GRADE: D+

I can probably guess that many will not dislike Safe House as much as I did. The audience surrounding me at midnight showing was cheering the film in their appreciation and shrieking during some of the bloody battles. About 15 minutes in, I could already tell Safe House was going to be a run-of-the mill early 2012 release no one would remember — except maybe for its inadequacy. Even the greatness of Denzel could not keep this sinking ship afloat.

Safe House stars Ryan Reynolds as Matt Weston, a newbie in the C.I.A., and because of this is charged with the uneventful duty of watching a secure location used to hold and interrogate ’enemies of the state’ in South Africa. Things quickly get interesting as one of the world’s most wanted traitors, Tobin Frost (Washington), is brought to the secure location after he purposefully turns himself in. The reason behind his intended capture is soon known as the fortified spot is overrun by men with guns, seeking to take Frost and the intel he possesses.

This is the typical film that starts with two men who are enemies, and slowly works them into partners with a common foe — the men who so ruthlessly seek the damning intel. Safe House hits so many clichés in this film, it’s cliché. Denzel plays the former elite American operative jaded by the political system, a man who is guilty of ‘justified’ espionage. It features the girlfriend who doesn’t know Reynolds is a secret agent, and his heroic attempt to save her. It draws upon the typical deceit tactics to make the viewer think that guy is good, welp, flip the script he’s bad. Safe House lacks strength story-wise, so like any action flick with this flaw, it fills running time with mindless car chases, gun battles, and hand to hand combat.

While the writing isn’t absolutely terrible — it’s just formulaic, bland and over-done — the direction by Daniel Espinosa really is. He does his best Tony Scott impression, a la Man on Fire, by using similar camera techniques like quick zooms and layering images, a grainy picture displaying a foreign second world country, and headlining Denzel as the unstoppable force. The abundance of action in Safe House is not only used as a bridge for the weak story, it’s messy, often indecipherable, and despite all the loud noises and shaky images, boring. Not only that, but I hate when directors choose to use a handheld technique for static shots such as character dialogue. Your budget is millions of dollars Espinosa, invest in a tripod or a rig with some stabilization. The shaky movement during all the dialogue is distracting, and annoying.

Another thing that really made me hate the action in this film was the group of militants chasing the duo always showing up at the right time, and always knowing where to be. Granted they did have some inside information, but more times than I can count they just pop up at the ‘perfect’ moment, making me scratch my head in disbelief of how they got there. One example is when Reynolds is escaping in an early 2000′s BMW 7 Series, and being chased by an older Jeep Grand Cherokee and a Sprinter van. Reynolds leaves the spot in full flight, far ahead of his chasers as they have to run to their cars to catch up — he turns left, and right, and speeds off into the bustling city. Seconds later the pursuers are traveling parallel on a side street, neck and neck with Reynolds, but on a neighboring street. Seconds after that, they’re right on his tail with their slower and less maneuverable vehicles.

It could make sense if Reynolds slowed down, took a wrong turn, got in an accident, or had some sort of tracker on his car — but that is not the case in Safe House. These men are able to follow without any logic given to how they are catching up, or better yet, discovering the exact location when the pair is constantly on the move. Later in the film he gets a GPS tracker with his mission details, but like I said, later.

Overall, Safe House showcases two very good performances from Denzel and Reynolds, but their involvement in this project could not save the film from being forgotten amongst the rest of the usual fodder released early in the year. The film lacks logic, a solid story to build around, and stimulating action. I was so bored after an hour of Safe House I could not wait for the expected and disappointing twists to stop. I can’t say others will look at Safe House the same way I did, with an analytical eye, but I can’t imagine many seeing it as more than a pointless action flick.

What Should You Do? If you’re into pointless action flicks, by all means, have at it. Otherwise, skip Safe House.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

Honestly, I’m not sure there is room for another Bourne film. I thought the ending to The Bourne Ultimatum was perfect, with Jason disappearing into the river. If you would have asked me when I watched that moment for the first time, there is no way I would’ve assumed another Bourne would be in the works. But, a bankable series equals more dollars, and we all know how hard it is for studios to leave that on the table. They can’t keep their hand out of the cookie jar. While I have my reservations about adding on to this series, the fact The Bourne Legacy stars Jeremy Renner, Edward Norton, and Rachel Weisz does help subdue some of that negativity. This first peek at the films does more of the same.

