Review: Father and Daughter Hold Down the "Homefront"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 11 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Homefront (2013)
Running time:  101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong violence, pervasive language, drug content and brief sexuality
DIRECTOR:  Gary Fleder
WRITER:  Sylvester Stallone (based upon the novel by Chuck Logan)
PRODUCERS:  Sylvester Stallone, Kevin King Templeton, John Thompson, and Les Weldon
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Theo van de Sande
EDITOR:  Padraic McKinley
COMPOSER:  Mark Isham

CRIME/ACTION/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring:  Jason Statham, James Franco, Izabela Vidovic, Kate Bosworth, Marcus Hester, Winona Ryder, Clancy Brown, Omar Benson Miller, Rachelle Lefevre, Frank Grillo, Chuck Zito, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Linds Edward, and Austin Craig

Homefront is a 2013 crime thriller and action movie from director Gary Fleder.  The film is loosely based on the 2005 novel, Homefront, by author Chuck Logan.  Homefront the movie focuses on a former DEA agent who moves to a small town, where he soon catches the attention of a local drug lord.

Homefront is a mean, gritty little bastard of a film.  It is a true southern gothic in the tradition of such movies as White Lighting (a Burt Reynolds classic), Deliverance, and Walking Tall.

Widowed ex-solider Phil Broker (Jason Statham) works undercover for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).  After an operation goes bad, Broker retires, and he and his 10-year-old daughter, Maddy (Izabela Vidovic), move to the quiet Southern town of Rayville.  However, the small town is riddled with drugs and violence, and, after Maddy gets into a fight at her new school, Broker discovers that Rayville is not as idyllic as it seems on the surface.  Broker catches the attention of Gator Bodine (James Franco), a local drug lord with big ambitions.  Those ambitions cause Gator to go into Broker’s past, which brings trouble for everyone.

It is too easy to mock a screenplay written by Sylvester Stallone; after all, he has been writing movie scripts for four decades.  His Homefront screenplay is tightly written, perhaps a bit too tightly.  The movie runs at about an hour-and-a-half of actual story time, which is too short for the plot and characters.  Stallone introduces several characters and establishes them as potentially having a major impact on the story.  Many of them, however, end up being used sparingly, especially the teacher Susan Hetch (Rachelle Lefevre), who might have romantic feelings for Broker.  Cassie Bodine Klum (Kate Bosworth), as a character connected to both Broker and Bodine, has the most potential to improve the drama in Homefront, but, except for a few scenes, Cassie is underutilized.

What Stallone’s script gets right is the relationship between Broker and his daughter, Maddy.  The film takes the time to establish how important both characters are to each other.  The movie emphasizes two things:   as a family that recently underwent loss, Broker and Maddy are in a fragile state and also that external threats are not the only things that can damage the family.  Maddy is every bit as stubborn and determined as her father, and her love for him won’t deter her from confronting him.  So when the bad guys start attacking, the audience will buy into the threat to the family because the film made the bond and relationship between Broker and Maddy seem genuine and honest.

Fear not, Jason Statham fans; our guy gets to kick ass and pop caps.  Director Gary Fleder and film editor Padraic McKinley largely eschew CGI god-tech and instead, offer old-fashioned, no-gloss gunfights that will glue your attention to the screen.  The bone-crunching, ball-rupturing, face-smashing fights are short and to the point, and I found myself re-watching them.

Homefront is one of the better Jason Statham vehicles because his character seems more grounded in realism.  Phil Broker is both susceptible to being hurt and has something to lose.  And because this movie was not a box office success, we likely won’t get to see Statham as Broker in another film – a pity.

6 of 10
B

Sunday, March 09, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

"Gravity" Lifts 2013 Central Ohio Film Critics Awards

The Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA) was founded in 2002 and is made up of film critics based in Columbus, Ohio, and the surrounding areas.  Its membership currently consists of more than 25 print, radio, television, and new media critics.  Each January, COFCA votes on a number of awards, recognizing excellence in the film industry.

The 12th Annual Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards, honoring the best in film for 2013, were announced on January 2, 2014.

2013 Central Ohio Film Critics Awards:

Best Film 
   1. Gravity
   2. Her
   3. American Hustle
   4. Frances Ha
   5. The Wolf of Wall Street
   6. 12 Years a Slave
   7. Inside Llewyn Davis
   8. Before Midnight
   9. Upstream Color
  10. Nebraska

Best Director 
  • Alfonso Cuarón - (Gravity)
  • Runner-Up: Spike Jonze - (Her)

Best Actor
  • Chiwetel Ejiofor - (12 Years a Slave)
  • Runner-Up: Matthew McConaughey - (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Actress
  • Adèle Exarchopoulos - (Blue is the Warmest Color (La vie d’Adèle))
  • Runner-Up: Brie Larson - (Short Term 12)

Best Supporting Actor
  • James Franco - (Spring Breakers)
  • Runner-Up: Jared Leto - (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Supporting Actress
  • Jennifer Lawrence - (American Hustle)
  • Runner-Up: Lupita Nyong’o - (12 Years a Slave)

Best Ensemble
  • American Hustle
  • Runner-Up: The Wolf of Wall Street

Actor of the Year (for an exemplary body of work):
  • Matthew McConaughey - (Dallas Buyers Club, Mud, and The Wolf of Wall Street)
  • Runner-Up: Jennifer Lawrence - (American Hustle and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)

Breakthrough Film Artist
  • Adèle Exarchopoulos - (Blue is the Warmest Color (La vie d’Adèle)) - (for acting)
  • Runner-Up: Brie Larson - (Don Jon, Short Term 12, and The Spectacular Now) - (for acting)

