due to the controversial presentation of Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, and Ashley Benson. This movie definitely will erase the previous image you have of Gabrielle from High School Musical. The movie centers around the notion of four friends since grade school wanting some adventure on spring break. They are tired of the "boring dorm life" that college has. Harmony Korine took these four girls and created a chaotic environment to show how much he dislikes the way youth spends their midsemester breaks. Each of the girls has a bad side, but none more so than Hudgens and Benson. I thought it was really amazing to see how Hudgens did a complete 180 in this movie to portray Candy, while Benson turned the voltage up from her Hanna character on Pretty Little Liars for her role as Brit. The girls will do anything to get out of the dorm life and experience adventure. The other two girls are Faith and Cotty. Cotty is played by Korine's wife Rachel, while Selena Gomez did a very good job as a girl maintaining her churchgoing attitude (her name being Faith wasn't a coincidence). She put deeper meaning and understanding into where the Faith character was coming from. The girls (minus Faith) end up going on a mission for extra money to make sure they get to Florida for spring break. What ensues is a chaotic scenario where Candy and Brit end up robbing a restaurant with Cotty watching on from the car-great camera work. The girls end up in Florida amidst a cornucopia of parties, where things really spiral. They encounter a rapper/hustler/drug dealer named Alien played very well by James Franco. My favorite was Hudgen's role of Candy, because it was just so different than what you're used to as well as Gomez's Faith character. However, Franco stole alot of scenes with his over the top look and attitude. Of course, I knew right away that Candy and Brit would want in on this type of activity because they want out of their dull lives. Faith wants out of this before things get too out of hand. There was a phenomenal face to face scene with Gomez and Franco where Gomez did an excellent job displaying her character's dilemma with getting involved with Franco's business. The other three would stay on board. One scene I really liked was when Alien plays "Everytime" by Britney Spears showing us a montage of events where Candy, Brit, Cotty, and Alien raid houses for money, drugs, etc. They are decked out in these pink ski masks-it was a very colorful atmosphere, so it added even more. Alien and his best friend Archie are in a feud, where Alien wants to take him out for an issue between them. After getting shot, Cotty realizes what Faith did and wants to go home back to the "dull dorm life." Though Franco's dialogue can get played out in this, I still was always interested in whatever Candy and Brit were doing. The colors, camera work, and intensity of the final scene was really well done. Candy and Brit are the last two girls standing and finish Alien's mission to take out Archie. It was a really chaotic scene that definitely summed up the insanity and controversial message of the movie. The final scene reminded me so much of Scarface, and there are subtle hints throughout that the final scene will take place especially the way Hudgens and Benson are able to get the money in the first place. The cast, characters, directing, plot, and scenes that will propel this to cult status kept me into the movie. I have always liked Vanessa Hudgens-she was nuts in this movie, and she did a great job going outside of her comfort zone. Selena Gomez is very good in this movie, and I think she'll become an even better actress over the years. Ashley Benson was good in this as well, and I thought her and Hudgens had fantastic chemistry. Rachel Korine was alright, but I thought the other three did much better with their roles. There's also a fun cameo by Jeff Jarrett who I didn't know was in this movie. Overall, I would give this movie a 4/5. This movie will shock you, but it has alot of crazy things going on, and the cast is brilliant.

