Review: Psycho (1960)

Another review for my school paper.
Before killers terrorized teens, black comedy-style, making them Scream; before Freddy turned a dream into A Nightmare on Elm Street; before Jason (and his mom) terrorized the kids at Camp Crystal Lake on Friday the 13th; and before he came home on Halloween, there was a lonely man and his overbearing mother in the granddaddy of all slasher films, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 masterwork Psycho.

The timeless horror film stars Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, the boyish proprietor of the Bates Motel who is stuck under the watchful eye of his invalid mother, and Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, a woman on the run from the law who happens upon the inn one stormy night. Hitchcock, widely considered one of the best, if not the best, directors of all-time, creates an unforgettable film here. It is arguably the most impressive work from his long list of masterpieces. The mood of the film is created flawlessly; tension reigns from the first time we hear Bernard Herrmann’s infamous score, with its unique sound that builds suspense like no other. The film is shot in beautiful black-and-white that, through its dark shades and shadows, lends a kind of eeriness that would have been nonexistent had the movie been done in the popular Technicolor of the day. There may have little in the gore department compared to what we see today, but the sense of menace, lurking throughout, outdoes most of the cheaply-made modern thrillers that Hollywood seems to constantly churn out.

The acting in Psycho is uniformly good. Two people in particular shine: Janet Leigh and, of course, Anthony Perkins in one of the greatest performances ever committed to celluloid. He is charming and creepy and sympathetic, all at once. At first you believe him to be just a sad figure, trapped by a feeling of responsibility to his mother. Then, he begins to show his different sides, and you become unsure of what he is capable of doing. It is first-rate performing that is a pleasure to watch.

Psycho was ranked the fourteenth greatest film ever made by the American Film Institute, and for good reason; they really do not get much better than this. It seamlessly blends expert technical precision with immense entertainment. This is one of those films that must be seen by anyone who considers themselves a film fan or horror movie buff to completely earn that title. It is a dazzling achievement, a work for the ages that has rightfully become a classic. A+

P.S. If you are lucky enough not to know the twist, do not let anybody ruin it for you.

Final Predictions

The day is here. Tonight, some lucky folks will be named the best in their respective crafts by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Here are my predictions for who those people will be:

BEST PICTURE

Nominees: Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter's Bone

Prediction: The King's Speech

Upset: The Social Network

My pick(s): Inception was undoubtedly my favorite 2010 movie. The Social Network is a close second and certainly was the most technically well-crafted film across the board. The directing, writing, acting, music, everything worked together so well. Toy Story 3 was pretty darn good, too, if I do say so myself.

BEST DIRECTOR

Nominees: Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), Coen Bros. (True Grit), David Fincher (The Social Network), Tom Hooper (The King's Speech), David O. Russell (The Fighter)

Prediction: David Fincher, The Social Network

Upset: Tom Hooper, The King's Speech OR Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan

My pick(s): Out of the nominees, David Fincher, quite easily. The not-nominated Christopher Nolan (Inception) also did a fabulous job.

BEST ACTOR

Nominees: Javier Bardem (Biutiful), Jeff Bridges (True Grit), Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), Colin Firth (The King's Speech), James Franco (127 Hours)

Prediction: Colin Firth, The King's Speech

Upset: Javier Bardem, Biutiful

My pick(s): Jesse Eisenberg gave my favorite performance, but Colin Firth was quite good as well.

BEST ACTRESS

Nominees: Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right), Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole), Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone), Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

Prediction: Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Upset: Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right

My pick(s): Uh... I'm so behind with performances from the ladies this year. Not only have I seen none of these, I haven't really seen any non-nominees worth mentioning.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Nominees: Christian Bale (The Fighter), John Hawkes (Winter's Bone), Jeremy Renner (The Town), Mark Ruffalo (The Kids Are All Right), Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)

Prediction: Christian Bale, The Fighter

Upset: Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech -- This could very well happen

My pick(s): Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) wasn't nominated, so I'm going to go with Geoffrey Rush, who was great.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Nominees: Amy Adams (The Fighter), Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

Prediction: Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Upset: Well... Jacki Weaver would be an upset. The favorites are Melissa Leo and Hailee Steinfeld.

My pick(s): Again, I'm behind with these performances. I've seen Steinfeld, but she shouldn't win. She was the lead and simply good, not great.

The rest are just predictions.

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Toy Story 3

BEST ART DIRECTION

The King's Speech

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

True Grit

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Alice in Wonderland

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Inside Job

BEST DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)

Strangers No More

BEST FILM EDITING

The Social Network

BEST FOREIGN FILM

Incendies

BEST MAKEUP

Barney's Version -- Yay for random guessing!

