Game: 6° of Separation

Life Between Films came up with a brilliant idea: connect a pair of actors through their films. I decided to participate because I found it challenging and fun.

So, there are three options, or three pairs of actors. My choice would be   James Marsden & Danzel Washington.  At first, I considered it to be a long way through the different movies but somehow I made it short, if you wanna look at it, here we go:

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Movie Review: Argo (2012)

Yes, I finally did it and watched Ben Affleck's Argo - probably this year's biggest hit so far.

Ben made a huge comeback after directing The Town and Gone Baby Gone - two movies more loved by the audience than by critics.. But now it's his time with 96% of Rotten Tomatoes, 8.4 IMDB rating and lots of positive (and even more) reviews. So, here is mine...

Probably like most of other people I had great expectations to Argo and they don't fully matched with what I saw, but still this is one of the best films of the year.

Ben Affleck is already an Academy Award winner screenwriter and that seemed to be a huge preference to make a great movie. I think he did an amazing job by adapting a true lifetime story and transferring it on the wide screen. Ben tells a touching story of six US embassy white collars held as a hostages during wide-scale demonstrations. 

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Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

The Amazing Spider-Man grossed over 700 Million worldwide this year which is 100 Million less then the original Spider-Man (2002). This is probably the very clear sign which of those two has been favored by fans. 

The remake is little bit different from original one. The storyline develops around Peter Parker who has been seeking his parents since childhood. In previous version they are dead but now the movie does not clear up whether they're still alive or not. The only clue we've got is the reason of their disappearance, that is results of secret experiment held by Peter's dad.

Moving along, the greatest enemy turns out to be The Lizard - a co-worker and close friend of Peter's dad and unsuccessful hybrid of genetic experiment. I found this part of the movie too childish and less attractive.

What I Liked?

Well, Peter Parker/Spider Man itself. I have never loved Tobey Maguire as a hero. He was too nerdy even for playing nerdy student and too "stupid-looking" for being superhero. 

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Movies That Feel Nice To Watch

Today I refreshed my rating list on IMDB and remembered some old or new movies that I like to watch. Most of them are not masterpieces, most even have not made a cut for any award but still I used to re-watch it plenty of times.

Now I'll share this list to everyone:

Burn After Reading (2008)

Though I've seen most of Cohen Brothers movies and liked majority, I still believe this is one of the best works of their. That sometimes shows me up as a `stupid` movie geek compared with other film lovers who don't appreciate this comedy.

Frankly, I don't give a damn.* 

This is one of the most delightful comedies made last twenty years. The movie has brilliant cast, including Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, John Malkovich, Richard Jenkins and others. They all act the exact manner they do it generally. 

There is something special about Cohens' sense of humor that ties me up when I watch Burn After Leading. I may not burst out laughing but I do enjoy it. 

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Movie Review: To Rome With Love (2012)

To Rome With Love is Woody Allen's new comedy - kind of sequel of Midnight In Paris. Obviously this is not Annie Hall, Match Point or Hannah and Her Sister or any of Woody's masterpieces. But is above average story of common people visiting Rome, living in Rome or moving to Rome.

The film tells three separate stories of Roman citizens, tourists and dreamers. They are as independent from each other as the most people's lives in the whole world. 

Leopoldo (Roberto Beningni) lives a mundane life with his wife and two children. The best part of his day is watching his boss’s beautiful secretary Serafina walk around the office. One day, he wakes up one morning to discover that he has become a national celebrity. Paparazzi document his every movement. He begins dating models and attending fancy film premieres. However later Leopoldo welcomes the return to his old life. But one afternoon he breaks down when no one asks for his autograph. Leopoldo has learned that life can be monotonous and wearying whether one is a celebrity or a normal man. Still, it’s much better to be a weary celebrity than it is to be a weary regular man.

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Golden Globe Predictions (Motion Picture Category)

On January 13, 2013 Hollywood Foreign Press Association will announce 2012 Golden Globe winners throughout the Motion Picture, Television Series and TV Movie categories.

