(500) Days of Summer

I finally managed to watch (500) Days of Summer last night. I completely loved it from the first moment of the film, before we'd even faded in on anything! I think I can safely say that no other film has ever made me laugh before a single image had appeared onscreen, but the opening disclaimer managed that feat:

"The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Especially you Jenny Beckman. Bitch."

Now, I pretty much think Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of the most talented younger actors working today. Just watch Brick, Mysterious Skin or my own favorite, The Lookout, for all the evidence you'd need to prove that. I also think he's incredibly sexy. So, you may think that I'm a bit biased in my views and would love anything with him in it.

To that I'd reply: G.I. Joe. Ugh! I sat through that godawful movie for one reason, and one reason alone: JGL was in the cast. I'm not an action movie person in general, it's true, but give me a good action film, like the Bourne series or the second Terminator film, and I'll love it. G.I. Joe was painfully bad and if I could wipe the memory of those two hours from my mind I would.

In short, I will see bad movies because a particularly hot or talented (or both, in this case) actor is in them, but that doesn't mean I'll like them.

(500) Days of Summer was just really fantastic. I loved the retro look to it, which was just right without being so overdone that you felt like you weren't watching a film set in the present. I loved the character of Tom, the romantic who believes he's found The One and whose whole belief in love is dashed against the rocks of a woman who just doesn't love him back.

I liked the non-linear storytelling and the supporting cast, and I really loved that the movie avoided romantic comedy cliches while taking on the whole idea of the cheap, greeting card/Hollywood sentimentality that is so attached to the very idea of love today.

I especially liked that the movie didn't offer to tie things up neatly at the end. When the lead character, Tom, left his job and started pursuing his dream of being an architect, other movies would have had him find success to show that You Should Follow Your Dreams, the sort of easy sentiment that Tom has rebelled against. Tom is following his dreams, yes, but the movie makes it clear that doing so comes with no guarantees or easy success stories.

It's a great film about the realities of being in love, from the euphoric highs (I especially liked the scene after Tom and Summer have slept together for the first time, when Tom walks to work in such high spirits that a dance sequence ensues) to the lowest of lows, which usually aren't passionate fights but rather when you're faced with silent indifference from the person you love.

I just really loved this movie. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel were both fantastic, it was funny and painfully real, and the whole look of it, the very atmosphere, made it a film that I know I'm going to watch again and again.

Thoughts on the Oscar Nominations

I know that I'm pretty out of it this year (the only film that was nominated for anything that I've actually seen is Up), but the nominees for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards seem kind of... (insert shoulder shrug here). There just doesn't seem to be a lot to get excited about this year.

I am glad to see that Colin Firth was nominated for Best Actor for his role in A Single Man, but that was the only nomination the film received.

I'm also thrilled to see Nick Hornby, one of my favorite writers, nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for An Education! I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't even know he'd written the screenplay for this film before today.

Other than those two nominations, though, I see nothing to get excited about. This is probably because I've seen none of these films, I'm sure, but even so it seems that there is usually someone or something that I'm really rooting for at the Oscars. This year, not so much.

I'm sad that there were no nominations for Joseph Gordon-Levitt or (500) Days of Summer. After the Golden Globes, I'd thought there may be.

I think increasing the number of Best Picture nominees to ten makes some sense, but I think in practice it's going to be about nominating a lot of films that are just filler, with no real chance to win. Of course, that might lead to some great upsets in the future if enough people get behind one of the filler nominees at some point and upset the favorite. It will be interesting to see how much longer it makes the ceremony, too.

Well, I guess I'll have to try and see some of these films between now and March 7th. Maybe that will give me something to care about here.

Very Random Thoughts on the Golden Globes

The 67th Annual Golden Globes aired tonight and I decided to jot down some thoughts while I watched the show. No doubt they'll be completely random.

First off, I love Ricky Gervais, I think he's incredibly funny. I've been a fan since I saw his series Extras, but I have to confess that I haven't yet watched his more famous show, The Office (or the American remake of it). Anyway, I thought his opening tonight was very funny.

Of course, part of the fun of the Golden Globes is scanning the crowd for the wide variety of celebrities from TV and movies. It always looks like such a fun night, as opposed to the Oscars where you know the fun doesn't start until the show is over.

I spotted David Burtka, partner to Neil Patrick Harris, right away while the camera was lingering on Keifer Sutherland. David is such a cutie!