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

The Social Network

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"I See the Light" from Tangled

BEST ANIMATED FILM (SHORT)

Day & Night

BEST SHORT FILM

Na Wewe

BEST SOUND EDITING

Inception

BEST SOUND MIXING

Inception

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Inception

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Social Network

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The King's Speech

The British are coming! The British are coming!

That's right. The BAFTAs are tonight. Tune in to BBC to see The King's Speech clean up.

Review: State of Play (2009)

This is a review I wrote for my school's newspaper last year.

In the year 2003, BBC One broadcasted a BAFTA-winning six-hour miniseries about political corruption in London and the journalists who attempt to uncover it. In 2009, this critically acclaimed TV drama was slimmed down to a two hour film adaptation, moving across the pond to Washington, D.C.

The plot revolves around the aftermath of the death of Sonia Baker, the mistress of a Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck). Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), a Washington Globe reporter and longtime friend of Collins, suspects that the girl’s demise was no accident, and is intent on getting to the bottom of the event. To aid him in his mission, his boss (Helen Mirren), teams McAffrey up with up-and-coming blogger Della Frye (Rachel McAdams). Together, they seek the truth being hidden by dishonest politicos and a corporate cover-up.

This is a well-made film. Director Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) keeps it taut and fast-paced, but still coherent, which is a quite a feat considering how many twists and turns this thing takes. The press is presented as a detective, looking for clues, desperate to solve the mystery, not in order to physically condemn the criminal, but to convict them in the minds of the readers, to achieve justice in that way; the glory of getting the story first does not hurt either. It is the element of “whodunit” and the process of finding out just that that has always made journalism films so fascinating, and that is certainly true of this one. The audience is kept engaged by the tense atmosphere that Macdonald creates through his use of music and sometimes shadowy, sometimes dusty cinematography; dimly lit scenes reflect the characters’ situations of being in the dark, not knowing what they are getting into, with bright ones signaling the revelation of something new. The director assures us that State of Play is in good hands with these types of subtleties, leaving it to the actors to really bring it home.

The performances are good - not great - all-around. Crowe is convincing as the smart, determined writer who would do anything to find out what really happened, as is McAdams as the naïve sidekick, eager to work on her first big story. Legendary British actress Helen Mirren is typically good as the newspaper editor who cares less about details and more about deadlines, bringing wit and charisma to the part. Ben Affleck and Robin Wright-Penn (The Princess Bride, Forrest Gump), are believable as a couple forced to have dignity and grace amidst a scandal that strains their already rocky relationship. Everyone does a fine job, but there is nothing especially noteworthy among the actors – that is until a little over an hour into the film, when one Mr. Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Juno) shows up in a bit-part as an eccentric, fast-talking, pill-popping PR man who may have just the information needed to find the missing piece of the puzzle. Here, Bateman creates an interesting character that sticks in the mind after his short appearance is over, giving a reminder of the unimportance of how “small” a part is.

State of Play's screenplay keeps it from becoming a great film. Not to be mistaken, the script is intelligently written and impressive bearing in mind the expanse of the source material. However, there are two main problems: the characterization of supporting players and the plot twists. More information on the characters - aside from Cal - would have been helpful in attaching to them, specifically in the case of Della Frye; having a deeper sense of her personality and life may have lent more tension to scenes in which she is endangered, as well as more interest in her in general. The latter issue mentioned is the larger one. With each plot twist, the film turns out to be less probable, and the viewer less involved.

Even with the aforementioned hindrances, the film does not sink. We receive a motion picture that does not insult our intellect with simplistic dialogue and plot devices; the themes of the movie call upon us to think about the significance of our news publications in shaping our ideas about politics, crime, and big business, and how they should be responsibly handled. While it may not be destined to become a classic, State of Play is a picture that is worth a watch for the questions it raises in sharp manner. B

New frontrunner?

I'd say so. I just saw that The King's Speech director, Tom Hooper, won the DGA. We'll see what happens at the SAG Awards tonight. I'm predicting The Fighter to win Best Ensemble. That scenario really wouldn't change things. If The Social Network wins, I'd say we have an exciting two-horse race. If The King's Speech wins, then it's definitely on its way to winning Best Picture at the Oscars.

SAG Awards

TBS and TNT will simultaneously broadcast the 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, January 30th at 8 PM. The will awards celebrate the most memorable performances to grace the stage and screen of 2010. Below is a listing of the nominees, along with my predictions of who will win (and who could surprise).