Here are the very first predictions of upcoming biggest event:

(Nominees are listed in likelihood of winning/nominating)

Motion Picture Categories

DRAMA PICTURE

1. Argo
2. Life of Pi
3. Lincoln
4. The Master
5. Django Unchained

DRAMA ACTOR

1. Joaquin Phoenix in `The Master`
2. Daniel Day Lewis in`Lincoln`
3. Anthony Hopkins in `Hitchcock`
4. John Hawkes in `The Sessions`
5. Ben Affleck in `Argo`

DIRECTOR

1. Tom Hooper for `Les Miserables`
2. Ben Affleck for `Argo`
3. Steven Spielberg  for `Lincoln`
4. Paul Thomas Anderson for `The Master`
5. Ang Lee for `Life of Pi`

DRAMA ACTRESS

1. Keira Knightley in `Anna Karenina`
2. Jennifer Lawrence in `The Hunger Games`
3. Helen Mirren in `Hitchcock`
4. Marion Cotillard in `Rust and Bone`
5. Emanuelle Riva in `Amore`

COMEDY/MUSICAL PICTURE

1. Les Miserables
2. Silver Linings Playbook
3. Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
4. Moonrise Kingdom
5. Ted

COMEDY/MUSICAL ACTOR

1. Hugh Jackman in `Les Miserables`
2. Bill Murray in `Hyde Park On Hudson`
3. Bradley Cooper in `Silver Linings Playbook`
4. Channing Tatum in `Magic Mike`
5. Tommy Lee Jones in `Hope Springs`

COMEDY/MUSICAL ACTRESS

1. Jennifer Lawrence in `Silver Linings Playbook`
2. Meryl Streep in` Hope Springs`
3. Maggie Smith in `Quartet`
4. Laura Linney in `Hyde Park on Hudson`
5. Judy Dench in `Best Exotic Marigold Hotel`

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1. Leonardo DiCaprio in `Django Unchained`
2. Philip Saymour Hoffman in `The Master`
3. Robert De Niro in `Silver Linings Playbook`
4. Alan Arkin in `Argo`
5. Russel Crow in `Les Miserables`

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1. Anne Hathaway in `Les Miserables`
2. Amy Adams in `The Master`
3. Sally Field in `Lincoln`
4. Helen Hunt in `The Sessions`
5. Maggie Smith in `Best Exotic Marygold Hotel`

ANIMATED FEATURE

1. Brave
2. Rise of Guardians
3. Wreck-it Ralph
4. Frankenweenie
5. Paranorman

SCREENPLAY

1. Argo
2. Lincoln
3. Silver Linings Playbook
4. Django Unchained
5. The Master

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

1. The Intouchables
2. Amour
3. Rust and Bone
4. A Royal Affair
5. No

BEST SCORE

1. Life of Pi
2. Brave
3. Lincoln
4. The Master
5. Anna Karenina

BEST SONG

1. `Suddenly` from Les Miserables
2. `Learn Me Right` from Brave
3. `Touch the Sky` from Brave
4. `Skyfall` from Skyfall
5. `Midnight Run` from Lawless

TV Categories

Dexter, Season 7 - A Rehab Era

Are you a serial Killer?

Dexter has changed, but not the character, the show itself. Season 7 is pretty much better than the previous ones. It is more tense that sticks me up with the screen easily. 

In the last episode of sixth season, Deb, Dexter's Sister and head of Miami Police Department, witnesses a murder committed by her brother and this is how new era for Dex starts. As long as Debra loves Dexter more than just a brother (!) she decides to keep this all in secret and help him recover by making the "killer" control. Dexter promises to do his best in changing himself, however he knows how impossible those promises are. Moving to Debra's house complicates murderer's aspirations to go for new victims, so he has to control the mind that thinks of the blood everyday.

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Zero Dark Thirty Trailer (2012)

Another brilliant performance by Jessica Chanstain and directing work by Academy Award winner Kathryn Bigelow.

International Premiere on December 19, 2012

Longest Running TV Series

I have always believed that around 6 episodes is a normal length for TV Series not to become boring. But sometimes some of them make you grow up with them, live and die and they never lose their very first sparkle you loved during its first seasons. 

