May the odds be ever in your favor

The premise is admittedly bizarre. Every year, a teenage boy and girl from the 12 districts of Panem are sent to the Capitol to compete in a nationally televised, fight-to-the-death competition known as The Hunger Games. The Games were created as punishment for an uprising against the Capital decades earlier – and perpetuated as a way to keep the districts in line. Think of the 12 Districts as home to the 99 percent. The Capitol houses the 1 percent.

The Games’ participants, known as Tributes, must fight one another until one survivor remains. And just like Texas with the Miss America pageant, some tributes are better prepped than others for the competition.

The heroine of The Hunger Games is Katniss Evergreen, played with an impressive mix of fear, stoicism, sarcasm, bravery and cunning by the very talented Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone). Katniss volunteers for the brutal competition in order to spare her little sister Prim – so you can’t help but root for her from the get-go. But these games aren’t just about winning. They’re about the lines we draw – and the lines we cross – in an effort to survive, and our willingness or reluctance to challenge the status quo. The books and the movie are tinged with themes of war, politics, morality, ethics, desensitization to violence and absurdity, and the role of reality television in feeding the frenzy. It’s also just good storytelling/drama. 

Here’s the rub:  I loved the first book (“The Hunger Games”), liked the second one (“Catching Fire”) and was less than satisfied with the third (“Mockingjay”). So I’m a bit concerned with how it might all play out in the end. But first thing’s first…

The Hunger Games movie is well cast and beautifully shot. I had some trouble warming up to Josh Hutcherson (The Kids Are All Right) as Katniss’s fellow tribute and potential ally/love interest Peeta. But he grew on me as the movie progressed. And I definitely look forward to seeing more of the hunky Liam Hemsworth (The Last Song) as Katniss’s long-time friend, hunting partner and potential love interest Gale. Other casting coups of note: Stanley Tucci as the colorful emcee of the Games, Elizabeth Banks as the flaky tribute chaperone Effie Trinket, and Woody Harrelson as drunken mentor Haymitch Abernathy. They add a strong shot of color and humor to the twisted proceedings.

Parents, be forewarned however. This movie is PG-13. Kids do kill kids. The violence is tempered with quick cuts and montages, but it’s still the stuff of nightmares. That said, if you’ve read the books, you’re going to see the movies. It’s really as simple as that. I highly recommend reading the trilogy beforehand to help plug in holes in character development and recognize the bits of foreshadowing. But reading the books is not mandatory. The Hunger Games can still hold its own for the general audience – including those adults who don’t want to be caught reading “teen lit” and still don’t ‘get’ the whole Twilight thing.

Bottom line: The odds will ever be in favor of this trilogy meeting hyper-expectations and selling oodles of tickets over the next few years. And did I mention that Taylor Swift is on the soundtrack? Cue the record sales. The book sales. And the box office.

Normally, I’d embed the trailer below. But the studios must have blocked the embedding option in their efforts to fan the flames of anticipation. Oh well. You can see it on YouTube if you’re really desperate. http://youtu.be/RNxb28j5C1w

In the meantime, in the spirit of rebellion, I offer this up instead:

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Emily Blunt (The Young Victoria, The Devil Wears Prada) plays Harriet, a British public relations executive who is given carte blanche to help a wealthy sheik realize his dream of bringing salmon fishing to the desert. She turns to the UK’s leading fisheries expert, Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) for help, but he finds the entire project completely absurd. So does the British government – until the Prime Minister’s press secretary (played by Kristin Scott Thomas) decides that the salmon project is just what the government needs to divert attention from another Middle East ‘project’ that isn’t going so well – the war in Afghanistan.

As the eccentric sheik eventually points out, the project isn’t just about fish. And neither is the movie. It’s about politics, diplomacy, cultural divides, and the hint of romance between the optimistic Harriet and the skeptical Dr. Jones.

The film has its flaws. The Sheik’s character (played by Amr Waked) is all over the place. One minute, he’s a cartoonish stereotype, and the next he’s a complex and sympathetic man on a mission – to bring peace, water, and lots of salmon to the people of Yemen.

But despite the occasional unevenness of character and tone, Salmon Fishing offers up a nice mix of drama, humor, sarcasm, cynicism, and inspiration. Hey, anything is possible – as long as you’ve got enough money, resources… and faith!

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen isn’t terribly deep or dark, which is probably why I liked it (and why I’m a Mainstream rather than an Arty Chick). It’s beautifully shot, well-acted, and well-paced (not too surprising, coming from the director of Chocolat and the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Slumdog Millionaire). And most important, it’ll leave you smiling – and perhaps wondering where Yemen is on the map. Look it up. I did.

