The Hot Shots of 2014

Man, 2014 was a pretty interesting year. From the Oscars to Serial, some exciting and great things happened. Here's a look at some Hollywood people who had a rocking year.

Amy Adams
The actress scored her 5th Oscar nomination for American Hustle and is finding herself in the awards discussion again for Tim Burton's Big Eyes. But Adams was involved in 2 news stories which showed what an awesome, classy lady she is. First she gave up her first class airplane seat to a man in uniform (and only got caught because a journalist happened to see her). Then when the Today Show tried to get her to talk about the Sony hack, she expressed her reluctance to spread gossip and got unceremoniously booted from the show when she stood her ground. Adams also got good notices for her stint as SNL host. Basically, I love this lady and her 2014 was a good reason why.

Blackish
With networks trying really hard to land a really great sitcom, ABC's Blackish is clearly the winner of the 2014 pilot season. Fresh, funny and poignant, the show chronicles the lives of an upper middle class black family in a predominantly white neighborhood. The show does a good job of balancing everyday family sitcom hijinks with exploring modern America race issues. The cast, especially Tracee Ellis Ross and the four kids, is remarkable. The show arrived with a unique--and fully formed--point of view and is a great addition to the family sitcom genre.

Sony Pulling 'The Interview' Affects Lizzy Caplan the Most

I'm not a fan of Sony pulling The Interview. While I can understand the fear of putting movie goers in danger, it sets a dangerous precedent. And I am convinced that that Sony and the movie theater companies were more afraid that scared moviegoers would steer clear of the theater right in the middle of the lucrative holiday movie season. The Interview was not supposed to be a blockbuster. The $44 million budget would have easily been recuperated during the long Holiday season as the go-to R rated bro comedy of the season. Also, the film would have made its profits from VOD/Redbox as well as television deals with channels like FX.

But now that the movie is cancelled, it's going to be a major loss for the production company especially considering marketing expenses (though releasing it amid the controversy would have made it a guaranteed hit). But it's okay for Sony--they will make back that money easily with their next franchise entry or what have you. I'm sure they fully analyzed their losses and will plan accordingly.

Oscar Predictions 2015, Part 2: Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director

Patricia Arquette in Boyhood

Last time, I discussed my picks and predictions for Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Actor. Now I'll take a look at the Supporting Acting categories and Best Director. These categories are little easier to predict but only when it comes to picking the nominees. Finding the winner is a little tougher because there are solid reasons for each of the potential nominees. And we all know how much the Oscars love a good narrative. What's cool with these categories is that, save for a small number of repeat nominees, there are a good number of first-time nominees. Yum, fresh meat!

Best Supporting Actress
I think my pick for the winner is Patricia Arquette for Boyhood. Yes, the star of Medium is likely to be an Oscar winner. I can't pinpoint why Arquette is such a frontrunner except to say that a lot of people are recognizing how Boyhood is actually "Motherhood" in disguise. It's a role that could easily be forgotten among the "aw, look how much Mason has grown up!" but thankfully Arquette is getting her due. Jessica Chastain seems to be in the running for her 3rd Oscar nomination for A Most Violent Year. I am sure there is a "she's due for an award!" sentiment growing. I haven't seen the film but it's a wife role; I'd much rather see Chastain win for a role worthy of her talents (like, um, Zero Dark Thirty). Meryl Streep is in the running for Into the Woods but is that news to anyone?

I'd Rather Be a Forest: Reese Witherspoon's Revealing, Grueling Hike in 'Wild'

I really enjoy films about people on redemptive, spiritual journeys like 127 Hours or Wild Strawberries. There is something really terrifying but fascinating about people confronting their own inner demons, past mistakes, failures and reconciling those with what's good with their lives. I think they are great showcases for actors. Jean-Marc Vallee, director of the Oscar winning Dallas Buyers Club and the underrated The Young Victoria, brings his own take on the "redemption drama" with the funny and affecting Wild.

Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon, finally given a leading role after a number of years, stars and produces the film, along with Laura Dern (Jurassic Park), Thomas Sadoski (TV's The Newsroom), Kevin Rankin (TV's Breaking Bad) and Gaby Hoffman (Crystal Fairy and the Magic Cactus). The film is adaptation of Cheryl Strayed's autobiography. The sharp, textured script was written by screenwriter/author Nick Hornby.

'Mockingjay-Part 1' is Satisfying Buildup to Finale (Review)

A year long intermission.

That's what Hunger Games fans are in for as they wait for November 2015's conclusion to the series. Splitting a final book into 2 films seems to be a popular decision. Some see it as a blatant cash grab; others choose to think of it as a way to include some character beats that might get rushed in an ordinary 140-minute adaptation. The debate is meaningless, of course. Fans of the series will show up to see the movie regardless and Hunger Games is a reliable enough franchise with a terrific adult star cast to attract even casual fans.

