Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive (2011) races forward in the intense trailer

After winning the Best Director, garnering a nomination for the Palm D’Or (basically one of the highest honors at Cannes) at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, and seeing the release of the trailer, Drive (2011) has forced its way into the upper third of my Most Anticipated Films list.  Acclaimed director Nicolas Winding Refn (Valhalla Rising, Bronson) knows how to film hardcore, intense action flicks that also have some depth to them.  Moving on from visceral performances by Mads Mikkelson and Tom Hardy, Refn has chosen Ryan Gosling as his lead for this film.  Gosling has proven himself to be an acting force to be reckoned with, and much like Leondardo DiCaprio has done since the romance Titanic, Gosling has shed his Notebook roots and become a legitimate star.  Purely based on what’s shown in the preview, he seems to give another tremendous performance here.

Film Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

Crazy Stupid Love (2011) is not quite crazy, not really all that stupid, but definitely a film you can love.  It has humor, wit, and genuine emotion.  While it drags in a few parts with a slightly uneven tone and falls over the edge into melodrama and tacky rom-com clichés a few times, its charm is hard to resist, thanks to an exceptional ensemble cast that is perfect for each role.  In sum, this fresh, highly enjoyable multi-generational romantic dramedy is one of the best of its kind this year thus far.

83rd Annual Academy Awards Nominations, Predictions, Polls, and Pre-Ceremony Analysis (UPDATED WITH RESULTS)

The 83^rd annual Academy Awards ceremony will be broadcast live on Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 8 PM EST; James Franco and Anne Hathaway will host the presentation. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), largely comprised of filmmaking professionals and executives who vote on the Oscars, announced this year’s nominations on January 25, 2011. To view previous years’ nominees, winners, and analysis, click here.

Included below is the list of Oscar nominees. I ranked the nominees in order of how likely they are to win in their respective categories, NOT in order of my preferences. Nonetheless, I have written some thoughts, notes, and perspectives (under some categories) regarding the nominees’ chances, histories, and which are my favorites.

Also, DON’T FORGET TO VOTE! – Please vote as if you were an AMPAS member and casting your own ballot, regardless of my predictions and what you think will win. Vote for what/who you think is the best in each category.

* I shall update this post after the presentation on February 27, 2011 to highlight the winners (in red). *

Film Review: Blue Valentine

Hollywood released some of 2010’s most uplifting and depressing films in November-December. Movies like 127 Hours, The Fighter, True Grit, and The King’s Speech inspired audiences with hope and joy while Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan thrilled viewers into disheartened submission. Nonetheless, all of those films were remarkably well-made and proved to be effective in affecting the viewer. You could add Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine to this list of outstanding films. It is an extremely hard-to-watch film that is at times tedious and emotionally grueling but at the same time very compelling and provocative. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams give two of the year’s best performances that elevate the film to profound levels.

The following review contains a few moderate spoilers. However, I do not wish to discourage you from reading the review just because it has some spoilers. By no means does the review ruin the film or its best moments; it simply helps to set the record straight as to what this film is actually about – the poster may say “A Love Story,” but do not go into this film expecting an romantic fantasy or uplifting tale about love. Instead, expect a genuinely honest and heartbreaking elegy.