Les Misérables (2012)

Do you hear the people sing? If you don't, you better go buy your ticket to this film now.

Condemned to slavery for 19 years after stealing a loaf of bread, Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), is finally granted parole by Javert (Russell Crowe), but not without a few caveats. Although technically a freeman, Valjean is labelled a "dangerous man" and is very much disliked by the people. Seeking refuge with the Bishop (Colm Wilkinson), Valjean is humbled by the Bishop's generosity and vows to become a better man. 

8 years later, Valjean has reinvented himself as the mayor of a small town and owner of a factory. This same factory is where Fantine works, but she is promptly fired by the foreman after it is discovered that she has been sending money to her illegitimate daughter, Cosette, who has been living with a pair of abusive innkeepers, the Thénardiers (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter). Forced to resort to prostitution, Fantine is taken to the hopsital by Valjean one night after being attacked by a customer. 

Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean carrying Anne Hathaway, Fantine, to the hospital. Source: The Seven Sees

When Fantine dies, Valjean promises to look after Cosette for her. Paying off the debt to the Thénardiers, Valjean and young Cosette flee to escape Javert, who has now realized that the mayor and Valjean, the prisoner who broke parole, are one and the same.

Lawless (2012)

Alcohol really does make people do crazy things.

Set in 1941 Virginia, Lawless is loosely based on the novel "The Wettest Country in the World" by Matt Bondurant. Centred around the trio of Bondurant brothers, Shia Labeouf, Tom Hardy, and Jason Clarke who play Jack, Forrest, and Howard, respectively. During the Prohibition, the brothers run an illegal moonshine business, but when a competitor finds out, all hell breaks loose.

After being threatened by Rakes (Guy Pearce), the brothers are forced to move towns all while attempting to keep ties with old friends. When Rakes finds out that the brothers have not shut down their operations, he sends his men after the brothers, brutally beating up Jack. When Howard misses an important appointment a client, they slit Forrest's throat and rape his girlfriend, Maggie (Jessica Chastain).

Tom Hardy and Jessica Chastain. Source: Firstshowing.net

Basically anyone associate with these brothers are either attacked, beat, raped, or killed. I could continue summarizing the plot, but all you really need to know is that eventually the Bondurant brothers are able to defeat Rakes and start anew. And that is essentially the entire plot line. Needless to say, this movie was one note and had very little to maintain my interest.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Fans of The Lord of the Rings series, hold on tight and prepare to be blown away. But being blown away will require 3 hours of your day.

Following the success and critically acclaimed triology adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson has once again tackled another fantasy epic of Tolkien's. Filmed in high frame resolution, the movie is a spectacle for the eyes. At 48 frames per second (the human eyes see at a rate of 60 fps), it seems so real that you feel like you are part of the action.

The story follows Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and the Company of Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) who embark on a journey to reclaim the Lonely Mountain, which has been taken over by the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch). In typically Lord of the Rings fashion, they run into a million and four orcs and goblins, which result in some epic battle scenes. 

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins. Source: Cineplex

Along the way, Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Co. find refuge with the Elves. Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, and Christopher Lee reprise their roles as Lord Elrond, Galadriel, and Saruman the White, respectively. Gandalf explains what Radagast the Brown (Sylvester McCoy) has told him about a dark magic in the forest, the necromancer, to the the trio. Against the wishes of the Council, and with the possibility of the Dark Lord Sauron still alive looming over their heads, Gandalf, Bilbo, and the Dwarves continue on to Misty Mountains where everyone but Bilbo is captured by Goblins. It is here where Gollum (Andy Serkis) makes his appearance, and where Bilbo eventually gets hold of the One Ring. 

On the Road (2012)

Some books were just not meant to be turned into movies.

There have been many attempts to turn one of the greatest modern novels of the 20th century into a film. Finally, director Walter Salles has conquered the impossible task, sort of. It seems that no one can do Jack Kerouac's book justice on the big screen.

A Special Presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival 2012, On the Road follows aspiring writer Sal Paradise (Sam Riley) whose entire life gets shaken and stirred after meeting Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund). Dean, a free-spirit to say the least, brought new perspective to Sal's life after the latter's father passed. The movie is literally what it sounds like. On a search for inspiration for his book, Sal travels cross country with mostly Dean, but a few times Marylou, Dean's girlfriend, (Kristen Stewart) will join them, along with whatever hitchhikers are on the way.

Sam Riley and Garrett Hedlund. Source: TIFF

Liberal Arts (2012)

Ted Moseby's dating an Olsen? What?

Liberal Arts, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, is Radnor's sophomore directorial film (the first being happythankyoumoreplease). A story about how art can help one make sense of life, Radnor plays Jesse Fisher, 35, a college admissions counselor who returns to his old college to honour one of his favourite college English professors (Richard Jenkins). There, he meets Zibby (Elizabeth Olsen), a student 16 years his junior, who is much wiser beyond her years. Zibby's love for classic literature and music fuels his attraction to her, but the age difference is almost too much for him to handle. When Zibby finally admits her feelings and secrets to him, he is afraid to hurt her and leaves.

