RANT: The Kids should get this Straight (no pun intended)

The Kids Are All Right


C- (3.1)


When The Kids Are All Right was released in the summer of last year, I was wondering what was the hype about this flick until I'd discovered its premise about a lesbian couple and their kids and given how much acclaim this get from the critics, I was dumbfounded by what they are talking about. This is a film with a subject matter that has a 90% success chance of getting an Oscar nomination especially Best Picture. Homosexuality is a darling with the critics and the Academy members which is just one thing I'd hate about these people. Critics would use a film's subject matter depending on how shocking or how observed, they could give this a high to low rating. While the members of each organisation that is active from December would give this a thumbs up just to boast again and again how liberal Hollywood had become. The problems I had with celbrities and politics is that they are so bias to one politics and the hypocritical thing is they don't usually support it even if they attend conventions or lectures of one.

Anyway, there are the very low expectations I have for and against this film and given that I was too mean for this film since it is indie and has an all star cast. Whatever. When I saw it, just at the end credits, I was right the first time and I am pissed.

The Kids Are All Right are about a family headed by a lesbian couple Nic and Jules (Annette Bening and Julianne Moore) with their teenage kids Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson). They look perfect and privilaged. Joni's heading off straight to college and Laser ask her if they could find their sperm donor and that person is Paul (Mark Ruffalo). With Paul, he;'s a hedonistic man of such desires and interests and when he meets Nic and Jules, they become polorised with one another. Nic believes that he is corrupting their kids and ruining them, while Jules was just happy to meet him.

The Kids Are All Right has to be the most pretentious, overrated film of last year. No matter what morals they give out, no matter how universally acclaimed this film is and no matter how observing this film is, it's neither special nor effective. What'll you'll see is a movie filled with liberal cliches thrown at you by Nic and Jules complaining and whining about what they think of Paul and what he's going to do to get their attention. The story of the film feels like a pilot episode of a kids show where the main kid is tired of life with her parents and try to find her real parents but then it's jumbled up.

I may be the only person on this entire planet not to like this film, but there are some issues and points people are missing out on. One point is where this film is completely misandrist - this is a man-hating movie. Ruffalo is a stag, Laser is the stupidest kid while his buddy is some adrenaline skate punk.

There is nothing humourous I find here. Bening and Moore having sex together. We already get that they've been together for 20 years but you can't bring up their infactuation of gay porn. That just make it cheesy. The relationships between Ruffalo and the two women makes this movie feel like watching a film that has the structure of a soap opera.

Despite the fact that the performances from the cast are good, The Kids Are All Right reminds me of being new at a prep school with the most over privilaged kids in town but then you realise that the only reason why you're at that school is not only your family's middle class, but that your parents are homosexuals.

But the good thing is at least the director got the balls to bring this topic up. This is an indie flick and they know what to do here. To be fair, I support gay rights. I really do. But every day and into the future, we get misleading stereotypes of these people. They're interested in fashion musicals, anything in the opposite gender. But in ten years time, the new stereotype of gay couples (and those who have a family) will be modelled as the family in this movie. Over-privileged, middle-class and educated aristocratic families. That's what they are.

Whatever the message The Kids are sending here, it was real. At least they are functioning as a conventional family and its high time that they stop portraying gay couples as overreative. But the worst thing is that this takes itself way too seriously. As you get into the matter, you'll gradually be forced to understand the concept about families all over and over again.

Look. It's an overrated film with no meaning and cannot be counted as a comedy. When this film is shown around your TV, no one will remember it and they never will!

Road To The "Oscar"

OK. There will be 5 sleeps until the Oscars is held and I believe that in some ways, the Academy tries to get the attention of minors or trying to gather a youthful audience to watch the Oscars after school. They chose Anne Hathaway and James Franco as hosts because they're young and more well known to many young ones. Then they nominate Toy Story 3, Inception for Best Picture some movies that everyone would enjoy. Would teens watch the annual show?

But we're not talking about why young people should care about the Oscars. (they don't watch good movies at times anyway). the title Road to The "Oscar" refers to the one and only Oscar category I care about (hence the quotation marks of the word Oscar and how the word is not in plural form): The Academy Award For Best Picture.

