Now Let's Not Get Excited, But...

...I may continue posting occasionally to this site. Of course I never updated as routinely as Adam did and I don't think I can step up the frequency of posts I make, but if any of our readers see this, if once in a blue moon you check back I may have something for you to read here.

Today, I have this news item that I had to share: Peter Jackson has released his first official video from the set of The Hobbit! As a longtime fan of both The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy and of Tolkien's books (particularly The Hobbit) I am extremely excited about this, and even more so to see so many of the original cast returning to fill their old roles (Ian McKellan, Andy Serkis, rumors of Hugo Weaving, Ian Holm, and Elijah Wood) and to see Peter Jackson returning as director (although don't get me wrong, I think Guillermo del Toro is a visionary director who would have done a great job - but Jackson is basically a sure thing with this material, and I'm always one for stylistic consistency). I'd also like to point out that I am 100% behind the casting of Martin Freeman as Bilbo, not only because he has a very Hobbit-like look about him, but also because we know already that he can play the bumbling fish-out-of-water character to a T.

That's all for now... I must away ere break of day.

It's Been Fun

Well faithful readers. The time has come for me to step down as the lead writer for Routinely Average. I was recently hired at an online magazine called suite101.com that will actually pay me from time to time for my musings. If you are interested, their content is free so you are more than welcome to continue reading my stuff. I am going to try to diversify my subject matter as well, so I won't always be writing about movies anymore.

I started this blog almost exactly a year ago and I like to think I've done at least a decent job of updating it and keeping it interesting. I know I've become a much more proficient writer/blogger over that time span and I certainly hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. I am not totally precluding the possibility of continuing to post here at RA, but at least for now the articles will be much fewer and farther between. That is unless one of the other writers wants to pick up the slack, which would be awesome. In any case, I just wanted to say thank you one last time here before I go and I'd especially like to thank my co-writers Ben, Chris and Michael. It's been fun.

My Suite101 Profile
My first article at Suite101

The Oscars: Live With Routinely Average

Hey everybody. Just wanted to keep you guys updated on the upcoming live blog coverage of the Oscars by yours truly. I will be hosting a chat here on Sunday, February 27th from 8pm until the closing credits roll for the biggest awards show on the planet. You can stop by and comment, or just follow along if you prefer. I'm going to attempt to include various interesting links, pictures and polls, but mostly, it will just be a lot of movie talk. Hope you join us.

RA's Oscar Picks

In preparation for our Oscar coverage here at Routinely Average, I wanted to get a written record of my picks out there just in case I go 24 for 24. By the way, I'm doing it in reverse order so to get to my best picture pick you have to read everything else. Or I guess just scroll to the bottom. So here it is. The extra long RA preview column. For a refresher, all the nominees are listed here.

We are adding a late edit here with RA contributor Michael's picks. Be sure to check it out.

Best Live Action Short: This is one of the few categories that I know little to nothing about. I haven't seen any of the five nominees, nor do I have a whole lot of experience with the medium. From the various Oscar pieces I have read from people far more informed than I, the consensus seems to be that either Na Wewe ( which depicts ethnic violence in Burundi), or Wish 143 (which is about a young boy with a terminal illness). Cheery stuff. Based on nothing in particular, I predict the Oscar will go to.... Na Wewe.

Best Live Action Short: Having only seen the trailers of these nominees, I'm going to go with Na Wewe for tackling very serious subject matter (ethnic violence in Africa) - under the same principle that Holocaust films often do well at the Oscars.

Best Animated Short: I have seen two of the five entries here. Pixar's charming Day & Night, and the beautifully animated Madagascar, a Journey Diary. While I loved both of these shorts, I am always drawn more to story structure and character development than visuals so my vote would go to Day & Night. The internet buzz seems to be pushing the short adapted from a children's book, The Gruffalo. It certainly possesses the star power to put it over the top with voice contributions from Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Wilkinson, and John Hurt among others. I'll stick with the experts for now and say The Gruffalo takes home the prize.

