Apparently, McCarthy will be bringing this same approach to his first ever script, The Counselor, which is set in the present-day Southwest and will center around a lawyer who gets involved in the Mexican drug trade and must suffer the consequences. Sounds amazing, especially considering McCarthy’s somewhat accurately eerie detailing of the Mexican drug war.

But what makes this even more amazing (as if that could actually happen)? Well, apparently the film will also have two female leads as well. This is great news, just great. As many McCarthy novels that I have read, the closet I’ve ever gotten to a female lead was a Mexican prostitute turned love-story catalyst in his Cities of the Plain. Here’s hoping (or rather knowing) that McCarthy brought his same knack for writing multi-dimensional male characters to that of their female counterpart.

So, just two short weeks after selling this sure-to-be-excellent script, Deadline is reporting that The Counselor has secured a director, a very big director. How big? Ridley Scott big. That’s right, the man behind Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator has signed on to direct McCarthy’s venture. This is truly exciting news! Just the best. This has Oscar-gold written all over it. Could it really be Christmas in February?! Because it certainly feels that way!

Apparently I was not the only person to feel this way, as the theater was jammed pack for an early Tuesday evening. This made for a more valid (for the sake of reviewing) movie-watching experience as I was able to gauge the reactions of my fellow viewers in addition to my own.

Well, did Lynne Ramsay’s film-adaption of Lionel Shriver’s 2003 novel of the same name live up to my all my anticipation and hope? You bet it did!

Rather expectedly, probably the best part of We Need to Talk About Kevin took the form of Tilda Swinton’s fantastic performance. Swinton took a role, one that could have been so easily made trite or one-dimensional, and brought so much life and realism to it, that at times it was easy to get lost in her performance. John C. Reilly as well as Ezra Miller, who played teenage Kevin, should also not be overlooked as they both gave very strong performances.

Stylistically, the film boasted beautiful shots as well as a top-rate soundtrack–by far the best movie soundtrack of this year– which featured songs by The Beach Boys, Wham!, and Buddy Holly. The dialogue and effective use of flashbacks, which took place throughout the entire movie, were also note-worthy.

My only complaint lies in the characterization of Kevin. At times the character-development felt a little flat and any sort of ending revelation he had, however small, felt forced and out of character. That aside, We Need to Talk About Kevin, is a great example of mastery when it comes to good filmmaking. Well, done Ramsay! While I will forever lament the film’s lack of Oscar recognition, I remain strong in my beliefs that this was one of the better movies of this year.

SEE IT.

Some of the nominations were deserved for sure. I, as I’m sure many others, would have been incensed if Rooney Mara did not receive a nomination for her downright outstanding performance in Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I would have also felt similarly if Terrence Malick as well as his film, Tree of Life, were not recognized for the Best Director and Best Picture categories, respectively, the way they were during this year’s Golden Globes. I was also pleasantly surprised by the Academy’s decision to nominate Mellisa McCarthy for her supporting role in Bridesmaids, not that this was my favorite movie this year (not by far) but it does not go unnoticed that they are breaking ground by nominating a television actress for her role in a comedic film, especially an actress who does not fit the typical Hollywood standards in terms of looks.

But, those expected and deserved nominations aside, I still cannot get over some of things the Academy decided to pass on. For example, this year, the Academy decided to nominate only nine films (of the slotted ten) for the Best Picture category, probably coming off the heals of the criticism they received for nominating a movie like The Blind Side two years before. So they only nominate nine films– The Help, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and even War Horse being among these nine. And in doing so, they chose to overlook The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, We Need to Talk About Kevin and Drive? Or they just didn’t think that any of these films could even be considered in the same category as The Help? I mean, come on! The Oscars are supposed to be the definitive of the best films each year, right? Well then, we must be seeing different movies under the same name.

And that’s not all. Where were Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks’ nominations for their roles in Drive? And perhaps most frustrating of all, where was Tilda Swinton’s more-than-deserved Best Actress nomination for her amazing performance in We Need to Talk About Kevin?

