The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Second is not good enough.

While it was a joy just to see these fine British actors onscreen in their charming roles from the original The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), the sequel offers zero of the inspirations found in the original film.

At best, the new film’s plot mirrors an episode of The Love Boat. Character’s stories are re-introduced, broken up and put back together with the time and care given to a 1980’s TV show.

Unfortunately for those of us fond of the first one, this is a painfully meandering two hours and two minutes long film. I believe those two minutes are the amount of time that the characters actually are in the hotel. The film is obsessed with moving. Everyone is constantly in a cab, motorcycles, trams, planes, convertibles, a new hotel, a convention hotel — or wandering aimlessly around the market. I’m not sure where all these characters were going; I just wish the film went somewhere.

Simply put: The title says it all. If you simply must go despite anything I say, I understand. You’ll enjoy zingers by Dames Maggie Smith and Judi Dench — plus the fun of a totally disruptive music video sequence.

Award potential: No awards for Second Best.

The ten buck review: Not worth ten bucks.

Survive the first Downton-less Sunday of 2015

It's fitting we should lose an hour this Sunday because it's the first Downton-less Sunday in a few months and we hardly need that hour. But if you can't stand the thought of waiting until January 2016, get your fix and feed your Downton Addiction with these five-plus films that even the Dowager Countess of Grantham would approve of.

1. Gosford Park (2001)
Gosford Park is a 1930’s period film, written by Julian Fellowes, the creator of Downton Abbey, and directed by the legendary Robert Altman. Upstairs guests and downstairs servants are assembled for a hunting party weekend when one of the group is murdered. It’s a high-class whodunit with a dream ensemble cast including: Helen Mirren, Kristin Scott Thomas, Emily Watson, Clive Owen, Ryan Phillippe — and Maggie Smith as Constance, a dependent countess with a quip for every occasion.

2. The Remains Of The Day (1993)
If you think Mr. Carson is uptight, then it’s time to meet Mr. Stevens. Anthony Hopkins (Mr. Stevens) and Emma Thompson (Miss Kenton) star in this moving story of a butler's steely devotion to his master (Christopher Reeve) and the high-spirited young woman who threatens to crack his reserve. The Remains of the Day received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay and more.

3. Cranford (2007)
Cranford, a BBC mini series, is a charming period drama set in northwest England in 1842. Dame Judi Dench leads a cast of quirky, snarky and lovable characters who live in a place governed by etiquette, custom and above all, an intricate network of ladies. Jim Carter, Downton’s Mr. Carson, appears in many episodes.

4. Anna Karenia (2012)
Set in late-19th-century Russia high-society, the aristocrat Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley) enters into a life-changing affair with the affluent Count Vronsky (Jude Law). Michelle Dockery, Downton’s Lady Mary Crawley has a role as Princess Myagkaya.

5. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Both Maggie Smith (The Dowager Countess) and Penelope Wilton (Isobel Crawley) are featured in this film set in India and based on the book by Debora Moggach.

The film also features British actors like Bill Nighy, Judi Dench and 

Tom Wilkinson. See the original; avoid the pale sequel.

6. The Secrets of The Manor House Series
Secrets of the Manor House, a PBS documentary series, looks at many ancient British houses, and how mounting financial, political and social pressures brought momentous changes to both the wealthy and their servants. 

The Secrets of Highclere Castle explores the home that is the setting to Downtown Abbey, The Secrets of Althorp –The Spencers navigates viewers through the childhood home and final resting place of Diana, Princess of Wales and The Secrets of Henry VIII's Palace: Hampton Court Secrets of Chatsworth visits the Tudor palace. All are perfectly charming.  
 

All are worth ten bucks. 

 

10 Tips to Code-break Your Oscars pool

10 Tips To Code-break Your Oscar Night Pool

1. Win the Best Director category

Go with whoever won the Director’s Guild of America award. Those winners have matched 60 times in the past 67 years. 

2. Win the Best Supporting Actress category
Don't bet on Meryl Streep; the odds are against you. She may have been a wickedly perfect Supporting Actress in Into The Woods, but she's been nominated 19 times with just (ha!) three wins.

3. Win the Best Sound Editing category

No need to vote for the prestige film here. The loudest movie takes Best Sound Editing, period. Speed, Pearl Harbor and Bourne Ultimatum have all won Oscars, for real. If there is a war movie, pick it.

