'Contagion' **1/2

it all falls apart after the first 15 minutes or so. except for matt damon it is a complete waste of talent. it is not the fault of the actors it's just that they are given nothing to do. it's a boring script and a boring movie. wait for the dvd release. there is enough coming out this fall without wasting time and money on this. it pains me to say this as kate winslet and marion cotillard are in it. and ms cotillard has the most thankless role of all.

'Contagion' Opens Wide Today

'Contagion' Coming 9/9

kate, marion and damon together....i'm there the day it opens

'Midnight in Paris' ***star Charmer

woody creates magic in paris. at the stroke of midnight one man (owen wilson) magically escapes a demanding fiancee and her parents and enters a world of the greatest writers of the past in the paris of the 1920's. the scenes in the past which are the majority of scenes so outshine the present day episodes. in the past woody allen brings his latest film to life. in the present day scenes you want the film to fast forward to the past again. happily it does. 

owen wilson is surprisingly charming as gil the want to be novelist. adrien brody shines as salvador dali. kathy bates portrays a delightful and so human gertrude stein. corey stoll all but steals the whole thing as ernest hemingway and should get a supporting actor nom come oscar time. rachel mcadams as gil's fiancee inez is a horror. this actress has just not lived up to her post 'the notebook' potential. she alone was utterly miscast. mimi kennedy as her mother is just plain annoying throughout. but have no fear.....

marion cotillard comes along as adriana the woman in the past. charming, delightful, scene stealer. she continues to light up the screen with every film she is in. as the film returns to a 'golden age' so does the presence of ms. cotillard remind us of the past wonders of film and the potential for the present and past. i am madly in love with marion. unashamedly in love with her. oscar nom? i hope so.

woody allen in his golden years is better than he was when younger. since 'match point' in london, 'vicki christina barcelona' in spain and now paris he is amazing me. oscar nom for pic and director is a possibility. i can't wait for his next film filming in rome. sadly ms. cotillard is not among the cast. see...i am in love with her.

trailer

Coming Soon: 'Midnight in Paris'

anything with marion cotillard is on my must see list

Movie Star of the Year

last year this title belonged to sandra bullock pulling in a gizzilion dollars with both 'the blind side' and 'the proposal'

this year the honor goes to the ever growing talent of leonardo decaprio with two of his films and two of my favorite 2010 films, 'inception' and 'shutter island', pulling in big bucks. he deserves the title. he just keeps growing as an actor and is the best of his generation.

'inception'

'shutter island'

both films are currently available on dvd and blu ray

'Inception' on Blu Ray and DVD Today

not a single film that i've seen has come out so far this year that has moved 'inception' from my favorite film of the year slot. nor from my best film of 2010 thus far. granted i have a few more to see but....

leo, marion, joseph gordon-levitt and the rest of the wonderful cast bring life to an amazing original screenplay brilliantly crafted and directed by christopher nolan.

now we can own it...rewind it, slow-mo it or just watch in over again and again. this has never been a see it once film. it is chock full of moments, sequences, shots that need to be seen again, studied and pondered over. this is one helluva film...an amazing fete really.

it deserves oscar noms for film, directing, editing, screenplay, best actor, supporting actress, music. sound editing, special effects and cinematography.  did i leave any out?

i guess you know how i feel about 'inception'. i gave it my highest rating when i first saw it. the next three times did not change my mind. this is film making at it's best.

Happy Birthday Marion

'Song of the Day': "Take It All" from 'Nine'