And I’m not a crazy feminist here, but in a sea of male Best Director nominees, it would have not only been nice, but also much deserved to see Lynne Ramsay nominated for her film We Need to Talk About Kevin. Or, if that’s too risque for you, what about David Fincher? Did he really not deserve to be recognized for his take on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?

Yes, I admit I had high hopes–perhaps even too high of hopes seeing as I was also gunning for an unexpected Elizabeth Olsen Best Actress nomination for her breakout role in Martha Marcy May Marlene– but the Academy proved just how remiss they are with the films and performances they decided to leave out. Instead, the Academy went the safe route. A Best Film category filled with movies made by Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, and Martin Scorsese? How unoriginal.

What does this mean? Nothing, really. I will continue watching the Oscars, and continue hoping that one year, just one year they will get it right. But, sadly, this year ain’t that year.

Fools as in people who went into UK theaters, sat down to watch a movie, and after ten minutes realized there is no sound. Not due to any defect with the quality or the theater itself. It’s 100% because they were sitting down in a theater playing The Artist—the soon-to-be Academy Award winning film. You know? The silent one. The one recreating the early motion picture style in the year 2011. The one that clearly had no dialogue.

Oh, man. People. They are the worse AND the best. This is right up there with those Einsteins who thought Drive was Fast and the Furious 9.

And I think what blows my mind the most is that they demanded a refund. Because of their own mistake! Whoa! That’s like going to a restaurant, reading the menu, ordering something from the menu, getting the EXACT thing you ordered, but sending it back because it confuses you. As in you weren’t prepared enough so someone else should have to correct it. Personally, I would be too embarrassed to ask for a refund. Stupid me! But, no, stupid them.

The Odeon Theaters gave them their money back! They claim it has to do with their “within the first ten minutes policy” which is probably true. But these people are now global news because of poor planning and research.

On a completely different note, The Artist was recently named the Producers Guild’s Best Picture, so it’s not struggling too badly. You don’t have to feel sorry for it. Feel sorry for those who don’t think too darn good.

Among Freeman’s top inspiring roles, one seems to stand out so fully above all the rest. Not that the other roles are somehow flawed or bad (except for maybe his ill-fated role in Dolphin Tale), but instead that this famed one is so good that it has managed to transcend all the rest. As I’m sure you have guessed by now, the role I speak of is that of Red in Frank Darabont’s 7-Oscar nominated film, The Shawshank Redemption (1994). Yes, while Red is a self-admitted (and not to mention, convicted) murderer sentenced to a 40-year stint in prison, Freeman somehow managed to make what otherwise could have been an unlikable, incredibly disturbing character into one that is more worldly than his 40-years behind bars could possibly allow.

On top of this worldliness, Red comes equipped with irreplaceable advice and a compelling character to boot. I’d even venture to say it is Red, not his actually innocent counterpart, Andy Dufresne that really makes the movie. This is not least because despite Red’s questionable moral character, he manages to prove to the viewer as well as to himself that he is the most awe-inspiring individual in this film world.

This becomes especially clear in the scene in which Red comes across the parole board for the second time in the film. Instead of denying his involvement in the crime, he decides to tell the truth and, on top of that, manages to put the parole board members in their place. This scene is inspiring, for sure, but also achieves the perfect chill and heartfelt-tear-inducing ratio.

Watch the clip below. And afterwards, feel free to ask yourself if there is any role Morgan Freeman can take on and not make somewhat inspiring and chill-producing, Dolphin Tale aside of course.

Click here to view the embedded video.

After looking again at a list of winners, there are a few things that immediately stand out. Yes, many awards went to the obvious choices– no one was really that surprised that Jean Dujarin took home the best actor award in a comedy or musical for his silent performance in The Artist, or that Meryl Streep was the top pick for best actress in a drama for her role in The Iron Lady, or even that The Artist was chosen as the best comedy or musical film (God, was Harvey Weinstein having his heyday).

