Sensual 'Shame' Examines Sex Addiction in Artistic Fashion

Brandon (Michael Fassbender) is just an ordinary man, but obsessed with having sex.

If 2011 is remembered for anything, it’d be Michael Fassbender taking Hollywood by storm as not only the year’s biggest breakout star, but also the actor whose performance can enhance the overall aura of any film. Since Jane Eyre, Fassbender has transcended the role of the Byronic hero with magnetic villainy and psychological bluntness, but none of the stellar performances is as intimate as his role as a sex addict in Shame. 

Shame is Steve McQueen’s sophomore film, the first being 2008’s Hunger also starring Fassbender, and ultimately examines how an individual, particularly Fassbender handles being broken down and craving sex no matter what the consequences are or with whom. Fassbender’s character, Brandon, not only has to battle his sexual addiction, but also support his troubled younger sister (Carey Mulligan), who is a dependent burden seeking to become a famous singer.

'Artist' Triumphs as Tribute to the Silent Film Era

Michel Hazavanicius' The Artist transports audiences back in time to a more simplistic era.

Calling a film such as The Artist, a diamond in the rough may seem on the verge of cliché, but in truth, in the midst of all the countless sequels made for the simple pleasure of making more money and the hapless romances spewing straight from Hollywood’s churning mill, audiences are in desperate need of a reminder of the early days of the industry. Before the time of 3D, a time before breakthrough special effects and even a time before color, films were silent, shot in black-and-white. Audiences hardly have an appreciation for a style they consider archaic that it’s almost a shame that The Artist will not appeal to a universal audiences. 

However for us cinemaphiles, a film like The Artist comes along on the rarest of occasions. The film follows film star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), who has reigned supreme over the silent era, only to find the times are quickly changing as the medium is quickly moving to talkies. Valentin forms an on-and-off relationship with up and comer, Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo), who breaks out onto the talkie scene after he insists that the studio use her in upcoming pictures.

Streep Outshines the Fragmented 'Iron Lady'

After Julia Child and Miranda Priestly, Margaret Thatcher is another ideal role for Meryl Streep.

It won’t be long before the bio-pic genre starts to run out of iconic figures from 20^th century Britain to base films around. Already audiences have praised The Queen and The King’s Speech, both of which took home a vast number of honors in 2007 and 2011 respectively. Helen Mirren and Colin Firth brought to cinematic life to Elizabeth II and George VI; now Meryl Streep takes her turn in transporting another figure from the noble halls of government to the big screen as Margaret Thatcher. 

Portraying the only female British prime minister cannot be hailed as a cakewalk for Streep. But that doesn’t mean that she can’t tackle the fierceness of The Iron Lady. After all, Streep can play just about anyone from Julia Child to a staunch nun and even a devil in heels. The Iron Lady looks at bits and pieces of Thatcher’s rise to power, her prime and eventual decline, where Streep portrays the latter two eras of her life.

Spielberg's 'War Horse' Journeys Towards Epic Proportions

Steven Spielberg gives audiences not just one, but two movies over the holiday stretch.

If The Adventures of Tintin wasn’t enough Steven Spielberg over the long holiday season, there remains yet one more sprawling epic from the iconic director with the release of War Horse. 2011 isn’t this first instance that Spielberg has released two of his films in the same year. Back in 2005, Spielberg released his vision of War of the Worlds in the midst of summer and Munich, later in the year attracting attention from many critics. 

War Horse comes at the perfect time of the year, fitting the shape of an awards bait film with its epic scale and emotional tension. Though everything points to War Horse being a film that is here to only collect a potential pile of awards, there is so much more that Spielberg delivers in divulging a tale that simply comes down to one about a boy and his horse. And that’s exactly how War Horse begins. An Irish farm boy named Albert (Jeremy Irvine) begins a bond with a recently purchased horse, but when his father is behind on the rent, the horse is thrown into the midst of World War I and continuously changes owners.

Spy Classic 'Tinker Tailor' Tightens Traitor Investigation

Smiley (Gary Oldman) investigates the top men of British Intelligence in an updated Tinker Tailor.

An espionage film can be boiled down into two categories – either going the flashy route with an abundance of iconic characters, disposable gadgets and explosive action sequences like James Bond or Jason Bourne or conversely taking a more subtle, subdued path where the audience is required to be patient and come to an understanding that flashiness isn’t everything to craft a film. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is the latter, bringing together the most prominent actors in British cinema, many of which are having their own little Harry Potter reunion in this film. 