Pixar's Day & Night

Best Animated Short: I know Day and Night is a favorite here, simply for being Pixar, but I think for this category story takes a back seat to visuals, and nothing comes close to the creative and stunningly beautiful animation of the rollicking travelogue, Madagascar, carnet de voyage.

Best Documentary Short: I have not seen any of these, but the choice seems to be between Strangers No More (the story of a school for children from all over the world in Tel Aviv) and The Warriors of Qiugang (an environmental battle in rural China). Warriors has the cooler name and also has my vote for the Oscar.

Best Documentary Short: If a heartwarming tale of children of various ethnicities and nationalities learning together under the guidance of determined schoolteachers isn't a recipe for success at the Academy Awards, I don't know what is. Strangers No More takes it.

Best Documentary Feature: This was a very strong category this year, as the critically acclaimed and much discussed Waiting For Superman couldn't even garner a nomination. Here there seem to be three potential victors. The first is Exit Through the Gift Shop which is the story of the reclusive, infamous graffiti artist Banksy and the world of street art. Next is Inside Job, the tale of insider trading and the market crash in 2008. And finally, we have Restrepo which follows one platoon of American soldiers for one year in Afghanistan. I think Restrepo and Inside Job are both a bit too political and that will shy voters away, so my vote goes to Exit Through the Gift Shop.

Best Documentary Feature: I predict Restrepo with its shocking look into the war on terror, rides the wake of last year's The Hurt Locker to pick up this award.

Best Achievement in Visual Effects: This is usually a fun one where movies that aren't competing in other categories have a shot to take home an Oscar. Unfortunately, Inception had to be so darn good they went and ruined that. It would be a massive upset (and a travesty), if Christopher Nolan and crew didn't take home the golden statue here. The only possible dark horse is Alice in Wonderland. My vote goes to Inception.


Best Achievement in Visual Effects: Inception. Coolest effects by a mile, and most of them done without CGI.


Best Achievement in Sound Editing: This category gets a bit too technical for me to offer an informative breakdown, but from what I've heard, Inception is a run away favorite here too, so I'll hop on the bandwagon.

Best Achievement in Sound Editing: I don't know much about the creation of sound effects, and I wouldn't be altogether surprised with Tron: Legacy scooping up it's only award, but my final answer is Inception.

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing: Again Inception is getting the most buzz. I have seen some picks for The Social Network in this category, but the consensus is that the Inception sound crew did some pretty incredible stuff. So for the third category in a row... Inception gets the Oscar.

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing: Inception again steals a technical award.

Best Original Song: It would be a pretty big surprise if Toy Story 3 and Pixar muse Randy Newman didn't snag a win here with "We Belong Together."

Best Original Song: Randy Newman's "We Belong Together" seems the obvious choice here.

Best Original Score: Another pretty competitive category here. The King's Speech and The Social Network both had excellent scores, but I thought the music for Inception was outstanding and really helped set the mood. I'm picking a slight upset here, but I think Inception takes home the Oscar.

Best Original Score: This is one of the toughest decisions, because all of these nominees have some really nice music, but I have to think that the Inception will win this for its pulsing, driving, emotionally intense score from start to finish.

Best Achievement in Makeup: This one is a gimme. Everyone is picking The Wolfman to win, and it should. For those of you who have doubts, just glance slightly to the right. The Wolfman is my prediction.

Best Achievement in Makeup: The Wolfman, 'nuff said.

Best Achievement in Costume Design: This is an interesting group of films here. There is the genre piece in True Grit (see the RA review here), the period piece in The King's Speech, two fantasy dominated films in The Tempest and Alice in Wonderland, and a portrait of the uber-wealthy in Italy with I Am Love. My pick, based purely on personal enjoyment of the costumes, is Alice in Wonderland.

Best Achievement in Costume Design: I was tempted by several nominees here, but I think a period piece about royalty is enough to tip the scale in favor of the Oscar heavyweight The King's Speech.

Best Achievement in Art Directing: I am torn on this category. I thought the art direction in True Grit was absolutely flawless. Some of the images in the movie possessed such an austere beauty. The internet buzz however, seems to be suggesting this is a battle between The King's Speech and Alice in Wonderland. While in my heart I want True Grit to win, my prediction is that The King's Speech is going to have a big night and this category will be a part of it.