Lea Michele's category, Best Actress in a Television Comedy, was one of the first presented and as much as I would have liked her to win for Glee, I do think Toni Collette is amazing in The United States of Tara and deserved a win. I still have issues with her show being considered a comedy, though. I think it's a drama with comedic elements.

I really wanted Neil Patrick Harris to win Best Supporting Actor. I think John Lithgow is awesome in pretty much everything he does (I haven't watched him on Dexter), but Neil is so overdue for a win!

I completely teared up when they showed Michael C. Hall in the audience during Lithgow's acceptance speech and he was wearing a stocking cap because of his cancer treatment. He was fantastic in Six Feet Under and I really hope he beats this.

I was glad to see him win for Best Actor in a Television Drama, too, and when the little voiceover informed us that he'd been in Cabaret on Broadway it was news to me. I've never heard him sing, but now I want to!

Seeing Ryan Kwanten in the audience makes me think I really do need to watch True Blood, if only for the shallowest of reasons! I was fast forwarding past something and stopped and backtracked to see who that beautiful man I'd just caught a glimpse of was.

Speaking of unexpected glimpses of hot guys, Juliana Margulies' husband is a total hottie! I don't think I'd ever seen him before tonight, but I'd certainly like to see more of him!

I can't believe Sigourney Weaver lost again for Prayers for Bobby! She really deserved the recognition.

Alec Baldwin just beat Matthew Morrison for Best Actor in a TV Series Comedy or musical. I like Alec Baldwin, but it seems like he's already won plenty of awards for 30 Rock. Matthew looked very hot, though, and it was nice to see his Glee co-stars behind him in the crowd, cheering him on. There have been far fewer shots of the Glee cast than I expected tonight, given how popular the show is. Maybe NBC doesn't want to promote it more than they have to?

I love Zachary Levi. I wish he was nominated instead of just presenting. I'm glad Chuck is finally back for its third season. Between Zachary and Ryan McPartlin, Monday nights are hotter than ever.

I've been seeing Taylor Lautner's face everywhere for months, especially at work with all the endless Twilight merchandise we carry, but tonight was the first time I'd ever heard him speak. I know there are countdown clocks out there for all the people waiting for him to be legal, but he just comes across like a kid to me. His voice sounded like that of someone who hasn't quite hit puberty yet.

I really need to see (500) Days of Summer. Have I mentioned what an incredible actor I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt is?

It sucks that they chose a presenter from Gossip Girl and it wasn't Ed Westwick! Chace is very pretty, but he can't hold a candle to Ed for sheer sexiness.

How could Jane Lynch not win for Best Supporting Actress??!? Recount! Seriously, that's the one award I really felt certain Glee would win tonight. I'm very disgruntled, probably more so because Chloe Sevigny has always been one of those people that I find incredibly irritating for no particular reason.

Jane looked fantastic, and I can only hope that she'll have better luck at the Emmys and at next year's Golden Globes. I'm sure this won't be her only nomination for playing Sue Sylvester!

How hot does Matt Damon look? I know that's a given, of course, but the man seems even sexier now that he did over a decade ago when I fell for him completely in Good Will Hunting. How is it possible that he keeps getting better with age?

Leonardo DiCaprio still looks good, for example, but I'd definitely pick Leo from The Beach over the Leo of today. I'd chose current Matt over Good Will Hunting Matt without a second thought, though.

Sorry, my casually jotted down thoughts seem to run towards hot guys more than anything else. What can I say?

Oh my God, how much do I love Ricky Gervais for his Mel Gibson introduction?! That was awesome! Best joke of the night. Wow! It helps that I loathe Mel Gibson, of course.

Glee won for Best Comedy!!! Yes!! There was much shouting for joy in my apartment, which is particularly sad since I'm watching by myself. It was so great to see the cast on the stage together, looking so happy.

I didn't really have much to say about the rest of the awards. I haven't seen any of the nominated films in the Comedy or Drama categories, which says a lot about my movie going habits these days. Once upon a time, I practically lived at the movie theater on weekends, but for the last two years in a row I've seen a grand total of two films per year on the big screen. The saddest part is that last year my two choices were real winners: Friday the 13th and Wolverine. Yikes!

I really just prefer to wait and watch films through Netflix these days. It's certainly cheaper that way, though I do miss the excitement of the big screen experience.

Well, The Golden Globes have come and gone. Next stop, The Oscars, where I'll try (and fail) to be less random in my observations.