Once back in their apartment, as Simin packs to move to her mother’s, Nader speaks with a young woman, Razieh (Sareh Bayat) about working in the house while he is at work, taking care of his father. She agrees to the job, but the next day she realizes that she will have to clean the father when he wets himself, and the first inking of a problem with the situation arises. She calls a religious hotline about whether it is a sin to see a man who is not her husband naked, arguing that the man needs her help. It is clearly more than she thought she would be expected to do and it turns out more that she can do for a number of reasons. And soon a much more serious issue arises, bringing her husband Hojjat into the story and setting up the major conflict in the movie, a law suit between the two couples. Saying more about the plot would ruin this incredibly taut, intelligent, gripping film.

The separations that the title refers to are many; class, religiosity and gender are critical to the story. Whereas Simin and Nader are middle class professionals, Razieh and Hojlat are poor, traditional working-class with strong religious views. And the court case is as much about Hojlat’s feelings of rage against the system as anything. But what is really fascinating are the shifting goalposts of truth. It is about the most intelligently written film I have seen in a long time. There are lots of small twists and turns, and you fear that everything could easily turn very bad at any second. The drama is punctuated by scenes in court, though decidedly different from courtroom dramas of the US. Here a judge sits behind a desk in a crowded little office and asks questions, then pronounces his decision. There are no lawyers, and it feels very Kafkaesque.

A Separation is an amazing film on so many levels — amazingly drawn characters, a perfectly constructed script, fabulous acting, a fascinating look at another culture, and so intelligent. It is mostly about the two couples, but there are two daughters who are also incredible. Yes, it takes place in Iran and it is subtitled, but don’t let that stop you from seeing it. It won just about every major award this year for best foreign film and it also took every prize at the Berlin Film Festival including best actor/actress for the entire cast. I highly recommend it!

This was a great year for animals on the silver screen — from several fabulous dogs and a heroic horse to one unbelievably talented monkey. So if you and your family welcomed a new pet this holiday season, you might consider naming him or her after one of these very worthy movie stars.

1.  Arthur, played by Cosmo — Rescue dog Cosmo is a true canine star, having appeared in such hit movies as Hotel for Dogs as Friday and Paul Blart: Mall Cop.  This Jack Russell Terriergives such a natural and charming performance alongside Ewan MacGregor in the acclaimed film Beginners, his name is even being barked about for an Academy Award nod. In terms of name value, Arthur fits the current trend of giving pets classic people names, while Cosmo (short for “cosmopolitan”) is a very cool and sophisticated moniker for a fan of the cocktail — or for fans of Seinfeld, since it turns out to be Kramer‘s long-hidden first name.

2.  Uggie — This expressive and adorable Jack Russell Terrier about steals the show from his fellow actors in the silent-film sensation The Artist. In fact, he’s also the subject of a write-in campaign for the Oscars.

As for the name Joey,  it also follows the trend of giving human names to dogs and cats, and also combines the popular “O” and “E” sounds that are readily heard and responded to by pets. It’s also a nickname for a infant marsupial, like a kangaroo, so it’s great for those bouncy dogs and cats as well. Finder is a fantastic moniker for any kind of retriever or a pet that performs rescues, like the St. Bernard or a German Shepherd.

5.   Dolce — Pronounced “Dole-chay,” this pretty name means “sweet” in Italian, making a perfectly delicious title for a good-natured dog or cat. And it definitely fits the Pomeranian who may just be the only friend of the unlikeable woman played by Charlize Theron in Young Adult.  According to the New York Times, the film’s director Jason Reitman, picked out the star pooch — whose real name is Hummer — on the streets of Manhattan, and found her smile irresistible.

The film, directed by Alexander Payne (Sideways, About Schmidt, Election), is a bittersweet melodrama laced with heartfelt emotion and subtle humor. No guns. No car chases. No explosions. No blaring soundtrack. Just a guy reconnecting with his daughters during a family trip to Kauai that happens to involve tracking down his dying wife’s lover.

It’s an unpredictable journey – and at times, a funny one, thanks mostly to the seemingly inappropriate presence of daughter Alexandra’s clueless, tag-along boyfriend Sid (Nick Krause). You’ll spend a good deal of time wondering why he hasn’t been kicked to the curb, but it all pays off in the end.