FILM

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTUREBlack Swan
The Fighter
The Kids Are All Right
The King's SpeechThe Social NetworkPREDICTION: The FighterSURPRISE?: The Social Network

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLEJeff Bridges, True GritRobert Duvall, Get LowJesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King's SpeechJames Franco, 127 Hours
PREDICTION: Colin Firth, The King's SpeechSURPRISE?: James Franco, 127 HoursOUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLEAnnette Bening, The Kids Are All RightNicole Kidman, Rabbit HoleJennifer Lawrence, Winter's BoneNatalie Portman, Black SwanHilary Swank, Conviction
PREDICTION: Natalie Portman, Black SwanSURPRISE?: Annette Bening, The Kids Are All RightOUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLEChristian Bale, The FighterJohn Hawkes, Winter's BoneJeremy Renner, The TownMark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All RightGeoffrey Rush, The King's SpeechPREDICTION: Christian Bale, The FighterSURPRISE?: Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLEAmy Adams, The FighterHelena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech
Mila Kunis, Black SwanMelissa Leo, The FighterHailee Steinfeld, True GritPREDICTION: Melissa Leo, The FighterSURPRISE?: Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit 
TELEVISION
 
You should probably take these with a grain of salt as I am not as up on television as I am on movies.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES
Boardwalk Empire
The Closer
Dexter
The Good Wife
Mad Men 
PREDICTION: Boardwalk Empire
SURPRISE?: Mad Men

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES 
30 Rock
Glee
Hot in Cleveland
Modern Family
The Office
PREDICTION: Modern Family 
SURPRISE?: 30 Rock
 
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad 
Michael C. Hall, Dexter 
Jon Hamm, Mad Men 
Hugh Laurie, House 
PREDICTION: Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire 
SURPRISE?: Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad 
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Glenn Close, Damages
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU 
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men 
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer 
PREDICTION: Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer 
SURPRISE?: Glenn Close, Damages 
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES 
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Steve Carell, The Office
Chris Colfer, Glee 
Ed O'Neill, Modern Family 
PREDICTION: Steve Carell, The Office 
SURPRISE?: Chris Colfer, Glee 
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock 
Jane Lynch, Glee
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland
PREDICTION: Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
SURPRISE?: Jane Lynch, Glee 
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES 
John Goodman, You Don't Know Jack 
Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack 
Dennis Quaid, The Special Relationship
Edgar Ramirez, Carlos 
Patrick Stewart, Macbeth 
PREDICTION: Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack 
SURPRISE?: Edgar Ramirez, Carlos

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES 
Claire Danes, Temple Grandin
Catherine O'Hara, Temple Grandin 
Julia Ormond, Temple Grandin 
Winona Ryder, When Love is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story 
Susan Sarandon, You Don't Know Jack 
PREDICTION: Claire Danes, Temple Grandin 
SURPRISE?: Not gonna happen.

The Nominations

How did I do?

Best Picture
"Black Swan," Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
"The Fighter" David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
"Inception," Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
"The Kids Are All Right," Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
"The King's Speech," Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
"127 Hours," Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
"The Social Network," Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán, Producers
"Toy Story 3" Darla K. Anderson, Producer
"True Grit" Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
"Winter's Bone" Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers

9/10 - I had The Town over 127 Hours.

Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem in "Biutiful"
Jeff Bridges in "True Grit"
Jesse Eisenberg in "The Social Network"
Colin Firth in "The King's Speech"
James Franco in "127 Hours"

5/5

Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale in "The Fighter"
John Hawkes in "Winter's Bone"
Jeremy Renner in "The Town"
Mark Ruffalo in "The Kids Are All Right"
Geoffrey Rush in "The King's Speech"

4/5 - I thought Andrew Garfield from The Social Network would get in over John Hawkes.

Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening in "The Kids Are All Right"
Nicole Kidman in "Rabbit Hole"
Jennifer Lawrence in "Winter's Bone"
Natalie Portman in "Black Swan"
Michelle Williams in "Blue Valentine"

5/5

Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams in "The Fighter"
Helena Bonham Carter in "The King's Speech"
Melissa Leo in "The Fighter"
Hailee Steinfeld in "True Grit"
Jacki Weaver in "Animal Kingdom"

4/5 - I didn't think enough people had seen Weaver's film, so I went with Mila Kunis from Black Swan.

Animated Feature Film
"How to Train Your Dragon" Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
"The Illusionist" Sylvain Chomet
"Toy Story 3" Lee Unkrich

3/3

Art Direction
"Alice in Wonderland"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1"
"Inception"
"The King's Speech"
"True Grit"

3/5 - Alice in Wonderland? Really? I thought that Black Swan and Shutter Island would get in over Alice and Harry Potter.