Best Cinematography
  • Emmanuel Lubezki - (Gravity)
  • Runner-Up: Hoyte Van Hoytema - (Her)

Best Adapted Screenplay
  • Terence Winter - (The Wolf of Wall Street)
  • Runner-Up: John Ridley - (12 Years a Slave)

Best Original Screenplay
  • Spike Jonze - (Her)
  • Runner-Up: Destin Daniel Cretton - (Short Term 12)

Best Score
  • Arcade Fire - (Her)
  • Runner-Up: Steven Price - (Gravity)

Best Documentary
  • The Act of Killing
  • Runner-Up: Stories We Tell

Best Foreign Language Film
  • The Wind Rises (Kaze tachinu)
  • Runner-Up: Blue is the Warmest Color (La vie d’Adèle)

Best Animated Film
  • The Wind Rises (Kaze tachinu)
  • Runner-Up: Frozen

Best Overlooked Film
  • Short Term 12
  • Runner-Up: Mud

http://www.cofca.org/

-----------------------------------

National Society of Film Critics Go "Inside Llewyn Davis"

by Amos Semien

The National Society of Film Critics was founded in New York City in 1966 and its membership is currently comprise of 56 of the country’s most prominent movie critics.  Known for their highbrow tastes, these critics form one of the most prestigious film groups on the United States.  Current members include some of my favorite film critics, like David Edelstein and J. Hoberman, among others.  The late Roger Ebert, my favorite critic, was also a member.  The society has produced several anthologies about movies, including the must-have for film fans, Produced and Abandoned: The Best Films You’ve Never Seen (1990).

On Saturday, January 4th, 2014, the National Society of Film Critics announced the winners and runners-up of the 48th edition of its film awards.  The group chose Inside Llewyn Davis as Best Picture of the Year 2013.  The film’s directors, brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, won “Best Director,” and the film’s lead, Oscar Isaac, won “Best Actor.”

The Society held its 48th annual awards voting meeting, using a weighted ballot system, at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Center as guests of the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

In a statement on its website, the society said that 56 members are eligible to vote, though a few disqualify themselves if they haven’t seen every film.  Any film that opened in the United States during the year 2013 was eligible for consideration.  As usual, there is no nomination process.  The members met, voted, and made their announcement on January 4th.  There is no awards party, but scrolls will sent to the winners.

48th National Society of Film Critics Awards:  Here is the list of the winners and runners-up, with vote counts from the final round:

BEST PICTURE
*1. Inside Llewyn Davis – 23
2. American Hustle – 17
3. 12 Years a Slave – 16

BEST DIRECTOR
*1. Joel and Ethan Coen (Inside Llewyn Davis) – 25
2. Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity) – 18
3. Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) – 15

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
*1. Blue Is the Warmest Color – 27
2. A Touch of Sin – 21
3. The Great Beauty – 15

BEST NON-FICTION FILM
*1. The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer) – 20
*1. At Berkeley (Frederick Wiseman) – 20
3. Leviathan (Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel) – 18

BEST SCREENPLAY
*1. Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke) – 29
2. Inside Llewyn Davis (Joel and Ethan Coen) – 26
3. American Hustle (Eric Singer and David O. Russell) – 18

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
*1. Inside Llewyn Davis (Bruno Delbonnel) -28
2.Gravity (Emmanuel Lubezki) – 26
3. Nebraska (Phedon Papamichael) – 19

BEST ACTOR
*1. Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) – 28
2. Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) – 19
3. Robert Redford (All Is Lost) – 12

BEST ACTRESS
*1. Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) – 57
2. Adèle Exarchopoulos (Blue Is the Warmest Color) – 36
3. Julie Delpy (Before Midnight) – 26

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
*1. James Franco (Spring Breakers) – 24
2. Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) – 20
3. Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips) – 14

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
*1. Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle) – 54
2. Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) – 38
3. Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine) – 18
3. Léa Seydoux (Blue Is the Warmest Color) – 18

EXPERIMENTAL FILM
Leviathan (Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel)

FILM HERITAGE AWARD
• To the Museum of Modern Art, for its wide-ranging retrospective of the films of Allan Dwan.
• “Too Much Johnson”: the surviving reels from Orson Welles’s first professional film. Discovered by Cinemazero (Pordenone) and Cineteca del Friuli; funded by the National Film Preservation Foundation; and restored by the George Eastman House.
• British Film Institute for restorations of Alfred Hitchcock’s nine silent features.
• To the DVD “American Treasures from the New Zealand Film Archive.”

BEST FILM STILL AWAITING AMERICAN DISTRIBUTION
• Stray Dogs (Tsai Ming-liang)
• Hide Your Smiling Faces (Daniel Patrick Carbone)

DEDICATION: The meeting was dedicated to the memory of two distinguished members of the Society who died in 2013: Roger Ebert and Stanley Kauffmann.

http://www.nationalsocietyoffilmcritics.com/

END

San Francisco Film Critics Choose "12 Years a Slave"

by Amos Semien

The San Francisco Film Critics Circle chose 12 Years a Slave as the "Best Picture" of 2013, one of three awards the group gave to the film.  American Hustle and Gravity were also big winners.

The San Francisco Film Critics Circle (SFFCC) was founded in 2002 and is comprised of critics from Bay Area publications.  Its membership includes film journalists from the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Jose Mercury News, the Oakland Tribune, the Contra Costa Times, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, SF Weekly, the East Bay Express, KRON-TV, Variety, and RottenTomatoes.com, among others.