Directed by Catching Fire helmer Francis Lawrence, the film stars Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Julianne Moore, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Jeffrey Wright, Natalie Dormer, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland. The film is written by Danny Strong and Peter Craig, who are also writing Part 2.

Oscar Predictions 2015, Part 1: Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Actor

Boyhood

I love the Oscars. Even though it's all political and predictable, it's still fun to discuss and analyze how the Oscar season shapes up. I love this time of the Oscar season because the frontrunners are starting to emerge but there are still a few wild cards out there just waiting to surprise everyone. I'm going to just do a short blurb about each of the major categories (Best Picture, Actress, Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor and Director) and picking out the frontrunners and weeding out the wannabes.

Best Picture
The Best Picture race is funny; for a long time, there isn't any clear frontrunner and then all of a sudden one film becomes unstoppable. I've been right most of the time (and yet I somehow couldn't predict Argo's victory 2 years ago!). Right now my gut is telling the race will be between The Imitation Game and Boyhood. Imitation has Oscar juggernaut Harvey Weinstein, acclaimed perfs from stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley and a WWII biopic premise behind it. Boyhood is a universally acclaimed box office success and it balances being epic and slice of life quite well. Both films are "safe" choices, meaning Oscar voters will feel comfortable voting for them instead of voting for edgier choices (Gone Girl or Whiplash).

Michelle MacLaren to Direct 'Wonder Woman:' Tokenism & Other Thoughts

The lack of opportunities for female directors is such a major problem that when a female director signs on for a major Hollywood blockbuster, it's news. Such is the case for Emmy winning director/producer Michelle MacLaren, who was just announced as director for Wonder Woman (out in June 2017). The film, starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot, is the fourth film in the DC Comics Shared Universe.

Best known for her work on Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad, MacLaren is an acclaimed director and many of her fans (myself included) were just waiting for her to be brought into the Hollywood like so many top TV directors. Personally I was hoping she would be handed a potential Black Widow movie starring Scarlett Johansson for Marvel but this news is pretty awesome as well.

'Gone Girl,' Gothic Horror & the Power of False Narrative

WARNING: Massive spoilers for David Fincher's adaptation of Gone Girl below. If you have not seen the movie, stop reading and go see it. Then come back and read this (and share it with your friends). 

When I first saw the 2nd trailer for Gone Girl, man, I was hooked like a fish. Here it is below:

After seeing the movie twice, man, I love it even more. The trailer does a great job selling the film with a montage of cryptic moments from the film. The trailer sells Gone Girl as a "woman trapped by dangerous husband" Gothic horror story in the vein of Gaslight, Suspicion and in some ways Rosemary's Baby (all great films you should absolutely watch). I have to admit I find the Gothic horror story very effective and seductive.

And so when I actually saw the movie, I was just blown away by just how much the trailers lied to me. The idea of false narrative, not entirely new to cinema or fiction for that matter, is a very powerful one nonetheless. It plays with viewer expectations. Because of course we are quick to believe in the Amy presented in the diary (which I'll call Amazing Amy from here on out)--the beautiful blonde victimized by her violent husband. It's a narrative that plays on societal expectations for how these stories go.

INTERSTELLAR: Flawed but Magnificent Space Epic

I'm going to give a wildly contradictory statement: Interstellar is not one of Christopher Nolan's best films but you should absolutely go see it in theaters (in IMAX if you can bear it). The issues I have with the intergalactic melodrama don't undermine the visual beauty or hard effort behind the film. The spectacle of the film is betrayed, however, by an emotional throughline that does not capture the imagination as well as the film's technical achievements.

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Casey Affleck, John Lithgow, Mackenzie Foy and Michael Caine, Interstellar is the 9th feature film from Nolan and his followup to The Dark Knight Rises. Written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan Nolan, the film features stunning cinematography by Hoyt Van Hoytema (Her), wonderful music by Hans Zimmer (12 Years a Slave) and crisp editing by Lee Smith (The Dark Knight),

Facebook page is back up!

I may not be a Punk-Genius-Traitor-Billionaire but I reignited my Facebook page! Like me at Facebook.com/MathurMarquee!! 

"Come find me when you wake up:" Gender Equality in 'Edge of Tomorrow'

This weekend I saw the Tom Cruise/Emily Blunt sci-fi aciton movie Edge of Tomorrow for the second time. It's one of the most underrated summer blockbusters from 2014. Unfortunately it did not set the US box office on fire (although it did make almost $370 million worldwide) and that was for a few reasons (poor marketing, bad release date, tough competition from Maleficent and The Fault in Our Stars). Edge of Tomorrow is one of the most pleasing, visually gorgeous and thrilling movies to come out. And the cherry on top of the sundae: it very subtly promotes gender equality.

This movie is not the feminist ideal: it fails the Bechdel test and has few women both behind and in front of the cameras. But the relationship between William Cage (Cruise) and Rita Vrataski (Blunt) as well as their roles within the film are a welcome change from the usual macho-driven explosion-fest.

