RacsOview: "Crazy Heart" (2009)

Watching "Crazy Heart" is like watching every other performance musical biopic. And nothing new was brought to the table. It was ho hum and the story was pretty much commonplace. There were times that I thought that it was a crossbreed of Taylor Hackford's "Ray" and James Mangold's "Walk the Line".

All I can think of are the beautiful songs performed. "The Weary Kind" is a very beautiful and touching song. Ryan Bingham's words are wonderfully sung gold. Most specially Jeff Bridges Oscar baiting performance. He was very good. But other than that. Bleh.

C-

American Idol: Top 12 Boys and Top 12 Girls

Even though I hated the performances as a whole, here is my assessment of how the show went...

Top 3 Female:

1. Didi Benami, "The Way I Am"
2. Siobhan Magnus, "Wicked Games"
   
3. Lilly Scott, "Fixing A Hole"
   

Top 3 Male: Tough. Because no one really stood out...

1. Lee DeWyze, "Chasing Cars"
2. Alex Lambert, "Wonderful World"
3. errrrr......

Overall Top 3: The top 3 Girls

Worsts of the Night and Should Go Home: Haeley Vaughn, Lacey Brown, Tyler Grady, Tim Urban

Remembering Heath Ledger

I can not believe that it was that long when Heath passed away. It still stings up to now to think and feel that he will not be gracing our screens anymore. I just saw "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus", it is sad because I think with the loopiness of that movie, he could have shone all the more if he was able to finish it. He was great as usual, but not that kind of performance that you would remember him by. Many would say that he will be forever be remembered as the "Joker" but for me I will remember him more (and methinks the performance of all time) as "Ennis del Mar" in "Brokeback Mountain". The best performance of the decade, the best performance of all time.

Lady GaGa Telephone

Ohhh I love this! Lady GaGa is an Artist. Truly in a different league!

American Idol: Top 12 Boys and Girls

Sucked.

Is it just me who feels that almost all of the 24 finalists in American Idol sucked?

They did.

Sucked.

2009 RacsO Year In Review: The Underrateds

Duplicity
Directed by Tony Gilroy
Witty, crisp, fast and twisty. Gilroy's wonderful corporate espionage movie was superbly written. I was kinda hoping that this movie would pick up some awards traction for its script.

Taking Woodstock
Directed by Ang Lee
Not really a minor Ang Lee but it definitely is not "Brokeback Mountain". But nevertheless, this movie was fun and high. It was critically pummeled, well, not really that much. But I just don't feel that it was as bad as people say it was.

Away We Go
Directed by Sam Mendes
Way better than "Revolutionary Road". It may not be as star topbilled as "Road" but "Away We Go" was a quirky fun road trip. John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph were great as well. Ditto the musical score!

Whip It!
Directed by Drew Barrymore
FUN FUN FUN! People just overlooked this little gem by Barrymore. It was wayyyyy better than all the chick flick brought to screen in 2009. The movie is about girl power and yet people would rather see Spice Girls do their thing rather than seeing Barrymore unfold her directing sass.

Bright Star: Abbie Cornish, Ben Whishaw, Jane Campion, Greg Faiser and this list could go on forever Directed by Jane Campion
Where do I start with this film? First, I think that it is better than all of the 10 best pictures combined. Second, Cornish and Whishaw gave the best of their careers. The movie was gorgeous to look at yet it got snubbed for Cinematography. Dang. All I can hope for is that this movie wins best costume. Sigh.


Next up: Racso Awards 2009

Trailer: "Romeo at Juliet"

Can't wait any longer, I need to see this ASAP!!!

You guys all know that I am a big big fan of Adolf Alix Jr. and whatever and wherever he goes, I go. I remember back in Cinemalaya days, last year, I stalked him until I was able to get my DVDs signed.

Anyways. If you get the chance to see it, if it gets shown in theaters near you, go see it. I will, and I will see you guys there.

RacsOview: "Nine" (2009)

I am a huge sucker for musicals. I munch on them if given the chance. So this year's big budget offering and Rob Marshall helmer movie "Nine" adapted from the broadway show of the same name that was adapted from Federico Fellini's movie "8 1/2", was sort of a treat. Sort of.