2013 SAN FRANCISCO FILM CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS:

Best Picture
AMERICAN HUSTLE
GRAVITY
NEBRASKA
WINNER – 12 YEARS A SLAVE
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Best Director
WINNER – Alfonso Cuaron, GRAVITY
Spike Jonze, HER
Steve McQueen, 12 YEARS A SLAVE
David O. Russell, AMERICAN HUSTLE
Martin Scorsese, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Best Actor
Bruce Dern, NEBRASKA
Leonardo DiCaprio, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
WINNER – Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Matthew McConaughey, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
Robert Redford, ALL IS LOST

Best Actress
WINNER – Cate Blanchett, BLUE JASMINE
Sandra Bullock, GRAVITY
Judi Dench, PHILOMENA
Adele Exarchopolous, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
Brie Larson, SHORT TERM 12
Meryl Streep, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
Michael Fassbender, 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Harrison Ford, 42
Will Forte, NEBRASKA
WINNER – James Franco, SPRING BREAKERS
Jared Leto, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

Best Supporting Actress
WINNER – Jennifer Lawrence, AMERICAN HUSTLE
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Lea Seydoux, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
Octavia Spencer, FRUITVALE STATION
June Squibb, NEBRASKA

Best Screenplay, Original
WINNER – AMERICAN HUSTLE, Eric Singer and David O. Russell
GRAVITY, Alfonso and Jonas Cuaron
HER, Spike Jonze
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, Joel and Ethan Coen
NEBRASKA, Bob Nelson

Best Screenplay, Adapted
BEFORE MIDNIGHT, Richard Linklater; Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke
PHILOMENA, Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
THE SPECTACULAR NOW, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
WINNER – 12 YEARS A SLAVE, John Ridley
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, Terence Winter

Best Cinematography
WINNER – GRAVITY, Emmanuel Lubezki
HER, Hoyte Van Hoytema
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, Bruno Delbonnel
NEBRASKA, Phedon Papamichael
12 YEARS A SLAVE, Sean Bobbitt

Best Production Design
AMERICAN HUSTLE, Judy Becker
WINNER – GRAVITY, Andy Nicholson
HER, K. K. Barrett
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, Jess Gonchor
12 YEARS A SLAVE, Adam Stockhausen

Best Editing
ALL IS LOST, Pete Beaudreau
AMERICAN HUSTLE, Alan Baumgarten; Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, Christopher Rouse
WINNER – GRAVITY, Alfonso Cuaron and Mark Sanger
12 YEARS A SLAVE, Joe Walker
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, Thelma Schoonmaker

Best Animated Feature
THE CROODS
DESPICABLE ME
WINNER – FROZEN
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
THE WIND RISES

Best Foreign Language Picture
WINNER – BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
A HIJACKING
THE HUNT
THE PAST
WADJDA

Best Documentary
WINNER – THE ACT OF KILLING
THE ARMSTRONG LIE
BLACKFISH
STORIES WE TELL
TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM

(6 nominations in a category indicates a tie)

Marlon Riggs Award for courage & vision in the Bay Area film community:
Ryan Coogler for putting a human face to murder victim Oscar Grant in FRUITVALE STATION and to former Roxie Theater executive director Christopher Statton for putting the Roxie onto more solid ground by transforming it into a nonprofit enterprise.

Special Citation for under-appreciated independent cinema:
COMPUTER CHESS, Andrew Bujalski’s comedy merges documentary techniques and old video technologies to make light of the ’80s race to build a winning computer-chess program.

END

L.A. Film Critics Tie on "Gravity" and "Her" as 2013's Best Picture

by Amos Semien

In a year of ties, The Los Angeles Film Critics Association named the films, Gravity and Her, as "Best Picture" of 2013.  However, when it came to "Best Director," Gravity's Alfonso Curon did not have to share with runner-up Spike Jonze of Her.  Other ties include "Best Actress," Cate Blanchett and Adèle Exarchopoulos; and "Best Supporting Actor," James Franco and Jared Leto.

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) is a professional organization of Los Angeles-based, professional film critics working in the Los Angeles print and electronic media.  Since 1975, LAFCA members vote on the year's Achievement Awards each December, honoring screen excellence on both sides of the camera.

39th Annual (2013) Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards:

BEST PICTURE: "Gravity" and "Her" (TIE)

BEST DIRECTOR:  Alfonso Cuarón, "Gravity"
Runner-up: Spike Jonze ("Her")

BEST ACTOR: Bruce Dern "Nebraska"
Runner-up: Chiwetel Ejiofor ("12 Years a Slave")

BEST ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine" and Adèle Exarchopoulos, "Blue Is the Warmest Color" (TIE)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: James Franco, "Spring Breakers," and Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club" (TIE)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, "12 Years a Slave"
Runner-up: June Squibb ("Nebraska")

BEST SCREENPLAY: Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, and Ethan Hawke, “Before Midnight"
Runner-up: Spike Jonze ("Her")

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Emmanuel Lubezki, "Gravity"
Runner-up: Bruno Delbonnel ("Inside Llewyn Davis")

BEST PRODCUTION DESIGN: K.K. Barrett, "Her"
Runner-up: Jess Gonchor ("Inside Llewyn Davis")

BEST EDITING: Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger, "Gravity"
Runner-up: Shane Carruth and David Lowery ("upstream color")

BEST MUSIC SCORE: T Bone Burnett, "Inside Llewyn Davis"
Runner-up: Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett ("HER")

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM: "Blue Is the Warmest Color" - Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche
Runner-up: "The Great Beauty" directed by Paolo Sorrentino

BEST DOCUMENTARY/NON-FICTION FILM: "Stories We Tell" - Directed by Sarah Polley
Runner-up: "The Act of Killing" by Joshua Oppenheimer, Anonymous, and Christine Cynn