Oz: The Great and Powerful Review

Justin and I saw Oz: The Great and Powerful on March 9, 2013!! This movie was incredible, and my favorite movie of 2013 thus far. The theater was packed. There weren't any empty seats, which was awesome. This movie is a prequel to Oz, based off the books by L. Frank Baum. It follows the arrival of the wizard into Oz, and how the land was shaped when he arrived. James Franco plays a con artist magician named Oscar in Kansas. His nickname is Oz. He's conceited, selfish, and a fibber. We follow his journey from Kansas doing magic shows for half a house in a world of black and white to a world of colorful personalities and wondrous sights to behold. He is transported to Oz via hot air balloon and a twister. He encounters a good witch named Theodora. She tells him of a prophecy of a great wizard that will save them from the wicked witch and restore the Emerald City and Oz. I really liked Mila Kunis in the role. Her role is important as she has to portray two sides, and the one side is kind and gentle, while the other side would be revealed towards the middle of the movie. They start somewhat of a relationship, but based off of the personality of Oscar, we know he's not committed. He journeys to the Emerald City with a trusty companion in Finley the monkey, voiced by Zach Braff, who provides some great comedic lines. The scenery of the Emerald City and the poppy fields was really beautiful. Rachel Weisz filled the role of Evanora perfectly. Weisz is one of my favorite actresses of all time. She demonstrated the calculating presence you want to see from a villain. Evanora has deceived everyone into believing somebody else is the Wicked Witch. Evanora spins a tale trying to tell Oscar if he destroys the wand of the Wicked Witch, she'll end her and become king. In Oz, the journey is always exciting, and we meet a new character in China Town (which is a town featured in the books). Her name was China Girl, and voiced by Joey King. That's not the first time we see China Girl in the movie, as she was a girl in a wheelchair in Kansas asking Oscar to help her walk. The Wicked Witch had ransacked China Town, and had killed China Girl's family. Her legs had fallen off, and she wanted to get her family back. In a really nice parallel, Oscar is able to make China Girl walk again with the assistance of glue. The audience really liked that. She was a favorite character amongst the audience in general. I knew that the other witch Evanora sent Oscar to take out had to be Glinda, and I loved the introduction of her. Normally, I can't stand Glinda, but Michelle Williams portrayal made me like her here. She was good, powerful, instilling hope in Oz and its citizens, and pushing Oscar to be a great man-what Glinda is supposed to do. I never liked her in the original because she just comes across as such a first class...something that rhymes with witch haha. Oscar recognizes Glinda from somebody in his past, who is the mother of a certain character we all know from the original so well that begins with a D. Of course, Evanora is spinning her web of deceit over her sister Theodora showing Oscar with Glinda, which infuriates her. She is able to make her tap into her wickedness that has been in her all along. I noticed a ruby ring on her finger which gave Theodora power, like Evanora's emerald necklace. I liked the way the transformation scene was shot. Evanora brought Theodora down to her level. The rivalry of the Wicked Witch of the West vs. Glinda is one of the best rivalries you can find. Since Theodora is young, obviously her heart is going to take a toll. The spell took away Theodora's heart, made her the WWOW, and transformed her beauty into what a wicked witch would look like. Why is Evanora beautiful though? We'd find that out. They had a great scene where WWOW, in a similar fashion to when she first appears in The Wizard of Oz, appears for the first time. I liked the look of the WWOW-it maintained the traditional look Margaret Hamilton made famous, while also adding a few new tweaks to keep it modern-particularly the dress. She vowed to make people regret their decision to make Oscar their king. She also showed her disdain for Glinda. We know that the army of Oz cannot kill, so a plan has to be hatched to stop two Wicked Witches now. I liked that while appealing to a younger audience, they still were able to appeal to an older audience, particulary when Theodora and Evanora captured Glinda. The witches of Oz is the best story in the Oz universe. The intensity where two sisters team up to drain Glinda of her goodness to have her join them was great. Williams sold it so well. Oscar is a magician, and is able to portray some tricks that excite the citizens of Oz, as well as battle the witches of Oz without killing anybody. Evanora and Glinda have an intense fight where Evanora and Glinda have a staredown and a crazy battle using their magic to gain an advantage over the other. Glinda is able to expose Evanora in her true form, and I liked the way they did that. We all know how Evanora will meet her end, so its not going to be here where it happens, but it was a good battle. Glinda was awesome in this movie. My favorite character in the Oz universe is the WWOW, though. Oscar takes his seat as the wizard fulfilling the prophecy, as well as granting wishes to help those who came with him on the journey, and allowed him to create the magic to battle Theodora and Evanora. This movie was excellent appealing to a new generation as well as an older generation. It balanced many of the traditions we came to love from the Wizard of Oz in 1939 and added a new story for a different audience-great blend. We saw the introduction of the Wicked Witch of the West similar to how we did in the original. we saw the Scarecrow-who would have even more of an impact on the Emerald City than Oscar. We saw the Cowardly Lion briefly. We even saw a reference to the Tin Man with the tinker men, and of course Evanora's spell taking away Theodora's heart. We saw Glinda's bubbles as well, which was really cool. The cast, effects, story, characters, and blend of comedy with fantasy dramatic elements make this a 5/5!! I really enjoyed this.

