Somehow, someway, Boardwalk Empire has managed to sustain itself in the upper echelons of great television in spite of the potentially-controversial decision to kill off the series’ second-most important character in the final moments of last season’s finale. Immediately following this jarring narrative twist, Boardwalk Empire was praised by critics and fans alike for its risk-taking and bold storytelling. Truth be told, Boardwalk Empire is the type of show that audiences could easily become bored with if too many episodes go by without a violent death or curve ball thrown at the plot. Still, part of me wondered whether it was the right call to axe *SPOILER ALERT* Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt) from the series. In Season Two, Jimmy was unquestionably the most interesting, complex and well-rounded character in the entire cast. Michael Pitt even managed to make us forget we were watching Leonardo DiCaprio Jr. on-screen. Pitt demonstrated an unusual amount of sincerity for a gangster who spent all last season ruining the social position of his adoptive father, Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), so much so that Darmody’s plunge from power drew all our sympathies. We hated Nucky for choosing his thuggish brother Eli over the salvageable Jimmy, and couldn’t shake the feeling that Michael Pitt’s Jimmy Darmody was Atlantic City’s most unfortunate victim. Can Boardwalk Empire thrive or even survive without its most fascinating character, its most gifted actor (Michael Pitt’s Emmy snub elicited more weeps than during his death scene)? Based on last night’s season premiere, it just might. Read more on TV Review: Boardwalk Empire, Season 3 (***½)…
This past Monday, I was privileged to be one of several press members who attended the Brave Press Conference at the Loews Hotel in Hollywood. My fellow journalists and I were given the full VIP treatment, complete with parting gift bags, some snacks, and several beverages to choose from. But most importantly, Disney™ provided us with the opportunity to speak to the wonderful cast and crew of Disney•Pixar’s new Brave. Each Brave contributor gave us deeper insight into the film’s complex narrative, some behind-the-scenes factoids, and plenty of laughs as well. It was an excellent day, and all who came brought such wonderful bouts of energy and enthusiasm that it was just a joy to take part in this event. Below, you will find two audio files from the press conference, as well as a video I was able to record of Director Mark Andrews and Producer Katherine Sarafian’s Q&A with the press. The readers who’ve already seen Brave will hopefully get more insight with these sets of interviews, but if you don’t mind a spoiler or two and haven’t watched Brave, by all means dig in… Read more on ‘Brave’ Press Conference!…
A film so proficient in technical scope and detail, it’s unfortunate to say that Disney•Pixar’s Brave doesn’t quite live up to the narrative standard set by its predecessors, most notably the Toy Story franchise and 2009′s Up. Both films raised the bar for animation storytelling, in-depth characterizations, and sequences that both jolted and awed. So, is it really a surprise why I left my screening somewhat disappointed when we have these two benchmarks in animated film-making to measure Brave against? Before I launch into my review, let me say this: Brave is not a bad film; in fact, the teleplay itself is quite original. It’s simply that there are too many rifts in the screenplay — both the dialogue spoken and the way in which the tale unfolds — to truly call it a bona fide success. I was also rather puzzled why our heroine, the first ever Disney•Pixar female protagonist, wasn’t more sympathetic and, dare I say, likeable. Read more on Brave (***)…
For those who worried that ‘Cars 2′ was the start of some sort of Pixar slump, you can rest easy, as ‘Brave’ is a return to form for the studio. That being said, this is definitely not on par with their creative heights (‘WALL-E’, the ‘Toy Story’ trilogy, etc), and contains a few flaws. At its core, ‘Brave’ is a somewhat standard Disney Princess fairy tale re-imagined through the Pixar filter. Simply told and rather old fashioned, this is something new and old at the same time. I can’t say that I was entranced by it like I’ve been by the company’s work in the past (I actually think it has more in common with ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ in a lot of ways than anything else), but their animation continues to be unparalleled. I’d argue that this may even be the best looking animated film to date. I’d preferred if it had been a bit more of a complete meal, as it were, but in terms of pure entertainment there’s not too much to complain about here. Featuring strong voice work, this does fill the Pixar tradition of having an appeal to not just children, but adults too. Young girls may be the top target here, but everyone should be able to have a good time. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best animated film of the year so far and the frontrunner for the Best Animated Feature Oscar. The film opens next week and you should expect a solid outing from Pixar.
It begins. 2011 film year is behind us and we saw Octavia Spencer crowned Best Supporting Actress for her work in “The Help.” As we embark on the 2012 film year together, I will be breaking down each category individually throughout the month of March. I will also unveil the Awards Circuit Staff Predictions one at a time for all of you to enjoy. Trust me, we all have different takes on what the 2012 season will bring.
We break down the Supporting Actress category first. Any supporting category is difficult to analyze because you never know who will hit it out of the park with a mere eight minute screen time or what borderline Lead performance will be pushed in another category. The rankings of the Supporting Actress are ordered #1 through #25 as you see them on the predictions page but there are outside contenders that could just as easily make the lineup given a strong showing with critics and audiences.
Looking into a crystal ball, Amy Adams will be starring in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master” and with three prior nominations (“Junebug,” “Doubt,” and “The Fighter”), Adams could finally score an Oscar. She also has a role in the long-awaited “On the Road” directed by Walter Salles which could catch on. Co-star Kristen Stewart can return to what we loved about her in “Into the Wild.” The question seems to be, is Oscar aching to reward Adams or does she need to be accepted as a leading lady? Have the “Twilight” franchise ruined Stewart forever? Perhaps.
The Year-In-Review continues with some non-traditional citations on certain films and performances that did or did not make head way in 2011. What are your choices for “Limited Performance” of the year? or Most Underrated Film? or share what you thought about the Year-in-TV as I dish out my favorites in Television Drama and Comedies. Read more after jump. Read more on Year-In-Review: Editor’s Specialty Awards…
Somehow, someway, Boardwalk Empire has managed to sustain itself in the upper echelons of great television in spite of the potentially-controversial decision to kill off the series’ second-most important character in the final moments of last season’s finale. Immediately following this jarring narrative twist, Boardwalk Empire was praised by critics and fans alike for its risk-taking and bold storytelling. Truth be told, Boardwalk Empire is the type of show that audiences could easily become bored with if too many episodes go by without a violent death or curve ball thrown at the plot. Still, part of me wondered whether it was the right call to axe *SPOILER ALERT* Jimmy Darmody (Michael Pitt) from the series. In Season Two, Jimmy was unquestionably the most interesting, complex and well-rounded character in the entire cast. Michael Pitt even managed to make us forget we were watching Leonardo DiCaprio Jr. on-screen. Pitt demonstrated an unusual amount of sincerity for a gangster who spent all last season ruining the social position of his adoptive father, Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), so much so that Darmody’s plunge from power drew all our sympathies. We hated Nucky for choosing his thuggish brother Eli over the salvageable Jimmy, and couldn’t shake the feeling that Michael Pitt’s Jimmy Darmody was Atlantic City’s most unfortunate victim. Can Boardwalk Empire thrive or even survive without its most fascinating character, its most gifted actor (Michael Pitt’s Emmy snub elicited more weeps than during his death scene)? Based on last night’s season premiere, it just might.