Best Achievement in Art Directing: I predict the fantastical world of Alice in Wonderland will win out in this category.

Best Achievement in Editing: Another very strong category. The Social Network and 127 Hours were both outstandingly edited films taking very unique and entertaining approaches. I think my favorite however was the job done on Black Swan. The editing was a major part of that film and is some of the best I've ever seen. Most people are predicting a win for The Social Network, but my guess is Black Swan pulls the upset.

Best Achievement in Editing: This one will go to the frequent flash backs and forwards and the snappy, sharp, pacing of The Social Network.

Best Achievement in Cinematography: Inception's Wally Pfister did a spectacular job on his film, but the signs are pointing to a long overdue life time achievement award for the long time Coen brothers collaborator Roger Deakins and True Grit. The Coen's deliberate western will pull off the victory here.

True Grit

Best Achievement in Cinematography: I'm with Adam on this one, an award for True Grit is in order here. That film was beautifully shot, acknowledgment of Deakin's work is overdue, and this will give a little diversity to the bigger categories of the night.


Best Foreign Language Film: The debate is between the Mexican Biutiful and the Danish In a Better World. The difference will be Javier Bardem bringing the star power to Biutiful and the film will ride him to an Oscar win.

Best Foreign Language Film: I'm going to go with Biutiful, as it is supposed to be a truly remarkable performance from Bardem.

Best Animated Feature Film: Many people have made this joke before me. Many will make it after me. They should just call this the Pixar award. Toy Story 3 in a landslide. How to Train Your Dragon (see RA review here) is the distant dark horse here.

Best Animated Feature Film: Here's perhaps my only major underdog pick. I don't think the Academy can keep giving this to Pixar indefinitely, and a threequel, no matter how excellent, may be a good place to give someone else a chance. It would also be an opportunity to honor Sylvain Chomet, whose gorgeous film Les Triplettes de Belleville was nominated in 2004 but lost out to a deserving Finding Nemo. My prediction is The Illusionist.

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network is the run away favorite here. I think True Grit deserves some consideration for doing an excellent job bringing the Charles Portis novel to life. The fascinating, minimalist Winter's Bone is also terrific, but the Oscar will go to Aaron Sorkin and The Social Network.


Best Adapted Screenplay: One of tonight's giants, The Social Network.


Best Original Screenplay: This is another category with a clear favorite. The Kids Are All Right is the outside possibility, but The King's Speech will snag another here.

Best Original Screenplay: The other giant, The King's Speech, continues the fairly even split.

Best Supporting Actress: I thought this was a fairly weak category this year. Hailee Steinfeld was terrific as young Mattie in True Grit, but I wasn't wowed by any of the other performances. Helena Bonham Carter was strong in The King's Speech, but not outstanding. Melissa Leo could provide the upset with her performance in The Fighter, but Steinfeld, for her debut film, will win the Academy Award here.

Best Supporting Actress: I heard a theory that Melissa Leo and Amy Adams from The Fighter could split the Academy vote, thus giving it to the young but extremely talented Hailee Steinfeld for her performance in True Grit. This theory suits me, as I thought she is deserving, so I'll go with that.

Best Supporting Actor: In contrast to the Best Supporting Actress nominees, I thought this was a very strong year for the supporting actors. Christian Bale is the favorite for his role in The Fighter, Geoffrey Rush is the dark horse for The King's Speech, and Jeremy Renner was intense in The Town (see RA review here). I actually think the actor who is getting the least press had the strongest performance. That would be John Hawkes as the brooding, unpredictable Teardrop in Winter's Bone. However, personal preferences aside, my prediction is Bale takes home his first ever Oscar.

Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes in Winter's Bone

Best Supporting Actor: I predict Geoffrey Rush cashes in on The King's Speech's big night.


