Dallas Buyers Club (***)

Ron Woodroof is a man of few pleasures. He drinks, he's a rodeo cowboy, he's promiscuous, and he's got a nasty cough that leads him to pass out on more than one occassion. The year is 1985. The diagnosis: AIDS. Faced with the stigmas attached to the surging 'gay disease,' Ron is given a bleak 30-day diagnosis. With a lack of accessible medication, he begins searching outside the country for alternative medicines. Soon, the whole bandwagon is on his side, and he begins an illicit drug trade, dubbed 'The Dallas Buyers Club.'

The film is a legal drama in every sense of the term, based in part on a newspaper article published on the topic over 20 years ago. It was a scary time, and the film presents the viewer with a harsh look at the HIV/AIDS community at the height of its exposure. The Food and Drug Administration begins testing a new drug (AZT) through human trials, and much of the gay community will pay top dollar to have even a portion of the medicine. One such person is Rayon, a trans woman who is selected for the trial period. She is delicate, sassy, and determined, as much on the other side of the spectrum as Ron is homophobic, fearful, and rugged. They join up, creating a business that involves the Dallas community and draws the attention of the FDA.

There is much to admire in this film, notably for Matthew McConaughey's career-best performance (following in the footsteps of Bradley Cooper as second-rate comedians-turned Oscar-nominated actors). He is in no way a likable character, but he follows the appropriate character arc that we come to expect, and by the end you will be cheering. The same goes for Jared Leto, always a solid method actor, bound to finally get a long-deserved Oscar nomination. He's funny, a scene stealer, and carries much of the emotional weight of the story.

It's not that I have problems with this film, but that I've seen it before, and done better. Think 'Erin Brockovich,' thing 'Norma Rae,' think 'Silkwood.' 'Dallas Buyers Club' doesn't take risks in terms of story telling. It merely follows the traditional plot points and arrives at the finish line with Oscar buzz by default. I don't care for Ron's romantic relationship with a hospital doctor (Jennifer Garner), nor do I find myself on the edge of my seat when the FDA comes knocking at their door to seize their drugs. Perhaps you can even guess how the film ends, too! The strengths are in the 2 lead performances. The rest is just white noise.

(Awards potential: Best Actor (McConaughey), Best Supporting Actor (Leto), Best Adapted Screenplay)

Nebraska (*****)

Alexander Payne's latest flick is unquestionably a fine achievement. Quiet, fleeting, beautiful, blink and you may miss it, laugh too hard and you may miss an opportunity to reflect. Almost the pinnacle of his work thus far, incorporating themes from 'About Schmidt' and 'The Descendants' to name a few, Payne creates a road trip movie that is just about as good as anything I've seen in theaters this year. 

Woody Grant is a man of few words, married to his wife (Kate) and father to two awkward sons (David and Bob), he's slowly slipping into a state of unconsciousness. Perhaps its Alzheimer's, perhaps not, all we know is that Woody has won 1 million dollars, and he intends to collect his winnings in Lincoln, Nebraska, even if he has to walk there himself.

What follows is a story of a father (Bruce Dern) and his son (Will Forte), as Woody is humored into taking a trip to prove that it is simply a marketing ploy, not a promise of eternal fortune. 

What a funny film this was! As they travel from Montana to Nebraska, they stop at a relative's home, one of Woody's brothers, where we meet the aunt and cousins, as well as take a peek at the town where Woody was raised. There's the garage he used to own. That woman was who he dated before getting married to Kate. Or maybe not. To Woody, it's all the past, a blur of faces and places, nothing more. He wanders through town like a ghost, a man who has come to use alcohol as a crutch. To his son, his younger years are a mystery. 

Bruce Dern (who I admit, am not well-versed in) is a God-send in the leading role. He is quiet, stubborn, losing grip on reality. He captures a man that is not always likable but is entirely sympathetic. It's a quiet performance but truly one of the great leading roles of the year. In a genius scene with his son in a bar, for example, he summarizes marriage in the most brutally honest ways, so matter-of-fact and surprising to his son, and Dern maneuvers the dialogue like a master. His character has no motives or deception, he does not lie, and he has no agenda. Woody is only truthful, hard of hearing, and stubborn in his quest to collect his money.  