The Descendants is a slow but engaging drama with solid performances all around, a healthy dose of heart and humor, and a whole lotta George. Happy Thanksgiving.

The Writers Guild of America has picked its favorite scripts of the past year. And as usual, many of the films that will no doubt be nominated for Best Screenplay at the Oscars are conspicuously missing since they are ineligible, and all because they were penned by non-WGA signatories or are (gasp!) animation. (Winter’s Bone, The King’s Speech, Toy Story 3 and several other wonderful scripts fall into this category.) So it really just comes down to the Guild picking their favorites from their members. And not a lot of surprises here.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Black Swan, Screenplay by Mark Heyman and Andres Heinz and John McLaughlin; Story by Andres Heinz; Fox Searchlight

The Fighter, Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Paramount Pictures

Inception, Written by Christopher Nolan; Warner Bros.

The Kids Are All Right, Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg; Focus Features

Please Give, Written by Nicole Holofcener; Sony Pictures Classics

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

127 Hours, Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy; Based on the book Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston; Fox Searchlight

I Love You Phillip Morris, Written by John Requa & Glenn Ficarra; Based on the book by Steven McVicker; Roadside Attractions

The Social Network, Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin; Based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich; Sony Pictures

The Town, Screenplay by Peter Craig and Ben Affleck & Aaron Stockard; Based on the novel Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan; Warner Bros.

True Grit, Screenplay by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen; Based on the novel by Charles Portis; Paramount Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Freedom Riders, Written, Produced and Directed by Stanley Nelson; International Film Circuit

Enemies of the People, Written, Directed, Filmed and Produced by Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath; International Film Circuit

Gasland, Written and Directed by Josh Fox; HBO Documentary Films and International WOW Company

Inside Job, Produced, Written and Directed by Charles Ferguson; Co-written by Chad Beck, Adam Bolt; Sony Pictures Classics

The Two Escobars, Written by Michael Zimbalist, Jeff Zimbalist; ESPN Films

Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)?, Written and Directed by John Scheinfeld; Lorber Films

The winners will be announced at the 2011 Writers Guild Awards on Saturday, February 5, 2011.

BEST MOVIE

Winter’s Bone was one of the most real and sad movies I have seen in years. And Jennifer Lawrence turned in an outstanding breakout performance in it. It was a story that could so easily have slipped into redneck clichés, but the director and the actors respected the material and told an amazing story.

I think The Social Network also rose to the occasion with a kick-ass script and great ensemble performances. I was surprised how much I liked it, especially given the subject matter that I feared would only appeal to the 20-somethings.

The King’s Speech is another strong contender for its sparkling script and a great performance by Colin Firth.

BEST FOREIGN FILM

This is a hard category because I saw so many good ones and relegating them to “foreign” seems kind of unfair; they’re all “Best Film” contenders to me. Mother, a Korean Hitchcockian thriller, blew me away. Javier Bardem in the Spanish drama Biutiful broke my heart. And the wonderfully inventive French comedy Micmacs had me laughing out loud and reveling in the imagery.

BEST CHICK FLICK

2010 didn’t have a standout standard chick flick a la Julia and Julia or The Devil Wears Prada, but The Kids Are All Right was one of my favorite movies this year. Wickedly funny with great performances and just the right amount of drama in the mix, it has stuck with me and I’ll probably rent it on Netflix soon, just to see it again, which is rare for me.

MOST UNDER-APPRECIATED

I was totally taken with Ben Affleck’s The Town. Great performances by Affleck and Jeremy Renner (again) and a nice nuanced script. It is a character piece and a love story, wrapped in a heist flick.

BEST ROOSTER PERFORMANCE

I think a lot of the movies this year that are being put forward for Best Picture are really just about one standout performance. Christian Bale was amazing, and the script and direction for The Fighter were better than average, but not amazing. Same for Jeff Bridges, Robert Duvall and Michael Douglas. I think the Best Actor Category at the Oscars will be the one to watch.

BEST CHICK PERFORMANCE

Unfortunately, I think that women are still not getting the great roles but I’d say Natalie Portman killed in The Black Swan and Annette Bening gave one of her best ever performances in The Kids Are All Right.

BEST CLOTHES

Since we are Chickflix, I thought that we really should point out these things. In I am Love Tilda Swinton wears the most beautiful wardrobe in recent film. The design in the whole film is just fabulousness Italian-style.

MOVIE I’D LIKE TO SEE SEQUELIZED

Inception was visually and intellectually stimulating and I’d love to see more done with the concept. Sure, my brain hurt after I saw it, but in a good way.