Best Actress: This is also a much stronger field than the supporting actresses with Michelle Williams from Blue Valentine, and Jennifer Lawrence from Winter's Bone turning in pitch perfect performances in their respective films. Annette Bening is also wonderful in The Kids Are All Right and has the sentimental vote, but everyone (and myself included) will be shocked if Natalie Portman doesn't win for her work in Black Swan. Watching her act in that movie was physically exhausting. I can't imagine how demanding that role must have been to actually act out.

Best Actress: Word on the street is this will go to Natalie Portman for her intense physical preparation in addition to her performance, and I see no reason to dispute this.


Best Actor: This might be the easiest category to pick in the entire show. Heck, it might be the easiest pick in the last ten  years of the show. Colin Firth as King George the VI was perfect. He carries The King's Speech turning in a confident but charming performance as the stuttering King. If hell freezes over, then James Franco has an outside shot for some very strong stuff in 127 Hours, but I wouldn't put money on it.

Best Actor: I'm ashamed to say that I haven't yet had the chance to see The King's Speech, but buzz alone makes this one a no-brainer. It's Colin Firth without a doubt.


Best Achievement in Directing: This is another category where my favorite nominee will not win. I thought Darren Aronofsky did an exquisite job taking us inside the world of elite ballet, and all the pressures that accompany it. His film, Black Swan, is an intense, terrifying, and unsettling piece of film making that should win the Oscar. The actual winner will come down to either David Fincher for The Social Network, or Tom Hooper for The King's Speech. Both of those films are excellent so I won't be too broken up when Aronofsky gets passed over. My pick is the Oscar will go to Fincher.

Natalie Portman in Black Swan

Best Achievement in Directing: David Fincher's visionary approach to the drama of the minds behind the creation of Facebook will be rewarded.


Best Picture: Well, you finally made it. This is the second year now that we have ten nominees to choose from in this category, and all of the films were very good. My personal favorite film of the year was Black Swan, closely followed by 127 Hours, but both of these films are little better than long shot contenders. The real battle is between The Social Network and The King's Speech. The Social Network is the stylized story of the creation of Facebook, and the drawn out legal battles of inventor Mark Zuckerberg. The film is very well made, edgy, and has a lot of relevance for the modern audience. The King's Speech is a charming, sentimental tale of a stuttering King who, thanks to a confident Australian speech therapist, was able to grow into a symbol of national pride. My pick for the winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture is The King's Speech.

Best Picture: This year we will again see the rare occurrence that is becoming more common at the Oscars, and that is the Best Director/Best Picture split. The Social Network and The King's Speech will share the accolades tonight, but The King's Speech is going to come away with the biggy. Michael out.

Thanks for sticking with us everybody. I hope to see you all back Sunday night at 8pm so we can all see just how wrong we are. Let me know if you have some predictions of your own in the comments.

Sexy Beast

One aspect of movie making that I have always found fascinating is the art of acting. The attempt to take on another persona and to create an entirely unique character right in front of our eyes has always been a very interesting process for me. Most reviewers and critics tend to define an acting performance by the manner in which they react to their environment. Show believable fear, sorrow, and joy when they are supposed to, and do so in-character and in a memorable fashion, then it's a good acting job. The problem with that however, is that it only takes into account one half of character construction. A major piece of the pie is how the environment reacts to the character. In other words, what is their influence on what is occurring around them? Lets say you have two guys and one is supposed to be really scary. He only becomes scary once we perceive the second guy is both credible and frightened of the scary one. Basically the total scariness of the first character is determined by factors beyond the control of the actor playing him. This is essentially a very long way of saying, great acting performances are not solo accomplishments. Every great character needs great characters around them to reach that transcendent level. I think few movies illustrate this more clearly than Jonathan Glazer's 2000 gangster film, Sexy Beast.

Glazer's film primarily revolves around a conflict of wills between two men. There is the retired British gangster Gal (Ray Winstone), determined to stay retired, living the good life in Spain, and the mob boss Don Logan (Ben Kingsley), determined to bring Gal back to London for one last heist. We spend the first several minutes of the movie meeting the very self-assured Gal. He loves his wife, enjoys spending time with his friends and pool boy, and is generally happy with the way things are. Despite an ominous near death experience, Gal is relaxed and at ease. This introduction, while slow, pays huge dividends as the movie progresses. The viewer is shown how difficult it is to shake Gal's calm, and yet, we see that same calm shattered by the mere mention of Don's name. We know instantly, before we even meet him, that Don Logan is a man to be feared. 