How funny that he finds himself married to the loudest mouth in Montana. In a performance sure to go down in history, June Squibb all but steals the show in every scene, Oscar-worthy in every sense of the term and likely this year's winner for Best Supporting Actress. She is a fiery woman, put up with her husband's antics, and the nail that holds the film together. Visiting the cemetery where Woody's family is buried, for example, Kate goes stone to stone, picking apart her deceased in-laws with insults and commentary. "Here's Woody's sister. What a whore. I liked Rose, but she was a slut..." It's undoubtedly the funniest scene of the film, perfectly encapsulating Kate's character and her relationship with her distanced husband and her ever-uncomfortable son. Squibb is sorely missed any moment she is not on screen, and she's a character just dripping with sass, charisma, and warmth. Give this woman an Oscar, dammit!

The black and white landscapes are remarkable, something we all recognize, as are the characters, so well-written and so Payne-ian in their depictions. The score is unique, simple, yet iconic. Humor isn't found in slapstick or funny visuals, but the way we find a disconnection with the elderly, with different groups of people, the awkwardness that comes from new scenery and change of pace.

Like all Alexander Payne films, we conclude on a masterfully-crafted shot, simple yet so effective, the son and father drive off into the sunset, driving over a hill and disappearing in the distance. What Woody fails to accomplish with his winnings, his son eventually fulfills for him anyways, and the movie concludes with such a sense of completion and love. What more needs to be said? So poignant and fulfilling, the perfect end to a perfect little story, 'Nebraska' had me floored long before the credits were rolling. 

(Awards potential: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Dern), Best Supporting Actress (Squibb), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score)

Blue Is The Warmest Color (Jo *1/2)

This year's controversial (and do we mean controversial) Palm D'Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival has weaseled its way into American cinemas, despite the hard NC-17 rating, and despite it's 3-hour run time. The film, an allegory for some sort of sexual awakening or perhaps blossoming adulthood, is flawed, and there lies the very core problem of this film.

Let's begin by being quite clear: as one who is an avid film fan and has seen his fare share of 'queer cinema,' this film is not a member of that company. Queer cinema identifies itself as being made by, starring, even exploring what it means to be gay in the world. Perhaps this film explores, but never does it settle on anything genuine. Here is a film made by, starring, written and directed by heterosexuals. Plain and simple.

We see young Adele (newcomer Adèle Exarchopoulos, an actress whose nose runs so easily that she definitely needs an abundance of Kleenex with her at all times), a high schooler who dates a few guys, whatever. She is quiet, reserved, yet beautiful. She dates a guy, though it does nothing for her. She eats her feelings away yet gains no weight (aside from those adorable chubby cheeks).

And just as her English class begins discussing 'love at first sight' and 'predestination,' she meets Emma, a blue-haired wild girl, a meeting so fated that it feels almost like the two read the script and knew all about 'love at first sight' before even filming the scene. She feels something - a passion inside of her. We know what happens from here: they eventually fall in love, they begin dating, and the love falls apart in the end. It always does.

The process by which this happens is where the film draws much of my criticism. After moving in together, Adele becomes bored with the relationship, and like any level-headed lesbian in cinema does, she strikes up an affair with a man. Duh. This, of course, drives a spike through their relationship, and the two are parted forever. What is it with mainstream cinema that says lesbianism isn't valid? That a woman ALWAYS needs a man in order to feel fulfilled (both figuratively and literally, in this scenario). How offensive is that, knowing that films are still made (even in liberal France) that insist upon heteronormality, even in a film so proud to be called 'a revolution.'