The best part of Tomorrow is how Vrataski and Cage work together. Vrataski's past in the time loop that Cage is now stuck in makes her the dominant one in their relationship at first. She has to train him and he relies on her skills, expertise and knowledge to further their shared goal of saving the world.

It has to be noted that her gender does not play into their dynamic at all. There's no hint that Cage feels weird being in a submissive role to Vrataski. Her past battle victories define her, not her womanhood. Usually in an action movie with a male/female dynamic, the woman is the one who is learning from the (older) male; the woman is reliant on the male. Tomorrow reverses that without making a big deal out of it. And so the film can be seen as majorly progressive.

Well, sort of. Vrstaski goes by two nicknames within the world of Edge of Tomorrow: Angel of Verdun and Full Metal Bitch. Both present her as 2 opposite extremes: the pure, maternal protector and the cold, distant killing machine.

Both names on their own are somewhat problematic. "Angel" and "bitch" are hardly names you would call a male war hero and they are explicitly informed by her being a woman. But the film allows Vrataski to peel back layers and reveal a 3 dimensional woman behind the archetypes of "angel" and "bitch."

Not only that but because this is a major Hollywood blockbuster starring Tom Cruise (which honestly would not have been made without Cruise's name attached), Emily Blunt is in a supporting role. And the film has Cage manipulate certain events when it becomes clear that Vrataski dies in a certain time loop. He does that because he cares for her, yes, but also because he needs her help to complete his mission.

Even so, Vrataski could easily have been just a romantic prize or played by a man with Blunt as some romantic interest. But Edge of Tomorrow is a bit smarter than that. Cage and Vrataski have an equal partnership, where they both offer ideas and make sacrifices. And that is one of the many reasons Edge of Tomorrow is one of the best films of the year.

Obsessed, Scary Jake Gyllenhaal in Electrifying 'Nightcrawler' (Review)

I like Jake Gyllenhaal for a lot of reasons. He's movie star handsome but hasn't really exploited his good looks. He prefers to do dark, offbeat movies instead of blockbusters (I think we can all forget Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time). And he's not scary intense like Christian Bale or Russell Crowe. Off the screen, that is.

In character, my boy Jakey G. has delivered some powerful performances in films like Zodiac, Enemy, Prisoners and Jarhead. But he tops himself in Nightcrawler, the directorial debut of screenwriter Dan Gilroy (brother to Tony "Michael Clayton" Gilroy and husband to Rene Russo). The film also stars Russo, Riz Ahmed and Bill Paxton. The film features a moody score by James Newton Howard (Hunger Games, The Dark Knight) and cinematography by Robert Elswit (There Will Be Blood, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol).

Gyllenhaal stars as Lou Bloom, an out of work LA guy who finds himself working as a nightcrawler, a person who listens for crimes on police recorders, tapes footage and sells them to news shows. Lou sells to Nina's (Rene Russo) show, the lowest rated program. Lou is extremely motivated. He's obsessed with doing well, reciting lessons he learned from online business classes, negotiating mercilessly and always looking out for his goals. He hires an assistant Rick (Ahmed) and sets out to become the best.

Nightcrawler functions on two levels: it is a satire of media sensationalism and a scathing look at a guy with sociopathic tendencies and an obsessive drive for success. While the film succeeds mostly on both levels, I have to say that it works better when focusing on the latter. We've seen media satires before (Network, Sweet Smell of Success, and the comedy Morning Glory come to mind). It's easy, low-hanging fruit to explore how news media want to show more blood and screaming victims than actually to report the truth.

Luckily, the film has an incredible protagonist in Lou Bloom and a powerhouse leading man in Jake Gyllenhaal. Lou is a manipulative self-starter so bent on success, that he isn't above blackmail and other shady dealings. We've seen Gyllenhaal go intense before like in Prisoners. But his performance as Lou goes even further off the deep end. His voice gets steely, his eyes fixate and it's really menacing.

There's a fabulous scene where Lou is giving a list of demands to Nina and with each item he takes a step closer to the camera and finishes the monologue with an ending line that got a "dayummmmmn" type response from the audience (fine, guys, just me).

If I recall correctly, then this is the first time Gyllenhaal is playing a villain/anti-hero type character and it suits him well. He has a such a boyish, charming persona that using it for such a horrible character is unsettling.

Rene Russo, after being a total boss in Thor: The Dark World, continues her comeback with another great acting job. While I enjoyed her performance, I wish her character had a bit more backbone. The character seems too passive and complacent as the film goes on. Riz Ahmed is fine as a young innocent who gets trapped by Lou. His nervous energy and desperation come through when tested by Lou. Bill Paxton is underused as a potential rival for Lou but gets a few choice scenes.

