You Don't Know Jack

The Hunger Games trilogy is underway, and director Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit) has put together a faithful adaptation of a beloved young adult novel by Suzanne Collins. Collins also co-wrote the script, which was a serious plus. One might think she wouldn't of allowed a film to be made without her consent and involvement. Seasoned scribe Billy Ray (State of Play, Breach) also worked on the script. The books are marvelous, entertaining and unforgettable. A lot of people were quite skeptical about a Hunger Games film from the beginning. Kids killing each other in an arena isn't exactly fun for the whole family. However, Ross' film is tastefully done and never quite seems as brutal as it probably should be; thanks in part to the film's star, Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone, X-Men: First Class). A star was born in 2010 with her tremendous performance in Winter's Bone , which undoubtedly helped her earn the much desired role of Katniss Everdeen. One of t...

Yes, this will in fact be my second consecutive Elizabeth Olsen (Silent House) film that I review. This film is one thousand times more terrifying than that supposed "horror" film ever could have been. People have been buzzing about Olsen's performance here since last spring, and I finally got a chance to see it for myself. It was absolutely worth the wait. This is a haunting film that's certain to leave it's mark on most viewers. It's certainly open for interpretation and argument, which is almost always a good thing in this business. It's not often you get the privilege to view such a deep, well-acted and thought-provoking film from a freshman writer/director. Sean Durkin really out-did himself. And although the dialogue is at times average, he more than made up for it by getting wonderful performances from his actors and bringing the terrifying source material to life. This is definitely not a film for everyone. It contains graphic nudity, brief violenc...

The husband and wife duo behind 2003's claustrophobic Open Water are back once more to make us squirm and beg for something to happen. While the film isn't as atrocious as that shark tale, it does ultimately fail to provide any real horror. What we get instead is loads of confusion, and eventually an unbelievably godawful ending. Writing/directing team Chris Kentis and Laura Lau had good intentions with this remake of the Uruguayan film The Silent House , but more often than not these types of film are destined for failure. At least they got one thing right with the casting of young and forgotten Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene). Olsen is a star on the rise, even if the material here doesn't quite help her cause in becoming the next Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone, The Hunger Games). The storyline is quite simple, the dialogue is thin, the cinematography is shaky and the acting is sub-par. However, the first half of the film is actually quite watchable as we ...

Movie night? Make sure to take a gander at these titles to save yourself from renting a severely disappointing film starring Nicolas Cage or Hugh Jackman. Enjoy! A Midnight in Paris -- This is a wonderfully charming Woody Allen film with terrific performances by the entire cast, especially Owen Wilson (believe it, or not). This film won an Oscar for best original screenplay, and it's well deserved. Even Wilson haters can find a lot to love about this film. Take Shelter -- Easily one of the five best films of 2011. Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, Bug) has slowly become one of the most tantalizing actors in recent memory. I personally think his performance here was the best by an actor in 2011. Give this one a hard look. The Ides of March -- A loaded cast helps make this film one of the best in 2011. It's written and directed by George Clooney (who also has a large role in the film), and stars Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti. It's a rather simple p...

I announced my award nominations last week, and now I will reveal my winners! There will be no The Artist winners here, so you can take a sigh of relief. Let's get to it! Best Film: Drive Best Actor: Michael Shannon, Take Shelter Best Actress: Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Best Supporting Actress: Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids Best Director: Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive Best Directorial Debut: Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture: The Ides of March Breakout Performance (Male): Craig Roberts, Submarine Breakout Performance (Female): Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene Best Screenplay (Original & Adapted): Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris Best Original Score: Michael Danna, Moneyball Best Cinematography: Jeff Cronenweth, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Best Film Editing: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Best Visual Effects...

The 2012 Oscars went pretty much according to plan, while the show itself lacked humor or substance. The Artist and Hugo cleaned up (five wins a piece), which should definitely come as no surprise. I went 8/14 in the major categories, which is usually how I fare. Well, in case you missed it, here are your 2012 Oscar winners... MAJOR CATEGORIES: Best Picture: The Artist Best Actress: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady Best Actor: Jean Dujardin, The Artist Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist Art Direction: Hugo Cinematography: Hugo (Robert Richardson) Film Editing: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall) Music (Original Score): The Artist (Ludovic Bource) Sound Editing: Hugo Visual Effects: Hugo Writing (Adapted Screenplay): The Descendants (Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash) Writing (Original Screenplay): Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen) OTHER WINNERS...

Jacks are wild this award season, as I'm releasing my second annual award nominations. I will release the winners sometime after the Oscars on Sunday. I haven't seen every film this calender year, but I've seen over 80% of the ones worth watching. If I haven't seen a film, it can NOT be nominated. Simple as that. Remember, I have not seen Melancholia, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Shame, The Descendants, The Help, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or We Need to Talk About Kevin . With that being said, here are your second annual You Don't Know Jack's! Best Feature Film: 50/50 Bridesmaids Drive Hugo Martha Marcy May Marlene Midnight in Paris Moneyball Take Shelter The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo The Ides of March Best Actor: Daniel Craig, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March Brad Pitt, Moneyball Michael Shannon, Take Shelter Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris Best Actress: Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Elizabeth Olsen, Mart...