BEST ANIMATION: "Ernest & Celestine" – Directed by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, and Benjamin Renner
Runner-up: "The Wind Rises" directed by Hayao Miyazaki

New Generation: Megan Ellison

Legacy of Cinema: Criterion Collection

The Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video Award: "Cabinets Of Wonder: Films and a Performance by Charlotte Pryce"

Special Citation: The creative team of "12 Years a Slave"

http://www.lafca.net/

END

Review: Fun Never Ends in "This Is the End"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 66 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

This Is the End (2013)
Running time:  107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
MPAA – R for crude and sexual content throughout, brief graphic nudity, pervasive language, drug use and some violence
DIRECTORS:  Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
WRITERS:  Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg; from a screen story by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (based on the short film, Jay and Seth vs. The Apocalypse, by Jason Stone)
PRODUCERS:  James Weaver and Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Brandon Trost
EDITOR:  Zene Baker
COMPOSER:  Henry Jackman

COMEDY/FANTASY

Starring:  James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Emma Watson, Kevin Hart, Mindy Kaling, Rihanna, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Paul Rudd, and Channing Tatum with Jason Segel

This Is the End is a 2013 apocalyptic comedy film from writer-directors, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.  This black comedy features a number of Hollywood comic actors and celebrities playing fictional versions of themselves.  The movie centers on actor James Franco’s house where a small band of survivors are forced to live together after a disaster that could be the end of the world.

This Is the End begins with Jay Baruchel arriving in Los Angeles to visit his old friend and fellow actor, Seth Rogen.  Seth convinces Jay to go with him to a housewarming party hosted by actor James Franco.  Jay is reluctant because he does not like Seth’s L.A. friends, especially actor Jonah Hill.  During the party, a catastrophic earthquake occurs, and L.A. falls to fire and chaos.  Jay, Seth, James, Jonah, and Craig Robinson survive the destruction, but they are not alone.  They slowly learn that the largest earthquake in California history may be more than just a natural disaster.

In his review of This Is the End for Maclean’s, critic Brian D. Johnson basically said that there could be worse ways to experience the apocalypse than with stoned celebrities (go here or http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/06/07/was-armageddon-always-this-complicated/ for the full review).  Other than spending it with my family, there is no better way to go through the end of the world than with fun, fictional versions of Seth Rogen and his friends.  Also, much of the middle of the film works like a comedy stage play that allows each member of the ensemble to fashion a character that engages the audience.

I like many of the films in which most members of the main and supporting cast have appeared.  For the most part, I also like their public personas.  They are all really funny in this film, and James Franco’s sardonic humor (which was too understated to work during his gig hosting the Oscars) shines.  Once again, Craig Robinson finds a way to turn a supporting comedy part into a co-leading role on the sheer strength of his underrated talent as a light comic actor.  Danny McBride steals the show; if any actor deserves an Academy Award nomination as a supporting actor this year because of a comedic performance, it is McBride in This Is the End.

This Is the End was made for me.  I liked what the actors did in this movie, and I liked how they were willing to savage their public personas and work in films.  This Is the End of the review but not of my love for this movie, which will go on...

8 of 10
A

Saturday, October 05, 2013


The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

"Lovelace" with Amanda Seyfried Opens Today - August 9, 2013

Radius/TWC Presents

LOVELACE

FILM BY ROB EPSTEIN & JEFFREY FRIEDMAN

STARRING: AMANDA SEYFRIED, PETER SARSGAARD, HANK AZARIA, WES BENTLEY, ADAM BRODY, BOBBY CANNAVALE, JAMES FRANCO, DEBI MAZAR, CHRIS NOTH, ROBERT PATRICK, ERIC ROBERTS, CHLOE SEVIGNY, SHARON STONE, JUNO TEMPLE

OPEN WIDE on AUGUST 9th

Download the UK Red Band Trailer Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkkU5jkIopM

Download the Green Band Trailer Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gJrCfNNzA8&feature=youtu.be

In 1972—before the internet, before the porn explosion—Deep Throat was a phenomenon: the first scripted pornographic theatrical feature film, featuring a story, some jokes, and an unknown and unlikely star, Linda Lovelace. Escaping a strict religious family, Linda discovered freedom and the high-life when she fell for and married charismatic hustler Chuck Traynor. As Linda Lovelace she became an international sensation—less centerfold fantasy than a charming girl-next-door with an impressive capacity for fellatio. Fully inhabiting her new identity, Linda became an enthusiastic spokesperson for sexual freedom and uninhibited hedonism. Six years later she presented another, utterly contradictory, narrative to the world—and herself as the survivor of a far darker story.

Review: Oz the (Not So) Great and (Not Really) Powerful

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 18 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux


Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
Running minutes: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – PG for sequences of action and scary images, and brief mild language
DRIECTOR: Sam Raimi
WRITERS: Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire; from a screen story by Mitchell Kapner (based on the works of L. Frank Baum)
PRODUCER: Joe Roth
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Deming
EDITOR: Bob Murawski
COMPOSER: Danny Elfman

FANTASY with elements of action, adventure, and comedy

Starring: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Zach Braff, Bill Cobbs, Joey King, Tony Cox, Bruce Campbell, and Ted Raimi

Oz the Great and Powerful is a 2013 fantasy film from Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Sam Raimi, this movie is based on the works of L. Frank Baum, especially Baum’s most famous book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which was first published in 1900. Oz the Great and Powerful’s story takes place before the events depicted in the book, so the movie is kind of a prequel to the novel. The new movie focuses on a small-time magician who arrives in an enchanted land, where he reluctantly joins a fight to save the land from evil witches.