I love the look of the film. Dark but full of artificial light. The cinematography is exceptional. Gilroy makes a lot of great directorial choices, especially in the driving scenes. Some people have compared this film to the Ryan Gosling starrer Drive. It's a fair comparison (nighttime LA movie with lots of driving) but this film is going for more visceral thrills whereas the 2011 film was a melodrama with action hanging over it. Both are great films but Nightcrawler is a bit more effective.

I'd highly recommend Nightcrawler. Because it came out in Oscar season, there's been some Oscar talk. I think both Gyllenhaal and Russo are definitely in the running for Best Actor and Supporting Actress respectively. The cinematography and the script can also find their way into the nominees' list. However, I also think this movie is too dark and weird for old school Oscar voters. In the end, it doesn't matter. Nightcrawler does not need Oscar attention to get viewers. It's the type of film whose audience will seek it out and and love it all on their own.

Will Captain America 3 Turn into Iron Man 4?

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is probably my #1 Marvel movie and it'll probably fall somewhere in my top 10 of 2014. And I became instantly pumped for the upcoming 3rd entry in the Captain Ameria solo series (due out in May 2016). It'd be great to see Cap (Chris Evans), Natasha/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) team up again with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) against HYDRA after whatever game changing events happen in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Following the sad tale of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) was also something to look forward to in Cap 3.

So when news broke a few weeks ago that Robert Downey Jr. would reprise his Tony Stark/Iron Man role in Cap 3, I was hugely disappointed. And that was for several reasons. One, I really can't stand RDJ. Oh, sure, the way he got over his personal troubles and became a big movie star again is admirable. But he is just so smug and his whole snarky, too cool for school persona is really annoying.

But also once Iron Man becomes a part of Cap 3, he will eventually push out the supporting characters like Sam, Sharon, Bucky. Now it's been announced that Cap 3 will be titled "Captain America: Civil War" and it is reportedly based on a story in the comics which pitted Cap and Iron Man against each other.

Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with this potential plot line. The Marvel movies could use a little more real tension and conflict between the Avengers. My main issue with Iron Man coming into Captain America's movie is that the studios think of Iron Man and/or RDJ as the unofficial Avenger team captain. He's had the most solo movies, top billing in the Avengers and the highest grossing solo movie (Iron Man 3, which grossed over $1 billion). And so I can foresee Marvel execs pushing to give Iron Man more screentime. Why focus on lesser known actors when you have ROBERT DOWNEY JR in your stable?

When RDJ was promoting The Judge (a film that was supposed to be his comeback into serious non-franchise related films but ended up getting disappointing box office returns and bad reviews), the talk was that he was not doing Iron Man 4. But if he takes on a "supporting" role in Captain America: Civil War then that movie will become a de facto Iron Man 4.

Part of my issue with the idea of Iron Man coming into Captain America's movie is that it robs the effect of having the solo movies. I get that Marvel wants to do this big Expanded Universe and from what I understand, there are a lot of crossovers in the comic books (disclaimer: I don't know anything about the comic books). I like seeing Cap lead his own adventure with his own support team. Bringing in another Avenger, especially Iron Man who's played by a bigger star than Chris Evans or Scarlett Johansson, will diminish Captain America and Black Widow's roles. Can you imagine RDJ getting top billing over Chris Evans even when the latter is the title character? The suits behnd the movie will prtobably keep pushing and hyping RDJ's involvement simply because he's RDJ.

All of this is speculation. And the Civil War plot was probably planned all along and I'm just upset that some of my favorite parts of Winter Soldier are being overshadowed by a Cap vs. Iron Man story. And I am positive that if I a) knew anything about the comics and/or b) didn't have an anti-RDJ bias I'd be thrilled about this. But, darn it, I want my Captain America movies to stay Captain America movies, not turned into some pseudo-Avengers sequel/Iron Man 4/RDJ vanity project. I really can't stand Robert Downey Jr.

The Genre Movie: Mere Competence Can Be Enough

Last week, I saw the movie Divergent starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Miles Teller and Kate Winslet. Based on the novels by Veronica Roth, the movie is essentially a Hunger Games/Harry Potter mashup. Dystopia, sorting, heroine with identity crisis, revolutions--it's all there. Even so, I found myself really enjoying the movie (of course, I rented it for $3.99 on iTunes; perhaps I wouldn't have enjoyed it after paying $12 at a theater). While Divergent didn't really offer anything new, it did something that was almost as impressive.

Divergent hit all the beats in the young adult fantasy/action genre and hit them competently and efficiently.And that was good enough for me. Ideally, yes, all films should strive to be unique and surprising. But the reality is that most films straddle the line between decent and good. And that's really okay.

I like genre movies because you usually know what to expect. Whether it's a rom-com, a spy thriller or a sports drama, these films follow their formulas to the T. If done badly, it can be irritating and cloying. But if the execution is handsome and earnest, then genre films can really soar. And if a film can competently hit all the big moments in the genre film, then it is more likely that the smaller moments, the individual scenes and the supporting characters, will be more surprising and original.