Tinker Tailor is adapted from the 1974 John le Carre novel by the same name about a seasoned agent (Gary Oldman) drawn out of retirement to investigate which one of British Intelligence’s top men are also working alongside the Soviets and blowing the cover of a fellow agent during a mission deep inside the Hungarian borders. Each of possible suspects is given a codename – “Tinker,” “Tailor,” “Soldier,” and “Poorman.”

'Zoo' Partially Embraces a Heartfelt Wild Side

Some people say they live in a zoo, but very few can literally back that claim up.

Buying any piece of real estate typically wears a person down for quite some time, dealing with the endless red tape and practically selling your name and your life away in order to committing to stay there for however many years down the line. Normally, it isn’t something that done on a whim, especially when it’s for something more than you bargained for. That is, unless you’re a single father of two who decides to start anew and buy a zoo in the country. Matt Damon happens to be that single father of two in We Bought a Zoo. 

We Bought a Zoo is based on a true story, helmed by acclaimed director Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous), of a family from England, who bought a dilapidated zoo and subsequently reopened the facility to the public. Crowe’s adaptation Americanizes the story, transplanting the narrative across the ocean to the bright California countryside.

Spielberg Returns with Visually Groundbreaking 'Tintin'

Tintin (Jamie Bell) and Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) team up to find the secret of the Unicorn.

When two of Hollywood’s most acclaimed directors converge together, you simply expect a project that hoists itself above the ordinary and perhaps the extraordinary too. Steven Spielberg has proved time and time again, hardly without fail that he is the universal benchmark among directors. Whether tackling historical drama or sci-fi, Spielberg has brought to life some of most iconic films of the past forty years, but it is when he ventures back to those serials from the 30s and 40s along the lines of Indiana Jones does the timeless magic take shape once more. 

Now The Adventures of Tintin might not be a classic charismatic archaeologist with a bullwhip, but a Belgian boy detective and journalist, a drunken sea captain and cuddly canine companion are an equal fit for the genre and for Spielberg himself. The Adventures of Tintin is based on the Hergé comics from that serial era. Spielberg starts the adventure in the middle of the series with The Secret of the Unicorn, which also happened to be a temporary subtitle for the film as well.

'Dragon Tattoo' Remake is a Haunting Beauty from Fincher

Rooney Mara assumes the mantle of anti-social cyber hacker, Lisabeth Salander in this remake.

As of late, it seems like Sweden has constantly been getting the goods. From 2008’s Let the Right One In to 2009’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, these titles have not only captivated Swedish cinemaphiles, but those abroad and particularly those here in the United States. The only drawback, reading subtitles. Granted there is a solution. Either dub the language or remake the film for domestic audiences. 

Enter 2010’s Let Me In, which actually gave horror an intellectual feel for a change and now one year later, an American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. And what better way to reinterpret the first of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy than the master of serial killer thrillers himself, David Fincher. Like the Swedish adaptation, Fincher intricately crafts Tattoo as a thriller about a damaged publisher and an antisocial hacker recruited to uncover a decades-old mystery about the murder of a corporate heiress.

'Ghost Protocol' Reignites Cruise's Career and M.I. Franchise

Tom Cruise is back for a fourth go-around in the most profitable franchise of his career.

Tom Cruise might not be the box-office draw he once was, considering he has only two of his films break the century mark in five years (one of which was little more than a cameo in Tropic Thunder) and his last film to hit the 200 million dollar threshold was 2005’s War of the Worlds. Still there is one franchise keeping this mega-star alive for the past 15 years, Mission: Impossible. 

The Mission: Impossible series has undergone many changes from film to film, most notably being the constant swapping of directors. This time around, Brad Bird takes the reins from J.J. Abrams, joining Brian DePalma and John Woo as director in the latest franchise entry, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. In Ghost Protocol, Cruise steps back into the shoes of agent, Ethan Hunt, minus the aid of IMF and being accused of creating disruption between Russia and the rest of the world after an attack on the Kremlin. Fortunately for Hunt, he isn’t alone; backed up by a team to restore the balance of global peace.

Third 'Chipmunk' Adventure Misses the Boat Yet Again

More singing. More mayhem. And this time not even an island can handle the chipmunks.

How both Alvin and the Chipmunks movies managed to churn out over 200 million dollars each time in exchange for cheesy and excruciating entertainment is downright mindboggling. But of course if two movies soar past that milestone, a third film is assured whether audiences like it or not. That brings us up to date with the latest Alvin adventure given the fitting portmanteau subtitle of Chip-Wrecked. 

