Thursday, January 27, 2011

Watch Trailer: New Film with Christopher Plummer playing gay: Beginners

Let me know what you think after watching this trailer, but I know I'm dying to see this new flick BEGINNERS starring Christopher Plummer as a dad who comes out to his son (Ewan McGregor) after being married 44 years.

The film premiered to good reviews at The Toronto Film Festival and is from director Mike Mills who had a hit at Sundance with his first feature, Thumbsuckers. He also had a father who came out to him later in life.



I don't know if it's the fact that the dog is subtitled, or the idea that is has to do with life, love, beginnings, sex, healing, nature and magic - but I'll be there opening night.




Monday, January 17, 2011

The Golden Globes - The Lesbian Running Commentary

Welcome to my running commentary of the Golden Globes.

So the Golden Globe Awards were on Sunday night. Some call it the precursor to the Oscars, I think of it more like a bunch of rich, white people giving each other awards.

And you'd think being so rich and famous they could take a bit of humorous jibbing from host Ricky Gervais, but no. Not so much. The platform of his humor was roast-ish, with zingers one would usually only read on TMZ or Perez. Celebs were seriously turned off by his comments, as evident from the dearth of laughter (I actually wanted a laugh track, it got so quiet so often).

As opposed to the People's Choice Awards where popular films are given their nods (like Twilight), some criticize the Globes for lauding obscure films that no one has seen. I don't think that's true. I think the films that get nominated are the ones that the distributors decided to spend beaucoup bucks promoting. Because no one's either heard or seen the films, a lot of hoopla is created over the "red carpet" and what everyone is wearing.

My overall takeaway from the Awards was thus: Jesus Christ people, let yourself age! But more on that in a bit.

OPENING: Ricky Gervais gives a clever comedy intro. Zero laughs. Tough crowd.

He calls out the Foreign Press Corp for what they are - a small group of sycophants.

STEVE BUSCEMI WINS for Best Actor - TV Series - Drama. It's nice to see Steve finally growing into his looks. Jon Hamm was robbed in this category. ROBBED!

ANDREW GARFIELD INTRODUCES THE SOCIAL NETWORK CLIP REEL. When Garfield was cast as the new Spiderman, most people went "Andrew who?" If you want to know why Hollywood jumped on this young thesp, do yourself a favor and rent Red Riding: 1974 (He's fantastic as a young journalist trying to get at the root of an unsolved murder that no one wants to revisit. Fucking BRUTAL. Watch the trailer here) or Boy A, a fascinating tale on the legitimacy of redemption, where a recently released murderer tries to assimilate back into society.

The Social Network reel is shown as one of the evening's best feature contenders. I liked this film. I think of it as a film about a guy with Aspergers, written by a guy with Aspergers and starring a guy with Aspergers. Anyone else notice that?


RICKY GERVAIS CONTINUES TO LAUGH AT - AS OPPOSED TO WITH - CELEBS - I'm glad all this talk lately of less violent rhetoric in the media is staying in politics only and has clearly not made it over to the Globes.

ALEX BADLWIN PRESENTS. He has made utterances that he is considering running for political office. I'm cool with that. If the Republicans can have their actor president, Reagan, that I'm good with Baldwin. As long as he talks to the Republicans in congress the way he did on his daughter's answering machine when she missed a visitation.

BEST ANIMATED FILM - Oh, look at all the nice films in this category that have absolutely no chance against Toy Story 3. And yes, Toy Story 3 wins. If you have not seen it yet - run, don't walk. It is by far the best film of the year. Tangled is in this category and it's actually a great little film. I have not seen The Illusionist yet because their previous film, The Triplets of Bellevue, freaked me the fuck out too much.

ROBERT DOWNEY JUNIOR BITES BACK AT HOST GERVAIS - Says the evening has been mean with sinister undertones.

ANNETTE BENING WINS FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL OR COMEDY. She immediately kisses her co star from the lesbian flick The Kids Are All Right, Julliane Moore. To which the director of the Globes thought the best cutaway for that would be the openly lesbian Jane Lynch. Sheesh.

I just saw Bening in my local Whole Foods two days ago. She was lovely. I'll admit, when I started talking to her in the produce section I thought she was a smoking hot older lady, and me being all over 40 and what not, that's my demographic. Then about two sentences in, I just was all like, "You're Annette Bening!". She was beyond charming and lovely and we spoke for quite a bit about the film. She looks so much better in person, trust me on that.

AL PACINO WINS FOR YOU DON'T KNOW JACK - Mr Al has played gay quite a few times - Angels in America, Dog Day Afternoon and Cruising.

JANE LYNCH - As they read off her competition, all I could think was none of you bitches have a chance. And they didn't. She won. As she has every other award during the season. It's great to see such a solid actor who has been otherwise so overlooked until Sue Sylvester finally get her due.

HELEN MIRREN TAKES THE STAGE - and all I can think is this - THIS dear Globe audience - is what 80% of you bitches would look like without hair dye and face work. And damn if it isn't working for her. Stunning. All I can say is most of the actresses at this event need to put down the botox. Mirren is gorgeous and a sex symbol - au natural.

ROBERT DENIRO GETS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. Absolutely crappy clip reel - wonderful and outrageously funny acceptance speech.

Colin Firth wins for The King's Speech. He's played gay a few times too - in Mama Mia and A Single Man.

LEA MICHELLE IS NOMINATED - After fellow GLEE castmates Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch got their awards, all I could think was... honey, you ain't gonna get it because you're not gay. She didn't. Matthew Morrison was nominated as well, and of course, didn't win, again because he wasn't gay. I don't know what that's all about, but there it is.

MELISSA LEO FROM THE FIGHTER WINS - She does what a bunch of other folks have done, which is thank her agents, managers, studio execs and lawyers. I like when they do that, even though it's a bit boring, because these are the people that do all the leg work. So many people thanked their agents and studio execs tonight, it actually started to sound like someone was reciting Schindler's list.

SANDRA BULLOCK DENIES AFFAIR WITH RYAN REYNOLDS. I don't know what's worse - that stupid move or her bangs. Girl, let yourself age! We all know when you have you are hiding wrinkles. Meanwhile, she was hot and heavy a while back with best actor nominee Ryan Gosling. Sandra, get on that Ryan Reynolds action, I mean seriously. You deserve it after that Jesse mess.

GLEE wins best comedy show.

Basically The Social Network cleans up at the awards. Still, nowhere near as good as Toy Story 3.

There were a few good films not nominated - check out The Ghost Writer and Monsters. Good flicks.