Sir Ben Kingsley is not a large or imposing man. He convincingly played Gandhi in the midst of a hunger strike, to give you a rough idea. Despite these physical limitations, he put together one of the most intimidating gangsters in memory. Kingsley received an Oscar nomination for the film and it was well deserved. The film gives him quite an introduction to live up to. Still, Don does not disappoint, alternating wildly from a calculating state of control to deranged, eyeball-popping fury. Most importantly he does so within the confines of believability, thanks in large part to the reactions from Gal's shell-shocked household to Don's mood swings. Now, hopefully, the point of my intro comes into focus. Don is made significantly scarier because of the fear he generates in Gal. Without Winstone's very solid performance, then the scene-stealing Don Logan is just another crazy, over-the-top gangster.

Ben Kingsley as Don Logan

A third actor who's role must be touched on is Ian McShane. McShane plays the London mastermind Teddy Bass, who, as we come to discover, is the man pulling Don's strings. He provides his character with a whole different side of scary. Where Don is animated, vulgar and confrontational, Teddy is dispassionate and inscrutable. Both are equally unpredictable, however, the fact that Teddy controls Don gives an added mystique to the mobster that is truly frightening. Another example of ensemble acting aiding in the character creation process. Amanda Redman and James Fox also deserve mention for their turns as Gal's wife and skittish friend, respectively.

The plot is simple and slow-developing, the direction is strong but not exceedingly so, the music is easily forgettable, and the technical side of the film is adequate at best.. The tone of the movie is jarringly inconsistent and at times, almost surreal. The script provides numerous tense situations, some dark moments of humor and gives the cast the freedom to shine, which is the film's true strength. In the end it will always be remembered for Kingsley's performance, and it's not hard to see why. It is important however, to recognize the group effort that went into making both that performance, and the movie as a whole, a very fun ride.

23/30

Routinely Average News Coverage

Well hello readers. It has been a while since our last news post, and there have been several interesting developments in the world of feature-length film so this is going to be an extra-long one. Here are some brief updates, links and the indispensable RA perspective on each and every one.

Hugh Jackman and a giant robot

Lets start things off with some local flavor. Over the last three years Michigan, thanks to a generous tax credit for film producers, has become a popular filming location for all manner of movies, ranging from the low-budget indie, to major Hollywood blockbusters (if you'd like to learn more about the tax credit, this is a good site to do it). The tax credit passed the Michigan legislature in 2008. As a result, 32 feature-length films wrapped in that year alone. For some perspective, that is as many as the previous six years combined. More importantly, these are not small fish. Since January 2008 several major studio pictures have come through Michigan including Jack Black's Gulliver's Travels, 2009 Best Picture nominee Up in the Air, the Clint Eastwood picture Gran Turino, and upcoming films like Machine Gun Preacher, and the Hugh Jackman star vehicle Real Steel. Currently the Elmore Leonard novel Freaky Deaky is being adapted for the big screen with the intention of shooting in Detroit. Michael Bay is a particular fan of the Michigan scenery having made three different films here.

I realize I am being long winded here, but I'm getting to the point, I promise. The reason I bring up all of this is. The Michigan film industry just landed a major coup with Christopher Nolan opting to shoot the third installment of his Dark Night trilogy in Detroit. This was something of a surprise as Chicago was used very distinctively in the box-office smash The Dark Night. Regardless, this will bring a lot of money into the D and could be very good for both the city and the state.

Tom Hardy in Inception

Keeping with the Batman theme of the previous news tidbit. The cast for the new movie, tentatively titled The Dark Night Rises, has been clarified and all but finalized. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Morgan Freeman are all reprising roles from the first two films. The two new cast additions are Tom Hardy (who rose to fame in Nolan's 2010 hit Inception) as the villain Bane, and Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle (AKA Catwoman). It sounds like Hathaway is working out well, at least according to this interview. Speaking as someone who thinks Nolan is the best big budget director currently working in Hollywood, this is super exciting.