MOST OVERRATED

I don’t know what Scorsese was thinking with Shutter Island. It was just one big mess that not even Leonardo could pull off. And the same could almost be said about Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, but it at least had fantastic visuals to offset the awkward direction.

BIGGEST WASTE OF TIME

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz had negative chemistry in the totally disappointing Knight and Day and Russell Crowe actually bored me in Robin Hood. What happened to our mega-stars this year? I include Mr. Depp and Mr. Downey, Jr. here.

Best Movies of the Year: Like Mainstream Chick, I refuse to pick just one. But I’m going to go even further than she did and give you my top five of 2010. They are:

The Fighter – to quote one of my Facebook friends it makes you feel “like hitting something and falling in love” at the same time.

True Grit – I just love Jeff Bridges. He killed it in Crazy Heart and he kills it (and several bad guys) in this movie.

Toy Story 3 – I laughed, I cried, I was so glad to have Woody, Buzz and the gang back for one more go round on the big screen.

The Social Network – Did I not already mention Facebook twice in this post? It’s now the most visited website in the U.S. It was a story for our time and a well told one.

The Kids Are All Right – It was new, different, funny and beautifully acted. Stellar performances from Annette Bening, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo.

Best Chick Flick: The Kids Are All Right – it had all the elements of a good chick flick for me: humor, relationship drama, and pretty people.

Most Under-Appreciated: Easy A – I have to say the chicks are guilty of not appreciating this one. We didn’t review it when it was in theaters and I just saw it on Pay-Per-View. It’s a great teen movie that hearkens back to and freely borrows from the John Hughes movies of the 1980s. Emma Stone was fabulous as the young lead and Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci, as her parents, lead a stellar supporting cast.

Guiltiest Pleasure: Get Him to the Greek – oh Diddy, Diddy, Diddy, you stole this movie. It cracked me up.

Best Eye-Candy: Love and Other Drugs – naked Jake Gyllenhaal (and Anne Hathaway for those who prefer girls), need I say more?

Biggest Disappointment: Iron Man 2 – loved the first one, this one not so much.

Best Soundtrack: Eat, Pray, Love – music from Eddie Vedder, Neil Young, Marvin Gaye among others. The music and the scenery were the best parts of this movie.

Most Cringe-worthy: Dinner for Schmucks – I hesitate to even put it on this list because it really doesn’t deserve any attention at all. Ick.

Movie that Never Should Have Had a Sequel: Sex and the City – the first one was pure chick flick fun. Sex and the City 2 was a disaster, except for the clothes, of course.

Movie that Should Have a Sequel: Despicable Me – loved it and would love to see more of those adorable minions.

In the spirit of the Chicks’ diverse sensibilities, we thought it only fair to offer our individual picks for movies that made a special impression on us in 2010 – for better or for worse. Here are mine:

Best Movies of the Year. I refuse to pick just one, because there isn’t a single movie that I truly felt bested the pack. And that’s not a bad thing. Each one resonated for a very different reason. And if the Academy can expand its nominations list for Best Movie to ten, then I should be allowed to expand my top picks to three!

The Social Network. Love it or hate it, Facebook has changed our lives forever. And this movie taps into what we love and hate about our utilization of social networking tools and the freaks and geeks who make it all possible. It’s truly a story for our times.

The Fighter. This movie is the total package. The combination of story, characters, and ensemble acting should appeal to a wide range of folks. Really, it’s not just a “boxing movie”, so don’t let that stop you from checking it out.

Toy Story 3. This movie continues to resonate for reasons that are surely part nostalgic and part cinematic achievement. It’s a rare feat for sequels to pull off real-time story and character progression, not to mention make us care (even cry) for animated toys. I just loved it. And I loved that big kids who were little kids when TS2 came out seemed to like it too.

First Runner-Up. The King’s Speech. I caught this one just under the wire for 2010, and it’s a winner. I love Colin Firth and think he’s one of the best and most under-appreciated actors of our time.

Best Chick Flick. True Grit. As I said in my review, this one’s a chick flick wrapped in a western. And since most of the formulaic chick flicks were weak at best this year,  this one wins by default!

Guiltiest Pleasure. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. So sue me, I got roped into reading the books before the movies came out. And I got hooked. The first movie was rather horrendous, but the second and third have gotten progressively better.

Best Movie You Probably Didn’t See (or even hear of). The Joneses. For some reason, this movie with Demi Moore and David Duchovny came and went in a flash. But if you’ve ever envied the lives and “things” of others, The Joneses offers a cautionary tale in a witty and well-acted way.

