The Wolverine has a few Bumps, but the Film Succeeds where Origin Fails

The Wolverine (3 out 5 Stars)

Directed by James Mangold (Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma, Knight and Day)

Written by Mark Bomback (Total Recall), Scott Frank (Minority Report), and Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects)

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukishima, and Famke Janssen

In 2009 Wolverine got his own shot at his own film, with X:Men Origins: Wolverine.  Wolverine is one of the most popular, if not the most popular X-Men character for mass audiences.  If you were to ask many people to character they either know the best, or their favorite within the X-Men world, most people would say Wolverine.  With that said, anticipation for Jackman's first solo film centered on this character were highly anticipated.  The film was a flop for critics, and fans, no one liked it, and the box office numbers while decent caused a decrease in the franchise.  In 2011 there was a break from Wolverine with, X-Men: First Class, and now four years after his last film Jackman is back as 'Logan' the Wolverine.

The Wolverine centers around, well Wolverine (Jackman) sometime after the events from X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).  Wolverine has isolated himself in the mountains of Canada, but the old animal instincts are still within his repertoire.  Logan is dealing with the PTSD from killing the women he loved, Jean Grey (Janssen).  Logan is seeing visions of Jean in his dreams; she laying on the guilt, his own internal guilt, which has plagued him and caused him to isolate. In a bar one night Wolverine unleashes his inner beast, and is confronted by a mutant named Yukio (Fukishima).  Yukio explain that the man Logan saved in a flashback at the beginning, Yashida has requested his presence on his deathbed.  Wolverine agrees to fly back in order to say his goodbyes, and potentially let go of his own immortality.

The Wolverine tackles the three act arc play, lending the beginning to the set-up Wolverine his PTSD, the middle, which focuses on the connection between Wolverine and his connection and protection Mariko (Okamoto), Yashida's grand daughter, and then finally an action packed finale.  While the script is not perfect for the film, it achieves something Origins lacked, depth, intensity, and a great exploration of Wolverine in an interesting situation.  The film misses the boat on bringing about a convincing villain, the film focuses too much on Viper, she is neither interesting nor someone worthwhile to cannon of this story.  One of of my favorite parts about this film was Yukio, which brought another strong female Asian character, who can hold her own, two in one year (Pacific Rim had the other) is a massive accomplishment. The X-Men films struggle with their, except for Magneto and Stryker (in X-2).  Without spoilers the end villain brings about the intensity, with which you have hope to see battled out.

While the script prevents a "great" villain, Mangold creates an action packed film, which never needs one.  The script has a depth, thanks to the Logan, Mariko pairing.  The two were both searching for something to save them, and they found each other.  Mangold was not a bad choice for this film, but his shaky camera style which appeared in Knight and day shows up once again, and it can be more distracting than a style that adds to the substance of the film.

With that said, the action sequences are fun, the story is engaging, and the lead Hugh Jackman is once again fantastic as Wolverine.  This film will marks the sixth appearance of Jackman as Wolverine, and his best to date.  Jackman gets to explore the loss of love, the journey and exploration of self, and kick some ass all in the same film.  Jackman was born to play this role, and he is great as this character.  Wolverine was his first major role in the States, and with every film Jackman adds a new layer to this character.  In this film he commands the screen, and will continue to be a dominant force in the next X-Men film, stay for after the credits.

While this film is nowhere near perfection its a satisfying chapter in the X-Men films, and made me forgot about the terrible Origins movie.  Wolverine is an entertaining action packed film.

While Uneven Les Miserables is an Entertaining, and Emotional Experience Saved by Solid Performances (minus Russell Crowe)

Les Miserables (3 out of 5 Stars)

Directed by Tom Hooper (The King's Speech)

Written by William Nicholson (Gladiator, Nell, Shadowlands)

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Amanda Seyfried, Samantha Barks, Sascha Baron Cohen, and Helena Bonham Carter

Making this project looked like a labor of love.  The stage version is one of Les Miserables is one of the most popular, and most acclaimed stage shows of all time.  The film was made into a live action film, without singing back in 1998 with Liam Neeson as the lead.  Without music this film missed the mark in every way on achieving the Hugo's goal.  When this project was announced, fans screamed with utter joy, and as the cast list came out, people exclaimed with even more joy.  With such high expectations there was bound to be both excitement, and disappointment.   This film is an entertaining ride, but there are also flaws in the direction, which prevent it from being truly great.