Check it out. Head to Apple to check out the full HD spot.

While so much can be said for Hollywood simply beating a dead horse by continuing this series, I think The Bourne Legacy has a lot of potential. Jason Bourne was not the only super-agent-type to come out of government programs like Treadstone. Who’s to say there aren’t more compelling stories following agents just like Bourne? I like to think Renner and Norton would not have signed on unless there was real substance within the pages of the script, something worth prolonging this series for. Now we only have to wait until next August to actually discover if this series still has life.

The Bourne Legacy hits theaters August 3rd, 2012.

What Did You Think Of The Trailer?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

The first full length trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man debuted last night at 2 a.m. CST, so I was up late to check it out as soon as it hit the… well, web. Now I am passing it on to you, so you can form your own opinion about the upcoming 3D reboot. Previously we had a glimpse at the Marc Webb rehash, but now we are dropped right into the story and conflict that will bombard Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker. Hit the jump to check the trailer out and to hear my brief thoughts on the matter.

First, the trailer.

Looks pretty sweet right? It’s nice that we finally get an up close look at Spider-Man’s adversary, The Lizard. I’ve heard a few grumblings on his appearance and apparent lack of a snout, but I don’t mirror those thoughts. From what I can tell from the trailer, this rendition is menacing and encompasses the look and feel of a vile aquatic creature. As you can also probably tell, this Spider-Man take is much darker, more realistic if you will, than Raimi’s trilogy. I’ll call this, ‘The Christopher Nolan Effect’. American audiences seem to have the apetite for this type of superhero tale, shown after the wild success of Nolan’s more serious and much needed realistic take on Batman. Sure Captain America: The First Avenger made a lot of money, but it didn’t make The Dark Knight money — and studios want The Dark Knight type returns.

While the comics have also leaned towards a more light-hearted nature, I see no harm in this story unfolding in a reality similar to our own. Having a more serious take will distance this Spider-Man film, and most likely subsequent Garfield Spidey films, from the Raimi trilogy. I personally think it would be worse if Webb and his team tried to go the route of Raimi’s comical, fun tone. Where’s the creativity in that?

I also want to point out that in Los Angeles, a select few theaters were privileged enough to preview eight minutes of the film. Slashfilm’s Peter Sciretta was one of those few, and he had nothing but praise for what he saw. He actually said he was more impressed with this “sizzle” reel than The Dark Knight Rise Prologue. The prologue knocked my socks right off — that must means this preview was something to behold. The shots of Spidey swinging to and fro were mostly practical shots of real stuntmen, not just CGI creations — apparently the shots are jaw-dropping, especially in 3D. He also commented on how the relationship between Peter and Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone) felt real, and more inviting than Tobey McGuire and Kirsten Dunst. If there is one thing Marc Webb has proven, it’s the ability to develop characters, and especially characters who are a couple — see (500) Days of Summer.

The Amazing Spider-Man comes out in 3D on July 3rd, 2012.

What Did You Think Of The Trailer?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

I’m sure many of our readers were watching the Super Bowl yesterday, and I’m sure a lot of you also made sure to pay attention to the commercials within the game. With the low scoring affair on display yesterday, I’m sure some actually considered the commercials more entertaining. The commercial spots are uber-expensive, but each year the upcoming Summer blockbusters usually put their marketing campaigns into full force with a Super Bowl spot — but notice the absence of a The Dark Knight Rises tease. The best movie ad from the game yesterday was hands down The Avengers spot, which can be seen after the jump. Actually, if you check out this video, you will notice it’s a little bit longer than what was shown on TV yesterday — so call this an extended Super Bowl spot.

Check it out.

It’s funny to see Tony Stark going back and forth with the film’s villain Loki played by Tom Hiddleston. Loki explains he has an army, but that doesn’t dismay Stark, “We have a Hulk.” Despite having my own personal reservations about The Avengers being really good — fitting so many Alpha male characters onto one screen with success is going to prove a difficult task, possibly one with no right answer — I have to say that all the trailers and teasers to date have been encouraging. The Avengers appears to be a fun filled, action packed Summer blockbuster. I guess, only time will tell.