85th Academy Awards Preview

This Sunday February 24, 2013, will be the return of an event that I look forward to each year for the dedication to cinema and the pageantry and tradition of what the event has meant since 1927. This year marks the 85th installment of this event and it should be an interesting night. What I will do is post the main awards nominees: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director-these are the six I feel are the important ones, though I am always interested in Best Costuming, Best Score/Original Song, Best Visual Effects and Best Make-Up, they aren't necessarily the most important ones-just ones that interest me. I will post the ones I THINK/FEEL will win in bold. I will post the ones I WANT to win in italics. Keep in mind in one or more of these categories they may be one and the same for think and want. Then I will provide some commentary on my thoughts on the nominees involved.

BEST PICTURE:
Amour
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

Much like last year's list for Best Picture, this year has a pretty impressive list for the most part. I've seen every movie on the list, except Life of Pi, but that is because I didn't have any interest in it initially. I feel the movie that deserves and should win Best Picture is Argo. I think of all the movies listed it was definitely the best. You really become invested in this story which is set during the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis, and Tony Mendez's efforts to extract embassy workers and bring them home safely. I felt the emotion, acting, and characters were all very well written. The airplane scene at the end was so intense that everybody's stomach would need a manicure with the amount of nail biting it caused. It deserves the praise it gets. Argo is what I see picking up the golden man. If Argo doesn't pick up the win, I think Silver Linings Playbook, Lincoln, or Zero Dark Thirty have the best shots of picking up the win. Silver Linings Playbook was excellent, and I wouldn't have a problem with it winning as it had amazing characters, acting, and writing. Lincoln was a really good movie as well, and it has a very realistic chance of winning, but I don't think it was as good as Argo or Silver Linings Playbook. I really enjoyed Django Unchained and Les Miserables as well, but neither will actually win the Best Picture Oscar. It's nice to see them on the list. The movie I hope doesn't win Best Picture is Zero Dark Thirty. I saw this movie with Justin, and we did not like it at all. Kathryn Bigelow did not stray too far at all from The Hurt Locker (which I was not a fan of either), and basically just put it in the form of the hunt for Osama bin Laden. I realize it is obviously based off actual events, but I never became interested in the movie, When I saw this in theaters, it was packed and not one person applauded it when it ended. I didn't like any of the performances in this, and I think making a movie about this issue was necessary either. I realize I am in the minority of people that disliked this movie, but I found nothing positive about it. People like to escape with movies, and this movie hit too close to home at too soon a time. You can make an argument that Argo would be similar, but I think you can find ways to escape with that movie that you can't with Zero Dark Thirty. In Argo, they have the comedy of the science fiction movie as well, whereas in Zero Dark Thirty it's just a planning strategy the whole movie, and then a raid. I really did not like this. I thought it lacked a narrative. I also am frustrated that Perks of Being a Wallflower was snubbed completely at the Oscars this year, which definitely should have been included in Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director.