Take for instance the romantic-comedy What If starring Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan. On the surface, it's a typical "friends or lovers" comedy that is fairly predictable. But there are a lot of fun, unique bits in the movie. Look at the Oscar winning 2010 movie The Fighter. That was a fairly typical sports drama, with drug and family problems. But director David O. Russell gave that film so much panache and flash and it had a crackling script and ace performances. And even something like The Bourne Legacy, which is not the crowning achievement of the Bourne series, is well-paced with decent acting and action. What it does well, it does well enough that you can sort of overlook its flaws and lack of innovation.

The key to a good genre movie is that it doesn't aim for lofty goals. It sets out to entertain and be watchable. IF a genre movie tries too hard it could fail. They have to be a little self-aware so that it competently goes from A to B. I liked Divergent and the other films listed because they knew what they were. By focusing on hitting the right beats, good genre movies can play with the nuances. Even if they don't, these films can survive by just being entertaining. Sometimes that's really all that matters.

Yup, I'm Rooting for '50 Shades of Grey' to Succeed

I haven't read the books. I doubt I'll even go see the movie unless it has an R or (fingers crossed) an NC-17 rating. But I am hoping that Sam Taylor-Johnson's adaptation of 50 Shades of Grey, the erotic book club smash, succeeds at the box office. And I'm not ashamed to say it.

When it comes to feminism on screen I think there are two types: procedural feminism and substantive feminism (a theory I've adapted from contract law). Procedural feminism is the behind the scenes, technical process of filmmaking (female director/writer/producer, largely female cast, success with female audiences, perhaps crossover male appeal but that's not as important to me). Substantive feminism is the actual content of the film (passing the Bechdel test, female agency, woman characters not being a romantic prize but having substantial parts in the plot).

Ideally a film would be both procedurally feminist and substantively feminist (Bridesmaids comes to mind as do the Hunger Games films). And there are of course those which are just substantively feminist, which is not a bad thing at all (Gravity, Neighbors, Rear Window).

But let's not forget about those films which may be just procedurally feminist. I believe this category is often overlooked but extremely important. Perhaps it's even more important than substantively feminist films. Putting more women behind the cameras and having more women see films marketed to them which then become successes in the way male-targeted blockbusters are means more studios will take a chance on them. Then perhaps we will have more films that hit both types of feminism.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, marketed like a blockbuster, performed like a blockbuster

I can't say anything about what 50 Shades of Grey is like content-wise; the premise could be gloriously sex positive but I'm afraid that it's executed conservatively. However, having a female director make a movie off a screenplay written by a woman based on a book written by a woman that is directly and perhaps exclusively marketed towards women cannot be a bad thing. This is especially true since 50 Shades is being marketed as a blockbuster like Twilight and Hunger Games, both female-marketed movies that made superhero-type business. Casting and directing rumors, a teaser, a full trailer--all have been doled out meticulously, well in advance of the Valentines Day 2015 release date. It's good that the distributors are not hiding the movie. And they shouldn't either. There's a large potential for 50 Shades to be a huge success at the box office.

But box office success isn't guaranteed. Not that it is for any movie but 50 Shades is particularly vulnerable. The problem is that this movie is already being treated with derision and I think there are a few reasons for that. One, it is an erotic thriller (or at least erotic drama) and you know sex=funny. Also, the straight male audience (Hollywood's own favorite unicorn) are probably threatened by a movie featuring sexuality not aimed at them (the female gaze will likely be prominent and that's too scary).

Because the straight males aren't interested, then 50 Shades is immediately treated as radioactive waste (it's a phenomenon called "girl show ghetto"). So women might also stay away out of fear of being associated with something that is being publicly mocked. Because this is a movie that will probably be a romantic melodrama, the critics will most likely assassinate it in the reviews. (Don't get me started on the institutionalized misogyny in modern film criticism; we'll be here all night.)

But but but if 50 Shades is a success, then it will be yet another indication that woman-centered movies don't need Hollywood's own favorite unicorn, the straight male audience, to be a legitimate success. History has proven time and time again that women go see movies marketed towards them and will guide them to blockbuster success. These films just have to be marketed properly and it seems like 50 Shades is on the right track.

Maleficent: worldwide total is $736 mil

After the successes of Maleficent, Mamma Mia!, The Hunger Games 1 and 2, Lucy, The Devil Wears Prada, The Fault in Our Stars, The Heat, Bridesmaids, The Vow, The Other Woman, Frozen, Tangled, Brave, The Twilight Saga and Divergent, Hollywood should be aware that the female audience is powerful and hungry. And these films all belong to diverse genres. That all these films also vary in quality is a good thing for better movies to be made. Of course, some of those had crossover male appeal but it seems like Hollywood is not counting the ones that didn't. The lesson Hollywood learns is that it's good that women are seeing these films but the ones which should be repeated are the ones that men saw too.