And of course, with a lesbian movie, we are bound to see some sex scenes. Of course, these are the controversial and oftentimes graphic moments in the film that clearly are boosting the box office numbers. In a film so beautifully photographed and lit, the fact that all lesbian sex scenes are shot in wide angles and with the brightest studio lights is problematic to say the least. Hearing stories that the 10-minute scene took over 10 days to shoot (by the director's insistence) is so disturbing, and why this film draws praise for it's 'realism' is beyond me. These 'intimate' moments are the film's downfall: hokey, unrealistic, and jarring. This director could surely hit it big in the adult entertainment industry.

Perhaps this director could have taken the millions budgeted for this movie and made something of substance, instead of a 3-hour porn fest. Don't get me wrong, I am not in any way offended by nudity, or gratuity in film. Quite the contrary. What troubles me is the lack of regard given to the LGBT community by all involved with this film. What a sheer and utter waste of film, of time, of man power, of my $10.50, and my Saturday afternoon...

(Awards potential: Best Actress (Exarchopoulos), Best Supporting Actress (Léa Seydoux))

12 Years A Slave (*****)

'12 Years A Slave,' Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Steve McQueen will soon be Oscar winners, mark my words. There, I said it. How else can I begin a film review of a movie so marvelous that it literally stole my breath away on more than one occasion. A film that pulled me in quietly and still has me pondering over it the next morning. The reviews so far have been stellar. To have a movie surpass even your wildest hopes is rare. McQueen has made a full-blown masterpiece.

The story is just as you would expect - a freeman is sold into slavery amidst a drug-induced kidnapping, and with his rights stripped, he is sold throughout the South, working plantation to plantation. This man is Solomon Northup. This man is also Chiwetel Ejiofor. You may recognize him from some smaller roles (Children of Men, for one), but start practicing that pronounciation. We will be hearing his name many times this award season.

What an ode to life, to God, to identity, to faith, to hope, and to despair. The absolute good and absolute evil in men. I can't recall a movie that has come remotely close in terms of packing such an emotional punch. Ever. Forget last year's saccharin 'Django Unchained,' this is the movie that cinema has been afraid to show - delving deep into America's dark, brutal past in regards to slavery, perhaps the best movie made on the subject yet.

The power is in little scenes. We see a mother have her children ripped from her arms and sold, the salesman casually demonstrating how high the woman's 8 year old son can kick his knees. It's in scenes where Northup is strung up by a noose, barely supporting his weight on his tip toes and slipping in the mud, and his fellow slaves continuing their work without a care as he grasps to life (one long, unsettling take, no less). A scene where a slave woman is beaten to within an inch of her life, not only by her master, but by her friend (perhaps the single-most disturbing and powerful scene in any movie I can recall).

We have only Steve McQueen to thank. Known for his one-word indie flicks (Hunger, Shame), he makes a powerful debut to mainstream cinema with one of the best-directed movies in years. He guides a miracle cast through the darkest of times, but never without hope that freedom will one day come.

McQueen is a regular employer of Michael Fassbender, who here plays a villainous plantation owner named Epps. Villainous isn't even remotely close - think Amon Goth from 'Schindler's List.' He is fowl, cruel, drunk, pitiful. A terrifying performance, all the more impressive having seen Fassbender's previous work. The object of his desire happens to be one of his slaves, Patsey (played in a startling debut by Lupita Nyong'o). She is young, shy, and unlike Solomon, she has absolutely given up hope, settled in a life of constant rape and torture. We hear her beg Solomon to end her life, and when he protests, she reminds him that God is merciful. She has some of the quietest (and best-written) scenes as well as some of the most tragic.  If there is any justice in the Academy, Nyong'o and Fassbender will soon be graced with deserved Oscar nominations.

But of course, Chiwetel Ejiofor. In years to come, perhaps they will say this was the role he was born to play. He is a kind man, smart, talented at the violin and with manual labor. He works to survive, holding on to the last shred of hope that his wife and two children will see him again. His work is an emotional powerhouse, draining and so full of passion. Can they simply give him the Oscar now?