The film follows Jean Valjean (Jackman) who has been imprisoned for 19 years after stealing a loaf of bread.  As the day of labor ends prison gaur Javert (Crowe) informs Jean Valjean he has been allowed parole, although he will always be seen as scum by others.  When Valjean is finally taken in by a priest he robs him, but the priest grants mercy on him helping him transform his life.  Years later Valjean is mayor of a small town under a different name.  One day while a fight between some women breaks out a factory in his town and worker Fantine (Hathaway) is tossed out, and fired.  Fantine eventually gets taken advantage of to support her daughter Cosette (Seyfried).  The film centers on Valjean's escape from his past and being chased by Javert, along with Cosette.  

Les Mis is based on the novel by Victor Hugo, which has been adapted numerous times in a variety of way.  This version, with William Nicholson's screenplay (one of a dozens) is the most faithful, which helps hit all of these right notes.  Nicholson's screenplay does not reinvent the wheel, neither hurting or adding to the film experience.  Without giving too much of the plot away (if you have not seen the show) those are the basics to the film set to the second part of the French Revolution. The film balances the intense drama of love, war, mixed with the humor perpetuated by innkeepers Thenardier (Cohen) and his wife Madame Thernardier (Carter).  The comedic helps balance out the heavy drama, which sometimes becomes to overwrought in the film.

Director Tom Hooper is the reason Les Mis becomes often overwrought.  Hooper who directed the Best Picture winner The King's Speech (and won director for that film) was guilty of that same crime in his directorial style.  In The King's Speech the direction hit hard so often at the characters emotions that you often lost the nuances of the story.  With King's Speech solid acting saved the film (although I thought King's Speech was beyond over rated).  Hooper hits hard at the emotional here as well.

Hooper hits the emotions so hard he wanted his actor's to sing live while listening to an ear piece of a piano being played.  With this method actors are able to perform while singing rather than letting digitally enhanced voices to determine their actions on camera.  In Hathaway's "I Dreamed a Dream" this method is beyond successful. Hathaway is brilliant with her performance stealing the film in her brief role; she emotes so well, and the camera focusing on her without cutting away works.  I would add that this also works incredibly well in with Eponine's (Barkman) soliloquy "On My Own."

The problem here (for the most part) is the direction, and not the performances. Hooper strives to capture every emotion, sometimes forcing the emotion, without cutting away in every song.  Hooper has not learned the lesson that this style can detract from the impact of the material.  Hooper did not learn because he was not slapped on the wrist for his direction of King's Speech; he was rewarded with a Best Director Oscar.  Hopefully he will heed these words for future projects.  Hooper needs to let the performances speak for themselves.

As mentioned above Ms. Hathaway is the true standout of the film, namely because her version of "I Dreamed a Dream was one of the most poignant parts of the film, giving me chills.  This was Hathaway's first time singing in film, although she has proven her talent on the Oscar stage.  Jackman the film's lead has done Oklahoma, and The Boy from Oz.  Barkman has done Les Mis in the anniversary version of the show.  Seyfried did the pop musical film Mamma Mia.  Cohen and Carter were both in the film version of Sweeney Todd.  Redmayne is no stranger to the theatre winning for the play Red.  Together these performers know how to bring a musical to life, and they inhabit their characters well.

Jackman proves he does his best while singing, carrying the emotional complexities of Jean Valjean well, along with the physical journey.  After Jackman's tour de force performance, the true standouts were Redmayne, and Barker.  Redmayne has started to get larger film roles, and his performance here has proven he is going to be a sought after man in the next few years.  If you kept a dry eye during his "Empty Chairs" soliloquy you are heartless.  The same can be said for Barkman's "On My Own" and her performance, a star on the rise.  These two actors better get ready for a lot of job offers!