4. Win the Best Foreign Language Film category 
The foreign film that was playing at the Angelika Dallas during the month of the Oscars has won Best Foreign Language Film for eight of the past ten years. Note: Documentaries' new home with On Demand and Netflix may change this trick starting this year.

5. Win the Visual Effects category
Historically, a Best Visual Effects nominee that also has a Best Picture nomination will always win. This year there are no crossover Best Picture nominees so try this trick: for eight of the past 11 VES Awards, the winner for Outstanding VFX has gone on to win the Visual Effects Oscar.

6. Win the Best Costume category 
True to life period movies (versus creative or modern ones) have won Best Costume for 20 of the past 22 years. Exceptions were Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Dracula and Alice in Wonderland. Last year, The Great Gatsby won.

7. Win the show’s-running-time tiebreaker.
In 2002, the show ran four hours and 23 minutes. Whew! The show trended shorter, but the past two years (with the same producers this year), have been consistently close to three and a half hours.

Here are the timings on the past five years:2008: 3 hours, 21 minutes
2009: 3 hours, 30 minutes
2010: 3 hours, 37 minutes
2011: 3 hours, 15 minutes
2012: 3 hours, 14 minutes
2013: 3 hours, 35 minutes
2014: 3 hours, 30 minutes

8. Win Best Documentary and Best Short Subject
Beginning just two years ago, ALL members of the Academy (not just category peers) can pick the winners of: 
Best Documentary Feature 
Best Animated Short Subject 
Best Live Action Short Subject
That means everyone from actors to musicians will have a say instead of just documentarians, so dumb it down a bit when making your picks.
 

9. Win the Best Actor categories

The SAG voters are all actors and are the largest block of voters for the Academy Award. Choose the SAG winners and you’re guaranteed three out of four (and likely four out of four).

10. Win the Best Picture category 
Go with the SAG winner, right?  Don't fly up to the podium just yet, Birdman. The movie that wins Best Cast (not Best Picture) at the SAG Awards has just a 52.1 percent chance of winning the corresponding Oscar for Best Picture.

Turns out, The Producers Guild of America winner most consistently predicts Oscar Night success in the Best Picture category. That win for Birdman counts.

There are only three exceptions since the PGA Awards were started a quarter-century ago: Brokeback Mountain, Saving Private Ryan and Apollo 13. Bad news for Boyhood...unless voters are saving one prestige win for the Big Show.

Big Eyes

Big story. Big disappointment

Big Eyes is based on the true story of Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz), who was one of the most successful painters of the 1950s and early 1960s. His story contains very few of the usual artist bio story arcs and it contains a big twist: Walter Keane's art was created by his wife, Margaret (Amy Adams).

If you’ve seen the artwork, you can understand why director Tim Burton was drawn to this art and story of two misfits behind it. I just can’t understand why he directed this well cast film with random, awkward comedy bits. Considering this is a true story, screwball comedy feels inappropriate. There’s a needless courtroom scene that made me roll me eyes.

It’s hard to dislike a biography, because you walk away with some information about a great life. But I walked out of this film feeling pretty empty.

Simply put: This is not Tim Burton in Ed Wood mode, just another miss for the filmmaker.

Award potential: Big Eyes was overlooked by The Academy. Golden Globes honored Amy Adams with a win for Best Actress in a Comedy.

The ten buck review: Not worth ten bucks.

The seven films you need to see before Oscar Night

Since you can’t watch all 60 nominated films between January 22 and February 22, which movies do you need to see before the events of Oscar night play out?

Oh Boy! Watch two Best Picture nominees the comfort of your home
 

1. Boyhood, the coming of age drama from Richard Linklater, is the front-runner for Best Picture, Director and Supporting Actress. It could easily win Best Film Editing and Original Screenplay too. Everyone has a strong opinion on this film, so it’s a must for Oscar Night discussions.(Total 6 nominations and available for purchase or to stream).

 



2. The Grand Budapest Hotel ties Birdman for the most nominations this year, including Best Picture and Best Director so it will come up in multiple categories. Check in and check it out tonight. (Total 9 nominations and available for purchase or to stream)

Will Oscar Night be about a Boy or Bird?