Cinematography
"Black Swan," Matthew Libatique
"Inception," Wally Pfister
"The King's Speech," Danny Cohen
"The Social Network," Jeff Cronenweth
"True Grit," Roger Deakins

4/5 - 127 Hours instead of The Social Network. Guess they weren't feeling colorful this year.

Costume Design
"Alice in Wonderland," Colleen Atwood
"I Am Love," Antonella Cannarozzi
"The King's Speech," Jenny Beavan
"The Tempest," Sandy Powell
"True Grit" Mary Zophres

3/5 - AH! I knew I should have put The Tempest. I guessed Black Swan and Burlesque instead of that and I Am Love.

Directing
"Black Swan," Darren Aronofsky
"The Fighter," David O. Russell
"The King's Speech," Tom Hooper
"The Social Network," David Fincher
"True Grit," Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

4/5 - I had Christopher Nolan (Inception) over the Coen Bros. Definitely an upset.

Documentary (Feature)
"Exit through the Gift Shop," Banksy and Jaimie D'Cruz
"Gasland," Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
"Inside Job," Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Restrepo," Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
"Waste Land," Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley

3/5 - No Waiting for Superman. That may be the biggest upset.

Documentary (Short Subject)
"Killing in the Name"
"Poster Girl"
"Strangers No More"
"Sun Come Up"
"The Warriors of Qiugang"

3/5 - I randomly guessed three! Yay!

Film Editing
"Black Swan"
"The Fighter"
"The King's Speech"
"127 Hours"
"The Social Network"

4/5 - NO INCEPTION ??? I didn't see The King's Speech getting in.

Foreign Language Film
"Biutiful," Mexico
"Dogtooth," Greece
"In a Better World," Denmark
"Incendies," Canada
"Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)," Algeria

3/5 - I had Confessions and Life Above All, not Dogtooth or Outside the Law

Makeup
"Barney's Version," Adrien Morot
"The Way Back," Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
"The Wolfman," Rick Baker and Dave Elsey

1/3 - I guessed Alice in Wonderland, Barney's Version, and True Grit. This is generally a weird category. Remember when Click was nominated?

Music (Original Score)
"How to Train Your Dragon," John Powell
"Inception," Hans Zimmer
"The King's Speech," Alexandre Desplat
"127 Hours," A.R. Rahman
"The Social Network," Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

4/5 - Alice in Wonderland instead 127 Hours.

Music (Original Song)
"Coming Home" from "Country Strong," Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
"I See the Light" from "Tangled," Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
"If I Rise" from "127 Hours," Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
"We Belong Together" from "Toy Story 3," Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

3/? - I, er... thought there would be five nominees. I didn't guess "Coming Home." Instead I had "Shine" (Waiting for Superman) and "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" (Burlesque).

Short Film (Animated)
"Day & Night," Teddy Newton
"The Gruffalo," Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
"Let's Pollute," Geefwee Boedoe
"The Lost Thing," Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
"Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)" Bastien Dubois

2/5 - I really don't know much about this one. Yay Day & Night!

Short Film (Live Action)
"The Confession," Tanel Toom
"The Crush," Michael Creagh
"God of Love," Luke Matheny
"Na Wewe," Ivan Goldschmidt
"Wish 143," Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

2/5 - Again, I don't know a lot about this one.

Sound Editing
"Inception," Richard King
"Toy Story 3," Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
"Tron: Legacy," Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
"True Grit," Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
"Unstoppable," Mark P. Stoeckinger

3/5 - I guessed How to Train Your Dragon and Salt, not True Grit or Unstoppable.

Sound Mixing
"Inception," Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
"The King's Speech," Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
"Salt," Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
"The Social Network," Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
"True Grit," Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland

3/5 - The King's Speech? Not Iron Man 2 or Tron: Legacy?

Visual Effects
"Alice in Wonderland," Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1," Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
"Hereafter," Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
"Inception," Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
"Iron Man 2," Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

4/5 - I did not see Hereafter taking Tron's spot.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
"127 Hours," Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
"The Social Network," Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
"Toy Story 3," Screenplay by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
"True Grit," Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"Winter's Bone," Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

5/5

Writing (Original Screenplay)
"Another Year," Written by Mike Leigh
"The Fighter," Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson; Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
"Inception," Written by Christopher Nolan
"The Kids Are All Right," Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
"The King's Speech," Screenplay by David Seidler

4/5 - I should have known they would go with old favorite Mike Leigh over Black Swan.