But then, like any good award show, there were the shocks that let us all eagerly anticipating the Oscars know that we have a real race ahead of us. For example, is George Clooney really the top pick for the Best Actor category for his lead performance in The Descendants over his friend, Brad Pitt’s role (and higher-praised at that) in Moneyball? Or what about the best director award? It came as a shock to me (and I’m sure to many) that given as many awards The Artist was slated to take home, its director, Michel Hazanavicius, lost it to Martin Scorsese for his animated Hugo. Will The Artist actually win all the Oscars its slated to? (I not-so-secretly hope not).

Shocks aside, you also have to wonder if the obvious choice-wins were the Awards Season’s way of throwing us off our game for the Oscars. For example, will Meryl Streep actually take home the Best Actress Oscar, or, in a (probably deserving upset) will the award go to Rooney Mara for her amazing performance in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo or even Viola Davis in The Help? And with Octavia Spencer winning the Best Supporting Actress Globe, does that mean that Jessica Chastain has a better chance of winning any Oscar she may be nominated for (after all, she was in a staggering number of well-received films this year)?

I guess there is no way to tell until first, the Oscar nominations are released, and second, until the actual Oscars happen. But let me tell you, if Terrence Malick’s Tree of Life is snubbed the way it was at the more viewer-friendly Golden Globes, the award show is going to have some ‘splaining to do.

Overall, I thought the Golden Globes were great this year (due in large part to its three-year-running great host Ricky Gervais). Hopefully, the Oscars will learn a thing or two from this event. Until this can be discerned, I thank the Golden Globes (and the Hollywood Foreign Press) for a good night full of some expected awards and some shocks.

A ‘trailer’ for the 84th Academy Awards has recently been released online. And guess what? It’s for the kiddies.

Well, no, it’s not. It’s an attempt to make the kiddies think that the adults are funny and hip. Did you know adults have seen actions/suspense movies? They totally have! They know the stereotypes! They love cameos like the younger folk! Megan Fox!

However, when your cameos include Vinnie Jones and Robin Williams, you may still be alienating a younger demographic. Because while I’m sure many kids loved Snatch and Good Will Hunting, it is still hard to care that either of them show up.

“It’s obvious he transformed into a yeti!” – another classic Robin Williams line

This year there is no need to skew the Oscars younger. Their best bet is to focus on next year. Billy Crystal will have four good jokes, so that’ll win the older demographic. With Best Picture nominations likely to include a silent film, one set in the 1960’s south, and one about the death of a spouse, it seems maybe children and young adults may not be tuning in anyway? Probably not? Is anyone else getting that vibe?

“I hope Albert Nobbs wins!” – no one under the age of 80

But don’t fret. This trailer ended with a perfectly placed in 2012 texting joke. Oh, MAN! Only good stuff here. I’m sure there will be more of these before the actual show on February 26th, so if you enjoyed this, lucky you. For the rest of us, we’ll talk in 2013.

Fresh off of writing, directing and starring in this year’s Ides of March (Oscar bait, anyone?), The Wrap is reporting that Clooney has already found his next film to, uh, write, direct, and star in (do I suspect a pattern?). Much less of a political thriller and much more of a historical heist film, The Monuments Men is set to be Clooney’s next venture.

Based off of Robert M. Edsel’s book, The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, the film will follow a group of American and British men picked to retrieve artwork back from the Nazis. Clooney has yet to reveal which role he will actually be taking on in front of the camera, but no doubt it will be a big one if his two roles behind the camera are to be taken into consideration (uh, The Ides of March, Leatherheads, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, anyone?)

First a political thriller and now a story involving Nazis? It seems like someone is eyeing the much coveted directing Oscar (or at the very least, a Writing Oscar). Let’s just hope this more closely follows Clooney’s Good Night, and Good Luck. rather than his much-less well-recieved Leatherheads. There’ll be no way to tell, though for quite some time. But I’m on board: I’m rooting for you, Clooney. I really am.

