First Look: GAME CHANGE

GAME CHANGE
Director: Jay Roach
Starring: Ed Harris, Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Peter MacNicol

I don’t normally write about made-for-TV HBO movies. Lately, there have been quite a few that have had lasting impressions. Whether they are documentaries (Paradise Lost 1-3) or feature films (Mildred Pierce, Grey Gardens), HBO offers a wide range of movies garnering lost of buzz and awards. Next up is Game Change starring Ed Harris, Julianne Moore, and Woody Harrelson. The movie is an adaptation of the book of the same name by John Heilemann. It follows the campaign run of John McCain (Harris) and Sarah Palin (Moore) as they try to win the 2008 presidential election.



Julianne Moore is an actress that I consider one of the greatest. She has a way of completely giving into the emotions and physicality of a character. Whether she’s playing a porn star (Boogie Nights) or a depressed 1950s mother (The Hours), she is fantastic at playing the vulnerability and sadness that comes to each person. In Game Change, she has the daunting task of playing former Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin. Tina Fey has previously portrayed Palin on “Saturday Night Live” and knocked the impression out of the park. After watching the trailer, Moore looks like she will be a dead-ringer for Palin and will give another stellar performance. Moore is no stranger to award ceremonies having been nominated for 4 Oscars and should have been nominated for A Single Man and The Kids Are All Right. I have a sneaky suspicion that she could pull a Kate Winslet/Mildred Pierce and win all of the “Best Actress in a TV Movie” Awards at the Emmys, Golden Globes, and SAG Awards.

This week’s issue of “Entertainment Weekly” has an interview with Moore about her transformation into Palin. You can pick it up on newsstands now.

Game Change comes to HBO on March 10.

UNLEASH YOUR INNER FOODIE: And the Oscar Goes to...

I am back with another article for DeeAnn McArdle and her lovely foodie website "Unleash Your Inner Foodie". Naturally, it's all about the Oscars. Here's the beginning of the article. Click on the links to read the rest! Enjoy.

"And the Oscar Goes to…
Are you as excited as me to watch the 84th Academy Awards Show this Sunday? I can’t wait to see which movie wins Best Picture! Our favorite movie critic, Paul McGuire is back to share his thoughts on the movies you MUST see before Sunday night. Be sure to check out Paul’s blog for a list of all the nominations and more of his predictions...

To read the rest click here

or

http://unleashyourinnerfoodie.com/uncategorized/and-the-oscar-goes-to/

After you are doing reading, check out my "Oscar Watch 2012" page for a list of all of the nominees and my predictions on some of the top races.

Movie Review: THE VOW

THE VOW
Director: Michael Sucsy
Starring: Channing Tatum, Rachel McAdams, Jessica Lange, Sam Neill



You make a promise to stand by your partner in sickness and in health. Jake (Tatum) is now faced to stand by his promise to Paige (McAdams). After a night out at the movies, Jake and Paige are the victims of a car accident. A trucker slides into their stopped car on a slippery snowy road. Paige's body slides through the windshield while Jake suffers some cuts and bruises. That scenario seems to always happens in movies. One is on their death bed while the other comes out unscathed. They are a young beautiful married couple. Jake runs a recording studio while Paige is a sculptor. After waking up from a coma, Paige has severe memory loss. She cannot remember who Jake is and the life they had together. Her parents (Neill and Lange) show up at the hospital and want to take her home to rest and regain her memory. Paige hasn't seen her parents in years, and Jake believes it is in her best interest to stay with him instead of the life her parents wanted out of her. Paige decides to go back to her home with Jake and try to remember the life she had before the accident. It's a slow process for Jake to cope with while dealing with pressure from her parents.



The Vow is inspired by a true story. You even see an image of the real couple as the end credits roll. I wonder if it is merely the premise of the movie that is the inspiration or if more specific details are also based on truth. Between the disapproving parents or the former fiance (Scott Speedman), parts of the movie seem very formulaic and forced for dramatic purposes. Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams are no strangers to the romantic genre. They both ooze sex appeal, charm, and a sense of humor which make them both perfect for these types of movies. They both have starred in movies based on Nicholas Sparks novels. This movie has that Sparks appeal to it but it's missing the element that sucks you in like The Notebook gave the audience. Tatum and McAdams work well together. They have more chemistry together than some of their past co-stars. Even with three screenwriters attached, the script still feels off at times which makes it feel quite slow in the middle. While it's not the best romance movie of all times, it certainly isn't the worst. The chemistry between Tatum and McAdams make the movie work just enough to wonder what you would do if you were in their shoes and makes you hope for the best in the end.


RATING: *** (3 out of 5 stars)