Film Independent Spirit Awards 2012 Nominees

Film Independent announced the nominees for this year's Spirit Awards this morning. Follow the link for the categories and their nominees: http://www.spiritawards.com/nominees.

Best Feature: I need to see 50/50 and The Artist but, for now, I think The Descendants will be hard to beat.

Tibet in Song (1:22) 2008

For many centuries Tibet passed on their folk songs to the next generation through a strong oral tradition. Every activity had a song attached to it, milking and drinking beer are two examples. Dancing the native dances were also a very popular pasttime. In 1950, Tibet was invaded by Chinese who have forced and continue to force their culture on the Tibetans. The Chinese brought radios to Tibet and played Chinese music on the "music boxes". In 1995, a young musician named Ngawang Choephel returned to Tibet to record his native traditional music. Choephel's mother fled Tibet with him when he was two. When he returned, Choephel wanted to meet his father for the first time and travel to the rural areas collecting music. He was eventually stopped by the police, arrested  and sentenced for eighteen years in prison. Tibet in Song contains many examples of folk songs and many shots of the beautiful Tibetan montains and countryside. The Tibetans have suffered greatly from the hands of the Chinese invaders, their courage and culture are to be greatly admired.

Hugo (2:06) 2011

Someone will have to explain to me why Hugo is some highly rated. The cinematography is fantastic in 3D, the boy who plays Hugo is adorable, but the movie drags. I just didn't like the style of the movie and the story is just odd. I really don't think that children will have the patience for the two hour movie. The story is about a young orphan who lives in a train station and takes care of all the clocks. He has a nonworking automaton that he has been repairing. He steals gears and parts from a merchant who runs a toy stop. Hugo learns that the shop owner made movies before the first world war. As my son would say "Big Whoop." Please think twice before spending money for this movie, especially in 3D. And feel free to disagree.

The Descendants (1:50) 2011

Matt King (George Clooney) is a lawyer and the trustee of a very large tract on undeveloped and very valuable land. His wife Elizabeth is in a boating accident and is in a coma on life support. Matt now has to take care of his daughters, teenage Alex and young Scottie which is proving difficult as he considers himself the backup parent. The doctor advises Matt to go around and inform family and friends that Elizabeth's life support will be discontinued per her wishes. As difficult as this, matters become more difficult when Matt is told by Alex that his wife was cheating on him. Matt now has to deal with his daughters, the family land deal, and coming to terms with his wife's death and the knowledge that she was unfaithful. This is a wonderful movie for many reasons. Clooney will be nominated for Best Actor, the daughters are fantastic, the dialogue realistic, snappy and touching. The scenery of Hawaiian the beaches, the mountains and the coast should be seen on the big screen. What I was unprepared for was the many scenes of the family visiting the unconscious and dying Elizabeth in the hospital. The scenes were peppered throughout and up to the end of the movie.

Gone the Wind (3:42) 1939

AMC is broadcasting Gone With the Wind in commemoration of the movie's 75th anniversary. Set in 1861 Georgia, Scarlett O'Hara is the belle of the ball with all the plantation owners' sons. All the young men are vying for her attention but Scarlett has her sights set on Ashley Wilkes. Ashley is very taken but not with her, he is planning to marry Miss Melanie. Scarlett has one admirer from Charleston, wealthy Rhett Butler who is considered to be a real scalawag. War breaks out and all the men enlist in the Confederacy. Melanie and Ashley wed, days later Scarlett and Charles, Melanie's brother wed. Scarlett soon becomes a widow leaving the door open for Rhett to keep her company. Scarlett moves to Atlanta and is there when Sherman's troops  burns the city to the ground. Returning to Tara, the family plantation now in ruins, Scarlett works very hard to rebuild. She marries Rhett but Rhett knows that Scarlett loves Ashley. Rhett is devastated when their young daughter dies in a horse riding accident. After Melanie's death, Scarlett realizes she never did love Ashley. Is it too late to save her marriage? Gone With the Wind is a long time family favorite, my younger sister was named after Melanie. Is you haven't seen this great American classic, please do!