The Avengers hits theaters May 4th, 2012.

What Did You Think Of The Spot?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

The Hunger Games is now nearer than ever — duh. But March draws even closer as we enter Feburary, and Lionsgate plays on that fact by releasing another excellent trailer for the upcoming film. I think this trailer is better than the first, so don’t delay and hit the jump to check it out.

Without further ado…

I really love seeing the reasoning behind Katniss volunteering herself to compete to the death — while the other trailer displays this, this time around the close-knit relationship is profiled much better. I’m excited to see Jennifer Lawrence headline this film, as her talent almost exceeds her beauty.

The supporting cast is also no B-list, which also stars Josh Hutcherson, Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, Liam Hemsworth, and Woody Harrelson.

The Hunger Games comes out March 23th, 2012.

What Did You Think Of The Trailer?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

GRADE: A

It has taken me far too long to finally see this Award Season Juggernaut. After being nominated for Best Picture for the 84th Academy Awards and winning at the Golden Globes, I made it my mission to see The Artist ASAP. While I had my own reservations because of the old school nature this film embodies, those we dashed by the brillance put forth in this homage to the ‘Golden Age’ of Hollywood Cinema. For anyone that considers themselves a film connoisseur or film fanatic, The Artist should be a must see added to your list.

For all the buzz surrounding The Artist, most of it that I’ve heard has surrounded the male lead Jean Dujardin. He plays George Valentin, a seasoned silent film star on top of the movie game, and very aware of this fact. His ego is so magnificent, his pride dictates his personality. He loves the limelight brought on by his success, but soon the film industry moves toward talking pictures making George a relic in the business. Because he is kicked aside for the fresh talent in talking pictures, George is destroyed as he’s no longer loved, cherished, or worshipped by the studios and their audiences.

The budding actress Peppy Miller, played by the enchanting Bérénice Bejo, has always looked up to George and pities his declining career. She tries to pull him out the nose dive, but it proves difficult with George’s pride and self loathing getting in the way of his happiness. The chemistry between this pair is apparent from their initial encounter, and continuously builds until the poetic ending. The final scene was by far my favorite of the whole picture. I also should note that in black and white, both of these stars’ faces radiate on screen. It almost felt as if this pair was born to play these roles — they perfectly fit the mold of the stars back in the primitive days of Hollywood.

The supporting cast is filled with talented Hollywood figures like John Goodman, James Cromwell, and Penolope Anne Miller. Then add an adorable dog, who is smarter than most in the film, acting as George’s right hand man, the euphoria increases ten fold. The piece of this film that really carried it from scene to scene and set the emotion within them all is the award winning soundtrack composed by Ludovic Bource.

My only gripe with The Artist has everything to do with my own personal preference for a movie with talking characters. I personally have a hard time enjoying any film made before 1980, and even flicks in the 80′s are a stretch for me. I love the movies of today with their perfected sound and visuals — they transport me into characters’ lives and other worlds much more readily than the movies of the past. Of course I respect the films that paved the way for today’s cinema, but that doesn’t mean I have to watch them, because I usually do not enjoy them. Sue me.

While The Artist is brilliant in so many ways – cinematography, acting, the beautiful score, the crisp black and white images, the story — I could never sit down and watch this silent film over and over. I could almost feel myself going crazy without spoken word for so long, and while constantly listening to my own inner dialogue during the film. I like my actors to speak and be heard during a film. I don’t think anything should be taken away from the silent effort, because making a unique film like this these days is bold and should be commended. It just isn’t my cup of tea — and look at how much I still loved it, a testament to the greatness that is The Artist.

Overall, this film is garnering national attention and getting a wider release for good reason — more people need to see The Artist. You definitely have to be of a certain type to appreciate this film — a Michael Bay purist does not fit said type — but even those not in love with old school cinema or silent films can gaze in wonderment while watching Dujardin and Bejo at their finest.