Alright, enough with the caped crusader. We are moving on to a very different sort of superhero. A man who united a nation, who fought for equality regardless of race, a man who was the 16th President of the United States. Yes, thats right. I'm talking about Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Now those of you who are fans of the Starz show Party Down will be saying, "wait, that's real?" And those of you who aren't will be saying, "wait, that's real?" And the answer to both questions is yes. It is based off a graphic novel and has been discussed as a possible feature length film for a while. Timur Bekmambetov and Tim Burton (who previously collaborated on the animated film 9) are joining forces again to bring it to the big screen. While it appears the role of Lincoln is still up for grabs, Joaquin Phoenix (fresh of the mockumentary I'm Still Here) seems to be the front runner for the role of Henry, Lincoln's ageless, vampire-killing mentor. Despite being thoroughly sick of vampires, I must say this sounds awesome. Burton and Bekmambetov have more than enough imagination between them to make this as wild as it should be, and Phoenix seems like he could fit right into place. Color me interested.

On to the next bit of news. It appears, contrary to previous RA news reports, that the latest James Bond installment is still a go and Sam Mendes is still in line to direct. On top of this already great news, Collider.com is reporting that Javier Bardem is being seriously considered as the next Bond villain. And as if it couldn't get any better than that, Bardem claims that the new film is going to take the franchise in an entirely new direction. I have actually been less than thrilled about the direction the last two Bond films have taken the franchise, so something fresh sounds great to me. Plus we already know Bardem can do evil.



Our final piece of news for today hits a bit closer to home, at least artistically. Arguably my favorite movie of all time is the Coen brothers' 1998 comedy, The Big Lebowski. The Jeff Bridges character of the Dude, is essentially a personal hero of mine. All of this is why this little rumor I heard only today has me both nervous and potentially overjoyed. Tara Reid, or Bunny from the film, has let slip that there has been some talk of a sequel. In all likelihood this is just another in a long line of false alarms as the Coens and Bridges have all denied any involvement. The absolute only way I could ever be ok with the making of a sequel is if those three were on board, and they are not known for being especially coy. However, with all the original pieces back, it could be a blast to spend another two hours with the Dude, Walter, Jesus and all of the other unique characters that made the first so wonderful. So basically, RA is adopting a wait and see approach.

Well, that is all we've got. Until next time, the dude abides.

And the nominees are...

Yesterday the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released the nominees for their 83rd annual Academy Award show, better known as the Oscars. Now, I know the Oscars aren't perfect (see my post on The Blind Side if you don't believe me), but despite working in an entirely subjective area, they provide a pretty reasonable foundation for what constitutes great art within the medium of film.

The glitz and glamor can be fun. The history is great. Whoever is hosting usually has an enormous impact on how enjoyable the 3+ hours are (James Franco and Anne Hathaway could be fun), and it is an especially interesting twist that for the first time ever, a host will also be a nominee (Franco for 127 Hours), but the real reason I watch is the debate. So I thought I would open it up here to you guys for some friendly discussion. There is a link to the the full list of nominees at the bottom of the post. Go peruse and let me know what you think. Who got left off, who has no place being included, who should win, who is just receiving a career nomination... etc. So far the biggest stories appear to be the snubs of Christopher Nolan in the Best Director category for Inception, and the documentary Waiting For Superman.

James Franco and Anne Hathaway

In addition, I want to at least float the idea of the possibility of live Routinely Average coverage of the Oscars. I believe I have the technology (or as I call it... magic) all figured out, so there could potentially be some live blogging going on if you are interested. Thoughts and suggestions are always appreciated. Thanks for reading.

Link to list of nominees.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

A great deal of art is a reflection of the culture that spawned it. Some of the very best art holds up a mirror to that culture, putting its hypocrisies on display for all to see. In our culture there has always been a strong inclination to both aid individuals who are mentally unbalanced, and at the same time to separate them from those who do possess that balance. That begs the question, who qualifies as mentally unbalanced? Can we call someone crazy just because they are far enough outside the realm of what we consider normal? And finally, once we agree on who needs that aid, how to we go about providing it? Milos Forman's 1975 Best Picture winning, masterpiece, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, asks all these questions.