The Boy She Met Online (1:29) 2010

Cami is seventeen and meets a college engineering student online. Or so she thinks. Cami finally meets Jake and begins dating him without her mother's knowledge. After several dates, Cami admits to Jake that she is not eighteen but seventeen. When she admits the truth, Jake tells her his truth, he is not a college student but has just released from prison after serving time for a felony. Tori, Cami's mother, discovers that Cami is dating and dating an ex-con. Jake, realizing that his chances for a legitimate job are slim, starts making a few drug deliveries. Events starts crashing down around Cami and Jake, will their love survive?  The Boy She Met Online is a Lifetime movie with a good premise for this day and age but is just a typical made for television movie.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (1:57) 2011

Much to my surprise I really liked this movie. I have never read any of the books and had just rented the Eclipse sequel to understand why the series is so popular with the Middle School girls in my school. I liked Eclipse and thankfully had my daughter fill in the back story. This morning I went to see Edward and Bella get married and it was a truly beautiful ceremony. During the honeymoon Bella becomes pregnant which comes as a surprise to all. Bella  and Edward fly home because Bell experiences a rough pregnancy. Then an unexpected complication arises, the baby is growing at an alarming rate. This part of the film reminds me of Troi's pregnancy on Star Trek: Next Generation. Edward has to enlist Jacob's help as the werewolves will eliminate Bella's baby.  Breaking Dawn has received poor reviews from the critics but it is very enjoyable two hours. Some of the dialogue is a little hokey but the movie has a great spirit. The soundtrack and cinematography adds to the movie going experience. I am anxious tospeak with the students tomorrow to hear their reactions to Breaking Dawn.

We have your Husband (1:31) 2009

Jayne Valseca is living an ideal life with her husband Eduardo and two children on a Mexican ranch. Although Eduardo is the son of a well known publisher, the Valsecas have worked hard to build up the ranch during their fifteen year marriage. The day after celebrating their anniversary, Eduardo is kidnapped and held for ransom. Based on  true events, the Lifetime Original Movie tells the gripping story of Jayne's dealing with the kidnappers over the course of the next seven months while showing Eduardo's  life in captivity. This was a riveting made for television movie.

I Hate Valentine's Day

The stars of My Fat Greek Wedding, Nina Vardalos and John Corbett, are reunited in this romantic comedy.  Genevieve is a florist who strongly believes in the five date rule. Genevieve fearing being involved in a relationship will go on a maximum of five dates and then says goodbye. Greg, opening a restaurant nearby to the florist shop, meets Genevieve and agrees to the five date rule. After the fifth date, Genevieve realizes she has fallen for Greg and wants a relationship. Greg, does want a relationship but knows better to break the five date rule. Valentine Day is upon them, will they become a couple? A poorly rated movie, it truly does lacks charm.

Beautiful Boy (1:40) 2010

Bill and Kate are on the verge of separation. Their son Sam, away at college for the first time, calls them one night. He is quiet and subdued with little to say. They assume that Sam is experiencing the stress and pressure of college life. The very next day, Bill is at work when the news of a college shooting breaks on the air and the mass shooting has taken place at Sam's school. Fearing for the safety of  his son, Bill rushes home to wait with Kate to receive news from Sam. When the police pull up, the know that a parent's worst nightmare has happened - their son has died. What they are unprepared for is, Sam died by his own hand after shooting 17. Bill and Kate then experience grief, guilt, isolation and every emotion which accompaniessuch  a tragedy. The film explores how Bill and Kate, individually and as a couple, deal with this unthinkable event. Mario Bello and Michael Sheen are excellent as Sam's parents showing a wide range of emotions from gut wrenching sobbing to uncontrolled rage as they deal with the big issue - what kind of parents were they to have a son who commits an unimaginable crime? A very somber movie which deals realistically with extremely tough topic.