From Hans Zimmer's brooding, oftentimes modern score (oftentimes reminiscent of 'There Will Be Blood'), the gorgeous cinematography that emphasizes the setting of the deep south, to the breathtaking dialogue adapted from the memoir Solomon Northup wrote himself, the movie flows effortlessly into the realm of 'great cinema' even as you're watching it.

Every now and again, a movie comes along that is the perfect marriage of talent and craftsmanship. It's extremely rare. Think 'Gone With The Wind,' 'The Godfather,' 'No Country For Old Men,' 'Casablanca...' This is one such film. To linger with my thoughts after seeing it only heightens my adoration. I can't remember the last time a movie left me with so many tears, so many thoughts, so many emotions. This movie has left an indelible mark.

(Awards potential: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Ejiofor), Best Supporting Actor (Fassbender), Best Supporting Actress (Nyong'o), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction, Best Editing, Best Sound Mixing)

Captain Phillips (****1/2)

Richard Phillips is an everyday man, lives in Vermont, has two children, a wife. His job as captain entails his occasional trips around the world, commanding a freighter ship that carries cargo from country to country. The Horn of Africa, though, proves to be quite dangerous, and Paul Greengrass's latest film is a mindbender of action, suspense, and humanity.

When we think of an everyday man, perhaps two actors come to mind: Jimmy Stewart, and Tom Hanks. I can imagine no other actor filling the titular role as passionately as Mr. Hanks, who seems assured for an Oscar nomination (his first since Cast Away in 2001, another high-stakes movie set on the open seas). Hanks, at first, makes Phillips a distanced man. He does not associate with his crew, and they don't seem to like him in return. His conversation with his wife (in the one clunker the film has: the opening scene, which carries on as though it were written and shot by film students) is monotonous and cool.

And then the drama. With a high threat level (do they really send emails to ship captains warning the threat of pirates in any particular area?), Phillips spots two small boats in the distance carrying armed Somalians. Led by a man named Muse (played to perfection by newcomer Barkhad Abdi), 4 men manage to board the ship and take over.

And here is where we think the suspense will happen. Or is it? Perhaps the trailer is misleading. Shortly after they board and search the ship for the crew (hidden away in the darkness of the engine room), Phillips is taken hostage as the pirates board an escape boat and set off towards their home country. They have optimistic goals: exchanging the captain for 10 million dollars. Perhaps one day Muse will be able to journey to New York City and buy a car. Or so he hopes.

The cast is largely unknown actors, which lends believability to the 'docudrama' stylings of Greengrass (the Oscar-nominated director of the brutal 'United 93'). Perhaps you know how it ends, recalling the story on the news back in 2009. Or perhaps you don't. Regardless, here is a film that follows in the footsteps of films like 'Apollo 13' by taking a true story and completely immersing its audience in the plot. Even if the story ends on a positive note, we are on the edge of our seat the entire way. That's the sign of a director who is entirely in control of the medium.

Largely an 'action' movie, we see the arrival of the Navy, bringing 3 battleships to the scene. Muse assumes they are escorting them back to Somalia. His 3 crew members are clearly less optimistic. We get to know our pirates through small moments, largely through the eyes of Hanks, and though we can't always understand their motives or their actions, these are not nameless villains, these are people with dreams and goals and fears.

'Captain Phillips' soars only because of Greengrass and Hanks, both at the peak of their powers. It's been a while since we've seen Tom Hanks in anything terrible (we can look the other way in regards to 'The DaVinci Code') but this is easily his strongest role in several years, perhaps of his career. Yes, he is largely at the mercy of pirates, and his performance is subdued and quiet, but the climax of this film is perhaps the most emotional endings I can recall. I would prefer to skip details, but the final 10 minutes of this film brings all the suspense and ferocity of the film to a realistic close, and Hanks demands our attention. I will only say that I was perhaps slightly weepy in the closing moments, unaware anymore that Tom Hanks was possibly acting. That's power, that's talent, that's a legend.

(Awards potential: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Hanks), Best Supporting Actor (Abdi), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Original Score)