The main problem in the acting department was Crowe's Javert, who after two decades of playing "tough guys" came across as an incredibly whiney and weak Javert.  Crowe is also another reason singing to the music failed.  Javert's "Stars" misses every mark, and the intense relationship between Valjean and Javert is weakened.  

While this has a significant effect on the film, the film was still entertaining.  Many critics are going to say "I hate this film" and "this film was bad."  Neither are true.  While the film is not the best of the year, there are moments which bring you to sheer excitement.  "Do You Hear the People Sing?" is the best number of the film, making you want to stand up raise a flag and join the cause.  Even though Hooper hammers at the emotions too hard, I often got swept up with the ride, and let it take me away allowing the film to remain successful.  While uneven Les Mis is an entertaining, and emotional experience saved by great performances (minus Russell Crowe).

Pretty Boys and Oscar: Where Have all the Hot Men Gone?

Throughout the many years I have followed the Oscars and become an award show junky, there has been one fact that was evident, Oscar is not a huge fan of the "pretty boys."  Who are the pretty boys you ask?  Well you could also define these "pretty boys" as the attractive leading men of their time.  Throughout the year men like Cary Grant, Robert Redford,  Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt,  (and many more) would fit into this category.

Throughout the years award show expert Tom O'Neil (from goldderby.com) has cited this to be a fact, that for some reason the Oscar voters do not crown the heart throbs.  Tom has a point, and while I have never been in 100 percent agreement with the theory, the proof is in the pudding.  I am going to use the men listed  above to talk about their history with Oscar.

Cary Grant was seen as a heart throb, the leading man of his time; he not only did films like Philadelphia Story, but did some other great dramatic films like Charade, Notorious, and North by Northwest.  Grant was nominated for two Academy Awards in the Lead Actor Category, and the films were Penny Serenade (1942) and None but the Lonely Heart (1945).  Grant did not win for either film, but he did an Honorary Oscar in 1970 four years after his last credited role.

Perhaps Grant is the first example of some of the reasons the "heart throb" is never taken seriously.  Cary Grant reminds me of a modern day George Clooney he is charming and suave, and a lot of his work takes on blended comedic/dramatic elements.  Comedy is rarely honored at the Oscars.  Grant is the only one on this specific list who would fit that mold.  The other reason Grant missed out on nominations for some of his most famous works like North by Northwest, Notorious, and Charade, was because throughout the years there has been a bias against genre films.  The Academy has gotten better with this but grant could or should have been nominated for one of these films, if not them then Philadelphia Story where two of his co-stars were nominated and one of them one.

The perfect modern example of the "pretty boy" is Brad Pitt.  Pitt hit the silver screen in 1991 with a small role in Thelma and Louise, the role focused on his good looks, and focused on Pitt as a sex symbol.  This status continued, and Pitt was known as the celebrity straight men would consider s

Let's look at Grant's co-star Jimmy Stewart who wont the Oscar for Philadelphia Story.  Stewart never was seen as a "looker" he was tall skinny bean pole who was a great leading man, but was never considered to the ladies or man's choice in regards to looks.  While many may look at Grant today and think the same thing; he was in fact one of the "studs" of his time.

Let's transition from the end of Cary Grant's career when he was older and won his Honorary Academy Award to one of the major "heart throbs" of the late 60s, 70s, and early 80s. Robert Redford.  Redford was in numerous films popular and well received films during this time Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Way We Were (1973), The Sting (1973), Three Days at the Condor (1975), All the President's Men (1976), The Natural (1984), and Out of Africa (1985).

Throughout his years as an Actor Redford was only nominated once for acting Oscar for The Sting.  Of the films that received Oscar nominations (beyond The Sting) most of his female co-stars received nominations while Redford did not, Barbara Streisand (The Way We Were), Jane Alexander (All the President's Men), Glenn Close (The Natural), and Meryl Streep (Out of Africa).  You have to think that as the lead in these films Redford deserved some recognition for his acting, but he was never honored in this field.