Well I caved: I saw The Artist. It is a good movie. I was not worried about that.

What scares me, once again, is the idea of a silent film winning the Oscar for Best Picture this year. A lot of people have asked me why I feel this way. Because that means, in 2011, we had nothing new to bring to the table. What we can do is stylishly show what the 1920’s and 30’s were like with a bigger budget. But what if we can add something in 2011 that makes it a bit different? We can. The Artist doesn’t. It sets itself up but doesn’t deliver on that promise.

The Artist is about an older actor struggling to deal with sound in motion pictures. The other story line involves a woman’s rise to success during the same time. Naturally, the two stories are intersected and provide an endearing and interesting movie. The performances from Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo were phenomenal as well, and in such a weak year, I’d be surprised if Dujardin doesn’t take home his own statue on Oscar night. But I think it’s being judged from an unfair angle.

It seems the reason the film is getting so much attention is due to its silent nature. Yes, it’s quite impressive that anyone even attempted that in a year that featured a sequel from every franchise ever made (almost). But this viewpoint does nothing to acknowledge the film itself. Because while it’s good, good is not great. Good is not Oscar worthy. Apparently, though, silence trumps that logic.

All that being said, I don’t know there is any other movie that handles itself as well as The Artist. I guess it’s not the fault of the film that nothing this year could compete. In a stronger year (last year), it would have been considered, but eventually lost.

To be clear, I am a fan of silent films. I’m a fan of creativity and originality. The Artist gets so close to bringing a fresh look at the transition from silent to color. But, in the end, left nothing necessarily new.

SEE IT/RENT IT

Yes, it’s been a long journey to opening weekend: a journey filled with excitement, hope and down-right film lust. Well, with that journey now having come to an end, I can now look back (20/20 hindsight, right?) and judge if this long, long journey was actually worth it. And let me tell you, it was (Christmas come early?!). Now, to be fair, I am probably a little biased. As a friend noted as we were leaving the theater, Roman Polanski has no real definable style. Unlike the way you can pick a Coen Brother’s movie out of any large stack of hay, Polanski’s body of work is somewhat scattered and confusing. All I’m saying is that on the scale of math equations, Repulsion does not equal Chinatown does not equal Rosemary’s Baby does not equal The Pianist definitely does not equal The Ghost Writer. All of these films have such disparate directing styles, but perhaps that’s what makes Polanski so versatile.

Anyway, back to being biased: Polanski’s latest venture, Carnage, seems to have been made specifically for me. Sounds a little self-centered? Well, let me explain. There is nothing I like more in a movie than character development. I love it. This is what I really go to the box office to see (save for sharks, aliens, and cowboys, obviously). If character-development is the name of the game, then I’m in. And what was Carnage? A 79-minute (short, right?) extreme exercise in character development– it was glorious.

Carnage, based on the Yasmina Reza play of the same name, was filmed very much like a play, not once leaving the confines of an apartment building in Brooklyn save for the opening and closing shots. And, while clocking in at just under an hour and half seems very short for any movie nowadays, it was the perfect amount of screen time for these four characters to all come into their own without seeming tiresome or tedious. It should probably go without saying, but the acting among these for Hollywood greats (and not to mention heavy Oscar bait) more than made this movie. As stated, the character development, and therefore, the script, pacing and dialogue all worked together perfectly. The laughs were subtle, but thankfully, were there, and the issues raised were pertinent. I left feeling as if I had participated in a group therapy session.

Don’t get me wrong, if you like a plot-heavy script with lots of action, than this movie is probably not for you. Skip it, and go see something like The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. But, if you’re in the mood to see a perfectly-executed exercise in character development, one that combines great acting, dialogue and an array of emotional responses, then you’re in luck! Carnage is out now.