The film takes place on one ward in a mental hospital. The main character, Randle Patrick McMurphy, is a force of nature and a man who lives life to the fullest. In order to avoid jail time, Mac finagles his way onto the ward and immediately shakes up the inhabitants. The other men on the ward have been reduced to shadows through a strict regimen of tranquilizing medicine, and oppressive therapy. The preferred method of treatment seems to be sedation, with the intent of reverting the patients to an almost child-like state. Mac's arrival both brings them out of their stupor, and initiates a conflict with one of the all-time great screen villains in Nurse Ratched, the head of the ward.

Jack Nicholson as McMurphy is such a perfect casting decision, and the character is written so well that if nothing else had gone right, this movie would still be worth a watch. Nicholson switches back and forth from comedy to tragedy so effortlessly that it is hard to imagine another actor pulling the role off. There is an extended closeup late in the film that is jarring, thanks solely to Nicholson's ability to captivate. Mac is the heart and soul of the movie. Part of the reason the character is so wonderful is his depth given to him by both the writers, and Nicholson. In other words, they don't suger coat him. He is a violent man, prone to anger, he struggles to understand and deal with some of the more serious mental illnesses present on the ward, and he is a blatant sexist. Mac's original crime that got him thrown onto the ward is statutory rape. And yet, this makes his heroic struggle to awaken the slumbering and terrified patients all the more real.

The same principle applies to Mac's nemesis, Nurse Ratched. Stoically played by Louis Fletcher (both Fletcher and Nicholson won Oscar's for their efforts), Ratched appears to be devoted to the care of her patients. However, as her need to control them slowly surfaces, Ratched is not demonized. One of the pivotal moments of the movie occurs as the hospital administrators discuss options to remove McMurphy from the ward, and Ratched admonishes them all for shying away from their duty to aid Mr. McMurphy.

Louise Fletcher and Brad Dourif

The film also benefits from a number of strong performances by patients on the ward. Brad Dourif (later famous for his role as the murderous doll Chucky), makes an Oscar nominated film debut here. Will Sampson, also making his big screen debut, is magnificent as a large mute Native American ward member. Early appearances from screen legends like Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd give a human touch to the patients.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is not a perfect film. Some mild sexism, an inconsistent tone, and a tendency to discount legitimate mental illnesses are all significant flaws within the story structure. Still, it makes a persuasive point while telling a very touching story, chock full of interesting characters and a career making performance by a legend in Jack Nicholson. 

Jack Nicholson

At the film's close it is unable ultimately to provide an answer to its central question. Many of the patients are clearly unfit to live and cope in the real world. However, turning them into children is not a healing process. The criticism is sharp and to the point. The larger motif of Mac as a rebel fighting agains the establishment fits nicely into the more literal plot lines, and the direction, score, and cinematography are all sharp. A true classic.

28/30

Big Night

The majority of movies that make it on my to-watch list are either classic films or the recent releases being talked about today. However, sometimes the best movie-watching experiences I have are those where I take a chance on a film that is recommended to me, that is neither a time-tested classic nor a movie presently being hyped. If I’m lucky, I not only get to watch a good movie, I also feel that I’ve made a kind of rare discovery.

Such was the case with Big Night, a clever culinary dramedy: a story of two Italian immigrant brothers (amusingly named Primo and Secondo — "First" and "Second") who run a superb restaurant that is failing because their inspired cuisine is on a different level from the unsophisticated palates of their few New Yorker patrons. The brothers, charmingly played by Tony Shalhoub and Stanley Tucci respectively, try to save it by going for broke on one big night to which they have invited renowned band leader Louis Prima. The star of the film, however, is the food, which takes center stage.