What Should You Do? See The Artist so you too can understand why it’s nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards this month.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

GRADE: B-

The premise of this film is self explanatory considering the title. Man on a Ledge is the latest Sam Worthington flick, which also stars Jamie Bell, Edward Burns, Elizabeth Banks, Anthony Mackie, and Ed Harris. Worthington plays Nick Cassidy, a man, who is essentially on a ledge for the majority of the film. This is the quintessential example of a popcorn flick, a film that is purely entertaining, full of cheap thrills, and devoid of real emotion. It isn’t a narrative that progresses rationally, and some of the characters and many of the situations are over the top. But like I said, it’s a mindless popcorn flick akin to many Summer blockbusters.

Nick Cassidy resides on a ledge because he is trying to prove he did not steal a gigantic diamond from Ed Harris’ character David Englander. The ledge is a ploy, a distraction from the real heist at hand — Nick’s brother Joey (Bell), and his girlfriend are hard at work trying to break into Englander’s vault to recover the diamond while Nick is on the ledge. As these films go, not all goes according to plan.

Man on a Ledge spends most of the time playing the ‘realism’ card, pretending that an event like this is not a far cry from reality. But early on I realized this film was diving head first into a fabricated fantasy full of stupid gimmicks. The fantasy aspect is most apparent from the inclusion of Genesis Rodriguez, the extremely attractive Latina woman playing the girlfriend and co-conspirator of Joey Cassidy. The relationship between this couple is not only laughable it’s so forced, but the two actually succumb to arguing while breaking into the highly secure vault — the consequences of getting caught, and what’s at stake (proving the innocence of Nick) are seemingly ignored by the couple as they waste time with trivial bickering.

Rodriguez’s purpose in the film isn’t to add dimension to the story (she isn’t fit to be a thief anyway), it’s to act as eye candy to fit into the Hollywood formula for success — sexy women stripping down to their bra and panties equals more dollars. The striptease happens in the guarded vault as she changes into a sleek stealth outfit, again wasting more precious time, instead of simply wearing the thief body suit underneath her street clothes. While every guy in the audience no doubt was drooling watching this would-be lingerie model showing off her goodies, this just showed me how forced some pieces of this film were. These aren’t the only pieces within that were a stretch, but those are the easiest to literate without spoiling too much. Because late in the film, Man on a Ledge really starts to push the capacity for unbelievability.

Overall, Man on a Ledge was fun to watch, but nothing I’d recommend anyone buy for their DVD/Blu-Ray collection. Worthington and the rest of the commendable cast do justice to the oftentimes hokie script, but even they couldn’t keep me from rolling my eyes every so often. The set up was enticing, the action was fast paced and exciting, and the payoff was not awful. Some of the shots staged by director Asger Leth were remarkable and brought the audience into the point of view of the man standing on the ledge — any filmmaker or film nut will appreciate most of Leth’s work. Man on a Ledge felt like an unpolished product — in more capable hands, this film could have been great.

What Should You Do? It’s worth the price of a matinee admission, but Man on a Ledge fits the January release profile — it isn’t a must see.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

This morning the 2012 Oscar nominations were revealed, which of course annually provides both heartbreak and jubilation for those nominated and those snubbed. This year, the Best Picture nomination pool is nine, and not the ten of years past. The nominations were reduced from the ten made standard in 2010, down to however many Best Picture nominees the voting body feels is necessary. This year they felt nine was appropriate, a number I do not agree with. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was left off the nominee list, as was its director David Fincher. In my opinion, these two headline the snubs this year, along with Steven Spielberg being left out of the nomination for Best Director despite War Horse earning a Best Picture nod. Hit the jump for the full list, and a few brief thoughts from yours truly.

To be honest, I do not understand the award committees not rewarding The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. While I don’t think the film has to win Best Picture, I find it odd that it has rarely been included amongst the Best Picture nominees. It is even harder to comprehend considering award committees tend to lean towards films that tackle difficult to swallow or hard hitting issues — Fincher’s latest has no shortage of rape, incest, domestic abuse, mutilation, and murder. From my stand point, this 2011 version accomplished lightyears more than the 2009 mediocre Swedish take — that alone should merit some recognition. Last year the Best Picture field held ten nominees, why not this year? The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo isn’t deserving? What about Drive? (And what about Ryan Gosling?) What about Martha Marcy May Marlene?