3. Birdman ties Budapest for the most nominations but it is neck-and-neck with the equally-innovative Boyhood for all the big prizes: Picture, Director and Original Screenplay. Simply put, you need to see Boyhood and Birdman. (Total 9 nominations and in theaters at this writing.)

See the give-it-everything performance of the year

4. The Theory Of Everything is a front runner for Best Actor (Eddie Redmayne) and Score.Redmayne will win the Golden Globe and SAG awards, but Michael Keaton might be rewarded by The Academy, who does such things for well-loved Hollywood icons who return in peak form. You won't be able to join in that debate unless you've seen this fantastic performance. (Total 5 nominations and in theaters at this writing)

Watch the movie with the clearest shot to upset

5. American Sniper, the Clint Eastwood-directed film about U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle starring Bradley Cooper, received nominations for Best Actor, Picture, Adapted Screenplay and more. If there is a upset next month, it will be this from this movie that is peaking at just the right time. (Total 6 nominations and in theaters at this writing)

Watch Whiplash while it’s still in the theater

6. Whiplash's J.K. Simmons is likely to win Best Supporting Actor, although there is quality competition from almost everyone nominated, which makes for a fun Oscar Night category. I just think you need to see the music come to life from this Best Picture nominee on the big screen instead of hearing everyone tell you that you “should go see this film.” (Total 5 nominations and in theaters at this writing.)

There are a lot of good films you can save until after the awards: The Imitation Game is one of my favorites, but it won’t win anything in a year where innovative films triumph over traditional ones. Julianne Moore is a lock, so you can mark her on your ballot and wait for Still Alice. Selma will take Best Song, but not Picture. Rarely does a fine movie like Foxcatcher win awards like Best Director without a Best Picture nomination. And since the potential upset winner for Best Foreign Language Film, Leviathan, just left local Dallas theaters, I’d recommend that you...

...watch the Best Foreign Language Film front runner at home

7. Ida is streaming on Netflix now. This black and white film is nominated for Best Foreign Language Film…and, wow, Best Cinematography too. (Total 2 nominations and streaming on Netflix.)

Worth ten bucks: Quite obviously, all of them are each ten buck worthy.  

Inherent Vice

Joaquin Phoenix plays a California dick. Paul Thomas Anderson is one.

This film, adapted from Thomas Pynchon's novel and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, The Master), could have been the next The Big Leboski. But I'm more reminded of Twin Peaks: Fire: Walk With Me, the movie where director David Lynch took advantage of his prestige and his audience by serving stylistic indulgences without delivering a story. That's what PTA has done, and I'm offended. 

Joaquin Phoenix plays P.I. Larry ''Doc'' Sportello in a 1970's California-noir detective story that never pays off. It doesn't event try.  

Simply put: How this film got made is more of a real mystery than the movie contains.

Award potential: Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Costume Design Oscars. I assume the Academy members walked out sooner than I did.

The ten buck review: Not worth your time or ten bucks.

Ida

While it is shot in black and white, Ida is anything but.

Yesterday, Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski's Ida was nominated for Best Foreign Film and Best Cinematography. It’s rare for an international and subtitled film to be nominated in any category other than the designated foreign one. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and City of God are some of the more recent films to have received this honor for Best Cinematography. Adding to that distinction, this is a black and white film. The only modern black and white film to have won the cinematography category was Schindler’s List.

Clearly, this film is something special. While it is shot in black and white, its story is anything but. It has much to say about the realities of postwar Communism. And it entertains like a road trip movie unlike any you’ve ever seen.

Anna, an orphan and nun in 1960s Poland, is charged with exploring her background before taking her irrevocable vows. A road trip with her one existing relative leads to secrets about her personal past as well as broader revelations about Poland’s history.

The best supporting character to this story is certainly the sharp monochrome cinematography that puts you into the world of 1962. If I didn’t know better, I would easily believe that Ida is a rediscovered classic more than a film from 2014.

Simply put: At only eighty minutes long, Ida should please any fan of foreign films.

Award potential: Depends on if it gets seen. It’s the frontrunner for Best Foreign Film, but it has lots of competition. Argentina’s Wild Tales and Russia’s Leviathan have lots of supporters and non-Holocaust plotlines.

The ten buck review: Worth ten bucks. It is available on Netflix at this writing.