This post is dedicated to series that has been making history during the years and have breached the stereotype of long-running series to be tedious. Here is a list TV Series with most original episodes:

(Obviously, most of them are soap operas)

10. Coronation Street

Airing Date: 1960 (52 years)

Episodes: 7,970

The show was aired in 1960 and still runs. During its 52 years 7970 original episodes has shown on TV. Originally Coronation Street is British series but since 2010 it has been widely adopted by numerous countries including United States. 

Just after screening very first episode the critics claimed the series to last maximum three weeks, but the show really draw viewers attention by its original and ordinary characters. Well, I see this show is popular even now.

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Movie Review: A Single Man (2009)

A Single Man is a directing debut film for Tom Ford and the movie that brought Colin Firth to Oscars for the first time.

It tells a story of gay professor who lost his boyfriend of sixteen years in car accident. This whole film is about how George (Firth) tries to get his life in order before committing suicide. Along his way to death he meets people (particularly just one) who changes the flow of George's everyday life.

Professor George has tried to top himself many times but he is unsuccessful even in suicide.The only thing he's good at is teaching English, bringing up students, showing them the right way. In this movie Colin plays more than one person: a loser in social life, intelligent professor and a good friend. They all are different. He feels "single" all the time, because there is not even one person to support him except the only friend Charley (Juliana Moore) who is always drunk.

But there is a student, who seems invisible all the time but George can see him. This student called Kenny decides to save a professor and invites for a drink, once, two times, three times and finally gets his consent.

This is how a student-teacher love affair starts. New feelings change everything in both lives.

Not surprisingly Colin's performance is incredible. Sorry to Brokeback Mountain's fans, but he does better job than Jack&Heath together. Firth perfectly delivers the emotions of unemotional character and screams like an Oscar for "Best Actor".

Juliana is Juliana. This film reminded me her role in Boogie Nights with the same memorable acting.

And finally BRAVO to Tom Ford for directing a beautiful movie. Obviously he's used designing skills to amaze audience with brilliant cinematography and art direction. But the best part of the film is how it ends, realistically and unpredictably. Can't imagine better debut in film industry.

More than just recommended to watch...

8/10

Movie Review: The Dictator (2012)

I was not going to watch this movie, I felt it won't be worth of it. But, gosh, that was a mistake, the Dictator is so hilarious, I've never had so much fun since 2007 when I first saw Little Miss Sunshine. This movie is very stupid, but this stupidity makes film unique. Sometimes you laugh because you heard something funny, than you laugh because you saw something funny and finally you laugh at yourself because you found the whole crap funny.

Now I believe that Sacha Baron Cohen can make the funniest comedies today. Maybe he is not one of the highly admired Brothers Cohens but he's good enough to be called a Cohen.

What I liked most is very simple, precise sense of humor Sacha as a writer has. Sometimes I find American comedies very hard to understand as the jokes are very habitual (and I live in totally different world) but this one is kinda "international jest" intelligible for every average human on the Earth. He exhibits problems of cultural differences in the best way anyone can, spectators does not take all these in earnest but lately they start thinking how fucking "right" Aladeen (Sacha) was.

Frankly, there is not much to talk about this film. Actually, there is not much to talk about any comedy because you're supposed to laugh. And I laughed and laughed and laughed...

8/10

My Top 10 TV Characters of All Time

I've seen dozens of TV Series. Most of them are very different from each other with particularly unique characters. Some of the characters are the only reason I watch specific show (for example, Gregory House).

Here are Top Ten TV Characters of all time, who I find most interesting, well-played and attractive personages:

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666 Park Avenue (2012)

Today I watched a season premiere of new TV Show 666 Park Avenue. This is horror-thriller, mystic genre TV Series about new co-managers of residential hotel and its other tenants.

Henry and Jane get a manager job at the hotel on Park Avenue. They seem to be lucky as they become a part of amazing community, luxury and owners of most fashionable apartment in New York. 

But even for the first day, everything looks quite weird. Jane starts to explore very dark parts of the hotel that can be a link to its dramatic history. She sees people who are supposed to be happy but they are not as they look like hiding extremely horrible secrets of their lives. The newcomers don't know yet that all their neighbors share the same secret and story and that they both are going to be a part of this story.

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