None of the films listed above are erotic dramas though so it's hard to see where 50 Shades will fall on the scale. I can only think of one other "sexy movie" marketed to women in the recent past. Magic Mike was marketed as a girls night out male stripper comedy and was also subject to the same derision that 50 Shades is getting (probably males reacting to nudity that's not for them and women protesting the implication that they want anything to do with it). Magic Mike went on to gross about $167 million dollars, roughly 24 times its $7 mil budget. That it turned out to be a sensitive, somewhat existential dramedy was a surprise to most (myself included). But its colossal success in the face of pre and post release ridicule gives hope to 50 Shades' own success.

People made fun of it, grossed over $150 mil

Admittedly, 50 Shades isn't directed by a respected mainstream director like Steven Soderbergh.  Director Sam Taylor-Johnson has only made one feature film before, the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy (79% on Rotten Tomatoes). Screenwriter Kelli Marcel created the short-lived TV series Terra Nova and wrote the Disney/PL Travers biopic Saving Mr. Banks. Magic Mike also had bona fide movie stars Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey. 50 Shades' Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan are not box office draws yet. So basically the whole movie is a gamble.

What makes 50 Shades of Grey exciting to follow is that there really hasn't been a movie like this in a while. The Twilight movies are shooting for the same audience I guess but those films are much more chaste and younger teen friendly. 50 Shades would be the first time an erotic drama would be marketed directly to women and with a female writer/director. For all I know, 50 Shades might be a bad movie made off a bad series of books. But if the movie is successful with women and only with women, then maybe Hollywood will wake up and realize once and for all that women form a sizable portion of the audience

9 Great Films to Enjoy on Mother's Day

So it's Mother's Day, a day we spend honoring the great women in our lives who gave birth to us, taught us, fed us, lectured us and laughed with us. Over the years, there have been several awesome mom-themed films in genres ranging from rom-com to horror. Here are nine movies you can watch with your mother on her special day.

1. All That Heaven Allows (1955)

Jane Wyman stars as Cary Scott, a bored widow who begins a romance with a hunky tree farmer (Rock Hudson). Not only do Cary's friends scoff at her new relationship, her kids also reject the notion of her dating a younger man. Sick of martyring herself, Cary decides she is a woman first and mother second. Heaven is a good movie for those who forget that moms are people too. So if your mom likes giving out a good guilt trip, this is the movie for her. 

2. Black Swan (2010)

Oscar winner Natalie Portman and Barbara Hershey play mother and daughter who both descend into violent madness in this psycho-horror ballet melodrama. Living in a cramped Manhattan apartment, Portman's Nina is babied by her mother in a most horrifying fashion (it's arrested development). This is a fun movie to watch with your mom but only if you're comfortable enough to watch things get a little graphic. 

3. Kill Bill Vols. 1 & 2 (2003-04)
It's easy to forget that the Bride's "Roaring Rampage of Revenge" is really just a manifestation of her immense maternal despair. We often don't think of our moms kicking butt and taking names. So this 2 part film is a terrific reminder of just what a mom is capable of when provoked. Basically the moral of the story is: beware the Mama Bear.

4. Mamma Mia! (2008)
All right, the last two entries on this list are rather, shall we say, unconventional. Mamma Mia!, that gloriously absurd ABBA musical, is probably closer to the kind of movie most kids will have to sit through on Mother's Day. It's a film that's brimming with nostalgic mom-triggers like ABBA, 70s costumes, Greek locales, Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan. And "Slipping Through My Fingers" is practically the anthem for empty-nest syndrome. 

5. Mildred Pierce (1945)
Is your mom angry with you? Just pop in Mildred Pierce and remind her that no matter what you've done, you're probably not as bad as Veda Pierce. In this noirish melodrama, Oscar winner Joan Crawford plays the titular Mildred who struggles to make her entitled brat of a daughter Veda happy. Mildred Pierce, which was remade into an HBO miniseries starring Kate Winslet, is a really good movie. It's all about a woman who works hard to make her future better and to do the best for her family.

6. Monster-in-Law (2005)
Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez make an odd but very funny duo in this zany battle between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. There's really not a lot to say about this movie other than that it's funny, sunny and charming. JLo and JFo have good chemistry together and Wanda Sykes adds in her own sassy brand of humor.

7. Psycho (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock's horror classic has become known as one of the most iconic mother-son relationships on the screen. The domineering Mother Bates still wields control over the seemingly unassuming Norman. Their rapport is horrifying as she keeps him in stuck in the adolescent phase. Psycho is a film with a lot of twists and Hitchcock's direction doles them with equal parts restraint and glee. If Mom is a horror fan, then I'm sure she will love this. 

8. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
No other film that I can think of really explores the fears and anxieties of pregnancy. Manifested through scheming Satanists next door, Rosemary's fears become full horror as the film goes on. What I love about this movie is that it's really quite funny at times; there's a lot of black comedy to alleviate (and sometimes heighten) the horror. Rosemary's Baby is a great film because it's totally scary but fun. 

