Moneyball

Moneyball (Bennett Miller, 2011)

Click here for the basics

Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

Baseball, Tough Decisions, Based on Real Life, Sports Science

I usually don't go for films about sports -many of the stories can become cliche or recycled- but this film felt different. The romance, superstitions, and nostalgia of America's pastime combined with what happens behind the scenes, science, and bureaucracy. Great performances, thought-provoking, not at all what I expected.

The Nominees: Annual Oscar Dash

The Academy Award nominees were announced yesterday and, as you probably guessed, I'm ready for my Annual Oscar Dash. The goal is to watch as many nominated films as possible before the ceremony. That's approximately one month, handfuls of movies, lots of fun. I tend to focus my Dash on Best Picture, Best Animated Feature, and Best Foreign Film categories to keep things more realistic. Click here to see the lists. I'll be reviewing as I see them - I've already done one, Midnight in Paris, which you can read here.

I have no predictions yet but I will say the contenders look VERY strong, indeed:

The Artist

The Descendants

Moneyball

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Warhorse

The Help

Tree of Life

Midnight in Paris

Hugo

Time to dash...

A Short List for Snow-Bound Viewers

Feel like watching something to fit a very specific mood? I've compiled a list of not-so-typical categories and matched each with a show or movie that you will hopefully enjoy. Pile the blankets on, brew another cup of tea, and wait for those snow and ice storms to pass!

Animated: Ponyo (Hayao Miyazaki, 2008)

British Comedy: Black Books, seasons 1-3 (Dylan Moran, 2000-2004)

from China: The King of Masks (Tian-Ming Wu, 1997)

with intense Dialogue: My Dinner with Andre (Louis Malle, 1981)

Epic: East of Eden (Elia Kazan, 1955)

Fantasy: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Terry Gilliam, 2009)

with a Group of Guys: Diner (Barry Levinson, 1982)

Historical: The Way We Live Now, miniseries (David Yates, 2001)

Illuminating/Inspiring: Water (Deepa Mehta, 2005)

with a Journey: The Motorcycle Diaries (Walter Salles, 2004)

with a King: The Tudors, seasons 1-4 (Michael Hirst, 2007-2010)

with a Love Story: Lovers of the Arctic Circle (Julio Medem, 1998)

from Mexico: Like Water for Chocolate (Alfonso Arau, 1992)

about Nature: Life in the Undergrowth, miniseries (David Attenborough, 2005)

Outlandish: Monty Python's Life of Brian (Terry Jones, 1979)

Psychological Thriller: Gaslight (George Cukor, 1944)

Quiet: Babies (Thomas Balmes, 2010)

Rebellion: The Wild One (Laslo Benedek, 1953)

about a Sleuth: Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, seasons 1-4 (John Bowen & David Cook, 1996-1998)

Tear-jerker: Biutiful (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, 2010)

Understated Classic: The Last Picture Show (Peter Bogdanovich, 1971)

Vivid Imagery: Raise the Red Lantern (Yimou Zhang, 1991)

Whimsical: Antonia's Line (Marlene Gorris, 1995)

eXhilarating: Man on Wire (James Marsh, 2008)

about Youth: My Life as a Dog (Lasse Hallstrom, 1985)

Zany: Micmacs (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2009)

If you ever want a specific recommendation or personal suggestion, send me a message. Eventually, I hope to create a little interactive quiz/questionnaire to do this- keep on the lookout!

Shows: Treme, Season 1

Note: I plan to occasionally review television shows in addition to films. My rating system doesn't quite work for a series because each episode can be treated like a short film but also as a part of a larger whole. It's best to rate a show, then, by season. The format and techniques of shows are also very different compared to films. Therefore, I've made a slightly different rating system especially for shows. Click here to see.

Treme, Season 1 (Created by Eric Overmyer & David Simon, 2010)

Click here for the basics

DSQ=9, SP=6 / Average Snack

Scale D=3, Scale=E=3, Scale F=3, Scale G=3, Scale H=3

New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina aftermath, Music, Race Issues, Socio-Cultural, Mardi-Gras

I was very surprised not to have heard about this HBO drama until Netflix suggested I might enjoy it. I did. What a wonderfully refreshing drama- it is centered completely around the culture of New Orleans and the devastation that was Hurricane Katrina and the following flooding. Some of the acting seems forced but probably because many of the players are musicians, not actors. The stories link together beautifully and the main character -the city- is never lost in any of the sub-plots. If you like jazz and blues and the New Orleans sound, watch this program.