True Grit

True Grit
Year: 2010
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Cast: Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Hailee Steinfeld

In My Own Words
Welcome to Movie Critical's first 2011 post Oscar nominations post! January and February are always the most exciting months for film because it is awards season! "True Grit" is one of the films in this award season that I have been waiting for in anticipation to be released. Reason being, it has cause for on big question in my mind. How could a film which has just recieved 10 Academy Award nominations have recieved no nominations at all at the Golden Globes? Absolutely none at all! "True Grit" is one of those films that had awards buzz about it from way before it was released. When the Golden Globe nominations got released and there was no sign of "True Grit", I decided in my own mind that it may not really be that good a film. Really naive and close-minded way of thinking I'll be the first to admit. I was still looking forward to seeing it regardless because the trailer made me very excited about it's release. So come 25th of January 5:30am, come the onslaught of "The Kings Speech"...and "True Grit".

So why did "True Grit" recieve no Golden Globe nominations? There isn't one reason, more a number of speculations. There is one speculation that "True Grit" wasn't screened for the Hollywood Foreign Press (HFP). Another speculation, is that the HFP isn't a fan of Joel and Ethan Coen. Personally, I don't know if this is the case. The Coen brothers have been around for awhile and this is their first film in quite awhile that hasn't been nominated for a Golden Globe. Yet, it is true that the Coen brothers are more popular at the Oscars than at the Golden Globes, but this is the first time the film has been snubbed completely. Or then there is the most obvious reason, maybe the HFP really just didn't enjoy "True Grit" It's unbelievable, but it could well be true. As they say, when there is a mystery, the most simple answer is normally the answer. The biggest mystery to me with all this, is how could they ignore Hailee Steinfeld's debut performance? And another question, could Steinfeld really be a contender for the Oscar even though she wasn't nominated at the Golden Globes? Of course she can, the Oscar's are a completely different ball game.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
In 1969, John Wayne won his first and only Academy Award for a film called "True Grit". 41 years later, it is Joel and Ethan Coen, the movie making brothers known for ignoring the norm and doing it well, who take on the remake of this western. While in 1969 it was Wayne who was the star of the film, in 2011 it is Hailee Steinfeld. Steinfeld, the 14 year old who in her first feature length film appearence has earned herself an Oscar nomination, is undoubtingly the scene stealer in this film. It is almost a mystery that she has been nominated for Best Supporting rather than Best Lead as she is in every scene and the story is being told through her eyes. Mattie Ross, played by Steinfeld, is out to avenge the death of her father by Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin) by bringing him to justice. She employs Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to accompany her into Indian territory to track down Chaney. They are also accompanied by another bounty hunter in pursuit of Chaney, LeBoeuf (Matt Damon).

One of the best things about "True Grit" is that it is unlike other traditional westerns. It is an adventure and a drama, yet it is also a coming of age story. It is a disruption of innocence and naivety. Mattie is a smart talking 14 year old who believes she is powerful and strong enough to endure everything which is thrown at her. She believes she is the rock of her family now that her father has passed and holds back all her emotion when dealing with bounty hunters, sheriff's and even when faced with her father's corpse. She shows her naivety by believing that she is going on a "great adventure" when she will track down Chaney and he will come quietly. Steinfeld's Mattie is the star of the film and the film would not be as intriguing without her. She is perfectly cast in the role and it is a brilliant performance by one so young and inexperienced in the motion picture field.

Not to say that Steinfeld is the only good thing in the film, because that is far from the truth. The Coen brothers have once again put together a tight, intriguing film. "True Grit" is the best western to come out in years. The ending is one which won't be to everyone's liking. Many may feel as if it should end one scene earlier to make the ending a bit more interesting. The script is very well written with the appropriate wording for every scene, especially those for Mattie. The character development for Mattie is fantastic as you know exactly who she is, where she has come from and her personality as if you knew her personally, yet the character development for the three other main characters is minimal. You know something about each character, but not enough to know them in the same way you know Mattie. Jeff Bridges' Rooster is the other character besides her which has a significant amount of character to him. Although you do't know his character's background, he is still an extremely significant personality of the film. Bridges does a great job at carrying through the character with consistency from beginning to end. Not in the same class as his "Crazy Heart" performance, but still a notable one.

The cinematography in the film is also quite beautiful. There are some really amazing images of the snow falling in the woods and the filming of the plains, woods and old town are really quite exquisite. The capturing of the 1800's old western period is amazing and is perfection with every aspect from the sounds and feelings which the visuals create, to the fine period clothing. The musical score is also wonderful. A musical score which send shivers up your spine is definately a commendable one.

"True Grit" is a wonderfully made western. What makes it so wonderful is that you don't have to be a western fan in order to enjoy it. The Coen brothers have once again made a successful film which steps outside the norm. While 1969's "True Grit" provided John Wayne with his first Academy Award, will 2010's "True Grit" provide Hailee Steinfeld with her first Academy Award
8.5/10

The Edge of Seventeen (2016) film review

Year: 2016
Running Time: 104 minutes
Director/Writer: Kelly Fremon Craig
Cast: Hailee Steinfeld, Woody Harrelson, Kyra Sedgewick, Blake Jenner, Haley Lu Richardson, Hayden Szeto

The Edge of Seventeen is now showing in cinemas everywhere and is distributed in Australia by Roadshow Films.

Kelly Fremon Craig's directorial debut, The Edge of Seventeen is the perfect fusion of wonderful, witty comedy and that type of horror you only get by watching someone who is way too much like yourself or past self that it is frightening.

Nobody knows more about the divide between the cool kids and the rest more than high school junior, Nadine (played by Hailee Steinfeld). While her brother, Darian (Blake Jenner) is the blessed sibling who "naturally excels at everything", Nadine constantly feels like the outcast and even more so when Darian starts dating her best and only friend, Krista (Haley Lu Richardson). Of course, she overdramatically disapproves of the match and without Krista by her side, Nadine's problems seem to snowball. She finds unexpected solace in her classmate, Erwin (Hayden Szeto) and teacher, Mr Bruner (Woody Harrelson), but she first must learn how to live with herself before she can tolerate those around her.

The Edge of Seventeen is incredibly character driven and it is these characters along with the entertaining screenplay and fine performances that take the film from run-of-the-mill teen flick to something with a much wider appeal. Hailee Steinfeld gives an incredibly inspired performance as Nadine, the sassy, but painfully narcissistic teenager. Despite her misgivings and unfavourable qualities, she is such an accurate representation of a girl of her age that it is actually questionable if you cannot see fragments of your old self in Nadine.

Watching Nadine brings out the same sort of thought process one would have when watching a horror or thriller, but instead of saying "Don't go through that door" or "Don't go up the stairs", you are saying "No no no...don't do that!" and "Don't say that!". Then comes the horrible realisation that even though you are watching Nadine and thinking how terrible her lack of judgment is, you are really having an out of body experience watching yourself as a teenager.

There are plenty of things that come out of Nadine's mouth that will stir memories of things long forgotten for the viewer. For example, Nadine is a virgin and really knows nothing about sex, but talks like she does when she clearly has no idea what she is talking about. Something that everyone will be able to relate to is Nadine saying that she would like to believe that her problems are bigger than everyone else's". From the outside looking in, she sounds incredibly narcissistic, but narcissism is part of being a teenager. At that age, life is so confusing and there are so many new emotions to be felt that it is difficult to understand and grasp the concept that we are not the centre of the universe and that others are feeling similar to us or even worse.

However, one thing that is not quite as relatable and is the one thing we can envy, is Nadine's manner of speech. Her dialogue is cutting, witty and hilarious and this is what gives the film such an amusing edge. Steinfeld shows her wonderful comedic timing in her natural and unforced delivery of this wonderful dialogue and steals and dominates every scene she is in. Her Nadine also embodies the idea that the world views us the way we view ourselves. She see's herself as awkward and tells herself to stop acting so, making it inevitable that she will behave more awkward in social situations.

Despite the film being primarily about Nadine, all of the characters are well crafted and incredibly interesting to watch. What The Edge of Seventeen does so well is that it highlights the imperfections in it's characters, but does not substitute this for their likability. These imperfections merely show that as we grow up, we still never quite figure it all out and that we are never completely rid of bad judgement. This is especially evident in Nadine's mother, Mona (played by Kyra Sedgewick), who one cannot help but feel that she is a bad influence on her daughter. Woody Harrelson's Mr Bruner is far from perfect and is blunt and unrelentless, but still remains a lot of fun to watch.

The Edge of Seventeen is so relatable that it would be frightening if it wasn't so hilarious with it's brilliant screenplay and Hailee Steinfeld's craftsmanship of Nadine.

8/10

Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) film review

 

Year: 2015
Running Time: 110 minutes
Director: Elizabeth Banks
Writer: Kay Cannon
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Hailee Steinfeld, Adam DeVine, Skylar Astin, Katey Segal, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean, Ben Platt

Pitch Perfect 2 is arguably the biggest female empowerment film of the year. With Elizabeth Banks making her debut in the director's seat, the film speaks (or sings) loudly of the strength of women and minorities in society and does so with incredible wit and humour. All girl acapella group, the Barden Bellas have been reigning as champions for the past three years, but it seems that their winning streak has come to a grinding halt when Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) accidently exposes herself in front of an audience that includes the President of the United States. As a result, the girls are competition wise, but through a loophole they still able to enter the international acapella championships which no American team has ever won. The girls find that they feel extremely out of their comfort zone when they size up the competition and find that they may have to search for their sound once again.

This foot-tapping sequel to the original 2012 film is incredibly witty and funny, but at the same time is far more layered than a musical comedy set on an American college campus has any right to be. The script by Kay Cannon is exceptionally well written and with Elizabeth Bank's tight direction gives a combination that works exceptionally well and takes full advantage of the colourful characters already established in the first film. Pitch Perfect 2 is indeed predictable as is expected and desired by it's target audience. A trap that many film makers fall into when making sequels is to take what made the first film work and give the audience more...which can more often than not lead to over-exaggeration and annoyance. Pitch Perfect 2 does do this, but it does it in an unique way that makes it work by explaining to the audience why it is doing this. For example, the second film contains a great deal more of Fat Amy and her antics, who was a crowd favourite in the first film. However, the script actually explains why her antics are exaggerated and this is because Fat Amy never does anything by halves. It's in her character to do everything on a massive scale. By doing this, the film actually explains why certain aspects of it are exaggerated and this works in the film's favour.

The film's sense of humour is particularly unique. It avoids being chastised for any prejudice by purely making fun of absolutely everybody. Nobody is safe....no nationality, no body size, no sexual orientation and even no hair colour. This type of sarcastic humour would have the prospect of being construed as completely offensive if it weren't so incredibly over the top that it can hardly be taken seriously. However, what can be taken seriously about Pitch Perfect 2 is it's strong message of female empowerment. With a string of strong female characters who are superior to the male characters in every way, their rendition of Beyoncé's "Run The World (Girls)" is the perfect anthem. On the other hand, the original song "Flashlight" (sung by Hailee Steinfeld) is the anthem for sisterhood and the important message of women working together.

It does not come as a surprise that Pitch Perfect 2's soundtrack is one of the greatest positves of the film as it is a modern musical film relevant to today's sound and it's predecessor's soundtrack was an enormous success. Fans of the 2012 film will be pleased with the return of "Cups" by Anna Kendrick which was made popular in the first film, but will also be happy to see that Mark Mothersbaugh has kept up with the top chart music of 2015 so far and placed songs in the film where they bring out the most in the scene.

The majority of the cast from the original Pitch Perfect film return for the second and reprise their roles with the same strength of character that they did in the first. Anna Kendrick returns as Beca Mitchell, the leader the of The Bellas and is once again the heroine which every girl can relate to. She is incredibly real and although Beca is one to put up a tough front, has her beautiful moments of frailty. Rebel Wilson is once again very funny as Fat Amy, but for some there may be just a little too much Fat Amy screen time wise if you are not a fan of her sense of humour.

Hailee Steinfeld is a newcomer to the Pitch Perfect universe as Bella legacy, Emily. From the very first moment she is incredibly likeable with her naivety but quirky streak that gives her a wonderful sense of humour. Director Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins return as acapella commentators and experts Gail and John are truly hilarious with some of the most memorable quotes of the film.

Pitch Perfect 2 will undeniably thrill anyone who was a fan of the first film. Although those who haven't seen the first can also enjoy, it is recommended that the first is seen so the characters are greater understood. The film is a huge amount of fun that has the talent to create many smiles, laughs and impromptu dance moves.

8/10

Well done MTV...but are we ready for gender neutral awards?

On April 6, the nominations for the 2017 MTV Movie and TV Awards were announced with one glaring difference from other years and other award shows...the acting categories had gone gender neutral.

Both the Best Actor in a Movie and Best Actor in a Show categories this year contain both male and female nominees, a move that has not been seen before in major award shows (with the exception of the Grammys and Britain's National Television Awards). A split right down the middle occurred with the Film nominations with three male and three female actors in contention, while four females were nominated in the Television show category and two males. Although the MTV Awards do not carry the same prestige as other award shows (Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards, etc.), it is a move that certainly shows a move forward in gender equality in Hollywood and the entertainment business.

While this move for the MTV Movie & TV Awards is a very positive one, it makes one ponder whether the idea could catch on and other award shows follow suit. It would definitely be a strong stand for women and one many would embrace and celebrate. MTV can be commended for making such a strong statement and as the awards are voted for by the public, it would not be a surprise to see Emma Watson, Hailee Steinfeld or Taraji P. Henson voted for as the winner for this reason.

However, could this move by MTV encourage other award shows to become gender neutral?

The answer isn't no...it is not yet.

This has nothing to do with the quality of male and female actors in the business. Talent wise both genders are without a doubt on par with one another. The problem lies with lack of substantial roles available to women in Hollywood, especially in film. This is not a new argument. Mary Pickford said in 1935 "It’s becoming a woman’s world, year by year, almost day by day". This still rings true, but more than 80 years later we are still fighting for gender equality in Hollywood in regards to the number of strong female roles among other issues. We have come a long way, but there is still a long way to go.

Believing that there should or should not be gender neutral acting categories when awards season rolls around has nothing to do with sexism or feminism, it has to do with fairness. While the quantity of these strong female roles is significantly less than that of males, it would make it a great deal harder for females to compete and win an Oscar or any other award with gender neutral categories.

For example, let's look at this years Oscars in the four acting categories. All four categories had wonderful performances by incredible actors, but the two male categories were seemingly more competitive than the female categories. Both the female categories had clear frontrunners for the majority of the awards season with the other eight nominees giving very good performances, but not strong enough to be competition. On the other hand, the male categories (especially Best Performance by an Actor in A Leading Role) went down to the line on the night as a result of the several incredible performances in strong and intense roles.

So this would have meant that this year Casey Affleck would have been directly competing with Emma Stone and Mahershala Ali with Viola Davis. These would have no doubt been intriguing and unpredictable competitions, but one would fear that the actual nomination fields would have consisted more of males than of females.

The good news is that things are changing in Hollywood as we speak....unfortunately just not as quickly as we would like. There may well be a chance in the future to combine the male and female acting categories at prestigious award shows, but that day is not today. If it was to happen, it would most definitely shorten the length of award shows, which would make many people happy. The other argument here is that many creatives prefer not to label themselves as male or female so eliminating gender specific categories is more politically and socially acceptable.

Without a doubt, it is a great move by MTV to make their awards gender neutral and they deserve praise for initiating a giant step towards gender equality in the film world. It may not be time for the bigger and more prestigious industry awards to do the same, but that day is coming.