9. Something's Gotta Give (2003)
Diane Keaton, one of the coolest ladies in Hollywood, stars as Erica, in this smart, funny romantic-comedy from Nancy Meyers that also stars Jack Nicholson. Keaton and her onscreen daughter Amanda Peet share a lot of heartwarming mother-daughter moments. Their relationship is at that time when you start becoming friends with your mom and can share adult life-chats. And Frances McDormand is in there as a super cool aunt. This movie feels like the cinematic equivalent of Sunday brunch and that's just what Mother's Day is all about.

Happy Mother's Day! What are some of your favorite "mom" movies? 

Why Did 'American Hustle' Leave Oscar Night Empty-Handed?

American Hustle released in late December last year to almost widespread critical acclaim. It also won a good number of pre-Oscar critics awards (IMDb informs me that the film won 50 awards total against 86 nominations). I liked the film but thought the film didn't deserve the thunderous hype. Even so, people were speculating that it would be a heavy contender at the Oscars

And they were right. The movie scored a whopping 10 Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Actress, Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, Editing, Costume Design and Production Design. It scored more nominations than any other film except for Gravity, which also received 10 nominations (and seven wins).

But on Oscar Night, the film left empty-handed. I was surprised. It had the biggest chance in 2 categories: Costumes and Supporting Actress for Jennifer Lawrence. The race between Lawrence and eventual winner Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave) was tighter than ever. The 70s costumes might have attracted voters. Or maybe the screenplay would have won, beating the sci-fi oddball romance Her.

In my predictions, I guessed that American Hustle would be shut out. But honestly, I figured I'd be wrong. There was a chance that the Academy would throw Hustle an obligatory win simply to justify the film's presence in all the major categories (much like how last year Lincoln randomly won Best Production Design alongside the expected Best Actor because winning two out of twelve nominations is less pathetic than one out of twelve).

American Hustle wasn't the only Best Picture nominee to lose in all its categories. Philomena, The Wolf of Wall Street, Captain Philips (all pictured above), and Nebraska all were win-less. But Hustle's losses are the most embarrassing because it emphasized that, however enjoyable and fun, Hustle is essentially a hollow film that failed to justify its own existence as a major awards contender. Silver Linings Playbook and The Fighter slyly subverted the romantic-comedy and the sports melodrama respectively but Hustle plays it completely straight. Though there were a handful of inspired moments, the film does not come together as a whole.

In my opinion, American Hustle deserved about 7 of its 10 nominations. But the editing? The costumes? Production design? In my opinion, these were perfunctory nominations in a "might as well put Hustle there because we need a fifth nominee" kind of way. I don't mean to rag on Hustle too much. I liked the film. But I loved the idea of it more. It's an enjoyable film but not worthy of ten Oscar nominations, let alone any wins.

Put simply, the Academy liked American Hustle enough to nominate it for 10 categories but not enough for it to actually win anything. Hustle lacked the historical importance of 12 Years a Slave or Dallas Buyers Club, the technical achievements of Gravity, or the pure impressiveness of Her and Blue Jasmine in their winning categories. It's a film that feels somewhat slight compared to the artistic heights 2013 saw in filmmaking.

86th Academy Awards: Predictions, Surprises & Snubs

A short while ago, the nominations for the 86th Academy Awards were announced. To be honest, 2013 was one of the best years for movies in recent history. There are a good number of great or exceptional films out in theaters or on home video and most of them have some kind of presence on this list of nominations. I was genuinely surprised at some of these nominations so there will be some good speculation in the next few days before the ceremony in March. Let's get to it, shall we?

Best Picture:

12 Years a Slave, American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Dallas Buyers Club, Gravity, Her, Nebraska, Philomena and The Wolf of Wall Street

Winner: 12 Years a Slave

The Dark Horse: Gravity

This is a pretty tight race between the historical epic and the space epic. They tied at the Producer's Guild Award but !2 Years has been winning most of the Best Picture awards (including the Golden Globe). But Gravity scored the highest number of nominations (10, tying with American Hustle). For the most part, the Academy likes historical movies so I think in the end, the award will go to 12 Years. 

Major snub: Both Saving Mr. Banks and Inside Llewyn Davis were speculated to be heavily-nominated films but neither made it to the shortlist. Also, All is Lost, The Butler or Fruitvale Station could easily have been here.

Best Actor:

Christian Bale (American Hustle), Bruce Dern (Nebraska), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street), Chiwetel Ejiofor (!2 Years a Slave) and Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club)

The Winner: McConaughey

The Dark Horse: DiCaps/Ejiofor

For the longest time, I had Ejiofor as the frontrunner (and he could still win) but McConaughey has been winning a good number of pre Oscar awards (including the Golden Globe and the SAG Award). Also, the Academy loves physical transformations. That McConaughey's career did a complete 180 in the last 3 years or so is what works in his favor the most. DiCaprio's win at the Golden Globe and his previous losses could spin a win for him also. 