Oz the Great and Powerful (which I will sometimes refer to as “OGP”) is not officially connected to the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, which is also based on Baum’s original novel and was produced by MGM (and is now owned by Time-Warner). In terms of quality, Oz the Great and Powerful is half the movie the 1939 film is. OGP is not a bad movie; it is simply mediocre, corporate film-product that cannot hide weak characters and a poor story behind tens of millions of dollars worth of special effects.

Oz the Great and Powerful opens in 1905, where we meet Oscar “Oz” Diggs (James Franco), a small-time magician, con artist, and womanizer. His activities lead him to make a desperate escape aboard a hot air balloon. The balloon, however, is sucked into a tornado, which takes Oscar to the mysterious and strange Land of Oz. The first resident of Oz he meets is the beautiful Theodora, the Wicked Witch of the West (Mila Kunis). Theodora tells Oscar that he is the prophesized wizard who will save Oz from the wicked Glinda the Good Witch (Michelle Williams).

They travel the yellow brick road to Emerald City, the capital of Oz. There, Oscar meets Theodora’s sister, Evanora, the Wicked Witch of the East (Rachel Weisz), who sends Oscar on a mission. Joined by Finley the Flying Monkey (voice of Zach Braff) and China Girl (voice Joey King), Oscar begins a journey that takes him to Munchkinland, where he must decide whether to be great or to be a good man.

In a perfect world, Oz the Great and Powerful would be judged on its own merits, but this is not a perfect world. This is an imperfect world that is made better by a great movie first released in 1939, The Wizard of Oz. In that film, Judy Garland is still a young thing and matte paints can make you believe in dark forests and emerald cities. Thus, OGP must match up with (or perhaps against) that classic 1939 film, and OGP doesn’t win that match up.

Oz the Great and Powerful has its inventive moments, but it lacks the imagination of the 1939 film. The new film is all special effects technical wizardry, but it doesn’t have the magic, the heart, or the folksy charm of 1939 film. There are a few moments in OGP that mimic the first film’s rustic flourishes, but everything else in OGP pales before a computer-generated onslaught of elements and effects. This is not heart; this is noise.

The last half hour of Oz the Great and Powerful (before the end credits) is actually quite good, but the other 90 minutes is equal parts hits and misses. The actors and their characters are also inconsistent. Who thought James Franco was right for this part? Franco is a good actor, but half the time, I found him unconvincing as Oscar Diggs. Michelle Williams’s performance as Glinda is way too sugary, a shame as she is actually a good actor.

OGP is really an odd little movie that was super-sized and thus, made too big by corporate studio demands. Still, I think fans of all-things-Oz, young and old, will find things to like about this movie (as I have), if not fall in love with the entire movie. The last act nearly makes up for the rest of the movie, but not quite. Oz the Great and Powerful is big rather than great and overpowering rather than powerful.

5 of 10
C+

Monday, March 11, 2013

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Shockingly Good

Oh

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 38 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Running time: 105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense and frightening sequences of action and violence
DIRECTOR: Rupert Wyatt
WRITERS: Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (based upon the novel, La planète des singes, by Pierre Boulle)
PRODUCER: Peter Chernin, Dylan Clark, Rick Jaffa, and Amanda Silver
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrew Lesnie (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Conrad Buff and Mark Goldblatt
COMPOSER: Patrick Doyle

SCI-FI/ACTION/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring: James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, David Oyelowo, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, Tyler Labine, Jamie Harris, and David Hewlett

Apparently, 20th Century Fox is going to produce a new Planet of the Apes film series. The first film, Planet of the Apes, appeared in 1968 and was based upon the 1963 French science fiction novel, La planète des singes, by Pierre Boulle. The 1968 film spawned four sequels, beginning with Beneath the Planet of the Apes in 1970 and ending with Battle for the Planet of the Apes in 1973. Tim Burton directed a remake of the original film that was released in 2001, and although that film was successful, no sequels were made from it.

Instead, 20th Century Fox decided to reboot the franchise. Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a 2011 science fiction drama film, is reportedly intended to act as the origin story for a new series. Rise of the Planet of the Apes focuses on a hyper-intelligent chimpanzee who leads his fellow apes on a revolutionary path that introduces them to freedom and to intelligence that they have never known.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is set in modern-day San Francisco, which is also the location of biotechnology company, Gen-Sys. There, Dr. William “Will” Rodman (James Franco) is working on a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, which is personal to him because his father, Charles Rodman (John Lithgow), has the disease. Will is testing his new gene therapy, ALZ-112, on chimpanzees, which seems to make them smarter.

One of them, a female, gives birth to a male chimp; to keep the baby from being destroyed, Will takes him home, where his father, who lives with him, names the baby, Caesar. Caesar’s intelligence grows by leaps and bounds, which eventually gets him into trouble. As Caesar (Andy Serkis) watches how the world treats him and his fellow apes, he plots a revolution that threatens the status quo.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a monkey movie! Seriously, this film is about the apes. The human characters sometimes come across as place holders for the apes, while the story takes a brief detour in human territory before going back to the characters it really loves – the apes. That is not to say that the human characters are not interesting, or that the actors do not give good performances. As usual, James Franco seems effortlessly good, and Freida Pinto is excellent as Will girlfriend and the film’s moral center and voice of warning, Caroline Aranha. David Oyelowo surprisingly steals scenes as Will’s greedy boss, Steven Jacobs. Also, I was surprised with how powerful John Lithgow is in the small role of Will’s father, Charles. You can’t help but feel sorry for Charles because Lithgow’s depiction of him suffering the ravages of Alzheimer’s disease has an uncanny ring of authenticity.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is one of the great slave rebellion movies, and that is because of the film’s visual effects, which creates credible oppressed characters. CGI characters: characters created, rendered, and animated using computer software, often don’t hold up to intense scrutiny. The longer you look at them, the less they seem authentic and the more phony they look. The CGI apes here don’t have that problem because there aren’t a lot of times in this movie when I thought that the apes looked counterfeit or just plain fake (although there are a few).