And while my personal bias comes into play here, Fincher not being amongst the Best Directors this year is another disservice to the industry. I challenge any person to watch the original The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and then Fincher’s film and see the distinct difference an experienced and talented filmmaker brings in terms of final product. Fincher killed it on his end, and his work as a storyteller is rivaled by few in the game today — his name should be in the mix. In my opinion, every film nominated for Best Picture should be coupled with the film’s director. Period. If the film is good enough to be nominated for Best Picture, the person who was a central figure, if not the central figure, in molding the acclaimed final product should get due credit. That’s my two cents.

It’s nice to see that Leonard DiCaprio was left off the Best Actor list, as I felt his portrayal in J. Edgar was one of the worst performances of his career (that is still pretty damn good by most standards). His acting felt forced, and I didn’t think he deserved to be included like he was for this year’s Golden Globes. Also getting snubbed in their sophomore effort are Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for their work on… you guessed it, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The pair won the Oscar last year for The Social Network, and despite composing an amazing score for the film, they were left off the list of nominees. Yet, if you look at the list, John Williams is nominated twice for two different films. I don’t agree with that at all.

I think the category to watch will be Best Actress. Those listening to the podcast know my position on Meryl Streep winning Best Actress at the Golden Globes this year (I was not happy), and now she is up against even more talent with Michelle Williams being added to the mix for her work in My Week With Marilyn. Williams also won at the Globes, but in a different category for actresses (Comedy/Musical). I will get this out of the way now, if Streep wins the Academy Award for Best Actress I will lose faith in all humanity. She is up against Rooney Mara (who should win), Michelle Williams (who also deserves a W), Viola Davis (who could be the dark horse here) and Glenn Close. I really want Mara to win for her total transformation into the dark persona that is Lisbeth Salander, but I’d be fine with Williams or Davis winning. Just not Streep! She shouldn’t get awards in 2012 just because she has had a long and illustrious career.

You can tune into the Oscars Sunday, Feburary 26th. And of course, after the awards show, we will have all our thoughts right here on the Mash.

Best Picture

“The Artist” Thomas Langmann, Producer

“The Descendants” Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers

“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” Scott Rudin, Producer

“The Help” Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers

“Hugo” Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers

“Midnight in Paris” Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers

“Moneyball” Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers

“The Tree of Life” Nominees to be determined

“War Horse” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role

Demián Bichir in “A Better Life”

George Clooney in “The Descendants”

Jean Dujardin in “The Artist”

Gary Oldman in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Brad Pitt in “Moneyball”

Actor in a Supporting Role

Kenneth Branagh in “My Week with Marilyn”

Jonah Hill in “Moneyball”

Nick Nolte in “Warrior”

Christopher Plummer in “Beginners”

Max von Sydow in “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Actress in a Leading Role

Glenn Close in “Albert Nobbs”

Viola Davis in “The Help”

Rooney Mara in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady”

Michelle Williams in “My Week with Marilyn”

Actress in a Supporting Role

Bérénice Bejo in “The Artist”

Jessica Chastain in “The Help”

Melissa McCarthy in “Bridesmaids”

Janet McTeer in “Albert Nobbs”

Octavia Spencer in “The Help”

Animated Feature Film

“A Cat in Paris” Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli

“Chico & Rita” Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal

“Kung Fu Panda 2″ Jennifer Yuh Nelson

“Puss in Boots” Chris Miller

“Rango” Gore Verbinski

Art Direction

“The Artist” Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan

“Hugo” Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo

“Midnight in Paris” Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil

“War Horse” Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography

“The Artist” Guillaume Schiffman

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Jeff Cronenweth

“Hugo” Robert Richardson

“The Tree of Life” Emmanuel Lubezki

“War Horse” Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design

“Anonymous” Lisy Christl

“The Artist” Mark Bridges

“Hugo” Sandy Powell

“Jane Eyre” Michael O’Connor

“W.E.” Arianne Phillips

Directing

“The Artist” Michel Hazanavicius

“The Descendants” Alexander Payne

“Hugo” Martin Scorsese

“Midnight in Paris” Woody Allen

“The Tree of Life” Terrence Malick

Documentary (Feature)

“Hell and Back Again” Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner

“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman

“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

“Pina” Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel

“Undefeated” TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)

“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement” Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin

“God Is the Bigger Elvis” Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson

“Incident in New Baghdad”James Spione

“Saving Face” Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom” Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing

“The Artist” Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius

“The Descendants” Kevin Tent

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

“Hugo” Thelma Schoonmaker

“Moneyball” Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film

“Bullhead” Belgium

“Footnote” Israel

“In Darkness” Poland

“Monsieur Lazhar” Canada

“A Separation” Iran

Makeup

“Albert Nobbs” Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng

“The Iron Lady” Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)

“The Adventures of Tintin” John Williams

“The Artist” Ludovic Bource

“Hugo” Howard Shore

“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Alberto Iglesias

“War Horse” John Williams

Music (Original Song)

“Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets” Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie

“Real in Rio” from “Rio” Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Short Film (Animated)

“Dimanche/Sunday” Patrick Doyon

“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg

“La Luna” Enrico Casarosa

“A Morning Stroll” Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe

“Wild Life” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)

“Pentecost” Peter McDonald and Eimear O’Kane

“Raju” Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren

“The Shore” Terry George and Oorlagh George

“Time Freak” Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey

“Tuba Atlantic” Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing

“Drive” Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Ren Klyce

“Hugo” Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl

“War Horse” Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson

“Hugo” Tom Fleischman and John Midgley

“Moneyball” Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin

“War Horse” Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson

“Hugo” Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning

“Real Steel” Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg

“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

“The Descendants” Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

“Hugo” Screenplay by John Logan

“The Ides of March” Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon

“Moneyball” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin

“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)

“The Artist” Written by Michel Hazanavicius

“Bridesmaids” Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig

“Margin Call” Written by J.C. Chandor

“Midnight in Paris” Written by Woody Allen

“A Separation” Written by Asghar Farhadi

What Do You Think Of The Nominees?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

I had the pleasure of finally sitting down and watching the critically acclaimed Disney animation Tangled which came out in 2010 — this fact alone makes me ashamed to admit I am just seeing now. While I’m sure many out there have already seen it, I loved this film so much I had to gush about it and recommend people look for it on Netflix. Tangled isn’t my favorite Disney film, but it definitely oozes with the magic that has made the Disney logo one of the most recognizable castles on the planet.

This narrative is another Disney princess tale, this time with Mandy Moore voicing Rapunzel, a beautiful blonde imprisoned by her greedy mother in order to protect the powers held by her extremely long hair. Just before her 18th birthday, a thief on the run named Flynn (voiced by Zachary Levi) seeks a place to hide in her tower prison. The two strike a deal to help the other out, and Flynn and Rapunzel set off on an adventure. Tangled features the typical development that starts with distaste between the two but slowly buds into everlasting love (spoiler alert!). While Disney has run this course a thousand times, they always seem to execute with style and creativity that makes it all feel fresh.

Tangled showcases the singing talents of Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi with more brilliant Disney song and dance. Another nod should be given to Donna Murphy who voices Mother Gothel, the oppressive mother of Rapunzel and the story’s villain. The songs advance the narrative and add context to characters in addition to perfectly fitting the mood of the scenes they are featured in. Another big plus in this film is the stellar animation with bright and bold colors accentuating the crisp images. The imagination behind the great visuals plummeted me into this fabricated Disney environment.

For those who haven’t had the chance to see Tangled, I strongly recommend you do. This is one of those films for all ages, one that will entertain both adults and children. I had a smile stretched across my face throughout the film stemming from funny situations, the characters within them, and the strong and quirky personalities given to the chameleon Pascal and the horse Maximus. No one gives non-speaking animals vibrant personalities better than the folks at Disney. Anyone who owns and loves dogs will get a kick out of seeing Maximus acting very much like ‘man’s best friend’ in Tangled. Disney restores the magic to their animation division with yet another princess tale, one for all to enjoy.

Netflix This: Tangled 

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

GRADE: C

Haywire is exactly what you would think stemming from the previews; elite super solider-esque persona who gets double crossed and must fight back against a system that possesses a lot of firepower. Despite having a run-of-the-mill premise, this is far from the typical action flick. It’s unique from the mindless action genre because it features the distintive talents of Steven Soderbergh’s less serious storytelling and slow paced cuts, as well as his favor for an upbeat jazzy Ocean’s 11-type soundtrack (which I felt was totally off). Don’t get me wrong, Haywire has a lot of great ass kicking and action scenes within, but that unfortunately is where my praise stops.