Major snub: Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips), Robert Redford (All is Lost), Joaquin Phoenix (Her) and Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) were all serious contenders and could have easily gotten onto the shortlist.

Best Actress:

Amy Adams (American Hustle), Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine), Sandra Bullock (Gravity), Judi Dench (Philomena) and Meryl Streep (August: Osage County)

The Winner: Blanchett

The Dark Horse: Adams/Bullock

Cate Blanchett had this award in the bag all way back in July when Blue Jasmine premiered. There is absolutely no way she's not winning this award. Personally I would love if Sandra Bullock pulled a surprise win but it's not happening. There's a slight chance that Blanchett could lose because of the Dylan Farrow NYTimes article (which strangely name-dropped Blanchett) but I seriously doubt the Academy would punish Blanchett for getting dragged into that mess. 

Major snub: Most people thought Emma Thompson was a lock for her role in Saving Mr. Banks. Guess not. My guess is that Streep took her spot.

Best Supporting Actor:
Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Bradley Cooper (American Hustle), Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave), Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street) and Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)
The Winner: Leto
The Dark Horse: Fassbender
Dallas Buyers Club is an Oscar favorite (scoring a surprising six nominations) and Leto's performance has been much praised. But Fassbender has also won some awards for 12 Years. It may be more of a toss-up than you think. The Academy loves 12 Years but they also love physically demanding roles. Still, in the end, I think Leto will take it.

Major snub: Tom Hanks for Saving Mr. Banks. Again, I'm surprised that movie was shut out of the major awards. Also, Daniel Bruhl for Rush could have been a surprise nomination.

Best Supporting Actress:
Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine), Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle), Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave), Julia Roberts (August: Osage County) and June Squibb (Nebraska)
The Winner: Nyong'o
The Dark Horse: Lawrence
I know J-Law is like everyone's favorite person but I have a feeling Nyong'o will win the Oscar. I could be completely wrong. But the Academy isn't as starstruck as the Golden Globes and Nyong'o won the SAG award and the Critics' Choice Award. Back-to-back Oscar wins are rare in acting categories; Tom Hanks was the last one for his one-two punch of Forrest Gump and Philadelphia. And is the Academy really prepared to put J-Law on the same level as T-Hanks? My money is on newcomer Nyong'o. In my honest opinion, her performance was just better; she owned the film and made her tragic character heroic through her suffering.

Major snub: Scarlett Johansson for Her, Oprah Winfrey for The Butler and Octavia Spencer for Fruitvale Station seem to be missing from the list.

Best Director:
Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity), Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Alexander Payne (Nebraska), David O. Russell (American Hustle) and Martin Scorsese (The Wolf of Wall Street)
The Winner: Cuaron
The Dark Horse: McQueen
Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron won the Director's Guild of America award and the Golden Globe; the victories seem to suggest he is the major frontrunner for the Oscar. The Academy will want to give Gravity at least one major award and this will be the one, honoring Cuaron as the team captain for the achievement that is Gravity. However, the Academy might want to have its Best Picture/Best Director be from the same movie which might give 12 Years the edge.

Major snub: Paul Greengrass for Captain Phillips was a possible contender but for some reason the Academy chose Alexander Payne. Haven't seen Nebraska but it doesn't really seem like a Director's Movie like Phillips did. It should be noted that Greengrass was nominated for the DGA over Payne, which is interesting.

Best Animated Feature:
The Croods, Despicable Me 2, Ernest & Celestine, Frozen and The Wind Rises
The Winner: Frozen
The Dark Horse: The Wind Rises
Frozen has the edge here because it is universally beloved. I hadn't even heard of Ernest & Celestine and The Wind Rises until the awards season started. The Wind Rises, however, is respected director Miyazaki's final feature film which could give it the edge over Frozen.

Major snub: I don't know... Monsters University? Epic?

Best Foreign Language Film:
The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium), The Great Beauty (Italy), The Hunt (Denmark), The Missing Picture (Cambodia) and Omar (Palestine)
Winner: The Great Beauty
The Dark Horse: The Broken Circle Breakdown/The Hunt
I've only seen one of these nominees (The Hunt) but The Great Beauty seems to be frontrunner after its Golden Globe win last month.

My picks for the technical categories:
Best Original Screenplay: Her (pictured above)
Best Adapted Screenplay: 12 Years a Slave
Best Cinematography, Original Score, Editing, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects: Gravity (duh)
Best Costume Design, Production Design: The Great Gatsby
Best Original Song: Let It Go from Frozen
Best Makeup & Hairstyling: Dallas Buyers Club

The Academy Awards air on Sunday March 2nd on ABC. The ceremony will be hosted be Ellen DeGeneres for the second time. What are some of your picks for the wins?