If 2009’s Squeakquel wasn’t bad enough, the creative minds behind this franchise decided to combine the words chipmunk and shipwrecked to give said title. This second sequel is unlike the previous two films, leaving the music industry behind for open waters aboard a cruise ship. Dave Seville (Jason Lee), the Chipmunks and the Chipettes are on vacation, but after some seafaring hi-jinx, they find themselves overboard and washed up on a deserted island. Not only do they have to contend without the luxuries of their pop sensation lifestyle, but they also have former producer, Ian (David Cross), on their tail still seeking revenge.

'Game of Shadows' Contributes to the Web of Sherlock's Success

Back again, Sherlock and Watson find themselves on the brink of global catastrophe.

There is always that incredible sense of satisfaction when a re-imagination of a classic just doesn’t break out from the pack, but more importantly deserves to.  Back in 2009, Guy Ritchie did exactly that in tackling Sherlock Holmes, which has been interpreted more times than one can count, and the start of new adventures for the legendary detective and his dear, dear Watson. 

Elementary you might say, but without the chemistry of Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law with Ritchie helming this project, Sherlock could have easily been a thrown together cash-in on the century-plus-old brand name. Far from it. Fast forward two years later; Ritchie, Downey Jr. and Law team up once more for the anticipated sequel, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. In this sequel, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson find themselves in the midst of the plot of a mastermind, which could ignite a world war.

2011 Fizzles Out with Yet Another Valentine's....'New Year's Eve'

Valentine's Day isn't the only holiday that Hollywood can cash in on for a quick ensemble film. 

Chick flicks have always been a dime a dozen – sappy, unreal easily fixable little worlds with a perfect little ending topped off with some pretty bow. Sometimes one linear sappy story is way more than one can handle at any given moment. Then Garry Marshall gave us Valentine’s Day, where it wasn’t just one story of love, but somehow a whole bunch intermixed with one another and better yet, throwing in pop celebrities and product placement for the sake of filling up two hours. 

It’s not over; not by a long shot. Swap out boxes of chocolates and dozen roses for champagne and annoying party favors to celebrate another year gone by and countdown another three hundred odd days until that infamous Mayan prediction. Like Marshall’s previous ensemble film, New Year’s Eve follows countless storylines in the Big Apple, leading up the final moments of the year.

Babysitting Takes a Wild Ride in 'Sitter'

What started out as an ordinary night quickly became another adventure in babysitting.

I’m almost glad I was never expected to babysit. Kids are more than little handfuls when around their parents, but even greater terrors when grown-ups are nowhere to be seen. Of course, not all kids are like that, but just one little terror is more than enough. In his husky swan song, Jonah Hill deals with not double, but triple the trouble in David Gordon Green’s The Sitter. 

In his typical twenty-something slacker persona, Hill’s character, Noah, is coerced into babysitting his neighbor’s trio of “darling” for what should be a quiet evening. Expectedly, that is not the case when Noah’s girlfriend calls wanting him to pick up some drugs and come to a party and he accepts. With the three kids in tow, what started as a quiet night turns into chaos in New York City.

Reitman, Cody Reteam Again with More Adult Comedy

Some people grow up while are still the self-serving witches that you hated in high school.

It’s an unfortunate truth that growing up is simply just another part of life. Sure, you’d love to freeze time and stay in that 18-year-old body without a care in the world and idolized in high school or college for some shallow reason. Things change. 

And for author Mavis Gary, she still hasn’t grown up and she’s well into her mid thirties. Charlize Theron (Monster) plays Gary in Young Adult, directed by the quite talented Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. After nearly twenty years since graduation, Mavis returns home with one thing on her mind – getting back together with her old high school flame (Patrick Wilson), even if that means being a downright home wrecker.

Tech-Savvy 'Arthur Christmas' Isn't Your Parent's Christmas Movie

The entire Claus family bring joy to the children of the world, particularly young Arthur. 

It just doesn’t feel like Christmas unless there’s a Christmas movie hitting the theater. Luckily this year, we’ve already had our holiday treat in A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas. But wait! Aardman, the studio that brought us Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit are joining in on the fun with a modern take on the whole Santa operation in Arthur Christmas. 

Operation: Christmas has gone beyond the typical Santa, sleigh and reindeer. Instead, with the innovations of eldest son Steve, the plan is now part "Mission: Impossible" mixed with North Pole quite similar to NASA’s mission control. But when the foolproof plan misses a child in England, Santa’s younger and clumsy son, Arthur, takes it upon himself to deliver the forgotten present halfway across the globe.

It's Time to Welcome the Muppets Back with Open Arms

Kermit, Miss Piggy and the rest of the Muppets return to the big screen after a decade-plus hiatus.