In my opinion, doubling the nominees to 10 seems to be a good move. The move was based on what movies everybody liked (the people and the critics). Ever since 2005, there have been nominees which the majority of people have never heard about but the critics loved. In 2005, the Oscars back then was the lowest rated Oscars in television because nobody have heard about movies such as Capote, Crash (the Best Pic winner), Good Night and Good Luck which was directed by George Clooney and Munich which was an unknown piece from Steven Spielberg. It was the same as for 2007 where There Will Be Blood, No Country For Old Men and Michael Clayton was never well known to a lot of people. But the next year, the Best Picture category had everyone's nerves. There was disappointment to many people that The Dark Knight and WALL-E wasn't nominated for Best Picture accusing the Academy of snubbing these two movies (all poppy) saying they were deserving. So it was a great move that last year the nominees were 10 because it shows a range of movies that many audiences enjoy. From science fiction like Avatar, District 9 to darling indies like Precious and The Hurt Locker.

This year the Best Picture nominees involves a cyber-Kane, a stuttering King, a dream weaver, a lesbian couple, a batshit ballerina, some dude who cuts his arm off and a cowboy movie. I forgot to mention a crack boxer, toys and a hillbillie family with true grit.

127 Hours - that movie featuring the greatest amputation scene


Plot:
The true story of an extreme sports enthusiast whose arm got trapped between the rock. During his time with the boulder, he goes back to memories filled with every emotion from the varied spectrum and hallucinates of his peers and family.


What I Think Of The Movie:
I may be exagerrating, but 127 Hours is the best contemporary film of this modern millenium with a flawless performance from James Franco. It's Man Vs. Wild meets Hitchcock.

Chance of Winning Best Picture:
Despite the fact that Danny Boyle previously directed Slumdog Millionaire, this movie will not likely win Best Picture. It's risk taking at any standards but it won't appeal the Academy though. Won't likely to win any Oscars, but my wish is it should win Best Editing.

Black Swan - Ballerinas must seek group therapy


Plot:
Natalie Portman is a ballerina who seeks perfection so badly that she pressures herself way too much.

What I Think:
Black Swan is a movie that wants to find itself through sexual and literally reflective motifs. It is a rollercoaster ride by Darren Aronofsky whose character study brings Natalie Portman to a tour-de-force performance. Everything looks esquisite especially the choreography.

Chance Of Winning Best Picture:
Even if it won three Best Picture awards from three Critics Groups and a nod for Arronofsky for directing it, soon it won't win Best Picture. But hey. It'll definitely brings home Best Actress for Natalie Portman.

The Fighter - Boxer with seven troll sisters


Plot:
Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) is the brother of Micky Ward whose a boxer. Well, unsuccessful. And Ward cannot continue not only because he cannot box properly, but because Dicky end up in prison but because his mother would not let him and also his seven ugly sisters.

What I Think:
The Fighter is just some ordinary boxing movie. Every movie is the same except for Million Dollar Baby. However The Fighter is just formulaic and cliche with the same plot, but I still think the performances save this film.

Chance Of Winning Best Picture:
It is nominated for many Best Pics, but it wouldn't win. At least they'll get Supporting honours.

Inception - The Dream Weaver


Plot:
An extractor whose still in grief for the death of his wife. But he makes one last task by planting an idea into someone's deepest dreams.

What I Think:
Inception is a multi-layered thriller with a science fiction premise. It's beyond speculative fiction cementing Christopher Nolan's reputation as its greatest filmmaker working right now.

Chance OF Winning Best Picture:
Nolan was responsible for bringing 10 nominees. The Academy already responded with that, they don't need to respond by giving it Best Picture. It's already an awesome movie. You don't need to win Best Pic if this movie was perfect. It should win most of the technical categories, but it should win Best Original Screenplay.

The Kids Are Alright - Married... With children... and we're gay.


Plot:
A lesbian couple has two kids. the kids find their sperm donor who had made them and the wives are shocked to find out.

What I Think:
The Kids Are Alright is pretty overrated. Ever since Brokeback Mountain, it seems that the academy is so obssessed with films about gays.