BEST ACTOR:
Bradley Cooper-Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis-Lincoln
Hugh Jackman-Les Miserables
Joaquin Phoenix-The Master
Denzel Washington-Flight

I think last year the award that had everyone buzzing was Best Supporting Actress. This year it's a toss-up between Best Actor and Best Actress. I think Actor may have the nod, due to the star power in it. Daniel Day-Lewis is my favorite actor of all time, with Leonardo DiCaprio right behind him-so it should come as no shock that my favorite movie is Gangs of New York, but since we are discussing the current landscape let's look at DDL in Lincoln. I felt he did such a tremendous job turning into the 16th President of the United States. He had great passion, looked hauntingly like him, delivered his dialogue like the phenomenal method actor he is, and commanded the screen. His passion in the war room scene over the 13th Amendment was really well done showing fire and devotion to Lincoln's cause. Lewis most likely will pick up the Oscar-this will be his 3rd Oscar if he wins following My Left Foot and There Will Be Blood. He has been nominated for Last of the Mohicans, Gangs of New York, and Nine. I think with the Spielberg machine behind Lewis, and his acting chops, he definitely has the best chance. It would be personally amazing to watch for me as well since most people root for their favorite to win, and since he's my favorite actor as I've said, I want him to win. However, it's amazing how everybody in the Best Actor category this year truly deserves it. I felt Joaquin Phoenix did a really tremendous job in The Master. Nobody actually liked the movie, but his performance was eccentric and really showed how good of an actor Phoenix is. It's great to see him back in movies following his hiatus from movies for a while. Bradley Cooper gave his best performance to date in Silver Linings Playbook, and it'd be interesting if he came out of left field to win this. I don't see it happening, but it would be a major upset like Barry Horowitz beating Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship. Okay, maybe it's not that big of an upset since he worked hard in that movie, and really took the role and ran with it. I commend Cooper for stepping up his game. Denzel Washington is one of the best actors ever, and his performance in Flight certainly deserves praise. He did so well with it, as he usually does in his role. I say he has a shot for sure at winning this. If he did, I believe it would be his 3rd Oscar too. He has a Best Supporting Actor win for Glory, and a Best Actor Oscar for Training Day. Flight could get him another, but I still think DDL has this. Then, there is Hugh Jackman who I am a big fan of as well. I thought he did a great job as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, but I don't necessarily see him winning the Oscar. In fact, I think he has the least possible chance of winning, but you never say never with the Oscars. Stranger things have happened. This should be a very competitive race, and I think it is anybody's chance to win because they all have a shot, but I am pulling for and honestly believe Daniel Day-Lewis will pick up the Oscar, especially because of the fact that he is portraying Abraham Lincoln. I would have also liked to see Logan Lerman on here for Charlie in Perks of Being a Wallflower. He gave one of my absolute favorite performances of 2012.

BEST ACTRESS:
Jessica Chastain-Zero Dark Thirty
Jennifer Lawrence-Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva-Amour
Quevenzhane Wallis-Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts-The Impossible

This is a very interesting selection of candidates this year. I think that Jennifer Lawrence gave the best performance of everyone on this list as Tiffany in Silver Linings Playbook. I have enjoyed all of J-Law's work, and am pulling for her to get the win as her passion, acting, and fire in that movie were amazing. She and Cooper had excellent chemistry and this could be the movie that really gets her into that top tier of actresses. Though she is already a huge name in the acting world due to the Hunger Games and X-Men: First Class, as well as a nomination for Winter's Bone, this is a breakout role for her. Lawrence is beautiful and talented and nobody on the list deserves it more than her. I think she honestly only has one serious challenger to the Oscar, and that lies in Jessica Chastain's Maya role in Zero Dark Thirty. I've discussed how I didn't like the movie in the Best Picture piece of this preview, and I disliked Chastain's role in this just as much. Don't get me wrong. I am a big fan of Jessica Chastain and like alot of her work. I just don't think this was a great performance by her. I didn't think there was really any acting involved in this role. Maybe it's the way I am viewing her performance, but she had very few lines similar to Max von Sydow last year. The Maya role was very dry and you really couldn't get behind her at any time. I think perhaps the last scene where she is crying as the hatch closes was good, but otherwise, I didn't care for the role or the movie. The only other person I see a slight chance of winning is Wallis. Jennifer Lawrence had a great joke in her monologue on Saturday Night Live. "The alphabet called. They want their letters back." I definitely laughed at that, but I think this girl, who is 9 years old still did a pretty good job. I didn't like the overall premise of the movie, which was the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but she was pretty believable and had some intense scenes with the father. There have been nominees and winners that were young before at the Oscars. Abigail Breslin for Little Miss Sunshine, and Anna Paquin (who some may know as Sookie Stackhouse in True Blood) won for the Piano in 1993. Those are the three I think have a shot. I want Jennifer Lawrence to win this as I felt she gave the best performance of all the ones listed. I've never been a fan of Naomi Watts, and we once again have another movie based off the aftermath of a natural disaster. I don't think she has a chance of winning, and I don't think Riva has a chance either. Though, she is an older actress and the Academy from time to time will give out awards based on seniority, she is one of those fillers for the category. It will most likely come down to Lawrence and Chastain, but Wallis can come in with an upset. We'll see what happens!!