I can already hear the dissension from folk saying "But wait didn't Robert Redford win an Oscar in 1980  Directing Ordinary People?  The answer is yes, but this started a trend where the Academy Awards loved to honor those actors who stepped behind the camera rather than showing off their pretty face on screen all the time.  Warren Beatty (who was also another heart throb) fit this model just won year later winning Best Director for Reds (1981).  Redford's leading man looks proved that he could never be taken seriously in front of the camera, but only behind the scenes.

After Redford the next example of a "pretty boy" was the young, and talented Tom Cruise.  Cruise not only made great quality films, but set the example of a box office super star.  Cruise has not only had major box office success with films like Top Gun, and the Mission Impossible series, but has been nominated for three acting Oscars.  Cruises has two Best Actor nominations for Born on the Fourth of July (1989), and Jerry Maguire (1996), and Supporting Actor nomination for Magnolia (1999).  While Cruise never had a shot for his first two nominations; he lost to two of the best working actors today Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot (1989), and Geoffrey Rush in Shine (1996). Cruise had his best shot to win for Magnolia; he was the favorite with many critics wins, and a win at the Golden Globes, but eventually lost to Michael Caine in The Cider House Rules.

Cruise is started the de-glam of the pretty boy, which helped nab more acting trophies.  Born on the Fourth of July is a great example, where he transforms himself from an optimistic youth to an angry Vietnam War veteran in a wheel chair.  Magnolia also showed a different side to Cruise proving he has the chops to pull off darker material.  Throughout the years Cruise has gained attention from these "de-glam" roles, like his role as the fat movie producer in Tropic Thunder.  Cruise is a solid modern day example of the Academy still never taking the pretty boy seriously, especially with his loss for Magnolia, Cruise may have to wait until much later in his career, the way his co-star Paul Newman (another good example of his looks preventing him from a win) won for Color of Money.

Brad Pitt is the best example of the modern day heart throb.  Pitt's first major role on the silver screen was in 1991's Thelma and Louise.  While Pitt's role was small, the film focused on his ripped body, getting women and men to consider him as an object of affection.  Pitt would forever be known as sex symbol, getting even straight men to consider going to bed with him.  While over the years Pitt has proven himself more than a pretty face getting some great dramatic and comedic roles, and proving he has true talent.

Like Cruise Pitt has only been nominated for three acting trophies at the Oscars, one Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, and two Lead Actor Oscar nominations.  Pitt's first nomination came in 1995 for the film 12 Monkeys (Best Supporting Actor); he took away all the frills of his looks and "de-glammed" for this role.  Like with Cruise Pitt won the Golden Globe for this film but lost the Oscar to Kevin Spacey. Pitt's Lead Actor Oscar nominations came much later in his acting career, first in 2009 for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and then in 2012 for Moneyball.  The majority of his award show attention from the Oscars has come as he has aged and reached his late 40s.

These four examples are just the icing on the cake, there is Leonardo DiCaprio who was snubbed for Titanic (1997) while co-star Kate Winslet was nominated, Ryan Gosling snubbed for both Driver and The Ides of March (2012), and many more.  These are two current working actors who have recieved Oscar nominations, but have never been honored.  Are their looks to blame?  Ar Oscar voters jealous?  These men have turned in some great performances, but none have them have made it to the Oscar podium for an acting win.

George Clooney is one of the rare cases of "heart throbs" who have won Oscars for an acting performance.  Clooney did not however win in the Lead Actor Category he won for his "supporting "de-glammed" performance in Syriana.  Clooney was also nominated in two other categories this year Best Director (he was up against Ang Lee), and Best Original Screenplay (he was up against Crash-the eventual Best Picture winner).  Academy voters knew they needed to honor him so they picked the least competitive category.

This year's Best Actor race will provide the opportunity for two men who fit within this category to be nominated Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables), and Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook).  At the moment neither stands a chance of beating the method acting of Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln.  Maybe being a "pretty boy" is enough, but these men deserve their due, and should not have to wait until their looks fade, the way many actors have to wait.