Best Documentary. Waiting for “Superman”. Granted, I haven’t seen all the top contenders this year, and this movie was far from perfect, but it did what any good documentary should. It raised awareness and generated some interesting discussion and debate about the state of the U.S. education system.

Best Mind-Bender. Inception. Love it or hate it or just not get it, Inception deserves kudos for its sheer creativity and complexity.

Most memorable mis-pronunciations. I chuckle every time I think about Megamind’s pronunciation of “melancholy” and “Metrocity”. Admit it – if you saw the movie, you just smiled at the memory!

Biggest Disappointment. It’s a tie between Sex and the City 2 and Eat Pray Love. Despite great clothes and locales, neither lived up to the hype.

Best George Clooney Movie. The American. Okay, so it’s the only movie that Clooney was in this year, and it was an odd one. But the chicks celebrate him nonetheless for his humanitarian efforts and overall suaveness.

Happy New Year Everybody!

MOVIES

Best Picture – Drama

Black Swan

The Fighter

Inception

The King’s Speech

The Social Network

Best Picture – Musical or Comedy

Alice in Wonderland

Burlesque

The Kids are All Right

Red

The Tourist

Best Actor – Drama

Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network

Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

James Franco, 127 Hours

Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine

Mark Wahlberg, The Fighter

Halle Berry, Frankie and Alice

Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole

Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone

Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Best Actor – Musical or Comedy

Johnny Depp, Alice in Wonderland

Johnny Depp, The Tourist

Paul Giamatti, Barney’s Version

Jake Gyllenhaal, Love and Other Drugs

Kevin Spacey, Casino Jack

Best Actress – Musical or Comedy

Annette Benning, The Kids Are All Right

Anne Hathaway, Love and Other Drugs

Angelina Jolie, The Tourist

Emma Stone, Easy A

Julianne Moore, The Kids Are All Right

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, The Fighter

Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech

Mila Kunis, Black Swan

Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Best Supporting Actor

Christian Bale, The Fighter

Michael Douglas, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Andrew Garfield, The Social Network

Jeremy Renner, The Town

Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech

Best Director

Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan

David Fincher, The Social Network

Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech

Christopher Nolan, Inception

David O. Russell, The Fighter

Best Screenplay

Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours

Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids are All Right

Christopher Nolan, Inception

David Sieber, The King’s Speech

Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

Best Animated Feature

Despicable Me

How to Train Your Dragon

The Illusionist

Tangled

Toy Story 3

Best Foreign Language Film

Biutiful

The Concert

The Edge

I Am Love

In a Better World

Best Original Song

Bound to You, Burlesque

Coming Home, Country Strong

I See the Light, Tangled

There’s a Place For Us, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me, Burlesque

Best Original Score

Alexandre Desplat, The King’s Speech

Danny Elfman, Alice in Wonderland

A. R. Rahman, 127 Hours

Hans Zimmer, Inception

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Social Network

TELEVISION

Best Television Series – Drama

Boardwalk Empire

Dexter

The Good Wife

Mad Men

The Walking Dead

Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Hugh Laurie, House

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Piper Perabo, Covert Affairs

Katey Sagal, Sons of Anarchy

Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Best Television Series – Comedy

30 Rock

The Big Bang Theory

The Big C

Glee

Modern Family

Nurse Jackie

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy

Toni Collette, The United States of Tara

Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie

Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Laura Linney, The Big C

Lea Michele, Glee

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Steve Carell, The Office

Thomas Jane, Hung

Matthew Morrison, Glee

Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Televisio

Scott Caan, Hawaii Five-0

Chris Colfer, Glee

Chris Noth, The Good Wife

Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

David Strathairn, Temple Grandin

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Hope Davis, The Special Relationship

Jane Lynch, Glee

Kelly MacDonald, Boardwalk Empire

Julia Stiles, Dexter

Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Carlos

The Pacific

Pillars of the Earth

Temple Grandin

You Don’t Know Jack

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Hayley Atwell, Pillars of the Earth

Claire Danes, Temple Grandin

Judi Dench, Return to Cranford

Romola Garai, Emma

Jennifer Love Hewitt, The Client List

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Idris Elba, Luther

Ian McShane, Pillars of the Earth

Al Pacino, You Don’t Know Jack

Dennis Quaid, The Special Relationship

Edgar Ramirez, Carlos

So what’s missing? Any great films that seem to have been slighted? Gross oversights? Ridiculous choices?