Movie Review: Blue Valentine

Though not exactly a feel-good story of romance, Blue Valentine is a stunning portrayal of the onset and disintegration of a marriage. The story centers around the lives of modern couple Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) as well as their daughter Frankie (newcomer Faith Wladyka), jumping back-and-forth between how the couple met and where they're at "now." Cindy's only exposure to marriage before her own came from the awful showing that are her own parents, who constantly fought while she was at home, and the input of her grandmother, who reveals that she's not sure she ever loved her husband near the film's beginning — not exactly a promise for a happy ending in this flick. Though the two fall in love and marry (despite the child not being Dean's), the couple can't seem to stay happy despite everything. If you can handle incredibly honest, completely un-sugarcoated flicks, then you're in for two great performances and a wonderful Hollywood story.
Best on-screen moment: Dean and Cindy embark on their first date, resulting in the two learning each other's hidden "talents" (singing and tap dancing).

Best Flicks of 2010

Two things we don't understand about this year's Oscars:
1. As was the case last year, ten films are up for best picture. Ten.
2. Christopher Nolan got ignored in the best director category. Come on, Inception?

Anyway, since we asked your opinion on the ultimate worst film of 2010, now we want the same thing for the best. Comment and share your thoughts.

Best Picture Nominations
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

For the full list of nominations, click here.

Movie Review: Black Swan

Walking out of the theater as Black Swan "closed its curtain," the audience was noticeably stunned...and for good reason. To say this film is mind-blowing is practically an understatement. Yes, it's that good. Natalie Portman gives the best performance of her career to date--and that's saying something--as her character spirals into literally embodying the ballet she is set to perform. Often terrifying, the flick takes audiences on a whirlwind through the life, and mind, of an insanely dedicated ballerina and the characters in her life. We must note, Black Swan is not for the faint of heart (there's a lot of blood) and is at times quite graphic, but the performances, especially from Portman and Mila Kunis, and the costumes are absolutely breathtaking. This is a film you should not miss (it already has four Golden Globe nominations) and don't be surprised if it is swooping up Oscars come February 2011.
Best on-screen moment: Nina's (Portman) "dark" dance as the Swan Queen.

Movie Review: The Social Network

The Social Network is quickly creating a film-world frenzy with rave reviews accumulating from all directions. We definitely understand why. The film is swarming with fresh talent that includes director David Fincher (Fight Club), screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (TV's The West Wing) and actors Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland), Justin Timberlake (Alpha Dog) and Andrew Garfield (Never Let Me Go). As college students, we couldn't wait to see this movie simply because it is so relevant to our generation. Further, many of us do not know much about the man behind our daily obsession, so win No. 1: relevance. Beyond that, everything about this movie works. The direction is fabulous. The screenplay is stunning. The acting is fantastic. The score is beautiful. The main character, Mark Zuckerberg, a 20-something genius and the youngest billionaire in the world, is fascinating. You will be hooked.
Best on-screen moment: Any scene with Zuckerberg (Eisenberg) because his banter was on-the-dot brilliance.

Movie Review: Inception

Let's just start with the cast. A film with Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy and Michael Caine cannot fail to be awesome, right? SO right. Not to mention it was directed by Dark Knight mastermind Christopher Nolan. That aside, this movie is a thinker's dream and is truly fascinating from start to finish (so much so that at times you forget how long - approx. 2 hours and 28 minutes - you have been sitting down). Mind-crime is the game and the script is so well-written, the film so well-directed that viewers become engrossed. It's almost impossible to describe this film without urging everyone to see it for themselves because there's no way to hint at much of the plot without going into a monologue of detail. Each and every actor, including Leonardo DiCaprio himself as Cobb, gives a winning performance and if you don't have a celeb crush on Joseph Gordon-Levitt (ladies) or Ellen Page (gents) yet, after (500) Days of Summer and Whip It! respectively, you're missing out.
Best on-screen moment: The van that takes hours to fall... you'll know what we mean when you see the film & Arthur's (Gordon-Levitt) zero gravity dream.

Movie Review: Toy Story 3

Eleven years in the making, Toy Story 3 hit theaters this past weekend to soaring numbers. After making box office history and cementing themselves as the second highest grossing animated film of all time, with $109 million, it was easy to see why. The animated short "Day & Night," which preceded the film, was awesome. As was the film itself. Though it did end with the possibility of more, a prospect we would rather not see happen - too much of a good thing, in our opinion. Also, we would have enjoyed more scenes with the 3-peas-in-a-pod.
Best on-screen moment: Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles) as Mr. Tortilla Shell. Classic.