First, I’ll start off with Gina Carano. She really is, ‘all that is man’ but in a more feminine way. She can beat up on the stronger men in Haywire, pull off all the stunts required of her, and still look good while doing it. But the thing is, this is Carano’s first experience as an actress — her first endeavors were American Gladiators and MMA fighting. She isn’t necessarily a bad actress, and was believable in her ‘tough guy’ role. But she does not have the star power to carry a film like this. Here she is asked to shoulder the load with little spoken word — she must drive this character with a strong but quiet hardened presence. This is a task that Ryan Gosling was up to in Drive, and George Clooney in The American. I just rattled off two of the game’s best, so carrying a film like in this manner is no easy task. Carano just didn’t have the screen presence that captivated my attention and kept me glued to her character.

It was obvious Carano would not be great with a dialogue laden script, so the lack of spoken word worked to an advantage. But without the moxie to flourish as a non-speaking character, her lack of speaking can leave the audience in the dark. I get that she has that hardened impermeable exterior, but almost every character written needs vulnerabilities or traits that shine through fortified walls. Humanity is briefly toyed with after ‘someone close’ dies, but it’s a feeble attempt.

The script even references a former relationship between Carano’s character Mallory and Kenneth (McGregor), a past that isn’t developed in the slightest despite the characters interacting quite a bit. Not only that, but after getting a heavy dose of this callous female character why would the audience ever think Mallory is even capable of an intimate relationship with this vague character Kenneth? The script can proclaim whatever it wants attempting to create rounded characters or backstory, however, that doesn’t mean it fits together or works.

With Carano playing alongside this dynamite cast like Michael Fassbender, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas and Ewan McGregor (Bill Paxton and Channing Tatum also star), these leading men sometimes stole the ‘thunder’ from the leading lady. One could argue surrounding the inexperienced Carano with a star studded cast will help hold her up — but these supporting characters are so infrequently on screen, their presence is disjointed. This is especially true when Carano crosses paths with a young teen and narrates her whole story to him as if he will play some importance in the end, as if he will be the one to tell her side of the story — then he disappears. Paxton comes in at the end, Fassbender has a brief appearance, and McGregor has no chemistry with Carano. None of these additions help Mallory feel more whole.

Even the sound design and lighting were less than remarkable. A few times I noticed glare off character’s faces from a non-diagetic light (a light that isn’t natural within the scene) which is a very big no-no in production. The sound design, especially from the combative standpoint, was underwhelming. The fight scenes were often shot from a distance, keeping the audience at arm’s length from the action. I did not like this choice in shooting style, nor did I like how the sound fx resembled this distance approach.

I do like how Soderberg chose not to use a blitzkrieg of cuts — which is common in this genre — to piece together the action. The longer cuts made the fighting feel organic and more realistic. However, as stated above, the overuse of medium and wide shots made me feel as if I wasn’t ‘involved’ with the action going on. I was kept at an arm’s length. I also did not get a good feel for the environment in which the characters were in, another demerit for Soderberg as director. Oftentimes he failed to establish the space that his characters occupied — this is more bothersome than destructive.

Another huge problem I had with this film is the lack of tension. The audience is left without the expectations for what’s to come. Scenes progress with poor transitions putting Carano in a new places and situations exacting revenge on another who crossed her — this is on full display in a final scene with Ewan McGregor. The film also featured a fairly simplistic narrative to start, but then it got muddled at the end with new unnecessary layers being revealed all via exposition. In fact, almost the entire story and character relationships are exposition.

Overall, I liked Carano in the role — she fit the character and is excellent in the action pieces, but her lack of experience makes it hard to carry the load as a silent assassin. I love how Soderberg didn’t spend the film sexualizing a character who clearly lacks feminine qualities. On the downside, Soderberg doesn’t seem to take the film as seriously with his direction and music choices as Lem Dobbs did writing the resolute script. Dobbs’ effort is also flawed — too much exposition, not enough establishment of a concise story, or the characters and their relationships.

What Should You Do? I won’t recommend anyone stay away from Haywire, but I didn’t personally find it worthwhile aside from the great hand to hand combat sequences.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery