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Oscars Preview Part II: 'Midnight in Paris' and 'Moneyball' |
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Tuesday, February 21, 2012 |
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In case you missed Part One of Patrick's preview to the Oscars, you can read it here.
By PATRICK HALL
The Wilson Post
Sunday marks the 84th annual Academy Awards and while I already tabbed ‘War Horse’ to win Best Picture, I expect ‘Midnight in Paris’ to win two Oscars for the legendary Woody Allen and surprise contender ‘Moneyball’ to grab an Oscar for young actor Jonah Hill as well as Best Adapted Screenplay.
‘Midnight in Paris’ is a film written and directed by Allen, about struggling writer Gil Pender, played by Owen Wilson, who while on a trip to Paris, falls in love with the city, and takes an unorthodox journey every midnight. Pender meets all of his favorite artists, writers and longs for the “Golden Age” of the 1920s.
The film delivers many of Allen’s famous humor side-by-side with a strong look into the notion that the past always seems more romantic than the present. For Gil, 1920s Paris was the only time worth living in, and while he finds inspiration and joy in his time-traveling midnight strolls, he also discovers important truths about himself and the life he’s living in the present.
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‘War Horse’ to win: Part I of preview to 84th Academy Awards |
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Wednesday, February 15, 2012 |
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By PATRICK HALL
The Wilson Post
Since the 84th Annual Academy Awards are coming up on Sunday, Feb. 26, I’m looking at a few contenders for Best Picture, starting with “War Horse,” a film directed by Steven Spielberg and distributed by Touchstone Pictures.
I always make picks on who will win each category, and some years I do great, like in 2009 when I got behind “The Hurt Locker,” which won six Oscars. I also do poorly sometimes, such as 2008 when I was predicting “There Will Be Blood” would clean house, but only won two of its six nominations.
This year my favorite and who I’m hitching my wagon to is “War Horse,” a story of young Albert Narracott, played by Jeremy Irvine, and the thoroughbred horse he names Joey. The two forge a remarkable bond through Albert’s training of Joey and their determination to prove that Joey can carry his weight on the family farm despite not being a plough horse.
Joey is then “drafted” into the British Cavalry on the eve of World War I and later Albert also enlists. Although the war and many miles separate the two, the film depicts a friendship and determination in both Albert and Joey that was absolutely stunning.
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Strong characters make ‘Chronicle’ a surprising hit |
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Wednesday, February 8, 2012 |
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By PATRICK HALL
The Wilson Post
Andrew Detmer’s drunken father attacks him in the basement, hovering over the teen, assailing his son with physical and verbal abuse. Suddenly, the father is thrown against the wall, Andrew pins him there by the throat as the teen’s new telekinetic powers turn the tables on his abusive father.
“Chronicle” is a film following Andrew, played by Dane DeHaan, his cousin Matt Garrety, played by Alex Russell, and Steve Montgomery, played by Michael B. Jordan, as they develop the power to move objects with their minds and levitate their bodies to the point of actually flying.
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‘The Grey’ a thrilling tale of survival |
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Thursday, February 2, 2012 |
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By PATRICK HALL
The Wilson Post
I’m a movie guy, thanks to my father, who sat me down and got me to watch all these black-and-white classics and some color ones too. At a young age I was in love with films such as “Witness for the Prosecution,” “Mutiny on the Bounty,” “Casablanca,” “Ben-Hur,” and I still am.
While I grumbled at first having to watch a movie without color or a movie made so long ago, I dispensed with the misconception that old movies just weren’t cool and enjoyed every minute of them.
I loved when my dad would ask, “want to watch this movie?” Of course I took the opportunity to spend quality time with him, even if he fell asleep halfway through whatever we were watching. He could never sit through a whole movie, even if he loved it!
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