How many times have modern directors attempted to take something so iconic from pop culture, redress it for fresh audiences and the result just falls flat? The last couple of years have unfortunately been the epitome of revitalizing the 80s. Smurfs, fail. G.I. Joe, fail. Conan the Barbarian, fail. But where many studios have failed, Disney will try to pick up the pieces with a seventh Muppets film. 

As the first Muppets film since 1999, The Muppets rejuvenates the magic of the original three films, getting away from the gimmicky installments of the 90s. It has been years since the Muppets got together and finally do so when persuaded by their biggest fan, Walter, who’s also a Muppet, to save their old studio from a greedy oil baron (Chris Cooper). Pooling together to manage what seems to be the impossible, the Muppets put on a telethon to buy the oil baron off.

'Descendants' Easily Ascends to Golden Spotlight

George Clooney plays a prominent real estate agent with strong family ties to Hawaiian royalty.

You can’t always choose where you come from or who you’re related to, but at the very least, there’s that given option to make it work. In The Descendants, Matt King (George Clooney) is a prominent real estate agent, whose family life plays second fiddle to his work life. He refers to himself as the backup parent and lacks a strong relationship with either of his two daughters. 

But when his wife is comatose from a boating accident, King has to pull together with his children in order to survive the ordeal. And while coming to grips with his wife’s state, Clooney’s character additionally has to manage the status of the last virginal Hawaiian real estate. King’s ancestors married into Hawaiian royalty ages ago, connecting their legacies to that of King Kamehameha I, and as a result, inherited that hefty amount of paradise.

Scorsese Charms the Holidays with Magical Masterpiece

Hugo (Asa Buttefield) and Isabelle (Chloe Moretz) unlock the magical secrets of a metal man.

There are some sights too mesmerizing that us audiences aren’t even worthy of seeing. Iconic director, Martin Scorsese, has certainly gifted audiences such a fantastic sight in Hugo, based on the 2007 novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Hugo follows the tale of a titular orphan (Asa Butterfield) who runs the clocks at a Parisian train station, full of lively characters. The young boy finds himself on an adventure throughout Paris, when he attempts to uncover a message left in the gears of a broken automaton by his deceased father. Hugo teams up a toy booth operator’s granddaughter (Chloe Moretz) looking for the truth.

Despite being his first family-targeted project, Scorsese directs the film as if he has done this time and time again. Hugo is a flawless addition to an already legendary directorial resume, captivating audiences for a good two hours of masterfully shot sequences. Scorsese spends much time perfecting every frame, focusing on the sharply high and low angles to visually unfold the narrative. 

Fourth 'Twilight' Outing Spawns Maritial Angst

After four movies, Bella finally ends the heated Team Edward vs. Team Jacob debate.

What a relieving 16 months it’s been. No sign of teenage angst, sparkling vampires or shirtless werewolves or team this or that. That is…until now. Hormone raging teenage girls have no doubt been counting down the days until the supposed wedding of the year and the honeymoon off the coast of Rio they’re all envious of. Yes, the Twilight phenomenon returns for the beginning of the end with the first half of the series’ final book, Breaking Dawn hitting theaters. Now if you haven’t been keeping up with this teen drama, Bella and her sparkling vampire boyfriend, Edward, are finally, yes finally, getting married. She immediately gets knocked up by Edward, carrying around a hybrid that’s killing her from the inside. And if she’s to survive, Edward has to do the one thing he’s been procrastinating about for the last few movies and that’s making her like him, a vampire.

Breaking Dawn is unquestionably the least critically received and longest of Stephenie Meyer’s saga and the film is a prime example of why that is the case. The majority of the film is sappy and drawn out, despite being the short film of the series to date. Breaking Dawn opens with one of the most awkward weddings and receptions seen on screen. Sure teenage girls will be in awe over every miniscule detail, wishing for that happily ever after in Bella’s place, but everything is so lifeless. But being vampires, it’s not too surprising and Bella hasn’t even become a vampire yet.

Eastwood Slows Down with Hoover Bio-Pic

Beneath those layers of makeup, Leonardo DiCaprio emerges as a seasoned J. Edgar Hoover.

Something as simple as a name can trigger certain keywords about a person. Pioneer. Powerful. Controversial. Those three words can describe a number of people, yet one man who innovated untouched crime scenes, fingerprint identification and wiretapping is a perfect fit to that mold. 

Director Clint Eastwood’s J.  Edgar follows the rise and fall of the career and highly debated personal life of J. Edgar Hoover, embodied by the phenomenal presence of Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio is unquestionably the strongest asset of the production, maneuvering between Hoover in his heyday and in his twilight with his one of his most remarkable performances to date.