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Alan Arkin-Argo
Robert DeNiro-Silver Linings Playbook
Phillip Seymour Hoffman-The Master
Tommy Lee Jones-Lincoln
Christoph Waltz-Django Unchained

This is another category filled with great choices. I think Christoph Waltz has an excellent chance of picking up a second Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Django. He did such an amazing job as Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds and August in Water for Elephants that I knew he would deliver another excellent performance in Django. I was so frustrated that once again Leonardo DiCaprio was passed over for a nomination as Calvin Candy is one of the better villains in recent memory, but Waltz deserves this nomination, and I feel he has the best shot at winning. Looking at the other nominations, I actually think that Alan Arkin has the least chance as his role was VERY small. In fact, I think his part is basically in the trailer. I like Arkin and he does have an Oscar for Little Miss Sunshine, and he was hilarious in Edward Scissorhands, but I don't think he's winning this. Robert DeNiro basically played himself in Silver Linings Playbook, but he still did a great job as the OCD father of Bradley Cooper's character, and I felt gave alot of life to the movie's overall mood. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was excellent in The Master. Nobody cared about the movie, but Phoenix and Hoffman have received great reviews and rightfully so. His speech in the living room about the movement was so well done, and Hoffman has been a character in so many movies I enjoy that I can't help but enjoy his work. For instance, he was in Scent of a Woman-looking very thin I might add, Red Dragon-can't forget Freddy Lounds ever, The Big Lebowski-that awkward laugh is always great, and of course Capote which he was excellent in and won him the Oscar in 2005. Tommy Lee Jones did very well as Thaddeus Stevens in Lincoln. When he is shown limping in the movie, that's not selling, it's just how he walks normally. Jones has had such a mixed bag of work over the year. He does have a Best Supporting Actor win for the Fugitive, and I think he has a good shot at winning. If he doesn't win, I think we may see a re-enactment of his demeanor at the Golden Globes during Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig's speech. I think this is a close race among four people, but I think Waltz picks up the win, and I am also pulling for him to win. Ezra Miller should be in this category as well for his role as Patrick in Perks of Being a Wallflower, but I don't pick the nominees.

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Amy Adams-The Master
Sally Field-Lincoln
Anne Hathaway-Les Miserables
Helen Hunt-The Sessions
Jacki Weaver-Silver Linings Playbook