"Nine" was about woman hungry director named Guido and all the woman of his life. And as you would expect from Marshall, it was all razzle dazzle. I loved Marion Cotillard's parts and songs. She was best in show. "My Husband Makes Movies" was the peak of the show also "Take it All". Damn she was leaps and bounds better than what she did in "La Vie En Rose". Next best in show for me was the cameo-ish role by Nicole Kidman. I loved the coldness of "Unusual Way". I love her. I love love love. Judi Dench was superb as well, but her musical number was flat. Ditto Penelope Cruz but her number solicited unsolicited laughter. Fergie was all aces in her musical number, and quite possibly the best musical number of the whole movie. "Be Italian" got me humming 'lalala' the whole day, whole week in I think. Sophia Loren. Uhmm. Sophia LorWhat the hell was that? Kate Hudson had fun, but that song was a misfire. It was good stand alone song but not for the movie. If it were "Project Runway" this was the dress or garment that was not part of the cohesive whole. Daniel Day Lewis was miscast. Period.

I got lost in the movie with all the stunt artistry. I wish that Marshall relied more on the visual masterwork by Dion Beebe instead of going all glitz and glamour. Too much made the movie muddled. But that said I could still say that I enjoyed most of it. It was still a catchy movie, at the very least.

B-

2009 RacsO Year In Review: The Fuglies

I kinda admit that I enjoyed the year's offerings of movies more than others. But there were still those usual annual duds that I loathed. I tried to stay away from them but damn they keep on coming. Anyways. Here they are... The Fuglies of 2009...

Fuglies 10!

10. Jennifer's Body
Diablo Cody's fall.

9. Ded na Si Lolo
Dead on arrival.

8. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Where has the imagination gone?

7. Handumanan
Oh my oh my.

6. G. I. Joe: Rise of the Cobras
Made Transformers look like a masterpiece.



5. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li
Career ender.

4. Dragon Ball: Evolution
Franchise ender

3. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
Another Franchise ender.

2. Binyag, Booking, Sagwan (triple tie!)
Triple Fugly threat.

1. 2012
Disastrous movie.

Worst Picture: 2012
Two hours of bad acting, bad effects and almost bad everything. 2012 is such a waste of time, money and effort.

Worst Actress: Kristen Kreuk (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li)
She sucked midway and towards the latest of what used to be an entertaining show "Smallville". Then she continued to suck more in the big screen. Will someone give her something better to do?

Worst Actor: Sacha Baron Cohen (Bruno)
Unfunny and offensive. He was great in "Borat", but he was trying to hard to be funny in "Bruno".

Worst Supporting Actor: Marlon Wayans (G. I. Joe: Rise of the Cobras)
The comic relief of the movie was not comic at all. It was just funny that he was acting that bad.

Worst Supporting Actress: Megan Fox (Jennifer's Body)
Other than a beautiful face and a drop dead gorgeous body, Megan Fox does not know how to act.

Worst Director: Roland Emmerich (2012)
Whatever he did was pure cinematic crap.

Worst Screenplay: Dragon Ball: Evolution
I enjoyed the anime, but this movie was a damn ugly and unimaginative.

Worst Trend: Gay Indie movies in the Philippines.
I feel the urge to say something about them movies. If only all of them are as good as Adolf Alix's "Daybreak". But most of them are just to draw specific crowds and does not but to sexploit.

Best Performance in a Bad Movie: Amanda Seyfried (Jennifer's Body)
She needs a better movie than what is being given to her. She is a great actress. A complete contrast to her co star in the movie.

2009 RacsO Year In Review: The Overrateds

Let me kick off my year end in review by naming FIVE (well almost six) of the most overrated movie related stuff of 2009.

Up in the Air: Not so lofty
It was a good movie, don't get me wrong. But I do not understand the awards attention. I think that the screenplay was rather good. The acting was top notch. But the movie as a whole felt a little vacant. But all hail Farmiga!

Sherlock Holmes: The detective doctor Sherlock House
Other than the fact that this movie is eye candy. Why do I feel that it was tad too close to being an episode of "House"?

A Serious Man: Seriously!
The movie as a whole I just do not get. I find it offensive in a way. There were no moments in it that I connected. It feels pretentious for me. I just did not get it. But that said, I love the cinematography.

Stanley Tucci in The (not) Lovely Bones
The movie is utter crap. Tucci like the movie was a mess as well. For me, he was trying too much. This is a weak performance to me. He did not come across as psychotic. It was more of a caricature. Add the wacky mustache.

The Blind Side: The movie, the Bullock
I JUST DO NOT GET IT. Bullock shouldered this movie all to herself and that was rather honorable of her. But she just charmed all the way to a nomination. I loved her more in "Ms. Congeniality" than this. The movie was soooooo hallmark. Methinks that Hallmark filmmakers now have high hopes of Oscar chances.

Will be back tomorrow...

Finally got to finish some thing that I have been wanting to do for a very very long time. I know it will not go that far, but I feel fulfilled. Will tell you more about it when I get back tomorrow. Plus, I have been itching to do some movie related talking and bitching.

It's great to be back