Elizabeth Olsen (Zibby) and Josh Radnor (Jesse). Source: Guardian UK

Critics' Choice Awards 2013 Predictions

Awards season is my favourite season. Click through for some other predictions. 
Screen Actors Guild
Golden Globes

BEST PICTURE

Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
The Master
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST ACTOR
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight

BEST ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Naomi Watts, The Impossible

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Alan Arkin, Argo
Javier Bardem, Skyfall
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Matthew McConaughey, Magic Mike

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, The Master
Judi Dench, Skyfall
Ann Dowd, Compliance
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS
Elle Fanning, Ginger & Rosa
Kara Hayward, Moonrise Kingdom
Tom Holland, The Impossible
Logan Lerman, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Suraj Sharma, Life of Pi
Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Argo
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Misérables
Lincoln
Moonrise Kingdom
Silver Linings Playbook

BEST DIRECTOR
Ben Affleck, Argo
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Tom Hooper, Les Misérables
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAYQuentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
John Gatins, Flight
Rian Johnson, Looper
Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola, Moonrise Kingdom
Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Chris Terrio, Argo
David Magee, Life of Pi
Tony Kushner, Lincoln
Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Les Misérables, Danny Cohen
Life of Pi, Claudio Miranda
Lincoln, Janusz Kaminski
The Master, Mihai Malaimare Jr.
Skyfall, Roger Deakins

BEST ART DIRECTION
Anna Karenina
The Hobbit
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln

BEST EDITING
Argo
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Anna Karenina
Cloud Atlas
The Hobbit
Les Misérables
Lincoln

BEST MAKEUP
Cloud Atlas
The Hobbit
Les Misérables
Lincoln

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The Avengers
Cloud Atlas
The Dark Knight Rises
The Hobbit
Life of Pi

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Brave
Frankenweenie
Madagascar 3
ParaNorman
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph

BEST ACTION MOVIE
The Avengers
The Dark Knight Rises
Looper
Skyfall

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Christian Bale, The Dark Knight Rises
Daniel Craig, Skyfall
Robert Downey Jr., The Avengers
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Looper
Jake Gyllenhaal, End of Watch

BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE
Emily Blunt, Looper
Gina Carano, Haywire
Judi Dench, Skyfall
Anne Hathaway, The Dark Knight Rises
Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games

BEST COMEDY
Bernie
Silver Linings Playbook
Ted
This Is 40
21 Jump Street

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Jack Black, Bernie
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Paul Rudd, This Is 40
Channing Tatum, 21 Jump Street
Mark Wahlberg, Ted

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Mila Kunis, Ted
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Shirley MacLaine, Bernie
Lesliel Mann, This Is 40
Rebel Wilson, Pitch Perfect

BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE
The Cabin in the Woods
Looper
Prometheus

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Amour
The Intouchables
A Royal Affair
Rust and Bone

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Bully
The Central Park Five
The Imposter
The Queen of Versailles
Searching for Sugar Man
West of Memphis

BEST SONG
"For You," Keith Urban, Act of Valor
"Learn Me Right," Mumford & Sons, Brave
"Skyfall," Adele, Skyfall
"Still Alive," Paul Williams, Paul Williams Still Alive
"Suddenly," Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables

BEST SCORE
Argo, Alexandre Desplat
Life of Pi, Mychael Danna
Lincoln, John Williams
The Master, Jonny Greenwood
Moonrise Kingdom, Alexandre Desplat

Screen Actors Guild Awards 2013 Predictions

SAG award nominees are usually indicative of an Oscar nod. Here's who I think is going to win. But who I think will win is not always who I think SHOULD win (or even who I want to win).

For more predictions:
Critics' Choice Awards
Golden Globes

FILM

Male Actor, Lead
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables
Denzel Washington, Flight

Male Actor, Supporting
Alan Arkin, Argo
Javier Bardem, Skyfall
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

Female Actor, Lead
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
Naomi Watts, The Impossible

Female Actor, Supporting
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy
Maggie Smith, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Cast in a Motion Picture
Argo
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Misérables
Lincoln 
Silver Linings Playbook

TV

Male Actor, TV Movie or Miniseries
Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys
Woody Harrelson, Game Change
Ed Harris, Game Change
Clive Owen, Hemingway & Gellhorn
Bill Paxton, Hatfields & McCoys

Female Actor, TV Movie or Miniseries
Nicole Kidman, Hemingway & Gellhorn
Julianne Moore, Game Change
Charlotte Rampling, Restless
Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals
Alfre Woodard, Steel Magnolias

Male Actor, Drama Series
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Damian Lewis, Homeland

Female Actor, Drama Series
Claire Danes, Homeland
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey

Male Actor, Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Louis CK, Louis
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Female Actor, Comedy Series
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

Ensemble, Comedy
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
Nurse Jackie
The Office

Ensemble, Drama
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Homeland
Mad Men

Golden Globes 2013 Predictions

What is a Golden Globes winner may not always be equivalent to an Oscar winner. There were a lot of snubs this year, but here are my predictions for this year.