Last year the Best Supporting Actress category had three legitimate contenders. This year, I think it's the only category with a surefire winner. I feel that winner is going to be Anne Hathaway as Fantine in Les Miserables. Though my favorite character was played by Samantha Barks (Eponine), I think Hathaway did a good job in the Fantine role. I think she did a great job with I Dreamed A Dream, and the scene with her about finding a safe home for Cosette was also well done. Hathaway has come a long way since the Princess of Andalasia-though let's face it we all love the first Princess Diaries. I still find it hilarious that Mandy Moore is the villain in that movie. I can't take Mandy Moore being a villain seriously, because it's not believable at all. I felt the same way when Moore was the villain in Saved! Anyway, Hathaway has been nominated before for a Best Supporting Actress/Best Actress role in Rachel Getting Married-which she was pretty good in. I don't remember which category, but she was nominated for that movie. I am an Amy Adams fan, but I don't understand her nomination for The Master. She was just kind of there, and really brought nothing to the movie. Interestingly enough, her role as Giselle in Enchanted is my favorite role of her. Two princesses in the Best Supporting Actress category so far!! Sally Field did a pretty good job as Mary Todd Lincoln, and I felt a particular scene between her and Daniel Day-Lewis about her mental faculties was really well done. Sally Field won for Norma Rae and has one of the shortest speeches in Oscar history. If anybody has seen The Mask with Jim Carrey, they spoofed it when Carrey pretends to be shot by Dorian. "You love me, you really love me!" Alfred Hitchcock actually has the shortest speech in Oscar history. He said "Thanks!" Joe Pesci's acceptance speech for Goodfellas is "Thank You!" The Sessions is honestly one of the worst concepts I've ever seen in a movie, and I thought Helen Hunt was very dull, though I've never been her biggest fan. I know we all love Twister, but let's face it Bill Paxton steals the show in that. She does have a win for Best Actress in As Good As It Gets, but somehow Kate Winslet's Rose DeWitt Bukater in Titanic wasn't better than that. I disagree. I thought Jack Nicholson deserved his win for that movie, but not Hunt. Weaver was great as Bradley Cooper's mother and Robert DeNiro's wife in Silver Linings Playbook, but I don't think she will pick up the win. I think Anne Hathaway is the undisputed winner of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar this year. I would have nominated Emma Watson for her role as Sam in Perks of Being A Wallflower over Helen Hunt or Amy Adams. She did win a People's Choice Award for her role in that, as did Logan Lerman, and Ezra Miller. I think fans should be allowed to write in a nominee for each category, and see if it has an impact. It'd be awesome. It's be similar to RAW Active. This would be Oscar Active. Ryan Seacrest can give us a tutorial how to download the app like Michael Cole does on RAW.

BEST DIRECTOR:
Michael Haneke-Amour
Benh Zeitlin-Beasts of the Southern Wild
Ang Lee-Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg-Lincoln
David O. Russell-Silver Linings Playbook

Now before I get into these nominees, I think it is ludicrous that Ben Affleck is not on this list. He has won every other major award for directing this movie, but he gets snubbed here. He would have definitely picked up the win here. I think Argo has a great chance of winning for Best Picture, so he could still be getting an award which is a good thing. I feel Affleck has made some really good movies over the last couple of years such as The Town. I am surprised Kathryn Bigelow isn't on the list either for Zero Dark Thirty, but in all actuality I am kind of glad she isn't. Sofia Coppola is a better director than her anyway. Lost In Translation is better than both The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty any day. Of course, this opens the door up for Spielberg to get another Oscar, though they could always give it to Zeitlin as he's a new contendor, and many have been praising his style in Beasts of the Southern Wild. I personally am pulling for David O. Russell, who also directed The Fighter, which was also set in the same area as Silver Linings Playbook for a bulk of the movie. Russell's movies are very good as the characters are always larger than life and you become emotionally invested in the story. He deserves the Oscar for this, but I see Spielberg taking this. Ang Lee might have a shot as he has won for Brokeback Mountain, but I think Spielberg definitely has the best chance. I would write in Stephen Chblosky (the author of Perks of Being a Wallflower). He also directed this movie, and it came across very well because he knows his book and he was able to shape the characters in the book's image.

Now that I have covered the six major categories I hope the readers of this blog will enjoy this look into the 85th Academy Awards. I enjoyed writing this and hope you enjoy reading it. There are some really competitive categories, and it should be interesting to see what Seth MacFarlane does as the host.