Mini Review 4-Pack!

Guess what guys? Today you get an extra special treat, which is that I am going to review in short a few movies. It'll be fun!

The Help - The narrative is very clunky, but the spot-on performances from every single member of the cast and the visually appealing aesthetic more than make up for it, and I'll be darned if I wasn't a teary mess by the end. Emma Stone is great, but this is Viola Davis's movie and she runs away with it, giving a performance of sensitivity and gravitas. However, best in show goes to Sissy Spacek, who somehow manages to turn the word "napkins" into one of the funniest moments in the movie. (7)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Cliche time - I admired this movie more than I enjoyed it. Considering this could have been a total joyride made for money's sake only, it was surprisingly artistic and intelligent. It tackles themes like animal testing and human evil in ways that are, while not always subtle, usually successful - not an easy task. Plus, the CGI was UN BE LIEVABLE. Bonus points for the cinematography. (7)

30 Minutes or Less - In short, the movie is as enjoyable and funny as it could have hoped to be but it's nothing really special - and for 83 minutes, it somehow seems to drag. Aziz Ansari and Jesse Eisenberg make a really great tag team though, with Ansari being wildly hysterical and Eisenberg providing a unsurprisingly powerful amount of real acting in a role that could have come off as hysterical and incoherent. (6)

Crazy, Stupid, Love - This one was tough for me. I think that I'm confusing how much I wanted to like this movie with how much I actually did. That being said though, despite being imperfect and falling prey to some minor cliches, it's definitely one of the best big-studio romantic comedies in a LONG time, thanks almost completely to the remarkably talented cast, none of whom can really be singled out because they were all just so good. I will say though, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling were simply superb, and the amount of chemistry they exuded was irresistible. (7 - but a super high seven. Like, almost an 8. I'd have to see it again.)

And just for fun (and because I love lists), my top 10 performances from this quartet, in no order:

• Viola Davis, The Help
• Sissy Spacek, The Help
• Octavia Spencer, The Help
• Jessica Chastain, The Help (um, range much? this was completely different from Tree of Life)
• Jesse Eisenberg, 30 Minutes or Less
• Aziz Ansari, 30 Minutes or Less
• John Lithgow, Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• Ryan Gosling, Crazy Stupid Love
• Marisa Tomei, Crazy Stupid Love
• Liza Lapira, Crazy Stupid Love

So, which of these movies or performances was your favorite? As always, your opinions, be they affirmative or negative, are always welcome below

"Crazy, Stupid, Love" Trailer

The awesomeness of the cast kept causing me to flip out. Julianne, Emma, Ryan, Marisa and Steve? Really, it's perfect - especially since all the couples look like they'll have amazing chemistry (Emma and Ryan! That's so cute!) it looks like the humor might fall into the trashy/cheap laughs category, but I have a feeling that the amazing actors will make it all work. I mean, you really can't go wrong with these people. To guarantee the amazingness, the trailer features Grizzly Bear music, so, I mean, there you go.

Your thoughts? Amazing cast with a ton of potential, or trashy-derivative summer comedy? Sound off below!

Golden Cornea Awards 2011: The Actresses

Coming up with a top five for this category was a surprisingly simple task, since there were exactly five performances that really, really stood out to me this year. Of course, there were several women who didn't quite make the top five but would have been totally deserving - it was such a strong year. Anyway, the top five!

5. Kim Hye-Ja - "Mother"

When I first saw this film, the only adjective I could use to describe Kim's performance was operatic. The range of emotions she goes through to portray her character are so expansive and thus so marvelous to watch unfold. Her final shot is simply haunting - the entire performance is a magnificent piece of work.

4. Nicole Kidman - "Rabbit Hole"

Almost the polar opposite of Kim Hye-Ja, Kidman plays Becca with such a quiet force of emotion. Her cold exterior is never alienating and Kidman's handling of the long grief period her character experienced before the start of the movie is masterful. Kidman gives a simply beauiful performance - those park scenes are perfection.

3. Emma Stone - "Easy A"

Compared to the other women on this list, and many of the other fantastic performances that didn't make the top five, Stone's performance may seem a bit lightweight. Take a second look though, and you'll see that in "Easy A" Emma Stone delivers an absolutely brilliant, radiant comedic performance. She elevates every single aspect of the movie, and every single line from her mouth, every single facial expression, and every little twitch or bodily reaction is perfectly timed to achieve the ultimate comedic affect. A star-making turn that leaves you wanting more.

2. Annette Bening - "Mother and Child"

It's Bening's performance in "The Kids are All Right" that's been getting the most praise (and it is a fantastic performance) but it's her work in "Mother and Child" that I remember, and will remember, the most. Bening is perfect at being cold, even mean, but she knows Karen so, so well that it's impossible for us not to connect. The way she paces her performance is also great, so that the big emotional moment in her performance is truly heart wrenching. Limited screentime does not hinder this magnificent work.

1. Natalie Portman - "Black Swan"

It's hard to really formulate thoughts around this epic performance. Portman gives the performance of a lifetime as the mentally deteriorating Nina, balancing her innocent persona in the first act marvelously with her unraveling character in the second act. Even disregarding the physical effort that this performance required, Natalie Portman's complete immersion in her character hasn't got a single gap and is horrifying, beautiful, and awesome all at once. And that scene in the bathroom stall? Best acting all year.

Honorable Mentions:

It was difficult to not mention Michelle Williams who does beautiful, multilayered and age-spanning work in "Blue Valentine"; Greta Gerwig's quiet, non-actressy performance is so marvelously simple in "Greenberg" as she becomes the film's unlikely hero; Jennifer Lawrence carries "Winter's Bone" so well with a raw naturalism that is rarely seen done so well; Hailee Steinfeld shows acting skills beyond her years as she gives her character remarkable candor and yet, perfect subtlety.

Just Missed It:

Catherine Keener in "Please Give", Julianne Moore in "The Kids Are All Right", Rachel McAdams in "Morning Glory", Mary Elizabeth Winstead in "Scott Pilgrim Vs the World"

Can we all just take a moment...

...to recognize the awesomeness that is Emma Stone?

Needless to say, I just finished watching "Easy A" and though this may just be that post-movie high, but allow me to just say how truly wonderful Emma was in the movie. Every little sarcastic eyebrow raise, every little snarky rhetorical remark, and every single faux-slutty strut that she took was so, so perfect and she injected so much into her character. As she began to go in too deep, we could see the subtlety of Olive's lies and how she was trying to be strong above it all.

Gosh, without Emma Stone "Easy A" would be nowhere near as good as it was. Though, that's not necessarily true because the supporting cast was quite good (the Tucci-Clarkson-Stone chemistry was irresistible) but let's be honest - Emma was just wonderful.

I know I'm always the last to the party but I just had to throw some confetti Emma's way nonetheless. ;)

Right now the movie is feeling about an 8, and a large part of that score is Stone. Loooooove