Beneath the Blue (1:34) 2010

Beneath the Blue is set in the Bahamas at a Dolphin Research Center. Rasca is an specially trained dolphin capable of communicating through whistles. The US Navy would like to take possession of Rasca for security purposes and have an ensign, Craig, work uncover to that end. Craig meets the daughter of the Research Center director and makes inroads in obtaining Rasca. Rasca is in danger from another source, sonar testing experiments performed by the Navy is killing nearby dolphins. Beneath the Blue is a sequel to Eye of the Dolphin which I haven't seen. Both movies are inspired by true events. Shot on location on the Grand Bahama Island has great scenery.The movie mostly likely wouldn't hold the attention of a young child but would be of interest in middle school age children, especially those interested in oceanography.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2:04) 2010

I freely admit that I haven't read any of the The Twilight Saga books nor have I seen either of the first two movies. My daughter watched The Twilight Saga: Eclipse tonight in preparation for the new Twilight Saga release on Friday. I watched the movie asking her for clarification about characters and events. My experience was that the plot was fairly easy to understand. Bella, a human, is in love with Edward, a member of the Cullen clan. Jacob, a member of the werewolf pack, competing against Edward for Bella. The trio needs to move past the love triangle to battle vampires. The movies are targeted to the teenage audience and it was refreshing to see that there was little sex or inappropriate language. Of course, there was scenes involving violence but they are not intense. The Twilight Saga is not a genre that enjoy but I can understand why the trio are appealing to the teenage population. I may well go see The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn
this weekend.

The Pastor's Wife (1:29) 2011

A Lifetime Movie, The Pastor's Wife is based on a true story. Matthew Winkler was a greatly beloved pastor in a small Tennessee town where he lived with his wife, Mary and his three daughters. When he doesn't show up for a service, the parishioners discover his has been shot to death and his wife and children are missing. After an Amber alert is issued, Mary and her children are found in the next state. When the shotgun is discover in her minivan, Mary is arrested. During her trial the reasons she shot her husband are revealed. Is she telling the truth? In 2006, the murder of Winkler was picked up by all the newspapers and online services. It made for riveting journalism, and the movie is just as riveting.

Pride (1:48) 2007

Jim Ellis (Terrence Howard) is looking for employment in the tight job market in 1974. He lands a temporary position in closing up a little used, run down community center. The center in the poorest part of Philadelphia has a swimming pool. Jim, a swimmer on his college team, encourages young men playing basketball to use the pool. He eventually trains the men to be a team and then have the PDR team swim competitively. Based on a true story, Pride received poor reviews when first released as it was referred to as cliche'. I thought this was an inspiring story with a fantastic soundtrack. The story was predictable but holds the viewer's attention. It is certainly well worth a rental.

That Beautiful Somewhere (1:33) 2006

A young female scientist teams up with a police detective to solve the mystery of a bog body found in the back country of Ontario. Catherine, an archaeologist, is hiding a medical condition and Conk is hiding the scars of war. The bog body turns out to be Red Wind, a Native American who lived over a hundred years ago. A Native American elder, Harold, helps the duo with the mystery of the bog man and helps Catherine with a healing ceremony. I would have loved to have seen this movie on the wide screen because of the scenery. That Beautiful Somewhere was filmed at North Bay, Ontario with many panoramic scenes of the countryside. The cast was limited to the two leads and a limited number of minor characters but this small cast provided an intense thriller. This is a true gem of independent movie.

The Tower Heist (1:39) 2011

The Tower Heist is not a great movie but it is a lot of fun. Josh, Charlie, Lester and other employees of The Tower learn that their savings are lost. They had ask Arthur Shaw (perfectly portrayed by Alan Alda) to invest their pensions after being told he could triple their portfolios. Shaw has been arrested and is being investigated for fraud. The FBI can't find the money Shaw has been hiding for a quick get away.
Josh, Charlie and Fitzhugh hire Slide, an ex-con, to steal back the hidden money. Slide is played by Eddie Murphy who is at his best in this type of comedic crook role. The Tower Heist is a mindless romp but it is very timely. Many people have suffered financial losses at the hands of unethical investors. Hooray for the little guys who even the score!