Here, the apes are created using performance capture, which involves filming actors in special suits and then, taking that performance and building the CGI character on or over the performance. The technology of performance capture has evolved to the point that in Rise of the Planet of the Apes the apes show a wide range of emotions. The depth of character has delicacy rather than the gaudiness seemingly inherent in CGI characters in many live-action movies.

To that end, Andy Serkis, who provides the performance capture performance for Caesar, is overdue for some kind of special Oscar trophy. Caesar carries the movie as if he were a flesh and blood, acclaimed, veteran actor. He has that “It,” the x-factor that stars have. I happily followed Caesar through trials and tribulations and fought with him in the epic battle that girds the last act. Rise of the Planet of the Apes is a fantastic film because its star is an ape with star appeal. You’ll laugh and cry with Caesar; you’ll cheer him on.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2012 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White, and Daniel Barrett)

2012 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Special Visual Effects” (Joe Letteri, Daniel Barrett, Dan Lemmon, and R. Christopher White)

Monday, May 14, 2012

Aerial Combat Scenes Give "Flyboys" Wings

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 56 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux


Flyboys (2006)
Running time: 139 minutes (2 hours, 19 minutes)
Rating: MPAA – PG-13 for war action violence and some sexual content
DIRECTOR: Tony Bill
WRITER: Phil Sears & Blake T. Evans and David S. Ward; from a story by Evans
PRODUCERS: Dean Devlin and Marc Frydman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Henry Braham
EDITORS: Chris Blunden and Ron Rosen

WAR/ACTION/DRAMA/HISTORICAL

Starring: James Franco, Martin Henderson, Jean Reno, Jennifer Decker, David Ellison, Tyler Labine, Abdul Salis, Philip Winchester, and Augustin Legrand

Flyboys is the epic World War I drama from Oscar-winner Tony Bill (which he won for producing The Sting) that tells the true story of the Lafayette Escadrille. Before the United States’ official entry into the war (1917), the Allied powers of England, France, and Italy were losing to the German military juggernaut. Many young Americans volunteered to fight for the French; some served in the infantry and others in the Ambulance Corps. The Lafayette Escadrille were the young men who wanted to be pilots. Flyboys is based upon this true story, and the film’s characters are based directly upon real men or are composites of the historical figures.

The story focuses on bankrupt farm boy, Blaine Rawlings (James Franco), who joins the Escadrille and finds himself chafing under the discipline of learning to be a pilot. Briggs Lowry (Tyler Labine) is bullied by his father into joining. Black American Eugene Skinner (Abdul Salis) is an American expatriate boxing in France when he decides to serve France as a thank you for being more racially tolerant than his birth country.

Under the guidance of the weary French Captain Thenault (Jean Reno) and the leadership of American veteran, Reed Cassidy (Martin Henderson), these young men take to the sky to face the formidable German flying armada. They fly newly invented and mechanically imperfect aircraft, but the men of the Escadrille find themselves having the kind of adventure they never imagined. Rawlings also finds time to romance Lucienne (Jennifer Decker), a young Frenchwoman who lives in a nearby town.

In this movie, the drama is simple TV movie quality melodrama, and not the kind one might get from a well-written and directed television movie. The character moments often seem like filler, and director Tony Bills just rushes the characters through scenes of intimacy and bonding. That’s why half the time the romance between Rawlings and Lucienne seems forced, and the scenes between Rawlings and Capt. Thenault are sadly thin, lacking the power relationships between soldiers in war movies generally have. Even camaraderie between the members of the Escadrille is underdeveloped, which is sad because there are so many scenes that only hint at how good this subplot of the movie could be (although there is a great moment between Lowry and Skinner about what their fathers did for a living).

Over a stirring score by Trevor Rabin, the cool and terrific aerial combat scenes make (and save) this movie. Dogfights, duels, and even a kind of jousting in the sky: they rouse you from the slumber the rest of this movie induces. It’s obvious that computers were used to create these scenes, but Tony Bill uses these scenes to bring out the humanity of his characters. It is in the sky that Bill allows the actors to develop the characters and give us reason to invest in them. Flyboys may not make serious movie lovers forget about classic World War I films, but it is in those dogfights in the sky where the director, his cast, and creative crew find the heart of Flyboys and leave the viewer delighted.

6 of 10
B

Thursday, March 29, 2007

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Arrives on DVD in December

Bring Caesar Home on Blu-Ray - RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Evolution Becomes Revolution in the Critically-Acclaimed Over $432 Million Worldwide Box Office Smash Arriving Globally on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download in December

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A single act of both compassion and arrogance leads to a battle unlike any other when RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES makes its worldwide debut on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download on December 13th in North America and starting December 7th Internationally. From the Oscar-winning® visual effects team that brought to life the worlds of Avatar and Lord of the Rings comes revolutionary new ground - a CGI ape that delivers a dramatic performance of unprecedented emotion and intelligence, and epic battles on which rest the upended destinies of man and primate.