Before it was mentioned to me, I had never noticed Big Night on an AFI list or on comparable lists of must-sees. It’s not an old movie by any means, but its 1996 release date means that it came out considerably before I was paying attention to good cinema. So this underrated gem could have slipped right past me, were it not for the chance conversation that made me aware of it, and although it is sad that this movie is not as recognized as it deserves to be, at the same time that makes the experience of having come across it more valuable.

Perhaps the reason Big Night remains so unacknowledged despite its delightful story, excellent performances and stylistic flair is that the lead and supporting roles are all filled by character actors rather than major Hollywood stars. Those who are familiar with Tucci, Shalhoub, Minnie Driver, and Ian Holm know that they do very fine work, but they hardly rake in box office cash. The movie doesn’t feature grandiose effects and it’s not a blockbuster of epic figures and events. It’s just a story about a few ordinary people trying to create something extraordinary.

The film is primarily Tucci’s baby: he co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in it. And watching the final result, it is clear that he took great care in each of these steps, from the soundtrack full of wonderful Italian and Italian-American artists, to the beautiful long take of the final shot. If you enjoy seeing little known or underrated flicks, rent this fun movie for a night with friends and family. Watch it with a bottle of wine, heck, go all-out and cook a nice lasagna bolognese or risotto to go with it, and then sit back to enjoy Tucci and a mustachioed Shalhoub bantering in thick Italian accents. Fine movies, like fine cuisine, are the result of passionate and painstaking work. And they are something rare. They should be recognized and appreciated for what they are, and they need to be sought out.

“To eat good food is to be close to God” — Primo

25/30

The Tourist

Well that was boring. I'm sorry if I gave away the reveal of this review too early, but I'm afraid there isn't a whole lot else to say about this disappointing excuse for a thriller. Spy movies can be formulaic and still work, but at least some level of originality is required. It really doesn't matter whether that originality grows out of an interesting character study, a twisty-turny plot full of unseen surprises, or inventive and well choreographed action set pieces. Preferably it includes all of the above, but I'm not greedy. A movie can be full of cliches and well worn plot points if it provides the viewer with something new. Unfortunately, and despite a great deal of talent, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's new star vehicle, The Tourist, had none of the above.

The film opens with the femme fatale, Elise, leading Interpol on a wild goose chase. The police suspect her of attempting to reunite with her old flame, who also happens to be an international criminal. However, we are aware that while that is exactly what she is trying to do, Elise has also chosen a fall guy as a distraction to delay the police. The unsuspecting sap Frank falls in love with Elise (of course), and follows her through a hail of bullets and rooftop chases to an easily predictable ending. Brutal gangsters, relentless police officers, a beautiful woman, a crafty criminal, and an average Joe are all thrown together without much in the way of logic or character development.

The most surprising thing is the enormous amount of talent involved. Von Donnersmarck made his directorial feature film debut with the 2006 The Lives of Others and has been justly praised for it. Along with a bevy of critically acclaimed co-writers (including Christopher McQuarrie of The Usual Suspects), von Donnersmarck constructed a script that contained little of interest, and even less that was fresh or new.

Rufus Sewell watches Angelina Jolie in The Tourist

The elegant Elise is played by Angelina Jolie, who appears almost as if made of porcelain in this movie. Jolie never overacts, and tries her best, but seems to be as bored as I was throughout most of the film. The American "tourist" Frank, is played by Johnny Depp in a very reserved manner. Depp as well, never really seems to be sure of what von Donnersmarck is trying to do, and as a result gives an inconsistent and mostly irritating performance. As a huge fan of both Depp and Jolie, it was frustrating to watch these two talented actors get by on reputation alone. Paul Bettany fulfills the obligatory role of the British policeman attempting to track Jolie, and he does so in uninteresting fashion.

While this is an overwhelmingly negative review, I will mention a couple of positives here. The canals of Venice are gorgeous and von Donnersmarck does provide numerous beautiful scenery shots. Timothy Dalton, as the police supervisor, and Steven Berkoff as the lead gangster both do well in limited roles. The film opens well actually. Jolie eludes the police in a scene reminiscent of The French Connection, and the initial meeting between Jolie and Depp's characters is charming and intriguing. Of course, then as the plot progresses, we realize it actually has nowhere to go.

14/30