Chance Of Winning Best Picture:
Fortunately for The Kids Are Alright it won the Golden Globe For Best Picture - Musical Or Comedy (even though it was the only legit film for that category). But it will never win the category, but I'm predicting that the biggest shock of the Oscars would be Annette Bening winning Best Actress over Portman. It may win Best Original Screenplay because it's an indie flick with 'values'

The King's Speech - The King who.. simply couldn't speak


Plot:
King George VI can't deliver a speech. He then bond with a speech therapist so he can speak again during times of war and troubles

What I Think:
The King's Speech is a delightful film that has a fascinating problem of an iconic king. But the whole movie is entirely predictable but is lifted up by the performances of Colin Firth and Geoffery Rush.

Chances Of Winning Best Picture:
The King's Speech could win Best Picture not because it is supported by the Weinsteins but because the Academy enjoy a feel-good movie even if it was predictable. If it doesn't win, it will certainly go away with a Best Actor prize for Colin Firth and possibly a Best Original Screenplay.

The Social Network - Cyber-Kane


Plot:
Basically the foundings of Facebook responsible by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg who's portrayed as this cold-hearted genius betraying his friends and peers to make this website.

What I Think:
An impreccable direction from David Fincher, a quick witted script by Aaron Sorkin and a remarkable cast featuring Jesse Einseberg and Andrew Garfield shows that this is the best film made by Hollywood for 2010. It is not a movie about Facebook, it's a dark and realistic look of how we find connections online

Chances Of Winning Best Picture:
Sweeping almost all of the critics awards there is including a Golden Globe, this may not win Best Picture because the Academy voters may be left cold with this one. At least they're a sure shot for winning Best Director, Best Original Score and Best Adapted Screenplay

Toy Story 3 - the third plot of plastics


Plot:
The third instalment of the incredible trilogy, Andy's going to college and don't know what to do with them. Unfortunately he unintendedly left them in a trash bag so the toys enter a daycare disguised as a dungeon.


What I Think:
It is perfect, but it doesn't mean it's flawless. Sometimes the movie feels so familiar with the previous movies way better than this one. At least Toy Story was fun and emotional

Chances Of Winning Best Picture:
They're certainly a full shot for Best Animated Feature, but will never win the top prize. At least it was nominated for the top category, grossed a billion dollars and is a great movie from Pixar

True Grit - Coens' 'greatest' film


Plot:
14 year old Mattie Ross asks a drunk US Marshal to help find her father's killers.

What I Think:
Well apparently I find this overrated. The Coens may have recaptured the Western and Hailee Steinfeld steals the show, but apparently I don't think the performances of the whole cast (exception of Steinfeld) never worked for me. And the ending is questionable, but still it's a good movie.

Chance Of Winning Best Picture:
The last Western to win was Unforgiven in 1991. However True Grit got too many noms and should get one Oscar, at least. Anyway, it won't win Best Picture even though the Academy enjoys remakes.

Winter's Bone - Ozarks may rest in pieces


Plot:
A family from the Ozarks is living under poverty and the daughter (Jennifer Lawrence) goes finding her father who escaped bail and is hunting the family.

What i think:
Honestly I don't have anything about Winter's Bone because I haven't seen it. But it was a critics darling and unfortunately many people were bored by it. This is the only film nobody's ever heard about unless you've went to Sundance.

Chance Of Winning Best Picture:
To be honest, there's a 1 in 10 chance of winning. But to be fair, this may be a shocker if it wins because it was considered 'unforgettable' by the critics. Expect a Crash-styled upset.


My Pics:


The 'Best' Best Picture Nominees:


1. 127 Hours (10.0)
2. The Social Network (9.6)
3. Inception (9.5)
4. Black Swan (9.4)
5. Toy Story and The King's Speech (tie) (7.8)
7. True Grit (6.4)

I haven't seen The Fighter, The Kids Are Alright and Winter's Bone but I stand corrected by my opinions (except for the latter)


Who Will Win:
It will be a neck-and-neck race between The King's Speech and The Social Network. The King's Speech may get the top prize. it was given every top honour from the Guilds, the public enjoyed it, the critics enjoyed it. Everybody enjoyed it. The Social Network is a critics' darling and to my understanding it was a cold portrayal of Mark zuckerberg, one of the most powerful men in the world who founded Facebook only his character matches the website's irony.

Who Should Win:
The Social Network. It is a modern day look of the insecurities of this generation

OK. I'm done. But I'm not watching the Oscars. I'll catch it up in the news of who won and who lost.