James Franco (127 Hours) stars as Will Rodman, a neuroscientist living in San Francisco trying to develop a cure for Alzheimer’s disease by testing on chimpanzees, giving them a human level of intelligence. After a test subject’s baby, Caesar, is orphaned, Will decides to raise him at home on his own with his Alzheimer-stricken father (John Lithgow; “Dexter”). What begins simply as a continuation of his experiment quickly turns into a problem for Will, as Caesar is taken away from him and forced to live in a primate facility. As Caesar’s intelligence continues to grow, he begins to stake his claim as the leader of his new primate counterparts, which will ultimately lead to the RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.

Directed by Rupert Wyatt (The Escapist), this special effects blockbuster features fantastic supporting performances from Freida Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire), Brian Cox (Red), Tom Felton (Harry Potter films) and Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) in a ground-breaking performance. The RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Blu-ray is loaded with bonus material including deleted scenes, making-of featurettes commentaries and more.

RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES Blu-ray + Digital Copy (North America)
Feature Film
Deleted Scenes
Alpha Gets Shot
Will’s Meeting with Lab Assistants
Will Discovers Caesar Has Solved Puzzles
Caesar Plays with Bicycle
Caesar Questions His Identity
Caesar Bites Off Neighbor’s Finger
Will Ignores the Risks of an Airborne Mutated Virus
Rodney Gives Caesar a Cookie
Rocket Gets Hosed by Dodge
Caesar Destroys the Lab and Koba’s Attempted Revenge on Jacobs
Caesar Pushes Helicopter
Koba with Shotgun
Pre-vis for The Future
Capturing Caesar – Script to Screen
Studying the Genius of Andy Serkis
Multi-Angle: Rocket Cookie Scene
A New Generation of Apes
Breaking Motion Capture Boundaries
Breaking New Sound Barriers: The Music and Sound Design of Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Ape Facts
Chimpanzee
Gorilla
Orangutan
Audio Commentary by Director Rupert Wyatt
Audio Commentary by Writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver
Character Concept Art Gallery
Three Theatrical Trailers

Exact product configurations will vary by individual territories


Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download. The company also releases all products globally for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce throughout the world.

Colin Firth Wins Best Actor for "The King's Speech"

Actor in a Leading Role

Colin Firth in “The King's Speech” WINNER

Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”

Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”

Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”

James Franco in “127 Hours”

Complete List of Independent Spirit Award Winners; "Black Swan" Soars

The Independent Spirit Awards or Film Independent’s Spirit Awards were founded in 1984 and are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Film Independent is the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and also the Los Angeles Film Festival.
 
The 2011 winners were announced Sat., Feb. 26, 2011.
 
2011 Film Independent Spirit Award winners:
 
Best Feature
Black Swan; Producers: Scott Franklin, Mike Medavoy, Arnold W. Messer, Brian Oliver;

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan

Best Screenplay
The Kids Are All Right Writers: Stuart Blumberg & Lisa Cholodenko

Best Female
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Best Male
James Franco, 127 Hours

Best First Feature
Get Low Director: Aaron Schneider
Producers: David Gundlach, Dean Zanuck

Best First Screenplay
Lena Dunham, Tiny Furniture

John Cassavetes Award (For the best feature made under $500,000)
Writers/Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
Daddy Longlegs Producers: Casey Neistat, Tom Scott

Best Supporting Female
Dale Dickey, Winter's Bone

Best Supporting Male
John Hawkes, Winter's Bone

Best Cinematography
Matthew Libatique, Black Swan

Best Foreign Film
The King's Speech Director: Tom Hooper

Best Documentary
Exit Through The Gift Shop, Banksy

http://www.filmindependent.org/

Oscars, "Black Swan" Buzz Yahoo! Search Engine

83rd Annual Academy Awards Projections from Yahoo!: According to Yahoo! Search, Black Swan Reigns Supreme and the Web is Buzzing About Co-Host Anne Hathaway

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 83rd Annual Academy Awards are set to air on Sunday February 27th. As the world prepares for Hollywood’s biggest night, Yahoo! looked at which films and actors are getting the most buzz online.

According to Yahoo! the web is excited about Hollywood’s big show:

Searches for “when are the Oscars” are spiking on Yahoo!

Searches on Yahoo! for “Oscars 2011” are up 1403%

Oscar ballots are spiking on Yahoo! up 38%

Searches for the award show are split between males and females

States searching for “Oscars” the most: California, Illinois, Texas, Washington and New Jersey

Older viewers: those under 24 only make up 16% of searches for “Oscars”

Black Swan Reigns Supreme: According to Yahoo! the top searched nominated films are:

1. Black Swan
2. True Grit
3. 127 hours
4. The Kids Are Alright
5. Inception
6. The Fighter
7. Toy Story 3

According to Yahoo! the top searched nominated actresses are:

1. Natalie Portman
2. Nicole Kidman
3. Jennifer Lawrence
4. Annette Bening

According to Yahoo! the top searched nominated actors are:

1. Javier Bardem
2. James Franco
3. Colin Firth
4. Jeff Bridges

According to Yahoo! the top searched Oscar hosts are:

1. Anne Hathaway
2. Ellen DeGeneres
3. James Franco
4. Alec Baldwin
5. Hugh Jackman
6. Whoopi Goldberg
7. Jon Stewart
8. Chris Rock
9. Steve Martin

Hostess with the Most:
Yahoo! users searched for Oscar co-host Anne Hathaway more than all of the “Best Actress” nominees.

Can’t get enough of the Oscars? Check out Yahoo! Movies’ exclusive coverage complete with predictions, nominees, polls, photos and more: http://oscars.movies.yahoo.com/

Las Vegas Film Critics Choose "The Social Network"

The Academy Awards is a little under a week and a half away (Sunday, Feb. 27th).  Until then, I'm going to catch this blog up on the critics awards. The Las Vegas Film Critics Society announced their awards, which they call the "Sierras," back in December.