The Way (1:55) 2011

Tom Avery (Martin Sheen) is a widowed opthamologist living in California. While playing golf, he receives a overseas phone call telling him is only child, Daniel, has died in a freak storm on the first day of his pilgrimage walking The Camino de Santiago. Tom flies to France to escort the remains back home. Tom has a change of heart and decides to make the pilgrimage, scattering Daniel's remains along the route. As he starts his solitary journey he soon is accompanied by a Joost, a Dutchman and soon later, Sarah, a Canadian. Tom  is aloof not really wanting their company as he grieves for his son. As the trio walks from town to town, Jack from Ireland, joins the group. The foursome are on the journey for entirely different reasons. Although Tom finds them annoying, especially Jack, they start to grow closer and Tom shares his reason for this  two month pilgrimage. This is a quiet movie as Tom is comes to terms with his life and his son's death.  The cinematography is outstanding and deserves to be seen on the big screen.  Bottom line: just see it!

The Other Woman (1:59) 2011

Emilia is a Harvard graduate and lawyer who has an affair with her married boss, Jack. Jack's marriage is on the rocks but he is devoted to his son, Will. When Emilia becomes pregnant, Jack divorces Carolyn and the two get married. And they lived happily ever after. Just kidding, the newlyweds have a plethora of problems. Emilia and Jack's infant daughter dies of SIDS, Carolyn is difficult to deal with, and Will causes problems between his mother and stepmother. Emilia is estranged from her father, who cheated on her mother, causing problems with her relationship with her extended family. In all this turmoil, Will begins to warm up to Emilia as Jack and Emilia's relationship becomes strained. The Other Woman received very poor reviews. I watched it mostly to see Natalie Portman who was the star of the movie. The characters are not particularly likable and there are lots of scenes of fighting and arguing. There is a very emotional scene when, in a flashback, the parents discover the infant daughter has died.

Puss in Boots (1:30) 2011

Before Puss in Boots became famous as Shrek's sidekick, he lived in the Spanish village of San Ricardo with his adopted mother and his best friend, Humpty Dumpty. Unfortunately, Humpty Dumpty thinks that Puss abandoned him during one of their capers and has vowed to get even. Puss, quite the ladies' man is taken with his nemesis, Kitty Southpaws, and has joined  her to obtain the magic beans. With the beans, they can go up the beanstalk and get the golden eggs. However, Jack and Jill are standing in their way. This was an absolutely delightful animation that is fun for the entire family. The dialogue is chocked full of  quickly delivered and funny lines. Jack and Jill are unlike anything that you have ever seen. We saw the 3D version which I don't think was worth the extra money but everyone in the audience seemed to be enjoying the movie so I didn't mind spending the extra money. Puss in Boots is a real treat, please take the family!

Margin Call (1:49) 2011

After all the employees have left for the night, a young analyst uncovers startling and disturbing facts about his investment firm, they are on the brink of ruin. Pete calls his colleague and their boss back to the office. This unleashes a night of decision making - what will the course of action be for the next morning? Margin Call is set in 2008 just before the Wall Street scandals and collapse. We see the inner workings of an office where employees make lots of money in trading, living by the motto of being first, being smarter or cheat. The cast of the film are well known - Jeremy Irons, Kevin Spacey, Demi Moore and Stanley Tucci. Margin Call is a Kevin Spacey vehicle, he plays Sam who is loyal to the firm but has doubts about the course of action the firm will be taking. Jeremy Irons is perfect as the top boss John Tuld. This independent gem is a somber movie, sometimes technical in the financial dialogue but seems to be a realistic look at what happened with investment companies in 2008. This is definitely an art house film. This is definitely worth a rental.