For more predictions:
Critics' Choice Awards
Screen Actor Guild Awards

Best Motion Picture, Drama

Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty

Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Misérables
Moonrise Kingdom
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Silver Linings Playbook

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
Richard Gere, Arbitrage
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
Denzel Washington, Flight

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

Jack Black, Bernie
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables
Ewan McGregor, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Bill Murray, Hyde Park on the Hudson

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
Naomi Watts, The Impossible
Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

Emily Blunt, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Judi Dench, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Maggie Smith, Quartet
Meryl Streep, Hope Springs

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Alan Arkin, Argo
Leonardo DiCaprio, Django Unchained
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln
Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Amy Adams, The Master
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy

Best Director

Ben Affleck, Argo
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture

Mark Boal, Zero Dark Thirty
Tony Kushner, Lincoln
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
Quentin Taratino, Django Unchained
Chris Terrio, Argo

Best Foreign Language Film

Amour (Austria)
A Royal Affair (Denmark)
The Intouchables (France)
Kon-Tiki (Norway)
Rust and Bone  (France)

Best Animated Feature Film

Brave
Frankenweenie
Hotel Transylvania
Rise of the Guardians
Wreck-It Ralph

Best Original Song, Motion Picture

"For You," Act of Valor, Monty Powell & Keith Urban
"Not Running Anymore," Stand Up Guys, Jon Bon Jovi
"Safe and Sound," The Hunger Games, Taylor Swift. John Paul White, Joy Williams & T Bone Burnett
"Skyfall," Skyfall, Adele & Paul Epworth
"Suddenly," Les Misérables, Claude-Michel Schonberg & Alain Boublil

Best Original Score, Motion Picture

Mychael Danna, Life of Pi
Alexandre Desplat, Argo
Dario Marianelli, Anna Karenina
Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil, Cloud Atlas
John Williams, Lincoln

Best TV Movie or Miniseries - no opinion

Game Change
The Girl
Hatfields & McCoys
The Hour
Political Animals

Best TV Series, Drama

Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Homeland
The Newsroom

Best TV Series, Comedy

The Big Bang Theory
Episodes
Girls
Modern Family
Smash

Best Actor in a TV Series, Drama

Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Damian Lewis, Homeland

Best Actor, TV Series Comedy

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Louis CK, Louie
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Best Actress in a TV Series, Drama

Connie Britton, Nashville
Glenn Close, Damages
Claire Danes, Homeland
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Marguiles, The Good Wife

Best Actress in a TV Series, Comedy

Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Lena Dunham, Girls
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie

Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock
Woody Harrelson, Game Change
Toby Jones, The Girl
Clive Owen, Hemingway & Gellhorn

Best Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie - no opinion.

Julianne Moore, Game Change
Nicole Kidman, Hemingway & Gellhorn
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum
Sienna Miller, The Girl
Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie

Max Greenfield, New Girl
Ed Harris, Game Change
Danny Huston, Magic City
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie

Hayden Panettiere, Nashville
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Sarah Paulson, Game Change
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

Who in their right mind would attempt to turn this brilliant book into a movie? Oh yeah, the author of the book.

When I first heard that a movie was being produced, I wasn't sure what to think of it. Stephen Chbosky's book was absolutely masterful. I thought to myself, how could it be possible that the words on this page could translate into an equally amazing film? And who would want to take on such a project? Lo and behold, it was Chbosky himself. And boy did he do his own work justice.

Of course there were discrepancies between the original prose and what was depicted on screen, but the bulk of it was still the same. Logan Lerman plays the main protagonist, Charlie who has had some demons in the past that have been holding him back. We see him writing letters to an unknown friend, similar to writing a diary. Entering into his freshman year of highschool, he has a difficult time making new friends due to his introverted personality style. Basically his only friend on the first day of school is his English teacher, Mr. Anderson (Paul Rudd), who mentors Charlie and gives him advice through advanced literature assignments.

Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller, and Emma Watson. Source: TIFF.net

Life of Pi (2012)

Another masterpiece from the master himself, Ang Lee. Well, not quite.

There have been so many adaptations lately that I felt like this one just fell short. It wasn't by any means a bad film, it just didn't live up to my expectations. Having heard amazing things about the book and learning that Academy Award winning director Ang Lee was behind this project, I was hoping for more.

I've never read the book, so basically all I knew was that there was a kid and a tiger. And that's essentially the gist of the entire movie. Pi Patel and his family were on a ship travelling to Canada, but by some mysterious force, the ship sank. Miraculously, he was able to get aboard a life boat with a zebra with a broken leg, an orangutan, a hyena, and the infamous tiger, Richard Parker. As it is with the circle of life, it is survival of the fittest leaving only Pi and Richard Parker on the boat to fend for themselves.

Richard Parker the Tiger and Pi Patel, played by Suraj Sharma. Source: Guardian UK