The Las Vegas Film Critics Society is a non-profit organization that describes itself as “progressive” and “dedicated to the advancement and preservation of film.” The LVFCS membership is comprised of “select” print, television and internet film critics in the Las Vegas area. The LVFCS presents its "Sierra" awards each year for the best in film, including The William Holden Lifetime Achievement Award, which is named for the late Academy Award winning actor.

2010 Sierra Award winners:

Best Picture
“Social Network”

Best Actor
James Franco, “127”

Best Actress
Natalie Portman, “Black Swan”

Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale, “The Fighter”

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, “The Fighter”

Best Director
David Fincher, “Social Network”

Best Screenplay (Original or Adapted)
Aaron Sorkin, “Social Network”

Best Cinematography
Wally Pfister, “Inception”

Best Film Editing
Lee Smith, “Inception”

Best Costume Design
Colleen Atwood, “Alice in Wonderland”

Best Art Direction
“Black Swan”

Best Visual Effects
“Inception”

Best Documentary
“Waiting for Superman”

Best Foreign Film
“Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (Sweden)

Best Song
“I See the Light” (Theme from Disney’s Tangled)

Best Score
Trent Reznor, “Social Network”

Best Family Film
“Toy Story 3”

Best Animated Film
“Toy Story 3”

Youth in Film
Hailee Steinfeld, “True Grit”

Best DVD (Packaging, Design, and Content)
“Alien Anthology” (Blu-Ray) Fox Home Entertainment

William Holden Lifetime Achievement Award for 2010:
Thelma Schoonmaker

http://www.lvfcs.org/lvfcs/Home.html

Colin Firth Wins Best Actor BAFTA for "The King's Speech"

LEADING ACTOR

COLIN FIRTH The King’s Speech WINNER

JAVIER BARDEM Biutiful

JEFF BRIDGES True Grit

JESSE EISENBERG The Social Network

JAMES FRANCO 127 Hours
 

2011 Oscar Nominations: Lead Actor

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”

Colin Firth Wins "Best Actor-Drama" Golden Globe for "The King's Speech"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama:

Colin Firth for The King's Speech WINNER

Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network

James Franco for 127 Hours

Ryan Gosling for Blue Valentine

Mark Wahlberg for The Fighter

Black Film Critics Circle "The Social Network," But Spread the Love

There is a new film critics organization, the Black Film Critics Circle.  This is how they describe themselves on their website:

Welcome to the Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC), a new film critic’s organization dedicated to honoring excellence of professionals in the film industry in U.S. and World Cinema.

BFCC is a professional organization of film critics working in all areas of the media to include print publications,broadcast television, radio and on-line outlets.

I'm curious to see how long they last.  Like just about every critics organization, they chose The Social Network as their best picture,while also awarding it "Best Ensemble" and "Best Adapted Screenplay."  They also liked Black Swan with two wins, director and actress (Natalie Portman) and The Fighter, giving supporting acting honors to Christian Bale (actor) and Melissa Leo (actress).

The group also handed out special awards.  One of them is a surprise - a notice for Gareth Edwards, director of science fiction flick, Monsters, "for taking an original and organic approach to cinema that brings the industry back to its roots (visual storytelling) and favors creativity and resourcefulness over contrived storytelling and reliance on big budgets and mindless spectacle. 'Monsters' is a great look at how sci-fi is done right (human stories, not creature-features) by a director who just shot the film and THEN found the story to tell, with good visual effects employed economically to enhance the film - not define it."

THE WINNERS:
Picture: The Social Network

Director: Darren Afronosky, Black Swan

Actor: TIE
Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
James Franco (127 Hours)

Actress: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Supporting Actor: Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Best Original Screenplay: Christopher Nolan – Inception

Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin – The Social Network

Best Documentary: Waiting For Superman

Best Foreign Film: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Animated Film: Toy Story 3

Best Ensemble: The Social Network


BFCC Pioneer Award - Haile Gerima
BFCC Rising Star/Best Newcomer Award - Jaden Smith
BFCC Special mention: Gareth Edwards for "Monsters"

TOP 10 Films:
1. The Social Network
2. Inception
3. Black Swan
4. The Fighter

5. TIE:
The Kids Are All Right
The Town

7. Toy Story 3
8. The King's Speech
9. Winter's Bone
10. The Ghost Writer

http://blackfilmcriticscircle.org/

NYC Online Film Critics Love "The Social Network" and "Black Swan"

The New York Film Critics Online is a group of Internet film critics based in New York City that meets once a year, in December, for voting on its annual NYFCO Awards.  As usual, The Social Network dominates, winning awards for "Best Picture" and "Best Director."  Aaron Sorkin wins the screenplay award, which he has done for most of the awards season so far, at least except when Chris Nolan wins for Inception's screenplay:  Black Swan picked up a number of awards, including the actress award for Natalie Portman.

THE WINNERS:
Picture: The Social Network

Director: David Fincher, The Social Network

Actor: James Franco, 127 Hours

Actress: Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Supporting: Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter

Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Breakthrough Performer: Noomi Rapace, The Millennium Trilogy

Debut Director: John Wells, The Company Men

Ensemble Cast: The Kids Are All Right

Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

Documentary: Exit Through the Gift Shop

Foreign Language: I Am Love

Animated: Toy Story 3

Cinematography: Matthew Libatique, Black Swan

Music: Clint Mansell, Black Swan

TOP 10 FILMS
127 Hours
Another Year
Black Swan
Blue Valentine
The Ghost Writer
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
The Social Network

http://www.nyfco.org/